Good afternoon, Wisconsin. Welcome to WFHR's PlayMakerz.
It's a Friday show. Thanks so much for joining us, everybody. We're going to have some fun
today. Got your host, James behind the mic. I am joined by my partner in sports, Mr.
Seth Habagger. Hello, everyone. We're going to have some fun. We got good things coming
up for you. We're going to talk, gosh, what was it? There was a game this weekend. I
wanted to saw something happen in this weekend. There was a game this weekend. I know I
want to spend the weekend. Tomorrow, I know. We are going to talk Super Bowl. We got that
coming up. Who's rooting for him? Who's not? We're getting all that. Our picks. We got
to make picks because we are a sports show. We will also get into a couple of other fun things.
We're going to get another football comments here too. More than just the Super Bowl. I want
to talk about the NFL honors yesterday a little bit too in the Hall of Fame class. I don't
know. Do we have to use a different work? There's only a couple of guys going in. Hall of
Fame class. It doesn't feel like a class. Hall of Fame crew, a bunch. Maybe you had this
where you grew up. I know a couple of friends of mine from around here and everything went
to schools where they're graduating class. It was like five people. It feels like that.
We had a couple of schools like 20 kids. Yeah. It feels like that a little bit. I have
Seth in and I do. I want to talk a little baseball. Not only because I know his brain. It
eats about what it comes to baseball. I like to take advantage of that. But we got a couple
of topics that have come up in the last 48 hours. I think you're interesting. We're going
to talk a little bit about the rankings of the 25 MLB farm systems. That's how it's
going to take a look at it. We don't want it to do a deep dive. But I do want to take
a look at that. I want to say goodbye to a legend before we wrap up as well. But start
right here, Seth, because baseball commissioner Rob Malford said he is getting emails from
fans concerned over the sports lack of a salary cap following an off-season spending
spray by the Los Angeles Dodgers. I wonder if he got what would have been back then written
letters about the New York Yankees or decades doing this same thing. And you know, in San
Diego, Padre, he's a couple of years ago doing something very similar where every good
infielder the Padre has had. Like every good infielder in baseball pretty much.
Right. Yeah. It's not like this is new. No, it's not new. Yeah. And my question is to
like, how many people really do care about a salary cap? Because you, I don't feel like
you can have it both ways. You can't be mad at the Dodgers. And then also not want a
salary cap. If you're mad at the Dodgers, it tells me you want a salary cap in baseball.
Because the Dodgers didn't do anything that your owner couldn't do. I could be, I could
give me a get furious, which Erie Ryan store. If I know he's got money, he could be spending
it. It's not as if they did anything illegal here. No, they're not at all doing anything wrong.
They're well within the rules of the game. And in fact, a rising tide raises all boats in
some ways because of the way that this all is all worked out. That the revenue sales that
the Dodgers get that that is held out throughout other teams and everything. And so they have
a license to print money. They have they own their unlike a lot of stadiums, which are, you
know, like public funded and stuff like the Dodgers own their own stadium. The every dollar
of parking can set everything. They get all of it. I get I get I just was having this conversation
with my parents about the bears and ownership and the hope that they might sell that team
now more on that later. But I get have that happened. And our first comments were, yeah,
here's hoping they, but wouldn't it be great if they did what Green Bay did? Because most
of us in my family look at what they did as a franchise and the ownership of that team.
And how cool that is. And I think it's the coolest ownership in all of sports. And and
then we laughed, of course, because that will ever happen. No, but I think they made a rule
about it. But anyway, yeah, the NFL did. But you look at something like that. It's that's
a unique thing. Very unique. And Seth just got to tell you you're not going to ever see
that again. No, you will not. So it be it's it's similar to me is getting mad at something
like that. Well, how come they can do that? And we can't. Well, your team could have they
could have done this if they were smart enough if they were good enough of their jobs and everything.
I'm it's not the it's not just the money that these players sign for. It's not it's the
idea of winning. It's the idea of the you know, going somewhere nice for spring training.
Um, it's it's whether it's it's a million it's schools. It's a million things. Um, the
idea that the Dodgers just have a bigger checkbook than everybody else isn't true. No, it's not it
it just they have a lot of money. Sure. Sure. So does the Chicago white sucks and the walkie
burrs and the Minnesota twins and the Seattle Mariners and I mean, the Mets are in the other
great example on the other side of the country who have probably I mean, he probably has more
money than the Dodgers do. If he actually you know, you know, if he's used a lot. Yeah, I'm not
saying he hasn't, you know, but it's it's it's not it's not just the Dodgers. I'll put I'll put this
out there to the audience of one five four two four twenty six hundred. Do you think baseball
should have a salary cap? Uh, what do you think about that? I think well, they they they have a,
um, it's not a hard, uh, salary cap. They have what's called well, they don't call it the luxury
tax anymore. That's what they first call it. Now it's the competitive balance tax. It's just I
think some teams are more willing to go past it now for a long time. That was a great incentive.
Teams didn't want to go over the threshold. They didn't want to spend that, you know, share that
money with the rest of the league, which is where it goes. It goes to a pool for, you know,
all the teams to pull from. Uh, but for now, but I mean, like last couple of years, we've seen,
like you said, San Diego, they blew past it. Uh, Steve Cohen has done it twice now. I mean, got
way past it. Now the Dodgers have done the same thing. It's not it's because of the money, the
amount we're talking here, it's not as much as an incentive not to do it. Right. As it used to be.
Now that's which is why I'm guessing now is we're getting to hear the hard salary cap talk.
