Hour Three- Best dog breeds and Damar Hamlin return to the Buffalo Bills

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It's my show.

Hey, put a little bit.

I never get this line out the first time.

It's not even good.

Hey, put a little bit more in there, cowboy.

And the bulldog.

What's your degree in kicking ass and taking names?

Not WGR sports radio 550.

Bulldog and I each showing our,

well, I'll say this for myself at least.

Scaredy cat self.

We want overtime the night.

I'm sure the Sabers are favorite.

Favorite, I'll favorite.

I combine those two words and made a meal out of it, out of it.

Maybe it's a little bit too conservative

to say you want overtime.

I don't care so much about the Red Wings piece.

Whoever that is, I don't think Detroit is bad.

Like whoever that team is if the Sabers do finish first,

that they get from the wild card.

I mean, it's going to look close, I think.

Boston, Ottawa, Columbus, Islanders, Red Wings, right?

Probably one of those five.

Maybe Montreal, but I doubt it.

Right, Montreal, I think the likely

a scenario you run into Montreal is if Tampa beats you out

and you end up in second.

Oh, yeah.

That's happening.

That's in the window.

Like, you know, that might be like this.

I don't even know.

Is it the most likely outcome?

Certainly if they fall out of first place, it is.

I think that, but I don't know how likely it is

that they will lose out to Tampa.

For me, it's funny because the whole idea is all about Detroit.

Otherwise, I don't think I would sign up for overtime

if not for the Detroit.

Like wanting them to sort of, you know,

get in and so let them get a point off me.

And hopefully I'll get the second one in a, you know,

an overtime or a shootout.

Otherwise, I don't think I would say, yeah,

give me, give me overtime.

I would just, let's play the feud.

I'm going to, I'm going to beat you and knock you out.

Not entirely.

I mean, they're not out if they lose tonight.

But it is a big game.

It's like a 20% swing in their playoff odds.

And even with a win, Detroit is not even above 50% to make it.

That's how, in tough they are right now.

A couple of losses and look what happens.

Right.

That's really what it is.

Yeah.

They've lost a couple of games.

Yeah.

Yeah, it doesn't take much, which, you know,

the Sabers, to me, the reason I'm so comfortable

with where they are and not really focused on the magic number

or when are they going to clinch is that, to me,

we just take a calamitous epic.

You know, and I know, like Buffalo sports fans

are waiting to tell you, like, I'm not counting any chickens.

I just think they've been too good for that.

Like, they could really, really fade here and still make it.

So I just don't, I don't see them falling out.

Um, so I'm not, I'm not like nervous

about their situation at all.

So I don't know.

Without the Detroit getting a point,

mattering to me, I wouldn't say, give me over time.

803, 0550, sale this morning.

We'll have sale out at 530.

Was talking about, all right.

So what's good enough for this year?

And I, I thought about it.

I know Sal was saying people were telling him,

why is it anything but win the Stanley Cup?

But obviously his point isn't, you know,

what you want to have happen.

The standard cannot be that high.

Can't really be that high for any team.

Pretty much.

No, we're going to have to refamiliarize ourselves,

I think, as individual fans and collectively as a fan base

to the realization that, like, you already alluded to it.

Whoever they play, it's going to be close.

And there's going to be probably some luck involved.

I mean, it's a hockey series.

And we are out of, we are definitely.

I think I am.

We all are.

I think out of shape

in thinking about that and how it should be.

It's just the games are all going to be close.

And the probably a couple of overtime games

in every series you play.

And, you know, okay, I, I hope we find our way, right?

I'm going to need a power play goal here and there, right?

I mean, close game late.

Oh, wow, power play with six minutes to go in a tie game.

You've got to get that goal.

You want to win playoff games and win playoff series.

And that's how close I, it'll be really tight.

As awesome as the sabers have looked.

I think they have as good a chance as everyone.

But everyone else has as good a chance as them.

Like, it's the playoffs.

So I wanted to find out from fans.

What is maybe the worst case scenario

but you're still happy?

And I really couldn't think of an answer.

I mean, if they fall apart in the next 10 games

and somehow miss very unlikely given,

like just statistically,

then well, we'll have to see how that happened.

And we have that.

Yeah, but I'm not considering that as a possibility.

I think they're in.

