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James Harrison
This is an iHeart podcast.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
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DJ Wells
Yo, this is DJ Wells from Club 520 podcast Draft Night ain't just about who goes number one. It's about how you show up. And JD Sports is where the future of the league gets laced up. Whether it's Dylan Harper's tenacious two way play or Trey Johnson, sharpshooter from deep down south, JD's got the gear to match every draft story. From exclusive kicks to player collabs, JD Sports is the plug for the next level style. So while the league's getting younger, their f getting fresher. Jerry JD sports where the game meets the streets. Visit jdsports.com to check out their new collection or download the JD app today.
Malcolm Gladwell
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Unknown Speaker
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James Harrison
Check.
Unknown Speaker
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James Harrison
5.
Unknown Speaker
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James Harrison
The volume, man. Welcome to night foe of the Nightcap takeover. That's James Debo Harrison. I'm TJ Hoosh Mazada. Make sure y' all like, y' all hit the subscribe button. And don't forget, you text a friend, you call a friend, you tell them to do the same thing. And at the top corner of the chat, we do have the link for James's merchandise. Make sure y' all go get y' all some Debo gear. As you see, he's sporting his own Debo always. Chad ain't here. He trying to intimidate Chad through the screen. Let's see if Chad Chat texts me during the show to let me know that he not intimidated. So we gonna see. We gonna kick the show off, get right into it with football. And it. I actually like this topic because it's not many of us in this role. And you'll see where I'm going. So Tom Brady says he's a sounding board. He will be a sounding board for anything the Raiders want or need. I mean, you're a part owner. You should be. But my question to you is, would you have any interest of being part of the front office?
Unknown Speaker
Zip, zero, denata. I don't want none of that.
James Harrison
Would you have interest knowing the team? No.
Unknown Speaker
No interest. So playing is enough of a headache now. You gotta control everything else combined with that and every Tom, Dick, and Harry who thinks he knows better than. And can do this defense, offense. Because he played, you know, this video game, and he. He. He does well on it.
DJ Wells
It's.
Unknown Speaker
Nah, I'm. I have no desire.
James Harrison
You.
Unknown Speaker
You got a desire to do that? I mean, other than the money, it's nothing else I would do it for.
James Harrison
I wouldn't say I have a desire to do it. I just feel like if I was in the front office now.
Unknown Speaker
It just.
James Harrison
It depends on your role in that front office. The role in the front office. Like a scout. No, you don't have no say. So you go scout a guy. You may like a guy. The GM may not like him. They don't draft him. But if I'm a decision maker, if my words mean something has, like, it mean I can pull some weight around, I can throw. Yeah. Because I feel like I understand talent. I know talent, position.
Unknown Speaker
So what happens when you get that talent in there and don't pan out the way that you Thought it was gonna pan out.
James Harrison
That's okay, everybody. So now I'm not gonna battle, I'm not gonna bat a thousand. Who? Nobody.
Unknown Speaker
I ain't saying you go about a thousand. I mean, a lot of people don't. Don't nobody bat a thousand.
James Harrison
I'm about at least 700.
Unknown Speaker
Stop it.
James Harrison
I'm telling you, when you sit down and meet with these dudes, number one, you can tell who genuinely loves the game or they just playing the game for what the game brings them, whether it's money, attention, women like you, you don't know. But talent wise, oh, I'm nailing that. I'm melling that.
Unknown Speaker
Okay, but your talent, your talent, what you doing in the off field can overshadow your talent if you're a person that has tremendous talent. But when you off the field, you out in the club, you out in the strip club, you out in the streets, and your nightlife is just as fantastic as playing field. Your career is going to be shortened. You can only do. You can only burn a candle from both ends so long.
James Harrison
I agree with that to a certain extent. I don't care if you out in the club, it's what you doing in the club. I don't care if you're in a strip club. It's. Are you going all the time? Are you getting drunk? It's people that go out, they don't drink. They just hanging out with their teammates. So what are you doing when you go out?
Unknown Speaker
For me, the percentage of those people that go out, how many of them don't drink?
James Harrison
I didn't, like I was.
Unknown Speaker
I didn't say.
James Harrison
I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say probably. That don't. 15 to 20.
Unknown Speaker
It ain't even that high, bro. It's more like 5 to 10.
James Harrison
It may be 15 to 20.
Unknown Speaker
Stop it. You get 10, you get. You get 10 of your homeboys together right now.
James Harrison
No, then they'll drink. What I'm saying is, each time they go out, each time they go. And then how often are you going out? It depends on, like, if you playing in Pittsburgh, how often you going out? You playing in Cincinnati, how often you going out? Now you playing in Miami, you playing in New York, you playing in la, you playing in Atlanta, that's different. But you not going to bat a thousand. I just feel like if I'm given that opportunity, I'm drafting some talented players. Now, am I going to miss here and there? Absolutely. But how many of us are in that position? That's the problem.
Unknown Speaker
Listen, I don't want the responsibility of being in that position. I'm good.
James Harrison
Me personally, I'm jumping two feet in. But they. They not giving us those positions. When I say us people of color, we. We don't. We don't get those type of opportunities to advance up the race. They want you to start in the basement. They want you to start in the basement.
Unknown Speaker
Like you don't want to start in the basement, though.
James Harrison
I don't need to start in the basement. My accolades, I should start above that.
Unknown Speaker
Hey, man, some people can play the game spectacular and can't judge talent to save their life.
James Harrison
I ain't some people. That's the difference. I'm not.
