Hey, Bad or Badder!? (Feat. Geoff Schwartz)

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show — “Hey, Bad or Badder!?” (Feat. Geoff Schwartz)

Episode Date: June 26, 2026

Location: Live from the Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Host: Dan Le Batard (as “Dave” in transcript)
Guests: Geoff Schwartz, Gino Fuentes, Buddy Badowski

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Main Theme and Episode Overview

This episode captures the fun, irreverent tone of the Dan Le Batard Show, blending sports discussion with absurd hypotheticals, pop culture riffs, and quirky debates. The central motif is a new game—“Hey, Bad or Badder!?”—where hosts and guests rank everything from sports pet peeves to infamous sports blunders. NFL themes dominate, particularly quarterback assessments, the importance of backup QBs, and historical “boners” (boneheaded plays) in sports. There are forays into soccer (the ongoing World Cup), athlete career “what ifs,” and American soccer hypotheticals.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Sports Pet Peeves: “Hey, Bad or Badder!?”

(01:31–07:17)

• The episode opens with debates over banal but relatable everyday annoyances:
  • Is the grocery cart delinquent worse than the person who spits gum into a urinal?
  • Consensus: Gum spitter is the absolute worst due to creating disgusting, unsanitary work for janitorial staff.
    • Quote: “You spit your gum into the urinal... now your gum, which is already enough to make me throw up now, is also stained by your pee.” — Dave (02:06)
  • Some defend cart collection as a peaceful break for workers (02:36), and Buddy jokes about using gum in urinals for “target practice” (03:10), only to be outvoted.
• Jersey numbers: Is wearing #69 as a joke worse than the arrogance of wearing #1?
  • Buddy: Growing up, wore #1 for practical reasons (smallest size), argues that choosing #69 for laughs is worse (06:04).
    • Quote: “Don’t put your own last name… or, you know, beers 69 or anything like that… Just pick your favorite player, put your favorite player on the back of the jersey and go on with your day.” (07:03)

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2. Topical “Bad or Badder”: Hydration Breaks vs. Becky Hammon Punditry

(07:17–09:07)

• Two topical annoyances:
  1. Soccer’s insertion of hydration breaks (and the TV commercials that accompany them, ruining ad-free purity).
  2. The outcry over Becky Hammon’s honest sports prediction (about Jalen Brunson’s ability to lead a team).
  • Panel: Heap support on Hammon, decrying faux outrage when pundits are inevitably “wrong” (07:55).
  • Hydration breaks themselves aren’t a problem; Fox airing ads during them is (09:07).
    • Buddy: Admired the sanctity of commercial-free soccer and abhors this U.S. twist (08:30).

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3. NFL Deep Dive with Geoff Schwartz

(12:20–32:36)

Introducing Geoff Schwartz (12:20–14:35)

• Geoff debuts his new podcast with brother Mitchell Schwartz, brainstorming (often tongue-in-cheek) names and O-line conventions needing a “Taylor Swift” for lineman star-power.

Bad or Badder in Daily Life: Cyclists vs. Motorcyclists

(14:35–15:40)

• Who is more off-base in their self-perception: the Tour de France gear-wearing cyclist or the “cool” freeway motorcyclist with hand signs?
  • Schwartz sides with cyclists (“at least they’re getting exercise”), while motorcyclists are just slowing everyone down.

Quarterback Chat and NFL Team Outlooks

(16:39–23:04)

• Debate: Is Mac Jones the NFL’s “median” quarterback of 2026, inheritor of Andy Dalton’s mid-tier crown?
  • Schwartz says yes: “You win between 7–10 at the high end games.”
• Should the Rams pursue Mac Jones as a Matthew Stafford contingency, given Stafford’s recurring injuries?
  • Rams have “backed themselves into a corner” by not facing Stafford’s reality (23:04).
• Discussion on the essential value of quality backup QBs (Chiefs’ Chad Henne playoff example).
  • Quote: “You’re going to need the backup at some point during the season.” — Geoff Schwartz (24:07)

Vikings & Falcons QB Dilemmas: Should Teams Stick or Twist?

(24:07–27:15)

• Minnesota with Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy: Is keeping both a locker room problem?
• Atlanta’s Michael Penix and Tua battle: Does a divided QB room sap trust/cohesion?
  • Schwartz: For Minnesota, move on from McCarthy if committed to Murray (25:19). Says with a new staff, mixed QB signals can erode player trust.

NFL Gambling Scandal and Sorsby's Exclusion

(28:01–30:59)

• Discusses why Sorsby was excluded from the supplemental draft amidst a gambling investigation.
  • Schwartz: NFL sees any gambling as a threat to integrity, and will always act preemptively to protect itself.
    • Quote: “The NFL is looking to protect themselves. And they did no background on him. They don’t know. They don’t know what his future is going to be.” (30:59)
• Contextualizes NFL double standards around sports betting and workplace rules with a tight, logical analogy.

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4. Social Media Annoyances: Walk-and-Talk Videos vs. Close-up Eaters

(34:18–35:21)

• The hosts riff on influencers who can’t record videos without pacing, vs. food personalities who eat/masticate into microphones.
  • Gino prefers the walking talkers as slightly less egregious—Buddy loathes “eating ASMR.”

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5. Soccer — U.S. World Cup Woes & “Best Athletes Hypotheticals”

(36:07–38:02; 53:26–55:40)

• Trivia: The U.S. has more own goals (6) in World Cup history than any individual player’s tally (36:21).
• Debate: Does hiring a foreign coach hurt Team USA’s “spirit”? Buddy notes, “No team has ever won the World Cup with a foreign manager” (37:20).
• The classic debate: “If America’s best athletes played soccer…” Panel: If Tyreek Hill, Christian McCaffrey, or LeBron James had turned to soccer as kids, the U.S. would be far more formidable (54:01).
  • Quote (Dave): “Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen. Couldn’t be good in goal?” (54:01)
  • Buddy: Devonta Smith would make an ideal winger/striker (“skinny build, great feet”) (54:12).

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6. The Greatest Sports “Boners” (Mistakes) in History

(38:51–51:52)

Football "Boners":

• Jerome Bettis’ almost-career-ending fumble (41:04):
  • “If Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t tackle Nick Harper at midfield, that’s the last play of Jerome Bettis’s career. …I think it would have cost Jerome Bettis the Hall of Fame.”
• Matt Hasselbeck’s “We want the ball and we’re going to score!” Pick-six (42:03).
• Raheem Moore giving up “Mile High Miracle” TD (2012 Broncos) (43:39).
• Scott Norwood missed FG (“wide right”) — but not a boner, that’s a choke (44:54).
• Gary Anderson, Billy Cundiff, Romo’s botched hold — notable but less “boner,” more miss.
• Ernest Byner’s fumble for the Browns vs. Broncos — identified as the “worst” because of lasting franchise “stink.” (51:52)
• Leon Lett’s double boners: Super Bowl fumble return showboat and Snow Game gaffe; notable for personal embarrassment but not changing game outcomes (50:51).

Biggest? Consensus: Ernest Byner’s fumble narrowly edges out others due to its impact on the Browns’ tortured history (51:52).

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7. World Cup Soccer Picks & Final Thoughts

(55:40–58:37)

Panel’s Picks:

• Gino: Spain will knock Uruguay out, sees them heating up after stutter start (55:40).
• Buddy: Backs Colombia over Portugal in Miami, likes “both teams to score” in “the gem of the group stage” (56:48).
• Soccer talk veers into 80s music trivia (Lamal, Kajagoogoo).
• Miami Dolphins QB preference: Gino and Buddy want “something fresh” with Malik Willis; both feel the “Tua era” has run its course (58:07).

