Good afternoon, Wisconsin.
Welcome everybody to WFHR's PlayMankars.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Happy New Year's Eve Eve, something.
James here with you, solo show, but I'm not alone.
I got all of you.
Let me in the numbers, everybody, 715-424-2600.
I'm wide open.
Hit me.
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Thank you for listening, everybody.
Our last show of the year.
So I want your favorite sports moments of the year.
Go ahead and get that to us.
That is mandatory for any talk radio show you have to do year end stuff.
So we are definitely getting that quota in, check mark.
Got that down.
Also get into a bit of the NFL schedule, want to talk about Green Bay.
I want you to let me know, what do they need to know to win these games?
Games like yesterday.
What do they need to do to win those games?
Want to talk about that?
Get into a little bit of Raptors and River Kings.
Got some interesting stats of the show and we'll get into our schedule here for the
week as well.
All that coming up.
So I want to start off where nobody else is starting off their sports show with Jordan
Noyes.
And if you're not familiar with who Jordan Noyes is, he is a 32 year old kicker.
That's not really a big deal, 32 year old kicker.
That's, you know, pretty standard, except he's at Colorado State.
Jordan is a 32 year old kicker at Colorado State, playing for the Rams.
They just wrapped up their season.
And he is from the United Kingdom.
And he is one of the oldest players in college football and that's interesting enough.
Not that he's the oldest player, but that he's one of the oldest.
So that right there is kind of interesting.
He didn't touch a football until he was 26, the day before his wedding.
And it's just kind of an interesting guy, kind of an interesting thing.
You don't see this stuff anywhere, except really college athletics and college sports really.
It's a pretty interesting story.
I was going to do 32 for my status show, but I didn't do it.
But an interesting guy, interesting kicker and interesting to see with these.
I don't know.
Are we going to see more of this with NIL and with some of these things?
Are we going to see people staying in college longer?
Who wouldn't as a side note?
If you could make that kind of money, not if a player can of course, but if you could
make good money in college, why wouldn't you stay in college longer longer?
Same guy, Mr. Noyes, and I hope I'm saying his last name, right?
I apologize if I'm not.
Let's go ahead and do a preview of these upcoming bowl games that we have.
And of course, let you know there is one.
There's bowl games going on right now and everything as well.
I believe, yeah, Missouri did beat Iowa.
Just that one just wrapped up Missouri beat Iowa 2724, Missouri ranked 19th, but from
what I was gathering, I didn't get to watch the game, but I was keeping track of the score.
And Iowa was pretty handily holding that game in place.
And if you're an Iowa fan, you put up 24 points in a bowl game.
That's something.
If you've been paying attention to Iowa football, 24 points, that's none the sneeze at.
That says pretty good.
The Reliah quest bowl will be tomorrow, about 11 a.m., Alabama versus Michigan for that
one.
Could be a good one.
Michigan has shown that they can show up for games whether they're ranked or not.
In number 11, Alabama, they have some players in transfer portal.
They have some players who are not going to be playing in that game and suiting up.
Could be an interesting one.
Also tomorrow, Louisville and Washington are going to be facing off.
And you have the cheese at citrus bowl number 20 Illinois against number 15 South Carolina.
That should be a really good game.
This should be a really good call.
Good afternoon.
You're in the game.
Oh, you're putting me in the spot saying it's going to be a really good call.
No pressure.
No pressure.
Okay.
All right.
I got a serious question for you, bud.
Yeah.
I was watching the Vikings Packers games last night as much of America was.
And I looked up and I saw that Sam Darnold had 371 passing yards.
How does that happen, James?
I think that every New York jet fan is asking themselves that.
I think that not only Green Bay Packer fans are, I don't think you're the only Viking fan
that is.
Now, the only part, I was like, wait, is that stat right?
I was like, no, that can't be right.
I'm guessing that Sam Darnold's family, his loved ones and all that feel a certain way
about him.
But outside of Kevin O'Connell and Sam Darnold, I don't think anybody saw this coming.
But I got to give a tip of the hat to O'Connell and the coaching staff there.
But they have been doing the last couple of seasons.
Has been really impressive.
I've forgotten that him and Brady were on the same TD back to Brady for a while there.
That was an interesting note on the game too, I thought.
Yeah.
He was actually drafted.
I actually have his rookie card.
You know, if I'm a, I would say, I would say this too.
If I'm a, if I'm a Green Bay fan because I feel that, I feel this way as a Chicago fan,
I would think that you would feel this way if you have an actually competitive team.
A team that actually has a reason to be hope, have hope in everything.
This is a good thing for the division.
This makes your division stronger, which makes your team stronger.
Ask any, any good offense, part of what makes them good.
It's going up against a great defense, every practice.
