← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
3 & Out - Should the Ravens fire John Harbaugh, Chiefs games are rigged, and the sky is falling in Philly
01:02:09
Loading summary
Transcript72 lines
- [00:00]
John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:05]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser
If you're a smoker or dipper ready to make a change, you really only need one good reason. But with Zynn Nicotine Pouches, you'll discover many good reasons. Zynn is America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Plus Zynn offers a robust rewards program. There are lots of options when it comes to nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one Zyn. Check out Zyn.com find to find Zyn at a store near you.
- [00:30]
John Middlekauff
Warning.
- [00:31]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser
This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
- [00:35]
Johnny Knoxville
Hello, America's sweetheart. Johnny Knoxville here. I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crimeless Hillbilly Heist. From Smartless Media, Campside Media and big money players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist.
- [00:57]
Ed Helms
Kind of like Robin Hood, except for.
- [00:58]
John Middlekauff
The part where he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous.
- [01:05]
Johnny Knoxville
It's a damn near inspiring true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing.
- [01:13]
John Middlekauff
They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help him escape.
- [01:18]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
So we're sitting like, oh, God, what do we do?
- [01:20]
John Middlekauff
What do we do? That was dumb. People, do not follow my example.
- [01:26]
Johnny Knoxville
Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:35]
Ed Helms
Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new Snafu every single episode.
- [01:45]
American Express Advertiser
32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
- [01:49]
John Middlekauff
What?
- [01:49]
Ed Helms
Yeah, it's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of fabulous guests. Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna, Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:06]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it.
- [02:22]
John Middlekauff
They actually lose it.
- [02:23]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
They sort of went nuts until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The Volume.
- [02:56]
John Middlekauff
What is going on Everybody. John Middlecop three and out podcast. How are we doing? Hopefully everyone's doing well if you listen to the podcast. Last night I said there was going to be a mailbag in the second half of it. I don't know what happened. Technology screwed me. Not my fault. I'm gonna point the finger at my computer right now. Somehow it didn't get saved when I transported the file. I didn't know it until I got a text message like two in the morning actually earlier in that because my guy Adam who's on the audio is in D.C. and he's up at the crack of. I mean he's up at like pulling Gruden hours. So I didn't see that text till like six in the morning my time and it was too late. But. But it is a video version so you can find it on the YouTube page. Make sure you subscribe, hell, leave a comment like the video. You guys know the drill. But today will just be a big mailbag. At John Middlekopf. At John Middlekopf is the Instagram talking a lot of football talking. Anything that you hit me with. And we're going to do about an hour long podcast, just taking questions, interacting with the people. This is the people show. This is Instagram DM show. Actually that's really what it is. So if you guys listen on Collins feed, make sure you subscribe to three and out just so you never miss a thing because you never know. We're going to have podcasts which is literally every day and let's dive right in. I feel like I'm going insane. People keep saying Jordan Love makes poor decisions. Since Week 10 of 2023, he has 56 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. As a 90s football guy who grew up watching Favre, don't you find that criticism laughable? Ints have been made famous by the Internet. Who cares? Throw touchdowns and win games. Well, I agree. I mean those numbers are better than if you would have said what I don't even know had to put in context. But I don't think I would have guessed his ratio is better than 13 or 3 to 1. Right, because what's 16 times 2 is 32 is 48. So he has a better interception touchdown ratio since he really started playing well. I mean I do think it's fair to start middle to late of that season. So you're cooking the books a little bit. But you could argue early on in 2023 when he wasn't playing well. If I remember correctly, it was before the buy because I Remember Gudikens that year was like the buy must have been around like game six or seven because he's like, you know, he's got about 10 games left. We're gonna have to make a tough decision this offseason. It's like damn. But they were kind of right because the contract situation and they've won a lot of games with them. I think it's more and I said this about Bo Nix and him, obviously he's more accomplished than Bo Nix means won a playoff game. It's the trust factor that the head coach who's also happens to be the play caller has in the player. So I think it's more that and listen, I'm a Jordan Love fan. I mean he's my type player with the traits but the difference of like Favre in the 90s, there was a little more wow and pizzazz behind his game. And maybe it's in defense of Jordan, what he's being asked and coached to do. It's kind of forced him to be a little robotic. But I do believe there is more, I don't know, explosive playmaking in there because like you said, he is producing and the teams, I don't want to say in a rut, but they definitely are. They have a lot more than is being shown now. We saw early in the season, I mean when they're on they're really, really good. But I'm still bullish on the packers mailbag question. This from Burke, huge Ravens fan, rough year. Do you think there is any shot we turn this around when Lamar and Crew are healthier and make a second half run, Our schedule lightens up. But not sure if we have dug too big of a hole. And if you don't make the playoffs, is it time to part ways with John Her Harbaugh? Let's start with the latter part of that question because I was thinking about this. John Harbaugh will come up in this next question. I think if you're going to replace and I said this last year about Tomlin, you, you know, when the Eagles fired Andy Reid, that's the only situation I've had intimate knowledge because I was there and then I actually once Chip came in a couple of months later, I was gone. But I saw it and they're like we're going to fire Andy Reid. But who'd they go after? They went after Bill o' Brien who was at Penn State and declined. He'd only been there a year and they went after Chip Kelly. So like clearly. And I wasn't a part of the hiring process, but they had, they had a specific or a couple specific individuals that they went, listen, if we're gonna, if we're gonna fire one of the most successful. I think he probably is, I guess Sirianni now because of the super bowl, actually two of them, but, well, one win, you know what I mean? We better know who's replacing him. So it's like, I'm going to fire John Harbaugh because he had a crappy season, because there was a bunch of injuries. Who am I replacing him with? Because I can't just fire John Harbaugh and go on a search. Like, I can't do that. Because the chances that, you know, for every John Harbaugh, there's a lot of Aaron Glenn's, there's a lot of Jonathan Gannons, there's a lot of this ain't working. And I think that complicates the situation because you look one this. I'm going to get into this topic probably over the next couple of weeks. I think there's going to be one of the craziest off seasons in the history of football. When you look at college football, I mean, Penn State and Florida and if they fired Norvell, Florida State, these type jobs that give you $80 million contracts. Again, don't know if it's true. It was reported that Brian callahan signed a three year, $15 million deal. James franklin just fired, he's making 10. Kurt signetti's in indiana making eight. So I do think, you know, Joe Brady. It's like, do you want the Arizona Cardinals job with no quarterback or do you want to be the head coach at Florida? Here's a six year, $60 million and you're the boss. Now you can be like, well, college football, I don't know. It's not that bad. I'm watching these games on Saturday. It looks pretty badass and they're getting paid premiums. So I think there's just a lot of moving parts. And I think you cannot fire John Harbaugh unless you go, this is where my Mike Tomlin thing was last year. It's like, hey, now's your time to take your swing on Ben Johnson. Like, you can just hire Ben Johnson now. It's also risky, but like, no