Bills MAILBAG, Mike Giardi on the Patriots 'VRABEL-Russini' DISTRACTION and LIFE ADVICE for fans

Summary

Buffalo Plus: Bills MAILBAG, Mike Giardi on the Patriots 'VRABEL-Russini' DISTRACTION, and LIFE ADVICE for Fans
Episode Date: May 5, 2026
Host Team: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
Special Guest: Mike Giardi (Boston Sports Journal)

---

Episode Overview

This episode of the Buffalo Plus Podcast features a lively mailbag session tackling pressing Buffalo Bills offseason topics. The hosts are joined by recurring guest Mike Giardi, who provides insider perspective on the Patriots' tumultuous "Vrabel-Rossini" distraction and its organizational fallout. The episode closes with practical (and comedic) life advice, featuring stories from the trio’s daily lives and a heartfelt discussion on how fans can maintain their love for the Bills through decades of heartbreak.

---

Key Episode Segments & Timestamps

1. Bills Mailbag with In-Depth Offseason Discussion (03:44 – 26:22)

• Addressing fan-submitted questions about vibes under new coach Joe Brady, the prospects of the Bills becoming a top offense, rookie expectations, defensive outlook under new DC Jim Leonhard, and potential free agent reunions.

2. Mike Giardi Talks the Patriots’ ‘Vrabel-Rossini’ Distraction (26:22 – 49:54)

• Frontline insight into New England’s ongoing scandal and its on- and off-field impact.
• Analysis of the upcoming (rumored) A.J. Brown trade and its effect on both Patriots and NFL media.

3. Life Advice, Fan Therapy, and Embarrassing Stories (51:19 – End)

• Addressing generational Bills fan fatigue and learning how to rekindle hope.
• Listener question on coping with years of heartbreak, funny workplace stories, and the universal pain of dad jokes.

---

Detailed Summary & Insights

1. Bills Mailbag: Key Offseason Questions

Are the “Vibes” Different Under Joe Brady?

• [04:00] Mike Catalana: "To be determined... if you don't have good vibes in April and May, what are we talking about here?... Joe [Brady] is connected with a lot of the players, so I think there's the potential for it to be great. Right? But it's May..."
• [05:17] Dan Fates: "I think 31 other teams, everything is sunshine and rainbows, right?"
• [05:36] Jenna Cottrell: Notes the visible changes in team culture, like new signage ("put the ball down") and Brady's different personality, but cautions that "just because it's different doesn't mean it's better or worse. It’s just different."

Will Joe Brady’s Offense Be a Juggernaut?

• [07:00] Jenna Cottrell: Fan hot take: "The Bills have the number one offense this year for yards, scoring, and EPA per play."
• [07:20] Mike Catalana: Pushes back on the narrative that Sean McDermott “held back” the offense: "I never got the feeling there were these 10 great plays... but the head coach was saying, 'no, we can’t do that'... I don’t buy it."
• [09:24] Dan Fates: Points to player personnel limitations as last year’s main issue, not coaching "governors," and highlights new offensive weapons like DJ Moore.

Rookies & Newcomers Poised for a Breakout?

• [10:51] Dan Fates: Calls Skyler Bell an especially intriguing rookie: "I'm so curious to see out there and how they bring him up to speed in this offense..."
• [11:49] Mike Catalana: On the meritocracy in Josh Allen's offense: "He doesn’t care how old you are... Get open, catch the ball. That could be Keon Coleman this year, could be Skyler Bell."
• [13:53] Dan & Mike: Discuss the path for IGB (rookie CB) to potentially start, referencing Christian Benford’s unexpected rise his rookie year and the role of new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
• [15:44] Jenna Cottrell: Wonders about the forgotten potential of Landon Jackson, noting he "felt like the game was moving at a pretty fast pace" last year.

Can the Bills Defense Become a Top-5 Sack Unit?

• [18:19] Dan Fates: "No. And yes." Thinks Jim Leonard’s influence will help, but doesn’t see a true top-5 unit absent game-changing edge rushers.
• [18:44] Mike Catalana: "It’s a little unfair to Jim Leonard... This is his first time in the NFL calling plays."
• Emphasizes the challenge of integrating multiple new players, rookies, and a new system simultaneously.

Which Former Bills Make Sense for a Reunion?

• [21:13] Mike Catalana: Trey White is working out at the facility but is not under contract. Says there's a "path" for his return but also notes, "They need a veteran corner."
• [22:18] Dan Fates: Suggests Matt Milano could return, observing that he "looked better... flashes of the old Milano at the end of last year."
• General consensus: New philosophy may not favor "retreads," and the front office may lean toward new “fresh blood,” despite sentimental favorites.

---

2. Mike Giardi on the Patriots’ VRABEL-Rossini Distraction

(Starts at 26:22)

The Fallout and Why It’s Such an Issue

• [29:47] Mike Giardi: "The number of PR mistakes has been mind-boggling... Don't mess with Page Six... They have tentacles everywhere."
• Describes the Patriots’ PR handling as “poking the bear” and notes the distraction moved from “a nothing burger” to impacting football operations rapidly.
• Bears witness to Vrabel needing to address the team repeatedly as new revelations kept surfacing: "Wait, you just told us? And now we're having this conversation again? How many more times are we going to have to have this conversation? We got work to do here."

How Will This Affect Vrabel’s Leadership?

• [33:41] Mike Giardi: "He preached to them, you know, make good decisions on and off the field... and then you turn around and you make the mistake, then you compound it by not telling the truth..."
• Reports from inside the building: Vrabel is "a little bit muted... If you know his energy level, that’s his thing. And he hasn't been that right now." Impact on the team dynamic is still to be determined but is being closely monitored.

Media Lessons & League Takeaways

• [35:39] Mike Giardi: Patriots' fans “want it to go away,” while ownership is also hoping for the story to fade so they can “get back to football.”
• Broader league/methodological questions: "How can an insider have this sort of relationship with the players? Should we reconsider how insiders do their business?"

A.J. Brown Trade Chatter

• [38:07] Mike Catalana: "Do you feel that [A.J. Brown to New England] trade’s going to happen?...Do you think any of this has any impact on the trade?"
• [38:50] Mike Giardi: "I would be very surprised if June 2nd or somewhere close thereafter that deal is not finalized."

Mike Giardi on the Bills’ Draft: Skeptical

• [40:43] Mike Catalana: "What didn’t you like about the draft?"
• [41:39] Mike Giardi: "I could care less about value...The goal of player acquisition is to get the best players possible... Do you come away from that draft and say, 'oh the Buffalo Bills are better than they were’? I don’t know that."
• On IGB (rookie CB): “Big hit-or-miss type player” – Giardi doesn’t buy the argument of picking him more for the future than immediate contribution, referencing Josh Allen’s championship window.

Comic Relief: Football Movies Debate

• Giardi admits to having never watched Remember the Titans, Friday Night Lights, or Draft Day ("I’m not a TV person anymore, buttercup.") – sparking much banter among the hosts.
• [45:30] Mike Giardi: “If you want to go watch the movie [Any Given Sunday], just go to YouTube, find the clip [Al Pacino’s speech], watch it for three minutes, and then go do something physical because you’ll be fired up. Otherwise, awful.”

---

3. Life Advice: Fan Therapy and Real-Life Laughs

(Starts at 51:19)

Listener Letter: Generational Bills Heartbreak

• [53:47] Steve: Asks how to help his father, a lifelong Bills fan worn down by heartbreak, to regain his love of the team.
• [54:40] Mike Catalana: Compares to his own dad’s Eagles fandom; suggests focusing on Josh Allen’s “greatness” and the privilege of witnessing elite-level football.
• [55:13] Dan Fates: "There has been how many years of football, and you're lucky to be on the earth when Josh Allen is playing for your team."
• [55:44] Jenna Cottrell: Offers perspective: "Sometimes this is gonna sound really corny, but it is about the time that you have together... there are so many things that are scripted or fake, you can't make up sports."

Embarrassing Dad Joke Story

• [57:03 - 61:27] Dan Fates: Relays the cringe-inducing experience of making a classic dad joke (“So you guys don't have to go to the gym today, huh?”) to Lowe’s workers, only to be met with silence. He reflects on the universal awkwardness and apologizes for the joke.
• Supported by stories from Mike and Jenna—universalizing the dad joke phenomenon and raising questions about when (and how) to tip in such situations.

Fan Shoutouts

• Mentions to listeners Jake (Lowe's), John Harris (Daystar Derby), and other Bills fans met in the wild for their support of the podcast.

---

Notable Quotes

On the offseason “vibes” under Joe Brady:

"Joe is connected with a lot of the players, so I think there’s the potential for it to be great... But it’s May, so you even said this. If it ain’t good in May, what do we have here?" — Mike Catalana [04:00]

On mailbag narratives of ‘unrestricted’ Joe Brady:

"I reject the premise. You can’t give all the success to one way and the criticism the other. Josh won an MVP. James Cook won a rushing title. Offense scored 30 points a game. But there’s a governor on the coordinator? I don’t think that’s fair to Joe Brady." — Mike Catalana [07:20]

On the Patriots’ PR disaster:

"Don't mess with Page Six... They have tentacles everywhere. And they didn't present this without knowing there was more to come." — Mike Giardi [29:47]

On Vrabel’s leadership after the scandal:

"He preached... make good decisions on and off the field... and then you turn around and you make the mistake, then you compound it by not telling the truth..." — Mike Giardi [33:41]

On the Bills’ draft philosophy:

"I could care less about value... The goal of player acquisition is to get the best players possible, best players possible for your system..." — Mike Giardi [41:39]

On football movies:

"If you want to go watch the movie [Any Given Sunday], just go to YouTube, find the [speech] clip, watch it for three minutes, and then go do something physical because you'll be fired up. Otherwise, awful." — Mike Giardi [45:30]

On generational Bills heartbreak:

"One time it’s going to happen. Yeah. It's going to—they're going to break through." — Mike Catalana [55:02]

On the universality of awkward dad jokes:

"So you guys don’t have to go to the gym today, huh?" — Dan Fates, to stony silence at Lowe’s [59:40]

---

Tone Highlights

• Conversational and witty, often tongue-in-cheek, with authentic locker-room camaraderie.
• Candid and insider-focused: Offers honest, unscripted perspectives on rumors, team culture, and NFL organizational behavior.
• Relatable and optimistic: Emphasizes the unique culture of Bills fandom and the unbreakable bond formed through shared hope (and heartbreak).

