Good afternoon, Wisconsin. Welcome to WFHRs, PlayMakers.
Afternoon, everybody. Hope you're having a good one out there. Thanks for joining us on
a Wednesday edition of PlayMakers. Have your host, James, behind the mic. I am joined
by our partner in sports, Mr. Michael Comer. How you doing, buddy? Good to have you here,
man. Thanks, and good to see you. It's good to see you too.
We got plenty of great things to get into today. We have nearly enough time, even though
we do want to thank our great sponsors for the time, our friends at Quality Plus Printing.
Big thank you to them for getting us the opportunity to hang out with you three times a week.
It is in the numbers. Give us a call, 715-424-2600. We're going to be taking a call from Head
Coach GM, of your Wisconsin Rapids River Kings. Coach Paul is going to be joining us at 530.
Looking forward to that, that's going to be good. Oh, yeah. We got Coach and Carousel to
talk about. I want to also get into the idea of the coaches, the college coaches getting
together, talking about transfer portal, the window for that. I got a couple of other
interesting stats. We're going to throw back to running backs a little bit later. That's
going to be fun, I think. So have back option pass.
Yeah, something like that. Yeah, yeah. But we're going to start right where we did last
on Monday with actually really less couple of shows. I think where we've started with the
Green Bay Power. We're also going to talk playoffs. We'll get into that and playoffs.
Playoffs?
One day we will get that sound around there and you could rest your voice, but right
now it's great to have you there. I want to begin a talking Green Bay, but we want to
actually begin talking to you. That seems like a great option. Let's go ahead and take
the first option. We're not just going to keep the ball. We're going to send it to the
running back. What do you got on your mind? Good afternoon. You're on the show. I'm going
to take it right up the middle, right down the gut and just keep right on running. Keep
running. Keep running. You run like a Roger Craig. You bring those knees up. Get those
knees up. Just burrow through. What's on your mind, Kev? Oh, no. Oh, here we go. Let's
try this again. Kevin, you there. Yeah, I don't know what's happened there. Yeah, we've
been having a little bit of hiccups with the phone. I don't think it likes the cold.
What's on your mind, man? I don't like the cold either. I'm sitting here listening
to the last few days to all the talking heads. You know, and I'm just, you know, I'm just
kind of just sitting back and seeing when everybody's saying, you know, now they're talking
about, you know, the Devante have maybe come back to the Green Bay. But there are some
thoughts I have on this whole week so far since the game on Sunday. Yeah, I think, you
know, seven seconds into the game. The Packers is pretty much was deflated from from the
fumble, fumble or non fumble, whatever it is. They just, they just did not recover from
that. But what I'm thinking is through the whole season, yeah, they want to love in games.
And they couldn't beat the, you know, they couldn't beat the playoff teams, you know,
they got beat six times by him. But my question might be to you more, Michael, because you
were at probably a lot of the home games and, and things like that. You think that the
floor overthought things too much to season, because last year, I don't think he brought
other coaches in to help him with his team, like they did this year with Salah. And I
think there's one other one that came in and consulted with him. It just almost seemed
like he overthought the game this year. You know, excuse me, I'll first say that green
bay, you know, drop the two games to green bay, drop the two games to Detroit and two
Minnesota close games be that still dropped them, but they were close. I will say, don't
forget that green bay did beat Houston, green bay did beat the Rams. So I mean, there's
a lot of that. It's not all as doom and gloom that a lot of people are making it out to
be as far as green bay losing. They beat good teams. Yeah, they beat the bad ones too, but
they still beat some decent teams and play close with others. You know, so I'm not too,
I'm not too worked up on any of that stuff. As far as the floor, I've never really had
an issue with the guy, but the one thing that I will say that it has been a continuing
issue. And this is the whole league. Take the stupid points, you know, quick going for
it. How many, I mean, you beat Minnesota arguably the second time you take the points.
You beat Detroit, you take the points, all these going for a beat Chicago, the second
time you take the points. There's just so many instances that, excuse me, all this cold
weather has got me, my scientists are around here. I'm sorry about that. So to answer that
part of the question, you know, I think there is something to it that, you know, you have
one of the worst things about being a coach at any level. And I've heard people complain
about Tony Biola about it at Lincoln. And I've heard people complain about Biola Ma when
he was here in Paul, Chris and fickle and all this other stuff. It's, you stand up
with the stands and it's the armchair armchair quarterback garbage. It's you sit there
and the play works. That's the best call in the world. That's smart. Now that's great.
And it doesn't work. Oh, what's the idiot doing? You know what? So I mean, it's, you
can have your, you can't have your cake. You need it too. Even though if you're fat
man like me, you do it either way. I'll spot try. Oh, yeah. I usually do. I mean, look
at me. But, but, but all seriousness, so I guess my biggest issue with the man is take the
points. And Green Bay didn't lose their games that they did based on a defense of poor
defense. Green Bay, I mean, that Philadelphia game people want to bury Green Bay so bad,
that Philadelphia playoff game. That was a one score game until halfway through the
fourth quarter. And, and people for, are so short-sighted with that. And the other things
people are really down on, on Jordan Love, which is a young guy. He's still think figuring
things out. He missed time with injury and I'm not trying to make excuses for him or anything
like that. But it's, it's a combination of things. How many games like those Detroit
Minnesota games during the regular season? Did the ball, the, the pass, hit their receivers
right in the hands, right in the chest? And they, they can't hold on to it. Whereas that
would have gotten things done. I'm still buying a Kale Williams stock. I wouldn't expect
anybody to sell Jordan Love stock. If, if people are buying a Bryce Young stock, why would
you give up on Jordan Love? Jayden Daniels or whatever. Exactly. They're, they're all
young quarterbacks. They're all still figuring things out. And I, and I do think that, uh,
there was a couple of really important notes. I think from the game that we didn't
get to, one of them Philadelphia fans are the worst. Oh, yeah, they rank way up top, put
my name on this and I will die on this hill in the whole world. They may be my least favorite
sports fan. They rank up there. They're, they're just, it's just, and it's not every fan
you can't say everybody on anything you're talking about. And like, but the majority
of them in that game, did anybody notice when it was like 10, 3 or something like that
and they had a 3 and out, the fans were booing them. Like just get over yourselves. You
are not that important. Uh, you matter, but you don't, you don't matter in the game
on the field. Like these things like this. Some of the stuff of Philly fans is, uh, they've
embraced it and I feel like the media has just like, egg them on and just added to it.
