After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 4

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Download the Odyssey app today. We're heading into Halloween weekend. We're heading into the last weekend of October. I don't know how many times I've said it over the last 24 hours out loud and to myself.

And it's still hard to wrap my brain around. But happy Friday, happy Halloween weekend for those of you who observe. And even if you don't observe, there's candy floating around everywhere.

So it's definitely worth pilfering someone else's candy if they observe. Or whatever else you have planned for the weekend. I'm going to a symphony orchestra concert for a performance of Jaws. The John Williams score.

And John Williams is one of my favorite composers. I've never seen Jaws. Don't at me.

I'm not sure what people get more upset about the fact that I've never seen The Godfather or I've never seen Jaws. Either way, I will finally rectify one of those problems this weekend. Plus some golf and some time outside. And I'm going to a hockey game.

Look at me. I'm doing everything this weekend except for cleaning the house. Boom.

Also have NFL week eight and college football and the start of the World Series. Finally. Oh my goodness. I generally like to use the phrase about the NFL. We can't miss you if you never go away.

And I think that that's true with humans too, for the most part. If you never leave, if we're always together and you never go away, I can't miss you. But when it comes to baseball, that does not apply because it went away. And I'm not sure how many people missed it. It's more about the tree falling in the woods and nobody's there to hear it.

That's more what it's like. But finally, we're getting back to baseball. And we've got the opener of the World Series in Houston. The roof will be closed is what I read at Minute Maid Park. And so we've got the championship round in baseball.

I dare say, though, that football is still dominating the center ring of the circus. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We're live from the Rocket Mortgage Studios. Whether you're looking to purchase a new home or refinance yours, Rocket Mortgage can help you get there.

For home loan solutions that fit your life, Rocket can. We have put our Game of the Week poll up on Twitter, Alaw Radio, or on our show, Twitter. And you can vote there. Now, it's an intriguing weekend. If for no other reason than there are two New York teams in our Game of the Week poll, I honestly think that has never happened until this week.

We've been doing this poll for quite a while, for several years at least. And still, it's it's rare to see and to kind of even think about these two New York teams, the Jets and the Giants being part of the upper echelon of the NFL right now. Stop asking if they're for real. They're for real in week number eight.

That's all you need to know. I have zero clue what happens down the road, but I know right now the Seahawks are in first place. Right now, the Giants are tied for the most wins in the NFL.

Right now, the Jets are five and two and are looking for revenge against the Patriots. So there's a lot that we can take away from this weekend as we'll actually cap the end of the second month of the regular season. So the poll is up on both Twitter and Facebook. We're so, so, so happy that you enjoyed our conversation with author Jeff Perlman, who's got the new Bo Jackson book coming out. Hundreds of you responding and listening to either the interview live on the air or catching it on podcast. In addition, we've seen a ton of traffic on our new YouTube video.

Why? Because whenever we make fools of ourselves, you always show up for that amusement. The second half of our Halloween double feature will be posted on Friday. Freaky Friday going into Halloween. It is in fact our feeble attempt to carve a pumpkin. Jake is bad when I say that because he feels like we did a really good job, but it was a pretty bang up. There are second graders who do a better job at carving pumpkins than we do.

I can't say you're wrong, but it was also our first time doing it. And I feel like we did successfully carve the pumpkin. We made the pumpkin cry.

That is also very accurate. I can't let people forget that this is maybe going to be the only time in your life you'll ever see a pumpkin cry. But we managed to do it.

Poor Josephine. We never knew ye. I feel a little bad. Yes.

You didn't at the time though. You laughed like it was the funniest thing you've ever seen. I didn't know that the pumpkins could cry like that. So first half of our double feature for Halloween and National Pumpkin Day is on our YouTube channel. It's our best Halloween candy. Our stairway to seven best Halloween candy. But pretty soon, yes, definitely for amusement and entertainment.

It'll be good all the way through Halloween, right? Our feeble and almost futile attempts to carve a pumpkin. We've been embarrassed by a second grader or we would be if we had invited us. We should have done that. We should have invited a second grader to be part of this process. Can you out carve a second grader? I mean, next year.

Yeah, that's I feel like that's probably not something we want to put on video. But what do I know in the midst of all this week eight kicking off in the NFL. And initially I was impressed with the way the Buccaneers were playing football.

