Kap & J. Hood
8/29 Kap & J. Hood Shorts
(crunching) - Chicago. - This is your morning routine. - Listen to this-- - Me. - Cap and G hood. - That's right, that's right, we bad. - Uh-uh. - Watch the show on Twitch. Follow ESPN 1000 Chicago. - Scream the show on the ESPN Chicago app. - And on impact. - 100.3 HD2. And on ESPN 1000 Chicago. Now, no, no, no. David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood. - Good morning, everyone. ♪ Bring 'em out, bring 'em out ♪ ♪ Woo ♪ ♪ Bring 'em out, bring 'em out ♪ ♪ Bring 'em out, bring 'em out ♪ ♪ Bring 'em out, bring 'em out ♪ ♪ Bring 'em out, bring 'em out ♪ ♪ Woo ♪ - Good morning and welcome in at the Cap and G hood show on ESPN 1000 Hoodies got the day off. We got Jay here, we got Jay Moore, and Jesse Rogers. - What? - He's in. - Yeah! - For my guy, hoodie, I'm David Kaplan. 3-1-2-3-3-2-3-7-7-6. I feel like we just did a show here with Shay. - Yeah. - The last half hour. - That's it. - Bouncing around all over the place. - It is. But I'd like to wake up a gentleman getting older. Might need a little more sleep. His name is Mark Silverman in the Northern suburbs. - Good old Marco. - Sylvie, good morning. Wake up, because the Cubs are still alive. (laughs) So let me set the scene for you. I filled in for waddle yesterday. Only was an hour show because of the White Sox double header. We did the show from my kitchen table. He came over, I got the equipment. So remember the show starts 2-30 with Black and Abdallah Crosstalk. The Cup game is getting to the later stages. So we are watching this in real time on the air. I'm like, ah, the comeback's gonna fall short 'cause they start, it's got a couple in the seventh. Few more in the air, that's gonna fall short. Three in the eighth, six in the ninth. And we're like, oh my God, what just happened here? They're back, still alive, still five and a half out somehow. They're playing the baseball, but they're still five and a half out. - Right, 'cause Atlanta doesn't lose. - No, did the Mets lose last night? - They did, they did. - They're creeping closer. - Game and a half behind the Mets, still five and a half against the Braves. Well, knock off that half game tonight either way 'cause the Cubs don't play, but how about this? Atlanta plays in Philly four games. Four games, Cubs have a day off, then take on the Nets. Now the Nets just beat the Yankees two in a row. So it's not necessarily, you know, push over. - Right. - But you've got six straight more games against sub 500 teams while the Braves are playing the Phillies. I'm not sure who's after that. I mean, look, all the sites say it's 5% or less. I don't even think the Cubs internally believe they have a great chance, but you gotta play 'em out and let's have some fun with it. I have no problem with that. You know, here's the thing, it depends on your perspective cap. If you're expecting them to get the wild card, you're gonna be probably disappointed. If you're feeling like this is a long shot and they surprise you, that's a better feeling. - Okay, so. - I wouldn't go into this stretch saying they're gonna do it. - Braves have four at the Phillies and then they go from there, a day off on Monday. Who gets labor day off? - Right, this is weird. It's a big day for baseball. - Yeah. - People don't have school or work. Then they come home for three with the Rockies. Not good. - Not good if you're at home. - Although the Rockies did beat the Yankees. And then they have three at home with the Blue Jay. Then they have a makeup game at home with the Red. Then they have a two gamer at the national. Then they have a four gamer at home with the Dodger. Then they have three at the Reds, three at the Marlins. And then they close their season three home with the Mets, three home with the Royals. And those Royals games will probably matter 'cause the Royals have caught the Guardians. - And the Mets games probably. - Yeah, they're right behind Braves. So Atlanta has the 16th hardest, you know, scheduled down the stretch here. The Cubs at this moment, 22nd, but that's starting to creep up 'cause it was 27 as they knocked these games off against the subfivergent teams. That's going to keep going up 'cause they still have the Dodgers, Yankees and Phillies. They just need to be a little bit closer, Cap. I mean, this is the Braves. This isn't some Johnny Come lately team. This is the Braves, they're beat up. I mean, it's still a long shot. Again, all the sites say 6% of it is the highest rate. - I agree, but my whole point is still alive. - Yeah, I can live with that. - I can live with that. - Faint. - I mean, I'd like nothing more for them to grab this wild card spot. - Oh my God. - I'm not supposed to root as a reporter, but ESPN would have the first round game and it would be Brewers Cubs. And let me tell you something, think about it. Okay, as of this moment, the way they're playing right now, it wouldn't be the Brewers minus 360 in the series. - No. - That'd be a very close. - And the Brewers pitching is playing up. - Brewers pitching is a little bit banged up on paper, not that special. - You got to give them all the respect in the world. And I know we have some tweeters that will yell at us that are Brewer fans, but honestly, if the Cubs offense can play like this, a Cubs Brewers best of three odds wise would be very close, would be very close. - Right, and you're telling me that Steel, Imanaga can't win in that series? - Right. - Come on now, what are we doing? - And if you have to go a third, okay, J-Mo, I could live with J-Mo as a third. I mean, they have Freddy Peralta, they've just some good pitching that nobody knows about. - Ty owned pitched into the seventh the other day, he'd given up two runs into the seventh inning. - Yeah. - He's a solid pitcher, I'm not telling you he's Cy Young, I never said that. - Now, I don't think that they've arrived in terms of beating the Yankees or the Phillies, or maybe even the Brewers, but what's happening now is a confidence boost. And you hope this leads to September where there's tougher games in front of them, because I still think that this is a little fool's goal, because Pittsburgh is falling apart. This is not Pittsburgh up two months ago, they have fallen apart, right? The Nats will be a good test, like I said, they just beat the Yankees. The fact that we're even having this conversation is cool, because it looked like they were dead in the water, but in this little surge isn't shocking, it's not because of the schedule, and the fact is we knew they were this good on paper, so they're doing the very least, they're pushing themselves above 500, but I'm not sure about the big-term meaning. Now, there is some meaning into Miguel Amaya and PCA's game advancing, that's cool, no matter what. - Okay, I'm gonna read you, I read this to you guys before the show. I'm gonna read these stats to you, and