The Best Of Covino & Rich

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best Of Covino & Rich

Title: The Best Of Covino & Rich
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Episode: The Best Of Covino & Rich
Release Date: December 17, 2024
Podcast Description: The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.

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1. Celebrating 20 Years: Journey and Reflections

In this landmark episode, Covino and Rich celebrate two decades of broadcasting excellence on Fox Sports Radio. The hosts reminisce about their humble beginnings and the evolution of their show over the past 20 years.

Notable Quote:

• Covino: "We lasted at Sirius XM for 15, 16 plus years. Started doing our own Patreon, landed at our favorite place to be with the greatest team, the greatest listeners. Honestly, 20 years later and I feel like we haven't even peaked yet because we found the greatest gig, the greatest home, Fox Sports Radio." ([04:06])

2. Evolution of Covino & Rich's Show

Reflecting on their journey, Covino and Rich discuss the transition from Maxim Radio to their current successful run. They highlight pivotal moments, including their first interview with Lenny Kravitz and their involvement in major sporting events like the Super Bowl.

Notable Quotes:

• Rich: "We were pioneers of what became the norm, which is long-form interviews, long-form radio discussions." ([05:00])
• Covino: "When you love what you do, it doesn't feel like 20 years now." ([07:46])

3. NFL Week 15 Analysis

A significant portion of the episode delves into the analysis of NFL Week 15, focusing on standout performances and key matchups.

a. Josh Allen and Buffalo Bills' Performance

Covino praises Josh Allen's exceptional performance, positioning him as a frontrunner for the MVP title. He emphasizes Allen's dominance and compares him to legendary athletes.

Notable Quotes:

• Covino: "People are saying he's the goat. Like we're witnessing the goat. As if Mahomes and Lamar Jackson don't even exist anymore. Josh Allen's the current goat." ([08:44])
• Hoda Kotb: "Josh Allen, he must have said, he said stars at least 20 times when describing Josh Allen." ([41:34])

b. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs' Status

The discussion shifts to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, particularly focusing on Mahomes' injury status and its implications for the team's playoff prospects.

Notable Quotes:

• Savannah Guthrie: "Does that mean he plays next week? Does that mean he's not 100%?" ([23:33])
• Covino: "We saw the Chiefs finally, really sort of...they still won by more than a touchdown." ([08:44])

c. Other Teams: Eagles, Chargers, and More

The hosts also analyze performances from other teams like the Eagles and Chargers, assessing their strengths and potential as the season progresses.

Notable Quote:

• Covino: "You see the Eagles showing that they're the real deal. Sort of. Yeah. Dominating the Steelers." ([09:25])

4. Personal Stories and Anecdotes

Beyond sports analysis, Covino and Rich share humorous and heartfelt stories from their personal lives and over the years on the show. They discuss the challenges and joys of maintaining a long-term partnership in the fast-paced world of broadcasting.

Notable Quotes:

• Covino: "I became a dad before we were right. I'm a little older. I became a dad at 33." ([53:09])
• Hoda Kotb: "We slapped each other. There's good videos on YouTube. I slapped the hell out of Spot." ([50:31])

5. Closing Thoughts and Looking Forward

As the episode wraps up, Covino and Rich express their gratitude to their listeners and reflect on the enduring passion that drives their continued success. They look forward to many more years of engaging discussions and sports analysis.

Notable Quote:

• Covino: "I'm still kicking myself for thinking the Eagles only went to three Super Bowls. They've now been to four." ([66:15])
• Savannah Guthrie: "But I do think that a lot of people and Rich Eisen was the first that came to mind where there were a lot of people that said jets playoffs. Oh, you know, two is back Dolphins playoffs." ([45:37])

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Conclusion

"The Best Of Covino & Rich" episode offers a rich tapestry of reflections, sports analysis, and personal anecdotes, celebrating 20 years of broadcasting prowess. Covino and Rich not only provide insightful commentary on NFL Week 15 but also entertain listeners with their enduring camaraderie and humor. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to their show, this episode captures the essence of their journey and the dynamic energy they bring to the airwaves.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Covino: "We lasted at Sirius XM for 15, 16 plus years. Started doing our own Patreon, landed at our favorite place to be with the greatest team, the greatest listeners." ([04:06])
• Rich: "When you love what you do, it doesn't feel like 20 years now." ([07:46])
• Covino: "People are saying he's the goat... Josh Allen's the current goat." ([08:44])
• Savannah Guthrie: "Does that mean he plays next week? Does that mean he's not 100%?" ([23:33])
• Covino: "I'm still kicking myself for thinking the Eagles only went to three Super Bowls. They've now been to four." ([66:15])
• Savannah Guthrie: "But I do think that a lot of people and Rich Eisen was the first that came to mind..." ([45:37])

This structured and detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and memorable moments from the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners and non-listeners alike.

Transcript

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

A game with big playoff implications.

[Savannah Guthrie]

This is unbelievable.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

It's the Broncos and Chargers Thursday only on Prime Video.

[Hoda Kotb]

Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hi everyone, it's Savannah Guthrie and Hoda.

[Covino]

Copy from the Today Show.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Nobody does the holidays like Today.

[Covino]

From festive performances and great gift ideas.

[Hoda Kotb]

To tips for the perfect holiday feast.

[Covino]

Join us every morning on NBC and.

[Hoda Kotb]

Make TODAY your home for the holidays.

[Covino]

Hey, it's Covino and Rich. You know our trusted partner tireact.com for their fast free shipping, free road hazard protection, convenient installation options and their great selection of the best tires like the.

[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Covino]

Go to tirerack.com sports tirerack.com the way tire buying should be.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hey, thanks for listening to the Best of Cavino and Rich podcast. Be sure to catch us live every day from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.

[Covino]

Find your local station for cavino and rich foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR. It's true. Fox Sports Radio Nation. If you're new to our show, our brand, we started 20 years ago yesterday, technically, yeah, at Sirius XM. We did terrestrial radio separately. You know, I did everything from drive the van, hanging up banners to finally getting on air at KROC New York. Rich was the nighttime hottie, a young hot shot at Z100. We both ended up at Sirius XM and we both started doing talk radio December 2004 and we did TV at SNY TV at ESPN. We did ESPN radio, did lots of different stuff. We lasted at Sirius XM for 15, 16 plus years. Started doing our own Patreon, landed at our favorite place to be with the greatest team, the greatest listeners. Honestly, 20 years later and I feel like we haven't even peaked yet because we found the greatest gig, the greatest home, Fox Sports Radio.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's true. Not even just kissing ass.

[Covino]

I'm not kissing ass. It's amazing because most people when they get to year 20 in sports especially, but in any industry, they're on their decline. Right. I feel like we're ascending. I feel like we're kicking ass. I still got some juice. So let's go another 20 years and thanks for being part of it. And you can see our little photo montage of. Well, it's the CNR version of through the years, I guess through the years is at Covino and Rich, at Covino and Rich at Fox Sports Radio.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I think back when we started, we were to show you how much time has passed for the first five plus years of our show. We were in partnership with Maxim, like Maxim magazine. The men's magazine.

[Covino]

Yeah, Maxim Radio.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Remember magazines?

[Covino]

Maxim Radio with Cavino and Rich.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And that was the whole point of our show. The origins were they were looking for shows and guys to do Maxim Radio.

[Covino]

Maxim, which encompassed sports, comedy, entertainment, women, it was a lifestyle brand. So we were always involved in sports just as fans and it led us here. But yeah, that's where we started as a talk show on Maxim Radio.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yo, Danny G, I got to play this for you later off the air. We can't play it on the air here full dirty. But no, we found this morning just to think of how our show has.

[Covino]

Come from digging through the old scene.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Our 20 year old dudes being, you know, clowns to just being grown up clowns.

[Hoda Kotb]

Found a tape of Howard Stern cursing you guys out.

[Savannah Guthrie]

We found the tape of when we were in our like early 20s. We thought it would be a wise idea to record ourselves calling our then girlfriends and breaking it to them that the company's sending us to Maxim spring break in Mexico. Sorry, you can't come with me.

[Covino]

And those were the MTV party spring break days. So it's basically me, rich, bunch of Maxim hotties and Johnny Bananas. And we had to break that news to our girlfriends.

[Savannah Guthrie]

They're like, it's over to listen to that audio now. How insensitive are we to think that, oh, you know, if we're going to break it to our girlfriends, let's record it.

[Covino]

I mean, I thought we were being smart at the time. It was good radio, right? We also started. I don't want to say started, but it is kind of true. Let's just say we were pioneers of what became the norm, which is long form interviews, long form radio discussions. Because prior to satellite radio, it really didn't exist in that way.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No.

[Covino]

So we came up those ranks. Like I said, we ended up on ESPN radio, then a TV show on espn. Covid happened.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Here we are.

[Covino]

Here we are on FOX Sports Radio really is the most fun. That's the beauty of it, guys. Even if you're struggling or you feel like you haven't found your place. We started here, what, three and a half years ago now on this journey, you know, we finally landed at our favorite spot and it took a long time, but here we are having the. Having the best time yet. So if you're in a rut or in a place you feel like you don't belong, hey, maybe the best is yet to come. Now, as Sinatra said, to make this.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Less about us and more of just a, you know, an interesting how the last 20 years, just hold on. Went like that.

[Covino]

I think today we're allowed to make it about ourselves. Twenty years in today's, in any relationship is huge, but in this industry, that's a nice slow burn because we've seen so many people come and go. 20 years in this industry of broadcasting and podcasting and radio, that's 120 years.

[Hoda Kotb]

I was going to say in Los Angeles. This is like a 60th wedding anniversary.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Serious, honestly, because I was doing the math. And what is it? Mike and the Mad dog were under 20 years.

