As the NFL Combine gears up and free agency looms, Dennis Koulatsos and Nestor discuss the hiring of new offensive coordinator Todd Monken and what happens to Lamar Jackson this spring in Baltimore.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
austin, lamar, lamar jackson, ravens, play, game, money, houston, deal, quarterback, baltimore, building, hire, run, bruce, talking, texas, week, years, offense
SPEAKERS
Dennis Koulatsos, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Welcome back, WN St. Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively presenting some great great stuff here radio row histories. What we’re in the, in the midst of doing is the month of February but I’m also mixing in some here and now when the Ravens route hiring offensive coordinators and this guy will be here on Thursday talking about all things ravens, probably little Orioles, given the John Angelo’s news this week as well. He’ll be here for three until five EastEnders closers, you could find him out at D Colossae. Show as well as Dennis Colossus, as well as on the front of Baltimore positive. But a little while we had a little downtime you and I Super Bowl and mahomes, and all of that, and certainly a nice time to get away when it’s cold here and warm and other places, but the Ravens in whatever they’re doing here in the next six or eight weeks, we’re about to find out, right. We’ve talked a lot about this in the last six, eight weeks, but we’re about to get up on it. And the first piece is they’ve hired an offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, some college some pro, you know, that thorough search, I have no complaints with this hire none.
8
Dennis Koulatsos 01:10
I don’t either. And again, it just goes to show you that even with the uncertainty at quarterback, it’s still it was still a very very attractive position for a for a experienced coordinator to come in. Don’t know that he was her first choice looks like they were trying to get Eric Vietnamese attention. The interest wasn’t mutual from what I gather, but I’m happy with it with a pic. It’ll elevate the offense into the 21st century, there’ll be more emphasis on the passing game. We saw the type of offense he ran at Georgia the last two seasons, and it opens up like you said a lot of possibilities, including maybe the drafting of Stetson Bennett, who may have gone under an undrafted may have been a free agent, but we’ll see how that plays out. Because here’s a quarterback who had great success with the mungkin in college, and will know his offense right away.
Nestor Aparicio 01:58
Um, yeah, I mean, you’re you’re you’re getting way ahead on all this.
Dennis Koulatsos 02:03
guy’s gonna start I don’t know what he’s starting caliber quarterback in the NFL. But I think in the backup role, and who knows what’s going to happen with Lamar Jackson situation all things to me are pointing to a tag and trade scenario. But I do like Monken. And I’ve even looked at the offensive players for Georgia to see who would be a good fit for the ravens, since he’s had experience with them.
Nestor Aparicio 02:24
8You know, just fascinated because I I’ve been doing little traveling and talking to people when people run into me and they want to talk ravens with me. In addition to radio row, and all the stuff we’ve been presenting people have been coming at me about oh, I didn’t know you interview Johnnie Cochran. I’m like, hey, oh, there it is. Oh, check it out. If you want to hear it, you know, we talked about Believe it or not 2003 The conversation was about race and hiring in the NFL, the Rooney Rule was a brand new rule then. So interesting things have happened. But the interesting thing for me is where people are on Lamar and the public sentiment, not amongst any you always divide the world into Lamar fans and Ravens fans, and some of them are both we’re Ravens fans here. Right? And we would say we’re gonna be Ravens fans, if Lamar is playing for the Falcons in five weeks or whatever, you have no problem. I mean, you’re it’s almost sounds flippant when you say it that, you know, I think they’re gonna tag and trade. Like, we’ve never had to predict anything like this. And 27 years of covering the team, I go back to that Ray Lewis piece I on earth 24 minutes with Ray Lewis in Tampa in 2009. When he went from radio row when he was about to go out and seek his value, there’s so many scenarios and all of this. And it’s so way more complicated than chess. I don’t know what game to compare it to canasta, I’m not sure. But when you’re talking about this organization, saying, Okay, we’re gonna tag and trade you, Lamar, go find your best deal, get your age, and he doesn’t have an agent. I don’t even know how this gets orchestrated, that the Ravens get three number one picks for somebody and Lamar gets $228 million of guaranteed money from how, how does this happen without a middleman without an agent. I mean, all of this is so weird. And if he comes back here and plays here and signs here, and there is a kumbaya moment, you and I are gonna have to swallow a lot of our words and where we are and with the way we’ve measured this and seen it this way, because this is not what they’re talking about over 1057 are definitely over BHL because they’re, you know, they’re under contract, they want to keep their press pass. But like to me in you, it feels very obvious. And I don’t know, I’m not a betting guy, and neither are you. But if we were going to bet on what’s going to happen here, I would strongly, you know, it’s strong advisement that they they’re going to deal with him and you feel the same way. Why is it that not everybody else feels this way?