one would have faulted you for doing that. And Mike would have got a fresh start wherever, right? Hell, he'd probably be at the jets and they'd be winning. But I just don't think you can fire him willy nilly and like, let's go canvas the landscape. I don't think you can do that. I think you guys are in a little trouble. You'll definitely win some games if Lamar comes back healthy. But you start four games under, you have a stretch where you go like six and two. Let's just say you go six and two over your next eight games at one and five. Think about what your record is. Six wins plus one, seven. Two plus five is seven. You only get back to 500. So it's just. It's. It's really, really difficult. I. And I'd be stunned given the way their defense playing if they go on a 6, 2 stretch. So if you went 5 and 3, you're still under 500 because you would be. What would that be? 5. If you went 5 and 3, you'd be 6 and 8. Getting texts about the guy that just cleared out my tree, My neighbor's tree fell. It honestly made me feel good about humanity. We had this. They call it microburst. I think it was a tornado. His tree fell over my fence through my ficus. Those ficus trees are tough. None of them snapped into my backyard. And I was like, I guess me and Maria, I'm like, I don't really know. I guess I just go over to his house and it wasn't like my neighbor, it was behind me. So I had to go like around the block. And I got in my car once the storm kind of really settled down and stopped raining. And he was pulling up to my house and I was like, you know what? I just kind of put a smile on my face. But now granted, he was older gentleman who I think is doing pretty well because he was teaching a class today. He had to say he had to go to Tucson to teach a commercial real estate class. He's wearing an Augusta national hat, so he must be a. I just kind of scouted him really briefly. I was like, this guy might be pretty successful, but he was just a high level guy. And it's just, you know, I was like, I bet knock on the door, guy's gonna argue it's not his fault, make me pay. And it wasn't like that at all. So it's like, why do I always assume the negative when there's just a lot of positivity out there? Question for the bag. Now that the Titans have fired their coach, what would it take for them to trade for someone like John Harbaugh that might need a fresh start? I would say that if you're the Titans, in what world would John Harbaugh be interested in that job. So to me and this, I said the same thing for Tomlin forever. They're not leaving the Ravens or the Steelers. You're going to have to fire them, right? Sean Payton was like, this sucks. I quit. At the end of the day, they're the Saints, right? When you work for the Steelers, when you work for the Ravens, when you work for the Eagles, you don't force a trade. That's not the way you make them fire you. Because the job, the infrastructure, the financial backing, it's all there. You don't leave. So I have a hard time seeing John Harbaugh get traded. I really do. I think he'd be more likely double middle fingers. Fire me and then I'll go get the job. Assuming that Borgonzi and Brinker, it is kind of a weird setup. I had a really close friend that almost joined up with them last year and he was comfortable with the setup. He likes Borgonzi a lot. But I clicked on today at the gym like that press conference from yesterday and it's like the president, but who is a scout and has a scouting background and understands the captain over the gm. It's just kind of bizarre. So I actually have a buddy that works for the staff that has been some dysfunctional other places and said this place kind of crazy. And it's not like I'm defending what just went on with Brian Callahan. I've never met Brian Callahan and he clearly wasn't good. I just don't think that John Harbaugh is like, yeah, I'll just go to the Titans, you know, after working with Ozzy, Steve Busciotti and Eric Dacosta. So I think the other thing is Eric Dacosta and John Harbaugh are very, very close friends. Now there's a cold business and business is cold in general. You know, your closest friends, I don't care who you are. Things can change really quick when job stability, financial stability and money is on the line. So I would never say never about a firing for sure. But I trade to the Titans, I can't see that. Like I don't see John Harbaugh unless he just wants to go to a retirement area like being interested in like the Arizona Cardinals. Okay, he's going to work for Michael Bidwell. I just, I. Here's the thing. What's make these guys so crazy is John Harbaugh has made so much money over the last decade plus like really once he hit a stride, I mean he's probably been making ten plus million Dollars for well over a decade. I think he makes like 15 to 18 million dollars. Now John Harbaugh works like 80 hour weeks. So for over half the year. Like he. Does he have time to spend that money if he wanted to? And even if his wife is an aggressive spender, you can't blow that type of money. Especially like once your house is paid off and stuff. Like what are they really doing? Like he's got. He could take a deep breath, but that's not really how the hardballs are wired. Who's got it better than us? A lot of people beside the Ravens, that's for sure. What are your thoughts on the UTEP study suggesting that during the NFL playoffs penalties against opposing defenses of the Chiefs were significant? Significantly more likely to result in first downs, cover more yardage and fall into subjective categories like roughing the passer and pass interference. Gotta say it's frustrating to see Mahomes and Kelsey talk shit to other players knowing they'll get the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, I mean I don't think they think like that. I mean, I hear what you're saying. I didn't see the study. Obviously they've gotten some good breaks. I also think the talented get better breaks. Right. I think the best always get the better breaks. You know, it works like that. Business. You know, it definitely works like that in sports. Like Michael Jordan gets more calls than most players. So did Kobe Bryant. So does LeBron James. Warriors fans have been bitching for Steph forever. Doesn't think he gets enough calls. But like, you know, Derek Jeter is going to get the benefit of the doubt on an outside pitch called a ball, not a strike. Kind of the way the world works. So it's like they've kind of earned that. It doesn't bother me. And I don't think they've won Super Bowls or gone to the super bowl because of the referees. Have there been individual situations that were bs for sure. Do I think it's insane that Patrick Mahomes, when he goes out of bounds and then he cuts it back on a run and the guy stops. That shouldn't be allowed. That should be penalized. But like yeah, I mean I don't get caught up as much on the, on the referees again. I mean if I'm gambling on it, I'll freak out. But I just think we could. The referees have been bad and officials in sports and umpires in baseball for the majority of my adult life. And if you just going to go into a game wanting to just hate those guys you easily can, and it just can really bother you. Like, there's a human element to sports and these guys are their emotions. Get involved, whether it's Kelsey and Mahomes or whether it's the Warriors. I mean, the amount of times I have seen NBA players teed up for swearing, it's like, guys, this is not youth league pickup hoops here. This is a billion dollar industry with a lot of money in the line. We're not teaching life lessons here. We're trying to win chips and make cash. And that's always really bothered me. It's like, yeah, these are grown men. They're gonna swear. Mailbag Question I'd be curious to hear how you think about growing your pod from a business standpoint. How closely do you monitor the numbers, engagement, video to video, or even topic to topic? For example, Colin mentioned he's looking at how every segment performs on the herd. How much, if at all, does the team around you influence suggest, inform your upload, schedule, content topics and strategy. Would you ever want to manage a network of your own, like the volume, or do you prefer just doing your own thing on camera? I would say two things that I closely monitor that I do on a daily basis is the content. What I'm going to talk about, which you're looking at the editor in chief here. So we have a text thread, we got things flying around, different ideas, different topics. And I am not running a TV show here. So you're not going to hear the Dallas Cowboys leading my show seven, eight months a year. That's just not going to happen. Now, luckily, because of the medium I'm in, I don't necessarily need to. I try to talk about things that I'm fired up on, but I also understand the business. I've been doing this for well over a decade in radio and podcasts. Especially now with the influence of YouTube, I'm not going to lead three shows a week with the Jags, you know, or the lead with the Titans. So I have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't. I