---

Episode Takeaways

• The Bills are in a period of transition—but real evaluation will only come once games are played.
• Most offseason optimism is just that: optimism. Personnel upgrades, if impactful, will come from rookies or new faces, not sentimental reunions.
• The Patriots’ "Vrabel-Rossini" story is both a media sensation and real distraction, raising important questions about leadership, PR, and transparency in modern NFL organizations.
• Bills fans are encouraged to savor the moment ("we are so lucky to get to watch Josh Allen play football") and cherish the ride together, despite decades of disappointment.
• Embarrassing moments (and bad jokes) are universal—embrace them, own them, and always tip your mulch loader.

---

For more Bills insight and daily podcasts, visit BuffaloPlus.com or subscribe on YouTube!

Transcript

[Dan Fates]

Do you want me to start?

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, you go ahead. All right.

[Dan Fates]

In three, two. All right, We.

[Mike Catalana]

Great start. Wow.

[Mike Giardi]

We got to keep that in.

[Dan Fates]

We now.

[Mike Giardi]

Seriously.

[Mike Catalana]

All right. He's like the Red Sox. He's 0 for 2. Let's see if he can get a hit. Here we go.

[Mike Giardi]

Now, from the Connors and Ferris podcast

[Dan Fates]

studio, this is the Buffalo. Buffalo Plus Podcast.

[Jenna Cotro]

Welcome back to the Buffalo Plus Podcast. Mike Catalana, Dan Fates. I am Jenna Cotro. Please be sure to, like, comment, subscribe, and share. We are here in the Connors and Ferris podcast studio, a busy show today. We're going to be doing mailbag questions that you all sent in. We posted it on our Twitter. We also have a very special guest, Mike Giardi, as well as life advice to round everything out.

[Mike Catalana]

But, yeah, Mike Giardi, who is talking to us about not just the Mike Vrabel story, more about how this has impacted the organization. Organization. And how. Just so you guys will all love this, how it is a miserable time for Boston Sports right now.

[Dan Fates]

As we've talked about, Giardi has been on more than anybody else. He is the og.

[Jenna Cotro]

Does he have a hat? He needs a hat.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, his daughter stole it. Oh, he has. But he was great because we'd have him on and he would talk about how dysfunctional Belichick and, you know, Mayo was and all those times, and then they had their season, and he's the president of the Drake May fan club.

[Mike Catalana]

Dysfunction is back.

[Dan Fates]

Dysfunction is back. And you are going to like what Mike Jordi has to say again, because Boston Sports is riding shotgun on the struggle bus. And congrats.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes. Success. Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Let me tell you, I.

[Dan Fates]

It's so funny.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, this is what I want to say. Joel Embiid, not the injury part, but I always thought of him like Josh.

[Dan Fates]

Okay.

[Mike Catalana]

Didn't always have the guys with him, and then in his case, it was injuries, but there was always something, and the guy performed. And I always thought, I'm like, Josh, this physical marvel of a player, and he should have gotten there. Now he hasn't gotten anywhere yet, and you know what I mean? But to see him come back and then perform like he did was cool.

[Dan Fates]

We have no skin in the game, just that our boss and mentor and dad was rooting for the team. Yeah, that was kind of cool.

[Jenna Cotro]

We, like, genuinely were happy for you.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, they. Okay, so keep in mind, the Sixers last eliminated the Celtics in the playoffs when I was freshman in college.

[Jenna Cotro]

That's.

[Mike Catalana]

That was, like, 10 years ago also.

[Dan Fates]

It's like Also, you may have. You may have turned around the season.

[Mike Catalana]

So I was at the game, and I had to talk with Nick Nurse, the coach, and I'm like, fella, if you don't game four, if you don't fix this, you're gone. You're out. From that point on, they won three in a row.

[Jenna Cotro]

So look at that.

[Mike Catalana]

Look at that.

[Jenna Cotro]

The power of Mike Catalana.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, so this is also kind of like a smorgasborg episode because.

[Mike Catalana]

No, we won't even try.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yep.

[Dan Fates]

No, I got it. S M O R G A S B O R D. You googled it

[Mike Catalana]

and wrote it down. That doesn't count.

[Dan Fates]

Says who?

[Jenna Cotro]

Okay, now spell charcuterie.

[Dan Fates]

So, yeah, so it's just Mailbag Giardi to come on. Just because obviously, the Vrabel Rossini story has been everything in this, the NFL world.

[Mike Catalana]

He also talks a little bit about the Bills. Obviously, Mike Houston cover the Bills, too. So, yeah, I was gonna say coach, but cover the Bills.

[Dan Fates]

So all of that and then life advice at the end, I have an embarrassing story that I. I can't wait to hear this.

[Jenna Cotro]

He has. He has saved it for the pod.

[Dan Fates]

So, Yeah, I haven't even told you guys.

[Jenna Cotro]

Very excited. All right, so we'll start with our mailbag. First question coming in from Pat Yandow. So it's essentially, do the vibes under Joe Brady at the helm feel different in Orchard Park? Michael, what are your thoughts on that?

[Mike Catalana]

Well, I'd certainly say to be determined. Like, they've talked about it a lot, and Dan's mentioned it, and you've mentioned it. If you don't have good vibes in April and May, like, come on, what are we talking about here? The last time we saw Sean McDermott coaching the team, it's deep into the playoffs, and I will say the vibes were pretty good. They were really good, and they beat Jacksonville, and they were really good the next week, and then the season was over, and Sean was gone. So never thought it was a vibes issue, but that's been a narrative for the team. They want to say that. I mean, Joe is connected with a lot of the players, so I think there's the potential for it to be great. Right? Yeah. But it's May, so you even said this. If it ain't good in May, what do we have here? So I say the potential is there for it to be different. I know sometimes people think, like, lighter and more fun. I never got the impression those guys were not enjoying themselves or being themselves, but that doesn't mean it can't still change a little bit. So to be determined.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. Again, I think that everything. I think 31 other teams, everything is sunshine and rainbows, right?

[Mike Catalana]

Jets, Patriots.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Everybody's feeling pretty good about their team right now.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So, yeah, I think that. Mike, it's well said, like, to be determined. Like, there's new signage. We haven't been around the team much. It was a lot of press conferences in the sterile kind of media room, more than an open locker room. Haven't gotten to see the players yet that are some of the rookies that'll be coming up this week later on.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, I think. I think what you guys are saying makes total sense to me. Like, they're in a good place right now. I do think it feels a little different just in terms of. With there being new signage and, you know, the new phrase of, like, put the ball down. Like, that is definitely, like, hearing that that being talked about is. Is different. The way Brady is in front of the media is a little bit different. He's just obviously a different person, a different personality. But I'm really curious when we get into training camp and then obviously, as we get further into the season, like, what it will feel like, because, like, you guys have talked about, like, it was already a pretty. I would say it was a good vibe. And I always felt like the Bills were great at having fun, but also the focus on work, like, you knew when you were at a practice, like, it was like the guys were smiling and joking around, but also it was like, all right, this is time on task as well. So that is something that I'm. I'm curious to see how it will develop. But with there being a new head coach and a new voice, the vibe is different. But again, we're. We're waiting to see how that will play out down the road. But just because it's different doesn't mean it's better or worse. It's just. It's just different. It's a different font, it feels like, to me. That brings us to our next question from Lee Gazellman. Hot take. With the new look, offense and unrestricted Joe Brady, the Bills have the number one office this year for yards scoring an EPA per play. What is your take on that?

[Mike Catalana]

Will they have that? Is that what they're asking? Will they have?

[Jenna Cotro]

They were more saying, like, they will have. Yeah, but my thought process is there's been a lot of talk about, like, an unrestricted Joe Brady or essentially, like, they're taking the. Not even the training Wheels.

[Dan Fates]

But like the governor.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Wow. Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

Sorry. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Talks about this.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Governor. It's like they put them on like

[Dan Fates]

go Go karts, golf carts.

