Hour 1: Turn the Phones On

Summary

Summary of "Hour 1: Turn the Phones On"
Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron
Release Date: December 15, 2024

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Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron delivers an engaging deep dive into the latest happenings in the sports world. In the episode titled "Hour 1: Turn the Phones On," hosts Matt Jones and guest Gabe Neitzel cover a wide range of topics from local sports legends to national collegiate competitions, NFL previews, and even the quirks of driving across America. This summary captures the key discussions, notable insights, and memorable quotes from the episode.

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1. Introduction & Guest Appearance (00:58 - 02:22)

The episode opens with Matt Jones announcing a temporary change in co-hosts due to Myron Medcalf's absence. Gabe Neitzel steps in to join Matt as they kick off the show.

Matt Jones (00:58): "Myron is not here. I'm not sure where he is. I'm Matt Jones. Joining me in his place is Gabe Neitzel."

Gabe shares a brief update from Milwaukee, highlighting the cold weather's impact on the football and baseball seasons.

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2. Celebrating Bob Buecker (02:14 - 03:39)

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Bob Buecker, a beloved local announcer in Wisconsin. The hosts reminisce about his enduring presence and influence in the sports broadcasting scene.

Matt Jones (02:22): "Bob Buecker is... may be the most famous local announcer ever, right?"

Gabe emphasizes Bob's unique ability to make entertaining commentary, especially during Brewers games.

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3. Heisman Trophy Showdown: Travis Hunter vs. Ashton Gentee (04:03 - 08:33)

Matt and Gabe delve into the closely contested Heisman Trophy race between Travis Hunter from Jackson State and Ashton Gentee from Boise State. They analyze Hunter's unprecedented dual-role performance and the impact of Deion Sanders' support.

Gabe Neitzel (05:35): "He played at a high level at both positions, had a three interceptions, 92 receptions. I've seen anything like this before."

Matt concurs, highlighting Hunter's versatility and questioning the voting criteria that led to such a narrow margin between the finalists.

Matt Jones (06:39): "It wasn't the Refrigerator Perry in the background in the back field at the Super Bowl. This is a guy who was really good on both."

The conversation underscores the uniqueness of Hunter's season and the broader implications for future Heisman considerations.

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4. College Basketball Season Highlights (10:11 - 13:14)

Shifting gears to college basketball, the hosts celebrate what Matt describes as "the best first month of a college basketball season in like 20 years." They highlight the competitiveness introduced by NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and commend the SEC's exceptional performance.

Matt Jones (12:08): "The SEC is maybe the best basketball conference game ever. The SEC has won more non-conference games against top 25 opponents this year than any conference has in the history of college basketball."

Gabe reflects on the unpredictability and excitement permeating the current college basketball landscape.

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5. NFL Late Game Previews (13:31 - 22:44)

The hosts provide an in-depth preview of late-game matchups in the NFL, focusing on the Bills vs. Lions showdown. They analyze team strengths, playoff implications, and strategic plays to watch.

Matt Jones (18:20): "If the Bills score 30 straight points, they will set the all-time single-season NFL record for most games in a row scoring 30 in a season."

Gabe discusses the defensive challenges both teams face and the potential impact on their playoff prospects.

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6. The Worst Places to Drive in America (24:25 - 44:50)

A lively segment ensues as Matt solicits listener input on the most challenging driving routes across the United States. The conversation highlights Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa as the top contenders, with personal anecdotes and humorous exchanges.

Matt Jones (27:14): "The worst state to drive in by far is Kansas. Kansas is..."

Guest callers share their experiences, adding depth and personal perspectives to the discussion.

Kenny from Texas (39:22): "When the last time you left the top of Texas and drove to the bottom of Texas for 24 hours. It's more horrible than all three of them..."

Matt and Gabe humorously debate the merits of various states, ultimately ranking Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa as the toughest.

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7. Rivalries in Sports: Celtic vs. Rangers (35:45 - 43:32)

Matt introduces a discussion on one of the most intense rivalries in sports—the Celtic vs. Rangers matchup in Scotland's Scottish Cup. They explore the historical and cultural underpinnings that fuel this animosity.

Matt Jones (37:13): "Celtic and Rangers. This is the finals and these two teams hate each other like none other."

Gabe elaborates on the deep-seated cultural and religious tensions that elevate this rivalry beyond mere competition.

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8. Closing Remarks & Final Thoughts (43:22 - End)

As the episode winds down, Matt defends Cleveland against widespread criticism, highlighting its cultural landmarks and vibrant summer activities.

Matt Jones (43:32): "Everybody likes to trash Cleveland. But I don't think it's that bad..."

The hosts wrap up with playful banter, reiterating their rankings of the most challenging driving states and teasing upcoming content for the following week.

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Notable Quotes

• Matt Jones (02:22): "Bob Buecker is... may be the most famous local announcer ever, right?"
• Gabe Neitzel (05:35): "He played at a high level at both positions, had a three interceptions, 92 receptions. I've seen anything like this before."
• Matt Jones (12:08): "The SEC is maybe the best basketball conference game ever."
• Matt Jones (18:20): "If the Bills score 30 straight points, they will set the all-time single-season NFL record for most games in a row scoring 30 in a season."
• Kenny from Texas (39:22): "When the last time you left the top of Texas and drove to the bottom of Texas for 24 hours. It's more horrible than all three of them..."

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Conclusion

"Hour 1: Turn the Phones On" offers a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of current sports topics, peppered with humor and insightful analysis. Matt Jones and Gabe Neitzel adeptly navigate through discussions ranging from local sports icons to national collegiate competitions, providing listeners with a well-rounded perspective on the sports landscape. Whether it's debating the toughest driving routes or celebrating standout athletic performances, this episode encapsulates the lively spirit of Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron.

