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Billy Gill
You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network.
Stugatz
Stugat here. I want to thank the folks over at Smirnoff for being a loyal sponsor to both God Bless Football and the Dan Levittar show with two gods. Smirnoff knows there is no I in football. Football is a, we think 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 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 Company New York, NY please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age. Stugatz here. I want to thank the folks over at Smirnoff for being a loyal sponsor to both God Bless Football and the Dan Lebatar show with Stugats. Smirnoff knows there is no I in football. Football is a, we think 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 Company New York, NY please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age. Stugats 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 two gods. Smirnoff knows there is no I in football. Football is a we thing, an experience that is 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. Responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain, 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Company, New York, New York. Please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age.
Billy Gill
There's no better feeling than a personal win. And the State Farm personal price plan can help you do just that. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.
Stugatz
God bless football. Billy Gill God bless football.
Mikey A
Mikey A.
Stugatz
God bless football. Stugots thank you, Mikey A happy holidays to everyone in the audience. We have an exciting show coming up. We have an exciting weekend coming up. We have the College Football Playoff first round coming up. We have the NFL as well. Chris Felica the Bear going to join us. Mike Lombardi, the new GM at North Carolina is going to join us and Chris Simms going to join us as well. How about Lombardi, GM, NC? I'm expecting a different Mike Lombardi today. Billy.
Mikey A
Are you?
Stugatz
I am, yes.
Mikey A
It's funny because we've had Mike Lombardi on a number of times and it was promote books and, you know, whatever projects he was working on at the time. He had a show at Vsyn, he did some stuff with DraftKings. And you would always say, you know, Billy, this is, this is what, this is how you do this. You get Lombardi and then when he takes over an NFL team, you have that relationship. Yeah, but like, you'll tell me that with, with everyone, you know, to the likes of Drew Millard, who writes a book about, you know, golf. And it's like when, you know, when he's on the PGA Tour, it's like, Drew Millard's never going to be on the PGA Tour. But what. And sure enough, now Michael Lombardi has taken over, you know, University of North Carolina, by the way. St. I don't know if you know this.
Stugatz
What?
Mikey A
God Bless Football is presented by Smirnoff. We do.
Stugatz
I didn't know.
Mikey A
Please drink responsibly. The Smirnoff Company, New York, New York.
Stugatz
I mean, how could I possibly have known that?
Mikey A
I mean, you should. They sponsor us every week. Also, by the way, here's another thing. Yes, guys, if you want to do us a solid, go to Sports Podcast Group. You can vote for us for best American Football Podcast. Listen, I'm not here to go into any conspiracy theories or anything like that, but someone. Someone did point out that some of the heavier hitters are at the top of the list when you go to vote for Best American Football podcast, the Kelsey's. So I'm not saying shenanigans is afoot here, but I'm saying go to Sports Podcast group dot com. Scroll down a little bit, you'll find God Bless Football. Vote for us, the little guys, to go up against the Giants. If you hate Taylor Swift, vote for us. If you hate Travis Kelsey, vote for us. If you love Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey, vote for us. Either way, anyway, vote for us. Sports podcastgroup.com God bless football. Best American Football Podcast.
Stugatz
I want to be clear on the accusation you're making.
Mikey A
Are you saying no accusation?
Stugatz
Are the Kelsey's being put first because they want the Kelsey's to win that award? Is that. Is that what they're doing?
Mikey A
I just. I didn't say that. I just had someone reach out to me and say, why aren't these in alphabetical order? To which I said, I don't know. Vote for us. So please vote for us for Sports Podcast Group Awards. We can stick it to management who doesn't believe in us.
Stugatz
Do the Kelsey's. Do they even talk football? I mean, honestly, I don't know.
Mikey A
I've never listened to that podcast. I only listen to God Bless Football.
Stugatz
That's all you listen to, all you need to listen to.
Mikey A
Yeah.
Stugatz
Did you say stick it to management that doesn't believe in us?
Mikey A
You always have to. Whether it's true or not. You always have to kind of paint this thing like you're the little dog, you know what I mean? So that then the audience, like, gets behind you and they're like, you know what? I want them to succeed. So just, you know, create your narratives.
Stugatz
Let's try it this way, okay? Management does not believe in me and Billy and Mikey A. They don't support it. Okay? They don't. They don't Want us to win awards. Okay. They don't want us. Really, they don't. I'm just. I'm being honest. They don't. And I'm telling you right now, I got this message. I don't think Billy got it, but I got it. If we don't win this award, they might cancel the show. So go and.
Mikey A
I did not get that message. I hope that's not the case.
Stugatz
I was trying to do what you were saying.
Mikey A
Like, okay. Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. They told me that. And they also said. They also said, billy, you have two dogs. If you don't win this award, you're gonna have one dog, and you can't choose which one. I was like, wow, that's extreme. That is. Wow.
Billy Gill
Management doesn't play.
Mikey A
Please vote for us sports podcast group.
Stugatz
Please, for Billy's dog. Thank you.
Mikey A
I don't know which one.
Stugatz
Right.
Mikey A
I'm trying not to get attached to either one of them. Just in case.
Stugatz
I was following your lead there. Which dog would you get rid of, though, by the way?
Mikey A
I don't have a choice. I. I don't get to.
Stugatz
Well, what if you did have a choice? What if you did? What if you did? What if you did? Come on, Billy.
Mikey A
I love your dog's names. I love them both equally. Dopey and Izzy.
Stugatz
Dopey and Izzy.
Mikey A
Yeah, I love them both equally.
Stugatz
No one loves both of them equally, so go ahead.
Mikey A
But if I had to choose one. See, I'm not gonna say. I'm not gonna say, because guess what? If I tip off when I want more, then they take the other dog. You know what I mean?
Billy Gill
Maybe, like, maybe do a little.
Mikey A
I would save this one. And they're like, nope.
Chris Simms
Boom.
Mikey A
This dog is gone to a new home. New home. Not anywhere else. We're not doing anything bad to the dogs, right? But please vote for us so that they get both still live in my house.
Stugatz
Which one you getting rid of?
Mikey A
I mean, I. I'm not. I'm not gonna say.
Stugatz
Okay, they're both your dogs. I mean, I know.
Mikey A
I love. I love them.
Stugatz
I'm getting choked up just thinking about it.
Mikey A
It's terrible. So vote for us so that I don't have to make that horrible choice that I don't even have to make anyways. Oh, also, after you vote for us, sportspodcastgroup.com compete against us in weekly fantasy presented by smirnoff. Go to dkng co/smirnoff. Just before we did this, Stu Guys was filling out his roster, and he Feels pretty confident about it. This week.
Stugatz
I do it to Kyler Murray. What'd you say, Mike?
Chris Felica
I'm coming.
Billy Gill
I'm coming for the top 500 this week.
Mikey A
Well, you can only go after 500.
Billy Gill
10Th last week. I'm coming for the top 500 this week.
Stugatz
Yeah, I did. I did fill out the roster right before we came on air here. I have Kyler Murray as my quarterback.
Mikey A
So what's the rest of your roster?
Stugatz
Let me check it out. I wanted to ask you guys a question before we get to the bear here. Chris Felica, who's Gonna give us 12 picks for Christmas? Okay.
Mikey A
Santa Claus is Gonna give us 12 picks for Christmas. Why not the bear?
Stugatz
So ridiculous. Hold on, I'm trying to pull up the line up here. Hold on a second, Billy.
Billy Gill
I have.
Stugatz
Kyler Murray took Shakir, the Bills receiver.
Mikey A
I was trying to trick you. Don't tell people your roster because they'll pick the exact same roster as you.
Stugatz
And then why would you ever pick my roster?
Mikey A
I ain't just spite. I don't know.
Stugatz
I wanted to ask you guys a question. College Football Playoff is this weekend. NFL is this weekend. Both NFL games are good. The College Football Playoff win or go home. I. I'm confused by the college football zealots who are upset that they have to compete against the NFL. Who doesn't want more football? Like I like. I don't understand. You guys don't have a preference. Dude, you're fine with all this being mashed together, right? Billy?
Mikey A
I love it. I'm going to watch it. All right. Oh, my God. We're headed into the holidays. Work responsibilities are winding down. All I have to worry about after all the presents. That's a story for another day. Don't get me started on that holiday shopping. But Saturday is football day. God bless it.
Stugatz
The bear. Chris Felica is joining us. Billy. A very exciting time, Mikey. A very exciting time. We have college football playoffs coming up. What is Saturday? Two NFL games. Three college playoff games. The bear is going to join us. He is going to sing us 12 picks at the end of this segment for the holidays. We're going to call it. We're going to. We're going to call it Santa pause. Okay. Is that good with you, Bear? We'll get to college football in a second and we'll get to the games. But for those of you who don't know, Felica is a big jets fan, okay? He is part of our tortured fan base. And so I am wondering here, Mikey A will have a breaking story for you that just drives me crazy. But I am wondering how you feel about whether or not Aaron Rodgers should come back. And if he does come back, do you want him back as the jets quarterback?
Chris Felica
Why? Why, why, why are you bringing him back?
Stugatz
He looks good the last couple of games, but what do you, what do you.
Chris Felica
You're not going anywhere. The team is terrible, right? You're not winning next year. Like, like you are now in tear it down new gm, new coach, new everything. You're in, you're in tear it down mode. You're not. Hey, let's, let's trot out a 41 year old quarterback for another year. Like it's not going to accomplish anything, right?
Stugatz
Mikey, I think for the first time I saw you nodding like I do. You want Aaron Rodgers back? Mikey A. No.
Billy Gill
I'm just not sure what the alternative is.
Stugatz
Bear. Let me just say this, okay. I would rather Aaron Rodgers be bad for the jets than be great somewhere else. So therefore I want him back. I cannot, I can't stomach seeing him be.
Chris Felica
Not going to be great.
Stugatz
He might, he might.
Billy Gill
Tell you he could be great.
Chris Felica
I mean you're just applying like that. That's jets logic. Like you need to know that's the only thing somewhere else would be great.
Mikey A
Sam Darnold.
Chris Felica
It's bad enough that what a freaking clown that guy was. I mean.
Stugatz
We'Re two years away from Zach Wilson winning the MVP.
Chris Felica
That will not be one of the 12 days of Christmas, pets. I can promise you that. Z to be 2026 MVP.
Mikey A
I like how you say, like, oh, that clown. Adam G. Like Robert Salah was like a genius.
Chris Felica
No, he wasn't. But, but it was, it wasn't like, I mean Adam Garnold was the quarterback then. I mean, right? Like clearly, clearly with some pretty good coaching now in Minnesota, he's doing okay. I mean, look, it wasn't like he went to Carolina and was great either. That was another dysfunctional organization.
Stugatz
There is a, there's a great report by Diana Rossini from the Athletic because I have maintained for many, many years that we as Jeff fans care more about the team than the fans do. Mikey A. Please share this report with the Bear and let's get his, let's get his response to it.
Billy Gill
There's a lot in it, Bear, including that Woody wanted to keep the Mr. Irrelevant pick just because he wanted the pomp and circumstance that goes with it. But the part that that really stands out is he nixed a Jerry Judy trade from, from Denver even though everything was in place because his teenage son said his Madden rating was too low to make the deal.
Chris Felica
I mean, that makes perfect sense, right? I mean, do you really need another reason than that when you don't know.
Billy Gill
Football, you go to Madden for oh, I guess this guy is good.
Chris Felica
He's an 87. Yeah, without a doubt. So seriously, how, how ridiculous is that? Like I want to keep the last pick because I want to have another Brock Purdy. Like, like give me a break. Like seriously, that's a once and forever type hit that the Niners had with that guy.
Stugatz
So.
Chris Felica
But, but then again, this is the reason he, look, he fired Robert Sala because his team got embarrassed in London where he was for the Ambassador for four years and he was bruised and, and he was embarrassed and he fired his head coach because of that. So it's like this type of owner that he is.
Stugatz
Were you okay with Belichick reaching out to the jets and the jets saying get the out of here?
Chris Felica
Yes, yes, absolutely. Yes, of course I was. I mean he, look, he's, he held a grudge for whatever and he lambasted him and you know, actually for once the jets actually showed a little bit of a spine. I like it.
Stugatz
Yes. What did you think about Jack going to Carolina? That surprise you?
Chris Felica
I think it's either going to be, I don't think it's a middle ground. I think it's either going to be great or it's going to be a complete disaster. But, but then again, look, this is the guy who figured out a way to plant cameras to spy on his opponent before the super bowl and figure out a way to Dr. Footballs to get him into the game for Tom Brady. Like if he can do that, I think he could figure out a way to out out game playing.
Stugatz
Jake Dickert and Dave Doran, you made news on this show recently saying Don Shula was a cheater. Are you alleging that Bill Belichick is also a cheater? Huh?
Chris Felica
Well, all I know is those tapes have mysteriously been been destroyed and everything to do with the spygate with the Rams, like suddenly there, it's gone. Well, not suddenly. It's been gone for a while. None of it exists anymore. So I don't know where the smoke, this fire.
Stugatz
You're right. Yes. Well said by you, Bear. Before the season started, we'll get to your, we'll get to your picks at the end here. Before the college football season started, you and I voiced concern. We shared similar concerns about what it would do the new playoff format would do to the regular season. So now that we've had a full regular season to kind of digest this new era, what do you think? Have has your opinion changed? Did it ruin the regular season? Did it enhance it? What are your thoughts here?
Chris Felica
I still liked it at 4, but I will say this, it accomplished its goal and for that I'll say it was a success. It made more fan bases involved, created more conversation, it created more discussion. We cared more about it. Later, I will say it was a success. Again, I will fully admit that I liked it more than I thought I would. However, I still think there are problems with the the way these teams are ranked, the way it's seeded. If we spin it towards the playoff itself, like the way they see like Boise State getting a buy is ridiculous. You just need to seed at one through 12 of the top four, get a buy and then you want to put all the conference champions in, that's fine, that's a different story. But give you four best teams, teams buys. But yeah, it will look and we'll see what happens this weekend. I mean people talked about wanting the extra games because hey, upsets are going to happen. You get more teams in. You don't know. We could have first round upsets. Well, all four of these teams that are hosting in the first round are north of a touchdown favorite. So we'll see if one of these teams can go on the road and pull an upset. If not, then we're kind of. That doesn't mean that it will never happen, but it will just kind of give the people it says, hey, why are we putting like 12 teams in? We really don't need more than four or eight. So we'll see what happens.
Stugatz
All right, so this is interesting. Of the of the four underdogs playing this weekend, smu, Tennessee, Clemson, Indiana, which team do you think has the best, best chance of springing the upset?
Chris Felica
I think it's smu.
Stugatz
Really?
