Speaker 1: You can you can you name me a ram? You hate?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 3: Roman Gabriel?
Speaker 1: You really hate Roman Gabriel. What do to you kidding?
I don't know, I don't I was not prepared for
Roman Gabriel hate you weren't? Were you all right? I'm sure?
I'm sure our next guest is like, what the hell
have I just signed myself up?
Speaker 2: Sorry?
Speaker 1: Apologies in advance, Kurt said of all ABC seven on
The Bad Tapa Show, Ross, Kurt, how are you thanks
for joining us?
Speaker 2: Roman Gabriel? Come on, man.
Speaker 1: Okay, since you since you've been in l A all
your life, who is your least favorite Ram? We won't
tell anybody, I swear to God, It'll be just between us.
Speaker 2: I don't have a least favorite Ram. You know I
have a least favorite Dodger. We could talk Dodgers astros.
That would bring out the hate, right.
Speaker 1: Oh well, you know what we'll call you in October?
Speaker 2: Don't you?
Speaker 1: Don't you think what we won't be calling you for?
Speaker 2: That?
Speaker 1: I would love it is with ABC seven Eye Witness News.
I watched that channel all the time, and I'm out
there with the Lakers and the Clippers. Bollway real quick
before we get to the Rams. How is the split
among fan base Chargers to Rams in Los Angeles with
both teams being there within the last decade.
Speaker 2: I would say eight to one Rams. It really is
a lot of it stems from the Roman Gabriel days.
You know the fact that the Rams were here before.
For one, right and two, Southern California has a love
hate relationship with San Diego. They consider them little brother
and you know, the Chargers are our People still think
it's San Diego's team, so San Diego doesn't ever since
they moved. You know, Dean Spanos is a horrible, you know,
four letter word, the owner of the Chargers. But I'll
tell you, with Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, that team's going
to be pretty darn good this year. So that's that's
the best marketing tool, as you guys will know.
Speaker 1: So you as a long time sports reporter there, you
have to cover a variety of professional teams. You've got Clippers, Lakers,
You've got Ram. I mean, you as a station have
to decide what people care about, right, I mean, you're
you're you're not really frankly giving it all equal treatment,
are you?
Speaker 2: No? Not at all? And in fact, it's it's really
a unique situation. I've been here at KBC twenty six years.
I spent four years in San Diego. I'm from Denver.
Actually worked for the Broncos, and that's probably more similar
to Houston or Dallas. You know, it's it's if the
Cowboys or the Broncos by a file cabinet. It's front
page news right out here. It's really a Laker town,
really Dodger town. Right now there as the world champions
and the sky is falling right now, and then it's Lakers,
and then you could say Rams are third, USC three A,
and then everybody else, you know, every every team has
its die Hard, but that's kind of the Big Three.
Speaker 1: You're not leading with Anaheim money Ducks highlights of what
you're trying to tell me that basically.
Speaker 2: But when they went to the when they went to
the you know, a Stanley Cup. Everybody loved the duck
with that two thousand and five.
Speaker 1: So you're asking me, I have a note on the
bound Lee. If you said, Kurt, if you said I'll
give you one thousand dollars for every duck, I couldn't
I give you Donald Daffie To be about as far
as we go, I couldn't name you a duck. All right,
let's get to the rams. There has been one storyline,
period into story for this entire training camp, and that
has been Matthew Stafford's back. How is it right now
in your in your best estimation?
Speaker 2: Well, my best estimation is it's it's doable. I mean,
he slings it at practice, he looks good, but when
you watch him stretching, he's the one guy who's not
going to get on the ground. So when he gets
hit to the ground, what's that going to entail? That's
the elephant in the room. Anybody with a bad back knows,
you know, he's it's tough. It can It's a very
iffy situation at best. That being said, Man, the dude's
not to be cliche. He is as tough as nails.
He is. He's dealt with injuries his whole life. He's
been sacked, you know, going back to the Detroit Days,
over five hundred times in his career. But he's he's
a coach on the field. He is the most cerebral
player I have ever met. I mean, he's right there
with Peyton Manning in terms of cerebral knowledge. Of the
game and quarterback on the field. But man, that is
such the elephant in the room. What will it be
when he gets hit and hit hard?
Speaker 3: What about Davante Adams, How has he looked and how
do you think he fits in as getting a little
bit older. We know how great he has been in
the past, but age thirty two can be a tricky
season for wide receivers.
Speaker 2: No question, I will say he has looked sensational and
so you kind of go back to, you know, the
timing and the connection with quarterback and wide receiver, and
they were, you know, it was like a passing league
in the offseason. And both those two guys are eight leaders,
incredibly cerebral, really smart read defense as well. And Davonte
when they scrimmaged the Cowboys, man, it was it was
jaw dropping. How good he looked. You put him in
a Sean McVay system. I think he's you know, if
you haven't had your fantasy draft pick, you know draft yet,
I would highly go all in on Davonte Adams. I
think he's going to have a really big year. You
match him with Puka Nakua and this wide receiver corps
and a good offensive line if Stafford stays healthy. It's
this is a team that you know, won the Super
Bowl a few years ago and that season was the
last year that they saw the Texans, right back in
October in Houston, and this team offensively is better than
that team on paper. Will they do it? We'll see.
Obviously they lose a great leader in Cooper Cup. But
Davonte is my goodness, guys, I mean, former basketball player
in high school. He can still get up, he's still
reads routes, he's she looks incredible. But you know they
haven't hit anybody yet, right, So it's you say that
with an asterisk.