And if they lose in round one,

what am I going to do with it?

Ripum?

I mean, I don't feel like I'm probably going to be inclined to do that.

So it's like the beginning of the bill's run.

You know, you hope that this is the beginning of a run and not just a flu.

But when that happened, when they made the playoffs,

especially the second time I would say with Alan in lost to Houston.

I mean, there was some, it was a close game and overtime game and it was winnable.

But I didn't feel like it was exactly right to be like, you know, killing them.

You should have been better than that.

Yeah. And I'm expecting to feel that way about the Sabers.

And I'm going to want to feel that way because I just the kind of season this has been.

I'm not feeling like this is going to end with sort of like a,

oh my god, I can't believe they did that, you know, kind of a result.

Yeah, yeah.

Because it will be close.

And I want to appreciate what it all is.

So I couldn't, I mean, I was in on the in the conversation with him.

Yeah.

Morning, but listening to it, I didn't really think that there was a right answer to it.

Yeah.

Because I'm already not satisfied.

But I'm already, I'm already to a point where I think

some scenario where you'd be inclined to be really critical just isn't possible.

Yeah.

I, you know, I like that you mentioned Alan in that 19 season.

Um, because what, what I think while the Sabers being back

at the level they're at at like contender status where someone in the locker room a month ago says

we're here to win the Stanley Cup like Alex Tuck did.

And it doesn't get laughed out of the hockey universe.

Necessarily, I didn't see evidence of that.

And I certainly didn't find it like ridiculous that he said that.

I thought we loved it.

All right, you know, like wait, wait a step out and say it.

They are not.

So they're new to being contenders.

But it's not that there are a bunch of new guys.

You know, there's some there's, you know, new, you know, the trade deadline guys and new guys

this year.

But like even this is Zucker's second year here.

Like he's, he's newer.

But the guts of the team, Thompson, Dalline, Tuck, power,

Samuelson, like we've been through it with these guys already.

Like Alan was still new enough in 19.

Like that, you know, there's a second year.

He's new on the stage and you can kind of a little bit like Drake May this past year.

Like they got farther than the bills.

God, I mean, they won two playoff games and you know, got handled in the Super Bowl.

You know, like, okay, come on back next year and we'll, you know, we're going to keep going.

And I thought the Sabers are so old that these guys are going away anytime soon.

But they're also not new.

They're just new to being good.

And that has me feeling a little less like you.

I mean, I'm not trying to set my stage so I can, can rip them liberally if it, you know,

goes off the rails here.

But I think they're good enough.

And I believe in it enough that I need around, I think, I think I need, I think,

I think anything less than at least one round with, like if they beat whoever they play in the

first round and then lose to Tampa, like at tip.

Good job.

Good year.

That's a great team.

A perennial contender.

Lots of stars.

Lots of guys that are familiar with the whole scene, like it'll sting.

But I won't, I don't think I'll be how did you lose to that team?

And again, it's hockey.

So to be like that about any opponent is maybe foolish.

But I just, I feel like they've been good enough that it would really, for me,

it would be a big letdown if they didn't at least win around.

So that would be my answer.

Like go in the seven games here.

I'd have to admit that's a little bit stronger than where I am.

Yeah.

I mean, a letdown, I will definitely feel disappointed if they don't.

But what will it say about their season?

Maybe it depends on how it happens.

You want what we're talking about is like criticism.

Well, what form would it take?

I mean, how would they play?

There are certain things I can think of where this would come to light.

Like if Thompson goes cold, it'll be that, you know, the playoffs came around,

and where'd he go?

Like he can't go cold in the playoffs for his own sake, I would say.

Goaltending is always this.

And some of that is going to be coaching affected, you know,

replays.

Yeah, it's a little bit of what we got going on the last 24 hours

with Metsa going down.

Yeah.

And Timon's being up.

And, you know, we'll see Lindy Ruff will hear from him about an hour

from now or a little more than an hour from now once pregame gets rolling.

We'll talk to Paul in just about an hour from now.

You know, did talk about it today that it, you know,

I don't have to be a long-term thing.

You explained it, you know, we're not practicing.

We got other guys.

They'll let him go play in Rochester.

I just hope, I hope he comes back.

Or I hope they're right that Timon's is some kind of an upgrade

that really gives them something that they feel they're lacking.