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------|-----------| | Gum in the Urinal vs. Grocery Cart | 01:53–03:36 | | Jersey #69 vs. #1 debate | 05:41–06:54 | | Hydration breaks vs. Becky Hammon Outrage | 07:17–09:07 | | Geoff Schwartz NFL QB Analysis | 16:39–24:07 | | Discussing NFL Gambling and Sorsby Exclusion | 28:01–30:59 | | Influencer Pet Peeves: Walkers vs. Eaters | 34:18–35:21 | | Greatest NFL Boners | 38:51–51:52 | | Soccer Athlete Hypotheticals | 53:26–55:40 | | World Cup Picks | 55:40–58:37 |

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Memorable Quotes

• “You spit your gum into the urinal... now your gum, which is already enough to make me throw up now, is also stained by your pee.” — Dave (02:06)
• “If Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t tackle Nick Harper at midfield, that’s the last play of Jerome Bettis’s career. …I think it would have cost Jerome Bettis the Hall of Fame.” — Dave (41:04)
• “No team has ever won the World Cup that has won it with a coach that is not from their home country.” — Buddy (37:20)
• “You’re going to need the backup at some point during the season.” — Geoff Schwartz (24:07)
• “The NFL is looking to protect themselves. And they did no background on him. They don’t know. They don’t know what his future is going to be.” — Geoff Schwartz (30:59)
• “Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen. Couldn’t be good in goal?” — Dave (54:01)

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, playful, and digressive — trademark Le Batard Show style.
• Mixes serious football analysis (with Geoff Schwartz’s solid insights) and lighter “Seinfeld-ian” complaints.
• Frequent hypotheticals and sarcasm: Panel laughs their way through sports history, pop culture, and obscure trivia.
• Keeps things moving; rarely lingering on serious outrage, always ready for a detour or ironic observation.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:

You’ll learn…

• The new “Bad or Badder” game is an excuse for the panel to vent about everything from gum in urinals to jersey numbers.
• NFL analysis spans both 2026 QB conundrums and deep dives into the importance of backup QBs—hot takes, jokes, and all.
• Classic sports misplays are debated—the show’s blend of reverence and humor makes this segment especially entertaining.
• Soccer gets serious attention, both in U.S. failings and fantasy scenarios involving NFL stars.
• The show remains an unpredictable mix—sometimes thoughtful, sometimes absurd, always deeply fun.

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End of Summary

For full entertainment, catch the banter in context—but this summary covers every essential debate, insight, and digression from “Hey, Bad or Badder!?” on The Dan Le Batard Show.

Transcript

[Jeff Schwartz]

I'm not giving up.

[Dave]

I am selling the building.

[Gino Fuentes]

The final season of FX is the Bear.

[Buddy Badowski]

The restaurant is flooded. Everything's either gonna be okay.

[Dave]

No, stop. Or not. We are outgunned and we are outmanned, but we have each other.

[Gino Fuentes]

FX's the bear, the final season, all

[Commercial Announcer]

episodes now streaming on Disney. Are all batteries the same?

[Dave]

That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever.

[Commercial Announcer]

Is there any other player who has achieved that?

[Dave]

No, just him. Now take Duracell.

[Commercial Announcer]

Is there any other battery with power boost ingredients inside?

[Dave]

No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell. Got a lot to get to here. Jeff Schwartz is jumping in to talk about Stafford and Penix and TUA and all the rest of it. But you know, people bellyache all the time, fellas, about the grocery card guy, the guy who doesn't return it to its station. But I contend that even worse is the guy who spits his gum into the. Let's, in fact, let's start the show and then we can talk

[Commercial Announcer]

foreign.

[Dave]

Yes, hi and hello, my fellow football Americans, and welcome to Football America, presented as ever by our pals over at DK Sports, now in 50 states. That's all of them, if my math is correct. So good news for you, if you are in fact in one of those states and I, I, we, we, we have a lot to get to. As I just said there very quickly. Hello, Gina Fuentes. And hello, Buddy Badowski.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

We.

[Dave]

Which is worse? The grocery cart. Non participant. Or you only use it for. For what you need it for and then you just leave it right there. Or is it before you respond, the gum in the urinal guy. You understand that when you spit your gum into the urinal that you are peeing in or just peed in, that means another grownup has to go in there and clean out that gum with his hand. Whether no device, I don't know, you put your hand in there and yeah, now your gum, which is already enough to make me throw up now, is also stained by your pee. How say you?

[Gino Fuentes]

It's not just Europe, it's everyone else's pee that came in after you.

[Dave]

So that's European, right?

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah, exactly.

[Gino Fuentes]

That guy is definitely the worst. And in fact, we have friends that work at supermarkets that said they love going out to collect carts. They go outside, they don't have to listen to their boss for a little while. They put on their headphones, sometimes they listen to a playlist while they're out there.

[Dave]

Vitamin C or D, whichever one you get in the sun.

[Buddy Badowski]

I don't see a problem with the guy who spits out his gum in the urinal. I don't see what's. That's so bad about that. You just pee right over it. It gives you a little. I just told you.

[Dave]

Do you want to pick up somebody's gum that has been stained in pee?

[Buddy Badowski]

No, but I feel like they just kind of leave it there and it just kind of breaks down or does whatever it does. It doesn't find a way and guts, you know, turn off buddies.

[Dave]

Mike.

[Jeff Schwartz]

No, I, I, I, I, I don't

[Buddy Badowski]

see a problem with this guy. I, I have. I'm wrong. I like being able to have a little target down there, you know, something to aim. I like to do what I want

[Dave]

to do whenever I want to. But also, I'm aware that I am a participant in, in the game of life with other people who are out there playing it, too.

[Buddy Badowski]

Listen, world's greatest.

[Dave]

Enough from you, buddy, for a second here. Very quickly, Gino, let's tend our business as we do at the top of every episode. This is episode number 70. I like this number quite a bit as a uniform number or nay, which athlete wore it best in man's recorded history?

[Gino Fuentes]

Okay, we're gonna go to recent memory here. Zach Martin, Dallas Cowboys guard, probably one of the most dominant guards in NFL history. Jim Marshall might get some play later on in the show. Stay tuned for that. He actually wore number 70 as well. But I mean, in terms of NFL

[Dave]

players, not a Hall of Famer.

[Gino Fuentes]

Not a Hall of Famer. There's some, there's some hockey influence here, right?

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah, we got the hockey number I found. I mean, 70, you would kind of expect to be a great hockey number. The most important, most influential hockey guy I saw was Braden Holtby, who won the Stanley cup with the, with the Washington Capitals in 2018. But Zach. I just saw Zach Martin. Has there ever been a guard that came out in the draft that was more coveted, that was more like, this guy will change your entire team than Zach Martin? A guard.

[Gino Fuentes]

Quentin Nelson comes close.

[Buddy Badowski]

Okay. Yeah, that was the cold. Yeah, that was the other guy I was thinking of. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Dave]

And Sam Huff, too, wore it for, For Washington and for the Giants, and it's a great. It feels like an old number.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah.

[Dave]

But, yeah, I think I, I think it's high time to bring it back. 70 is a cool number. Vita Vea out there in 50 is lame. I thought, why would you take, like, 61 when 70 is there waiting for you to grab off the rack?

[Commercial Announcer 3]

Right.

[Jeff Schwartz]

I think.

[Gino Fuentes]

I think it's a. It's a. What's close to this? And if you're at 70, why not drop it to 69? It's much more fun.

[Dave]

Yeah, you know what? I think that's bad. And now I want to go back to some. Some more of these because I. I'm not done complaining yet. Yes, that's right. The guy who wears number 69 or the guy who wears number one, Buddy Badowski. Which is worse? I like this. Now, this is. We. We have. We have a new segment now. Worse or worser? Bad or badder? Hey, batter, batter. Hey. No, it's the.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Hey.

[Gino Fuentes]

Better.

[Dave]

Better. No, I like. It can't be pronoun bad or bad or with an exclamation. I mean, with a question mark.

[Buddy Badowski]

Bad, hey or bad hey. Hey, bad or better?

[Dave]

Better. Better. The guy that. Who thinks he's hysterical because he wears number 69? Or the guy who's so arrogant or narcissistic or whatever that he's like, yeah, one.

[Buddy Badowski]

Well, Dave, I'm gonna tell you.

[Dave]

Number one.

