Chris Berman In Studio And We’re Live From Super Bowl Week In San Francisco

Summary

Pardon My Take — “Chris Berman In Studio And We’re Live From Super Bowl Week In San Francisco”

Date: February 2, 2026
Hosts: Big Cat, PFT Commenter, Hank, Max, Zach, and crew
Guest: Chris Berman

---

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off Super Bowl week for the PMT crew, live from San Francisco, featuring their annual in-studio sit-down with broadcasting legend Chris Berman. The gang navigates the gap between Conference Championships and the big game, riffing on NFL storylines, the week’s chaos and, as always, each other. They break down coaching hires, league scandals, the pain and beauty of sports history, and share their anticipation and nerves for Super Bowl Sunday—especially for resident Pats fan, Hank.

---

1. Super Bowl Anticipation & Hank Week

00:45–05:36

• Hosts update from San Francisco and lament the no-football weekend—a “shock to the system” (03:00). PFT is on Team Hank and concerned for his own massive Patriots bet.
• Group jokes about the Patriots’ potential to set the record for most Super Bowl losses if they don't win:
  • ”That’s the LeBron James of the NFL if we lose.” — PFT (03:56)
• Teasing side content: flight drama, Max’s issues, and nod to showcase week for Hank.

---

2. NFL Coaching Carousel & Shanahan Tree

05:40–10:19

• Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur (another Shanahan tree disciple), while Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald gets stuck in a division of “boy geniuses.”
• Hosts debate perils (or not) of coaching in a stacked division.
• “All these hires, you’re basically just guessing.” — Big Cat (08:23)
• Clint Kubiak reportedly lands Raiders job—more Shanahan tree dominance.
• Short pitch for their new book, “Pardon My Book”—crew wrote chapters on podcast history, with preorders encouraged.

---

3. Napping Controversy & Crew Dynamics

12:09–15:20

• Zach admits he napped right before recording. Joke debate spirals over who’s allowed to nap, with playful blame on Hank for “enabling.”
• “You’ve written more words than you’ve read.” — Big Cat, ribbing Zach’s author credentials (11:10)
• Running bit that Max’s excessive napping disgusts Hank so much, it’s turning him anti-nap.
• The energy gets light as they poke fun at each other openly.

---

4. NFL News: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Owners

15:33–34:50

Vikings GM Firing, Paternity Leave & NFL Work Culture

• Deep dive on Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's departure; focus on QB draft missteps and an old report about his paternity leave resurfacing.
• “Everyone in the NFL is a complete psycho… It’s not normal to take that much time [off].” — Big Cat (17:02)
• PFT floats the tongue-in-cheek idea of a “gay GM” to avoid paternity leave drama (19:04).

National Coach Hires & NFL Owners’ Emails/Epstein Scandal

• NFL owner emails with Epstein make news—Jets, Giants, Pats, and 76ers owner Josh Harris all get mention. The crew humorously distances themselves:
  • “We disavow. Also, I’m starting to think this Jeffrey Epstein guy was a bad guy.” — Big Cat (33:29)
• Big Cat and PFT go deep on the culture and mechanics of new head coaching hires and criticize scapegoating GMs for normal life events.

---

5. National Sports Potpourri

34:57–54:50

• College basketball coach Rick Barnes’ gambling quote (“Sometimes I wonder if my guys are betting against us”) raises eyebrows for the panel (34:13).
• Paul George’s mysterious suspension and mental health substance comes up; group laughs off NBA’s drug testing.
• NBA trade deadline collides with the Super Bowl; Giannis trade speculation swirls.
  • “I can’t believe they do it every year during the Super Bowl. It makes no sense.” — Big Cat (52:45)
• Hosts riff on the likelihood of Giannis being traded, with wild hypotheticals on destinations.

---

6. Who’s Back of the Week & Alcatraz Deep Dive

40:12–49:30, 60:01–64:39

• “Who’s Back of the Week” careens into a long, comic tangent on Alcatraz facts, San Fran sharks, Shark Week, urban legends, and fun prison trivia.
• “Ride the current.” — PFT, sarcastically encouraging an Alcatraz swim (47:07)
• The group relishes being “lightly researched,” priding themselves on entertainment over specifics.

---

7. Chris Berman Interview

67:01–141:01
A PMT annual Super Bowl tradition

Highlights:

• Berman dishes on his career, longevity at ESPN, and the insane journey as the network hosts the Super Bowl for the first time in 2027.
• Hilarious reveal: he once slept on the ESPN executive lounge couch after a snowstorm, still buzzing from primetime football (68:46).
• Berman talks about his interview with Sam Darnold—his genuine, easy-going confidence:
  • “There are a lot of people in New York rooting for you... They figured out you’re not the problem.” (71:40)
• Berman offers his Swami pick: Seahawks 26, Patriots 17/19 (“I made the spread 5...not that I’m an odds maker...” 91:44)
• Touches on:
  • The Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl as a dynasty-altering moment—for both teams (101:11+)
  • Comparing it to John Elway’s first Super Bowl win flipping league history (104:12)
  • The “what-ifs” of Scott Norwood/Bills, and slippery alternate NFL timelines (111:07, 112:05)
• Laments the slow death of snow football to an era of domes:
  • “You gotta have it in the stadium sites. No out, no indoor games for the whole playoffs.” — Chris Berman (118:07)
• Acknowledges and celebrates the PMT/ESPN crossover:
  • “There isn’t a week I don’t get stopped in an airport… ‘I love you on Pardon My Take.’ That’s a compliment to what this show has become.” (133:41)

Notable Quotes

• “I present Bill Belichick [to the Hall of Fame]. Sit down. That’s it.” — Berman on Belichick being snubbed (83:26)
• “This is fun. It’s doing me a favor.” — Berman, on doing annual PMT week (133:43)
• “If all else fails, watch your ears… you can always do ‘whoop!’” — Berman, classic signoff (140:26)

---

8. PMT Book Plug & Show Wrap

10:20, 61:05, throughout

• Multiple enthusiastic plugs for “Pardon My Book”—everyone contributed chapters, with interviews, behind the scenes, and podcast history.
  • “If we are New York Times bestsellers, it makes no sense. Henry Lockwood, a New York Times bestseller. Think about that.” — Big Cat (10:53)

---

9. Airport, Spyglass, and Internal Lore (PMT-verse)

141:43–155:25

• Crew updates: Max gets booted off his flight due to “weight restrictions” (the story is told in great, ribbing detail); Hank keeps the no-nap streak going.
• Trip highlights: golf at Spyglass, hotel antics, and ongoing jokes about bed, napping responsibilities, and “charging up.”
• PFT nearly gets a hole-in-one on his birthday, which would have been “the best birthday of my life.”
• Gentle ribbing and inside jokes continue, including allusions to Max’s ever-present “high ass crack” and the PMT anti-nap/nap disputes.

---

10. The Usual Shenanigans: Who’s Back Concludes, Numbers Game, Outro

154:41–end

• Numbers game: No one wins—but the journey’s the point.
• Standard closing: “Happy Birthday to Stephen Che and Shakira!” — PFT
• The crew promises a wild, fun-filled week of Super Bowl coverage.

---

Recommended Listen Segments (Timestamps)

• Hank’s Super Bowl Week mindset, host bets: 00:45–05:36
• Coaching carousel and ‘Shanahan Tree’: 05:40–10:19, 23:23–23:56
• Chris Berman Interview: 67:01–141:01
• NFL Owner Emails/Epstein (hot topic): 30:01–34:50
• Paternity leave/GM debate: 15:45–23:56
• Alcatraz and crew tangents: 40:12–49:30 and 60:01–64:39

---

Signature PMT Moments

• Light roast fest—nap vs. no nap, “charging up,” Max’s airport adventure.
• Unfiltered, “mostly” factual hot takes with a loving dose of chaos.
• Endearing Berman-isms, genuine sports history knowledge, and sincere PMT x Berman rapport.
• Super Bowl agony and anticipation distilled into the weird week between games.

---

Final Quote

“There isn’t a week I don’t get stopped in an airport… ‘I love you on Pardon My Take.’ That’s a compliment to what this show has become.”
— Chris Berman (133:43)

---

For listeners: This episode is rich in football lore, sports media nostalgia, and friends roasting friends. Skip the ads and book plugs unless you want in-jokes—don’t miss the Chris Berman hour or the ongoing lore of airport/nap logistics that define the PMT universe.

---

Transcript

[A]

Hey, pardon my take, listeners. You can find every episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. What's up, guys? It's Big Cat and Hank here, and the countdown to the biggest game of the season is on. Hank, how are you feeling about PFT potentially owing you $80,000 for the big game?

[B]

I feel so good. I feel so confident. I feel so excited that I already went out and stocked my fridge with twisted tea. So I'm ready for the big game.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

Love that. Twisted Tea is a refreshing hard iced tea with 5% alcohol. It tastes like real iced tea because it's made with real brewed tea and it's smooth as hell, which is exactly what you'll need when you check in on Sunday night to see who has to pay who. So grab some twisted tea, good luck and we'll see you in San Francisco. Twisted Tea Brewing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please drink responsibly on today's part of my take. Presented by DraftKings. We have Chris Burman to kick off super bowl week. Our favorite tradition that we've done. I think this is our fifth year. Chris Berman came on Friday to the studio, had an awesome time with him. Talk ball, talk the season over an hour. He's the absolute best. We're going to talk about the super bowl because we're here. We've arrived in San Francisco. We got some national sports podcast things to talk about. Maybe a little end of the show. We're going to talk about Max having another flight issue, going to the Super Bowl. He's mad at me already, but we are going to talk about that on the. On the. On the anniversary of two sodas. Great show, though, for you. First Monday. We've had a long time without football, but we're still going to talk some football. It's all brought to you by our friends at Chevy playoffs. Separate the pretenders from the football. Guys. It's win or go home.

[C]

And.

[A]

And you need a truck that plays like it's on a rookie deal. Hungry, tough, and ready to grind. Chevy Silverado doesn't take plays off. No drama, no contract holdouts, just pure grit. If trucks had stats, this one's leading the league in pancake blocks and yards after contact. So while your team fights to win the big game, make sure you've got the MVP of dependability in your driveway. Chevy Silverado. Built for the big game. Built for football, guys. To learn more about silverado and visit chevy.com okay, let's go.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Barn and Mike Tap, welcome To part of my take presented by DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Monday, February 2nd. And welcome to Hank week. Henry Lockwood week.

[C]

Hello, boys.

[A]

We're in San Francisco. We are one week away from the big game. We had no football this weekend, which is always kind of a J. Like a shock to the system.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

But we're here.

[D]

Very strange. Sleeping in on Sunday, not having ball to look forward to. But that's okay. It is. It's Hank week. I'm. I'm pumped for him. I'm. I'm excited. I think I'm the number one Hank fan this week. I, I think I, I mean, we're locked in, in sync right now. We got the bet together on the Patriots. We just gotta. Here's my concern. Can I share you my concern, Hank?

[A]

Please, let's hear the concern.

[D]

Well, I mean, I, I got a massive bet on the Patriots. I also put a bet on, on Josh Dobbs to win super bowl mvp.

[A]

England. Patriot pastronaut.

[D]

Big time Patriot. And then my concern that keeps coming up in the back of my head is like, we can't lose this one because if we lose this one, that's the most super bowl losses of any franchise ever. It'll put us number one, and we can't do that.

[E]

Is that true?

[D]

Yeah. It would be the LeBron James of, of the NFL if we lost these, these, the super bowl today because we tied with the Broncos. That's fine. We can't be number one.

[A]

The Broncos have. So wait, wait, what is it? What's the most super bowl losses? Yeah, no, I know. I'm just trying to think who else has. Who else is in the running? Who else is even up there?

[D]

Bills.

[E]

Bills have four, Vikings have four, Vikings have four.

[D]

And then Broncos have five, and we have five.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

It would still be. We're not actually. I'm not even going to entertain if we lost because we're not going to lose, but we. LeBron is a crazy, crazy comparison. He's well under 500, but he's lost.

[D]

A lot of championships. Same thing.

[B]

Yeah, but this would make the Patriots. 500 overall.

[D]

Oh, well, that's not winning.

[B]

No, but LeBron's.

[A]

What is it?

[D]

I didn't realize that. That's actually bad, too.

[A]

That's crazy. You didn't realize that, Hank, when you said that?

[B]

Well, two of them. That, that's. That was pre.

[A]

Pre.

[B]

Belichick and Brady.

[A]

This is post.

[D]

That doesn't count.

[B]

Those don't count.

[D]

And this one. Does this count? This one counts because it's not Belichick or Brady, though.

[B]

Yeah. But it's. It's the new, new era. No, I'm not. I'm not. I'm not even entertaining that.

[A]

It sounds like you entertained it a little bit.

[D]

You thought about it.

[B]

I'm not worried about it.

[D]

It's also, if you're not going to.

[B]

Be a great team to get to the Super Bowl. So that's just honestly a compliment, if anything.

[D]

So. For LeBron, when he gets to the finals.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But he loses way more than he wins.

[E]

And we're off.

[D]

No, Hank and I've had a great couple of days. We've been in lockstep. We've been having a good time. I've never been more pro, Hank, than I am now. We'll talk about the flight later.

[A]

Yeah, we'll talk about the spyglass after the Berman interview.

[D]

Starting the day after the flight, me and Hank have been. And just.

[A]

Okay, so let's do. So we. We. Like I said, we don't have football to talk about. We're going to do, you know, Wednesday and Friday. We'll do big previews. We'll do our proper palooza.

[C]

We'll.

[A]

We'll come up with picks, all that stuff. We do have some national sports podcast stuff that we can talk about. One is the Cardinals have hired the other LaFleur. Michael Floor is now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. And it's funny because Mike McDonald, the Seahawks coach, is now just in a division with Shanahan tree.

[D]

It's crazy.

[A]

He's living in Shanahan's tree. I don't know.

[D]

I mean, obviously you take a job if it's offered to you, but that seems like a not great job to take.

[A]

I. For what reason?

[D]

Because it's a. Well, number one, it's the Cardinals.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Number two, they don't really have a plan at quarterback at all. Number three, every other coach in your division rocks.

[A]

Yeah, I don't. I don't buy into the whole, like, don't go to a hard division thing because it's just so. Everything's up and down. Like, Sean McVeigh could retire next year. You know what I mean? Like, Matthew Stafford's gonna not play forever. Kyle Shanahan looks like he might.

[D]

He might die.

[A]

He has, like, thousand yards tomorrow. Stare at all times. So that part, I think you're.

[C]

You're.

[A]

1 and 2 are strong points, though, that it is the Cardinals, and they don't have a idea what they're going to do at quarterback.

[D]

I mean, I would say that, that it should count for something if the other three coaches are great right now in that division and then you have to play both those teams twice a year.

[A]

But I'm saying you don't know what, what's going to happen year to year. Like I said, like, Sean McVeigh could just, he, he could retire at any moment when, you know, Kyle Shanahan could. Like, you just never know year. I just never buy into the like, oh, you don't want to take a job because you're scared of the other teams because the NFL is so up and down. Look at the two teams in the super bowl this year that were, you know, 60 and 80 to 1 to win the Super Bowl.

[D]

You should be scared though, Big Cat, because now you got another coach, head coach in the NFL that's going to be trying to avenge that LaFleur.

[A]

Another LaFleur.

[D]

Yeah, another LaFleur. He's going to just wake up every day thinking, how can I beat Ben Johnson and the Bears? I must avenge my brother.

[A]

I do like that we have another brother pairing that we can have. It's. It's like the. We should actually. They should. If the schedule makers, they gotta have like, you know, like one of those Saturday in December, but Thanksgiving. The only problem is you can't. You need the Lions and the, and the Cowboys. So you can't do the Paras and then little floors.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

What if the Lions and Cowboys just play each other and then they do the other two.

[A]

I don't think that's.

[D]

That doesn't work. No, they have to have home games.

[A]

Yeah, but that was a good idea. What?

[D]

We should get a brother match up every Thanksgiving.

[A]

Yeah, but it should be. But I'm saying, like, there should be like the Saturday in December. Although it's now tough because the Harbaughs are in opposing conferences, but. Yeah, we need, we need a brother bowl. Have a brother bowl. Have. Have the Gruden's on the call. That would be fun.

[D]

It just. Yeah, I, I hope it works out for him. Seems like a nice guy. He's in that, in that group of boy geniuses. And the Cardinals haven't really had a lot of success recently, so I'm, I gotta root for a team like that. Like, I want. I would like to see Arizona Cardinals fans happy for a season. That'd be cool.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, all these hires, you're basically just guessing.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, you know, a lot of them, there's some that you're like, okay, that should work. But there's also times when it should work and it doesn't work and the opposite happens. Yes. So we also have, like, it's not official, but Clint Kubiak, most likely Raiders head coach.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

So looks like there's going to be the AFC. That will be. That'll be at 10, 10 openings and that will be the 10th opening that gets filled.

[D]

Check them all off the list.

[A]

Check them all off.

[D]

They're all done. I was surprised Brian Flores didn't get a job.

[A]

Yell, though. Isn't. Isn't Brian Flores. We can, we can, we can segue with it, but isn't he in the middle of a coup with he and KOC taking overall control in Minnesota?

[D]

Yeah. So he's also actively suing the NFL. So there's probably a couple owners that are like, if we had to choose between a guy that has litigation against us right now and a guy that is currently on good terms not suing the league, we'll probably lean towards the guy that's not suing us.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So.

[A]

So before we talk about the Vikings, Kubiak to the Raiders. So that's another. That's another Shanahan tree. The Shanahan's tree is just everywhere.

[D]

It's the best tree.

[A]

It's the best tree by far.

[D]

It's the top tree.

[A]

It just goes everywhere. So both Shanahan tree guys get hired. Although, is it McVeigh Tree for LaFlor?

[D]

No, no, McVeigh still is. McVeigh is a giant branch on the Shanahan tree.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It's like touching the ground almost. It looks like it's a second tree, technically a branch. And then the La Flores come from that branch.

[F]

Right.

[A]

And Kubiak is its own tree on the Shanahan, or own branch on the Shanahan tree.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And then Clint getting hired there.

[D]

Top tree.

[A]

Top three, shout out office manager.

[C]

Brett.

[E]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Our guy friends. He was, he, he told us about Clint Kubak 10 years ago.

[D]

He did? Yeah. The Kubak. They. They are football guys. They're a football family. Was this like, would this be the 10th anniversary of the, the other Gary Kubak winning the Super Bowl?

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

That's pretty cool.

[A]

San Francisco.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

It is crazy that, that we're here 10 years because we're, we're obviously coming up on our 10 year anniversary. But by the way, if you see this right in front of us, if you're watching it right now, I'll explain it. But it is the. Pardon my book. The COVID is out. You can Also pre order it on Amazon now. It's going to be coming out this summer, and pre orders are very much appreciated because apparently if we get a lot of pre orders, we're like, on our way to maybe being New York Times bestsellers. And wouldn't that be hilarious?

[D]

That'd be very fun.

[A]

I mean, if we are New York Times bestsellers, it's. It makes no sense. Henry Lockwood, a New York Times bestseller. Think about that.

[D]

How about that?

[A]

Think about that.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't think I'm an author.

[A]

Well, you wrote a chapter.

[B]

I did write a chapter.

[A]

So you're definitely part of the book.

[D]

You're more of an author than you are a reader.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

You've written more words than you've read.

[E]

That's not true.

[A]

But all the boys wrote. Did you write a chapter, Zach? Zach's got the shirt on. Memes wrote a chapter. We pfti. Wrote multiple chapters. Max wrote a chapter about Italian Americans with Mike Florio.

[D]

Get Zach. Yeah, it's gonna be an awes Times bestseller list.

