The Adam Carolla Show - Wade Phillips on NFL Going Corporate, Old-School Training & Great Houston Oilers

Episode Date: November 26, 2025
Guests: Wade Phillips (legendary NFL coach)
Host: Adam Carolla
Additional voices: Jason 'Mayhem' Miller, Jay Mohr
Theme: The evolution of football from its colorful, character-driven past to a modern, corporate sport—and the enduring legacy of the Houston Oilers and coach Bum Phillips.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Adam Carolla sits down with Wade Phillips, the storied NFL coach and son of the legendary Bum Phillips, to discuss the shifting nature of football, the charm and grit of the old-school Houston Oilers, and the culture of the NFL across generations. Interwoven with comedic bits, topical rants, and social commentary, the show delivers a hearty dose of unfiltered banter on everything from AI voice cloning politicians to controversial takes on gender in sports.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Opening Banter & Pop Culture Riffs (03:42–17:00)

• Adam and his co-hosts riff on nostalgia topics such as "Barely Legal" magazine, aging pop culture, and generational shifts in attitudes.
• They humorously highlight how references and societal norms have changed, poking fun at the "creepiness" of certain 1990s media trends and media confusion surrounding them today.
• Memorable exchange:
  Adam Carolla (05:23): “The barely legal woman is old and that's how old we are.”

2. Adam’s Texas Track Misadventure (09:49–18:11)

• Adam shares a comedic travel story about getting locked out of an Audi SUV at a West Texas racetrack—phones, luggage, and all locked inside.
• The ordeal highlights the perils of modern car tech (“the Audi locks itself”) and the quirks of roadside tech support.
• Quote:
  Adam Carolla (13:31): “We just stood there for two hours, no water, no beer, no phone, just standing like Robinson Crusoe.”

3. Satirical AI Voiceovers: Politicians & Celebrities (18:11–36:38)

• Adam plays a series of audio clips featuring AI “Burt Reynolds” voicing over Gavin Newsom, Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Nithya Raman, Sunny Hostin—a running gag to satirize political and social commentary.
• The bit exposes how talking points sound when exaggerated or filtered through an absurd persona.
• Key Quotes:
  • Adam Carolla (20:11): "Once you put Burt Reynolds’s voice on some of these people, you realize they sound totally insane.”
  • AI Burt Reynolds as Gavin Newsom (27:06): “That’s true. Because it’s true.”
• The hosts and guests dissect how feelings-oriented, rambling speech (“feelings culture, not facts and numbers culture”) undermines clarity in public debate (58:33).

4. NFL Toughness, Player Safety, and Decline of Grit (42:56–53:09)

• Discussion of a viral NFL game incident (uppercut to the groin), player equipment, and the lack of cup/mouthpiece enforcement in the league.
• Adam draws parallels between old and new attitudes about safety and toughness, calling out inconsistencies in rule enforcement.
• Jay Mohr (46:18): “I can understand the not wanting to wear a cup because I think a cup is going to cost you a little bit of speed, a little bit of time.”
• Adam decries the emphasis on spectacle and rule inconsistencies, reminiscing about a wilder, less sanitized NFL.

5. Gender, Sports, & Social Contradictions (48:18–58:33)

• The show covers a recent controversy over a trans woman being stripped of the World’s Strongest Woman title—sparking debate over fairness in women’s and trans sports.

• Adam critiques the confusion and hypocrisy in left-wing positions on gender and athletics:
  Adam Carolla (52:14): “Do you support this [male-born athletes in women's sports] or don’t you? Your policies are so insane, they come back and they bite you all the time.”

• They play/critique a Whoopi Goldberg clip on trans athletes, lampooning its incoherence and feelings-centric logic.

• Adam Carolla (58:33): "This is a feelings culture, not a facts-and-numbers culture... that's why they all sound so fucking weird."

• The hosts advocate for clarity and reason in public discourse, especially in policy and media debates.