[Mike Catalana]

You can only go so, so fast. Yeah, yeah, I know. That's a. That's a narrative, too. You mean there's a few people who think they know and they've had pretty strong opinions. I never got the feeling like there was these 10 great plays and 10 great things the Bills wanted to do in the biggest moments in the biggest games. But the head coach was saying, no, we can't do that because that, you know, might work. I don't. I don't buy that you can't give all the success to one way and the criticism the other. Josh won an MVP. James Cook won a rushing title. Offense scored 30 points a game. But there's a governor on the coordinator. I don't think that's fair to Joe Brady. Like, what's he supposed to do, you know, now open it up that much? So I don't. I reject the premise. That's it.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Part doesn't mean he can't change some things as the full head coach, but I think it was his run in

[Dan Fates]

the offense, the take of unrestricted makes it me think that in the narrative, like you were saying, Mike, that Sean was like an anchor on this team. And I just don't think that was the case. Again, we've talked enough about it. We want to move forward, but I just don't think there was ever. We've talked about it before where you see players quit on the coach, Miami and other teams where, like, it just has. The bottom has fallen out. And I've never got that sense that this locker room quit on Sean McDermott and that they were holding back anything offensively. I think they used everything that they had to an offense that personnel wise, wasn't good enough last year.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I mean, look, there's a big stretch between quitting on the guy and maybe there being some. Some messaging of what they want. They wanted to be more physical. They wanted to be able to run the ball. Look, there are. There's a lot of room for Josh Allen in the passing game to be better. Right.

[Dan Fates]

I mean, he hasn't thrown for 4,000 yards last two years.

[Mike Catalana]

Right. And so you brought in DJ Moore now. And so hopefully that helps. And you know, we'll see with Skyler Bell, like, does that help? Is Keon better, like all those things?

[Dan Fates]

Does Kincaid play 17 games?

[Jenna Cotro]

Like, if you want to say that

[Dan Fates]

premise of like the hot take with DJ Moore and a healthy Kincaid on load management throughout the preseason and things like that. And Joe Brady taking over full control

[Mike Catalana]

if he's getting the play out of his guys. Yeah, yeah. Like if Kincaid is out there a

[Dan Fates]

lot, if you get that changes and if you get something from Keon, like if you get more from Keon or

[Jenna Cotro]

you have someone to replace Keon.

[Mike Catalana]

Right?

[Dan Fates]

Skylar Bell.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. And look, Brandon Beans obviously focused on that. He drafted a receiver, he traded and signed a receiver. Right. They've gone that route of knowing they need more out of the offense. That's a personnel thing more than it is a philosophy change. James Cook's a hell of a player. So you're not stepping away from James in terms of maybe the total carries, but in order to do that, you got to replace it with better passing. Better passing. Better passing numbers.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

And better passing attack.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. In general. So that's fair.

[Jenna Cotro]

Chris Settle, which new edition rookie or free agent? Whichever stands to stand the most to gain with a big summer.

[Dan Fates]

That's a good question. Jenna, you go first.

[Jenna Cotro]

Honestly, I feel like we talked about Skyler Bell, but I think I. I think for him, he's so someone I'm so curious to see out there and how they bring him up to speed in this offense. Is it going to be one of those things where sometimes with some of the younger players, you know, you have them be with the second team and the third team because you have your offensive starters kind of set with the first team.

[Mike Catalana]

Or.

[Jenna Cotro]

Or is it going to be like, hey, kid, you're going to be catching passes from Josh Allen right out of the jump? And I'm curious how they will play him. Will it be a slow play in training camp or will it be like, hey, this guy's making plays. We're going to have him out there as soon as possible. Because in one way it's like, well, why wouldn't you do that immediately? But it's like, well, you. You do have the asset that is Keon Coleman. And are you still trying to see what you can get out of that? Or are you like, you know what push comes to shove, we want to give Skyler as many opportunities as possible. So that's someone that I'm really curious to see, like how they. How they get him out on the field and what that training camps in particular looks like for him.

[Mike Catalana]

And this is the meritocracy part.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Because you guys remember all of a sudden Shakir. I think it was year two with Shakir. We're all of a Sudden late in the year and then in the playoffs, like Josh was throwing him the ball and if you catch it, you're in the right spot and you catch it. This is why I said even before Josh Allen doesn't care how old you are, doesn't care how much money you make. Get open, catch the ball. And that could be Keon Coleman this year it could be Skyler Bell. Right. If he's we're talking about like third, fourth receiver reps. Here you go. Making Gabe Davis did that as a rookie. He was in the right spot. He was impactful. What day ball loved him because he could put him in different places. He wasn't putting up huge numbers but he was putting up making some important plays in that role. Impactful plays. So yeah, I like that. I like that idea. You better believe no matter what has been said, there is a path for that young guy if he steps in. I know he's a fourth round pick but some people thought he would go earlier. There's a path for him to be impactful this year.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. The question kind of says like rookie free agent or whatever with. I know it's a big summer but I think Kincaid being healthy like for whatever that looks like now, like whatever we may have thought a healthy Kincaid is, like that has kind of changed. So like I think that is part of it rookie wise. I know we don't love the pick but if there's a path that IGB plays. Oh yeah, there's a path that IGB could start week one. I mean you had Dorian strong starting week one because of injuries.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So like we can sit here and not like the pick and not like maybe his traits and what his college tape and the penalties and all those things. He puts together a strong camp like I think. And again you're making your first impression on a first time defensive coordinator. And if Jim Leonard said, hey, I want a big long physical corner to be alongside Christian Benford, that's not Max Hairston, that's igb.

[Mike Catalana]

What did Christian Benford do in his first summer?

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, beat out Kyrie Elam.

[Mike Catalana]

Right, right. And the other guy I wanted to mention, he's not a rookie is TJ Sanders High draft pick.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And didn't between injuries and whatever he didn't get as much. They have high hopes for him. Let's see again, keep talking about Jim Leonard is almost like a mythical guy because we haven't really got a chance to talk to him. Well, let's see what he thinks when he looks at a guy who they obviously felt very strongly about. And now in year two.

[Dan Fates]

And I think C.J. gardner Johnson is also just a wild card. Like, we. We think we know what to expect.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, we know what to expect. He's done it everywhere he's been. He's played well. And he's cj. He is cj gj. He's going to be all of that.

[Dan Fates]

But that.

[Mike Giardi]

What.

[Mike Catalana]

But he played well. He always plays well.

[Dan Fates]

But that's why I think it's so exciting because, like, who could have a big summer? Like, if we go out to training camp and like, the defense looks violent and physical and flying around, it's like, whoa. Now pair that with Cole Bishop and if he can pick up where he left off at the end of last season, like, now they've got a secondary that.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah. I'm so curious, too, about Caleb. Alarms.

[Dan Fates]

Elam.

[Jenna Cotro]

El. Elarms.

[Mike Catalana]

Alarms.

[Jenna Cotro]

Alarms. Sorry.

[Dan Fates]

Or remember when I couldn't spell? Remember what I called them?

[Mike Catalana]

Well, just in general. Remember when I couldn't spell? And the answer is yes.

[Jenna Cotro]

Just cut it.

[Mike Catalana]

We remember.

[Dan Fates]

Walked into that one.

[Jenna Cotro]

But I am curious what he. Because I'm now like, the draft has come and gone and there's been a lot of talk about how much his physical traits jump out off the board and how someone like him was expected to go higher earlier on in the draft.

[Mike Catalana]

So I'm like, he's got the. Them. The word on him is he's got the instincts.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

He plays that way.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Which is.

[Jenna Cotro]

Hair on fire.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. What you want.

[Jenna Cotro]

But I'm just curious how. How that will all play.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm telling you.

[Jenna Cotro]

And then also, honestly, Landon Jackson, like, I. I feel like we forget about him so much, which he had the injuries when he was out on the field, felt like the game was moving at a pretty fast pace. I'm just. I wonder what the bills think of him.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, think about him just the way you think about yourself in a job. Like. Right. So it'd be like coming into a job the first year and then maybe, you know, maybe you get pneumonia or something and you're out for a while and you come back and you don't find your way. I'm just trying to think of something. Well, I was trying to think of something bad.

[Jenna Cotro]

No, I know for context, my first year at Channel 13, I. I got sick with. Not pneumonia.

[Mike Giardi]

Pneumonia.

[Mike Catalana]

I'm just.

[Dan Fates]

Okay.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Jenna Cotro]

I didn't even think about it until you started talking.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, I was.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah. That would suck. Wait a second.

[Dan Fates]

I thought of it as you're Making the comparison, like, first time in the job, like Trail Bernard.

[Mike Catalana]

Can you imagine if somebody has not watched us before? They're like, these guys are laughing about Jenna's cancer.

[Dan Fates]

Pretty much.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, I love.

[Dan Fates]

We can.

[Jenna Cotro]

I was just say. Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Do you want to talk about it?

[Mike Catalana]

No, but I was just saying that you're out of the bill in the important time.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

You're out of the building. You're not connected. And then. Then he said he has now had some time. He will have some time. Almost as a rookie again. He was with them last year, but he wasn't playing. I don't think it was a terrible thing that.

[Dan Fates]

No.

[Mike Catalana]

But the result of the injury. Only because I think he needed to sit back.

[Jenna Cotro]

It gave him a moment. Yeah. And that way you don't completely crush his confidence.

[Dan Fates]

The pneumonia cancer comparison is a little.

[Jenna Cotro]

Sounds so bad, right?

[Mike Catalana]

Kind of weak. Yes.

[Dan Fates]

No. I'm just saying. But he was fully healthy and around through training camp and, like, wasn't good enough to get a jersey on a defensive line that needed help.

[Mike Catalana]

He just looked like he wasn't there.

[Dan Fates]

So my comparison would be more of a trail Bernard who said, like, his first year, like, it was just. It was just way too much. He got the one start in, like, week 16 or 17. He's like, I didn't even know the full playbook. And he's. And then there was somebody that said, he's gonna stop.

[Mike Catalana]

That's what I was gonna say. This guy showed faith in me. Not Bobby Babbage, not Sean McDermott.

[Dan Fates]

Damn Fates.

[Mike Catalana]

He's like.