Unknown Speaker
I didn't say you. I said some people.
James Harrison
I know we speaking between you and I now, you wouldn't even want to own a team. Like part owner. No, none of that.
Unknown Speaker
I don't want none of that, man. See, I love playing the game, man. I love playing the game. When I played the game, after I was done playing the game, you know, that was sort of it. You know what I'm saying? I'll watch here and there. If it's something I need to talk about or whatever, I'll pay more attention to it. But other than that, I love to play the game. Everything else that comes with it, I'm good. Especially if I'm not playing it.
James Harrison
For sure. Coaching is nothing. No desire for you at all.
Unknown Speaker
It's too much time.
James Harrison
That is very like. That's my biggest reason because I've been offered jobs in the league. That's my biggest reason that I won't coach, is because, one, I want to be around my children. I want to see my kids grow up. Like, you have all the money in the world. Does it matter when you don't have a relationship with your loved ones? Because ultimately the mama's gonna be the one doing all the raising. Your wife or their mother is gonna raise them cause you not around. We know from our coaches, like, bruh, let's say Sunday, you see them Sunday night. If you play a home game Monday night, they're in the facility all day game planning. Tuesday night, they're in the facility all day game planning. Wednesday night, they're in the facility all day game planning. You'll see them a little bit Thursday, you'll see them a good portion Friday. Now if you play an away game, they flying out Saturday.
Unknown Speaker
Yep.
James Harrison
Now you really don't see them. And then, you know, you get them coaches that they don't like they wife. So now they stand in the. Yeah, you smiling and laughing because you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Unknown Speaker
Hey, yeah, the boys talk about they got a. They got a game playing. Wasn't until 8, 9 o' clock.
James Harrison
They could have left at 7, 8, 9 o' clock. Them dudes is they. They like this. Yeah. Co. Yeah, they got us in here to. Yeah. Till about 11, 11:30, 12. Yeah. So, yeah, I probably just gonna sleep on the air mattress. Okay. Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Like that's what they doing. They not even going home. And so I ain't doing that. Like, I don't wanna, I don't wanna coach with a coach and a coaching staff. Where they in there till like 10, 11, 12, 1 sometime they in there till 1 o' clock in the morning, bro.
Unknown Speaker
Oh, you getting, you, you getting 10 on Mondays and Tuesdays, easy.
James Harrison
But from what I've been told, like, that's the old school coaches, that's the Bill Cowers, the now, the Sean Paytons, all the coaches that came under parcels. Probably Dan Campbell, them new age coaches, the Sean McVeighs, the Matt LaFleurs. No, no, no, they outta there like 8 o' clock, 9 o' clock max.
Unknown Speaker
That's still 8, 9 o' clock. You gotta realize something. Like, you're in there now for me, like, okay, you're in there. They're in there most of the time.
James Harrison
Before the players get there, 6am, 5 to 6pm at the latest.
Unknown Speaker
And then they're another at least three to five hours after the players leave. Especially once you get into it into the season. Now they gotta break down the practice stuff. They gotta do all that, get ready, prepare something else for the next, for the next day. Like, it's not, I'm not, I don't, I don't love it like that.
James Harrison
I do, but I, I'm. I don't love it enough to not have a relationship with my kids. And it could be because I never met my dad a day in my life. I'm a junior. I'm Taraj Hushmanzade junior. I never met Cena. I don't even know him. I don't know what he looked like. I don't know him. And so that could be why I am the way that I am. Never met him. And I want to make sure that I'm present for my kids. I don't want to just be around. I want to be present. I want to go watch their games. I want to go to school activities. When my kids was playing, bro, me and My wife, we ain't miss a practice or a game. Like, we sitting there at practice chilling. Like, all the parents drop their kids off. They gone. We just sit there and we watching practice. Yeah, I ain't going to be on with our son. Like, I'm not the only part of it. Like ownership. Oh, I. For sure. I like that also, because I wouldn't be an owner that people want to work for me. Like, I believe when you own anything, if you treat your employees like they matter, you treat them with the purpose, you make them feel appreciated, they gonna go above and beyond. And that. That's the type of owner that I would be. Because your employees are gonna be a reflection of how great or how bad your business is and how it grows. And so I'm a treat.
Unknown Speaker
I kind of disagree with that in the football terms because rather you like or dislike your owner. I can still advance myself by making sure the players that are under my tutelage do well. And I can get out of that situation and advance myself. Like, when you're talking about a different kind of business, then, yeah, I understand.
James Harrison
That you make sure they do well. And if you.
Unknown Speaker
I credit my linebacker coach, Keith Butler, with my development. I consider he is the coldest linebacker coach I ever had. He was able to teach me the game so that I could understand it because he played the position. He understood when he was asking me to do something that was difficult. And you know what? You might not be able to get it done all the time, but this is what you need to do. He gave me different things that I could do at the position that still translate. He played back in the 70s, 80s, whatever it was, that still translated. No, he's done now.
James Harrison
Okay, so then when you went to. You left Pittsburgh and went to Cincinnati, who was your linebacker coach?
Unknown Speaker
You got me racking my head now.
James Harrison
Okay. Don't lie, though. Was he trash or was he good?
Unknown Speaker
I really didn't have to learn anything then, to be honest with you. You know what I'm saying?
James Harrison
You. So everything that you were taught in Pittsburgh, you just kind of carried that.
Unknown Speaker
I already had. Yeah. Already had with me.
