01-09-25 - Thursdays w/Former Dallas Cowboy OLineman Dale Hellestrae - Visiting His Old Teammate Bill Bates - Thoughts On ASU's CFP Loss To Texas - Picks For NFL Wildcard Weekend

Summary

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona: Episode 01-09-25

Host: John Holmberg
Guest: Dale Hellestrae, Former Dallas Cowboy Offensive Lineman
Release Date: January 9, 2025
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

---

Introduction

In this engaging episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness on 98 KUPD, host John Holmberg welcomes former Dallas Cowboy offensive lineman Dale Hellestrae. The conversation spans heartfelt personal stories, contentious sports debates, and strategic predictions for the NFL wildcard weekend, offering listeners a blend of emotional depth and spirited sports analysis.

---

Visiting Former Teammate Bill Bates

The episode opens with Dale sharing a deeply personal experience—his visit to former teammate Bill Bates, who is battling Parkinson's disease. Dale recounts the emotional impact of seeing Bates smile despite his struggles, highlighting the enduring bonds formed through football.

Dale Hellestrae [07:03]: "Watching you guys together with him smiling that way was bringing so much joy to somebody who's going through so much crap."

This segment underscores the camaraderie and support systems that persist long after the final whistle has blown, emphasizing the human side of professional sports.

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Controversy Surrounding ASU's CFP Loss to Texas

A significant portion of the discussion delves into Arizona State University's (ASU) controversial loss to Texas in the College Football Playoff (CFP). Dale voices strong opinions about the fairness of officiating decisions, particularly criticizing a pivotal targeting call that he believes unjustly swayed the game's outcome in favor of Texas.

Dale Hellestrae [14:33]: "It was the face mask. It doesn't matter."

Dale contends that media influences and biased officiating have systematically marginalized deserving teams like ASU and Boise State, questioning the integrity of the CFP selection and officiating processes.

Dale Hellestrae [16:56]: "If you're really, truly serious about the future of these guys and their safety and their health, that's the one; you're like, we have got to make a point."

The conversation reflects broader concerns about transparency and equity in college football, resonating with fans who feel their teams are overlooked due to systemic biases.

---

NFL Wildcard Weekend Predictions

Transitioning to the NFL, Dale and Holmberg engage in a lively debate over their predictions for the upcoming wildcard weekend. The discussion is marked by personal anecdotes, rivalries, and strategic insights into team performances.

Steelers vs. Ravens Rivalry: Dale expresses unwavering support for the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite recent underwhelming performances, citing the team's storied rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens and historical competitiveness.

Dale Hellestrae [27:12]: "You're gonna take them as a win or you're gonna take the points? Take the points for sure. Nine and a half points."

He highlights the unpredictability of rivalry games and the psychological edge they can provide, emphasizing the Steelers' resilience and tactical advantages.

Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions: The conversation shifts to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, with Dale analyzing their chances based on regular season performances and potential setbacks like injuries.

Dale Hellestrae [25:13]: "But no, the Lions have never been a competitive thing. Since forever. And for them to just show up and win their first Super Bowl. I don't think anybody's too upset with that."

Dale critiques the Lions' historical struggles while expressing optimism about new talent and team dynamics potentially leading to a breakthrough.

Humorous Banter and Expert Predictions: The hosts inject humor into their analysis, playfully ribbing each other over past prediction missteps and underscoring the inherent unpredictability of sports outcomes.

Dale Hellestrae [29:11]: "Another time, Johnny, when you make predictions, remind him of the time he told me there's a guy named Philip who evidently knows you."

This lighthearted exchange maintains an engaging atmosphere while reinforcing the depth of their football knowledge.

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Summary and Insights

Throughout the episode, Dale Hellestrae offers a blend of heartfelt narratives and incisive sports commentary. His visit to Bill Bates serves as a poignant reminder of the personal connections forged through football, while his critique of the CFP system invites listeners to question and reflect on the fairness and integrity of college sports officiating.

The robust discussion on NFL wildcard predictions showcases Dale's strategic thinking and deep understanding of team dynamics, enhancing the episode's appeal to dedicated sports enthusiasts. The interplay between humor and serious analysis ensures a balanced and engaging listening experience.

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Notable Quotes

• Dale Hellestrae [07:03]: "Watching you guys together with him smiling that way was bringing so much joy to somebody who's going through so much crap."

• Dale Hellestrae [14:33]: "It was the face mask. It doesn't matter."

• Dale Hellestrae [16:56]: "If you're really, truly serious about the future of these guys and their safety and their health, that's the one; you're like, we have got to make a point."

• Dale Hellestrae [27:12]: "You're gonna take them as a win or you're gonna take the points? Take the points for sure. Nine and a half points."