you're gonna be like, oh my God. - Yeah. - First of all, rough week for the Pirates per J. Kuda, who's an awesome follow on Twitter. - Yeah, he's serious. - The Pirates allowed more runs to the Cubs in the last three days than the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed in points versus the Chicago Bears from 1970 to 1988. - Incredible. - Remember, when you score in football, it's six or seven at a time, wait, and still the Pirates gave up more. - Okay, how about this one? Until the Pirates blew a seven run lead in the seventh inning against the Cubs on Wednesday, since 2019, I believe, teams were 1,192 and oh, in the last seven years, seven years, when they were up at least seven to start the seventh inning. Let me say that again. Over the last seven years, teams were 1,192 and oh, when they were up at least seven to start the seventh until the Cubs beat the Pirates. Here's another one. The Cubs beat Crow Armstrong in the three games set against the Pirates, had multiple three or more hit games. He stole three or more bases in a single game. He scored four or more runs in a single game. No other MLB rookie has accomplished all three in a single series since 1901. - Yeah, incredible. And it's the most runs the Cubs have scored in a three game series since the Pirates in 2019. - It is unbelievable. - Yeah, that comeback was quite something. And of all people, Christian Betancourt has seven ribbies. - I mean, seven. - I mean, I'm sure there are Cup fans out there. Why are you sitting on a Maya? What'd you do day game after night game? And Betancourt comes in there with seven ribbies. And I said to Sylvie, I was ready to be a really critical counsel because this is go time, right? You got to lead off skines. It was clear Hendrix did not have it. And he pulled them too late, in my opinion. - Ending in two thirds. - And that was too late. That was too late. They got down to six, they were down six three, I think, when they pulled him. You know a guy doesn't have it. He was walking guys with non-competitive pitches. It could have been, you'd pull him at three three. And I thought he pulled him too late. Because again, you got to show urgency. You won't do that in April, but you do it now. Anyway, the offense has just been amazing. And we've been waiting. We've been waiting for it. - Right, now they get a day off and they go to Washington for three. Then they come home for the Pirates for three and they get Washington, who's here next weekend? - Is it the Yankees? - Yeah, it's a Yankees. - And then they have a guy coming in for four. - First time back. - Riz? - Yeah, I don't know if he's gonna, oh he's been a rehab, he'll probably play up there. He'll probably be up for it. - I would think. I'm going to the game with my son Tuesday, Tuesday. Are you gonna go Friday? Standing O for your guy? - No, be at the lake. - Oh, come on. I'll give him a stay to go from my dock. - It's cool, I've been in touch with his people. Like his family's coming, his agent. They're gonna soak this thing up. Good for them. Enjoy. - How many people? - How many made it here? And then went on the IELF for the rest of the season. - Yeah, he's had, I guess, how really bad. - Yeah, yeah, really bad. - He talked a lot about it two seconds. My health, my health, my health, my health. And then three days later, it was this. - Having major hip surgery. Okay, then on the other side of town, and we are the home of the White Sox, ESPN 1000, I'm watching that game. Like I watch every game. - I know you do. I was playing golf yesterday, I had the game on the phone. I had the Cubs game on the phone, then moved to the Sox game. So I'm watching the game. They've already lost game one of the double header. Compete it three to one, so I think they're getting to be 80 to one. And then the second game, they're up to nothing, and then home run to make it a three to lead. And then Sosa ties the game with a rocket base up to the middle. Sosa also booted one ball. Then he had another grounder to him where he missed the guy on the swipe tag for the, to try and start the double play. Then he's batting and he pops one up right in front of the plate. And he gets in the way of the catcher. The catcher studies himself but the umpires already said interference out, and he misses the ball. What a loaded the bases. - So funny. - Now he is warming up on the infield. And I'm watching the game, and I have my brother on the phone who's a die-hard Soxman. And both of us, like at the moment this happened, and if you did not watch it or you were not listening, you got to see it. Go to Sosa, you got to see what happened. He's at second base. Eller, I think, is warming up the reliever who's pretty good. And he gives the little thumb, like send it down and they throw it down to second when he's done with this warm up pitches. This dude is looking down at the base, like I don't know if he's tying his shoe. He gets up, here comes the throw from the catcher, hits him right between the eyes. - He looks up, bam, right in the face. There's two trainers out there, the manager, three of his teammates, like they were concerned, oh God. - I would call that a little league move yet. I coached a little league for about seven years. Never once did I see the catcher hit the infielder in the face 'cause he wasn't looking. - Not once. - And I don't mean like a glancing blow. - No, it got him. - Right between the eyes. - Oh my God. - And that is all over social. Here is, - Jay, what did you call it? The microcosm of the 2024 season? - It is my single favorite moment of the season. And I know it comes at Linen Sosa's expense, but I mean, 30 years from now, if you had one moment to explain what the 2024 White Sox are, you can show a person one piece of video. It's gonna be Linen Sosa getting hit in the nose with a simple throw down to second base at the end of a warmup. - I mean, that's to me. - Seriously, right between the eyes and there's all the staff out there and teammates, like, oh my God, what happened? He's okay, he stayed in the game. He finally laughed it off, but holy cow. - And let me just say this, Jay. I don't know, we should take calls. I don't know if that's the symbol of the season. There are so many. I get what you're saying. I get why you would pick that. But I don't know, Die Hard Sox fans might pick a bunch of other ones. I mean, there's Luis Robert draw. I mean, there's so many that came and go over. - There was, yeah, he was not paying attention. And oh, look at some right in the nose. - There was the Luis Robert, the game where he didn't throw home. He just caught the ball and was like, whatever, I'm good. - I forgot about that one. - There was the Bobby White eighth inning grand slam in the middle of the losing streak. - And then in the ninth inning, Sox are losing, they give a run on a Corey Seager with men on first and third, two