Clearly a young NFL coach who has spent the last decade working under the “Harbaugh Philosophy” will be bringing a whole lot of the previous system back to the Baltimore Ravens as the new head coach. Luke Jones and Nestor wonder what will be the same and what changes that Jesse Minter has in mind for Lamar Jackson and the organization amidst the high expectations set by his predecessor.
Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the upcoming introduction of Jesse Minter as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, contrasting him with John Harbaugh. They highlight Minter’s experience under Harbaugh and his potential to bring fresh perspectives while maintaining the team’s defensive tradition. Jones emphasizes the importance of Minter’s emotional intelligence and ability to connect with players. They also touch on the need for roster improvements, particularly on the offensive line, and the potential impact of new staff hires like Mike Mickens. The conversation concludes with reflections on the Ravens’ organizational culture and the expectations for Minter’s leadership.
- [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Host Maryland Lottery ‘cup of soup or bowl’ tour events at the listed locations Monday–Friday (noon–5pm) next week: Fayley’s (Monday), El Guapo Catonsville (Tuesday), Koco’s Lauraville (Wednesday), Pizza John’s Essex (Thursday), and Costas Timonium (Friday).
- [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Bring and give away Maryland Lottery scratch-off tickets (including ‘Candy Cane Cash’) at the tour events next week.
- [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Book and host Joe Flacco as a guest on the show this week to discuss the Super Bowl and related topics.
- [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Book and host Brandon Stokely as a guest (from Denver) to discuss the aftermath of the snow and related football topics.
- [ ] Attend the Ravens’ introductory press conference for Jesse Minter on Thursday and report/cover the event for the show.
Introduction and Upcoming Events
- Nestor Aparicio welcomes listeners to WNST AM 1570 and mentions various platforms like Spotify, Castos, and YouTube.
- Nestor highlights upcoming events, including a cup of soup or bowl event on Monday at Fagley’s, and other locations for the rest of the week.
- Nestor mentions the Maryland lottery’s scratch-off giveaways and GBMC’s involvement in the show.
- Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the upcoming snowstorm and the need for safe driving and shoveling.
Transition to New Head Coach
- Nestor and Luke discuss the upcoming introduction of Jesse Minter as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
- Luke emphasizes the significance of the change, noting that the head coach talks more about the football team than anyone else in the organization.
- Luke reflects on the transition from John Harbaugh, who was the head coach for 18 years, to Jesse Minter.
- Luke raises questions about Jesse Minter’s philosophy, his impressions of the Ravens over the last five years, and how he plans to change the team.
Jesse Minter’s Background and Philosophy
- Luke discusses Jesse Minter’s background, including his time with the Chargers and Michigan, and his relationship with Lamar Jackson.
- Luke questions how involved key players like Lamar, Kyle Hamilton, and Roquan Smith were in the hiring process.
- Luke compares Jesse Minter to Mike McDonald, noting that both have experienced coaches on their staffs.
- Luke highlights the importance of Jesse Minter’s emotional intelligence and ability to connect with players.
Comparison to Mike McDonald and Other Coaches
- Nestor and Luke discuss the similarities and differences between Jesse Minter and Mike McDonald.
- Luke emphasizes that Jesse Minter is not just a Harbaugh disciple but has his own style and approach.
- Nestor mentions the success of Mike McDonald in Seattle and how it ties in with Jesse Minter’s potential success.
- Luke notes that Jesse Minter’s success will depend on his ability to command a room and connect with players.
Challenges and Expectations for Jesse Minter
- Nestor and Luke discuss the challenges Jesse Minter will face, including the need to hire a good staff and rejuvenate the team.
- Luke emphasizes the importance of players stepping up and being better under the new coaching regime.
- Nestor highlights the need for a new offensive line and other roster improvements.
- Luke notes that the Ravens have been good at hiring head coaches and believes Jesse Minter has the potential to succeed.
Impact of Ownership and Front Office
- Nestor and Luke discuss the role of ownership and the front office in the hiring process.
- Nestor questions whether the Ravens chose comfort over innovation in hiring Jesse Minter.
- Luke emphasizes the importance of the front office’s conviction in Jesse Minter’s ability to succeed.
- Nestor reflects on the impact of ownership on the team’s culture and the need for a fresh approach.
Media and Public Perception
- Nestor and Luke discuss the media’s role in shaping public perception of the new head coach.
- Luke notes that the media will be critical of Jesse Minter’s press conference and early performance.
- Nestor emphasizes the importance of Jesse Minter’s ability to connect with the media and the public.
- Luke highlights the need for Jesse Minter to hire a good staff and show early success to gain public support.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Nestor and Luke agree that the success of Jesse Minter will depend on his ability to command a room, connect with players, and hire a good staff.
Nestor and Luke reflect on the overall discussion and the importance of the upcoming press conference.
Luke emphasizes the need for Jesse Minter to show his emotional intelligence and connect with players.
Nestor highlights the importance of the Ravens’ front office’s conviction in Jesse Minter’s ability to succeed.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Jesse Minter, John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, new head coach, press conference, coaching philosophy, player involvement, defensive tradition, offensive staff, roster improvements, emotional intelligence, fan expectations, organizational culture, Super Bowl potential, coaching staff.
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home. We are W, N, S T. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore. Positive. Hope you’re tuning in, out in Baltimore, positive land or out in Spotify, or out on our castos or on our YouTube. Certainly if you are driving anywhere in the next couple of days, take it safe out there. Keep it on. Am 1570 we appreciate you all are brought to you by friends at the Maryland lottery, we’re doing a cup of soup or bowl next Monday, fingers crossed that the weather holds up for us. We will be at fagley’s on Monday. On Tuesday, we’re moving to El Guapo in Catonsville. Wednesday, we’ll be at Koco’s in lauraville. Thursday, we will be at Pizza John’s in Essex. And on Friday, and these are all from noon until five. Just be there. In the afternoon, we’ll be at Costas, and not the one in Dundalk, the one in Timonium uptown, about a racetrack. We will have scratch offs in the Maryland lottery, including candy cane cash smells like peppermint. To give away, my whole bag smells like peppermint. And our friends at GBMC hooking us up here and remind everybody be safe out there. Take care of your driveways, pay the kids to shovel the walk, all of that stuff, and I tell you what Luke’s gonna shovel his walk. And hopefully the salt will be out by Thursday afternoon, and we’ll have the purple plumes of smoke awaiting you as you enter Owings Mills for the very first time with a new head coach on Thursday, Luke, I know you’ve, you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, so do tell questions for Jesse Minter, but more than that, just the weirdness of a new face on the franchise this week? Yeah.