---

This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness adeptly combines personal storytelling with sharp sports analysis, making it a must-listen for fans seeking both emotional depth and insightful discussion in their morning radio fare.

Transcript

[John Holmberg]

All right, HMS Podcast. Time again to let you know where to go for some great comedy in the Valley this week. Get out to the Tempe Improv on the east side to see Paul Versey on Thursday and Beth Stelling Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Desert Ridge Improv up north features Sarah Weinschenk this Thursday and Joe Derosa on Friday and Saturday. And downtown at Stand Up Live, check out the very funny Lil Rel performing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the complete lineups. And for tickets, go to standuplive.com desertridgeimprov.com and tempeimprov.com it's John Holberg here for.

[Dale Hellestray]

The amazing people at the Core Institute, life can throw you a curveball now and again. One day you're trucking along, feeling great. Next day, your dog smashes into your head and knocks you cold. Or like a KUPD listener told me this week, his dog did a sprint across the backyard directly into the side of his wife's leg and blew her knee up. She needed that need to get fixed and fixed right? Two years later, she's running like she used to again. And it's all thanks to the Core Institute. I went through it, too. And you can get rid of your pain and start saying, yes, I can to all the things you want to do. And. And all you have to do is trust the experts at the Core Institute head there right now. The Core Institute dot com.

[Unknown]

You've been deceived by an agent of Satan himself.

[Dale Hellestray]

He's evil.

[John Holmberg]

Sitting right here.

[Dale Hellestray]

Come on. No, no, he's not. He's not evil. He's just a bit rude. 98 to you, PT that's a good one, Dale. You'd like this song. It's a great song. Look at everybody. Happy New Year to Dale Hell, who's in the studio with us this morning.

[Unknown]

Yes, it's good to be here.

[Dale Hellestray]

Look at Dale.

[Unknown]

Are you back full. Full time or.

[Dale Hellestray]

What do you mean? I. I work full time.

[Unknown]

Have you signed?

[Dale Hellestray]

It's not official, but it's pretty official.

[Unknown]

Is it pretty official? Okay.

[Dale Hellestray]

I mean, there could be a curveball here.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Trip's house is in the Pacific Palisade, so I might not see him for a while. And then, you know, the new coven shows up, and the next thing you know, I'm. I'm out. But we're. We're good.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Dale Hellestray]

So welcome to the show. The final five, we're calling it.

[Unknown]

Well, I was gonna say as I listened a little bit this morning, just to kind of get warmed up and primed and.

[Dale Hellestray]

Well, we can warm you up with.

[Unknown]

A video and I can bring up another one. You guys are sick.

[Dale Hellestray]

S. Sick.

[Unknown]

Sick. No wonder why I don't like you in public. But I thought you were mailing it in, going in the new year because you didn't know it sounds this. This the couple times listen to you this week. You guys sound like killing it. Not even here.

[Dale Hellestray]

Killing it, though. Killing it. It's effortless. Effortlessness. It's rushless. Yeah.

[Unknown]

We make it sounds effortless.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. And thank you for that. We kill it on a regular basis.

[Unknown]

And you bring them comedian in that talks about now.

[Dale Hellestray]

That is not.

[Unknown]

I can't wait to race down to the comedy theater.

[Dale Hellestray]

Everything, every. Everything about him was funny. And you are not smart enough to follow. That's what you're complaining about. You're basically saying I'm ignorant to the conversation.

[Unknown]

Which font do you like best?

[Dale Hellestray]

Dale's saying I'm too ignorant to follow along, therefore I will lash out. You know what makes us mad? Things we don't understand.

[Unknown]

Oh, really?

[Dale Hellestray]

That's exact. That's a scientific fact.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Dale Hellestray]

We get angry at the things. Like the rosebuds. Like rosebuds. It makes you angry when you don't understand the world around you. Why do you think old men just go. The whole world's falling apart. Because it's. And that's what you're going to become if you're not careful. So learn. And then when somebody comes on a radio show and talks about something you're not really sure about, you'll be like, you know what? No, it's just I need to find out.

[Unknown]

Why do you need 19?

[Dale Hellestray]

You're the one talking about it.

[Unknown]

Because actually people pay money to go see that dude.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. Engaging conversation and they're entertained.

[Unknown]

Did you really emphasize gay?

[Dale Hellestray]

Too many times. Bonked on the head to follow the thread, Gene. All right, all right. Dale Hellasra joins us from. Fresh off a trip to Dallas to watch them throw their whole season away one last time.

[Unknown]

Well, yeah, go ahead and win a game and. And go to. No. Almost winning.

[Dale Hellestray]

Almost.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. They couldn't quite pull it off.

[Unknown]

I actually didn't watch much of it.

[Dale Hellestray]

No, you were. And you sent me a picture of you in Dallas over the weekend. Was that a Sunday game? It was, right?

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

And it was you, Michael Irvin?

