On today’s episode of The Mid Show we get into the bears schedule release, playing the Lions on Thanksgiving, and whether or not we’d like to see the Bears on Hard Knocks. Later we are joined by Northwestern Football’s Head Coach David Braun to talk about taking over the Northwestern program and what we plans to do to make it his own. We are then joined by Michael Cerami from Bleacher Nation for a Chicago Cubs update.
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[Music] all right bang bang it’s midow it’s Thursday it Thursday we got a loaded one for you we got Northwestern head football coach David Braun coming on along with Michael sarami sarami of uh Bleacher Nation to talk some Cubs Ed is out today I guess he’s he’s on his flight out to like UCLA to go camp heads out so we replace him with three guests that’s we got Braun we got our NFC North guy uh hle from Detroit talk a little football schedule release and then we got Camy for the Cubs Big Show Loaded show fun show and it’s all brought to you by who the great tasting less filling Miller Light now look lots have changed over the years one thing hasn’t there’s been one constant in my life what is that constant that’s Miller Light and another thing that hasn’t changed is that it’s just fing you ever noticed that it doesn’t great tasting and less fing people are trying to we’ve been debating this forever they’ve been dating it debating it since 1975 which is more important great state less 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session uh it’s schedule release day it’s a very exciting day I can’t football can’t get here soon enough so what we know so far recording on Wednesday before the full schedule has been uh been released we do know a few things we know week one home vers the Titans I feel like that’s a soft landing spot for our boy Caleb Williams home game everybody’s going to be hyped I hope it’s just like a noon kick like just standard like get into being a Chicago Bear week two the lovey Bowl I feel like he should flip the coin it’s Texans and bears down there we be we both got a quarterback thanks to lovey a couple years ago with a Hail Mary refusing to just roll over that was great I think we should both build him a statue love is the best uh and then we have Packers to end the year we got Seahawks are going to be Sunday night is what the leaks are saying or Thursday night I should say Thursday night week 17 we know so it’s starting to trickle out a little bit and the big big one for me my favorite thing Bears on Thanksgiving it’s my least favorite why is that your least favorite I like having a little bit of variety I meant to look this up I did not it feels like thanks for doing your homework the last I was working on something else I was working on schedule release it feels like out of the last 10 years emphasis on feels like mhm seven out of those 10 years have been the Bears wrong I know this is very much I’m aware that this is coming from like a butt hurt no evidence space yeah but I am so sick of playing it’s it seems like it’s often NFC North teams that does feel we come in and steal your we come in and steal your turkey like last year the Packers ruining my Thanksgiving yeah I wasn’t in the mood for that I didn’t want that it seems like we’ve actually had the ability to hold our own against the Packers for a while now has been a blessing the one day that I really really really wanted to beat the Packers we didn’t mhm I don’t want and I I’ve told you guys this before I’m being dead serious and you only get this for a year I do want the Bears to be good this year good is there’s a range of good MH but I love good football more than anything and good football in the NFC North is the best black and blue it’s going to be awesome it’s going to be really there’s no like weak team no and I like that so you guys being good I am excited about if you guys ruin my Thanksgiving I’m going to be Furious here’s why I love playing the Lions on Thanksgiving it’s better than playing the Cowboys playing the Cowboys that kicks off like you know your mom’s calling you up you got to eat dinner you got to talk to your aunt you got to do all these different things like right in the middle of the game because that’s when those kicks are that that game starts at 11: basically the Thanksgiving game central time so you have all you have your Bears filled then you go get your turkey fill and the game is kind of background noise it is perfect it’s even better when you just ruin it ruin their day like their day it’s like their little holiday super is their day for kind of but it’s hard to be like it’s our day when everyone just comes in and steamrolls you that’s what sucks is we’ve been around last season was our 90th season I don’t remember exactly how far back uh the Thanksgiving Day game goes a long time as long as I’ve been correct I hate I think it’s the 50s I hate being a lions fan to admit this for a long time that was like the one thing we can hang our hat on it’s like Thanksgiving belongs to us and around the country because we were the Lions of old for so long same old Lions it was like a tradition for the country to say Thanksgiving starts with somebody beating up on the line yeah I’m aware of that it’s kind of funny yeah I’m sick of it I want to win on Thanksgiving it’s not like I to the point about I want good football I love good football I don’t want if we’re going to play the Bears on Thanksgiving I don’t want a rollover opponent on Thanksgiving I don’t I don’t want to just bully uh I can’t think of like a nobody it would be the Lions not this year I know but historically historically who’s some [ __ ] dorm at that well it’s like you’re looking I don’t want to do that yeah so if it’s going to be you guys it’s going to be competitive great yeah but I am sick of seeing it’s you guys in the Packers that I I just don’t have any fun seeing you guys on Thanksgiving and it’s just it there’s nothing that I can like back it up with but are these our matchups these the thanks giving Day games historically yeah so we’ve played four out of the last 10 all right so you’re not you’re not far off but like that’s odds are you know you’re going to play a divisional poll in it if you’re playing us twice a year one of them guess yeah yeah I I love it it’s one of my favorite things I I think I’m I’m so excited for the Bears and I I feel like the league with the if if the leaks for the schedule are true the league is acknowledging that the Bears are cool if you have the Packers Prime Time week 18 no they the Bears get they’ve historically gotten way too many Prime Time games yeah but like if you have Thanksgiving that’s a that’s a showcase game you have week 18 Packers there’s supposedly going to be prime time it’s probably going to be that definitely definitely yeah you have uh Vikings are going to have a Prime Time game with the with the Bears they they released I can’t remember which week that was they have Thursday against the Seahawks like you’re looking at like five to six nationally televised games for the Chicago Bears like that is what did they have last year three they typically have three so this could be double that dmats too right like they played the Panthers last year it was like the worst game of all time the Vikings it was like the worst game of all time this is like hey like the Bears are actually kind of yeah I I typically I hated Prime Time CU it was to Prime Time Bears it was like that we would talk about like even when they had good years with the exception of like the Arizona game you know who do they you know the old there’s a handful of games where it’s they were in prime time and they they it was the complet like the Patriots game a couple years ago where they just beat the [ __ ] out of the Patriots and it was I think that was a Thursday night game it was like the week after they had lost but typically they’re doing something to embarrass themselves yeah that is not the case anymore I I I’m so fully on board with the direction of this organization and and my confidence in them finally finding the quarterback of their future that I I give me all the Prime Time games I want to show off this [ __ ] organization everybody on the the other thing that’s fun about week one too you know Taylor and will are going to be here so we’ll have a live stream where we get to instead of bullying hle we get to bully two former NFL guys and just like that’s like Hey we’re announcing our like the that the Bears are here hopefully hopefully it goes that way if they if they have a nice week one that’s a good way to stop I will say I’ve never been this confident in the direction of the Bears out like not even close next closest would be that 2019 yeah was that or 20 when we when we watched that DraftKings in New York or whatever that was against the Packers when he did the KE formation and he came out wearing the tweet that was that was the year after the D the first game after the double do so 2019 yeah and um they just threw up an egg yeah and it was ugly and it was embarrassing that that would be worst possible case scenario and it would like I’d be eating a lot of crow for all the [ __ ] I plan to talk about the Bears this summer right but we’re just at the start of it and that that game too like that even that felt different like you had a real defense but it was like can Mitch just get like a little bit better and be like a like a average Quarterback that was like that was the hope and it’s like if he’s average if he’s like the 12th to 15th best quarterback in the league like we got a real shot that didn’t happen I got a question for you um this is based on and you because you were on that show months ago I don’t when we uh discussed how I said the Lions don’t I never said they stink you said they have a stink on them stinky organization yeah uh I but I got I got a ton of [ __ ] saying uh because I said originally the Lions don’t scare meh now do they have they scared you over the last couple years uh I do have a take on this but yeah go ahead uh last couple of years no La it’s or moving forward they’re not they’re not the boogeyman like the Packers are like you have to do it longer than season understand but the way they play football which is just like B kneecaps like like they said right when the coach got higher like they’re they’re like a nasty football team now they will they’re a team that will never roll over in my eyes like it’s going to be it’s like we’re talking to coach Braun later like Rock fight kind of game no matter what so yeah like scared no but like my point my point is this and we’re going to get to the Jared golf conversation after this segue because this is all tied together my point is this is you said that Jared goof does not scare you this is off camera and I don’t think you can be afraid of a football team if the quarterback himself doesn’t scare you per se most of the time yeah and I like J I like jar he’s a good quarterback he’s a very good quarterback but he doesn’t scare me correct even though he’s been to the NFC championship Super and Super Bowl two different organizations um so that that is where I am doubling down and saying the Detroit Lions do not scare me now the Detroit Lions in this current iteration of them are a very good football team Y and on that note I think this extension of Jared goth makes it a Do or Die year for 20242 that has definitely been the word on the street like everybody that has a take on it it’s either we overpaid for Jared or I guess just to that point is like you are so tied up in everything that you have this year we got both coordinators to come back nobody thought that was going to happen again yeah we extended Jared we extended p we extended am raw we still have I think after this season we have to look into signing Aiden hutchingson to an EXT there’s a lot of players that need to be play paid yeah and players that have been play paid already yes that’s point so the one thing that I will say that has been very different to really just like wrap my head around or even use as like ammo in a conversation like this is we have competency in our front office like top to bottom within our organization seems to be that way we have people who have a full plan for whether it’s just the roster the facilities the like the uniform thing that was discussed apparently like day one Dan Campbell got hired and he’s like I would like to get new uniforms and black uniforms at that and then they did that so between that um I I do not understand how money Works in sports in the sense that jarro goof is getting a lot of money I don’t have a problem with it I’m actually very more than anything I’m just relieved that we got it out of the way um but when it comes to like guaranteed money versus oh it’s you have to have an MIT economics money like on the books versus doesn’t count toward the cap like all that I try to stay out of that so much and just let like the Brad Holmes of the world deal with that because I can’t it’s so confusing and it changes all the time you think of like the Rams the Saints