It’s that time again, folks, Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and on PodClips around the world. We’ll talk this, that, and anything in sports and Art Sorce with us and Matthew DiBiase, sports historian, with us. And let’s get going about what’s happening this Saturday night, and Art, I got to go to you first because you were a UCLA fan growing up, but you ended of kicking for USC. At 4:30 Pacific time, 7:30 in the East, Army against Notre Dame on NBC TV. So that’s going to end three hours later, so now at 7:30 Pacific time, 10:30 in the East, it’s UCLA versus USC. Now I don’t know if Jacqueline can keep you up or not as far as this is concerned. But Artie, the pressure’s on you. Can you tell us and the thousands of listeners around the world on BLEAV and PodClips, you’re going to be able to stay tuned to a game that starts at 10:30 Pennsylvania time, Artie?

I played in four of these wonderful ballgames back when, you know. Usually, a Rose Bowl or a National Championship was on the line. And now the 94th edition of USC and UCLA in the iconic Rose Bowl is coming on at 10:30 Eastern time. Half the world will be sleeping, the other half really doesn’t care, based on what I’ve read in the newspapers, there’s not even a mention of this game anywhere. One team is five and five going nowhere, the other is four and six trying not to go somewhere. But I mean, it’s just, it’s so sad to me to see what’s happened to these two great programs.

And you know, it all starts with the Pac-12 demise, and I mean, we used to joke about the Pac-12. And you know, after midnight, well, there you go, it’s right there in front of you. Hey, how about Army? And Army having a chance to, to play Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium? Is. My question is, you know, are all the old great, you know, Army guys going to come back and help?

You know, you know that their offensive line, three seniors, and they the average of the offensive line, it’s 307 pounds.

That’s amazing to me. That’s, I mean, Jeff Monken’s done a heck of a job. I like this Bryson Daily, their quarterback. He’s a good quarterback. You know, Notre Dame might do in northern Illinois, you never know. I mean, they’re right in position.

Okay. So the last time I checked, Army was a 13-point underdog. But who do you like?

I think Army is a really good ball club, but you know, it just comes down to if they can get, keep control of the ball. Keep, you know that, that, that Notre Dame offense off the field, and maybe, you know, keep it, nip and tuck in the first half, they got a chance. I’m a big fan of, of number 17 Army, but I just think athletically and, and talent-wise, too much talent for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Matthew. Who’s gonna win, Notre Dame or Army?

The numbers say Notre Dame. Emotional? I like to see Army pull off the thing. I mean, that would kick Notre Dame’s chances in a cock-out. I don’t know if that would knock them out of the top 12, though, but would that be Notre Dame’s third defeat? I mean, how many?

Second.

They’re nine and one and Army is undefeated.

Second and they would still stay in.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think Notre Dame would do it, but I’d like to see an Army pull off the upset.

How about Indiana? How about Indiana and Ohio State?

Hang on, hang on before we go there. What was the last year that Notre Dame lost to Army? Artie? Any idea?

It was like 16 years ago, or something like that?

Probably during the Jerry Faust era,

I think it was 16 years ago.

I don’t know, maybe the Jerry Faust thing?

1967?

If I told you guys the last time Army beat Notre Dame – 1958, 14 to 2, 1958.

Yeah, last season, The Lonely Land, The Lonesome Man. Yeah, yeah, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, lone, the Lonesome Man, that makes sense. Yeah, Red Blake’s last season, yeah. Yeah, that’s right, yeah.

Still hard, still hard. You know, what else is hard to believe since we’re talking modern-day college football, let’s go to college,

Yankee Stadium.

Let’s go to college basketball just for a moment. Um, yeah. But on Wednesday night this week on the Big Ten Network at 8:00 Pacific time, UCLA was going to play Idaho State.

I watched that game.

Okay, so I turned to it and there was a volleyball game going on between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and I played volleyball growing up. You play five sets to 25, the last set being 20. But basically, you know, it’s a lot of points. They’re going to take, that’s going to take two hours. So, my question is, who the heck on the Big Ten Network, and that’s just controlled by Fox, scheduled something like that? Because I didn’t get the UCLA, I refused to go to, I got the Fox app. I didn’t want to go to it. I refused, I swore to go to it. They joined the UCLA game against Idaho State with seven minutes and 13 seconds to go in the first half.