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

I couldn't. Bill Bates.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Who's the other guy? I recognized immediately and I forgotten his name. I don't have the picture from. Who else was there?

[Unknown]

Well, we Had John Giesick, Chad Hennings, John. John Giesick, Chad Hennings, Everson Walls, who had played with.

[Dale Hellestray]

Was he in the photo?

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Okay.

[Unknown]

Michael Irvin, as you said. Bill Bates, Steve Berline.

[Dale Hellestray]

I didn't see that picture, so. Yeah, because Kevin Ray and Steve Berline do the Cowboys radio together.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. So it was a cool picture of cowboy. Cowboys past.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

And then I realized that it was like 35 years ago that you guys were a team.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

And then if you start doing the math on, like, let's say it's 1990 when you two are reuniting for that. Or you guys were 35 years prior to that.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Was 1955.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Dale Hellestray]

So in 1990, dudes reuniting the way you were.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

For the 1955 Browns.

[Unknown]

Right, right.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's hard to fathom. Isn't that backwards?

[Unknown]

But isn't that a killer? That is.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's the distance that has passed that. That seems like forever between 55 and 90.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

And 90 today, man. Big deal.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

And Michael still looks great. The rest of you, do some work.

[Unknown]

Actually, I. I've always hoping I'll see a wheelchair. Tubby for Michael. No. From any of those dudes. Steve Berline's probably the guy who's gaining the most weight.

[Dale Hellestray]

Has he.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah. I think he played at about 225. He looks like he's about 260 now.

[Dale Hellestray]

No kidding.

[Unknown]

He wouldn't fully.

[Dale Hellestray]

And you can say that now.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Because you're down to regular weight.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

And you said your wife actually saw a skeletal bone on your body?

[Unknown]

She actually felt my sternum and said, what's that? Is that a wrinkle in the shirt? She goes, oh, that's a sternum.

[Dale Hellestray]

Like, you have shrunk down.

[Unknown]

Yeah. We've been married 36 years. She's never felt my sternness.

[Dale Hellestray]

What's the end goal? Full aids. Because you have lost a lot of weight.

[Unknown]

No, I got to stop because I got three. Your head's too big.

[Dale Hellestray]

And if we start seeing your bones, it's going to be like the Elephant Man's breaking now when he walks. We can't have this. But are you more comfortable at this current weight?

[Unknown]

Most of the time, yeah. You know, we were in Dallas and the weather changed and my body still hurt.

[Dale Hellestray]

Were they making fun of you because you're. You're half a man?

[Unknown]

No, I'm still over 6 foot.

[Dale Hellestray]

Johnny, don't make fun of Brady. There's no reason. Unbelievable. No reason to take a Swing at him right now. But yeah.

[Unknown]

So it was a great weekend. Bill Bates, full blown. He's good.

[Dale Hellestray]

And is it football related? More than likely, yes.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Actually it's Parkinson's. But. But literally he. To talk is hard, difficult.

[Dale Hellestray]

But you went back to. Because people who don't remember Bill Bates was what I consider what Cam Scatter is going to be.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Is just a gamer.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Probably not the best dude on the field for the pros, but that you put him anywhere you put him at receiver. Bill Bates was going to do something for you. Whether it was a block. He was just that dude on your team you wanted. And to see that he's going through that because of pictures. And you went back to visit him, which was actually really cool. To see his smile. The way you sent that picture. I'm like, that's really. I actually told you that I don't have a lot of those moments.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

But I was like, this is actually kind of beautiful. Like you guys together with him smiling that way was bringing so much joy to somebody who's going through so much crap.

[Unknown]

A lot. A lot of thumbs up. As wife said. He. He knows you all. He has had the most fantastic weekend.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

It's, you know, brought back memories. The Cowboys honored him during the first. Brought him out on the field. Showed a nice highlight tape.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And all that. And she said he was in.

[Dale Hellestray]

That had to be great. Well, good. I'm glad that happened because he's one of those dudes that deserves it.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Ron Wolfley.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

That guy. Danny Woodhead. Those are the types of dudes I look at and I'm like, if every team had one of those, you're going to be able to.

[Unknown]

Steve Tasker.

[Dale Hellestray]

Steve Tasker.

[Unknown]

And again, it seems like a lot of them are. Bill Bates was not drafted. Steve Tasker was drafted. Very, very long.

[Dale Hellestray]

14 rounds.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And. And, and, And Ron. And. And all those guys. And they're just human missiles.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

That's all. Because there were wedge busters back then.

[Dale Hellestray]

Zero fear.

[Unknown]

No.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. No Body be damned. Yeah. And you don't see that as much anymore. You don't see that at all.

[Unknown]

No, not really anymore.