outs. Pops one up, shallow setter, and he flings his bat, kind of like, oh God. And Luis Robert misses it. - And there's that one where the shortstop didn't throw home because nobody was yelling home when he would have gotten him by a mile, there's that one. - That was the Cody Ballinger one. - Was that even-- - I can't remember, was it? Yeah, Ballinger was going to score. - Yeah, you're right, God. - Even the catch last night, Andrew Vaughn just tattoos the baseball, walk off the game. - Here you go, so that's where I was going. They score on the Corey Seager Bloop that he thought he popped out to short center to end the ninth and ball falls. Robert gets a late break, ball falls in front. Like, oh my God, he tried to make a catch, didn't. Four, three, Sox get two on, one out. Andrew Vaughn up and he hits one deep into the south side night. - All right, the one, two, that's in the air left field. That's trouble. Jankowski back, out of bounds and catch. Oh my goodness, what a grab. He brings the game back. - That, and I know I will go over the top of times, that is one of the five greatest catches I've ever seen. - Yeah, totally, and I wish you, like you said, it mattered more for the Rangers and the standings, you know, making that kind of a catch, 'cause that's a season turning catch kind of thing. I had to sound down, saw it. So I didn't hear Shriffon's call, do we have it? 'Cause was he halfway through? Stand up, oh no, south side! (laughing) That's what I imagined it to be. (laughing) Stand up, sit down! That's what I imagined it to be. - Oh my God. - It was quite a day of baseball for the Cubs and Sox yesterday. - It was unreal. Like if I told you at the start of the day, here's your parlay. Sox are gonna get swept, you'd be like, okay, I'm in. (laughing) On your card, Lydine Solis is gonna get hit with a warm up throw in between the eyes, like right at the top of the nose. And there's gonna be one of the five greatest catches you've ever seen, and Christian Bethancourt's gonna drive in seven, and the Cubs are gonna come from 10, three down, going to the seventh. All that hits. - That's gotta be like a million to one. - Yeah, I mean, just to come back alone. I mean, insane. Did you see this one, the Cubs were the first team in like five years to win a game down seven and to lose a game up seven. - That was the Padre game, they were up eight, nothing. - Right, so those two things haven't happened to a team in five years. So, been a wild year on both sides of town, mostly bad to be honest, but at least the Cubs are showing some light. - You asked Dan to be if it's still June. - Right. (laughing) - My God. - Yeah, and that still stands because if they were a little closer, going back to those games, this would really be interesting in September. - Come on, Jesse, it's a bad take. Only took 17 minutes for that to come out. That will live forever, forever. - Yeah, I know. - Oh my goodness. Three, one, two, three, two, three, seven, seven, six. We'll get to Bears in a little bit. Ryan Poll spoke and Matt Iberflu spoke. So, a lot going on around the Bears. They did sign Austin Reed to the practice squad. Good to see, developmental prospect there. Our guy Tom Thayer said, Rippin, Austin Reed, no disrespect to Rippin. Paraphrasing with Tommy said to me last week, he said, "I like developmental prospects." That's what Austin Reed is and he's around. But when does this become a legitimate playoff race for the cubbies? Three, one, two, three, two, three, seven, seven, six. Be right back. - Welcome back to Captain J. Hood. You officially liked it. ♪ You're in the wind sky ♪ - On Chicago's home for sports. ESPN, Chicago. (upbeat music) - Rolling on. - Cat and J. Hood, he's got today and tomorrow off. Jesse's here today, we got tomorrow. We gotta wake up dollop. - Yes, it'll be a dolla tomorrow with you. - 'Cause I will be in studio tomorrow in the afternoon with Grandpa Tommy. - Grandpa Tommy. - How 'bout that? - How 'bout that? - That little boy. - They're a little boy named Tommy. - Yeah, of course. - So great was that. - So, big Tom I think is gonna be, well, Grandpa's gonna be known as, and little Tommy, congratulations to Tom Waddle and his lovely family, first grandchild. - Georgia gave birth to Tom. - Yeah, super cool. - Very cool. - Yeah, I've got my grandkids tonight. - Nice. - And all weekend. - Plus, is it what they say, you know, the fun without the responsibility? - It's the greatest. - 'Cause until now it's been all responsibility on my end. - Well, I got three-year-old Ben, Benjamin David, and one-year-old Nora. - So I got boy and a girl, and Ben will come over, his, okay, my daughter was not listening right now. - How do you spoil Ben? - So, I have this candy, like a dish, like Danny has in his office. And mom, can I have a piece of candy? Ben, you've had enough, we're going home. And soon as she starts, or Garrett, her, my son, packs up the diaper bag for the little one. Come here. Here you go, bud. Then I give him a little more cabbie. - He comes out. - Yeah, it's the greatest. - The fun without the responsibility. - That's the greatest. - Now you can go. - Yeah, it's fun. - That's how they describe Cap's young days and hitting the streets, fun, you know, without the responsibility. - Correct. - Damn. - Life's different. - Yeah. - Ben, does this become a legitimate playoff race for the Cubs? They turned the trick yesterday if you're just tuning us in. It was, I think, 1,192 and oh, the last seven years. Teams with a seven or more run lead going to the seventh inning, had never lost in seven years. 1,192 and oh, and the Cubs did it. - Crazy. - And the funny thing is, they're playing better, but really haven't gained ground on the Braves. However, you still had to pass those other teams and they're starting to do that. They have the Mets in their sights and Mets lost yesterday so they gained a game there. So I think it's a great question for our listeners. 3, 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 7, 7, 6. When is it a playoff race for you as a Cubs fan? When will the casual fans start to tune back in? Is it just while they're playing good baseball or do you have to open up the paper, so to speak? The computer, your laptop, look at the standings and say oh, they're too out? Okay, now I'm gonna pay attention. When does the casual fans start to pay attention? 