Our resident Cincy radio host and former NFL safety Solomon Wilcots tells Nestor about The Jungle waiting for Ravens in the chili-plated and playoff mad Queen City on Sunday night. Joe Burrow has raised the bar in Ohio.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cincinnati, week, ravens, game, play, lamar, winning, team, people, joe, quarterback, bengals, baltimore, player, playoff, financial insecurity, cigars, sirius xm, league, field
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
W n s t test the Baltimore and Baltimore positive weโre doing the Maryland crab cake tour putting it back on the road with friends this week lifelong friends Andy at G and a Coney Island hot dog moved his business from island town out to White Marsh and I am having my first crab cake with him and weโre gonna be doing it on Thursday. In advance of all things ravens itโs all brought to you by the Maryland lottery I got some my ravens scratch offs Iโll be giving away as well as a few holiday cash wrap leftovers. Thatโs a $50 Winners couple of weeks ago cost us with jeans shock from the Go Goโs as well as our friends at window nation 8669. D nation you buy two you get two free and five years is 0% financing. They didnโt give me 0% financing, but theyโll give it to you and when the nation they want itโs playoff week around here. Itโs the weirdest weirdest strangest playoff week Iโve been through a mall. Iโve been to a mall. Weโve had a lot of them. A lot of them have been out on the road. But I never been to Cincinnati for a playoff game. Solomon wilcots is in Cincinnati, Ohio with his little bangle helmet behind him doing this fantastic radio show for Sirius XM each and every day. And I only bother him when the Ravens get together with the Bengals even though heโs bothered with 32 other teams and the 32 other places and all that pretty big week where you are right now. Solly right. I mean, this is Maddie stuff and who a nation out there in Cincinnati.
Solomon Wilcots 01:19
Very heavy stuff. Because first of all, you know the ravens and Bengals we know they donโt like each other. Theyโre used to tussling in the postseason. I still remember one game when Andy Dalton hit Tyler Boyd across the middle and ended the Ravens playoff hopes that year of getting into the postseason. And then last week with all the machinations of what the league was doing, because the Bengals only played in 16, not 17 games, saying okay, you get the percentages of winning the AFC North title. But if you lose to Baltimore in the final game, youโre going to have to have a coin toss if you have to play him in the playoffs. Well, the Bengals were not happy about that. Thereโs no doubt there was a lot of people on social media, calling the Bengals a paper champion. So the Bengals wanted to go out and win that game last week they want they knew that it would have only been right to hand out T shirts and hats after getting it done on the field. And now theyโre gonna play each other back to back weeks. Thatโs Never before happened.
Nestor Aparicio 02:21
So you evaluate all these teams. And just because youโre in Cincinnati, and youโre probably closer to that situation where we are telling me about my situation here as you view it from there. In that second year, quarterback canโt play live where we all we can all say we love Lamar place game like nobody else in a different way. High risk. We talked about him running the linebackers, all of that. But where this franchise is right now, where are these press conferences where John looks a little bewildered and lost. Weโre on the front end of not knowing whether heโs going to play Vegas thinks heโs playing I saw the pointspread. Right, which we can say that now because weโre all theyโre all in on gambling and betting. So I can say that now. Yeah, for you and watching the weirdness of his contract all of this he represents himself. They say heโs coming back, you as a former player, you know, you want an age to get a second opinion on that knee. You wonโt be flown around, see Dr. Andrews or whomever it is. You want your own timeline, not John Harbaugh was one to three weeks. Theyโre telling the NFL Network, heโs playing Christmas and now oops, January 15. This is weird, man. And Iโve been doing this forever. I donโt know what to make of all of this. What do you make of it?
