GBF- Not Thanksgiving without a Madden

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: GBF- Not Thanksgiving without a Madden Release Date: November 29, 2024

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I. Introduction

In this lively episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz," hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, along with their enthusiastic co-hosts Billy Gill and Chris Gronkowski, delve deep into the world of sports, focusing primarily on football. Recorded from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, the team offers insightful analysis, spirited debates, and their signature humor, ensuring an engaging listen for both avid fans and casual followers.

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II. Thanksgiving Day Football Analysis

The episode kicks off with discussions surrounding the Thanksgiving Day football games, highlighting a particularly contentious Dolphins game. The hosts express their frustration and bewilderment over coaching decisions that significantly impacted the game's outcome.

• Stugotz ([03:12]): "Well, Dolphins games with a family, football. No, no, it was fine."

• Billy Gill ([03:07]): "We ended up just talking for 20 to 30 minutes about baseball gloves and how much they cost now and kind of decided we're just gonna publish a stupidity with that."

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III. Critique of Coach Mike Eber-Flus’s Decisions

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Dolphins' coach Mike Eber-Flus and his questionable decisions during the game, which many believe led to his impending dismissal.

• Billy Gill ([06:40]): "Eber Fluss is going to get fired as a result of that game. Whether it happens today, tomorrow, before next week, that's it."

• Chris Gronkowski ([07:31]): "There was no lesson learned here. That was just utter stupidity. And we cannot learn anything from this."

The hosts dissect Eber-Flus's strategy, particularly his decision to punt on a fourth and two situation, leading to widespread criticism.

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IV. Potential Replacement Coaches Discussed

The conversation shifts to potential candidates who could replace Eber-Flus, debating the merits and challenges associated with each.

• Stugotz ([11:03]): "The Bears are going to get to hire their coach first."

• Billy Gill ([13:00]): "Ben Johnson is like the rumored, like, it guy. I mean, I think the coaching candidates this cycle are Ben Johnson, who has been a hot commodity the past couple years."

• Mike Rollins ([13:09]): "Kevin Stefanski is a two-time coach of the year."

The team evaluates candidates like Ben Johnson, Kevin Stefanski, and Deion Sanders, discussing their suitability and potential impact on the Dolphins.

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V. Dolphins’ Team Performance Analysis

A deep dive into the Dolphins' season reveals critical issues plaguing their performance, from quarterback inconsistencies to offensive and defensive shortcomings.

• Billy Gill ([15:07]): "Satua did not have a bad game. His offensive line was horrendous. Armstead had one of his worst games."

• Stugotz ([18:15]): "Defense was not good. They could run the ball."

The hosts critique the team's reliance on Jonah Smith as the primary receiver, sidelining established stars like Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, and how these decisions have hampered the team's offensive dynamics.

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VI. NFL Team Predictions and Picks

Transitioning to a more interactive segment, the hosts engage in making game predictions and fantasy picks against the spread, infused with their trademark humor and camaraderie.

• Billy Gill ([24:10]): "If you're Ben Johnson and you've turned down so many jobs, you needed the perfect job."

• Mojo ([95:36]): "I'm willing to do whatever upsets Funk the most."

This segment showcases playful rivalries among the hosts, particularly between Mojo and K. Funk, who constantly vie for the top spot in their fantasy league.

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VII. Madden NFL Segment with Mike Madden

A highlight of the episode features an exclusive interview with Mike Madden, son of the legendary coach and video game namesake, John Madden. Mike shares nostalgic anecdotes about the development of the Madden NFL video game series and his father's enduring legacy.

• Mike Madden ([65:30]): "He goes, the game's not crap. Your play calling is crap."

• Stugotz ([84:06]): "When you switch to GEICO and save on your car insurance... Happy Friday."

Mike recounts his childhood experiences with the Madden Cruiser buses, his father's rigorous standards, and the challenges faced during the game's inception.

• Mike Madden ([80:21]): "Dad always started with a run over left tackle."

The segment provides listeners with a behind-the-scenes look at the Madden franchise's origins and its cultural impact on football enthusiasts worldwide.

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VIII. Light-hearted Banter and Guest Interactions

Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in spirited banter, bringing in characters like Gordy, Mojo, Carl Douglas, and Enzo Amore. These interactions add a layer of humor and relatability, making the show entertaining beyond its in-depth sports analysis.

• Enzo Amore ([112:39]): "Mojo is in the Royal Rumble and he's going to be... nobody is going to outlast Mojo in this situation."

• K. Funk ([113:00]): "I cannot do a Purdy, please. What are you talking about?"

These segments highlight the show's dynamic chemistry, ensuring that listeners are entertained while staying informed.

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IX. Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, the hosts summarize their game picks, reflect on the day's discussions, and express excitement for future episodes. The inclusion of Mike Madden adds a heartfelt touch, celebrating the legacy of a football icon while bridging the gap between past and present football culture.

• Stugotz ([130:53]): "Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from everyone here at God Bless Football."

• Mike Madden ([131:15]): "It's a great story. It's a story we're telling, and the people at Amazon have told the story very well."

The episode concludes with festive holiday greetings, ensuring that listeners are left with both laughter and insightful takeaways.

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Notable Quotes:

• "There's no way they're bringing him back." – Billy Gill [06:40]
• "Build the team around him." – Chris Gronkowski [43:17]
• "He is the best ball handler in the NFL." – Chris Gronkowski [56:57]
• "Mojo is the spread master." – Mojo [129:54]

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This episode masterfully blends serious sports discourse with light-hearted humor, ensuring a comprehensive and entertaining experience for all listeners.

Transcript

[Stugatz]

You're listening to DraftKings Network. Stugatz here. I want to thank the folks over at Smirnoff for being a loyal sponsor to both God Bless Football and the Dan Levitar show, which two gods Smirnoff knows there is no I in football. Football is a we thing, an experience that is best enjoyed together with good drinks and good folks. Smirnoff is the world's number one vodka and is an official vodka partner of the NFL. And this year there are more opportunities to watch watch football and make delicious Smirnoff cocktails than ever before over the holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Black Friday and Christmas, Smirnoff and the NFL are with you every step of the way. So this holiday season when you are enjoying the game and your cocktails, please make sure to drink responsibly. Take a minute, make a plan. Never drive Impaired Smirnoff we do game days. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Co. New York, NY please do not share with anyone under legal drinking agency Stugatz here. I want to thank the folks over at Smirnoff for being a loyal sponsor to both God Bless Football and the Dan Levitar show with Stugatz. Smirnoff knows there is no eye in football. Football is a we thing, an experience that is best enjoyed together with good drinks and good folks. Smirnoff is the world's number one vodka and is an official vodka partner of the NFL. And this year there are more opportunities to watch football and make delicious Smirnoff cocktails than ever before over the holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Black Friday and Christmas, Smirnoff and the NFL are with you every step of the so this holiday season when you are enjoying the game and your cocktails, please make sure to drink responsibly. Take a minute, make a plan. Never drive Impaired Smirnoff we do game days. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Co. New York, NY please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age. This episode is brought to you by NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. There's plenty to be thankful for your friends, family and the fact that you can now get NFL Sunday ticket for only $89. So thank yourself this holiday season and watch every game every Sunday when you bundle NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV. Sign up now at YouTube.com SundayTicket offer ends December 2nd. Local and National Games on YouTube TV NFL Sunday Ticket for out of market games excludes digital only games. Terms and embargoes apply.

[Billy Gill]

Being a marketer is no sweat.

[Chris Gronkowski]

You just have to manage dozens of.

[Billy Gill]

Channels, launch hundreds of campaigns, score thousands.

[Stugatz]

Of leads and okay, fine, it's a.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Lot of sweat unless you have HubSpot's.

[Stugatz]

AI powered marketing tools to help you do all that and more.

[Billy Gill]

Get [e-mail] marketers.

[Stugatz]

God bless football. Billy Gill God Bless football.

[Billy Gill]

Mikey A.

[Stugatz]

God bless football. Stugots thank you Mikey A. Guys, how was your Thanksgiving? How'd it go? Billy? Come on guys, it's a fun day.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

You're rough ending for me. Rough ending for me.

[Stugatz]

Why? Why? What happens?

[Billy Gill]

Well, Dolphins games with a family, football. No, no, it was fine. By the way, I was telling you guys before this, we woke up early to do this because we didn't want to have a God bless football episode come out that was going to be totally taped and not address any of the Thanksgiving stuff. So we got together, we talked about it and by the way, we're presented by Smirnoff. We do game days. Please drink responsibly. The Smirnoff Company, New York, New York. So we wanted to react to the Thanksgiving day games, especially since there was a Dolphin game. So we said we're going to get up early and we're going to, you know, record this and we're going to get this out nice and early. So if you're, you know, going around doing your Black Friday shopping, whatever, you have some, you know, some up to date football stuff. And then we'll talk later to Chris Sims and we'll talk to Mike Madden, of course, John Madden's son. Everybody knows that situation. And then we have some picks and Steve Gods and whatever, right? Anyways, the point is what ended up happening is we ended up just talking for 20 to 30 minutes about baseball gloves and how much they cost now and kind of decided we're just gonna, we're just gonna publish a stupidity with that. So at some point, check it out because check it out.

[Stugatz]

Little did I know we were going to cross promote it here on God Bless Football. But I'm grateful we did.

[Billy Gill]

I'm gonna let you know because we didn't do that for nothing. And you're not getting this episode later because nothing. So recently you're getting this later than we were honest because we just were complaining about the price of baseball gloves and baseball bats and then we started going into stories about Jonathan Coachman and ESPN company softball games.

[Stugatz]

So, yes, if you want to hear why the kids are not choosing baseball. Okay, go over to. Because we have all the answers for you right there. Kids are choosing football, they're choosing tennis, they're choosing golf. They're choosing other sports. They are not choosing baseball. And there's a good reason for that.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, well, this. God bless football, though. So we're not going to get into that here. Go over there somewhere. Somewhere in stupidity you could find that. Maybe if we get it out today.

[Stugatz]

Yes, if we get it out today. At roughly 3:15 yesterday on Thanksgiving Day, me, Mikey A and Chris Sims received a text from Billy that read, eber Fluss is a king idiot.

[Billy Gill]

Oh, come on. That's a betrayal. Private conversation.

[Stugatz]

I agree with you. And then it was followed up by Caleb, too.

[Billy Gill]

Can I tell you something?

[Stugatz]

Can I tell you something?

[Billy Gill]

No, it's fine. If you want, you can share the rest of that exchange. But here's the thing, by the way, happy Thanksgiving. I guess I didn't include that in the text, but.

[Stugatz]

No, you did not. I got that after the Dolphin game.

[Billy Gill]

So we don't get into it with Sims here because we recorded with him earlier in the week to preview all the other games this weekend. But he then, like, was making excuses for Caleb, saying, like, oh, he's a rookie. And it's like, no. Yes, he is. But no. Like, time works the same way in college. Time works the same way in high school. Caleb had no idea how much time was left in that game. It was just casually, like, strolling to the line. He had no urgency whatsoever. Like, they should have taken a time out. Eber Fluss is going to get fired as a result of that game. Whether it happens today, tomorrow, before next week, that's it. At the end of the year, it's done. There's no way they're bringing him back.

[Stugatz]

After he defended it.

[Mike Rollins]

He defended it after the game. He said, yeah, I would have done it the same way. I think we did it, right?

[Stugatz]

Yes. How he's trying to make himself look worse.

[Billy Gill]

I have. I have never. Like, I was so confused watching the end of that game because they have the camera on Dan Campbell and the Lions and everyone, and no one's going on the field to say, good game, congratulate each other. Just everyone seemed to be in disbelief. I was looking around and I'm like, looking at the graphics, like, small. I'm like, is there a flag somewhere on this field? Like, what? Why is no One going on the field. This game is over. And now just. No one could believe how dumb that played out at the end.

[Mike Rollins]

Dan Campbell was confused. Dan Campbell was confused.

[Stugatz]

Dan Campbell, who up three points on a fourth and two, punted. Congratulations.

[Billy Gill]

So you were. You were saying earlier this week, Stugott, that the Lions need a loss, right? And this is like, they tried. This could. This could be their loss that they learned something from. I fully believe that that game ended in such a stupid fashion that Dan Campbell, like, is still like, we need a loss because we learned absolutely nothing from that, because that will never happen again. Like, there was no lesson learned here. That was just utter stupidity. And we cannot learn anything from this.

[Stugatz]

He had that game pegged as his loss. They played Green Bay next week. You're right. They don't want to lose that one. That one. That one. They definitely want to win. He had that game pegged as his loss. But when you're going against Mike Eber Fluss, I mean, that's when losses become wins.

[Billy Gill]

What a game.

[Stugatz]

I don't know what I just said, by the way. It was a great game, though. It was.

[Billy Gill]

His name's also Matt, but that's fine.

[Stugatz]

Whatever. Listen, he doesn't deserve for me to know what his first name is. Eber Fluss. Enough defending himself afterwards. How about just come out and say, we made a mistake, I made a mistake. Caleb made mistakes. We all made mistakes. I'm fired.

[Billy Gill]

I won't point any fingers, but just before this, also, Mikey said, when in doubt, just say Mike. So maybe that was stuck in your head.

[Stugatz]

So anyway, the. The text conversation goes on. Billy's right? So Billy says that EBRU Fluss is a idiot.

[Billy Gill]

Private conversation.

[Stugatz]

I know. I said the Lions needed a loss. Then you responded Caleb too. Sims then said to Billy's, I got.

[Billy Gill]

A thumbs down to that comment.

[Stugatz]

It was a thumbs down, right? He's a rookie. Sims did say that. I wrote good loss for the Bears. I love losses. It's weird. Um, Mikey A responded, he's a bus gone the way of Trevor Lawrence.

[Billy Gill]

Did you. Did you see. Did you see, guys, that Keenan Allen did the thing that we were saying earlier this week?

[Stugatz]

What do you do?

[Billy Gill]

We perfectly nailed the person that was going to do it on Monday. And I don't know how we nailed it, but like, I was saying that the Bears needed to come out and say, we're not rallying around Mike, as you called him Eber Fluss. We're not. If we win. It's not that.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[Billy Gill]

And. And we were trying to figure out who it was and you guys said it should be Keenan Allen. So after the game, veteran leader Keenan Allen came out and said players did everything they needed to in that game to win the game.

[Stugatz]

It's like. Well, not exactly.

[Billy Gill]

Not exactly. But he immediately came out and threw his coach under the bus. We called it, nailed the person and everything. It's incredible. I couldn't believe it.

[Stugatz]

He's been around the block a time or two. Of all the things I was.

[Billy Gill]

Of all the things I was thankful for yesterday was nailing that somehow.

[Stugatz]

Listen, it can't be Roma do. It's not going to be DJ Moore and had to be key to that one. Yeah. What you sign him for.

[Billy Gill]

That's crazy.

[Stugatz]

So hold on, hold. Hold on one second. So I just want to ask you guys something because we know the Lions are good. They're very good team. They play the packers next week. It's going to be a great game. I think it's on Thursday night. So we know the Lions are good. We also know that Mike Eberflu is getting. Is gonna get fired at some point this season. That has to be. I would think of the jobs that are going to be available, that has to be the most attractive one, does it? Not easily. Easily.

[Mike Rollins]

I mean, unless there's some surprise like Andy Reed retires. But like, of the jobs that we know are going to be available, it's the Bears and then everybody else. The Bears are going to get to hire their coach first.

[Stugatz]

I agree. Like, yeah, well, the only problem you run into with the Bears is the ownership at times gets in the way of the coach. Meaning they haven't had like a big kind of big name guy with an ego. And head coaches, Mike Ditka, they haven't gone that route in a long time. So we'll see if someone like Ben Johnson wants to coach there or Belichick wants to coach there.

[Billy Gill]

I was going to say Ben Johnson is like the rumored, like, it guy. I mean, I think the coaching candidates this cycle or Ben Johnson who has been like a hot commodity the past couple years, then always decides not to be a head coach for whatever reason. Right.

[Mike Rollins]

So why would he leave? Why would he, like, if.

[Stugatz]

If.

[Mike Rollins]

If you're not dying to have your name on something. Like, you have the perfect job, you have the head guy who's always going to. And all you get to do is play with your offense.

[Stugatz]

But I think Billy's right. Like, no, but Mikey, it's ego, right? Like, you want to be. You want to be the head coach. Why would. Hold on. What? Hold on. Why would Spags leave Andy Reid? Because I think if Spags gets offered another job, he would leave Andy Reid again. Like, why would Josh McDaniels keep leaving Bill Belichick? They think they could be the guy they want to do it. Right.

