SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: Chiefs at Bills - get set. The Cleveland Cavaliers - perfect so far. And a new era in men's tennis. Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media joins us. Howard, thanks so much for being with us.
HOWARD BRYANT: Good morning, Scott Simon. How are you?
SIMON: I'm fine, thanks. Let's begin with football. Kansas City Chiefs are 9 and 0, favored for the Super Bowl. But big test tomorrow - they will be in Buffalo to face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Could this be a playoff preview?
BRYANT: Well, not only could it be - it should be. Between Buffalo and Baltimore, which has already lost to the Chiefs, these are the teams that are supposed to be challenging them. And the Chiefs are trying to do the thing we've never seen in the Super Bowl era, which is a team to win three straight championships. They're not that good this year, except that they're really, really good. I mean, they're...
SIMON: (Laughter).
BRYANT: ...You know, they're...
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: ...Undefeated. They win at the last second. They win all the games. They...
SIMON: That's exciting.
BRYANT: But every game is really, really close. Every game, they look like they're going to lose. They - it's - they seem to sort of be mediocre, except they've got a really, really good defense. They've only given up 161 points. But they win last week on the last-second blocked field goal. They just find ways to win, and they've got Patrick Mahomes.
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: But if we're really looking at them, they're not a dominant team. They're not - you know - it's not like the, you know, the '07 Patriots or the - you know, the '85, you know, Bears or the 49ers and they - you know, where they just come out and crush everybody.
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: This team is teetering, and yet they just keep winning. That's what happens when you've got the best quarterback.
SIMON: Any players or storylines surprise you now that we've passed the halfway mark?
BRYANT: In the league or...
SIMON: Yeah, in the league. Yeah.
BRYANT: ...Or with the Chiefs?
SIMON: Well, both. But I mean, in the league, I'm thinking.
BRYANT: Well, I think in the league, obviously, Lamar Jackson is such a great player. I mean, he's just done everything that you could ask a player to do. And, you know, obviously, with him, you're just waiting for the - you know, you're waiting for the playoffs to see what he does.
Pittsburgh has been a great story. Nobody thought that Russell Wilson was going to come back.
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: And he was buried in Denver last year, and he was on the bench this year. And now he's the leader of a first-place team. There's a lot of good stories. And I think that obviously Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia - you know, Philadelphia always pessimistic, and yet, here they are - another good team. And don't forget the Washington Commanders as well - good team, good story, new ownership, really exciting stuff over there, too.
SIMON: Let's move on to basketball, because there is no hotter team in pro sports right now than the Cleveland Cavaliers - 14 and 0, a perfect start after they won last night over the Chicago Bulls. Cleveland rocks.
BRYANT: (Laughter) I was waiting for that. I was about to admonish you if I - if a 14 and 0 Cleveland team doesn't get a Cleveland rocks, it's got to be retired.
SIMON: Oh, absolutely. How are they doing? How are they doing?
BRYANT: Really great team. Well, they come out - they were injured last year. They go down in the playoffs to the Knicks, and all their guys are sitting in street clothes. And here they are now. They were a good team last year, and now they're beating teams by 12 1/2 points. They play the world champion...
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: ...Defending champion, Boston Celtics, next week. That's going to be a great matchup. But you've got Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen - they're really good players. And I just don't think anybody is - you know, is taking them that seriously yet. But they put 144 points on Chicago last night, so...
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: ...Time to pay attention to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Haven't seen in - this Cleveland team this good since LeBron James left.
SIMON: Yep. Well, you know, my Cavs jacket - I still wear it. And, you know, people will be saluting this year. Finally, tennis - look, ATP Tour finals taking place in Italy, end of the tennis season. Only the top eight men single players are invited. Nobody named Federer, Nadal, Djokovic - end of one era, start of a new one?
BRYANT: Absolutely, end of an era. And that's - and it's time. I mean, it's - you know, a tear is shed, of course, because Rafa Nadal is retiring at the end of this year. He's going to play Davis Cup, and then that is the end of the great, great Nadal's career. Novak Djokovic - still, you know, probably the best player when he's right, maybe. But it's a new era now. Federer - the big three, it's done. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic - all done. Novak is the only one still active. But this is the time now of Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev and, of course, Carlos Alcaraz. And at the ATP finals right now, what are we looking at? Maybe, you know, Sinner hasn't lost a match. It's time to get used to some new names, Scott Simon.
SIMON: All right. With your help, I'll do that. Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media, thanks so much for being with us.
BRYANT: Oh, my pleasure. Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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