[00:00:03] Speaker A: The following program is brought to you.
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The Daily Gazette Company presents the parting Shots podcast. Now here's your host, Daily Gazette sports editor Ken shot. Thank you, Scott Gizzi, and welcome to the Parting Shots podcast, available wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe today. Thanks for joining me from the parting Shots podcast studio in Schenectady, New York, where we're celebrating the 400th episode of the Parting Shots podcast. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate all the applause. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We have a really, we're going to celebrate this podcast with a big show for you. We had five guests. We're going to talk with Mike McGadda. We'll wrap up the Saratoga horse racing season that ended on Monday. Adam Schindler, my gazette colleagues back with his college football talk. We'll look at Ualbany, their win over Liu Ondez last Saturday and look ahead to the game against West Virginia. We also previewed the start of the union season under new head coach John Drock. The Garner Chargers play at Utica on Friday. And then we're going to do, we're going to talk NFL with about the Giants, jets and Bills. Mike Vaccaro, the New York Post will look at the Giants Dennis Wasack, junior of the Associated Press. He'll talk about the jets and John Warrow. Also, the Associated Press will talk about the Buffalo Bill. So we got a great, great show. Please stick around. It's a lot of fun putting this one together. And coming up is Mike Gatum with his final edition of at the track with Mac. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[00:02:37] Speaker C: Hi, this is Union College women's hockey.
[00:02:39] Speaker B: Head coach Tony Macy. You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott welcome back to the 400th episode of the parting Shots podcast. And on Monday, the Saratoga horse racing season came to a close, and it was a pretty successful meet to talk about. This is at the track with Mac segment as Mike McGaburg. Is that horse racing rider Mike, sad to see it all in.
[00:03:05] Speaker A: I wouldn't say sad. You go through this kind of the same cycle every year. You know, at the beginning it's a whirlwind. At the beginning, we do so much pre meet writing and reporting and preview packages and things like that. It's like, by the end of the first week of like, wow, it's a whirlwind. And then you kind of settle in, and then when you get toward the end, you know, post traverse, a little bit of melancholy sets in. But at the same time, I can tell you today, I'm pretty re energized. I don't have to jump in, you know, jump in the shower first thing in the morning and jump in the car and then come home at 08:00 and not feel like doing anything with this kind of daily drill up there. But we, you know, it's a blast up there. It's a challenge. And, you know, I really, you know, I've told people this before, a couple times during the meet, I'll walk in and it hits me that they pay me to be here. So, no, no complaints on that front at all. But I am looking forward to moving on to something different for a little while.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, as we mentioned, it was highly successful. And star stud 156 meet.
It closed with a bang as the meat pulled in over 800 million in all sources betting handle and maintained a streak of drawing over a million in paid admission. Let's start with the numbers breakdown, Mike.
[00:04:25] Speaker A: Okay.
The exact total was 803,806,964. For those scoring at home, that's an average of well over 20,000 per day, which was up 3.2% from last year. Interestingly, the attendance was actually.
The paid admission was actually down slightly. I mean, negligible, 2.5%. And the on track handle was actually down slightly as well from last year. I think that sort of under underlines the strength of the Saratoga product nationwide that the all sources handle was actually up, while the on track handle was down a little bit.
You know, people around here love their Saratoga, but it extends well beyond Nelson Avenue and Union Avenue to across the country. Those numbers are reflected. I know Naira CEO and president David O'Rourke said a couple years ago, after they hit the record, which was 880. I want to say it was 21, maybe it was 22. At that time, he kind of threw the b word out there. Billion. You know, that's our goal.
So they're kind of stuck at 800 million, which I invite by stuck. I put that in quotation marks because that doesn't suck.
So the strength of the product is very good. The racing is tremendous. Nets reflected in the betting response, for sure.
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Trader Chad Brown and jockey Irad Ortiz were in the familiar positions of winning meat championships based on number of victories. But Flavian Pratt may have had the best meat of any rider after he smashed the record for stakes wins. Meanwhile, Brown put an exclamation point on his meat by winning races on closing day, including the gray one hopeful.
Mike, walk us through those, their accomplishments.
[00:06:16] Speaker A: The funny thing is, a lot of the times you get to closing day and like, for instance, the jockey and or training title will be close enough where you kind of set up a scoreboard to kind of keep track of who's doing what during the day. So you can know, like, you know, if it's tight, if one person is ahead of the other by a little bit and they win a couple. And so there's kind of, there might be some fireworks on closing day this year. That was not the case because I read Ortiz and Chad Brown have virtually and mathematically locked up both titles going into closing day. That said, I still had to, like, keep revising my numbers and recalibrating everything where Chad Brown was concerned because he won five out of twelve races. So I would have, like, I wouldn't leave x's. I'd actually write the total in, then he'd win another one. So I'd update it as the day went on. Then he win another one. And so he just had this ridiculously phenomenal closing day with five winners, including the grade one hopeful with Chancellor McPatrick. I mean, he just slammed it totally out of the park. He wound up with a total of 45 which fell winners, which fell one short of his record that he set a few years ago, a 46.
They run 17 grade one stakes at this meet, not counting the two steeple chases, and he won six of those. That's 35% of the grade ones. You know, with under one trainer, 13 of his wins were graded stakes. Here's another kind of eye opener. Hall of famer Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker, who had a. Mike Maker had, I think, maybe his best meat of his career in terms of winners. With 22, Pletcher and Mike Maker combined, had fewer wins than Chad Brown. I mean, that's ridiculous. I mean, Todd Pletcher also had 22 like Maker and a lot of his were in two year old races. So you know, watch out for the Todd squad next year when these two year olds become three year olds. But in the meantime, Chad Brown's meat was so amazing that he actually outscored the two of them combined, which is pretty remarkable. Irad kind of did his normal thing. He didn't really perform all that great in graded stakes. I think he had four and I don't believe he won any of the great ones because Flavian Pratt was winning all of those.
You think six out of 17 is good for Chad Brown? Flavian Pratt said on seven of 17 grade one winners at the meet. I'll run through them real quick. Real quick. Including, I already mentioned, Chancellor McPatrick and the hopeful. On Monday he had Highland Falls in the Jacket Club Gold cup. On Sunday he won with domestic product in the Allen Jerkins, mulligan in the forego, raging seed in the personal ensign ways and means in the test and white beam in the Diana on opening weekend. It's no coincidence that, let's say, let's see, white beam weighs and means raging sea domestic product are all trained by chad Brown. So the two of them combined on four of them.
Not to forget that Dylan Davis, Saratoga Springs High School graduate, had by far his best Saratoga meet of the season and was in high demand by the end of the meet and was jumping on stuff. And winning with stuff also had like a positive return on investment. So he was not necessarily winning with eight to five favorites all the time. And Tyler Gaffileone, who bailed on Saratoga to go to Kentucky Downs where there's just piles and piles of money available in their stakes races. He also had a tremendous meet, too, and we highlighted both of those guys. Will Springstead did a Q and a with Dylan Davis recently and I wrote a feature on Tyler Gathleon earlier in the meet, so not to be forgotten was those guys both had their best Saratoga meets and but meanwhile Irad kind of did his thing. He wound up with, let's see here, 52 and Flavian was second place with 45. But again, Flavian thought was the jockey of the meat, easily just based on his his stakes wins fellow, I forgot to mention, he won 17 total stakes in the previous record at the meet all time since 1863 by a jockey was 15, so he destroyed that, too.
[00:10:21] Speaker B: Well, the Traverse Stakes is always the centerpiece of any Saratoga meat, and the 155th edition had the intriguing attitude not only affiliate in the race, but one who had a legitimate shot at winning it. Thorpe Torpedo Anna, who was the darling of the meet among the horses. Besides the Travers, what were some of the other highlights?
[00:10:40] Speaker A: Well, speaking of Thorpe, Delana, she won the coaching Club American Oaks early in the meet in grade one, at which point trainer Kenny McPeek said, all right, we're done with the three year old Philly Division. We just crushing this left and right. Let's try the boys and the Travers, which they did later in the meet.
I will point out a couple things. There were but Chad Brown of his graded stakes winners, two of them were dual graded stakes winners. I already mentioned raging seash. He had won the shoe V earlier in the meet, by the way, spoiling what was an anticipated matchup between randomized and idiomatic.
Watch out for idiomatic because she's lost two straight. And after each one, trainer Bradcock said, I can't wait for the next one. In this case, the next one will be the breeder cup because he felt like his champion Philly, that won winning races both times. So look out for her. Carl Spackler was Chad Brown's other double graded stakes winner in the Kelso, in the four star Dave, grade one four star Dave, which, coincidentally, was Chad Brown's first win in that race, which is hard to believe because he's won every graded stakes on the turf imaginable except that one. So now he's got that one, too, just adding to his spectacular meet.
Closing day, you know, I walked in closing day, I had a column to write, and I had to kind of round up all the recap stuff. And I hate to say it, but I walk into the press box thinking, okay, I want no extra work. Surprise. I want no surprises today.