[Buddy Badowski]

I'm gonna tell you right now that when I was a kid, I played little league. I was the smallest kid on my team every year, so I got number one because it was the smallest jersey because the sizes went in order from, like, small to large. So 13 would be, like, the biggest guy on the team wore 13. I wore one, so one became my favorite number. And I would ask. I would get one or ask for one every year. So it's absolutely the guy who thinks he's funny and cheeky by wearing 69. Like, the guy who buys a jersey at the team store and presses number 16. I'm not a guy. You got to go with a player that's on. Exactly. Oh, dude, I'm so funny. I got 69. No, I hate. Don't put your. Your own last name. Don't put anything stupid, you know, beers 69 or anything like that or, you know, anything stupid like that. Just put a pl. Put. Pick your favorite player, put your favorite player on the back of the jersey and go on with your day.

[Dave]

70 is nice, is what I think. Here's another one. Hey, bad or better. Hey, batter, batter. Hey, bad or badder to this. Now. Now, let's get topical because you guys are obsessed with the soccer right now.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yep.

[Dave]

And we'll give you some picks for the weekend in just a little bit here. For the World cup action. The hydration break bad or the pundit Becky Hammond. The demand, the pounding of the table that she apologized for having the temerity, the gall to make a prediction that a team with Jalen Brunson, who is short, is not capable of winning a title. If he's your best player, a guy that diminutive. And people now say you were wrong. Well, that's. Her job is to. To some degree is to make predictions. Bad or bad or Gino Fuentes.

[Gino Fuentes]

Why are we messing with her? I mean, she, she, she took a shot on a prediction. She got it wrong a lot.

[Dave]

I'm not down on that.

[Gino Fuentes]

Many sports pundits got that one wrong. I got that wrong. I thought it was going to be win many season starting right away.

[Dave]

Yeah, I mean, well, everybody got it wrong. Neither one is bad. What? That's my answer. No, I mean, she's doing her job. She made a pre. How long ago? Two years ago, Three years ago. And it didn't come true.

[Buddy Badowski]

Right. I think, I think it's New York is sensitive. Pretty obvious what happened here.

[Dave]

Who gives a. About this water break thing? What, what am I missing? They're drinking. All right, I'll say this during a game.

[Buddy Badowski]

I don't, I don't give a. About the hydration breaks. My problem is there is some sanctity to the no commercials during a soccer game. And the fact that Fox immediately from the first game was like, hey, we're gonna have commercials during this. During this hydration break. Hydration breaks have been in the game for a long time. I don't mind them at all. I think, in fact, they're good. You don't want anybody passing out there, out out there from heat stroke. It's fine with me. The bigger problem is soccer is a game that's 90 minutes long with no commercials. And that's the best thing about it. And I hate that they've thrown this three minutes of commercials into my soccer. I don't like it.

[Gino Fuentes]

If I'm not mistaken, the first one on Fox, they even missed the. The re kick, Right?

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's just something. The first thing I learned in sports journalism school was you cannot miss any live action.

[Dave]

You're a journalist. Oh, I didn't. My remind for you is through the roof now all of a sudden.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

Yeah.

[Buddy Badowski]

You know, means as we're journalists.

[Dave]

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[Dave]

All right, I know one guy who will have some answers for us, because he does not just play or used to play the game of football. No. He's an active member at the game of life. He is Jeff Schwartz, host of Jeff Schwartz is Smarter than you. Getting a little upgrade. With all due respect to Jeff, because now two Schwartzes are better than one Mitchell Schwartz joining the show these days. That's going to be even better. Well, I've already indulged it a little bit. It's great stuff. It's Jeff Schwartz. What's the poop, fella? How you been? How summer going? Beyond you coaching up this giant human being hovering over little kids playing Little league baseball and such?

[Jeff Schwartz]

It's. It's summer's good. Kids go to camp in about, like, 10 days for a month. One goes for a month, one goes for two weeks. So we'll have some downtime here in the Schwartz household. Yeah. My brother's in the podcast with this. We're kind of coming up with names. I look the. The power of the Schwartz. I like that one. Obviously, I don't know if we have to get some permission.

[Dave]

Let's work on that. That's the easy. Don't go with the first one that hits your brain. That's too obvious.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah. And you can't. You. Obviously. That's probably trademarked, so that would probably be out. So we'll let smarter people than me come up with a name. One of the things that Mitch. I was like, mitch, you want to do the podcast? Yeah, we just. We'll change the name. That was his first thing he said to me was, you change the name. Fine, fine. You could be smarter than me. Okay, maybe it's Mitch. Words are smarter than everyone else. But Mitch and I are planning on doing it this year, so. Good to have him above asked him for years. I'm like, buddy, we should have been new heights. Before it was new heights Now, Obviously, those guys are very entertaining and they have.

[Dave]

You guys are more handsome, though. That's what you have.

[Jeff Schwartz]

We definitely are more handsome. I think people would agree on that.

[Gino Fuentes]

Yeah.

[Jeff Schwartz]

We don't have a Famous musician in our inner circle. I was telling my buddy with O Line masterminds, we have our offensive line convention coming up soon. You know the, the, the tight ends are doing the tight end you thing. They bring Taylor Swift on stage. We don't. We need an offensive line to marry an international music star so we can upgrade our activities.

[Dave]

I'm not a singer necessarily. I'll do it if that's what you need, but I'd rather just come up there. I could just tell stories for like a few hours or so. That would get that like, that would be a good warm up. I'll just sit out there and tell my, tell my, my little anecdote, you know. Would that be.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah, I'm sure that would draw the crowd. I'm sure that would, that would be quite all right.

[Dave]

Listen, if you want to be a jerk. Hey, I wanted to ask you real quick because we just stumbled into a new game here. Which is worse, which is badder in your opinion? The Tour de France gear guy, the guy who rides his bike but he's 50 something years old and he's paunchy. Actually the better way. Who thinks he's cooler the bit. The difference between how cool he thinks he looks versus how the rest of us think. Who's more off? The guy who dresses in the Tour de France gear to go for a bike ride or the motorcycle guy on the freeway who when he goes by you and you like pull over like he gives you the deuce as he goes by because he thinks he's so cool on the back of his bike, but really he's a huge pain in the ass slowing you down.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Okay, I, I think it's definitely the motorcycle because at least the biker is getting some exercise in like you know, they're like they're doing something productive with their life. I'm not saying you can't be productive on a motorcycle. But you know they're getting workout in, right? Like they, you know, they got the aerodynamic helmet, the expensive bike. Like they're working out the guy, the motorcycle to your point, like just, just move it along, buddy. Like we're all here, we're all getting somewhere. We're all driving somewhere for a purpose.

[Dave]

They get angry like what you trying to get by a my concern friend. I got to manipulate my car to. Yes, another one. Caleb Williams. Bad news. He failed in his effort to trademark Iceman, which is of course somebody else's nickname. It's actually a few other people's nickname before you even arrived. On the, on the big Blue Marble Caleb. There was George Gervin, there was Val Kilmer. That's just off the top of my head. Would you rather have to deal with the shame, the indignity of wearing someone else's, a previous legend's nickname, or would you rather go by Stink as Mark Schliere?

[Jeff Schwartz]

Oh, I'd much rather go by Stink.

[Dave]

Why would you want. I feel like that's the worst nickname in the world.

[Jeff Schwartz]

I think the. Well, so the idea is that you basically have a unique nickname, right? Like not just so you have to go by Stink or any unique nickname because, I mean, obviously the Stink one is, you know, it's not the best nickname in the world for what. But also I just think going by someone else's nickname is kind of lame. Like come up with your own thing.

[Dave]

Yeah. Amen. Amen. Okay. You're good at this game, as I expected that you would be. Hey, before we jump into the state of the QB league because there are some QB relevant subjects I want to yap with you about real quick. Did you hear the great news? My initial Super Bowl 61 pick is now out. I know you know it because I texted it to you because I was, I was excited for your response to it. Once again, we're doing it once upon a time in Hollywood or in Englewood, LA vla. How say you?

[Jeff Schwartz]

I think the Rams are certainly capable of doing that. The Chargers, again, I love you, Dave. You just, you just can't quit the Chargers.

[Commercial Announcer]

What's.

[Dave]

Jim Harbaugh. You understand, it's not like I'm just, I'm doing it just out of like they, they've updated the team, but then they get red shirted last year because both of the tackles are hurt. And that's the way Harbaugh teams are foundationally built. Right. So it makes sense to do it that way.