[Dale Hellestray]

Which is why I think everybody loves Cam Scatter.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Is because he is a throwback to what football used to look like, which is. I'm going to run into this wall until the wall goes away.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

And it's. I'm going to. So what if I get hurt? I get hurt.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

It's crazy. Nobody does it.

[Unknown]

And usually the thing is, you don't get hurt when you play like that.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah, that's true.

[Unknown]

It's when you're trying to protect yourself, where you play a little safe, that's when an injury happens. Speaking of Cam, Scatter. Boo. Last time we saw him play, I was with you.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah, we were hanging out at Kevin Lithgow, right? No, not John Lithgow. John Lovett.

[Unknown]

Oh, John Lovett.

[Dale Hellestray]

Although would have been awesome had I brought John Lithgow. Would like to watch the game. Like, oh, this is fantastic. Lithgow.

[Unknown]

He walks into Kim Ray's house, he's got this guy, and I'm like, who.

[Dale Hellestray]

The hell is this? You knew John Lovett.

[Unknown]

Is this one of your gay neighbors? Holberg's morning sickness. Holberg's morning sickness.

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[Larry McFeely]

Hey, it's Larry McFeely here with Wayne from Amco. And Wayne, now that it's getting warmer, I turned on the AC in my car and the air's blowing kind of cool. But it really smells like a basement.

[Dale Hellestray]

What can I do about that, Larry, your car's AC system should be checked and serviced. Plus, replacing the cabin air filter helps the air blow strong and takes away any nasty smell.

[Unknown]

Nice.

[Larry McFeely]

Is that a big deal to get done?

[Dale Hellestray]

Not at all. It takes about an hour and in most cases, we can do it while you wait. That's awesome. I'll say. We're Amco.

[Larry McFeely]

Google Amco for your nearest location. That's Amco Double A, MCO transmissions and.

[Dale Hellestray]

A whole lot more.

[Diane Fisher]

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[Larry McFeely]

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[Dale Hellestray]

53342 Homeburg's Morning Sickness. Lovett's liked you quite a bit.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Dale is a character. I like Dale.

[Unknown]

Yeah, he was very interesting.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

But you knew who he was, actually, because I just looked shook hands and was watching the game. Took me a minute.

[Dale Hellestray]

But then once you figured, oh, then you put the two and two together.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I did. Kind of like you and Anne Frank.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, not true. I still have it. He still struggles with. But yeah, he gets his Jews confused with Anne Frank and Helen Keller. Part of it. So let's talk about that. Asu.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Now, you played in rigged college football probably more than anybody would ever know. Your team was the biggest cheating team in the history of college football. Correct?

[Unknown]

We were up there.

[Dale Hellestray]

You University of Miami. Who else?

[Unknown]

Yeah. Well, I'm going to say back then, University of Texas.

[Dale Hellestray]

Oh, Texas was strong.

[Unknown]

Southwest Conference cheated.

[Dale Hellestray]

And just not even a little. Like this is just flat out just.

[Unknown]

Blatantly monthly payments and things like that. I'm not saying SMU ever did that, but Southwest did you get paid like.

[Dale Hellestray]

On a regular basis? Not you, but super like Eric Dickerson.

[Unknown]

And I would guess that the guys who are really like, I got stuff.

[Dale Hellestray]

Okay. You were treated well.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So I can't complain, right? I guess I can't complain because I never drove a Corvette.

[Dale Hellestray]

And I believe it was you that told me that one of these superstars, initials Ed, said that the reason he went to SMB is because the car was better.

[Unknown]

No, no, I never said that.

[Dale Hellestray]

You told me that there's a fleet of cars.

[Unknown]

Literally. Literally. Texas A and M bought him that. That Trans Am.

[Dale Hellestray]

Oh, really?

[Unknown]

And. And he changed his, his mind at the last second. What. What's A and M going to do? Hey, give us our car back.

[Dale Hellestray]

He kept the car. Oh, that was the story.

[Unknown]

Yeah. You know, Texas A and M colors and. And all that.

[Dale Hellestray]

And black. You had a Red Raider Trans Am Eric Dickerson's driving around with.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

At smu.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Laughing the whole time.

[Unknown]

Brown and maroon. Whatever A and M's colors were.

[Dale Hellestray]

So. I've never liked college football for the reason of. Of it's phony sanctity, of, you know, the love of the game and all this stuff.

[Unknown]

Studies, academics, just student athlete time.

[Dale Hellestray]

Exactly. No, you're not. You're a money machine slave for the giant college football operation.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's all you ever were. You were free labor.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's it.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

And then they relied on people who went to that school to pay you. And again, ASU's got it figured out finally. A little late. Ohio State's been doing it for a long time. The more students we have, the more love we create for this campus, the more down the road money's going to come into our system.

[Unknown]

No doubt about those boosters.