6. Featured Interview: Wade Phillips on Football’s Old Guard vs. Corporate NFL (66:28–91:02)

a. Bum Phillips, the Houston Oilers & Football’s Character Era

• Wade recounts the atmosphere of the 1970s–80s NFL:

  • Coaches with personal style (his dad’s cowboy hat, Tom Landry’s fedora).
  • Fewer corporate strictures—“Back then, you could wear what you wanted... now, it’s corporate. You wear whatever advertisement the NFL wants.”
  • The Oilers’ ascent, the rivalry with the Steelers, and the Texas football craze.

• Quote (67:17):
  Wade Phillips: “Those were the days. They were certainly different... My dad wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots—don’t think we’ll ever see that again.”

b. Transformation in Training & Athlete Expectations

• On the evolution from brutal, under-resourced training to today’s athlete care:
  • Old-school skepticism about water breaks: “There was not an emphasis on hydration back then.”
  • Now, “it's completely different. We did have Gatorade, though...” (78:03).
  • The increase in size among offensive linemen, but only incremental improvement in athleticism among defenders.

c. The Business & Instability of Coaching

• Wade recalls three straight playoff losses followed by being fired, emphasizing the volatility of coaching life:
  Wade Phillips (80:18): "There are two kinds of coaches—those who have been fired and those who are going to be fired."

d. The Authenticity and Humanity of Bum Phillips

• Bum’s authenticity and care for players and family set him apart.
• Wade Phillips (80:29): “He told people he loved them, and they didn’t do that in those days... especially family.”
• Wade cherishes the decade he spent coaching alongside his father.

e. Era-Defining Games & the Role of Luck

• Discussion of pivotal games and officiating affecting legacies.
• Adam laments questionable game-changing calls (85:00), reflecting on how franchises need breaks as well as skill to build dynasties.
• Wade Phillips (87:48): “You make most of your breaks... but those teams, they just kept winning.”

f. Closing: The Phillips Family Legacy & “Love Ya Bum” Documentary

• The doc “Love Ya Bum” covers three generations of NFL coaching.
• Wade: “It’s about my dad and I, Love Ya Blue, and also my son Wes—three generations... a pretty amazing era.”
• The documentary’s emotional impact and significance for the Phillips family and NFL fans is celebrated.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Adam Carolla on "feelings culture": (58:33)
  “This is a feelings culture, not a facts-and-numbers culture. They have tons of feelings. But when you listen to them, they sound incoherent... That’s what kids sound like when they’re upset.”
• Wade Phillips on old-school coaching: (77:47)
  “You still looked after your players. If they got dehydrated, we had to get them water...”
• Jay Mohr on NFL protective gear: (46:18)
  “I can understand... a cup is going to cost you a little bit of speed, a little bit of time.”
• Adam Carolla on dynasties and breaks: (85:30)
  “The Patriots, when they were at the height of their powers, not only were they really good, but they caught the breaks for a while too.”

Key Timestamps

• 04:45 - Barely Legal magazine & generational trivia
• 10:01 - Locked out at West Texas racetrack story
• 18:11–36:38 - AI Burt Reynolds parody of political/social commentary
• 43:08–47:50 - NFL brawl/nut shot & gear compliance in football
• 48:18–58:33 - Trans women in women’s sports; social contradictions
• 66:28–91:02 - Wade Phillips interview: Past vs. present in NFL, Oilers tales, Bum Phillips’ legacy

Overall Tone & Takeaway

Candid, irreverent, nostalgic, and contrarian, this episode blends sports history with a broader critique of societal and sporting trends, using comedy and satire. Carolla and Phillips reflect on a beloved era of football not just for its accomplishments, but for its authentic characters and community spirit—contrasting it with today's more sanitized, corporate, and sometimes confusing landscape.

Whether critiquing politicians, celebrating the Phillips football dynasty, or recounting road trip fiascos, the show provides plenty for listeners nostalgic for sports’ unruly past and skeptical of polite, “feelings-first” modernity.

Listen if you enjoy:

• NFL history and behind-the-scenes stories
• Debates about culture, authenticity, and progress
• Comedic takes on trending social and political issues
• Intergenerational sports wisdom and family legacies