Ron Zappolo and Woody Paige reunite with Around the Horn legend Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News to talk about one of the NFL’s most interesting storylines — the Denver Broncos’ incredible comeback and the resurgent Dallas Cowboys. Cowlishaw opens up about his 23 years on Around the Horn, what he misses about the show, and how his friendship (and rivalry) with Woody Paige began. The guys dive into the Cowboys’ turnaround, Dak Prescott’s MVP-level play, Javonte Williams’ breakout year in Dallas, and the never-ending question — can the Cowboys win another Super Bowl with Jerry Jones as GM? Later, Woody and Ron give their college and NFL picks for the weekend, break down CU vs. Utah, and preview the Dodgers–Blue Jays World Series — complete with a few trademark Woody Paige stories that you won’t hear anywhere else.
Woody Paige and Ron Zappolo welcome Dallas Morning News columnist and Around the Horn alum Tim Cowlishaw to talk Cowboys, Broncos, Dak, Bo Nix, and Jerry Jones. Plus Woody & Ron’s picks for college football, NFL Week 8, and the World Series.
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Ron Zappolo
welcome to after the horn rounds of Polo and Woody Paige joining you once again. We've got a very special guest today. And I think, Woodrow, it's only fair that you do the introduction. He was a coworker and a friend.
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Woody Paige
I know the entire nation will be excited to find out that the second greatest, second greatest panelist in the history of a round, the
00:00:45:16 - 00:00:45:19
Woody Paige
who.
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Ron Zappolo
Was the first?
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Speaker 4
It's joining.
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Woody Paige
Us tube. Carl Shaw, who came close, finished second in every record that was ever existing on Around the Horn 23 years on a show nationally that went all over the world, 188 nations, and he had the ability to finish second in everything that we did.
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Ron Zappolo
Tim is.
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Woody Paige
Our show. He is he is the Dallas Morning News great columnist and has been forever. And I've known him since. He's the beat writer. When he was a beat writer, I wouldn't have anything to do with him because I didn't deal with beat writers.
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Ron Zappolo
None of that is fair, right? Tim?
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Speaker 5
Woody can hear my quotes that he knew I was coming for him all around the world. I was doing more shows than he was at the end. You could see the writing on the wall from the chalkboard. Every time we pulled apart, I would show you, yeah, let's get always real good. I'll do a podcast. So I finish number two.
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Speaker 5
I'll take it. Out of all the people who had the chance for me to be number two is,
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Woody Paige
We we've had, Mina Kimes on the show. Tony. Really? And we've asked him both about the same question. What about doing the show? You did it for a quarter of a century, basically, that you miss, about being part of, that adventure that we had for so long.
00:02:21:07 - 00:02:51:00
Tim Cowlishaw
I mean, really, this part, the part before the show, the conference calls when we joke around, and then the part when we sit down and before we start rolling. Tony would always be late. So we'd talk for 15 minutes or whatever, and and talking to the producers and talking to the other panelists and, you know, the, the people you and I got to got to know, some of them weren't even in the business when the show started, and some were.
00:02:51:02 - 00:03:16:24
Tim Cowlishaw
But, it was just you. You were part of a national discussion, and it wasn't so much seeing the actual show because I hardly ever after the first couple of years, I hardly ever watched it. Don't tell anybody. I hope that didn't affect the ratings, but, just being in that chemistry 2 or 3 times a week, you know, the start, it was five days a week for you.
00:03:16:26 - 00:03:29:03
Tim Cowlishaw
It's 3 or 4 for me. But even through all those years, doing a couple times a week, three times a week, 100 shows a year, 120 shows a year. I mean, it was like you said, it was
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Speaker 5
not one of those. And then think about it, that that's on the road and it's it's just that part of your life is suddenly is suddenly going.
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Woody Paige
Well, it's a great week, we believe, here to reunite you and me because the team's playing here in Denver this weekend are the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos. And not only not only has this been a pretty good rivalry for two teams that don't play very much, and I'll get into that, but what has occurred in Denver and Dallas over the last couple of weeks has been beyond stunning, almost, what you've been involved with from the beginning of the season and the trade that occurred in Dallas, and what Denver just went through over the weekend with one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the National Football League, or any sport for
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Woody Paige
that matter. But, how are you finding the season?
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Tim Cowlishaw
It's taken so many turns from the Dallas standpoint. I didn't think they'd be very good. I picked them to go 6 or 11, and then they traded Micah Parsons for four days before the season began. And the editor asked me, do you want me to change your prediction? I said, no, I think I've already got that far out of I think six and 11 still feels right.
00:04:51:25 - 00:05:17:03
Tim Cowlishaw
And I felt good about that really, until this last weekend. This last weekend is the first time you could watch the Cowboys and they beat Washington by 22 points. And I know Washington was missing both its wide receivers. But the pressure they were getting on Daniels, they didn't get pressure on anybody. The first few weeks. The offense has has performed at a ridiculous level.
00:05:17:03 - 00:05:46:20
Tim Cowlishaw
It's the first time in Cowboys history they've gone four straight weeks without a turnover and Dak has 14 touchdowns. And your old guy Javonte Williams has about six. So the offense is scoring 32 points a game. And now there's some idea of defense is going to show up. I'm still not convinced I don't think I will pick them to be Denver, but I think maybe Dallas is changing some minds and maybe some other teams are going down in the NFC in the AFC.
00:05:46:26 - 00:06:04:12
Tim Cowlishaw
I talked to Kevin Harlan yesterday because I want to know what he thought about the end of that Denver game, because he's called so many great games. And he pointed out to me that I don't even know Denver's got as you know, two losses one by a they're both either by last minute field goals or you know really close games.
00:06:04:12 - 00:06:08:21
Tim Cowlishaw
The Chargers with a late field goal. And and the other one was
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Speaker 5
so they're not far from seven or not. Although they don't stretch.
