Saving a lost season still possible for Harbaugh and Ravens in Pittsburgh

It’s been quite a slog for everyone involved in the Baltimore Ravens organization in 2025. Leonard Raskin and Nestor take a real assessment of the end of a football season and the beginning of the playoffs and another chance for the men of John Harbaugh to redeem themselves – and their turbulent season – in Pittsburgh.

Nestor Aparicio and Leonard Raskin discussed year-end financial strategies, including purchasing vehicles over 6,000 pounds for business owners to get a full deduction, making charitable contributions before year-end, and paying state income taxes before December 31 to maximize the state and local tax deduction. They also debated the Ravens’ chances against the Steelers, with Leonard predicting a Ravens win and Nestor expressing skepticism. Leonard emphasized the importance of running the ball with Derek Henry and questioned Lamar Jackson’s future with the team, suggesting potential changes if the Ravens lose.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Organize and run the Super Bowl-related charitable event for the Maryland Food Bank (including coordinating John Maroon’s appearance at Costas) as the usual annual activity around the Super Bowl
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Travel to Pittsburgh to attend the Ravens-Steelers game with Luke (plan and execute trip logistics)

Year-End Financial Strategies and Ravens Predictions

• Nestor Aparicio welcomes listeners to the show and discusses the end of the year, including tax considerations and the Ravens’ performance.
• Leonard Raskin advises on year-end financial strategies, such as purchasing vehicles over 6000 pounds for business owners to get a full deduction.
• Nestor and Leonard discuss the potential tax benefits of charitable contributions and state income taxes, emphasizing the importance of paying state taxes before year-end.
• Leonard predicts the Ravens’ chances against the Steelers, expressing hope for a win but acknowledging the potential for changes in the team’s strategy if they lose.

Ravens’ Performance and Lamar Jackson’s Injury

• Nestor and Leonard discuss the Ravens’ performance, including Lamar Jackson’s injury and the team’s reliance on Derek Henry.
• Leonard shares a personal anecdote about recovering from a rib injury, comparing it to Lamar’s potential rib contusion.
• Nestor and Leonard debate the implications of Lamar Jackson’s potential absence and the team’s overall performance.
• Leonard emphasizes the importance of running the ball effectively, citing past games where the Ravens succeeded by giving the ball to Derek Henry.

Potential Changes in Ravens’ Coaching and Leadership

• Nestor and Leonard discuss the potential changes in the Ravens’ coaching and leadership, including the possibility of trading Lamar Jackson.
• Leonard expresses skepticism about Lamar Jackson wanting to leave the team, suggesting that any trade rumors are likely exaggerated.
• Nestor and Leonard discuss the broader implications of Lamar Jackson’s future with the team, including the impact on the organization and fan base.
• Leonard highlights the importance of having a dedicated quarterback, comparing Lamar Jackson to other great quarterbacks who are deeply committed to their craft.

Impact of Ravens’ Performance on Fan Base and Coaching

• Nestor and Leonard discuss the potential impact of the Ravens’ performance on the fan base and coaching staff.
• Leonard predicts that if the Ravens win, there will be less pressure on the coaching staff, but if they lose, there will be significant changes.
• Nestor and Leonard debate the potential outcomes of the game, including the possibility of the Steelers’ fan base being upset if the Ravens win.
• Leonard emphasizes the importance of the game for both teams, suggesting that the winner will have a significant advantage in the playoffs.

Final Thoughts and Predictions for the Game

• Nestor and Leonard share their final thoughts and predictions for the Ravens’ game against the Steelers.
• Leonard predicts a close game, with the Ravens winning by a narrow margin.
• Nestor and Leonard discuss the potential for a low-scoring game, with the outcome likely to be decided by a few key plays.
• Leonard emphasizes the importance of the game for both teams, suggesting that the winner will have a significant advantage in the playoffs.

Leonard Raskin and Nestor end …ith Ravens thoughts for future

Mon, Dec 29, 2025 3:51PM • 23:49

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

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Ravens, Super Bowl, tax deductions, charitable contributions, state income taxes, vehicle purchase, business expenses, Pittsburgh game, Lamar Jackson, Derek Henry, NFL playoffs, coaching changes, financial planning, holiday gifts.