James Harrison
I guess. Position, it varies, man. This shit varies.
Unknown Speaker
Gunther, does that sound right? Gunther. Gunther. Paul.
James Harrison
Yeah, yeah, sure. Kind of chubby. Curly. Yeah, yeah. Paulie G. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I guess it's different about positions because at the receiving position, you on your own, bro. You are on your own. If you don't get better outside of the building, man, you done meta.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
AI is the personal AI to help you with whatever you need. Plus it meets you where you are. Not only is Meta AI now an app, but it's also on the apps you already know and Love Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Plus the Ray Ban Meta Glasses is easy to access wherever you are, so whether you're talking or texting, Meta AI is convenient to use throughout your day. Experience Meta's newest AI that's tailored to you by Download the Meta AI App Try the Meta AI app today on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
DJ Wells
Yo, this is DJ Wells from Club five twenty Podcast. Draft night ain't just about who goes number one. It's about how you show up. And JD Sports is where the future of the league gets laced up. Whether it's Dylan Harper's tenacious two way play or Trey Johnson, sharpshooter from deep down south, JD's got the gear to match every draft story. From exclusive kicks to player collabs, JD Sports is the plug for the next level style. So while the league's getting younger, your fit's getting fresher. JD sports where the game meets the streets. Visit jdsports.com to check out their new collection or download the JD app today.
Unknown Speaker
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You may not know how do I deal with my health and wellness issue. How many credits am I going to get for this given class? You could talk to someone and find out some of that, but maybe it's a little bit sensitive and you don't.
Want to do that, bissell told me. You could build an AI agent, a resource for new students that helps them navigate a new campus, register for classes, access the services they need, and even schedule appointments on their behalf, which in turn buys them more time to focus on their actual schoolwork.
We can see patterns of how agents and assistants can help employees and customers and end users be more productive, automate workflows so they're not doing certain types of repetitive work over and over again and streamlining their lives and making data more accessible to them 24 hours a day.
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Malcolm Gladwell
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James Harrison
Flight to Mexico.
Unknown Speaker
Go.
James Harrison
Now boarding. Oh, that's me.
Malcolm Gladwell
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Unknown Speaker
They ain't teaching the Snap down and the Comeback and all the other stuff.
James Harrison
How they gonna teach it? They ain't never done it. They YouTube coaches.
Unknown Speaker
Hey, I ain't gonna lie to you. That's something that I really believe helps players, is getting a player to come in and coach. But, Jack, players can know and respect.
James Harrison
We talk about this all the time. I don't know. Are you in, like, a chat with, like, some of your former teammates? Like a text thread? Are y' all.
Unknown Speaker
No, man, listen, I got up out of there, man. You get into one of them, man, you look at your phone, you know you done checked everything. You go back 10 minutes later, it's 175 texts.
James Harrison
You ain't gotta. You ain't gotta read.
Unknown Speaker
You gotta read them all just to catch up.
James Harrison
Nah, I don't do that. So I'm in those, right? Chad in it also, sometimes, like me, everybody don't always comment, but I say that. To say is we talk about that all the time. Is coaches are intimidated by former players. If they weren't a former player, they intimidated by that because the current players are going to listen to you more than they listen to their coach. And they feel threatened. They feel threatened. Like, bro, if Buddy plays well, you getting all the credit. They not going to give me nothing. Like, why you feel threatened? I'm not taking your job. That, to me, is the receiver position. It's probably five good coaches in the league, bro. 5. The rest of them get on YouTube. They'll see so and so run a really good route and think that's how you run all your routes. No, that was just a mistake for that play.
Unknown Speaker
Literally, that play, DD played that position. That's what he needed to do. Like, you can't run every route like that. DD ain't gonna play that thing the same way.
James Harrison
I'm telling you, I've seen it firsthand, and I'm not even gonna name the team. I'm not name the team. No, I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna even Name the coach.
Unknown Speaker
But what teams you played on.
James Harrison
No, no, I didn't play for this coach and I didn't play for this team.
Unknown Speaker
Okay, what teams did you play for then?
James Harrison
I played, I went sincy, Seattle, Baltimore, the Raiders. My last year with the Raiders, I should have played.
Unknown Speaker
Okay, so we know it ain't them.
James Harrison
No, it ain't none of those teams.
Unknown Speaker
Okay?
James Harrison
Too many teams. You ain't gonna figure this one out. But this coach, bro, so I'm there, I'm watching and he started implement drills and teach guys how to do this.
Unknown Speaker
Bro, don't, no, don't get me there, man.
James Harrison
Don't get me there. No, this is true. This is a true story.
Unknown Speaker
I know what you about to say, man. He got you doing the drill. That don't even correlate to anything that's gonna happen on one play. Believe me, I know, I've seen it.
James Harrison
So hold up though. So one of the players, one of the starters was, he wasn't practicing. So I'm standing watching, he's standing next to me and he talking like this with his hand over his mouth. So the coach, nobody can read his lips because you know it's cameras. And he was like, you agree with this? I was like, nah. He was like, I know you don't agree with this bullshit, man. I don't know why he got us doing this. And so then the other players, they come asking me throughout the day and the next day because I went to a couple of the practices. And so then the coach asked me like, what do you think? And I said, I don't agree with it, but I won't undermine you. I'm not going to teach them something different than you teaching because this is your job, I won't do that. But they feel so threatened that they don't want you around. That is the biggest problem. Like you gotta get receiver position. If you don't get better on your own, it's a wrap. And that's why I think the receivers coming in are much better now because they are getting better on their own. Now they may run into a trash trainer here and there, but for the most part these dudes is getting better on their own because coaches, and they notice offensive line coaches, they don't want to bring in a former player because the majority of the former players going to teach something different than what the O line coach is teaching because he ain't never done it. There's some good ones, but the majority of them aren't the receiver coaches though, bro, I promise you man, it's comical. It's comical.
