VSiN By The Books | August 25, 2026 | Hour 1

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
This is VSiN By The Books on VSiN, the eSports betting network.

**Dave Ross** (0:13)
It is the Tuesday edition of VSiN By The Books. I'm Dave Ross right here at the Midgaming Hall, Franklin, Kentucky. Our closer Jensen Lewis, team No Sleep back home in Cleveland, Ohio. We've got a great show. Did you get out there and see the crew last night?

**Jensen Lewis** (0:27)
Oh, man.
Home sweet home, baby. It was incredible. Yet again, I know they're 100 years old. I don't know how some of them are still alive. But yet again, there's nothing like finishing a set with Kickstart by Heart. If I could go back and redo my intro song when I was closing back in 2008, I think that's what I would come into would be that song. So Tommy Lee is still doing it.
My ears are still ringing. So I'm going to do my best to hear you through this first hour. But yeah, we enjoyed it. It's great. It's actually cool. Dave, I went from 108 out in Vegas. We land on Sunday. It's about mid-60s here. It got down to the high 50s here in Cleveland last night. So we are right into football weather. A chill over Northeast Ohio after the news we heard yesterday at the end of our show as well.

**Dave Ross** (1:29)
Yeah, no doubt about it. And again, that would be very retro if you came back and came in to kickstart my heart because as you know, Kodai Senga is now coming out to Michael Jackson's beat it from the 80s. So everything that was old is new again for closers. That's for sure. Great show lined up here. Jensen, you're going to have Greg Peterson join us here later on this hour right there from Sin City. Get his picks in Major League Baseball today. Joe Bartle is going to be back in the program today from Road of Wire talking all fantasy football as well. And Ryan Crane, we're going to get up early with this co-host, of course, of Sports Gaming Podcast Network. We'll talk to Ryan about his college football thoughts and beyond. But you mentioned it right there in the great city of Cleveland. As we were going off the air yesterday, it became official. Let's break it down today in our highlights and headlines.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:15)
Help your bottom line with today's highlights and headlines.

**Dave Ross** (2:25)
Sometimes it's not as simple as, all right, we're going to just go with the best guy. Sometimes there's going to be some politics involved and certainly money is involved. Jensen here with maybe some guys you're paying a lot more than you're paying others. Not saying that's how the Browns got to their decision. We saw the number really start to plummet. We felt like maybe we really do have a decision. Is it going to be Shador? Will it be Deshaun? It is Deshaun Watson. Jensen, while we're not ultimately surprised, do you think there was any chance that Shador Sanders could actually have been QB1 before the summer began?

**Jensen Lewis** (2:59)
Yeah, I think there could have been and it would have probably necessitated Deshaun Watson being hurt. I think that when you look at a couple of different layers, which we will coming up, first and foremost, if Deshaun Watson truly was not capable, Todd Munkin in year one would not have taken this kind of risk. You know, again, this is a guy that's coming in trying to make a great first impression has been in the division for a while. Coming over from the Raven side, Shador Sanders, as I told you, had the opportunity. He did not do enough of his own volition to be able to make this as stark a contrast as any. When that is the case, Dave, I would imagine a veteran coach goes with the veteran quarterback at least to start. There is no timeline as far as how long the leash are probably more operative, how short the leash could be here for Deshaun Watson. But a couple of things at play, I'll dive into you with as we move forward in this show. But I can tell you here in hearing from different fans and different critics in the like, it's a mixed bag actually. There are a contingent of people that are like, hey, you know, Shador didn't do enough. And while the stuff off the field and what happened with the comments on Saturday from Deshaun Watson, by the way, he did apologize to the media yesterday. We'll see how heartfelt that is.
I do wonder if the delusions of this fan base, which there are plenty, are ones that clouded judgment or at least emotionally overtook them. So as I told you yesterday, the thing that cures it all, you go out and win, and it doesn't really matter at that point because you're into the season and your eyes gotta be looking forward through the windshield.