Luke Jones 01:36
I mean, I don’t know if it’s that terribly deep, other than just it’s a big deal, right? I mean, it’s it’s changed. It’s one new I mean the idea that now, when you think how often the head coach talks compared to the general manager or assistant coaches or the owner or even players, I mean that individual talks more about the football team than anyone in the organization. So when you’re accustomed to it being John Harbaugh for 18 years, for him in general, for me, being 17 years at least on a part time basis, and what 15 years on a full time basis, it is going to be different. And just the idea of thinking about like Monday press conferences, after games and all that. But as it pertains to this week and the introductory press conference that scheduled for Thursday, assuming travel and all that, is at least up and running enough by then, you know, I don’t think I have anything extremely profound other than just, you know, what is Jesse mentors philosophy on all this? What? What does he think about what the Ravens have been from afar over the last five years? Not, not to ask it in a combative way, but what does he plan on changing? What will look different? How does he plan to account for the fact that he’s a first time head coach at any level, you know, I I brought up the point, as we’ve been talking about, Mike McDonald and fact that he’s going to the Super Bowl in his second year. But go, look at his coaching staff. I mean, someone that’s on his staff. It’s Leslie Frazier, who was a former NFL head coach, you know, will will Jesse Minter look to bring in somebody like that, or the fact that Rick Minter, his father, was on the was on the staff with the Chargers. Does he feel that is sufficient in terms of having that kind of a, you know, that kind of a experienced voice that can kind of tell you, Hey, this is what it’s like to be a head coach. But because Rick Minter wasn’t an NFL head coach. So I think you’re looking at that. You’re looking at, you know, what? What were his impressions of Lamar from his time in Baltimore, previously? What was his relationship like? Has he kept in touch at all? What have the conversations been, you know, in this process, you know, with Lamar, right? I mean, I know you and I talked in a previous segment, certainly, there’s a lot of intrigue as far as how involved Lamar or Kyle Hamilton or roquan Smith, or go down the list of any of your long not that Hamilton’s a long time vet, but he has that kind of stature in the organization. You know, how involved were they? What were the conversations like with those guys? So, you know, I think it’s funny, whenever there is change, there’s this thought, and this kind of goes back to some of our initial conversations, that everything’s going to be completely different, and what what was in place before was completely broken. No, I don’t think the Ravens view it that way. I think this is a an opportunity to refresh and revamp. I don’t think it’s completely changing everything that the Ravens stand for by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s someone that’s coming in with a fresh perspective, and there’s a familiarity, no question. But Jesse mentor is not John Harbaugh. Ball. He’s not Jim Harbaugh, he’s Jesse Minter. He’s not Mike McDonald, even he’s Jesse Minter. So I think for all of us, and that even goes for someone like me, who was around Jesse Minter the tiniest bit, because he’s not someone that necessarily was even having a press conference once or twice a year as even as an assistant coach, he wasn’t really even that high on the totem pole his first time around. Think a lot of it’s just, what’s he like? You know, I have, yeah, you can go on YouTube and you can see him as the Chargers defensive coordinator or as the Michigan defensive coordinator, but it’s a way different animal than being the head coach. And I think you’re even seeing that with Mike McDonald. You know, the mike McDonald that I watched from afar now is not the same Mike McDonald that was the Ravens defensive coordinator. Not, not that he’s like, disingenuous or changed or anything like that. It’s just you’re in a different position, right? I mean, he
Nestor Aparicio 05:55
shows well, doesn’t he? Michael, let’s talk about him. He’s a four and a half point favorite to win the Super Bowl the
Luke Jones 06:01
Super Bowl in a week, sure, and, and I think it ties in well, with Jesse Minter. Because if there, if, if I had had one question about Jesse Minter from afar, and that would have persisted until even the last couple of weeks, you know, when it was apparent that he was on the short list of favorites to be the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. It would be a very similar question that I would have had about Mike McDonald. And it would be, can you command a room as a head coach, as the guy, do you have that kind of voice and and when I say that, it doesn’t mean it’s the rah rah, you know, win one for the Gipper kind of speech. I mean, I think that, I don’t think that necessarily plays as well with the current generation of players. And Kyle van Noy even indicated, recently, kind of gave an interview about he finds that not just in Baltimore, but, you know, his other stops that younger players more and more gravitate towards. They just want to be coached, like, x’s and o’s and like, teach them new concepts and new, you know, new systems and new plays and new ways of going about your craft, more so than, like, being a motivational speaker and, yeah, that parts, that’s part of it. That will always be part of it, to some degree. But, I don’t think Mike McDonald is one people over in Seattle and has led to all this success, because he’s this impassioned, unbelievable speech giver. I think it’s because he’s really smart about ball, and he’s a really good teacher about ball, and I think the Ravens feel in that way. They’re getting someone similar to that. But I think what we’ve kind of seen with Jesse Minter, when you kind of see the response of players he had with the chargers and players that have worked with him in the past, is it’s not just that football intelligence, but he has an emotional intelligence to him too that allows him to connect with players. And I think Mike McDonald very much the same way. Is it necessarily the, you know, who’s got it better than us? John, you know, horrible rah, rah, kind of stuff. And again, I’m not being disparaging about guys
Nestor Aparicio 08:12
all like to hang out with people that can make them better and get them paid and help them.