Unknown Speaker
Like, oh, no, no, no. Believe me, I've. I've heard, I've heard of things that.
James Harrison
Guys that I train will literally, man, I can show you text message, I'll put it up here. But then you'll see the name and they'll figure out who the coach is. But like, they literally will call and text me and be like, oh, my God, dude, this dude don't know anything. He's like, nothing.
Unknown Speaker
Hey, man, listen, listen, dj, listen. I seen a. I heard, I heard a linebacker drill where they had the linebackers, like you shuffle, punch over the bag, then you, then you, then you pass rush, you strip the quarterback and then you drop for, then you drop for a pass to pick it off. That was, that was really going through all that. Yeah, that was all.
James Harrison
Yeah, dude, I like, okay.
Unknown Speaker
And then, you know, everybody trying to reinvent the wheel. You know what I'm saying? Like, no, stick with, you know, stick with work. You want to come up with this. You want to be the mastermind of this new defense that got 50,000 gaps in it, you know, it's not going to work.
James Harrison
And people think, oh, you in the NFL, it's the best of the best when it comes to coaching. That's not the case. No. You got some great coaches, but you got terrible ass code. Like, there's good doctors, there's bad doctors.
Unknown Speaker
Yes.
James Harrison
You have police officers, there's bad police officers, there's good teachers, there's bad teachers. And some of them coaches are bad teachers. And they don't realize it. I just know at the receiver position, it's very few. And they, the ones, they know who they are. Yarbs with The Rams, great. McArdle with the Vikings, great. Dub with the Saints, great. Sean Jefferson, great. I don't even know where Sean at now. And I probably left out like two more. That's it. Tray walk.
Unknown Speaker
Everybody else trash.
James Harrison
Everybody else is trash. And they, and they know it. They. They know it. They. Okay, they getting on YouTube, Instagram and teaching something that ain't realistic. But they think they right. They really be thinking they right. Not just.
Unknown Speaker
Believe me, man, I totally. I've seen, I've heard of it and sometimes I've seen it, you know, but it's down here.
James Harrison
Every position but one. Tj, he would like to get in the front office. TJ would like to get on. I'll be a cold ass owner. I'll be.
Unknown Speaker
You also gotta realize like some, some coaches that are in that position may not hire A guy that they. That could do a better job because maybe they're threatened. They threatened, you know, they don't want to have. They don't want to have to have any pushback, you know, at any of their, you know, coaching positions, any of their, you know, coordinator positions. They want to be able to do what they want to do. So, you know, you get. You know, you might get guys that are getting hired, and they're like, who is that? Who is that? You know what I'm saying? I mean, there's probably somebody that can do the job, but they're going to be easily pushed around. They're not going to push back on anything. And, you know, you got to realize you get hired by somebody, you know, you can't do too much pushing anyway, unless y' all have a relationship built already where y' all have an understanding, because you can lose your job.
James Harrison
Man, these head coaches talk to you like you the son and ain't a daddy. And that's another reason, like, if I'm not highly up here, like, man, ain't no way ahead. A grown man is going to yell at me and disrespect me, and I don't say nothing. I'm not sitting there taking that. I'm not sitting there taking that. So I'm getting fired. First, second, third day.
Unknown Speaker
I don't know.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Right?
James Harrison
I know you damn choice. I'mma look at who the fuck you talking to?
Unknown Speaker
That's the first thing coming out of my mouth.
James Harrison
That's what I'm. Oh, get your. They gonna be calling security on you. But it is a lot of. I mean, we're going to transition, then it's not confrontational, but it's confrontational in the business world. This is we doing this for Chad, because my boy Chad is a huge soccer fan. In Europe, they call it football. Killian, Mbappe, you watch a little soccer. You know who that is?
Unknown Speaker
Who the fuck is that?
James Harrison
Okay. He a little light skin. He called in soccer, though. He called. So he sues PSG for $61 million in unpaid wages. Not 61,000, 61 elms in unpaid wages. I don't know, like, the ins and outs of it, but 61 million. So I bring that up to say at one point in time, you was up for contract negotiations. Did you ever have any moments where you just was heated and it just went left?
Unknown Speaker
No, I really let my agent take care of all that. I didn't talk directly to anybody because that's what your agent is there for, to be the middleman to be the person that I'mma go, and I'm gonna say something reckless and crazy to him, and he go, put it into good words, you know, to them. So I didn't. I didn't talk to. I didn't talk to anybody when I did my contract negotiation.
James Harrison
So when you would ask your agent, like, hey, what's going on? And he would tell you, like, ah, it didn't kind of piss you off a little bit.
Unknown Speaker
It just depends on what it is. And a lot of the negotiation stuff that, you know, I was going through, it was. You got to realize you start. They starting low. They starting low. They lowballing you. Yeah, they lowballing you. And like, my first time ever, I. Yeah, I was hot. He was like, don't worry about it. This is what. This is how it goes. This is what happens. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, once I realized that, you know, you just go back to him real fast, like, nope, not happening. Come back with something else.
