The Kevin Sheehan Show - What If Jay Stays, Bruce Goes?

Episode Date: December 19, 2018

Kevin opens with a short take on the Wizards loss in Atlanta and Trevor Ariza's first game back. A brief discussion about the Pro Bowl follows before he considers the merits of Jay Gruden returning as head coach. He talks DC legalizing sports betting and finishes with "NFL Buy and Sell". <p> </p><p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You want it. You need it. It's what everyone's talking about. The Kevin Sheehan Show. Now here's Kevin. All right, Aaron's here, and I'm here. Somebody tweeted me the other day and said, I love when you announced that you're here or there. I'm here also. The show's presented by Window Nation. If you're in the market for Windows, call 86690 Nation or go to Window Nation.com and tell them we told you to call. Several things to get to today. We are waiting on potential guests that we have reached out to, one of which canceled at the last minute, and we're trying to fill that particular spot. But I think we'll have that gentleman on next week at some point. But I'll start with the Wizards. I'm not going to take up a lot of your time talking about the Wizards 118 to 110 loss to Atlanta last night. The Hawks are now 7 and 23.

So one of their measly seven victories on the season was last night against the measly wizards. The wizards are only 12 and 19. It's not like they're any good. The game was tied entering the fourth quarter. And in the fourth quarter, Jeremy Lynn, remember Jeremy Lynn, Lennity? Of course. Jeremy Lynn had 12 points, 10 of those points coming on five layups. in the fourth quarter. The game was tied entering the fourth quarter and Jeremy Lynn took the game

over. None of the five layups that he made were fast break layups in transition layups, all of them out of their half-court offense. The Hawks also had three dunks in the quarter. Jeremy Lynn didn't have any of the dunks. And they made three other shots within 12 feet of the rim. So 11 made shots inside 12 feet with five layups from Jeremy Lynn. Oh, Kevin Herder had a couple of threes. He looks good. I've not really seen the Hawks play at all, except for the last time they played the Wizards,

but Herder had a couple of threes in the fourth quarter, and he looks really good for them. They've got a nice young back court with Trey Young and Kevin Herder. It's a back court of the future. But the defense for Washington last night, with the game on the line, was so embarrassingly bad. I'm pretty sure that there are guys that I play with,

and I still try to play one day a week, sometimes twice a week, although in recent weeks, zero times a week. But I'm pretty sure there are a couple of decent athletes. I mean, they're in their 30s, early 40s, but I'm pretty sure they could have done a better job on Jeremy Lynn last night and the Hawks. The Wizards just allayed Lynn to the rim. on five possessions in a tight game in the fourth quarter. That's why they lost.

Jan Maheemey is a terrible NBA player. He's a terrible NBA player. The Wizards should have never traded Gortat. Never. I mean, I guess they got Austin Rivers back and they needed Rivers to get Areza. But my God, is Jan Maheemie bad? I mean, Brooks doesn't want to play him. Pretty much had to play him last night because there was some foul trouble.

and I guess he thought Maheemey would offer up some rim protection. Nope. But he doesn't. Gortat would look like Bill Russell defensively compared to Maheemey last night. The Maheemey deal, the $64 million deal for four years, is on the list. It's near the top of the list of the bad Ernie Grunfeld decisions. It's a total waste of money. I don't think the Maheemey deal gets its due for being one of the worst ever by Ernie Grunfell.

This dude can't play. He cannot play at the NBA level. So Trevor Arisa made his debut last night, and he was the only guy. And that's going to be the case. I can tell this already, he's going to be the only guy that plays defense for the Wizards like he was when he was here before. He had six steals last night. Six steals in an NBA game is a hell of a lot of steals. He also had four or five. other defensive plays that led to Atlanta turnovers, the kind of plays that don't get measured in analytics or any sort of advanced statistic. The Hawks had 23 turnovers in a game. That's a lot. If you play a team and that team has 23 turnovers, I swear more times than not you should win that game. And I also swear to you that Areza was probably involved in causing half of their turnovers. But it's going to take him some time to figure it out offensively. He had last night, he had 19 points, four assists, six rebounds and the six steals. I think where his final numbers. But it's going to take him some time to figure out what Brooks wants offensively, but he's going to be

really valuable to the team. Clearly, it's just a question to what end, right? You know, the eight seed, perhaps not even an eight seed this year, perhaps not even in the playoffs. And that's where trading Ubre for Eriza will likely fall flat on its ass. It's that Ernie could have gotten more back for Ubre if he had waited. He probably could have gotten more. And more would have been something that would have helped the wizards down the road in the future more than now where Areza is going to help. You know, only a fool watching him over the last few years would say that he's not going to help.

He's going to help. But again, to what end? Like, where are they going? You know, I mean, I think I looked at it, they're three and a half games out of the six seed. Okay, so let's say they actually start to put it together and live up to at least some of the talent that they have on the roster and they end up as the six seed. Where are they going? This is where, you know, Ted needed to step in and to say to Ernie, look, what is Trevor Areza going to bring us? I love him, you love him, everybody loves him, he's going to help, but where are we going with Trevor Arisa?

Why don't we start dealing off all these pieces and get young and try to figure this thing out two, three years down the road and build for something much bigger? But I, you know, it's sort of like what they felt when they had Gil and Jameson and Karan, you know, they always felt like, oh, if these guys are healthy, you know, if we can just get one healthy year together with them, you know, we can win the Eastern Conference. No, you couldn't. You could never win the Eastern Conference with LeBron in it. And that those teams were even worse than this team defensively. Anyway, that's it on the Wizards. That's it on the Wizards.

I'm done. Too depressing. The players voted to the Pro Bowl yesterday announced, right? The Pro Bowl teams announced. I don't really get very excited about this anymore. Way back in the day, Aaron, like 27 years ago, you know, when the Redskins used to have good regular seasons, it would be fun to see how many pro bowlers, you know, one of their 14 and 2 or 12 and 4 or 11 and or, you know, another 14 and 2. There are a lot of great regular seasons there for a long stretch.