Chris Felica
I think, yeah. I think what we saw from Penn State against Oregon, I think we saw the Oregon office. Look, granted that's Dylan Gabriel and, and that offense and Tez Johnson and those wide receivers, but they really got little resistance from that, from that Penn State defense in the Big Ten championship game and with Kevin Jennings and the Miami transfers that they have it down there in Rut Lashley has at smu, I think they can do some similar type things that it would not surprise me to see SMU hang around in this game. Now look, they could go there and their lack of beating anybody good throughout the year, they're trying to schedule. It may rear its ugly head this coming weekend, but I think they have the pieces that exist the most to potentially pull an upset.
Stugatz
So it's interesting. Like, do you think any of the eight teams playing this weekend can actually win the national championship? Because that. You do think so. Okay, go ahead. Who?
Chris Felica
Ohio State.
Stugatz
Really?
Chris Felica
Iowa State is still. Power Range is one of the. In Texas too. Iowa State and Texas are two of the best four teams in the country. That's what I was getting at with the ceiling. Like if you, if you say who are the best four teams in the country? I mean, some people might want to throw Notre Dame in there, but it's Ohio State, Texas, Oregon and Georgia. Those are the four best teams and you got two of them now potentially would have to play four games in order to win the title. But yeah, if Texas or Ohio State won the national title, no one would be shocked at all.
Stugatz
But I think what football, what college football wants to see eventually, and they think it's going to happen. I'm not so sure they want to see one of these teams like SMU make a run and play in the national championship game, don't they? And I don't. I just can't envision a day where we're going to see that there.
Chris Felica
I can't. I can't either. I mean, you're, you're asking SMU to, to beat. To be Penn State and then they would luck out. You would get Boise State in the next round, but then you potentially get Georgia and then you're going to get either Ohio State, Texas or Oregon. So yeah, it's not going to happen. The way the teams are built are different. In college basketball, you have five players on the court at once. It's. It's not. You build continuity with upperclassmen and you're playing together for three, four years. That side stuff matters. College football, you're not going to get that 11 on 11, the two deeps. It's just, it's just college football is the most schedule reliant sport that there is. And I know people hate it when I say it, but like all schedules are not created equal. All conferences are not created equal. And the ringing indictment of that this year was look at, look at Indiana. They played two teams with the winning record. SMU played, played. Nobody. Texas, no, no wins over a team currently ranked. So like even you look compare the Texas schedule in the SEC to what Georgia face going on the road to Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and then having to play Texas again in the, in the Conference championship game. Like you need to figure out a way that, that is like one of my fixes for the sport. You need with these mega conferences now, 16, 18 teams in, in the league's 14 teams, you need to have two divisions. You at least need to have some clarity of who playing and make it clear as opposed to Indiana missing out on everybody good in the Big Ten with the exception of Ohio State and did some of the other leagues. Because it really was unfair to a lot of these conferences. Just the, the gap and, and the chasm in, in scheduling.
Stugatz
So if you're running one of these programs under the current construct, you're, you're, you're scheduling easy teams, right?
Chris Felica
Damn right I am. Yes, absolutely. Because that's what the. And that was what the. And that's what the committee did. I don't think you almost needed to think in like 3D chess or checkers with the committee and kind of play it out in your mind like they painted themselves and boxed themselves into a corner with smu. And I brought this up a couple weeks out. Like if you had SMU ahead of Alabama on the final week of the season going into a conference championship game, you can't knock them out because they play in a conference championship. You're saying, okay, you're in. And then you can say, oh well, you had to plan the, that conference championship game you're not in. You should, you should have had them behind Alabama and basically say, hey, go win the game and then you're going to, then we're going to put you in. So that they, they did a lot of law loss or I gave you. Almost gave you a good New York Long island loss. Every now and then it comes out.
Stugatz
I like it coffee.
Chris Felica
But yeah, it was a lot of loss ordering by the committee. So they need to do a better job in ranking these teams and not just look at. Because again, SMU is 11 and 1 is not as good as what Ole Miss is 9 and 3 or Alabama's 9 and 3 is.
Mikey A
But Bear, it's like impossible to play that game, right? Because you have to schedule these things out like years in advance and you have no idea what the committee is going to think three years from now. And also like the strength of schedule, arguably, arguably is why Miami didn't really have a shot. I mean they didn't play for a conference championship, but you still had a three loss Alabama just because of the conference they were in over in Miami who didn't have as many losses. So like that was a straight like like scheduling gimmes is good for like SEC teams and Big Ten teams at the moment. But like if your conference is not viewed as one of the better ones and then you don't have the strength of schedule, you can't get in.
Chris Felica
Fair point. Very fair. And to give Miami at least a little bit of credit, like they did schedule Florida and they didn't think that Florida was going to have. Right. And Florida actually wind up having a much better year than, than people thought. So.
Stugatz
But a bad year to schedule Florida, bad timing to play them. Like, but you don't, but you, you.
Mikey A
Don'T know three years ago.
Chris Felica
Exactly.
Mikey A
It's crazy just how scheduling ends up.
Chris Felica
Affecting him and even within the season. Like could you, I mean and we've talked about this with, with Mike and all the guys in the Miami, the Miami chat that were like what happens if Miami and if that game is played in November as opposed to September, that could be a whole different team because the Florida team in late in the season was much better than the one we saw earlier in the year.
Mikey A
Where does Mario go from here after losing Cam Ward? Because Cam Ward really is what kind of kept that team alive. So he basically has to find a Cam Ward every year under this current plan.
Chris Felica
And I hate it. I, that's why I hate this. Like you need to go out and like I guess the nickel kid supposedly is, is a guy. So that, that's a positive. But this is what I hate with this current like portal transfer nil era. Like every, it's like, oh, we just got to go out and buy a quarterback. It's not that easy. Look at this year now. Oh, we're just going to go out and get John Matier. Oh no you didn't. Because he went to Oklahoma because Baker.
Mikey A
Mayfield made a call.
Chris Felica
Exactly. So I don't, I don't know. It's still the backbone of building your team is recruiting and finding blue chip guys and keeping them. You got to find the right kid to be able to do it. I know people are going to argue and say no. Look at, look at Texas and Oregon have transfer quarterbacks but, but Clemson doesn't, Penn State doesn't, Georgia doesn't. So I, I like there's still something to be said for, for bringing in a quarterback and having maybe the right makeup to be able to, hey, you know, okay, I'll sit here and knowing that as a sophomore after a year, repping a year of practice in a year, maybe some mop up time, it's going to be my team. So, so we'll, we'll see what happens. Hopefully this kid will play out. I know a lot, a lot of chatter about Baby Mendoza from Cal being the guy now. But yeah, I, I'm not a fan of, of having to rely on that every year.
Mikey A
How do you feel about this Saturday? Because it is the playoffs but also it's the return of Saturday NFL game. So like some of the very college centric fans are not happy that they're now sharing this day with the NFL. When I think I speak for Stugats and Mikey when I say when in doubt. More football.
Stugatz
Yep.
Chris Felica
Yes. You've got multiple TVs. Two TV games, right. Anybody remember the good who was involved in two TV games? Anybody there involved in two tv right here. There we go.
Mikey A
Phone. Two is a third tv. Like exactly. Yeah.
Stugatz
Listen. Who the hell objects to more football? It's ludicrous.
Billy Gill
Idiots.
Chris Felica
Exactly. I mean and if you like like what we had on Monday night with two absolute garbage games on Monday night, the odds are maybe at least one of them should good. But I'll tell you what, it is going to be a little bit of a debate on which gets the, which gets volume up in my house on, on Saturday just because my wife being the, the Steelers fan for Pittsburgh. Right. Right in the middle of the afternoon. So that will be. That will be an interesting call to see if Raven Steelers or I guess the second college football playoff game is what the, the. The Texas Clemson game I think is the same.
Stugatz
I think it is. And let me tell you how that call is going down right now. Okay. You are piping Raven Steelers.
Chris Felica
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would think the sonos click connect AV1 or whatever. Yeah, that. That's probably how it is going to go down.
Stugatz
All right. This is very exciting because the Bear, we love him. He's great. The audience loves him and he has decided to be our Santa. Pause. He is going to give you 12 beautifully wrapped gifts for the holidays. It is Bear's picks. And by the way, check out his podcast Bear Bets wherever you get your podcast. So how are we gonna do this? Are you gonna sing this? Do you want us to sing you in? How do you want to do it?
Chris Felica
Well, I'll. I'll just do it like one by one. You.
Stugatz
You can.
Chris Felica
You can. You can kind of TB up for each time and react to whatever I may have said. But yeah, I'll just give you like a. Well, we'll do for the. Just to give you for an example. On the first bed of Christmas, the bear Gave to me the Sixers to miss the playoffs plus 130. I'll give you a little bit of that.
Mikey A
Okay.
Chris Felica
It's gonna get really old and tiring, isn't it?
Stugatz
No, it's not. No, it's. It will never get old. It will never get tiring. I'm wondering what we do at five the fifth day. That's gonna be tough for all.
Chris Felica
I got a good one. I got a good one for five.
Mikey A
Oh, okay.
Chris Felica
Yeah, like. Like I am. As you probably or may know this, I'm not like the biggest NBA guy in the world, but my buddies who, who follow the stuff, I'm kind of hijacking this from them. Like, the Sixers are terrible. I know the east is bad, but they are what, 8 and 16 and B can't walk, everybody's hurt. And the way these bets are graded, the make missed playoffs, it's. You can make the plan and then get knocked out of the plan. As long as you're not in the final field of eight to actually compete in the playoffs, like that's a winner. So like the Sixers to miss the playoffs at plus 130 is a. Is a bet that my, my NBA centric friends think is still pretty good. They were actually on it a few weeks back when it was a better number. But I still think the way the season is playing out, plus 130 is still a good bet.
Stugatz
All right, so that's an official bet right there.
Mikey A
That is the first, the first day.
Stugatz
Of bar of Christmas. Okay, so. All right, Billy, you want to sing them in with me here?
Mikey A
On the second day.
Chris Felica
Texas A&M minus three and a half versus USC.
Stugatz
On the third day of Christmas the bear.
Chris Felica
Gave to me a Jeremiah Smith anytime.
Stugatz
TD versus Tennessee on the fourth day of Christmas. Fourth bet of Christmas the bear gave to me Liverpool to win the EFL.
Chris Felica
And Premier League League on the 5th. That's 400 by the way.
Stugatz
Gave to me the White Sox to win 50 on the sixth bed of Christmas the bear gave to me the.
Chris Felica
Premier League saying bye bye to Man City. I'm saying they're going to get relegated by the way. They're going to slap a major penalty and they're going to get sent down to the championship next year. That's ten to one, by the way.
Stugatz
Okay, wait, really? You can get a bet on that?
Chris Felica
Yeah, absolutely.
Stugatz
All right. On the seventh bet of Christmas the bear gave to me Ohio State minus.
Chris Felica
Seven and a half versus Tennessee.
Stugatz
I love you. On the eighth day of. On the eighth bet of I keep saying day. On the eighth bed of Christmas, the bear gave to me.
Chris Felica
The Eagles to win the NFC +220BE. It's your show. You can do whatever the hell you want.
Stugatz
On the ninth bed of Christmas, the bear gave to me. I love watching Mikey write these down. Go ahead.
Chris Felica
Clemson to not score 20. That's under 19 and a half versus Texas for those who weren't able to figure that out.
Stugatz
On the 10th bed of Christmas, the bear gave to me.
Chris Felica
Texas, Syracuse and Ohio State in a money line parlay that's minus 106. All three on the money line together. 106 is a very important number, by the way, because that's my birthday. January 6th.
Mikey A
Wow.
Chris Felica
I feel really good about that, that the math actually came out to that.
Billy Gill
January seventh.
Chris Felica
There we go. Perfect. Celebrated on January seventh.
Billy Gill
There we go.
Stugatz
On the 11th bet of Christmas, the bear gave to me.
Chris Felica
La Liga to be won by Atlanti 4 7. They're plus 470 to win La Liga. Big one coming up this weekend against Barcelona. Barcelona, by the way, sometimes it's just not your year. We saw with the 49ers in the NFL. Real Madrid, Barcelona, both kind of. It's not going well for them right now. Give my man Simeone La Liga title.
Stugatz
On the 12th bed of Christmas, the bear gave to me.
Chris Felica
The New York jets plus three.
Mikey A
Wow.
Chris Felica
I like. I. I like the jets plus three against the Rams this week.
Stugatz
Week. Really?
Chris Felica
Yeah, I do. I like the first myself forward, believe me. Maybe, maybe, maybe that will be what convinces me to want Aaron Rodgers to hang around for another year.
Billy Gill
I might just erase all of his bets now after that one.
Stugatz
Rip them up. Throw him in the garbage. This was delightful. I like this.
Chris Felica
That was terrific.
Stugatz
I'm upset with myself that I didn't think of it sooner. I'm sorry.
Chris Felica
But that's okay. I love getting like the frantic, like 912 text from Stugotz. Hey, we're thinking about doing like this. Like 12 give you. Giving you, like 12 bets. Sure, whatever you want.
Stugatz
Yeah.
Chris Felica
Who needs breakfast? I just need to write out my bets.
Stugatz
You also need to go do your own podcast.
Chris Felica
Yeah.
Stugatz
Bear bets. Check it out wherever you get your podcast. Thank you for those 1212 beautiful gifts, buddy.
Chris Felica
You're so welcome. Happy holidays, guys.
Mikey A
It's the most magical time of year again, Chris. Cold winter air. The big games are on. Friends and family gathered round. What could make this better? I'll tell you what. A cold one in my hand. A Miller Light. From family gatherings to holiday parties with Friends, this season is for enjoying time with the most important people in your life. Life make the holidays even better with Miller Light. The great tasting light beer for people who love beer. Can't wait to get a fire started. Enjoy a yule log and fire pit with my my loved ones. Oh, it's a little warm and toasty. I need to cool down. What should I drink? Oh, I know. A nice cold Miller Light. No games, no gimmicks. Just a great beer for people who like beer. Merlolite's brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers with simple ingredients like malted barley for rich balanced top coffee. Noted flavors and that iconic golden color making memories at year end gatherings. Tastes like Miller time. Go to millerlight.com gbf to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Fewer calories and carbs than premium regular beer.
Stugatz
I love the. I love that you're dawning the Carolina sweatshirt already.
Mike Lombardi
Hey, hey, look, you know, you give me a chance to promote the school, I'm gonna promote it.
Stugatz
Yes.
Mikey A
Did you hit the ground running, Mike?
Mike Lombardi
Yeah, hit it running. I haven't stopped. Yeah, it's, you know, it's hard because we're trying to get this thing going. We're trying to, you know, we got to recruit. So there's all sorts of levels of recruiting. There's, there's the portal, there's the still the high school recruiting with the kids. Then there's your own kids. You've got to recruit. So there's like three different worlds coming together.