[Covino]

Opie and Anthony told us we wouldn't get past 10. I remember they're like, you guys are going to hate each other.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What was the they did recently? Michael Caine LaGreca. After 22 years, they're separating. So, hey, 20 years, it's been fun. Cheers to a bunch more.

[Covino]

Now cheers to another 20 here on Fox Sports Radio. I'm all for it, man.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Just for the hell.

[Covino]

When you love what you do. It doesn't feel like 20 years now.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Just for the hell of it. Before we get into what I thought was a pretty boring week 15 of the NFL, I don't know if I'm jaded because the Niners are out.

[Covino]

Of course you are.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But what were you really caring about?

[Covino]

Danny G. Said it a million times. I don't want to quote Danny G. You look for small victories in your team, right? Young players, their accomplishments, their stat lines.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's horse.

[Covino]

Small victories, that's garbage. No, because the first half of the day, I admit it was boring. And that's when you cleaned up around the house a little bit. But the second half of the day, there was some great games.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I want to. As part of things that made you go. That we're going to do in a little bit, I really want you to tell me one thing about yesterday's NFL.

[Covino]

Where you're like, man, we got so many questions answered. Man, that's how I feel. I feel. We saw the Chiefs finally, really sort of. I don't want to say dominate a game, but they won by more than a touchdown.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Like the Browns.

[Covino]

I know, but they still won by more than the touchdowns the first. It's like, wow, they're 13 and 1. When questions were answered, meaning the Bills look dominant over the Lions. I know it was a closer score, but the Bills own that game. You have clear talks of Josh Allen being an MVP right now. People are saying he's the goat. Like we're witnessing the goat. As if Mahomes and Lamar Jackson don't even exist anymore. Josh Allen's the current goat. If you listen to sports talk today.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. He scared Dan Campbell into making a horrible call.

[Covino]

Yeah. But you. You see the Bills separating themselves as the team to be. Right. Dominating the Lions. You see the Eagles showing that they're the real deal. Sort of. Yeah. Dominating the Steelers. I thought that would be a closer game.

[Savannah Guthrie]

The Eagles, I.

[Covino]

You know, you saw the packers and you called it, so you should be proud of that. You saw them dominate Dan Byers, Seahawks. I thought that was going to be a much closer game. So you see these teams really proving who they are, how good they are, making statements over the weekend, your 49ers are out. Doesn't mean that everyone was not excited about it.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No. But. Well, you know what I still think? None of. None of which. You made some points there. Some points, but none surprised me 1%. So we'll get to that. But based on today being.

[Covino]

You knew the Bills were going to dominate the Lions the way they did. And I use dominate loosely. Was it 48, 42, something like that. But if you watch the game, the Bills were winning.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah, handily.

[Covino]

They were.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah. Yeah. But before we get to your NFL Week 15, I just want to show you how time be a flying. I know Jay Stew from the Got Leap show. Nothing annoys him more.

[Covino]

Well, dude, that's the crazy part about having kids, right? Because they're a constant reminder of how fast time's flying. You feel the same for the most part, until you look in the mirror and you see those Russell Crow's feet that you got coming in. Rich got those Russell and Cheryl Crow's feet coming in.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Shut your mouth.

[Covino]

But then you look at your kids and you're like, damn. Like, dude, just a timestamp. I remember taking my daughter to see Billie Eilish when she was a little kid. I took my daughter to see Billie Eilish last night at the Kia Forum here in la. And she's like a full on teenager who I'm like, are you sure you want to wear that? You know, like she's. She's a grown up almost. It's crazy. So you look at them, you're like, man, yeah, I guess we feel the same. But you see how big our kids are getting, you know? Yeah, time's flying.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But just to put it in perspective.

[Covino]

There'S like drones fighting orbs now. We're living in the future, guys.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It could be part of one big project where we are all taken over by aliens.

[Covino]

Planet Blue Beam is. Is happening.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Who knows?

[Covino]

People are wearing silver suits, there's robots everywhere, Drones. Definitely living in the future.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I want to just take it back 20 years for a second just to show you how quickly the last two decades have gone. Because 20 years ago, the end of 04, we were about to usher in 2005. And speaking of Usher. Yeah, by Usher was the number one song of 04. Does that song feel 20 years old?

[Covino]

When we started our journey as a talk show, are you sure you want to take it back to the year 2000?

[Hoda Kotb]

I do.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I want to take it back to 04 just for a second. Usher just performed that, what, like a year ago at the Super Bowl. And that song was like the banger of the night. Everyone loved it. Usher and Luda and I could tell.

[Covino]

You what we were wearing. Rich and I were rocking some hard boot cut jeans and we would cut the bottoms because they would fray so much. So you'd cut the bottoms of your boot cut jeans you'd wear some shoes from Aldo. A real sweet button down that you got from Men's Express, some sort of graphic tee which led to, like affliction and brands like that. But some weird graphic tee. I said something cool on it with Florida Lee's all over it. You had that, that very specific 2000s haircut where you combed it down in the front, but you lifted it up and. Right.

[Savannah Guthrie]

A little bit. A little wall right there.

[Covino]

And you know, so it was a very specific time, the early 2000s.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Just picture, picture Dane Cook. Everyone dressed like that. Yeah, pretty much boot cut jeans and a tight graphic T shirt. But just to put in perspective, where were we in the sports world and the Entertainment World in 04, 20 years ago when you and I first started working together. And again, for everyone just to realize how quick 20 years have gone. The biggest movies, 20 years ago, Anchorman. Oh, great Odin's Raven. You had.

[Covino]

We've been quoting that for 20 years.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You had Dodgeball Joe's be the only place for Steve. You had mean girls. You had 50 first dates. American Idol was still huge.

[Covino]

You mean I was in love with Rachel McAdams for 20 something years now. True, man. Wow.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Desperate Housewives. Remember, like Wisteria Lane and your mom watched that show probably.

[Covino]

No, it's crazy. Mean Girls came out 20 years ago and Lindsay Lohan looks younger now than she did then.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's true.

[Covino]

I don't know how that happened.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And the number one show 20 years ago, because that feels like it just came and went. Right. Remember House?

[Covino]

That's crazy. That Dr. House, number one show, Dr. House.

[Hoda Kotb]

Dr. House.

[Covino]

Season one of House came out 20 years ago and it was the most watched show right around the time when we started our show.

[Savannah Guthrie]

When we started our show, we were two months removed from the Red Sox breaking the curse and winning the 2004 World Series.

[Covino]

Yeah, that's. I'd like to forget about that, but yeah, that was, that was what we were talking about. And people are probably thinking, yo, Cavino and Rich been doing it for 20 years and they're still the youngest in the game. How do they do it? I'll say this, hitting the gym once in a while and dyeing your hair. Yeah, that's really. I attribute all my longevity to Just for Vatos, Just for Men with the Mexican guy on the COVID And let.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Me hit you up with one more thing. If you want to go back 20 years. It was right around the time Tom Brady and the Pats had won super bowl number two and they were about to try to win their third under Belichick and Tom Brady. We're about a month away 20 years ago from when Donovan McNabb ran out of steam against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That was in Jacksonville, Florida. Dan Byrou, were you at that super bowl in Jacksonville? I feel like I was not.

[Covino]

Hey, db this is also really when we started to solidify ourselves as the ultimate sports fans, right? Because our affiliation with Maxim magazine, it was sports related. So they would send us to all these super bowl events and big sporting events to cover the lifestyle aspect of the game. Because a lot of people might not even think about it this way. But anytime there's a big All Star week coming up or a big super bowl coming up, it's not just the game that people are hyped about. It's all the parties and fun leading up to it. And all the superstars come out, all the athletes come out, they come to party. We were there to cover that aspect of it.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah, that was our original role there.

[Covino]

That was our tie in to the sports world. So I remember going to all the those games and all those parties. A lot of fun.

[Hoda Kotb]

I would even say that when you guys were doing it, it seemed like it was on the rise. I think that it has peaked in a sense, kind of come back a little bit, but agreed, you know, there was probably a decade ago, 15 years ago, it was the thing on those.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, it has slowed down significantly.

[Covino]

You know, the A party, the Rolling Stone party, the obviously we were there for the Maxim party, Playboy party party, all these parties leading up to the super bowl. That was just as much fun, honestly.

[Hoda Kotb]

The Diddy parties?

[Covino]

No, no, not the Diddy parties. We didn't cover the Diddy parties. I want to make that very clear, Rich. You're right. I mean, this is. Again, we're celebrating 20 years of Cavino and Rich. So we're just trying to give you a timestamp of where we were. This is pre social media, guys. We were putting girls in our MySpace top eight.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And that wasn't even happening yet.

[Covino]

That wasn't even happening quite yet. We still had a Friendster page, so this predates any social media.

[Savannah Guthrie]

There's no podcasting.

[Covino]

There was no drone wars, none of that.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So, hey, think about where you were 20 years ago.

[Covino]

I would say no podcasting, especially in our world. And people listening right now. That's a huge one. Because you think about how much it changed. Like, all of a sudden, what we were doing as a career became everyone's hobby or goal. All of a sudden, like, I feel like what we chose to do is what made us a little unique. All of us here, hey, we're going to work in radio. And people like, yeah, good luck with that. And then all of a sudden, you realized 15, 20 years later, everybody secretly wanted to do this because now there's podcasts everywhere.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. And companies were sending us samples of everything. We were the real influencers.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I'll be honest. Before influencers, radio and broadcasters got way more perks.

[Covino]

There's no doubt.

[Savannah Guthrie]

To work a little harder for.

[Hoda Kotb]

Exactly.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It's not automatic. But Anyway, what else?

[Covino]

20. Hey, 20 years ago, I wasn't a dad, you know, I wasn't. I wasn't thinking that we'd be doing this 20 years later. I didn't know.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No.