So that just putting that aside to the Jordan Love thing on Monday, real quick. On Monday,
I came down pretty hard on the floor and love. Um, but as Randy and I were talking about
this one thing that I don't think came clear enough. I never said anything about them
winning or losing the game. Anything I said had nothing to do with them winning or losing
the game. It was context on the whole season and the whole careers. And my whole issue
with them is this is the first time in my life that I could, well, yeah, in my adulthood
for sure. But since I was probably about nine or 10 years old, I am not afraid of this
team. I don't care if they're 14 and oh, when I'm facing them, I don't care. My team's
own 14. I have no fear of this team. This team has nobody that's going to punch me in
the mouth. Yeah, they got some guys that can fly if the weather's right and the play is
perfect and Jordan gets the amount of blocking that he needs and he doesn't do the check
to blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. If all that happens right, sure. Then, then yeah, they
score you a 30, 40 points on you and you lose. I understand that can happen. And I am
not afraid of it. I'm not afraid of one thing about this team and I am not alone. I'm
not even playing the games and I'm a bare fan. I'm the guy that should be afraid of you
the most. I have every reason to be. I have no reason. I'm not talking cocky here or anything.
I'm just saying I'm being blunt about this. That is not a green Bay team that I grew up watching.
That is not a green Bay team that I have seen in my lifetime. That there is nobody that's
going to punch you mouth in the team. There's nobody. Josh Jacobs does it from an offensive
job better than anybody on the defense. I agree with you. We had a caller call in that was
complaining about the Eagles and some of the plays that they were doing. And the Eagles like
Baltimore, like some of these other teams that the quote dirty isn't. And some of these teams
might be there might be dirty players. I don't know about their dirty teams. The NFL comes down
on that pretty hard nowadays and people tend to like their people tend to like their money.
But I'll say that there are definitely dirty players and there are certainly playing hard
and into me. That's what I saw at a filly. I saw a team that played hard. I saw a team that
punched you in the mouth. That's what you got. This is football. Wait, we ain't playing checkers.
This is football. You need guys to go out there and fight for you and fight for the win.
When your team is down, how is your body language? When Christian Watson goes down with another
injury, what is your quarterback doing? Is this head up? No. Jordan loves shaking his head
and you can hear everything he's going through his head. Matt LaFlor is doing the same darn thing.
Anything we blame Jordan love for, you have to look at Matt LaFlor. And you can point to Aaron
Rodgers and some of the teachings from there and stuff. And I'm not going to fight you on that.
But why is Matt LaFlor in that position? If he has not taken these shots,
you can say that he is the second winning his coach in Green Bay history up to his point in
his career, that he has given you no reason to let that man go. Hang on to that man. Good coaches
are hard to find. And he is a good coach. But is he a good leader? Is he a leader? That's what
you need to be. You got to be both. You got to be parcells. You got to be Walsh. You got to be
these guys that can do both. I'm not saying it's easy. I ain't got to playbook on it. Otherwise,
I'd be doing it. But I know Dane Sure that you have to have that to win. You cannot win without that.
I don't know how you do. Name me an example of a head coach or a quarterback or a defense or
anything that is one of Super Bowl, that they were weak, that they could get punched in the mouth
and they were done. I'm not talking about a fumble, a turnover. We've seen plenty. I saw Devin
has to return a touchdown in the Super Bowl. And I saw Pete Manning, Tony Jungie. Let's go to work.
Let's go to work. Right. Their heads were down. They took over that game and destroyed my night.
I got to see that out of this team. I see that the Packers, there was a headline on Monday or
Monday night or Tuesday or whatever it was. Packers want Jordan love to be more vocal. Yeah,
I can see it. I can see it. Yeah. I want Jordan love to run out of the pocket. Jordan love had a
worse average run than running average than Aaron Rogers this season. He averaged less than four or
five yards, less than four point in a carry. What was it? Four point in a carry here. Don't trust
your arms so much. You got to set a legs. He is on the Patrick Mahomes level of speed and agility.
He can do this. He's proven it. Trust your legs from time to time. Have an offense that's not
just relying on everything going perfect. And if it doesn't, well, you're you're taking the sack.
My question then is how much did his leg maybe wasn't an issue all season from that first game
against Philly? How much was the maybe the injury a little bigger than we? And that's just a
question. I don't know. Oh, yeah. Only he and that staff know. You're absolutely right. So that's
where I maybe something mean a kind of brought up both sides of this. That part at what you're
saying as well as his rushing out of there. I want to give her credit for that. Because that is
not my thought. But but but I will say that I did see her point on it in only because that's
the offense and that's the way the world. But the the offense is in today's fellow going in everything.
If you can't throw it, you better run. You better move. But just real quick, I'll shut up after
this. The idea that either of these guys should anything other than prepping and planning and
working for next year and and fine tuning things and working on this anything other than that is
ridiculous. Like you've got two incredible talents right here in their perspective fields. They
can get you they can get things done. I know they can win you a Super Bowl, but you can't fire
them. You can't let them go. And the idea of this is is just a trying to get clicks. Right. And
part of it too is I'll be the first one to say it. Many packer fans are spoiled because it's
been win-win-win-win-win since 1992. And you know what I remember is a few years ago. It was
last game of the year against Detroit. Detroit wasn't very good. Neither was Green Bay that year.