Good luck with that. Because, of course, D. Wayne Lucas turned 89 on Monday, and so what does he do? He wins the first race with daily grind, which was very well received by the Saratoga crowd. They love him up there. The hall of Famer is a legend. Been doing it for 50 years. And then he wins with a seven to one shot. You know, shortly after, Frank Miramati, the track announcer, had told everybody that it was his birthday. So then he goes out and wins the first one, and then he's out there with his white cowboy hat out into the winner circle and just got a huge round of applause. They do the trophy presentation, and then the fans around the winner's circle saying happy birthday to him. So that was awesome on closing day.
And then Chancellor McPatrick winning the hopeful was pretty cool. And then that was Chad Brown's two year old in the hopeful, and look out for that horse next year. I know it's. I mean, we still have the Breeders cup to get to, but he loves this horse going longer distances in two turns. So, you know, I know it's only September 3, but keep an eye on that horse and we'll see what he does next year as a three year old, you know, likely to see him on the Kentucky Derby trail at some point. But you mentioned the. The travers was very close to being the best one that I've ever seen, or at least the most memorable one I've ever seen. Not just because torpedo Anna was in it, but because she nearly won it and the horse that beat her. Fierceness was a good story by himself because he was the two year old male champion last year and he's been. Had a really erratic campaign. He'd have a great race and then he'd throwing a bomb like he did, finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby. He came back and won the Jim dandy earlier in the meet, and he put. And so you're like, okay, that's the fierceness we know and love. But can he put two of them back to back? And he sure did. He ran like a champ in the Travers, beating a bunch of really good horses, including the Philly, Torpedo Anna, who, like we already mentioned, was the darling of the meat. She almost got there. She only got beat by, you know, a couple feet and past the wire. Actually galloped out past fierceness.
The only other travers that's more memorable for me is holy bull. In 1994 when he did all the work, running very fast on the back stretch, he thought, oh, my God, he's done.
And then this late closing horse named concern came flying at the end and nearly got him at the wire. But total guts out effort by holy bull. One of the greatest races I've ever seen.
Nice try, torpedo. And fierceness, but you're going to be stuck at number two. If torpedo had pulled that out, then probably would have gone to number one just based on the Philly factor. No, Philly has won the traverse since 1915, so it would have been a really remarkable achievement for her, but put on a great show anyway. And I compare it to Zenyatta in the Breeders cup when she closed out her wonderful career undefeated going into the Breeders cup classic, running against males. Almost got there. And I remember writing it column at the time, saying, her standing in my eyes was not diminished by her losing. That race was actually elevated if that's even possible. And torpedo Anna did something very similar in the. In the traverse.
[00:15:37] Speaker B: Well, we got. Almost got through the meat clean. Just one horse death on the track that happened on Saturday. Can you talk about that?
[00:15:44] Speaker A: Yeah, actually, it was Friday in the saranac.
[00:15:47] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: And it was really bad. It looked bad. It was bad. The poor horse had to be euthanized on the track with a broken front left leg. Also wiped out another horse who took off running the wrong way up the back of the. Got. Made it all the way to the middle of the back stretch before they collared him. He's fine. It resulted in Tavio Castellano, who was on the horse, who got slammed into, hurt his wrist a little bit, just enough so that he took off his mounts for the last three days of the meet. Eric Consell, who was on the horse that broke down the big torpedo, he got up and walked off, which seems like a miracle every time you see it.
Otherwise, it had to be one of the safest Saratoga meets in terms of horse fatalities since the New York State Gaming Commission started their database tracking all this stuff in 2009.
It was the only death from an incident related to a racing injury. There were two training during training hours, one on the main track and one on the Oklahoma training track.
But the second of those was way back on August 4. So, I mean, we almost had a clean slate from then until the end of the meet until, you know, that horrible accident happened in the saranac. But otherwise, I think a big part of it, especially compared to last year, was that we didn't get dumped on by rain like it was brutal. Last year they had to take 65 races off the turf.
This year it was 45, which is still a pretty big number, but nothing like last year. We did lose an entire card due to Tropical Storm Debbie on August 9, which was a Friday. So that hurt irish attendance. And that's sort of the asterisk on their, you know, any of their total numbers. I already mentioned the 803 million handle. They lost a whole Friday card because of that. They only ran 39 days. But going back to the original point, I think naira made a lot of decisions early in the meet to take races off, which paid dividends at the end. And certainly Chad Brown made a point of crediting them with doing what they had to, making tough decisions early in the meet to keep the turf courses safe and in good condition, good racing condition. And that showed at the end of the meet, he said that he really, and he should know because he's running in turf races all the time and in the big turf races that by the end of the meet, the turf courses were in great shape, and that was due to nara making some good but tough calls earlier in the meet.
[00:18:32] Speaker C: So.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: So that, you know, that kind of gives you a little overview of what, you know, what we were looking at in terms of the safety of the tracks.
[00:18:40] Speaker B: Well, if you can't get enough of Saratoga, you will get more of it next year. Besides the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival returning next June, while Belmont park is being rebuilt, naira is considering running the popular Stars and Stripes 4 July week at the spa. What's 2025 going to look like?
[00:18:56] Speaker A: Well, they say they're considering it because that's what they have to. That's the terminology they have to use right now. I'm firmly under the belief that they will hold it up there because it makes sense in a lot of. In a couple different ways.
One, just based on the calendar, Labor Day came early this year. It's coming even earlier next year, as early as it can, which will be September 1. So if you move, you know, you work your way backwards from there to establish where the opening date for Saratoga will be. That'll be July 10, Thursday. Now, 4 July is less than a week before that. So from a calendar standpoint, it makes sense for them to bring a four day, July 3 through 6th, the way that the days of the week work out. Have that Stars and Stripes program up here, which at Belmont park is really a fun day, and they have a good stakes program for it. It's popular. You know, they do a bunch of 4 July things associated with it. I don't know if they do fireworks or anything like that, but it's a pretty big deal when it's at Belmont park. And because the calendar works out, it makes sense for them to bring it up here since they're going to be starting the meet in less than a week anyway. It's not going to be part of the actual Saratoga meet. There's no days added to the Saratoga meet. It's still going to be 40 days. This will be considered the tail end of the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. So the calendar is one factor. The other big one was when they had it at aqueduct this year.
Their numbers were terrible. I mean, the handle was terrible. Forget about the attendance. Nobody goes to aqueduct. And so it makes sense on two fronts. So you're going to see that they haven't finalized it yet, but if they don't do it, I'd be shocked. So that's going to be four more days of racing in Saratoga right before opening day. The other thing that I haven't written about yet but is noteworthy. Yes, of course we'll hit have the Belmont Stakes racing Festival up there again for the second year in the early part of June, but apparently they're also going to add a Wednesday card to that. So it'll be five days for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival next year instead of Thursday through Sunday. You know, four days. They haven't come out with anything on that yet, but I'm hearing rumblings that they're going to kind of milk it a little bit more by, by having a Wednesday card as well. So that's a total of probably going to see five more days of racing at Saratoga next year. You know, one. One attached to the Belmont Festival in the four day, 4 July. Little thing they do now. The following year, 26, they're dead on schedule. I sat down with Dave O'Rourke on Sunday, and so they're right on schedule with everything they're doing at Belmont park. So the Belmont Stakes should be back at Belmont in 2026.
So next year will be the last time Saratoga has the Belmont. And going back to the 4 July thing, I looked at the calendar and after we have the earliest labor day we can possibly have next year, we got a really late one the following year. So it won't make sense from a timing standpoint for them to have the 4 July thing at Saratoga in 26, because instead of like a five day gap, it's like a ten day gap. And so it'd be silly to come up here and then just not do anything for ten days. So you're not going to. Plus, Belmont park is going to be pretty much complete. It's going to be race ready for the Belmont states, which means it's going to be race ready for the 4 July. My stock answer for everybody who speculates about, oh, they're going to expand the Saratoga meet, or they're going to have the 4 July festival and then just stay up here, or they're going to have the Belmont festival up here and then in June and then just stay up here. My answer to that is Governor Hochul didn't give them a $455 million loan to completely rebuild Belmont park. To have them decide to not use Belmont park as much as they did in the past, so absolutely makes no sense whatsoever. Anybody who thinks that they're going to just bridge between June, Belmont Festival and the Saratoga meet needs to understand that those turf courses that I mentioned were in such great shape this year by the end of the meet, they will be utterly trashed by the time the meet starts. If you have turf racing from June until opening day of Saratoga at second, you know, Thursday of July. So. So that ain't happening. So we're gonna. I mean, everything's on schedule, and if it remains so, we're gonna be back to a 40 day Saratoga meet in 26, and Belmont will be Belmont again. But next year, as I already said, you know, you can expect five more days of fun in the sun at Saratoga.
[00:23:58] Speaker B: Well, Mike, appreciate it once again as you're all your work. Of course, Eric and Miller, we should give her a lot of credit for the photos she took.
Yes, I was surprised.