Now, I wasn't impressed with them botching their first point, but they at least overcame that. They actually were applying fundamentals. The basics get back to the basics. Run the ball and stop the run. Run the ball and stop the run. He ran right over the back of the leopard. See if he runs left again. They stack up on that side of the line again for that running left.

He gets a touchdown this time. No doubt about it. A big block on that left side. Was that leopard that opened the door?

I think it was. Fire the cannons. Bucks lead six to three. Gene Decker off on Bucks radio. They actually jumped out to attend three lead. So after the botched punt, the Ravens were able to kick a field goal, but did not get into the end zone, even though they were up close immediately. And in addition to running the ball with Leonard Fournette's touchdown and actually making the ground game a priority.

Initially, I'm not telling you it lasted. I'm just telling you that appeared to be the game plan right off the top. The Buccaneers are dead last in the NFL and running the ball, which just blows my mind. You want to know why they're having so many problems on offense?

How about start there? But that all revolves around the offensive line. It's not like Leonard Fournette forgot how to run the ball. And the O line has had a revolving door. They've lost guys to injuries.

It's just been a mess. And so that is their weak link. But the defense is still tremendous.

And the defense not only stuffed pretty much every attempt by Baltimore to run the ball in the first half, but also it was up for the challenge of fourth down in the red zone. Jackson takes the snap. Looking left.

Pocket collapsing. Pumps one. Fires back in the end zone. Broken up.

Incomplete. He was looking for DeMarcus Robinson. And Jamel Dean got a hand on the ball and broke it up. That's Jerry Sandusky on Ravens radio. So late second quarter, they have a fourth downstop in the red zone.

They also block a Justin Tucker field goal attempt. And you're thinking, okay, this is more like what we expected to see from the Buccaneers. But then halftime occurred and it might've been a bit of a body swap in anticipation of Halloween.

A tale of two very different bodies. Two very different halves. More committed to running the ball in the second half. And the more they did it, the more successful they were at it because they were wearing down that Buck Stevens.

The time of possession was so completely lopsided that it tells a major story. Now I would say part of the reason that the Ravens committed to running the ball in the second half is to keep it away from Tom Brady. Also part of the reason they lost to Mark Andrews and Rashad Bateman. So two of Lamar Jackson's targets.

But they're also good at it. They're good at running the ball. Why not run the ball when you have the guys who can do it? So from Gus Edwards to Kenyon Drake to Lamar, Devin DuVernay getting into the end zone as well. If you can run the ball, I don't see why you make it rocket science.

Why get away from what works? This is the Ravens identity. So after going into the halftime locker room, which is three points, a fourth downstop, a block field goal, they come out a completely different team in the third quarter. First and goal. Ravens at the Buccaneer five, DuVernay and Ricard stack to the right.

Now Ricard comes in motion to the left. Jackson rolls to the right, throws to Drake at the four, turns the corner, touchdown Ravens. Kenyon Drake untouched in for six. Jackson takes the snap, makes the handoff, drifting backwards, running to the right, fires back at the end zone, caught Isaiah Lightley, touchdown Ravens. And the rookie tight end with his first NFL grab in the end zone, his first NFL touchdown gives the Ravens their first lead of the night.

Once again, Jerry Sandusky on Ravens radio. So the Ravens come out like a house on fire. They run the ball. They don't ask Lamar Jackson to pass it a whole lot, but in three consecutive touchdown drives, he goes eight for eight as in total eight for eight. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers can't keep the ball more than say three snaps, four snaps. They keep setting their defense out there to face the Ravens and their, their tails are worn out because they're on the field for long possessions for long stretches of time and they're not getting a break because the Tampa offense is going five consecutive punts and short, short trips out there on the field. It's after hours here on CBS sports radio, one great example of, of the benefit of ball control and dominating time of possession and running the ball. The Buccaneers were able to finally get a couple of field goals on the board and they were trailing by 11 points.

So simple math, two possession game, they need to get a field goal and a touchdown with the two point conversion. Oh, that's their nemesis. But they do it. They get it. They get a field goal. They pull with an eight. Now all they need to get the ball back to Tom Brady is what a stop.

That's what they need. Very first snap by the Ravens after the Bucks have pulled with an eight, a 40 yard run by Drake. And that speaks directly to the fact that the Buccaneers defense was gassed. And so by the time the, the Buccaneers do get the ball back, really they're down by two possessions again.