Luke Jones 08:15
Yeah, sure. And look, that’s not to say there still isn’t a place for the kick him in the tail kind of speech, and call it like it is, and fire guys up. And, I mean, Mike McDonald can get fiery. I think Jesse Minter can get fiery, but that’s not necessarily going to be their calling card, right? I think in the case of Minter, it’s, you know, like Mike McDonald, and this is what the ravens are hoping they’re getting. It’s someone who is going to restore what’s fallen off the last couple years, which is the Ravens defensive tradition and being really, really sound on that side of the ball. And I think the next challenge is hiring the right people for the offense, for your staff, collectively, to implement what you want your vision to be and that, and I don’t think that vision is a 180 from anything John Harbaugh wanted to do. I think it’s just, it’s a refresh, it’s a new voice, right? I mean, the idea that, you know, you think of big corporations and big companies, I mean, sometimes they change their CEO every few years just because they feel they need a new leader. They need a new direction, you know. And so I, I think in some ways, we try to make it way more complicated than it actually is. I mean, it’s not like, you know, he’s going to be coming in speaking a new language, but at the same time, they do want it to be different. They do want it to be, you know, reinvigor, you know, to be invigorating and to rejuvenate and galvanize. You know, not just the football team, but how about the city and the fan base, right? I mean, I if one thing is evident, and you know, Steve bashati Can down, downplay this part of it as much as he wanted, it’s very clear that a large, large percentage of this fan base was fatigued with John. Ball. And I’m not even saying whether that’s right or wrong. It’s just reality. So part of that is also, yeah, Jesse Minter coming in and, first and foremost, doing the football things right, being a football coach, but also, yeah, rejuvenating people and getting people excited and and getting people to believe that not only are the Ravens going to bounce back from being eight nine this past year, but they’re going to be as good as they’ve been at their best in the regular season under Lamar Jackson, but now have a new voice in place to get over the hump and put past failures behind you, and to have these guys in a position to play at their best, not just September, October, November, December, but in January, also, then to finish. And, you know, that’s a lot. You know that that’s a high expectation, but that’s why I’ve also said, Look, if this is going to work, and Jesse mitcher would be the first to say this, it’s got to be more than just Jesse Minter pulling on the rope. I mean, it’s got to be players saying we’ve got to be better. We’ve dropped the ball, we fumbled. Yeah, we’ve we haven’t played our best in January. We haven’t played our best in the fourth quarter of some of these games. That wasn’t all John Harbaugh by any stretch of the imagination. So if everyone buys into that mentality, and you’ve got the new guy in place, and you’ve got new coaches in place, and you’ve got talent, and Eric to Costa is making some improvements with parts of the roster that need to be better. There’s no question about that being a factor as well. If you do all that, then, yeah, this team should be in a position that they should be right back in the mix of looking like one of the top contenders in the AFC. Now, I think there’s more room now when you’re looking at New England, who’s obviously going to the Super Bowl, and Denver when bone, especially when Bo Nix is back, and you know, so it’s not just going to be necessarily the Revert to Kansas City, Buffalo Baltimore, but there’s still plenty to like about this football team and your whole
Nestor Aparicio 11:56
this transition right conference is it’s it will never be recognized the same way again. It will never be Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. I mean, maybe mahomes And Reed crank it back up, but McDermot Allen are broken up now like so this is yeah, and burrow, by the way, stays together with the coach that you wanted fire the Flacco jumped up and said the greatest things in the world about I would expect Flacco to be back as a backup in Cincinnati. In my mind, by the way, Joe’s coming on this week. Joe said to me, I’m gonna take care of my kids. Man, they’re home from school, but I’ll figure it out. So Joe will be coming on here this week at some point. So I’ll talk to a real Super Bowl MVP champion around here, even though they try to take it away from him, but so they’re breaking news,
Luke Jones 12:45
but, but, yeah? I mean, I think you look at all that, there’s also no guarantee that when you make a change, and this is where I’d say, as much as I like the Jesse mentor higher, do I know 100% that he’s going to be a great NFL head coach? No, you never really know, right? You never really know until a person is in that spot and you see what the infrastructure is around him, and look all that on paper looks like that should be good.
Nestor Aparicio 13:11
That’s a question for bashati and for Eric, what? How do you know this is the guy? Well, what makes you believe this is the guy who’s going to win a champion that’s going to take Lamar and we’re going to be in the Super to be in the Super Bowl next year. Because y’all believe we have enough talent for that. You don’t believe Pittsburgh has enough talent for that, but you believe the Ravens have enough talent for that. You believe buffalo. I don’t know word Buffalo was the coach went in and said, We don’t have enough talent. They fired him over it. So I don’t know, you know
Luke Jones 13:38
well, and I was, I was making the point that when you do make a change of this magnitude, whether you’re talking about the ravens, whether you’re talking about buffalo, whether you’re talking about Tomlin, even though he stepped away and wasn’t fired, you know, because Rooney made made it apparent in his press conference that he was willing to run it back with Mike at least one more year If that were going to be the case so. But you kind of look what you perceive to be a great organization. It doesn’t necessarily last forever. Raheta. I mean, look at New Orleans now, and that’s not even to say that they’re not in a good place with you know, a young quarterback who looked promising in his rookie year, but look at how you perceive the saints now compared to how you perceive them 15 years ago, right when Sean Payton was there. Look, I mean, look at the Patriots on prior to this year. You know post Belichick and Brady, or not even post Belichick. I mean, even the last few years with
Nestor Aparicio 14:40
Belichick, everybody’s lived long enough to see Michael Jordan not be with the bulls anymore, and then you see anymore. Or, like, you know, whatever it is, well,
Luke Jones 14:49
that lasts forever when Ovechkin leaves DC, watch out, right? Like, think, Yeah, think about what the Yankees were in the late 80s, right? I mean, like, so you always have these, you know, the EB. And flow of franchises for as much as you kind of view. All right, it feels like Kansas City is going to be good forever. And you know, the Ravens have for the better part of 25 years, been one of the model organizations, whether that’s translated in January over the last decade or not, is certainly a different story, but at least in terms of what they’ve been in the regular season and being in the mix, but you also understand that that’s not a guarantee that that’s going to last forever. I mean, there was, there was a point in time where the Chicago Bears, you know, when you go way, way, way, way back, we’re, you know, the class of the NFL, and hasn’t been the case in a really long time in Chicago. So, you know.
