Sports Day Tampa Bay
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- 13 Nov 2026
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Your daily home for Tampa Bay sports. Award-winning Tampa Bay Times journalist Rick Stroud teams up with Steve Versnick every weekday to break down the biggest stories across the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, USF, and beyond. From locker room insight to trade rumors, injury updates, and the moves shaping each franchise, Rick and Steve go beyond the headlines with reporting you won't find anywhere else — plus regular mailbag segments answering listener questions. New episodes drop every weekday morning, making it the ultimate insider's guide to sports in the Bay.
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Épisodes 2 367
Bruce Arians Wants Back In - Would Consider Buccaneers, Plus Lightning's Successful Road Trip and Remembering Dan Hicks
Bye-week surprise: former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians, now 74, told Jordan Schultz's podcast that he's healthy again after heart surgery and has the itch to coach in the NFL. Rick walks through …
Notes de l’épisode
Bye-week surprise: former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians, now 74, told Jordan Schultz's podcast that he's healthy again after heart surgery and has the itch to coach in the NFL. Rick walks through Arians' recent health history (the Achilles injury in his last season in Tampa, the aneurysm that had to be removed, and past cancer scares), then reveals that he texted Arians afterward. Rick says Arians told him that if the Bucs' job were open, he would want it. Steve's first reaction is "What happened to loyalty to your guy?" and the hosts note Todd Bowles would have to be fired first. They argue about whether the Glazers would ever consider it given Arians' age, whether he could rebuild a staff (many of his old assistants are retired or out of the league), and what he'd do with Baker Mayfield. They go back to Arians' coaching style, from calling out Tom Brady in the press to his "armor" advice for quarterbacks, and wonder which contender might hire a 74-year-old. Steve jokes about Byron Leftwich coming back, and both agree Bowles will be asked about it Monday.
The conversation spreads into why coaches can't quit (Steve and Rick bring up Jon Gruden and Rick's friend Tom Moore) and what retired players and coaches miss about being part of a team. They also talk about a long email outage that took many people offline during the day. After an Old Northeast Jewelers sponsor read, they turn to the Lightning, who finished a road trip with a win in Columbus. Steve says that's six of a possible eight points, despite playing without Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak (Cernak injured, Gourde given a maintenance day). Backup goalie Dennis Hildeby is 4-0-1, with points in each of his first five starts, only the second Lightning goalie to do that after Sean Burke. They look ahead to Saturday's game against Detroit at home, where Rick says he'll be in attendance, and Steve jokes about the "curse" tweeted by Craig in Vegas. They also check on USF's wild game against Memphis, which was tied 38-38 and then 45-41 Memphis when they recorded.
Near the end, Rick and Steve remember longtime NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks, who died at 64 after what Rick says was a sudden illness. They talk about his Michael Phelps swimming calls, his golf work, and his wife Hannah Storm and their three daughters, and Rick shares a story about how his wife once sat on Hicks' lap in a golf cart in Athens while working the Olympics.
Segments- Bruce Arians says he wants to coach again
- Arians' health, and why coaches can't quit
- Rick's text exchange: "If it were open, yes"
- Todd Bowles, the Glazers, and a possible Arians return
- Arians' coaching style: Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield, and Jameis
- Byron Leftwich, a possible staff, and Arians not calling plays
- Which teams would hire Arians?
- Why now, Jason Licht, and Bowles' Monday press conference
- The email outage
- Sponsor: Old Northeast Jewelers
- Lightning's road trip, injuries, and Dennis Hildeby
- Rick's Saturday game and the Red Wings
- USF vs. Memphis
- Remembering Dan Hicks
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Lightning Light Up Buffalo 8-3, Neander Wins MLB Executive of the Year, and the Bucs' Bye-Week Crossroads
Rick and Steve start with the Lightning's wild 8-3 win at Buffalo. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Buffalo cut it to 4-3, and then Brandon Hagel found Nikita Kucherov to make it 5-3, which started …
Notes de l’épisode
Rick and Steve start with the Lightning's wild 8-3 win at Buffalo. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Buffalo cut it to 4-3, and then Brandon Hagel found Nikita Kucherov to make it 5-3, which started Kucherov's natural hat trick (goals five, six, and seven). Steve cites the first career five-point night for defenseman John Carlson, who Rick says has been everything advertised, and notes rookie Sam O'Reilly making his NHL debut and getting his first career point with Brayden Point out on injured reserve. They talk about last year's 8-7 game with all the fights (Steve calls it a one-off), how Kucherov compares to Connor McDavid's pace (Steve says about 48 points in 20 games for McDavid and 26 in 18 for Kucherov), and whether Kucherov's contract situation affects his play (Steve says on the ice he's all hockey). The Lightning are 8-0 at home and 4-4-2 on the road, with a back-to-back in Columbus and a six-game homestand coming, including Saturday against Detroit with a Thanksgiving food drive for Feeding Tampa Bay.
On the baseball side, the Rays' Erik Neander was named Major League Baseball's Executive of the Year, and they praise his deadline acquisitions of Liam Hicks, Tyler Wells, and Freddy Peralta. They look ahead to whether Peralta (Steve doesn't think so) and Nick Martinez (Steve thinks he might) return, and Rick relays what Tyler Glasnow said about how the Rays simplify things for pitchers and build their confidence. They debate Kevin Cash not winning Manager of the Year (Steve says Will Venable, who won, and Boston's manager both had strong cases, and voters like to reward someone whose turn it is), look at Bryan Baker's reliever award and Junior Caminero's All-MLB honor, and talk about the Rays wanting to extend Drew Rasmussen, who Rick calls the ace of the staff.
After an Old Northeast Jewelers sponsor read, Rick looks at the Bucs' bye week and the trip to Detroit. He says the defense is built to slow Jahmyr Gibbs and get after Jared Goff, that the third-easiest schedule gives them a path, and that the team must fix the passing game, with Rick saying Ted Hurst should be on the field. Rick also predicts big offseason changes: he thinks Dave Canales will be fired in Carolina and that there could be a coaching change in Tampa Bay if things don't improve, with a possible offensive-minded head coach and questions about Baker Mayfield's long-term deal. The mailbag has a listener in Albuquerque on how streaming has changed fan allegiances, with Rick calling it one of the best letters he's gotten, plus Rick's story about a reader who called him a "bad reporter" over a 2-4 record mistake that turned out to be someone else's misreading.
Segments- Lightning's 8-3 win at Buffalo: Kucherov's natural hat trick and Carlson's big night
- Sam O'Reilly's NHL debut and Brayden Point's injury
- Kucherov vs. McDavid and the contract question
- Lightning's home record, road trip, and Saturday's food drive
- Erik Neander named Executive of the Year
- Peralta and Martinez, and how the Rays develop pitchers
- Kevin Cash and the Manager of the Year voting
- Bryan Baker, Junior Caminero, and the Rays' All-MLB honors
- Drew Rasmussen extension talks
- Sponsor: Old Northeast Jewelers
- Bucs bye week: Detroit preview and the schedule ahead
- Coaching changes: Canales, Bowles, and the Glazers
- Mailbag: fan allegiances in the streaming era
- Rick's "bad reporter" story
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No Cavalry Coming: The Bucs Stand Pat at Trade Deadline, a WR Miscalculation, and Why Seven or Eight Wins Might Win the NFC South
On Veterans Day, Rick opens the show by thanking everyone who has served and those who paid the ultimate price. He then turns to the NFL trade deadline, which he calls Groundhog Day in Tampa Bay: the Bucs did …
Notes de l’épisode
On Veterans Day, Rick opens the show by thanking everyone who has served and those who paid the ultimate price. He then turns to the NFL trade deadline, which he calls Groundhog Day in Tampa Bay: the Bucs did nothing. Rick says that's who Jason Licht has been since he arrived in 2014, a GM who values his mid- and late-round picks and rarely buys at the deadline. The Bucs' passing game has been inept and Rick says they could have used a big-bodied veteran receiver. He points to Kansas City getting Josh Downs (Rick and Steve disagree on the exact pick compensation) and Keenan Allen going to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick, and wonders why Licht wouldn't pay that for a veteran instead of leaning on Ted Hurst, who played one snap against the Bears. They go through other deadline moves, including Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota (Steve praises the GM who sold high), the Falcons and Saints selling players to Jacksonville, and the Colts' fire sale.
The hosts then dig into why the Bucs are stuck. Rick says Baker Mayfield's pick-six came on a stare-down of Cade Otton while Emeka Egbuka was open, and that a run game this good should be setting up the pass. They point to the defense as the bright spot: the best in the NFL at takeaways, number one against the run, with Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum having Pro Bowl years, and every Bucs loss decided by one score. They go over the strange numbers from the Bears game, including Steve's stat that Chicago is the only team in NFL history with five-plus turnovers, nine-plus penalties, and no 10-yard rushes that still blew a 14-point lead and won. They also work through the math that seven wins might win the division and nine surely would, with the schedule easing up after Detroit.
After an Old Northeast Jewelers sponsor read (two locations, in St. Petersburg and Hyde Park Village in Tampa), Rick answers a mailbag question about why ownership is "settling for .500" with a long argument: the Brady-era cap hangover, keeping the Super Bowl core (Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke), losing coordinators to head-coaching jobs, and what he calls the miscalculation at wide receiver. He covers Mike Evans' age and injuries, Egbuka's year without a 100-yard game, Chris Godwin's $22 million, and Mayfield looking like "just a guy" when the people around him aren't great, with a $55 million contract. He says the Glazers go all in when they think they have a shot, but they knew this team wasn't that talented, and that he still thinks Tampa Bay is the NFC South favorite. Rick also questions Zac Robinson's passing concepts, with Steve joking he'd almost want Josh Grizzard back. They finish with the Lightning at Buffalo, Brayden Point on injured reserve with Sam O'Reilly called up, and a back-to-back in Columbus.
Segments- Veterans Day tribute
- The NFL trade deadline: the Bucs do nothing
- Jason Licht's draft-pick philosophy and the passing game
- Deadline deals: Josh Downs, Keenan Allen, Kirk Cousins, and the Falcons and Saints selling
- The Colts' fire sale and Jacksonville going all in
- No cavalry: Ted Hurst, the pick-six, and the run game
- Minnesota's quarterback carousel and Murphy's interception
- The Bucs defense, takeaways, and the Bears game's odd stats
- Penalties, the snap-count complaint, and the NFC South math
- Sponsor: Old Northeast Jewelers
- Mailbag: Why settle for .500? The Brady hangover, roster building, and the receiver miscalculation
- Glazers, Baker Mayfield's contract, and Zac Robinson
- Lightning at Buffalo and Brayden Point on Injured Reserve
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Fix This Offense: Todd Bowles' Bye-Week Honesty, a Receiver Room in Trouble, and the Trade Deadline That Probably Won't Matter
Rick and Steve look at the Bucs' fallout from Sunday's loss in Chicago, starting with Todd Bowles' Monday press conference. Bowles didn't sugarcoat the offense: he said the bye week is for the staff and Baker …
Notes de l’épisode
Rick and Steve look at the Bucs' fallout from Sunday's loss in Chicago, starting with Todd Bowles' Monday press conference. Bowles didn't sugarcoat the offense: he said the bye week is for the staff and Baker Mayfield to decide whether the calls, scheme, and mechanics are right, and he said there are no changes planned for Zac Robinson's play calling. Rick wonders whether the ship has already sailed on tailoring the offense to Baker, while Steve compares it to the bye-week reset with Tom Brady and Bruce Arians six years ago (Rick adds that Arians wanted Brady to throw deeper, and the Bucs won eight straight, including the Super Bowl). They go through Baker's 32.4 QBR (30th of 31 qualifying quarterbacks, per Rick), his turnovers, and what it means to pay a quarterback $55 million, with Steve arguing the turnovers have always been part of the Baker story.
Much of the show is about the receivers. Rick cites a report that it's been a full year since Emeka Egbuka's last 100-yard game, and says he's on pace for roughly 500 yards. Bowles blamed injuries and said the Bucs need to design more plays for him, but also said that talent-wise the room is probably lacking. Steve says Jason Licht fell in love with Egbuka, who looks overdrafted so far, and both talk about how much Mike Evans is missed. With the trade deadline at 4 p.m., they debate whether Chris Godwin (about four targets a game, $22 million salary) could be moved. Rick says he'd be out of here if anyone wanted him, Steve says no one would pay that, and both agree Licht rarely buys or sells. They also note Jacksonville going all in and Atlanta and New Orleans selling.
Along the way they argue the NFC South math (Steve says seven wins might win the division if Tampa Bay sweeps its six division games), whether playoff teams should be reseeded, the Super Bowl landing on Valentine's Day, and how the trade market energizes teams. Rick calls the Chicago loss even more ridiculous given his stats: the Bears had lost 10 straight times they turned it over five times, and the Bucs had won 22 straight when forcing five. After a Breitling Boutique sponsor read, they take a mailbag question on whether Tez Johnson is the best Bucs receiver left, then get into Ted Hurst's drops, Brady's views on receivers who drop passes, tight end Cade Otton leading the team in targets, and whether Robinson can fix the offense.
