← The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Patrick Mahomes is Unstoppable, Dave's Mom Has a Mike Ditka Story, Film Nerd Showdown with Marc Sessler, Points Per Game with Geoff Schwartz
00:52:20
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- [00:00]
A
A few weeks ago here on Football America, we asked if we're watching right now the goats in the four major sports. Last Friday, right after we wrapped up episode number 17 in which we debated which number 17 is ultimately better, Josh Allen or Phil Rivers? Number 17, Shoehe Ohtani, number 17 had maybe the greatest postseason game in baseball history. It's a football show, but we do like the other sports as well, and so we honor the greatest MLB of all time. It is clearly Ohtani now, and we may also be guilty of turning our nose up or getting distracted by other pro football players. We are looking at arguably the greatest quarterback, at least in pro football history. I hesitate to say Mahomes is the best football player ever. I don't know. Mahomes, we say, like Lawrence Taylor, is on par with comparing Patrick Juan Mario Lemieux. They're both French Canadians who know how to skate, but that's about the extent of it. Anywho, best ever in football Goats. Even if you don't think Mahomes is the greatest QB ever, we can now all agree he's still good. And that's bad news for the rest of the afc. Is this really going to happen all over again with the Chiefs all of a sudden? As much as we've tried talking ourselves out of kc, they look like the conference's best team. Hate to go back to Mahomes as Thanos, but he does feel inevitable. And just imagine if Mahomes and his pals do get back to the super bowl. That'd be four in a row. And unlike the Bills in the 90s, they've actually won some of those games. So get ready, everybody. We can get distracted by Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, but number 17, Josh Allen better steel himself. Deep down in places he doesn't like talking about, he knows Patrick Mahomes is inevitable. Let's start the show.
- [01:47]
B
Hi.
- [01:47]
A
Hello, my fellow football Americans. Welcome to episode 18 of Football America. We have much to talk about. Reacting to NFL Week 7. Maybe some college football too, with our pal Jeff Schwartz. Some points per game for you. And also in his debut on Football America, one of my favorite fellas in the business, Mark ses, heed the call. On his way, he'll be participating in the jerk list. Maybe some movie talk as well. In the meantime, like I say, fellas, Gino and Mike. Mike and Gino. It is episode 18. We have to honor the greatest football player to wear that jersey number. Obviously a short discussion required here today. It's Peyton Manning, right?
- [02:27]
B
This is.
- [02:27]
C
That's an easy One, it's gotta be Peyton Manning. The only one I could even think that might be in his stratosphere is Justin Jefferson. If you project his career out based on what he's done so far, yeah.
- [02:36]
D
You got to win a Super bowl, though. So it's easily pay Manning, even though he was a complete liability in that super bowl with the Broncos and Von Miller carried him to the finish line. It's pain Manning.
- [02:44]
A
We agree. Caleb Williams is not headed not there for the hall of Fame. He wears number 18, Randall Cobb. Chaz Joyner, where wore the number 18 for the Chargers. He's a Hall of Famer. Here's a crazy thing about the number 18. Darryl Strawberry wore it. One of my favorite things, it's sort of Trivia, is in 1988, no one under the sun who watched baseball would have believed that neither Daryl Strawberry nor Doc Gooden would make the Baseball hall of Fame. And yet here we are. Hey, a guy who is in the hall of Fame is Mike Ditka. And I just learned before we get to Sesler and Shorts here that he's 86 years young. Mike Ditka, one of the legends in pro football lore. And as it happens, I know somebody personally who grew up on the same block in Aliquippa, pa. That would be one Michelle Zubasic. You may know her best from my programs. Esmo Damashek, my mother. Mo, are you there?
- [03:41]
E
I am here. Hi, slug.
- [03:42]
A
Hello. How are you?
- [03:44]
E
Good.
- [03:45]
A
Would you like to say hello to Mike or Geno? And by the way, if anything, it's.
- [03:49]
E
Nice to see you again.
- [03:50]
D
Hey, Mama Mo.
- [03:51]
A
Mama Mo. I like that. The. It's funny that Momo. If you're hearing an echo, it's because old Mo happens to be in the room right next door to me here. Came out to watch Jean Claude Van Damoshek and his pals win Crespi. Shout out to the Crespi Celts program defining win against Cesian the other day. But that's not what you're here to talk about, Mo. Like I say, Mike Ditka was it was and is your age. And you grew up on the same neighbor on the same block that he did, but you weren't allowed to play with him.
- [04:25]
E
I was not. We. It wasn't a block. We lived in a commute. It was like row houses, only not charming like row houses. It was a community called Lynmar in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Well, yes, right. They were. They are still there, still producing great football players. But Mike Ditka lived like two rows down from me. We had a community playground, of course, but it's the mid-40s, 1940s, so it's a basic playground. Slides, swings.
- [04:57]
A
But you weren't allowed to play with him.
- [04:59]
E
No.
- [04:59]
A
Why?
- [05:00]
B
Why not?
- [05:01]
E
Because one day I was hanging from the monkey bars. Because what else do you do? Mike Ditka pulls down my underpants. And I was not the only one. I. Oh, no. There were other girls that he would do this, too. So I go home, I'm crying, I tell my parents. As I remember, I think my father went down and talked. I think his name was big Mike, too. Mr. Ditka, who was like, what do you want me to do about. And I came home. I was not allowed to be at the playground when Mike Ditka was there. I didn't do anything. But if I was there and Mike came, I had to run back home because who knows what would go on.
- [05:40]
A
It's a shame you weren't available to give Mike Ditka's hall of Fame introductory speech. That would have been a nice tale to tell.
- [05:46]
B
I'm glad.
- [05:48]
E
It would have been great. But I moved when I was 11, so we had no further interaction.
- [05:53]
A
So bottom line, happy birthday, Mike Ditka.
- [05:56]
E
Happy birthday, Mike. I did. Yes, I. Yeah. Okay. Who ruined my fun?
