The Best Of Covino & Rich

Summary

Summary of "The Best Of Covino & Rich" Episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Release Date: January 7, 2025

In this enlightening episode of "The Best Of Covino & Rich," hosts Covino and Rich Davis delve into the tumultuous aftermath of the NFL season, exploring themes of coaching turnover, societal impatience, and the strategic decisions faced by coaches and players. Their discussion is enriched with insightful commentary, lively banter, and engaging interactions with callers, culminating in a fun trivia segment featuring a surprise guest appearance by Shaquille O'Neal.

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1. Post-Season Coaching Carousel [00:22 - 03:18]

The episode opens with Rich Davis addressing the inevitable cycle of coaches being fired after the NFL season, a phenomenon often referred to as "Black Monday." He highlights recent commentary by Rob Gronkowski regarding Danny McMayo's brief tenure as the Patriots' head coach.

• Rich Davis [00:22]: "I just feel like, as they call it, Black Monday after the NFL season, coaches get fired. It's inevitable."

• Rob Gronkowski [00:49]: "I was shocked by that. And to happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people."

Covino expands on this topic, discussing the broader implications of constant coaching changes and the difficulty for rookie coaches to establish themselves.

• Covino [02:23]: "Nobody wants to wait around young people, old people."

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2. Societal Impatience and Immediate Gratification [01:51 - 04:06]

The hosts explore the growing impatience in society and its impact on sports and culture. They argue that the demand for immediate results pressures coaches and players to deliver success without allowing adequate time for development.

• Covino [02:41]: "We have an expectation to deliver now, win now, want things now."

• Rich Davis [04:06]: "Putting in your hours and paying your dues."

They reference Ronnie Chen's comedy bit on "Amazon Prime Now" to illustrate the modern obsession with instant gratification.

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3. Opportunities and Decision-Making for Coaches and Players [04:06 - 15:35]

Covino and Davis delve into the dilemma faced by coaches and players: whether to seize available opportunities immediately or wait for the perfect scenario. Ben Johnson's potential move to the Patriots is discussed as a case study.

• Rich Davis [06:15]: "Whoever masters patience could master anything because it is very hard to be patient."

• Covino [07:08]: "Those are people who knew their value, right? Not everybody is John Elway and Peyton Manning."

The conversation highlights legendary figures like Eli Manning and John Elway, emphasizing the benefits of patience and strategic decision-making.

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4. Week 18 NFL Season Highlights [17:11 - 33:15]

The hosts recap the key moments from Week 18 of the NFL season, spotlighting standout performances and unexpected outcomes.

• Covino [17:30]: "The games were way more exciting than I thought they would be."

• Rich Davis [29:06]: "People fight about everything. I don't know many people that don't like to see these players hit their numbers."

They highlight Jamar Chase's Triple Crown achievement and commend the Lions' defensive prowess, which significantly impacted game outcomes.

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5. Call-In Segment: Seizing Opportunities [21:00 - 26:30]

Listeners join the discussion, sharing their perspectives on whether professionals should grab coaching positions as they arise or wait for more opportune moments.

• Caller Andrew [21:24]: "It’s about timing and whether or not Ben Johnson wants to be a head coach."

• Rich Davis [22:06]: "Sometimes the money could lure you into the wrong opportunity."

The segment emphasizes the balance between seizing opportunities and strategic waiting, reflecting the hosts' central themes.

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6. Wild Card Weekend Predictions and Point Spreads [26:30 - 53:53]

Covino and Davis shift focus to the upcoming Wild Card weekend, predicting game outcomes and analyzing point spreads with a casual, gambling-inspired approach.

• Rich Davis [42:35]: "Chargers favored by three."

• Covino [45:02]: "Ravens by 10."

They engage in friendly competition, showcasing their instincts versus actual Vegas point spreads, adding an interactive and entertaining layer to the discussion.

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7. Trivia Segment with Shaquille O'Neal [54:05 - 66:24]

In a light-hearted interlude, Shaquille O'Neal joins the hosts for a trivia game, bringing humor and a different dynamic to the show.

• Shaq [56:35]: "Round one. Let's get this big Aristotle party started."

• Rich Davis [57:10]: "Manu Ginobili. He played in... A, Kinder Bologna."

The trivia segment emphasizes camaraderie and adds an entertaining break, highlighting the versatility of the hosts.

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8. Final Discussions: Team Performances and Future Outlooks [63:20 - End]

As the episode winds down, Covino and Davis reflect on standout performances from teams like Cleveland and Oklahoma City Thunder, advocating for patience in recognizing emerging talents.

• Rich Davis [61:35]: "Cleveland is playing out of their mind."

• Covino [62:02]: "Fun times in Cleveland again. 31 and 4, bro."

They also discuss the influence of commentators like J.J. Redick and Charles Barkley on NBA viewership, linking it back to their initial themes of patience and sustained performance.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps

• Rich Davis [00:22]: "It's inevitable. Every year, the carousel of coaches continues to keep rolling along."

• Rob Gronkowski [00:49]: "I was shocked by that. And to happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people."

• Covino [02:41]: "Especially, like I said, when there's expectations, championships, and millions of dollars on the line."

• Rich Davis [06:15]: "Whoever masters patience could master anything because it is very hard to be patient."

• Covino [07:08]: "Those are people who knew their value, right? Not everybody is John Elway and Peyton Manning."

• Rich Davis [17:30]: "The games were way more exciting than I thought they would be."

• Rich Davis [29:06]: "People fight about everything. I don't know many people that don't like to see these players hit their numbers."

