Ringer Tailgate – Episode Summary

Podcast: Ringer Tailgate
Episode: "Chambliss Returns, Praying on Michael Jordan’s Downfall, and Headlines of the Week"
Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Van Lathan, Joel Anderson, Tate Frazier

“It’s your ultimate CFB hangout: smarter than your average fan forum, but way more fun than your coach’s press conference.”

Overview

This lively episode covers the return of Trinidad Chambliss to college football, the continuing chaos and transformation of NCAA governance and athlete eligibility, notable headlines from college football and basketball, and a playful exploration of Michael Jordan’s “downfall” internet discourse. Through smart banter and unfiltered debate, Van, Joel, and Tate navigate the complex present and future of college sports.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Joel's Media Rounds, Finebaum, & Athlete Tributes

00:13–07:18

• Joel is called out for showing up tired — he had been on Finebaum discussing Jesse Jackson’s passing.
• Joel shares an emotional story about his late friend and fellow ESPN reporter Ed Ashoff, emphasizing the fragility of life and the importance of camaraderie and taking photos with friends.

  "We should take a picture now, because you never know, one of us might not be here the next time." – Joel, 06:29

• Brief digression about Clay Travis and mutual sports media adversaries, blending personal experience with pointed humor.

2. Mike Evans’ Legacy & Hall of Fame Debates

07:17–12:00

• Jason McIntyre’s claim that Mike Evans “hasn’t sniffed a Super Bowl” sparks incredulity and fact-checking, as Evans was a champ with Tom Brady.
• The crew debates Evans’ Hall of Fame credentials, referencing Pro Bowl stats, All-Pro honors, consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and past Twitter arguments over his legacy.

  "He won the Super Bowl. I don't know what y’all talking about." – Van, 10:14

3. Trinidad Chambliss Returns to Ole Miss: Eligibility & NCAA Controversy

12:20–33:35

• News: Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss wins a court injunction to play a 6th season, pending NCAA appeal.
  • Recap: Chambliss missed most of 2022 with respiratory illness and was denied a medical redshirt, but a state judge ruled in his favor.
• Van’s take:

  “When the courts have an opportunity to decide, it seems like they are pro player. … The culture probably wants this.” —12:20

  • Emphasizes that it’s a “paint by numbers” extra year, increasingly common, and the public’s desire to see Chambliss play outweighs NCAA resistance.
• Joel’s systemic critique:

  “The NCAA is made up of the same members who challenge these rules. … When the rubber meets the road, they just want to win.” —14:21

  • He calls NCAA governance “a mess,” highlighting that member schools challenge their own collectively agreed-upon rules whenever it suits them.
• Discussion on professionalization:
  • NCAA’s tension between amateurism, education, and a lucrative, entertainment-driven product.
  • Racial undercurrents in compensation debates and public discomfort around Black athletes making money:

    “One of the biggest predictors in what you feel…is if you’re Black or if you’re white.” —Joel, 23:58

• Changing the model:
  • Speculates about commissioners, boards, and a “top 40” super-league; recognizes players as de facto professionals/mercenaries with only superficial connection to academics.

4. QB Depth Chart Fallout: Deuce Knight & Transferring Trends

30:54–33:35

• With Chambliss’ return, freshman QB Deuce Knight will likely sit.
• Hosts agree it’s a familiar situation, not a crisis for Knight:

  “Deuce is only 19... he’s got this season to sit, learn the system, figure out whatever he wants to do, and then he’ll still have time.” – Van, 32:01

5. Joe Judge’s Odd Testimony on Football vs. Fatherhood

33:30–36:37

• Former NFL coach Joe Judge’s testimony in support of Chambliss sparked controversy:

  “He tells his players to tell their pregnant partners during the season that the father has to play good football…He needs to be in another room, detached…he ain’t waking up for midnight feedings.” —34:35

• Reaction:
  • Joel: “They don’t care if whoever is a good father…They want these boys to ball.”
  • Panel lampoons the quote, detouring into a spirited debate over ice cream hierarchy (Haagen Dazs vs. Talenti).

6. Belichick’s “New Trinidad Chambliss” and Catamount QB Hype

37:05–47:26

• Bill Belichick, now a college coach, names Western Carolina transfer Toron Dickens a starter after his record-setting FCS season.
• Crew describes Dickens as a “black Drew Brees”: hyper-accurate but undersized and not mobile (“the boy can't run”—Joel, 45:02).
• Regional banter about Appalachian “hillbillies,” including playful ribbing about Tate’s North Carolina roots and “Freak-a-Leek” being filmed in his town.

  “Tate, you a hillbilly?” – Van, 39:01

• Dickens’s potential for the North Carolina program is parsed, particularly his fit for Belichick’s system and whether FCS success will translate at a higher level.

