When do the Carolina Hurricanes take the next step?

This is the Adam Gold Show.

Good pace to it. And Mike Maniscalco uses that term and we're going to get to Mike Maniscalco in the roundtable. Camelot. Camelot.

It's only a model. Sir Mike of the Mike Maniscalcos. The voice of the Carolina Hurricanes.

First appearance on the roundtable. And Randy Slack, the voice of Wilmington. Everything that happens in Wilmington, Randy Slack I think voices it.

From ESPN Wilmington. And I thank you. I thank Randy. I guess he is our returning champion because Randy was here last week.

All right. So let's start with you Mike Maniscalco. We're going to talk baseball here because I know you're a baseball guy and I'm going to we're going to make Randy a baseball guy if he's not already, but I want to start with the with the Hurricanes and the move that they made today, which I think will alarm fans. Although as I said earlier, we'll call this a paper move and Jordan Martinook was placed on waivers today and the way I look at it and I was coached by this at this by Corey Lavallette of North State Journal and The Athletic that this is just a paper move to get to the salary ceiling, if you will, for eighty six point five five million. But man, how alarming would it be for fans for Jordan Martinook to not be here?

I think it would be very alarming for some. And I think the big reason why is when you look at what he does, Adam, he is that emotional spark plug in the locker room. He's he's those guys that you look to to be a leader.

There's a reason why there's a letter on his sweater. And I think that's the alarming part of it. Also, for me, you need players like Jordan Martinook, who are the energy guys who will play through anything, you know, for for Jordan Martinook. I always want him to get through the season healthy.

And there always seems to be something that has nagged him. And we haven't been able to get the best of them along those lines. But Corey is right. And with Jake Gardner being put on the LTI, are you have to do these for lack of a better term, salary cap gymnastics. I mean, you need to get as close as you possibly can to that eighty six point, you know, nine repeating pie number that we seem to get to. So when you get into the rest of the regular season, you can start banking more cap space when it's it's allowed to do that. So it's stuff that Eric Tulski and Darren York, the assistant general managers and Don Waddell, people who are far, far smarter than I am, Nigel Wheeler as well, they're in charge of this. They know the numbers they have to get to.

So on paper, it's alarming. And I will be surprised because of the kind of player that Martinook is, if he doesn't at least garner interest from somebody. So we'll we'll see tomorrow at noon if anybody was interested in the Canes alternate captain Jordan Martinook. And I would imagine that some team out there could use a guy who is a leader in the locker room and can take young players under his wing and plays a gritty kind of game and is a heck of a penalty killer. Yeah, he is a good penalty killer. And you know, the what they miss when Martinook's not in the lineup is nobody yelling Mr. Spechtikoff in the locker room before the game.

Randy Slack, the voice of Wilmington on ESPN Wilmington. What do you think if I had to ask you, because I know you're a fan because you you constantly don't call me to talk about the hurricanes on Slack on Sports. What do you think the reason is that this franchise has not only become good, but has now become as people have said to me the hunted in the east. Well, I mean, you know, it starts with the development, you know, you look at the AHL roster, you look at Chicago.

They're always good. They've always developing good players in Carolina. And I think that that you know, it shows it feels a little bit like, you know, with the Tampa Bay Rays, you know, it's a team that constantly is building within the organization and they're a team that it seems like logistically they've kind of they know what they're doing and they can consistently win and can can consistently compete. The problem is it's great to be at this point, but I want to see when they're going to get to that next point with this organization. Yeah, Mike, if you had to put a word on what the reason is or I don't know a name on what the reason is and those are probably the same thing.

What would it be? I will go with a word but I'll go with when the playoffs roll around has been lack of scoring. You know, it's that's pretty obvious and you can point to the top players where the often seems to dry up. I know last year was easy to point to the power play that evaporated guys when we got to the postseason, but that's honestly the one glaring thing if you look for a single thread you can pull from when this team had that great run four years ago when nobody expected it to the Eastern Conference Finals, you know, the offense dried up against Boston with with reason. Boston was a really good defensive team, but that's that's been the thing you take a look at. The consistent offense goes away when the playoffs come around, but by the way, it goes away for everybody in the playoffs. At Cain's thing, but you've got to find a way your best players have to consistently show up on the scoreboard in every series. It just can't be we're going to show up in the first round or it's going to happen, you know, sporadically through the playoffs. Your best players have to do that. I think that to a man, Sebastian Ajo, Tevo TeraVine and Andrei Sveshnikov now that they are this deep into their career and they're this deep in the playoff side of it.