Stugatz
Mike, can you, can you put us on the phone when Bill Belichick calls you and he starts discussing, like, how did that process work where Belichick's calling you and saying, mike, I'm taking the Carolina job. Do you want to come and be my general manager? Manager?
Mike Lombardi
Well, I think a lot of that was conversations that we've had ongoing. You know, we were doing the coach podcast, we still are, and we would have conversations about opportunities. And I think when this one came up, you know, as I've mentioned many times before, Bill and I were on this campus and we were walking around here thinking, how can't you win here? It's a magical place. I mean, there's nothing prettier than Carolina, and they've been so good and they've got such great fan base to the alumn. A Great institution. And we've always thought this was. Had untapped potential. And, you know, so I think, to me, it was more about what he wanted to do than it was what I wanted to do. I always wanted to go back and work with him, so that was easy to kind of assume it was what he was going to be comfortable with. And once he started talking to North Carolina, I think he realized he got very comfortable.
Stugatz
It's interesting. So. So I'm guessing, Mike, knowing you the way I do, you don't take this job unless, you know, Bill Belichick's going to be there for a while, right?
Mike Lombardi
Oh, yeah. That's. I mean, I'm not going. I had a good thing going with the media with Visa. As you know, we were partners on DraftKings, and I was doing a lot of things, and, you know, and it was a perfect ending to my career. I've written two books, and I was working on a third book. And so, you know, I wouldn't have done this if it wasn't for him. I wanted to work for him. I've always did. We've enjoyed ourselves working together. It's a really good partnership. It's. It's tremendous reward. And I know that the effort that he's going to put in is going to far exceed anything that anybody else would, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Stugatz
Where'd you leave off on the third book? Like, what are you doing there, Mike?
Mike Lombardi
Well, the third book was actually going to be about the last five years in New England. He's writing a book on leadership. But if you look at the last five years, the last five years of New England, the success that they had, three Super Bowls, we won two together, a conference championship loss, those kind of things, the book is going to be about the second run. You know, like, we've made the first run back in the early 2000s, but that second run, from 14 to 18, was pretty impressive, too.
Stugatz
Do you think, Mike, at all that Bill. Does he still have a desire to coach in the NFL at some point?
Mike Lombardi
No, I think he. I think. Look, I think, you know, this.
Chris Felica
The.
Mike Lombardi
The question everybody asks is, why isn't he chasing Shula? And the people that ask that question really don't. Don't know Bill. Because if you know Bill. Bill wants to win championship. Bill wants to go somewhere. He wants to set up his program. He wants to build a program, and he wants to run the program. Now, people misconstrue that conversation, as if he wants to control everything. No, he wants to be able to build his culture. There's two different things. Building a culture and controlling are two different. And so he wants to build a culture. And in pro football today, it becomes increasingly harder to establish a full throttle culture because you've got so many outside entities coming in. I've often said this many times, they've never dedicated a monument to a committee. And so in the NFL, there's a lot of committees. And so it's hard to get anything done. And I think in college now, with the landscape, because it is professional, the players are getting paid, that you can run your program how you want to run it.
Stugatz
So it's interesting. So you and Bill have had conversations. Why did you view Carolina as a destination, as a sleeping giant?
Mike Lombardi
Because it's one of the greatest public institutions in the country. The campus is incredible. The high school football in North Carolina is great. And when you produce a player like Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, guys that are in the hall of Fame, they've always had great players. I mean, we could fill up the ring of honor back here at the stadium like you can't believe, but they've not been able to kind of sustain success or get over that threshold, you know, and this I notion that, well, they're a basketball school. That's a Crockett crap. Right? I mean, you're a school. Vince Lombardi used to say this. A school without football is basically just a cathedral of knowledge. That's all it is, you know, and so it's a giant study hall. And I think, to me, football is a huge sport. And I think if you see now the landscape by these conferences, how things have changed. Football is a predominant money maker, and you've got to have a good football team if you want to support all the other programs in the school.
Billy Gill
So.
Mike Lombardi
And this school's got. Look, the women's soccer team just won their 23rd championship. This school's got great history in all the sports. I just think, to me, football needs to catch up, and that's why we're here.
Stugatz
Yeah, lacrosse is one of them. How big of a. How big of an influence was that for Bill? Just the fact that they have that lacrosse program. Petra is a good friend of his. How big of. How big of a factor was that for him?
Mike Lombardi
Oh, I think it is big because, you know, coach. Coach P. Could tell him about everything that goes on down here. They have a great relationship and what it's like to work here and. And what it takes to win here. Right. And I think that that was a huge influence I'm sure that was the first call Bill made when he was talking about the school.
Stugatz
How'd your family and friends take the news?
Mike Lombardi
Oh, you know, I've had some interesting texts. You know, I, One text I got from a very good friend of mine who I've known for 40 years. He's a high power agent. He said, you've lost your mind. And so I wrote him back, I love you, too. But I think, to me, this is, I don't see it that way. I see. I bet this is the arena I've lived in my whole life. Whole life, sure. I've spent my whole life having people knock on my door wanting money. I mean, so whether it's 18 years old or whether you're 40, I mean, the, the knock's the same knock. You know, the story is the same story. I got better at saying no, you know. You know, what's that Jimmy Buffett line? Occupational hazard. Mean occupation, just not around. Well, you know, you got to be able to move to the next one.
Mikey A
How, how different is this role than when you were like, like general manager and VP of the Browns? Because it's, it's seemingly a new position in college, but it seems like it's very similar to a general manager of a professional team.
Mike Lombardi
Well, actually, I think I, I have way more authority here than I had as a general manager of the Cleveland Browns, so.
Stugatz
Wow.
Mike Lombardi
You know, I had a report to a president, I had a report to the owner. Everything had to be checked and balances with the president, you know, so, you know, I, I, I have a lot more authority to do what I want to do to set up the program. That's going to take a lot of work. Just because you have the authority doesn't mean you're going to get the. There's a lot of process. We have to establish a process. So what we're going to try to do here at North Carolina is build a personnel department that is resembling a NFL pro personnel department. See, whenever you have money involved in any decision, you have to value the player. Player Y is valued at X. Player X is valued at this. So without grades, the player's value is meaningless. So we're going to build that database. We're going to grade every high school player, we'll grade every college player. So when a guy hits the portal, we know exactly what we're doing.
Chris Simms
Doing.
Stugatz
Mike, it seems, Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the two of you are kind of laying down the foundation, the blueprint of what college programs are going to look like moving forward?
Mike Lombardi
Yeah, I don't know that. I just know how to run this. I know how to do this job. And I said this to somebody else. And I don't mean this in any egotistical way. As you get older in life, you get better at what you want to do. I am so more prepared to be a general manager at 65 than I was when I was able to do it in my 30s. So, you know, I'm going to do the best that I can based on the experience. Experience matters. And you've got to understand how you want to build a team. The appealing factor about working with Coach Belichick is we both see how to build the team in the same way.
Mikey A
What is a realistic timeline, I guess, for North Carolina because now college football is so different where year over year, your roster is completely different, which I would think is a challenge compared to the NFL where you lock people in for years and you don't have to constantly be.
Billy Gill
Be.
Mikey A
There's not the same turnover that now you have in college. So where do you guys want North Carolina to be? Realistically? Is it an ACC championship? Is it the playoffs? Year one? Like, what are the expectations?
Mike Lombardi
I mean, we got in this to win a championship. And, you know, this school should recruit nationally. There's no. I mean, use that brand. I mean, would I wear this? When you see this. This is it at every airport. You can't go to an airport, not see somebody wearing a North Carolina gear. We've got Michael Jordan, you know, you got Lawrence Taylor. We're going to be able to walk into any high school and they're going to know North Carolina now. We've got to sell the school and sell the ability to win. So I don't see why we should put any cap on it. I mean, we're going to climb a mountain now. We're at the bottom of the mountain. We get that. But we're going to try to get to the top. I mean, there's no sense in going halfway up Everest. Nobody gives you an award for that.
Mikey A
Most people halfway up Everest are dead.
Stugatz
Yeah, right. You're right. They're frozen. Right.
Mikey A
They don't make their way back down.
Stugatz
Billy. But this is Lombardi at Belichick. Like, they think they're hold up the national championship trophy next year.
Mikey A
That's what I'm saying. You're going to talk me into this. Like, I'm going to. I think North Carolina national champions now.
Mike Lombardi
No, I mean, look, it's going to. It's not just because we're here. It's going to take a collective effort. We got to get really good players. We got to spend time. But one thing I do know, you know, we have the greatest coach of all time coaching the team. The, the team will get better. There's no question about that.
Billy Gill
What do you think is going to be Bill's biggest challenge? Going from the NFL game that he had had to now doing college football the way it is? Is it the time that he's allowed to do? Is it. Is it his interaction with players and the recruiting aspect?
Mike Lombardi
No, I. Well, I mean, he's always been a really good recruiter. I don't think people have seen that side of Bill because of the. What you guys see at the press conferences, the one word answer. Bill's very good inside talking to a player, especially one that loves football, wants to get better. I don't think there is a challenge to him because you actually have more time to spend with players than you do in the NFL. No, they get, you get more practice time here in college. We got spring practice. Hell, we can't do anything with the players until the, until May in the NFL. We lost all that in the last collective bargaining agreement. That's why the offensive lines in the NFL are so deficient, because we've lost so many of those players that we haven't been able to do that. So I think that's really a hard thing. I think it's actually easier to do this than it ever was before.
Stugatz
Mike, I'll tell you this because Belichick gave a pregame speech to my daughter's lacrosse team at Northwestern. He's very close with the, the head coach there, Kelly Hiller, and gave a pregame speech. Like, if people are wondering if Belichick can relate to 20, 21, 22, 17, 18 year olds. That team walked out of that locker room saying that was the coolest 15 minutes they've ever experienced. So Bill could do it, you know.
Mike Lombardi
I mean, look, I know he can do it. I've heard him do it many times. He just doesn't want to do it for the 60 million people that come to his press conference.
Stugatz
Or does he have to do it? Right?
Mike Lombardi
Yeah, not yet. Not yet. I'm gonna buy one. He's gonna buy one. Look, we're fully vested in this. This isn't like we're. This isn't our, you know, we're not going down to Boca Vista here, you know, and retiring. I mean, this is. We're gonna put every ounce of energy we have into this.
Stugatz
Why'd you go Boca Vista there?
Mike Lombardi
Well, isn't that. Isn't that where Seinfeld's parents retired to? Yeah, yeah, Vista.
Stugatz
You're really excited for this. I'm excited for you. But this is what you've wanted to do for a long time. If you were going to pry yourself away, if you're going to be pried away for the media, it was only to go do something like this with Bill, I think. Right?
Mike Lombardi
Well, no question. And not have to answer to anybody. You know, we have Lee Roberts. The chancellor here is tremendous. I mean, he sent me a text this morning asking me what we need, how we're doing. I mean, I never got that text from anybody. When you work in the NFL, so it's like you're just. You're here without interference. And when I say interference, I don't mean it in a malicious way. Without anybody, you know, telling you how to run, to do it. You know, we see. You see all these reports that come out that the owner of the jets wanted. Didn't, you know, didn't want to trade for a player because his matting rating wasn't high enough. I mean, seriously, if that's a true story, and I don't know if it is, but that's the world I don't want to live in.
Stugatz
Yeah, no, it is. It is. Are you surprised? The NFL, it seems like the NFL, two years in a row, has kind of. Of. And I'm shocked by this because I think he's the greatest coach who has ever lived. But it seems like the NFL has kind of said, hey, Bill, we're done with you. Are you surprised by that?
Mike Lombardi
Well, I mean, look, the Atlanta Falcons improved their team by saying they didn't think he was very good. Haven't they. They've done a great job with that. I mean, you know, they've spent $100 million on a quarterback that they're going to bench. They had three coaches better than Bill Belichick. So I. My hat's off to them to find three guys better than him at seven. And what's their record? Seven and six. Now, they, you know, they haven't really improved from Arthur Smith, who did a really good job there last year. So, no, I'm not surprised because as Bill Walsh once told me in 1984, it's not always the league of the best and the brightest.
Stugatz
So, Mike, just as a friend, I want to give you some advice. Like, I don't want you, like, don't kill the basketball program. And walk in there and say, oh, we're going to turn it into a football school like Michael Jordan. Don't piss him off is what I'm trying to tell you. Okay.
Mike Lombardi
Oh, no. We need Michael Jordan and we need the basketball school to be great. I mean, that's part of what makes the school so good.
Stugatz
It.
Mike Lombardi
Every time a sport wins, the baseball team, the football team, the women's soccer team, we need that because that's, we're, we're a school that's going to build winners. And they have, and they have. They haven't had, they haven't needed Michael Lombardi or Bill Belichick to produce winners. They've done it on their own. We're just going to try to help them.
Stugatz
I love the idea of Jordan helping on a recruiting trip. Like, what do you think?
Mike Lombardi
I mean, I think, you know, Bill and him had a conversation. I think to me, he's going to hopefully, you know, I think he's proud of his school. So I, you know, I'm sure he wants to see good football at a school. He loves football. He loves the competition. You know, we need them. I mean, I think there's no question you need, we need Lawrence Taylor. I mean, Lawrence was on Adam Schefter's podcast the other day talking about it. So look, this school has incredible alumni. Whether it's they played football, whether it's, you know, you know, whether it's in the country music world where, you know, they're, you know, there, there's certainly people that, that are gravitate to this team that want to be around it. I think, to me, it's, it's really.
Stugatz
Important, Billy, imagine that. Like, you hear what's happening here, okay? You're going to have Belichick, you're going to have Jordan, you're going to have Lawrence Taylor, and you're going to have Mike Lombardi walk into a kid's home like that deal's getting done. I'm taking Carolina to win the next five national championships.
Mike Lombardi
We're just trying to win the first game. That's all we got to do, right?
Mikey A
I mean, you got, no, you got to do more than just win the first game. If that's do is a colossal failure, Mike.
Mike Lombardi
Well, look, you can only win. You can't win the second one until you win the first one.
Stugatz
So, Mike, listen, listen. You're a media, you're a media savvy guy. You're a media veteran. You know what's going to happen if you lose that first game. I'M going to crush you. Okay.
Mike Lombardi
Okay, good. Yeah. And I love it. You know, and so look, that comes with the territory. This is, as the great Hyman Roth said in the Godfather, this is the business we've chosen. We know what the rules are.
Stugatz
I'll crush you with a smile, though. Okay.
Mike Lombardi
There you go.
Mikey A
Good. Yeah.
Stugatz
Billy, do we want to try to get Taylor a gig here? What do you think? Do you think the time has passed? What do you want?