James Harrison
I don't know if it happened to me like that, but when I. When I left the Bengals, I had a certain number in my mind. Like, you gonna compare me to this receiver?
Unknown Speaker
Cool.
James Harrison
I'm gonna compare myself to that same receiver. Oh, my stats are now better than that receiver. I'm doing more than this receiver. So now I'm comparing myself to this receiver. And I think what happens is when you see yourself here and the team sees you here, it starts to get a little personal. I know when I left the Bengals, I left. It was strictly a financial decision. It wasn't like, I'm a dude. I get comfortable, and if I can make it work, I'm gonna make it work. And that's what I wanted to do. But it was like, I was drafted late. You were undrafted. We gotta get every dollar we can get. We ain't gonna be taking no discounts, Right? So I'm getting frustrated about, like, y' all really offering me this. I was underpaid the last three years, so y' all got me at a discount for three years. Now you really gonna try to load. So I was. I was frustrated, and so that's why I left Cincinnati and went to Seattle. And then the Bengals turn around, and they signed Antonio Bryant. Antonio Bryant went to pick. They basically gave him what you wanted. Me, right? Yeah, but a little more. More than they offered me, but a little less than what I wanted. Right?
Unknown Speaker
Okay.
James Harrison
He played there one year, one season. So he got like, 13. 13 million guaranteed one season. Done. They released him. He didn't do nothing. I don't know if he was hurt or not. Cause he was the baller. Then the next year. Wait, I'm off. They signed Laverneus Coles first. They signed Laverneus Coles first. Got rid of him after one year. The next year, they signed Antonio Bryant. That's what it was. So those two seasons was 24 million in guaranteed money that they gave to both of them. If they would have given that shit to me, I would have walked from California to Cincinnati to sign that guy straight up. And so it wasn't like a. Like a bad. It was just like. I couldn't believe it. Because that year, the year that I left, they actually made the playoffs and they played the jets. And that's when they put Revis on Chad. And the other receiver couldn't get open. And I'm like, if I was there, we would have won, because I'm for sure gonna get open. That's a guarantee I'm getting open. And. And all y' all had to do was slide me a few more millions. But y' all end up giving these dudes 24 over two years. And I'm like, damn, that hurt me in the pocket. And it hurt them on the field and in the pocket because they didn't get no return on their investment playoff game. So they had made more. More money off of that. And so that, for me, was like, the only time that I went through a negotiation that I felt like, oh, man, like, this is kind of pissing me off. And then you see what happens. Like, you. I left this.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, that's a little different. I never went to. I went. I never went through anything like that, you know?
James Harrison
Like, no lie, though, it kind of pisses you off because you're calling your agent, like, hey, what's going on? They at this number, you think they gonna get up? I don't know. Then he call you a couple days later. You see that, you be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, something about happened. What's up? Same thing. So then you start to get frustrated, because every time you talk to him, it's the same thing. Nah, they ain't moved yet. Nah, they ain't moved yet. So then at a certain time, you like, man, don't even take their calls no more. Fuck them. We leaving. Don't take their calls no more. I don't give a fuck. Like, it starts to make you angry. So then when you reach nine, you happy that you resigned, but you still had that animosity over the months of them BSing it. Nah, fuck em nah. So for me, yeah. But damn, I show. I know they regret that because 24 million over two years at that time. That's 12 million.
Unknown Speaker
Oh yeah.
James Harrison
The highest paid receiver in the league, if I'm not mistaken, back then was probably 12 or 13. And then I go to Seattle and I was making eight a year. I think I was like the sixth, seventh highest paid receiver in the league at that point. But the Bengals could have had me and they gave that money to two other guys. And it was just unfortunate cause Le Bernie is Coles. When he was with the jets and at the time the Redskins, he was a baller. And then Tony o' Brien was a baller also. He was just a hothead. You remember when he threw this jersey and Bill Parcell's face? They had that all on espn.
Unknown Speaker
No, I. I didn't.
James Harrison
Yeah. What? Bill Parcell said something crazy to Antonio Bryant and he wouldn't take. He. He was the original ab.
Unknown Speaker
Okay, okay.
James Harrison
He was the original ab. He took his jersey off, bro. You gotta took his jersey, threw it right in Bill Parcell's face. And you know Bill Parcells at that time, he had a reputation like run up on him if you want to type of coach. He ran up on him and call security. Got him up out of there when he was with the Cowboys. Yeah, you Google that?
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I'm about to check that out.
James Harrison
Yeah. Yeah.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
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DJ Wells
Yo, this is DJ Wells from Club five twenty podcast. Draft night ain't just about who goes number one. It's about how you show up. And JD Sports is where the future of the league gets laced up. Whether it's Dylan Harper's tenacious two way play or Trey Johnson, sharpshooter from deep down south, JD's got the gear to match every draft story. From exclusive kicks to player collabs, JD Sports is the plug for the next level style. So while the league's getting younger, your fit's getting fresher. JD sports where the game meets the streets. Visit jdsports.com to check out their new collection or download the JD app today.
Unknown Speaker
Malcolm Gladwell here. I recently recorded the first episode of Smart Talks with IBM, where I learned how AI agents are joining AI assistants as a major productivity tool. Let's start with AI agents. AI agents can reason, plan, and collaborate with other AI tools to autonomously perform tasks for a user. Brian Bitzel, an expert from IBM, gave me an example of how a college freshman might use an AI agent As.
