After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

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Call 562-314-4603 for details. It is March Madness. And yes, I do mean this weekend. I know Selection show isn't until Sunday, but so many conference tournaments dialed up for the weekend.

Now there are some mid majors Ivy League, for instance, holding its conference tournament this weekend. And it's a lot of fun to see these teams dream and celebrate and maybe play their way through the weekend. It's what we love about the tournament, right? The upsets, the infinite possibilities, the fact that every team starts with the same exact chance. Also, there's the Dayton wrinkle every single year. Well, maybe not every single year. The vast majority of years since Dayton was installed for the first four, we've seen a team survive Dayton and go on to win a game in the main bracket.

So there are lots of possibilities. Of course, lots of betting. Lots of dollars that will be wagered and gambled on brackets. Someone asked me recently, what's your favorite thing about March Madness? And I actually said it's the upsets, especially when it crushes my bracket.

That's the best kind. My family has a bracket and it's hysterical to see all the lamenting and this year will add Bob to it. Yeah, some of the family members pick based on straight chalk. Some make their picks based on schools that they know because most of the schools they don't know. A lot of the time when my niece was in school at UVA, she and other family members would pick the Cavaliers every year just because they were in the tournament. So the year they lost to a 16 seed, there was much lamenting.

So anyway, it's fun. It's a good opportunity to jump in and be a crazy sports fan, even if you know absolutely nothing, because skill and analytics get you nowhere when it comes to March Madness. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio, on Twitter, ALawRadio, on our Facebook page too. We just talked a little bit about the ACC, so let's dive more into it now with Mike Barber, who joins us from Washington DC, covering this tournament and covering the conference for the Richmond Times Dispatch. So let's first look at this upset. The biggest question, Mike, what's gotten in North Carolina State in this tournament? Yeah, it's interesting. I think we all came here and the storyline around MC State was, you know, was this going to be it for Kevin Keats?

And now the storyline is, is he going to win an ACC tournament championship? So it's funny how things can flip so quickly this time of year. But no, they're playing with a lot of energy. And it was an interesting thing in today's game, I thought, one, because of how daunting the matchup was, but two, once you've played, right, where's your energy level to come back and reload? And I really thought that they looked energetic, aggressive, going to the basket, the way they defended. It's the proverbial team on a mission, which I'm sure if you're a Wolfpack fan, you think, man, if you had started this a few weeks ago, we wouldn't be in this spot, right? This is a team that lost its last four games down the stretch in the regular season. And I think if they had some of this juice, they wouldn't be in that hole. But certainly they're making some noise here and changing the narrative really about their season.

Three wins in three days. And as you point out, in the late stages, even when Duke was making that charge and got within a couple of points, they were still quick to the ball, quick to rebounds, quick to defend, even running the fast break. Why is it that they've got a little extra energy than what a Duke has, who was coming off of a couple of days of sitting around?

It's interesting, right? Because everybody responds differently. Some teams take that rest and then they come out and they're unstoppable because they're fresh and they're ready to go. Some teams come out and they're a little shaky, rusty shooting the ball.

Everybody kind of responds differently. I thought Duke looked a little bit complacent, like maybe this was going to be easy. And I think sometimes when you're playing a team that's played a couple days, the thought in the back of your head, and we saw it in the nightcap here with Virginia and Boston College, is they're going to wear down. If we just stick to it, they're going to wear down.

And to your point, NC State did not. If anything, they got energized. And I think when you're in that setting and you are the Cinderella, the underdog, when you get to the point where you can taste it, you get that extra adrenaline. I'm sure all those guys are sleeping well right now. I asked Casey Morsell if he was going to watch this game to see who they were going to play. And the reaction I got was kind of like, I'm going to say hi to some family in the lobby and then get some sleep.

And that's probably wise. The outside shooting certainly hurt Duke going just 5 of 20 from beyond the arc, but what does it say to you that the Wolfpack outscored the Blue Devils 21 zip with the bench? Yeah, and that was a big part of this game. And what we just talked about, right, if you're playing multiple games back to back to back, you have to get contributions from your bench. Nobody makes a run like that. Nobody I can think of makes a run like that with five guys or one guy off the bench.