They understand what it takes. But those that's the one thing that I think is the easiest thing to point to look for for me who is I've met. I've covered this team obviously for gosh, 25 years. There's a 25th anniversary. Cain's Corner podcast and people want to check out. Oh, by the way, Cain's Corner the show starring Mike Maniscalco locally in Raleigh at Backyard Bistro returns at the end of October. You can hear it on the fan, but Michael be out. Did you do you know who your first guest is yet?

Or you are you still efforting still efforting? I've heard some names bandied about but I am not at Liberty to share. That's why I'm not at Liberty to share any beard grooming tips at this point. Ah, very nice. You just did. I love it. I'm so glad you did that on October 26 at 7 o'clock at Backyard, October 26 7 o'clock and I'll just put his initials on my sheet right here. I think the reason why this team is in the playoffs comes down to one guy and I think it comes down to the head coach rod Brenda Moore and so much of everything and I just want your take because I know Randy as much as anything you're a fan to as much as anything about this organization over the last 25 years rod Brenda Moore coming here via trade being willing to stay and sign long-term and then realizing that this was home. I think is every other organization would kill for somebody like this to lead them and I think that's what sets this organization apart. What do you think about that Randy? Yeah, you know before rod and I you know when he's been here at whether it was the player or as a coach.

He does add that bit of legitimacy to it and to your point, you know, it's nice to have a guy who you know, the players can you know relate to it's nice that the fans have that connection with him and it's so rare that you have a guy like that who's played and is now the coach of a team that you can that you've had success with in both ways a lot of times it's one or the other to have it for like this for the canes fans is really awesome. All right. Now, let's get to get to baseball. I'm curious Randy slack. If you had Aaron judges 62 home run ball, what would you do with it? I would offer it to him as much as I hate the hoopla over it and the overblown for the fact that the guy is sixth place or seventh place all-time whatever it is. He seems like a great guy.

He's a genuine dude. And if he wants that ball, I would offer it to him and if and then so be it if he wants me sell it then great. I'll sell it and I'll make a bunch of money and maybe I can buy a one-bedroom house in Wilmington with the with that money, but yeah, I would absolutely offer it to him first and if he doesn't want it any Yankee fan that wants to overpay for it is more than welcome to an auction house Mike in Southern California offered the guy who caught the ball offered him two million dollars for it, which means it's worth at least four.

So what would you do with it? I'm much like Randy by the way. I think it's really cool that Randy has the old PA system from the original Yankee Stadium on this call with the Echo. I mean I that I can't put a price tag on but this will be my Yankee fandom coming out. Well, he might be seventh all-time on the list.

He is the American League all-time home run single season champion. So there's I guess a little value to that if you're into such things when the leagues used to never play each other but for me I would the ball belongs to baseball belongs to the Hall of Fame. It doesn't belong to me.

I'm with Randy. I would give it back to the player. I'd give it back to the team and if you know, he was kind enough to do a Roger Maris did all those years ago say keep it and sell it. Yeah, then I would go and do that but I know it's easy to say when we don't have it.

But for me that's that's always been my take. It's not mine. It belongs to it belongs to history.

It belongs in Cooperstown. It's five million dollars in your hand. And that is that that is the pole for a lot of people. I think it's it's an easier conversation to have if you're not financial you if you don't have said like we could all use five million dollars, right? Isn't the guy who caught the ball? Like isn't he some kind of financier? So, I mean he doesn't need oh, no, no, he doesn't need the money. So if I were in his financial position, it would be an easy one.

I would hand the ball back to Aaron judge. Yeah, but as like I don't know what anybody's financial situation is. I know what mine is like I could use five million dollars right? I'll make just about this you make a deal. All right, give me give me season tickets for the Yankees, right? We don't live there for give me season tickets for a year and I'll sell all the season tickets for a year and I'll recoup money that way. There you go. Whatever other memorabilia you want to give me you can make this a win-win.

