Paulie Fusco (2:35)

This is where mindset comes in.

Dan Patrick (2:36)

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.

Paulie Fusco (2:41)

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainer games.com you are listening to the Dan Patrick show.

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On Fox Sports Radio.

Paulie Fusco (2:50)

One more hour. One more hour of voting for most Valuable. Least Valuable. Danet oh, there is tension in the back with the back room guys. As well. Backstabbing people trying to elevate their status, people doing little things for me today. Somebody wanted to know if I needed my car started up because the the weather is getting inclement when I leave here today. So there's a lot of things going on. But you know, one thing that's going on that's spreading holiday cheer. It's a meat Tuesday because this is the last day we're here and until the holidays. We got biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, bacon, hash browns. Who has it better than we do? You can go to danpatrick.com to cast your votes. Voting closes in an hour. Stat OF the DAY brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the Dan Patrick show, NBA on NBC and Peacock every Tuesday in prime time got a double header coast to coast Tuesday. Nuggets, Mavs, Rockets, Clippers, NBA on NBC and its streaming partner, Peacock, which is where you can see this show. Speaking of the NBA, Reggie Aloicious Miller Jr. III will join us coming up in an hour from now. Jason Garrett, former coach analyst for NBC Football Night in America, will stop by in about 20 minutes from now. 877-3-DP show email address dp@danpatrick.com Twitter handle @DP Show Fritzi will have is holiday sports names coming up. Seaton poll question from hour one and what are we going to go with in hour two?

Tony Fusco (4:30)

We got a couple of them. Couple of them up there for the holidays. You prefer to host or travel? Most people prefer to host about 60%. Who's more to blame for USC, Notre Dame rivalry going away, USC or Notre Dame? Right now Notre Dame has 62% of that vote.

Paulie Fusco (4:46)

Notre Dame wants USC. Notre Dame needs to have that kind of game.

Tony Fusco (4:50)

I think what people are focusing on is Notre Dame. USC asked to like, hey, can we just schedule the game earlier in the year? And Notre Dame said, nope, let's keep it right where it is. And the inability to be flexible there, I think is what people are pointing.

Todd (5:04)

Yeah, Paul, USC replaced Notre Dame with the Louisiana Raging Cajuns next year on their schedule.

Paulie Fusco (5:10)

Of course you do. The rivalry is one of college football's top traditions. It goes back to 1926 and so many great games throughout, you know, the decades of this rivalry. USC moving to the Big Ten, Big Ten schedule. And Notre Dame doesn't have that luxury. Independence has always been what Notre Dame kind of leads with. That's their strength, but that's also a burden. You lose USC and it gets a little heavier. You got to get some quality opponents in there and scheduling BYU a solid replacement. But it's still not USC. If Notre Dame wants to be in the top 12, a consistent ranking to get into the college football playoffs, the margin for error got a little smaller because if you're playing the academies, if you're going to play Pittsburgh, you know, you're, you're, you're playing some of these teams that aren't going to jump out with strength of schedule. Syracuse not going to get the job done. And that's, you know, that's what Notre Dame needed. They needed USC still there, but Notre Dame now guaranteed if they're in the top 12, that they will be in the playoffs. So that eases a little bit of the burden of trying to have quality opponents here. All right, we talked about this in the first hour when I looked at the Niners when they had their injuries and yet injuries on the defensive side, their two best defensive players, Bosa and Warner. And then you lose your starting quarterback, then you throw in Mac Jones. Christian McCaffrey isn't what he once was, but he's still an elite player. You lost some receivers. Brandon Ayuk, no show. Debo, you trade him away and basically George Kittle and a couple of guys where you go, I don't know who they are, but you know, somebody's got to play the position. And here they are, 11 and four. Go back two months ago with the Colts seven and one MVP candidate and Jonathan Taylor. Danny Dimes is going to get a Sam Darnold kind of contract here. Shane Steichen doing an unbelievable job. The AFC south is down. They could end up with 13, 13 wins, 14 wins. And then all of a sudden, Colts go down. And then you have Jacksonville and the Texans moving up and moving up quickly. And this is a team that's not going to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Niners, you beat the Bears, you beat Seattle, you're going to be hosting. You have the home field advantage. And keep in mind the super bowl is in San Francisco. Pretty amazing turnaround, but that's what happens. We want to have a statement. We want to make a declarative statement back in September or October because we got it all figured out. But you got to factor in a lot of things. You got to factor in who you've played, who you're going to play, injuries, certain matchups. You're facing this division, that division, backup quarterbacks, and that's where it's survival. 17 games, survival. Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs, by the way, Chiefs getting ready to have a new stadium be Kansas. The emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs. I would just get rid of the city and just call it the Kansas Chiefs because they are moving to Kansas with their, their new stadium. Yes.

Tony Fusco (8:35)

How many people are finding out right now that the Kansas City Chiefs actually played in Missouri all this time and not Kansas? I bet it's a higher percentage than you think.

