
Loading summary
Diana Maria Riva
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
John Middlekoff
Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home, where it all comes together. Whether you're a homeowner creating your dream space or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where you'll find the top products by brands like KitchenAid. Visit your local showroom or visit FergusonHome.com and Doug there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this your first date?
John Middlekoff
Oh no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
John Middlekoff
Anyways, get a quote@libertymutual.com or with your local agent. Liberty Liberty. Liberty Liberty.
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you friends. Funnier this week, my guests SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.
John Middlekoff
Where does your group perform?
Robert Smigel
We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tom Boger and Tab Ramos
American soccer is about to explode.
John Middlekoff
The World cup is coming. Ramos sending on Ernie Stewart the chip score. I'm Tab Ramos.
Tom Boger and Tab Ramos
I'm Tom Bogle. On our podcast Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines, the biggest decisions and the truth about the U.S. national team.
John Middlekoff
It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals.
Tom Boger and Tab Ramos
Listen to Inside American Soccer with Tom Boger and Tab ramos on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
John Middlekoff
The Volume
Robert Smigel
Foreign.
John Middlekoff
What is going on? My people? How are we doing? John Middlekoff three and out podcast. Hopefully everyone is doing well out there in the real world. Happy Mother's Day to large percentage of men listen to this thing. So to you, your wives, your baby mamas, people, your own mothers. So it's a. It's a big, big Sunday. Hopefully everyone enjoys themselves. And yeah, we're gonna talk a little football because Aaron Rodgers by all accounts is the two desperate sides are just going to figure out a way to make it last one more year. Netflix getting back involved with the opening week of the NFL. I want to give some props to the Colts lot going on. It's Fugazi Friday, so there was a big bombshell story with a pontoon boat and that'll probably wrap it. That'll do it today. So we got a, we got a packed show of some different stuff football wise and we'll save a bunch of the mailbag questions for next week. But other than that, you guys know the drill. If you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to three and Out. If you want to watch the show, just go to Netflix, hit the alert and we got you taken care of. Other than that, let's fire and talk a little sports with Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Listen, I got married late. I got married at 39 years old. So I understand the dating world. A lot of you guys listening if you're not in a, you know, married or have a fiance. I'm surely have dated now the younger generation. I've read some stories and heard some stories. Not sure you're quite dating as much if anything. Like that means more options, not as much competition. I would get on that, but most of us, once you date around a little bit, you get involved in relationships, you go, I'm never going to marry her, but I like her a lot, I respect her, I enjoy being with her. But we're never going to get married and we're never going to have children. I'm sure a lot of you guys can relate to that. A lot of people have been there and then you kind of quote unquote officially break up, but you still are kind of together because whether it's convenience, whether it's you don't have the energy to look at other options, whether because of where you're at professionally or just in life, you don't have the capability of finding other options. Maybe you're over the Internet dating world, whatever may be, but you're still together even though you've already broken up. And so a one year relationship can turn into like two or two and a half but you haven't been boyfriend, girlfriend, or there's not like a long term outcome that you once originally maybe thought when you first started dating because you realize right away this is got to be a long term thing and you look back two years later and you were together for much longer than you would have thought. And I just think we all know these people. A lot of us have been in those situations and that's what it kind of feels like with the Pittsburgh Steelers And Aaron Rodgers, we, we know they're not going to be together for long. We know this isn't a long term solution. If either of them could find another option who they viewed as better, they would. Right. Obviously the Pittsburgh Steelers in a perfect world would have some young, highly drafted quarterback with a high ceiling, I. E. A Ben Roethlisberger type. If Aaron Rodgers at this point in time in his career could latch onto a team that we went, they can win the super bowl as a free agent, I think it's safe to say he would. Right. So this is definitely a short term now, like the relationship. They clearly respect each other. I think he took pride in being a Pittsburgh Steeler. I think he took pride last year in playing for Mike Tomlin. I think it's kind of a seamless Transition with Mike McCarthy. I think, you know, for a guy that really, really respects the brand of who he's playing for, having played forever in Green Bay, knowing the power of the fan base, and I've been to road play or road games against the Steelers and against the packers, lot of similarities, lot of similarities. They will have no problem selling out a road game. They are freaking everywhere. It's we're going on 50 plus years of fans. I mean you go back to the 70s when they were kicking ass. Well, they've kind of been winning ever since. Not necessarily Super Bowls, but they never suck. This is not one of those jet situations where they can't sniff the playoffs for 15 years. That's not what the Pittsburgh Steelers do. And that's why I think Aaron Rodgers thought he might be the missing piece. Clearly wasn't. They got very, very lucky to make the playoffs. That being said, they were competitive and in theory they could be a little bit better this year. On offense, you add a little more weaponry, you draft a wide receiver in the second day, you trade for Pittman. The defense has major question marks, but we all know how this is ending. More than likely somewhere between nine to ten wins, a first round exit, and then next year Aaron Rodgers will retire and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the unenviable position of trying to find a franchise quarterback. When you're Drafting at pick 20, it's not easy, which is one of their bigger problems. I'm very anti tanking, I really am. Because the business model for the NBA or for baseball is the inventory that is the six month regular season. If your regular season is meaningless, we don't have to pay attention Now. I love sports, it's my chosen profession. So as a guy that doesn't really watch any NBA basketball. I will pay attention to the playoffs, gamble on a little bit and enjoy it. But most of the consumer once they leave talk to anyone in any industry, they typically don't come back or it's not easy to get them back. So the like I'm not pro tanking but every once in a while having a disastrous season and leading you look at the Raiders the difference from them having this disastrous season and some of the other teams like the Cardinals who were bad as well. Like one game can be the difference of a one quarterback draft. Less sneed would tell you it was a two. I'd be willing to argue with him but you know he's super bowl champ. I'm not that being said, I just couldn't have taken Ty Simpson