The Good Man Show

How A High School Catcher Turned Tough Lessons Into A Creighton Commitment

• Joshua • Season 1 • Episode 9

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The wind outside was brutal, but inside the dome we went straight to the real heat: how tough coaching, pressure, and honest expectations shape athletes who can actually perform. We welcomed senior catcher and 2026 Creighton commit Luka Stojakovic to trace a path from a tough first camp to a college commitment built on buy-in, consistency, and learning to love the hard stuff.

We unpack what “earned” really means. Luka shares how showing up 99% of the time, embracing roles on different-color rosters, and taking every rep seriously opened more doors than hype ever could. We break down our most revealing practice formats—tight-score scrimmages, self-toss hitting, and position switches—to force communication and raise baseball IQ. When the score squeezes, leadership speaks up. When pressure spikes, preparation tells the truth.

The conversation widens to playing time, team-first habits, and the intangibles that analytics can’t capture. We talk about letting pitchers battle out of jams to find that extra gear you only discover under fire, and why coaches notice the kids who ask, “What do I need to do?” instead of “Why not me?” We also dive into multi-sport balance—how athletes and coaches can work together to prioritize in-season commitments, protect development, and keep joy in the game without forcing early specialization.

We close with momentum for the high school season, weekly “Warriors” shoutouts, and a few Chicago sports riffs to keep things lively. If you’re a parent, coach, or young athlete, you’ll walk away with clear, practical takeaways on buy-in, opportunity, leadership, and the mindset that turns roles into results. Subscribe, share this with a teammate or parent who needs it, and leave a quick review with your favorite takeaway so we can keep building this community together.

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SPEAKER_03:

Welcome to the Good Man Show. Yes, it's me. It's Josh. Soon my friends will join me. And it's gonna be like a campfire. It's negative 10 degrees outside. Frosty the snowman has left us, so who is going to make this season any more enjoyable? Ha! It's gonna be us, the three musketeers. Three, you say? Yes, three. We had a guy join us last second. So sit back, relax. Tune the world out for an hour. Because it's time for the good man show.

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the good man show with Bruce Sauce and Lord Puck.

SPEAKER_02:

The Bears lost.

SPEAKER_01:

They did lose. It was it was uh it was a heartbreaker. The the highs were high, the lows were terrible. I thought we had it.

SPEAKER_03:

The highs were too high.

SPEAKER_01:

The play that happened at the end of the the regular uh regulation regulation that we don't have plays like that ever happen.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, we've had a couple of them happen already, but that one trumped them all.

SPEAKER_01:

It was something you don't see. I I thought it was over.

SPEAKER_03:

I bet someone lost their life yesterday in the mayhem.

SPEAKER_01:

They definitely lost their life after the game.

SPEAKER_03:

I had people in my neighborhood shoot fireworks even after we lost. Literal fireworks.

SPEAKER_01:

For what? For what? Alright, we got a good show coming tonight. We got a special guest in the house. 2026, Creighton Commit, Luka Stoyakovic, first ever high school attendee. Welcome to the show, Luca. You know, I'm honored and excited to be here tonight.

SPEAKER_03:

You know, people, Luka Stoyakovic, he's my favorite, favorite, favorite Eastern European.

SPEAKER_01:

That's the second time you've said that on the show.

SPEAKER_03:

I love him.

SPEAKER_01:

You do.

SPEAKER_03:

I love him. I I first met Luca way, way back when. Little guy at the time. But he had the best hair in the game. And every time I'd see this guy, he'd have these puffy, goldy, black and uh blonde locks, and you're like, Man, that kid has some hair. And I'd say, Hey Luca, you have some great hair. At that time, Luca didn't talk. And then one day he just started talking, and now here he is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

When you say that, actually, because my first impression of you, I don't know. Wasn't the exact same, Josh. Hold on. What was it? So 14 UI switched here, right? So eighth grade.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And my first practice was actually catcher's camp, which we just got done with right now. Great hour. It's the best hour of the week. Best hour of the week. But here I was, you new to the program, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And I'd like to say it was a trial by fire. And I go to catcher's camp, not knowing what to expect, you know, coming from a feeder program. Um and Josh is there, and he wasn't in a great mood that night. And um he hops on the mound with the fungo. First drill we do, go to all four bases, and he just starts firing away. And I remember he chewed me out so bad. First practice. And you know, I think that was the day, the day it all started. And what'd you learn from that? I learned to that I got I gotta sack up.

SPEAKER_01:

You gotta figure it out, right? Yeah, that's it. Were you were you were you scared to come back? No, I wasn't scared to come back, I don't think. Good. So so you so you got challenged day one. Big time.

SPEAKER_00:

And you answered the bell.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

It was a little tough. I was a little bitter, I remember. Talking to Evan, because Evan was the other catcher on my team that year.

SPEAKER_01:

Rightfully so. You were a young kid, yeah, getting getting bell house peppered at you, and and expectations being set high quick. And and all you did was put your head down, come back, and go back to work. Every day. And you know what's great about that?

SPEAKER_02:

What?

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know if I've ever heard that story from him. Never have I ever. And five years later we're sitting here, and I don't think a single thing has changed with him. No, like if you were to say, hey, describe Luca, well, the kid puts his head down and works. He's not afraid to be coached hard. He's willing to be challenged. Tonight I yelled at him.

SPEAKER_03:

What did I tell you tonight? Um he had a good one. Okay, so tonight with catchers camp, um, you know, catchers, we traditionally we do our blocking, we do our throwing, and we do our receiving. Well, we've done how many weeks, Luca, uh combined with last session? Calendar. Eleven. That should be. And I said, you know what, 11 weeks of this. I mean, we got to put it into practice some way, somehow. So I put them all on the infield, and we we had a scrimmage-like game of some sorts. They all had a position out on the field. Yes. And all of a sudden, these guys that when they're behind home plate, they're talking. But when they got out there, they weren't talking anymore. And it just went dead silent. And I yelled at them and I said, The generals and leaders on the field, all of a sudden we go, uh, we go take another position, and then we can't figure anything out. Why is our baseball IQ going the opposite direction when it should be going the complete different direction when we're on the field? And then Luke was like, Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I agreed with you there. Yeah. Well, I forgot why I yelled at him earlier, but he said I was right. That's all I remember. Or was that Evan?

SPEAKER_00:

I don't know if that was me.

SPEAKER_03:

Might have been Evan.

SPEAKER_01:

I think you yell at the two of them at times, and I think you lose track of which one you're yelling at.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

These four, well, there are four of them. There's Luka Stoyakovich, Beckett Bresaman, Jack Kaplan.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, sorry, I meant there might be five. Uh Evan Mendiola, who am I missing, and Charlie Martin. The Pentagon of catchers. Evil, these five. You put all five of them in a room or on a field or in a group chat, a bunch of clowns. Yeah, but good kids. Great kids. Good lads. Good lads, but they're unpredictable.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh here. It's because they spend so much time with you at catching that you've trained them to be unpredictable and then you've pulled this out of them.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, I think if you asked me to describe Josh's drills in one word, I'd say unpredictable.

SPEAKER_01:

A Josh, a Josh Sunday is an unpredictable Sunday. Like that's what I heard. I send I send practice plans at Josh. If I ever have to miss a practice, I send practice plans at Josh. And I would say that there's numerous times I've checked the cameras when I'm not here at practice, and what I sent is not being done on the field. And after the first two times, I remember the first time I kind of was like, hey, like, what were you doing? And then he told me what he did, and I was like, all right, I like that. Like, cool. And I sent him another one. The next time I had to miss this was years ago. And same thing. I looked at the camera, guy's doing the complete opposite. He's doing something else. And I kind of conceded, I was like, all right, if I have to mispractice, I'm no longer sending him a plan because he's going to come up and create his own plan. And it's going to be unpredictable, but what it is. But it's usually a high intense, um, a lot of versatility, a lot of a lot of thinking that takes place, and and he challenges the kids. And I was kind of like, cool, dude, just run with whatever you do.