Nestor Aparicio 15:37
So the point is, I’d say Baltimore Orioles, we’ll transition to that soon, but there’s a history, and then there’s the
Luke Jones 15:44
60s through the 80s, and then you see what it becomes. So like, that’s where I look at Buffalo right now and say, Look, I love Josh Allen, but, man, you look man, say what you want about Steve bashati and the Ravens press conference or anything like that. Man, if I’m a Bills fan watching that press conference, man, I’m worried. I’m really, really worried by that, but with what, how the owner have conducted himself there, and things, you know, even just his rationale for firing McDermott, you know, the idea that he’s saying he he didn’t make, make the decision until the outcome of that game. And it was weird.
Nestor Aparicio 16:19
Sort of old guy, billionaire family, checked out, and that you and I got into it earlier about the Steelers and what Mr. Rooney wants. Look at that Pegula guy, this guy, Jimmy Haslam, has got half criminal in him, right and running around, and they’re all behind guarded gates. And they like they are. They’re a part of Mar a Lago. They’re a part of Trump Landia, they’re a part of I’m a billionaire, and I’ll do whatever I want. And it doesn’t have to make sense to anybody else. It makes sense to me. That press conference made sense to Terry pagula. It did. And Steve coming in there two weeks ago, like Tony Montana, made sense to him, because that’s how we billionaire. I’m going back back on my boat. I mean, they’re all meanwhile. Art Rooney is just this. I live in Pittsburgh, and I want to keep things simple, and I’m getting older, and I I want comfort, and I want look the Ravens chose comfort too. Eric dicostia and Steve Basti chose comfort over we don’t know that guy so well. They chose. We know him. That’s better for us. Because, to your point, there are five other guys that could have been good coaches. You’re including Mike McDonald a couple years ago, right?
Luke Jones 17:32
Yeah. I mean, at the same time, you know, it’s one thing to have comfort, it’s another thing to say, like, what are you hoping to accomplish? And that’s where, you know, I certainly question Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh more so because, like, where are you going? What are you trying to do? Are you going to try to bring back Aaron Rodgers again? Like, what are you doing there and in Buffalo, I would say, I mean, you look at that dynamic with Brandon bean and, I mean, he gets a promotion. I mean, I think if anyone watched the bills this year, I think you were certainly questioning, had more roster questions than, like, how hard they played, or what the play calling was like, or, you know, anything like that.
Nestor Aparicio 18:14
So that press conference two weeks ago, di Costa looked like a hostage sitting there, right? So, like I and again, the pressure is now on. And to your point, you said something flippant to me off the air the other day. Is like, Steve, where you been? Is Steve gone for eight years? Is Steve showing up Thursday? Is the owner gone again and checked out again until whatever point he’s going to fire somebody, and that, that would be Eric’s department, if the next time he next time he’s going to show up is to fire somebody or to claim the trophy. I don’t know. I’m asking these questions rhetorically, but there is a sense in this organization that you and I could manage it right? We just get the secondary guys better. You need some help. You need a pass rush. You need to do better on the offensive line. We need to get Lamar fully into the building and fully, like most of that’s the cost of stuff. Only a little bit of that is Minter stuff, as I see it in the coming next 90 days, mentors not doing the draft. He’s not he’s going to coach them up once we bring them in. I don’t have a lot of questions for Jesse Minter this minute, because I’m going to see that i My questions are more about the organization at this point, and saying, like you said, What are you trying to do, where you’re trying to win with Lamar, and that would mean different offensive line? Where are we with Derek Henry? I mean, there’s a lot of roster questions, but I don’t know that they’re Jesse Minter questions.
Luke Jones 19:34
Well, I mean, I think they’re questions, but I think a lot of it’s you’re not going to know. I mean, you’re just not going to know. I mean, he’s going to put together a staff, and, you know, we’ve already talked already talked about a couple of the names on that staff. I mean, Mike Mickens from Notre Dame’s coming in to coach the secondary, and that looks good. You know, everything you see about him and what you’ve read about him on social media, and you look at some of the talented defensive backs that he’s worked with, and. Including Kyle Hamilton. You know, going back a few years ago at Notre Dame, you say, okay, that that makes sense.
Nestor Aparicio 20:05
That energize Kyle Hamilton. Want to win a Super Bowl. Energize him now, get the quarterback energized too
Luke Jones 20:12
well and and look, I don’t know how much energizing Kyle Hamilton needed. I don’t think that was necessarily a problem, but you certainly want to bring in coaches that your players respect. You know, I was gonna
Nestor Aparicio 20:25
say that’s the best coach I’ve ever played for and get him in here. They got him in here, and there’s a relationship already. I feel good about that. If I’m a fan of the team. I feel even better about that if I’m Eric dicostal,
Luke Jones 20:37
sure, sure. And like I said, I mean Mickens and and Jesse Minter had a relationship going back to Jesse Minter being a grad assistant, you know, and Mickens being a player at Cincinnati, so, so you look at that, but, yeah, that that’s really important. I mean, coaching matters, you know, I’ll go back to you and I talking about this, and people that we respect indicating to us this past season that, you know, their coaching left something to be desired. And that wasn’t even necessarily John Harbaugh, specifically, it was the staff, collectively as a unit, not necessarily getting the best they could out of individuals. I mean, Steve Basti made it very apparent at the press conference a couple weeks ago that, you know, he didn’t call him, identify him by name, but he made it pretty darn clear that they weren’t enamored with the job that George warhop had done with the offensive line, right? The idea that you saw the steps that the O line had taken the year before, and then that guys had either plateaued or regressed, you know, I assume, speaking of Daniel fall Lele and and Voorhees specifically, so, so all that matters. I mean, especially
Nestor Aparicio 21:46
when the guys think you blame the coaches too, something, something, you know, well. I mean, I look, I blame the players. All year long, the owner came in and blamed the coach.