in the first round. But that's neither here nor there. My point is that tanking sometimes leads you to a quarterback and the Pittsburgh Steelers and their owner has told you they will not do it. Now I also I was watching, you know the Sixers Celtics series do they draft him from Baylor is incredible. I mean it's like they tanked last year and they got that guy and there's going to be a ton of teams when this draft lottery happens on Sunday. The tanked all season. Some of them are going to be overjoyed and some of them are going to get royally, you know what and it's not going to go well. So I do respect the Steelers for at least always trying because that's kind of the business they're in. And there is no guarantee like I think Fernando Mendoza is going to be pretty good. There's no guarantee he will. I mean we've seen all sorts of guys like this guy can't miss and then he misses this guy. Who the hell is this guy that he's good. I was texting with a buddy today. I said what'd you think about so and so's draft? He's like let's be real. Like we'll find out in a couple years. Like I personally liked it. I like the players but we say that every year. Or I hate these players and they turn out good. But the one thing about the Pittsburgh Steelers is like they're kind of desperate. That's the other thing. Like they're desperate. And clearly Rogers still wants to play, still wants to make My guess would be when this story becomes official in the next you would think over the course of the weekend either Friday, Saturday or Sunday wants a little bit of a raise. $2025 million, not thousand dollars, which I don't blame him. Kind of desperate too, has no other options and it's why they're in this scenario. And you never want to do deals out of desperation. I'll promise you this, you never want to be in the quarterback world out of desperation. And that's kind of where the Pittsburgh Steelers are now. That being said, you know, I think there are a lot of question marks with the division. Right. The Ravens have a ton of new players. Lamar is coming off a bad season where he's banged up. They do have the culture there and when Lamar is on there, they're going to be a problem. But who knows? I mean first time head coach, first time play caller, lost a lot of key guys. I mean likely was Lamar's go to guy in some of the biggest moments over the last couple of years. Linderbaum was a dominant center and you know the Browns are going to suck. But the Bengals are a major wild card. Their defense is dramatically better. And I do feel like Chase and T. Higgins like all out against the Sealers and the Ravens. So you know, you're just, they're my pick to win the division. And I think Pittsburgh's a little bit of a wild card just because Mike McCarthy probably gets undervalued. He's Harbaughn Tomlin with an awful image and like an awful media campaign. Obviously being overweight, I think something brings to the table where everyone kind of acts like he's some scrub. It's like Google's resume is actually not bad at all. It's identical to those two guys, but he doesn't get discussed that way. John Harbaugh just got $100 million and is viewed as a savior in New York. Next year when Mike Tomlin gets tired of doing NBC Sunday Night Football, which I would imagine he'll be ready to coach football by like week six. We'll get $100 million. Mike McCarthy. It's like a three or four year deal from the Steelers and people like what is going on. But it branding matters. It's, it's a powerful thing. As Phil Knight So we'll see how Rogers in this, this desperate situation plays itself out. It was story broke this morning that my friends, my partners at Netflix will have the Thursday night game because remember the opening game in Seattle is going to be Wednesday because Roger wants to go to Australia so Steve Irwin's cousins can watch the game and play a game at 10am over there. That will be at 5:30 at night on Thursday night. Now I think previously Amazon, I remember a couple years ago when the Chiefs played the Chargers. Was that last year or two years ago? Obviously the Eagles and the Packers. So maybe it was chief Chargers last year and Packers Eagles the year before. I'm pretty sure we're both on Peacock and I heard someone say this the other day, is that in five or ten years the majority of these games, if not all of them, are going to be streaming. Like there's a chance. If you tell me, let's say, let's say 2035, does NBC exist as it currently is? My guess is no. I think there's a decent chance. I have no inside information. I'm just basing it on the trajectory of the way this has played out in terms of television from broadcast to cable to where we're at now. And those streaming services dwarf the capital that the people they're competing against and obviously some of them have created streaming services to try to compete is Netflix is going to be a major, major player in the NFL because what has been said, they want big events, they want things that people will go to, right? You're looking at a guy that when Jake Paul fought Mike Tyson or Jake Paul fought the other big ass dude that looked like Miles Garrett, I clicked on. I'm not someone that would click on a random boxing match with Max Kellerman on a Friday night. That wasn't me. Friday Night Fights, even though I'm sure you were getting incredibly talented fighters, guys for those of you my age and older probably remember Friday Night Fights. You younger generation, like, what are you talking about? They also used to have this thing called Sunday Night Baseball that doesn't exist anymore either. So times change. But the streaming services, like, they want big. So what did Amazon get involved in? Thursday Night Football, a primetime game. What is Netflix dabbling in? Christmas, the opening game. 49ers Rams, which any week would be one of the biggest games on paper in the season, especially when you factor in they're both 0 and 0 now. Do I think that they would just buy a random package on Sunday morning? I don't think they're that interested in doing that. But one thing has been made clear is like, you know, Sunday Night Football, they're going to look at that number one television show in America. You don't think Netflix is going to be interested in that? If I was 8, Amazon, you don't think I'd be interested in that? NBC just overpaid the for the NBA by a lot. And financially it has hurt them because they're never Going to be able to break even on the amount of money they spend on the product. Given how many people watch, obviously they can still make money, but relative to the money that they need to make, given how much they spent, most people and you know, when I'm running these circles in Fox, you just hear things. It's not even possible, right? It wasn't. Look who's not involved in the NBA Fox, you know, ESPN seeded a little because it got so pricey. Like this doesn't even pencil where the NFL the number could get so huge. One I, you know, these broadcast quote unquote partners, fox, cbs, NBC. I think it's pretty well established. If they lost the NFL, it would be major, major problems for the network, right? So they have to get really aggressive and kind of rely on the loyalty. Here's the problem with the loyalty. A lot of the old owners who got in the business in the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, even the 2000s, that relied on these people, their kids running now. And what are kids, how do we differ often from our parents? And I see it with my, my parents generation, they were very loyal. When I was a kid, right, we used the same guy to do a remodel that everyone in the neighborhood used. We would use the same plumber for my entire life. We would use the same guy if we needed X, Y or Z. My entire life, they didn't change. And most