[Dale Hellestray]

They don't need that anymore.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

So I'm watching this game with you, with asu. I'm still upset about it. I don't care about ASU at all.

[Unknown]

Either do I.

[Dale Hellestray]

And I'm mad because it's. We got the wool pulled over our eyes that this is a fair contest because that's that call.

[Unknown]

Oh.

[Dale Hellestray]

Of targeting.

[Unknown]

Oh.

[Dale Hellestray]

Texas gets that call. Am I wrong? You flip those uniforms, the game's as close. Texas gets that call and gets a chance to win it.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

So college football wanted ASU to be like, we don't need these guys at the party anymore.

[Unknown]

No doubt about that. The guy went over the replay machine and I'm sure somebody's in his ear going, hey, Texas wins this game. Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. Just make it so.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

They're not kicking a field goal here.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

We're not. We're not making. We're not going to be the reason ASU wins is right.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's not going to happen. And then so you just, you just get this sour taste in your mouth that it's like, why not just pick the eight teams that do best on TV, that spent the most money on their rosters and put them in a playoff and stop the farce. It's all nonsense. Ohio State, Alabama almost got into this playoff with three terrible losses and a team that never was very good because that's the one that people watch on football. But they got that one right. I've got it right. Schmied. It doesn't matter. They were trying as hard as they could.

[Unknown]

Say, Mike Schmidt.

[Dale Hellestray]

Right, Schmidt. I said it doesn't matter as the point. Oh, I'd like to said something.

[Unknown]

There's rules.

[Dale Hellestray]

But what I like to said was, oh, you Brady Reichmite means that.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Okay.

[Dale Hellestray]

But basically what I'm saying is they got it right because the pressure from rigging it that bad would have looked horrible. And they knew at least like, well, we've tried everything we can to get him in and it's just not going to work.

[Unknown]

But the great thing about it was ASU legitimately had a shot at the end.

[Larry McFeely]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Legitimately had a shot.

[Dale Hellestray]

I don't think it was rigged. It's completely.

[Unknown]

That, that, that missed call. If it was just bang, bang, and you got to move on to the next one when you actually go and review it. That is exactly the definition of targeting in the rules.

[Dale Hellestray]

Show them. I've seen about 40 of them all say that.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

And then a guy yesterday showed me another expert on it, and he goes, read the rule. Okay. Now I still disagree. That's gonna get called. If you were to. You would put a video together to show the rest at the beginning of the season, what we're looking for. That's the one.

[Unknown]

That's it. They'll have it on there for next.

[Dale Hellestray]

And they will. They will use it as a teaching tape.

[Unknown]

Unless the helmet has a Texas Longhorn.

[Dale Hellestray]

Exactly. It'll be. Yeah, they'll show the one from the game that ASU kid got suspended from, which was less egregious. I'm still upset about it. And again, I'm not a guy who screams, flags change. Games they can. This was the most egregious operation of abc, ESPN and Fox saying the teams we want in the end are not ASU and not Boise State. If they're playing around, getting close to find a way to get them out of there.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

And you just get rid of it. So you look at the who's in, who's left, and it's like, well, of.

[Unknown]

Course, because this isn't. Did he catch the ball? Was there a little bobble where you could sit there and discuss it ad nauseam. This was lead with the crown of the helmet, make contact with a receiver.

[Dale Hellestray]

But I still call. It was the face mask. It doesn't matter.

[Unknown]

Right here.

[Dale Hellestray]

It was the top of his head and he was in the air. There's absolutely zero defense of it. There's None. It was the targeting rule. And if. And the other thing about is like, oh, it's for the safety. Well, if it was. That guy should have been out.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Because if you're really, truly. We're talking about Bill Bates. If you're really, truly serious about the future of these guys and their safety and their health, that's the one. You're like, we have got to make a point.

[Unknown]

Yes. To say it's an emphasis.

[Dale Hellestray]

Point of emphasis drives me nuts.

[Unknown]

I thought the big part of that was being defensive. At the end of the day, I'm not an ASU fan. They didn't recruit me back in 1980.

[Dale Hellestray]

And you were living right here.

[Unknown]

I held up. Held it against them. But if you look at it honestly, it might be the best thing that ever happened to them.

[Dale Hellestray]

Well. Because they got kind of a sympathy thing.

[Unknown]

Well, yeah. Oh, they. They've got more attention and all that from this to where. If they would have won that game, if they. If they. If they would have went on to win the game and they have to play the next. The. The next week, they might get blown out.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And it's like they are what they are. Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

But, you know, again, the next week, and I don't think it could happen. They go into Ohio State and at least be competitive.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

It's just different. ASU got screwed. That's bottom line. And college football has always been a fake mess. And that's it. We're getting into the NFL. I'll just take a break. We're going to get into the NFL next. And you. You have the distinction of being a man who. Former NFL player, three time super bowl champion, who came in here as our NFL expert and did not get a single week's worth of picks correct.

