For the love of the 1975 Baltimore Colts

With the 1975 Baltimore Colts reunion coming later this month, it was appropriate to reach out to the other biggest Bert Jones fan in the sports journalism community by inviting one-time Baltimore Colts beat writer for The Evening Sun, Clark Judge, back to talk Memorial Stadium, Lamar Jackson’s quest to win a Super Bowl and the long waiting in Buffalo as another NFL season begins.

Nestor Aparicio and Clark Judge discussed the 1975 Baltimore Colts and the 2025 Baltimore Ravens. Judge, an NFL historian, reminisced about covering the Colts during the 1982 strike and highlighted Bert Jones’s impact, noting his MVP season and potential Hall of Fame status. They compared Jones to modern quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, emphasizing the importance of ownership and management in team success. Judge predicted the Ravens as the team to beat in 2025, citing their depth and talent, while expressing a desire for Buffalo’s Josh Allen to reach the Super Bowl. They also touched on the significance of player contracts and the impact of ownership decisions on team performance.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Find and reach out to Bert Lydell and Bruce Laird to invite them to the 1975 Colts reunion.
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Attend the 1975 Colts reunion and potentially buy Clark Judge some crab cakes.

Baltimore Positive and Show Introduction

• Nestor Aparicio introduces the show, mentioning sponsors like Cole Roofing, Gordian Energy, GBMC, and Curio Wellness.
• Nestor talks about the local Baltimore culture, including crab cakes and pit beef, and how they are unique to the area.
• Nestor introduces Clark Judge, an NFL historian and author, who covered the Baltimore Colts and is now semi-retired in Connecticut.
• Nestor mentions the upcoming 75th reunion of the Baltimore Colts and the significance of the 1975 team.

Clark Judge’s Early Career and the Baltimore Colts

• Clark Judge shares his early career, starting as the Scholastic sports editor and then covering the Maryland basketball team.
• Clark recounts his experience covering the Baltimore Colts during the 1982 strike season, which was a challenging but rewarding experience.
• Clark discusses the relationships he formed with other sports journalists, including Vito Stellina and Don Pearson, during that time.
• Clark reflects on the impact of covering the Colts, a team he admired growing up, and the relationships he forged during his time in Baltimore.

The 1975 Baltimore Colts and Bert Jones

• Nestor and Clark discuss the 1975 Baltimore Colts team, which was led by quarterback Bert Jones.
• Clark highlights the significance of Bert Jones, describing him as a charismatic and talented player who carried the team on his shoulders.
• Nestor shares personal memories of attending Colts games as a child and the impact of players like Bert Jones and Joe Thomas on him.
• Clark emphasizes Bert Jones’s potential Hall of Fame status and his belief that Jones would have been in the Hall of Fame if not for his injuries.

Comparing Past and Present NFL Teams

• Nestor and Clark discuss the current state of the NFL, comparing past teams like the 1975 Colts to present teams like the Ravens and Bills.
• Clark expresses his belief that the Ravens are the team to beat this year, citing their depth and talent across various positions.
• Nestor and Clark discuss the challenges of winning the Super Bowl and the pressure on quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen to achieve that level of success.
• Clark shares his thoughts on the importance of ownership and management in the success of NFL teams, using examples like the Cowboys and the Ravens.

Ownership and Player Management in the NFL

• Nestor and Clark discuss the differences in ownership and player management between teams like the Ravens and the Cowboys.
• Clark criticizes Jerry Jones’s decision to trade Micah Parsons, calling it a mistake and highlighting the importance of keeping difference-makers on the team.
• Nestor praises the Ravens’ management for their smart decisions, such as signing Kyle Hamilton to a long-term deal.
• Clark emphasizes the importance of rewarding players who are the heart and soul of the defense, using examples like Kyle Hamilton and Derek Henry.

The Importance of Veteran Players

• Nestor and Clark discuss the role of veteran players like Marlon Humphrey, Ronnie Stanley, and Lamar Jackson in the Ravens’ success.
• Clark notes that the age level for players has changed, with many players now playing into their 40s and maintaining high levels of performance.
• Nestor and Clark discuss the importance of veteran players like DeAndre Hopkins and Derek Henry in the success of their respective teams.
• Clark emphasizes the need for teams to manage the careers of their players carefully, ensuring they stay healthy and productive for as long as possible.

The Upcoming Ravens-Bills Game and NFL Season Outlook

• Nestor and Clark discuss the upcoming Ravens-Bills game, highlighting its significance for both teams.
• Clark expresses his belief that the Ravens are the team to beat this year, citing their depth and talent across various positions.
• Nestor and Clark discuss the challenges of the Ravens’ schedule, including tough games against teams like Kansas City and the Rams.
• Clark emphasizes the importance of staying healthy and avoiding significant injuries throughout the season to achieve success.

