Kap & J. Hood
8/2 8 AM: Jesse Rogers
[Music] Good morning, and welcome in to the Captain J. Hood Morning Show. On appearance, victory Friday, Hirani Espin 1000, and screaming on the Espin Chicago app. With David Kaplan, Jonathan Hood with you, not time for Shadow No Shot. Here's Shay Norley, Shay. Good morning, boys, on Bears Friday, how we feel. We're feeling good. Awesome, man, and Troy Aitman is in with me that he's going to throw for well over 4,000 yards. Let's go! We talked about the weapons that he's going to have. I think if Caleb Williams can stay healthy, I do believe he'll throw for well over 4,000 yards. And he's going to bring something to this team. For show. How about that? Well over 4,000 yards. Alright, let's start there, Cap. Shot or no, Shay. You said very disappointed with the Sports Illustrated 37 young 100 yard 26 touchdown 12 pick projection. So shot or no shot for Cap to be not disappointed. Caleb has to throw at least 42.50. It's a shot. Wow. It's a shot. We've got a vertical offense now. Hoodie's been begging for that since he and I got to know each other 20 some years ago. And the last four years that we've been together, he's been begging. Can we please stretch the field a little bit? And guess what? We've got the guy that can do it. If he stays healthy, he will go over 4,000 yards. And if he doesn't, I'll be disappointed. Sorry! That's my take, and it's my take. I said 42.50. I don't know if we're sticking the hard line there, Hood. I just, I'm unbothered by all of this. Just completely unbothered by it. I mean, we never focus on the big picture. It's always the ancillary nonsense. The big picture is for the ball club to get better. For them to be able to get to the playoffs. It doesn't matter what the numbers are. What matters is health, and it also matters whether or not the ball club's getting better. Wait a minute, if he throws for 3,200 yards. Okay, if they go 15 and 2 and he throws for 3,200 yards, then some running back had an unbelievable year. If he plays 17 ball games, 16 ball games, he's going to throw for 4,000 or more. And if he doesn't, it will be disappointing. Okay. How many quarterbacks do you think threw for more than 4,000 yards last year? Uh, 10. Exactly 10. Well, he should be one of them because all I've heard about since he won the Heisman is that kid's generational. I've watched a lot of tape on that kid. I've watched a lot of games. Maybe not as much total college football as you two guys, but I watched everything because I knew that kid had a chance to be with us. That kid's a beast. And if he's everything that we've been sold with all these weapons, he better throw for 4,000 yards. Alright, big bold statement. If he throws for under 4,000 yards, you were flu should be fired. What's the record? Well, obviously if he's under 4,000 yards, that's a non playoff team, right? Not necessarily. That's my point. It doesn't matter. But I'm saying you, if he throws for 3,200, you're going to be disappointed. We'll be like, that's it? I will not be disappointed because this guy's got a really bright future with this team. Everyone's trying to put all the eggs in one basket in one season. That's just nonsense. It is. Again, the focus is for the ball club to get better and for them to be a playoff team. Again, the big number that matters to me is the win column, the big W. But for them to be a playoff team, in my opinion, he has to be on the field and he will put up massive numbers. Okay. Okay. That's that. And actually those massive numbers also don't necessarily equate to a playoff berth either. The defense could be awful. No question. That's why to me, all of this, I'm not necessarily taking stride because I'm excited about the season. But I'm not going to be like when he's talking heads on television, doing pie in the sky predictions. When we haven't seen Waldron work, we haven't seen Caleb work, we haven't seen a Dunesay work, we haven't seen how this offensive line works. Again, the time under tradition in the National Football League is to be able to have a rookie learn on the job incrementally week in and week out season in and season out. We can only mention on like on one hand, the special quarterbacks that stepped into this league and were fantastic. Agree, but the game's also played differently. Doesn't matter. Yes, it's played differently, but it doesn't work for everybody. More vertical, I mean, like one of my kids said to me, Troy Aikman's numbers, how did he get in the Hall of Fame? I'm like, because the game was played different. Go back and watch. That guy's a winner. That guy was a stud. Absolutely. Nobody handed the ball off better than Troy Aikman. Here's Shane Newell and Shane. Wow. I just, I want to stick with this for a second. How many quarterbacks cap all time, rookie quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown for 4,000 yards? Well, I know Andrew Luck did it. I know C.J. Stroud did it. I would doubt that Peyton did it because he went 2 and 14. I would doubt Aikman did it because he went 2 and 14. Herbert on that list. Herbert absolutely did it. I'm going to say five. Five is the right number. The two you're missing are James Winston and Cam Newton. All of them in the last ten seasons. Yeah, because the game is played differently. And they are going to go downtown