Escalamar Jackson, what made him good, all those, what started making him good as a rookie
right away, playing against top, not a top match defense, Monday through Saturday or Monday
through Friday or whatever it would be with the practice schedule that they would have.
This is good for the division.
If our whole division is tough, all four teams are good.
That means that everybody has to be good and the race is the bar.
And as a fan, I'm not talking about management or anything.
I'm saying as a fan, hopefully this tells your team, do something.
Look at what's happening in your division, do something.
You can't just sit there and do nothing.
But yeah, but when you say all four teams are good, you're discrediting your Chicago
Oh, I'm saying if I'm sorry, I meant to say if all 14, I really did, I really did
mean to say if there's nobody in the world called the Chicago Bears a good team right
now, including me, but, but if they were to be, if they, and I'm saying good,
like the bar is low for them, we're talking a 500 team or something, maybe a team that
upsets somebody here or there, if that happens and you've got four great teams in this
division, that only makes everybody better.
That only makes everybody, but if you want to smooth ride through your division, good
luck in the playoffs.
Good luck.
It may have worked for New England for a while, but it doesn't work for many teams.
Yeah, but I mean, like you said, to your point, I mean, look at what they have actually
brought the word like for once the NFC is actually, they might win, you know, it was like
if we dominated with a Patriots and the Chiefs and everything for so long, if the NFC
North is, is representing, it's a shame that Detroit's not going to be healthy.
You know, if they were to lucky enough to get Hutchinson back for the Super Bowl, if
they were to make it to the Super Bowl and get him back, if they get Montgomery back
in the playoffs, they, you know, there's some factors there with what ifs, but it's
a shame because I really feel like Detroit had the best team, a pound for pound in football
this year, when they were healthy.
Yeah.
And that had been cool to see everybody can say that early in the season, oh, sure, sure,
a Buffalo could have said it, Philly could have said it, Kansas City, Green Bay could
have said it.
When, when, you know, before Jordan, love God, banged up early on in the season, they
probably could have said it too, but nobody was saying it about Minnesota.
And I think it's always a cool story, no matter what the team, when a team comes out
of nowhere and surprises people, it's got to feel even better as a fan.
Well, yeah, but he's got already more wins in Minnesota than he did in his entire career.
So that's kind of cool.
Sometimes it pays to bet on yourself.
He did.
He didn't stay where it was comfortable and he could have made a nice paycheck in San Francisco
like they wanted them to.
He went, he wanted a chance to start.
He wanted a chance to, you know, prove himself and he did whatever happens with Sam Darnel
from here out, the, the bus label goes off of him.
You have one, two good years and that bus label gets off of you and I can't imagine
what that feels like as an athlete.
Oh, especially you know, when you're drafted by the New York Jets, that's, you know,
that's got to be kind of hard.
God help you.
God, yeah, yeah.
What are the few, what are those franchises that makes me feel better?
Well, yeah, it's like, you know, Smith, I mean, I wish him the best too, but I mean,
I am thankful I was born in Chicago and not New York.
I will say that a hundred thousand times over and over and over again.
And I'm saying that about sports teams.
That's it.
I mean, I love, I love the city and everything.
But that's all I'm talking about here as sports teams.
I'm thankful that I was born there and not there because I wouldn't, I'd have probably
been a Jets fan and I would have been a, that had just been a miserable existence.
I, I, I, I'm much happier being a bare fan and I know that's, that's crazy for some
people here out there, but I'll take it over being a Jets fan.
Are you sure you really want to see that?
Yeah.
I'm positive.
I'm positive.
Well, we're not, oh yeah, we're alive for a life.
Yeah.
Thank you, brother.
Have a great day.
All right.
You take care.
You too.
Happy New Year's to you and yours out there.
Yeah.
I, I, I actually got, I should mention this too.
I got in trouble with some family members during my last show because I mentioned on the show
that I don't believe that as long as the McCaskys are running the, own the Chicago Bears, that
the Bears will ever win a Super Bowl.
And I'll, I will double down on that.
I stand on that.
And part because between you and I, I can't lose in this situation.
I mean, if they do go on a win one, then my favorite team just want to give them the Super
Bowl.
Oh, no, I was wrong.
I don't care about being wrong.
It happens every day.
But I, I do say it because I do believe it.
And I think that team like the Jets, like other teams, need, need, need new ownership.
I don't think that a franchise, in fact, the more and more research, I'm looking into
this.
This isn't just football.
This is all of sports.
I'm talking English soccer teams, all of them, all sports, every, every, every team you
could use, new management, new ownership, every once in a while, it's, it's, it's important.
It's important for this, if it's a business, that's the way business runs.
And need to start treating it that way more.
Instead of just, hey, it's just family, you know, and, and we're just hiring each other.
Hey, that happens in business every day.
People are hired that they know somebody or they're related to somebody or some, I understand
that.