A new student, you may not know how do I deal with my health and wellness issue? How many credits am I going to get for this given class? You could talk to someone and find out some of that, but maybe it's a little bit sensitive and you don't.
Want to do that, Bissell told me. You could build an AI agent, a resource for new students that helps them navigate a new campus, register for classes, access the services they need, and even schedule appointments on their behalf, which in turn buys them more time to focus on their actual schoolwork.
We can see patterns of how agents and assistants can help employees and customers and end users be more productive, automate workflows so they're not doing certain types of repetitive work over and over again and streamlining their lives and making data more accessible to them 24 hours a day.
To learn more about IBM's AI agents and how they can help your business, visit IBM.com/agents.
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James Harrison
Flight to Mexico to go. Now boarding. Oh, that's me.
Malcolm Gladwell
That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. For more information visit american express.com withamx.
James Harrison
I think we have a clip of this. Man, this is crazy. What would a father. His son is about to play Pop Warner football, right? Then when he found out how much it costs. I mean, I wouldn't say he went crazy, but he was. He. He was a little upset about the cost of his son.
Unknown Speaker
How much was it?
James Harrison
Look, look, check it out.
Unknown Speaker
Why does it cost so much to play Pop Warner football? Why is it 620 for one of.
James Harrison
My kids, one to play tackle football?
Unknown Speaker
I know I'm a little bit older. When I was coming up, it was $50. That was expensive to my mama at the time. But being realistic, that was not expensive, but 620. What is money going. This money going somewhere? Somebody please tell me, why is this.
James Harrison
Why does it cost this? You think that's a lot?
Unknown Speaker
I think it's a lot of money. Like you said, when we played, it was. It was a lot cheaper.
James Harrison
But also, I don't think it was.
Unknown Speaker
Listen.
James Harrison
$50 inflation number one.
Unknown Speaker
Yes. Times have changed, and we probably both of us.
James Harrison
Are we older than him? He looked like he young. We both older than him.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah. But now, you know, times don't change. You got. You got different sets of rules in place. You got to realize, like, is it like, are they paying for the uniform? Do they get to keep the uniform? The helmets, like, the helmets themselves, everybody.
James Harrison
Got to get their own helmet. Shoulder pads, cleats that you have to get on your own.
Unknown Speaker
They got to get that by themselves without the team giving it to them.
James Harrison
Shoulder pads and helmets and cleats. Hell, yeah. That's on his win.
Unknown Speaker
My kids get shoulder pads and helmets from the school, high school, or from the organization that they're playing with.
James Harrison
Pop Warner.
Unknown Speaker
That's like Pee Wee, right?
James Harrison
Yeah, the same thing. Yeah. Nah, not out here. Then out here, you. You getting a uniform and a field to practice at. That's it.
Unknown Speaker
So you got to buy your helmet. That's not. With helmet and shoulder pads.
James Harrison
No, that's crazy. They out of control.
Unknown Speaker
Somebody's stealing somebody, putting money in their pocket. They feeding the kids. What are they doing? Are they feeding the kids out there? Are they like, it got to be something else going into that.
James Harrison
If you look at it, it's probably going to be 20 to 30 kids, right? 20 to 30 kids at 600. Let's just say it's 30 kids. That's 18,000. All right, $18,000. You practicing two to three times a week. How much you think they charge you for the field per day? Let's say a hundred dollars an hour. Cause you got the lights that right there, if you just practicing two hours, three days a week, two, four, six, that's 2,400. Just the practice field, and you going for four months. So that right there is damn near 10 grand just with field rental just to practice. 10 grand. So now we working with $8,000. Now, what that entails, maybe it's to get them the snacks after the game or pregame. I don't know what it is, but I think now in today's time, that's about right. Because this is what happens, man. A lot of the coaches that coach U Football. They end up spending their money. Oh, yeah, their money on these kids. And granted, some. Some. Some coaches can afford it, others can't. But I don't know how it is in Pittsburgh, but out here, my son is not. He's yet to play tackle football. He will be playing next year, but he's yet to play it. But I just know from people that I've talked to. Oh, man, these parents have no loyalty to you. Zero. So as soon as you do something wrong, they leaving your team, they going to somebody else. But you done put two, three thousand dollars into her or his son. But you piss them off, or they feel like another team is better, or their son has now gotten better so he can go get on a better team. He leaving.
Unknown Speaker
Well, that's what the fee for. You want to leave, Go ahead and leave. I'm gonna hold on to this money.
James Harrison
Exactly, exactly. But then you get a coach that's kind of footing the bill out his pocket, and then they leave. Now it's like, wow, this how they gonna do me? So I don't. That $600 fee. I don't remember how much.
Unknown Speaker
Well, if you footing the bill for a kid, the talent is worth you taking a chance of footing that bill. Let's be honest, you know?
James Harrison
Yeah. And that's why you foot it.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah. That's a chance you take. You know what I'm saying? You know, when you go. And. And you know what? Oh, you can't afford it. Okay, listen, let you know I got it.
James Harrison
I got. I got it.
Unknown Speaker
I'm gonna take care of this. I'm gonna take care of that. So now, like you said, time come. They upset. He didn't get enough snaps. He didn't get this. Or. Or. I don't.
James Harrison
I don't even know if you can go from team to team. I don't know how the rules work. Like, if you leave in the middle of the season, can you play for another team? But that. That is. I didn't play Pop Warner coming up, so I don't know. But if I thought it was like a hundred dollars, bro, like 150, but.
Unknown Speaker
600 back in the day, like, that's. That's it.