• Caller Andrew [21:24]: "It’s about timing and whether or not Ben Johnson wants to be a head coach."

• Rich Davis [42:35]: "Chargers favored by three."

• Covino [45:02]: "Ravens by 10."

• Shaq [56:35]: "Round one. Let's get this big Aristotle party started."

• Rich Davis [57:10]: "Manu Ginobili. He played in... A, Kinder Bologna."

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Concluding Thoughts

Covino and Rich Davis successfully weave a narrative that intertwines sports analysis with broader societal observations. Their emphasis on patience, strategic opportunities, and the impact of immediate gratification provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current sports landscape. The episode's blend of serious discussion and lighthearted segments ensures an engaging and informative listen for both avid fans and casual followers.

Transcript

[Rich Davis]

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 [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.

[Rich Davis]

I. I just feel like, as they call it, Black Monday after the NFL season, coaches get fired. It's inevitable. Every year, the carousel of coaches continues to keep rolling along. And I just thought about it, you know, there was something Gronk said about Mayo and the Patriots. Take a listen to this. This is a little set up to what I'm thinking already.

[Covino]

Gronk, Jarod, Mayo, out after one season.

[Rich Davis]

As the Patriots head coach.

[Danny G]

I was shocked by that. And to happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people, especially here at the desk. We were all surprised by that. I think it was unfair to coach Gerard Mayo. I mean, he had never had the chance to develop as a head coach. He was just a rookie himself in that department. And if you judge a coach by their first year, that's really not appropriate. I mean, Jimmie Johnson, you went 1 in 15 your first year and then you won a couple Super Bowls after that. I mean, he really, hey, we got.

[Dan Beyer]

To go to break.

[Rich Davis]

I mean, all right, we're going to keep talking about that. Stop your rambling, Gronk. By the way, I'm shocked that Gronk didn't giggle when he said shocker. Anyway, is coaching the same liability now as a rookie quarterback that gets drafted to the wrong team because of the impatience of everyone in general in society.

[Covino]

And sports, cultural issues, not even a football issue. It's just an impatience that we have an expectation to deliver now, win now, want things now, even, like waiting rooms. I'm not gonna get into a Seinfeld bit, you know, like, wait, what's the deal? I mean, it's why we have the room. Nobody wants to wait around young people, old people. I thought it used to be old people who were impatient. Like my dad when he walks into a barbershop. Hey, dad, why didn't he get a haircut?

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, they said I had a weight.

[Covino]

So I went home. My dad, like. But even young people, when you're. You ever see your kids watching a cartoon, if it doesn't kick in right away, they're tuned out. Nobody wants to wait, especially when you're paying millions of dollars for football. And to win now, they don't got.

[Rich Davis]

Time for figure it out as Ronnie Chen, the comedian. Doesn't he do the bit? Amazon now, prime now. Like, if they could, people would want prime now. Like, next day is not enough. Like, you would think, oh, wow, I ordered something, and it's going to be on my doorstep tomorrow.

[Covino]

We've talked about this many times with quarterback development, with artist development, record deals, music, artists, comedians. Comedians. There's no grace period in life, let alone football. Especially, like I said, when there's expectations, championships, and millions of dollars on the line.

[Rich Davis]

So with all that said, with Gronk sticking up for his old pal, no.

[Covino]

One'S waiting around for results.

[Rich Davis]

I mean, not a great season in New England, but again, his first year, you could say Dan Campbell, his first year for The Lions were 3 and 13. He was trying to start a culture. The next year, they're over 500. And then the last two years, they've been fantastic.

[Covino]

So there's more stir in the Kool Aid than meets the eye. But I'm with you. You got to give people some time to figure it out.

[Rich Davis]

But in a world, Kavino, where patience is just clearly not there. Music, comedy, sports, any life in general, a big complaint by the youngest generation is that they started a job, like, a couple months in. They can't get a raise. Like, they don't even realize the. The idea of, like, putting in your. Your hours and paying your dues.

[Covino]

So like I said, it used to be old people that was synonymous with being impatient. But I tried watching Mary Poppins with my niece and nephew and old movies and old school cartoons. It starts with the credits. I don't know if you guys realize what I'm talking about, right? You ever try to watch an old movie with. With kids today, they're like, why are there credits in the beginning of the movie? Because they want the action now.

[Rich Davis]

You thought your niece and nephew were going to be all about chim chimney. Chim chim cheru.

[Covino]

What is this? I'm like, it's the credits. They're like, yeah, well, this is boring. They want. They want the fun right then and there. They don't have time to wait. Nobody does. Especially the Patriots, dude. Especially when Patriots fans have an expectation. You know, when. When the Kraft family has an expectation. The controversy became, though, with the Gronk thing is, hey, man, for the first time, he's making a good point, and you cut him off. The controversy was like, hey, hey. Was he about to say some bad stuff about the Kraft family and that's why they cut him off?

[Rich Davis]

No, I think Gronk just didn't realize they were going to commercial.

[Covino]

But I agree. But if you read social media, the whole conspiracy, you know, social media takes on a life of itself. The whole spin on it was they were trying to stop him from really speaking his mind on the truth, like how unfair it really was. But I really do think that they. He probably gave him some extra time and he stomped over the queue.

[Rich Davis]

Listen, dude, we don't need to, you know, beat a dead horse with the sentiment that society is impatient. But the question I want to ask everybody is because you know how impatient people are. You know that a band, they put out one good song, you better give me another hit. In a month, a comedian does an hour long comedy special that took them years to craft. If it's a hit, Netflix or HBO or Hulu's telling them, yo, can you pop out another hour special in six months? Impatience is a major issue in society. In fact, one of my favorite quotes, and I, I'll be honest with you.