Personal Memories and Reflections

• Nestor shares personal memories of attending Colts games as a child and the impact of players like Bert Jones on him.
• Clark reflects on his time covering the Colts and the relationships he formed with other sports journalists during that time.
• Nestor and Clark discuss the importance of history and the impact of past teams on the current state of the NFL.
• Clark shares his thoughts on the importance of recognizing and honoring the contributions of players like Bert Jones to the history of the NFL.

Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

• Nestor and Clark discuss the importance of good ownership and management in the success of NFL teams.
• Clark emphasizes the need for teams to reward their players and keep difference-makers on the team.
• Nestor and Clark discuss the upcoming Ravens-Bills game and the importance of staying healthy and avoiding significant injuries throughout the season.
• Nestor thanks Clark for joining the show and expresses his appreciation for the insights and perspectives shared during the conversation.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Baltimore Colts, 1975 reunion, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, NFL Hall of Fame, Bert Jones, Super Bowl, ownership, player contracts, Micah Parsons, Kyle Hamilton, Derek Henry, DeAndre Hopkins, football history, Baltimore Ravens.

SPEAKERS

Nestor Aparicio, Clark Judge

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Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W n s t am 1570 taso, Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. We are positively Ready for Some Football. If you’re on the W n s t tech service, you know this. It’s all brought to you by Cole roofing and Gordian energy. You will get all breaking news, first, always from us. And Luke is out knowing smells, making things happen here. It’s all brought to you by our newest sponsors at GBMC. We’re getting people healthy, including my colonoscopy here in the fall, as well as, of course, our friends at curio wellness, who’ve put me out on the tastiness tour. We’re eating all of the beautiful things we have here. And people who’ve lived here that leave here, they know about the crab cakes. I mean, they know when they come back. They can go to a Costas or Cocos or nana families. They can order you ship them other places. But there’s things around our community are like pit beef that you can only get here, things that you old bale and salt and caramel, everything you can only get that here. So Clark judge, lived here for a period of time. He is an NFL historian, author friend. He did cover the Baltimore Colts at one point. And we have this 75 reunion coming up. Burt, come on, man, come on. Burt Lydell, call me man. This is all coming up, but we’ve got like Lamar and Josh Allen, and you’re one of the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters, and you got a Johnny United statue. You always hold up on the show. At some point, sooner or later, he’s reaching for it. Hold it up. Say, say, Hello, Clark. There you go. There it is. It’s like a fat head or something. I don’t know what it is, but you love you some Johnny, you um, how are you? First and foremost, it’s Yeah,

Clark Judge  01:46

yeah, yeah. I love it. I love it. I miss it.

Nestor Aparicio  01:51

You’re in semi retirement, off on the farm somewhere in Connecticut. I don’t know where you are, but let’s start with the Baltimore Colts, and then we’ll get to Lamar. All right, so we’ll just do two different categories we’ll do. So this is your life, Clark judge, but the 75 colts, you weren’t here for that. You came later than that, right? But some of the key members were part of that. So I’ll let you reset the scene. I will let I will plug my 25th anniversary, where John Steadman talks about me and my career and the people that made my career possible. But in the early part of my career, in the mid 80s, all of my editors were admirers of yours because you had escaped. Here you were out in San Diego. Escaped. Here you were covering the chargers and the 40 Niners and living your best Clark judge life. You were, you were a superstar to me before I ever met you, because you had been in Baltimore working with all the same people. Dan Shaughnessy being another one of those people that you don’t think of as a Baltimore guy because they cut their Peter pascarelli as well. Other people that were a part of your life, but the Baltimore cults were the reason you were here, kind of, right.

Clark Judge  02:57

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Well, yeah, yes, and no. I mean, when I came down there, I was the Scholastic sports editor for one year, took over from Mike Clingerman, and then they put me on the the turfs Maryland basketball for a year. And that was fun. And then all of a sudden they said, Ken Murray, leaving town, you want to do the Colts? Want to do the Colts. That was a team I’d grown up admiring and loving and doing the Colts. I’m going to do the Colts. So I did them in 1982 which happened to be the strike season 57 day strike. Oh, dude, you did