people growing up in the 80s and 90s that I knew did the same thing. You know what I do? And sometimes my parents would complain like, God, this guy sucks. It's like, well, why don't you find someone else? Because we can't known him too long. He's good friends with your uncle. I hear all the time from friends. And people younger, they will just get rid of the guy. They will just hire someone else who does a better job. My generation is way less loyal than my parents, which I do think is commendable. Like there are parts of loyalty in life that is commendable. But when you're simply doing a transaction, I pay you to fix this. And you either can't fix this or do a shitty job, I have to look for someone else who can. It's just basic economics. Especially now when you're talking the rates, no matter what you're doing for those of you that fly, how crazy is it when you look at some of these plane flights, you're like, I could sit in the back of the bird to fly an hour flight to Los Angeles for $500. You know what Should. Should I just drive? Right? I mean, some of the flights, especially on the west coast, that used to be 7999 or 9999 are now 350 plus. That goes for everything. You need a new door in your office, you need new lighting in your kitchen. Whatever it may be, it's obscene. But when you're the person charging the price, ideally you would charge as much as humanly possible if people are willing to pay. And that's where the NFL, when they got Netflix and they got Amazon, they're bringing the best product. They are bringing the product that they know for a fact will get people to watch. There was a reason the other night NBC put the Lakers on, you know, the broadcast channel and put the Pistons and the Cavs on Peacock. They went all in on the big brand that they know can get someone like me. A casual Lakers move me. Just like the Yankers, Yankees move me. The Detroit Pistons will not, not in 2026. Maybe with Isaiah Thomas back with the Bad Boys if I was old enough. Maybe with Rip Hamilton and some of that crew back in the mid-2000s. Not this group. Not that I don't respect him. Clearly. Pretty good. Had an unbelievable season. You ain't getting me to click on that game. But the other game, I'm coming and they know that and Netflix knows that when it comes to the NFL. And that is the NFL's great advantage with the streamers. I don't think these other sports can draw an audience, not even near what they can with just a random regular season game. I would be stunned if Amazon ever truly admitted like this is how many people are watching some of these regular season games because they, they truly have the data and for how long they were watching. My guess is the numbers would not be great now. Adam silver in the NBA, they don't give a shit. Money's guaranteed for next 10 years. The players don't give a shit if I'm a good player. I'm making 30, 40, 50, 60, 70k or million, not K. They wouldn't get out of bed for 70k. But I just, I'm excited where this going. It doesn't bother me. I do understand some people, especially an older generation, it's is a lot more challenging, right. There was once upon a time
Robert Smigel
you
John Middlekoff
could sit there with your remote and just flip around. Now not everything was there, right. I remember being a kid, we couldn't even get cable where I lived. So while all my friends had cables in the mid to late 90s, we just had the main channels NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and like the Local 31 or the Sacramento Kings games would be played and some San Francisco Giants games would be played, but not all of them. But if I wanted to change the channel, I just hit a button and then we finally, because my dad had had enough, he knew everyone he knew at cable television, we had to buy a dish which was like the size of a home on top of our home. Now, it was sick though, you know, it was, you know, dish tv. We, we got the packages. It was badass. But you, you didn't. You just up and down now, like, I got to go in and out of apps. It becomes a little more cumbersome than the old school quote unquote cable bundle that everyone complained about toward the end. Like, you're getting screwed. You're getting screwed. I was never getting screwed because I was watching the sporting events which the people that just watched the History Channel were help subsidizing me to watch. We were both paying for it, but only I was watching it. Netflix doesn't care, right? Whether they know a large percentage. You know, let's say 20 million people will come to watch Niners Rams, but they know other people will come to watch the Love island reunion or how to kill 17 people on four different culdes acts. Somehow my wife loves these shows. She will not watch a show with like Navy Seals or like Marines or just like army type shows. Just your classic, just shoot them up. Like what I love, like, that's my favorite type of movie. Just a, just an old school action movie where people just get shot. You know, John Wick type movies like that. At the core, that's what I don't even need a great storyline. Just give me nonstop action and people getting killed. She can't watch it. She can watch a documentary where a person actually dismembered an entire cul de sac and hid their body parts across three different states. And she's just glued. She's like, isn't this cool? I'm like, this is disturbing. I don't fucking want to watch this nut job. But those get played a lot in my home. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock, BET Florida's sports book. Love these guys. Obviously we talk football on the show, but the NBA playoffs is heating up. So with all these win or go home game sevens, these new series starting anytime you want to get a little action, Joel Embiid to get a triple double shade to score 40. You name it, you got it. Same game parlays, easy to build all playoff long. And if you're a little late, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet lets you live bet all game long. Try your first bet on Hard Rock Bet today and you can score 150 in bonus bets. If you win, just place a five dollar bet and if it hits, you get not only your winnings but an extra 150 in bonus bets. And sure, Hard Rock is Florida's only legal sportsbook, but you don't have to be in Florida to join the party. Hard Rock Bed is also live in Arizona, Ohio, Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan. Download the Hard Rock Bet app now and let's get the party started Payable and bonus bets Not a cash offer Offered by Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. You must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-833-PLAY-WISE in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home. Whether you're a homeowner creating your dream space or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where it all comes together. Ferguson Home is designed for the way want to shop. Experience today's top products by brands like KitchenAid first hand by visiting a Ferguson Home showroom where you'll explore stunning displays featuring today's latest products and innovations, or browse their extended selection of products online. Ferguson Home understands that every project is made up of countless decisions, and that's why their expert consultants are committed to helping homeowners, builders, contractors and designers bring all the details together. You can count on support from them start to finish, from choosing the right products to coordinating deliveries with your project schedule. Book a one on one consultation at your local Ferguson Home showroom or shop online@fergusonhome.com whether you're working on a new kitchen, a new bathroom or a whole home remodel, you'll find the latest designs and technologies from the brands you trust at Ferguson Home.