Segments- Todd Bowles' Monday press conference and the bye-week plan
- The Tom Brady bye-week reset
- Baker Mayfield's numbers and $55 million salary
- Jacksonville's deadline moves
- Emeka Egbuka and the receiver room
- Mike Evans' absence and Jason Licht's draft choices
- Chris Godwin and the trade deadline
- The defense, the coverage bust, and the NFC South math
- Reseeding the playoffs and the Super Bowl on Valentine's Day
- Bucky Irving's workload and Sean Tucker
- Trades in the NFL and Baker's pressure
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Mailbag: Tez Johnson, Ted Hurst, and Cade Otton's targets
- Zac Robinson's play calling
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Five Turnovers and Still Lose: Bucs Fall 27-24 in Chicago, Bowles Sounds Defeated, and the Lightning's Wild Weekend
Rick, reporting from Chicago, and Steve react to the Bucs' 27-24 loss to the Bears on Sunday night, a game Tampa Bay lost even though its defense forced five turnovers. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson's opening …
Notes de l’épisode
Rick, reporting from Chicago, and Steve react to the Bucs' 27-24 loss to the Bears on Sunday night, a game Tampa Bay lost even though its defense forced five turnovers. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson's opening script put the Bears up 14-0, but the Bucs weathered it, tied the game, and had a shot to win until a Baker Mayfield pick-six and a late coverage bust on tight end Colston Loveland. Rick says the Bucs would have been alone in first place at 4-5 going into the bye. Instead they're 3-6, still 2-0 in the division. Steve credits a switch from man to zone coverage for confusing Williams, and they argue over Mike Tomlin's halftime comment on the Bucs kicking a field goal on fourth-and-goal (Rick would have gone for it, Steve says he understands the thinking). They also talk about the five false start penalties and Todd Bowles sounding defeated afterward.
The hosts keep coming back to the offense. Rick says Baker Mayfield hasn't been sharp since returning from his thumb injury, with too much staring down receivers (Cade Otton included) and not enough throws to open players. They talk about the drops and Ted Hurst's "yips," the lack of a true No. 1 receiver, Emeka Egbuka still coming back from an ankle, and Jalen McMillan being out. They wonder about a trade-deadline receiver, though neither expects Jason Licht to make one. On the positive side are the defense's takeaways (Rick calls Zyon McCollum an All-Pro candidate and cites Jacob Parrish's pass breakups), Bucky Irving's strong running, and a division so weak that Steve says eight wins will likely take it and the Bucs would need to go 5-3 the rest of the way. Rick says a 5-1 division finish would be elite, and both agree Antoine Winfield Jr.'s ankle is a concern. Rick also notes the Bears' fans were on edge after the fast start.
After a Breitling Boutique sponsor read, Steve recaps the Lightning's weekend: a comeback win in overtime at Minnesota after trailing by two goals late, then a 4-3 loss at Winnipeg after rallying from three goals down, when Winnipeg scored with 1.6 seconds left on a five-on-three. They talk about Nikita Kucherov's fired-up celebration, Yanni Gourde's return, Brayden Point leaving hurt, and the back-to-back at Buffalo and Columbus. After a look at Penix and the Falcons in Madrid, they run through the college weekend, including Florida State's road win without Mike Norvell, a disputed Miami-Notre Dame touchdown, USF's loss at ECU, Florida losing to Oklahoma, and Alabama over LSU.
Segments- Bucs lose 27-24 at Chicago despite five turnovers
- Baker Mayfield's pick-six, drops, and the passing game
- Defense: man vs. zone, the late coverage bust, and Todd Bowles' reaction
- Fourth-and-goal field goal decision
- Missed chance at first place and the NFC South race
- Takeaways, Bucky Irving, and five false starts
- Receivers, the trade deadline, and Ted Hurst
- Winfield's ankle and the bye week
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Lightning's comeback win at Minnesota and loss at Winnipeg
- Kucherov's celebration, Brayden Point's injury, and the next road trip
- Penix and the Falcons, and the NFC South's winning number
- College football roundup
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Punching Up in the Windy City: Can the Bucs Throw Against the Bears? Plus a Loaded College Football Slate and Your Mailbag
Rick and Steve preview Sunday night's Bucs-Bears game at Soldier Field. Rick says Chicago (6-2) has beaten both of last season's Super Bowl teams in the last two weeks, including a win in Seattle, and calls the …
Notes de l’épisode
Rick and Steve preview Sunday night's Bucs-Bears game at Soldier Field. Rick says Chicago (6-2) has beaten both of last season's Super Bowl teams in the last two weeks, including a win in Seattle, and calls the Bears a real NFC contender with Caleb Williams getting better each year and Ben Johnson among the league's best play callers. Rick calls it a different weight class for the Bucs but says he still believes in Todd Bowles' defense. Alex Anzalone was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and Tampa Bay leads the league in takeaways. They talk about what Chicago's trade for Jeffery Simmons does to that defense, the Bears being on a short week after Seattle, and a schedule Rick says is the third easiest in the NFL the rest of the way. They also look ahead to the bye and then Detroit.
The big question is the passing game. After 11 attempts in Carolina and none in the rain against Atlanta, Rick and Steve wonder how quickly Baker Mayfield (no glove on his healing thumb anymore) and a thin receiver room can get back in rhythm, with Emeka Egbuka possibly missing another game. Steve asks whether the offensive line, which has dominated as a run blocker, can handle pass protection against a defense coming at it. Rick credits Zac Robinson's heavy two- and three-tight-end looks and the blocking of rookie Bauer Sharp, and both hosts say the Bucs can't be one-dimensional against Chicago. Along the way Rick tells the story of how he once covered the White Sox in Chicago when it looked like they might move to the Tampa Bay area, until the Illinois governor stopped the legislature's clock and a new Comiskey Park was funded.
After a Breitling Boutique sponsor read, Steve runs through a stacked college football Saturday, including Alabama at LSU, Miami at Notre Dame, Georgia at Ole Miss, Kentucky at Tennessee, and Texas at Missouri, with USF at ECU on Friday night and the Gators hosting Oklahoma. They mention the loss of Miami's Malachi Toney to surgery and say it is too early to worry about the first rankings. The mailbag covers why Coe Keefe is playing mostly on special teams, Rick's B-minus grade for the Bucs' 2026 draft class (Rueben Bain, Josiah Trotter, Keionte Scott, and Bauer Sharp), and whether Stamkos or Mike Evans was harder to lose (Rick says Evans, and Steve adds the Bucs never really replaced him). They wrap with a Lightning doubleheader, at Minnesota Saturday night and at Winnipeg Sunday before the Bucs kick off.
Segments- Bucs at Bears preview: Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, and the Bears' hot streak
- Anzalone and the Bucs defense vs. Chicago's offense
- Can the Bucs pass again? Baker Mayfield's thumb, receivers, and pass protection
- Jeffery Simmons and the Bears defense
- The short week, the bye, and the schedule ahead
- Soldier Field, the White Sox story, and the Bears' future
- Zac Robinson's tight end sets and Bauer Sharp's blocking
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- College football slate: Utah, LSU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, USF at ECU, and Florida vs. Oklahoma
- Mailbag: Ko Kieft and the tight ends
- Mailbag: grading the Bucs' 2026 draft class
- Mailbag: Stamkos or Mike Evans?
- Lightning doubleheader and sign-off
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Rick and Tom: 'If You're Not From Here, Shut Up,' Ticket Prices, and College Football's New Parity
For the third straight day, Rick's former radio partner and longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones, now at the Poynter Institute, joins the show. Tom was up until 3 a.m. writing his newsletter after …
Notes de l’épisode
For the third straight day, Rick's former radio partner and longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones, now at the Poynter Institute, joins the show. Tom was up until 3 a.m. writing his newsletter after election night, so they start with the media coverage: how results come in so fast, the "magic boards" on CNN and NBC, the Associated Press and decision desks, and the New York Times needle. That leads to Tom's gripe of the day. Standing in front of the First Amendment engraved outside the Poynter building, he says he defends anyone's right to say what they want, but out-of-town critics who tell Tampa Bay it doesn't deserve a team can, in his words, "shut up."
Rick takes the other side too. He says he can see why Yankees and Guardians fans would admire the Rays and wonder why more locals don't show up, and he talks about how players feel when the opposing team's fans take over the stadium. Tom and Rick get into the transient makeup of the market (Rick guesses the share of native Floridians is very small), whether it will ever change, Tom's sons (one in New York, one still in Tampa Bay) and their loyalties, exorbitant ticket prices and airline-style pricing, and Rick's decision to skip a pricey World Series game that turned into a 10-1 loss. They also wonder what a new stadium will do for attendance, and Rick says Bucs coach Todd Bowles gave the right answer when he asked about opposing fans: win more and you'll see fewer of them. Along the way Tom talks about being a Steelers fan and having to deal with Aaron Rodgers, why some national fans disliked the Rays (Rick and Tom point to the Junior Caminero bat flips), and why Yandy Diaz is one of his favorite Tampa Bay athletes.
The second half is a college football conversation. Tom talks about Penn State firing James Franklin and hiring Matt Campbell, and recalls Jim Leavitt building USF from a trailer. Rick says paying players "through the front door" and the transfer era have made college football more like the NFL, with parity instead of Alabama-style super teams and few undefeated teams. Tom says players should be able to move the way coaches do, that ESPN has a stake in the debate, and that scholarships were never guaranteed. They bring up the injuries that change a player's life while the game moves on with the "next man up." They also cover Florida State's firing of Mike Norvell and his reported $50 million buyout, Tom's Jimbo Fisher radio memories, whether Fisher could return, and Tom's Lane Kiffin story. They close with a plug for Tom's biweekly Poynter podcast (past guests Rachel Maddow and Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, and a teased election-coverage guest he won't confirm), and a note that the pair just recorded two shows.
Segments- Third day with Tom Jones: election night media coverage
- How results come in: magic boards, the AP, decision desks, and the New York Times needle
- Poynter, the First Amendment, and Tom's gripe about critics of Tampa Bay
- Is Tampa Bay a good sports market? Natives, transplants, and opposing fans
- Tom's sons, Rangers vs. Lightning, and who you root for
- Ticket prices, Taylor Swift, and airline-style pricing
- The new stadium, Charlie Crist, and "We are St. Pete"
- Players, visiting fans, and Todd Bowles' "when we start winning"
- Penn State, James Franklin, Jim Leavitt, and USF's trailer days
- The Rays as a fun team, bat flips, and Yandy Diaz
- College football in the NIL and transfer era: parity, ESPN, and player freedom
- Football injuries and "next man up"
- Mike Norvell's buyout, Jimbo Fisher, and Lane Kiffin
- Tom's podcast and a teased guest
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Rick and Tom: Bucs Division Math, the Quarterback Gap, Mike Tomlin's NBC Gig, and the Aikman–Buck Feud
Tom Jones, Rick's former radio partner and a longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist now at the Poynter Institute, is back for a second straight day. They open with old road stories (Rick's Milwaukee brats tale …
Notes de l’épisode
Tom Jones, Rick's former radio partner and a longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist now at the Poynter Institute, is back for a second straight day. They open with old road stories (Rick's Milwaukee brats tale, Tom's Pittsburgh parallel, Appleton, Wisconsin, and a trip to Green Bay), then turn to the Bucs, who have three wins in the division, Chicago next, then a bye and a trip to Detroit. Rick lays out the four division games left (two against the Saints, Atlanta, and Carolina), figures nine wins will likely take the NFC South, and says Carolina is bad enough that Dave Canales' job could be in danger. He also says Michael Penix Jr. looked like he had never seen rain.
With the Vikings suffering their first loss, Rick and Tom revisit the 1972 Dolphins and their champagne ritual, and Tom recalls the 1972 AFC title game in Pittsburgh, a week after the Immaculate Reception and on the night Roberto Clemente died. From there the group talks about the Chargers, Jim Harbaugh's future, and a hypothetical Justin Herbert trade (Steve floats the Ravens), then the huge drop-off from starting to backup quarterbacks, Dan Orlovsky's "three throws a game" line, Jalen Daniels' 1-for-2 day, Baker Mayfield's operational skill, and the toll injuries are taking on the NFL product. They credit Todd Bowles' defense for its takeaways and run defense, and say Chicago will test the Bucs' passing game, with Emeka Egbuka's availability a question.
The back half is a media tour. Mike Tomlin is on NBC and may follow Bill Cowher into broadcasting, which leads to a chat about how coaches have no lives, Tom Brady as a Raiders part-owner and broadcaster, and Troy Aikman consulting with the Dolphins. They get into the reported Aikman–Joe Buck feud, using Brady's $370 million Fox deal as the benchmark, ESPN's possible options (Sean McVay, Greg Olsen, the Kelces), Aikman's ties to Jerry Jones, and Peyton Manning's media company. They end with Pat McAfee's pay and ESPN saturation, Michael Wilbon stepping aside for health reasons, the grind of a media career, a look at the show's own history (about 2,360 episodes, a September 2017 start as the Rick and Tom podcast, and ten years since the 2016 radio layoffs), and a plug for Tom's biweekly podcast and poynter.org.