[Unknown]

Hey, I'm 100%.

[Dale Hellestray]

You are?

[Unknown]

I'm 100%. Either way, you need to know is.

[Dale Hellestray]

Dale saved you money. If you started to listen. Go. Do not do what he does. You did not. Dale Hellistray is with us. It's 98 KUPD.

[Unknown]

Holmberg's Morning Sickness.

[Dale Hellestray]

Love it. It is a green day right there. But you got me all fired up there. Hollister's got me all juiced up about football. It is. Before we get into anything else. What else is on your mind before we talk NFL?

[Unknown]

Not a whole lot. I mean, I had a good break Christmas. Yeah. Did you have a good break?

[Dale Hellestray]

I got sick. I was sick for about a week of that, and then I saw you, like, a couple days. I felt better. And you were Just telling me the whole time I sounded like I was sick still.

[Unknown]

Because I was.

[Dale Hellestray]

But. No, but I was better. But I just kind of got sick and then I hung around. Didn't do a whole lot of nothing. But that's a good thing. Vacations where you're doing nothing are great vacations.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So. So have you ever thought about, like, stem cell therapy or something to toughen you up?

[Dale Hellestray]

I had a cold.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I had a cold, Johnny.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's the first cold I've had all year.

[Unknown]

See, the thing is, when your cold goes to your nose.

[Dale Hellestray]

I didn't say it was a small cold. There's nothing stem cells can do about shrinking the gigantic holes I breathe through. And F you for that. Anyways, football this weekend. Playoffs are here. Oh, I just told you my theory off the air of what's going to happen. You've got the wild card round, which is. I like the way they've revamped this for the NFL to where, like, you've got the number two seed plan on the first weekend, which is huge. I used to give the first two weeks off. Don't need that. But you've got some games this week.

[Unknown]

You got some games this week and it starts tonight.

[Dale Hellestray]

It does.

[Unknown]

Well, college football playoffs, you know, but.

[Dale Hellestray]

I'd rather watch the WNBA. At least. @ least they're not faking.

[Unknown]

You were into that ASU game.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah, because I didn't. Because I got fooled again. And then they. To quote the who, I won't be fooled again. Crown your champion this weekend.

[Unknown]

I don't.

[Dale Hellestray]

Whoever.

[Unknown]

I don't know. It's the semifinals.

[Dale Hellestray]

You could do it this weekend. They've already got. It's already in the script. We already know the Rock will be the champion after he beats Stone Cold. It's the same. It's the same sport. College football is a farce. Always has been, always will be. It's crooked. It's always in trouble because it's always cheating and lying and it never changes.

[Unknown]

Well, you can't cheat now because there's no rules.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's true. Now. They just got rid of the rules.

[Unknown]

How will.

[Dale Hellestray]

They'll find a way. They'll make it crooked again in the future. It's just such a knobbery.

[Unknown]

No, the next five nights. I mean, Thursday through Monday.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. Well, the only ones that matter to me are Friday and Saturday and. Or Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Yeah, you got a Monday night playoff game, but it plays tonight.

[Unknown]

It is Penn State. Notre Dame.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah, it is.

[Unknown]

And then tomorrow's the other semifinal. Texas, Ohio State.

[Dale Hellestray]

And I haven't gotten the script yet, so. And I don't want to spoil it, but I already know who won both games because it's already been predetermined. We got the weekend games Saturday. You think my Steelers going into Baltimore. Tell me about how that works. You're the Dallas cowboys of the 90s. You draw the six seed New York Giants to come into your building and you lose. You've lost to them a few times for some reason. You've even told me the Washington Redskins that had two wins beat that amazing Cowboys juggernaut a couple of times. You're like, we can't get past these idiots. They hate us so much. They, they beat us. The Giants come in downtrod. Only thing in their world is to beat their division rival and take them out of the playoffs. It grips you, doesn't it, as the one or two seed?

[Unknown]

Well, what, what it does is you look at the Pittsburgh Baltimore rivalry and again I played in one of those games, my extra man last game in a Raven uniform, my three game career.

[Dale Hellestray]

The Ravens. You got, you got three 60 minute runs with the Ravens and then they said you got to go. Yeah.

[Unknown]

I look back, I said, thank God we lost because the next week is, I think when the Steelers had to go up to New England, it was like five below or something. I too old for that.

[Dale Hellestray]

You retired that moment.

[Unknown]

40 years old.

[Dale Hellestray]

God.

[Unknown]

Yeah. No, but such a great rivalry and so many things. Like when you talk like if you say Cowboys, Giants. Well, it's one thing if my quarterback has a history of crap. Dropping off in the playoffs.

[Dale Hellestray]

Love it.

