← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
3 & Out - Aaron Rodgers update, Deion wants to play more, Happy Gilmore trailer
01:11:31
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- [00:00]
John Middlekauff
AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further, faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile Keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Cart has no cash access and expires in six months we live in a.
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Jeremy Hobson
Divided country and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:39]
John Middlekauff
The Volum what is going on everybody? How are we doing? John Middlekop three and out podcast back at it again. Rogers starting to piss off people that aren't even on his team yet. Cam Hayward had some comments and I don't know about you but getting tired of this story so we will dive into that. Some stuff going on in the college football world. Deion Sanders wants to play another team in the spring game. Belichick frolicking along the beach, deeply in love and Happy Gilmore 2 is about to be released on Netflix as well as a long mailbag at John Middlekopf. At John Middlekopf is the Instagram fire in those dms. We will do a mailbag today and do another one tomorrow. We got a lot of mailbag questions so keep firing in those DMS and we'll just keep plugging along the draft. About a month away. Over a month away. Month and a couple weeks. So kind of that that downtime when you know, guys are taking visits pro days are wrapping up. By the end of the month, all these teams will be kind of reconvening at their home bases and sitting their draft board and going over reports. And then the draft will take place in late April, so buckle up. Other than that, nothing else to report besides subscribe to the podcast. If you listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel. And can I tell you about my friends, my partners in the official ticketing app of this podcast, Game Time. I looked on my television this morning and I saw that, wait, the Dodgers opening day opening. Oh yeah, they do that thing where they go to a different country and they play games and then they come back spring training. It's like it's hard to follow with baseball, but it does signal that like Major League Baseball in the opening day is right around the corner. So if you want to go to a game, we got hockey playoffs right around the corner, you got NBA playoffs right around the corner, concerts. If you want to get out of your house and go enjoy yourself sometime this spring, this summer, highly recommend it. Obviously comedy shows as well. My friends at gametime have you covered. Easiest app I've ever used and I know a lot of you listening have used it and have recommended it to others. Keep doing that. We're big grassroots movement here. But I promise you this, sometimes we just need to get out of the house, whether it's our wife, whether it's a buddy and just go do something fun. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use the code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem the code John for $20 off. Download the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. Aaron freaking Rogers. I'd say it feels like we're coming down the home stretch, but I would not be confident saying that out loud. One thing is clear as this is starting to bleed into his potential future teammates, where Cam Hayward, who has actually been on this podcast before, absolute stud, made some comments today. He's clearly tired of it because it does feel it's one thing if you're the New York Giants and you are completely desperate for what else are you going to do? You literally have no options. Not that the Steelers have a lot of options because they don't either. But it does feel like wait, this franchise, we're waiting and begging on this 41 year old guy to make a decision where it feels like he's actually begging for Kevin O'Connell to give him a call. My overall take is this is one story that I'm sorry, I'm kind of out on. Like I just don't care that much about. I, I, I'm sad. It hurts me to admit this, but Maria loves some shows on Bravo. Southern Charm, Southern hospitality, Summer House. And I'd be lying if I said that I didn't get into parts of those shows and get, I don't want to say enjoy them, but did watch a lot of them. Then there got to a point almost like a line of diminishing returns that I was like, I can't do this anymore. The same people have been on the same shows for years. It's one thing when you're 28, when you're 24, when you're 30 and you are making money on television. Some of these people like 45 years old. There are pregnant women on this show. I can't, I can't take this seriously. I feel like I'm getting dumber consuming this content. And I knew she had lost me when she had rewound something I had already seen. I'm like, I, I can't rewatch this for a second time. I am going to lose my mind. That's what I feel like with this Aaron Rodgers situation. We are discussing a 41 year old over the hill, not that good play of a player anymore. And listen, I have beat the drum for years of like honestly I think like Aaron Rodgers underrated. I think he's easily one of the best players in any sport I've ever witnessed and the stuff he did in his prime for Green Bay. But even those couple years with LaFleur, it's like this guy I don't even think gets his proper due. Now we can nitpick some of his performances in the playoffs. Not all of his fault, the defense let him down but and I often thought some of the controversies with him like I think a lot of people agreed with his stance when it came to getting the jab. I don't think he was alone. And I'm not even talking about the general public, I'm talking about the players, the coaches. Don't act like he was some outlier, you know. Now once you start getting to the ayahuasca, the darkness retreat. I try to be open minded. I'm all about trying to have some self improvement. So if taking some drugs out in the wilderness, sitting in a room with no light helps you find some mental clarity. Listen for each his own. And listen we, we've all, I don't care who you are. This notion that all of our families are like each other's. Like, all of our families have different elements of being batshit crazy. And clearly Roger's situation has been a driving force of the conversation. I. I showed Maria the clip of I didn't watch the Netflix documentary, but like, the preview where Jordan had put out the plate, it's like, Like, I'm sorry. It's easy to point the finger at Rogers. I don't know all the information that happened here, but that was whack job behavior by his family to do that on national television. So I supported him there. Like, that's like, I'm pointing the finger at brother and parents on that one. But like, this situation now, like, what are we talking about? Sam Darnold and Geno Smith just had a dramatically stronger market than this guy. At least we can all acknowledge, like, Russell Wilson is kind of an irrelevant player now. He just does not matter to the landscape of the league. It does feel like we're still holding on to Rogers. It's like, could he. The Steelers, could he? Could he what? Throw some touchdowns? Sure. Would they be good with him? No, they would not. At 41 years old, he doesn't want to get hit playing in the cold like, it ain't going to work. And I just think this story, I get it, he's one of the most famous players in an era where the NFL has never been more popular. He's definitely one of the bigger names in all of sports. But I do believe this, and this happened to the NBA. Like, the biggest stories in the NBA the last couple years have nothing to do with basketball. Right? And listen, having transactions be a big part of your league is not always a bad thing. We talk a lot about trades and draft picks and signings in football, but when that is the defining attribute of your league, you have a big problem. And when you talk about the NBA, like, what are the biggest things that happen? They're always like trades