SPEAKER_03:

But like yesterday, um, I had him throw up the you know, uh, our traditional Sunday practices on the infield. We usually have a hack attack on the field for a game like scenarios out on the south infield. But yesterday I was like, you know what? Let's try something a little different. So I had the kids throw the ball up to themselves. Do you know how many people swung and missed?

SPEAKER_01:

I I don't I don't really want to answer that because I have a feeling it's way higher than it should be. A quarter.

SPEAKER_03:

Some people struck out. Did you give them three? No.

SPEAKER_01:

Why would you give them three? That's way too many chances.

SPEAKER_03:

No, so any coaches listen out there, um, have your kids in a scrimmage like throw the ball up to themselves. You'd be surprised how many kids swing and miss. And so we're just going on and off the field. We condensed the base to 70 feet. We had the kids throw it up to themselves. Uh, we had one game go to 11 innings. And um, it was a tight game. I believe it was two to two. Oh, 11 innings. But what it taught was it was a high it was high-level baseball in terms of we had people all of a sudden making diving plays. In practice, people, if you're coaches listening to this, try to make the score as tight as possible. You want to bring out the best in your kids, put the pressure up. Now, how's the pressure up? It's usually the score. Score is gonna either make or break you, and you gotta practice that in practice. But anyway, that's what we did yesterday. I was okay.

SPEAKER_01:

That's great.

SPEAKER_02:

Luca wasn't here.

SPEAKER_01:

I I kind of want to talk to Luca here a little bit while we have him and coming in. Okay, you got your Creighton Blue on. I do, I love it today. As much as I have a lot of deep pain about the Creighton Blue Jays uh going to Bradley and used to be in the valley, they're no longer in the valley. But we had a tough series there my sophomore year. We love we got swept in all one run games. So the the Creighton Blue Jays are not my favorite school personally, but very excited. Uh we're happy for you, Luca. You've earned it. Um, what are you most excited about when you go to Creighton next year?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, I mean, I'm excited for the whole thing in general, but if I had to narrow down on one point, me personally, I've always loved training with guys who are better than me. And I know when I go there, there's I'm gonna be a freshman walking on campus, just turned 18, and there's gonna be a ton of guys there who are better than me. And I think that just getting that opportunity to train with those guys every day is just gonna help my game so much.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. And I think you I think you can attest to this here is being involved in our training and being a younger kid and then watching a lot of our catchers. I actually had a conversation with Bob about this the other day about our catching run we have right now, about how many of you guys are going off to college and the levels you guys are going off. But would you say that that is something that has drawn you to being here is the challenge of being around high-end baseball players that push you to different levels and make you better all around?

SPEAKER_00:

A hundred percent. I that's one of my favorite parts about this dome, is you'll see some guys in here who are just straight dogs over winter break. I mean, there's guys coming back who are playing some big leagues, a lot of Division I guys, Big Ten, whatever, and they're just dogs, and you get to go see that. And you know, I would hit a lot with some of them, and it's just awesome to see.

SPEAKER_01:

So now being on the flip side of it, being the upper class and the older guy in the training, what do you? I mean, we have I actually looked at this the other day. We only have four Sundays left for the season before high school starts. So we only have four weeks left of our training. Um, what would you say you're trying to leave as a lasting impression for these younger guys? Because they do definitely look up to you. And as a guy running this, and I know Josh would say the same thing, we definitely appreciate our 18-year-old kids who come because all it shows is the uh family environment, the culture we've created, the commitment you guys have to continually getting better and preparing for your season. So, what would you say you're trying to leave a legacy here? One, yeah. Uh what are you trying to kind of show the younger generation as they come up? And what would be the best advice you have for kids as they keep going?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, a hundred percent to just buy in as early as you can. I think for me, honestly, looking back, like I wouldn't change anything because it's my journey, but I think it took me quite a long time to really buy into the culture with whether just how much I was coming to the dome or what I was doing in practice. I would like the culture here is amazing if you can really buy in. And it's the same guys here every day. And if you can be one of those guys, I like you have the opportunity, like you're already a spark. You have the opportunity, don't waste it.

SPEAKER_03:

What age did you hit that? Like when when when did that epiphany come to you, Luca?

SPEAKER_00:

So my I I for the people who don't know, Josh and Brew, of course, know. Um, I dealt with an injury my freshman sophomore year, and I kind of got a reality check, you know. I was um sophomore year, I played varsity baseball, and I got that opportunity, and I didn't capitalize on it, you know, and I didn't perform the way I I was hoping to. And I just kind of I made a decision that was the year, and dude, like play as many sports as you can. But me personally, I quit football that year because I just knew I had I had to change something. Push comes to shove.

SPEAKER_01:

Because you had to get your body right. Yeah. Playing playing football was awesome. You loved it, and you were a good football player, but it was doing more harm to your body long term, yes, and and limiting your opportunity to go excel at the sport you wanted to excel at. Definitely. I love, I mean, I was because I agree with you. The multi-sport, and we're gonna get to that actually in today's show of talking multi-sports. I myself was one as well, so I believe wholeheartedly in the multi-sport athlete and not pushing kids away from playing. I think there's a commitment to it that you have to be willing to sacrifice things. Um, and also as a coach, it's funny. I was actually talking to my brother-in-law about this this weekend about coaches who are willing to work with kids who want to play multi-sports. Yeah, like sometimes I think coaches are like, if you don't play this sport or buy into this, like we're not gonna let you do it. And it's like, well, if the kid is a better football player but still plays baseball, like I think there's a way to balance it. Like, we've dealt with basketball players, most of them are pitchers who come to us in the summer and they're like, hey, usually it's freshmen and sophomore, they're trying to play AAU basketball. So it's like, can we work around going to some tournaments and when we're gonna pitch? And it's like, if if that's the case, like I have no problem with that, as long as they're willing to be at tournaments. But I think for your sake, like to your point, like I think you loved playing football. I did. I don't think you have a regret not playing throughout high school because I think you just you were in a tough spot with with back injuries that you just had you had to make a tough call at a young age. For sure. And I think every situation with that stuff is always different, and you know, it it's worked out for you, and you still have a long journey ahead of you, man. And we're excited to watch it. Uh, I can say, as the person running the organization, I appreciate everything you've ever done in here. Um, you're a guy I get to use as an example for a long time. So thank you for all the hard work you've put in. And you know, just keep doing what you're doing, man. I'll tell you that to the day you stop playing. Just keep doing what you're doing. Yeah, thank you guys for guiding me. Puka. Don't say puka, man. That's yeah, yeah. You're trying to take us back there. But hey, listen, big news.

SPEAKER_02:

What?

SPEAKER_01:

Mock-up's coming tomorrow. Get in the drawing. Hats are gonna be hot.

SPEAKER_03:

They're gonna be in. We're answering the call, we're answering the bell. We are we've had um some interest and some people saying, hey, we really like the shirt, but you know, summer's coming. We'd like to protect our heads from the sun. And what's better than wearing a hat to show what you're made of?

SPEAKER_01:

I don't I don't have a good answer besides a good man hat.

SPEAKER_02:

A good man hat's coming down the pipeline.

SPEAKER_01:

Once we get them, we'll let you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

But they're they're in the works, so be on the lookout for them. Uh, still got a few shirts left. If anybody's looking for a shirt, probably gonna get some some uh more sizes in too, thinking about some youth XLs, maybe some youth larges. Gotta get those young pups wearing them. A couple of young guys bought some smalls and they look like they're swimming in them.

SPEAKER_02:

Like how young?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh, you know, a 10, 11-year-old. Oh. Got a size small. It looks a little baggy on him, but he wore it in there the other day. He's loving it. Wore it to my practice. I loved it.

SPEAKER_03:

When I've seen when a few kids show up to one practice with them, I just envision all of them wearing it.

