the chase Thomas podcast for people who have nothing but time to kill all right we're back here on the chase Thomas podcast where I'm now joined by old friend Nick chelini of 680 the fan who has just really really enjoyed uh just The Daily Grind of Atlanta Braves baseball where everything is great Nick chelini how are you sir uh I'm doing a lot better right now Chase than seemingly uh the Braves are but I'm still supporting the club I'm a season ticket holder so we have to uh we have to take to go with the bad right you're so you being a season ticket holder going to a lot of games do you get stopped a lot do you is it one of those things where you and do you want to have those conversations how are you in public when people want to talk about brace because I think with you and I and sports media we talk about it a lot and we kind of wantan a a break from it do you embrace it do you like it or do you kind of wish you could just kind of be lowkey and not really have the conversations there Wellen Chase I'm lucky everybody takes the time to say hello that means they're listening to the show that means they they kind of sort care uh about what I think about the Braves I'm like my wife she's just like you know what you get three hours of them a day I get him 247 so he is all yours but in all seriousness I I do appreciate the fact that people are passionate about the Braves the people are passionate about sports in this town because it's really changed I've been here since 1996 and even when I first moved down here the passion wasn't really what it was and uh what maybe it should have been as a pro sports town as opposed to what you see now I think for all the teams especially the the Falcons and the Braves and even the Hawks I mean people get upset with maybe some of the things that Hawks aren't doing I know I'm going off topic a little bit but at least they care as opposed to being apathetic which was I think the case in the the late 9s absolutely well we'll get into some Falcons and Braves stuff here in just a second but I kind of wanted to pick your brain on something that um I I'm curious about the origin and what you look at it as with cross talk with you uh Chris Matt and Chuck where this is now just an everyday thing and I I'm just going to go ahead and tell you Nick I think it's the best I don't it's not a show I it's the best I don't know it's the best 45 minutes on the radio each day and I'm curious do you agree and then how what was the origin of the Cross talk with you Matt Chuck and Chris well our our Boston thank you for that because a lot of people do feel the same way um our boss our program director Matt Edgar said I want to kind of put these two shows together and we'll have kind of like that 15 to 20 minutes sometimes longer period where you guys can just kind of you have a couple of things sportswise and then we go back and time and talk about birthdays what have you things that happen on the state in history but want to put those two shows together and and kind of see where it goes I liken it too I don't know if you've ever listened to Howard Stern but when he was Howard Stern at his day they would do the news at the end of the day every day and Robin would do the news but they would go off in seemingly a thousand different directions and go off on a million tangents and they didn't know where we were going to go go and it's kind of the same way we don't know where we're going to go and the audience doesn't know where we're going to go and it seems to be a fun ride Chase because a lot of people do really seem to enjoy that 20 to 30 minutes at the end of the show every day it's just good it just it's I think part of it is like the blend of it kind of feels like a podcast is the way I would describe it because there's a blend over where it just feels like four guys who know each other really well are just talking about life and what's going on in the world like it's just it hard to replicate um elsewhere in radio just there's it's just a different kind of feel and I think that's why in my estimation I'm curious that listeners feel the same but it just feels like it's a it doesn't feel like the mics are on a little bit I understand there are different things but it just feels like four guys catching up on what's going on around Atlanta or back in time and things like that yeah and that's the comination of guys you're right chase that have known each other which is kind of frightening because I'm not getting any younger for almost 30 years so we kind where we're going to go we almost finish each other's sentences so yet it's fun I mean we just get you know it's the end of the show for us and we're just you know Chris and I are kind of goofy at that point from being on the air for you know plus hours and they're just kind of getting warmed up so it's it's it's a good combination and like I said you know sometimes we we'll go off in a serious tangent more often than not we go off on you know off on the deep end when it comes to pop culture yeah absolutely um another this isn't a sports radio thing at 680 question for you Nick but you're you're a workout guy you're an exercise enus Enthusiast you said you're getting up there in age I'm curious from your perspective and I think listeners are curious about this what is the hardest exercise for you to do that you still are committed to that you're like oh Father Time's catching up to me a little bit here uh there is nothing worse than a leg workout lunges squat those are the two things when I know it's leg day I dread it but for some strange reason I'm going to push myself through it because I know that that works your core I don't want to get too deep into you know the the exercise end of things and bore people but yeah the certain things like even bench presses I got a bad shoulder so throwing the heavy weight around that's a thing of the past it's reps reps reps now and just trying to burn fat but yeah leg days I every Monday's leg day and I dread day with a passion are you a believer in first thing in the morning the lunch workout the evening workout what what do you subscribe to I I kind of like to mix it up because I think you shock your body a little bit sometimes I like to go after the show sometimes I'll go before the show so you know it it it varies but it's it's hard getting up in the morning but I'll tell you you feel better when I'm when I'm done with my