or Stephen A. And LeBron yelling at each other. It's never like, hey, do you see that fourth quarter of the warriors and the Nuggets? No one gives a fuck. And that that is a problem. Luckily for the NFL, they still hang their hat on the games. Now it's obviously the spring and football is not coming back for five or six months. So this is all we have to talk about are transactions. But it does feel like we've crossed the line of. I don't know if most people care about this story because I know me personally, I do this for a living. And I'm like, I don't give a shit. I understand where Cam Hayward's from. Like, I'm tired of talking about come or don't come, but, like, stop asking us all about it. Make your fucking decision now. I think there's an element in. Diana Rossini has reported about this. Like, is he just waiting for Minnesota to call him? I think it's a pretty big risk for Minnesota to go down that road, but I also think that just going with JJ also is a big risk. Like, that could be a disaster. Very possible. This notion that he's just some plug and play and they're going to keep kicking ass, like, that's not the way football works. Especially for a guy that's never thrown more than 22 touchdowns in college, all of a sudden is going to carry an offense. I don't know. I would pump the brakes on being confident on that one, especially coming off a couple injuries when he's really skinny. That is why I'm sure they're having these discussions. But this discussion about, like, could he save the Steelers or what could he do with the Giants? Like, nothing. He's not going to do anything. Speaking of a guy that, I think once upon a time, a lot of people just thought he was a big talker, and they turned out like, no, I'm actually a pretty good football coach. Deion Sanders. And Deion Sanders recently, a couple days ago, went on a rant about the spring game, which in college football has been, I would say, like, universally canceled, which is not ideal for these programs. Partners who pay them all the money, that is espn, Fox, cbs, if you notice, during the spring, historically, those games are broadcast, even if they're pretty stupid. It's content. Guess what? People watch Alabama, lsu, Ohio State, Michigan play spring football. And now most of these programs, like, we're out. And I get where they're coming from, right. They don't want anyone to steal their players. Matt Rule kind of started this trend. Which Nebraska, their spring game, I don't know, gets 80,000 people, is kind of a big deal. And then it feels like everyone else followed suit and Deion Sanders went the opposite way. Not only do I want to hold a spring game, I want to play another team. And I'm trying to convince the powers that be, I. E. My AD and my president, this is a good idea. And I think what he's saying is, like, we will pay someone to come here for five or six days, practice us for a couple days. That wouldn't be on Television and then play in a spring game, which would be awesome. And ultimately, I think there might be an angle here that once they figure out this revenue sharing and you don't have to worry, and the transfer portal can change a little bit. There's one free agency, like there is the NFL. This is your week. And if you're not signed or you don't move teams, you're staying on the team. Instead of all these different windows and this window after spring ball, which all these coaches are terrified, that if all of a sudden they have a spring game and someone sees that my backup tackle is awesome, well, they'll get them on the horn and they'll say, how much you making? He'll say, 300 grand. They'll say, I'll offer you $500,000 and I'll make you my starting right tackle. And that's a problem where most of these coaches don't want to deal with. But I applaud Deion Sanders for thinking like this because it's just, this is entertainment. And I think anytime that you get off the road of like, what the whole point of this is and the reason these networks pay you all this money is people like watching it and it's a really big deal. And college football is currently the number two sport in America for a reason. We love football, but like the current state and the way everything's going with everyone pulling back is not an ideal situation. And someone asked me yesterday, like Deion Sanders, if Deion Sanders has a good season this year and a good season at Colorado is different than Texas and Alabama and lsu, it's like eight wins. If he wins eight games with Shador and Travis Hunter gone, like, get ready. I don't see how some of these massive programs, if they have openings, don't make Deion Sanders their first call. Another story that's actually kind of funny. Belichick, who it's, you know, very public relationship with this young lady who's 24 years old, named Jordan, that clearly North Carolina, it looks like, is on spring break and Belichick was on the beach with Jordan doing like the move where you put. Usually you do it like your children or your nephews or whatever, where you lift them up and they kind of fly like an airplane above you. But Bill was doing it with his girlfriend. And while everyone laughs, I, I also feel there is this undertone, especially from like the media elites that like, how disgusting this is. This 74 year old man is sleeping with this girl who probably doesn't like him except because he's rich and powerful. It's like, yeah, guys, no shit. What do you want Bill Belichick at 73, 74 years old to do? He's single and he's rich. You think he's going to be sleeping with Grandma? Of course not. None of you would either. I don't blame Bill at all for doing this. And here's the one thing I respect about Bill. I would say, historically, rumors in the football world, you know, the NFL is a lot different than college. In the NFL, you go to essentially like a corporate office where the most of the people you see throughout the week are your coaching staff, maybe people in your scouting staff, your training staff, and your players in college football. And I worked on a college campus for a couple years before I went to the Eagles. You're around a lot of ladies, not just the other girls and coaches that are in the athletic department, but when you go to lunch, when sometimes you walk around campus, you see the people on campus, which obviously, they're young guys. There are also a lot of young women, and I have heard countless rumors, some that have been verified, of coaches who were, quote, unquote, happily married, having a side place, sleeping with coeds, and forever. It was like. And I think society was a lot like this. Don't say anything. Keep quiet. They don't need to know those days are fucking over. We kind of know everything. And anyone with a brain and they can use common sense understands like, yeah, this is probably going on. So the one thing I will say about Bill Belichick, and you can crush him for a lot of things over the years, he ain't hiding. He ain't pretending that he's not running around with someone 50 years younger than him. Unlike a lot of coaches who then go home to their wives and families who also have the side young girlfriend. So, like Belichick, who I think is being harshly judged by a lot of people, like, give me a break. So props to Bill for finding love and just doing it publicly before we dive into Laramie Tunzel really quick. I do. I always get scared when a movie like Happy Gilmore gets redone. And it happens a lot, right? We have seen Jurassic Park 2. We've seen. I mean, a lot of movies have two, three, four versions of their original movie for a reason. It was successful and usually successful movies. You believe you can do it again, and sometimes they become a big deal. I would say the most historic one probably of my lifetime would be the Rocky series. But recently, John Wick, they had a lot of success and they Just continued making them. But anytime you get into a situation where the movie was a really big deal and then there are decades that pass before you make another one, I get nervous. So when I saw the trailer today and we've known it was