Fever is hot, stakes are high and temps are low for Lamar and Ravens against Texans

Luke Jones and Nestor get Ravens fans ready for AFC Divisional playoff game with Houston Texans

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

talking, years, week, ravens, cold, game, lamar jackson, mark andrews, play, day, degrees, super bowl, luke, injury, saturday, team, thought, point, playoff games, lose

SPEAKERS

Luke Jones, Nestor J. Aparicio

Nestor J. Aparicio  00:01

W n s t testable the more and Baltimore positive we are a positively up on the biggest game ever. That’s all. Everywhere I go, every buddy I talked to they better when they better when I sort of feel a better when we’re planning something really, really cool. Next month lots folks are asking about radio roe and the Super Bowl and talking about ticket prices at the Super Bowl. And by the way, you get in for like less than 100 bucks this week, if you’re willing to go out and do the 18th degree thing on Saturday night, but we’re gonna be doing a thing called crabcake row a cup of soup or bowl, we’ll be offering you that on behalf of the Maryland Food Bank. I’ll be telling you tons about that. Hopefully, hopefully Luke Jones in the aftermath of a victory on Saturday afternoon and we sit around on Saturday night and watch the other guys play and then we wait for the Rockem sockem buffalo Kansas City game in harsh conditions in the frozen tundra, and all that’s a frozen tundra. Where you’re gonna be Dude, I don’t know how the heats equipped down there, but it’s gonna get tested for me. Even you media types behind glass. I’m telling you dude, froze my ass off in the press box in Denver at the Mile High miracle game and we’re getting there. Pac loves that’s all I’m saying. You know, they don’t like the media around there. They might freeze you out. Yeah,

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Luke Jones  01:21

US media have no right to complain compared to the fans that are gonna brave the elements. I mean, let’s be very clear. And yeah, I’ll be wearing long sleeves. But that’s the least of anyone’s concerns as we’re finally almost here. It’s finally almost game Damian a long layoff for the Ravens. We’ve talked about it at length. We speculated for a couple of weeks about who they’d be playing. We know it’s the Houston Texans, of course, gone through the practice week. I think we have a decent idea other than maybe Mark Andrews in terms of who’s out who’s in for Saturday’s game, but let’s kick it off and play. I think all the excitement, all the build up for this you get to a point where I even talked to Lamar Jackson in the locker room. It was actually late last week and just went up to him. I said, you know, how much is it driving you nuts not knowing who you’re gonna play and he said this, you know, even at the podium, but he’s antsy and I don’t mean that a negative and a negative nervous kind of energy more like, hey, let’s get going. You know, we’re, we’re a heck of a football team and we’re ready and we want to go play so the Ravens we’re gonna get Mike

Nestor J. Aparicio  02:24

Florio watching the horses when they come out, he wants to run he wants to run, you know, and that’s the way it is. I guess at the end of preseason, too. There’s that energy of Alright, enough a training camp because, dude, this has been a training camp or something. How many days off? I mean, between snaps for Lamar, and for a couple of these key guys, you’re talking

Luke Jones  02:44

December 31 was the last time that Lamar Jackson, and not all the starters, but a handful of other starters played. So you’re talking about a 20 day layoff? Right? I mean, that’s, it’s very, you just said,

Nestor J. Aparicio  02:59

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pitchers and hitting in three days over a weekend, right, like timing, and, and just all of that, and this is all on John, right. I mean, it really is. And I talked to Jared Johnson, by the way, this week, for something you to listen to, like once a week, you should listen to one portion of my show, Jared Johnson would be the one this week because he did talk about oh six, he talked about 90 and being around the team as a broadcaster. And just, this is awkward. This is a you know, for a football player, this is really awkward.

Luke Jones  03:25

It is and what’s funny about it, because I’ve even seen a few fans talk about this. And it’s a fair point on Twitter, you know, social media, Facebook, whatever. I’ve seen a few people mentioned that. It’s so funny how we talk about this by week for the number one seed in each conference. And for years, it was the top two seeds, and how it’s viewed compared to how we view the bye week during the season, right? You know, during the season, that’s a week, by week we can get right we’re resting up, we’re gonna come out fresh extra time to prepare for whichever opponent you have coming out of the by. You don’t view it through the same lens as you view this, which is you better be ready to play. And the difference is when you come out of the bye week in whether it’s week five or week 13 The stakes aren’t as high knowing that. If you happen to lose your season isn’t over.

Nestor J. Aparicio  04:14

I’ll be playing Carolina or like Cleveland. Sure. Sure. Sean have an extraordinary record after by weeks. Am I not saying that for

Luke Jones  04:23

years? Yeah, he continues to I mean, it’s I can’t remember what it is.

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Nestor J. Aparicio  04:27

It’s almost as freaky as a 17. And oh, preseason thing, right? It’s like It’s like it’s freaky as lumbars NFC thing, I mean, the outlier stats and all of this and the fact that they’ve only won one playoff game or two playoff games in the case of John and a long, long time is kind of crazy because they just they’ve done some supernatural stuff in regard to and I saw John poppin off was Schefter on an in house thing now Schefter is going to be owned by the NFL boy am I week after radio row. We’re gonna have a good time around. You’re talking about the media but I saw John Paul poppin off about revolution revolution revolution. I don’t know man dude, what’s the playoff games win one ring. So you know mahomes got to don’t be telling me about revolution. Revolution is what the Cowboys are you win a lot of games in the regular season and then you don’t win here. I mean, like, they’re all out to win media. They’re all out signing autographs, they’re all out to win. Like, it’s, it’s cool. They’re splashing up cars. I just have never talked to anyone including John McClane this week and people around the league, where they just are expected to be in Las Vegas. Like, and I and I don’t know that beating the Chiefs or the bills in a big game anytime, anywhere. On a cold day, we would look at it ever and thought, well, they’re just gonna win that game. We feel that way about them right now. I you know, I don’t want to say it’s a dangerous level of overconfidence. at all, it’s good to be confident. It’s good to believe you’re gonna win. They all believe they’re gonna win, visualizing them. Coming down to the stadium in the cold over the weekend, look around and feel the vibes and get the you know, get the Mojo. I’m cool with all that. I mean, whatever John did before if he’s doing something different this time. You know, he’s better coach than me, that’s for sure. But in the case of this particular matchup, they’re getting the hot team. They’re getting the young, they’re getting to meet. I mean, I’ve been in Houston all week talking about all this. It. It’s a playoff game, right. And this team’s a double digit dog on the road are getting up on 10 points, right? Like, this should be not candy from a baby but they shouldn’t be losing at halftime and sweating. And I think that that’s the fan base has seen this too many times where we always sweat because when they come out of the bye week they’re playing some schlub. This is this is a rested, ready. Good. Sound passing game like the whole deal. And we’re so injuries and players on the field because I want to pretend we’re out on a cold day Luke, it’s Mark Andrews playing because everybody’s asking me that at Halloween, Hollywood casino the other day. And I’m like, I think he’s gonna try and like as you sit here, if you got $1 Which Way You bet, is he gonna play or not? Um,