There's some interest in those years, but when you haven't won more than 10 games in a season since 1991, and most of the time, you're basically somewhere between four and eight wins per season, then how many players do you really care your favorite team gets into the Pro Bowl? I mean, it says everything about the season this year that the thing that everyone is up in arms about is the fact that the punter didn't make the Pro Bowl. The punter didn't make the Pro Bowl. Trust away. He probably deserved it too. He did. I think it was just simply a net yardage thing. The Net Yardage favored the Seattle guy. But again, you're arguing over a punter making the Pro Bowl. I went back and looked at the last time the Redskins had a legitimate great regular season. And it was 1991. I mean, you have to go back 27 years ago to find a. really good regular season that this franchise has had. Sad to think of that. No one's had a longer stretch of ineptitude in terms of having a great season. Everybody in the league has had at least

one 11-win season during that stretch. The Redskins have not, but the skins had eight pro-bowlers in 1991. Mark Rippin, I'd rather talk about this than the pro-bowlers they got, which I will mention here momentarily. But they got Mark Rippin into the Pro Bowl, Gary Clark, Jim Lachay, Ernest Biner, and Mark Schlewereth were all Pro Bowlers on offense. Defensively, Charles Mann and Daryl Green were pro bowlers, and Chip Lohmiller,

their kicker was a pro bowler. Art Monk should have been a pro bowler that year. Brian Mitchell certainly should have been considered as a pro bowler in 1991. Wilbur Marshall, probably should have been a pro bowler. I've heard Richie Pettibone before say that, and I think he said it to me before, that Marshall wasn't as great as some fans thought he was. And so I'll take his word on that, but Monk and Mitchell had big seasons that year. This year, if you're wondering, Ryan Carrigan

voted to another Pro Bowl and Trent Williams voted to his seventh Pro Bowl. You know, his career is definitely arcing towards Hall of Fame. I don't know if he's there yet. I'm sure some of you think he's already there yet with seven consecutive Pro Bowls, and I think four all pro selections. He's getting damn close. He's getting damn close. He had a couple of those seasons where he was suspended for games. I think that that probably will play into it right now. But I would say right now the odds lean heavily in favor of Trent Williams becoming a Hall of Fame left tackle. And more so than Chris Samuels, yes, more so than Chris Samuels. Chris Samuels is not in the Hall of Fame and has really not gotten much consideration for the Hall of Fame,

even though he had a ton of Pro Bowls during his career. And the Redskins really, when you think about going back to the Samuels pick in 2000, man, the Redskins have had the left tackle position pretty much locked down for much of the last 18 years with Samuels and Trent Williams. That's a big position to have locked down. The problem is they haven't had many others locked down. But Trent Williams became, or I'm sorry, he tied Ken Houston for the most consecutive pro bowls in franchise history with seven in a row.

So that ties for the most in franchise history at seven in a row. For those of you that don't know or didn't watch Ken Houston, he's one of the greatest safeties in NFL history, the greatest safety in Redskins history. Sean Taylor would have gotten there had he lived, but Houston is always, when you ever, this is a little history lesson for those of you that are too young or weren't Redskin fans back then in the 70s, but Ken Houston is really one of the only position players in franchise history that consistently will be in the top 10 of his position of all time. Gil Brandt, the great Cowboys evaluator, head of personnel for like 30 years during the 60s through

the early 90s, did a ranking of the NFL's all-time greatest safeties. This is something he did for NFL.com about a year ago. He had Kenny Houston as the second best safety of all time behind Emlyn Tenel, a player I don't remember and didn't get a chance to see. But he had Kenny Houston ahead of Ed Reed, had him ahead of Troy Palomalo, Ronnie Lott, Kenny Easley, all of them. That's how well-regarded Ken Houston is as a safety. So I'm not sure, I guess Sammy Ball. I mean, Sammy Baugh is on the list of everybody's greatest top 10,

but in modern post-merger football, you know, in 1970, till present post-AFL-N-FL merger era. Ken Houston probably, in terms of Redskins, is the highest ranked at his position than any other Redskins. Daryl Green, I guess would be the other one. Daryl Green is going to be in the top 10 all-time at corner. That's a lock that Daryl Green will be on the top 10 list of any all-time top-10 list of cornerbacks. And Ken Houston, on every top 10 list of greatest safeties. Sonny Jurgensen's not on the top 10 list of quarterbacks. You know, he's not. He may be on a lot of top

20 lists of all time, but, you know, Art Monk's not a top 10 all-time receiver. Charlie Taylor is not an all-time top-10 wide receiver. So it's Ken Houston and Darrell Green. That's it. Rigo's not on that list. He's not a top 10 all-time running back. You know, you want to put him in the top 20, okay. If you want to list him as a fullback, okay, then of course.

Kenny Houston was great, beyond great. And don't start sending me tweets about Sean Taylor. Kenny Houston had a better career than Sean Taylor did because Sean Taylor's career was cut down and was short. Kenny Houston was also very good as a Houston oiler before he got traded here. So anyway, I digress for a few minutes there. Trent Williams tied Ken Houston for the most consecutive visits to the Pro Bowl seven in a row.

For Ryan Kerrigan, I believe it's his fourth. Yes. Right? Tresway, if you are really, really off put by the selection of Michael Dixon, the punter from Seattle, Tressway did out of his 72 punts this year. And that's got to be in the top five list of puns. in the NFL this year. I've got to think that he's punted as much, you know, there can't be four or five punters, more than four or five punters that have punted more than he has. See if you can, if you've got that real quickly. But he has zero touchbacks, zero. Tied for the

sixth most punts. Sixth most punts in the NFL this year? Yeah, they don't listen individually, but by team Arizona, Cleveland, Miami, Denver, and the Jets had more. Okay, well, those are pretty bad offensive teams. Yes. zero touchbacks on 72 punts this year with an NFL high of six of them inside the five-yard line. Tressway is the Redskins MVP this year. He is. I mean, I think John Allen is probably right now pound for pound the best player on the team if Trent Williams isn't. But Tressway has been the most valuable player.

