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John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
You could have shown up to game day with a basic seven layer dip, but you didn't. You called an audible and swapped the sour cream layer for Philadelphia cream cheese. Now words like creamy and delicious are flying around the room. And your dip so good is getting more looks than a top fantasy whiteout. You don't follow a recipe, you philly it whenever you Philly like it. Philadelphia cream cheese.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
All right, West West Prop here from hood politics with prop podcast. You know I get down. You come from the urban areas, you understand politics more than you giving credit for. Between Jerry out here mandering all over the place. Hop out, boys. Snatching up family members and two wars that was supposed to be done in 24 hours. Not to mention Epstein. We had to reach out to the homie Jamel Hill cuz she gonna keep it a century.
John Middlekauff
The American public is is used to being entertained. We're a consumption society. So what Trump figured out is entertain them and they'll never question you.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
Listen to the hood politics with prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
I'm Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of the psychology podcast. Here's a clip from an upcoming conversation about how to be a better you. When you think about emotion regulation, you're not gonna choose an adaptive strategy which is more effortful to use unless you think there's a good outcome. AVO is easier. Ignoring is easier. Denial is easier. Complex problem solving takes effort. Listen to the psychology podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Katie Couric
Hi, it's honey German and I'm back.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
With season two of my podcast.
Katie Couric
Gracias. Come again. We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned like over 25 years.
John Middlekauff
Oh, wow.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
That's a real G talk right there. Oh ye.
Katie Couric
We'll talk about all that's viral and trending with a little bit of cheeseman and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great beas you've come to expect.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Listen to the new season of dashes.
Katie Couric
Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
The volume.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
What is going on, everybody? How are we doing? Hopefully really well. A big smile on your face because NFL football is back. The Eagles take on the Cowboys. Tonight we're going to do a lot of football talk today. Some thoughts on that game, some thoughts on quarterbacks. Mike Vrabel had some comments. Kevin o' Connell had a comment. Red Zone will now have commercials. Your boy might have done a little couch scouting. YouTube and watched a couple college quarterbacks. Their highlights from week one. Big game this weekend, Oklahoma and Michigan. Those two guys look good. We'll do a little mailbag at John Middlecot. Fire in those DMs, get your questions answered here on the show. We'll try to bang out a little mailbag on the back end. And other than that, subscribe to the podcast if you listen on Collins. Subscribe to the YouTube page if you want to watch. And we got you covered. But before we dive in, do you want to go to one of these games? If you live in Philadelphia and you want to go to an Eagles game, I got you covered. If you want to go. If your team's playing in Vegas, you want to travel for a weekend, go to Vegas, you want to come to Los Angeles, you want to go to New York, you want to go anywhere. The NFL, obviously. College football. You don't even have a college team. You just want to go to one of these crazy environments. Well, I got you covered because Game Time, it's the best ticketing app I ever used. Honestly, there's not even a second. Nothing even comes close. Because this ticketing app, you can search by the venue, you can search by the arena. It's got flash discounts, it's got great price points. Cannot recommend them enough. So take as football season starts, take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use a code John. That's Johan for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem the code Johan for $20 off down the game Time app today, last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. I think my main man Pat Riley, who's living a good life in Miami, though his team's not very good anymore, once famously said and talked about in a book, which he's talking about the disease of Me, which is essentially when guys have success, they start thinking about themselves way more than they did previously when it was about the team. The team, the team. Which is ironic because the guy put it in a book to make money about kind of himself and his ideas. But that's another conversation. Listen, Pat Riley's a legend, but let's face it, the disease of me is real. It is. I say this all the time. It is so much easier to make changes to Be driven to work hard to do everything humanly possible when things aren't going your way or when you're trying to climb up the mountain once you get to the top. I always have a lot of admiration and respect for people that are really, really rich, especially older people, and still work really hard. Listen, Belichick and UNC might completely be a flop at 73 years old. When you have as much money and has made as much money as him for him not to just be retired at 73, 74 years old with his 25 year old girlfriend, Nantucket in the summer, Miami's in the winters. That's what I would do. More likely that's what probably you would do since like he's coaching at unc, a school that's never really won. Listen, Pete Carroll, it's like, bro, just retire. Just chill. You're super rich, relax, you're in your 70s. But they're drive, they're aspirational. You just can't turn that clock off. And I respect it. But once you've won a Super bowl, once you've accomplished anything in life, definitely in pro sports, I do understand where maybe you don't work as hard. You know that gym session in June during the off season when you're on vacation, maybe you're like, yeah, I'll skip today. And then today leads into tomorrow. And then you look back at your summer, you're like, God, I worked way harder two years ago. It is understandable. Like I always do get when people have had success. Listen, I think it happens in college football all the time. You know, you go to a school like Alabama and if you're that level of recruit, you just assume you're going to win. It's not the way it works. The reason they won is because of what Nick Saban mandated they do 365. It wasn't just because you showed up. You're a great player and you're automatically going to dominate. That's not how the world works, right? So I do think the Eagles are pretty equipped moving forward. And this game tonight is going to be, I think, a microcosm of what we're going to see with these two teams. Even though I do think Dallas could be somewhat competitive throughout the year because their offense, I mean, shit, they've invested enough offensively in terms of money and draft resources, but obviously defensively, they're going to stink. Probably going to be a long, tough season. Now, unlike most people that just think they're going to suck, like we all agree the Eagles are Going to be good. The average, I would say 90% of people think the Cowboys are going to suck. I'd be a little surprised if they won, like three or four games now. Seven and ten. Like, that's a long season. It's a lot of losses. You know, that's a lot of losses. And some of those wins are ugly, too. So I do think the Eagles, unlike the Cowboys, and I've said this before, like, their biggest advantage is Howie, right? Their owner, really successful guy, does not meddle in football for the most part. I mean, every owner gives his opinions here and there, but unlike Jerry, who's like, I'm always going to be the gm, he's like, howie, you do everything. Like, I've said it with the mica trade. I understand it. Like, I get it, but you don't trade that guy at the end of August. If you are going to ever be open to trading him, you trade him before the draft. Howie Roseman, if he was. Let's use an example. If. If Jeffrey Lurie said, listen, under no circumstances are we going to give Jalen Carter another contract, which obviously he's not going to say, but let's just use this hypothetical. Jalen has another huge year, and he is going to get $170 million guaranteed in, like, two years. It's like, Howie, trade this guy. And like Micah Parsons or like Khalil Mack, he's a guy that every team and especially the good teams are going to be very, very interested in. I'll promise you this, that trade happens before the draft, because when you trade for draft picks in the future, they're not worth as much as ones in the presence called time value, money. And I think the Eagles. One thing I'll never forget spending. I mean, I worked for him for three years, but I was in the office for two. And my office was, you know, first office was probably 15ft away. My second office was actually closer. They were all in the vicinity. I mean, it's. It's crazy. It's become a little different. But for a long time, NFL teams like a mom and pop shop, you know, the coaches, the scouts, they're all kind of together. You spend every waking moment together. And I'll never forget. It's why I think once I left football, I never went back, is I realized, like, I didn't love football, and clearly I like it a lot. I mean, I've dedicated my life to working in it and talking about it, and this is my profession. But not nearly enough, because I saw Andy Roseman and Howie Roseman or I saw Andy Reid and Howie Roseman. Andy's the first ballot hall of Famer. How he's going to won two Super Bowls, two different coaches, he signed multiple with two different quarterbacks. I guess the hall of Fame resume, their drive, their love of football, their passion for it was unrelenting and obviously how he is smarter than a lot of GMs but his talent, but really like Andy's work ethic, I'll never, it'll be seared in my memory for life. And I remember being at the combine a couple of years ago, I think after they won their second super bowl and talking to one of my buddies on the coaching staff and he's like, you know, the crazy thing is I notice no difference in Andy than I did in 2009. When I drive by the office in April on my way to Home Depot on a Saturday morning, his truck will be outside. And his work ethic, his focus and overall it comes from your passion and love of the sport is as big and as strong as humanly possible. He's a football addict. And I would say the same thing for Howie. And a lot of guys, just like a lot of human beings, once they have success, it's human. It happens to a lot of players, it happens to a lot of business people. Their drive slows down. And I don't think that will be a factor at all with Howie because he's got this neurotic just kind of chip on his shoulder that doesn't get phased with like he's been a millionaire for a long time. He won a Super bowl in 2017. And his work ethic, his, the way his mind operates, I think will be completely unfazed moving forward. And you saw this training camp, the dude literally made three trades on a day. I mean that's type stuff you do when you're trying to claw your way to the playoffs. He's the defending champs, where we all agree he's got one of if not the best roster in the league. And it's like, we can improve here. We can do this, we can make this move. That's just the way he's wired. And that's not going to change whether he was 30 years old or when he's 70 years old. He will always be like that. So the Eagles greatest asset non player is clearly their gm who is one of, I mean truly, I mean