Brian Koziol on the Sabres hot run of form and The Players Championship

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Hey, this is Richard Ditch,

the host of the sports media podcast.

If you're interested in what's happening with all the places

where you consume sports,

the sports media podcast has you covered.

I've been turning down interviews all week.

I had a coat of copy, reached out, Oprah,

George Stephanopoulos.

So I said, no, I was booked on the Ditch podcast

before the Taylor Swift phenomenon.

I must live up to my responsibility.

Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

It's Mike Shope.

We were having a very serious conversation about mayonnaise here

and the bulldog.

And don't even talk to me about weed.

It's been on WGR Sports Radio 550.

Okay, always great to bring on Brian Cosio

because not only can we talk golf with Brian,

Tita Green Saturday mornings at seven,

it's the players championship week,

but of course also the Sabers.

And that was always for as long as we've all been here

together available, but now it's fun.

Yeah, we never, we never, we would almost purposefully

avoid talking about the Sabers with Brian.

With anybody.

We were talking about the, you know, the major spats.

I mean, you know, enough of that happens in the spring.

At least the masters is in the spring,

like the playoffs are starting.

We just haven't had occasion to do it

because the Sabers haven't been relevant.

Well, Brian, one advantage you have on us

is you're in the building every night.

And what is that like now?

It really has been a total 180 turn.

It's the atmosphere reminds me of when I was first covering

games for the station back those two years

that do run to the Eastern Conference Finals

coming out of the lockout.

And I mean, the crowd has come back

and they've come back with like this pent up energy.

They've just been waiting and waiting and waiting.

I just love how like the crowd is into every stiff.

Like if there's a good stiff with with pressure

and a lot of good forecheck and puck possession,

even without a goal, like there's a,

there's a huge ovation as they make the change

and go off to the bench or even during penalty killed.

Every clear seems like it's got to a big crowd reaction

along those sort of things.

All right, even the hit, they know people are into it

and there isn't any, which I know you appreciate.

Like there isn't any scoreboard or PA prompted

chanting or cheering.

Like that is something that I love.

Like the crowd isn't intelligent enough to realize,

hey, we're helping here or we can help here.

And to be able to just do it, like I just,

it's such a refreshing thing from obviously a decade

or more where you're sitting in there

and at times you feel sorry for all these people

that paid a lot of money for sitting at the seat.

Yeah, but I love this part of it so much, Brian,

that one of the Montreal games when things were just starting

to really heat up, right?

They played Montreal three times in a span

of a couple of weeks or three, whatever it was.

And one of those games at home,

there's a play late where Benson like breaks up

a play in the neutral zone.

And the crowd recognizes in the pause.

I'm like, we have missed this.

Like we've not been paying enough attention to the games

to ever care about a play like that,

protecting a one or two will lead,

whatever it would have been.

In that case, I don't remember specifically

but I remember noticing the reaction and going like,

I think we're back or at least we're coming back.

Yeah, I mean, it's gotta be for those that are

season ticket holders or, you know, if you're part of a pack

or you split one, like the difference between games

that you've been going to to what they are now.

I mean, it's just, it feels so good.

Testing season is right around the corner.

And this is when confidence really matters.

When kids take time to review key concepts

and strengthen their skills before assessments,

it can make all the difference.

IXL helps reinforce what they're learning right now.

So they walk into every test feeling prepared,

capable and confident.

IXL is an award-winning online learning platform

that helps kids truly understand what they're learning,

whether they're building math confidence,

strengthening reading and writing skills

or reviewing science concepts,

designed for students from pre-K through 12th grade.

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that adapts to your child's level and pace.

It's an easy, effective way to support learning

as the school year heads into its final stretch.

Studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests,

proven in all 50 states.

IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts

in the US.

Make an impact on your child's learning.

Get IXL now.

And listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership

when they sign up today at IXLlearning.com slash audio.

Visit IXLlearning.com slash audio

to get the most effective learning program out there

at the best price.

What's up, little psychos?

I'm investigator Slater,

host of the Psychopedia podcast.

Psychopedia is a true crime podcast,

delivering raw, real,

and absolutely gripping episodes every single week.

I dig deep to uncover fascinating details

of heinous true crime cases

while exploring criminology and psychology theories.

I take you into the absolute darkest corners

of the human psyche, my favorite territory,

and present cases like you've never heard them before.

Follow and listen to Psychopedia

everywhere you get your podcasts.

I don't know if it was with you guys

or on the morning show,

but I love what a caller said here the other day

about just how they said.

They're almost hoping like trying to soak this in,

like don't rush to getting to the playoffs.

Let's enjoy this build up too,

because there hasn't been any in so so long,

and now it's trending so well to the point

that they're going to make it,

that there's not even that like on your edge of the seat

worried like, oh my God, could they blow this?

Could they not?