SPEAKER_01:

Agree. Yeah. All of them are gonna be good men one day. One day. So, topic one tonight. We're gonna talk a little bit about playing time for all athletes, right? Uh, I think this is a an interesting conversation. Um, I think there's a lot to dissect when you talk about playing time and how you view it. Um, you know, there's there's the thought process that, hey, everything should be equal and there should be equal playing time amongst teams, and then there's the, you know, play your best. And um I'll say this. I look at my little 11-year-old team. Um do I play them equal? No. Do I give them all fair opportunities? 100%. Um, at the end of the year, some guys will have more bats than others, but I think that's any team. I think a job as a coach is to understand there's a certain time to play your best, and there's a certain time to reward kids' opportunities. I don't think anybody wants to ever go into a baseball game or basketball game or football game or hockey game with the intent to lose a game. But I do think that um as a parent who has three kids and two of them are playing uh competitive sports, uh, I try to view it a few different ways as the parent who's watching it. And I sit and watch my son play basketball um all the time. And I say hello to the coach. I don't ever ask him about playing time for Ethan. I don't ever talk to him about his rotations. I think that's the job of a coach is hey, do your job and do it to the best of your ability or whatever you think is best. If my son comes to me and says, I feel like I'm not getting enough. I simply, and he's never said this to me, but I I would simply tell him, go talk to your coach. Like ask him first. You're the one at practice, he's the one with you. Ask him what you have to do to get more playing time, or or how you can get more playing time. And he's young, so I don't think he's ever going to ask me to do that, but I do believe that's the best way to approach it. And then if he comes back to me, he doesn't get the answers he likes. I think it's a job as a parent to tell him, well, okay, just work harder. Like work harder, get better, find more time, find more opportunities, be a good teammate on the on the bench. I think kids who are good teammates on benches, whether it's any of those sports, like I say, I think as a coach, when you see a kid doing that, little things, it's always easier to reward that kid. I think the kid who complains about playing time, or when we get the messages from people that complains about playing time or not getting opportunity, it's like, okay, well, then everything's about you and not the team. And I think that's one of the biggest issues is is always make it about the team. And I think you'll kind of let things work themselves out.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

The one thing um we've had this talk with, I mean, we've you and I have coached countless. Teams, uh Luca, you've been on many teams. But the the one thing that I say usually before and during the season, before any kid wants to talk about that particular subject, is I just want you to put yourself in my shoes. And more times than not, the player usually doesn't think of it in that way. If I want you to put yourself in my shoes, and if I had 15 to 16 of you, and I'm trying to balance this out in terms of equal playing time and divvy it up where everyone's happy, more times than not, that's not gonna happen. And again, there are certain things that you're gonna have to learn and listen to and understand and watch and understand that you know things aren't gonna go your way. And that's the sad reality with life. And if we're teaching that in this small example, in terms of not playing at a particular sport, hopefully we are seeing that the athlete's gonna see that lesson and that will translate to other parts of their life. And then they'll deal with life treating them poorly. For example, bigger subjects, such as not getting the job you wanted, or your girlfriend dumping you, or your boyfriend dumping you, or, God forbid, a family member die. Because all of these things are very serious topics. Very serious. And they hurt, they hurt the human soul. So if we're able to just give them a little taste of that by just not playing them on the baseball field, not that it's personal or anything, but just because it's not their turn, I think they'll set them up well for life. What do you think, Luca, coming from the player perspective?

SPEAKER_00:

I think as a player, and this is something I've also learned too late, all you can ask for is an opportunity. And once you're given an opportunity, I mean everything else is in your hands. So I mean, I can't really think of a situation where you wouldn't even like it just a practice opportunity, whether you're hustling and practice, like you got to take that and do everything you can with it. If you're not capitalizing on your opportunity, at the end of the day, it's your fault.

SPEAKER_01:

I think that's I was gonna ask him the same question because I think he's such a prime example of this of a kid who has had to do so much, and we talked about it earlier. Luca has, and I know he asked you earlier, he said, How how many weekends did you end up playing on the black roster? And I was like, I know the answer to that. You played three weekends last summer. Yeah, it was the first and only time you had played with our black team, and you never once complained about not being on our black team. You um, and for those who don't know, we have our colors for our rosters, and it's black, white, red. We'll have some more uh for for age levels this year, but at the end of the day, it's just a color of a team, it has no meaning for what you are as a baseball player, and you guys are all young baseball players in high school, and making rosters is never a fun time because kids make it very difficult and we have to make hard decisions, just like anybody who runs a professional baseball team and has to make rosters after spring training. But to my point, you never complained about what team you are, you always understood that you were on teams to get more opportunity and playing. When I called you last summer and was like, hey, listen, we had to catch or go down. I want you to go play here. All you said was cool, let me know when. And I even told you, and I didn't think I had to, but you know, Brandon Thompson was on the team, committed to Purdue, very good baseball player, kid, kid that you've trained with, have a lot of respect for. You guys have pushed each other, like all you said was cool. Like, I'll take any opportunity I get. And I know you showed up and you did a heck of a job, dude, and you always did, but it's just to your point of what you just said is everything's an opportunity, right? And not not just as a player, uh adults in the work fields, like you you could do everything physically possible, and your opportunities can still be middle. But as long as you always have an opportunity, you don't know what can happen, right? Making it to professional baseball and to the highest level, right? The window, like it was always said, like the window is small, like your window of opportunity is very small, and the difference of a guy making it and not making it is he made it through that little crack of that opportunity, right? But sometimes it's the same way for you guys in high school. The the kid who does just that little bit extra in the winter might get that opportunity to make a different team, right? 99% of the time that I feel like I go through rosters and when I make tough decisions, it's the kid who showed up the most, or the kid who worked the hardest, or the kid who listened the most. Because I think that kid is going to be the one who excels when his opportunity is presented on the field.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Because he's done the most preparation to get to that point. Right. So it means the most to him.

SPEAKER_03:

Case in point, just to interject here, um going back to the colors and all the teams and everything, and to your point about who showed up, um, Luca showed up 99.9% of the times of practices, and Luca was on the white team 99.9% of the time he was here. And that translated to Dan's point in terms of in terms of making rosters, but it also in terms of how hard Dan will go and everyone here in the building to get you to play to the next level. And I can speak firsthand on how many doors Dan knocked on for the kids sitting across the table from me just because of that. Like if you're willing to do all of that, no matter what team you're on, but if you're willing to do all that, we're gonna find you a place, a place to play. And that's and that at the end of the day is usually everyone's ultimate goal. So if you just do that, and no matter if you show up on the black, the white, the red, or the gray, if you do that, we're gonna we're gonna help you out as well, you know. And so that's what kids have to remember. It again, I was having a conversation with a kid about this about oh well, black or white, and I said, and Luca was right next to the cage of me. I was like, this guy played three weeks on the black, and look where he's going, but that's because of all the work he put in aside and not what team he played on.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I think if I could add one thing to that, and I so Josh said it's not personal, and for the coaches, making a team is never personal. Like it's it's a business, like it's your guys' job. A coach's job is to find someone who's better than you. But I think as that kid, like if you're that kid on red and you're that kid on white, just don't get complacent there, too. Like, you got to take everything a little bit personally, and now don't pout about it. There's nothing you could pout about, and you can't complain to the coaches or complain to your parents, but you gotta let that sit inside of you a little bit and maybe light that spark. And that is what should really drive you. Like, you got to take everything a little bit personal. Well, it's putting a chip on your shoulder, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

No, no person who's ever been great has been told how great they are their whole life. Yeah, they've had to have somebody who's a naysayer or or a negative impact on them to to, like you said, fuel the fire to to burn that thing up and and make it great. Like something inside of everybody is what makes them great. The greats, they they people say they have the it, they have they just have something about them, and the something about them is something inside. That is why one of my biggest pet peeves about evaluating players and to go from the highest level down is the best tool is unmeasurable. Yeah, you cannot measure what is inside of somebody, and I think this day and a game, especially for pitchers, that that fuel for pitchers is going to continue to go down because the analytics are always saying to pull pitchers out for safety or pull pitchers out because of their time around the lineups.