[Jeff Schwartz]

And Mike McDaniel is a really, really impressive hire for them. I would like to see them like win a couple playoff games before I decide they're going to be in the Super Bowl. You know what I mean? And again, it's fair to say that sometimes you don't. You haven't done it yet. Like New England didn't do it until they did it. Right. So you can certainly say that happens quite often. But it's also hard for me personally to put teams in super bowl unless I've seen them sort of play big post games and win those games. So they're very. The Chargers, I think, are going to be very good. This, the tackles being back is hugely Important to them. The McDaniel is a big deal. The wide receiver room is a little bit thin, but I think defensively they're going to be good, so they don't need to have great wide receivers. Herbert's got to put it together, right? Like all of it together. There's a lot of talent there. He's done a lot with, with not a lot of help. And there's some issues he has in games as well. So hopefully further holding the Rams to me are.

[Dave]

And by the way, like, what is so, I mean, a big factor obviously for anybody in that division and in the conference is when does Patrick Mahomes get back? You're talking to Mitchell. You guys are plug in with the Chiefs. What is the expectation for his return date and how good he'll be when he hits the field? 100% when he hits the field.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah. So obviously he's back week one, otherwise the NFL wouldn't put him on prime time two weeks in a row. And their number for win total indicates that Mahomes is going to be back week one. Look, we know that rehabbing off an injury like an acl, an Achilles, another knee injury, it takes a year or more to feel like yourself, like to feel like really comfortable with it. The caveat is always that special athletes, I think some of the superpowers, Dave, are the recovery times. They recover so much faster than the rest of us. They just do. I've seen it firsthand. I've seen guys play through injuries that I couldn't play through. Other guys couldn't play through that. I saw Adrian Peterson play for eight weeks or so with, with a sports hernia. I, I didn't. I got that happen to me. I had immediate surgery like the next day.

[Dave]

What a weird thing you're saying. But also checks out based on specific examples that the superstars also are that one of their superpowers is his quicker healing time.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah, I remember Jordan Gross, who was a Pro bowl left tackle with the Panthers. Again, like he's not all time great, but he's a Pro Bowler, like one of the best in his position for many, many years. I remember he did a tib fib. So he broke both bones in his lower leg like in November, like snapped his leg like rolled over top of the pile. He was back in March working out with us full speed, like months later. That, that's not normal. Like that's not a normal thing. But he just was one of these guys, like these better football players that just recovered better than all of us. So Ali Mahomes will be fine. Now, will he trust his leg? I don't know, but I think he will come back and be just fine this season.

[Dave]

Okay, well, by the way, the Chiefs are not on my brain as a team that I'm really picking to maybe make a Super bowl run. Obviously you'd be foolish to turn your nose up at them. But I'm also, if it's not the Chargers, it's the Bengals, it's the Broncos or it's the Jaguars. And on the NFC side, if it's not the Rams, it's the Niners, or as we talked about right after the super bowl completed, it's the Minnesota Vikings and now they have Kyler Murray. So as far as that goes, let's jump in on these Vikings because there's something interesting where they're concerned. In my opinion, the late great Chris Wesling, who you're familiar with from around the NFL, everybody remembers his great work there, had the Dalton scale. And it occurs to me, Andy Dalton sort of being the median quarterback of starting quarterbacks in pro football at the time. Is it. This might be a weird thing to say since he's not a starter at this point. Is Mac Jones the median quarterback of 2026 right now? Because the word is that the Niners are willing to move him at this point when they said they weren't three months ago. Now it sounds like they are. How say you? First of all, because I want to see if we can sort of assess this via comparing him to some other names in the league. But Mac Jones, is he about the, you know, 17th best QB in the league?

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah, that's fair. I think. I think you have Matt Jones of your team. You win between seven to 10 at the high end games. That's probably about right. Yeah, I think he's about the middle of the pack. Depends the offense he's in. You wouldn't take them over, you know, 13 to 15 quarterbacks, but you would take them over a handful of guys or established starters.

[Dave]

Isn't that crazy that we do this thing? Like you got to get the guy and I don't know if Mac Jones is the guy, as it were, and went to as a rookie, took Belichick to the playoffs and then looked pretty good last year and kind of reversed sort of the jokes. He was a little bit of a punchline for that walking and all of that. Okay, would you rather have him then? Let's start with this one. I know this is a crazy place to start, but there's now noise that maybe there's something wrong still with the back. I mean, why, why would it have healed over a year even though he won the mvp? Matthew Stafford concern level. If you're the Rams, not over Matthew Stafford, but are you incented to try to make a move for Mac Jones? That would never happen because the Niners aren't going to trade him to their arch rival. But, but now all of a sudden this team that looks like and is favored to be a contender for this might. I mean, it all implodes if it's like, hey Ty Simpson, can you get in there and do something? No Stetson Bennett, I mean, no chance. Don't you have to kind of try to figure something out here?

[Jeff Schwartz]

I think the point of Ty Simpson was this, right? Wasn't the point of Ty Simpson now,

[Dave]

like see like 20, 26, he's the 13th pick.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Isn't the point for him to be your, your priority backup and if you lose Stafford, like he's right there. So you basically drafted someone 13th overall to just not play at all this season if the opportunity presents itself.

[Dave]

I don't know. I feel like they've sort of weirdly backed themselves into a corner by not, not living in reality, which is, hey, remember last year when you didn't know for sure that Stafford was going to be able to play? Now you're doing it again. He's a year older.

[Jeff Schwartz]

It's so funny. I like the Rams so much in June and July and then Stafford's back thing, I was like, I'm out, I'm out, I'm out on the Rams because I thought his back wasn't going to get better, was it? He wasn't practicing during the summer and then became good against maybe the Rams are. I saw the report though that they said that Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson haven't separated like themselves. I mean, of course, why would they. They're looking at Jimmy G. Yeah, I mean, Mac Jones would be a great option for them to have a priority backup because I think one of the important things in the league is having that backup because you know your quarterback is going to miss a series, a half a game every now and then and, and that might be the difference in a season. I mean the Chiefs have had this happen multiple times where in championship runs, like they lost Mahomes for two games and they split to the games or they lost them in the back half of that playoff game. Chad Henney came in and won the game for them. Like you're going to need the backup at some point. During the season.

[Dave]

Okay. So I said I wanted to yap about the Vikings here a little bit. Let's. Let's do that. And same goes for the Falcons and where they are. Gino Fuentes says that he thinks two is going to have a gangbusters year in the dome and all of that. Some nice pass catchers, all the rest of it. If, if. And that assumes to a wins the gig if you're the Vikings and. Or the Falcons. What's that like you've been in these locker rooms when there's like Project QBs, young guys and the established vet and all of that. Are you, are you better off? Because the thing that always plagues my brain is I remember when they brought Tebow in to a successful jets locker room. This will, this will ramp up Mark Sanchez. Little heat in the locker room will be good for him. And the whole thing instead fell apart. Really. That was the death knell of the jets to some degree I guess at least. Do you feel like it's worse if you're committed to Kyler Murray, who's definitely going to be the starter, not GJ, JJ McCarthy. He's now a looming ghost of drafts past. Are you better off to get him out of the locker room and Michael Penix and try to move him to, let's say the Rams or Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Arizona, places where QBs are still needed.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Are we saying that? Are we Minnesota? Yes. I get rid of McCarthy. I think that that just. It didn't work. It's over. I mean it just, it's done. It was done there.

[Dave]

I think that's a crazy thing to say, but. And you are in the vast majority of. Of pundits saying that. It just seems to me like we've closed the book on this guy who we have very little evidence on.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Well, well, Minnesota did though, right? Like, I, I think he needs more reps to play. But Minnesota told you with the son and color Murray that, that that's not going to happen. Right, because color Murray is going to be their guy. I mean, it sounds silly to sign Color Murray, not play him. He's better than McCarthy is right now. He's better. Right. So in Atlanta though, like, you think they should trade pennix if 2 is a starter?

