- 1 year ago
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00:00Beatle and Zoe obviously with Tim McGone right in the middle of his headlines.
00:03They're giving you the blow-by-blow of a fight down at Patriots Commanders joint practice.
00:09And it was the second of the day apparently.
00:12And I'd just like to start here because it's a jumping off point for something I've begun to feel stronger and stronger about over the years.
00:18And Alex Barth is in our update studio. Big Jim Murray's in for Mass. Hi, hi, hi.
00:23It's time to cancel these things, Barthie.
00:25It's time for the league to step in and get rid of them.
00:28And I've got several reasons.
00:30But the jumping off point, when I heard Beatle and Zoe and McGone going on about the fight,
00:35the first thing is there's a bunch of fights in these things.
00:40And, you know, we were just talking about it.
00:42We were looking at all the other joint practices around the league.
00:44Everyone has some sort of fight where they have to stop the practice, start over, send teams on laps.
00:52Rabel's getting in there today. Hardo move.
00:55I mean, just an hour ago, Ravens, Colts, joint practices, punches thrown.
00:59And players getting ejected. Like, it just happened.
01:01Players getting ejected.
01:03From what I understand, a lot of joint practices around the league now are one day instead of two.
01:08Because day two had become such a disaster that they couldn't get any practice in.
01:14Because all they were doing was fighting.
01:16And you're saying, was it last year they canceled the second of two for two teams?
01:19Not here. I want to say it was like the Giants and the Bucks or something that there was a really bad fight on the first day.
01:25And so they didn't end up practicing the second day.
01:27There was also that one here two years ago with Carolina where they got the second day in, but they had to end it early.
01:34And that was the one where, like, it spilled over into the stands.
01:36Okay.
01:37Do you remember that?
01:37I thought there was one with the Packers maybe.
01:39But no, it was Carolina where they had to.
01:41So just take a look.
01:46These joint practices are getting stopped because of fights, cut short because of fights.
01:51Players are getting kicked out because of fights.
01:53They're canceling day two because of fights.
01:55They're not even scheduling day two because of fights.
01:58Okay?
01:58Stupid.
02:00Meanwhile, you out there are paying season ticket prices to watch a game where no one's going to play tomorrow night, Friday night, whatever.
02:09You're paying through the nose for some effing streaming service that's going to cover the game where no one's going to play.
02:16Apparently, although we don't know, but allegedly all the good work gets in done during these joints.
02:24I don't know that.
02:26How much really good work is getting done when they're fighting half the time and they're having to cancel the thing?
02:29This is all a long way of saying the preseason has always been one of the worst consumer gouges, consumer frauds.
02:40I don't know how to say it.
02:42In all the sports, it's just getting worse because now these teams are scheduling the joint practices the day or two before the game.
02:50They get in all the real work on Wednesday or Thursday, and then by the time we get to Friday, no one's playing.
02:58So what was always a horrible product for you is now even worse.
03:02And are they really getting in all that valuable work when all they're doing is fighting?
03:08So, like, I've had it up to here with the joint practices, and oh, by the way, we don't get to see it.
03:14If you want to go down there, take a day off of work, you can, but you don't get to watch it on TV.
03:21You don't get to consume it.
03:22You just get to hear of all the valuable work that they got in.
03:27I'm sick of the valuable work when all they seem to be doing is fighting.
03:30So I'm not joking.
03:33The league, I think, should step in and kill these things.
03:35And to get your preseason work in, I'd like to see them salvage the preseason in some way
03:42because the preseason used to have a little bit of meaning.
03:46It did, Barthi.
03:49When I covered the team, they did some joint practices, but not like it is today.
03:54And the starters would ramp up.
03:57They'd play a series or two in game one.
04:00They'd play a quarter in game two.
04:01By game three, they'd play into the third quarter.
04:03The dress rehearsal.
04:04And they'd have starters versus starters, and you could actually, they got their work in.
04:10You got to look at it.
04:11They got their work in.
04:12The fans got to consume something.
04:15We get to used to watch Brady in August and the starters in August going against other starters,
04:22and you could get your work in, and we all could enjoy it together.
04:26And it didn't devolve into these stupid fights every time.
04:30I mean, but the fight was like 30 seconds.
04:31How long did they work out for?
04:3290 minutes?