Mikey A
Well, here's the thing. We work with this guy Taylor, Mike. And he. He's a former North Carolina football player. He was a walk on, but he. He did a lot of practice team stuff and he tore up his knee. So that ended his football career. Now, some would say he was a fifth year walk on who was still on the practice squad. His. His NFL career never had really a shot. The knee had nothing to do with it. Regardless, he has this interest in football, but also he doesn't just want any job. He wants a job that gives him benefits. But he doesn't seem like he wants to really pay his dues. Like, he's not like a quality control type guy.
Mike Lombardi
Right, Right.
Stugatz
So what he wants is.
Mike Lombardi
He wants one of those. He wants to get comp for room, food and beverage and. But not play the slots. Right. So that's what he wants. He wants a cassette coordinator position. Yes.
Stugatz
We had our holiday party last night, Mike. We had our holiday. He said, listen, he will take a job that just has benefits at no pay if he could just stand next to you or Belichick.
Mikey A
He doesn't like a researcher, break down some tape, something like walk on.
Stugatz
On the Carolina football team. He was.
Mike Lombardi
That might be. That might be exhausting. Too much research. He might have to. You know, he might need the Pearl Vision eyesight plan to make sure he doesn't lose all that. But, hey, look, we'll take anybody who can help us, I'll tell you that.
Mikey A
Wow.
Stugatz
Okay. Okay. So he's hired. I mean, no, he's not hired.
Mike Lombardi
He got an interview. Right.
Stugatz
Listen, I'll pay you to get him from us. Okay? There you go.
Mike Lombardi
There you go.
Stugatz
I'm joking. Mike, I am so happy. I could see how happy you are. You're glowing, man. You're the GM of the North Carolina football program at. Bill Belichick is its head coach. I am so happy for you, man. Congratulations.
Mike Lombardi
Thank you so much. Thank you so much, guys. I appreciate you having me today. Thank you. It's been great.
Stugatz
It is time for this week's edition of STE. You gots presented by DraftKings sportsbook. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings at all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings. The crown is yours. College football. It's playoff time. 76, 66 and 2 on the regular season. We're only picking playoff games this year. I'm not doing ancillary bowl games. I'm not doing it. It's gotten me in trouble in years past. I'm not gonna do it. Let's get to the playoff games. Notre Dame minus seven and a half. They're at home. They're taking on Indiana. Wow, what a great game. Game is it? I have no idea if either of these teams can win a national championship, but I do think Notre Dame is going to win and cover the spread. Buy it down to seven points. Notre Dame wins. They cover Notre Dame by 14 points over Indiana. SMU plus eight and a half at Penn State. Weather could be a factor. Oh, I don't know what that means, but I do like SMU here. Penn State going to win the game. SMU get a cover. Penn State wins by three points, points and advances in the playoffs. Texas minus 12 taken on Clemson. Texas wins. They cover Texas by 18 points at home. Tennessee plus seven and a half at Ohio State. Ohio State. I don't know what to do with them. Buy it up to eight point. Take Tennessee. Ohio State wins. They win by four. Tennessee gets the COVID So Tennessee, Texas, SMU, Smith and Notre Dame. NFL week 16 five and three a week ago. I am on fire. I'm having a season for the ages. Seriously, I would put my record up against anybody's record in the country. How about that? 66, 40 and 2. Let me say that again. 66, 40 and 2. Let's get to the picks. We have the Ravens minus six and a half. They're taking on the Steelers. The Raven have to win this game, right? Lamar has to beat the Steelers occasionally, right? Well, it's six and a half. We're going to buy it down to six. We're going to take the Ravens. The Ravens win. They cover Baltimore by 13 points over Pittsburgh. The Lions on the road, bounce back week. Dan Campbell hit a reset button. They're at Chicago taking on the Bears, who are lousy. They've given up on the entire season. The Lions win. They cover Detroit by 14 points on the road. Falcon minus eight and a half. Michael Penningston. They're taking on the Giants. The Giants are awful. The Falcons still have a shot at winning that division and making the playoffs. I'm taking the Falcons here. It's more pick against the Giants than it is for Atlanta. I'm taking the Falcons here by 14 points. They cover over the Giants. The Rams at the Jets. Rams minus three. Buy it down to two and a half. Rams win and they covered The Rams by 10 points on the road. Vikings minus three at Seattle. Buy it down to two and a half. Vikings again. We're not going to give them any credit until they're hoisting until they're hoisting the super bowl trophy. And even after that, we still might not give them credit. Sam Darnold, please. Vikings winning cover. The Vikings by seven points on the road in Seattle. The Bills. It's Josh Allen's time. Yes, it is. Is they're going to win the Super Bowl. You heard it here first. I'm certain other people have said that, but you heard it here first. Bills minus 14. They're taking on the Patriots by down to 13 and a half. The Bills win and they cover by 21 points at home. Dolphins still think they're playing for something. The Niners. They're not. Dolphins minus one over the 49ers Sunday afternoon. Dolphins at 425. The dolphins are great. Sunday afternoons at 425. I made that up. The Dolphins win and they cover the Dolphins by 10 points on the road. When you're 66, 40 and two, you can make it up. The Bucks minus four at Dallas. Fire down to three and a half. Take Tampa. The Bucks win and they cover Tampa by 10 points on the road. Those are the picks, everyone. Merry Christmas. Good luck. This episode is brought to you by aws.
Billy Gill
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Q got this.
Billy Gill
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Stugatz
Hello, hello. Hello.
Billy Gill
You got me now. You got me now. We got you.
Stugatz
Yeah, we got you.
Billy Gill
Oh, baby, they got me. Here we go. It was the on button, right? No, you said it. NBC struggling for cash. The lights behind me throughout the company.
Stugatz
There are two jerseys hanging in Billy's office. Yeah, what is tua and what is yours? Chris Simsie.
Billy Gill
I know. I had two lefties. He likes lefties. I don't know. Does he like strong arms or weak arms, though? Because if he likes strong Arms, and he should put mine in the frame. If he likes weak arms, then he got it right.
Mikey A
Yours isn't signed yet. Once it's signed, it'll go right up there next to.
Billy Gill
All right. It won't, actually, because I can throw more than 10 yards. Chris Sims. That's what I'll write.
Stugatz
I. I do love Sims. Not liking that he's not in the main frame.
Mikey A
Well, so here's the thing. When I. When I took this one, it was, like, two years ago. So, like, he signed this when we were at the Super Bowl. So I was like, oh, whatever. I'll frame it. Like, it's kind of cool. He's like, the franchise quarterback.
Billy Gill
Sure.
Mikey A
So when I. When I went to sign it, it was like, in that offseason. And the frame guy who I'm giving money to is like, are you sure you want to frame this? They may cut him. Like, I'm hearing that. My cut.
Billy Gill
I love it.
Mikey A
I'm like, dude, take my money. Like, what are you even doing?
Billy Gill
Yeah, seriously.
Mikey A
I feel like now if I back to the guy and I give him a Chris Sims jersey autograph, like, I want this frame to. He's like, dude, definitely do not frame this. Like, why would you do this?
Stugatz
The frame guy always knows, though.
Billy Gill
Yeah. Yeah. Apparently he knows what's cool and what's not.
Stugatz
No, but sometimes those guys know players are going to get cut. We dismiss it, and then they get cut. I mean, happened to me. Damn. One time, a caller called in. He was a bouncer. He said, Shaquille O'Neal is getting traded from the Heat to the Phoenix Suns. We dismissed him. Five minutes later, trader Shaquille O'Neal traded to the Phoenix Suns.
Billy Gill
That's incredible. That's amazing. That's a good one right there. Where was he a bouncer at? That's what I want to know. Because, yeah, I'm sure there are certain establishments where he might have picked that up at it.
Stugatz
I am not certain where he was a bouncer, but, you know, the street's tall, Chris. You know that. You know, they do.
Billy Gill
They do talk, you know, Chris, I'm a man.
Stugatz
We're.
Mikey A
We're far enough removed from your NFL playing days. And if you can't answer this question, don't. But you lived in Tampa when you were in the NFL. That's famous for. For some, you know, naked ladies and strip clubs. Yeah, yeah.
Stugatz
And.
Billy Gill
And massage parlors.
Mikey A
Oh, right. Okay. Well, now. Okay, so you answered the question. I was gonna say, if you partook in all of this but you're giving us more details, though?
Billy Gill
Well, you're, I mean, just laying out the facts of the city. I mean, there's a massage parlor on every corner and there's, in between those corners, there's seven strip clubs in certain areas. So. No, like, in fact, I was talking about this a little bit the other night. I used to go to strip clubs a lot when I was there. I did, right? Because one, it became like the place we hung out, like on a Monday night. Monday Night Football's on, right? Tuesday's a player's day off. So, hey, I could sleep in a little on Tuesday. Most Monday nights in my career, I, hey, Joey Galloway, or blah, blah, blah, where are we going? Oh, we're going to go to this strip club and watch the game and eat a steak because they got some, you know, higher end strip clubs there too. And I, it became kind of a thing. It really did. It drove my wife crazy because she was like, wait, you're, you're going to the strip club again? I'm like, yeah, well, that's where everybody is and we're gonna watch the game there. So I, I was there often.
Stugatz
Wait a second. Wait, everyone slow down. Hold on.
Mikey A
I was talking about Bush Gardens.
Stugatz
Time out. You told your wife you were going to the strip club?
Billy Gill
I always told my wife stuff like that just because, like, again, I was the quarterback of the, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I was pretty hard to hide. I just felt like with stuff like that, why try to hide it? Somebody's gonna say something to her. It's gonna come up in a conversation, maybe when one of my friends are over the house and she's gonna hear it. So, yeah, I was kind of like transparent with stuff like that.
Mikey A
Are you a Christmas Day or a Christmas Eve family?
Billy Gill
Oh, well, we're a little both. I like Christmas Eve better. I love that night. Before Christmas, we kind of have the family over our house. My wife cooks an Italian dinner. Her dad, who was a restaurant owner and a cook as well, as he grew up, he gets involved in cooking. So we have a great time. The food's awesome. I guess there's the excitement about the next day being Christmas and feeling the energy of my kids. Can't wait to open presents and stuff like that. So I think I like Christmas Eve better than I do Christmas.
Mikey A
Actually Christmas Day. I'm already kind of tired of Christmas.
Stugatz
I hear you.
Mikey A
I saw you guys yesterday. Like, we don't need to do this again.
Billy Gill
I, I, that's where, like, we, we have everybody at our House and like years past we've gone everybody at our house and then the next morning you get up, eat breakfast, you open the presents, all that and we'd all get dressed up and go to my parents house. I don't think that's going to happen this year. That's, that's not just because I got to work the next day and be up early and like you just said, it's just like man, we just spent the last, you know, nine hours together and I just, I think it's a little too much not going to happen this year.
Stugatz
How does Chris Simms feel about company holiday parties?
Billy Gill
Oh my gosh, I can't stand them. I can't stand them. That's how I feel about that.
Stugatz
What's the problem? Sims yours?
Mikey A
Did yours happen already?
Billy Gill
No, no. I mean we had some, we have a few more. I'm all for like parties and love giving back, right. But sometimes the holiday parties are like, yeah, during the middle of the work week or during the week and you're like, wait, we were just all together and now we're going to spend the whole day together. Like we just all like go to bed together too. Damn. Like how much do we got to see each other? And if the holiday party isn't at something special, I kind of just sit there and go, eh, B minus job by the company, kinda cheap party. Like you brought us out here to do what? And this is what we're getting, huh? How much money did we pay to certain people this year on thing what this is? So I look at that stuff and you know, if you're gonna make me come into the party, it better be a good party.
Stugatz
So you're judging the state of the company by the party?
Billy Gill
100%.
Stugatz
And you hate the small talk. There's no way a sims like small talk.
Billy Gill
I don't, I don't, I don't like. Well, the good thing I'll say about company parties, if I do go, I'm going to have a drink and have some fun. And I usually are around some people that you know you like and you can talk and have some fun talk with. So that's not the worst part of it.
Mikey A
Jason Garrett looks like he loves a gift exchange.
Billy Gill
Nobody liked it more than Mike Tirico. Mike Tirico was the best. He really, he was the spearhead of like, hey, we're having a gift exchange, we're going to do this. He was very creative and gifts that he got for other people. He was definitely the one, I think that led the charge in that department, Jason Garrett's a very thoughtful person. So he is really good at it. Like Jason Garrett. I just got it yesterday. Every Christmas sends me a smoked turkey. And let me tell you, that thing is good.
Mikey A
Wait a minute.
Billy Gill
I mean, it is good so that his turkey arrives.
Stugatz
It's different than the standard card picture of the family.
Mikey A
Exactly. Right.
Billy Gill
No, a turkey. That's when you're rich and you coach the cowboys, you say a card. Here's a whole turkey. And that's what he's done.
Mikey A
Hold on. So how does this gift exchange work that Tara organized? Did you each like draw a name or you just got things for everyone?
Billy Gill
Draw a name. You can't tell anybody who you drew.
Stugatz
Right.
Billy Gill
Supposed to be a surprise. It's kind of Secret Santa. Exactly right. You know, you're supposed to have a price point that generally you try to work with. I usually go above that as far as what I get. I usually am lazy, so I get something more expensive that's maybe not as personally meaningful to the person.
Mikey A
And who'd you get?
Billy Gill
No, you're not going to know the person. The person's a behind the scenes person. Right. So it's not one of the top like on air personalities or anything like that. It's all our production crew. Everybody, director, producer, all of them getting involved in this. And yeah, they're good. Like, they are good. And some people are very creative and fun, funny about what they do. Like last year I received a video message from Gene Stereotor. He didn't know he was making it from me. He did not know. So this person listed out all the things and how I yell at the refs on Sundays and how I smoke pot from time to time. And he sent back this video having no idea that it was me, just dissecting and kind of trashing me altogether. And I heard you trash the referees. A l. Let me just tell you, they're 90% right and all. So it was really funny. I actually sent it as my dad and I said, send that show this to Stereotor and say, how dare he talk to me like that. So what do you think? The four of us next year?
Mikey A
Yeah.
Stugatz
Gift exchange.
Mikey A
A little secret sand it's not too late.
Billy Gill
What do you think? Okay, sure. Yeah, we can do that next year. We can. Sure.
Mikey A
All right, great. Who's you're gonna get a book from?
Billy Gill
Stugen Gots?
Mikey A
Just. Just between. Just between the four of us, Chris, who's the person that we would know? Like the on air person? Like, God, I hope they don't draw my name like, this is just a horrible gift. Who's the gift giver?
Billy Gill
I can't say there's any there. And there's nobody that I can look at to say they're shitty.
Mikey A
Matthew Barry gives you, like, fantasy tips.