Solomon Wilcots 03:34
If if Lamar Jackson was actually speaking, and he shouldnโt be, even if he did have an agent, his agent be like, you canโt negotiate in the press. So just stay out of there. I think if truth be told, and if we all allow our emotions to separate, and I donโt have any emotions in it, because Iโm on here at Cincinnati, you know, Iโm not, Iโm not attached to the organization. But Iโve covered the Ravens for a long time. I really care deeply about Mr. pachadi. I love them. And I like the I got close to that organization when Ozzy was there and learn to appreciate the Baltimore Ravens in a great way. So I esteem them very highly. But if truth be told, there this fractures of the unity they had is beginning to kind of fray a little bit. And it has to, because there was a point in time that if the Unity was going to stay strong, that they would have taken care of Lamar pay to Lamar at an appropriate time. Because right now as he sits here, he doesnโt have financial security. And people are wanting him to go out and play as if he does. See this is
Nestor Aparicio 04:49
going to play off right like
Solomon Wilcots 04:51
this is this is still a business. Thatโs thatโs what Iโm sitting here telling. So the in the business relationship Thereโs the team. Thereโs the player. And then thereโs the fans. And the fans are part of the business dynamic, right? You know, letโs face it, they are. The fans are like, Oh, come on the Marlins, what the team is like, if you want your money you should play. This is what we told you. Youโre always getting hurt at the end of the year. Well, just like you would say to your employer, or anyone would say, I got hurt working for you. Like I got, I got hurt providing a service for you. And so now you want me to play when Iโm less than 100%. But yet I donโt have financial security. Thereโs a precedent here. Go back to 2005. Thereโs a quarterback by the name of Drew Brees. He played for the Chargers. And heโs playing on the last game of the same kind of contract that that Lamar is laying now. He blew out his shoulder on his throwing on. You know what happened? You know what the team, the team that drafted the the team that said they love him so much. You know what they did? They threw him out like trash. And they elevated Phillip rivers, he became the quarterback. And guess what, not even the Miami Dolphins would sign Drew Brees. And it just so happened to team in a city that was broken in New Orleans. They signed the quarterback that was broken. And Drew Brees. The rest is history. But heโs still working on that shoulder for the rest of his days. And the financial insecurity there was exploited by the Chargers. So I think we need to step back and understand that this is a much more complex thing. I think Lamar wants to play. But we need to ask ourselves can he play? In other words, physically Can he play? And then we have to ask ourselves should he play? Thatโs a whole nother different conversation? Well,
Nestor Aparicio 06:47
just the fact that weโre asking that is makes this wildly unique. And certainly the way the Ravens have stumbled into this thing. Thereโs no better agent for Lamar is contract and watching this freaking team played last six weeks, right? Like trying to play without him in this system. Thereโs nobody that does what he does. His view, his value is is innate, itโs just sitting there to say with him, they have a chance of winning on Sunday night in Cincinnati. Without him, they have no chance of winning.
Solomon Wilcots 07:22
But the best case scenario would be if he was playing ball and out winning all the games take you deep into the playoffs. But thereโs for NFL players, we have the saying sometimes the heart is willing but the bodyโs not a heโs willing to play. Thatโs how you got to eight and four in the first 12 games. So heโs willing to play even though heโs got this financial uncertainty, but now everyone wants to wants him to double down on on it by saying play harder without financial security.
Nestor Aparicio 07:55
Do you really fudge and be
Solomon Wilcots 07:58
done? Do you realize what youโre asking? Well, I think people are starting to ask Lamar to do something that they themselves wouldnโt do. And I already gave you the president the example of what can happen if he plays in, say this game on Sunday night, given the financial insecurity and he gets hurt to the point where now heโs on the market. I guarantee if he blows out that knee in a game on Sunday, letโs just play devilโs advocate. You think the ravens are gonna sign me to their long term contract, even with the one that was on the table? That thing will come off the table so quick. You didnโt make your head spin.