whatever they just make up their own way to spend money so to that point point about this season I don’t have that same sense of urgency I guess because I don’t think that the money is necessarily going to be an issue like a few years ago when we extended Matthew Stafford he became on that contract the highest paid quarterback in NFL history I think it was within that same week that whether it was J for some reason Jimmy G is the guy who comes to mine someone got a contract to one up him within seven days this is one of those things will never understand about quarterback contracts in the NFL who are the Lions bidding against who are like you know what I mean like who what where is the law that top that top why why why just be like hey we’re going to offer you half of what um you know the Chargers are paying like all these other teams with like more Premier like Elite type quarterbacks that are younger and in their Prime like and if you can get a better offer I guess go get it which I guess the the Vikings did get burned by that with Kirk Cousins but like it’s one of those things where it’s like who says you have to just pay top dollar for a quarterback Market but like but again the market the market would indicate that uh that like this says like what is he the fourth highest PID quarterback in the league his annual salary I think he’s number two behind burrow all right why that’s my point like I don’t know I don’t know how money works it doesn’t make any sense the one thing to your point about like who you’re competing against the quarterback thing I’m hands off it doesn’t make any sense quarterbacks are just going to get top dollar whatever live with it I guess some degree all right Fair the one good point Dave the one thing that I do like that we did is the contract that we gave Aman R st Brown seemingly sets the market for the Vikings having to load up on Justin Jefferson and how that affects their books and they’re not starting over but they’re not not starting over going to be competive but I think going into the season the expectation is that they’ll finish fourth in the division right well hopefully but but they’re they’re also in a position where they don’t have to pay a quarterback correct so that’s so they can afford just so it’s yeah like I said when it comes to cash space and money and everything people try to be so smart about it on Twitter I’m not I’m hands off like I said it it doesn’t make any sense somebody knows how it works but the line moves yeah every single day so is what it is and we’ll wrap it up on this uh the Bears are rumored to be one of the contenders to have Hard Knocks MH I want it do you want it I want it yeah what would you you just went through it do you think that that was a net positive for the Lions yeah in the public eye yeah everybody loves Dan Campbell yeah M um I word on the street I’m not saying this is my opinion this is the collective consensus that I’ve seen people thought that that was whether it was the best entire season of Hard Knocks or just the best first two three episodes because everybody starts to fall off after that I felt like it was the best hard knock in a while when the last did it yeah since like since like Rex Ryan’s Jets once I hand up had never watched hard KN okay up to the lines doing it because I like I said earlier about liking good football hard KN is not football to me like I like I bolts it’s the inard I like the X’s and O’s and everything of football and obviously like watching on Sunday this is the X’s and O’s it’s what goes into roster construction so I didn’t realize that going into Hard Knocks I thought it was more drama if you will it’s not the real world man so going into it or when it got announced that we were going to do it I was honestly a little hesitant to be excited just because I didn’t know what to expect I didn’t want the distractions I didn’t want the I don’t even mean to use the word drama like it’s a soap opera but um I just didn’t know how pure football it was because I never cared to watch it um then I watched it absolutely loved it this past season I don’t remember who did it um exactly Jets Jets yeah yeah so for you guys I think it could be cool but I think in most years I would be like Eh this but this like you need have the person personali right there’s so much hype there’s so much like Intrigue you got the quarterback you got all that stuff like I want I want all the Bears content I watched highlight tapes of mini camp the other day I have been watching all 22 videos of Caleb Williams for months [ __ ] months yeah Lance where are you on that do you want Hard Knock well since Eddie’s not here I guess I might be our resident eore okay lie I don’t I think that especially with the beginning right I think adding the cameras and adding this flash to it and then not succeeding is just going to have the entire world pile on to K [ __ ] thatly be confident Lance this is going to be a good football team this year I’m not calling Super Bowl or nothing or even playoffs this year but you are going to start to see not not The Gleam it’s going to be very obvious that this team is going to be [ __ ] loaded in like for a good stretch a good stretch I I almost need to see it I don’t know it’s have my as my heart been broken by the Bears so many times that I just I can’t love again sure you know but like I’d love to but this is different it’s different different they said that about Fields they said that I never said that about Fields there’s always been for Fields so the the quarterbacks the at least in the the relevant quarterbacks that the Bears have drafted in my we’ll call it adult life has been Rex Grossman uh Kyle Orton was a fourth rounder but I’m talking I’m not even really talking about him uh trabis and Fields trabis obviously was a stress they traded up for him they got they got [ __ ] swindled by John Lynch in the ners uh Fields was a trade up um and he he was falling in that draft and it was obvious like he had there was question marks this is so much different than those guys this was a consensus from start to finish one-1 best pro prospects in the draft and they got him and I love his personality I love how it felt flamboyant and like he these guys look like they’re best [ __ ] friends already he’s kind of [ __ ] dude man he’s he’s a [ __ ] dude he’s a dude and and those cameras like give him all the cameras that’s not going to shake him yeah and we’ve talked about how it’s the first uh gen Z quarterback or nil guy or how we phrased it a couple weeks ago that is gone through the draft proc that was P who said that yeah he’s used to he’s used to having a [ __ ] phone and camera and and and recording in front of his face give me all of it I and selfishly it’d be good for us yeah probably get some [ __ ] it fire me up let’s go [ __ ] Am I Wrong Am I Wrong I you’re am I wrong now that’s not to say Caleb Williams could absolutely be a bust but the process that led to Caleb Williams and and all and everything that’s been said about him I’m obviously not some Pro Scout eye but like everything that said about him I think the chances are pretty good that like the floor is is it’s so high it’s I think it’s fair to be optimistic for the like genuinely optimistic for maybe the first time and I and when it comes to the Bears like I have no problem taking my Bears blinders off and my Chicago fandom blinders off I will speak exactly how I see if that is against this is a good look for you because you’ve always been the like the pessimistic one I’d say of the group yeah but it’s not me being pessimistic it’s me that’s what I’m saying I’m giving speaking what I is Dave I’m giving you credit cuz you’re not just an ER for E sake that’s what I’m saying no I’m not right all right well I think that’s uh you know we’ll we’ll probably do our full breakdown where we predict the Bears to go 17-0 with big cat like we do every year next week when the schedule’s fully out um and with that we’re going to keep talking football head football coach at Northwestern David Brun I I might be in love with this guy the guy’s the man uh so awesome that’s coming up now and we’ll see you on the other side whoh all right but before we get get to Coach Dave Braun the head football coach at Northwestern I want to talk to you guys about 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feeling good no Nicks no cuts no burn no nothing that’s because we use uh vanderhagen uh so check out that local Target uh vanderhagen dcom all right we’re in the interview portion of this week’s episode one of the interviews uh we’re sitting down with uh Northwestern head football coach David Braun now if you would have told me about a year and a half ago that I was sitting down with head coach David Braun I would have said you are absolutely insane Fitz is going to be here the next 50 years until he decides to go um You probably would have said that too yeah absolutely my wife and I thought we were taking one of the most stable jobs in college football absolutely yeah um what so we don’t have to get into the whole thing it’s been relitigated a million times over but like I just want to get like a brief summation of the was there any buyers remorse like oh man I wish I would have Take This Job Tak another one or was it instant like all right this is what we got got to move forward let’s do it yeah you know our time at North Dakota state was so special um it was going to take something really special to pull Kristen and I and our family out of Fargo and uh you know we we thought we were taking our our dream job you know again like I said we thought we were taking one of the most stable jobs in all of college football and working with great people and you know an hour and 15 minutes from my folks and I mean there was just you know I I I I grew up watching Northwestern football Wisconsin football Big 10 through and through my dad’s from Cleveland Ohio State fan I was like are you kidding me you get to be a defensive coordinator in the Big 10 and uh yeah I’d be lying to if I didn’t tell you there were some times in July and August that my wife and I are going what what what did we get ourselves into I mean there so much uncertainty uh but you know at the end of the day we got we got such an incredible group of guys that we get to coach that you know all all that energy just got turned into you know how can we make sure that these guys have an incredible experience this fall and and to their credit I mean they they mored and then delivered on that I mean the the memories uh are are memories that will stick with me forever how was I before we get into all the Northwestern stuff I’ve been obsessed with the Fargo Dome and North Dakota State like you they had game day there a couple times it looks like the most unique atmosphere for college football what what was it like as a coordinator on game day walking into that place guys you you you got to go I mean you got to rent an RV you got to go up um we used to joke in the defensive staff room at NDSU you know Nick gazer Bud Williams Grant olon like all of us Cody Morgan we said like guys when we retire like we are coming back back kicks because as a coach you experience the game in the home field advantage but you walk past the tailgate and you’re like I I want to experience that you know it’s incredible how loud is it getting there compared to some of these big 10 places you’ve uh coached at it it it’s wild you know um you you put 20,000 people that are amped up ready to go especially you know in in a dome and it is the ultimate home field advantage and you know with with uh this this Lakefront popup that we got going right now you know I know a lot of people are like well what’s what’s the what’s the capacity at the end of the day what what it really comes down to is you know those that show up ready to roll uh primarily purple and uh let’s let’s turn it into HomeField advantage and that that transition into the new Ryan Field in 2026 it’s the right size it fits us if we can when when when we build this momentum over the course of the next two years you know it’s not always about the numbers in the stadium uh it’s about who’s in the stadium the energy that they’re bringing and we learned that firsthand at NDSU I mean I I would be the first to tell you the the string of national championships that that we were able to be a part of so much of that that had to had to do with the fact that we had home field advantage throughout the playoffs and especially for teams that hadn’t experienced it before I mean it was halfway through the second quarter and uh the game a lot of times was already over yeah you just need 30,000 white sock Daves in the in the building right yeah I mean you guys built uh and this was way before you even probably were even had Northwestern on the ra on your radar but I went to it was a scrimmage against a D2 scho I don’t remember who it was at the new basketball stadium in 20 was it 18 or 19 or whatever and my immediate thought was this place is very small and this place is perfect for Northwestern and Riley