Paulie Fusco (8:44)

Wait a minute. Wait, wait. There's a Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City, Kansas.

Tony Fusco (8:48)

Yeah, same thing, just different.

Todd (8:49)

Yeah, Paul, I know we don't cover local politics and stuff like that in Kansas City, so a lot of people nationally were surprised. It's a $3 billion domed stadium, 70% public funded, and their lease at Arrowhead expires at 2030. Okay, Dome Stadium.

Paulie Fusco (9:06)

So it's a couple years before they get there. Yeah, yeah. They're not going to be moving for a few years. Yes, Martin. So the reason for all these dome stadiums is just to host like a Super bowl and a Final Four, just so they can get more events in those stadiums. Well, concerts, soccer. I mean, that, that's a lot of money. When you have a dome stadium. A lot of money. And it's not just eight or nine football games or maybe a bowl game that you could host. Usually if you build a stadium, the soup, you know, they, you'll have a Super Bowl. The NFL rewards you with a Super Bowl. Then there'll be a Super bowl in Kansas, you know, maybe in 2030, 2031. Yeah.

Todd (9:48)

Paul, I would assume that the NFL has approval process with all new stadiums that teams build. You assume that, right?

Paulie Fusco (9:53)

Yeah.

Todd (9:54)

Why wouldn't the NFL make a rule that says all future stadiums have to be retractable roofs? Because some of the greatest moments in NFL history are based off the weather. Some of the most tense playoff moments.

Paulie Fusco (10:05)

You're not going to allow that weather in. That's why you have a dome stadium. You're not going to go, hey, it's going to pour rain. It's going to be, you know, 12 inches of snow.

Todd (10:14)

See, I disagree. I think let's say a team like the Kansas City Chiefs and their players are used to the weather and let's say they're facing the Miami Dolphins like they were was it three years ago in that brutal weather, they may say, you know what, we're going to open this thing up because our players are ready for this and the Dolphins aren't and you would have that option.

Paulie Fusco (10:30)

Well, also factor this in. Kansas City was still better than Miami and you're hosting Miami. So I don't know, yes, that was brutally cold and probably factored into the Dolphins, their. Their play. But you're. The Kansas City was still going to beat the Dolphins. I can't imagine that the NFL was going to let you manipulate a game by saying you can open it up, but you know, it's going to have pouring rain or it's going to open up and it's really windy. We're going to open it up and there's going to be 12 inches of snow. I. I can't imagine the NFL would sign off on that. That's why you have a dome to protect you from the elements. You can't say, we got a dome. We're Buffalo. We're going to open it up because we want to have cold weather. Why are you having a dome to begin with? Yes, Todd, but if we're all about the fan interactive experience, so to speak, that we just have a vote and have they have a little electronic device by their chair or something. And if more than half say they want it closed or open, that's what they go with. The people that actually have to sit in it for hours get to decide, majority wins, whether it's open or not. I asked Marvin, when do we care what the thing, what the fans thought. I don't know if the NFL cares. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah, I think the NFL cares. I don't think they're gonna go, hey, we're gonna take a vote here. You decide, right? What, you get in your seat and then all of a sudden, everybody, what, 30 minutes before kickoff? Okay, what do you want? We're gonna open it, we're gonna close it. What are we gonna do? Yes, Marv. Yeah, the NFL, they're like, you're gonna come and watch this anyway, so who cares? Yeah.

Todd (12:06)

Paulie, I'm curious if hardcore football fans, the ones that actually go to stadiums week in, week out, want a fresh new stadium.

Paulie Fusco (12:13)

What? What.

Todd (12:14)

What does it get you? Your seat is your seat. Your view is your view. You be. I think you mentioned before the show, you'd rather have a better path in or out with traffic and a better tailgate lot than all these accoutrements that people don't really want.

Paulie Fusco (12:26)

Yeah, I mean, I've been to the Cowboys stadium. You see the Jumbotron, and your neck hurts when it's, oh, you're like this the whole time. Every time there's a play, then you look up at the Jumbotron, all right? You know, it's Jerry's world, and he wants to do things bigger and better. Me, it's just about getting like, you go to a game in New England, oh, what a nightmare. And they did try to build a little city around there so you can go in and buy like Christmas ornaments and there's a steakhouse and you're like, great.

Jason Garrett (12:56)

Well, that's what they all do.

Tony Fusco (12:57)

I mean, this Chiefs thing, if you, if you read through the press release, it's like, plus, there will be expanded opportunities for mixed use facilities like apartments and restaurants and retail and all of this. That's what the plan is for all of them.

Paulie Fusco (13:10)

But it used to be they were moving stadiums into cities. Now they're moving them to the suburbs.

Tony Fusco (13:15)

Stadiums are supposed to be in cities. Like, the way the country is set up is people are supposed to drive into cities to do things, and then they could drive back out. If they don't want to live around people and they want to live in an area more spread out, then you drive back out to a more rural area. But now we're taking all of the stuff that cities had and that made them great and moving them out to the rural areas instead.