04:33Two hours?
04:34So, the fights can take over practices.
04:36This one did not.
04:37There was a scrap.
04:38They separated it quickly.
04:39A couple plays later, another scrap separated it quickly.
04:42It didn't really slow down practice.
04:45But, Mike, to your point, there's a lot of them.
04:48They do.
04:48It does happen.
04:49A lot of these joint practices get completely derailed by fights.
04:54Go ahead.
04:54This one did not today.
04:57There's going to be an 18th game added to the schedule at some point.
05:00It's in the CBA that's coming.
05:02So, that means another preseason game is going to go.
05:05Now, you're going to be down to two.
05:06These teams are going to be looking for even more reason, and the players like them, because they don't have to play in the real game.
05:11They can play where there's not as much risk of injury.
05:14It's a more controlled environment and not risk getting hurt in a meaningless game.
05:17So, I think one less preseason game where the coaches are now going to want the players to play more, the players are going to push even harder for, no, we want these joint practices.
05:25F these joint practices.
05:26F them.
05:27F them.
05:27So, but if you put cameras on them, you got to view them.
05:31Would you be happy?
05:32Okay.
05:33Like, it's a good take for people to go down there.
05:34I've said for a while that should be a thing.
05:36What's that?
05:36They should broadcast the joint practices.
05:38That would be interesting.
05:39Here's my proposal when I'm commissioner of sports.
05:42I'll figure this out in five minutes.
05:44And that is the preseason game.
05:47Give them some leeway to reset a situation and play it again if they want.
05:52Okay?
05:53Because fans, you know, I've been to a million joint practices.
05:56Oh, for Pete's sake.
05:57When I was 12 years old, we'd be going to drive to Green Bay and watch them.
06:00Like, they're not as fun.
06:02I know it's starter versus starter.
06:04But there is just something about having a clock and a scoreboard and something approaching a structured game.
06:11And so, modify it.
06:14Just modify it.
06:14Like, they do this in spring training in baseball.
06:17It's like they collect the third out, but one of the managers says, can we go one more?
06:21You know, and they'll play an extra out.
06:23Or they'll play an extra inning.
06:25Or just give these coaches some leeway.
06:28It's a third and eight, and Drake may get sacked.
06:32Let the coach say, you know what?
06:33Hey, you know, look across the field.
06:35Can we just roll that back and do it again?
06:37Like, and I'm just workshopping this.
06:40But give them some leeway in those preseason games to approximate some of the stuff they're doing in these joint practices where they get in so much work that all they do is fight.
06:50I'm just sick of the joint practices.
06:52Sorry.
06:52That's it.
06:53That's my opening take.
06:54I can tell.
06:55I mean, I think if they put it on camera and they put it on YouTube and they just, you know, painted or put ads all over the thing, like, you might enjoy it more.
07:01I know.
07:01Because you know what you see?
07:02It's a good take for people that get to go.
07:04It's free.
07:04It's a big, crowded field with guys all over the place.
07:09And the offense over here and the defense over here.
07:11And you're not exactly sure who's on the field or what's the down and distance.
07:15And is there a score?
07:16Like, it's a big jumble.
07:17It's a big cluster F.
07:19That's what we got Barth for and everyone else covering the team.
07:21F them.
07:21F these joint practices.
07:22They should get rid of them.
07:23It was packed down there today.
07:25It was overkill on the ramps.
07:26People saw it.
07:27Right.
07:288,000 people.
07:29The rest of us?
07:30The other 2 million of us?
07:33What?
07:33What do we get to see?
07:35So we got Barth for and Bedard and everyone else covering the team.
07:37We get to see Harry Buttafuoco, you know, play on Friday night in the real uniform.
07:44It just makes the preseason even more of a joke.
07:48And I do question all the good work they're getting in.
07:51All they're doing is fighting.
07:52I'll stop now.
07:53How'd they look, Barthie?
07:54They look good.
07:55Good.
07:55They look good.
07:56Bounce back day.
07:56They should look good.
07:57Go ahead.
07:58Yeah, this was...
08:00I said it when I was on with you the other day.
08:01I know you guys have been playing that drop about they look suckier as things get real.
08:06Yeah.
08:06This was as real as it got.
08:07And I kind of went in thinking, all right...
