Woody Paige, Tom Green, and Ron Zappolo are back breaking down the Broncos’ dominant win over the Cowboys — and what it says about Sean Payton’s offense finally finding balance. The guys look at Bo Nix’s poise, RJ Harvey’s breakout, and how Denver can survive without Pat Surtain II. They also dive into Shohei Ohtani’s historic performance and the shocking Chauncey Billups gambling scandal that rocked the NBA.
The guys are back on After the Horn breaking down one of the Broncos’ most complete performances of the season — a dominant win over the Cowboys that showcased Bo Nix’s growth, RJ Harvey’s breakout game, and a renewed commitment to the run. Woody Paige, Tom Green, and Ron Zappolo debate whether Denver has finally found its offensive identity and how the team can hold up without Pat Surtain II anchoring the secondary.
The conversation shifts to baseball as the trio marvels at Shohei Ohtani’s record-setting postseason performance, comparing his dominance to Nikola Jokic’s steady greatness and Babe Ruth’s legend. Then, they turn to the shocking NBA gambling scandal involving Chauncey Billups — a story that hits close to home in Denver — and discuss what it means for the future of sports integrity in an era where gambling is fully mainstream.
They close with two fan favorites, “It’s Your Move” and “Grinds My Gears.” The debates get heated as they pit Emmanuel Sanders against Vance Johnson, revisit Rick Upchurch’s brilliance, and crown Shannon Sharpe the ultimate trash talker. Finally, Woody and Tom take aim at Sean Payton’s postgame ego and the ever-present Marlins Man for stealing too much screen time.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:35:08
Tom Green
If you look good, you play good. The Broncos look really good on Sunday against the Cowboys. And they just really look good in those old uniforms. And a lot of baseball buzz talking about Shohei Ohtani. If he came to Colorado would he crack the starting lineup.
00:00:35:11 - 00:00:47:12
Ron Zappolo
Here we are, fellas. Defying the odds once again. We're back. I don't know if by popular demand, but we are back rounds with polo, Woody Paige, Tom green. What's on our minds today?
00:00:47:12 - 00:00:49:29
Woody Paige
Well, I know that I'm higher on the pool.
00:00:49:29 - 00:00:52:09
Woody Paige
The new two guys all around.
00:00:52:11 - 00:00:55:27
Woody Paige
And I'm not talking about the Marvel comic.
00:00:55:29 - 00:00:56:16
Woody Paige
Oh.
00:00:56:19 - 00:01:00:29
Woody Paige
I would take me. If you're at home and you're in a dead pool.
00:01:01:01 - 00:01:11:19
Tom Green
We have a lot of ground to cover today. We do? We were talking about Chauncey Billups and the gambling scandal, and we're going to get to that a little bit later. Who knows what happened to Deon Sanders and the Buffs in Salt Lake City?
00:01:11:21 - 00:01:12:28
Ron Zappolo
They got their ass kicked.
00:01:13:00 - 00:01:17:05
Tom Green
There's that. Shohei Ohtani.
00:01:17:07 - 00:01:19:26
Woody Paige
What kind of question was that?
00:01:19:29 - 00:01:21:02
Woody Paige
We don't know what happened.
00:01:21:09 - 00:01:26:01
Tom Green
Well, like, did you maybe bother to show up for the game? Would have been something I'd like to know a little bit.
00:01:26:01 - 00:01:27:06
Woody Paige
More about you. Good.
00:01:27:09 - 00:01:29:00
Tom Green
Well, to that level.
00:01:29:00 - 00:01:37:29
Ron Zappolo
That was, you know, not to get off on a tangent, but I watched Utah play BYU, and I saw that game, and it didn't come as a surprise that Utah.
00:01:38:02 - 00:01:40:09
Tom Green
But not a juggernaut type of it.
00:01:40:10 - 00:01:42:09
Ron Zappolo
But they're better than they're a lot better.
00:01:42:15 - 00:01:46:25
Tom Green
We'll get it. We'll get into that a little bit later. We're going to talk about Shohei Ohtani in the world, what happened.
00:01:46:25 - 00:01:47:21
Woody Paige
To CSU, and.
00:01:47:21 - 00:01:50:05
Woody Paige
While.
00:01:50:07 - 00:01:51:25
Ron Zappolo
We got to get to the Broncos here.
00:01:51:25 - 00:02:03:04
Tom Green
Yeah. Let's talk about the Broncos because that was an impressive show and one that the offense needed. And Bo Nix in particular needed. But boy it started funny. They took the ball and gave it right away.
00:02:03:05 - 00:02:04:07
Ron Zappolo
Yeah they did.
00:02:04:10 - 00:02:32:13
Woody Paige
I said to a close friend of mine just before the game started I said, they're going to score 40 today. Why is that? He said. And I said, if you look at the history of this series, they have dominated. The Cowboys won nine out of 13, I think, and I said they've scored 40 points five times. There's something about the Cowboys that when you get to a hole playing golf and you both do, you go, I feel comfortable in this hole.
00:02:32:15 - 00:02:33:02
Woody Paige
I think the.
00:02:33:03 - 00:02:33:16
Tom Green
It's my.
00:02:33:16 - 00:02:36:19
Woody Paige
Eyes and and conversely.
00:02:36:21 - 00:02:38:27
Ron Zappolo
Yeah the hole has me.
00:02:39:00 - 00:02:54:28
Tom Green
So but that's when you try to measure teams in the NFL these days. And everyone will measure the Broncos Jets a week to week league off of that game. But I think it's really hard to measure teams in the National Football League because one week you're playing Carolina and they don't show up, and another week you're playing a team that's really good.
00:02:54:28 - 00:02:57:12
Tom Green
So. So who are the Broncos? Oh, I don't know yet.
00:02:57:16 - 00:03:19:00
Ron Zappolo
I don't know yet either. And the thing that I came away with watching that game, Dallas beat anybody at home and they can't beat anybody on the road at that. And the other thing I think the Broncos really had a professional effort. Yeah, I mean, it was from start to finish what we wanted to see out of them.
00:03:19:00 - 00:03:20:22
Ron Zappolo
Would you agree?
00:03:20:24 - 00:03:30:20
Woody Paige
All I could think about is Sean Payton finally figured out, you don't throw 12 screens in the game.
00:03:30:23 - 00:03:31:15
Ron Zappolo
And you run the ball.
00:03:31:15 - 00:03:38:16
Woody Paige
Actually can run the football with Harvey. RJ Harvey had three touchdowns. I was like, yeah.
00:03:38:19 - 00:03:40:26
Tom Green
And Dobbins at 100.
00:03:41:02 - 00:03:45:19
Woody Paige
Is a 100 yard guy that like the old days, which is like, I see what you're.
00:03:45:19 - 00:03:50:07
Ron Zappolo
Saying. What do is there a running team? They should be running a team, even sharing him with.
00:03:50:07 - 00:04:22:09
Woody Paige
His best teams. Yes. When you have a defense who is as good and their defense now is going to struggle because Patrick's the best, best quarterback in the league is going to be out. And they admit that they put the entire defensive concepts around, one guy and he's not going to be there for 4 or 5 weeks, that if you play that kind of defense, you can be as you said, Mike Shanahan ran the football and he was a guy that wanted to throw it 40 times a game.