[Dave]

I don't know. I'm just asking sort of philosophically, when you're in the locker room, are you like, hey, how much can we trust the coach when he thinks JJ when, when 18 months ago, 24 months ago, he thought like, like, hey, you know what's going to fix us is this guy who's a bust. Let's get him out of here so that evidence doesn't. Doesn't sort of plague the locker room.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Well, you have a new coach there too, right? So it's a new general manager. So it's a little bit different of a vibe. Look, in 2010, I was on the Panthers. We played quarterbacks. That didn't make sense to me. You certainly feel that way. You're like, what, what are we doing? Like, why now? Of course, your job is to play hard on Sundays. You go out and play, but then the results happen. You're like, yeah, of course. This is what happens. You put out the wrong quarterback. And there is.

[Dave]

That's what I'm getting at. Right?

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah. Like there's a little bit more juice on the team when you trust your quarterback. Right. Just like.

[Dave]

Right, right. Do you go to the doctor? You go back to the doctor who screwed up the surgery the last time. You're like, I don't know if that's a good idea to be listening to this cat, man. But I don't think he screwed up my elbow. He operated on the right one when it's my left.

[Jeff Schwartz]

But I don't think two is good enough to take over Michael Pennix. Okay. They're kind of hand in hand. Carla Murray is that much better than, than McCarthy. Like that's a very easy. Okay, color. Murray's brought into play for us now. I mean, two on Pennix feel like an actual conversation for who might start that well?

[Dave]

I mean, yeah, feels like a couple B minuses, C pluses and maybe I'm even flattering them with that at this point. Although two is another guy. Like we have moved on from where we were when he threw that touchdown pass against Georgia. He was can't miss. He is way up there on the hype. Hype on. On the, on on the drop off from how hyped the guy was versus what the reality of him is. And that is with the evidence of three years ago, what Tua did with the Dolphins. Still, he is like a ham and egger to all of us. This is, this looms, it's way up there on the list of, of draft analysts hype in a guy. And when you look back on it, you're like, what was all the excitement about with him? He never had a big arm. He was always small. It's very strange. It was. Bama doesn't have a rich history of high end QBs coming out of there.

[Jeff Schwartz]

It didn't make any Sense. But Herbert was the ideal, like, quarterback you dream of. And he went like, that's just. They over. They overthought this. Speaking of quarterbacks, Dave, I have something. I have a question for you. Before Sorsby was ruled an eligible Seminole draft, the betting favorite to draft him was the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[Dave]

He was up there. Yeah, that's for sure. I mean, I've told, I've told you repeatedly, they're not in a position to be. To pick and choose and to be precious about these things. They. They need to act desperate, which is what they should be at minimum. Even if they haven't realized that that's the spot they're in. I think they were looking at him. I don't think you could ultimately draft him. You and I have been on this the whole way through. What are we talking about? Pro football is not going to sign off on this guy.

[Jeff Schwartz]

So I do another podcast. I'll give a shout out with Marty Hernie called the GM Shuffle. And we did a show Monday before the Swordsman News came out. And Marty was like, there's not gonna be some metal draft. Like, it's just like, the NFL is not gonna let this happen. And then three hours later they're like, nope, not going to happen. Because we can, we can argue about whether or not the NFL needs to be harsher on players who have domestic violence. Right. Who have sexual assaults. Like, we can argue that. I think they need to be much tougher on that.

[Dave]

You can get up on Mount Pies and be like, gamble, throw a few. A few nickels thrown at a football game is worth, like.

[Jeff Schwartz]

But the problem is context.

[Dave]

Yes, correct.

[Jeff Schwartz]

But the thing about it, though is that this is unfortunate, but, like, if I hit a woman, that doesn't really affect the integrity of the game. But if I bet on my own team and I throw the game, like, that's just much worse than the FL feels. The integrity of the game is being really attacked by any sort of gambling scandal. And there's not going to. They're not going to do that. They're just not going to. They're not going to open those up to ensures we might. Might never bet again in his entire life. They don't know that yet. They've had no time to figure. They haven't interviewed him. They haven't done any in the background stuff on him. So it made a lot of sense where they said, hey, like, we're out. And the last thing here, too. Like, I just, are we, are we so dumb as a society that we can't differentiate between the idea. The NFL or a corporation can sort of take money from DraftKings, FanDuel, all those companies, but also tell their employees they have a set of rules that to follow. Like you can't gamble on your own team. Why is that so hard? Who cares who the NFL partners with? Just don't gamble on your own team. It's a rule. We all have rules.

[Dave]

You had a great, great. You had a great analogy for it and I can't think of what it was, but you did. Like, I guess it would be like Congress people making money while they're in. Oh, wait, no. They're allowed to do that for.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Yeah, well, we could. We could probably another podcast for that. But no, it was a DUI one. Right. Like if. Or drink in the locker room. Like can you. Can you drink in the lock. Can you drink in the locker room? Because NFL has beer sponsorships. No, it's not allowed. Like, that seems like common sense. You just can't be all. All the NFL says college football. Anyone else, you just can't bet on the sport you play in. It's a very simple rule, but anything else you want, they've lessened all those rules up. So Sorsby. It just, it makes a ton of sense when the NFL said no. It just. It just does. People can be upset about all they want, but the NFL is looking to protect themselves. And they did no background on him. They don't know. They don't know what his future is going to be.

[Dave]

That's right. They. They are obviously, throughout their history, very conservative about dipping their toe into these waters. They're not about to take that risk on this guy. What, what Bert Brer and I talked about a month ago is clearly they're going to use him as the sacrificial lamb to send a message to all would be gamblers, not just in the NFL, but also the college kids. We're going to get you and you're not going to make it to this level if this is what you're doing. That's absolutely right. The only thing I disagree with you on is why. Why, why not beer in the locker room? Beer. They should have kegs in the locker room.

[Jeff Schwartz]

I mean, kind of nonsense. I think back in the day that was allowed a little bit, I think.

[Dave]

Yeah. In press boxes too. And then they took them out. Some of our greatest legends up in press boxes calling games in the past were drunk while they were doing it. Now, now, now, that's something I should be ashamed of. Fat and Double fat. If you see me in the stadium, you can assume that I'm drunk. All right, Jeff Schwartz. Maybe not like 95% of the time. Okay, Jeff Schwartz, best wishes to you and Mitchell and I hope that the both of you will shadow our door, our digital door, sooner rather than later. That'd be great. Wouldn't that be nice? We can finally get that recipe that he wouldn't give me in the Coliseum before that game against the Rams a number of years ago.

[Jeff Schwartz]

If he remembers that. That'd be very funny if you remembered that.

[Dave]

Hey, Jeff Schwartz's brother, what's that recipe? Then he gives me the stink eye. He has to embarrass me. I'm down on the gridiron. I'm down there around my peers and he's given me a stink eye. Maybe I don't want Mitchell on the show now.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Now that I think you're probably drunk. You're in the stadium.

[Dave]

That's gross. Touche.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Touche.

[Dave]

Goodbye, Jeff Schwartz. Hope to talk to you soon, fella. You thought this was your run club era. Turns out it was more of a thinking about run club era. The good news, Someone's marathon training is about to start. Sell your workout gear on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying. Someone on Depop wants what you've got. Start selling now, Depop. Where taste recognizes taste. Well, there you go, Gino. He doesn't think that Tua is necessarily even going to be the guy, which I guess I kind of agree with. Have to take a step back quickly though, while he was talking. I got another batter batter. Hey, batter batter for you. The. The person who can't make one of the very popular vertical videos where they talk to camera without walking. Who are these people? They're so important that they have to be on the move. They can't sit down and do it. They're like, it's between my very important appointment here and my next very important appointment. The only chance I have to share my wisdom with you is to walk and talk as I do. That guy or the guy who. Who imagines himself or is in fact a. A food based influencer who eats food up close to the camera. I've had it with this. The mastication of food is disgusting. I don't need to see you stick it into your pie hole, into your big maw and hear the chewing sounds to understand whether or not you like it. Just let me know how it all turned out bad. Or bad. Or Gino Fuentes.

[Gino Fuentes]

Okay, you want me first. I'm gonna say that the. While I also despise the second one. The guy that can't stop for a second to talk to me. I. I got no time for him. I. I really don't. I mean, if you're not. If you're gonna sit here and you're not even gonna focus on me while you're talking to me, I. I've got something I also rather do with my eyes too. So I'm just gonna.