- [06:02]
A
But yeah, say your goodbye to Mike and Gina.
- [06:05]
E
Bye, Mike and Gina. Good seeing you.
- [06:11]
A
All right. What a treat. Belated. I held off on bringing this show, bringing this guy onto the show because he's one of the great delights out there. And I thought we'd get a little bit, maybe of a mid season swoon and he would boost our collective spirit. You know him as one of the heroes from Heed the Call, before that, around the NFL for many moons. Always delightful. Making his pages on social media and otherwise one of the most fascinating characters not just in sports media. Nay, walking the big blue marble period. He's my pal. It's Mark Sessler. What's the poop, fella? How are you?
- [06:44]
F
We are pals. You've lifted me up beyond, I believe, actual human acclaim. It's always a joy to be with you. You've come on our show many times and I'm happy to join you at this, at this moment. It's always. It's a little bit of, you say, like a little slice of heaven.
- [07:03]
A
Well, you know, we have gone back and forth, obviously, some deep dives on the AFC North. My team remains the Pittsburgh Steelers. You've been on again, off again with the Cleveland Browns. I'd like to talk to you about that. But before we do anything pro football related, we're obviously getting into the jerk list in just a second here as well. Gino and Mike. Mike and Gino preparing the statements that we will react to in just a moment. A moment here. Meantime, you and I have been texting back and forth and so. So along with our pal Dan Hanzus on the remarkable picture, probably the best picture of 2025 at minimum. One battle after another. How, say you? Has it lived? Did it live up to the expectations? Hailed as nothing short of the best movie of the generation? Let's start there. Does it Generation standard?
- [07:54]
F
I don't know what generation we're in, but, like, yes, because I think I mentioned to you that I had this remarkable, striking memory. I lived in Washington, D.C. at the time, and their, their train station had an incredible movie theater that was a wild movie theater. It was wild. It was just like the population would go in there and make a lot of noise. And like, that's where I saw pulp fiction in 1994. That's where I saw Legends of the Fall with a, With a wild girlfriend. I'll just mention that. But, like, crazy things happen in this movie theater.
- [08:32]
A
And, like, not as wild as the, as, as the woman in Legends of the Fall who shares her bed with not one, not two, but all three brothers.
- [08:41]
F
She does. And, like, she's like, I'm a little innocent person that somehow, because I'm out in the prairie, I can do whatever I want. Like, and we, and we're kind of sitting there like, you know, we're postulating that. But, like, But Pulp Fiction I watched from E.T.
- [08:55]
A
Gets killed, right? That's.
- [08:56]
F
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
- [08:58]
A
He gets killed in the Great War. Then she reacts to that by betting down with the beautiful Brad Pitt. Pretty, like a girl. And then when that gets sideways, she goes to number three, the brother with the limp, and then goes back to Pitt. Is that how it goes? A mayor do? Well, I, I, I. Harley, she rolls.
- [09:21]
F
Out on a train from the east coast with Henry Thomas, who is Elliot from ET okay. Then she is like that. Well, the, the other brother, who is the little creepy. He's a little creepy. Like, I, he's playing a role, so he's a good actor. But, like, he kind of tries to woo her as almost like an adult figure. And then Pitt's kind of like, I'm on a horse. And, like, I'm like, I'm Brad Pitt. So I'm like, I'm so ultra. Just. He's dripping. He's Dripping. He's beautiful. That's when you realize, because after River Runs through it, like, he goes and does Legends of the Fall, and Brad Pitt's like, oh, we all understand, like, even as guys, we kind of love this guy, but women are just freaking out. And, like, he's a beautiful, beautiful actor and he's good. And, like, she naturally comes to him at the end. And they have, like, a thing where.
- [10:13]
A
They'Re in, like, I get the brothers out of sequence, which. Which order they went into her bed, where she went in. Into theirs.
- [10:20]
F
Yeah. I think Pitt came last and changed everything. Then he disappears and goes and leaves for Europe for, like, seven years. And then he returns, like, on a. Literally on a horse rampaging towards their compound. And she's out there crying as he returns. So it's like, we get it. We get what women want.
- [10:42]
A
I've taken too many lovers from the same family. What am I to do? All right, what were you saying about Pulp Fiction? Because that. Then we have to talk about Cliff Booth, because Colleen Wolf was here one week ago, another mutual pal. And we had a very brief one round Quentin Tarantino character draft. And the standard for this draft was we have to do a different one at another day. Me.
- [11:05]
F
Did she take both characters and the rest?
- [11:07]
A
No, she took. And I think she aired. I said, which Tarantino character would you most want to hang out with for a long weekend? And she took Rick Dalton, which I think is a mistake. He's a boozy drunk. And maybe a good time, but the better time is Cliff Booth. Right.
- [11:23]
F
Well, he's a good time, but, like, she's turning down Brad Pitt. Like, Colleen must have a lot of options if she's turning down Brad Pitt. Out of pocket for. Oh, it's DiCaprio. But, like, I.
- [11:35]
A
That.
- [11:36]
F
No, I'm left with the third draft pick, which is, like, a disaster. But, like, I don't have a problem with her choice. I think Rick. Rick is an adventure. Like, you're. You don't know what's going to happen. Cliff Booth's gonna take care of Flamethrower.
- [11:51]
A
Yeah. Might break that out for you.
- [11:54]
F
Well, he might. Well, that girl deserved it. I don't think Colleen would. But, like, you're left with a very strange third pick after. After the two of them. Right. Am I. Am I wrong? Like, that's our. That's.
- [12:07]
A
I mean, yeah. We're not just talking about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, though. Yeah. You don't just have to choose from that. You can choose any character in the Tarantino universe. Mike Fuentes. Who did you take again? You had a pretty. Pretty cagey choice.
- [12:21]
D
Well, my original when we were doing this whole dance was I needed the parameters, right. Because I wasn't sure because I'm like, Hans Landa seems like an interesting guy, but I don't want to hang out with, you know.