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Ron Zappolo
Tim. They've also yeah, they've also they've also got a couple of wins the last two weeks by one and two points.
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Speaker 5
So they, so they could be three and four.
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Ron Zappolo
But hey do you, do you think the Dallas has fixed their defense enough.
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Speaker 4
Yeah.
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Speaker 5
Like
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Tim Cowlishaw
I'll stop you right there. They you know I think you have to acknowledge Washington was missing Terry McLaurin. Deebo Samuel's key offensive line piece. The running back is a rookie. Even though he'd been doing well. Daniels left the game on the first possession of the third quarter, so there was no time to kind of make adjustments or right, the ship, they just run the ball when Mariota gets in there.
00:07:00:25 - 00:07:27:20
Tim Cowlishaw
So I think it's too soon. I mean they're a week removed from giving Rico Dowdle over 200 yards from scrimmage and 183 rushing yards. So I don't think fixed I think they're starting to show they might yet to be. If they could get me like an average or a below average defense, if they just got to get away from being 32nd in total defense and 31st in points.
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Tim Cowlishaw
You can't win with that. If they can get to be in the low 20s and those things, their offense is good enough. They could they could
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Speaker 5
be a team.
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Woody Paige
Well, that that, division that Dallas is in and people know about the history of the relationships between the Washington and Dallas team, the Philadelphia, Cowboys series over the last years has been incredible. And it's really hard to put a finger on either that division or the AFC North.
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Speaker 4
I mean, when you.
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Woody Paige
Yes, you know what? What are the New England Patriots that suddenly come and get out of the woodwork?
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Speaker 5
I mean, for the last two weeks, for seven quarters, it's absolutely that the best team and they, they probably know what I did and they got a 19 nothing road lead. Denver. I don't know how that fourth quarter is going to
00:08:23:11 - 00:08:30:15
Tim Cowlishaw
affect a young team, but I think the Giants are even still a problem going forward.
00:08:30:17 - 00:08:53:04
Tim Cowlishaw
And Philadelphia, I don't know if they will run the ball all year. I don't know if Saquon Barkley in the running game will ever get going. Obviously they can throw it and play defense. But yeah that division's that division has gone from Philadelphia Super Bowl champion and Washington NFC championship game to I don't you know I think the best teams in the NFC are Detroit.
00:08:53:06 - 00:08:56:10
Tim Cowlishaw
And and you know maybe the Rams who knows.
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Woody Paige
And I keep looking at the 40 Niners. And I go how were they tied for first place I don't know how they're doing it.
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Speaker 5
Last but these last both Warner you can play with that for a little while on of motion. But I that seems like too much.
00:09:13:10 - 00:09:29:14
Ron Zappolo
Hey Tim let me ask you about a couple of cowboy players who I think are intriguing. You know, all we ever heard about was a George Pickens was a problem in Pittsburgh, and it appears from afar here that he is fit in seamlessly in Dallas. Is that the case?
00:09:29:16 - 00:09:40:01
Speaker 5
Yeah, and I've written about it several times. Says, like Woody, I wrote the same column over and over. Out of ideas at this point. But like
00:09:40:01 - 00:09:52:26
Tim Cowlishaw
said this was the best offseason move they've made in the last five years. And there were people saying, you know, you're crazy because Pittsburgh's happy to get rid of this guy off field.
00:09:52:26 - 00:10:24:08
Tim Cowlishaw
Off the field, he does weird stuff off the field. He's he's been a bad guy. But to me, a player like that is probably just frustrating because they've had lousy quarterbacks in Pittsburgh. He's not going to have that here. And the big thing that I've thought about a lot is people say he's going to be disruptive here. For a player to really be disruptive, to be an Antonio Brown, the Terrell Owens oh Joe Cinco, whoever, those kind of receivers that can be really tearing up the team.
00:10:24:11 - 00:10:41:21
Tim Cowlishaw
You've got to be the best weapon on that team because that's what brings everybody down. Our best player is going nuts and we don't know what to do. And we all stick with it here on a team with Dak and see the lamb. He's not going to be their number one threat. Now he got to play great. While KD was out.
00:10:41:23 - 00:11:06:11
Tim Cowlishaw
And he's a great number two. But you know if he if he went into his own shell or his own world I think they would just ignore him and they would play somebody else. So I don't think I don't think that's even a worry here. The concern here with him, there's only one for me from the beginning is you're either renting him for a year or you're going to have a second $30 million a year wide receiver after this year.
00:11:06:11 - 00:11:25:28
Tim Cowlishaw
And that's hard to do. But because he's free and after what he's done already this year, he's going to make a lot of money somewhere. So they better make something out of this season. Because I don't know that they can, you know, I suppose with the market trade, they can, but they're going to have all their money spent on offense
00:11:25:28 - 00:11:26:23
Speaker 5
in order to keep it.
00:11:26:28 - 00:11:28:18
Speaker 5
But he has that in. Great.
00:11:28:18 - 00:11:41:25
Woody Paige
So who's the other player you were talking about. Because I wanted to bring up Williams. The people here thought, oh man, oh, Dallas has just gone out and landed a turd.
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Speaker 4
In.
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Woody Paige
The year he's having for you.
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Tim Cowlishaw
Well, you know, he averaged 4.4 yards a carry that rookie year in Denver. And at about 900 yards. And then he got hurt early that next year. And that was I don't remember. But it was torn ACL torn
00:11:59:16 - 00:12:01:29
Speaker 5
LCL tore. Yeah that was one
00:12:01:29 - 00:12:15:04
Tim Cowlishaw
of those massive knee reconstructions. And he never became that player again. But I also wonder a little bit, you know, Sean Payton, I think Mosley can be a great coach.
00:12:15:10 - 00:12:35:20
Tim Cowlishaw
I think he also gives up on players. And and I wonder if he just decided this guy's damaged goods. We're going to play this rookie. We're going to play that guy. And he played guys who weren't great either. So it's not like he didn't replace him with Floyd Little. So I wonder what kind of chance he really got there.