and with Geno Smith throws for north of 4,000 with Shane Waldron. Guess what? I want that from Caleb Williams. Sue me for having high standards. We all want it. I'm just saying it would be exceptional. It's happened five times in 15 seasons. It's going to happen sick. I hope. So, betting on draft Kings or ESPN better wherever you get your feet wet. Bet it because it's going to happen. Yeah, you're missing your own gimmick. Your own gimmick is chasing greatness. You're missing the chasing part. You're chasing greatness. Here's Shay Norlin. I'll always chase greatness. No, no. I'm talking about Caleb Williams and the Bears. Your gimmick in your sweatshirts are chasing greatness. That's correct. When you're chasing greatness, you're on the way. If you think greatness will happen in year one, take out the chasing and just have greatness t-shirts. Here's Shay Norlin. All right. Bears, Edge, Richard, Austin, Booker. Just greatness. Well, I'll sell the chasing now. And then when he gets the 4,000, then they get these of us. Right. Right. Bears, Edge, Russell, and Booker got some good reps last night consistently winning off the edge, pressuring the pocket, granted Hall of Fame game. You got to take everything with a grain of salt. But we've been hearing this out of camp. Booker is flashing a ton of potential. Fifth round draft pick. He looked good last night. Shot or no shot. The Bears found a legit edge rusher in the fifth round. That's a no shot. We're going to find out, won't we? Because, again, based on what I saw yesterday, you know, there was a mixed bag. I think it was more positive than negatives on the isolation film that we saw on Booker and his snaps. But hopefully that'll be the case. And I like that the general manager, by the way, is going to take a flyer and a couple of these guys. Like, he loves the offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears and Braxton Jones in fifth round draft pick. Hey, man, all the glitters is not gold. But sometimes you take a look at a flyer in the fourth or fifth round pick. If you do the job, it doesn't matter where he's drafted. The hope is that Booker could be that. But who knows? If a rookie got 10 sacks, would you say they found their pass rusher? Shay? If a rookie got 10 sacks? Yes. Yeah. There was a guy named Mark Anderson here. Oh, God. He had 10 sacks as a rookie. Everyone went, "Okay, we're done with Alex Brown because this guy got 10 sacks as a rookie." What did he end up with this for his career? 12? I love it. That's not who knows. Yeah. He was done. Yeah. He was done. But in the first take society that we live in, is he the greatest pass rusher in Bears history? The answer is no. No, he didn't. And no. No shot. We have found yet. Austin Booker has not played one snap in the National Football League. Thirty minutes ago, you told me to take a bow about Austin Booker. Yeah. Because he looks good. I didn't tell you that they found their pass rusher. He certainly looks good and I'm giving you credit. But they found their pass rusher in Montez. Sweat. Yes. Really, the question is, Austin Booker is making the case. You don't have to go sign somebody. Okay. No, you always want to have experience. Yes. If you can. If it's affordable and if you can, you should go with the experience first. If they called you and said, "Hey, give us a third round pick. You can have Matthew Judon because we can't get him signed." That's different than signing yet. He can go. He can go. He's also a pretty good football player. Yes. He said a lot of really good seasons. Again, I gave you credit for Austin Booker because you were the guy before the draft said, "I want that guy." Yes. And they got him and he looks like he could develop into something. To say they found their pass rusher now today? No. I can't say that yet. Let's see if he can beat out Dominique Robinson in the camp. Who knows? He might be a camp casualty. Might be. Or maybe cut Noah's soul. Still been waiting. Maybe trade Noah for Panay. That'd be fine. And the Steve Baskerville, let me tell you something. This guy here, Steve Baskerville did a hell of a job on the weather here for many years. And now a linebacker with the Bears. How about that? 47. That's the untold story. The guy did the weather at CBS 2 for like 35 years. And now he's playing the linebacker. Pretty good kid. Good old kid. Watch him number 47. Here's Shane Orley. All right, Amari Tumor was. That'd be Amani. Amani Tumor, sorry. Did I say Amari? Yes. Amani to Amari Cooper. Amani to God. Now it's in my head. Amani Tumor talked about Caleb Williams and the comments Caleb Williams made to his team about cleaning up after themselves in the locker room. Don't put that work on the staff. You got to take care of business. Amani Tumor didn't like this too much. Take a listen. He's Russell Wilson 2.0. This is not going to go over well. If you came in the locker room. I've been in this locker room for eight years with like you said. And you have some work he's going to come in who hasn't played fun snap. Talking about wearing the fingernail polish. Now he's going to come in here and tell me who's been here, who's been through the struggle that I need to clean up. How about rookie, how about you clean up after me? How about that? Don't give me this crap. I don't like it at all. I feel like