No question about it. I would hand the ball back and kind of hope kind of hope that it would that it would work out in my favor. Don't hold it for ransom.

But here's my list of demands hundred. Don't hold it for ransom. However, I'm holding it for ransom Randy the Commissioner of Major League Baseball said that the record book is the record book let fans view the record however, they want is is Rob Manfred telling fans that he also views Aaron judge as the home run record holder. Well, I mean, there's obviously the New York bias with Major League Baseball as it is do we ever get that document unsealed with the Yankees and they're cheating and all that stuff that was supposed to happen a few months ago.

I haven't heard about it. So I'm just kind of curious so clearly he's in the bag for the Yankees as it is. So yeah, he's going to if he wants to make that the record God bless him. He can make that the record the record 73 by the way 2019 Major League Baseball hit 67 home runs. They hit 52 home runs this year if Barry Bonds had 2019 baseballs does he hit a hundred home runs in the season? He might but I saw a story yesterday that said that Aaron judge with the juice balls of the couple of years ago would have hit 81 this he played a few years ago, right? But that but that wasn't Aaron judge of here. This is Aaron judge this year that if he used those baseballs, he would have hit 81. Do you might do you think Rob Manfred was fueling the fire of the debate?

Sure. I mean has he ever made a decision that's made any baseball fan happy and that's why I love I love fans like Randy because as you know, everything's slanted for the Yankees in the last what 23 World Series. They've won in in a row right in conjunction that the best you're a Mets fan Adam, right? Haven't we just been living in the greatest era of New York baseball because so I mean keep rolling with that but where Randy is right 73 is the record Barry Bonds right and that's the thing but but here's the way I look at it and what I don't think is right is for like Jeff pass and said this the other day on Twitter that 73 is the Aaron judge had a remarkable season 73 is the record end of discussion and I say it's not the end of the discussion because it's it's okay to have the discussion because of what we know about Bonds and McGuire and Sosa the only players ever to hit more than 60 home runs in a season not named Maris and Ruth, of course hit 60 so it's okay to have the discussion and I think it's healthy, but I also don't want to make assumptions that everybody in baseball and I'm not accusing anybody that everybody in baseball today is clean because there's drug testing because we just saw Fernando Tatis miss out. He will not be on the field for the Padres because he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.

All right, very quickly. Let's get some baseball predictions from the two of you and then we'll let you go Randy. I'm making you a baseball fan today. You got no choice who's winning the World Series. I love the Houston Astros.

They are a model of consistency. They've been very very good for a long time the way they keep churning out players is tremendous. And honestly, it's kind of just a fun little thing to have that storyline of a team that had a World Series Championship tarnished for that team to come back and win one this many years later would be a fun story and they're really really good and I'm tired of the Dodgers tired of the Dodgers. Yes, I'm I'm not I don't disagree with any of that part of me also, even though he's been sort of a punchline at times would like to see Dusty Baker get one Mike 100% Mike who's winning it? I was going to say the Los Angeles Dodgers, but after Randy told me that the fix New York team I'll just go with the Yankees and subway series part 2 I would love that and by the way, I have told everybody Adam and this might have your jaw hit the floor because you know how adamantly I am against the Mets and the Boston Red Sox. But if the Mets play the Houston Astros in the World Series, it will be the first time since 1986 that I actually cheer for the Mets to win a baseball game. Yeah, I know the Yankees and the Astros don't like each other.

Now. It's been for your dusty reasons. I would like to see Buck Showalter win World Series.

Ah, me too. I like but I love Buck. I'm glad you know, the Mets won 101 games. There's no reason it keeps it. They blew it ten and a half game lead. They won 101 games. I I don't see the problem Braves really good.

I think we're going to see a Houston Atlanta World Series rematch with the other team winning this time. Mike Maniscalco the voice of the Carolina Hurricanes Randy Slack the voice of Wilmington. I appreciate both of you. I will talk to both of you soon Mike. I'll see you Wednesday night. Yeah. See you then. Take care.