Like like the NFL has, like the NBA has and then the NHL. You see the funny pattern here. It's
always to keep themselves from doing something. Okay. The reason the baseball instituted their
amateur draft in 1965. That was the first time there was an amateur draft from college and
high school players was because the owners were spending too much money on these what we're
called bonus babies. These really talented, you know, really lots of potential players and they
were busting. And of course, the owners are like, stop me from spending all this money on these guys
that aren't working out. So they said, okay, well, we're a legal monopoly. Let's go ahead and
institute a draft where we can control how much we spend on the players. Well, this is the same
thing right now. They're trying to control how much they have to spend on the players because they
can't control. Although they seem to be doing a fine, most teams, besides the Dodgers of the
Mets, seem to be doing a fine job of controlling how much they're spending right now. Yeah, yeah.
Sadly, we'll see how it goes. And you still got to play the games. Yeah, absolutely. The Dodgers
limped into the playoffs last year. No, they didn't win it. But they, they, they, they, there's
so many games now. There's just so many games. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. And the race, I mean,
never count out a team like the race. We have the smallest, one of the smallest payrolls and they
can still play good brand of baseball. So we're about to get into predictions a little bit later
with the Super Bowl. And I want to make just a couple of quick ones real quick about the MLB season.
One of them, a team that we didn't expect will be good. That is my hot take. It happens every year.
And it happens every year. And it's a team that doesn't spend the billion dollars
of this stuff and everything. So there's your hot take for the baseball season going forward.
You can go ahead now. Have a bookmark that one. Tell me down. And my, my, my, my real heart,
hot take I got here though. And, and I will actually get this one out out there. You can go
ahead and rewind this one and play it back if you want to everybody. But I genuinely believe this.
I think that when it comes to the trade that the brewers made with the New York Yankees for
Devon Williams, bring in Nester Cortes. I believe that in 2025, you're going to see Nasty Nester.
Okay. And I genuinely believe that the Milwaukee Brewer fans are going to be ecstatic about
that trade. And I don't know how their season's going to look. But I think they're going to have
a one or a two in their, in their starting, in their starting pitching. Nester Cortes. And,
and I say all this because of the great writing at MLB.com. This is not my thought process.
There's a great article at MLB.com. Encourage you to check out how the crew can get Nasty Nester back.
It's a great nickname, by the way. I love that name, that great nickname. And a nice interview
on there with Nester about joining Milwaukee and how he feels about the cities played here before.
He's always loved the fan base and everything. This just worked out for him and his family. Nester
Cortes is a number one in many, in many bullpen's, except for, of course, you know, how he finished last
season. And, and his rough season, yeah, up and down, in his up and down. Though Cortes had it
in consists in 2024. He was locked in before injuries derailed his season, going for now with
158 ERA in final, and his final seven regular season outings, which that's good. That's good news.
Very good news. And in order for him to become Nasty again, there's just a couple of things that he
really needs to do. He obviously has to get hitters off of his four seamer. That's a gigantic one.
And they're going to detail about that one. And I encourage you to check that out because I think
it's really cool and interesting the way they break his velocity down and something. Right, right.
Well, any any any time a pitcher falls in love with one pitch, that that's danger. That's
always red lights. It's always warning signs because that means that the batters can queue up on
that one pitch. Yeah. He's got to improve on that four seamer, maybe another, a better complimentary
pitch to that. And, of course, staying healthy. Always, always. And that's it. Yeah. That's it.
Now, let's let's take a look at the Milwaukee Brewer's history with pitchers and what they've
been able to do with got a middle round guys or guys aren't that good or guys that they come into
the MLB with maybe a good fastball, but not a lot of other good pitches or something like that. Right.
Right. And that pitching that that coaching staff takes those guys and turns them into
Brandon Woodruff and another great starting pitchers. Yeah. Robert Burns. Yeah. Right. I think
that that pitching staff, I think that coaching staff over there can take a guy like Nester Cortez,
who has played on the biggest on some of the biggest stages in the biggest market. Yes.
And he was in the World Series last year. Yeah. And comes into this with with, I mean,
what has he got to lose? He's got everything to prove. He's got not the lose and everything to prove.
A perfect place to have a athlete. It really is. I think this could work out really well from Milwaukee.
And it doesn't take a lot that admittedly that's not a high bar. I don't think because in part,
I don't think the Devon Williams was worth what he was paid. I don't think he proved that. He was
not. He's a good closer. He was closer of the year, rookie of the year, all those different
things. He also was smashing his pitching hand, walking off the field and stuff like it now.
Really dumb stuff, right? There is nobody. Raleigh Fingers is not talented enough for me to give him
that kind of money if he's acting that way. Right. I think you worked out. I think win, win. You
get that out of the clubhouse. You get that off that payroll. And you bring in a guy like they
brought in the one or two decent pieces. But Nester Cortez to me, I think could be along with
Freddie Peralta. That's a nice start. And then you get Brandon Woodruff back. It looks like he's
going to be back within the first month of the season. We have no idea what we're going to find out
with him. I mean, that's a big question mark. But if he's anything like he was before, I mean,
you've got a good top three starting pitching and that can go a long way. I think the Brewer's
one in terms of personality. Nester Cortez is kind of one of those free spirit guys. You know,
he was really positive. That kind of thing. Man, when you get rid of the sour Devon Williams,
who is, I mean, just this side of Tommy Fam is one of the crankiest guys in baseball. Just like that,
I'm addition by subtraction, maybe, you know, no question. He's a fabulous club. One of the best
relievers in the game. But at the same time, I know people get bent out of shape about NBA players.
