C (2:00)

I think I just heard someone say the best football player on the planet. So yeah, you've been saying that for a while. Yeah.

B (2:05)

And so Tony is just like, okay, but you know, we've seen guys do this. We've seen quarterbacks get hurt. Tom Brady, in his ninth season, same as Mahomes, got hurt, came back and won four more Super Bowls after tearing up his name. So we're not. We're encouraged about Joe Burrow came back and threw for like 5,000 yards. So we. We've seen quarterbacks do this right. We believe Mahomes can do it because he wants to do it.

C (2:30)

That's right. That's right.

B (2:31)

Now, the packers with Parsons, they were a menace. They were starting to be. His. His win rate for pass rushing, I know he didn't. He's not Miles Garrett when it comes to actual sacks, but his ability to zero in on a quarterback and change a game is right there with Garrett's only. Garrett's only the only guy better. And now, Tony, I don't think the packers have that element. And look, let me declare, I got some baggage here.

C (2:57)

Sure.

B (2:57)

Because my team plays his team Saturday night in primetime with a division title and a playoff spot at stake. But without Parsons, I don't know that Green Bay has a good enough defense to be the super bowl team that he was brought in to make them and he was getting it done.

C (3:12)

Yeah. So if I had to rate the immediate impact, I would say Parsons impact is greater than Mahomes because his team is still in the playoff chase. Mahomes team isn't. Kansas City is now out of the playoffs for the first time since 2014. This is an astonishing fact that I'm going to read to you. For the first time since 1998, there will be playoffs this year without Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Patrick Mahomes since 1998. Now, I think that Mahomes absence lessens the entire league. And I know you feel the same way, but like you, I also feel. He's only 30. He's only 30. There's a second act. And what you said about Brady is correct. In their ninth seasons, both now have gone out with torn ACLs. Brady came back six more Super Bowls, four more trophies. Okay. In terms of Parsons, the reason it's more impactful is Green Bay is now. Are they 9, 4 and 1? I believe they are, but they. They have been. And that's the most important trade of the year. And it was working. He said it was working. But now we are in this situation where they are riddled by injuries. Torn ACL there. Tight end Tucker Craft. Torn acl.

B (4:31)

Right.

C (4:31)

And guys on the line, on the offensive line are being picked off. So we both think. We both think that, yes, Mahomes can come back. Brady did. Burrow did. My question, you know, I'm not a. I am a doctor, but not that kind of doctor. I don't know if you are a pass rusher. If a torn ACL is worse than if you are a quarterback, I know if you're a running back and you're Adrian Peterson, you get back in six weeks.

B (4:56)

Brady and Joe Burrow didn't move right.

C (4:59)

Patrick Mahomes, he moves, so it's gotta.

B (5:01)

Have some impact on him. By the way, real quickly, the NFL is not the NBA. As big as those stars are, the league, it finds other places and jerseys that people will root for. It does because there are huge fan bases out there. As big as Mahomes made Kansas City. Other fan bases.

C (5:18)

Mahomes is transcendent. Mahomes is transcendent. Let's stay with the NFL. Move to teams with big wins yesterday. These would include Buffalo coming back from 21 points down in New England, beating the Patriots. Denver beat Green Bay 34 26. In Denver, after being down 2314 in the second half, Rams went back and forth. The Lions finally pulled away 41 34. The Ravens shut out the Bengals in Cincinnati, 24 nothing. The Eagles held the Raiders to 75 yards, shut them out. 31 nothing. Wilbon, which team had the biggest win?

B (5:48)

That's easy. Buffalo. Buffalo went on the road and beat a team that's out there playing for the number one seed, a division rival that had just strung together wins and 1010 row. So, no, the answer is the Bills. All these other teams, and you and I talked about this on your podcast this morning. They won games where you're the favorite and you're at home overwhelmingly. Baltimore wasn't home. Everybody else is at home. And you go out there and you exert. You know, you. You go and dominate an opponent you're supposed to dominate. The Bills went up there and I don't know who the betting favorite was, because I don't care. They need a Patriot team. That they were.

C (6:29)

The bills were one and a half.

B (6:30)

They were.

C (6:30)

Yeah.