[Billy Gill]

I think that if you're Ben Johnson and you've turned down so many jobs, you needed the perfect job. And I wonder if this is it because like the hot. The hot coaching commodities this offseason are going to be him variable. And then there's the Belichick of it all, that he's out there. Right. And then, I don't know, I guess you see who else. Yeah, I mean, we'll see, I guess. But yeah, people were talking about how, how that was. That was going to be him for his own job.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, no, he'll be considered. Salah will be considered for some jobs here.

[Billy Gill]

I.

[Enzo Amore]

Bad jobs.

[Stugatz]

Not good jobs. Bad jobs.

[Mike Madden]

Here's.

[Mike Rollins]

Here's a name. Here's a name that might be considered if he gets fired. Kevin Stefanski.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, that one's crazy.

[Stugatz]

He's a two time coach of the year.

[Billy Gill]

That one, that one's crazy to me that like they're going to pin the Browns on him and that he may lose his job as a result.

[Mike Rollins]

Well, if they don't pin it on him, then they have to pin it on themselves and they're not going to do that.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, well, I mean, yeah, but you have a good coach there. Stefanski's record without Deshaun Watson is. He's a two time coach of the year.

[Billy Gill]

I mean, you left Deon off your list. You gots.

[Stugatz]

Oh, Deion too, right? So you have the Dallas job that's going to be open. That game was dreadful yesterday.

[Billy Gill]

I don't know. You don't think McCarthy saved his job yesterday?

[Stugatz]

Come on, you beat Drew Lock. What is Cooper Rush's record? I think he's like 8 and 2 now.

[Billy Gill]

Cooper Rush, that's sneaky. Better than Dak, maybe, question mark.

[Stugatz]

Wait, are the Cowboys back in the mix?

[Billy Gill]

According to them, they are.

[Stugatz]

Really?

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, There's. They said our season's not done yet. Watch out for us.

[Stugatz]

This is exciting for them.

[Billy Gill]

I guess somebody who doesn't.

[Mike Rollins]

Somebody who doesn't watch football at Thanksgiving yesterday was watching that game and they know I do. So they turn and they go, oh, look at this.

[Stugatz]

Andy Dalton.

[Mike Rollins]

And I just didn't have the heart to tell. I'm like, yeah, sure, it's Andy.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Guys I gotta tell you, I mean Dallas is at 5 and 7 and Arizona is at 6 and 6 and they'd be in the wild. They'd be a wild card team today.

[Billy Gill]

I can't say anything because I am, I am also trying to convince myself that a 5 and 7 team is still in the mix.

[Stugatz]

They are. Wait, so The Broncos are 7 and 5, the Dolphins are 5 and 7. Billy, how'd you feel about that? Because all the talk going into the game was the cold weather Dolphins can't play the cold weather Dolphins play poorly in the cold weather until late in the game. And you know when the game was out of reach. Well, well, they had chances, I guess.

[Billy Gill]

Here's the thing, and it sounds crazy but like Satua did not have a bad game. Like he, he had a pretty decent to solid game. He did miss some good, some easy throws. He did overthrow some people. But that, that game was. His offensive line was horrendous.

[Stugatz]

Yep.

[Billy Gill]

Armstead had one of his worst games I've ever seen. He didn't have time to do absolutely anything. The defense didn't want to tackle anyone. They were broken tackles left and right. You fumble, punt at the beginning to start the game, to give them the ball at first and goal. When you held them like that, that game was ugly. And it sounds crazy because I think for the past couple years and I could just be like coping here, but like the past couple years, the narrative has always been TUA is not good enough to get you to where you need to go. And this season, somehow because of injury, because Tyree Tyreek is clearly not well. Right. Like Tyreek Hill is, clearly something is going on there, whether it be his wrist, that he needs surgery on his knee, whatever it is. Like he's not the same because you did not bring in Johnny Smith to be your leading receiver. Like Johnny Smith was brought in to be like a fourth option if there was something there. And the past, the past month, he's been the guy like four to a. He's been the go to person. When in doubt, you go to him and he's led the team in receiving. I feel like. And I'll look it up like three out of the last four games or something. It's insane I think how consistent he's been. He's getting the most targets. He, he's. I mean he's done great for himself and for the Dolphins. But like John New Smith is not supposed to be your number one when you have like two of the top seven highest paid receivers on your team. Like, that's kind of the problem. And Waddle had a great game the last game and he had, he was not great this game. I mean, he had that two point conversion. That was a kind of incredible catch. But there's a problem on this team and I don't know if it's play calling. I don't know. I. I don't know. Defense wasn't good. Again, we talked about the line, but like we've gone from two is not good enough to. This team can't do anything unless 2 is perfect. Which is a problem for the Dolphins because He had like 360 passing yards. I think he was close to like 80% completion percentage. He had two touchdowns, no turnovers. And it wasn't, it wasn't good enough because every time the packers got the ball and look, the packers are just clearly a much better team. Right? But the whole cold thing, it didn't stick to Tua yesterday. Like, he did well in the cold, but the rest of the team played kind of atrociously well.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, defense, they could. Well, no, they could run the ball.

[Mike Rollins]

When did that, when did that start for the Dolphins? Like, the Dolphins used to be able to score from any point on the field, and not just because they would throw it up to Tyreek Hill. They would hand the ball to one of their three backs that run 40 40s and they would just be gone. And now it's like there's no, there's no.

[Stugatz]

They're.

[Mike Rollins]

They're two yards and a cloud of dust running the ball. And it can't be that with guys like Devin H and, and, and Raheem Mostert.

[Billy Gill]

So HN was okay, right? The problem is, is everything is screen passes right now for the Dolphins. You take away the deep threat, then you're also taking away the threat of the run because you're not having them cover anyone deep. So you're, you, you can just play everybody close and they can't find any gaps. They can't make any. They can't, they can't find any holes. They can't do anything right now on offense.

[Stugatz]

Plus they're playing from behind. So, I mean, Tua didn't play well, but didn't really start cranking it up until the second half. Mikey, it's a great point because you remember last year's team, Mostard, who barely plays anymore. Our friend Raheem Mostard, he had 21 touchdowns. He can't even sniff the field. And HN did have a good game last night, but it was all Catches out of the backfield. It was not rushing the ball. They were dreadful rushing the ball. And last year, a lot of the stuff they did, a lot of the run plays they had set up the passing game, and they're just not doing it this year. And so people, that is having a good year. Last seven weeks, he's been great. Jonah Smith. Billy's right. 25 catches, three touchdowns, 300 yards in the last three games. Jonah Smith was not brought here to do that. That's what Tariq Hill's supposed to be doing. That's what Jalen Waddle is supposed to be doing. He is supposed to be complimenting those guys. He's not supposed to be the leader of the. Of the receiving game. And Jonu Smith has turned into that. He's had a great year, but that's not what the Dolphins envision for him.

[Billy Gill]

So last year we were talking about Tyreek Hill getting 2,000 receiving yards. Right. And like, it seemed like a possibility at certain points in the season. He. He is realistically not going to get a thousand this year. That's a major problem when Tyree Kill is not getting a thousand yards for your team.

[Stugatz]

Yep. Or Waddle.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. Anyways, so now I'm sad. Thanks a lot to Guts for bringing that back. You asked me how my Thanksgiving was. Well, you know, look. Jeez. By the way. By the way.

[Stugatz]

And I asked you to do your job and break down the game.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. By the way, still, I mean, Jets. Okay.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. What?

[Billy Gill]

That could be that. That could be a win. Six and seven. Maybe. Maybe you catch the Texans in a dome.

[Stugatz]

This is what we do in week four.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. That could be seven and seven 49ers. We'll see where they are at that point in the season. Let's say maybe you. You get one by the 49. I mean, you get one by the 49ers, you're eight and seven and then you beat the Browns nine and seven and. And then you beat the jets again, 10 and seven. And look at 10 and seven. Not a bad season. You just have to win every single game.

[Stugatz]

Right. With two of them. With two of them in colder weather than what you played in last night.

[Billy Gill]

Well, which ones?

[Stugatz]

Let's see here at Cleveland in December.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. Those last two at Cleveland and at the jets are going to be tough ones. Yeah, you'll beat the Jets. I don't even know if that's the case anymore. Gosh, what a disappointing season. You know the worst part about it, Dennis is going to sound mean. Worst part about it is when we get in there on Monday and Dan's just going to be gloating about that game and how that went. I don't need that on Monday. I don't want to hear it. I go in on Monday. I was right. I was right. It's like, yeah, you're. You're rooting against your hometown, your teams. Congratulations. I agree with you on Thanksgiving.

[Stugatz]

Who wants that from Levitard on Monday?

[Billy Gill]

On Monday. Geez.

[Stugatz]

How you feeling?

[Billy Gill]

Sniffles how am I feeling?

[Stugatz]

I'm just trying to get you out of Monday.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, I saw where you were going with it.

[Stugatz]

Ah, thank you, Mike.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, so I had. I. So I. I was feeling good, and I had a bit of a little resurgence health wise, where I was like, okay, I'm good. So I stopped taking, like, the Mucinex D them, and now it's slightly coming back a little bit. So I have two options here. I can either continue to take the medicine and get well, or I could just stop taking the medicine and get really sick for Monday. What do you think?

[Stugatz]

Stop taking the medicine.

[Billy Gill]

I just have a really sick day. Okay. I might be considering this.

[Stugatz]

I mean, I take a really sick day over dealing with Lebatard.

[Billy Gill]

I mean, just. I mean, at that point too, it's like, forget about the Monday hangover, guys. Let's move on. You know, the game happened like six days ago almost. We're on to, you know, the jets game here.

[Stugatz]

How about God bless football, though? Mikey's right. You have the Monday hangover. You have to. You want to start feeling bad after that, like, towards the end of recording.

[Billy Gill]

Who do we have on Sunday? I mean, maybe. Maybe I just sit this one out, you know, Sunday night game. Yeah. Who do we have this week? Let's see here. Who's the big. Who the big Sunday matchups? Oh, Cleveland, Denver. We don't know that's Monday. Oh, 49ers bills. We got to talk about that one.

[Stugatz]

Well, I think the Bills are going to blow them out.

[Billy Gill]

Can't be sick, I guess. Eagles. Ooh, Eagles. Ravens. Hello.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. That's on Sunday.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, I'm seeing. That was a 4:00 game. That's a good 4:00 game. Oh, Cardinals and Vikings. Rollis brother's gonna have to step it up. It's time to get off the pot with that guy. Am I right?

[Stugatz]

Yep. Talane was knocked out of the playoff yesterday. Got some more games today. I think Colorado plays today. So Tulane was. I mean, Billy, they had a chance to make the playoff. They lost that game.

[Billy Gill]

So come on.

[Stugatz]

I just wanted to bring it up. It is a God bless football show. Why did I bring it up? I have no idea. It's Thanksgiving. Friday. Me, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving. Okay. Oh, I'm joking, Billy. I think the Dolphins are gonna make the playoffs. I will stay entrenched with either the Dolphins.

[Billy Gill]

You do not think that. And neither do doing it for un.

[Stugatz]

Because I don't want you to not be it on Monday. I don't want to deal with Levitar by myself.

[Billy Gill]

Talk to Chris Sims.

[Stugatz]

Let's talk to Chris Sims. We have Mike Madden too, because by.

[Billy Gill]

The way, Thanksgiving weekend and you can't.

[Stugatz]

Do it without a Madden.

[Billy Gill]

Let me say this because you're gonna hear about this and quote, spoiler alert. Okay. I thought that we had something special with Mike Madden and the Madden Cruiser. And here we are finding out the guy is just renting it out like it was some brothel that's going around town. It's there and it's on the Sunday night game or Thursday night game, whatever. Then we see commercials. Bill Belichick's going to be on it at some point in time. Like everyone can get on this Madden Cruiser. I thought this was a special thing we were going to have with him and I don't feel that way anymore.

[Stugatz]

You're upset with Madden Thanksgiving weekend?

[Billy Gill]

Well, it's just because the results of the game. Had the game gone differently, it probably would have been fine. And now I'm hearing rumblings. The kids are up. I lost my quiet for the day. Probably my fault because I've been making a lot of noise. But listen, I'm gonna hear from my wife that I was making too much noise and that's why they're awake and it's just now the day's started.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, but you'll have.

[Billy Gill]

I need to just make up things that I need to go out to the store to buy. Honestly, just rather just go out in the crowd and be left alone. The peace and quiet of the thousands of people rushing to get a toaster for $8 or whatever.

[Stugatz]

But listen, your very sick Monday is right around the corner, so.

[Billy Gill]

I know, but we just talked about how I can't be.

[Stugatz]

Well, I asked you not to. I mean, you could still do. I'll be upset with you, but you could still do it if you want.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, okay.

[Stugatz]

Maybe I'll get sick too.

[Billy Gill]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, no, no, I'm taking my medicine and you are not getting sick. Let's just. You can't get sick talking to me over zoom. Let's just dispel that right now. Let's put an end to that. Because I see where this is going. This is where this is going. As I stop taking my medicine, I get sick. I go in anyways. You're like, I'm sick. That's just me and Mikey on Monday. Like, what are we doing now? Hey, let's check in with Lucy. Hey, Lucy, where are you this weekend? Want to do 45 minutes instead of 10?

[Mike Rollins]

How many top 5 lists does Fuentes get?

[Billy Gill]

Oh, my Lord. Yeah, that's the thing. We won't get him to shut up.

[Stugatz]

Dream if we didn't show up.

[Billy Gill]

This is so mean. If anyone actually listens to this episode, should we talk to Chris Sims?

[Stugatz]

Yeah, let's throw it to Chris Sims. And a reminder that if you want. If you want to listen to an episode about what's wrong with baseball, you.

[Billy Gill]

Could do so over at some point in time when we get to it. Oh, by the way, if you want to compete against in Fantasy, go to DKNG Co Smearnoff $3 buy and compete against us. Lert actually was texting us. He texted me and Cynthia. He's like, how do I sign up for this? Get me in on this week. So he may be involved this week.

[Stugatz]

There's no way.

[Billy Gill]

And if he wins, God help us.

[Stugatz]

That we're off Monday. Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Okay. All right. Chris Sims. Breaking down the entire upcoming weekend in the NFL. A little bit of college as well. Chris Sims. Next.

[Gordy]

Ah, DraftKings sportsbook.

[Stugatz]

Be getting some holiday shopping done this weekend. Will pick up some touchdowns.

[Gordy]

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[Stugatz]

Gambling problem.

[Billy Gill]

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[Chris Gronkowski]

Just take your time. Any day now. Yeah, just keep walking around the studio. Let's go. Let's go.

[Stugatz]

Why are you lashing out, Sims? I mean, it's Thanksgiving, man.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, not yet. It's not Thanksgiving till tomorrow. Until now. It's still a work day.

[Stugatz]

I know, but we're supposed to. I mean, this time of year, we're supposed to be kind to one another other, you know, tell everyone how grateful we are for each other.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. What do you think? Before Chrissy?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Exactly. Yep. Be kind and be on time. Ready? Let's go. Let's go. I'm ready. Let's go. What's up? Where? Billy's at the office today.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Look at that, man. He's actually working today, huh?

[Stugatz]

Yes.

[Billy Gill]

I. I was listening to your pod from Sunday the other day, and I may be misrepresenting this, so. So if I am, tell me. But, but it seems like you were. You. You haven't really actually been that high on Washington. You kind of feel like this is what you've been expecting to happen for some time now.

[Chris Gronkowski]

That, that. That's fair. That is fair. Yeah. I. I don't. I. I think Washington, I've been more pleasantly surprised by their football team rather than just like, oh, I'm. Wow, I'm super impressed. Of course, I'm impressed by Jaden Daniels or what he's doing there. And. And so. And saw some early season wrinkles in the Cliff Kingsbury offense that I liked. But I do think we've gotten to a point here, one where, okay, the talent isn't super awesome there, and we know they're kind of rebuilding. And then two, on top of that, I'm starting to worry about, like, we're seeing the last few weeks, they can't find completions past five and six yards down the football field. And this is the things that have happened in Cliff Kingsbury almost every year of his career coaching in the NFL. It's. Once people start to get a book or they see a defense defend them, they start to go, oh, they do this when they do that. So there's issues there. The talent at receiver, Terry McCloran's real good, right? But I don't think he's superstar good. And then the rest of the cast is just solid. The running backs are beat up a little bit. The defense is not super talented. I will not be Surprised if the Tennessee Titans upset them this week. That's what I would tell you. I think it's the Tennessee Titans D. I expect them to be all over Washington's offense. And the Titans offense has become maybe not consistent, but it's explosive. Every game, we're seeing four or five WoW plays. Yeah. I actually picked the Titans to win in the upset.

[Billy Gill]

So I have to apologize to the audience and to Chris and to Mikey and just two guys, because, like, I. I feel like I took it to football way too early. Like, it's Thanksgiving week. We have lots to talk about. And I just jumped in with a question about the commanders.