I don't like it. We're here. I want to go. And then they get traded and all that. And they call
him divas and all these things. If I am an owner, if I am a GM, I want that because I don't want
you here. Right. I don't care if you're a LeBron James. If you don't want to be here, great. We're
going to get something good for you. All I ask is keep it between us. Because as soon as you go
out there and tell it, Steven, a Smith or anybody else, our trade value is dead. Exactly. Then you
can't get the value back. It's like, oh, they got, he's got them on a barrel. You know, that kind of thing.
That's the problem I have with it. Don't think for a second that NBA players are the only people doing
this in sports was invented. It's just a lot of other organizations and a lot of other leagues are
able to keep this down a little bit. Yeah. Case in point Cooper. Come on. Come on. Then you got
something like that. That was funny, though. That was pretty. That was pretty funny. The pictures and
catchers are first reporting February 12th here, just around the corner. Wednesday. That's Wednesday.
You've got Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, a bunch of teams with pictures and catchers supporting
Minnesota as the 13th and then Monday, the 17th. In the cactus league, you've got the cubs
and white socks reporting on the, the cubs are reporting on the 9th because socks on the 12th.
And of course, Milwaukee Thursday, February 13th and then Tuesday, February 18th. All right.
That is, I mean, it is already there. We're right there. We're right there. Less than a week.
Less than a week away. It's pretty cool. That is a pretty exciting. Let's take a quick look at
the farm systems here because I think this is another interesting one. And you can find this
ranking, if you like, edspn.com. They're ranking the farm systems of 2025. Now for a long time,
I say Seth, who has the best farm system baseball? I think most people are going to say Baltimore.
At least it was, yeah, absolutely. They were the top. They were towards the top of the list for sure.
I just assumed that that's what I was going to see. Now, what do we see coming out of this right
away as we're coming out of the world series of Los Angeles Dodgers. This one coming off of an
offseason that's wrapping up where the Dodgers won the offseason by all by leaps and bounds. Yeah.
And who has the best farm system in baseball? The Dodgers. Yikes. Again, this is smart baseball.
These are, they're just really good at what they do. They're, I'm telling you, they're giving
themselves the best chance to win. Top 100 prospect. They have eight top 100 prospects. She's,
that's part of it. That's impressive. Real quick side note. If you were a Dodgers fan,
if you were a Kansas City Chiefs fan in your mad at everybody's mad at you, blame the Patriots.
Yeah. We'll talk more about this when we talk Super Bowl, but I don't think that people are
actually mad at Scanza City or dislike Kansas City. No. I think we're just getting over the hangover
of the New England Patriots and we didn't need another dinosaur. Like right away. It could be
any team outside of your favorite team and you would be annoyed and sick of that. Besides,
you have no right to be upset. Your teams are winning. You got that. Get out of here with that.
You don't get it. Just enjoy your wins. Come on. If ever I would encourage people to be a
Boston or a Philly fan, if you are one of those fan, fan bases, just embrace that. I say
embrace it. Yeah. Because it ain't going to, I mean, whining about it ain't going to change anything.
That's for sure. No. So the Dodgers fans don't care. No, no, no. They have them are paying attention
to like, until exactly everything. Yeah. Are we in the world series? Oh, we're here again. I mean,
when I was living out there, I was the wildest thing to be San Francisco is in the Super Bowl,
taking on Baltimore. And I am jacked. I'm like, I'm in the, I'm in the state where they get,
you know, they're going to love this. I live right on my San Francisco and everything. It was
literally like Christmas, where like two weeks before Christmas, everybody, all the sudden,
it was like everybody just dumped out all their Christmas stuff. I'm like, oh, okay, they do
celebrate Christmas around here. I was the same thing with the Super Bowl, the exact same thing.
Oh, that's funny. Two weeks before the Super Bowl, all this nine or stuff just came out. I'm
here. Yeah. Guys, I had no idea. I was working with for months. I had no idea where nine or
fans all the sudden, like, oh, yeah, I love Montana. Like, you know, you don't play there anymore.
Well, Steve Young, whatever, you know, who sits at number two, though, Seth, let me just show
this to you right here. The Chicago white socks. Yeah, that's got to be a typo. Let me double check it.
I'm so excited when I saw this because this is literally all I have. Hey, they do have six top
100 prospects after the trades that they made in the regular season and off season with the great
rocket trade. Yeah, recently with stocks and everything, which obviously doesn't mean a whole lot
as the white socks I've proven, but I love the contrast here, although I don't know if you have a
bigger contrast in baseball than the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best farm system and the number two
best farm system at baseball is unarguably unarguably the worst team we've ever seen in baseball.
You can't argue it. Okay. And I'm the biggest white socks fan. Anybody's going to meet because I'm
the only one left. Right. I'm literally it. It is just me. Hello. Hello. I've tried. I've got
like the meetings have gotten really, really quiet, man. I don't even know why I have weak.
Why do we have the white socks? Yeah. Why are we catering? It's just me. I just didn't want to
cancel the contract. I should not have called it. I booked the whole meat. I booked the whole
meat. Oh, that's why it's just why didn't you do that? I first of all, I'm going to irritate you
just a little bit because I'm going to say if you look at the some of the advanced stats,
the white socks weren't as bad as it seemed. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't, you know, but we don't need to
get into that. You're right. They had a historically bad season. Yes. They also had a historically
bad luck last year. Sure. So that we have to take that in. But still, it's very, I think it's good.
I mean, the fact they need, I mean, I like you said white socks fan, they need anything right now.
And it's like, well, at least you guys, you know, you got something from some of the trades you made.
You've got some prospects. You know, again, the bad luck with the prospects that they had,
you didn't know that we're going to be all those injuries. You didn't know that guys were not
going to pan out. It looked really good for a while. And then it just didn't work. Well, hopefully
they're building something up again. I just saw Johan Makata sign somewhere too. I was really happy
to see him. Yeah. He's with Anaheim with the angels. Yeah. Good for him. I always liked him. Yeah.