Without question. The field position in five of their seven wins, was crucial to winning the game, and Tressway played a massive part in that. So if you want to root for Tressway to punt in the Pro Bowl, he was selected as an alternate. So you've got to root for Seattle to go to the Super Bowl. This is what we're talking about right now.

That's everything about this season. But you don't want Seattle to even get into the playoffs because that's another route for the Redskins to get to the playoffs if they lose the final two games. Oh, by the way, Monta Nicholson was arrested and jailed for assault. Early Tuesday morning after a drunken fight at a northern Virginia restaurant or bar or somewhere in a shopping complex outside of the restaurant and or bar, the team had no comment other than to say that they are aware of the incident and they're still gathering information. According to the details, the fight began close to 2 a.m. I mean, there you go, boys and girls.

nothing good happens after midnight. Actually, that's not really true. But Nicholson and a female companion pulled up in a car and honked the horn at a man and a woman. Nicholson and the female companion got out of the car and then it turned physical, according to a sheriff's spokesperson. Okay.

Seven and nine. Not too good. Days without controversy counter at Redskins Park can reset that one to zero. I guess. Let me tell you real quickly about Wind Donation. Let me start with Wind Donation today. That's a good place to start.

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forever. 86690 Nation right now or go to windownation.com. That's 86690 Nation or Windonation.com and tell them that I told you to call. So yesterday, Tom and I discussed the dilemma that faces Redskin fans. We actually discussed a lot. A lot of you were really entertained by his mob story. If you haven't heard yesterday's show, yesterday's show is one of my favorite shows in a long, long time. We did. so many different redskin conversations, but Tommy told the story about the time that he stole a seating chart for a mob get-together at a hotel and then wrote a story about it. Anyway, Russell Buffalino was the head mob boss of that particular group that Tommy wrote about.

Anyway, you can always find all of the old episodes. Every episode that we've ever done is available at the Kevin Sheehan Show.com, And for those of you that have subscribed via iTunes, you've got access to all of those as well. So anyway, one of the discussions we had yesterday was the dilemma facing Redskinned fans right now. And I described it from my perspective because I'm the Redskin fan of the two of us. And the dilemma is this. You know, you win out, you go to the playoffs and everybody comes back. Bruce, Jay, everybody.

I mean, hell, Minoski might not come back. if you go to the playoffs. If you win one, you play hard and competitively and don't go to the playoffs, perhaps everyone returns. You lose both, and maybe, just maybe, you got a reboot situation. Bruce goes, Jay goes, Minoski goes, everybody goes. So I got a ton of reaction to that conversation yesterday on Twitter. You can follow me on Twitter at Kevin Sheen, D.C. While most of you agreed, and I didn't do a poll on this. We could have done a poll on this yesterday. But most of you agreed.

I mean, I got hundreds of tweets and follow up to this conversation. Most of you agreed that you felt the same thing, that there was this dilemma, this quandary, this conundrum of, I am a Redskin fan, so I want them to go to the playoffs, but not this year, because I want Bruce and Jay gone. You know, so most of you had the same sense. And mostly because there's this sense right now that even if they make it to the postseason, they can't do anything if they get there.

You know, this year, and I went through this yesterday, I'll go through it again. This is much different than the last few times they've been to the playoffs. 2015, there was some momentum. There was a four-game winning streak. It was apparent to most people, all right? most that Jay Gruden had made the right decision at quarterback and that perhaps the Redskins had their quarterback of the future in Cousins. And there was a lot missing from that team defensively, but they had become a pretty good

offensive team, and I know they hadn't beaten any great teams down the stretch. I get that. But there was some light at the end of the tunnel. There was a feeling of, you know what, we can add some pieces to the defense. in the offseason, and you've got a quarterback now, and you've got an offense, and, oh, yeah, that's what Jay does well. He schemes up a pass offense pretty well. Yeah, he does that.

So, 2015, I didn't have this feeling. In 2012, we definitely didn't have this feeling. It was Griffin. You know, they were, if he doesn't get hurt in that Seattle game, and they win that Seattle game, they might get to the NFC championship game in 2012. I think they were better than Atlanta. Healthy. That's where they were headed next with a 14-0-0 lead over Seattle. 2007 and 2005 were Joe Gibbs seasons. I mean, I know Todd Collins was the quarterback in 2007,

but everybody believed that Joe would coach him up in a playoff game and give you a chance to make a run. 2005 definitely thought you had a chance, and you were within, you know, an interception at Seattle from a 10-0-lead. you know, you had a drop Carlos Rogers interception pick six that would have given you a 10-0 lead and you had already knocked out Sean Alexander, the MVP from the playoff game. 1999, they were really, really prolific offensively. I think most people thought they had a chance heading into that postseason. This year, totally different. By the way, I just ripped through the five times they've been to the playoffs in the last 26 years.

Okay? Five playoff trips. two playoff wins. They beat Detroit in 99 and they beat Tampa in 2005. So yes, this would be ranked as the number one least expectation trip to the playoffs since the glory years. No chance that any other trip to the postseason in franchise history would feel as void of legitimate hope as an 8-and-8 or 9-and-7 Skins 2018 team in this year's postseason

headed to Chicago for a wildcard weekend playoff game with the Rams and Saints beyond that. So most of you felt the same way like I did. Like what's the point? And I'll admit, I've never felt this way at the end of a season where they're still mathematically alive. Never. I was the king, Aaron, right?

of playoff scenarios at 980. The 0.5% chance that needs 20 different scenarios to play out perfectly, that was you. That was me. When everyone else was who were going to draft, I'm like, whoa, wait a minute. If they went out, you know, if Seattle loses and the Cowboys and this, they can still make it. But this year is different. They have no chance. Come on.

There isn't a Joe Gibbs coaching the team, an RG3 magical ride, you know, four game win streaks heading into the postseason, you know, a guy that, you know, looked like in 15 that, you know, was going to be a starting quarterback for your franchise for years to come. You guys forget. That was a season that started with the big quarterback decision that many didn't agree with, and it ended with a division title, a home playoff game, with a future that looked more glass half full than glass half empty. It did. But anyway, winning the next two weeks could mean losing in the long run. But this was the most surprising of the responses, and there were several of you that said this. I'm going to read this from Joe on Twitter. Kevin, Jay stays. He's not the problem.