[Stugatz]

Well, I mean, Sims was ripping you and talking about working from home, and he wanted to get away from it, so he went. He was ripping you, though, right? Sims knows that.

[Chris Gronkowski]

He'S ripping you because I got the line of. Oh, yeah. We don't know where Stu Gotz is. He's around the studio somewhere.

[Stugatz]

We're just.

[Chris Gronkowski]

We're trying to find him.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. So, Billy, you're upset with yourself for taking it to football.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Seriously, Billy. What a meathead you are. You got to care about people a little bit, right?

[Billy Gill]

Too quickly. We haven't even gone around the table to say what we're thankful for. Chris, what are you thankful for on this show? Specifically, who are we thankful for? Maybe whose name start with the letter B? Something.

[Chris Gronkowski]

No, I'm. I'm. I'm thankful for. I am thankful for you guys. I have a lot of fun on here. Every week, you guys team me up the right way. We have good conversations. I am. I enjoy doing this, you know, I really do. I like to complain about it every now and then or give you a hard time, but. But I do.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'm thankful for a lot of things. Life is good. I'm thankful for the College Football Playoff this year. That's good. I'm thankful that Texas. Texas A and M is back on in a thing this weekend. That's going to be great. But life in general, I'm thankful for now.

[Billy Gill]

We were very excited about the Sims Thanksgiving football game.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. But Phil's not gonna be there.

[Billy Gill]

I was gonna say I received some devastating news this morning.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Me, too.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. Apparently your dad is a big shot and will not be present for this game.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, seriously. Seriously. Like, I. I didn't realize it either. He came over my house last weekend and he was like, oh, yeah, I'm going to. I'm going to the game in. In Dallas. But I think he's announcing it on the radio. With Bob Papa and Carl Bank. So he's doing that. But yeah, I was disappointed, but I could tell you that he was not the slightest bit disappointed. He seemed very happy that he was going to be with us on Thanksgiving and that he was going to that game. So yeah, it was like one of those where he left. Like me and the wife were like, was it me or did he seem like he was really happy he wasn't going to be with us on Thanksgiving? Christopher, I'm going to Dallas.

[Billy Gill]

So, Chris, we spoke to John Madden's son yet yesterday and he was telling us kind of like the same thing, like, so Thanksgiving must have been like weird and like Christmas not have your dad. I was like, no, we don't want dad around. We knew that if dad was around it was going to be a bad time because he's going to be upset because his team was eliminated or whatever. Like if we saw dad on TV or dad was missing on Thanksgiving or Christmas, we knew it was going to be a good day.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, well, there's, there's some, there's some truth to that. I would rather have my dad there. I would. But I would say the house can maybe be a little looser and more fun without dad there.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[Chris Gronkowski]

My mom might won't feel the pressure a little bit, you know, and maybe even my, my wife, because my wife does a lot of the cooking. And then like he'll also be like the drink police a little bit too. Like, oh man, you're having another drink.

[Stugatz]

Oh geez.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Hey, watch. How many drinks have you had so far? So it's all like, yeah, hey, dad off, it's Thanksgiving. I'm going to do what I want.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, but he doesn't want you guys drinking and driving. He cares about you. I mean.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, well, we're not going to. That doesn't matter. And you know, and then most of the time he's not there until the end of the night anyways. So then he's like playing police once he gets there.

[Stugatz]

Does he actually say stuff when he walks in or is it just him standing over people and you could just feel his presence like.

[Chris Gronkowski]

No, no, he'll, he'll say stuff, he'll say like just kind of the things I've, I've said just right there, you know, you know, coming in the house like usually because, hey, he was doing the CBS shows, right? The past few years. He come. Oh man, I'm exhausted. Ah, you know, you sit on the couch. We've usually had maybe a Thanksgiving dinner already. He's just going to get like the leftovers depending on the year and the schedule and how it all shakes out. But yeah, that's big Phil. That's the way he is.

[Billy Gill]

And it's just a burden getting there. He's there. He's tired, doesn't like the food once.

[Stugatz]

He'S there, he's directing track.

[Billy Gill]

Everybody's apparently.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, right.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, exactly. Right.

[Stugatz]

Chris, another.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, he doesn't have to go outside and play quarterback this year, so he's good.

[Stugatz]

So how does the game work? You're still going to play the game, right?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Oh, yeah, we're going to. We're hoping to still play the game, like I always tell you. I just hope my, you know, the rest of my family shows up before it gets. It's dark. But, yeah, I think we're gonna get it done. The thing we're worried about a little tomorrow here in the northeast is it's supposed to rain, like torrential downfall, like downpour. So if it's like that, I don't know what.

[Stugatz]

But you'll play in that, right?

[Chris Gronkowski]

I would. I would. I definitely.

[Stugatz]

Right. But the kids.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I don't. Yeah, exactly. As long as there's no lightning. That's football weather. I'm down for that. I will. I just gonna have to bring a change of clothes. That'll do.

[Stugatz]

What if it's pouring rain and the kids are like, hey, we don't want to go outside. We don't want to play football? What are you going to say?

[Chris Gronkowski]

I. I'll. I'll listen. I don't think any of the psycho kids in our family are going to say that. I think they're all going to be like, yeah, let's go out and get muddy and go out there. So we're, We're. We're a full set, like, you know, family of psychos that way.

[Stugatz]

Okay.

[Chris Gronkowski]

But if it does go that way, it'll probably be me playing knee football in the family room with all the kids, right? Where they all just, like, try to crush me and drive me into the ground and some me versus the six, you know, nieces and nephews I have in a football game in the. In the family room.

[Stugatz]

That seems like more fun for the kids. I'm just saying.

[Chris Gronkowski]

It might. It might be.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. They.

[Chris Gronkowski]

They certainly like to take their shots on me, that's for sure.

[Stugatz]

PFT with Mike Florio every day on Peacock, the unbuttoned podcast. Football night in America as well. Chris. I thought Caleb Williams played his best game of the year last week. What do you think?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, I mean I think he's put a, put together a few good games here in a row. But certainly, you know, last week, yes, there was some impressive last week there was and I say this about him a lot. I mean some draw jaw dropping plays. Again, that's why I'm not giving up on Caleb Williams. I know you could argue Jaden Daniels and Bo Nicks have looked better to him than him to this point. More, maybe more consistent. But I think we also know there's more issues there totality wise in Chicago than there is in the other two places. But you, you see some of the plays he makes, whether it's some of the escapes out of the pocket. Again, he moves like he's a third down running back or a slot receiver with how he can shake and break people's ankles and do all that. Let alone he made three or four throws in that game. Again, I would say only the greatest in the sport can do it. He is phenomenal that way. So yeah, I'm, I certainly see a lot of positive with Caleb and yeah, it was a shame they lost last week. Two heartbreakers in a row last week, the last two weeks between the Vikings and the Packers.

[Stugatz]

What'd you make of the Vikings signing Dale Daniel Jones?

[Chris Gronkowski]

I think that was a brilliant move by both parts there. Yes. Yeah, well, I think this is okay, the Vikings, you know, Nick Mullins, I don't know if I'd put him in the trust tree to go, wow, if Sam Darnold goes down. Well, you know we're good with Nick Mullins. I mean we saw that last year. They weren't good with Nick Mullens. So we know what that is. Daniel Jones is certainly an upgrade in that department. He gives himself some wiggle room as far as being on the practice squad if something else comes about. But the biggest thing for Daniel Jones and I had a lot of people say, well he could go somewhere and be a starter here. If he goes to some team and is a starter and looks like crap again, it might be the end of Daniel Jones. He needs to go best placed, rehabilitate career, big picture, who's going to set me up to get me back on the right track, coaching wise, people around me, talent wise, all that. And I think Minnesota, Detroit and San Francisco all made the most sense for Daniel Jones. I know they were all in the mix for Daniel Jones there as well. So I don't think he could have gotten wrong with either of those three.

[Stugatz]

Really. I'm with you. He needs to do What Sam Darnold just did.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Exactly.

[Stugatz]

Yes.

[Chris Gronkowski]

People are like, well, why doesn't he go to the Vegas Raiders and become the starter? Why? So he can go get his ass beat, right? And throw an interception at all the haters and go, look, why would they sign him? He sucks. Would they do that for. That does nobody any good. So, yeah, you gotta. Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield type of thing. Whatever. Exactly. Right.

[Stugatz]

You know, the Vikings, it's so interesting with their, with their. I. I don't want to call it a problem at quarterback, but teams nowadays want to have the guy in the rookie contract. They drafted a rookie at J.J. mcCarthy. Sam Donald's played so well. You tell Okada loves him, right? And so I'm like, how far does Sam have to go before the Vikings say to themselves, you know what? We got to bring him back next year. We can't let another team sign this guy that we developed and turned into a good quarterback.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I think it's got to be pretty far. I do. I think it's got to be, you know, something like he. He started off the year playing really good football. He went through a stretch where we went, man. There's mistakes, there's sacks, there's holding the ball too long. The last few weeks is. Last two weeks has gotten a little bit better again. I do think he's got a they and he have to finish strong for that to happen. Right. Again, It's a top 10 pick. They pick somebody they obviously believe in and they think he's got, you know, a great future. And I. I don't disagree with that, but I think that's also, you know, somewhat of the beauty with Daniel Jones there. He can go, wait, I can. Maybe they'll keep me. I stay here after the year. I'll be the backup to J.J. mcCarthy. He's young. Who knows what happens next year. And maybe I get in there and then I look good and I can rehabilitate my career. But I think Sam Darnold is going to have to knock it out of the park and maybe win, at least win one game, maybe win two for them to really put the pressure on a guy that we know in that region. Like, everybody likes J.J. mcCarthy. He's a Michigan guy. To supplant him, I think it'll take something like that.

[Stugatz]

Stugots like the NFC championship game, they make it hard on Donald after that.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, right, right. I think so.

[Stugatz]

Going to be interesting. What are you seeing at a CJ Stroud this year that is different from last year?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Well, like here's the biggest thing. First off, we all have to stop blaming C.J. stroud. Every channel I turn out at C.J. stroud. At C.J. stroud. @ C.J. stroud. A C.J. and I get it. It's not as good, but you heard me say last week, it's institutional there right now. He didn't go from being, like, some good decision maker who can dot the eye from 70 yards away with his great right arm and accuracy. And all of a sudden, like, oh, I can't figure out how to throw the ball or find an open receiver. Hey, this just in. Nobody's open. They can't protect. Yeah, there's issues. I mean, that's the biggest problem. Now, I know he isn't perfect, but I think it's more of a ripple effect of, like, every time he drops back. Now he's got people in his face. You guys have heard me explain the protection issues they have not only schematically, but man to man on the interior part of their. Their defense. And I think that's causing him to. Oh, man, am I gonna have enough time. Let me get. Throw the ball real quick. The first interception of the game last week was that it was a real quick short route. But I think he was like, I got to get it out quick. And he threw it so quick. The guy didn't break, break any misled miss, or led him the wrong direction. You know, the other play, interception he had in the football game, I know it wasn't great, but again, he made a guy miss. He had a move in the pocket. He's about to get crushed. And he tried to loft the ball over the linebacker, and the linebacker made a good play. But it's. It's offensively, they're not coaching him the right way. He doesn't know when and where he's protected. Because they run an offense that says, oh, just let the center do it. He'll figure it out. Oh, what if the center doesn't figure it out? Oh, what if the center's wrong? So I think all those things, and C.J. stroud's peeking over his back, shoulder, whatever, going, wait, who's coming free? I don't know where's. Where do I trust my center that he got this right? And if he did get it right, I don't know if we can block anyways, so. So I think there's a lot of things there in Houston. Stugotts.

[Stugatz]

Another interesting thing that's happened here over the last few weeks is Bryce Young has looked decent. Chris Like. Like there might be a future in Carolina for Bryce Young, which I think we wouldn't say that. I don't know, four or five weeks ago, but the last three weeks, I don't want to say he's been great, but he's been good.

[Chris Gronkowski]

He's been good. I. Exactly right. He's a starting quarterback is what he's shown. Right. That's the biggest thing. Yeah, I mean, we were. We were saying, you know, seven weeks ago, like, no way he can't do it right again. I think you see another evidence in you can bench a rookie quarterback and he can come back. Or a young quarterback, just like Anthony Richardson.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Who's had good moments. You can do that. Like, we got into this soft, sensitive, like, moment or decade here of like, oh, you can't hurt his feelings. Like, we grew up in an era where every quarterback got benched when they were young.

[Stugatz]

Yes.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Phil Sims, you name it. They got bench Roy Aikman. I mean, that's the way it was.

[Stugatz]

Not only did they get.

[Chris Gronkowski]

You get another chance, go out and play again.

[Stugatz]

Not only did they get benched, they didn't have to be good right away. I mean, some of them just sat on the bench until they were ready.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Exactly. So it's. It's not easy. And it's not easy when you are a Bryce Young. You go to a place like Carolina. One, you're not as good as maybe everybody touted you to be in the draft, and then two, you go to a team that's not very good at all. So like we always talk about, that's a tough situation, but he's just looking good. And hopefully this offseason now they can spend the money around him to make him look good. He. He, to me, has to be in a TUA offense. It has to be that that's where he's good. He's not stand in the pocket, throw lasers and. And rifles down the field. He is like, hey, get it out here, get it out here. Hey, move in the pocket. Boom, over the middle. That's what he is. He's a point guard. He just gets the ball out to the playmakers in space and lets them go. I think that's how they have to formulate that offense around him going forward.

[Billy Gill]

I think the thing that's different about him and it just kind of. Not even. It doesn't really speak to him, but it speaks more towards, like, the disorganization of the Carolina Panthers is he's only starting because Andy Dalton got in a car accident.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

Like, they wrote him off, and now he's back and he's doing well, and it just seems like they don't know what they're doing with him. And had Andy Dalton not crashed his car, he wouldn't have gotten this shot this season.

[Stugatz]

But I will say this, Billy. Chris, I wonder if you agree with this. I will say this. Whatever they were doing with Bryce Young while Andy Dalton was starting, they did something because he looks like a more competent, more confident quarterback out on the field.

[Chris Gronkowski]

So, yeah, he definitely does. And what they did behind the scenes, I don't know. And, Billy, I think at some point they would have gone back to Bryce Young no matter what. I think the Andy Dalton car accident, all that probably expedited the process, but they had to give him one more shot here. They had to see what he had. They couldn't go into the off season going, we're not going to see him again. And then we're. Oh, yeah, we just. He'll be better next year. He'll.

[Stugatz]

He'll.

[Chris Gronkowski]

We'll just. Yeah, he will. Why? Why? Why will he better? I don't know. Because he will. No, they had to see some of this right here at some point, and I think it would have gone this way no matter what. And now I think he's done enough, and hopefully he can do enough here that's starting to be positive, consistently good. Like, you're saying Stu Gods to where, you know, hopefully he can impress them to make sure he's the starting quarterback there next year. And, you know, beyond that.

[Billy Gill]

Well, they also have time with him.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[Billy Gill]

So, like, even if you don't think that this is the greatest quarterback class and you don't see your quarterback of the future, you have times before you have to sign him to his fifth year, of course. So, like, you can just say, you know what, let's give him another year. And then after next year, we really have to make a decision on him. Like, he could be good enough.

[Stugatz]

Oh, he's getting next year, though.

[Billy Gill]

No, I know, but they're not a quarterback away. The Carolina Panthers. Panthers are not their quarterback away. So they. They can afford to have another year with him and see if it works out or not. And also, like, then you save yourself from going in that same loop of over and over again just getting a quarterback. This is the guy they wanted, so this wouldn't be the situation, but where they're picking. They then have to settle for drafting a quarterback who they may not be in love With. And then just do this all over again for no reason.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, no. Build around your build around. If you. You believed in him and it's what you thought was the right thing to do, he's showing some positive signs. If he continues to show positive things here towards the end of the year and do all that, you stick with him. I'm so sick of the NFL and especially college football. It's just everything's on the quarterback all the time. I mean, again, like you said, they're not a quarterback away. They didn't look that much better with Andy Dalton. It wasn't like, oh, my gosh, look at them. They're world beaters now. Andy Dalton's in.

[Stugatz]

Holy crap.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yep. I changed the. I mean, it was just a little bit better than it was with Bryce Young. And now Bryce Young's come in and shown you. Yeah. Build the team around him. Let's see where it goes. I mean, how many times do we gotta. How many guys on the NFL right now do we have that story? Oh, on crappy team, you didn't build the team around him, and now he's on new team that has a good team, and we go, oh, what did the last team do? Why did they do that? He's good. He's a starting quarterback. I mean, what is there, like, eight or 10 of those stories right now?