B (6:31)

Minus one, 21 nil. New England. And you look at that score and people thought, oh, my God, I'll give.

C (6:37)

You some small pushback on Denver because Denver was not the favorite. Yeah, but not favorite. I don't care about Green Bay, Vegas. Well, you just.

B (6:43)

They're at home. Okay, who did I think was going.

C (6:46)

To win that game?

B (6:46)

I picked Denver to win that game.

C (6:48)

In your confidence pool, a lot of people went the other way. So let me. I will agree with you completely on Buffalo for the exact same reasons. They go on the road, they're down 21, and they win the game. And also because Josh Allen is reestablishing himself As a great player. Last few games, just a great player. And New England had won 10 in a row, and they were at home. So the other day we were asked on this show right now, last Friday, what are your super bowl teams? And I said, the Bills and the Rams. I'm sticking with that right now. The Rams. Yeah. The Rams had a very good win. The Rams had a very good win. This is the second week in a row they've gone 40 points or greater. And that combination of Stafford to Nakua is very, very hard to stop. Let me go to the other teams that we're talking about that were at home and won very big. Your Bears did, Jacksonville did, Houston did. The 49ers. The Eagles should have, right? No.

B (7:44)

All of them. No.

C (7:44)

And I'm leaving out Denver for reasons that I tried to allude to before. Okay, here's the thing. They made teams that were at best mediocre. So that's why I'm not. I'm reluctant to say the Eagles are fully back because they beat the Raiders. Houston looks scary good.

B (8:01)

They do.

C (8:01)

But they beat Arizona. Okay. The one thing that I'm certain of is that the 49ers have been completely neglected in that fabulous division because Seattle and the Rams are getting all the ink. But they beat the Titans. So I don't know the one.

B (8:15)

And they gave him two.

C (8:16)

Here's what's good. I think you will agree with me on this. For the first time in a long time, the conference races are wide open. It's not just the Chiefs. In the AFC and in the nfc, it looks like five different teams could win. So that's good. From a fan standpoint, that's good.

B (8:34)

It is good. Tony and all of those teams, it's good. We spent all year saying we don't know who's any good. Now these teams are lined up at the start line. It's like go time. Do you know what's left?

C (8:45)

Thursday night game? No, I'm pretty sure it's Rams out Seattle. That's a big game. Devonte Adams may be out for that game. Right. Because he hurt his hamstring. He's a touchdown machine.

B (8:55)

You know what the Saturday night game is?

C (8:57)

No.

B (8:59)

It's Bears cheese heads at Bears.

C (9:02)

Okay.

B (9:02)

That's right. And now to the return of Philip rivers. The 44 year old tossed a touchdown pass in his first game since 2020, then led a late drive that gave his team a chance at an upset. And one of the league's top teams. But the Seahawks aforementioned countered quickly, rewrote Rivers. Storybook ending. You got such a soft spot for the elderly.

C (9:25)

Cause I'm elderly. Yeah.

B (9:28)

So you were going crazy over this game yesterday?

C (9:30)

Yes.

B (9:31)

What did you see? Watching Rivers play.

C (9:34)

Can I use the word amazing? Can I say it was amazing?

B (9:37)

You want to go that far?

C (9:38)

I'm going to tell you why. Because I thought he'd get carted out.

B (9:41)

I did.

C (9:42)

And you did, too.

B (9:43)

I did.

C (9:43)

Thought he'd get carted out.

B (9:44)

I did.

C (9:44)

And he did not.

B (9:45)

No.

C (9:45)

He. I saw him early in the game take a knee and then nobody touched him. So he went three more yards like he didn't know where his knee was going to land another knee at that point. Look, he delivered the ball quickly. He delivered the ball accurately. You know, I got to the point where in the second half, I didn't watch with my hands over my eyes because I thought he was going to be all right. His stats are okay. They're not great. 18:27 is good, but only 120 yards, one touchdown, a pick on the last thing when he was just throwing the ball in the air. But he had them in a position to win. He did. That's the most impressive thing, I have to say. It could have been so much worse than it was, and I was amazed by it.