'Cause I think a lot have tuned out for a wild cap, for a while. Are you ready to tune back in? Even though they haven't gained really ground, but it feels like they've got a little momentum. - I have not tuned out. I have not. I haven't, but a lot have. - And people who do that's your job. - No, it is. But I guarantee you there are people doing our jobs who are not watching every pitch of every game. I watch every White Sox game. - Yeah. - I'm sitting on the couch last night watching the game. - Yeah. - It's what I do. - I'm so excited, man. I just love baseball and the fact that the Cubs are still alive. - Right. - I'm not telling you they're getting there. - Yeah, you're sitting on the choir here. I love good baseball and I love both teams to be great for my own needs and desires here. I mean, look, the White Sox are going to make a headline in a couple of weeks. They're going to make a national headline. Now, can the Cubs make one as well? Is the question? Cubs come back from the dead to grab a wild card. That would be a headline. Everyone doubts it. I think anybody listening doubts it. But is it at least a race? - Here's a question. What would be more surprising? White Sox don't break the 121 lost record or Cubs make the playoffs. - No, it would be that. It'd be the White Sox. - If the White Sox didn't break the record now, they're at 103 with what? - 29? - To go. - 28 left. - 28 games to play. - And a road trip in Boston and Baltimore. Forget about it. That's six losses. I'm sorry. So add six more right off the bat. - So you're at 109. - Yes. - Okay, let's call 108. - They get you squeaking. - They squeaking one out. Who else do they have? That's going to matter. - It's, they go out west. I mean, I think that San Diego, they have three there. - They end the series on the road, or the season on the road in Detroit. - Right, that I know. But you know, Detroit's not as tough as these other teams. - They just swept them. - They have no chance. - Yes, they did. You're right. Maybe Detroit's playing some for something. - Yeah, Detroit's one eight to 10. They've won six in a row. - I can open that up to callers and tweeters as well, which would be more surprising. The Cubs making the playoffs, or the Sox not losing 121 or more. It's got to be the one. - They're going to lose. They might lose 125. They've got the Mets. Then they go on the road, the Baltimore and Boston, then Cleveland, three, so six with Oakland and LA, the Angels, that may save them. - And there isn't really a team in baseball that can take their foot off the gas. You know what I mean? Cleveland's going to want these games. The Mets are absolutely going to come in here trying for a sweep. You know, every team that is in it needs it because there's no separation this year. So there's no way they avoided it. The fact that it won't go down to the final series of the year, which you normally would think, you know, looking at 120 losses is crazy. It's going to happen in mid-September, not late September. And I think it's either happening in San Diego or that home series against the Angels right after that. - Oh my God. I mean, like there's no way that they don't set the record. - There's no way now. They're like a month ago, we were wondering, there's no wonder now. - So these two dudes tweeted at hoodie and I yesterday and they had t-shirts on. - They show up at the Sox game two nights ago. - Did you see the team? - No. - Oh, well, I saw a sell the team thing that they got turned away from something. - Yeah, these two dudes show up and they have a t-shirt on with White Sox jerseys over it, but they're unbuttoned. The shirts say, I don't like our team with the pinwheels from this scoreboard. That's the Chris Getz line. - I don't like-- - Oh, that's right. I was scared for that. - Tabor has got it. - Tabor has got it. - I'm the one that fed it in from the GM meetings when he said that. - I don't like our team. - That was the moment I'm like, "Oh, I'm starting to like Chris Getz." There was some honesty there. - Right. - So they had that shirt and it was awesome. And guess what security told them? Our owner doesn't like to see that shirt. So you're gonna have to either turn it on the inside out or button up your jersey. - Wait a minute, I don't like this team. That's the line, right there. - They turned away that shirt? I thought they-- - They made them either turn the t-shirt inside out or the guy said, our owner's in his box. He does not wanna see that shirt. - So you have to button up your jersey. - I saw a tweet that said sell the team Jerry that they made them turn it inside out. - Right. - I don't like this team. - Are you serious? - I don't like our team. - And one, if a fan just did that, but that's quoting the GM, like you just said. - Correct. - So did Jerry chastise Chris when he said it? I wonder. - That's a great question. - Man, what an organization. I mean, it is truly unbelievable. - Unbelievable is, I don't even know if that's the word you can use. It's not good enough. It's not strong enough. Correct, you know what I mean? They haven't created a word strong enough to describe the dysfunction there. And I'm gonna go on record saying, like you, I would root for Chris Katz to have success here for a lot of reasons. - He's a good guy. - He's a good guy. He's a good guy, but you still have to do it. And he's gonna have to wear this season. - That's on his resume. - I mean, it's like, holy, I cannot believe where this thing's at. Again, like I covered, like you, the 2012 Cubs that lost one on one, and they're starting guys like Jason Birkin. I remember, this is true. Jad asked me to go to lunch. I gotta talk to you about something. I'd go to lunch with him. He's new here. It's his first year. He's asking me questions, like, what does this person like? And what does the city think of it? Like they're trying to learn. - Yeah. - We're walking back from lunch in Rigbyville at Bar-Louie. Remember that place? - Oh, I love Bar-Louie. - It was great. We're walking back, and here come these two dudes in hoodies. And as we get closer, it's Theo and Jason McClough, with the hoods up, over their heads. And he goes, look at these two goofs. They look like they're dead men walking. Hey Theo, how's it going? And he goes, I feel like I've seen a ghost. That's what his line was. And I said, who's pitching tonight? Jason Birkin, and I don't know who that is. That was his line to me. I don't know who that is. Totally believable. He lost 101. - Totally believable. - And he felt like I've seen a ghost on a regular basis. - Yeah, yep. - 120 plus? - I know. - Oh my God. - Yeah. - You got mad about a t-shirt? Come on, man, tough enough. - And the only thing you can tell yourself is, when we do have success, it's gonna feel that much better because we came from the worst of all time. So that's how you mentally have to stay positive. When we do have success, it'll feel better than any success any GM's ever had because no one's lost this many games. - Right, but the point is you have to have the success. I mean, there is a long shot. - Oh my goodness. What, what a club. - Geez. All right, 312-332-3776. John, Andrew, the rest of you, if you're on hold, you will be on the air. Next. - Checkmate 1-6, Lanny of suppression on target. - That's why I see him in my shot. - Shot or no shot with Captain Jehu, on ESPN 1000 and ESPN