The strategy of Lamar Jackson and the point of no return

Nestor Aparicio ponders how the relationship of Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson could ever be repaired after the trade drop act of war on the organization and trade demands of the former MVP quarterback.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

lamar, quarterback, people, owners, speak, lamar jackson, day, john, week, twitter, coach, money, wsd, nfl, draft, year, organization, sashi, run, play

SPEAKERS

Nestor Aparicio, Dennis Koulatsos

Dennis Koulatsos  00:02

Welcome back. My next guest is Nestor J Aparicio. Nestor welcome in.

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Nestor Aparicio  00:06

Dennis, how are you happy opening day is the bugging out at Coombs, Baltimore, Florida man,

Dennis Koulatsos  00:11

we’re we’re still talking ravens Lamar Jackson. I think the opening day has even been overshadowed by the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson in particular.

Nestor Aparicio  00:22

Well, you know, I programmed the radio station, right, so I can look at it and know when things are going on. And it’s been a lot of Lamar and I’m doing the crabcake tour next week. And I’ll sort of, you know, Veer back into pop culture and music. I have a couple of musicians booked on. I’ve had some great media guests this week, Barney Bernstein came on, I had Jeff Smalley on on Jeff Smalley and is the founder of WFA. And in New York, he went on to own the Seattle Mariners. He wrote a book he came on talking about it. So I mean, a little bit of baseball, but even on Thursday, and your shows on Thursday and Sunday morning, like opening day. I’m like, the morning drive. Do I do baseball? What baseball do I do? Do people? Is that where people are? And I’ll just say this, then it’s now that I’m my head’s clear. And as Steve shouty once said once I regained my equilibrium. You know, I didn’t go to the owner’s meetings this week. It’s the first time in 18 years, other than my wife having cancer and a plague that will keep me away from the owners meetings. It’s important to me, it’s where I learned things and gain relationships. And it’s an important part of what I do. But the shoddy was AWOL. A lot of owners were heard from this week, right? I mean, Jerry Jones was heard from Jim Irsay was heard from Mr. Blank was, excuse me, Mr. Or say, Mr. Blank, Mr. Schneider, like they’ve all been heard from this week that want to be heard from and those who seek to hide behind their general manager behind their team, President Sashi. Brown was even heard from this week. For the first time in a year and a half. He’s been running the team. I want to say this, then we’re steep Ashati. Is that Is that a fair question? Or is this line

Dennis Koulatsos  02:10

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he’s a he’s a multi billionaire. He can be whatever he wants to be. He’s got a successful franchise. He’s making money hand over fist whether he and I attend a football games, whether you and I watch football games, whether you and I are there to to purchase beverages and food and jerseys and whatnot. So I don’t know that Stevie Sadie really gives much thought to what you and I think or anybody else for that matter. Well, and I I know him I think he just like the other 31. Guys, I mean, it’s the best club in the world. You and I’ve talked about that. Being an NFL owner. That is like heaven on earth.

Nestor Aparicio  02:42

Well, because you’re making $200 million for breathing even if your name is Mike Brown, even if your name is Mark Davis, even if your name’s Jed you’re if you’re making money if you can make money these banjos, Alex banjos, right? If you can be

Dennis Koulatsos  02:55

on a golf course, or on your boat, and you’re making money. You’re winning, because somebody else is making money for you. You’re not working. You’re just making money. It’s

Nestor Aparicio  03:05

about this man who’s running the place. And this is where I’m going to based on how I’ve been treated in a in a personal but also I’m a media member, like I’m there to report truth. They the hardball press conference the other day, was just a complete lack of acknowledgement of truth, right? Like this thing went on. And there was no acknowledgement that Lamar had tweeted that he had spoken that it’s from him that he demanded a trade, like hahaha, you know, sort of smile efia You know, a little bit and it’s over with and now they’re gonna have a liar’s luncheon and a draft. Nobody’s good. But at the end of the day, and Dennis, you’re on Twitter, I’m on Twitter, right? I mean, John, Harbaugh’s not on Twitter. He said so the other day, so we know that’s true.

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Dennis Koulatsos  03:53

He’s He’s a lurker, not a participant. Apparently, he looks though he looks. He knows what’s going on.

Nestor Aparicio  03:59

I have screenshots in my phone of tweets that he has sent me a comment today familiar with. So it’s good thing that I’m not sitting next to him and his employee Cliff Brown was there to call a timeout, you know, but it’s one of

Dennis Koulatsos  04:13

those things. It’s one of those things that you know, it’s a it’s a sleight of hand move to say in modern Twitter. Just because you’re not on Twitter doesn’t mean you’re on Twitter. You’re aware you have a general awareness or specific awareness. You may not be on Twitter, but your staff is people are a million

Nestor Aparicio  04:26

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people were told five minutes ago, something about you and your organization, you want to acknowledge it or do you not? And

Dennis Koulatsos  04:35

I thought I thought it did a good job though. I thought under the circumstances under duress, that’s how he was able to deflect very nicely.