And it's almost a moot point. However, it is a little befuddling that they seemingly cannot figure out what to do on two point conversions. Fourth down and goal from the eighth rating. Those are dark hot ball, three, two, one, touch down Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a flag throw Julio Jones makes the catch, but a flag has been thrown. Forty nine seconds left and let's see what number four, first time we've called Jason Pierre Paul's name tonight, former bucketeer and the Buccaneers score a touchdown.

You hear the cannons fire. Twenty seven. Twenty two. You got to go for two three point ball game. Here's the snap inside handoff Rashad white will be stood up and stopped and the Bucks will go Oh, and three on two point conversion hips in 20, 22, 27, 22, two point try fails. Yeah.

Just who knows? There's all kinds of issues and to hear Todd bulls and Tom Brady speak, they don't really have the answers either. But I know you can only ask your defense to do so much. Jean Decker Hall from the final minute there and the Ravens could run out the clock and get their fifth, the win of the season. And so right now they have a, I should say a nose in front. When it comes to the AFC North, it's been a bit of a crap shoot, but because they've got the win in hand there at five and three, the Bengals are at four and three Bengals actually play the Browns on Monday night, but they've lost Jamar chase to a hip injury. Huge blow.

I'm sure painful, but he could be out up to two months. So they've got other weapons. I mean, Tyler Boyd has certainly been a target of Joe Burrows to this point. We've seen him with some really long pass plays, but the Ravens are in a good position. They're now in a position of strength in the AFC North and John Harbaugh loves the fact that there were so many Ravens fans who made the trip to Tampa. I just think it was a team effort, you know, and you say a team effort, I would, I would kind of include the fans in that too. You know, just an all around team effort. I mean, we had a lot of fans here when they shouted the O to start, it sounded like a home game almost. I mean, I don't know what the numbers were, but they were loud and they were into it the whole game and it really helped us. I thought it really boosts us because this was kind of a, this was kind of a fight to the end kind of game from an energy standpoint in terms of, in terms of not wearing down and executing when you're tired and you know, wearing, trying to wear an opponent down. I think both teams are trying to do that and our guys prevailed and I think our fans were a big part of that.

Yeah. They definitely wore down the Bucks, this war of attrition on Thursday night football after a short work week, it definitely turned to their favor because of the way they were able to run the ball. The Ravens racked up more than 200 rushing yards in the second half alone.

Again, think about that from a defensive standpoint. So then what changed to what was different in the second half Lamar? Our coach earlier was just throwing the ball, you know, seeing what they was going to give us. We had opportunities, you know, just came up short and second half, you know, just called a lot more run plays and I was guys bought their tail off and I ran about hitting the holes and doing what they're supposed to do. And meanwhile, even without Mark Andrews, who is obviously their best receiver, their top target and without Rashad Bateman, it's opportunities for others to step up.

Isaiah, likely the rookie tight end hauling in his first ever touchdown pass. It really shows you a family atmosphere and shows you how hungry, I mean, when they both went down, you know, they're a big piece of our offense. So you look at your brother and you look how, you know, they want to be out there with us. So you really want to lift their spirits up and show them that we're going to do it for them. Whether they're in the game or not, we don't, we don't bring this home for them. So the Ravens are in first place. They've got the win in hand. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are three and five and this stat blows me away. Obviously Brady didn't spend the majority of his career in Tampa, but for the first time in his entire career, so more than two decades, a team that he's quarterbacking is two games below 500. Now in and of itself, that's astounding.

That's crazy. You want to talk about consistency, but in the moment it's a problem. It's not so astounding in the moment.

It's a problem. And to hear Todd bulls and Tom Brady once again, after yet another loss, now their fifth loss in six games, they don't have answers. They're still searching for them. Still dark. Until you win ball games consistently and play four quarters consistently, it's going to be dark. You know, that doesn't mean we can't get out of it. I mean, we just have a lot of work to do as coaches and as players. I think we struggle pretty much at everything, you know, we just struggle in red areas, struggle in third down, struggle in the run game, two point plays, short yardage, back up, start first quarter, start in the third quarter.

Is that it? Not very good offense football. Shooting ourselves in the foot, whether it's mentally, whether it's penalties, whether it's missed assignment, you know, we got to play better, you know, we got to play better all the way around. It's not just the offense, it's the special teams and the defense. Definitely a huge boost for the Ravens defense that at times has given up a lot of yards, has seen three teams come back on them with fourth quarter comebacks, not always on them, but the Ravens defense at time has been called out or has been soft. And so for them to be able to contain Tom Brady, the Buccaneers weapons, certainly the less they have the ball, the better. But big deal for Justin Houston and the Ravens defense. I think anytime you can put pressure on them and make them hold the ball, that's the biggest thing Tom. He's a, he's a coach on the field. So he sees everything before it even happened.