All right. That was fantastic. It was good for everybody. We thank Mike Maniscalco. We thank Randy Slack talked a little baseball talked a little hockey. Normally we spend all of our time here talking football, but baseball playoffs underway official. I think officially the Rays and Guardians played the first game of their series in 219.

What is this sorcery? A fast-moving what it was well-pitched both starters, I believe went seven innings actually Cleveland starter Shane Bieber pitched eight. It was it was a well-pitched game. Both runs were scored on home runs Jose Siri. So they Dennis let me try to get this right Tampa asked Siri to hit a home run. And he did.

Sorry had to know it's fine. And then Jose Ramirez hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of that inning. I think both home runs came in the sixth correct Tampa Tampa took a one nothing lead top of the sixth on a Jose Siri home run and then Jose Ramirez with a man on went deep and it was to one that was it. That was all the there weren't a lot of hits either.

It was just not a lot of action. I saw a couple of good defensive plays out of the corner of my eye because we have the game on in the in the studio, but to I think it was 219 officially was the length of the game and now we've got the Cardinals and Phillies on ABC right now and we got two other games left. We have the Jays hosting the Mariners and then later on tonight on ESPN.

It's the Padres at the Mets. All right, we should do the best and worst of the NFL and there is a lot of competition for the ladder. All right, we have we have fancy football music. Here we go. I love it. All right, I'm going to start with the bottom because the bottom is more fun.

Okay. All right coming in at number 28 in the NFL. This is fifth worst, right? We have the Giants the Colts the Bears and the Rams all tied for 28th the Giants the Colts the Bears in the red like there are some good records there. The Giants are three and one. Yeah, the Colts are two two and one the Bears are two and two the Rams are two and two. They all stink. Yeah, the Rams just won a Super Bowl.

But right now they stink and I don't know what the reasons are for the Rams stinking other than other than Cooper Cup who they throw into. Yeah, Alan Robinson's been a major disappointment. Is he still there?

Is he a witness protection? What's going on? Think I'm glad I don't have him on my fantasy team. Yeah, everybody else on my fantasy team is hurt.

Everybody's it doesn't matter. I don't care but the Giants have a beautiful record and a bad football team. Now they are in the Giants are in London.

To play the Packers Sunday morning on your on your television at 9 o'clock. The Colts won a football game last night because they couldn't give both teams losses. The records the the rules say that both teams can't lose.

But both teams deserved to lose yesterday. So that is tied for 28 those those four teams are tied for 28. All right at number 29 fourth worst the Patriots the Steelers the Saints and the Broncos. They also stink all four of them also stink now. I'm sorry for your Steelers.

I really really love Mike Tomlin. Do you think they're better than that? I think they are I think they are you think Kenny Pickett is going to turn them around Matt Canada's the issue with that stiff right? No, no, like but yes, I honestly think so. Yeah, unfortunately, it's a team, right? Yeah. So I agree with you. I think their bigger problem is scheme, right?

What they're what they're trying to do. I like some of the pieces. I think they have dynamite receivers and who knows about picking.

I really don't know. Nobody really knows about picking. I love Nashi Harris. Although he's got injury issues all the time. It seems he's been a little nicked this year, but last year he was healthy through the whole season, right?

But I just never saw him like dominate because their offensive line has been so just not good. All right, so that's number. So what did I just have there? I'd that was 29. I had eight teams. Yeah, fifth worst and fourth worst combined.

All right. Now we only have one team each. Okay, number 30 the Washington Commandos, they're not good. No, they're you know, what's really funny about the commandos is that Daniel Snyder is blaming. Previous ownership for the culture of Washington. As though we're all stupid and don't remember previous ownership of the Washington franchise because Jack Kent cook and his family. Are you are you see are you trying to blame them?

Yeah for this. Yeah, you've been around for over 20 years. The the cook family. We're really good owners you on the other hand. What's the opposite of that stink you Daniel Snyder is quite possibly the worst owner in all of team sports. There are people who have had their teams taken away. Robert Sarver will sell the Phoenix Suns. Donald Sterling was forced to sell the LA Clippers Jerry Richardson willingly sold the Carolina Panthers.