Nestor Aparicio  04:43

And I think he’s paid professionally $12 million a year to front the organization. I just think for that moment. It would have benefited them and a Kevin Byrne or grown up in there, come over and said fellas, give me one second with the coach here. You all right out on Twitter. I just want John to have a moment to see this to react to it because he hasn’t. It’s not fair to John, I’m gonna get my coach. I’ll be back in five minutes. He’ll spend the full 30 minutes we’ll spend 40 minutes with you. Just give me a minute. John, come back here, John. This is what Lamar is doing in real time, just as you just so you know, he’s commenting as you’re commenting, he’s watching this. And he, you know, like, literally, that’s what Kevin burns job is right. And then sent John back out there five minutes later and say, Okay, I read what he said, Look, Lamar has said he wants to be traded. We love Lamar. It’s not my spirit that whatever it is for him to say at that moment, he can do the old movie thing and go, let’s start with Lamar did this. Let’s react to that. Not? Oh, really? I’m not on there. Oh, what did he say? Oh, really? Oh, I don’t know anything about that. I mean, like he has, but he

Dennis Koulatsos  05:58

has been in the Morris corner since day one. I mean, if it were if it wasn’t for Lamar, his performance, John Harbaugh would have probably been out of a job back when looking at your rookie year, so he’s always been a lot more advocate at least publicly. And you know, John, well, no, John’s not gonna say anything that’s gonna rub anybody the wrong way. If he can help it,

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Nestor Aparicio  06:16

I just think somebody needs to speak for the organization. And at the end of the day, this isn’t an This isn’t an attack on Bushati. For me. This is an acknowledgement that other owners spoke to their fans this week. Other owners speak to their fans, sometimes other owners don’t excommunicate media members for wanting to speak to the owner and retaliate and throw them out. And other owners show up at the owners meetings. And in this circumstance, the you’re on Twitter, and I’m on Twitter, we’re all on Twitter, Dion’s got an opinion, right, Marlon Humphrey as an opinion, Dennis collartz. owes me Jason Locke. And everybody’s got an opinion, the only one that matters is the shotty. I mean, and he’s the only one we haven’t heard from, right? And nobody’s asked for him. And it’s like, oh, he’s the audio is in half to speak. I mean, you’ve said as much like you’ve lowered the bar for what you expect from him and the organization. And I think that that’s a shame. I think that that’s how we’ve got into this thing. We’re opening days happening and nobody’s paying attention, because we’ve lowered the bar for all of it, right? I mean, we’ve just lowered the bar, like Steve used to do this. Honestly, stand up. accountably. And we would all say, Oh, he said these all when he wants to win as bad as we do. We can see he takes the fan mail hard. We can see that he burns up about this. We can see he’s engaged in this. He he has a very, very strong grasp. I learned lots and lots of stuff. Every time I was asleep, he shot his presence love

Dennis Koulatsos  07:53

the man. But the last time he spoken that’s true. I believe it was the last time he spoke he said that look that Deshaun Watson shouldn’t have been the first player to get a guaranteed contract, and not a fail history. He chastised Browns ownership for giving such a contract. And he was painted as a bad guy by the NFL Players Association. So

Nestor Aparicio  08:12

whatever, whatever I’m just telling their fans

Dennis Koulatsos  08:16

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last time he spoke he got hammered.

Nestor Aparicio  08:18

You always get hammered or

Dennis Koulatsos  08:22

the owner has silenced me.

Nestor Aparicio  08:24

So so. But that’s my point. My point is, there will be thunderclap right there will be there’ll be thunder, and there’ll be lightning, right? I mean, right like, there’ll be thunder there’ll be lightning and there’ll be a strike and whatever that strike is. I just can’t imagine and you know, Bill Cole brought this up I want to get my my partner if I had his coffee cup here, I’d hold it up. He said to me, you think John’s happy?

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Dennis Koulatsos  08:52

You don’t like to be happy? Like you said he’s making 12 Milada here I can be very I can be very happy making 12 Because you know what? When he goes home at night, guess what? He doesn’t bring that stuff home with him. He’s gonna spend time with his family.