Dennis Koulatsos 04:58
Well, because I I think it goes back to my experience my truth I think people look at things through their own lens and that lens oftentimes it’s distorted then I don’t have blind love for the player any more than I have blind love for the team, although I was very much an all in on the player when he was drafted, but there are some things that cause you to pause right the injuries you can’t get around that the last two December’s he hasn’t been available to lead the team into the playoffs, the social media presence, the immaturity that we’ve seen snapping back at a fan and now I saw Patrick clean a couple of weeks ago, get into with a fan, try to educate him on the finer points of the game. And then of course, he goes off the Twitter and now there’s speculation he’ll also be traded. But this this is a very image conscious organization. Nestor. Steve was chatty. Welcome back, Ray Rice with open arms until the video came out. Right. So the man wants to protect his image. She’s made a lot of money. He’s a businessman first, and a football owner second. And so to me reading the tea leaves as you have all along. I just don’t see this having a happy ending between Lamar Jackson, and arraignment and I think both parties are going to be fine no matter what happens. Well,
Nestor Aparicio 06:10
we are in the minority out loud in saying that right. And I don’t know what point this happens, or where that but the chips are starting to fall. Right? They have a non denominational offensive coordinator. Is that fair to say? Right.
Dennis Koulatsos 06:25
I love that. Yeah.
8Nestor Aparicio 06:26
Not that, like literally, right? I mean, he can he’s can draw plays for anybody. He and He Yeah, good genes and bad deeds. He’s been a head coach at Southern missed and do very well at that point. But that’s about recruitment. I mean, he was in the college game where these kids are now getting paid a little bit of money. I mean, I get that fee. Every time I watch Maryland, play basketball, and I watch this guy Willard run around Unbeliev. They’re beaten Purdue, or whether I sat there for two and a half hours and watching them lose to Nebraska. The other night, right. And I invested my there was a football on Sunday. And I’m like, okay, maybe sign to Washington tercer when I heard the big Lincoln wearing,
Dennis Koulatsos 07:02
oh, it’s amazing, amazing.
Nestor Aparicio 07:04
But I would just say for this guy to come back and say I’m going to be in the NFL. You mentioned that the enemy and obviously the guy up in Philadelphia was waiting for the next chair. And then the Colts hire the offense court like all that happens. But for me that to say we had 14 of this, and we hired minority candidates, and we Rudy rolled, and we followed all that. It feels to me like Todd Monken was the guy they wanted to hire. And in the beginning, I didn’t get the sense that they were holding out for anybody in any particular way, other than for it to be over with. And I think there’s there’s an exhale, that’s happened now that that’s happened for John and coleus. Campbell, as announced he’s coming back. Right. So you can talk about Patrick queen, you could talk about Lamar, and what that would represent and where those deals would be. But I think they’re headlong now into combine. Yep. Into player evaluation. It’s a time for pay and play and all their guys except for Lamar, and they have that $50 million. Put aside, but in my mind, if they’re moving on for Lamar, they’re moving on. Luke brought up a great point. And this would be something great for your show this week, from three into five. And you could talk to Luke about that it won’t be as easy as we make it out to be that Lamar is great. Simona want Lamar, look at what happened with Deshaun. Watson last year, everybody got all in that there will just be multiple suitors out there willing to give the ravens and attractive array of draft capital as well as a starting corner? Or, you know, a slot receiver or something that the Ravens would want? I don’t know this is gonna be fascinating, because the first thing that you said is he had played in the playoffs the last two years. So let’s who wherever you’re welcoming him, and if you’re in some god awful place like Atlanta, Carolina, being you know, after all Tampa has been through with Tom Brady, you bring in a Messiah who runs around and sells tickets, and it’s exciting. You know, I don’t know, I don’t I don’t know that he asked to bring a parade to Tampa. They just had one, right? So he needs to bring excitement that he you know, like, there’s a different level of why you would want Lamar Jackson, what you would be willing to give up from ownership through the general manager to the head coach that inherits him. Right that would say, I can win with him. I know I can win with him. The ravens are pretty convicted about being able to win with him so much so that they took five years of their lives. Five years of John Harbaugh’s career and five years of Eric Costas career and Aussies last pick and all of that Steve’s five years of his ownership where he probably began the five years thinking he wouldn’t own it. Five years later, he’s still here, and there was a played all of that’s baked into this, but they have to find somebody to dance for Lamar, and Luke brought up that that really difficult part of okay, Lamar, you’re free to negotiate. boozy negotiate. Is he on the phone with Stephen Ross? Hey, See flying down to Miami on a Learjet and hanging out and putting his feet up like LeBron and talking about where He’s taking his talents. I mean, I, there’s all that’s about to happen, right, if that’s gonna happen, right, right.