Luke Jones  07:04

let me get to that. I want to share something on the heels of what you were just talking about. I have a quote from John Harbaugh. And then I’m going to explain it or clarify where it came from. The quote was, you just keep playing, you keep that edge, you are kind of going week to week. There’s not time to breathe or think about anything. I absolutely think that can be a plus. It has. It has been for us in the past. We’ve been pretty good on the road over the years and the playoff times. Historically. There’s certainly something to that. And we’re well aware of that on the other side of it. That was John Harbaugh talking the week of the Tennessee Titans playoff game back in 2019. And tell me that same exact principle doesn’t apply to Houston right now. Another AFC South team, upstart team young head coach is Mike Grable was at that point in time, not a rookie quarterback, and Ryan Tannehill. But certainly not someone that was striking fear in anyone. Different team. I get it. You know, I

Nestor J. Aparicio  07:59

don’t know any better. They were biologically 2000. You know? Yeah. Stylistically,

Luke Jones  08:03

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they’re they’re very different from the Titans because they don’t run the ball in the same way, which is not a good thing for them. Because if the Ravens defense has shown one vulnerability, it’s been giving up a little bit more on the ground than you would expect. Anyway, my point is, you hear that kind of quote, and it’s why I keep saying I’m going to post the link to it. I’m not going to rewrite the article, but I’m going to post it in my 12 ravens thoughts, as you know, as I offer my final musings on the game on Saturday, but it’s why it’s so important for them to start fast. I mean, I can’t emphasize that enough. And I wrote the same thing four years ago. And they didn’t start fast. They were trailing 14 Nothing early in the second quarter, and they never recovered. So that’s that’s the cautionary tale. Mark Andrews, at the beginning of the week, really late last week, when we first saw him on the practice field designated to return from IR ankle heavily taped. He moved around reasonably well. But you could tell Yeah, this guy is coming back from an ankle injury. Over the course of this week, we’ve seen him increase his activity level to the point that even logging full practice participation. He spoke in the locker room on Wednesday. Look, it’s not 100% But I’ll say this much. I would have been at the end of last week, probably saying 20 or 25% for the divisional round. And before he spoke on Wednesday, you know, maybe 5050 4555 Something like that, you know, this, this feels like it’s something where there’s some legs to the idea that he’s gonna give it a go. Now, let’s be very clear, and this might apply, not just for the divisional round, but the AFC Championship and yes, if they make it to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, I don’t think we’re gonna see a 60 Snap again, Mark Andrews, I think we’re going to be seeing a key third down redzone pitch count kind of a mark Andrews, look, I say likely he’s done a tremendous job in his place. You know, this offense says Not because Mark Andrews has been out there. But in spite of his absence, their offense has taken off over the last six weeks not counting the Pittsburgh game that was a glorified exhibition. So they’re not in a position where they quote, need Mark Andrews to play. But these aren’t Pass Fail propositions, we’re always talking about increasing wind probability to put it in nerdy terms, right. Having that Mark Andrews available to potentially contribute even if it’s only in a 10 to 15 or 20 Snap capacity. That should help you increase your odds of winning the football game, especially against a team that yeah, is an underdog you know, we’re talking about a 9.9 and a half depending on which sports book you’re subscribing to. But, you know, I think there’s a very decent chance that we’re gonna see him and a lot of that has to do with the fact that going into the end of the week, the Ravens cleared three roster spots, you know, they have three roster spots for Mark Andrews potentially Devin DuVernay returning and taking his return duties back because Thailand Wallace is actually banged up right now. And even someone like our Darius Washington or Yes, Dalvin Cook on the practice squad as they released Melvin Gordon, during the practice week. So you fumble you get cut here, right? Yeah, well, and let’s face it, Melvin Gordon had a golden opportunity in that Pittsburgh game, and he put the ball in the ground and he didn’t really didn’t really produce anyway. So you know, John Calvin cooks going to certainly you expect him to be elevated, you know, they don’t need to put him on the 53 man roster because they can just elevate them from the practice squad. But the point is, they’ve cleared the deck roster wise, to the point where even if Mark Andrews is playing very sparingly, on Saturday, they have the roster flexibility to do this without losing a player that you value, you know, in terms of having to wave someone. So yeah, I tend to think that there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to play and I would not have said that a week ago, I would have said a week ago when he was out there. All right, they’re doing this to give tennis or Tennessee to give the Texans the idea that he might play on Saturday. And yeah, he’s gonna ramp up over the course of the week. But I’m thinking the AFC Championship is still more likely. And let’s be clear, that could still be the plan and everything they’ve done over the last week, could exactly be what I’m just suggesting, or thought what I thought it might have been, which is giving Houston the idea that Mark Andrews could play this week. And really, the idea is for him to play next week. But now that he’s looked pretty good. You did say that recovery, post practice, you know, post workouts that he’s been doing for weeks now in terms of just getting that ankle right, managing the swelling, I will say seeing him in the locker room. I mean, he was walking with a limp after practice. And that’s not that’s been normal for him. So this has really been a major recovery for him. He even said he’s been using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber that his girlfriend’s family apparently had, which I thought was very random. There’s a lot of

Nestor J. Aparicio  13:03

intrigue on the internet about the hyperbaric chamber. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Luke Jones  13:06

So but the point is, this has been around the clock endeavor for Mark Andrews, the ravens, training staff, doctors, everyone, people

