Why can’t Ravens just stick to the running game?

Leonard Raskin and Nestor discuss more cold, offensive offense in Ravens murky playoff future with Falcons coming to town for a Christmas Eve chiller.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

game, play, argentina, watch, week, messi, bengals, ball, run, people, throwing, celebrating, year, football, o’clock, atlanta, teams, ravens, holiday, falcons

SPEAKERS

Leonard Raskin, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

W n s t Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive you’re positively into the holiday week. Happy Holidays everybody out there celebrating Hanukkah Kwanzaa, Christmas Christmas Eve. Falcons coming to town whatever you’re celebrating here this week. We appreciate you the Maryland crab cake talk. A little bit of a rest but we had such a great great 31st anniversary last week over cost this I had a bowl a half and half and we’ll clam chowder Hello Greek salad. Jeans shock I had my crab cakes stolen by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer from Dundalk letter Raskin is back from the beach. He’s getting ready for the holidays, watching bad football, good football bowl gaming, where there’s Ohio State, at least you have a chance for a national champion. It’s slim, right but you got Ohio State going on? Let her ask

8

Leonard Raskin  00:45

hey, you never know man. It’s just it just takes 60 minutes to take out Georgia which is gonna be hard to do but anything’s possible where they say any given Saturday, I guess they say and so the buckeyes will be heading to the Peach Bowl and trying to take out the vaunted Georgia Bulldogs who are repeat champion trying to get to the repeat championship.

Nestor Aparicio  01:11

You’re making your way to Atlanta for this right? What is this game?

Leonard Raskin  01:13

New Year’s Eve? Eight o’clock?

Nestor Aparicio  01:16

8

Okay. All right.

Leonard Raskin  01:17

So it’s a way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with either a big win. A couple of years ago we celebrated I think it was New Year’s the night before or New Year’s Eve. I don’t remember when they beat Clemson it was quite the celebration in the Raskin family that was the boys freshman year and then they lost to Bama and this year we got to fight Georgia so

Nestor Aparicio  01:40

other options for college or was he going to Ohio State the whole time?

Leonard Raskin  01:42

Oh no, no lots of choices. Lots of cases he applied he applied to 11 schools

8

Nestor Aparicio  01:48

so what was second and third folks I’m just trying to pick it’s really crazy. What you what gear you would have been wearing because nothing real purpose you offering Ohio State Right? Like literally

Leonard Raskin  02:00

nothing just a boy. Boy choice. Gettysburg. That wouldn’t have been as much fun go ahead now no third was University of Toronto. I would have been a good time but there would have been a good time but no no no teams no nothing. Just you know, he loved the college he loved the university. It’s a darn good thing he didn’t go there because COVID would have been a mess in the first year up in Toronto he might not have been able to get in if he got any might not have been able to get out it would have been crazy and and fourth on the list was Wisconsin. So yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  02:31

you don’t want to do I mean I’ve been to Camp Randall they sway they do all the work it all they jump around, jump around jump around it between Madison and Columbus you’re getting a very similar message a smaller college Columbus is a real city but like

Leonard Raskin  02:46

8

right but he picked Ohio State he’s happy he’s loving it just finished semester number five he’s he’s got another football semester coming right

Nestor Aparicio  02:57

like it’s this is this is fun for dad. All right, you know we see you as like Thor.

Leonard Raskin  03:03

Right, right. I

Nestor Aparicio  03:04

see right?

8

Leonard Raskin  03:05

I’m telling him dude, I can do the triple Lindy.

Nestor Aparicio  03:08

I do not want to see Leonard. Listen, I don’t know here’s two things I never I never want to see Tyler Huntley throwing the James Brochet and I certainly never want to see James prosze Throwing anymore and I don’t want to see you do the triple Lindy Yeah, all right, but right to bring this thing to the Ravens world and you’re gonna give us some financial advice. Yes for the holidays.