Dennis Koulatsos 10:11
8I think it’s gonna happen that Nestor I think he will negotiate with teams once he’s tagged. And because he’s his own, he is very much his own agent. And I think there’ll be a bidding war for services from some of these poverty franchises who just you just named, there’s pressure on the ownership to sell tickets, pressure on the head coach, to put Fannie’s in the seats, and to get some W’s. And let’s keep in mind, it’s a 53 man sport. And we also saw Patrick mahomes. And the Super Bowl right, aside from from Travis Kelce, who were his receivers, so we saw a generational talent. Clearly the best quarterback in the NFL elevate a group of no name receivers, Lamar Jackson has improved. He can do that. Right? He he knows Patrick mahomes is worth a half million dollars, but I’m not sure that the or 500 million duck or whatever the number was $500 million, but Lamar Jackson as much as the like the guy. He hasn’t proven he can do that. And the Ravens have enough they have an offensive line, they have a defense, they have coaching, they have special teams, they have a running game, they have the pieces that with adequate quarterback play and adequate passing offense. They can make some noise in the playoffs and continue to be a force in the AFC
Nestor Aparicio 11:22
adequate is that their car is that Tyler Hanna key? I mean, what’s adequate? I mean, the first question is what if it’s not if it’s not Lamar Jackson? Let’s hope it’s not Tyler Hundley. I mean, that’s not gonna thicker
Dennis Koulatsos 11:33
Tommy. I think he proved that in the playoffs. He’s not the guy so maybe you bring in a Taylor Hi Nikki while she CJ Stroud or somebody like that. Anthony Richardson. Whoever they draft Hi, gets ready. I’ll keep the chair warm for the first let’s call it eight games of the season. And if the ravens are playing 500 ball and you start to look in the air and he starts looking okay, they have a shot but but this is a team that never rebuilds this a team that retools and reloads, regardless who’s playing quarterback for them, they’re going to be competitive. They’re going to be competitive enough with all of that Lamar Jackson. That’s my feeling
Nestor Aparicio 12:05
that Escalade says here he will be there on your dial for three to five on Thursday and as well as Sunday morning from eight till noon on the Sunday Sports force you could find him out at the front of Baltimore positive you can also find him over coons for security Boulevard back in the game over there Presidents Day and stole as many cars as anybody on the line I don’t know how you’re doing it over there but I got the shirt rolling out here as well for for the rest of this for the Ravens the latest Campbell a piece obviously defensive coordinator was something they saw it last year that was the hiring of last year’s campaign that John now has this thing where he wants it Eric as it were, he wants it they have I would think if they’re thinking we won’t have Lamar that the draft becomes even more important right? Because now you’re looking for a quarterback right i mean and that would be the homework that’s really going on inside football out in the castle which is if they’ve made their mind up that there is no more Lamar Yep. Then it’s even more paramount that whatever they get back and draft capital that they’re ready to go pick football players eight weeks from now.