00:12:35:20 - 00:13:05:18
Tim Cowlishaw
But nobody, including I'm sure the scouts nobody expected him to, you know, be the top in the NFC in rushing. And just except for one game consistent up around 80 to 100 yards. Week after week in some explosive 3030 big 30 yard run. This last week 60 something yard run against the Jets. Just, very different player from anything I could have imagined
00:13:05:18 - 00:13:06:16
Speaker 5
based on what he did.
00:13:06:16 - 00:13:07:16
Speaker 5
And then.
00:13:07:18 - 00:13:37:17
Woody Paige
I, I think we all know that if you follow the NFL and those terrible knee injuries do occur, you don't come back for two years at the best, maybe three. And so maybe we're seeing the same player that we saw in Denver when he was a rookie and was developing. And now with basically two years away from the game, that he's coming back to exactly what he was when he got here.
00:13:37:20 - 00:14:00:13
Woody Paige
I know Natasha wanted me to, you worked with Natasha when she was with me on Around the Horn, and she's producing this show, and Natasha wanted me to ask you about why is there such a, closeness between Dallas and Denver? You come. Got all you guys come here to the mountains to go skiing. You come here to play golf.
00:14:00:16 - 00:14:25:09
Woody Paige
You've got the Cowboys and the Broncos. They don't play much, but the Broncos beat them practically every time they play them. Now you you've had over the years this Dallas Stars you know avalanche series. And the stars just seem to own the avalanche. And then you throw on top of that after what the Dallas Mavericks did the last season, I think everybody knows what we're talking about.
00:14:25:11 - 00:14:53:09
Woody Paige
And they get the best college player. And I'm looking at a couple of days ago where one ESPN expert has picked Dallas to win the, conference championship over the nuggets. And I went, man, I don't even think Dallas would be in the subject with the Denver Nuggets. But, how do you sit back and you're chuckling and, Natasha's chuckling because she's the one that came up with the question.
00:14:53:12 - 00:15:01:27
Speaker 5
Well, I've had a long story a love affair with the state of Colorado where they have you know it's it's yes.
00:15:02:00 - 00:15:08:15
Woody Paige
Yeah. He he he didn't graduate from Boulder, but he, he spent some serious time in Boulder.
00:15:08:18 - 00:15:12:04
Speaker 5
At 27 hours.
00:15:12:06 - 00:15:20:08
Speaker 5
Whatever thoughts that this office job.
00:15:20:10 - 00:15:21:27
Speaker 4
You okay?
00:15:22:00 - 00:15:25:16
Ron Zappolo
Let everybody know. Hold your socks. Well. Seth.
00:15:25:18 - 00:15:29:15
Speaker 5
Yes.
00:15:29:17 - 00:15:51:10
Speaker 5
The team with, with the globe and then, Scott Redmond. Yeah. The the kid, really wanted to your question. Yeah. A lot of people in Colorado, a lot of people in Texas, because you they come up there and ski and play golf and do all the things on the week like that. And just outside Ben Cody Edwards.
00:15:51:12 - 00:15:52:26
Woody Paige
Yes. Yep.
00:15:52:28 - 00:15:55:28
Speaker 5
Jesus. That, of course, is eight by one. So I don't know that
00:15:55:28 - 00:16:17:03
Tim Cowlishaw
I ever want to ever want to play up there again. They're beautiful but difficult, challenging grades. But there have been some really cool sports rivalries. And, you know, part of it, I think, in the football realm comes from Dan Reeves coaching so long in Denver and being a cowboy guy and all that.
00:16:17:06 - 00:16:40:22
Tim Cowlishaw
You know, you go back to Super Bowl 12, first Super Bowl Denver went to was against Dallas. Not a great game but that. But some of the rivalries have been intact for a long time. And especially the stars in the avalanche. Those two you were there. It's those two seven game series in 99 and 2000 when both teams were still playing.
00:16:40:22 - 00:17:06:13
Tim Cowlishaw
And small, you know, small, loud arenas, old hockey, the old hockey barns, those were those were tremendous fan experiences and great and great things to cover, even though Dallas Sports one both didn't have to go that way. Dallas is that's is your team they could beat in the playoffs. Now Malekith you can't get past the third round, but it it it is funny.
00:17:06:13 - 00:17:13:24
Tim Cowlishaw
There's been some really good rivalries and you know, maybe maybe maybe the Buffaloes one day or in the big 12 we don't we don't
00:17:13:24 - 00:17:15:18
Speaker 5
know that.
00:17:15:21 - 00:17:16:13
Speaker 4
Well.
00:17:16:16 - 00:17:26:29
Woody Paige
I maybe yeah. And maybe, maybe University of Texas to find a quarterback. That's pretty good.
00:17:27:01 - 00:17:30:20
Speaker 5
After they.
00:17:30:20 - 00:17:37:03
Tim Cowlishaw
Archie Manning play. And now they realize they need to be apologizing to Quinn Ewers for the last two years.
00:17:37:03 - 00:17:37:26
Ron Zappolo
Hey, Tim, I got
00:17:37:26 - 00:17:41:08
Ron Zappolo
one more question for you. And it relates to the Cowboys.
00:17:41:08 - 00:17:44:03
Ron Zappolo
Will they ever
00:17:44:03 - 00:17:48:25
Ron Zappolo
win a Super Bowl with Jerry Jones as the general manager?
00:17:49:16 - 00:17:52:27
Tim Cowlishaw
An excellent question. He would tell you, of course they won three.
00:17:52:27 - 00:17:58:18
Speaker 5
that I was a big writer on the first probably have the title.
00:17:58:18 - 00:18:11:18
Tim Cowlishaw
Jimmy was the one making the moves and building the team and, doing everything behind the scenes. It is the question that is frustrated cowboy fans.