This is different.
Sports is different.
It is a business.
Yes.
It also lives in the gray area of, where, where people aren't walking around with flags
of, you know, businesses outside of their front yard or putting a bumper sticker of it
or something like that.
There's a passion and a, a care involved in this that there isn't an almost any other
thing you can really point to.
You have super fans of like sci-fi genres of, you know, TV shows and, and stuff like that.
You don't have anything that compares to the insanity of a Southern sports fan or
a, you know, Green Bay Packer fan or, or some of these things, the layers, the levels,
that, that, the passion.
This is different.
And if that's involved, I feel like there, there should be an accountability and ownership
upon intended to that.
But I digress.
Looking at the bowl schedule again, I left off with number 15 South Carolina, ticket
on number 20 Illinois, that should be a really good game.
That'll be a two o'clock tomorrow, cheese it bowl, cheese it citrus bowl.
And a Texas bowl, Baylor versus LSU.
One team that is extremely happy to be there in Baylor and one team that is just shaking
their head like, how did this happen in LSU?
Because Brian Kelly was supposed to have that team in the playoff, especially when there's
12 teams.
I don't know.
Did I see, is he given any money back?
Can anybody check that for me?
I don't, I'm the producer at the host.
I can't look it up while we're talking here, but I'll try to during the break.
Because if Brian Kelly didn't give any money back, if I'm on the board at LSU, if I have
a cage and accent, I am demanding some money back from Brian Kelly.
I am definitely, I feel like he did.
I feel like he might have already, but I don't remember exactly.
I know there was about three or four coaches that did, but that is a trend that needs to
kick into high gear.
I wouldn't, I wouldn't be not only shying away from that, I'd be, and you can go ahead
and laugh at me and call me insane for this if you want.
We're talking about millionaires here.
We're not, we're not talking about your average everyday college football coach, okay?
We're talking about millionaires, three, four times over.
This is there, for most of these guys, we're talking about this is the third or fourth contract
of this.
You're Brian Kelly, you got more money than Solomon, man, you go ahead and give some of
that money back.
You put it in that NIL and it's, it's a good story of the day at the university.
Look at what coach is doing.
Look at how coach is investing in the university, blah, blah, blah.
You can PR that stuff and spin it like crazy.
And if I am Luke fickle, I am doing the same dang thing.
I don't like to tell other people what to do with their money and it's very easy for
me to say, but it's also very easy to see that that would be a wonderful PR move and
a great way to show fans, to show recruits.
Hey, this season didn't go the way we expected it, but this is how invested I am in next
year.
This is how much I believe in the team next year.
I'm willing to put thousands of dollars on it.
I'm putting not just my name and my coaching on it, I'm putting money invested in it.
That's recruiting 101, that's marketing 101, seems pretty self explanatory.
I would be, I would be walking right into the AD's office and doing that and offering
that.
And if I'm these universities, I may even match it.
I may even match that to to piggyback on that good PR.
You telling me the Wisconsin Badger football team couldn't use some good PR right now?
It wouldn't, wouldn't literally cost you anything because again, these are millionaires
we're talking about.
They can afford it.
The college football schedule is going to get really in the high gear tomorrow as we get
back into the playoffs.
The fiesta bowl.
Number six, Penn State at number three, Boise State.
I get to see my guy, Aishan, Austin Gentie.
I can't even say his name right now, I can't call him my guy.
Just a wonderful, a wonderful, I think pound for pound the best player in college football
last year.
This season I'll say Penn State is favored heavy, but as big 10 fans we know this is
Penn State and it is very different than the old, this has come to Penn State.
It's a little bit different team than those teams.
I don't know.
James Franklin's coaching, all bets are off.
All bets are off.
This should be a good one.
Here's hoping for a good game and a strong game, I would say, especially from Gentie because
this kid plays with a force and a veracity that only it only increases with his motivation
and he just got probably the biggest load of motivation he's ever gotten in his life
and coming in second into Heisman.
Oh, that should be a good one.
Wednesday January 1st kick off the new year.
Number five, Texas at number four, Arizona State, part of the Chick-fil-A, Peach Bowl.
Apparently Arizona State has been sending a bunch of things on social media at cute,
quitting yours, teasing him about a manning being right there in the shadows.
Yours isn't taking the bait very smart on his part.
He seems like a pretty mature kid, especially for somebody who came into college with a
mullet.
He kicked off joking.
I think that he's showing himself to be, we're going to get into, if not this week next
week or coming up here, we'll be getting into the NFL draft, not only how it's going to
fall and look, but how some of these quarterbacks and some of these top first round players
are looking.
And part of the reason you saw such a rush for quarterbacks this year is the current
crop that is going to be coming out for the next year's draft.
A lot of people don't believe they're ready to play.
