Buffalo Plus Podcast: "Hot Ones Hot Takes" Episode

Date: Nov. 30, 2023
Host: Buffalo Plus Team (Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes)

Episode Overview

In this spirited Buffalo Plus special, the team delivers their signature Bills analysis with a twist: they challenge themselves to a "Hot Ones"-style gauntlet of increasingly spicy locally-made Karma sauces, provided by Bar Bill. As the heat rises, so do their candid takes on all things Buffalo Bills—on the field and behind the scenes—while fielding fan questions. Expect laughs, pain, and some fiery Bills insights in this unique bye-week episode.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Hot Ones" Format & Initial Reactions

• The team explains their "Hot Ones" approach, sampling ten Karma hot sauces from mild to triple extra hot while answering questions from fans ([00:46]-[03:40]).
• They immediately experience the heat:
  "I am immediately sweating." — Jenna ([00:11])
  "I don't know if to drink this water or dump it on my head." — Mike ([00:17])
• Shoutouts to Bar Bill (wings) and Karma Sauce (local hot sauces, discount code LETJAMESCOOK) ([01:10], [03:37]).

2. Fan vs. Journalist: Objectivity in Coverage

Q: How do you balance being fans of the team and covering them for your jobs? ([04:47]; main chunk [05:38]-[11:35])

• Mike: Describes decades on the beat and the necessity of objectivity, especially during lengthy playoff droughts.
  “Do I enjoy covering a team that wins? 100%. It’s much more fun...But we’re not fans as other people would be. You come to us for an objective opinion on the team.” ([06:36])
• Jenna: Highlights the professional commitment due to their roles as sports journalists for local TV, emphasizing neutrality despite personal ties ([07:02]).
• Dan: Notes his Western NY roots but says he was never a true Bills fan—he saves his irrational fandom for the Atlanta Braves.
  "That’s the point when you’re a fan. It’s short for fanatic...But when it comes to this…I like it when they win because our job’s more fun." ([08:18])
• They reflect on respecting players and maintaining professionalism, especially in tough locker rooms.
  "It’s not a gotcha moment." — Jenna ([09:42])
  “I hate going…a losing locker room is no fun. You feel intrusive, so you just ask a respectful question…” — Mike ([10:01])

3. Getting to Know the Hosts: Lives, Origins, and Chemistry

Q: Tell us about your personal lives, significant others, families, and where you’re from ([12:59]).

• Dan: Married, two young kids:
  "Two kids. It is so many kids…God bless you. Because two kids is a lot of kids." ([13:09])
• Mike: Father, grandfather, from Southern New Jersey; long career in upstate NY ([13:30], [16:39]).
• Jenna: Not married, new homeowner in Webster, from upstate NY (Saratoga); reveals she hired Dan years ago because of a shared love of Kevin James’s comedy ([14:31],[14:45]).
• The trio shares anecdotes about hiring each other and their real-life friendship:
  "We are all best friends and we do hang out. We spend a lot of quality time. A lot of car trips..." — Jenna ([17:13])

4. Favorite & Least Favorite Bills Games Covered

Q: Favorite/least favorite Bills games you’ve attended or covered ([19:04]-[28:31])

Mike:

• Best: 1990 AFC Championship: Bills-Raiders “the day the Gulf War started…Bills destroyed them...It was an incredible experience." ([19:18])
• Worst: Music City Miracle, TN ([27:08]): "The worst game ever—there’s no comparable game—was Music City Miracle ... Players are asking me, ‘what are they saying?’…Locker room was insane."

Dan:

• Best: "Snapping the drought" in Miami (2017):
  "Players on the sidelines coming up to me: ‘What’s the score of the Bengals game?’ ... Eruption in the locker room going crazy...Surreal moment." ([21:19])
• Also praises the 2022 Pats playoff "perfect game" and the "snow globe" game.

Jenna:

• Best: Chiefs-Bills 13 seconds game ("un. Like that is a game I will never forget") and the Tampa OT game ("They found something in that game") ([22:53],[23:22])
• Worst: Also 13 seconds—"for everything to come crashing down...that will be a game I will never forget" ([24:18])
• All: Also cite exhausting, forgettable games during losing seasons, and the Miami "Heat Game" (“they probably shouldn’t be playing this game” — Dan, [25:33]).