I remember that.

You can’t cut out the volleyball game in the middle, but you can’t start the UCLA game 13 minutes late, you have to schedule better. Art talk. Tell me what you think of it.

I got to be honest with you, Fred. I’m not real impressed with how they have tried to absorb the four Pac-12 teams into the Big 12, or the Big Ten. They’ve just done a terrible job of setting it up. Um, you know, they have games in every time slot on football on Saturday. I mean, look at it, you’re going to have tomorrow. You got Indiana and Ohio State at noon, all the way to SC and UCLA at 10:30 at night.

And there’s going to be games the whole way through. So, I mean, I do understand that, you know, it’s hard to cover 18 teams, but you’ve got to know that the odds are, with you know, the Big, Big Ten plays great volleyball and these girls are incredible at what they do. But yeah, there’s no way, if you’re gonna do a best of five, make it a best of three, whatever. Go to 25. But I mean, yeah, that was ridiculous, Fred, and I gotta tell you college basketball’s tough to watch right now.

Impossible to watch. Matthew, Your comments?

Yeah, I mean, I’ll be honest. I didn’t see that much of the men’s NCAA tournament. I was watching for the first time the women’s.

Yeah, I mean, that was the thing that was interesting and all that. I mean, the thing is, in terms of rearranging, you know what you’re going to have to do? I figure sooner or later, Big, there’s only going to be two super-conferences in college football. What you have to do is constitute the West Coast teams in like a separate to super division and like a little mini Pac-Eight or Pac-12 and reconstitute like that. But it’s like a subdivision of Big Ten and all that.

Like three 18-team conferences?

Yeah, something like that. Yeah, little mini divisions in a super conference like that, and then you could create a more normal schedule like that. No, it’s just the West Coast teams.

I mean, look at Boise State, you guys, yeah. Boise State’s got a great running back, there’s Ashton Jeanty. They were playing good, UNLV’s playing really good football. Um, but they’re going to get like a, a potential fourth seed, based on the CFP. Is that what I’m hearing here? I mean, they’re good, but our. But I mean, do you knock out one of the Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Ole Miss, Uh, Alabama, Texas, A&M, or any of those teams? Georgia? Do you knock one of those teams out to give them a first-round bye? I don’t see how that works.

No, I don’t see that, but I think that Indiana, Ohio State game? Boy, you going to have enormous ramifications there. Who’s going to be the top two teams in the Big Ten? I mean, I would love to see, I would try the networks. Crazy at the Indiana Beats Ohio State, cause they don’t want Indiana, they want OSU win, they don’t want Indiana, but I want. I would love to see Indiana pull up. Cause they haven’t done a thing since ’67.

You know what Curt Cignetti says? I’m a good coach. Check Google.

Yeah, I mean, I saw his thing. I, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m going with Indiana. Emotionally, I would love to see it happen.

And you know who else has gotten no pub this week? You guys the big game, you remember the big game years ago, Cal and Stanford, you know, they’re playing this weekend too – haven’t heard a word about that one. I mean, I’m looking at the schedule. Penn State’s at Minnesota. That’s going to be trouble. I’m telling you. You don’t want to play at Minnesota on that field with those fans with a row, your boat. The coach there, that that team’s a lot better than people think. And I think that’s a trap game for James Franklin and Penn State.

Before we go to a break here on Fred and the Fantastics with Art Source and Matthew DiBiase, I’m going to throw you a a question here. Um, last Saturday night, late night, uh, BYU, undefeated, lost to Kansas, so now there’s just three undefeated teams – Army, Indiana, and Oregon, right? What’s unique about the quarterback, Jake Retzlaff for BYU?

He’s Jewish. Gotta love that.

No, no, okay, how did you know that?

Ah, come on, I do a little research.

But they said on the air, but they said on the air, and I knew he was Jewish, they said on the air. I think whether there’s 20 or 30,000 students at BYU, five are Jewish, and their first time they’ve had a Jewish quarterback.