[00:24:08] Speaker A: Shout out to our handicappers, too. Jim Kirschner, Matt Donato, Matthew DeSantis, and Jeff Karl did a great job. I did update my story a little bit to mention that Gino just destroyed it, 127 out of 408 for a 31.1% strike rate on picking winners for the Gazette. So he was our top handicapper for the third year in a row. I believe he was also. I mean, nobody really keeps track of this stuff carefully. Anyway, I think there's one person who does it, but I haven't seen anything out of him yet that sort of lumps all the various capital region and public handicappers together. I think Gino might have finished on top of all those people, too, but there's no official standings on that or anything. So I don't know for sure. I know he was flirting with it, though.
[00:24:53] Speaker B: And also mentioned Teresa Gennaro with her tag at the track.
[00:24:56] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. She supplied us with some great content, some interesting a one stories for the Sunday paper, as well as good midweek stuff that, you know, kind of was a pressure release valve for me, having to come up with a ton of content. But her stuff is just such good quality, and she comes up with interesting, you know, topics that you don't necessarily, that are kind of a little more out of the spotlight, but they're important part of the fabric of the sport. So, you know, hopefully we can get Teresa on board again next year. She does a wonderful job and is a terrific ride.
[00:25:28] Speaker B: Well, Mike, appreciate your time and efforts and you squeezing me in for the podcast. You're at track, Mac.
[00:25:34] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:25:35] Speaker B: We'll talk Breeders cup, what, November this year?
[00:25:39] Speaker A: I think it's November 3 and fourth, so we'll have to, it'll like toward the end of October, you can check in with me and I'll have some stuff to lay out for it from as far as breeders. Go.
[00:25:50] Speaker B: All right, Mac, appreciate a few minutes. Thanks again.
[00:25:52] Speaker A: Thanks a million, Kent.
[00:25:53] Speaker B: All right, that's Mike McGaddam. Coming up, we're going to talk college football with the Gazette's Adam Schinder. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
[00:26:15] Speaker A: Are you an enthusiastic sports fan?
[00:26:18] Speaker B: Want to have fun and get in on the action?
[00:26:20] Speaker D: Heck yes. That'd be awesome.
[00:26:22] Speaker B: Have great attention to detail. Want to stay active?
[00:26:26] Speaker C: Definitely.
[00:26:27] Speaker B: Want to give back to the student.
[00:26:28] Speaker A: Athletes in your community? Obviously, yes.
[00:26:31] Speaker B: Then you'd make an excellent high school sports official.
[00:26:35] Speaker A: We need more officials in New York because with no high school officials, there are no high school sports.
[00:26:41] Speaker B: Sign up
[email protected].
hi, this is union college head football coach John Drock. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
[00:26:51] Speaker C: The Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott.
[00:26:54] Speaker B: Welcome back to the 400th episode of the Parting Shots podcast. And joining me now is Adam Schindler for his weekly look at area college football. And Adam, you already had a little bit of a struggle against Lau in the opener on Saturday, only winning 27 21. We thought that game would be not as competitive.
[00:27:09] Speaker E: Yeah, no, it was kind of natural to see a team that was replacing so many pieces as Ualbany, maybe not get off to the strongest foot. Also, weather is certainly complicated, but they were able to get out with a win that largely seemed like they were in control and ahead for a lot of the game. Just weren't as dynamic as they were in last year's opener against Fordham, but a solid win against a pretty good LIU team. But certainly Greg Gattuso probably would have hoped for a somewhat cleaner game.
[00:27:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I was following online off and on and rushing wise. They weren't really rushing the ball that well for most of that game until the second half.
[00:27:49] Speaker E: Yeah, it took a while for for Griffin Waddell to get his legs under him. Did have a 40 1 yd run that helped set up a short touchdown shortly after that. Finished with 85 yards, which is about par for the course of where he was most games last year. Not the most efficient game from Miles Burkett in his first start, completing under 50% of his passes, but did hit seven McGee for a long 75 yard touchdown down. They were able to make a big play on defense when Liu quarterback lost the ball. Jack Giuliano, the I believe grandson of former Saratoga Springs coach, high school coach Blaze Uliano scoop and scorer there. Again, not the cleanest game, but they're off on the right foot with a tough trip on there for the next two weeks, but especially this week.
[00:28:41] Speaker B: Yeah. I was going to mention Miles Burkett, just twelve of 26, 165 yards, no interceptions, though, so I guess that's a positive.
[00:28:48] Speaker E: Yeah, they want to, they, you know, they didn't turn the ball over, which, when you consider how, how rough the weather was, it's a big thing. They're a team that always wants to win the turnover battle.
I mean, the biggest thing to say was that the defense clearly was not as dominant as it was at this point last year. But when you are replacing all eleven starters, that is, that is to be expected.
[00:29:08] Speaker B: Well, as you mentioned, they have a tough couple games coming up. Let's start with, obviously he's the one on Saturday, we'll focus on West Virginia down in Morgantown, West Virginia coming off a lost to Penn State in a game that was delayed a couple hours because of weather. What are, what, barring something short of America, what are the kind of great things, what do they want to accomplish down there in Morgantown?
[00:29:30] Speaker E: Well, I'll say this, if there's anyone who knows what it means to be a, to win as an underdog in Morgantown, West Virginia, Greg Gattuso would have, would have experience about that. He was the defensive line coach for Pitt in 2000, 2007 when they went in as 28 and a half point underdogs to the backyard brawl and held West Virginia to seven points. Kept him out of the national championship in that wild 2007 season. But really, this is, you just want to see progress, especially with the trip to Idaho coming up next week. West Virginia, clearly coming off a loss to Penn State, is going to want to get themselves back on the right track. Is a big twelve school. That's a big test. I mean, Ualbany was competitive in its two FBS games last year, but those were against Sunbelt and Mountain west schools. West Virginia is a team that is kind of constantly hovering on the edge of the top 25 under head coach Neil Brown, dual threat quarterback in Garrett Green. I think what Ualbany wants to do is be competitive in the first half and let the chips fall where they do in the second half.
[00:30:42] Speaker B: Can they means can they make it a game again?
[00:30:47] Speaker E: If you looked at this weekend in college football and the number of times that people were really, really holding that FCS schools were close to FBS schools, I mean, Idaho, who Ualbany plays in a couple of weeks, is right there with Oregon. Other game, many other games.
It's not out of this world.
It's this Ualbany team. Absolutely. They just can't, you can't fall behind early. That is the absolute key in any of these games because the longer you stick around, the harder you make it on a team.
[00:31:19] Speaker B: Yeah. Especially they get behind early and sometimes that confidence, you can see those teams sag against the bigger teams and just know it's going to be problems if they don't play competitively in the first half.
[00:31:32] Speaker E: Yeah. Even happened last year in the the in for Ualbany against South Dakota State. They fell down early. They were actually driving on their first drive in that game and an interception really turned the tide. If you if U Albany goes down and scores that first possession against South Dakota State, it was 59 nothing game. I can't say we would have thought that UAlbany would would have won, but I think they would have felt better and you wouldn't have seen the snowball effect. And West Virginia is a team that can score fast. So the absolute thing you cannot do is go down seven nothing, turn the ball over and all of a sudden it's fourteen zero. And in a situation like that, it's almost always done.
[00:32:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, let's move over to Union, who the Garner Chargers kick off their season Friday at Utica under the lights 07:00 start, the beginning of the John Drock era at Union.
We talked a little bit about it last week, but what are the expectations for this Garner Chargers team?
[00:32:31] Speaker E: I think their expectations are to get back to where they were last year, to be a playoff team again. This is a team that has a lot of changes, but there are also a lot of consistencies that they're going to like.
If the offensive line gels, they're going to have a running attack that's as good as anything in the Liberty League with Michael Fiore and John Anderson. Pat Schlanigan looks like he's going to be the starting quarterback for this team. He's looked good in some limited experience, both as a backup and he got a start a couple of years ago, kind of unexpectedly came in when he was the third or fourth string quarterback and ended up getting promoted to starter for a week when Donovan Piketty was out. This is a team that you don't know what you're going to see from them.
We've seen very little. I haven't really gotten a chance. The only time I've gotten over there, they were running a clinic, so there wasn't really a chance to see what the offense and defense really looked like. I think the back seven on defense is very good. There's a lot of talent there. Cole de Silva is a veteran linebacker. The whole secondary essentially is back and the running backs are there. Utica is a good gauge. Utica is always competitive. They beat union a couple of years ago in Schenectady in a game where union looked like they were going to run away with it. And then Donovan McKenney got hurt. And Utica's defense just absolutely teed off on a union team that was basically stuck into a running attack in the second half. And yeah, it will be. It's really more than anything, just interesting under the lights Friday night in Utica to see what this union team that's only going to play one out of its first five games at home.
[00:34:09] Speaker B: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that.
[00:34:10] Speaker E: This is not a fun stretch.
They get Springfield next week in their home or maritime in their home opener. But you go to Springfield, you go to a, it's four road games in September. It's not easy. And if they're through this, and this is a team that traditionally in the last few years has destroyed teams in its non conference, I mean, last year union absolutely ran through September.
If they can do that again, you're going to think, hey, this team's on a pretty good footing.
[00:34:41] Speaker B: Claire stayed on September 28 and October 5, they opened Liberty, Liberty League play at St. Lawrence. So John Drock, welcome to Union College and football. You get your first four or five games on the road.