rookies should earn their respect. Just because you got drafted number one doesn't mean nothing to me because I don't even know if you're good. Stop. Stop. Just play the game. Prove to me that you're really here to be a star. Prove to me you're really trying to make this team better. Don't sit up here and talk about trash around the locker room. Come on man, please. Okay, or no shot, this is the dumbest reason yet to slander Caleb Williams. That's a shot and you should get a money tumor on this show because I'd like to tell him what an idiot he is. Like why don't you pick up a phone, you're a former player and off the record to ask Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Cole Comette, ask any of these dudes. Hey, tell me about that. Because his teammates like Kevin Bayard, a two time old pro, thought it was awesome the leadership that he showed and they loved it, loved it. And this guy's never met him, never talked to anyone on that team and he's a money tumor. He's an idiot. That's peak FS1 right there, isn't it? Just firing away from the hip. He's just trying to solidify himself with the season tumor. That's why he said what he said. He's just piling on. Look, I know that for many years it's like, hey, rookies are supposed to be seen not heard all this stuff. But again, it's a different time. If he's one of the leaders of the team says, hey man, we got to have a standard in the locker room, that shows leadership. Whether it's a popular with his teammates or unpopular, he's showing leadership. He's not going to be here for a cup of coffee. And so if he rubs people the wrong way, that's fine. Keep in mind, you can work in a place for a long time and everyone's not going to take you. But the bottom line is, is that when we continue to hear from players off and on the record about Caleb Williams and his demeanor, bedside manner, the way he is, there's nothing wrong with what him saying, hey, let's have a standard here. Keep it clean. So when are you like a pig pen tumor? Did you just leave tiles around? Did you mishandle people when you played? Did you just say, hey, pick up my crap? I'm a mighty tumor. Really? Were you that guy? Please, can you book him, Shay? We don't do a lot of guests here. I will work on him. Get that. Nope. Get that guy on. Nope. He just made the list. Him, John Hamm, Gruden. He made the list. Anybody else in that list? There's more. Me. Nope. All right, Shay. I love you. Dan Hayes, twins writer for the Athletic, reported a little pulling back of the curtain on the White Sox trade deadline, put out that the twins were willing to move their number one prospect, the 21-year-old with some positional versatility, hitting 929 OPS in the minor leagues this year. They were willing to move him for Eric Fettie. White Sox reportedly never engaged in this conversation because they didn't want to trade Fettie in the division. This, if it's true and if the reports are accurate, would have been the only trade at the deadline involving a top 100 prospect, White Sox ended up settling for the three team deal with the Dodgers and the Cardinals, moving Fettie, fam, and Copac for a few prospects from the Dodgers. Sean or no shot. If Chris Gitz was holding on to Fettie from Minnesota because he didn't want Fettie in the division, that's going to be the worst move of his career. Well, Bruce Lavine, who I have great respect for, is pushing back saying that it is not true that you could have got a top 100 prospect, this kid from Minnesota. And so that was, it's a story that's not true. We'll find out, got to do more research on it. But I would tell you this, if the Reinsdorf told our tourists, we want you to not trade Alex Caruso for two number ones or a top 10 number one. We don't want two number twos for Andre Drummond, because we got to try and make the playoffs when they had less than a two percent chance of being in the playoffs. Maybe they told us to guess who knows the way those things run around there, right? Yeah. Like if Jerry or Michael are sticking to their beacon on trade talks, I mean, what, what, what the hell? That wouldn't surprise me. Me either. Like, so Shay, would it be the worst on gets? Well, guess is part of the organization. So I suppose what I would say that is if we do a deeper dive, it could be more than just Chris gets making that alleged move. Well said. It would be Jerry. It's the whole organization, but somebody's got to wear the blame and I can't fire Jerry Reinsdorf. So. Well, you can't put the blame on someone if it's not their call. What if he picks up the phone and goes, Jerry, I can get a top 100 prospect for Eric Fatty from the twins. I don't want to trade him in the division. Who cares? He's Eric Fatty. I fire Jerry in 2010, personally. Yeah. Well, if we could, like, but if what you guys are saying is true, then we should all just give up until you Jerry Reinsdorf moves on from owning this team and whatever capacity that entails that if what you're saying is the case, then we might as well just give up. Yeah, it just, well, I mean, but this is the embodiment of a meddlesome owner or someone that sticks his beak in there. It is, Cap. You're right. Like it just, it just is. I mean, we go back to LaRusa again and worked out in year one, but again, on the surface, it was not the right call. The general