Billy Gill
He's been all right. He was all right last year. He passed the test the first time around.
Mikey A
Right.
Billy Gill
So I don't know.
Stugatz
Billy has Billy.
Mikey A
Tony Dun, very gifted.
Stugatz
Cooper Rush, the 12th round.
Mikey A
Tony Duny, Coach Duny.
Billy Gill
So thoughtful. He would never mess up.
Mikey A
Jack. Jack Collinsworth.
Billy Gill
Yeah. Jack's not a part of it because he's on the road. So he's not there.
Mikey A
Yeah, right.
Stugatz
Yeah.
Billy Gill
But even if there was a bad one in this one, you're not going to get me to say it. So this is.
Mikey A
So there is a bad one. Okay.
Stugatz
There is Maria.
Billy Gill
There really hasn't been.
Stugatz
There's Maria.
Mikey A
Wow. You guys.
Billy Gill
No, definitely not Maria. Maria is pretty damn good in that department as well.
Stugatz
PFD with Mike Florio, the unbuttoned podcast, Football Night in America, Sunday Night Football. Chris Sims is with us here on God Bless Football. We have something else we want to discuss with you besides football outside of football. We'll get to that in a second. I am wondering here, Aaron Rodgers has looked really, really good the last two or three weeks.
Billy Gill
Yeah.
Stugatz
Should the jets want Aaron to come back?
Billy Gill
I mean, that's a big. It's a big future discussion. Big picture of what you want the jets to be. And I think a little bit of that's going to be detailed by the new GM and the new head coach. Right. And I would think that a lot of GMs and new head coaches going to be like, man, I don't want to have to start. And then I got to deal with Aaron Rodgers and all that comes along with it. Because there's a lot. There's a lot. Right. I mean, he's a distraction. Whether he wants to say it or not, he is a distraction and he could still throw the football. But there's issues still remain about the things we've talked about. We've seen the ball go down the field a little bit. Definitely better. Right. Can he consistently do that against some of the better teams in football? That's where I don't know, you know, do you want to start a new future for your football team? I guess what I'm saying, if I was making that decision, I would say, no, I don't want. I don't want it. It back. We tried it. It didn't work. We're going to move on. We're going to build our team for the future here. We have some good young pieces that we like and we're going to build around that. So that's, that's what I would say. But yeah, I mean again, I don't think there's going to be anybody that's going to come in there and really want to deal with that is what I would say really.
Stugatz
St Guts Sims do you remember your Madden ratings?
Billy Gill
I only asked because I want to.
Chris Felica
Find out if the jets would trade.
Billy Gill
For you or not because that's apparently how they do things now. I know, I, I heard and I heard about that story. We talked about it a little this morning with Florio on Pro Football Talk. My best matting running I think it was 86. It was like the year after we, the year I lost my spleen but we had just got to the playoffs the year before. That's as good as it got. So I don't know what Aaron Rodgers is rated on Madden right now, but I don't have any. Any. I should not be named in the same sentence as Aaron Rodgers. As long as we're talking about quarterbacks I will say that.
Stugatz
But Chris, here's the problem. Like, and I've said this before, you can't run a team like that. The jets fans care more about the organization than the owner does. They take it more seriously than the owner does and that's frustrating.
Billy Gill
As a fan man, I, I, I understand it. And this is the problem too. When you make right it seems like rash decisions and firing people and it's happened a lot here with the jets over the last few years. Years let alone. Yeah, things have been just somewhat dysfunctional there. And now those people get out of the building and they tell all their coaching friends in their coaching tree and word starts to filter out throughout the NFL. Let alone they're bitter about the way they were treated or fired or whatever by the Jets. Either way the Woody Johnson, the Johnson family. So yeah, Woody Johnson, they're going to be under the microscope. They are between stories like that, the sons that are 18 years old giving game balls out in the locker room room, those are things that are just not normal things you hear within a football, a successful football organization or the coach being fired. Right. And when you're one game out and it's still early in the season and one game away from taking the lead in the afc so the jets are not going to be a top destination for the coaches that have options that, that is what I can tell you. But as we know, there's going to be one or two. They're going to go, wait, I don't have options. The jets are the only place that really wants me, and I. There's only 32 of these and I'm going to go there.
Stugatz
You surprised Belichick took that Carolina job?
Billy Gill
I, I am, I am surprised. I, I, I, I now I do. I believe he's going to stay there long. Absolutely not. I mean, the buyout tells you everything. Starting in, starting this June, he can be bought out for couch cushion change from NFL owners. I mean, come on, a million dollars? Belichick has got a million dollars of cash he could put in his pocket. Pocket and pay that off. I mean, Belichick's. That's nothing. He's worth hundreds of millions. Like, that's nothing. So that alone tells me he doesn't want to stay there long term. He was shocked. I know, and so were people around him that there wasn't more of a calling for him to be the head coach. So, yeah. Am I shocked he's going to college? Definitely. Did I think there'd be a team that out there that would latch on to Belichick. I did think that. But I'm not shocked that the NFL rejected Belichick. His age, his control, his demeanor, everything that comes along with him. Yeah, there's not, there's going to be. Some organizations are going to be like, wait, we don't want to deal with that. We don't know how much longer he's going to coach. And we're not just going to give him free reign to take over everything if he's only going to be here for two or three years and let alone this, too. And this is the other aspect. Bella Check has treated most of the NFL like, for the last 20 years. And I don't mean it in disrespectful. It's just the Patriots are so, you know, uptight, you know, quiet lipped. They don't talk to anybody. He doesn't let coaches talk to other coaches on the field pregame. Right. There's certainly a lot of coaches think there's a lot of arrogance that came out of New England over the last 20 years. I've said this on TV. I mean, man, over the last 20 years, if you gave me a dollar for every coach I talked to. Oh, New England.
Stugatz
Yeah.
Billy Gill
I forgot they invented football. Oh, yeah. New England thinks they know everything. Oh, yeah, I know. Belichick's got all the answers all that. They've. They've burned bridges there. So there's a lot of people in football that just wouldn't want to deal with Belichick in general.
Stugatz
Chris, I will tell you this now, whether you believe it or not, that's obviously up to you. But Mike Lombardi, who he hired to be the general manager of North Carolina football, which I think is the blueprint moving forward, I think they're. They're laying down the foundation of how college programs are going to look. Lombardi said he would not have signed the contract if he felt like Belichick was going to leave after a year or two, so.
Billy Gill
Yeah, I know. And listen, I'm. I'm friends with Mike, and Mike's the man, in my, you know, opinion.
Stugatz
Yeah, he's great.
Billy Gill
He's somebody I talk about, talk about, and talk football with a lot, so. And we see the game the same way. And when he does say stuff like that, I do go, ooh, all right, maybe, maybe. But again, too, I just. I don't know. When it comes to business, I wouldn't exactly trust Bill Belichick in every word he says. He. We've seen he can dodge questions and lie and bullshit pretty good to the media, and that's what I kind of find funny about the whole thing. He doesn't talk to the media for the last 15 years, and now he's a media darling, telling everybody about how every team should play and coach and do all this, and I think it's very, very hypocritical, honestly.
Stugatz
All right. Wow. I mean, you don't mention your word. Sims. I love you, Chris. The Lions, are they too banged up, especially on the defensive side? Are they too banged up to win the Super Bowl?
Billy Gill
I don't want to say that, but I. It's the first time I've questioned it. Right. It's. It's definitely gotten to a point I know everybody likes. I know I've had fun with this all week because, you know, I always. Next man up, next man up, up. Right? And, like, yeah, that's. I get it. It's cool. And. And I know we all want to latch on to that, but, like, let me just give you a little story and an inkling into next man up. Okay? Next man up. Right after you get past the first guy to the second guy is usually like, oh, there's a difference. There's a reason he's a starter, and that's a backup. Once you get to the second guy, and now you start going to the third guy, then it becomes like, oh, wait, third guy's playing. I mean, what, we cut him last year. He wasn't even on a team. Now he's starting for us. So, like, you could say next man up all you want. There's a big drop off and that's what you worry about with them. It's banged up and it's not like I don't feel horrible about their starters on the D line and things like that. It's affected their depth to where when they come off the field, you look at the second unit and you go, oh my gosh, they have no chance against this offense or Josh Allen and this offensive line. And that's where you worry about it. They're going to have to adjust their style and I don't know what that's going to be. Stock. That's going to be the interesting thing. Like, do they just go super aggressive with their offense and go, screw it, we're going to outscore you and we're going to play that style. Or will they go a little bit like, hey, we can run the ball and control the clock and do that. We're good enough to do that on the offense and maybe we play that way and not put our defense out there as much. I'll be interested to see what Dan Campbell and and company's approaches there to trade. I still believe in them, but as you know, with the injuries, I certainly don't think they're the best team in football right now. You know, I think that title goes to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Stugatz
Yep. What do you do? We'll get to the Eagles here in a minute. What do you do, though, if you're the Chiefs with, with Patrick Mahomes? Do you arrest them? Do you play them? What do you do there?
Billy Gill
Well, I mean, it's going to be hard not to play him. He's going to have to not what he's.
Stugatz
He.
Billy Gill
That's. You know, I've been around Mahomes too many times in my life, right? And, and, and gotten the chance to know him a little bit. He's a psycho. He's the psycho. You want, in a good way. He's a gym rat. He's obsessed. I mean, when I'm around them in Kansas City and Andy Reid, I don't know how many times Andy Reid's had to tell me, like, man, I mean, him, he, he's obsessed. We. Oh my gosh, he's all over everything. He's a gym rat. That's what he says. He'll cut your throat out to Win the football game. He's so. He's that way. The big thing is let him play. If he can do it, that's cool. Cool. But don't let them play if it's so bad. To where we might sacrifice the big picture of things, right? Like, just to be the number one seed is not worth it. Just to go, well, now we don't even have my homes for the playoffs.
Mike Lombardi
Right?
Billy Gill
Like, all right, Whoopi, dude, you just proved last year you don't have to be the number one seed and you can win the Super Bowl. So don't make that the main objective. The main objective is to make sure 15 can play in the playoffs. Because when you got him, you know, you can beat any. Anybody.
Stugatz
Billy, I heard when. When Sims was talking about his friendship with Mahomes there, the times that they have hung out, spent some time together. I heard you. I heard that best friends. Yeah, I heard a sit down come out of your mouth. What was that?
Mikey A
Just. I was impressed with all the famous friends he has.
Stugatz
You know, get him on the show.
Billy Gill
Like, no, no, I could do that.
Mikey A
You know, Chris, walk me off the ledge. Why should I still believe in the Dolphins this year?
Billy Gill
Oh, you shouldn't just can walk off the edge. Just walk in and hold a big weight while you're doing it or. All right, hold a big one, tie it to your ankle. All right.
Stugatz
But if they beat the Niners, they have a 12% chance.
Billy Gill
Sorry, that was just too easy. You set it up. You set it up too perfect there.
Stugatz
He knew.
Billy Gill
He did the. You know, it. It stinks. It stinks. They lost last week. Y'all played the Texans. You. You guys know that. You saw it. You could be a. You got. Your defense plays good football. You still got playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Billy, this is the big thing here. You know, I put some stuff on an Instagram. I don't know if you saw that. I talked about the Dolphins a little this week. Right. It's odd. Let me just say this. And I know who I'm labeled as here, but it's odd that the highest paid player on your team is the biggest question mark we have in big football games that doesn't match up. Like, when I grew up, the Giants were never like, hey, we're worried about Lawrence Taylor this week. We. We got to come up with something that we. He's not. We got to make sure he looks good. And it's hard to win games. Okay. When it seems like the objective of the team is just to make one guy look good and functional and not get him hurt on a weekly basis. The NFL is hard enough, let alone to go in with a preconceived notion of how we're going to play the game. Game. That's where it's tough. Let alone, again, your highest paid player is the guy that you never should have to worry about or game plan for. It just be like, no, you're good, we put you there, win, and then we're going to figure out everything else with everybody else. And that's the unfortunate thing with the Dolphins and the thing I'm going to question going forward until proven otherwise. Billy.
Stugatz
Chris, just quickly here. I want to give you three things that the media is saying and fans are saying down here in South Florida and see if you agree. The first One is Mike McDaniel should be fired. What?
Billy Gill
What? Like why? What?
Stugatz
3 and 12. 3 and 12 against teams with winning opponent, with, with winning records, two playoff appearances.
Billy Gill
And a big reason of that is because he's been handcuffed because he has to do it with a quarterback and had no choice. That's just always going to struggle in those type of games in that moment. That's just what it is. I mean, it doesn't matter what, whatever it is, right? So I don't agree with that. They've done special things on the offensive side of the football. I mean, everybody knows dealing with Mike McDaniel and that offense is a pain in the ass. So no, I don't, I don't agree with, with firing Mike McDaniel. Not at all.
Stugatz
All right, the second one, which is, it's a lot louder. There are a lot more people saying this. Chris Greer, the gm, he has to go.
Billy Gill
I, that, that I can, I can deal with. Again, the, the biggest problem with it is team building. Team building. And that's the biggest. No, no, what I just said said you don't do that, negotiate against yourself, pay more money than market value and your best player, like we talked about, be a concern and double down and just try to make that work forever. We're going to sacrifice coaches and players and the whole team because I picked this guy. 5 and I'm never going to back down for it and I'm going to make sure he works. And so what if the team falls apart? No doing it. So, you know, this is, this is a. Flores got wasted the first time around because of Chris Greer and he had the, he had the owner's ear. So, yeah, I, I look at it that way and there's some other contracts and things there that I don't agree with on the football team either. So yeah, I would be more in favor of that than firing Mike McDaniel.
Stugatz
All right. Third thing being said is to recall should be traded.
Billy Gill
Yeah, well, ding, ding, ding. Back to the GM them and we gave him a contract where we can't trade him or it totally ruins our football team. So they're paying Jalen Ramsey. Like he's the top corner in football.
Stugatz
Crazy.
Billy Gill
Nobody thinks Jalen Ramsey's even close in that discussion in football. Nobody. He's a really good defensive secondary piece to be paid. Like he's an island shut down corner. Like what are you kidding me? I mean, no. So yeah, there's a lot of issues there and I could dive into a bunch of other roster moves and things that I just, I don't agree with there.
Mikey A
You also have Jaylen Waddle who I think is like in the top seven of wide receivers being paid also, which is a problem when you have Tyreek Hill also in there. Like do it all in with these seven or whatever wide receivers is crazy.
Billy Gill
When he's exactly the offensive line issues Waddle. He's been injured and all that. And I like Waddle. But yeah. Do I think they overpaid him a little bit? Yeah, certainly, Certainly I do. You know, it's, it's certainly. Yeah, I'm not in love with some of the contracts and the way they've built the roster. Totally.