[Covino]

But that's how fast things change, guys.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah. So enjoy it. Hopefully another 20. But just think for a minute today, not even about us, but think about where were you 20 years ago and where life took you from then? Because that was our first show. I never would have thought 20 years later, we sitting at Fox Sports and.

[Covino]

Our first interview as a show just for a timestamp was Lenny Kravitz. And who would think 20 years later.

[Savannah Guthrie]

He'D still be ripped.

[Covino]

He'd still ripped.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Covino]

And he still looks great.

[Hoda Kotb]

You know what's crazy, rich? In another 20 years, Juan Soto will still be on your meds.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You know, I thought about that.

[Covino]

You know, you're gonna be like, is that Bartolo cologne or Juan Soto? That's funny. Yeah. You're still gonna be paying Bobby Bonilla.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hold on. I've known you for 20 years doing a show together.

[Covino]

We've known each other longer, but we've been doing a show together for 20 years.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But let's say, roughly, I've known Cavino 20 years.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Between the two of us, we've only seen one championship. Your 09 Yankees.

[Covino]

That's true.

[Savannah Guthrie]

My Mets haven't won and my 49ers haven't won. None of our colleges have won anything. So the reality is, in the next 20 years, I'd like to think we're due maybe get a Mets, World Series in there, maybe a Niner super bowl.

[Covino]

Within those 20 years, though, you've seen curses broke. As you said, the Red Sox.

[Savannah Guthrie]

People forget. People forget not only the. The Red Sox and the Cubs. Why do people downplay The White Sox? The 05 White Sox broke equally. Like as long of a curse. Pretty much.

[Hoda Kotb]

I just realized LeBron has been playing the entire time you guys have been broadcasting together.

[Covino]

You know, I think about that a lot. That's why when Tom Brady retired, too, that was a bit of a timestamp for us because we felt like throughout our entire show and it's run, there.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Was always Tom Brady, always Tom Brady.

[Covino]

We were always talking. We'd even see him at, like, Maxim parties and events. It's like, tom Brady, Tom Brady. And when he retired, you're like, dang.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Honestly, it's. When LeBron retires, it will be an odd one for people that have been, you know, let's be honest, like adults for the last 20 years. Because your whole adult life, guys like Tom Brady and LeBron. I felt that way when Jeter retired and when Tom Brady retired. And when LeBron retires, it will be, you know, think about it. When you and I first started doing our show together, LeBron James was the young, hot shot kid on the Cavs. And we're like, yeah, LeBron James, he's going to be the next Jordan. But, you know, like. And we've watched the last 20 years unfold.

[Covino]

Dude, the Sopranos was still running when we were doing our show.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's wild, huh?

[Covino]

We were talking about. That's. That's the other funny timestamp. It's like our show ran the course of. We're talking about the Sopranos, we're talking about the Jersey Shore, we're talking about True Blood, talking about Walking Dead, like, whatever was hot at the time. Those are the guests we were having on our shows. Same thing with athletes every year. Whoever was the hot guy at the time in sports was the guy we would have on our show. So think about the.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Even, like the technology part of things, right? Like, if you are our age, if you're Roughly in your 40s, your adult life is the last 20 years, right? The last 20 years is pretty much your adult life. When you think of how social media has been intertwined with the NBA, NFL, every time an athlete has some type of shenanigans, we always go to social media. What's going on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. Back then, these guys had flip phones. Like, think of the early days of LeBron and the days we're talking about the early 2000s. LeBron James probably had a star tech in the Cavs locker room. Maybe a Nokia brick phone.

[Covino]

He was playing Snake during halftime.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So, hey, happy anniversary, buddy.

[Covino]

Happy anniversary. And thank you guys for, you know, hanging with us, making us feel special.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hey, let's get into week 15 of the NFL next plus, we're going to play Last One Standing, everyone's favorite trivia game that gives you the nervous stomach. Let's go, baby.

[Hoda Kotb]

Things that make you go. Things that make you go.

[Covino]

Now we're gonna play Last One Standing. We still got lots to get to, but we gotta discuss things you witnessed in the world of sports, especially football or in life. Doesn't matter. Anything that made you say hmm over the weekend? 877. 99 on Fox.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I mean, like I said, the early games. What excuse to dip away and like, I don't know, get brunch with your wife or girlfriend or someone. Because the early games.

[Hoda Kotb]

What.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What intrigued you? The Ravens stomping the Giants? Would that really. Do we learn anything there?

[Hoda Kotb]

Well, a lot of people did gamble on that game, so they were happy making sure.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

That the Ravens scored enough points.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I mean, the jets and Aaron Rodgers, like.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Too little, too late in the season. You know, cool moment for devonte Adams. He had a huge game. But again, like against the Jags late in the season, two terrible teams messing.

[Hoda Kotb]

Up their draft position.

[Covino]

I wanted to see if Drew Locke was going to come out and play in his boot. Did you see there was like, well, Drew Locke, who's going to come out and play in his boot if Tommy DeVito is not going to work out?

[Savannah Guthrie]

The Panthers are somehow favored over the Cowboys. So there were a lot of people that bet on the Cowboys and underdogs. Are you kidding? They stomped the Panthers. Commanders just got by the Saints. Again. These are games that I. I don't know what you were excited about.

[Hoda Kotb]

That was an exciting game at the very end. And the clock magically froze, too, at the very end of that game.

[Covino]

In the early portion of the day, I was. I was cleaning up, sweeping up, but I had the games on. I had red zone on, doing my thing. And I guess I went into the bathroom to sweep up or whatever, and Danny G. Hit me up. He's like, yo, did you see what J. Jonathan Taylor did?

[Hoda Kotb]

That was the biggest slob of the day.

[Covino]

So, again, there's still stories maybe.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I mean, I.

[Hoda Kotb]

That we're not at Colts fans have to be sick.

[Covino]

But it makes you say, yeah. It makes you say, hmm. Because you're like, how after watching all of these low lights in sports, we've seen this happen before, all these blunders and bloopers. How do you still make that mistake? Why does that happen?

[Savannah Guthrie]

I have the answer. I have the answer because I thought about it in depth. But to wrap up those early games, the Only big takeaway I had from the early set of games on Sunday was that Mahomes injury. They don't know the extent. It seems like he's going to be.

[Covino]

Fine, but he broke, just sore.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Does that mean he plays next week? Does that mean he's not 100%.

[Hoda Kotb]

We'll have to ask him when he's in on the show tomorrow.

[Covino]

Yeah, we'll find out tomorrow.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Well, you got to ask yourself, Danny, is the bigger question at 13 and 1 and winning games in every way possible, they just find ways to win at 13 and 1. Do you look at the Chiefs as vulnerable at all to let that one seed slip away or no way in hell because they're two games up now in that conference. Right. But if Mahomes is a little banged up, they play the Texans, the Steelers and the Broncos. And if you look at it, those are three AFC postseason teams, three tough teams. So they, they end the season against three teams that will be in the playoffs. So it's essentially three mild playoff games.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, their defense is strong enough. Carson Wentz is a decent backup.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But they'd have to drop two of those games. Otherwise they just cruise to the one seed. Right?

[Covino]

It's.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It is what it is. Does Mahomes even play the final couple games to even do, like, just depends.

[Covino]

How hard he is.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Like what's the. If you were the Chiefs, is there even a reason to start Mahomes next week at all?

[Hoda Kotb]

Even if you try keeping that guy off the field.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But I'm saying with two games up in the conference, I would say it's.

[Covino]

A perfect time to give him a rest. But again, it all depends on how hurt he is. I don't know that yet again, maybe we get the inside scoop tomorrow when we do some Showtime of homes trivia here on the show. But his nothing's broke. I'm just sore.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So you could drop a game, right? You could drop a game and still be ahead of Buffalo. You just can't drop two because they have the tiebreaker. But you like, why on earth at this stage of the game would you push Mahomes if. Why not just say, hey, even if you're a little banged up, might be a good one, A good one to sit out especially. Why do you want the Texans even get a look at him when they may face them in the opening round? For all we know, this is why.

[Hoda Kotb]

The funky schedule is really coming into the picture. Because to Rich, to your point, if it was a normal week, yeah, maybe they would play on a Saturday and Then the next week would be a Sunday. You normally aren't playing on that Thursday, especially if you're one of these teams.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yep.

[Hoda Kotb]

They would have a full week. You'd play on a Sunday or Monday in week 17. But because of the Christmas Day schedule and playing on that Wednesday, it really does put them in a tight spot.

[Savannah Guthrie]

They play on a Saturday and a Wednesday.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yes. All the, all the teams that plan Saturday this weekend will be playing on Christmas Day.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It's. It's wild to think that that turnaround, like, why would you even again, you almost want to. You know how sometimes in the baseball playoffs if the bulk pen game works out, good for you. But sometimes it's like, yeah, that's almost a give me. Because we're saving our ace fill for tomorrow.

[Covino]

Yeah, you need recovery time, dude.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Scrape by one of the pick and choose. Like, which game do you want? Mahomes. Do you want my homes to play on Christmas Day? Then give him a break.

[Hoda Kotb]

Let him stay at home with his family. He wasn't a fan of the schedule when it came out, remember? Because he wanted to be with his family on Christmas Day.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah. I just can't see. Even if he is like, yeah, I'm fine. You're a little banged up. Like, you know he's going to play two games within four or five days around the holidays when they are 13 and 1.

[Covino]

Obviously, recovery is always a factor. It's the NFL. Right. But I always think about. I just. I don't know. To me, it resonated. I think about what George Kittle said about his recovery. He said, just imagine every weekend getting in a car accident. He's like, that's what the recovery is like.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You're banged up every week.

[Covino]

So you're banged up that much and you're. And you're banging helmets and getting banged up.