based on his resume, going to go down as one of the greats of all time. That's just a fact. And the other thing is, listen when they're asking Nick Sirianni about the banner ceremony, it's a really big deal for an NFL team or a college team to win a championship. Especially when you're at a place like Philadelphia, the Green Bay packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, it means a lot. So for the Eagles to ra. It's a celebration of what happened. It's going to be in a sports sense, like a religious experience for these people. I'll always say, in my experience, my biggest takeaway from Philly was one love the people, love the food. But what I appreciate about it most is I got to work in football, and that was as important as anything in that city. That football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. And I understand, Nick, the disease of me, you're trying to move on. Last year, the championship doesn't help his team, but, like, it's a little cheesy for me. Not really my style. But the one thing I'll give Sirianni is a couple years ago when they made the super bowl and he was doing that stuff of pumping his chest, beating Andy Reid and, you know, not in the super bowl, but literally. Remember when they played him, the Chiefs, on Monday Night Football? He got a little humble pie because they started that season red hot, like 10 and 1 or 11 and 1. They lost a bunch of games. They got their ass kick in the playoffs. He almost got fired. Like, I think it was probably a coin flip from him being axed for William Belichick. That probably wouldn't have been the right move. But I don't care who you are when you are that close to your professional ending at a place, especially from a coach and. And you know, it. Like, this isn't. It's not like the elephant in the room anymore, but like, he's not dumb that I. I think you saw last year. Obviously, they revamped the staff. He had to fire people. I. I think one of the guys he fired on that staff two years ago, if not the best man in his wedding, was definitely in his wedding. So it's like, bro, this is not going to be tolerated here. You know why? Because we don't tolerate that this year. Listen, I do respect. I think Alabama fans are going to take a lot of shit. Like, they're really mad this. They've been so spoiled. Well, yeah, that's what they're used to. For 17 years, they were kicking the shit out of everybody. We're all human beings, you know, you can't win the national championship every year. They didn't win Nick Saban, but they don't expect to go 5 and 5 over a 10 game stretch. Like that's understandable. Like the Eagles don't expect to look like crap. So that year, two years ago, like it's just not going to be tolerated there. Not by the owner and not by the general manager. And I think Sirianni learned a valuable lesson. You better just kind of swallow your pride a little bit and change your antics and be careful because this game will humble you really quick. And I do think he got a big, big slice of humble pie and was better for it. And obviously the organization with Jeffrey Lurie, they're willing to do whatever it takes to buy coaches like you look at Jerry Jones, it's like you're going with Brian Schottenheimer and Matt Eberfluss. Meanwhile, the Eagles have one down year where they still made the playoffs. They're like VIC Fangio, here's three year, $15 million. We want the best defensive coordinator on our staff. Jerry's probably paying Brian Schottenheimer, Vic Fangio money and Vic Fangio is their coordinator. So I think the Eagles are equipped moving forward, at least for the next couple years. Again, as you have more success, more guys need to be paid. They do a really good job with the cap and pushing the cap down the road. Obviously their quarterback is completely unfazed by success. To me, he reminds me a lot of like an Andy Reid or Belichick in terms of his wiring. Doesn't smile that much in the sense of like not doing huge celebrations onto the next thing. Absolute grinder. So I would expect the Eagles to be really, really good this year. And when you look at the Cowboys and moving forward in general, as long as how he's the GM and they have that infrastructure in place, I do think when you look at the Cowboys, you know, we talk shit would be strong, but like Kirk Cousins getting made fun of a lot like, oh, he's this great businessman, he made $300 million and what does he have to show for it? Now, in fairness to Kirk Cousins, we never considered him like some top quarterback, but he kind of hovered between 8 to 12. That's a guy, if you do a good enough job building the team, should be able to compete for a Super bowl, right? We have seen Jared Goff lead a team to a Super bowl, lead a team to the NFC Championship. And I think there have been periods like his dak, Kirk Cousins, similar mold, similar, similar type player. Like never going to be an elite guy, but when he's on pretty damn good. And I wonder if Dax career is going to end and we're going to speak about him like an NBA player. It's like, oh, yeah, remember Dak, guy that made $575 million playing football and never did anything in the playoffs? Actually was terrible in the playoffs. But then when it came to getting paid, always needed the most money possible, which hindered his team to build around him. And he's a player that needs help building around him and just like, hey, super rich guy. Awesome. But nothing to show of any validity and something that you can hang your hat on from a legacy standpoint, when it matters the most. If anything, he'll be known like, let's face it, he's closer to James Harden than anyone. Wants to make it out. Some great regular seasons, a lot of Pro Bowls and a lot of bad playoff performances. So I think the Cowboys, this game in general, I think it's easy for everyone to act like they're going to lose by 100 points and they might. I just know from a gambling standpoint, you got to be very careful with these divisional matchups. Wouldn't shock me at all if this game gets weird. Same thing Friday night. Listen, it's week one. Every team has hope and beliefs. Now, maybe the Micah Parsons thing deflated some people by some reports, like some of the players were glad he's gone, but from a football standpoint, it's clearly a big loss. I do just believe you got to be very careful about overreacting to one game now over the aggregate of the season. It could be long and it could be pretty ugly. But this is what you sign up for when you give a guy $60 million who probably most of the time is somewhere between the 9th to 13th best quarterback, like he's going to take up a lot of your cap room. He needs help. You know, Bucky Brooks has tractors and trailers. He needs to be pulled. He needs a good running game, he needs a good defense, he needs a good offensive line. And I think there are a lot of question marks with the defense, with the Cowboys, with their offensive line of the Cowboys, because they got a lot of young players and I'm sorry, their running back room is pretty shitty on paper. Now, just because you're bad on paper, that's why you play the games, how they look between the white lines, you never know. That's a position too, where random guys get created. But I would have said that last year and then nothing got created. They were terrible running the ball and a lot of that was in. Collins talked about this they couldn't say Derek Henry, $8 million. They didn't have any other cap space. Going to Dak, going to CD Lam, you know, going to Lawrence, going to Diggs. I mean, they're paying all these guys, and you got to be very careful. And Jerry said this before, and I'll never forget it because I try to use this thinking about whenever I'm making a purchase. Like if you're buying a house, if you're going to just purchase whatever that is somewhat of a. On the larger scale for whatever you're, you know, relative to how much money you have is. I've never made a mistake paying a premium for a premium. Well, it's like he's basically talking about paying guys like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen. Yeah, you can't. You can't overpay those guys. It's impossible. It's impossible to overpay Steph Curry. It's impossible to overpay Aaron Judge. Right. It's impossible to overpay Shohei Ohtani. What they bring to the table, they're just so much better than everybody else. But if you overpay Dak Prescott, it's going to be a problem, and it legitimately has. And again, I've always defended Dak. I've said, listen, for whatever reason, he plays really good in November and December, and he gets in these playoff games and he shrinks. I do think he has it in him to play a good playoff game against another worthy opponent. I mean, his best playoff game is obviously that Tampa team that was folding like a cheap tent. But at this point in time, their team's not going to be good for the foreseeable future. And even if they are able to reset it with this trade, which is possible, if you make the right picks, like the reason the Khalil Mack trade, you could say it was a lose, lose. I would say it was kind of a win for the. For the Bears. They made the playoffs a couple times. They got this elite player who was an All Pro and a Pro Bowler, who's a team captain. The Raiders got all these draft picks and they started whiffing on all the picks. So you got to make the picks look great on paper, but they got then to turn into players, you know, so like trading AJ Brown for the 17th pick, we laugh at that because they took Trailion Burks. Well, if they had taken, you know, the equivalent of Justin Jefferson or D.K. metcalf or just A.J. brown 2.0, we wouldn't make fun of them as much. They took a guy that most people think stinks, who actually, I kind of like coming out in the draft, but clearly he's not a very good player and now he's injured and feels like his career is just derailed. So who you take with those picks is ultimately how we, you know, we judge the trade. So I don't know how you bet against the Eagles tonight. I would just be leery of huge, huge lines when it comes to divisional opponents. We'll see. I mean, I'm very fascinated to watch how the Eagles come out tonight. Should be fun. It's, it's football's back. Sirianni, Brian Schottenheimer, Jerry, let's enjoy it. We are extremely excited to announce our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet. Everyone knows and loves their hotels and casinos, but now you can use the top rated Hard Rock BET sportsbook to place all your NFL bets this season. Hard Rock BET is the only legal sportsbook in the state of Florida and is also available in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois and Colorado with more states to come. You can also play on Hard Rock Bets online casino. If you are in New Jersey as we gear up for the NFL season, sign up for Hard Rock Bet and make a $5 bet and you'll get 150 in bonus bets. If you win, head over to Hard Rock Bet, sign up and make your first deposit today. Payable in bonus bets. Not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe in Florida. Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. 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West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
All right, West West Prop here from Hood Politics with Prop podcast. You already know our get down. If you grew up in our urban areas of comfort, of struggle, you understand politics much more than you giving credit for feds taking over American cities government. Hop out boys hopping out the van, snatching up your Theo and them two wars that were supposed to be solved in 24 hours. Jerry just out here mandering all over the place, the turfs and of course the Epstein of it all. Well, this week we decided to shoot our shot and boy did we pull up from the logo to see if we could get somebody to come tap in with us. And the one and only Jamel Hill pulled up from the Spolitics podcast to keep it a whole century.