Chicago app. - That's why I see him in my shot. - Eight o'clock straight up, the great city of Chicago. It's called shot or no shot. Here is-- - Shay Norlin. - Good morning, boys. On a Thursday, say your Thursday deal breakers, Thursday, Jesse. Cap, how we feeling? - We're good, man. Good, fired up. - Good, good, fired up. Be a shade, buddy. - It's always good to see you too. - Yeah. - Always happy to have you. - That wasn't sarcastic, that was honest. - It felt a little sarcastic, if I'm being honest. - No, I've done that with you in the past, not this time. - Well, that's very nice of you. I'm happy to see you as well. Let's get started with shot or no shot. We haven't gotten to this yet. Ryan Polls met the media yesterday, and he talked about his relationship with Matt Eberflus. He actually spoke really highly about his relationship with Eberflus and his belief in his head coach. Listen to this. - Yeah, I think his resilience for how, for where our roster was, and for how far we knew it had to go, to set a standard and hold everybody to that, is extremely difficult to keep a team together through adversity is extremely difficult. But I think at the end of the day, that's going to be awesome. It's like those things will be established. And then when the winning comes, you have a stronger product because of it. And so really, I really look at the resilience piece of it. It's so hard with pressure to stay the course. When you want to be, you know, there's a lot of noise in terms of doing different things and changes and all that. But to hold the line is, it takes a special man to do that, and he's done that. And then just the ability to adapt and adjust. You can see that on a daily basis, always trying to get better, taking the feedback from players. You know, what do we need to change? What do we need to adjust? What do you guys see and how are you feeling? And then making the tweaks. That relationship has been incredible. And then I probably had a third thing is it's kind of coming to me, but just investing in relationships. He's had every single person on our team over at his house to spend time there, to get to know them better. There's activities and things that he did, but that was done intentionally. That wasn't just to do it and check a box. It was to really invest in our players and build that trust because you need that. Shot or no shot? Do you hear Ryan Pools talk that highly about Eber Flus? Matt Eber Flus is going nowhere after this season. That is an absolute shot. Now, look, Matt is a football coach. He gets it. He would tell you if they go five and 12 and Caleb looks awful, he's gone. If they have problems in the locker room, he's gone. I don't believe any of that's going to happen. And I think Eber Flus is going to have the last laugh and he is going to be, I've been the same solid guy in my room. I was bad at the podium and the team wasn't good. We had no talent yet. And you guys all thought that guy's awful. I'm better than you gave me credit for. My players like me, I like me. Guess what? I'm getting extended. Yeah, it feels like Ryan was not judging Eber Flus on anything that happened on a Sunday. It was all from Monday to Saturday in the last couple years. That's correct. I think starting this year, Pools and everyone we all know, they have the horses to be at least decent, if not, better than that. So I think he starts to get judged on Sundays more than Monday through Saturday. I think he's proven the Monday through Saturday thing to Pools. He's not going to get it done on Sunday. Like, I don't think Pools cared if there was some bad clock management last year or the year before. This year, or pick whatever it is. Not enough halftime adjustments. If he's seeing that, I think Eber Flus gets judged much more on Sunday this year. And so, yeah, I think there's a shot 'cause nobody has a crystal ball. So I think there's a shot that he doesn't get extended, but I'm with cap, it's doubtful. Correct. What would it have to be for him to not get an extension? Like, not getting any extensions, one thing. To be fired, I think we'd have to go out or stay bad. Like the locker room has to totally fall apart. - That's what I'm saying. - The team has to be atrocious because Pools has talked so much about, I want to break the cycle of what's been happening here. That cycle is drafting the quarterback and then getting a new head coach for that quarterback. The second season. - I'm going to disagree a little bit. Obviously, if the locker room fracture probably won't happen. But I think at this point, there is a win-loss record that makes a difference. I don't think you can go six and 11 and say the locker room's not fractured. - You think you'll get fired at six and 11? - 'Cause I don't. - I think you'll be extremely scrutinized. I don't know for sure. But I think there are, this is a results-oriented businesses and not a feel-good business. If they go six and 11, just using that, I think, yes. Yeah, I think there's a chance. I think so. - I think he'd be, it got in the incredible hot seat. He'd probably be the favorite first coach fired in 2025. But I, dude, I really don't know that they're going to fire this cat unless things are just awful. Like a total tire fire. - Everything would have to be- - Well, it's six and 11 and it might be a total. - But at six and 11, there might be a tire fire, right? - Depends. If you told me, God forbid that horrific injury, he's going nowhere. - Yeah, all right. - If Caleb looks, if at the end of the year, whatever the record is, within reason, you look and go, that's the guy. We finally got one, that's the guy. They're extending him. - Okay, but the record will determine that in my mind. It really will. - Within reason. - Yeah, now I think he'll get every benefit to doubt if he's just nine and eight, of course, he's staying. But in the other extreme, if he's three and 13, he's probably not. But if he's six and 11, I think they'll be highly scrutinized. - I agree. - This is results-oriented. - That's fair. - Shave. - All right, Paul's also said he takes pride in the way that he has built this team and set them up for this season in his third year as general manager. - Honestly, you take a look at the roster. It is really impressive to look at this offense, what it was two years ago, when they didn't have really a one, two, or three wide receiver. Now they have three that could all arguably be wide receiver ones. It's kind of wild when you look at how far this roster's coming just two seasons. So shot or no shot. If you were grading Ryan Paul's tenure to this point, not counting anything that's going to happen only from the start to today, it would have to be an A+. Shot. You look at that roster. Now, he was left jail in Johnson of what's still here. - Mm-hmm. - Tevin Jenkins. Cole Comette. Kaleel Herbert. Who else, Che? I think they're