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<v Speaker 1>How about that sports fans, The Great Number sixty two

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<v Speaker 1>been with the Bengals since almost their inception, has never

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<v Speaker 1>left except to join Donald Trump's the Jersey Generals. Now

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<v Speaker 1>in the Ring of honor the Great Dave Lapham. Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>welcome again to the Bill Cunningham Show. First of all, Dave,

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<v Speaker 1>how you are you notified about such things? Did it

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<v Speaker 1>happen last night or this morning? How is someone notified

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<v Speaker 1>about this?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 3>I was notified today by the by the the Brown

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<v Speaker 3>Blackburn family and different different people reached out at different times.

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<v Speaker 3>Elizabeth Blackburn and then Mike Brown. Obviously we had a

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<v Speaker 3>we had a conversation that was very very nice. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>Mike Brown obviously has been a big, a big factor,

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<v Speaker 3>a big figure in my lifetime.

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<v Speaker 2>There's no question about that.

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<v Speaker 3>He is uh provided me with an avenue to just

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<v Speaker 3>take care of my family for hopefully multiple generations, honestly,

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<v Speaker 3>and as a player for ten seasons, and then the

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<v Speaker 3>broadcast booth for forty which is quite a stretch. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>that's the pre remarkable him this next season, I mean

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<v Speaker 3>forty years to broadcast booth, and I just I can't

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<v Speaker 3>believe it.

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<v Speaker 2>On the days really I'm just wondering, while it's time.

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<v Speaker 1>Ain't that's the truth? Looking back, Is there one game

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<v Speaker 1>of the one thousand you've been involved in that kind

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<v Speaker 1>of stands out good or bad?

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<v Speaker 2>I'd say the Freezer Ball.

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<v Speaker 3>The Freezer Ball was a It was a challenge.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean it was.

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<v Speaker 3>It was a game that probably will never ever have

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<v Speaker 3>another game played in those conditions. I don't think the

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<v Speaker 3>league would allow it. In fact, they almost didn't allow

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<v Speaker 3>it back then. It barely was allowed to happen, and

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<v Speaker 3>we thought we were told that it was it was

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<v Speaker 3>in dire straits, that there was a good chance of

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<v Speaker 3>we're going to.

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<v Speaker 2>Be able to play the football game.

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<v Speaker 3>But then the NFL decided to go ahead and do it,

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<v Speaker 3>and the Freezer Bowl happened and was born, and it

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<v Speaker 3>turned out to be a hell of a football game,

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<v Speaker 3>very competitive considering the environments. And you know, the temperatures

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<v Speaker 3>nine below fifty nine below wind chills. That's cruel of

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<v Speaker 3>unusual punishment to the normal man, There's no doubt about that.

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<v Speaker 3>And I've never been colder in my life and never

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<v Speaker 3>want to be cold like that again in my lifetime.

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<v Speaker 1>Growing up in Massachusetts and attending Syracuse what was your thoughts?

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<v Speaker 1>And maybe your senioror Syracuse you lettered in a bunch

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<v Speaker 1>of sports. You were a team captain, you played in

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<v Speaker 1>the East West Shrine Game of nineteen seventy three. What

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<v Speaker 1>were your thoughts if somebody would interview a young, mean,

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<v Speaker 1>aggressive Dave Lapham in January February seventy seventy four and

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<v Speaker 1>you were going to be told you're going to be

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<v Speaker 1>a Bengal, what were your thoughts.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, my thoughts were, I can't believe I have an

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<v Speaker 3>opportunity to play for a legend, Paul Brown. Paul Brown, basically,

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<v Speaker 3>in my estimation, I was kind of raised on the

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<v Speaker 3>fact that he was the father of football, particularly at

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<v Speaker 3>the professional level. I mean, the National Football League would

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<v Speaker 3>not be what it is today if Paul Brown hadn't

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<v Speaker 3>been part of it back in the day. And to

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<v Speaker 3>play for Paul Brown was a dream come true. It

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<v Speaker 3>was an experience of a lifetime. He was everything I

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<v Speaker 3>thought he would be. Incredibly gifted, very talented man. I

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<v Speaker 3>think could have been anything. He could have been President

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<v Speaker 3>of the United States in my opinion, if he'd gone

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<v Speaker 3>into the political world, could have run any company in

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<v Speaker 3>the world, including like a Procter and Gamble here in Cincinnati,

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<v Speaker 3>but he decided to come to Ohio and the Cleveland

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<v Speaker 3>Browns built them into a juggernaut, and then moved to

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<v Speaker 3>the southern part of the state here into Cincinnati and

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<v Speaker 3>put together another franchise of fifty eight years that is

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<v Speaker 3>as good as any in the National Football League. Three

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<v Speaker 3>super Bowl appearances, multiple Playoff victories, unbelievable quarterbacks Paul Brown

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<v Speaker 3>has done at all.