James Harrison
So if it was a hundred even.
Unknown Speaker
Right now, dude, it's a. It's still a fee. My kids, you know, they play at the public school. It's still a fee. And it's, you know, it's a little less than that, but it's still a fee.
James Harrison
600, though, right?
Unknown Speaker
Yeah.
James Harrison
So that's to me, I think that spirit buddy act like. Like he was flat $50.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah. And they feed him and all that. You know what I'm saying?
James Harrison
Like $50 worth. Like he talking about, he's used to it being 1. Where you playing? 2. In the parking lot.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah.
James Harrison
You got to get a park, a field, a high school. Now, if you practice, there are certain cases, I know out here when you have a really good organization and a really good team, you get. You use one of these high schools out here to practice that because your team is so good and your players are so good, they hoping that some of those players attend the high school that you practice at so they'll let you use their fields. Outside of that, man, you. Football. Just being a coach is expensive. And like, I coached my son 7 on 7 this past spring. We went 10, 0, won a championship. We went and blew him out 35, 0 on the championship game. You know, I'm a little. I'm gonna brag a little bit, but we beat they ass. Beat they ass, Right?
Unknown Speaker
Wow. Beat the kids ass.
James Harrison
Okay, but the cup. But this. No, no, no, no, no. The coach really was, like, talking shit. Like, I think they thought they beat my homie team in the semis. They beat my.
Unknown Speaker
So you gotta realize this. They didn't. They.
James Harrison
They weren't.
Unknown Speaker
They weren't beating your kids. They were beating you.
James Harrison
Exactly.
Unknown Speaker
They were beating you.
James Harrison
Yes.
Unknown Speaker
It has nothing to do with the kids.
James Harrison
Yes.
Unknown Speaker
It's. Now I get an opportunity to go, but my kids is playing, and I get to beat Hus Manzada. I'm gonna tear his ass up because I know better than him I could have played in the league.
James Harrison
And you know what?
Unknown Speaker
Now is my chance and opportunity for my son to do what it is I should have did to him if they had just gave me his shot.
James Harrison
Yeah. So you. They. They. I know it. I know it's like that. They'll tell their kid to really go at my son. So I. That's what my son know.
Unknown Speaker
Like. Oh, yeah.
James Harrison
Like, they.
Unknown Speaker
I told my kids that. I said, listen, man, it's people right now that's telling their son to try and tear your head off because you're.
James Harrison
Hold on, hold on. Hey, good luck, boy.
Unknown Speaker
I'll be at the game.
James Harrison
Dominate they ass. Dominate their ass. My son got a basketball game that he going to, and he about to leave. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah. As soon as we done with this podcast, I'm going to the gym. Hey, foot on throats, boy. Foot on throws. We ain't playing no games. Today. So. Yeah, yeah, sorry y' all. Sorry, y' all. They walk. I can hear you good. You good?
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, yeah, you good.
James Harrison
So we did the seven on seven, right? And we had some kids that come from the inner city, cool parents. And they probably could afforded it too. Even though they come from inner city. Parents were successful. And so me and another coach, the other coach got the uniforms and then I paid the entry fee because the majority of the parents could afford it, but not everybody, right? So he was just like, I get the uniforms. And I was like, all right. Then I got the entry fee then. Entry fee was more than uniforms. Cool. But when it comes to that, like, it's expensive and it's hard for parents to budget that. Like, I mean, I think the entry fee was, was it 15, 15 or 1800? And it was only six weeks. You play every day. You play every Sunday. You get two games on a Sunday. Two games on a Sunday. Total or per kid? No, no, no. Total, Total. Total.
Unknown Speaker
Oh, okay.
James Harrison
Well, we only plan, we only plan with seven. Eight kids. Eight kids. We probably played with eight. Sometimes we'd be at seven. And so that's a little over two. If we had divided it, it's a little over $200 per kid. And then you do the uniform. It's probably the uniforms, I think end up being like 900. So everybody's uniform was about a hundred. So then now that's $300 per kid. But it's only a six week season. Parents can't afford that. And so I was like, yeah, yeah, I got it. Not a big deal. And then that's just seven on seven for that six period. I mean, six week time frame. What happened when you go play tackle? What happened if you go play basketball? What happened if you try to play other sports? And that's what I do want to get into is the one sport athlete. So just bring that up when you talk other Sports. But the $600, I don't think it was, I don't think it was an outrage.
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I don't, I don't, I don't think that was out of, out of pocket. It wasn't astronomical to, you know, to think that it would be, to think it would be $50 is out of control though.
James Harrison
You know, it is astronomical because when you go get a helmet, like you get a good helmet, that's five, six hundred dollars. Oh, I know that, that, that's.
Unknown Speaker
You get, you get that new one. What is it, the, the flex something? No, it's a different one. Dude, it's the one where they actually put it on their head and they 3D image it and then go make the helmet.
James Harrison
So that's like, that's like 800 bucks.
Unknown Speaker
I don't know.
James Harrison
So you gotta lie. You James Harrison, they gonna give you that for free. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Unknown Speaker
I don't know what it costs. I just ain't paying. You know.
James Harrison
You. You paid for it, but you don't know I paid for it. Like good shoulder pads. Like, yeah, playing sports is expensive and a lot of time the coaches take on that expense. So you parents that's listening show some type of loyalty because they doing it for your kid. And yeah, they doing it because the kid is good. But it's some kids that aren't good that they also doing it for. Because the kid, it keeps him off the streets. It gives you something to do and maybe he'll develop, who knows? I was a zero star recruit coming out of high school and played a long time. You were undrafted and you about to. You gonna be in the hall of fame and so you just never know the volume.