Bruce has to go. From Don on Twitter. You're a bit hard on Jay Gruden. He obviously put a pretty good starting lineup on the field initially, and the team was decimated with injuries. Obviously, he can't control some of the picks or the players he must use. He may be a better coach with less dysfunction with management. Well, yeah, but okay. Look, we're all in agreement. Let's get one thing straight because I think this is true. We're all in agreement that Bruce can't be involved in the football operation any longer. It's a non-starter for 99% of the fan base. The franchise under his watch has actually not gone to the depths, has actually gone, has actually not gone to the depths that we thought could actually be reached. Because in 2009, when he came here at the end

of that season, it was like, well, we'll never be lower than this. Now, we've gone lower. His record is worse than Vinicirados. His overall record is worse than Venisoradoes. And the off-the-field embarrassment, you know, is just as, um, as, um, as significant as it was. He's 59, 82, and 1, with two playoff trips and no playoff wins in nine seasons. So let's all agree on that. I'll get to Jay here in a moment, but we all agree that Bruce Allen has to go, or at the very least, has to be removed from the football operation. If Dan feels like he's got to be involved in the stadium push, the new stadium, uh, discontium, and negotiations, keep them on there.

But he cannot be involved in the football operation, all right? But I'm still surprised that you're still okay with Jay Gruden. I mean, I guess the only reason you'd be okay with Jay Gruden is this, right? You can't get anybody better because the Redskins are going to be one of the last options for the best candidates in this offseason. I mean, I'll concede that that is possible. that Jay may be the best when you compare it to what you have to choose from. You know, if Harbaugh goes, he's not coming here.

At this point, Greg Williams, which was my choice a few weeks ago, he could stay in Cleveland. And if he doesn't stay in Cleveland, he might get a better option. You know, if the candidates I like don't want to come here and would rather go to Cleveland or Green Bay or Baltimore or Dallas, if Dallas is still in play for Jason Garrett to be gone, I don't know if that's true anymore. Denver. And yes, I did see the story about Mike Shanahan, potentially replacing Vance Joseph before this season, but he may still be in play. I have not talked to Mike in a few weeks. We'll get them on here before the end of the season. But if you can't get anybody better, I get that sentiment. All right? If I can't get anyone better, look, here's the plan. Hire a real football talent evaluating person, all right? A football operations person.

Let's be clear, too, on one thing. I love Doug Williams. A lot of people don't want to say this. Okay, I don't want Doug Williams to be my general manager. I don't want him to be the head of the football operation. I love Doug Williams. He will be in my mind. There will be a place with all the great Redskins,

a fondness for him that will never, ever leave. But nothing leads me to believe that the franchise can just be handed over to Doug on a football operation standpoint. Great guy knows a hell of a lot about football. For the 2019 season and beyond, I want more. Now, I may not be able to get it. That person may not want to come here. And if it's Doug without Bruce,

maybe Doug will prove his talent evaluating organizational managing medal. Maybe he will. I'm not suggesting that that's an impossibility. I just would like more. I'd like the Redskins to bring in a true, background, resumeed, football operations person. Back to the coach for a moment. If all the good candidates go elsewhere to more attractive places, like most places in the NFL,

I mean, think about this for a moment. Cleveland's a better situation. Baltimore is a better situation. Green Bay is a better situation. Denver, Dallas, the Jets with Sam Darnold, better situation. You know, we're on the list with Jacksonville if Marone is fired. Cincinnati, if Marvin Lewis retires. That's the, you know, don't-

Tampa would be the other team you're competing with that you could make, you can make a case either way, probably. They have some of the young, you know, exciting playmakers, but maybe not a quarterback. We're near the bottom of the list of desirable places for the best candidates to go. So if your point about Jay is, who you're going to get? You're going to get Di Filippo? You're going to hire Matt LaFleur? You're going to hire one of these coordinators that they'll take any head job? I get it. I get it. So I look, if that happens, I mean, I personally, and I told you what my plan would be.

I would consider Kyle Smith as the head of football operations if he's as talented as coolly says. Cooley's word on this because Cooley's been right about everything when it comes to like real stars as coaches or talent people. And I would go hire Greg Williams if the Browns don't hire him back. And I would then look for a really good offensive coordinator. You know, you could hire him at LaFleur, but he's not going to leave, you know, he's not going to leave probably to take a sideways deal, a lateral position. But if you are forced to keep Jay because nobody good wants to come here, By the way, on the defensive head coach thing, if it's Greg Williams, you then need a really good offensive coordinator. You need more than that.

You need a good run game coach. Haven't we finally come to the conclusion that the Redskins can't run the football with this coaching staff? Callahan doesn't really know how to scheme up the right run game. Gruden never has been able to do it. So that offensive coordinator better know how to run the football. And if Jay stays, he's got to get a new run game coach, you know, for the lack of a better description. I mean, Callahan, nah.

I mean, the response there would be, well, Peterson was running pretty well until he started to wear it down and who knows what happens with Geist next year. The offense never was designed for Peterson's strength. Right. Peterson's straight ahead, you know, and we're trying all this other stuff that doesn't work. You know, if Jay stays too, give me Todd Bowman. Bowles if he gets fired in New York to be my defensive coordinator. Please go get Todd Bowles.

You know, and if it's not Todd Bowles, I'd consider Ron Rivera, if he's gone or Quinn or McDermott. Any of those defensive guys that have been head coaches, bring one of them in. Bulls would be number one on my list. I mean, I'd personally consider Todd Bowles as the head coach. I think Todd Bowles is totally competent, totally competent. But anyway, he hasn't gotten the results in New York. I understand that.