Nestor Aparicio 08:35
Last question as to whether itโs even on the table at this point, to your point, whether he wants to be in Baltimore, after Hollywood Brown and Solly this this is so unique, right? Because Iโm seeing Joe Flacco throw the ball around and and he they threw him out like luggage 1.2 Heโs not getting a statue here. Heโs
Solomon Wilcots 08:54
business that this doesnโt. This doesnโt make the Ravens the bad guy. And but Iโm just telling you to tell people it doesnโt make Lamar the bad guy either. And just because you see hardball, upset doesnโt mean that Lamar did something wrong. It just that means the coach and getting what he wants. Look, Miss Coach Harbaugh canโt go down there and say here, here, Lamar, hereโs a contract. Thatโs not his job. His job is to coach the player once he gets him. Okay, Mr. Prashad. Heโs the only one that can sign into the dotted line. And itโs also up to Lamar to say yes or no will he accept, say if contract? The coach is caught in the middle here a little bit. Iโm sure he gets the way it was. But he wants a player he donโt have access to the player. And this doesnโt make the Ravens wrong. Iโm not saying that they should be vilified. But Iโm also cautioning people because we tend to vilify the player right? Because we want the player to do all these great things play well play if youโre hurt, when do all this stuff. But then nobody is saying well, God Can we at least give the guy some financial security before we ask him to do all these wonderful one amazing things
Nestor Aparicio 10:07
on the back end at Mr. Hanlon last week, I think thatโs front and center in everyoneโs mind, Solomon wilcots Here, bringing his usual wisdom. And you can follow Solomonโs wisdom out on Twitter, as well as that in the Cincinnati area, getting the chili all worked up for us Sunday Night Football, super wildcard weekend and all that stuff. So for the Ravens in this pivotal time for this franchise, Solly and winning or losing, and hey, they go down, shock the world. And then they got Patrick mahomes Next week, and then thereโll be Josh Allen are like that, on the other end of all of that. This is a wild tournament, there are some great players coming into their own, sort of the looking forward to this tournament and who comes out of it. This is a wild tournament and a lot of ways including maybe even, and I know you donโt wanna hear this in Cincinnati neutral site game for a championship game, all of it. Thatโs happened since last Monday night. Itโs been a whirlwind of things. But the Ravens being in the middle of this and cleaning out lockers maybe on Monday without Lamar sign. Boy, ranch is his take on different directions, whether itโs fired coaches this week, Monday, all of that thatโs going on. Thereโs just a lot moving in the league this week. And even more so when six more teams get their feelings hurt this weekend.
Solomon Wilcots 11:30
Listen, thereโs a finality to it all of the 14 teams that are in the playoffs, only one is going to end with a with a happy end. Like okay, and you are right, thereโs ramifications or repercussions to not winning these games just like there were went from not winning during the regular season. So yeah, thereโs still more to come. We got five teams out there right now shopping for a new head coach in the National Football League. Thereโs gonna be more added to that list. By the time itโs all said and done. I can tell you this from a Cincinnati Bengals standpoint. This team was built to weather the storm. No oneโs ever believed in them. A quick order theyโve been able to go from one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best teams in the league. When the scheduling came out. Everybody looked at the last eight games of the regular season said whoa, itโs murdererโs row. Youโve got teams like at Pittsburgh, youโve got Tennessee you got Kansas City. Youโve got on the road. Youโve got they just started. I mean all these Tampa Bay, and then you finish up with Buffalo and then on then at Baltimore at home. murdererโs row, they go eight Uno and their final eight games the second half of the season. Their General Manager Duke Tobin has been named executive of the year last year probably should get it again this year because they won games this year without Jamar Chase. Theyโve won games this year without Trey Hendrickson on the field. Some of their best players Joe Mixon missed a couple of weeks, he score five touchdowns, and heโs out for two weeks ammaji P Ryan comes in and this guyโs had have have a career game every single week. Itโs somebody different. And youโre asking, youโre going through your your guides and who the hell is this guy, but they just kept winning. Theyโre theyโre very resilient group. And they didnโt like the fact that by virtue of the way that the league handled things, they were immediately taken out of the running for a number one see immediately, not because of what happened on the field. But by the way that the league decided to litigate or manage the crises they found themselves in. But you know what, all they did was go out in the final week of the regular season. They wanted to earn it on the field by beating the Baltimore Ravens on the field, they werenโt going to have the Ravens walk around saying we swept you guys that you still won the Division crown. How is that so theyโre willing to earn it, they didnโt pass out one t shirt, they didnโt pass out one hat until they proved it on the field. So you have to like the way that this team is being managed. And that the way that the perception of how they carry themselves is being handled.