Luke Jones 21:56
It’s both. I mean, I know, I I’ve said quite often that I wasn’t necessarily enamored with the job that George warhop had done. I it’s, you know, that’s our big our biggest problem is we do either or right? I mean, and one of my pet peeves about modern social media fandom, and I don’t mean ravens or Orioles here, I mean, in general, is I, and I don’t know if it’s because these, you know, you wear the players names on your jerseys or your T shirts or whatever, and you generally don’t have, you know, no one wears John Harbaugh’s polo that he’s wearing on the sideline, right? That you’re wearing Lamar Jackson’s jersey, or you’re wearing Kyle Hamilton’s jersey, or Ray Lewis or Ed Reed, right? But there’s a I think modern fandom on social media, and understanding social media is a percentage of real of what we would consider, quote, real fans. But for me, I see it all the time, where when you win, the players get all the credit when you lose the coaches and the officiating get all the blame. So in reality, we know the truth is somewhere in the middle there. I’ve said it. Ravens, players need to be better. Like one of the big messages that I’m hoping those guys have internally is all right, John Harbaugh’s gone. Todd monkins gone. Zach Gor is going to be gone. All of that you guys better be better because Mark Andrews, John Harbaugh had nothing to do with you fumbling the ball and dropping the ball in Buffalo. And John Harbaugh had nothing to do zay flowers with you fumbling the ball across the goal line in the AFC title game two years ago. And say what you want about what was happening with our defense, but there was poor examples of poor technique and guys not being in the right spot and miscommunication and and, yeah, that’s coaching the you know, coaching us to be accountable for their part of that. But that’s also the players. So it’s never like one person, you know, there’s no thought here that Jesse Minter alone is going to make the Ravens a Super Bowl winner. It’s going to be Jesse Minter and new coaches coming in and players being rejuvenated and and working I don’t want to say working harder, meaning they didn’t work hard last year, but let’s, how about we say working smarter and learning from past experiences and understanding that, okay, the Ravens got they got rid of the coaching staff if you thought that was a problem. But you need to be better, right? So there needs to be that at work as well. And yeah, that goes for Lamar Jackson. That goes for everyone on the roster, right? So, so, so I think you’re hoping that when you make a change that’s this drastic, and this is a drastic change in terms of the history of the Baltimore Ravens, when you’re talking about only the fourth head coach and three three plus decades, then yeah, it’s time to step up. It’s time for everyone to grow up and and learn from what happened the last couple years. And. Earn from you know your past failures and past heartbreaking losses and blown fourth quarter leads and to not let that happen again. Don’t let don’t let the same things happen under the new guy. Because if they do, guess what? Guess what? That leads everyone to believe. It makes everyone believe it was you are the problem more so than the coaching. If that continues to happen, so they’ve changed up the variables, right new coaches, but if the same exact things happen, then I’m much more inclined to point the finger at this group of players then so, but that’s also making an assumption that Jesse Minter is going to come in and do a good job, and the new coaching staff is going to come in and do a good job, and think the Ravens have a lot of conviction that that’s going to happen, but until we see it, right until they roll the ball out and the second Sunday in September, yeah, there’s going to be some there’s going to be some unknown. There’s going to be some, some mystery about that. So, you know, I’ve seen a lot of people make the point, and it’s tough to disagree with this, where they just kind of sit back and say, look, the Ravens have been really good at hiring head coaches. I mean, the last two head coaches, they hired one Super Bowls within their first five years. It’s kind of difficult to look at that and and really doubt what they do. So in that way, if the Ravens failed, felt Jesse Minter was the best decision for them, then I’ll sign off on that. That said, there’s never 100% and we can go back and look at a lot of head coaches over the years that get hired, and the teams love them when they hire them, and then a year later, or two years later, or three years later, they kind of say, well,
Nestor Aparicio 26:37
Cleveland’s about to do that again. Davis’s kids have to do that again. Arizona, the big Well, guys are about to do that again. And we speak about these billionaires, and I talk a lot about bashati around here, and Mr. Rubenstein and Mr. Angelos before that. And like you think Steelers fans think Rooney is nuts for hiring a 63 year old qualified imminently, way more qualified than even Jesse Minter to do this because he’s been doing it for 30 years. In the same way that Aaron Rodgers looked more qualified to run the offense to some degree than some other guys, because he get up the line of scrimmage and change that in and out of plays. There is something about Marvin said this to me 15 years ago. We do get smarter, like you think we get dumber, but we really do get smarter about this. John wears that right? He’s up in New York. He’s smarter than he’s ever been, more highly paid, more powerful, more omniscient, more like dude. He’s held the record for blowing second half leads. Couldn’t win with Lamar. I mean, like, that’s what he is here. Here, he’s empty out the upper deck up there. He’s a genius. So it’s in the eye of the beholder. It really is. And the Jesse Minter thing, because I know Eric so well, and if it feels very much like an Eric pick to me, and I, I know enough about Eric to say Sashi brown ain’t picking our football coach like I could see that being a real problem inside now, where whether sashi’s hiding or he’s going to be on the dace, representing Steve, representing
Nestor Aparicio 28:10
ownership, ownership. I’m interested to see how they move forward here, after the bashati steamer two weeks ago, and now they have a new person in is just going to be all Jesse. Let Jesse do it. Ray Rice, punch two in the elevator, put Jesse out in front of it at nine o’clock at night for CNN. Like that’s the he gets to be the mayor of that too.