mean, the numbers kind of speak for themselves. But then there are things that happen. Like I did a, I talked about Mark Sanchez, I think like a week ago, and we cut a social video and it was massive. I mean, it was as big of a social video as we've ever done. And listen, I'm not that big. Like, I understand the value of social videos and social content, whether it's YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels, you know, Twitter, little blasts. But that's. That's not paying for my kid to go to private school. Like, it's not generating unless there's specific content we do for a sponsor. Like, it's not making any money. So but like, when you see big numbers, you're like, oh, people are into that. And we've been talking about that for a while. Is like. And I'm a big proponent of this is like, this show is not about the X's and O's of football. I'm not diving deep on the, the running strategy of the Arizona Cardinals. You know, second down offense. I would go under. Like, that wouldn't work. We couldn't build a business off that. But I also like when things work and when they don't work. And I understand, like, why is Mark Sanchez store huge? Because it's a story that everyone's going to have an opinion on. My wife, my college roommate was texting me about it. He had a pretty. He's a Mission Viejo guy and actually kind of knows Mark. But it's just like, it's just kind of a universal story. And I got to do a better job of incorporating, you know, like when everyone. And sometimes I push back of like, what is everyone talking about on social. Because I think that social media has been the downfall of a lot of people that I would say 15, 20 years ago that I would have viewed as successful people in the media. And I think it's rotted their brain and they don't understand what's good and bad because they just live on the apps. And I try not to, as counterproductive as that may sound, given the business I'm in, I'm adamant and I've become so numb to it. I'm pretty good at separating. Like, yeah, that doesn't even matter. But I do think it's pretty clear when topics are pretty hot and there's a, you know, a human element to that people enjoy and people, you know, enjoy my opinion on it. So it's like I. I can talk about Patrick Mahomes performance or, you know, a Max Crosby trade. He didn't get traded. I'm just using hypothetical. He probably should. But like, toe I'm blue and if I can do that with my eyes closed, like, that's, that's my bread and butter. But I'm also a normal human being that just does normal shit and has normal conversations about normal things. And I got to do a better job about incorporating that type stuff. And then obviously, you know, the lifeblood of what I do. Like, you hear a college coach what's the lifeblood of what you do. He's like, recruiting. Well, it's my partners, the advertisers. So I'm very, very involved in that with our sales team, with our group, and I take it very, very seriously. So I would say the lifeblood of me is the content I'm going to talk about on a, on a weekly. And obviously during season, it's a lot of game reaction. And, you know, it's Ray Lewis, Monday through Friday, you pay me. Monday through Saturday. Sundays are for free. Like, you kind of pay me for the six months that aren't the NFL season. You know, the season is just a reactionary. If you can't do good stuff in, in the middle of October, you know, I might as well just close up shop. But. But I would say content in ads are my bread and butter when it comes to numbers. Like, I don't spend too much time. I obviously look and I'm dialed in. But I'm not overly aggressive with that type stuff. You know, Colin does a television show, so like segments on television, they get people to stay around. It's a little different than this, I would say. That's why when me and him do a podcast, we'll just talk about whatever going on in the NFL. There's no rhyme or reason. There were games that we wouldn't hit if we were doing a television show that on podcast doesn't matter as long as it's interesting. And I would say my one philosophy is that I just try to talk about things that I'm interested in. I don't fake anything. I'm not doing some of these TV shows where I have to pretend to care. If I don't care, I won't talk about it. I mean, it's a pretty easy formula for me. And as I've gotten older, I just realized there are things I just don't care about on a given day. Like, I'm just not going to talk about it because I truly don't care. But if I get enough people ask me about it, I'm like, okay, I didn't care that much about Jonathan Gannon slapping D. Markado. But then that's a good, you know, a good example of a lot of people are talking about it. People are asking me about it. I'm like, okay, let's talk about it. Today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet. The Hard Rock BET Sportsbook app has new promos every day. Obviously, we talk a lot of football here on three and out, but the ALCS and the NLCS are currently going on so you can bet on winners, pitchers, home run hitters, anything you want. Week seven doesn't kick off till tomorrow, but if you haven't tried your first bet on Hard Rock Bet, there is still time for you to get 150 in bonus bets. If you win, just place five dollar bet and if it hits you, not only get your winnings but you get an additional 150 in extra bonus bets. And since today is Wednesday, if you already are betting on the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app, you know what that means. It's the last time to use your legendary reward drops. Open up the app today you could have a bonus bet or who knows what is in there. More drops every Thursday. The rewards and promos are non stop 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. Must be 21 plus physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-88-Admt-IT in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants to help, call 1-809 with it gambling problem, call 1-891-800- GAMBLER Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia if you're a smoker.
- [24:27]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser
Or dipper ready to make a change, you really only need one good reason. But with Zyn Nicotine Pouches, you'll discover many good reasons. Zyn is America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Plus, Zyn offers a robust rewards program. There are lots of options when it comes to nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one zit. Check out zyn.com find to find Zyn at a store near you.
- [24:52]
John Middlekauff
Warning.
- [24:52]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser
This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
- [24:56]
John Middlekauff
Get that Amex Gold cart ready. I'm way too tired to cook tonight.
- [25:00]
American Express Advertiser
You read my mind. With the gold cart, we can get up to $120 a year in statement credits. Are you feeling The Cheesecake Factory? Five guys? Either of those sound good?
- [25:11]
John Middlekauff
Yes?
- [25:12]
American Express Advertiser
Which one? Both pay with the Gold Card to receive up to $10 a month in statement credits at participating partners. Uncover more ways to reward yourself@americanexpress.com explored enrollment required terms apply.
- [25:28]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
In the new podcast Hell in Heaven, two young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one will end up dead, the other tried for murder not once. People went wild, not twice, stunned, but three times. John and Anne Bender are rich and attractive, and they're devoted to each other. They create a nature reserve and build a spectacular circular home high on the top of a hill. But little by little, their dreams starts to crumble and our couple retreat from reality.
- [26:08]
John Middlekauff
They lose it. They actually lose it.
- [26:10]
Ed Helms
They sort of went nuts.
- [26:13]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
Until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [26:27]
Ed Helms
Hey, it's Ed Helms. And welcome back to Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest sports. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu. Every single episode.
- [26:38]
American Express Advertiser
32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
- [26:41]
John Middlekauff
What? Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s.
- [26:45]
Ed Helms
Basketball player who still wore knee pads.
- [26:47]
John Middlekauff
Yes.
- [26:48]
Ed Helms
It's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow, Angela and Jenna, I am so, so psyched you're here.
- [27:00]
American Express Advertiser
What was that like for you to soft launch into the show?
- [27:04]
Ed Helms
Sorry, Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today.
- [27:08]
American Express Advertiser
I forgot whose podcast we were doing.
- [27:11]
Ed Helms
Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's, let's, let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever, wherever you get your podcasts.