Nestor J. Aparicio  13:14

$6 million player, it looks to me like, Hey, dude, if you think you want to play Saturday, go run around out there on Wednesday, and we’ll see how it goes. And then there’s the where’s the swelling on Thursday and Friday, and let’s not tell the media and let’s pretend you’re gonna play and stand up and act like you might play and then go out there and sweats and run around when it’s 15 degrees. And, you know, maybe it’s in our best interest to make it look like you’re gonna play because I’m John Harbaugh. And this is the way we do. And, you know, and you’ll, you’ll be on that wn S T. texty. I guess right around two o’clock or so on on Saturday afternoon when you send it out. And, you know, you’ll be a no go this week, but but at least the faking part of getting them out there and he’s a full, he had a full participation, at least makes the gamblers and the Texans have to at least get to make a Ryan’s have to think about one more thing. A gimpy tight end with given that position and given the cut and given what you have to be speed wise and power wise. You know, I don’t like to hear you as reporters saying he’s, you know, why did we let reporters in the locker room? Because it just what you gave me he’s limping around that kind of tells me like, let’s he’s putting on a show for you guys. Which I, you know, I don’t know. I’ve never really sat and talked to Mark Andrews. I’ve had a microphone in front of him. But I don’t know how much they would be at the theatrics this week. But that would be horrible. And, you know, I mean, I don’t know. But that being said, if he’s limping around, if he can’t do the things he needs to do in this kind of a football game, and I will keep coming back to the weather, because the weather is going to be we’ve talked the game the game, the game, the game, then they walk out it’s 15 degrees and guys can’t breathe and somebody gets cold and mistakes happen and the balls like a rock and all that’s going to happen for sure.

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Luke Jones  14:55

Yeah. And again, could there be a game was Ben ship elements of this? Of course, of course. And look, the Ravens would not be the only team to do this. But that said, even if he’s not playing Saturday, he was always going to need a ramp up period. You’re not going to have two months off and then you’re just playing a football game, especially coming off of an ankle slash fibula injury that required surgery two months ago. So you know, he even said it. He drew the comparison. This is the Terrell Owens injury that he had. If you go back to the 2004 Eagles, and he got hurt very late in the regular season. I think he had a shorter timetable to did than Andrews. Again, is it 100% Exactly the same. You know, I don’t know.

Nestor J. Aparicio  15:36

I would sit ups out and this is Bellport. I mean,

Luke Jones  15:39

a year or two later, right? Yeah. This is when he and Donovan McNabb didn’t hate each other just yet. But, but

Nestor J. Aparicio  15:46

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the point is, oh, good week for Eagles history. Thank you. I

Luke Jones  15:49

know right. I’m sure my brother in law loves hearing me make reference to that. But but the point is Andrews is going to need some practice time one way or the other. Do I think he can play Saturday? Sure. Is he going to be 100%? No, no way. And that’s where I go back to I’m not sure he’s gonna be 100% Until training camp. But if it’s a case of Mark Andrews at 85%. And again, that’s an arbitrary number. But a mark Andrews that’s a lesser Mark Andrews but he can contribute. You know, whether it’s in the side, the redzone a key third down kind of play, whatever it is, then yeah, you’ll take that and really view his role as not so much replacing Isaiah likely, I think Isaiah likely will continue to be the primary tight end, at least for the first game Andrews is back. I mean, and probably the rest of the way. It’s more So alright, Mark Andrews replacing Charlie Kohler in some of those spots, you know, so that’s where Yeah, you’ll take that even if it’s not a 100% mark Andrews but the rest of the recovery, that’s been a big thing for him. He he flat out said, I have to manage the swelling at whenever I’ve been working out. So this guy wants to play i If nothing else, yeah, there’s no question about if nothing else, he really, really wants to play. And I mean, I flat out asked him, I said, I would never imply that these last few months have been easy for you. But watching this team play at the level and this offense play at the level at which it’s played, since you’ve been out, has that made things easier. And he just he got the biggest smile on his face. And you could just tell that this guy is proud of his team excited about his team, and he wants to contribute. And look, he also to his credit, he also said yeah, this is about how I feel, but it’s also a matter of, I’ve got to be mature and say, can I contribute knowing how good the rest of this offense is? No, knowing how good Isaiah likely has been knowing how good how much better the receivers are than past years. He didn’t say that. But we all know the truth with that. He has to make an accurate assessment and the coaches and the trainer’s have to make an accurate assessment to say, okay, Mark Andrews at this percent is going to be an improvement for us over Charlie Kohler being out there and

Nestor J. Aparicio  17:57

he can’t run it. 100% That’s his specialty. I mean, he’s a great route runner getting into space and whatnot, but there is a speed element to what he does. And I was just gonna say, man, it’s been it’s been kind of cruddy with with heap and Pitta and injuries and when I think about Gronkowski, who annoys the living please go away. Oh, my God, he’s terrible. But always injured, always banged up, always fun. You know, there’s a part of being a tight end that these injuries especially in this organization, I wouldn’t say for some guys that go to the Hall of Fame at Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzalez and whatever but the tight ends we’ve had it’s it sucks seeing them be so banged up this time a year because it feels like it’s been a theme for 20 years that tight ends. Man January’s tough on tight ends.

Luke Jones  18:41

I mean, January is tough on everyone. I mean, the reality is, and look, I mean, the point you’re making, as far as you know, whether he’s healthy or not. I mean, we always use again, pass or fail healthy or not. It’s a sliding scale, right? It’s a range. Very few guys are truly 100% This time of year, I mean, the Charlie Kohler

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Nestor J. Aparicio  18:59

run faster as a healthy man and an 80%. Mark. And you know that that would be the question, right? Sure.