[00:34:53] Speaker E: Welcome to Union College. You're not going to spend very much time at Union College.
[00:34:57] Speaker B: Yeah. Talk a little more about that because I mean, that's, yeah, that's, could be if they don't do well, that could be a harbinger of things go. But if they get maybe 33241. Yeah, they're looking good going in the Liberty League play.
[00:35:12] Speaker E: Yeah. I mean, again, this is, it's a very interesting thing. What you really want to see is just this team to, you need to see what the identity of the team is. And you would think with the running backs they have, this is going to be a team that's going to look to really exploit that. Those guys are basically one series on, one series off, staying fresh all last year.
And if you can assume, assert that identity and then see what your passing game is as it evolves and then see what your defense does, certainly there's winnable games early in the season. Montclair State was a team they dispatched pretty easily last season. Similarly, Springfield, SUNY maritime scene, they haven't played in a while. There's no team out in, I can't remember the team out in Buffalo that.
[00:35:55] Speaker B: They played last year, Buffalo State.
[00:35:56] Speaker E: Oh, no.
[00:35:57] Speaker B: This was the other team out in Buffalo.
[00:35:59] Speaker E: They played out in the high school field and put up a good 60 some points on them. Basically sat their starters the last two and a half quarters. But, yeah, you're looking at what this is going to be and you get into Liberty League play and it's those same teams that you have to deal with that you've had to deal with every year. Ithaca will be just as good as they traditionally are. Hobart, RPI, Rochester sitting kind of in the middle of that league. So you have to define if you want to get a, if you want to chance at an at large bid into the tournament. They can lose no more than one game.
[00:36:37] Speaker B: Yeah, of course, that's the guy that comes to union on November 2. That could be an interesting game late in the season. Union only has four home games this year. They only have consecutive home games in November. So that's a tough, tough schedule.
[00:36:54] Speaker E: Yeah. With only one home game, beef October 19. They do have three of their last five at home, which is good. They do have probably two. They have two of their three toughest Liberty League games on the road, going to Hobart and going to RPI for the shoes game at the end of the season. I mean, last year, that's the game that, again, it defines the season, but the way it's placed, it'll be interesting to see, as always, because Ithaca doesn't play a Liberty League game the last week of the season because they played for the Cortica jug. So essentially you have to enter that last week of the season already knowing you are ahead of Ithaca or win a tiebreaker, win the Thaka.
[00:37:36] Speaker B: Yeah.
For some of these players on union, this is their third coach in three years. Let me think. How crazy is that?
[00:37:44] Speaker F: Yeah.
[00:37:44] Speaker E: I mean, these guys, for pretty much anyone who's a junior, the vast majority of this union team, it's their third coach in as many years.
It can be a difficult thing to go through. It is also the nature of college football, and division three doesn't have as much of an impact on the transfer portal. So you don't have players switching as much, but there are some. And for this union team, you've got a lot of guys who are five year players, a lot of guys who are all in on being a part of the union football program. And those guys, it was important for them. It was important for the guys who were in that situation last year that really helped them with the change from Jeff Berman to John Poppy. The guys who are around this year who have been around for five years, guys like Cole de Silva, like Michael Fiore, like Robbie Tolbert, Nathan Sullivan in the defensive backfield. That's a really important thing in that it's the coaches here. We are the core of this program, and that's what a lot of those guys have said.
[00:38:44] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, it should be an interesting weekend of college football and appreciate a few minutes. And we'll do this again next week.
[00:38:50] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:38:51] Speaker B: That's Adam Schindler. Coming up, we're going to start our NFL previews. We'll talk with Mike Lucaro, the New York Post. He'll look at the New York Giants. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[00:39:13] Speaker E: In each episode, I interview artists from.
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[00:39:25] Speaker A: Hi, this is Union College hockey alum Sebastian Midmar. You're listening to the parting shots podscast with daily cassette sports editor Ken Schott.
[00:39:33] Speaker B: Welcome back to the 400th edition of the Parting Shots podcast and we begin our NFL previews. We're going to look at the first New York Giants coming off a disappointing six and eleven season. A lot of pressure on this team. And joining me now is New York Post columnist Mike Piccarrow is making a second appearance on the parting shots podcast. So, Mike, I didn't scare you off the first podcast back in April, so I appreciate you coming back. Gone.
[00:39:57] Speaker F: Not a problem. You have the reinvigorator.
[00:40:00] Speaker B: Well, let's talk about giant means a couple years ago they got to the playoffs and then a lot of high expectations last year. And then they got smoked by the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener. He never recovered. They lost Daniel Jones midway through the season to the torn ACL. Now no Saquon Barkley. He took the drive down the Jersey Turnpike to go join the Philadelphia Eagles. What is in store for the Giants this year?
[00:40:25] Speaker F: Very interesting year for them, I think, coming up, because obviously they really need to make a final, final decision on N. Jones as their guy. This is going to be an enormous year for him and really an enormous year in the history of the Giants because if Jones isn't the guy, and certainly that's kind of a vibe you get right now, they're going to have to go back to the drawing board and, and, you know, it's sometimes an exciting prospect if you have a great class quarterback kind of like they had last year, sometimes not so much. And so, look, I mean, in the Giants perfect world, Daniel Jones comes back healthy one and two, looking a lot more like he did two years ago than he has really any other time in his career than maybe his first year as a rookie when he was playing with almost zero pressure. But he's playing with all the pressure now. And look, I mean, quarterbacks have always been a vital part NFL, but now when you're pretty much devoting, you know, a fifth of your salary cap to a good one, you better make sure that he's the right guy. And, you know, we'll see.
He wasn't great in the preseason, but as we all know, the preseason so often has very little to do with anything that comes afterwards. So the Giants have to hope that he'll be ready to answer the bell.
[00:41:47] Speaker B: Yeah. How much pressure is on Jones going into the season trying to prove himself?
Obviously coming back from tornadoes, not the easiest thing to do. Sometimes it takes more than a year to recover from that.
[00:41:58] Speaker F: Well, look, it's certainly his career with the Giants in question here. You know, all he needs to do is look across the field on opening week and see if he's going up against Sam Baron. Actually realizes just because you flame out with your first team doesn't mean that your career is over. But certainly the Giants have done almost all of their movement in the last couple of years, you know, around Daniel Jones, both by signing him, basically choosing him over Saquon Barkley, and then, you know, pretty much handing him the keys in the franchise. And look, he was hurt last year, but he was also not playing great before he got hurt. And more concerningly, he was running for his life behind the dreadful offensive line last year. And while I think the offensive line is a little bit better this year, I think he'll still be running for his life more often than not. And that's concerning because you got to, he's got to stay upright and look, when he's able to, to get even a little bit protection. We've seen this. He can be an excellent quarterback because he's got, he's got the double threat of throwing and assuming he's all the way back with his knee. I mean, he was one of the best scrambling quarterbacks in football till he went down. That was the one thing you never to worry about. You had to worry about his arm accuracy and his decision making most of all. And those are things that are still going to be in question. But if he can allay those fears the Giants can probably win a lot of, and a lot of people expect them to this year.
[00:43:24] Speaker B: Yeah, obviously the Saquon Barkley letting him go, did the Giants really think he was going to leave them and sign with the NFC east rival Eagles?
[00:43:35] Speaker F: Well, I mean, they certainly, the way it all went down, I mean, they knew that was a possibility. So, I mean, I don't think anybody, GM's and coaches especially, live in the real world of the NFL, which is completely detached with fans who say, well, I never do this. I never wore an Eagles jersey ever in public.
Professional athletes don't act that way. I mean, look, you know, I mean, you know, it's funny because, I mean, don't forget Saquon Barkley's father wore jets jersey to the Jets Giants game last year because he's a Jets fan. But his son played for the Giants, so nothing speaks how different, certainly loyalties go in sports than that, you know, for athletes go where the best deal is. And if sometimes that's the ancient rival to the team you used to play for, that's the way it goes. And Wade Boggs played for the Yankees and it's a weird sight. But you know what?
That's the way it goes in professional sports.
[00:44:40] Speaker B: Co owner John Marek originally said he's calling for improvement. So how much pressure is on general manager Joe Shane and the head coach as far as getting back to where they were a couple years ago?
[00:44:56] Speaker F: Well, in some ways, I think they, it was almost unfortunate they had the earliest things they had because it kind of stalled the clock on what needed to be a pretty full and profound rebuild. It was a perfect storm two years ago. Go. Gable's energy and impact was immediate.
They took advantage of a fairly soft schedule, maximize it, actually. And look, I mean, that says you still can't take it away from them because they still went into Minnesota in the playoffs and won a playoff game. And that's a legit thing. You can talk about soft schedules and, you know, ironically, I guess, the knockouts, the Vikings was a day they got lucky with a soft schedule. A lot of, you know, fortuitous bounces in that season, but, you know, that was a good, a nine win season with a playoff win, and, you know, there's nothing mirage about that. It was probably not the greatest thing that could happen to their overall health because I think they felt like they had to follow it up last year. And last year it just wasn't in the cards because obviously because of health, but also because, I mean, they just didn't have the same kind of, kind of schedule break they had the year before. So now they're in year three, but they're really only in year one of this profound rebound build. And look, I mean, I think Dan Bull is a very good coach. I think, you know, I think he's worth two wins a year. He doesn't think he's that kind of coach, you know, remains. We've seen what kind of a roster Shane can build because it's kind of a work in progress. If you happen to watch the hard knock show on HBO, I think you were encouraged by, you know, the way he gets a lot of things.