SPEAKER_03:

Like when also they're the the the way they um measure success is changing differently as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct.

SPEAKER_03:

Back in the day, and and this is not even like back in the day, I'm just talking about like 10 years ago. If you didn't win the game, we didn't think you were good.

SPEAKER_01:

No, the 20-win pitchers are are few and far between now. Like you're not gonna see many 20-win pitchers anymore because pitchers barely throw five innings a lot of times.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, was my spin rate all right?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, correct. Did I throw 95? Was that okay?

SPEAKER_03:

You know, that was the the defense's fault. You know, that was the offense's fault. You know, you can't judge me on that, you know, and that's anyway.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. It's just uh all to the point that I think the Max Scherzer's, the Nolan Ryan's Roger Clemens, the um it tells you the state.

SPEAKER_03:

I'd rather have a 40-year-old Max Scherzer take the bump on game seven on the World Series today than half of those chumps just because I know what I'm gonna get and I'll go, yeah, I'll go down swinging with this guy.

SPEAKER_01:

But if Scherzer was coming up nowadays, who's to say you even know what he would have become?

SPEAKER_03:

He'd be gone in five years.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Potentially, right? Because even the Verlander, like if you go watch some Verlander starts, Verlander would hit like the fourth, fifth-ish inning, and he'd get into some trouble. And then all of a sudden he'd pitch himself out of it, and then he'd get in the sixth, and he's like, I don't know, he looks better. Then he gets the seventh, and he's like, now he's throwing harder. It's like, why did that happen? It's because the guy found something deeper down inside of him that you can't bring out unless you let him get there.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, the guy running and allowed him to do that, though. The guy at the helm, the great Jim Leland, smoking eaters. Always allowed him to do that. And, you know, look at all the the manager cycles that are getting hired. Now, I didn't know half of the guys that got hired this year. We know why. We know where the game's going, and that's why sometimes it's hard to watch, man. There's name me one manager right now that gun to your head is making all the decisions right now without someone calling them in during the game. Can you think of anybody maybe besides Dave Roberts? But Dave Roberts is so juiced up analytically to the gills. But he proved uh in the World Series that he was able to, he had the guts to run guys out there for an entirety of a game.

SPEAKER_01:

So well, look what he did with uh what's his Yeah Mamoto. I mean, now that's also game seven players are like every pitcher's. Oh no, no, it doesn't matter now because you have every pitch. Every pitcher's available for game seven.

SPEAKER_03:

What's his face, Tampa Bay? What game was that a couple years ago? Pulled uh uh Blake Snell. Like so it does like I know, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01:

That's how bad it is. There's always case in points. I I'm and I'm not disagreeing with you because you and I agree 100% on this. It's it's just the I don't know. And I think that's why with what we do and how we coach, like I'm not afraid to let our pitchers or players like be put in a tough situation to see what they're made of.

SPEAKER_03:

For example, this year, um, this past fall, um, we're down in uh Jupiter, not Jupiter, what's the one before Jupiter? Fort Myers. Was it Fort Myers or we're in Jupiter? No, you're just gonna be.

SPEAKER_02:

No, we're Fort Myers.

SPEAKER_03:

Fort Myers. Um, Russ Angles, bases loaded. We're in the sixth inning, and he's like at um 85. He loads the bases. I come out there, he looks at me and goes, No. And I go, Okay. And I turn around, and guess what? This guy does strike the side out. He strikes the side out, and he comes off and goes, Oh, and I can't yell because I'm not gonna hurt your ears. But the the audible roar that kid had on that Florida diamond that day, I will, I will, my respect for that child went from it was already decent and it went through the roof.

SPEAKER_01:

You called me after the game, and you were on one of your highs coming out of there, and the the stuff you were saying, it was correct. You went from really liking that kid to absolutely loving that kid because you walked out to see if you had a change in pictures and and Malvis and all that stuff, and the kid showed you something that he hit another gear. Correct. You should he showed you that next little step that you're like, all right, and you said, as a competitor of yourself, you said, let's see what you're made of.

SPEAKER_03:

And I have a story to tell you now. And I told these kids on Sunday yesterday, why what are we doing all this for? To make oh, we're we're here to get better. No, no, no, no, no, no. We're here to make memories. Memories to make stories, because at the end of the day, this is all entertainment, what we're in right here. Entertainment is what? Stories. No great story was built upon some factoid algorithm. It was the human spirit triumphing over something that someone said they couldn't do more times than that. Someone beating the odds. Russ Angles beat the odds that day, and we had a story to tell about it. Now, you can in the MLB, how many real stories can I tell when you're taking pictures out on the fourth inning? Can't tell any stories about the oh yeah, the bullpen came in, this guy came in, this guy came in, this guy, and still blew the game. I'm gonna tell the story how you ruined the game. That's the story I'm gonna tell.

SPEAKER_01:

I will say, as a bullpen pitcher, I would love to be like a mid-relief guy and be like, yeah, man, pull that dude out. I'll I'll swoop up all his wins. Take take him out in like four and two-thirds, man. I'll go pick up one out for you and score that win. Terrible. I'm just saying, if you watch a lot of relief pitchers of how many wins they pick up, and I bet that incentivizers and they hit incentives because of that stuff, that mid-relievers are also are really benefiting from this stuff. Yeah, and what are relievers? Failed starters. Or young guys that just haven't converted to starters yet. Yeah, but that is correct. So on to some Sparks North, got Warriors. We gotta go through. Okay. Uh Tuesday, 27, Connor Crumray, Oak Park River Force. I believe this is his second.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Connor, big, strong, physical. Love everything he's doing. Keep doing it, big man. Get to Thursday. I may be biased on this one just because I was out taking ground balls with the kids. I was with the older boys taking them. I had one of our 26s out there working hard, making plays, diving, looks at me. He says, Hey, what's a guy got to do to win a warrior around here? And I looked at him, I said, Well, just keep doing what you're doing. So I'm gonna give it to him. Jacob Conover, Wheaton, Warrenville, South. Love you, my man. Keep doing your thing. Go to Sunday. Couple requests come in from the guys. 29 Gio Rosales, Downers Grove North wins it.

SPEAKER_03:

Made a diving catch going back to that extra inning game. Uh, his team was up um one because he was the away team. They took the lead early on and in the top inning, and then they had to hold it in the bottom half. Team was up one. Tiny run at second base, little floater going into uh center field. Dude dove out full till and made a diving catch.

SPEAKER_01:

Love it. Marco would say get parallel. Yes, he did. Great play. Great parking. Then you finish up with the upperclassman 27, Mason Stanley from good old Hampshire. We love Hampshire. We love Hampshire, but keep working, boys. Only four weeks left. All right. We're gonna have our Warrior of the Year. It's gonna be a tight race. I don't know who's gonna win it, but the Warrior of the Year, you're gonna have a nice little surprise gift basket coming in that I'm gonna put together for you. Okay, little incentive for the boys.

SPEAKER_00:

There you go.

SPEAKER_01:

Like I said, training is almost done, right? Some look at it as an exciting time, some look at it as a sad time, some look at it a little bit of both, right? We are in the dog days of winter, right? But the dog days are winter of are are what you make of it. But two months away from your first high school game, Luca. I'm gonna talk a little bit about the main south uh team. Really? Got a lot of hawks in here. Oh, yeah. Love with the Hawks. Real solid pitching staff this year.

SPEAKER_00:

Dogs.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Real solid pitching staff. They got, I believe you have two seniors that are big arms.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we got two. Uh both of our starters from playoffs are gonna be returning. Connor Griffin. Yes. One. Oh yeah. And uh the other one, little little secret. He's uh he's a Juko product, but kids a dog.