00:04:22:09 - 00:04:36:09
Ron Zappolo
But he you're exactly right. But he knew I can run the ball and I can not just do it with Terrell Davis. Yeah I can do it with Ruben drones Mike Anderson Orlando's Gary. He he knew that he had a running team. This looks to me like a running team.
00:04:36:09 - 00:04:55:10
Tom Green
But here's the measuring stick that's hard to gauge because the Cowboys were so bad defensively. Those young receivers stepped up. Pat Ryan Troy Franklin making plays. Bo Nix after the interception looked extremely comfortable. The running game does a lot of that sets the table for that. But it was against the Cowboys who really put up little resistance.
00:04:55:17 - 00:05:07:02
Woody Paige
Yeah they came into this game as a worst defense in the National Football League. And they came out of this game with a defense. It's worse than the University of Colorado.
00:05:07:05 - 00:05:16:08
Tom Green
That's not good. They they get Houston next. And instead of looking at the Houston game, I think you look at these this next month and the idea of playing without Pats or ten.
00:05:16:09 - 00:05:31:13
Ron Zappolo
Well, you want me to go play the Chiefs, which will be their next really super big game. And to play the Chiefs, who now have their offense at a level that Mahomes says is the best he's seen since he's been there, that's a little scary.
00:05:31:15 - 00:05:55:04
Woody Paige
But I do believe that we're talking about it. A playoff team here in Denver, we're talking about a team that can win the AFC West. They can beat the Chiefs once if they go undefeated at home, which I thought looked possible before the season started. They're going to be in a position to win 3 or 4 games on the road.
00:05:55:06 - 00:06:07:13
Woody Paige
And even without their best player, I believe that they can get through this because they've got more depth than that I've seen in forever.
00:06:07:13 - 00:06:14:06
Tom Green
Well, that's Joseph gets a lot of credit for what they do defensively, but he will now be challenged. He's going to have to read that if.
00:06:14:08 - 00:06:34:07
Ron Zappolo
It's the worst player to lose at the worst position to lose, I think and I just don't think you put the next man up and say, okay, we're going to play a rookie now. Even this, this kid was picked on. Patrick certain is not the most valuable player on the Broncos. He's the best defensive player arguably in the league.
00:06:34:08 - 00:06:37:12
Ron Zappolo
You just you don't replace people and not like that.
00:06:37:12 - 00:06:41:13
Tom Green
Well Riley Moss got called for pass interference while going to his car after the game.
00:06:41:13 - 00:06:42:21
Woody Paige
So but.
00:06:42:21 - 00:06:43:05
Ron Zappolo
If you're.
00:06:43:05 - 00:06:48:18
Tom Green
He's an interesting he's an interesting study though because he does get flagged a lot. But it seems like they're tough calls like.
00:06:48:22 - 00:06:54:28
Ron Zappolo
Think he was flagged a lot before. Now he will be playing for the next month. The other team's top wide receiver.
00:06:54:28 - 00:07:01:18
Woody Paige
But is it possible that the officials don't like him because he's a white cornerback and I heard.
00:07:01:19 - 00:07:04:21
Tom Green
Bomani bring that up. I wasn't so sure that was. It doesn't.
00:07:04:21 - 00:07:05:20
Ron Zappolo
Look right, fair.
00:07:05:20 - 00:07:11:03
Tom Green
Or fun. But, he like Brown said the challenge for Riley Moss is only going to grow.
00:07:11:03 - 00:07:20:22
Ron Zappolo
It's going to get worse. And by the way, you bring up the officiating. I don't I hate to bring up officiating. And this is just a general. It's bad right now.
00:07:20:24 - 00:07:22:24
Tom Green
Well, the touch push issue that's that.
00:07:23:00 - 00:07:28:14
Ron Zappolo
Well that's the good news about that is that egregious call is probably going to end the tush push.
00:07:28:14 - 00:07:46:00
Tom Green
It could be the big part. Let's jump over to baseball because we've been watching. Amazing. It's just been a great World Series already. But that game 318 inning affair Freddie Freeman wins it. But the story of the game was the superstar Shohei Ohtani and what he did wrong. You were talking about his numbers.
00:07:46:06 - 00:08:12:27
Ron Zappolo
It's listen, when a guy gets up nine times and makes it on base nine times, that is what happened to Barry Bonds a generation ago, where you just walk him no matter what the situation is. And we now have to look at Ohtani. I think, in a more, historic way and say, I know it's early. He's not done with his career, but where do we place him?
00:08:12:27 - 00:08:36:12
Woody Paige
Well, we're we're seeing the same thing in baseball that we've seen in basketball the last five years, where you say, greatest player in the world is a guy from another country that, and, and, and I believe that people don't want to give up on their heroes that were American born heroes. That's true. Each arrow had to go through that.
00:08:36:12 - 00:08:57:10
Woody Paige
When he came here, he was one of the best players in the league defensively and offensively. But we're seeing this with the Joker. People don't want to give him the credit that he deserves. I mean, the guys now just touch on another subject. He's gone through three games with three triple doubles, I believe. And I'm I'm sorry guys, I'm way off base here.
00:08:57:14 - 00:09:07:27
Woody Paige
Baseball. But, I think that what he's decided this year is that he's not going to average 30 points. He's going to average a triple, triple everything all year long.
00:09:08:03 - 00:09:22:19
Ron Zappolo
You make a fair point, though, because the I think the subtle criticism of Joker over the years was he doesn't look the part. We look at Ohtani the same way he's Japanese. Wait a minute.
00:09:22:22 - 00:09:23:17
Woody Paige
But he's.
00:09:23:17 - 00:09:25:28
Ron Zappolo
652 35 well.
00:09:25:28 - 00:09:46:07
Tom Green
Let's talk about because you do have stereotypes. We always thought the European hockey players were soft. Yeah, well maybe they were, but they aren't anymore. You tend to think of an Asian player as being diminutive. Somewhat small. Yeah. Ohtani looks like Paul Bunyan. He's huge. I'd say. You know, you look at his game and you see the holes in his game.
00:09:46:08 - 00:09:50:18
Tom Green
He doesn't hit right handed and that's it. I think, hey.
00:09:50:21 - 00:10:11:01
Ron Zappolo
The guy is already had two games in this particular postseason that will go down in infamy when you throw six shutout innings, strike out 11 and hit three home runs. That's a pretty good night. And then the night he had this week when he reaches base nine times. And by the way, we almost forget. Hit two home runs and two double play.
00:10:11:04 - 00:10:12:11
Tom Green
They walked him the last four.
00:10:12:12 - 00:10:23:04
Ron Zappolo
That's what he got walked every time he he's he's yeah I can't find the words to describe what he's doing right. Babe Ruth is the last guy. Well, that's.
00:10:23:04 - 00:10:25:02
Woody Paige
Why you were on TV. And I'm a writer.
00:10:25:02 - 00:10:27:03
Ron Zappolo
Yeah. That's right. You should come up with the words.
00:10:27:05 - 00:10:28:16
Woody Paige
I have.
00:10:29:11 - 00:10:37:11
Woody Paige
A columnist inside. You said that game was indescribable. And then he used to walk.
00:10:37:14 - 00:10:39:00
Woody Paige
He wrote two columns on it.
