Hey everybody, it’s that time again. Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and on PodClips. We’ll talk about this, that, anything in sports and even more. Art, Laura on her birthday and Mark Mancini, who’s still pushing for those Pittsburgh Pirates. So much to talk about. You can email us, [email protected], [email protected]. We’re taping this at 1 o’clock on Friday afternoon. Saturday night, LA Coliseum, Art Sorce. You played for the Trojans. You’re a 3, 3.5-point underdog at home against the Ducks of Oregon. Don Lanning seems to have you-know-who’s, Riley’s, by the head so far in their careers. Who do you like? USC Oregon on Saturday night, 4:30 Pacific, 7:30 in the East?

Well, I will tell you this, Fred. I watched USC play at Rutgers last week and they were definitely looking ahead to the Oregon game. Oregon, of course, had the powerful Portland State team and they beat them 84 to nothing. So, in this particular game, I’m going to take USC in the 3.5 and I’m going to take the under. Surprisingly enough, the under is 63.5 points. Now, in college football this year, so, you know, the clock starts again, once an incomplete pass happens; they wait a couple, 3 seconds. So, the games are, most of the games are going under as opposed to over. So, I really think Lincoln Riley might have something up his sleeve. There’s going to be 75,000 roaring Angelinos in the Coliseum. This could be their chance to actually show everybody what they have, because Oregon has not played well. They lost to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma State can’t have the talent the USC has.

Laura, if the Trojans beat Oregon, the Ducks are dead as far as any championship hopes are concerned. The Ducks are a 3.5-point favorite. Art likes the USC Trojans. Laura, who do you like?

I like the Trojans, too. I think they’re going to get a big boy. They’re going to get a lot of support from the crowd. And it’s going to be a really exciting game. I mean, it’s a rivalry. So yeah, I think, I think SC is going to pull it out. I do.

Mark, you don’t like anything Los Angeles, so you’re probably going to go with the Ducks. Who do you like, Mark Mancini?

Well, you know, when I look at USC, UCLA and my Pitt Panthers, they’re combined 11-0. And then I scratch my head and wonder, Who the hell have they beaten? But USC is going to get a chance. I think they rise to the occasion. It’s going to be a hard-fought game. I’ve always liked Lincoln Riley. I like the Trojans.

Oh, it’s shocking. Shockingly. I like the, I like the over. So, I’m not going to make a pick between who’s going to win. I think it’ll go,

Hey, you know who Pitt’s playing this weekend? They got Bucknell. How do they, Fred, can we talk about that for a minute? I don’t know how they put these teams,

This is what’s wrong with college football.

These poor schools who need money, right? They, they need money. So, they go and they get massacred and they get their $1.7 million, and they, they limp back to wherever they come from. Isn’t there a better way to do this, Fred? I mean, it’s so sad to watch.

Meanwhile, on this evening, you’ve got Clemson traveling 3,000 miles to face Cal in a geographic wonderful situation beyond belief.

The Atlantic Conference Game of the Week, live from The Pacific.

Cal in the ACC, Clemson will probably win, but I, again, I, it’s, they’ve destroyed collegiate sports. I probably won’t even watch it. Because what history can Cal have against Clemson? What history can Clemson have?

By the way, UCLA is playing at Maryland.

UCLA-Maryland, 10, 10:30 Pacific time, 1:30 in the East on Saturday. UCLA hasn’t beaten anybody. Wayne Knight,

I like UCLA plus 2, by the way.

Well, Artie and I have the Joey Chestnut-John Harbaugh back and forth thing. Who’s going to have more wins, John Harbaugh or Joey Chestnut? Joey Chestnut.

I’ll let you in on a secret. Jim Harbaugh is going to Buffalo and is in real problems. The Chargers could wind up 0-3 after the, everybody said they were the team to watch in the AFC.

I, I think they’re going to beat Buffalo.

Really?

Not a chance.

Okay, Mark, why, why, why in a million years, why, if somebody put a gun to your head, would you possibly think that they’re going to beat Buffalo?

Not a chance.

I’m just, okay, here, here’s what I’m figuring. If there’s one bullet in the chamber, they, they have about four chances they’re going to miss. So, I’m just figuring the Chargers will go to Buffalo, backs are against the wall, if they can control the running game and establish it.

Oh, that’s true. James Cook is averaging about 130 yards a game.

Hey, I got. I got my own problems in the NFC with Washington, and they got Seattle this week.

Yeah. Tell Jalen Daniels to not run so much.

On a, on a serious note, if you’re a Charger fan, since the year 2000, I think three teams, maybe two teams have opened 0-3 and made the playoffs. And this will not be one of them. Because if you look beyond Buffalo, you’ve got, like, Seattle and the Broncos and the Rams. They’re not going to beat any of them. They could be 0-7 or 0-9. Artie, that’s impossible.