Nestor Aparicio  03:24

least her. You did all of the you did the it was over when you got Okay,

Clark Judge  03:28

and they traded away Burton. And so that was, that was a real initiation. But I’ll be honest with you, Nestor, in hindsight, is the best thing that ever happened to me, because I forged relationships that I never forgot. Vito stellina was on the morning sun, and he helped me. I got along with Don Pearson Chicago Tribune. He took me under his wing. Their numbers of these guys who I had looked up to as a football fan, that suddenly I was working with was a colleague, and they were sort of teaching me the ropes, but teaching me the ropes during a strike. So it’s an aberrant season. I mean, 57 days with them not playing, they would have, I think, occasional workouts at Owens mills. I do remember playing a basketball game out there one time, and there were some of the cols, and I was guarding David hum. You know, David hum was about a backup quarterback, and I thought that was sort of cool. You know, it was an interesting time. So then covered them. Then part of the next year, although Ken came back and was doing the 83 colts, and that kind of forced me. I was doing the NFL at large, basically, and that kind of forced me to start looking elsewhere. And then I went to San Diego the following year and cover the charges and cover the 40 Niners and Super Bowls, and that was fun. Was great. And then later on to Fox into CBS, but, but covering the Colts in Baltimore was a real thrill for me, because that was the team I’d grown up loving.

Nestor Aparicio  04:42

Well, this 75 reunion happens. I just want to talk about that a little bit, because when I’ve talked to the people over Bay booth, and I really am hoping that by the time this airs and people hear this and see this, I will have found Burt or and Bruce Laird texting me, so I’m trying to find them. I really want to honor a lot of them and a couple stories aside. On the 75 team, it was my first love, right? I mean, because I was seven years old, my dad actually took me to those games. I was at the fog game and Tony Linhart and the comeback, I found my ticket stub from the Jets game when they beat the Jets 52 to 19 in that streak where they won nine in a row in that season, and this is before kroner went into the upper deck and the plane and all that stuff that happened. More sleep, which I was at that game as well. I was it goes to the post. We’ve talked about that at length, but specifically the 75 team and this magical thing that was trying to happen with Earth, say, owning the team. By the way, back in my ticket signed by Joe Thomas, General Manager, Joe Thomas, so So I found one of my 75 tickets. I couldn’t find the browns. When I some games I went to that year. I couldn’t find the Lynn Hartman, but I think it was under glass. That’s in a different place. But I have all of my memorabilia and all of that from that year, but Bert Jones and the swashbuckle of Bert Jones, and I know your affinity for him. And I was trying to explain this to my wife, because my wife saw me meet Bert Jones one time. It was at the Super Bowl in New Orleans for the ravens, like 11 years ago. And the picture meet Bert Jones, Stan white and Bruce Laird, wow, together. And my wife’s like, you were like a boy. And I’m like that you don’t understand. Man, I met Joe Herman at G, j, c, Penney at East Point mall, and he signed. I met Ken Mendenhall. You know, Mike, like my dad loved Robert Pratt. My dad loved lineman, and certainly my dad loved Joe Herman, and just all the players of that era were larger than life to me. I would always say that to Howard Stevens, when I would see him out at a charity function, or the late great Tony Linhart, whom I loved, and his kid burnt, who will be watching. He watches every segment. Hi, burnt. Hope you’re doing okay. So for me, the Bert Jones thing and the we talk about whether quarterbacks win Super Bowls, or whether they get to that point, whether Lamar Josh Allen will be that, or whether they’ll be Matt Ryan, or whether they’ll be Dan Marino, or whether they’ll be Steve BARTKOWSKI. I don’t know you know what I mean. Greg guys don’t make it. Or Burke Jones guy, Burt was special and is a part of that, and a little forgotten, and you’re a Hall of Fame voter, so come on in. Come at me. Come at me. Clark,

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Clark Judge  07:15

no, I won’t forget that season, because, as I said, a lifelong Baltimore Colts fan and watching them suffer the post 60s was tough feeling. They got rid of everyone Earth, they got the team and and they had miserable franchise. And 74 I think they’re what, two and 12 and and so then in in 75 I remember them giving the team to Bert Jones, and they lose three or four of the first five, right for the first five, and then all of a sudden they go on this magical run. And I remember when I was covering the was covering the team, I talked to Ernie corsi several times, several times. Talked to him almost daily when I was covering the team in 82 and we talked a lot about that team, and I realized Lido Mitchell was a special player in that ball club. Ran for 1100 yards, but Bert Jones, I never forget what he said. Bert Jones put this team on his shoulders and carried him. There was a charisma about him that there isn’t among most players pro athletes. But you could feel it. You could sense it. He had that wow factor. He was a guy you just couldn’t help but love. He did everything possible to lift that franchise, and he did it. He they were 10 and four. Martial bird is the Coach of the Year. Bert Jones was the MVP the next year. He was a magnificent quarterback, so magnificent that I know I’ve said this to you on the program before, and you know it, but at the 2007 Super Bowl between the Patriots and the Giants. Bill Belichick was asked who’s the best passer you ever saw? He didn’t say Dan Marino. He didn’t say Joe Montana. He said, Bert Jones. Bert Jones. Had he not been injured, he’d be in the Hall of Fame. And there’s no question about in my mind, he would have