Stugatz
Before we get to Drones, Chris, help me out with this because the NFC is wide open, okay. Like this is, this is as wide open as a conference has been in quite some time. So tell me right now, if I tell you one of these teams makes it out of the NFC to the super bowl, if you'll be surprised by any of them. Lions, Eagles, Vikings, Packers, Bucks, Rams.
Billy Gill
Oh, you want to know what's odd? I mean, you know, I, Lions and Eagles, I, I, I surely expect them.
Stugatz
Right.
Billy Gill
Green Bay I do think is talented enough to be in the Super Bowl. Like no doubt they are not outclassed by the Eagles or the Lions as far as talents considered Tampa's dangerous.
Stugatz
Yes.
Billy Gill
To where I would say, like I don't know if I think they're a Super bowl team really, but the way this playoffs could shake out and you play the Lions with the defensive injuries like you talked about, could I see them winning some kind of shootout type of football game and the Rams too, that I believed in that that way. Like I, I could see any of those four, oddly enough and what I was going to say is the Vikings are the one team I think I'd be the most shocked by. I do. I. I know.
Chris Felica
Weird.
Billy Gill
I know I don't even. It's. It's funny you're saying it, but I think like, I, I'm rooting for Sam Darnold, but I got to see it to believe it, I guess, is what I want to see a little bit more. Okay. You know, the, the defense is really well coached. I question whether they have enough real playmakers and big time guys that can make some plays against these high quality teams when it, when it really counts, in those moments. Moments. So I think those are the two things I, I worry about. And their run game is solid, but it's a little bit up and down and I just think there's some teams they're going to have issues with there in that department. So, yeah, the Vikings are the one. It's crazy. As good as they are that I question whether they can get to the Super Bowl.
Stugatz
Yeah, we're going to doubt them all the way until they hoist the trophy.
Billy Gill
I think so. Right. Right. I mean, it's going to be one of those.
Stugatz
Because I'm totally, I'm totally with you. What do you make of these drones, Simon?
Billy Gill
Yeah, I don't even know. I don't know all of it.
Stugatz
Right.
Billy Gill
I mean, I've seen it, of course, in New Jersey. It's a big deal. It's crazy. I mean, I really don't even know what to say. I've been reading a lot about UFO stuff because, like, there's been some government stuff recently about they've laying it out there and they're like, no, they're here and we know it and they have technology. We don't know. And they basically say in this hearing, like, we're trying to recruit people, people that are smart, more smart people to try to help us figure out what the hell these things are and how they do what they do. The drone stuff's just, I don't know, crazy. And it just seems like it's gotten out of hand and I. There's got to be national security or something done about it because it's obviously causing issues.
Stugatz
It's amazing. The aliens have arrived and no one wants to talk about it. No one's concerned. You're right. I'm with you on that.
Billy Gill
You know, I know. I don't know if I think the drone thing's the alien thing. I don't know that, but I don't know. I Don't, I don't know.
Stugatz
I know, right? It feels. Billy, I don't know. Are you getting the vibe that Sims feels like the drones. There's something going on here, right? Like, that's the vibe I get from.
Mikey A
Drone things.
Billy Gill
Alien thing or anything like that. I, I, I feel like too. It's like what you re. I mean, some of these people have the. We have technology now to have one person who control. He can control 30 drones at once.
Mikey A
Right.
Billy Gill
So I, I, I, I don't know. It's, that's above my pay and I haven't read enough about it yet to really know all the stories here with this. That one.
Mikey A
All right, Next week then.
Stugatz
Yeah, Yeah.
Billy Gill
I mean, I'm too worried about real spaceships and what I'm seeing there on real spaceships issued. Yeah. Look at it.
Stugatz
Wait, what are you.
Mikey A
Here, hold on, hold on a second. What are you unveiling it?
Billy Gill
That's what, that's the funniest thing about this is literally the government is unveiling videos of real spaceships, not drones or whatever.
Chris Simms
Right, Right.
Billy Gill
And that's not getting talked about. We're talking about drones. That's.
Mikey A
Where do we find this part? Where do we find these videos?
Billy Gill
I don't know. They call it the Internet. All right. Figure it out.
Stugatz
All right. Billy, you weren't listening. The aliens are here. No, I heard.
Mikey A
I'm trying to find out how to learn about the aliens. He just tells me, go on the Internet. Geez.
Stugatz
I asked you so many Packer questions this week because I think the packers are winning the Super Bowl. That's why.
Billy Gill
So I, I, I, I had the packers going to the super bowl this year.
Stugatz
I did.
Billy Gill
Now we'll see where it goes. But I, I do think they have that type of talent. They, they're that, that kind of team. And they can physically hang in there and then some against teams like the Eagles in Detroit that I look at to be as some of the most physical teams in the sport.
Chris Felica
I was just wondering when you moved.
Billy Gill
Off your jets vs Bears Super bowl to get the packers in there.
Mikey A
It is.
Billy Gill
Yeah. Yeah. Seriously, that would have been torture.
Stugatz
I was doing a thing, Chris. I was with the Go Licks.
Mikey A
I kick off in Kansas City. That, that was his prediction.
Stugatz
It's all I do is things. Well said, Mikey. PFD with Mike Florio. Unbutton podcast Football night in America. A merry Christmas to the Sims family, to, to Big, to your wife Danielle, to all the kids. Merry Christmas to you, Chris. Since we love you, we Do.
Billy Gill
Thank you. I love you guys, too. Happy holidays. Have fun, enjoy. We'll talk next Thursday. We'll talk some Christmas and some stories and I'll have some for you. The big thing for me is will I stay awake to actually help my wife put the gifts under the Christmas tree? Because last year was the first time in 10 years that I didn't drunken suddenly pass out and say see you later and just go lay in the bed and good night for the night. Yeah, we'll see if I can do it two years in a row.
Mikey A
You're growing, Chris.
Billy Gill
I'm growing. I'm such a mature man.
Stugatz
Chris, you got to work Saturday. You can't watch Texas Clemson.
Billy Gill
I mean, I know. Well, I'll. I'll get to watch it, but. Yeah, we got to work. We. I'm actually going to be at Universal Studios in Florida doing the pregame show from there on Saturday. So that's going to be kind of cool.
Mikey A
Why are you telling us this now? We could have gone up. We could have gone to the theme park. Yeah, right.
Stugatz
Billy's hand on a roller coaster.
Billy Gill
This is a. This is a business trip.
Mikey A
I don't have time for you Harry Potter land together. Had some.
Billy Gill
That's. We're gonna pub some of the new things of the park while we do the pregame show. Should be cool. You might see me next, Harry Potter doing Breaking the game Down.
Stugatz
All right, I'll see you next to some sort of Potter. I mean, so now listen, me and Billy are three hours away. We road trip.
Mikey A
See you. I'll see you Saturday, Chris.
Stugatz
We'll see you Saturday.
Billy Gill
Me Saturday. Okay. By the time you get here, I'll be on the plane out of here. See you later.
Stugatz
What? That's not nice. We're gonna bring you a gift. You need anything?
Billy Gill
I mean, I don't have time for you guys on Saturday. It's gone boom. Get to the airplane, gotta get back, gotta do a Sunday show here.
Mikey A
All right. Gotta work.
Stugatz
Yeah. You know what are you expecting to be under your tree on Christmas Eve?
Mikey A
I can tell you what I would give him.
Billy Gill
I mean, what do I expect? A lot of my hard earned money paying for everybody else's Great Christmas. That's what I expect. That's usually what it is. I spend none of my money and watch my wife spend it all on herself and the kids.
Stugatz
Merry Christmas.
Billy Gill
Merry Christmas. That's right. I'm Santa Claus. That's who I am.
Mikey A
No, you're the Grinch, Chris. Jeez.
Billy Gill
See you later.
Stugatz
Hey, it's Austin James.
Mikey A
Yes, I'm living with diabetes, but it.
Stugatz
Doesn'T have to define me.
Mikey A
Thanks to the freestyle libre 3 plus sensor, I get real time glucose readings throughout the day. The freestyle Libre 3 Plus sensor is small and easy to wear, giving me the freedom to focus on my life as a parent and a musician. Now this is progress. You can get a free sensor at freestyleibre.us offer available for people who qualify.
Stugatz
Visit MyFreestyle US to see all terms and conditions. Certain exclusions apply. Data on file Abbott Diabetes Care or prescription only. Safety info found at Freestyle Libre US Foreign.
K Funk
Choice of games here. We got a lot of big games out on the slate that aren't missing this week, so.
Mikey A
What do you mean?
K Funk
Pittsburgh Ravens, Philly, Washington, Minnesota, Seattle, Houston. You got some locks and you're giving us the Dolphins and the Niners.
Stugatz
Dude, what's wrong with the Titans and Colts? I mean Titans and Colts.
K Funk
I want to go barn burner.
Stugatz
What do you mean the Colts need it? I mean.
K Funk
Yeah, you're right. They do.
Mikey A
All right, well, I'll. I'll take a note because this is. You're not the second person who's had a bit of an issue with the picks this week.
Stugatz
And.
K Funk
And it's the college football playoffs, which we do every year, and you didn't put one game on there.
Mikey A
Okay, you want to do all of those games as well?
Stugatz
You want to do all four of them?
K Funk
Yeah, we can do that real fast.
Mikey A
All right, so you. How about this? Why don't we start with that K Funk and. And let's.
K Funk
Yes, we've done.
Mikey A
Hold on. Hold on a second. Let's switch roles here. Why don't we let you drive this portion of the. Of the segment where you.
K Funk
I just produced a show while we're at it. I mean, it'd probably be better.
Mikey A
Okay. All right, guys, by the way, I. I want to congratulate everyone involved here because we haven't formally discussed this, but we were nominated for Best American Football Podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards, so we. We might be winners again, again for Best American Football Podcast. So congratulations to everyone involved, especially UK Funk.
K Funk
Yeah, I can't take.
Billy Gill
No, you know, you.
Stugatz
You're the oldest alumni. K. Take credit for it, baby. Yeah, yeah, take credit.
Mikey A
We did.
K Funk
We did win a couple years in a row there. I think last year we stumbled a little bit.
Mikey A
Yeah. By the way, more congratulations are in order because yet again, we had a 5, 0 week last week and we have a repeat offender, Bender and Mike Rollis.
K Funk
Yeah, we have time to let him talk this week. Since last week I went undefeated and we didn't have time to do anything.
Mikey A
You continue with this undefeated thing. You had a tie.
Stugatz
Doesn't count. That kind of count.
Mikey A
Mojo will be joining us in a little bit. He's. He'll be joining us shortly. But. But K. Funk, you have the four games. Yeah, go to DraftKings, get us to DraftKings lines and then walk us through. Okay, very good.
K Funk
I already got the live DraftKings lines here, boys. We got the college football playoffs, four games. So we're gonna make quicks. We'll do picks. We'll do this quick. I'll get Gordy's. Gordy's very busy today. He's meeting with the Complex Sports Complex owners for some ground fitness, so.
Mikey A
Wow. Gordy, by the way, went four and one last week. K. Funk, so he's. He's starting to pull away from you a little bit. I don't know.
K Funk
I'm 15 to 9 in the last month, so it's not too bad.
Billy Gill
So.
Mikey A
Oh, you're 33 and 42 overall and three after.
K Funk
After last week, where you just don't know anyone's records and stuff this whole season. I'm gonna have to audit it, so.
Mikey A
No, don't worry. I went. I went back. I fixed those.
K Funk
That doesn't count. This doesn't count.
Mikey A
Hold on. Hold on a second. So for those who are actually curious, among amongst the the leaders right now, and I have to get win percentages, but Mojo's at 44, 29 and 3. Mike Rawles, who started out very poorly, is at 34, 25 and 1. Carl's at 37, 32 and 2. Gordy after his 4 and 1 is 35, 39 and 3 comeback. K. Funk is 33, 42 and 3 and Share Bears at 31, 42 and 2.
Billy Gill
Yeah, you got it, Bear.
Mikey A
Yeah, don't worry.
Stugatz
Yeah, the longer it goes, the better it is. From share.
Mikey A
Slow and steady wins the race.
K Funk
I was 15 games under.500. Now I'm four, so I'll take that.
Mikey A
Well, no, you're not four. You're nine under. What are you talking about?
Stugatz
Four.
Mikey A
You're 33 and 42.
K Funk
Better. 15, I guess.
Stugatz
Okay.
K Funk
Know what?
Mikey A
Keep on. Get control of your show.
K Funk
You're only as good as your last game. You're only as good as your last game.
Mikey A
Last game last week you were 2 and 3, so you're not very good.
Stugatz
That's under.500. I need to do better.
K Funk
I need to do better. All right, all right. So we got the first game this week. Indiana Hoosiers are at Notre dame. Notre Dame's -7 on DraftKings. I'll go.
Billy Gill
Did you go 2 and 3 last week?
K Funk
I was 2 and 3.
Mikey A
Oh. Welcome, Mojo.
Billy Gill
Welcome, Mojo.
Mikey A
Mojo, just to catch you up on what's going on, K Funk decided that we need to do college games this week. So we told K. Funk, you can just hold host the college portion of it. So K. Funk is hosting the show as we speak.
K Funk
Mojo, how you doing? Welcome. Where's the baby?
Chris Simms
I'm feeling like I don't want to be a part of a K. Funk hosted show. I logged in later. Maybe I should log off early, too.
Mikey A
No, no, don't do that, Mojo.
Stugatz
You have Indiana in the first game. Just so you know.
Chris Simms
Have been that bad since I've been gone. I didn't think that could get any worse.
K Funk
Mojo, we do that.
Chris Simms
It's hard to be worse than zero wins.
Mikey A
Yeah, we do the call.
Stugatz
Mojo.
Billy Gill
Mojo, let me catch you up. Three big things you need to know. 1, raw went 5 and 0.
Stugatz
Yeah.
Billy Gill
We're nominated for the Sports Podcast Award Awards. Best American Football Podcast. Again.
Chris Simms
Well, again.
Chris Felica
Yeah.
Chris Simms
That's not.
Chris Felica
We.
Chris Simms
We win every year, so.
Mikey A
Well, hold on a second. We didn't win last year, and one person was absent last year. Yeah.
Stugatz
Now you're back. Yeah.
Mikey A
So I'm not back.
Chris Simms
Well, now it's Automatic then. We're batting 100 when I'm on the show.
Mikey A
Well, not a hundred. A thousand. A hundred would be really bad. But we get the point. NBA. Aren't numbers your thing?
Stugatz
Yeah, it's right there.
Mikey A
Al. Also. Also, Carl's a grandfather now, Mojo.
Stugatz
Wait, was that Mikey A's third thing? Congratulations, Carl Douglas. Was that Mikey A's third thing? My third thing was cancer. Right.