[Stugatz]

Sounds like Sam Darnold. I mean, mean, Right.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Sounds like Baker Mayfield. Sounds like Gino Smith. Right. I mean, you know, we can just keep on going down the right. Oh, Russell Wilson.

[Stugatz]

Right?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yep. Okay. Lord. Exactly. Aaron Rogers.

[Stugatz]

Well, no, but back to your earlier point. Aaron Rogers sat behind Brett Farm for, like, two years, man.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I mean, again, sit. Whatever, play get benched, all of that. If you're an NFL quarterback, you should be mentally tough to handle all those type of situations and succeed. And if you don't, then this just in. You ain't an NFL quarterback. So get your ass on the bench, Sims.

[Mike Rollins]

I feel like we were waiting every week for the 49ers to, like, show up and then be the team that they have been for.

[Stugatz]

For.

[Mike Rollins]

For years. And now we're looking at it. They're five and six. They just came off, like, a really bad loss. Like, is this kind of who they are this year, or is there still a switch that we might see?

[Chris Gronkowski]

No, I. We're at the time of the year is you are who you are. There's maybe a. Like, there's a few teams where I'd go, maybe this team like Denver. Right. It was a Rookie quarterback, some struggles earlier, but they're a little bit better than they are who they are. Right. I think there's. They're a team that's on the rise. The Green Bay Packers. They're eight and three. They're eight and three with the. With B minus quarterback play to this point. They're a team where I've seen moments of. At their best, like last week, where I go, ooh, that's as good as anybody in football. That's as good as Detroit or Philadelphia or whoever you want to mention and put in the conversation. No, the 49ers. I'm a little with you and Mike ea that. That they are who they are. Right. I just think it's all. It's a myriad, a collage of things of like, hey, lots of long seasons, getting towards the top of Mount Everest and never getting the payoff. That's exhausting. And they've done it, what, four out of five years, three out of four years, kind of get there to that point, Super Bowl, NFC Championship game and can't get over the hump. They're a physical football team that's played a lot of games over the last few years. You know, the winning the super bowl, hey, that gives you a little payoff and energy at the. In the off season when you lose it. And I know this the case in there in San Francisco, they were devastated last year. It took them a long time to get over that. Then we went to Brandon Iuk drama and all that kind of crap to go along with it in the off season. And yeah, this is. This is a year where Purdy's play has been a little bit all over the place. They haven't been able to run the ball. They have injuries everywhere. You know, I know my man Shanahan is not going to make excuses, but when you're missing Javon Hargrave and Dre Greenlaw and Hufanga and Brandon Iuk and other guys have been in and out of the lineup all year long. I don't care who you are, it's going to affect you. Yeah, they are who they are. Mikey. You said it right? And I don't expect them to win in Buffalo this weekend.

[Stugatz]

Chris, I'll tell you what. Purdy not being there last week and seeing how that team looked offensively made Purdy more valuable in my eyes.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, well, I mean, I think there's something to that. That was a tough spot. I mean, a guy that's barely played ever in the NFL has to go up to Green Bay who's super talented, who's sick of bitten getting beat by the 49ers. Right, right. And so they were a motivated football team. That was a bad matchup. But yeah, of course, if Purdy played last week, I certainly think that game would have been a whole different story and a lot more competitive than it was.

[Stugatz]

Is Saquon Barkley your mvp?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Well, it's Saquon Lamar or Josh Allen?

[Mike Madden]

Josh Allen.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'd probably still go Lamar right now, but it's close. Saquon Saquon. Before the year, I picked him to be offensive player of the year, but he keeps doing what he's doing. And again, I saw that smile.

[Stugatz]

You're proud of that prediction, aren't you? I saw the smile on your face.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'm proud of Saquon in general. I'm a huge Saquon fan personally and as a player. And like I've said to you guys, I think I've said it to you guys, like, Saquon Barkley is a first ballot hall of Famer type talent, and he got stuck on a crap team at the start of his career and now everybody's starting to see what he's capable of when he has a little support around him, which is like, oh, it's the best running back in football and it's not close. That's what it is. He is special. So, yeah, it's amazing and he's definitely in that conversation. And I don't think the stats are going to fall off a whole lot here as we go forward.

[Stugatz]

What do you make of Aaron saying he wants to stay with the jets if he comes back next year?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Well, what options does he have? And you know, it's a. The has hit the fan seven times there, so he's trying to, you know, he doesn't want to piss off the fan base. If there's one place that I have him back, it might be the Jets. I mean, Aaron Rodgers reputation around the league is not like, oh, we want Aaron and we want to deal with all that comes along with dealing with Aaron. No negative Ghost Rider, Right? So we'll see where this goes. It's going to be out to be a, an interesting situation, whether they want him back, who they hire at head coach. And like I said, I think it's going to have to be a perfect situation somewhere else too. Like I've told you, I don't care who you talk to in the NFL. I mean, no matter what, if Aaron Rogers comes up, everybody goes, ugh, oh, oh, man. You know and everybody's got an Aaron Rodgers story right now, so his rep around the NFL is not really good. He might need Bill Belichick to come in and save him somewhere.

[Stugatz]

PFD with Mike Florio every day on Peacock the Unbutton podcast. Football night in America. Chris, if I gave you the opportunity, with the obvious goal of winning a Super bowl, to go coach one of these two teams, which team would you feel like would give you the better shot of winning the Super Bowl? The Eagles or the Lions?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Oh.

[Stugatz]

Because I'm gonna go, oh, wow. I would take.

[Chris Gronkowski]

But it's not. It's not easy there. That's. You know, that's like, you're making me pick one that's just like, damn, you got to pick a, you know, an emerald or a ruby. It's like, right? I think. I think they're the two best teams in the game right now. They're a little different in that the Lions are schematically do a lot. Philadelphia is a little bit like, we do a little, but we do it really good, and we're so damn good, it doesn't matter. I mean, the runs you saw Saquon Barkley run last week, I mean, that's the run they run every play. They don't even change it up. I mean, that's where I try to, Like, Detroit's team is super talented. They're not as talented as Philadelphia, but their coaching and creativity make up for that. And I think that's where it is. And again, I'm not saying, like, Philadelphia is so much more talent than Detroit. We're talking close stuff here. But as I try to explain to people, and I said this on football night in America last week, right? Like, Philadelphia, I don't know if people really realize it. It's. It's arguably the two best tackles on any team in football. It's arguably the two best guards in any team in football. It's a top 10 quarterback. It's probably the best duo at receiver you're going to find in football. It's the best running back in football. It's the best D line and bevy of pass rushers in football. And the secondary continues to get better and better. And, oh, yeah, the linebacker play ain't that bad either. That's how stacked the Eagles are. The Eagles, like, I Even like Devin McCourty who does the show, you know, he's like, man, the offense. I didn't. Because he studied them a little more last week. Because you're there. It's simple, and it's not really like high level quarterback play. And I was like, yeah, I know. I've been trying to tell everybody this type of stuff. They've run like very limited plays. It's just they don't, they do it well, they execute. And when Hertz doesn't make a mistake, they're, they're almost impossible to beat. And so, yeah, I'll take the Lions, but it's, it's a close one, man.

[Billy Gill]

Chris, I don't know if you're aware of this, but you, you ran into some angry Dolphins fans this week after you did a segment called Hot Tua where you were praising Tua and you said how great Tua has looked over the past couple weeks. And the reason that they were upset with you is honestly because you could never win with Dolphins fans. You personally, Dolphins fans, but you.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Thank you for keeping it real there.

[Billy Gill]

Yes, you, you were praising, you were praising Tua, but how dare you. Well, this is the, this is the part where they had an issue with Chris Sims. And what he said, Stugotts, is that he referred to him as my guy Tua, and they absolutely did not like the idea of Chris Sims referring to Tua as his guy. After all these years of you not being Tua's guy.

[Stugatz]

I side with Dolphin fans now.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah, that's fine. That's. That's fine. I, like I was saying it and hey, he's doing a lot of positive things. I'm happy for him. As I've always told you, it's nothing against him. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't point out some of the flaws and the issues and whatever else at times. And I think they're pretty well justified and damn pretty on the spot. Chris Sims, way to go, Chris. So other than that. But yes, the way he's playing, dealing with the injury and having to readjust his play, I give him credit. And he does a lot of good things for their football team. Obviously. We see that. Right? So, yeah, there's, I'm not going to hate on him that way. They're playing good football and he's a, he is a magician with the football and he's a point guard and how he gets it out and all that. Now whether that can win when we really need to win in that style, we'll see here shortly. But yeah, I would just trying to give a guy some love. And hey, I am an ex quarterback just like him. He is a lefty ex quarterback just like me. We're lefties, so I don't know why it came out of my mouth, but I was just trying to say it in a friendly way and you know, shut up, Dolphin fans.

[Billy Gill]

I believe that you said he's the best ball handler in the NFL.

[Stugatz]

He is.

[Chris Gronkowski]

He's the best ball handler in the NFL and I give him a ton of credit for that. He is because his, his attention to detail on play action fakes and the way he does certain things, it's. It's as good as there is. There's nobody better in football actually in that department. And those are, that's important in that offense.

[Stugatz]

It's.

[Chris Gronkowski]

They. They're all looking for, hey, we just want to get one guy to take one wrong step so we can just, boom, thread the needle in there five, six yards down the field and then can run and make something happen. And he's really damn good at that.

[Stugatz]

It seems like the only issue was calling him your guy.

[Billy Gill]

That was the only issue. That was the main issue.

[Stugatz]

The praise is fine, but did you see that loose.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'll slander him more.

[Stugatz]

Did you, did you notice the loose connection Sims tried to make? Hey, we're both left handed.

[Chris Gronkowski]

He's my guy. Did you like my hot tua. My like my line.

[Billy Gill]

I caught that thought you were being a sneaky boy saying hot to on football night in America.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Thank you.

[Stugatz]

You're nervous about Texas this weekend.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I am, definitely. It's a tough place to play. It's the hardest place to play I ever played in my life.

[Stugatz]

Really?

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah. That's the loudest stadium on planet earth, in my opinion.

[Stugatz]

Wow.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yep. And it's of course they're going to be foaming at the mouth. They know what's at stake for Texas. Texas wins this game, we're in the College Football Playoff. It doesn't even matter what happens in the SEC championship game. They play some good defense though, in A and M. And what I do worry about is Texas can't run the ball real well. And when like Georgia, Georgia basically played too deep and said, we don't think you can run the ball even if we play too deep. And then that took away passes down the field. And you're seeing teams do that to Texas a little here as of late. Just going, fine, we'll let you run for three and four. We don't care. We're just not going to let yours throw the ball with these crazy Sarkeesian passes down the field and all that. And it's made them look a little, you know, less dominant, let's say than they did earlier in the year.

[Stugatz]

But you like the playoff? Like you like this expanded playoff? It's.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Oh, I definitely like this expanded playoff. Thank you. I mean, again, Georgia got left out last year. Georgia was the best team in American sports. There had to be something done. They lost one game in three years and they didn't get to go play in the. The fine. The finals for College Football Playoff last year.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

That was like the dumbest I ever saw in my life. So. Yeah. At least we don't have that problem this year.

[Stugatz]

We could all agree. I know you cover Notre Dame. You're the network for Notre Dame. But they're in regardless. Right. They could lose to usc. They're still getting in. Right. Other thing was built for Notre Dame.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I mean, I think so. It would, you know, I don't know. That would be a bad loss if they lost the USC and their other losses. Northern Illinois.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I just would say this. Watch out for Notre Dame. Notre Dame's the team that I'd go. If there's a team that makes some waves in this college football playoff, like first off, going there in the cold in the middle of December, if they get one of these southern teams that come up there and the way they play defense and run the ball, they're made for playoff. Cold weather football. Right. So that's where it could get really interesting. But I think they continue to get better. Notre Dame.

[Stugatz]

Just the fact that we could say watch out for Notre Dame and there are games on college campuses like playoff games. That's a good thing.

[Chris Gronkowski]

That's gonna be cool.

[Stugatz]

That's such a cool thing.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Well, it's always been an issue with me in college football. The warm weather team has had the advantage in bowl season. Right, right, right. We never have like Florida has to co play Michigan in a bowl game where it's 20 degrees out, I'd go, well, I bet you that game would be a whole lot different than we're in the Outback bowl down in Florida somewhere.

[Stugatz]

Right, right.

[Chris Gronkowski]

It's just. So that's going to change the dynamics of things.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Like, you know, again, I was at Texas. We played one game in Nebraska once and I'm telling you, the whole team was in their pants the whole week getting ready to play in a cold game in there. So that's a real thing. And now it's getting infused into college football, which I like.

[Stugatz]

Right. Have Clemson travel to Ohio State in December, see how that goes.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Exactly.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[Chris Gronkowski]

That's going to be a little bit of culture shock for him. No doubt.

[Stugatz]

Oh, man. All right, man. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. You can check them out PFD with Mike Florio every day on Peacock, the unbuttoned podcast as well. Football night in America. They have the Bills and Niners coming up this weekend on NBC. Enjoy Thanksgiving, man. I'm sorry, dad. Yeah. It is time for this week's edition of Studio gouts, presented by DraftKings Sportsbook. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. College football, Thanksgiving weekend, week 14, six and four a week ago. 65, 62 and two on the season. Here we go. Colorado at home. Ticket on Oklahoma State. State. It's a bad Oklahoma State team. Colorado buy it. Down to 16. They win. They cover. Colorado by 24 points at home. East Carolina minus two, ticket on Navy. I can't believe Navy is an underdog considering where they were just a few weeks ago. To East Carolina. I'm thinking East Carolina. East Carolina by seven points over Navy. Colorado State minus six. Ticket on Utah. State taking Colorado State. They win. They cover Colorado State by 14 points. Georgia. Georgia Tech. Tech getting 19 points. Georgia wins. Georgia Tech covers Georgia by 10 points. Duke plus four. Wake Forest. I'm taking Duke. They win the game outright. They're getting four points. How about that? They win it outright. Duke by six points over Wake Forest. Big game for Miami. They're on the road. They're taking on Syracuse. It is plus 10 and a half for Syracuse. Buy it up to 11 points. Miami's gonna win the game. Syracuse is gonna keep this thing closed. Miami wins by four points over Syracuse. Syracuse gets the COVID SMU taking on Cal. Enough. A Cal. Tired of hearing about how good Cal is. They're not. SMU is really good. -13. I'm taking SMU. They win. They cover by 17 points at home over Cal. LSU -6. Taking on Oklahoma. LSU wins. They cover LSU by 14 points. Oregon -18. They're taking on Washington. Washington. Decent. Not good. Not great, just decent. Oregon, best in the country. They win by four touchdowns. They cover the spread. NFL Week 13. That was a ridiculous pause, by the way, after the Oregon thing. I don't know what happened there. I think I lost my train of thought. NFL Week 13, 4 and 3 a week ago. I am on fire. I'm on fire. I mean, legitimately on fire. I'm having a great season. 53, 32 and 2 on the season. Week 13 again. Here we go. Chiefs minus 13. Take it on. The Raiders Chiefs win, they cover Chiefs by 24 points. The Texans, they bounce back, minus four at Jacksonville. The Texans win and they cover Houston by 10 points. Commanders minus five and a half. They're taking on the Titans. Buy it down to five. Commanders win and cover the commanders by 14 points at home. Bengals, Steelers. Big game. Not really. Bengals minus three at home. That says something, huh? Buy it down to two and a half. Take the Bengals. Cincinnati wins and covers. They need the game desperately. They win, they cover the Bengals by 10 points. Colts, they need the game desperately. Minus two and a half at the Patriots. Colts win and cover. They win by 10 points on the road. The Bills at home, minus seven, taking on San Francisco. Kyle Shanahan. Blah, blah, blah. Maya down to six and a half. Buffalo wins by 14 points. They cover at home. Broncos minus five and a half taken on the Browns. Broncos win. Broncos cover. They win by 17 points over Cleveland at home. A happy Thanksgiving to all of you from everyone here at God Bless Football. Those are the picks, everyone. Good luck. Billy, you're excited. It's not Thanksgiving without a Madden, right? It's. It's turkey and a Madden, right?

[Billy Gill]

That's what I've always said, Mike, believe it or not. I walk around the house, I tell my family I have two young daughters, I've raised them, and they say, happy Thanksgiving. I go, no, not a Thanksgiving without a Madden. So, you know, we have to turn on the Madden, we have to play a game or two. I beat them, obviously, because they're three and one, but. But, you know, it's just how it goes. You need Madden if you want Thanksgiving. So happy holidays to you, Mike.

[Mike Madden]

Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mike.

[Stugatz]

This is very exciting. It's in the game. Madden NFL is coming out on November 26th. It's on Amazon Prime. If I told you when this video game was created that many, many, many, many years later they'd be making a documentary film about a video game, you would have told me.