They literally could be 1-6 or 0-7, Fred, going into game eight. You’re 100% right. And nobody saw that coming. And here’s what I’m hearing. All the excuses are Mike McDaniel’s offense takes a long time to learn. Well, what the hell were they doing for the last seven months?

Well, you know what?

Is Herbert overrated, Fred? I mean, honestly?

Come, come February, Fred, Laura, and Artie, the Rams could be the second team to win in their own backyard a Super Bowl. The Rams are dangerous, man. They’re just busting quarterbacks up. I’m going to tell you,

It might be a rematch of the Cincinnati. Yeah, it might be a rematch of the Cincinnati-Los Angeles Ram game.

Let me ask you guys a question.

The Raiders.

I don’t think anybody else, except yours truly, will believe this, but let me just throw this out. Puka Nakua – some question about his availability. Now, is it possible,

He’s out.

That the NFL has suspended him and they don’t want to tell anybody they suspended him?

And they didn’t say anything about it.

Is that possible? Art, what do you think?

I think, I think you have something, you’re on to something right there, Fred, because I trust him about as far as I can throw an elephant.

Laura, do you think that’s possible?

I think the better question is, is it probable? I mean, I think it might be probable that they’re doing that, you know?

Then how come we’re not hearing it on either show?

Well, they said he’s definitely out of the game, but they said it was because of an injury that he has lingering, right? And all I have to say is Davante Adams looks like a pretty good receiver. When, when Puka is not on the field. I mean, that was a pretty incredible game that he had.

Artie, I, I, you might like Cincinnati, but there’s a team out West, and I’ve always loved this guy and he’s shown me in two games that he’s got ice in them veins, is Kirk Cousins. He might lead the Raiders against the Rams in the Super Bowl?

I love the Raiders, but if they win seven games, I’ll still be really happy.

Oh, come on. They’re going to win more than seven games.

I guess, you know, they’re, they’re, they’re playing the Saints on Sunday and they’re, I think by, up by three, which I think is ridiculous. I think the Raiders are going to beat the Saints.

All right. Hold that thought. Hold that thought. We’re going to take a break and come back with more. Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and on PodClips, right after this.

When we went to the break, Laura was indicating that she thinks the Raiders will beat the Saints on Sunday. Laura, make your case that your Raiders will go to 3-0.

Yeah, I think they looked really good. They, they’re, they’re 2-0. They, you know, I think they’re a little bit underrated, although the Athletic actually put them in the, when they had the five teams that they rate to be the possible teams that are going to go to the Super Bowl, they gave the Raiders honorable mention. So, I thought that was pretty good. I don’t get the odds on the Saints game. I haven’t watched the Saints, but I, I would take the Raiders and, and take those odds any day.

Saints, I think are 3.5, or between 2.5 and 3.5, depending on where you’re talking. Well, Mark, who do you like? Raiders or Saints?

Well, I, you know what? Like I said, I like Kirk Cousins. I like the Raiders to do there. My buddy went to the game Sunday, and he said it looked like Con Air just flew over SoFi Stadium. And let all these felons out in the stands, you know? And he said it was a little scary. But he got through to his car, okay and everything. And I, I said, okay. He said he had to pull the Charger shirt under afterwards. But the Raider fans could be brutal, he said.

There are, there are, virtually no Charger fans.

I asked him, Laura, I asked him, Was Nicolas Cage flying Con Air? That’s, I, that was the only question I asked.

Let me ask you a question. At what point in time does the ownership of the Chargers, all right, decide that they’re the second fiddle in LA, maybe the third fiddle, because, actually, the Raiders outdraw them at home when they play them in SoFi.

That was the Raiders.

I love the Raiders. I think, I think New Orleans, with Shug at quarterback, will beat the Raiders 31 to 17.

Wow.

All right, Art, you played for the Rams. They’re at Denver, both 1-1 on the young season. Art, Sunday evening, who do you like?

You know what? I, I thought Stafford looked absolutely magnificent, as opposed to the way he looked in Australia with the jet lag. I think the Rams are back rolling. I think Denver’s a good football team, but I think the Los Angeles Rams still have the most talent. And, and I’m going to tell you something. Aaron Donald really closed down the running game. If that defense can do what they did last week, he closed down the Bronco running game. I’m still not sold on Knicks’ ability to get the ball downfield. I like the Rams.

Laura, you like the Rams or do you like the Broncos on Sunday evening?

I like the Rams, but I want to take issue with my friend Art over here about this Saints-Raiders game, because Brock Bowers is coming back. So, you know, we’ll have a little side wager on this game, Art.

Yeah.

I’ll give you, what is it, three and a half? I’ll give you the three and a half. And, and I’ll take, and I will take the home standing. I think, I think New Orleans is a better team than people think they are. And, and this kid is a good coach. I mean,

We’ll see.