You have to have some depth and you have to have some guys that maybe don't normally contribute. And I think that was really the story of the day here in DC for a bunch of teams was, you know, what could you get to get yourself through some of these games? And certainly NC State did that. Mike Barber is with us from Washington, DC, which is the host for the ACC tournament, and he's covering for the Richmond Times Dispatch.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. North Carolina doesn't seem at this point to have a whole lot of concern, maybe not a care in the world. What's the strength of that Tar Heels team?

One, they're incredibly talented. We knew that. We knew what R.J. Davis was offensively.

We know what Armando Bacot can be. I think Harrison Ingram has been maybe better than advertised. Cormac Ryan has fit in really well since transferring. The big change with North Carolina this year and why I think they're a Final Four certainly caliber team and why I expect them to be the team that wins it all here in DC is defensively. They're so much more locked in. They're such a better defensive team this year.

Individually, that's true. R.J. Davis has been a great scorer for a long time. He's a better defensive player this season and then as a team. But the job Hubert Davis has done really molding them into a strong defensive team. They are clicking on all cylinders right now, and I know things can change on you fast, but right now it would be pretty crazy, I think, to bet against the Tar Heels. Who else in the conference can rebound with the Tar Heels when they really put their minds to it?

There's really nobody. Florida State certainly is built in terms of being big and deep and doing some of those things, but I don't think there's anybody who can combine the size and the athleticism. There's two ways to kind of go for the rebound. You can be the big guy who boxes out and the ball kind of comes to you, or you can be like a Ryan Dunn from Virginia who goes and gets it, and you look up and down this Carolina lineup and you see a mix of both and guys who have both skill sets. They are really tough in the glass, and that's hard because if you defend them and you are able to get a stop and then they get an offensive rebound, it's just a backbreaker.

Whether they put it straight back up the way Armando Baycott is big on doing, or if they just kick it back out and run offense again and you're forced to defend again, they can really wear you down in those regards. It can be so demoralizing for a team after they've played a whole possession to give up an offensive rebound, even though the Heels are going for a number one seed and it seems like they're a perennial power in the ACC, but I didn't realize it had been since 2016 that North Carolina had won the ACC tournament. Yeah, and Roy Williams was here today sitting kind of behind the bench, not luring over up in the stands with the fans, but they've played such high-level basketball. They've played in so many big games. They've been a team that competes for championships, but the ACC tournament is special. It is hard to win, and part of what makes it exciting is it does mean something. Even if you are a team that feels like you're locked up for the NCAAs, winning this event means something. The history we've all seen, the 30 for 30s and everything they do with what this tournament has meant over the years.

Then you add in, you want the ACC certainly to be bigger than this, but the Carolina schools and the rivalry they have, whether it's Duke, whether it's NC State, whether it's North Carolina, Wake Forest wants to be in that conversation too, it adds something when those are some of the matchups. How is Coach Williams? How is he doing? I miss him. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

He was shaking hands, taking pictures with fans. We were laughing. If you ever watch the old games from the 80s and people would have the button on, you know, go State, go Carolina. He had one of those old school buttons on, so he is very much still the same doggone Roy that we all appreciated. Oh, good.

I'm so glad. Mike Barber is with us from D.C. where the ACC tournament moves into the semifinals on Friday. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. So Virginia is able to scrape by. We talked about Virginia in the past, right? There would be that defense and the way that they played and they want to slow everybody down and kind of grind it out. What is their style now? Yeah, I think they still want to do that. The problem is they just haven't been as good.

I think the best way to describe it is they're trying to do the same things and maybe they're a little less effective. They played great defense in the overtime tonight, but there were plenty of breakdowns that got them there. Offensively, they've just been kind of a disaster all year. Games where they can't hit shots, they haven't been able to shoot free throws, they're on pace to have the worst free throw shooting season at the school since 1967.

That's a long time. That's bad. They haven't moved the free throw line. It's not like the three-point arc or some of the things that move.