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<v Speaker 1>And as far as being a third round draft pick,

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<v Speaker 1>you're the sixty first pick overall, you come to Cincinnati,

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<v Speaker 1>and what are your first impressions about Wilmington.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Wilmington was It was a kind of shock, really.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean I thought, then training camp in an NFL franchise,

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<v Speaker 3>and I wonder where we're going to be, Probably some hot

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<v Speaker 3>shot place like some kind of a I don't know,

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<v Speaker 3>a resort or something. I mean it would probably be

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<v Speaker 3>you know, on fields that the resort has. That would

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<v Speaker 3>be another little added added plus for the people that

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<v Speaker 3>are staying there. I know.

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<v Speaker 2>It wasn't a resport.

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<v Speaker 3>It was tidy Wilmington College up in Wilmington, Ohio, with

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<v Speaker 3>you know, the bear essentials for facility and equipment and

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<v Speaker 3>everything else that I was with it. The Bengals brought

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<v Speaker 3>their own equipment up there, basically as an NFL franchise,

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<v Speaker 3>But Wilmington College was uh, you know, it's Quaker and

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<v Speaker 3>it was the people. The people were very uh you know,

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<v Speaker 3>very humble, very nice people. There wasn't there wasn't a

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<v Speaker 3>whole lot of Shenanigans going on hot as Paul Brown

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<v Speaker 3>would say, no Shenanigans, Yeah right, There wasn't a whole

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<v Speaker 3>lot of cocktail. Uh cocktails being served, are alcohol being absorbed?

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<v Speaker 3>It was. It was quite a place, it really was.

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<v Speaker 3>And I was up there for a good number of years.

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<v Speaker 3>There's no question about that. I spent uh had it

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<v Speaker 3>all up. I spent multiple years up there in Wilmington,

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<v Speaker 3>and and uh.

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<v Speaker 4>I can't say that I'm happy that I did, but

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<v Speaker 4>I was proud that I did because it was up

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<v Speaker 4>there for uh the sole purpose is getting ready to

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<v Speaker 4>play in an NFL season with an NFL franchise, and

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<v Speaker 4>a good one at that.

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<v Speaker 2>In the Cincinnati Bengals, right.

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<v Speaker 1>And the preseason, how many you had two no air conditioning,

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<v Speaker 1>had of bringing a fan, you all shared one toilet.

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<v Speaker 1>It was, it was, it was hotter than the hinges

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<v Speaker 1>of hell. You had two a days. Then, how many

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<v Speaker 1>preseason games did you play in seventy four?

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<v Speaker 3>In seventy four it was six? I think it was

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<v Speaker 3>seventy four. Seventy five we played seven. We played in

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<v Speaker 3>the Hall of Fame game. One of those two preseasons.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm cramping on which one it was, brain cramp, but

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<v Speaker 3>it was, you know, seven preseason games, seven full games

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<v Speaker 3>against you know, viable NFL opponents that were playing for keeps. Now,

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<v Speaker 3>it wasn't the preseason games a little different back then?

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<v Speaker 3>Guys played, I mean the starters played. Guys played seven

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<v Speaker 3>of them. That didn't mean a thing and nothing squads, nil, zip,

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<v Speaker 3>not a nothing on your schedule. I mean it was

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<v Speaker 3>just seven practice games that were officiated by NFL officials,

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<v Speaker 3>played by NFL players that had no bearing whatsoever on

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<v Speaker 3>the schedule.

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<v Speaker 2>As that started to unfold in the regular season.

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<v Speaker 1>And it hurt, I mean, it wasn't. It wasn't like

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<v Speaker 1>it is today. Well you can practice a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>and walk around make your fifty million dollars. It was

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<v Speaker 1>work and you got hurt, and you said, well, just

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<v Speaker 1>you're fine, get out there and.

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<v Speaker 2>Play exactly exactly you know, rub some dirt on sun.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, mar Mark, Paul is our training Mark, get over there,

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<v Speaker 3>taker's ass up. Back in there, Yeah, back in there.

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<v Speaker 3>We can't afford to have him missed. These snaps, these

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<v Speaker 3>reps are valuable. God damn, get him in there.