Paulie Fusco (13:38)

Yes, Todd. I'm less concerned about the turf and the grass and the mountains or whatever the view is in the background. If there's like a Nathan's hot dog stand there, or you got Jersey Mike's or Carvel, I'm all about like, what are the concessions looking like? And then I can get around that. All the food chains. If I'm happy with the food, I could work around, you know, not having the best view or whatever or what the surface is, or if there's a roof. It always goes back to me for, yes, the convenience of getting to and from a stad. And you go to a Patriots game, there's one road in and one road out. Having, you know, traffic, the parking, making the fans pay for how much of this stadium. And then you're going to price gouge them on parking. I mean, you know, once again, we've talked about this for decades. When does the fan get something? When do the owners actually say, you know what? We want to do this. Here's. Here's our gesture here, and just don't do it. But we kind of take it. You know, we're in this abusive relationship of, I, I love you, I can't leave you, you know, okay, we need you. We got a mill rate going up here, you know, all of this stuff. But it's, it continues to go on because we as fans allow it to go on. Yeah, Paul, I just think the new.

Todd (14:55)

Stadiums are more antiseptic and disposable. They all look like each other. They're all glass and showy. But I've been to the Cowboys stadium and I've been to Lambeau. Lambeau is drastically better, and that's coming from a Bears fan. Lambo's outside. You could smell everything. And I remember getting food, and it was fine.

Paulie Fusco (15:11)

Okay, but why are the Bears moving to the suburbs?

Todd (15:13)

I don't know. Money.

Paulie Fusco (15:15)

Well, wait, you got this unbelievable stadium. The packers aren't moving.

Todd (15:19)

When I tell you the Bears fans don't want them to move to the suburbs, and they definitely don't want a dome. More so the dome than even the moving. The Cowboy stadium is probably the worst professional stadium I've ever been in for a game experience. Like you said, it's overwhelmingly the Jumbotron. And then they have those recessed suites that you can't see anything but the player's legs.

Paulie Fusco (15:39)

I know.

Todd (15:39)

That is the worst.

Paulie Fusco (15:40)

And then you got the sunlight coming in. Yeah. But, you know, keep in mind, Detroit went with a dome. There's the elements. The Vikings Bud Grant has to be rolling over in his grave. Like, wait, we're soft. Yeah. See, that's, you know, sort of back.

Tony Fusco (15:57)

To what you were saying, though, about, like, publicly funded and privately funded, all of that stuff. I, you know, if. If the public is funding most of the stadium, say in the Chiefs case, it's like 70%, we said. Right. Then the public should get 70% of the profit.

Paulie Fusco (16:15)

I'm all for that.

Tony Fusco (16:16)

That's.

Paulie Fusco (16:16)

That's not.

Tony Fusco (16:17)

That really isn't a crazy statement. You know, like, if you want to own. If you want to put up 30% of the cost, then you can get 30% of it back, but that everything is sold to the public as a. This is going to bring in a billion dollars a year. But those. The economic benefits almost never match the public cost, ever.

Paulie Fusco (16:34)

And you're going to say to the residents of the state of Kansas, you guys got to pony up money. Hey, you want to have a stadium here? Well, that's a tough. That's a tough state to say, hey, you guys need to support. You need to. We're going to pay $600 million. We need you to pick up the rest of the tab.

Tony Fusco (16:53)

And so many of these stadiums, they're owned by the public, which, you know, is. Is great and all, but the team ultimately controls the area through the. Whatever lease they have. And so now Missouri basically has this legendary stadium that nobody's Ever going to play in anymore? Yeah, that's great for the public.

Todd (17:11)

According to the Chief's team president, who was asked by local reporters, the new Chief stadium will have 65 to 68,000 seats. That's down 10,000. So 10,000 fewer fans per week. Get to see the Chiefs in person. Also, the NFL has a rule. You have to have 70,000 seats to host a Super Bowl. So hopefully they know that.

Paulie Fusco (17:33)

Well, they do know now. Do know now. I didn't know you had to have at least 70,000. Yep.

Todd (17:40)

Or the ability to transition to temporary seats.

Paulie Fusco (17:45)

Okay. Yes, Todd and Missouri had the St. Louis Rams and then they left. And now you got the Kansas City Chiefs are going to leave. It's a little depressing. Yeah, but they're not moving that far away. The rams moved to LA. This is 30 miles away. All right, we'll take a break. Jason Garrett will join us. Reggie Miller in an hour from now. 44 minutes to vote. We will announce the most valuable, least valuable Danette coming up. And the most valuable backroom guy. We'll take a break. Back after this.

Jason Garrett (18:19)

Be sure to catch the live edition.

Paulie Fusco (18:21)

Of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at.

Jason Garrett (18:23)

9Am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Paulie Fusco (18:29)

Paulie Fusco here with Tony Fusco. Yo, as everybody knows, we're the host of the award winning Paulie and Tony Fusco Show. Yeah, but instead of us telling you how great we are. And here's how Dan Patrick described us when he came on our show. Quick, knowledgeable and funny. Opinionated. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing? You're interrupting our promo.