Nestor Aparicio  08:55

been. You know that 75 team begat 7677 that little era where you play playoff games got their ass kicked, you know, other than the ghost of the post game, which was a winnable game, yeah, in that era, and I’m talking about

Clark Judge  09:10

75 games, 7577 at the half, you know, well, Clark’s

Nestor Aparicio  09:15

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only been 50 years, and I’m still pining away like it’s only been 20 years since Peyton Manning came in here and beat Steve McNair, and I was at that game. Yeah, this, it gets away from you 42 years now, out on the Orioles winning a World Series, you know, like so you you get out on all of this, and 50 years out on the Colts and the franchise gone and back. And there’s been two parades here that you know, Trent Dilfer and Joe Flacco, who’s going to come in here play next week? Made right that Bert tried Lidell came back with a T, you know, there’s all of these themes and all of this, and I guess that, you know, takes me to where we are right now, with Josh Allen and with Lamar Jackson being in the middle of that cake and saying, Are you going to be the Peyton Manning that gets there or the matt. Ryan that didn’t or whatever, because these errors come and go, yeah, and listen, and I would say this too. And I said this earlier, you know, I had, I had our dear friend John McClane on who, once again, has picked the ravens to win the Super Bowl this year. And he says, I pick them every year. And I’m like, Well, stop, you know, and they’re all chasing mahomes, right? And that goes for burrow, that goes for Allen, that goes for Jackson, any of these guys that are on that next level. And I’m like, I’ve seen this before. So is Clark judge, right? There was Roethlisberger, there was there. There was Philip Rivers under your watch there. There was a Phil Drew Brees forever chasing it, right? Peyton chasing it for a number is Flacco chasing it for a number of years. Not everybody gets there, not even when they have the best team on paper, like Lamar does right now. Best

Clark Judge  10:50

examples Dan Marino, his second year, he’s in the Super Bowl. And I thought we’re going to see this guy a lot. We didn’t see him again. Dan Marino is a great, great quarterback. But what do people say about Marino? He got the one Super Bowl. You know what? He lost it. So, yeah, it’s so difficult. You don’t I’m really not sure how it goes season by season, but I would say I agree with John McClane. I think Baltimore’s the team to beat this year. I really do. Now, what do we know? Nestor, about Super Bowl losers? Unless you got Tom Brady, don’t go there the next year. You don’t go back to the Super Bowl next year if you lose it. Now, only one team last 30 years has done that was New England. They had Tom Brady Pat mahomes, a great quarterback, great quarterback. He’s not Tom Brady, not yet. So I’m not taking Kansas City. I’m taking somebody else. But what’s your choice? Buffalo or Baltimore? I’ll take Baltimore.

Nestor Aparicio  11:38

You don’t like Cincinnati, you don’t like San Diego. San Diego. I mean, the chargers,

Clark Judge  11:42

yeah, that’s right, that’s another team I covered. They all seem to move, except for the 40 Niners

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Nestor Aparicio  11:48

they move. You say to Claire, where the Super Bowl is this year? Yeah,

Clark Judge  11:52

I thought, you know, honestly, I thought this was the year the Chargers. Because what do we know about Jim arbaugh? Second year, first year, immediate success, immediate success. And he had it last year. Now they’re ready for takeoff, right? They lost their left tackle, Slater. Slater’s out for the season, and I thought that’s a killer. You can’t lose someone of that caliber and lose him for an entire year, right? So I look at who else in that division is going to beat them Denver and beat Kansas City. Maybe I don’t trust them. So Kansas City gets the playoffs. I assume that’s not exactly going out on a limb, but somebody’s gotta beat him. So who’s it going to be? And you talked about Cincinnati, Cincinnati was kind of finds a way not to get there. And generally, it’s because of those starts that what like in the last four or five years? So whatever it is, six years, one in 11 over the first two, two or three games. I don’t know what it is, but they can’t win coming out of the gate. They got to stop that. And the other thing is, you got to protect Joe burrow. Now you’re going to give him a running game. I think Chase brown might be the guy, but Joe burger to throw for 4000 5000 6000 8000 yards. Me, they’ve got to get more than a one dimensional team. I don’t trust them. I trust in that division, Baltimore, really the only team Baltimore. I don’t know what to make of Pittsburgh when you’ve got Aaron Rodgers in the lineup. I don’t think that’s exactly an improvement. Added his age, if it’d been five years ago, sure. So to me, you looked at you were naming quarterbacks, and there were some really high profile quarterbacks, but they’re all in the AFC. You were talking about, you were talking about burrow, you’re talking about mahomes. You know Lamar certainly up in Buffalo. I think Alan is a tremendous quarterback. It was right there with Lamar when you’re talking about guy can do everything for you, but is that enough? And I don’t know, Baltimore just seems to be loaded this year. Now, I was looking at their depth chart the other day, and in the secondary could be loaded. I mean, really could be you want to defend the mahomes and the Allens in that conference if you’re going to win, right? You want to borrow if you want to take it. But, but you look at what they got, I mean, getting, I thought Jay Alexander, great pickup. They got a woozy another good pickup for depth. They got depth. They’ve got quality. Your first round pick, Stark is it could be a good, great safety, who knows, but you’ve got depth everywhere, and you can run the ball, you can pass it, you got the quarterback. I mean, I I don’t know what’s missing. Injuries, of course, dictate a lot. We don’t know what happens if and when one of those key players gets hurt. We know what happens when Lamar got hurt, because you saw that. But Baltimore, to me, is the team to beat this year, and I’d be shocked if they weren’t, at least in the conference championship game.