[Chris Gronkowski]

What?

[Stugatz]

What?

[Mike Madden]

Oh, well, I would have. I would have laughed for a while. Not sure when I would have stopped, but no, I wouldn't have. Would not have believed it. You know, dad. Dad started this thing with, With Tripp Hawkins a number of years before it ever came to market. And as a matter of fact, one of the. It was. It was originally a computer game before, you know, when football video players only had Tecmo bowl at their disposal. You know, dad and Tripp were toiling away and I'll never forget the day dad came home with two floppy Disks when floppies were actually floppy.

[Stugatz]

Right? Yes.

[Mike Madden]

He came home and we had an Apple 2 computer in the house. And dad came home, oh, you got to try out the game. You got to try it out. It's done, we're ready to go. And he was excited because like I said, he'd put in, he'd put in several years, you know, in this deal with, with nothing to see or nothing to show for it. So, so I wake up the next morning and I go, I'll give it a try. Because I was, I was the kid that played electric football and did you know Strat, O Matic, Lombardi, all the games. So I, I pop it in and, or two discs, pop them in and all we had at the time was, was a joystick with a, with a single button on it. And so I'm sitting there and I got the manuals and I inputting the game and I'm like, okay, it's John Madden football. Well, dad always started with a run over left tackle. So let's just start with a full back over left tackle. Get the game started. Of course, all queued up. Takes me about 20 minutes to program the first play and I hit, you know, the, the X's or, you know, and the O's and I hit the button and the things start moving and I try to come in off left tackle. I get, I get drilled, lasts about a second. I take all of my gaming prowess at the time and I say, okay, hold on, let me try this again. I go, okay, I want to be able to run the ball because passing just looked too difficult. So I'm like, okay, I want to run the ball. So I, let's program the defense. Let's get them the hell out of there. Let's, let's give them, you know, a prevent, let's get the hell out of there. So now I'll have some room to operate. And then I want it all ahead is the joystick. So I'm like, I want to be able to move, move the tail back, you know, maybe do a Marcus Allen in reverse field or something. So I want a pitch or a toss. So I find toss left and program it up again. Another 20 minutes have gone by now I'm excited. I'm gonna, I'm gonna be able to run and play this game. And I hit the button and the lights start blinking and play and then boom, I get killed for like a three yard loss and, and so I give up. I've, I've put in 45 minutes in this thing. I've ran two plays. It's a loser, dad, you know, good luck to you. And so he. He catches me out. Out on the driveway and he goes, did you. Did you try the game? Did you try it? And I go, dad, I go, your game is crap. And he's like, oh, he was heartbroken. He was heartbroken because he had put in years to this, right? What do you mean? I go. I go, dad, I go. I set it up so I could have some success. I put him in a prevent defense, and I run a toss to the left, and he goes, you can't run a toss against the prevention. He goes, you got Charles Haley up there on the thing coming. He's thinking sack. He's going to blow the thing up four yards deep in the backfield. And I go, well, well, yeah, yeah, that's. That's exactly what happened. And he goes, yeah, that's what should happen. He goes, the game's not crap. Your play calling is crap.

[Stugatz]

Wow.

[Chris Gronkowski]

So I'm like.

[Mike Madden]

I'm like, wait. Oh, wait, no, but prevent. No, no, no, prevent. You know, you got Charles Haley, you got Reggie White, they're coming up field.

[Stugatz]

They.

[Mike Madden]

They're going to run right into it every time. And so that was when I first realized, holy crow, you know, you guys are. You're shooting for a higher. A higher level than the world was ready for at that time.

[Stugatz]

Mike, do you mind us asking, just for the audience and for me, who is Tripp and how. What role did he play in the development of this game?

[Mike Madden]

So Tripp Hawkins was started electronic art. And Tripp was a really smart guy. And Tripp graduated. Tripp made. He went to Harvard. And he was so smart upon coming in, they allowed him to make up his own major. He majored in games at Harvard. What, and dad was. Yeah, no, that. Dad was always. You know, Tripp's so smart, they let him make up his own league. And so that was Tripp.

[Stugatz]

And were you just impersonating your dad? I heard it in there. I heard something in there.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Comes.

[Mike Madden]

It comes and goes. I'm no Frank Caliendo, but. But it does. It does sneak in from time to time.

[Stugatz]

So Tripp came to. Tripp approached your dad about doing the video game.

[Mike Madden]

Yeah. So now I was. I was. I was in. So it's fun to watch this documentary because I. If you ask me about the game, other than the story that I told it, it was kind of, you know, I was in college for myself, you know, and dad's taking train rides and things With. With Tripp, and he's. You know, but we would talk all the time, and he would tell me about Tripp, and Tripp's really impressive, and he would. So Tripp. Tripp was going to stick with this thing, and dad was going to stick with Tripp, and. But, like, you know, but dad was. I mean, if you talk to anybody that worked with my dad in television or anybody that played for him, I mean, dad was hard. You know, dad. Dad could be tough, and that's how, you know, and he got results. But that was his M.O. and so Tripp kept signing up for more train rides and kept working on this thing, and. And, yeah, they. They stuck together, and they stuck to it, and here we are today.

[Billy Gill]

I don't like this trip. I mean, I respectfully do for what he did, but, like, I feel like he's driving a wedge between you and your father. You know, you and Tripp around the same age, both in college at the same time. He's there telling your dad all these great things. Your dad and him whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. And you come home, he's like, try out this game. And then you're like, this game's crap. And then he's like, you're crap. You don't know what you're talking about. You're no Trip.

[Stugatz]

Well, bad play caller. No, but who was right?

[Mike Madden]

Who the hell won against Charles Haley.

[Stugatz]

On 3rd and 12?

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'm on your side, Mike.

[Stugatz]

Right, Mike. Well, you know, Mike, you're right. Billy's on your side. Just so we're. Just so we're clear, okay?

[Mike Madden]

Trip was a. Trip was a few years older than me. Tripp had me. So I was still that. You know, still a kid. And Trip. Tripp was willing to. Tripp found a way to major in games at Harvard, so. So, you know, the proof is in the pudding, right?

[Stugatz]

When you're that smart, you create your own major. Go ahead, Billy.

[Billy Gill]

Mike, how crazy is it that as accomplished as your dad was, as known as he is in the football world and still is, by the way, and respected for everything he's done for the game? A lot of people know him, and his legacy for a lot of people will be video games.

[Mike Madden]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. Well, that.

[Mike Madden]

So he's kind of had four. Four kind of different fames. The first was, you know, he was the coach of the Oakland Raiders. Won a Super bowl, won 100 games in 10 years. You know, youngest coach at the time. You know, it was coaching against the likes of Don Shula Chuck, no. So when he retired from coaching, he thought, yeah, you know, I got a resume, I can walk into a room. And then he gets tagged to do Miller Light commercial just a couple years after retiring, or like a year right after. And then so he thinks that he's toiled as a coach his whole life. And you know, yeah, I'm famous because I'm a great coach. And then, hey, you're the guy that busts through the paper and he goes, you coach 20 years, 10 in the NFL and you do one Miller light commercial and that changes how you're known. So that was kind of a wake up call for him. He loved, he loved the notoriety, he loved, he loved the Miller Light relationship. And then there was a period he used to have an apartment in New York City and he, you know, we, we would talk all the time and he would tell me, he goes, hey man. He goes, I'm getting like nine year old kids that are sticking their heads out of windows and they go, hey Madden. Hey Madden. And he goes, I think it's because of that video game. And so that one kind of surprised him like the Miller Light one did. He goes, can you believe that? You know, there's going to be people that only know me because of this video game. And, and then kind of the fourth one and it circled back to the first one is when he was inducted into the hall of Fame. It kind of, it kind of closed the circle and brought, you know, brought his coaching career and the, you know, the great career that he had as a coach brought that back out to the forefront. So he's kind of had four different fames.

[Stugatz]

Mike, you mentioned that it took a long time for your dad and Tripp to get the game going, to get it developed. What were some of the obstacles early on? Was it that your dad was a perfectionist? Like he didn't want his name tarnished by the game? Correct?

[Mike Madden]

No, he didn't.

[Billy Gill]

No.

[Mike Madden]

And so I was. So, so when Tecmo bowl comes out, I'm, I'm, you know, I'm a late teenager, early 20s. So I'm playing Tecmo bowl and you know, I want to be Bo Jackson, I want to be, you know, Walter Payton and those things. And, and then dad says, but when dad, when Tecmo bowl was out, dad and Tripp were working as a computer game and dad wanted, he, it's not football if. Not if there's not 22 players. And there was, that was a sticking point because Tripp would tell him, he goes, the computers Just aren't there. We can't get 22 players. He goes, well, you, you call me back when you can because I'm not going to put my name on seven. On seven. That's not football. And if it was going to be John Madden football, it was going to be football. Football. It was going to be NFL and it was going to be, you know, and if you, if you're dumb enough to run a toss against Charles Haley, you're going to get.

[Mike Rollins]

Mike, you mentioned Tecmo Bowl. Was there sort of a rivalry with Tecmo Bowl? Did you guys like have a plan to, to, to sort of unseat them as the, the go to football game?

[Mike Madden]

No, no, no. The, the plan was again, dad start dead. Dad really admired Tripp and his stick to itiveness. And like I said, Tripp wanted, you'll see in the, in the documentary, Trip thought it was going to be a computer. You know, we're talking, you know, 1989, 19, 1990, maybe, you know, maybe even in the early, you know, mid-80s. And so, so the, the, the video game console, we were just coming off of Pong and Intellivision, you know, Tecmo bowl was cutting edge. So they didn't, I don't even think they, they thought about that at least the level that dad, and dad was just the football inspiration. So all that stuff is Tripp's problem. But Dad's like, you know, here's 22 and here's how they got to react and, and, and here's, here's how it needs to behave from a football standpoint. Tripp, you go off and figure out the rest.

[Billy Gill]

What was Thanksgiving week like in the Madden household? Because Thanksgiving, I feel like his hands were tied. And maybe you didn't see a lot of dad on Thanksgiving, but what was it like around that time for the. Madden's the greatest.

[Mike Madden]

When you, when you grow up in a football household, a couple of things. If dad's home for Christmas, that's bad because that means the Raiders aren't in the playoffs. All right, so, so if it's Christmas Eve and dad's at work, that's good, right? Dad's not there on Christmas morning, that's good. So we can, you know, so we'll move.

[Billy Gill]

A lot of children had different experiences with that dynamic. I would say yes.

[Stugatz]

And now let's just explain Mike to the audience. The season was shorter. The playoffs started in December back then.

[Mike Madden]

Yes, exactly December. Dad's Super bowl was January 8th, 8th, for crying out loud.

[Stugatz]

Right?

[K. Funk]

Yeah.

[Mike Madden]

So The Super Bowl. So everything was shorter back then. So, so you, so even as a kid you didn't want no dad. We don't need dad home at Christmas. We had two of those. And the, you know, the presents, they weren't any bigger or nicer, just we had it. We had a grumpy Santa Claus in the corner. But so Thanksgiving, kind of the same thing, you know, a Thursday, you're playing on a Sunday, you know, he's got, he's working, you know, he's, he comes, he rolls in at 8 and he, his first plate of Thanksgiving food was, was leftovers. And that's just the way it was. And we watched, we watched the Detroit lion game that day or the Cowboy game, or both. And then, and then as he became a broadcaster, when he was asked to do the Thanksgiving Day game. Well, that's the national game. That's great. Dad's doing great. You know, we don't need him. Kind of like Christmas. We don't need him around. He's doing great. So, so we would eat and we would watch. And the first time they did this, you know, the John Madden Thanksgiving, my phone was blowing up. You know, everybody was saying, you know, this, this must be hard for you. This must be, you know, whatever. And it really wasn't because I was with my mom and my wife and, and we were, we had a small. But, but it felt like a normal John Madden, you know, he was on the TV all day and that, that was kind of, it was actually kind of nice. You know, it was nice to, you know, it was normal for us.

[Stugatz]

The John Madden we grew up watching, we saw on television, not as a coach, but as a broadcaster in some of those commercials. How close was that to the John Madden you experienced as a son?

[Mike Madden]

Completely different. Completely different. I mean, he, A lot of, you know, the break through, the paper guy, the boom and the wap and the doink guy, you know, the guy putting his hands in the middle of a turducken. I mean, he created this kind of character, but it was all based in a brilliance, you know, I mean, he was a brilliant coach. I mean, he was hired by Al Davis, 32 years old, won, you know, like I said, he's the highest regular season winning percentage of any coach. You know, greater even regular season than Vince Lombardi. Lombardi passes him if you roll in the playoffs. So, so he, I mean, he was, he was a really smart guy. So as a dad, I wasn't, you know, I couldn't, I couldn't fool my, you Know I couldn't fool my dad. I could, you know, I've never called, you know, I was maybe. I was maybe 50 before I called him the old man. And, you know, so I was a teenager and I knew my dad was smarter than me and bigger than me, so. So we took, you know, so a lot of that stuff came off the table. But he was, he's just really smart, you know, and he. Around the house, he didn't suffer fools, you know, what are you doing? What are you talking like that for? You know, why is up. So, you know, he, he was a dad. Like he was a coach, kind of like he was a teacher as a broadcaster.

[Stugatz]

It's in the game Madden NFL. It premieres November 26th on Amazon Prime. Did you ever play your dad in Madden?

[Mike Madden]

Uh, no, no. When it came out on the Sega Genesis, we sat. We sat in the same space and we all played it. But. But no, I don't, I don't know that if I've ever been asked that. I don't know. I don't remember ever playing him. I'm not sure that he ever took the controls.

[Stugatz]

Huh.

[Billy Gill]

What, what's it like playing around him? He's like a backseat driver or he's critiquing. Like your play calling. Telling you exactly why plays wouldn't work.

[Stugatz]

Like, I mean, he ripped him for the Haley call.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, exactly.

[Mike Rollins]

Can't run the talk, boss.

[Mike Madden]

Yes, he was very much. He was very much. He was very much a backseat driver. And then after that, I got into high school coaching and he games and, and yeah, that was, you know, and I'm a grown man at this point, you know, coaching freshmen in high school. And he would. My first five years, it's. It's easy, man, when we're all sitting here in our living rooms call, you know, second guessing all these guys. Guys, it's easy when you, when you've got to spit out a play call. You got 25 seconds and you got, you know, you got a huddle of hopefully 11, sometimes 12, sometimes 10, you know, 15 year olds. It takes on it. It's a different deal. And then, so then when you sit back with dad, you know, he goes, what are you doing running a bootleg off your own line? He goes, jeez. And I'm like, dad, I got two pass plays.

[Stugatz]

I got.

[Billy Gill]

It's high school.

[Mike Madden]

Another one on first down. So that's all I got. He goes, no, you don't. You don't bootleg off your own goal line. Come on.

[Enzo Amore]

He's right.

[Stugatz]

Mike, I mean, he's right.

[Enzo Amore]

I figured it out.

[Mike Madden]

I stuck with, I stuck with the high school coaching about 20. I coached 21 seasons, so I stuck with it after that. I learned that, no, you got to get out, you got to get out to the 20 before you call that bootleg.

[Stugatz]

Mike, what was the coolest thing in the Madden Cruiser?

[Mike Madden]

The coolest thing in the Madden Cruiser?

[Stugatz]

Yeah. You had to take some nice trips in that thing, right?

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. What were the off seasons like? You guys have a Madden cruise or just you could go on a, you know, cross country trip or whatever to national parks or something?

[Mike Madden]

Well, you haven't said national parks. We still have Billy.

[Stugatz]

They go to Lambeau Field in the off season.

[Mike Madden]

You know, you go, no, we've done that. We've, we've taken a few trips, but usually. So like I was, I was coaching high school football. So my season would end and I would need to get the heck out of town. So I would, you know, wherever he was, I would fly and stay with him out on the road for, you know, for a week or two. We'd go to places, you know, Lambeau, back east, you know, Dallas and all that. He had five buses. Bus number one is, is at Canton and it's, dad donated it and it's, it's, it's, it's, it's in its original form. They took it back to the original paint. We don't know what happened to bus 2 and 3. And dad used to trade them in then. Anyway, so we got bus four, right? He was getting ready to trade it in for bus five. And my mom put her foot down, she goes, no, she goes, we're keeping this one. So dad's like, well wait a minute, that means I have to pay full price for, for mine. And my mom's like, hey, that's your problem. I'm keeping this busy bus. So for a long time we had mom's bus and dad's bus and those, Those are bus 4 and 5 and 4. Some buddies and I to this day, after 9 11, we stay, we go down to Scottsdale and play golf. So we, we started taking the bus during 911 and we haven't stopped. So we do, we do go on an annual bus trip and then bus five. Bill Belichick was just riding around Louisiana bus five for a week. He's doing a, he's doing a thing that's going to air on Super Bowl. It's, it's the Madden Cruiser and Bill Belichick's Bayou Adventure or some Darn thing.