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<v Speaker 1>At the conclusion, at the conclusion of your ten years

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<v Speaker 1>with the Bengals, you were then hired by Donald Trump,

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<v Speaker 1>I think on a ten year personal services contract. When

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<v Speaker 1>you told Paul Brown and Mike Brown you're leaving the

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<v Speaker 1>Bengals at that point, was that a problem for those

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<v Speaker 1>two years? Uh?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was. It was.

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<v Speaker 3>It was interesting that they, you know, obviously weren't happy

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<v Speaker 3>about it.

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<v Speaker 2>You know that they they knew the rival league. This

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<v Speaker 2>one was going to stick around.

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<v Speaker 3>There were a few others that came and went sprung

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<v Speaker 3>up and and died a quick death, but this one

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<v Speaker 3>had some pretty significant financial backers, including Donald Trump and

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<v Speaker 3>yeah he It was a two year personal services contract.

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<v Speaker 3>I had two full seasons guaranteed. Regular season salvage were

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<v Speaker 3>fully guaranteed, just like the signing bonus and every other

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<v Speaker 3>form of payment that that that contract provided. So you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it was it was guaranteed money. Whether I you know,

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<v Speaker 3>made the team, didn't make the team, get hurt, didn't

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<v Speaker 3>get hurt, you know, uh passed away. But it was

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<v Speaker 3>it was guaranteed for every condition that it possibly could

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<v Speaker 3>be guaranteed for, which I looked at us after ten

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<v Speaker 3>years in the National Football League as an annuity that

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<v Speaker 3>came due to the for the benefit of my family.

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<v Speaker 3>So it was very, very difficult to pass up that

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<v Speaker 3>kind of guaranteed money. And they just they weren't doing

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<v Speaker 3>it in the National Football the particularly for you know,

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<v Speaker 3>offensive linemen.

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<v Speaker 2>It's like, are you kidding me, No way, we're doing

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<v Speaker 2>that well.

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<v Speaker 1>And of course when you were and that was done,

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<v Speaker 1>you came back to the Bengals and the show. They

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<v Speaker 1>don't hold a grudge. I think Phil Samp was Uh

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<v Speaker 1>could be difficult at times, and you were you were,

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<v Speaker 1>you were with him, and you had little or no

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<v Speaker 1>broadcasting experience, but they they thought about enough about you

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<v Speaker 1>as a man to say, you know what, let's hook

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<v Speaker 1>him up as the color analyst with Phil Samp And

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<v Speaker 1>that was like and what was that in eighty eighty four,

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<v Speaker 1>eighty five something like that, Right, and you've been eighty five,

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<v Speaker 1>you're about to celebrate your fortieth season and uh and

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<v Speaker 1>in football, can you compare Phil Samp to Dan Horde

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<v Speaker 1>as far as the differentials.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, that's uh, that's like trying to looks like trying

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<v Speaker 3>to say salt and pepper seeing food the same way.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, It's like, yeah, it's not hy. They had

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<v Speaker 3>much different personalities. Yeah, but they they did. Their approach

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<v Speaker 3>to the game was similar in that they you know,

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<v Speaker 3>they obviously took it very very the Dan takes it

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<v Speaker 3>and Phil took it very very seriously.

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<v Speaker 2>And I will say though that.

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<v Speaker 3>That Dan Horde, without a without a doubt, is as

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<v Speaker 3>prepared a person and professionals I've ever worked with. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>that dude does his homework. Man, there's nothing that's going

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<v Speaker 3>to slip by Dan Hord. He is ready for anything,

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<v Speaker 3>and he'll make the necessary adjustments. Accordingly, Phil Simp was

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<v Speaker 3>really he was really pretty good to me, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>he he he realized pretty early on that I did

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<v Speaker 3>understand what was going on on the football field from

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<v Speaker 3>the football standpoint, and honestly, when he found out that

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<v Speaker 3>the Syracuse I went to the New House School of Communications,

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<v Speaker 3>which put out the likes of Bob Costas and others

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<v Speaker 3>that you know that he had, Well, this guy's got

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<v Speaker 3>a basic understanding of what's what goes on in the

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<v Speaker 3>broadcast area of the broadcast world. So he uh, he

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<v Speaker 3>accepted me, I think pretty quickly, and we kind of

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<v Speaker 3>hit it off pretty well. Phil was Phil was something man.

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<v Speaker 3>That voice. I mean, you would give everything that you

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<v Speaker 3>had for that, for those for that dulcic tone of

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<v Speaker 3>Phil Sapman.

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<v Speaker 2>He was amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>Does Mike Brown get a bad rap now and then?

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<v Speaker 1>Because he suffers quite a bit of criticisms, doesn't give

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<v Speaker 1>interviews except one time? Is Mike Brown the public perception

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<v Speaker 1>the reality of Mike Brown?