- [12:29]
A
No.
- [12:30]
D
The Jew Hunter for.
- [12:31]
F
But you're right that he's interested.
- [12:32]
D
Interesting.
- [12:33]
A
I don't want to hang out.
- [12:33]
F
Yes.
- [12:34]
D
You know, so.
- [12:35]
A
Yeah.
- [12:35]
D
So I think I. I think I ended up picking Mr. White.
- [12:38]
A
Yeah.
- [12:38]
D
Mr. White.
- [12:40]
F
That's cool.
- [12:44]
A
What do you want with murderous cretins? No. Little vital, volatile gunman. That's. Mike wasn't.
- [12:51]
D
Mr. Blonde was the ear cutting guy.
- [12:53]
B
Right.
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D
So I don't want him clearly a psychopath.
- [12:55]
A
No, no, that's. Yeah, that would be.
- [12:57]
D
Mr. White had it like a little put together. He just wanted you to be a professional, you know?
- [13:02]
A
Yeah. So Mr. White. Yeah, he. You knew he would have a nail to spare for you if you. If you wanted to smoke along with him. That's about the extent of. Of what he had to offer in my book. Sesler. All right, it's your turn here. Go ahead, make your choice.
- [13:18]
F
I really did some research on this. And also we're filming this at a time when there was some sort of insane Amazon triggered, like Internet meltdown where I couldn't research anything too. Right. Like, everyone's like, they see like, Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz and Django Unchained. Like, I think he's got this heart of gold. He's fired. He speaks with fire to his friends. He's willing to go against society. He's just kind of an adventurer and he's got knowledge and he's a gunman. He's a wild person. And like, when I look through all the film library of Tarantino, it's like, none of us picked a woman, by the way, which is kind of interesting. But this is the guy I'd want to hang out with and go to a bar with. I want to swing through a tavern with two doors that whip open, right? Like the door they cut open, like the old west doors. That's my dude. Like in Christoph Waltz, I live in Hollywood. I walk right down Hollywood Boulevard and I walk over Christoph Waltz's star all the time, and I'm like, he deserves it. Some of these people that buy these stars, you buy them. You don't actually earn them. You buy them like he earned it. Like, he is a beautiful actor and like to play both characters that we name by him. That's kind of wild, right? That's kind of wild. And like, he's a very versatile, incredible actor. But I thought he had kindness. There's just something about him in that movie that changed me. And it's like I don't think it was Tarantino's best movie and that's okay. But one of his best characters shown through in that film.
- [14:55]
A
I agree with both of the parts you just said there. Yeah. Mike Fuentes, go ahead.
- [14:59]
D
No, I mean, what is it has to be at least top three. Django has to be at least top three.
- [15:03]
E
Three.
- [15:03]
D
It's like Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Django.
- [15:05]
A
Like, how about Shout out to the Christopher Walken guy in Pulp Fiction, his one scene. At least. He would have a lot of good stories to tell you. He might. He might be a little ponderous after a few hours. Hi and hello. My fellow football Americans. We interrupt football season ever so briefly to let you know the NBA season's about to tip off. And so too does DraftKings newest fantasy game. DraftKings pick six is the easiest way to play for big wins, with every possession giving you a shot at real money. Here's how you play. Just pick more or less on two or more stats and unlock the upside every game brings. Pick six is available in Texas, California, Missouri and more. New DraftKings customers get $50 in bonus picks with just a $5 entry on your first pick set. Don't just watch basketball. Cash in while you're watching basketball. Download the DraftKings Pick Six app now and use code Damashek. That's Damashek. D a m e s h e just $5 get $50 in Pick Six bonus picks. Make the call. Ride the upside. In partnership with DraftKings Pick Six, the crown is yours.
- [16:15]
G
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- [16:41]
A
Listen, I could do this for the next few hours with you, but we have business to tend to. It's time for this week's Jerk list. Gino Fuentes, Mike Fuentes are going to read us some statements and we will evaluate whether or not they're Credible. Reasonable things to say out loud after NFL Week 7. Or if they're knee jerk overreactions. Also, if we happen to mention a garden variety jerk or three, so be it. Along the way. Start us off here. I'm not sure who's up for Geno or Mike.
- [17:11]
C
I think I'll take it here. Okay. We can go through the trouble of. Of going through the regular season, you know, because gambling, fantasy football, whatever. But what we should do is just skip to the part where the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl.
- [17:25]
A
Yeah, I think we've. I think, Sessler. We've done our best to avoid reality, but it all of a sudden looks like the Chiefs are the best team in the conference.
- [17:34]
F
It's. I love what you just said because it's been my response to multiple seasons in a row where it's like, look, I'm gonna spend. I'll. I'll be honest with the audience. I got divorced, okay? Like, football didn't play a great role in all that. And the Chiefs are just sort of toying with me left and right. And it's like, I'm doing all this work. I'm not available for family and friends on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays. If you decide to, like, take a day for yourself Sundays. Last week, the Chiefs played on every single day but Tuesday. So to your point, yes. They are here to destruct and destroy, and they will be in the Super Bowl. So I completely agree.
- [18:20]
A
Boy, that was a journey there. I mean, that's a splashy headline that I would expect to see in the. At the grocery store, waiting to get my. Get the bags filled up. The Chiefs ruined my marriage. I like it. I mean, well, it's.
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F
It's part and parcel, but yeah, sure.
- [18:37]
A
Next up, Mike Fuentes.
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D
Mark, are you familiar with Dave's Jenga theory?
- [18:43]
F
Yes. Like that. Well, certain things can be the thing that topples everything. Yes, correct.
- [18:48]
D
So the only real Jenga piece with the 49ers through all these injuries is Christian McCaffrey.
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A
Go ahead there.
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F
I love to know your theory, Dave. I kind of think so, because it seems like they just survive. They're survivors to me, and it's like they're going to win 11 or 12 games. They're survivors. Do I find them thrilling? Are they the version of the Niners we've seen before? No, but it's like they kind of DJ F. They're just like, we're going to keep rolling. And if you get McCaffrey from this past weekend, I. I think they survive pretty well.