[Covino]

But it makes sense. The NFL is not a. Shouldn't be like a learning ground. You know what I mean?

[Rich Davis]

I agree. But I mean one of my favorite quotes, and I can't say that I have, but he or she who masters patience could master anything because it is very hard to be patient. No one is. But with that said, if you're Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator of the Lions, or you're some hot candidate for a coaching position in any sport, or for that matter, if you are this year's virgin of Caleb Williams and you know you're the top pick and you know you are very well going to be judged so quickly. Do you look back at guys like Eli Manning and John Elway that said, no, I'm not playing there and think a little differently now?

[Covino]

Well, those are people who knew their value, right? Not everybody is John Elway and Peyton Manning.

[Rich Davis]

You don't think Caleb Williams is saying like, well, I mean, if I had the coaching that Jaden Daniels had and if I, you know, a year ago CJ Stroud had a better opportunity.

[Covino]

Like I am one who says you got to believe in yourself and take your opportunities as they come. Not everybody's elite in that way. It depends on who you are, what your values are. I think you got to take your opportunities. That's especially. You think there's this many slots and spots in football. I believe Howard Stern said it like in radio, right? We work in radio. He said there's, there's less opportunity in radio than there are in professional sports. You got to Take the opportunities when they're given. Yeah, but not everybody gets to call that shot.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, but if you take a trash opportunity, you're setting yourself up. Yeah, you're setting yourself up to be like, that was my chance, and that's what I did. For instance, if you're Ben Johnson, who's, like, the hottest thing right now. Every. There's like, multiple teams that are like, look what he did with the Lions offense with him and Dan Quinn.

[Covino]

Like, I thought Nate Bargetzi was the hottest thing going.

[Rich Davis]

Nate Bargetzi made, what, how much last year? $80 million.

[Covino]

The highest paid comedian of 2024 with his new Netflix special.

[Rich Davis]

You look at what Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson did.

[Covino]

I thought Nikki Glaser was the hottest thing right now.

[Rich Davis]

I mean, she is. But you look at what the Lions coaching staff did in the last couple years and turned around that franchise.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

If you're Ben Johnson, who's getting praised. Giants, Bears, Patriots, Everyone wants to interview this guy. And from what I understand, Danny G, Would you believe that Ben Johnson makes, like, head coach money? Spock, can you double check this for me? I think I saw Ben Johnson makes.

[Covino]

About 5 mil a year as an offensive coordinator.

[Rich Davis]

And if that's the accurate numbers, then why on earth would this guy go to New England and be like, yeah, I'm gonna. Yeah, I'm gonna take on this uphill battle. Don't you want to wait for just the right opportunity? Like, ooh, you got the quarterback. I know I could work with you rolling out the red carpet. Or do you think any coordinator question.

[Covino]

Because that opportunity may never come again, you know, and there's so many factors involved. I get what you're saying. Do you wait for the perfect opportunity, or do you just take your chance and believe in yourself?

[Rich Davis]

Over the last couple of years, dudes.

[Covino]

Believe in themselves to the point where if the money's right and the situation's right, they believe in themselves enough to make it right when they get there.

[Rich Davis]

Code. But what you've seen happen with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield and what you've seen with Caleb Williams and, you know, people not living up to the expectation, maybe Trevor Lawrence, certain guys. Would you. Especially in a time where college athletes already making money with nil. Now, is there a part of you.

[Covino]

That'S like, that might be the changer right there? Like, I don't need the money right now. I'll wait it out, you know, But.

[Rich Davis]

I'm saying, like, if you heard a star and they're like, yeah, you're Going to go to like an organization. I mean, I hate to pick on them, but the Jets, Aaron Rodgers couldn't go there and make anything happen. If you're a young stud quarterback in college football and they're like, you know, you're likely going to go to the jets, do you say, no, I'm not.

[Covino]

Because I'm only going to fail, which is a terrible outlook. But yeah, that's, that's the chance and risk you're taking. Again, if you have that type of power and that star power and you're one of the few in the world that gets to call that shot, then yes, I think you take advantage of that, of that opportunity.

[Rich Davis]

What does Eli Manning have two of? What does Eli Manning have two of?

[Covino]

Super Bowls.

[Rich Davis]

What does John Elway have two of?

[Covino]

Super Bowls.

[Rich Davis]

And these are guys that arguably were what, pains in the asses when they were a 20 something year old kid coming out of college. I don't want to play for the Colts. I don't want to play for the Chargers. They, they were looked at as like a little problematic. What was this guy doing? Looking back now, is hindsight like. No, they just, they just knew. You end up in certain places. It's a death sentence.

[Covino]

Again, I hate to, you know, give you two answers, but both could be true here. I think if you are in that position to make that call, you take advantage of it because you know your value, you're confident in, in that and you will end up somewhere else. But in life and for other people, you know, any opportunity is a big opportunity. They don't have the, the, the luxury of calling that shot.

[Rich Davis]

You don't gotta take that opportunity, anyone.

[Covino]

So it just depends who you are. But you gotta know your value. You gotta, you gotta be certain of who you are and what you're capable of.

[Rich Davis]

Cov. You don't think anyone over the. You mean you can list. What was the old joke? You could list like 20 names on the back of a jersey. You don't think any of those quarterbacks are the Cleveland Browns over the last decades? Like, I'll be the guy. I'm confident enough that I'll be the guy that takes this team to like, playoff glory. Baker Mayfield was the one guy they, you know, got anywhere and they let him go.

[Covino]

Yeah, he changed the culture. He was doing a good job.