George Steinbrenner was suspended. There are legitimately there are owners that have had their teams taken from them who aren't even in the same stratosphere as Snyder is as a bad owner. If the NFL had a pair they would force him out. But they don't because some of the things that Snyder has been accused of and is found to do has been found to have done.

There's enough of it going on around the NFL where nobody wants dirty laundry aired. So they're not going to kick Snyder to the curb. They're just not but remember when Adam Silver said we do it. I think we talked about this Dennis when Adam Silver said that, you know, there's only so much I can do I can find him I can take it. But once what Silver wanted to do and I contend did work behind the scenes was to mobilize an ownership group to say to Robert Sarver you got to go. And that can be done. If you're the NFL, yeah, Roger Goodell could get an ownership group together to say, you know what you got to go you got to put your team on the on the market by the way, the Washington football team would probably sell for five billion dollars.

Yeah, Daniel Snyder didn't buy it for five million, but it would it would sell for five million. All right, that's number number 30 number 31. Okay, the still winless, Houston, Texas. They are oh three and one they have a tie.

That's true. They drew in their opening match against Indianapolis. That's the the Colts tie.

They almost we almost had two ties was the last time a team had two ties on their record. Oh gosh, I have to now it's worth going back to look at but yeah, the Texans are no good. I feel bad. Love. I feel bad for Lovey Smith. He's the he's the head coach there. Right? Yeah. I feel bad for him because that's the job. He was left to like they're no good and they're not going to be all that good for a while.

32 hurts it hurts. Yeah, but the Carolina Panthers are the worst team in the league. Yeah sad and they're the worst team in the league because they have no offensive.

Hope right now. They have Christian McCaffrey. And that's it. That's about it. That's that that is it right now. They have some other good pieces. I mean DJ Moore is a good piece.

Yeah, but they don't get him the ball. So what are we doing here? All right.

Do I get to roll through my bottom five go through your bottom five? Okay, so 28 for me is Matt Canada the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It stinks. I guys play calling is awful NC State fans. Disagree. Oh wait. No, no, no, no, they agree. They a hundred percent are pounding the table. Yeah, that guy.

I think they would take Matt Canada back though. No right now. No, really? No. No, it's a good poll question.

All right number 29 for me front office executives who think they can revitalize former first-round quarterbacks because guess what the only time they somewhat has worked in the NFL in the last 10 years is Ryan Tannehill. That's really it. So that was a particular style. I know but I said somewhat worked. Yes, that's oh, it definitely worked for what Tennessee wanted to do. Yeah hand the ball to Derrick Henry all day exact and then Ryan Tannehill play action. Just throw throw a handful of good passes.

I will say a lot of money. I will say jury still out Jerry Goff. He's put up good numbers for the Lions so far, but the put up good numbers, but the team isn't winning.

Nevertheless anyway, but he's fun. They're fun number three. So this is number 30 for me people who hyped the AFC West. The AFC West outside of the Chiefs stink you and me.

Yeah, you and me. I think the Chargers are talented. We say that every year about that because we know they are but they always they probably have more games missed amongst their stars than any team in the end of right the last 10 years and more games lost that they should have won at the same time you and I were talking about this before the before the show about great quarterbacks in the league. I am hesitant to put Justin Herbert on that list and it might not be his fault. It might be the Chargers as a team. Yeah might be their fault, but I got to see more winning out of Justin Herbert before because I know they've got talent talent is not the issue.

You got plenty of talent. I need to see more winning from Justin Herbert before I put him on that list. All right number 31 for me, whatever College hires Matt rule that that's number 31 of the NFL for me beautiful and number 32 dead last I gotta go to the thing will hack it just he stinks. Let's just be honest that guy terrible. He is way out of his league. Yeah, but here's the thing.

His father was a respected football coach. Okay, and he's white. So he's going to get a job. Right?

He's going to get a job. I mean, I didn't it's a formula. Yeah. All right tall and he was the he was that in Green Bay. So he was there with what's his name Aaron Rodgers. Well, no, that was there Matt LaFleur. Yeah, who was with I had some connection to Kyle Shanahan.

Yeah, who had connections Sean McVay, right? So all that they all they had lunch at a Wendy's together and that was enough. All right now the exact very good. I love your list by the way. Thank you.