00:10:39:02 - 00:10:57:12
Tom Green
But it's. You look at these players, and you have to take the moment, because we forget sometimes. And it's only a year later when you're trying to explain it to someone what he did. And it's like we think of here in Colorado, you know, we're getting to watch you get to play at this level, and you're getting to see not just in Los Angeles, but around the world.
00:10:57:15 - 00:10:58:22
Ron Zappolo
People know how to.
00:10:58:23 - 00:11:04:23
Woody Paige
Think about message. A message drove Messi into that discussion about but but great players in sports.
00:11:04:24 - 00:11:19:08
Tom Green
He came to America nearer the end, and when each row came in, he was in the middle of his career. He had a great Major League Baseball career, but we didn't get him and his youngest years. We're getting to see Ohtani more or less from start to finish, whether he was killing.
00:11:19:10 - 00:11:48:04
Ron Zappolo
One more thing. Anaheim, that game that I absolutely loved as a baseball fan, I'm lying in bed watching the last seven innings. And this is what's great about baseball. There are guys on the mound for both teams that I've never heard of who look like Sandy Koufax. Man, they are throwing barbs and John Smoltz couldn't believe it. And these guys who were buried in both of those bullpens do not you do not break glass in case of emergency.
00:11:48:09 - 00:12:02:18
Ron Zappolo
The guy with the red beard who I can't remember his name for the dog, the Klein or whatever. He. He looked like Nolan Ryan. It was. That's what's great about baseball. People come out of the woodwork.
00:12:02:21 - 00:12:07:09
Woody Paige
Well, there were plays. I mean, there were incredible plays getting.
00:12:07:09 - 00:12:08:20
Tom Green
Thrown out at third and.
00:12:08:20 - 00:12:31:11
Woody Paige
Home. You see, I mean, as much baseball as we've watched over the years that you see once a month you go, man, that thrown from right field. Well guess what we saw the throw from right field. We saw the throw from first base. We saw the throw at home plate. We saw defensive plays. Yeah we did in a game where we're all talking about the offense.
00:12:31:13 - 00:12:43:08
Woody Paige
You're right. And that you have Clayton Kershaw one of the all time great. You know Hall of future Hall of Fame pitchers come into a situation go 3 to 2 outs and he.
00:12:43:08 - 00:12:45:00
Tom Green
Is the bases loaded. Yeah yeah.
00:12:45:03 - 00:12:53:08
Woody Paige
And he he is in a situation that would have been talked about for weeks either way. Yeah.
00:12:53:15 - 00:12:53:26
Ron Zappolo
He got.
00:12:53:26 - 00:12:54:03
Woody Paige
A little.
00:12:54:05 - 00:12:58:20
Ron Zappolo
Fortunate too because he threw a couple of balls there that yeah the guy went.
00:12:58:20 - 00:13:08:11
Tom Green
After. So I think one thing this does is it whets everyone's appetite for the 26 Rock. Oh yeah. Because it just you know you start thinking man, can't wait till baseball.
00:13:08:12 - 00:13:10:28
Ron Zappolo
To take to get Ohtani.
00:13:12:06 - 00:13:12:19
Tom Green
Make him.
00:13:12:19 - 00:13:37:15
Woody Paige
Someone wrote to the owner of the Rockies two years ago, when there was questions about where Ohtani was going to go. He's playing for the angels, and they said to the owner, why don't you bring him in for the end of the year? And I said, that's what to myself. I said, that's one of the great questions of all time.
00:13:37:18 - 00:14:01:27
Woody Paige
You will never have a player like Ohtani in Denver. Yes, we've got one like that in basketball, and we have had 2 or 3 in football like that. It never happened, but that would have been a great at least that would have been entertaining if you had picked him up at the trading deadline. So we're going to give you $15 million for the rest of the year.
00:14:01:29 - 00:14:22:22
Woody Paige
But it's a shame that a guy like that could hit 75 or 80 home runs. And I told both of you before we went on the air here that Jim Tracy and I became friends when he was manager of rockets. He had managed the Dodgers. And he said to me, the way we handled bonds was to just walk him.
00:14:22:22 - 00:14:45:27
Woody Paige
That's what they decide to do. And he said, I walked him with the bases loaded and nobody had ever done that. But he said he was less dangerous with one RBI than if we pitched her. And I think that's sadly, in watching the game last night, I said, what would be the way you get away from that? You can't get away from that.
00:14:45:27 - 00:14:57:23
Woody Paige
That's part of baseball. But I think we're going to see a lot more of this the rest of this series, because if you're the manager of a team against him, you go just past him every day.
00:14:57:24 - 00:15:04:03
Ron Zappolo
I mean, I don't know if they'll intentionally walk him, but I think John Schneider will say to his pitchers, do not throw this man a.
00:15:04:03 - 00:15:05:12
Tom Green
Strike if you throw a strike.
00:15:05:12 - 00:15:08:07
Woody Paige
Well, even the last time he was up, they they really weren't.
00:15:08:14 - 00:15:12:01
Ron Zappolo
Don't do it. That was the unintentional intentional walk. There's it.
00:15:12:03 - 00:15:30:01
Tom Green
Yeah. There the of course the big story that comes from basketball but affects all sports. And it certainly has a lot of heartbreaking ramifications here in Colorado. We'll talk about that in just a minute.
00:15:30:03 - 00:15:39:05
Tom Green
So we're learning a lot of stuff here on After the Horn. One of them is why we did bring back what he's chalkboard. It's great on TV. It doesn't work as well in audio.
00:15:39:08 - 00:15:40:24
Ron Zappolo
So should we read that too?
00:15:40:24 - 00:15:42:08
Tom Green
Yeah we let's read it out loud.
00:15:42:09 - 00:15:46:11
Ron Zappolo
I join nightly romantic walks to the wine cooler.
00:15:46:11 - 00:15:47:24
Tom Green
See? There you go. So now.
00:15:47:24 - 00:15:49:20
Ron Zappolo
You have a wine cooler you can relate.
00:15:49:23 - 00:16:21:05
Tom Green
Chalkboard coverage on for our audio listeners as well. This week, the biggest story, was the news about the NBA gambling scandal surrounding, Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups as well. And, it's just something that you think of what it means to Chauncey Billups. But what does it mean about sports and that that relationship with gambling right now, it's the most complicated thing at all because gambling has become as large a part of.
00:16:21:08 - 00:16:27:06
Tom Green
It's always been a big part of sports, but now it's out public front facing as well.
00:16:27:09 - 00:16:57:04
Woody Paige
It's shocking and sad to me, having known Chauncey since he was in the eighth grade and would go to gym, he was playing basketball at GW in the eighth grade. My daughter went to school with him, graduated with him. I have known him throughout his career at Colorado after being at George Washington, his career that ended up being drafted by the nuggets.
00:16:57:04 - 00:17:22:05
Woody Paige
But going to the Celtics. Yes. And and then coming here and playing and assuming that he was going to be he his dream job was to be the general manager of the Denver Nuggets. Not to be the coach of the Denver Nuggets. And he ends up in Portland and I won't drone on here, but he and his agent called me once and said, would you write his autobiography?
00:17:22:07 - 00:17:52:14
Woody Paige
And I said, yeah, I would do it, but I do it for kids. This is where I'm going with this Mr. Big Shot. It don't write your life story, write what kids should do. And that's all I thought about this past week in regard to this, is he had such a profound, influence in terms of young people who thought he was the perfect person player, not.