A lot of people believe that yours and shoulder sanders and some of these guys need at least
a year to sit back and watch.
Because I think it's starting to show a little bit more just maturity wise what he can do.
Arizona State, hey, they got the second best name in college football, I think in Cam
Scataboo.
That's a perfect name for running back Cam Scataboo.
He's good.
He'll also be seeing some play on NFL Sundays.
That is January 1st.
Also going on January 1st, a couple of more playoff games.
You got number eight Ohio State taking on number one organ as part of the Rose Bowl,
the granddaddy of them all can't wait for that one.
That should be a great game.
A rematch and rematches aren't always great.
I think this one will be Ohio State should be motivated and organ is organ.
They are a solid team that nobody seems to be talking about their defense, but they
got a really nice defense.
Should be a good one right there.
That game will be about three o'clock Eastern time or a standard time.
And to wrap up the night, round 645-ish, number seven Notre Dame taking on number two
Georgia.
If you haven't heard, Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck is having surgery already
had elbow surgery.
He is out for the playoffs.
So that is going to be wild.
That is going to be pretty interesting.
I don't know what level you would put that on, but there is a pretty, you know, you're
going into the playoffs and Jared Goff isn't playing, you know, but I feel like that's
about the equivalent of that.
Now I am looking up here because Georgia don't feel bad for them.
Not only do they have a, I believe a five star quarterback sitting there, but Georgia's
backup quarterback is Gunner Stockton.
Possibly the most Georgia name you've ever heard.
If I told you Gunner Stockton played football, you would guess nine times out of ten that
it is Georgia football.
And if you did, the 10th guess would be Georgia Tech.
And he's pretty good.
So we'll see how that is.
Notre Dame as much as I do not like to admit it is a pretty solid all around team.
They didn't get to 12 on 12 and one on accident.
12 and one.
Wait a minute.
Notre Dame went 12 and one.
Who did they lose to?
Let me double check.
Oh, that's right.
Northern Illinois.
Go Huskies.
It should be a good one.
And that will lend this round to playoffs.
They will kick back up January 9th, Thursday, January 9th and Friday, January 10th.
Everything wraps up on Monday, January 20th.
That is crazy that the college football season is going that long.
Every once in a while, in fact, almost every year, there is a college football bowl game
that ends up like after the Rose Bowl and Citrus Bowl and all the big bowl games.
There's always like that last tail end one, but even that one wraps up in the first
week of January usually.
You can go ahead and argue with me on this one or debate me on it, 715, 424, 2600.
They're going to be asking these kids to play these many more games and do this much more.
Where if your chances are, if you are playing this late in the college football season,
you have draft, you know, hope, you possibilities, hype, whatever the case may be, whatever
verb you want to use.
When you're continuing to play, when you could be costing yourself thousands, if not
millions, yeah, you better pay these kids.
And by that, I mean the universities.
I don't just mean the car dealerships, I just don't mean just the board of directors
or anything like that.
I mean these universities.
They are printing money.
If you can't do it, then get out of the game, get out of the game.
That's fine.
You don't have to play this game.
And if you're going to play this game and these kids are doing it, they dang sure deserve
to be making a buck or two off of it, especially with what is online.
And if you get a chance, look up the picture of Gunner Stockton.
You got to look it up.
You got it.
You trust me on this.
You have to look up the picture of Gunner Stockton.
You go ahead and throw that to your search agent.
We will take our first time out of the game, but that's all right.
We got another one.
We'll be okay until the end.
What coaches ever regretted using up their timeouts.
Come back.
I want to talk a little bit about what Matt and I were talking a little bit about earlier,
the Green Bay and the Vikings game and the Green Bay season.
Talk NFL schedule.
We'll also get into some rafters and river kings talk.
And I got an interesting stat of the show for you to wrap up the first half here.
As we're talking bowl games, let's continue to go bowling.
Did you know what the first bowl game ever played was?
It was on New Year's Day, Michigan and Stanford played.
And our stat of the show is 1902.
That was when the first bowl game was played, 1902, the Tournament East West football game
sponsored by the Tournament of Roses Association.
The tradition would later come, of course, to be known as the Rose Bowl.
And start to tradition of postseason bowl games that are commonplace today.
Wolverines 149, nothing over Stanford.
We'll be back with our show here.
Coming up, 97.5 FM, 13.20 AM, WFHR, locally grown radio.
Welcome back everybody to WFHRs, Playmakers.
Welcome back to the show.
Got your host James behind the mic.
Probably brought to you by Quality Plus Printing, getting your words out right here in Wisconsin
Rapids, head on over to A Street South for all your printing needs and say hi to Phil
and the gang for us when you're over there.
Big thank you to them for sponsoring the show.
Looking forward to bringing on more in the 2025 in the New Year.