[Stugatz]

Unbelievable. Wow. So the buses, the bus.

[Mike Madden]

We don't get in them as often as we should.

[Billy Gill]

Right.

[Mike Madden]

But they're still around and 4 and 5 are still in service.

[Stugatz]

Billy, were you thinking what I was thinking? They have so many buses. They just misplaced two of them.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, we lost them.

[Mike Madden]

Well, they got, they got traded. They got traded in and repainted and they're pro probably, you know, they're probably, you know, Taylor Swift's bus.

[Billy Gill]

Now, I don't like that at all. Like, I don't like some random family out there in the middle of America touring the country. What they thought was just a used bus and it's John Madden's bus. Like, there needs to be some level of respect here to that bus.

[Mike Madden]

No, no, you got a great point. No, you got a great point. So bus number one, Bus number one he had, and it was time for bus two. So he's negotiating with the bus company and he's making all the improvement. He had an oven in bus one. You don't bake it miles an hour on highway 80. So pull the out. So he was always refining his design. So bus number one, they're telling him what he's going to get in trade. Well, literally the woman that would come out and do dad's hair and makeup before commercials, she was a neighbor with a guy that had just won the lottery. And the guy, and the guy was asking her about dad's bus and what happens and blah, blah, blah. And he was really interested and he had just won the lottery. So dad had negotiated with the bus company on his trade in. And, and the guy, so, you know, hey, John, this guy, you know, my neighbor want, he won the lottery, he wants to buy your bus. So dad, I think he threw like $10,000 on the price. He goes, well, if he'll give me this, he can have it. And so the guy, the guy did. So this guy, this guy drove it around and he went anyway. He wanted to drive it around as a Madden cruise. That wasn't part of the deal. And so there was a, there was a constant push and give and take with the guy.

[Billy Gill]

Wait, hold on a second. So, so like there's an official Madden Cruiser and you would, his dad would not sign off and like, no, I will sell you my bus for $10,000 more than it's worth, but you cannot call it the Madden Cruiser anymore.

[Mike Madden]

Yeah, no, now you're, now you're asking for my name. You can have my bus name, but my name's worth a little bit More. And you can't. I don't care how many lotteries you won, you can't afford my name. So.

[Billy Gill]

No.

[Mike Madden]

And so the guy had a funny thing. So. So he. He would. He wanted. He kept pushing, kept pushing. Then finally on the back, he had this thing and it was kind of shaped like a football and he had this thing driving away from the maddening crowd or something. And that. And that was. And dad was like, are you kidding me? And. And that was. That was where. That was where we left it. We weren't going to push back on that.

[Stugatz]

Billy, his name was everything to him. He told Trip, you're not releasing this game until you release it in a way that won't embarrass my name. Correct? Mike, here's what I'm thinking. We're friends now. It's the holiday season, okay? I am think. And you just took the Madden Cruiser to Scottdale, Okay? We were just in Scottsdale. We did a live show at the DraftKings sportsbook there. I played TBC, Scottsdale. I am thinking me, you, Billy, Mikey A. We get on that Madden Cruiser, little road trip.

[Billy Gill]

What do you think?

[Mike Madden]

Yeah, I'm in.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'm in.

[Mike Madden]

I got. I got the bus and I got. I got the willingness to play golf. So I. I'm always. I'm just trying to round out foursomes.

[Billy Gill]

All right, I like this.

[Stugatz]

I'm in. I'm in. All your foursomes, I'll round them all out. What do you want to say about the movie? It's coming. Where do you.

[Billy Gill]

Where do you live, Mike, if you don't mind me asking?

[Mike Madden]

Northern California. We.

[Billy Gill]

Maybe it's a bit far, but maybe we do a little super bowl road trip from California over to New Orleans in the Madden Cruise, or we just kind of see what trouble we get into, the four of us, you know.

[Mike Madden]

Well, there's. There's a bus down there now and it has the word Bayou Adventure on it, so.

[Billy Gill]

Okay.

[Mike Madden]

Yeah, so we're already three quarters of the way there.

[Stugatz]

All right, Mike, we got to make this happen, okay? A little road trip, Madden Cruiser, you and I play some golf. Perhaps we'll stop at Augusta. We'll make it happen. Okay?

[Mike Madden]

Yeah, what you make? I. I'll get us there. I'll get us there and I'll have the club if you can. If you make that Augusta thing happen.

[Stugatz]

Well, you got. Yes.

[Billy Gill]

This is the problem we always run into here.

[Stugatz]

I have a Madden with me, though. They're not going to say no to a Madden I mean, Mike, I'm excited.

[Mike Madden]

Yeah, dad caddied as a kid, so. So, yes, he was always in the. He was always in the go.

[Stugatz]

All right, Mike. I am. I'm excited for the movie. It was a big part of my childhood, Madden's, and I think most. By the way, I'm wondering if your dad's legacy, if it turns out, how would dad feel about his ultimate legacy being a video game as opposed to being a coach or a broadcaster.

[Mike Madden]

Yeah, it meant a lot to him that he made it into the hall as a coach. That was because they had. They had sniffed around and said, hey, we think, you know, with your coaching career and the video game and the broadcasting thing, we can get you in as a contributor. And he's like, no, he.

[Enzo Amore]

He.

[Mike Madden]

He squashed that. He did not want to be inducted in the hall of Fame as a contributor. He's like, I coached my coach. If my coaching record's not enough to get me in, I don't want to be in. And then. Then they circled back and. And figured, you know, realized that, you know, he was going head to head with Shula and Noel, Tom Landry, Bud Grant, and he.

[Enzo Amore]

And he.

[Mike Madden]

And he beat those guys.

[Enzo Amore]

Guys.

[Mike Madden]

He had a winning record against all those guys. And, you know, so he. He not only held his own, he. He. He got after him quite a bit, and, you know, it took some perspective, but they finally. They finally got him in as a coach. Now, he. He was proud of the game, and he was proud of the work that he put in. In the game. And he was proud, like I started with, he was proud that his game, you know, you can't run a toss against suprema in his game. Game. And so it was real football, and he put. He put his real energy and everything behind it, and Tripp met it, you know, met him every step of the way, and together they. They created a video game that. Yeah, if he's looking down right now of the things he was. He's been proud of the work that he did, the product that they created, and. And the way that it's, you know, kind of carrying his legacy.

[Stugatz]

The movie is out right now on Amazon. He seems like a wonderful man, a wonderful dad, and certainly someone that was a big part of my childhood growing up. I'm looking very, very much forward to seeing this. Mike, anything you want to say about the movie on the way out here? And happy holidays to you and your family. Thank you for doing this.

[Mike Madden]

Thank you. Yeah, no, I've seen. I've seen. I'VE seen the first episode, and it's fantastic. And it's funny because the stuff that they're coming up with, it wasn't in an era whenever all of us have a phone and a camera. So I was like, there's pictures of me in the room, and I'm like. Like, I don't remember a camera being there or. Why would anybody be documenting this? So. Because, you know, nobody. We didn't. Nobody had any idea. And so, anyway, no, they've done it. They've done a great job. And you get to meet Tripp Hawkins and you get to meet the guys from ea. And no, it's well done, and it's a great story. It's a story we're telling, and the people at Amazon have told the story very well. It's a good product.

[Stugatz]

All right. We appreciate it. I can speak on behalf of all three of us. This was an absolute delight, and we need to do it again, if you don't mind, sir.

[Mike Madden]

Absolutely. No, you guys. You guys are fantastic. I appreciate it.

[Stugatz]

All right. Thank you. Road trip.

[Mike Madden]

You bet. All right, team up, boys.

[Billy Gill]

Thank you, Mike.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'll gas up the cruiser.

[Mike Madden]

You guys are.

[Stugatz]

Yes, I'll work on Augusta, Mike. Okay.

[Mike Madden]

All right. Yes. Now we're talking.

[Mojo]

How about that for a surprise guest today? One of the OGs back in the building.

[Carl Douglas]

This is the earliest I've seen Mojo on.

[Stugatz]

I gotta tell you, he's been on time ready to go the entire season. Chris. Like a new Mojo.

[Carl Douglas]

And no shirt.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Is that.

[Carl Douglas]

Is that.

[Stugatz]

Well, I demanded that. Yeah, that was.

[Mojo]

That's the gimmick this year. It started with the first episode. We had to up the ante, so we ditched the shirt entirely.

[Carl Douglas]

Why is K. Funk have his on then?

[Mojo]

Well, unlike Mojo, ratings.

[K. Funk]

Unlike Mojo. Now that Mojo is not Jack acting as a dad bought. I like to, you know, keep my stuff a little tightened up till I get back in the gym here.

[Stugatz]

Mojo.

[K. Funk]

Mojo doesn't care. He just lets it all flab out.

[Stugatz]

Rollis, why is your sweatshirt on? And since we're here, you know, I.

[Gordy]

Just thought I would represent the Cardinals here. Like I said, It's a chilly 60 degrees here in Arizona.

[Mojo]

It's freezing.

[Gordy]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

I wish I could go no shirt, though.

[Gordy]

If that's. I mean, what's best for radio, you know, that's really the question.

[Stugatz]

The best for ratings would be K. Funk without a shirt on. I mean, that would be. Yes, that's what everyone wants.

[Mojo]

They would cancel the show.

[Billy Gill]

I don't know if. If you guys Know the standings of what happened last week as we wait for Carl Douglas here. But Chris K. Funk has had a very devastating season so far. He's the worst of all the pickers. Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Life altering. Yes.

[Billy Gill]

It's. It's why he has a shirt on and why Mojo doesn't. Because even last week week we ran into a situation where K. Funk was trying to copy every one of Mojo's picks again to try to have a final, have a winning record for a week. And they picked every single game exactly the same, except for one. And of course what happened was Mojo won that game and K Punk lost it.

[K. Funk]

First of all, Billy. Yes, Mojo went after me every pick. So I don't know what you're talking about. Mojo, my picks. And yes, he did the one. I went three and two. Mojo and four and one. And guess what? Guess which one lost. There's a guy in the right hand corner who probably tell you that one.

[Billy Gill]

Which one lost? You lost the Rams game.

[K. Funk]

Oh, yeah. Arizona too lost. Arizona.

[Stugatz]

Yes.

[K. Funk]

I'm not blaming, I'm not blaming Rawlins. I'm blaming the offense for that. For that.

[Mojo]

Last week we had a strategy of being unbelievably nice to K. Funk to try to bring his morale and his spirits up. And it worked. I mean he actually had a winning, winning week for the first time all season.

[K. Funk]

I've had a winning week last three weeks. Mojo.

[Stugatz]

Right. Which is brought. Which has brought your record to 24, 37 and 2. I mean two of those. Wow.

[K. Funk]

Two of those losses are. Two of those losses need to be scrapped. We went over that. You weren't here, Stugotts last week.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[K. Funk]

We went over that with Carl. Carl agreed. Where is Carl, by the way? My lawyer.

[Billy Gill]

He'll come at some point maybe.

[Stugatz]

I. I have a hard time believing Carl agreed to take two losses away from you.

[K. Funk]

I explained to him how they got there. They were in our group chat. Had nothing to do with the show.

[Stugatz]

Okay.

[K. Funk]

And he agreed because I had two win. I had two winners on. I had two winners on the group chat. And Billy didn't count those.

[Billy Gill]

No, no. Chris, Chris, Chris.

[Carl Douglas]

Did you guys say 24 and 37?

[Stugatz]

Well, now it's 24 and 35 because I have to take two losses away.

[Billy Gill]

No, no, no. The losses that, that needed to be removed were removed.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah.

[Gordy]

Carl seemed like he still wanted to hear more information because once he heard that it was called the K. Funk.

[Billy Gill]

Thank you. Right.

[Gordy]

It's own hashtag. Hashtag thank you.

[Stugatz]

K. Funk.

[Gordy]

That way.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Wow.

[Mojo]

Coming with Hard facts.

[Gordy]

Yeah, I mean that, that threw it a little bit.

[Stugatz]

What's.

[Carl Douglas]

What's Mojo at? What's Mojo at?

[Billy Gill]

Mojo has had an incredible season.

[Stugatz]

Oh, Chris, it's unbelievable. 36, 23 and 2. Wow.

[Mojo]

Like six weeks. Because I'm pretty sure over the past six weeks. Weeks I've lost like a total of five games or something.

[K. Funk]

Yo, yo, Chris, I will say this real quick. Mojo. Mojo's 15 wins or 14 wins in a row or because he wasn't on the show and he went opposite me and I had a terrible three weeks. So he technically didn't pick the fix.

[Stugatz]

I. I picked how you get to the picks, man. Just get to the winners.

[K. Funk]

Mojo can't pick his own picks.

[Billy Gill]

Well, you copied his picks last week and you still lost to him somehow. I don't remember it that way. So Chris, what happened was his Mojo was having a terror or sorry, K. Funk was having a terrible year. And then he would text us in an attempt to cheat and get a better record. His quote unquote locks of the week and every single one of them lost. He was very high on FSU for a portion of the season for some reason.

[K. Funk]

Chris, I will say this.

[Billy Gill]

This.

[K. Funk]

My text had zero to do with the show. There were gambling picks. I won two, I lost two. Billy obviously has short term memory on a lot of things because I went first on four picks last week. Luckily, luckily that's. There's tape for that. We can review it. So.

[Stugatz]

All right. Yeah, but we're not gonna.

[Billy Gill]

We'll look into it. Yeah, maybe.

[Mojo]

Yeah, we'll get to it when they're stopped.

[K. Funk]

I will. I will say this though. Has anyone beside myself bought Stew Stu Gotz's book on this on this stream?

[Carl Douglas]

Oh, let's got a book. Let's get the promo out.

[Billy Gill]

St. He got to mailed a copy of them to everyone.

[K. Funk]

I actually. I actually my money and purchased one.

[Billy Gill]

Well, except you then I guess everyone else was getting free books but you.

[Stugatz]

Yep. Mojo, yours is in the mail. Gordy, I sent one to him. Rollis, I didn't have your address. Share Bear, you're always somewhere different, so I have no idea.

[Billy Gill]

Hey, you sent me a cell phone last year.

[Stugatz]

So. So I'll take a book.

[Billy Gill]

That is true.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

By the way, share Bear, 27, 32 and 2 on the year just so we're getting all the records out. Hey, speaking of K. Funk, I was.

[Enzo Amore]

The only one ballsy enough to to.

[Stugatz]

Go with exactly what K. Funk picked that week. And I think I went Owen 4? What week?

[K. Funk]

Last week I went through.

[Billy Gill]

No, like. Like two weeks ago. He copied you on everything.

[K. Funk]

Except I wasn't on the show two weeks.

[Carl Douglas]

Horrible strategy.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, three weeks ago.

[Billy Gill]

So what do we do here? So when, Mojo, when you have your baby, do we just lock the standings for the season? Is that what we're gonna have to do here? And then we'll do it for. Well, for fun. But you're. You're probably gonna be out of commission for a little bit, I would think.

[K. Funk]

Out of commission? What are you talking.

[Chris Gronkowski]

What he can't do with.

[Stugatz]

What do you mean? I've had three kids, bro.

[K. Funk]

What are you talking about? You can't do a zoom call with a kid. What are you talking about?

[Stugatz]

That's up to each individual. Let's hear mojo out. Okay.

[K. Funk]

69 kids, and he makes it on the show.

[Mojo]

So I'm willing to do whatever upsets Funk the most.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Whatever.

[Mojo]

That strategy, that's continuing to embarrass and humiliate him week after week. Then I will make my picks every week and not miss a single week.

[Billy Gill]

Okay.

[Stugatz]

I like it.

[Mojo]

Right now, I'm in first place. Funk is in last place.

[Stugatz]

Well, the other dog's in first place. 5 and 1. Just so we're clear.

[Mojo]

Yeah, A couple people that showed up for one day, and they just had a lucky good week and then never came back.

[Stugatz]

Of the regulars. You are in first place by a good distance, Mojo.

[Gordy]

Well, isn't Carl right there?

[K. Funk]

Thanks to me. Thanks to me right there, too.

[Stugatz]

Carl Douglas is. Is 30. Carl is 32, 23 and 1. So I guess technically he is. He's right there. But Mojo's 36, 23, and 2. That's insane, man.

[Mojo]

That's right, buddy. And it just got more insane in this chat because we got a special guest.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Oh, my very, very special guest.

[Mojo]

Another football player turned pro wrestler like myself and Mike Rollis. But this guy, despite having the biggest beard on the chat, was the number one fan favorite in the WWE for years. My good friend Eric Arndt. You might remember him as Enzo Amore. Now he is the real one and a football pro joining the group.