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. There's nothing sweeter than baking cookies during the holidays. With Prime, I get all my ingredients delivered right to my door, fast and free. No last minute store trips needed. And of course, I blast my favorite holiday playlist on Amazon Music. It's the ultimate soundtrack for creating unforgettable memories. From streaming to shopping, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Myron Metcalf]

This is Matt and Myron the podcast. This is the countdown to kick off on ESPN radio.

[Matt Jones]

It is cabinet to kick off here on ESPN radio, the ESPN app, SiriusXM channel 80. We are presented by Progressive Insurance, also called Sunday Morning to Matt Myron. They switched the name about one third of times the year. Myron is not here. I'm not sure where he is. I'm Matt Jones. Joining me in his place is Gabe Neitzel. Gabe filled in for me last week. He's got Myron this week. I think Myron and I'll be back together next week. Gabe, thank you very much for joining us. How are things there in Milwaukee?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Well, excited to be here. Things are cold. That means, you know, we're getting closer and closer to the end of that football season here in Milwaukee.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Well, you guys are still going. You got Aaron Rodgers is not there anymore. His season's going to end soon. But yours is still going.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Well, isn't it cold during the baseball season there too? I mean, yes, during opening day for the brewers was about as miserable as I have been. Luckily we've got the roof, but like walking into the state, it was absolutely miserable. So yes, beginning and end of the baseball season also not great.

[Matt Jones]

Mikey C. Is Bob Euker still going? He's not, is he?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah. So he is on a part time schedule. So basically whenever he wants to call a game and it's only home games, he doesn't travel anymore. Every once in a while maybe he'll go down to Chicago for a Cubs game. But basically whenever Bob wants to do a game, they go, yep, go ahead and do a game.

[Matt Jones]

That's, that's kind of cool. He's got to be like, what is he, 90 now?

[Gabe Neitzel]

He's 90 or 91. Just a bit outside.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, that's great. A few years back when they started the thing where you could listen to games on the, on your phone from other markets, I would put on euchre as I was going to sleep. And he's so entertaining. So I'm glad he's still doing it. He What? Major League and the Miller Light commercials. He may be the most famous local announcer ever, right?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Oh, yeah. He had his own sitcom. He was in Belvedere. Yeah, Mr. Belvedere sitcom.

[Matt Jones]

I don't think that was the Bob Euker Show. It was about Mr. Belvedere.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I don't think it was in it.

[Matt Jones]

I don't think it was centered around Bob Buecker. I think it was centered around Miss hence the name of. It was Mr. Belvedere in.

[Gabe Neitzel]

In Wisconsin. It was the Bob Buecker sitcom.

[Matt Jones]

Right. I just.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Just, you know, to set the record straight. Well, was it technically his? Probably not. But we accept that here in the state of Wisconsin. Who's bigger in Wisconsin, Bob Euker or Brett Favre?

[Matt Jones]

Well, Brett Favre stolen more money. So I would say that. I would say. I would say it's Bob Euker.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Right? Bob Buecker.

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Bob Buecker is. Yes, he is so bel. Because again, like, the brewers were so bad for so long. All of us, if we tuned into a Brewers game, it wasn't to listen to the Brewers. It wasn't to see how the brewers were doing. It's what's Bob going to say today? How is he going to make this bad team entertaining? And he's done it for 50 plus years.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Did you notice how big though, Brett Favre is, Mikey? That when I said that about Favre?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, maybe that didn't age well.

[Matt Jones]

Gabe didn't say anything. He had to stay silent. He doesn't want them yelling at him on Milwaukee radio. It's like Brett Favre allegedly innocent until proven gu. I did like his little thing with Mark Gastineau this week, though, where Mark Gastineau confronted him about the taking a dive on that sack.

[Gabe Neitzel]

How bad, I mean, how miserable do you have to be as a person to have an interaction that everybody gets to see that just put out on social media? And you almost feel sorry for Brett Favre at this point in that, like, you walk away going, man, I kind of feel bad for Bread in this situation.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Mark Gastineau looks like a villain on he man now. Like, he's a really strange looking. But, you know, hey, I get why he's upset. But Brett Favre, he's done a lot wrong. Letting Strahan have that sack actually doesn't bother me too much. You can be a part of Cat Data Kickoff Nation on the Dr. Pepper calling line. 888, say ESPN. That's 888-729-3776. ESPN Nation is presented by Dr. Pepper. It's not college football season without the delicious taste of an ice cold Dr. Pepper. College football, it's a pepper. Now, yesterday, this is kind of the first. This is always a weird Saturday in sports because the NFL will start playing on Saturday soon, but they haven't yet. You had essentially three things. You had army, Navy, you had a lot of really good college basketball. But the story is, I'm sure Travis Hunter wins the Heisman. He is the just the second full time defensive player to ever win the Heisman, although he plays both ways. Charles Woodson was the other. He's the fifth wide receiver to win it, which is kind of surprising me that there's only been five. He was, I think by most accounts the best player in college football. Gabe, did you have any problem with him taking home the Heisman yesterday over Boise State's Ashton Gentee?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I did not. And this ended up being closer than I thought it was. I think it's the closest since 2009 that, you know, between a first and second place finisher. But. And the detriment to Travis Hunter in the situation for all the Ashton Denchy fans was like, oh, I didn't realize snap count was a part of what made somebody special. Yeah, well, you should have probably thought about that because why this is special, Matt, I've never seen this. Yeah, when, when Charles Woodson won back in 1997, he played some offensive snaps on occasion. But this is a guy who played full time offensive snaps, full time defensive snaps, and it wasn't just a novelty. This wasn't the Patriots going, hey, we got to throw Troy Brown out there because we're so decimated. We just got to have somebody out there. No, he played at a high level at both positions, had a, you know, three interceptions, 92 receptions. I've seen anything like this before. And when the criteria is most outstanding player in college football, that's the most outstanding thing I've seen in recent memory in college football. For someone to play that many snaps both ways and be that good at both positions.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I totally, I agree totally with that. I think you can't, you can't overlook the fact that the thing that made it interesting is the fact he played both ways and that he was good. It wasn't enough. It wasn't the Refrigerator Perry in the background in the back field at the Super Bowl. This is a guy who was really good on both. I think it'd be interesting to see what he does in the NFL. I mean, I don't think he can play both in the NFL, but maybe he can sort of dip his toe into both. But he should have won. I was. I'm like you. I was a little surprised how close it was. I think that's a reflection, maybe less on him than it is on Deion Sanders in general in the sense of there's no doubt that Colorado gets more attention because of Deion, maybe disproportionate to how good they are, but at the same time, they get more hate. So, like the fact that the fact that he played for Deion made it to where we all knew Travis Hunter's name. But it's also why the vote was close. When I think if he had played at, you know, lsu, he wins resoundingly, almost overwhelmingly.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah. And when I look at this, I actually give Deion a lot of credit because Deion, from the beginning of the season seemed like he threw his weight behind Travis Hunter instead of his own son. Because I think Shedeur could have had just as an interesting Heisman campaign if his dad and head coach had thrown his weight in his hype behind that. But I think Deion realized, I've got two really good players here. I've got to make sure that the vote doesn't split between the two of them. And it seemed like the Travis Hunter hype train was the one that he pushed behind. I don't know if he looked at Shadow and went, look, son, you're going to be the number one overall pick, going to be making more money as a quarterback in the NFL. So let's give Travis this one. I don't know what that conversation was like, but it seems like from the beginning of the year, Deion had his support behind Travis Hunter to win the Heisman Trophy. And I think that is a big reason why Hunter ultimately won the award. Well, you could make the argument that Shador was an even better player on that team.