[Hoda Kotb]

The only thing about Mahomes, he's one of those dudes where every time we think he's going to go stand on the sideline because he's injured, he bounces right back.

[Covino]

He bounces right back. You know that Saturday to Wednesday is. That's a tough recovery time.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Dare I say this because it could be insensitive, but you know how sometimes people exaggerate something to make it look like they're more heroic. There's gotta be a little bit of that in Patrick Mahomes game.

[Covino]

Oh, like Daniel Larusso and his stupid leg.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Daniel LaRusso's gonna fight.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Mr. Miyagi. He was fine the whole time, everybody. Yeah, he did Daniel LaRusso was gonna fight regardless.

[Covino]

My theory is he did it just to look dramatic.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Like, you know when your girlfriend accidentally or your wife accidentally, like you're wrestling and fooling around, that she knees you and you're like, oh, you like, play it up a little bit.

[Covino]

You play it up just to get that sympathy love. I know what you're talking about.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Like, I almost feel like there are times where Mahomes gives a little extra hobble just so when he comes back in the game, we're all like, oh, my God. Mahomes is unstoppable. Like, if you don't think, listen, the bravery again, just so that people don't get my words twisted.

[Covino]

I'm just saying he's making drama show.

[Savannah Guthrie]

All I'm saying is that I think there's 1%. The other 99% is that he's a baller and a competitor and the man. But I promise you there's 1% where my home's like, yeah, I'm gonna put a little extra limp, a little extra limp on. So that is heroics of the man.

[Covino]

Yeah, he's giving the fans something to cheer the commentator something to talk about. Mahomes with an extra limp in his step.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But he's out there.

[Covino]

But he's out there.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Come on, give me a break.

[Covino]

It does add to the story.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Now let's get to Dan by for an update. And then you brought up Jonathan Taylor. I have a theory. We've talked about it, but it's very clear.

[Hoda Kotb]

What's up, DB Guys, my son was playing T. Rex dinosaur last night and bit me and you would have thought I was struck by lightning the way I reacted. Yeah. And then five seconds later, it didn't hurt anymore. But I was really embarrassed with my initial reaction of the.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You had to play it up.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, you guys mentioned it. Patrick Mahomes considered week to week with that mild high ankle sprain. Not the only Chiefs note. Clyde Edwards Hilaire announced today he's been released by the team was their first round pick a few years ago. Running back has gone through some other things as of late, but the Chiefs let Ceh go today.

[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

What's up, everybody? Adnan Burke here to tell you about a new podcast from iHeart podcast in the National Hockey League. It's NHL unscripted with Virk and Demers.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, I'm Jason Demers, former 700 game NHL defenseman turned NHL Network analyst, and boy, oh boy, does daddy have a lot to say.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I love you, by the way, on.

[Hoda Kotb]

NHL Network, we're looking forward to getting.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Together each week to chat and chirp about the sport and all the other things surrounding it that we love. Right?

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, I just met you today, but we're gonna have a ton of guests from the colliding worlds of hockey, entertainment and pop culture and you know what, tons of back and forth and all things NHL.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah, you're still gonna find out. We're not just hockey talk. We're into all kinds of random stuff on this podcast. Movies, television, food, wrestling, even the stuff that you wear on NHL.

[Hoda Kotb]

Now you wish you could pull off my short shorts, Ferkey.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's sure to cause a ruckus. Listen to NHL Unscripted with Burkin, Demers and iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever.

[Hoda Kotb]

You get your podcasts.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Penic from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast alongside Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week, on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays. Breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race. Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything. We break it down. Stats, analytics. And of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the postseason run.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, I'm Myles Gray.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And I'm Jack O'Brien. We're the hosts of the Daily Zeitgeist, and we want to tell you about Miles Jack Got Mad Boost, an NBA podcast from I Heart Radio. We nailed that. This is a weekly podcast about all the amazing moments that keep all of us NBA fans coming back for more. Basically, if you love basketball and you like to laugh, listen to Miles and Jack Got Mad Boosties, an NBA podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Hoda Kotb]

Brought to you by Hypnotic.

[Savannah Guthrie]

The thing you brought up about Jonathan Taylor, it's so obvious to me. It's embarrassing on the ultimate level. That's why broadcasters and journalists really don't ask about it, because the answer is embarrassing.

[Covino]

Right.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It's like, remember on Love is Blind, Danny G, when that doofus caveman looking guy got caught red handed, like he had a girlfriend when he went on the show.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And when he went to the reunion, he just sat there like, what do you want me to say? You caught me. Like, I was. I was like, cheating on my girl and I went on a reality show to get famous. What more do you want me to say? What. What do you really think the athlete's going to say? I beat the guy off the tackle. I had him. I was faster and in a cocky way, I dropped the ball as, like a mic drop. As, like you said the three pointer.

[Covino]

It's like the exclamation point.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

The problem is this was more important than a three pointer in an NBA game. All a swaggy pee. The Colts were about to run away and take a 20 to 7 lead. At this point of the game, they lost all focus. Those points came off the board. Jonathan Taylor is getting pep talks from all his teammates on the sideline. He's telling them that's on me. They get back out there and unfortunately, Mims Jr. Runs back a kick for 60 yards and puts the Broncos in great field position. And then when Richardson gets the ball back in his hands, he throws a really bad interception. That's a pick six. So they unravel. Yeah, they unravel. They would have been in control of a game they desperately needed to win.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Oh, that trick play that went wrong was so like. You saw it happening. You saw the. You saw the defender on the Broncos break towards the. What was it like the lateral. Lateral, like, pass across the field. Like that whole deal.

[Hoda Kotb]

This is from Indy's beat reporter today.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Take a listen.

[Hoda Kotb]

The Colts? No, I'm just going to read what he wrote. The Colts were playing their biggest game of the season and had the luxury of playing the team with whom they're competing with for the final AFC playoff spot.

[Covino]

And again, they were winning. Broncos ended up scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, 31 13. But it all started with that play.

[Hoda Kotb]

We do have audio, by the way. It's Jonathan Taylor talking about it.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Well, you know what? It's rare because you never really hear guys talk about these blunders because it really is embarrassing.

[Hoda Kotb]

Is it a lack of concentration thing? Just a subconscious kind of lack of concentration or.

[Covino]

Yeah, well, you, you know, you go.

[Hoda Kotb]

Over those scenarios, but it just can't happen. No matter the game, no matter the.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Scenario, you could be up by 50.

[Hoda Kotb]

Down by 50, playoff game, first game of the season.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That should never happen.

[Covino]

And again, you're going to lose sleep over there.

[Savannah Guthrie]

While he did address it, he really didn't in that clip and I'll tell you why. Because the reality is, if the reporter wanted to be a real D, it was like, no. So but honestly, Jonathan, why, why did you drop the ball?

[Covino]

Cause I was hot doggin man. Is that what you want?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Because the answer really is, yo, bro, I was hot dogging. See the defender, I burnt them. He was. I burned four defenders. I got speed sucker. And then as a show off move, because I was trying to be a hot dog showboat, I dropped the ball. Is that what you want to hear again? You said it's like the famous, like putting your hands up for a three pointer and then it clank off the rim. Or the pitcher who thinks he got him on a breaking ball, he takes three steps toward the dugout and the umpire is like, ball.

[Covino]

It's embarrassing. As a kid who used to bowl growing up, bowling was fun when we were kids, right? My dad would teach me to bowl and anytime I hit one in the pocket, I had one right in the pocket, my dad would be like, turn around. And I'd be like, why? I want to see it. Because that was the extra flair you would add to your game. If you go around because you're so confident you knew you threw a strike, even just turn around. So that's his like that's just the confidence working against you is when keeping it real goes wrong, I pull the.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Al Bundy, which is even a step further if I'm bowling, I get up there first. I do my Fred Flintstone twinkle toes. If I feel like I'm hitting the pocket, not only do I start turning around, I do like a Joe Montana to Jerry Rice touchdown fist pump like a bah.

[Covino]

You got to punch that.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I turn around, I punch.

[Covino]

You're punching down that from Kingpin? Yeah. If there's one pin that's still wobbling, you gotta punch it. That's what really knocks it down.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So again, I'm not breaking the glass or anything. It just. You realize they. They're never really explained in these scenarios because it would be.

[Covino]

It would be. I was adding my personal flair to it, and it worked against me. And nobody really wants to say that.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Jonathan tell you one of the most elite running backs, the most he could say is like, yeah, yo, you got to stay focused. Because the reality is, dude, I got caught up and I was showboating and it went horribly wrong and changed momentum of the whole game. And I'm so sorry.

[Covino]

All right, so you know what? We could talk more about the later games next and things that made you.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Go, oh, you know what? Josh, Andy, Sean, everyone, I. We have a whole bank of phones, so we'll take your feedback.

[Covino]

Thanks again for 20 years of awesome. One of the most proud things I feel is to be able to work with such cool people, to meet so many cool listeners, to still have my hairline intact. What's up?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Great hairline. Yeah, well, I said that. Let's go to your phone calls. The things that made you go, hmm.

[Covino]

You know what made me go home, Rich? The fact that besides football, we're going to talk football. And I watched the New York sack exchange, so I got comments on that. But the fact that you had a holiday party this weekend and you invited every stupid neighbor of yours, you invited all your kids, friends, stupid parents.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It was not one neighbor at my house.

[Covino]

You invited all these people, hang out with my neighbors. Anybody he meets at Ralph's, he invites to his house. He met some jabroni at Costco, and I'm partying with this guy. And he invited everyone here at Fox Sports Radio except for Doug Gottlieb.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's true.

[Covino]

That made me say, doesn't he live.

[Savannah Guthrie]

In Green Bay, Wisconsin?

[Covino]

And I only bring that up because he addressed it on his show.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's funny. Yeah, but. Yeah, no fun holiday party this weekend. I was. Sam, you were one of the lifes of the party. A lot of people, I thought I.