So when you stink worse than anybody since the 60s, that is a fair comparison point and not a good sign. So offensively, they're very limited. They struggled to shoot the ball. They have some guys who they feel good about, but I think what happens to this team is they put five guys on the floor and oftentimes there are two guys out there that you don't feel like you have to guard too tightly. And that allows defenses to slough off and pay attention to a guy like Isaac McNeely who can beat you with his three-point shooting. He's done it in a number of games this year.

The limitations they have are on film. You get to this point this year and everybody understands that. What you're seeing is I think people kind of are mimicking game plans that have worked and a big part of it is taking away the three-point shot and asking them to hit long twos to beat you and Virginia struggles with that. So they do survive because, as you point out, the defense is still there, but what do they have to say about trying to conjure up some offense and find some spark?

Yeah, I mean the thing helps, Amy, is it's been the same story all year. So I think it's not a sense of, oh my gosh, where did our offense go now that we're here in D.C.? They haven't had it all season long.

The answers are the same as they've always been. They need to get good shots. They need to try to hit those shots because hitting shots sets up their defense. And that's been one of the things that's been off this year is when they miss shots and there's long rebounds, things like that, they don't get back and set on defense. So now you're not playing against the Tony Bennett pack line. You're playing against some sort of broken scheme where you've got four guys back or somebody scrambling or they're in rotation.

It sounds terrible to me that there really is no solution. They've looked their best when Reece Beekman is able to drive to the basket, when Ryan Dunn is able to slash a little bit to the basket, and when they're able to put more shooters on the floor. Tony Bennett has changed the lineup here in the last few weeks to get more shooters, to get guys like Tane Murray and Jake Groves onto the court. Not necessarily that they're going to light things up, but there's somebody that the defense is going to have to pay attention to, creates a little more space, and things seem to work a little better. Well, as you point out, the free throw line, not their friends as they miss, what, 10 of them, but it leaves them so little margin for error.

I can imagine it's great angst for anyone who is a part of that fan base. It's kind of unbelievable, and I always say it this way. Because Virginia plays a low possession style, they're going to be in more close games, and a free throw, which we all understand is worth one point. In my math, it's worth more for Virginia because there are so few opportunities to score. So if you've got the clock stopped, and you're not being defended, and you have a chance to cash in for two points, and you leave that on the table, that's pretty devastating. I mean, this team scores, oftentimes in the 50s, to leave 10 points on the table, that's pretty huge. How many teams do you think are headed for the tournament?

That's a great question. You know, it was a few weeks ago that we thought it might be four. Coming here, I thought there was a chance for it to be six.

I think that the Wake Forest-Pittsburgh game today felt like a playing game. The winner there was going to be, hopefully, in. The loser probably put themselves on the way out, and certainly Pittsburgh won there.

It's going to be tough because you have to look across the country, right? You look at Brooklyn today in the 8-10, and Dayton losing. You know, the 1-2 and 3 seeds, I believe, in that tournament are out, which means that's a bid thief. That's one less bid for the ACC. I think certainly Carolina, Duke, and Clemson are in. I think Virginia is in at this point.

I think Pittsburgh is kind of the most bubble-icious, if you will. And then what's interesting here, we started by talking about NC State. Well, what if NC State goes and runs the table and wins this thing? What if Pitt does that? Does that change the math? Are they taking a bid away from another ACC team at that point?

Because there's a finite number of spots, so it's very fluid. I think there are four teams that feel good, and then a bunch of teams that are probably pretty nervous. Without a Duke-UNC final, which I think a lot of people were hoping for, or maybe anticipating, how do you think the crowds will be through the weekend? It's going to be interesting because the crowd today was great for Virginia, great for Duke, great for Carolina. And I can't imagine any of the Virginia people are leaving, although they may just try to spend the day in the hotel sleeping in tomorrow.

That was fairly exhausting. So the crowds have been good. The energy has been fantastic. I think it's going to be a good finish here coming down the stretch. I think it's a good mix of, you know, you've got your power in Carolina, who everybody expects to be cutting down the nets when this thing is done. You've got your Cinderella, if you will, in NC State and the rivalry aspect there with Carolina. You have Virginia, who feels like they maybe are still playing to put themselves in position. Pittsburgh still playing to put themselves in position. So everybody's got a good storyline here going into the final four, at least of the ACCs here.