and I went to a couple games last year when they beat Purdue first uh ranked Purdue and then 10th ranked or whatever Illinois that place is absolutely perfect for Northwestern and but it’s basketball and it’s a small it’s you know you can get away in football you got 50,000 almost capacity Ryan Field you D that down you get all purple fans that’s what I want are you advocating the the Ryan family for a dome just to lock all that noise in there Rob was in here a couple weeks ago I don’t know if we’re supposed to say that but he was you know the the thing the thing that’s neat you know capacity they’re they’re they’re drawing it back in which again it what is fitting to Northwestern and what you’re speaking of what Welsh Ryan’s turned into it’s fitting to Northwestern perfect for them and and and the canopy that they’re going to have over the new ryanfield is going to keep the noise in again fitting to Northwestern uh really really excited about what what we’re going to be able to do and what our fan base is going to be able to do in New and this Lakeville stadium is it’s going to be just like a uh a really quick Sprint to that with what is it 15,000 I think I read roughly somewhere in there and it’s going to be like a a Texas high school football game and I can’t wait for that I already told Riley like be prepared for me to Badger you for tickets non-stop cuz I want to be there like well you know a coach now can you get sideline passes for the guy I mean that is coming later but in the relationship but yes I will be asking um you guys exchang numbers yet so when when is like why don’t you Blitz on this down when are you guys uh breaking ground on that I’m sure there’s a ton of permit BS to go through behind the scenes and all that but season’s coming yeah you know I I I don’t I don’t envy all those that have been involved in the logistics of it uh thank God to to to so many people that are on the ins and outs of it right now Alex nisley our director of football operations has been just an absolute rock star helping all the different pieces that are going on with this there’s others in administration on campus so many you don’t realize it until you get into the weeds of how many people are really having to team up and make this happen but uh you know in production the company that we’ve teamed with to to do all this I mean this this is what they do and uh you know at some point here in the early summer things are going to get rolling and and they they got a really thorough plan uh really appreciative of all our other head coaches in in the department that are navigating you know this this this in some ways is going to affect soccer men’s and women’s soccer affect lacrosse um you know field hockey’s uh you know field and stadium is right next door and you know everyone’s just really come together and and realize that there’s going to be have to be some compromise for everyone football included but we can make this work and and the The Experience that’s going to provide for for our guys on game day uh for the fan base for our students on campus this is what college football’s about like wake up in the morning 9:00 a.m. walk out of the dorms you know that park right like that’s what it’s about the environment’s going to be special teering that line of maybe or maybe not getting led into the stadium cuz you’re a little too you know lubed up from the parking lot but but like you said exactly what college football is all about I can’t wait um back to the uh you know you took over in kind of unusual circumstances that you didn’t expect Fitz was such a legend here played obviously everyone knows the story what was something that you had to do to be like I’m going to put my DNA on this instead of just like as a continuation what’s something that you like this is what I want in my football team yeah you know I I got I got two things on that you know I think one thing that I’ve been really conscious of you know throughout my career as a defensive coordinator is and it’s natural you you could ask this question a lot you know what are you going to do to make it your defense and I’ve always said guys it’s it’s it’s not my defense it’s our defense like in my opinion great coaches what they have the ability to do is understand those that they’re working with and contextualize everything like what do we need to do with this group to to put this group in a position to win and yeah that that that’s where it started okay let let’s as much as this is a trying time it provides an opportunity for us to take a step back and say okay this group this this group3 three guys what what do we need to do to put this team in positions to win on Saturdays and what what we first identified it’s going to take all 103 and something that we had done at North Dakota state for for decades was was double rep and double repping with 103 guys is not ideal but you know we immediately made the decision in Fall Camp to do some double rep which is essentially instead of 22 guys taking a rep in practice 44 guys are taking reps you split into two Fields you split the coaching staff you got a young guys field I promise you if you go down on that Young Guy’s field it’s going to be some of the ugliest college football you’ve ever seen early on in Camp but you learn by doing you learn by failing and some of the development that happened on that field in August is what resulted in a guy like Michael kilbane being able to all a sudden we get into week five six seven eight and it’s like started dominating yeah absolutely and and and those things start to pay off so you know it it was never about you know what do I need to do to make it mine it was it a trying time provided an opportunity for us say you know what what a great opportunity for us to take a step back and say how do we win with this team there there there’s a formula out there you know but but but we’re going to have to find it we may have to be really creative and um double repping is something we weren’t able to do much in the spring with our lack of depth at o line so excited about where we’re going to be at this fall Camp we’re going to get back into double repping and just you know give give as many guys on our team as many opportunities to really grow develop and you know find their Niche and role on the team um on on that exact note what what is it that did you see like a transition like right off the bat um from guys that were buying into your vision this is our defense our Collective or did it take some time cuz like I as I’m watching on TV and in the stands last year it it was palpable I don’t even want to I don’t know which game exactly it was but right around week four week five it’s like this team’s not that bad this team’s it was like kind of like uh League yeah Major League you grew up uh you said your dad’s a tribe fan it’s kind of like that for sure I was like looking around I’m like these guys aren’t that bad yeah no I’ll tell you what you know you you you know Ruckers was was a was a rough way to open and you get a great win against EP and got some confidence going then we go down to Durham and Duke just I mean man worked us over and but you know all a sudden that that Minnesota game and you’re like okay and and and before you know it you know there was a certain sense that we can play with anybody and it was palpable and my perspective no and and and and I agree from being in the building and being in the N workings of it day in and day out I mean there there was a level of confidence within that group that continued to build I think the bowl game’s a prime example of that of you know I think initially when that got released the matchup there was a certain Aura of well great season enjoy your bull experience but like good luck against and our our guys were like screw that bring it on let’s go go we got a good football team we’re going to go prepare our tails off stomped them and and go find a way to win and um but but but to answer your question directly I think there was you know especially on the defensive side of the ball with a new system I think as guys started to see really understand what we were trying to do how we were trying to do it as as a defensive staff as we started to mesh you know coach mcgargle Tim Tim is just such a such an incredible asset leaning into Tim a lot and as we kind of got in our Rhythm you could just start to see a level of confidence and Edge that those guys were playing with that we got to make sure we continue to embody and and carry on into into 2024 I wish we had uh our our third chair here Ed he’s a SIU guys he’s talked about the the Fargo many times because he used to work for the SIU football program and he’s a St Pat’s guy so I love it gargle’s a legend to to our guy Ed um he’s worked his way up through the program now he was with green Bay for a second and elsewhere I think Illinois but um what has he been doing to like carry both your torch and the coach Hank Torch from from years past he’s I don’t know how what other way to put it he’s a rock star I mean you know and and those that know Tim well know that you know as as you get to know him you know he’s he’s not the easiest guy to figure out I mean he’s just he’s just so direct and motivated and driven it’s like man this guy I mean when is he not thinking about ball which one of the things I love about him dreaming about ball seriously seriously and uh you know what what what he has meant to this program over the years what he continues to mean to this program um you know I’m really excited about what he’s doing to build off of the foundation that was established last year but in a new Big 10 and USC and more and more air raid showing up in this league really finding unique ways to continue to evolve the defense and I think the thing that was cool that we went through last year as we were building this defense there was certainly a lot of elements at NDSU defense uh but Christian Smith from South Dakota State brought in some really good ideas we went back and looked at a lot of the things that they had been doing you know under Hank and you know Tim mcgargle and Matt mcferson were obviously familiar with that there there’s certainly elements of Hanks defense still that are huge part of what we’re doing and to be honest with you even over the the the course of the couple years prior to my arrival there were some things that were going on under Jim O’Neal in the third down package where it’s like Ju Ju Just because we’ve transitioned if this works and our guys are familiar with it like we’d be silly to just eliminate as long as it all ties together and meshes and and that’s that’s what becomes difficult that’s where guys really have to check their egos at the door you better have a collaborative environment but I mean Tim is the ultimate collaborator with such an incredible asset to to us on game day with adjustments and to be honest with you the decision to promote him a defensive coordin Ator uh is by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made uh I’m must still be involved with defense involved with offense involved with special teams but I mean Tim mcgargle is running that room calling that defense and he’s someone that if I have to step away for even days at a time the last thing I’m worried about is the way that our defense is how difficult has that transition been because now they always talk about like if you’re the head coach you’re kind of a CEO where you were a specialist before you’ve you’ve never been a head coach until this past year correct correct so what was that learning curve like where like you’re getting pulled into Riley’s pulling you into fundraising things and like what has that transition been like and and do you enjoy that part of it as well it’s it’s it’s been wild I I I I thoroughly enjoy it but I am I am learning every day I’m battling to keep my head above water every day I mean it’s it’s just a year of first you know and and in season it kind of insulates you because you’re just so focused on Ball and the guys and then you get to the offseason you start to realize like your work has just begun I mean this landscape is stadium is not going to pay for itself you know and in in a new world of nil and I mean there’s just so much going on in college football right now and uh I’ll be the first one to tell you you know I I I have certain strengths that I think bode well for being a really effective head coach leader um but I also have limitations when it comes to you know thank God for Alex nisle and others on our staff in terms of just really getting some schedules hammered out and and and Forward Thinking not that not just for the next six months next 12 but we’re talking the next 24 months in terms of what we’re what we’re planning um you’re probably already looking at 2026 recruits and everything right absolutely yeah absolutely wild yeah what do you make of this new you’re a Midwest guy you you and I are about the same age I hate college football expansion I hate the the the I hate that it’s not going to be October gray skies Misty gross weather 