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<v Speaker 2>No, No way, Mike.

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<v Speaker 3>I think I think John Q public most of John

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<v Speaker 3>Q public as would be shocked to know that Mike

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<v Speaker 3>Brown is very very different than the way he's portrayed

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<v Speaker 3>in the media.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, some of it's his own doing.

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<v Speaker 3>Like you said, he's very selective in what he does

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<v Speaker 3>and how he does it from an interview standpoint, but

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<v Speaker 3>I'm telling you, this guy is a good man, a

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<v Speaker 3>family man. You know, he's got you know, he was

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<v Speaker 3>brought up right. The Ten Commandments mean something to Mike Brown.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, he's honest as the day is long. He's

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<v Speaker 3>just a good human being, a good somebody that you know,

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<v Speaker 3>if you were fortunate enough to have him as a

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<v Speaker 3>friend and able to call him a good friend, you'd

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<v Speaker 3>be a lucky man. And that's the way his good

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<v Speaker 3>friends feel about him. Mike Brown is a very, very

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<v Speaker 3>solid individual, assault of the earth kind of guy. And

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think the masses out there, the Bengals fans,

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<v Speaker 3>have that perception or that understanding of what what Mike

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<v Speaker 3>Brown is really like.

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<v Speaker 1>As part of the Trey Hendrickson has signed a contract

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<v Speaker 1>this year. He's got a written contract signed by the

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<v Speaker 1>team and by Trey Henderson. He's going to play football

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<v Speaker 1>this year for the Bengals. And part of Mike Brown's

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<v Speaker 1>philosophies or life is when you sign a contract, dammit,

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<v Speaker 1>you'll honor it. Is that going to be hard for

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<v Speaker 1>Mike Brown to say, you know, Trey Hendrickson, well, we're

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<v Speaker 1>going to ignore the contract you sign and give you

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<v Speaker 1>more money.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I mean, I don't think that he's necessarily going

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<v Speaker 2>to do that.

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<v Speaker 3>I think he's going to say to Trey Henderson, Tree,

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<v Speaker 3>get get the training camp. You're under contract, year left

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<v Speaker 3>in your contract. We both signed it in good faith

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<v Speaker 3>honor your contract. Now, if you come to training camp,

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<v Speaker 3>I'll talk to you about an extension. But you know

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<v Speaker 3>you're not gonna strong arm me and say, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>I want all this money. I want an extension. It's

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<v Speaker 3>not you don't give it to me. I'm not coming

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<v Speaker 3>to camp. And that's not the way. That's not the

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<v Speaker 3>way this works. Sign the deal's backwards. Yeah, you signed

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<v Speaker 3>the deal.

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<v Speaker 2>You know.

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<v Speaker 3>It's like you're you're I've got the leverage. I've got

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<v Speaker 3>you under contract. You're trying to create leverage, but it's

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<v Speaker 3>not gonna work because I've got you under contract. And

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<v Speaker 3>I believe in contracts. I believe you know, in the

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<v Speaker 3>word uh of people that sign their contract, they're given

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<v Speaker 3>their word, So you know, I I think he feels

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<v Speaker 3>that Trey Henderson will report to training camp at some

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<v Speaker 3>point in time, hopefully sooner rather than later. There's only

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<v Speaker 3>a week before camp opens up.

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<v Speaker 4>Uh.

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<v Speaker 3>But if he doesn't, it's a very short stay out

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<v Speaker 3>of training camp, because you know what you want to see.

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<v Speaker 3>Even a veteran player that understands all the nuances of

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<v Speaker 3>the game and has performed and succeeded at a very

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<v Speaker 3>high level, you still want to go through training camp

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<v Speaker 3>and get your body right. You don't want to go

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<v Speaker 3>into training camp not quite ready to play the game

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<v Speaker 3>of football at the level that others that have gone

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<v Speaker 3>through a training camp are able to go physically.

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<v Speaker 2>You don't want to put yourself in jeopardy that way.

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<v Speaker 1>Lastly, Dave Lapham, you're one of twelve. There's been thousands

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<v Speaker 1>have come through the Bengals over the last fifty five years.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you want to say as a man, as

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<v Speaker 1>a person, to the fans, to the season ticket holders,

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<v Speaker 1>to the suite holders that voted you into the Ring

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<v Speaker 1>of Honor? What do you want to say to them?

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<v Speaker 3>Man, Willie? I mean, I just can't thank them enough.