7. Internet Wants Michael Jordan to Fail? Viral Video Discourse

47:52–52:15

• Discussion of a recent viral video that led to speculation and meme-ing about Michael Jordan’s status and reputation.
• Takes:
  • “People really pray on Michael Jordan’s downfall every day.” —Tate, 47:55
  • Isaiah Thomas, Grant, Bill Cartwright, and Craig Hodges named as actual MJ haters.
• Debates about how race, cultural climate, and social media shape perceptions of Black celebrity, especially amid ongoing scandals (Epstein, NBA all-star controversies).
• Joel:

  “…it just was the wrong time to be touching little boys like that in public. See?” —50:46

  • Discussion kept light with signature irreverence while not ignoring serious context.

8. Playoff Expansion, MAC Coach Exodus, and More Headlines

53:04–66:00

• 24-team CFP Playoff Model:
  • The Big Ten is circulating expansion beyond the new 12-team playoff.
  • Van:

    “Bulls are dead. … Just do it. Let them in. Let’s keep adding until we get to a number that fucks the sport up.” —54:30

• MAC Exodus:
  • NIU’s Thomas Hammock leaves for NFL, frustrated by poaching/NIL.
  • Joel points to racial dynamics in coaching security (“might fire your Black ass” —57:37), job volatility, and player transfers killing “mid-major” stability.
• Nostalgic tangent: Mac and college basketball legends (Gary Trent “Shaq of the MAC,” Demetri Hill “The Meat Hook,” and Big Country Reeves), tying the past to the present-day churn.
• Pac-12 Flex Week & Conference Realignment:
  • Pac-12 implements a “flex week,” an idea Billy previously floated, with Joe reluctant to fully apologize but acknowledging its adoption.
  • The hosts bemoan the death of traditional conferences and the weirdness of new geographic alignments.

    “I’m sorry, man. … The Mountain West used to be the conference… Pac-12… was a marquee conference with its own culture…” – Van, 72:04

9. Loose Ends: Shoutouts, LA stories, and Running Gags

66:00– end

• Van shares a story about Jay Glazer’s kindness to TMZ staff, reflecting on Hollywood interactions.
• Playful escalation about Joel’s alleged “perceived slights” from minor celebrities and willingness (or not) to box Tom Segura.
• Cedric “Big Nasty” Williamson, Nolan Richardson, and faded college stars get nostalgic appreciation.
• More Hillbilly vs. city-raised banter.
• Offseason, the show is self-aware about its looseness and friendship-first vibes, closing with a toast to Billy’s “flex week” legacy in the new Pac-12.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Every time you become Joel Muhammad X…” – Van teases Joel about recurring race-conscious rants. (56:19)
• “Just do it. Let them in. Let’s keep adding until we get to a number that fucks the sport up…” – Van on playoff expansion. (54:30)
• “He tells his players to tell their pregnant partners during the season that the father has to play good football…” – (recounting Joe Judge testimony, 34:35)
• “People really pray on Michael Jordan’s downfall every day.” – Tate (47:55)
• “I don’t like the way, I don’t like how there's no loyalty in the game anymore… just gonna keep watching.” – Joel on fandom, change, and hypocrisy. (22:12)
• "Take a picture now, because you never know, one of us might not be here…” – Joel on Ed Ashoff, on loss and friendship. (06:29)
• “The thing about going to the NBA and coming back, that's fucking ridiculous.” – Van on eligibility and re-professionalization. (25:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:13 – Show open, Joel’s Finebaum story, tribute to Ed Ashoff
• 07:17 – Mike Evans’ Super Bowl/HOF debate
• 12:20 – Trinidad Chambliss eligibility saga and NCAA critique
• 23:28 – Racial dynamics in athlete compensation/college sports governance
• 33:30 – Joe Judge’s testimony, “football vs. fatherhood” soundbite
• 37:05 – Belichick, QB Teron Dickens, Western Carolina, and FCS ascendance
• 47:52 – Michael Jordan viral video, “praying on downfall”
• 53:04 – Headlines: 24-team CFP, Mac coach Hammock, realignment
• 66:00 – Shoutouts, Jay Glazer story, Tom Segura boxing dare
• 72:04 – Pac-12 flex week, interactive coach concept, nostalgia for old conferences

Tone, Style, and Group Dynamic

• Tone is smart, profane, and deeply colloquial, with relentless roast-style banter.
• Racial issues are approached with candor and humor, true to the show’s ethos.
• Frequent self-referential asides (“Raise the roof! Ringer Tailgate!”), digressions, and revisiting old inside jokes.
• The show’s heart is in its chemistry—a genuine friendship and a willingness to debate, joke, and disagree in the open.

Final Thoughts

This episode is quintessential Ringer Tailgate: an unpredictable blend of deep college football analysis, nostalgia, race/class commentary, comic tangents, and inside-baseball media takes. The hosts never shy from confrontation—whether about NCAA hypocrisy, the future of “amateur” sports, or the ever-shifting terrain of fandom and tradition.

Useful for listeners who want:

• Context on the NCAA’s crumbling grasp & what might replace it
• Honest, humorous takes on realignment and playoff expansion
• Up-to-date chats on the most meaningful (and ridiculous) headlines of the college football & basketball world
• A sense of how race, region, and money shape the college athlete’s world

“It’s the offseason. We’re having a lot of fun here. Appreciate everybody tuning in once a week… and shout out to the Pac-12 for adopting Billy Gill's flex week model.” (87:55)