Now the one through five or five through one number five. The Dallas Cowboys, okay, so they've won all three games with the backup quarterback. And I'm not saying the backup quarterback should continue to play.

That's not the point. The point is what it's demonstrating is that they have a very good team and they don't need Dak Prescott to come back and be a superstar. They just need Dak Prescott to be good. That's it. We're setting the bar pretty low for you Dak.

Don't screw it up. I think the team can run the ball. They have good possession. They have good receivers.

They have a great defense. They can get to the quarterback Dallas number five number four Green Bay. I I keep hearing about Green Bay there Aaron Rodgers that the offense not good.

Yeah, you know what? They'll be fine and maybe they won't but I'm pretty sure that they'll be fine and they're going to play the Giants in London and it's football anything could happen. I think the Giants stink and I think the Packers are really good. I get the Packers at number four number three the Philadelphia Eagles. Okay, I think the Philadelphia Eagles are the class of the NFC and I'm going to have to be proven otherwise by a good team. Although ain't a lot of good teams in the NFC. No, I mean Cowboys Packers Bucks not a lot of great offensive teams. I think the Eagles might have a great offense. Yeah, so and I love their defense number two Kansas City and number one even after a loss I had him and even after being down 20 to 3 talking to my wife who's not a Buffalo Bills fan, but from that area.

She goes. What's what's up with Buffalo? I'm like, ah, I still think they're great. Even if they're going to get blown out. She says what they you don't think they could win. I said they're probably too far down then they came back and won.

I think the bills are the best team bills bills number one. All right number five for me Bailey Zappi and Cooper Rush truthers because they're loving life right now. Was Bailey Zappi that good? No, but the people who say like, oh, yeah, I had that guy graded high. Oh, I knew that guy was gonna be developmental. He was like, yeah, he might be a good developmental quarterback.

But yeah, one to say those people are loving life right now. Hey, look see how right I was you didn't listen to me then. Look how right I am and they see Cooper Rush is going to get a starting job in the league. Now him. Oh, I actually he's the next Kyle Allen. He's the next.

What is it? Was it Matt Quinn? Who is the Packers? Oh Matt Flynn Matt Flynn. Yeah, Matt Flynn Packers backup went to Seattle signed a free agent contract. Then they drafted Russell Wilson and we have not seen Flynn since yeah, I think he played maybe one more game. He played preseason games and then went and ended up going back to the Packers as a backup.

I yeah. All right number four TJ Watt. TJ Watt number four for me in the NFL, you know why since he's been drafted Steelers have not won a game when TJ Watt has missed a game.

Really? Yes MVP. Oh exactly MVP over find the one you put wins and losses on quarterbacks while putting wins and losses on them on TJ Watt Steelers. Haven't won a game where he's missed. So Bailey zappy went 10 of 15. Yep for 99 yards that completion percentage is efficient at him.

It threw a touchdown a total qbr of 15.9 there see exactly qbr rating lower than Brian Hoyer. Just saying all right number three for me. I'm also going to go to the Eagles. Okay, I think but here's my my question about Philadelphia. Can they sustain their level of play throughout the whole season? I think they are right now the best version of themselves.

They are playing at their peak. Can you do that for 18 weeks the Eagles? Yes, I think they are playing their best version of themselves as opposed to some teams right now who are that will continue to progress and grow during the season. I don't know if they will I think you have that's a good point and a smart way to look at the NFL which is the way I've always looked at it. It's three seasons.

There's the start which can be fool's gold. Yeah, so I think that there is that possibility with Philadelphia that they will go through alone. There's every team will go through a funk, but I think ultimately the way they're structured. I think they'll come back and I think their game which is based on the run.

I think their game will travel and will translate when we get into December and January number two for me the Chiefs. Yeah, not just because of their offense, but I think they've revamped their defense. Yeah, I think their defense is much improved and number one for me is Josh Allen.

Josh have taught what a dude. Yeah, what a dude because he is their offense. Yeah, he is but let's not clear a running game. There's zero running. Well, it's outside of him. I think they have a running game. They don't they don't have one guy that they rely on but I think they can run it and they have Stefan Diggs Diggs is maybe the best wide receiver in the game. This is the Adam Gold show.