08:08It's not as real as it got, but go ahead.
08:11Today was as real as it's been in camp.
08:13And they look good.
08:15I mostly watched the offense.
08:17Matt D'Auliffe was watching the defense because I figured we'd do mostly offense today.
08:20No, you get the important stuff.
08:21Go ahead.
08:22May was in command.
08:23May was in control.
08:24He had the interception late.
08:25But before that, he was in a rhythm.
08:28Talk to people as if they don't know about the interception.
08:30They don't know anything.
08:30Just explain.
08:31Tell me what happened.
08:32So early on, he was in a rhythm.
08:34He was in control.
08:35I thought he did a good job of pushing the ball down the field.
08:37He was not eager for the checkdowns without making dumb decisions.
08:40He was making the right decisions, but he was testing the secondary.
08:43The ball didn't hit the ground.
08:44I thought his pocket movement was good.
08:46The offensive line wasn't great today.
08:48And he worked around that.
08:49He also had some drops that he worked around.
08:52Late in practice, he tried to test one of those windows.
08:54Bobby Wagner made a really good play to get in the window.
08:56Got his hand on the ball.
08:57Tipped it up.
08:58And a safety came down with it.
08:59So that was really the one knock.
09:01But before that, the offense was clearly ahead of the Washington defense.
09:07And the Washington defense had the majority of its starters.
09:11Their offense was just a couple guys.
09:13Their top corners out there, Lattimore, guys like that.
09:15Yeah, yeah.
09:15So he got Lattimore twice for touchdowns, I think.
09:19Lattimore was also in one of the fights.
09:20But he got Lattimore twice for fights.
09:22The pass rush wasn't doing much for Washington.
09:25They were the better unit.
09:27You could tell from start to finish.
09:29Again, there was the interception late.
09:30But even with that, the Patriots offense was the better unit of the two on the field.
09:34But you did say the offensive line had struggles.
09:36May was able to play within that.
09:37Yeah.
09:38Where did the offensive line's struggles start?
09:40Was it on the left side of it?
09:42It was on the right side.
09:43Right side.
09:44It was on the right side.
09:45And they didn't have Morgan Moses today.
09:46So he didn't practice, which I'm not saying that's not – it's a concern in and of itself,
09:51right?
09:51But this is something I've been talking about with you guys and I've been hammering.
09:54But regardless of what you think of Campbell and whether or not he's going to work, even
09:58if he's good and he gets hurt, like you need depth in the NFL, their backup tackle
10:03are day to rough day.
10:05Marcus Bryant got – Marcus Bryant, Demontre Jacobs split the reps for Morgan Moses, the
10:10right tackle.
10:11They both got beat a handful of times.
10:13Again, they weren't all sacks.
10:14May was moving in the pocket or getting the ball out quickly.
10:16But it felt like he had to reset quite a bit or maybe throw the ball a little sooner
10:20than he wanted to.
10:21Yeah, most of it was coming on that right side.
10:24Campbell, there was one play where he got beat and recovered, but May sort of stepped into
10:30the recovery.
10:31So you want to call that a sack on him.
10:33You want to call it May moving into the wrong spot, whatever.
10:35Besides that, it was all on the right side.
10:37The guy that beat him, could he not reach him?
10:39I'm trying to remember what the move was that beat him.
10:41I think it was just like a power, just like bull rush.
10:44Why are you doing that thing right out of the chute there, Jim?
10:46I mean, I'm in Maz's chair.
10:48I mean, I thought that's what we were going to open with, so I'm not surprised.
10:51Okay.
10:52Well, so this is my second itch to scratch.
10:56So the offense looked good.
10:57The offense looked good.
10:58Yeah, the offense.
10:59This is probably the best they've looked all summer.
11:01The best they've looked all summer, all of this.
11:03Like, I'm already getting this.
11:04Robbie Buckets, our producer at night, is like, oh, you're going to have to be positive,
11:07Felger.
11:07They look good.
11:08And I can already feel it.
11:09Oh, how do you like them now?
11:11I guess they don't suck.
11:13Here's my answer to that.
11:14But what have I been saying for months, years?
11:19They shouldn't suck.
11:22They shouldn't suck.
11:23There's no excuse for them to suck.
11:25Good.
11:25They don't suck?
11:27Exactly.