Nestor Aparicio  09:04

Okay, but but but play this out Lamar. e’s are very disgruntled and they have a half ass team the next five months which John I know John hates, like my quarterbacks not going to be a practice for four months and we’re gonna run a team a new offensive coordinator like new wide receivers

Dennis Koulatsos  09:25

hardly talent man it’s part of the challenge part of the deal he could only coach who’s there you know John John John doesn’t get to pick the is that his that his deck of cards right? I’m just

Nestor Aparicio  09:35

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getting to say that John can have any job he wants in the NFL. This John want to be a part of three and 14 and rebuilding at some point. With Tyler Huntley really being the quarterback and or this really gross version of the next five months of fighting with a $32 million mercurial quarterback who might or might not we’ll never know he doesn’t have an agent. He’s not surrounded by people. People who are grownups to even give him advice. It’s it’s the it’s a wild card like the entire season after two years of not having his quarterback available January, how long does John want this gig before he says, I’ll go grab Spags and we’ll go do something else. Whether you like that.

Dennis Koulatsos  10:21

You know, John better than I do much better than I do. I think the day he wakes up and doesn’t feel like going to the office, it’s going to be his last day, at least with the Baltimore Ravens, and I haven’t seen anything in him to indicate that

Nestor Aparicio  10:32

I go either. I don’t either, but I’m wondering how the organization is going to live with a bad season this year, because if Lamar Jackson is not their quarterback, it’s real hard to sell to anybody that they’re going to have maybe season a plus season, maybe, said

Dennis Koulatsos  10:48

the farmer Nestor I can’t believe in September 1 that Tyler Huntley is going to be the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Keep in mind that the team’s picking up, they’re going to pick for perhaps five quarterbacks in the top 10. This year. They’re going to be backup quarterbacks starting caliber backup quarterbacks available. I do think that this roster is far from being complete, particularly at the quarterback position. And I do have faith and confidence in organization. They’ll have a decent quarterback, a service quarterback to start the season with, with Todd Monken has influenced an offensive coordinator. You never know what’s gonna happen with the offense, they can run the ball, but they got one spot to shore up on the offensive line. They got a really good defense special teams. They’re well coached, they’re going to be right in the thick of things, things.

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Nestor Aparicio  11:30

I’m gonna be all afternoon and as people are listening to this, I’m going to be at Hollywood casino at the bar school, a sports book. And I I’m not a sports gambler, people know that’s what a lot of blackjack played a lot of Craps in my day. You know, been to Vegas a million times like all of that. I like the action. But I’m going to be interested because I’m going to be working with these folks up there. I’m going to go up to the sports book. I’m going to have a salad today salmon salad, watch the Orioles do all that. But I’m going to ask Could I bet odds that Lamar is going to be a lion a jet? Can you even bet on Aaron Rodgers being a jet? I don’t even know what you can or can’t bet.

Dennis Koulatsos  12:09

You can if you could dream it up. You can bet it. Okay, fair enough. So

Nestor Aparicio  12:12

here I’m gonna I’m gonna make you my betting guy today. All right, so right now you just gave me all of this. I’m sure they’ll have it figured out. I’m sure it will be Tyler. I’m sure they’re gonna draft that’s about it. What do you think’s what’s the best odds right now is the best odds that Lamar comes back and plays for 32 million with his tail between his legs is the best odds that he actually signs a three year $148 million thing that they can all Kumbaya and say, he got a lot of money, we got a good deal. He gets to hit the market in three years. We can’t tag him what like something that would look like conciliatory, right? Where they can do that. And then there’s the other part of No, they’re going to deal them, and then where are they going to deal them? And how does that work? I mean, there’s all of these and in my mind, if I’m Mr. oddsmaker, and I feel like I know a lot about this. I would have known more if I was at the owners meetings the other day, right? Because I want to talk to a lot of people, but I am still fascinated that Mr. Blank didn’t at least inquire in some way and then say to the ravens, I’ll give you the quarter that Hi Nikki guy you can have him and well you know, she you’ll have a quarterback but

Dennis Koulatsos  13:22

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I can’t line why he didn’t. He had no interest Lamar Jackson. He said every game in the NFL is important. Lamar Jackson has missed 12 and last two years.

Nestor Aparicio  13:30

easy thing to say. He said it irrefutable.

Dennis Koulatsos  13:34

He put it out there and it’s not worth the guaranteed money that the young man seeks. So what I think they’re going to they’re going to draft either Bennett in the third round or this could hook her from Tennessee in the second round. They can trade back and they’ll they’ll have a quarterback available. Just in case Lamar Jackson sits out to season or comes in as lethargic has a back injury doesn’t want to play at cetera but and they’ll have they’ll have a quarterback on the roster W development for sure. Also guy that can come in and win some ballgames for you.

Nestor Aparicio  14:03

That’s what I think you think he’s unbelievable right now?

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Dennis Koulatsos  14:05

I do. I think maybe after the draft, were you talking about draft for next season? Will they deal in for first on a starting caliber player, there’ll be interest there also an injury to a starting quarterback in the NFL, it also changes the equation. I think they would like to move away from him. But I also like to think that they think, of course they want maximum value in return. But they’ll take less than what they would have taken. Let’s say 30 or 60 days ago.