[Hoda Kotb]

Was on my best behavior.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Honestly, a lot of people thought Rich.

[Covino]

Hired the actual elf from elf to. That was definitely my brother. Thought Thurman Merman was. Was at the party.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So I was, Sam, you were bringing the fun. I was, Sam, you were bringing the fun.

[Covino]

You know what I was saying? Brings the most fun. I gave him some holiday applause.

[Hoda Kotb]

I was very appreciative to be there.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Great, great.

[Hoda Kotb]

Gabagool.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Plates of gabagool. There was a lot of. A lot of meats and foods and everything. It was a good time. But you know what? We're gonna get back to NFL. One other observation. If you watch the movie subservience on Netflix, I think I want a Megan Fox robot for Christmas.

[Covino]

Stop talking about.

[Hoda Kotb]

You are obsessed.

[Covino]

I mean, I mean, you're willing to talk to anyone who will listen. I've heard Rich talk about this movie like 35 times since.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Well, I mean, is it cheating if it's a robot?

[Covino]

No, it's not.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I don't. I don't think it is.

[Covino]

I don't think so.

[Savannah Guthrie]

All right, let's go to your phone calls. Any observations, week 15. Let's go to Josh Dayton. You're on the show. What's up, buddy?

[Hoda Kotb]

Guys, thanks for taking my call.

[Covino]

Congratulations on 20 years. Thanks, man.

[Hoda Kotb]

From a squared circle perspective, you guys and John Cena started the same time and you're still both going strong.

[Covino]

So congratulations. I like that.

[Hoda Kotb]

Things that make me go home. Speaking of hairlines, you guys mentioned earlier.

[Covino]

I was watching the Bills and the.

[Hoda Kotb]

Lions, Dan Campbell, first time I saw him without a hat, I said, hmm, not what I expected.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You know, speaking of hairlines, John Cena not keeping up.

[Covino]

Yeah, yeah. That's always a shock when you, you have something in mind. You're like, oh, makes you say, hmm.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Now if I'm the Lions, I'm not too concerned though, because, you know, I, I almost like when a team has a, like, one loss towards the final quarter of the year, it gives them a little perspective. When a team goes into the playoffs, like on an eight game winning streak, I just feel like they're. There's almost all too much confidence going. Like, I feel like you need to address your vulnerabilities a little bit and assess. Like, all right, we can be beat. Let's tighten up.

[Covino]

And again, back to that game. I think we're witnessing a player in his prime, you know, especially when you hear how everyone else is talking about him, even Colin today. He must have said, he said stars at least 20 times.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Stars.

[Covino]

When describing Josh Allen. He's a star who's a star. He's a star who attracts stars and stars. And you're like, dang. But we are seeing a guy at his best, a guy that could do everything. But. But people are talking. People are putting people on this channel are putting Josh Allen in the same category as Tiger woods and LeBron James and Michael Jordan and Tom Brady's. Like, we're witnessing a guy who does everything at an elite level. And a lot of that is from the way he played this weekend.

[Hoda Kotb]

You want to hear a crazy stat here?

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

This dude, Josh Allen, it says, proposed to his girlfriend, Steinfeld, and became like a superhero since he proposed.

[Covino]

Okay.

[Hoda Kotb]

704 passing yards, 151 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, zero turnovers.

[Covino]

That's amazing, dude. You know how they talk about the zone in sports? Like, you know the zone. It's like an intangible you really can't put your finger on. We're witnessing a dude in the zone.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And he's also happy. Right? I mean, a lot of times booty is a distraction. Like, there'll be a woman that takes you off your.

[Covino]

He's in his game, dude.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Right now, he's in his game. And I would venture to say that.

[Covino]

But all talk went from Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley to like, josh Allen is your mvp. Well, the narrative, like, it's been week to week, but it's been a solid Josh Allen for the past few days now.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I don't think this is a rash thought. If not this year, then when for Buffalo? Meaning they're playing at such an elite level. You know, they dropped what you would maybe argue was a trap game against the hot Rams team a week ago, but they're putting up points at will. Josh Allen, as you said, is in a zone like no one else.

[Covino]

Those are crazy stats, Dan.

[Savannah Guthrie]

If you don't think this team could get by Kansas City. The only trepidation, if that's even a word that I have, is that the game would be at Arrowhead and that place is rough experience. Home field. That would be your AFC championship game. If we fast forward like a month and a half, other than that, I can't see how Josh Allen loses this year.

[Covino]

Imagine if the Chiefs on a hobbled foot, Mahomes, still is able to find a way to beat a Bills team with MVP caliber. Josh Allen let me in his zone. That would be insane.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Let me give you an analogy. Back in the 90s, I hated it because it was true. The Cowboys owned the 49ers for a little period of time. Steve Young couldn't get past the Cowboys. And then that one year, it was like yo, if they don't do it now, when are they going to do it? They got Deion Sanders, you know that NFC Championship game on, like, the opening drive. They scored, then there was a turnover, they scored again. And you're like, all right, this is it. The stars are aligned. The Niners stars finally have the Cowboys number. And I almost feel like this postseason will be the time where it's like Mahomes, Mahomes lays an egg. Josh Allen dominates. And it's like, finally, Josh Allen has the monkey off his back and he's going to, you know, he.

[Covino]

Robin laid an egg.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No, so.

[Covino]

Rudolph laid an egg, bro. So I do think Batman smells.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Robin laid an egg. Yeah, Robin did lay an egg.

[Hoda Kotb]

The Batmobile. I thought it was the Joker did ballet.

[Covino]

No, Joker got away.

[Hoda Kotb]

I guess that makes sense.

[Covino]

Yeah. Laid an egg ahead.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So I, I, I think this is the year. This is the year I came back to me, this is the year for Josh Allen. And if not, I don't know when it will be. And I think not me, I, I didn't count them out, but I saw Rich Eisen, who I admire a lot. I really enjoy watching his clips.

[Hoda Kotb]

My goodness, you just like him because his name's Rich.

[Covino]

You owe this guy some residuals.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I think Rich Sigils, dude, you're allowed to have your favorite. Do you like Stephen A. Smith? No, I, I admire Rich Eisen. I think he's good at what he does. Right. He was man enough to admit that he had, like, Miami winning the division.

[Covino]

I like Jack Mac from Barstool.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You do like Jack Mac. That's your dude.

[Covino]

That's my guy.

[Savannah Guthrie]

See, everyone's got, I quote him more.

[Covino]

Than I do Stephen A. Smith, and.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Unfortunately, there's some buffoon that you're there guy, and I feel bad for that guy Dan Meyer, he's a Camino guy.

[Hoda Kotb]

That would be me, Rich. That is me.

[Covino]

Thanks, Dan. Someone has to be.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Thank you, bro.

[Covino]

I appreciate it.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But I, but I do think that a lot of people and Rich Eisen was the first that came to mind where there were a lot of people that said jets playoffs. Oh, you know, two is back Dolphins playoffs. And they thought that the Bills were taking a huge step back. Remember, the sentiment was, Stefan Diggs is gone. They got disarray. You know, their coach might be not the guy, you know, long term. McDermott, who know, who knows? Like, to me, I think Buffalo told everyone to shove it because there was a lot of sentiment that, well, the rest of the division is catching up and Buffalo may have missed their window. Nonsense. Buffalo is the best team in the afc. If.

[Covino]

Yes, and they. They outplayed a tough team again in the Lions for the win over the weekend. Like I said, what takeaways. Statement games. Statement games. The packers, the Eagles, the Bills all showed who they are and they showed their place in the NFL this season over the weekend. Back to the phones. Things that made you go, hmm, Andy.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What up? Andy in Rhode Island. What's up, Andy?

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, Faizano.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Oh, what's up, man? What up?

[Hoda Kotb]

I was famous. Check it out, guys.

[Covino]

I'm.

[Hoda Kotb]

I'm head over heels right now because not only. Not only is it your anniversary today.

[Covino]

But also, today is also my anniversary.

[Hoda Kotb]

For discovering you guys. And my God, have you guys been.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It has taken me on such a roller coaster ride. I feel like I have to pop some champagne right now because it's almost like I couldn't even say it's a coincidence.

[Hoda Kotb]

This was meant to be this entire time.

[Covino]

Thank you, man. And, you know, not only that, but.

[Hoda Kotb]

Here'S another thing, too. If we want to talk about putting.

[Savannah Guthrie]

A little extra on it, let's talk about poor piss in that wheelchair.

[Covino]

Legend has it he still has it in his house somewhere.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Let me tell you, there's guys that. To go back to our conversation earlier, there's guys that like the theatrics and mahomes would never admit it. And I feel almost rude saying it, but I feel like sometimes when he limps around and he. He puts a little extra limp in to show like I'm the man and I compete no matter what.

[Covino]

Yeah, I'm playing. Even though I'm hurt. I'm playing.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Like, dude, are you limping? No, I'm good.

[Covino]

You know, it's maybe a subconsciously part of the game. Yeah. Thank you, man. Who else do we got?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Sean in Sacramento. What's up, bud?

[Hoda Kotb]

Yo, my tire rack pack. How y'all feeling?

[Savannah Guthrie]

What's up, bro?

[Covino]

What up, bro?

[Hoda Kotb]

Real quick, man. First is the first of all thing that made me go the Jamie Foxx special. Colvino, you hit the nail on the head. Any girl, dad, anybody in their 40s/ need to take a look at that. Change your lives before your life changes you, man. I was laughing, I was crying. It was good all the way around.

[Covino]

Hey, Sean. God is good all the time.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah.

[Covino]

He sings all the songs all the time. God is good. Yeah, man, I'm telling you, it was like watching. It was like watching Randall Watson. It was so good.

[Hoda Kotb]

It was good, man.