Jason Garrett (18:47)

Yeah, he wasn't talking about you. You took those clips totally out of context.

Paulie Fusco (18:51)

Oh, yeah? Well, after this promo, I'm going to take you out and beat you. Let me put this into context. Shut up. Yeah. Anyway, just listen to the Paulie and Tony Fusco show on iHeartRadio Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

Tony Fusco (19:05)

Yeah.

Coca-Cola Announcer (19:08)

What a matchup we got, y'.

Paulie Fusco (19:09)

All.

Coca-Cola Announcer (19:10)

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Dan Patrick (20:25)

Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

Paulie Fusco (20:44)

This is where mindset comes in.

Dan Patrick (20:46)

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.

Paulie Fusco (20:50)

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th Watch the trailer on trainer games.com A.

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New year is on the horizon, and your 2026 savings start here. Right now, you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Posts. It's the most wonderful time of the year, and Valpak is here to make it even better. This month, as you sip through holiday mail, don't miss the blue Valpak envelope. From dining to holiday shopping, there's a sleigh full of savings in your mailbox.

Paulie Fusco (21:42)

Plus a chance to instantly win $100.

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That's right, you can find $100 Christmas cash inside.

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Want to save even more money on what you love?

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Go to valpak.com for local coupons and offers.

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It pays to open Valpak.

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See specially marked out pack envelopes for details.

Paulie Fusco (22:01)

We were talking about Kansas City Chiefs moving to Kansas getting a new stadium and that'll be 2030. I just spoke with a source who said the stadium will be designed to accommodate 80,000 or more with portable seating. Now, Paulie mentioned that it was somewhere in the mid 60,000 that they would have, but you have to have at least 70,000 to host a Super Bowl. What I'm told is the stadium will be designed to accommodate 80,000 plus with portable seating. My source goes on to say Kansas City will host a Super bowl within 10 years, even considering it will be built over the next five years. Also, having written super bowl bids, you'd be shocked how many humans can fit in a suite for a headcount purpose. No problem getting a Super Bowl. Make way for Jason Garrett, former head coach, Football Night in America analyst, joining us on the program. Did you care if you were coaching inside or outside? Oh, good question.

Jason Garrett (23:07)

You know, when I was coaching in Dallas for all those years, you know, AT&T Stadium is a pretty good place to play. You know, I think the biggest thing, I love what Matthew Stafford said the other day after the game. You know, you want to instill a mentality in everybody that, hey, anytime, anywhere, you know, home away, moon, parking lot is what we used to say and you know, just go play. Certainly there's an advantage to playing at home in your place in the Friendly Confines, though.

Paulie Fusco (23:35)

Yeah, I know. We get caught up in the old school, the elements and the cold, and you could see the breath and there's snow and rain and it feels like the NFL is trying to move away from that to make. And it almost feels like every game might look the same. The aesthetics of it because controlled environment. Can you see the NFL trying to shift towards that?

Jason Garrett (23:59)

Maybe a little bit. But I know just being in TV the last few years, people love the images of these snow games though, don't they? When the snow's coming down and they're doing snow angels and, you know, they do those slow mos coming in and out of commercials and you see the snowflakes, I mean, it's pretty magical and I certainly hope we don't lose that. You know, I think so much of this stuff is about sweets and money, Super Bowls and all of that. So I think that's why that's driving these decisions on the league level, on the team level, and, you know, even probably in the city level. You know, you think about Chicago, it makes me sick to think that Chicago is not going to be playing at Soldier Field outside at some point. You know, that's just a magical place. But, you know, these decisions are certainly going in that direction. There's no doubt about it.

Paulie Fusco (24:51)

Okay. But you have to, you know, if you're Buffalo and you're Sean McDermott, like you're getting guys, they have to embrace what Buffalo is all about. Chicago, you've had to embrace that certain stadiums, certain environments where you're bringing in guys, but not everybody is growing up in a cold weather climate. And they're going to Buffalo. You got guys who could have been in Florida or California or Texas. So how difficult is it as a coach that you have to get your players to adapt to this environment?

Jason Garrett (25:23)

I think it's a real thing and you said it. I mean, those states you're talking about, there's a lot of amazing football being played, excuse me, in the south, and, and guys who grow up in the south and play in Texas and Florida and then they go to school in the South. I mean, these are new experiences for them. We've had receivers through the years that you just look in their, the look in their eyes leading up to the game. It's like, oh, God, this is going to be a disaster. You know. So again, you're trying to train them. You certainly want guys who are mentally tough that can play anywhere. But it can certainly be an advantage to you, you know, embracing the cold. If you're one of those teams being get your team to think that way, it can certainly help you.

Paulie Fusco (26:03)

Worst environment conditions that you coached or played in.