[Unknown]

You know, I mean, I mean look at Lamar Jackson's regular season. Come on.

[Dale Hellestray]

It's amazing.

[Unknown]

It's ridiculous.

[Dale Hellestray]

Amazing.

[Unknown]

And yet playoffs. The last three years or so he.

[Dale Hellestray]

Struggled and he's done it the last three years.

[Unknown]

With each year that you struggled the previous year, the pressure mounts. Oh yeah, the pressure mount.

[Dale Hellestray]

Talktail.

[Unknown]

And so, and so when you look at I, I would feel good about picking the Steelers.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. With the points, I think there's seven points or six and a half points.

[Unknown]

No, no, I, I would definitely.

[Dale Hellestray]

What you just said scares me because if you're willing to pick the Steelers, there's always this 35, three ravens mushing.

[Unknown]

Hey, there's always a first time, right, Johnny? I mean, you know what I mean? You, you had sex for the first time when you were 32. There's always a first time.

[Dale Hellestray]

You do eventually knock the cherry off, right? Yeah, that's true. Maybe Dale will Get. Yeah. The Steelers are nine and a half point underdogs.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

They're giving them no credit.

[Unknown]

The other part of it is if you're. If you're not familiar with. I mean, this. What? Steelers lost four games in a row.

[Dale Hellestray]

In a row.

[Unknown]

And they've. Since 98 and they have not lost. Looked.

[Dale Hellestray]

They've been competitive in every game until it. Until the wheels kind of fell off.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Every. Other than the Chiefs game. They really didn't play well in that. But the Eagles game, like weird. Down three, one fumble, the game's over.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Dale Hellestray]

You know, they just. They. They started making mistakes they hadn't made all year. So you would take the Steelers plus nine and a half.

[Unknown]

Oh, in a heartbeat.

[Dale Hellestray]

Okay, I'm with you.

[Unknown]

Those gave me nine points for sure. But I think. I think they can. Division rivals. And. And Colin Coward is one of the guys who. Who turn me on to this. Games are always close. Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yep. Yeah. They're given 10 in a division game.

[Unknown]

Especially those two because they. There's legitimate. I only played two games of the Ravens the weekend. Ray. For the Steelers it was a different vibe.

[Dale Hellestray]

No kidding.

[Unknown]

They. They hated each other back in 2001.

[Dale Hellestray]

When they didn't need to.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Yeah. And then. And so that's only grown over the years.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's great. So. Yeah, that's a big one to me. And that's. And 17 games. Something like that. And the last 17 times these two teams have met, like three games have been decided by more than one score. So it's almost always three points, five points.

[Unknown]

Playoffs and Lamar, they're like oil and water. They don't. They don't mix.

[Dale Hellestray]

Do the Buffalo Bills, your original team, lose to Bo Nix the rookie?

[Unknown]

No, not. Not in a conciliar.

[Dale Hellestray]

Eight and a half points for that one.

[Unknown]

Gosh.

[Dale Hellestray]

Big for playoff games.

[Unknown]

Yeah. But I can see Bo Nix and Denver kind of pooping the bat a little bit.

[Dale Hellestray]

All right. Vikings come here with the Rams because they're probably going to here because of the fires. Do you go to that game?

[Unknown]

No.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah, I wouldn't either.

[Unknown]

No. Cuz there's a lot of unwashed people. There will be free pickets.

[Dale Hellestray]

You make a great point. Because it'll have to be a freebie. It's on the west side as it is. West side freebies. Dale makes a strong point.

[Unknown]

Hide your kids.

[Dale Hellestray]

I'm with Dale on this one.

[Unknown]

D. If you get a sweet for us, I'll go unwashed.

[Dale Hellestray]

Sweets.

[Unknown]

No Wash Sweets. Did you invite people?

[Dale Hellestray]

You know, they still Charge for the sweets, probably. Oh, yeah. But still, you gotta. You gotta manage your way through the riffraff to get into your sweet box.

[Unknown]

Be ready to fight, baby.

[Dale Hellestray]

I don't know if I want to do that. It's kind of like being in one. You see those third world countries where the nice houses look down at all the. Oh, yeah, I don't want to do that. Vikings, Rams. And that would. How about that as a football game? The Cowboys have a great season, win their division and earn the home game. And then you got to go play in some neutral stadium because there's a storm or there's.

[Unknown]

Yeah, but you got to think of Minnesota and that. And that's a plus.

[Dale Hellestray]

No, it's huge for them.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Dale Hellestray]

They're already a better team.

[Unknown]

You got to believe they're a better team. It's a little bit disappointing when you think about it. We won 14 games and we're going on the road the first round of playoffs.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

But no, I. I would probably take a Minnesota straight up.

[Dale Hellestray]

1 and 1 and a half is all. They're given the Rams for that.