[Covino]

It was good. He Gives lots of love to Atlanta that's on Netflix for your viewing pleasures.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. And then I gotta kiss a little ass. Congratulations to y'all brothers, man.

[Covino]

Thank you.

[Hoda Kotb]

I remember y'all back in the Maxim days to say that y'all were a little raunchy. A little bit of an understatement. So listeners, man, go check out those interviews. And y'all are getting better with age. Look how y'all broke the Internet last week with the Tyson interview. I need to get me some of them sweet cheeks, so when they hit the market, man, I need to pick some of those up, and they're real quick. But I told Danny D. I want to ask y'all one real quick question. 20 years together, ups and downs, you know, Ups and downs. Everything that y'all been going through, we know about the love, the sunshine, the rainbows. But have you guys ever come down to Fist of Cuffs? Or what's the biggest argument you guys have ever gotten in over the last 20 years?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Ooh, good question.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, I've seen a lot.

[Covino]

Yeah. I mean, we. We fought a lot, but never fisticuffs.

[Hoda Kotb]

No.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But there's been a couple times where when the show's over, one of us just walks out and, like, goes home.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Without, like, yo, good show break. Because we usually do the whole life.

[Hoda Kotb]

That happened after Juan Soto last week.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Covino]

It's probably over something dumb that's not even coming to mind. But it was probably an accumulation of things.

[Hoda Kotb]

Kavino once one of them was. Oh, no. Rich was remote. Kavina once passed gas into the mic and walked out of the studio.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That is true.

[Covino]

That is very true. And Sean does. He does describe the evolution of our show. I listened back to how he said raunchy, but how young and stupid we were. And it makes me cringe. I'm like, I can't believe. I would say that both of your.

[Hoda Kotb]

Voices had higher pitches.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah.

[Covino]

Fast.

[Hoda Kotb]

They spoke fast, and they were high pitched. Yeah. Oh.

[Covino]

I never fought or wrestled or threw punches or. None of that ever happened. No, it was. I mean, Rich and I had a.

[Hoda Kotb]

Slap at a couple.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Oh, Spot.

[Hoda Kotb]

We slapped each other.

[Savannah Guthrie]

There's good videos on YouTube. I slapped the hell out of Spot.

[Covino]

And then he can find a lot of old stuff on YouTube if you search.

[Savannah Guthrie]

There's a lot of.

[Hoda Kotb]

There was a lot of awkward. Yeah. A lot of awkward endings to shows, but came back the next day like nothing happened.

[Savannah Guthrie]

There was a. There's a video of Spot backhanding me like, I lost. I lost a bet with Spot.

[Hoda Kotb]

It felt so good.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And it was a slap bet, but we never really defined what type of slap and why. I had to just sit there and wait for him to slap me.

[Covino]

That was the invention of power slapping.

[Hoda Kotb]

Sometimes when I'm having trouble sleeping, I'll watch that clip and I'll fall right to sleep.

[Covino]

We pitch this to Dana White, and he stole our idea.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Spock caught me off guard with a straight up backhand.

[Covino]

Oh, that's on YouTube. Serge Covino and Rich.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But I do remember our biggest fight, and it wasn't our fight about Mets tickets.

[Hoda Kotb]

That was a big one.

[Covino]

That was a big fight.

[Hoda Kotb]

That was a really awkward one.

[Covino]

I don't remember the premise of it, but we would get free tickets from SNY where we did a TV show. And I remember Rich was giving away my tickets or something.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. Was there ever a moment between the three of you where, like, one of you left a voicemail on the other's phone? Like, kind of like that Alec Baldwin moment where he left that really, like, kind of derogatory, demeaning voicemail?

[Savannah Guthrie]

No, call their names.

[Hoda Kotb]

I've left texts like that. Yeah. Like, you little.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You little.

[Covino]

So, dude, I remember one fight was really fun. Not to get too far off track, but I was a dad before they were right. I'm a little older. I became a dad at 33.

[Hoda Kotb]

Spot just buried the lead, though. He said he's quit the show.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Quit the show once.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But it was like both of these. It was like George Costan. It was very Castan.

[Hoda Kotb]

I meant to say something rhymes.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No, Larry David tells a great story. Say, don't forget your story, Camino. Larry David tells a great story, and it turned into a Seinfeld episode. Larry David said he. When he was writing for snl, that one year he got in a fight in the writers room. F bombs this and that F. Dude, I quit. He stormed out and quit, and his buddy said, hey, why don't you just go back, like, on Monday? Like, it never happened. And he did, and no one said anything. And it was an episode where George quit and just went back. Spot did that. Spot's like, I quit F you guys. Throwing stuff down. Left the studio.

[Covino]

Remember his, like, headphones got all tangled up and he almost, like, fell leaving his studio.

[Hoda Kotb]

I honestly, I threw it down on the board and it played sound effects.

[Covino]

As I was leav. That's great. Exit. Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

He slammed his headphones, had a fart sound play. Yeah. And we're like, yo. And then he came back the next day, like, I Had to. Like, I was just blowing up steam. Like, let's not talk about someone at.

[Hoda Kotb]

The run the show. I had to.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah, just like the people in the.

[Hoda Kotb]

Writers room at Seinfeld have been like, we can't really lose Larry David. Like, he just said that we don't really buy it. So he came back.

[Savannah Guthrie]

But anyway, Covina, what was.

[Covino]

We were in such a, like a bachelor sort of zone of a show, right? Young dudes talking sports and lifestyle and relationships and partying. It was Maxim. And all of a sudden, I became a dad. So I started bringing all these new time dad conversations into our cool bachelor type of show. And these guys did not hold back and making fun of me on anything I did. Like, I just felt so lame about my stories. And I remember one time I was talking about this brand called Diaper dude, right? And that was the name of the brand at the time. They had given me, like, a diaper bag for dads, and it was like a cool bag for dads. And I was like, yeah, my. In my diaper dude. And they just used that as a way to tease me.

[Hoda Kotb]

Cool. Diaper bag, bro.

[Covino]

Yeah, like, yeah, all right. Diaper Dude. Diaper dude. Something as simple as that. But it was an accumulation of those type of things that just like, eventually I hit my breaking point. It became like a fight over that. And I remember, like, you guys had enough of you guys. Why don't you guys just grow up?

[Hoda Kotb]

All right?

[Covino]

It was just like one of those things.

[Hoda Kotb]

And of course, one of the best comical fights, at least to us, over the past years. Like, so Cavino used to be remote when he first had his kid. We were in New York. He would have to come to la, and we. There was an Elvis cardboard cutout that we took a photo of Covino and put over Elvis's head. So when we had guests in studio, they could take a picture with Rich and the cardboard cutout. One time, David Hasselhoff was in studio and he, like, was being rushed off to the next interview, and we didn't have time to pull out the cardboard cutout and take the photo with. With David Hasselhoff and Rich and Covino lost.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah, looking back, it might be the dumbest take we've ever had.

[Covino]

So upset, like, yelling, like, because we.

[Hoda Kotb]

Didn'T pull out his card.

[Covino]

So we've had fights and battles and, you know, but hey, ups, downs, all sorts of moments here on the Cavino and Rich show. Thank you, Sean.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hey, Danny, did you. Did you follow that Covino is mad that we didn't put a cardboard cut out of him in a photo.

[Covino]

No. I was mad that Rich lied about him. Like, why didn't you get the cardboard cutout, man? To. To. For Hasselhoff? You're like, oh, we couldn't find it. I didn't have time. It's like in the photograph. It's in the background. He lies. You don't care, man.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I. I have two others. The show almost. The. You know, the show almost broke up once when Spot and Cavino's ex wife had a fight at a Vegas dinner where everyone got up and stormed off.

[Covino]

That's true. Yeah. True story.

[Hoda Kotb]

Still credited with ruining. Ruining his marriage.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Spot and Cavino's ex wife. It was. Yo. It was one of those. It was one of those where, Danny, you would have had a stomach ache watching Spot be caddy with Cavino's ex wife. It was like, I think I would.

[Hoda Kotb]

Have got some popcorn.

[Covino]

Imagine two divas fighting. Oh, you come at me. I come at you, dude.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It was. It was so uncomfortable. And one last one, because you guys always say I'm the biggest C block in all the world. One time, we were both single. It was a rare time where both of us didn't have a girlfriend or anything. We were both single. I use air quotes on single.

[Hoda Kotb]

Single.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And we were at a party, and Cavino was talking to this hot girl. And I walked over and I was like, hey, what's up? Cavino grabbed me by the collar, and he's like, get the F out of here.

[Covino]

I just pushed him out of my face.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Pretty much like, your C blocking days are over, bro.

[Covino]

Because he would love to take over the conversation. I was in my Josh Allen zone, and this guy's trying to intercept.

[Savannah Guthrie]

He, like, straight up pushed me away. I was like, yo, came over in.

[Hoda Kotb]

His day in his tap dance shoes.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah. Hey, ladies. Camilla's like, nah, that's like an A.C.

[Hoda Kotb]

Slater, Zack Morris moment where, like, they.

[Covino]

They're not now preppy.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. Pushes them away, and they almost get to fisticuffs.

[Covino]

Exactly. Two last phone calls. Rich things that made you go.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And then we got last one standing. So let's go to Brian and Augusta. What's up, Brian?

[Hoda Kotb]

What's going on, players? How y'all doing? All right, two things real quick.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I know y'all know music, so I'm.

[Hoda Kotb]

Gonna sing you a line of a song. I want you to finish it. Do you know what today is?

[Covino]

It's our anniversary. Yeah, it's our anniversary.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Little Tony. Tony. Tony, bro.