Nestor Aparicio  14:27

Clark judges here NFL and pro football historian, also a long time voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Kenton, Ohio, in semi retirement. But like,

Clark Judge  14:37

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like, historian, that’s weird to hear you say, historian. You know, you talk these old guys and go, historian to go, Wait a second, yeah? Dr,

Nestor Aparicio  14:45

C’s not here anymore. I got you so that’s it. You’re all, you’re all. I got Clark, you know what I mean? I say Bert Jones, the people in this town are like, who, who did? Is he a fifth round draft pick for the Ravens? I’m like, No, that, you know, Mike Green.

Clark Judge  14:59

That’s. The problem with being this age is because I go, Bert Jones, and I’ve had the same thing looking around that Hall of Fame Board of Selectors. And some guys go, who I go freaking

Nestor Aparicio  15:10

people like you to hang out with. Because, like, if I can’t hang it, if you don’t know who the hell Bert Jones is, I only want to know you. I mean, come on, in this town, that’s

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Clark Judge  15:16

where I am. That’s where I am. I stayed at a hotel a year ago with my wife in New Jersey. We’re checking out and the guys from LSU. I said, Oh, LSU, when you go there, and he told me. I said, you remember Bert Jones? Bert Jones. He talked about him like he was a god, which he

Nestor Aparicio  15:30

was, Austin rifle. Man,

Clark Judge  15:31

yeah, the Rustin rifle. He’s always talking forever. He goes, I remember just trying to get out to watch him practice. That’s who Bert Jones was. God. It was so much fun. And he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Remember girl I was dating, she was in love with Bert Jones. I said, Hey, I’d be in love with Bert Jones. Two or five take him over me in a second. But I just love watching him play. Played with enthusiasm. He had such panache. Elan, he had everything going from great looking guy, great talent, could do anything, win big games, and then unfortunately, get to the, you know, the postseason. You go 303, and, and that’s, that’s what, that’s what people you know who didn’t watch him, whatever look at analytically. Well, that doesn’t tell the story of Bert Jones. It doesn’t that goes to the post game. God Almighty, the pastor, the Raymond Chester, as he said, if I just held on to the ball a second longer. Game’s over. Baltimore wins,

Nestor Aparicio  16:24

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yeah, and I would have gotten home in time for my mom not to burn the Christmas dinner. Clark judge is here. It’s only been 48 years ago. It’s fine, you know? I mean, I’m not over it yet. Clark judge is here. We remember things from our our past and our childhood. So Clark, I have before we get off topic here, and I know exactly where I’m going to go with this, where the ravens are doing the smart things, and Jerry Jones isn’t. I had found in the honor of Bert Jones. I was looking for my 1975 ticket stubs. I found all of my colts ticket stubs from my childhood. And I know you covered that 82 team. So I just want to show you the the two tickets for me and my pop for the this was the Packers game. This was the game where they this is the fame. This is the tie game. This is the eight and one. This was the one with the Packers. And this is my jets ticket from the 75 Colts. You know, my we didn’t, my dad didn’t have a lot of money. We had the temporary seats out in the out in center field, as you can see there, section 24 there was no such thing in Memorial State, but $5.50 and so, you know, this is my childhood as I remember all this. But really, all of that was marred by, or say, in poor ownership. And we’ve lost Jimmy, you and I did an hour on the life of Jimmy Irsay and all that happened here. One of the things about the ravens and their greatness for you and others to be able to pick up, what are you holding up there? You’re holding something up. Oh, you’re holding our night with Jim Irsay up. All right, we’ll let you do that got me you got me distracted now, Clark, with your I’m distracting you with my 70s tickets, props, um, but the Ravens always get these things right. And the Kyle Hamilton thing, they give him $100 million and anybody around the league could say he’s a freaking safety. No, he’s not your Troy Polamalu safety or Ed Reed. He plays the game a little bit more like Derek Thomas, or a little bit more little bit more like Lawrence Taylor in his prime. Little bit more like a just a special a football player, as maybe Bill Parcells would call him, right, or Bill Belichick would call him. But at the same time, Jerry Jones is letting Micah Parsons go off and play for the Packers. Let’s talk about poor ownership and good ownership, because so much of what you’ve witnessed coming into this you met, you already referenced the great Ernie, of course, he you were there at the podium when John ursey got dealt away, and you were the one dealing with all of that to start your career.