But if Jay stays and Todd Bowles gets fired in New York, please, Dan, or whoever the head of football operations is at that point, go get Todd Bowles and make him your defensive coordinator. Because look, if you do that, then if it doesn't work out for Gruden, you've got a head coach on the staff, like a legitimate head coach. You know, Callahan, come on. Tom Sula, not really. Tom Sula is the best position coach they have and maybe they should consider Tom Sula

as the defensive coordinator. Those of you that keep telling me Big Fangio, how old is he? Jesus. I mean, they were thinking about him back in 2009. They were thinking about him definitely after Shanahan was gone. It's only 60. Fangio's only 60? Yes.

Wow. I didn't know that. I thought he was older than that. God, how long has his coaching career been? It's been a while. Anyway, if Gruden doesn't get it done, then at least you've got a head coach on the staff. I am still for right now, position stated here, to be clear, a complete reboot. Everybody goes, you bring in somebody as a consultant that is legitimate, Gibbs,

parcels, somebody to help the owner hire the next head of football operations and the next head head coach and let that next head coach fill out his coaching staff. Make sure that the football operations person and the head coach are totally on board with each other, meaning the football operations person is on board with the hiring of the head coach. And they're in sync as to the type of players they want to bring in, the type of systems they want to run, et cetera. And there is the conundrum. I love that word.

if they went out or they look really good over these final two, guess who's coming back? They're all coming back. And if they don't, there's a chance that none of them will come back. And I'm rooting for Josh Johnson. He's a great story. If they got into the postseason on Wild Card weekend and they're playing a Saturday night game in Soldier Field. I, you know, with Josh Johnson, even if it's Josh Johnson. Actually, I might even be more into it if it's Josh Johnson.

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They also have a used car lot, and they're trying to empty that lot, which means if you're thinking about a used car for yourself or maybe one of your kids, you're going to get a great deal on that. If you like this show and you're thinking about buying something new, I give you my word that you'll be taken care of if you head out to Farish and Fairfax. Ask for Ralph Perkins when you get there.

He is usually there. They're located right there. there in Fairfax Circle, and you can find out everything they have to offer live inventory, live pricing, and their best deals at ferrishcars.com. All right, guess what, boys and girls? Sports betting is legal in D.C. That's right. Yesterday, the D.C. Council voted 11 to 2 to authorize betting on professional sports at the

city's stadiums and arenas, private businesses like restaurants and liquor stores, and within the city limits on a mobile app. Now, it says, and the press announcement said on professional sports, I would like to ask somebody, and we were efforting to get Jack Evans, among others, from the city council on the show. But I would think that you can bet on college sports. I'd be very, very surprised.

You might, at Capital One, it wouldn't surprise me if you can't bet on Georgetown in Capital One Arena specifically. Why not? that's just kind of how they've tended to go with. I mean, Vegas didn't allow you for many years to bet on UNLV in Vegas, but that changed in recent years. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case here. I don't know that for sure, but just kind of the way that it's trending. It wouldn't surprise me if that's the case.

Otherwise, yes. There are a bunch of logistical events that must take place before we can actually bet on sports in D.C. It's got to go through the house. It's got to go through Muriel. Bowser's office, et cetera. But it's legal. And my understanding of it is you're not going to be able to bet on this weekend's games or even the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl.

But by spring, sometime right around the beginning of baseball season, it should be available. Crossing my fingers for March Madness. March Madness would be great. But because Washington lacks casinos in the city, the D.C. lottery is going to oversee. this particular venture, sports betting in the city. A lot of people don't like that. They want it more open.

It's sort of monopolistic, if you will. The DC lottery uses a company called Intralot. They're a Greek-based company that runs a lot of lotteries and sports betting operations. So, look, I mean, my guess is more likely than not they'll know what they're doing. Look, for people like me, I can't imagine personally. it's going to affect me until my current illegal operation ceases, you know, at some point, which may be true down the road. I and many people like me have been doing this for decades. We have a setup. We got an app. You know, we got an internet site. We have people we trust. People I know

that people that, you know, look, I'll check it out. I'm going to check out what's going on. I'll see if the DC lottery is sharp on numbers and Vigs, and I'm assuming they're not going to have old Charlie from the mailroom come up and say, hey, I like sports. Let me put the odds together for this weekend's NFL games. More likely than not, though, this isn't going to be necessarily for me, but for all of you that have never had access to betting, unless you went to Las Vegas to bet legally on sports. Look, Ted Leonson. I've bashed him a little bit on his position on gambling. Not because I don't, I'm not for it.

I'm absolutely for it. I think it's going to increase the interest in sports as a whole. And for people like me who are in the sports content business, it will be a positive more than it'll be a negative. And for people specifically like me, who have always made sports gambling a significant part of my content, I think I will benefit from some of this. But I want you to listen to what Ted said.

I don't know if this is from yesterday. I think this was in advance of the vote. But I want to respond to what, for all intents and purposes, this was almost a commercial for gambling in D.C. I liken sports betting to Wall Street. You can get a little bit of data or a ton of data. You can be a day trader, you can be Goldman Sachs making billion-dollar bets. I believe the gamification of all sporting events

is a very, very positive development, especially for the fans, and that it'll take a industry in a unregulated, untaxed, dark space and bring it into the light. Gaming and gambling right now is on games of chance. playing cards, you're rolling the dice, you're pulling a slot machine. Sports betting is very, very different. I don't believe it'll be considered a game of chance. I think it'll be a game of skill.

You'll see a three-story, most technologically advanced, all-glass-in-case studio, as well as a like sports bar with screens at your table, built into your table, screens everywhere, It's streaming data, streaming games, that you can bet online in the building, that you can pull your phone out and be able to make those bets as you become mobile. Someone comes to you in your seat and is asking, do you want a soda? Do you want a hot dog? My belief is that people will be coming to your seat and saying, do you want to bet on the next period, the next half?