So, I mean, I think the giants are in good, good hands, and whether that means they'll be in good shape this year is a whole different story.
[00:46:42] Speaker B: Obviously, media market like New York, and I know I grew up in Philadelphia, it's the same way. There's really, they don't, the fans don't give me, even the media in a little way doesn't give teams a chance to say, you know, let them rebuild and try to get back to where they were. There's an enormous pressure. Yeah, obviously, you mentioned that, you know, two years ago, what they sort of, you know, maybe overachieved getting that, getting the plows and all that stuff, but how important is it for everybody in the giants organization? Just be patient and just let this thing mature and rebuild, let it grow.
[00:47:18] Speaker F: I mean, barring a calamitous season, you know, one in 16, two and 15, something like that, I really believe that John Maurer is committed to, and so trying to get a measure of stability. I mean, there was a stretch there where the Giants turned in coaches every year, every two years, and use like an ability in that way and the mayor's, if nothing, if not or nothing about a stable family, a stable organization. That's the way it's been ever since Wellington was in charge, really, ever since Wellington's father was in charge. I mean, they let Ali Sherman coach for years when the crowd was begging them to fire him. That's just the way that that organization has always been.
So I think it's in the DNA of, of the people who run the team, Mara and Tish, to want to give enough time. They're not going to, I don't think a 611 season or seven and ten season will cause any kind of panic because I think they understand that this is a process. I mean, the problem is when they made these hasty coaching changes in the past, it's been because just a disaster season and you just look after you something. They were really, I think it's pretty fair to say. It was fair to say in real time, too, but the gentleman hire was such a complete disaster that it set the program back ten years. And, you know, it takes a while to recover from that, and you're not going to recover from that if you just keep changing the plan every couple of years.
[00:48:53] Speaker B: Who replaces Saquon Barkley at running back?
[00:48:57] Speaker F: Good question. I think. I think it's going to be, it's going to be a college of running backs and we'll see who, you know, who grabs the, who grabs the job, especially early on. I mean, I think it's, the Minnesota game is going to be really interesting. The NFL is so interesting now because, you know, it doesn't seem like any of the teams take their exhibition season all that seriously. You know, understandably, in some ways, I don't think anybody really is excited about NFL exhibition season. And so really, I think it's the first week, first two weeks, weeks that we'll see who the, who emerges, not just running back, but, you know, a lot of these positions and certainly be interesting to see how that defense kind of starts out because last year, you know, the Giants might have been able to at least stay above sea level for a little bit if the defense had played well, but they started this season poorly. So it's a lot of different things that you're going to see in the first week or two of the season.
[00:49:51] Speaker B: If Daniel Jones stumbles, who takes over? Over?
[00:49:56] Speaker F: Well, right now, I guess it's probably going to be devito, but, you know, look, I mean, I think that's the, that's the kind of doomsday scenario that, that they really, you know, they don't want to think about. I mean, Locke didn't look great the preseason. I suppose that when he's healthy, he's going to be the guy who gets the next chance. But, you know, to me it's going to be, it's going to be a real thing where they, you know, priority one is to keep Daniel Jones upright and, you know, it's going to be a real challenge with that offensive line. Again. I think he's improved, but it's hard not to improve over the direct that was, you know, on display for 17 games last year.
[00:50:35] Speaker B: What about their defense? Obviously, Wake Martindale is no longer there as a defensive coordinator, yet they, he had a falling out with Davel last year. Where's the defense look? How's that looking right now?
[00:50:48] Speaker F: Well, I think they're love to see Thibodeaux take another step in the right direction. I mean, they, you know, he was absent a little bit with when they struggled last year, but even in a down year, you can see that he's an awfully good player. Obviously, the importing of Brian Burns is a huge deal if he can have an impact, you know, Dexter Lawrence, they have some really good players on defense. Their secondary is a little shaky, but up front they're going to be competitive when they go against. So it's going to start there. You know, people like to think the all traditional giants defense starts up front, but, you know, this, this will be a real test because I do think the secondary is a little shaky. I think they draw a break in week one because I think anybody familiar with Sam Darwin's work probably thinks that it doesn't necessarily require a lockdown secondary to stop him. And so if you can get off on a good foot out of week one, that's a real step in the right direction for them.
[00:51:52] Speaker B: Where do the Giants finish in the NFC east?
[00:51:56] Speaker F: Well, look, I mean, I realize that a lot of people are thinking that the Cowboys and Eagles are in decline, and that may well be, but they're still so far ahead of the Giants and the commanders that I think that, you know, one, two is going to be a fucking up between those two teams and it'll be Washington, New York battling for third and fourth. And, you know, if you finish third in that division, who knows? I mean, look, I mean, it wasn't that long ago that the commanders won that division with a losing record. I don't think that's in the cards this year. But look, I mean, stranger things happen. We didn't think it happened that year, either. Players go down, things, you know, things happen. Coaches file out a favor. I mean, all those things are important. Play with both Dallas and Philadelphia. So I think the best the Giants could probably look for is third in the division.
And I think if they do that, I think that's also a step in the right direction.
[00:52:53] Speaker B: Well, Mike, appreciate a few minutes. Had fun covering the team. Gonna be interesting to see what happens with the Giants this season and the NSC east as well, and especially when Saquon comes back to MetLife Stadium.
[00:53:06] Speaker F: Yeah, that'll be fun.
[00:53:07] Speaker B: I bet you Mike, appreciate it. Thanks again.
[00:53:09] Speaker F: No problem. Thanks for having me on.
[00:53:11] Speaker B: That's Mike Piccarrow coming up. We'll try to talk to New York jets with the Associated Press's joke. Dennis Wozak, junior. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[00:54:03] Speaker A: Hi, this is Sienna women's basketball head coach Terry Primm. You're listening to the party Shots podcast.
[00:54:09] Speaker C: With Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Shots.
[00:54:13] Speaker B: Welcome back to the 400th edition of the Party Shots podcast. And my next guest has been a member of this podcast a few times, talking New York jets football. He covers the jetse for the Associated Press as well as the rest of the NFL. It's Dennis Wasak, junior. And Dennis, appreciate a few minutes to talk about New York jets football. How are things?
[00:54:31] Speaker C: Oh, great, Ken. And it's an honor being on the 400th episode, especially heading into this crazy, what could be a crazy season for the New York jets.
[00:54:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, here we go. It's year two of Aaron Rodgers, but really year one, he forced snapped into last season, his tours achilles, and he was done for the year 40 years old. I mean, is Aaron Rodgers of old going to make it for the jets this year?
[00:54:57] Speaker C: I mean, that's the big question here with this team. I think if you judge the way Rogers looked in training camp, you would say, okay, this guy's, this guy's back.
He looks healthy, he looks sharp, and those are all good signs. Now, is he the Aaron Rogers of two years ago or three or four years ago? Years ago. That remains to be seen because remember, when he came to the jets, he had a little bit of a down year with Green Bay. There were different factors involved, offensive line, the offensive weapons around him, that sort of thing. But the big question was like, hey, can Aaron Rodgers kind of like have a rebirth in New York and, and kind of play a little bit like he did when he was winning those MVP awards? I don't know if he could get there at 40 years old, especially coming off the Achilles tear, but if he could be somewhere in between, that's still a massive jump for the jets at that quarterback position. And so far, what you saw of him in practice and in the joint practices in particular, he looked good. Let's see what happens when he's facing a pass rush again and, and all of that. But he's got a ton of weapons around him. That offensive line is rebuilt. So I think there's optimism that Aaron Rodgers could be one of the best quarterbacks in the league again, even at age 40.
[00:56:29] Speaker B: Does maybe having the year off maybe help him a little bit? Maybe with bumps and bruises he's accumulated over the years, maybe he's a little more. A little healthier than maybe he would have been had he played last year.
[00:56:42] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, that's an interesting twist, right? I mean, he did have that major injury to his achilles, but he wasn't being hit. He wasn't getting bruised and battered around. And it's just. Maybe that helps. Maybe he's. And the other thing, Ken, is that over the last couple of years, he's really dedicated himself to becoming healthier and having different ways of just staying in shape, getting in better shape. I think last year, going into the season, he was saying that he's in better shape now than he was 1015 years ago. If you look at him, I mean, he's in tremendous shape for a 40 year old. Let's see, though, if he's got the mobility that he'll need to kind of make some plays, the things that he relies on. He has the arm. He showed it off. He still has it. So we'll see. But, yeah, I mean, that's an interesting way to look at it, that he had a year off from taking a pounding, especially when you look at what that offensive line did last year, and it was just like a, it just like a sieve. Like there were guys coming all over the place and that's what, you know, with the quarterbacks. And it's just like, man, if he had been back there, he probably would have gotten hurt a couple of times.