00:18:11:18 - 00:18:34:23
Tim Cowlishaw
It will be 30 years this year with 30 years without a trip to an NFC Championship game. A game the Cowboys used to play in on a regular basis. It is an incredibly long run for a team that's been pretty good a lot of that time. And been to the playoffs many times but has terrible playoff records.
00:18:34:23 - 00:18:58:06
Tim Cowlishaw
Dak is two and five in the playoffs. Tony Romo is two and four. There's there's nine years. You went to the playoffs with those two quarterbacks and never once won one two playoff games in any of those any of those times. So my guess would be win a Super Bowl. No. The question is, how long is he.
00:18:58:07 - 00:19:25:16
Tim Cowlishaw
You know, he's fighting the clock, as Woody and I and all of us are. Well, Jerry is 82. He'll turn 83 sometime this fall. I can't remember when his birthday is. So how many years are we talking about for him? Does he have another decade doing this then? Maybe so. But there's a lot of good teams in the NFC and a lot of teams built better than Dallas.
00:19:25:16 - 00:19:41:21
Tim Cowlishaw
Dallas may have a weird window to be pretty good if they could fix the defense quickly, but I don't I don't really see how that's possible. And now if you waste a couple more years, then you're going to have lost the dak years and you'll be on to your next quarterback.
00:19:41:21 - 00:20:07:13
Woody Paige
And I would just throw in talking about quarterbacks and stuff that, if history had taken another twist, Sean Payton would be probably the coach of the Dallas Cowboys because he was the man behind Bill Parcells. And actually, after the game yesterday, he's talking about being on the phone with Bill Parcells. Like he can't get past that and he's just past him in victories.
00:20:07:13 - 00:20:26:14
Woody Paige
But that is another dimension to this game that Sean Payton has a, real history of being offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. And he went off instead to the New Orleans Saints. But I think that Jerry Jones would have always wanted to have Sean as his head coach at some point.
00:20:26:18 - 00:20:51:21
Tim Cowlishaw
Yeah, I that's a much discussed topic here. His time here with Parcells and he left, you know, a year before to go coach the Saints. Otherwise if he'd stayed, he might have gotten the job after Parcells instead of Wade Phillips being brought in. Jerry and Sean Payton have a good relationship. Would Sean still have a good relationship if he worked for him?
00:20:51:23 - 00:21:20:24
Tim Cowlishaw
I'm not sure. I don't know that Sean. I know he has friends here and stuff. I don't know that he ever. Fans loved the idea of Sean Payton coming here to be the coach, and I think Jerry would have been interested in it. I don't know if Sean would have really wanted it. He knew what a battle it was for a guy as powerful as Parcells to deal with Jerry on a daily basis.
00:21:20:24 - 00:21:41:23
Tim Cowlishaw
You know, ourselves didn't have anything to do with Terrell Owens coming here, that that's something that happened in the offseason, that he had nothing to do it. That's that's what you have to work with. With Jerry. So it's fun to talk about, but, probably better for Sean that he coached where he did both places.
00:21:41:23 - 00:21:46:13
Speaker 2
how much do you think that the Broncos are going to beat the Cowboys by?
00:21:46:13 - 00:21:48:01
Speaker 5
you say that cynically or.
00:21:49:09 - 00:21:49:28
Speaker 4
Was.
00:21:50:00 - 00:21:52:03
Speaker 5
It that you had that played
00:21:52:03 - 00:22:08:14
Tim Cowlishaw
on the road. They they the Jets, they beat Justin Fields, the worst starting quarterback in the league, who I think is finally lost his job. I just and as I mentioned earlier, they've they've played four games without a turnover. You're not going to do that forever.
00:22:08:17 - 00:22:34:08
Tim Cowlishaw
They're playing perfect offense. And in that stretch they've won two games. So it takes a lot to make it work for Dallas. So I that that that Bronco performance Sunday baffles me. I don't know how they didn't score for three quarters and then did what they did, but I think Bo Nix is pretty good. And I think that's got to that's got to be a weird boost of confidence for them to win a game like that.
00:22:34:08 - 00:22:41:08
Tim Cowlishaw
So I would think it's going to be somewhere in the 3223 range. Denver.
00:22:41:08 - 00:22:49:22
Woody Paige
I know you're close to shooting your age on the golf course. You should come back to Colorado because you might be able to do it here.
00:22:49:25 - 00:22:50:14
Speaker 2
Just one day.
00:22:50:14 - 00:22:56:19
Speaker 5
I'll be happy about that.
00:22:57:28 - 00:22:58:23
Speaker 5
Bit down.
00:22:58:25 - 00:23:00:13
Ron Zappolo
Well, thanks for coming on.
00:23:00:15 - 00:23:04:08
Speaker 5
To the United States on your.
00:23:04:11 - 00:23:05:06
Speaker 4
Yeah.
00:23:05:08 - 00:23:09:29
Woody Paige
Okay. It's. I have a shooting my age as if I lived to 104.
00:23:10:27 - 00:23:18:06
Woody Paige
Tim, College shot the second best all time. Truly the best.
00:23:18:08 - 00:23:21:19
Woody Paige
In everything. Thanks. Thanks, Tim. Take care of yourself.
00:23:21:21 - 00:23:22:29
Speaker 5
Guys. Take a.
00:23:25:10 - 00:23:35:12
Ron Zappolo
Woody, as always, we care about our degenerate gamblers in the audience. So let's go through some games and give them some really bad misinformation.
00:23:35:12 - 00:23:44:14
Woody Paige
All right. I've got a piece of breaking news that is amazing to me that for people around the world that don't know about it, there is gambling in Colorado.
00:23:44:14 - 00:23:44:29
Ron Zappolo
Yes, there.
00:23:44:29 - 00:23:59:01
Woody Paige
Is out in the mountains and it is casino gambling. And I've gone up actually eight times. You know, I'm a big part of the Chamber of Commerce here. You can come here and actually have a but Las Vegas kind of attitude in the mountains.