[A]

We have all of our friends, you know, got interviewed for it long time. The history of the podcast. So please do go. If you're planning on buying it, buy it right now. You can. You can pre order it on Amazon. Appreciate it very much, but yeah, so that's the. The COVID looks good. We got. And turn around. What's the back. What's on the back of your shirt? Is that the back cover? Is that the back cover on a shirt?

[E]

Same cover, Same cover.

[A]

Same cover.

[D]

Both. Yeah.

[A]

Good spin.

[D]

Spin around twice.

[A]

Zach will be wearing this shirt all week.

[D]

Zach, walk me through that spin you just did. You spun around a full way, and then you. You, like, spun around twice to sit down.

[A]

Are you a little dizzy?

[B]

I was. I was just trying to get full front back coverage.

[A]

We should just be full disclosure that Zach's a little flustered right now because. So pft. Hank and Max have been here since Friday because they. They played spyglass memes, and I flew in about an hour ago. Zach flew in this morning, and we were getting ready to record, and in the, like, 15 minutes we're getting ready to record, Zach may have laid down on a bed and fallen asleep.

[B]

I did go out. I was just. I was looking at the group chat.

[A]

I was.

[B]

I was ready. I was like, all right, here we go. First day of super bowl week. It's a big week, maybe the biggest week. Let's do it. I was very excited. And then might not be here for a Super week.

[A]

Who knows?

[D]

You're good, Zach. You're good.

[C]

Fine.

[A]

Just no more. It's just very funny that it wasn't like a sleep in situation. It was. We landed at 3 o', clock, we got to the hotel, and we're like, all right, we got to record. And in like the. I think I said I got a shower and unpack, and in that time frame, you. You might have laid down for a minute.

[B]

Terrible timing. We asked him if he fell asleep, and he said, I earned it if you took a nap. He said, I fell asleep on the bed.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Totally different. Yeah.

[B]

I didn't think. I didn't think I fell asleep. It was more like, you know, like when you just kind of go out for a sec. You're charging up. Might have been charging up.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

At the worst time possible.

[D]

No, it's fine. We're gonna. We're gonna move forward from this. Made our mistake, day one. We can only go up.

[E]

Yeah, I'm not.

[A]

I'm not counting this as a. As a Zach up. Sleeping in. I just want that this is more like of a little. It's like a little kind of side. It's like an appetizer of the sleep.

[D]

I have a question. Big cat.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

As the leader of no naps, do you put any blame on Hank for Zach's performance napping?

[A]

Did you nap?

[D]

No.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

Hank did not nap.

[A]

I. I was hoping he did, because I saw Max tweeted yes, Snaps.

[E]

Well, that's no Max.

[F]

I am pro nat.

[A]

Okay.

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

So much that I've. It's actually changed my whole stance on napping because it disgusts me how much he's been asleep.

[A]

He's been napping.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Hank did fall asleep for, like an hour on the plane.

[B]

No, we're not charging up.

[F]

I'm not saying that.

[A]

What were you gonna say about Zach, Max?

[F]

I was. How flustered were you when we. When you heard the knock on that door?

[B]

I didn't.

[F]

I.

[B]

I didn't realize you had knocked.

[E]

At first because you said that was.

[A]

The answer right there. That was the exact answer.

[F]

But we also realized that if we just podcast wherever Zach is sleeping, we can. We will have you ready to go at all times.

[D]

Right, Zack?

[F]

Because we all. We had. All I had to do is just walk down the hall, knock, knock, knock, and you're ready to go.

[D]

We all need a room key.

[A]

We might have to build him a room in the office.

[B]

That should never have to be the case for you guys.

[A]

Zach, you're good, though. That wasn't.

[F]

That does not it literally cost us zero. It cost zero the time of me walking down the hall and get. And knocking on your door.

[A]

And it also brought some levity to the room, which is always good.

[B]

Can't go wrong. Or love. Yes.

[A]

You know, levity.

[D]

I can't go wrong.

[B]

I'm not gonna lie to you.

[C]

I don't know.

[A]

That's.

[E]

All right.

[A]

All right.

[D]

It's like happiness.

[A]

Happiness.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's good to get light.

[D]

Before, we were just all laughing at Shane and then you walked in, and then we're just all having a good time.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It's like, hey, Zach's here. It's awesome.

[B]

What a week to have a good time, guys.

[A]

What a week to have a good time on Hank Week.

[D]

Hank week. I'm so proud of you, Hank. Hank's been carrying himself like a champion since we arrived here. He's got the. The lighthouse. He's got swag, which I love. He's got. How many Patriots hats did you bring?

[C]

All of them.

[B]

So I think, like, six.

[D]

Yeah. That's a good amount. It's a good amount.

[A]

Big time swagger. Okay. So other. We talk about the Vikings. So Wesley gets fired.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

The GM for the Vikings. There's then a deep dive by our friend Diana Rossini on the athletic.

[D]

Great reporter.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Does she.

[A]

Basically, the.

[C]

The.

[A]

The crux of the issue is the J.J. mcCarthy, Sam Darnold thing, which we all kind of figured.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

The. Also, there's a side story that he took two weeks of paternity leave during training camp, which has now become a big debate online.

[C]

What?

[A]

What?

[E]

Hank, I. Diana, great reporter.

[B]

I don't understand why the report. Basically, he got fired 20, 25. The report came out that there was problems or, like, people didn't like that he took paternity leave two years ago.

[D]

But the report.

[B]

Like, why is that report only coming out now if.

[A]

Well, it's how it always works with all these, like, fires.

[E]

But if that was a problem, why.

[B]

Wouldn'T they have got, you know, if that was such a big problem?

[E]

Like, I don't think it was a.

[A]

A firing problem. Right. I don't think he got fired because of the paternity leave. He got fired because he picked J.J. mcCarthy over Sam Darnold.

[D]

The fact that Sam Darnold is currently playing in the super bowl is a problem.

[A]

Correct.

[D]

And that report was that the paternity leave thing happened two years ago. 20 or. Yeah, two and a half years ago. 20, 23. That was a long time ago. And the sourcing was from, like, around the league. So it was other GMs that were like, I can't believe this guy has taken paternity leave, like, at home. What's that all about? But I feel like if you're a gm, do you have to be at practice, like, every day? I feel like you could do most of your job remotely.

[B]

Also, isn't being a father the most important job? It is.

[A]

It is. But I think this is just more. This is one of those arguments that people are going to have online, and they're just talking to no one. Because everyone. I think, like, I think everyone can agree being a parent is the most important thing. And, like, it's such a blessing and being there for, you know, when your child is born, and then being there for the woman and after the child, all that stuff. But then also, you have to realize that everyone in the NFL is a complete psycho. And it is not normal to take that much time. And that just is. Whether you agree with it or disagree with it, it's just what it is in the NFL. We had the interview with Mike McDonald saying he sees his son for 30 minutes. They're all psychos. This is what the cost is.

[D]

The fact is, if. If Sam Darnold was on the Vikings and they had, like, made the playoffs this year, had another good season, I don't think anybody's getting fired about the paternity stuff.

[A]

He's not getting fired for that.

[D]

I think that when he does get fired, then other people around the league immediately go back to the one thing they know him for, which is, yeah, this. This weirdo took two weeks off work to take care of his wife and newborn child.

[A]

Correct?

[C]

Correct.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's like, what a. Yeah. What a weird guy.

[D]

About. About him not having Sam Darnold on the roster. I think it also could be.

[A]

I mean, his drafts haven't been good either.

[D]

Right. His drafts haven't been great. Also, me and Big Cat tried to save Ques's job last year.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

At the super bowl, at Josh Allen night. I approached Quesi. I got introduced to him, walked up. I think the second thing I said to him after introducing myself was, you need to bring back Ragnar, the unofficial mascot of the Vikings. He. His contract demands were very reasonable, and you guys kicked him out of town like he was yesterday's trash. And then Big Cat showed up. Big Cat went over to him, introduced himself, and the first thing Big Cat said was, you need to bring Ragnar back.

[A]

No, the first thing I said was, hey, man, I got a business idea. For you. Can I lay it on you real quick?

[D]

Yeah. Yeah. And second. Second idea was you got to bring Ragnar back. And I think that's the first time he's ever heard of Ragnar. And he heard about it twice in about 45 minutes. And he still ignored our great advice. He did.

[A]

We could have saved his job.

[D]

This is the paternity thing, though. I was telling Hank this earlier. This is why I would. I would get a gay gm.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

You don't have to worry about paternity. Leave be very meticulous. When he's, like, studying the bodies going into the combine.

[A]

You might even like, you might have to like, depending on like, his income status, it might be dual income, no kids.

[D]

Right.

[A]

Don't have to pay him as much.

[D]

Don't have to pay him as much, maybe.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

And then, I mean, GM's jobs are just to like, you know, like, let this guy go gossip and be messy.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Like, just unleash him on the league. I feel like you'd be. You'd be good negotiator.

[A]

It's not a bad idea. It just is funny though, because there's a lot of people online who are like, this is ridiculous. That, that he's. He's getting criticized for this. Yes. But that's what the NFL is. The NFL is a ridiculous league.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

These guys are all complete competitive psychos that want to, like, kill each other and win at all costs and do everything to. To win the, you know, the Super Bowl. It just is what it is. I like, I don't think it's. It's. It probably is not right, but it just kind of is what it is.

[D]

I also think it shows a lack of foresight and planning on his part. You're going to have a kid. Pop one out in May.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Right after.

[E]

Yeah, right, right.

[A]

July is the time when everyone's off.

[D]

Have a kid right after the draft.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. My kids were born in off season. That's true. Yeah.

[D]

If you're a gm.

[A]

Listen, Quesi, you could have done it.

[D]

Like me at that level. June, May, you just got to know, like, wrap it up from January through July.

[A]

Yup. All off season, only my kids were born within a month of each other. May and June.

[D]

Yeah, dude, listen. January through July, that's pull out season. Do whatever you want after that.

[A]

I do think, yeah, he really has. People are focusing on this. If he had had a couple better drafts and the Sam Darnold, which I still don't disagree with, the idea of like drafting a young Quarterback. That. That. That is still the smart way to team build. It just. Sam Darnold won 14 games and JJ McCarthy got hurt, and you didn't know if he was going to be good or not. And, like, you made the wrong choice.

[D]

I mean, JJ was going to start that. That season that Sam started last year.

[A]

Correct.

[D]

And when he got hurt, then it was like, okay, I guess we're going to roll the dice and see if Sam Darnold has anything left in the tank. And everybody was like, no chance he does.

[A]

Right.

[D]

And then the major mistake you could say is letting him go this offseason.

[A]

Right.

[D]

But I do understand you have to see what your. Your rookie has, but at the time, I was like, why are you getting rid of this guy just because he had, like, two bad games at the end of the season?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

You're throwing them out.

[A]

It's like one of those process results. The process is. Is not totally unsound in that, you know, building around a rookie quarterback is a. Is a kind of a cheat code with the salary cap and everything.

[B]

It just.

[A]

The results are that the quarterback that you had that won 14 games is now playing in the super bowl.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And nine was nine.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

And also not nine. Sometimes.

[D]

Sometimes he was J.J. sometimes he was.

[A]

J.J. sometimes he was.

[D]

I think that's the problem is Quesi drafted nine.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And then sometimes JJ showed up also.

[A]

Maybe having Carson Wentz is your backup. Yeah. Because you could have maybe won a couple games in that stretch with a better backup. That's like, Daniel Jones was also there.

[D]

That's probably a valid point. It's probably the combo of Daniel Jones leaving, getting out of the building and having a great season until he got hurt, and then Sam Darnold having the best season anyone could ever imagine.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

That makes the nine decision look suspect.

[F]

Carson Wentz was pretty good, by the way.

[D]

Well, no, it was.

[A]

It was. Did he win some games? How many games did he win? What is his record? How many games did he win?

[F]

I think. I think he played three games. One, two. That was a complete gas.

[A]

Okay, then we're going to fact check.

[D]

I did feel bad for Carson Wentz at the end of his last game.

[A]

Carson Wentz played.

[F]

He lost the Eagles.

[A]

Okay, so he played five games. He won two. He won two and three.

[F]

That's not bad.

[A]

Yeah, it's not bad.

[D]

So you mistook two and three for two out of three? That's what I'm saying.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Same thing.

[A]

Yeah. Numbers are kind of the same. So now Kevin o' Connell is is they're not hiring a GM until after the draft. I actually think this is fine. Kevin o' Connell is a really good head coach. And that's the thing about the Vikings, too, this year, is they weren't a bad team. They just had, like, they ended up, I think, third in the NFC North 9 and 8. Like, they were one of those teams. If you look back, you're like, hey, if we could have a couple of games go differently and, you know, J.J. mcCarthy maybe doesn't get hurt. They could have been a playoff team. It just kind of all broke poorly for them. And then someone's got to get. Someone has to take the blame. And again, the drafts haven't been like premier drafts.

[D]

But it was weird because they also gave him an extension recently.

[A]

Yeah, well, the extensions mean nothing in the NFL.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

But usually, unless it's the Bengals.

[D]

Usually. Yeah. If it's a GM and you give him an extension, that usually implies dude's got some time.

[A]

But I, I, Yeah, I think, I think it's just power struggle. And also the paternity leave.

[E]

That's.

[D]

You know what?

[A]

I wonder if he. You think that he knew that they were like. Because that would suck if he gets fired and then he finds out that the entire league was talking about his paternity league leave for two years. Yeah, that would be brutal.

[D]

I never want to judge in a situation like that. Because you don't know, like, what the mom went through. Yeah, no, that stuff behind the scenes. So it could be something where it was like, you know, he was taking care of some serious stuff. But I, I think that what he needs to do is he needs to just, like, get a vasectomy and then go talk to. When he does, he can reverse it. His next interview be like, I got snipped. It's not an issue anymore, guaranteed.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Medically, I'm unable to take paternity leave anymore.

[A]

I'm pro, by the way.

[D]

No.

[A]

Talked about in this way.

[D]

No. Why are you shaking?

[A]

What is he yelling about?

[F]

I just told him to stop. He just keeps your ADD is all time.

[A]

He's Hank. It's Hank week.

[F]

You just keep moving the mic.

[A]

That's okay. It's Hank week. Also. We had Todd Monkin show up in the most, like, Tim Duncan Kohl's outfit of all time, which I actually, I know this is stupid. Were a stupid show. I immediately was like, I think it's going to work for Todd Monken just because. Fit.

[E]

Because of how frumpy he looks.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I think that, like, you'd much rather have a coach show up in that than Mike McDaniel walking out in his nice suit, right?

[A]

In Cleveland, especially Cleveland, you got to just, like, let's go to work.

[D]

I got a question for Hank on Hank Week.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Pft. Hank, do you think that you're going to get invited to Bill Belichick's you Hall of Fame bash?

[B]

I hope so. It looks awesome.

[A]

Where is this happening?

[D]

I think details are. Are still. Still to come, but apparently Tom Brady, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells, and others who were planning on attending Bill's hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton got invited. Also invited will be many of the outspoken supporters from the wake of Belichick's hall of Fame snub.

[A]

That's you, Hank.

[D]

That's you.

[B]

I hope. I hope so.

[A]

I would.

[B]

I would love to go. I would clear my schedule.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, you would. You would clear your full schedule, which I. I got nothing.

[E]

I got to do it early August.

[D]

Your full schedule.

[A]

Yeah, whatever.

[C]

Whatever.

[D]

Whatever it takes.

[E]

Yep.

[D]

Defend the wall.

[A]

We also had Max. You got an OC but you might have lost your dc so you got Sean Manion, but Vic Fangio is saying he might retire.

[F]

I think people are confident that he will be back for next year.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Okay.

[F]

I think he's going to do one last. One last go at it.

[A]

Okay. Congrats on Sean Manion.

[F]

Sean Manion. Oh, my. Always my guy. I love that guy. And we got the. And we got Grizzard.

[A]

Yeah, you got Josh Grizzard. Who. He was on your radar.

[F]

He was on the radar for sure. I love that guy. I'll die for that guy.

[E]

Yeah.

[F]

Always was my guy.

[A]

I feel like every other job has been the. Declan Doyle went to Baltimore.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So the Bears lost Declan Doyle. This is. I mean, that. It. It was gonna like he was either going to come back for one year or, you know, leave this year, but it doesn't really matter because Ben Johnson calls the plays. It's kind of like the Sean McVeigh setup, where the best thing that can happen is your coach is good enough. That basically the job of OC Is just a launching pad for being a head coach.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

And that's kind of what happened to Declan Doyle. I mean, he was nothing, no name, and then, you know, is now the offensive coordinator calling plays for the Ravens.

[D]

And it sounds like Kingsbury might be going to New York. Ooh. He's the guy that. That Harbaugh is looking on bringing in there for the Giants.

[A]

You got to be so happy that you Wrapped up David Blau first.

[D]

So happy.

[A]

So all this chaos.

[D]

I wouldn't say wrapped him up. I. I won the Blau sweepstakes.

[C]

That's true.

[A]

Flower ball. That's true. That's true.

[D]

Max, you're pumped about. It's Kate's cousin, right? Sean Manion?

[F]

Yep.

[D]

Pretty cool.

[A]

Pretty cool.

[F]

Pretty cool.

[A]

Pretty cool.

[D]

No, no, same last night.

[A]

That was a niche. Like, how many people are gonna even know?

[B]

Yeah, I know the way they were just a matter of. Yep, Yep.

[F]

I don't even think people know Kate's last name.

[E]

Yeah, no, no.

[B]

That would have been cool.

[D]

Yeah, it would. It would have been awesome.

[A]

Okay, Other national sports podcast topics. Paul George did drugs.

[D]

Yeah, allegedly.

[A]

Max.

[F]

Mental health is real.

[A]

Mental health is real. What did he do? What did he get?

[F]

I don't know.

[A]

No one knows.

[F]

I don't know.

[A]

But I'm pretty sure you're allowed to smoke weed.

[F]

So he was working on his mental health and he took a prescription or any. I don't know. I don't know if he said prescription or substance that he shouldn't have taken.

[E]

Okay, okay.

[D]

So he was like. He wanted to get mushrooms.

[E]

Huh?

[D]

I don't think they test for mushrooms, do they?

[F]

I don't know.

[B]

I don't. I don't understand.

[A]

I don't think there's.

[C]

I don't think.

[A]

I think the drug tests in the NBA, I think they're pretty lax about.

[F]

I don't think that you can.

[A]

Recreational.

[D]

I gotta be honest. I didn't know that the NBA tested for drugs. I just.

[A]

Well, there's performance enhancing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And.

[F]

But this doesn't seem like performance enhancing drugs.

[A]

It seems like something else recreational. Got it.

[F]

I don't know.

[C]

That's.

[F]

Maybe I'm wrong, but from what I gathered from his statement, it did not feel that way.

[A]

$11 million is what it costs him. That sucks. That sucks.

[D]

My concern is, like, is he going to podcast while he's on suspension?

[F]

He doesn't podcast anymore anyway.

[D]

Yeah. But he should get back into it.

[F]

If he did one podcast, like a Tell all, that would do numbers.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

There also was the quote that resurfaced from last year when Paul George was asked if there was any wisdom to pass on to Embiid to help during his process of getting back to himself, and he said, drugs help. Mm. Those are separate. Those are separate things.

[D]

He might have been talking about medical drugs.

[A]

He could have been talking about anything.

[D]

Yep.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And he might have actually said hugs. We don't know. He could have Said hugs. Help.

[F]

He'll be back for the playoffs.

[A]

He'll be back for the playoffs.

[F]

He's got. He'll be back 10 games before the end of the regular season.

[D]

Playoff PCP.

[F]

So enough time to, you know, get himself going and make a playoff push.