- [27:34]
John Middlekauff
Regarding your Titans ran on Monday. I felt a bit compelled to respond on behalf of the fan base. Firing variable was a polarizing decision, but one that I had that made some football sense. Will Levis had shown some legit flashes in 23 and Vrabel had gone 618 in his last 24. With low skill buddies commanding a pitiful offense back then, it truly did feel like change was needed. Callahan was certainly not an improvement, and I look forward to the team getting the next higher right, but I can't be too bitter about wanting to pivot to a younger offensive mind. All that said, who do you see as the right fit? But this is the thing with a bad organization like John Harbaugh has gone through bad times. Mike Tomlin, I know they technically never had a losing records, but clearly he's had some teams that weren't that good. Right? And when you know you have something good, you go, we're going to stand by you. And yeah, force Mike Vrabel to fire his coach. Now, I don't know. I have all the behind the scenes Information. If he goes, I'm not firing him. You go, yeah, okay, we're going to have issues. But the big reason everyone reported that they fired him is like he wasn't super happy all the time and inclusive and like you said, he was losing. It's a production based business. But you're not doing better than that. Like look at the other guys that he replaced. Mike Malarkey. Like look at some of the coaches in over the past decade that you've had run your franchise. They're an embarrassment. And yeah, my kid a rough skid and he, he had to go with Will Levis. I mean who loved Will Levis? Ran Carthen Will ever stinks. But I hear you. I mean it's not, it's not as black and white maybe as I made it out to be, but it's pretty clear even when it happened that and I think a lot of us that aren't too close to the sun went. That seems a little crazy to me. You're going to fire him for Brian Callahan who wasn't even calling place. That's what I, that was my point. You hired him. You know, this is Mike McDaniels thing is he's not the play caller. So at least when you're getting a play caller and you hire him as your head coach like Liam Cohen, you know he's going to call the place because you've seen him call the place. Like we didn't know if Mike or Zach Taylor could call the place. With UCLA winning back to back games, is it more of an indictment on how bad the Sean Foster was or is it just the team playing well for the interim? If you google Tim Skipper, who I worked with at Fresno State for two years, Tim Skipper is one of the best coaches I've ever been around. His command of the players is elite now, not shocking. His dad, decades in the NFL as a coach. His brother decades in the NFL as a coach. His brother is currently the running back coach for the Buffalo Bills. James Cook, you ever heard of him? Doing pretty well. And those guys have been around football their entire life. Tim Skipper was a star middle linebacker at Fresno State. His brother was a star running back at Fresno State. Those guys are football men. And, and when you're just a player and then you kind of get into coaching and all of a sudden you're the head coach. Tim Skipper has been an assistant coach from everywhere from Sac State to Fresno State to the University of Florida. He's seen it all. NFL players from the first round to the seventh round. Coordinators that are now in the NFL in college football, head coaches. I mean, he played with Lane Kiffin, worked for Pat Hill, worked for Jim McElwain, work for Jeff Tedford. So his experience level. And then last year he was. Because Jeff Tedford quit in the summer, he got to be the head coach for a year on a staff that he didn't hire any of them and he just had to run it. And at one point in time I think they were like six and three or maybe they were five and three. They had some injuries and they finished 500. But it's one. It's hard to win at Fresno State. He's getting his players post. Tim Skippers has a lot more experience. Like he's seen how to operate 10 different type team meetings. Good teams, bad teams and the middle teams, teams that need a boost, knows how to run a practice. So the experience. And desean Foster is like. I think desean said this like he's like a third or fourth Skipper brother. Because his dad, Tim Skipper's dad, or maybe it was Skipper's brother, coached him at ucla. I forget it might have been his brother, but he knows the family really well. Tim is very tight with Deshaun Foster, but in terms of who can coach better, like it's. It's not even fair. There's no way he could know how to do everything as well as Tim Skipper. It's literally impossible. Doesn't mean if he had been an assistant for 10 more years couldn't have figured it out and got. But. But right now in 2025, it's not a fair fight. So I think there's an experience level in coaching football that can't be duplicated. It really can't. Some guys like Vrabel is a good example. You know, Vrabel played for a long time in the NFL and the way he played in the NFL was a lot like a coach, right. He was working hand in hand with Belichick, from Romeo Crinnell to some of those guys. So his teaching as a player. So by the time he gets into coaching in his late 30s, early 40s, he had a unique background that way. And he started at the bottom. He just went right to Ohio State, started working in the gutter and kind of worked his way up position coach, defensive coordinator. Like it took a little while. Deshaun Foster like went from first base to home plate pretty quick and clearly was over his head. Do you think the Falcons are slowing Pennick's growth by running almost their entire offense out of the Pistol, I like it as part of the offense but they use the entire game. It came up Monday night during the broadcast when Arlovsky said they are mainly doing it because Bijan feels like he gets a lot better vision. Thoughts? Well, Bijan's a better player. So if Bijan goes coach, I like being in the shot or I like being in the pistol because it allows me to see more. Pennix ain't Peyton. So if Penix goes, well, hey coach, I'd rather do this than that. You're going with B John Robinson and he busts 80 yard runs, he's going to get the benefit of the doubt. The end of the day production based business and the guys produced at the highest level. Who happens to be your best player, you kind of got to figure it out around him now over time I think you work with them both. But I have a hard time arguing if Bijan says I have better vision on those plays, not doing those plays because he's so good, it's like okay, runs coming. Stop me, you probably won't. In your opinion, why is losing in football so much more gut wrenching than losing in other sports? Our teams lose all the time in hockey, basketball and baseball and we move on. But in football it is much more devastating and the scars of super bowl or playoff losses linger forever. There's only one game a week, baby. Football's greatest asset is scarcity. And in these other sports, in baseball you can have weeks where you literally play every day. You play over and over and over and over. So just by the nature of the sport, an individual game is devalued. It's like when you, you know, hear the, you know, 162 game season. So if you go on a 10 game winning streak, that's like winning one game in football. If you go on a 20 game winning streak, that's like winning back to back football games. In basketball if you win 10 straight games. Do the math. I mean it's, it's like winning two games in football. So I think part of it is the buildup of a football game. You, you know, let's face it, we all think it's pretty crazy to play these Thursday night games because you basically don't get the practice. LeBron James teams haven't practiced in the regular season in a decade. In football it's, you know, beside the Thursday night game, there is not a team in the league that doesn't practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Even when you have injuries in the regular season, you are practicing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the Whole sport is built around practicing way more than you're playing. It's what makes the games, like, if you don't try hard in the games, like they're the only fun part. I only made it to high school football, but everything about football beside the game kind of sucks. Like you got to be a sicko, you know, like Peyton or, you know, Jerry Rice or some of these guys are like, I loved practice. Most guys you meet, they're like, yeah, just. I knew I needed it to get ready. But I love the games practice, especially back in the