Segments- Welcome back Tom Jones: Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Appleton, and Green Bay stories
- Bucs division math: Chicago, the bye, Detroit, and four division games left
- Carolina, Dave Canales, and Penix in the rain
- Undefeated teams, the 1972 Dolphins, and the 1972 AFC title game in Pittsburgh
- The Chargers, Jim Harbaugh, and a hypothetical Justin Herbert trade
- The quarterback gap: starters vs. backups, Jalen Daniels, and Baker Mayfield
- NFL injuries and the quality of the product
- Bowles, the Bucs defense, and Chicago as a passing-game test
- Mike Tomlin on NBC and coaches who step away
- Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Tom Brady, and the ESPN/Fox broadcast market
- Pat McAfee, ESPN saturation, and Michael Wilbon
- The grind of a media career
- SDTB milestones, Tom's podcast, and poynter.org
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Rick and Tom on Kucherov's Trade Request, the Bucs' No-Completion Win, and the Monsoon at Raymond James
Rick's former radio partner and longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones, now at the Poynter Institute with his own podcast, drops by to talk about a wild few days in Tampa Bay sports. They start with the …
Notes de l’épisode
Rick's former radio partner and longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones, now at the Poynter Institute with his own podcast, drops by to talk about a wild few days in Tampa Bay sports. They start with the Bucs' 16-0 win over the Falcons, where Baker Mayfield completed zero passes, and Rick says nothing like it has been played since 1974 (Joe Ferguson's two attempts for the Bills while O.J. Simpson ran). That leads to old Monday Night Football highlights, Terry Bradshaw calling his own plays, and quarterbacks handing off 30-plus times a game. They then marvel at how hard it rained at Raymond James Stadium (not a drop during warmups, then a downpour right after the anthem), how poorly the field held up, and what Rick calls the NFLPA survey's failing grade for the playing surface. Along the way Tom explains why his St. Pete house stayed dry, and they trade Halloween stories, including childhood costumes in Pennsylvania, Heidi Klum's severed-hand getup, and horror movie marathons.
The heart of the show is Nikita Kucherov. Tom says he understands both sides: Kucherov deserves to be paid like one of the NHL's best players, and the Lightning can't be blamed for balking at a massive contract for a 33-year-old who'd be 39 at the end of it. Rick and Tom wonder how his teammates really feel after Kucherov reportedly told them on the plane to Nashville that he had asked for a trade, why it became public in-season, whether it will hang over the locker room the way it did with Steven Stamkos, and if he really felt disrespected after only two conversations with Julien BriseBois. Steve points out that Kucherov wears an A and the team poured onto the ice when he broke the franchise scoring record, and the group debates his reluctance to speak to the media, the "Cooch being Cooch" culture around him, and what a real captain looks like (Tom's pick is Stamkos, with Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and Gerald McCoy as other examples). Tom tells a story about the Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk keeping the whole team in the locker room after a bad loss at the old Nassau Coliseum so reporters could ask questions.
They also take a look at the bigger picture: the Lightning's history of letting stars go (Stamkos, Marty St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier), why a team that's trying to keep its window open doesn't want draft picks, Kucherov's playoff scoring, whether Steve is right that he'll end up in Vegas (Tom and Rick also think he won't be in Tampa Bay a year from now), how fans might react, and the chance BriseBois has to meet him in the middle or trade him in February if the Lightning fall out of the race. They finish with a plug for Tom's podcast, his guests (including Rachel Maddow and Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, and an upcoming one he can't reveal yet), the Elizabeth Holmes documentary he can't stop talking about, and a quick promise to be back tomorrow.
Segments- Welcome Tom Jones back to the show
- The Bucs' no-completion win and old-school football
- Terry Bradshaw and quarterbacks who called their own plays
- The rainstorm and the state of the field at Raymond James Stadium
- Halloween stories and horror movies
- Kucherov's trade request: timing, reaction, and who's right
- How Kucherov's teammates really feel
- Kucherov and the media: "Kuch being Kuch"
- What makes a captain: Stamkos, Brooks, Sapp, McCoy, and Dave Andreychuk
- One year from now: where will Kucherov play?
- Lightning history with stars, and the playoff scoring question
- Fan reaction and whether Kucherov will play hard
- Why it went public, and the trade-deadline outlook
- Tom Jones' podcast, guests, and the Elizabeth Holmes documentary
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Bucs Win 16-0 Without Completing a Pass, Kucherov Requests Trade and Florida State Fires Norvell
The Bucs beat the Falcons 16-0 in a downpour at Raymond James Stadium, and they did it without completing a single pass. Baker Mayfield attempted only three throws (none caught) while Bucky Irving and Kenneth …
Notes de l’épisode
The Bucs beat the Falcons 16-0 in a downpour at Raymond James Stadium, and they did it without completing a single pass. Baker Mayfield attempted only three throws (none caught) while Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell combined for 310 of a club-record 324 rushing yards on 56 team carries, the most by any NFL team since the 2010 Jets. Rick and Steve credit an offensive line that included Luke Goedeke's return and a sick Graham Barton, go through Irving's patient new style, and note that Irving and Gainwell are the first pair of teammates to each have 25 carries and 125 yards in a game. On the other side, Michael Penix Jr. had a miserable homecoming (8 of 24 for 125 yards and four interceptions, two to Alex Anzalone), and the Bucs defense keeps taking the ball away. The hosts say the weather helped Tampa Bay, but the Bucs handled it better than Atlanta did.
The Bucs are now a half game behind Carolina with wins over both division rivals, and they look ahead to a tough trip to Chicago, followed by a bye and a trip to Detroit. The big question is the passing game: Emeka Egbuka may return in Chicago, Chris Godwin has all but disappeared, and Rick questions whether the receivers can make plays when the Bucs have to throw. They also touch on Baker Mayfield telling ESPN he "sucked" the first four weeks, Carolina firing its defensive coordinator, Dave Canales' job security, the Ravens' quarterback troubles after Lamar Jackson's injury, and a scary neck injury to Lions linebacker Jack Campbell, sending prayers.
After a sponsor break, they turn to the biggest news of the weekend: Elliotte Friedman reported that Nikita Kucherov wants to be traded, and Steve walks through the contract math (an eight-year, $9.5 million-per-year deal that expires, reports of a roughly four-year, $15 million offer vs. a request for $17 to $20 million over six or seven years, and a market reset by Leo Carlsson's $18 million deal and Cale Makar's $20.4 million). The hosts discuss why Julien BriseBois says he won't trade him, why a contender isn't looking to rebuild with draft picks, what it means for the locker room, and whether it echoes the Steven Stamkos saga three years ago. They finish with Florida State's firing of Mike Norvell (with a buyout of about $50 million), how good the job is in today's college football, Florida's loss to Georgia, USF's 46 passing yards, and some Rays news: Taylor Walls wins his first Gold Glove, Drew Rasmussen's $20 million option is picked up, and Yandy Diaz's $13 million contract is finalized.
Segments- Bucs beat the Falcons 16-0 in the rain without a completion
- 324 rushing yards, Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell, and the offensive line
- Michael Penix Jr.'s four interceptions
- NFC South standing: a half game behind Carolina
- Next up: Chicago, the bye, and Detroit
- Can the Bucs pass? Receivers and Emeka Egbuka
- Defense: takeaways and an injury to Yaya Diaby
- Baker Mayfield's four-game turnaround and Daniels comparison
- Lamar Jackson, Jack Campbell, and Carolina's coaching hot seat
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Kucherov wants a trade: contract numbers and the market
- Julien BriseBois, the Stamkos comparison, and why the Lightning won't rebuild
- Locker room impact, playoff criticism, and three possible outcomes
- Florida State fires Mike Norvell
- Florida loses to Georgia; USF's 46 passing yards at Raymond James
- Rays notes: Taylor Walls' Gold Glove, Rasmussen's option, and Yandy Diaz's contract
- Baseball labor watch
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Bucs Host Michael Penix and the Falcons, Looking Back on Rays' Run & Florida vs. Georgia
It's Football Friday, Halloween is Saturday, and the clocks fall back, but first Rick and Steve put a bow on the Rays' season. Rick still thinks the team overachieved in every way, Steve says they probably …
Notes de l’épisode
It's Football Friday, Halloween is Saturday, and the clocks fall back, but first Rick and Steve put a bow on the Rays' season. Rick still thinks the team overachieved in every way, Steve says they probably reached the World Series a year or two early, and both worry about a likely lockout and what it does to the roster. They talk about the chemistry that carried the team (team dinners on the road, Nick Martinez's arrival, and a contrast with a talented Mets team where Lindor and Soto reportedly don't get along), whether the Rays can afford to re-sign Freddy Peralta and Martinez, how the CBA could change things with a salary floor, a cap, and shorter maximum contracts, and which prospects (Xavier Isaac, Brody Hopkins, and catcher Caden Bodine, who played at four levels this year) might help.
Rick says Chandler Simpson showed "ice in his veins" in the playoffs and relays John Smoltz's view that Simpson will become a leadoff man, while Steve explains the analytics behind Yandy Diaz leading off and says the Rays' approach is to not give young players more than they can handle. They debate Junior Caminero's postseason (he hit the ball but not for home runs, and needs protection in the lineup), and Rick tells the Tom Brady story about being "brothers as champions" to show why losing a final is so tough when you don't know if the group will ever get back. Both then remember how far this franchise has come in a year, from playing at Steinbrenner Field with the roof off the Trop to being the best team in the American League.
After a sponsor break, they turn to a big weekend in football, starting with Florida vs. Georgia in Atlanta (next year's game will be at Raymond James Stadium). They look at how first-year coach Jon Sumrall has handled a season that wobbled, the Gators' road win at Texas without their starting quarterback, a tough finish that includes Oklahoma, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Florida State, USF's game with UAB, Florida State hosting Clemson amid talk of a coaching change, and a Belichick-coached North Carolina team that could trap No. 1 Miami. Rick, who's lost his voice, then previews the Bucs' home game against the Falcons: Atlanta's strong run defense, Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Michael Penix Jr. (the NFC Player of the Week, playing in his hometown for the first time), a defense that Rick says is playing as well as any Bucs team since the Super Bowl era, takeaways (12, second in the league, and eight in the last three games), the 79 percent win rate of teams that win the turnover battle, the third-and-28 grudge, and Baker Mayfield's Kevin Stefanski chip. They end with the stat the Bucs would like to retire: the last Tampa Bay team to win at Raymond James Stadium was the Lightning.
Segments- Football Friday: Halloween and daylight saving time
- The Rays' season in hindsight: overachieving and arriving early
- The lockout, team chemistry, and the Mets' clubhouse
- Re-signing Peralta and Martinez, and the CBA
- Prospects: Isaac, Hopkins, and Caden Bodine
- Chandler Simpson, the leadoff debate, and Caminero's postseason
- Tom Brady's "brothers as champions" speech
- From Steinbrenner Field to the AL's best team
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- College football: Florida vs. Georgia in Atlanta
- Jon Sumrall's first season and the Gators' remaining schedule
- USF-UAB, Florida State-Clemson, and Miami at Belichick's North Carolina
- Bucs vs. Falcons: Penix, Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Atlanta's run defense
- The Bucs' defense and the turnover battle
- The remaining schedule, the NFC South race, and the last team to win at Raymond James
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The Rays' Season Ends in Five: A Series That Slipped Away, a Market That Gets Misjudged, and the Bucs Turn Focus to Atlanta
The Rays' World Series run is over. They lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in five games, and Rick and Steve look at it from both sides. Nobody expected this team to be here: Rick notes they weren't even picked to …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays' World Series run is over. They lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in five games, and Rick and Steve look at it from both sides. Nobody expected this team to be here: Rick notes they weren't even picked to win the AL East, let alone win it by a lot and sweep the Yankees. But it's the third World Series the Rays have lost, and a loss like that doesn't go away. They credit Milwaukee (the best team in baseball, with a lineup Drew Rasmussen called relentless) and also point to what the Rays didn't do: score 12 runs in five games, hit .182, go 8 for 39 with runners in scoring position, and get what they needed from Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, and Yandy Diaz. Chandler Simpson, who tied Randy Arozarena's franchise record with eight hits in a World Series, drew praise as the one player who did everything he could. Steve offers a stat about the Brewers' bottom of the order, where Cooper Pratt had six straight at-bats with a hit, while the Rays' seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters had six hits all series.