John Middlekauff
The American public is used to being entertained. We're a consumption society. So what Trump figured out is entertain them and they'll never question you.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
Listen to the hood politics with Prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Football is back. That's right, the new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. This is a show for sickos like me. NFL Daily is your kind of show. It's in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Myself, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts will preview and recap every game all season long. Josh Allen coming off an MVP season.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
And now lateral to Allen and reaching for the pylon. Are you kidding? Kidding me? It's a touchdown. Have you ever seen that one before?
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Rookies making a name for themselves.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Bulldozer. He is bouncing off defenders and dragged down.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
And of course the Eagles trying to win another Lombardi.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
What a game, what a season, what a team. Eagles fans savor it and rejoice.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
I'm Dan, he's Ty. Hello. And we're the solid verbal college football podcast.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
College football season is here and you know what that means.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Your team is going to break your heart three times probably before Halloween. Uh huh.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
But fear not, the solid verbal will be right there with you through every soul crushing loss. An impossible comeback.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Join us all season long, all year long, as we ride the roller coaster of this ridiculous sport.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
Whether you're a die hard fan or a casual observer, we'll help you make sense of all the chaos and of course celebrate the madness. Tune in for previews, recaps, bits you won't hear anywhere else and all the emotional support you need as a college football fan.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
We don't just love college football, Tyler, we live it.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
Listen to the solid verbal college football podcasts on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
John Middlekauff
I think Democrats have for a very long time allowed Republicans to play them. So essentially Republicans came up with a narrative and Democrats decided to play into that. And that only hurt the Democrats.
Katie Couric
I'm Katie Couric. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas is not known for holding and our recent chat on Next Question is no exception. But when you hear how she got to where she is. Her intensity makes perfect sense.
John Middlekauff
It's just hard to imagine a world where you don't have enough people that care to do right by people. And so that same passion that carried me through as a public defender, that led me to want to change laws and thinking about the harm that will happen not just to my constituents, but just generally. Like, I carry that weight with me.
Katie Couric
Because you've seen it up close.
John Middlekauff
Yeah.
Katie Couric
Listen to next question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Speaking of quarterbacks, I read a good article on the, on the athletic. You know, they say journalism's dying, but there are some good, good articles there, football wise and college football wise. That in the premise of this article was Kevin o' Connell, who made comments a while back to Rich Eisen that organizations fail quarterbacks more than quarterbacks fail organizations. And I think Zach Kiefer was the writer. He talked to Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Alex Smith, Matt Hasselbeck, all these quarterbacks that have been in all sorts of these situations. And from Troy Aikman to Peyton Manning, their early struggles to turning into hall of Fame careers, to Matt Hasselback starting as a backup. Matt Hasselback said in this article that I was the youngest at the time backup, that I was the first guy younger than Brett Favre and that was his eighth season in the NFL, my first year in the league and I was his backup and I was the first guy throughout those eight years that was younger than him. And that was not by accident. And I'll never forget talking to Veach and the Chiefs guys when they got rid of Alex, traded Alex to the Washington Commanders. Well, they were the Redskins at the time that one thing that they were going to do with their backup quarterback was sign a married guy and it turned out to be Chad Henney. Like that. They were not going to sign some. They weren't going to sign Tyson Badgett or Mac Jones. They were going to sign an older player who was married. And listen, I'm a big believer in that. Right? The Colts did that last year when they brought in Joel Flacco for to mentor and be around Anthony Richardson. Peyton Manning had some great comments. He said, I never would have been allowed to throw 28 touchdowns if I was playing for Bill Parcells. I said, because you would have been benched. He's like, no, he would have killed me first. And I do think some of those guys, when you look at Troy Aikman and if you watch the documentary, hell, by his third year, he got kind of injured and kind of got benched down the, down the stretch of the season. Peyton Manning struggled his first couple years. Obviously, we've seen some quarterbacks over the course of their career. Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Alex Smith, hit bumpy roads early on in their career. I think one separator, and I think this is true for life too, is mental toughness. And the only way, and Bill Parcells was quoted in this, he said, I wouldn't evaluate a quarterback coming out of college after they throw three or four touchdowns. I would try to dial into them and lock into them. What do they look like after they throw three picks and they lose. And that's easier said than done. But I do agree, you learn way more about a person through adversity than you do through success. Because when you're having success in whatever you do, especially football, most human beings are riding high and don't want to change anything and don't need to because it's working. When your back's against the wall and you are pressed, you got a couple options. Either kind of fold or you mentally power through. It's why I think a lot of successful people, and you're using Peyton Manning and Troy Aikman as examples. I'd argue that either one of those guys would have been so successful in any industry. Like when I watched Troy Aikman talk or Peyton Manning talk. Like, those guys could have, like, ran a bank. Those guys could have created a company from nothing. Peyton Manning literally did. So Troy Aikman, I mean, these guys are outlier human beings. I guess the point of this is for me to say I do think there's some truth. Some teams fail guys. But I also think quarterbacks often fail. Teams slash their skill set. Isn't that relatable to what you have to do in the NFL? If Caleb fails, it might not be because his physical talents, he clearly has those, but he has an attribute that he holds onto the ball too long. So do a lot of quarterbacks. And it doesn't usually work in the NFL because you have to get rid of the football. Because even the best offensive lineman's. Lane Johnson, Zach Martin, Trent Williams can only hold a defensive lineman for so long until they're going to get some pressure. You have to get rid of the ball and. And sometimes that means throw the fucking ball away. And Anthony Richardson's a good example. I would argue he probably fails no matter where he goes. Just like Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning probably figure it out wherever they go. Did Peyton. Did Patrick Mahomes benefit from playing for Andy Reid? Of course he did. Did he benefit for a year sitting behind Alex Smith? 100%. Do I think Patrick figures it out if you put him on the Cleveland Browns? If you put them on the Miami Dolphins? I do. Do I think he wins four Super Bowls? Maybe not. But do I think he's clearly one of the best players in the NFL? I do think he does, because I think there's a wiring and just a focus to certain individuals now, certain people, like the Lamar Jackson we see now is dramatically better than the guy that won the MVP in 2019. So did he benefit from an organization they could pivot their offense around him and let him grow? Of course he did. But if you watch him, like, what would his floor have been like, what Kyler Murray's doing, and I'd argue it's probably higher than that. And Kyler's been in a chaotic situation. So I'm always been a believer that the cream rises at the top. Obviously, if you don't have the work ethic, if you don't have the mental capability, football's hard, football's confusing. There's a lot thrown at you. You can be overwhelmed. But I think for the most part, guys that fail would have failed with most people. There's the occasional player that would, you know, that needs different spots, that has to mesh with the right coach. Isn't that kind of life? There's a reason if you date 10 girls and you marry the 11th, it's like, well, maybe you could have married three or four of those girls, potentially seven of them. You're just like, yeah, sleep with her. But I want no part of this. We all mesh different with human beings. So I just think that, like, Deshaun Watson, his style once he got injured doesn't translate to anyone's offense. It doesn't work at all. Just freelancing, running around and making plays. When you've become an average athlete and your arm's not great anymore, that's not going to work. Caleb, even if he was just a run around, throw the ball guy, his arm's so strong, there is value there, right? But when I watch Anthony Richardson, he's not accurate. He clearly was overwhelmed. And Chris Ballard's quote in this article that he was swimming, but to me, the tapping out of the game, like, he doesn't even know what he doesn't even know. But there's a chance that his physical skills, for every Josh Allen that Improves his accuracy. I think Warren Moon was a guy back in the day that improved his accuracy. Most guys don't like. That's not usually a tangible asset that can grow. There's like, you know, he was extremely inaccurate. By the end of the career, he was one of the most accurate guys in the NFL. It's not the way it usually works. So I do get what Kevin O' Connell is saying, and clearly JJ McCarthy is better off going to Kevin O' Connell than he would be going to some random coach in a shitty environment. I'm not disputing that. But, like, if J.J. mcCarthy fails, probably would have failed anywhere. And if J.J. mcCarthy becomes