[Enzo Amore]

Bro, what an intro, dude.

[Stugatz]

Just.

[Enzo Amore]

The whole world stopped right there for that. Rollis, I know you were. I know you were angry over there, Rolls.

[Chris Gronkowski]

It was.

[Gordy]

It was better than mine.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Enzo Amore]

Hey, last time I talked football with you, kid, I. I believe I was walking out a champion in the NXT league. From my understand understanding fantasy football now, you guys have, what, 16 teams in that league?

[Gordy]

Sixteen teams. Super Flex. So 32 quarterbacks are on every. We have every quarterback rostered in the league. It's a crazy league.

[Stugatz]

Wow.

[Enzo Amore]

Well, I just want everybody to know I walked out of that league of champion. Everybody was extremely angry at me because I, I won the league. And then I said I quit. And they were like, wait, what do you mean you can't quit it? I was like, I got better things.

[Stugatz]

I gotta do, bro, that about to.

[Mojo]

Do the K. Funk. So the guy with the hat and the black shirt right on top.

[K. Funk]

I got it.

[Mojo]

This is Preston Loggerman, also known as K. Funk. And he is famous on the God Bless Football show for being the biggest talker, but the worst picker. He's in last place.

[Billy Gill]

He's terrible.

[Stugatz]

Totally fair.

[K. Funk]

Hey, listen, don't, don't give the, the new guy false, okay? First of all, I want. I won.

[Stugatz]

What did he say? What did he say that was false? I won.

[K. Funk]

I won the last two seasons.

[Billy Gill]

I don't think that's true.

[Stugatz]

What have you done for me lately, K. Funk? I mean, who cares about the last two seasons?

[K. Funk]

This year, nothing. I agree.

[Billy Gill]

Right. Okay.

[Stugatz]

I like the strategy. The point is, you conquer that hill, you won, and you said, I'm out of here. I like that. That's it.

[Enzo Amore]

Yeah, exactly.

[Stugatz]

Duty.

[Enzo Amore]

Hey, Gronk. Good to see you, pal. It's been a long time, man. Man, it's been a long time.

[Stugatz]

I think you were probably dressed up.

[Enzo Amore]

As a pirate walking through Tampa the.

[Stugatz]

Last time I tell you. You're right. So I, I, I need more details, please.

[Enzo Amore]

I mean, oh, man. Let's just say nobody knew who they were, man, and they were happy about that wild woman.

[K. Funk]

Enzo, we need a good Mojo story now that you're on here, because Rollis, Rollis Bastum.

[Chris Gronkowski]

We need it.

[K. Funk]

We need a good movie Mojo story.

[Enzo Amore]

Here One time, Mojo, the club blew it all out.

[Mojo]

What?

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Mojo]

What?

[Enzo Amore]

Mojo is a notorious in the club story that nobody needs to know about.

[Stugatz]

Hold on a second. Just Everyone hold on a second.

[Enzo Amore]

Everyone saw his shoes and his zubas at the bottom of the, you know, the toilet. You could just tell it was him and the whole place. There was a war going on down there, bro. People walked in that bathroom, came running out. You would have thought somebody died in there. Something terrible happened. People ran out, pinching their nose. Mojo came out dancing. He's in the Royal Rumble and he's going. He's in there to. Nobody is going to outlast Mojo in this situation. Everybody ran out. They eliminated themselves. Jumped over the top rope, got out of there, the whole club knew Mojo, and I think he. I think he was still a single man. He still did well that night. I don't know how.

[Mojo]

Now my moves are more fluid. I'm not being held down.

[Stugatz]

You got it out. Mojo, you gotta go, bro.

[Mojo]

Let it out.

[Stugatz]

Oh, my God.

[K. Funk]

Thank you for that. Thank you for that story, by the way.

[Stugatz]

Yes, thank you very much.

[Enzo Amore]

Notorious club.

[Stugatz]

This was not an isolated thing, is what you're telling us, huh?

[Enzo Amore]

Don't think so, buddy.

[Stugatz]

All right. Share Bear keeps bouncing in and out because he's in unknown. Okay, there, he's back. See? It's amazing, this guy. Oh, I gotta turn the thing for K Funk, too.

[Billy Gill]

Let me share it.

[Stugatz]

Okay, Enzo, I'm gonna go to you first. On the first game, we have Steelers at Bengals. Bengals are minus three. They're at home. They need the game. The Steelers need the game. Steelers coming off a loss, Bengals minus three at home. Enzo, who you take? Take it.

[Enzo Amore]

I got. I got Cincinnati covering that. I think it's going to be a really tight game. It might be three points, but Cincinnati I think covers and. And. Or wins the game.

[Gordy]

Okay, Rollis, I gotta stick with my. My enemy, Russell Wilson. He's been good to me, so I'll go.

[Stugatz]

I'll go.

[Gordy]

Steelers.

[Stugatz]

Okay. Chris Gronkowski, it is very nice to have you back. Who are you taking here, sir?

[Carl Douglas]

I mean, there's. There's no way I can go after Funk.

[Stugatz]

You know what? You're mid season form. I like that. I mean.

[Billy Gill]

Typically, Mojo will go and then Funk will steal his pick, and then you can go after that, Chris.

[Stugatz]

All right, so perfect. Share Bear, you want to make your picture now? Yeah, I'm gonna go with Cincinnati. I'll go. Okay. All right, K Funk, here we go. Steelers at Bengals. Bengals minus three at home. Who you take taking Burrow at home?

[K. Funk]

Give me the. Give me the Bangles for the win now.

[Stugatz]

Mojo smiling.

[Mojo]

This is great. I'm maintaining my strategy, but the thing is, I don't have to pick opposite Funk because I'm already going to pick these teams. That's why they call me the spread master in first place. And Funk is somewhere underneath the floor, somewhere in the basement.

[Enzo Amore]

Mojo, the spread master.

[Stugatz]

Steelers I love. All right, bro.

[Enzo Amore]

That's hilarious, Nick, man. I love that. But it becomes a song and a dance when you get me involved. I mean, you gotta spread master.

[Stugatz]

Chris, who are you taking out? Now that you have all the information you need, I got it all, too.

[Carl Douglas]

No, I'm going. It opened it Opened at like five and a half, didn't it? I'm going. Yeah, I'm going. Steelers here.

[Stugatz]

All right.

[Enzo Amore]

Hey, Mojo, is that in your bio yet? My what in your bio. You should absolutely have spread master.

[Mojo]

Once I defend my crown this season. Taking advantage of me not being on the show for two years. God, man, why didn't I think?

[Enzo Amore]

I'm so upset that I didn't think of the spread master before I got here.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, we're gonna.

[K. Funk]

We're gonna add it to his Wikipedia page.

[Stugatz]

Please do. Gordy, by the way, took the Steelers plus three. So Gordy has the. Has the Steelers. All right, next game. Here we have Cardinals at Vikings. Vikings are minus three and a half point favorites at home. They just picked up Daniel Jones, which means nothing unless Sam Darle gets hurt. Rollis, I wish your Cardinals played the jets the way they played last week. They did it. They looked awful last week. They played great against the Jets. Jets. I'm going to start with you here. Who you taking? Here you have Cardinals at Vikings. Vikings minus three and a half.

[Mike Madden]

Well, look, the. The.

[Gordy]

We came a little slow out of the buy. There's no doubt we got to pick it up this week, but I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I might ask for another round of apologies because that defense is really creeping up the stat sheet. I mean, they're like 11th in points per game. Given up all the advanced metrics, they're getting into the top 12. So, Billy K. Funk, I'm looking at you guys. If you want to throw another apology my way, go ahead.

[Stugatz]

Cardinals and Vikings. Enzo. Vikings minus three and a half. What are you taking?

[Enzo Amore]

Here's what I know, okay? Daniel Jones is now on the Vikings. And my heart would tell me we're gonna go ahead and take the Arizona Cardinals in this situation.

[Gordy]

I like that.

[Enzo Amore]

That is exactly what time it is. I know exactly what happens with Daniel Jones enters your locker room.

[Gordy]

There was. There was a lot of Giants fans telling Cardinals fans before the season that Daniel Jones was better than Kyler. I just want to throw that.

[Enzo Amore]

Yeah, I don't know who they were. I'd love for you to point them out. I'll have a conversation with any one of them. And if his name is Joe by any chance.

[Stugatz]

Joe.

[Enzo Amore]

Joe Shane. That guy. I would love to have a sit down.

[Billy Gill]

Oh, we can arrange that. Actually, I could arrange that.

[Enzo Amore]

I want to get in touch with Mr. And Mrs. Shane. And by that, I mean his parents. I want to have a sit down.

[Stugatz]

Okay.

[Enzo Amore]

I want to sit down. We give Mr. And Mrs. Shane a call. I need to talk to your son.

[Stugatz]

Right.

[Enzo Amore]

We want to. We want to bring the whole family in at the table. We want to sit down. We want to talk to them.

[Stugatz]

Okay?

[Enzo Amore]

There needs to be an intervention. Your son's on drugs. Is on drugs.

[Stugatz]

The son is my friend. He's my friend. Keep going, keep going.

[Enzo Amore]

What the What? I swear he couldn't even believe it. Rolls left the second I said Saquon. He left. He hung up.

[Stugatz]

Normally I would tell you I'm gonna set up a conversation for you and Joe Shay, but I'm terrified to do so.

[Enzo Amore]

In bad shape, dude. He's in real bad shape.

[Billy Gill]

So, Joe, I understand he's got a family, too.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, and he's got friends.

[Billy Gill]

Friends.

[Enzo Amore]

He's got a lot of nerve, I'll tell you. Joe Shane.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Enzo Amore]

Not a good dad. And I know that for a fact, because anybody who comes to this market, anybody who comes to this market and brings his family with him is an idiot. Those kids should be getting raised in Missouri. Nobody should. Nobody should have to go through that.

[Chris Gronkowski]

That kid's son plays football.

[Enzo Amore]

Don Bosco. He's a freshman quarter quarterback. Could you imagine what he's going through every day, right? Oh, my God. He goes to all boys school, bro.

[K. Funk]

I'm with the pick.

[Billy Gill]

Funk, you okay here?

[Stugatz]

Someone else is stealing the show.

[Enzo Amore]

It's a bad situation for the whole Shane family, everybody involved. It was Rolls.

[Stugatz]

We.

[Enzo Amore]

You hung up the second I mentioned Saquon. We knew. Knew. You knew, dude.

[Gordy]

No, look, I. My phone died. I was spending all morning looking up the advanced statistics, but I've got it plugged in now, so we're all good.

[Stugatz]

All right, so I will set this up with you at Joe Shane. You tell them everything you just told us.

[Enzo Amore]

Nothing. It's Joe's family that we gotta have the intervention with.

[Stugatz]

Okay? Okay. All right, all right, I got it. But just. If I get Joe Shane on, just tell him he's a bad dad, okay? That's all I want you to share, Bear. By the way, Gordy is taking the Cardinals in this game, plus three and a half. Half share. Bear, who you taking here? Cardinals at Vikings. Vikings minus three and a half. Enzo, I love you. I don't know.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'm taking Enzo's side.

[Stugatz]

Get the kid out of there. No, I'm with him.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'm with him. I'm going to the Vikings.

[Billy Gill]

I've been having a lot of time.

[Stugatz]

In Minnesota lately, you know, I like it down there.

[Enzo Amore]

They got a nice, nice Downtown.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Nice gentleman's establishment.

[Stugatz]

So I'm going with the Vikings. Okay, Mike Rolls. Who you taking here? Cardinals at Vikings. Vikings minus three and a half. Half.

[Gordy]

Cards.

[Stugatz]

I'm keeping it simple. Okay, you're keeping it simple. Okay, let's go to K Funk. K Funk. Cardinals had Vikings. Vikings minus three and a half.

[K. Funk]

I love the rolls. And I'm gonna take the Rolls with three and a half. I'll take the Cardinals.

[Stugatz]

Okay. Mojo. Do we need to ask?

[Carl Douglas]

This is a tough one.

[Mojo]

You know, they. They bring up a great point with Daniel Jones is. As much as I would like like to go with that, nothing will ever top my need to talk trash to somebody and pick against Rollis family. Still salty off of that bull 247 thing. Give me the Vikings. And I'd like to note the audience here is so automatic on God bless football. Check this out. My Wikipedia page. It already says Mojo. Raleigh has also become known in football betting circles as the spread master for his ability to pick football games against the spread, simultaneously dominating K Funk on a weekly basis year over year. I didn't write it, I swear.

[K. Funk]

I wonder. I wonder who wrote that. Oh, I wonder who.

[Enzo Amore]

I didn't even know how.

[Billy Gill]

You think it was, Enzo.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. Who do you think it was? I mean, names.

[Enzo Amore]

You guys know for a fact. If I knew how to change anything about that stuff, I would.

[Stugatz]

No, Enzo, we know that. We get that we have the K. Funk. Do you. Who do you think it was? K. Funk. Just name names. Who?

[K. Funk]

I just told you.

[Billy Gill]

Carl. Is that what he's up to today?

[K. Funk]

I said if Mikey A showed up for work today, I would have said it was Mike.

[Stugatz]

Yay.

[K. Funk]

But obviously Philly, because he's the only one.

[Stugatz]

Well, Mikey might be working in the background, right?

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, you never know.

[K. Funk]

Hey, Enzo. Mojo's balls are here. And Billy and Mikey just kind of like swing.

[Stugatz]

Wow.

[Mojo]

Try getting in first place for once and see.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, you're down here.

[Mojo]

So you get down here.

[Enzo Amore]

Kind of treat.

[Billy Gill]

Where's the coconut water you promised all of us?

[Enzo Amore]

K. What kind of. What kind of shoes? What are the bottoms of Mojo shoes look like, buddy?

[Mojo]

K. Funk's face.

[Stugatz]

Chris.

[Enzo Amore]

First place.

[Carl Douglas]

I didn't know if we were still doing picks today.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, I know we're still doing. Who are you taking, Chris? Thank you.

[Chris Gronkowski]

I'll.

[Carl Douglas]

I'll go with the Vikings here.

[Stugatz]

Okay, you're taking the Vikings. All right, here we go. Third game here. Eagles at the Ravens. Big game. Ravens minus three at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Sherbear going to. You first who? You take it here. Oh, man. You know, I didn't know I was going to go with, but I kind of like. Enzo's got Lamar Jackson in my head, so.

[Enzo Amore]

You know what?

[Chris Gronkowski]

What?

[Enzo Amore]

I'm going with Lamar Jackson.

[Stugatz]

Let's go with the Ravens. Okay, you're taking the Ravens. Gordy is taking the Eagles here plus three. I'm going to Enzo. Enzo who? You take it. Eagles at Ravens. Ravens minus three.

[Enzo Amore]

I don't, you know, I think that the 30, 30 point they put up against the Chargers was just impressive. The Hardball bowl, let's try to say that, you know. The Harbor Bro Bowl. Yeah, the Harborough Bowl.

[Mojo]

Yes.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Nailed it.

[Enzo Amore]

So these guys played each other and the Chargers are great defensively. Awesome. Off the board, running the balls. The forte of both teams, right? They, you know, they moved to D tackle. Scott Matlock. If you look him up, he's a big fat red headed kid. He was a D tackle, played at Boise State. They moved him to fullback to play the same position Pat Ricard played. Plays for the Baltimore Ravens. I love the way their brand of football. Now this is real interesting because you got the AFC juggernaut versus the NFC juggernaut right now. But you guys got to remember one thing. The only team, and this is just me speaking off the riff because, you know, we're talking ball, bro. Zone knows ball, bro. Zone knows ball. Okay, Ross, you know, because I was a champion in your league that you guys wish I was throwing in. But I know this for a fact. Lamar Jackson has only lost to one NFC quarterback in his entire career. Now, do you guys know who it is? Tom Brady, Daniel Jones, the Minnesota Vikings.

[Stugatz]

All things come back to Daniel Jones for you.

[Enzo Amore]

All things come back to Danny Jones, bro. I gotta say, man, I, I, I like the Ravens in this one. They just came off of a tough game. I got, I got the Ravens in this one.

[Stugatz]

Let's go to, let's go to K. K, you take it.

[K. Funk]

Give me the Eagles.

[Stugatz]

All right, you're taking the Eagles also.

[K. Funk]

Because I know who Mojo wants.

[Stugatz]

Mojo's a Raven.

[K. Funk]

I'll give Mojo's Raven. He's about to get dad.

[Billy Gill]

What?

[K. Funk]

Pick the Ravens. I'll give him his Ravens because he's.

[Billy Gill]

About to be a dad.

[K. Funk]

Yeah, I feel bad for him.

[Billy Gill]

I feel bad for him.