So anytime you can adjust and make them think just a little bit, that's what you want. Todd Bulls calls it a dark day in Tampa. It's a dark day in Tampa.

It's still so dark. Last hour we were talking to Sean O'Hara, who's a former offensive lineman, Super Bowl winner with the Giants now on NFL network, and I actually brought up Brady, not because of the Buccaneers issues, but because of the, he said something about Peyton Manning and his personality was to cuss out his teammates if they screwed up where Eli's was, was definitely not the same. And so I just kind of asked him about quarterbacks cussing out offensive lineman and Tom Brady.

And he said, it made a couple of good points. He said, Tom Brady's having to take on that role because that's not Todd Bulls. They made a coaching change. Bruce Arians is the one who would do the cussing out, but now that there's no BA to do that and it's not Bulls personality, it falls on Brady a lot of the time to rally the troops on the sidelines. And then you hear Justin Houston say he's a coach on the field. Yeah.

All that wisdom and experience. And so nobody seems to have a problem with Brady cussing out or yelling at his teammates or offensive lineman, except for fans, of course, they're the ones that have a problem with it. That's a great conversation with Sean O'Hara, by the way, we were hoping to replay part of it, but I don't think we're going to get to it this hour. So check it out on our podcast after hours, Amy Lawrence.com. Yes, the Giants are for real time to start asking why not if, so we still have plenty of NFL preview for you, plus this world series, this championship round in baseball, I suppose that we're going to have to pay attention to it.

I know I'm being sarcastic. I'm actually looking forward to it, but it just seems like forever since we talked about baseball or scene of baseball. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on Twitter vote for the game of the week. So after hours, CBS or on our Facebook page, good morning to you on CBS sports radio. You are listening to the after hours podcast throughout the sixties and seventies throughout the sixties and seventies. It's time for QB news on after hours.

Are you ready? Buckle up. We've got more week eight preview through the eyes of your quarterbacks. It's after hours here on CBS sports radio. This is, this is one of the biggest storylines of the NFL to this point is Russell Wilson and the ineptitude of the Broncos offense with Russell Wilson.

Okay. It's not all on him, but man, you want to talk about lack of rhythm. He makes he and the Broncos make the bucks look like they're all pros across the board on offense.

That's how bad it is. Now they're on the road in London. Russ was doing high knees on the plane.

Everybody else was sleeping. We know he's specially gifted, but right now the Broncos office is not specially gifted and the general manager, George Patton is having to answer questions about Russ, even as they're headed for London. We know what Russ is capable of and it's our job to get the best out of Russ and our entire offense. And I know we'll get there, but you've seen the flashes with Russ, whether it was a, you know, the first half of the Raiders first half of chargers you see the arm strength, the accuracy, the mobility, and, and we all need to play better.

That's for sure on offense. We're in it for the long haul with Russ, not the first seven games. We believe, you know, we believe in Russ. I believe in Russ. We just need to play better on offense and the timing and the rhythm and we need an identity. You know, we really don't have an identity in offense.

And I think that comes with time and, and again, hopefully it comes soon. So the general manager is supporting his quarterback and says they're in it for the long haul, which is why they gave him the huge contract before they ever saw how it might work out there in Denver. And furthermore, no, he's not firing the head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

I support Nathaniel a hundred percent. He's been in this seven games as a head coach. The scrutiny he's, he's faced is unprecedented.

Oh please cry to your radar. We've had four prime time games. So he's kind of had to learn in front of the entire world, but I really like how the team he's, he's, he's kept the team together. He's they're connected. He's kept our building together and I appreciate how he's, he's fought through that.

Okay. I'll give him credit for that. But this is the plight of an NFL head coach. Not that I expect the Broncos to make a change mid season, but there have been coaches fired or replaced for less. I mean, it's, it's becoming glaringly obvious, at least initially that he was in over his head and wasn't ready, obviously it's early, just it's early and it's bad. So he's got to be the one or he's going to be the one who ends up serving as the sacrificial lamb.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS sports radio. If you hadn't heard, by the way, in that same division, the AFC West, the chiefs traded for Kadarius. Tony gave up a couple of draft picks to the New York giants. So this former first round draft pick who's missed a bunch of games with injuries. He's now a member of that chiefs wide receiving core, though they are off this weekend with their by got some good match ups in the NFL coming up this weekend. And that includes some division rivalries like the Rams and the Niners.