Looking forward to the New Year in general.
Yeah.
Yeah, why not, right?
Come on.
We're going to talk rafters and river kings in a little bit.
Got some other interesting notes on the day, but it's time.
I didn't want to jump right into it right to kick off this show, but I am, our phone
lines are open.
I want to hear from Green Bay fans.
I want to hear from Packer fans, 715-424-2600.
Easy to call and talk about your team when they're doing good.
Let's hear how you feeling today.
I'm not asking you to call up and just tell me what's wrong with the team.
I'm asking, I want to know what you're feeling good about because I feel like everybody
is mentioning this or that about the team and we can take plenty of, there's plenty of
holes in any NFL team.
We can talk about the Kansas to achieve some tear them to shreds right now.
Anybody can do that.
What are you feeling good about with this team going into the playoffs and speaking
into the playoffs, still got a week left.
Anybody who's been asleep for the last couple of years, the NFL is making them play another
week now.
Green Bay and Chicago, the greatest rivalry in all of sports, certainly have a streak going
here, have a lot of pride in the line with these games.
And here comes the question, do you play your starters?
Green Bay is playing for a lot more than just beating Chicago.
And yes, I know how much it sucks to lose to Chicago, but you can handle that.
If it means I tell you, you lose that game, but you win the first round on the playoffs.
I think everybody, I think 100% of packer fans would be okay with that.
And you've got plenty of injuries already piling up for that team, including yesterday.
And Jordan Love is quote 100% with quotations around 100% thing because no NFL player
is 100% right now.
And I'm curious, if Jirel Exander is healthy enough to play, and boy, is that an if?
Do you play him?
Because if he is even close to healthy, I'm sitting him, I don't care what happens with
that Chicago game.
If I am in the position of Green Bay, not only am I sitting my starters, I may sit the
second stringers too.
Now what do you really, if anything, I think that would only, that would be even more
of a slap in the face to Chicago, even if you lose that game.
Like this is what we think of this game, we're not even thinking about you, we're focused
on the next week, we're that much playing a hat.
There's a number of teams that are going to be playing their starters and a number of teams
that have already said that they're questioning Andy Reed, Nick Serionine and Philly.
Not sure if they're going to play their starters.
So it's not an unheard of question and it comes up all the time when we get to this point
in the season, a little bit different I understand with Chicago and Green Bay.
But coming out of the game yesterday, if the game ended at half time, I would feel a little
bit differently about playing starters this upcoming week against Chicago.
Given the finish that they had, I'd feel a lot better about not playing that.
And Green Bay has done this in most of their losses this season.
They have been either blown out or getting blown out and then making a valiant comeback.
And not necessarily being able to pull it off.
Now is this because they're young, is this because they're inexperienced?
Is it some of coaching?
Matt LaFlure took full ownership of the drive stopper that happened there with the extra
man on the field?
What is it?
Do you tell me what are you seeing as a fan?
What do you think as a fan?
Come on awfully quiet out there, 715-424-2600.
Because I'm going to say something that I don't know if there's many people out there
saying and anybody who was constantly saying and I'm a little disappointed in that.
I believe in this team.
This is a full four quarter game.
The thing that Green Bay has in the thorn in their side right now is not that they're
getting blown out because they're not talented enough.
They're not getting blown out because they're not putting enough product on the field.
Both coaches and players got to get on the same page completely, got to get things down,
got to get their nerves set, and just got to play the game that they've been playing
since they were kids because you got the guys to hang with anybody and you have a team
that has proven to you that they have fight in them.
They got a dog in them.
A dog's just got to get a little more mature.
Those teeth got to get a little stronger.
You ever see a puppy trying to tear apart a milkbone that's two times bigger than them?
They got all the heart and drive in the world, but they are not going to get through
that bone.
You can talk all you want about the playoffs are a dip for an atmosphere.
You don't know until you're in them.
There are certain things you've got to live to experience, to understand, to know.
That is a sentence I just said.
But I mean, I wouldn't, I'm not saying that I'm going to Vegas right now and I'm betting
on them to win it all, but I am not betting against them either.
They seem to be a cohesive unit.
They seem to have a lot of fight in them and I would think you got to feel pretty good
about that going in, going forward.
Yeah, you won the win yesterday.
Yes, you did not want to get swept by Detroit and Minnesota in the division.
Nobody wants that.
Trust me, I know how that feels.
I'm used to that.
I'm not saying, I'm talking about fans here again.
If I'm coaching staff, if I'm the ownership, you know, which is some of you out there,
actually, but if I'm the upper brass and I'm the people making decisions here and everything
in the front office, I'm not satisfied, I'm not happy about yesterday.
But I am definitely thankful that I have a bunch of fighters out there that I got a team
that's not going to, you know, they're down by three touchdowns, they're still fighting.