8Dennis Koulatsos 13:15
Yeah, they they have to and they have to get it right. That’s the other piece. I think they have about a 30% chance of getting it right. There’s also Baker Mayfield and let’s talk about names lurking in the background was who has a lot of success under tons Todd Monken in Cleveland right and they break myself always like Baker I don’t like his personality hopefully he’s grown up with a little bit but he’s he’s a free agent so I wouldn’t be surprised and and Baker can play good enough ball to get you into the playoffs particularly with it with a good offensive line running game. And a defense I wouldn’t be surprised if if they if they bring Baker in and maybe they don’t draft a quarterback.
Nestor Aparicio 13:53
Did you fall asleep on the game that night when he came back with the Rams? Are you watching that one?
Dennis Koulatsos 13:57
I was watching it I was I was actually rooting for the guy I thought it was a great story.
Nestor Aparicio 14:01
8Yeah so I mean I I think he’s a little bit of a punk you know and that a
Dennis Koulatsos 14:07
punch. But he’s a tough guy though. He he actually fits if you think about it. He actually fits Baltimore chip on his shoulder a little bit undersized
Nestor Aparicio 14:14
Trento for, you know would have more of a Yeah, he’s got Season One One. I mean, you know what he said with him?
Dennis Koulatsos 14:24
And the money with Baker I don’t know what’s that?
8Nestor Aparicio 14:27
I’ve seen a lot of issues in my life. Right? Like no, you whether it’s Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders. I think Jim Abbott. I mean, aside from everything with Jim Abbott like crazy, and I think about like that the guy that came in and played goalie from the stands and Carolina like, like things that have happened in legitimate sporting events that Eddie Goodell or anything circusy and not even Willis Reed or Lamar Jackson using the party and Cleveland coming back and winning. I’m talking again Delta and other franchises in NFL quarterback during a short week, and then coming in having never met your teammates and waiting game. I mean, like I like that’s still like,
Dennis Koulatsos 15:10
in the blowing, right? I mean, he really wasn’t there. He was throwing strikes, right? I mean, he didn’t even know the plays. They had to tell him what the plays were in the huddle. I thought that spoke volumes for his character in
Nestor Aparicio 15:20
his past the guy Yes, you always have that. And,
Dennis Koulatsos 15:23
8and he’s still a young quarterback there still and keep mine he does have a track record with mungkin his offense. It could be a fit call me crazy, but
Nestor Aparicio 15:32
it was drafted higher than Lamar askin.
Dennis Koulatsos 15:36
He’ll be quick to call you that. But what happens something right? Again, there’s there’s multiple scenarios that can play out. And maybe you keep this window open to be competitive, because unless you have the dude a quarterback, it doesn’t make sense of the place to franchise tag on him. And to extend that’s the other piece of it, you better be sure he’s going to be the real deal available, what you want to represent your franchise. It just goes on and on. There’s a big picture here, just more so than what the guy does on the field when he’s on the field.
Nestor Aparicio 16:03
Yeah, I was trying to figure out how much money he’s made versus Lamar. You know, now that all the incentives, but he got some commercial money and whatnot. But it is interesting, where they are in the pecking order. Baker Mayfield available free of charge, Lamar Jackson, I want three number ones, and you have to give him 200 million, and he might not be available in January might not be right. I mean, hasn’t been the last couple of years during the prime of his career. So it’s fascinating how the stones are valued in the guard.
8Dennis Koulatsos 16:35
This would suit Nestor, they they they sign him, right? They give him whatever two and a quarter guaranteed. They get and receivers, and the offense doesn’t improve. Because he still can’t make the throws outside the numbers because whatever. Now now you’re stuck. Now you’re stuck for a long, long time, which is why I just don’t see that guaranteed contract given up by the Baltimore Ravens. Maybe there’s another team, they’ll do it for him. But they won’t be the Ravens. We’ve said that you and I have said that they want?
Nestor Aparicio 17:00
Well, I think I read Steve shot his body language, although I didn’t get a chance to ask him questions. Speaking of ownership and poor ownership, any thoughts on John Angelos right now and the fact that he’s
Dennis Koulatsos 17:13
done, I saw him down in Florida talking to Brandon, hi, that’s, but still hasn’t opened up the book. So that’s, that’s been very telling. So I don’t know, I don’t know about you. But when I tell somebody, I’m gonna do something, I have a tendency to do it. 100% of the time. 99 100 100 If I tell you, I’m gonna jump off the roof. Tomorrow at noon, I’ll be up to a quarter of 12 of warming up flapping my wings, you know what I’m saying to you. So if you’re going to be transparent, if you’re going to offer that to the public to the media, you don’t follow through? What does that say about you?
