Mikel Brown Jr. Leads Louisville Past Kentucky & Joe Burrow Returns to Practice

Yup, it's the height differential. That's the six six Neil. I'm the four foot 10 Nick. We're back two days after the cards take care of the cats at the KSC Yom Center. We'll talk plenty about that. But before we get to talk and make sure you're smashing that subscribe button on YouTube, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music, any of the platforms that that you're using to listen to podcasts. But and Neil's over there in the living room today because he got kicked out of the basement because I guess

We're setting up Christmas decorations downstairs.

Neil (00:38)
Yeah, kids are downstairs helping the wife put up the Christmas tree today. I mean, we talk more about this topic later, the wife likes to get them up early. So they're down there doing that. Got a couple deer here in the background if you want to see them. But yeah, it's Christmas at the Roar House already on the 13th of November.

Nick (00:59)
Are you glad that this gets you out of it for a little bit?

Neil (01:03)
No, I still don't like Christmas decorations this early. I mean, it could have got me out of it. It could have got me out of it about three weeks from now.

Nick (01:06)
No, I'm sorry. mean, like do you want it? Yeah.

Yeah. But yeah, you're right. We'll get into that later on the show, but we've got to start off with the, with the cards, taking care of the cats on Tuesday night at a packed KFC Yom Center 96 to 88. Just, kind of your first kind of initial thoughts on the game.

Neil (01:25)
Yeah, I mean we kind of going into the game. You didn't really know what to expect. You know only the we talked about last week how early this game is being played in the season. You know it's game three for both teams. I mean you count the exhibition games. I guess it's game five, but you know in the exhibition games they look good one game. Both teams look good one game. The other game they struggled and so you know in their first two other matchups in the regular season they're playing you know lesser competition so you really can't tell much about either one of them. So going into this first true real test.

22,000 strong at the Yom Center. The place was rocking. Sold out crowd first time, I think in like eight years. you know, cards came out, they jumped on the cats early. They threw the first punch in the first half. They built that 18 point lead. And then all of a sudden, you know, Kentucky punches back and it's a seven point game at halftime. And we're like, all right, we're in, we're in for a great second half. And once again, the cards come out in the second half and you know, punch, punch, punch again. And it's all of sudden it's a 20 point lead with what about 13 minutes left in the game.

Cards could be cruising to a victory and Kentucky showed a lot of fight. And all of a sudden they start making threes with Chandler and Aberdeen knocking them in from deep, deep. And it's a four point game at the end of four timeout. the feelings in the Yom Center, it was tight. I mean, it was tight. People weren't anxious. It was like, this gonna happen again? And all of a sudden the best player on the court that night, Michael Brown Jr. Has that and one pushes that lead to seven. Conwell, another transfer, big bucket.

And download when the paint and you know if they would have just made some free throws down the stretch They might have won by double digits. They missed seven straight free throws But other than that no cards 96 points offense looked fantastic Kudos to Kentucky as well 88 points. They look good ⁓ Some struggles on defense both ways, but all around good really good basketball game

Nick (03:15)
Yeah, I mean, my initial thoughts is, dude, this was a great game and great for the rivalry. I mean, I was lucky enough to sit courtsides with work in the scores table and we had a great seat for it, but the atmosphere was great. act, mean, the game was just back and forth the whole time and just a great game for television. mean, I'm sure people all across the country watch, we're watching it and as Louis Vance.

Neil (03:37)
Unless

you have YouTube TV, you are not watching.

Nick (03:42)
still locked down from the ESPN. but people that did have ESPN were all watching it across the country. I mean, this is what the rivalry is supposed to be, right? Two top 10 teams basically going at it and the game lived up to the hype. We both talked about how we kind of hated it, the fact that it's November the 11th and so early in the year. And I still think that's true. ⁓ But the game being as early as it was that both teams played really well.

You talked about Louisville getting out that they were got up to 18, just under five to go in the first half of Kentucky rally back and then Louisville pushed the lead again to 20. Was up 78 to 58 with 1230 to go and at that point, you're thinking maybe Louisville is gonna score 110 points the way their offense was going. But after that point, Kentucky outscored Louisville 26 to 10 over the next eight minutes and then you talked about it. Mikel Brown went left, got that M1 and

He was great all night, was the best player all night. But I felt like that play really kind of the fact that he's not just one of the best freshmen in the country. He's one of the best players in the country. He made the free throw, got the end one and kind of got some, got back up by seven. And yeah, you talked about it, missed seven straight free throws there at the end. And it never got to where it was so scary where you thought the cards were gonna lose. But you're also like, let's just make these and put the game away.

Neil (04:51)
Yes.

put the final

nail in the coffin. Yeah, like, luckily Kentucky didn't capitalize on those missed free throws. Global defense held up and got the stops when they needed them.

Nick (05:19)
Yeah, another thing that that stood out to me is is Conwell's play. He was amazing and it wasn't just Brown and Conwell scoring ⁓ combined. They had one turnover. Brown had one turnover. Conwell had zero. Louisville has a team had six and for game three to only have six turnovers. It's that's about as impressive as a stat as you'll see.

Neil (05:42)
Yeah, no, and like you look at the box score and you know, like the scoring was close and like the three point shooting like Louisville had 13 made threes, Kentucky had 12. There was 31 made field goals for Louisville, 32 for Kentucky. So everything was pretty close. Even in rebounds, it was 42 to 40 Kentucky. But the one stat that stands out is 20 assists and only six turnovers for Louisville and Kentucky had 14 assists and 14 turnovers. So, you know, that assist to turnover ratio big time in Louisville's favor and that's

Kind of a story of how they kind of won that game.

Nick (06:15)
But I mean, for a freshman to do what he's doing and to have one tone over while finishing with 29 points and five assists, I mean, is just really, really remarkable. And on Kentucky side, thought Aberdeen did a great job of keeping them in the game throughout. And then you're right, Chandler got hot and started making some really tough, some really deep threes in the second half. And I mean, we know this Kentucky team's not gonna have any trouble scoring the basketball.

That's not gonna be their issue. And it's gonna be the same thing it was last year. Can they get enough stops to win? And I've heard several times yesterday, Mark Pope, or on Tuesday, Mark Pope yelling, make a stop, get one stop, get one stop. And they had a hard time getting that one stop. And you just wonder if that's gonna be their issue again this year is on the defensive end.

Neil (07:10)
Maybe I wouldn't read too much into it yet. Like you said, it's game three, but the style of play that Louisville, I mean, they're just up and down, up and down and getting as many shots as they can. So Louisville is going to be a high scoring team, regardless, like just based on the style of play that they have. you know, giving up 96 to Louisville isn't necessarily an indicative of your defense of being your rest of year. Like it's, it's the style of play. It's game three, Kentucky will get better. But it's just a tough matchup.

Nick (07:38)
Yeah, I think one thing that really surprised me is I thought Louisville's bigs really outplay Kentucky's bigs.

Neil (07:44)
No, mean

100%. One of the questions coming into the season was Louisville's, their front court and those bigs with Kason Pryor coming off the injury. think he played two minutes the other night, didn't even see the floor in the second half. So he's still coming back from that torn ACL. But I thought Sonanda Furu had a fantastic game, 10 points and seven rebounds. He got a couple of clutch offensive rebounds in the second half.