happening, especially if you follow golf, because all these guys were involved in it, given that meaning, the pros. So I was like, I don't know, man. Sometimes just let something great be. Don't try to follow it up. And when I saw the trailer, I honestly thought a little cheesy. I'm like, I don't think this is going to work. And then the trailer ends and it goes, we'll go straight to Netflix. I'm like, actually don't judge it as harshly because anytime. And I think this shows you how the world has changed. You know, before I remember going to Bad Boys 2 when I was in high school and there was probably almost a decade, maybe a little less eight years between those two movies. And it was a really big deal and obviously it was a big hit. And then they didn't make Bad Boys 3 till almost 20 years later, which I still have yet to watch and just refuse to watch, like, I'm out. This one, if it had been in the theaters, kind of would have made me sad. It would have been like, I don't know, man. But going straight to Netflix, like, I will never complain. You can do whatever you want if you make the ability for me to consume your content the moment it comes out from my bedroom. And I give Adam Sandler credit. Clearly, he's done a lot of business with Netflix. He's created these movies. Even if Happy Gilmore 2 doesn't sniff the original, good news for you, it won't. Not as bothered if I just have to press one button while I'm in my pajamas or on a Wednesday night. Okay, let's welcome everybody to Chasing Challenges brought to you by Microsoft. In the NFL, just like in the business world, overcoming obstacles is key to success. Microsoft empowers business decision makers with AI solutions, simplified cloud in data management, and trustworthy, responsible technology to turn challenges into opportunities. In this segment, we explore some of the biggest challenges being faced in the NFL and how they can be overcome. Whatever challenge you're facing, Microsoft empowers you with the expertise to say, bring it on. This week we're discussing the challenges faced by the Washington commanders. Adam Peters, who before he took the GM job, spent years being John Lynch's right hand man with the San Francisco 49ers, was a part of a major left tackle trade when they traded for Trent Williams. And the Niners got lucky because when they traded for Trent Williams, they didn't have to pay as much because he was like retired and he could kind of control his way there. Well, Laramie Tunzel was secretly, because Kasario is a Belichick guy on the block for a while. And I talked to countless teams, some AFC teams, playoff teams that were like, we had talked to them about Laramie Tunzel, but given that we'll probably play them in the playoffs, their asking price for us was dramatically higher than what it was for the Commanders. And what it was for the Commanders is not cheap. They're giving them a third round pick this year, they're giving them a second round pick next year. And the reason that they were willing to do that for a guy who's essentially going into the last year of his contract and is going to want, I would say 27 to 30 million dollars a year with 100 plus million dollars guaranteed. If not this offseason, next offseason was worth doing it for is because of the position he played. And once the Commanders had a really good season, you're not going to get one of the top left tackles in the draft and it was worth the risk. And they have a bunch of cap space and this guy was available, you pull the trigger. But here's the thing with Laramie Tunzel. Extremely talented player, one of the best pass blockers in the NFL, great athlete, average against the run, but that's more of an effort thing. He had 19 penalties in 2024, which led the NFL. So you get a player who's a little older, he's going to be over 30 years old, who has a bunch of penalties and who a team who also has a really good young quarterback on a rookie contract said, yeah, we don't want to be in business with this guy anymore. So the Commanders who now take Tunsil not only have to figure out like we got to get the penalties down and Tunsil in his introductory press conference mentioned that as well. But we need you to play well enough where we are cool with giving you a massive contract. And anytime you make these type deals like the Pittsburgh Steelers trade for DK Metcalf, they give a second round pick, but they pay him a bunch of money. They're just in bed together, they're in business together like this, they committed to each other. This Tunsil thing is like, we paid a lot for you, but there's still a feeling out process and we want you to show. And they did the same thing with Deebos. Like if you ball out, we got no problem paying you, but for whatever reason that they punted on you, you got to change a little bit as well. So it's on us to give you a conducive work environment to coach you hard, but it's also on you to adapt to us because you're coming to a place that just had way more success than the place where you're just coming from. We were just in the NFC Championship game, right? You're a team that kind of fell off the map a little bit this year. So I think I'm fascinated to watch the commanders Dan Quinn and Adam Peters navigate this situation. Obviously, anytime you get the chance to get a veteran Pro bowl level left tackle, you have to think long and hard about it. But once you pull the trigger, like there's no thinking. There's actually now like you're in business with this player and it's going to be very, very interesting how the commanders who are have to be the feel good story of 2024 handle this, you know, pretty interesting situation with the left tackle. So that's it for chasing challenges. Remember, Microsoft AI Solutions empower you to take bold steps and make informed decisions, sparking new ideas to help drive business forward. With Microsoft as your trusted partner, you can navigate your journey with confidence, finding innovative solutions and reaching new possibilities. Visit Microsoft.com challengers to learn more. When it comes to college basketball in March mania, one thing is for sure, nothing's for sure. 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Nikki Glaser
What'S possible for your business Are you up to the challenge? Microsoft is helping leaders like you get AI ready faster with unified data and simplified platform management, unlocking up to 150% improved output across industries. Leaders are turning to Microsoft's AI tools and guidance to rise to the challenge. For the NBA, that means using AI powered insights to deliver more personalized fan experiences. For BMW, it means innovating their development process safely and securely. And for Lego House, it means creating new interactive experiences for people to explore. With Microsoft's trustworthy AI tools and guidance, you can drive greater impact. Business leaders Microsoft surveyed saw an average of 3.7 times ROI per $1 invested in generative AI. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers we.
- [27:21]
Jeremy Hobson
Live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.
- [27:27]
John Middlekauff
You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.
- [27:29]
Jeremy Hobson
That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes but from the vast middle into the national conversation.
- [27:37]
John Middlekauff
Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.
- [27:40]
Jeremy Hobson
Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle.
- [27:45]
John Middlekauff
Thanks for having me.
- [27:45]
Jeremy Hobson
Jeremy Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.
- [27:47]
Nikki Glaser
Thanks for having me.
- [27:48]
Jeremy Hobson
And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues.
- [27:53]
John Middlekauff
Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia.
- [27:57]
Jeremy Hobson
And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [28:05]
John Middlekauff
We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary and what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation.