11:29How could you possibly expect them to suck or be okay with them sucking?
11:35They've been, for two straight years, they've been picking at the top of the draft.
11:39They're sitting on a pile of money.
11:41They have a good quarterback, right?
11:43They just hired the right coach, right?
11:47So on what planet is it okay for them to suck?
11:51They shouldn't suck.
11:52They should be representative.
11:55They should be respectable.
11:56They should look like they belong on the same field as a team like the Commanders, who gets
12:03a ton of yank for going to the NFC title game, and they deserve it.
12:07But I still don't consider Washington an elite team.
12:10Do you?
12:12No, not yet.
12:13No.
12:13I don't.
12:13That's a playoff caliber team.
12:15They're a playoff caliber team, which is, that's a pretty big window there.
12:19But I don't put them with like the Buffaloes and Kansas Cities and Philadelphia.
12:21No, no, if they were an AFC team, they'd be the fourth or fifth team in the conference.
12:26Yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:26So people were comparing it today.
12:28I mean, you can't help but look back to the Philly practice last year, which was a disaster.
12:32Okay, so you're better.
12:34Good.
12:35You should be better.
12:36And I'm sorry, I'm not yelling at you, Barth.
12:37Maybe I am.
12:38It's fine.
12:38Maybe I am.
12:40Shouldn't they be better than what they were last year against Philadelphia in these joint
12:43practices?
12:43Yes, but it was a wide, wide gap.
12:46They should be.
12:48How could you?
12:49The people who say, well, how do you expect them to be better?
12:51How do I expect them to be better?
12:53Their quarterback's good, right?
12:55That's what people tell me.
12:56They've been picking at the top of the draft for two years, correct?
12:59Yes.
13:00They have a pile of money to spend, and they just hired a competent, established NFL coach.
13:06How do I not expect them to be respectable?
13:09I fully expect them to be respectable.
13:12So they showed respectability today.
13:15Good.
13:16That's right where they should be.
13:17I don't want to hear like, how do I like them now?
13:20This is what I expect from them.
13:22No.
13:24You expect less, Stu?
13:25You still do?
13:25I think people's expectations are tempered at best.
13:28I feel like we're getting breadcrumbed here.
13:30I feel like we're getting bare minimum as to what we've seen, and we're like, we, yippee,
13:35the Patriots are back.
13:3613 wins, playoffs, AFC championship game.
13:39That's how I feel like.
13:40The quarterback, top 10, top 5 in the league.
13:43The offensive line, there's no problems.
13:44The defense, top 10 defense, that's what I feel like is getting shoved down my throat,
13:48is that they're going to be in the playoffs.
13:50They're going to be a bully when they get to the playoffs.
13:52They're going to be a tough out.
13:53That's what I feel like I'm getting.
13:55And the reality is, as I view it, I'm getting basic stuff.
13:59They have a coach who's got a program.
14:02They have a quarterback who's a puppy with big paws.
14:03He might grow into it.
14:05But they still can't block their defense.
14:07Everybody tells me it's great, except their two cornerbacks are injured.
14:10So, I have questions, and I'm the a-hole for having questions.
14:14It's okay having questions.
14:15All I'm saying is, they look like they belong today, from everything that I'm hearing.
14:19But how would I know?
14:20Because, like, 99% of you, you have no idea, really, how they looked.
14:24Well, Mike, you could go down to camp.
14:26I could.
14:27I was golfing today.
14:28I should have gone to camp, frankly.
14:32After what I put on the...
14:34Anyway, you have no idea how they look.
14:37Listen, that's my first take about the joint practices.
14:39F these things.
14:40Get rid of these things.
14:41And make them do something more practical in the games that you are paying for, is what
14:48they should be doing.
14:48But the whole thing about they look good, good.
14:52Yeah.
14:52They should look good.
14:54You don't need to expect them to look great.
14:5713 wins is silly.
14:59But they should look good.
15:00There's no excuse for them not to look good and to be a better team this year.
15:04And if today is a sign that they're on the way to being a better team, that is what...
15:09That's the bare minimum.
15:11That's like...
15:11That should be the baseline expectation.
15:14They're better and they're respectable.
15:15If they're not, that's an utter joke.
15:18So today they weren't an utter joke.
15:20I'll take it.