And then you got a guy like Ali Khalifa who had put up four rebounds, four assists, four points, and no turnovers. So when your bigs through only had one turnover and Khalifa no turnovers and four assists, I mean, let's get it done.

Nick (08:26)
They love running the hollow with Khalifa up top and he didn't have any turnovers but he put the ball in danger a couple of times and then they took him out of the game. But I mean that he can really pass the ball from up top. It is impressive and I was really impressed with Fru. I mean, coming in, you don't know what to expect from this big from Germany. And when he got that ball on the right block and spun ⁓ like opposite his defender, like there's nothing flashy about that.

Neil (08:36)
You can.

Yes.

Nick (08:53)
but it's just such a good basketball play and you don't see enough bigs doing that anymore.

Neil (08:58)
No, you don't. fundamentally was a great play. And it's going to take some adjusting, you know, coming over from Germany. But, you know, from where he started in that exhibition game against Kansas to what he showed on Tuesday night, you can already see the improvement. He's getting more comfortable. You know, he's scoring a little bit more now. He's getting those big time boards. Like he's looking a lot better just in the span of two to three weeks.

Nick (09:25)
No, he is, is. And I mean, we'll keep rehashing this. We're game three. Like it's game three. So neither one of these teams are a finished product, but they both showed what they can be at times. And I think these are both teams that can compete to get to the final fours and potentially even win a national title. I think both of these teams are that talented and like they're both going to continue to get better. I don't think either team played their best game. It wasn't one of these games where

Neil (09:31)
Crazy.

Nick (09:54)
PKs after the game like man, we played our best game and that's why they won. There's still plenty of things that they can improve on. They didn't shoot it well from three shot 13 or 40 ⁓ from beyond the arc, which I think if you look throughout the rest of the season, probably gonna be one of their worst ⁓ shooting games from deep. So that's something they can can improve on and both teams are gonna improve defensively. I don't know how good ranking.

nationally either team is going to be defensively, they're both going to get better on that end. So it's going to be fun to watch these teams throughout the year.

Neil (10:28)
Yeah, absolutely.

Nick (10:30)
But and also just like I know not every Louisville fan feels this way and every Kentucky fan feels this way. But to me, it's just good when both teams in this rivalry are good. And that's what makes this rivalry what it is. You don't wanna see either team struggling and then the games just aren't as fun.

Neil (10:43)
I agree.

No, I agree with

Nick (10:50)
So after the game, well, I guess the cards now have won two of five. Everybody acts like they haven't won in forever. They've won two out of the last five. That's almost 50%. I looked at the breakdown and like since 2010, Kentucky won four in a row, Louisville won one. Kentucky won four in a row, Louisville won one. Kentucky won three in a row, Louisville won one. Kentucky won three in a row.

Neil (11:02)
improvement.

Nick (11:19)
Louisville one on Tuesday. So let's just hope that pattern doesn't continue where now it's like Kentucky wins two Louisville wins one Kentucky lives to Louisville wins one and then it gets to finally where they're alternating because that's the way the pattern goes. Do you follow that? ⁓

Neil (11:34)
I mean, we have the bragging

rights for the next 365 days. So, you know, we'll be looking to go back to back, look back to back state champs next year. So, you know, can't wait. But for at least this Thanksgiving, you know, card fan Aunt Jean, she can go talk her smack to cousin Eddie around the pumpkin pie when it's being passed around. So, fans talk, cards fans talk your smack coming up here in a couple of weeks at that Thanksgiving table.

Nick (11:41)
Yes

and throw some pumpkin pie in face of all the Cats fans.

What are you reading into these Mark Pope comments about saying there was something with the pregame experience at Louisville that kind of got Kentucky out of character, kind of disrupted them? What could that possibly be and why isn't he talking about what it is?

Neil (12:19)
See

I know. saw it today. was at a press conference today maybe or something. So I don't know if there's a specific something that happened. I'm unaware of it. I haven't heard anything in the media or anything that's come out besides that. So I don't know if it's, I mean, I know our student section was in there early. They got there as soon as doors opened and the student section filled up. And during warmups, they were given Kentucky a hard time as most student sections would do. It's what you expect your students to do. I mean, so I don't know if some of the stuff.

Nick (12:47)
I that's when the doors didn't open

any earlier than they normally do, did they? Yeah.

Neil (12:52)
I know. I

got on it during warmups. If our, you know, our, the Kentucky got rattled by something being said, I have no idea. But yeah, very bizarre. He said he would talk about it when the time is right kind of thing. And it, I, to me, I've nothing out of the ordinary that I know.

Nick (13:06)
I just

I'm just trying to figure out what it could potentially be. It couldn't have been them getting to the arena because they were staying three blocks away. So they couldn't have had any issue getting there.

Neil (13:19)
They had their

shoot around there earlier in the day. The Kentucky account posted pictures of them doing their walk through, so there wasn't an issue there. Maybe, I don't know, they were staying at the Marriott. Maybe their grilled chicken was a little burnt. Maybe the steak was a little undercooked. Maybe the veggies were raw. I don't know. Maybe the pregame meal was off.

Nick (13:40)
Well, I don't think they were staying at the Marriott, but they're pretty sure they were at the Omni. So the big Omni, yeah. Saw the big blue buses on my way into the arena ⁓ on Tuesday. So, I mean, literally, it's a two block. It's two blocks. So couldn't have had any issue. And I'm sure they have plenty of police cars escorting them. So they're not going to have any issues with getting into the arena. I just, I see this news today and I'm trying to go through my head like,

Neil (13:42)
Where were they at? Galt House? The Omni? Okay.

Yeah, so.

Maybe, I don't know, maybe the obvious.

you

Nick (14:10)
What could possibly have gone wrong? Did they not get their food, pregame meal, but that's all at the hotel. I don't know. I want to know what he's talking about. And I'm like, why won't he say it? And Eric Crawford's article on WDRB is kind of like the same thing. If you're gonna mention it, just mention it.

Neil (14:18)
full thing. Maybe the chicken was in there.

I

Yeah, I'm sure he'll be asked about it again. And maybe he'll get asked enough to where he will come out and say what he's meaning. Maybe it wasn't anything that happened. Maybe just the emotions of the game or, you know, the players were hyped up before the game and it kind of just threw them out of rhythm. It could just be something internally that happened. I don't know. I don't know.

Nick (14:51)
Yeah, I mean, I feel like if it's internal, I feel like you would have shared it. But I don't know, it's a mystery. it's a mystery. I mean, I don't think we'll ever find out at this point. It's not like they're gonna keep hashing on it. What happened before the card game? But I don't just weird to me that he mentioned it, but then wouldn't fully mention it. But what about PK going in the crowd and dislocating his finger?

Neil (15:00)
mystery.

That's what PK does, man. That's the energy. PK, he's that fiery, energetic guy and emotional guy. And when there's a big win, he's going to celebrate the big wins. And he's going to celebrate hard and maybe high-fived a couple of those students a little too hard on Tuesday night. But yeah, I him had the finger splint going on in the presser. So good for him. Maybe tone it down a little bit. I don't know. I feel bad for Officer Dale.

Nick (15:19)
Yeah

Dude.