Clark Judge  18:54

Um. John Elway, not John Irsay, please.

Nestor Aparicio  18:57

Did I say John Irsay? John Elway, John Elway, Bob Irsay, Jim Irsay, Jim Irsay, Jim Elway, no John Elway, that was the father. But talk to me about this, because I would say where Jerry Jones is. I’m a little concerned about his acuity. Honestly,

Clark Judge  19:16

yeah, I don’t know if I’m concerned about his acuity. I You don’t trade great pass rushes. Those are difference makers. A quarterback’s a difference maker reminds me somewhat of a situation in San Diego. Just before I got there, they had a potentially great wide receiver in John Jefferson, and they couldn’t get a deal done with him for a long time on one summer day, his agent, whose name I’ve forgotten right now, but he calls a press conference to bash the Chargers. They’re not doing it calls a press conference, stands up there and Jerry Magee, God rest his soul. Hey, just want to tell you before I get this. Press conference started, the charges just traded JJ to Green Bay. Charges just trade him to green they traded him to Green Bay to bury him because they they couldn’t, they couldn’t reach a settlement. The Packers won a great team. He’s now going from San Diego to Green Bay, which was prior to global climate change, a cold weather city. So they and we know what happened? JJ, didn’t have the career there that he was having in in San Diego. This is a whole different situation. The Packers are a good team. Could be a great team. This is a great pass rusher. You don’t get rid of people like this. You just don’t make that mistake. A wide receiver, you can replace him. And they replaced West JJ with West Chandler. And after his first practice, damn Charlie Joyner, who said, We got a better one, and he was West Chandler was better actually, but you’re not going to find a guy better than Michael parson. So what are you going to do this year? Are you flushing the season? What are you doing? You’re getting two first round draft picks, that’s great. And you have a defensive tackle. You don’t have Parsons there. Green Bay does now. They’ve got a difference maker. And you’re right. It comes down to ownership, and that all filters down. Ownership in Dallas is, is a little different, because the GM is the owner. Well, that’s a problem, and that that’s a problem there, and we’ve seen how much of problem it is over the last whatever, close to 30 years, they can’t get to a Super Bowl. They have trouble getting the playoffs. They don’t win playoff games. When you see a team like Baltimore, it’s a completely different situation to meet Kyle Hamilton. I’m not there, but he seems like the heart and soul of that defense, and he’s a difference maker. You reward him, you keep him, you don’t drive him out of town. You’re right. That’s the right move to make. The Eagles used to do that all the time, and now you still do. But I when I was covering the Eagles back in the Andy Reid days, there was a step ahead of everyone else, and they sort of wrote the book on negotiating and renegotiating contracts with Joe banner, and the rest of the league kind of caught up to them, and now you see what Andy’s doing in Kansas City. You keep difference makers and and, you know, they let Tyree kill go, because you can replace it, wide receiver with wide receiver. Who you can replace, replace Michael Parsons with? I don’t know, but good luck to you. You let a invaluable piece go. And I don’t know how you explain that to your fan base. I heard him try, But nice try.

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Nestor Aparicio  22:21

We were two years out on them fighting with Lamar here, but they got it done, but they fleeced the bears on roquan Smith at a trading deadline. They have Hall of Famers like Derek Henry that they were there was a question as to whether Derek Henry could still play a year and a half ago. A lot of teams would say Not, not worth that money, all right? Well, then, you know, try to tackle him. Tell him. Tell him that when you’re trying to tackle him, he’s gonna come play against you, which you don’t want to see, certainly not in December, January, the way his body has been built and the way it’s held up. And one day you’ll, you’ll put a bust on him, and then DeAndre Hopkins decides to come in. I don’t know if he’s a hall of favorite ball, pretty good. A Hall about making you think about it. How about that? Right? And looking to put an exclamation point by catching 64 balls and and getting ringier This year, maybe catching two in the Super Bowl. So the notion that this place attracts that, that they make these death moves, they sign players, they draft guys like Linder bomb and and, and they think Nate Wiggins can be the next guy. And then what I’m watching, and let’s get to this game. And Josh Allen and Lamar Clark, Judge is my guest here, pro football, Hall of Fame, legend, voter, historian, although he’s a youngest story, not an oldest story. The the notion that the older players this time of year, where they are on the aging part of this. For me, it’s Marlon Humphrey for me, it’s Ronnie Stanley for me, it’s Lamar a little bit still, you know, still got the wheels and this and that, I think he does. Roquan Smith was a different player with that. Patrick Queen last year. They didn’t have the same kind of players there. And Derek Henry, who now we’re now taking for granted a year after saying, well, can he still do it or whatever? I mean, we were doing that with Peterson till the end, but this is really where Hall of Famers turn it on for and try to impress folks like you who vote on such things. To say, Where are the veteran guys under these exclamation marks? And I don’t think Ronnie Stanley’s going to the Hall of Fame. Oh, Marlon Humphrey, I don’t know, but certainly they’d like to get a ring at this point?

