Garage Logic Podcast Summary
Episode: MNST: Vikings shut out Washington and we lay out all of exciting College Football Bowl season action!!
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Joe Soucheray
Guests/Regulars: Pat, Chris
Network: Gamut Podcast Network
Overview
In this classic episode of Garage Logic, host Joe Soucheray (“The Mayor”) is joined by Pat and Chris to break down the Minnesota Vikings’ shutout win over the Washington Commanders, dive deep into puzzling Vikings offensive issues, and embark on a highly opinionated, often hilarious tour of the upcoming college football bowl season. The trio also reminisce about sports reporting gear, grumble over bowl name changes, and sprinkle in plenty of their signature Midwestern wit and skepticism along the way.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Vikings vs. Washington – Defensive Dominance & Offensive Questions
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Vikings Shutout: The show opens with the hosts marveling at Minnesota’s defensive performance against Washington, but the excitement is tainted by ongoing confusion over star receiver Justin Jefferson’s lack of involvement.
- Joe asks: “Justin Jefferson had two receptions yesterday…11 yards for minimal yards. What is going on there?” (00:48)
- Pat replies: “The fact that the defense is giving up no points doesn’t put much pressure on the quarterback…he can be acting like the good soldier. But the fact that the last two weeks he’s had four catches for 17 yards, that when you’re looking at the Hall of Fame resume – that doesn’t look too good.” (00:58)
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Gritty Deprivation: Both Joe and Pat lament the absence of Jefferson’s signature “gritty” dance, noting its cultural resonance and how other players have co-opted it.
- Joe quips: “Other people around the league are doing the gritty. I want him to do the gritty.” (01:54)
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Playoff Aspirations – Skepticism Abounds: Joe wonders if this version of the Vikings can finish strong. Pat is unconvinced, especially after such a conservative offensive game plan.
- Pat: “They’re going to have to maybe get a little out of your comfort zone.” (03:53)
Notable NFL and College Game Reactions
- Other NFL Action: The Packers-Bears game is discussed as a highlight, with Chris praising Bears’ comeback efforts and rookie QB talent.
- Chris: “I really didn’t think he was going to be anything...but Caleb Williams can throw the ball.” (02:32)
- Pat interjects about quarterback traits and gives a humorous side note about “Turkey of the Year” awards meant as “motivation, not ridicule.” (02:56)
College Football Bowl Season – Skepticism, Nostalgia, and Naming Nonsense
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Team Bowl Opt-Outs: The group covers the phenomenon of teams skipping bowl games (including Iowa State and Kansas State), frequently tied to coaching changes and player transfers.
- Pat: “They voted no…now the league fined them $500,000…Notre Dame, nobody can fine them because they don’t belong to a conference.” (04:51)
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Bowl Game Debates – Who Deserves In?
- Pat:", Alabama...the team that shouldn’t be going is Alabama. Because Alabama...they’re punishing Notre Dame for a loss to Miami...they’re not punishing Alabama for a loss to Florida State." (06:10)
- Critique of ESPN/SEC influence on playoff committee selections, drawing laughs and jabs about TV ratings and conference loyalty. (06:37–07:12)
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Indiana Football Ascendancy: Discussion of Indiana’s sudden success and their coach’s bold attitude.
- Pat: “When they asked him what made him think he could win in Indiana, he said, ‘Google me. Won everywhere I’ve been.’” (09:38)
The Great College Bowl Name Purge
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Joe’s Quest: Joe, armed with a fake notepad, attempts to only recognize “real” bowl games—those rooted in history or named after plants, animals, or states, and not “corporate nonsense.”
- Memorable bit: Joe dismisses nearly every bowl as Chris reads the exhaustive list.