Neil (15:43)
Officer Dale Thompson has got to follow him around everywhere and see old Dale up in the crowd trying to make sure PK is okay. that's a rough job.

Nick (15:49)
He's like, God, again, we're

doing this. We're doing this, I guess. But do not change who you are. It is so authentic, and that's what just makes him so appealing. And obviously, he's a great basketball coach, and what he's done in the first two years is a year and three games. It has been remarkable. last year, they came on the scene, and this year, I mean, they're one of the best teams in the country. And what an unbelievable job he's done.

Neil (15:56)
No, no. Yes.

Nick (16:18)
It kind of brings me to another point where I keep seeing people reference, you know, the years before he came here and they keep doing it and they're doing it on TV with like, can we stop? Like we, that was last year. We don't have to keep referencing those seasons. Like we're onto a new era. Like let's, let's quit looking in the past.

Neil (16:38)
Yes.

Yes, no, I agree that that that that era of Louisville basketball is over. We're on to brighter days and we got the right man leading this program. ⁓ yeah, leave it, leave it alone. What, the, is it? Let the sleeping dog lie or some, there's some cliche in there. Just leave it alone. It's done. No, I don't know. Let the sleeping dog lie or something like that.

Nick (16:59)
You're not smart enough to know what the right cliche is.

But big win for the cards. It's gonna be a fun season both for the cats and the cards and look forward to watching them all year. And the game's over and it's November what? November the 14th tomorrow. So it's just still kind of crazy to me.

Neil (17:20)
Don't worry, we got football in two weeks.

Nick (17:23)
We do, we do, which is why the basketball game is over before the football game. But speaking of football, think we need to get in some NFL news and we didn't talk much Bengals last week because they were on the buy. But we got some unexpected Bengals news on Monday as Joe Burrow rehab going way better than I think anybody anticipated. He spoke to the media on Monday.

Neil (17:24)
Still have the football game in mind.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (17:53)
And I think there's a chance that he might be ready to go on Thanksgiving night against Baltimore.

Neil (17:59)
That's the goal. That's what I've heard. So happy to hear that the rehab is going well and Joe is progressing. I would love to get him back. But I don't know if it's going to matter. I don't know if it's going to matter at all because Joe can't play safety. Joe can't play linebacker. He can't get out there and tackle somebody because we Lord knows the 11 guys on defense can't do it. So Joe can come in and put up 42 points but

The defense is going to give up 45. We're going to be right in the same boat we're in now.

Nick (18:31)
Which I mean, honestly, if you can just like, let's go back three weeks and you don't blow that 14 point leading into Jets, you finish that game. You figure out a miraculous way to beat the Bears, which they almost did, but their defense can't stop anybody. You, you, you flip those two games. Can you imagine how excited Bengals fans are with the fact that you're five and four?

Neil (18:46)
be in first place.

You're in first place at this point. You have the tiebreaker over the team. ⁓

Nick (18:58)
You're at least tied for first place. Yeah. And you have the tiebreaker.

You're five and four. You're tied for first place. And you got Joe Burrow coming back in a couple of

Neil (19:09)
Yeah,

that was what we all had hoped was gonna happen. When Joe got hurt and we thought, all right, maybe mid December if we can just keep this thing together. And Al Golden just decided to just run the train on the track.

Nick (19:22)
Well Al Goldin

didn't pick his players.

Neil (19:25)
I don't care.

Nick (19:27)
Like, what?

Neil (19:28)
But anyways,

let's get back to Joe Burrow. Let's get back to Joe Burrow.

Nick (19:31)
Yeah. But let's say, I mean, obviously he wants to play if they go and lose these next two games and now it's three and eight and then you're playing Baltimore on Thursday night. Are you bringing him back on that Thursday?

Neil (19:46)
I think yes, absolutely. mean, Joe Burrow's a competitor. He's shown that. He's got, he wants to play football. Like that's who he is. He doesn't, if he's healthy, if he can get out there and he can play, he's going to play. Even if we're two and 14, Joe Burrow is going to want to play football. And if, if as a franchise, you want to protect, know, your, your franchise quarterback and you're coming off an injury, is it worth it? Is it not worth it? But if Joe Burrow is healthy and he wants to play football, go let the man play football. You're paying him to play, not to sit.

Nick (20:16)
I mean, I couldn't agree more. like all these people are always just going to get hurt again. And you can't like, dude, he didn't work his ass off to sit, to get ready from this injury. Like he worked his ass off so he can play. And they ask him about the defense of the press conference. And I mean, he's not going to go in and blast them because if he does, mean, they've already kind of, we've seen that, you know, offense versus defense a little bit.

Neil (20:23)
Stop being scared. You stop being scared.

Correct.

Correct. Yes.

I wish he would.

Nick (20:45)
But he can't, he cannot do that as a

Neil (20:45)
Yeah. I know he can.

Nick (20:48)
quarterback. And he talked about how at the beginning of season that the defense was kind of carrying us a little bit and the offense wasn't great. And he's right. it didn't surprise me that he kind of walked the towed the line there. I didn't even mean to do that as Joe comes off a toe injury. But I didn't mean to do it. said I didn't mean to do it. But then I caught myself and I did actually.

Neil (20:56)
that bronze game especially.

You're a loser.

Nick (21:15)
Amplify it a little bit, but I mean, I just keep looking back at the fact that you just don't lose those two games. You're on a three game winning streak, you're five and four and that press conference would have had a whole different feel than it did on Monday when you're three and six.

Neil (21:30)
Yeah, no, 100%.

Nick (21:33)
But you gotta win on Sunday against the Steelers. You already beat them once. Aaron Rodgers didn't look great last week, but I know the medicine for a quarterback that's not looking real good and it's face this Bengals defense.

Neil (21:49)
Yep, fully expect Aaron Rodgers to throw for 450 yards and five touchdowns.

Nick (21:55)
And they're gonna be not very happy that they lost the game a month ago. So it's gonna be a tough one to go into Pittsburgh and get a win. But I mean, you lose this one, I would say the season's pretty much over and then you're just, I mean, you can't come back from three and seven and losing the tiebreaker against the Steelers.

But good news that Joe's coming back. It's just another one of the, like, the dude is just a monster. And like, I didn't want to get, like, we talked about this. was like, he ain't coming back this year. Like I'm not even putting into my thought process because I didn't want to get overexcited about the fact that he might potentially come back. But I mean, dude, nobody expected him to come back in November.

Do you want to jump into some NFL rankings? We did a show on Sunday, so we actually already went through the game-by-game breakdown.

Neil (22:50)
Yeah.

Yeah, I mean think we have some shake-ups.

Nick (22:56)
Dude, it's a shake up every week.

Neil (22:58)
It is a shake up every week. It is a shake up every week. mean, yeah, I mean the bills who we had toward the top, you know, they lost ⁓ the Packers.

are struggling seven points on Monday night. We haven't even talked about that game. That game was just awful. ⁓

Nick (23:16)
Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, as a Bengals fan,

I'd love to be able to win a game 10 to 7.

Neil (23:27)
Yeah, no, can start. Let's see, is it your draft? You start. ⁓ Is it mine? ⁓ boy. All right. Let's get into it here. With the first pick on November 13th, NFL power rankings, I am going to select the Seattle Seahawks. I'll keep them at number one as I had them last week. Or was my top choice that I had them last week.