Nestor Aparicio 17:41
8It says exactly what it says about you. speaks volumes, right? It’s really loud for being quiet.
Dennis Koulatsos 17:47
Yeah. So we’ll route for the team look forward to spring training and the Orioles and we’ll follow them and they’re up and coming and the young. But the investment, certainly the offseason investment that was promised hasn’t been there for me for us,
Nestor Aparicio 17:59
nor has the signature wet with ink on a long term lease to guarantee that the fan should be fully invested in.
Dennis Koulatsos 18:10
Wow, why not a one out of five years? You know what, why not a signature on a five year lease as they work on a longer lease. At least when I put the next five years to rest, versus you know what I’m saying to you?
8Nestor Aparicio 18:22
And how about whatever that vision is for what you’re asking for from the state of Maryland as you as you go forward? What what’s the vision? What what do you think that parking lot should be? How big should the casino be? You know what I mean? Like just basic questions like that. Yeah,
Dennis Koulatsos 18:37
sure. Look, I haven’t been in Nashville yet. Hopefully, we’ll go this year to watch the Ravens play. But I certainly don’t want to watch the Orioles play in Nashville as their home team. Yeah, I want to happen in my lifetime.
Nestor Aparicio 18:48
You know, I saw he was answering questions John Angelo’s this week. And I think it’s fascinating that asking for money asking for a deal negotiating and then somehow for the first time like ever coming out into the forefront and like trying to do proactive PR even not doing it well. Right. But trying to do what you and I do every day front for our business try to be right guys try to sell a car try to sell a sponsorship try to sell a concept. Like literally just be be a dude. You know, PPP a guy, right? Like literally, he’s trying and he’s out in front of it all of a sudden, right? Can you
Dennis Koulatsos 19:27
8imagine owning the Baltimore Orioles and being the face of the franchise and being up front and, and doing great things and being treated and how proud
Nestor Aparicio 19:35
you could be of it. Even if you lost you could still be proud of it.
Dennis Koulatsos 19:39
I told you as a as a Greek American, I was extremely proud when when Peter Angelos bought the Potro, the franchise, I thought was gonna do great things with it based on his track record as an attorney. I had no reason to think otherwise. I think he would use it as anybody that mortal Jr. uses it in San Francisco with the Niners just just Yeah, it’s it’s toy, right? Somebody can be proud of study cake. When a lot it not something he would just focus on making money off of.
Nestor Aparicio 20:05
He didn’t win a lot. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.
8Dennis Koulatsos 20:08
He made a lot of money off of it right. But to me the legacy won
Nestor Aparicio 20:11
a lot of battles. Yeah, but
Dennis Koulatsos 20:13
the legacy. What’s the legacy though? And to me, it’s all about the legacy. What are you leaving behind?
Nestor Aparicio 20:18
8You know, I once had a conversation with Steve shoddy, about Peter angelos, his legacy, like a long deep one. Gonna write about that one day. Dennis Kalonzo will be here he’ll be right in his book on Thursday for three of the five and again on Sunday morning from eight till then they tell him something about coons Baltimore for like a give me let me in on what’s going on Presidents Day this that volume deals how you trade in I’m hearing more than like trade ins are going back up again like that. For me, my wife to get rid of our jalopy. You’re gonna give us more money for
Dennis Koulatsos 20:50
Yeah, I went to a meeting, a Ford meeting actually in Florida. And when Jim Farley was there, the CEO of Ford and gave us a lot of great information. But for Presidents Day, weekend, week, and until the end of the month, we have 0% for 36 months. 2022 F 150. So somebody who was thinking about paying cash use for the money for 36 months at 0%. And that will you have an interest free loan, put your money in the bank right now, I believe most high yield savings account are given up like 4% money for the quarter. So you can make money on your money and use someone else’s money. That’s a big message right now. Mess. We have a lot of great finance deals on most of our products.