Are they gonna make it?

It is just soak in this final month here,

which and we still have a month

because of the Olympics pushing things back,

like they're not,

they're gonna play till April 15th.

So regular season wise,

so we still have a month of what could be

a whole month of enjoyment of what we've been getting.

But yeah, in terms of in the building,

it's night and day, it's respecting,

for off working on the broadcast, it's energizing

because we're hearing things that we haven't heard in years,

and it's definitely a different atmosphere in there.

Well, the next time, hopefully,

we all won't still all be together.

The next time we're down as bad as we have been down

for the last 14 years,

but especially the last two or three,

where like all of us die hards even are barely tuned in

really to the inner workings and like the results

and all of it, it's just like you're dead inside about it.

All it takes is just the flicker

and everybody's right back, right?

Cause it was like this before the lockout,

and then there was a season long lockout

and the sabers came roaring out of that

and eventually got hot and it became the place to be.

I mean, the previous two or three years here

under Kevin Adams, Brian,

were about as dismal and dark as I,

as then would have been,

and there was no bankruptcy and league ownership,

but as soon as the team warrants your attention,

man, we just cannot wait to get back.

Yeah.

I think you're right too about what you said

these last two years,

even in the what you'd label as the darkest of times

during the previous decade of them missing the playoffs,

I felt like they were like little time periods of like,

there was in some sense like a goal in mind,

even the tankers, there was a goal.

Okay, we're going to be terrible,

but the reason is because of this,

like we're going to get Mick David a like,

or what it, it felt like we were spinning

and there was no, even like,

well, what's the end gain here for us being bad?

Like we're not even maybe hitting the home run

with these number one overall draft picks.

You know, you're watching these players

from these other teams and, you know,

even, you know, even you watch like Celebrini

or some of these players,

but you're watching some of these players dominate

that they're number one overall picks

and we're like, oh, we have all in power.

And you know, how has his season turned around?

Like all these sort of things are,

even Ross was telling you,

like, oh, Quinn Hughes is playing,

I put the higher level like all these rewards

that you're supposed to be getting along the way.

Oh, Sam Reinhardt, Jack Eichel,

well, they're not here anymore.

Even some of the players that they traded for,

Eichel and Reinhardt, like, head and been performing up

to the point where you even felt decent about those trades.

So the fact that now all of these teams

could be just piling up,

it's all coming at the right time.

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked,

like, it can't have just been them hearing

that Adams was going to be fired, right?

And then you really try to think about,

well, what could have actually been the trigger?

And I feel like you still have to keep going back to that

because the roster itself is identical, essentially.

Now, obviously, they made a couple of moves here

at the trade deadline, but throughout the run,

post December 9th, the roster was essentially the same.

You want to give Lindy Rough credit

in the sense of saying, well, he obviously,

there was something there.

And maybe Lindy even made some internal changes in self

in terms of how he approached things when the DM was changed out.

And I remember when we heard the Adams rumblings

that we also maybe had thought,

was there something going to happen with Lindy too?

So maybe he did something within there.

I want to give him credit for sure.

But the fact that up until the trade deadline,

the roster was the exact same.

Like, it's so serious to me to think that the person

that's labeled as the GM would have that big

difference in changing it.

And then there's part of me that says, well,

Adams essentially assembled this roster that's now

performing at this level.

So like, what was the true disconnect

that caused that not to work at the time that he was employed

and now all of a sudden, now, you know, it's a total,

it looks like a total different franchise.

It's so fascinating.

I have a, I think maybe you're the same Brian,

or both of you really sort of an inclination to not settle for.

Well, they just did this one thing.

And everybody's belief changed and attitude

and all that kind of, you know, intangible stuff.

But I like how EJ Radik put it on this show on Friday.

He's like, I've always liked this roster.

For two years, I've liked this roster.

But they're not a team that had the luxury of a Colorado

or Tampa Bay or Carolina he might have used instead of Tampa Bay.

Either way, where you just sort of know it's going to work out.

The standard is high.

And EJ said, the Sabers had to get to a point

where they were going to play every game

like it was opening night.

And maybe that has happened.

And I don't think it takes, I don't think you need 30 games for that.

I think it can change in five for 10.

And they did win 10 in a row from there.

So then everybody's job gets easier.

You trust each other more, coaching gets easier.

And suddenly you can believe that it's maybe good enough.

So that kind of thing needed to happen.

And if you told me it came from the move,

to an extent, at least I believe it.

Because I think that the credibility

they were lacking changed with that move.

And players knew that.

I definitely feel like I know it is factually correct

that the roster was assembled.

I just don't, I do not have any reason to think

this team would have done what they've been doing.

Since Adams was fired, if he hadn't been.

I think we'd be sitting here talking about the guys

they just sold off at the trade deadline.

And they get saves now.

That helps a lot.