I didn't do it. I mean, he can't stay healthy to save his soul. Yeah. But he's good player when he
plays. Detroit has the third best farm system kind of encouraging to see that too. I like seeing
where Detroit's like rising up here a little bit. Even and even with them having a very good year
last year too. That's nice. Yeah. Boston as usual number four farm farm system in baseball. Tampa Bay
number five. That's too surprising with you. They were a Boston fan. I would never believe their
front office again. Two years in a row. They're like, yes, we're all the, we're pulling out all the
stops. We're going to buy nothing. Nothing happened. Nothing's your all. It feels a little bit like
like a sleeping monster at times with Boston. And I guess there's a pun there with the red
mind with the big monster. Yeah. I didn't mean to do that. But at the same like I'm with you
because I'm not even a fan. But I work with and I'm very good friends with a Boston of Bostonian
who die is die hard. Die hard. Yeah. The Red Sox more than any other team. The Red Sox
Bruins and then it's, you know, other teams. Yeah. Maybe the Patriot. Well, now the Patriots are like.
Yeah. I would say Celtics before that. Oh wow. But he loves the Red Sox man. Okay. And then he's
coming into this off season. He's a whoo. We're bringing in soda. Like I'm bro, I don't think
that's going to happen. And he was bound in the tournament. This is a smart man. This is an
intelligent you but big but he falls for it too. Fell for it every time. Tampa Bay with the number
five farm system. And who it sits at number six Seth, but Minnesota. Oh, that's good to know.
Well, they're not spending money anywhere else. Yeah. Yeah. They just sign Harrison Bader. Woo-hoo.
That boy. The division shook with that hat. Yeah. Right. Oh man. He's a he's a backup for when
Buxing gets hurt again. That's all that he is because he's a good defender. Okay. Great.
Good centerfielder. But he doesn't bring much to the plane. Anyway. Walker Jenkins is believed to be
one of the top prospects that they have in that system. And yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So they got a
couple of them that are looking. Yeah. He's he's the the big one that's coming up here. They had
a guy that's playing and how can't remember his name. He was called up last year shortstop.
Young guy who's also very good and he had a very decent rookie year. So hopefully he can build on
that this year. Seattle has at number seven. Good to see them up there too. And the Milwaukee
Brewers at number eight. Wow. Four top 100 prospects. That's pretty good. For a team that is all in
and looking to win and they should be. Yeah. They also have a very strong farm.
System. That's good. And and that's I'm bringing I come back around to all this because of the
salary cap again. And that all these teams have the same rules and the same salary cap. They do
and all of that. Yep. So it we can get mad at the Los Angeles Dodgers. And I please don't
on please understand. I hate this. I hate that the Dodgers did this. Yes. I want every team to be
like we were kids. Every team had a superstar. I know I'm romanticizing it. I'm not going to
go back. Look it up. I may. I may know. Yeah. I would love that actually. But it felt like it
least. I would like those days again. I don't like one super team or anything. But I'm also an
adult. And I get tired of like we're talking about a kids game. We're we're we're we're
billions of dollars are spent every year on these kids games, right? 100% and every year fans lose
their minds about their sports teams. And I love it. And I'm one of them and everything. All I
ask is that you have just a little bit of sanity with some of this. Because otherwise when you
cry wolf or when you yell about something that actually does matter like CTE or how the playing
fields in football nine times out of it. What do we guarantee you one thing after the 2025 season.
We're going to complain about one of the fields. One of the teams we're going to complain about
the fields. Like let's let's put our focus where we can actually do some work because the NFL
and MLB and NBA and NHL have proven they listen to fans not always and not with everything.
But if we make enough of them a noise about something. That's right. They will hear us. We send
emails to Bob. I'm perfect. A perfect example. There is literally no evidence to prove that the
referees have helped Kansas City get to the Super Bowl. Where is that evidence? Please give it to
me seven one five four two four twenty six hundred. Right. But all of the noise about it. What has
happened in the last week or two? The NFL has come out. The NFL PA has come out. Everybody saying
not and not we're not doing this all that stuff. They listen. They're listening. If they if we
really want to be heard. Hey baseball you should have a salary cap. Hey you should have an apron
like in the NBA. Whatever it might be. Let's actually be concise about this stuff. And instead of
just whining and complaining that oh my the team my team didn't win. Because you know darn well
if it was your team in that position you would not be whining at all. You'd be getting a three-peat
shirt. Just be adults about this. You can lose your minds and still be an adult. I don't
know. I think you can at least. You can lose your mind in an adult way. I'm saying it out loud.
I don't know. This is that work. I do very controlled losing of your mind. As we're talking
baseball and we'll come back and talk you know Super Bowl and the NFL when we get back. But
as we're going to our first break I did want to touch on our stat of the show and an anniversary
of sorts. It was on February 5th in 1980 that Tony Gwyn had 18 assists in a game for the San Diego
Aztecs against UNLV. It's crazy. Yeah crazy. God he was so good man. Most baseball fans most you
know know that Tony Gwyn played baseball in college. In fact was actually got to San Diego
State on a basketball scholarship. And really by all rights as a teenager was thinking about
going to be an NBA player. And if he would have stuck with it I think there was a good chance
he would have gotten drafted into the NBA if he had decided to go that direction. I'm so glad
that he did not. Yeah. And to your point Seth I mean in college in four years at the Aztecs he
had 590 career assists. Man. It's really impressive. He must you think about that and how good his
batting eye. He must have had some like vision that was like super human vision to be able to see
because you know to be to be a good passer in the NBA you got to be able to see where everyone
is right and be able to get the ball to him which means his wrists were also amazing because you
need to do that to pass a basketball and swing a bat. You have to have quick wrists to do that.