Does it feel like the run-up to madness? You know, it's funny because for Virginia, I think it's felt like this for three weeks because it just seems like every night has been a referendum on, you know, they win a game and all of a sudden everybody's, okay, they're in. And then they lose a game and all of a sudden they're out. I think they've been riding that emotional rollercoaster, which is tough. But I'll tell you, you know, the guys said one of the things that helped push them through tonight in what was a very physical game, too, was the fact that when it came down the stretch, they remembered, hey, we are playing for something, right?

It's not some sort of long shot. Hey, if you win this game, people are saying you're in. I think that helped propel them through here down the stretch and gave them some good energy and then they'll probably need that again tomorrow. And we're headed for the semifinals on Friday night in Washington, D.C.

The ACC always has some delicious basketball and certainly always well represented in the tournament. You can find Mike Barber on Twitter at RTD underscore Mike Barber covering the conference and the tournament for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. It's been a very long day for him, so we appreciate a couple of minutes. Mike, thank you so much.

Thanks for having me. Four teams from the ACC into the tournament. There could be another opportunity there. We talked about NC State as a double digit seed now having won three games in three days, and that would be kind of fun. We'll see whether or not NC State continues to move along. But if we got Tar Heels and Wolfpack, that's a good rivalry. Not the same as Duke-UNC for a lot of reasons, most notably their history, but also their proximity. But North Carolina and NC State would be fun. And could NC State... I guess if you're in the game, there's always a chance.

So you're saying there's a chance. But do you remember the days where the ACC would have eight, nine teams in the tournament? The Big Ten?

Another conference that could get a ton of volume in there, but can they end up getting teams that survive to the Sweet 16? Careful. Careful when you're filling out your brackets. Not to take into account too much history. People get so hung up on history, but it obviously changes and changes rapidly. It's just kind of fun to think about 10 years ago. Even, gosh, it happened in 19, right?

Even five years ago. Going into the tournament in 2018. I guess that'd be six, but we didn't have a one seed that had ever lost to a 16. Now we've had two.

If that can happen, anything can happen. Looking forward to it. Are we going to do a bracket challenge again? The after-hours bracket challenge? I think we should. We've got after-hours swag, except there is one guy on our Facebook page that swears you owe him swag for the Survivor Island pool, and he is not letting it go.

No, it's very adamant. What should I do? I'll take care of it. I know what you told me that last week.

I know. And he's still posting. Well, I don't want to get into it with him. He's going to stop listening to the show.

Or maybe he doesn't listen to the show anyway. I was being nice and giving him something. Let's just be nice, because he clearly wants swag more than anything else. We have swag despair.

Hashtag swag despair. So the after-hours bracket challenge, plus we've got a brand new YouTube video that we'll put up within the next 12 hours. Excited about that, we promise.

So it was blog posts, YouTube video, lots of NFL, lots of college hoops. We've delivered on our promises, and we still have two plus hours to go in this work week, but that's it. So happy almost Friday. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. That's why they make ordering from your couch easy. Stock up today and get all your groceries for the week delivered in as fast as 30 minutes, without missing a minute of the game. You have 47 new voicemails. Download the app to get free delivery on your first three orders while supplies last.

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Minimum monthly payment, down payment, tax and delivery may be required. See store for details. They get it. Coming left. Henry turns it up to the 15th. Henry to the 10th. Henry to the 5th. Henry to the end zone. That is the king. Touchdown Titans! For the 90th time in his career, Derek Henry has run it in.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. My Keith, who I think actually is just dawning on me, I think he followed me on Twitter on Thursday. Only because we had Rhett Bryan from Titans Game Day with us to talk about Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard and protecting Will Leviss on the offensive line. And also what they're doing to shore up the defense. And just in general, the shift post Mike Vrabel to Brian Callahan and then to getting back to relevance in the AFC South. So they've made a bunch of changes and they have money to spend. So they've been working toward this end where they've got a bunch of room under the salary cap. And for that reason, they've committed a ton of money in the last three days. Make this major splash for Calvin Ridley, but they've also been farewell to guys like Ryan Tannehill and Derek Henry and others. And so it's a new age for the Titans, but are they still in a rebuild? Rhett Bryan seemed to think so.