[Dave]

I tried to do one of those a month or two ago and I found I got a little winded. I listened back, I was like, man, I can hear you breathing on there, fella.

[Buddy Badowski]

Walking around your front yard and you're a little winded just from doing steps,

[Dave]

just doing circles in the front yard.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah, I'm all in on the food guy being the worst Dave. But you know that, that like chewing and eating, like that's, that's a thing for some people. You know, they're into that ASMR stuff. Not for me. I don't like it. I don't like it. I get a little over stimulated by that whole thing.

[Gino Fuentes]

Like when people talk to the mic like this, their lips all over it

[Buddy Badowski]

and lips and they're making. Clicking that they're popping their lips.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Buddy Badowski]

God, as an audio editor, that sounds crazy. Oh, oh my God.

[Dave]

And by the way, there was a. There was the one burger chain that did ads around. Did you know that was maybe 15, 20 years ago where Paris Hilton did. And then they just had random people. And there was one that was especially grotesque, which was a guy who had just played basketball. So he was all sweaty and he's sitting in the bleachers and he's sweaty and then he's like, oh, man, this. This sandwich, this burger has so much stuff on it, the sauce leaks out and it's literally. They show it like, oh, look, it just gets all on your hands. And now it's blended in with this sweat. And this is the commercial. This is supposed to make me want to go and get it. I love when advertisers achieve the exact opposite of the desired goal. I really am. Enough about this. That's a boner. Here's a boner for you too. Did you soccer heads?

[Commercial Announcer 3]

No.

[Dave]

Our pal Ethan Schreier, who we kibbitz with every week, floated this one. Did you know that the number one goal score in for the US in World cup history. Do you know who the answer to this one, Gino, we looked it up

[Gino Fuentes]

because I was so shocked when I heard it. I was like, really? Yes. The leading scorer in U.S. soccer history is own goal with six goals, followed closely by Landon Donovan with five.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Our insane.

[Buddy Badowski]

Our history at the World Cup, Dave, is so depressing when you think about the fact, oh, now we're me and us.

[Dave]

Oh, yeah, you're allowed to do that with the American.

[Buddy Badowski]

Exactly. We're from here. It's like. It's like my school. Like uf. It's me. You know what I mean? Yeah. The fact that Mauricio Pochettino is now the most successful head coach in the history. In World cup history, for the US Men's national team.

[Dave]

I'm not a xenophobe to say, oh,

[Buddy Badowski]

boy, careful if it.

[Dave]

Oh, well, listen, your players are supposed to be amer. I don't understand why the coach is from. Like, you're allowed to hire anyone on the face of earth to coach. Well, Dave, isn't that kind of against the spirit of. Of what you're doing when you're trying to do like this is that country's team. Like, the coach can be from anywhere, though.

[Buddy Badowski]

Well, I'll just say this. Mauricio Pachecino was a huge hire for the U.S. men's National Team because he is a name that this organization has not been able to attract for a long, long time. Now, what I will say is there has never been a country that has won the World cup that has won it with a coach that is not from their home country. So if you look at. Look at all of the World cup champions in history. Yes. If you look at all of the World cup champions in history and where their coaches are from, they're all from that country. So. Yeah, it's, it's. It's a weird thing that you can have coaches hired from other countries. England's trying to do it this year, obviously the United States is trying to do it this year, but it hasn't proved to be successful.

[Gino Fuentes]

Never worked. Also, if you look at the U.S. history in soccer, especially in the World cup, it's. It's just hilarious because right out of the gate, third place in the first.

[Buddy Badowski]

Right, exactly, exactly.

[Gino Fuentes]

Team tournament, they upset England and then there's nothing until 1994.

[Dave]

We.

[Buddy Badowski]

We didn't go to the 44 years.

[Dave]

Well, England's guys must have scored a couple goals to. To provide the.

[Buddy Badowski]

Maybe. Maybe that was the own goal.

[Dave]

Us.

[Buddy Badowski]

I think it was a one nothing game. Right. I just read a book recently about the history of the US but, yes, I'm hardly.

[Dave]

I'm hardly a xenophobe, but in this case, I think you're picking up what I'm laying down. But anyway, that's the tip of the iceberg. Everybody remembers you said, funny, buddy. And it's not funny because. Because in 94, I remember watching that game, in fact, the Colombian guy kicked it into his goal, and I think there was some weird mob stuff when he got back there. It's a little murky, exactly.

[Jeff Schwartz]

But.

[Dave]

But they. I think they shot him because he kicked, not because he kicked the ball into his goal, but there was some other stuff around that. It's murky. Like I say, either way, we're just coming off of an NBA Finals where we had two gigantic boners that really provided the margin for the Knickerbockers to have this ongoing celebration. One, Wemby's boner was throwing the pass into Castle's ass with nine seconds to go. And then de' Aaron Fox attempting a layup when there was no reason to attempt that in Game four. That then allowed the. The Knickerbockers to. Or debate for them to make the bucket at the other end. Win the game. All the rest of it. So I was thinking about the biggest boners, because these are high level, obviously postseason. I think we count World cup as a special or postseason kind of in. In that game, what are the biggest ones that we've seen in our lifetime? It's mostly I. I have mostly pro football ones that will go through. But as we jump into this exercise, I do feel like I should, as a man of justice, mention that this whole list is dedicated to Jerome Bettis, because the biggest bone.

[Buddy Badowski]

Oh, yes.

[Dave]

Would have been. And I mean, I'm talking about Buckner, even though Buckner shouldn't really have had to wear that because Rich Gedman's the one who allowed the pass ball off the right arm of Bob Stanley. Mookie. Mookie Wilson was kind enough to get all the way out of the way, jumped out of the way, lands in the dirt and everything. And Rich Gedman couldn't catch the ball. Pass ball. That allowed the runners to advance. And then on the iconic, infamous play, it's a moot point that the ball goes through Buckner's legs because Bob Stanley didn't cover first base. So Mookie was going to be safe anyway, anyway. But the worst one would have been Jerome Bettis fumbling, because that was the last. Would have been the last play of his career. The Colts would have scooped up the fumble at the one yard line. If Ben Roethlisberger doesn't tackle Nick Harper at midfield, that's the last play of Jerome Bettis's career. It ends what would have been one of the great upsets in postseason history in the NFL. And I think that it would have cost Jerome Bettis the Hall of Fame. How say you?

[Gino Fuentes]

No way. It's costing him the hall of Fame.

[Dave]

I think it would have. It was very.

[Gino Fuentes]

I don't. I don't think so. Jerome Bettis is an icon and he would have done it no matter what.

[Buddy Badowski]

No way.

[Dave]

That's okay. Well, I, you. You can push back. I say that well either way. So even if it doesn't cost him the hall of Fame, I guess that diminishes a little bit. That would have spoiled one of the great upsets.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Like I say, in modern NFL history and all the rest of it. And that would have been the last play of his career. Instead he ends it. Did I know if you heard he's from Detroit and then he went up to Detroit and won the super bowl and then that was the last thing he did. But imagine if instead three weeks prior, it all got derailed on his fumble. Which are. They're just trying to run the clock out, essentially.

[Buddy Badowski]

Dave, this reminded me of a. Of a big time boner moment. And because Jerome best Bettis has a famous moment with the overtime coin toss or something. I'm thinking about Matt Hasselbeck saying we want the ball and we're going to score. And then didn't he throw a pick six immediately like on the first play of overtime or something like playoff game too.

[Dave]

Like it was a playoff game, but it was great. I love the balls. I've said. I've said the mad Hassel back. I love that you did that. I've. I've told him that.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah, but it's an all time boner moment to throw a pick s. If you do that. If you say we want the ball and we're going to score, you ha. You have to score. You can't throw a pick six immediately.