Nestor Aparicio 21:26
I’ll say this. I was in Texas last week. Okay. And, and I wish on the back roads of Florida as well. So Say what you will politically about the states wherever they are, and what they produce and what they mean. I drove from Tampa, to Orlando. And then I drove from Houston to Austin, I had never been anywhere near any of those places. Part of my deal is I want to see some new things right. So I saw more trucks and pickup trucks specifically in Texas. And more than that, and not trucks in Harford County, kind of right, I live in a town house and I have a big truck because I think it’s cool. But like legitimate farmers, legitimate people doing things of the earth of the soil of the land in general, that Ford would offer something like that, at this time would say to me, Hey, if you need a new one, and you’re doing work, this is a great you know, I mean, we have a lot of work with tools and do work and need a truck need a work truck, that this is a time to talk about that. But I saw it in Texas, it was just I got overrun by trucks and like what are all these people doing? I’m like, oh, everything spread out. That guy’s probably like chickens and pigs and he’s a farmer, you know, but I saw just so much of that. And it was obvious to me. You know,
Dennis Koulatsos 22:42
I have a friend who runs a huge Ford store in Austin. His name is Greg Kimball. Maxwell Ford. I’ll give them a shout out but he was just we were just talking about the truck market down here and they pump a lot of a lot of Ford trucks in that market. And Houston and Austin are two different cities, aren’t they?
8Nestor Aparicio 22:59
It’s unbelievable. It’s like it’s a and I’m a guy. Okay, so full experience plenty of time in Dallas. Plenty of time in Houston plenty 30 days in my life in both places. Maybe more. Right. Austin one night of my life in Austin. My brother lived there. 20 years ago when I went in for a Springsteen concert. saw very little wind up hanging out all night with Brian Baldinger Troy Aikman Jason Garrett before he was the coach of the cowboys and, and Kurt Manaphy, Menifee and balding. And we’re doing games together then just 20 years ago. So I’m at the Four Seasons and I saw nothing in Austin other than those Lofton and Gary W. Talent, right. I went back on a whim. Because Bruce was playing I knew it had been a growing place it was going to feel like a place I had never been in it did it didn’t feel anything, didn’t look smell anything like anything I remember 20 years ago at all. But more than that, like going to a place like that. And you can see what Baltimore could become and what great what places that that have infrastructure, have things going forward, have population going forward, have ideas going forward? obviously have a university going forward there and a state capitol and then a lot of lot oil money. That’s very obvious. But Austin, it was like not being in Texas. And I don’t even mean that as a productive thing. I just mean from what I know about San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and everything I’ve seen, they’re all looks the same. All three of those places look like the same city to me. And they look like Texas, there’s a highway. There’s a weird on ramp to every highway. That’s an access road. There’s a water burger. There’s all of that, right. There’s a Chick fil A did all the same stuff we got here, but it looks the same. You go to Austin, you would think you’re in Raleigh, North Carolina or you’d be in Portland, Oregon. It’s greener. It’s not as flat. It’s hilly. It looks different. The buildings look different than architect. Every part of it is different and I couldn’t get I couldn’t get over. I kept texting my wife i said i I’m blown away. So tell your friend give me a shout out again at your Ford dealership
Dennis Koulatsos 25:04
is it’s Maxwell Ford and his name is Greg Kimball, really, really good guy knows Earl Campbell. In fact that done some business with Earl, we struck up a conversation about the great Earl Campbell.
Nestor Aparicio 25:13
I’m wearing Euler blue and I’m taking a throwback, you know, I
Dennis Koulatsos 25:17
8gotta get her on the show for sure.