Nestor Aparicio 28:31
I’m interested to see to me it’s an Eric Jesse thing, if I’m predicting it, if I’m predicting it, that’s really the magic in it. And Eric probably loved him in the hallway a decade ago. And I think the Eric we saw last week, this somber, sullen Eric should look like the happiest guy in the House on Thursday bringing this kid home, there should be purple balloons. Lamar should be in the back. Jameis Winston should even come in and fist bump the new coach, like he did up in New York. Like, to me, I want to see if I want to see fresh air, I want to see secretaries and Chad steel and all of the your buddies in PR be so excited that Jesse Minters there, and what a great, good looking guy, what a nice guy, and he’s going to be everything to everybody’s that leader is natural born leadership and all that stuff we saw with John a week ago up in New York that I saw, and I thought, Oh, my God, he’s built for this. I mean, he is just built to go do Johnny Bravo. Jesse Minter hasn’t done any of that. John’s been doing it for 20 years. Don. John does it his sleep in the way that McCarthy just does Ball Coach. You know, at that podium that you and I were at down in Dallas, in the media room down there, he does ball coach. He does it easily. John had 100 faces for all that. John had 100 moods in all of it. I’m interested to see what countenance Jesse Minter comes out on his best day, the day he got the big. Job in the world, and what kind of galvanizing the pub. Remember how Ben Johnson ran around the building in Chicago, right? I mean, I want to see some energy. I want to see the new day of ravens football, and wash out the John culture. But I don’t think they’re washing out the John culture at all. I think they’re bringing it right? They’re bringing in. Ryan Clark said the other day, they didn’t hire horrible. They hired Harbaugh junior, junior. And I thought that’s pretty good. Harbaugh junior, junior. And I don’t know if he’s gonna shake that or be that I’m interested to see, because his press conferences have been I’ve gone back and watched Michigan Rose Bowl. And, you know, he’s, he’s coached some big games. Yeah, I went back and watched him, and I’m interested to see how that authenticity translates. Because, to your point, he’s gonna be in front of you five days a week. He’s gonna be in front of the fans five days a week for the next, however long, until he wins or loses, until he gets fired.
Luke Jones 30:55
Yeah, and but I would also stress that it is only the opening press conference. And Nick didn’t win his. He did it. Nick Sirianni did not win his. And Nick Sirianni has an abrasive personality at times, but he’s also won Super Bowl, you know, he’s won a Super Bowl. So, you know, you kind of have to look at it through that lens and understand, yeah, it’s important, but it’s important in the here and now and
Nestor Aparicio 31:22
then on the flip that abrasive personality thing wears people out in the building. That’s what Andy Reid doesn’t have in Kansas City. You know what? I mean? That’s what Mike Thomas probably didn’t have in Pittsburgh to get right. And that’s something about John got so much power. There were not a lot of people in that building as I remember it, that like John Harbaugh, and especially upon my exit, who came forward to me to say there’s a little phony baloney, and John Harbaugh that may play well in New York, and I’ve called it, I’ve experienced John Harbaugh beyond phony baloney. Like, wait, fraud is where that’s phony baloney is a little putting on an act or whatever. I think there should. There are a lot of people in the building that are happy that there’ll be a new way, and they want a new way, in a better way and a different way and a more emotionally intelligent way, especially a lot of women I know, um, and I’m, I’m interested to see how that translates, or whether Eric was really okay with John’s worst demons and sitting with Trump and doing things that probably weren’t in the best interest of keeping relationships in his building or with decent humans in the aftermath of all of this,
Luke Jones 32:32
like I said, I mean, it’s going to be an opening press conference. There’s going to be excitement and but on the flip side, he could hit a grand slam of an opening press conference and then not be a great coach, right? I mean,
Nestor Aparicio 32:45
goes a good coach. There’s no question about that, right? No, I’m
Luke Jones 32:49
not, I’m not suggesting. I mean, look, I think he checks every box. Relatively speaking, he checks every box he could as a first time head coach and as someone who’s acknowledging that my preference, in a vacuum, would have been an offensive minded head coach to pair with your franchise quarterback, just because of that dynamic. But if Sean, if you don’t believe the next Sean McVay is there, then you can’t make someone who’s not the next Sean McVay into hoping he’s the next Sean McVay. You know what I mean?
Nestor Aparicio 33:21
Like you can also, if you’re Eric, sit on the days, and Eric can play Tony Montana, or at least better than Fredo at this point, and sit up and say, You know what, we didn’t think the building was broken. So fu Nestor and Preston and anybody that thinks our culture was we like our culture here. We think, you know, we think it’s good. We like hardball, and we thought hardball won a lot of games here. And this guy’s from the hardball cloth, and he brings the best of John, the best of Jim, and he’s his own man. And we’re like, I’ll get all of that. And we got good players here. And I’m, I’m Eric the cost, and I bring good players in here. We got the best quarterback in the league. And, you know, I want to see a little Freddy blassie in that, in selling him up a little bit to say, because they really did hire Harbaugh, Jr, Jr. I mean, like, that’s going to stick on this show, at least, because, for now, they changed the personality. I don’t think they’ve changed the system, or that’s what Kyle Hamilton is going to like about it. I don’t know whether that’s what Lamar is going to like about it or not, but they’re going to have offensively. Lamar is going to have to learn a new language. Going to have to go back to the study book if they bring in someone that’s not speaking monk in or speaking Roman at this point, and that that’s going to have to be sold. There’s a lot of hard work that has to be done, and mentors in the middle of all of that. And doesn’t he’s going to be drinking from the fire hose from the beginning, but he doesn’t have to figure out where the building is. He knows the beltway. He lived here for five years. He knows people in the building. All of that is a huge challenge for John Harbaugh that’s going in there and firing. People that have been in the building for 30 years and pissing everybody off?
Luke Jones 35:03
Yeah, sure. Um, you know the one thing else, I’ll continue to push back a little bit on the Harbaugh junior, junior thing in the way that like is Mike McDonald Harbaugh Jr. He doesn’t really come across that way, you know what I mean. And I’m not, I’m not saying he has no similarities, but I mean, Mike McDonald worked for both hardball brothers, and I just, I hear, I hear the point you’re making. And of course, there’s familiarity there. But like, I
Nestor Aparicio 35:32
like Mike McDonald more. He never lied to me. So you asked me a question. My math was
Luke Jones 35:35
okay, but, well, but, but you’re, but you’re, but you’re just, you’re, you’re automatically just typecasting Jesse Minter as hardball Jr when Mike McDonald, you don’t say that about Mike.