That Green Bay got beat 31 nothing by Detroit. It was Aaron Rogers. It was it was it was it was it
was Clay Matthews last game as a packer. That was Clay Matthews last one. So that was what
happened in 2017. Aaron got hurt that year. Whatever. No excuse, but that's just what it was. And Detroit,
I went to the game with my sister. And I remember the place thinning out started the fourth quarter.
I mean, it's thinning out. And I looked at my sister and said, you know, Sarah, if you want to go,
go. I mean, but I drove us here. So you probably should just wait. But I said, I'm going to watch
this. I'm going to watch this because I am going to watch Detroit celebrate their Super Bowl,
winning 31 nothing in the Lambo field, even though both teams are bad. And I want to remember
just how good we've had it for how long? And this is just a small blip because Green Bay's not going
anywhere. And I said that then. And they're still down gone anywhere. They're still winning a lot of
games. Yeah. And and I've I sat there and said, Sarah, let's watch this so we can remember. I said
now if things fall apart that we're heading back to the 70s and 80s, well, that makes us just a
little bit more special that we can say here and say, Hey man, do you remember how good it was back?
You know, not 1985, but you know, it's still it's still how good it we've had it for the last
over many years. You've had it so good. It's not just one year. Well, for you guys, when you're
sitting back in your foot, your football comb at this point, your team is disappointed. I'm sorry,
I mean, this is a little bit of therapy for me. When it comes to some of the points you were
making though, Kevin, do you think these things are fixable? Do you think these things are
stuff that in the off season they can add to as far as your points or anything really we've
been talking about? Well, I just, you know, yeah, you were saying that they don't have that that
that game changer. And I mean, even I don't I mean, the game changer may be on offense, you can say
Josh Jacobs, but he needs them out. Yes. So, you know, and as you know, I'm sitting there thinking
and you know, you know, as you scroll through the show social networks and and everything,
you know, a couple of times I've seen people are seeing, you know, the predictions of what,
you know, of teams and free agents and things like that. You know, so one of the ones that I saw,
you know, it mean, obviously the last couple days has been everybody talking about Devonte
Adams coming back to Green Bay. If I was Green Bay, if he's going to come back at a really cheap
rate, maybe because he's he's lost a few steps. I mean, he's he's getting older. But the one
that I would maybe consider, but I don't know if it's going to happen because they have 60 million
in cap this year would maybe offer T Higgins that four year 120. Yeah, do it. Do it. Do it now. Do
it. And that's what I that's one of the ones I saw. If anything else, it's a weapon. It's another
weapon. Right. You know, right. And and then the other one I saw was on the defense event and we
need a, I mean, as many years that they've they've drafted defense early. We still need help. And
obviously we, we um, uh, uh, the deep that our cornerbacks, I mean, we need a lot of help there.
Is Jair coming back? Um, Jair's kind of here in this wrestler. Got a move on for blind. Yeah,
but here was a trade proposed with the Raiders. Hmm. Give up this year's give up this year's
second round next year's second round with a conditional first round and get Max Crosby.
I mean, you got your edge there. You got someone that's going to get pressure and at least draw
double teams consistently. Everything I said about, yeah, everything I said about not being afraid
of the Packers changes when I see that man on the other side of the field. Now that is, uh,
that's a whole, everything I've said, you can go ahead and play it right back in my face and laugh
at me because if that were to happen, so you win a different direction and I love this about, uh,
talking to other people about these things and the way your brain works, Cap, because I see
everything that and, you know, Dallas imploding, they're looking at a rebuild, uh, especially
considering who they might bring in as coach. Um, I guess, uh, yeah. Micah Parsons is is very, uh,
you know, out there and sitting like, if you could get him for something reasonable, uh, which,
I don't know, Dallas isn't beyond. I think that that would be a great addition to the team and a
leader on that team. Micah Parsons, I think, is a, is a actual leader, is a great player and I think
he is a punch in the mouth kind of player. Yes. If we can see, when we see him with a good defensive
coordinator, you saw him with Dan Quinn saw what he could do. Oh, yeah. That, and that's a guy that
nobody questions can punch in the mouth. So I think if you put match him with a green base defensive
coordinator, who I think is got is a good DC. He just needs guys to do their job. Yeah.
He just needs guys to do their job. That's it. Uh, quit worrying about doing the, the cool moves
after you get a turnover and something and just play the dang game. Uh, I, I, give me 11,
edge and coupers, you know, give me, give me, uh, 10 more of those guys and everything and,
and then you're set. I don't think that it's unfixable. I do think you need some veteran leadership
there and that has nothing to do with them being young or anything like that. Way too much has
been made at that. Oh, yeah. Whenever I hear anybody bring that up, all I think is man, they
got another 10 year stretch here. That's all I hear is that that's another young team and
a young, young, nucleus that if you let them, all they're going to do is grow and get better together
hopefully. There's one guy I think that's going to step up on that roster for he's going to punch
you in the mouth. I think that's Tucker craft. Yeah. Yeah. Now green base looking at a major rebuild
in that wide receiver room. Thankfully reads can be okay, but divide or not to bond. Excuse me,
dobs with that man. He's one of those guys that I just wonder now that he maybe he is susceptible
to the concussions now. Yeah. And I don't know if that wheel is ever going to be a hundred percent
with a Watson. I mean, we saw that with Jordy Nelson. It never really quite was the same.