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<v Speaker 3>I'll be forever indebted to them my entire life. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>for them to think enough for me, as a player

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<v Speaker 3>and as a broadcaster to get their vote for the

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<v Speaker 3>Ring of Honor, which is something that I never ever

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<v Speaker 3>ever considered as being in the realm of possibility. For

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<v Speaker 3>them to do that for me is something that is

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<v Speaker 3>incomp hencible. I'll never be able to repay them. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>I think you know, I thank them for coming to

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<v Speaker 3>all the games, spending their good, hard earned money to

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<v Speaker 3>go to an NFL game. Sometimes that's not as easy

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<v Speaker 3>as the towns for some of the fans, but they're

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<v Speaker 3>die hard. They love the football team, they love everything

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<v Speaker 3>about the NFL, and they're glad to have a team

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<v Speaker 3>here in Cincinnati competing in the National Football League. They

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<v Speaker 3>know football, I will tell you that, Willie that in

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<v Speaker 3>terms of when you go around the NFL, Cincinnati Bengal

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<v Speaker 3>fans are as educated as any fans in the league

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<v Speaker 3>in terms of what the hell's going on in the

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<v Speaker 3>football field with respect to the rules of football. It

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<v Speaker 3>is a very very sharp, intelligent crowd, and I think

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<v Speaker 3>it's respectful to the game of football. I can't say

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<v Speaker 3>enough good things about the fans, and I just I'm

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<v Speaker 3>forever indebted to them. It just it just boggles my

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<v Speaker 3>mind that they voted me in to the Ring of Honor.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, it's an honor that I just I just

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<v Speaker 3>can't put my arms around it, you know, on my

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<v Speaker 3>mind around it. It's it's almost incomprehensible for me to grasp.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I first started playing football. My grandfathers were

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<v Speaker 3>you know, would say, you know, uh, you know, work hard, Uh,

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<v Speaker 3>listen to the coaches, do what the coaches say, the

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<v Speaker 3>coaches know what's going on. So I tried to do

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<v Speaker 3>that and tried to take my grandfather's advice all the

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<v Speaker 3>way through.

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<v Speaker 2>And they were right. You know, coaches know what's going on.

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<v Speaker 3>Coaches know the game of football, and you can learn

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<v Speaker 3>from home and you can learn every year from them.

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<v Speaker 3>And I learned from my teammates how to play, what

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<v Speaker 3>techniques and fundamentals to to use, and others that you

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<v Speaker 3>learn along the way that might take the places. Some

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<v Speaker 3>that you learned early on and just grew and developed

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<v Speaker 3>as a player. And that was due to the the

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<v Speaker 3>abilities in the in the kindness of my teammates and coaches,

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<v Speaker 3>assistant coaches had great teammates, high caliber people, tremendous players, coaches,

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<v Speaker 3>high caliber coaches, tremendous people, and uh, the organization was

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<v Speaker 3>top shelf. Paul Brown is one of one. Paul Brown's

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<v Speaker 3>the father of football. In my mind, when I think NFL,

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<v Speaker 3>I think Paul Brown.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Dave Lapham, thanks for coming on this afternoon, and

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<v Speaker 1>we've been blessed to have you with the Bengals and

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<v Speaker 1>Joe knucksall with the Reds. I say, this is a

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<v Speaker 1>great affection. You're the Joe knucks All of the Bengals,

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<v Speaker 1>or maybe Joe Knucksall is the Dave Lapham of the

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<v Speaker 1>Cincinnati Reds. But may you live long and prosper, and

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<v Speaker 1>may God give you another forty years behind the mic.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh Man, Willie, that would be something with that, oh man,

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<v Speaker 2>I'd take I'll take five. I'd like to I'd like

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<v Speaker 2>to run five. Well, that'd be great. I know the

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<v Speaker 2>feeling feel good. Yeah, I know the feel I feel good.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel like James Brown. I feel good. Yeah, I

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<v Speaker 2>feel good. Yeah. Willie, you feel good, you look good.

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<v Speaker 2>You can communicate. You're going another decade, Willie. There's no

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<v Speaker 2>question about it. Well, it's doubt in my mind.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll see what happens. But Dave, we'll talk quickly in

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<v Speaker 1>the next few months as the Bengals march to the

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<v Speaker 1>super Bowl and maybe beyond. Dave Lapham, you're a great

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<v Speaker 1>American and thanks for coming on the Bill Cunningham Show.

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<v Speaker 2>Dave. Thank you. I hear that, Willie super Bowl or

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<v Speaker 2>bust my man.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's go, Willie, Let's go, Dave, thank you. Let's continue

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<v Speaker 1>with more. Bill Cunningham with the Legend Dave Lapham on

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<v Speaker 1>News Radio seven hundred WLW