[Matt Jones]

You could. But Hunter also was his first commitment at Jackson State. I remember when Hunter committed to Jackson State because he was a top, what, 20 recruit in America. And you were like, this kid is really going to go to Jackson State instead of. I think Florida State was where he had committed before, and he did. And so I think there is a sense that he sort of mirrored Deion's rise. I will want to give a shout out, though, to the running back there, Ashton Gentee from Boise State. I mean, I think if mo. Almost everyone's listening. You didn't watch Boise State unless you were late at night and you turned on the CBS Sports Network and they were Playing Wyoming and you put it on while you were about to go to sleep. So I don't want anyone out there to act like they're an Ashton Gentee like expert because none of y'all watch them. With that said, I do like a dude who's from Boise State comes in second and then's like, I should have won. He had a quote that said something like, of course I don't play two ways. Running backs, hard. The insinuation being, you know, those little diva wide receivers out there, they can't do what I did. I like the idea that, you know, I always hate at the Oscars when as soon as someone wins, all the other candidates clap and are excited as if they won. I wouldn't be like that. I'm just going to say if I go into the Oscars and I was nominated for best actor, I'm not going to say I would like pull a Kanye and walk up on stage and say I deserved it. But I'm not going to be thrilled I didn't win. I'm competitive and I like Ashton Jenty going, you know what, I should have won. I like that from that kid. Especially from a kid playing in a non power school.

[Gabe Neitzel]

It makes me, it makes me sad then that Colorado ended up losing the game against Kansas that they did to prevent them from potentially going to the College Football Playoff. Because I now want to see these teams play because I want to see what they would do head to head with Ashton Gentee, you know, barreling down the field. And now Travis Hunter has to try and, you know, make a tackle.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, you want to see him play against each other?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah. This is what, this is what I wish I could have seen in the College Football Playoff. But ultimately, and this was part of Gentee's point, like, hey, part of the reason that, and probably the main reason that Boise State has a buy in the College Football Playoff is because of him and the season that he had. And Travis Hunter, as special as he was. Well, Colorado's playing in, well, whatever boulevard.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that's a little unfair though because I mean there's a difference between playing even in the water down Big 12 and the mountain West. That's not the same thing. I mean, I. Football more than any other sport, I don't think you can give the team success to an individual unless it's a quarterback. But still, you're right, it would have been nice to watch them. But you know what, they lost to Kansas and when you lose to Kansas, that's what happens. By the way, Also, shout out for those of you. I talk about this a lot, especially with Myron. Gabe. This has been the best first month of a college basketball season in like 20 years. So I hope as people start to pick up on it right now, like, this has been an amazing year of college basketball, including yesterday with a lot of great games. People need to. This is nil. We talk about its effect a lot on football. I think it's made basketball game more competitive than it's been in forever.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Oh, it's. It's wide. I mean, there were so many really good matchups. You've got UConn falling apart, but then coming back again as somebody in Milwaukee who does some stuff with Marquette, seeing, seeing their head coach in Hurley be a little sour after what they pulled down in Maui, going 0:3 in the Maui Invitational, that made me happy. But look, I mean, it is wide open right now. If I were to ask you, who's the best team in college basketball? I don't know.

[Matt Jones]

Well, here's what's crazy. It's probably Auburn or Tennessee, two teams that most people don't see as basketball powers this year. Those are probably, as of right now, the two best teams. And I will note those of you that are SEC haters in football, get ready to be SEC haters in basketball because the SEC this year might be the best basketball conference game ever. And I'm not kidding ever. Like they just a little stat, okay? The SEC has won more non conference games against top 25 opponents this year than any conference has in the history of college college basketball. And there's still like three weeks of non conference left.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Are you talking ever? Like when biggies had like Georgetown and.

