← The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Top Five NFL Games to Watch in Week 6, Why the Jaguars will Fall to Earth with Ben Axelrod, And Steve Smith Sr. on his Hall of Fame Snub
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- [00:01]
A
So a Raven, a Brown and a Bengal walk into a stadium. Lambeau Field this Sunday to be exact. And according to his latest, head coach, Joe Flacco is even going to start against the Packers. Makes sense in the AFC North, AKA the most incestuous division in our league. And I'm not just talking about the old QB who's now gotten himself inside three quarters of the North. Quick bit of history if you just started watching football somewhere between, say, five minutes and 30 years ago, long before the Browns made us all laugh by trading for Deshaun Watson on purpose. Many moons before the current Bengals Plum forgot to get an offensive line or a defense, there was a guy named Paul Brown. If that name rings a bell, it's because the whole Cleveland Browns team is named after him. He was the founder and head coach, a legend, revolutionized the whole sport. And believe it or not, the Browns used to be good. Then in 1960, one guy named Art Modell buys the team and in 63 fires Paul Brown. Brown's like, you can't fire me. The team's named after me. Modell's like, well, I just did. So Brown heads to Cincy and starts up the Bengals in the afl made their getups look as much like the Browns as possible. Why? Because he's petty and I respect that. Jump to the end of the decade, longtime Cleveland Brown and son of Ohio, Chuck Noel gets hired as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Spoiler alert. It worked out. It worked out real, real nice. Jens Ditto 35 years later when another son of Ohio, Ben Roethlisberger, moved across those same lines. Of course, the Browns could have taken Roethlisberger, but they went with Kellen Winslow Jr. Instead. In the interim, the Browns moved to Baltimore and rebranded themselves. But deep down, they and Cleveland and all the rest of us know those are the Browns just wearing purple. I don't know what exactly that makes the team in the orange helmets we still call the Browns, but I do know the Ohio river is formed by the intersection of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Pittsburgh, as in Pennsylvania, not Ohio. I don't know why they got to name it, but I guess since Pittsburgh got Nolan Roethlisberger, we can call it a wash. By the by, when Flacco heads to Pittsburgh next week to play fellow old man Rodgers, it'll be a homecoming because you know where he played his freshman year of college? Pitt. Let's start the show. Yes. Hi and hello, my fellow football Americans. Welcome to NFL Week 6. Welcome to episode number 15 welcome to Football America, presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours. We've got Steve Smith, senior and awful announcings Ben Axelrod coming up. How are you fellas? Let's start it off like we always do. Who's the greatest number 15 in NFL history? Gino and Mike.
- [02:43]
B
This seems like an obvious one to me. I'm gonna go Pat Mahomes. Maybe I'm a prisoner of like my own time here, but not a prisoner on time.
- [02:50]
C
Yeah, he's really good.
- [02:52]
A
He's really good.
- [02:52]
C
He has three Super Bowls. He's 30 years old. So yeah, probably Patrick Mahomes.
- [02:55]
D
Yeah.
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A
I do have to throw out Bart Starr. Of course. He won the first two Super Bowls. Noteworthy stuff. And if there had been Super Bowls throughout his career, I wonder how many Super Bowls the Packers and Bart Starr would have won. But you're right, I don't need the belabor of Patrick Mahomes. Also shout out Steve Van Buren. Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolphins legend.
- [03:14]
B
Yeah, Brandon Marshall.
- [03:15]
A
Okay, before we get to Steve Smith and Ben Axelrod, Geno and Mike Fuentes, let's put our heads together. Pick six, presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours. The million dollars should be mine by now. It's not. Quite frankly, I blame Mike Fuentes, but let's not live life in the rear view mirror. I'm going to give you my picks here and Geno and Mike are going to help me out here. Let's press on. Like I said last week, I'm a simple minded man and I think it's nice and clean to do touchdown scores as opposed to yards and otherwise. As we cobble together our half dozen names here, I'm going Josh Jacobs for a touchdown against the Bengals. George Pickens now the main man until CD Land Lamb is back with Dak getting a touchdown against Carolina. Javante Williams gets a touchdown against the Panthers. J.K. dobbins gets a touchdown against the Jets. Bo Nix is going to throw a couple of touchdowns against the jets and Zach Charbonnet is going to get into the end zone against the Jags. How say you, Gino Fuentes?
- [04:17]
B
All right, the only one I see here that I could possibly be not in agreements with is Charbonnet because those could easily go to Ken Walker. So I would inject a little over here on the passing yards for Bryce Young against Dallas. Dallas defense is horrible against the pass.
- [04:32]
C
You have no idea what the number is. You're just going to throw it out?
- [04:34]
B
No, it's 220 and a half.
- [04:35]
C
There you go at the time of recording.
- [04:37]
B
At the time of recording. There you go. So, Bryce Young over on Passing Yanks.
- [04:40]
A
Feel free to take Geno. Feel free to take the blaster out of the holster that Mike has attached to his hip and shoot him with it. That's your right. He tried to embarrass you. Now who gets.
- [04:50]
C
Well, you got to put it out on the front end. You can't say it after the fact, you know, you have no idea what it is. Hey, I'm going to take this guy at 220. There's a system. Whatever it was, it has to be abided by it. But you know what? That's fine. I'll do it for himself.