SPEAKERS

Leonard Raskin, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore, positive, positively passing the torch from 2025 to 2026 Happy New Year to everybody out there, celebrating with whatever college football you’re watching, or basketball, whatever you’re doing, gambling responsibly, I hope especially on the NFL, which is crazy. You know, speaking of gambling, we have Maryland lottery scratch offs, and it was no gamble for the folks that cost is that $100 winner? It costs for the holiday, great holiday gift, Candy Cane cash, everybody’s a winner because they smell like peppermint. You get second chance opportunities. I’m not doing a crab cake tour here until I figure this ravens thing out. Return of the year. I’m going to be doing a cup of Super Bowl. Maybe the Ravens will be in Santa Clara in five weeks, but we’ll be doing that as we always do in the Maryland Food Bank and had John maroon on down at Costas. Leonard Raskin joins us here. We’re at the end of the year here. I know you’re watching the Ravens. I know you’re watching college football in your Ohio State and all that before we even get going. Some people may actually hear this January one or two and be screwed. But before we get to the turn of the year, and we get the football here in the Pittsburgh game and all that, is there anything like give some money away, write a check, get some money out of your account, call your guy. Do I have too much in my account? I’m going to get taxed on it, like all of that.

Leonard Raskin  01:21

Yeah, great, great, great question. You know, year end always brings the rush and the frantic of people calling and saying, What should i What do I have to do? Oh, my God, I just talked to my accountant. I think my taxes are going to be huge. What can I do? And there are some things you can do last minute. There’s some things you can do at 26 but let’s talk about the last couple days, things that could get done. One, if you’re a business owner and you need a new vehicle, people don’t remember this, but there is a part of the law that if you buy a vehicle and you put that vehicle in service, that means, buy it, take delivery, drive it before 1231, clock strikes midnight, Cinderella’s pumpkin comes back. You can if that vehicle is over 6000 gross vehicle weight, you can write off 100% of the price of that vehicle if you use it 100% for business. So if you buy a business truck, if you happen to be in a business where you drive around, realtor, maybe supplier, salesperson as part of your company, you drive around in an SUV. You can buy a 6000 plus pound SUV. You don’t have to pay cash for it. You just have to buy it, which,

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Nestor Aparicio  02:37

if I buy van Holland from 100.7 to Bay their little that right?

Leonard Raskin  02:42

6000 pounds, yeah. And so if you bought a vehicle and it’s over 6000 pounds, and you drive it before December 31 if I have a Toyota Camry, that’s not a 6000 pounds, not gonna do it, not gonna cut it. But a big vehicle, 6000 plus, you get to deduct the percentage of the price that you use for business. So if you use that vehicle 80% for business, let’s make this easy, the vehicles $80,000

Nestor Aparicio  03:06

dude, let’s be honest. You handle my money. Leonard Raskin here, Raskin as as Deion Sanders, who was prominent this weekend in Yes, sons beating of the Pittsburgh Steelers, yeah. Raven season alive. We were all Dion fans this weekend. Yeah. Would say, as he said to me one time, I am a businessman absolutely, absolutely everywhere I go. I’m doing my business absolutely everywhere I go, literally.

Leonard Raskin  03:29

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And if you legitimately own a business and use vehicle more than 50% you can write it off. Another thing, as

Nestor Aparicio  03:35

one Catonsville bar owner once said When I went in on a sales call, yep, you’re nasty, effing Nestor, that’s what he

Leonard Raskin  03:42

said, Yeah. And you said, Damn straight.

Nestor Aparicio  03:45

I said, good thing. I got my 6000 pound vehicle here. It’s getting to the gallon.