Luke Jones  19:05

Sure. I mean, I’ll say this for what it’s worth on. When was it Tuesday? I think it was they’re practicing indoors because that was right after the snow had come. He made a leaping one handed catch now it was during warm ups, but it was the kind of thing that you would say, okay, he’s clearly feeling pretty good to be able to do that to even try to do that. So, again, we’ll see, he’s not 100% That doesn’t mean he’s 50% either and can’t run at all. When I’ve seen him try to move. It’s looked pretty good. It’s looked better than I thought it would, quite frankly, it’s steadily gotten a little bit better every practice that I’ve seen them out there, so we’re just gonna have to see how it plays out. Again, they have open roster spots would mean that it could even if you want to take the gamesmanship to a higher level, they could even activate him in terms of putting them on the 53 man roster. You know that because you have to do that today before And then he could be inactive if you felt compelled to say, okay, he’s not quite ready because you have to put guys down anyway. So yeah, but if other

Nestor J. Aparicio  20:07

guy, he’s at the edge of the bench and you don’t have no intention of playing, I mean, you need another safety or, but that’s why

Luke Jones  20:12

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that’s why I said you deactivate I mean they have open roster spots right now that’s my point, they have spots to play with keep in mind in the playoffs, you can elevate from the practice squad and there’s no limit on that in terms you have two per game that you can elevate from the practice squad. And, you know, it could be the same guys throughout your potential Super Bowl run. So they have a lot of roster flexibility. Again, we’ll see, I do feel more inclined to say that I think he has a better chance to play than I would have said a week ago where I would have kind of laughed about the divisional round. But you know, he’s moved pretty well. And now he’s practicing fully. I’ll say this. And this is true everywhere. We know those injury reports are, you know, you can manipulate a little bit and we know that they don’t tell the whole picture. I mean, full limited did not participate. I mean, there’s

Nestor J. Aparicio  21:02

cover hockey, you can have upper and lower body exactly, at least at

Luke Jones  21:05

least we actually get body part specifications, you know, unlike hockey where it’s upper body, lower body so speaking

Nestor J. Aparicio  21:11

to upper and lower body, you know, I know Marlo, you know dropped the new podcasts is he playing? I mean, where is he dude?

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Luke Jones  21:21

Now he I do not have much confidence in playing at this point in time. I mean, he hurt his calf. Remember, that was in the first half of the Miami game. He has not practiced since then. We saw him last week. I was a little surprised not to see him on the practice field at the beginning of this week. Because last week, we saw him a couple of days, doing some running, doing some agility work. And, you know, wasn’t up close, you know, it was kind of on a side field. But he seemed to be moving reasonably well. So I don’t know if he had a setback. I don’t know if the cap just didn’t respond terribly. Well. I don’t know if they’re trying to be extra cautious, because keep in mind, he had a calf injury. It was the the second Cleveland game and he missed, missed some action. You know, not a lot a long time. But he missed up at least one game. I think it was if not too with that injury. So I think the reality is he’s running out of time. I mean, even if he gets on the practice field at the very end of the week. I mean, you’re talking about nearly three weeks that he hasn’t practiced officially for them. So I think chances

Nestor J. Aparicio  22:22

are like a guy that they gotta get to the Super Bowl to get him back on the field

Luke Jones  22:25

or at least you know, next week because yeah, I mean, the fact that he’s not even on the practice field this week. To me, not just takes them out of play for Saturday most likely, but then you start to wonder if he’s available for the AFC championship so like I said he has been doing some running, but that’s why I was a little surprised not to see him out there this week, but would be tough to to only get out on the field for one day and be out there after a three week layoff especially a calf injury. That’s the kind of injury that has a high setback rate. I’m not a doctor but I’ve been around enough of sport you know football injuries to kind of know how to score

Nestor J. Aparicio  22:59

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like Doogie Howser, you know

Luke Jones  23:02

that but but I think in the case of Mark Andrews, there’s some optimism with Marlon Humphrey, I don’t think there’s much optimism at all at this point. I think that’s probably going to be hopefully you have them back for the AFC Championship against Kansas City or Buffalo depending on how that plays out. But of

Nestor J. Aparicio  23:21

course they have to take your chance and you’re talking like that. I can look ahead

Luke Jones  23:26

the team cannot but I can look ahead I can be overconfident, I can look ahead I do not play. I do not subscribe to that there are no jinxes. So, but I think overall the overall point ravens are in pretty good shape health wise there’s a flowers practicing fully, you know he’s going to be back. Oh, he does have the ankle heavily taped. So that’s something to watch. But he he practiced fully. So he’s going to give it a go. I’m Malik Harrison, who helps some of their depth you know some of their early down Sam linebacker play. He offers some of that he’s back on the practice field. So and as I mentioned Devin DuVernay fully expect him to be activated and it’s a good thing because tylan Wallace tweaked his knee last week of practice and you know, not looking great for him to be able to play which that’s a low key not just talking about the return game but he’s one of their best special teams players so that’s a low key keep that in the back of your mind if you see some some sort of breakdown over the course of the game special teams wise.