[Dan Fates]

There was. I was watching this Buffalo plus podcast, and this idiot was out there, and he's like, this guy's gonna start next year at middle linebacker.

[Jenna Cotro]

Oh, my gosh. You would.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like, we talk about. We talk about the value alarm. We should have, like, a time. Every time I bring up Trail Bernardo.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, and by the one other thing, Russo with his 15 sacks this year.

[Jenna Cotro]

Well, this brings up. Thank you, Michael. Great segue. Robin Gray writing in. Do you think the Bills defense will be in the top five when it comes to sacks? Will Jim Leonard as a new defensive coordinator help?

[Dan Fates]

No. And yes. If we. If all.

[Mike Catalana]

All jokes aside.

[Dan Fates]

Right.

[Mike Catalana]

If Greg Rousseau's putting up 15, well, that's going to help a lot. Yeah, they're going to have more. It's also a little unfair to Jim Leonard. Like, it's going to. He's changing everything. The one time we talked to him, he was like, this defense may look a lot different in year two than Year one. I mean, being drafted a bunch of defensive players and we've talked about this. They're going to incorporate them this year. Now you're incorporating more rookies and then trying to change the whole scheme. Will it be different? Yes. Will there be things about it that might be much more impactful? Maybe he can create more of a pass rush, but isn't like it isn't magic. I think that's putting a little too much on Jim Leonard. Just a change of schemes.

[Dan Fates]

It's like he's the wizard of Oz behind the curtain. He might be great. We just don't know. Like, we only heard his voice once and, and we're just.

[Mike Catalana]

He's never called defenses. He's played them. Look, he's got a lot of experience and he's done it in college, but again, he's. This is first time in the NFL calling plays. So I mean, I'm optimistic. I want to see it.

[Dan Fates]

Absolutely.

[Mike Catalana]

You know, that's why training camp's going to be fun this year.

[Dan Fates]

But you know, like, do I think that they're going to be a top five defense? No, I don't think they have the horses to, to be in the top five of that race. Do I think Jim Leonard will make them more of a. Well, do I think Jim Leonard will help in impacting the quarterback? Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, I agree. I think that's going to be the plan one.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

The, the chess pieces that he wants to move pre and post snap. I think those are the encouraging signs that he talks about changing the picture for a quarterback. I like all that kind of stuff.

[Mike Catalana]

So.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. Do I think top five? No, I think that he will make them better.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Top five is asking a lot.

[Jenna Cotro]

I would say that is like Mike

[Dan Fates]

said, you got to have one or two top 10 set guys in the league.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

You think about what Houston did?

[Mike Catalana]

I guess. Yeah. I mean sometimes you do never know and all of a sudden somebody breaks loose, you know, Bradley Chubb like that. But a lot of people would need to be either having great success as rookies or even maybe more success at least numbers wise than they've had in the pros.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So.

[Jenna Cotro]

All right, last question before we go to Mike Giardi.

[Dan Fates]

You're slumping.

[Jenna Cotro]

Hair also looks bad. You look great at branch 21096. It is widely agreed that Shaq Thompson makes the most sense to be resigned. But there are. Are there other former Bills in parentheses, Trey Milano, Cooks, Vaughn that you think make sense for the Bills? Bosa is also still available. Do you Think there's any chance for a reunion? Do you think they resign cooks? That's been.

[Mike Catalana]

I think. I think there's always a chance. They got a lot of receivers, though. They do. I think Trey. Trey's working out at the facility. Right. At least that's what I was told at last.

[Jenna Cotro]

Last that I had heard that was the case.

[Mike Catalana]

So, I mean, I. I don't know how that actually works because he's not under contract. I don't. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. I guess it's like when LeBron was just, like, training at the Cavs facility in the off season. Like, hey, you have a good relationship. Can I use your weight room?

[Mike Catalana]

Well, he's not under contract. Right. I mean, I think it's not a contract with anybody. Yeah. So in terms of that, it's like he's got a gym membership. Like, he's there. I don't. I really don't know.

[Dan Fates]

LA Fitness. And there's.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, so he's around. And they need a veteran corner, so I think there's a. There is a path there.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

But it goes back to the. The great and wonderful Oz. Right. What does he think of Trey? He's watching tape. He's looking at.

[Jenna Cotro]

We gotta get Jim Leonard on the patio just to tell Jim.

[Mike Catalana]

Come on, let's go.

[Jenna Cotro]

Sorry.

[Mike Catalana]

I would say Shaq. I would love to see Shaq back.

[Jenna Cotro]

I interrupted you. I'm sorry.

[Dan Fates]

Happens.

[Mike Catalana]

That's all right. It doesn't. It doesn't bother me.

[Jenna Cotro]

Okay.

[Dan Fates]

I. I still think Milano can come back.

[Jenna Cotro]

Really?

[Dan Fates]

Yep.

[Jenna Cotro]

You don't worry. Do you worry that there's not a lot left in the tank?

[Dan Fates]

I liked what I saw and kind of off Trey White, where a guy that's injured and it's not an oil change and it takes a little bit longer. I thought he looked better. I thought we saw flashes of the old Milano at the end of last year.

[Mike Catalana]

The Milano one is going to feel funny if he's playing somewhere else, because Trey's already played somewhere else before and

[Dan Fates]

played somewhere else like Milano. I can just.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, like, that's true.

[Dan Fates]

Just a veteran, you know, somebody that wants to pay him. They need a starter, knows how to do it.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. Yeah, we'll see.

[Dan Fates]

Familiarity with the afc.

[Jenna Cotro]

Now they put Vaughn. No, I agree. But Vaughn Miller I did see on. Yeah, I know some podcasts. He was saying, like, he would love to come back.

[Mike Catalana]

I went on a show. Bond likes to say he's got his own podcast.

[Jenna Cotro]

Maybe it was that 15th season.

[Dan Fates]

I've been around a long time, but he does.

[Jenna Cotro]

I can already hear it.

[Dan Fates]

I can hear it.

[Mike Catalana]

He has been.

[Dan Fates]

What's up, y'? All?

[Mike Catalana]

He has been effective in this type of scheme. And damn it, I think they would want to get a look at these guys because. Because as hopefully people understand, they've not had the players in, like, they've done workouts and all, but there has been very little football going on right now. A little bit.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So, you know, it's all voluntary, some players there. So it's going to. It's going to. They're going to need a little time to see what they have.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Von is in this defense, should be kind of a plug and play type player. Do you want to go down that side?

[Dan Fates]

I know. I said I can see. I think we've talked most of this offseason since the end of last year going into free agency. Like Trey, depending on what they did. Now, again, trading up for IGB in the second round seems to make that path a little tougher for Trey, who I think showed that he could still be a viable starter in this league somewhere. I know we said Milano and we talked about Shaq Thompson. Like, there's something that. If you're going to make this philosophical change defensively, I just don't want to see retreads. Yeah, I'd rather see.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, I'd like to see guys connected to that defense. Former. Even as former Broncos, Wisconsin player. Players that have been. I mean, it's not quite the same. You know, the Bills would bring guys in that were Carolina guys and everybody made the point about it, but they were trying to implement what they wanted.

[Dan Fates]

Right.

[Mike Catalana]

And that's what Bean and McDermott both want.

[Dan Fates]

It's like something about, like, let's bring back this guy. Let's bring.

[Jenna Cotro]

It's like, you wanted new, so it should be new, right? Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And again, why are you gonna try and fit those pegs back into square holes? I don't know. I just. Yeah, I think there's something about like, those in. To some respects. I know we're done before, like, those kind of feel like. Sean guys, like, even the Milanos, the Treys, like, those kind of feel like that era defensively. And I think you're right. We all thought they were going to be a lot of Broncos coming to Buffalo in Freedomcy and there wasn't. But. But I'd like to see more of like that type of fresh blood to come into this to show something different.

[Mike Catalana]

And it is. It's 90 man rosters, but this is where money comes into play. So last year when they signed Trey, it was one year, five million bucks. Like that is the price for a starter level player. I mean, I still think there's a place for a team to say, we want Trey White to come in and start for us around the league. I agree, because he showed it. He stayed healthy. He was a leader, all those things last year. But if the Bills are looking differently with the younger players, that that contract is probably 3 million or 2 million. Right. With some incentives. So.

[Dan Fates]

Right.

[Mike Catalana]

You know, we'll see. I know he likes Buffalo. He loves the fans, but this may be his last year or two if he decides to play. So.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, so we'll see. I am. I want to see how this plays out because I do love Trey and I do think you're right, though, Dan and the fact that he has the potential to be a viable starter in this. What did you say walked into that?

[Mike Catalana]

He did.

[Jenna Cotro]

All right. Well, to immediately make fun of Dan, we have our guest, Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal, who joined us earlier on today. And I was not here, so Dan was the host. And Dan, it's not so easy, eh?

[Mike Catalana]

A few moments later.

[Dan Fates]

Do you want me to start?

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, you go ahead.

[Dan Fates]

All right. In three, two. All right, we.

[Mike Catalana]

Great start. Wow.

[Mike Giardi]

We got to keep that in

[Dan Fates]

we novel.

[Mike Giardi]

Seriously.

[Mike Catalana]

All right. He's like the Red Sox. He's 0 for 2. Let's see if he can get a hit. Here we go.

[Dan Fates]

We now welcome in a very, very special guest, somebody that's occurred more on Buffalo plus than any other guest for his 800th in 37th appearance on Buffalo Plus, Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal. Mike, you look great. It's great to have you back on.