SPEAKER_03:

You brought him out, you brought him back from JUCO?

SPEAKER_01:

No, he's going to a Juko next.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, I was gonna do that.

SPEAKER_01:

Doesn't play here, but that's okay. Hey, we're good with the Hawks. They're also gonna have Russell, Russell 2027 Jr. Hangles, your boy. They got the sophomore there who I know is pretty solid too. Like their pitching staff is very, very good there. They got a lot of your offenses back. Yeah, 2-3-4, all sparks. 2-3-4, all sparks.

SPEAKER_03:

It doesn't matter if, and I'm not just saying this because I I I love you. We've said this when you're not even in the building. The man sitting across from me is a leader of men.

unknown:

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03:

He's a leader of men, and I've watched him play in high school, and I've come watched him play in for the Hawkeroos. The kid personifies what a catcher should be on the field. And I've said this to all my catchers, I've said to Dan as well. We we all know this. Any good catcher can elevate a roster, can make all the pitchers good, can make all the players good. Even if you're average, he makes you good. And if he makes you if you're good already, then he makes you great. So I just know the Hawks are gonna do well because Lucas Stoyakovich is in his senior year and he's gonna have them flying high. Right now, I already see a final four. If they stay all healthy, the Hawks should make a final four just because of the guy sitting across the desk from us right here. I mean, and that's not I'm not putting pressure on you because I know you're already gonna do it. Because you're that guy, Luca.

SPEAKER_00:

We're hungry.

SPEAKER_03:

I know. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh-huh. Got it. The Hawks got a taste last year.

SPEAKER_03:

I saw, yeah. You got Nate and Sarah too, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah. You got some guys. Eighth the great. Yeah. You're also, I think, training in here too now, right? Oh, Nate? No. No, the Hawks. The Hawks are coming in here. Yeah. Newly acquired. Wow. He's like all the teams that train here do well.

SPEAKER_01:

It's very seem like well. Let's talk about that. Yeah. I think there's something else we gotta talk about with high school season. Okay. Big congratulations to Lord Puck. Okay. He not only drives a Bronco. Yes. But he might end up being a Bronco.

SPEAKER_02:

TBD.

SPEAKER_01:

What's this?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't know. You'll hear about it. You'll hear about next week.

SPEAKER_01:

This guy might be landing himself a new gig.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Might be a Bronco.

SPEAKER_02:

Might be a Bronco. Might be a Eagle.

unknown:

I think.

SPEAKER_02:

You might be.

SPEAKER_01:

I would love if that happens. I am there. I'm bringing the whole 11U squad. Yeah. That'd be pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_03:

It would be pretty great. But confirm next week.

SPEAKER_01:

I just got to ask you both because Josh, you have coached many. How many years have you coached high school baseball though?

SPEAKER_03:

Like IHSA baseball?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Three.

SPEAKER_01:

Three. Okay. So you've spent three seasons in IHSA baseball. And Luca, you're walking into your last season. Um first things first. What are you most looking forward to with your high school season coming up? And what do you enjoy most about high school baseball?

SPEAKER_00:

I think I mean the thing I love about high school and travel in high school. People a lot of times people ask which one you like better. And you don't even have to pick. It's just I don't like that argument because in high school, I'm with my guys. If you go back to our eight year Parker. Warriors roster. There's probably I think there's like seven of us that are gonna be on the team this year playing for me and so and I it's just that is unmatched to me. I love that atmosphere and getting to build the culture and the story, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, the the memories. Like you're making I agree with you. I loved high school baseball. Like so the memories I have from high school baseball playing with kids who I grew up with since I was eight years old and played on little league all-star teams with and made made good runs at, and then we were really good and won a uh uh state championship in high school. Like those memories you make with those dudes are are I mean unforgettable awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Like whether you're doing yard work at six in the morning before school, rolling the tarp out, it's just unmatched. You don't get bad summer ball. Did you have to roll the tarp up? No, me neither. We didn't we didn't we didn't have a tarp.

SPEAKER_03:

Juco, we did. Wow. I had two at Bradley. Juco, no, we would uh so practice was at 3 30 and uh he rolls us, it's snowing outside and uh snowing slash raining. So what is that? Sleet? What is that? That's sleeping. Yeah, so it's coming down and he's like, get out here. And we're all in the um, we're all in the uh the what are those things called out in the parking lot? Um the cars? Wow, you're so funny, Luca. No, um the cars. Trolleys? No, like where you take driver's ed in. What what do you call those things? What the sim like simulators?

SPEAKER_01:

No, like they're classrooms in the washing machine. Classrooms in the parking lot? No, the classrooms for driver's ed. Yeah, what are they? They're like big long tubes. At least they that's what they were when I was.

SPEAKER_03:

And I'm a lot older than you, but like the trailer. They're trailers. All right, that's what they're called. All right. So we're in the trailer and we're just sitting there waiting on the group me for this guy who's literally 40 feet out there waiting to tell us when to come out. He tells us to come out to put the tarp on, the tarp blows away, and then he just tells us to go away. We just wasted our entire afternoon waiting to go out there, and eventually it got too bad, and the tarp blew away. So that was my tarp story.

SPEAKER_00:

I got a lot of tarp stories. We we tarp a lot in Maine South. It's awesome. Wow. We we actually we go to we play a game at Boomers every year, and um we all well, the past two years we've actually ended up we tarp with the boomers field crew, which is always a pretty fun, pretty fun game.

SPEAKER_01:

You know the head guy there. I actually played baseball with this kid growing up. Really? The guy who's like the head maintenance guy at Boomer Stadium. I I know very well. He's probably the guy who's out there grumpy yelling at us yelling at us. He's awesome. If you go out there this year and you gotta do it, just make hey, Brewer said cut it out. He'll start screaming at you. Good old Mr. Telesi. Love that man. Fun time. Good, good man, he's a good man.

unknown:

Good man.

SPEAKER_01:

He's he's a truly good man.

SPEAKER_03:

So high school ball. Yes. You you you'd go with.

SPEAKER_00:

I'd go with the ball.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I don't think he's arguing. I don't think argue, but like if if I tell you how to pick one, high school or summer? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, with the experience I've had with high school ball, I just love it. My best friends are on the team. I don't disagree with you.

SPEAKER_03:

I don't disagree with you. I agree the same thing. And from the coaching perspective, what I enjoy is the day-to-day. Yeah, and you're with your players day to day, and you see the growth of some guys from day one to the end, and I think any good coach, they just want to feel like we had some influence. I mean, just some validate a little bit, and because there's really not a lot of validation besides people trying to attack you about playing timer early earlier in this episode. So when you have a couple small victories, such as you see a player get a little bit better, and it's not even talking about like on the field, this can just be as a human being. Like they just got better as a person. You're like, oh man, I had a little, I had a little um help in there. You had a little effect. And that's what I loved about I did all three years at Loyola, and I had a with that in mind, I think the parents appreciated you more just because of that. And I had my relationships with those people, I'll still have because I was with them day to day for three years, and those kids still call, text, whatnot, and I'm fortunate enough to bring some of them over here as well. So yeah, I also prefer high school baseball. For sure, you know, and so now we're in the country. I'll say this taking buses.

SPEAKER_01:

I actually coached uh at my kids' middle school this fall, and same thing is I would have those kids four or five days a week.

SPEAKER_03:

This guy was jacked up, he would call me. More jacked up about any other game I've heard him talk about. He's like, Man, we we we got the cyclones, right?

SPEAKER_01:

The nets, bro. The nets? The hornets, the hornets. We we rolled us the nets. Okay, so that's on two, baby one, two nets. He was so I had to rock blue, which is a very big change for my red. Brought me back to my LT days, though. Truth be told, is I used to hate the color red.

SPEAKER_02:

So Bradley.