one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, even if he wouldn't have reached his ceiling somewhere else, he probably would have become a good player. I do believe that. Another thing, I said this yesterday, the I'm sweating right now. So hot in here. Turn on the AC to the North Carolina Tar Heels, ban Patriot scouts from coming through, which is unheard of. And I said it yesterday, like, nothing's more unbecoming than just old bitter guy. Like, it's just like, bro, why are you so angry? Especially when, like, life's been pretty good to you, but you can't fake your personality. And Belichick's personality, I'll give him credit, has never changed. Like, he's. This isn't an act. He's not Mr. Smiley. But to me, to ban the Patriots, it's like, bro, get over it. You got fired. That happens in the NFL. Mike Vrabel was asked about Belichick start. It basically threw a jab, saying that, well, Urban Myers, first year at Ohio state, he went 12. And, oh, that's my experience because Mike Variable was around then. And I think a lot of people are like, oh, I thought they were boys, that they were close. People ask me all the time, like, from how, as a fan, how I've changed. Who do I root for? The number one thing I would root for over anything, if my fandom was still as strong as it was when I was a little kid, would be. This podcast would be stories would be things to get the most people listening would be how do I get Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes or Sean McVay to come? I would do anything to improve this and make this bigger over absolutely anything that happens on the field. That is my number one prerogative when it comes to the sport of football is this podcast. And when you're a head coach, the only thing you care about is your team in the organization. So yeah, you played for this guy back in the day and he inevitably traded you. But you're not going to let my scouts come through your organization because you're mad at my owner that he fired you two years ago from going 4 and 12. Guess what, Bill? I got fired as well. It happens. It's football. So I think this Belichick thing, I do think it's insane that the schedule makers made Bill Belichick play on Monday night and then play a road game the following Saturday against Charlotte, which I don't know that much about. I don't think they're that good at football. But the initial betting line was 24 points. So three touchdowns and a field goal. It has already been bet down to under two touchdowns. I just think that a lot of people and Bill's I think acknowledging the NFL is never having me back. Double middle fingers. I hate you guys too. And I'm going to be your enemy. Which I Coward once famously said that holding a grudge is like chain smoking hate. And I've never forgot that because when I was younger and listen, I got fired in the NFL, I could have easily held grudges and just hated everybody. And I was like, what's the point of this? Like I can text Howie. Howie called me up, said we're not renewing your contract. I mean, he's one of the GMs in my phone. It's probably a relationship I want to keep. I could have held a grudge to this day. What's the point of that? Just to be mad about something that happened in the past, like move on, stop looking in the rearview mirror. Isn't that what Belichick's telling his players? Like let's move forward, we got to get better yet he's holding this grudge in the past against this 85 year old owner. It's not the scouts didn't do this. You know, Elliott Wolf didn't do this. Mike Vrabel had nothing to do this. But you're taking it out against them. So I, I think Mike Vrabel saying that was because of what's going on behind the scenes with the scouting community. It's, it's, it's an embarrassment. And I've been pro Belichick, I've defended him, but I'm starting to think like with his mindset, with the way people are the TikTok of occasion of the youth, he might be fucked. Red zone, which I've never actually watched that much. Occasionally as the season goes on, I'll have It on one of the four boxes. But I've always been like, I watch the games, not against the red zone. I understand its popularity and it's definitely good for the NFL. I don't play fantasy football, but I understand it's its impact on society, gravitating toward the sport of football. It's a good thing. The more people that play fantasy football, the more people that watch the games, the more people that listen to shows like me. So I am pro fantasy football. Even besides some daily fantasy over the years, I haven't really dabbled. I've never been in a league, not against. It's just not my thing. I do understand, I would say, somewhat of the way the media landscape works. I've been in radio and now podcasting for a long time. And the goal of, like, this isn't a passion project. This is a business, a for profit business where we got to make money. That's the whole reason we're doing any of this. I tell people all the time, they're like, how cool is it you get to work in sports? I'm like, I don't. I listen, I take, I don't take it for granted. But like, I also look at it like you would a job. You have to, or else you're doing yourself somewhat of a disservice. Right? The mortgage is coming no matter what. And if it's like just my passion project, good luck to you because that thing wouldn't get paid. So last year someone told me this. We were having our weekly meeting for three and out, and I guess they dabbled. Last year I kind of, kind of vaguely remember this with commercials on the red zone and people freaked. And then when this ESPN NFL merger acquisition, however you want to quantify it happened, the writing was on the wall. A company like espn, like Fox, like cbs, whoever, would not acquire something like the Red Zone and have it commercial free for seven hours. Especially even if there are less people than I think the casual fan would assume are actually watching it. Like, the numbers of actual games are much higher than the red zone. But still, if you're getting a million or 2 million people to watch the red zone, that can be a very profitable endeavor. So it was announced today, I think Scott Hansen told Pat McAfee there will be commercial breaks. This is no longer seven hours of commercial free football. Those days are done. Once ESPN purchased them, you think they were just going to run seven hours commercial free. You think Disney and their board of directors, yeah, we just have this product that, you know, on a given day. If it's good, 2 million people could watch and we're just not going to advertise. That wouldn't be tolerated. That's literally not allowed. You're not allowed to operate like that as a public company. So I think I understand the freak out if you're a loyal guy. And it does suck. I'm not acting like it doesn't suck, but I say this all the time about streaming when everyone's like, it's so unfair. Look at what the NFL fan has. They got to subscribe to Peacock. Like, do I want to subscribe to Peacock? Not really, but am I bitching him? NBC is not going to exist in 5, 10, 20 years. It won't be around. The only way for them to keep going is for the streaming service to operate. If it doesn't, the network will go under. I will promise you that. No different than all these companies now. I don't subscribe to every single one of them, though it definitely feels like that. I do understand that, like traditional television is not going to be around in the relatively near future. We just had a meeting today and after that meeting ended, it was a video meeting on Zoom. I got an email sent to me with a complete hour long breakdown of everything we hit in AI. It literally broke down everything. Hey, this is what we're doing on Thursday night. These ads. And just like every single topic we hit for big picture stuff, for college football stuff, it was like, this is incredible. I honestly, I didn't even know it was going on. I just thought I was like, are we being recorded? I didn't even say anything. And I saw it get. I was like, damn, that is remarkable. So times have changed and you have to change or you won't survive. It's no different. Like, we do more stuff on YouTube and this will be for the near future. But who knows? What if something else happens? Instagram goes away, Twitter goes away. You just pivot. That's the way. And now you pivot faster than ever before because of the changing landscape. So I don't have any issue with anyone being mad about the commercials. But what'd you expect? It's not the way the world works. Last but not least, I did a little YouTube scouting today because I basically just sent out Saturday and I was going to watch the three big games. I was going to watch, obviously the morning game, Arch Ohio State. I was going to watch Florida State, Alabama, and then watch the lsu, Clemson game. I didn't really watch, like, I didn't watch Utah. I love Utah. I'M going to bet on Utah, but I don't have time to watch that game. I just didn't have four boxes going. I just wanted to dial in on those games. Well, I went back and watched Bryce Underwood and the best part about YouTube is you can just type in a guy's throat. Give me Bryce Underwood's highlights. Give me John Matiere's highlights. The biggest game this week by far is Michigan going to Oklahoma. Here's the thing with Arch, we all watched the Arch game and we went. I don't really see the arm. You flip on Oklahoma and John Mateer slinging that pill. You turn on Bryce Underwood slinging that pill, you go, those are arms. That's what NFL scouts look for. Now just because you have a strong arm does not mean you're a good NFL quarterback. And John Mateer had some balls fly around a little bit but his talent jumped off the screen. And Underwood's a true freshman so you know, he's, I'm sure he's going to have some bumps in the road but his talent oozes off the screen. You can't miss it. You cannot miss it. So I was in the car the other day and I heard Brady Quinn. I was flipping around radio channels and he was on and he said, I'm soaked right now in sweat. That he's like the craziest part of watching college football all day Saturday is how far quarterback play has come. He's like, when I think back to my freshman sophomore year, he's like, I was terrible. I go back and look, it's like, God, I was awful. But also like I played multiple sports in high school so when I got to college I hadn't been working with a quarterback coach, an individual trainer. Like I hadn't been doing that stuff. And all these kids now have been going to the elite elevens. They've done training, they do off season seven on seven. You just watch Bryce Underwood or John Mattier or some of these quarterback last year, Cam Ward. These guys have had so many reps throwing the ball and even back 20 years ago, but definitely 30 and 40 years like the Troy Aikman days. A lot of these quarterbacks didn't throw the ball that much in college. These were running offenses. So you get these guys. It's never been easier to evaluate. These teams are throwing the ball non stop now. They're going to have some blowout wins against nobodies. But even when like Arch Mannings first ever real start still had 30 pass attempts, you know, you look at Back, I bet if we went to box scores like the 70s and 80s with like Barry Switzer versus Jimmy Johnson, I bet there were games where some of these quarterbacks like threw the ball a lot. Sixteen times, right? And of those 16, probably four or five of them were around the line of scrimmage. I mean, you go back that watch the U. Michael Irvin started lining up in a three point stance at wide receiver. So the game has revolutionized for the quarterback and throwing the ball. It's why even an average fan can go like, God, there's something there. It doesn't mean you're going to be. The NFL is way harder in college, but the talent of these guys just oozes off the screen. So a John Mateer watching that guy, like that's first round talent. Now we'll have to see how he played. This is a huge game against Michigan and he's going to have huge games this year against Texas, against, I think they play Alabama again. Like he's going to play real teams throughout the year. So Illinois State ain't it. But like if that, if he plays well in these games, you could look at a guy going really high and obviously Bryce Underwood probably got one of the biggest pay packages in the history of college football. Now granted, we're early on in this kind of nil world, but I get it like I saw it like, yeah, understandable.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