I never seen an athlete where I thought wow he has smart wrists. He had some of the best
ever and that's the only one that's the only one I've ever seen. The only athlete I've ever
seen where I'm like oh my god his wrists are intelligent. He could hit a ball that was very
nearly in the catchers glove. So most of this stuff I understand that didn't you anything new
here or anything but I don't think everybody realizes that Tony Gwynn actually had more career
assists in basketball than strikeouts in baseball. Let's not just sit there for a second everybody
in 20 seasons in the MLB. Tony Gwynn had again as I said 590 career assists and you want to know
how many strikeouts he had in his career. Get through it. 434. 434 career strikeouts to 590 career
assists in basketball. I heard that stat a long time ago and I didn't hear the numbers.
All I heard is that somebody on the fly say that and it's one of those things pre-internet
you hear and you're like okay whatever and then years later I'm like oh I can actually look
that up and see the actual stats. In my head I'm thinking it's 590 to 582. It's really close.
It's not even close. Just what an athlete. Think about this where a player can have that
many strikeouts a better that many strikeouts in three years if they strike out a lot.
You can strike out three or he played 20 seasons and we strike out four other times and I think
one of the coolest things when we talk about Tony Gwynn and we talk about players like him and
everything. He's not even the greatest. He's maybe the greatest of our generation. I think I
have no problem saying that and obviously in the top three four hitters of all time but most
people will tell you Ted Williams is still the greatest of all time and then you got to look at
his stats and they blow you even more away. If anyone can challenge Ted Williams it's got to be
Tony Gwynn. I know Tony didn't hit with power like Ted Williams did. Ted had over 500 home runs.
Tony Gwynn did not hit for power because he really didn't need to that's supposed part of it
because especially early in his career he could steal like 50 bags bases and a year or two he was
very fast so it wasn't really part of his game but man you can make the argument that Tony Gwynn
is right there with Ted Williams in terms of just vision and risks and strength just amazing stuff.
You see some of these guys stats and you're just looking into it and you're like oh my god
this guy is amazing he's wonderful and there was a guy who was even better than him or something
like that. It's just crazy to think of. I would say the beauty of baseball. Yes I would say
Tony Gwynn was a better player because Ted Williams is not much of a fielder. Tony Gwynn won gold
gloves because he had a cannon and right field with his arm too. I used to love seeing him and
they all field. I feel like it was so good but because he didn't last out there very well but yeah
yeah great. We'll be back after this break. A big thank you to our friends at family natural
foods and quality of perspiration sponsoring the hour. We'll be back with more playmakers.
Welcome back everybody to WFHR's playmakers.
Proudly brought to you by quality plus printing and family natural foods. Seth and James
here with you behind the mics on a Friday afternoon and thank you very much for joining us
everybody just saw a phone call come in so I got to take that. But we do got some great football
news to get to. We got to talk Super Bowl. We got to talk our picks. All of that plenty to get to.
We first go to our phone lines Kev how you doing? Oh I'm sorry to disappoint you it's not Kev.
Oh I see that's why I was thrown because I usually can look over and see okay I know who's calling
yeah right I thought it was going to be Michael and then I thought it was Kevin I got flipped it
was you how you doing Michael? I'm doing all right I'm doing all right and I can see an all
confidence finally the good sharp brother is in the hall of fame yeah let's make this is real
official yeah yeah winning bell in there and everything yes um I so I was a little
disappointed to not see Mike Homegren go in but I I could not even like I I saw
shant sterling's last name was in there at the end and so I was just stuck on that it took me I
would say a good three or four hours before I had the thought of like wow Eli didn't make it in
or this guy didn't make it in or that's a small class or anything else I was so blown away I had
no I did not think he was this close to getting in um one of my favorite players of all time
and I'm saying in football not just in his NFL career but what him and his brother did in
Chicago uh in high school was like noteworthy pre internet days where you went to those
games if you could and stuff the sharp brothers are playing in the in the you know conference
championship and you know everybody in the neighborhood goes to see it and stuff that's cool
it couldn't go to a better guy it uh you know Shannon's it seems like an hard guy he's done
successful and everything like that sterling sharp is you've never met somebody that said anything
bad about sterling sharp like there you know anything anything bad about it class act yeah and
he's the definition of like you can't convince me that Brett Farve is in the Hall of Fame without him
hmm uh and I'm not saying that he's sterling me farve or something like that but sterling was the
first receiver and Michael you correct me from wrong here the first receiver to like take those
hits in the middle take those curl cuts in the middle and be slaughtered while Brett Farve was
learning how to throw a ball well Brett Farve was learning how to snip it in there and you know
it took Brett a while to learn to be the you know he was a gunslinger right away didn't take any
time to learn that uh this is a guy who had his first NFL pass to himself uh right but it took
him a while to calm down and realize oh I can't kill my wide receivers look what I just did
just sterling this was the lesson that had to be learned did he learn it completely no
but he got a lot better you sure did yeah and and and obviously goes on to win a super bowl and
go to another and go to the Hall of Fame and everything so I don't think that happens as as
smoothly or at all maybe without sterling sharp uh the thing to remember though is like I'll
just clarify it too is uh sterling's injury actually came from uh from I believe it was a
a run play where he tried to jam a linebacker or uh yeah but but let's yeah but it's not like
that just popped out of the blue that was a build up that was a build up from taking catch after
cat look at the catches that he took there's some crazy stat about how many catches that he had
with within the five yard line there was a curl route or something like that uh and he was his
uh fires blanket I'm not saying Brett Farve takes the blame for that genealogy takes the blame
for that DNA takes the blame for that that's not Brett's fault but it doesn't help when your