That it might take a couple years before the pieces fall into place. Although they need to protect Will Leviss, that's paramount. And so after Rhett shared the interview, I think Mike Keith followed me on Twitter. So I need to follow him back because that's just professional courtesy. Touchdown Titans!

And because he's great. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. If you'd like to find us on Twitter, our show is After Hours CBS. Some of the latest moves. We're officially into free agency now, obvi.

And so these are all moves that can be signed and sealed and delivered on the dotted line. No more legal tampering or illegal tampering or otherwise because we're actually into the new NFL league year. We did talk about Browns earlier in the week. We talked about Titans on our last show. Who else did we talk about? Who was the first thing this week?

We had Matt Verteram. Oh, that's right. Just as an overhaul.

An overview and an overhaul of what might happen. And there is movement. The Chargers, the Bears.

There's a lot still happening out there. The Minnesota Vikings. We've got a bunch of guys who did press conferences as introductions.

And as I kept seeing the names pop up and the headlines pop up, my thought is... When did this become a requirement? When did every single player that signs with a new team sit in front of a microphone? It used to be that it was just the big name quarterbacks or some of the other players that were breaking the bank or setting records.

Now it's Will Disley. Now it's Sam Darnold. Now it's backup quarterbacks. It's not even starting quarterbacks anymore. Remember when Tim Tebow did the press conference as the third string quarterback for the Jets? And that was such a... First of all, it was Tebow, so it was a circus anyway. But it was so astounding that a team would trot out its third string quarterback to do a press conference. But now every single guy who signs does a presser. Not everybody does it in style.

The way that Derrick Henry did, though. Did you see his bright purple suit? I love the story behind it. It's actually the suit I wore to my grandmother's funeral who raised me.

She died in 2016. And this is her favorite color. So whenever Eric told me that I would be coming to do a presser, I was like, I got to wear this suit.

So we're actually moving this next week. So I was scrambling through boxes, pulling everything out, trying to find this suit and be able to put it together. So, you know, I definitely wanted to wear this color to honor her and show all the fans around Fort Nation that I'm ready and I'm on board.

So in honor of his grandmother who raised him and passed away a few years ago, he wore the same purple suit. That means this day in his career is significant. And he also says he cannot wait to get going in Baltimore. Bucky, your chinstrap, you're ready for a 60-minute fight.

And knowing that you're going to take some licks, you're going to have to give some licks. And every time we played them, it was physical. And, you know, we had to have a great game plan to prepare for these guys, especially on defense, because they give you so many different looks. And then our defense getting ready for Lamar and how you got a game plan against him.

So I'm definitely glad to go on the other side now. I'm happy for him. And just judging from our conversation with Darryl Ryder in Cleveland, oh, nobody wants to see Derrick Henry in an AFC North backfield unless you are a member of the Baltimore Ravens. And that has to include Lamar Jackson, who's been on Twitter. But, yeah, Henry's just excited about playing with Lamar. One of the best, not the best, players in this league. You know, I have respect for him ever since he's came in this league and his body of work and what he's been able to do. And respect for this organization as well. They have some great players in this organization, just like Lamar, who's done a lot of great things. Mark Andrews at tight end. Raekwon Smith at the linebacker position. Some great leaders.

Guys who set a good example. So excited to be teammates with everybody. And excited to get in the RB room and get to know those guys and be able to compete against them.

And all of us make each other better. We did a poll about the AFC North and the balance of power and who is the team to beat now. Of course, the Ravens won 13 games last year, had the top seed in the AFC. They've lost a few pieces.

In fact, they've lost a couple pieces to the Steelers. But Derrick Henry, added to that backfield, allows them to still have that presence, that physical presence. And still have the threat of running the ball. But also have a Lamar with this new offensive coordinator where they do look for more throwing opportunities. And he has more autonomy at the line and with the snap or pre-snap. Now, there are people, though, who think this is a move that won't resonate a whole lot. When it comes to Derrick Henry because he's 30 years old. But don't tell that to Eric DaCosta or to Derrick, for that matter. He said the same thing about you, Jerry.