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D
There you go.
- [05:02]
A
I think that's what he did. Geno baited you into it.
- [05:05]
C
Yeah, that's what it was. That's what I was just thinking the whole time.
- [05:08]
E
All right.
- [05:09]
A
Any thoughts from you?
- [05:10]
C
Yeah. So I'm not. So what you're saying is there's going to be at least three touchdowns against the New York Jets. Bo Nix is going to throw two of them, and J.K. dobbins gonna get another one.
- [05:19]
B
I think there's gonna be way more than that.
- [05:20]
C
But he's gonna say three.
- [05:21]
D
Yeah.
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E
And then.
- [05:21]
C
But then you kind of have to hope that, you know, J.K. dobbins gets one. It's just a lot. And I'm noticing now Pickens, too. Here's the thing about Pickens. Here's the thing about touchdowns in general. They tend to be a little random.
- [05:32]
E
Right.
- [05:32]
C
Pickens has scored in the last two games, if I haven't been mistaken. So that means counting on him to score three in a row. I don't know if I love that. What I do love, though, I'm gonna use the same strategy I used Last Week with Lad McConkey.
- [05:44]
A
I love that it's the upside down world with you. Pickens is on a heater again. I'm going to invoke the analogy with playing 21. Your logic is like, hey, I have. I'm on a roll here. I. I've hit blackjack three in a row. Like, it can't keep going. I'm. I'm out.
- [05:59]
C
Yeah, I'm.
- [06:00]
B
I'm.
- [06:00]
C
I'm not big on momentum.
- [06:01]
A
I haven't had blackjack in a while. I. 21's bound to come up.
- [06:04]
C
Here they are. When it comes to players, especially stud receivers and touchdowns, I think eventually they will get one. I'm not saying Pickett's won't get one. I just don't like that he scored so many times. And don't forget last week, lad McConkey.
- [06:16]
A
You have chosen wise.
- [06:19]
C
I chose wisely, lad. McConkey got us a touchdown last week. So I'm going to pick the opposite side of Carolina versus Dallas and I'm going to say Ted McMillan. The rookie Ted McMillan finally gets his first touchdown of the season. That bad Cowboys defense.
- [06:33]
A
He.
- [06:34]
C
I will replace George Pickett's with Ted McMillan plus 140 at the time of recording DraftKings anytime. Touchdown score Tevin.
- [06:41]
A
All right, so that's a standalone, but you can also make it a part of your pick six. I like that Mike Fuentes now has drops a line for himself. All lines ready to go with the old man in in last Crusade.
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B
Very resistant against me using a blaster.
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A
Let's you know what for. For the esprit decor of it. We'll put Geno's in there. The Bryce Young overtime. I do like that one. Who are we taking out though?
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B
Oh, we're taking Charbonnet. That can go to Walker. It's a random situation.
- [07:08]
A
Our. Our pick six and we'll see in the winner circle if you. If you tail us, that is. All right. This is very exciting for me. Way back when I started at NFL Network, there was a guy on the Carolina Panthers who used to not just call in, but he would call in for a half an hour, 45 minutes. Sometimes we would talk about football, sometimes we would talk about this, that and the other. One thing's for sure, it was always delightful. I'm glad to see him here now doing the 89 show, co hosted by another pal of ours from NFL Network, James Palmer. Episodes release Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on YouTube and podcast platforms. One of my favorite guys to bounce off of, Steve Smith Senior. How you doing, pally?
- [08:00]
E
Hey, what's up, man? How you doing?
- [08:04]
A
I'm doing just fine. Better now.
- [08:06]
E
Awesome.
- [08:07]
A
Do I. Wow.
- [08:10]
E
The salt and pepper is going. You got the hair going. You know, I like it. I like it.
- [08:16]
A
Yeah. I don't know what you can't see. What the camera doesn't show you is the flesh yarmulke I got in the back.
- [08:22]
E
So let me. Let me go ahead and put you. Give you perspective.
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A
Okay.
- [08:29]
E
You're complaining about in the back. What do you do when it just goes.
- [08:34]
A
Wow. See? Thank you. That's right. See, it could always be worse looking. Right.
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E
It was worse. Just a little bit more convenient.
- [08:43]
A
Yeah, that's. That's the one that when it. When it starts Going here, there's no hiding that you can't really. Can't really put. The salt and pepper. That little pepper shaker thing that I use, it's like magic Steve Smith. You can't believe how much it feels that. Okay, listen, we're not talking about me. I want to talk about you, and I want to start here. And I'm not trying to fellate you with this one, but where are you on a scale of 1 to 10? 10 being most vexed, let's say.
- [09:08]
E
What do you mean, vexed? Like, vexed is what?
- [09:11]
A
Frustrated, angry, you know, put. You know, put out by this that you're not in the hall of Fame yet with the gold jacket and all of that.
- [09:19]
E
Scale of 1 to 10, what would you like first? The lie or the truth? Can I give you both?
- [09:26]
A
No jive. The no jive policy remains.
- [09:30]
E
I love. Sometimes I love, in these conversations or off camera, when I'm around buddies and stuff, always love to say, look, can I give you both? So the lie would be right in vexed. I'm a 10. But honestly, over the years, has actually reduced itself down to one or to a zero. And here's why.