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL Late night Comedy guide not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends Me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an Acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group?
John Middlekoff
The worst?
Robert Smigel
Yeah, Me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation?
John Middlekoff
The Yardbirds. Right? That's the name.
Robert Smigel
The Harvard Yard. But they're open. If you have a name suggestion, we're open. Since you guys are middle aged, one erection, listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
John Middlekoff
Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
Hey, everyone, it's Ryder Strong and Will Friedle from Pod meets World. And now the Pod meets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality tv, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, Traitors. And we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So, yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survival Survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just gonna remind you, I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough.
John Middlekoff
Did people not like. Like what? Yeah, just because we.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season, from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha who ha ha oo ha.
John Middlekoff
Ooh. Again, we are experts.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
So make sure to tune into Pod meets Twirl for all our Survivor friends. 50 takes. Listen to Pod Meets Twirl on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
John Middlekoff
The other thing is, I remember I talked to John Schneider a little bit before the draft on the phone and it's kind of crazy. Like he doesn't, you know, the, the, the team is being sold. He doesn't even know who's he's going to work for. Now, a lot of times when businesses are sold, right, you get new ownership. I don't care what you do, whether you work in radio, whether you work at like a H vac company, whatever, things can change and things can change fast. I would say if I'm John Schneider and I'm Mike McDonald, I feel pretty good. Like I feel great about my lot and land and worst case scenario, even if I didn't hit it off with the owner and for whatever reason he just couldn't stand my guts, I'd have half the league lined up to make me the highest paid GM in the league. So he is Completely fine. But it's got to be a weird feeling like I've worked for the Allen family my entire career as the GM here and now, I don't know. And there was a report that Zuckerberg might take over, which I actually think would be incredible for John Snyder and Mike McDonald. This is a guy, they've taken over big companies and they've seen them fail and they've seen them work well, if I told you you could get a $10 billion asset, maybe 11, maybe 12, who knows how much it ends up going for? And you already have the management in place and the two most important positions who are elite at their job, it'd be a no brainer. Oh, this is also the guy that's given out like $100 million contracts to some like 25 year old at Berkeley to come run as AI and not just one individual like countless. Zuckerberg throws around money like it's falling out of his ass because it kind of is. I was like that. I would be very interested if I was Schneider and Mike McDonald about making that guy the owner. By all accounts he's not going to be. It doesn't feel like Bezos is that involved. He's too busy running around with Tony Gonzalez's ex who's now Bezos wife. But two names that I saw were Wick Grossman and he kind of has a group that he's the guy that used to own the Celtics and then his dad sold to the new guy who's kind of going cheaper and gotten rid of some guys, which I would have a philosophy a lot like college football that I would want my owner to live in the area. Like you don't necessarily need to live in the town, but in the general area. Right. I think Steve Ballmer still lives in Seattle. I'm sure he has a sweet house somewhere in la. He also can afford by far the best jet and probably get hour 45 minutes with how fast he's going up in the sky, you know, so it's. There are people that have hour 45 commit, you know, commute in Los Angeles going 30 miles. So like I can live with that. As long as you live in the coast in the area. I'm not sure. Clark Hunt lives full time in Kansas City, but He's a Dallas Fort Worth guy. P.J. pretty quick, right? Ideally you get Jeffrey Lurie lives in Philadelphia. John Morra lives in probably Hoboken or wherever the hell he lives. Robert Kraft lives in the area. That's perfect. Best case, Joe Lacob lives In the bay area, right. Dr. Buss forever lived in LA with all the Playmates. That's what I would want. So the other name that's in the mix, and I think the NFL is big on this because I would be if I was Roger. All the other owners, and this goes for the Commish too. None of these leagues, especially the NBA, the NFL are going to do what the PGA Tour did and hire an outsider. Right? And if you do hire an outsider, like the PJ Tour did, you're taking them from the NFL. You're not hiring a guy just from like the finance world. You want people that are in house. Too much money in the line, too much shady going on. So I think typically when these ownership deals happen, in a perfect world, the NFL would sell a team to a minority owner. Jimmy Haslam was a minority owner for the Steelers. I think Dave Tepper was a minority owner for the Steelers. Like that is an ideal transition to sell to a guy who's already in the league, who already kind of understands the landscape. Look at Adam Silver and Roger Goodell. Those guys were the number twos when they took over. It didn't make sense to go hire some guy outside when you got way too much going on. This is a country club and there's a small, small percentage of really rich people that are only allowed in. So this dude Vanad, I've never heard of him or met the guy. I guess he's a minority owner with the 49ers. He's a big Silicon Valley venture capitalist, finance guy, probably got a lot of cash. I think that would make more money. Unless, I don't know, something about Whit Gross back and he lives in Seattle because at least this guy's on the West Coast. Pretty easy for him to get a sweet pad up in Bellevue and go back and forth on a PJ. Especially if you're rich enough to buy a 1012 billion dollar team. You got a jet that Hall's ass. So, you know, this is, this is exactly a David Tepper situation, it looks like. But you're getting a guy that has been a part of it and also has seen Seattle kick their ass. But it doesn't really feel like. Here's the other problem. Once you start talking these valuations, how many people can afford to do that? That's my question, right? Like how many humans in society can't afford to do that? We've been looking at, you know, kind of want to get for my family and a place to hang out, like a country club, join A country club for golf instead of just playing public golf. Some of the prices are. Unless you are a very, very successful older person, there aren't going to be many people my age, people with younger families. Even if you're doing well, that goes. This doesn't make any. This is way too much money. Like, I can't. I'm never going to be able to play enough golf to even begin to justify