Look at you, you still here, so. I missed all of that. What was that?

Wait, what happened at the beginning? I thought that was the cut where he said, tell them to keep watching. They asked him, they said, what would you say to people who said you lost a step? And Eric DaCosta said and says, they could say the same thing about you.

To the reporter who asked the question. Oh, oh. Oh, so we don't, I thought that that was the cut where Derrick Henry said, tell them to keep watching. Okay, so, different cut.

We'll get that at some point, I suppose. I guess I missed that completely. That was my fault. And I listened to it before the show, too, but somehow that went over my head. I guess I wasn't paying attention with both of my ear balls. I just, it went in one ear ball and out the other ear ball. I see.

Eyeballs and ear balls. Yeah, that's totally my fault. Yeah, all right. Missed. Swing and a miss.

Swing and a miss. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. I'm excited for Derrick Henry, like I said. It's strange to me, though we did get the explanation from Ryan about why they swapped out.

He didn't say upgraded. I don't believe there's anyone out there, not many people that aren't related to Tony Pollard, who thinks he's better than Derrick Henry. And I don't know that Henry has lost much. I mean, he never was going to blow past you with his speed. He's more about strength and can he stay healthy the entire year.

That's certainly important, too. But Pollard, according to our Titans insider, said he just kind of fits their scheme more where they don't have to bring in the blocking tight end and they don't have to change their personnel on the line. Pollard is versatile enough that he can do both and you can stick with the guys that you have out there.

So I guess in theory that works, right? But I think Derrick Henry is a weapon and so I'm excited to see what he does behind the Baltimore line, but also with the threat of Lamar Jackson either throwing or running. No, it is, but it's different because Derrick Henry is more of a bruiser and he's a guy that's going to beat you in the fourth quarter. So he almost softens you up and then after a while where you're tired of hitting him, in the fourth quarter when your defense gets tired, Derrick Henry will take over. And that's how the Titans were able to win a lot of close games late when they were successful a few years ago.

That is a difficult thing to do. It's more of a plotting type offense that I think Tennessee was trying to get away from and just trying to change the style a little bit. Now with the Ravens it works because then it becomes a one-two punch with Lamar Jackson plus they have other weapons in the backfield. The only thing for me that Baltimore that I think is kind of flying under the radar, their entire offensive line is basically going to be different next year.

That's the part that's a little disconcerting. Derrick Henry, you know what that is. You know what Lamar Jackson is. I know they're cutting Odell Beckham Jr.

They have to save money in different spots. So it's what every team is trying to do around this time of the year with the salary cap. 13 wins, I get it. They dominated the line of scrimmage. That's how they won. That's what they do. And their defense was the best in the league.

So they didn't have to score 80,000 points. And now you've got to replace at least three-fifths of your offensive line. That's not something where you just snap your fingers and go, oh yeah, we're just going to get a guy in. He'll play the right tackle. We'll get a left guard.

But those are things they don't grow on trees. So I know that they have a plan for this. But that's something where they've got to be able to put all of that together while coming up with the right scheme that they have with Munkin and everything else with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. It'll work, don't get me wrong. But it might be a little slower than people kind of assume in week one.

I feel like that's going to take a little bit of time. Good thing it's a really long season. But that division is going to be so great again. At least I hope so.

The Bengals have lost a bunch of pieces too. Though theoretically they're getting Joe Burrow back. And we'll see what happens with T. Higgins. What's going to be the situation there? Do they wind up trading him to make him happy? Do they say, hell with it. Play it with the franchise and you're going to play anyway.

That's fascinating to see. Is that going to be a draft day thing or is that the Bengals going, we're taking one more shot at it and to do that we need you? It's March. The NFL has not taken a break yet. Now it's March. And they're going to have their league meetings in not even two weeks. They're heading to Orlando and they're going to trot out their coach's breakfast and general managers everywhere. And then it's the draft. There you go.

That's the big key. Now you've got all the free agency. Obviously we know that post June 1st cuts or whatever.