[Rich Davis]

He was confident enough. But I mean, like, there are teams, and I'm just saying moving forward because our impatience won't allow a Jimmy Johnson to go 1 in 15.

[Covino]

But then I could say, you Think Steph Curry wanted to play for the Golden State Warriors? Or was he dope enough to make the actual change?

[Rich Davis]

I get what you're saying.

[Covino]

Right. But then he becomes the face of the franchise. Like, there's risk and there's reward in the risk.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah. To me, it's just. You see some of these coaching and quarterback opportunities and vacancies, and you're like, man, you'd have to be pretty confident in yourself.

[Covino]

Fox Sports Radio Nation. What Rich is getting at is when you're hot like Hansel, and you're hot right now like Ben Johnson, and you're making a good living, you're making head coaching money as an offensive coordinator for the Lions. Do you jump at any head coaching opportunity when it's available because the goal.

[Rich Davis]

Really is to, what, become a head coach in the National Football League?

[Covino]

Or do you wait until that perfect opportunity is there? And here's the risk. Sometimes that perfect opportunity never comes. And sometimes one would say, there's no such thing as a perfect opportunity.

[Rich Davis]

Say the same about dating.

[Covino]

You make it the best. Exactly.

[Rich Davis]

You can say, like, God, you can. I don't know if I want to marry her. Well, you know, she's not perfect for me. Right?

[Covino]

There's no such thing as a perfect person for you. You take someone that's. That's. That loves you enough and that you care about enough, and you make it work and you do your best, you know? And that's exactly when we discussed. Rich, here's what I wrote.

[Rich Davis]

Now that you know what you wrote. What is it?

[Covino]

Yeah, I can't even write what I wrote. Sorry, guys. You take opportunities when they're given and do your best with them.

[Rich Davis]

See, I. I think that that is. While you might argue that's good advice, I. I feel like taking an opportunity just because it's. There is old school thinking, like, hey, man, put your head down and work hard and you'll get there. I think now as a player, but you will.

[Covino]

I believe in that. I believe in that. Not everybody is Caleb Williams. He's a great example because maybe he did the wrong thing. Not everybody is him. Right? Not everybody.

[Rich Davis]

I think he had the potential to call the shots. We said it the other day, buddy. We said it how when you see Sam Darnold and that meme of him and Baker Mayfield when they were on the Panthers and they look sad, and now it's like, look at them this year, both playoff quarterbacks. I mean, those are two success stories. But what about a guy like Daniel Jones or Justin Fields? They made money, but they may never really get the opportunity.

[Covino]

So you're not automatic. Fox Sports Radio Nation. The number 8-7799 on Fox, you could chime in at Covino and Rich on social media. If you were in a position like a Ben Johnson. Do you take the opportunity when it's given or do you wait for the.

[Rich Davis]

Perfect situation and, you know, another angle.

[Covino]

Like looking again, it's case by case. Him, I think he has the luxury to wait. He has money. He's on a winning franchise already. There's no need to make some sort of desperate jump to be a head coach now.

[Rich Davis]

I mean, I don't know if, I don't know if you'll roll with this example, but I remember you. You and I were working at ESPN at the time.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

And I remember sitting in the newsroom with you when they came up with the draft order in the NBA and the world was like, yo, if Zion went to New York, he could totally be the face of basketball in the biggest market. The Knicks need a guy that could be the start of something when the Pelicans got him. And you're like, yeah, what's going to happen? What happened with Anthony Davis, where he plays there a couple of years and he's like, yo, I'm not winning here. I'll leave. And look, I mean, as Zion lived up to any of what we thought, yeah, he has good moments here and there.

[Covino]

But no, like, situation matters. No one could deny that.

[Rich Davis]

But that, that might have been one of the most disappointing scenarios. Like, oh, really?

[Covino]

But I always looked at that as part of the luck of the draw. And then you sort of try to create your own destiny from there. But Rich is right. There is a different way of thinking for some people. That's really what we gotta emphasize in parentheses. For some people.

[Rich Davis]

Are you looking at it old school or new school? Is it old school? I'm gonna say. I'm gonna categorize old school thinking as, you know what, I'm gonna take the opportunity, put my head down and work hard. New school thinking is, you know, yeah, no matter how hard I work, unless I set myself up for success, people won't have patience and I may get the raw deal.

[Covino]

How do you think like a Shador Sanders would, would be received if he was like, yo, I ain't playing for no weak ass team. If Shador, is he saying, no, man, I can go there and change the culture around and there's more reward in that risk. Like we, like we said, the question is, what do you do and how do you handle it and what are your thoughts on it?

[Rich Davis]

We'll take your feedback next.

[Covino]

Hope you had a Lions sort of weekend and I mentioned Jamar Chase because he got that triple crown even though the season seems a little wasted. But we did see a lot of milestones, a lot of incentives met and we saw some exciting football. We have to acknowledge that we did not expect that.

[Rich Davis]

And you know what, all those milestones we talk of and the incentives last week we went through the list.

[Covino]

We went through it. But you know, the weekend definitely surprised me. Meaning the games were way more exciting than I thought they would be.

[Rich Davis]

DraftKings and FanDuel and MGM and all the, all the websites did a really good tricky job of not making the numbers for the over unders right at that number because remember I was like hey maybe do a prop bet parlay. They didn't make it that easy. That would have been because we also said remember Von Miller needed a sack.

[Covino]

That was a weak ass sack by the way.

[Rich Davis]

It was like a one armed like he because his arm hit the quarterback and the quarterback fell.