And of course, like jets and Patriots. Now we remember last time we actually looked up the score. I had it a little bit off. I had 53 to 14.

It was 54 to 13. The last time Pats and Jets played the big question around New England is whether or not Mack Jones will play on Sunday. Belichick says affirmative got a lot of, a lot of looks and a lot of reps here on getting ready for the Jets. They will go out and I hit it at a more regular practice tempo. So it'd be good to get out there and get that.

Now I took full workload yesterday, I expect them to be fully available here for the game and ready to go. I would have told you that yesterday, but when we were at that point, then let you know that. Thank you. Yeah.

No, not at all. Just trying to be helpful. Appreciate it.

Thought I mentioned it. It's like a game to see if you could have the last word, but since what is Bill Bell at check trying to be helpful, you can hear the smile on his face. Just trying to be helpful. And we'll see how it goes today, but what do you have to say today? We'll see how it goes today.

Day by day. I'm just trying to be helpful. Do you think anybody actually believed him, producer Jay? Probably not. Probably not.

That's why everyone was laughing. Okay. I really can't control that.

What do I, a doctor? Okay, so I could go on and on with Bill Bellajeg drops, but it's now Mac, Mac, Joe, I'm going to read the MRI. Okay. Stop it.

I'm trying to be serious again here. It's now Mac Jones's job again. And Zach Wilson, he's got this opportunity to find a little redemption against their division rival. It's going to be a fun challenge for us because I feel like we've grown a lot of people. I feel like mentally I'm in a lot better spot than I've been.

So, I'm really excited to take these guys on and I know the whole team is as well. In my ear, producer Jay just said, you started it. Okay. I'm sorry.

How old are we? You started it. I appreciate the question. I really do.

Day by day, producer Jay is walking on thin ice. That's all I have to say right now in there, pressing buttons with more Bill Bellajeg than any person needs on their Friday morning. All right. Patriots, Jets, yada, yada, yada, part of our after hours game of the week, so you can vote there. I don't know if it'll ever show up in our pool again. As for Tua and the Dolphins, they're on the road in Detroit and now that Tua's back, it's a real challenge for him to know when to hold them and when to fold them. Obviously had my coaches telling me we don't ever want you to do this. Obviously I get that coming off of the injury and what had happened prior with the concussion. But to me, it's football. You go out there and for me, I can see the first down in instances and want to do all that I can to go and get it.

But I don't know, it's football and I'm going to tell you, I got a slide, I got to do all of that. But instinctively, it's just, it's, I don't know, it's weird. It's like a weird competitive thing. I can understand it. It's football, but at the same time, you don't have to win the game on every snap. But I understand what he's saying. It's a competitive thing. He doesn't want to take it easy. He doesn't want to protect himself.

Though that can be the key to longevity. Tom Brady has done it for years. Interested to see what progress the Dolphins make in their second game with Tua back on the field. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. No one's really paying attention to the Houston Texans.

People are paying attention to the Houston Astros. Either way, Lovey Smith likes what he's seeing from his second year QB, Davis Mills. I don't know, the AFC South could potentially give us a wild card. Davis Mills has been getting better and better each week. My comments have been, I mean, maybe we haven't thrown for 500 yards each week, but we've seen growth from it. And that continues throughout, like his pocket presence, checking the ball down, just keeping us in the game. I suppose in 2022, when the offense is brutal, you actually like the fact that quarterbacks are checking down and are not turning the ball over.

Those are two great places to start. Texans can play spoiler and pick up a big win. Tennessee actually is ascended to the top of that division, winning four games in a row after starting out 0 and 2. The big game on Sunday night, well, it's a big game on paper.

Let's hope the Packers actually make it a game in Orchard Park, New York against the Bills. I'd love to hear Vaughn Miller talk about Josh out, he raves about him. And this week he was on NFL total access, just telling us all about Josh. Josh is a creature man, and I've been around some great quarterbacks.