30 punts in a game that’s what that to me is Big 10 and Big 10 West football how what do how do you feel about this league growing and bringing in these Premier programs Washington Oregon SC UCLA what’s how do and then how do you prepare and how do you like talk to your team about it CU like hey like life’s going to be different travel is going to be different yeah you know it’s uh it makes sense for football and and I’m not saying it’s it’s common sense or necessarily logical but in terms of the TV conts in position like it makes sense where it makes no sense to me is you know why this is affecting all other sports to to to to me you know I I just I I I look forward to people getting at at at the table and continue to find creative ways to come up with solutions to make this better for all student athletes not just being concerned with you know the revenue the revenue in football but you know the thing we get excited about is you know what the the brand of football that U USC UCLA Oregon and Washington play obviously is uh you know the the landscape’s changing mhm do you think that changes the way that you recruit or where you recruit yeah that that was my followup you know to be honest with you I think you doubled down on uh recruiting High character young men that are tough that love football that value Northwestern education the only way that we’re going to be able to consistently compete with these guys in this landscape is finding guys that truly want to be at Northwestern for four years understand the value of the the degree now they can understand the value of the degree but we want guys that love football that that are football motivated that they walk in the facility saying I want to become an all big 10 player I want to play in the NFL and I also understand regardless of when football ends this degree will benefit me and my family for the rest of my life I think you double down on those things you got to be line of scrimmage based and again I’m not I’m not trying to throw any shade on on the you know athletes that we’ve had at Northwestern over the years and continue to have like we’re going to continue to find great wide receivers great running backs the DB Tradition at our place has been really really strong old line is it’s unbelievable ball and and and and that that’s where I’d go where we need to make like how do we consistently find a way to beat USC the USCS of the world we better be line and scrimmage based and I know they’re saying the same thing but at the end of the day we we we can consistently find ways to you know bring in the right offensive lineman the right defensive lineman continue to surround those guys with great great skill sets and talent but for us to think that we’re going to out a raid USC like that’s just not we we got to find our formula and our formula formula is going to be playing complimentary football winning at the line of scrimmage and when we’re playing in Evon in November and throwing the football is not advantageous to winning when you have to run the football we better be able to run the football we better be able to get back to Big 10 West football and lean lean lean into that identity I love that don’t make don’t don’t uh mold your play style I’m talking about all you know founding Big 10 West members as a whole make them change to us you know yeah you I want I want UCLA coming in seeing Northwestern on the schedule not that I really care about you guys full disclosure but I want them seeing that on the schedule you know like it’s Monday and they’re like [ __ ] like we got to go CU you know it’s going to be a three-hour War a rock fight yeah and that’s when Northwestern at their best all the time when it’s a rock fight I I basketball too no doubt no I mean watching those guys battle throughout the season with the injuries that I mean what CS that staff boo that group of guys did this year you know I’m so proud to bring bring my kids bring my boys around our football team just because of what our guys stand for and the way that they work and I I was just as proud to bring my boys to countless basketball games this year for our boys I mean the the the way Lucas and Andrew Braun watching that basketball team and the way that Chris Collins has that group playing I me gosh naturally a fan because I’m affiliated with Northwestern but I mean those guys are impossible not to be endeared to and just want to be part of love one of my last two years two of my favorite teams I’ve ever rooted for across all sports and I’m not even a basketball guy really no I’m I’m I’m right there with you I mean and and we were we were fortunate it was over spring break we surprised our boys and went to the tournament games awesome I mean what what an experience it was incredible um so a few minutes ago you said that you’re fully handing the keys to coach mcgargle on the defense on the flip side you guys have did you say that no absolutely absolutely it’s his defense and of you being the you know previous named defensive coordinat H catch but on the flip side you guys got a little baby on the offensive side of the ball a guy who’s you know what it 27 or 28 he’s young he’s a kid y I can you imagine being a a offensive coordinator in Big 10 at that age I can’t imagine it now no like the maturity level he’s got to have and and the brains he’s got to have and the and everything going on between it like he is that’s impressive so what led you obviously his success at I’m always mixing nor at South Dakota beat you guys in the championship sorry about that um that was a rough day was he an immediate Target for you guys like that’s our guy let’s go get him or was it you know like widespread search or what was it yeah you know I I knew that was going to be uh a critical hire for so many reasons um I don’t think it really was well you know it it was something that uh to be honest with you Zach’s name came up in my mind um others had brought his name to me but I initially had a lot of resistance you know and and again that was just natural from the North Dakota State South Dakota State rivalry okay you know I like that though no I mean it was like this guy no seriously and it was like we love hating people it’s one of my favorite things on earth and and to be honest with you the I mean the the saying around our household was the stinking jack rabbits I mean from our children like and literally when we hired Smith last year as our defensive line coach and our boys found out I mean they they were pissed they were like how old are your boys they’re they’re uh Lucas turns is about to turn nine but they’re seven and eight right now okay awesome and and they I mean they are Northwestern through and through uh but there is a certain level of buys and blood that will never come out of their veins I mean and mean they were they were literally pissed at that like Dad we hired someone from the jack rabbits like what what is wrong with you how could you allow this to happen and uh you know as as we navigated the process the first time I talked with Zach I was like man I I really hope I don’t like this guy seriously so I don’t have to yeah and and then and then we dive into the conversation I was like get off the phone I was like godam I kind of like that guy and then and then you dive into ball and understand it really challenged and charged him with making sure that the system and the concepts that he was able to bring to the table could fit different fittings of personnel from a standpoint yeah you ran ran the crap out of the football at South Dakota State you got these incredible tight ends and you know Mar n guys absolutely but hey you know you may be walking in a situation where we got a developing offensive line you got AJ Henning and Bryce CTS and Caleb Kamala and Joe Heyman and some of these like Zach you’re going to have to demonstrate to me that you can you can mold this to the Personnel that we have on this team and as as as the offense continues to evolve over the years that can continue to evolve and I was just blown away with just his his understanding of the game his understanding of leverages understanding of Defense his ability to teach and communicate well uh his ability to lead you know at the end of the day you’re you’re you’re charged with leading and managing an offensive staff and um you know I I I feel really uh confident that we’ve we’ve built in the other pieces around him you know Chris Foster and Arman bins that were with us last year do an exceptional job you know there’s some things that we were doing last year that our guys really like that were really effective that we’re going to you know mold into the new offense because they they they fit it and and our guys experienced a lot of Success With It Bill ooy our all line coach I’ve known bill for I mean since I was 23 years old three years old as a ga he’s coached at the lower levels but the ultimate developer of fundamentals and technique is just a really good fit for what that room needs right now and shoot Paul kraton on the phone you know finalizing you know him coming to Northwestern and that dude’s prepping to to coach in a national championship game against Michigan the value he brings on special teams but also on offense you know I’m I’m excited about that group but Zach I mean the amount of times I’ve had people walk away from recruiting opportunities or even High School coaches around our building from their interactions with Zach and like man that guy’s impressive you know been been a great hire and yeah and you guys also highlight uh Haron Barnett of MSU was that um I don’t want to say a way to hedge your inexperience but was it a way to hedge your inexperience as a head coach cuz he’s around the block and is super respected at least from what I know in football circles we we definitely you know Bill o boy’s been a head coach prior um but most of his experience was at was at lower levels um you know certainly lean on Bill but I I really was trying to be intentional about finding someone that um you know had experience in the Big 10 and uh that had some level of head coaching experience and Harland was only last year in a very difficult situation but in that short time as a head coach was navigating some of the craziest stuff you could imagine and uh he’s just been such uh such a calming influence uh you know we just really really really in tune on the recruiting Trail uh we we’ll just subtly bring me some ideas hey under coach Dan Antonio this is how we operated out of to minute here’s how we handled some of these things I mean just a wealth of knowledge and he’s someone that aspires to get another opportunity to become a head coach long term and you want guys on your staff that aspire to be head coaches because they view every decision that’s made through a head coaching lens and can be the guys that can really grab you like hey Dave this might be something you want to rethink and and to be be honest with you I I did not know Haron at all before this process had someone come to me with his name my initial reaction is like there’s no way he’s interested and like Dave you need to talk to him we we start talking before you know it he’s down in Evanston he’s interviewing I I mean feel so fortunate that we were able to bring him in him and his wife Tammy are just I mean this recruiting weekend that we had this P last weekend so positive and and and harlon Barnett was a huge part in that you came from a level where they had this you know expanded playoff pool and I’m wondering where do you see with all the changes where Northwestern like what what is a great season for Northwestern is it being in the playoff because historically it’s like hey Northwestern wins nine games you get to the Big 10 Championship because you won the West what a year now like the landscape changes it feels like it’s going to be very difficult to get into that game so it is is the playoff the goal now is that like hey like we’re marching towards being one of those 12 teams absolutely okay and in 2020 Northwestern finished 10th in the country so it’s like it it it can happen and again being in the Big 10 I think really positions us the right way I mean the reality is right now if you want to play at the highest level college football you want to be playing in the Big 10 or the SEC y so so so so to be positioned in the Big 10 is is huge and you know I I hope this does not come across as as overconfident or cocky but I’ve been bold with with our team and with our recruits the goal is to still win a big 10 Championship now how do we do that it’s not by conforming it’s not trying to out Ohio State Ohio State or out Michigan Michigan like the only way we have an opportunity to do that is by being the best developmental program in the country and out teaming people and in a world where this college football has become so much more about you know it’s become more transactional it’s become more transient you know portal guys in and out you know guys disgruntled about if we can continue to create create an environment where we continue to find creative