- [19:26]
G
Dave.
- [19:27]
A
I have to throw one in as far as this goes. No, I disagree with that. As I've already stated here, I think they have a ceiling on them that is lower than when they have Nick Bosa in there even with Fred Warner out. Nick Bosa to me is what keeps them from winning to nay three games in January to get to the Super Bowl. I just don't think that they're capable of doing that without Bose and certainly without Bose and Fred Warner now. So a good team. They're going to make the playoffs. I just don't think that they're doing Destiny is as a home game in Santa Clara for Super Bowl 60. I will say this though. The thing that really drove me crazy about Sunday Night Football was once again, I mean, for three and a half hours we had to hear updates on hey, CMC and Bijan Robinson are still pals and they worked out in the off season like, okay, great, great mention, great mention. How many times over the course of the broadcast do we need to revisit that relationship? Who cares at some point, by the way, hey, pro football, you're doing very nicely. You don't probably need my counsel. I try to give it to you best I can to make pro football a little better than I found it. This thing of the jersey swap at the end of a game. You just played this important game for two NFC would be playoff participants. And the cutaways are CMC and Bijan trading jerseys with each other. Get a little WWE in with in you, would you? Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Iron Sheet. Got a rack arrested, Burning tree and getting drunk driving around in a car together 25 years ago. But at least they did it in the privacy of a car. They didn't do it out in the open. Do that in the bowels of the stadium. Do that out of our eye, out of our eyesight. We don't want to see you two playing grab ass with each other after we just spent three and a half hours hating one half of the of the equation anyway.
- [21:18]
F
No, I'm with you. I've also found out that Roddy, Roddy Piper had a retirement match in Wrestlemania and then quietly fought a match the next day in like deep North Carolina to make more money. It's like, okay, break my sixth grade heart. Like junkyard dog drove off a road in North Carolina and died or something.
- [21:38]
A
It's like, I'm glad you made Gino and Mike.
- [21:41]
D
Well, I remember. You know, it's the first time Hulk Hogan has slammed Andre the Giant. He has slammed him like six times before that.
- [21:49]
F
You're right. You're right. So that dirty giant.
- [21:52]
A
I don't know. I just think we, we got to throw them all in a, in one big barrel and announce this. Mike Fuentes. You're all jerks. There you go. That's for everybody there, Gino. Take it away.
- [22:06]
B
Now.
- [22:06]
A
They did exactly what we was expecting.
- [22:09]
B
And hoping they do.
- [22:11]
A
Okay, so that was Jamar Chase.
- [22:13]
C
Exactly. That was Jamar Chase. So it's no coincidence that the word Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, there's no Ds in any of those names.
- [22:22]
D
Because they have a lack of defense. That's what, that's what he's saying.
- [22:26]
A
There's no D's in those either. I don't know if that's a separate.
- [22:29]
F
Or is it a sexual. Is it a sexual.
- [22:33]
A
I don't think that's what I was getting. I don't think so. At least maybe it was, but you.
- [22:37]
C
Could go that route.
- [22:38]
F
I, I took it sexually, but like, that's probably more. That's how I am. But like, I believe in the Steelers a little bit more than I thought I would at this point in the, in the, in the season, Dave. And like, that hurts me. It has to come always. It's like a dollar. It's like less change for the Browns, more change for the Steelers. But like, I believe in Pittsburgh a little bit more than I plan to and I, I think they kind of are like fu to the rest of the league and maybe Aaron Rodgers is just a little bit better than we realized. And they might, they'll. They'll go to the playoffs. Am I wrong? Like, I believe that that's.
- [23:18]
A
Well, first of all, where the Bills are concerned, I will keep saying it every time they're mentioned here. Josh Allen is, is hoisting all those boats, including Sean McDermott's. He is outmoded. He is Don Shula for the 21st century. He is doing harm to the prime of his high end future, his hall of Fame bound quarterback. And this, he is limiting what, what that number 17 is capable of doing in, in pro football where the Steelers are concerned. I mean, did you see Thursday Night Football? I mean, that the idea that Joe Flacco is kryptonite and it's cute for Mike Tomlin. First of all, he might be the personification of the sort of quarterback who takes down Mike Tomlin teams, which is to say mediocre and on the road. That is a bad mix for Mike Tomlin teams and that's gone on for 18 years now during another guy who's bound for the hall of Fame and Mike Tomlin. But. But it's. I don't think it's adorable that he is. His teams continue to struggle against these teams. They shouldn't struggle against like Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals. It's a weird kryptonite to have sort of like Superman. As I've said many times before, this guy is made of steel. He's faster than a speeding bullet. You understand? He can shoot lasers from his eyes and his chief nemesis is a bald guy who's smart. Part Consider me unimpressed. Now Joe Flacco is an old guy. At least he has some hair. Maybe 2020 hindsight, Coach T. Maybe crying about another division foe in the Cleveland Bounce. Trading Joe Flacco, who again is an old washed up man to the to to the Bengals shouldn't have vexed you on the level that it did and it consumed way too much of your time. Jamar Chase seemed to be studying the game plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which I because Cam Hayward and other high end defenders once again announced they explained away what happened with people didn't understand we have bad communication and being in the right gap and all of that. You're only pro football players making millions and millions of dollars. There's no reason that you should have figured this out by NFL Week 7. Nay, you didn't figure it out last December and January. So this is extending an issue that is ongoing with Mike Tomlin's defense. And keep in mind he hand picked these guys. He is the one saying yes or no. This is his scheme. Don't blame the defensive coordinator Terrell Austin. It is not his scheme. Keep in mind Mike Tomlin is supposed to be a defensive whiz with a specialty in the secondary. These guys Joey Porter and Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey hand picked to stop not just garden variety wide receivers but T. Higgins and Jamar Chase and they just smoked them again off the right arm of an old man named Joe Flacco. I think it stinks. I think I don't want to get hyperbolic, but I think after 18 years it's time. I really do think it's time. If they can't make some hay come January with the formula that he wanted to use for this season, if it does not work with some legitimate success, and I mean a win or two come the AFC playoffs, then I think it's time to move on. Already we've seen this show too many times on the banks of the Three rivers. So I'm going to say no. Jerk. I think that's a perfectly reasonable statement to make. And I'm sorry I had to get up on my, on my soapbox about that.