- [28:13]
Jeremy Hobson
Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [28:26]
John Middlekauff
Okay, let's dive into a little thing called the mailbag. Onmiddalcoff onmiddalcoff is the Instagram fire in those DMs. Get your question answered right here on the podcast. Start with Joey. So he's a big fan like this guy. Are the Titans playing up how much they like Ward to try and entice the Giants to give a haul for the pick. I don't understand how the Titans don't trade back and gain the Giants first round pick next year. In all likelihood it would probably be a top three pick. They could still get a higher end starter and possibly have two top five picks next season. Cam Ward wouldn't even have been a top four quarterback prospect in last year's class. I don't get why they don't budge. Well, I think that assumes that the Giants would trade next year's one to move up two spots and I don't know if they would. So like anytime that we assume a trade, it takes two to tango, right? You can dance by yourself, but you usually need a partner. And I think in this situation, like I think if the giants traded their 2026 first round pick to get up, I think that would be insane. So I think part of the Titans just need a quarterback and the betting markets, like I don't think they're playing it up like they're going to draft Cam Ward. Cam Ward is going to be their I'm heading to Scottsdale for a basketball tourney this weekend. What's the name of the par three course that does night golf? It's called the Grass Clippings. The Grass Clippings. Never been but everyone swears by it, so enjoy. Alex the definition of insanity. I don't even need to read this. Is doing the same thing over and over. The NFL has given us one gem. Darnold taking Geno Smith's job yet again with two more in the wings, Rogers pulling a farve and Russell Wilson going to make Kenny Pickett rethink being a starter. Do you believe that either of these scenarios are going to happen? And if they do, do you see them working out? I think I could see Geno just playing like Geno Smith. He's just solid. I think Sam Darnold could be pretty hit or miss. I'm rooting for the guy, but I think it's going to be pretty difficult given how bad their offensive line is and they just got rid of dk. I think Ross Rodgers and Russell are done. Like it's over. I mean Russell, I don't even think Russell's a lock to have a job. It would not shock me if nobody signs him. He's like, he's like toxic. His approval rating not good. So I have a theory that the recent success of tough running teams like Detroit and Philly is a direct reflection of in Consequence of the spread offense over the last 15 to 20 years, teams now have smaller and quicker wide receivers in tight ends that are offensive weapons in order to effectively run the spread because it's so focused on spreading you out than taking advantage of the space that's created by getting their super quick, extremely agile, small players in a spot on the field where there's open space for them to use their skill. As a result of that, defenses now have to have to have players that can match up with these twitchy wide receivers and chase them all over the field, thus putting them at a disadvantage when they play Teams like Philly that have big lines and big running backs and big tight ends that can hammer the old school running game. Because modern defenses, primarily linebackers, are not equipped to defend that type offense. If more teams now start to copy Philly or Detroit in the run game, do you think we will see defenses rebuild themselves in order to get bigger linebackers? Well, those linebackers don't exist. Like when I was growing up, Most linebackers weighed 250, 260, 270 pounds and their job was to meet guys like Lorenzo Neal in the hole and get in a one on one guys like Ray Lewis. People questioned him coming out in the draft because he weighed like 230 pounds. Now obviously as he got older, he got bigger. But Ray Lewis, the way he played in college, 225, 230, 235 pound. Linebackers that can play in space are what everyone wants. So you go, could it shift the other way? Those players don't exist in college. There aren't middle linebackers that look like Ken Norton Jr. That look like, you know, those type linebackers that fill the whole, you know, Gerard Mayo or I guess Brandon Spikes was more that guy. Like those type players that, you know, probably 10 years ago were slowly phased out and considered two down players, which is stupid, you know, line now because like two down players just meant on first and second down. When people run the ball well, people pass it all the time on first down. It's why you need versatile linebackers, guys that can run and play in space. Even the best linebackers in the league, Roquan Smith and Fred Warner, would not be considered like stack and shed taking on guards and centers in the hole. That is not what they do. So I just think the player has changed, the game has changed a lot. But so like the way college football, they don't exist. It's why it's hard to find offensive linemen in the draft now because there aren't like these teams like Iowa and what Alabama used to do in the first, you know, half of the Saban era. It was easy to find guards and centers that would translate to the way people played in the NFL. It is much more difficult because everyone is running the spread offense. It's why the NFL has added a lot of those concepts to the offense. You know, lane Johnson is 35 years old, he's a throwback player. Jordan Mylotta, they got pretty lucky finding him in Australia. You know, Landon Dickerson's an Alabama guy. So I think it's difficult to find those type players. I think it's easy to go, yeah, just find Jordan, my Lotta and Panay Sewell. It's like, well, yeah, I would love to, but it's easier said than done. I think you're not crazy for your theory, but I think it's harder to transition to what you're talking about. Question for the mailbag. Explain to me, if a college team has many players from the nil, does that mean you have more scholarship spots on the team? If so, wouldn't that be the way to go? I don't think the NIL has anything to do with scholarships. The scholarships are paid by the school. You get, you know, in college football you get 85. So I get the place of my hundred man roster. 85 of those guys are on a full scholarship, meaning they don't pay to go to school and meaning they get a housing stipend. But the Nil is what I, you know, in theory I pay for your name, image and likeness, but it's essentially just paying you to play. So the NIL has nothing to do with scholarships? Absolutely nothing. I see the most recent Kevin Durant drama with the talented reporter Ramona Shelburne. Do you see comparisons to KD and Aaron Rodgers, two all time greats but seem to do their own way. Seem to do it their own way and their back half of their careers have fizzled, bouncing from team to team. You know, it's funny is I didn't see did Ramona and Kevin get into it? One thing they have in common, and I'll use myself as an example, most people in my life, I would say over the course of the last five, six years, are married and now have children in their lives. As you know, up until a couple years ago I was pretty single in my life compared to that other person's life. Even if we're both 34. If I'm 34 and you're 34 and we both own a home, but you have a wife and you have a young child, and I have none of that. Our lives don't parallel each other at all. I can do whatever the. You know what I want, and I do. Where that human being not only has responsibility with a child, but their life revolves around other people. And as someone who obviously just got married and who has lived with someone for a couple years, you realize your life is completely different than it once was. It doesn't mean I don't