[00:58:03] Speaker B: Who's going to back him up? I mean, Zach Wilson's gone. Is it Tyrod Taylor?
[00:58:08] Speaker C: Yeah, Tyrod Taylor is there. And I think that he's the perfect guy for an Aaron Rodgers, especially in this situation where the jets are in a playoff or bust mode, because Tyrod Taylor's been there. He's done that. He knows the system.
He's, he's been around. He knows how to play the position. He's a smart quarterback. He's still, he also still has a terrific arm.
And I think there is, obviously, you don't want Aaron Rodgers to go down again because that's, you know, that that's doomsday. But if he needs to go down for a game or two, you know that you have a proven backup veteran who can go in there, and that's something they severely lacked last year.
[00:58:53] Speaker B: Yeah, you mentioned about the Rogers injury, non contact injury. The MetLife Stadium field has been very criticized by players in the NFL, Pa, because it seems to be a lot of leg injuries on that turf. And even though it's a softer turf than what was the teams used to play on when I was growing up watching football. But has anything been done to address that situation?
[00:59:17] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, they changed the turf. So, like, as you mentioned, it's a softer turf. So, so they, they tried to address that two years ago by putting in a new turf. I think, I think there's the idea that any turf is not good or, or grass is better than any turf. And I think if you ask any player, they prefer to play on natural grass. I think what they've tried to do at MetLife Stadium is improve the turf, but players are still getting injured, and we saw some injuries last year, including the Rogers injury, on that new turf. So people are wondering, hey, you know, what's up with this new turf?
I think it's an ongoing process. And the interesting thing is with soccer games coming to MetLife Stadium where they have natural grass, you have to wonder if there's a way to do that. But given that we're in the northeast and all that, it's just two teams play on there, and there's a team playing every weekend for the most part, and sometimes back to back days, it's going to be really tough to switch it to grass. But I think that'll be the debate until we see some of these injuries dissipate. In terms of the numbers, I think you're going to have people just kind of point out what that turf is doing to some of the players and some of the times that some of these are injuries. You know, like when you were a kid playing on grass and stuff, you know, you get dirty and stuff. Now you just get those rubber pebbles, you know, all over the place. You see these guys, it's just, it's different. So you'd like to see some sort of resolution at some point. But, yeah, it's, it's, it's too bad that, you know, that that's kind of how they have to play it right now.
[01:01:08] Speaker B: Well, we're taping this interview on Friday, August 30, just 684, the start of the season. The big news out of the, coming out of the jets training camp was a player who was not, did not report the camp, former eagle who was traded to the Jets, Hassan Reddick. What is the situation there? He wants a new contract for the edge rusher. A great edge rusher. He was a couple good seasons with the Eagles. What is the status and how important is it to get him signed and get him playing? I mean, obviously he's going to be behind the eight ball without any training camp.
[01:01:43] Speaker C: Right. And I think what they did in the offseason, knowing that he was coming to the jets, they traded John Franklin Myers and they allowed Bryce Huff to walk in free agency. Bryce Huff now with the Eagles and Franklin Myers with the Broncos. They figured Redick would come in and replace the production of those guys because he's done it the last four years. He's had double digit sacks in each of the last four years. So I think what they're missing with him is that production, that threat of a bona fide pass rusher who can get to the quarterback on any play. The defensive line is still strong. It might not be as strong as it's been the past couple of years because of some of those guys that they lost, but they figured that, hey, you know, we're going to have that interior with Quentin Williams and Solomon Thomas and some of the other guys that they have, they brought in lucky photo from the 49 ers. They have some interior guys, but now they have a guy who can come off the edge and team with Jermaine Johnson on the other side. So that's what they're missing. So they've been trying to have Michael Clemens work there. Their first rounder from two years ago, Will McDonald. They've been trying to, to work in there. So, you know, there's a, there's some guys that they're trying to, to kind of offset that. Now, that said, we don't know exactly what Hasan Reddick wants because there's been kind of radio silence on that end. We know how things kind of went down where there, there seems to have been some sort of miscommunication along the way. The jets made that trade in late March, March thinking that, okay, we're going to get something done down the line. And they said, Joe Douglas, when we spoke to him, said they were very clear in their communications. Well, something broke down during that time between the agreement to the trade and the time that Reddit came in to the facility on April 1 to meet everybody and to talk to the media.
And the couple of months since, you know, it's just been like, what happened? And that's the big mystery here, because if you make that deal, there's got to be an understanding that they'll be able to come to some agreement as far as a contract and he would be here. So the fact that he hasn't been here, it's just, it's amazing because it's kind of cast a negative light on what really is otherwise a very positive, optimistic outlook for the jets.
[01:04:27] Speaker B: Even if he does sign before the jets place in San Francisco on Monday night, will he play? I mean, is it going to take a couple of weeks to get him in game shape before he sees action?
[01:04:38] Speaker C: Well, earlier in the week, Robert Salas said he still got plenty of time while those days are dwindling and, you know, with each day that he's not there. But Salah said, you know, he's a guy who knows how to keep himself in shape. He knows what he's got to, to do to make sure he's ready for week one. And I'm sure some of that is spin because you don't want to say, well, the guy's not here and he's not going to play in week one. You want the guy to get there so you're not going to rule him out at week one. I'm sure it'll come down to how does he look in when he finally reports, if he reports and can he get out there for ten snaps? 1520 I'm sure he's going to have to work himself in no matter what because you heard all these guys talk all the time about how they're in shape, but they need to get in football shape. But this is a guy who's, whose basic game is coming off the edge and just getting after the quarterback. So I think Salah kind of downplays that aspect of him needing to get several weeks of practice in to get in there. So I think there's a chance still. But with each day that chance dwindles. And I mean, if he's not there by the time week one goes, I mean, we could see a really lengthy holdout here. I mean, it's already lengthy and I just, I don't know what the resolution will be.
[01:06:06] Speaker B: Well, the jets finished seven and ten last year. Should have been six and eleven. Have the Eagles not choked against them.
But it's been 13 years since the suggest a bit in the playoffs. I mean, how much pressure is on Robert Sala? How much pressure is on Joe Douglas to get this team in the playoffs?
[01:06:25] Speaker C: Yeah, they both know that the Heat's on because that, that number, that 13 year drought is very much in people's minds. They know that. And when you look at the talent on this roster, it's probably the most talented roster since 13 years ago when the jets last made the playoffs. I mean, up and down the roster, and that's even without Reddick being there. You just look at a revamped offensive line, you look at a healthy Rogers, Garrett Wilson now healthy. Mike Williams combining to give them two really good wide receivers.
And then the defense is always strong up front. And then the linebackers with CJ Moseley and Quincy Williams solid. And the secondary is arguably the best in the league with sauce Gardner and DJ Reed and Michael Carter II as the nickelback. And the safeties are excellent also in Chuck Clark and Tony Adam. So you look at all that and you say, okay, this team should be really good. Oh, and then the special teams, they've got a sure thing kicker, and Greg Zurline and Thomas Morstead is a veteran punter who's still producing. So up and down this roster, you say, okay, this team should do something. This team should not only get into the playoffs, but make a run, especially if Rogers remains healthy. So if they don't do that, I think the first fingers that will be pointed at will be Robert Sala and Joe Douglas, and we'll see. I think there's no playoff mandate, but I think it's an unsaid thing that they need to make some noise this year.
[01:08:07] Speaker B: Is the AFC east wide open this year?
[01:08:09] Speaker C: Yes, 100%.
And I did the AFC preview for this year like I've done the past several years, and this was the toughest one because, you know, all those years the Patriots ruled, and then the past four years the Buffalo Bills have been there, and then some teams have kind of tried to make moves. I mean, even the Patriots up until a couple of years ago were, you know, in contention. And the jets had questions even last year, going in, thought, okay, maybe they have a shot, and then Miami has been better over the last few years, but this year it's wide open. And I think that's because Buffalo lost so much around Josh Allen. His wide receiver core is not the same. He's got some weapons still on that offense, James Cook of running back and, but I mean, and Dalton Kincaid, the tight end, but they, they don't have the same vibe. And the Miami Dolphins lost a lot of defensive players.
Do you believe in Tua? They apparently do, because they gave him a contract extension. The Patriots are in a rebuild now with, with Mayo as the head coach. And, you know, Jacoby Brissette is going to be the starting quarterback over Drake May, so they're still kind of easy, the future franchise quarterback. So I mean, that when you look at all of that and then you, again, you go back to the jets roster, you think, well, these guys have as good a shot as anybody. This might be the time that the jets get there. And I think it's hard to underestimate what Aaron Rodgers wants to do. He is driven right now. And I think that's the thing. There are still plenty of question marks with this team, but there are so many question marks with the other teams, too, that I think anybody of those three, Buffalo, the jets of Miami. But I think the jets have the best chance at this point to win that division.
[01:10:08] Speaker B: What's your order finish in the east?