Nestor Aparicio 35:47
Jesse Minter has been under the HAR ball Coaching Academy system the last 10 years, and that’s what they love about him,
Luke Jones 35:55
but, but wasn’t why they hired him. But Mike McDonald, you could say the same exact thing about Mike McDonald, like, I don’t understand, like, how Seattle
Nestor Aparicio 36:04
was importing that. Not trying to keep it here. We’re trying to keep the hardball way. Oh, and,
Luke Jones 36:12
you know what? And now, and this is where I’ll go back and say, like, you know, the hardball way is being talked about. Like, this team was going four and 13 the last six years, or something like that.
Nestor Aparicio 36:23
That’s my point. Eric should burrow up and say that. And will we?
Luke Jones 36:26
We? This is a Kingsbury to come in and
Nestor Aparicio 36:30
tell us everything that’s wrong here, or Joe Davis to come in and say, We, I don’t like this, or I’m going to change that, or it’s going to be the Joe Davis way. That’s more of the McDermott, wherever the trees come from, whatever the way is going to be. But it’s very clear there is a horrible way that is the reason John got $100 million it’s the reason his brother got paid in LA. And part of that has nothing to do with lying, cheat and stealing, because they’re willing to do all that, you know, like, clearly, you know, the Michigan thing was filthy for his brother, and this guy was a part of that. So, like, you know, there is a horrible way. It is a very successful way. And this organization didn’t want to break those eggs because they had a chance to import a new thing, somebody, Eric didn’t know well that would fight with him and all that. They didn’t want that. They don’t feel like they need that. Now they’re going to have to go win with what they’ve listen. I’m not betting against them. They get a lot of talent. I think Eric’s a smart General Manager. I think he’s smart enough to hire a coach he can get along with it’s going to get along with Lamar. I’m going to give him all the benefit of the doubt, but it is the hardball way, and they’re committed to that.
Luke Jones 37:36
I just think it’s I just think it’s kind of unfair to just type cast someone. As like that, he’s like, the third hardball brother. Like, I think each individual person’s different. I think Jesse Minter has been away for five years. Oh, yeah. I mean, working for the other hardball Sure, sure. But he’s, he’s still his own person. And, you know,
Nestor Aparicio 37:56
well, let’s see. Let’s see. I mean, I’m, I am fascinated by all of it. And I would also say, like, I’m upbeat about it. I don’t think this guy’s gonna fail. I don’t, you know.
Luke Jones 38:05
I just, you know. I just think it’s, I don’t know. I think you have, you had a 18th year head coach who won a lot of games. Had it gotten stale here at the end? Sure we can call it however we want. I mean, they didn’t win. They’re eight, nine. They missed the playoffs, all that. But at the same time, you know Jesse Minter, has he worked for both hardball brothers? Sure. Does that mean he’s exactly like them? No, I’ll continue to reject that every I’ll continue to say it. I’ve worked for you a long time. You and I are not that alike
Nestor Aparicio 38:39
as it comes to not even much at all, exactly, that’s what
Luke Jones 38:43
I’m saying. I mean, so like it to me, it kind of imitates life. I mean, you know, lots of people have lots of bosses and people they work with, and even people they get along with fine, but they couldn’t be any more different, right? So, and
Nestor Aparicio 38:56
look where you ask Jesse Minter if he’s his own guy, and he’s really an honest guy, which, again, with John. By the end, I just I wore I’m worn out on the fraudulence of John Harbaugh in a general sense, for what’s in my phone as a human being, and what I’ve known for 20 years with Jesse Minter, I am way beyond the Ben. Give him the benefit of the doubt of being his own guy. But then the questions are, you work for John? You work for Jim? You know everything about the way they do things, what’s going to be different? And that’s that is the press conference on Thursday, right? It’s the same thing that Lamar wants to know. It’s the same thing that everybody in the build. Kyle Hamilton wants to what’s going to be different around here, that that at the press conference. And then you’re going to tell me, and then you’re going to show me, and then the media and the fans are going to hold you accountable. And when they’re streaming out of the upper deck because you’re losing your sixth home game this year and shouting fire you, which even happened to Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, and they’re both going to the Hall of Fame. Um. Yeah, that that’s where it is. But he has to win everybody over. Has to win me. They’re not winning me over because they’re locking me out of the press conference on Thursday. So I will have no relationship with him other than the right dear Jesse notes, and he can count on those. But I’m I’m looking at it from the outside and saying, what’s going to change? How is this different? Hiring a hardball disciple, hardball junior, junior, hiring a disciple of both of the men that he’s going to come in. He knows that’s the first question. So how are you different than Jim and John? Well, first off, I don’t lie, and I’m not a fraud, and I don’t come out here. First off, I’m going to get along with Lamar. I’m going to, you know, we’re going to do things differently here. We’re going to do the this different and that different, and I believe in this differently. And I don’t know, I don’t know what his philosophy is. I just know he’s worked under that philosophy and thrived under that philosophy and gotten a gig under that philosophy to, in many, many ways, fulfill that destiny with that philosophy. Because if they wanted a different philosophy, they would have hired somebody different, and that’s clear. So they like the house that John built, and they want to keep it similar, not the same. Won’t be the same, but I think that that is the press conference on Thursday. If they say anything else, they’re lying. We got big changes we got to make. No, you don’t. We went a lot of games. I don’t think they’re going to say that. Yeah, they’re gonna say this. This allows the bump in the water, and we keep it smooth, as opposed to, there was an earthquake underwater, and we’ve all gone flying, and we have to start from scratch, which you think Pittsburgh should have done. So, yeah, I I’m fascinated by it. I’m locked out of it. I’m going to watch it in a little box, but this is one of those days where they would do well to invite me, like I told the Orioles, you do well to invite me so I could come in and smell the air and see if it’s still if it smells better, because I know what it smelled like before. It smelled like people like me aren’t allowed to smell the air. I mean, really, the air is that good that Luke can breathe it Nestor can’t. So I want to see how that changes a little bit, because John was a giant personality, especially once you wore the crown. No one knows that better than you, right?