ways to to support our guys more than we ever have before in this new environment which we which we certainly want to do well keeping the Integrity of the ultimate team I I I boldly will say we we can find a way to win a big 10 Championship it’s just not going to look like it may look like at other places do you think double repping helps with that absolutely because guys feel like they they’re getting reps they feel like they have a chance to move up like you I can’t remember the guy you just mentioned in the beginning of the interview Michael kban yeah yeah so is that like hey like yeah you’re you’re on this you’re on field b or whatever you call it now but look at him like he started field B and now he’s up and is that something that you got is that was that one of the motivations for doing that heck yeah you know and and and I’ll give you a couple tangible examples North Dakota State won a national championship I believe in 2016 Carson Wentz I mean electric first AR draft pick well he breaks his hand breaks his wrist like week seven Easton stick comes in wins every single game moving forward uh for North Dakota State before Carson comes back for the national championship game Easton still playing the NFL will boldly tell you there’s no way he’s prepared for that opportunity if it wasn’t for double reps because since the day he stepped on campus he wasn’t the four string quarterback getting three reps a day he was on the twos field learning the offense getting 30 reps a day uh Cordell Volson starting Right Guard from the Cincinnati Bengals you go back and watch cordell’s freshman and sophomore like practice tape on the TW field you’re like oh my gosh yeah I mean turns into one of the best def best offensive linemen to ever play FCS football and now he’s starting the NFL but it it required handson development where guys are are doing in learning and failing along through the process um we’re definitely going to lean into that now is that not common in in college football you know give all the starters the should we cut this out so we don’t give away yeah I don’t want to give away State secrets you know I you know it’s it’s in a lot of ways it’s the old Nebraska model now now Nebraska used to have like I don’t know Tom osor yeah I mean I don’t know how many they had on the roster but it was countless and I mean more than 100 it was like quadruple re I mean there was reps going on all over the place and that’s really where Craig bu you know who came from neb had Nebraska roots and he got to North Dakota State back in 2007 or whatever it was brought it to NDSU um you know it’s it’s something you got to be mindful of you want to make sure that the double repping doesn’t all a sudden overtax some of your guys that are fifth year guys that you know you need to scale back you need to be yeah strategic with it but the non-negotiables we got to find ways to develop our entire roster every every single day so that when things do happen it’s time for that next man up that young man has a certain level of confidence that he’s ready to step in I just feel like if you’re a player just got to keep your that that keeps your morale High yeah I feel like yeah you’re not there for no reason this is just purely speculative but I feel like you’d be less likely to be in the transer portal if you’re practicing and getting you know playing every day and you know getting your reps yeah no I mean the the ways the ways that we can combat the transferor Northwestern are by finding every single way we possibly can to support these guys put them in a situation where they feel like they’re growing and developing and improving because the the fact that matter is when you transfer you are stunting your growth in some way shape or form you’re stunting your growth and your progression starting from the bottom and and and finding every way to support these guys that that that we can to make sure that we retain our student athletes and part of that at Northwestern hopefully is the experience that they’re they’re having within our program uh and the other piece of that is again it comes back to our recruiting making sure we recruiting young men that value what’s on the back end of this experience it’s it’s being developed holistically as a football player and as a man and also understanding that the degree in the network that you walk away from at Northwestern that Riley’s so involved with us right now like you know there’s not a single guy in our class of 2025 there won’t be a single guy in our class of 2025 that has any understanding of what nil they they’ll come in with or what they’ll receive because guys we’re not talking about that we’re talking about a 3 $660,000 education that that’s being paid for on top of an opportunity when when you earn that degree from Northwestern the value that that brings now we’re talking millions and the again the way that we’re going to find a way to be successful in this space is not by conforming we we we got to double down on who we are and find our subtle niches that that that play well in in the recruiting space in this entire landscape the thing that we’re not that we’re not talking about is graduation like like the transfer portal also now has this like kind of like I’m going in the transfer portal it’s it’s almost like something that has this Allure and it’s cool got a cool name it does and and now we’re talking about the best available the portal and all like MK hyper yeah yeah and and my my frustration with that is is I’ve been places where you know over half of our team is first generation college students and and the only reason that some of these young men decided to go to a four-year institution is because they wanted to play football and then all a sudden what that degree can do for that young man and his future and his familyes Generations it does and and and that that that happens maybe not as much at Northwestern but we we got some first generation college students on our team but what’s going on with all this is the stories that aren’t being talked about is that Junior at XYZ University that decides to transfer for x amount of dollars which in the short term is a lot of money but in the long term is really nothing yeah you know it’s going to get changing yeah no spending on a car or something and then then I lose 24 credits in that transfer and now my eligibility is up and it’s time to declare declare for the draft and I last for 14 days a camp get cut don’t get ricked up and now I’m sitting here going what do I do now and I don’t have my degree like that’s what we’re not talking about th those are the unforeseen consequences that no one’s talking about I don’t want that to to be the story for Northwestern I I want the story to be man these guys are having such an incredible experience they’re being developed they’re having an opportunity we’re finding you know Jacob’s finding opportunities to continue to support these guys so that they stay at Northwestern and the non-negotiable is they leave with their degree and then the challenge for us as a coaching staff is okay how do we make sure they leave with their degree in a big 10 Championship yeah and I know there’s going to be people that that roll their eyes at me I get it like I I I understand I’m not first of all I’m not he he may be I’m not him and I have had this argument for a legit decade people audibly laughed when I told them about what goals we had for ourselves this fall when I was at Big 10 media dat and I didn’t blame them one bit I I I think northwestern’s that it’s best when it’s a little edgy and got a chip on our shoulder so let’s let’s keep it up um have I coached against Ohio State or Michigan yet no I haven’t do I understand how damn good this league is I do I I I know the tax task that’s in front of us but the the way that we do that at Northwestern is by not chasing a bunch of portal guys building a team that is when they regardless of it’s week two or week 11 or week 14 in the playoff is going to show up and battle their ass off for one another now I I’m going to I had a question that I it was pre-written out that kind of goes off of that but I’m going to make an assumption that I already know the answer based off of the rest of the interview so far have you had any like talks with admissions about lowering standards at all uh to get in you know what we all give our University a lot of credit that there’s there’s been ongoing conversations do those happen directly with me no they don’t um but there there is definitely a willingness within the university to have some really good open communication on what this new landscape of college football looks like and how northwestern’s going to have to have a certain level of willingness to to just say how do we operate in this space and uh you know has has there been dramatic movement on that no but I I am I’m really proud of the fact that there’s been a willingness to to enter into that conversation it’s just a conversation that needs to continue and and I I asked that because I mean Fitz was like the he was Northwestern he was he was you know famous alumni famous head coach you know brought them from the Dark Ages not technically with Coach Barnett but you know he had them on a on a good path for a long time and it seemed like he didn’t get any Butch I’m like ah I don’t even think he like coach Braun would have the ability to walk up to them be like hey we need to change this but um but yeah I I don’t know it’s I I think of Northwestern I do think that they can and I say they you can be a potential Big 10 Champion like perennially not I’m not saying like Ohio State I’m I’m saying that Northwestern in the mixx yeah can absolutely be in the mix year-over-year and you don’t have to have those three and N Seasons obviously you know it’s going to happen but you don’t have to and I guess what my my one of my final questions is like how do you take it from the the level that Fitz built and just really put it over the top yeah you know it’s that’s that’s a great question the the the first thing I want to say to that is I I have an incredible amount of like reverence to what what Fitz accomplished what coach walk accomplished what Gary Barnett accomplished I mean I I I remember vividly watching that Notre Dame Northwestern game in 96 as a kid vividly you know I mean it was I mean my dad sent like what is going on you know then they lost my Ohio next week you know what Trap game talk about the high low uh my gosh uh and we open with Miami Ohio what Chuck Martin’s done we got we got we got our hands full week one but uh what what I will say is um the the the the way that that we continue to move forward this to me is I I I think when there’s transition at the head coaching position it does provide an opportunity to step back and say okay what has been built there’s so many things about it that that were’re right and so many things that are really impressive but is that best for us moving forward and really evaluating all those Avenues and just ensuring that again it it can’t be about the Quick Fix at Northwestern the Quick Fix at Northwestern doesn’t work it’s about what’s sustainable and what our guys are doing in terms of their development while they’re here and part of that is making sure that you’re recruiting the right young men not not guys that are coming just for the degree guys that are coming to have support and becoming the best football player that they can be and understand what the degree will do for them in the long run um and and then we we better we better find ways to continue to be you know at the Forefront in from a scheme standpoint in complimentary football where we really put people on edge and and I I’ll just go back I don’t know if it was under coach walk or coach Fitz I I I don’t recall but you know some of this Tempo offense that we see in in in college football right now Northwestern was one of the it started it you know but but but it was it was going against the grain now if you just come out and like oh we’re going to be Temple we’re going to be Temple we’re to throw everyone else everyone else is doing that we have to find the things that go back into the grain at Northwestern and we got to be willing to constantly evolve in that space because if we just want to continue to conform or not continue but if the choice is to conform that that that that’s not how we consistent stantly winning the Big 10 we we have to be ahead of it we have to go against the grain and we have to find ways to have all three phases in sync and not be coming back I don’t know about that well but here’s just something that popped my head I I hate analytics and sports at this point we’re not math guys you guys have access to some brilliant students I would assume do you guys tap into that at all be like hey like you’re a math who probably doesn’t even know what a pig skin is but like tell us to make this offense more efficient and how to do it you know we we do tap into analytics um you know and and to be honest with you just speaking very transparently I’m still super skeptical