- [26:47]
F
I think we loved the soapbox, didn't we guys?
- [26:50]
C
Not as Dolphins fans, no. Because you're, you're 4 and 2 and you're complaining about your 4 and 2 team after one shock loss on a Thursday night.
- [26:58]
D
The guy's like, never had a losing record. Begging, like begging for them.
- [27:04]
A
They should have lost to Justin Fields and the jets in week one.
- [27:07]
D
Let me, let me.
- [27:08]
A
This is only delayed that. The fact that they survived week one only delayed this reaction for like Dave in 2017.
- [27:15]
F
You were telling me they need, they needed to move on from Tomlinson.
- [27:18]
D
I'm just.
- [27:19]
A
This guy didn't tell you that. That's jive now. That's jive now hit him with the blaster for spreading job. Mark Sessler's a jerk. I didn't expect that to happen today, but it did. You did it to yourself.
- [27:29]
D
I didn't try to be Joe Feldman. Okay, Cam Cameron. All right, who else have we had? Oh, Juan. Stat.
- [27:36]
C
These are only the.
- [27:38]
D
Exactly.
- [27:38]
A
Joe Fen.
- [27:39]
F
I forgot about Joe status. No fun.
- [27:42]
D
You know, weird, weird Pittsburgh connection there because he rode Rogers's coattails into a head coaching job he didn't deserve. Okay, so last one for me on the jerk list. It's time for the media and Vegas to start believing that Daniel Jones and the Coltskin football game games. I got them before kickoff at plus 115 money line. That's crazy. That's crazy.
- [28:01]
A
Mark Cesser. You go ahead cuz and get that blaster ready. Mike Fuentes.
- [28:07]
F
I, I like, I watch them and I thought they were a well coached team last year with major issues player wise and Shane Steichen is a legit coach and Daniel Jones was sort of always like, like can we, if we can get this guy healthy and rolling. Like every NFL coach kind of like nap preternaturally falls in love with this person as an idea and like he's doing it again right now and it's like I'm in, like this team is real now. I do think it's the kind of team that's going to go. I've seen this before. Tell me if I'm crazy. But they're going to go like 12 and 5 and make the playoffs and like lose a playoff game and then next year they'll be beat 5 and 12 and it's like what was that like a sea ship that floated away from us, like it may be a mirage in the sense that it's not an everlasting thing, but like they are tapping into something special right now with the best running back in the league and a quarterback that's kind of like having that one year. He's having that one year with a coach that's very good.
- [29:19]
A
And the defense. And as. As somebody said on. I think it was a podcast called Football America, he was touting the defensive coordinator, Lou Annarumo, before the season, saying that he was going to do what Vic Fangio did in Philly a year ago. And. And then. Nevertheless, I feel like in the last minute or three of my life, somebody just said on the very same podcast called Football America just said, no one in the media saw this coming. I think those were the words of Mike Fuentes. Did I hear that right? They said, like, the media needs to get on board with the. With the Colts. Which is weird because I thought Mike Fuentes was listening when the sit. Before the season started. And Dave Danishek. Oh, yeah, that's right. That's. Who said the Colts were going to win the division. Where was Mike Fuentes? I am in the media. I am the media. Mike Fuentes, you're a jerk.
- [30:11]
D
I'm basically a friend at this point, but I'll give it to you, by the way.
- [30:14]
A
You better wear it.
- [30:17]
C
By the way. A12.5 team that reaches the playoffs and loses in the first round, and then the next season, it drifts away. What does that remind me of?
- [30:23]
B
Oh, man.
- [30:24]
D
Wow.
- [30:24]
C
Doesn't that remind you of.
- [30:27]
B
Right now?
- [30:28]
C
This is where we're at with the.
- [30:29]
D
Feel like I can drive to see.
- [30:30]
B
Yeah.
- [30:30]
F
Wow.
- [30:30]
D
Insane.
- [30:31]
A
Before we wrap it up, unless, Gino, you have a gem that you want to get in here.
- [30:36]
C
No, the only thing left was that jersey swap thing and you stole my thumb.
- [30:39]
D
Yeah, we're done on that, so we're good to go. I should give you one.
- [30:41]
A
Well, good. No, I. I had to make sure I belly ached about that. I don't want to bellyache about Mark Sesler's divine opinions on. On cinema.
- [30:51]
D
Let's.
- [30:51]
A
Let's do this one. You can only watch one person's movies for the rest of your life. Quentin Tarantino or Paul Thomas Anderson. You lose the catalog of the other for the rest of time.
- [31:03]
F
Oh, what they've. What's what? They've already created.
- [31:07]
A
And going forward. Okay, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, Hard eight. These are great movies. Yeah, these are great movies.
- [31:17]
D
Are they really? That Rewatchable. I feel like I don't want to watch There Will Be Blood again again.
- [31:22]
A
I rewatched it in the past year, and it's wonderful. Yeah, I think it's splendid.
- [31:26]
D
I've seen it once or twice.
- [31:27]
C
I think it's.
- [31:28]
D
I think it's good. I mean, I. I'll rewatch Boogie Nights. I think that was, like, so good.
- [31:31]
A
That's an interesting take from Mike Fuentes. You might be on. On the right track there.
- [31:35]
F
I watch Boogie Nights for the final, like, eight seconds of it. Like, I will say one thing.
- [31:40]
A
Like, it's weird.