- [09:54]
A
Wow.
- [09:57]
E
Man. I've. I've already played and done a career that no one, including myself, ever saw come. So whenever it happens, it happens. And I really say it's on God's time. Because, you know, as you know, there's some things that have happened personally in my life that I believe the hall of Fame stuff would be overshadowed. It would be very difficult right now, personally, to be celebrated in that regard and deal with some of the personal things that I'm dealing with with my kids, that right now I'm glad I don't have to deal with the hall of Fame stuff, which is dealing with. So my mom is one of 13. So between my mom, well, my grandmother, who just passed, my dad, my. My mom, her kids, and then my kids living on the. My mom's side of the family, there is about 65 of us.
- [11:14]
A
Wow.
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E
Yes. And 65 in a ethnic culture, man, you. You gotta. You gotta take care of everybody, right? And so having to manage all of that and deal with some of the personal things I'm dealing with, my bandwidth can only take so much. My emotional capacity, it's just. Is very limited right now. And so football has started and has given me a great opportunity to be able to be, you know, kept busy, get the opportunity to, you know, really avoid it. But at home and at times when I'm by myself, I have to process it. So that's why I'm, I'm glad I don't have the hall of Fame stuff to, to budget to deal with because I don't think I would be able, I wouldn't be a grateful hall of Famer at this point because I'll be so emotionally overwhelmed, which would come across like I'm not grateful or I'm agitated that I didn't get in sooner. Man, I'm already on, on house money. I wasn't supposed to play 16 years, bro. Right. So the fact that I have, like, man, I can't be jealous or upset or disappointed that I haven't gotten something that I think or someone else thinks I deserve. When, man, I, I didn't think I was gonna play this long anyway. So, you know, especially the way I played, the type of things that I did and how I played, I just.
- [12:55]
A
Didn'T expect boy heavy Steve Smith. And I appreciate the candor and as always, the unvarnished honesty. And yeah, you know, I'm. An extra layer of what you're describing is my entire professional life is now devoted to the passive experience of talking about the deeds of other people out there. The distraction that is pro football and it is our most prominent distraction out there in society is exactly what you said. It's greatest gift is that, you know, it's, it's late August and it's, it's back to school time and you're bummed out if you're a 11 year old, except that you're like, at least football's coming with it. And the ability to always look to. Well, at least Sunday, at least I can look forward to that. It is a legit distraction for your life. It's, it's heavy to hear a guy who I think is a. Certainly belongs in the hall of Fame and gets that gold jacket to have that perspective. Because I do, I do always think that you hear it during the hall of Fame weekend where the guys who have the gold jacket on talk to the guy just getting inducted and they're like, how's it feel though? And they're like, man, I can't put it into words. Like, of all the people in society who we need the genuflect to, are we sure it's these guys who've gotten it for the last 30 years of their lives? Aren't there other people we can celebrate besides gilding the. I mean, we are, we've, we've celebrated them, right? They have millions of dollars and we've cheered for them 75,000 people at a time for their, for their deeds out there. People aren't. Anyway, I appreciate the sort of perspective you're laying down and I will say, Steve, I mentioned those calls that we used to have 15 years or so ago, man, it really was. And the, the recurring theme, the through line of those was you talking about your kids and how important they were to you.
- [14:50]
E
So, so still are, man. They, they still are. I was playing with two of them. I have four, so I was playing with two of them. We had last Saturday 7:30 tea time, right. With my daughter and then she had to go to work. She does hair and so I was with my son, with my 20 year old who's at Liberty University. And so he had drove down and playing 18 with him and he's, he's, he's, he's quietly joined a public golf course up at, up in Lynchburg, Virginia. So he's playing golf twice a week, every week now basketball season about to start, so he's, he has to slow down. Man, that boy shooting like 82, 83. He is dragging me, I'm talking about caveman dragging me on the golf course.
- [15:40]
A
I, I mean I know that it's spot you're supposed to be like, hey, good for him. I like it. I like to see him like. I have mixed emotions. I have. My 16 year old boy can't beat me at one on one yet. Which makes me sad for him given, given the state of the old man's game. But he can't. But you know he can't.
- [16:00]
E
Well, now that I think about it, I agree.
- [16:05]
A
Don't know why you give it a belated laugh at my expense.
- [16:09]
E
Well, it's because the way you, the way you said it, summarize it and it was a delay reaction. It was like hand on the oven, I'm an infant. And the delayed, I was like, oh man, he just, he just, his, his son just called a spray a stray from, from his dad that he can't beat him in basketball.
- [16:32]
A
Oh, he got it. He caught a stray all right. It's called my DNA. That's. He's got my genes. Deal with that. Go try to play sports saddle with this. At least it's only half of you. I was 100% me trying to compete out there anyway. Steve Smith, bottom line, should be in the hall of Fame for real. I mean not very many receivers win the triple crown. Steve Smith did it in ought five. Only three other cats in the history of people have ever done that. His numbers are right up there. Top dozen and all the. The relevant numbers for pass catchers. If the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers found themselves in Super Bowl 60, which they won't, but if they did, who would you root for?
- [17:19]
E
Who would I root for?
- [17:21]
A
Yeah.
- [17:22]
E
Oh, man.