in terms of you know how how we use those analytics um I I do think we have incredible resources on campus and and there’s room for more continued growth with getting our students involved uh if there’s an appetite for it and where I where I think there’s a space that’s untapped right now and you know I had a conversation with with someone about this other day and they brought it up to me and it just I’m appreciative that they did cuz I agree it it’s really in in in our recruiting space is there things that we can tap into on our recruiting space when it comes to not only you know size and length and growth potential and 40 time and what a broad jump really means to someone’s explosiveness but it’s also you know we naturally have a tendency to recruit somewhat naturally not the entire country but Nally just with our academic profile which is great but that can lead to a ton inefficiencies in terms of our travel we need to really dive into like some of the areas that have consistently been successful for Northwestern and really making sure that our resources are intentional and direct and we’re getting return on that investment in terms of recruiting um AI recruiting well you know don’t talk to me about it someone way smarter than me yeah but the the the thing I struggle with I think analytics are a great thing to look at on the front end to collect information but ingame decisions there’s so much context to every decision you know that that that book was was made for first quarter when we were expecting dry conditions but it’s the third quarter and now it’s been raining for the last 30 minutes and the ball’s wet and Your Right Guard you know went down with an injury now you got a true freshman that’s that that that’s playing at that position and you know what as much as we didn’t expect to be able to there’s just so many things that are that are moving throughout the game that um I’m excited to find ways that we can leverage some of that information to our advantage I just need to continue to better understand it because I personally feel like sometimes I watch games I’m like man you’re you’re making a decision just based on the book there’s so much other context here that needs to be factored into into your decision making but maybe that’s just a guy that only took one math class in college talking so all right here’s another point of contention for Dave and I regarding northwester when I look at the Blue Bloods of college football Alabama USC Notre Dame Penn State Michigan Ohio State they have a uniform that they wear basically every week it is Iconic it is unchanging and then you have these other programs are all chasing to be Oregon I feel like Northwestern has gone down that road where you have that n the purple like those the mid 90s uniforms I thought were awesome is there any are you involved in The Branding and the uniforms or anything like that we’re like we’re going to change things a little bit like this is who we are it’s purple and black every week and none of this extra fooo stuff yeah no candy ass uniforms uh you know what that that is something I have not invested any get the on it I uh now now you got me thinking okay now you got me thinking Dave likes the fuu uniforms I I think if people are talking about you then it’s a good thing especially like if you’re wearing the Fufu uniforms especially when you’re having a good season it just it’s it’s it’s it’s free press the the the gothics are Inc I love those acoss all the Northwestern sports they’re amazing um couple of the Throwbacks I don’t know if you were like you would even remember this but back in like I don’t know 20 Riley might have been there 2018 or so they had like a American flag throwback if you remember the what happened with that no well it was it it was like paint splatter and it looked like blood on the flag and everyone everyone started freaking out like oh my God how could they desecrate the flag like that hey just a uniform guys like chill out but um but I appreciate you hopping on the show um I’ll I’ll finish by saying this and then you can say whatever you want I get either of you guys or Riley but um I can’t believe that you guys not now I can obviously but like after everything that happened last summer I was like this is a dead program like David Brun I don’t know if he like a high school Co Lincoln Way East or West or or or any of the other High School Blue Bloods wheat mville South uh Libertyville uh know who this guy is how is he gonna you know put his recruiting flag here like this is a dead program the Ryan aren’t going to build this Stadium now we’re sitting here and it is all it’s all systems go uh thank you for that it’s you guys and and the basketball program have been the only two teams at and I guess the Bears a little bit right now we’ll see still but have given me any Joy the last few years so thank you keep that going keep it going appreciate you and anything I can do to help get eyeballs on that program you know get if you want to get all the recruits in the world in this office I give you all the permission in the world I haven’t asked any of my bosses for permission Dave has no Integrity so if you need him to drop a bag someone do it yeah I that’s that’s what I’m getting at right there you know at at number one thank you and and number two you know it’s I gota be honest with you Dave it’s it’s it’s guys like like you and and others I’ve had a chance to spend so much time with that get me so motivated in terms of what we’re doing he’s going to give you his number he’s you’re right I I I want this guy front and center cheering his tail off you’ll be rolling with the braon boys oh yeah keep them separate yeah maybe nine years from now sure they have nicotine by the in the by the third quarter so they’re young nitin addiction yeah probably yeah give them a few wait till they get to high school um but yeah I I I’m I can’t wait for games this fall at the at the lake it’s going to it’s going to be so fun I’m just so excited for our for our students to engage you know and hopefully you know these next two years that that’s just becomes what our students do on Saturdays in the fall and it’s what our students do for wels Ryan and the environment that was created and that carries over into Ryan Field and um that basketball stadium is so loud it is so loud and and I’ve seen the renderings I love Stadium rendering with the like you said the it’s got like the European soccer exactly it and uh it’s going to be loud and I can’t wait it’s it’s obviously it’s unavoidable at North like ryanfield is almost 50,000 people and when your student body is only 8,000 not all of them most of them don’t care about sports a lot of them International students don’t even know what football is really it’s hard to get a a vibrant rambunctious student section when you dumb that down to 35 or whatever the new stadium is going to be with an enclosed roof everybody wearing purple you see like there’s not a lot of Northwestern fans out there but we can be loud and and and really give a good homec court advantage home field advantage when when we’re able to you know so I’m excited for that we are too we are too thanks for having me on guys thank you great to meet you great to meet you yeah uh hopefully uh we make this yearly thing you don’t get plucked off by you know a larger program hopefully you’re you’re our lifer in his eyes well you know the you know it’s it’s it’s one of those things when when Kristen and I came here you know I told you earlier it dream job stability dream job and uh you know if you would have told me at any point in my career at any point in my career I was going to have an opportunity to be the head coach at Northwestern I I would have I would have told you BS and uh I still feel like in a lot of ways we’re you know live live living a dream right now um that that started with a nightmare to be honest with you yeah and uh you know again in in the world of college football right now the last thing you want to be is a program that doesn’t know its identity mhm you know Ohio state knows who they are Michigan knows who they are Northwestern we know who we are we don’t need to go conform right but but some of these schools that are kind of who are we yeah and some and Michigan lost their way they had to they had for for Rich Rod years like that was right so you have to have like they needed Harbaugh to come be like no this is what Michigan football is absolutely and like it sounds like you have like you’re continuing on you know what Northwestern is and you’re going to make it your own as well and I don’t know I’ve been very impressed uh with you in this interview so thanks for coming in I know you might be doing the yak challenge or something else so we’ll get we’ll get you out of here uh but yeah thanks again coach it was great and we’ll be rooting for you no thank you thanks for having me all right thanks to coach Braun big beard guy white socks Dave beard guy Eddie beard guy you can be a beard guy too uh the hair on your face is different from the hair on your body you need specific products uh beard guys has products that wash hydrate and help style your beard start your day off right with a twoin one special wash and tame a wash and conditioner combo that is meant to cleanse and condition your beard it’s got this great great Citrus scent uh so hydrate that beard with some oil the beard oil helps soften and moisturize the beard it’s summer it’s smooch and season you’re going to want to have that soft beard and skin uh lock in the beard and style it with some matte styling clay this product has uh Kalin clay to help keep your beard in place and can be used on your hair as well I use it on my hair I want that Citrus smell whether you’re a season vet or a rookie beginning your the bearded Journey beard guys is the brand for your beard you can find Beard guys at your Walmart or Walgreens everyone’s got access to one of those so check them out uh beard guys can’t recommend them enough now I apologize for all the jumping around in seats in this YouTube and Rumble video however we were cutting this up at different times but I had never met David Braum before I didn’t know a whole lot about him I just has seen what uh like different interviews and he struck me as very fits like which I didn’t know if that was intentional or not but we got ourselves a football coach they really loed into him yeah I’m a neutral he he’s my kind of guy loved them great great little Football chat it’s not really football season though it is baseball season we got to talk some Cubs they’re sputtering a little bit we went to the bullpen we got Michael Camy from uh Bleacher Nation we’re going to kick it to him now DAV yeah let’s just kick it to him now do it who all right uh we’re back another interview Loaded show today we brought in some reinforcements to talk Cubs nobody’s here it’s front of the program Michael Camy Bleacher Nation thanks for joining us again yeah anytime yeah happy to talk Cubs are you because I feel like yeah yeah exactly things are things are dire you got shut out two games in a row what what is going on with this team I felt like we got through April everybody kind of exhaled a little bit because it was such a murderous row kind of schedule West Coast Swing all that every Vibes were high on Pace for 97 wins and it feels like we’ve come back down Earth a little bit and it now it’s to me with Bellinger back it’s starting to feel like maybe it’s a little bit more than just injuries what do you chalk up this this lack of offense here the last few weeks to I mean the last few weeks is one thing we haven’t been back with belly and SE that long right right and so when you go to Atlanta and you face that team like yeah they’re going to make a lot of teams look bad you know I mean Cubs I I’ve seen a couple of like you know comments on Twitter and stuff people being like yo you know soon as the Cubs face a good team they fall apart it’s like I don’t think that that’s quite fair I mean they played well against the Dodgers I mean the Astros aren’t the Astros this year but they yeah handled them they swept them they faced Padres and they’ve done all right they they beat the Brewers in two out of three like they’re it’s just the Braves are the best team in baseball arguably and we’re playing at their park without uh you know our full lineup healthy Swanson’s out Nico didn’t play our Bullpen is not just a mess all of the best pitchers are hurt um and uh Jameson tyion came back and you know he’s was pitching well but he also was pushed back his start for like 10 days while he dealt with a back issue and you know there was an err and a wild pitch in the inning that gave up a bunch of runs it’s like I don’t know man I’m just I don’t sweat losing to the Braves that much um it just doesn’t it just doesn’t really give me that much of a concern my concern is niik Herer being healthy and not actually having a hamstring issue Danby Swanson getting back Chris Morell stopped you know binging himself every other game with something um you know