5. What’s Holding the Bills Back from a Super Bowl?

Q: What’s the single biggest thing holding this team back from getting over the hump? ([29:16])

• Mike:
  “It’s hard to say…It’s a cop out to say injuries, but you cannot look at this season without saying injuries…But there is something that’s been missing…They always figure it out. I think that’s kind of what it’s been.” ([29:27]-[31:02])
• Jenna:
  “I think it’s confidence. Other teams have done it before…that leaks into the execution aspect 100%.” ([31:29])
• Dan:
  *“It’s a confidence, a mental issue of just ‘we haven’t done it’” — highlights need to "have that little bit of that sense of doubt" erased by experience ([33:02])
• On Josh Allen:
  "No quarterback has ever played better in a game that he lost, in my opinion, than Josh Allen did [in 13 seconds]." — Mike ([33:51])
  "If you don’t understand how good Josh is...you got poop in your pants." — Dan ([34:12])

6. Roster Overhaul: Safety, WR, and Corner Needs

Q: Biggest roster change for Bills next year? ([41:24])

• Jenna: Safety; Dan: Wide receiver ("They are going to gut [the wide receiver room]"); Mike: Speculates on WR shakeup, Gabe Davis’s future (“You’re talking about him being in place of Trent Sherfield…he might get a one year deal”) ([42:21]-[43:14]).
• On Davis:
  "If he’s the number two on Buffalo’s roster, Brandon Beane should be the number two…not signing him as the number two" — Dan ([43:53])
• Consensus: Wide receiver needs a major upgrade; cornerback also a big concern given aging roster and failed draft picks (see Kair Elam, [47:08]).

7. Heat and Hilarity Mid-Challenge

• As sauces intensify, so does their banter and struggle:
  "This is not Josh scrambling around and running. This is one step back and bust through the line." — Mike, on extra hot sauce ([48:31])
  "My tongue is not okay." — Dan ([50:08])
• They cool off with milk, fries, and banter about who’d survive longest on a wilderness show (none are campers; Mike recounts failed camping with Jenny, [38:02]).

8. If Not Sports Media, What Would You Be Doing?

([49:19])

• Mike: Family’s dairy business.
• Dan: Probably food/beverage/hospitality industry.
• Jenna: Lawyer or physical therapist.

9. Rapid Fire Fan Q&As ("Hot Seat" Round)

• Why do you wear a blazer and hoodie? — Dan credits Dan Orlovsky and post-COVID "relaxed" style ([64:58]).
• Personal car saga — Jenna finally replaced the battered "Blueberu" after peer pressure ([67:13]).
• Team chemistry anecdotes, shared Bills coverage history.

10. Sean McDermott’s Job Security & Bills Coaching Direction

([71:43]-[87:39])

On McDermott acting as his own DC this year:
"I think with the injuries and issues with his OC, I think it took away from his role as head coach." — Mike ([72:11])

Will he be let go?

• General agreement: Unless disaster strikes, McDermott gets at least another season.
  "He’s gonna be back, unless something dramatic happens…Next year, if Brady really makes it work at OC and Pula talks with McDermott at the end of the year, they might reevaluate." ([72:59])

Should fans “be careful what you wish for” about firing McDermott?

• Strongly argue that excellent NFL coaches are rare, and simply moving on doesn’t guarantee improvement.
  “Do not just say to me ‘fire Sean McDermott and everything's better’—Who’s replacing him?” — Mike ([80:30])
• Warn against "change for change's sake".
• On Brandon Beane:
  "Brandon Beane...has to pick it up here a bit too...to fix this roster." — Mike ([87:49])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Objectivity:
  “It’s not a gotcha moment…do it in a respectful way.” — Mike ([09:42])
• On Heat:
  "Holy stuff." — Mike, taking the final dab ([71:03]) "That is the hottest hot sauce I’ve ever had in my life." — Jenna ([72:50])
• On Josh Allen:
  "No quarterback has ever played better in a game that he lost...than Josh Allen did in Kansas City." — Mike ([33:51])
• On Fandom and Balance:
  “I like it when [the Bills] win because our job's more fun. You enjoy watching us more…when they win.” — Dan ([08:18])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro, setting up Hot Ones format: 00:46 – 03:40
• Balancing objectivity & fandom: 05:38 – 11:35
• Personal lives & team chemistry: 12:59 – 17:22
• Favorite/least favorite Bills games: 19:04 – 28:31
• What’s holding Bills back from SB: 29:16 – 34:00
• Roster outlook for 2024: 41:24 – 47:13
• Middle hot sauce chaos / wilderness Q: 48:31 – 51:00, 37:13 – 39:43
• Sean McDermott hot seat: 71:43 – 87:39
• Closing banter, favorite sauce: 89:04 – 90:01

Episode Tone & Style Highlights

• Genuine camaraderie and rapid-fire jokes throughout.
• Honest, sometimes blunt evaluation of team and coaching staff.
• Escalating hilarity and suffering as the hot sauces build.
• Substantial, candid football insight even through the comedic chaos.

Final Thoughts

Even as the lava-like heat kicks in, the Buffalo Plus crew offer nuanced takes, clear-eyed opinions on the state and future of the Bills, and entertaining glimpses behind the scenes of long-running local sports journalism. If you want both authentic Bills talk and to hear your favorite hosts in legitimate physical distress, this fiery “Hot Ones” edition is can’t-miss.

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