The catch to all this is you don't have to be down by three touchdowns.
You start the game like you finished the game and you're going to have a better game.
And this is the thing that's missing for Green Bay right now is putting together four
great quarters.
And there are no problems you want to have going into the playoffs, but if that's your
biggest problem going into the playoffs, that is a lot better than we look at other teams
and what is their Achilles heel.
That can't stay is not healthy right now.
Philadelphia is not healthy right now.
And I still don't, I know everybody under the sun wants to crown them as the NFC champs,
I still don't believe in them.
They make it to the Super Bowl, then I will eat my, I will eat my words happily, I have
no problem doing that.
As I've said many times, I do not care if I'm wrong.
I just learned from it and move on, I'm a quarterback, I'm a gun slinger when it comes
to these things.
I look at the screen, all right, what did I do wrong guy in a move now?
But I don't see Philly coming out of the NFC, I don't see Philly representing the NFC
in the Super Bowl.
I think there are plenty of holes around the league and every team, no team is perfect.
And if you've got to have an issue, it's, it's, there are worse ones to have.
But the coaching staff has to do their job and prove what they make the money that they
do for.
It's every time you want to put it on the players, have you ever put yourself in the
shoes of an NFL athlete, whether you're Tom Brady or you're the backup third string corner
back on a team?
If ever there is a sport where you are counting on every single other, the other 10 guys
to do their job and to know the job that's at hand and to know the play that's called
and everything, otherwise nothing works.
And even when everybody does everything right, it doesn't always work.
It is a wild sport.
And most of these guys are getting in real time with its seconds.
All right, this is to play, all right, this is what there's doing, this to go, go.
Everything has to be on point.
Everybody has to be connected.
And that coaching staff, it all starts with them.
If they can lock down in this next week or two and get this team really that kind of
motivated, which it looks like they are, that's not a team anybody wants to play.
And Green Bay has shown that they can play on the road, they can play in any type of weather.
And may actually, I hate to say this for packer fans that were, you know, would love to
go to a playoff game.
It may actually work out better for them, not going into having a home game in some ways.
They have played just as well in many facets in certain environments that they could be
going into.
Now, they've got a murderous row ahead of them if they're looking to make a long playoff
run.
But that again, if you think that this team can be good for multiple years, you're only
gaining experience in the playoffs, whether the team wins or loses.
And for a super young team, that can only take that can take you so far.
Xavier McKinney is one of the veterans on this team, which is weird to say just because
he's not, he hasn't been in the league that long.
But I really appreciated it, I really liked what he was saying.
I think it's a great answer what he had if you did not hear him talking about this.
And Josh Jacobs said a very similar thing that they think they're just as good as these
teams that have beaten them, but they also understand that they got to prove that.
That's the kind of self-awareness that you want, not only out of your athletes,
but out of people in general.
So what do you think?
How are you feeling about this team?
Would you sit your starters next week?
And what are your other takeaways from the game?
What am I not seeing?
What am I not touching on here?
I'd love to hear from you.
Call up.
Let us know.
I think the rest of the NFL schedule is boring.
It kind of is.
I mean, it's really, there's some races that are still going on.
And you've got, I should say that Detroit and San Francisco are going to be playing tonight.
That could be a good one.
Again, if I'm Detroit, I'm not even sure if I'm playing starters.
Like you're playing for a number one seed, I understand that you've got to, but
the whole thing for Detroit is just trying to be, you know, get to the playoffs healthy.
Other games on the NFL schedule for week 18,
Bengals and Steelers, certainly interesting because the Bengals have to win out
and Wade Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase are playing right now.
To me is must see TV.
Really have enjoyed seeing those two this season.
I think that's been a lot of fun.
Panthers and Falcons are going to be fighting for something.
And commanders and cowboys could be interesting as well.
But looking at the slate, I mean, what, Chargers Raiders?
Does that do anything for you?
I don't think so.
Dolphins Jets.
Now, however, Vikings Lions.
Sunday night football.
It's a little more interesting.
A little more interesting.
Fighting for the division.
I believe a possible number one seed possibly.
Yeah, yeah.
And how many times in our lifetime have we been able to say any of that about this game
when Detroit and Minnesota face off?
Come on, that's kind of cool.
You can just be a football fan for a second and just appreciate that.
That's kind of cool.
And should be a good game.
There is a little bit of talk about who's going to play in that game just because of injuries,
but outside of that should be a pretty good game.
And that will wrap up the regular season for the NFL.
Been an interesting year.
Been a good year, like every year the NFL is.
But as it is, a lot of teams surprises.
And some teams disappoint us.
And when we're looking at the NFL draft early on,
we're going to do that in part right now because, well, we got to prep for this everybody.
You're hosting.
Yeah, Wisconsin.