[01:10:11] Speaker C: I think it's going to be the jets, the Dolphins and the bills and then the Patriots. I think the bills take a step back, but I think it'll be a highly competitive division. I don't think it's a sure thing for anyone. Anybody, even the Patriots, you know, I mean, who knows how they play under, under a new coach, you know, with young, fresh talent. But I just think the other three teams are, you know, above them, and I. So I think that's what's going to happen. You know, I got some, some people razzing me about picking the jets. I've never picked them. This is the first time I've ever picked them to win the division. So I think that's, that's how you know that this is possible. I mean, it really is. And I, I do think that there is that optimism, there's cautious optimism going in because people remember what happened last year around this time, so they don't want to get too crazy yet, but they know there's a real chance that this team can make some noise.
[01:11:11] Speaker B: I know you haven't seen the Patriots yet, but how weird was it going to be when they come to MetLife Stadium and Bill Belichick is not roaming the sidelines?
[01:11:17] Speaker C: Lines, yeah, for sure. And I think it was even kind of like that without Brady there the last couple of years, you know, you just always expected, okay, Belichick on the sideline and Brady jogging out onto the field, running down the sideline before the game. And, you know, there's, there was just this, I mean, there was an aura, you know, there's a guy who's, who's, who's won everything and on the sideline and, you know, in the Hud and now, you know, those guys are gone. So it really is a different, different time. It definitely will be strange.
It's kind of, it's a cool opportunity for Mayo, though, and what a tough spot.
[01:11:56] Speaker F: Right, Ken?
[01:11:57] Speaker C: I mean, here's a guy who played for Belichick, and now he's taken over for, you know, arguably the, like, the greatest coach in league history. So, I mean, winning is for sure, but, you know, it's like, it's. That's, that's going to be strange, for sure.
[01:12:12] Speaker B: Yeah. Of course, you're a big music finish aficionado, and I got followers, you know, post during the summer. What was your favorite concert?
[01:12:21] Speaker C: Oh, man, that's a tough one because I had a really good summer of concerts. I, I saw Foo Fighters, but I was at the show at Citi Field that got rained out halfway through, so that was a bummer. But they were tremendous.
I saw Chevelle in a small venue, imagine dragons with my wife. They're always terrific. They're fun. Bush, Jerry Cantrell. You know what my favorite one was? Creed. That's a band that I loved back in the late nineties and early two thousands. They haven't been together for years. They got a lot of criticism for being like, kind of that, like that band, sort of like nickelback that people made fun of.
[01:13:03] Speaker B: Good.
[01:13:03] Speaker C: They were successful, but they had these radio hits. But it was a great show. It's. There are very few shows I've been to where the crowd sings every song from start to finish, and that was one of them. And it was fun. What a great time. So I would say for this summer, it was Creed last year, it was definitely the two Metallica shows that I was at, so. But, yeah, as you know, I love music.
It helps you get away from the craziness, and it kind of like, got my mind off of what could go on this year, the wildness that this season could bring.
[01:13:38] Speaker B: Well, dazzles always appreciate a few minutes and we'll be following your coverage on the Associated Press and we'll check back with you some time during the season and see how things are going.
[01:13:48] Speaker C: Sounds good, Ken. Thanks as always.
[01:13:50] Speaker B: Thank you. As wise Junior, we'll continue our NFL preview. We're going to talk Buffalo Bills with John Warrow of the Associated Press. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
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[01:15:03] Speaker A: Parting Shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott. Hold on loosely, Ken.
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[01:15:13] Speaker B: Welcome back to the 400th episode of the Parting Shots podcast. And now we're going to move across New York state to western New York state and Buffalo, where the bills, why do you wonder if their window of opportunity to get to the Super bowl is closed? And we're going to ask our friend we haven't had on in a long time, John Warrow, who's a Mister Buffalo sports up there for the Associated Press. John, welcome back to the podcast. And I bring it back on an episode that celebrates 400.
[01:15:38] Speaker D: Well, it's about as old as I am, so, I mean, I think that kind of wraps things up very well because, well, what is it? 25 years in Buffalo is about 400 years. So, yeah, there you go.
[01:15:49] Speaker B: And a few years in Lake Placid when we hung out together for a couple years. Of course, you remember my memorable heart, episode 22,002. But we all talk about you.
[01:16:00] Speaker D: No, it's been that long.
[01:16:03] Speaker B: Yeah, 22 years now.
[01:16:05] Speaker D: Well, as long as he were both still kicking. So that's a good thing.
[01:16:08] Speaker B: Yeah. So, well, as I said, in the open, John, is the window of opportunity for the bills closing on the Super bowl? Because, I mean, you know, it seems like a team that's missed their chances to get there.
[01:16:21] Speaker D: Well, I mean, closing but not shutting.
I mean, this is a reset year in many ways and an important week set year because the team was getting older in the tooth, the salary cap was becoming unmanageable and the decision to part ways with, well, shoot, I mean, they parted way with ways was six of eight captains got rid of a lot of salary cap or payroll, which is going to hurt them in the short term this year, but help them in the long term. So this is a rollover. I mean, it's what all teams do that have a quarterback. And so, you know, I mean, we're seeing the second iteration of the bills under Josh Allen emerge this year, which means they will realistically take a step back. But this doesn't mean the Super bowl window closes or door closes on them entirely, because if they make the right picks, develop the right players, and start rebuilding through free agents in the near future, the way they did in 2020, in 2019, then the window reopens very quickly. So it's a reset, not a rebuild. And I truly see that it's, I'm not selling what the, what the bills are selling. This is, this is the way I see it. And, you know, 20 262-027-2025 are going to be better years because of this.
[01:18:04] Speaker B: Well, Josh Allen's ending, the quarterbacks entering is the prime of his career at 28 years old.
But the question is, who is he going to throw the ball to? No, Stefan DiGgS he traded to Houstone and Gabe Davis left in the free agency.
[01:18:18] Speaker D: Well, those are two big losses and two guys he was very comfortable with. He's only got one receiver player at the receiver position who has ever cut a pass from him, and that's Khalil Shakir. And I think he's going to be. Shakir is going to be, he's entering his third year and he's going to be a security blanket for Josh because they already have some very good rapport. Let's not forget that some guys who have caught passes from him, such as tight end Dalton Kincaid, he's coming off a very, I mean, I'm not sure if you want to call it prolific, but prolific for Buffalo Bills tight ends year in which he caught 73 passes, I believe it was for, he was a second leading receiver on the team. Then there's Dalvin Cook out of the backfield who has also caught passes and really showed promise when he got more chances to show, to carry the ball and catch the ball at the end of last year. Yes, it's going to be mental, impossible or not realistic for them to replace the type of production that Stefan Diggs had and Gabe Davis to a degree. But the cupboard is not entirely bare. And I think Curtis Samuel, who they brought in and signed to a three year contract, one of the few free agents they brought in to sign to a long term deal.
He showed he enjoyed his best season under Joe Brady, who back in Carolina who is now the Bills offensive coordinator. So the two are very familiar with each other.
Are we going to see the past happy offense that the Bills used to have maybe two, two and three years ago? Probably not. I think you're going to see more of a balance attack, but let me remind you that balance attack actually worked last year. They went five and five with Stefan Diggs mostly carrying the load and then made the playoffs by winning. I can't do the math. They only lost one of their last seven games, so they went six and one down the stretch with Stephan Diggs production actually dropping. So I think that's encouraging. I think the big, the bigger question mark is defense and the turnover there.
[01:20:32] Speaker B: I should have mentioned at the top of this segment here that you have the tough task of following Dennis Wasack, Junior, who covers the jets for the AP. How tough is that?
[01:20:41] Speaker D: Well, what are you doing wasting your time with me? I mean, Dennis is my borrower in every way of the word. So, I mean, I'm glad I'm the setup guy. I'm the opening act. So there we go.
[01:20:55] Speaker B: Well, let's get back to Stefan Diggs. Did he wear out? Did he wear out his welcome?
[01:20:59] Speaker D: Yes, yes, yes, yes.
[01:21:01] Speaker B: That's the second time. It's the second time he's worn out his welcome. He wore out his welcome. Minnesota ends up in Buffalo. Now he gets traded to Houston.
[01:21:07] Speaker D: Well, this. It was different in Minnesota, I think, in the sense that he wanted to be the man in Minnesota where he never was going to be the man.
You know, I mean, talking about Cook connections, I mean, he had a. Oh, I'm sorry. I said James Cook, where he had Dalvin Cook in Minnesota and James Cook is in Buffalo. So my bad on that. So correct. Get your, all your technicians to unfudge that. I know you've got a big staff. Yeah, but Dalvin Cook. So, so, but, but I think it was different where he wanted to be the. He wanted to be the man in Minnesota and realized that he was never going to be that person in the flow. He became the man, and then I think he became too much of a man.
And friction, you know, friction entailed. He was competitive, as always, but he started to waver away from what the team culture is and he started to become or think of himself or react or respond to being bigger than a team and helped brothers.
Trayvon, I'm sorry, the cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys started posting messages on social media that Stefan wants out and Stefan would never. Well, I mean, he acknowledged them and said, I want to be a bill forever. But it, it was just, as my colleague Tim Graham put it, it was a death by a thousand cuts. One thing led to another and it just started piling on and piling on and it become more of a Stefan Diggs thing where he was really, I mean, taking the limelight as opposed to being the guy that he was when he first got here, when him and when he and Josh Allen were on the COVID of Si kids as their best friend on the COVID of their best friends issue, and it stopped being that way and you can sense it.