Nestor Aparicio 14:14
Well we watched him play and you know what this is like sort of this back to back theyโre gonna see each other again and how much was shown in the game on Sunday, how hard the Bengals had to work against the second team. Some thoughts about the Bengals in them going through this last year and how that benefits them because I mean, I remember last time you and I got together. I thought at the two minute warning, yโall were in the Super Bowl. You know what I mean? I think everybody in the upper deck with me, and so fi thought that too and today in the jungle, it was very, very close the cocky quarterback as part of the storyline. I sort of liked that kid donโt tell anybody you know, I mean, I you know coming at LSU boy, the Ravens fans this week especially have caught on to oh, heโs the new bad guy. Heโs Roethlisberger, heโs the guy for the next 10 years. Itโs gonna be our Peyton Manning our Tom Brady, our pain in the ass. That guy weโre gonna have to deal with because that kidโs not going anywhere even if somehow, Sunday night miracles happen and youโre cleaning lockers out and weโre going to Kansas City. Joe borrows a series cat man.
Solomon Wilcots 15:18
First of all, I think what the Bengals showed last year, because you talked about the postseason. Itโs a tournament. It belongs to anybody whoโs in it. The Ravens have just as good a shot as all the other 13 teams in the postseason. Everybodyโs got a shot. The reason why the Bengals like their chances since this guy came to town in quick order. He turned around the franchise turned around the team and the town. Iโll just share with you a story. He grew up in Athens, Ohio, we know itโs a blue collar town. And this story is told by his AAU nine year old basketball coach who happens to be a sociology professor at the University of Ohio. Heโs coaching AAU basketball, heโs got this kid on his team whoโs the point guard by the name of Joe burn. He said, weโre down by eight, with just seconds like 40 seconds left to go. And we keep they keep falling. Joe Joe keeps knocking down the free throws. He knocks down one knocks down another. He said Iโve never seen a kid at that age that didnโt blink. That under pressure. His post never went above normal. He knocked him down, I end up winning the game by two points. He said he after the game, he went over to Joe Burroughs parents and said, Look, I just got to share which because Iโm a sociology professor at the University and we study behavior and what we call first responders and EMT specialists. This is the kind of behavior that we see and and first responders and firefighters and and policemen. People have to act in a moment and their post never go above normal. He said we also see it in serial offenders. And everyone in this town, we have heard that story. Thatโs the same Joe Berle we see on Sundays. Thatโs the same Joe burrow we see that gets sacked nine times. And it donโt change a thing. And so what you see in him is not bravado, because he donโt go around telling people how good he is. Thatโs what bragging is. Thatโs what bravado thatโs what arrogance is. Heโs just extremely confident in himself. But he knows heโs got to lead other 4052 other guys. So he doesnโt with this charisma, with the strength about themselves. That every single guy in that locker room. Weโll follow him. We got people signing up to play in Cincinnati that wouldnโt even come to have the chili. But they come here to play with Joe burrow, because they know championships are coming. He said it when they asked him how long is the window open for this team to win a championship? He said, Oh no, that window will be open for as long as Iโm here. He was bragging. He would just say and like Mike Thomas said the standard is the standard. He says this is the standard work. As long as Iโm here. Weโre gonna be playing for championships. Thereโs no other way to even think about it. Now Iโm gonna tell you something. Everyone wants a quarterback like that. Everyone does.
Nestor Aparicio 18:23
Well, yeah, you hate him because you canโt beat him. So weโll catch you. Hey, man, you get all fired up. You might want to go back and play with a guy like him, donโt you?
Solomon Wilcots 18:33
Itโs all about love. We love football Metairie. When you when you run across a young player like this. You get excited. You get excited. They look after you beat the Patriots Bella check. Bella check could couldnโt wait to get over there to talk to him. I remember they played the Packers last year. Aaron Rodgers couldnโt wait to get over there and talk to this guy is the real deal. I know Iโm not saying that because heโs a think look, I covered all these guys. I cover Peyton Manning I said that about him. I said this about Drew Brees when he was in San Diego and they left him for scrappy. I knew he was the real deal. Top right look when you canโt when you see him. You know him.