You are hosting one of my favorite things in the universe, the NFL draft.
God, I got to get to green, I got to get to green bay for this.
I got to figure this out.
I got to figure out how I can get there, how I can do this.
I got to be a part of the action.
I'm looking at the draft order right now.
And of course, one more week left to play.
So things could shift when it comes to this.
But right now, the New England Patriots have the best odds to get the first round pick.
The number one pick overall next year.
Cleveland is right there at New England is 3 and 13.
Cleveland is also 3 and 13.
And so is Tennessee.
And so is the New York Jets.
A giant, I'm sorry, giants are 3 and 13.
Jets aren't far behind.
But there was some talk recently and I don't, I don't understand.
Look, I was a big buddy Ryan fan.
I loved him for obvious reasons.
But his son's, man, I don't know about that.
I don't know about them.
And I don't know necessarily why they gave them microphones.
I believe it was Rex Ryan.
I'm not sure, but I think it was Rex ride that was saying that the giants blew their
opportunity to get shoulder sanders and that they should have lost that game and all this.
And I can't think of anything that stresses more that you've never played.
Maybe organized sports.
Let alone grew up in a football family.
Where one of the godfathers of defense was your dad.
And you're saying that on national television.
Now he's saying it for clicks.
He's, I don't believe for a second, he believes that.
And if he does, I don't believe he should coach an NFL game ever again.
I don't even know if he should coach high school.
I can't think of a, outside of a solo sport golf tennis, these kind of things.
There's no way you can look at NFL players and ask them for 17, 16 to 17 weeks.
Go out there and put your body on the line.
I want you to go out there and I want you to take hits to where you want to,
might not even know your grandkids when you're in your 50s and 60s.
I want you to go out there and do that.
Go out there and entertain the masses.
Oh, and then in the last week, hey, could you guys hold back a little bit?
We want to get a younger player to come in here to possibly take one of your jobs.
That is one of the most, I can't use the words I like to.
But to tell grown men who are trying to do a job that are fighting for something.
Because these guys, yeah, the giants ain't going anywhere, obviously.
They knew that weeks ago, if not months ago.
But every one of those players not only has pride and has a family watching them at home,
they got to play for next year.
This is the NFL.
There is no guaranteed money unless your CURK cousins.
You got a, you got 100, if not 300 to 400 people right behind you waiting to take your job.
And you want me to go out there and lose a game on purpose?
Get out of here.
That is, if it isn't just for the clicks, if he genuinely actually feels that way,
that is a fool.
That is a fool.
And be what as it is.
The giants don't get your daughter Sanders.
That's the way it played out, man.
That's the way it went.
That's how that's football.
That's sports.
Get used to it.
Otherwise, find a new job.
And somebody, please, take the microphone away from Rex Ryan.
What are you doing?
Let's see, it's PN.
Was it cheap?
Was it, it was cheap, wasn't it?
Because they've had all these cuts in the past couple of years.
It Disney does not want to put any money in the SPN.
So you got to tell me, is he doing it for free?
Now that's different.
If he's doing a pro bono, if he's doing it for free, then I don't blame him.
All right, go ahead and put him out of the air.
If it's for free, but if they're paying him more than 50 bucks,
man, you are not getting, you are getting ripped off right there.
You go ahead and read, not the need care.
He'd even hear it or anything.
But you go ahead and let him hear that.
I'd love that.
He deserves it.
We'll come back.
We're going to talk some river kings.
We're going to talk some rafters.
And we'll talk to you right here on playmakers.
Probably brought you back Quattie Plus Pritching,
getting your words out right here in Wisconsin Rapids.
Welcome back everyone to WFHRs Playmakers.
One more segment for the year.
Taking you to the top of the hour here on Playmakers.
Call up with your sports thoughts and feelings, everybody.
We want to hear from you.
What is your favorite sports moment of the year?
What was your favorite sports moment of the year?
Call up and let us know.
I mentioned before, for me, it was the Olympics.
The whole summer games were just awesome to me.
I thought they were just fantastic.
Call up and let me know what your favorites are.
715-424-2600.
We'll get into some rafters and river kings conversation now.
Rafters have recently made a couple of nice signings.
I encourage you to check out.
You can go into rafters social media and see that real quick.
Mason O'Knot, a Pensacola state utility player.
Luke Skinner, in fielder from Loyola Mariamont.
Loyola Mariamont.
Why is that so familiar?
Also, Noah Hatta, out fielder from the Hawaiian Pacific.
Going to be joining us.
That's going to be cool.
And I really hope to get him on the air this year.
We're looking forward to working with the rafters a lot more.
This season and having a lot of these players on the air with us and everything.
I talked with their GM over there during the off season.
And we're looking forward to this.
It's going to be a lot of fun.