All right, West West Prop here from Hood Politics with prop podcast. You already know our get down. If you grew up in our urban areas of comfort, of struggle, you understand politics much more than you give him credit for. Feds taking over American cities, government. Hop out boys. Hopping out the van, snatching up your Theo and them two wars that was supposed to be solved in 24 hours. Jerry just out here mandering all over the place, the turfs and of course the Epstein of it all. Well, this week we decided to shoot our shot and boy did we pull up from the logo to see if we could get somebody to come tap in with us. And the one and only Jamil Hill pulled up from the Spolitics podcast to keep it a whole century.
John Middlekauff
The American public is used to being to able entertained. We're a consumption society. So what Trump figured out is entertain them and they'll never question you.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
Listen to the Hood Politics with Prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
I'm Dan, he's Ty. Hello. And we're the solid verbal college football podcast.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
College football season is here and you.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Know what that means your team is going to break your heart three times probably before Halloween. Uh huh.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
But fear not, the solid verbal will be right there with you through every soul crushing loss and impossible comeback.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Join us all season long, all year long as we ride the roller coaster of this ridiculous sport.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
Whether you're a die hard fan or a casual observer, we'll help you make sense of all the chaos and of course celebrate the madness. Tune in for previews, recaps, bits you won't hear anywhere else, and all the emotional support you need as a college football fan.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
We don't just love college football Ty, we live it.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
Listen to the solid verbal college football podcasts on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Football is back. That's right, the new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. This is a show for sickos like me. NFL Daily is your kind of show. It's in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Myself, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts will preview and recap every game all season long. Josh Allen coming off an MVP season.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
And now lateral to Allen and reaching for the pylon. Are you kidding? Kidding me? It's a touchdown. Have you ever seen that one before?
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Rookies making a name for themselves.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
That's a bulldozer. He is bouncing off defenders and dragged down.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
And of course the Eagles trying to win another Lombardi.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
What a game. What a season. What a team. Eagles fans savor it and rejoice.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartrade Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
John Middlekauff
I think Democrats have for a very long time allowed Republicans to play them. So essentially Republicans came up with a narrative and Democrats decided to play into that. And that only hurt the Democrats.
Katie Couric
I'm Kitty Couric. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas, is not known for holding back and our recent chat on Next Question is no exception to but when you hear how she got to where she is, her intensity makes perfect sense.
John Middlekauff
It's just hard to imagine a world where you don't have enough people that care to do right by people. And so that same passion that carried me through as a public defender that led me to want to change laws and thinking about the harm that will happen not just to my constituents, but just generally. Like I carry that weight with me.
Katie Couric
Because you've seen it up close.
John Middlekauff
Yeah.
Katie Couric
Listen to next question with Me Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Okay. Mailbag time at John Middelkoff at John middlekopf. Firing those DMs. Get your questions answered here on the show that's on Instagram. Dms wide open fire in them. We'll start with Dave. Call me Judas, but can I push back on the Broncos hype train just a little? Obviously, as a fan, I'm more excited about this season than any since the Manning era. But come on. Herd hierarchy had them four and at least one contingent of every talk show has them winning the division. I'm more confident against the Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders, but come playoff time, do we really think they're going to go into high mark or MNT and win? Or going to Philly Week 5 and winning? Maybe I'm wrong, but the hype scares the shit out of me. When I was on the show and he did the Herd hierarchy and had them above the Chiefs, I had to say this. You can't have them above the Chiefs. I do think there was value there like a month ago. I don't know if the value is still there in them winning division. I've come around like, if you're going to bet, how do you bet against the Chiefs to win this division? But I do think the Broncos can be pretty good. They would need Bo Nix to become a top 10 player. Like, what if he's just better than Dak Prescott? What if he just becomes clearly better than, you know, a bunch of guys that used to kind of the Kirk Cousins like that, that level guy. If he becomes better than we know their defense is good and we know their offense will be good with Sean. So I do think it's on the table. Second, have you heard anything around the league about Davis Webb as our quarterback coach? Bookmark this. He will be an OC in the next two years. No, I just remember when they hired him, basically fresh off playing to be their quarterback coach. Listen, most quarterback coaches, I bet if you looked around the league, you know, I remember when I was in Philly, it was Doug Peterson who then becomes an OC head coach. Kevin o', Connell, quarterback coach, OC head coach. You know, it's kind of a path if the backup quarterback gets into coaching, they kind of go like this, you know. So I think Davis Webb would fall under that for sure. I'm not sure if you've seen the article about the Clippers and Ballmer paying 28 million for a job he didn't even have to show up was blatantly done to circumvent the salary cap. But my question is this. Do you think things like this happen in the NFL? I know you'd have to be elite to get this kind of treatment, but do we really think Brady was the only guy making below market value with no other kickbacks all those years in New England and then in Tampa? Also, is there a dirtier league than the NBA between refs being paid off, draft lottery malfeasance, cap circumvention, and clear corruption? I was thinking this today when I saw, you know, the NBA got really political for a while, and it obviously backfired in their face. They need to lean into what they've always been. One, just hooping. Two, like, care about money over everything. And three, like, banging chicks. A lot of them married or not. Like, that is what the players have been notorious for. I mean, these. I saw this PJ Washington video go viral. I was thinking about, I'm with you. It's like, lean into who you are, which is actually we can embrace. You got a little mob feel to it. You got a little porn feel to it. You got the most incredible athletes on the planet in your league, but they always try to pretend they're not something that they are. So I'm with you. Kawhi Leonard is an awful business partner. I mean, is there a worse guy to be in business with than Steve Ballmer and the business relationship that he's paid him hundreds of millions of dollars if they get in trouble for doing this. I didn't read the article, but I watched, like, the five minutes someone forwarded me. Maybe it was on Twitter, like Pablo Torre. I mean, clearly people at the company that probably got fired gave him a bunch of information. Now, I bet Kawhi, like, the NBA doesn't have legal standing to go to get information. They're not the cops. So if he didn't do anything wrong, right, you can pay someone and not show up. Now, you can't do that in the NBA. But, like, what recourse are they going to have to really figure this out? And Kawhi could just be like. Like, games. I just didn't want to do it, you know, could be that simple. Now, clearly it looks pretty shady, but I'm totally with you. The NBA always, like, they try to have this perception different than reality. I mean, I hear some stories. I got a couple buddies that, you know, are deep in the league, either as assistant coaches or, like, close to a certain player. And you hear some of these stories about some of these players that are, in theory, happily married. Some of the stuff going on the side, you're like, holy shit. I mean, if this ever got out, this would be an enormous TMZ story. And that's not talking about LeBron James there, in fairness. But I'm with you. I just. Shady league. I mean, it's always been what. But again, one individual has so much more of an impact. The shady stuff going behind the scenes. Like, if you think Ballmer is the only one doing this, you would be in. You'd be crazy. I really think you would be naive to believe that this ain't. Remember when Jalen Brunson took that pay cut a couple years ago? Can we look into the Knicks? Think he's got a little. Little piece of the sphere or something? I wouldn't blame him. I do the same thing. Like, I'm not anti any of this. I have no problem with Steve Ballmer paying Kawhi on the side. My take would be, do you regret going into business Kawhi Leonard? Is there any less dependable of a quote unquote talent than this individual? It's at least with, you know, if you watch some of these documentaries on like famous musicians, like, God, this guy was pain in the ass. But it's like, holy shit, he put out some hit records and he would sell out every single stadium we went to. Guy was a cash cow. He delivered quite. Doesn't deliver, doesn't play half the games in the regular season. And when's the last time the Clippers did anything in the playoffs since he's been there. News flash, they haven't. So do I think it happens in the NFL? Probably wouldn't shock me and I have no problem with it. Now I understand. If I was in the league from a business partner and I was doing it the right way and someone wasn't, it would make me mad. But where I'm sitting, doing what I do, I got no issue with. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I wish Adam Silver would just. Just embrace what they actually are. I actually think it would be better for the league. I mean, the league I grew up on. Like, everyone just openly talked about Michael Jordan, drinking, boozing and playing hoops and hanging out with chicks while he was married. How can Micah's back be a nothing burger because of the contract. But Stafford's back is a disaster waiting to happen. The Rams also gave a new contract to Stafford. Seems like they're either both potentially fucked or both nothing to worry about. The difference is, I think Micah was injured because he didn't want to get fined by the Cowboys. Like, it was clear they were in a contract dispute. And you can't just say I broke my leg. Because Dr. Would be like, well, you didn't break your leg. You can't say I pulled my hamstring. Because the MRI would say you didn't pull your hamstring. Back injuries are very hard to figure out. Like I said, I do not think that the packers would have given him $185 million, which I promise you, unless he shatters his leg, he is going to see every penny. If his back was a problem, I don't think the Rams thought Stafford's back was a problem when they gave him the contract, but there was also a reason. Like, they were like, we're going one year max because he was old. They did not. They have a back injury last year. He was playing well at the end of the season. I think they're completely different circumstances. If his back is a thing and they just gave him that contract, that's insane. It's a fireable offense. If it goes bad, like if he's. If he misses a bunch of game with a back, that's insane. I can't. I can't fathom that. Maybe I'm being naive because I can't fathom that you would give a guy a max contract who has a back injury. Question for you. You mentioned today that you expect the Lions to regret regress. My question is, what makes coordinators so much better than other coordinators? Is it play calling? Play calling. In the right time. Creativity. When I say regress, I just think that, like, as great as Ben was, it will be impossible for Johnny Morton to be as good as he is. I think there is a level of. I think if you just got Johnny Morton, Ben Johnson, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Mike McDaniel, you can go around the league, Brian Dabal, whoever, every play caller in the league on a whiteboard, they would all talk football. If you and I were in the room, it would sound like Chinese. Like, what are these guys talking about? It would. It would blow your mind. I think if you got a lot of them on the field just coaching up a play, they could do it. I think two things separate. One, your ability to interact and teach the players. So understanding different players, how they're wired, get it through to their head, knows what motivates this guy. So your human interactions with your offense, teaching these guys the offense, obviously how adaptable you are to the playbook. Like, do you just have a playbook and the players have to fit within that? Or as Alex Smith said in this article, like, Andy Reid doesn't have a playbook. I mean, he has philosophies historically, but he will change if you do something well, he will build plays around what you do Well, a lot of coaches go, this is my playbook. Listen, Kyle Shanahan is like, that's his playbook. Right? Sean Payton, that's his playbook. Like, it ain't changing. That's Belichick. Historically, for 20 years in New England was like, we don't really have a playbook. We'll do whatever it takes on a weekly basis. We'll implement and institute new plays. So I think it's some of that. And then I think there's just like a player. Some players are instinctive players, just like some human beings. If you put certain people in a room that are like, hey, there's a big meeting today. There's a cocktail party. Some people are going to come away. Like, I met these three people, I got these three contacts. I love this guy. And. And they're going to be another guy that comes away. Like, people, like, get this guy away from me. Because certain people have instincts dealing with other humans and certain people have instincts in a meeting. Certain people have instincts. Whatever you do, I think it's no different with a play caller. You just either have the instincts or you don't. Right. Like, this is not a good time to call this play. Or there's a good time to set up this other play. And obviously with experience, you know, hey, setting these up in the first quarter will benefit me in the third quarter or benefit me when I want to call the one play that they're going to bite on. It's going to lead to an explosive play or a touchdown. That's a huge part about football and some guys just don't have it for whatever reason. I don't know. I'm not a coach, but I've just. We've seen it. Middlekop, Any wrecks for your preferred streaming service for the NFL College graduating from illegal streams. Now that I'm post college, I appreciate that. I saw today a headline that one of the quote unquote big illegal streamers got shut down. So maybe that's why you're asking the question. I've just been on YouTube TV now for years. So listen, I pay for everything. It's probably unhealthy. I mean, we got more apps yet I have less to watch besides sports than I've ever had. So when it comes to football and just TV, I've been a YouTube TV guy now for years and it's incredible. Like when I travel, you can watch YouTube TV when you're in a hotel. I recommend YouTube TV.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
All right, Wes west prop here from Hood Politics with prop podcast. You already know our get down. If you grew up in our urban areas of comfort, of struggle, you understand politics much more than you give him credit for. Feds taking over American cities, government. Hop out, boys. Hopping out the van, snatching up your Theo and them two wars that was supposed to be solved in 24 hours. Jerry just out here mandering all over the place, the turfs and of course the Epstein of it all. Well, this week we decided to shoot our shot and boy, did we pull up from the logo to see if we could get somebody to come tap in with us. And the one and only Jamil Hill pulled up from the Spolitics podcast to keep it a whole, whole century in America.
John Middlekauff
What sells in politics are narratives and story lines. It's like we treat politics like we treat sports, which is part of the reason why we're in the situation we're in right now.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
Listen to the Hood Politics with prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Football is back. That's right. The new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. This is a show for sickos like me. NFL Daily is your kind of show. It's in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Myself, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts will preview and recap every game all season long. Josh Allen, coming off an MVP season.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
And now lateral to Allen and reaching for the pylon. Are you kidding me? It's a touchdown. Have you ever seen that one before?
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Rookies making a name for themselves.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Bulldozer. He is bouncing off defenders and dragged down.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
And of course, the Eagles trying to win another Lombardi.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
What a game. What a season. What a team. Eagles fans savor it and rejoice.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
I'm Dan, he's Ty. Hello. And we're the solid verbal college football podcast.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
College football season is here. And you know what that means.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Your team is going to break your heart three times probably before Halloween. Uh huh.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
But fear not. The solid verbal will be right there with you through every Soul crushing loss and impossible comeback.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Join us all season long, all year long, as we ride the rollercoaster of this ridiculous sport.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
Whether you're a die hard fan or a casual observer, we'll help you make sense of all the chaos and of course, celebrate the madness. Tune in for previews, recaps, bits you won't hear anywhere else, and all the emotional support you need as a college football fan.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
We don't just love college football, Tyler, we live it.
Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Co-host)
Listen to the solid verbal college football podcasts on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
John Middlekauff
I think Democrats have for a very long time allowed Republicans to play them. So essentially Republicans came up with a narrative and Democrats decided to play into that. And that only hurt the Democrats.
Katie Couric
I'm Katie Couric. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas, is not known for holding back and our recent chat on Next Question is no exception. But when you hear how she got to where she is, her intensity makes perfect sense.
John Middlekauff
It's just hard to imagine a world where you don't have enough people that care to do right by people. And so that same passion that carried me through as a public defender, that led me to want to change laws and thinking about the harm that will happen not just to my constituents, but just generally like I carry that weight.
Katie Couric
With me because you've seen it up close.
John Middlekauff
Yeah.