[Covino]

Done it again, bro.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yes, sir. And the second thing, the thing that made me go, hmm, I'm a Packers fan. So when is the last time we saw three teams with 10 wins in the same division?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Let me tell you, I think your packers are the dark horse to go all the way. And I'll tell you why. Because everyone's talking about the Lions. The Eagles are hot. Minnesota's playing great.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

The packers are going to finish the season like 12 and 5, and they're being overlooked hugely. I really feel that way. So good luck to your packers man and Roger and Tacoma.

[Covino]

Rabbi, they look great and thanks for the call.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, how you guys doing?

[Savannah Guthrie]

We're good.

[Covino]

What up, man?

[Hoda Kotb]

All right. So something that makes me go, I'm almost, almost 64 years old. I've been watching the NFL since the 70s. I think the first Super Bowl I watched was like Baltimore, Dallas, you know, that's. That goes far.

[Savannah Guthrie]

You go far back.

[Hoda Kotb]

The very first time I ever saw anyone drop the ball before crossing the line was desean Jackson. Right. I can't remember. I can't remember anyone before desean Jackson doing that. Since he did it, it's been done like 10 times.

[Covino]

That's what's wild about it. It's like we've all seen these highlights, so we even have like a, like a subconscious thought in our brain to like, never do that. And guess what? We're never gonna get a chance to do that.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And it's.

[Covino]

How in the world do they not have that, that alarm that goes off, that red flag, that warning is like, hold on to the ball. It's nuts.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Small business owners, this one's for you.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

What's up, everybody? Adnan Burke here to tell you about a new podcast from iHeart podcast in the National Hockey League. It's NHL unscripted with Virk and Demers.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, I'm Jason Demers, former 700 game NHL defenseman turned NHL Network analyst, and boy, oh, boy, does daddy have a lot to say.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I love you, by the way. On NHL Network, we're looking forward to getting together each week to chat and chirp about the sport and all the other things surrounding it that we love.

[Hoda Kotb]

Right? Yeah, I just met you today, but we're going to have a ton of guests from the colliding worlds of hockey, entertainment and pop culture. And you know what? Tons of back and forth on all things NHL.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yeah, you're still going to find out. We're not just hockey talk. We get all kinds of random stuff on this podcast. Movies, television, food, wrestling, even the stuff that you wear on NHL. Now you wish you could pull off.

[Hoda Kotb]

My short shorts, Ferkey.

[Savannah Guthrie]

That's sure to cause a ruckus. Listen to NHL Unscripted with Burkin Demers, the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

[Hoda Kotb]

You get your podcasts.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Pennick from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast alongside Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week, on Monday, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race. Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything. We break it down. Stats, analytics. And of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the postseason run.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, I'm Myles Gray.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And I'm Jack O'Brien. We're the hosts of the Daily Zeitgeist, and we want to tell you about Miles Mad Boosties, an NBA podcast from I Heart Radio. Yo, we nailed that.

[Hoda Kotb]

This is a weekly podcast about all.

[Savannah Guthrie]

The amazing moments that keep all of us NBA fans coming back for more. Basically, if you love basketball and you like to laugh, listen to Miles and Jack Got Mad Boosties, an NBA podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast brought to you by Hypnotic.

[Covino]

We try to do this every Monday. It's the game that's sweeping the nation. On Cavino and Rich. Fox Sports Radio talking last one standing.

[Hoda Kotb]

You have five seconds to battle for your sports trivia.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Life, man.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, I got it. Yeah, I don't got it.

[Covino]

Put your electronic devices down and pick your sports knowledge.

[Hoda Kotb]

It's CNR's last one standing.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Last one standing.

[Hoda Kotb]

All right, I have four categories ready to go if needed. A tiebreaker. Each contestant gets five seconds to stay alive in the round. If you run out of time or you answer incorrectly, Iowa. Sam will escort you out with his big bad buzzer. We keep battling until you are the last one standing. If you win two of the rounds, you are the top dog. Here are the contestants. Three time winner, Steve Covino, the winner last week, which made it his seventh. Rich Davis.

[Covino]

It says Wieners.

[Hoda Kotb]

The leader in the clubhouse. 22 time winner, Dan Byer. You know, I'm still kicking myself for thinking the Eagles only went to three Super Bowls. They've now been to four.

[Covino]

Yes.

[Hoda Kotb]

All right, we're going to go to the studio lines right now to see who's playing for a CNR stainless steel Swiggy Buyer. I'll use you for this. Would you love to travel to beautiful Orlando, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, or Des Moines, Iowa? Orlando. Orlando. That is Eric Orlando. What up, eh? Hey, thanks for having me, guys. How's it going?

[Covino]

We're going great, man.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Let's play.

[Hoda Kotb]

All right, Eric, spot is the fact checker during this game. When I say your name, the clock is going to begin. First category here. Yard boss. Oh. You have five seconds to name an NFL QB. Who's top 14 for the most passing yards so far this season? All right, Covino, when the clock starts, you go. Now.

[Covino]

Stroud.

[Hoda Kotb]

Stroud. Number 12.

[Savannah Guthrie]

This is top 14 passing yards. Top 14.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yep. Rich.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Let'S go. Jared Goff.

[Hoda Kotb]

Jared Goff. Number two, buyer. Geno Smith. Geno Smith. Number three. Eric. Josh Allen. Josh Allen. Number eight. Back to Covina.

[Covino]

Man. I'm thinking Joe Burrow.

[Hoda Kotb]

Joe Burrow. Number one. Okay.

[Covino]

All right. I was like, geez, he has to be in there.

[Hoda Kotb]

All right, Rich. Three, two. Come on.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Justin Herbert.

[Hoda Kotb]

Justin Herbert. Not on the Beyer Baker Mayfield. Baker Mayfield. Number four. Nice, Eric. Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes. Jones. Number nine, Covina.

[Covino]

Jordan Love.

[Hoda Kotb]

Jordan Love. Non on the list.

[Covino]

Whoa.

[Hoda Kotb]

Buyer. What about Matthew Stafford? Matthew Stafford, number six. Nice pull, Eric. Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson, number five. Back to Beyer Boy. How about Jaden Daniels? Jaden Daniels not on the list. Just under. I believe he's 15th on the list.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I really failed on that one.

[Hoda Kotb]

That means Eric is the last one standing. Great job, Eric.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Sam Arnold.

[Hoda Kotb]

Sam Darnold was on the list. Number 10, you have Kyler Murray. Last on the list. Kirk cousins, number seven. And Aaron Rogers, number 11. All right, second category now. Small but powerful.

[Savannah Guthrie]

So angry you have. I feel like I should nail that question.

[Hoda Kotb]

You won last week. You have five seconds to name an NFL team who's one of the smallest media markets. It's based on TV households. All right, we'll take the bottom 10. Eric, you are up first. Go Carolina Panthers. Panthers.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Nonetheless.

[Covino]

Sorry.

[Hoda Kotb]

Whoa.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Really?

[Covino]

Wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

Buyer. Green Bay. Green Bay on the list. They gotta be. Yep. Rich.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Jacksonville.

[Hoda Kotb]

Jacksonville. Jags on the list. Covino.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Geez.

[Covino]

You leave me with. Those are the top three answers. I felt.

[Hoda Kotb]

Three.

[Covino]

The Browns.

[Hoda Kotb]

Browns nonetheless. Buyer. Buffalo. Buffalo on the list. Yes. Yep. Rich. Three, two, one.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I'm gonna go Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay.

[Hoda Kotb]

No.

[Covino]

Nonetheless.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh. Byer wins that round.

[Covino]

Oh, wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

Cincinnati.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Are they.

[Hoda Kotb]

Bengals are on the list. Chiefs. Actually a pretty small market. Titans. Ravens were the cutoff. Saints as well. Cool. All right, third category.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Tampa is a bigger market, huh?

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Wow. I was way off.

[Hoda Kotb]

You were third category. One of the highest paid. You have five seconds to name a player who has one of the richest contracts in Major League Baseball.

[Savannah Guthrie]

One of the highest paid. Get it? Juan.

[Hoda Kotb]

Get it?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Soto. We'll get it together. That's your team.

[Hoda Kotb]

Take the top 20. Covino, you're up first.

[Covino]

Aaron Judge.

[Hoda Kotb]

Aaron Judge. Number five.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Is it. I'm sorry, pause. Is it money, length of their contract or per year?

[Hoda Kotb]

It's total contract. Contract. Okay, use it in a sentence, please. No, I'm kidding.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Am I up?

[Hoda Kotb]

Yes.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Bryce Harper.

[Hoda Kotb]

Bryce Harper. Yes. Bayer. Manny Machado. Manny Machado. Yes. Eric. Shohei Ohtani. Shohei Ohtani. Yes, of course. Covino.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Garrett Cole.

[Covino]

Garrett Cole.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yes. Rich.

[Covino]

Thirteen, by the way.

[Hoda Kotb]

Three, two.

[Covino]

Oh.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Max Freed.

[Hoda Kotb]

Max Freed.

[Covino]

Ah, you know what?

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, this was. Right? He is. Yeah. He just entered the list.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Okay.

[Covino]

Yeah, that's right.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I froze and I was like, you're good.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, go ahead. Tatis. Tatis. Yes. Yes. Eric. Yes. Covina know.

[Covino]

Freddy Freeman.

[Hoda Kotb]

Freddy not on the list.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Ah.

[Covino]

What?

[Hoda Kotb]

Underpaid.

[Covino]

Underpaid.

[Hoda Kotb]

Rich. 3.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Trey Turner.

[Hoda Kotb]

Trey Turner is on the list. Wow. Good pull. Yeah. Buyer. Oh, geez. Three, two, one. Nothing.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Raphael Devers on the list.

[Hoda Kotb]

What? Eric is still left.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Oh, Eric's still left. Okay.

[Hoda Kotb]

Corey Seeger.