Chris Felica
No, my third thing was gonna be.
Billy Gill
K. Funk went 2 and 3 last week, in case you didn't.
Stugatz
Yeah, all three were gonna be raw.
Mikey A
You know, K. Funk went 2 and 3 Last week and then bragged about how great he is and then said, you're only as good as your last week. I'm like, well, your last week was terrible. So now you're all caught up.
Chris Simms
Hold on. There's no way we're not doing the NFL this week.
Stugatz
This week?
Mikey A
No, we're doing the NFL.
Stugatz
Doing the NFL. Honestly.
Mikey A
Honestly. Okay, listen, K. Funk, I'm gonna edit all this. K. Funk, you're. You're done. We're not doing any more college. Here's the deal. I. I I was just. I was just stalling for Mojo to join. I'm gonna be honest with you.
Stugatz
Yeah.
Mikey A
All right, Stu. Guts, get us back on track at the real games.
K Funk
I played college football now. He doesn't want to. We do college football playoffs every year.
Billy Gill
Okay, so what were you saying, Stu?
Mikey A
Yes, you guys, what were the games?
Stugatz
What I was saying is Browns at Bengals. Bengals minus seven and a half. Okay, Bengals are minus seven and a half. They're taking on the Browns. K Funk is so upset right now, Mojo has no idea what's going on. Carl needs to get to work. Let's go. Seven and a half. Carl Douglas wearing that Rams hat. They're hot. No one wants to see them in the playoffs. Carl Douglas. Joe Burrow's hot right now. All right, so you're taking the Bengals minus seven and a half at home against the Cleveland Browns. Joe Burrow is hot. You're right. Any other year, on any other team, he'd probably be the mvp. Let's go to Mike Rollace. Rollis. Bengals minus seven and a half. They're at home. They're taking on the Browns. Who do you got coming off a 5 and a O?
Mike Rollis
Yeah, I'm gonna agree with Carl here. I looked at the schedules for both these teams. Browns have been blown out a whole bunch recently. And the Bengals, even though they've struggled in a lot of close games, they've blown a lot of teams out, too, by seven or more a couple times or four or five times. Bengals, right?
Stugatz
Share Bear. Are you. Are you ordering lunch? What's. What's going on there? Always. Always. Who are you taking here?
Billy Gill
You know, I've become a Browns fan.
Stugatz
Ever since I went out one night with Crescent's old running mate, good old Gerald Big Money Warren. So I'm gonna go with the Browns.
K Funk
Big money. Doesn't matter.
Stugatz
I like it, boy. Okay, Funko, you take it off your two and three here. Bengals. They're hosting the Browns, seven and a half point favorite. You were two and three. I'm just standing.
Mikey A
It is a good week for you.
Chris Simms
It is a good week for you, dude.
K Funk
Congratulations, Mojo.
Chris Simms
This is your best week all season. Dude, no wonder you wanted to move to college. You got to retire and go out on top.
K Funk
Weren't you a bench. Weren't you a bench warmer in college? College at Maryland. You should want to bet on.
Mikey A
Well, how much did. How much did you play in college? K. Funk, incidentally.
K Funk
Come on, play anything. A lot less than, you know, whatever.
Stugatz
Where did you play? What's the better Question.
Chris Simms
K. Funk, you do it to yourselves.
K Funk
All right, buddy, I'm gonna go ahead and take. I'm not gonna take Dorian Thomas, whatever the hell.
Mike Rollis
Thompson.
Mikey A
There you go. Thanks.
Stugatz
Gtr. Mojo, who you taking here? Bengals at Browns. Bengals, seven and a half point favorite.
Chris Simms
All right, guys, well, here's the thing. Mojo's a dad now, but just because I'm a dad, it doesn't mean. Mean that I've lost my Mojo and I'm taking this one back to season one kind of logic here. And here's the thing, guys. The Bengals are 6 and 8, meaning if they lose, they're gonna be 6 and 9, which means I have no choice but to take the Browns.
Mikey A
Interesting.
Stugatz
No choice. 69.
Mikey A
He won that season, so, yeah, it's the only angle.
Stugatz
Mojo, am I still winning this season?
Mikey A
You are.
Stugatz
Just keep doing it the way you're doing it.
Mikey A
Mojo, four and one last week, don't you.
Stugatz
And that's a bad one.
K Funk
He wasn't four and one, was he?
Mikey A
Yeah, yeah, he was.
Chris Simms
I was four and one last week.
Billy Gill
Check your notes.
Mikey A
Yeah, check your notes exactly right.
Stugatz
All right. Last week, to be clear, he has no.
Mikey A
That is true.
Chris Simms
That's the worst part of all.
Stugatz
Right, on to the next game. Titans at Colts. Colts are three and a half point favorites over the Titans. Colts actually need to win this game, I guess, to still have a shot of making the playoffs. We'll go to Mike Rollis off of five and. Oh, we'll go to him first. Michael, you take it.
Mike Rollis
Yeah, this one's real tough. I mean, God damn did the Colts the bed last week after getting off to a good start. But I guess I. I choose them to rebound over Mason Rudolph. You know, I guess it's a good game. Thanks for including this one, Billy. I mean, it's a really good and interesting game. So I think I'm gonna go with the. The Colts.
Stugatz
All right, call. Douglas, are you taking. Here we have the Colts, three and a half point favorites at home, taking on the Titans. The Colts have a slight chance to make the playoffs. They dropped the bomb last week, but I'm gonna hope for a comeback. I think the Colts give up the points. All right, Carl Douglas taking. The Colts share. Bear, who you taking here?
Billy Gill
You know, me, I don't really go with logic. I'm kind of a field player. You know, I look for.
Stugatz
Look for signs.
Billy Gill
I was out in West Palm on.
Stugatz
Sunday night and I saw Big Javon curse.
Mikey A
It was nice to run into him.
Stugatz
And then randomly, I was watching the little Kurt Warner, American underdog last night.
Billy Gill
So kind of feeling bad for the.
Mikey A
Titans, which means I think I got.
Billy Gill
To go with them.
Stugatz
I'm feeling they're going to turn it around.
Mikey A
It's been a lot of Titans in my.
Stugatz
In my subliminal conscious mind, so I'm going the Titans. All right, who we. Who we taking here? K Funk.
K Funk
Sher, aren't you in a tournament? Right, Right now?
Billy Gill
Yeah.
Stugatz
I'm here at Daytona.
Mikey A
Hurry up. K Funk Speedway, Daytona Speedway.
Stugatz
Follow ups. Make your pet, man. All right.
K Funk
Yeah, I'm gonna go with Mason Rudolph here. Give me the Titans. Thanks.
Stugatz
Really taking the Titans, huh? Go ahead, Mojo. Have at it.
Mikey A
Because. Because he believes in Mason Rudolph.
Billy Gill
That's so weird.
Stugatz
They're trying to lose. Go ahead, Mojo.
Chris Simms
All right, guys, just because I'm a dad now, it doesn't mean that I've lost my Mojo here. So The Colts are 6 and 8, which means if they lose, they go 6 and 9. 69. I'm taking the Titans.
Chris Felica
I think Carl's starting to get why.
Billy Gill
We said pick these games.
Stugatz
It's a better reason. I think it's hard to get it.
K Funk
Anything we can do for Mojo?
Mike Rollis
All making sense now.
Billy Gill
Yeah.
Stugatz
Oh, boy.
Mikey A
Let's see what we can do for Mojo.
Stugatz
And Mikey, you're right. There's a reason and it's a dumb reason.
Billy Gill
You're right.
K Funk
Thank you, Carl.
Stugatz
But it's. There are reasons that make us smile. I get it now.
K Funk
Yeah. No need to pick good games. Let's just pick Mojo. 69 games.
Stugatz
Well, this is a good game. I mean, we got. We got America's Team here. I mean, it doesn't get bigger than this. Okay. You have the Bucks and the Cowboys. Bucks need this game. They have to win it. They're taking on America's team. Dallas. The Cowboys are plus four at home. Mike Rollis, who You take it here.
Mike Rollis
Well, I just remembered that I was supposed to be doing a Southern accent for my pick.
Mikey A
Oh, yeah.
Mike Rollis
I did make a promise. And I'm wearing my Randy Moss gear here, so I think I'm going to just start to slip into a little bit of a West Virginia accent or something like that. And you know, with this game, if you look at America's Team, they. They're about one bad botch punt away from being on a 50 win streak, something like that. So I think I'm gonna go with the. The Cowboys to cover at home.
Stugatz
Okay. I love that you're staying in character. You don't have to. I'll give you a Pass for a week if you want. If you want to do it next week because you're hot right now. You're five and up.
Mike Rollis
Look, man, I made a promise. I'm gonna stick to it. That's what Randy would want me to do. I know that. And it's what I'm gonna to do.
Stugatz
Integrity.
Billy Gill
Integrity.
Stugatz
Nice.
Chris Simms
Nice.
Stugatz
Let's go to Share Bear. Share Bear. Who you taking here?
Mikey A
Oh, I don't know.
Billy Gill
You never know.
Stugatz
We never know. We can come back to you if you want. Well. Well, you know, I'm in Daytona right now. I'm gonna be driving back through Tampa on Sunday.
Billy Gill
So, you know, I would like to.
Mikey A
Think of myself first. So it gives me an excuse, maybe.
Billy Gill
Have a good, good night.
Mikey A
If the Bucks win.
Stugatz
So let's go with the Bucks. Let's go with the Bucks. Tampa. Yes. You know, selfishly.
Billy Gill
Right.
Stugatz
Got it. Carl Douglas, who you taking here? Bucks at Cowboys. Cowboys plus four at home. Well, first of all, I'm impressed that Mike could do a West Virginia accent. I didn't know what that was until I heard him talking to stuff. Now I get it. But I think the Bucks are playing for more. I'm taking the Bucks.
Mikey A
I hate the Cowboys.
Stugatz
Give me the bucks. Oh, I hate the Cowboys as well. Okay, K. Funk, who you take it here?
K Funk
I can't stand the Cowboys. I don't like the four points, but I don't know, man. The Bucks, I think the only. They beat the Lions and the Eagles, right? Give me the Bucks, dude. Baker, Give me Baker here.
Stugatz
All right, you're taking the Bucks. Mojo, go ahead. The floor is yours.
Chris Simms
Guys, just because I'm a dad now, it doesn't mean. Yeah, we understand my Mojo and the dad. Dallas Cowboys are 6 and 8, which means if they lose, they're gonna be 6 and 9. Give me the Buccaneers because of 69.
Stugatz
I so hope you go 5 and. Oh, man. Let's go to the next game.
Chris Simms
It's my favorite week all season. This is the one week I wait for the entire year.
Stugatz
We know. Saints at Packers. Saints at Packers. These aren't bad games, but I, you know, whatever. Fourteen and a half, boy.
Mikey A
But whatever.
Stugatz
The theme is worth the bad games.
Mikey A
Honestly, K. Getting mad at the bad games.
Chris Simms
Yes. That's even better.
Stugatz
I mean, K has every right to be upset about the choice of these games this week.
K Funk
Yeah, Carl brought it up first.
Chris Felica
I mean, two people disagreed with us.
Billy Gill
With our picks, Carl and K. Funk. One's got a big smile picking the games, and the other one is cursing everybody Out.
Stugatz
Saints and Packers. Let's go to the guy who's smiling first. Carl Douglas. Who are you taking here? Saints. Packers record. Yeah. 14 and a half record.
Mikey A
Five. Five. No, five and nine.
Stugatz
I've learned. I've learned from this show never to. Never to give up so many points. I. Taking the points. I'll take the Saints. All right, taking the Saints. Let's go to Mike Ross and his Southern accent. Go ahead, Mike.
Mike Rollis
Yeah, well, back in the day, I scored a touchdown, Randy Moss scored a touchdown on the packers, dropped my pants, mooned the fans, and infamously paid that fine and straight cash, homie. And this time, I'm gonna give it back to the Packers. I'm gonna pick the packers to. To cover this one. So they're rolling right now, man. Give me the. The Packers.
Stugatz
All right, Share Bear, who do you like here? Packers. Fourteen and a half point favorites at home against the Saints.
Mikey A
I mean, I'm gonna have to go with the.
Stugatz
The daddy over here and just go with the logic.
Mikey A
And Saints are gonna win.
Stugatz
I'll go with the Saints.
Mikey A
Saints.
K Funk
That's your logic.
Billy Gill
Okay.
Stugatz
They gotta win, right?
Mikey A
They gotta win.
Stugatz
If they win, Mojo will tell us what's gonna happen.
Billy Gill
You should listen to him, Share bear. He was 2 and 3 last week.
Mikey A
He's in first place.
Stugatz
Okay, you take it.
K Funk
They halftime, they put Rattler in.
Stugatz
I like him.
K Funk
They gave him a little. Give him a little push there last week. So 14 half is way too much. Give me.
Stugatz
Give me the.
K Funk
Thanks here. I don't care what the record is. I'm just giving the same.
Stugatz
All right, Mojo, I don't worry.
K Funk
Just taking all my picks.
Chris Simms
I know, guys, just because I'm a dad now, it does not mean. Mean that I've lost my Mojo. The saints are 5 and 9, which means if they win against my favorite team that I pick every single week on God bless football, they're gonna be 6 and 9. So I gotta put my love for 69 above my lap. My love for the Packers. Give me the Saints.
Stugatz
Go ahead. All right, final game here. Carl needs to leave. 49ers, they're taking on the dolphins. Dolphins are one point favorites. Let's go to Share Bear first. Share Bear, go ahead. Let's go. Let's.
Billy Gill
Let's go with the Dolphins.
Mikey A
Let's end strong here, Miami.
Stugatz
And you know, we got big fair. Fair weather fans in Miami, so we.
Mikey A
Just need a nice win at the end of the year to kind of get them excited for next year, right?
Stugatz
To placate all those fair Weather fans.
K Funk
Fair weather. I am not. There's no fair weather fans on this show.
Mikey A
Oh.
Stugatz
Oh, God.
Billy Gill
Let's go, Billy.
K Funk
You're a fair weather fan. You're not a fair weather fan, are you?
Mikey A
I mean, I'm not gonna be insulted by Share Fair. It's fine.
Stugatz
I wasn't talking about this show. I was talking about the city of Miami. I'm talking about the people that throw the parties. You know, you're right. Yes. Yes. They're not fans at all. They're not even fair weather fans. They're fans of party. Let's go to Mike. Roll Southern accent. Go ahead, Mike.
Mike Rollis
Yeah, this one's tough. Both. Both teams have been a little bit disappointing this year. So. Man, I just think the railing off.
Stugatz
Back.