[Covino]

It counts. Hey, we're broadcasting live from the TireRack.com studio. TireRack.com will help you get there. An unmatched selection fast. Free shipping, free road hazard protection, over 10,000 recommended installers. Tirerack.com the way tire buying should be. And you always hear us. But did you know that you could also see us? Be sure to check out the fox Sports Radio YouTube channel. Just search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube see a whole bunch of videos that highlight our show, including our bonus show over Promise brand new episode last Thursday. So please be sure to subscribe check it out. Enjoy our show on Fox Sports Radio's YouTube page and all the videos there. Elijah, spot the whole video team. Everybody does a great job with that. We appreciate it. Again, Fox Sports Radio's YouTube page. Now the question's simple. Before we get into things that made you go, hmm, week 18 it's about opportunity and whether or not you're set up to succeed. And it's case by case. Some people have no choice but to take the opportunity.

[Rich Davis]

Sometimes the money.

[Covino]

Some people have the luxury to wait.

[Rich Davis]

Sometimes the money could lure you into the wrong opportunity.

[Covino]

Hey, Rich and I, let's just say in our professional career along the way took opportunities where they came. We knew that we were not set up to succeed. Looking back, I'm still glad I learned from that experience. That's the truth. Yeah. So I do believe if you are talented, didn't it? Didn't Randy Poffo say the cream rises to the top? Oh yeah. You know, and you do work hard, Randy Poffo. It might not happen there, but it will happen eventually, man. And I do believe so. You're downplaying that hard work doesn't pay off. Call me old school. I still believe. And I'm not just saying it's to sound righteous.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, you do sound righteous. Pays off. Get out of here.

[Covino]

Been taught this since I was a little kid, man. You put your head down, you work hard, good things happen. That's like fools say all right, all right, man. You think everybody's. If everybody's John Elway, then let's see it. Let's see what happens when people say, okay, well then beat it. No one wants a hot shot from the get go.

[Rich Davis]

I'm saying my point is simple. Just because you're good, if you enter a bad scenario, it can make a super talented person look like trash. And then that might be your only opportunity. And we bring up Ben Johnson just as a fun example because right now no one's hotter than him in Detroit. The offensive schemes he's got going on, they're scoring points left and right.

[Covino]

The trilling Joe Burrow didn't make the playoffs. Is anyone saying it's Joe Burrow's fault? He's still the man.

[Rich Davis]

He also made a Super Bowl.

[Covino]

But I'm saying you still have a way. Not everyone's playing professional sports. Is this a question in life or a question in professional sports? There's still a way where, hey, if you're doing your part and you're doing your thing, you gotta take those opportunities where they're given and do your best.

[Rich Davis]

Let's go to your phone calls, let's go to what's sort of in Bakersfield. They say, what's up to Andrew? What's up Andrew?

[Covino]

What up Andrew?

[E]

Hey, what's up guys? Just have to tell you I was in and out of the house and I have a radio in the garage. Came in, heard your guys voice and was, I was like, yes, totally awesome. You're talking about Black Monday. So that was a good thing. Excited or glad to hear you guys.

[Covino]

Love it. Thank you.

[E]

Okay, so I just think it's about timing and whether or not Ben Johnson like wants to be a head coach, for example. It always bothered me like when Roy Williams went from Kansas to North Carolina. Just because it's more money or a better place doesn't mean it's the best decision. And it kind of Bothered me when Kalyn DeBoer went from Washington to Alabama.

[Rich Davis]

Listen, sometimes you're chasing the money, and you can't blame someone if the money's huge, right? Like, you could say that about coaches and players. Like, you could say Robbie Cano sort of sidetracked his hall of Fame possible career by going to Seattle instead of staying on the Yankees.

[Covino]

Or sometimes, remember in the movie labomba when Joey Pants says, what's more important, the music or the money? Richie Valen says, my family. You know, you don't know what motivates people. And you could simplify it. Rich with decisions are not easy to make. Sometimes there's so many things to factor. Sometimes you have to take that opportunity, though, make the best of it.

[Rich Davis]

Let's say what's up to Taylor in Illinois. What's up, Taylor?

[E]

Hey, how's it going?

[Rich Davis]

What's up, bud?

[E]

I was just calling about how you say we got a. You only get a good opportunity once in a while. You know how coach. They get fired for a reason. That's dysfunction, you know, so there's good opportunities in the NFL to be a good head or a head coach comes. What doesn't really come around.

[Covino]

That's what I was saying. There's so few opportunities.

[Rich Davis]

There's. There's 32 teams, which means there's 32 jobs. And think of how many good coaches or tenured coaches there are. So every year, you know, there's going to be a couple, but you're going up against, by the way, every other potential coordinator. Coach Firecracker.

[Covino]

Before the show started, Dan Byer said that the Bears asked if they could speak to Mike McCarthy about the head coaching gig. So, you know, there are opportunities opening in other places, but does that, does.

[Rich Davis]

That make the Cowboys feel like, ooh, someone else wants them? Like, you know, when you, you know, when you are dating someone and. And other people are interested in them and it makes them hotter.

[Covino]

No, Dan said, that's Mike McCarthy hotter.

[Rich Davis]

Now to the Cowboys.

[Covino]

Like, your buddy breaks up with his girl, might be breaking up with his girlfriend, and then you asking him like, hey, are you okay if I date her? It's kind of like. It's kind of like that a little bit. But. But opportunities are few and far between. They're there, but they're few and far between. So sometimes you have no choice but to take them and make the best of it.

[Rich Davis]

Petey. What's up? Pete and Penn, you're on with cnr. Hey, buddy.