00:17:52:14 - 00:17:53:01
Tom Green
Just kid, good.
00:17:53:01 - 00:17:53:14
Woody Paige
Guy.
00:17:53:16 - 00:17:54:28
Tom Green
Not just kids.
00:17:55:00 - 00:18:17:10
Woody Paige
And and I didn't write that autobiography because, when I told him what kind of money he could make writing, he said, I think I'll stick with basketball, but you don't play someone like him. If you remember, Michael Jordan, another friend went through that period of time where people thought gambling was, and it was a problem for him.
00:18:17:12 - 00:18:27:20
Woody Paige
I mean, think about the people that have been associated with with gambling. Phil Mickelson there's a power level.
00:18:27:22 - 00:18:55:02
Woody Paige
And a competitive level among athletes. That is addiction in terms of gambling, of controlling situations, adrenaline. And that's all I can see with Chauncey because he's a Hall of Famer, recent Hall of Famer. He's a man who's got more money than he'll ever be able to do. But there's a competitive nature that must have been missing in his life.
00:18:55:02 - 00:19:14:06
Woody Paige
We don't know the details, but, I think that we were talking about people in Denver that Chauncey stands above most everybody that ever came out of the Denver Prep League, in regard to what they accomplished.
00:19:14:06 - 00:19:28:24
Tom Green
And the problem is, this isn't about gambling. This is about cheating. This is about rigging. This is about fixing. And, you know, with him, it's not not necessarily sporting events, but as you know, anybody who gets caught in these sort of situations can be compromised.
00:19:28:24 - 00:19:47:23
Ron Zappolo
We all do bad, like all three of us know, Chauncey really well. I've known him since he was in high school. I just saw him right before training camp at our. We share a favorite restaurant and got to spend about a half hour with him. He was so excited to go to camp. He thought the Blazers were going to take the next step.
00:19:47:26 - 00:20:12:09
Ron Zappolo
So on a personal level, I am so saddened because I hold Chauncey up to a higher level than most guys. I agree with Woody chances. Everything you tell your kids you want in an athlete, he's a good person. He cares about his community. He's got a wife and kids. He's one of us. He's friendly. He's got a sense of humor.
00:20:12:11 - 00:20:31:02
Ron Zappolo
I remember during the NBA strike, this had to be a decade ago. I'm with my wife and another couple of Elway's, and Chauncey comes up to the table and he says, hello. And I said, are you going to go back to work? And he goes, well, I guarantee I'm going back to work. And I go, well, how do you know when he goes, I got 14 million reasons why I'm going back to work.
00:20:31:08 - 00:20:48:22
Ron Zappolo
He had everything going for him. But I also understand that gambling is an addiction, and I don't know Chauncey well enough to say right here, it that can't be true.
00:20:48:22 - 00:21:05:15
Woody Paige
But you said the one thing I just got to throw this in here, even though he is not being accused of throwing games as a coach or betting on his team like Pete Rose did, it's still gambling if you're playing poker.
00:21:05:17 - 00:21:06:07
Ron Zappolo
Sure, but the.
00:21:06:07 - 00:21:31:00
Tom Green
Card games are a big part of every road trip. Players play in the air, okay, players play in their hometowns, players. And again, this is where I, you know, innocent until proven guilty. We don't know enough about the case to say that this is all fact at this point. But it's the cheating part. When you talk about especially what kids think about you, you know, it's one thing if you go play high stakes poker and you lose your shirt or you you had a great career and you lost all your money gambling.
00:21:31:02 - 00:21:58:10
Ron Zappolo
But the bigger issue time. Yes, cheating is it's at the core of what we're talking about. But the bigger picture issue, let's take Chauncey out of the play Terry Rozier out. Anybody else Dante Jones whoever's involved. When these professional leagues decide hey there's tons of money to be made in gambling. In the last five years we've seen a sea change where these leagues.
00:21:58:10 - 00:22:11:00
Ron Zappolo
You can't watch an NBA game without going at halftime and saying, hey, if you want to get Memphis minus two right now, go to your draft Kings. They're in bed with gambling.
00:22:11:01 - 00:22:35:18
Woody Paige
But, Ron, I have to stop you, though. We're talking about. Oh, yeah, the professional leagues are. Guess who just said to the NBA you need to come up here before us? Well, guess what? Those us are the ones who approved gambling in sports. I'm talking about commerce, right? We're talking about being in bed. This is congressional. This is professional sports leagues.
00:22:35:25 - 00:22:46:25
Woody Paige
This is networks where I worked for ESPN for 25 years. We were told for years and years and years don't ever mention right, the odds of a.
00:22:46:25 - 00:22:47:26
Ron Zappolo
Game point spread, but.
00:22:47:26 - 00:23:11:02
Tom Green
Points over 100 years from the Black Sox of 1919 to CCNY to, Horning and Charisse in the 60s, gambling the illegal and legal aspects of gambling. They need the game to be on the up and up. They can't have the games being fixed because then people aren't going to play their games. They need to be the ones.
00:23:11:02 - 00:23:19:12
Tom Green
If you're DraftKings or if you're bet365 or whichever company you want to be, they need the game to be clean because if it's not clean, people are going to shy.
00:23:19:14 - 00:23:42:09
Ron Zappolo
But listen, we already know. We already know history. The NBA had a referee that was throwing games. He wrote a book. He went to jail. That this comes is no. Listen, we've all covered sports a long time. And I've told a lot of my friends and I bet you have to. I know that I covered some games that were fixed, I know I did, really?
00:23:42:11 - 00:23:43:23
Ron Zappolo
Yes. I have a.
00:23:43:23 - 00:23:45:09
Woody Paige
Friend who maybe I'm not, who.
00:23:45:09 - 00:24:06:01
Ron Zappolo
Played in a game, who contends to this day that it was a fixed game. So I think it's happened. I think Tom's right. I think gambling has always been a part of this. But to your point, most people feel that the games are on the up and up and don't they wait?
00:24:06:08 - 00:24:26:23
Tom Green
Well, what I think the NBA is worried about is not that games are being fixed. Then were like how deep this goes. You worry about at the NFL. MLB, NHL. I think those sports now are gone. Yeah. So what do we do? Because you also think who do you need to fix a game? Well, you don't necessarily need LeBron James or the star of the game to.
00:24:27:00 - 00:24:44:25
Ron Zappolo
Know you don't. But this is what this is what pokes a hole in that a little bit I read somewhere Terry Rozier was making $22 million a year. Why in God's name would he. Well first you're making 20. That's another question. But why would he fake it?
00:24:44:25 - 00:25:00:24
Woody Paige
That's what we talked about though, that that's not enough. There's not enough. Why do people go from marijuana to cocaine? Not. That wasn't enough. Why do you go from $22 million to figuring out another way to make 3 or 4?
00:25:00:24 - 00:25:22:15
Ron Zappolo
Because maybe, maybe you have gambling debts that are such that someone can leave. Louis comes to you and says, hey, you're going to go under tomorrow night in Miami. And, and here's the other thing. Why I think we're not going to go down to the bottom with this. The casinos are helping these leagues out.
00:25:22:16 - 00:25:23:05
Tom Green
Sure.