[Matt Jones]

Yukon and Syracuse, Did I stutter ever? And it's not because just the top, the worst teams in the conference. They beat the ACC 14 to 2 in the SEC ACC Challenge. 14 to 2, Mikey. Yes. I mean like ever. Eat it, Chris Mullen. Eat it, Patrick Ewing.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, I was immediately I think of the Big East. One of those Yukon teams that won a national championship was like the 8 seed in the Big east tournament.

[Matt Jones]

The SEC is bet the worst team in the SEC. South Carolina is better than the best team in some of these conferences.

[Gabe Neitzel]

So with that, I'd buy that. Okay. All right.

[Matt Jones]

The best last slate of games of the entire NFL. Excuse me? The best late slate of games of the NFL season is today. The early slate. Eh, not so much. We'll do it next here on ESPN Radio. Ever.

[Myron Metcalf]

This week on football Sunday on ESPN Radio.

[Matt Jones]

Mahomes Fakes the inside handoff throw us to Worthy for the touchdown.

[Myron Metcalf]

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs head to Cleveland to face Jameis Winston in the Cleveland Brown proving everybody wrong.

[Gabe Neitzel]

You know what I'm saying?

[Matt Jones]

I look good and I know Coverage.

[Myron Metcalf]

Begins today at noon Eastern with kickoff at 1 Eastern on select ESPN radio stations. Matt and Myron the Podcast.

[Gabe Neitzel]

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[Matt Jones]

Commercial that I've ever heard run on ESPN radio. I'm not going to comment on it Gabe, because I like my job. But I just, I just want to those of you listening, I just want to record. I just want on the record that I can't believe that's a commercial. And it's countdown to kick up here on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Gabe, I think can guess which one I'm talking about before we go to the late Game state because they are unbelievable. I drove with my local radio host from Kentucky to Seattle last week for a game. That's why I wasn't here last Sunday. Have you ever driven across the country in your life at all?

[Gabe Neitzel]

No. The most I've probably done is you know like a 16 hour car ride. You know, I mean I've ridden a bus when I was in college. I played Division 3 college baseball. We went from the Southwest Western part of Wisconsin all the way down to Dallas. But I don't think that compares to being in a car from Kentucky all the way out to Seattle.

[Matt Jones]

So I've driven all 50 states. My last state was on this trip was Oregon. I had never been to Oregon, so I've now been to all 50 states, and I've driven them all. I've probably been almost every nook and cranny of this country. The last part I had not been, I went to, which was the eastern part of Washington in the eastern part of Oregon, and I've been to Seattle. But I. To drive there, I'm going to go ahead and tell you, a lot of y'all don't think about that part of the country. When you think of Washington, Oregon, right. You probably think of Seattle and Eugene and Portland and all that. That eastern part of Washington, Oregon is thick, Gabe. It's forest, it's foggy, it's mountains, it's ice, it's rain. That's a part of the country that, like, when you're there, you think you were up in the middle of Canada. And I just. If you ever go drive across the country, consider not. It's beautiful. But make sure you have snow tires when you get to eastern Oregon and eastern Washington, because the geography there is unlike anything else in this country. I just. I just wanted to let that be known.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I hope you have a good car partner or sponsor, because going 27 miles, 2700 miles in your own vehicle, whoo. That's a lot of wear and tear.

[Matt Jones]

That's why when you rent from Enterprise, you get it with unlimited mileage. I think when I turned it in at the Seattle airport, they might have been like, oh, my God. Goodness. You know what? Unlimited mileage has its advantages. All right, the Bills and the Lions. I'm going to read you these. These late games today for the. This is the best late game session ever. Colts, Broncos, Patriots, Cardinals, and. But then you get Bills, lines, Bucks, Chargers, Steelers, Eagles. That's a pretty good group of late games. I think the Bills and the Lions are the best one. You're looking at two teams. This could be the super bowl in two months. Are you excited to watch this one today?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I'm really excited because the Lions are still in the middle of trying to hold off some teams for that number one seed in the nfc. They're trying to hold off not just the Eagles for the number one seed, but the Vikings in their own division. If they lose this game and the Vikings beat the Bears on Monday night, suddenly we have a tie atop the NFC north and the Bills. Well, I think the Bills have a little more to prove after their defense just absolutely fell apart giving up 44 points to the Rams last week. So this is. There's a lot on the line for both of these teams, and this is not a team you want to see if your defense is struggling. If you're Buffalo, the Lions have weapons all over the place that make it tough to match up with.

[Matt Jones]

I think this game will be fascinating. First of all, I'm going to pick the Bills later on. It's a little, you know, spoiler alert for when we get there. I think the Lions have kind of been hanging by a thread for a few weeks, and I think they're ready to drop one. And if you're the Bills, I'm going to give you another spoiler. I don't think I'll pick it in this game because I have to beat Myron in the overall picks. I think the Chiefs could lose today to Cleveland on the road. I think this is kind of the stupid game that they drop sometimes once a year. I could see this, that being the one today. So for the Bills, you know, they own the tiebreaker on the Chiefs if they can. If the Bills can win this game, they have a decent chance of, at that point, winning out the rest of the year because they play the Patriots, the Jets and the Patriots. So I think they're going to win out. It's a pretty.

[Gabe Neitzel]

That's a. That's a good chance.

[Matt Jones]

So if they win this game, if they win this game, then there's a very good chance they're going to be 14, three. If you go back instead and you look at the Chiefs, the Chiefs have a decent chance of dropping 2. Like I said, I think they could lose today's game against the Browns, then they host the Texans or at the Steelers or at the Broncos. You look at those four games, I think there's a decent chance they lose two of them. So the Bills, to me, are playing today for a shot at the home field in the final game of the AFC Championship because I think the Chiefs are losing, too. And if they win today, the Bills ain't losing again. That's how I would go into it. My mindset, if I'm Buffalo, is we're playing with a chance to make Kansas City come back here and do to us what they did last year, to do it again.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah, and that's what you want. You don't want to have to go to Kansas City and go to Arrowhead and deal with that if you're Buffalo. That being said, their defense needs to play better today.