get to still go play golf and still do things I want to do. And that'll be the same when I have a child, but it is no longer 100%. I dictate the terms of literally everything I want to do. And I'd argue my life is much more complete now that I have someone else in it. And hopefully if it. If my swimmers swim, we have children here, soon it'll even get better, even if it becomes in ways more difficult and more challenging. But, like, my life actually has more in common with most people, right? So Aaron Rodgers and Kevin Durant. Aaron Rodgers, 41 years old. Most of the quarterbacks in the NFL, you know, Tom Brady was married and had kids. Peyton Manning, married and had kids. Drew Brees, married and had kids. Fucking Roethlisberger. Marry and have kids. Their lives, in a weird way, all have way more in common than Rogers, who can just do whatever he wants, whenever he wants like that. You become a little abnormal, especially, like, at his position, like most quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes, married. Josh Allen, engaged. Herbert, no clue. Looks like Jalen Hurts. Serious relationship. Jared Goff, married. I don't think they had a baby yet, but kid on the way. She's pregnant. Aaron Rodgers, single at 41. Never been married. Like, I. I wouldn't. Like, I would have pushed back against this for a long time, but, like, I don't know, man. Kevin Durant. Look at the best players in the NBA. LeBron, married, multiple kids. Steph Curry, married, five kids. Giannis. Married, kids. Jokic. No clue. But it's like you're 38 years old. The other thing is, I was single, you know, I wasn't a millionaire by any means. Had enough money, but not enough to do whatever I want. Imagine being single and that rich. It would probably fuck with you. It would. And it'd be one thing if you're, like, divorced or whatever. Never been married, always been single, can just do whatever you want. It's kind of a weird life, honestly. One thing as I got older, like, you just want, like, there's just more to Life than just it being about you. And my profession revolves a lot. Like the podcast is all about me. It just. Most of our industry is just about you trying to be ambitious. And it's just like there's more to life than that. So I think that's where they really parallel each other. It's just no one else that is dependent on them in their life. Being a wife or a child, where basically all their peers have that. Hi, John Ravens fan. How scary are the Browns going into next season now that they traded for a Super bowl champion? I think he's talking about Kenny Pickett. Seriously though, how stupid are. The Browns not only traded a second day pick to the Eagles for Kenny Pickett, but they also traded their own quarterback to the Eagles for Kenny, who is arguably better than Pickett. Yeah, man, I. I didn't even see what was the Kenny Pickett trade. I didn't even see the trade. I mean, I know they got traded, so. The Eagles announced they have agreed to trade Kenny Pickett to the Browns for DTR in a fifth round pick. Yeah, I don't know. I. No comment. I just think. I think Kenny Pickett, I would not want him on my team. You know, there are certain players like, yeah, he's going to be in the NFL. I would not want him on my team. There are guys like this in the draft. It's like, listen, this guy's going to get drafted in like the second round or the third round. I don't want this guy on my team. Not because I don't like. I agree he can play, but I don't want this guy on my team. And Kenny Pickett has nothing like character wise. I'm just talking the player. I think he's terrible. And DTR is much more, you know, Jalen under that umbrella of like being able to move. I don't understand the Bengals letting Hendrickson seek a trade while keeping Chase and Higgins. Their defense was terrible and Hendrickson was the league leader in sacks. Wouldn't the smartest thing to do would be to extend Chase and Hendrickson and trade Higgins. I feel teams have gotten too cute when making decisions. In what world do you let the leading sack leader go just to keep another wide receiver? Higgins, who is a great player and probably a number one somewhere else. But you already have Chase and need a defense at the end of the day. Hey, I'm a Ravens fan, so it doesn't bother me. But why do you think teams make these decisions so hard? Well, I saw a quote from Jamar Chase. They must Add their press conference today saying, like, we owe. We owe Joe Burrow a debt of gratitude. Him speaking about this had a huge influence. And he's not wrong. He's not wrong at all. So the reason they extended those two guys, Joe Burrow, because it's not the right football move. Even if you could keep all three, you wouldn't want to keep all three. You'd keep the pass rusher and you'd keep the star wide receiver and you'd flip the other guy for a second and third round pick. Instead of paying your second wide receiver $29 million, you would draft a wide receiver in the second or third round, help maybe draft both a receiver in the second and the third, and let the cream rise and pay those guys to combine $2 million. So it's a bad move. I mean, I. Yeah. From a football standpoint, in a vacuum now, when you factor in their variables of Joe Burrow, I get it. And that's why they did it. Their star quarterback. With Joe Shane and Brian Dabel fighting for their jobs, should they consider trading for a guy like Joe Milton? The Giants have been involved in a lot of trades, signing talks for quarterbacks like Stafford, Rodgers and Wilson. It leads me to think they aren't super high on Shador Sanders. If they aren't high on Sanders and can't land somebody like Rogers, who else could you find to excite the fan base? Giants are fucked. It's over. And I get John Morra not wanting to fire these guys because he doesn't want to look like some loony owner. He should have blown up the place. He should have thrown a bunch of gasoline all over and lit a match, but he was hesitant to do that because he doesn't want to look like Al Davis or something. But, like, the reason you're firing all these people is because they're bad at their jobs. They're bad at their jobs. Joe Shane is completely in over his head. Maybe day ball's a solid offensive mind, but as a head coach, it's. I don't know, man. It ain't working. Broncos fan, I'm curious how you feel about the Broncos free agency picks so far. Hufunga and Greenlaw are dogs, but they tend to be injured. Also curious your thoughts on Evan Ingram. I like him, but I feel like we could have gotten a sweet tight end in the draft. I don't think signing any of those guys limits anything you guys do in the draft. I would 100% expect you guys to draft the tight end. I. What was Ingram's numbers. Last year he got banged up. He had a bad season. He played nine games, 47 catches, one touchdown. Previous year, he was unreal. We had 114 catches and he only averaged 8 yards a catch. To me, Evan Ingram at this point is like, you just signed him because he's a good player and if he can give you 50, 60 catches, you're in good shape. But, like, that has zero impact, and I mean zero impact on you guys signing or, excuse me, drafting a tight end. I would be stunned if you guys don't draft a tight end and running back with two of your first four picks. Are the Bengals serious signing Higgins and Chase just to make Burrow happy, but at what sacrifice? Losing defensive players and maxing out their cap on three offensive guys? Does this make sense to you? Like I said, man, our experiences shape our decisions as we move on in life. Carson Palmer quit on them. He said, I would rather retire than play for you. When he left a couple years later, he was leading the Arizona Cardinals to the NFC championship game. The Arizona Cardinals, who are a joke franchise. So, like, they've had a experience