Because I don't know.

I mean, I'm worried in this way and that decision.

And let's say Metsa doesn't come back.

And they go into this first roster and they lose.

And like we all out here are looking at the numbers and going,

yeah, Timon's and Stanley were a problem for you.

And you chose that.

You chose to do that instead of this other thing because Metsa's little.

Basically, I think that's it.

Basically, like he's small and maybe they don't trust it.

If they end up there, I don't think the jury's out.

I'm whether they're really going to end up there.

Look at heat for that.

Right, they will.

If it goes a certain way, but if they're penalty kill is 93% or something

in a first round series win and Timons is a part of that,

then they're like, okay, well, I guess you guys were right.

You needed more size and shot blocking and whatever you need

or thought you needed, you were right.

I think Stanley is even more interesting than Timons for this.

Because that is a, and this is a little bit like you're stereotyping some.

That is really an expression of what Kekalainen or the whole group

thought the Sabers needed to upgrade.

Where they needed to upgrade, maybe more than anything else.

Carrick is a version of this too with fourth line and face-offs and so far so good.

But that was, all right, what have I got?

What do I need?

And you could, because you always need or what, depth.

You can go trade draft picks for two or three guys and feel better about what happens if

other guys go down.

But Stanley is a specific type that they targeted because they wanted to be bigger

on defense and Mezza is a sort of, he takes the, you know, the brunt of that by getting sent down.

And so that's a specific bet.

That is definitely one where there's going to be a referendum on this.

We're going to see if it's right.

We are comfortable.

We have enough.

This is, this is really maybe Mezza's problem.

He's, well, he's little.

They've been sheltering him and we all know that.

But still, the metrics are bananas good on him all year long.

But he's little, Stanley's big.

It's the playoffs.

We want a certain kind of guy and we feel like we don't have enough of that.

We got, we got all these puck movers.

The top four are all great.

Even Samus on this become a very active and reliable puck mover with, you know,

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And this is when confidence really matters.

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it can make all the difference.

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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,

IXL delivers personalized interactive practice

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.

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The zone, whatever, he's a part of that top four.

He's fourth in the pecking order, in my opinion,

from a skill set standpoint.

But he's not, you know, he's not lagging way behind.

So I've got enough of that.

If I'm them, like I could see them looking at their team

going, okay, well, we're really good on that part.

What do we need?

A little more in front of our net and behind our net.

And on the walls and a longer stick.

And all just, that's it.

Those Stanley better perform those aspects of his job really well.

Otherwise, his lack of the other skill sets,

the offensive, the more skating and moving the puck,

parts of the job, he's not going to really help you in that area.

So he better have this other stuff locked down.

Otherwise, you're hurting yourself.

Otherwise, it wasn't bad.

But you got to get a really worried that,

and that this is really the, the,

the crux of the Metsa conversation, I think,

is like, are you choosing to make yourself actively worse?

Like, have you, have you, by adding Stanley

and even playing him with Shen, those couple of games,

I think they did.

I think when Stanley got with Metsa,

I felt like that stabilized and was good.

And they certainly weren't a problem without Metsa there

with Timins on Wednesday night.

Didn't cost him the game or anything far from it.

But it's just one game.

And with Metsa, you've got a season's worth of information here

that tells you, you know, he's, he's helping you.

Definitely not hurting you.

It's definitely a, the playoffs are different.

Right, gamble.

Yep.

And okay, I think already, I mean,

you and I are talking about it.

It's our job to be.

I think already, fans are debating this.

I am, I'm choosing not to lose my mind over Zack Metsa.

I mean, he sent to Rochester.

I mean, I don't think it's a great idea or necessary.

It's probably not what I would do.

But I don't know, like, the bet is,

not to keep putting it in the same context,

but the bet is, we need to be, we want to be bigger

for the playoffs.

And as such, I've got 10 to 15 games here

to try to work that out and get chemistry

and, you know, sort of figure out what it looks like

and how to play.

And that's why this is happening the way it is.

And Timon's, I think, is included in that.

But maybe that changes.

Maybe that ends up being Metso or Kesselring

even, like, they've got options there,

depending on the matchup, how the series starts, you know.

You know, it's kind of crazy.

Like, Metsa has been sent to Rochester.