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Has Detroit been hanging on by a thread. And Detroit's defense hasn't been playing that great either. They've got, what is it, 16, 18, 19 guys on IR on defense alone, it's an absurd number of how beat up that team is, especially up front. And if the Bills can really get a little bit more of James Cook, which is something that they did not get against the Rams, if they get him going a little bit, control the game, maybe that's how you slow down that Lions offense by keeping them off the field and having more long controlled drives throughout the course of the game.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, don't disrespect my guy, Ray Davis from the University of Kentucky, the backup to Cook. He's actually played very well. The, the Bills defense though against the Rams was suspect. I mean the Rams kind of did whatever they wanted. Do you expect that to get better today against the lines offense that the last couple weeks hasn't quite looked as efficient?

[Gabe Neitzel]

It should be. It should be. I think they, I think there's no way they give up 40 plus points again. I don't think that's the case because the Bills defense, even though they had lost a lot coming into this season, like they had held their own, maybe they weren't as good as they've been the last couple of seasons, but it wasn't a huge detriment to the team. This seems like, yeah, you were ok. Okay. It wasn't a great game. You had one bad one. Now they bounce back a little bit and they have to because you give up 40 points like Detroit's not going to give up 40 plus points. And if it gets into a shootout mode, that's where I think the Lions have a little bit more of an advantage because of how efficient they can be with Jared Goff at quarterback.

[Matt Jones]

If The Bills score 30 straight points, if they score 30 or more points today, they will set the all time single season NFL record for most games in a row scoring 30 in a season. They can do that today against Detroit. I think they probably need to to get the win. The Eagles are on a 10 game win streak. Will it continue? That's next here on calendar kickoff. Hey, it's Evan Cohen. Coming up Monday we'll react to week 15 in the NFL. Plus look ahead to the College Football Playoff which kicks off this week. It's unsportsmanlike 6am Eastern right here on ESPN radio, ESPN2 and ESPN U.

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron the Podcast.

[Herm Edwards]

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[Matt Jones]

Yeah, it is countdown to kickoff here on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. You can reach by the way, 888 say ESPN. It's a good question for you. I said Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington were the hardest places to drive through in America. If you have a different place, Gabe, maybe I'm wrong. I mean, I've driven all of it, but I found the little passes through the mountains, you know. Did you play when you were a kid, Gabe, the Oregon Trail? Did you play that when you were a kid?

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

Oh absolutely. Well, I didn't realize on the Oregon Trail, you may remember, there was a place called Dead Man's Pass that was like the hardest place to get through on the Oregon Trail. So I drove Dead Man's Pass in the middle of the night and it's one of the scariest drives I've ever had. Now I see why the Oregon Trail was why everybody got diphtheria or whatever when you were going through there.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Dysentery.

[Matt Jones]

Dysentery. That's right. Why you got all that? If you have a different place, Let me know. 888.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Drive through West Virginia. That's a tough one.

[Matt Jones]

First of all, I. You understand I live right next to West Virginia. You're acting. What's so tough about West Virginia? Just.

[Gabe Neitzel]

You're talking about long stretches of a drive whenever.

[Matt Jones]

Are you scared of mountain people? Is that what it is? You don't, like. You're scared of us Appalachians? Is that your problem?

[Gabe Neitzel]

You guys are different people, that's for sure.

[Matt Jones]

No, we're not different. We're the same. I was gonna say, Matt, you've clearly never driven through the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour. I have driven through the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour. It's scary. It's just crowded. It's. It's not. It's not scary. One person writes, matt, you're a dirty liar. That's a good way to start a test. You're a dirty liar. You have not driven to Hawaii. I have not driven to Hawaii. But, Gabe, I've driven in Hawaii. When I was there, I clearly didn't drive to there. So I have driven through everybody there's. You know, they have cars there you can rent.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Look, when you. Yeah. When you said, I have driven to all 50 states, I did not take that as literally. You drove. Drove to Hawaii. So, you know, somebody just needs to, you know, maybe switch the decaf this morning. We don't need to be that intense.

[Matt Jones]

And then Alaska, you know, it's there. Oregon was my last. Was my. Was my last state. And Oregon is very pretty. It also, you know, when they say it rains all the time in Seattle, I'm here to tell you, Gabe, they're right. It rains every single minute. I was there for 48 hours. It never stopped raining the whole time.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah. See, if I had to nominate one, I would just nominate the state of Iowa. And it's not a tough drive, but it's just so flat and boring. Like, you just. You stop paying attention. At least driving through some of the conditions you were driving in, you know, the Pacific Northwest, at least you have to have. Okay, my attention needs to be here. I can wander. My mind can't be wandering because I got to be paying attention to everything going on around me.

[Matt Jones]

I'm going to rank for you, by the way, the three worst states to drive in.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Okay. I cannot wait for that.

[Matt Jones]

And these are very easy. They're right next to each other.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

The worst state to drive in by far is Kansas. Kansas is. If you were to look at look up in the dictionary what death would look like as a state. It would be Kansas on the drive. Second is Nebraska. And to drive out west, you're gonna have to hit one of them. And it's like, choose your poison. Kansas or Nebraska. And third is Iowa. But I would take Iowa way before I would take Kansas and Nebraska. Ask anybody out there. Ask these truck drivers are driving right now. Y'all know Kansas and Nebraska are the worst. How is it the worst? It's just flat. And there's not a lot of people out there. Exactly. There's nothing to look at. There's nowhere to stop. I used to think Nebraska, I used to say Nebraska is nothing but sadness and corn. But I think they're out of corn. I think all that's left gave is sadness.

[Gabe Neitzel]

That's the number one producer of sadness in the country.