Nick (23:31)
I think it's yours. Yep.

I'm actually gonna write these down so we don't forget where we're going. Dude, I've been high on the Rams all year, but I haven't had on this high. Matt Stafford's playing as good as anybody I'm going them at two.

Neil (24:08)
Okay, all right. I mean, I don't blame me. mean, they're, they're, them and the Seahawks are just putting up points and points and points. I mean, both of them sitting there at seven and two, I mean, they're playing great football. Oh, my third choice, the New England Patriots at eight and two, the NFL's best record. I mean, you can say they haven't played anybody, haven't played, I mean, they did beat Buffalo.

Nick (24:12)
So same division, same division.

Neil (24:38)
But I mean, they went to Tampa. They went to Tampa and I had Tampa in the top 10 and they went to Tampa.

Nick (24:44)
just really surprise

you if the pats over the colt.

Neil (24:48)
Colts, a little bit of a knock, winning an over, I know they played in Berlin, but an overtime victory over the Falcons, maybe slight knock on them. But I mean, when you're going to Tampa Bay and you're beating Baker Mayfield on his home field, and you're sitting there with the league's best record of eight and two, you got to go with the Patriots, number three.

Nick (25:09)
All right, well, I'm gonna give you a chance to pick the Colts at five, cuz I'm going to Eagles at four. I know there's been some issues with their offense, but still defending Super Bowl champions and yep, I'm going to Eagles at four.

Neil (25:23)
As much as I don't wanna do it, but I'm gonna do it, because I think that they are probably a top five football team right now. The Baltimore Ravens are playing top five football. Now that they're healthy, now that the Ravens are healthy, they're going to win the AFC North. They're gonna probably win their next, they might win out to be honest with you. I mean, their schedule is Cleveland, the Jets, the Bengals, the Steelers, the Bengals.

I mean, the next five games are all winnable. They're playing great football. They're probably gonna go to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. They're playing.

Nick (26:02)
No, mean, I

don't think they're five right now. I think they could be five in a couple of weeks. I think you're jumping the gun a little bit. I mean, you just put them above the eight and two Colts, which now I get to pick the eight and two Colts at six. But you realize what that's gonna look like. If we did a graphic, if we did a graphic and we had the Colts below the Ravens, are people gonna listen to our podcast? Like think that we know what we're talking about?

Neil (26:15)
Yeah, but when you look at why the Ravens' Rage...

But you got to think

like we're ranking who's the best team right now. Currently, right now, I think the Baltimore Ravens would beat the Indianapolis Colts in Indy or in Baltimore. They were in Berlin. They go play in Berlin too. And I think that the, the, the Ravens are probably better than the Colts. Yes, they're four and five, but the reason they're four and five is because half their defense missed three, four games and Lamar Jackson missed three to four games. Now that all of those guys are back, they're playing the football that

Everybody expected them to play when this season started. They're playing Baltimore Raven football. They're about to go on a huge winning streak. They're going to win the division and they would beat the Colts right now in anywhere they played. So I mean the record's not great, but they're playing top five football.

Nick (27:15)
disagree with anything you just said. just at this point in time I just don't know how you put the Ravens above the Colts. I agree with you if they played right now I would predict that the Ravens would win but there are four and five the Colts are eight and two and that has to have some weight.

Neil (27:32)
That's just, I see, I know what you're

saying, but.

Nick (27:39)
All who you got seven?

Neil (27:41)
No, it's you, right? wait, you picked 2G.

Nick (27:43)
No, I went to Colts. I mean, you made it easy

for me. I'm winning this draft, by the way, if it was a draft.

Neil (27:51)
because I picked a team with a losing record.

You I'm not putting in there is the Denver Broncos. They are playing really bad football right now and that was another 8 and two, but my goodness, that's the worst 8 and two team I think I've ever seen. ⁓ I'm gonna go with the sorry Detroit Lions. Is my next team. They had a nice win ⁓ on Sunday night. I believe is when they played. But they yeah, I will. I will go with the Detroit Lions is my next pick.

Nick (28:24)
All right, and then I'll go Chiefs here at eight. Coming off the bye, nobody's really talking about them, but I mean, they're still the Chiefs and look like they were really kind of getting back into their flow before their loss to the bills. And no, mean, I could put the bills ahead them because they beat them, but I'm not doing that after they just lost to the Dolphins.

Neil (28:50)
No, I hear you. I think I'm gonna go next with my next picks gonna be the LA Chargers. Nice 25 to 10 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday. They've won three in a row. They're sitting there with only three losses on the year. ⁓ Probably gonna be a playoff team. So I'm gonna go with the Chargers.

Nick (29:10)
I'll close with the Bucs. They've been up to the top for the majority of the year. They're still six and three coming off a loss to the Patriots. I mean, it was between the Bills and the Bucs. I don't think the Bills deserve it after doing what they did to the Dolphins last week.

Neil (29:28)
So

you're going to cuss me out for putting a team with a four and five record in my top five and you don't have the Denver Broncos who are tied for the league's best record at eight and two in the top 10. You just use your own argument. Like you're going against your own logic.

Nick (29:44)
Do you think the Colts and the Broncos are the same?

Neil (29:48)
No, but they're eight and two!

And the Broncos, let's be fair, and let's be fair, the Broncos should be nine and one if they don't throw that penalty off the next table.

Nick (29:51)
Please,

They should. But

they also could lose games other ways too. That balances out.

Neil (30:00)
But you're

saying that I can't have a four or five team ahead of a team that's eight and two, but you don't even put an eight and two team in your top ten.

Nick (30:08)
Well, if the Broncos and the Colts played right now, I would say the Colts are going to win because I do not believe in the Broncos. Seven of their eight wins against opponent record combined of 17 and 46. They beat the one and eight Titans 20 to 12. They beat the three and six Bengals. They crushed us because that was just an awful game. They beat the two and seven Jets 13 to 11. They beat the two and eight

Neil (30:12)
What exactly? I don't either. I don't think they're a top 10 team.

Yeah.

Yes. Ugh.

Nick (30:37)
Giants 33 to 32. I Mean they beat the Raiders 10 to 7 like Like you want me to put them in the top 10 I get it. They're 8 and 2 but like I Just and I don't trust Bo Nicks at all

Neil (30:51)
No, I would not want you to put them in the crowd.

I was on you a little bit early in the season for being too harsh on Bo Nix, but man, that guy. ⁓ His performance last Thursday night was brutal.

Nick (31:07)
I just, he's gone backwards.

Neil (31:08)
No, they're not a

top 10. They're rightfully not in the top 10. But I'm just saying.

Nick (31:12)
So you're

just fake cussing me out.

Neil (31:14)
No, I'm discussing you out for cussing me out for having a four and five team in my top five. Because as we said, right now, the Baltimore Ravens are playing top five football and would beat every other team that we didn't mention in the top three.

Nick (31:30)
Yeah, it's a balance of all these things, but I just I don't know how you can put them above the Colts I just and especially it's you like you're the you're the you're the cold guy you pick the Colts at the beginning of year

Neil (31:37)
Because I think they're better. Because I think they're better.