quarterback is doing that and you have a court you have arguably the toughest wide receiver in
of our generation but and quite bold when uh please don't get mad at me uh but yeah I don't
know many guys who were tougher than sterling no I don't think there was too many either and I
mean that's just all those it's unfortunate that that happened in the 94 season as I mean he
was two years away from getting that rank that he should have but that injury just cut it short
and that's just unfortunate too but you know it's it's just good to see him in there because it's like
it's like you said there's nobody going to say anything bad about sterling at part of that's
because there's nothing bad to say about the man but second then you'll have to deal with Shannon
and the guy just won't shut up yeah yeah I'm and he's just gonna talk your ear off and that's the
regardless I don't know if Shannon Sharpen throw a punch or not but he will talk your ear off to
the point where you just like look let's just go ahead and duke it out at least that'll be
over with quick one way or the other it'll be over with as fast what what else did you take
away from the NFL honors or or did you have something else you want to touch on man oh man uh
I was you know I went to Canton when fire went in and that was a huge class I mean at Tony
Dungee and DiBartolo and farm of course and and Kenny Stabler and think there's one of the Detroit
lions went in there or my end of pace there's so many of it's great class yeah nice class that's
cool that has been cool time to go it was like ten of them and then my first reaction was
you the next lit of sterling made it and then another few expletives there's only four
yeah yeah I found that like they they have these rules about they can only have so many and so
little players from each thing and stuff like it feels like they I mean it's so arbitrary
it seems that way yeah rules like they can change it if they want I don't understand how
you can't convince me that out of that class only four of those guys deserve to go in
if anything we have proof of that that sterling sharp is just or not not just sterling but
other guys who have been waiting for years to get in that are finally getting in what about some
of those guys like why wouldn't why shouldn't they get in why why do we got it why did sterling
have to wait why do half of these guys have to wait they're NFL players we have no idea how long
we're going to have them and I'm not trying to be crass here I'm being honest yeah I honestly
was it unfortunately it was one of the first thoughts I had I have not heard one thing I'd
sterling sharp as far as I know was doing perfectly fine and I wish him the well I love that man
but I we don't know we don't know with anything guys how long we got him I'm glad he got in while
he can actually appreciate and enjoy it yes I just saw Steve McMichael go in and he couldn't
appreciate it why did he have to wait yep why did Jerry Kramer have to wait so dang long
he can't even walk anymore yeah yeah like just let him in let him in we're again we're talking
about a kids game like you make the rules you decide how serious this is taken one thing that
I really wanted to get into a set that I didn't think we had time for but I'm going to
shoehorn and then real quick all right because I'm still hearing people whining about this this
guy not getting in and that guy getting in and immediately thought of well why aren't you
whining a baseball because at least in the NFL and NBA and NHL you can see oh Tom Brady voted
for Lamar Jackson for MVP I can see that there's there's a transparency baseball what are you hiding
why are you why don't you show this so annoying there's I have not heard one good legitimate reason
for why baseball writers who are so proud of their vote having that vote well go ahead and show
it off man the good ones do the ones the bad ones don't yeah if you felt that you're the one
holdout that felt each row Suzuki didn't deserve to be a first ballot hall of fame or well
wear it with pride it's cowardly to me yeah to not share that I think it's cowardly wouldn't
I think if you want that vote you should be willing to be able to put it out there
absolutely it's taken away from you and goes to somebody who's actually going to use it yeah
I'm really really tired of the baseball hall of fame that's the worst it's oh it is
at least the NFL had four guys go in we go in with the MLB with Cooperstown we're like I don't
know if anybody's getting in this year yeah I mean there's been years which is one dude you know
that's insane yeah I don't argue with that that's why they're hiding I don't get it yeah yeah
and then again you know they have the old adage whether it's voting for hall of fame or voting for
office or whatever you know it's something that you don't disclose it I mean I personally
you want to know who I voted for ask me I don't care I'm gonna tell you whether that's
politically or or sports if I had a vote on that anyways but yeah you don't want something
that's trivial like sports like that comparatively so that should be open yeah yeah I'm with you if
you ask you know we're talking in private that's one thing I will say here is my hypocrisy because
when it comes to politics I miss the old days where we didn't we didn't talk about that we you
would ask somebody how what they did in the bathroom before you would ask them who they voted for
I do miss that I actually miss that well I'll tell you one thing I am gonna be unhappy with the
the the NFL hall of fame until there's justice for Eric Metcalf yeah and I say that every time we
talk about the NFL hall of fame 100% 100 one of that one of the great all-purpose players of
all-time you need to be in there I love Eric Metcalf yes I will admit though I loved all almost
all-returners my sake I'm a Dave maggot like I can keep going oh I love these some Dave maggot
yeah every kick and putt returner from the 90s yeah I gotta get that jeopardy category Michael
were you a little surprised that Eli didn't get in I thought that was a little surprising not
not shocking but a little surprising yes and no when I've always had a I love hate relationship
with Eli Manning just because he's got the two rings and he knocked off cheating Tom Brady to
get in get it both times okay do that's great but then again I mean he's got some good numbers
but he's also got some pretty medium medium medium row numbers yeah yeah right definitely definitely
I think a lot of the reason why he's gonna get in is because he beat Tom Brady twice yeah oh yeah
that would probably be the only reason that he gets in I don't know I don't have the right word
for it but it was almost refreshing for lack of a better word that well we just assume because of
those two super balls that he gets in and he didn't his first ballot he'll get in I think eventually
yeah yeah yeah but but he didn't get in on the first ballot I was almost refreshed by that