manager should have the right to generally manage. Exactly right. And then judge him accordingly. So. I've asked Theo, I've asked you, I heard Sylvie say yesterday, should the Cubs spend more money? Yeah. Sure. They've got the ability. He's right. They have you. Do they spend a lot and they got very little return? They're a dead last fair. They spent 230 million fair to say that they spent enough to be better. Could they spend more? Absolutely. If Juan Soto's out there and says, I'm interested, there should be no price. They won't pay. They're the Chicago freaking Cubs. But one thing Theo and Jetta both told me is, if they go in and say, hey, we're trading, who's the best player on the team? We're trading Justin Steele for the rights to Jonathan Hood. Ricketts is not going to tell them they can't do it. He just gets out of the, okay, tell me why. Just explain why you're doing that. Here's what I do. Okay. He said, cause I can't judge you if I'm telling you what to do. That's fair. Which is fair. So good and bad there. More baseball with Jesse Rogers coming your way at 835. But first around the NFL, that is next on the home of the Bears, ESPN 1000. Follow Chicago's home for sports on Twitter at ESPN 1000. Cat and J. Hood are back on ESPN Chicago, Chicago's home for sports. Nick both sucks. He sucks. I'm just a fan. I'm not a football about here. I love the Green Bay Packers. The guy is wrong. But there he goes. This is not Detroit man. This is the Super Bowl. I love winning. He starts to come any more than that. This is a really thickly built guy. I mean, what's the answer you're looking for on these things here? And now it's time to go around the NFL. Let's do it. ESPN 1000. It's really got the ESPN Chicago app by some Cubs, some Sox, some MLB with Jesse Rogers, the game breaker, the game changer, the news maker at 835. From the NFL. Here's Shane or Shane. I have four playoff teams from 2023 that I think will miss the playoffs in 2024 and a fifth that I can build a compelling argument for. I'm not willing to predict, but I think that they could. I'll start with the four. I think will. I got to get the pin out now when you do these lists. I got to write them down. All right. What do you have? Let's play off team from last year that will miss the playoffs this year. Respect to Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers always count the brother. Odds makers have them overwhelmingly favored to miss the playoffs minus 250. That's amazing. Last look, Cody, you remember last year when I said I didn't think the Vikings would go back to the playoffs. The biggest reason why was because they lived in one score games and won them at an impossible rate. The Steelers eight and two in one score games. We assume that they're a little better on offense, but I think they have two quarterbacks that really can't coexist and they have the problem of Cincinnati might not be dead this year. Two African-American quarterback. They're just saying Shayne on Abe Lincoln's birthday is after saying she had the two brothers can today. I am counting out a brother. Yeah. Well, that's like every day around here. Here's Shane. Uh-huh. Okay. More nose. Go ahead. Don't you. We have a good relationship back here. We work well together. You heard the response from Jay Moore on that response. Go ahead. Jay Moore is locked in. Yeah. Yeah. He's like the same from the social network. Yeah. He's gee. Yeah. You don't talk to him right now. He's wired in. Uh-huh. Never saw that. Sorry. It's one of the two. One of the movies of the decade. The 2010s. Oh, I'm sure it was. It's fantastic. I actually think you'd enjoy it. Can't be any opinion on me saying the Steelers will not make the playoffs? Yeah. I completely agree with you. I do not think they'll make the playoffs. Again, not a surprise. Two African-American quarterbacks. Don't believe they can coexist and don't believe that the guy at the top can get the job done. Well, I just think there's too tough a division. Is that not America in 2024? Well, good job. Are they better in Baltimore? The answer's no. Are they better in Cincinnati? The answer's no. Are they better than Cleveland? Now, again, the lotion king at quarterback better be able to stay healthy and stay out of field. But that roster, that roster freaking loaded. Top five roster in the NFL. Well, all I can tell you is that. Dead last Steelers. Yup. And in the playoffs. No chance. I mean, listen, I might as well be Mike Tomler on here. You guys count me out every morning. But I'm still here. Standing. Still standing. And winning. Doing well. But winning. Hmm. Winning. Here's Shay Norley. The second team that will miss the playoffs made it last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Back-to-back division champs in the NFC South at a combined record over two seasons of wait for it, 17 and 17. That one you to straight division titles dead on 500. Good luck doing that again, especially with the resurgent Atlanta. That's better than you in every facet on the field. You have a new offensive coordinator. You have a rookie center snapping the ball to Baker Mayfield. The Bucks will not be back. Well, we spoke so highly of Baker. Did we not? We did. We spoke highly of Baker, turning it around. This is solid football player. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'm right there with you. I don't think Tampa makes the playoffs. All right, that's fair because someone's got to get there. Letting Atlanta does. Sure. All right. What's next? Here's where Kathy's going to get mad at me. And this one's a little controversial potentially. Dallas Cowboys are not making the playoffs this year. Is city land playing? I don't know. Yes, he is. I'm sure he's going to, but there's just so much going on between having to pay Parsons, having to pay CD, having to pay Dak, Mike McCarthy's and a lame duck here. You're bringing in a new defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn left. Nobody has won that division in consecutive seasons since 2004. The Eagles, could they be disaster again maybe? But I think they're going to be pretty good. And the NFC is better. The NFC North has improved. It's going to be tougher to get the wild card spot. I'm not picking Dallas to make it. Uh, Dallas is making the playoffs. Come on. Come on. I mean, they get digs back the corner. That's a huge, huge addition coming back from an ACL. One of the most overrated players in the league. He's still their best cover corner. He's not a very good cover corner. He's their best ball hawk. Okay. He's still a good football player. He just, he, he's just poking you in the ribs. Don't take the cheese cap, stand, ten toes down, tell him, tell him. Your guy in the league says, what about the Dallas Cowboys? What does he say? You're scouting the league. What does he say about the Cowboys? They got a loaded roster. There you go. Tell them. Uh, I'm going to say Dallas makes the playoffs. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not telling you to win in the super ball. No, I didn't even make a bet on them. Not yet. But no, Dallas makes the playoffs. Giants make the playoffs. Okay. They're not going anywhere. Nope. Philly's in Washington out. Right. Kay. Bear in. Lion in. Mm hmm. Packer. Probably in. In. Falcons in. 49 are in. 49 are in. And Dallas finds their way in there too. Probably right. Dallas is in the playoffs, Shay. Here's Shay Norlin. Final team. I'm predicting will miss the playoffs is the LA Rams last season. They were the single healthiest team in football. Not going to happen twice in a row. Probably right. When one of the players with injury history is your quarterback, I'm not predicting two consecutive healthy seasons for Matthew Stafford. He was very good last season, but their offensive line still left some things to be desired for me. It hasn't been fully short up. You've lost Aaron Donald. He retired. So who gets the why next to their team at the end of the season? Who is that? Is that the Seahawks? Is that wild card or division title? The why? The why is the clinched wild card. So if you're asking me to pick the seven teams that go in. I think it's Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, San Francisco, Philadelphia. 40 honors you said, right? 49ers. Yeah. And Seattle. And Seattle. Okay. So two teams out of the West. One of them is Seattle. So Seattle replaces the Rams. And that's quite for you. I like McDonald a lot. It gets tough when you're picking that seventh team because it really could be anybody. Yama'll be there. Absolutely. Love the doobies. And you're starting to see what? That's a good one. You're starting to see a lot of guys going out with injury. We just heard DeAndre Hopkins yesterday went down for Tennessee. Who else? The other one Houston just lost one of their guys to a PED violation. Like there's a lot going on around the league with injury and suspension. Okay. I can agree with some of those, but I'm always going to hold out hope that Tomlin finds a way. But Justin Fields will lead them to the playoffs. That's what's going to happen, pal. Justin turns the clock back. Actually, there is no clock to turn back. What is he turning back? Actually, I'll take that back to the wrong phrase. He's going back to college. I'll take. I'll take that fine. I'll put a fine in the fine bucket. Does fields have eligibility remaining? I was. That was the wrong phrase. I use the wrong phrase here. That coffee is swimming this morning in me. Twelve playoff teams in college. Now we can make it. Yeah. I did. But he will be better under Tomlin because Tomlin will have him under fire. How about that? We said the same thing about Mitch and I told you the other day, Tomlin is going to walk into his GM's office next spring and go, okay, that's it. Where don't let rejects from Chicago. That's it. Trabisky Fields. I've had enough. And that's our look around the NFL. I do. I teased a fifth team that I'm not predicting, but I think you can build a case for. I want to make sure I get it in. It's the Green Bay Packers. Is Jordan love the guy who was terrible in the first half or the guy who was the best quarterback in football in the second half or is he somewhere in the middle? If he's somewhere in the middle, a lot's got to go right. I still think they downgraded going from Aaron Jones to Josh Jacobs defensively. They should be better, but we have to see it on the field and the division is a beast. Well, brother, let me tell you something. If you have the playoffs, the bear can be able to take care of that on January 5th. Maybe that's the game, Cap, in which the bear not got the Packers. Oh, can