00:25:23:06 - 00:25:30:15
Ron Zappolo
Because they're letting these leagues know, hey, $250,000 was bet on Terry Rozier.
00:25:30:18 - 00:25:31:07
Tom Green
On tape.
00:25:31:09 - 00:25:48:08
Ron Zappolo
Prompting Porter to go on the under. There's a I think they're going to police it. Well I do think other things will come out. But I don't think any of these leagues because of this are going to lose the feeling with their customers that the games are no longer on the plane.
00:25:48:08 - 00:25:48:26
Tom Green
Yeah.
00:25:48:28 - 00:26:03:20
Woody Paige
From when you when you guys started covering sports to now what issues do we have? We have college athletes being paid tons of money.
00:26:03:22 - 00:26:36:26
Woody Paige
And that was a concern for years and years about possible fixing your college games. And we see that on an occasional basis more than they was regular basis I would say college basketball. We and so now we're into gambling being problem. And professional leagues when it's probably been a problem. I flew with a basketball team in Memphis long before there were charters that teams own planes, and I would play in gin rummy games.
00:26:36:27 - 00:27:01:06
Woody Paige
Right. And I was scared of losing $30, truthfully. So I saw from the very beginning covering that I would go in the hotels with the team and they'd be in a room playing poker. I didn't ever think about them fixing games, but I saw them get into trouble. Yeah. Losing money.
00:27:01:06 - 00:27:24:28
Tom Green
Money. But that's why I think when you, when you touch on college sports that's a real problem because college sports right now is out of control as far as money coming in, coming out transfer portal nil money. There's no regulation, there's no rhyme or reason. But you also think if you take if you wanted to to fix something college sports, you have far many more players, far, many more officials out on the field on a Saturday afternoon.
00:27:25:00 - 00:27:34:06
Tom Green
That and I don't know how college sports could because they can't regulate anything, could keep an eye or have a legislative touch to try to prevent it from happening there.
00:27:34:08 - 00:27:57:04
Woody Paige
To carry this to another level, how many times during a game do you hear, oh, the referees fix this game. Sure. That people you said most people think it's on the up and up. What people think that the Kansas City Chiefs get a break from every official Patrick Mahomes and the game that was played. I watched some of that last night.
00:27:57:04 - 00:28:10:24
Woody Paige
You know, it was funny last night that we have a game featuring two outstanding NFL teams, but you can't pull away from the baseball, right?
00:28:10:24 - 00:28:11:15
Tom Green
Exactly.
00:28:11:18 - 00:28:17:07
Woody Paige
I know everything about it. Everybody on and or like, oh, it's a World Series. But you know, I can catch it in the eighth inning.
00:28:17:07 - 00:28:17:24
Ron Zappolo
It was so.
00:28:17:24 - 00:28:29:16
Woody Paige
Complete. You could you could pull yourself away from the baseball game, because every moment, if you tried to do that during a between innings, something's happening. You better get better, get better.
00:28:29:17 - 00:28:34:00
Tom Green
So the leagues are talking about maybe taking out, trying to prevent the prop bets.
00:28:34:00 - 00:28:51:19
Ron Zappolo
They should. In other words, in the NBA, my theory would be if I was king for a day, if I was Adam Silver, I would tell it because he's in bed with it. I would let every team know. Only your top two players can be involved with prop bets. We don't want prop bets on the eighth or neither.
00:28:51:27 - 00:28:53:10
Woody Paige
How are you going to get away with that?
00:28:53:12 - 00:29:19:03
Ron Zappolo
Because you're going to make a prop bet for Zeke. Naji is I mean, is that what we're with, that what we've come to make the prop jet. The prop bets Luka and LeBron. Yo kitchen Murray you can go down every team and you can do it because we're designated prop. Yes. Because these prop bets are what are getting teams in trouble Terry Rozier didn't think that he was throwing a game.
00:29:19:06 - 00:29:35:22
Ron Zappolo
He thought he was throwing just the prop bet on himself. Yeah throwing I mean I'm willing to bet you having not spoken to him I don't think he viewed it as I'm going to throw this game for the heat. I'm just going to take myself out of the game. We'll still win the game.
00:29:35:24 - 00:29:41:20
Tom Green
Well, this puts Adam Silver in a spot because they they had had been investigating Terry Rozier who said it was all good.
00:29:41:21 - 00:30:01:03
Ron Zappolo
Tom they're not alone. The NFL last week. And again this is after this story broke. I'm reading that Lamar Jackson was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday was a full participant in practice on Friday. And then Saturday was ruled out of the game. That doesn't pass the smell test.
00:30:01:03 - 00:30:04:20
Tom Green
That line moved. Yes. Lamar Jackson why he's a line mover.
00:30:04:20 - 00:30:17:03
Ron Zappolo
Listen, I'm sorry I'm cynical. Something's going on there. Something when you don't go from limited, limited full practice to the next day ruled out.
00:30:17:05 - 00:30:30:25
Woody Paige
We might get to a point in, in the history of sports where it's going to be like professional wrestling of that, you can't. The Congress passes a rule that you can't bet on it, because you can't be sure.
00:30:30:25 - 00:30:31:02
Ron Zappolo
That.
00:30:31:02 - 00:30:32:24
Woody Paige
It's you can't trust it.
00:30:32:26 - 00:30:35:22
Ron Zappolo
Speaking of Congress, did you either of you funded.
00:30:35:28 - 00:30:38:01
Tom Green
Whatever it starts? I know Congress, I know.
00:30:38:01 - 00:30:57:18
Ron Zappolo
I want to get it right. We could take this. And did either of you find it interesting? And I'm not trying to go politically here, but the cash Patel deemed this story big enough that he showed up in his FBI windbreaker. Yeah. And read the. And I just found that kind of interesting.
00:30:57:20 - 00:31:03:21
Woody Paige
Why would you, in this time, find anything? You know what's going on? Because my thoughts are politics.
00:31:03:24 - 00:31:06:11
Tom Green
A camera or a microphone was going to be there. It was.
00:31:06:13 - 00:31:09:16
Ron Zappolo
Doesn't cash Patel have more important things to worry?
00:31:09:17 - 00:31:43:07
Woody Paige
But I think to end that, that given that he is such a part of our history of covering sports in Denver and that he's a part of the landscape of Denver for so long and what he accomplished. Chauncey Billups, a Hall of Famer. I played golf with him in a BMW tournament with Ernie Els, and he got so much more claim from the fans or than Ernie Els, one of the top three golfers of a 10 or 12 year period.
00:31:43:09 - 00:31:45:19
Woody Paige
And, I.
00:31:45:21 - 00:31:53:28
Woody Paige
I hope this story has some way a happy ending, but I'm so afraid that it's never going to happen.
00:31:53:28 - 00:32:01:26
Tom Green
I think only one player would have been one Colorado athlete of recent, would have been more surprising, would have been Tebow. But after that, it's Chauncey Johnson.
00:32:02:03 - 00:32:05:05
Ron Zappolo
You know, chances one of us, Chauncey Chauncey.
00:32:05:05 - 00:32:06:17
Woody Paige
Tebow, was never he.
00:32:06:17 - 00:32:07:19
Ron Zappolo
Wasn't us. No.