[E]

Okay, so first off, we have to understand, just because you're an amazing offensive or defensive coordinator. Doesn't mean you're a head coach.

[Rich Davis]

Facts. You're right.

[E]

Okay, you guys, you guys are such a great example of that. One of you is very specific, very well spoken. You can do all the reads of the advertisers that want it to be crisp and clear. And one of you is a guy that would be like, you know what if the advertiser wants it to be a. Hey, you know what? We're a really cool place that. Who should do it? A good boss, a good head coach, knows how to manipulate everybody into a positive situation. An offensive coordinator, offensive coordinates, a defensive coordinator, defensive coordinates. Who are the longest guys coaching? Reed, Harbaugh. And my brain always forgets names in Pittsburgh.

[Rich Davis]

My Tomlin.

[Covino]

Tomlin. Yeah, right.

[E]

Okay, okay. How many of them were coordinators?

[Rich Davis]

No, you're right, you're right. And by the way, the whole time I'm thinking, who does. He thinks the bozo?

[F]

You.

[Rich Davis]

And who does he think is the well spoken one?

[Covino]

Me. Which is crazy.

[Rich Davis]

Are you.

[Covino]

You should be embarrassed if I'm the well spoken one.

[Rich Davis]

I think he thinks you're the bozo.

[Covino]

Yeah, you think that and that's your problem.

[Dan Beyer]

He said the other one's cool, though.

[Covino]

Oh, really?

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

No, no, no. So I'm the co, you're the well spoken.

[Dan Beyer]

One's a hipster and one's a pro.

[Covino]

I think he's got it all backwards. I could have said it like this. Just because we're good radio hosts doesn't mean we could do play by play. Yeah, right. Like they're completely different skills. Just because we're on the mic doesn't mean we could do that. And believe me, we tried just for fun. Totally different. So being a head coach, you know, it's a totally different gig.

[Dan Beyer]

There's plenty of drive time DJs who have tried to turn into the program director of a radio station. Doesn't translate.

[Rich Davis]

Doesn't mean in our world. That's a great example if you want to stick to like the radio broadcasting world. There have been plenty of like, I guess you would say, like old school DJs. Like the guy where they would talk in between the songs. Got an opportunity to do the morning show and this guy couldn't talk for more than 20 seconds at a time. Like, his specialty was like, he could talk for 20 seconds and be clever in between songs, but crack the mic for more than that. He's like a deer in headlights.

[Covino]

Yeah. So you never know. Appreciate the call, man. 8, 7, 7 9, 9 on Fox. Do you take the opportunity when it's given or. Or do you wait for the perfect opportunity?

[Rich Davis]

It's an interesting thought.

[Covino]

You wait for the perfect opportunity. You brought it to relationships before, Rich. You're going to sit there, you know, empty handed, waiting all day.

[Rich Davis]

Not empty handed. You'll just be by yourself. Andy, Rhode Island.

[Covino]

Well, I was trying to keep it clean kind of. Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

What's up, buddy?

[E]

I think that Ben Johnson may just be eyeing out Mike McCarthy's contract being that Jerry Jones is not even offering him an extension and that might be a juicy pick for him because not only is that team already, you know, kind of established, but say if things don't work out with Dak Prescott, who could say that he doesn't want to groom Trey Lance, a young and upcoming, possibly good quarterback that could be groomed into a system that he could possibly make his own. So I think that, you know, the sky's the limit for Ben Johnson. I don't appreciate the backhanded comments from the last caller. You can't call the great Richard Cavino bozos. I don't like that.

[Rich Davis]

But one of us.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah, we're not sure who's who.

[Rich Davis]

The mystery is, you know, let's go to Dan Buyer for an update. And Dan, before he gives the update, who do you think he was referring to as the bozo?

[Danny G]

You know, I'm a Cavino guy and.

[Covino]

I liked all of Dan byers posts on TikTok over the weekend.

[Rich Davis]

So I'm back in Congress.

[Danny G]

I grabbed, I scrapped screen grabbed liked by Steve Cavino. I did as well. All right, guys. I didn't like the first caller that was like, gosh, thank God, God you guys are back because I was in for you guys for like half of last week.

[F]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

You know, so it's just, yeah, thank goodness you guys are back and not that idiot that was talking about people hating their jobs on Friday.

[Rich Davis]

Well, thanks for holding down the 4th DB.

[Danny G]

You're welcome. And again, I know Cavino got the tinglies when he heard that. Like, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Trying to hide my smile here that I'm back in the fold.

[Covino]

What tipped you off when I raised the roof?

[Danny G]

Yes. Because bozos don't do that. The Jacksonville Jaguars fired head coach Doug Peterson today after three seasons, including a 4:13 mark in 2024. They kept general manager Trent Valke. The reason why I don't want to.

[Rich Davis]

Throw the baby out with the bathwater. Okay. We have a lot of things that.

[Covino]

Are working that can always Be improved and will improve.

[Rich Davis]

And there are other things that are.

[Covino]

Not working that need to be fixed.

[Rich Davis]

Let's do it. Things that made you go, baby.

[Dan Beyer]

Things that make you go.

[Rich Davis]

Things that make you go hmm. I think the number one thing that made me go hmm. Was how all the teams accommodated the prop bets that needed to hit. That was to me, I think the cool part of week 18 was watching Geno Smith make $6 million. Watching Mike Evans get that opportunity in the fourth quarter to catch that five yard pass to Ty Jerry Rice, I think that was one of the highlights and I think one of the other big takeaways from week 18 of the.