- [31:42]
F
Hard 8 is, like. Hard 8 is a really underrated early film from PTA. But if you give me the catalog, like, if you're saying, going forward, Tarantino's like, I'm not doing anything anymore. It's like, then I'm going pta because we. There may be another C field to him. We don't know what he'll do. But, like, I'm going Tarantino for library. Like, just because I know my actual habits from today. I think he's pta. Wouldn't be PTA without Tarantino. That said, I think they're very different and they're very unusual, but, like, Tarantino's library, I could. You could send me into. I don't want to live on an island, like, by myself anyways. That feels really stupid, but, like, do I have a V? Is it VCR tapes? Do I have a setup? I don't know what's happening. But, like, I just. I. Yeah, I go Tarantino. It just. It's my natural reaction. What about. But what's your answer? Because that's more important to me.
- [32:37]
A
I. I think at the. I think Mike is right. I think for rewatch ability sake, that's the tiebreaker with Tarantino. They're both divine. But Mark Sesler is pondering whether or not there would be a plug in Wilson out on the deserted island to put his VCR into. Why you would use that technology. VCR technology is curious as well, because you have to plug it in one way or the other. I think I would at least want a laserdisc player. Right?
- [33:05]
F
I think you're right. I'd be, like, probably gone from sun poisoning in eight to nine hours. And it's like, we don't need to watch the whole library. Like, he gone. He gone.
- [33:16]
A
That's like, me get. As I have always said, like, not that big a threat that I'm gonna get slowly digested over a thousand years. Like. Like Han Solo. If you Drop me in the pit, in the Sarlacc pit. Because like human beings die after 48 hours or whatever. Like I'm gonna miss the vast majority of the slow digestion. Like I'm not. You're not. I mean, I don't want to die. I don't want to get smothered, but I'm gonna be a part of the thousand years of digestion after a couple days anyway. Anyway, Mark Susser, I could talk to you for a couple of days without break on all matters. Let's do it sooner rather than later at Musso and Frank's like Booth and Dalton did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He the call. Make sure you track him down. Dan Hanzus, Connor or the Gravedigger, all the rest of it. Dynamite stuff. You'll be smiling. And me. Yeah, I've been on there before myself. Great stuff. Mark Sesler. Thanks for the time, pally.
- [34:14]
F
Foreign.
- [34:17]
A
Here he is everybody. For his weekly review of what we just looked at all weekend long. It's time for points per game with our pal from Jeff Schwarz is smarter than you and all things Fox Sports. It's Jeff Schwarz. What's happening fella? And let me just say, picking up on what you tweeted out at some point over the weekend, the Holy War best seen all red uniforms against all byu. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I feel like Saturday night was an all time uniform night. How say you, Jeff Schwartz? Yeah, sc, Notre Dame hit Cuse, Tennessee, Bama, so on and so forth.
- [34:54]
B
Look, your lasting legacy in this earth might be getting UCLA and USC to wear their home uniforms in the, in the Victory belt game. I think UCLA has the best uniforms in college football. I mean they lost the ultimate debate, but I think they do. And you pair their uniforms with the stark contrast of different colors USC has and it is beautiful. The Holy War is fine. It's fine. Blue and red, it's good. But the, the USC UCLA game, Dave Special, special uniform game.
- [35:26]
A
That's his two shows in a row where it's come up with college football performers. Matt Leiner was surprised to hear about that and he played for USC and he gave me his thanks and I accepted it. Hey Schwartz, I have a bunch of things I want to talk to you about. But, but very quickly because nobody does the, the in between of like talking college football and pro football and two distinct conversations better than you do it. Explain this one to me. Why, why, why the half stripe on the college football like either, like the pro ball is nude it has no stripes. The pros don't need stripes. But what do the stripes indicate in the first place? And if you need the stripe, then why isn't it all the way around? Why, why the half ass, the, the half assed thing here?
- [36:11]
B
So according to, to the AI overview here, the stripes are for visibility and they create a tradition that distinguishes them from professional footballs. I, I, I, I guess maybe when it looks better on camera with the slow motion shots you have are, does are do your eyes get better in the NFL? In college football their eyes are just not developed yet.
- [36:33]
A
Yeah, it's like, it's like a training stripe, but I don't know what it's training exactly. And like I say, if it' do it go all the way.
- [36:40]
B
The full stripe. Like the XFL I think has the full ufl, whatever they are now they have the full stripe around the ball. Right. So that, that sets something unique. Yeah, no, the balls are different size too, which is, Look, I made this point many times. It's very true about college ball. The NFL, they are not the same sport. They are called football. Absolutely. So they use a different size ball. The field goal post and the NFL are taller, smaller than they are in college football. And the hash marks. So the field and the ball are two different sizes and they're set up differently. Like they're not the same sport. Dave. Not the same thing. People confuse them too much as the same thing. Not the same thing.
- [37:20]
A
I, there, there are distinctions to be made between the two and yeah, the one, the one thing I definitely like in college football better than pros is that when your knee or elbow or otherwise hits your dad down, it's a weird, you can get back up thing that creates awkward looking place. I always think about the Super Bowl 47 with the late Jacoby Jones sliding to catch the ball and then popping back up and then running into the end zone. It, at minimum it looks weird. When you're down, you're down. Take the guesswork out of it.
- [37:58]
B
I, I like that but I think the NFL like I like the two foot rule in the NFL versus college. There's a difference in the sport. I think two feet down feels like, like you got to work a little extra harder for that catch. I, I saw this this weekend. I want to say was it the Indiana game? I was watching Michigan State where like if you, if you catch a ball but in your toe and foot hits first and it's, and then, and then the heel hits next.
- [38:20]
A
Right.
- [38:21]
B
It, it, it's not a catch. But it sort of feels like that's not the spirit of what a catch is. Like, he very clearly got his foot down, like the control foot down, but then his heel hit out on the exit of the play, essentially. Like, I don't think it's semantics.