B (10:31)

I'm going to be the other candidate on this one. He had control of the pocket. That's what I expect from Philip Rivers. Like, if you're going to come back at 107 years old.

C (10:41)

Five years.

B (10:42)

Okay. But the one thing. Grandfather. He's not going to sprint out to the right.

C (10:47)

No.

B (10:48)

Okay. Looking like Josh Allen. He's not going to do that. So he's got to have control of the pocket. He did. He's got to have command. He did.

C (10:54)

Why didn't they rush him? Why didn't they bring the house? Why didn't they do that? Why didn't Seattle do that?

B (10:58)

Maybe they went all week and they didn't even think he was going to actually start and play that much of the game. They were wrong. He did. So I give him kudos. But after I gave him kudos in lifetime, I said to you in live time, okay, I've had enough now. I've had enough.

C (11:12)

Philip Rivers. I know.

B (11:14)

I'm impressed that he's. By the way, it takes courage to step in and do what he is.

C (11:19)

You know, that he's going to start next week against the 49ers. He's going to start.

B (11:23)

49Ers. Might be a little less merciful. It might be.

C (11:26)

Might be.

B (11:26)

But all I'm saying is, enough. We've done Philip Rivers now. The novelty's worn off. Let's not get crazy.

C (11:33)

I understand why you feel the way you do. And I understand that they are probably not a contending team for the playoffs. They might be. But it feels in your mind this is a past story. And in my mind they have three tough games. They have San Francisco, they have Jacksonville, they have Houston. They may not win any of them, but whatever chance they have is because of Philip Rivers, a 44 year old grandfather. And so I'm not that guy. You know, I'm so impressed by him.

B (12:01)

He's back with 28 on his jersey.

C (12:03)

That's because you're young. Oh, yeah, because you're young.

B (12:05)

Because I'm 23 years old.

C (12:07)

Relative speaking to me, you're young. Let's take a break. Coming up, after losing to the spurs on Saturday, is the Thunder suddenly vulnerable?

B (12:16)

Give me a rewrite. Do we have beef between Kevin McConnell and his quarterback? Do we? O'?

C (12:23)

Connell?

B (12:24)

What did I say?

C (12:24)

I don't know. Kevin O'.

B (12:26)

Connell. No. Maybe Kevin O'. Connell. I'm going.

C (12:28)

Philip Rivers almost won that game. He almost won that game and they didn't cart him out.

A (12:34)

Pardon the interruption is presented by Great Goose. Make time wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of happy hour out here.

C (12:43)

Days are getting a little cooler and.

B (12:45)

Mornings are starting with a few more layers. It's a season for more time at the grill and more feed for your animals. That's why season after season, we're here.

D (12:54)

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A (14:16)

Welcome back to Pardon the Interruption, presented by Grey Goose, part of happy hour.

C (14:27)

Time to find out what's ranking the riffraff in mail time. Let me get the first one to put on my glasses. Spurs beat Thunder Just one loss, or do you suddenly see the Thunder as vulnerable?

B (14:41)

Okay, this is gonna be one of the great flip flops of all time. Cause last week on Thursday or Friday, you said to me, you're gonna back down in this crazy position that the Thunder cannot win again. And I said, yes, I'm backing down. And then I watched these two teams play. And it seems to me that Oklahoma City is vulnerable to only one team in the league today, and it is San Antonio, not Denver, not Denver, who has the best player. Okay, Tony, San Antonio has it all. I know that you think you'd still entertain that trade for Giannis because that would help you win today. Today, Tony, I wouldn't do it. Because with Castle and de' Aaron Fox and Ron Harper's kid and Wimpanyama, who played half a game and was dominant, Tony, there's nothing San Antonio doesn't have now. And yes, Oklahoma's vulnerable to San Antonio now. Okay?

C (15:34)

So I know how you feel because we talked about it last night and this morning. You love the Spurs. You love Wembanyama. You love Castle. You don't want to trade Castle for Giannis.

B (15:42)

I understand he's a new sga.