[Unknown]

Okay. Especially if it's out here, because again, think about the Rams. Well, whether you live in Pacific Palisades or Hollywood Hills or whatever, you probably know somebody.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

You don't know if the game's going to be here. There. Minnesota's again, a plane.

[Dale Hellestray]

No matter what, they're going wherever the.

[Unknown]

Plane lands, you know, and I would be surprised. Maybe they fly out here on Saturday.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Have a little workout Saturday afternoon. The game's here Monday. Great. If they have to go to somewhere else, that's fine.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's true. They can sit and kind of have.

[Unknown]

A 45 minute flight from here to tell.

[Dale Hellestray]

Good point. So you take the Vikings and that one no matter what, and then that's it. All right, so your fanduel picks are. Steelers straight up.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

You're gonna take them as a win or you're gonna take the points? Take the points for sure. Nine and a half points.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Money lines.

[Larry McFeely]

Plus 400 on that one.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. 440 on.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Plus 440.

[Unknown]

Oh.

[Dale Hellestray]

Now take the Bills straight up. They're gonna be.

[Unknown]

The Bills. The Bills. You can actually give the point and.

[Dale Hellestray]

Then a really good game. Eagles, Packers. Which one do you go there in Philly?

[Unknown]

I. I think it's. I think Philadelphia is. Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah. All right. Who's gonna win it? Pre. You said this in the beginning of the year. I think you said it would be Ravens. Cowboys. Cowboys.

[Unknown]

I did not.

[Dale Hellestray]

Oh, no, that Was me. That was my bet.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

I had Ravens, Cowboys, because I was a believer that they finally figured something out. Man, they're terrible.

[Unknown]

Here's what concerns me. Like, Detroit obviously had the best regular season by far.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I love the way they play. They're physical, they're tough and. And all that. But will their injuries eventually catch up with them?

[Dale Hellestray]

Wouldn't it be great, though, if Detroit won it before the Browns, before the Bills, before all those teams that have been almost there a few times or.

[Unknown]

Bent to the game? Yeah.

[Dale Hellestray]

Well, the Browns didn't win, but the Lions have never been a competitive thing.

[Unknown]

No.

[Dale Hellestray]

Since forever. And for them to just show up and win their first Super Bowl. I don't think anybody's too upset with that.

[Unknown]

No. I think everybody would be cheering for.

[Dale Hellestray]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Because it'd probably be them and Kansas City and kind of like. And kind of like when Dallas was. Was going Good in the 90s, people just hated the Cowboys because they want to see him anymore.

[Dale Hellestray]

Wow. This guy says he said while Dale's making predictions, remind him of the time he told me there's a guy named Philip who evidently knows you. The only way Denver wins against the Green Bay packers in the super bowl is if Brett Favre gets in a car crash on the way to the game. Philip Calvert, he said, oh, really? So you said that and you told.

[Unknown]

Him, well, tell Philip to get to work.

[Dale Hellestray]

Quit reminiscing about things Dale lost. But Dale has never made a good pick in football. When he said that, what he was doing was giving you the knowledge that the Broncos were going to win the game, I.

[Unknown]

Again, you know, I. When I talk, you listen. John, you know, that makes sense. That makes sense. And then, you know, nobody knows what's going to happen.

[Dale Hellestray]

That's right. Nobody knows, especially you. And you prove that every time. All right, well, there you go. So he's got my Steelers. It's all. I'm worried about that. But nine and a half points. I'm taking that all day.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Oh, that's cool. Nine and a half points. A lot.

[Dale Hellestray]

Like, they haven't been painted. Like, they're just so high on the Ravens. It's right. All right. Football's here this weekend.

[Unknown]

Are you having a get together?

[Dale Hellestray]

Always. Steelers game is always there. You can come by, but don't be a dick. Don't wear your Ravens crap. Although when you did show up in your Ravens gear, the Steelers beat him.

[Unknown]

No, when I showed my Cowboys.

[Dale Hellestray]

No, we lost the Cowboys game. You showed up with your stupid Raven shirt. For the Ravens game.

[Unknown]

I can't bring a Raven super bowl trophy, though.

[Dale Hellestray]

No, you can't do that. But you did show up in your stupid Raven shirt and started moping around that. And then by the end, you were cheering for the Steelers because you realized. And I wouldn't let you leave.

[Unknown]

No.

[Dale Hellestray]

Tried to leave. That's right. You tried to leave. You're not going any. Steelers won the game. All right, Dale Hellas trace here Thursdays just to talk about football and how wrong he usually is with it and that he knows John Lithgow. He watches college football with John Lithgow. The entertainment drill's coming up next. It's 98.

[Larry McFeely]

Hey, it's not weird.

[Unknown]

98. It's pretty cool, actually.

[Dale Hellestray]

No membership fee. I have heard enough of this for you, PD.