- Joe (on the LA Bowl): “Not counting that one.” (23:19)
- Chris (reading bowl names): “Gasparilla Bowl, Memphis vs. NC…”
Joe: “No. That’s a no.” (24:41)
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Long Riff on Bowl Name Changes: The crew reminisces about bowls with more legitimate names:
- Pat (on bowl sponsorships): “Some great old coach said not long ago, 10 years ago, said, ‘I only want to go to bowl games that named after fruits or flowers.’” (16:48)
- The Outback, Citrus, Gator, Sun, and Alamo bowls barely make the cut for “legitimate” status. The rest are ruthlessly mocked or dismissed as corporate cash grabs.
Notable Bowl Naming Banter
- Joe (on the Outback Bowl): “No, that’s a food. I want a plant.” (17:09)
- Joe (on the Copper Bowl): “I’ll take that. That’s an element. That’s a mineral. I’ll take that.” (16:37)
Sportswriting Tech Nostalgia (19:00–22:30)
- Stories emerge about the evolution of filing stories from typewriters, Telex machines, Texas Instruments “with two big tits on top,” to Radio Shack portables, and eventually iPads.
- Pat (on the Radio Shack machine): “The first mistake we made was going away from the Radio Shack.” (20:24)
- Joe: “I still have mine. I used it as a display.” (20:48)
- Hilarious typewriter mishap:
Pat: “I was down the row and I said, oops. Oops. What happened?” (19:52)
Detailed College Bowl Rundown (22:32–30:17)
Chris reads through the upcoming bowl slate; Joe and Pat provide off-the-cuff commentary, usually involving Joe rejecting the legitimacy of nearly every bowl.
- Survivors: After relentless culling, only five bowls make Joe’s “real” list: Gator, Independence, Alamo, Sun, and Citrus, not counting major playoff games. (30:12)
- Pat (on Independence Bowl): “That ain’t a bowl game. That’s a battle of piss ants.” (28:16)
- Pat (on bowl legitimacy): “The Gator bowl is like…was the fifth bowl for years.” (27:26)
Minny Sports: Hockey & Final Banter (33:00–34:23)
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Brief update on the Minnesota Wild’s struggles and a lighthearted plug for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame event, including local legend mentions and teasing memories about past coaches and local sportswriters.
- Pat (on Hall of Fame coverage): “He was Mr. Hockey…He had no problem being told what he was doing wrong.” (33:40)
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Pat (on Minnesota hockey): “I just looked at the top 20. We ain’t in it. That doesn’t happen too often. They're off to a bad start, but they’ll be back.” (34:23)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Other people around the league are doing the gritty. I want him to do the gritty.” – Joe (01:54)
- “The Turkey of the Year is not intended as ridicule. It’s intended as motivation.” – Pat (02:56)
- “I only want to go to bowl games that named after fruits or flowers.” – Pat (16:48)
- “Alabama...the committee, which is a bunch of BS, everybody’s trying to figure out, did you see their explanation for why Miami jumped Notre Dame...?” – Pat (07:06)
- “We walked...that was terrible. That was terrible. We walked.” – Pat on trudging through Detroit Silverdome weather (18:49)
- “Oops. Oops. What happened?” – Pat on accidentally dropping a typewriter in the press box (19:52)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Vikings’ shutout, Jefferson woes: 00:40–02:01
- Gritty/cultural football talk: 01:54–02:12
- NFL and Bears-Packers reaction: 02:12–02:48
- Turkey of the Year/Motivation: 02:56–03:10
- Can the Vikings make the playoffs? 03:46–04:06
- College teams dropping out, ESPN/SEC/committee critique: 04:46–07:12
- Indiana Football rise: 08:25–09:54
- Bowl game selection, bowl naming farce: 22:30–30:17
- Sportswriting/tech nostalgia: 19:00–22:30
- Minnesota Wild/Hockey Hall of Fame/local sports: 33:00–34:23
Tone & Language
True to Garage Logic, the episode is conversational, irreverent, suffused with dry wit, local knowledge, gentle ribbing, inside jokes, and nostalgia for “how things used to be.” There’s deep skepticism of change for change’s sake—whether in football, bowl games, or technology—with an underlying affection for tradition and common sense.