[Matt Jones]

They literally, they churn out sadness in Nebraska. In Kansas, you get Kansas City right when you cross in, which is in Missouri and park Kansas. But then there ain't nothing. You go by Topeka. Just keep going. Don't subject yourself to it, Gabe. Just keep going.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Just hold it and get through the state. Just white knuckle it.

[Matt Jones]

Not trying to be mean, but I'm telling the truth. Steelers and the Eagles play in the Battle of Pennsylvania tonight, this afternoon. They only do this once every four years, except this year they're both really good. I mean, the Steelers going for the division title. The Eagles can continue the 20 year streak of never having a repeat champion in the NFC east if they win today. Which of these teams do you like more going into the postseason?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I think it's still the Eagles, although this is what happened this week with Philadelphia, this is kind of what everybody's been waiting for, right? It seems like ever since the buy when they were 2 and 2 and they've won all these games in a row, we've been waiting for that other shoe to drop because there was drama with this team last year. There was drama with it in the off season. We had to read [e-mail] about how Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts didn't talk and they had to bring in an offensive coordinator and Kellen Moore and he's got to be the mediator. And we've been waiting for some of the drama to pop up. And that's what happened when A.J. brown started talking about the passing game after last week's game. And now having to deal with that and having another teammate going, well, maybe A.J. brown and Jalen Hurts don't necessarily get along. And now it seems like there's a lot of drama. And I don't know if Nick Sirianni is the right guy based on the past drama that he's had to deal with and wasn't very good at dealing with. I don't know if he's the one to quash it down. So if this drama is going to linger with Philly, I kind of default to the Steelers. But I've also been waiting for the other shoe to drop with Russell Wilson. But maybe I just need to accept that Russell Wilson's pretty good again.

[Matt Jones]

I think you have to, don't you? I mean, Russell Wilson, to me, was like. It's almost like the state of Nebraska was like the butt of every joke I made about the NFL for. For years. Except unlike Nebraska, he's risen. And I actually think he has played extremely well. Mike Tomlin, he deserves every accolade in the world because there was no one's career who was more dead than Russell Wilson's. And now you watch him and you say, look, he's not Burrow, or he's not Burrow. He's not Allen, he's not Mahomes. But I could see that guy in a Super bowl at this point. I mean, that. Which is insane to say if you think about the Russell Wilson we watched the last two years. But, Gabe, I could see it. I don't. I'm not predicting it, but I could see it. Don't you. What do you. Am I wrong?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I don't think you're wrong. Because he brings that one thing, the return of his moon ball, deep ball, like him being able to complete a lot of those passes is a reason why the Steelers offense, that was the lack of depth that they had. They could run the football with, you know, whoever's been playing quarterback for them the past handful of years since they moved on from, you know, from Ben Roethlisberger. When Roethlisberger retired, they just couldn't push the ball down the field, and that was their big issue. They made the playoff a couple of times, but they just didn't have that other dynamic that most really good teams have. And with Russell Wilson doing that and not really turning the football over a ton, that that's what has led to this offense having the success. And that defense is as good as it's been the last handful of years. And now, I guess I have to accept it at this point.

[Matt Jones]

I still have to accept it.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I just love the fact that two teams, two really good teams, like, decided, yeah, this Guy's not for us. One of them said, no, we're going to eat $85 million for you just to get the hell out of here.

[Matt Jones]

You have to accept it because it's real. And you also have to accept it because they have a really good defense and they have a chance. The Eagles are 11 and 2. The Steelers are 10 and 3. I think the Eagles are more likely to go to the super bowl because they're in an NFC where I think besides the Lions, there's not another good team. And if the Lions lose today to the Bills like I think they will, the Eagles, I think have a chance to go ahead and potentially even get home field again. I'm a guy who is, as Myron will tell you, just look at the schedule they finish with at Washington. The Cowboys and the Giants, both in Philly. They could go to that Washington game with a shot to win the, to get the number one seed. And if they get the number one seed and Detroit has to go outside to play in Philadelphia in the championship game, I don't think that's an easy task. So I think again, another reason this game today is important is they are playing, in my opinion, Gabe, for a chance to have the number one overall seed in the nfc.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Yeah. And the numbers don't lie in terms of Jared Goff and his inside outside splits. And he played decent in the one outside game he's played so far this year in Green Bay earlier, but it wasn't like they were playing in Green Bay. Now when the weather really is turned like they would have to in Philadelphia, you have to deal with a little bit more of the elements. The Lions are very much a team that I will believe in as long as they get that number one seed. If they have to go on the road, things are going to get dicey, especially if they have to go to a place like the Eagles. But to your point, in the afc, as fun as the Steeler Story has been, even if they win that division, they're not getting the number one seed.

[Matt Jones]

Well, they're not going. Yeah, they're not going back to back beating the Bills and Chiefs in back to back weeks. That's what they would have to do. They would have to beat the Bills and the Chiefs in back to back weeks. And there's a world where they'd have to beat the Ravens in the first round. I mean, there's a world where they would have to go. So Ravens, Bills, Chiefs, they're not doing that. They're just not. I mean, they're not they can win.

[Gabe Neitzel]

One of those games, but they can't win both.

[Matt Jones]

They can't win both of them. And especially if they have to play the Bills and the Chiefs both on the road and if they lose today, they are set up to where they probably will have to beat the Bills and the Chiefs back to back on the road both times. They're not doing that. I mean, I like Pittsburgh, but they're not doing that.

[Gabe Neitzel]

No, I really like Pittsburgh as well, but yes, they're just not dynamic enough to hang with the really good teams, I think in the upper echelon of the afc. And does that mean it's a bigger game for Philadelphia today? Because, I mean, as we mentioned, the Steelers don't have a shot at the number one seed. The Eagles do. Is this a bigger game for the Eagles today?