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Leonard Raskin  03:51

You could, you could get a 6000 plus pound electric vehicle that gets massive miles to the charge you have to worry about gas Sequoia,

Nestor Aparicio  04:07

basically, I’m taking on this seven to $900 a month, right expense right for

Leonard Raskin  04:12

the period of years, but you get to deduct the whole thing the year you acquire it. So let’s say you have a taxable

Nestor Aparicio  04:19

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net at least a $50,000 vehicle, because it weighs much,

Leonard Raskin  04:22

right, right? So you got a you got a $50,000 profit in your company. Now you get a $50,000 car. Use the vehicle exclusively for your business. You have no more taxable income. You don’t pay any taxes. It’s a beautiful thing. Pay it over five years, but don’t get it. Don’t go out and buy it, just because you bought it. If you need a vehicle, get a vehicle. Also call Leonard if you need advice on there, because I know you want to talk about the spitzberg. I know. Well, yeah. Two more quick things, okay. One, charitable contributions, if you want to give to charity before year end. Okay? Because if you do it on January 2, it’s written. Off against your 26 taxes.

Nestor Aparicio  05:01

So this is my big chance to write that big check for that Billy Joel event up in New York that they’re doing that it’s a That’s

Leonard Raskin  05:08

right, if it’s a charitable event, you get to deduct that if you itemize your deductions, or you own a company. I always

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Nestor Aparicio  05:14

wonder when I look around at these, you know, Hot Seat, Hot Seat events like, Yeah, whatever, yeah, foursomes for 10 grand, right? Because they want to be charitable, to mount Walsh charitable, but like this, it’s better to do that now, right?

Leonard Raskin  05:29

Okay, before year end, then after beginning of the year, trying to soup up these people, get them into There you go. There you go. So that’s, that’s two big things you can do year end. There’s stuff you can do it 26 for 25 taxes. We’ll come back to those. Last thing is, if you’re listening to us in Maryland, which I imagine most of our audience is, and you will owe state income taxes on April 15, when you file, if you’ve not withheld enough state income tax. Pay those state income taxes before year end and write them off on your 25 taxes, and remember your favorite president, Donald J Trump, increased the salt deduction state and local tax deduction for those that itemize from 10 to $40,000 so you can write off four times the state and local tax if you owe the state of Maryland, pay it before year end. Get it done, because that deductible A is very valuable in your federal return and B, if you don’t, Maryland has a nasty underpayment state penalty that they like to assess 5% of the tax on paid. So you don’t want to give West more and more just because if you could have paid it before year end instead of beginning of the year. So check out charity, state taxes, big vehicles, three things to wrap out the year with regards to finance, and it’s on to Pittsburgh.

Nestor Aparicio  07:01

Nestor, is your money on the Ravens this week? Let’s, let’s, let’s call this what it is here. I had you on the show last week. We went into the holidays and dreadful, feeling pretty good about anything.

Leonard Raskin  07:12

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Well, here’s my here’s my prediction, my hope. And who the hell knows? Well, you’re gonna

Nestor Aparicio  07:18

predict that the ravens are gonna win, because that’s what you’re gonna do. Because I know you go ahead.

Leonard Raskin  07:22

Well, well, we got ahead. Well, well, we got it. Got to take it from Pittsburgh. However, I would, I would be, I am of the belief that if they win the game Sunday night, that they will be loath to make the changes that they otherwise would have to make. If they don’t, they will say, Everything’s good here we got into the playoffs. We won the division

Nestor Aparicio  07:45

right in the lane of where Luke and I have been. We yeah on this, but I think, um, someone’s gonna lose, and Luke and I are going up to Pittsburgh. They’re gonna let him and they’re not gonna let me in. We’ll figure it out, right? I mean, I maybe let me in Steelers ticket. Steelers have a whole lot more integrity than the Ravens do, I promise you that. So I have a chance to get in there, but probably not, but nonetheless, I’m going to Pittsburgh, and we’re going to wake up on Monday morning, and all hell is going to break. Yes, see North, and it’s way more complicated here, because do you think Lamar is going to play Sunday night? As you sit here, right? You expect him to play? I don’t,