Nestor Aparicio 19:12
Right now John Holmes were Trevor Lawrence looks like he might be going thereโs a lot of real deals right now. This is exciting for me. Right? This
Solomon Wilcots 19:21
guyโs different. Heโs different. Not look Justin Herbert got more talent than Joe burrow. Weโre not talking about talent. Weโre talking this weโre talking this but thereโs a lot of middle linebacker that ainโt a lot of Ray Lewis is running around you know what Iโm saying? I mean come on now. Look thereโs a lot of free safety day a lot of like every man you guys had your turn you guys knew you know what special looks like donโt tell donโt sit here act like you donโt know but net when they on the other team you just donโt want to let to sell Polina the first time I saw Ray Lewis in an NFL game they were Playing the Bengals. And now Iโm gonna tell you something. It was here at all Three Rivers Stadium. Boomer Esiason was, I think it was 90 770-697-9690. So that went into the locker room. I saw this number 52 Martin. This too was different. I had to go over and introduce myself I introduced myself and Ray couldnโt have been nicer was after the game and I was like, Hey, buddy, is this dude I told everybody I said today, thereโs two different Mike Singletary all the all the ones step aside. This guy is going to change the face of the organization. I was right now. Look, you donโt play for my team, but I love ballplayers. Thatโs what I get passionate about. When you see that kind of real wrong love for the game. You already know theyโre gonna leave an imprint on our league like nobody who ever came before thatโs all thatโs all I know. So look all those other guys are good. Iโm not taking anything bro. But this guyโs do.
Nestor Aparicio 21:04
Well, theyโre gonna come steal our lunch money on Sunday night. Sama Wilcox is here. Heโs out in Cincinnati. And you know, I hope you get one of his cigars if this thing ever happens for you in Cincinnati at the parade. You know one of those those Joe burrow specials.
Solomon Wilcots 21:17
I have some cigars right here in my humidor. Okay. I guarantee he wants one of mine before I want one to hear.
Nestor Aparicio 21:26
Okay, all right. Thatโs what but heโs got winning ones you know.
Solomon Wilcots 21:31
Listen, theyโre all winning. Trust me a cigar you must not be a cigar smoker because everybody who smokes cigars No. Itโs a mini vacation. As soon as you light it up. A cigar is known as a mini vacation.
Nestor Aparicio 21:45
Well I tell you what, I have a massive celebration at some points. I just hope it doesnโt come at our expense Salli ala Sunday night thatโs another thing but here at my flight was in on Sunday and out at like 5am Monday and because I was gonna go like straight to the airport like after the game and all I could think about was me sitting in an all night chilly stand at around 230 in the morning with three way and all the cinnamon they put on there and season being over for someone thatโs going to be the case at 2am on Sunday night. We just hope itโs not us. But I donโt like our itโs tough right now going into this wouldnโt be incompetent on our end
Solomon Wilcots 22:27
that we hope Lamar plays in this because I love watching him play you know he he went to school nearby here just about an hourโs drive south and Lou. And so the people here in Cincinnati are big Lamar Jackson fans except for when he plays us. Thatโs it like we we literally in Cincinnati, we root for Lamar, trust me when I tell you I know people donโt believe that. Because you know, weโre big enough to put emotions on the table. But now when they play against us, thatโs the only time when people in Cincinnati arenโt rooting for Lamar, but we you know, he we cheered him on during that MVP run. Weโre hoping that things work out for him in Baltimore. I really want the best for him. I think heโs a tremendous competitor. And he works just as hard as all the other great quarterbacks in our league and I think that should be more of a conversation that people should be talking about. As it pertains to Lamar Jackโs
Nestor Aparicio 23:23
as Ravens fan stylee weโve watched them play with him and we watched him play without it. Itโs all a lot more fun to watch and play with it. No doubt about it. Take care of yourself. Keep that going. That wisdom you have out there at Sirius XM and everything you have that at Twitter. I would love to see you at the Super Bowl this year out in Phoenix and I certainly I will be thinking of you and people like you and Hobson and Laugh all you guys out there if it ever if the magic moment ever happens for you guys.
Solomon Wilcots 23:51
All right, we appreciate the NAS all the best take care God Wilcox and
Nestor Aparicio 23:55
the wisdom of Solomon. You can find them out on Twitter and itโs Sirius XM seven to 10 each and every day out on Sirius XM so make sure youโre doing that and listen to Howard Stern too. And you know, listen to him. I am Nestor we are wn S T A and 5070, Towson Baltimore. Play off week around here. Weโre going to Cincinnati we are Baltimore positive.com