double days, you know, era, you're like, I don't, I don't know if I love just double days and 110. That's not, that's not really what I'm looking forward to. But you walk out of the tunnel, whether it's a high school game, whether it's a college game, whether it's an NFL game. I can't, I've never played in the NFL. I can't imagine a lot of those guys. There's a little, there's also, there's an anxiety behind it. There's a little kid feeling behind it. And there's just nothing like that feeling of making a play, making a block or whatever in the sport, in an actual game. And it's really meaningful. It's why scoring a touchdown is a really big deal. Shooting a three point shot or hitting a home run, like, just isn't that big a deal if you're a good player. You have a defining moment in your scouting career. Did you ever scout a guy you were high on, but everyone else said you were wrong? You know, for a couple of years as the in house guy, I had some ideas and takes. I don't know if they really cared what they were. And then I only did truly. You know, I went on the road. Some little schools, they threw me a couple, I would say slivers when I was working in the office. And then my third year, I got the actual west coast, which was the PAC 12, the Mountain West, Colorado at the time, who they would have been, the PAC 12. But I'm trying to think UTEP. I had a pretty big area. I would say twofold one. I'll never forget watching Trent Richardson in college and everyone. And again, no one will remember this. No one will believe me. But I was like, I don't think this guy's that good. And I remember hearing people like, no, he's best running back in the class. I just remember thinking, but there was Andrew Sendejo. That played for a long time. I, my second year I had this, this league called the ufl. And, and yeah, I just said like this Andrew Sedejo guy could, could play. And Louis Riddick, who was our pro director at the time, kind of laughed at me. Anderson Dale just went on to have a 10 year career. I do remember one time Tyler Klutz, who wasn't even in the system for the Eagles because he was like a 220 pound defensive end. He went to the UFL, he became a fullback, then he went to the NFL. He started for the Cowboys and I remember in the UFL when people were working him out and I, I looked at Howie and I said I will give up my year salary which at the time was like $45,000 if this guy makes it in the NFL. And I'm pretty sure the Cowboys signed him like a week later. And my cousin played with Tyler Klutz at Fresno State. I just, the guy changed positions, didn't think it was going to work and it kind of did. I think he played for the Bears too. I mean he played in the NFL for a minute. Charger fan. I haven't given up on the season by any means. Especially with the guys coming back. I think we can at least win a playoff game, maybe more. However, the future. Am I biased thinking the Chargers have one of the best five year outlooks in the afc. Top five quarterback, two all pro tackles. Assuming Slater comes back and plays well again. I, when you have major injuries, I think you never know. At this point in time I would say you got all that. That's pretty good. Really good defense, great coaches. Yeah, I would say I would feel pretty good about my five year outlook. This year could be pretty hit or miss. I mean they had to pull game out of, you know what to just beat the Dolphins. And I just. You're missing that many players. To me it's the two tackles and the running backs. Like it's one thing to lose one of the two running backs. You lose both Najee and Hampton. You gave Najee $10 million. He drafted Hampton in the first round and Slater and Alt are gone. I don't care who you are, they're. I know they're throwing it a lot more now, but we know Jim Harbaugh wants to, wants to call run plays. I know he's on the play caller but telling Greg to do it. So yeah, man, I was impressed. I would say this if they get somewhat healthy, you know, Khalil Mack comes back, Joalt comes back, Hampton Comes back. Let's say they don't win the division. Right? And I doubt that. I doubt would be strong, but let's say it's a 50, 50 chance. Either Chiefs or Broncos. Probably more than that. When the division. Not the Chargers with the Colts or the Steelers. Want to see the Chargers in the first round. I don't know. Saints fan here from Tennessee. A lot of my family are Titans fans. With the recent firing of Brian Callahan, it's hard not to compare a short tenure in Tennessee to Mike Vrabel's. Both were first time head coaches, but they had completely different results. As a Saints fan, I'm curious, do you see any patterns in Kellen Moore that might hint at whether he's more likely to be a variable or a Callahan? Well, you know, you know what's funny about Kellen Moore? He's like a quarterback, an athlete, hell playing the NFL. Yet I like him a lot. But sometimes I get this when I'm not eating healthy. Kind of get that he does not have the Jimmy Garoppolo jawline like me. His face can get a little chubby. He does not. If you just looked at him, you wouldn't think like, this guy's one of the great college quarterbacks of all time. Holds NCAA records. I had a front row seat to him for a couple years. Guy was a fucking baller. I mean, I don't think I do believe this. Kellen Moore is the most underappreciated college football player of the last 25 years. He was so good. And then obviously, I mean, he's 5 foot 11, he's got a weak arm. He dominated in college at Boise State. And I would say this about Kellen Moore, that's different from Brian Callian. But you know, Vrabel, part of Rabel is I'm just a badass ass kicker. I'm like a more accomplished Dan Campbell. I'm the Dan Campbell on steroids. Right? And like Kellen Moore doesn't bring that to the table. But what he does bring is he's been a play caller for a long time for a lot of different players. He's called plays for Dak, he's called plays for Justin Herbert, he's called plays for Jalen.
- [42:26]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser (Alternate)
Hurts.
- [42:27]
John Middlekauff
Brian Callahan never did. So I, I'm watching them and listen, their team's not that good. They got a long way to go. Spencer Rattler's pretty good and their offense looks good. Well, who's the offensive architect of the team? Kellen Moore. So I would feel pretty good, like my Guy has a distinct skill, he can call place. I would say the same thing about the Cowboys. Like listen, it's going to be on Jerry and the front office to like nail some defensive players, especially the D lineman in the draft over the next couple years. But one thing, Brian Callahan showing like Dak likes him and he's a good offensive play caller. So think how many like listen what we say about Sirianni. Well, Sirianni is a great leader. Well yeah, because he had good players. Like if he had a shitty GM instead of Howie Roseman, that leadership, like what's he doing next to those wise? Well, he can't call place. It's always my knock on Syrian. What do you mean can't call place? He just can't do it. You mean cannot? No, like incapable of doing it. Brian Callahan can. Kellen Moore can. Kell more literally was his guy and they've fallen off a cliff since he left. People think I'm shitting on Sirianni. Like I, I do respect him, it's a hard job, a lot of pressure. But like he just incapable of calling place. It's one thing like John Harbaugh is like a 64 year old special teams coach. Like yeah okay, I get it. But Sirianna is like a 44 year old offensive guy. Wide former wide receiver. As a 27 year old dolphins fan, I've witnessed nothing but mediocrity for most of my life. The last time they won a playoff game was in 2000 and I was barely coherent. I need someone to explain to me how Greer still has a job. He joined the organization as a scout in 2020and worked his way up to GM in 2016 after nine years of mediocre management. It's baffling how he's still here. In any other job he would have been fired long time ago. The organization is in shambles and now TUA is blaming everyone else in the press conferences. That was incredible. I hate this organization. The media is right. This team is soft and it starts at the top of the Ross, the old man can't even be cutthroat to fire the right people. I think a lot of people believe that he has like, you know, it's like I go back and forth on this, the old Illuminati, but there is no disputing that in Hollywood and some of these, some of these circles in like the music industry that people get dirt on you and in politics it happens and they blackmail you and you have to do what they tell