- [17:23]
A
Would you be like one of those moms that they would cut to in the stands with a split jersey? Like, it would be the teal eight and then the purple nine?
- [17:33]
E
You know, that. That is a. That is a really tough, tough question, because I've never thought about that. And I've. I'm also.
- [17:43]
A
You never thought about that. You know, you don't watch the teams and say, like, you know, deep down, man, you care more about this team.
- [17:51]
E
No, I'm watching the teams. That's why it's such a hard question. Because the current element right now is saying, these two teams even making the playoffs right now, I'm not gonna say, oh, I'm torn. Right. I saw. I have. I have a love for both organizations, and it's not based on time frame. Like, obviously, I was there. I was here in Carolina for 13 years, but I was also at a place in my life when I went to Baltimore that I wanted to experience a different organization, and I wanted to see how different a city was. And so in comparing Baltimore to Carolina, I. I really think. And Carolina fan. Fans don't really hear. It's. It's unfair if I do it, because they're just different. Right. A lot of people live here in Charlotte. I've been living here for 25 years, and I'm not originally from here. My neighbors are from Chicago. I got another family that's. That. That's across the way, across the street, man. They're from. They're from Baltimore. Then there's another family that's from Ohio, Texas. So it's. It's a lot of different fan bases and transplants in Charlotte where. Let's be honest and let's state it. A lot of people going, you know what? I'm gonna move from Los Angeles to where they used to film the Wire in Baltimore. Bang. That's my spot. They're just not doing it so well.
- [19:26]
A
And the other thing is, too, is the Carolina Panthers didn't exist. Yes. Until the mid-90s. So it's not like your great grandfather used to go to the Games in 1953.
- [19:36]
E
Yes. Like. Like Dale Earnhardt Jr. He is a Commander's fan through and through.
- [19:44]
A
Right.
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E
And me and him have talked about this. He's like, man, when I was growing up, there was no football team here, so they would get the commander's game. And so that's just where, you know, so the kids that are growing up now are now kind of the second generation, right. Third generation is peeking his head into saying, hey, this football team. So the city is. Is starting to, like jello is starting to come together. But as they're coming together, some of the, you know, transplants who've taken on the love for the Carolina Panthers also are frustrated with not winning immediately, not having a successful season. So they're just really. I've had the opportunity to experience two different cities at two different levels, the fan base. And so it's been infectious for both to be able to start with a small market, go to a big market. And so I. I love them equally, but there are some things that I've experienced in Baltimore that I didn't experience in Carolina, and obviously there are some things in Carolina that I didn't experience in Baltimore. And I just, you know, that's part of living and growing it and. And working for two different organizations in the same field who operate. Who operate completely different.
- [21:14]
A
All right, so what's the answer?
- [21:18]
E
Here's why it's neither. I will not state who it is. Because if it's a Super bowl and they're playing each other, man, damn sure you already know this about me, man. I'm not messing up my free sweet passes. I'm not messing up my. My. My sideline. I'm not messing up my hotel reservations, because depending on who's staying at the best hotel, baby, I'm 46. There's luxury that I'm used to. I have to pick and choose to see which is the home team, which is the way team, because I'm a Marriott guy. But if you stand at the Four Seasons or you're staying at the ac, you know, I may just kind of lean over to the Four Seasons.
- [22:02]
A
Okay, okay, listen, I. You've said it all with that answer. I think we can agree, though, that it would. The better uniform matchup would be the purple jerseys versus the.
- [22:12]
E
Hold on, though. The way Mr. Tepper is doing the different combinations with the Panthers jerseys and how the blue is starting to become more. Man, those blue with the or.
- [22:31]
A
As a Steelers fan, you were regularly a pain in the ass, even.
- [22:35]
E
Oh, yeah, I appreciate that.
- [22:36]
A
Even deep into your career and your battles, I was biased, but I always loved the fact that when I would ask you and Ike Taylor who was the best trash talker, you guys would say each other. And in fact, I would say what's the worst thing you said to each other. And you said, you told me once, do you remember? I don't know if you have the same line that you had back then. Did you ever talk trash to Ike?
- [23:01]
E
I mean, there's a few times I really. Ike, was it really into it that much with me, just because Ike was more. At the time, I felt finesse. He was more about finesse. So a lot of defenders now that, you know, obviously we talk and all that stuff. They would say, man, we always made sure we kept you calm. We didn't want you to kind of get all round up. So I don't really remember talking too much to Ike.
- [23:31]
A
Well, you and Ike told me this is now 10 years ago, but you said it was daytime. We didn't want to because we both respected each other talking game and we didn't want to light any fires in either direction. You also told me during bounty gate that the Saints players told you that it was one level worse. It wasn't like, we'll give you something if you hurt somebody. You better go after Steve Smith or find you for that. That was a while.
- [24:00]
E
Yeah, that was a while. That was so I remember that. That one particularly how I got that information was hate bringing his main name up in this regard just because, you know all the stuff that's transpired with it. But Darren Sharper, so Dan Sharp, we're on the sideline, and I had a little screen, screen pass that really wasn't going anywhere. So I stepped out of bounds because it was a lot of stuff. And it was one of those, you do more damage with the pursuit. With the pursuit. And so I saw that I was able to see it. And so I stepped out of bounds and Sharper went after my ankle. And so when he went after my ankle, I grabbed him. And when I grabbed him, the first thing he said is, I was told to. I was told to, I'll get five. And that was his. That was what he was telling me as I was grabbing him because I was going to give him a great cookie recipe that I have. And I just remember that. And it was like, oh, okay. So I guess it is real.