Clark Judge  24:22

No, sure, yeah. I think it’s premature to talk about that at this point, but I think you’ve really got to reset the timer when we’re talking about age now, because players take such so much better care of themselves today, the game tries to make it safer for them, although it’s a violent, violent ball game, but you look at quarterbacks who are playing into their 40s, I mean Pittsburgh starting at quarterback who’s in his 40s, you let him know what Tom Brady did when he was 43 we know what you can do. Then Brees got played into his sport. I think it was 4041 whatever. That didn’t happen. You know, 30 years ago, to me, the 30 5h. La. Level was, that was the line of demarcation for quarterbacks, and that’s changed now. Now it’s almost 40 and Joe Flacco. Joe Flacco is going to start for the Cleveland Browns. I mean, Joe Flacco is pretty good, you know, he still pretty good, good enough to start for Cleveland but I think you’re right about you measure how they’re they go through that career. You don’t want to see that significant drop off. But some of those guys you mentioned have had great careers. DeAndre Hopkins, he’s had a great career. Now, if he stopped tomorrow, you’re right. He’s in at least the Hall of very good. He might be in the Hall of Fame, but he he’s had a great career. A guy like Humphrey Stanley, you’d want to see them, you know, a little bit more, a little more than Ronnie Stanley, to me, is not, I don’t consider him. I don’t consider either those guys old but, but you’re right about the age. You worry about them as they get older, but that age level has been pushed up now. So where it used to be? I know that the Eagles, when they were talking again, we’re talking to Andy Reed years when they were renegotiating contracts, they say we’re not doing extensions by and large, with guys who are 30 or over, we’re not because they decline quickly. That’s not the case anymore. And so you have people like Derrick Henry, great example. Oh, running backs are done by the age of 30. Yeah, sure, right. No, they’re not. You know, they’re not. They you saw Frank Gore played until he was, like, 1000 years old and and now you’ve got Derek Henry, who says, look, he was in next to saquon Barkley last year, best running back out there. I mean, he should have gotten MVP votes, a great player, and he’s on a team with another MVP, Lamar Jackson. So that’s why I said, Look at this ball club and go where, where’s the weakness? Tell me where the weakness is. I don’t know where it is right now, but as I said, obviously, injuries dictate what happens to teams as the season goes on, and not necessarily the best teams get to the finish line. Sometimes it’s the healthiest

Nestor Aparicio  26:50

mark. Judge is our guest here. He is a pro football hall of fame voter. He’ll be watching the bills and the Ravens as well as the entire season. And we had some fun here doing some history with the 75 Colts. And you know my parting shot for you is, I found my 83 colts tickets. So this is a team you covered. You ready? So do you remember the Elway sucks game? There’s a ticket to stop from the Elway sucks Game. Game one

Clark Judge  27:11

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of 83 this was the last Maxwell. This is the last

Nestor Aparicio  27:15

Colts game my dad went to, because I went to the Oilers game. But this was the Steelers game where the Steelers fans took over the stadium. There’s Terry bratchell on the ticket stuff. And then also that year I did not go to this game. This is my mom’s ticket stub the Walter Payton game. Allegrey won that game with his foot, as I remember it. And the sweetness on the ticket there, before they even knew that it was sweetness, probably, probably valuable ticket there, you know all the history of all this and where we are. Buffalo still hasn’t won a Super Bowl, and that sort of weighs on them for this game and for last year, not being this year. This is, this is about as big as it gets. But get everybody out of the tree that if you lose on Monday morning, the skies not falling here. But it really is difficult to sell that to people around here. When these teams have met, and I tell you what, you don’t want to be going to Kansas City. You don’t be going to Buffalo. The Ravens played Detroit two weeks. Familiar, Flacco next week, Detroit, then Kansas City. Boy, the Ravens had this freight train to kind of start this season. And you know, the expectation is Super Bowl. The expectation the 83 team was not that,