Yeah, that helps a lot.

They haven't needed them in the last couple of games, right?

Not that many.

So well, it's really fun.

Brian Koziel on the Western hotline.

Let's get to the golf.

It's going to cool down here this weekend, unfortunately,

but we can warm up by watching the players.

Is this tournament as good as ever?

I think so.

I think people every year that this event

becomes more and more of a, is it a fifth major discussion,

which I feel like we've been having forever,

but it doesn't have to be.

I think it's as great on its own as it is.

But I mean, the fact that I feel like

people are more into watching this event

that you still know the golf course so well,

that's why I think everybody loves about the Masters too.

I mean, there's a lot of traditions that go with it,

but we all know the holds.

And every year, sawgrass, more and more,

you start to know the course more.

I think it's the best finish on the PGA tour

with that reachable number 16 with water

and a camp for an eagle putt,

but you could also go in the water.

17, of course, the famous island green

that anything can happen there.

And then 18, maybe the toughest tee shot

to finish on out of all the tour events that they have there

that dog like left that goes around the water,

really hard part four.

So the fact that people love the course

and we've seen this finish play out

so dramatically over the years,

whether it was Fowler and Garcia and a playoff

or even just go back to last year.

Maca-Roy and Spawn.

And that's kind of JJ Spawn coming out party.

We start to really learn a little bit more about him

and Maca-Roy obviously comes out and wins the title,

but Spawn hits the ball in the water on 17.

And so we get to really learn a little bit more about him

and then he comes on and has a great year wins the US open.

So yeah, I think this tournament,

people are getting the golf bug even more earlier

in years now want to play.

The weather tease of this warmth here in Western New York,

we all maybe want to get out and start playing again.

So this tournament to me, I feel like

is the real, real start of the buzz

of people following golf here.

And because it's at such a iconic venue

and they've had such great champions over the years

and such good epic finishes,

I definitely think it's the best tournament

but in terms of how it plays out,

it might be just as dramatic or just as good

as any of the majors that we're going to get.

Yeah, the course means so much to it, right?

I mean, you know, there are two stops every year

at the same places, right?

We just saw Palmer's thing last weekend.

And, you know, but you've got just the field

and the time of the year now to like you're saying,

like you start to feel it a little bit

when the sun is out and you get a couple of warm days,

now and then at least in this part of the country

that all totally works.

Sheffler is a huge favorite.

Does he deserve to be the huge favorite that he is?

He's like, I think plus 480 and everyone's

in the 1500 range.

So I see, yeah, or harder.

Yeah, I mean, probably yes, because of just the fact

that like there isn't another strong alternative

so people are just going to inevitably maybe shift

their thoughts and going to him right away.

He has struggled in opening round

in the majority of his events so far this year.

And then he's been really lights out

in rounds two, three and four to the point

where he's paced down the field so often

to the point that he actually has a chance to win

on some of these Sundays.

He does have one win for Staffler at this point

of this season.

You know, you'd almost label it as disappointing

which is probably incorrect to say in golf.

If you have a win before you even get to March,

like that's a good start to your season.

But for Staffler, it might even feel disappointing

because his standard now has been, you know,

raised to be so high compared to what it was.

You know, this is probably very easy to say

to follow up what I just did.

If he starts well and is somewhere even in, you know,

the top 15 after day one, then I think it's his tournament

for sure to win.

McElroy, who is the defending champion,

you'd probably would say should be the clear two.

But he withdrew last week at the Arnold Palmer

Invitational, had some back spasms

and he had not sewn up to the golf course until today.

He did do an interview and said he's going to be a quote

game time decision.

So that doesn't really deem well for him

or at least if you're thinking like,

could he have a chance to defend his title?

That doesn't sound great.

I don't think it's that big of a deal

that maybe he's not getting a ton of practiced rounds in.

It's not like he doesn't know the course.

It's just more so physically like it's his back

and a bother him during the round

or is he going to be able to get through it.

So for him to kind of be maybe what you'd considered

will usually be the second name after Staffler.

That's probably reason maybe why McElroy

won't get as much because of his back coming in.

Player that I really like, that's a big name

that has been playing really well this year

so far, Colin Morakawa made a little swing thing.

This year he talked about how he's been able

to really kind of dial in those irons

that had been so deadly through the course of his career

when he was was kind of in that top five mode.

So he's been really, really good so far.

So I guess to throw a big name out there after Staffler,

I think Morakawa's the guy that's been playing

as good as anybody.

My guy spawned plus 8,000.

I mean, that's a tremendous lack of a respectful dog.

I don't know what he did.

All he did is almost go to a playoff last year

then win the open.

That's the US open.

I don't know.

Do you have Brian a young name,

not a household name that you like this year in general?

Who someone knew that could break out?

Hmm, good question.

I'd love to, well,

Jacob Bridgman has won already this year.