[Covino]

NFL, well, not everybody met their incentives. There was a side story where by Dallas starting Trey Lance, it cost Cooper rush 500,000. He still made like 202, 50 or something in incentives, but it prevented him from getting his 55% of the offensive snaps. So he would have gotten oh snap. Oh, snap is right. $500,000. But it was cool to see a lot of people meet their incentives. I agree that that made it a lot of fun to watch and for.

[Rich Davis]

So many things that were. People are polarized on like people fight about everything. I don't know many people that don't like to see these players hit their numbers. Like there might be a couple grumpy people here and there, but for the most part who didn't like that Mike Evans moment, who didn't like seeing, you know, Von Miller or, you know, someone hit their sack total and. And celebrate, to me, that's fun.

[Covino]

So things that made us say, we said it all week. We said that was the reason to watch. However, the games were still exciting and that was the bonus. Right? So we were looking at the positive. I want to make that clear because I did hear some people on red zone point out that they never understood how talking heads and guys on the radio and pundits would always say there was no reason to watch or care. Week 18, we never said that we were giving you reasons to care. The one game that we cared most about actually was probably one of the weaker games because the Lions ended up dominating that game. So what made me say hmm is how the Lions really, I think, separated themselves. Their defense was stellar, dude. Their defense made me say hmm. When. When you Vikings, who everybody's been high on all year and been impressed with all year, they couldn't score. They couldn't score.

[Rich Davis]

It.

[Covino]

That really makes me. It really makes me say hmm. About the Lions defense, it may shock.

[Rich Davis]

You while they did whoop the Vikings last night. My opinion on Sam Darnold and the Vikings doesn't change. I feel like in the first half they had multiple red zone opportunities where they were ballsy. They went for it and they came up short. They could have very well been up significantly of halftime. It just didn't work out. I'm not saying if you run it back another time, the results are completely different, but they were in the red zone three times, I believe, in the beginning and came away with three points. They eventually said, let's put some points on the board, let's take three.

[Covino]

And I say this respectfully, and they could learn from it. It seemed pretty evident that Darnold was playing rushed.

[Rich Davis]

I mean, rushed.

[Covino]

And no, more like, careful, too. Instead of slinging it and throwing it, he was aiming it like, he looked like he was, like, too cautious instead of playing a little ballsy. And I think that showed. So if they. If he's able to be comfortable and you're right, maybe have a little more time and not to rush, they will have more opportunity.

[Rich Davis]

He missed Justin Jefferson by a foot on a fade into the end zone. Again on multiple red zone opportunities. They just came up short. And. And I'm not saying, oh, wow, they would have beat the Lions, but I think the score is deceptive and it makes you think that the Lions were just so much better. I just think that nothing went the Vikings way and then the game at the end gets out of control because you're you, you're playing for me hind.

[Covino]

And you're trying and 31 9, but that defense made the difference. And props to Jameer Gibbs. Gibbs with four ties that made me say to having a career game on a night like that shows you the type of player this dude is, and it shows you the grit and toughness of this team. And I think that's what separates them from other teams. For me, my opinion changed on the Vikings and it really solidified where the Lions stand last night.

[Rich Davis]

All right, well, you know what? We're going to talk about some wild card weekend coming up and all your observations from yesterday.

[Covino]

I think we're always fair. We're just fans. I'm not trying to be mad at or mean about Aaron Rodgers, but he puts himself out there and we call it as we see it. He threw his 500th touchdown with the Jets.

[Rich Davis]

Beautiful.

[Covino]

It was a moment, right? He achieved it in New York. Then he's at the press conference talking about his future and he's talking about, well, he's not going to waste the Jets Time. To me, that was very important. He's like, you know, I just need a few days, relax a little bit. I'm not going to waste the jets time. We'll talk about what, what the future holds. But what the giveaway for me was on his future was when he told Pam Oliver that he loved her.

[Rich Davis]

I wrote down Pam. I was. When he goes, pam, I love you, I was like, was that his goodbye to Pam Holland?

[Covino]

He was essentially. Guys, it wasn't the press conference. It wasn't like his mannerisms. It wasn't his. His demeanor. It wasn't anything he did or said or even the 500th touchdown, his accomplishment. It was his goodbye to Pam Oliver. No, that's it.

[Rich Davis]

The hug.

[Covino]

That was it.

[Rich Davis]

The embrace. The I love you, Pam.

[Covino]

She's like, I love you too.

[Rich Davis]

I love you too, Aaron. It reminded me of, you know, when we didn't know for sure if Drew Brees was done with the Saints and when he walked out of the Mercedes Supra Superdome. Yeah, okay.

[Covino]

I mean, now you're confused.

[Rich Davis]

Brain fart for a second. When he walked out of the Dome. Remember right before he walked in the tunnel, you saw Drew Brees do the little turnaround.

[Covino]

That was it.

[Rich Davis]

He looked like you. A little sniffle.

[Covino]

Looked up like Aaron Rodgers. You knew that was the chapter there, in my opinion. And if not, it was a Just in case it was. Which goes to really show you that he's not sure. He really is not certain that he's coming back. And there's a good chance that he goes out at least on a win. A win that upset the Dolphins. Upset Tyree Kill, but they were already, you know.

[Rich Davis]

Well, Tyree Kill gave up. Yeah.

[Covino]

But he leaves on a win. And there's a. A signature moment there. A moment. A signature moment that he sort of needed with the jets.

[Rich Davis]

Right.

[Covino]

To at least give him something positive. And.

[Rich Davis]

But was. Was that also Aaron Rodgers way of showing the rest of the league like, yo, I still got it, everyone.

[Covino]

And by the way, you know what, you could also speculate on that he still has it. Even Joe Namath on social media was like, you know what? He still has a lot of game left. And if he were a betting man. Again, I'm ad libbing here, though. He said he'll be back next season based on how good he looks.