- [25:04]
A
Wow, that's. That's something. Hey, let's. Let's lighten the mood here real quick here in our last couple minutes here, a new game that I've come up with for you. I don't know if you've noticed, but Mike McDaniel is sort of this stony philosopher and maybe society's most prominent guy in that regard is Matthew McConaughey. So I have a game called McDaniel or McConaughey. McD or MC. I'm going to give you three quotes. You tell me which one is. Is Matth McConaughey. All right? Okay.
- [25:33]
E
Okay.
- [25:34]
A
Because they. They really. They don't.
- [25:36]
E
They're very similar.
- [25:37]
A
Well, not in.
- [25:38]
E
But they think. They think a lot, right?
- [25:40]
A
Exactly. All right, first one is, I'm going to do this as flat in my nasal monotone as I possibly can. Good morning. False. Great morning. Let's go. Because we're a day closer to death. Okay, that's one quote. Oh, next quote. It's not about hugging trees. It's not about being graceful. Like, you just gotta find that balance. That's the second quote. The third one is you visualize Christmas. I mean, who doesn't think the colors of Christmas. Green, red, sometimes brass or gold. Maybe, just maybe those colors can inspire you. Which one of those three is the MC of the bunch? One, two.
- [26:22]
E
The middle. Two, two, two.
- [26:24]
A
All right. All right. Boy, Steve Smith, you know you're McConaughey, don't you? It's not about hugging trees. It's not about being gr.
- [26:31]
D
Like.
- [26:31]
A
You just gotta find that balance. Last. Last question for you is because it's apparently the. The latest lightning rod in football America, and that is Bad Bunny is playing the halftime show.
- [26:47]
E
Oh, yeah.
- [26:48]
A
We started out, scale of 1 to 10, concern level. How concerned are you about Bad Bunny playing at halftime in the Super Bowl?
- [26:56]
E
I'm not really concerned. I think Bad Bunny, he brings a different element that, you know, people may not necessarily agree with, but it's entertainment.
- [27:06]
A
Right?
- [27:07]
E
And I. I think when you look at the last couple of Super Bowls, the Super bowl halftime show, and where we are, society wise, the people who don't actually even pay for much have always the most to say. And so you gotta kind of balance and allow. The water cooler conversation has now become Frontline news. It's no longer you have to have legitimate resources. It's just you say whatever you want to say and you say how you feel. And for whatever reason, regular people who sometimes don't have a dog in a fight believe that we who are in the media who get paid to do this, like we need to seek their permission for our happiness or our ability to speak our mind. And so I would say this Bad Bunny, it brings a different culture to American football that may be missing or may not be there, but at the end of the day, the powers that be that actually decided on this didn't ask you they didn't. Right. And here's the example I'll give you. I was playing golf one time out in Charlotte. We were playing up at the lake. And, you know, I put the lake in this private course. There's a lot.
- [28:44]
A
Drop another name. Dale Jr. Is hard to beat.
- [28:47]
E
No. So we're. It wasn't another name. It was just a regular guy. And my. And it was my dude. And he goes, it was. I'll name him Joe Foushi. And he's. And one of the players was a basketball player and his house was right there. So we're teeing off and he has. I think it was a Lamborghini. It was a nice expensive car. And he looks at me, he goes, I don't like that color. And I looked at her and I said, when that dude bought that 300, $400,000 car, Joe, he didn't ask your ass if you liked it. He didn't even call you, man. Hit the ball and shut up. Now Joe's my guy, but it really showed me, like that dude, you. That's his car. Nobody gives a damn what you think. When he was decided on his quarter of a million dollar car, he didn't go, well, I guess the guy who's gonna be on the 10 tee box over there, I wonder if he's gonna like the color or not. No.
- [29:59]
A
Yes. Lamborghinis cost a lot. Bad Bunny appearing has the biggest available audience of people who haven't played. You know, Beyonce is Taylor Swift. Done it, whoever's that. It's a short list of names that can command the audience to stick around through the half hour long halftime. It's. It's not some vast we got you conspiracy there. You know, they've had a lot of big time names out there. Bunny is kind of the next on the list and brings in an audience you otherwise might not be able to capture.
- [30:33]
E
That brings an international audience as well.
- [30:36]
A
Of course. Of course. Last thing is, is this how. Because you were a part of. As these halftime shows came up, you were there in the locker room in Houston. How aware, if at all?
- [30:49]
E
I had no idea.
- [30:50]
A
You had no idea what was going on with Janet Jackson's bosom?
- [30:54]
E
I know, right?
- [30:56]
A
I didn't know. Like, I. I've talked to some ravens who were in the blackout and they, they were kind of aware of what was happening outside and everything.
- [31:05]
E
Because the blackout affected the locker room.
- [31:09]
A
Yeah, well, right. Yeah. They were literally standing there while they were doing that.