with a superstar quarterback that got really weird and really ugly. And Burrow started making some comments like, listen, I'm not trying to play GM here, but we should keep these guys. I want to keep these guys. And Carson had made some comments like, I was promised some things and it didn't come through and it pissed him off and he quit on him. So if Carson Palmer hadn't existed for the Cincinnati Bengals, do I think that they resigned T. Higgins as well? I don't. But, like, they went through that experience. That would rattle me too if I was Mike Brown. What if I didn't? And then next year, Joe Burrows, like, I want out. It's just a weird situation that. Yeah. Is it a. Is it an ideal team building exercise to pay two wide receivers that much money? No, it's not. Because the move, I think we all agree, is to pay Chase, who is unreal, and flip Higgins. But Joe Burrow didn't really allow that. Now, you could argue, like, Joe, like, should you be chiming in? And that's. That's a fair question to ask. But Joe would be like, well, I just threw 45 touchdowns. My fucking team let me down. He's not wrong. It's like, well, yeah, they let you down because the defense. Do you think the Chargers should trade up to get Ashton Genty? Can I just say this? I. I love the whack, which is now the Mountain West. I root for kids from those programs, specifically Fresno, Boise, San Diego State. So I celebrate those players. And Genty was. His numbers are jaw dropping. He was awesome this year. I mean he looked like Barry Sanders meets like Walter Payton. But doing that in the Mountain west is a lot different than doing that in the SEC or the Big Ten. And he's five foot eight. So I think sometimes when we're critical like this is, this is the draft and I think sometimes you have to have conversations of like, not everyone is Barry Sanders, not everybody is Aaron Rodgers. And when you're talking about a guy, I mean people talk about Ashton Genti going in the top 10. He's 5 foot 8 and he played in the Mountain West. Honestly, I think drafting Ashton Genti in like the top 15 picks is kind of insane. Mainly because there are a ton of running backs in this draft. You are going to get a starter if you draft a guy in the second round, I promise you. And for the hype on Ashton Genti, if I'm taking a guy high. Saquon Barkley, freak talent did it at Penn State. Christian McCaffrey, Pac12 dominated freak talent. Bijan Robinson, Texas. I do think there's a lot of risk involved. 5 foot 8, Boise State. And when I say risk involved, not that he won't be a good player in the NFL when you're drafting him really high, you're expecting Pro Bowls all Star. I'm not as convinced. If you tell me Ashton Genti never makes a Pro bowl, like I think that's believable. If you tell me he's not the best running back in this class, I think that's believable. Like that Saquon Barkley was going to be a star if he just got with a decent team. Christian McCaffrey was a fucking freak. Bijan Robinson was probably the biggest freak out of those three. I love Jameer Gibbs, but like there was some risk involved but look at where he gets to go with an unreal loaded offense with a great offensive line. Like the Cowboys cannot draft Ashton Genti. The Bears, like I think those picks would be crazy. And I like Ashton Genti. To me he's like a pick in the twenties. Now I understand he benefits because he's such a great player in a class that doesn't have a lot of high end players. But I would have a hard time as a GM or a coach drafting a guy that was five, eight, really, really high in a league full of just freakazoids. Hey John. I'd like to suggest Miles Garrett be on the next Fugazi Friday, he said in the press conference recently, I think the fans will know my heart's in the right place. It's never been about the money. It's always been about winning. That's got to be one of the most disingenuous things I've ever heard in my life. Yeah, man. I just think it's at this point in time, like we all know the truth. They and I give Jimmy Haslam credit when he's like, Miles Garrett asked for a meeting with Jimmy Haslam. And then Jimmy Haslam was like, I'm not meeting with you. Meet with my gm, who I don't know runs the football team. And then of course Clutch immediately leaks out that Jimmy Haslam wouldn't meet with him. Of course he wouldn't. His fucking jobs, the gm, we don't plan on trading you. And then Jimmy Haslam gave him whatever $130 million and Miles took it. So yeah, it's just Miles Garrett. His desire to win could be bought and it was. I don't blame him. We all got a price and he just got. Now he was already a hundred worth of millions of dollars, but they paid essentially shut him up and it worked. It's crazy. The power of cash. It's very, very powerful. And depending on who you're dealing with, numbers could be bigger or smaller. What do you think of the idea of the Colts drafting a quarterback in the second round? Steichen saw firsthand how basically it saved the Eagles as one primarily credited with the development of hurts. I could see him being up for it, trying it again if he has lost faith in Anthony Richardson. I know they signed DJ for this year, but I don't really have much faith in him either at this point. Don't blame you. I get that they have other needs, but if the other two quarterbacks are as bad as they have historically been, putting Milroe or Riley Leonard in for the latter part of the season and having them look decent seems like it would be a better chance of saving the Coach and the GM's job. Also, even if AR does end up playing well, based on their history and play style, I could see a situation where both he and DJ are hurt at the same time. It's a disaster. There's no way around it. When you draft a high quarterback or quarterback really high and you miss, you are 99% of the time screwed. Honestly, the only examples in recent memory that have been bailed people out have either been a low end free agent signing Tanny Hill with Mariota I think there are probably other examples as well, but most of them are drafting people in later in the draft, either in the same draft or the next the following year. Cousins bailed the Redskins out when the RG3 got injured. Bro Brock Purdy bailed the Niners out when he was drafted a year later in the seventh round. Dak Prescott fourth round. It's a different situation, but with Tony Romo because he wasn't a draft pick. But you know what I mean.
- [54:10]
Nikki Glaser
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- [55:10]
Jeremy Hobson
Live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.
- [55:16]
John Middlekauff
You know, I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother.
- [55:18]
Jeremy Hobson
That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation.
- [55:27]
John Middlekauff
Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.
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Jeremy Hobson
Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the middle.
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John Middlekauff
Thanks for having me.
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Jeremy Hobson
Jeremy Neil DeGrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.
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Nikki Glaser
Thanks for having me.
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Jeremy Hobson
And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues.
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John Middlekauff
Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia.
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Jeremy Hobson
And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.
- [55:54]
John Middlekauff
We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary and what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation.