SPEAKER_01:

Until I went to Bradley, and it went from blue at LT of blue and gold, right? Changing because we hated Hinsale Central. That's our rivals. So the red to me was like, now that's we're out. Go to Bradley. I had to completely change over to red, and then I'm here, and now red's one of my favorite colors. Yeah, I love my red and black. It's a good color. This is a good color. See, like you're you're transitioning, you're you know, back into the blue, you're back into the back of the blue. Speaking of back the blue, gotta tell a good one today. Okay, come home. Is this cup of brew? No, this is not cup of brew yet. Okay, this is just for mama brew, okay. Uh who's out there listening. I know you're out there. You love the show. She loves Josh. Um, but it was funny to me. I'm coming home from my daughter's basketball thing the other day, and my mom had my two boys, and uh, I asked my daughter, I said, What do you think the boys had for lunch? And she goes, I guarantee that callverse. So I get home and I said to my mom, I said, What'd you guys have? And she goes, We back the blue. Oh, back in the blue. She goes, Because I've heard on this good man show that you have to back the blue. You gotta always back the blue. So we appreciate Mama Brew back in the blue.

SPEAKER_03:

If I ever take you to back the blue, I love you. Whoa. Actually, no.

SPEAKER_01:

Take me to see the back da blue. That's Nikki, Nikki C. He does love you, though.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

Nikki C has not made an appearance back on the show. Nikki C, where are you? Lucas talked more than Nikki C.

SPEAKER_00:

That was one of my goals tonight.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey, I was gonna actually ask you when we started, like, hey, listen, like, it's not gonna take much, but just talk more than Nikki C, please. I set that guy up for the greatest thing he could have done of roasting Josh, and he froze.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I mean that's why we love Nikki C.

SPEAKER_00:

You will never do that to me. Josh was under trial and they brought Nikki C to the stand. I'd say Josh is safe. I I would too. I actually learned that quickly that that's the sad thing.

SPEAKER_03:

That's the sad thing about my brothers. If you brought my middle brother Caleb or Noah, I immediately get called for uh murder, guilty, they're sending me off for 10 years. You bring Nikki C out here, I'm off.

SPEAKER_01:

See, but I wouldn't bring them. I'd bring I'd bring mama and she she wouldn't sell you out.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, no, but my brothers though, like man. Noah would for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

The kid? Yeah, clown. But I love the kid. Yeah, well. The crime dog. I called him crime dog when he was a freshman because he used to wear his hat up, like Fred McGriff.

SPEAKER_03:

And I call we're driving a human.

SPEAKER_01:

Hold up, timeout. You don't know Fred McGriff? I don't know Fred McGriff. Oh my goodness, dude, what's wrong with these kids? The crime dog, Fred McGriff. Is it a cartoon?

SPEAKER_04:

Oh.

SPEAKER_01:

My blood's boiling. Is he? I have to close my eyes and just hope I'm actually talking into this thing. But Fred McGriff, man, the crime dog. Great player for the Braves, dude. Come on. But Noah would wear his hat like him, and I'd remember calling him crime dog. He got all salty of me. And then for like two weeks he wouldn't talk to me, and he kept giving me dirty looks to the point I had to call him in my office, like, you got a problem with me? And he like looked at me like stunned. I'm like, no, I'm generally asking a question. Like, do you have a problem with me? Like, your brother works here. I am good friends with your brother, and you're gonna play here. So if you have a problem with me, like you might want to speak up. What do you say? And it boiled down to me calling him crying dog. I'm like, that was a compliment. Like, you think I'm taking a jab at you? And of all things, that's that's the thing you're upset about?

SPEAKER_03:

Clown. Um, no, we're driving to Inwood, and he has he's wearing the hat as you describe, windows down. Guess what happens to the hat? Flew up gone. And he's like, Oh, we gotta stop. Shut the hell up. We're not stopping anywhere.

SPEAKER_01:

This is Josh and Noah at its finest.

SPEAKER_03:

But it's time for a couple. Go boboo is brought to you by Newman's Corner Pub in Hampshire, Illinois. I don't know how the taxes are out there, but I know in Will County today I got gas for$240. That was in Lockport. I don't know about the taxes out there. But if you want to gamble, if you want to eat, if you want to drink, if you want to meet your husband or wife, go to Newman's Corner Pub. Remember, you gotta look at him in the eye and say, I like you. Give me your number. But you first gotta go to Newman's Corner Pub to do that. So get out of your couch. Go say hi to Jeff Narocki for us. Tell him, we sent you, and maybe you get something. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01:

He'll take care of you. But we're going back to something we talked a little bit about at the start of the show is multi-sport athletes. And uh, as I said earlier, I was a multi-sport athlete. I played football in the fall, played uh, I wrestled in the winter, and then I played baseball in the spring and summer. And uh I ended up only wrestling for three years. I did not wrestle my senior year of high school because I had knee surgery uh during my junior year baseball season. And it's funny, I played football, wrestled, baseball. Only sport I ever got hurt in was baseball, the only non-contact sport, totally messed up. But uh, so kind of to go to my point earlier, I was talking to my brother-in-law this weekend, and this is what made me think of kind of having this conversation was um I remember like basically never going to football summer camp. And uh going into my junior year was the first time I was going to varsity. I never went to summer camp. Coaches used to always be on me about it. Football's a no-cut sport. I'm off playing baseball. It's not like I'm not doing anything. Like in the summer, I'm gonna play as much baseball as physically possible. The coaches knew I was a baseball player, but I remember showing up the first day of practice, and uh, you know, the coaches are like, you know, you haven't been here more than like 20% of the summer. I said, okay. Like, fully aware of that. Thank you. Thanks for stating the obvious. And they're like, Well, you know, you're not gonna be the number one free safety. I said, fine. Like, what does that mean? They're like, Well, you're gonna be the third string free safety. And I said, Okay, well, what what opportunity do I get? And they said, You have to go run scout team against our ones. I said, even better. That means that means I get to obliterate our ones all year long and uh show you how bad they are, right? That's how I viewed it. And uh, you know, they kind of always laughed at me kind of taking it that way, because you know, I think most coaches would come to a kid and say that to him, and then most kids would either quit, which I think they anticipated me quitting. I had three other brothers who only played football till their uh one actually played till his junior year and then did not play his senior year, but the other ones all quit after their sophomore year. So that kind of was like the running joke at LT that the Brewers don't play football, they'll quit after a sophomore year. They're baseball players, all four of us played college baseball. Um, so to me, I kind of always took that as an incentive to prove them wrong.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, but I just was like, I'm not gonna go to summer camp. But I remember showing up, like I said, third string by the first week of season, I was our starting uh free safety, and I had a heck of a year going to my junior year. I had knee surgery, so I really didn't ever show up to summer camp, but was just right back at it. I think it's important for coaches to understand multi-sport athletes. And the reason I'm saying this is I approached it that way as a player, right? But I also always appreciated the coaches of the football team who, while they weren't happy that I didn't show up, they also didn't ever really truly punish me, besides saying, fine, then this is your opportunity to go do this and then earn everything else. And they just understood, like, okay, he's a baseball player, but if he's willing to show up, like if he's the best and he earns his spot, we'll let him play. I think too many times now coaches um try to force kids to commit to one sport and they don't let them try to do multi-sports, and I think it limits these kids, and that's a shame. I think as a coach, you analyze every case differently. If the kid is more of a football player and he's showing more interest in that, but you know, uh on their off seasons, like he's trying to wrestle or uh play lacrosse, like he should be told, like, go do that, but that other sport, then his secondary sport coach, should understand that the kid should still be probably focusing on his main sport, or if he has a conflict and he's going to his main sport and missing a off-season training for the other one, like there shouldn't be a punishment to that. I think too many times nowadays, coaches get bent out of shape and and try to force kids um to push one way or the other, or they're not account willing to accommodate. And now I get it, people will say, Oh, that's favoritism, and there's backlash from parents who who are going to say certain things about them. And I understand all that, and I think there's certain situations where they probably don't handle it right, but I just think if you have an athlete who's a gifted athlete and wanting to play multi-sports, like it is our job as coaches to work with the player and and kind of direct him to those to those avenues of saying, okay, do these ones and play this sport for us because we know we can pull the most out of you and you're gonna get a lot of good memories and and athleticism and doing that, but we understand to try to work with you to let you play your primary. So I think for any coach listening, at least from my experience, like be willing to work with the players, players who want to play multi-sports, be willing to make a lot of sacrifices. You're going to have to give up friend time, you're gonna have to give out go-out time. Um you gotta get your studies done because you're gonna have to get your grades and you're gonna have to work twice as hard to do it. So uh multi-sport athletes are encouraged here. Uh, I think it's a great day for kids to, like Luca said, play in high school with a lot of your friends in different areas, but I think there's right ways to go about it and wrong ways to go about it.