The Colts are running away with that division. It's fine. I said they'd be win the division and they will. That was my prediction. But the Ravens are better.

Nick (31:52)
So Seahawks, Rams, Pats, Eagles, Ravens, Colts, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers, Bucks.

Neil (31:57)
Pretty good top ten.

Nick (32:00)
Who'd we leave out that probably should have been in there? The Broncos? The Bills?

Neil (32:05)
Yeah,

Packers-ish. No, I'm not using. No.

Nick (32:08)
I mean, I ain't putting the Packers in after they just have not looked good the last couple of weeks.

The Bears keep winning, when they gonna get some love?

Neil (32:21)
not buying anything that the Bears are selling.

I mean we left off the 49ers, they're sitting there at 6 and 4. They just played, that NFC West is a hard division man, that's a hard division out there.

Nick (32:30)
They have any doubt.

⁓ mean, we picked one and two from the NFC West.

Looking at the schedule this week, obviously we've talked about the Bengals and the Steelers. ⁓ Some other games that stick out, you got the Bucks at the Bills. ⁓ Really, mean Seahawks and the Rams at four o'clock.

Neil (32:54)
Yeah. You're watching Reigns, battle of the top two.

The battle of the top two in the, in our power rankings going on there. Chiefs, I think Chiefs at Broncos is another one to look at. ⁓

Nick (33:03)
That's your game of the week.

Chiefs at Broncos, Lions at Eagles. So

three really good games this week.

Neil (33:11)
Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (33:15)
And then on the college football side, because we haven't really talked much college football.

Neil (33:19)
There's some good games this weekend in college football.

Nick (33:21)
Yeah, I guess Ohio State's off and then Indiana hosts Wisconsin, A hosts South Carolina. So both of those should remain unbeaten. Notre Dame goes to Pitt and Pitt putting together a sneaky good season that not too many people are talking about.

Neil (33:25)
Yes.

Yes.

I think that they got

they got college game day up there in Pitt this weekend. Atmosphere up there should be great. I think Pitt ever since they made that quarterback switch to the freshman, they've been lights out on offense. So I actually think that'll be a pretty good game. It would not be surprised if Pitt were pull out of victory.

Nick (33:56)
Yeah, and then the game of the week is gonna be, I mean, surprise, surprise in the SEC as Oklahoma goes to Tuscaloosa.

Neil (34:05)
No, that's not the game of the week. Texas at Georgia, two top 10 teams, my guy.

Nick (34:08)
What you got, Texas at Georgia?

Well, I mean, God, the other one's 4 and 11, like... Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Neil (34:16)
They're both in the college football playoffs. They're both

in the playoff right now. They're both college football playoff qualified teams. So I mean, I know you put Texas in the playoff a week early, but now they are officially in the playoff. So yes, think that Texas and Georgia games probably the game of week.

Nick (34:29)
So.

ABC doubleheader too, you get Oklahoma and Alabama at 330 and then followed by Texas at Georgia at 730. This is what ESPN was hoping for when they got this deal.

Neil (34:47)
Yep, I can't watch it, I have YouTube.

Nick (34:49)
When is that going to come to an end? Like, are you about to cancel?

Neil (34:51)
It's getting ridiculous.

No, because I have your DirectTV login, so thank you.

Nick (34:57)
But people have to be about to cancel. It's been.

Neil (35:01)
I mean, I think

there are people that have canceled, are canceling. YouTube TV is offering a $20 credit on your next bill, which if you were to just go buy an ESPN package, I think you can get a base one for 20 bucks. it kind of, I mean, it's, but it's, it'll cover the cost of you going and buying ESPN on your own.

Nick (35:07)
That's nothing.

That's nothing, like-

Like the only purpose for live TV, that's the only reason to have live TV is sports. And now you're paying for YouTube TV like $100 a month, whatever it is, and you're not even getting sports. Like what do

Neil (35:26)
Yeah.

No, I still get Wheel of Fortune.

I still get to watch Wheel of Fortune in Jeopardy, though. It's on CBS.

Nick (35:41)
Well, I think that streams on Paramount Plus like 30 minutes later. I'm not 100 % sure on that, but that's not what you're getting live TV for.

Neil (35:47)
Yeah.

I know. I mean it really sucks because Louisville plays tomorrow night so I've got all day Saturday to watch some these good college football games and guess I'll have to venture up to the Beardnose 502 or something.

Nick (36:07)
What are they not gonna expect you there? Who is this guy? ⁓ Gonna be a good crowd tomorrow night. I'm excited for the atmosphere. Always the night games at Hellen Inn are fun and gotta get off that snot and take care of business against a Clemson team that I think you should beat.

Neil (36:09)
You

Well, first time left out.

Yeah, no, mean cards are favored. It will be a great atmosphere. It's a blackout, so anybody going to the game. Make sure you wear your black. ⁓ You know Clemson has struggled, but at the same time you gotta think they were preseason top five for a reason. They have talent. They have talent. It's not like you're playing some team that doesn't know how to play football like they've got NFL draft picks on both sides of the ball on that team. So it's a game that Louisville I think should win. Can win should win, but.

They're gonna be in a fight. It's gonna be a fight tomorrow night.

Nick (37:03)
So we didn't the crowd on Tuesday night and or Wednesday night when we were at the young center. I didn't notice them ever getting 67 points in either game. Neither one of the crowds if it happened neither one of the crowds really did anything. But these continue to happen.

Neil (37:14)
Did not pay any attention.

Did you imagine in the Louisville, Kentucky game on Tuesday night, if everybody just joined together in harmony and did a six, seven because Michael Brown made a free throw or something, Cats and Cards fans together, six to seven and like, get out of here.

Nick (37:37)
But you mentioned how it had happened in the Auburn women's game. How they hit 67 on a free throw, so they had plenty of time for.

Neil (37:41)
Yes.

And I believe it was on, it

looked like education day, because there was a lot of kids in same color t-shirts in different sections. So on education day, they pulled off the six seven.

Nick (37:55)
But to take it another step further, Oklahoma State women's basketball head coach, Jacey Hoyt, they're playing Prairie View and they're up by like 40, 40. They get to 67 with like, I think it's in the end of the third quarter. She calls time out. She calls time out to let the kids in the crowd just relish.

Neil (38:07)
million.

Nick (38:24)
in the moment of scoring 67 points.

Neil (38:29)
She was doing it. She called timeout and then she started celebrating. And then you sent me the tweet and some guy named Scott was like, please.

Nick (38:32)
Yeah

Well, you gotta say,

you gotta say Jacey's coach Hoyt's tweet first. She said, I'm not sure I've ever felt more pressure to call a timeout.

Neil (38:48)
Yeah, yeah, she did.

Nick (38:50)
And your boy Scott wasn't very, like he responds to the tweet, not loving it.

Neil (38:55)
I'm on Scott's side here. What does it say? As a fellow person involved in the education of our youth, which I'm not, please don't encourage them. LOL, great game, or great start to the season. Go Pokes. So Scott, a big Oklahoma State fan, says, Coach, we gotta put a stop to that. We can't be doing that. And I'm on Scott's side here. Like this madness has to end.

Nick (39:18)
Well guess what?

I don't think it's going to. And now we got coaches in 40 point games calling timeouts just to let the fans in the crowd go nuts because they got 67 points.