six. Five or six. I don't remember who else I'm missing. - It's okay. - Ryan Paul's has to this point, knocked it out of the park. - Yeah, I would say shot as well, and we don't often give A+s on Sports Talk radio, right? But in terms of the blueprint of a rebuild, it's an A+. And I don't want anyone calling up as well. Chase Clayport makes an A-minus, no. That doesn't, every GM makes bad decisions, but is the plan, is the plan right? And has it been executed correctly? The answers, yes. The answers, yes, to this point. - Yeah, and I don't give out an A+ easily, but this would be one. - There's no question about it. - I don't see how he could have done the rebuild any better. - Agree. - I mean, he got some good fortune with Carolina, but that, who cares? You know, you take that good fortune and run with it. - Yeah, even the Clayport thing, you get dinged a little for doing it, but you also win some points back because you found your way out of it as quickly as possible. - Yeah, for sure. - All right, wanna get to the Cubs a little bit. Obviously on this hot streak, they haven't gained any ground, but there is a surprising person who might be partially responsible for the Cubs' hot streak if you ask Craig Council. - Here we go. - Oh, God. - I was gifted a Taylor Swift candle, and we've been lighting that before games in my office. It's called boss manager, Danny Miller, and we've found in a nice little run here, so we're gonna credit Taylor Swift. - There you go. Craig Council crediting Taylor Swift for the Cubs' hot streak. Shot or no shot, Taylor Swift is more responsible for this than your little rat Otis the owl. - Oh, jeez, he's not a rat. - Can I take neither? I'd say PCA's more responsible for it. So no shot, the owls, the owls king. - The owl. - The owl wins over Taylor Swift. - Otis rules. He watches every game. - Here, and in Wisconsin, I have two out Otis. - Oh, you don't? - Do you know that I went out of my way and went to Bass Pro Shop to record a recap in an aisle full of Otis's? - You're a streamer. - And I said Otis's family's here. - You are a strange kid. - And I had employees standing there watching me. - Are you cap? - Yeah, I pick her out of your mind. - I pick Otis because Otis was there during the bad days. Taylor Swift is showing up, just like PCA and Miguel and I are finally showing up. So no, no shot. - Taylor Swift has, like it's not like she's at Riggly. It's just Craig Council like the candle. - The candle's showing up. - Is anybody... - Why is Taylor Swift becoming so ubiquitous at our sports? - I don't know. - You can't watch Chief's Game Without her. Now the Cubs are crediting her for the winning streak. What's next? - That is so good. - She's gonna sing at the convention. Oh, that didn't happen either. - Oh boy. - That whole thing was-- - Where was the secret guest? - I know, so funny. - So good. - TMZ even had a tweet. We got this one wrong 'cause they were saying Beyonce. - Wow. - Okay. - Soldier Field debuted the new food options for the 2024 season yesterday that are gonna be available on Game Day. There was a bear claw pretzel. It's a massive pretzel that's shaped like Caleb's bear claw. They also have the Odunze dog. It is a jalapeno cheddar hot dog with Italian beef, jardonara, spicy Chicago secret sauce and cheese crisp crumble. - Shot or no shot, this is a dangerous item to eat. If your only option is the Soldier Field bathrooms. (laughing) - Shot, yeah, shot for sure. - Now why would you need the Soldier Field bathroom for a pretzel? - No, not a pretzel of the Odunze dog. - The Odunze dog. - Yeah, I thought you meant the pretzel. - The jalapeno cheddar hot dog with Italian beef, jardonara and spicy Chicago secret sauce. - You're gonna miss a quarter and a half of your fat. - Dude, it's gonna be like 93 degrees the way the weather's been going lately at the Titans game. - I am not going-- - You eat a spicy hot dog, you're stuck in the bathroom for a quarter and a half. - Yeah, that's a no shot for me. That is not gonna happen. - You might miss a half of football. - Yeah, yeah. Is that the bear's version of the milkshake? Not that the milkshake will do the same thing to you internally, but like is that their big thing? You know what I mean? - The Odunze dog? - Is that their big? 'Cause the pretzel is a pretzel, but that Odunze dog sounds pretty-- It seems like the flagship item of all the food items that they were debuting. - Yeah, the flagship item. - By the way, pretzel with cheese dipped underrated, underrated. I do like, you gotta have some cheese dipped though. - Yeah, pretzel with cheese, yeah. I'm not a cheese fry guy. - No, me neither. - You need to eat fries, I'm gonna eat fries. - There is a fry option at Soldier Field this year, Cap. How about carne asada waffle fries? - As long as they're not seasoned, I don't like seasoned fries. - You don't like truffle fries? - No, I hate truffle. My wife loves it. - Yeah, most people like truffle more than regular. - I don't know. - Interesting. - Like, what's the place over on... Is it Kinsey? Maybe it's Hubbard? It's Billy Deck's place. What's it called? - Howl at the moon? - Yeah. - They have truffle fries. - You're no go on them. - No go. - Interesting, most people-- - And I like the place. - Truffle fries are more expensive than regular fries. You like the cheap stuff. - Howl at the moon has food? - Pretty sure, yeah. - I've only been there late night when people are just Venmo-ing the band to play whatever so they can sing along. - Yeah, I'm pretty sure. - I've only been there when I'm like seven out of 10 drunk or worse, I was not aware that's a place that is a kitchen. That's used to me. - Here it is. You can even go through Uber Eats. Howl at the moon food. - Well, that's crazy. - Burger, American sand, which is everything. - Yeah. - It's basically, it's like almost a karaoke bar. Who's getting Uber Eats? - Yeah, quesadillas, mac and cheese, tater tots, truffle fries, jumbo pretzels, mozzarella sticks. - Yeah, buffalo chicken wrap. - I like this menu. - Angus beef burger, foot-long hot dogs. - That's hungry. - How about a mac and cheese dog? A foot-long hot dog topped with green onions and our homemade mac and cheese. - I like this one, a Sonora dog, sliced steak, sauteed onions, tomato, bacon, green onions, mixed cheese, jalapeno, cream, and a foot-long hot dog. - Let's go there for lunch. - Wow. - Today, let's do it in, in, not. - Pretzel bites. - You can't do that. - Underrated, Shay. - That's like the most standard American pub menu that I've ever heard in my entire life. - But it's Angus beef burgers like the trademark on any American pub you walk into. - That's good to me. - That's good to me. - Got a lot of stuff on here, man. Danny and I could go here and we could be able to actually eat in a place like that. They have this awesome one can broccoli dish. - Yeah. - Okay, I'm