getting Jordan Wicks back getting Julian Merryweather back getting ABT Hy back I mean there’s we pretend like the injuries got better because seya and Cody came back but there’s still a ton of guys hurt yeah um so they’re fine I mean I’m I’m I’m at a place that I haven’t been with the Cubs in a long time where I’m like you know a loss like this even getting swept it would suck um but it would it doesn’t doesn’t make me nervous about what’s to come I I don’t think it means really much to anything I think they’re going to heal up continue to play well and then add at the deadline and I think this is a playoff team like question about it what’s the number one thing they need to add then because every everybody’s saying cler it’s a closer I mean it it is you know the offense listen it’s been not great but when they’re at full strength I think it’s a pretty hype group um and and this is like without there’s this this tiny advantage that we haven’t even like gotten into which is like at some point um depending on how what happens with Mike talkman and Ian ha basically like peow Armstrong should probably be playing center field and Bellinger may be a little bit more first base um you can’t sit talkman right now so he’s either going to play laughter or DH and it just kind of depends on what’s going on with him and Happ at any one time but not only like PCA needs to be like a 90 Ops plus player to be like a four- win player on the year because his defense is so good and I was just talking about this I’m gonna write an article I haven’t I haven’t like solidified the point yet but well sound sound it out here sound it out yeah yeah so you guys been watching the games like when PCA is in Center how many times do you see him behind the left of right fielder who make the catch just like standing there happens all the time because he his range is so insane so a lot of the time I feel like we’re talk about his defensive value about like what he can do but what the Cubs haven’t done yet and they won’t be able to do until it’s like a he’s the everyday center fielder is uh push the left and right fielder out towards the liines more because pca’s zone of influence is way bigger than even bellers so you can improve the entire product of the defense not just in center field as a one to one by starting him every day and cubs haven’t done that yet and I think at some point they probably will um if he’s going to be like a guy that lives in that 90 to 100 Ops plus like runs cre plus range which I think is doable he’s looked pretty good um but until that happens you know and until everyone heals up it’s just like it’s hard to hard to criticize them when they’re playing without Nico and yeah and Swanson and morel’s like his he fouled it off his foot he had like a hurt finger earlier in the year um he hurt he banged his knee when he was on a play at third base like a couple weeks ago I mean I don’t know I think they’re going to be all right frankly all right I mean that that makes me feel a little bit better because it’s it’s it does feel like they were like The Vibes aren’t as high as they were at the end of April and they’re kind of sputtering along I think you know you start seeing April’s pretty good sample size and it’s like well is this team going to be a team that pushes for 95 wins or are we going to be back where the projections were uh before the season and it’s like I I was starting to get my hopes up quite a bit Yeah quite a bit no I mean I I think I think this is a big I mean I wrote this before the year for sure the Cubs schedule in April May and June is way harder than their schedule in July August September it’s it’s like night and day um so hanging if they’re if they’re above 500 um through the end of May they’re sitting pretty I mean like it’s it’s fine um and we have barely played the NL Central um it’s just starting to to happen so there’s a lot going on there too but um you know we’ve been playing the Al and NL East and the NL West all year so like it’s it’s not it’s it’s it’s going to get better and before the season we said like hanging just at or above 500 through the first two and a half months is like more than enough um it’s just not it’s a very different schedule than we’re used to because they’ve only had this balance schedule for a couple years now like it’s it’s and the balance is playing everybody more often and we didn’t we haven’t even played the Cardinals yeah let’s go back to the old schedule it would be a lot yeah I think so too yeah yeah cherry picking off of dog [ __ ] NL Central bums yeah that would be great that’ be awesome right yeah um are you afraid of milwa as a Cubs fan this exact version of the Milwaukee Brewers I should say Obviously Milwaukee yes 2024 Brewers I have no [ __ ] idea it’s it’s I’m so over it I’m so over the Milwaukee Brewers um we took cred Cil they lost Josh hater uh like what the hell is going on how I’m trying my best not to scoreboard yeah like watch in in April and May but every I’m like damn Cubs went like 8-2 over the last time I mean look Brewers 9 And1 what the little Nets I feel like yeah and you know like this is not even it’s not even the last couple years it’s like since 2007 they have been this incredibly frustrating team that is just like constantly in the Cubs business the way I think a lot of people contextualize the Cardinals as like the you know Boogeyman in the NL Central it hasn’t been them for a while it’s been the Brewers over and over and over and over with a team that you look at and you’re like well there’s no way this lineup or this what’s left of this rotation or this Bullpen can be this good and they just keep winning and I uh and they lost David Sterns too like at some point that’s got to start catching up to them maybe just like the ground the foundation that those guys have laid Council and Sterns like over the last decade is still paying off which makes sense they haven’t been gone that long but I mean Jesus at some point they got to slow down because it is frustrating yeah it is infuriating and then like you said like the closer is the biggest issue and this is a question look I I’m not the I’m a little bit of a novice baseball guy my baseball is kind of falling off but I look at Ben brown with the the big curve A+ fastball do you think that there’s a scenario when when the staff is fully healthy uh the starting staff that is that they’re just like you know what man you’re the closer this year go out go out and get us three four outs at the end of the game and you know and he’s been great in these like kind of three inning spots where they need them and that’s obviously has value but to me it feels like if they want to max out with this team without having to use asses to to shore up the back end of the bullpen he he seems like he has the stuff to do it would you experiment with that once Wix and everybody are back yeah I mean ABS absolutely so first of all you nailed that he’s got he’s when the rotation is healthy you know I think you got to go steal sha tyion Assad and Jordan Wix I think everyone just completely sleeps on how good Wix looked before he got hurt because the Ra was a little higher but no he was awesome um way better than than we remembered um when that happens then so Hendrick I don’t know what you do with him not really the point of this conversation right now Circle we’ll Circle back to that yeah yeah um because that’s a whole thing um but then you have Hayden weski to move in into the bullpen as sort of the multi- inning weapon that could that can take those High leverage but multi- inning spots like you did after sha the other night um in Atlanta and so that leaves brown more open to being like a high leverage guy because right now I think the Cubs kind of still have to use him in that multi- ining role um but eventually no doubt and so not only does that he fit his stuff fits um and his fast ball will probably play up a two-pitch pitcher as it is makes a lot more sense in the bullpen um anyway the only question I think will be not if he could handle the moment because I think although I think it’s an important thing like we’ve seen guys it’s like the same thing as leadoff it’s like everyone says they want to be the same person in the ninth inning or the seventh inning but they’re not everyone you know it it hits you different human nature we yeah exactly so we’ll see if that works but the real question is gonna be like can he go one inning back toback days or three days in a row or you know get five outs and then go back back out the next night for three outs because that hasn’t really been what he’s built his body up for at least this year and um it’s not like the same like I know he’s stretched out as a starter so you might think oh you could throw a lot of innings but that’s a whole different we were talking about this a little bit the other day I think that the transition from one to the other should in theory be insanely easy because the the muscle memory doesn’t change but going from from pitcher to reliever especially the closer you’re getting that adrenaline dump type mindset you know and that’s the one thing can he hone that like I’m not like I’m not talking about um like necessarily like handling the moment I’m talking about handling the adrenaline where he’s going to be trying to throw 102 instead of 100 you know Miss a spot 6 in on the like more towards the middle of the plate instead of right on the black that’s what I’d be looking for can he do that but physically that’s a young kid we’re talked about he’s built like a [ __ ] Paul bunan what is he 6 65 whatever he 66 he’s a monster of a human a little lanky sure but he’s a big dude give him the ball in the ninth inning he’s going to be fine he should be he should be fine he should be fine like we Eddie sent me this this tweet I don’t even know what it was from about how they’re going to start uh having like workload management and baseball this is a young kid we’re talking about give him the ball and go let him get the last three outs stop stop over complicating [ __ ] you know they they tend to do that in sports throw the dip in go get three outs that’s all you got to do that’s it you know it’s it’s like I I I I know it’s a cheap and stupid [ __ ] quote but in the sand lot when he’s like dude you’re thinking too much just like it’s baseball I know it’s Major League Baseball but it that’s the rule still applies you know yeah no absolutely I mean I think I think you know the willingness uh of the Cubs or obviously he a different manager to just like give alai the chance last year obviously he did really well last year um shows to me that like they have no quals with just handing it to round when the time comes like I said though until wesneski is like definitely in the bullpen which right now it’s kind of weird in between time um because Kyle Hendrick you know I love the guy but like was cooked that wasn’t a good that wasn’t a that wasn’t as good of a start it wasn’t he wasn’t back it wasn’t announcing he’s back you know what I mean um the Box SC looked nice yeah right as soon as you dig in you’re like ah uh okay I mean we’ll see I nothing would make me happier and I mean I hate I hate when I have to like play Both Sides because it’s like everyone acts like he’s been cooks for years when he was awesome last year was really good yeah and like you can’t just be like well those 24 start Stone it did feel like that came out of nowhere though like I there was a big surprise but but not entirely because he spent the whole offseason before that uh velocity training so he had lost his V down to like 87 86 and that was everything for him at the time he trained started the season late on purpose because he was still ramping up his velocity then he came back and peeled off 24 good starts like it was like a three .5 ra or something you take that all day um so I don’t know if he’s going to get that back he still has his velocity he still has his movement every now and then his location which has to be perfect looks like it did at his best and then he just gets like rocket after rocket and you’re like Jesus Christ and like more walks than you’re used to seeing and all that stuff but I don’t know what the Cubs are going to do with him it’s it’s anyone that pretends like it’s not a tough decision because of who he is it’s just like not taking it seriously because yeah there’s still people and it’s still an organization he still means a lot you know it’s it’s it’s a brutal game and they’re not going to just like let him get you know rocked every five days but he’s gonna get another start it’s not like it’s it’s over you know so until we figure that out until Jordan Wicks comes back there’s not going to be any resolution there and that means weski might not have resolution it means Brown can’t be the closer yet in my opinion so so when they are all healthy and let’s hope they’re healthy the rest of the way then would what do you do with Kyle yeah I mean Old Yeller does he have a does he have a can he I mean you’re getting to that point cuz you only have a finite amount of