workout in the morning and I'm driving in to to work it's it's a different feeling as opposed to you know knowing you have to do it after the show but I I think I just like to mix it up just like I said so my body doesn't get used to it what do you think you're a lot better at in sports radio now versus where you were maybe even 20 30 years ago what do you think you've improved on the most if you look back and listen to yourself 20 30 years ago what do you think you feel like youve mastered and developed the most I think now which is crazy to say because I never thought I would be this way I think now I control my emotions I don't take things like if the on a losing streak like this you can't go crazy if the Falcons are Los you can't come in screaming every day you have to kind of try to see the big picture now again as sports fans it's a challenge to do but I I think um keeping my cool about me is the thing that I've I think I've gotten better at over the years just trying to trying to stay on an even ke every once in a while I'm going to I'm going to fly off hand but not as much as I used to which again is a good thing and a lot of people who listen to me 20 years ago will tell you there was no place to go but up in that regard is that intentional or is it just aging I think it's a little bit of both I I think I try to you know gauge where the audience is engage where I'm at because you can't scream every day if you scream every day gonna be like okay it's it's just an act now if you're not passionate about it people are smart they read right through those and and if you if you come in doing that every day then you know it's it's a circus and no one wants to be a circus any more than Sports Talk Radio already is well it feels like I don't know if you'll give him the credit but Domino being kind of laid back in that way do you think that's had an effect just talking to somebody with that kind of demeanor every day for many years too might play into it a little bit Yeah I think we still kind of you know take our veiled shots at one another in good spirit because like I said we've worked together for almost 30 years we can we can say anything to one another and neither one of us is going to be offend but yeah being around him and and him seeing the big picture you know has certainly rubbed off on me whether I realize that or not over the years just trying to see you know just trying to think two steps ahead like even now with the Braves it's like okay um as we're taping this podcast they were supposed to play a double header against the Reds first game was terrible got rained out in the second game you know I said it on social media today this when you look at this lineup today it was an expansion lineup in that nine to4 loss big picture Alex anthopolos told the season ticket holders yesterday they are buyers they're not going to be sellers so they're going to have to adjust something and Michael Harris hopefully gets back in mid August and Max free gets healthy because I think they even understand with what they have right now they're not going to win so instead of losing my mind about it we we try to think big picture and say okay let's see where this team is on July the 30th when the trade deadline comes and goes so if you were Alex and thopas at this moment because it seems like you might go the other way would you be a seller at this cuz seller people think tear down but seller can just be trading Max freed and just riding out the rest of it like it could just be something that similar like that's how we looked at with the Hawks and one of the more frustrating things with the Hawks was just sitting on Kevin herder for too long and then losing him for nothing basically sitting on for John Collins too long there's nothing wrong with just like selling High uh in a little way where you just look at you're like the odds just aren't great but then you look at the rest of the NL and you're like if we do a I mean obviously the Phillies are the Juggernaut but we'll see uh you might miss the Phillies uh depending on how the seating unfolds you might be a they might get upset by somebody else and I mean the Diamondbacks they weren't feeling like they were a World Series team at this time last year and baseball is just a little bit different um in that regard where he me being a Tennessee guy like one of the things that was kind of crazy is the best team Tennessee's had ever and maybe the best college baseball team of all time in 2022 um didn't make a Doma they got upset in the supers and then of course the next year where they have all these problems all year long the offense wasn't nearly the same and they made it to om made a Deep Run obviously they went it wi it all this year but that's what probably the most frustrating thing about baseball maybe that's where daa looks at this is like I understand fans are frustrated I understand that we've the injury bug has hit us really hard but come playoff time like it just it's gon to get weird it's it there's an opportunity for us and it's better to be in that party and see what happens versus um just going too much the other way and going super cynical um I don't know that's just my my read is that your read too yeah I think you have to look at like you said Chase the two World Series teams last year Texas I mean they they closed out the season on a horrific run the Diamondbacks you talked about them I don't know how they did what they did with in those last two games in Philadelphia the Braves in 21 and even you know the opposite the Braves the last two postseasons coming apart at the seams despite all of the records especially that they said last year are you peing at the right time and if your staff is healthy if you have your top three in sale and Lopez and freed then you kind of like your chances but if they have to they have to do something with this lineup right now because you know your corner outfielders aren't even hitting 200 and I I'm sorry I I'll never forget 21 and I appreciate Adam Deval for that but I mean defensively offensively he's he's a major liability now I've said this on social media a few times as well either he has an injury that we don't know about that no one's revealing or the end is just here for Adam Deval because he he's clearly not the same player nowhere near the same player he once was so in the Outfield you got to make some moves you just have to what would