They defend Kevin Cash ("When you don't hit, what do you want the manager to do?"), talk about whether Rasmussen's Game 5 start on short rest was a good call, and look at how Milwaukee learned from last year's NLCS sweep and finished the job. Rick and Steve look at a franchise that was displaced to a minor league park a year ago and is now going to the World Series, what needs to happen with the offseason pitching staff (Peralta and Martinez are likely gone, with Shane McClanahan and Ryan Pepiot possibly returning), and why a lockout could keep baseball away longer than anyone wants. Rick reflects on why they feel like they're coming back down a mountain, and Steve says it may have been the most fun Rays season he's seen (Rick says the 2008 team still edges it).
The back half returns to the Tampa Bay sports market. Brewers fans took over the Trop for Games 4 and 5, and Rick makes the case that Tampa Bay is a young market built on newcomers: Steve estimates fewer than a third of residents are natives, the franchises date to 1976 at the earliest, and it's a tourism and healthcare economy. Steve compares it to Atlanta and points out how many former players still live here. They also note the six championship rounds in six years. Along the way they celebrate Joe Davis borrowing Bob Uecker's home run call for the Brewers' Cooper Pratt homer and the Williamson walk-off, with a Jack Buck/Joe Buck/Vin Scully history lesson, and applaud Taylor Walls for pushing back on a question after Game 4. After a sponsor break, the Bucs get their turn: Baker Mayfield's glove, strength against strength with Atlanta's run defense, the Bucs' second-in-the-league 12 takeaways, 13 sacks in three games, Michael Penix Jr.'s first game at Raymond James, Baker's chip against Kevin Stefanski, and the Bucs' search for their first home win.
Segments- The Rays lose the World Series in five: a season nobody expected
- Disappointment and credit for Milwaukee
- Caminero, Aranda, Yandy, and the offensive struggles
- Chandler Simpson's World Series
- Cooper Pratt, the Brewers' bottom of the order, and the MVP
- 12 runs in five games: why the Rays lost
- Defending Kevin Cash
- Looking ahead: Neander, the pitching staff, and the lockout
- The mountain after the season: why it's so hard to get back
- Brewers fans take over the Trop and Tampa Bay's market identity
- Tampa Bay's run of championship rounds
- Joe Davis, Bob Uecker, and baseball broadcasting history
- Taylor Walls pushes back on a postgame question
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Bucs preview: Baker Mayfield, takeaways, and the Falcons
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Rays Stay Alive: Williamson's Walk-Off in 12, Caminero's Leg, and Who's Left To Pitch Tonight?
The Tampa Bay Rays finally have a World Series moment. Ben Williamson's Baltimore chop over the first baseman ended a 12-inning Game 4 and cut Milwaukee's lead to 3-1, and Rick and Steve (who was at the Trop) …
Notes de l’épisode
The Tampa Bay Rays finally have a World Series moment. Ben Williamson's Baltimore chop over the first baseman ended a 12-inning Game 4 and cut Milwaukee's lead to 3-1, and Rick and Steve (who was at the Trop) take it from the top. Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt led off the 12th with a home run, the first rookie ever to hit an extra-inning homer in a World Series, and Ian Seymour was the one who gave it up. But Milwaukee, sending out pitchers who hadn't thrown in 12 days, let the Rays back in: Joey Ortiz committed an error to start the inning, Junior Caminero reached and limped from first to third, Cedric Mullins pinch ran, Johnny DeLuca delivered a bases-loaded tying single up the middle, and Williamson (who had been waiting with a helmet for five innings) ended it. The hosts break down the pinch-running choices, the Brewers fans who looked ready to party and ended up stunned, and why a game like this might loosen up a Rays team that looked tight.
They look ahead to tonight's Game 5, with Jacob Misiorowski on the mound for Milwaukee and the Rays deciding between an opener and a bullpen game (Steve guesses Steven Matz). They talk about Caminero's leg, Kevin Cash saying he's fine, the importance of putting the "three aircraft carriers" back at the top of the order, and a run-scoring drought in which the Rays have scored in just seven of 39 innings and had a crooked number in only two of them. They credit Tyler Wells and Griffin Jacks (who might have been left in one batter too long), the diving catches from DeLuca and Chandler Simpson, and Rick and Steve discuss Richie Palacios' throws from second base. Rick says nothing like this has been done before, which Steve points out was true until Boston did it in 2004, and both agree the pressure would shift squarely onto the Brewers if the Rays win one more at home.
The second half takes a turn into Tampa Bay itself: Milwaukee fans filled the Trop (a thousand cases of Miller and Coors Light went through Ferg's in a single day), and the hosts respond to national critics who rip the market. Steve notes that roughly 60,000 Wisconsin transplants live in the Tampa metro, that the Rays, Lightning, and Bucs are young franchises in a young market, and that the real problem is transit and traffic (he spent an hour getting to the Trop and an hour and a half getting home). After a sponsor break, they praise the former Rays who turned up for Game 4 (Evan Longoria threw out the first pitch, with Chris Archer, Zach Eflin, Taj Bradley, and Tyler Glasnow in the stands), predict a big contract for Freddy Peralta, and then switch to the Bucs: Baker Mayfield's glove, the Colts' fire sale (Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner are gone, and Jonathan Taylor may be next), the Panthers' trip to Green Bay on Thursday night, a must-win game against Atlanta, and a Sunday night date in Chicago.
Segments- Rays win Game 4 in 12 innings: the walk-off and how it happened
- Cooper Pratt's home run, Ian Seymour, and Milwaukee's miscues
- Caminero's injury, pinch-running decisions, and Cash's bench
- Milwaukee fans in the Trop and the rally-towel mix-up
- Resilience: why this Rays team can still believe
- Game 5 outlook: Misiorowski, who starts for the Rays, and Rasmussen's rest
- The run drought and defense behind the pitchers
- Palacios' throwing and a mental-block story
- Brewers fans take over: Ferg's, Wisconsin transplants, and Tampa Bay's fan reputation
- Traffic, I-275, and getting out of the Trop
- Boston 2004 and a first for everything
- World Series ratings and the game within the game
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Former Rays in attendance and Freddy Peralta's coming payday
- Bucs back at practice: Baker's glove, the Colts' fire sale, and the road ahead
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Rays' Bats Go Quiet, Cash's Lineup Draws Fire as Rays Lose 10-1, on Brink of Elimination
The Rays are down 3-0 in the World Series, and Rick opens with the hard truth that no team has ever come back from that. Steve was at the Trop and walks Rick through a Game 3 loss in which the Brewers faced the …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays are down 3-0 in the World Series, and Rick opens with the hard truth that no team has ever come back from that. Steve was at the Trop and walks Rick through a Game 3 loss in which the Brewers faced the minimum through eight innings, the Rays managed three hits (Yandy Diaz's leadoff single in the first and Cedric Mullins' and Diaz's hits in the ninth to avoid the shutout), and the lone highlight for the crowd was Chandler Simpson's wall-crashing catch. Rick points out that the offense hasn't hit since the first inning of Game 2, and the hosts spend plenty of time on the mistakes: Simpson sliding well past second base on a steal, Jonathan Aranda's absence from the lineup against a lefty, Ben Williamson batting fifth, Richie Palacios barely playing, a lazy throw to second by Junior Caminero that kept an inning alive, and Victor Mesa Jr. and Taylor Walls misplaying balls. Milwaukee scored all 10 of its runs with two outs, including eight in one inning (which Steve says is a World Series record).
They debate whether Kevin Cash and the analytics overthought it, from the lineup to the rotation. Rick says he'd rather manage from the gut and play his best hitters, Steve says "If I'm going down, I want to go down with my best," and both note that Freddy Peralta didn't lose the game and that Cam Boozer, who had been good, couldn't get out of the jam. They also cover the bigger picture: a Milwaukee bullpen that has been fully rested, Rays starters Rasmussen, Peralta, and Martinez combining for a 6.77 ERA, Jackson Chourio as the likely series MVP, how much of the crowd Brewers fans took over, and the cost of a night out ($1,000 tickets, $100 parking, and $21 beers). Rick calls this one of the greatest seasons in Rays history even as he laments a third World Series loss, and they look at the coming lockout and when baseball might return and note that the Rays' new owners "won big."
They turn to the Bucs, who are coming off a 43-13 rout of the Panthers and 258 rushing yards. Rick praises Bucky Irving, whose 5 a.m. workouts began with Tom Moore and who has bounced back from an injury-plagued year, and says the run game, the offensive line, and Baker Mayfield's 11 passes (including a back-shoulder throw on third-and-10 and a touchdown off a scramble) are the new identity. Steve shows that the seven teams the Bucs have faced are a combined 14 games above .500, so their 2-5 record is better than it looks. They walk through the schedule ahead (the Falcons at home, then Sunday night at Chicago), the injured players who could return (Emeka Egbuka, Winfield, Luke Goedeke), two straight five-sack games, and what the Bucs need to do to get back in the NFC South race. The show closes with a congratulations to Coach John Cooper on the ninth annual Coop's Catch for Kids fishing tournament, which raised another half million dollars for pediatric cancer research, a look at Lightning-Jets on Thursday, and a preview of tonight's Game 4 with Griffin Jacks on the mound.
Segments- Rays down 3-0: no team has ever come back
- Game 3 recap: three hits, the minimum faced through eight, and Simpson's catch
- Simpson's baserunning and the Rays' mistakes in the field
- The lineup controversy: Aranda on the bench, Williamson fifth, and Palacios
- Eight two-out runs, Caminero's throw, and Mesa Jr.'s misplay
- Cash overthinking it: lineups and the rotation
- Milwaukee's bullpen, Chourio, and a Brewers-heavy crowd
- Rays pitching, ticket prices, and what a great season means
- The CBA, the lockout, and when baseball returns
- Bucs crush the Panthers with 258 rushing yards
- Baker Mayfield's two big plays and the run-first identity
- Bucky Irving's work ethic and Tom Moore
- Schedule strength, the NFC South math, and the road ahead
- Injury return outlook and back-to-back five-sack games
- Coop's Catch for Kids, the Lightning on Thursday, and Game 4 tonight
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Down 0-2 Headed Home, the Rays Need the Trop, While Bucs Demolish Carolina 43-13
All three Tampa Bay teams had early leads over the weekend, and two of them blew it. Rick, who watched from Carolina, says none was bigger than the Rays' in World Series Game 2 in Milwaukee, where they jumped …
Notes de l’épisode
All three Tampa Bay teams had early leads over the weekend, and two of them blew it. Rick, who watched from Carolina, says none was bigger than the Rays' in World Series Game 2 in Milwaukee, where they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning (including a Liam Hicks blast) with Drew Rasmussen on the mound, and still lost by one run. Rick and Steve go through what went wrong: Rasmussen was behind in counts and not himself, Chandler Simpson couldn't hold onto a diving catch, Jonathan Aranda let a ball through his legs and missed a foul pop-up, and Ian Seymour gave up a game-tying solo homer to the bottom of the order. Steve also takes issue with the decision to send Hicks home on a play that wasn't close, while the Rays were looking for any extra run. With the Rays down 0-2 and both losses by one run, they weigh whether Kevin Cash's decision to push Rasmussen back to Game 2 backfired, why Milwaukee's bullpen is the difference, and why they're counting on Freddy Peralta and the atmosphere at Tropicana Field in Game 3 tonight.
After a sponsor break, the show turns to a Bucs win that Rick says was every bit as dominant as it was unlikely. Tampa Bay beat the division-leading Panthers 43-13 in Carolina, and when Rick asked Todd Bowles afterward "Where has this been?", they got to the highlights: a second quarter with a pass touchdown, a rushing touchdown, a field goal, a defensive touchdown, and a special teams touchdown (only the second time in NFL history, after Bowles' 2018 Jets); Yaya Diaby's three-sack hat trick; Al-Quadin Muhammad's strip-sack that Calijah Kancey ran back for a touchdown; a blocked extra point returned for two points by Zyon McCollum; and 258 rushing yards, including 102 from Bucky Irving, 88 from Kenneth Gainwell, and a 46-yard touchdown run from Sean Tucker. Bryce Young, who started the day with MVP chants, finished 14 of 27 for 163 yards with two interceptions, and he was sacked five times. They also discuss how the Bucs ran the ball 30 times in 40 first-half plays, the division math with Atlanta coming to town and the Panthers at Green Bay on Thursday night, and the one thing that stings: if the Bucs hadn't blown the Steelers game, they could be playing for first place.
Baker Mayfield returned with the glove designed with help from the Rays, went 7 for 11 for 64 yards, and didn't have to do much, though Steve and Rick weren't thrilled that he called his own number at the goal line and tried to block on a run play. The Lightning get a rundown, too: Nikita Kucherov passed Steven Stamkos to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer on Saturday night, the team went 1-1-1 on a road trip through Vegas, Colorado, and Utah, and they now have some rest, with Victor Hedman and Zemgus Girgensons both day-to-day. The show closes with a look at tonight's Game 3, the first World Series game in Tampa Bay in 18 years.