Katie Couric
Listen to next question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
Big Texas fan here, super fan of the game. Arch could possibly be a Ryan Tannehill type player instead of Manning. Just give it a thought. Ryan was a wide receiver and Arch might have those type traits. Yeah, I, I feel like Ryan Tannehill threw the ball a little bit better in Arch. I feel like Ryan Tannehill didn't have a great arm, but it was my concern with Arch is he doesn't throw the ball that well. Just doesn't look right. We'll see. Maybe it was just really nervous playing a great defense, not going to bury the kid after one start against a top two or three team on the road. Defending national champs with unlimited foot, you know, NFL players. But that to me is the biggest concern. I have no issue with the pick. People throw picks, you know, I have no issue with getting stopped on a stuffed, on a quarterback sneak football. It happens. Do you see any similarities between Andy Reid and Spags, like his time in Philly with the late great Jim Johnson? I think there are definitely some similarities. I think if you put Patrick Mahomes on those Eagles teams, I think Eagles win a couple Super Bowls. So Donovan was a really good player, wasn't Patrick. So I think if you put Patrick with Jim Johnson and andy Reid in 2002 and 2003 and 2004, 2005, they probably win a Super bowl or two. Right. So Jim Johnson's elite Spags learned under Jim Johnson, now spags under Andy and they're elite on defense. So yeah, I definitely see some, some traits there or similarities. I've been a Packer fan my whole life. You've lived a pretty good life then. Think this might be the year they return to glory. New number one wide receiver Josh Jacobs. Parsons eating double teams for Gary. I think they're definitely going to be really good. And you know, Parsons motivated to prove Cowboys trading him was a mistake. Can he be like defensive player of the year, get 20 plus sacks? Can Jordan Love have a big year? Yeah, I don't think. I don't see why winning 12, 13 games isn't on the table and them, you know, in the mix to win the nfc. I don't think I wore enough sunscreen in, in Hawaii. I mean my shoulders are peeling, my elbows are peeling, my face is like dry and itchy. Top of my head's peeling off. I thought I did, but I guess I got to get a little more aggressive. You get older, your skin gets a little thinner. I used to be able to sit out in the sun. It's probably not, it definitely wasn't healthy but when I was young I didn't even know what sunscreen was. I would just get so dark and tan now my skin peels off. My days in the sun might be over. Without wearing like bucket hats and long sleeve shirts. I'm like, I'm like a football coach. You know when you see those football coaches that you see highlights. If you've ever been to an NFL or college practice, you go out there. It could be, I mean the peak of summer humidity in the south or like when I was at Fresno state and be 110 degrees. These coaches have long pants, long sleeves, bucket hats. Smart move actually. Hey John, big fan of the show. Question for the mailbag. I'm a Giants fan. My family has had season tickets since the 60s. For the first time in a long time I feel like there is optimism around the team. Yes, Joe Shane has made some head scratching moves but I think post Saquon Barkley he's actually learned from his mistakes and, and made some really good Football decisions. Day Ball can be a hothead but I do think he can coach given what he did with DJ in 22. My question is this, do you think they will get another year and what would you need to see if the team is truly going in the right direction and what would need to happen for that? I think this year will be rough because of the schedule and I do think that for better or worse Dart will play a lot of football. It looks like by all accounts Day Ball is in love with Jackson and I can't help but think it would be a mistake. I do think they're in a little bit of a predicament and this is tough spot for Dable and I think this is why they made him the number two quarterback because they're probably not going to win nine or 10 games but we kind of think like I got some pretty good pieces, good defensive line, I have dual cards, got a chance to be a beast to go with Burns and Dexter Lawrence. I don't even think K Vaughn's that good and they for whatever reason picked up his fifth year option but if he could be like your fourth best defensive lineman you're in pretty good shape offensively. I mean Neighbors is a monster if their running back room's pretty good. The rookie last year and then Scatterboo this year to go along with Jackson Dart it's going to be hard. This is where I do agree with like Peyton Manning and everyone about the organizations fucking with young quarterbacks. There is no point to let Brian Day Ball pick his quarterback which he did because if you watch the clips that came out of that draft room Day Ball clearly loved him and Joe Shane was in charge of making sure they landed Jackson darn form. Why would you fire Dable after a year? So you have to be okay with having a rough stretch now if he wins like two games it's going to be hard to justify but if they can win six or seven, if Jackson can show some I would say promise. Yeah, I mean I think, I think Russell Wilson's leash couldn't be shorter. I give Russell Wilson over under three and a half games so I think what will have to happen is less about the wins and losses and more just like how does Jackson Dart look? So Jackson Dart looks good with Brian Dable. I think they would be in pretty good shape. Sirianni deserves more credit. He doesn't pick the players but he does make it work on the field. There are many stars on the team and he keeps them rowing in the same direction. His Style might look different, but he delivers results. Your thoughts? I agree. I think, you know, Joe Torrey is a good example. Phil Jackson, I think, does get a lot of credit, but I think we act like it's easy to coach Kobe and Shaq or Michael or the Yankees or some loaded team. Obviously, he has advantages. He has one of the best GMs that has a bunch of juice and a bunch of power. He has Vic Fangio. You know, when he had Shane Steichen or last year, Kellen Moore became head coach. I mean, his two offensive coordinators became head coaches. But he is the guy that's in charge of, like, if Jalen Carter's acting up, you know, when a guy gets a dui, well, Dom's kind of in charge of that, but you know what I mean? Like, he's got to deal with these personalities and when situations happen. Last year, that Brandon Graham, Jalen hurts thing with A.J. brown, like, that's his problem. Like, ultimately, how he can get involved. But he's with those guys in the meeting. He's with those guys on the practice field. So, yeah, it's not. It's not an easy job at all. This is not one of those where, like, you couldn't fake it this long. He definitely brings stuff to the table, and he's clearly good at dealing with people, which is important, you know, because unlike that Browns assistant gm, that was like, data points and the fucking robots. It's like, well, Miles Garrett and Shador Sanders and, you know, Jerry Judy, like, they ain't robots. They're human beings. It's always what baseball managers said. It's so easy for the analytical guy to come to my office and hand me the lineup and be like, well, this guy's had seven hits in the last two games, and he's. You benched him for this other guy because you liked the matchup. Well, I have to tell him that. And a little nerd gets to go back upstairs, who's probably going to be replaced by AI here pretty soon. And I have to go interact with the first baseman and say that you're out of the lineup today. So it's like you can talk about data points and all this stuff, which, again, I'm not anti data points, but, like, ultimately, it's on Nick Sirianni. Even if, you know, the Eagles have a pretty big analytical group. You know, it's all. It's on him to verbalize that to the players. So, yeah, it's. It's a tough job. Coaching in Philly is really, really hard it's like coaching an SEC football team. It is difficult. Speaking of the sec, we'll end on this. I know that people are saying Calen DeBoer's job is in jeopardy after the loss to Florida State, but who could be doing a better job? I know coaching in the SEC requires a certain mindset and energy to be applied to your coaching practice, but he was honestly the best option in the country to replace Nick Saban. Coming off a national championship appearance with Washington and years of success before that, I don't think there would have been a better option. Saban set the bar so high that it's almost impossible to live up to the same performance that he had for such a long period of time. Well, didn't they go after Steve Sarkeesian? He turned him down. I do think you could have argued, could they have hired Lane Kiffin? Did. Would Nick Saban have okay Lane Kiffin at the time? I don't know. Maybe he wouldn't have. I think that's fair. Lane. New Alabama. Lane knows the sec. I think Stark turned down. Rightfully so. I would say a Texas as well. I do think, if you look back, should Alabama have hired Lane Kiffin? And I do think there's an undercurrent of. I don't know if I know they act like they're close, but if Saban was going to let Lane replace him, I can't confirm that, but I can put enough pieces of the puzzle together to know. Like, obviously Lane would have left Ole Miss for Alabama, but was that an option? Because clearly it wasn't or he'd be there. So I do think it's fair to go, could we have hired Lane? Kevin? But I'm with you. Like who? There weren't that many options. I do understand a lot of these tick tocks are going viral of the Alabama guys doing TikToks, I do think you could probably find guys on Georgia or Ohio State doing TikToks. I think the problem is like people have downtime, they go on their phone, they do stupid shit. Yeah, I can't relate to a TikTok dance. I can't. But most 20 year olds can. They do them. Nick Saban had guys. I'm sure they were on TikTok. You know what? You couldn't be late to a meeting. You wouldn't have tapped out of a game, you wouldn't have got thrown around. So clearly whatever DeBoer's doing, Kaylin DeBoer sometimes say his name wrong, it's just not working. He's proven he's a good coach. I do believe that in certain places, like being a kind of an old