I want to bet on this game is going on at the same time in another city. taking the shot? Who's going to make the shot? Is it going to go into overtime? I bet you $5 that he misses the foul shot. And that all gets done in real time. And so you'll see sports teams now becoming more and more in leagues, becoming more and more like technology, big data companies. All right. I don't know what that music was in the background, but it was sort of a commercial, I think. I listened to it. It was off of the post's article on this yesterday, and they had a link to it. Anyway, we've heard these thoughts from Ted before. I love at the end when he talks about somebody's going to come to your seat and you're going to get to, you know,

order a hot dog or a soda, and then you're going to be able to make a bet with that person on whether or not the person's going to make the next shot or the game's going to go to overtime. Yeah, that's a real skill right there. Ted. That's not chance. That's skill. You're out of your mind. Look, in life, there are those that draw on whiteboards and theorize about things they have no practical experience with. And then there are those that have direct school of hard knocks experience like me in this particular case. Please trust me on what I'm going to say and not Ted Leonis. Ted's going to push the theory that sports betting is like the stock market. So he,

get you into his arena where he can provide you with all of the analytical data, information that you need to bet through him and lose through him. People like Ted and many others don't want to hear this, but sports betting is not a game of skill. It's much more a game of chance. Sure, slot machines in casino games like roulette are pure games of chance. The lottery is a pure game of chance. I understand the difference. And I'm not saying that sports betting is the lottery or slot machines or roulette. But I promise you, it's not chess, all right? It's not counting cards at a blackjack table and it's not investing in the stock market. Sports betting is not equivalent or analogous to investing on Wall Street. My feeling on all of this

It goes, by the way, I like the tax revenue. It's all good. I want it legalized. I want the tax revenue. And I want also very responsible people who know better not to espouse and encourage people to gather information so that they can take down the house. My feeling on all of this goes hand in hand in many ways. For me, it's analogous, to my dislike of the analytics people to a certain extent. like advanced statistics. I do. I believe in them to a certain degree. I'm just barely smart enough

to know, though, that they're just a slice of the pie when it comes to sports, especially the sports that we love, football, basketball. Baseball is different. A lot of what happens on a baseball field is measurable. But in many cases, on a basketball court or on a football field, much of what happens can't be measured because those doing the measurements have no one. idea what a certain player's responsibility was on a given play. I mean, how many times do you think pro football focus or one of these others grate out a player on a specific play as a D? And then the coaching staff actually based on that player's responsibility, graded them out as an A. Like that happens all the time. When it comes to the advanced stats people, people like Ted,

who think they can use information to help model out outcomes of games. I can tell you this from the school of practical experience. I have a lot of friends who live, and I refer to them often, that have lived in warm tropical places for decades. They work in big call centers with huge internet backbones, and they take wagers for a living. They would fight each other. to get Ted to bet through them,

or to get some of Ted's AOL or monumental geniuses to bet through them. Ted and the people he is talking about, they're marks. They're the marks for the guys, for the house. The guys that think they can use information and advanced stats to beat the market, to beat the house. Look, those that want you to think of yourself when you bet on sports, like you're some analyst, at Goldman Sachs.

If they know any better, it's irresponsible on their part. If they don't know any better, then I'll just chalk them up as ignorant. The analyst at Goldman or at Morgan, they get to visit the company. They get to talk to the CEO. They've got a relationship with the CFO, you know, for publicly traded companies anyway. They get to see just about every number, every client contract. I know. I was part of a public company.

I actually for many years had the responsibility. of meeting with those analysts, talking to those analysts. Sports betting access, not exactly the same thing. For all of you out there that think it is, I'll take all of your action, and I'll give you discounted Viggs. You'll get to bet through me, and instead of laying minus 110, I'll let you lay minus 107. It seriously is irresponsible for smart people who know,

better to encourage their, you know, their geeky friends to wager on sports using all of these mathematical spreadsheets and logarithms and whatever else they use. Sports betting is much more chance than skill. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently. Talk to people like me who have actually been considered as sharp bettors. all right sharp betters are people that are that are typically limited in how much they can bet on a game I've been limited on things I can bet on now not football I will tell you that as hot as I am this year as great as the smell test has been for the most part over 13 seasons and it's red hot right now

47 14 and whatever I can promise you this my bookmaker is not going to limit me on this weekend's action. I've been limited before on college basketball. There have been some years where I've had some obscure ass games, some games that were what we call add-on games and had large wagers on some of those games and won on some of those games. And I was considered to be sharp when it came to some college basketball stuff and I was limited by some of the people I've gone through in the past. Never cut off. Never cut off. Look, I know one thing to be true. The advantage that you think you might have or Ted Leonis thinks that you should have or can have based on advanced information and statistical information and all the data that's out there. Let me clue you in on this. It's already been factored into the price. It's already into the price. It's not the same as investing.

It's not the same as cards. Blackjack, 52 cards in a deck, six decks, three to two odds on Blackjack. You're able to double down. You know, you're able to split. That game, Blackjack, more skill involved. And if you can count, if you can count cards, real skill. That's a game of skill counting cards. Of course, that's illegal.

Sports betting, you've got two. huge disadvantages. One is called the vigorous, all right? They'll probably refer to it for all the new people as the fee that you have to pay when you lose a bet. If you bet $100 on the Redskins this weekend plus 10 at Tennessee, and you lose that bet, you're going to pay $110. If you win that bet, you're going to win $100. So you're already at a 10% disadvantage on the Vig. The Vig, the fee, that you pay when you lose is really the basis for profit margin at a sports betting casino or a sports betting operation. But there's also something else.

All of the information that you think you have that's going to give you some sort of razor sharp edge, it's already been factored into the price, the money line, the point spread, etc. Now, are there sports? where all of the information hasn't been factored into the price, there are. You know, there are. But you're going to have to delve into some of these sports that aren't football, basketball, and baseball, or hockey, all right?