you to do. Right. And I, a lot of people on some dark Reddit streets, which I'm sure you've read, believe that Chris Greer has things on Steven Ross and one of them is legitimately the, the almost said Brian Callahan, Brian Flores situation. Like he has intimate knowledge of him. Did he try to pay him 100 grand to lose games? Are there text messages that he could release? Does he have him by the balls? Because if he does, like, welcome to America. That's the way it works. He's got the owner because clearly he's not any good. No clue what he's doing. And I would say this organization just needs a complete nuke job. The problem is Stephen Ross still hiring everybody. So it feels like Steven Ross and Woody Johnson are that spider man meme where they're pointing at each other right now, which is crazy because you combine those two guys like they are, they have so much money, they're in New York and Miami. These should be prominent NFL franchises. I think the thing the league benefits from the most that I'm recording this late afternoon on, on Tuesday, I think the Dodgers play the Brewers. Baseball is very dependent on like the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Cubs, the Dodgers. If it's like Tampa, Milwaukee, Seattle, like, they're going to have problems. Basketball is the same way. They would gladly have Oklahoma City suck. So the Lakers and the warriors and the Knicks and the Bulls could be good. They would do anything. Football does not matter. It could be the Lions versus the Bills. It could be the Chiefs, you know, versus the Packers. The market share doesn't have to be New York. It doesn't have to be San Francisco. Chicago hasn't. They've had like two good teams or the last 20 years. And that's where football really benefits in this situation because yeah, I don't know what else to say. There are a lot of big market teams that are just not pulling their weight. Vikings fan here. And I got a Lions related question with Jared. Jared Goff approaching 10 years in the league. If you were a Lions front office, would you start to consider drafting a quarterback the next few drafts and use the Green Bay strategy in developing a quarterback? Let's see how old Jared Goff is. Jared Goff is 31 years old. With the protection of the NFL, all with quarterbacks, he could have another five, six years, easy. Obviously their offensive line is good. I think you're always in the business of drafting and developing a quarterback. But if you're the Lions and you are in this win now mode, I don't think you would waste A first round pick on them, but let's even go in the second round. Well, it's like, what if I get a starting safety or defensive back or defensive tackle or offensive guard? It's easy to talk yourself out of it. Now I think once you get to like the fourth, fifth round, I have no problem drafting, you know, a Kyle McCord, a Tanner McKee. Those type guys. Right. And I know some of them went in different rounds. Kirk Cousins type. Yeah. I mean, I'm not against it, but I think for the Lions in their current situation, I would have a hard time taking a quarterback. I don't know in the first three rounds. Maybe you could justify it in the third round. Their backups, Kyle Allen, I mean, their backups pretty. If Kyle Allen has to play, they'd be in trouble. But that's kind of the Tom Moore thing. Peyton Manning takes all the reps. Why doesn't the backup take the reps? Because if Peyton goes down, we're screwed. And we don't practice screwed. I use the PG version on that. On the way I just. The adjective I used. Tom Moore used the F word to Gruden when he asked. Because Peyton Manning never didn't take a rep. Yo, John, watching since the start of last season always tune in for each episode was wondering your thoughts on how you maintain a non biased look at teams throughout the season playoffs. After having worked in the NFL with certain organizations, you secretly have a favorite team nobody knows. Or are you like Rob Lowe wearing the NFL logo hat? Because this is not a passion project for me and hasn't been since I started in the podcast world, the only thing that mattered is like I needed to do this to feed my family that I didn't have at the time. But I was like, this is going to be my profession. And I never understand how media doesn't understand the business element of it. And luckily like through getting fired in radio, I, I had to do like kind of look in the mirror. Like I, I don't understand the way that business works enough. So I've become pretty numb to it all obviously. Like, and the other thing is like I, I, I'm not. And Colin said this forever. Like, I'm not in the right and wrong business. Like, I don't care if I'm wrong. I just give my opinion at the time. If Caleb Williams becomes a superstar, it's like, yeah, acknowledge it. I mean, I don't care. I hope he does. I want more quarterbacks and more players or more coaches to be awesome. But the only thing that matters is the entertainment value of what's going on and what my opinions are based on, the situations I'm in, the reaction business stories. I don't, I don't create the stories. Right? I mean, I've really, I'm not a story breaker. Even though your boy with the Belichick and the Scouts, you know, kind of created a firestorm. But the only reason I did that is I was reacting to a story that Pete Thammel read on the Monday Night Football game for North Carolina. Like, I'm not into chasing around texting people for inside information. I do not care. I'm reacting to stories that come out and I get my opinion. And the more people enjoy that and entertain, I don't care. You know, if you told me revenue would quadruple and listeners would 5x if I, if I just talked about the Jags every single day, I, I would, wouldn't hesitate to start tomorrow. This is like, there, there's no. The emotion in this business, which can be sad. Like, I miss some of that. I grew up loving the 49ers. Like, I, I still root for them, I guess, but if, when they lose, I don't really. It's like, whatever. Now I, I can be emotionally moved. Like, I, I felt for Fred Warner. Like, I'm probably more emotionally moved from his injury than most other injuries. But, like, when I have to talk about it, it's like, yeah, I don't care. Like, the 49ers got get mad at me for thinking, like, I'm like, guys, I'm not, Like, I'm not an enemy here. But. And people get mad at me in the NFL. And the one thing I, you know, say to whoever does get mad at me is like, I put my name on everything I say. You know, every single person in the NFL, coaches, GM, scouts, they're talking shit about everyone constantly, but they never have to put their name on it. Everything I say is sourced, John. You know, so I, I just, this is a business and I think all of you guys can relate what any industry you work in, you know, construction, the booze business, the food business, as you get older and you, you know, especially I'm pretty numbers and financially motivated. I guess that I just become numb to it all now. I'm still into it and I'm still emotionally moved by the sport of football and the stories. But I, I can navigate it pretty easy. I think, without, like, I, I just, I, I don't have any bias or agenda to this. I will change my opinion if new information comes out. I don't care. Today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. The Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app has new promos every day. Obviously we talk a lot of football here on three and out, but the ALCS and the NLCS are currently going on so you can bet on winners, pitchers, home run hitters, anything you want. Week seven doesn't kick off till tomorrow, but if you haven't tried your first bet on Hard Rock Bet, there is still time for you to get 150 in bonus bets. If you win, just place five dollar bet and if it hits you, not only get your winnings but you get an additional 150 in extra bonus bets. And since today is Wednesday, if you already are betting on the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app, you know what that means. It's the last time to use your legendary reward drops. Open up the app today you could have a bonus bet or who knows what is in there. More drops every Thursday. The rewards and promos are non stop 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. Must be 21 plus physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. Two play terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1-88-ADMT-IT in Indiana. If you or someone you know has has a gambling problem and wants to help, call 1-809 with it gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia if you smoke.