[A]

What. What other. What other stories? I mean, we had. I don't. We're. We're. We're a joke podcast. We don't get into serious topics.

[D]

But.

[A]

But like. Feels like a lot of NFL owners were emailing with Jeffrey Epstein.

[D]

It does. Memes.

[A]

It was kind of crazy memes.

[D]

You want to go first?

[A]

Yeah, it was.

[C]

It. All of.

[E]

All the reporters go silent when the jets owner pops up in the emails.

[D]

What do you mean?

[E]

Like, where did they write all about all the dysfunction? And then all of a sudden he's in some emails.

[A]

No.

[E]

No reports.

[A]

So.

[D]

But where did we hear this news? We heard it on the news. Right.

[A]

But a lot of it. We only heard the Giant.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Tish was the. Was the headliner of the emails.

[D]

Tish's was a bad one.

[A]

This was bad.

[D]

Pretty incriminating. When he's like, is this girl gonna be a pro or civilian? When you're referring to. To non sex working women as being civilians.

[A]

Very, very bad.

[D]

You've gone pretty far down that hole.

[A]

We had Josh Harris, who we already knew was. We already had heard that with him, so. And he's more of a Sixers owner than a. Yeah.

[D]

In this kind. Most of the headlines I saw was Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris.

[F]

I thought you already fought this battle. And I'm.

[E]

You're.

[F]

You're doing that. You're doing the Josh Harris battle.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

He's got.

[F]

You got this.

[D]

So Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris. I've actually looked into this because I'm not a stranger to having an owner that I hate. I'm not afraid to be like, hey, this guy. I'm anti. Everything about the Washington commander's owner. I. I've been down that road. I fought that battle. I'll do it again. So I did. I did actually look into it and it kind of confirmed what I'd already read, which was he was the founder of Apollo, the Apollo financing group with Leon Black. Leon Black is deep into the Epstein universe. Josh Harris actually got Leon Black fired, kicked out because of his relationship with Epstein.

[A]

Got it.

[D]

Told him to move on. And then Leon Black was like trying to get Josh Harris to meet with Epstein to hire him. And Josh Harris was like, no, absolutely not. I'm not hiring Jeffrey Epstein, because that was after his first conviction back in, like, 2007.

[A]

Got it.

[D]

2006. So I feel. I feel good about Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris's position in all this, because it does seem like he did the right thing. I think I am also open to changing my stance and as the story develops. So we're gonna wait for all the facts.

[A]

Wait till the facts. And then Bob Kraft was also in a couple emails.

[B]

A lot of powerful people in those emails.

[A]

Did you. Am I breaking the news to you right now?

[B]

Kind of. What exactly did he say?

[A]

I don't know.

[D]

Robert Kraft wasn't.

[B]

I didn't see anything.

[E]

Was in the email, because when Robert.

[D]

Kraft got arrested after he got jacked off at that massage parlor after the AFC championship came, right before the AFC championship game, his name was in the news because I was like, wow, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft got jacked off in a massage parlor. And then Jeffrey Epstein was talking to people behind the scenes about how to strategize his legal defense for getting jacked off in a massage parlor, which Robert Kraft did.

[B]

So he wasn't. Yeah. So he's basically not even just his name.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

His only crime was getting jacked off in a massage parlor.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Who amongst us?

[A]

Right. The Tish one, though. I don't know how he stays owner.

[D]

Tish. Gotta go.

[A]

Tish. Gotta go. Okay, so, yeah, that. But it was. It was whenever. It was Thursday or Friday, and then it was just like, oh, yeah, here's another NFL owner. Here's another NFL owner.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

It's quite something.

[D]

It's not good.

[A]

No, no. The whole story is not good. I think we could say we disavow.

[D]

Disavow.

[A]

Also, I'm starting to think this Jeffrey Epstein guy was a bad guy.

[E]

Got kicked off Xbox.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. Zach, any thoughts on that?

[B]

You don't want. You can't have guys like that on the servers. He's got to go.

[A]

Yeah, right, Right.

[B]

That guy's got to go.

[D]

Massive credit to Jerry Jones for not being in these files.

[A]

Yeah, that.

[D]

That was a surprise.

[A]

Yeah, there was a. Couples. Yeah, Surprises.

[D]

Good for him.

[A]

Oh, Dan Snider.

[D]

Dan Snider. Not in the files yet.

[A]

Yes. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Any other. What other national sports podcast topics do we have? We had a good, good Saturday of college hoops. Do you see? Rick Barnes said that. He was like, I wonder sometimes if my players are betting against us with some of their passes. That was kind of weird.

[D]

That is very strange.

[A]

For him, I'm pull up the exact quote because I don't want to misquote it. Sometimes I wonder if my guys are betting on games. Yeah, that's never a good quote.

[D]

Not good. Credit to Kentucky. Great game. Yes against Arkansas. Yes to his game of the year. Kentucky beat him outright. There were six and a half point underdogs.

[A]

Revenge.

[D]

Revenge for that. Also one more time, competitive sports professional sp. And the Epstein thing. He was allegedly supplying Adderall to bridge tournaments.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[D]

How about that? Bill Gates was like hitting him up, jonesing, being like, hey, I got a massive bridge tournament. I need that Adderall.

[A]

Bill Gates did not have a good week. Not a good week. Not a good weekend for old Billy Gates.

[D]

Bad week.

[A]

Who won? How did Brooks end up doing? I saw he shot. He shot one off the cart path.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Made the cut. I think he finished around like 55th or 60th.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

Something. Listen, Brooks, if you look back, if you're a student of history, as we are, his first. His first win on the tour. Hank, you know this. At the Waste Management Open right before Seahawks, Patriots, Super Bowl.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

Okay, so next week? Yeah. Is this Thursday?

[A]

Waste Management.

[D]

This Thursday. This is Brooks. It's Brooks and Hank week.

[A]

Believe in Brooks. How are you feeling with Hank week?

[B]

I'm excited. I. I mean, this is super bowl week's always fun. It's always one of my favorite weeks of the year. It is our 10th, actually 11th Super bowl that we've been to. This is a 10 year anniversary. 10 years ago, we were in San Francisco.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

We didn't have a show.

[B]

No. But we.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Yes, yes, I see what you're saying.

[B]

It is. It is the most fun week of the year. But it's. It's so different when your team's in it. I just want to fast forward to Sunday. It's fun. Fun being around the guys, being in San Francisco doing all this stuff.

[A]

You want us out of here?

[B]

But I'm ready. I am so ready for Sunday. The narratives, the nonsense, the blah, blah, blah.

[A]

The nonsense, the blah, blah, blah.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

People are making up Photoshops. They're trying to create false. False narratives. Jets fans are. Are making up rumors that are not football related about Drake. It's. It's nonsense. It's absolute nonsense. It's rubbish.

[A]

What are you referring to?

[C]

There's.

[B]

There's. It's fake. This is all fake. So I feel I shouldn't even be pushing. I shouldn't be mentioning it on this podcast. There's Photoshops. That were made that make Drake may look like a bit like, not good, but it's. It's Photoshops.

[D]

Oh, thanks for not bringing it up on the podcast.

[A]

Yes. Did you do that? I mean, we talked about fake news.

[E]

Before with the Vikings and Rossini. I mean, we could talk about fake fake news here.

[D]

It seems like a really shoehorned in that they get receiving.

[A]

That was out of nowhere.

[D]

He's just been thinking about it the whole time.

[A]

The. Is his shoulder okay?

[B]

Shoulder's great.

[A]

Are you going to go doctor mode on us?

[B]

No.

[A]

Why not?

[B]

It's because his shoulder's fine. He was at the. He was at the. The send off rally today. He was. Has arm raised, thumbs up.

[A]

Looks very comfortable.

[B]

Looks so comfortable.

[A]

I just want to see Dr. Hank.

[B]

Why? You know I'm not a doctor.

[A]

I know, but that's the whole point. You said they're fake doctors on Twitter. I want you to. I want you to change your Twitter profile to you in a lab coat and then just start firing at people and be like, hey, his shoulder's fine.

[B]

It is fine.

[A]

I know, but I want to hear it from Dr. Hank.

[B]

I don't.

[A]

I don't.

[B]

Okay, I'll. I could do that, but his shoulder's fine.

[D]

Do you think he's going to play on Sunday?

[B]

I do.

[D]

Okay, that's. That's a Dr. Hank.

[A]

Someone asking who might have put a bet on Josh Dobbs.

[D]

Josh Jobs. Great value. Listen, I'm rooting for the Patriots, okay, Whoever that is. And I saw value on one of our guys. What's more. What's more Patriot way than. Than taking a chance on a backup quarterback, Hank, and having him win a Super Bowl.

[A]

I'm down. Want to win the game?

[B]

Yeah, I'm down.

[D]

Same.

[B]

Yeah, just next man up. Drake man is playing and he's going to light it up.

[D]

Do you think Dave will invite me to the game? As a Pats fan?

[B]

I don't.

[A]

I don't think so.

[D]

He did say. He did text me the other day and he was like, I've been watching your takes from afar. Very ominous. Very ominous take.

[A]

Well, Gaz has probably been sending it.

[D]

That's what that means. Yeah, Like, Gaz sends the low lights, but he doesn't send. All the times I've been right about the Patriots. Patriots. Such as many times you should have.

[A]

Just replied and been like, you're welcome for the third and six keeper.

[D]

Yeah, listen, I'm trying to help us win. I've never put a bet. This is four times the amount of my most expensive bet that I've ever made in my life, and it's on the Patriots. The old saying is put your money where your mouth is. You can see where my money's at right now. It's public. Go Pats, Go facts.

[A]

Are you gonna bet the Patriots as well? Hank, I have a future.

[B]

I have an 80 to 1 future.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Damn.

[B]

Yeah. 300 to win, like 25k.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

So I'm, I'm, financially, I'm, I'm already.

[A]

No hedge.

[B]

I got a lot. Hell no.

[A]

All right. I like that. You gotta ask people. People always.

[B]

No, we talked about the other day. I, I, I could have already hedged. I could hedge multiple ways. I'm not hedging.

[D]

You know, the real winner this week is Josh McCown. You know, Josh McCown was like the quarterback teacher for both these guys.

[A]

Oh.

[D]

He was like their guru for, for both Drake May and Sam Darnold.

[A]

Josh McCown, very good backup court. Well. And starting quarterback.

[D]

And starting quarterback. Yeah.

[A]

And great hair and awesome guy.

[D]

Great dude.

[A]

Really, really good dude.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

Okay. Before we do who's back the week actually. Pft. You want to do Twisted T here?

[D]

Sure.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

I love Twisted T. I'd love to do Twisted T anytime. It's always a good time for twisted tea. You know that. What's your ideal big game with twisted tea look like to you? I think I gotta, I gotta start with a half and half and then peach second, original third, and then probably back to half and half for the fourth quarter. Put your fours up. Twisted tea is a refreshing, hard iced tea. It's made with real brewed tea, 5% alcohol. Twisted Tea is the ultimate drink to pair with the biggest game of the football season. Whether you're hanging out at a friend's house, catching a game at the stadium or at the bar, or day drinking friends, Twisted tea is there to turn your big game day up a notch and make a good time, a great time. Grab a refreshing twisted tea today.

[E]

Okay.

[A]

Who's back of the week, Hank?

[B]

My. Who's back of the week is Alcatraz.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

The Rock.

[B]

The Rock. We're in San Francisco. And Carlos Alcaraz.

[A]

Oh, that was actually my. Who's back of the week was Djokovic's incredible comeback against sinner.

[B]

That was.

[A]

And then I don't, I don't know what happened for the. Have they finished the tournament yet?

[B]

They have. Alcatraz.

[A]

I don't think they have.

[B]

It's Alcatraz week.

[D]

What about those that say Alcatraz, he hams up his injuries and he gets time to recover during matches that no other player would get.

[A]

I'd like to say that.

[D]

Yeah. What about guys like that?

[A]

Yeah, well, guys like me.

[B]

I mean, Joker, he. He just. The fact that he made it to the final proves he's.

[D]

Well, that's Patriots mentality. It doesn't matter if you win or lose. Like, oh, it's a great accomplishment to make the championship. Not always.

[A]

Did you watch?

[B]

No, I was just. I was. I was. I didn't get to nap. We'll get to the end, but I was running on zero hours.

[D]

By the way, can I clean something up here? Hank is absolutely allowed to nap.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

You can nap if you want.

[A]

Nap right now. No one's asking you to nap.

[F]

We were literally.

[E]

I was begging Hank to nap.

[C]

So.

[F]

Stop saying that. We weren't allowing you to nap.

[B]

No, it's not you.

[A]

It's.

[B]

It's coach.

[F]

You said PFT runs a tight ship.

[D]

He did say that. And I do run a tight ship.

[B]

Nothing good comes running.

[A]

Don't do it. Oh, I. My. I randomly Woke up at 2:30 in the morning last night during the first set. I think it was just like, my body is so in tune with Djokovic, I went immediately right back to bed. But I did wake up. I looked at my phone, saw he had won the first set, said, job done, job finished. We got this. When I woke up, job was not finished. He got smoked.

[B]

Also, the. And we might be taking a field trip to Alcatraz. I'm not sure. But the. It doesn't seem like it's that far away from. From land.

[A]

Yeah, but the tides, dude. The. For the current.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

You can't swim.

[A]

It's really cold water and shark infested.

[D]

Lots of sharks.

[A]

You want to try to swim.

[B]

Doesn't seem. It didn't seem that crazy, so.

[A]

It's pretty crazy.

[D]

People have swam. Swam it before. Like, if you're a trained swimmer, you can do it.

[A]

Yeah, they do. With like wetsuits and shit.

[D]

Yeah. And usually like a boat next to you. But if you're a prisoner and then you try to leave, the sharks smell that.

[A]

I think the current will take you.

[B]

Like, there's that many sharks in the bay.

[A]

Yeah. And the current will take you like past the Golden Gate Bridge. Like, you'll just be gone out to sea.

[B]

What if you just pick the right time?

[D]

Then you. Then you make it free and clear.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

That's what Sean Connery did. Winners go home. And the prom Queen.

[A]

You should just get in that water.

[B]

Warmark.

[A]

Get in the water.

[B]

I'll take a dip. I don't care.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

With the sharks.

[D]

I have a take.

[B]

Are there really sharks in the fucking day?

[D]

Yes. San Jose sharks.

[A]

I'm wearing, I'm literally the name of the hockey team. See this shark right here? See this orange tie dye shark? That's what they look like.

[F]

Everyone's got kayaks in McCovey Cove.

[B]

Great counterpoint.

[D]

Yeah, that's a cove all right.

[A]

I'm looking up right now. How many sharks Alcatraz? Well, San Francisco Bay is home to over a dozen shark species, including the common five foot leopard shark. There's no specific static number of sharks surrounding Alcatraz. Great white shark sightings are rare, but documented without five individuals recorded entering the bay over two year period. So at least five great white sharks.

[D]

Yeah, but guess what? It's the ones that you don't see. Yeah, those are the ones you got to be afraid of.

[A]

Shark infested shit. The shark infested reputation is largely a myth. Cold water, strong currents and fatigue are far greater risk to swimmers than sharks.

[B]

Yeah, but that, you're, you're, that's a normal person. Imagine the adrenaline you'd have if you escaped Alcatraz. You could, that could carry you through to the other side. Also, just ride the current. Pick your spots.

[A]

7 Gill Soup Fin, spiny dogfish.

[B]

Those, you can just punch those in the nose.

[A]

You think so? Shark in the nose.

[D]

Listen, on Hank week, I trust Hank. Just ride the current.

[A]

Yeah. The bay's lowers saline makes it less hospitable for the large open ocean. Sharks. So there's really no sharks? Yeah, that, that current dude that you want me to do. How bad is current?

[B]

I mean I, I, it's, I've, I've been into current. We all know what currents are like.

[A]

This one's gnarly though, right?

[B]

Go kind of in the in between time. And you're good. It's not that bad.

[A]

Oh, I, I googled the wrong thing. Never mind.

[F]

Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes you google the wrong thing during the show.

[A]

Yeah, that's true.

[D]

Max, look up city swing real quick.

[A]

How bad?

[D]

I have a take about the bridge.

[A]

Some of the strongest and most challenging in the world.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Often described as a river that can sweep swimmers miles off course. Water in the bay features fast changing tides. Temperatures from 50 to 60 degrees and high choppy 3 foot waves that can cause severe undertow.

[B]

Undertow is a problem. I feel like.

[A]

Look at this dude. Look at that. Look at the currents. They're going crazy.

[B]

Yeah, but they're.

[D]

They don't.

[B]

If you escape Alcatraz, you just have to end up on land eventually. Death by current might be worse than death by sharp bite also.

[A]

Yeah, true. It wasn't. Wasn't Alcatraz like, not even that. Like, how long was it Alcatraz?

[D]

It was like, 50, 60 years.

[A]

Was it in operation?

[D]

I don't know.

[E]

I don't think it's not.

[A]

Like, I think it's kind of.

[E]

They should apologize a little bit.

[D]

It's too expensive to, like, keep shipping people out. Guards have to, like, go back to land, back and forth. Supplies have to be boated in.

[A]

All right. The longest serving prisoner Alcatraz was Alvin Creepy Carpus, a notorious depression Eric gangster who spent 26 years on the island. So. At least 26 years. But that's also. You got to remember, it's like 100 years ago, people didn't even know how to swim then.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

Like, they didn't do swimming lessons.

[B]

But the evolution, or what do you call it?

[D]

Evolution.

[B]

Global warming. The tides might not have been as bad back then.

[D]

Yeah, that's a good point.

[A]

I gotta. I gotta get up. I gotta get my Alcatraz facts going.

[D]

We should go.

[A]

We should. We should figure out some more Alcatraz facts.

[D]

Someone tell us facts.

[B]

Landed bio.

[A]

All right. Yeah.

[B]

So.

[A]

So it was only a prison from. It was only a prison for 29 years, 1934 to 1963. So it kind of feels like Alcatraz might be. I think it's because Al Capone was there. Like, it's mythologized.

[D]

And also, it's got a great name. Alcatraz is a fantastic. Great for a prison.

[A]

Great.

[D]

And the fact that it's, like, the most visible island from the Golden Gate Bridge.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Like a matt that would have been kind of electric. Driving over the bridge and just being like, there's the prison down there.

[C]

You're. You.

[D]

Like, that's such a great tool for scaring kids. Every time you see that, you're like, if you're bad, we're gonna send you there.

[C]

Right?

[D]

That's where you'll go. And we'll never see you again.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Unless you swim back.

[D]

Unless you swim back. Just ride the current. So what does ride the current mean?

[B]

What do you mean? It's like you run in a lazy river. It's kind of like riding the current.

[D]

Oh, so it sounds like it'd be super refreshing to escape from Alcatraz.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You Just go up on your back ride the current undertow is a problem big time. I, I will say that.

[D]

So I, I have some fun facts on Alcatraz because we did an episode on macrodosing on them. 12 months ago there was no death row on Alcatraz. They made seem like a badass place, but actually nobody was on death row there. Al Capone learned how to play the banjo and he played in the inmate band.

[B]

That's awesome.

[A]

That's pretty cool.

[D]

At Alcatraz they never filled it to capacity. Nobody ever escaped.

[B]

More exclusive that way.

[D]

Smart.

[A]

Yep.

[D]

They never, they never had any escapees. But there was one person that tried to escape that they never recovered the body. So he might have actually escaped.

[A]

Right now I just Google it said 13 to 15 prisoners are confirmed or presumed to have died during escape attempts.

[D]

Yeah, they shot some, they shot some others. Drowned.

[A]

Couple drowned.