- [31:13]
E
Yeah. So. So some of the. Some of that. That's the unique part about doing media now is I've grown the respect that there's so much and there's so many things going on hours and weeks before the game as a player that I just didn't know. Right. And I remember working the super bowl, we're in Minnesota, you know, I had the early shift, it was like 5am so it was like 4:45 call time, 3am Getting up and man, it was like a mini busy city underneath on the field, behind in the tunnel of people laying wires, doing this, getting things prepared. And it was four in the morning. I'm getting up four in the morning dressed, but not really cognizant. Just kind of like, oh, and man, people are. Man, they only fourth cup of coffee, they are going there. And so it just. That's one of the things I do love about my job in the media is, man, I get to meet some of the people who are the nuts and bolts of making our great game as good as it is. Right. That, that you and I get to dress up in a suit or we get to look great. But man, there's people, so many men and women that's behind the scenes that don't get as much accolades that they deserve because when something is happening or something that doesn't happen, that person never gets acknowledged. Just all the stuff that they did, they stopped. Their job stopped from happening. We only, we only like to complain and bring up people when things don't happen according to plan.
- [32:56]
A
Your acknowledgment of all the people behind the scenes, it doesn't matter what level you're at, it's how you treat those people around you. Steve Smith, you've never been anything but over and above, not just gracious, but fun and insightful and, and willing to pull the curtain back. You mentioned that Minnesota Super Bowl. You and I shared some SUV rides back and forth and, and really the, the stories that you had were second to none and you proved it again here. Steve Smith, thank you for the time, pal. Glad to see you keeping your chin up there. Football is a distraction if nothing else.
- [33:33]
E
I, I've been through worse, so I'll be all right.
- [33:39]
A
I trust that you will. The 89 show with James Palmer. Make sure you're checking it out.
- [33:44]
E
Please do that. I got, I got, you know, now with my. I got Christmas, you know, I'm over here hustling. I don't want to turn into a male stripper. You know what I mean?
- [33:53]
A
Yeah. Do that right after you listen to every episode of Football America and please, on behalf of. No one wants to see that. Steve Smith.
- [34:02]
E
All right, man. Appreciate you.
- [34:04]
A
Be good, 89. All right, here he is, our longtime guy, here to do the top five NFL Week 6 games. Pick down. He's from Awful Announcing, of course, including his piece this week about Travis Kelsey's wood. It's our old pal Ben Axelrod. What's happening, fella? How are you?
- [34:24]
D
I'm doing great. Just putting that journalism degree to good use here, writing about Travis Kelsey's wood and anything else that comes across our desk here at Awful Announcing and doing.
- [34:34]
A
Play by play, the podcast. Great stuff there. Out of Alpha announcing. If you care about sports media, you should tune into that. Or you can jump into Mike Fuentes is text chains. Apparently Ben Axelrods all over them. I want in on some text chains. Quick question before we start making the picks here. Ben Axelrod, I'm sure you're up to speed, as is the rest of society, that my son asked me this question and now I'm asking everybody else. Tomato or potato? You can only have one for the rest of your life. Choose easily.
- [35:05]
D
Potato for me. I'm actually not a big tomato person in general. The only reason I like tomatoes is for the ketchup. And I primarily use ketchup on French fries. And so if I don't have french fries, I have no use for the. The ketchup anyways. And so, yeah, I'll go with potatoes all day, any day.
- [35:24]
A
Okay. I mean, the one. Somebody mentioned this on social media, I believe it was, if memory serves, it was listener Aaron Sullivan. And if I'm right, I deserve a pat on the back for nailing it. He said salsa.
- [35:39]
D
What?
- [35:39]
A
I didn't even think of salsa. First of all, you can't go to Italian restaurants anymore because they'll just vex you the rest for the rest of the time. Like, I guess I'll have the Marsala again, you know, while everybody else eats veal parmesan and otherwise and pizza and barbecue, too. I. I could argue about this all day, but let's get into the pick, shall we? Axelrod?
- [36:01]
D
Let's do it.
- [36:02]
A
All right, let's start it off in our weekly countdown at number five. And if we have time, I do want to get the. The Eagles ex. Coordinator. Showdown between the. Well, actually, you know what? Let's. Let's do that one. Gannon v. Stichen, Eagles former coordinators. Then they left. Then the Eagles had a down year in between their two super bowl runs. Now it's the Cardinals at the Colts the number at the time of this recording, seven and a half for Indianapolis total 46 and a half. Ben Axelrod, how say you?
- [36:39]
D
I'll take the Cardinals and the points. That's just a lot of points to me to, to still be laying with Danny Dimes. I know he's been kind of this year, Sam Darnold, and had that first breakout month there, but I still, I think Jonathan Gannon, for all the negative press he's getting this week, I think he's a really good defensive coach. I think the Cardinals are largely a talented team. You've Marvin Harrison Jr. Kind of put it together the last couple of weeks, so give me the I I think the Colts win, but I'll take the Cardinals and the points.
- [37:08]
A
Very interesting pick there. Number one. Five foot. Number one. Kyler Murray is going to be playing on one foot. It seems he's hobbled as, as it's been described. Also, it is interesting to me that Gannon seems fairly somehow he's come out of this DeMarcusDo thing looking a little bit better. Is that a, is that a fair assessment from somebody who's evaluating how the world at large considers these head coaches now?