[Covino]

Corey Seeger.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yes. Okay, back to you now, Rich, I'm.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Not gonna say Devers because I feel like you would have given a. I thought I was done. I thought I won.

[Covino]

Cheater. Cheater.

[Hoda Kotb]

Three, two, one.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I guess I gotta say Devers now. I can't think of anyone.

[Covino]

Yeah, Devers is on the list. Stone face over on the Red Socks.

[Hoda Kotb]

Eric. I'm gonna go three. Xander Bogart. Yes. Nice.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Wow.

[Covino]

That's it.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Nailed Coffin Mike Trout.

[Covino]

Mike Trout. Yes. Oh, man. High on the list, too, by the way.

[Hoda Kotb]

What a volley.

[Savannah Guthrie]

This is a volley.

[Hoda Kotb]

Eric Yamamoto.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Yes. Oh, my God, another one.

[Covino]

Who'd he. Yeah, he's buying time. That don't count.

[Hoda Kotb]

Come on, Rich. Rich. Come on, Rich. Three. Come on, Rich. Two.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Francisco Lindor.

[Covino]

Wow.

[Hoda Kotb]

You gotta be kidding me. Eric, you got this. Eric, you got this. Blake Snell. What he say?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Blake, Snake?

[Hoda Kotb]

Snow.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No, not on the.

[Hoda Kotb]

Did he answer that?

[Savannah Guthrie]

He might have answered this.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hang on. Okay, we'll double check that. We're gonna have to come back anyways.

[Covino]

Yeah, he just got a sweet deal.

[Hoda Kotb]

I know. Yeah, some of this.

[Covino]

So that's an old list, probably. Hold on.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Not on a list. Just not updated as of like today.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, this spot track was from last week. None of these results should count.

[Covino]

No.

[Savannah Guthrie]

No, he's not.

[Hoda Kotb]

No. Technically he wouldn't be on the list. No. Yeah, these are all like. These are all like two. They were as of last Tuesday.

[Covino]

What a battle.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Well, finish the battle after DB's update.

[Hoda Kotb]

His contract was only 180, so does that mean.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And I won that round.

[Hoda Kotb]

You did.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Was Paul Goldschmidt on that? No, I would have lost.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

So, Eric, hold on. Because we have a three way tie. Eric, Byer and Rich.

[Savannah Guthrie]

All right, who's on the phone?

[Hoda Kotb]

Is it Eric in Orlando? Me and Dan, Byer and Byer and you. Yep. Three way tie here.

[Savannah Guthrie]

All right, final question.

[Hoda Kotb]

Crazy battle in that last round there. All right, so no multiple choice here as Eric in Orlando rejoins us. Eric. Eric.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

All right, here we go. This is. Whoever comes closest, just buzz in with your name to go first. What is Joe Burrows career quarterback rating so far? Eric.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Oh, and hold on. Eric wants to go first.

[Hoda Kotb]

And whoever gets closest, once again, Joe. Joe Burrows. Career QB rating, 97.2. Well, here's no points. Okay, we rounded down by half a tenth of a point to make it a solid number, so. Solid number, number 97. 97. Okay, who wants to go next?

[Savannah Guthrie]

Ooh, I'll I'll go. I'll go 94.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay. Rich goes 94. And DB I was so impressed with that baseball round. I'm going 212. Wow. I am serious. That was amazing.

[Covino]

It was a good one.

[Hoda Kotb]

One of you two deserve to win it. Thank you, D.B. well, the. You want to give the answer QB rating? Yeah. All right. Go for it. 100.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What?

[Hoda Kotb]

Which means Eric 97 was the closest.

[Savannah Guthrie]

He deserves it.

[Covino]

He deserves it. That was a great battle, dude. Great, great battle. So Eric wins a Swiggy. That's our coveted prize. The sapphire midnight black stainless steel FSR Swiggy.

[Savannah Guthrie]

There's two favorites and there's two stink teams. There's two stank. Stink stank stunk Holiday season. Go Falcons. Vikings. Teaser bet they both just have to win.

[Covino]

That's it.

[Savannah Guthrie]

It's both so boring.

[Hoda Kotb]

Isn't it a Desmond Ritter revenge game though? Let's.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Let's go post.

[Covino]

Can I give you something to watch.

[Hoda Kotb]

At the start of the show? Cove you reminded everybody. Small victories, small victories. Go for the football. Stay for Brock Bowers. He is setting NFL records right now.

[Covino]

Do that. And if you're bored, maybe you're too busy trying to find an ugly Christmas sweater over the weekend. The New York Sack Exchange is on ESPN 30 for 30. I watched it. I thought it was great. So if you need something else to watch.

[Hoda Kotb]

Rich needs to catch up on the ultimatum also.

[Covino]

Yeah. But definitely check out the New York Sack Exchange. Demarc Gastineau story.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Can you. First of all, a lot of fun. I have a question for each of you.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

New York Sack Exchange.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Do you learn anything new about Gastonaut or did they release like the two good parts?

[Covino]

I feel like he was really a misunderstood guy. I think you end up feeling sorry for him.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, I did.

[Covino]

He's not this villain that the social media clip sort have portrayed that was such a small part of the documentary.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Okay.

[Covino]

I think you also leave with an appreciation for the New York Sack exchange and how good salam. Marty Lyons, Joe Cleco and Gaston nowhere. And I believe till this day Joe Cleco and Gastonaut are the only two guys, the only two defensive players to have over 20 sacks in one season at the same time.

[Hoda Kotb]

And you can understand why the record or. Or the should have been record was so important to him.

[Covino]

Yeah. Like you leave feeling like, ah, it's all the guy really had. He tells stories of his childhood which sort of also explained why he was a little off, why people. Why he rubbed people the wrong way. Why? He was maybe trying to prove a little too much. You also realize that he's the first guy to start dancing after a sack.

[Savannah Guthrie]

What's up, Dan Beyer?

[Hoda Kotb]

Just wanted to say because I brought up that point of Was the clip going to be better than the doc? Cavino's right? There were a lot of other great parts in it. So worth a watch.

[Covino]

Worth a watch. If you're bored by your Monday night.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Foods ball, what about you said the ultimatum. I haven't started yet. I haven't heard anyone talk about it. And I love trash reality shows on Netflix.

[Hoda Kotb]

It's worth the watch. There's some slow parts I feel like on the trailer.

[Savannah Guthrie]

All these couples like one wants to get engaged so they separate and I feel like they're all sleeping with new people.

[Covino]

It's garbage.

[Hoda Kotb]

But that's where the drum the drama comes when they get back together to be married the second time with the original person they came.

[Savannah Guthrie]

If you went on a dating show because your significant other was too had cold feet.

[Covino]

So if you were on the Golden Bastard.

[Savannah Guthrie]

How dare Golden Bachelor. Golden Bachelor, how dare you. Yeah, you should be on the ultimatum. How long have been dating your girlfriend? Seven years. Seven years?

[Covino]

Dude, that was 20 years. It's our 20 year anniversary, man.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Why would you be Golden Bachelor? I mean, you've been with your girl.

[Hoda Kotb]

Seven years to the list of the fights they've had in 20 years.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I gotta tell your girlfriend the casting is happening was a joke.

[Covino]

Rich way, yo. Which Rich went low, am I right? He went low.

[Savannah Guthrie]

I'm saying, hey, you know, blow the belt. We'll see you guys tomorrow. Until then, Arriva Derci, baby.

[Covino]

See you in the promised land.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Goodbye.

[Covino]

Goodbye. Bye, guys.

[Savannah Guthrie]

How do you feel when you switch to Geico and save on your car insurance?

[Hoda Kotb]

It's like getting right out of bed.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Late for work, yet your hair looks immaculate. No blow dryer, no comb, no sculpting gel. Just a flawless look as if you walked out of your house and straight onto the COVID of a men's fashion magazine.

[Hoda Kotb]

Good morning, Stephen. Oh, have you done something new with your hair? It looks amazing.

[Savannah Guthrie]

They don't have the slightest clue. You were half asleep drooling on your pillow not ten minutes ago. Yep, switching and saving with Geico feels just like that. Get more with Geico. What's up, everybody? Adnan Virk here to tell you about a new podcast. It's NHL Unscripted with Verkin Demers.

[Hoda Kotb]

Jason Demers here. And after playing 700 NHL games, I got a lot of dirty laundry to air out.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hey, I got a lot to say here, too, okay?

[Hoda Kotb]

Each week we'll get together to chat.

[Savannah Guthrie]

About the sport that we love.

[Hoda Kotb]

Tons of guests are going to join in, too. But we're not just gonna be talking hockey, folks. We're talking movies. We're talking TV. TV, food, and Ann's favorite wrestling. It's all on Le Tablet.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Listen to NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers and the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? It's Justin Penic from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast with Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We roll three times a week on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're gearing up for the NFL playoffs. I hope you can join us. Join in with us three times a week. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did.

[Covino]

Happy holidays from me, Michael Rappaport. And my gift to you is a.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Free subscription to the I Am Rapaport.

[Covino]

Stereotypical podcast where I discuss entertainment, sports.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Politics, and anything and everything that catches my attention. I am here to call it as I see it. And there's a whole lot of things.

[Covino]

Catching my eyes these days. Listen to the I Am Rappaport Stereo.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast.

[Covino]

And wherever you get your podcast.

[Hoda Kotb]

Hey, I'm Miles Gray.

[Savannah Guthrie]

And I'm Jack O'Brien. We're the hosts of the Daily Zeitgeist, and we want to tell you about Miles Boost, an NBA podcast from I Heart Radio. We nailed that. This is a weekly podcast about all the amazing moments that keep all of us NBA fans coming back for more. Basically, if you love basketball and you like to laugh, listen to Miles and Jack Got Mad Boosties, an NBA podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Hoda Kotb]

Brought to you by Hypnotic.