not sure I'm buttering broccoli at the hall at the moon, but. - You're drunk off your ass. Late night, they're playing the killers, the band up top, everybody's been mowing, and you're sitting there ordering a broccoli dish over to the table. - I'd get the broccoli and I'd get the burger with no bun. I'd be good here. - You lost me the broccoli dish. - So, anyway. - All right, what else you got? - Around the national football league and you're gonna hear something from a classic, from the coach in our around the NFL. - Beautiful. - Shay's got it all put together, it's next. (dramatic music) - Truth of the matter is, you're listening to Captain J. Hood on ESPN 1000. - Weekdays, seven to 10 a.m. - But it'll last a lifetime. It may only be three hours a day, but it'll last you a lifetime. - Mick both sucks, he sucks. - I'm just a fan, I'm not a football evaluator. - I love the Green Bay Packers. - The guy is drunk, but there he goes. - This is not Detroit, man, this is the Super Bowl. - I love winners, he starts to come any longer. This is a really thickly built guy. - I mean, what's the answer you're looking for on these things here, huh? - Whoa, boy! (dramatic music) - It's all right, time to go around in that ass. Football league? - Here's Shay Norlin. - All right, I've got a couple of quarterback questions for you and then a college question. I want you two of you to help a coach out. But I'll start with the quarterback questions because Russell Wilson was officially named the starter QB1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His quote yesterday, "I know I'm ready, we're ready. "We're looking forward to playing. "The goal is to help the Pittsburgh Steelers "win a seventh trophy. "I came here to be a Pittsburgh Steelers "help us win another Super Bowl, "I believe in this football team." I think that's totally out of the question. I don't think the Steelers are even gonna be a playoff team. Russell Wilson chose to mention seven trophies, so I'm gonna set the number at six and a half. Over or under, six and a half starts for Russell Wilson and Pittsburgh this season. - It's a good number to put it at. Six and a half? - It's a good number. - Over, that's a layup. - It's not a layup. - It is. - I hate Russell Wilson, so there's the difference. I'm biased against him. Do not like him. I did not think it would work out in Denver and it didn't. Six and a half between injury and poor performance. I'll take the over, but slightly. Seventeen game season. I think he makes it at least seven, but not much more than that. I'm just not a fan. - I promise the backup's not very good here. - No, the backup's not good. But I'll take the over slightly. Cap has the under. - You know how many cult members came up to me and hoodie at the football fest at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana on Sunday? - Changing their mind, right? - A bunch of. - Can I take a picture with you? I was really mad when you were all in for Caleb and now I'm all in for Caleb and I apologize. - Good. - That's how it should be. - 'Cause I even wave it for a moment. I had quite the journey with Justin Fields. At first, I didn't like that. They drafted him. Then in three preseason games and I'm like, this guy's going to the Hall of Fame and then it was bad and it was good and bad. And at some point I did say last year, I wouldn't mind if they traded the pick and build around him. But I was never like a cult member. Build around him. - Cultist. - My feeling was a monster team around any decent quarterback. - No, he's not good enough. - Okay, fine. - You're sitting there with a cultist, Capy. Put his feet to the fire. - No, no, no, you sound like a cultist. - You're sitting there with a cultist. - No, I was all out on him most of last season and since. - And so we'll back me up. I said like in October and November. - Move on, let's go. - I actually was mostly even then towards the end. I'm like, I don't know, you can get such a Hall. Anyway, but I was never like, Oh my God, they're getting rid of fields and drafting Caleb. No, it was never like that. - Yeah, my God people were. - My God Pat the designer. - Now he's all like, oh, we got him. - Yeah, never you Pat, but I'm going to hold his feet to the fire for years. - I never thought it was the wrong move. You can like Justin Fields, but drafting Caleb, how could you call that the wrong move? - Jesse. - You know what I mean? - I'm glad you brought up Pat the designer, Cap. - There was a day you and hoodie were off, Pat and Jesse were in here and the three of us got into a screaming match because I was saying, you cannot keep Justin Fields. - Yeah, and you're right. Yeah, Pat the designer and again, I'm a big fan of his. He put out a little video when I coined the term, chasing greatness. - That's ridiculous, blah, blah, blah. - Pat, Justin Fields is a you go going up against a Mercedes 550. I mean, what are we doing here? - Totally, and look, and that's why I'm glad people came up to you because if you're still saying it's a bad pick and a bad trade and all this stuff, then you're dumb. We learned everything we need to know about Justin Fields when Poles could not get anything for him. When the whole league is telling us, then that trumps anybody's opinion. - Yeah. - You know what I mean? - Yeah. - But we gotta get the haul, stop. Whatever. - Shake. - All right, another quarterback question. The New England Patriots have made it official this morning. Jacobi Brissette will be the starting quarterback for the Patriots when the season starts. - Smart, let Drake may learn and develop. - I actually agree with you not because he's going to learn a lot or develop a lot sitting behind Jacobi Brissette, but because the schedule for them is brutal. - He learns watching a professional quarterback who may not be good enough. You really think-- - You learn. - Nah, I don't buy it. Brissette Capps. - I'm with Capps. - That doesn't matter. - You learn the game. You're just watching, you learn. - Can I argue the point that I'm trying to make? - Yeah, you told me he'd be starting if not for a tough schedule. Come on, Shay, you're better than that. - Yeah, exactly. - I actually think so. He totally outplayed Brissette in the preseason. - And it doesn't matter, you gotta learn. - He's the better of the two players. Mayo said he's ready to go. He said he outplayed him in the preseason. Here's my side of it. That schedule's horrible to start the season. They do not have an offensive line that they believe can keep Drake May healthy. You put a rookie out there to start potentially 0-6 and just get battered and sacked. That is how you ruin a player. I don't think this is a big, like, let him develop and learn behind Jacoby because he's a professional. I think it's let Jacoby wear the hits, let Jacoby wear the losses, and then we'll figure out when we're ready