this amount. Like the numbers, obviously there's more to it. You know, there's pool, food. It's fucking pretty cool some of these places. But you like the money has to make sense. So your clientele, people that can afford some of these country clubs in Arizona, around the country, is a really small percentage. And we're just talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. Once you start talking businesses, you know, that are worth millions of dollars, you know, okay, a lot of firms out there can afford. Once you get into companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars, dwindles down once you start talking about an asset worth $11 billion. What is the list of human beings? Honestly, you can tell me. The NFL is a great business, which is. Is true, right? And everyone always says it's a great business. Great business. You do kind of gotta like sports to just park your money there, right? If I was a guy with billions of dollars, I would probably want to park. If I. If I was gonna have somewhat of a vanity play, I would park it in something that I liked, right? Or I just. I'll just leave it in the market or whatever businesses I have that is making me all this money now. It sure feels like Jimmy Haslam likes sports. Whether he's a bad owner record kind of speaks for itself. It does feel like he likes sports. David Tepper likes football, right. Steve Ballmer loves basketball. Joe Lacob loves basketball. Mark Cuban. Fucking Mark Cuban's one of the weirdest transactions of all time. He's never really been able to answer why he sold the team. Keep saying, because my kids, my kid, Mark, you're still relatively young. You didn't necessarily need the money. And it's not like you got so much money where they paid the highest price in the history of the league. Like he got $3 billion or whatever. The Lakers just were valued at 10, so it's not like they gave you 8. It's like, well, I bought this thing for 300 and selling it for 8 billion. Not. Listen, I'm not one to say 3 billion is not a lot of money, but you're living a billionaire lifestyle while you own the team, which is something clearly that means everything to you. I still have never been able to comprehend and never believed anything that came out of his mouth when it came to that. I've had that one red flag from a mile away since the moment it happened. So I just think that these teams in these situations just get really. Does Jeff Bezos like sports? Because I keep hearing Bezos, Bezos. What if you. What if I told you Bezos doesn't like sports? Like, that's just not really his thing. He's just kind of a nerd at heart. Loves getting laid constantly now with Lauren, loves being skinny in shape, like the markets. Like, it's just. Why. Why would he. He has so much money. He doesn't need to just park it there. To park it there. So typically, in my experience, like, most owners like the sport they're trying to invest in or own like they are. They've liked that since they were a kid. Or else why would you do it? I got to give a little credit. All these teams now do these videos a week or two after the draft where they kind of mix and match what's going on in the draft room. And I'm not talking about a documentary from ESPN or a documentary from these. I'm specifically talking about the team. Team website that now puts it up. The website is essentially their YouTube page or Instagram or whatever, and you can watch just what goes on from combine through the draft meetings. I know this guy's pretty polarizing. A lot of people, Colts fans, kind of wanted them all fired. I do think this series, and I've been watching the Colts kind of draft thing that they do internally for years, is the best one in the league. Their media team that puts it together. Chris Ballard, who clearly just, you know, interacts with them and gives them so much good stuff. Most of these, like the Eagles I saw, they went viral today. And some of it's cool. It shouldn't eat popcorn before you podcast. Bad idea. You just kind of get, you know, that little kernel that gets caught down your throat. You're like, jesus, that was so stupid. But like, Howie, I'm watching the Eagles one. You don't really see that much. I mean, you see them during the draft day and during the draft, the actual draft, but I don't get to see two months before them in meetings going around talking. Players and the Colts now, for years, have given by far from what I've seen, the best access of what their draft meetings look like with their coordinators, with their scouts, them all talking. Now they do a Good job of like, they don't tell the player that the DB coach is shitting on. And then the scout in the back's like, you know, coach, I kind of disagree, but they kind of, they're able to edit it where you don't hear the player's name, but the discussion is incredible. And I watch these videos every single year. And I go, I know he hasn't won the division. I know they haven't been the playoffs in a while. I don't even agree with, you know. You know, they were in a tough spot with Daniel Jones, thought they kind of got bent over, which in fairness, DJs people have done that to two different teams now. But it's impressive. I think he's really impressive in the room and his ability. And a lot of teams do this of doing the cluster and trading back. They love C.J. allen, the guy they ended up drafting, and they could have just drafted him, but instead they went, we got three guys in a cluster that if we trade back several spots, we know we'll be able to get one of them. That's what a good GM does in the draft. And it's impossible to do when a coach is holding your hand because they never think like that. They don't give a fuck about value. They don't give a shit about trading back. If they want that player, they want him now. And they go, what's the extra fourth? So you watch that video, the one thing you can always tell in these, what GMs are in complete control of that room. And you know how he gets a lot of credit for that. I think Chris Ballard is in complete control of that room. Honestly, Shane Steig is just kind of sitting there BSing with Carly Irsay. But I think the content they do and they put out on a yearly basis is elite. I mean, it's from an entertainment standpoint of what I'm looking for and what my expectations are now. Like, this isn't going to be 2001 Hard Knocks, where they just go player by player and just on half the team. That was, that was a good old days. Those days are done. But I, I, I really enjoyed it. Speaking about things I really enjoy. I've said this forever about UFC in boxing in general. Like, I, I, I can't even imagine the respect I have for good boxers, good fighters, getting in the octagon, getting in the ring could be any higher, right? You gotta not just be talented and be in great shape, but you got to have nuts the size of watermelons. I just don't end up watching many of them, right? The, the occasional like Pacquiao Mayweather when I was young or Chuck Lydell fought like Rampage Jackson, stuff like that will draw me the occasional Connor fight. But I'm just not watching a random UFC card. Not because I don't respect everything Dana and the Fertittas have done, the business they've built and how badass the fighters are. I don't know, it's just one of those things that I respect. I just don't watch. But if you give me Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson or you give me, as I saw today, Bob Menery fighting Johnny Manziel, is it a reflection on me that I see that and I go, I can't wait to watch. No way I'm missing that. I mean, that's. I started thinking today because my first thought is, when's the date? When's it going to be? I hope I'm not doing anything because I want to watch that fight. But if you told me, hey, these are two of the best, you know, 175 pound UFC guys Dana's ever had, I wouldn't even think twice about missing the fight. You tell me Johnny Manziel is going to box Bob Menery, which is probably going to be as shitty of a viewing experience as you can possibly have. And I'm. I'm in. I'm not. I'm all in. I can't wait. I actually would have guessed that that will probably do some numbies. The the other thing Is there anything else I want to talk about? Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home. Whether you're a homeowner creating your dream space or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where it all comes together. Ferguson Home is designed for the way you want to experience today's top products by brands like KitchenAid firsthand by visiting a Ferguson Home showroom where you'll explore stunning displays featuring today's latest products and innovations, or browse their extended selection of products online. Ferguson Home understands that every project is made up of countless decisions, and that's why their expert consultants are committed to helping homeowners, builders, contractors and designers bring all the details together. You can count on support from them start to finish, from choosing the right products to coordinating deliveries with your project schedule. Book a one on one consultation at your local Ferguson Home showroom or shop online@fergusonhome.com. whether you're working on a new kitchen, a new bathroom, or a whole home remodel, you'll find the Latest designs and technologies from the brands you trust at Ferguson home.
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan to Bob Odenkirk to date David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Who's the worst singer in the group?
John Middlekoff
The worst?
Robert Smigel
Yeah.
John Middlekoff
Me.
Robert Smigel
Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge
John Middlekoff
donation to the group? To the group, the Yarn Birds. Right? That's the name.
Robert Smigel
The Harvard Yard. But they're open if you have a name suggestion. We're open since you guys are middle aged. One erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
John Middlekoff
Humor me. I need some jokes to make me seem funny.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
Hey, everyone, it's Ryder Strong and Will Friedle from Pod Meets World. And now the Pod Meets Twirled podcast where two men who were completely clueless to reality TV who now have covered Dancing with the Stars. Traitors. And we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So, yeah, now we're experts. I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of Survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just gonna remind you, I have watched some Survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough.
John Middlekoff
Did people not like, like what was. Yeah, just because we.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season, from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of ha oo
John Middlekoff
ha ha oo ha ooh. Again, we are experts.
Ryder Strong and Will Friedle
So make sure to tune into Pod meets Twirl for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to Pod Meets Twirl on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
John Middlekoff
I guess we'll end on the fugazi. We'll save. We'll save some mailbags for next week. We'll keep this a little shorter because it's going to be as we get into the weekend on Friday, Mother's Day. Obviously, the fugazi we need to talk about is the video. You know, TMZ got scooped on this story and maybe they maybe didn't even get scooped. They, I guess they would have had the option to buy it by the Reports, pictures were being shopped around. They turned it down, the Post took it. And it's. It's probably in terms of salacious public figure stories, as good as we've had in a while in terms, if you ask someone at the New York Post, like the traction they get on it has to be big. People text me about it, people forward me DMS about it, my wife talks about it. It's just everywhere I look, someone's talking about it. It's. It's just your classic story that society eats up, right? And the story that tmz, I feel like they've been trying to play catch up. They have the story about the boat that, that Brable took Diana out on a boat. And the, the variable in this was as many of you, I'm sure most of you know by now, she's seven months pregnant. And I was, I was thinking about this. My wife, who's recently pregnant, if it was my son and my seventh seven month old or seven month pregnant wife went on a boat with another man, assuming I didn't know about their relationship, that was her side lover. What do you think you're doing on a boat in the middle of a lake and no one's paying attention? Something's probably going down. I don't think there's anything worse she could do to me. Like she could steal all my money, she could burn down my house. Technically it's our house, but she could sexually. I think she could do other things. Not involving a pregnancy that you would never get over. But I would choose before that. I honestly think that could again, I'm assuming, which I never like to do, that these relationships these two were in were normal. That's just not. I saw this clip someone put out today, the pivot. Shannon Crowder was telling Kevin Hart that him and his wife like going to a, like a nudist resort. And I mean, Kevin Hart was speechless. So, yeah, we just go, he's like, are you having sex and swing with other people? And he wouldn't really say, but clearly it's like you never know what other people are doing or their relationships. So it's like, I guess it's possible, but if you, if we want to make the assumption that that was her husband's child in her belly and she went with her lover on a boat, I. That's just something. If you put me in those shoes, I don't think I could ever shake. I wouldn't be able to shake the rest of my life. I. By that point in time, if you Told me that scenario. I would hope it would be his kid. Because if it was my kid, it would be really, really hard. Because the problem would be you would despise, hate your wife so much. The divorce would be so bad for forever, for perpetuity. It would never change. Like there would never be like you know, 10 years in we realized we're just co parent, we're all good, we're kind of friends. I have some mutual friends. Everything it would, it would be toxic, angry, just despicable looks forever. Till the day they put me in the ground. I would be rooting for it to be his kid. But here's the problem. Someone who is raising and part of seeing this kid grow. It is so hard, it is so difficult, it is so challenging. And I would imagine for those of you that hit me up and go enjoy these times. Because one day I just dropped my daughter off at college or my daughter just got engaged, or my son just went to high school. And I remember days changing like it flies by, which I will guess I will say something like