you think the reception would be um from the fan base like if you took calls the day after dou H let's say he trades let's say he trades Max freed and maybe I don't know Travis darno um what do you think the reaction would be because one of the interesting things about the Braves is obviously they've been the most stable uh organization in Atlanta for many years it's just normal that they're competing year over year this year it certainly seems like at least from the outside and talking to my friends and um just monitoring social media that most brace fans are ready to hit the eject button I think there daa actually has the Goodwill of the fans my interpretation would be if he sold this might be one of the rare occurrences this summer where I think fans would not be mad at the Braves just being like it's not it's not our ear do you feel the same I may steal that from you chase I may put that out media and we may take some calls if the Braves are sellers how would you feel this year it's a good question because obviously when you're losing and social media there's a lot of you know negativity anyway on social media but going back to what you said I think a lot of people would feel that it's the right thing to do and in home team Brandon leak who does the locker room uh six to 10 you know weekdays The Morning Show on the fan he kind of brought it up for the first time what about trading Max 3 the issue we have now is the injury is he healthy is someone gonna be and all it takes is one team would somebody be willing to roll the dice that Max Reed is going to come back healthy because I think you can get from a team like I don't know the Yankees even the Dodgers where I think he's going to sign anyway here because they're going to be the ones to offer him all the money I mean can you get something in return if you can maybe you start to think about replenishing the minor league system which obviously with all the deals you've made over the years isn't quite the same so it's something to think about or Ronaldo Lopez like are you sure are you convinced that this is the real Ronaldo Lopez for the next two to three years like this might be the all-time best time to trade somebody like Ronaldo yeah it's a good point especially when you at his last two starts now again there there was going to be a market Cor was good but you're right you know the past three or four years he never threw them more than 66 or some odd Innings some somewhere along those lines so yeah I mean can he be a guy that's going to give you 150 200 Innings every year it's a valid question uh do do you think that this is this is as good as it's going to get and maybe you can you can get something for him now that you won't in the future all all valid questions that probably Alex andopolis is behind the scenes bouncing around right now thinking about in his head final thing on the Braves I think this season one of the weirdest Parts about it is just that the lineup has had so many problems like everyone's focusing on the injuries a little bit but the lineup it's like Aussie was I mean it hurts that Aussie is gonna be gone for a while heart and soul the team but he's had a rough year by and large I mean Ronald aunia was average before he was knocked out for the year you look at Matt Olsson is having just a brutal um season on his end Austin Riley slow start who in your estimation though is the most surprising just season long slump in the lineup who is just just see every night you're like I just cannot believe he's having this kind of year well it's got to be a guy that was a street hitter as it was but to be one for 33 going into Wednesday afternoon's game in Matt olssen I mean I watched in a bat he had Saturday in the second game of a double header when he struck out late in that game and he had it written all over his face his body language he strikes out during that at B he looked completely lost up there so he's the guy I'm I am shocked Sean Murph too I know Shawn Murphy got hurt but Shawn Murphy clearly isn't the same player either the two AllStars from Oakland are the two biggest surprises at this point and and Matt Olsson people say bench him but okay you bench him what are you supposed to do play Adam Duval at first base we've talked about him you put a first baseman's glove on Marcel lazuna I don't think anybody wants that either so you know you're kind of between a rock and a hard place with Matt Olson right now he's got to play maybe you give him a day off here and there because he did play what he's played 559 or so consecutive games now which is the longest in baseball but you give him an occasional day off other than that he's still going to be your first baseman yeah and it's just the confidence level there like that's not something you want to do in this kind of streak I mean he's a long-term guy like you just have to let him get through it I mean you hope it's not a Chris Davis situation like that's the worst case scenario is like something like that then you're in I mean we're not there yet but that's something I'm sure some fans have in the back of their mind it's like let's I hope it doesn't go but I don't I don't see that uh in the future for Matt Olsson but you just have to like he's a core guy you have to let him work through this yeah there there's nothing else they can do at that point as you said they signed him to that contract he's the core guy and he hopefully will turn things around like I said he's a street kit or maybe late he he gets hot again and and Carries this team on a postseason run who's to say um Switching gears here a little bit to the Falcons um they have SI had six consecutive losing Seasons obviously Nick what makes you feel most confident though that the streak ends this season well they have a quarterback I mean let's face in marota and Ritter and you know Taylor hinek is a backup quarterback but the guys that were the full-time starters obviously were not professional quarterbacks as far as starters are concerned now they have a guy that is all of that and then some and you've heard all of the players Kyle pittz and Drake London bjan they've all rallied around in the offensive lineman they've all rallied around Kirk Cousins and you just could see the optimism that is there now so for that reason I think having an offense I still got questions about the defense but the fact that they have a quarterback now I see them winning