A creature. Matthew Stafford, Peyton Manning, played with some other talented quarterbacks as well. You know, Josh is just, he's just different. I'm not talking about, you know, physical ability and throwing the ball or anything like that. You know, he just has this easy going personality, you know, you know, I've been around Peyton Manning, you know, he's like the sheriff, you know, you got, you got Matthew Stafford, you know, these guys are, you know, pretty serious and you know, Josh at all times, man, he, you know, he makes a joke out of everything, man, he doesn't take anything serious.

And I think it just trinkles down on everybody else. You know, Coach McDermott has been traditionally, you know, a tough guy, a tough coach, and you know, he eases up on us and I think that's the Josh Allen. I could be wrong. That sounds like Willie McGinnis laughing in the background.

Maybe not. NFL Total Access and Von Miller, I just, I love Von Miller and he's got an opportunity here with a third different team to chase a ring and he loves Josh Allen. Loves him. I know who the tackle is and I'm going against what I'm going to kill him.

What does it say about me that I, well, first of all, I dream about football sometimes during the season. And second of all, I've got Bill Belichick drops stuck in my head now, Jay actually said you started it. What? We don't have time for that. Seriously. It's like I'm just trying to be helpful. Okay, on that note, I'm just trying to be helpful too. And Brad Heller is going to kill me if I don't eventually turn over the microphone. Just trying to be helpful, Brad. That's all.

Just kind of warm up the audience for you. Well now I have Bill Belichick drops in my head too, so thank you for that also. Jay. Football season is here, the new Odyssey app lets you stay connected to your NFL team, your station, your shows. Follow your favorite stations and come back again and again. Get real time updates on everything you care about.

Miss your show? Jump back to their awesome rewide feature. The Odyssey app is NFL football, live and on demand, wherever you are, whenever you want. And do we mention it's all free? The Odyssey app today.

Throughout the sixties and seventies, throughout the sixties and seventies, you are listening to the after hours podcast. Got to Thompson, back to Curry, chased by hero, Curry with a dribble, crossover, takes the jumper, three ball, Curry, ridiculous, timeout, Miami. Curry comes up, screens for Wiggins, he gets down, he'll toss over to Curry, design play, corner three, up, no good, rebound, Draymond out to Thompson, good catch, back to Steph, fakes and fires, hit another three, Steph Curry, gets a screen by Thompson, gets hero as a result, step back, takes a two, top of the key, swish, he's got it going right now. He's got the defender on the string.

Yep. And he has that championship look in his eye right now, 118, 107, Warriors up 11. This is after hours with Amy Lawrence. Steph Curry at it again, dancing around, be bopping, hollering, he goes seven of fourteen from downtown, ten of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors pull away, it's a really tight game, but ultimately in the fourth quarter pulling away from the Miami Heat at their new arena in the Bay Area. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio, Tim Roy and Tom Tolbert on Warriors Radio. But the reason that we bring up the Warriors is actually because of a comment that Charles Barkley made on the TNT set following the game. I think as much as I love Clay, he's slipping, same thing with Draymond, they're not the same. In the finals, you could see they're not the same guys they was two or three years ago. So when I watched the Warriors play, I says, oh man, Father Time is knocking on the door on a couple of those guys.

I got one thing to say. So it hurts when someone like Charles Barkley with the platform he has says you're not the same player prior to the injuries you have. It's like, no duh, man, consecutive years, I told my ACL, my Achilles in consecutive years and still help a team win a championship. I mean, it hurt hearing that because it's like, man, I put in so much freaking effort to get back to this point, like it's hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today. And it's like, I played 55, 57 games in three years, like, give me some freaking time to get that back and just hear someone say, oh, he's not the same prior to the, as he was prior to the injuries, like, duh, like, who goes through something like that and comes back? I don't know. I hurt my heart hearing that.

But you know what? I'm going to internalize it and it's going to be feel for me to be even better. And I think I'm very proud of what we accomplished last year and I feel like I was a huge part of it, you know? So I'm not going to let these injuries be a crutch for me. I'm just going to keep going and I'm going to have a great year.

I bet on that. A couple of reasons why I wanted you to hear it. Number one, we very rarely get to hear athletes in moments that are that wrong. I mean, we get to hear them when they're excited about a win, maybe they're frustrated about a loss, but this is personal for Clay Thompson. And I appreciate that he opened up. I also appreciate that he admits he has poured heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, everything he's got into getting back on the basketball court and being part of a winning team. And he's still doing it. I don't think Charles was being malicious, but it resonated with Clay and it actually hurt his feelings. And how often do we hear athletes admit that?