I still kind of feel like he is the next guy in

if anything happens to any of the guys

that are going to play tonight.

Like, I think he still will had a Kesselring

on the Dept chart.

Kesselring Paul told me, I don't know if I've heard this anywhere else,

but the other night was on pregame when we were at Roswell

and you left to go to the game.

And I talked to Paul for a few minutes there

to get pregame rolling.

And I said, like, this idea that Timon's is going in,

I like it.

Let's see what we've got in case we have injuries,

yada yada, you know, the whole spiel.

I said, like, multiple times on Wednesday.

And I mentioned to Paul, I wouldn't be surprised

to see them do this with Kesselring.

And Paul said, you know, he lost his locker.

He's got a folding chair in the middle of a room now.

Now, maybe that changes with Metso going down.

I don't know.

But like, that is stark.

Like, I'm a logo, I hope.

Like, you're right.

Yeah, I don't know where that, but like, damn.

Like, you were acquired in a trade to be a part of our top four.

And you're, you know, you're like the new guy

that just got called up beautifully.

Like on a chair in the middle of the room.

Yeah, that's tough.

But I think that might be indicative of how they are viewing him right now.

He's never really fit in.

And I know the injury stuff is like, Paul will always focus on that.

But it might just be that he never really grasped it.

See, the injury thing mitigates everything you want to say about him.

Maybe he didn't really know instinctually how to play this way.

The way they want to play, if they wanted him in their top four,

they might have just, he doesn't, he doesn't have it.

He doesn't feel it.

It's just like the system is, he's not computing it.

I don't know.

Then you get to physically, if you're hindered,

that is going to hurt your chances of being able to adapt to that.

I don't know.

I just, I'm feeling like talking to different people

the last few days, I don't think they're going to try him out anymore.

I'm guessing.

I might be overreacting to this chair in the middle of the room thing,

but that does not sound like a guy who's about to get in the line up to me.

That sounds more like a guy that if they could have gotten rid of him,

they would have, maybe, at the deadline.

So I'm not, I'm not thinking he fits in here anywhere.

Like maybe even Shan is ahead of him,

which, and it's dark, but it might be right.

Like me.

So we'll see how that all ends up.

Those puzzle pieces all get fit together, but I don't know.

I'm kind of shook up about the match.

That also don't want to overreact to it,

but I'm wondering, like talking to Paul and talking to again,

a couple of other people who are kind of close to the team.

I think I might have misjudged.

Maybe I made the mistake of taking Lindy too much at his word,

about how he's earned a spot in the lineup.

Then he's gone.

And he's two days later, he's, you know.

But again, that's, well, we're going to try these other guys

and why don't you go play in Rochester for a few days

and then we'll revisit this.

You know, we'll all get back together.

And who knows?

You know, something could happen in any one of these games

while he's down there that will require him coming right back up.

So I'm just hoping he has not been banished.

And I, I guess I'm not.

Yesterday, I was pretty sure he wasn't.

And now I'm not.

You know, I'm not, I can't say my opinion is changed about it.

I feel like I know more now.

And I'm a little worried that they're scared of him

because he's a little.

You usually have pretty good instincts.

All right, I appreciate that.

Like with dogs.

Hmm, right?

The Fred, Fred is a French bulldog, right?

Part, part French bulldog, only parties.

French bulldog, mini bulldog, and Boston Terrier.

Like it's half, it's half one of those

and then quarter quarter the other side.

I don't, I can't remember which one.

Well, that's the number one breed right now.

French bulldogs, yeah.

According to the American Kennel Club rankings,

not sure how these are ranked.

Popularity, I don't know, adoptions.

French bulldog was number one.

We, we did go looking for.

This was Leo's thing.

This is Fred's 10, going to be 10.

So 10 years ago, he sort of championed the cause

of getting another dog.

And he and my wife looked for French bulldogs.

And I don't know if it was a price point thing or what,

but they found a breeder that had this dog.

Fred, it wasn't like very Ontario or somewhere.

And we knew he was a mix, but French Canadian bulldog.

Right, we got, right, Fred is Canadian.

Margot was Canadian.

So we did, we did get to him through looking for a French bulldog.

So we were a part of whatever the wave of excitement

about French bulldogs, maybe on the front end of it.

Because if they're the most popular breed now,

we were 10 years early.