- [56:02]
Jeremy Hobson
Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [56:15]
John Middlekauff
I don't understand why the Giants are focusing their quarterback search on Aaron Rodgers. He's 41 look like a shot fighter and he's afraid to get hit. He's also a narcissist and is controlling the Giants operation without even being signed by the teams. Why not sign Jameis for a fraction of the price and move forward? Because the Giants, at least with Rogers there is some hope of like what if we just get a throwback season? He gives us 10 good games out of 17 and we're in competition for a wild card. Even if we end up going eight, nine, our season's relevant. You put Jameis on the Giants, they're winning three or four games and I find Jameis entertaining. His quotes are funny. You know, when he's, when he's playing decent football, he's fun to watch. The Giants would not win any games with James. Now they might not win any game with Rogers either. He could easily do the same thing and you win three, four games. But there is that element of hope. Right or wrong, the Panthers season is on Bryce Young shoulders with the Panthers off season moves. And if Bryce Young can play like he did toward the end of last season, am I crazy to think they can compete for a wild card spot? I don't know wild card spot. But the way they look toward the end of the season with Bryce, if their defense is improved, they definitely could be better. I mean what was their final? They went five and 12, but they were playing pretty good football the last couple months. Eight wins, nine wins would be an incredible accomplishment. Nine wins would be pretty incredible accomplishment. Curious your thoughts on this year's edge rush class? Outside of Carter, is there anyone you have your eye on potentially becoming elite? We'll do some much more deep dives on some high end players in this draft. I would say from a pass rushing standpoint, Abdul Carter is a pretty special pass rusher. That's why I think non quarterback, he's going to be the first player off the off the board. I do think Walker from Georgia, at least in Mike's exposure, watching him play, had some games. I mean that game he had against Texas in the regular season was probably as good of a regular season game. I mean up there with any prospect in college football. I know Tyler Warren had an incredible game against usc. Genti had a bunch of great games. He had a great game against Oregon. But if you watch Walker against Texas, I think Georgia had like eight sacks. He had like three of them. He had a bunch of tackles for losses. I do think the Stewart kid from A and M, I mean physically on paper looks like he should be a star four and A half career sacks that that concerns me because I was taught you either get to the quarterback or you don't. And is there an instinctive issue with him not being able to land the guy because physically he is a freak show. But we have seen a lot of guys with elite measurables and not the production at pass rusher get drafted really high and then not become good players. So that would, that would make me really nervous. Question for the bag One underrated aspect of Hertz Sirianni coach quarterback duo is their ability to show up and win against the best quarterbacks. As a duo they're two and two versus Mahomes one and overs Burrow Allen and Lamar three and over Stafford two and one Verse Daniels two and oh when Hertz plays more than two drives oh because the one loss. I hear you. These are often talked about as the top six quarterbacks. They also have been to two Super Bowls in four years, made the playoffs in their first year and an average roster and had three different OCs and DCs in four years. It can't all be Howie Roseman. How do you evaluate the coach quarterback duo? Well I mean I don't think how he's taking credit for like plays being called but he's in full control of the roster. And then when you talk about the ability to like outplay other quarterbacks, Sirianni is not coaching the offense. It was you know Steichen 2 years ago when they made the playoffs and then Kellen this year. So Sirianni, does he motivate and get the team ready? You got to give him credit. His the team has been ready in a lot of these big games. Don't argue there. But he doesn't pick the players and he doesn't dictate the scheme. I was talking to someone recently and again it's going to sound like I'm a hater. I don't like I'm not anti Sirianni at this point. You win a Super Bowl, I tip my hat to you but there were a lot of rumors that you know this guy wants a big contract extension and in fairness the going rate for a guy that wins the super bowl, you know, let's just pick a number. It's not like Sirianni is making nothing six, $7 million, surely one of the lowest paid coaches in the league on his original contract he's going to want, I don't know, 15, 16 million dollars. Eagles going to give him 15, 16 million dollars? I don't know the answer. Maybe they would, maybe they Won't be fascinating to see. If you're the commanders, would you trade your first round pick for Trey Hendrickson, also pay him $30 million a year? I'd think about it. He is. I tried to spell it in Google and I didn't even come close. You know, a little older player turned into a dominant force these last two years, hasn't missed a game since. 22, 25 sacks. Excuse me, bad at math. 17 and 17. So that'd be 35 sacks the last two years. He's a monster. Yeah, I think you can think long and hard about it. I couldn't. It's not an easy decision because he's older. If he was like 27, I'd feel, you know, once you get 30, I mean, he's been in the league now since 17 and he is a guy, I mean, he's banged up second year. He's been missed a couple games here and there over the course of his career. Paying him is the like. If he was a free agent, he would get so much money. It's about just giving my first round pick. Because when you give a first round pick for an older player, that first round pick, if you just hit, even if you don't hit a home run, even if you hit a double, like that's eight, nine years of player for you. And because they won however many games, they're drafting what, 28. That you're not paying the guy that much your first four years. So it's like there's an economic exercise to be had when you're talking about this. It's not an easy decision, but if he was available, first round pick, I think you would have to do it. Where do you stand on tua? If we were being completely honest with ourselves, is this guy even a real starting quarterback in the NFL? Yeah, Okay. I, I'm, I would be considered a, to a hater. And he actually grew on me over the course the last couple years when he was getting KO'd because backup quarterbacks would come in. It was a joke. Tua is 100% a starting quarterback in the league. Like, I think in a perfect world, you pay to a $20 million. When you pay to a 50 or 48 or whatever the hell he's making. Like that's where you get a problem. We just next quarterback up. Well, he's not nearly as good as the other guys. Starting quarterback, good player. But like, if BAKER Mayfield's making 30, he shouldn't make that. He shouldn't make five. But why can't we pay certain guys like 20. He's just, he's not going to be able to play in the cold. Obviously the concussion thing is a big problem and it's not his fault. Like, you know, you don't control whether you get concussions when you get tackled. But some of these concussions have been avoidable. If he, I don't know, slid. So, you know, he's. I respect his toughness, but at this point he can be a little reckless when he moves around. I just think he's dramatically overpaid. I think anytime you pay a guy who is never going to be a top 10 quarterback, I don't give a shit what stat you give me. Your franchise is kind of screwed with how loaded the linemen are in this class. I don't think it would be a bad idea if the Niners trade back to 16, 17 and still get one of the top offensive linemen or defensive linemen and add a third or fourth rounder. How would you approach the draft if you were the Niners? I love a good trade back as much as the next guy, but to trade back you need people to trade with you. So I have a hard time seeing there be a player at 11 that is worthy of a trade back. Think about some in recent memory, some trades, you know, the Giants traded back. I think it was pick 11 with the Bears for Justin Fields, who at the time was what, the fourth quarterback in that draft. That's not this draft. So it's pretty rare that you're going to get some crazy trade at 11. I think they would have no problem going from like 11 to 15 and adding the third round pick. I'm in agreement with you. I don't think whoever is picking in the mid teens is trading up because they go, what the hell's the difference? This draft is not viewed as very good. Every player, even that, like we know the Will Campbell's Ashton Genties. None of these guys are. Bet your life they're going to be an All Pro, a Pro Bowler in the NFL. Banks Mason Graham, the defensive lineman from Michigan, like all these guys could be good, but I think there is a huge variance on all these players. You know, we have seen great drafts where it was like, these guys are going to be good players, right? The Jamar Chase Panay, Sewell, Waddle, devontae Smith, right? There are drafts with position players. We're like, these guys are going to be good. Now, I don't know how good, but they're going to be good. I don't think this Draft is viewed like that. People go, travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, they should be good players. Everyone