Segments- Three Tampa Bay teams, three early leads, two blown
- Rays blow a 4-0 lead in World Series Game 2
- The defensive misplays, the Hicks send, and Ian Seymour's homer
- Down 0-2: Cash's Rasmussen decision, Milwaukee's bullpen, and the Trop advantage
- Freddy Peralta and the must-win Game 3
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Bucs crush the Panthers 43-13: Where has this been?
- Yaya Diaby's hat trick, Muhammad's strip-sack, and Calijah Kancey's touchdown
- 258 rushing yards and the blocked extra point
- Bryce Young's rough day and the NFC South math
- Next up: the Falcons and the Steelers what-ifs
- Baker Mayfield's return, the glove, and staying healthy
- Lightning: Kucherov passes Stamkos and the road trip
- Hedman, Girgensons, and Lightning special teams
- World Series Game 3 tonight at the Trop
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Nick Martinez Gets the World Series Opener, the Rays Built Baker Mayfield a Glove, and Bucs Head to Carolina
Kevin Cash has decided that Nick Martinez, not Drew Rasmussen, will start Game 1 of the World Series, and Rick and Steve walk through why. Rasmussen has already thrown 43 more innings than ever before …
Notes de l’épisode
Kevin Cash has decided that Nick Martinez, not Drew Rasmussen, will start Game 1 of the World Series, and Rick and Steve walk through why. Rasmussen has already thrown 43 more innings than ever before, according to pitching coach Kyle Snyder, and an extra day of rest will help him. Freddy Peralta's command slipped late in his last start, and he gets Game 3 at the Trop. As Cash put it, "Nick Martinez just wins." The hosts also look at the downside: in a five-game series, Rasmussen and Peralta would each pitch only once. Rasmussen is disappointed, and Steve assumes he'll go in Games 2 and 6.
From there, they size up a matchup in which the Rays aren't favored (The Athletic's writers polled roughly 85 percent for Milwaukee). Rick predicts six or seven games between two teams that mirror each other, while Steve thinks the Brewers were the best team all year and that the National League was tougher. It's the first meeting of the two best records in baseball since 2020. They debate the bullpen: Rick thinks middle relief is the weak spot, Steve says the group has been good with only Ian Seymour struggling, and both agree Martinez can't be allowed to go through the lineup a third time. With one of these teams about to win a first title, they talk about the Rays' third World Series in roughly 28 seasons, the Brewers' 44-year wait, the Game 3 atmosphere at the Trop, and secondary-market tickets near $1,000. "Four wins from immortality."
After a sponsor break, the show turns to the Bucs. Baker Mayfield returns to practice with a glove on his throwing hand that was invented by the Rays' home clubhouse attendant Nick Bond, a receiver's glove with the thumb ripped off and a support inserted (there are two versions, hard plastic and soft cast), and Marc Topkin got the story from a clubhouse attendant in Milwaukee. That's "Team Tampa Bay" in action. Rick and Steve then preview Sunday's game at Carolina, where the Bucs give themselves a small chance but can't afford to fall 3.5 games back. The Panthers have a strong offense (Bryce Young with MVP chants, John Izzo calling plays, Tetairoa McMillan) and a bottom-third defense, so Rick expects a shootout. They also discuss Graham Barton on how hard the quarterback's operation is, Emeka Egbuka's concussion protocol and foot injury, the Lightning's trip to Denver and Utah (and the need for two TVs Friday and Saturday), an off weekend for Florida, Florida State, and USF, and why Steve says to "savor it" as the Rays reach the World Series on the heels of last year's Steinbrenner Field season.
Segments- Nick Martinez to start World Series Game 1
- Cash's reasoning, Rasmussen's workload, and Peralta in Game 3
- The risk of starting Martinez: Rasmussen and Peralta only pitch once
- Rays vs. Brewers: who is favored and the bullpen debate
- A first title for one team: the Rays' third World Series and the Brewers' 44-year wait
- Game 3 at the Trop and ticket prices
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- Baker Mayfield's return and the glove invented by Nick Bond
- Bucs at Carolina: Bryce Young, the Panthers' offense, and the division math
- Graham Barton on the quarterback's operation and the Shanahan/Purdy headset story
- Emeka Egbuka's concussion and foot injury
- Lightning in Denver, college football's off weekend, and savoring the Rays' run
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Rays' Pitching Plan vs. the Brewers, Yandy Diaz's Number, Kucherov Ties Stamkos & Baker Mayfield Practicing
The Rays have landed in Milwaukee for the World Series, which begins Friday, and Rick and Steve start by sizing up a matchup between two teams that have never won it all. They revisit how the Rays went 1-2 …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays have landed in Milwaukee for the World Series, which begins Friday, and Rick and Steve start by sizing up a matchup between two teams that have never won it all. They revisit how the Rays went 1-2 against every NL Central opponent early in the season, why Tampa Bay isn't favored, and a stat from Hard Rock Bet that Tampa Bay has had six championship-round appearances since 2020, more than any other city. Rick reflects on how far the franchise has come from displacement at Steinbrenner Field and a rebuilt Trop to the sport's biggest stage, and the hosts debate whether the Brewers' eight days off will cause rust. They also wonder if Junior Caminero's long-awaited homer will be the start of one of his streaks.
The pitching plan is a big topic. Jacob Misiorowski (16-5 with 252 strikeouts) is expected to open for Milwaukee, and Rick wants Drew Rasmussen to match him. Steve makes the case for starting Nick Martinez in Game 1, giving Rasmussen an extra day of rest in Game 2, and saving Freddy Peralta for Game 3 at the Trop, where he has been spectacular. Rick says he has plenty of faith in Martinez. They also point out how rested the bullpen is, with Brody Hopkins, Griffin Jax, Steven Matz, and Cole Sulser all needing work, and remind everyone that winning one of the first two games on the road would put the Rays in great shape for three at home. They remember the loudest moments at the Trop, from the Kiermaier-Adames-d'Arnaud relay against Houston to the crowd pop on the final out of the ALCS, and Rick explains why this series should be a treat for fans who love the strategy of baseball.
In a mailbag question from Craig in Vegas, the guys discuss whether Yandy Diaz's number should be retired. Steve rattles off the numbers (second in team history in on-base percentage, tied for second in batting average at .291, third in hits, fifth in runs, doubles, and home runs) and they debate the difference between the Rays Hall of Fame and retiring a number, with Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and Ben Zobrist as points of comparison, and compare it to which Lightning players will get numbers retired. After a note on $881 average secondary-market ticket prices, they turn to the Bucs: Baker Mayfield practiced with a glove on his throwing hand and looked accurate, though the velocity wasn't there, Emeka Egbuka is in concussion protocol with a foot injury, and about 20 players are on the injury report (five with illness). They also react to the viral stat that the Lightning are the last Tampa Bay pro team to win at Raymond James Stadium, the Lightning's 6-2 win in Vegas behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov's tying Stamkos for the franchise points record (1,137 in 194 fewer games), the case that Kucherov is the greatest Lightning player ever, Mike Evans' injury, and the Chris Godwin question: Rick looks at his lack of targets and wonders whether the Bucs should consider trading him before next week's deadline.
Segments- Rays arrive in Milwaukee for the World Series
- The Rays' history against the NL Central and the Brewers' rest
- "Champa Bay": six championship rounds since 2020
- Caminero's homer and whether he stays hot
- Misiorowski vs. Rasmussen and the Game 1 starter debate
- Bullpen rest and the 2-3-2 format
- The Trop's loudest moments
- Why this World Series is a strategy lover's dream
- Mailbag: should the Rays retire Yandy Diaz's number?
- Ticket prices and World Series revenue
- Baker Mayfield returns to practice with a glove
- Bucs injury report and the Carolina game
- Lightning's last-win-at-Raymond-James stat
- Lightning beat Vegas 6-2; Kucherov ties Stamkos and the greatest-Lightning-player debate
- Mike Evans and the Chris Godwin trade question
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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The Rays' Road to the World Series: Eric Neander's Trades, Junior Caminero's Trot, and the Brewers Ahead
The Rays are headed to the World Series for the third time in franchise history, and Rick is joined by Tampa Bay Times Rays beat writer Marc Topkin to explain how a team that most people (including Rick) pegged …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays are headed to the World Series for the third time in franchise history, and Rick is joined by Tampa Bay Times Rays beat writer Marc Topkin to explain how a team that most people (including Rick) pegged for around .500 got here. Marc describes the scene at Tropicana Field after the ALCS clincher, and then walks through the season: a roster coming off back-to-back losing years, the camaraderie that built through spring training, Nick Martinez as the team's unifier (and the guy who picks up the dinner checks), Eric Neander's pre-opening-day speech before a game they lost after blowing a 7-0 lead, the early sweep of the Yankees, a four-game sweep in Boston after the All-Star break followed by a sweep of Toronto, and the AL East clincher and postseason celebrations at Yankee Stadium. They revisit Yandy Diaz's "we're going to win tomorrow" quote before Game 6.
The pitching staff gets plenty of time. Marc talks about Drew Rasmussen, who has come back from three elbow surgeries and hasn't lost a game he started since before the All-Star break, and about lining up Rasmussen for World Series Game 1 and Freddy Peralta for Game 2 so both former Brewers can pitch in Milwaukee. He breaks down the trade for Peralta, why Neander passed on a package with top prospect Theo Gillen, and the small adjustments (a quicker delivery without the windup, a new spot on the rubber, more changeups, a higher release point) that turned him into the ALCS MVP, then covers Brian Baker's rise from middle reliever to a streak of 30-plus straight saves, and Liam Hicks, the Arkansas State product and former hockey goalie from Canada who caught seven pitchers on his first night with the team and homered in Colorado.
From there, they get to the personalities: Junior Caminero's 38-second home run trot and the Randy Arozarena pose at home plate, his four-strikeout slump before the rainout, and Chandler Simpson's "cause chaos, create havoc" approach, which warps defenses more than any hitter in baseball. Marc describes Yandy Diaz's growth as a quiet leader (he's the only Rays player remaining from the 2020 World Series) and tells a story about a lineup-card typo that had him at first base. Then he compares this team to the 2008 Rays based on conversations with Joe Maddon, Evan Longoria, BJ Upton, Carlos Pena, and others, and previews the Brewers: the best team in baseball, led by young star Jackson Chourio and flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski, with a front office headed by former Rays executive Matt Arnold. The recorded intro and outro also cover the Bucs preparing for Carolina and the status of Baker Mayfield's thumb, the Lightning's trip west, and the perfect idea for a boat parade from St. Petersburg to Tampa.
Segments- The scene at the Trop and why the Rays surpassed expectations
- Camaraderie, Nick Martinez, and Eric Neander's opening-day speech
- How the season unfolded: Yankees sweeps, Boston, Toronto, and the clinchers
- Yandy Diaz's guarantee and the volume at the Trop
- Drew Rasmussen's postseason dominance and the World Series rotation
- Freddy Peralta: the trade, the fixes, and the ALCS MVP
- Brian Baker's emergence as closer
- Liam Hicks, the catcher the Rays stole at the deadline
- Junior Caminero's trot and star power
- Chandler Simpson's chaos
- Yandy Diaz: the longest-tenured Ray and a quiet leader
- Parallels to the 2008 Rays
- Previewing the Brewers
- Intro and outro: Bucs prepare for Carolina, Baker Mayfield's status, Lightning, and a boat parade
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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The Rays Are World Series Bound: Caminero's Blast, Yandy's Knockout Punch & a Date With the Brewers
The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series for the third time in franchise history after beating the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in ALCS Game 6, and Rick says he's never been around a team that surprised him …
Notes de l’épisode
The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series for the third time in franchise history after beating the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in ALCS Game 6, and Rick says he's never been around a team that surprised him more. Steve was at the Trop and takes Rick through the moment Junior Caminero's home run (off Cade Smith's splitter, the first homer Smith has allowed on that pitch in 884 thrown, down the line off the foul pole) made it 5-1 and turned the building into a party. They laugh about his 38.66-second home run trot, his stop at home plate to point at Randy Arozarena in the crowd and strike the "Randy pose," and the way Andy Freed said it was "out counting time" on the radio. Then things got dicey: Tyler Wells walked a run in and hit a batter to make it 5-3 with the bases loaded, before Kevin Kelly shut the door, and Yandy Diaz's home run in the bottom of the eighth put it away. They also salute Taylor Walls' smart double play, Richie Palacios (the team leader with 35 two-out RBIs this season), and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta, who allowed one earned run in 12 innings in the series. Rick is convinced the Guardians hit Diaz on purpose after his guarantee comments, and Steve questions the decision in an elimination game.