[Dave]

I'm not. I'm not debating that. Okay, here's another one for you that I, I never am to. To be honest, how much I feel like this poor guy deserves to wear it. 2012 AFC Divisional Round Game Raheem Moore has the ball thrown over his head by Joe Flacco. The only thing the Broncos couldn't allow in that spot. The Broncos maybe the best team in the conference that year. If it wasn't the Patriots, it was the Broncos. Peyton Manning, huge year and all of that Peyton Manning career long issues come January. He threw a pick in overtime, but they don't get to overtime, by the way. You can go back. I predicted that like within the second second you can find on social media evidence. I said, I think the Peyton, the. The. The Peyton Manning postseason interception that gives the game away is coming up here in 4, 3, 2. I hit send and literally they snapped the ball and he threw an interception. But, but the Raheem Moore, like he was a rookie, if I remember, maybe a second year, but I think he was a rookie guy. Isn't that more on the coaches? I guess I don't know what they told him, but that. That looms large in the Flacco magic run. Never happens, which means Flacco never gets that deal. And where Lamar Jackson lands several years later is up in the air. A major inflection point, though.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah, it also. It's more on Joe Flacco being. Having the biggest arm I may have ever seen in the NFL and just being able to launch that ball. Like, I feel like I remember the play. It kind of took forever to develop and Jacoby Jones just kind of leaked back behind the defense and Flacco just, Just put it out there and it went 800 yards down the field and Jones just leaked behind. It wasn't a huge throw. It was more. To me, that's more about the offense in that incredible feat that that throw was than any defensive coverage on the play.

[Dave]

I'll tell you this. If that doesn't happen and then the Broncos win the super bowl, we, as much as we talk about Peyton Manning among the great rates, I think that would be another little bit that you

[Buddy Badowski]

would make a case mark on him.

[Dave]

Maybe he's better. I think that, that it would create a reality in which you might talk about him being Brady's equal, which is pretty close already, but I think you might be able to do that. Here's another one for you that is a little misdirect. Scott Norwood's miss from 47 in Super Bowl 25. That miss, if you want to put anything on the kicker, was a choke. Missing kicks isn't a boner, that's a choke. And I don't wanna. I don't want to confuse those two things.

[Gino Fuentes]

That's just, you know, an attempt that

[Buddy Badowski]

didn't go your way.

[Gino Fuentes]

I mean, it changes history if he hits it all of a sudden. The Bills, you know, they win the first of those and Then they're just unlucky. They're not an all time failure for losing four Super Bowls in a row.

[Buddy Badowski]

I wonder if it changes how many they win. Like if they win that first one, do you think they get two or three? Do you think they get at least one? They must have, right? Because at a certain point, like Dave, once they lose two in a row and they get to the third, like, okay, they lose the third one and then they get back the fourth time, you know they're not winning the fourth time. Right. Like going into that, everybody was like, there's no chance. They're here again and they're actually gonna. It's too much at this point. Four straight.

[Dave]

Buddy, let me tell you something. Let me tell you.

[Gino Fuentes]

Redskin super bowl, though. I think the Redskin super bowl and the first Dallas one, I think they

[Jeff Schwartz]

still lose because Dallas.

[Gino Fuentes]

Yeah.

[Buddy Badowski]

Beat the out of them that first time.

[Jeff Schwartz]

But the fourth one.

[Dave]

Please keep up, Gino. Yeah, it's not the Redskins and it's not Turkey anymore. It's Turkey.

[Buddy Badowski]

A turkey.

[Dave]

People throw a. Threw a curveball at us. I'm halfway through my life, all of a sudden, what? Now I feel like a heel. Now I feel like a jerk. You decided to do that. And I've been duped before. Well, I didn't get duped, but there were a lot of people about 30 years ago that took the iconic artist Van Gogh and they told us, no, no go, it's van Gogh. And then a lot of pretentious asses started running around for like 10 years calling him Van Gogh. And then I don't know if it was Van Gogh's estate or who did it, but they were like, no, no, Van Gogh is the right way. Now all them jackasses are running around ashamed for the rest of their lives. I corrected people like, no, excuse me, it's Van Gogh. Same thing. But anyway, I lost my point. But what I was going to say is Geno and buddy is. You're exactly right. Fight that. You know, who really suffers if the Bills win Super Bowl 25. It. First of all, dings the legacy of Bill Parcells and the Jeff Hostetler story and all of that. But also the Bills now are a. You know, I keep using the word iconic and I want to be, because I don't want to say legendary team, but you know, K Gun and all of that, that was a really high end team at the time, people. Now they're a punchline. And so if you weren't. Weren't watching in the moment, this may even surprise you because now the Bills sort of sound like a, a franchise you're supposed to feel sorry for a little bit because they lost four straight Super Bowls. But going into that game, and that was a good Giants team too, by the way, the they win that super bowl would have been validating on the level of greatest show on turf and Kurt Warner and all of that, except Jim Kelly was already tracking to the hall of Fame. Before all of that, Thurman Thomas, some high end, you know, know Bruce Smith and all the rest, they win that game. Now they have a different level of confidence. And if you want to debate that with me, I don't know what to tell you, but obviously imbued with the evidence from a year ago, hey, we can compete at the highest level on the biggest stage and win. I don't know if that game against Washington goes any differently, but what I do know is that by the time if they even have one super bowl, they're one out of the last two and they get to that super bowl to play the Cowboys. Now the Dallas Cowboys winning two straight against the Buffalo Bills presents as very different, right? They, they beat a punchline team. By the time they got them the second time, the Cowboys, I was like, obviously we know how this is going to turn out all those poor Bills fans. Instead it would be oh, another showdown. The two titans of pro football waging war in back to back Super Bowls. This is juicy stuff. Really who it that is those early 90s cowboys because I think we would hold them up in higher regard if they would have had a more formidable foe in the big game. But what I the all of this I bring up because the boner was Marv Levy a genius. But there were 10 seconds left on the clock run one more play. 47 yards on grass. When your kicker doesn't make kicks from 47 yards requires you to see if you can get it five yards closer. Throw one more pass pass, let Thurman run it up and get it out of bounds and then try to the kick, it was a 47 yards is a long kick. So okay, so there's that. I'm leaving.

[Buddy Badowski]

47 yards was a tough kick. Like remember that? That was like a great call. It wasn't that long ago, like probably 10 years ago, 47 was like, oh man, like this is a coin toss almost. You know what I mean? Now 47 is.

[Dave]

All right, let me give you these quickly. Let me give you these quickly. And choke kicks. The biggest choke kicks are Gary Anderson missing the kick before the end of regulations. Amazing that game, right? That's the Vikings kick, right. That was sad. Billy Kunda from two feet away in the 2011 AFC title game. But I give him a little asterisk because he was Billy Cundiff after all the other ones. Romos fumble on the kick up in Seattle.

[Buddy Badowski]

The hold.

[Dave]

Yeah, I think the one that is in the conversation. Joe ASAI shoving Patrick Mahomes. I don't. I still will debate, you know, Matt Verderam or anyone else, Chief's lover about whether or not that absolutely had to be called in that moment. But either way, shelves Mahomes in the back 15 yard penalty. Chiefs win that game. Otherwise, the Bengals and Joe Burrow beat Mahomes and the Chiefs back to back at Arrowhead. Imagine what that does to the respective histories of those two franchises. I think the worst one is Ernest Byner's fumble would have only tied the game. But fumbling the game in 80

[Buddy Badowski]

or

[Dave]

maybe 88 fumbles the ball the year after they lose to Elway on the drive in Cleveland the net the next season they're in Denver for that game. And I think it would have. Yeah. So, yeah, I think that would have then led to Cleveland, Pittsburgh for the AFC title, if I'm not mistaken. But either way, that fumble would have tied the game. He fumbles it at the 5 and puts a pox or extends the pox on. On the Browns. Okay, so now you have all those biggest boner in pro football history. How say you guys?

[Buddy Badowski]

Dave? One that I had, I thought I saw on this list here, but it might be gone. Has got to be the Leon Let. Leon Let has two of them, right? He's got the snow game against the Dolphins where that's not a play.

[Dave]

So that doesn't count. Against the Bills.

[Buddy Badowski]

Against the Bills when he's going into the Super. They blew him out anyway.

[Dave]

But personal humiliation on the grandest scale. But it didn't impact the game.

[Buddy Badowski]

But having two of those moments like Leon Let might be the biggest.

[Gino Fuentes]

Had a chance to set the record for most points and scored in the Super Bowl. If they had, you know, if that touchdown.