to put May in the game. But here's my one disagreement with you, Shay. You can learn from someone who's not that good a player because they've been around and they know the ins and outs of the league. Josh McCount's not a Hall of Fame quarterback, but a lot of people said brilliant in the room, teaching brilliant. - And you don't throw a rookie quarterback into the fire when you're a bad team like that. - That's what I'm saying. That's the part I agree with. - They would be throwing Drake May into one of the worst possible situations where he'd just be getting lit up by pass pressure. - But it doesn't matter what the schedule says, though. He'd be getting lit up no matter what, that team is awful. - I agree with you. - So, okay, maybe we're saying the same thing, but it's different with Caleb Williams and the foundation they have here. Most quarterbacks should sit because they're being drafted by horrendous teams. - But that's also not necessarily, it's never really been true. Like even going back to Terry Bradshaw, when he got drafted as a rookie, he started right away. - All I know, it's worked in Green Bay for about two decades. - Right, but that's the only situation where that's true, and it's also the only situation where they're drafted and consistently at the bottom of the first round, with Hall of Fame quarterbacks in front of the guy that they draft. - Yeah, and it's worth. - I'm making the point, almost never. Do you see a team rest their first round pick quarterback behind a guy who's kind of a nobody? - Not anymore, you don't. - Not anymore. - Terry Bradshaw started week one for the Steelers. That was 1977. - Yeah, but I'm sure-- - Ray Manning started for the Colts. That was 1999. - But I would assume more top picks start now than they did back then. You're giving me a few exceptions, but I'm guessing that-- - It's kind of a rule. - They used to sit a little bit longer. - They did it. - First round quarterbacks usually start. - I don't know, maybe top picks. - What do you have to go back on the game? - Terry Bay was the third pick in this draft. - Okay, but when you're on such a bad team, that's the key. - I agree, but that's the point I mean, like I don't buy that it's, let him sit and learn from Jacobi Brissette. Brissette blows. - True. - Shay, again, you can learn from someone who may not be the best player. Bill Belichick is a brilliant coach. He wasn't a great NFL player. - Can't learn from him, he was not a good player. - Jacobi Brissette may be brilliant in the room. Who did John Grudin say? - By far the smartest quarterback I've ever, ever. - He said that, I didn't see that. - Was with James Winston. He's not a great player. - Right, but regardless of how bad Brissette is, he's learning from watching the game. Not just the quarterback. How about the opposing quarterback, right? - Right. - You can learn from that as well. - Slowing everything down at Stan and there in the line. I didn't really think of it that way. - I mean, I think any GM or coach in a perfect world would love to have a year with this quarterback watching. - And the greatest example of all is Cap Rooney. Cap Rooney was the greatest mentor to statement Willie Beeman in any given Sunday. You remember what he said? I learned more from watching Cap for a half than I learned from anybody else. - My career, that's the final word on that, Shane. - Since it happened in a fictional screenplay, must be true. All right, the final topic and around the NFL actually goes to a college head coach. Davos Sweeney this week announced he will no longer take live phone calls on his radio show. Last year, you might remember Tyler from Spartanburg called in and got Davos incensed because he asked the question on the phone, why are we paying you 11 and a half million dollars to go four and four? Davos went on an all-time ramp and now he's saying no live phone calls. The two of you remember Coach Dica, who might have some advice for Davos Sweeney. - He fired almost as many verbal attacks as his team has wins. He's publicly ripped his quarterback, a newspaper reporter, and now a fan who had some choice words for Iron Mike during a radio talk show. - What is it here that Mike was holding back, trying not to cry like the baby that he is? - Well, now I tell you what you are, I can't say on the air, but I tell you what, I'm 53 years old and my office is 250 North Washington. Any time you want to meet me there, you call me back on the air, you tell me what time and when, and I'll whip your ass. (crowd cheering) You got that, big boy? It's easy to hide behind a microphone, son. Let's get your face on public and let's live where people have to see you every day and we'll see who the gutless wonder is. - The good old days. - That was on the old 820. - Amazing. - That's how Davos could handle a caller. - Maybe it was G at one of them. - No, no, it was on our station. - That score, that in the old one, the 820. - Yeah, yeah, the old one. - It was amazing. - It's unbelievable. - That is courtesy of ESPN who put that out. - Can you believe that for people that have never heard that? What, he just challenged a caller. You don't see that. Now here's the difference between Davo and Dica. Dica continued to take phone calls. He didn't give a damn. - Yeah, exactly. - This guy's running and hiding, so stupid. You're only drawing attention to yourself when you do something like that. - Unbelievable. - Absolutely, unbelievable. - God, I wish we had did getting this crime now. - Oh my God. - Social media, all that stuff, be amazing. It would be amazing. - All right. - Could Davos threaten physical violence to a caller in 2024 and get away with it? - Not sure. I don't think you'd get fired. Now if you did get into a scrape with him, that would be a problem. - If you said meet me at my office, no, I don't think he gets fired. - You want to come down to my office to try and take me out, big boy? - Yep. - There you go. - I don't think you get in trouble for that. - We also have some news from Field Yates while we're still on inside the NFL. Field Yates reporting with his dislocated shoulder field. - He was on the show yesterday. - Yeah, field's great. The Browns have restructured the contract the quarterback Deshawn Watson and have converted 44.79 million of his base salary into a signing bonus, which creates $35.8 million in new cap space. Wow. They must have some plans. Cleveland now has $62 million in cap space most in the entire NFL. - That is interesting. - There you go. - Are they gonna be good? I mean, are they gonna be great? - They're roster. - Are they gonna be great? - But it depends on the quarterback. - Yeah, doesn't it? That defense was great last year for much of it. They could be really, really good if that quarterback performs. - There you go. - We will play deal breakers on a deal breakers Thursday, top there at nine.