The guys look ahead to a Brewers series they both think will be a joy to watch: two teams that win with pitching, defense, contact, and moving runners, the first World Series since 1980 between two franchises that have never won it, and a matchup between the two best teams in baseball. They go through the Rays' improbable path, from DraftKings' preseason win total of 77 or 78 to a 3.2 percent chance at the ALCS from FanGraphs, plus the fact that 17 of the 26 players in the dugout Monday were acquired in trades and only four (Aranda, Seymour, Simpson, and Walls) were originally signed or drafted by the Rays. They sort out the World Series pitching order (Peralta can't pitch Game 1 on short rest, and Steve likes Nick Martinez, then Drew Rasmussen, then Peralta), talk about the new ownership group and Stu Sternberg, and discuss Aaron Boone returning for a tenth season with the Yankees, Cade Smith's tie with Brian Baker for the league lead in saves, and a boat parade for St. Petersburg.
At the end, the hosts turn to a few other topics: the 49ers beat the Commanders to go 6-0, but Mike Evans left with an Achilles injury; Jalon Daniels' fourth-down throwaway in the red zone; Baker Mayfield practicing Wednesday while Todd Bowles stays noncommittal about the starter; and the Lightning playing late tonight in Vegas, with puck drop at 10:45.
Segments:
- Rays beat the Guardians 7-3 to win the ALCS
- Caminero's home run and the Randy Arozarena pose
- A shaky eighth: Tyler Wells, Kevin Kelly, and Yandy Diaz's knockout homer
- Taylor Walls' glove, Richie Palacios' clutch hitting, and Freddy Peralta's MVP series
- Why Cleveland ran out of pitching and who delivered for the Rays
- World Series preview: Rays vs. Brewers and the rotation order
- How the Rays built this team: trades, Kyle Snyder's coaching, and long odds
- Memories of the 2008 World Series and Rich McKay's advice
- Aaron Boone's return and the New York reaction
- Boat parade, the Rowdies' title, and Dave Wills
- 49ers beat the Commanders; Mike Evans injured
- Bucs QB outlook and the Lightning in Vegas
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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Rays Are One Win From the World Series While the Bucs Blow a 13-Point Lead to Steelers
The Rays can clinch the American League pennant tonight at Tropicana Field with Freddy Peralta on the mound. After taking two of three in Cleveland, Tampa Bay has the series back at the Trop, and Rick opens by …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays can clinch the American League pennant tonight at Tropicana Field with Freddy Peralta on the mound. After taking two of three in Cleveland, Tampa Bay has the series back at the Trop, and Rick opens by wondering whether there's been a more clutch pitcher this postseason than Drew Rasmussen, who allowed one hit through five shutout innings in Sunday's 3-1 win. Rick and Steve talk about the Rays' run of timely scoring (a run in each of the first three innings), a wall-climbing catch in right field, and a bullpen that held up, including Cam Boozer and Tyler Wells. They also raise one concern: Brian Baker's velocity is starting to dip, which is another reason to finish it tonight and avoid a Game 7 that would require a patchwork of Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour, Nick Martinez, and Rasmussen. Waiting in the World Series would be the Milwaukee Brewers, who won 103 games and swept the Dodgers while trailing in every game.
The guys also reflect on how a team that was told to "block out the noise" has become so tight, why the Rays keep finding value from other organizations (Peralta, Rasmussen, Liam Hicks, and Boozer, who was out of baseball two years ago), and what it means for kids growing up in the Tampa Bay area. Rick says Kevin Cash, the longest-tenured manager in baseball, deserves a better first line on his Wikipedia page than Blake Snell, and shares memories of the 2008 World Series and the Ray Hawks. He also revisits last week's debate about Tampa Bay's crowds, saying the Rays' variable pricing started too high, and predicts there won't be many empty seats tonight (or as many Guardians fans as there were Steelers fans at Raymond James Stadium).
The second half is the Bucs' collapse. Tampa Bay led Pittsburgh 16-3 in the fourth quarter and lost 26-19 in overtime, in front of a stadium full of Terrible Towels. Chase McLaughlin kicked the game-tying field goal, the defense had five sacks (two from David Walker, Rueben Bain Jr.'s first career sack, and an interception by A'Shawn Robinson), but Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers came back, Jalon Daniels threw two interceptions, and he was sacked on the final play. Rick and Steve talk about the lack of a true number one receiver, the Dallas win being as much Dallas' loss as the Bucs' win, Todd Bowles saying there's "no margin for error" at 1-5, and the division math: Tampa Bay is two and a half games behind 3-2 Carolina, needs to go roughly 8-3 the rest of the way, and plays the Panthers next. Baker Mayfield's status won't be known until Wednesday. The show closes with the Lightning's 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks (6-2 on the season, heading to Vegas), a wild college football weekend (Florida beats Texas, Auburn beats Georgia, BYU beats Notre Dame, and Ohio State outlasts Indiana), and some stories about trying to get to Milwaukee.
Segments:
- Rays are one win from the World Series: Game 6 tonight with Peralta
- Rasmussen's clutch pitching and the Game 5 win
- Bullpen, Baker's velocity, and what Game 7 would look like
- Why this Rays team works: acquisitions, chemistry, and Kevin Cash
- Growing up with the Rays: 2008 memories and the Ray Hawks
- Bucs lose to the Steelers in overtime after leading 16-3
- Jalon Daniels, the receiver problem, and the defense's five sacks
- Bowles: "no margin for error" and the NFC South math
- Baker Mayfield's status for Carolina
- Lightning beat the Canucks 4-2 and head west
- World Series travel and a snowy bus ride to Green Bay
- College football: Florida over Texas, Auburn over Georgia, BYU over Notre Dame
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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Rays' Bats Go Silent in Cleveland, Jalon Daniels Gets Aaron Rodgers, and Victor Hedman Wins It in Overtime
The Rays lost ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland 3-2, and Rick says their offense is in a bad place: three hits, 13 strikeouts from a team that rarely strikes out, and a "big three" of Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays lost ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland 3-2, and Rick says their offense is in a bad place: three hits, 13 strikeouts from a team that rarely strikes out, and a "big three" of Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero that still hasn't shown up. Caminero struck out four times, and Rick and Steve wonder whether his shoulder is bothering him after the collision with Johnny DeLuca or whether he's simply pressing in his first real postseason, chasing pitches he normally lays off. They credit Gavin Williams and Cleveland's pitching and defense, note that Griffin Jax held the Guardians to three runs through five innings (which most people would have taken), and point out that Chandler Simpson's stand-up triple briefly gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead. With rain in the forecast and the Rays needing at least one win in Cleveland to get back to the Trop, the hosts even discuss how a rainout could line up Drew Rasmussen for Game 4. Meanwhile, the Brewers finished off the Dodgers with a 6-4 win, and Rick calls Milwaukee the quietest 100-win team ever and one that will be tough for anyone in the World Series.
Rick also returns to last night's debate about whether Tampa Bay is a bad baseball town. Neither LCS game was sold out (the Dodgers were about 7,000 seats short of their announced crowd), and he wonders why only the Rays got criticized. He points out that Tampa and Hillsborough County leaders committed roughly $2 million to a ballpark, and says you can't judge fandom on attendance or tell people how to spend their money.
On the Bucs, Baker Mayfield tried to throw after Wednesday's practice and it didn't go well, so he's out for Sunday and Jalon Daniels will make his third straight start against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Rick thinks Baker will return at Carolina, but argues that the Dallas win means little if the Bucs can't follow it with one against Pittsburgh. They discuss T.J. Watt, Todd Bowles' calling Rodgers a "nightmare," how the Bucs could rattle him the way they did in the 2020 NFC Championship Game, why Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum are playing great, and whether the Bucs can finally win at home. Then it's a quick look at the Broncos' overtime win over the Seahawks, a happy night for the Lightning (Victor Hedman wins it in overtime against the Kraken, Steve flags that they blew two third-period leads and went 0-for-3 on the power play, and they're now 9-0-2 all-time against Seattle), and a college football weekend loaded with ranked matchups, including Florida at Texas and Florida State at Miami.
Segments:
- Rays lose ALCS Game 3 3-2: three hits and 13 strikeouts
- Caminero's struggles and the Rays' "big three"
- Game 4 rain possibilities and the need to win one in Cleveland
- Brewers sweep the Dodgers; the World Series outlook
- Neither LCS game sold out: Rick's defense of Tampa Bay baseball fans
- Bucs-Steelers preview: Baker Mayfield is out, Jalon Daniels starts again
- Stopping Aaron Rodgers and winning at home
- Broncos beat the Seahawks in overtime
- Lightning beat the Kraken in overtime: Victor Hedman's winner
- Lightning schedule: Canucks Saturday and a Western Conference run
- College football weekend: Florida at Texas, FSU at Miami, and a stacked slate
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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An Early Game 3 in Cleveland for Rays, a Defense of Tampa Bay Fans, and Bucs' Baker Mayfield's Race Against the Clock
The Rays play ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland at 1 p.m. today, moved up because of bad weather, and Rick and Steve open with the series, the NLCS, and a Dodgers "conspiracy theory." With the Brewers up 4-2 in the …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays play ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland at 1 p.m. today, moved up because of bad weather, and Rick and Steve open with the series, the NLCS, and a Dodgers "conspiracy theory." With the Brewers up 4-2 in the eighth inning of NLCS Game 3 as they recorded and on the verge of a 3-0 series lead (and Dave Roberts leaving Blake Snell in too long, which lets Kevin Cash off the hook), the guys picture a small-market World Series, with a stop to remember that the movie Major League was filmed in Milwaukee County Stadium, where the Packers used to play a game each year and the Bucs visited. Back in the ALCS, Griffin Jacks gets the ball in Game 3 with Nick Martinez available in relief and likely to start Game 4 on Friday, and Rasmussen on Saturday. They also congratulate Chandler Simpson and Taylor Walls, both Gold Glove finalists (Walls is up against Bobby Witt Jr.), Junior Caminero as a finalist for the Players Choice AL Outstanding Player award, and Shane McClanahan as a Comeback Player of the Year nominee. The Rays need at least one win in Cleveland, and the hosts discuss how the Guardians struggled at home this year, why an early lead matters, and how a sloppy fielding moment helped Tampa Bay in Game 2.
Then Rick takes on the question that comes up every time the Rays host a postseason game: is Tampa Bay a bad sports market? After the upper deck was opened for the first time since 2016 and crowds were in the low-to-mid 30,000s for Game 2, New York radio hosts were quick to pile on. Rick explains why he disagrees: mid-range seats at $150 each, parking, and food turn a game into a $500 night for two and $1,000 for a family of four, in a service and tourism economy with a transient population and plenty of fans who root for the teams they grew up with. He talks about how pro sports have priced out the average fan (Packers, Steelers, and Canadiens fans filling the seats Tampa Bay season ticket holders sell), why people shouldn't tell others how to spend their money, and the pull of an 85-inch TV at home. Steve adds that winning cures most of it, noting that Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and the Braves once struggled too, and the guys end with the greed of professional sports and a nod to the Lightning's marketing.
The final stretch turns to the Bucs. Baker Mayfield wasn't at practice, Todd Bowles said he was scheduled to throw Wednesday afternoon, and Jalen Daniels handled the starting quarterback's press conference. Rick wouldn't be surprised if Baker returns to practice on Friday and is listed as questionable, explains Baker's "50 percent of me is better than 100 percent of somebody else" mindset, and weighs the argument for waiting until the Carolina division game against the argument for playing him now. They break down why the Steelers game is so important in a division where nobody has more than two wins, how a Deron Bland drop saved Daniels from a costly throw in Dallas, a tougher Pittsburgh defense with T.J. Watt, Aaron Rodgers' history in Tampa, and Bucky Irving firing up his offensive line before the Cowboys game because he was "so tired of losing." The Lightning host the Kraken at 7 p.m. looking to bounce back from the loss at the Rangers.
Segments:
- Rays-Guardians Game 3 moved to 1 p.m. in Cleveland
- NLCS update: Brewers on the verge of a 3-0 lead and the Dodgers conspiracy theory
- A small-market World Series? Milwaukee County Stadium and Major League
- Griffin Jacks starts Game 3: the pitching plan for the weekend
- Gold Glove finalists Chandler Simpson and Taylor Walls; Caminero and McClanahan honors
- What the Rays need in Cleveland
- Is Tampa Bay a bad sports market? Ticket prices, a service economy, and winning
- Baker Mayfield's thumb: will he play against the Steelers?
- Why the Steelers game matters in the NFC South
- Bucky Irving's fire and Aaron Rodgers' history in Tampa
- Lightning vs. the Kraken tonight
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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Fastball Freddy and a Little Luck Even the ALCS for Rays plus Bucs' Baker Mayfield Eyes a Comeback
We have a series. The Rays beat the Guardians 3-1 in ALCS Game 2 to even the best-of-seven at one game apiece, and Rick and Steve walk through a nervy night at Tropicana Field. Parker Messick, the Plant City …
Notes de l’épisode
We have a series. The Rays beat the Guardians 3-1 in ALCS Game 2 to even the best-of-seven at one game apiece, and Rick and Steve walk through a nervy night at Tropicana Field. Parker Messick, the Plant City native, kept the Rays in check and got a couple of double plays until a pair of Rays challenges overturned one, Chandler Simpson (back in the lineup) beat out a high chopper, Victor Mesa hustled to third when nobody covered it, and Jose Ramirez let a Ben Williamson grounder skip through his legs for a 1-0 lead. Liam Hicks then ripped a slider to center for a 3-0 advantage. Freddy Peralta did the rest, throwing the fastest pitches of his career with more than 70 percent fastballs, working out of traffic with a changeup he couldn't control, and extending a run in which he has won eight straight starts and allowed one run or none in every outing. Brian Baker earned his 34th consecutive save, and Steve has the stat of the night: the Rays are 89-0 when leading after eight innings this season, including the postseason, a mark only eight other teams since 1900 have matched.