[Dave]

That's a great call. And then he does gild the lily with. With a snowy boner.

[Buddy Badowski]

That's a great play. Dude, that plays so funny. Everybody is waving. Don't touch the ball. Don't touch the ball. Here comes Leon Let rumbling through, sliding to pick up the ball. Oh, my God.

[Dave]

All right, let's settle it then, because we have to have an answer. I vote it would have been Bettes. But I'm gonna go by the narrowest of margins. Boy, I could really talk myself into Joe ASAI shoving Mahomes as the biggest boner because he didn't need to do it. And they win that game. And but the Biner one that looms bigger because of the stink on the Browns forever. Again, the Bengals ain't exactly have a rich history either. So which is the worst? Which is bad or badder?

[Gino Fuentes]

All right, batter is probably Ernest Biner. I'm gonna have to agree with you there. Although the Assad one was awful in real time.

[Dave]

All right, now let's, here's a big debate people are having. We don't need to spend any time on this because I just want to get to your soccer picks here. It's time to transition from football America very briefly here at the end of the show to football America. Take it away there, Gino, with if they're venting music. If you don't, we'll just, we'll just jump to it. The debate that I don't have any time for right now is the one that's like, oh, you're an ugly American if you say that America's best athletes could, you know, make the US Way. You know, we would be one of the great soccer countries if our best athletes were playing it. And then people want to argue with me about that. The argument makes no sense. Yes. They haven't played it. I joke around. I, I, I try to, to troll people just out of a sense of fun by saying like, ah, listen, give them a month in Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill and those guys could get up to speed. Maybe they couldn't do that. If you had a time machine, if you had the DeLorean and you went back to the year 2000 and instead of focusing on football and all the other stuff and you said, I'm not even talking about all time greats. I'm talking about the guys playing right now. Like I say, Tyree Kill, cmc. I can dip into other sports. Russell Westbrook in goal or LeBron in goal. The phenom on the Pittsburgh Pirates who's lightning fast and made a muscle. Connor Griffin. These guys, if they hadn't focused on the sports they did and focused instead on society.

[Jeff Schwartz]

Soccer.

[Dave]

What case is there? Yes, Morocco just has a deeper well of, of great athletes, but not just great athletes, but athletes born specifically to be better at soccer than what we could produce is, is illogical. Right?

[Gino Fuentes]

I mean, if, okay, if I was to, you mean, pick an NFL player And just send them in down the path of soccer at a young age, just with type.

[Dave]

I'm not saying do it. I'm not saying you should have done it in March of 26, but if you did it in March of 20th, the year 2000. Yeah, yeah.

[Gino Fuentes]

I would send Tyreek Hill down that path super fast. He's, he's, you know, strong for his size. Very.

[Dave]

Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen. Couldn't be good in goal.

[Jeff Schwartz]

You're.

[Buddy Badowski]

I, I, I'm picturing Tyreek like a dama tre or running around out there. Kind of like wing ball, kind of like a number.

[Gino Fuentes]

Almost like a withdrawn striker kind of guy.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah. You know who I see out there is devonte Smith. He's got that skinny build, right? Yeah, it's kind of lanky, but he's got great feet. I saw a video of him dancing with Jalen Hurts. I think it was devonte Smith's wedding. They were line dancing. Got great feet. Very smooth. Would be able to create off on the ball and off the ball with his speed as well, getting down the field. I think devonte Smith, like, when I picture a soccer player because he's so skinny. Like soccer players, they're not really that big built kind of guys that you see football players, I get every guy

[Dave]

ain't built for soccer is just the same as every soccer players and built to play football. Right.

[Gino Fuentes]

Although I can imagine LeBron James being a terrifying goalie.

[Buddy Badowski]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Gino Fuentes]

Not letting anything.

[Dave]

I also get, I also get the, what you're saying about the slider build. But also, Saquon Barkley wouldn't be good, and it wouldn't be good at soccer if that had been his life.

[Gino Fuentes]

Saquon Barkley as a striker. Yeah.

[Buddy Badowski]

Those giant thighs.

[Dave]

The only thing would be tough is if we have this time machine and we're back in 2000. But we have the evidence of what they play, how good they are at their sports. The only thing that would be tough would be the cut list is like, which, which 12 or what are we actually gonna put push through? All right, let's round this out here with some football America picks for this coming weekend in World cup action, which has been absolutely delightful. The Canada end of that game earlier this week, the saves and everything. Oh, I felt bad. Yeah, that was good. Anyway, go ahead, take it away.

[Gino Fuentes]

Okay, so let's see. We got Spain and Uruguay on Friday, and that's going to be pretty much. I mean, Uruguay's got to make something happen in this or they are going to be out of the World cup. But I think they are going to be out of the World Cup. Spain had it tripped up in their first game, but that's normal apparently. We saw Argentina last World Cup. They lost their first game to Saudi Arabia. Won every game after that won the World Cup. I think Spain is starting to hit their stride and I think Uruguay is going to end up out of the World Cup. So Spain takes.

[Dave]

Spain has a player named Lamal who

[Buddy Badowski]

was singer Lamin Yamal.

[Dave]

Yamal. Oh, okay. I thought it was because they had. Because Kaja Google, the Australian band from the early 80s. Hit maker or one one hit maker Lamal. He's saying though, after he left Kaja Googoo, he sang the. The. The theme song to Never ending Story. The Neverending Story. But Kaja Google said, yeah. Cause you're too shy. Shy. Hush hush. How do I.

[Buddy Badowski]

Anyway, I like this as a segment. Dave. Just Dave ripping off theme songs. All right, my pick.

[Dave]

I can talk soccer too. Go ahead.

[Buddy Badowski]

Oh, I'm sure you can. All right, I'm my pick. I'm gonna go to the other big time matchup from this weekend's action. I'm gonna go to Saturday. Colombia and Portugal right here in Miami at Miami Stadium. Them I'm gonna take Colombia in this matchup. I really like the way Colombia is playing so far. Portugal played really well against Uzbekistan, but I kind of think they're more of the team that we saw in the first matchup when they played Dr. Congo and drew at Dr. Congo. They have some real flaws in this squad. I know Ronaldo bagged a brace in the second game, but I just think they're kind of closer to that team we saw in the first match. And Colombia, to me me, is only starting to find their stride. They beat Dr. Congo last time out and they looked really good offensively. So give me Colombia here. Though. I do like both teams to score in this match. For sure. It should be. This is the gem of the group stage. It's on the last day of the group stage and it should be a phenomenal game.

[Dave]

Before we round out this episode, one question for one man, Gino Fuentes. Are you happier with Malik Willis or do you wish two TUA or I? What if I could do this? You can have Malik Willis or you can have Tua and Michael Penix for this coming season. Who would you. Which. Which situation would you prefer? As a Dolphins guy, I think the

[Gino Fuentes]

whole thing with TUA ran its course. By the way, I think TUA is going to have a great year playing most of his playing all his home games indoors.

[Dave]

Right. And.

[Gino Fuentes]

And he's gonna. He's not doesn't have to go to Buffalo. He doesn't have to go to New England.

[Buddy Badowski]

You're gonna go to Buffalo.

[Gino Fuentes]

He doesn't have to go to New York to play the jets. Even even if the jets are back bad that's still bad weather games. So I think he's gonna have a great year Malik Willis, just because I think the two of things run its course and Penix can't stay healthy anyway and that's the same problem he had with tua.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yeah, I'm with Gino there.

[Dave]

At least it's something new, it's something fresh.

[Buddy Badowski]

Yes, you're jealous of Malik Willis.

[Gino Fuentes]

Also like the Dolphins have never had a running quarterback like this before. Yeah, that's going to be fun.

[Buddy Badowski]

It's something new, it's something fresh, something exciting just to. Yeah, if we had just run the two thing back.

[Dave]

Boy, it sounds like you're describing Football America, which I encourage you to tell your friends and family about. About. Subscribe Leave us some comments wherever you find your audio podcast and or on the YouTube page Football America. Check us out on the Leardard show on Friday and every Friday. Sitting in with Zazlo, Mike Ryan and the rest of the crew over there. And until next time, thanks so much, my fellow football Americans. It's been a thin slice of heaven.