SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
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SIMON: NFL playoffs underway, college football's championship, finally, and a baseball legend with a 200-career batting average. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.
MICHELE STEELE: You bet. Sounds like a jam-packed sports segment today, Scott.
SIMON: Well, it is thanks to you, my friend.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: The NFL divisional playoffs begin today. But the main dish, you know, tomorrow night.
STEELE: Oh, yeah.
SIMON: Buffalo Bills host the Baltimore Ravens - Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry. Who can stop them? Maybe the weather. A lot of snow in the forecast, right? What does this mean?
STEELE: Yeah, you know, I think for the fans, it'll be great. I love football in a snow globe. We've established this on this show.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: And playoff football in a snow globe is going to be even better. I'm sure that the Bills are going to try to leverage this against the Ravens, but Lamar Jackson's actually really good in cold weather. When it dips below freezing, he's 3 and 1. But the excitement around this game is around the stars, just like what you said, it's not the weather. It's Lamar Jackson. It's Josh Allen. These are two front-runners for MVP.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: Jackson's playing so well. Buffalo has improved so much since they got dominated by Baltimore Week 4. They lost 35 to 10. I think they're going to manage to score more than 10 points in this game. The big sticking point for me is I just don't think, Scott, that the Bills are going to be able to stop the run game. Derrick Henry...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Lamar Jackson. Yeah, I think they're going to have a hard time because they don't have - how do I put this? - big enough humans...
SIMON: Ooh, ooh.
STEELE: ...On the other side...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...To stop them. We'll see what happens. Bills team, prove me wrong, but we'll see.
SIMON: Yeah, I'd like to - oh, never - I'd like to see Buffalo get a little good luck.
STEELE: A lot of people would. A lot of people would. Yeah, I think it'll be a good game.
SIMON: OK. Yeah, certainly. College football national championships Monday in Atlanta - Ohio State and Notre Dame, two historic programs. Let me just say (singing) shake down the thunder...
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: ...From the sky-ya-ya-ya (ph). Which team looks stronger?
STEELE: The Buckeyes. They are the definite favorites in this matchup. They've got the No. 1 defense, Scott. Their offense has absolutely turned heads as well this post-season. They've got this...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Receiver, Jeremiah Smith. He has been uncoverable in the playoffs. And Notre Dame just doesn't have the kind of offense that's going to be able to overcome a big point deficit. That being said, I was talking to a college football insider recently. He compared the Irish defense to an ankylosaurus dinosaur. And just to paint a picture for you, it looks like...
SIMON: Oh.
STEELE: ...A turtle with a, you know, big intimidating weaponry on its tail...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...You know, low to the ground, armored, indestructible. So don't count Notre Dame out here.
SIMON: I never do. What a scholarly approach, by the way. And finally, Bob Uecker, journeyman ballplayer with four teams, 200 career hitter, catcher. Couldn't catch a knuckleball, but he became a beloved baseball wit, a movie star, an announcer for his hometown Milwaukee Brewers. Died Thursday. He was 90. Here he is when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an announcer in 2003.
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BOB UECKER: I still, and this is not sour grapes by any means, still think I should have gone in as a player.
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SIMON: How would you remember Bob Uecker?
STEELE: You know, I was never lucky enough to work with him or meet him. But the most resonant thing, I think, said about Bob Uecker this week was said by Adam Sandler, who said it was like losing your dad's best friend.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: You know, a parent's best friend who dies, someone they're always welcome in your home.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: They're always around. They've been around as long as you have, but they're not going to be there anymore. And for Brewers fans, he was the sound of summer. And I get that. You know, for me, Harry Caray was the sound of summer for a long time.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: So I remember him for being the funny TV dad from "Mr. Belvedere." And, of course, the iconic - I know you did this with Elving not too long ago, but just a bit outside, right?
SIMON: Oh, gosh, yeah. Ah, he was terrific. It was - you know, so glad to benefit from his life and work.
Michele Steele of ESPN, thanks so much for being back with us. Talk to you soon.
STEELE: Talk to you soon. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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