that oh a super bowl win doesn't guarantee that it doesn't guarantee a whole family kind of change
almost changed the map of that in my head of you know assuming well Matthew Stafford has stats he's
got a super bowl ring now so he's probably gonna get in now it makes it a little more questionable
to me that that I'm just using as an him and as an as an example right right say Lamar Jackson
goes to rest of his career playing you know lights out like he is but never gets close yeah super
bowl right things like that it just it it makes the the judging of this stuff a little bit more
uh uh you know not as that's predictable which is it's kind of refreshing I think is interesting
uh just the same thing I could say about MVP voting because I thought for sure Lamar Jackson was
gonna win that thing and see Josh Allen winning I was not only I didn't only not just feel that
was refreshing I thought it was deserving I me too I think that Lamar Jackson had a season like we've
never seen before and statistically it is insane to think that anybody else should win it but I
watched the games and I know what Lamar had and I know what Josh had and and Josh Allen they
looked at this like hey we can we're just gonna strip this down for parts at the offense and
we're not even we're gonna get rid of stuff on digs and all these things and grab some rookies
and Josh you just go ahead and make this work and he did and and he got right there he got so close
to it and everything Lamar great athlete incredible stats also at Derek Henry and and and and uh
and in a front office that was doing the opposite hey Lamar what do you need we're gonna get this
for you we're gonna get this for you uh I just I think that in watching the games it showed you
the most valuable player to his team which is what the MVP is not the best stats or anything else
the most valuable guy to his team is Sequan Barkley it's not even a question it's not even a question man
the Eagles aren't anywhere close to the Super Bowl without Sequan Barkley uh Josh Allen number
two for me but it's Sequan by far and away I am happy that Josh Allen wanted I I like that for him
I like that for the Buffalo fan base um but I I do think that they got it wrong I do think it should
have been Sequan Barkley at it Michael uh you're excited about calling some Kings games tonight
this weekend well well or not this weekend not this weekend but uh next weekend next weekend next
week sorry back I looked at a calendar and there's a couple things I do want to touch on first
here oh sure sure the line here is first to foremost James I am very sorry to to see uh
Bo Parginian Kasky I am very sorry to see that I appreciate that um I am I am glad that on her
final birthday uh the Packers were able to let her bears win break the street was really
way there's a class move by you guys it's a class move yeah I'm happy I'm happy that she was able to go
on the wind I mean I'm not making my the fact she passed away because no I get that thing no
matter what the end of an arrow so that's the first thing one touch on second thing is I looked
at the calendar and after this weekend there's possibly five straight weekends of River Kings and
then they go to nationals assuming they make it through those five weeks right uh so we got the
two last two weekends of uh the regular season then you got the first round second round and maybe
the third round which third round they got to make up some points to get past the squash so we'll
see what happens there but then the third point this is a brand new announcement my friend so this
is the first you guys are here in both this and all our listeners too is even the River Kings are
out of town I've got a job tomorrow night oh oh yeah I got a text message early in the morning
uh yesterday morning from the devil's docks and their broadcasters out of town and they asked
me to come down for the game tomorrow night against steel county blades and do their uh their
livestream hey well congratulations Mike that's great that is really cool yeah that is great as far
as I know as far as I know that's a one-time deal and it's only available on flow hockey so all my
adoring one fan and that's only at the check clears that I have a fan but yeah I wanted to say
that because I think it's pretty cool that you know I think it's cool I have an opportunity to go
with a team that I haven't seen play yet and it gives me a chance to get a little more versed with
the ducks for when they come here in two weeks that's right that's good point and and uh look it's
work you know and that's what this is all about right now whether we're talking radio we're talking
uh musicians whatever the medians uh all of us in this creative world we were either a struggling
artist or a surviving artist and and Michael's a surviving artist he finds work and he hustles and
he finds it and does it and I admire that so much man and I they they they are gonna lucky to have
you they're gonna they're gonna they're gonna have a great call for the game enjoy the game
also uh and and enjoy your birthday tomorrow brother because yeah Michael's birthday tomorrow nice
nice birthday gift for you too yeah yeah yeah yeah I was I was actually gonna say yeah I'm gonna
in a few hours I'm probably gonna belly up so if any one of our listeners wants to visit
held visit but uh yeah but uh you know before the before the snow storm hits a course but
right uh no I'm just kind of excited about the opportunity and to kind of show what I've been
working hard with and uh and go from there and I mean if I ever have to choose between the
delts and rapids I'm sticking with rapids of course of course but uh but I just thought it was a
pretty cool opportunity I wanted to share with you guys because I obviously work with you guys
quite a bit so I just wanted to kind of brag about it a little bit appreciate that no I'm glad you
did it is a really cool opportunity it's also an opportunity you weren't you weren't a hundred percent
a hundred percent and you weren't that have a great birthday tomorrow brother oh I will hopefully
we don't get all that snow because yeah I really like wearing shorts on my birthday right
right that's probably fun it doesn't happen very often no you have a good weekend Michael
have a good old man happy birthday to you brother happy birthday to Mike we will take our final
time out come back after the break more Super Bowl talk here on playmakers at WFHR
welcome back everybody to playmakers here at WFHR probably brought you by quality of punts printing
and our great friends and family natural foods
Seth and James here with you going to take it to the top of the hour wrap up the show for the
week thanks so much to all of our listeners out there are great sponsors we greatly appreciate
you Seth and I are going to do what we have to do as a sports show and give you Super Bowl
legally legally obligated to do this yeah can that call ourselves a sports show if we don't do it