Leonard Raskin  03:30

Probably. A Tyler Huntley $250 million

Nestor Aparicio  03:34

8

whatever it is, but that speaking of Ohio, I mean didn’t go so well the other day that this that the ravens are regressing right now, right. I’m

Leonard Raskin  03:42

confused. Okay. I’m really confused. Like we’ve talked about this over and over again that my experience in football is fandom okay, I’ve never been a coach I played as a kid but only till high school and I didn’t play technically you know, official ball in high school. So I’m not the the knowing sage like these people on the internet that say, John Harbaugh and Greg Roman need to be fired. That’s That’s not me. But But I am wise enough to know that Tyler Huntley should not have been throwing the ball 30 times in a game where JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards were torching the Browns frontline. I just don’t understand this lack of desire to continue to run they say Well, everybody knows you want to run and everybody’s trying to stop the run. So you got to pass and my answer is everybody knows you’re gonna run they got to stop the run. And when they’re last in the league against the run you run till they stop the run. And I mean, I watched Army Navy it wasn’t a pretty game but guess what? Navy through one pass the whole game

Nestor Aparicio  04:44

will stopping the run is also one of those things where it’s like because it worked in the first quarter doesn’t mean it works in the third quarter. And because it worked in the last play that’s why you change plays that’s

Leonard Raskin  04:54

what I get it I get an occasional passes. Fine, I get it. But but this is this was ridic Willis tie. Tyler Huntley need to hand that ball off way more than he did. Why was he passing the ball? 30 times? He’s not Tom Brady. Tom Brady throws the ball 50 times 30 times that JK Dobbins. What do you have 120 yards and he only ran a third of the game. What? What is going on here? I don’t understand. I do understand passing the ball you have to pass the ball. You got to Andrews you got du Vernay you got crochet. Okay, fine. But but you’re talking about your backup quarterback. He he’s got a decent arm. Okay, great. A couple throws here and there. But he’s got to not try to jam the ball into places it doesn’t belong. And it just baffles my mind that they didn’t run more Dobbins just was eating him up Gus was eating him up even even Justice Hill was was running through the holes like it was a Mack truck in there. I just don’t understand not running the ball more. It boggles my mind and and what’s really interesting is these people that that say Lamar shouldn’t get paid because of the result of Saturday’s game. I’m thinking wait a minute. He didn’t play in the game. If anything that tells you why you need him more. It it blows me away. People want everybody gone. They want the whole coaching tree they want Eric They want hardball they want Rome

8

Nestor Aparicio  06:25

and that’s what happens. You lose your nine and five, right or nine and five, not the

Leonard Raskin  06:29

Texans who by the way, took the Cowboys to alas second and took the the chiefs to overtime on the weekend and play like a real football team. And we had we had a house full of people on on Saturday for the game. And I had to remind people I mean, I’m reminding people that the Browns are a professional team and do get paid to play football. Although they would say

Nestor Aparicio  06:55

this this time of year right and maybe you can even take this to finance that you trip to the finish line or you sprint to the finish line right wherever you are. And I I’m a traditional sprinter at the end of the year. I don’t have a big family. My wife saw that man and say My wife loves coming in for Christmas. So we’re gonna make a little bit of time and have a little family time but this time of year I’m sprinting to the finish day I see these teams or and certainly players right like Zach Wilson’s coming back in and a playoff situation and can win a game and doesn’t right you see the Patriots throwing the ball around doing everything Bill Belichick telling them not to do. But then you see teams like the lions, you see the Jaguars becoming the dregs of the league, right perennially and all of a sudden they’re getting on winning streaks. They’re starting to play well. I think you’re seeing the Bengals start to show why they were the defending AFC champs this week. You’re starting to see some some fight and delete the 40 Niners they’re a third quarterback right like and they’re still like I don’t know if

Leonard Raskin  07:52

8

they Mr. Irrelevant

Nestor Aparicio  07:57

my mom used to say that about every Christmas Yeah, that’s pretty. Letter Rascon is here from Rascon global I would just say this to you that there is a part for me. Where the sprinting to the finish line for all of these guys and for the Ravens right now. Coleus Campbell marks Peters Yeah, not good. The injury part of this will be as big a story for this team missing Lamar missing Ronnie Stanley for long periods of missing Dobbins for long periods of time. Obviously, we’ve written off Bateman, right? Like he’s not around, we don’t have a number one receiver, this offense is really struggling because he doesn’t have enough talent.

Leonard Raskin  08:32

I agree. And, and that is first and foremost, the issue and then you got to play with the pieces you have. And I just don’t think necessarily they’re playing to the strength of the pieces they have. So you put all that together, but But you’re right. When is the last time they had everybody starters on the field for a game?