00:23:59:02 - 00:24:01:27
Ron Zappolo
You can drive right up the hill 45 minutes from here.
00:24:02:03 - 00:24:22:00
Woody Paige
That's that's a free commercial for not mentioning any of the casinos. But but there's the casinos and the state, like, had banned some candy bars already. Okay. So you're not you're you're prohibited. You can't come back. And I still can't figure out the story. What did these guys do where they'd like picking up chicks.
00:24:22:04 - 00:24:28:27
Ron Zappolo
Counting cards or picking up chips or hey, how about Oklahoma and Ole Miss? Do you have any feel on that game?
00:24:28:29 - 00:24:55:11
Woody Paige
I think there's strange happenings going on at Ole Miss. There's a coach there that's got more attention at more places. That's true. Anybody in the world and they were undefeated. They have since dropped down from second or third place down to eight. And I have a feeling just pad this way that the coach at Ole Miss is going to become the coach at Florida.
00:24:55:13 - 00:25:07:10
Ron Zappolo
Yeah. You know what? I think you're right. I think you're right. And I think the coach at Ole Miss loves the fact that he's been bandied about for all these jobs. But I think the Florida opening. That sounds right.
00:25:07:12 - 00:25:08:28
Woody Paige
Yeah. And that would.
00:25:08:28 - 00:25:10:14
Ron Zappolo
Which means Oklahoma will carry.
00:25:10:17 - 00:25:32:13
Woody Paige
That will be the fourth SEC goal that he's either been an offensive coordinator or head coach. And Oklahoma's trying to get back in track and not being played paid much attention to. And they are ranked at 13. But they're six and one in Oklahoma sort of slid out of the the picture for the last couple.
00:25:32:13 - 00:25:51:14
Ron Zappolo
Of got a close friend who's an Oklahoma alum and he played there and he told me this year he doesn't think they're that good. I think Oklahoma fans are spoiled. I remember when they had Stoops and they would lose one game every year, and he always complained that they lost one game every year. So Oklahoma, they can't satisfy anybody.
00:25:51:14 - 00:25:54:24
Ron Zappolo
They're six and one. It'll be a good ball game.
00:25:54:26 - 00:25:55:12
Woody Paige
Who you got?
00:25:55:12 - 00:25:56:24
Ron Zappolo
Because I'm going to take that.
00:25:56:26 - 00:26:02:24
Woody Paige
We're betting our paychecks. We, So far I've had to reach in my wallet to get more.
00:26:02:24 - 00:26:10:11
Ron Zappolo
Money, but we're going to get it back this week. I have no strong feeling on this game, but I would. I would shade Oklahoma. You.
00:26:10:14 - 00:26:23:26
Woody Paige
I'm going to go, miss. Okay. I think it's a bounce back. And I also think that this will be, a game that Ole Miss must have in order for the coach to come home.
00:26:23:28 - 00:26:30:07
Ron Zappolo
So if he loses this, that's the next. Hey, how about Vanderbilt? They beat Elisha.
00:26:30:09 - 00:26:30:29
Woody Paige
And.
00:26:31:01 - 00:26:39:16
Ron Zappolo
The quarterback is, you know, doing the Heisman pose in the end zone. They've got another tough test this week against Missouri.
00:26:39:18 - 00:26:44:14
Woody Paige
Vanderbilt really hasn't been a team to factor in the Southeastern.
00:26:44:14 - 00:26:46:27
Ron Zappolo
Conference since maybe ever.
00:26:47:00 - 00:27:06:11
Woody Paige
Well I was going to say late in World War Two now was 48 or 49 was the last time Vanderbilt had a really great, football team. Missouri hasn't had a really good football team. Got better last year since a guy named Drew Lock was a quarterback firing.
00:27:06:11 - 00:27:06:27
Ron Zappolo
It for them.
00:27:06:29 - 00:27:18:15
Woody Paige
This is an interesting game because you again have two teams that are six and one. Yeah they're six and one teams all over the Southeastern Conference. But none of them are rated now in the top three.
00:27:18:17 - 00:27:26:17
Ron Zappolo
But I Vanderbilt sold me last week. I'm going to take Vanderbilt in this game I like the quarterback. I think they got something going.
00:27:26:19 - 00:27:40:03
Woody Paige
I used to when I was going to school at Tennessee, I'd, drive from Memphis to Knoxville, and I'd always stop at Vanderbilt because they had, a great donut shop.
00:27:40:04 - 00:27:44:02
Ron Zappolo
I knew it was going to be food related. I've known you for 50 years.
00:27:44:02 - 00:27:55:26
Woody Paige
I knew it would be something. Me going to Vanderbilt was like stopping there for, for donuts. And my only other Vanderbilt story is covering the Broncos. Who played the Titans?
00:27:55:29 - 00:27:56:17
Ron Zappolo
Yes.
00:27:56:17 - 00:28:10:08
Woody Paige
In the Vanderbilt Stadium when the Titans came, came from, Houston to Nashville. And I got locked in the stadium and I called the police department, and I said, I'm locked in here. And they said, we don't know how to get an estate deal.
00:28:10:08 - 00:28:10:18
Ron Zappolo
So you.
00:28:10:24 - 00:28:18:02
Woody Paige
Tough. Can't you climb over a wall? No, no, no. So that's that's a story that means nothing. And you can add that up.
00:28:18:03 - 00:28:20:12
Ron Zappolo
Who are you going with, Vanderbilt or Missouri?
00:28:20:14 - 00:28:21:14
Woody Paige
I'm taking Missouri.
00:28:21:18 - 00:28:22:02
Ron Zappolo
Okay.
00:28:22:05 - 00:28:25:28
Woody Paige
We're. Because I always wanted to go to Missouri, but I couldn't afford to go to Missouri.
00:28:26:02 - 00:28:31:26
Ron Zappolo
LSU Texas A&M undefeated. Texas A&M against LSU.