SPEAKER_02:

So cheers up. Cheers up with a cup of brew.

SPEAKER_01:

A cup of brew. I don't know how long you want to talk about this today, Lord Puck. Um and I know you started off with the Bears lose, but we do have to at least talk briefly with the season ending. Yeah, let's wrap it up. Um I know, but but here, I do have questions for you. You are a big Bears fan, and we've talked about that for a long time, and we've been able to blast a lot about it, and we have to let this out, okay? But give me a full dissect of the fine of the season.

SPEAKER_03:

I don't think the way we won half of those games are repeatable going into another year. Um people say year one, things are going great, you know. This sport, football in particular, this is the sport I'm talking about. It is not like the other sports in terms of building, rebuilding years. Case in point, look at the Panthers. No one was saying last year, man, they got something to build on. Homies find themselves in a playoff game this year.

SPEAKER_01:

That division was awful.

SPEAKER_03:

That's but to my point, to my point, the unpredictability of this sport because of how many move there are so many people on the field. It's the ultimate team game. There are so many moving parts. Also, it is a contact sport, it is the heaviest contact sport of the four major sports, meaning your season can be derailed with one injury to one important person, specifically the quarterback.

SPEAKER_01:

Not with the Bears, dude. Or listen, and I I I said my my piece on Caleb last week. Although, since I said that, that man's thrown five picks in two games, and one of them was sailed over a guy's head early in the game because he overthrew it. Now it was cold as could be in that game. And I'm not changing my opinion. He didn't have his nails painted yesterday.

SPEAKER_03:

I knew something was off.

SPEAKER_01:

But if Caleb Williams went down, don't forget who we got, man.

SPEAKER_03:

The eight million dollar man. Or you just have a couple injuries on the offensive line or the defensive line. And I would argue the Bears dealt with injuries on defensive, on the defensive side a lot this year, but still overcame them. Thing is, though, what I've noticed in this league is if you have a really good head coach and you have a quarterback, you have a shot any year. We have both of those things. So that um allows me to have some hope going into the future. We also have a good offensive line. We're all gonna come back. Now, here's the thing. I still don't believe we have a good general manager. I don't. Because again, look at that defense. That defense is bad, was bad. Now, if you're gonna argue with me, well, look, Kyler Gordon was there to change the whole thing. I agree. Now, if that was your vision with Kyler Gordon there and everything's buzzing around, I thought Dennis Allen did a heck of a job with what he was given. We blitzed safeties and corners.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh he's not going out there and playing. I said he did a hell of a job. He's talking about polls. Oh, Ryan Poles? Yeah, well, I mean, I thought he made good moves this year. I thought he had a who? Who? I I mean the guys he was signing on defense were getting.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, look at them bums. Andrew Billings. Andrew Billings. Do you even know where Andrew Billings is? Consume. Yeah, consume. That man's awful.

SPEAKER_00:

That guy can't move. You're gonna piss a lot of people off with that.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, yeah, I just pissed him off. That guy can't move. Second of all. What about what did Amy say? Look at that booty. Second of all, um, Grady Jarrett. Uh can can you tell me what that guy did all year?

unknown:

No, I couldn't.

SPEAKER_03:

His name was I forgot he played.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Also, um, Tremaine Edmonds.

SPEAKER_02:

He's old.

SPEAKER_03:

There's a reason why the the Bills let him run. He was mid at best. Um my guy Nashawn Wright, I loved him, but man, he got hosed the last quarter of the year, man.

SPEAKER_00:

And that Packers game was hard to watch.

SPEAKER_01:

And he came up.

SPEAKER_03:

He he fought hard, man. He did. He did he did a lot this year to earn a lot of respect. And then um Jalen Johnson, he was either hurt, praying he was hurt. I'm praying he was hurt, or he's on the Eddie Jackson timeline. He's bad. Eddie Revis. All right, so in that. So defensively, I don't know if this guy this is why I brought up the general manager part. I don't know if he's gonna fix these holes defensively because he spent a lot of money on that defensive side and nothing came to fruition.

SPEAKER_00:

That's fair.

SPEAKER_03:

All right, that's all I'm saying. And um, if Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams did not fall into his lap and the Panthers being absolute idiots, I we would have a totally different narrative on this guy. So that's all I'm saying. Um, Joe Tooney, great job. That guy's a Super Bowl winner. Our old line is if our old line set up great for the next few years. That I'm not worried about. If we have a legit defense going into um next year, yo, our pass rush was that's why I said Dettus Allen Crosby. Well, I mean Max Crosby. Here's the thing Max Crosby, give the house for Max Crosby. No. Because look, no, you don't in this game, going back to the injury portion of this, you look what just happened with Micah Parsons. I'm not giving you a farm for anybody uh for one player in this spot.

SPEAKER_01:

I'll give you two first-round picks for Max Crosby right now. Done. Sold. Done. Sold. That's too much.

SPEAKER_00:

It's not too much. He's a dog.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, but again, it's just one guy. We have other guys. We need one guy who can get that corner back.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we'll bring back Khalil Mack back. The Mac daddy. That might be one of the dumbest. That might be one of the dumbest things you've ever seen. Khalil Mack? He's called Mac is a dog. Seriously, like Mac is Mac has been done for four years. He's just making sure he collects some more paychecks and builds his pension up. Which is good for him. Smart man. Dude, keep getting your money. But Khalil Mack is not even what Khalil Mack even remotely was. Max Crosby still has three to four years left. We need a whole new defense. We need a high-end pass rusher. A whole new defense. We need a middle linebacker that we can groom to be our dude. This is the Bears. We had Butkus. And then we have no line. And then we need one outside linebacker, and we're good.

SPEAKER_03:

We had Urlacher. Urlacher and Briggs. Briggs. Correct. All right. Who do we have now?

SPEAKER_00:

DeMarco. Jackson? Chirp? You said you don't want to go out and sign a big guy.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, we need to sign like five or six of them and make them into that.

SPEAKER_01:

So I was going to ask you, I was going to ask you what we need to do this offseason. And I just stole what we need to do. That we need to get over the hump. We need to defend the defense.

SPEAKER_03:

And we need to follow the follow the chief model of offense.

SPEAKER_01:

Are you trying to get a new kicker? Are you good with Santos finally?

SPEAKER_03:

I need we need a new punter. Why? That guy blows. That guy, we spent the draft pick on this guy, and he kicks at 40 yards. You can find I can go kick at 40 yards.

SPEAKER_00:

No, he's not.

SPEAKER_01:

He's mid. He is mid. And also. This guy went off about Signetti. And I just want to go real quick and give you a who, who, who's national champs, baby. Take it home. Mother and father-in-law at the game. Love it. Excited for him. In your face. You lost again.