this Division I I not be surprised to see them win nine maybe get lucky and win 10 games but I think the over under's nine and a half I I would go under that as far as Vegas is concerned but I could see them winning nine games and winning this division because I don't trust anybody else in this NFC South it's just funny because I feel like I felt like that the last couple years right even with worst quarterback play and that's why I it just everything screams the Falcons should run away with this but I can't do it like there still just some part of me that's like I think I I'm gonna pick the Bucks again the Bucs are just like Baker's just G to quietly get his team to nine and eight 10 and seven or I I don't know like I just I we have to see what Kurt Cousins looks like that's part of the problem it's not a fun answer of just what does kurk cousins look like post Achilles Like We just don't know with his age there also has to be a reason the Falcons trapped Michael pennick like there is some level of concern within that building of like what kurk cousins is like like yeah you pay him it's kind of like Hey we're not sure about Kirk but we are sure that either Kirk or Michael pennick is going to work here like we're sure when we take we throw these two darts one of these two is going to hit this year or next year and we're going to be fine for the foreseeable future but that goes to my next question of like do you believe because this is a rarity like you don't see guys being able to sit behind um first round quarterbacks top 10 quarterbacks sit and learn for years like that what the Packers have done what the Chiefs do with Mahomes that's a rarity in this league do you actually believe Michael pinnick who is one of the older quarterbacks coming into this to the NFL and with his injury history do you actually believe we don't see him at all this year or do you think Michael pennix Jr does get some starts for the Atlanta Falcons when when they drafted him I said this you're you're inviting trouble even if let's say Kirk Cousins doesn't play in the preseason and Michael penx does which he should well you're gonna have questions Kirk Cousins because every NFL quarterback for the most part goes through a rough stretch if he hits a rough two or three or four game stretch during the regular season you're going to hear the other side to the fan base say hey look what about the guy you just drafted no it doesn't happen very often and that's why you're starting to hear now the the Assumption was when they first drafted Michael penck Jr it was going to be two years for Kirk Cousins and then Pennock would take over now you're stting maybe oneand done with Kirk Cousins and then Michael penck coming in and playing and the only time I recall a team having the ultimate postseason success and then switching quarterbacks was the Ravens who were of course led by their defense when Trent dford and then Elvis gerbach came when he was signed by Brian bck yeah it's it's a rarity Chase for a number of different reasons but for the most part to start the season it's going to be Kirk Cousins and you hope that he's healthy with the Achilles but beyond this year who's to say and like I said if if there's a rough patch who's to say we don't see Michael penck because everybody's trying to say well no matter what Taylor hanii is gonna be the backup I don't know about that I that remains to be seen yeah I I have my doubts on that one I think if if Taylor H is going in the game if if uh Kurt Cousins gets hurt or is not playing well Falcons have bigger problems the Falcons are they're in a lot of trouble uh in that regard because pinnick just being the older quarterback and being that kind of Stafford Lefty type that Raheem Morris obviously knows very well back in um Los Angeles I don't know I my gut just says they're not going to break the norm like I think we see pinnick like do you think right now it's July 24th pinnick starts at least one game for the Falcons what do you think I think yes what are the odds the over under is a half a game for Michael um yeah quarterbacks drop quarterbacks get hurt all the time in the NFL so if I especially last year yes they get hurt every year we know what happened with cousins last year no quarterback for the most part plays all 17 games it's still strange 17 games but we're about to go to 18 so we're not gonna get we're not we don't need to be that comfortable with it yet yeah I I I think he will start a game this year for if nothing else yeah I think so too I just it's too long I think there is real injury concerns I think it's a good story but I think this kind of threading the needle we're like we'll just have Kirk for two years and he'll be fine and then we'll just go to pennx and it's like that's what state that's what happens to the Chiefs and the Packers who win Super Bowls back in the 60s like that's not the Falcons we all know it's not going to go that way it's not going to be this clean nice transition of power that's not how this is going to go in Atlanta there's no way it's always something with the Falcons isn't it that would be something once again absolutely well uh Nick what can the good folks check out from you over at 680 the fan uh this week uh well obviously we are back tomorrow we'll talk more about what's going on with the Braves and the Falcons are in training camp I think we're going to be up at Lako as well there's a big baseball uh tournament with prospects going on up there so we'll certainly uh be there uh talking to some people and I think we'll be at lak point I think we're there on Friday as well there's this big go outdoor blast going on you know me I'm a big Outdoorsman said no one ever we're gonna be there on Friday as well but but certainly you know uh we'll be talking about the plight of the Braves and I may steal and I I'll credit you of course but I may steal questions that you asked about Michael penck and then you know how would you react if you're a brave fan and the Braves turned out to be sellers so very very good content you've provided for me Chase so I thank you for that hey absolutely we're all on the same team here we're all on the same team uh Nick chelini thank you so much for making the time today I greatly appreciate it uh and we'll have to check back in again soon I am here anytime you need me Chase thank you nicely done nephew the chase Thomas podcast hell yeah [Music]