Jason Garrett (26:08)

We played, I think it was a Sunday night game or Monday night game in Chicago when I was in Dallas. And I just can't tell you how cold it was. I mean, it was, it was ridiculous. And again, you're trying to instill in everybody, hey, we can go play anywhere. But I saw the looks on our guys faces early on. I'm like, this better go well early because, you know, it just was so damn cold. You couldn't move. Nobody wants to tackle. It was freezing. I don't know what the number was, but it was pretty damn cold.

Paulie Fusco (26:40)

And then you got Matt Lafleur, the Green Bay head coach. Does he not wear a hat because he wants to make sure you notice his hair, or is he trying to be a tough guy?

Jason Garrett (26:50)

Yeah, well, you know, it's the same thing with the guys with sleeves. You know, I mean, hey, we're not wearing sleeves. I'm like, all right, that's fine, it's good. I can see your arms. You're kind of trying to make a statement here. But the goal is to play well for three hours, so you better get the right gear on. I used to tell our coaches, don't, don't be the guy who looks like the Michelin Man. I said, no one layers up more than I do. I got more stuff on, but the outer shell is going to make me look like, okay, this is kind of a normal day. There's nothing worse for a player than to see a coach who's kind of. He can't even move because he's got the big jackets on and the. His face is red. I mean, that's instilling something in your players. So the look for the coach definitely matters.

Paulie Fusco (27:32)

Talking to Jason Garrett. Tune In Saturday night, 7:30 Eastern, on Peacock. Jason and the Football Night in America crew. Get ready. The Ravens and the Packers. That'll be exclusively on Peacock. And then Niners and the Bears. Sunday Night Football. I'm trying to figure out how the Niners did this, Jason. Like, how are they 11 and 4 given everything that's happened to this team this season?

Jason Garrett (27:58)

Yeah, it's amazing. And you know, the obvious thing, it's a testament to Kyle Shanahan and his staff. You know, those guys able to, you know, just overcome it. You know, I think the other part for me, always with injuries, is how you build the team. And if you're fortunate enough to have injuries where you have some depth and guys have certainly stepped up there and emerge, but for them to be where they are and playing as well as they are, it's been amazing. And, you know, I think Kyle certainly instills that mentality. One guy that can't be overlooked in this whole thing to me is just, you know, the quarterback play. When Mac Jones steps in and now Brock Purdy comes back, you know, their quarterback play has not dipped at all. Brock is playing at such a high level. But to have Mac be a guy who could, you know, kind of hold the fort there when he was out, really, really impressive. Hats off to Kyle Shanahan. He's done a great job.

Paulie Fusco (28:56)

And I thought that Philip Rivers has played pretty well. Like, let's take his age out of this because it feels like we're grading him on a curve. But if I just remove that and just say it's Philip Rivers out there, the intelligence that he has to have to be able to get away with not having an army is pretty remarkable. You study quarterbacks. You were a quarterback. What are you seeing with Philip Rivers?

Jason Garrett (29:20)

Well, I love him on so many different levels. I mean, just his competitiveness, his love for the game, his passion for the game is off the charts, and it's been that way forever. So for me, that's where it starts. But he is so smart, and these guys, when they. When they've taken so many snaps, they just see things happen before they do, and that allows him to be such a quick thinkers Quick decision makers and, and they seem to be right all the time. And he made so many good throws, you know, over the last couple weeks, where he just anticipates it and you know that, oh, this guy's coming, the ball's going there, it's out of my hand. And you know, he's defying all the odds because he can't drive the ball obviously like he used to. But, you know, watch that game last night. I mean, he made some big time throws down the field and you know, what a tribute to him. And I just love the look of him too. You know, I, I got such a kick out of the whole press conference a couple weeks ago when they asked him how much you weighed. And you know, go back and look at earlier, Philip Rivers and him now, but still, like you said it, he's driving the ball down the field, making big time throws. The guy's an inspiration to me. I love him.

Paulie Fusco (30:31)

You did a project with NFL Films where you're evaluating quarterbacks. So you talk to Troy, Steve Young, Warren Moon, Phil Sims, Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love. What was the one? Was there a common thread with all of these quarterbacks?

Jason Garrett (30:53)

Well, it was a project that we've been thinking about for a while, and last year we did something on the evolution of the throwing motion. You know, 50 years ago, Joe Namath was the best passer. I mean, it was just this beautiful motion that he had. And I got in a conversation with Aaron Rodgers a couple years ago and I asked him, I said, hey, you're as good a pastor as there's ever been. Give me a thought on throwing. And he starts describing the motion and I'm like, what are you talking about? I mean, it was just from out of the blue. I used to have this nama throwing sequence on my wall when I was growing up.

Paulie Fusco (31:27)

Wait, wait, how did you not understand this, having been a coach and a quarterback?