00:28:31:27 - 00:28:43:06
Woody Paige
Speaking of coaches, the LSU you coach Kelly is, two days away from not going to Florida, but two days away from not being back in Louisiana.
00:28:43:10 - 00:28:49:04
Ron Zappolo
Gives he's still speaking with the southern accent because his next job he goes to New England. He's got to get the Bostonian at.
00:28:49:05 - 00:28:59:19
Woody Paige
The, last, the last, undefeated SEC team. And you wouldn't have suspected at the beginning of the year that it'd be Texas A&M. But no, I got to take Texas.
00:28:59:23 - 00:29:00:10
Ron Zappolo
So do I.
00:29:00:11 - 00:29:04:05
Woody Paige
I don't think LSU is just not that good. Average team. They're an.
00:29:04:05 - 00:29:05:16
Ron Zappolo
Average. You know they're not that good.
00:29:05:17 - 00:29:07:09
Woody Paige
And I don't like Kelly as a coach. I don't.
00:29:07:09 - 00:29:07:23
Ron Zappolo
Either or.
00:29:07:23 - 00:29:08:11
Woody Paige
As the person.
00:29:08:11 - 00:29:32:23
Ron Zappolo
So we both agree Texas A&M okay. Let me just start here. Colorado Utah I watched the BYU Utah game Saturday night. I was impressed with both BYU and Utah. Utah is a heavy favorite in this game. I hate to say this. It hurts, but I'm going to take Utah in this game. This had hurt because I want to.
00:29:32:24 - 00:29:34:16
Ron Zappolo
I live here in Denver.
00:29:34:18 - 00:29:37:28
Speaker 1
You my people are upset. I'm calling you.
00:29:38:00 - 00:29:53:28
Ron Zappolo
I hope you're right. Listen. Anything's possible. See, you hasn't shown me enough that they can go in Utah. Kyle Whittingham does a good job. They're tough team. They're physical team BYU is terrific. They took them right down to the end. I got to go with Utah.
00:29:54:00 - 00:30:10:28
Woody Paige
I said this at the start of the season. I thought Colorado would just get to the bowl. Spot. And their favorite fan, died recently. That's true. They wanted to get to a bowl for him. They're not trying to be in the national playoff.
00:30:11:04 - 00:30:13:00
Ron Zappolo
They got to win three more games divisions.
00:30:13:00 - 00:30:19:21
Woody Paige
But this is not where they're going to win one of those games. I think they're some on the schedule upcoming.
00:30:19:22 - 00:30:21:25
Ron Zappolo
I agree if not this changes.
00:30:21:29 - 00:30:38:16
Woody Paige
No. I like I like Utah. Every year they get they have a great coaching staff. They do. They have a good fan base. I don't think people really pay attention to around the country. And Utah is a better team this year than, I think a lot of people.
00:30:38:18 - 00:30:49:29
Ron Zappolo
I agree with you, tub, that BYU game was a terrific game. Oh, we got the pro games tonight. The Vikings at the Chargers. Let me ask you something. What the hell is happened to the Chargers.
00:30:50:01 - 00:30:55:18
Woody Paige
Well I ask you what the hell happened with the Vikings. Oh I picked up the Eagles.
00:30:55:18 - 00:30:58:09
Ron Zappolo
Beat them. They bounced back as I knew they would.
00:30:58:10 - 00:31:18:06
Woody Paige
Okay. The Vikings are surprising me because they don't look any good to me. No they did last game. They didn't look any good. The Chargers don't have a running game. I thought you know everybody thought this was going to be for years and years. Payton Sean Payton and Harbaugh.
00:31:18:08 - 00:31:18:17
Ron Zappolo
Yep.
00:31:18:23 - 00:31:41:17
Woody Paige
The two guys that were really the finalists for the Denver Broncos. Exactly. And they both end up in the same division. And last year the Chargers were stronger and horrible than the Broncos. I think the Chargers are suck team. I don't know any other way to put it. I don't think they're any good. I am going to go back to the Vikings and pick them again, because I don't think the Chargers.
00:31:41:22 - 00:32:09:15
Ron Zappolo
You clearly are making like the Giants defensive coordinator the same mistake twice. The Chargers are not any good. They are suck team. But this is a circle the wagons game for Harbaugh. They have to win this game or the season is going to float away. I'm going to take the Chargers. I'm going to lay the two and a half that they're going to beat the dog Minnesota Vikings goal.
00:32:09:18 - 00:32:29:01
Ron Zappolo
Hello okay I don't know. Cowboys. Broncos may be the game of the day. The maybe the best offense this side of Kansas City comes into Denver would be to play a team that I thought had the best defense in the NFL, but I am now. My confidence is shaken with that.
00:32:29:04 - 00:32:35:23
Woody Paige
I'm not really worried about the Broncos defense. I would like for their players not to get suspended by attacking.
00:32:35:24 - 00:32:36:28
Ron Zappolo
Attacking referees that.
00:32:37:01 - 00:32:38:01
Woody Paige
After the game is over.
00:32:38:03 - 00:32:39:15
Ron Zappolo
Yes, that would be good.
00:32:39:15 - 00:32:41:17
Woody Paige
Time to get a flag, Troy.
00:32:41:18 - 00:32:45:21
Ron Zappolo
Actually, for a guy who got a lot of money and hadn't played yet. Yeah.
00:32:45:24 - 00:33:15:06
Woody Paige
The offense scares me. And yeah, a two, two of two weeks ago and I saw it show up on YouTube again in passing that I said to you at that time, I'm still not sold on Bo Nix. I'm not sold on the offense. I am not sold on Sean Payton. And I said this the first show we had, Sean Payton, was the worst play caller during the exhibition season.
00:33:15:08 - 00:33:50:11
Woody Paige
They they let the quarterback coach call the plays. They like the offensive coordinator call the plays. He called them Sean Payton did the last game of the season. He was the worst of the three guys. We saw a a dull, boring screen offense when I mean screen offense. He's in love with the screen pass. I have never seen a team in Denver that throws more passes that are directly, one yard or directly behind you.