Nestor Aparicio  08:56

Well, they had them ready. Washington commander’s game a year and a half ago. Right right you know, at the beginning of the year and you know, Stanley went down in the first game in Vegas. Absolutely. So like, once he goes down to me, China Super Bowl contender was world like I just I’ve sent them all along. They didn’t look like a Super Bowl contender at all last year. And they don’t look the part when he’s not right. He’s in there now and I’ve said this to Luke like if they stumble and fall and beat the Falcon 17 to 14 on Saturday have to for the holiday week after and a couple things go wrong jets lose. They they then are a playoff team right Luke and I talked about the while they’re gonna have to go hard beat the Steelers and then they can beat the Bengals and then they’ll win the division. I watched the possible

8

Leonard Raskin  09:44

way it’s possible. Look, the Bengals Bengals played a horrible first half. The Buccaneers defense locked him down found a way to lock them down. And then they just look we all know you got to possess the football and What the heck happened in the third quarter to Brady and the Bucs, they, they only turn the ball over on four straight possessions and it’s not hard to win. Well maybe it would be hard for the Ravens but for the Bengals It wasn’t hard to win when you started on the 30 or 20 yard line four times. Four touchdowns were fairly easy in that regard. So they’re beatable. They’re stoppable. Watch that Bucs tape and see how they shut down the offense because they did it for a half with no problem. Now you want to see crazy look, you and I you more technically than me, but we’ve been watching football long time my friend. Did you watch or see the end of the Raiders Patriots game? Yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  10:43

I mean, in the end, right like was that

Leonard Raskin  10:47

the craziest weirdest play you’ve you’ve seen?

Nestor Aparicio  10:50

8

There’s a feeling to me that the kid was through the football must have thought they were losing in the game. And the game had to had to was a desperation kind of play that says

Leonard Raskin  11:01

the band is on the field. The band is on the field. How do you throw that thing? Just take a knee go to overtime? That was hysterical. And if I hadn’t seen it, I would. They were talking about it on a broadcast and I couldn’t understand what they were saying happened. They said the Patriots do a 25 yard backwards pass that that the Raiders caught and scored. I’m like why will

Nestor Aparicio  11:26

full disclosure for me is I turned red zone off the floor. Okay, we’ll get back to where we got to do World Cup because I haven’t done enough work you and I gonna do Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. But like I had a whole Sunday day really. I worked all morning I wrote I’m working on my colonists for this week working on holiday plans. We’re gonna do a lot of best stuff this week. You’re gonna hear some stuff that’s never been on earth before then if then the the soccer match starts and it winds up being the most compelling three hours of sport. You know, that maybe I’ve ever witnessed but certainly, it’s a memorable, it was a memorable Cup final and the most memorable way ever, right? So there’s that then the one o’clock games come on, and I zone. And then at four o’clock, I switched at a red zone just to keep my eye on the Bengals. And I really wasn’t interested in the other day. I had no dollar game for anything. Exactly. My wife text me and she said, Did you see the end of the Patriot game? Because she’s in New England. So I guess that’s right. She got on. There you go. And I’m like, No, it’s 10 After seven and the Bengals are in a game like Um, no, I, you know, she she tries to text it to me. And as she’s texting it to me, they cut away from the Bengals game and showed it. And I’m like, what is that? Because out of context, I wasn’t watching the game. And I’m thinking to myself, this is like a pitcher that comes off the mound when he thinks he’s got three strikes or four by like literally, you think the plays over? You think you have three outs?

Leonard Raskin  12:55

Throw the ball in the stance. Right. Right. It was It was unbelievable. But to your to your other conversation. I’ll tell you what, so so let’s get our bearings here on soccer. Okay, I am not a soccer fan. I know this about you. I don’t enjoy it. I don’t even like it. I don’t watch it.

8

Nestor Aparicio  13:19

I did a soccer match. Have you ever gone?

Leonard Raskin  13:22

I have not. I have not okay. I have no, I did not even watch one minute of the US playing the World Cup. Okay. But here’s what I do. Because I’m not an NBA fan to level set things either. But if it’s a clinching game seven of the NBA Finals, I’ll turn it on just because I’m a sports nut. So I’ll do that. So I felt it was incumbent upon me to watch the final of the World Cup. I know what’s at stake, I want to watch it. I want to see one nothing. Horrible, boring, miserable soccer. And I gotta tell you, it was amazing. It was it was compelling. It was enjoyable. What was what struck me as most enjoyable was that these guys weren’t just kicking around a ball and running. I mean, the these teams had plays, they had plans, they had designs on what they wanted to do. And there was excited and incredibly technical