Yeah, I think maybe it's been three years.

They've been number one.

All right.

I mean, it was a tough blow at my house.

Oh, sure.

Well, 38th Fred, Fred sends his condolences to Margot.

How does anybody, if not met, with a pug,

comprehend 38th place?

Yes, Margot in her example is very needy.

She will sit and stare at you when you're reading.

I don't eat anymore in the house.

I literally take food to the basement to avoid the scrutiny,

the evil eye, the shame, I feel,

not just giving her the entire plate of food.

But you know, she's wonderful.

I mean, 38th, I just can't even speak almost.

I don't think I can even name 37 other dog breeds.

I'm sure I can't.

This is a real blow.

There's pugs behind made up dog breeds.

I don't even know what's happening.

Well, you kind of did name three yourself.

Well, sure.

Yeah, but I mean, I could probably name

20, but I won't do that.

38th, what does a pug have to do?

They're very loving.

I get home from work every day, jumps right to the door, jumps up.

I leave for work.

She knows my bag.

Maybe it's the time of day.

There's a cycle.

I pick the bag up at like 115.

And she sprints to the door to try to keep me from opening it.

She knows her toys by name.

Well, that is impressive.

She does all kinds of tricks.

Fred does not know jumping tricks and spinning and high paws.

Fred is not smart.

I hope he's not listening.

He's not.

He's not.

He's not.

If he were, he wouldn't even get it.

Yeah, right.

He's not that smart.

He's not he's not.

He could be listening to us talking about him and not even realizing.

Like you can even do that thing where you like you get the toy from him.

And you like do the fake throw.

And like he's gone for an hour.

Hey, number one breeze.

Just like listen to this.

I just think it's getting worse for me.

He walks back in the room.

You know, I'm exaggerating a little.

You know, he'll walk back in the room and be like,

yeah, I still have it.

Where you've been?

Where you've been doing?

Now, maybe he forgets.

You know, he went running at first and then like, oh,

there were some crumbs in the kitchen and that's all bets are off.

My dog likes milk.

Yo, yeah.

Any other, it's my wife who drinks milk.

So she'll like lay on the couch and put the glass on the floor, wine, water.

I mean, water, I don't know.

But any other drink like a fizzy water, anything else.

No interest.

Milk, though, like a cat.

She starts licking into the glass if you let her.

Maybe that's why we're 38th.

Maybe that's a strike against.

Maybe pugs like milk.

I don't know.

Mine does.

Sal Capaccio, after sports,

Sabers and Redwings pregame at 6-0 on WGR.

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Suspenser, why do you care?

I care because my daughter, Adeline, has special needs.

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focusing on the member experience and making that better.

I'm Spencer and I'm committed to care.

Welcome back.

I reached out to Sal this morning to tell him about

a show I watched last night that I would recommend.

Not just if you're a Yankee fan.

Maybe better if you're not.

Peacock, I said to Sal Netflix, but I have corrected that since.

Peacock has Bronx Zoo 90

and the story of how the Yankees under George Steinbrunner in 1990 just completely fell apart.

We've talked about before how the Yankees

won more games in the decade of the 80s than any other team.

They weren't known for like winning, they didn't win a World Series,

but they were the winningest team of the 80s.

1990, different story.

And it's a three, it's maybe four or five hours in total, Sal.

And you're going to love it.

I mean, unless you have sort of

pains from having lived through that team as a fan, it's funny.

And you know, it wasn't funny at the time.

I'm sure for those guys and for Yankee fans.

But I recommend on Peacock, Bronx Zoo 90.

I'll have to check it out.

No, I mean, the late 80s, early 90s Yankees,

like they were kind of like,

yeah, why can't this team be better?

Kind of a couple, like kind of okay season,

they weren't that great.

And the 95 obviously was, you know,

Mariners and Edgar Martinez.

And that's when you knew that there were

there was something brewing there, right?

For sure.

Did you hear the story that Barry Bond's told

on Netflix about the Yankees when he was a free agent?

No, I don't know that one.

I didn't hear about this.

You refresh me here.

I don't think I quite have it.

I never knew this.

Barry Bond said on the broadcast that I'm on.

And he said when he became a free agent from the pirates,

he said, George Stimerter called him and said,

I'm going to make you the highest paid player in baseball.