but just two quick notes real fast here one um if everybody isn't noticed uh we have spent the
last two weeks uh building up to the Super Bowl barely talking about the Super Bowl um and the
NBA has kind of taken over ESPN and all these other things betrayed talking all of that oh yeah
and I don't know if anybody else has noticed but I can guarantee you who has noticed the NFL
I brought up earlier how the NFL notice what happened with halftime and losing a handful of
watchers and what do they do the very next year the brung and the king of pop yeah they they
took care of that get those eyeballs back this will not happen again next year no matter what
I they will not allow this to happen again where the NBA trade talks take over Super Bowl weeks
you want to talk conspiracy okay not that the chiefs that the refs are in on the chiefs and get
into the Super Bowl thing I can almost guarantee that after the end of the season ESPN when they
be sitting the sitting down with the NFL officials when they talk about next season they're going
to hear something from them but what are you guys doing you know okay yeah because they're partners
right yep yep they're partners with the NFL so they're going to hear about it they're going to
hear about it let's take a call quick good morning you're good afternoon you're on the show
well good morning guys yes yes never come out the twins doing anything I'll tell you that straight
off right off but I'm gonna I got a really hot Super Bowl take you may have heard it may not
what's gonna happen is the Eagles will be up at halftime something will happen to pat my homes
either before or just after halftime bringing in Carson went we never got to that Super Bowl
with the Eagles he will leave the chief to it to the third Super Bowl championship defeating his old
team wow what do you think of that what do you think of that wow awesome take I love that take
God I love that take I have not heard that I love it I want the odds on that I want Vegas to come
up with the odds on that I want I wanted to happen so bad I want that to happen so bad oh that
is a great story like I don't per say want to choose to win but that would be so crazy that would
be amazing yeah it would not only be the story of that but it would also be the three feet and that
would make for so much data and so much oh my god yeah that just be hilarious in sanity oh I couldn't
imagine being a Philadelphia fan at that moment I could not imagine that scene Carson went
with you that was Super Bowl they would they would Philadelphia would explode like the city would
just melt down oh I'll let you guys go see I want to hear your takes but I never forget Michael Jordan
is a goat yeah right on right on yeah nice darn right he is darn right I have to I do have to say
it's set that real quick going into this that according to a new poll 48% of Americans say that
they'll definitely or probably watch the Super Bowl and 29% of them are going to be pulling for
Philly that's supposed to 22% of Kansas City in 49 to don't care where do you fall into that well you
know I don't know maybe I've changed on this I'm not a Philly fan really you know I thought it
was fun when the Eagles beat the Patriots couple years ago you know that was cool because that didn't
happen very often and that was all good you know Carson Wentz speaking of Carson Wentz you know I
lived in North Dakota at the time he came from North Dakota state he was drafted when we live there
and that was a big deal you know wow Carson Wentz is going to the NFL kind of thing back when he was
good sorry but man I don't know if I have a big feeling on this one I'm not thrilled that the
chief's turn it again and I'm not a big I'm not a big three-peat guy it's like yeah cool if it happens
that's that's fine if the Eagles win I'll be yeah that's cool that'll be fine yeah man I just I
just want to know what happens will Patrick Mahone show any emotion yes yes I want to seem like
angry like on the sideline something bad happens and then afterwards they'll talk to him you're still
like Pat what what happened there well you know he just missed the route there and and I I'm sorry
just I don't what happened I just lost my head for a moment and uh but that's okay because we
pull it out in the end and then so I just want to thank god no I'm just kidding I want to do an
interview with your fake mahogas I love it so much um I I'm with you on this one a very similar
take that's surprising but a very similar one on paper there's no reason not to pick Philadelphia
they have really dominant team that's a talent very little if any weaknesses on that team they
built a good team there's no getting around that um and I think a lot of people will immediately
say but I'm not going to bet a bit against Patrick Mahomes right and I love Mahomes I admit that
I'm big big Mahomes fan uh I will say it's not him that I'm not betting against it's Steve Spagnolia
I'm not betting against or Andy Reed either yeah to every shirt yeah Spags no I will not vote in
a Super Bowl the guy who defeated the Patriots yeah the undefeated team the guy who all season long
against the bills was building up to that last defense of call he had he hasn't called that play
all season he was waiting for that one play they do that man is an evil genius and I love him
I am not voting against him I got Kansas City closely close game it's going to be close I think the
two things that Kansas City has that that we were talking about hotel and Eagles are very talented
is they have better they have the better quarterback and they have the better coaching yeah yeah
and and there's no denying that and in the end that might be all they need it's going to come down
one thing it's going to come down to one two things here and there and like it always does yeah
uh last minutes here I did want to wrap up with uh sing goodbye to a legend in Virginia McCaskey
uh Paul Taglibu referred to her as the first lady of of the NFL um she was of course the
matriarch of the Bears organization right uh took the last remit remnants uh any owner of the old
guard of the old guard of any ownership of the old guard exactly she's the last of grades yeah
I uh with all that said in all respect to her and uh her loved ones and knows that are grieving for
her I hope this means that they will sell that franchise to somebody who will actually be smart
with it um but I am gonna miss her and I do think that it's noteworthy that uh a woman like her
made her way in the NFL and was literally the trailblazer for every woman to follow yep uh
we she will be missed yeah uh it's been a really fun week everybody a gigantic thank you to our
sponsors family natural foods and quality put sprinting by local support local support them
Seth great show man yeah it was a lot of fun man it was a lot of fun I can't say sorry
have a great weekend everybody this is locally grown radio WFHR 1320 AM W24 ADE Wisconsin Rapids
and always streaming on the civic media app