[Mike Giardi]

It is great to be here. Although, you know, I know there are some things that happened with Boston and Buffalo recently that I'm probably not going to want to talk about. I'm going to want you to avoid those subjects, but otherwise, yeah. Great to see you guys.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Hold on. I'm on Jalen Brown's twitch here. Just listening to him whine a little bit more.

[Mike Giardi]

Seriously, what the kids these days, right? Like, get off the Internet, man. You just lost the series in game seven. You blew a 31 lead. Like, I don't want to hear from you. Just go away. You did your postgame. Just go away. Don't get on your twitch and tell me that the refs conspired against you and they told you, like, just stop. You guys had about 9 million chances to put Game 7 away late and you didn't do it. You lost. You deserved it. Shut up. We'll see you next year.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. How about the Bruins, though? I just want to ask you this. Where did you think they were against the Sabers? And you know, the Sabres haven't been a playoff team. The Bruins have been in and out a little bit. Where did you think they were? And was it disappointing to see the way they played?

[Mike Giardi]

So I would tell you this, that I did not think they were going to be very good this year. So the fact that they ended up with a 100 point season was surprising. I still looked at them and said, man, they don't. They can't score. They're just not that gifted. If it's, if it's not Posternak and Geeky, they're just not getting it from anywhere else. And I think you saw that in the series and Geeky was pretty much just a no show in that entire thing. But I think based on the way the first two games went in Buffalo, even though they blew one of those games, you're like, oh, wait a minute, like, you know, Buffalo hasn't been here and done this before. You have at least a decent amount of experience on your team. Maybe not altogether, but more experience in the playoffs. And then obviously it, you know, I mean, the game four was a joke. Game six, the way that started wasn't much better. So they got what they deserved. They've got to figure out some things this off season, get some, get some scoring. But hey, good for Buffalo, right? Like you mentioned, we were Talking off air, 15, whatever years without one. The rebuilding process has been a long, long one, but it feels like it's finally taken root in Buffalo.

[Mike Catalana]

When we do droughts, we do them up right. They're not short droughts, they're long droughts.

[Dan Fates]

Like I think we had you on before the combine, just kind of recapping what has been going on through free agency with New England, it seems like with the Patriots organization, things have just kind of been rolling downhill and not in the right way. What have you made out of this distraction scandal between Vrabel and Rossini and how is it being handled from your viewpoint inside the building?

[Mike Giardi]

So I think we can all agree, anybody who's followed the story, whether you're just following it for the page 6 stuff and not getting into sort of the impact on football, that the number of PR mistakes has been mind boggling. And it started right from jump with what was a coordinated, I think, approach from Diana and Mike to the New York Post to Page Six and Vrabo, calling it laughable. You poke the bear, the hornet's nest, whatever it is. Like, you know, I was joking about this, but it's. It's true. Don't mess with Page Six, did you? Just don't. Like. They have tentacles everywhere. And they didn't present this without knowing that there was more to come. And so, you know, you look like a liar. And obviously, it's. It's cost Diana. I know she resigned, but it cost her job. And Mike has come under great scrutiny here. The thing for me has been I didn't. I wasn't going to wade into the waters. Obviously. I do a thing on NBC Sports Boston once a week, and I went in there and right after it happened, and it was like, well, what do you make of this? And I'm like, it's a nothing burger from a football standpoint. Until someone tells me otherwise. Well, within whatever a week, it was clear that it was impacting football. And then you guys saw the two press conferences within a span of about 72 hours that, you know, just good tone, but otherwise said nothing and even created. This brought, like, more to the story. I think the second time doing it right before the draft, like, maybe just sort of let it die down and take your beating and hope that people move on and instead just brought it back to light. And what I'll tell you is that he spoke to the team. One of the reasons he waited so long to talk to the media, he told us, was that he wanted to address his team face to face. And now, granted, it's OTAs and not everybody's here, but, you know, most of the guys showed up and he wanted to tell them face to face so they weren't getting dribs and drabs from the media and reading it on Twitter and getting the headlines. And then he had to talk to him again a few days later because the second set of pictures came out from the bar six and a half years ago. And I think the first reaction was, hey, it's our coach. He made a mistake. We love him. We ride with him. And I think they still love him, and he's still their coach. But I think it raised some people's eyebrows. I think they were like, wait, you just told us? And now we're having this conversation again. How many more times are we going to have to have this conversation? We. We got work to do here. And obviously, he might said it himself. It's a distraction which you don't want in football, even though this is An April May distraction. But, you know, and I know Mike Dan, like, they start off with a couple losses or 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. Like, oh, my goodness, just. Or that the day three draft class, which he wasn't there for and turns out that he wasn't involved with at all, at least according to Elliott Wolf. Like, those guys can't play. You're going to hear about that, too. Granted, they're day three picks, most of them can't play. But, like, that's just, oh, you wasted five picks because the coach wasn't there. Like, that's all stuff that they've opened themselves up to with what's gone on in the last few weeks.

[Mike Catalana]

Now, you've known this guy for a while, right? In his playing days and coaching. And he's certainly, we see him from the outside, alpha guy, has his own way of doing things. It's been very effective for him, not asking about anything personal with him, but in terms of his demeanor and the way he handled that team last year, which was, you know, basically flawless. So you get to the super bowl, will this change that at all? I mean, he really does have that edge, that mentality. Now he's had some hiccups with his own players, with the fan base, with everybody. Do you think it changes him at all?

[Mike Giardi]

I think that's the real question to me, too. Mike is not only were we talking about, like the spin off of the bad start, but like he's. He preached to them, you know, make good decisions on and off the field. Like, that's a big thing for him. Okay, look, no one's perfect. I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Like, we people make mistakes, but when you're the guy leading the room and you're telling them that and then you turn around and you make the mistake, then you compound it by not telling the truth. Like, it's going to raise some questions. So I do wonder, and I can tell you, like, through my reporting and it's obviously still very early in this, but like, people I talked to in the building said he was a little bit muted and if you know his energy level and his personality, he's, you know, just big, big personality brings it, throws barbs at people, loves up on guys, the whole thing, like, he's, that's his thing. And he hasn't been that right now. Now, they come back to the football field this week for OTAs. This is. Put the cleats on. They do a little bit more, but like, that's another thing we'll be watching. Like, how does he interact with players? Does he get the same sort of response? Like he commanded them last year? They followed him. I think his line was, you have to. Sometimes you just have to believe it before you see it. And it worked for them now, like, maybe you got to show me, coach, that this is what you are. I got to see that you're really walking that walk again before I truly believe it.

[Dan Fates]

So in that case, in your reporting and the way you're following the team, what's next? Like, is everybody kind of waiting for the shoe to drop? And it's. And like you said when they came out and said, it's laughable. You know, Variable said that when the pictures first came out, there was a 0.00% chance he was going to lose his job and that any of that stuff. I'm not saying he's going to lose his job. I'm not even saying he should. But it's less.

[Mike Catalana]

It's.

[Dan Fates]

It's greater than zero now, the way that this has gone. So in Boston, what is the tone and what is kind of the next step? Is everybody just kind of holding their breath?

[Mike Giardi]

I mean, the fan base wants it to go away. They want us to leave it alone. It's not a story. And as I said, it's a story until once again, we get to the point where I can understand fully from the football perspective that this is the same Mike Vrabel that you had last year and the guys are following the same way they did. And like, that's that. So until that thing comes to into play where, however that does, whether it's from talking to players when they get back here and they're in camp and mandatory minicamp and all those different things or what we'll see. But I think it's just so ownership is hoping it all blows over because they like the guy. They want the guy to be their head coach. They just went to the Super Bowl. They became relevant again for the first time in five or six years after going through what they did with Bill and then Mayo and all those different things. So I guess for me, are there any more. Will any more stuff come out? Was this just a. This was their relationship and there's nothing else to see here. And yeah, there might be some more pictures, but it's just of the two of them and there's no other sort of different angles to this story that way. And certainly the league has made it clear that they don't want to touch it. You know, there is some of that conversation to be had about, you know, the. What their personal conduct policy. Is this bad for the league? And they're like, it's a personal issue, you know, and that obviously opened up a whole nother conversation, which is sort of, I think, how a lot of people approached it from the beginning. It was a media story. Right. How can an insider have this sort of relationship with the players? Should we reconsider how insiders do their business? Jay Glazer is having a pool party for the coaches the last 18 years at the league meetings. Is that. I mean, it's not this, but is it. Is that. Should that be acceptable, too? But then, obviously, as things have gone on it, it became more about, you know, Mike and Football east here.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. I mean, there's that whole insider story, and the way I look at it is, you know, even, like, Jay Glazer, obviously, that's not the role that a lot of us feel like you would have with coaches, but.

[Mike Giardi]

Right.

[Mike Catalana]

It does seem to be basically all 32 of them, or at least all of them invited. This is where it feels a little bit different. The one thing about this from a football side is the A.J. brown potential trade. So obviously, Diana Rossini was reporting a lot on it, and this is one of those trades where the head coach is really connected to the player first. I think the perception is that trade's going to happen. Do you feel that way, that it's still going to happen? And do you think any of this has any impact one way or the other on the trade?