else, I can't even imagine some of the debates in these draft rooms. At the beginning of last year, I was able to successfully convert my wife into a die hard Ravens fan. She was all in. She watched every game, followed all the in season headlines, and was about as emotionally invested in the team success as I was. We live in Houston and she actually got us tickets to the Christmas Day game to go watch the Ravens. Her favorite players are Hamilton, Humphreys, and of course Lamar Jackson. My wife being a fan of my favorite team, it's like a dream come true. We always have something to talk about or look forward to. My question is with you getting married, do you agree that sharing the fandom and passion of your favorite team may not necessarily be a requirement, but it's without a doubt a bonus? Yeah, I mean, I do I like want to break down the Niners off season plans with Maria. I mean, probably not, but do we bullshit and laugh about Instagram and she really likes 49ers and she's invested in all the players and seeing Dre, Greenlaw and Funga and all these guys leave, rattle their use check back. She's asking questions. Yeah, it's cool. But like beside football, she doesn't care at all about. Couldn't pay her to watch a basketball game. I mean, take her to a baseball game, it's like maybe a hot dog and a beer, she'd be ready to go in the third inning. She knows way more about golf just because I have it always on television. But there you'd have to pay her a lot of money to watch hours of a golf tournament. I mean, March Madness, she won't watch a dribble. I mean, she just doesn't really care. So you could argue that like, that she does like football. It is cool. I actually got a text this morning from a guy named Andy Reid who had said, you know, congrats, congrats on getting married. He said he was proud of me. And I said essentially, thank you, she's a big football fan. And he essentially said, well, that's a must. And it is true. Like when you do something like I do, and football is a huge part of my life, it definitely is cool that she likes it. But I would say that even if, let's say she liked the packers instead of the Niners or the Cowboys, like, that'd be cool enough for me. I get in your situation that, like, if you're watching, you know, the game every Week, especially if you don't live in that area. It's definitely have cool to have her invested and it's just. It's almost like sharing a show, right when you share a good series or something to watch with someone else, like you get invested with them and it's something to talk about. So a football team, you know, year round, the moves, people get injured, the controversial shit that happens. Yeah, it's definitely. It makes for easy conversation. Been listening to you for a few years now. Love your takes on how you approach each topic with a different viewpoint from most. I'm currently a college basketball coach, so loving this time of year, college basketball, but also always keep up with the NFL news and notes. Do you think the NIL and transfer portal will impact a player's draft stock? For example, if a player leaves a program every year for whatever reason, do you think that will impact how coaches view him? I know for us in recruiting, if a player goes to four different high schools in four different years, it's a major red flag. Thanks and congrats on the winning. I talked to some buddies about this this fall. I actually think the NIL is easier because I remember a question when I was involved in it, it was like, how. How will a kid handle money? It's an impossible question to answer. If I met every human being at 25 that is not rich and said, this person is going to become rich, how will they handle money? You'd have to do a pretty big deep dive on these human beings. And even then it's an educated guess where you have no clue. Because most human beings, it can derail their drive, it can change their focus, it can just expose who they really are. And I think with these guys making millions of dollars, some of these kids are making seven figures. When you go to a parking lot at Ohio State, at Texas, at sc, at any of these programs, now all the big ones, their parking lots now look like an NFL parking lot. These kids are rich. So it's like, yeah, this guy worked his ass off. Was never an issue. Football, nothing changed that would make me feel better. I actually haven't heard many stories about guys like not working as hard. Because I bet if they didn't work, they wouldn't work as hard with money as they didn't have money. Now I do think where it exposes guys is like, you know, I think you used to get judged if you transferred. I don't think anyone cares because like coaches leave all the time for more money. Scouts leave to different teams for more money. I Do business with different partners. You know, I. We cancel a deal to go on with a new partner for more money. Isn't that business? So I would say at first, oh, this guy's leaving program, he just, he can't figure it out. I don't think anyone judges that anymore. I mean, look at all the quarterbacks last year. They not only transferred programs to the smartest thing they ever did, change their life. So I actually think there are way more positives than negatives. And I'm sure there are examples, not that I've heard of, that. You know, a kid got 500 grand and he just didn't give a shit. But honestly, I haven't heard many of those examples. And that's the thing with football is it's really hard to kind of half ass it. Especially, you know, especially in the games. So I think the hard part is, is like in the NFL, there's way more money in the line in the NFL because if you get even if you get drafted in the third round, like your second contract, if you're a good player, is worth 40, 50, 60, 80, however, millions of dollars, you know, the nil I'm giving you 500 grand or 800 grand car, it ain't NFL money. So you're still chasing like, I don't know about you, but for me, you know, when I have financial success, my mind always goes like, well, how do we get more? Even though, like the actual tangible value of money does not like put a smile on my face, but it's just kind of the way like it's my scoreboard, you know. If you get 100 bucks, how do we turn that 1,000 bucks? You get a thousand bucks. How you turn that $10,000, you get 10,000 bucks. 100 grand, you just, you kind of always chasing more. And I think the best people in most industries kind of have that mindset. I think it's definitely no different football. So I think most people have you talked to in the NFL with the nil, they kind of like it. Okay, last question. Long time listener, first time shooting for the mailbag. Since I know you have such love for the Sopranos, I was wondering if you have ever watched Breaking Bad and what your thoughts are on it. I think I've, I've watched. I remember I tried to binge it maybe years, maybe in like 20 when there wasn't much to do and I enjoyed it. I like the. What's the show about? The dude, his lawyer who broke off and created his own show. I like that. Yeah, I mean, I would say this like narcos. Were they the Netflix version of like, the Pablo and El Chapo. I like that more than like the meth version of Bryan Cranston. Again, I wasn't anti the show, the one dude that has a chicken spot. But I guess my overall take would be whenever I see people say that Breaking Bad and I would say the same thing about Mad Men as like the greatest shows of all time. Yeah, not for me. I'm not anti those shows I've watched. I would say a decent amount of both of them, but I would say neither made me feel the way that I see them. I would say consistently described by the public. And you could argue, I mean, there are parts of the Sopranos are pretty boring as well. I just like mob shows, I guess. The story with Breaking Bad, I don't know, I. Not that I wasn't hooked. It just wasn't something about it. I can't really put my finger on it. Not anti Breaking Bad, not like a. I think it's like, sucks, but it wouldn't be one of those where it's like, this is my jam. Like hell. I think the Wire, which doesn't really get talked about as much anymore, I think was. I mean, it's widely considered one of the best shows of all time, but, like, blows away Breaking Bad. And I know that's different, but if, like, if you told me right now you got to rewatch one, I feel I've seen the Wire like three or four times. I would rather watch that than Breaking Bad. Okay, adios, people. See you. The volume you AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further, faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers this is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial? From Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know. This. This commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following hat's upwithhate. This podcast is brought to you by Travis Matthew Apparel designed for confidence and comfort no matter where the day takes you. Whether you're hitting the gym, pounding the pavement or dominating the court, your shoe should work as hard as you do. That's where the New Age from Travis Matthew comes in. An all new pure performance active shoe built for ultimate comfort and performance with game changing cushioned foam and a lightweight upper mesh. Keep your feet in perfect comfort no matter the adventure. Upgrade your performance with New Age from Travis Matthew. Visit travismathieu.com for 20% off your first.
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Jeremy Hobson
Order we live in a divided country, and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.