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Nestor J. Aparicio  24:21

Oh, how’s it been for you in a park at their practices week and 20 degrees and you know, these guys I mean, a lot of Florida guys. I hate the cold. You hate the cold? We all hate cold. You know, I hated watching the cold in Kansas City the other night. I made me feel cold in a warm casino at the Berryville I mean, you know it just ticket prices are depressed. There’s 25,000 tickets on the market. Everybody thought they were going to mark their ticket prices up a gouge a Browns fan or Steelers fan. Instead there’s gonna be you know, 1800 people from Texas come here and read and find their seats for $89 There was a point no All this we’re like I sat out in the cold because I haven’t talked to anybody about this this week. So I’ll talk to you about because I was a season ticket holder for 27 years sitting in the front row where the wind came up and the rain came up and the snow came up and we loved it all. And the Denver game in 2000 was pretty cold. A Green Bay game when Brett Farve came in here Kyle bowler night really coming? I don’t we not ever went into a skybox was that night because it was so cold and the game didn’t matter. And we stunk and Billick was getting candid, you know, the whole deal, right? So this is going to be as cold as it gets. This is as intolerable as maybe you’d ever see a game in Baltimore, right? Gaming the teens. I mean, maybe next week, it’d be worse, although it’s supposed to be 60 degrees next Friday, I did the forecast and this, which also makes me don’t take some you know, like I don’t I put ticket stubs, a phantom ticket stubs up that I have in my collection, because it was a PSL holder. I used to get the strips and pay a year ahead, do all that and tell people buying PSL is and the team loves you and they’re community oriented. And all of that stuff. You know, I don’t, I wouldn’t tell people it’s worth sitting outside 15 degrees, but I’m 55 and I’ve done it 100 times, and I’ve yeah, I’ve got pictures of it. I’ve done. It’s It’s tough. It’s rough. You know, it’s rough. It was rough in the press box in Denver, at my high miracle. And to your point, I’ve had three people on the show this week that were at that game, and Stokely is coming on Monday. So that’s four. So he was indicating. So you know, how cold cold can be when cold is there and the heaters on the sidelines and all of that Lamar always looks cold. You know, I don’t know what that means. It’ll really say something to me. If Lamar goes out and has this incredible game or an 80 degree day, because that’s something he’s not done that, you know, like we’re talking about playing well in the cold for the team. But Texas played a dome, they they’re not going to be well, I mean, I’ll hear all of that. But it really is about mental capacity and staying focused when you’re that cold. And I’ll say that as a guy who does hot yoga gets in 110 degree room. And the whole idea is to sort of break you like you’re in the jungle, and you know, lose your concentration. It’s a hard game in any temperature, right? I mean, it is. I think it’s really, really tough. And it’s really about toughness, and there’s kind of toughness, that cold. Guys like Tony Siragusa got off on it. I think Flacco kind of always got off on it. Brett Farve kind of dug it. You know what I mean? Some guys dig it. And some guys don’t dig it. And you don’t know if you don’t dig it. I know, I don’t dig it. And I know I don’t dig it. When I go to New York last year with the guy who saved my wife’s life. And I and it’s 15 degrees, it was 15 degrees that week in New York day after Christmas. And I’m like, I’m not leaving. I didn’t want to walk from here to there. And we have fans that clearly love the team. Love the team, who just, you know, your your buddy wants to see an AFC Championship game unless it’s eight degrees. It’s a different animal, what the fans are going to endure. And I hope everybody stay safe. And I mean that, like, top down because it’s not a safe thing to do. It really isn’t.

Luke Jones  28:06

I mean, you have to dress in layers. I mean, I’ve been out there Look, full disclosure. And again, we joked at the beginning of our conversation about the press box being chilly. I mean, I haven’t I haven’t bought a Ravens ticket in 13 years. So I’m not. I’m not going to pretend to talk at a time. But in both of us, it’s Sure sure, sure. But I do want to throw this out there. Just as a reminder, this is only the eighth home playoff game and ravens history 2000 2003 2006 2011 against the Texans 2012 2018 against the chargers and obviously how disappointing that was 2019 against the Titans. Look,

Nestor J. Aparicio  28:46

people walked out our building with a whim Ray Lewis.

Luke Jones  28:50

8

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it

Nestor J. Aparicio  28:52

was the last one. We walked out of the building. Oh, lay off when Wow, with all of that said, I

Luke Jones  28:56

mean, look, it is going to be so cold. I’m not going to sit, I’m not going to be preachy. Because, look, it’s it’s someone else’s money. It’s someone else’s health, potentially getting sick, you

Nestor J. Aparicio  29:05

know, in my life, I will do it. And I don’t think it’s worth it. Now say that out loud.

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Luke Jones  29:08

But that said, we also know the 2019 was a great example of this 2006 was a great example of that and greats the wrong word. They’re awful example of this. But as much as people are, I think saving up for an AFC Championship game, because that would be the first in the history of this franchise and first in over 50 years in Baltimore. It’s not guaranteed. So there is that element of Yeah, it’s going to be cold. And yeah, you know, the divisional matchup against Houston is not the same as a potential AFC Championship against Kansas City or Buffalo. But there haven’t been many of these around here. And that’s, that’s wild. I mean, you talked about some of the anomaly some of the wild stats. It’s crazy considering this as a franchise that has two Super Bowls over the last 25 years. All the playoff appearances all the success are

Nestor J. Aparicio  29:59

there. Great franchises stable franchise great ownership they haven’t yet break.

Luke Jones  30:05

Haven’t had a ton of home playoff games and it’s been on the road which Hey, compliments to them for doing that. I mean, my goodness, I mean, the 2000 ravens, you know, they beat Denver, and then they went on the road. I mean, that’s my all time favorite team. But the point is, don’t take this for granted this week. You know, if it’s only about, hey, I’m just saving up for the AFC Championship. And if you have the disposable income, and you’re younger, and you don’t mind the cold weather, you know, there could still be a heck of a lot of fun so that I’ll just throw that out there because it’s something that really struck me that wow, we’re still talking on home playoff games and ravens history in the ravens are, they’re gonna be 30 years old pretty soon, you know, we’re coming up on that. That’s not that far away. And Emma Holmes was

Nestor J. Aparicio  30:51

8

knocked over 15 home game, what’s the number mahomes is playing

Luke Jones  30:55

I mean, it’s whatever it is, it’s a lot. He’s playing the first row game.