- [38:35]
A
I completely agree with what you're saying. Right. If you tippy toe, but you're facing the sideline, if you tippy toe, it's a good catch. If you land on your tippy toes with your. With your butt towards the sideline, then your heels inevitably are going to come down. But that shouldn't remove the fact that you tippy toed the sideline just like you did the. In the other direction. All right, listen, I have a lot I want to talk to you about. As I just said there, starting off with this one, explain the New York Jets. I mean, for real now, you laugh all you want. It ain't funny. If you're a Jets fan at this point, like, how can you in a capped league suck this bad in perpetuity?
- [39:15]
B
Ownership, right? I mean, it comes down to ownership, right? I've never played. I don't know what it is about ownership, but something with ownership, they. They don't hire the right coaches. They don't have the right players. There's not a buy in mentality. Look, I've been fortunate to play for the Giants. When you walk in the Giants facility, there's four Lombardi trophies that sit there and you walk in and you feel the winning. Now, we didn't win when I was there, but you, you feel the. The need to win, right? And ownership is there every day. It's their job. And I put other places that ownership's not there every day. That doesn't change sometimes how you feel about the team, but it was important. It is important for the Giants to win. Like, they're there all the time. It's their baby. It's their job. I played for the Lions when the Lions weren't very good. And you could feel the losing. Like you could feel when it came from the Giants to Lions, you could feel. Dude, Dave. We got booed in the preseason in the Lions on the first drive of the game when they went three now and the fans booed us. I remember turning to someone who had been there a while and was like, like, do. Am I hearing this crazy? Yeah. Like, I give Dan Campbell. I've just made a ton of credit for. For breaking that stench of losing. It takes an extra special coach to do that. And then the jets just have the stench of losing on them. And, you know, but they have, like, why, it's weird.
- [40:37]
A
As a for instance, you know, what comes to mind obviously is Justin Fields, who I advocated for the Steelers to keep. And now people are. Are dropping me a line like, aren't you embarrassed now? Now? No, because it wouldn't have been the same Justin Fields that you're seeing with the jets now. And that's what I'm talking about. The same human beings change the uniform and they stink way worse. You know, there. It's inexplicable that the players who perform well across football America, if they have to put on that green hat, they become. They become empirically worse football players.
- [41:09]
B
Correct. And I think that's what it has to do with, man. I think it's just like structure, support. You're also the second. Second team in the city for football. You share a stadium, which again, I mean, it's. It's. It was called Giant Stadium. Now obviously have a new stadium. It's not called Giant Stadium anymore. Or I guess it was called. Was it called Giant Stadium or Everyone just called Giant Stadium.
- [41:29]
A
It was literally Giants.
- [41:30]
B
Okay. Literally Giant Stadium. I mean, it's sort of what they're like, the Chargers have to deal with. Like the Chargers play and it's not their home stadium. It's a Ram stadium. They're the, they're the second tenant there. You know, the Clippers had this issue, too. They just moved their own stadium. They were.
- [41:43]
A
The third tenant.
- [41:44]
B
Tenant is Staples Center. It was the Lakers Kings. And then the, in the, in the Clippers. Like, I think there's all those things that matter to just the aura of your team. And the jets continue to have. And then the last. The last thing is the capri pants. The capri pants on. Aaron Glenn, you know, we got to. It's got to stop. It's got to stop.
- [42:04]
A
You might be onto something because Mike McDaniel wears those two and they. And things aren't going well for him. Don't ask Mike and Gino about it. They're very down in the dumps about what's going on in Miami right now. What is remarkable to me is that people, Dolphins fans, are still paying attention. Shouldn't you have turned the TV off? Like, the jets are a different experience. If you're still watching the jets in the year of our Lord 2025, that's on you. Things got real sideways with these Dolphins here this year. I would have expected you turn your TV off by then. I'm fascinated by what you say, though. So about the, the stink in the facility. So there are discussions among your peers. This is way worse. Like, man, I've been on the. I've been in kc. This, this place has no chance.
- [42:50]
B
This, this sounds kind of. I know it sounds kind of silly, but like, you can just feel the difference, right? Like, I'd imagine if you're playing for your Steelers, right? You walk in that building and the expectation is championship or bust, right? Like, that's a firm expectation. Other teams, it's like, I don't know, we'll see how it goes this year. You know, like, it just. Again, these are not verbalized, right? But you. Again, you walk on the Giants, but there's four Lombardi sitting right there. I imagine you walk into Pittsburgh. I've not been the facility. Actually, I was facility once. I got on a try out there once. But there's. Imagine the six Lombardies are right there, right? David sitting right there, right? Like you walk in, you feel the winning. You feel like you walk in the jets facility. What are they going to put up a. We made an AFC Championship game banner? You know, I mean, like the, the. The. The n. Title, I guess, is hanging out there, but like, it's. It's just a different vibe. And I'm not saying this is the reason you absolutely win or lose. Lose. But it takes a special coach. Rex Ryan almost did it, right? Like the personality he had, like, he almost broke through that. And it does just take maybe one breakthrough. It takes one year where you go 13, four and you win, you get to an extra championship game or you get to a title game, a Super bowl, and, and it changes everything for you. But that, I think is a big. Is a big thing when it comes to these bad teams.
- [44:07]
A
It is interesting because now I'm piecing it together and, you know, I just say, well, they've all. They're always terrible, but of course, yeah, Bill Parcell's did turn them around for a minute, and then Rex Ryan kind of kept the ball in the air there.
- [44:19]
B
There's been some times where these teams have gone close but not gone over the hurdle.
- [44:24]
A
Yeah, they had a quarterback there. I don't know whatever happened to him when Rex was. Was coaching the Jets. But now there's another AFC east team that has a good quarterback again. Four or five years ago, they had a guy named Tom Brady. Then they swooned a little bit, but now they're back with Drake. May. How say you about these New England Patriots? How far can they take this thing right now in this afc because as I keep remarking, it ain't like the AFC is that loaded up. I mean, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, but the Chiefs are the best team.