that in 15 years. It's easy to say though once you're out of it, because when you're in it, as many of you have given me, the term fog of war is very applicable because it's a lot, it's a grind. And if you went through something like that for years and then you found out the child wasn't yours, I think after like eight, nine months at the pace I'm going a year for sure. Not mine, mine. Like he's my child. You don't get to skip while I thought he was mine. And I do all this, I don't sleep, I change thinking it's my child, he's just mine. You're out of the loop. And then ideally, hopefully we get some of your genes and we're big and we're an ass kicker by the time we get to high school and college football. But there is no like. So it's a double whammy. Once I saw that, I could never look her in the face if it was my child, if it's not my child, we could eventually go our separate ways. The problem will be though, raising that child, however old he may be, and that I do get a little uncomfortable. It's not the child's fault, it's no child's fault. It's always the older people that in a long history of life, what was the first profession in the history of mankind? Prostitution. I think like second was like being able to create booze. They like Fermented booze off like fire and a wheel. Maybe the wheel wasn't made then, but that time's a little off. But I just think humans don't change, just like animals don't change. We are instinctively wired a certain way. Some of us, a lot of us can handle ourselves, some people cannot. And when you get in these situations, they can't be any messier. And you get in situations like this where it's like we all can relate to having a strong opinion on like what we would do in that situation. And like I said, I. If they were in normal human relationships that I'm in, that many of you are in. I don't really know where you go from here. Obviously you got to figure out whose child it is if they don't already know for certain. And if I found out it was mine, I just, I've been cringing all day thinking about what it would be like being in that man's shoes if it actually is his child and he went out on the boat in that spot. Here's the other thing. Having just spent nine months around a pregnant woman, as the pregnancy goes, I mean we got a little bit of a roller coaster. This is not exactly like the hormones are a flying. We got a lot going on in that body trying to keep this living thing alive. So a lot of people have, I guess thrown out there that they were in love. I think I've never been in a six year side piece relationship, but I just don't know many people. Even the shadiest of people I know that would hang out with someone who was pregnant with someone else's child. Who was your side lover, pretty normally like that's just this story has feels like a never ending streak to it. And this is one of the other big picture problems for Mike who, you know, her life was derailed. It's going to be very, very difficult for her to do what she was doing, which was doing well. I mean she was making a million dollars athletic, she was extremely entertaining. Met her a couple times, text with her like I liked her, like she was cool. But it's going to be very difficult for him. It's like win games, win games. Huge part of football is to avoid distractions, do the right thing, don't bring things on the team that your teammates had nothing to do with. That's going to cause problems. That's all this is. And you never know when the next shoe is going to drop. It's like at any moment something could happen. It's like having a Baby, at any moment, a blowout could happen. Could come at 7 in the morning, could come at 4 in the afternoon, could come in the middle of the night. You got no clue. But you better be ready with another diaper and some wipes. I. I can't even imagine what Vrabel feels like or Diana at any moment. Now, again, they created this. This wasn't like something out of their creation. This isn't unfair. You know, you got to be responsible. Part of being a grown up is like, you got to be responsible for what you do, right? You drive drunk, you get in a crash on you, you're not drunk, and a drunk driver hits you, that ain't your fault. This is one of those situations where you just. I'm prepared for anything. It's hit what Simmons used to call the Tyson zone. That's kind of where at any moment I expect someone to forward me a tweet, forward me an Instagram post, like, oh, my God. And that is not a place where you can function as a football coach. Because any player who was doing that, right, like, if the Giants had just drafted John Middlekoff in the second round and I was a good player, right, I was going to be a starter guy you'd want on the team guy you could be a key, like guard, d tackle, whatever. But like every day or every other day, something happened that just created a distraction for the team. I just wouldn't last that long. I better be Lawrence Taylor. Variables. A good coach, right? They couldn't replace him. The problem is, how's the team going to function? Because it's going to be a question. If these stories do not stop. That is never going to go away. It's going to be the defining moment of the Patriots. As long as these things just come out of left field, they're not even left field anymore. They just get posted. And people have receipts, clearly, because Mike Frable, six foot four, famous guy. Mike, you were winning Super Bowls with Tom Brady in 2001. People know who the fuck you are. When you walk around, you're pretty recognizable individual. Wouldn't call you Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but a lot of people watch football and people might just have random pictures that they just sent their buddies. That's what people underestimate of you. Like, you're at a bar. I've done this before. Not proud to say, but someone in a bar, it might not even be someone famous. I'm like, look at so and so. Look, she's with a dude. Like, what's going on there? And send it to like a couple of your buddies from high school or college or that, you know, as you get older, people you work with, right? It's not, you're not tweeting it or Instagramming it, but that happens all the time, I'm sure with NFL football coaches. How often do you think Sean McVay or Mike Tomlin or the Harbaugh Brothers or Vrabel or whoever, who is very recognized Jerry Jones, you go, you know, owners, right? Go somewhere. It's like, oh my God, that's Jerry Jones. Someone takes a picture when he's not looking and then Price sends to his friends. Like a lot of people don't necessarily post those pictures, but if in like three years something happened with the person you took a picture of and you realize, holy, this is connected to that, you might post it yourself. You might go, if things aren't going well, call TMZ. It's like, hey, we'll give you this for 50K. And by this point TMZ might be like, hey, we'll give you 80. Like, here you go. So this, this is, this is one of those stories, but pregnant woman side dude, NFL coach, sad to say, it's just one of those things that enjoy. Enjoy would be the wrong word. I don't root for other people to have like shitty lives or be miserable, but I'd be lying if when people forward me stuff, it's not pretty entertaining. I mean I, I think that's why this stuff keeps getting posted, because people are entertained by it. The volume.