He's been in some deep internment or he's had some good,

goes at it.

I mean, Chris got her up as a guy that probably is too big

of a name now and that people might not know,

but I mean, he's ranked at the top 10 of the world.

He's had a nice start.

He hits the ball a mile.

That could be another name, maybe to throw out there.

These others, I mean, Maverick McNeely was a name last year

that kind of came on the scene kind of quieted down a little.

Bulldog refuses to believe anyone is named.

I can't believe that's a real guy.

I think that's AI.

Brian, I think it's, it's, it's, if you were AI,

would you have a better chance of winning?

It's gonna come out at some point here down the road

that he's just, he's not real.

Maverick McNeely, come on.

Anyway, sorry.

No, I'm sorry, my fault.

And let's see, I'll throw one more.

Maybe Jake Napp is another guy too.

There's a, there's a name, maybe to keep an eye on this.

I think despite the fact that like someone like me now

recognizes God are up's name on the leaderboard

when I see it, I think he qualifies as new enough.

Like he's, he's just shown up last year at, at points

and if he's off to a good start this year,

I think that's, that's a, that's a new face,

I think to sort of keep an eye on.

So are we betting this thing?

I mean, to make the call or to top 10,

anything like that.

I'm not, I'm not ready to do anything.

No, I'm not either, but just asking.

How about Patia, Brian?

He's not a new, new exactly either,

but nice win for him.

Yeah, that was, I mean, for as much as you could argue

that Berger, you know, kind of fell at the end there.

I think Patia gets to get just as much credit

for going to win it last week.

I mean, he made a ton of puts down the stretch.

I did see a little bit this week,

just reading golf articles and commentary

about his putter.

If he does use the long putter,

you're not supposed to anchor.

There's all these zoomed in camera stock and video of like,

ooh, is he accidentally brushing up against his shirt

or is it actually anchored?

So I'm sure that if he's in consensus,

and maybe that'll get a little more focus this week.

I don't know.

Sounds like the hurling controversy

where they were brushing this, it's just a slight thing.

The finger, yes, the finger.

If this was a true, true, true, I know Berger Longer

who wins like every other week on the campaign store

uses this putter and people have said the same thing about him.

If this was truly, truly, truly that much of an advantage,

I would guess that you'd see a ton of people using it.

I mean, I feel like, you know, Adam Scott used it forever

and I don't consider him to be a good putter at all.

Like he's been guys that he's a guy

that everybody said, man, if he could plot,

he could have won a lot more tournaments down through stuff.

If he's officially fucking his chest enough

that it anchors and people are seeing it like,

yes, it is a rule that you're not allowed to anchor.

So we should establish that.

I still don't, until I see more people

buying into using it on the PGA tour,

then I don't know necessarily if that's true much of an advantage

and maybe he just finds it comfortable

as just an individual would with any putter.

So I don't know if it's that big of a deal.

But yeah, but he is a young guy.

He's interesting.

He weighs like 140 pounds, so could wet,

but he can hit it a mile.

And he's kind of a fun guy to watch play.

Very good, Brian, glad we could catch up

and enjoy the tournament.

I will, you too, thank you guys.

Thank you.

And the Sabers tomorrow.

And the Rocky, right.

Alexander Ovechkin, didn't he recently again break

the goal scoring record?

And for some reason this time,

nobody wants to talk about it.

Last year was all you heard about.

For some reason, it's different.

He has scored some goals this year.

So yes, he has continued to set a record.

Every time, stop the game, bring out the bouquets.

Maybe the Sabers will.

Could be the, I don't know what he's gonna do next year,

but this could be it.

I'm thinking about making him the card of the day tomorrow.

Is that bad? Karma to pick a guy on the...

No, I told you to bet San Jose last night, so whatever.

How did the other one go? Columbus won?

Columbus won.

So I didn't win the parlay.

The only one I missed was San Jose, by the way.

I had a four-legged parlay that lost

because of the Sabers.

Rangers, Columbus, somebody else, I forget.

I don't remember.

Edmonton?

No, I don't remember.

They won in Denver.

I don't know who it was.

Ovechkin, 921 goals and counting.

He has not scored in his last three, but still.

This could be his last appearance.

You started to say it.

Who knows?

He is 40.

24 goals on the year could keep playing.

That's tomorrow.

Next our chat with Sal Capaccio about the big bills move today.

And more, Mike Schopen, the Bulldog WGR.

Have you ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life?

He's so dangerous to live that more dangerous

than a B minus or a C plus life

because when you're living a B or B plus life,

you don't change it.

You think it's good enough?

Is it?

I'm Susie Welch.

I host a podcast called Becoming You.

People think OK and A plus life is not available to me,

but there is a way.

We are all in the process of becoming ourselves.

Listen to Becoming You wherever you get your podcasts.