So Green Bay might be having to look at making a splash receiver wise. I mean, running back
wise, they're, they're, I think they're going to be set. Yeah. And as much as I do love AJ Dillon,
I think he's one of those vocal leaders that'll be out there and he'll punch you in the mouth. I
don't think I want to get hit by him when it's five degrees outside. I don't want to. But at
the same time, he can't keep tripping over, you know, the roots of the grass. There can be
individuals like you need a team of that. You need a team that all has the same mindset of we're
all going to punch you in the mouth. Yeah. If you're going to beat us, you're not going to beat us
like that. You're not going to beat us lying down. You're not going to see it in our body language.
You're not going to see it in the way we play the game. Real quick before we have to move on.
Levante David is a, and Bobby Wagner are free agents. Yep. And I know they're both old up in
an age. That means they're not going to cost as much. That means you're not going to be stuck on
some, you know, Albatross deal or something like that, like I'm like a Parsons or a Max Crosby.
So if you're, and nothing necessarily say they need money, you know, I need to save money,
but they need to bring in veterans. They need to bring in some guys. Or go to an arch.
Or get them in yards. Man, get them in yards. Sorry, bad plug. I'm sorry. Oh, you know,
everything. Go and check it out. They can't hurt the look. They got everything else.
A little bit of art. It's awesome. I like free farm. You know, I could take either one.
Cav, we appreciate the time. Man, you have a good night. All right, you guys have a great night.
So you Cav, we will be joined by coach Paul in just a little bit here. Everybody before we do,
and after we do, you guys can go ahead and give us a call 424-2600. We want to talk a little
coaching carousel with Michael before we do. We have not gotten to hang out since the Bear Packer
game. And I wanted to thank you because not only did you give me a cool orange shirt,
but I wore that shirt during the game. So now I have a new lucky shirt. And I just,
just let me just feel this for a couple of seconds before we get into the next conversation.
All right, that felt nice. Now moving on. The Bears are talking to Mike McCarthy.
And if this happens, Michael, I've said it already once. I'll say it again. I don't know. I'm
always going to be a bear fan. It's in my blood. It's in my DNA. You can't help it. If I could,
I would have changed it by now, if I could have. Oh, yeah, white socks.
Right. Yeah, I can't help it. It's who I am. Right. But there's no way I can pay attention
to this team. There's just no way I can believe in this team. Everything I was just saying about
LaFlora, I feel even less about Mike McCarthy. Mike McCarthy is a big guy. Mike McCarthy is a
good coach with a winning record in the NFL. Yeah. There's nothing about him. You want a Super Bowl?
He's won a Super Bowl. And I still don't believe in that guy. I still don't. I say, I don't know
what it is about him that I don't necessarily. I can't put my finger on it. But I know that when
I see that guy and I hear him talking, I don't believe a second of anything he says. And I don't
know that he's a great coach. I saw this man hold up the Lombardi trophy. And some years later,
I saw him on the last play of a playoff game, San Ezekiel Elliott out there with two guards.
Yeah. And that's it. This guy is, I don't know, he's either very intelligent way more than I am
and way smart. He's obviously way smarter than I am. I'll give him plenty of credit on that.
And he knows way more football than I'll ever know. But he also knows how to hustle. He hustled
Jerry Jones. He told him that in the press conference. He told Jerry Jones in the press conference
to his face that he lied to him and then laughed. There's too much about that guy that I don't,
the Bears never hire veteran coaches. The one time you do it's this guy. It's somebody else's
leftovers. John Fox, John Fox, they hired some years back. That was the outlier. That was the outlier.
And that went horrible too. Now, I will say, I don't know that why I feel so strongly, and I'd be
okay with Pete Carroll and not Mike McCarthy, when Mike McCarthy is like 10, 15 years younger or
anything. Trust me, it doesn't make sense to me either. I've thought about it a lot before
opening my mouth. But it is what it is, man. I feel very strongly about this. They hire that guy.
There's just no way. I can, I'll follow Caleb. I'll follow Rome. But I can't, I can't imagine
following that team. Let's get to a call before I go to break. Good afternoon. You're on the air.
Hey, what's up, fellas? Hey, coach. Hey, man.
Hey, it's kind of funny. We were talking about Jerry Jones because I was just watching
the Levittar show and it made me, made me chuckle because they said something today that I'd
like to share if you guys want to laugh. Oh, of course. Does Jason Garrett look like a carrot?
It's one of my favorite things that they do is that like Adam Silver looks like a thermometer
or something like that I've heard. I had one of the other day. I had one of the other day talk
to my sister about Adam Silver. That was, I just said he kind of looks like Judge Doom from from Roger
Rabbit. So I really like when they have Tim Kirchian on there too because that's not baseball. Man,
he has the best story. Up there with herring my children laugh. Like right next to after that is
Tim Kirchian. I love Tim Kirchian's laugh. He has a great laugh and a great call, man. Thank you.
We got to get to break here. All right. We'll talk to you later. Have a good one, man. Have a good
one. Michael, you had some thoughts on the coaching carousel before we go to break. You know,
it's as with anything. I mean, I can make jokes all day. I like, I got a meme sent to me today of
the bears just hired the new coaching or their new coach and was Joe Biden there standing there.
You know, just the same, you know, Clueless look at he's famous for it. I'm not making, I'm not
making this a politics show by any means, but it's just it's just God, that was funny. And then the
Mike McCarthy stuff and everything there. But the one that I the whole coaching carousel thing,
I heard just a little bit about it. And I turned the channel because the whole talk of it just
made me mad. And what it was was people complaining about firing the new England coach. I forget
the man's name. Yep. Yep. Yep. For firing him after one season wasn't a good year. He's
in the middle of a rebuild right there in New England. And then bringing in a variable.
And all of a sudden, everyone complaining about the Rooney rule and all this. I'm like,
that's one of the works. We everyone talks about no discrimination in the world. That's
what the Rooney rule is to a point. And it's just like, listen, but my can't they just hire
who's right for them, no matter what the what they look like. But how come in that situation?