- [54:09]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser (Alternate)
Or dip, I'm going to give you a few good reasons to try Zinn Zyn Nicotine Pouches first, it's America's number one nicotine pouch brand and Zyn offers a robust rewards program. There's a lot of options for nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one Zyn. So if you go to zyn.com find that's z y-n.com find to find Zyn at a store near you. This product does contain nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
- [54:37]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
In the new podcast Hell in Heaven, two young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one will end up dead, the other tried for murder not once. People went wild, not twice, stunned, but three times. John and Anne Bender are rich and attractive and they're devoted to each other. They create a nature reserve and build a spectacular circular home high on the top of a hill. But little by little, their dream starts to crumble and our car couple retreat from Reality.
- [55:17]
John Middlekauff
They lose it. They actually lose it.
- [55:19]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
They sort of went nuts until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [55:36]
Ed Helms
Hey, it's Ed Helms and welcome back to snafu, my podcast about history's greatest stories on our new season. We're bringing you a new snafu Every single episode.
- [55:47]
American Express Advertiser
32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
- [55:50]
John Middlekauff
What? Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s.
- [55:54]
Ed Helms
Basketball player who still wore knee pads.
- [55:57]
John Middlekauff
Yes.
- [55:57]
Ed Helms
It's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good.
- [56:05]
John Middlekauff
I'm like, oh wow.
- [56:06]
Ed Helms
Angela and J. Jenna, I am so psyched you're here.
- [56:10]
American Express Advertiser
What was that like for you to soft launch into the show?
- [56:13]
Ed Helms
Sorry Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today.
- [56:17]
American Express Advertiser
I forgot whose podcast we were doing.
- [56:20]
Ed Helms
Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [56:43]
John Middlekauff
Why aren't some teams discussing the same way they eventually going best? Why aren't some teams discussed the same way even though they are going through the same issues? The Bills have lost two straight games with horrible offensive games. The Eagles also are going through the same issues. But for the Eagles it's hurts fault, offensive coordinator, player. For the Bills it's they are going to bounce back because they have Josh Allen. I just feel there needs to be consistent analysis on the team's performances because Josh Allen's a way better player than Justin Herbert or excuse me, Jalen hurts when you're Patrick Mahomes and when you're Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and Burrow when he's healthy, they don't get evaluated on a game to game basis. They're the elites. They run the fucking league. I get this a lot. It's like Steph Curry can have a 0 for 127 point game. They're not opening the shows the next day like a Steph washed. It's not the way it works. And I understand Jalen won the super bowl last year and was awesome. But I think we all agree like he's not nearly close to the top guys on a week to week basis in the regular season, has some great playoff games and we respect him. He's a Super bowl champion for life. But like he ain't Josh Allen. And Howie Roseman would trade Jalen Hurts straight up for Josh Allen yesterday. So it's like we don't evaluate these guys every snap they take. Now if Josh Allen has a God awful season, then that's another conversation. But he's not going to get discussed like he's Dak Prescott or Jalen Hurts or Jared Goff. Those days are done. Why? He's a much better player. Can we all agree with that? Like, is that even. So the reason Jalen gets discussed like he gets discussed because he has these shitty performances all the time. And unlike a lot of these guys is he's like won a Super Bowl. It's like, what is going on? I think a lot of people would have thought coming off the super bowl, the Jalen would be like an MVP candidate for the next several years, one of the best players in the league, and he clearly is not. So it's like, what are we. What conversation? Oh, he's fine. He's fine how? Like, he sure doesn't look fine. Like, it's, it's in his resume. Based on the course of like four years, there's a lot of ups and downs. So yeah, like, Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl. Josh Allen does not. What do you think would happen if Josh Allen was on the Eagles these last four years? Look, I'm not discussing Josh Allen on a weekly basis. Every team beside the Chiefs would take Josh Allen seven days a week and 75 times on Sunday. And we all know this. Anyone with common sense, a lot of teams would not want to trade for Jalen Hurts. And that's not just the teams that have, like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. The Chargers would laugh. Would laugh. The Washington Commanders who were in their division, there's. They wouldn't do that in a million years. And again, that's what makes the conversation. That's why he's a polarizing player. Because I could say that out loud. Can you imagine? Like, yeah, the Washington Commanders wouldn't trade Jaden, Jaden Daniels for Patrick Mahomes. You're like, what? What did you just say? Repeat that. But if I said the Washington Commanders would not trade Jane Daniels for Jalen Hurts. But yeah, of course not. I wouldn't either. I know we're in the trenches of football season, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the Kawhi Leonard and the Clipper situation. The NBA seems to have brushed under the rug. How do you think the NFL would respond to the cap circumvention versus the NBA, seemingly trying to cover it up. I think the NBA situation doesn't parallel the NFL because one individual player like Kawhi, he's like your quarterback, and then your five next best players, they're so much more powerful. I think it's pretty clear, like, I've listened to a decent amount of. Pablo went on my guy Ethan Strauss's podcast, and I've seen some clips as he's continued to investigate it. Like, you. You would have to be really, really naive to think a lot of shady shit didn't go down, and maybe it could have been his uncle running point on it. And Kawhi wasn't like, didn't have intimate knowledge of it all, but money was getting funneled to them one way or the other. I think part of the reason is a lot of stuff like this happens in the NBA and one guy is treated like they're, you know, we say quarterback is the most famous. Like, I think these NBA stars, when it comes to their financial mechanisms surrounding them, they're like mini Amazons and mini Googles. Like the business of LeBron, the business of Steph Curry. Kawhi plays like one game a month, and look at how they've treated him. But do I believe they did shady stuff? Of course I do. But I think part of the problem is, are we going to start looking at everybody like, hey, Joe Lake of. Could we take a peek at some of the stuff you've done over the years with that Silicon Valley in your backyard, how you funneled everybody money? Or have you? I don't know. Can we take a look? The Nick. I mean, Jalen Brunson just took a huge pay cut a year ago. A massive pay cut. Were there promises made? And I don't even care. It doesn't bother me. Here's the other thing. While the Kawhi story is clearly, you'd have to be pretty naive to not go like, there's pretty big red flag. They never won. They never did anything because they got into business. You know, it's one thing I. I think this would be a bigger story if this was Giannis, if this was Jokic, if this was Steph, if this was LeBron. It's like, hey, guys, you're kicking our ass. You got the best player. It's like, I wouldn't even want kawhi. How many GMs would be like, would you want to be in business with Kawhi? Like, no. Have them. Give them aspirations or invitations or whatever the fuck that company's called. Funnel him and we don't care because when we play you, usually he's in street clothes with some injury icing his knee that only he knows about because he doesn't talk to anybody. Well, what an awful business partner. I think about this all the time. Like, do you know how good the Chiefs have it? They're in business with Patrick Mahomes, you know, great of a business partner it is for them how easy it is to deal with them. Like that's who you want to be. Do you know awesome it is for the warriors to be in business with Steph Curry? It doesn't the Yankees with Aaron judge, like, if I'm going to pay or Shohei Otani if I'm going to pay premiums and go above and beyond and do shady shit, I want all the returns. It's