DJ Wells
Yo, this is DJ Wells from Club 520. Podcast Draft Night ain't just about who goes number one. It's about how you show up. And JD Sports is where the future of the league gets laced up. Whether it's Dylan Harper's tenacious two way play or Trey Johnson, sharpshooter from deep down south, JD's got the gear to match every draft story. From exclusive kicks to player collabs, JD Sports is the plug for the next level style. So while the league's getting younger, your fix getting fresher. JD sports with the game meets the streets. Visit jdsports.com to check out their new collection or download the JD app today.
Unknown Speaker
When it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check my favorite jersey. It is good luck. Check. An iconic drink that's a fan favorite.
James Harrison
Check.
Unknown Speaker
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Danielle Fishel
Hi, I'm Danielle Fishel from Pod Meets World. So for my two boys I got Samsung Galaxy Watch for kids. And I'm not saying I'm kind of jealous of my kids tech. I'm saying I am definitely jealous of my child's tech. This thing lets them call, text and explore all from their wrist. No smartphone required. And don't worry, you're still the boss. You control who they can talk to and yes, you can totally stalk their location in real time. Get Galaxy Watch 7 on T mobile now Kid ready with a new paired line. Visit t mobile.com to order yours today. Parent and child must have a Samsung account and Google account with Family link requires initial pairing with a compatible Samsung smartphone and qualifying wireless plan with LTE service activated. Please check with your carrier for more information. Trusted contact applies to compatible apps. It does not restrict communication through third party or other communication apps. Emergency services and contacts remain accessible. Location sharing is dependent on network connectivity and device being recently active. T Mobile terms via 24 monthly bill credits when you add a qualifying paired watch line. See additional offer terms on t mobile.com.
James Harrison
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Podcast Information:
James Harrison opens the discussion by addressing the news of Tom Brady joining the Las Vegas Raiders as a sounding board. He questions whether Brady's involvement extends beyond a mere advisory role into more substantial front-office positions.
James Harrison (03:54): “Tom Brady says he's a sounding board. He will be a sounding board for anything the Raiders want or need. I mean, you're a part owner. You should be. But my question to you is, would you have any interest in being part of the front office?”
TJ Houshmandzadeh responds with a clear disinterest in transitioning to a front-office role, emphasizing his preference to remain focused on playing rather than managing administrative duties.
Unknown Speaker (03:58): “Zip, zero, denata. I don't want none of that.”
The conversation delves deeper into the complexities and demands of front-office positions within NFL teams. James Harrison expresses skepticism about whether former players genuinely desire these roles or are motivated by external factors like money and influence.
James Harrison (04:01): “Playing is enough of a headache now. You gotta control everything else combined with that and every Tom, Dick, and Harry who thinks he knows better...”
The discussion highlights the lack of interest among many former players to take on significant administrative responsibilities, citing the overwhelming nature of such roles.
A significant portion of the dialogue centers around the demanding lifestyle of NFL coaches. James Harrison shares personal reasons for declining coaching opportunities, primarily the desire to be present for his family.
James Harrison (08:58): “The biggest reason that I won't coach is because I want to be around my children. I want to see my kids grow up...”
He contrasts this with the typical coaching schedule, which often requires long hours and extensive time away from home, making it challenging to maintain personal relationships.
James Harrison candidly critiques the quality of coaching within the league, expressing frustration with coaches who rely on outdated methods or lack the ability to effectively teach and develop players.
James Harrison (24:36): “You have...good coaches, but you got terrible ass coaches. Like, there's good doctors, there's bad doctors... some of them coaches are bad teachers.”
He emphasizes the importance of competent coaching in player development, particularly at the receiver position, and laments the prevalence of ineffective coaching strategies.
The conversation shifts to James Harrison's personal experiences with contract negotiations. He recounts feeling undervalued by his team, leading to his decision to switch teams in pursuit of better financial opportunities.
James Harrison (30:07): “When I left the Bengals, it was strictly a financial decision. I was drafted late. We gotta get every dollar we can get...”
He expresses frustration over his team allocating significant funds to other players instead of investing in him, which he believes negatively impacted both his career and the team's performance.
In a heartfelt segment, James Harrison and his co-host discuss the escalating costs associated with youth sports, particularly football. They highlight the financial burdens placed on parents for equipment, entry fees, and other expenses.
James Harrison (37:37): “Why does it cost so much to play Pop Warner football? Why is it $600 for one of them?”
They break down the costs involved, from helmet purchases to field rentals, illustrating how these expenses can be prohibitive for many families. James shares his own experiences coaching his son's team, stressing the importance of parental support despite financial challenges.
The episode of Club Shay Shay offers an unfiltered look into the personal and professional challenges faced by NFL players transitioning into roles beyond the field. James Harrison provides insightful commentary on the intricacies of team management, the demanding nature of coaching, and the financial strains of youth sports. His candid discussions shed light on the often-overlooked aspects of a professional athlete's life, emphasizing the value of family, competent coaching, and fair financial practices within the sport.
Notable Quotes:
This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the Club Shay Shay episode, highlighting key discussions and providing direct quotes to convey the depth of the conversation. It serves as an informative guide for those interested in understanding the multifaceted lives of NFL players beyond their on-field performances.