you imagine that? Man, if you don't think the Packers make the playoffs, maybe the Bears have some to say about it at the end of the season. Yeah, I would like to put in my request right now with the great Keith Williams upstairs. May I please have tickets because I know we have some to the bear at Packer game next January at Lambo might want to send an email. I'd rather use a 50,000 watt blowtorch and I need passes to the Tundra trio so I can get my pregame swerve on. Let's go because we're going to the playoffs. And that's our look around the it's about to be different around here. On ESPN 1000 and the ESPN Chicago app, we'll talk baseball with Jesse Rogers and that comes your way next right here on the home of the Bears and the White Sox. ESPN 1000 Kevin Jay hood are back and you know this man Chicago's home for sports. Yes, he and Chicago. Jesse Rogers is on the hotline. I am doing good boys good to be with you lot to get to where do you want to start. Why don't we start with Dan's B Swanson who over the last three weeks has had a resurgence in his numbers. He's got a 126 weighty runs created plus. He's got an over 300 batting average and over 400 slug like last night I saw a lot of emotion from that dude when he got the double to tie the ball game up and even more when they want it on the talk and walk off. So while he's been my chronic pain for most of the season, guess what? He looks like he's playing better. Is that accurate? Well, first of all, defensively, he's been playing great along with Nico Horner. So you give him credit for that because he wasn't playing great on defense that first month. But since then he's turned it around offensively. Yeah, there's it's kind of feel like it's a two step forward, one step back approach with him. It hasn't really clicked in completely, but that was a good at bat down O2 in the count last night late. The key with him is, and I know it's a cliche, but using the whole field, he'll hit some line drive to left. But when he goes to right center, that's when you know he's really on and he's just done it too, too many, too, there's been too many slumps in between the moments where he's come through. And the whole offense, it might be too little too late for them, you know, they were two runs last night and everybody was thinking of same old thing and then boom, they went a game that they were about to lose. So that was nice. But again, is it all too little too late probably, but if there can be some offensive momentum to next season, I wonder if that could be real because they're not turning over this roster next year. They're just not now. I'm not saying all eight starters are going to be back, but it's not like five are going to get moved out. So building something towards next year would be huge, starting with Dansby Swanson's game. What do you think of the resurgence of the Cardinals? We talked about this over the last month, Jesse, how they were dead in the water. I thought that Marmal was going to get fired. And so now they're still in the hunt and now FETI, the former Sox pitcher is going to be starting against Assad today. What do you think of the Cardinals' chances in postseason? Yeah, I was in their locker room a lot yesterday and I spoke to a lot of Cardinals. Really good vibe and you can understand why. I think this is any GM or manager's dream. You make a trade and all of a sudden that player who used to play in St. Louis, who has an intense personality, comes up in his first hit bat. I'm talking about Tommy Pham. He hits the Grand Slam. The next night he helps win a game and all of a sudden they're off and rolling. Sometimes a new guy goes over his first 15 or something. So there's a great energy in that room. You have Pham who's intense. On the other side of that locker room now is Wilson Contreras, who by the way might be waiting outside the studio for your cap. We could talk about that in a moment. And I don't think the Cardinals were very good going into the season, but they've turned themselves into a pretty good team. Last night was a bad loss, but at least their games will be meaningful. Let me just go out for a moment as a fan and we can get back to Willie. Like you're watching games in LA and San Diego, Baltimore, New York, and you miss that so much in Chicago as a fan, as a reporter, as a talk show host, like these are fun, meaningful games the next two months, trade deadlines passed, Cardinals are going to be in a lot of them. I mean, barring a miracle, the Cubs, and we know the Sox won't be. And that's just, it's just so disappointing to have these, you know, they're seven, eight, nine, ten cities. They're going to be playing these pennant, right, pennant race games all the way down the stretch and it's just too bad the Cubs won't be part of it. All right, let's go to the Willie stuff. He's not happy with you. Okay. And I told him, I'll relay the message. He's not happy. And if you want to repute a people that didn't listen, some of the things you said, and then I'll respond. I said that the reason that he's not here, and I wanted him to be here very much, the reason that he's not is he was volatile in the clubhouse. He was breaking iPads and they'd had enough of it. Yeah. And again, I like the guy when he left and waddled Sylvia in the shows would ask me why they're not invested