[Mike Giardi]

No, I don't think it has any impact. I do think it's happening. I felt this way for a long time. It's funny, this conversation came up last year, Mike. Because Mike's relationship with AJ And AJ had sort of grumbled last year right before. So Mike even gets here. Patriot fans are like, almost the moment that Vrabel became the head coach, like, oh, they're gonna get. They're gonna get A.J. brown. It's gonna happen. I remember actually talking to some people in Philadelphia and like, dude, we just paid him $30 million in a signing bonus. We're not trading him, like, next year maybe, but this year, like, we just gave him the money. He's playing for us this year, unless something really goes sideways. But now, again, you're at this point where I think, you know, the way the insiders have been dancing around it, it's likely to happen. It appears that it's going to happen, and they couch it the best they can, but I think, to me, it's already been agreed upon. And we're just waiting for. For June 2nd for, for the Philadelphia Eagles to be able to split the, the, the cap in the, in the marrow, which they want to.

[Mike Catalana]

So is there any, is there any rule against them having the parameters of a deal? Like this is not like it's a dead time where he's a free agent. If the Eagles are engaged in it, can they say, we got the parameters of a deal? I mean, are they. Any reason for them to hide that before the deal is done?

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah, I don't know what that is, Mike. It's like, it's almost like one of these dumb, unwritten rules. Like, if we can have cuts where we deem a player a post June 1 cut, why can't you just say, hey, we're trading A.J. brown to the Patriots for a second and a fourth or a 20, 28 first round pick, and we're just not doing it until June 2 because we need to separate our cap. That's how it has to happen. And I don't know why the league won't embrace that. Maybe they look at this and say it keeps the story going.

[Mike Catalana]

I don't know.

[Mike Giardi]

I don't know. As we know, they love to sort of find their way into the headlines and stay there as. As long as they can. But, yeah, I, I would be very surprised if June 2nd or somewhere close thereafter that that deal is not finalized.

[Dan Fates]

You've obviously been on here a ton of times. Where can people find you? What are you up to this off season? I know, obviously with the more downtime, like I said, Jenna's taking vacations, Mike's going on vacations. I don't get vacations because I just happen to have a litter of children. But what are you working on? Where can people find you? Because, you know, you were on, you were pretty much a part of our live show for the pre draft.

[Mike Giardi]

I was enjoying that. You kept me, you guys kept me entertained. I love to see you, you know, curling up into a ball there because they didn't get you. Denzel Boston. By the way, we'll have to talk about that draft at some point because I didn't, I didn't love it. I didn't love it.

[Dan Fates]

Whose draft?

[Mike Giardi]

The Bills.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, hold on, hold on. We got the man on here right now. We're going to go see the rookies. What didn't you like about the draft?

[Mike Giardi]

So you hear a lot about the process. Oh, I love this process of trading back and acquiring value.

[Mike Catalana]

Value.

[Mike Giardi]

I don't. I I. I could care less about value, and I think most. And I think most smart fans could care less about value. You know, the nerds who want to defend their team or whatever, like, oh, they got, you know, plus this. Or. No, the goal of player acquisition is to get the best players possible, best players possible for your system. So I understand that they felt like, you know, obviously with the change in coaching staff and especially with maybe their approach changing on defense, you're looking for some different body types and you want to throw more darts at it. But, like, I don't know, do you come away from that draft and say, oh, the Buffalo Bills are better than they were when they got into the process? I don't know that I've got value.

[Dan Fates]

You don't get it. They've got. They've got so much more value.

[Mike Giardi]

I'm not even going to try to say the kid's name. The cornerback from Ohio State.

[Dan Fates]

Igb.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Mike Giardi]

Thank you. We have to do that with some of our guys, too. Like, just give me nicknames and let's just roll with it. But, like,

[Dan Fates]

he's a.

[Mike Giardi]

To me, he's sort of like a big hit or miss type player. And the way they're talking about it, like, at least the way I've heard media talk about is like, well, this is not necessarily about this year. It's more about, like, he's the future starter. Give him some play this year. But next year, it's. I'm like, man, Josh is on the clock.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Mike Giardi]

And you're on the. And if you're Brandon Bean, I guess you're not, but you should be on the clock because your roster management hasn't been great. So I just didn't. I didn't love the. I didn't love the process, and I didn't love the results. And, hey, maybe, you know, freezing cold takes. We'll be able to dredge this up six months from now or two years from now and be like, this is the greatest draft ever. And Gardi didn't know what he was talking about. But I didn't. I didn't love it. I thought they had a chance to make their team better, maybe even considerably better. And I don't feel like that's what happened.

[Dan Fates]

I agree. And one last thing. We have to talk about it. You don't like football movies.

[Mike Giardi]

I don't. So. All right, so, well, let's start with

[Mike Catalana]

the movie that Dan referenced.

[Mike Giardi]

Right. I've never watched.

[Dan Fates]

So Giardy wanted to do this. We're recording this at, like, 2:00' clock in the afternoon, I asked Mike, you know, we have our, such. Our friendly conversations of our texting back and forth. It's just showering each other in compliments and kind words. And he goes, I go, whatever works for you. And Mike said, 10:30. And I was like, just time out

[Mike Giardi]

right there, taking a 20 second timeout. And I'm Nick nurse here, Joe, who doesn't take the timeouts.

[Mike Catalana]

Right.

[Mike Giardi]

What time works best for you, Mike? That's me right here. Yeah. And I say, 10:30. Like, Bob, dude. Like, how about three? I'm like, well, then why ask me what time's best for me? Why don't you say, hey, we're in the office at 2 and we'll. We can do it anytime after 2. Between 2 and 3:30.

[Dan Fates]

Diva.

[Mike Giardi]

Okay. No, no, no. You asked me.

[Dan Fates]

So I explained that TV people really don't do a lot of things before noon.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And Mike said, oh, I'm not a TV person anymore, buttercup. And I made the reference of, you're a Hall of Famer in my book, which is a line that Herman Boone tells the assistant coach after he didn't get, I'll fill you in on the movie, Mike. I don't want to be a spoiler from a movie, but he goes, you're a Hall of Famer in my book. And then the text message just goes silent, like we're responding, like in person. Like right in Bang bang Bang. And then all of a sudden I go, I guess you didn't get my. Remember the Titans reference? And you go, never seen it.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So all football movies, Replacements. I mean, any given Sunday.

[Mike Giardi]

So look, Replacements. I will watch it when it's on.

[Mike Catalana]

Why? Why do you watch it?

[Mike Giardi]

I will watch the Replacements. But I. It's. It's just not. That's not a good football movie.

[Mike Catalana]

No, it's not.

[Mike Giardi]

The sequencing, it's all a disaster. The cutting, the. The editing. Like they had no idea what they were doing.

[Mike Catalana]

The bartender.

[Mike Giardi]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

Girlfriend. That's why you watch replacements.

[Mike Giardi]

100%.

[Dan Fates]

The second half of that movie is so good. From the second half where all the plays. Sorry.

[Mike Giardi]

All the right holdings, all the right moves, which is an old, you know, Tom.

[Mike Catalana]

Like Tom Cruise.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Giardi]

When I was younger, I was like, oh, it's kind of a cool movie. If you go back and watch that movie now, you're like, that is just awful.

[Mike Catalana]

Just Draft Day is so bad that it's. It's so bad that it's good.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah. Won't watch that. Haven't watched That I haven't even. Haven't spent a second on that one. Any given Sunday. The only part of any given Sunday worth a damn is the speech.

[Dan Fates]

Speech.

[Mike Catalana]

And you can see it on Instagram or. Yeah, right.

[Mike Giardi]

So look, if you want to go watch the movie, don't just go to YouTube. Find the clip, watch it for three minutes, and then go do something physical because you'll be all fired up. You can do it, but otherwise awful. In any given Sunday, a dude loses his eye on the football field, pops out of his head, and it's on the ground.

[Dan Fates]

What about Friday Night Lights?

[Mike Giardi]

Nope, never watched that either.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, the second half of the last football game. Throw placements. I used to watch it before every high school hockey game when Shane Falco comes running out of the tunnel. Madden and Summerall are like, there's Falco. The look he has in his eyes. He thinks he's gonna play and then makes out with the cheerleader. Instantly.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah. So that's how you played hockey.

[Dan Fates]

No, that explains. Do you got how many state. How's you got?

[Mike Giardi]

None, but Buttercup.

[Dan Fates]

You hit me with a buttercup.

[Mike Giardi]

I thought it was fair and. And accurate.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, it definitely was fair. Yes, but what are you up to this.

[Dan Fates]

This off season and where can people find you? Once again, Giardi, I'm throwing my head

[Mike Giardi]

into a cement wall with this fable story. You know, that's so. That's been fun. Now just, you know, we did a ton of draft stuff, and now it's, you know, we get twice a week we get Patriots players available to us, so we talk to them and, you know, they'll be back on the field soon enough. We got rookie minicamp this weekend, so we'll get one day of that. That we get to watch. I think it's three days total, but we only get to see one, so, you know, it'll. You know how it works. Before we know it, it'll be, whatever, the third week of July and. And the whole world will be having summer break and we'll be trudging off to the football practice every day.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, at least you don't have to worry about the Celtics and the Bruins. Sorry, I had to get one more shot in there. My Sixers never win anything, so that's,

[Mike Giardi]

by the way, just quickly. And look, I'm not defending Jaylen Brown because as I said, he should just shut up and we'll see him next year. Embiid flops more than anybody.

[Mike Catalana]

The funny thing was, in that series, the only guy who flopped was Jalen Brown.

[Mike Giardi]

Well, he.

[Mike Catalana]

I mean, he went flying on that one.

[Dan Fates]

Fight, fight, fight. This is Philly and Boston.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Mike Giardi]

Look, I don't really have. I can't. I can't go back at him with the same vitriol that I normally would because they're losers. They lost.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, Jalen Brown said it was his favorite year, so I'm sure Tatum loved hearing that.