- [44:54]
B
Again, I. I keep waiting for you to come on here and just like brag to me about your Colts pick. You just been very low key about that. I mocked you very, very with my face. I mocked you.
- [45:07]
A
Mike Fuente has already caught the Blaster for. For pretending like he's never heard anybody predict that the Colts are going to be good this year.
- [45:14]
C
That.
- [45:16]
D
That's not what I said. I said the media needs to start trusting that Daniel Jones can win games. I never said. Nobody said they were going to go do it because of course King Dave needs everybody to know he picked up.
- [45:24]
A
Yeah, that's right. That's right. I want my parade. I made a prediction that nobody else made. And then people are like, well, why doesn't anybody. Why isn't the media paying attention? My media was paying attention to it in August. I'll thank you to do the same. Mike Fuentes, you know what? Taste the blaster again for this to merit. I'm sorry you had to hear this, Jeff. That was ugly.
- [45:45]
B
Thank you for your apology. I appreciate. We live in a society where every time you get something wrong, people tell you about it. So you should be able to take a victory lap. If you're correct about a prediction back to the Patriots. Yes, it's been impressive. Drake may if you were to redraft right now 20, 24 quarterbacks does he won?
- [46:08]
A
I just went on Shield Kapadia's show with the ringer and he asked this exact and I'm fascinated by. By the answers to this. You and I did this and I asked Matt Lyon at the same thing what who's going to be the first quarterback taken in 26. But go back last year. I don't know, man. I like the thing with Jaden Daniels is, is that just because he had the exceptional rookie season and got through clean doesn't mean that his body type is made for the long term. So I and we saw some signs of that earlier this year. I do think Drake may, you know, his body type probably portends the best future. Right?
- [46:51]
B
Yeah. So the thing about Daniels, though, is that he was not ever hurt in college. Like I remember covering him as a true freshman. 175 pounds. Arizona. That's the same thing you did. Like no way he survived. He's been relatively healthy till this season where he got super. He wasn't Healthy. It was going to be healthy last season. I mean Williams is getting better, but Drake may, man, look, I think the, the judge of these young quarterbacks is like do they get better every quarter of the season season or every couple of weeks? And Drake may feels like every single game, every quarter of the season he's getting better. And their schedule is set up really well. Look, we joked before the season they're favoring like 11 games. Like LOL. 11 games. We talking they play the Browns now at home. The Browns aren't winning that game. They play the Falcons at home. The Falcons have looked so much different on the road than homing. The Falcons lost the Panthers by 30, then beat the Commanders at home, beat the Bills home. And then last night, what was that against the Niners? Like uncompetitive, competitive on the roading in San Francisco.
- [47:47]
A
Disappointing.
- [47:48]
B
And then, and then, and then look and then they're the, the, the, the Patriots are at Tampa Bay. That'll be hard. And that's Jets, Bengals, Giants and then, and then it's Bills, Ravens, jets. Like they're right in the thick of this to win that division. So yeah, I think they're for real, Dave. I don't know how you can argue against that.
- [48:06]
A
I, I'm, I do think now I, I, I regret not putting him into the playoffs. When you and I sat down and etched out the seven teams that were going to make it, I got close with the Patriots, but collectively young that it was going to take a season for them to mature a little bit and, and by year three with Drake May they were going to take.
- [48:24]
B
The thing is like the rest of the AFC is just not impressive. That's part of it as well is is you know, Denver last whatever that was yesterday that was impressive but like I don't BL. I mean the Chiefs jumped them as huge as big favorites now to win the AFC west, your Steelers feel like they're going to win win that division but they the way I look at the NFL this year, Dave, is there's like four teams up top that are sort of the top of the league. Right? Like Colts, Chiefs. I still think Buffalo is up there. I still do think like Philly is in that group of teams and there's like 24 teams that are 5050 every week. I don't know we're getting from them. And then there's the four Jets, Raiders, Titans, Dolphins that stink. Like that's what the NFL is right now.
- [49:05]
A
I agree. And by the way, as we wrap and up the Raiders are The one that a lot of people were getting real excited about. That I did not take that.
- [49:14]
B
I didn't either. I didn't buy that the Raiders made a very. A very flawed mistake in the draft where you can. I have amend my position on this. You can totally draft a running back in the first round or sign a running back, but you have to have everything in place.
- [49:29]
A
That's exactly right. It's a finishing piece.
- [49:31]
B
It's correct exact way to put it. Christian McCaffrey, Caffrey, Saquon Barkley. It's a finishing piece. It. You can't. You can't start with it. The offensive line of quarterback are not good. They don't have wide receivers. Dave did three first downs in an NFL game yesterday. Three first downs. Sometimes you just like fall into a first down. You break a tackle and you get a first down. She's got a penalty. You get a first down, three the entire game.
- [49:59]
A
Yeah, it's grim. And. And just as Pete Carroll didn't get enough credit in the age of Belichick and Saban, his. His by age, his peers, he's also. Belichick is kind of obscuring how bad this is got. Has gotten in Vegas for Pete Carroll because people were real excited about it when they got going there.
- [50:19]
B
Last thing, they're down 21 nothing at halftime out of the half. They interview him, you know, as they do because those riveting interviews too. And he goes, we have to. We have to run the ball better. You're down 21 nothing.
- [50:32]
E
Sure, sure.
- [50:33]
B
Run the ball better, buddy.
- [50:34]
A
Give it to your high end first round draft pick that maybe that'll get you in business there, coach. All right, Jeff Schwartz, dynamite stuff as always. Look forward to catching up with you one week from today. In the meantime, go bet on them hoosiers. Right?
- [50:47]
B
Laying 24 and a half. I'll be on this weekend, buddy. All right.
- [50:50]
A
And you know what? There goes Schwartz. Here we go too. Thanks to him. Thanks to Mark Sessler, we'll be back at the end of the week to get you right for NFL Week 8. Until then, thanks so much, fellow football Americans. It's been a thin slice of heaven.