Stimer the Yankees, but you have to tell me

by 2 p.m. today, basically, whatever you know,

he's like, he gave him like a couple hours.

And he's like, oh, well, that's great.

But I don't know what I want to do.

Like, give me a minute.

Like, I'm up the phone and thought about it.

He said he got like upset that they were

giving him a timeline.

He's like, I'm not going to do it.

I'm going to go back.

Am I going to San Francisco?

Or otherwise, he would have been Yankees.

The story I read about this said that that phone call lines up

with a time where Steinbrenner was suspended

and should not have been allowed to be conducting Yankees' business,

but did it anyway by telling that story sort of,

tell me whatever he's deceased.

But the shocker, Steinbrenner didn't really

respect the rules of the suspension.

I'm going to want to check this out too.

We're going to talk to an author,

longtime New York Post columnist, Mike Piccaro,

a week after Easter coming up.

He's got a book out called The Bosses of the Bronx

that say I'll after I'm done with it.

And I'm going to get it to Mike before we have Mike Piccaro on.

You might want to check that out.

I'm like a couple chapters in and really enjoying it so far.

It's all about the Steinbrenner ownership.

How he came to own the team and then I'm through.

So there's a lot of juicy stuff.

Well, it's so good.

And I didn't know so much of this when he signed Winfield.

Winfield gave him a hard time and sort of the way the contract was

worded had 10 million dollars more coming than Steinbrenner intended.

It's like before the first press conference when they introduced Winfield,

Steinbrenner was furious with him and never stopped trying to

aggravate him and dig up dirt on him.

And that's eventually how he gets suspended

through a gambler and the gambler how he spear is on the show.

And he tells his side of that story and how he got involved with Steinbrenner

and all of this.

It's great.

So won't say too much.

But that suspension means Gene Michael replaces Steinbrenner as manager of the

general manager of the team and sort of the overseer of the team.

And Michael drafts all those guys that became a dynasty.

Winfield was my favorite Yankee when I was younger.

I loved him and remember he hits the pigeon in Toronto.

He throws the ball and hits a pigeon.

And the famous line from George Steinbrenner was,

he couldn't even hit the cutoff man.

How was he supposed to hit the pigeon?

Steinbrenner just hated him publicly.

It definitely comes across here.

Okay.

The bills make a little bit of news today bringing back

Demar Hamlin.

I was glad to hear about it.

I think I always want to have Hamlin play for the bills.

But you know, I'm sure this wasn't mostly for sentimental reasons.

What do you think of this all and sort of the fit now under a new defensive coordinator?

He's a polarizing player and Mike.

I think there are bills for you to do think they do it for sentimental reasons.

I agree with you.

That's not why.

You do it because you think he's going to help your roster.

But he's been polarizing.

Part of it is because he was put in a situation a couple of years ago where

quite frankly, he should have been in because he wasn't

you know, a high level safety.

But he had to play because it's kind of all they had.

And it was just a stark difference and unfair to him really

to be compared to Mike and Jordan Boyer.

Or you have to then have those two guys.

You didn't have those guys.

And I'm quite frankly surprised too.

Like, I did not think that my hammer would come back.

And a big reason for me is my natural reflex on a lot of these things over

nine years has been, oh yeah, well, he knows the system.

Well, it's a new system now.

And there's like 13 free agents that they not not resign.

If you, when you guys laid them out, we talked about it last week.

All the defensive guys who have who are still free agents who ever resign.

If you're going to say like order them on their likelihood to come back,

I wouldn't get to tomorrow very quickly for that very reason.

Like tomorrow represents to me a high floor guy,

but low ceiling guy that you can do much better than.

But I've always said also like every team has players like tomorrow, Hamlin.

If you're expecting, he's not a pro baller.

He's not an all pro.

But the fact that they have this new defensive coordinator,

the fact that they had such an overhaul and defense,

I just didn't expect it.

But I'm mostly here to tell you like he's fine.

He doesn't even know.

You might even make the team.

We don't know.

Yeah, this is where I'm waiting.

I'm waiting for you to say the thing about the 90 players.

90 players.

You might not make the team.

And by the way, what's his number going to be probably minimum salary?

He might not even count on the top 51 salary cap books at this point.

To be honest with you.