Neil (39:34)
What does it mean? What does it mean?

Nick (39:37)
You're

supposed to figure that out. You wore the costume for Halloween. It is your job to figure out what it means.

Neil (39:43)
No, I

wore the costume to annoy my children and it worked. It worked to perfection. Like, yeah, of course they did. Like they think it's cool, but when mom and dad start doing it, that ain't cool anymore.

Nick (39:49)
They hated it.

Well, I think we're cooler than they are.

Neil (40:02)
We were way cooler. Like, when we were kids, we were way cooler than today's youth.

Nick (40:04)
Like, are you kidding me?

Like some of the things that we were doing. Wacolurnist 6-7, Skibity. Like playing pencil break on the bus.

Neil (40:14)
Yeah.

Nick (40:19)
Dude, I played pencil break every day on the bus. I had my good pencils.

Neil (40:21)
I'll bet you did.

I'll bet you did.

Nick (40:25)
But like, doing those little fortune teller things where you're moving it back and forth. Yeah, I this was what we did back in the day. That was cool.

Neil (40:31)
Yep, I remember those. Those were cool.

I'll bet back in the day you thought Nick Evans was going to grow up in a mansion with five kids and drive a Corvette or something.

Nick (40:44)
He hoped. He hoped.

Neil (40:46)
I mean, that's what your little Gizmo said you were gonna do.

Nick (40:49)
Yeah, that's what Stacy told me was gonna happen.

Neil (40:54)
How's that work out for you? How's that work out for you?

Nick (40:56)
Stacey Lard! Stacey Lard!

It's not good.

But you know one thing at least? At least I'm not standing in line fighting people for a Starbucks Bear Barista Cup.

Neil (41:09)
⁓ okay.

Yeah, as much as we cuss out kids and how stupid they're being over this 6-7, like, we as adults, what are we doing? Not me and you, like, what is, this is just stupid.

Nick (41:26)
Like I, so I've had an ex-girlfriend who's been obsessed with Starbucks cups. So I've, I've lived this life a little bit.

Neil (41:33)
think we have a friend's wife who is currently obsessed with Starbucks cups.

Nick (41:37)
But, like, why are we fighting people over a bear?

Neil (41:43)
A bear. A glass bear cup. That cost 20 bucks.

Nick (41:45)
It's a glass bear cup.

And people all over the country are just throwing haymakers because Lucy got one and I didn't

Neil (41:54)
What do you do with it besides drink out of it? What are you gonna sit it on your shelf? You know, like display your Starbucks cup for when friends and family come over and be like, hey guys, look what I got. A Starbucks bear? Like what?

Nick (42:09)
and it's six months you're gonna forget about it.

Neil (42:11)
But we went through this same kind of stuff. and we went through this same thing when a new color of Stanley Tumbler came out in Target. People were throwing haymakers over the red Stanley Tumblers. This is ridiculous.

Nick (42:13)
In one month!

We're a couple weeks away from Black Friday where people are gonna be just punching each other so they can get hundred dollar 42 inch TV Like but like these these bear cuffs like

Neil (42:34)
Well,

now Black Friday brawls, like that's a tradition. Like you always have a good Black Friday brawl. That's what America is all about. Is you know, just fighting each other over that $20 off a Garmin GPS system that you put in your car. You said $100, 42 inch TV that's probably going to break in about six months. yeah, I mean, that's just, that's holiday tradition is Black Friday fighting, but bears, cups and bears.

Nick (42:44)
Dude.

Y'all can have that. Y'all can have

that. I ain't getting it. who in their right mind gets out in that mess on Black Friday? Y'all can have it. There's a time value of money. And I ain't get up at 430 to stand in line at Target to get a toaster.

Neil (43:04)
Well, nobody actually, nobody.

Nobody that's actually smart.

No. ⁓

Nick (43:17)
For two bucks like

Neil (43:19)
I mean, no, nobody that's actually intelligent does this, but there are, mean, but you always hear, like you see it on the news. It's good quality entertainment when you see a good Black Friday bra. But fighting over a Stanley or fighting over a Starbucks bear is just, it's asinine.

Nick (43:29)
Wait, I ain't rich,

So this thing is, they're saying it's retailed for as much as $500. So before we get on the show, before we get on the show, before we got on the show tonight, I've got one on eBay and no, I'm not bidding. I'm just watching it, following. I'm not, I'm not bidding. I'm not bidding. So this thing, we're getting ready to go on there and I was like, it's too, it's up to $230. How high do you think it'll get? And it got to 274 bucks. So.

Neil (43:40)
There's nothing there.

You weren't bidding. You were bidding. I know you were bidding. I knew it. I knew you were bidding.

Nick (44:03)
I mean, I know for a fact people are at least paying 274 bucks for these things.

Neil (44:03)
What'd you bid, 270? No.

You went up to 270 and couldn't go anymore, huh?

Nick (44:10)
Alright, that was my budget. That was my budget. I mean, it looks like a giant honey jar.

Neil (44:17)
No, it absolutely is. You can go to the grocery and get that little bear, the honey bear thing. Just go get one of those and fill it up with water and you have the same thing. If the exact, put some coffee in it, whatever. One's glass and one's plastic, but they look the same.

Nick (44:34)
I just... I mean, I... Look...

Neil (44:35)
We need to get

like a Starbucks expert that we can get on the show. Any of our friends or friends' wives that want to talk about the allure of the Starbucks bear.

Nick (44:40)
Well, I mean...

And look, I know, like I have a hard enough time understanding what my own life is. Like half, like I just, don't understand my own life. Like I ain't going to go to try to understand somebody's life at Starbucks since co-conking somebody over the head for a bear cup.

But it's just so hard not to like, just try to understand what is going on in your head.

Neil (45:11)
I think that they're not fully, yep, they've got a few brain cells loose.

Nick (45:15)
Do you think so though? Like there's that many people in this country that are have lost brain cells.

Neil (45:19)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (45:24)
for for a breakup. Like what's worse, trying to fight somebody in line or paying $300 on eBay.

Neil (45:34)
I mean if I really, really, really wanted the Starbucks bear, I'm probably just gonna pay the 300 bucks on eBay.

Nick (45:39)
I was hoping you were gonna say the other thing. I'm gonna go fight somebody. I'm gonna get that thing.

Neil (45:42)
No! No! It's

definitely not worth fighting somebody over. No! If I really wanted to, I would just...

Nick (45:48)
But if you really,

like let's say your girl's like, I gotta have it. Your wife, Erica's like, I gotta have it. No matter what it takes. So you paying $300 for that thing?

Neil (45:59)
I'll send her into the fight and see if she comes out with one.

Nick (46:04)
You can tank her, go get it.

Neil (46:06)
I'll drop her off at the Starbucks and see if she comes out with a couple black eyes and a glass bear.

Nick (46:14)
Hey, you come out of the dirt like you're all bloodied up, but you hold that bear up. I got it, honey. I got it. You better drink out of that damn thing every day until Christmas is over.

Neil (46:20)
Good Price.

saying.

Is it even a holiday bear? Does have like little Santa Claus hat on or something?

Nick (46:31)
Yeah,

don't think it's a holiday thing. I don't know if it has like a hat on.

Neil (46:38)
What do they call it? A bearista.