[D]

But some. One guy, they never found his body. People would request transfers to Alcatraz because the food there was so good. So other prisoners like in Leavenworth be like, get me out of Kansas, send me out to San Francisco. The food is apparently banging. And yeah, it was shut down because it was too expensive.

[A]

And Sean Connery was there.

[D]

And Sean Connery.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

Also the birdman of Alcatraz actually didn't have any birds. Common misconception.

[A]

I didn't know there was a birdman of Alcatraz.

[D]

Oh yeah.

[A]

But now I do.

[C]

Oh yeah.

[D]

And he was birdless.

[B]

His birdless Al Capone on the banjo is. That's awesome.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah it is. It's really cool.

[C]

Very cool. Cool.

[A]

Okay, that was good. That was talking Dennis.

[B]

Yeah. Who's back?

[A]

Pft.

[D]

My. Who's back of the week is kindness. Oh, kindness is back. This also broke after we got done recording on Thursday. But Schefter had some major scoopage. The NFL officially appointed influential storyteller Dhar Mann as its first ever chief Kindness officer and creator of the week for Super Bowl LX.

[A]

And this guy is YouTuber, like a scam artist.

[B]

He's a three time felon.

[D]

A five time felon. Yeah, five.

[A]

But.

[D]

But his felonies are for weed.

[A]

So I asked this only because I saw a bunch of people.

[B]

He got caught five times.

[D]

It was probably the same thing.

[E]

He, he.

[A]

So he got, he got made kindness officer. And then all the entire reaction was this guy's a scam artist. If you're this guy, why would you ever accept this? Because you know, like you can't go. You can't take a position like this. Knowing that most people are gonna be like, dude, this guy's full of shit.

[D]

I think the chief kindness officer thing. And by the way, we've named Memes chief kindness officer of part of my take.

[B]

Love that.

[D]

So congrats. Memes.

[A]

Memes. Would you like to give a speech or anything?

[E]

I'm fired up about it. I'll be saying one nice thing to you guys every day.

[A]

Wow.

[E]

Except Hank.

[D]

That's fair.

[A]

What do you say? Except for Hank.

[D]

Yeah. Hank doesn't get a kind thing.

[C]

Nope.

[A]

Memes, when we got off the air the. The plane today, he was just like, I'm just gonna sit in my room all week.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

That's good.

[D]

I think what this guy's doing.

[A]

This is a D's not joke.

[D]

No, no. This is.

[E]

I don't.

[D]

It's just deep inside banter with boys from the past two days.

[A]

Nice.

[D]

Shane is.

[B]

We got a new franchise. Yeah, we'll get. We'll get.

[A]

Okay, okay.

[D]

It's about Shane. It's about shame. But I think this Dhar Mann guy. And Max, you're a big fan of his, right?

[F]

I don't know the right answer.

[A]

This was one of those situations. I was very happy that I did not know who this person was.

[E]

I genuinely did not know.

[F]

I don't know anything. So I don't know. I feel like you want me to say yes.

[A]

Yeah. But it was. There are certain times when someone comes up and it's like, I heard their name, but I don't know what they. I had no idea this person existed.

[D]

I think he took the gig because JB Smooth turned him down. Also, this sounds like a big time JB Smooth type role where they're going to be like, this is Chief Kindness Officer Darman. And it's going to be like a funny thing about the NFL trying to be too kind.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

They're going to try to make it like. I don't think that there's actually a Chief Kindness initiative in the.

[A]

Should have made Dave.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

That would have been awesome.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

He would embrace it.

[B]

0% weed relation to the felonies. He uses real estate company to fraudulently pocket more than $44,000 from city redevelopment grants.

[A]

That sounds bad.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Disavow.

[A]

Yeah, Disavow.

[D]

It had nothing to do with weed. I thought I had something to do with.

[A]

I read his Wikipedia after he was. He tried to create. I think it was when the we work shit was happening. He tried to create. We grow.

[D]

Oh, so. So he took, like, city grants to build a drug empire he basically was like, we.

[A]

We. Yeah. What if we did we work? Which famously went so well. And did. Did it for weed. That sounds like the business pitch that he did.

[B]

Like come just communal farms.

[A]

Yeah. Or something like that.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I did very little research.

[D]

Like you want to, you want to come grow some of your weed at my house?

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Are we the. Are we the most lightly researched podcast.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Out there?

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

We're the opposite of Pablo finds out.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Where the. We're. We're. Pardon my take.

[D]

Fine.

[A]

Doesn't really care if we find out or not. Yeah.

[D]

We find in.

[A]

Yeah. We.

[C]

We're.

[A]

We'll loosely Google something.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And sometimes get that wrong.

[D]

I did Google the Josh Harris story for a solid five minutes and I think I got to the bottom of that one.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But again, we'll let the other members of the Sixers front office figure that one out.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

My. Who's back of the week is Giannis? Because this is the week, boys. It is NBA trade deadline week. It could be.

[D]

It could be.

[A]

It could not be. But it, but I. It's more of a reminder that who's back the NBA trade deadline. I can't believe they do it every year during the Super Bowl. It makes no sense. But it could be Giannis week.

[D]

What is, what is Shams been doing like the most recent post that he had about it. Just say he's demanding a trade.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Enough of this. Like Giannis would be open to finding other teams that our interesting collaborative effort on a basketball championship. He's like couching in so much shit. Just be like Giannis has decided that he would like to be traded. He's asked the front office for a trade. Yeah, don't. Don't say it like go half assed with it anymore, dude. I, I think he might go actually to Golden State.

[A]

Did you see though the most recent on the DraftKings sportsbook. Our good friends DraftKings sportsbook. The most recent update as of a couple hours ago. The favorite is the Bucks at plus 125. Second is Chicago Bulls at plus 310. And I think that's probably just Mikey Betts betting it over and over.

[D]

Who else? What are the other ones?

[A]

Warriors plus 400.

[D]

That's what I think is going to happen.

[A]

Yeah, there's been, I mean the, the, the rumors of him to the Bulls have always kind of been there being like I he. This idea that he loves Milwaukee so much that he's not going to. He, he's going to stay living in Milwaukee and commute. Yeah. Which he could do, but it would be the most ridiculous thing ever. So. Yeah, those have been rumors before. I would highly, highly doubt that that would happen, but it would be awesome.

[D]

That would be very funny if you stayed in Milwaukee. And he was like, I just love the city too much. I would never turn my back on the city of Milwaukee. So that's why I'm going to be living in my house and still playing for the. For the Bulls.

[A]

J.J. redick, when he. J.J. redick lived across the street from me in Brooklyn when he played for the Sixers.

[D]

Yeah, he did.

[A]

So this could be Giannis week.

[D]

Could be honest week.

[A]

Could be honest week. Are you. Do you think it's going to be Honest week?

[B]

I think he's gonna say, with the Bucks, I. It'd be fun just because we're here if you went to the Warriors, But I would prefer him go to the Bulls. That'd be even more fun.

[E]

That would be very fun.

[A]

Be very, very fun. Okay, Zach, I think you have two who's Back of the weeks, and I want to hear both of them. Give us your backup one, and then give us the one that you came here with before you slept in, which, again, you slept in at 5pm which is absolutely abysmal.

[C]

So. So.

[B]

So things are moving about. About a thousand miles an hour when we do this podcast. Really? I didn't have the backup one, so I just got to stand on the.

[A]

One that I. Oh, you only have one.

[B]

I only had the one I only had. I didn't get to the. I was gonna. I didn't want to be on the phone while we were doing.

[A]

That's fair.

[B]

It would be disrespectful. I was on the phone the entire time while we were podcast, and things are moving quick. Things are moving fast. So I.

[A]

Did you need a water? Do you need a water?

[B]

I'll take a sip.

[A]

Okay. All right. So Zach has one who's Back week. Deal. Can I make one request?

[B]

Yeah, you may feel free to make all the requests. I can do it.

[A]

Your who's Back? We can't be about video games.

[E]

Can't be about video games, huh?

[B]

All right, I'm cooked.

[A]

Yes, it can be about video games.

[B]

Go ahead. My who? My who's Back week was going to be land setups. It was going to be land. Land setups. Because.

[A]

Speak slowly because I don't know what that is.

[B]

So land setup is like continents. What does land stand for? I actually don't know the answer. The acronym. I don't know how the acronym breaks down. I just means it knows. Like, it means, like, in person. Like, I like, physically set up Live Action Network.

[A]

Part of my take finds out. We'll never find out. We just like to leave some things a mystery. Live Action Network.

[D]

That's the local area.

[F]

Local Area Network.

[B]

Oh, that makes way.

[A]

Okay, so we're getting land setups.

[B]

So guys are ripping on land setups. The virtual world became the physical world because we have a competitive Call of Duty.

[C]

Back on.

[B]

Back on land for the first time in Dallas, Texas, this week.

[A]

Okay, and how'd it go? Shout out Bush.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, Bush made it. Made quite the run in the challenges tournament this weekend on Land Friday, you know, kind of walk. Friday's like the. It's open. The first. It's an open tournament.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So you could. Anyone can, like, get into the tournament. So the first day is like, there's, like, 100 teams there. So there's, like, firing games, trying to, like, whittle down the competition towards the smaller end of the bracket. So first day, like, competition wasn't as difficult. Kind of walk through Friday, get to Saturday, comes get a little more aggressive early. There's a Saturday, there's an early loss. So you knock down the losers bracket.

[D]

Yep.

[B]

But they made, like, a fantastic run through Saturday, through Sunday. Losers bracket.

[A]

Okay, so Lee.

[B]

So, Lee, they exited Saturday. Feeling good, feeling great.

[A]

Is anyone following?

[D]

Yeah, a little bit.

[A]

Okay, yeah, keep going, keep going.

[B]

I'm not gonna backtrack anything. That was.

[A]

No, no, keep going, keep going.

[B]

Okay, so we lost.

[A]

We lost. We lost. We then started winning. Winning, winning, winning.

[B]

Oh, it's a double elimination. So they only had one loss. That locked them into the losers bracket.

[C]

Got it.

[B]

Then we get to Sunday more.

[E]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

So then you get to Sunday. And then they had. So. So Optic has a challenge team called the Huntsman. They played them first on Saturday.

[D]

Or.

[B]

No, today's Sunday. On Sunday, they were able to defeat them, 3, 0. So that was a great win. It was a fantastic one. They went and played Project seven and they. They defeated them. Or they beat them three to one.

[A]

Also.

[C]

Huge.

[B]

Nah, probably not huge. Good comp, but not the. I think the husband was great comp. Competition.

[A]

Got it.

[B]

Yes, sir.

[A]

We're just trying to, you know, be efficient with the comp.

[B]

I should have said competition.

[A]

No, it's fine. I'm just trying to learn the world.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Zach, I have a question.

[B]

What can I do for beauty?

[D]

What's your role? What's your role in the bush? What do you?

[B]

Do I. I would say maybe Utility guy.

[A]

You're. You're the best utility guy in the world.

[D]

You're the land man. Oh, like they need anything at the land. You're the man.

[B]

I think. I think Jerry's a landman. Jerry's in the pit. Did you guys see anything from the pit?

[D]

He's the pit man.

[B]

I. I think Jerry might. Might have given some of the players on the other team. They might have. Like, they might be leaving the event with trauma.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know if they're gonna be able to play the same way.

[A]

I started watching Landman, by the way, as a sidebar. It just should be called Dinner fights and death, but go ahead. It's a good show.

[B]

You went on limit. Yeah. You watch it, obviously, in the first season. Yeah.

[A]

Dinner fights and Death feels good and.

[B]

Like, rekindle the relationships.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it. Okay, so.

[B]

So how did Push end up second place overall? Oh, second place. They made the grand finals and then they did get beat by Saudi.

[A]

Say it.

[B]

Yeah, the Saudis. They got beat by the Saudis. Took them out.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Wait, is it Saudi backed or Saudi actual?

[B]

Saudis rock esports.

[A]

Saudis, but, like, are the players Saudis?

[B]

The Saudis. The Saudis took them out, but great placement, you know, second place, 18k price.

[A]

Most importantly, did you have fun?

[B]

I did. Yes, sir.

[C]

It was.

[B]

It was a good weekend.

[A]

I could tell. You look like the happiest boy in the world.

[B]

You almost took a tumble. I went down. Yeah. It was tough.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I caught one of the cords and I was gonna pull the tables had cloths on them and, like, there's drinks, there's laptops. And when I was getting up, I felt like I felt myself catch one of the chords and I was like, I can't take this. So I just stopped and then no momentum.

[A]

Zach, how are you feeling about your.

[E]

First super bowl week?

[B]

I'm looking forward to the week.

[A]

What do you mean? Oh, in Dallas with the bush.

[B]

No, I'm very much so looking forward to the week.

[A]

Yeah. This is your first Super Bowl.

[B]

Yeah. I'm super excited.

[A]

It's fun week.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

A lot of work, but a fun week, definitely.

[B]

I'm. Let's get all the work.

[D]

Zach, since you're going to be like, just a walking billboard for the book. Pardon? My book.

[A]

Everyone go buy it on pre. Pre order on Amazon.

[D]

Can you just give, like, the listeners a pitch? Like, why should they buy this book in your words?

[B]

Just a quick synopsis on me. Why they want it.

[A]

What was your chapter, Zach?

[D]

Pretend that I'm. I'm a customer. I'm a book reading member of the US public and I'm. I'm strolling past Barnes and Noble. Or I'm walking.

[B]

Sell me this book.

[D]

Yeah, sell me the book. I'm looking for a book to order on Amazon right now. I don't know what to click on. I could get that one or the tennis podcast, the book. Which one am I going to go for and why?

[B]

So you. So you are in the market for some. For some reading.

[D]

For a sports podcast.

[B]

Sports podcast. Sports podcast book, specifically.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

I may interest you in this part of my book.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

What's. What's it about?

[B]

I'm hearing decade history, bft. A big cat.

[A]

Did you write a chapter?

[B]

I got a tiny chapter in here. About mine is Ice Cream Heavy.

[E]

Oh.

[C]

I love it.

[B]

This is. I'm excited to read as well.

[A]

I'm very happy that you had fun with the bush this weekend. It seemed like a great time. You were in your element. We got to get you streaming, which is coming. We're going to build you the streaming thing in our studio.

[E]

I'm ready for it.

[B]

I'm excited for it.

[A]

You will be a stream, actually.

[B]

That'll be a good time.

[A]

Yeah, no, I'm talking about after that. After the 36 hour stream, you streaming video games. You will be a star.

[B]

We're going to get some good reps. We're going to. I'm excited. Everybody get together, you know, entertain the people.

[A]

Yeah. Agreed.

[E]

We all agree?

[D]

I agree.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. What's wrong? What's wrong?

[F]

Max, I have one. I have one question.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[F]

There's another video that I. I noticed from this weekend.

[A]

Oh, no. Is it the guy who got hit in the head?

[F]

When you landed, when you landed in Dallas, someone was picking you up.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[F]

I think they honked at you 32 times before you looked up.

[B]

There's no context in that video.

[C]

Max.

[B]

We're at the airport, everybody's honking. And I'm.

[F]

So many honks, though.

[B]

So I'm. I'm me and Mooker exchanging information via text. He's like, eta, eta. I'm sending eta. Then we're sending photos of signs on where to go out. So I had just taken a photo of my sign to send to him and he told me which sign he was going to be by. Yeah, that was. That was terrible.

[A]

That's okay.

[D]

It's okay.

[A]

It's okay.

[F]

Just. We're going to work on awareness. We're good with that.

[B]

We're fine. We are firing way too much information at the same time.

[F]

Got it. Too much. Too much info can actually be less info.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Information overload.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

That.

[A]

We all suffer from it.

[B]

That's what we hit.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Let's. Let's get to our interview with Chris Berman, which was incredible. You good, Zach?

[B]

Yes, sir.

[C]

You.

[A]

You look like you just ran a marathon.

[B]

No.

[C]

No.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I'm good.

[A]

Okay. You're doing a great job. What a week. And. And again, I just want to reiterate the. You know, the water.

[D]

The.

[A]

The. The sleeping incident today is not an official. Documented sleeping incident.

[B]

It's very officially documented.

[A]

No, I'm saying I. It was. Yes, it was very documented because it will be on pmtv. I'm saying it's in the. In the. In the discussion. Last time he slept in.

[C]

We.

[A]

We agreed that it's going to be a seasonal thing. He already hit his quota for Q1. I don't think that today was even close to egregious enough to be on the radar of an official. Like, how could you do this? This was a side funny. You close your eyes on a bed for like a minute.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

So at. At most it's a verbal discussion. We.

[A]

It's not.

[D]

We didn't write you up.

[A]

It cost us zero. Zero minutes. Zero minutes of. Of. Of time wasted.

[B]

Actually.

[A]

100%. We hadn't even started anything. We were just sitting here.

[F]

I don't.

[A]

Busting each other's ball.

[F]

I don't think you realize how close your room is to this room. It was like, oh, we should get ready to pod. And be like, oh, where's Zach? Let me go get Zach.

[A]

Yeah, let's. His door. Zach.

[D]

You could actually just sleep in this room.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

All week if you wanted. Never miss a pod.

[A]

Wake you up and pod.

[B]

No. We got this. We're good boys.

[A]

You got this.

[B]

Anything else?

[D]

You.

[B]

I'll do it.

[A]

Okay. So please do go buy the. Pre order the book on Amazon. Pardon my book. 10 years of pardon my Take History with chapters from all of us and the history of the podcast.

[D]

We talk about everything in the book.

[A]

Everything.

[D]

Stuff that we haven't talked about before. Publicly. At all.

[A]

Yep.

[D]

We dove into it.

[C]

Oh.

[A]

A lot of ups and downs. Barstool van talk. Everything Covid. And it's. It's going to be a very good book. So. So please do pre order it because us being New York Times bestsellers would be very, very funny as a clapback. Whenever someone says we're dumb. Because we are dumb.

[D]

I think I would get it tattooed on my body somewhere. Yeah.

[A]

You know what I would do?

[D]

New York Times bestselling author.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. Chris Berman. Let's do it. Okay. Before we get to Chris Berman, back in our studio, we've got the Pepsi Zero Sugar Challenge. And memes, you're up first. Pepsi Super Bowl 60 spot brings light to a similar phenomenon of discovery and truth. The Pepsi paradox. The idea that when labels and bias disappear, cola drinkers prefer the taste of Pepsi. A phenomenon that blind taste tests have repeatedly proven. Are you ready, memes?

[E]

I'm ready.

[A]

Okay, you're ready. So we have two cups. A and B. You're gonna taste them, and you're gonna tell us which one you like more.

[D]

I'll go with A.

[A]

Okay, he's going with A. I'll go alphabetical order. Okay. There we go. Memes. And he's drinking it. And he's drinking it. We're going to narrate. He's drinking it. Was that good?

[E]

It's a good sip.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

Whenever you hold a microphone up to your mouth in front of a wall like that, I'm reminded of the stand up.

[A]

Yeah. Now he's going for B. Cup B. And what do you think?

[E]

I liked A better.

[A]

Okay, A. You want to do the reveal? Pepsi Zero sugar. Let's go, memes.

[D]

Good job, memes.

[A]

Great taste buds. In 2025 revival of the Pepsi Challenge, 66 of participants agreed. Pepsi Zero sugar tastes better than Coke Zero sugar. Pepsi wins on taste. Sometimes you have to flip your world upside down to discover what's been right there the entire time. You deserve taste. You deserve Pepsi Zero sugar. Let your taste decide and go try it today. Tastes superiority with Pepsi Zero sugar. Good job, memes. You passed the test. It was easy, though, right?

[E]

Extremely easy.

[A]

Extremely easy. Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes that great. So go try a Pepsi Zero Sugar today. And now here's Chris Berman.

[C]

What?