Yeah, like the the biggest criticism I could I could make here is.

Well, we know the ceiling's low.

So if he's a depth guy, get a different depth guy, a younger,

newer depth guy that you might uncover.

Like, you know, oh, wow.

Look, this guy can really help us.

He can really, you know,

be more than just a backup or a special team or whatever.

But they can still do that.

That's the 90 player point, right?

It's like, you know, I'm not, you know,

ready to, you know, go to the mattresses over it hardly.

I mean, I like, okay.

Like you said, we'll see if he makes it.

Like I think he's outranked by the two guys they signed a couple weeks ago.

Already that started games in the league last year.

You know, Stone and and CJ Gardner Johnson.

And maybe Hamlin right now is their fourth safety.

And we'll see what else, you know, they end up doing.

And actually, I thought, you know,

so was the Marhamman replacement basically.

Yeah, like to me, he just screams like a player like tomorrow,

which is he's not going to make these wild plays and game changing plays.

He's not a guy you want in the field all the time.

But he's insurance that if you need somebody to get through a game,

you got to start him here and there.

That's fine.

He could play a lot of special teams for you.

No problem.

I thought, okay, when they signed, you know, Smith,

that was even more of a, oh yeah, like Demar has probably done,

like not sure where he winds up.

So I'm surprised by this.

But look, I mean, if Demar Hamlin and his agent went to the bills and said,

we don't want to play anywhere else,

we're going to come back at a minimum deal.

And, you know, we love to be here.

The bills look at the roster and go, okay, what can it hurt?

It doesn't mean he has to be here.

You know, on September 9th, 10th, 11th,

whenever the season starts.

So yeah, I think it's a really,

but he's super polarizing.

I mean, the reaction online from fans just like last year,

super predictable, which is, oh my God,

why are they doing this?

He stinks or, oh yeah, great story.

They just like to feel good PR.

That's not why they're doing it.

They're doing it because they need players like this.

Whether his name is Demar Hamlin or Geno Smith or Joe whatever,

these are players that every team has on their roster.

Right, Geno Stone.

I don't know how much.

Geno Stone.

I don't know how much PR juice is left anyway with Hamlin.

Like for anybody to sort of be outraged over it,

I think doesn't have an understanding

of really what the cost benefit is.

I mean, there's a little bit.

I, my hand is up because I think about this,

you know, what happened with him when the news breaks.

What is safety anymore for them as a draft priority?

We might have talked about this a little bit on Wednesday

or recently I know, but with every signing at a position,

I kind of want to just double back to,

you know, not that Demar Hamlin means they wouldn't draft

a safety in the first round or anything like that.

But is that possible?

There are mock drafts that would put a safety on the business.

Yeah, I mentioned Jordan Hancock before you start answering,

so that's another young, there's maybe a young guy

that I'm even thinking of that, you know,

could come on and help you.

We'll see, there's more of a developmental guy,

fifth round pick from last year.

All right, sorry, what do you think?

Safety as far as the draft goes.

Now they've got five guys here.

I wonder if they feel Jordan Hancock more as a nickel

going into this year because, you know,

you have D. Alfred, you sign, you let Aaron Johnson go,

now you've signed another safety.

So I wonder if they maybe that's where he falls

and that's why you bring back a guy like Demar.

And yes, Geno Stone.

And by the way, every time I do it, I say Geno Smith, right?

It's just such a reflex to say Geno Smith

when I say Geno Stone.

But maybe that's the case.

I do think safety is still something they could do

early in the draft, even first rounds.

A good safety class, I just think I'm fascinated

by CJ Gerner Johnson, like he's going to start.

Like he's got to be the starter right now.

You're paying him starters money.

He's a really good player, but he's such a wild card.

You don't know what you're going to get with him.

And the chances are that he's going to be

on the team for one year because he'll come in

and you're going to have him play

and then you're going to move off on

because that's just what happens.

That's the book on him.

Every team does this.

So you need a longer term solution.

You have cold dish up for two more years

on his rookie contract.

And then you just have a bunch of one year guys

other than Jordan Hancock to Bulldogs Point,

which is right, unless you feel that he can develop

into something and maybe that winds up

and you don't have to revisit it.

But it would be nice to have a pair of younger safeties

that you can really rely on because I just don't know

what CJ Gerner Johnson is going to bring.