I really think, oh, well, that’s why we play the game on Sunday.

Mark, you can break the tie: Saints-Raiders.

Well, I like the Raiders. It could be a trap game for the Raiders, but I like the Raiders; I like Kirk Cousins. He’s experienced. He’s been through these wars in Washington, Minnesota. He’s won all over the place. I like, I, as long as he’s quarterbacking the Raiders, I’m not coming off that wagon.

Laura, let me ask you a question. Let’s say the Raiders go through the season and Cousins is not hurt, and they go 9-8 or 10-7 or something like that. What happens to Mendoza? Do people forget him? Or does he get, I mean, what, what about his career if he sits the entire season? Laura, you’re a Raiders fan. Give me your comments.

Well, you know, that used to be the norm in the NFL, where the, the rookie quarterbacks would sit if they’re back, if they’re backup to a star quarterback.

The core of their formative years.

Yeah. I mean, look at, look at what happened with Aaron Rodgers and, and Tom Brady? I mean, so, yeah, I don’t have a problem with that at all. I think, you know, Kirk Cousins is a great quarterback, as long as he doesn’t have to leave the pocket. And, you know, I, I, Mendoza’s learning a lot. You know, he made some big mistakes during, in the preseason, as we saw. So, yeah, I don’t have a problem with that at all.

Mark, you have a problem with that?

Well, I was going to switch gears a little, because it’s been, made a big story now. Now the FBI is investigating it. The women that are claiming they lost all this money with these impersonators as 49er players. The 49ers have basically said, no comment. They don’t want to get involved in it. But now the FBI is involved. Who’s at fault here? Because these poor women have been swindled out of all this money.

Well, they’re not too bright. They probably voted with the 77 million. Art, your comments about the swindle?

I haven’t heard of it.

There’s 77 million deplorable people, right?

No, there’s only about 70 million who are deplorable.

You guys are killing me. Here’s what I’m going to tell you. There’s eight undefeated teams in the NFL after two weeks. After next week, there’s going to be six, because the Raiders are going down. And one other team that’s undefeated that I can’t believe is still there: the Seattle Seahawks are going down.

Are you in a 1960’s VW bus smoking something?

Art, I must ask you – Bone Spurs is making a trip to the collegiate game, Tennessee and Texas on Saturday. And then, of course, he’s going to the golf tournament on Sunday. Any comments, Art Sorce?

I’ll tell you what, I think Tennessee is in great position to do what they always do to Sark when he starts to think that he’s got something special going on. If you’ve ever played at General Neyland Stadium, it is the loudest place in the history of the world. And I’m telling you, you feel like it’s a Ralston-Purina ad with all the checker box orange everywhere. It’s a crazy place to play. And, and I mean, nothing against Arch Manning. I love him. I thought his comeback against Ohio State was incredible. But I just have a funny feeling. Tennessee’s laying in the weeds, and they’re going to, they’re going to shock the world and shock Texas.

Laura, have any, you have any thoughts about our dear President going to the Tennessee game on Saturday and the golf tournament on Sunday, destroying people’s lives? Go ahead.

Well, I think that there’s going to be a, a little bit of the Trump curse on the game. So, I think Trump’s working, rooting for Texas, or I don’t know, it depends on which way the wind blows. But whatever team Trump is rooting for, I think they’re probably going to lose. So, I agree with Art. I think Tennessee’s going to pull this game out.

Mark Mancini, our last 30 seconds. Talk about the world of sports this weekend.

Well, the Pirates, the first time in eight years, they’ll have a winning season. You know, and that, that, they finished third. The prognosticators had them finishing dead last. They beat everybody in their division except the Cubs. They won six. The Cubs had beaten them seven times out of 13. So, I think it was successful. They build on it next year; they get a veteran bat in there,

Mark, here’s what’s, here’s what you have to know. They blew 30 leads in the sixth, seventh, and eighth inning over the entire year. They win 10 of those games, all right, they go to the playoffs. So, they have it up. And I watched Montgomery up close and personal from down low. That kid throws nothing but aspirin tablets. He’s going to be a closer, much like Miller in San Diego. And I think once we get into the playoffs, those closers have a tendency to really step up. So that’s where San Diego has an advantage.

And you were at PNC Park. That is the standard of Major League Baseball parks. Nothing compares.

I got to tell you, I got to tell you, it was the greatest experience. One of my greatest experiences. I love Fenway Park. I love Wrigley Field. But PNC, when you sit in the left field bleachers, when you look out over the city of Pittsburgh, it’s just incredible. It really is a beautiful ballpark.

Laura and Art, we need to get to the party.

For Art, for Laura, for Mark, and for Mario, thank you, guys and gals, for listening to Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and PodClips. Bye, everybody.