- [37:39]
D
I think so. I think that, you know, you show the raw emotion on the sidelines and then you get the moment of contrition. You get the $100,000 fine, which is just like a crazy fine for, you know, pretty basic coaching antics on the sideline. I think the thing that's not getting talked about enough with Jonathan Gannon is he's actually from Cleveland. OHI and so I think when you look at the way the Cardinals lost that game, you just have to wonder if, like, he has some sort of, like, Cleveland Browns DNA in him that causes D. Markado to drop the ball right in front of the the goal line or the defender to fumble the interception. Like, that was a very Cleveland Browns loss. And I'm sure that's the kind of loss that Jonathan Gannon grew up with being from Cleveland.
- [38:21]
A
If he wins, then people will get back on board with these Arizona Cardinals. And it occurs to me Liam Cohn and Nick Sirianni, probably that trio since Adam Gase gave the worst head coach introductory press conferences. Maybe there's something to giving a lousy introductory press conference and it leads to success. I don't know why that would be true. Meantime, I am going to lay the points. Colts 27, Cardinals 18 Kyler Murray's got to be able to move around that. If he's limited in that regard. I don't have high hopes for Arizona there at number four. No one getting real loud about the Seattle Seahawks this week. Gino Fuentes was a week ago after their victory. Now down after Sam Darnold threw the game away on his side of the field against Tampa Bay. Beautiful matchup though, I think we can agree. There they are at the Jacksonville Jaguars, fresh off their big win. Jags are laying a point and a half. Total is 47 and a half. Ben Axelrod. Shoot.
- [39:20]
D
Yeah, this feels like a classic comeback to earth game for the Jaguars. I think you're one. You're coming off the short week, you're coming off the big emotional win over Kansas City on Monday night, obviously. And then on the other side of that you have Seattle with the bounce back win. Seattle coming off the loss to the Bucks, a game they very well could have won. I think these are two like fairly evenly matched teams. And so when you just go, this is such great logic. One team won, now they're going to lose. The other team lost, now they're going to win. But that's how I think this is going to play out. So I like that Seattle defense. I like obviously Jackson Smith, Nick Jigba, Ohio State, Buckeye. I think that this is a good Seattle team. It's just hard for me to imagine them dropping two in a row here and then what the the Jags are going to be. What would they be? Five and one like that? That can't happen. Four and one, five and like that. That's too good of a record for the Jaguars. I'll take the Seahawks here.
- [40:11]
A
Listen, I talked to Mike Fuentes the other day and he has maintained his cynicism about Trevor Lawrence and of course the high end guys and the high end teams do it again the following week and they continue to do it. But for what it's worth, with the game on the line against the mighty KC Chiefs, Trevor Lawrence didn't factor a strike to Brian Thomas there. The fallen on his button, getting back up, that was more fluky. But the throw he made up the right sideline was for real. I'm gonna take the Seahawks here 26 to 24. I'm surprised by that number being so low. Only a point and a half. Coming off of that win, the Jags seem for real. I feel like there's some bait, some chum in the water out there. I'm gonna, I'm gonna take Seattle. Crossing football America there. You mentioned Ohio State. Very quickly, I gotta get you in on this as a semi objective Big Ten observer. Indiana, Hoosiers, Oregon Ducks. Choose.
- [41:07]
D
I'll take. I'll take the Ducks. I like Dante Moore. I. I know that's I'm coming in here and I'm. I'm picking against your alma mater, but I like what Dan Lanning's done with that program. I think Dante Moore has qu. Probably the best quarterback in college football this season. I. I know the Hoosiers signal caller is no slouch either, but I, I'll just. I think overall from a talent standpoint, I think the Ducks have the better roster, so I'll roll with them.
- [41:33]
A
Oh, Fernando. That was a song by abba, right? They sang a song. Fernando.
- [41:40]
D
Correct.
- [41:40]
A
Okay. Grim times in Charm City. The former Cleveland Browns, or really the Cleveland Browns in their purple jerseys, as I pointed out earlier. Rams paying a visit there. And get this. This is how bad things are for Baltimore right now. They are not just a home dog. They're given seven and. Or they're getting seven and a half at home against the LA Rams. Who are good. They ain't. They ain't the, the. The 78 Steelers, though. Choose here. Axelrod.
- [42:10]
D
Yeah, like you said, it's a lot of points. I just, I don't want to be on this Ravens side in any way without Lamar Jackson at quarterback at this point. And I, I think you take that and then you factor in the Rams not only coming off a long week after that heartbreaking loss to the 49ers, but then the state of the Ravens, their injuries and all of that. Like the Ravens didn't just lose to the Texans, they. They got blown out. I, I think this could go very well, go the way the Bengals went with Jake Browning at quarterback, where it's just kind of blowout after blowout. And so you take that, you factor in the Rams long week coming off a loss. I just think this is a spot for, for Sean McVay to kind of do his thing. So I don't like laying seven and a half on the road, especially with a team going from east or from west to east. But I just, if, if I'm going to take a dog, I have to at least think there's a chance they can win. And I don't see any situation where the Ravens win this game.