Nestor J. Aparicio  31:01

Put this into perspective at like, and how many home games Tom Brady probably played, I had to be in the 30s. Right, like a crazy amount of home games. And we played eight ever seven ever ate when we get to Saturday that like, because I did think about how many divisional games have been here, because there have been no AFC Championship games, we’re all on to the African 71 I’m going to try to chase down Fred Biletnikoff next week who played that game. By the way, he doesn’t do zoom. So I’m gonna it’s gonna be really old school, which I told JT the brick this week. I’m like, I’m old school with a Hall of Famer, I’m good like that. I’ll figure that out. Zoom does radio does zoom does a phone calls. So I would just say all of this, like this is the first one I’m missing as an example. Right. So I’ve been the other seven. And I think about them individually. It doesn’t feel like a lot of games. And I mean, I remember the bus trips a lot more, but none of it feels current. And maybe that’s the plague to some degree. You’re sort of wiping out some stuff like that. Like when I had to go to Buffalo three days ahead of time across the border and get a test and bent over cough and do all that just just to go to the game in Buffalo to watch them lose. I didn’t do that three years ago, one of the one of the other things they held against me when they took my credential away. But during that period of time, we weren’t going to games, nobody was going to games. I mean, this is an amped up moment. And the other part of this is it’s kind of very unfortunate to and I’ll say this out loud that the loudness of a stadium and the science of it and I figured this out because I’ve been the more playoff games than anybody you’ve ever met inside, outside in the stands down in the lower bowl, upper bowl, I’ve been everywhere. Man AB in every January, in outdoor games in the cold people wear gloves. So there’s no clapping sound, the only sound you have is your voice. You lose your voice, the breadth, the padding of the hands, all of that. It’s not going to sound the way it does. When Ray Lewis danced on an October 68 degree day and people go nuts. There’ll be all this manufactured sound and all of this, but I’ve always noticed that whether it was Cleveland buffalo, Pittsburgh, it doesn’t get nearly as loud this time of year because the fans get cold and the fans are padded in some way. And that’s why that Detroit game, I thought what an advantage they have it’s five degrees out. And all anybody talks about who was at that game from Collins worth the pm or Peter Gaines thing was just how insanely loud it is to operate in that building. And it’s unfortunate. From a from a I’m talking to tactical staff talking 12 Man, I’m talking about what the players will come out yell for a scream for us, which my wife did for 28 years until we were kicked out by their vice president of whatever he is. We were yellow screamers noisemakers that was part of the thing. And I know that people are going down there. It’s 15 degrees. Do what you do. God bless you. I should take this moment to say that the game last week I saw a video from a fan. And you bet that a CFG bank you go to arenas, right? Yeah, new arena thing as you go through you swipe. It’s like a royal farms. You go through you grab your soda, your beer. You swipe, swipe and you walk out and it’s it’s a it’s a convenience store where you get your beer. Somebody took a water out of one of those in Kansas City and filmed it. And it literally froze from the top down in like, four seconds. It just literally just froze. Yeah. And I’m thinking to myself. Oh, I did that in Green Bay. I went to the championship game that Carrie Collins played for the Carolina Panthers. You talk about some cold as people. I saw these people these Carolina Panthers. Yeah, the family section that day Lambeau Field. It you can look it up It was 10 degrees, eight degrees. There was two feet of snow everywhere. I have fond pictures of cheese on my head and me and Scotty P. But I totally remember going to buy french fries at Lambeau Field, and I bought them hot out of the fryer, I got to my seat and they literally were frozen potato sticks, like the ones you got out of a cam when you were a kid. And I thought to myself, Man, this is 28 years old, and God bless everybody that goes down there. But there is a significant part of this loop that scream on third down to f up CJ Stroud, that’s not gonna be as much of a factor even in the Buffalo game the other night because they weren’t, there was snow and people in there, throw in the snow. But the noise factor of being able to operate our buildings been a hellhole for 28 years. Not going to be that kind of game. You know, and, and that’s an advantage that we’ve always had, that we really took advantage of. And I mean, come on, man, those third downs in the fourth quarter during the Ray Lewis Suggs read era, you couldn’t hear yourself think in our building. But none of those games are playoff games to your point. I mean, how many home playoff games had every play? Like not many, like now that you’re starting to give me the math on and I’m thinking, Oh, my God, you know, five, three, takes not many

Luke Jones  36:20

think it was four it would have been would have been? Oh, 306 11 and 12.

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Nestor J. Aparicio  36:26

That’s incredible. That’s an incredible thing. Right? By

Luke Jones  36:29

the way, Ray Lewis has only a Ray Lewis only five. I mean, that’s why I said, you know, and this, everything you just said about the code. Even more reason for what I said at the beginning of our conversation I’ve been a broken record about and I get it, you know, it’s simplistic. Start fast, because those fans will be more inclined to give every last percent of their breath, you know, of their voice, to cheer and to be loud on third down. If you start out with a 10 nothing lead in the first quarter compared to if you’re down 10 nothing and boy, it starts feeling cold then, right? I mean, you have adrenaline, I mean, even fans will have adrenaline as the game, at least kicks off, right? Yeah, you have some liquid courage as well before the game. But you know, you, you start slow, and the game’s not going the way you want it to. And that’s not even to imply that the Ravens couldn’t come back. They’re much better equipped to come back than they were four years ago. I think that’s obvious. But I think there’s

Nestor J. Aparicio  37:27

a point to me that if I was in a casino, and they’re down 14 than nothing, and I know how this works lately, I’ve learned I mean, I’m not a gambler at all, but I could be if I wanted to be now, right? You know, I could host the DraftKings lounge, you know, at high tops with former players if I wanted to. But if I were a gambling man, and they’re down 14 And nothing, that’s probably when I would go up to the window and say, What are the odds now? I’m gonna go all in on the ravens to come back, you know, because they could come back. Right? Like, there’s no way they were coming back for I mean, they needed a miracle for they would need the bolt defense take the ball away. There would have been had there been a lot of that to come back. I I still think they’re capable of having the defense take the ball away. If they’re down 14 And nothing. I’d like the rods better if they fell behind at that point. I mean, I think they can throw the goal. I think they have weapons. I wouldn’t be as down on them. If if things piled up on them early in the game, I’d say that’s something they’d look at and say it’s something we haven’t done, come back from 14 to nothing under 20 degree day at home. Let’s go do it. And I think they could.

Luke Jones  38:26

8

I still think that’s the theory. You don’t want to test though if you can avoid it. I mean, that’s for any team. Let’s

Nestor J. Aparicio  38:30

say that out loud because you’re out loud at 515. If they are losing, oh, 17 to 13 or something halftime? I mean, I don’t I you know, if they have a heart of a champion, Luke, I mean, I’ll be I’ll PVA hold today on the radio, if they have a heart of a champion. It’ll show you know, they this is their three weeks to show that they’ve been really good all year long. Everybody’s betting on him. Everybody believes in them. I watched it from afar and there and I talked to people everywhere. Everybody expects them to win and lumbars resiliency, his just everything that people talk about with him that they said he couldn’t do, he’s done. He promised the Super Bowl the first night like Joe effing Nemeth, right, like, like Nemeth at the pool, came out and said, I believe that. All right, well, here we go. I mean, if they are that, they’ll show that and they’re capable. They’re healthy. Well coached, well led well supported. Every Kyle van Noy Joe Davian clowny and even Dalvin Cook is Dalvin Cook gonna run the ball? I mean, we’ll see.