roster spots and finite amount of finite amount of of pitching pitchers you’re allowed to have on the roster too well I guess I’m asking can he be is is it worth giving him the shot at those long relief appearances like one last swan song or you’re just like hey we’d rather have wisneski in that role yeah I I don’t think it makes a ton of sense like he’s not the kind of pitcher that you typically yeah be you know making make that sort of transition um uh emotionally I’m not didn’t Carlos s brano become the Cubs closer for like a a at the end yeah he did he did um so but but I don’t know um I I think like the big wild card is not just that how good um uh Hayden weski has been in the rotation because it’s it’s fine and even Wix like he was already in the rotation to start the year tby rad wasn’t supposed to be this good you know who knows what happens tonight against the Braves again Braves make a lot of people look bad that’s just what they do but he Assad’s been incredible you cannot possibly take him out of the rotation and you’re obviously not taking out steel uh shoda or tyion right now who’s also been good so that’s four like lcks and then you got young guys or Hendrick and it’s like you know you can’t just the guys that have op options the thing is you can option them to the miners with the understanding that like listen you’re going to be up and around and starting and you’re going to get Innings no matter what Bullpen or an Iowa and then the rotation hendrickx who can’t really do that with unless he wants to take the Jose Ru route and you know go play in Iowa just because but that just doesn’t happen a lot um and so I have no idea what they’re going to do with him um but I think that like you know that that last start he made almost changes next to nothing for me like his leash has to be extremely short um extremely tight and if he gets blown up again it’s got to be like he never wasn’t blown up because it was just like a a blip of five innings that were okay um nothing nothing too impressive so I have no no clue I don’t envy the Cubs having to make that decision um everybody loves Kyle you know so it’s not gonna be easy it does kind feel like in a way once they’re totally healthy you know with PCA and belly and seya and hap Bush it’s like they’re almost almost like too deep like they got too many guys where you like you want guys in a Groove and it’s like so what do you do is it kind of like you just go horses for courses kind of thing where you just try to get deep into analytics and play matchups like no matter whoever it is and it’s just like hey like I’m sorry hap like you’re not in the lineup today is that going to be a Poss possibility where they just start platooning guys yeah I mean listen it it’s already sort of happen happening with bush and H a little bit um I mean I couldn’t believe and and I guess I understand but when Nick magal came up to bat for Michael Bush it was against the Lefty and so like okay but if if we’re really at if we’re really at the point where Nick magical is a better offensive option than our first baseman yeah come on man not great what’s going on here that’s not great um and app is the same thing like you know I’m a huge Ian apppp guy always think he gets so much [ __ ] for just being a consistent three War player um but uh this year it’s been like brutally bad like brutally bad and he’s moving down the order and sitting more often and if Mike toan’s gonna you know get on base or walk 18% of the time and get on base as much as ha and can also hit lefties then you know what are you gonna do you can’t you can’t just keep playing ha right right um so yeah I don’t know um I think you’re right that the Cubs do seem to have like one extra player I think it’s pretty easy to say that like PCA could could easily go back to Triple A for a while um if everyone’s kind of humming and it’s not like he doesn’t have offensive development left to go be plus base runner and defensive center fielder right now we know that and when it comes when it you know when it’s August September and hopefully the playoffs he’s 100% on the team because of what he can do um but you could probably like buy everyone a little bit of evaluation Time by sending him back to Triple A Iowa um working on whatever um see if he could just start take like you know it’s like oh man these bums look nothing like big league pitching like you know maybe it starts looking like a Titus Paul gets a little confidence whatever um but yeah they got to start doing that and they got to start doing it soon because you know if if if we’re gonna have like the lineup be just automatic outs because let’s I mean let’s think about the catchers haven’t really been hitting which whatever not entirely their job but they haven’t Hap’s been struggling like crazy Swanson has been struggling like insanely bad before he went on the injured list um that’s already three spots who am I missing um right field is fine first base uh Michael bus so it’s like at a certain point you know you do have to start doing you know maybe what the Giants did which is not just Lefty righty splits but like okay who can handle this guy’s slider today okay you’re starting and sorry Michael Bush I know it’s a righty but you’re not playing today um or or Ian haer whoever um that’s the only option there’s too many guys um too many good guys and not enough like great guys you know which is what it is do you think that they would ever do like it’s like a hockey thing but it’s like hey we’re gonna make a hockey trade or we’re gonna we have like a you know a surplus of defenseman we need another forward would they take a guy who’s should be on most teams in the everyday lineup they kind of just did that with Michael Bush well that’s what I like the Dodgers did that yeah could you see the Cubs doing that to be like hey like this the best way for us to show up or Bullpen is to give away one to trade away one of our guys yeah absolutely and then who yeah yeah for sure but it might not NE it could be like Alexander Canario like you know I mean you could do that from like the Triple A like that’s a guy that you know honestly I don’t think he’s a star player or anything but 2020 through 2023 Cubs he’s probably starting yeah and you don’t know what he can be right um and that’s probably how they’ll loosen up some of that space um I don’t think any of those younger like I you know it is weird so many of the Cubs players are are rising through the higher levels of the miners now the prospects and so at a certain point they’re going to have to start trading those guys too because like a lot of them are young but some of them aren’t and you can’t just have Moises bosteros like just destroying doublea pitching forever or Owen Casey you know destroying triaa pitching forever um Brennon Davis just has four homers in the last five days like he’s an afterthought at this point but like another guy who’s just kind of sitting there um that just this this buildup of like yeah these all players that could theoretically start somewhere but just aren’t right now it was like Nelson Vasquez last year too um before they traded him I mean it’s the same it’s the same principle um and yeah it’s they call them Baseball trades in baseball too just like a big leager for a big leager sort of different than what you’re saying but yeah I mean if there was ever a time to make uh big trades it’s not just in season when you’re going for the playoffs which the Cubs have been there before but it’s like we’re kind of it feels like we’re at the beginning of a window right lot of young guys coming up lot of good guys already at Big League level if Hoyer sees an opportunity to like trade for someone with more control than he usually does at the deadline and it requires a big leue piece then you do it in addition to a prospect or whatever and I don’t think we’ve quite been in this position since like 2015 16 17 yeah team’s not as good but they were at the beginning of something there that’s the idea well at the end of the day that’s a good problem to have um yeah since we we’ll end on this I guess the last uh The Only Name from Iowa the big name from Iowa that you didn’t mention was Kate Orton does he have a future on this team uh you know we we talked about the you know kind of the starting pitching depth that they have already is he a guy that’s just going to be blocked this year do you think he has uh a call up in his future here this summer no I think he’ll be up this year and I think he’ll be up in the rotation um first of all I mean how can anyone look at what has happened this year and not think that there’s going to be more injuries yeah yeah there will be you know um absolutely no problem and and uh I don’t think he’ll be up in the bullpen like I don’t think they’re gonna do what they’ve done with Ben Brown for Kate Horton I think he’s gonna be a true and true starting pitching Prospect and and and biger um I think that uh when they bring him up is the big question because you know he’s not I don’t think he’s necessarily ready yet but give him five six starts and Iowa if he does well there’s no reason not to bring him up and then there’s a big difference between bumping you know OB orad or Jordan Wicks from the rotation to the bullpan or the rotation to Iowa for Kyle Hendricks as opposed to doing it for your best pitching prect in the last 20 years like you know maybe Assad has more left in the tank but we got to see what Kate Horton has and I’m not even doing one to one there it could be anybody but like there’s just a big difference between making room for Kyle Hendricks making room for Kate Horton who’s again like legitimately the best pitching Prospect they’ve had in forever so uh he’s got a he’s got to prove it at Iowa still I think he will and then I think he’s without a doubt you know um up with the big league Cubs in the rotation second half of this year like I that’s what I think is gonna happen okay all right anything else from you David yeah can uh I interest you in Tim Hill no I don’t want any I what about John breia can I interest you in John breia maybe we could talk Justin Anders you have authority to make any of these trades I do I I mean I should considering how shitty these players are they should be playing on my travel team uh Michael copc can I interest you when I’m Michael copac yeah I’ll take a Michael copek okay you can have him all right uh he’s yours I don’t even want anything back he’s yours you can just have him we’re good that’s good nice little reation project yeah easy easy TR there go see all right yeah you started say you doesn’t want and we ended up on a trade for Michael C for nothing yeah that was great yeah I wish you were here in person we could shake hands on it yeah exactly well all right Michael do you want to uh pump anything real quick you Bleacher Nation I feel like you guys are doing great work anything else besides that no Bleacher Nation um check it out check it out my stuff um obvious shirts go buy one of those those are cool I’m wearing one right now yep saw that that’s it all right well great thanks for us appreciate it we need a little uh we need a bullpen guy for the Cubs for this for this episode so glad you glad you could join us so thanks again Michael walked out here with Mich thanks later Mike all right see you later thanks man appreciate it excellent show Ryan um I think the best show we’ve done in a long time and I think there is one glaring reason why I I would agree no Eddie we had a little bit we have I was going to say cuz Hingle here if you want to throw under I knew where that was going I like that answer still that was a trap that was a trap crap but yeah it was great uh that’s that’s it for the show couple quick notes BS 11th pick they’ll probably get some guy who will disappoint us and the Hawks are getting sued again yeah and the white socks have won I think uh they’ve gone 500 their last 18 G like that yeah how about that right everything moral victories they’re hustling they’re hustling everything coming up everything coming this everything coming up white sock Dave everything is I I I do all right that’s the show thanks for listening we’ll see you next time la
12 Comments
Not having Eddie after Bears schedule release is criminal
I cant do this without Eddie ringing in moron WSD
Played offensive line at NDSU while Braun was the DC. He’s the absolute man – so happy for his success at Northwestern
If anyone thinks the titans defense is going to be a soft landing spot isn’t paying attention
I can't wait for Caleb to bust
Ed didn't wanna show up for this one?
Chief’s little (very little)cousin seems very excited about the upcoming season lol
23:39 the height difference is insane
Chief does NOT know ball
Whats make you guys so intriguing is the fact you guys are for the real average guys who are just tryna shoot the shit, even pardon my take gets a little mainstream / hollywood at times , you guys hold it down at barstool as the real everyday american folk goes.
Braun’s a beast
Finally someone talks them out of their nonsense a little bit