You're going to have to, you know, you're going to have to really bone up on your high-lie skills or, you know, tennis, individual sports. You know, sometimes there's a little bit of information there. You know, and sometimes if you're wondering about the college basketball thing, yeah, over the years, there's been occasional periods where I've had some information, but I'm going to tell you this, it's not really that. It's what I've always and how I've always wagered is just contrarian handicapping. It's just finding out where it appears as if the public is lined up and betting the other way

and usually trying to find out where, you know, one or two other sharp. people who are considered sharp on a particular sport like college basketball. You know, I'm not a baseball better or a hockey better. I bet it many times, many, many times, but it's not what I really enjoy. But my advice to all of you who are betting sports for the first time, or will bet for the first time, because it's now going to be legal in our area in D.C. and you're betting for the first time, even though you've been in pools and all of that stuff,

this is different. You're going to take 50 bucks or 100 bucks, or some of you're going to take 200 or 500 or some of you're going to bet dimes on games. And I wouldn't necessarily encourage that. I can tell you that. But my advice to all of you betting for the first time is don't bet. That's the best advice you'll ever get from anybody because you will lose.

If you continue, you'll have some great days and you'll think you've got it all figured out. Trust me, right now, I am convinced. I've got more clarity betting football than I've had in years. It's ridiculous the run that the smell test is on right now. Ridiculous. 47, 14, and 3 or 2 over 5 weeks. That's a ridiculous run. I mean, that is, you'll, you'll, it'll take you a lifetime to do what I just did.

It really will. You're not going to go 77, 78% over a month or five-week period. It just doesn't happen. But if you continue after that to continue to bet, you're going to give it all back. You will give it all back. My advice is don't bet, but that's really hypocritically. because I love betting. But I would say this, if you insist on betting when it becomes legal and it's your first time,

understand it to be fun and entertainment and only bet what you can afford to lose. Because eventually you will lose. Whatever you can't afford to lose, you will eventually lose it. Make it fun. make it entertaining. The best part of betting on sports is you create this other friend group and that's all you talk about. And it's so much fun. And it's some of my best friends in life are guys that, you know, we're friends to begin with.

But in part we became friends because we had a love of sports and then we also liked to gamble. And those are still some of my dearest, closest, oldest friends. Scott is one of them. You know, Scott and I have been close, close friends for 30 plus years. And the connection he and I made and a lot of you with other people, sports and your love of sports. And then, you know, you got separated from the guys that didn't really, weren't necessarily risk takers or, you know, they were smarter because they didn't bet. And you found yourself in a group of people that love to bet. And you'd sit there on Saturday in College Park with a full college.

football slate and a sheet of paper with about 37 wagers on it. Fortunately, you don't have to put them down on paper anymore because, you know, it's all kept there for you nicely online. But seriously, though, if you're going to bet, make sure that you understand you're not going to beat the house, okay? You're not a Goldman Sachs analyst. You're not, you know, taking advantage of something that just is ripe to be taken advantage of. And Ted would make you believe that there's been this huge opportunity to make a living

gambling on sports. And it just hasn't been available to all of you smart guys. Trust me, you're not going to bring the house down betting on sports. You're not. It is more chance and skill. It's not the slot machine. It's not lottery. All right. It's not roulette. Those are pure games of chance. There can be a little bit more to it, but you're not going to be sharper than the guys that are taking your bets. All right, let me tell you about launch workplaces. If you live in the Bethesda Chevy Chase Upper Northwest D.C. area and you're working from home, but it's too loud with the dogs, the kids, and you want a place that you can come into that's close where you can work in quiet. I'm recommending launch workplaces in Bethesda. Their phone number is 240-866714. You can visit

launchworkplaces.com today and get an exclusive free two-day trial. 240-86714 is the number. They've got fully furnished offices, conference rooms, co-working desks, high-speed internet, complimentary drinks, cafe, free parking, and 24-7 access to the building. Again, 240, 86714, and launchworkplaces.com. Let's finish up the show with a little NFL buy and sell. Are you buying or are you selling? NFL buy or sell. One quick thing before we get to this.

Trust me, when I tell you that I was considered a sharp college basketball better, I didn't beat the house long term I gave all of it back and more I've probably actually won maybe slightly more on college basketball than I've lost

over the years but the football and everything else losses more than make up for it I'd love to have every cent I've lost gambling back in my bank account today and most people again with practical

real-life experience with this, not drawing on whiteboards and theorizing about how you can take down the house. They would all agree with me. All right, NFL buy and sell. Look, you've got a ridiculous playoff situation here over the final two weekends. Apparently there are more than

four million different combinations of playoff teams. That's what I read. Have you gone through all of them? I have not gone through all of them. but there are a lot of possibilities on this thing. Anyway, there are a couple of teams I'm going to buy right now. I am going to buy the Dallas Cowboys off their loss to Indianapolis. I still believe in the Cowboys as a really good defensive team.

When they beat New Orleans, when they had that stretch of five in a row, and the New Orleans and Philadelphia games back-to-back in particular, And I said, this is a really good defensive team, and this is a team that can win in the postseason. I mean, I've told all my cowboy friends, Kenny, Cowboy Clay, Steve, all of them, that this is different than some of their other teams in that they haven't been nearly this good defensively. And they're really good defensively, and they're going to have to travel for at least two games if they were to go to the Super Bowl and defense travels. but the one risk, the one flaws that Dak Prescott turns the ball over. He is a turnover machine. And that's been a problem.

And it's not just the picks, it's the fumbles. He had another lost fumble, or he had another interception in the game against Indianapolis, and had another fumble that got recovered, I think, by the Cowboys, but he nearly lost it. That game, I'm just going to tell you, on the All-22, I went back and just watched the condensed version. That was very misleading. They were shut out.

Indy was the better team. I went through this on Monday. Dallas's drives in the first half, they only had three offensive drives in the first half, 10 plays, 15 plays, and 14 plays. They moved the football up and down the field. They had a field goal blocked. they were stopped on a fourth and one

and then they were forced to punt on the 14-play seven-minute drive. Can you imagine having the ball for 14 plays seven minutes and 13 seconds and not being at least in field goal range? Well, that was the case because they took a big sack on third and 10. But Dallas wasn't a terrible team in their lost to Indianapolis. I think they're going to beat Tampa on Sunday. you know, part of me thinks that if it came down to, if Dallas did lose to Tampa and it came down to a game in New York against the Giants to make the playoffs, you know, to potentially beat out Philadelphia or Washington, that the Giants would get up for that game, it would be like their playoff game. You know, just envision the final week of the season, division games, giants are out of it, but the Giants have clearly shown that they're playing better. They got shut out by Tennessee, all right? I didn't see any of that game. But if Dallas has to win that game, don't you think on some level the Giants will get fired up for it and try to win that game?