Nick (46:43)
Barry, oh, that's a player. So I didn't notice the play on the word. I'm not that good at puns, obviously. Yeah, Barry's still.

Neil (46:49)
Yeah, yeah, I think it's called the berries

Nope, not worth it for me.

Nick (46:59)
Do you, ⁓ I never thought we'd talk about a cup at Starbucks for 10 minutes on the, on the height differential. I will say that. Do you see miss chili?

Neil (47:11)
You show me. that Miss Universe or what pageant was this?

Nick (47:14)
Pre- I mean...

She was Miss Chili. Like she was in the competition to become Miss Chili. And she won. It was for Miss Chili. But we've all seen these beauty pageants and normally when there's a talent portion, they're going up there and most part singing, right? Some of them will do some dances, play the piano, maybe do ventriloquist, maybe, maybe...

Neil (47:23)
it was for Miss Chili. Okay. Yeah, okay. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, maybe some piano playing. Maybe playing a violin or something. Yeah.

Tell us some state of comedy

maybe? Yeah, Yeah.

Nick (47:48)
Anno Comedy, yeah, I've seen that.

But this Miss Chili gets up there. And she starts singing heavy metal like the heaviest heavy metal like just that you'll ever see. And. Like she.

Neil (48:04)
seem like some karaoke or some disturbed

or some corn something like that like

Nick (48:10)
I don't know the song, dude, I don't know anything about heavy metal. But I mean, it's just, and she's just gorgeous too. It just gets up there and it's just, ⁓ just like, what is happening? And she ends up, she ended up winning.

Neil (48:15)
You strike me as an early mother cat.

Well, I mean, she probably intimidated some people with that talent that they were probably like, if we don't pick her to win, she's probably got an aggressive side, obviously. She's probably gonna come kill us.

Nick (48:37)
But

yeah, Ignacia Fernandez.

And yeah, she won. Did she win because she sang death metal or did she win because she's... I mean, I had to see the rest of competition. I imagine they're all really pretty, but I mean...

Neil (48:53)
Yeah.

I mean, I can't sing death metal. I don't know if my voice can do that. So props to her because I think that actually is a really impressive talent. So it's probably more impressive than just singing normal.

Nick (49:08)
Well, I mean,

if I tried to do it for one verse, I would be done for a month. Like, I don't know how they do it.

Neil (49:14)
I think it's more talented for a beauty pageant contestant to have the voice to do heavy metal than if somebody was just up there singing Taylor Swift.

Nick (49:25)
It's just so different. stands out. Like we wouldn't be talking about it if you're singing Tim McGraw.

Neil (49:28)
Yeah, because

it's correct. It's a talent. You got to be talented to do it. And she pulled it off. So I think it definitely helped her stand out amongst the others.

Nick (49:38)
1000 % is why we're talking about it. That's why she's been all over these these news shows and Now she's miss Chile So, I don't know she's I know there's different competitions, right? There's miss America and miss USA. I don't know which one She's going towards one of those has talent and one of those don't I don't know which one is which

Neil (49:52)
Yeah. Well, I'm assuming that's true.

I'm assuming now she'll go on to compete on a world stage against other countries, right? So we'll see her again. We will see her again. I'll tune in.

Nick (50:01)
Yeah, yeah, and people are gonna be paying attention.

But yeah, pretty cool. mean, death metal never been my thing. I just don't understand what, at what point you would want to listen to that. Like.

Neil (50:19)
mean,

yeah, there's people. mean, teach their own people. Like, I mean, that's not my thing either. I mean, we'll stick to the country music and, you know, a little bit of hip hop and some classic rock or something. I don't know, but there's definitely a following for it. I mean, you know,

Nick (50:35)
Are you listening

to it to get you pumped up? Or is like, are you just driving to work listening to this?

Neil (50:38)
I mean,

I think people just listen to it to get out their aggressions. You've seen these mosh pits. I mean, how people don't just get killed in these things are insane. I it's, think people listen to it to get out some rage, get out some aggression, and maybe Miss Chili had some aggression. She just needed to get it out.

Nick (50:47)
okay.

Maybe that's why

I got all this aggression in me. I don't listen to heavy metal.

Neil (50:58)
what you listen to.

Nick (51:00)
That's the country in hip hop. That's it.

Neil (51:02)
Because you don't have

any aggression. We don't have aggression. You don't need aggression.

Nick (51:05)
I

think everybody has aggression, Neil.

everybody. good, ain't getting no mosh pit. That is not the same for me. I don't even like going to festivals where it's just a bunch of people.

Neil (51:09)
But not to the point where I'm in a mushroom.

You would never, if you got a mosh pit...

Bro, if you got a mosh pit, you're not coming out of that mosh pit, I can tell you.

Nick (51:23)
Well, I ain't gonna lie sitting at the table on Tuesday, I'm like, dude, if they rush to court and start coming over top here.

Neil (51:31)
We ain't

Nick (51:33)
I was

wondering for a second, but I was glad they didn't.

Neil (51:36)
No, no, I don't even think it crossed anybody's-

Nick (51:39)
And it made me very happy, but you just never know, especially with all the students there. And I'll give the student section credit, they were great the whole game.

Neil (51:42)
That's... Yeah.

Nick (51:51)
But I guess they're close. You said they're putting up Christmas decorations. You stated it's too early. When is the proper time to put up Christmas decorations?

Neil (51:55)
Yup.

It is too early.

⁓ I've always

been the Thanksgiving, know, once Thanksgiving hits, that's when the Christmas decorations go up. Erica seems to disagree with that. I mean, if it was up to the kids, the Christmas decorations would be up all year. So you can tell them we're putting it up in July and they'd be pumped. ⁓ I don't know, I I understand it because it's a lot of work to decorate for Christmas and you probably want to maximize the time that the decorations are up. But it's just, to me, it's too early. It's just too early.

Nick (52:31)
I agree, but I also understand it. mean, it's getting earlier and earlier. As soon as Halloween's over, it's Christmas. And you're seeing commercials for Christmas on November the 1st. And I don't remember it being like that, but that's way it is now. But you're right. I mean, if your kids love it, do it. Like, it don't affect you. Like, let them do it. And when...

Neil (52:55)
I they're nice to

look at. They are nice to look at. I mean, I can understand interior decorations going up earlier than the exterior. Like you're not putting Christmas lights on your house before Thanksgiving. If you got Christmas lights up right now, I'm going to judge you.

Nick (53:00)
But yeah.

Well, to the the argue against that, like it's gonna be nice this weekend. You don't know how many more nice days you're gonna have. So like I almost think extra like exterior above the interior because of that.

Neil (53:20)
point. So all the Clark Griswolds out there.

So you think all the Clark Griswolds are gonna come out of the woodwork this weekend and start stapling lights on the top of their houses? This is the time. This is the time.

Nick (53:29)
⁓ 1,000 % every house will be decorated next week because

it's going to be beautiful all weekend. It's going to the sixties all weekend here in Louisville. And I mean, everybody's going to be up on their roof, putting their reindeers and their Santa Claus is in their lights.

Neil (53:38)
Yeah. Yeah.

some exterior illumination.

Nick (53:51)
When do you take everything down?

Neil (53:54)
After New Year, you leave it up that extra week.