SPEAKER_03:

Anyway, Tori Taylor's terrible. Kyro Santos, good job, man. Love you. Um, but no, we have a top five tight end in the league. Big time. And now we need a speedy wide receiver. Tyreek Hill. Luther Burden's what? Tyreek Hill type model. He's going back to KC. No, I'm not talking about the exact Tyreek. I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_01:

If you want to go to Tyreek Burton, that guy's going back. He's going to get a little bit more than a little bit.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, well, Tyreek Hill model type. Luther Burden's great. I love Luther Burden. I love Luther Burden. Nah, we just need a guy that can burn. We don't have that guy that can burn. And the frustrating part with DJ Moore, people like, man, we've got to get rid of him. Thing is, people forget he made a lot of big catches, man.

SPEAKER_01:

Don't get rid of DJ.

SPEAKER_03:

And then he just he just made some other plays. It's like, you know who he reminds me of? A Charlotte Hornets player. They they have moments of greatness. Greatness. But then you you reminded on why they played on Charlotte for so long. For example, why he was a Panther for so long. It's just he has moments like that, and you just have to deal with it.

SPEAKER_01:

Steve Smith played on the Panthers for a long time. That's when they were winning. Define winning. Like you pluralize that like they won a ton. They won a little bit. For what, two years? Yeah, wasn't that Jake Delome? That's where you're going, is Jake Delome. Like, come on. Jake Delome. Greg Olsen was there. But that'll polish off our football season.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I don't care. We're not talking about the next two weeks. I'm done. The last four teams are brutal.

SPEAKER_01:

But with the end of football, comes the dawn of baseball. The dawn of baseball.

SPEAKER_00:

It's in the air.

SPEAKER_01:

And spring, I mean, here. It's crazy. Spring training's like three, two, two, three weeks away.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, from guys reporting.

SPEAKER_02:

I need a new team.

SPEAKER_01:

I have to say this. I've not seen many moves by the White Sox. I don't think. Well, I guess you can claim one move by the White Sox. We have, you know, don't even know his name coming over from Japan. Munitaka Murakami. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03:

Sounds like an artist.

SPEAKER_01:

Hasn't hit a home run off a pitch higher than 99.

SPEAKER_00:

No, no, no, no, no. He's gonna ball out.

SPEAKER_01:

Lucas claiming, dog. I don't think this dude's ever played in the cold like Chicago, but we'll we'll see. But my guy, Alex Bregman, loved the dude. Good guy. Have you met him? I've I've met him. Uh he actually used to hang out with Ethan when Ethan was like one year old.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, so you're going to some games this year.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I won't go to Wrigley. I hate Wrigley. The only way I'd go to Wrigley is after playing the White Sox. I refused going to that stadium. The last time I went to the stadium, I got dragged there for a concert, and I had to sit there and stare at a poll and I couldn't see the stage. I lasted two songs. I looked at my wife and I said, I'm out. She said the concert just started. I said, This concert sucks. I'm out. Who was you want the Lumineers?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh.

SPEAKER_03:

It's a good concert.

SPEAKER_01:

What's the one song they have? Yeah, that's the thing is. Hey ho, can you sing hey ho? Nah, I'd probably not. He probably belt it like it's the uh seven doors. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off the work we go. Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho. But Bragman to the Cubs, I'll say this. I hate the Cubs. My my grandmother up above would strike me dead if I ever rooted for the Cubs. But as a baseball individual, a person who appreciates the game of baseball, their infield. Oh. They're left side of their infield, for those of you who remember, Swanson went to Vanderbilt. One and two. Bregman went to LSU and they were one and two in the draft that year. And those two guys defensively are second to none. Lights out. I mean, and then you throw Nico Horner, and then it's funny, all the Cubs fans are coming. Oh, if they trade Nico Horner, if they treat Nico Horner, I was like, the fact that any of you guys believe they're gonna trade Nico Horner just once again solidifies why Cubs fans are just idiots.

SPEAKER_03:

Boog Shambi's gonna eat Nico Horner.

SPEAKER_01:

Logic, they're not trading Nico Horner. If they traded Nico Horner, Cubs fans would all go in an uproar. It'd be one of the worst decisions that Jed Hoyer ever made to get rid of that dude.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, he's all just gotta stay away from it.

SPEAKER_01:

Nico Horner. Listen, I hate, like I said, I'll say it again. I'll say it till I die. I hate the Cubs. Nico Horner is a very fun baseball player to watch. He scraps in the box, he doesn't strike out much, he's not a power guy, he plays good defense, he plays the game the right way. He's a tough-nosed dude. Like he I'll take give me nine of him.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Their biggest problem, if you guys want my honest opinion, your Cubs fans, your biggest problem is your crybaby center fielder.

SPEAKER_03:

He's friends, best friends with uh the Bears. Uh, he attended one game.

SPEAKER_01:

He attended a game yesterday sitting together at the Blackhawks game tonight. They they of course they got their cameo in and they got paid.

SPEAKER_03:

They do a lot of charity work together, too.

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. Because that money keeps flowing in together. But to be honest with you, it wouldn't surprise me if those two actually hung out. They're it's like the same dyed hair and the pen and nails. The the whole or those two guys, just the exact same PCA though, is like we didn't hit a home run and no one hit her.

SPEAKER_03:

We need pitching.

SPEAKER_01:

Put a bunt on.

SPEAKER_03:

They do need to need relief pitching, particularly. We have a lot of twos and threes in the starting rotation. We don't have a clear number one.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, is Steele gonna be healthy?

SPEAKER_03:

That's well, that's always his problem.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. But if he's healthy, he's a legit one if he is. Yeah. But we'll see. I mean, you have to pay.

SPEAKER_00:

Bush.

SPEAKER_03:

Uh no, you have to pay$20 a month, so I can't. And plus I have YouTube TV, so I know I know more about other teams. No, this is the state of M will be. I know more about other. I watched 70 to 80 Padres games last year because.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey, you can watch the Sox this year. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I logged out and they won't log me back in.

SPEAKER_01:

All you have to do is ask. Yeah, well. And once the season starts, you'll log back in. You'll be a Sox fan again before you know it.

SPEAKER_03:

Let's wrap this up.

SPEAKER_01:

Listen, going to a Sox game is great. You sit wherever you can sit wherever you want. The food in their stadium is better than in Wrigley. I agree. The Wrigley food is pretty big.

SPEAKER_03:

I agree. What about the United Center food? Awful.

SPEAKER_01:

I know, right? Not in the B Mode Club, baby. Hey, listen, you go to a game in the B Mode Club, and that food is top-notch. So Luca, thanks for coming, man. We appreciate you coming out and sitting with us and doing this. Um, we look forward to you to your senior season, man. I look forward to watching your career. Just I'll say it again. Just keep doing what you've been doing, man.

unknown:

Yep.

SPEAKER_01:

We love you, Luca. Lord Puck, end us with an ending, Grace.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I got my tires. Go to discount tire. This is not a plug for discount tire, but go to discount tires. It's cold out there, so make sure that uh you heat your car up before you go outside. Watch out for those icicles hanging above your uh your gutter again. They almost got me last time. Make sure they don't get you. And then also make sure to call someone tomorrow that you haven't called in a while and say, hey, I was just thinking about you, and I love you. That's it. That's all we have. Who are you gonna call tomorrow? Tomorrow I will call a guy named Jeff. No, not Jeff's Yucala. I'm not gonna call Jeff's Yucala. I'm gonna call one of my aunts tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey, that's funny when you said that. I was like, I'm gonna call my aunt tomorrow. I'm gonna call my Aunt Laura tomorrow now.

SPEAKER_03:

Aunt Laura? Yeah. I have an Aunt Laura too. I'll call her tomorrow. I'll call Aunt Laura tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01:

That's what I'm calling, right? Let me take your advice, alright?

SPEAKER_03:

Aunt Laura, let's go to door county together again.

SPEAKER_01:

Door county?

SPEAKER_03:

Love door county.

SPEAKER_01:

Loves door county. Thanks for listening. We appreciate you guys always tuning in. Brew sauce, Lord Buck out.

SPEAKER_03:

Good night, Luca.