Nestor Aparicio 25:19
You know, I don’t buy much on eBay beyond my beyond my, the normal bell buckles I buy but I did a search big mistake. I went into vintage stores in Houston. Looking for some Oilers stuff. You know, despite this don’t look good. Give me something to do it. Am I really shopping if I see some for 50 bucks, maybe. But the idea it’s the it’s the journey, it gets me onto a road puts me into a coffee shop I wouldn’t find into a hat store whatever. And this Euler search Dennis, I hope I can show this to you. You see this Euler jacket here. I like it. See, I found this on eBay. And I’m thinking, I gotta have this right. I mean, you know, so I started shopping around but Austin, Texas. All I did was sit in the car. My back hurts because I drove so much go into places. You tell your buddy in Austin, I had the best. Tex Mex meal. All due respect to El Guapo. Any of our friends back to chi cheese at Taco Bell. All right. I had a meal. Dennis. That was a meal. I mean, like it was so unbelievably delicious. Now, where were you at? Okay, so I have a friend that lives down in in Austin. He’s a transplant from New Jersey. And everybody asked him why do you live there and like what’s down in Austin. The place is called enchiladas in mass. That’s enchiladas y ma s and she lives in moss. And it’s 2011 12 1314 Every year best Mexican and Austin, Texas Max all that. It is the most humble cafeteria. It’s on the north side. Austin. It’s on a regular road. It’s an irregular place. But if you’re from Austin, you know about it. And I know about it. When I googled it saw it had 4700 reviews and 4.6 stars and everybody it’s simple man. You asked me what it was. I got fajitas they were chicken and beef and green green peppers and onions. I got beans. They were just beans and they had rice was just rice. It had cheese on it. I had guacamole was walking moly. I had shells and wraps. Every I had a Coors Light. I didn’t even get Guccio in the beer. I don’t even mess meals I’ve had and it was 20 bucks.
Dennis Koulatsos 27:39
And you know what the funny thing is? It’s hard for that type of food to stand out. So the fact that you have an outstanding Tex Mex meal says a lot because a lot of it’s the tastes the same no matter where you go. Yeah. It wasn’t different than when it stands out. Especially for 20 bucks. That’s a homerun.
Nestor Aparicio 27:57
This is a you know, like my buddy holier runs Tommy’s Mexican, like love it it’s incredible. Get the get the shrimp Veracruz it’ll blow your mind. But this was unexpected. You know, I thought I was getting barbecue and this and that. And I’m like I said to Jen, I brought her home some barbecue. I spent 100 bucks brought home ribs brought home a crown with the whole deal. Delicious. We’ve been eating at the last three days. Nice. And I said to her, Austin, Texas. Underrated. Don’t tell anybody. I’ll never go to Dallas or Houston again.
8Dennis Koulatsos 28:27
There you go to make food in Dallas and Houston to both great cities.
Nestor Aparicio 28:29
I had a good time in Houston. And you know, one of the things I’ve been doing and you’ll appreciate this from the sports from the sports heart right? In my youth and back when we were both kids in Essex and Dundalk running around Cydonia in the Colgate Mall. Or COVID eastpoint mall the whole deal. I used to dream of what the Omni would look like because of the wrestling matches in Georgia Championship Wrestling or whatever it was. It was it was octagon that it was a weird building. I went there one time I went for college basketball. I saw March Madness I saw a four games there. One day Alabama played with when Sanderson in the in the suit on this it was a you know holding the roll tide rolled all deal. So I had beautiful experiences in these older buildings. But since they put up newer buildings in places, I went to the Houston summit 30 years ago were famously a Kenyan a dream Clyde Drexler. But more than that Cherny had that MTV Video was at the Houston summit with Steve Perry. It’s legendary, right? So I’ve been there, but I had never been to the Toyota Center even though I’ve been to a couple Super Bowls, and it’s been there and there have been rockets, games and pink concerts and whatever. And in the back in the day, Casey will have to re I have pictures of them at the pink concert. Yeah, I didn’t go. So I’d never been in that building. I went to Atlanta for the Super Bowl a couple years ago, never went in the building there. There’s a statue of Dominique Wilkins outside. I took a picture with the statue. I don’t know if there’s a Spud Webb statue, but there should be so I but I never Been in the building and this Springsteen tour. I’ve had a chance to go into a couple of really Gucci basketball gyms. You know what I mean? Like they’re clearly built for basketball. I mean, the one in Austin, Texas is a college gym. Yeah, a little different, moody Center and the people that are redoing the Baltimore arena, the CFG Bank Arena did that one. And in Houston, the Toyota Center, a little older, Atlanta that State Farm arena little, but they have like loveseat balconies and like a different it doesn’t look like the Staples Center, and it doesn’t look like the DC building or the they they look different. And so I’ve checked out new buildings, too. So food, buildings, Springsteen, fam, how
Dennis Koulatsos 30:45
was it? How was how was the concert because I know he’d come into m&t Bank Stadium, you recommend the other show?