[Dan Fates]

Hey, and the plus side, Mike, you got this. You got the socks.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, you got the socks. So there you go.

[Mike Giardi]

Just an absolute wretched baseball team.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, don't worry. Football's coming back.

[Dan Fates]

Hey. So how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

[Mike Giardi]

Well, again, I just want to tell you what my life is like now because, you know, obviously people, my friends, some are in the business, some are not. I get probably multiple links a day sent to me via text message with something off of this variable story, of course.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Giardi]

And there's a lot of memes and different things going around, which, you know, like, again, but, like, someone sent one to me the other day. I hate this person for it. But it was like, since this broke, here's what's happened. Corey got fired with half the staff. We learned all kinds of terrible stuff about the GM and, like, just the overall dysfunction. So if you were only good, even, like, on a granular level, really bad. Over at Fenway park, the Bruins lose in round one. The Celtics blow a 31 lead to Philly and lose in round one. And it's not funny, but, like, I want to protect Drake May. Someone should go to Drake May, put him in bubble wrap and protect him, because the way things are going, he's going to trip going down the stairs and he's going to tear an acl. That's. That's how it's going.

[Mike Catalana]

Well, you know, the country will feel badly for Boston sports because you've had no success in Boston.

[Dan Fates]

That's where I was gonna go with this Mike. Remember how I said people used to love you when you used to come on because you would just rip the Patriots for like, three years, Then they

[Mike Catalana]

go to the super bowl, and then

[Dan Fates]

you go to the Super Bowl. I said people liked you a lot more when Boston sports were bad. You are going to be back on the top of the mountain for Buffalo. Plus, fans, when I label this Mike Giardi on Boston's Just Sports disaster, you

[Mike Giardi]

might have to have me on for, like, five minutes every once a week or something. If it goes, like, just be. I gotta watch Tommy DeVito start 17 games. Just. Just forget about it.

[Dan Fates]

Well, appreciate it as Always, Mike. Boston Sports Journal. Follow him. He's got decent stuff. Appreciate it as always, Mike.

[Mike Giardi]

Thanks, guys.

[Dan Fates]

Always appreciate that. Masshole coming on. Yeah, Giardi's the best. It was an easy thing to just text him and have him come on because it's funny to kind of get more inside of the circus that has been going on there in New England since the super bowl was just kind of an interesting insight where Giardi's like, you know, we're having press conference and then press conference and then press conferences and all that kind of stuff. So it's. It's a. It to some respects, it is a distraction. Like it's a distraction in April, in May, but it's still a distraction.

[Mike Catalana]

And he said the A.J. brown thing. I think they really need the A.J. brown thing now. Now they need that trade. They need something to. It isn't going to put everything away.

[Dan Fates]

But different talking points.

[Mike Catalana]

Different talking points. And I think that he's right. That's going to happen on June 2nd. But. But they also. Now we joked with him. No Bruins, no Celtics, bad Red Sox team. Worst thing that could happen for Able because there's nothing for the everybody, you know, to talk about. So, yeah, I mean, I know you guys are all upset that the Patriots are having but really since they won that game to go to the super bowl, the game obviously didn't go well. And then since then it's been bad.

[Jenna Cotro]

So it's been wild to see.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

All right. Do you want to do your friend or do you want to. We should we go to life advice.

[Dan Fates]

Some life advice.

[Jenna Cotro]

Okay, so we'll do life advice Reminder. Sending your Questions to heybuffaloplusgmail.com before we get into our question, we had a funny comment from Mn Miller. Sending in not a question, but a comment after watching the April 29 show while at the gym, I am concerned all three of you are going to die of botulism of the show.

[Mike Catalana]

Sincerely, M. Okay, so we talked about throwing food away. I think it might be related to leaving the pizza out.

[Jenna Cotro]

Maybe it was that.

[Dan Fates]

Mike, you have you know about milk and dairy from working at the farm.

[Mike Catalana]

First of all, one, there was no farm. Two, I don't know anything about it,

[Dan Fates]

but once you cook the cheese at that point you kill off everything.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, according.

[Mike Catalana]

By the way, Jenny said the same thing you did. She would put sausage in the refrigerator, but not pepperoni.

[Jenna Cotro]

I agree.

[Mike Catalana]

Cured meat.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

It's a little difference.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So we. If you want to go and watch. But it was the idea of what to do. I love the sight of that box sitting on the oven. And I am ready. And. And sometimes I make sure that I get up early.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So nobody else touches it.

[Dan Fates]

I will say I was cleaning my floors the other day because sometimes Jenna comes over on Tuesdays to. To see the kids on the day off. And I was like, I clean these floors in case Jenna drops something she's gonna want. She's gonna want to eat off of it.

[Jenna Cotro]

Chuck Wade, friend of the program, texted me and said rinsing food off the floor and then eating it question by question by question. Yeah, it's not. I'm not eating my meals off the floor. For the record, I feel like people

[Mike Catalana]

think that just, you know, depends on what it is.

[Jenna Cotro]

A th percent.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

It's only made a good point. Like potato chip.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, you're right.

[Dan Fates]

You're gonna eat it.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah, yeah. Unless you're really low on the bag.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, whatever. Okay, we'll get to our next question. This is from Steve. My parents are originally from Buffalo and moved to South Carolina with my 3 year old brother in 1980. Two years later, I was born. As we know, Bill's mafia travels not just geographically, but generations. I got to earn my Bill's depression stripes as a Pre Teen watching four straight Super bowl losses. My dad has now experienced 65 years of Buffalo heartbreak. So much so that he can't get excited about games and nitpicks, mistakes that with a quote, can't do anything right quote attitude all the time, I need help. How do you bring your lifetime Bills fan dad back around to love the Bills?

[Dan Fates]

It's tough.

[Mike Catalana]

There has been a lot to be excited about. That drought took a lot out of a lot of people. I mean, the four straight Super Bowls wore on people. But you look back with a lot of pride if you're a Bills fan because that team was great. The drought really does just suck the life out of people. And living in another place maybe makes it different. Not necessarily find another team. But you can't get. I would just say, like, you know, my dad used to watch the Eagles and my dad passed away before they won the super bowl, which he would have loved. But he would get mad. And I was laughing about it the other day because I was thinking he would just call guys a bum. This guy's a bum. He's a bum. Now that is so. Like he was born in the 30s, it was like in the 40s. But this guy's a bum. He's whatever. And I would always talk to him about it. He never lost the enthusiasm for the team and. But it could get. It can wear on you.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So the only thing I would say is I'm going to make. I might clip together just some Josh Allen to watch.

[Dan Fates]

That's what I was thinking.

[Mike Catalana]

And just watch this dude and say, look at who you get to watch.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah. You're watching greatness.

[Mike Catalana]

And to our point of. They get you there. Nothing is more crushing than losing. Well, you know what's more crushing than losing in a big playoff game is not getting there.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

So this team has done that. They're online to maybe do it again this year. They will get you to those big moments. One time. It's going to happen. Yeah. It's going to. They're going to break through.

[Dan Fates]

So I would tell your dad that, like, there has been how many years of football, and you're lucky to be on the earth when Josh Allen is playing for your team. For your team. Like, to me, that is what it is. Like, we've joked around about it after games, being like, we are so lucky to get to watch Josh Allen play football.

[Mike Catalana]

You have friends. I have friends of mine and relatives that are like, I love watching Josh Allen.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

And they know we're at the games.

[Jenna Cotro]

Family, that's Patriots fans are like, that Josh Allen. It's like, he's unbelievable.

[Mike Catalana]

So that should help. And then.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah. You know, I think sometimes this is gonna sound really corny, but it's like, it is about, like, the time that you have together with your family, watching and seeing the excitement. And there's so many things that are scripted or fake, like, you can't make up sports. You can't make up football. So just enjoying the ride. I do find sometimes, like, I have some friends that if the Bills allow, like, an opening drive touchdown, it's like, oh, this team can't get it right. It's like, hey, it's a long game. It's a long season. Enjoy it. I understand the frustrations. I totally get that. But sometimes if you just take a step back, it's like, okay, you guys

[Mike Catalana]

talked about the Sixers of me. I'm literally at the game and I'm tweeting, fire everybody. And I'm out.

[Jenna Cotro]

And they go, and now they win

[Mike Catalana]

three in a row. And I feel like they're going to the championship round. I mean, they probably lose to the Knicks, but that moment, it's like playing golf and birdie in the 18th hole. Like, you are in my game is awful. I'm terrible. Par birdie let's go again. Senior tours coming, right?

[Jenna Cotro]

Keeps you coming back.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah. So come on. And first of all, the other thing is. Hey, Pops, let's go, Buffalo. Plus, we'll get you fired up. Get him on. Get him on the pod. Get him on watching, and then we'll get him back with the bills.

[Jenna Cotro]

Do you want your story now?

[Dan Fates]

Yeah. Somewhat embarrassing story, but I think we've all. We've all been there. Shout out to Jake at Lowe's out in Palmyra.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

You know, we're getting to springtime. Going to get some mulch, right? So I go and I order 30 bags of mulch. Okay.

[Jenna Cotro]

That feels like a lot.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, it's last year, I think we did, like, 60. And it was. Because when we bought the house, there was no mulch, like, in any of the beds.

[Mike Catalana]

Same in my house. There was nothing. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So there are places that I go to. Like, we've gone at times before to other places they loaded up, so it's like. It's nice. But I also. Some of the yard work, I don't like to pay other people to do it because I can do it. It's just manual labor. And I feel. Sometimes you feel awkward having somebody do manual labor for you that you could do. Like, Is that fair?