in them, the way I said it was they just weren't ready to hand over a leader leadership position to a guy like Willie with an entirely new and probably young pitching staff. Now the two things, what I just said and what you just said, they inter they're interchange, they interline, right, they cross over. You just said it in a very harsh and black and white way, small, but more nuanced to it. You know, he is at times, I guess angry, he does it when he has a bad, a bad, he would go back and break things. But the other side of that cap is other players break things when they have bad moments too. And I just feel like you could use the word emotional instead of angry and sort of get away with it a little bit better. But there's meaning that crosses over. And I think the bottom line is new young team, an emotional catcher, they didn't want to necessarily put him in the leadership position. I think we're saying similar things. You just said it more black and white. Okay. So if Willie is listening to what I said, would he be mad at me today when I see him? I don't know. I don't think so. You just said it in a more harsh way because he's not the only guy that breaks breaks an iPad. It happens more often than people think. Yeah. Yeah. Cap doesn't care because they're not really friends. So it doesn't really matter anymore. We move on to the white socks. I'm just quoting you. He's not my friend. Okay. Well, he's not your friend. Anyway, so we move on, right? You're not guys. Not friends. This will never come back together. It won't come back around as a relationship or as a friendship because he was never really your friend. You never say never. Jay. Oh, when it comes to. Well, it's cap. He said he did. We're not friends. All right. So it's not a story anymore. Right? Cap. We move on. We move on. So this won't make awful announcing. So you know, it's kind of funny. You want to know how I went down in the room? He lockers next to Miles, Michael, is the pitcher. Yeah. For some reason, Miles kind of had a weird thing about ESPN, but it goes back years. And he was, I find out he was tongue in cheek about it. But when he was being a little standoffish, I really is right. I go, will it can vouch more for me? And he turns to say, Jesse, where the hell's that cap? You know, it just changed completely. And then we talked about him like, wow, relay the message to him tomorrow. Don't worry. Doesn't matter. That is always super great to my son, Brad. I have a special needs on Wilson was great to him. All I did was respond. I was working with Sylvie and I response. I don't know. I think I call it. Sylvie, you'll remember a caller, I think called in, they're catching so bad, why didn't they keep Wilson? I said, I'd have kept Wilson too. I can't believe they couldn't work it out. But when you break a whole bunch of iPads and you get that volatile at all and bam. Of course, it kind of died right there. And then the guys up on the seventh floor and to make sure they put the YouTube social, the St. Louis media picked it up, put it in the paper and I get the wrath of Wilson. So and he put something on, yeah, he put something on Instagram. So there was truth in what you said, but it's more from a leadership sample. You didn't get like banished because he has an emotional attitude, but it was more about anyway. There's a gray area. Oh, he's a little born nuanced. I think you just told the harsher version with a player, they're going to take it personally. I mean, that's just what happens when they when they get wind of it. So yes, yesterday's news though, yes, and that's nothing. You know why? Because they're not friends. It's no big deal. Cats moved on. Now, we move on to Facebook going for number 18 tonight. Let's start with you because you put yourself in the news, pal. Yeah. You're right. You're right there on foul mouth. Sorry. And you were saying that you feel from your reporting. Grafals not long for the White Sox. Tell us more about that. Yeah. I think that's the best way putting it. I can't put a date and time on it. But from my reporting, I don't think he's going to finish the season as a manager. Now, if you want me to be more specific, I'm not exactly sure at this point. I'm a little surprised it hasn't happened yet, but I don't feel like he's going to finish the season as the manager, and now I'll stick to that if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But I mean, you can't be shocked by that. If I get to 18, 19, 20, there's going to be a number just like we talked about months ago during the 14th Game Street. There's going to be a number. Now, if they get to September and he's still there, he'll probably finish. So it is that we're in the window of it's got to happen the next 10 days if it happens. And they'll turn over. Can I say one thing though? I talked to Tommy Fam yesterday. He didn't have many bad things to say about the White Sox, and I got to get that out there because not every player has a bad experience, and he's only there a couple months. He was only there to get some it back so he could get moved. So it's not like he was diving deep into it. He basically said, Grafel left him alone. I don't know. Grafel could have been scared of him for all I know. Tommy's intense, but you know, he thought that the players were working hard. You