We've seen it before from the Giants. I definitely think that. But I think they're going to beat Tampa on Sunday. I think they're going to win the division. I think they're going to host a playoff game against either Minnesota or Seattle more likely than not. And I think they're going to end up in that divisional round with that defense playing at home. And that divisional round, if it means a trip to Los Angeles, which it could, but more likely than not would include a trip to New Orleans in that divisional round, you know, that's probably where it ends. But I'm a believer in the Cowboys. I'm not a believer in Jason Garrett. I think Dak Prescott will probably end up being the reason that they lose. But it's going to be in the postseason, and it's more likely than not going to be it's going to be after at least one win in the postseason. I'm also going to buy the Houston Texans.

You know, they lost to Indy a very hot team two weeks ago. They beat the Jets on Saturday. They finish up with the Eagles. This is an important game, I think, for Houston, the last two, because they can lock down the two-seed in the AFC, have a first round by, play that first game at home, and then potentially play the AFC championship game in Kansas City or in Los Angeles.

But I think the Texans are really good. And, you know, that game, because he was nationally televised, and a lot of you probably watched it, I did too. You know, we don't get to see a lot of Houston, but God, is DeAndre Hopkins just dominant at that position? He has a way of catching the ball and getting... First of all, he has a way of getting open. He's got a way of then catching the ball

and then of making yards after the catch and making people miss and then being physical. in his route and then after he has the ball. He's just spectacular. And Demarius Thomas now is playing well for them. The Lamar Miller injury, I don't think it's not a season-ender. He may play this weekend at Philadelphia. They're also getting Deonté Foreman back potentially,

which I'm actually very interested in. Yeah, the Texas running back. Defensively, God, are they good? I mean, we know what in Clowny and Merciless, but how about the year McKinney's having? How about the year Justin Reed's having, I mean, as a rookie out of Stanford? They're just good.

I think Houston could go to the Super Bowl. I really do. Both the AFC and the NFC have opened up a little bit, don't you think? New Orleans doesn't look unbeatable anymore. The Rams clearly don't look unbeatable anymore. Chicago may have to travel, you know, to get there. You know, is it going to shock anybody if Seattle gets into the postseason and wins a game and then has New Orleans or L.A. on the ropes in the divisional round?

You know, in the AFC, I mean, the Chargers, I think the Chargers are the most complete team. Houston's probably there with the Chargers as the two most complete teams, but are you really going to bet against the Patriots in the postseason? I've made that mistake before. The Steelers got a huge win. They've got to play the Saints. The Ravens are so dangerous like they were last year, but will they get in to get in?

They may have to beat the Chargers on Saturday night. Houston and Dallas are the two teams I'm buying this week. I mean, look, I like the Chargers a lot. I like their chances a lot. I like the Ravens. I like them all year. If they get in, I think they're dangerous. You know, I still believe in the Saints being a very difficult team to beat at home.

The teams that I wish, would sell are the teams that are, you know, on the verge of getting into the postseason, may make it, may not. I'm not believing in Indianapolis completely. I don't think they can go on the road and beat the, you know, the road, the road is relative, you know, in Los Angeles with the Chargers and the Rams, but I don't think they can go there and win. I don't think they can go to Houston and win. I know they just did in the regular season. I don't see it in the post. I don't see it in the postseason. I don't see Indy going to New England in a wildcard game and winning. I mean, who have they really beaten? I mean, they beat the Cowboys. That's their most impressive

win. The last two weeks are their most impressive wins, right? The Cowboys and the Giants, but let's not forget. Indianapolis got shut out two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago, in Jacksonville, the team that the Redskins just beat, the team that we saw that was absolutely horrible. I mean, the Jacksonville defense is legit. They got shut out in Jacksonville. That's probably my only, and the reason I'm selling them is because everybody's on them right now. Everybody's on them. I do think there's something wrong with New England. I mean, I think we've seen this before and felt this way before, but Gronk doesn't look right. They're not, you know, there's a lack of talent in a lot of spots on that team. I think Buffalo's,

going to play him tough this weekend. I think they finish with Buffalo and the Jets both in Foxborough. I can tell you this, they're going to be getting big numbers. I think the Buffalo number, what is that number? 12. I think they're going to be on the smell test. I'm pretty sure I started to look at that. Is that what it is, Aaron, 12? Sounds right. It's been moving quite a bit, but, let's see here. It's 13 now. Public's all over New England in this game. Buffalo's played tough. They've got a tough defense. They actually should have covered in that, was it a Monday night game or Sunday night game in Buffalo. I had Buffalo that week.

New England, I don't, I mean, I've sold Kansas City as a Super Bowl team all year. I'll continue to do that. I don't think they're going to make the Super Bowl. I don't know that New England's going to make the Super Bowl. I mean, and that really, I guess I'm a believer in either Houston or the Chargers coming out of the AFC. I think the Steelers could, you know, if they get in could be dangerous. I definitely think Baltimore is dangerous. playoffs are going to be fun.

I think Tennessee is one of those teams that could win a playoff game. I think Minnesota could win a playoff game with the way they're playing defensively now. It's not about Kirk on that. It's about their defense right now. And if they can run the ball like they did last week, they could be a dangerous team. All right, that's all I got today.

Tommy will be in tomorrow. We are going to try to get somebody from the D.C. Council on to talk about this gambling thing, but I don't know how big of a story it is to most of you. It's not going to be available until the spring more likely than not. We'll get into it more when we get there and get into how you do it. I mean, there's apparently going to be an app. That would be the easiest thing.

Give us an app that we can just place a wager from our phone. It is interesting that they said a mobile app would be available as long as you're in the district. So if I'm in Maryland on my phone using the app, they'll be able to tell based on, I guess, location services on your phone, on your iPhone that you're not in D.C. and probably stop you from betting. I guess that's true. All right, have a great day. Back tomorrow.