[01:23:16] Speaker B: Last year, injuries are playing a big role in the defense. Matt Milano is out indefinitely after turning his left bicep. A secondary disbanded in a series of moves. What's, what's the defense going to look like?
[01:23:29] Speaker D: That's, that is the ultimate question, how quickly this defense can gel and how quickly this defensive secondary can come together, which is a really, in many ways a patchwork unit and facing a tough task of replacing a secondary that for the most part, I mean, sir, Davis White was injured for the past two seasons, but for the most part had been together for seven years and that includes the safety tandem of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. And those two really were the true backbone of the back end of the defense where they had been together. They knew each other. They knew exactly what each was going to do almost instinctively in which they could keep, keep offenses guessing and play roles in both rushing the passer, defending against the run and being the back end safety support in the past game. So you can't replicate that kind of experience and ask, say, Taylor Rapp, who's been in the system for a year now, and Demar Hamlin, who is likely going to be starting the season, who's had some starting experience and memorably he started 13 games before the near death experience. He knows the defense, but how, but for those two to gather together, that kind of chemistry is going to be difficult. Mike Edwards, they brought in from Kansas City, was supposed to be the starter to start the season but missed most of camp and the pre and the spring practices with a series of injuries.
Even then pairing him with Taylor Rapp, I'm not sure how quickly those two guys can get a rapport together. So I think that is the biggest question mark.
[01:25:15] Speaker B: Where do, how do you see the record?
[01:25:20] Speaker D: I had them at ten and I went back to nine after Matt Milano got hurt. So with Josh Allen, you have, it's difficult to envision a Josh Allen team lose, you know, not winning seven games.
So I, and then you kind of give them, give them two because I think this team's going to be better at the end of the season than it is at the start. So I've got them in nine, which puts them into the playoff picture. Whether they make it now, that depends on a lot of things, but it's going to be a step back. But I think it's, it's a positive step back if you want to put it that way because bodes better for the future so long as the Bills make the right draft picks and bring in the right people to rebuild and reestablish themselves. Let's remember, too, the team that Brandon Bean and Sean McDermott put together in 2020 was unable to get past Kansas City. So something had to change. And maybe this is how you reload it.
[01:26:18] Speaker B: Yeah. How's construction on the new stadium coming along?
[01:26:21] Speaker D: Well, I see it. Yeah. Growing. Growing before my eyes as I. As I drive down to one bills drive, and everything seems to be on schedule, and that place should be open by 2026. And from all accounts, I mean, the ticket prices and licensing prices are pretty steep, but from all accounts, they seem to be selling it, you know, the things that seem to be selling smoothly. Pardon my phone there.
I should have put mine on do not disturb. Or maybe that's the bills calling me saying they're spying on us. Yes. Everything seems to be going well, I think, as far as I. So it's on schedule and on track to open in 2026. And I think that bodes well because that's when the bills are supposed to be competitive again. So let's see.
[01:27:12] Speaker B: Yeah, of course, you cover the NHL for the association associate president as well as the PWHL. We woke up to the tragic news of the last Friday about the Goudreau brothers killed by an alleged drunk driver in south Jersey the day before their sister was supposed to get married. And just. I saw Johnny play at Boston College. He played against Union a couple times in the NCAA tournament.
How devastating is this for the Goudreau family and for hockey overall?
[01:27:45] Speaker D: You know, I mean, just take away sports, just the sports aspect of it, and just to. It's so, I mean, how can you imagine, you know, two brothers at that age, cycling, and being there for a huge family moment to celebrate their younger sister and to have that happen is just, you know, you just. It's unimaginable. And you, you can only.
Wow, it's, you know, there's no words, really, that come to mind that you can really put towards what that family is experiencing still right now and will experience forever over how this translated. I don't know what good can come of this. There is no good, I don't know that can come of this, except for you, you know, just hoping and knowing that you should really need to cherish those close to you because they could be gone in an instant. And for it to happen this way, you know, from a hockey perspective. Yes. It's like, okay, Columbus, it's. It's yet another untimely. Like, we're all untimely, but another tragedy that happens, you know, for a team that's already gone through one with their goalie a couple of years back. And, um, I, I just. I don't know what to say. It's just, it's just sad. It's just absolutely sad. I think anybody who isn't even a sports fan can, can, can just conjure up just what, what, you know, just how frightening and how tragic such a thing can be.
Yeah, that's, that's really. My, my heart goes out to anybody involved, I mean, the Goodrell family and just to anybody who ever, you know, anybody who's attending the wedding and just. I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry. Just sad.
[01:29:39] Speaker B: Yeah. Just for me, being a Flyers fan, it just brought up some painful memories of what happened to Pelly Lindbergh in 1984. Of course, Pelly, unfortunately, was the driver who was drunk at that time. And.
But just, I just, it just, I don't. It just is really tough. I saw Johnny plague, I said twice against union when he was at Boston College, and he was a good player, great player. He won the Hobie Baker award in 2014.
But it's very, very sad day in hockey and it's really. My heart goes out to the Goodrow family.
[01:30:12] Speaker D: I'm right there with you, Ken.
[01:30:14] Speaker B: Well, John, I appreciate, of course, you're going to cover the Savers here again. You got Lindy Ruff back there and a former RPI head coach and Seth Eppert I'm going to deal with, so.
[01:30:23] Speaker D: Correct. Well, and if right now, as it stands, Lindy Ruff has got a very heavy lift to carry this team over the line after, you know, to end a 13 year playoff drought that is really embarrassing for the franchise and the fact that they've got a dip back to the coach who last got them to the playoffs, but at a senior age in hopes he can provide the spark and the culture and establish something this quickly, you know, really, you know, what? If this doesn't work and if it doesn't work, this franchise flails further because they just don't have any answers right now. And after pay, you know, you wonder about the fan base that's patiently waited for the one rebuild and the Eiko rebuild and tanking and all this other stuff.
This is a fan base that's been, doesn't deserve this kind of management. I guess it's just, it's just wrong. It shouldn't happen to any team. But, you know, for a fan base as proud as the Sabres and the history that they have here in Buffalo. It's an embarrassment.
[01:31:35] Speaker B: Do you think they're having Lindy train Seth ever to be the head coach down the road?
[01:31:40] Speaker D: Well, that's. I mean, that's the belief. But what if Lindy doesn't make. I mean, here's what happens. I mean, if the Sabres really struggle this year and Lindy can't get to get them to the playoffs, it's more than likely that there's going to be a new GM. So it's going to have to fall on that person to decide what happens with the next coach.
I mean, Seth Apert has a track record and done well with the Amaroks, but at what point does a new GM come in and say, as they did in Toronto, say we want an established coach with NHL experience, or as they did in Columbus, for that matter? And then you wonder what happens to Seth. So I wouldn't be buying a house if I was Seth apart, I wouldn't be buying a house in Buffalo just yet.
[01:32:29] Speaker B: Well, John, as always, appreciate a few minutes and have fun covering the bills this season and we'll talk down the road.
[01:32:35] Speaker D: Well, happy 400th. And I can't wait to be on your 800th show.
[01:32:39] Speaker B: Now what about the 500th?
[01:32:41] Speaker D: Well, 500th, sure.
[01:32:43] Speaker B: But I mean, if I bet 800, I mean, I'm still here too long the paper.
So. Anyway, John, appreciate a few minutes. Thanks again.
[01:32:54] Speaker D: Thank you. And say hi to Dennis for me.
[01:32:55] Speaker B: I will do that. That's John Warrow. The Associate Press will be back to wrap up the podcast and have the latest winner in a daily auto racing contest in just a moment.
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[01:34:24] Speaker B: Shot back to wrap up the podcast. The week 26 winner in the Daily Gazettes auto racing contest was Zoe Coleman of Greenfield with 30 points. Zoe wins a $50 gift card. Congratulations, Zoe. The vip winner was Dwayne Leach of all seasons equipment with ten points. I'll announce the auto racing contest winner's name, and that winner's name will appear in Saturday's daily Gazette. To play, go to dailyGazette.com and click on the auto racing contest banner. The Gazettes you pick a football contest is back. Pick the winners of the weekly pro football games and have a chance to win a $100 Hannaford gift card. To play, go to dailygazetteprofootball. Dot up.net dot just because Covid-19 mandates are easing, that does not mean you should relax. Be vigilant. If you have not gotten vaccinated or received a booster shot, please do so. Do it for yourself, it for your family, and do it for your friends. That wraps up another edition of the parting Shots podcast. I want to thank Mike McGadam, Adam Schinder, Mike Piccarrow, Dennis Waszac Junior and John Worow for coming on the 400th show.
If you have questions or comments about the podcast, email them to me at shot. That's sch o t tailygazette.com. follow me on x and threads at slap shot.
The views expressed on the parting shots podcast are not necessarily those of the Daily Gazette Company. The Parting Shots podcast is a production of the Daily Gazette Company. I'm Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you next time from the parting shots podcast studio in Schenectady, New York. Good day. Good sports.