Very rarely is a human side to Clay Thompson. And no doubt he will use it as fuel to drive him just like all those days in the training room when his team was playing basketball and it hurt him to be away from them. This is yet another piece of motivation.

It's going to resonate and echo in his brain until he does get back to the point at which he was. I appreciate him opening his mouth and giving us a piece of his heart. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. So just a little bit of basketball. We weren't going to inundate you with hoops or anything. No, no, we've got a few minutes left for baseball because it's almost time for the World Series and on that note, we've seen some humongous moments already in this October postseason.

As we wrap up the week, we contemplate the mysteries of the universe. I just laid down the A-law. The best highlights.

And you're fired. Thanks for taking my call. I really appreciate the greatest sports show in America. After hours presents the boom moment of the week.

Here's Amy Lawrence, boom. We're just super excited, all my neighbors and everybody around me were just really ecstatic and kids going to school with jerseys on and Philly jerseys on and Philly days and things like that. So it's been really cool. It's been great for the city. It's been great for the people around the team as well, ownership to our workers, to everybody. I mean, it's been a lot of fun to know that we're in this moment and have this opportunity and we're all looking forward to it.

Bryce Harper, a moment to remember, no matter what happens moving forward, that eighth inning go ahead home run in the NLCS game five against the Padres when they were trailing and in one very loud swing of the bat, they were trailing no longer. The call there on Philly's radio and I love it when the announcers lose their cool too and just go crazy like the fans. There's an element to that. You got to know your audience. I don't mind announcers who are hired by the team being homers because they know who they're speaking to. They're speaking to Philly's fans in this case. Yes.

They remind me of Dan Horton, Dave Lapham on Bengals radio and how much they are invested and tied to the team and they should be. Bam! Bam! Bam!

Why do you do this to me? I try to focus and stay on track. We only have so many minutes left and you derail with me with all of these fun little drops in there. Can't mention Dave Horton and Dan, Dave Lapham and Dan Horton did not expect that.

Or yes, Dan and Dave. It works so perfectly. So the Phillies took the complete alternate route to get to the World Series as did the big bad Houston Astros, but man, they've got a starter on the mound that they can trust in Aaron Nola and he says all of his life and career has built to this one moment. Yeah, it's a big stage and it's a World Series, but it's just another game when we step out on that field and that's all I try to focus on is to make pitches when I need to and focus every single pitch.

All right, you can try, but there are some nerves. There certainly is some anxiety if you've never been on that stage before he gets the ball in the opener, Justin Verlander gets the ball for the Astros and Justin actually has never won a World Series game. Did you know this? He's 0 and 6 with an ERA of 5.68 in his seven career World Series starts. So really this is the last frontier for Justin Verlander and it's kind of cool to hear him acknowledge that and know that he understands he wants to be a part of a World Series win.

He wants to do it in a way where he feels like he contributes. That'd be wonderful. You know, I think Dusty and I both would like to check off, you know, my first World Series win his first World Series championship.

I think, you know, that'd be a wonderful thing for us to have on our career list. I just so appreciate that Justin mentions Dusty Baker. He's a baseball lifer and he's he's done pretty much everything you can do as a player, as a coach, as a manager, except win a World Series ring. And even though a lot of people probably aren't casually rooting for Houston, maybe rooting against them for Dusty Baker to get his first ring would be humongous and a sentimental favorite. And how about Trey Mancini, cancer survivor traded from the Orioles at the deadline.

Now he's in his first World Series. Starting to set in a little bit, you know, as the week's gone on, but yeah, it's surreal and it's something you dream about as a kid. Also to be here is absolutely incredible.

Baseball is a crazy game. I knew going into the year with it being my last year before free agency, there is a decent chance I'd get traded. But you know, things in Baltimore went really well. I think, you know, the team certainly has made a lot of strides there this year and they had a great year.

But you know, with that being said, I'm so happy to be here. I've loved my time in Houston and to be playing in a World Series is a dream come true. So both Mancini and Verlander are free agents at the end of this season.

And both of them could have this extra stamp on their resume before it gets to that point. You may not think the matchup is all that interesting or just two teams that you don't care about. But the stories that make up the Astros and Phillies are dynamic. And that's what I love about sports. The stories are never the same.

They change from championship to championship. Enjoy your weekend. We're back with you on Sunday night. Be there.

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