Clark Judge  28:22

yeah, no, that’s right. That’s That’s correct. The expectation of the 83 team was, could they could even come close to 500 they came close to five. Yeah, and with Mike page. But you look at the, I was looking at the schedule this morning, the Raven schedule at Buffalo, Cleveland, at home. Okay, there’s one Detroit. Oh, well, that’s gonna be a tough game at Kansas City. SB, tougher game Houston. Playoff team. I would think they’d win that division. La, rams. La, rams gonna be good. You look at that, and then you gotta buy Whoa. I mean, that is a brutal, brutal schedule. And the funny thing is, it’s teams like like Baltimore buffalo, Buffalo always seems to win. They can beat Kansas City in the regular season, just can’t beat them in the playoffs. And that’s you think, that’s the measure. You say, we got to beat them. No, you can’t beat them in the postseason. And so that’s where you say you don’t, don’t go out on the ledge, not yet, because it’s just a game, it’s a 17 game season. Now it’s a long haul, and you’ll find teams that catch fire in the last six, seven weeks, and suddenly they’re there, and then you’ve got to win the toughest games, that’s one, and you’re out. And I thought two years ago, Baltimore’s in, you know, they were the host team. They had Kansas City there, and they decided to try to make Lamar Jackson into John Unitas, which

Nestor Aparicio  29:44

Taylor Swift’s fault. She showed up, and it all went downhill from there, trying

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Clark Judge  29:48

to make him into a pocket passer. I didn’t know, saying that, run him to death. They can’t stop the run. Run them to death. And and they didn’t, I know there’s some things that that drop off, the fumble, the goal line, everything, but they should. Won that game, they showed up. But that’s what you talk about. Are we cursed? I mean, it’s not Baltimore so much to me. Buffalo thinks that. I mean, they have so much that sport that ESPN did a special on it, and rightly so. You know, it’s not just wide right? Over and over again. You know the miracle Memphis ended the music team miracle. You have what happened last year? You know that the officiating in the game against Kansas City, I don’t know whether it was right or wrong. I know they were really dubious calls in that game, but it just seems like no matter what happens, Thurman Thomas can’t forget. He can’t find his own but what’s going on? It’s always Buffalo. And so at some point I tell you honestly, I think Baltimore is the team to beat, but I want to see Josh Allen get to a Super Bowl. I don’t want him to be Dan Marino never gets there after his one and only time, but I want to see him get there at least

Nestor Aparicio  30:52

well. Mark judge is a real hockey fan. So when I say buffalo really got screwed, they got screwed by the Dallas Stars and I sat in a casino in Vegas and watched that lost my mind. So Clark judges here, hockey fan, baseball fan, washed up sports writer one time Baltimore Evening, son, we we were never colleagues, but we did work under the same umbrella here in Baltimore, and we have many mutual friends. He’s a pro football hall of fame writer. He is a rock and roller at heart as well, and always a Todd rungren fan. One day, you and I will see Todd has got a you saw runger recently. He’s been running around. Saw twice, and of course, you get to

Clark Judge  31:34

you’re like me, some in May and some in June,

Nestor Aparicio  31:38

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and we’ll see him in October, November, if he decides to come back and play the tower theater. Now, if I’m up to 91 now, listen, I just want to see some good Chris football here to start the season. It’s a big game. As I’ve said, nobody’s tackled anybody. We’re gonna have penalties. We’re gonna have good things, bad things, and we’re all gonna gather on Monday morning here and act like we won, even if we lost. So Clark, one night, we’ll have a beverage, and if we come in for this Bert Jones thing. Let me buy you five crab cakes. All right, if you

Clark Judge  32:03

come in, listen, if you get bird, let me know if you get in. Well,

Nestor Aparicio  32:07

of course, I’ll send you the link. If I get bird on you, every the whole world will know I had Bert Jones on this program. You got to be kidding me. But if you do come in, I mean crab cakes on me. So you know you and Leslie, let me know. All right, thanks,

Clark Judge  32:18

Nestor. Appreciate it. Always good talking to you. Clark, Judge, my man,

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Nestor Aparicio  32:21

the myth, the legend. He votes on the NFL Hall of Fame. I didn’t even ask him if Justin Tucker is a Hall of Fame. Yeah. See, I got through it. I made 30 minutes with no Justin Tucker at all, Hall of Fame. We’ll do that the next time he’s in the conversation, I know he’s going to be in the conversation. If he’s in conversation in week 11. I am Nestor. We are W, N, S, T AM, 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we’ve never stopped talking Baltimore positive, even when it’s not always positive, but we try to make it positive so.