Jason Garrett (31:32)

Well, he just starts talking about stuff that's. I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like, I like to jump onto my left leg and I like to get all my weight to the inside of my left calf. I'm like, what is that? Nobody talks about that. And he always has a different spin on stuff. But we did a deep dive into how throwing has changed. And it was a really fun project. We talked to all the guys and there's a lot of amazing coaches working with players, particularly young players now about throwing. But I thought it was better to go to the primary source. So we talked to Rogers and Aikman and Prescott and Brees and all these guys about the motion and how it's changed. And then that evolved into the MIS evaluation of quarterbacks. You know, the project this year was a two part series with NFL Films where, hey, you know, this is the most evaluated position. It's the most important position, but it's also the most MIS evaluated position. And why. So I talked to all these guys and we came up with 10 criteria for when you're, when you're trying to evaluate a quarterback. These are the most important things in order. And it was so much fun to hear these guys, I mean, you know, 7, 8, 9 Hall of Fame quarterbacks talking about this and, you know, talking about Philip Rivers. The first one that we came up with was passion for the game. I mean, if you don't love football, I mean really love it, not love the idea of it, hey, I'm a starting quarterback in the NFL, but love it and everything that comes with it. You know, you can't have success. And we went on and on and we started, we went, you know, passion for football, mental and physical toughness. And then who you are, your temperament, your drive to be great, your leadership. And then it was football, intelligent football instincts. And then we got to the stuff that everybody thinks about, you know, accuracy was the first physical trait and then it was armed talent and playmaking ability. And the last one, and it's the one, it's the reason why I think we miss a lot was the physical tools, what the guy looks like, how big his hands are. You know, all of that stuff that sometimes causes people to get enamored with the guy at the combine. And so to hear these guys talk about all these things, these guys who have done it at the highest level, it was so much fun for me. And if you get a chance to take a peek at it, you'll learn a lot about football.

Paulie Fusco (33:55)

Yeah, but why do we miss?

Jason Garrett (33:59)

We miss because we start with number 10. Number 10 is the physical. The guy walks into the room and it's really derived from a comment my dad made to me. I just finished playing, playing, and I became the quarterback coach with the Dolphins. And my dad had been a coach and a scout forever. And we're on the phone as I was going to Indianapolis to the combine. And he said, you're going to fall in love with someone by the way he looks when he walks into the room. And the one, how he throws. Remember, there's a lot more to playing quarterback than just that. And he said, think about all the great guys you've been around and what qualities they had and go back to that. And I always use Troy Aikman as the example because he and I played together for eight years, and he is the prototype. He walks in the room, it's like, that's what a quarterback looks like. His hands wrap around the ball. He can throw it like nobody. But I'll go to my grave saying, what made Troy Aikman great was, was his mental toughness, his physical toughness, his passion for the game, his heart to the day I die. And I can give you countless examples of what that was, and then you add all this great physical ability on top of it. And that's why he gets the gold jacket the day he retires. Yeah.

Paulie Fusco (35:13)

I have said for a long, long time, I want to know if you love football, like, do you want to be great? Like, I have to know that.

Jason Garrett (35:22)

That.

Paulie Fusco (35:22)

That part of it, it's not, hey, I can throw the ball 60 yards. I want to know, do you truly love this game? Because this game is going to rough you up. The highs are unbelievable, the lows, and then you got to get yourself back up. And this is where I think we miss that. You do fall in love and you go, man, that guy looks like an NFL quarterback. I want a guy who's going to nerd out and go, hey, let. Let's go over that defense we're going to face again. Or, you know, let me. I don't know it all. I want to know it all. Like, I want to be a sponge. Like, all of those things. That's what you're trying to find. And. Yeah.

Jason Garrett (36:00)

And think about all the great ones, the best ones in all sports. Was Jordan so much better than everybody else? Physically? I mean, he was incredible physically, don't get me wrong. But was he so much better? Tiger woods, so much better. Jack Nicklaus, so much better. Federer, so much better. You know, it's the other stuff that separates the greatest guys. And, you know, the question is, how do you evaluate it? And, you know, I used to have my favorite combine question. I used to ask every player, particularly quarterbacks. I said, say the kid came from Ohio state. Hey, there's 100 guys at Ohio State. We're going to rank you guys one through 100, based on one criteria, how much you love football. One loves it the most, 100 loves at the least. And I said, we're going to ask your teammates, your coaches, and every staff member at Ohio State to rank you 1 through 100 and provide the evidence of the ranking. And invariably, Dan, the guy would say, oh, I'd be number one. I love ball. It's just a feeling inside of me. All that I'm like, that's not the question. The question is we're asking the people around you to rank you and provide the evidence. It's not a feeling. Love is an action. Right? So do you really love it or do you love the idea of it? And so the best ones I've been around, they love it. And there's evidence all over the place in their lives.

Paulie Fusco (37:21)

Great stuff. Merry Christmas to you and the family and look forward to the NFL Films special there with all of those great quarterbacks. Also, you guys with Football Night in America, Ravens, packers, also Sunday Night Football, bears and the 49ers. Thank you again, Jace. Great stuff.

Jason Garrett (37:39)

Thanks, Dan. Merry Christmas, bud. Take care.