00:33:50:13 - 00:33:53:24
Ron Zappolo
I know he doesn't want to run the ball, and I don't understand why.
00:33:53:25 - 00:34:04:10
Woody Paige
He reminds me. And you, you and I were there. Yeah, Dan Reeves wanted John Elway to play it conservatively and win at the end. He wanted.
00:34:04:10 - 00:34:05:24
Ron Zappolo
To win every game 20 to.
00:34:05:24 - 00:34:35:18
Woody Paige
17. Yeah. And John Elway wanted to be aggressive. Bo Nix wants to run the football. He wants to throw downfield. But if you watch that game for the first half forget about the third quarter. The first half I saw 17 screen passes. How many passes did you see to Sutton down the field? Maybe two attempts. But I'm seeing RJ Harvey getting passes winging out for two yards.
00:34:35:21 - 00:34:41:11
Woody Paige
I'm seeing Bo Nix throwing the ball backwards. I mean, it could be described as I.
00:34:41:11 - 00:34:46:21
Ron Zappolo
Thought it was a poorly coached game on both sides. Before we go. Steelers and Packers.
00:34:46:25 - 00:34:48:08
Woody Paige
Making ruckus, by the way.
00:34:48:10 - 00:35:01:14
Ron Zappolo
I'm gonna take the Broncos to, I'm gonna take the Packers in this game. I don't think the Steelers are any good. I think we saw that against the Bengals. I think the Packers started hot. Had a little lull. They're pretty good. I'll take the Packers.
00:35:01:14 - 00:35:03:07
Woody Paige
And I'm going with the Steelers I.
00:35:03:08 - 00:35:03:23
Ron Zappolo
Cut.
00:35:03:26 - 00:35:09:25
Woody Paige
I still have faith. And I thought Bart Bart Aaron Rodgers played a great game.
00:35:09:26 - 00:35:10:09
Ron Zappolo
He did.
00:35:10:10 - 00:35:13:16
Woody Paige
It. He just got he he just got beat at the end.
00:35:13:18 - 00:35:18:21
Ron Zappolo
Joe Flacco played a little bit better but they both played well, especially for two. It's gotta be important.
00:35:18:24 - 00:35:20:28
Woody Paige
To Rodgers is to be better Joe.
00:35:20:28 - 00:35:23:24
Ron Zappolo
Flacco play another 40 year old guy.
00:35:24:07 - 00:35:41:26
Ron Zappolo
Woody, the World Series starts on Friday. Dodgers, blue Jays. We see the odds there. The Dodgers are heavily favored. I got to ask you, with the Dodgers with their payroll. Are they the new Yankees or are they the team that baseball fans across America are going to root against?
00:35:41:28 - 00:35:49:20
Woody Paige
We don't know that this going to last for a while, though, because the ownership around the league don't want the Dodgers.
00:35:49:20 - 00:35:50:03
Ron Zappolo
Don't like.
00:35:50:03 - 00:35:55:25
Woody Paige
To have the biggest payroll. One that's over $500 million.
00:35:55:25 - 00:35:56:17
Ron Zappolo
Not happy with this.
00:35:56:17 - 00:36:06:00
Woody Paige
The Dodgers respond to that. They take all of that money. They say. And I think there's truth to this. And they put it back into the that's.
00:36:06:00 - 00:36:08:10
Ron Zappolo
Why they in the World Series and back to back years.
00:36:08:10 - 00:36:24:13
Woody Paige
They gave Ohtani $700 million in total amount that he'll eventually get. And in the first year, they got most of that money back in sponsorships with Japanese country, company.
00:36:24:13 - 00:36:34:22
Ron Zappolo
But I can see why the other owners are not happy with the Dodgers. They all want to be like Tampa Bay, you know, spend very little, have some success. They don't want to spend $1 billion.
00:36:34:22 - 00:36:55:14
Woody Paige
But there is a question the Blue Jays, who also have a pretty strong they do payroll that it proves that you don't have to spend the $580 to get to the World Series. It took every moment of their life to get into the World Series. I've watched that. Yeah.
00:36:55:14 - 00:36:58:08
Ron Zappolo
The game seven was a great game. It was a great game.
00:36:58:10 - 00:37:14:12
Woody Paige
I didn't think and I told you 2 or 3 weeks ago I said, I don't know. I think I see the Dodgers repeating because it doesn't happen. But what they do have is they've got a four string starting pitcher that also could give you three home runs.
00:37:14:12 - 00:37:35:06
Ron Zappolo
It again and again. Yeah. Which might be the great might not forget the might be the greatest performance ever. Tell me away. And that listen you're right about the Blue Jays. Their payroll is better. But the key to the Blue Jays season came in spring training when they signed Vladimir Guerrero to a long term deal. And Vladimir Guerrero has been the best player in the playoffs.
00:37:35:06 - 00:37:40:12
Woody Paige
Sure. And they've managed to do all this without Dante Bichette son.
00:37:40:12 - 00:37:49:06
Ron Zappolo
That's true. That's a great point. He has not played since about the 1st of September. If he were to come back, would you give the Blue Jays a chance now?
00:37:49:06 - 00:37:56:19
Woody Paige
I don't know. And I was wrong three weeks ago and I said Dodgers aren't going to win it. They have a better starting rotation, much better.
00:37:56:22 - 00:37:57:00
Ron Zappolo
They have.
00:37:57:00 - 00:37:58:10
Woody Paige
A better leadoff.
00:37:58:17 - 00:38:03:16
Ron Zappolo
Hitter, much better keep going because there they have the advantage everywhere.
00:38:03:21 - 00:38:09:23
Woody Paige
You don't know what all of those this dancing Hernandez this in the al.
00:38:09:23 - 00:38:12:00
Ron Zappolo
T.K. and Teoscar. Yeah. Yes.