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Leonard Raskin  08:28

I don’t I, I do not. I’m not of the camp that he’s faking an injury. Oh, I don’t. I’m not my my history, if we if you remember which you probably don’t. Early February this year, I was pulled over my chair, head over tea cups by my dog while holding a leash to hang on to him, and I fell on my left side, hit an arm of a chair when I fell, and I cracked three ribs. Now they haven’t said he has cracked ribs, but what I can tell you is, for the next 30 days, breathing was difficult. It was hard to breathe, and what my doctor told me was, the way you cure this is time and deep breathing, because you have to keep your lungs expanded. Now, the way he got hit in the back with a knee, I don’t know if it cracked a rib or not. They say it’s a contusion. He may play, he may not play. I don’t think it matters in the scheme of things relative to the front office, is my point. It matters relative to the team and all that. But if, if you give the ball to Derek Henry 35 times, you’re likely to win, as we noted after the Chiefs playoff loss and after the bills playoff loss and after the New England Sunday night debacle, we’re. If you give the ball to Derek Henry, you’re apt to win. So well, it’s a chance to win. It gives you a better chance. Yeah, your best chance. And look, Snoop proved again that. And I don’t know the name of the play, because I’m not into the specifics, whether that’s an RPO or or a fake handoff, pull the ball run, he proved very well, as did Malik Willis on Saturday night, that you can fake defenses really well when you got two good running options, and one of them is the quarterback, because he scrambled around for a number of first downs. That, whether it’s here Lamar, that’s a weapon, along with the great Derek Henry, you just that’s your best chance. And I got texts, Facebook posts from friends. I have a bunch of people I work with and and colleagues in Nashville. They were all heartbroken when the king came to Baltimore. They all text me during and after the New England game. Your coach is a loser because that guy’s sitting on the bench. And then this past weekend, they all text me and say, Dude, that’s the way you play the man. So give it to the king. Put in a little relief, not a rotation, but relief. Snoop or Lamar, fine, great. Throw the ball around. D hop, get him involved. Andrews, early, they could absolutely win at the same time, if they do. I think nothing crazy happens on Monday because they have the playoffs to deal with, and if they lose, I think crazy things start happening Monday morning, if they’re winning big Sunday night. I think you might hear it was fire Tomlin chance up in Pittsburgh?

Nestor Aparicio  12:01

No. I mean, that’s my thing. When Renegade is played with five minutes, six minutes, eight minutes, four minutes, two minutes, whatever it is, and and Luke’s inside the stadium. I’m at the Jason Aldean bar across the street. So, but when that happens, where is it for the season for both of these people, the coaches, yes. I mean, we know Aaron Rodgers is not long for wearing Pittsburgh all the booing of renegade, if that’s the Pittsburgh circumstance that the ravens are up 13 points somehow and have embarrassed the Steelers with a backup quarterback, right? Lunch money Boy, that franchise is a mess on Monday morning when we leave. And it doesn’t absolve, to your point, it doesn’t absolve the ravens to say they come back and lose to Houston here next weekend. And you know, you’ve got $1,800 into your tickets, you know, for next week to go out there and they lose with dome team at home, right? Well, Houston is more likely, and they travel better with the defense, I think. But yeah, sure, doesn’t matter. I mean, you don’t really believe the ravens are going to win the Super Bowl. I don’t believe that that the fact that they could still be standing and playing three weeks from now would feel like a major victory for horrible and Lamar, even if Lamar doesn’t make it onto the field. But heavens, if pressure on Lamar this week, yes to play or not play, yes, the fact that his mom’s his agent, and we’re going back into negotiation war, whatever it is, whatever it is, and the story it was written last week that got circulated about terrible trading him discord, where they are stupid. Okay, I mean, I it may be the case, but I can’t imagine. I’m sorry I did not see. What if he doesn’t really want to be here anymore? What if that? What if horrible doesn’t like him. He doesn’t like what if? What? What if it’s run its course? What if he doesn’t make it onto the field and they get eliminated on Sunday and he hasn’t been available? What if he comes back and tries to play and plays poorly and turns the ball over three times. You know, like, there’s a lot of circumstances

Leonard Raskin  14:06

what could happen. There’s a lot of what could happen. What I what I say is he, I think it was one minute, one minute during the negotiations before his contract was signed, where he said, Trade Me, right? There was, like, a minute of that, yeah, and that was just nonsense. He knew it. They knew it. It was nonsense. He to me, he’d have to be seriously. He would have to seriously come out and say, I do not want to play here. I did not want to play for this team. Blah, blah, blah, blah, for that, for to me, for that