Luke Jones  39:38

People People were asking about this. It’s like, look, Melvin Gordon didn’t exactly it wasn’t exactly a high bar. I mean, there were some games Melvin Gordon was active and he didn’t even play you know, so I think it’s I put it this way I don’t think we’re gonna see Melvin Gordon or Dalvin Cook lineup as they’re starting running back per se but does he gets some touches and then you see how it goes? Sure. Why not? I mean, There’s a there’s a reason why they brought him in. But at the same time I’ll also remind everyone that he was not good for the Jets this year and I get it it was the Jets but look at his numbers compared to Brice Hall, they’re starting running back. So it’s possible that Melvin Gordon, I can see I keep mixing them up because Dalvin Cook works. We’re talking about former pro bowl running backs and Lamar factor always helps. But not even Lamar could salvage whatever levy on Bell was two years ago when he came to Baltimore and was a raven for five minutes. So but we’ll see how it plays out. I mean, he’s, he’s gonna be up. Yeah, they’re gonna elevate them, because they’re gonna want a third running back. So we’ll see how it plays out. But everything you just said, I mean, this team has checked every possible box it can in the regular season. But that’s not the same as the playoffs. And that is not to say they’re not going to do it, or they won’t do it or they can’t do it or anything like that. They have to go out and do it. Lamar Jackson, you and I, we’ve talked about this for four years. And by the way, it’s been three years since Lamar Jackson has played in a playoff game. Go look at what the roster was at that point in time. I’ll give you some names right now who were on that team. Dez Bryant, Derek Wolfe, Anthony Averitt unique in Gok way I mean, guys that it feels like it was a long time ago that they were a raven. That was the last way

Nestor J. Aparicio  41:17

you’re naming guys that played five minutes. You’re you’ve named like six of them. And I’m like, your off season list. Or you and I when we just feel like being idiots one day on the radio should just start naming every Chico Simone that ever, you know, like, they’ve had just this litany of guys that lined up for five minutes that were like really Anderson’s and just guys you just totally associate with the Shawn Jackson’s, like, Eric’s brought everybody in here to see if they could do it at the end. Right? Like, I mean, who was this? Andre Gorod. You know, like all these guys. Hey, I’m just throwing names out. But where we are Brian McKinney was here for kind of five or 10 minutes still won a Super Bowl. So it happens, right? Yeah, no

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Luke Jones  42:00

question. But but the point I was making is some of those names were on this team. The last time Lamar Jackson played in a playoff game talking about the Buffalo game, not Tennessee, the year before buffalo, you know, after he’d beaten the Titans on the road the previous week. And it actually had a solid game wasn’t spectacular, but it was solid. And you thought, hey, this team’s breaking through. And then buffalo happened. Point is we’re all sick of talking about this narrative. We all are. So you can only imagine how sick Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are of hearing about this narrative. But just because it’s a narrative doesn’t make it untrue. And we’re all the accolades all the regular season accomplishments, how outstanding this team was both in 2019. And this year in the regular season. January is when legacies are defined. Odell Beckham it was funny, he was asked about ze flowers this week. And Beckham offered up. You know, he offered up a line that, yes, he was talking about ze flowers, but he might as well be talking about every single guy on this roster not named John or Justin Tucker. He said, legacies are defined in January, it’s when it begins. And I mean, you’re talking about someone who doesn’t have this long, lengthy list of postseason accomplishments. But he was part of a Super Bowl winning team just a couple years ago. So 40 Niners win was great. Dolphins win was great. Winning a second MVP in five years is outstanding. You know, it’s a kind of benchmark that Lamar Jackson is probably gonna be in the Hall of Fame. I mean, that’s what we’re talking about at this point in time when you talk about individual accomplishments to MVPs go look at the list. But none of that is truly what defines you truly what defines you is what you do in January, and this is lumbars. Next chance, this is the Ravens next chance, and I’ll leave you with this. If not now, then when on paper. This is I don’t know if it’s going to set up better than what it is right now for Lamar Jackson, and this era of ravens football, doesn’t mean it’s over if they somehow lose. But, boy, if you thought the doubts had been bad, the last three, four years and maddening. I shudder to think what it could be if they somehow

Nestor J. Aparicio  44:07

are the coward who gets the job done on a Saturday night if you lose, yeah. Oh, no, you’re no better than they are. And let’s be clear, I ended the bills lose on Sunday, and I did up sure data exactly.

Luke Jones  44:18

Talking about mahomes on the road and the Chiefs down offensively and all that so yeah, this is this is their opportunity. And look, I fully expect them to win on Saturday. Shocking, right? But they’ve got to go out and do it. And ultimately, everything you’ve done to this point, great. It’s been a fun season. Been a really fun season. Really enjoyable.

Nestor J. Aparicio  44:38

8

Yeah, real season was fun to watch in that hour and a half video of them getting their ass kicked at the end in the end was fun. But it didn’t feel fun when you were in the locker room in Arlington and I was sitting sitting there at the kids table. You know what I mean? Like That wasn’t fun watching that.

Luke Jones  44:53

Four years ago, we talked about this 2019 best best regular season team in ravens history. And what We talked about, at least in passing, was 2006, which had previously been the best record best team in the regular season in ravens history. We don’t remember those teams as fondly why? Because they didn’t get the job done in January. So Lamar Jackson and the Ravens it’s time for them to finish their story. It’s four years in the making. They’re back on this stage number one seed, heavy favorite as they should be. Go out and do the job.