school, a hole works. Like that's going to work with the New England Patriots, the Northeast. That, that works. That's what Belichick was. That's what Vrabel is. Gerard Mayo tried to be everyone's friend. It's not going to work now. Just to be an A hole. To be an A hole is. You got to know what you're talking about. So when Nick Saban screamed at everybody, they all knew a couple things. One, he obviously knows what he's talking about. Look at his resume. And two, when then he would just tell you what to do. Football wise, it would work. So whatever they're coaching these guys up to do is not working. Now are they recruiting the right guys? I don't know. I don't know. I don't have answers to this. But what we witnessed the other day against Florida State and sometimes last year was just pretty embarrassing. And they're going to have some big games this year. We'll just like, are they going to lose to lsu? Are they going to lose? Are they just going to get worked by these SEC teams? I don't know. I don't have the answer. I was a big believer in this guy. Something clearly is off. And sometimes, you know, you, you can set people up on a blind date, be like, these guys are perfect for each other. You know, she's a lawyer, high achiever, he's an entrepreneur, businessman. They both similar intellectually, both good looking people, or they're both into this or that and then it just doesn't work. You know, in theory, this really good coach, he's good at offense, tough guy from the Midwest, should have a chance. He's won everywhere he's been and it doesn't, doesn't happen. Does it mean Kalin's some village idiot? No. Does it mean Alabama is a tough place to play? Of course it does. But maybe like you're right, maybe no one could have replaced him. Maybe unless it was Kirby Smart, you know, or Urban Meyer or someone that like this notion. And listen, if Kalin were to get fired, which I still don't think is going to happen, but let's just say hypothetically, he gets fired, everyone hire Jon Gruden. Listen, I do believe Jon Gruden's going to get one of these jobs, but I also think we forget Judd Gruden got run out of Tampa at the end. It wasn't really going that great with the Raiders. You know, like, listen, he loves football and when he talks about football, it's easy to kind of gravitate. Like he's a great personality. John Madden was the same. But look at John Madden's resume. When he was at the Raiders, he dominated. John Gruden didn't win much since like 2004, like lost a lot. And with the Raiders, it was honestly pretty underwhelming. So this notion that like, okay, let's say Deborah's fired tomorrow, it's like we go hire Jon Gruden. I'd rather have Lane Kiffin. I'd be all over Lane Kiffin knows the SEC and is winning. It's like if you can win nine, 10 games at Ole Miss, you can't win national championships in Alabama. To me, Lane Kiffin should be the number one idea for if, if Florida flames out this year in Alabama, I would be all, and I don't think Alabama is going to open up, but I would be all over Lane Kiffin. That being said, I do think Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin are both going to be in the mix if Mike McDaniels flames out in Florida to replace because that, that owner is going to want a splashy coach. And I was like, who are the really splashy guys in the NFL? Not going to be probably this cycle. But Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart get some headlines and whether they work or not, I don't know. But I get to see both those guys tired of dealing with the nil. No rules. It's just, it's just chaotic where the NFL's challenging. You got to Atlanta quarterback, you got to build the team, you got salary gap, you know, restrictions, but at least you know the rules. It's very black and white. What you can and can't do the volume.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
All right, west west prop here from Hood Politics with prop podcast. You know, I get down. You come from the urban areas, you understand politics more than you giving credit for. Between Jerry out here mandering all over the place. Hop out, boys. Snatching up family members and two wars that was supposed to be done in 24 hours. Not to mention Epstein, we had to reach out to the homie Jamel Hill cuz she gonna keep it a century.
John Middlekauff
The American, American public is used to being entertained. We're a consumption society. So what Trump figured out is entertain them and they'll never question you.
West West Prop (Hood Politics Podcast Host)
Listen to the Hood Politics with prop podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan and Tyler (Solid Verbal Podcast Hosts)
I'm Dr. Scott. Barry Kaufman, host of the Psychology Podcast Here's a clip from an upcoming conversation about how to be a better you when you think about emotion regulation, you're not gonna choose an adaptive strategy which is more effortful to use unless you think there's a good outcome. Avoidance is easier. Ignoring is easier. Denial is easier. Complex problem solving takes effort. Listen to the Psychology podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Greg Rosenthal (NFL Daily Host)
Football is back. That's right, the new NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along along to Super Bowl 60. It's in the name NFL Daily so you'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, in an all star cast of co hosts for previews and recaps of every single game. NFL Daily will keep you up to date with everything you need to know so you can sound smarter than all your friends. Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Katie Couric
On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic Representative of Texas. She's holding down the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the union.
John Middlekauff
I think that ultimately who will become the Democratic nominee for president will be someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you like they will punch back.
Katie Couric
Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.
Episode Title: Eagles PREPARED to win again, How will the Cowboys fair, Patriots REACTION to Belichick and UNC
Date: September 4, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff
This episode of The Herd’s “3 & Out” dives into the key storylines as NFL football returns, focusing on the Philadelphia Eagles’ readiness to repeat their success, the state of the Dallas Cowboys (especially post-Micah Parsons), and the fallout from Bill Belichick’s tenure and new chapter at UNC. Host John Middlekauff analyzes team dynamics, organizational behavior, and noteworthy NFL and college football news, blending personal insights with sharp, candid commentary.
Team Success & The ‘Disease of Me’
Middlekauff highlights “the disease of Me”—the tendency for individuals or organizations to become complacent after success. He references Pat Riley’s book and ties it to modern NFL teams, particularly the Eagles’ approach post-championship.
Howie Roseman’s Relentless Drive
The GM’s unwavering work ethic, intelligence, and personnel moves are seen as the key reason Philadelphia is “best equipped” for sustained success.
Nick Sirianni & Emotional Growth
Sirianni’s growth (after nearly being fired) and the organization’s intolerance for mediocrity are highlighted.
Eagles’ Infrastructure Advantage
Owner Jeffrey Lurie lets the football minds run the show—contrasting with Jerry Jones’ Cowboys.
Organizations vs. Quarterbacks Touches on Kevin O’Connell’s comment (via The Athletic/Rich Eisen): “Organizations fail quarterbacks more than quarterbacks fail organizations.”
Examples and Evolution
College Quarterbacks & Scouting Advances in quarterback play, driven by year-round coaching and repetition, have elevated the floor and ceiling for prospects.
Belichick at UNC—Grudges & Culture UNC banning Patriots’ scouts post-Belichick firing is criticized.
Red Zone’s Commercial Breaks ESPN’s acquisition of Red Zone marks the end of “seven hours of commercial-free football.”
Streaming and Changing Consumption Changes in TV, streaming, and sports business models—pivot or "you won't survive."
Broncos Hype & Realism On Denver’s hype versus reality: “I do think the Broncos can be pretty good... They would need Bo Nix to become a top 10 player.” (49:57)
NFL Salary Cap Circumvention On the Clippers/Steve Ballmer news vs. NFL practices: “If you think Ballmer is the only one doing this, you... would be naive to believe that this ain't [happening in the NFL].” (53:37)
Eagles’ Coaching & Nick Sirianni Addressing whether Sirianni deserves more credit: “It's not an easy job at all. You couldn't fake it this long. He definitely brings stuff to the table, and he's clearly good at dealing with people, which is important.” (70:06)
Giants' Rebuild Optimism Discussion about Brian Daboll’s future and handling of rookie QB Jackson Dart.
On Howie Roseman:
“His work ethic, the way his mind operates, I think will be completely unfazed moving forward.” (10:04)
On Dak Prescott:
“Remember Dak, guy that made $575 million playing football and never did anything in the playoffs? Actually was terrible in the playoffs.” (19:18)
On Nick Sirianni's Growth:
“He got a little humble pie... I think Sirianni learned a valuable lesson. You better... swallow your pride a little bit and change your antics and be careful, because this game will humble you really quick.” (14:58)
On NFL Streaming Changes:
“Traditional television is not going to be around... you have to change or you won't survive.” (41:13)
On Belichick & Grudges:
“Holding a grudge is like chain-smoking hate. ...What’s the point of that? Just to be mad about something that happened in the past?” (37:23)
Middlekauff maintains a direct, conversational, and occasionally irreverent tone, blending inside-football insights with relatable analogies and a “no-BS” attitude. His commentary balances skepticism and respect and often draws from personal NFL experience.
Summary:
The episode draws a sharp line between teams ready for sustained success (the Eagles) and those mired in structural dysfunction or mediocrity (the Cowboys), examines the role culture and leadership play in football’s highest levels, and touches on major NFL news from coaching changes to broadcast evolution. The show closes with wide-ranging listener questions, bringing humor, candor, and expertise to everything from salary cap tricks to college coaching hot seats.