A big chunk of the show is Rick's defense of Kevin Cash against after-the-fact criticism of his lineup choices, from the Chandler Simpson-against-lefties debate to Taylor Walls' glove, plus whether the Game 1 decision to send Rasmussen out for the seventh had anything to do with Blake Snell (Steve and Rick both say no). They look ahead to Game 3 in Cleveland on Thursday at a 6 p.m. start, why the 2-3-2 format makes that game so important (the team that wins it takes the series about 70 percent of the time), the odd choice of Griffin Jacks over Nick Martinez to start it, and how much the Rays miss Shane McClanahan. They also trade views on who closes if Baker is unavailable (Kevin Kelly, Cam Boozer, a high-velocity Hopkins, or Ian Seymour), why the "big three" bats of Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero still haven't broken out, a Mutombo-style finger wag, and the cost of postseason tickets and what that means for the crowd (and whether Game 6 on Monday could start at 5 p.m.).
Then it's the Bucs. The President was set to attend Sunday's Steelers game and isn't now, which has Rick relieved about traffic and security, and Mike Alstott gets some love as one of the most popular athletes in the area after hyping the Trop crowd. The big question is Baker Mayfield: he'll try to throw this week, Todd Bowles says Jalon Daniels is the starter "right now," and Rick explains why a competitor like Baker doesn't want to watch someone else do his job, while also noting that Daniels got away with a near-disastrous throw in Dallas that would have been a pick-six had it not been dropped. The show closes with the Lightning's 4-1 loss at the Rangers (outscored 9-2 by New York in two games but undefeated against everyone else), their four-game win streak ending, and a schedule that's all Western Conference teams for the rest of October.
Segments:
- Rays beat the Guardians 3-1 to even the ALCS
- How the Rays scored: Messick's double plays, Simpson's infield hit, Ramirez's error, Hicks' two-run single
- Freddy Peralta's fastball-heavy night and his streak
- Defending Kevin Cash: lineup decisions, second-guessing, and Rasmussen in Game 1
- Game 3 preview: Griffin Jacks, the 2-3-2 odds, and the absence of McClanahan
- The Rays' pitching development and Brian Baker's 89-0 perfection after eight innings
- Who closes if Baker is out, and where the big three bats stand
- Fan experience: ticket prices, attendance, and the Game 6 start time
- Bucs vs. Steelers preview: no presidential visit, Mike Alstott's popularity, Team Tampa Bay
- Baker Mayfield's attempt to return and Jalon Daniels' near-mistake in Dallas
- Lightning fall 4-1 at the Rangers and look ahead
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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Guardians Spoil the ALCS Opener for Rays and the Bucs Start Finding an Identity
If you had Guardians in four, you're looking pretty good. Cleveland won its fourth straight postseason game with a 7-3 victory in ALCS Game 1 at Tropicana Field, and Rick and Steve go through what went wrong …
Notes de l’épisode
If you had Guardians in four, you're looking pretty good. Cleveland won its fourth straight postseason game with a 7-3 victory in ALCS Game 1 at Tropicana Field, and Rick and Steve go through what went wrong for the Rays: a first inning in which they scored twice but left the bases loaded, a stretch where 13 of 14 hitters went down, and Drew Rasmussen, who battled but wasn't dominant, giving up solo home runs to Chase DeLauter in the sixth and Patrick Bailey to start the seventh after Kevin Cash sent him back out. Former Ray Nate Lowe added big hits against a shaky bullpen (Cam Boozer was fine, Tyler Wells struggled after a long layoff). They also cover the scary top-of-the-ninth collision between Junior Caminero and Johnny DeLuca, Jonathan Aranda's perfect first-inning sacrifice bunt (his first of the year), Cash's platoon lineup that sat Chandler Simpson, Richie Palacios, and Liam Hicks, and why Rick says the Guardians, who rarely strike out and put constant pressure on a defense, play a lot like the Rays. Game 2 is tonight with Freddy Peralta against Plant City's Parker Messick, and the hosts remind everyone that this Cleveland team just won four straight after losing the first two to the White Sox, and the series isn't going to be easy.
Then it's the Bucs, who were back at work with limited availability. Rick spoke with Alex Anzalone and Zyon McCollum and says Tampa Bay is starting to forge an identity: a defense that stops the run (second in the league), forces turnovers, and mixes man and zone coverage, plus a running game built around Bucky Irving and the offensive line. They dig into how Anzalone struggled early wearing the green dot helmet communicator after Lavonte David's retirement, how he's gotten faster and more comfortable, and how he sealed the Dallas win on a hustle interception after the Cowboys' 99-yard drive. Steve and Rick also talk about how much the Bucs miss Mike Evans after his big night in San Francisco, with the 49ers now 5-0 and looking like the best team in the NFC.
Plus: the NFC South is wide open now that the Ravens rallied past the Falcons (no one in the division has more than two wins), what Todd Bowles is preaching about adversity, and how the Bucs might use the Steelers game to reach Carolina with a chance at the division lead. The Lightning, winners of four straight, play the Rangers tonight without Igor Shesterkin, and Nikita Kucherov is six points from passing Steven Stamkos for the franchise scoring lead, which sparks a debate over the greatest Lightning player of all time. The hosts close with the "low IQ" state of modern hockey and football, and a pitch for AI face shields in the NFL.
Segments:
- Guardians beat the Rays 7-3 in ALCS Game 1
- Where it went wrong: bases loaded in the first, Rasmussen in the seventh, and a bullpen layoff
- Caminero-DeLuca collision, Aranda's sacrifice bunt, and Cash's platoon lineup
- Game 2 preview: Freddy Peralta vs. Parker Messick
- Bucs' emerging identity: defense, the run game, and Alex Anzalone's growth with the green dot
- Missing Mike Evans, and the 49ers at 5-0
- Lightning at the Rangers, no Shesterkin, and Kucherov chasing Stamkos
- Low-IQ hockey and football, AI face shields, and Washington's clock management
- Ravens beat the Falcons; the NFC South picture and the Steelers game ahead
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
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Rays Open ALCS at the Trop Tonight, NFL Coaches Give Games Away, and Mike Evans Finds Second Wind
The Rays open the American League Championship Series tonight at Tropicana Field against a Guardians team that came back from 0-2 to beat the White Sox, and Rick and Steve break down the matchup. Cleveland's …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays open the American League Championship Series tonight at Tropicana Field against a Guardians team that came back from 0-2 to beat the White Sox, and Rick and Steve break down the matchup. Cleveland's payroll is lower than Tampa Bay's, the Rays went 5-1 against the Guardians this year (including three shutouts), and Drew Rasmussen takes the ball in Game 1 with the team having won his last 13 starts. They talk through the 2-3-2 format, Shane McClanahan being shut down for the rest of the season, whether Ian Seymour becomes the fourth starter or follows an opener, why Junior Caminero hasn't exploded in the playoffs yes, and Mark Topkin's story on how many Rays and Guardians have crossed between the two organizations, from Kevin Cash and Stephen Vogt to Yandy Diaz and Richie Palacios. Steve picks the Rays in six. They also check in on a Brewers-Dodgers NLCS Game 1 that was tight in the eighth, a Dodgers team chasing a third straight World Series, and the looming lockout and payroll debate, with Rick offering a "bucket list" reason to get to a postseason game.
Then it's the Bucs' mini bye week. Rick and Steve revisit Todd Bowles owning the fourth-and-1 decision from Thursday (and the 99-yard Dallas drive that followed), then turn to a Sunday of head-scratching coaching decisions: the Eagles kicking off to the Jaguars' returner with 11 seconds left in London, and a Commanders-Giants 27-27 tie in which Washington let the clock expire in field goal range in overtime. At 1-4 the Bucs still sit in a winnable NFC South, with the Steelers coming to Tampa, Baker Mayfield trying to play through his thumb injury, and Bowles saying Jalen Daniels is the plan. Rick also gives them a "puncher's chance" against Aaron Rodgers.
The hosts also celebrate Mike Evans' big night for the undefeated 49ers (seven catches, 114 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion at Seattle with a cracked rib) and what it says about the receivers the Bucs have now. In college football, Florida gets beaten badly by South Carolina, Texas and LSU both lose, and Georgia gets past Alabama. They close with the Lightning's 5-3 win over the Islanders behind Brandon Hagel's three goals, tonight's game against a Rangers team playing without Igor Shesterkin, and the week ahead.
Segments:
- Weekend recap and ALCS Game 1 preview: Rays vs. Guardians
- Payrolls, the Dodgers' third-straight World Series bid, and Cleveland's comeback on the White Sox
- Game 1 and the pitching plan: Rasmussen, McClanahan's absence, and Ian Seymour
- Caminero, Jose Ramirez, and the Rays-Guardians crossover story
- Brewers-Dodgers NLCS Game 1, the lockout debate, and a "bucket list" postseason game
- Bucs mini bye week and Bowles' fourth-and-1 decision
- Sunday's coaching gaffes: Jaguars-Eagles in London and the Commanders-Giants tie
- The Bucs at 1-4: the NFC South picture, Steelers preview, and Baker Mayfield's thumb
- Mike Evans' big night with the 49ers
- College football: Florida, Texas, Georgia-Alabama, and LSU
- Lightning beat the Islanders 5-3 and host the Rangers
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bucs Break the Zero: Jalon Daniels and Bucky Irving Stun the Cowboys in Dallas
The Bucs are finally in the win column. Tampa Bay went into Dallas on a short week with an undrafted rookie quarterback and came away with its first road victory in 347 days, and Rick says it may have saved …
Notes de l’épisode
The Bucs are finally in the win column. Tampa Bay went into Dallas on a short week with an undrafted rookie quarterback and came away with its first road victory in 347 days, and Rick says it may have saved their season. Jalon Daniels was 19-of-25 for 189 yards and a touchdown (110.2 rating) and added 23 yards on the ground, but the star was Bucky Irving, who ran for a career-high 165 yards, including a 72-yard career long, as the Bucs rushed for about 240 as a team. The defense, playing without Antoine Winfield Jr., held the NFL's second-highest-scoring offense in check with three takeaways, constant pressure on Dak Prescott (no sacks, but 42 forced attempts), and just 50 rushing yards allowed by Dallas. Emeka Egbuka finally got involved, special teams didn't cost them a game, and Chase McLaughlin made all of his kicks. Rick and Steve also dig into the 14 penalties, Todd Bowles' controversial fourth-and-one call that nearly cost them, the Cowboys' shaky defense, and a surprising question: could Baker Mayfield be back when the Bucs host the Steelers after nearly 10 days off?
They look at an NFC South where nobody has more than two wins and no one has played a division game yet, why Rick thinks Atlanta, New Orleans, and Carolina (with Bryce Young playing at an MVP level) are all beatable, and how the Bucs can claw back to .500. Then it's a busy sports night: the Lightning beat the Wild 3-2 to go 3-0 on their homestand as Dennis Hildeby makes his first start and John Carlson ends a 0-for-14 power play drought with two goals; USF falls at UTSA for a second straight loss under first-year coach Brian Hartline; and the Guardians force a Game 5 against the White Sox, with the Rays waiting for the winner on Monday. The hosts close with the story behind Jalen Daniels' mom joining his Prime interview, his foundation helping kids afford youth sports, and why the cost of youth sports has gotten out of hand.
Segments:
- Bucs beat the Cowboys: why this might have saved their season
- Jalen Daniels' second start and Bucky Irving's huge night
- The defense dominates without Antoine Winfield Jr.
- 14 penalties, Todd Bowles' fourth-and-one decision, and the Steelers game ahead
- Could Baker Mayfield return? The NFC South picture without a division game played
- USF falls at UTSA; Brian Hartline's first-year growing pains
- Lightning beat the Wild 3-2 and head to New York
- Guardians-White Sox Game 5 and the Rays' ALCS wait
- Jalen Daniels' mom, his foundation, and the cost of youth sports
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rays Sweep the Yankees to Win ALDS While Bucs Search for a Win in Dallas
The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the American League Championship Series after sweeping the Yankees with a 4-3 win in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, and Rick says the only downside is that they can't pop champagne …
Notes de l’épisode
The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the American League Championship Series after sweeping the Yankees with a 4-3 win in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, and Rick says the only downside is that they can't pop champagne in the Bronx a third time this year. The Yankees never led in the series. Rick and Steve break down the finish: a lineup tweak that sat Chandler Simpson but got Ryan Vilade's home run, Victor Mesa Jr.'s no-doubt two-run bomb off a lefty, a patchwork bullpen that held on (Griffin Jax, Cam Boozer, Kevin Kelly, Bryan Baker, and a calming visit from Kyle Snyder), and a Volpe "home run" that was overturned for fan interference. They also explain how a team picked to finish last in the AL East have won 101 games so far by bringing bunting back (a Wall Street Journal story says the Rays had more bunt attempts than any team in 10 years), playing the deepest outfield in baseball, and finding value on the margins. From there: Rays vs. the White Sox or Guardians on Monday at the Trop, a possible World Series against the Dodgers or Brewers, a 34-page MLB lockout memo (no Christmas cards to players after Dec. 2), and a comparison to Jeffrey Maier in 1996.