00:32:07:19 - 00:32:16:14
Tom Green
But what I mean is just do you think of a guy who would never be involved? You'd go, Tebow. Chauncey might be second on that list of guys who thought he doesn't need it. He's got his head on.
00:32:16:15 - 00:32:25:17
Ron Zappolo
I don't know that I ever met a person that came in contact with Chauncey Billups and didn't like him. That's over a 40 year period, let me tell you.
00:32:25:19 - 00:32:44:19
Woody Paige
Let me give you one minute story in this on that light. No. Which has no light. Yeah. Is one man. We played with Ernie Els. We're playing with Ernie Els in that tournament, the pro-am. And Ernie Els comes over to me. So I don't really know Chauncey Billups. All I know is he's a guard. Why isn't he in training camp for the Broncos?
00:32:44:21 - 00:33:01:15
Woody Paige
And I go, no, no, he's not that kind of guarding me. And I'm I'm explaining to him. I said he's Mr. Big Shot. He's NBA champion. It's going to be a Hall of Famer. He's Denver zone. No no no no I go through all the stuff. And I said let me introduce you to. So we go over to Chauncey in charge Chauncey.
00:33:01:15 - 00:33:29:07
Woody Paige
So excited. Just taken up the game of golf. Yeah. He's like avid 1617. And he loved it. And I said, Chauncey, meet Ernie Els, Ernie Els, Chauncey Billups, Mr. Big Shot, one of the greatest guards in the history of the NBA, NBA MVP and in finals. And man, you the way you handle and you're Denver. And then he goes through the whole thing and we walked away and I said, you repeated that?
00:33:29:07 - 00:33:32:24
Woody Paige
Everything. I said, Ernie, nice job.
00:33:32:27 - 00:33:41:20
Woody Paige
Thanks, buddy.
00:33:41:22 - 00:33:48:12
Tom Green
It's a lot of excitement in the air because it's time to play. It's your move. Oh, so you can kind of, you know, that palpable, tingly feeling you get.
00:33:48:13 - 00:33:50:18
Ron Zappolo
I'll go pawn to pawn one there.
00:33:50:18 - 00:33:51:16
Woody Paige
Okay.
00:33:51:18 - 00:33:59:24
Tom Green
Let's let's see what we're taking a look at. It's your move. All right. Tuesday, Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders Vance Johnson.
00:33:59:24 - 00:34:19:03
Ron Zappolo
As much as I like Vance Johnson enjoyed his company, he was highly entertaining Emmanuel Sanders for many reasons. He wasn't the first pick Elway wanted. Somebody else couldn't get him. I can't remember the guy's name and he brought in Emmanuel Sanders. He turned out to be terrific. He helped him win a Super Bowl.
00:34:19:05 - 00:34:23:23
Woody Paige
I'm going to move around here because it's my move. Your move, move I totally disagree.
00:34:23:24 - 00:34:24:20
Ron Zappolo
You're going to go.
00:34:24:22 - 00:34:42:10
Woody Paige
I thought Emmanuel Sanders came to the Broncos when he turned down the Chiefs. He was good. But it's got to be Vance Johnson for one reason. Three amigos. They were the original Three Amigos you had. Who else was.
00:34:42:11 - 00:34:44:06
Ron Zappolo
Breaking the team and Mark Jackson.
00:34:44:08 - 00:34:49:27
Woody Paige
Yes. And so when you put the three of them together that trio.
00:34:50:00 - 00:34:51:01
Tom Green
We're okay.
00:34:51:03 - 00:34:51:27
Woody Paige
Wait a minute.
00:34:51:29 - 00:35:05:17
Ron Zappolo
You're going to tell me that? And I love Mark Jackson, who's a friend of mine to this day. You're going to tell me that Mark Jackson Vance Johnson and Ricky the Teel were better than Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
00:35:05:20 - 00:35:07:11
Woody Paige
No.
00:35:07:14 - 00:35:08:08
Woody Paige
But no, I.
00:35:08:08 - 00:35:09:11
Woody Paige
Didn't say that.
00:35:09:11 - 00:35:11:28
Ron Zappolo
And I'm usually the guy that likes the old guys.
00:35:12:05 - 00:35:15:13
Woody Paige
The picture I see is a message for both.
00:35:15:16 - 00:35:15:21
Woody Paige
Of.
00:35:15:22 - 00:35:16:22
Woody Paige
Us on there.
00:35:16:24 - 00:35:19:24
Natasha
And neither of the other guys for Three Amigos are on the screen.
00:35:20:00 - 00:35:21:26
Woody Paige
So that point for sticking.
00:35:21:27 - 00:35:23:10
Ron Zappolo
Away to go to the top should thank.
00:35:23:10 - 00:35:30:24
Tom Green
You, thank you. So I will say this. The one thing that these two guys were both great at was getting in front of a microphone.
00:35:30:27 - 00:35:31:06
Woody Paige
And this.
00:35:31:07 - 00:35:31:22
Ron Zappolo
They were.
00:35:31:23 - 00:35:46:23
Tom Green
There was a microphone. They would both get in front of it. I'll say this though, I thought Vance Johnson, for all of the good things he did and the highlights he made, was a very inconsistent player. Emmanuel Sanders, I thought, was made out of leather. He got drilled time and time. He always got to pass. He was a he was much better.
00:35:46:23 - 00:35:54:08
Tom Green
So I think, Woody, you're not only way off base that it's a joke that you even say that this is the angriest I've ever been.
00:35:54:10 - 00:35:57:00
Ron Zappolo
Hey, we wanted him to take a stand. Right, Woody?
00:35:57:02 - 00:35:58:12
Natasha
Yeah, that was my favorite.
00:35:58:19 - 00:36:00:10
Tom Green
I can't believe I lost my temper.
00:36:00:15 - 00:36:01:10
Woody Paige
What? What a bad.
00:36:01:11 - 00:36:04:23
Woody Paige
Man. Right.
00:36:04:25 - 00:36:09:12
Tom Green
All right, here we go. All right. Eddie Royle going up against Marvin Mims, it's.
00:36:09:13 - 00:36:11:14
Ron Zappolo
Oh, God. Can I answer that one?
00:36:11:16 - 00:36:12:09
Tom Green
The jump in.
00:36:12:12 - 00:36:16:18
Ron Zappolo
Rick Upchurch, it's not even close. Rick Upchurch.
00:36:16:25 - 00:36:18:27
Tom Green
Greatest returner in history.
00:36:18:27 - 00:36:21:24
Ron Zappolo
Greatest returner, maybe in the history of the NFL.
00:36:21:27 - 00:36:22:18
Woody Paige
Hall of Famer.
00:36:22:18 - 00:36:26:04
Ron Zappolo
Yes, Rick Upchurch, these two guys couldn't carry.
00:36:26:04 - 00:36:39:15
Woody Paige
Rick's hurt. I told Randy Miller that I was writing a column and I wanted his reaction to it, that he should put Rick Upchurch 20 yards behind center.
00:36:39:18 - 00:36:40:08
Ron Zappolo
And just.
00:36:40:10 - 00:36:48:24
Woody Paige
Toss it back to him. And it would be like every play would be a punt return. And Red Miller said, I thought you were crazy. You've just proven that.
00:36:48:27 - 00:36:53:12
Tom Green
So one of the things we got to do here is get a new producer for your movie, because you guys don't answer the.