But a lot of them are situated now. The draft will be the last pieces in place to try to figure that out. Once that comes through, then you're doing little pieces here and there. And then it's going to start to trickle a little bit before you get into OTAs and whatnot. And teams have kind of an idea of who they are and what they're going to try to be. The Bengals situation is very, very curious to me to see what T. Higgins, because they've got the ability to make another run.

They definitely have the talent. When you get Joe Burrow back, it changes everything. Don't forget the Steelers with as much as Russell Wilson. We know he's not the Russell Wilson of seven, eight years ago. Do you realize how bad their quarterback situation was last year? I mean, he's an upgrade at what he was last year.

That's a different scenario, too, with a really good defense. That's the hard part for the Ravens to say, well, we'll figure it out. You give away two or three games early in the season, could bite you in that division because it's going to be... Oh, and the schedule release is coming up in May, you know. May?

I think it's in May. Oh, we've got to get that out now. All right, so there's still much happening. And speaking of running backs, yes, Derrick Henry introduced in a new place in new purple, but not to a rival. A little bit saltier when it comes to Saquon Barkley going from Giants to Eagles. You'll hear from him next.

And also, is Jason Kelce reconsidering his retirement? It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. You can get great deals on all of our award-winning Hyundai models, like the tech-filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance. But hurry in, these deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1,500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson, now during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon. Call 562-314-4603 for details. Open to U.S. residents 18+. Subject to official rules at BajaBlast.com and 615-24.

Void where prohibited. After the end of a good fight, you deserve an ice-cold reward. Medela is the mark of a fighter. You've earned this rich golden lager with a crisp, refreshing taste. Because you know the bigger the fighter, the better the reward. You put in the hours, the energy, the tough labor. You are a fighter, and Medela is your reward. Medela, the mark of a fighter. Trick responsibly. Beer imported by Crownland Port, Chicago, Illinois. Saquon Barkley signing with Philadelphia.

How about this? Huge, huge signing for Philadelphia. And I'm happy for Saquon.

I'm not trying to talk trash. You're coming to a team that has had a legitimate offensive line established for a very long time. Coming to a coach who's been there for a long time and they've had proven success with nearly every running back. So you know Saquon is entering a good situation in Philadelphia. Social media has been nonstop saying, Jason, you sure you want to retire? And I'm like, yeah, I'm pretty positive, even though a little bit upset how he waited until I retired to make a move like this. But you know, it's fine.

It'll work out great. This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Can you imagine Jason Kelsey reconsidering retirement because he's missing out? His FOMO of Saquon Barkley in the Eagles backfield. That was from his New Heights podcast with his brother Travis. A few days ago, of course, right when Saquon Barkley makes the decision to jump from the Giants. Big blue to the big green.

I don't think they call it that. But just the stark nature of going from Giants to Eagles. And there have been so many Incense Giants fans calling him a traitor, which is ridiculous. But then you've got the whole brouhaha with Tiki Barber, who, by the way, is still going back and forth with, now this is crazy, not Saquon anymore, members of the media, former NFL players that did not play for the Giants, which is kind of funny, and then fans.

And so it's taken on this life of its own, which you kind of lost me. After the Saquon thing, after it was you and Saquon going back and forth, you're both former Giants running backs. I was semi-interested. I'm not big into media beefs. Is there a media beef, Jay, that you can remember that was actually really interesting? I mean, do we want to count Rogers and Jimmy Kimmel? Yeah, it was interesting, I guess.

It was political, a lot of it, which we don't do here on the show. Rogers versus the entire media from a couple of years ago when people were so incensed about the discovery about how he was vaccinated. How he was immunized, not vaccinated. Remember that whole thing? Yeah, I've been immunized. That was kind of funny because people lost their minds over it, and it was this big pile-on Aaron Rodgers mess, and then the whole COVID toe where he shows his toe on the video. So that was kind of funny only because it's like feeding a gremlin after midnight. The more you feed them, the more you feed them. I've had COVID toe before.

I have no lesions on my feet. The nessier Rogers gets, the more you come at him. Anyway, so that one was all right. I'm trying to think of any other media beefs, like back and forth among media people that I've found even remotely interesting. I don't really. In fact, if there was a beef here on the network, I probably wouldn't even know about it.