And I'll just play the other side of it. Oh, yeah, of course. I figured you would.
That yeah, well, that's okay. The other side of this is when you when you do everything right
and you still don't get the opportunities when every how come when every time we have this
conversation, it's never we're talking about two black people. Or we're just or or anything
like that. It's it's never that. The stats speak for themselves. I'm not about to try to get
swing anybody. Oh, no, no, no, people are going to feel the way they're going to feel about this
stuff. And certain people are always going to have an edge whenever race or sex or anything
comes up. And they're never going to hear it. And I'm not even going to try to get through to them.
What I'll say is is that if you don't see that there is a problem with this and that there is a
reason for the Rooney rule, then you may never. And that's that's on you. That's your business and
your life. You live your life. Those of us that are ethnic, those of us that have to see the world
differently that don't have a choice in this have to look at these things and have to see and have
to pay attention and make sure. Hey, is this being done right? Because the guy just was really bad
at this job and didn't have good people skills in him and craft. We're not on the same page.
Yeah. Or was it because I like the white guy better. All of this has to be asked because
I agree with you. What has been built for decades and decades and decades, not only on the NFL
gridiron and the backs that have been built that league, but also on just end every day life.
And and this isn't there's no harm in asking the questions. The harm comes in when you start playing
cards when they aren't meant to be played. Right. When you start crying wolf and making bringing
down the whole cause because that don't help anybody. Right. And not ask the questions. That is
when I get scared. That's when I get worried. I tune out right away when I hear this stuff for
the most part. Oh, yeah. Because so much of so much of it is just a wolf cry, a boy crying wolf.
And it's not there's not a little legitimacy to it. But for every one of those things, there are
plenty of them where you got the NFL and many of these leagues. How many ethnic owners are there?
I'll wait. I'd have to I'd have to do research. There's there's the minority owners. There's
a bunch of minority owners. Right. I'm talking about the robber crafts. I'm talking about the hunts.
I'm talking about those. Not that's one type of people and and they make all the shots and they
make all the calls and you can go ahead and look at the science of this. People tend to hire people
that look and sound like them. That is just science. Oh, yeah. So breaking these habits needs to be
done. And if it takes a Rooney role, which nobody believes in and nobody believes actually works,
at least it's something that they're very least they're trying because there is no way to make
people right in their head. There's no people. I don't mean a right as in I know what's right. I'm
not saying I do. I'm not at all trying to tell anybody what to think or feel. Oh, of course not.
But there is a way to treat people. I think we can all agree you treat people equally. Yeah,
you should. Yeah. The theory is. That's what I'm talking about. You can't change that in somebody's
brain. You don't know what they're thinking or feeling. Right. So at least we have this rule to try
to get people and maybe hey, maybe somebody gets an interview that wouldn't have otherwise
and they actually get a job. I think maybe it happens. I think the big things we agree up on the
same thing. We're just coming at it from a different two different ways, which is so us already.
Yeah, we've been doing this a couple of times. I love that. I love that. I love talking to
coach Paul. He's going to join us in just a minute or two. Everybody we're going to get to a
real two minute break. We'll come back with coach Paul in the fourth period on Playmakers.
Welcome back everybody to WFHRs Playmakers. We hope you're having a great day out there. Thanks
for joining us. We're here to kick off the fourth period where we get a chance to hang out and talk
with our good friend GM and head coach of your Wisconsin Rapid River Kings. Coach Paul is with
us right now on the phone. Good afternoon, Paul. How are you? I'm doing great. How are you, sir?
I'm doing good. Doing good. Got Michael here, voice of our Raptors River Kings here.
I'm looking at a River Kings that are Raptors. They got my screen here, so I apologize.
And I'm excited to talk with you, Ben, because I, one of the things that came out of the past set of
games I thought could it could be a good thing going forward. And I was dying to know what you
think of that. Let's just real quickly get these in. We had the scores from over the last two
games over the last weekend. The Kings lost to the mullets. Squatch. Six, one on Friday.
Then on Saturday, they traded scores, essentially, and one Saturday game. It was 72. So very similar
scores for both games and everything. But I'm curious. Tell us what the stats don't. What was
going through you through that game from Friday this Saturday? What did you say to your players
and what do the stats not tell us? Well, there's certain things that we can't repeat on the way.
Yeah, that's understandable. You beat me to it, coach.
Let's just say it was very unfortunate that Friday, we just came out flat. We didn't have the
energy that I was hoping for. Some key mistakes at critical times that just the game got away from us
pretty early. Gold-tening, Deacon Shaw definitely did not have his best game. I know he wants a
couple of those back. So it's just a combination of a few things. But most importantly, I think the
energy we did not have, and that was disappointing. And I'll tell you what, let me Saturday morning,
we went right back into the locker room, put the game on, and we went through the film.
We went through the whole game together. I took our power play units separately. We went
through that, and we came up with a different game plan. We had to come up with another strategy
that we felt that would give us a better opportunity, and I think it did.
When it comes to sports, so much of it is also spinning, and you can spin anything. If you do it
right, you got a good coach, and you got a good staff. And we saw that going from Friday to Saturday,
where you flipped the script, and it seemed like they did have that energy.
Yeah, yeah. We talked about it. We talked about our systems, how we changed things up a little
bit, and we felt we need to make sure that we clogged the middle of the ice. So we were very
strategic and where we put guys in forechecking and making sure that we were picking up guys coming
back through the middle. And they did it. And then when we had to have that fire, we had to have
that jump, and we were down to nothing again, right off the bat, and I'm like, oh boy, you know,
we need the next one, which we got. I feel it's all strength. It makes it 2-1. Now all of a sudden,
you could feel it. It was just a matter of time. Bo Shamp ties it up. Owen Akkins takes the lead,
and you don't go back. So he just keeps steam rolling from there. And it's just momentum.