Nestor Aparicio 30:52
8Well, here’s the deal. When you see somebody like Bruce, and you’ve been seeing him your whole life, you’re always waiting for him to slow down kind of like Tom Brady, right? We were all waiting for Tom Brady to like, slow down a little bit. And it wouldn’t be as good as it once was. And we’ve all seen Rockstar slow down. I mean, you choose about the tour without their drummer, right? Like, because he can’t physically play right now. And they need to go make money apparently. But seeing Bruce right now, it’s still as good as it’s ever been as good as it can be. It’s 73. Now he’s not crowd surfing. He’s playing two hours, 75 minutes, right? But he is going out to the crowd or 10th Avenue freeze out. He’s not doing knee dives anymore, any of that kind of stuff. I mean, he’s in it for the long haul. And now how about this, this is, this would be the best thing I can say about Bruce because I’m about to go on RESPA. And I might not talk too much about it until we see him again in April. He shows up here. He was better. The fourth time than the first time. I’ve seen the show four times. Twice the first week, twice a second week. I would say this. He was he’s getting better. And we can all hope to just be getting better. Right? We’re all getting better. You’re getting better recruits Baltimore Ford. I know you’re right. I would like
Dennis Koulatsos 32:03
to think so. Look, we just saw boys, two men. They’ve been together for 31 years and they were better than ever. And so I do appreciate that when artists are still climbing. Still getting better. We saw the Eagles a couple of years ago. Same thing. Glad I saw a bunch of guys in the mid 70s that are iconic. So I appreciate that. And I will I’ll get my Bruce Springsteen tickets thanks to you.
Nestor Aparicio 32:23
Well, here’s what I’m going to say about Bruce and this is interesting for football. Okay, so if you have Peyton Lamar changing the offense, right? Yep. Peyton Manning at 38. You’re doing things for Peyton Manning that you’re not doing a Peyton Manning at 28. Right. And with Bruce, he’s brought the brass and the singers right. So just for background singers, and a brass foursome to go along with Jay Clemens guys have been getting COVID Nils Lofgren at COVID. In Houston J Clemens, there was no sax player. And Thursday night in Austin Ed Mannion came down they played two songs without a sax that they always play Saxon right so things have cheap Bruce’s you know, he’s he’s audibly right through this. But more than that, this brass that he’s brought out, create sections that have to be done now he does kiddies back every night. He’s doing a whole brass thing a Marvin Gaye sort of Motown thing that he’s doing that, that he’s excited about. So you should be excited about it too. Because you even if you’ve seen Bruce 1000 times you haven’t seen Bruce sing Marvin songs and and do that sort of thing. He’s got a couple of new songs. But if you want to see the girl next to me kept saying in Austin, is he gonna play born Ron? Is he? I said sweetie, he’s gonna play Born to Run glory days 10th Avenue Rosalina you’re gonna be here dancing on your seat. You’re gonna leave here in a cold
Dennis Koulatsos 33:42
sweat. And she’s awesome to there. Yeah, well, you know what, at 73 You know way, they’re not getting any younger. So these letters if I get a chance to CMS, I’m all in I’m gonna go.
Nestor Aparicio 33:51
In the eternal words of Bruce Springsteen. It’s a town full of losers and we’re pulling out of here to win. The lotto is joined to see every Thursday he does his own thing every three to five. It shows better than mine when I’m on and I’m better than I usually am because we’re better guest host. He’s also here on Sundays from eight until noon. You can find him out at Coons, Baltimore Ford as well as the front of Baltimore positive and and I put the APB out to Luke even though I’m a little down for a few days that the coons for wn St. textra was alive and well. For any maneuverings of the Orioles or the Ravens or certainly whatever is going to happen. Lamar Jackson will happen first on the wn S T tech service. I am Esther he is Dennis we are wn st am 1570, Towson, Baltimore. And we never stopped talking about Lamar Jackson and Baltimore positive stay with us.