Do you remember the old tight end for the Eagles, Pete Retzlaff?

But he wasn’t.

No, he wasn’t. But I mean, I was joking. I was wondering if he was related. The kid’s a heck of a quarterback. You guys.

Like Jim McMahon, I don’t think Jim McMahon was Mormon when he went to BYU,

Not the Jim McMahon I played golf with.

But he was one hell of a quarterback, though. At BYU, he was a hell of a quarterback,

He sure was!

All right. We’re going to take a quick break on Fred and the Fantastics and come back with the National Football League straight away.

All right, back on Fred and the Fantastics. Matthew DiBiase and Art Sorce with us. And let’s talk some N.F.L. football. Of course, on Sunday there are some big games, but there are some big question marks. Let’s start with the 49ers at the Green Bay Packers, Art. The question, I guess, is, is Purdy healthy enough to play? If not, what happens? And who do you like in this one? The Packers, a slight favorite. Who do you like Art Sorce?

The Pack is pretty, pretty good.

I’m going with the Packers, I’m laying the three. The spread’s moved all over Dodge. That’s one of my three picks of the week. I love the Eagles. I love the Ravens in the Harbaugh battle and I love the Pack.

All right. Matthew DiBiase, the Packers about a field goal favorite. Who do you like?

Yeah, I’m going with the Packers too, man, they’ve got the strength. They’ve got the strength. 49ers, man, they’re brittle, they’re bleeding, torn, bleeding. In the midpoint, I think Packers are going to squeeze it out. Yeah, the field goal makes the difference.

All right, let’s talk another interesting game. Not necessarily for any kind of future this season, but it’s interesting because the Giants are changing quarterbacks and Tommy DeVito will be the quarterback. And for the against, the Buccaneers, the Buccaneers,

Tommy Cutlets!

And the Buccaneers, four and six battling to stay alive, and the Buccaneers are a four-point pick. At New York or at New Jersey, who do you like, Matthew, the Giants or the Buccaneers?

I’m going with the Bucs, man. The Giants basically are in a team of total disarray, man, they’re basically, basically they’re just backing up the truck. They got rid of Saquon, luckily for us, because we got the steel with Saquon, they’re getting rid of Jones. Basically, the team is giving itself a custard enema man, so you know, I’m going with the Bucs, man, it’s not. it’s gonna be a brutal game, but the Bucs.

And Artie, who do you like?

Well, you know, based on what Baker Mayfield’s done this year. I got to go with Matthew on this one, you know? I look at that ball club, I look at Tampa Bay and we saw what Atlanta’s all about last week at Denver. I mean, they may have a six and five record, but they’re nothing special, so I mean, the Bucs are only a game and a half, two games behind them. So I would have to go with Tampa Bay in, in New Jersey to beat them straight up.

Let me ask you guys a question Danny DeVito does the Jersey Mike commercials? Wouldn’t it be funny if they got Tommy DeVito and Danny DeVito to do a commercial?

I love his big nose, where he smells to say, Now, that’s somebody. We go from the Jaguar ad, to that ad to that, now, that’s really good advertising. Fred, I love it.

I, but you know he played last year, though, Tommy DeVito. I wonder why they didn’t,

And he played pretty well, too.

Yes, I wonder why they didn’t do it. But he’s not Tom Brady.

But okay, let me ask you a question, if you’re locked, listen, if you’re the backup quarterback and you’re locked, how do you feel about them going to the number three quarterback? Just so they can put fannies in the seats in New York because the fans love Tommy Cutlets,

You know, I guess that one of the reasons is apparently he still lives at home, and things like that. So he’s a true New Yorker and this, and he played pretty well last year, but he’s not Tom Brady, as one caller calling WFAN a couple of days ago. All right,

Fred, I got to ask you a question, Fred. Now. The Harbaugh brothers, they grew up with their dad, Jack, coaching at Western Kentucky. They’re both tremendous football coaches. They’re going to be playing on Monday Night Football in SoFi Stadium. The Ravens and the Chargers. What are your thoughts on that? The Ravens are my two-and-a-half-point favorites against Jimmy Harbaugh.