Speaker 3: Kurt Santoval ABC seven in Los Angeles with us here
on Sports Talk seven ninety, Well, can you tell us
about Nick Kyley? What was he thought of over there
in LA? What do we expect and do you think
there's any sort of advantage gained on either side with
the familiarity of Nick Keley and his offense and what
he wants to do, and with his familiarity with the Rams.
Speaker 2: Boy, That's that's a million dollar question. You know. Sean
alluded to that yesterday that this is the one week
right that there's no you kind of know what guys
are going to do, but you kind of don't. And
I think that's going to be a big thing that's
going to play out along that exact same line, you
know out here, a small pivot. CJ. Stroud from Rancho
Cucamonga just personally, I think the world of him as
a human being for what he did. You guys, I've
never even talked to him. I've seen him at Laker games,
but you know, the coordinators on both sides are saying,
you know, we need to play rules football, we need
to play rules football. That to me is the wild
card in this game Sunday. You know, you talk about
coordinators and teams knowing each other, they know the inside.
But Sean McVay is really, really, really good in opening games.
This is his ninth season. He's eight and eighty six
and two in his eight games. His two losses. One
was the year after they won the Super Bowl, came
out flat against the Bills. The other loss was last
year in Detroit in just a fabulous game. So I
think it's a little bit of hide and go seek.
It would be. To answer your question, Kurt.
Speaker 1: The number one concern for the Texans going in and
it's going to be this way the entire season. Is
the offensive line. The Rams have a very stout defensive
three fourths assessment. How good are they going to be
this week? How good are they going to be this year?
And are they going to be good enough? Ultimately? I
think the NFC is wide open.
Speaker 2: I really do.
Speaker 1: Is it just about keeping Stafford healthy? Is it about
the defense performance to expectations? I think a lot of
people are very nervous around here whether this defensive front
is going to cause CJ in the offensive lines of
issues this week.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a great point. And man, I just love
Week one because A there's excitement, B there's let's let's
call what it is. There's overreaction on both sides. So
to answer your question, the Rams defensive line really finished strong,
really finished strong. Last year. Statistically, they weren't that good
top to bottom because they started horrible. I mean, and
Chris Shula would would say as much, their defensive coordinator.
This team was one and four last year. They were
getting beat pretty bad. But boy did they flip the switch.
And again last year ridiculously young, starting two rookies in
Jared Verse and I'm just John of Blank fifty five. Anyway,
my brain will wake up here in just a minute.
But defensive line wise, they're young and they're strong.
Speaker 3: Braid and fisk Yeah, sorry.
Speaker 1: Though, go ahead continue on.
Speaker 2: And Bradon fisk Is is coming off a knee injury
that he hurt in the in the playoff loss to
the Eagles, but completely healthy. Kobe Turner sensational, Byron Young sensational.
I mean, they're really still young, third year team. But
oh my god, you guys, Jared Verse, if you're not,
if you're watching the game, you know, just watch number
eight on defense. He will talk talk talk, talk talk,
and then at the end of the game he'll say,
you know, to the opposing player that he's been going
up against Houston, he'll go, man, you made me better today.
You know, he's that kind of guy. But I think that's,
you know, not to get into the x's and o's.
That's one of the you know, it's it really is
going to come down to the two line. On the
other side. When you asked about Stafford, Stafford has to
stay healthy. I mean, Jimmy Garoppolo is if you have
to go to your backup, that's a really good backup.
He's not going to throw it deep. But he in
the scrimmage against the Cowboys, guys, he was thirty of
thirty three. I mean, he really knows the offense. But
you got to have Stafford healthy. And that's the million
dollar question. I mean, and if both offensive lines, I'll
tell you the other really really quick, fabulous story. Alaric Jackson,
the offensive lineman for the Rams, had blood clots in
his legs. And you know if you twist an ankle, Okay,
I know if my ankle's good. I got blood clots.
How do you know if you're really good? He says,
it's a fatigue thing. He gets screened every day. He's
going to start. That's a big That's a big, big
story on Sunday as well.
Speaker 1: Kurt really appreciate the insight. I look forward to meeting
you and a Rockets Clippers or Rockets Lakers game, and
worst case, we're going to have you on for the
Dodgers Astros World Series.
Speaker 2: With that, well, you know what, there's a lot of
great connections with what the Rockets are going to be
this year. And I'm not from LA I just cover
that team in blue, and so anytime we can talk
Astros Dodgers, bring me on. I I love the conversation.
Speaker 1: Do you do you fear for your life when you
go to Dodger games.
Speaker 2: I don't listen. We could spend an hour time.
Speaker 1: I don't want to spot.
Speaker 2: I was just here's the two things. Dodger fan, God
bless them. They're the most arrogant fans. And that was
before they won the World Series. So that arrogance, to
be very honest, and I'm not saying anything that I
wouldn't say, you know, inside the stadium. It starts from
the front office. There's some great players. Dave Roberts, love them, dear.
I'm old enough to say I covered Dave Roberts in
high school in San Diego. Good manager, Show Hay is
the greatest pleasure of your career. Anyone who gets to
cover show Hey. But oh my gosh, the arrogance, it's
tough to stomach sometimes, so I try to hit it
down the middle of the fairway, so to speak. But
I think it's a fabulous, fabulous conversation. And I don't
think the Dodgers are going to go back to the
World Series, but if they did and they played the Astros,
that would be a dream, and I hope it happens
just so we can all talk again, because Matt John
Ireland speaks so highly of you, and I appreciate you,
guys having.
Speaker 1: He's a good man, a good friend, and Kurt, You're
now best he's because of him. Thank you, friend for
the time. We really appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Hey you bet guys, thanks for having me up there.
Speaker 1: All right, Kurt's hande all joining us ABC seven