[A]

Okay. We now welcome on a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very special guest. You could probably just tell by the laugh there. It's a tradition that we hold near and dear to our heart. It's one of our favorite things we get to do every single year. It's kind of a pinch. We pinch ourselves because we're like, hey, remember the time we got to interview Chris Berman? And then it became a yearly super bowl week tradition, and here we are. I think this is year four or five.

[E]

Five could be five.

[D]

I think the first one was before the LA Super Bowl. Because that's when me and Billy left.

[A]

This is five.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

So, Chris Berman in studio. The schwarm, our schwarm here to talk some balls, some super bowl, some memories. But I have a very important question for you before we start. A little birdie told me that did you sleep on the couch at ESPN on Sunday night because you were just so excited to get the show going.

[C]

Well, not beforehand. Yes. So first of all, the very, very, very. That's from the Department of Redundancy department.

[A]

Yes, but I threw as many. I think you just broke the record.

[C]

Thank you for that. No, no, never did. So we had 17 inches of snow in Connecticut on Sunday. I mean, we've had it. You have it here in Chicago and our day ahead. I said, you know, it's supposed to go all night and then get worse. And I've never slept in the building. I mean, I'm 11 or 12 miles. Could I make it? Yeah, yeah. But it was like 4 degrees after, not 28 as it usually is when it comes to. We have a hotel. I see it. But that's the mile down the road. So I slept on a couch in the executive level. My offices. Be sleeping on, like AstroTurf.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Back might never recover. Yeah. Okay. My kids, who are your age and Happy birthday, fellas. 41 of 41. Very, very, very happy. Yeah. And, yeah, it wasn't the best sleep I ever had, but the executive area had a nice coffee Keurig in the morning and I. I had it.

[A]

Wait, so this was Saturday night going into.

[C]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Sunday after the show, prime time after game.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Because little birdie, he's not very little birdie sometimes get. Get it wrong.

[A]

He's actually kind of fat.

[C]

Oh, no. So now the show's over. It would be. And now your. Your car is. Is kind of plowed in at 12:30 in the morning. You know what? I'm gonna follow through. I brought a blanket that our kids had, you know, sleepovers, like twin blankets, when they'd have, you know, ninth grade sleepovers. Right. Found in the basement. It was fine. And a little pillow.

[A]

And I'm shocked. That was the first time in 50 years or close to 50 years, I'm a cowboy.

[C]

I mean, I drive home. I drove home after the tuck game. That might have been the roughest drive because that was. By the time we got in, the car was 230 in the morning.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

The plows aren't, you know, 2:30 in the morning. They're not really. Yeah, they're out There. But. So this is the first time I figured in the book I'll never write. And then I'll finish it. It's a story. I'll never write it. But that story's in. Yeah, about that.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah. So I don't know about you, but sometimes after a great NFL Sunday, I have a hard time falling asleep.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Because we do the show on Sunday night afterwards, talk about all the games and I'm all worked up. I just spent all day watching ball and have a hard time falling asleep. Are you the same way?

[C]

Absolutely. So I was up anyway. Plus I have a lot of Seattle friends and that's the second game. And that game was tremendous as all these certainly NFC games have been great. And not that the others aren't. So I'm up. Anyway. So the next thing you know, it's two o'. Clock. I go, you know, I don't know what kind of. I don't think this is a Las Vegas. Pull the shade down. It's going to be dark till 9am till I feel like waking up. So I better get to bed about 2 or 2:30, but. So you could make the drive. It's not like you're drowsy. But you know what? Why not?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

It's a first.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

I want to pay you a compliment because I watched your interview with Sam Darnold. You still got it as a journalist. Well, yeah, that was. That was a good interview. He completely opened up to you. I feel like we haven't seen that side of Sam. He seemed open, honest, authentic. You guys had a good conversation. I'm curious because I did watch the interview and it was great. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. But I'm curious what you got from him off camera. Just about Sam Darnold, how he seems to be right now, where he's at in his life. What did you figure out by. Because I'm sure you talked to him for a while.

[C]

I did.

[D]

Without the cameras Rolling. So what. What can America learn from what you learned from Sam Darnold?

[C]

First thing before we got started, I said, can I just say one thing to you? There are a lot of people in New York rooting for you. Parentheses. I didn't say it. Yeah, he got it. Like, he goes, it's nice you to say. I said, no, no. I grew up at Chase Stadium. I was eighth grade with the jets, won the Super Bowl. So I can say this. Yeah, okay. They figured out you're not the problem. Okay, so. But he liked that. But he wasn't full steam ahead. He's enjoying. He's not tormented. Easy to say now that they're where they are. Right. But he's not. Oh, God. Now, this is the. My Rams. I didn't even. We just talked about the three games and how he. While it was in the interview, the Ernest Jones thing, the. The. That's our quarterback. That's our blanking quarterback.

[D]

He said that after the bad game when Sam threw four turnovers.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And by the way, they, they almost lost 60 something yard. Yeah, they lost 21, 19. Yeah, they were that good. A lot of 20 yard drives for touchdowns. The defense gave up.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So Sam, what did I learn about him? I'd met him just a few times through the years. Still. He's a good guy. Good. Quietly, still confident. But not pap answers both off and on. On camera. Sometimes you have to, Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Not pap answers. He believes everything that you saw in that interview. He believes that, that what's surrounding him, obviously an outstanding defense, but what's surrounding him is all supportive and it's the closest. And I've heard this from. I was at the Seahawks, as you know, last week for a couple days. That's about as tight a team. There are others. Yeah, they're tight offenses and defense. What do you do, you know, special, like they're very tight and that stems from the coach, young coach. By the way, we're gonna have another one this week. I don't know at what point with him and jsn, like, how do you get open? I know what's going to. You, you're the only Rasheed Shahid now, but you're the only deep threat. How do you guys do 20 yard passes? You never met each other till the summer or June. Yeah, you'll find that fascinating. It's like Sam never heard a quarterback say it. He's got the best body language of any receiver that I've ever seen.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Body language. Well, that's usually something said in a singles bar. He goes, no comment, you know, but.

[A]

No, the, the jsn, I mean, we've been, we've been singing his praises all season long. I thought the, the interesting thing, and Brady pointed it out during the NFC Championship game, the way that he keeps his shoulders level at all times to not tip off the cornerback that, you know, he's like a lot of guys, they'll dip their shoulder before the ball or they're going to make a cut. And then they showed a highlight package. I was like, oh my God. Like this is a A nuance that I, you know, I know I'm not picking up that he is just. His shoulders are flat the entire time, and it's so hard to guard him and figure out which direction he's going because of that. And it's just like. And his hands are phenomenal. And body control. It's. I. It's a crazy Super Bowl. It's going to be a fun Super Bowl. Like both these teams. You were saying before we were talking, like, you saw. You went to Patriots practice in October and you didn't think this was going to be. We're going to be sitting here in February talking about them.

[C]

No, but I could see. I could see a few. I went to one practice. They were kind enough to let me just come and watch on a Thursday. So they were. They'd beaten Buffalo, like up there maybe two weeks before. So this is kind of toward the end of the month. And that you could see. And you could see the intermediate to long intermediate passes from Drake May. And it was a rainy, crappy, late October day. Darn. He's on it with Diggs, with Hunter Henry, with. These passes are on. And when you watch the Patriots play on tv, even in October, because with Booger, obviously, who's been on the show many times, I said, boog, even if the tackle's made, there's three guys standing there he goes. I noticed the same thing. They're. They're all. They're all around there. Nobody's escaping. They're very. I said to them after, I said, whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

So. But as we talked, the patriots were about 75 or 80 to 1, and the Seahawks were 60 to 1, which, in retrospect, they won 10 games the year before. But here's the Rams, here's San Francisco, and here's Philly. And just a different season.

[A]

Yeah. Just a crazy season.

[C]

Well, it started with. Well, I mean it. I'm going to go back to before you were born, four years before. I hadn't said this anywhere. And it's just kind of history. In 81, my first real season of being aware professionally at ESPN, the year of the catch. Okay, so that puts where I'm going. Cincinnati and San Francisco were 6 and 10. Come on. Bill Wall Silver, her guy, 50 years old. What the hell does he know? Joe Montana, typical Notre Dame quarterback, Won't amount to much. You know Cincinnati, Yeah. They got a big line. Anthony Munoz is really good, but Kenny Anderson's accurate. Yeah, 6 and 10 and they both get there now I know Seattle 110 last year, so I'm kind of disqualifying it a little bit. But still they're off the charts. Yeah, no one really started following them until that 38, 37 nationally Rams game. Like, oh, we might have to know. Here's what I will say about both teams. You can, we can now, we've had all year to watch them in the middle of November. Could you name more than six players? The average. Hey, I follow football. Name me six Seahawks. Name me six Patriots. Am I right? We don't know. We do now.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That's why it's really fascinating. So the season I did give that good prediction, you guys were kind enough to have me on when they were stupid enough to sign me, you know, so I could make 50 years at ESPN. So thank you so much. Party here.

[A]

Yeah, we're going to be at that party.

[C]

Yeah, we're having one there. And I said the Chiefs and the Bills aren't going to play in the playoffs. I don't know why. I have no reason. And it turned out to be accurate.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

Seven of eight division, division winners were different. One was Philly and they were out right away.

[D]

That's crazy that seven of eight were different. The one that was the same was, was the NFC east, which hasn't had a Repeat division since what, 2004.

[C]

Yeah, since Andy Reid.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

And early Andy. And yeah, they were bounced right away. Ten coaches openings, including 19 year Mike Tomlin, 18 year John Harbaugh, Sean McDermott. I'm at the playoffs every year. So the AFC is on its ear. You know, I mean, Buffalo made it, but no Lamar, I mean, you know, all of it. No Lamar Noboro, no. No Mahomes, no Chiefs. I mean they're in every super bowl. The, the AFC is on its ear and as it was in 81 when the Bengals got into the Bengals, really. And it's just different. It's just, it's okay.

[A]

It's a fun year.

[D]

Yeah, it's a very fun year.

[C]

Right?

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

And we've got, you know, the more things change, the more they say the same, same matchup as we had back in. Was that in Arizona? Yeah, that was the Seahawks, Patriots, super bowl, the famous Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson, coach of that team. Bill Belichick in the news this week. I'm curious, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this because I'm sure you've, you've thought it over. You, you were around Bill for long enough. You've been around football for long enough. What do you think about the hall of Fame? Kind of some, some of the voting members taking their pound of flesh and saying, we're not going to let you in. First ballot, Bill.

[C]

They look pretty foolish. I mean, I'm, look, I'm the emcee there. I don't vote. I'm actually on a committee, but it's one of those. That narrows down 100 to 50 old timers. So, I mean, I'm far from my speech half written for Bill. Right. Not that I'm sitting there writing it in January, don't get me wrong. But two things. One is the obvious. By the time this show hits, everybody spoken like, well, what more would you like him to do? The system. I knew a year ago when Mike Holmgren was the coach that they put forward. But the system of, well, there's three players, there's a coach and there's a contributor. You can only vote for three. So he didn't make it. I go, this doesn't look right. So that's the system before Bill. And I don't know if it was pound of flesh, but 11 people is a lot.

[D]

It's a lot.

[C]

That's a lot.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I understand. Willie Mays wasn't unanimous to go in the Baseball hall of Fame. Apples and oranges. I know. By the way he got in, you know, duh. But, but love the duh. But it looks, here's what I would say. And we don't know as we speak what the regular, you know, the, the guys that are. So if I'm a voter and I were one of the 50, not even on Bill, but generally. Okay, who's automatically in? Well, from the player's side, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald. Do we really need to discuss them? No.

[E]

Right.

[C]

Okay. So I could vote for three more of them. Let me think about the other nine or 11 or whatever it is. Do I like Luke, Darrell, Suggs, Venater, Terry. I mean, we could go on and on. Is it Eli? I mean, okay, but those two are good. Now, I only got three spots. Okay. So now if I'm a voter in this category and I have five names, Robert Kraft, contributor, Bill Belichick, coach. And then, you know, Roger Craig and is it LC and who am I forgetting? And. But the three players, Roger Craig, Kelsey Greenwood. I'm spacing for a minute. Okay. Well, Belichick said. So now I only have two spots. Yeah. If I'm a voter, that's the way I do it.

[D]

Yeah. And it's all, it's almost a Disservice to the guys that do get in. It's going to be a night that is about them. It's a celebration of their careers and they're all tremendously accomplished players.

[A]

Ken Anderson, by the way.

[C]

Yes. That was the other one we mentioned. I knew it. It's like, wait a minute. I just said it. Yeah.

[D]

And to a certain extent, that night that should be about the guys that are getting in is going to be about Bill Belichick not getting in.

[C]

And they've. And that's. So the, the ramifications are even more than just what are we doing? They. Look, I don't know how it got out, but it got out.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And which isn't the point. I mean, we would have found out on that Thursday and that would have taken from the Super Bowl a little bit.

[D]

So in your opinion, Bill Belichick should be in the hall?

[C]

Oh, God, yes. Oh, God. Well, I read just this today on the plane coming in that when Joe Montana, for example, was, was eligible back to the 81 season. Well, that's, you know, the only beginning of it. Ira Miller, who's a San Francisco writer, like, stands up and you give you present. They don't vote right then and there, but they present. I present Joe Montana and he sat down.

[A]

That's it.

[C]

Okay. I present Bill Belichick.

[A]

Yeah, that's it. Yeah, we have.

[C]

We need to present other guys because I'm torn. Do I go with.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, Do I go with, you know, Elsie Greenwood, Craft. But he's Bella. No. You're in then. What? Yeah, that hasn't come out yet. It's the easiest. Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald, for example, on the play like that. Done. Yeah, but maybe not. Yeah, let's hope. I mean, what did they do wrong? Nothing.

[A]

I don't want to burn part of our interview for next year, but next year ESPN is hosting the Super Bowl.

[C]

I've heard it.

[A]

It's going to be on espn.

[E]

Is it a little.

[A]

Still mind blowing that. I mean, you've, you, you are the guy who's been there from the whole thing. You've seen the entire rise to. If you, if you went all the way back 45 years ago and said, hey, Schwam, don't worry, in 2027, this little thing in Bristol, Connecticut is going.

[C]

To host the super bowl, would you.

[A]

Be like now, come on. You're crazy.

[C]

Yeah. What, did I sleep on a couch last night after a snowstorm?

[A]

Right.

[C]

No chest will be out for all of us because, you know, no, we never thought it. But then eight years in, we got the NFL, which was way ahead of the curve. Now we got Sunday Night Football in primetime. So that was. Oh, my God, we got the Pro Bowl. We treated that like the Super Bowl. Now it's a flag football or whatever.

[A]

It is, but that was when the Pro bowl was still good.

[C]

Well, they played. Heard Ronnie Locke give a speech.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Tie game, 12 minutes to go. The difference then might have been 10,000, maybe 15. Win or loser, 10 minutes to go. He gathered everybody and they played some football. Yeah, we're here. It's the extra 15k, which now, you know, nobody would. Would care. So to answer the question, Cat, I didn't even properly do a local shot. It took me 10 minutes to do the French. Sorry, your regret.

[D]

Pardon my French.

[C]

Yeah, pardon my French. Very good. Pretty cool. The only thing I can compare it to is when espn. I had nothing to not acquiring it, but when we got espn, got the Rose bowl, and I turn on the TV and I'm home because it's like a middle of the week. That year wouldn't. And ESPN presents whatever year it was, the Rose Bowl, I went, huh? We have the Rose Bowl.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, so this will be times, whatever. A pretty proud moment for a lot of people whose names you'll never know that help put the mortar and brick and that allowed us to do this.

[A]

Yeah, it's cool.

[C]

Imagine is. You could never imagine this Super Bowl. We're gonna have the Super Bowl.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, pretty cool. Now. I'm sure we'll do plenty associated with it. It'll be. You'll be. You'll be. Hopefully not sick of us by the time we get to September, but very cool.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[D]

Excited. Very excited for you guys.

[C]

Yeah, it's great.

[D]

Great time. So you want to talk a little bit about. About the game?

[C]

Why not? I heard that there is one, by the way. It is not only happy birthday to you guys, but Happy Dud, dude. Yes. Commonly known as Groundhog Day.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

But on this show.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So that takes us back to our first one, right? Yeah. You guys came to Connecticut. I think it was on that day. Right? Yeah.

[D]

Get you on here to get a little pop. Yeah, it's an extra pop.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Canada. Yeah.

[C]

So, you know, it's just sometimes times you just, you know, you gotta. It's a late night with a snowstorm. You're not driving home.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

So.

[D]

So the game. The game coming up. Very excited for this game.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I. I think the Seahawks seem like they've been the most consistent team. If you look in the macro at this entire season, probably the best week to week you could. I could hear an argument maybe for the Rams in there but they beat the Rams so they move on the Patriots. Obviously there's a lot of questions but Mike Vrabel, awesome coach, great defense, quarterbacks played well. I actually think Ramondre Stevenson played exceptionally well through these playoffs. He's kind of been a guy that was. You could say he was in kind of in variables doghouse earlier this season and he worked his way out of the doghouse. I don't know what to do with this game. I feel like the spread doesn't matter. The Patriots take a money line or don't take them at all. So what do you see going into it?

[C]

Well, I agree with Seattle being early November. I said to people in our room I think they're the NFC team. Even with Philly. We weren't sure Philly was going to go kind of disintegrate or what you know whatever they did and and. But then who the big picture, you know are they going to win it with Sam? Are they going to win And I think he's answered that by now.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Doesn't mean anybody can't have a bad game. I mean hello. Right that defense. Although if I'm Josh McDaniels, I mean I have my opinion already. I'm ready to go with it. But twice the Rams ran up a lot of yards and a lot of points twice in Seattle both times. So you know when they can't hear that you know that's Matthew Stafford. I get it but. And Sean McVeigh. I get it but Josh and a quarterback Drake May who forget. Don't forget that he's Sam did too Drake May's in the in the super bowl. So I can't say well that means he's going to fumble three more times. No, he played a clean game in Denver in terrible conditions the second half. So what is it that allowed the Rams to move the Stafford to Puka Nakua. I got it but they have a digs he goes well to the tight end. They will have some things based on the 2 Rams game. I just thought of that this morning twice. That being said that defense is the best in football. I understand the Houston defensive ends. I get it there you look at the stat sheet for Seattle's defense. Like for example I look flying in today to remind myself so Leonard Williams one tackle boy must had a bad game wrong. He threw three guys over his shoulder. So somebody else could make the tackle.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

They are. And Coach McDonald is, is a defensive McMahon. I mean I'm going to use it as young coaches. Andy Reid, I mean, you know, but. And they're all in the same division with Kyle to Shanahan. I mean good luck to the new Arizona coach. But whoever that may be, that defense can play much better than they did in the championship game. Let's just leave it at that. Yep. I mean that's a defense that San Francisco was wounded. We saw twice. They allowed San Francisco three field goals.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Back to back games. That defense like the Rams went into Carolina twice late.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

One in the playoffs and one which they lost Right. In the regular season. And that was nip and tuck and Seattle held Carolina to like nothing.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So until this game they. They were averaging like nothing. Nine point. Can New England get to 20? Can they? Yeah, they got a good punt returner. As to Seattle like specials are. Are good. The Rams, it was. How do I see the game? I would. I made the spread 5. So that's about what it is. I mean not that I'm an odds maker but I, I do it so that I would have trouble going either way until I delved into it and somebody says, well you got to do something. You're the swami, you know. Yeah. And somewhere in the game there will be a one yard touchdown run by the Seahawks. I don't know by who. Not to win it won't be to win it that way. No. We're saving that for the Disney Super Bowl. Super Bowl.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Someone will run. Walker will run a one yard run because they have to. Yeah. You got that Super Bowl. So how do I see it? Wanted to pick a score.