00:36:53:12 - 00:36:57:11
Ron Zappolo
Question because it's not, you know why? It's a bogus question.
00:36:57:15 - 00:36:58:12
Woody Paige
Anymore because.
00:36:58:12 - 00:36:59:27
Natasha
They have similar stats.
00:37:00:00 - 00:37:05:05
Woody Paige
You know, you talked about Vance. Eddie Royal is the most underachieving Broncos.
00:37:05:06 - 00:37:09:23
Ron Zappolo
You know what I want to say? Marginal NFL player. Yeah Eddie Royal.
00:37:09:23 - 00:37:13:18
Tom Green
So it's your choice. Most marginal NFL player very royal.
00:37:13:18 - 00:37:25:13
Ron Zappolo
Would be Marvin Mims is an incomplete but do not do not just smirk the legacy of Rick Upchurch by putting those two guys up for that.
00:37:25:14 - 00:37:39:09
Woody Paige
Except you could go with this. This is going to go viral because it's going to be all over X, okay. It was called Twitter. Why isn't he called Marvelous.
00:37:39:09 - 00:37:40:07
Ron Zappolo
Marvin Griffin.
00:37:40:10 - 00:37:46:10
Woody Paige
Memes? He should. And then you change it to three. You. Hello. I had a great.
00:37:46:12 - 00:37:49:27
Tom Green
But it's also because like, the three amigos got better with their nickname.
00:37:49:27 - 00:37:50:26
Ron Zappolo
That's true and.
00:37:50:26 - 00:37:52:02
Tom Green
Marvelous Marvin Mims.
00:37:52:02 - 00:38:01:15
Woody Paige
That's why I brought up in You're Laughing at Me. But they were the only Broncos players other than Peyton Manning and John Elway. They were never or Johnny Carson. That's true.
00:38:01:18 - 00:38:05:09
Ron Zappolo
They got. But I think before you can be marvelous Marvin Mims.
00:38:05:09 - 00:38:05:24
Tom Green
You got to be more.
00:38:05:24 - 00:38:09:28
Ron Zappolo
You have to be like halfway decent. Marvin Mims. And then we'll get to marvelous.
00:38:09:29 - 00:38:20:12
Tom Green
McMahon Marvin here. Let's let's go to the next one and it's your move. All right. Now we're talking trash talker Shannon Sharpe versus a keyboard to leave. This is a true heavyweight bout.
00:38:20:12 - 00:38:27:12
Ron Zappolo
That is a heavyweight bout. You are right on. That would get that. That would require some thought because.
00:38:27:12 - 00:38:28:24
Woody Paige
No the no it that.
00:38:29:00 - 00:38:29:20
Ron Zappolo
Which.
00:38:29:23 - 00:38:38:06
Woody Paige
It said it's sharp for one reason only. Remember that Kansas City Chiefs defensive end that ended up his career with the Broncos.
00:38:38:09 - 00:38:39:04
Ron Zappolo
Neil Smith.
00:38:39:07 - 00:38:51:14
Woody Paige
Neil Smith is across from him. And he says to Neil Smith, I'm dating your girlfriend Neil Smith gets a a.
00:38:51:17 - 00:38:53:07
Tom Green
Jump offsides onside.
00:38:53:10 - 00:39:01:25
Woody Paige
Unsportsmanlike conduct. And so you figured, well, that's it. That before the next play, he recites her telephone.
00:39:01:25 - 00:39:02:25
Woody Paige
No, no.
00:39:02:28 - 00:39:12:00
Woody Paige
That Rodney Smith that was the best trash talk as Neil Smith now knows that he's just not trash talking. Damn, he's telling you you're right.
00:39:12:00 - 00:39:32:14
Ron Zappolo
I'm going to go with Shannon, too. But I think Shannon you can. Shannon was funnier than a keep. Yeah. Go keep to libs. The guy that might rip your necklace off and feed it to you. Shannon had a great chain. I'm sorry Shannon had a great sense of humor. Do you remember that? Great NFL films one when they're playing the Patriots and he gets on the phone.
00:39:32:21 - 00:39:36:09
Ron Zappolo
Yeah. President Clinton send in the National Guard. We're killing the patron.
00:39:36:09 - 00:39:54:15
Tom Green
So the one thing both these guys continue to still bring the trash. They say now in there and there's holes afterwards. There's both good at it. But I'll take a keyboard not just to be different, okay. But because, you know, Shannon will at times polish and answer. A key never did is free flowing.
00:39:54:15 - 00:39:56:11
Ron Zappolo
He's what? He's unvarnished.
00:39:56:13 - 00:40:02:00
Natasha
Oh, I got to do. I got to do some polishing for you guys. So the internet's not mad at you. It was Derrick.
00:40:02:00 - 00:40:04:04
Tom Green
Thomas, Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith.
00:40:04:05 - 00:40:05:10
Ron Zappolo
Who start off.
00:40:05:12 - 00:40:22:25
Tom Green
Oh, Shannon baited from across the line of scrimmage the late Derrick Thomas. All right, let's go to one more. We have one more. It's your move. See who we have on deck here. All right. If you had to choose a ball carrier Walter Payton or DeAndre Tillman. Now Peyton, if you guys I don't know if you guys remember him as a running back for the bears.
00:40:22:27 - 00:40:24:17
Ron Zappolo
Yeah I remember you've seen we pretty good.
00:40:24:17 - 00:40:27:27
Tom Green
Yeah very good running back.
00:40:27:29 - 00:40:28:25
Ron Zappolo
Okay. We Andre.
00:40:28:25 - 00:40:29:15
Tom Green
Tillman.
00:40:29:17 - 00:40:34:18
Ron Zappolo
We can move on from that when it might be time for grinding your gear.
00:40:34:20 - 00:40:38:13
Tom Green
This this may grind your gears, Ron. Just the fact you had to make that choice.
00:40:38:14 - 00:40:44:11
Ron Zappolo
You want to know? It grinds my gears. I had two things that were bothering me, but I'll limit it to.
00:40:44:13 - 00:40:47:26
Woody Paige
No, no, don't do this. You take mine this week. Go ahead. No, no.
00:40:47:26 - 00:41:10:19
Ron Zappolo
No, you probably got a better win than me. Here's what's grinding my gears. So after the Broncos win over the Giants, truly one of the most incredible, remarkable games all of us have ever seen, Sean Payton takes the opportunity to tell the press. Oh, by the way, you know, I'm close to the Giants and I talk to the giant owner.
00:41:10:19 - 00:41:31:26
Ron Zappolo
And I told them, you got a great young quarterback there. We were kind of hoping you'd play the other guy and not play him until after our game. And I thought you know what? And then Russell Wilson, who he was obviously talking about, came out and said classless. But I expect that from a guy who's still bounty hunting and, you know what?
00:41:31:28 - 00:41:52:19
Ron Zappolo
It was a classless move. It was unnecessary. It was spoken from somebody who must be very insecure. And it proves one thing. Okay, guys, you can be a great football coach, which he is. And you can also be a grade A jerk to say something like that.
00:41:52:19 - 00:41:57:00
Tom Green
That was an ego. Yeah. You think of self inflating, uncalled for.
00:41:57:05 - 00:42:05:10
Ron Zappolo
You don't kick people when they're down. You won. He's his career is over. You're riding high. You won. You don't need to do that.