Nestor Aparicio  14:19

game wants you to watch the symmetry of lines moving forward and back. There is a strategic part of it. That’s very true, actually. And, and my 54 year old eyes watching it for a month, you know, all day for a month. I see it better and more like not in a way that Pete Kurinji sees it, but in a way that I’ve always respected it right like you go back to 2002 I was throwing parties that if you Dan and Fells Point, it’s four o’clock in the morning for the next year. Like I have memories with the sport. I flew to Germany, in the town where my wife’s the man who saved my wife’s life. doorman. He’s from that town. Yeah, we’re in his town. He was a 12 year old boy parking cars that day. So like, I have a an association and having been there. I have opted twice. I haven’t had chance to see Messi play in person. Yeah. And I haven’t. I could have seen him play in the Oh, six World Cup by getting an Argentina ticket. I didn’t Sure. But he played a friendly against Brazil. Argentina played Brazil on 100 degree day at MetLife. Stadium. I want to say it was in about 15 or 16. It was like my wife was not well enough to have that kind of day, but well enough to be okay. I could have gone yeah. And I and Steve Gorman from the Black Crowes my buddy was going and we were going to and I just didn’t feel like doing you know, six hours in the car. I it was $100 to get in or hundredweight didn’t matter. But I wanted to see Messi play and in that environment Argentina Brazil and New York would have been a me I didn’t go Messi score three goals that there you go in the French so I didn’t go I didn’t go. Well. It was slayed any in Houston against the United States. Argentina played the US and in Houston, everline Stadium. My cousin lives down there. I like Houston enough to go down for Dallas. So I was gonna think about going and I didn’t go I just didn’t go. I didn’t go and so I haven’t seen Messi play right. He might play Miami. They’re gonna pay him 20 million to play. Yeah,

Leonard Raskin  16:26

8

right. Or whatever. Right? So

Nestor Aparicio  16:30

so this is for me, I want to see I want to touch greatness. Like every will I get it?

Leonard Raskin  16:34

I get it. Look, I say to people all the time. And a lot of people don’t understand this. But as a season ticket holder for the Washington Capitals for years and years and years. People don’t don’t understand what it’s like to watch Ovechkin on the ice. The dude is amazing. And it’s the same thing. You got to watch greatness. It’d been able to see Michael Jordan in his heyday being able to see Tiger Woods, strike that golf ball there. It’s amazing to watch these guys that have that level of talent. It’s just over the top and watching Messi and embody a play. And watch it what these guys can do with that soccer ball is just stunning. And I think underrated in that game. Not missed by everybody. But certainly a lot of people was the the what was it? 180/9 minute, I don’t know what it was the the save that the goalie for Argentina made when that dude was streaking in and he stuck his foot out and made a incredible save that probably undoubtedly gave Argentina the chance to win in a shootout they wouldn’t have had and it was remarkable

Nestor Aparicio  17:38

that you you spent like six weeks running around Europe. Have you ever been to Argentina?

8

Leonard Raskin  17:43

No, I haven’t been to South America yet. to South America. My

Nestor Aparicio  17:47

people are from Come on. Well, you

Leonard Raskin  17:49

gotta take me we got to you got to take me on a tour.

Nestor Aparicio  17:51

8

Well, I would say this The thing I love rock and roll, right. And I like to say, you know, I like football too. And I didn’t go to America, in Brazil, but I’ve been in the National Stadium in Brazil and Sao Paulo seeing you too. I’ve been in the river plot day, which is if you go back to Argentina and and seeing Madonna playing the river plot so the stones play there. All I remember about the stone show that night is there was a riot outside. Because it’s agency you know, right right. But but the it rain sideways and you know the stones always play a couple songs on that other stage. And they walk out the platform and the stadium show and Keith Richards is playing happy in the blinding rain, pouring rain in Argentina. And there’s 100,000 people and he’s alluded to this you can go see him talk about this. They sing rikshaw Reshad they sing his name Olay. Shah reshot so that’s Keith Richards when you spend four or five days in Argentina and you see how important soccer is the Rolling Stones are the tongue is ubiquitous the origin is it really is not just a rock and roll thing but like look at Google it up. Yeah. That you have an appreciation but here’s a guy scores a goal 30 minutes into the game and he sobbing out on Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Like there’s a different level. See a wide receiver score, touchdown in the Super Bowl and cry. No, you just don’t see it. The emotion.