It's going to be a really, really hot, fun summer round here.
And we're looking forward to hopefully talking to
Espin Simpson or ESPN Simpson.
He has a picture out of Butler University.
I am not sure how he pronounces his first name,
but it is ESPN.
That is his first name.
Can not wait to talk to the young man.
He's a picture and they have a picture of him as a batter.
I don't know, but
go ahead and check that out.
A lot of big news coming.
A lot of stuff on the way.
Got a big announcement coming up 11 a.m. on January 6.
You want to be following their social media.
Find out what that's all about.
And the Northwoods League are going to be announcing their schedule and plenty more.
As the rafters are running May 26th through August 9th
with the all-star break being July 14th through the 17th
and the playoffs will be August 10th.
So excited about that.
Excited about their hot stove coming up at the hotel
mead.
That is going to be great.
Looking forward to that.
We'll talk more about it as we get closer to it.
And also keep in mind that the hot stove event is January 18th
at the hotel mead just if you want to get reserve your tickets and everything.
You can do that at northwoodsleag.com.
But we got a new coaching staff.
We got some excitement going on with the rafters.
And a team that is really hungry.
Bringing some nice talent to Wisconsin Rapids.
That's going to be a lot of fun.
Again, get your tickets for the hot stove event coming up January 18th at the hotel mead
from 69 and season tickets I believe are on sale.
And go ahead and get those.
Check that out.
Get yourself some gear.
Get all set and ready.
It brings a warm feeling to you too when you talk rafters when you think about
baseball makes anything.
Not burning but feel a little bit hot.
It's only going to get hotter on January 18th with the hot stove event.
Find out more at northwoodsleag.com.
Northwoodsleag.com.
And the river kings are enjoying a hopefully enjoying a much deserved break right now.
They have the weekend off.
It has been a incredibly busy first half of the season for your second place in the
division river kings and they are right there in second placement. They are right there.
Really could be at first.
River kings get back in action this week January 3rd.
They got home games coming up everybody Friday and Saturday January 3rd and 4th 7 o'clock
puck drop right at the southwood county rec center.
Gonna be taking on the steel county blades getting back into action.
And looking to keep that momentum going.
This team is especially for a team that did so well last year.
You wouldn't you would think that they didn't win a game last year with how hungry they are.
They're playing some extremely good hockey cohesive hockey connected hockey where they are all
first second third line all connected got playmakers on each one of those lines.
A defense that is showing you what they are made of and the attitude of this team the
the energy of this team.
And man just a tip of the hat to these goalies.
These kids are playing out of their mind right now.
Like this team.
I bet on them.
Gonna be a fun second half.
We got a lot of home games coming up everybody.
We want to fill that rec center.
Let's show them and home ice advantages.
Again the Kings in action this weekend January 3rd and 4th 7 o'clock puck drop at the southwood
county rec center then they'll come back into the next week in January 10th and 11th.
Take it on the Minnesota squash boy is that going to be a huge one.
That is going to be a huge series.
Cannot wait.
Follow the boys of winter as they build hockey up and down the river river kings hockey.com
get those tickets we'll see you at the south county rec center.
To be a good one.
Look forward to it.
Been a fun season.
Also a big shout out and thank you to GM and head coach.
If you're a Wisconsin ravaged river kings coach Paul.
Joining us here in the 4th period working with us off the air here as well.
You're not going to meet many better people and you're not going to meet many more fun people
and more cooperative.
Cannot thank him enough.
The partnership has been something we're really proud of around here.
We are of course as we were talking rafters before.
We've been the home of the rafters baseball since their inception.
And with the river kings we've started to be able to we've always covered the river kings
and had them join us on the air here.
But in the last couple seasons we've been able to play their home games on our sister station 105
W I R I I I personally and I'm not alone in this one.
Hope that that is always the case.
We continue to do that very similar to the rafters.
We are your home radio station.
We have been here 80 plus years.
We should be covering these teams.
And we're the only ones that should not to say that other people got report on them.
But as far as playing their games and everything down right we should be playing them.
Those are our teams.
Those are our players.
And we're proud of that.
It has been a fun year.
Thank you so much everybody for joining us here on the show.
Putting up with my ramblings.
Your calls, your feedback.
Cannot get enough of it.
Thank you so much for that.
And a gigantic thank you to quality plus printing.
Sponsor in this hour given us the opportunity to be here multiple times.
Like W F H R has never been able to do before.
In the afternoons.
It's been great man.
Been a lot of fun.
We will be off until next week.
You've got some great women's basketball coming up on Wednesday.
I don't know tomorrow.
I'm sorry tomorrow women's basketball hosting Minnesota.
And then on Wednesday we'll have alternate programming for you.
More on that on the morning show.
Have a good night everybody.
And always streaming of the Civic Media app.