Right? I mean, everybody's feeding off of it. I thought we did a better job of protecting the
puck, working the walls, and more shots, right? I mean, we had that first game, we did not. We
had three shots in the second period. I mean, that's not we all, right? And you're not going to
beat anybody with three shots of period, so. No, go ahead, Coach. I'm sorry. No, no, no. I think
just that was the mindset in the meeting in the morning on Saturday. It was like, we got to get
pucked in that. You know, let me do what we do best. We got to play hard, fast and physical,
and put the puck on that and crash the goal. And you're going to pick up a lot of puckes around
the net, which we did, right? And that's the end result. It's not a complicated game.
It's just you have to be structured. You got to be disciplined. And you got to have that moment.
You got to have that engine. You got to come with it at this level. And if you don't,
guys will exploit you real quick. Right. You know, you talked about that. Only three shots on
goal in the second period of that first game. I believe you said, you know, you see, you're not
going to win many games doing that. And that's absolutely true. I mean, look at the teams that
you guys have played throughout the season that get one to five shots per period. And then you go
from there and just things don't go well. But one thing I was impressed with was this was a,
especially the first game was a marquee goal, goal-tending matchup between Deacon Shaw and
Anion Bennett. But if there's one thing I think this weekend showed and it's something you and I
have talked about, and even James and I have talked about is just you showed that Anion Bennett
is is is a man. He's human. He can he can be beat as can any goal tender out there. But I think
it just showed how absolutely stacked that that goalie goal-tending room is for you guys.
Because once, once Shaw pulled Shaw, he was just having a rough night. Guilter, he was out there
and he shot him out. He didn't allow a goal. And then the next day he bring in Pogger and he
would first game in about three weeks. And he sure he let in two goals early. But then boy,
did he lock down and they had no, no idea on how to, how to beat him? Yeah, bad, no question. I
mean, we all know you're not going to go very far if you goal-tending is enough to par. And
listen, we challenge these guys every week. And some, you know, at the stage, the team agents,
right, they're going to go through the role-coaster and go to goal-tending is a whole different world.
Oh, yeah. He's there. But they're the soul in their head if things aren't going right.
And Deacon was having that kind of game. So he needed to sit back and watch it. And I'm not
worried about him one bit. I mean, this kid is a competitor and he's going to be ready to go
the next time there's numbers called, right? And Pogger and he is a very good goal-tender.
And he's been struggling a little bit. And now all of a sudden, you give him a game like this
and he takes it by the horns. Now you got confidence. And now you got goal-tenders that are very
confident that we can beat anybody on any given day. And that's what's going to get you back to
nationals. And that's what we need. To the points about shots on goal in that first Friday night
game, the six-one loss had 34 shots on goal. And then you look at on Saturday with the win
had 29 shots on, oh, wait a minute, I'm sorry. That was just in the third period. 29 shots on
goal in the third period is insane. That was a wild third period. That was a wild third.
That was another question I was going to bring up. Coach was for those of us who were there
and listened and watched it. The squash boy, they, I don't want to use the term too
derogatory towards the team. But they kind of have like a bunch of goons out there have had times.
And we talked about the penalty minute thing. But when they're chippy like that,
I don't know how they're going to be playing coming up because I know I don't know what the
exact rules are about being kicked out of games and having a miss a game, anything like that.
I know that's kind of an ebb and flow from year to year about punishments. But how keeping the
guys heads cool and and you know, walk into scared skating away from that because it, it was up
there. And I mean, there was that pause for about 10 minutes in the game that they're the fish
officiating crews trying to figure out what all the penalties work is about the last half of
that third period. Rapids was on a five on three continuously. Yeah, yeah, it's different.
Chick Pooja who's their head coach is, you know, he's a former pro. I mean, he played, he played
professionally and so he's old school and back in the day, they have no problem putting out
guys and trying to rough you up a little bit. And he realized that the game was getting out of hand.
So, you know, he's trying to teach you less than I guess or play that kind of style and we just
don't buy into that. To my end, at the end of the day, it's I had to sit down some of my guys.
You know, you got to make sure you don't want certain guys to get hurt and you don't want
guys to engaging so that you get thrown out for the next game, which is coming up here that we
need. Right. So we can't afford that. They can. If you remember, there was a five on three and
they threw out six guys on the ice. Yeah. Yeah. That's just him, you know, why not, you know,
doing that and they looked at me and he's left and I left because it was kind of funny, but it's
that's when you know, they just threw in the top. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The, to Michael's point,
the, the squad should 57 minutes of penalty minutes had almost an hour of penalty minutes.
Like that, that's, that's pretty crazy. That's coach. We have been talked, we talked a lot about
this series coming into it. Of course, with teams at one and two in the standings, we cannot lose
side. Of course, and I know you and your team hasn't the Northwest Express who were sitting in
third and that's in the, in this division. You're good. They got them, we got them coming up in
the next couple of days here. They'll be here. What we doing there, heading to Spooner to take
them on. What, what are you, how you feeling about that game? What is it? What is your leading into
that game? What are you thinking right now, feeling? Well, to be honest with you, I'm sitting in my
office right now. We're just watching the game that we lost it on five nothing.
The team that we are today is not the team that we played them in November. So, I think we're a lot
better. We've made, you know, we've brought in Marcus Anderson, we've brought in Chameleon,
we've filled in, you know, we're better and more experienced. I feel pretty good. You know,
I know and then that was the, that was the message that they in practice. You know, I was on them to
keep the energy up and we played at a three high tempo today in practice because that's the way
you got to play, right? So, you play the way you practice. And so, we will, we will move and we
will find pretty good and I'm confident that if we play our game, there's not going to be too many
teams that can get in our way. It's when we don't that we've become average. Next Friday.