Luke Jones 42:14
Sure, and some of what you’re talking about like, I don’t disagree, but I also like you’re not you’re also not reinventing the wheel. It’s about winning football games and putting players in position to succeed and building a roster that’s going to be a championship caliber.
Nestor Aparicio 42:32
Like, you know, say we’re very close to that this year, right? Yeah, and
Luke Jones 42:35
again, like, the idea of the horrible way, or the Andy Reid way, like, there’s a lot of overlap with those things. Like, I don’t think organizations are drastically different all the times I think, I think winning organizations, yeah, they’re going to be different and like, they’re different personalities, things like that, but they’re still going to be common principles in place. I mean, I there are only so many different ways to win, is kind of my point. So, you know, I think sometimes we got to get caught lost in the weeds here, as far as, like, well, how much is going to change? Yada yada yada. I mean, it’s at the end of the day. It’s football, right? It’s not rocket science. So at the same time, you know, bring in someone that is smart and connects with young men. You’re one thing you’re talking about right off the bat here is someone who’s 20 years younger than his predecessor, who is not the same age as Lamar Jackson and Kyle Hamilton, but closer in age to those guys. And you know some of the other guys that they’re bringing in, like Mike Mickens, who’s coached at the collegiate level here in recent years. And you know that right off the bat, you might connect a little bit differently in the same way that a former NFL player might connect with current players. As a coach that said, you still need to bring something to the table. There still needs to be enough substance there. It’s not young younger just for the sake of being younger. So yeah, I mean, I think I think
Nestor Aparicio 44:00
he’s going to show well on Thursday, I think, in a general sense, yes, I think you will, too at the same I’m interested to see how he shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, after wins, after losses. Yeah, because that’s where John was really a box of chocolates as a human being, as an honest man, as a countenance, as a just consistency of what you were going to get from him inside or outside of the building. And he led with the paranoia. And he really did. And I can say that I’ve covered hundreds of coaches, dozens on the inside, and I you know, Chom was a unique cat in that way. So yeah,
Luke Jones 44:39
but, I would also say, and I’ll leave you with this, that Jesse mentors a human being, and he’s going to be a head coach for the first time, like for right off the bat, as much as I think it’ll go well on Thursday, he might be nervous, and that might come through a little bit, and people might be critical of that in the same way that they listen for him, right? He might be nervous. Of a sudden, it might not be the most polished thing ever at the same time, that doesn’t mean he’s not going to be a great football coach. And you know what? He might hit a grand slam on Thursday with the press conference, and he might sound like this, the most brilliant football mind of all time. That doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to go the way they want it to go either. Right? So my point is, yes, I understand the interest on it, and everyone’s excited and looking forward to it, and everyone’s looking forward to seeing who he’s going to hire and bring in, and all of that. But there’s going to be some unknown here, and some of that is also, you’re hiring someone who has never been a head coach at the high school level, the college level or in the NFL. He’s there is still going to be, there needs to be some expectation that he might slip up once or twice here or there, right? And that’s why I said it’s important for him to hire a good staff. He wants to have great assistance. It’s probably important for him to have a couple veteran assistance on that staff to help him with some of what I just mentioned. But at the same time, I think there’s a lot of conviction here that they feel that they’ve hired someone that’s going to be a good head coach, and that doesn’t guarantee that they’re going to win the Super Bowl in the next year or two, but I think they have a lot of conviction that Jesse Minter is as well equipped as anyone out there to put them any position to be able to win. And one of the
Nestor Aparicio 46:20
reasons is because he was in their building for five years. Building for five years, and they know him, and they’re comfortable with it and that. And there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s true, that’s good. That is a decision, that is a decision, and that is a strategy, and we’ll attack it thusly. Luke will be at the press conference on Thursday. I will not, unless Chad steel changes his mind, or Jesse Minter insists otherwise. I’ll just be here digging out like all the rest of us waiting for the next snowstorm. We’re doing a cup of soup or bowl next week. We’re not going to Santa Clara. We’re not going to San Francisco. Who wants to go anyway, patriots are there to them. So we’ll be watching the game on TV. Candy Cane cash from the Maryland lottery. I’ll have scratch offs giveaway our friends at GBMC as well, putting us out on the road for the Maryland crab cake tour. It is our special week. Monday, we begin things at fayley’s at Lexington market. Tuesday, we will be at El Guapo, not state fair cross street. El Guapo. We have bazole over there. It’s gonna be delicious, little chicken tortilla soup for me. Wednesday, will be at Koco’s. I’ll have the cream, cream of crab soup there. Thursday, will be at Pizza, John’s in Essex, of the French fries and the gravy there and then on Friday, closing things that will be at Costas, not the Dundalk location, the new location in Timonium at the race track. He is Luke. I am Nestor. We are celebrating the 25th anniversary. Oh, my God, the one that there’s silver up in here of the Ravens Super Bowl, 35 miracle Wednesday, the 28th that is 25 years to the day, whiskey, Joe’s the late great Bobby Nick pictures. I even have some video that I’m going to throw up from the parade. And all of it lives at Baltimore positive right in the middle aisle. 25 years later, Purple Rain. And by the way, for good measure, I got Brandon Stokely coming on from Denver in the aftermath of the snow and the mess out there. And also, Joe flacco’s going to be joining us this week to talk about the Purple Rain to the other miracle and football and the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s Luke. I’m Nestor. We’re around all week. And if you put on the radio and you hear Tony Sarah goose or you hear rod Woodson or Ray Lewis or Brian Billick, we are celebrating 25 years in a way that only we can. We’re wnsda in 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We never stop talking the next Super Bowl and Jesse Minter and Lamar Jackson and all that good stuff. Stay with us.