And he could wind up being, honestly,

he could wind up being our all pro

or he could wind up being like not on the team

and we check.

I know.

Yeah, right?

That's right.

Good luck with Iowa tomorrow.

All right, you're going in San Joe's thing, huh?

I mean, it sounds like if you get Iowa,

then you could chop it with a lot of people.

Right?

I mean, it's so chalky again,

but you have to get Iowa.

It might be a whole second.

I have everybody open tonight.

I could take any team, which is crazy.

It's a great job by you.

So I think I'm going to take Michigan tonight

because it feels like it's just the right,

like they're going to win

and I don't really trust any of the other teams.

I could take Duke, but man,

I can see St. John's beaten Duke.

I think I can see Alabama beating Michigan,

but I think Michigan's the play

because Alabama's a little bit depleted.

Michigan's really, really strong.

The problem is tomorrow, literally I have to take Iowa.

There's the only team I have left

that's playing tomorrow.

Well, you've played it all the way out to the end, I hope.

Like if you take Michigan,

you can't win the tournament

and they're like the favorite to win the tournament.

That's okay, and that's better if you win

because more people will be on them.

What would happen, do you know what happens

in this like when like certain amount of people left,

like you don't have to have a winner, right?

I mean, one person can't be standing all the time, obviously.

Well, if it's the semi's and there's one player left,

then that's it.

If it goes all the way to the final

and there are teams multiple guys like yourself

who have the winner, then they'll chop the whole amount.

Chop it up, you're out for sure.

But it is really interesting and fun,

but it gets very harrowing as well.

The last two years have felt like years.

I don't know this for sure,

because I'm not playing in Joe Strausky's survivor this year,

but it's so chalky again that it probably does go all the way.

I mean, I think the winner probably does go all the way.

So figure out how best to do that, I guess.

Not to try to change your mind on tonight, but.

Oh, listen, I mean, I thought about Iowa State tonight,

because I don't think I'll take a matter of this,

but I just don't feel like that's a like, I mean,

I don't know, Tennessee could win.

I guess my philosophy, I guess at the end of the day

is surviving advance, right?

And to me, the best chance to survive in advance tonight

is Michigan tonight.

Tonight, that's probably right.

Okay, good luck.

Thanks guys.

All right, let's sell Capaccio on the Western hotline.

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I would definitely not use Michigan tonight.

Yeah.

I can't say what I've got, definitely,

you're definitely would not do because I,

but I just, yeah, I got it sales pool.

I didn't want to say it.

I stopped following you.

I got bounced, but it was, I said, great job.

Just because I mean, to get, to get, you know, what's it been?

Like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Thursday is what he's one

so far, right?

Mm-hmm.

That's, that's pretty, I got through two days and I was like,

whoa, I get to pick on Saturday.

But it does sound like he's playing it pretty safe.

Yeah.

Like he's used everybody on one side except for Iowa.

Yeah.

Right?

Yeah.

I mean, you got to win.

Right.

Right.

But I mean, I would be out too because I'd be trying to get cute.

Right, right.

In the first week, you didn't lose that way.

But I would have, I would have picked a nine or a ten or somebody like that.

Yeah.

The first round and, you know, cross your fingers.

But he'll, we'll see if he gets stuck.

Yeah.

I was trying to avoid teams that I thought were going to win it myself.

Yes.

That, you know, it was, you know, it was.

I was doing the first two days of the tournament was easy to do.

And, you know, but I, I struck out on Gonzaga and that was the end of that.

I think I would still be doing that tonight.

Yeah.

You want to pick a team and I, he mentioned Iowa State.

Maybe that's picked the favorite or even Alabama's pretty, I wouldn't do that.

Pick the favorite tonight that you think has the least chance to win the championship.

Right.

Right.

Mike Schopen, the bulldog here, Paul Hamilton at six Sabers pregame.

This is WGR.

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I'm Spencer and I work at United Healthcare.

Suspenser, why do you care?

I care because my daughter Adeline has special needs.

I am motivated by Adeline who inspires me every day.

I am driven to help families like mine navigate the healthcare system.

I'm so blessed to lead an amazing team at United Healthcare focusing on the member experience

and making that better.

I'm Spencer and I'm committed to care.

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