Nestor J. Aparicio  45:25

Luke Jones is here. You know, I gotta say this couple things. First things first crabcake row, a cup of soup or bowl begins on February 5. I’m wearing my favorite t shirt because we’re going to begin the party at Lexington market. I will have a Maryland lottery scratch. That’s awesome. Oh snaps still smell like gingerbread. I actually found a couple of leftover ravens scratch off so I’m gonna bring those out as well. Hopefully the ravens are headed to the soup. Herbal we’re going to have a cup of soup or bowl, Maryland crab or cream of crab at fade leaves on Monday, Tuesday, the sixth of February we will be a Costas all day long. Marathon radio featuring 100 local charities. We’re gonna be talking Super Bowl, we’re going to be talking charities, we’re going to be talking community efforts. We’re going to be raising awareness as well as for local pantries. I just found this app from the Maryland Food Bank, every community we’re going in the food’s gonna stay there. So we’re going to be a Costas on Tuesday. Going to be a Coco’s on Wednesday down in laurelville. Thursday, we’re going to be at State Fair in Catonsville. And then Friday, we’re going to be Pappas and Cockeysville. That is the ninth of February the fifth through the ninth. It is crabcake row presented by the Maryland lottery in conjunction with window nation and our friends at Jiffy Lube and also coal roofing and Gordian energy. Pouring the royal farms coffee in my cup, I think Luke’s gonna be in Vegas, but the Ravens have to make their way Luke has a flight Luke has a room. He looks gonna be on Brett’s couch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I’ve worked that out. He’s got a really nice dog, you’re gonna have a good time there. Luke, he plays a lot of Rolling Stones, it’d be good for you out there out Summerlin, you get off the strip a little bit. And rest up for the game. Super Bowl 58 is in Las Vegas. We’ve talked a lot folks about going out staying here, cold weather this weekend, all of that. Luke, I want to just reset one thing before we go about the coaching situation, because we haven’t talked about this and you wrote about this. And I can promise you this from good years. And I hear Billick with his hand on my shoulder saying to me, now you know, I’m not gonna let them bring a U haul to the back door out here and take all my coaches out the back door. I’m not gonna let that happen. I’m John’s about to have that happen, right? I mean, like literally, one way or another, to your point, that Billick speech before the Super Bowl where he’s like, we’re only going to be in this one day, this is the last day we’re ever going to be together. Well, it’s the last time I’ve ever been to walk together on Saturday, they lose right and you know, at some point if they win, so last time, and getting Marlon Humphrey on the field and getting Mark Andrews and trying to do like all the things that have to happen for Lamar and for John Harbaugh to go to the Hall of Fame and his brother get the job. But Mike McDonald, just down the line you go through, there’s seven or eight guys that have been sniffed about, including front office guys, and Ortiz and other people. This is Dan, this is the band might be broken up Saturday night if they get double digit dog and because this is he’s got loose coaches. And unlike a lot of other years, these are guys he’d rather keep.

Luke Jones  48:26

Yeah, I mean, you never really know. And I think we always make these assumptions. And so much of this comes down to timing. I mean, you’ve used the example plenty of times, I mean, look at Marvin Lewis post Super Bowl. And he ended up sticking around for another year and it ended up being a couple more years till he got a job. He had the

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Nestor J. Aparicio  48:41

engineer’s job and then the next day Gruden is coaching the Buccaneers and they trade it. Yeah. And he’s back here being a defensive coordinator again. Right,

Luke Jones  48:48

exactly. So you have some of that. I mean, that’s, you know, that’s just the way this works out. Sometimes you never really know. But the point is, changes inevitable. I mean, even even when you don’t make the playoffs or when you’re out in the wild card round. And you’re kind of you know, like last year, perfectly fine season, given the circumstances of losing your starting quarterback in early December. I mean, no one was getting canned other than Well, Greg Roman, right. But, you know, go back to two, you know, the year before that, for example, or two years before, that would probably be the best example. You’re always gonna have some changes to your staff circumstances change, you know, certain assistant coach wants to be on the back on the west coast because they’re their mother isn’t well or something. And that’s an example. Right? I mean, that’s just something that you hear. I mean, it is a very, not for long kind of job, right? To be an assistant coach in the league and to move up, you know, to to progress to advance in that career field. There’s constant movement. So even if Mike McDonald sticks around for another year, even if Todd Monken doesn’t get a head coaching job, you can guarantee they’re going to lose some assistance, you know, some valuable assistance because someone else is going to see someone like a Denard Wilson or a Chris to it, or an Anthony Weaver or a T Martin or whoever it might be and say, Hey, we want to make you our defensive coordinator. We want to make you our offensive coordinator. We want to make you this we want to make you that, you know, some other up and coming assistants on the on the staff, get it get a advancement, get a promotion somewhere else. So it’s just the way it works. You know, change is inevitable, not for long, right? That’s, that’s what the NFL really stands for. So, again, just another reason why this team needs to seize the opportunity. Because you look at the coaching staff, look at the list of free agents, look at their cap situation, which is great next year, certainly going to be a lot of work for Eric Acosta to do. And we talked about all the avoidable years deals that they did this past offseason, when you have voidable years. Guess what happens that hits the cap the following year, so doesn’t mean the band’s been completely broken up. That would be over the top. The point is, again, it’s not going to be the same next year and

Nestor J. Aparicio  51:01

when he’s right.

Luke Jones  51:07

8

Yeah, yeah, it’s, you know, mushy rice, who’s on his way as look pretty good down the stretch, but he’s not Tyreke Hill, you know, so yeah, change is inevitable. So again, this goes back to that question that I posed. If not now, then when their window won’t shut, but I’m not so sure that they’re going to have a set of circumstances and variables with themselves and with the rest of the AFC that’s gonna set up any better than it is right now. So go do it. Go finish the story. Go get over the top and then guys like us can finally stop talking about 2019 Luke

Nestor J. Aparicio  51:41

Johnson is here he is there in Owings Mills, he will be there behind glass with little hot chocolate little marshmallows in it hopefully. Hope everybody goes down has a good time. I hope it helps victorious weekend here for our city and for our fans. We’ve spent a lot of money with this franchise. My family spent a lot of money with this franchise, a lot of heart, a lot of soul. And despite my own, you know, personal mistreatment and I will continue to emphasize why we’re not there because we would prefer to be there and be a part of all of this. We will be watching and rooting and hoping for something that I never got to do with my dad which is go to an AFC Championship game goes to the post and Terry Bradshaw and Donald kroehner Back in the 70s and then even with my son later on when we you know we saw a Super Bowl right I mean, a lot of a lot of folks went to New Orleans or went to Tampa but never saw an AFC champs you came here. I actually had let Raskin on earlier this week. We’re talking about AFC Champions. Yeah, I seen him in New England twice. One One last one what Pittsburgh that wasn’t so good Polamalu all that it would be really, really nice to be able to utilize those tickets and fingers crossed, the weather would be better, but I don’t want to jinx them by talking about next week this week. So you better win. I’m Nestor. He’s Luke. We are wn St. Louis in 1570, Towson Baltimore and we never stop talking Baltimore positive