00:38:12:01 - 00:38:20:14
Woody Paige
And you Freddie Freeman shows up where he was. Yeah. At shortstop. You go, Smith's back and healthy again.
00:38:20:14 - 00:38:48:05
Ron Zappolo
But let me say this. You and I both know this because we're old baseball fans. We can go back in time and look at a number of World Series where some player out of the woodwork comes out and has a great World Series, whether it's jean tennis from the Oakland A's, there's always a guy, you know, there may be some guy in Toronto that we're not thinking about that comes out and, you know, hits 600 and plays great.
00:38:48:07 - 00:38:51:23
Ron Zappolo
I'm hoping that happens for an in an interesting World Series.
00:38:51:25 - 00:39:00:24
Woody Paige
I think we're both pulling for one World Series. Yes. And if the Blue Jays were to win it I'm not anti Dodgers. I'm not.
00:39:00:27 - 00:39:01:08
Ron Zappolo
I'm not.
00:39:01:09 - 00:39:09:01
Woody Paige
Either Blue Jays. But I'd like to see a great series. And I'd like to see somebody like the Blue Jays. We're talking 32 years.
00:39:09:01 - 00:39:13:27
Ron Zappolo
Yes. Since they've been there. Yeah. I mean, we're spoiled, but 32 old there.
00:39:13:27 - 00:39:16:21
Woody Paige
I was that at the last one when they played the Phillies.
00:39:16:21 - 00:39:17:08
Ron Zappolo
Yes.
00:39:17:08 - 00:39:27:03
Woody Paige
And what I remember distinctly is it shows you my stories is, I was having to travel back and forth between Philadelphia and Toronto.
00:39:27:05 - 00:39:28:04
Ron Zappolo
Which is not easy.
00:39:28:04 - 00:39:40:13
Woody Paige
I'm in a hotel in Toronto, and I got to catch a flight at 4:00 in the morning to get to Philadelphia, and there's a wedding reception in the room next to me all day long.
00:39:40:17 - 00:39:42:19
Ron Zappolo
You see.
00:39:42:21 - 00:39:50:28
Woody Paige
You and your friends tell these great sports stories. My sports stories are, Gee, how am I going to get to sleep?
00:39:51:01 - 00:40:09:17
Ron Zappolo
Do you want me? Do you want me to tell our listeners and viewers the greatest story you ever told me? I don't even know if you remember this. That has nothing to do with sports. Can I tell it? Okay. Woody and I were on the road. This had to be at least 30 years ago, and I can't remember where we were in.
00:40:09:17 - 00:40:36:12
Ron Zappolo
Woody told me the story. Natasha, I'm not making this up. He can confirm this, that he was busy, and we. I think we had a cocktail and we were going up to our rooms, and I think I left first, and Woody went to go on the elevator, and a lady of the evening came up to Woody and said, for $200, I'll go up to your room and do whatever you want.
00:40:36:15 - 00:40:45:25
Ron Zappolo
And Woody said to the woman, okay, write a game story in a sidebar, and we got a deal. No. Is that true?
00:40:45:27 - 00:40:46:15
Woody Paige
Yeah.
00:40:46:18 - 00:40:50:00
Speaker 1
Let's go. Well, and so did she do it?
00:40:50:02 - 00:40:52:07
Ron Zappolo
We don't want to go that far. We're just.
00:40:52:10 - 00:41:00:14
Woody Paige
She figured out what column calling could be something against a wall, but, sidebar, she couldn't.
00:41:00:17 - 00:41:11:10
Ron Zappolo
She couldn't figure that out. But I always remembered Natasha, that story because he told me that, like, the next day, and I couldn't stop laughing. And I remembered it forever. One of the great Woody Page.
00:41:11:10 - 00:41:12:29
Woody Paige
Story series with Toronto.
00:41:13:00 - 00:41:17:28
Speaker 1
And one that I don't think has actually been told before, which is kind of rare nowadays.
00:41:18:00 - 00:41:18:28
Woody Paige
Toronto,
00:41:18:28 - 00:41:27:16
Woody Paige
is in a dome stadium, and they have a hotel that's windows are.
00:41:27:20 - 00:41:28:22
Speaker 1
Oh, that look over there.
00:41:28:22 - 00:41:31:12
Ron Zappolo
They, they look over there, over the ballpark.
00:41:31:13 - 00:41:50:27
Woody Paige
And so I'm there for the opening game of the of it may not have been the opening game. I think the series opened in Philadelphia, the first World Series game in Toronto. And with, binoculars, you could see into the hotel rooms, and there were people having sex.
00:41:53:04 - 00:41:55:02
Ron Zappolo
Watching. Okay.
00:41:55:04 - 00:41:56:02
Woody Paige
It is a true story.
00:41:56:02 - 00:41:58:29
Ron Zappolo
On that note, we're both picking the Dodgers, right?
00:41:59:02 - 00:42:01:12
Woody Paige
Yes, but we're hoping. But we're hoping.
00:42:01:12 - 00:42:03:01
Ron Zappolo
Season seven game series.
00:42:03:01 - 00:42:03:15
Woody Paige
Series.
00:42:03:15 - 00:42:06:25
Ron Zappolo
We don't want to see what the Dodgers did to the Brewers in the World Series.
00:42:06:25 - 00:42:07:00
Woody Paige
We've
00:42:07:00 - 00:42:16:23
Woody Paige
got a great, great, competition. You talk about who's going to be good. I don't think it's going to be somebody that's coming out of the, woodwork. I think it's going to be.
00:42:16:26 - 00:42:17:04
Ron Zappolo
The.
00:42:17:05 - 00:42:20:14
Woody Paige
One of the two guys. Guerrero. Springer. Credible,
00:42:20:14 - 00:42:23:14
Woody Paige
postseasons and our great superstars.
00:42:23:16 - 00:42:28:07
Ron Zappolo
Yeah. Guerrero. Ohtani hopefully opens a great series. We agree on that.