Paulie Fusco (37:42)

Jason Garrett, former Cowboys coach, also a former quarterback as well. Let's get a couple of calls in here. Chris in Syracuse. Hi, Chris or South Carolina. Chris in South Carolina.

Caller (37:57)

There's only one Chris. You're right, he is the goat.

Paulie Fusco (38:01)

Yeah.

Caller (38:01)

And I'm giving a shout out to Chris, my all time number one favorite caller as long as I've been on the show, listen, since 2007, goes to Chris and Syracuse. Big question I always have for you is the mystery behind the backroom guys. Who are they? How did they come? They just knock on your door and say, hey, Dan, I need a job. Or did you know him or have a relationship with them before? That's my.

Paulie Fusco (38:26)

I think the mystery is probably the better story. Okay. I don't know if we want to deep dive on how, you know, we were trying to build this man cave out and the big German was bringing in people. And then you see work ethic. I mean, that, that always stands out with me. I want to know if we had really good workers. And so, you know, he brought in Dylan, brought in his brother Jay. Paulie had a couple of students at Sacred Heart University. We were trying to just fill jobs because it's not espn, you know, it. So it wasn't a destination for people. We're kind of in the middle of nowhere and trying to get people to want to do this, understand what's it, you know, what you need to do on a daily basis. Pride, work ethic, all of those talent, all of those things. And, you know, we were very fortunate that we've had, you know, people coming in and understanding they have to elevate their game to get up to our level. And that's why we have 12 people total on this show. Cody in Texas. Hi, Cody. What's on your mind, Dan?

Caller (39:37)

First off, want to say that's a, that's a fire sweater you got on today.

Paulie Fusco (39:40)

Thank you, sir.

Caller (39:41)

But man, just wanted to wish everybody a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah and tell you guys, man, thanks for another great year. Looking forward to next year, you guys. This is the number one show and it gets me through my day, gets a lot of people through their day. And just wanted to call with you guys a happy new year and tell you, you know, we all really appreciate it.

Paulie Fusco (40:01)

Well, thank you, Cody. We appreciate that. We appreciate you. We get this opportunity to do this every single day. Never lost on us. And that's why I always say and everybody thinks I'm joking. It's every day is the Super Bowl. You have to treat it that way because if you don't, then you're letting down your audience. The interviews we do, the, the stories that we break, the information we give you, you can't take a day off. Every day is the Super Bowl. All right, we'll take a break. We're going to slide into the weekend. Some of the things to look forward to. You have 18 minutes. 18 minutes and then the polls close. Most valuable, least valuable. And from what I'm told, I don't know any information other than there was a whisper going on in the back room and apparently there is a two man race for most valuable. Dan out. We'll take a break. Back after this.

Jason Garrett (41:04)

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

Coca-Cola Announcer (41:17)

What a matchup we got, y'.

Paulie Fusco (41:18)

All.

Coca-Cola Announcer (41:18)

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance, echo, jumpy. Everybody showing that high school pride. Game like this, yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

LG Gram Advertiser (42:03)

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Dan Patrick (42:34)

Ten athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.

Paulie Fusco (42:53)

This is where mindset comes in.

Dan Patrick (42:54)

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.

Paulie Fusco (42:59)

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com A new.

Dan Patrick (43:04)

Year is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now. You can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro raid. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.

Paulie Fusco (43:39)

Your ticket to Big Savings is that big blue envelope in your mailbox Valpak. It's brimming with deals from big name brands and and your favorite local spots, dining services, stuff you're already buying. All for less. And you could score 100 or other instant prizes just for opening it. Or save even faster with mobile coupons you can use right now@valpak.com Valpak there's definitely something in it for you. Let's get to David in Ohio. Hi David. What's on your mind?

Caller (44:15)

Hey Dan, I got three Christmas themed rhyme time here for you. Okay, first one is. First one is Broncos QB and something Santa says.

Paulie Fusco (44:27)

Bo Ho ho ho.

Caller (44:29)

Yes. Yes. Next one is disgruntled Cowboys fan and reindeer.

Paulie Fusco (44:38)

Shay Slay.

Caller (44:43)

Yes. Jay and Slay.

Paulie Fusco (44:44)

Wow.

Caller (44:45)

And the last one. Yeah, yeah. The last one is Cowboys hall of Fame quarterback and something a kid receives.

Paulie Fusco (44:56)

Troy Toy.

Caller (44:58)

Troy Toy.