[Matt Jones]

Well, yes and no. Because if the Steelers could win today and the Bills lose, then the Steelers could host, have the two seed and make Buffalo come to them. So, I mean, I think this is for both the Bills Lions and the Steelers Eagles when you're looking at postseason seeding, I think these games today are massive. Now, I did ask what's the worst place to drive in America? They of course forgot to turn the phones on as usual. So 8. 8. 8 say esp. And now the phones are back on. No, that's not true. The phones were on, Mikey and I tested and nobody was calling. No, I had no one call. I don't believe that. I still. I don't believe it.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I think, though, I know what happened when you were giving out the number. I kind of interrupted you earlier.

[Matt Jones]

So.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Okay, that's the.

[Matt Jones]

I want to know. Don't come out to him, Mikey. No, I think that's what happened. When we bring up a topic now, the people come call. See, I told you. You all didn't have it on. I don't want to hear that. When do I bring up a topic and people don't call? When does that happen, Nick? Yes, exactly. 888 say ESPN. 888 say ESPN. If there's a worse place to drive then you tell me. And if there's anything at all valuable about the state of Nebraska or Kansas, make your case. I know there's not. It's counting down to kickoff here on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Metcalf]

This week on Football Sunday on ESPN Radio, it's a Pennsylvania showdown between division leaders Russell Wilson and the AFC North Leading Steelers head east to Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the NFC east leading Eagles. Barkley High stepson coverage begins today at 4 Eastern on select ESPN radio stations. Matt and Myron the podcast.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Ryan Reynolds here for I guess my hundredth mint commercial. No, no, no, no, no, no, don't. No, no, no. I mean, honestly, when I started this, I thought I'd only have to do like four of these. I mean it's unlimited to Premium Wireless for $15 a month. How are there still people paying two or three times that much? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be victim blaming. Here, give it a [e-mail] switch whenever you're ready. Dollar upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month.

[Matt Jones]

New customers on first three month plan only. Taxes and fees.

[Herm Edwards]

Extra speeds lower above 40 gigabytes.

[Matt Jones]

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[Myron Metcalf]

Now witness the making of a new marvel villain.

[Matt Jones]

Once you're on his list, there's only one way off.

[Myron Metcalf]

Aaron Taylor Johnson is Craven the hunter. Rated R under 1790 minute without parent.

[Matt Jones]

It is countdown to kickoff here on ESPN radio 888. Say ESP in we are getting. Phone lines are full because of course, Gabe, as soon as they turned them on, it works. They just sometimes forget to turn them on.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I can't believe they came after you like, like it was your fault that.

[Matt Jones]

It'S my fault they didn't turn on. Yeah. By the way, I like to tell people. I like to tell people, Gabe, about things in sports they may not know. All right, you may know this, but a lot of people may not. I love rivalries. Like yesterday, Kentucky played Louisville in basketball, army played Navy. Those are some of the great rivalries American sports. I will tell you that. I think maybe the most hated rivalry in the world. If it's not the most hated, it's one of them is happening as we speak. And so for those of you listening you, I want you to stay listening to us. But you can turn your Paramount, Paramount plus app, which is something I rarely use, but it's on. Celtic and Rangers are playing in Scotland. It is the Scottish Cup. It's like that what we're trying to do with the NBA cup, but it's not really working. It works. It works in Scotland. Right, Right. And they're playing in the Scottish soccer Cup. Celtic and Rangers. This is the finals and these two teams hate each other like none other. I mean it's. There's a lot that goes on. It's historical. It's Catholic, Protestant. Like it's part of the culture there. You're either a Celtic or a Rangers fan. It's happening right Now, Gabe, in the fog. Of course, it's Scotland. There's fog over the field. Everyone should turn it on. Just started.

[Gabe Neitzel]

So what you're telling me, it's deeper than just the sports rivalry. If you got the Catholic, the Protestant, I mean, again, in the depth of history over there, it's culture. It certainly helps.

[Matt Jones]

It is, yes, it's culture. It's, you know, British nationalists versus Scottish. You know, there's just a lot there. And I went to a Scottish European league game, and the fans are all cheering for Scotland. But the Celtic and Rangers fans, while cheering for Scotland, still yell at each other while both cheering for their national team.

[Gabe Neitzel]

I love that. That's great.

[Matt Jones]

I love it. Now, we opened up the phones. 888 say ESPN, where's the worst place to drive in America? I said Nebraska and Kansas. I said the hardest was in eastern and Western. Excuse me. In eastern Oregon and Washington. We got people on the phone to tell me if I'm wrong. Kenny is in Texas. Where's the worst place to drive in America?

[E]

I don't know. When the last time you left the top of Texas and drove to the bottom of Texas for 24 hours. It's more horrible than all three of them lame states you already talked about. We did all that. We're the only place where your dog runs away from home and you can watch him for, you know, 20 miles. Absolutely nothing.

[Matt Jones]

So when you say the top of the Texas to the bottom, give me cities. You're talking what, Brownsville to where?

[E]

Okay, no, no, the top of Texas. Amarillo, Lubbock, the home of Texas tech. That's about 90 miles Amarillo from the top of Texas. Another 90 did Lubbock and then Harlow South Padre. I mean, I wrote a. I rode a bus once to go to a seminar, and it was 28 hours on a bus, and I was 3/4 away from Texas.

[Matt Jones]

But that's.

[E]

That's all I can say. It really is. It's brutal. Yeah, we have some pretty places, but there's a whole bunch of nothing. And nothing is boring.

[Matt Jones]

That's true, Kenny. I will agree with Kenny on this. West Texas is boring. I went to Amarillo, you know, George Strait said amarillo by morning, by afternoon, you need to be gone, because there ain't. And then Lubbock. I've been to Lubbock, Texas Tech a couple times. Beautiful campus. I also witnessed a drug deal in Lubbock once, and I thought I was going to get murdered. So, Gabe, I'm kind of with him on Amarillo. And Lubbock. That's a good call.