Nestor Aparicio  14:38

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to be on him, well, that would be bad look for everybody, right? If that right,

Leonard Raskin  14:43

that’s my point. I don’t think it’s going to happen. And I think all these people saying that, that he wants out, or whatever they’re thinking of trading them, I don’t think he wants out. I think they’re idiots if they trade

Nestor Aparicio  14:53

him for the organization last week to have circulated. And I can confirm this. I can. Firm that the writer of that story has written false or has spread some false things about me, but I think he’s honest about this because John Harbaugh has expressed his dismay about lamar’s inability to come to OTAs to the program to be a real leader. He’s now a grown up. Or working on a third contract. Second contract. He’s a $50 million player.

Leonard Raskin  15:25

I like how hard he works. I don’t know how hard he works. What I know is

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Nestor Aparicio  15:29

people, should I ask the guy? No, not at all. I was just gonna say, Dude, everybody I’ve known 50 million in the little different I just think you it would change anybody, and that’s not, I’m not being down on the mark on the ravens, who I don’t think

Leonard Raskin  15:50

the point I would make is this, every great quarterback, you look around the league, you look around History, they are, what’s the word I’m looking for. Students, they, they live, breathe, walk, talk, you know, I don’t know if you’ve seen I think it’s, I don’t know. Is it Fox? I don’t know what the commercials for. I think it’s Fox Sports that Tom Brady’s doing, where people are talking basketball like their coaches and nobody understands them. But then Tom Brady shows up and he says, I understand you. I mean that dude lost two marriages for football. The the top best in class. Guys, live, breathe, eat, sleep. It’s like an entrepreneur with a dream. You you sometimes forego a lot of other things

Nestor Aparicio  16:49

functional from its very core. Yes, say that as a guy who’s a eyeing the last

Leonard Raskin  16:54

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week, and my point is, is Lamar, that guy, I have no idea how he studies. I have no idea how hard he works. There might be people that say he doesn’t work hard enough. There might be people that say he doesn’t this

Nestor Aparicio  17:08

is where I am, and this is what I’ve said to Luke as I’ve grown up in the room. I’m like, Look, if bishati says to these guys, where are we? And they say, we don’t think we can win with him anymore as a $60 million quarterback, we all think he’s going to stay healthy. We don’t think the running part is not what we can do with him anymore. It’s not in our best interest or his best interest, and it’s not in anybody’s best interest to make him a pocket quarterback as a 31 year old, over $65 million into him, No. And what are we going to do when Derek Henry’s not here and like so I think there’s a bigger picture for hardball surviving.

Leonard Raskin  17:45

I think you got to figure out who’s saying that. And this is if they lose

Nestor Aparicio  17:48

Sunday night back up quarterback on the road in Pittsburgh and a game that they’re suddenly supposed to favored, they’re supposed to

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Leonard Raskin  17:55

win again favored on the road in Pittsburgh, when their whole, quote, unquote, not season, but they’re, they’re going somehow.

Nestor Aparicio  18:05

Aaron Rodgers is hosting a playoff game next week in Pittsburgh. Yeah, at three o’clock next Saturday, and they’re there playing and we’re not. Yeah, I would have to think there’s five days of hell here next week. Oh, Lamar not playing or not. Lamar not playing well enough, or about whoever fumbled this year, whether it’s flowers Henry Andrews, go down the list of all of the guys who have cost them playoff games. Yep, this is a playoff game where they’re expected quarterback

Leonard Raskin  18:36

game, yeah, and they had to do it, and they did it. So if they come together and win on Sunday night with the world’s eyes on them, it’s going to be crazy in Pittsburgh, and when they lose, unless it’s in the Super Bowl, there will be eyes on them for the five days following. And all the stuff you said about Lamar may be true. My thing is, who’s saying it, and if it’s the head coach saying it, there’s a lot of pressure out there for Steve to say, maybe it’s my head coach, maybe it’s the guy that’s running the show rather than the guy in the show. And maybe with a new head, right

Nestor Aparicio  19:17

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out of 10 hot take talking heads would say, take the quarterback over the code, absolutely and absolutely. You know, if feeling is, I told you all my quarterback over the next three years, if the feelings we don’t love them as much as we used to, that’s not a smudge on Lamar. That’s football. We are the way we used to love that player. He’s the way it ends for every player,

Leonard Raskin  19:41

every player, of course, but, but I told you three weeks a month ago, we could just trade har ball for Tomlin. We’d have a different feel.