Okay. Here it is. I’m totally astounded that the Chargers have been able to win seven games. They found receivers. If McConkey, McConkey is healthy, I think they’ve got a shot. But I heard on, you know? He said. It’s like 50-50 folks were taping this on Friday, about 1:20 in the afternoon on Friday, so this could change. But at this point, uh, I think McConkey’s playing, and, uh, he’s been a fine wide receiver for Justin Herbert, so that could make a difference. And you know what? Also, I’m not a big Lamar Jackson guy from the point of view in clutch games. Something tells me sometimes he doesn’t show up quite to where he should be. And the Charger defense is pretty good. So,

They are.

I don’t know, I don’t know. It should be a fine game on Monday night, of course, on Sunday, as you mentioned before Artie. Eagles and the Rams That should be something too. Who do you like in that one?

Now? I really like the Eagles, I just think, Saquon Barkley. I think the way they’re starting to play now, it looks like Sirianni’s finally settled down. They’re playing defense, you know? I mean, we talked last week about kickers, Jake Elliott, a nice place to kick and so five. Very little wind. It’ll kind of help him out a little bit. I like, I like the, the eagles to cover that spread fairly easily. Two and a half seems like a little bit low to me. I like him to win by probably seven to ten points, 31 – 21.

What do you have in the total?

I believe it’s 40, 47 and a half.

That’s a lot of points,

But I would probably take the over just because I’m not impressed with the Ram defense right now.

But, but offensively, with Nacua and Kupp. But they’re liable to score some points. Matthew, you’re in Pennsylvania, What do you think?

It’s gonna be, I think it’s gonna be, I think it’s tighter. I think I’d, I’d disagree, I would take, I would take the lower, below the spread.

The under.

Yeah, I wouldn’t go high on the spread, I would take the minimum there. It’s up to Saquon, he’s got to run wild. The thing is, Eagles defense can be shaky, they’re not invincible. They can be had if, if, the if the Rams can get their passing game going.

Especially with Sean McVay calling the plays.

Yeah, yeah. And I think it’s Sirianni on it. There are times in the Eagles win despite Nick Sirianni on it and all that. So it’s good, but it’s like, it’s kind of shaky, man. All you need is a little jar and the thing can fall apart, but you see, it’s essential. A victory is essential for both teams, so I think it’s going to be a very intense battle there. And the Eagles, Saquon’s got to run wild and the Eagles need to get lucky, man. They just need to contain the Rams passing game. It’s going to be tight. It’s going to be tough, man, very tough and tight.

All right, Artie, in 30 seconds, your final thoughts on Fred and the Fantastics?

What a great weekend of sports, you guys!

You say that every week!

I mean, they’ve got it all, No, but it really is this weekend. We got NFL football. You know, I mean, look at last night watching the Browns and the Steelers in the snow, that was absolutely incredible. You got college football, Indiana and Ohio State. You got some big ones, you got, you know, just, it’s, it’s a great weekend for sports. You got pro golf, one of my tournaments I won, The Hong Kong Open is being played this week. You got around the globe. It’s awesome, it’s it’s one of those weekends, and boy, I can smell the turkey cooking.

Yeah, yeah.

Matthew DiBiase, final thought.

Probably the last season for a lot of things that we’re going to enjoy. Because starting next year, man, I think it’s going to be brutal, man, the whole world’s going to get brutal. So this is like, in many ways, like a last hurrah for a lot of things, man, just saying goodbye to a lot of things in some ways.

Well, you know, you could be right, because I did call Matt Gates to make an appearance, now that he’s unemployed, but he’s battling to become the CEO of the Girl Scouts of America.

Oh boy.

So he couldn’t make it.

I nominate Aaron Rodgers as Undersecretary of HHS under RFK Jr. I nominate him. It would do the Jets a big favor. OK

For Mario, for Matthew, for Artie, I am Fred. Thank you guys and gals.

And I’m Artie over here on the right!

On Fred and the Fantastics. Thank you guys very, very much.

Love you guys.

Bye everybody.

Miss you.