[A]

Yeah. I want the swami score.

[C]

I know you're looking for fives and twos and now we go through this. But this is.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I had. And we can massage it. 2617.

[A]

Oh, that's six.

[C]

17'S a normal score.

[A]

Maybe 2619.

[C]

I like to make it enough three or four so that opposite the old swami days. There's no question. Oh somebody stubbed the toe. The line goes to. It's three or four away from the number.

[A]

That's kind of why I think I've told you this. But my like my childhood like realizing it when. When it would be the scores and then the little thing would be next and it like you know that aha moment of like ah. So it's not the arrows, not the next to the winner. It's who's covering. Thank you.

[C]

We couldn't really say this.

[E]

I know, I know.

[C]

I would always say closer than expected. Yeah.

[A]

Or.

[C]

Or they might win handily. Right. Something like that. That's what I have at the moment. I. I know Gonzalez is a hell of a corner and then he's not going to be one on one with jsn and I mean they can figure.

[D]

Out ways to get jsn.

[C]

They have stuff everywhere.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, it's also so interesting the conference champions because you have the obviously the weather in Denver in that second half. So how do you figure out where the Patriots offense is? And the other thing when you're talking about the Rams did you know down to down they were going up and down the field but the final score 31:27 that Tariq won't won if they're off the field and if he doesn't get that penalty the next play is a touchdown. What is. Is it the Rams, you know, got a couple field goals and a couple touchdowns. That looks a little different because at that point that's all they had and it's like maybe that's a good thing for the Seahawks that they have a teaching moment because that. That could. If that happens in the super bowl you can't. I mean that's. You can't have those.

[C]

No. And that's a good point because it might have been often when good teams and be a close game. 2617 is only nine so that would be two or it could be up by six and kick field goal sometimes the team that's going to win let's get it to two scores and it might take 54 minutes.

[A]

Right.

[C]

To do that. So am I saying that that's what's going to happen? I just think Seattle's. But again the Rams ran okay on the Seahawks and to your point. Pft. You know both Stevenson and Henderson like they run.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

They will have a tough time. Not those rookies are good players on the front line for New England, Campbell, the guard Leonard Williams, a big man.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know and DeMarcus Lawrence. They're. They're pretty good. By the way a draft pick that no one's taught the two the number one and two by Seattle. Nobody again two names. Nobody knows not you don't. Gray Zable, North Dakota State. We're going to pick an offensive lineman. How'd that go? He's great. Great. He's really good for a rookie. Em and worry oh yeah. Whoa, whoa. You look at him and he's not 65 like Leonard Williams walks in the room and hello.

[E]

Yep.

[C]

I Mean, he's, he's, he's big. He's a bigger cat than the big cat, you know. And so him and worry it's like six, two, but he's, he has great posture, which I'm already envious. And he just looks like he's a large guy. That was a great. And that's the Kyle Hamilton type role that, that Mike had, you know, with the Ravens. And he's an interesting. Here's what I Learned from Coach McDonald and I want to go back to the game 11 years ago because there's something that I hit at the end of prime time, but I want to go into it and see what you guys think. Coach McDonald said to me and we'll probably get this on this week too. He goes, you know, when they beat the Rams 38, 37, he said, I'm just a second year coach still trying to figure it out. Which I said, I haven't heard a coach say that. At the press conference after the game. That essentially made them the 1 seed and didn't come to Chicago. If that 2 point conversion doesn't work, they're playing in Chicago and the Rams are home. Think about that.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

One, one play changed the whole thing. Then the Rams went on to Atlanta is like, what do you mean we can't win the division? How did that happen? We were just so. They had their head down and they got beat that two point. If they don't get it, they're the five might have lost in the clock.

[A]

They got to win three games. We don't on the road. Yeah.

[C]

So. But he said also in an interview, he goes, I'm not taking out the book and saying, okay, it's March 23rd. You know, if you look at section 3 dash 5, we should be here by then because that's not. He's let it organically let it, let this, let it play out. If we screw up a little. I've been, you know, Sam, for example, we're not, hey, don't do that. There may be, there may be some things that Tom Brady pointed out in Clint Kubiak like footwork and this. But let it rip. Be smart when you let it rip. Not like golf part three over water. Whatever you do, don't hit it in the water. Well now you're just as soon as you say that. Water in the water. Yeah, right. So that's just. I'm going on and on the Seahawks. I'm just so high on the. John Schneider, the general manager and coach McDonald, he really got that right. I mean, and there are other. You know, he. And getting Rashid Shahid, who changed.

[E]

Yep.

[C]

The Ram 38, 37 game. And that kick return.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Kick return again. Well, that was the punt. And then the kick return was. The Niners.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Honestly, and complete respect for what the Niners accomplish with. With. They're like in the Alamo against 2,000 soldiers. You know what I'm saying? American history major. Yeah.

[A]

No basement in the Alamo.

[C]

Right, right. So Booger will tell you this is true. In the room, quietly, the opening kick return said, the game's over. Yeah. Really? I said, well, due respect to Kyle and Purdy, who's played, but if the. And it wasn't a touchdown, I said, if the next score is a Seattle touchdown, you know. Right. 12 seconds, we're done.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So.

[A]

And they were. We were talking about it going into that game because, you know, Covid, we kind of forget everything. But the Seahawks had not lost a playoff game in Seattle. It was. They were 100 with fans in the stands. They're 120 in the last 12.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's like that kickoff comes like, oh, shit, shut the door in deep. Like, we forgot about this crowd.

[C]

Yep. Hard to forget about them. One other thing for New England, though. They went up against three real defenses.

[A]

Yeah. Real top five.

[C]

And they. Not that defense is playing defense. I'm sure you guys comment on it. Like, they out defensed all three of them.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Right. I mean, I. I understand Herbert. Oh, he didn't have blockers. Well, that's not your defense's fault. Right. Houston? Well, Stroud played not too well. I mean, but they had something to do with all of it. Denver. Oh, here comes the snowstorm. If Sean had kicked a field goal, could be 10, nothing with it. But it didn't. They then offensively didn't make the mistake. And all they needed was one by Stidham, you know, one, not like five.

[E]

Right.

[C]

So that's a New England feather. Like so.

[D]

And they get these leads. And then Vrabel, he relishes having that second half lead where he's like, I'm gonna run the ball down your throat. We're just gonna put it on the ground. Limit mistakes, eat the clock. And then that's variables. I think I made this point on, I think the last show, but he. He reminds me in some ways of Dan Campbell, where I think both guys like to play into the. The meathead football guy mentality. And the press loves that.

[E]

Right.

[D]

Like, we love the stories of Rabel putting on the. The Pads in practice, blooding his lip up, headbutting his guys. But they're both very, very smart coaches. They're both super, super smart when it comes to. In game management, not just, you know, how they construct and develop a team. I think that this variable, being an underdog in the super bowl makes him more dangerous than he would be if he was favored.

[C]

Very good point. And absolutely I still can see that the last playoff game when he was Tennessee and he beat Belichick and Brady in, in Foxborough and he outruled coach Belichick with something that Belichick had done all by the rule book, but boy, and I forget what it was. And I thought I was going to watch Bill's head explode. You know, four minutes to go. Like I know exactly what he's doing and he's. He's doing dead on. And he stole time.

[A]

They were taking penalties and the clock wasn't moving. The clock kept moving.

[C]

Yeah, no meathead coach there. No, this is, it's. It's nice to have just a fresh Super Bowl. So let me make a left hand turn and then you can answer, you know, whatever else we want to go. Vivid memories of that one in Arizona. Arizona always seems to have a really good game game, by the way. Always. Right. I mean, you know, Giants and Patriots at 18 and Chief Seagulls nine tenths and oh yeah, the Chiefs. Yeah, just a couple years ago. They've always had really good games. So I could go into the game because, you know, I. Vivid memories, but it's not about me. Shadow wins. We're not gonna. If they win, however, they win one yard run. Russell Wilson rolls out. Ball's not intercepted. Then they run. However. I'm not going back to that. Think of it's only 11 years ago, the history of the game. Because this is not. Oh, if Lombardi had done this, then they would have won eight in a row. This is not that Shadow wins. Yep. Say they do now they've won two in a row. They're the team of the decade. Even though we got four years to go or five. That locker room is not splintered at all. Believe me, I know. Okay. I mean, they still playoffs and won a game and could they have won three? Could they. Yes. Have won three in a row? We've seen it. Nobody's done it. But they would. Would have been up for that. And then New England's narrative. Not fair. They want 01030 407. They're 18 and 9, 10 and oh, but they didn't win the other giant one close. They could have won. Now they lose this. Oh, Belichick and Brady, they're really good. They were 3, 0. They're 3 and 3. Oh, they can't unfair, don't get me wrong. Oh, they can't win the big one anymore. What's wrong with them? Not to say they wouldn't have gone on and beaten, you know, Atlanta if that was the same situation in the Rams. But all of a sudden, 3 and L to 3 and 3, Seattle, two in a row. It changed the end of it changed the narrative in both conferences. And so New England became the team of the decade because they want to. It's just, it's interesting how it turned.

[A]

Is there another one like that? Because the one I think of when you, when you bring that up, the John Elway's first, you know, they were, they were double digit dogs to the Packers. Packers were going for two in a row. Like that happens in NFL history where you look back and you're like, oh, well, that result kind of changed the court. Then the Broncos go win another one and it's just like things kind of change on a dime like that.

[C]

That would be one. Especially since I think the NFC had won 13 in a row. 12 or 13 in a row. Super Bowls, whoever was in, you know, Washington being one of them. I mean, you know, Buffalo was in a few, so that didn't work.

[D]

Right?

[C]

Unfortunately. Yeah, but that's either. Yeah, it did. And then John wins the next one, which was going away against Atlanta, and he goes off, off into the sunset. That it did. It changed Denver and his narrative. It didn't change. Well, you know, Green Bay had. They won two in a row. They have Brett Favre.

[E]

Right.

[C]

And Mike Holbrooke. Yeah, that's a very good one. I was trying to think of one like that.

[D]

I remember very good distinctly at the end of that super bowl. The Patriots of the Seahawks. I was staying in a house with a Seahawks fan. He's a writer, he's Danny Kelly. I think he works for the Ringer right now. He's a podcaster, big Seahawks fan. I went home with him. We went back to the house. We were just sitting in the backyard, drinking a beer, talking about the game and he had the thousand yard stare. I was like, what are you thinking about right now? He said, they just stole a dynasty from us. Like he was pay. He felt the deep pain of like we were about to be a dynasty. Now it's probably over. Even though you looked at that Seahawks team, they were still Good. Coming back the next year, you thought, you thought maybe they could get one or two more or at least the crack at it. But that's how it goes. And to your point, I don't, I don't know that the Patriots have that belief to come back from 28 to three if they didn't steal that super bowl from the Seahawks.

[C]

We'll never know.

[D]

We'll never know.

[C]

That's the beauty. That's the beauty of it. So here's my. The last. We go from the stands. Well, we're watching the game about eight minutes to go to get to the field because prime time is on the field when it's over, as you know. So there's like four minutes when from eight to four, you're in the bowels. You kind of, you're hearing, you don't. I'm the only one in America not seeing the game. Okay. Which is bizarre. And all I heard was Brady's pass complete to Edelman. First down. Brady's pass complete to Gronkowski, first down. Brady's pass complete the Shane Vereen first down. Okay. And then. Okay, you're out on the field. Okay. Now they have the lead. So I'm at the five yard line going the Seahawk direction, even though they were way at their own 30 or whatever it was. And the bomb to curse.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So I don't know. He lands right here. I'm pointing just off my feet and I turn to Tom Jackson and I say, remember, they didn't review. They didn't. He was in. But you couldn't. I was shocked. They didn't. But he was in because I could see his butt landed in. I'm right here. And I went. He blanking. Caught that ball, Tom. And then I thought, oh my God. Any lip reader? Because I'm going to be on the video going, he friggin.

[D]

You can say caught that ball.

[C]

But they only had. They had my knees down, thank God. Okay. And then of course they go to the one and then whatever and wow. So there's no one left from that game. You know, by the way, back to this game. How many guys have even been in the Super Bowl?

[E]

Yeah, right.

[C]

I mean, the variable, obviously, but in a couple of Seahawks, Cooper cup and Ernest Jones with the Rams, but not a lot.

[A]

I'm trying to think and I don't think yet. Not a lot.

[C]

I got one for you to check because I haven't checked yet. On the coaching staff with the Seahawks is Leslie Frazier, who played with the 85 Bears. So he has a ring. He also is on coaching staff with the Colts, one, Peyton one and oh, six against the Bears. Oddly enough, if he and The Seahawks win 40, I don't know the answer to this. 40 years apart from being a part of getting a ring with a Super bowl team. 40 years apart. Yeah, I Unless you're a player like him and you're still coaching in your mid-60s or a grad, you know, quality control guy at 25 years old and you're someone else. Leslie Frazier in the year of your birthday, the 85 bears. Right. He might be 40 years. I don't know the answer to that.

[D]

Biggest gap between.

[C]

Yeah, between first and last.

[A]

Here's the list.

[C]

Oh wow.

[A]

Here's the list for guys. Matt Collins was on the 2017 Eagles, Milton Williams on 2024 Eagles, Carlton Davis on the 2020 Bucks.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Austin Hooper on the 2016 Falcons. That's an interesting one. And then for the Seahawks, Ernest Jones on the Rams, Cooper cup on the Rams and the one we forgot, Sam Darnold backing up.

[C]

Oh, with the Niners.

[A]

And the Niners. But yeah, that's it.

[C]

Seven.

[A]

Yeah. And a few of these guys weren't, you know, really playing, you know, early in their career or backups. So yeah, not a lot. It's interesting. Okay, quick break from Chris Berman to talk to you about DraftKings. Think you know what's going to happen during the big game? Call it with DraftKings predictions, a new app where you can predict outcomes on football's biggest game. Make real money predictions on the big game and put your money where your knowledge is. Pick a topic, make your prediction. What will the total score be? Will the underdog cover which team will be lifting the trophy at the end? Then see will your big game Smarts pay off? DraftKings predictions is new, simple to use with big game trading. Available in California, Texas, Florida and more. Download now. New DraftKings predictions customers get up to a 75 first trade bonus with promo code take. Don't just feel it, Predict it with DraftKings predictions the crown is yours. DraftKings predictions is a CFTC registered introducing broker event contract trading involves substantial risk of loss 1 per new customer Opt in required non withdrawable prediction dollars expire in one year ends February 8, 2026. Market availability varies. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at www.dkng co predictionspromo.

[E]

DraftKings Predictions is a CFTC registered introducing broker event contract trading involves substantial risk of loss 1 per new customer Opt in required non withdrawable predictions dollars expire in one year ends February 8, 2026. Market restrictions apply.

[A]

See [e-mail] predictionspromo the other one I gotta. I gotta throw out there for. And we're talking about like, missed moments or how. How changes.

[C]

What.

[A]

What changes if Scott Norwood makes the first one, if he makes the one in. In the Bill's first Super Bowl. Do they have the confidence where it's like, you know, in the. In the. Because I watched that. I think it was four Falls of Buffalo. Great, great.

[C]

And.

[A]

And the. The thing that struck me is them talking about how at the end it was just kind of running out of gas and it was just like, hey, we've like the emotional toll of losing three and then getting to the fourth and then like that. That second half in the fourth and just being like, it's. It's over, you know, if they win that first one. And. And what happens to. You know, we talked about Bill Welch earlier and, you know, him getting in the hall of Fame, his. I think his defensive game plan from that super bowl in the hall of Fame. What happens if Scott Norwood makes that kick? The Bills win the game. And is that. Are we talking about. You know, obviously it was still a great defensive performance, but they don't. You don't talk about defensive performances and losses. So it's like, you know, those sliding door moments.

[C]

There are a lot of them if we go through it. No, you're right. That game plan was German. Thomas had almost 200 yards combined.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

We can't cover everything, but we will hammer everyone across the middle. Conversely, when they beat the Rams, not the same discussion. The big upset, the 14 point, you know, and we are all Patriots 01. He told me quietly goes. We will not let Marshall Falk beat us. Knowing he's great. I mean, not like he's parentheses Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce and Tori Holt get us. I mean, I do have Ty Law, but. And some others. But he won't be this. But you're right. Had Norwood made it, I said this and it will sound stupid. I don't know if I've said it on one of our shows. You know, being close with that team, as you know, I think they would have gone 2 and 2. We can't assume they would have made. All right. And so I got asked so which one Washington was better than them. Not saying that because I'm looking at pft. They. In retrospect, they're better.

[D]

That was a great offensive team.

[C]

Yeah, well, defense are pretty good too. Charles, man, I mean, we could go on. On it. It was like, okay, yeah. I got hogs reincarnate. They okay. The one they lost, 52 to 17. Sounds like a stupid thing to say. Dallas, none of them had been there. The Bills, oh, my God. We're in our third one. This is Armageddon. If we don't win this. Oh, my God. Now what? You know, this is before they play the game, so. Sounds stupid. 52, 17. Dallas proved they were better. I get it. But I think that would have been the one because of the experience thing. And they would have been one on one, theoretically. You want an inside thing on the Norwood kick. I know.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

I get From. Well, I forget.

[D]

From.

[C]

Go ahead. Where?

[D]

Jmu.

[C]

That's right. My bad.

[D]

Yeah. If ever I say from, it's always jmu. If big cat says, it's like always.

[A]

Wisconsin.

[C]

We don't have a lot. Yeah, well, jmu, they're all in Indiana.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So. From the whole JMU team.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So in warm ups, two hours before, I noticed he was hooking him some, which he didn't usually do. He was not one of those. Now, not that many guys hook it as a rule a lot back then, a lot of the soccer. He didn't do it. Now we're at the Pro Bowl. I talked to him after, you know, Pro bowl used to be a week after.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Said Scotty, I noticed you were hooking the balls at that end zone, too, as it turned out. Did you make any change in the kick? He goes. Interesting that you noticed that Bourne. I actually aimed a little farther right than normal. And of course he drilled it. Yep. Because it's five hours later, by the way. But, you know, we get on the third tee and we've hit two left and we're. Move your feet a little, right. So there's an inside. No one knew that. Nobody. I mean, I was just fishing.

[E]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Things change. The Bills, they could have got there this year, too.

[A]

I know.

[D]

It seemed like.

[A]

I know. Yeah. So we were to.

[E]

To.

[A]

To. To break the fourth wall. Fifth wall.

[C]

Fourth.

[A]

Fourth. We were. So we're sitting here on Friday before Super bowl week, and when we were scheduling this, the one. The one thing that we said with the schedule, I was talking to your guy Josh, who's incredible at espn, and he. He said, hey, Schwam's in for Friday, but if the Bills make it, he's gonna go. He's gonna go to Buffalo and he's gonna interview Josh Allen. I was like, that's something we can deal with. We can deal with. If he has to go. If that means the Bills are in it and he gets to sit down with Josh Allen, that's, you know, no problem. And it would have been great. I mean, it's just. They just keep. They just find ways to make it as tragic as possible. It really is something special. And I say special in the. In the worst way possible.

[C]

We're still not sure if that was an interception or a catch. I mean, I guess you. I couldn't believe what a hurry they were in to get playing, like, with a double parked outside the stadium.

[E]

I'm not really.

[A]

Just explain it to us.

[D]

Yeah. Give us the moment to digest it, to watch, to come to our own conclusions and then. And then break our hearts after that. I'd be okay with that.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, you read the rule and. Okay. And if it's called that. Yeah. But let's all look.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

And then the next day, Devonte Adams caught the same thing, and that was his catch.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm not saying. Speaking like a. Like a Buffalo fan that got jilted because it's borderline, but. Same thing in the next game. It was catch.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

We. We had a big debate with Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk the other day, because he. He's saying that the conference championship game should be played at a neutral site in a dome out of the weather. We told Mike, get out of here with this.