Nestor Aparicio  19:50

And here’s the fascinating part. We talked about trading coaches, the giants are have a quarterback, you don’t have a coach, right? And Tomlin or har ball. If they’re going to get thrown off the boat,

Leonard Raskin  20:01

they’re going to find a new job in seconds, right? And it’s going to be one like that if they want. And second question would be,

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Nestor Aparicio  20:09

not for Tomlin in Pittsburgh. Do I want to be here where people are yelling and people are booing Renegade, after all these years without a quarterback and with a middling pick, yes or har ball to say, Do I want to be here with Lamar or there with Jackson Dart? And that just doesn’t mean hardball with the mic. That’s anyone. Yeah, I want Jackson Dart. Or, if you’re the Steelers, you say, I got to marry the next coach to the next quarterback, even though they’re not in a position to pick a quarterback. Or the same thing would be for bishati to say, Well, if we lose, and my court, my $60 million quarterback can’t get there, and my knucklehead head coach can’t get the running back to run to win games that we should have been winning, and we went to Pittsburgh and lost to a team that just lost to Cleveland like I it’s gonna be something’s gonna be on fire Monday so that’s all I’m saying.

Leonard Raskin  21:05

One of these two steel cities is gonna suffer on Sunday night, and the fan base is going to be off with their head on Monday morning. Actually, the fan base is going to be off with their head on Sunday night, the minute the last, the last tick, ticks, uh, depending upon the score, it could be earlier. You know, who knows?

Nestor Aparicio  21:26

It’s been ugly in both of these stadiums. Yes. Like, yes, you’ve been in our stadium, yes, and watched them boo. The team walk out on the team empty out the stadium. Yes. You know, Luke has been flippant this week. Like, you know, I like this game in Pittsburgh. They haven’t played well at home. I don’t know what it’s going to mean to get a home game against Houston next week, because six home as

Leonard Raskin  21:46

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six at home, five and three on the road, if, if they pull off six and three on the road versus six and three at home, there you have it. Well, I can say in the NFC the Not that it’s a what’s the word? I’m looking for a big deal, but you got the Panthers and the Buccaneers, and it could be that you have a team with, again, a losing record winning a division, and they’d be thrilled. They’d be thrilled to win the division with a losing record,

Nestor Aparicio  22:16

backing in for crying outlet. All right, Leonard Raskin is here. I would just put it to all of you when you hear that, Oh, mama, I’m in fear, you know, like, I don’t know if that’s good or bad in Pittsburgh, but I said this coming, I don’t expect anything other than 19 to 17, six and a half minutes left to go, fog over the stadium, 28 degrees, wind in the air, like, just kicker is going to make a kick, a ball is going to go up in the air, there’s going to be a fumble. Like there’s all of this.

Leonard Raskin  22:49

That’s what I’d like to see another another Derek Henry, hat trick. It really couldn’t be any juicier than this, though, right now, you’re right. And all the talk, and all we say is, is just that conjecture and talk, and this is why I don’t gamble. This is why I don’t bet on these things, and this is why people do because everybody knows what they don’t know, and nobody knows till that ball snapped and that funky shaped thing bounces on the ground.

Nestor Aparicio  23:18

If there were both 12 and three, this game would feel different. Exact same state. The state is, yeah, home game next week. For me, I’m not down on anything. I’ll be like Mark McGuire. I’m not here to talk about the past. He is Leonard Raskin. And we, hey, we’re about to go into a new year, so we look back. I’ll say Guy Lombardo, to everybody, happy New Year. Leonard Raskin is out there. He handles money in the American dream. You can find dream. You can find him at Raskin global, and you can find me and him at Baltimore positive. Stay with us. You.