Robert Smigel
Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Dan, head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs Banter.
John Middlekoff
Where does your group perform?
Robert Smigel
We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tom Boger and Tab Ramos
American soccer is about to explode.
John Middlekoff
The World cup is coming. Ramos sending on the Ernie Stewart, the Chip Stewart. I'm Tab Ramos.
Tom Boger and Tab Ramos
I'm Tom Vogt. On our podcast Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines, the biggest decisions and the truth about the U.S. national team.
John Middlekoff
It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals.
Tom Boger and Tab Ramos
Listen to Inside American Soccer with Tom Boger and Tab ramos on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Diana Maria Riva
Hey, I'm Diana Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic bs unfiltered conversations from night sweats to fupas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me, or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex? Sometimes they say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure gonna try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be? With Diana Maria Riva on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What would you eat if you had to start over?
John Middlekoff
Real simple. Poor man's poor woman's food Black beans, chicken, rice, plantains.
Diana Maria Riva
On the podcast Eating While Broke, I sit down with celebrities, entrepreneurs and creators as they revisit the meals they once relied on and the moments that shaped their journey. Named Best Food podcast at the 20 iHeart podcast awards, the full season is available to binge right now. Listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Episode: Aaron Rodgers FLYING to Steelers, Netflix LANDS Rams-49ers, Seahawks Sale RUMORS + Fugazi Friday
Date: May 8, 2026
In this lively edition of "3 & Out," John Middlekoff covers several major stories in the NFL and broader sports landscape. The episode explores rumors surrounding Aaron Rodgers' move to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Netflix’s aggressive entrance into NFL game broadcasts, the possible sale of the Seattle Seahawks, the evolution of sports media rights, and closes with “Fugazi Friday,” highlighting a sensational off-the-field tabloid scandal involving NFL figures. Middlekoff maintains his trademark conversational tone, offering humor, personal anecdotes, and pointed analysis throughout.
Timestamps: 02:11 – 15:00
Timestamps: 15:01 – 22:00
Timestamps: 27:07 – 35:30
Timestamps: 35:31 – 39:30
Timestamps: 19:00 – 22:00, 39:31 – 41:30
Timestamps: 44:30 – 57:46
On the Rodgers-Steelers relationship:
“Both kind of desperate...Never want to do deals out of desperation. I’ll promise you this—you never want to be in the quarterback world out of desperation. And that’s kind of where the Pittsburgh Steelers are now.” (09:40)
On media loyalty & spending:
“Fox, CBS, NBC—if they lost the NFL, it would be major, major problems for the network, right? So they have to get really aggressive and kind of rely on the loyalty...But my generation is way less loyal than my parents...” (18:44)
On the NFL’s streaming advantage:
“The other sports can’t draw an audience, not even near what [the NFL] can with just a random regular season game.” (21:32)
On the Seahawks sale:
“You want people that are in-house. Too much money on the line, too much shady s--- going on.” (31:12)
On NFL distractions:
“Huge part of football is to avoid distractions, do the right thing, don’t bring things on the team that your teammates had nothing to do with. That’s going to cause problems. That’s all this is.” (54:55)
On the public’s appetite for drama:
“Enjoy would be the wrong word. I don’t root for other people to have like shitty lives or be miserable, but I’d be lying if when people forward me stuff, it’s not pretty entertaining.” (56:40)
| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Opening / Mother’s Day Shoutouts | 02:11–02:30 | | Aaron Rodgers & Steelers Analysis | 02:31–15:00 | | Netflix/NFL Broadcast Rights Discussion | 15:01–22:00 | | Media Loyalty & Generational Change | 19:00–22:00 | | Seahawks Sale Rumors, Ownership & NFL “Club” | 27:07–35:30 | | NFL Draft Video Content (Colts Praise) | 35:31–39:30 | | Sports-viewing Evolution, Streaming Hassles | 19:53–22:00; 39:31–41:30 | | Fugazi Friday - NFL Tabloid Scandal Breakdown | 44:30–57:46 |
The podcast begins with a real-world tie-in (Mother’s Day) before leaping into football gossip, first with Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' short-term marriage of convenience, then the rising dominance of streaming in sports rights (with Netflix taking on NFL games). Middlekoff discusses the shifting economics and loyalty inherent in these deals. He transitions to Seahawks ownership rumors, breaking down the preference for in-house buyers among NFL circles, and commends the Colts’ transparency in draft content. The episode concludes on a salacious “Fugazi Friday,” critiquing the personal decisions at the heart of an ongoing NFL scandal and reflecting on the unrelenting public interest in such stories.
Summary prepared for listeners who want to catch up quickly and in detail, with all nuance and color of the original episode.