That's good. That's a proud. Yeah. One of the, let's go on this coach. I wanted to make sure
that everybody knows about the awesome blue white scrimmage coming up next Friday over in Marshfield.
Can you tell our friends our listeners about that a little bit? Yeah, we're going up there.
We've gotten involved in their in the US program a little bit up there and great people.
They're really excited to have us. They've been showing us some some support and coming down
and watch some games and we're going to be up there this Friday 745. The blue white scrimmage
is just an inner squad game. We're going to split the guys up in half and go play two 25 minute
halves and have some fun and get people up there in Marshfield familiar with who the river
kings are and what we're all about and hopefully they want to come down and see some more games.
We're hoping for a good turnout. We'll make sure that we bring this up on the air here on our
morning shows and everything. Make sure that you get a bunch of people over there and really
appreciate not only you go you're doing the above and beyond stuff. Man, you and this team and
this organization. This isn't something you guys are in the middle of a championship run here.
Hopefully you're you're fighting for a chip here and doing stuff like this to build the game to
keep the youth involved in the game. Keep this area involved in the game. I cannot appreciate that
enough. I appreciate you coach. Thanks for joining us. Thanks Sam. Appreciate it. We'll talk soon.
He'll join us maybe next week or the week after but we'll be talking to coach very soon and let
him. I got to let him go because he's got a meeting coming. Oh, yeah, he's got to get going.
I didn't mean to keep him that long but we get caught and talking to this guy. We can't stop.
Yeah, he's such a such a wealth of hockey knowledge man. Yes. Oh boy. I don't even get to talk
at each other with him and I'm dying to. I'm dying to talk at each other but we got too many other
things to talk about. We'll be following your Kings as they build hockey up and down the river.
Make sure that you follow the boys winter river hink river kings hockey.com river kings hockey.com
be sure to follow them on social media as well. Michael and I take our final time out. We'll come
back. Talk a little NFL playoffs. Got some breaking news. It's breaking news right away coming
up on WFHR's playmakers. Welcome back everyone to WFHR's playmakers. Michael and James here with
you to take you to the top of the hour. Let lead you into night light. Yeah, yeah, because tonight
we will have that for a little bit for you and then we will have the Wisconsin hockey hour. Got
plenty of local coverage to get to. We'll touch on our schedule in a moment but Michael you said
breaking news. Yeah, according to Albert Breer not beer. Breer senior NFL reporter. If I could
pull that to tweet up here. Per a source the New York Jets also known as the New York Packers
are living up to that name as they requested an interview Packers defensive coordinator Jeff
Halfley for the head coaching job. The Jersey native which Halfley is and that's where the New York
Packers reside is a four year head coaching experience at Boston College from 2020 to 2023
and let a top five defensive unit this year. So we'll see we'll see what happens. I do wonder how
much Robert Salah came in and was like yeah, man, you don't want to go. Yeah, but who knows,
I mean, we'll see the guys proven that he can coach and the guys proven he can win and the
guy is proven that he knows defense but Robert Salah did that too. There's a handful of coaches
and their stories have been so cool to me. His is one of them. I really like these guys that bet
on themselves and it works out Ben Johnson in Detroit. Yeah, that's a coordinator who could have
to pick any job he wanted last year and he's like, no, we got unfinished business and I want a good
job. You know, there's that out there too. I have to actually research it but I was reading the
Internet's machine today and I guess there was some people. I don't know how they did it and if
they did it might tip my caps through that creative and they got around it but they they prank
called Caleb Williams and that they were Ben Johnson and said he was going to be taking this
cogo job and I guess Caleb Williams is all in it and then he figured out he was getting pranked
boy. I got to research it more. I've got to listen to it. Yeah, but man, that that takes something
there. I that's that's who would be my choice would be if not him a Pete Carroll. I even wouldn't
mind Aaron Glenn if he went on the other side of that. You know what I'll take McCarthy from
for dick problem. All right, you know, just at this age and what, you know, what he's probably got you.
But, you know, what, you know, I know I changed my mind, you know, what actually the ghost of dick
a maybe though. I do have a couple of things I didn't want to touch on though. But now that we
now this has come up, it does bring up the idea. I don't think they're going to lose him. I don't
think that he's going to get New York job. Not to shoot. But I do think that that's something to
keep an eye on and that's why you want to bring, you know, add to that defense, bring in some,
you know, bring in a vet. I think bringing in a veteran linebacker or proven leader really can change
a lot for that defense because you just mentioned top five defense. Everything I'm whining about
over here or you're barking about I should say about being able to punch in the mouth all this top
five defense. Can't argue with that. Got seven eight first round draft picks on that defense.
Got enough talent. You better be good. And real quick move on from Jeyer. Move on from Jeyer
Alexander. Let him go signing in a, you know, Indianapolis or Jacksonville or something like that
are knowing my luck Chicago. That Nixon's coming up on that part too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I do have real quickly. I did want to get a couple of things in in a caller earlier brought up
the day in Levittar show. And I don't really get to watch it during the day. I usually watch it
late at night. But I did get to catch a little bit of it today. And one thing I heard made me so
happy the name Christian accoye the Nigerian nightmare. Just these running backs that seemed like
they were just 20 times bigger than everybody else on the field at all this. And I hadn't thought
about it. Like well, you know, we got we got one of those right now with Derek Henry.
Yeah. You took that name from me. How do they compare size wise? So yeah, Christian accoye is was
it in his prime six two and two sixty two fifty three. I'm sorry six one two fifty three six
one two fifty three in his prime when we all remember him being the Nigerian night mirror of
theory word all that. Yeah. I still can't think of a running back bigger than him until Derek Henry
who is Derek. I want to make sure to get this right. He is six three two forty seven.