C (15:43)

Yeah. Let me get to this issue. Are they vulnerable now? I don't believe this one game means anything. I do want to see. They have two more before Christmas that I want to see. Those games at the moment, what's their record? Oh, hello. 24 2. Right, 24 2. This is. They just lost to a rapidly improving team, and I understand that, but I think the talk about 80 wins is insane, okay? It's a long season. Players get hurt. Motivation ebbs and flows. Me personally, I think they're the best team in the league, but I think they're going to lose 10 to 15 games. I don't want to get hung up on the game.

B (16:26)

I'm with you.

C (16:27)

But this particular game, to me, has no particular meaning. Now, if they lose two More. Okay. But they didn't lose two more games.

B (16:35)

We're talking about the head to head.

C (16:36)

Head to head. Yes.

B (16:37)

All right. Okay. I want to go to this quickly before we move on this Giannis. Situation. Giannis is gonna get traded. You really believe the spurs should say. Should bite and say, let's go now? This is Giannis. Let's go.

C (16:52)

You believe that you can only win now because we're only playing now? Yes. I would do that next year. You don't know what's gonna happen. Go now, Castle. I wouldn't trade Castle.

B (17:02)

Okay. All right. It's a negotiation. O' Connell versus McCarthy. What does J.J. mcCarthy. What does his defiant touchdown celebration say to you about his relationship with his head coach?

C (17:14)

Okay, so apparently McCarthy did this same thing in practice.

B (17:19)

Gritty.

C (17:19)

That this is his way of honoring Justin Jefferson, who apparently does this in the game.

B (17:25)

Yes.

C (17:26)

Okay. Now, he was told by the coach, please don't do this in the game.

B (17:30)

Right.

C (17:31)

I don't know if the coach ever said to Justin Jefferson, don't do that in the game. I doubt that he did that. But he said it to McCarthy and then McCarthy. I watched it live, by the way. Didn't know what it was. I thought, what a showboat move that was. And then after the game, McCarthy says, as everybody says, that's just who I am. But then he backs off a little bit, and he says, okay, I understand. Is maybe it's a mistake, and so on and so forth. Look, here's the thing. I understand why the coach is steamed. I get that. But there's a critical factor here. It seems to me that the members of that Minnesota team love JJ McCarthy. He doesn't have a full resume yet, but he's getting better. I suspect this is resolved by him not doing it again, and it becomes forgotten.

B (18:12)

It's interesting, Two things about J.J. mcCarthy, Chicago boy who I would root for all the time, except when he's playing my team, his Chicago team.

C (18:20)

He didn't root from at Michigan.

B (18:20)

Rooting for.

C (18:21)

He didn't root from.

B (18:22)

It's okay.

C (18:22)

At Michigan, he didn't.

B (18:24)

He did something that we respect all quarterbacks for doing. Defying the head coach. What quarterback worth a damn have you ever known? Maybe we go back to Roger Staubach, who had a different relationship with authority because of the naval life. Every quarterback who's worth a damn defies his head coach. And we love Joe Theisman. He defied Joe Gibbs at least a little bit. Come on now. This goes back a hundred years. That's a mark of honor. He defied him. You know what I see J.J. mcCarthy do? Throw a pass to Justin Jefferson. It's not 130 miles an hour. You don't need to go Kofax on every pass to Justin Jefferson. And he does.

C (19:06)

You notice how much they like him? Teammates like him. They really do. Enough. Female let's take one last break. Siltekum Fernando Mendoza wins the Heisman, but Diego Pavia seems to disagree with the decision. That was tough. He looks tough.

B (19:18)

By the way, Caleb DeBoer appears to give a defense definitive response to those linking him to Michigan.

C (19:25)

If he had not worn the Alabama hat and worn a Michigan hat, I think we'd have a different situation.

B (19:30)

Probably.

C (19:31)

Wasn't it amazing how many people immediately said, he's the guy.

B (19:34)

I thought we you and I thought this is silly.

D (19:37)

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A (21:05)

Pardon the Interruption is presented by Great Goose. Make time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of happy hour.