Paulie Fusco (44:59)

Good job. Thank you, David. I don't know if we should be that proud of those answers there, but you have 11 minutes to vote and then polls close and we reveal most valuable, least favorable denim slide into the weekend. Nothing like Kings of Wine Slider Sunday enjoying the NFL games and you can have that watch party tailgate special. Pick up a pack of Kings Hawaiian this weekend. Giants, raiders, both 2 and 13. Yes, I will be interested in this game. It's for the number one overall pick at least for that weekend. Eagles, Bills, super bowl preview. We love to say that. Bears and the Niners. Bears coming off that great comeback against the Bears and the Niners, packers. The Niners now 11 and 4. You also have the spurs and the Thunder. Thunder 26 and 3. In one of those three losses against the Spurs, Rockets, Lakers, feel like Lakers, LeBron always on Christmas Day. Sliding into the weekend, brought to you by Kings of Wine. Pick up a pack in the bakery or deli section of your local grocery store. Also, quarterfinal odds. College football. Miami is getting nine and a half against Ohio State. Oregon is favored by one and a half against Texas Tech. Alabama getting seven against Indiana, and Ole Miss getting six and a half against Georgia. Gambling. Dan Patrick takes a gamble. Coming up after the show, we'll tape that with Shay and Irving. Bad Larry and Dylan. Let's see Colby in Michigan. Hey, Colby, what's on your mind today?

Caller (46:45)

Well, I wanted to talk about Michigan's head coaching search and how I think they should go after someone who actually has a strong jawline. Because if you think about it, a lot of these good coaches, they a lot of times have really strong jawlines. Jim Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Nick Sirianni, Urban, Marcus Freeman. You know, there seems to be a correlation with that.

Paulie Fusco (47:05)

Well, then I would reach out to Bill Cower if I were you, Colby. He's first team. First team all. Jawline. Him and Don Shula. First team all, Joel.

Caller (47:14)

Oh, absolutely. Andy Reid, though. Mike Holmgram. They just might be outliers. They don't have it, but they, they, they fall into the category.

Paulie Fusco (47:23)

So it's all good. All right, well, thank you, Colby. It's going to come down to who has it. Can you tell me why you hired this coach? Great job. Richie in Wisconsin. Hi, Richie. What's on your mind today?

Caller (47:35)

Hi, Dan. Thanks for taking my call. I had a question for you and then just a comment. I just wanted to know which one of the Dan that's has been with you the longest. And also I wanted to tell you that I got sober in 2000, and one of the biggest things that actually kept me sober was I remember hearing Seaton's laugh just via the radio, and I thought this was so funny. I've got to figure out a little bit more about these guys and what they're doing, but I learned that this was the best show. And I liked the fact that it came on in the morning and it was the only thing that would make me stay sober. After he started watching and listening, like, around 2009, knew that if I went out and drank that I would miss the morning and I'd not get to see or hear you guys. So I stayed sober and spent 25 years. And I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do and for all that you guys have put together. Merry Christmas to y'.

Paulie Fusco (48:32)

All.

Caller (48:33)

Thanks again.

Paulie Fusco (48:33)

Thank you for sharing your story, Richie. It's a wonderful story. When I listen to Fritzi, he makes me want to drink, though. So it's the holidays still. No. I'm very lucky to have Fritzi. Fritz, he's been with me longer than everybody else. I was with him when I was doing SportsCenter. He was booking guests when I was doing the 6 o' clock sports center. Paulie has been with me for almost the same amount of time. Seaton and. And then Marvin. But Fritz, he is always. He's a constant in my life.

Todd (49:07)

Like a rock in your shoe.

Paulie Fusco (49:09)

Against your better judgment, you're hung in there. No, I'm very lucky to have you. Very lucky. You. You care. Your passion, you care. And that's. That's the start of a great worker. You know when you have those traits, and you certainly have that now. You said that Marvin didn't have those traits. He's working on it. Okay. He's really improved. Damn. I was trying. I see. I see this hope there. Yes.

Todd (49:32)

Paulie, polls are still open off that speech. You're gonna get a bump for it.

Paulie Fusco (49:36)

We have six minutes. Six minutes.

Tony Fusco (49:38)

And I've been with Dan for about 21 years, so it's not. It's not like it was yesterday.

Paulie Fusco (49:45)

We are going to have some steak and eggs, I believe, coming up at the top of the hour, we're going to do a little brunch here. And we will announce the most valuable, least valuable Danette and the most valuable backroom guy and Todd's holiday names. Oh, my God. And Reggie Miller. Final hour on the way.

LG Gram Advertiser (50:06)

Did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025 thin and ultra lightweight. The LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops for with Windows 11 PCMag Reader's Choice. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Dan Patrick (50:37)

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

Paulie Fusco (50:56)

This is where mindset comes in.

Dan Patrick (50:57)

Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.

Paulie Fusco (51:02)

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com A new.

Dan Patrick (51:07)

Year is on the horizon, and your 2026 savings start here. Right now. You can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at this special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the post at CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night.

Paulie Fusco (51:51)

And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded.

Dan Patrick (51:54)

It matters that some CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit us@cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.

Paulie Fusco (52:17)

Your ticket to Big Savings is that big blue envelope in your mailbox, Valpak. It's brimming with deals from big name brands and your favorite favorite local spots, dining services, stuff you're already buying, all for less. And you could score $100 or other instant prizes just for opening it. Or save even faster with mobile coupons you can use right now@valpak.com Valpak there's definitely something in it for you.

Dan Patrick (52:46)

This is an iHeart podcast.

Paulie Fusco (52:49)

Guaranteed Human.