Nick (53:58)
I think that's the right answer. I mean, to me, the answer is Thanksgiving to New Year's. That's when Christmas decorations are up.

Neil (54:05)
Yeah, I mean that's the

holiday season. That is the holiday season.

Nick (54:11)
Also, we disrespecting Thanksgiving? We're just completely disregarding it?

Neil (54:18)
I mean, when you start putting

Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving, you are.

Nick (54:21)
You're just disrespecting Thanksgiving by right now putting Christmas decorations up.

Neil (54:26)
That's why I don't agree with it. I love Thanksgiving. Like this is a whole other topic. I'm throwing it out there. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's the greatest day in the history of days. You don't have to worry about buying gifts about for anything. You don't have to decorate for it. You just eat a bunch of great food and watch football and take a nap.

Nick (54:47)
It's a great day. It's a great day. ⁓ My thanksgivings have been different over the last 10 years because I've worked for college basketball teams and now I'm traveling to work college basketball tournaments.

Neil (54:48)
It's an unbelievable holiday.

Why? You need

to go to beach.

Nick (55:02)
⁓ Yes, I'm going to the Cayman Islands and working that basketball tournament. I mean, for the two years that I worked for Moorhead, the five years working for Louisville, I was never home for Thanksgiving over that span. So I'm used to being on the road in Thanksgiving. And then I get out of athletics for two years in a row. I'm home for Thanksgiving. And now they're like, hey, do you want to come work this tournament in the Caymans? And you don't say no to that.

Neil (55:28)
Well, hope you have a nice little slice of pumpkin pie with your toes in the sand.

Nick (55:28)
So.

We're doing Thanksgiving on Sunday. I know you love it when people do holidays when it ain't the actual holiday. But we as the Evans family will be doing Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.

Neil (55:40)
Your family is changing.

Well, the Evans family just loves you so much that they changed their entire holiday just for you.

Nick (55:50)
Well, it ain't just for me. My sister also is a nurse and I don't know if you know this or not, but nurses sometimes have to work holidays. And so she will be working on Thanksgiving because she always works Thanksgiving and is off Christmas.

Neil (56:03)
Yeah, but they could have done Thanksgiving the day before Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, something around actual Thanksgiving that's not, I mean, we're probably closer to Halloween right now than we are actual Thanksgiving. So you're basically having Thanksgiving on Halloween. It's very close. Well, I think it's close.

Nick (56:07)
Well, I'm gone.

I don't know the math on that, but.

I don't even know when the actual Thanksgiving, we're two weeks away from Thanksgiving, right?

Neil (56:26)
today. Yeah. yeah, 14 days compared to six. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (56:29)
It's almost identical, but you're a little bit closer to Halloween.

⁓ But we decided officially Thanksgiving to New Year's. I'll actually give you January 2nd.

Cause you're not going to take it down on New Year's Day.

Neil (56:48)
No, because you're hungover from celebrating the new year.

Nick (56:50)
But like January

2nd or 3rd, it's time to take it down. Are you gonna listen to any Christmas music? And if so, when do you begin doing that?

Neil (57:01)
It's already on. It's on radio stations already. No, Thanksgiving. That's when it starts. Everything starts the day after Thanksgiving. On or the day after Thanksgiving.

Nick (57:03)
No, but you're not listening to it.

Okay. I know a lot.

Neil (57:14)
I what are you? Do you even listen

to Christmas? I bet you're not even a Christmas music guy, are you?

Nick (57:19)
Like the weak of.

Neil (57:21)
Do you even like it?

Nick (57:22)
a week of. I'll turn on Boyz Demen's Christmas album.

Neil (57:27)
You got a favorite Christmas. got it. Yeah, I mean, we can say this for another show, but you got a you got a favorite Christmas Carol. Or favorite Christmas song.

Nick (57:27)
and bump that.

Christmas Carol? ⁓

I feel like we're jumping the gun on this a little bit, we're we're already talking about how we're disrespecting Thanksgiving and now we're doing a Christmas song review.

Neil (57:36)
We can save.

You're right. That's true. We're not talking

about it. Nope. We'll save that for after Thanksgiving.

Nick (57:45)
And we also like next Wednesday, we'll do your favorite food at Thanksgiving. And we'll rank that, we're not even to that point yet. We're not even to that point yet, but.

Neil (57:51)
Yup.

Still like a top five. Yeah. Nope. We're

still trying to get through this Halloween candy that's sitting in the kitchen. Trying to eat through all that.

Nick (58:03)
Send

some my way,

Neil (58:06)
I got you. I got you.

Nick (58:07)
since I'm away.

Cards beat the cats for the first time in five years, since 2000.

And I think the number one takeaway obviously is the cards winning, but the Cats-Cars rivalry is officially back on the national stage and that's a really good thing. And thank you to PK for doing that because Tuesday night was fun and it was fun for Kentucky fans too until I know they lost, but being there, it was a great environment for everybody.

Neil (58:35)
Yeah.

Yes.

Nick (58:48)
So we'll be back on Sunday to break down all, we will be back, right? I don't see why we wouldn't. Yeah, but we're not going to Pittsburgh.

Neil (58:57)
The Bengals do play, but not on the

Will we be at Tailgaters?

Nick (59:04)
Well, I've just told you I have Thanksgiving dinner.

Neil (59:07)
⁓ yeah, you did just email me. my God. Well, I don't know. Are you going to be able to do a pod when you're stuffed full of turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce and the whole nine yards? You gonna be all right?

Nick (59:11)
But the good news, the good news, alright.

yeah. yeah. yeah.

yeah. It'll be, I'll be primed for a pod with all that food in my belly. The good news is originally it was going to be on Saturday, our Thanksgiving dinner, but it got moved to Sunday because of some, basketball games from the nieces and nephews. Then I would have missed the day of debauchery with gambling day with, with, with, with the, Josh and the crew. So excited we can.

Neil (59:25)
you

Nick (59:48)
I can partake in that and then have Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. I want to squeeze in some golf would have been so nice, but I don't there's too much going on.

Neil (59:52)
There you go.

You played 27 holes last weekend, my guy, I think you're fine.

Nick (1:00:00)
playing pretty well right now. want to keep playing. Have you watched any of the Barstool internet thing?

Neil (1:00:03)
Bell time.

No, but I saw beef was playing, RIP to beef.

Nick (1:00:11)
Dude, it's terrible. But yeah, I watched a little bit of it today when I got home from work. Like they're all like three hours long. I don't know how you can just sit there and watch all of it, but it makes me be like, why didn't we have this many cameras when we had Rowdy Cup last week? Cause that would have been awesome to watch. Yes, yes. So, all right. I think that's enough. We'll... ⁓

Neil (1:00:29)
We've just all been focused on Joe Ziegler.

Yep.

Nick (1:00:38)
Should be back on Sunday night with full bellies after I have my Thanksgiving dinner. And hopefully we're talking about the Bengals maybe being back in the AFC North division race with Joe Burrow on the horizon.

Neil (1:00:53)
breath on that one.

Nick (1:00:54)
Me neither. For Neal, I'm Nick. You've been listening to the Height Differential. Make sure you're following us on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, however you're getting your podcasts. Hit that subscribe button and we will talk to you on Sunday.