[Gabe Neitzel]

All right, so just again, you know, keep the windows up and just keep on rolling. Just keep on going straight through.

[Matt Jones]

Keep going. Yeah. West Texas. West Texas is a lot of ghost towns. Places that used to have. If you ever been to a ghost town, a town that, like, still has buildings but has no people. Have you ever been to one of those?

[Gabe Neitzel]

I have. No, I have not.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, there's a bunch of those in west Texas. It's kind of sad, actually, but that was a good call. He's right. West Texas is tough. Lori in Kentucky, what do you got?

[E]

Hey, there's a little town in western Kansas called Joaquin. And if you can make it through Kansas, stop at Wauachini, a little bar restaurant called the Brazen Bull, and it's worth the stop. That's the only thing in Kansas that I've ever seen.

[Matt Jones]

What makes it good? I mean, when I go to Wachini, I'm wanting to wacini my way out of the state to a new one. Why would I want to stop at that place?

[E]

You're almost to Colorado. It's like last stop in Kansas.

[Matt Jones]

I think I'm just going on the gas and going to Colorado.

[E]

Well, well, you might want to do that. But one reason to get out of Kansas is all those rock chalk signs. And I'll sign off with go cat. Ls down.

[Matt Jones]

Look at that. See, that's rivalry right there. Gabe, you hear that? I did. I've never been to Wachini, Kansas, but if it's a good food, I'll take it. Ryan is in Texas. Ryan, what do you got? Yeah, so I agree with you.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Kansas is a terrible drive.

[Matt Jones]

But if there is one thing to see in Kansas, there's a little town in northeastern Kansas called Wamago, and they.

[E]

Have what they call it Boomtown.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Every fourth of July, they have an amazing fireworks display.

[E]

It's definitely worth it.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, but I mean, I have to tell you, though, Ryan, if it's the 4th of July and you want to find myself not in Kansas.

[Gabe Neitzel]

What went wrong?

[Matt Jones]

I mean, I like you, Ryan, but.

[Gabe Neitzel]

If it's the fourth town on the fourth of July.

[Matt Jones]

If it's the fourth of July, I am not getting in my car and going to northeastern Kansas. You know, that's fair.

[Gabe Neitzel]

That's fair.

[Matt Jones]

That's fair. I'll give you that. Appreciate the call. I feel like there's a lake somewhere I can go to that's a lot closer. I'm not going to Wago.

[Gabe Neitzel]

Well, and here's the thing. Fireworks are overrated anyway. I don't care if you have the best fireworks show. It's still just a firework show.

[Matt Jones]

It's still just like, you know, bumps in the air with a light. It's like, woo. That was great. In 1936. Lance is in North Carolina. I have a phone. Lance, go ahead.

[E]

Hey, good morning. I'm calling from North Carolina but I'm originally from the mistake on the lake.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, you talk about Cleveland. Cleveland.

[E]

That's it. That's it. Very nice. Very nice. Yes. I was flew out to Denver from the state of Missouri and I was driving back in Nebraska. So I agree with you. And it was fog and I probably couldn't see 3ft in front of me with my brights, my whatever on. And I was doing about 80, about 40 years ago, maybe a little more getting home to my, you know, young bride.

[Matt Jones]

Everybody likes, everybody likes to trash Cleveland. But Gabe, I don't, I'm gonna take up for Cleveland. I don't think it's that bad. Like you get to Cleveland, downtown's fine. They got sports stadiums. They got the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. I think the house from Christmas Story is there. And you can go see like there's, there's some stuff in Cleveland. I think people are too hard on Cleveland. Yeah.

[Gabe Neitzel]

And especially during the summer. Like Cleveland's a solid summer town to go visit because they do have the lake right there. You can still go hang out there again, the lake makes it a little less tolerable during the winter months. But no, there's Cleveland. Yeah, I'm with you. Cleveland takes on way too much hate.

[Matt Jones]

Bone Thugs in Harmony are there. Like there's a lot of good stuff going on.

[Gabe Neitzel]

All right. I need you to confirm this for me because I got a text from a friend of mine saying that he has driven the entirety of Nebraska solo. Claims it's the worst thing ever, but also said that the entire east of Colorado is just more of Nebraska.

[Matt Jones]

It is. He's right about that. The. Until you get to Denver, it's. Well, if you were to go look at my social media. I was threatened in eastern Colorado in. I think it's like Briggsdale. A man came and he, he had some political flags out front. Maybe I should have known when I got there there was a little bit don't tread on me going on. But he's right. Eastern Colorado is similar. What you can call it 8 8, 8 says ESPN. Worst place to drive in America. Plus we're going to have Herm Edwards on. So hang on through it. We'll deal with all of that. I Cleveland's so much better than these other places, right? It it is countdown to kickoff right here on ESPN Radio. Hey, it's your resident super bowl champ Chris Cannon coming up Monday. The Bears have been huge underachievers this season, but I'll tell you why they have a chance to change how we feel about it. It's unsportsmanlike. 6am Eastern right here on ESPN radio, ESPN2 and ESPN.

[Myron Metcalf]

Thanks for listening to Matt and Myron the Podcast. You can listen to the show live every Sunday morning at 10am Eastern on ESPN Radio, the ESPN app, and on SiriusXM channel 80. Matt and Myron the podcast hey, ESPN subscribers, get even more of the sports and teams you love. You can now stream six months of SiriusXM on us for even more. Live games, sports talk, music and podcast all at your fingertips wherever you go. Score even more with ESPN plus and get six months of the SiriusXM app today. You just need an active ESPN plus subscription. Get all the [e-mail] SiriusXM eligibility and offer details Apply.