know, a lot of games where they just gave it up late, and even even Joe, that when you give up a game late, like the seventh inning, and then the hitters come up and now you're facing the team's closer instead of the seventh guy at a bullpen, like it made it even harder to blow those games because, you know, now we're facing the best pitcher on the other team. So he was like, those blown games really hurt us, but we were working hard. We just didn't have the talent space to what Tommy said. So I got to say that it wasn't the dysfunction that was there last year. I think is there a much less this year. I will say that at last year, you went to New York and interviewed the relief pitcher that the White Sox had traded. And he. Pardon me? Keenan Middleton. Yeah. Correct. He blasted the White Sox organization. Is it worse? I know the record is. Is it worse in there this year than it was a year ago or about the same? No, I think it's actually better. I do. They shipped out the people that didn't get along. Okay. And that's the Lancelins, Joe Kelly's and other guys, whoever's fault it was. They didn't get along and Pedro established a little bit better feeling in their coming out of spring. Nobody knew they'd be this bad. So and fam is as honest as they come, trust me. And he said it was everybody was working hard, even coaches. It just wasn't happening. And I don't want to say he blamed the bullpen, but you know how it is. You blow that many leads, even if it's three to two, it starts to demoralize you. And you know, I don't think Pedro's the best leader by any mean. But Pedro's worst moments to me were last year, when you had a more competitive team. Let's put it that way. This year, it's just gone off the rails and I think the team is getting along. They just can't find a way to win or find ways to win. You just got to flush in there. I don't like our team. I think right now, I feel like I'm not ready to go through the **** all this time right now. You never know. How I feel about this ball club right now. You just got to flush in there. Now, time for the White Sox out of the day. Jesse wins wins wins in the last two weeks. Zero. Xander Schoffley, the golfer, won the White Sox nothing. Yeah, I mean, I saw one the last time they won president Biden was still running for president. He's got a question. We don't like our team. Their last win is chronologically closer in time to the presidential debate than it is to today. Yeah. And how about the fact that he did admit after the Oscar after the Oscar break, he did say, hey, let's not make history and they haven't won a game since. So everything's gone backwards for him and his leadership. And that's what I think he will be moved before the end of the season. Can you tell us for sure? Give us a little insight. Jesse has Bristol told you, hey, stick around this ball club, you're going to witness and you're going to cover history. Yeah. They told you that. Okay. Yeah. Because you closed the door uncovering the White Sox at all last week. You said you won't be around here anymore. That'll be all. But it looks like you're going to be around to cover this history. Yeah. When they hit the milestones going into September and then when they get really close at the end of the month, I'll definitely be there. I'll definitely be there. Oh my God. That's amazing. That works. You go where the news is. That's how it works. Can they win one in Minnesota? What? Are you smoking? Are you going to be at 20 after Sunday? Cap. Sunday night. I'm not going to go. Oh, welcome to the recap in here at 20. It might be. I mean, who pitches tonight? I mean, today is Fetty. So this would have been Fetty's turn basically. I don't know. This is Martin, Davis Martin, Davis Martin tonight. Yeah. Oof. Nothing wrong with the kid. He's coming back from TJ making it whatever his first start, I think. But oof, that's not that's not the way to break anything in the history. I went to lunch with Jett in 2012. Remember how bad that cup team was? Yeah. I went to lunch with it with Jett. We're walking back and here comes Theo and Jason McCloud, both had hoodies on. They looked like they hadn't slept in a year and I go, Hey guys, how's it going? It feels like. I think I've seen a ghost. I have no idea what's going on here. That's so funny. You bring that up. Jett was just shooting. You know what with reporters yesterday and brought up 2012. I think it was in reference to the White Sox. He's like, yeah, I've been there. I know what that feeling is, but but obviously he doesn't know what this feeling is because 18 in a row, 17 in a row and potentially losing 121 or more. I mean, that's not our lifetime. That's unprecedented. So yeah, I mean, unfortunately, they're going to make news for the wrong reasons. Jesse is always. We appreciate the time. All right, boy. Have a great weekend talking Monday. All right. When are we going to dinner, Jess? Rattle, rattle, counter, batter, boom, boom, boom, boom. All right. Don't worry. Call the car accident. Jesse's fun to hang out with me, but we have to go. You could text him or call him. We got time. No, I've got six minutes to call him. Go right ahead. I'll get him. Three. With the Chicago Bears win their first exhibition game. How do they do it? We talk about it at the top of the hour right here on Captain J.