Leonard Raskin  19:25

The emotion of the wind was incredible. was just incredible. And it was it was compelling, compelling sports, and that’s what we all love. We love watching a contest where there is a winner and a loser. And both are in tears. And it’s amazing and and incredible. And I thought Argentina won that game three times. And they want it once today. Your exact oh my goodness looking at the faces of those guys when when France came back. Oh, and tied in almost

Nestor Aparicio  20:03

one in extras as you

Leonard Raskin  20:07

Oh yeah. And looking at their faces like you said they were just distraught and then to pull it out was was an unreal feat.

8

Nestor Aparicio  20:19

Cry messy just looks so friggin relieved.

Leonard Raskin  20:22

Oh, right like that 8000 pound gorilla climbed off. Yeah, absolutely

Nestor Aparicio  20:27

man.

Leonard Raskin  20:29

8

I’ve heard I’ve heard Mara, Dona and I didn’t realize how long that shadow is. But like you say in a country where that’s the thing. It’s amazing. Now, the other thing I really enjoyed I gotta say the other thing I really enjoyed was I don’t know who the guy is. You’ll know who he is. On the commercial for whatever potato chips it is with Peyton Manning discussing whether it should be called soccer football David Beckham, David Beckham right. Bend It Like Beckham one of the most famous men in the world, but that’s okay. That’s because he’s a soccer player.

Nestor Aparicio  21:00

Because he married a famous woman.

Leonard Raskin  21:01

He married that that. What’s your name? The spice the Spice Girl. Right. Let’s see. I should know that but anyway, but that commercial is hysterical. I still say Peyton Manning has some of the best comedic timing there is he?

Nestor Aparicio  21:14

Well, yeah, I mean, if you’re gonna hire somebody hire him. If you’re gonna hire somebody to handle your money, keep a good eye on you and your family. Let her ask it’s my pallies Rascon global I got the shirt on. You can find them at Rascon global.com Happy Holidays to you and your family man it you we will talk some more hockey Ovechkin did a big thing. We got the Falcons next week. Steelers week right and then after that the bangles and we’ll cross

8

Leonard Raskin  21:37

flex. Bengals are New Year’s Day. Is that right? No Steelers are New Year’s?

Nestor Aparicio  21:42

New Year’s Day right? So there’ll be flex because they’ll probably play at night if it mattered for

Leonard Raskin  21:46

the Oh, it’ll be the Division I imagine. You can only bet you gotta beat Steelers in order to make that happen. You gotta beat the Steelers you gotta beat the Falcons get Lamar back out on

Nestor Aparicio  21:55

8

the field. Leave Greg Roman alone and let them bake the cake is what I say here. Yeah. Hey,

Leonard Raskin  21:59

you know you deal with it. Deal with the coaches in the offseason. You’re not going to help. You’re not going to cut them now. Get them healthy. Gotta

Nestor Aparicio  22:05

get class Campbell on the field. Also, Marcus Peters letter, a beautiful holiday man. I hope you go down to Atlanta. I wish I had some great hotspots in Atlanta. They were family oriented, but none of them I know. Not family oriented, not Atlanta. But I mean, there’s a great aquarium,

Leonard Raskin  22:20

I have friends, I have friends there, it’s not a problem. We’re going to connect on New Year’s Eve day. The first game is at I think four o’clock, so we’ll be finding somewhere close to the stadium to watch the team up north against TCU that’s the four o’clock game and then we’ll be watching the buckeyes and the dogs at eight o’clock and we’ll either be partying into midnight or sobbing in our pillows one or the other.

Nestor Aparicio  22:48

Get some soul food while you’re down there. All right. Oh yeah, let’s do it. Oh, yeah. What do ask him in his mind he’s headed to Atlanta. Oh Atlanta is little feet one saying for a Peach Bowl activities. I am headed to have some Greatest Hits and some some cool stuff. We had an incredible crabcake tour stop last week with our friends. Over Dundalk. All my Dundalk friends rock and roll friends came out we had Dan Rodricks two weeks ago to celebrate in Baltimore. And we are shipping crabcakes all over the world all of our sponsors fade these constants Pappas Conrad’s ordering from all of our places, shipping they’re all different, I promise you, and they’re all delicious as well. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa Happy New Year to everyone celebrating on Nesta. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. We never stop talking Baltimore. Positive during the holidays.