00:42:05:12 - 00:42:21:00
Woody Paige
I think he changed though somewhat. I've talked to my friends in New Orleans that his time in television, working for Fox as an analyst, he kind of changed. He's like a guy doing a podcast.
00:42:21:02 - 00:42:22:15
Woody Paige
One of those guys is.
00:42:22:18 - 00:42:22:28
Ron Zappolo
One of.
00:42:22:28 - 00:42:53:00
Woody Paige
Us. But he did. They said he was not quite like that, that he was on an ego trip in, in New Orleans. Yeah, but he wasn't the same of what he's become in Denver that he does more analysis and more talk because initially when he got here, he was not responding the same way he's doing now. He's he's almost doing the podcast when he does a press come.
00:42:53:00 - 00:43:10:19
Tom Green
I wasn't surprised that he said that because he does have that gear not to grind yours, but he does have that gear in and we've seen it where he will take his shots at people. What was surprising was that was the comment that finally got Russell Wilson to actually speak freely, as opposed to.
00:43:10:22 - 00:43:32:24
Ron Zappolo
I mean, Russell's the guy who doesn't say shit if he's got a mouthful. Right? And that comment compelled him to come back and answer. And then to make it worse, Sean Payton goes back over the top and says, oh, I didn't really I didn't really mean it is, you know? No, stop with that. If you say it, own it.
00:43:32:27 - 00:43:54:09
Ron Zappolo
You don't try to explain it away. After Russell Wilson calls you out. If you really mean that, say it and own it. And hey, you and I spent our whole careers writing and saying stuff sometimes that got us in trouble. We always owned it. We we showed up, we put our face on it, our name on it. And the next day, athletes could tell us how full of ourselves.
00:43:54:09 - 00:43:57:17
Tom Green
And you can even apologize for it if you think I went too far, you could.
00:43:57:21 - 00:43:59:17
Ron Zappolo
You could apologize. Or you could say you could.
00:43:59:17 - 00:44:05:03
Woody Paige
Take a hit like I did for a basketball player named Larry Cannon. If you're out there, Larry.
00:44:05:05 - 00:44:11:01
Tom Green
Well, at least it's not like you've been sued. Oh, wait, wait, we're saving that for another show. We're saying, okay.
00:44:11:01 - 00:44:13:11
Ron Zappolo
Do either of you guys have another grinding.
00:44:13:11 - 00:44:13:26
Woody Paige
Mine? Yes, I.
00:44:13:26 - 00:44:14:05
Ron Zappolo
Do.
00:44:14:05 - 00:44:35:13
Woody Paige
Good, yes I do. And it it was in my face last night again. Okay, enough, enough. I met this guy at a Rockies game. I think it was the All-Star game, but I met him and talked to him and he was a pleasant guy. And he said to me, I have no passions in life. I don't have a family.
00:44:35:15 - 00:44:49:13
Woody Paige
I have a company. I make a lot of money, and I just enjoy going to baseball games. And I said, you don't enjoy going to baseball games. You enjoy being part of the baseball game. Enough Marlins.
00:44:49:13 - 00:44:51:28
Woody Paige
Man.
00:44:52:00 - 00:44:53:11
Tom Green
We've seen enough of you.
00:44:53:15 - 00:45:05:23
Woody Paige
We you get I look and I go, he's there in the middle and he's taking selfies of his self. So last night. So the two people if I get sued forgive me.
00:45:05:25 - 00:45:07:02
Tom Green
Again.
00:45:07:05 - 00:45:18:00
Woody Paige
At Dodgers games, I don't want to see the rest of the World Series when they're in Los Angeles. Very hot. I like you, I don't care about seeing you on every pitch.
00:45:18:00 - 00:45:18:29
Tom Green
Every pitch.
00:45:19:01 - 00:45:19:13
Woody Paige
At.
00:45:19:13 - 00:45:39:19
Woody Paige
Marlins, man. I don't want to see you. And he'll be in Toronto. And I met him, and he was a nice guy. And he's he's the company make it. So when baseball for people who wonder about him when there's not baseball season, he is working at his job and he has a gig, but he takes all of his money and he spends $10,000 buying a seat, you know.
00:45:39:19 - 00:45:40:06
Woody Paige
Well.
00:45:40:08 - 00:45:45:08
Tom Green
With with the 18 inning game, I think I speak for all of us when I say I miss the ghost runner.
00:45:45:10 - 00:45:45:18
Woody Paige
I mean.
00:45:45:26 - 00:45:56:14
Ron Zappolo
You know, I thought I'd take game one any longer. They introduce us to every paying customer. You know, we saw about 87,000 celebrities. I thought it was Larry King. I thought they dig him up.
00:45:56:21 - 00:46:02:23
Woody Paige
Oh, well, I, I thought this game is going to go so long. Don't rainbow man.
00:46:02:25 - 00:46:08:14
Woody Paige
It's been three for two. It's he's been like you've.
00:46:08:14 - 00:46:09:11
Woody Paige
Forgotten about him.
00:46:09:18 - 00:46:10:10
Woody Paige
Over the.
00:46:10:10 - 00:46:13:14
Ron Zappolo
Rainbow man. Was it wasn't it big of.
00:46:13:14 - 00:46:13:27
Tom Green
Oh he got.
00:46:13:27 - 00:46:15:18
Ron Zappolo
Us into you saw the rainbow.
00:46:15:18 - 00:46:16:19
Tom Green
John 316.
00:46:16:23 - 00:46:21:16
Ron Zappolo
Yeah. The Rainbow man was a big deal. Unless he was there, I know.
00:46:21:16 - 00:46:25:17
Tom Green
Next week we'll have plenty to talk about with football, but this has been a great World Series. We'll get a chance.
00:46:25:18 - 00:46:26:04
Ron Zappolo
Oh, man.
00:46:26:04 - 00:46:26:21
Tom Green
Cap that.
00:46:26:21 - 00:46:34:04
Ron Zappolo
One again. You know it's been great. It's a reminder to all of us. We're all baseball fans how great baseball can be if you don't.
00:46:34:04 - 00:46:35:04
Tom Green
Live in Colorado.
00:46:35:04 - 00:46:37:21
Woody Paige
Baseball is so much fun.
00:46:37:27 - 00:46:38:05
Tom Green
It is.
00:46:38:05 - 00:46:39:17
Woody Paige
So if you ever.
00:46:39:18 - 00:46:40:19
Tom Green
Get a chance to get out of.
00:46:40:19 - 00:46:42:00
Ron Zappolo
This, go see a game.
00:46:42:02 - 00:46:42:18
Tom Green
Go see.
00:46:42:18 - 00:46:43:20
Woody Paige
A game.
00:46:43:23 - 00:46:44:21
Ron Zappolo
Saint Louis.
00:46:44:21 - 00:46:55:03
Tom Green
As always, we invite you to to provide us with your feedback at Ted gorilla Sportsnet. We love to hear more from you. Fellas, I know we have more to say, but.
00:46:55:03 - 00:46:55:25
Ron Zappolo
But.
00:46:55:27 - 00:46:59:13
Woody Paige
But we like the Last of Us more for you. But.
00:46:59:20 - 00:47:15:09
Tom Green
But they're done with us. That's it for this week. After the horn.