- [43:04]
A
All right, maybe this is me being a child or. It probably is. Almost certainly. I, I mean, I. Seven and a half for the Baltimore Ravens. I, I know that a lot of the name brand guys are not going to be in uniform for this one. Some on their way back. It's not going to Be Lamar Jackson, though. I think the Rams win the game, but I think they win it close 30 to 27. I just can't bring myself to, to, to go against the Ravens with that many points playing there in Baltimore at number two. Let's get to the big one now, shall we? For you and me. For me and you, for everybody on either side of the Ohio Pennsylvania border. And as always, I have to say as, as one of soc great empaths, I feel for you. I feel for football fans in Ohio, especially on the eastern side of the state. You're so close. You're right there like an hour south or less. There's the hall of Fame. It's on your side of the border. Unfortunately for you, it's filled with too many Pittsburgh Steelers. But you can go and visit them anytime you want. Or you could cross the border and go and see the city that has all the Lombardi trophies. Somehow the football gods decided to smile on the one side and, and do what they've done to you. That leads us up to here. I don't know if you heard Miles Garrett. You'd have to kill him to keep him off the field. Also, is there any evidence looking at Miles Garrett and his ongoing dominance that it ain't worth paying a guy that level of money in the quarterback league? That's, that's a. If anybody can tell me who the quarterback is who's getting paid gigantic bank. And that resulted in his team being atrocious. A guy who we all understood to be a top five quarterback in the league getting paid and that team perennially stinking. I'll be, I'll be stunned because I'm pretty sure there is zero evidence of that in the 21st century. But Miles Gare making all that coin and it makes no difference for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are six and a half point dogs in Acreshear Stadium. 38 and a half is the total. Ben Axelrod Cleveland Browns fan choose yeah.
- [45:14]
D
I think this line opened at four and a half and I'm not surprised it's trending the other way. So I like my, my method when it comes to picking games is sometimes it's gut feel, sometimes it's something as stupid as this team coming off win, this team coming off loss. Some games I have though like a legitimate angle for and usually with the Browns games, my angle is it's the Browns. I'm, I'm picking against the Browns smart. But my I, I have an angle here and it's that the Browns are the first team to come back from overseas and face a team that's coming off its buy. And so the Browns, for whatever reason, when you go overseas, the Browns just played in London against the Vikings. You can elect to have your bye week the following week. For whatever reason, the Browns chose not to have their bye week this week. So they're coming back from their buy and they're going to face the Steelers on the road who are coming off their own buy. And so I think when you you look at that, you look at the state of the Browns, they just traded one of their starting quarterbacks in, Greg Newsom. This is clearly a team, you know, that's in full on rebuild mode. They just traded their Week 1 starter to a division rival and Joe Flacco, if that tells you anything about the state of this franchise. So I liked this better at four and a half picking the Steelers. I'll still take it at anything under a touchdown. So I'll take the Steelers minus six and a half here. I think this is a I I've seen this spot for the Browns in Pittsburgh and I know how it usually goes.
- [46:41]
A
I agree with everything you said. Also, throw in what you've heard ad nauseum this week and will continue to up into kickoff. Mike Tomlin doesn't lose coming out of the buy, generally speaking. He generally dominates rookie QBs there. There's plenty of evidence to say the Steelers should roll in this one. I don't know man. This I it's an AFC north game and the Steelers are riding high and the Steelers under Mike Tomlin have had a, I mean legitimately since he got there, a bad habit of not putting their best effort out there against bum teams. That's what the Cleveland Browns are. I think the Steelers win it but like most AFC north games, finish 19 to 17 will be your final. The Steelers win it but barely. Last up the main event Lions Chiefs in Arrowhead the home team laying 2 1/2 Ben Axelrod choose this feels like.
- [47:39]
D
A get right spot for the Chiefs and I don't really have this is a more of a gut feel. This is not I don't have a strong angle on this, but this just feels like a kind of empty the tank type of game for the Chiefs. If they lose this they drop to 2 and 4. The the Broncos are starting to click in the AFC West.
- [47:56]
A
She Rice coming back next week. So that's dangling out there. Just get this one and we're in good shape.
- [48:02]
D
Yeah and the Lions have obviously had their own success. I mean this is a game they can't afford to lose. And so I think, look, I think these are two teams that are going to be in the mix come next late January heading in to February. It would not shock me to see either team in their respective conference title game or even the Super Bowl. And so I think you take a team that needs to win, you take a team that can afford to lose, you add it all together. I'm going to take the Chiefs here as I'm typically want to do when it comes to taking the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
- [48:34]
A
Well, bottom line is I'll make it quick. I am leaning in your direction, but I'm going to have it both ways. I'm going to take the Lions to win it 34 to 33. Chiefs keep it fairly close. Not a bad idea to go with the Chiefs. Although last year, last couple of years, it's been a bad idea to go with the Chiefs as a home favorite a lot of the time, no matter who they're playing. And this is one of the real heavyweights of pro football. Hey, Ben Axelrod. Awful announcing. I mean I watch, I check it out every single day. I check it. Great work by you and everybody over there. Thanks so much for the time, pal. Let's do it again soon.
- [49:06]
D
Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Dave.
- [49:08]
A
There he goes, Ben Axelrod. And here we go too. We'll talk to you on the other side of NFL Week 6. Until next time, football Americans. Thanks so much. It's been a thin slice of heaven. And let's go Coach Sig smoke em. You too, Coach Tomlinson.