That's how little I care about those types of things. We're always the last to know everything. We were the last to know our boss was leaving, is leaving, was leaving.

I don't even know if it's past tense or present. Technically, no one still told us. It's true. No one's actually made it official. I just saw it on Twitter, so I woke up one day. Oh, hey. Actually, I didn't even see it on Twitter. I heard it from a friend who texted me because he saw it on Twitter. Yeah, I woke up.

I was like, I think this affects me. All right. So Saquon Barkley. He did have an apology for Giants fans. The Giants fans that were hurt about me leaving. I got nothing but love and respect for all those guys and, you know, all those ladies and just the fans for the last six years. They've been great to me, to my family, created so many memories. I don't I don't I don't think I really handled it the right way on social media. I think I could give a proper goodbye.

You know, like I said, once I announced everything kind of got hectic. But yeah, I'm forever, you know, forever grateful for the Giants fans and so thankful for them. Certainly does sound like he's referring to the Tiki Barber flap. And the fact that that grabbed his attention instead of, hey, Giants fans, I'm sorry. Not sorry that I'm leaving for the Eagles because I need to work, too. But I'm sorry this hurt you.

I'm sorry that it creates great consternation among you. Instead, he started going with Tiki Barber. And then more than likely, I didn't confirm this, but more than likely that is getting a bunch of potshots at him and trying to clap back.

And it takes on a life of its own instead of him focusing on the fact that, hey, I spent six great years here. Not just that, but you drafted me number two overall. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. So why the Eagles? When it came to my attention, you know, that the team, that the Eagles were on the team that were interested in me, you know, I definitely got excited about it.

Watched from afar everything that they're about, you know, the culture here, the fans here. Definitely got super excited about it. And I'm just happy to be a part of this organization. And I'm ready to go. OK, OK, OK. You're happy. That's great. You got a contract.

They paid you. The Giants were not going to. No more franchise tag, at least not now. But it is a division rival in the NFC East. Unfortunately, you know, the NFL is a business and I was able to get to a place that I know I can come here, I can compete, I can win, I can stay close to home.

I don't have any issues with him going to Philadelphia, but I'm not a Giants fan or an Eagles fan, so it doesn't really impact me. I think at this point, after nearly 20 years in network radio, it just comes with the territory. But I do remember a time, I will say this, going back to my days even before. So this before network radio, I was in the business, but I was still working in Providence, which is New England market covering the Red Sox. And I was after 20 years, this business tends to beat your fandom out of you.

I tell Jay, it's not the same. You do 20 years in this business, especially at network level, and you're rooting interest. It tends to wane because you're seeing sports through the lens of what audio do I need? What storylines are there? What are the main headlines or the themes that I can use for my radio show?

What stats do I need to focus on? Oh no, the game's over, I have to get to work, right? So it tends to take some of the enthusiasm away from it because for me, I can never not see a game without thinking about work.

That's how I'm conditioned to now. However, going back to my days in Providence, big time covering the Red Sox, still love the Red Sox with a great passion. This is before their 04 World Series win. And then that whole thing that happened, losing to the Yankees and the ALCS, and it kind of was working again for a local radio station then. And so it kind of fueled that fire even more so. Finally, they win.

And what happens? Johnny Damon goes to the Yankees, right? And he was a major piece of the cowboy up. And it was, I remember it was like a slap in the face.

Almost as though everything that had happened with the Red Sox meant nada. So I do remember that, and that was a long time ago, but I can certainly understand that passion or feeling that betrayal. But now, 20 years later, how many people out there who are listening to the radio show would not go to a rival company if they offered you more job security, a longer deal, more money? And with enthusiasm, they recruited you, they wanted you, they told you everything you wanted to hear, you were going to be one of their main guys or gals.

How many people would say, oh no, actually, I got to stick with this company. I can't go to a rival. I'll hurt everybody's feelings. I can't. I'm supposed to be a giant for life.

I'm supposed to be with Shell for life. I can't go to mobile. I mean, that's not realistic.

And so it shouldn't be for them either because it's a business. But I do understand the emotion. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back.