[Stugatz]

Don't have to do some sort of charity work. Okay, like, what's the matter with you?

[Mojo]

We, we gotta, you're in last place, man.

[Chris Gronkowski]

We gotta give you.

[K. Funk]

Hey, Gordy's in last place.

[Billy Gill]

Oh, you're in last.

[Stugatz]

Gordy's not in last. Gordy's in first place. Oh, yeah. Winning. Exactly. He's winning at life. I mean, come on. Anyway, Chris Gorkowski, who you take it, man.

[Carl Douglas]

This is. This is a different K funk than last year. That's all I know.

[Stugatz]

He's.

[Billy Gill]

He's a beaten man. Yeah. He's completely defeated.

[Stugatz]

He's in debt.

[Carl Douglas]

I've noticed that. I've only been on for half an episode and it's shining through, but. So I'll just take the Ravens.

[Stugatz]

You're taking the Ravens. Mojo, who you taking here?

[Mojo]

Maryland, baby. Always.

[Stugatz]

Okay, that's what I figured. Mike Rolls, who you take it.

[Gordy]

I like the Eagles in this one. Their defense is balling right now. It's a great game. Game. But what's the spread? The Eagles are.

[Stugatz]

The Eagles are plus three. Yeah.

[Gordy]

All right, I'll take the Eagles.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. Okay. I'll stay with you, Rolls. I'll come right back to you here. 49ers at bills. Bills are minus seven at home. It is a Sunday night game. Who you taking here?

[Gordy]

I think it's a snow game. That's what the forecast is saying. Look, I think the lot of respect for what the Niners have done over the last several years, but I don't think Brock Purdy's healthy. I think they're a little bit beat up right now. I think it's like a good game but wanted by the end that Buffalo takes a multiple score advantage. I got the Bills covering.

[Stugatz]

Okay, Share Bear, who you taking here? We have 49ers at bills. Bills minus seven.

[Enzo Amore]

You know, shoot, I'm gonna go.

[Mojo]

I'll go.

[Stugatz]

Buffalo had a good talk earlier with Gordy. Talking to Big Chris.

[Enzo Amore]

I know no one's going home for.

[Stugatz]

Coming down here to Fort Myers for Thanksgiving, so, you know, in honor of that, go a little Buffalo. Okay, taking Buffalo. Let's go to Enzo. Enzo, who you taking here? 49ers at bills. Bills minus seven.

[Enzo Amore]

Well, here we go.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Here we go.

[Stugatz]

I'll talk to you guys again in 15 minutes.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Here's my answer.

[Enzo Amore]

Josh Allen, the backup quarterback for San Francisco.

[Stugatz]

I like it. Yes. That's the kind of analysis we need around Dzo. Okay. I love it. K folk, who you taking here? 49ers at bills. Bills minus seven.

[K. Funk]

Do we have any Purdy Stack stats? Is he playing for sure?

[Stugatz]

Yeah, it looks like he's not gonna play. Maybe he's not gonna play.

[Gordy]

I think the Niners told us Christian McAffrey was almost ready for week one.

[Billy Gill]

Then that's true.

[Stugatz]

That is true.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Kyle J. Sneaky. I mean, you don't know.

[Mojo]

What are you doing with that pen?

[Billy Gill]

If Purdy plays, what are you doing with that?

[Gordy]

That's like the Matt Patricia pencil.

[Billy Gill]

Are you taking? Are you taking. Not this.

[K. Funk]

I can't do a Purdy, please. What are you talking about? You can't say controls that team.

[Stugatz]

That's not how gambling works. You can't call your bookie and say if Py plays.

[K. Funk]

That's why I don't bet until 1250 on a. On a Sunday.

[Stugatz]

I don't bet Wednesday, dude. Right. Okay, so who's the play?

[Gordy]

He's having a breakdown.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah. What's going on?

[K. Funk]

Taking the Niners. There's gonna be a foot or two of snow. Give me the nine miners. If Purdy doesn't play, I'll talk to Carl. I'll get myself out of.

[Stugatz]

There's no talking to Coral. That's not how this works.

[Billy Gill]

What are you. What are you writing down?

[K. Funk]

I keep notes on the show.

[Billy Gill]

What are the notes that you keep?

[Stugatz]

No, no, no. Billy, Billy, Billy. If indeed he does keep notes, I would like him to go through the notes at the end of the season.

[Billy Gill]

I mean, is it a notebook? Yeah. Like every week I will carve out.

[Stugatz]

19 hours for this.

[Enzo Amore]

I mean, how much doodling is done on that page?

[Carl Douglas]

This is recorded.

[Enzo Amore]

How many penises have you doodled with that?

[K. Funk]

Billy, you're laughing. Billy, Billy, you're laughing, but this is. You're. This is going to come back to you, some of this stuff, so be careful.

[Enzo Amore]

Everybody knows that notebook looks like a scene out of Super Bad Buddy.

[K. Funk]

First of all, I'm the only one that. That brings chicks on the show. So what.

[Billy Gill]

What do you think the point of the show is talking about.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Make people.

[Enzo Amore]

Start coming out of retirement around here.

[Billy Gill]

What's happening right now?

[K. Funk]

Respect your elders, Enzo. Respect your elders, please.

[Billy Gill]

Your elders.

[Stugatz]

May I ask who blurted out this is being recorded. Who blurted that out? Excellent job, Chris. Welcome back. Oh, man.

[Mike Madden]

What.

[Billy Gill]

What was that? Thread of this is going to come back to haunt you.

[Carl Douglas]

Trying to say that he edits clips.

[Gordy]

Out court everything with K. Funk and he's gonna Abracadabra.

[Billy Gill]

Present.

[Gordy]

Present K. Fox notepad. And let me go to whatever you call it. Example number three of.

[Billy Gill]

Yeah, exhibit C. Yeah, there you go. Exhibit you did stugots. You did miss last week where Carl told us that he says abracadabra before he does something in court and that that would be the name of his book if he wrote one.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Mr. Nice Guy.

[Stugatz]

Mr. Nice Guy. Oh, my God. Okay, I forgot. Who did take Avon?

[K. Funk]

I take the Niners. If P's playing.

[Billy Gill]

If P's playing, give me the Niners.

[Stugatz]

All right. Mojo's playing.

[Mike Rollins]

Mojo.

[Mojo]

He makes it so ridiculous.

[Mike Rollins]

Easy for.

[Stugatz]

For all of us. Yes.

[Mojo]

I'm obviously going to take the Bills. I had a whole thing, but don't need to say it now.

[Enzo Amore]

Okay.

[Stugatz]

What a pie plays. I mean, Enzo, who you taking here? 49ers of bills. Bills minus seven.

[K. Funk]

He went.

[Gordy]

He went.

[Stugatz]

I'm sorry. Sorry, Chris.

[Mike Madden]

Chris.

[Stugatz]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Enzo. My apologies. Everyone's lashing out. Chris Gronkowski. Who? You take it.

[Carl Douglas]

Here, let me. Let me. Let me check my notes. I wrote. But I'm gonna go with. I'll go with the Bills.

[Mike Madden]

All right.

[Stugatz]

You take in the Bills. Everyone selected that game.

[K. Funk]

Greg Gordy's on the Bills for sure.

[Stugatz]

Gordy took the Bills minus seven. Yes. All right, final game here. We'll go to Enzo first. Enzo, it's been a pleasure, man. Thank you for joining us. You're locked in here for the rest of the season. I hope you know that. Browns at Broncos. Broncos minus five and a half. Who you taking?

[Enzo Amore]

Broncos beat him by more than a touchdown. Bo Nicks, here's your stat. 20 touchdowns, two turnovers.

[Stugatz]

Right?

[Mike Madden]

Okay.

[Enzo Amore]

The only other people to ever do that, Pat Mahomes, Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady and Peyton manning in a 10 game game stretch boat. Nick's done that as a rookie. He's 24 years old. He played plenty of football over 60 games at the collegiate level, and he's looking like the rookie of the year. I believe in him. And I love Jameis Winston as much as anyone in the world. I mean, his pregame last week was. I mean, can we ask for anything more? He's got a job, whatever team, he'll replace Tom Brady. Thank God. When that happens. When we watch Jameis Winston retires. If you put a poll out for the people. If this was wrestling and we really went with the most over guy, like, who do the people want? Man of the people.

[Stugatz]

Yep.

[Enzo Amore]

We're taking Jameis Winston in that spot over Tom Brady 10 out of 10 times.

[Stugatz]

I agree. Right. If you care about being entertained, you take James Winston. I am with you that, sir. 1, 100%.

[Enzo Amore]

10 out of 10 times. And I want him on the field at game days. He should be a sideline reporter. Anytime you got snow hitting the ground, send them to Green Bay. Send that guy To Seattle. Send them anywhere that there's no. Just get him on the sideline with a smile and a microphone on his face.

[Stugatz]

All right, I appreciate. Your full breakdowns are welcome here. Okay? I don't want you to think that they're not. Gordy is taking the Broncos here, minus five and a half.

[Enzo Amore]

Giving you short breakdowns. Because I got. I gotta do, bro, it's like promo class, dude.

[Stugatz]

Don't ask questions.

[Enzo Amore]

R. Shut the up.

[Stugatz]

Oh, I appreciate you giving.

[Enzo Amore]

My bad.

[Stugatz]

I appreciate the short breakdowns.

[Enzo Amore]

Promo class. Dusty Rhodes is getting ready to move on, and Frenchie raises his hand and starts asking a question.

[Gordy]

I was never a question guy at.

[Stugatz]

The end of class.

[Billy Gill]

Really?

[Gordy]

I was trying to get out of there.

[Billy Gill]

Hold on a second.

[Stugatz]

Yes. I hate that guy.

[Billy Gill]

I mean, hold on a second.

[Stugatz]

Billy was that guy.

[Billy Gill]

No, I wasn't. So you guys were in promo class together, and you would raise your hand at the end and extend it. Were you, like, the guy that would say, like, oh, you didn't give us the homework this week. Don't forget to give us the homework.

[Enzo Amore]

We were the guys that never raised. Raised our hands one time.

[Mojo]

Ask Enzo why he got kicked out of promo class.

[Stugatz]

That one. I'm supp. I'm surprised Enzo showed up to promo class.

[Mojo]

Yeah, that was his American dream. Kicked Enzo out of promo class one day.

[Billy Gill]

What'd you do?

[Enzo Amore]

Oh, bro, well, I did everybody a favors when I didn't. I. Shut up, Baron Corbin.

[Billy Gill]

Oh.

[Stugatz]

I thought he was gonna say in the classroom. I mean.

[Enzo Amore]

Kill Mojo. I just told you. The. The short and the skinny of it, dude.

[Stugatz]

That was it.

[Enzo Amore]

That was what I did.

[Mojo]

All right. Someone cut a promo. It wasn't very good. And Dream asked Enzo what his thoughts were on that promo. And Enzo lifted one leg and ripped the biggest fart of all time because that was what he thought that promo was. And he threw him out.

[Billy Gill]

Poor Baron.

[Stugatz]

Oh, boy. All right, let's. Let's finish this up, because we all have.

[Enzo Amore]

I thought that was. I hadn't gone yet, so I thought that was gonna count for my promo. He's gonna love that. This could be great.

[Stugatz]

All right, Rollins, who. You take it here.

[Gordy]

Well, we lost K. Funk, apparently. Time for my picks. I'll wait for him to get back so I can get my full analysis.

[Chris Gronkowski]

No, I'll go.

[Stugatz]

I'll go.

[Gordy]

Denver here. I mean, Jameis is so entertaining to walk, like, to watch, play the game. I mean, he's just wild. But he'll air it out. But, you know, I think they're due for a little bit of a drop down, a little bit of a bad game. So I'll go Denver.

[Stugatz]

All right.

[Enzo Amore]

Ever coming back or is he out for the year?

[Gordy]

No, he's out for the year. He's on the Saints, too. I mean, that's totally different.

[Billy Gill]

Just asking.

[Enzo Amore]

Hey, I'm gonna go.

[Stugatz]

I'll go with the Broncos. Share. Bear took the Broncos. Okay. Right? I mean, rolls. What a great response by you. But Enzo was preparing for another segment he has to do. Yeah. Who you taking here? Yeah. Browns at Broncos. Broncos minus five and a half.

[K. Funk]

Yeah, I'm. I do. I'm with Enzo on this one. I've been watching Bo Nick Phetom since college. He's 70 plus completion. I mean, this guy's a. Give me Denver, give me seven plus there.

[Stugatz]

I got it. Yep, he's good. But he's not good enough to cover the five and a half, right? Mojo.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Man.

[Mojo]

Man, I hate to do it, but I'm taking Denver, too, man.

[Stugatz]

All right. Wow. I like it. I like it. I like it.

[Mojo]

This one. I gotta draw the line. I'm not taking Cleveland.

[Stugatz]

Okay. All right. That's fair. Chris, who are you taking, ma'am?

[Carl Douglas]

I'm taking the points.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. Wow.

[Gordy]

Keep in mind, keep in mind, J.K. dobbins is probably out this week.

[Billy Gill]

Wow.

[Gordy]

You know, different game, different team. But I just wanted to throw that out.

[Stugatz]

Ross, that should be your breakdown. You should name all these other players from another game and other teams and then give us the pick for the game. That would be funny.

[Chris Gronkowski]

Yeah.

[Billy Gill]

Billy, before we go, I have all of Carl's picks. Carl texted in his picks while we were doing this. So Carl has the Bengals, the Vikings, the Ravens, the Bills and the Browns. So on the record, we have Carl's picks as well. Well, I'm pretty.

[Gordy]

I'm pretty opposite Carl this week.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, y. He also. He told. He also told me to tell K Font to go himself on the Brock P. Who.

[K. Funk]

Who did he have in the Eagles game?

[Stugatz]

Oh, stop writing it down. Let's get out of here. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you guys. We love you very much. Enzo, very nice to meet you.

[Enzo Amore]

Thanks for having me on today, guys. Go Ravens.

[Stugatz]

Yep. And Chris Groski. It was great to see you. Mojo, you want to promote anything on the way out, so.

[Mojo]

Oh, yeah. What should we promote today?

[Carl Douglas]

That's what I'm here for.

[Billy Gill]

That's what I'm here for.

[Stugatz]

Hold on.

[Enzo Amore]

Let.

[Carl Douglas]

We gotta do no more jewelry now.

[Mojo]

That he's married back on the show, right? So there's only one company we can talk about this week, and that is our good friends over at Ice Shaker. Now, you saw K. Funks. That's the little one. That's the embarrassing one. 1. This is the one you want. The big dog, the one gallon.

[Billy Gill]

Wow.

[Mojo]

Here, buddy. They got Friday sales. I'll let Chris hype it up, but these things are harder than K. Funk's head. Keep your water cool for 48 plus hours. 72 hours. Unlike funk, who boils over under pressure immediately. Chris, pick it up from here. Tell them about Ice Shaker, buddy.

[Carl Douglas]

Yo, that. That's what I'm talking about. We do have have all the NFL teams now as well, but Black Friday sale going down. Use code black ice 25 off. But mojo, I was actually. I was expecting something else out of you, man. I haven't. I haven't heard his promo game in a while, so. You know, the jewelry's gone. Everything else is gone. What else you got now?

[Mojo]

Oh, I mean, I can keep going if you want. I've been trying to limit the one. So for today, it had to be Ice Shaker. Now that, that we got you back at least for the day.

[Carl Douglas]

I appreciate that.

[Mojo]

Good show to come back on too, by the way.

[Stugatz]

Very, very good. Well, Chris, Chris, are you good on promotion? K. Funk, we see it. Are you good on promotion?

[Carl Douglas]

Hey, I appreciate the promotion.

[Chris Gronkowski]

It's.

[Carl Douglas]

It's Black Friday weekend too, so definitely get shopping anyway.

[Stugatz]

You shitting in a club motion is my favorite part of today's episode and also not surprising. I love you guys. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. We will speak to you next week, baby. All right.

[Carl Douglas]

God bless football, everybody.

[Stugatz]

God bless football. St got here. I want to thank the folks over at Smirnoff for being a loyal sponsor to both God bless football and the Dan Lenard show, which two gods. Smirnoff knows there is no eye in football. Football is a we thing. An experience that is best enjoy together with good drinks and good folks. Smirnoff is the world's number one vodka and is an official vodka partner of the NFL. And this year there are more opportunities to watch football and make delicious Smirnoff cocktails than ever before. Over the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Black Friday and Christmas, Smirnoff and the NFL are with you every step of the way. So this holiday season, when you are enjoying the game and your cocktails, please make sure to drink responsibly. Take a minute, Make a plan. Never drive impaired Smirnoff. We do game days. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain, 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Co. New York, NY please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age.

[Chris Gronkowski]

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