[Mike Catalana]

100.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Okay.

[Mike Catalana]

Especially, like, when you're standing right there.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

So a lot of times we've gone to Lowe's. You grab the mulch bags yourself. Lowe's had a deal, five for 10. Renee's like, go get some mulch.

[Mike Catalana]

And you just pull up.

[Dan Fates]

So there was no mulch, like, in the actual lawn section. So they're like, oh, we'll. We'll load it up for you. And I was like, perfect, I need 30 bags. So you. You go in and you. They, like, have, like, the tunnel to drive through, and I'm five cars behind, and the guy comes up there and he's like, hey, what do you need? I was, like, off. 30 bags of black mulch. Okay. So you're kind of sitting there, like, waiting, and there's four guys, and their whole job is just loading bags of mulch into the car.

[Mike Catalana]

I've had a part in this play before.

[Dan Fates]

Okay. So I finally get up there. It's my turn, and they're like, what do you need? You give them the receipt. 30 bags. And, like, not that they, like, were like, oh, but it's 30 bags of mulch. Like, it's not nothing. And so Jake goes, holy cow, you're Dan Fates. I love watching buffalo. Plus So I already feel bad that somebody is loading my car with the mulch. So I even get out. It's like, hey, guys, can I. Can I help you? And they're like, no, don't worry about it. And they was something about, we'll mess up the count. Like, we just got to load 30 bags. There's four of them. Two younger guys, two older guys. So they're loading up the mulch. And Jake was so nice. Oh, my gosh. It's great. Love, love watching the show all the time. So I'm thinking in my head, like, I want to say something like, he knows me all these things. So I'm embarrassed by what I said.

[Jenna Cotro]

Oh, no.

[Mike Catalana]

What did you say?

[Jenna Cotro]

What did you say?

[Dan Fates]

I did the. So you guys don't have to go to the gym today, huh?

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, my God.

[Jenna Cotro]

You can't resist a dad joke. You can't resist it.

[Dan Fates]

The second I said it, I hated myself so much because. Not a chuckle.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Silence. And the one guy that's loading it just kind of looks at me.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, yeah, no.

[Dan Fates]

And so I instantly turn back to him, and I go, how many times have you heard that today? And he goes. He starts laughing. Goes every car.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

Oh, my God.

[Dan Fates]

The only other one is, so you're gonna come to my house and unload all these for me? And I'm just sitting there. I just sat there. At times, I was like, I hate myself. I hate myself that I said it, like, just. It's the only thing that was going through my head of like, yeah, so you guys don't have to go to the gym today.

[Mike Catalana]

Jenna, did you enjoy your meal? Not. I didn't like it at all. You do that to add one.

[Jenna Cotro]

I've done that before.

[Dan Fates]

I do that. Terrible.

[Mike Catalana]

This is terrible.

[Dan Fates]

This is terrible.

[Jenna Cotro]

You do that a lot.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I do that a lot. But it was. It was really.

[Mike Catalana]

You're in a progressive commercial now. Yeah. It was turning into your parents.

[Jenna Cotro]

That was, like, randomly. Zach and I were going to Trader Joe's, and we pulled in, and Dan and Renee were leaving, and dad goes, ah, he rolled out the windows. Oh, I see. They let anybody in here.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, my God.

[Jenna Cotro]

You can't help yourself.

[Dan Fates]

Literally, as soon as the words of so you guys don't have to go to the gym tonight, I wanted. I wanted to pull away, like, before the mul in my car, like, I'm sorry, guys. That was in my head. It was like, don't say it, don't say it, don't say it. But I was like, you got to say something.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And I just said, you guys want to go j. The guy just go with.

[Jenna Cotro]

Really appreciated. Thanks.

[Mike Giardi]

The look.

[Dan Fates]

The look on the guy of, like.

[Mike Catalana]

And. And by the way, we just lost a subscriber. I have jumped in on that when they're doing it at my. And felt like an idiot in the middle. And then you're, like, in the. And I'm trying to put it in, like, the side door. And the guys had Just to recount. Just stay out of the way.

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, it was.

[Mike Catalana]

And they're fast. They're efficient. They don't need your help there. They don't want your help.

[Dan Fates]

So I gave him 10 bucks.

[Mike Catalana]

Should have given him 20.

[Dan Fates]

I. I was so embarrassed by myself. Like, my actions. It was. It was bad. But Shout out. Jake. Jake wasn't the one I said it to, but I just. Well, he got.

[Jenna Cotro]

I'm sure as soon as you left, they're like, that idiot.

[Mike Catalana]

Which show is that idiot on?

[Dan Fates]

Yeah, I was just beat red as soon as I came home, Renee. I was like, yeah, I'm embarrassed by my actions there at Lowe's. I was like, I gave him 10 bucks.

[Mike Catalana]

So let me ask you this, guys,

[Dan Fates]

have a beer on me, because I'm so sorry that I just did that.

[Jenna Cotro]

You gave four guys $10 each.

[Dan Fates]

I don't. What was I supposed to give?

[Jenna Cotro]

No, that's really nice.

[Mike Catalana]

You. You gave them each 10 bucks?

[Mike Giardi]

No.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, okay.

[Dan Fates]

I gave the main guy that.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Like, he was in charge, like, 10 bucks, like.

[Mike Catalana]

But yeah. Did you. When you have. If you had to go back today and they were doing the same thing, would you still. Would you go back in the line again?

[Dan Fates]

No, I just loaded up. There was. There was one guy that, like, all the cars are lined up, and he just pulled his, like, dolly up and loaded the bags, like, next to the car.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

And I was like, that should have been the play.

[Mike Catalana]

I've done that before.

[Dan Fates]

That should have been the play.

[Mike Catalana]

But, yeah. Yeah, they got it all lined up that way.

[Dan Fates]

Hand up. Wish I didn't open my big mouth. And like, I said, I'm. I'm usually fine. Like, we always talk about it. I'm okay with awkward silence in that moment. I didn't have it in me.

[Jenna Cotro]

Well, it wasn't awkward. It was like, look at this.

[Mike Catalana]

It was like, two months. Thank you, Jake, for watching the show. We apologize. I wanted to mention somebody that I saw, too. So I was at the daystar derby for this awesome organization, daystar. We do an auction and everything. John Harris, who's there, he's got a great gig. He's part of a foundation. He's there to give money to the organization. Big fan of Buffalo plus, so I wanted to mention that he loves watching the podcast. He was going from one event to another. He's going to be in another one this weekend with Scott Petsko, our meteorologist, for another thing. So big fan of the show. Loves the show. And so I wanted to shout him out too.

[Jenna Cotro]

Love it.

[Dan Fates]

Appreciate it.

[Jenna Cotro]

Thank you to everyone who watches.

[Dan Fates]

Thanks again, Jake.

[Jenna Cotro]

We appreciate all you.

[Mike Catalana]

Oh, they're. They'll see you coming the next time.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Here he comes.

[Jenna Cotro]

There's a Dan Bates Batman. All right, that'll do it for us. Comment in your thoughts on the Giard interview. Your thoughts on Dan being Dan.

[Mike Giardi]

You.

[Dan Fates]

We've all been there.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah, yeah, of course.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

That's why we're making fun of you. Because it's not us doing it.

[Mike Giardi]

Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

Do you tip those people that circumstance? You're like classic. You always have cash on you.

[Mike Catalana]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

You're throwing. You throw money around. Like, not in like a boastful way. Like, you show appreciation by like.

[Mike Catalana]

We are gonna. We wanna.

[Jenna Cotro]

He's very old school Italian.

[Dan Fates]

Like, it's like, Like, Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

Like.

[Dan Fates]

But I will say I'm gonna park over here.

[Mike Catalana]

I've had these discussions. We're gonna have a whole tipping discussion once.

[Jenna Cotro]

Oh, on the pod. Okay.

[Mike Catalana]

Because you're going to Europe.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalana]

Very different.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes.

[Mike Catalana]

You know, in the US it's changed a lot.

[Jenna Cotro]

It has.

[Mike Catalana]

I like tipping, but I like. Yes. I like it for cash. It's kind of different. Yeah.

[Dan Fates]

You guys, in our era, like, I usually just don't carry a lot of cash on.

[Mike Catalana]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cotro]

I haven't carried cash on me in a long time.

[Mike Catalana]

You go to events when it's like an open.

[Jenna Cotro]

Just look at Zach.

[Mike Catalana]

You gotta.

[Dan Fates]

Oh, the wedding is. Is 20 bucks right off the get go.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes.

[Dan Fates]

And at the.

[Mike Catalana]

We did that at your wedding.

[Jenna Cotro]

That is one thing.

[Mike Catalana]

We were like, we're here. There we go.

[Dan Fates]

Buffalo.

[Jenna Cotro]

Plus it's a long bar too. There's plenty of pull up options. But. Yeah, no, that's. That's something. That's nice. I don't have to.

[Dan Fates]

We'll do one more pod before you leave.

[Jenna Cotro]

Yes. And then I'll be away. All right.

[Dan Fates]

Thank God.

[Mike Catalana]

Go to the gym.

[Dan Fates]

Get a real host in here.

[Jenna Cotro]

Oh, yeah. We see how your practice round went. All right. For Mike and Dan, I'm Jenna. Please be sure to like, comment. Subscribe. Subscribe and share we'll catch you next time here on the Buffalo plus podcast.

[Dan Fates]

Buffalo plus.