sports, you know, we're not guaranteed to win anything on a, on a yearly basis, right? Beside, if I'm paying, like, I have a minimum standard. Like, we should be in the playoffs. But like, how good, how good of a business partner are you? Do you maintain your stardom? Do you play a lot? Do you move the needle? Do you generate me a lot of money? And I just don't think you can say that about Kawhi. I think Kawhi has run him and Uncle Dennis over these last five years. And listen, when he's on, he's a fantastic player and his resume speaks for itself. But holy shit, I can't think of a guy with his talent I'd rather be in business with less. I mean, what a pain. And now you bring this because you have to do this stuff to get, get in business. But I think we all agree that something happened. Would you call it Mike Zimmer to replace Eberfluss? Didn't he, Didn't Zimmer get fired last year with McCarthy? I don't think. Kind of feels like Zimmer's just retired. I had a buddy who was on Zimmer staff years ago, said he didn't like him. Thought he was a raging a hole that Zimmer used to be on Tinder. You know, Zimmer's wife died of cancer like a decade ago and they started dating around like younger chicks and he was on the Internet. Apps. Question. Looks like Glenn is in over his head. We're going to have a top pick in a decent quarterback class. I think it's just important to have a competent head coach in place. Otherwise the quarterback pick will be a waste. I don't want the jets to be like The Titans firing everyone every year. If Glenn doesn't show signs of improvement, I hope we get a veteran coach like Stefanski. I think Glenn's getting several years former Jet. It was a big deal hiring him. I said this at the time, like people thought the Rex flirtation and Rex was really interested with the job would have been crazy. I actually think there's no way they would be this bad with Rex Ryan. I just do not believe it. Now you could argue a ceiling. What's Aaron Glenn's ceiling? Rex knew what he was doing. I do think looking back like if I was the Jets, I just would have given Rex like a three year contract. Just be like get us in the right direction. Why do you hate Brandon Staley? The way you talk about, the way you talk about him. He should be coaching peewee games. I'm not saying Buddy Ryan, I'm not saying he's Buddy Ryan. But he did coach the rams with number one defense in 2020. There's no bigger fugazi than football in 2020. I mean, you could argue depending on where you live, it's one of the great fugazities of all time. But non football, but football wise, come on in California couldn't have fucking a soul in the building empty stadiums. It was a joke. Brandon Staley growing up in California, I can sniff out a fraud pretty well. Our politicians are the biggest clowns in the history of America. And to me, when I watch Brandon Staley talk to the media, I went, this guy is got to be one of the biggest frauds of all time. And then I had friends who worked with him at different places and said he's the biggest know it all I've ever been around. Last year, Kyle, Stan Shanahan couldn't. First off, he deserves criticism for hiring in the first place. Kyle, I know you don't have my number, but if you did text me, I could have told you that's more ironic by like game three couldn't stand him because he'd look out pregame. And Brandon Staley's talking to all the media members. He is just your classic brown noser trying to play the game. Look at the Saints this year. They are atrocious on defense. And I get it. Kellen Moore felt a little obligated. Staley threw him a bone after state after, you know, he was fired by the Cowboy. So he took care of him in this situation. That's. Listen, it's kind of the way business works. He stinks. I think he's an awful coach. I really do. And I think you or I would have had a decent chance in 2020, the Fugazi season, to coach Aaron Donald in his prime and Jalen Ramsey in a league where all these other teams couldn't practice. I mean, it was a joke. So if that's your claim to fame and then I watch you speak, it's like it just. I can disagree with Andrew Barry and the way he views football. He views football like a bunch of widgets. I can disagree with that. But when I watch Andrew Barry talk, I don't view him as like a fraud. We have, philosophically, I'm different than Andrew Barry and I understand Tomlin, you know, sticking up for the integrity of the business. But like I respect Andrew Berry. I respect most people in this profession until I hear if I've worked with you and I think you're a fraud. I mean, I can't stand you. But like I have pretty good sources in the NFL and when I hear things, for me to go in on the guy, like I feel pretty confident. I feel pretty confident. Like when Colin over the years has gone in on guys, players, like he's getting pretty high level people reiterating these thoughts to him that work in the leagues. So it's like some of my thoughts, they come out of my mouth, but they are constructed based on other people's information that I trust from a, from a professional standpoint to the highest degree. So I just think he's an all time fraudulent coach who's just scamming different teams out of millions of dollars. It's funny, you know, you turn on first take or you turn on some of these shows, they're, they just shit on players. I have, if you play in the league and maybe it's like you turn on Shannon Sharp and Ochocinko, they will just shit on players. I respect players, man. It is so hard to make it to the NFL. It is so hard to do it. And listen, no one wants to fumble. It's not too as faulty as a weak arm. He's got a weak arm. That's not being critical, it's just a fact. But I respect how like he's dramatically, I would say increased the way that I view him over the last couple years. Have a lot of respect for his stuff. Wouldn't want him as my quarterback, but I respect him. There are a lot of coaches, I think that and scouts too. You hear stories like these guys are, these guys are scam artists. In any business where there is a ton of money on the line, a ton of the amount of money this off season between the NFL and college that is going to be available is probably going to be historic, and that includes coordinators. So you start getting huge sums of cash. Not everyone that gravitates to it is the Harbaugh brothers, Mike Tomlin, Andy Reid and Pete Carroll. It's a lot of guys that have no business being anywhere close to it, but they're just, they're frauds and they're politicians. It's like they're a fake human. It's like, I don't believe they're real. One on that. That's that's a good way to end. Have a great day. Talk to everyone soon. See you later.
- [70:15]
Hell in Heaven Podcast Narrator
The Volume.
- [70:19]
Zyn Nicotine Pouches Advertiser (Alternate)
If you smoke or dip, I'm going to give you a few good reasons to try Zen Zyn Nicotine Pouches first, it's America's number one nicotine pouch brand, and Zyn offers a robust rewards program. There's a lot of options for nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one Zyn. So if you go to zyn.com find that's z y-n.com find to find Zen at a store near you. This product does contain nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical Toyota is.
- [70:48]
John Middlekauff
All in all season and with Toyota Game Day Giveaways, the official automotive partner of the NFL is giving football fans the chance to win big by making free predictions on which big plays will happen during the second half of every Sunday night football game. Prizes include Brock Purdy's favorite Toyota Sequoia, NFL shop gear, and more. Visit toyota.com NFL to learn more. Toyota let's Go places no purchase necessary void where prohibited ends 2826 open to legal residents of the 50 US states and DC 18 and over. For complete details, how to enter prizes and official rules, visit toyotasgamedaygiveaways.com Johnny Knoxville here.
- [71:28]
Johnny Knoxville
Check out Crimeless Hillbilly Heist, my new true crime podcast from Smartless Media, Campside Media and big money players. It's the true story of the almost perfect crime and the nimrods who almost pulled it off.
- [71:41]
John Middlekauff
It was kind of like the perfect storm in a sewer. That was dumb. Do not follow my example.
- [71:48]
Johnny Knoxville
Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [71:57]
Ed Helms
Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu every single episode.
- [72:07]
American Express Advertiser
32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
- [72:11]
John Middlekauff
What?
- [72:11]
Ed Helms
It's going to be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of fabulous guests. Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna. Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [72:28]
John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.