C (21:15)

Happy time people. Happy belated 60th birthday. Craig Biggio this was yesterday. The hall of Fame second baseman played 20 years for the Houston Astros and was the first inductee in Cooperstown wearing that uniform. Biggio began as a catcher, was the only player ever to make an All Star Game and win a Silver Slugger as a catcher and a second baseman. Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Bergman were the Killer Bees who led Houston A6 playoff appearances including the 2005 World Series. Biggio had 3,060 hits and when he retired ranked in the National League top 10 ever in games played at bats, runs scored. His 668 doubles are the second most ever for a right handed hitter. Biggio holds the National League record for leadoff home runs, 53 and is one of only six players with 250 home runs and 400 steals as son. Cavan is a major league infielder.

B (22:09)

When I heard these stats better than.

C (22:11)

You thought amazed me.

B (22:12)

No, no, not just better. He's one of the great players of all time to play 20 years and do the things. Second in doubles. Right handed hitter was Pujols and him, that's the list. Amazing.

C (22:26)

Happy anniversary Bill Parcells. On this day 43 years ago, Parcells was named the 13th head coach in the history of the New York Football Giants. How'd that work out? Parcells won two Super Bowls with the Giants and retired after winning the 1991 Super bowl over Buffalo with a 77491 record. The big Tuna declined offers to come back and coach Tampa Bay and Green bay in the 1992 season, but did come back in 1993 with the Patriots. Parcells later coached the jets and the Cowboys. The Giants, meanwhile, have only had one truly successful coach since Tom Coughlin. And since Coughlin, they are a disaster. Ben McAdoo, Pat Shermer, Joe Judge, Brian Daboll, all failed. Maybe the Giants should reach out to someone who coats with Parcels. The name Belichick ring a bell?

B (23:10)

No, they don't need Belichick. It's over for Belichick at that level. Parcels really was great. He was great coach. You know those games that we got to cover between Parcells and Gibbs Gibbs.

C (23:19)

Great.

B (23:20)

Just great weeks.

C (23:21)

Happy trails to Diego Pavi winning the Heisman Trophy. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza won the award on Saturday, but Pavia took home the headlines posting on social media f all the voters. After Mendoza's clear cut victory, Pavia apologized on Sunday, writing in part quote, as a competitor, just like in everything I do, I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I did not handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. On quote well bun did the voting play out the way you expected?

B (23:51)

Pretty much. I need to do a happy trails to get up and first take cuz the Cowboys are gone. Can they have a show or is the show just over?

C (24:01)

No, they have.

B (24:02)

Sorry Greeny and Stephen A.

C (24:03)

We do this every day. They have.

B (24:05)

We love big finish.

C (24:06)

Very quick. The Alabama coach Kaylin DeBoer says he has no interest in other job opportunities. Are you surprised?

B (24:12)

No. But a year from now he could be interviewing for something else. You short lived everything in coaching in that league. Texas A and M upset previously undefeated number one Nebraska in the NCAA Women's volleyball tournament. That's a big deal.

C (24:26)

It is. They've drawn as many as 90,000 people.

B (24:29)

And Dylan Raiola is in a deport line. And by the way, we do this with heavy hearts for our dear friend. In memory of our dear friend Michael McLaughlin of Nebraska.

C (24:36)

Cleveland fans booed the Cavs. Donovan Mitchell said, quote, we deserve it. I boo us too. Your thoughts?

B (24:41)

Cleveland will play its way out of a funk. People. Don't get crazy. Monday Night Football. Dolphins and Steelers, who you got?

C (24:48)

Game time, temperature about 18 degrees. I've got Steelers in the cold. Last one. Rockets, nuggets, pistons, Celtics. Tonight, which is the bigger game?

B (24:55)

Rockets, Nuggets. Rockets, Nuggets to Western varsity. We're out of time.

C (24:59)

We will try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornhouse.

B (25:02)

Mike, watching Detroit, I shouldn't say that. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knucklehead.

A (25:07)

Hey fans. Welcome back to Fansville's cheers and tears. Okay, so like everybody deals with losing, right? To a rival and a last second field goal, whatever.

D (25:19)

It's fine.

A (25:20)

I'm totally fine. But I cope with losing with an ice cold Dr. Pepper.

D (25:25)

Mmm.

A (25:26)

Those 23 flavors are like so delicious. They totally wash away the pain of your college football team taking a big fat L. College football, It's a pepper thing.