Mike Rollis
Back when I played at Minnesota, the year after I left, I was. I wore number 26. The year after I left, there was another young linebacker that came in. He was number 26. That linebacker's name was Devondre Campbell. I don't know if you guys saw him in the news this week, but he walked out on the 49ers. They've suspended him. I think they rally around that and they squeeze out a win here in Miami. Give me the Niners.
Stugatz
All right, taking the 49ers there. Well done. Let's go to Carl Douglas. Niners at Dolphins. Carl, who you taking? Dolphins, a 1 point favorite at home, still have a 12% chance of making the playoffs if they win this game. Both these teams have had a disappointing season, but I'm gonna take the teacher over the student. Oh, give me the 49ers like it's all right. Let's go to. Let's go to K. Funk. K. Funka, you take it here.
K Funk
I mean, this is just a Billy special here. I don't even know who to take. My Dolphins are just an embarrassment. Give me the Dolphins.
Mikey A
Oh, okay.
Stugatz
Okay.
Mike Rollis
This is interesting here.
Mikey A
Really, Mike, What a coincidence.
Stugatz
Let's see what happens. Mojo, the floor is yours, sir. Go ahead.
Chris Simms
Guys, just because I'm a dad now, it doesn't mean that I've lost my Mojo. This is it. This is our main event, our super bowl of this week. Because both teams, everybody, Both teams are 6 and 8 right now. And since I can not pick both teams to lose this game, if there was an option, I would gladly choose it, but it's not an option here. This is a win. Win for Mojo because somebody's going to be 69 after this game. So with that logic in mind, there's only one logical move to make here today. And that move is. Can anybody tell me?
Stugatz
Yeah.
K Funk
Pick opposite K from Opposite Funk.
Chris Simms
Opposite Funk. Everybod is a stir fire winner. Comes off his best week at 2 and 3. Still a losing week. Opposite Funk holds true all year.
Billy Gill
Okay.
Stugatz
Holy. He's become like a rock singer who stops singing and the crowd just picks it up.
Chris Simms
You know, there's a reason why this show wins Sports podcast of the year all the time.
Stugatz
Yep. Great job.
Mike Lombardi
Great job.
Mikey A
K Funk. You still have two games to host here. If you're still doing that, unless you've given up on college, don't you dare.
K Funk
Mojo's scared to pick college games. I don't know, dude.
Chris Simms
Well, now that we did the 69 thing, I can. Whatever, you guys, we can pick bowling if you really need 2k fun.
K Funk
All right, real quick. We already did.
Chris Simms
I. I wanna. I wanna add something in here quick. I'm okay with us doing the college games, but they only count for the records if K. Funk actually does. Well, I just want to handicap this as much.
Mikey A
Wow.
Chris Simms
Yeah. We've been doing this all season. I don't know if he's actually noticed this or not, but, Mojo, the only.
K Funk
Reason you're in first place is because of the three weeks you went opposite me. You weren't even on the show. So you're welcome. Has nothing to do with your picks.
Chris Simms
Or your knowledge, Funk.
Mikey A
That is true.
K Funk
That's what I'm saying. Nothing to do with him. Some great kicker or something, huh?
Billy Gill
Spread master.
Mikey A
Exactly.
Stugatz
Thank you. Right?
Mikey A
It's.
Chris Simms
It's documented, Funk.
Mikey A
It's. Yeah.
Chris Felica
I gotta go.
Stugatz
I gotta go.
Mikey A
Come on.
Stugatz
He's gonna go, man.
Mikey A
Just give Carl. Get Carl's games. Get Carl's games.
K Funk
Carl. I'll go to you first, Carl.
Stugatz
You.
K Funk
You can do the rest of these three. We got Penn State. State is minus nine. Smu.
Stugatz
Carl.
K Funk
Who do you want?
Stugatz
I'm taking pin. Say give it the point.
Mikey A
All right.
Stugatz
We broke news to Rawls earlier that SMU made the playoffs. Go ahead, Carl.
K Funk
We got Carl. Clemson at Texas. Texas of minus 12.
Stugatz
I'm with Texas. USC connection. Sarkeesian. I'm taking Texas. All right.
K Funk
And then the last one for you, Carl, will be Ohio State. The Ohio State University at Tennessee. Tennessee. And Tennessee is plus seven and a half. I'm sorry, it's at. At Ohio state. Ohio State's -7 and a half.
Stugatz
This is the game for the coach's life. If he loses, he's going to get fired. I'm taking Ohio State. They're going to play for the coach. Wow. And if he gets fired, he's coming to usc. Just watch. All right, Carl.
K Funk
Have a great day. Carl, thanks for coming on. All right, Rawlis, you took Penn State.
Stugatz
Promote the law firm. What happened?
Mikey A
Yes, it took too long.
K Funk
We got Share Bear, Penn State and SMU. SMU's -9. I mean, SMU is -9. Shiver.
Stugatz
I'm gonna go Penn State.
Chris Simms
It's not a very exciting.
K Funk
None of them are six to nine. None of them are six to nine. They're all good.
Chris Simms
I'll make this quick for you. Penn State, Clemson, Ohio State.
Mikey A
Okay, you wanted Notre Dame, and James.
Chris Simms
Franklin was my offensive coordinator in college. Now at me, Maryland.
Stugatz
Really?
Chris Simms
At coach of Penn State. That's my guy.
Stugatz
You know what comes next? Mojo. Get him on the show. I mean, let's go Mojo.
K Funk
St. Go. Picked Indiana for you. You want to keep that or you want Notre Dame?
Chris Simms
I don't care.
K Funk
All right.
Chris Simms
Worst job is coin.
Stugatz
He came here for one reason today, man.
Mikey A
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
K Funk
Shouldn't have logged off for that. Okay. All right, Share Bear, you're up. Penn State, Penn State, smu. Share Bear.
Chris Simms
You gotta, like, put some voice inflection on or something, man.
Stugatz
Like, he's picked Penn State seven times.
Billy Gill
Picked Penn State seven times.
K Funk
He picked him one. Share Bear. Clemson at Texas. Texas minus 12.
Stugatz
You should sneak it in. SMU real quick.
Billy Gill
Let's go. Austin, Texas.
Stugatz
Gotta love 6th Street. Let's go Texas.
K Funk
And then Share Bear. Ohio State minus 10.
Chris Felica
Seven.
K Funk
Half against Tennessee.
Stugatz
Oh, Knoxville. Cool beans.
Billy Gill
Good bar. I'm gonna go.
Stugatz
I'm gonna go Tennessee 10.
K Funk
All right, Rawls, me and you are left. Ross, you have Penn State, you have Notre dame. I'll take SMU. And then Rawls, we have Clemson, Texas. Texas minus 12.
Mike Rollis
I'm gonna go with the favorites here. Give me Texas.
Stugatz
You want Texas.
K Funk
So then you want Ohio State. I'm assuming against Texas.
Billy Gill
Of.
K Funk
See, it's.
Mike Rollis
Is it. These are all home games too. They're not like.
Stugatz
Yes.
Mikey A
Yeah, yeah.
Mike Rollis
Okay, so pulling their.
Billy Gill
I'll go. I'll go.
Mike Rollis
Ohio State's.
Billy Gill
The.
Mike Rollis
The horseshoe is loud, man. I. I remember my freshman year, we were there and. Jesus, what was their. The super tall quarter. Terrell Prior. Terrell Pryor.
Mikey A
Sorry, I had a moment there.
Mike Rollis
I forgot, baby.
Mikey A
Yeah, he.
Stugatz
He.
Mike Rollis
He had like a 30 yard rushing touchdown on us in the third in the first quarter. And I remember I. I was on the sideline. I was a special teams guy my freshman year mostly. And I remember just testing it. I just started Yelling as loud as I could to see if I could hear myself, and I couldn't. That horseshoe gets loud. So I'm going to Ohio State.
Stugatz
All right. All right.
K Funk
And I'll take. I got Notre Dame, I got smu. I'll take Texas and Tennessee. So give me two underdogs there. Sec, baby. Let's go.
Stugatz
All right.
K Funk
Sunny Arizona.
Mike Rollis
Yeah.
Billy Gill
Yeah.
Mike Rollis
I had to move into the shade because my phone was overheating. But, you know, there. There was a DVD that I. I used to watch religiously back in the day. It was called the Moss Method. It showed Randy Moss working out. And that gave birth to the Rawles wreck regimen, which now you can go to rawlsregimen.com and we'll make you a customized program tailored to your every need. And we'll make it specifically for you. Whatever your goals are, whatever your schedule is, whatever equipment you have, it'll be perfect for you. Rawlsregimen.com awesome.
K Funk
Hopefully you go on to feed again, buddy. I'm sure I'm rooting for you.
Stugatz
I got nothing promoted.
K Funk
See Mojo before we get out of here, Dean Daddy, is there anything you'd like to promote?
Chris Simms
Yes, I would like to promote the Creston Lagerman Lullaby Company. Anytime your child is fussy and needs to take a nap, have Creston host a podcast that will instantaneously put the child and everyone else in the room to sleep. Preston Lagerman Lullaby Services. Check it out.
Stugatz
Nice.
K Funk
Is that it? That's all you got?
Stugatz
And.
Chris Simms
Guys, everybody listening at home? The band is back together. That's right. And we're going for Sports Podcast of the Year. Last year, we took a year off. We didn't have the team back together, but this year, the team has been back in it. So much energy, so much excitement, suspense, love. We have all the categories here on this one show. And that is why you need to get up off your asses and vote for this show. God bless football as the sports Podcast of the year. If you don't, this is it for this group. We're never coming back together. We're drawing a lot line in the sand. We're done. You'll never see me and Funk on this same show ever again. So if you want this trash talk, put your money where your mouth is and go cast your vote. Fellas, where do they go to vote?
Mikey A
Sportspodcastgroup.com by the way, Steve, guys, also, we have a decision to make. If Mojo and K Funk aren't ever going to do a show together, if we lose who do we keep?
K Funk
Oh, that's a tough one.
Stugatz
I wonder who.
K Funk
Who do we. Let's have Jillian, Mikey, a vote on that one.
Stugatz
He is coming off a two and three. All right boys, get out of here. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays to all you. I wish Gordy was here. Carl was here as well so we can wish them a happy holidays. But we love you guys. We appreciate it. Audience, listen to Mojo because if you don't vote us number one, you will never see Mojo and K Funk in the same zoom again on the same show again. So start voting right now. Gentlemen, merry Christmas. Happy holidays. Happy New year. Happy and healthy. We will speak to you next week.
Chris Simms
Happy holidays. God bless football.
Billy Gill
God bless football.
Mikey A
It's the most magical time of year again. Crisp, cold winter air. The big games are on. Friends and family gathered round. What could make this better? I'll tell you what, hold one in my hand. A Miller Light. From family gatherings to holiday parties with friends, this season is for enjoying time with the most important people in your life. Make the holidays even better with Miller Light. The great tasting light beer for people who love beer. Can't wait to get a fire started. Enjoy a yule log and fire fire pit with my my loved ones. Oh, it's a little warm and toasty. I need to cool down. What should I drink? Oh, I know. A nice cold Miller Lite. No games, no gimmicks. Just a great beer for people who like beer. Miller Lights brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers with simple ingredients like malted barley for rich balanced toffee. Noted flavors and that iconic golden color making memories at year end gatherings. Tastes like Miller time. Go to millerlight.com gbf to find a delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Fewer calories and carbs and premium regular beer.
Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – Episode GBF- Santa Paws
Release Date: December 20, 2024
In the festive episode titled "GBF- Santa Paws", hosts Dan Le Batard (Stugotz) and his co-hosts delve into the bustling world of sports during the holiday season. Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, the team offers insightful discussions on the College Football Playoffs, NFL weekend matchups, and the recent appointment of Mike Lombardi as the General Manager of the North Carolina football program. The episode is enriched with humorous banter, strategic sports analysis, and a special segment featuring Chris Felica (the Bear) presenting his "12 Bets for Christmas."
As the holiday season kicks off, the hosts anticipate an exciting weekend filled with both college and professional football:
Notable Quote:
Stugotz [09:05]: "The College Football Playoff is this weekend. Both NFL games are good."
A standout moment in the episode is the in-depth interview with Mike Lombardi, newly appointed as the General Manager of the North Carolina Tar Heels football team. Lombardi shares his vision for transforming the program, emphasizing a professional approach akin to NFL team management.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
Mike Lombardi [35:29]: "What we're going to try to do here at North Carolina is build a personnel department that is resembling an NFL pro personnel department."
The conversation shifts to the speculation surrounding Aaron Rodgers and his potential return to the New York Jets:
Notable Quote:
Stugotz [12:02]: "I would rather Aaron Rodgers be bad for the Jets than be great somewhere else."
The hosts engage in a critical analysis of the teams involved in the College Football Playoffs, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses:
Notable Quote:
Chris Felica [16:04]: "I still liked it at 4, but I will say this, it accomplished its goal and for that I'll say it was a success."
The hosts share their predictions for the playoff matchups, analyzing each team's chances based on performance and seasonal records.
Notable Picks:
Notable Quote:
Stugotz [09:30]: "Kyler Murray took Shakir, the Bills receiver."
In an engaging segment, the hosts exchange their betting choices for the NFL weekend games, showcasing a mix of confidence and humorous skepticism.
Notable Picks:
Notable Quote:
Billy Gill [31:24]: "Josh Allen's time. Yes, it is. Is they're going to win the Super Bowl."
Chris Felica introduces the Santa Paws segment, where he presents twelve personalized bets for the holiday season, adding a festive twist to the sports predictions.
Highlights:
Notable Quote:
Chris Felica [27:24]: "On the first day of Christmas, the Bear gave to me the Sixers to miss the playoffs plus 130."
Beyond sports, the episode warmly touches on holiday traditions and personal anecdotes:
Notable Quote:
Billy Gill [60:01]: "So I think I like Christmas Eve better than I do Christmas."
In a brief yet intriguing tangent, the conversation veers into the realm of drones and UFO sightings, reflecting the hosts' curiosity and skepticism about recent reports.
Notable Quote:
Billy Gill [84:54]: "The drone stuff's just, I don't know, crazy. And it just seems like it's gotten out of hand."
The episode wraps up with final betting discussions, playful banter among the hosts, and a heartfelt call to action urging listeners to vote for their podcast in the Best American Football Podcast category. The festive atmosphere is maintained throughout, blending sports enthusiasm with holiday cheer.
Notable Quote:
Chris Simms [119:52]: "God bless football as the sports Podcast of the year."
"GBF- Santa Paws" delivers a comprehensive blend of strategic sports analysis, lighthearted interactions, and festive fun. With insightful interviews, robust betting discussions, and personal holiday stories, the episode caters to both avid sports fans and casual listeners seeking engaging content during the holiday season.