Where does cheeseburger Eddie Lacey fit on that? Oh, good question. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, good question.
Because that another one that was just huge. And it like a not like like A. G. Dylan is big quads
big bod lower bow. Yeah. Eddie Lacey was just built. Yeah. I'm not talking about him gaining the
weight later in his career. Yeah. I'm not talking about that. I mean, he was just big six one two
fifty three. I'm see. I don't know five eleven two fifty three. Okay. So he's a little short.
Eleven. But so he's a bowling ball like a Michael stack. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Man, those those running
backs and just just for fun. I know I've done this a little bit before. But Derek Henry's high school
rushing stats. If you ever want to just smile. Oh, yeah. Just go ahead and look at those because Henry
finished his high school career with 12,124 rushing guards. I did that going to lunch. It's a
national record. 153 touchdowns in his high school career. When he was 17, he was benching
365 pounds and doing a three 15 in the clean jerk. Good for him. Just an incredible career,
bad. And I mean, high school cup. I really I don't I don't really have a rooting interest in
anybody in the playoffs. I would like to see Detroit win it all just because I stick with my
division. And I think it'd be kind of cool. But I think it's pretty cool to see Derek Henry in
the playoffs. It's it's it's going to be a fun ride. Whatever happens there. Do you have any
feelings on the NFL or the college football championship? Uh, I man, I hate seeing a bit go
Ohio state. I know it sucks, doesn't it? It hurts. Yeah. It hurts. But yeah. But now here's my question.
Let's say Ohio state wins it all, my friend. Okay. Now do and they go next year and they lose
to Michigan again. How are we going to go through the same cycle? Fire Ryan day. Oh, yeah. Oh,
absolutely. Knowing that fan base. Yeah. Let's take a call. Good afternoon. You're on the air.
I got one for you guys. Hmm. What about nature on means? Five foot ten,
two hundred and forty five pounds. Woo. Nature on lost a little weight because he had the steps
in his haircut. He had to head the steps going. I remember that. I remember on my football card,
man. He had the steps up there. They had the buzz. The buzzword steps. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. He was good. He was a big one too. Uh, Maurice Jones drew was a bit of a bit, but his legs
weren't as big as some of these guys were talking about. He was more upper body big and everything.
It's just those backs. There's a Gary and not Gary Anderson. There's another one that I'm not
thinking of. That's right at the tip of my tongue. Just can't think of it. Great reference, man. Good one.
I got one for you. What about Jim Klein Tosser? Oh, it's a great name. That's great. That's an awesome name
right there. Did you say all stopped earlier? Yeah, I thought so. Yeah, that's another one. That's another
one. Yeah. Ron Dane. I believe it wasn't very tall though. No, but built just built. There's, uh,
yeah. Man, um, one of these days we're going to spend the whole show just, uh, we don't say anything
but old running back and tight ends and fullbacks and we just like our college just called it and we
just keep saying names. Rip Kowski. I with you on the college football, uh, the championship
game, I really don't care. But I am, I do think it's cool to see two Midwest teams in there. Yeah,
so I do scrape in the barrel at what to enjoy. That's that's that's right on. I like that. And I
like the big 10 possibly getting or getting more money. But you really, if you're a Notre Dame
fan, you've really got to enjoy all that money because it's all yours. You don't got to share it
with nobody. Well, about the ACC though. Mm hmm. Uh, because it's football, uh, they don't have to
all go. Okay. All right. I looked into it just because I was really curious like how that work.
Cause I mean, they play majority ACC teams. They got some great attorneys over there in Notre Dame.
Yeah. They got some better attorneys over there costs so much to get in there. They better.
Absolutely. Absolutely. Well said, uh, looking at our schedule for this week, uh, a little bit,
you're going to have at 705 that Wisconsin hockey hour looking forward to that Thursday. We got
a great high school basketball for you on our sister station 105 five. Join us at 650 port
Edwards, host and Pachelli. Mike Randy Seth going to have that for you. Looking forward to it.
A band is back together. Yeah. Love hearing it. Love seeing it on WRI on Friday at 705.
Assumption boys hosting Newman Catholic. Mike Randy Seth going to have that for you. And
nothing against the Edwards and Pachelli game that should be good. But boy, that assumption,
Newman Catholic. That's always good when those two teams play. Yeah. Newman's Newman's struggling
a little bit this year. So it'll in assumptions had so many close games just not go their way.
So it'll be interesting to see if assumption kind of get kind of get some traction here.
We're we're getting towards the end of January. Man times times ticking.
And it's great to see that, uh, you know, the teams are competitive teams, but you're absolutely
right. Uh, this is the time you got to start winning some of these games. And this is a winnable
game for them. This is definitely a winnable game. So, uh, that should be good. We'll also have some
Wisconsin men's hockey on the radio dial on Friday. We will have at 630 Wisconsin Badgers.
Hosting L.I.U. We will have the second part of that game on Saturday for you 530 as they wrap up
that series. One o'clock on Saturday Wisconsin men's basketball, ticking on USC. That's now a big 10
game. Yeah. That's a little like a weird, so weird. I still I got we got Wisconsin women's
basketball, taking on the brass gun Monday at 640 here. That's still weird to be that it's a big 10
guy. That's grown on me, but, uh, it's still weird a little bit though, right? It's a little bit.
Uh, it's made a fun show. Thank you to all of our collars. A big thank you to, uh, head coach,
Peckman, uh, coach Paul for joining us. And, uh, big thank you to you, Michael. Nice work on
the newsletter, by the way. No problem, man. I got another good one lined up. Uh,
excellent. We're looking forward to hearing you and Randy and set this weekend, uh, over on
WRI. We'll talk to you soon and later. Everybody have a good night.