The second half turns to the Bucs, who are 0-4 and headed to Dallas for Thursday Night Football with Jalon Daniels making his second start in four days. Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr. are out, kicker Chase McLaughlin (9-for-9) is nursing a hip and leg injury but expected to play, and the Cowboys are averaging 30 points per game with CeeDee Lamb piling up targets. Rick and Steve discuss what Daniels needs to do better (reading blitzes and setting protection), why special teams can't cost them again, and why Rueben Bain Jr. could be the game-wrecker the Bucs need.
Timestamps:
- 0:35 – Rays sweep the Yankees; no more champagne at Yankee Stadium
- 1:12 – Yankees never led the series; Rays clinch there for the second time in 15 days
- 1:52 – ALCS opponent: White Sox or Guardians, with Game 1 Monday at the Trop
- 2:11 – Third ALCS in franchise history: 2008 Red Sox, 2020 Astros
- 3:16 – Chandler Simpson on the bench, Vilade's home run, Mesa's two-run blast
- 4:04 – Yankees lineup change leaves Ben Rice out of the ninth
- 4:31 – Rays bullpen: Griffin Jax, Boozer, Kelly, Baker, and Kyle Snyder's mound visits
- 6:06 – Victor Mesa Jr.'s two-run bomb off a lefty
- 7:21 – Bryan Baker's rise from "B bullpen" to leading the majors in saves
- 9:01 – A team picked to finish fifth in the AL East
- 9:41 – Rays bring fundamentals back to baseball: bunting, stealing, hit-and-run
- 11:32 – Winning on the margins: pitching, defense, speed
- 13:07 – The new ownership group and the Rays' AL East champion T-shirts
- 14:20 – How the Rays' deep outfield positioning is changing baseball
- 15:17 – Volpe's "home run" overturned: fan interference
- 17:12 – Kevin Cash sticks with Jax for another inning
- 18:21 – Lightning off to a decent start; three TVs needed for Thursday night
- 19:12 – NLCS: Dodgers advance, Brewers up 3-1; salary cap talk looms
- 19:58 – MLB's 34-page lockout memo: no Christmas cards after Dec. 2
- 21:05 – Fan interference and the 1996 Jeffrey Maier comparison
- 22:49 – Rays' 101 wins; World Series would start on the road
- 24:34 – White Sox, the Pope, and a Popemobile bullpen cart
- 26:36 – Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
- 27:37 – Bucs at Cowboys preview: Chase McLaughlin's injury, Baker and Winfield out
- 29:36 – Jalon Daniels handling the noise in his second start on a short week
- 31:31 – A louder road environment; Cowboys' high-scoring offense and shaky defense
- 32:40 – Reuben Bain Jr. as a game-wrecker
- 34:48 – Special teams and a fair evaluation of Daniels' first start
- 36:36 – How Green Bay saved its blitzes for the final drive
- 38:05 – Rain in Tampa and the flight to Dallas
- 38:49 – Contending with CeeDee Lamb, and what a Bucs win would change
- 40:05 – Alabama-Georgia weather and wrap-up
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Can the Rays Sweep the Yankees? ALDS Game 3 + Bucs-Cowboys Preview
Can the Tampa Bay Rays sweep the Yankees in ALDS Game 3 tonight? Rick Stroud (Tampa Bay Times) and Steve Versnick preview Rays-Yankees, then break down Bucs at Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.The Rays lead …
Notes de l’épisode
Can the Tampa Bay Rays sweep the Yankees in ALDS Game 3 tonight? Rick Stroud (Tampa Bay Times) and Steve Versnick preview Rays-Yankees, then break down Bucs at Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.
The Rays lead the Yankees 2-0 and can book a trip to the ALCS tonight at Yankee Stadium. Rick and Steve explain why the Rays' pressure style has worked all season, from a Yankees lineup with just five hits in the series to the best defensive outfield in the Statcast era. They also react to the New York tabloids' "Errors Tour" headline, talk about Max Fried's wife being due any day while he stays on to pitch Game 3, and dig into what makes this Rays team so fun to root for, including a possible ALCS against the surprising White Sox.
Then it's on to the Buccaneers. After talking with Jalon Daniels and Zach Robinson, Rick lays out how a winless Bucs team on a short week can beat Dak Prescott and the Cowboys (hint: it starts with Rueben Bain Jr.), why Chase McLaughlin's hip and groin injury explains the skipped 65-yard field goal, and why the 0-4 Bucs are still alive in a weak NFC South.
0:00 Rays can sweep the Yankees tonight in ALDS Game 3
1:21 "Errors Tour": the New York tabloids roast the Yankees
2:38 Why the Rays can finish it: Nick Martinez vs. Max Fried
4:02 Max Fried's wife is due any day: would you pitch?
9:07 How the Rays handle a hostile Yankee Stadium
10:51 A pro-Rays crowd at the Trop: "first team to lose two home games on the road"
11:42 Rooting for the team where you live (and the ones you grew up with)
16:27 The Yankees' errors stat that hasn't happened since the Halladay no-hitter
17:31 Why the Rays have the best outfield defense of the Statcast era
19:25 How the Rays put constant pressure on a defense
20:17 How this team compares to the 2008 World Series Rays
21:56 New owners, Stu Sternberg, and the Dungy-Gruden parallel
24:52 A magical season: trade deadline moves and a team with no agendas
26:09 White Sox, the Pope, and the salary cap debate
28:56 Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
30:07 Bucs: Jalen Daniels and Zach Robinson ahead of Thursday night
33:15 Dallas' elite offense vs. its porous defense
35:16 The Bucs' wild card: Reuben Bain Jr.
37:26 Chase McLaughlin's injury explains the skipped 65-yard field goal
39:05 NFC South math: why 0-4 isn't over
42:32 CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and a crowded Tampa Bay Thursday night
43:14 Wrap-up and sponsor
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Rays Roll 5-2 over Yankees for 2-0 Series Lead, Lightning Win Again While the Bucs Lose Antoine Winfield Jr.
The Rays are one win from the ALCS after a 5-2 victory over the Yankees in front of a second straight Tropicana Field sellout, and Rick calls it an "infomercial" for why Tampa Bay won the AL East: Yankee chaos …
Notes de l’épisode
The Rays are one win from the ALCS after a 5-2 victory over the Yankees in front of a second straight Tropicana Field sellout, and Rick calls it an "infomercial" for why Tampa Bay won the AL East: Yankee chaos on the bases (four errors, maybe five, three in the first inning alone), patient at-bats that chased Cam Schlittler after two strikeouts, and a four-run fifth capped by Richie Palacios' eight-pitch, two-run single off a lefty. Steve has the stat of the night: Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Wells are a combined 5-for-20 in the series while the rest of the Yankees lineup is 0-for-38. Rick and Steve also salute Freddy Peralta, a "tremendous" Ian Seymour (nine outs), and a bullpen that's fully rested for Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, note that teams up 2-0 in a best-of-five series have won roughly nine times out of ten, and look ahead to a possible ALCS against a surprising White Sox team, with the Brewers lurking in the National League and a looming lockout debate over competitive balance. The Lightning also improved to 2-1 with another home win, this one over the Flyers, outshooting Philadelphia 36-14.
Then the Bucs news turns grim: Antoine Winfield Jr. has a cracked rib and will miss two to four weeks, just as the team heads to Dallas on a short week to face a Cowboys offense averaging 30.5 points per game with Jalen Daniels making his second start in four days. Rick runs through the injury report and explains why the receivers can't get open (Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin are both slot types without a true outside threat like Mike Evans), compares it to other teams' number ones getting 14-plus targets every week, and notes the Bucs have played 10 straight one-score games and are 2-8 in them. From there, Rick takes a hard look at Jason Licht's recent draft classes round by round and wonders aloud if the roster is simply "not that talented," whether the Glazers knew it, and what the Todd Bowles hot seat looks like if the Bucs fall to 0-5. They also debate when a mid-season firing would even happen, why interim coaches are a bad idea, and what history says about teams that start 0-4 (only the 1992 Chargers recovered to make the playoffs).
Segments:
- Rays go up 2-0 on the Yankees: chaos on the bases, Palacios' big hit, and the bullpen
- Why the Rays' style works, plus Game 3 preview (Nick Martinez vs. Max Fried) and ALCS possibilities
- Lightning beat the Flyers 36-14 in shots and look ahead to Minnesota and a New York road trip
- Winfield's cracked rib, Bucs injury report, and the Thursday night test in Dallas
- Why the Bucs' receivers can't get open and what Zach Robinson's offense is missing
- A round-by-round look at Jason Licht's drafts: is this roster talented enough?
- Todd Bowles' job security, in-season coaching changes, and the 0-5 scenario
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rays' Rasmussen Deals In Game 1 Win While Jalon Daniels Loses First Start, Bucs Now 0-4
Rick vows he won't talk about the Bucs, then immediately breaks the promise, but first it's the Rays. Drew Rasmussen was dealing in ALDS Game 1 against the Yankees, and Kevin Cash never thought twice about …
Notes de l’épisode
Rick vows he won't talk about the Bucs, then immediately breaks the promise, but first it's the Rays. Drew Rasmussen was dealing in ALDS Game 1 against the Yankees, and Kevin Cash never thought twice about sending him back out for the eighth ("not with Raz"). Then came the Yankees' baserunning blunder of the postseason — a runner trying to stretch an extra-base hit into third with two outs and getting thrown out by three feet — before Jonathan Aranda's solo homer decided a 1-0 game. Rick and Steve talk through why Game 1 was close to a must-win, what to expect from Freddy Peralta against Cam Schlittler in Game 2, how a 40,000-strong crowd at the Trop (with no Aaron Judge for New York and a rusty Yankees lineup coming off a layoff) made for a legitimate playoff atmosphere, and the wild Saturday in Tampa that had the Rays, Lightning, USF, and the Rowdies all at home at once.
Then comes the mess. The Bucs fell to 0-4 against the Packers in Jalon Daniels' first career start, and the defense did enough to win, holding Green Bay to 17 points with two red-zone turnovers, but still produced zero sacks against the NFL's most-hit quarterback. Rick breaks down the heartbreaking final drive — a fourth-and-11 that needed a miracle, a safety blitz nobody picked up, and a hot route that never happened — and questions whether Zach Robinson set his rookie quarterback up to fail. He calls out an offense that rarely gets Emeka Egbuka or Chris Godwin involved, a Sean Tucker who scores and then vanishes, and a team that hasn't shown it can scheme anyone open. Add a Packers crowd that Rick pegs at 60-65% of Raymond James Stadium, an injury to Antoine Winfield Jr., and an uncertain timeline for Baker Mayfield (minimum three weeks, maybe six), and the guys start eyeing the draft and wondering what the Glazers do next.
The back half hits college football (Florida gets boat-raced at Missouri, USF stumbles at home against Temple, and Rick and Steve talk through Brian Hartline's growing pains as a first-time head coach), celebrates the Lightning bouncing back with a 3-1 home opener win over Washington, and previews a staggering stretch of sports ahead — Lightning-Flyers and Rays-Yankees Game 2 tonight, then a crowded Thursday with the Bucs at Dallas, the Lightning hosting the Wild, a potential ALDS Game 4, and USF at UTSA. Steve also shines a light on the part-time ushers, security, and concession workers stretched thin across Tampa Bay's busiest sports weekend in years.
Segments:
- Rays take ALDS Game 1 behind Drew Rasmussen and Jonathan Aranda; the Yankees' baserunning gaffe
- Game 2 preview: Freddy Peralta vs. Cam Schlittler, and the atmosphere at the Trop
- A packed Tampa Bay Saturday: Rays, Lightning, USF, Rowdies, and homecoming traffic downtown
- Bucs fall to 0-4: defense holds up, offense and play-calling don't; Jalen Daniels' first start
- The final drive breakdown: fourth-and-11 and the safety blitz
- Zach Robinson's offense: where are the receivers?
- Baker Mayfield's timeline and what the Glazers do next
- College football: Florida at Missouri, USF falls to Temple, Brian Hartline's first-year growing pains
- Lightning win their home opener 3-1
- Crowded sports schedule ahead and the workers who keep it running
- Sponsor: Breitling Boutique, International Plaza
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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