[B]

Get out.

[A]

He's a.

[D]

He doesn't understand football.

[C]

Well, I'll leave that up to you.

[D]

Well, yeah, we'll say it. We'll say it so you don't have to. But the idea of more and more teams getting domes is a real thing that's happening. Forget about the neutral site stuff. It feels like we're losing snow football as a thing. There are a lot of people that were upset with quality of play and. And the Broncos Patriots game, they're like, oh, it's unwatchable. Me and Big Cat stand on the side of. You should have to prepare for that. As a coach. The. The different places that you have to travel to on the road. Getting the one seed should mean something like, you have a hard place to go play. Keep that in the game. And we shouldn't sanitize the game and make every game, you know, 72 degrees indoors, zero wind. What do you think about, you know, pretty much every franchise that's building a new stadium, and the Bills are an exception, and God bless them for it. They're not going to put it in a dome. It's going to be outside. But it does feel like the further we get, the fewer and fewer open air stadiums and cold weather cities we're going to have. How do you feel about that, as a fan of the game?

[C]

No, you got to have it in the stadium sites, by the way. No out, no indoor games, the whole playoffs.

[A]

I know, it's crazy.

[C]

None. That was great. Including the Super Bowl.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So you can also get 40 degrees in Chicago in January, as you well know. And Denver first half looked nice.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So I would be completely against it. I might say, look, an opinion is opinion. It's not right or wrong. I mean, this is.

[A]

No, this is a wrong opinion.

[C]

You're right.

[A]

You're right.

[C]

Right.

[D]

If you think that it.

[C]

But you're right. More domed now it favors unfairly. So if you look at it this way, theoretically a team that's faster.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And. And neutral site. It's not like you earned it.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Hey, I'm an indoor track team and I'm trying hard because most of the teams aren't as fast as us.

[F]

Right.

[A]

You could build a team one way. You don't have to worry about having a team that can be, you know, diverse in how they play and win football games. I hate it.

[C]

Yeah, I do too. I mean, you root for not ridiculous. Because I think of the fan experience, which.

[A]

Oh, I root for ridiculous, huh? Listen, I root for ridiculous.

[C]

Well, like Kansas City, 10, 20 people lost a finger when the Miami game. I mean.

[A]

Yeah. But when the Rams were coming to Chicago, I went to that game. I was glued to the weather app all week being like, please get colder, get colder, get colder, get colder. I want it as cold as possible because it is the element of an indoor team coming outdoors.

[C]

So not part of it. So more kudos to the Rams. Yeah. Who played 5 quarters in that after they went unexpectedly for them 4 quarters barely wanted Carolina. No knock on Carolina. I mean, I. They, you know, and then Seattle loud and almost won that. So they earned my respect by the path that they had to take. But that included the weather of a West coast team where it was also 80 in LA that week, not 60.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Which is the same if we're living where we do.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

In Connecticut or in Chicago. But no. So the answer is no, you can't. Because the fans who've supported all year. Oh, I'm Chicago. Let's. Let's say Seattle got beat, you know, by the Niners. Yeah. Like we. I'm only going to get. We had two games wrong. I get the number one seed and I get one game yeah. No, yeah, yeah.

[A]

If Seattle had play that game in. In la. Yeah. That would have stopped.

[C]

Or indoors at the Hoosier Dome, you know, with the drum at the. At the Lucas Oil Drum. Yeah. Championship game where the city has nothing to do with it.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

No, and snow football is great. I mean, the tuck rule. You have the image of that game. Adam Vinitar hit maybe the best kick of all time in that snow. I like a little bit of chaos. You said ridiculousness or chaos. Whatever. Whatever word you want to use. I do like chaos in playoff football. I think it's part of what makes the sport beautiful and they should not take that away.

[C]

And a different part of chaos. I am adamant about this, but I think the league is going to change this. Not that part. That would have a long way to go to have championship games. Until you hear the league start talking about stuff three years in advance and then we're gonna move the Pro Bowl. This is when they played it to the week, the dead week, the three weeks, three years later it happened. Here's the thing they're talking about. Why would Carolina have a home game? Keep it that way.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

It's like a baseball stadium with a short porch.

[A]

I agree.

[C]

You know what? And here's. And from a competitive. Why should they. We should. We should reseed everybody because. No, no, no, no, no, no. If you are not good enough to go into 8 and 9 and when you're not winning the super bowl anyway.

[A]

Right.

[C]

And that would be my point.

[A]

I like the idea and I know this is people who disagree with this. I like the idea that when the season starts, goal number one, win your division. That's it. Win your division. Win the teams that you play the most and then you go from there. And so I think there's some years that it's going to be weird and you're going to get screwed. Some years it will go bounce your way. Like Seattle played in a division this year where it was the toughest division in football, the Beast Quake year. Didn't they win it at 8 and.

[C]

8, 7 and 9?

[A]

So, yeah, it happens both ways.

[C]

And they were the defending champs.

[A]

Right.

[C]

And apparently they weren't good enough.

[E]

Right.

[C]

Because they would have lost somewhere else. I mean, one of the many brutal Sean Payton losses in the playoffs. I mean, there's a long. I'm not saying that he's a friend of mine. I mean, I. He has a lot. But you're. But that was it. Like, that was an backstory of that three weeks to go in that Season. Because that division was. Was terrible, obviously, the NFC West. I told Tom Jackson, Tommy, 14 things have to happen for the Seahawks, who were at the time, maybe two weeks ago, five and nine.

[E]

Mm.

[C]

They're five and nine, Tommy. 14 things. I figured it out. 14 things have to happen for them to host the championship game. He goes, what. What do you. Why would you waste your time? Well, I was up late, whatever, you know, dueling.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Thirteen of them happened, like, they won the division. They beat the states, and Aaron Rodgers knocked the Bears out. No, not the Bears out. Aaron Rodgers knocked. They were six. Yeah. And not Dallas.

[D]

Probably.

[C]

Probably. Yeah. And Seattle came to Chicago. Was a really close game, by the way. Chicago won and. And so therefore Green Bay came to Chicago as the 2 or the 3, but Seattle at 4 would have been ahead of the 6.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

He goes, 13 of 14 happened. So chaos. I'm with you.

[D]

Chaos is great.

[A]

It's also like, we're just too reactionary, as you know, in general now, where it's like, oh, this thing happened. We have to react to it. We'd become basically the, you know, the College Football Playoff, where every year they're just going to change the rules and they're going to tinker with. No, no, the rules are fine. They'll be fine. Okay.

[C]

It. Not that things don't need massaging like the process and apparently hall of Fame voting, that might be one of them. But. But yeah, it's a good way to put it.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Chaos.

[A]

I think it was. I think the packers beat the Falcons that year. I think the Falcons were the ones.

[C]

Could be. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

But yeah, it was all.

[C]

Good guess. Yeah.

[A]

Brian catching it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

They. All the years just kind of.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

How do you. All the years just blend together? Do you have those moments where you're like, I. I. Sometimes I'm just like, I think that happened. Wait, No, I don't know if that happened or what year was that?

[C]

Wait. To get my age. And you go, what did I have for breakfast? I think it was an omelet. I'm not sure.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

No. And as soon as you pick Des Bryant.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[A]

Put it in your head.

[C]

You're like, oh, yeah, Football. All this. Every year you're reminded. Right. We had more comebacks from whatever. I don't. Didn't even need the stats, by the way. Back to the chaos. If you're going to keep homogenizing it now, we're next gen statsing it.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Okay. Recommendation. Go for it.

[D]

It's Always.

[C]

Is it. Is it raining or snowing in the third quarter for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Right. Or is this September? Nice. Fourth and three, down by four.

[F]

No.

[C]

Don't take all the chart out.

[D]

Right.

[C]

Do I. And then I love one of the networks puts up. They go farther, they go. The recommendation. Not all of them do. They just save. Recommendation. Couple times I saw one of the playoff games toss up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How's your gut feeling? Are there face cards left? I'm playing blackjack.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Geez. I've seen a lot of twos and threes and fours.

[A]

Right.

[C]

I. I'm, I'm going to double down. Oh, it came with a four. Well, okay. But your odds were a little better. But your gut told you. Go for it.

[A]

We're due.

[C]

We're due.

[D]

We're due. Tough thing to say.

[C]

You're going to bust.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, preaching to the choir.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Do you have a touchdown score for us in the Super Bowl?

[C]

Oh, God. We had the one. What was the one that I almost scantling. He got that one. But it wasn't the first one. Oh.

[A]

Anytime you want to go back. Max hit a. Yeah. Jake Bobo, he had. I think he had two catches on the year and his third catch in the season was a touchdown.

[C]

And the, the kid that caught the two point conversion that got them the home. Home seed Eric Sauber had four. Yeah.

[E]

Huh.

[C]

I don't. He's not going to be okay. So we needed off the. I'm not going to give you jsn or I'm not going to give you Stevenson or Diggs. Right. Because you could do that.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah. Cat might be out of the bag on Bobo too because that was such a great route that he ran.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

That was a legit broken guy. I feel like everybody's gonna be betting Bobo.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But for the record, I am also going to be betting Bobo. But yeah. Don't, don't include.

[C]

I mean, so his odds are astronomical. Right. I mean, I haven't even seen him yet.

[A]

They might. We might have changed the Bobo.

[D]

Max, you got about 30 to 1.

[A]

35.

[C]

35.

[D]

I wouldn't be.

[F]

It was live. It was live.

[D]

I wouldn't be shocked if he was like four and a half to one.

[A]

No, he's gonna be higher than that. But he's still gonna be in like the. You got, you got catches, Max.

[C]

Get it.

[A]

Get the touchdowns up.

[D]

Yeah. Let's take a look here.

[A]

Touchdown scores.

[C]

No, let's see.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

We're gonna think of three to couple chart.

[F]

10 to one on the draft.

[B]

Oh, 10 to one.

[E]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

10 to one. That's it. And Jake Bobo. Bobo. She. The first score.

[A]

Not any scores. Any score.

[C]

Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[D]

If he.

[C]

Because MBS didn't get the first one.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

If he scores, can you call him Bobo Cop?

[C]

You can call him whatever you want.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I made Bobo sexual.

[C]

I'll leave that to your show.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Listen, we're just cable. Yeah.

[A]

We get a little. We get a little looser. There's some things that we say in our. In our boomers on Monday.

[C]

And I want to go with a couple of your nicknames this year that you might have, like the purdy one, which. Which was.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I give you credit every time I use it. But first score. So if I'm picking the Seahawks to win, which I did. But by the way, they don't have to get the first score. The first score of the game that killed Denver was a safety. So I don't forget who got credit for that. Was a team.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, first touchdown, you're talking.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So I'm thinking, do I really step out and pick a defensive player? Do I pick, like. Okay, they could either force a fumble and DeMarcus Lawrence picks it up and goes in orders. Witherspoon, pick six. He doesn't have a lot of pick sixes, but he's really good. Yeah. Again, I'm not eliminating the Patriots. You could do Gonzalez that way. I mean, Sam has turned it, you know, I mean. Or here's a fumble and it's picked up by. But I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do Spillaner. I mean, I think he's healthy enough to play. I don't know that. So do I pick a Seattle defensive player? Because those will be good numbers.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, first score, just Seattle. You get every Seattle player you have 35 to 1.

[C]

Or.

[A]

No, sorry, 22 to 1.

[C]

Meaning what? Any. Any.

[A]

If they just score, if the defense. If the Seattle defense scores.

[C]

Seattle defense.

[A]

Defense scores first.

[C]

Do it.

[A]

22 to 1. Okay. Just do it. I'll do it anyway.

[C]

Well, because I. I want to give you one. That's.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, then the defense is why they're there.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay, so let's go with it. Any player, huh? All right, I'll give you a story I may have. I keep talking Seattle, but, you know, I haven't had a chance to do it. So in the Denver one in New York Thursday, I'm in the Lobby of whatever hotel I'm in. Guy. No, shyster. Nice guy. Middle of the day, one o', clock, two o'. Clock. Hey, Chris, how you doing? I saw you picked the swami. You picked Seattle with the three or four or whatever it was. Yeah, I think so. You know, whatever. He goes, well, let me tell you two bets I made. You don't know me. And I never saw this guy again. And he said, well, the first one is I bet which you can. Safety is the first score in the game.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Okay. That's possible. Figuring holding penalty at the four yard line, more likely, either team says, I got one more that I went for because Denver scored 600 points that year. Or whatever the number.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

So there was odds that Denver by 24 or more. You know, whatever that was. And that's a big number. I mean, 24 against a good legion of boom. Because I bet Seattle by 24 or more. I said, hold on a minute now. Let me now sit and think about how that could happen.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And had nothing to do with a per. By that. By the time Percy Harvin returned the kick, it was already done.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

Okay, so you're saying a Peyton Manning, they get like 16 and Seattle's got to get like 40 or 13. And they got to get 37 to 13. I never saw the guy again. I'm sure he's retired. I'm winning those two. That was a. That was a ballsy bet.

[D]

Yeah, that was a very good day for him.

[A]

I had one last question for you again, Shawn. We can't thank you enough for doing this. It's. It's our favorite thing we do every single year. It's a robot question. R H O b a c k.com promo code. Take 20% off your first purchase. Q zips, Polo. So he's jogger shorts. So you said maybe throw you a couple. Couple boomers that maybe you could use. I just have one. And I think you could use it both ways. It's Sam Darnold Schwarzenegger. And I think you could go. If they. If the Seahawks lose, maybe a shot of him walking off the field and you say, I'll be back, baby. And then if they. If they go up by two scores late. Oslo Vista, you could use it.

[C]

Many see a nickname that keeps giving like that. Yeah, that's extra credit.

[A]

You can use it both ways.

[C]

Extra credit.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Baseball. I had a couple like that. Mike Felder. Depends where he played. In the outfield, he was either left center or right fel. Okay. But Jim got. Who was a pitcher 4. Jim got the win, Jim got the save. Jim got the luster. Jim got no decision. But, but that, but that space.

[A]

So the interchangeable ones.

[C]

I, I, I know I'm all over the map here, which I hope you don't mind.

[A]

No, of course you perform.

[C]

And by the way, before I forget, there isn't a week that I don't get stopped in an airport by all ages. Not it doesn't have to be 30 year old male. Nothing to do with it. Like I love you on Pardon my take, by the way, like I said, but it's October this year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's October. They've had a few people on since our family compliment.

[A]

Whenever someone tells us that we had Mark Schlerith, who's been a good friend of ours, he won three Super Bowls and he says I get if I get stopped 10 times, seven of them are about us and Mark, sure, we did piss our pants with him. But that, that's our favorite compliment to get.

[C]

Well, I'm giving it to you. It's not about, oh, I was a good guest. Yeah, they don't hear me all the time. I don't have a, you know, point of view every day of the week. So. But it's a compliment to what this show and I'm not blowing smoke. It's a compliment to what this show has not evolved into has been from the start. But you're about, you're humorous, you have your takes. Obviously you have. You might annoy people with your opinions, but it's always based on we love football. Yeah, it is any and that. It just jumps through if you're on camera or obviously it jumps through a podcast. You're driving down the interstate and it's. These guys love football and they're coming from a place that I ought to listen. And I'm so, I, I really appreciate that people go, how'd you hook up with those guys? Said, well, we couldn't do it right away for obvious reasons, but whatever. But yeah, you, you guys treat me like I'm royalty, which I am.

[A]

You are.

[E]

You're demolishing.

[A]

You are. You're doing a definition of royalty.

[C]

This is fun. It's doing me a favor. I don't prime time. I can't squeeze the last hour and a half in all these comments about, well, The Super Bowl 11 years ago J Curse got it right and his butt was right in front of my feet. So here's a, here's a nickname Carolina gives you. Like we had the Chuba Missile crisis.

[D]

That's a great one. All time.

[C]

So the young man that caught. I think it was nine in the playoff loss for Carolina to the Rams. Jaylen Coker. Holy Cross. I met a guy in your hallway from Worcester. Couldn't miss him. He had Patriots garb on left and right, which is fine. Where are you from? I'm from Weston. I said, yeah, okay, I know where it is. It's an hour and a half from where I live. I got it. And from Holy Cross, Jalen Coker. So I thought of it, and I used it only on that primetime. So I think it's only been on once. Jalen. I'm a smoker. I'm a toker. I'm a midnight Coker. I catch my passes on the run. Complete the sentence.

[A]

Perfect.

[C]

And I just had to speak in Charlotte, and I debuted with them, and they went nuts.

[A]

Oh, that's incredible. That's.

[E]

Yeah, I love that.

[C]

I don't know if it's quite. Jake, Daylight coming. You got a DeLorean.

[A]

Well, there's something.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Natron means business.

[C]

Well, we have a few.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

The. The other one that we had. We're big fans of Tyler Shock. We've been watching Shock all year. Yeah. Kind of fell in love with Chuck.

[C]

Why not?

[D]

At one point in the season, I think I. I did Thundershock like acdc, and it was a big time mistake on my part.

[C]

Why?

[D]

Because I. I kept doing Thundershock, and then just now, before you came in the studio, I realized it should have been. You shucked me all night long. So you can have that one because.

[C]

Because that's. Everyone knows that song, even if they don't remember who it is. Yeah, Everyone shocked me all night long. Good one.

[D]

Shock me all night. If you want to get up into the Brian Johnson register and give a.

[C]

Little screech, that's a good one. All right. In the pocket for. And he. I. You know, our shocks is too easy. Although I probably said it. And then. Oh, at halftime. One of the fastest three. When I had three minutes, maybe a minute. I don't get to squeeze it all in, but that's. We're promoting a Disney movie, and guess what? Those are played in fields way above me, by the way.

[D]

I. I love it when that happens. So you sometimes do three minutes. Sometimes.

[C]

Usually three, but.

[D]

And then there was one time where it was one minute, and I just. I love you. When. When the camera cuts and you're like, I guess we're gonna do one minute this. And you can tell, like, this I do not like it.

[A]

But I'm gonna be good.

[D]

I'm gonna be a good soldier.

[C]

Yeah, well, one time I brought a shoehorn on.

[D]

Yeah, that's right.

[C]

But. Oh, God, I was going somewhere and I forgot. It's like. It's like your nickname shocked me on. Oh, shock. He was. We won in Saints one play. You know, we're not going to show. Three from the Saints Falcons. That was probably it, right? He's not shucking oysters. He's shucking the Falcons, you know, but why not?

[E]

I love it. I love it.

[C]

That was a good one. Listen, but you guys, I know it's early in the week. You'll have your picks later in the week. Tell me off mic. I see. I know not to blow the.

[D]

That's what we call tea.

[C]

You just have birthday. You're still giddy.

[A]

Oh, yeah. So giddy to turn 41.

[C]

Giddy with it. 41. A birthday 41. Honestly, I'll give you this speech because our daughter's 40 and my son's about to be 39 in a few months. 40 was one of my favorite birthday we had, you know. But I know you're 41 now, so.

[D]

Yeah, well, big cat is. I'm not. You're only.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I turn 41 tomorrow.

[C]

Yeah. Not quite. But by the time this runs.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

There's no turning.

[A]

Both 41.

[C]

There's no turning.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You're halfway through your life and hopefully not quite.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You're not quite into the. You're still putting on nine.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

You're halfway through.

[A]

I'm about to get that.

[C]

And how have you done?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Honest. I tell this to my kids and my daughter was very upset. I'm 40, dad. You know this and that. No, no. How you doing professionally? Okay. That you guys are doing great. Personally, family, however, you're.

[A]

We.