Nestor Aparicio  14:31

I agree with you. I don’t think they care about the noise. No, right? Yeah, at all. And my point on all of this is our owner doesn’t speak to the fans anymore. Right. And the coach when he speaks lies, and the general manager seeks to not speak much at all, and seeks to speak by signing Nelson Aguilar and saying, that is what I’m doing. That’s

Dennis Koulatsos  14:56

what most coaches line that’s true. They all speak Cochise you heard him speak Kochi for decades now it’s what I call it’s really not true man. Man it’s fluff it was

Nestor Aparicio  15:06

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never lied to me on the record off the record on a mic off the mic still to this day Brian billings never lied to me so

Dennis Koulatsos  15:14

like probably lots of love and microphone on the camera not many coaches love he was the exception not the rule right double check the Brian Billick don’t want to be in front of a camera

Nestor Aparicio  15:25

take you can play the game and recruit the fans instead of playing the game and you know pissing off the fans I don’t think that you need to be Bell Bella check. And I come from an age of they’re trying to sell tickets. I mean the Orioles are a great example of all of this hope all of this promise. How many people are going to be there next week?

Dennis Koulatsos  15:47

They don’t listen to the fans that’s for sure neither neither organization listen to the

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Nestor Aparicio  15:51

tunes for be like with that. What would what would WSD have ever been like if we’re not doing this for our service

Dennis Koulatsos  15:57

company? You know, we’re good for wn St. We’re a service company we are we are of service to people. And if I was running a baseball team or football team, I’d still be a service company. But some somewhere along the line you know beat when people are making money hand over fist. It changed her mindset. That’s true. I don’t think like you and I do. They’re not normal. They’re abnormal people.

Nestor Aparicio  16:17

Oh, there’s no question about that. We live in a different world that we live in. They’re you know, they’re

Dennis Koulatsos  16:22

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talking about first world problems they have I don’t even know what you call those things.

Nestor Aparicio  16:27

Yeah, they’re not problems.

Dennis Koulatsos  16:29

Do I want filet mignon and eggs for breakfast or crab cakes with like for breakfast? issues? They’re not problem. It’s like, oh, my crab cakes. My crab cakes Benedict. Were too cold this morning. Just decisions not not probably I don’t I’m not trying to make fun of the situation. But I’m gonna wake up in the morning. Am I not having breakfast either.

Nestor Aparicio  16:45

There is I’ve woken up hundreds of days at the Biltmore and the breakers because of these people. Right. I for 18 years, I’ve been going to these places in the St. Regis out and in in the Four Seasons in Orlando. Like I this is where they have at Boca Boca resort. Like I I’ve been in these places where the Caesar salad is 24 bucks. And a cup of coffee is nine but I like it.

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Dennis Koulatsos  17:11

I was I was I’ve been to the breakers twice in 30 days, a hotdog is 26 bucks. A burger is 37 I never even heard of the record until about a year ago. And for folks who’ve never heard of it, look it up. It’s got palm trees. Amazing. And the people there you know, again, they’re just living a different life. They’re all plastic. Most of them are plastic and it’s a whole different planet. It just is.

Nestor Aparicio  17:33

I agree wholeheartedly, and I think that that’s a hard thing to push across. But I think in all of these opinions mine yours Luke’s Robbie’s first base. We all have opinions at all and and the Internet and Gian and you know, whoever you follow on Twitter, but the guy that’s making the decision is on a yacht playing golf or doing whatever it is you’re drinking Miller Lite, you know, like, and it’s his money. It’s his decision, and we’re not hearing anything really from him. But when we do, it will be a thunderclap. And that’s what we’ve allowed to happen as a fan base here, we brought that he gets $600 million. And he said Sashi Brown and Chad Steele down there to pick the checkup and take a picture and Annapolis. Like there’s just there’s the accountability of the voice of all of it is left upon John, to answer to this poor kid tweeting poop emojis and being his own PR guy. And we’re all trying to make sense of something here that feels like it’s at a slap shot sometimes. Really? Yeah.

Dennis Koulatsos  18:41

Now well, that’s the state of the Ravens these days. That’s your we’re up against the clock. I gotta run. I appreciate your time as always, like what else you got going on besides your crabcake tour.

Nestor Aparicio  18:50

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Go st go San Diego State grab gate tour next week on Wednesday and Friday. Opening day new arena. Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, springtime it’s just, I’m excited baseball every day. This is these are the good days. It’s good to be alive. That is Colossus, you know that great to

Dennis Koulatsos  19:07

be alive with that. We’ll take a next break here. 1570 am WSD we’ll take a quick break and come back right after this.