[C]

Are we happy with ourselves. And I was at 40.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, professionally and personally by that point, Kathy and I, you know, both kids were born, so. No, I think we're a good number.

[A]

We're saying it's. There's something that happens around 40 where, you know, it might be because of my kids, but it's. It's a lot of. Listen, there's a lot going on in the world. Care about the things that you can control.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Everything else, let it go. And I've gotten good at that. Where it's like if I can't control it, if I can't control how people think about me, if I can't control this situation, if I can't Control that. No. No time. No time spent on it.

[D]

Yep. I feel like I've been having a midlife crisis my entire life. So I'm.

[C]

I'm.

[D]

Well, I'm ready for it. Yeah.

[A]

Can you give us one whoop on the way out?

[C]

Oh, I mean, that's almost. What do we call, status quo? Rigor. To speak French one last time.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, you want a cosmic. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, listen, I've enjoyed my stay here with you guys, as always. Have a great super bowl. And if all else fails and things aren't going great, watch your ears. You can always do.

[A]

The Schwab. Thank you. Thank you so much. We love having you here.

[C]

Thanks for having me. Proud of you guys.

[E]

Yes.

[D]

Appreciate it.

[E]

At Bubble, we're all about helping you find someone who vibes with the real you this year. Meet real people on Bumble who actually want you for you. Whether you're looking for big soul shaking.

[B]

Love or fun casual dates on Bumble.

[E]

Clear and honest intentions lead to. To better matches.

[D]

When you say what you're looking for.

[E]

Up front, you get more aligned and meaningful connections. With features like photo and ID verification, you feel more confident the person you're talking to is real. Start your year off with real connections on Bumble.

[B]

Download Bumble today.

[A]

Okay, let's wrap up the show. We got some. Some story time.

[D]

Some real good story time.

[A]

So you guys left on Friday? We. We did Chris Berman, the Schwab, which was phenomenal. I seriously can't stress enough, like how much I enjoy having him come on the show once a year. And he flew to us and came in our studio. It was so much fun. And then after that, you guys had a flight at 5 o' clock to go to San Francisco to play Spyglass. He left the office right after we wrapped with Chris Berman. You guys didn't leave Chicago till what, 10:00pm about.

[D]

Yeah, 8:39. Something in there.

[A]

So what happened?

[D]

Well, first of all, back to the Chris Berman thing. Whenever Chris comes on the show, we spend about like an hour having a conversation before he does the podcast and then about an hour afterwards talking. We did like three hours worth of podcast.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[D]

With Chris Berman. Only one got recorded.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

But it was awesome having you got pinch yourself every time you're sitting in the same room as the Schwarm. So then we get to the airport. There was a snowstorm in Chicago on Friday, so we got there. Plenty of time.

[A]

These guys are just laughing at us. I think it's the setup.

[B]

Max was just aggressively pointing in memes face.

[D]

What's going on?

[C]

They're.

[A]

They're. They're very distracting today.

[D]

What's going on?

[C]

Continue, Continue.

[A]

You guys have to talk.

[E]

This ties in after.

[D]

You're not allowed to gesture in there.

[A]

When. When we're not. When we're telling something and it's not funny. We have to stop. Stop and be like, what are we laughing at?

[E]

We want to laugh too much.

[A]

We want to laugh too.

[D]

Memes is just too happy of a guy.

[E]

Max just looked at me. He said, I'm going on the attack.

[A]

See, that should be shared. I'm going on the attack.

[E]

Should be shared.

[D]

Everything that I say, I want people to know that Hank and I have had a great last two days together. And we're boys. Thick as thieves again. Lock step Hank week, he was being such a. On Friday, such a. On Friday, we got to the airport, he started saying, like, you guys better let me nap. I need to nap on this plane. And me and Max kept being like, you can nap. You are free to nap at any time. He's like, because we're gonna get there, then I'm gonna have a two hour drive. And it's not gonna be safe for me to drive if I haven't taken a nap. Hank was just absolutely becoming a terrorist, threatening us.

[F]

Okay, how many times did you get mad at us for not allowing you to nap after we had told you.

[E]

Such a crazy way to describe what I was.

[F]

Accurate way.

[B]

I was just saying this. No NAS policy might have to be revisited for the safety of all of us. Which was again, me looking out as a kind person looking out for you guys.

[F]

And we said, we want you to nap.

[A]

They were telling us, saying, please.

[B]

Now sly little faces like, pft. I know how he does it. Where he's like, gets me on the record being, you're not gonna nap, you're not gonna nap. You shouldn't nap. Everyone, once you nap. And I said, I gave my word. I'm a man of my word. One thing about me, I always keep my word. I said I would not nap. So I was like, I wish. I said I couldn't nap because we got a five hour flight and then a two hour drive and we're delayed six hours.

[A]

A nap would be nice, but you ended up napping.

[B]

I never napped.

[A]

You charged up.

[B]

I charged up for a little bit.

[D]

But, Hank, you were the one that said you would stop napping. You can't put that on me.

[B]

We were. We were walking, talking. Max was giving us a tour of the Airport port.

[D]

Oh, that's the other. We got new Max lore. New Max lore for the files. Max is an excellent traveler.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Excellent traveler. We got to the airport, and we're in Terminal 1. We got hours to kill now. And Max gives the lay of the land for the entire airport. He's like, there aren't that many good restaurants in Terminal 1, so we got to go to Terminal 2 for those. And then he knows where Elta, every Delta United club is. He'll be like, yeah, there's another club that's on this side.

[A]

What restaurants did you hit it?

[F]

Well, we went to Chili's. Chili's was over overcrowded.

[D]

Both of them couldn't get in.

[A]

Packed, because then we went.

[F]

So in between terminals.

[A]

Do you know where Summer House is?

[F]

Yep. Summer House was. Summer House was full. Wicker Park, Sushi and seafood was also full.

[A]

Yep. I know all these places.

[C]

Great.

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

So then we were gonna go. I was like, we can go to this Chili's. It's smaller. I don't think we're gonna be able to get in. There's also the Blackhawks Bar.

[A]

If you go to.

[F]

If you go right in the fork. And I was like, or we can go to the other Chili's. I think it's a little bit bigger. There's more of a chance that we can get a four top.

[D]

He was a tour guide.

[E]

If we go for that chili, it's good.

[F]

But then on the way to terminal, the terminal 3 chili's, there was prime real estate at the. At the Cubs bar. So we just.

[A]

Is that the one next? Is there ice cream? Terminal, and there's ice cream right there.

[F]

We didn't have any ice.

[A]

Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about.

[D]

Yeah. Max knows every restaurant at Chicago. Hair.

[A]

It's good.

[D]

Good. Every single one.

[A]

You need to.

[F]

I travel a lot.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

Good traveling.

[A]

But you also need to know, like, the Summer House one is, like, people don't know that, especially if you're traveling early. They have great breakfast sandwiches.

[F]

Summer House is great.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

So then Hank was just complaining if.

[B]

He was bitching about not being. He was asking people for a wheelchair because it was calf.

[D]

That's not true. That's not true at all. Hank was. Hank was literally being a. For five and a half hours, non stop, and it was. Max, you can back me up on this. Bad night. Bad time to be with Hank on Friday.

[A]

Cap.

[B]

We were.

[F]

I thought we had a good time.

[D]

Yeah, me too, because we're making fun of.

[A]

Okay, and then what? And Then you guys all got on the plane, right?

[D]

Then we got on the plane. Me and Hank did, and then Shane got on the plane.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And so we settled in. All right, so I'll.

[F]

I'll take over here. Okay, so this is what happened. Everyone ready for what happened?

[A]

Yeah, I would love to hear what happened.

[F]

We're on our way. We're on our way to the airport. We find out we're all checked in. Everyone's checked in.

[E]

We find separate Ubers.

[F]

We're in separate Ubers. We're chatting.

[A]

Oh, is this.

[F]

We find out our.

[A]

Our Yankees at 25 cabs.

[B]

We've had a lot of.

[D]

Hank had a lot of patriots gear.

[F]

A lot of golf clubs. So we find out our flight gets delayed. So then we're talking like, oh, should we move our flight? There's another one at this time that isn't delayed. Let's try and get on that. And then immediately, once that was even brought up, it was never.

[E]

Not even confirmed.

[F]

I panicked. Switched my flight to Max.

[B]

Brought it up and then switches.

[F]

Yeah. Before.

[E]

Any answer?

[F]

Yeah, I panicked. I panicked. And then we were like, actually, no, we should go back to our original flight. So then I checked in for that flight, then went back to my original flight, and I thought that the original check in would stay as my check in for the Going back to the last flight. There was a lot of flight cancellations. From what I have. I have done research on this.

[E]

Oh, okay.

[A]

You've done research.

[F]

I've talked to people that are in the know when there are a lot of flight cancellations.

[D]

I got no word about that.

[F]

It. It. They make the.

[A]

The.

[F]

The airlines make way more money by shipping heavy cargo rather than packing. Packing the plane with people. So there was. There was a lot of heavy cargo that was stowed underneath the plane. So they kicked off every person who wasn't checked in at boarding because of a weight capacity. There were three people who I was waiting with. It was myself, a skinny Asian man, and an older, small woman that they told the three of us that we.

[E]

Were not going to be able to.

[F]

Get on the plane because of weight capacity. I told that. I told that to the. To the people. That is the story of what happened. Obviously, they like to put.

[A]

Yeah, I'm gonna do it right now. I'm fine.

[B]

Just do a live reading of the text. Right.

[E]

Okay.

[F]

That is what happened.

[A]

So Hank says. Hank says that is what happened.

[B]

You have spent, like, four, like, days coming up with that story.

[E]

That isn't it.

[A]

Here we go. Here we go. Hank said, flight boarded, Max not boarded. PFT said, where you at, Max? Hank said, for those keeping track at home. And it's just a picture of Max's ass crack outside of the terminal.

[D]

I don't know.

[B]

That was Shane.

[A]

Shane took that picture. Yeah. And Hank said, There's someone in F5, Max. Max said, holy shit. They booted me off this flight, dude. What? That's Pft.

[E]

And Hank.

[A]

I said, shut up. He said, I swear to God. PFT asked, why? Hank said, is it full? He said, Max said, completely full when I switched my seat. Maybe someone won't show up. Pft said, Max said, this is insane. There's two seats.

[F]

It was completely full because I just assumed it was completely full that they gave my seat away. But then when I checked, like, that's what I checked.

[B]

I'm gonna get F5 so I can monitor you napping.

[E]

Yeah, so don't say that.

[B]

You were asking me. That's why you wanted to be an F5.

[A]

There's two seats open in first class. Max said, they said there's a weight limit. He said, when they switched my seat, they unchecked me in, which is absolutely insane.

[F]

That's what I just said.

[A]

She also told the small woman next to me there was a weight limit.

[F]

That's what I just said.

[A]

That probably made you feel a little bit better. Sure did. Hank said, I just watched a 600 pound man walk past me. And then Max said, there's now four people this has happened to. And he went on, they just keep saying they can't add anyone because of a weight restriction. So you got weight limited?

[F]

Yeah, me, this skinny Asian guy, and the. And the older small woman. We all got weight limited.

[D]

Why did you keep bringing up race?

[F]

I was just painting a picture for the viewer of what. Of. Of what the scene was.

[A]

So they kicked you off the plane and said there's a weight limit. Are those two facts correct?

[F]

No, they didn't. They didn't allow me onto the bl.

[A]

No, because they said there's a way.

[F]

No.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

No, I'm asking. I'm just asking.

[F]

Doing this thing of like creating a narrative that doesn't exist.

[A]

Creating a narrative. You texted this?

[C]

No.

[F]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Let's just.

[F]

Let's just bully the guy who, who struggles with his weight.

[A]

Let's.

[F]

It's really funny for all, all the listeners. Let's just keep doing it.

[D]

I did tell Max. I was like, you probably shouldn't have put that in the text thread, but. I know, but he's right. But, Matt, everything. Max. Right. Everything that I'm sure.

[A]

Oh, I'm now getting to me. I said, let's agree to not bring up the weight thing. And then I pledged to not bring it up on the show. All right, so. Well, no, I just got to that part now. I won't bring it up.

[C]

All right. Yeah. Good.

[F]

Done. Great show.

[A]

Numbers.

[F]

Oh, we never did numbers.

[A]

No, we didn't. We didn't know.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

The lottery balls.

[A]

What? So how was Spyglass?

[D]

Spyglass was wonderful. Thank you. Credit to Hank again. After we landed. Then Hank and I became great friends again. And we've had a great time ever since then. Did a great job staying awake the entire time. He was driving down to Spyglass.

[A]

Nice.

[D]

So we got about two hours of sleep. Woke up the next day. Hank demanded that he get the bed closest to the window so the sunlight could wake him up. But there's no sunrise until like, 8am here, so there's no sunlight. But we're moving past that. And we got to the course, had a great day. Kicked me out of my bed.

[C]

I woke up.

[B]

I kicked you out of your bed. Sorry. It wasn't your birthday yet.

[D]

We did share. We shared a hotel room, which is wonderful.

[B]

It was wonderful. Pft. I was. I was up. I was making coffee. Might have spilled some water on PFC's clothes. That was an accident.

[D]

Did not.

[B]

But. Pft. I'm, like, kind of waiting for him, like, hoping, like I'm like. Kind of like it's getting to the point where I'm like, we gotta start moving. Like, I'm. I'm all about sleep. And I.

[C]

We.

[B]

We had none. Like, well, you're all about golf.

[A]

Over.

[D]

I was.

[F]

I.

[B]

But I was like, all right, let's.

[F]

You should have seen how giddy Hank was off of zero sleep. I've never seen anything like it.

[D]

Shocking.

[F]

He was so happy.

[B]

I mean, it was fine. That's one of the greatest courses of all time. Shout out to pebble beach for having us out. It was. It was incredible. Incredible day golf.

[C]

But.

[B]

Pft. I'm, like, kind of waiting to. It's getting close to the point where I have to, like, start, like, shaking that we gotta go. I'm just like. I'm making noise and just hoping. He just kind of gets up and I just hear him go. Minty hasn't posted his concert review yet.

[D]

I fell asleep thinking about this person, he said, because Mincey was having a great time at a concert. And he said, interview with these guys coming later. Oh, and I so We.

[A]

You fell asleep waiting for the interview.

[D]

We spend the entire car ride to Spyglass. I'm refreshing Minty's Twitter being like, this interview has to be coming soon.

[A]

Oh, man.

[D]

And then I woke up in the morning and still wasn't up. And I was like.

[F]

It was like 3am Pacific time when we went to sleep. So he was looking at that from like 4:00pm Central to 3:00am Pacific Time, continuously asking, when are we getting the mincing.

[D]

I wanted the interview. I was looking forward to the interview and I. I didn't see what I woke up. So. Yeah, I'm sorry, Hank. That I. I was.

[B]

Made me laugh.

[D]

Really support a cover.

[B]

It was like, I wonder if he's awakened. All I sudden, I just hear Sign of Life. Then she hasn't posted his concert review.

[D]

Yet, but it does was. It was a great day. I appreciate Hank setting that up and. Great way to spend the birthday. It would have been the best birthday of my entire life. It was almost the best birthday, hands down, of my entire life. It was so close to being the best birthday of my entire life.

[B]

15 inches.

[D]

I missed a hole in one by, like a foot.

[A]

Oh, that would have been incredible by like a foot.

[D]

And then. Yeah, it was still cool. It was a great course.

[A]

Yeah, but that would have been.

[D]

But getting a hole in one on spy glass on your birthday. Never tell me anything on your birthday.

[A]

The plaque.

[C]

Oh.

[D]

Oh. Been great. I would have. Yeah, I would have done a lot of stuff. Yeah, it's been. It's been awesome hanging out with Hank. He's in a great mood. If it's not golf, it's just, you know, getting ready for another super bowl, hopefully win. You know, it's about 50, 50 with the Patriots, historically, but he feels like this is. This is his season.

[E]

I mean, we had fun.

[B]

It's.

[A]

It's. It's.

[B]

It's fun. Fun. Road tripping with the boys. We had some time today. We did some sight seeing, tourism stuff.

[D]

It's been a.

[B]

It's been a. It was like. It was been a fun couple days.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

There you go. Are you. Are you mad at me?

[F]

No, I'm good. Happy.

[D]

I want to say for the record, everything that max said is 100% true.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But you also shouldn't have texted to the group.

[B]

Your ass crack was also out when Shane was passing you to.

[F]

My ass crack is always.

[C]

It's always out.

[A]

He's got a high ass crack.

[F]

You just.

[A]

Just not his fault.

[F]

You just. There is no. If you're taking a picture of Me from behind. My ass crack is out.

[D]

His eyes are up here. How can we celebrate? Sydney Sweeney for her cleavage?

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

And we make fun of Maxwell.

[F]

Great point, Mr. Comment.

[A]

Thank you.

[E]

Great point, Mr. Max, we had a fun day.

[F]

And not yes, naps.

[D]

Yes, Max is.

[F]

I've been napping so much.

[B]

He's not sleep talking. Yesterday, snoring, I was sleep talking.

[D]

Oh, yeah. Max sleep talked a little bit in the. In the car far.

[F]

You sleep talk, too, sometimes.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

All the time. Well, no, that's old me. That was when I napped.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

I've come around watching you nap, like I said earlier, has made me never want to.

[A]

Never want to. It's so disgusting watching him nap.

[F]

You napped. You. You normally are the first email napper.

[B]

But then, yeah, Coach Rabel's taught me the way.

[E]

Yeah.

[F]

So even after the super bowl, you're. You're.

[D]

We'll.

[B]

We'll revisit it.

[F]

Come on.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

This week's no naps.

[A]

All right. We'll do random number generator to finish the show. What do you guys got?

[F]

107.

[B]

14.

[F]

0 to 100.

[A]

0 to 101 to 150. What are you gonna take?

[E]

Jonah's got 23D98. I was gonna take 14.

[A]

I'll go 23.

[E]

Ready?

[A]

Zach, did you guess? What'd you guess?

[D]

14.

[E]

I'll go 97.

[A]

Colton, what'd you guess?

[E]

30.

[C]

97.

[A]

96. Oh, damn.

[F]

You wouldn't want it.

[A]

Damn.

[D]

Yeah, that would be tough. It'd be tough to win this one.

[E]

Why?

[D]

Why?

[F]

Because you don't want to waste wins.

[D]

Yeah, you try to claim it as natural.

[A]

You can't burn wins right now. You can't burn wins right now.

[E]

Only guy with a win this year.

[D]

And Jack.

[A]

And Jack. All right, super bowl week. It's going to be a fun week.

[D]

Go Pats.

[B]

Go Paths, baby.

[D]

Love you guys. Happy birthday to Stephen, Che and Shakira.

[E]

The Drop by gnc. It's where you'll find all the newest creatine innovations. Like new GNC Amp Creative. It's a first of its kind formula designed to help athletes not just build muscle, but also repair and protect it in ways creatine alone can't get it. Now at gnc. The Drop by gnc. It's where you'll find all the newest creatine innovations. And the latest breakthrough is new GNC Amp Creobolic. It's a first of its kind. Three in one formula designed for complete muscle optimization. The experts at GNC up the game by combining creatine monohydrate with BioActive peptides and HMB to help athletes not just build muscle, but also repair and protect it in ways creatine alone can't. It's next gen creatine for next level athletic performance. Get it [e-mail] thedrop.

[A]

If you're watching.

[D]

Football this weekend, you know how it goes.

[E]

Somebody's always hungry by the first quarter.

[D]

So call Pizza Hut and get the.

[E]

Big New York worker for just 10 bucks. Our biggest pizza for the biggest games. These slices are huge. Like, use two hands and fold it huge. Feed your crew and order [e-mail] or.

[A]

In the app brought to you by Pizza Hut.