[Rich Davis]

I am intrigued to see who would bite on that.

[Covino]

He said, Aaron Rodgers is not struggling.

[Rich Davis]

You know what? Another observation, week 18, there was a couple really good fu's around the league. Did you see this, as far as power teams sort of screwing over teams underneath them. The Chiefs not even showing up even a little bit.

[Covino]

That was embarrassing.

[Rich Davis]

That was. That was their way of saying, joe Burrow, guess what, dude? You know, the one guy that kept us out of the Super Bowl a couple years ago, we're not letting you or anyone sneak in. They didn't show up on a level where they were like, broncos, we're not scared of you. Come on in, Burrow. Ha ha. Big dreaming, bro. That was such an intentional. We don't want the Bengals in. We don't. We're okay with the Broncos. And I wonder if the Broncos harness some of that old John Elway energy with those throwbacks. Just. They looking sweet. And the other one was the Bills not even trying to put points on the board, like, simply just letting the Patriots win that game. And social media was like, yo, how smart they're playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers. Why would they want a division team.

[Dan Beyer]

To get the first pick back to the Broncos? For a second, it felt like they could have been wearing a high school football team uniform and they would have played that way.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, like, it was. It was bad.

[Covino]

I wrote that. That too, Rich. Embarrassing. Chiefs just looking embarrassing. But we get it. How about this? You know, we talk about quarterbacks that we write off all the time.

[Rich Davis]

When you put yourself in a position where you are the one seed and you're 15 and one going into that game, don't you earn the right to be an A hole to another team and let's. And sort of call the shots? Isn't that sort of the. What goes along with being great?

[Covino]

That's the name of the game. Bryce Young again, showing that he can ball again. One of the takeaways from a weekend that wasn't supposed to be that exciting. Nice win over Atlanta. 251 yards, three tutties. But Bryce Young continuing to, I guess, turn the season around a little bit. Yeah. And give us something to think about.

[Dan Beyer]

And he turned around. No, look. Style.

[Rich Davis]

That was dope.

[Covino]

That was dope.

[Dan Beyer]

Steph Curry style. That was probably the play of the weekend.

[Covino]

Speaking of young quarterbacks, Rich, what was your take on Trey Lance like? What were your thoughts on that?

[Rich Davis]

It's hard to. It's hard to really gauge. It's hard to gauge when it's a game of insignificance. But, I mean, there are moments, as.

[Covino]

They said multiple times, significant to a lot of certain players, though. Significant to him.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah. No, I mean, you guys are getting a look and that's why when the Chiefs didn't show up and you're like, man, that was Carson Wentz's opportunity to take the field this year.

[Covino]

That, that, yeah, that was embarrassing.

[Dan Beyer]

Feel like you could have threw for 97 yards. Rich.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, dude, it's. It was, it was, it was rough to watch some of the games, but you're right, some of the games did have some competitive juices flowing. But that sort of brings me to Wild Car weekend, if you guys are cool with me throwing some things at you. Unless you have. Do you have any other.

[Covino]

I do. I don't know if it's a separate discussion or not. I'm still sort of thinking about it. But I did mention it. Like the Tyree Kill comments so often. We want players to be real and we hate these scripted keep it real answers all the time. Right. But he sort of went a little overboard and I think maybe it was out of just the moment and the frustration he felt in the moment. I don't know how much weight we should put on that, but it's kind of interesting when two huge stars want out of Miami in the matter of a week and a half. Jimmy Butler wants out in the NBA. Tyreek Hill wants out of the Dolphins in the NFL.

[Rich Davis]

I guess the West Miami is a cool city, good looking people, great restaurants, great everything, I guess, you know, great women. Dolphins and heat can't keep their star.

[Covino]

But you put a lot of stock into what Tyree Kill said when he says he has to do what's best for him and his family. He's too competitive basically for that. BS is what he wanted to say.

[Rich Davis]

Oh, you know, it just all this does Danny G. Is it leads us to after the postseason, the playoffs and the super bowl. We already know the. We already know the off season fun Aaron Rodgers, is he going to keep playing? Where's Tyree Kill going to end up? Like, you know what the Niners going to pay Purdy? Like, what are the Vikings going to do at quarterback? And I guess we'll have to see how the playoffs go first. So there's like 20 storylines that you're already salivating at and we're just hitting the playoffs now.

[Dan Beyer]

Some of us don't care where Aaron Rodgers placed him.

[Covino]

I know you don't.

[Rich Davis]

Unless it's the Raiders dating G. Then I'll laugh at you.

[Dan Beyer]

There's not going to be Las Vegas.

[Rich Davis]

But Tyree, they get a drafted quarterback and sign Aaron Rodgers for one year and you'll love it.

[Dan Beyer]

No, the Tyree Kill story though Is interesting what a crazy up and down season he's had. Starting with the whole thing with the police there.

[Covino]

Yeah, the arrest, absolutely. But do you think that like, do you like how candid he was in that moment? Like, oh, that's refreshing. Or do you think that's one of those clear examples of he should have took a breath? Like when you're in an argument with somebody and you say something you wish you didn't say, that's like the email.

[Rich Davis]

Write the email draft, don't send it.

[Covino]

He could have said, yo, look, right now I'm just really unhappy with how things played out. I don't want to say the wrong thing. I'm not. Let's just say I'm not happy with how things went.

[Rich Davis]

I want to sleep on it.

[Covino]

Let me sleep. Like he could have did that and it might have been a better look because now you know people, you got people speculating. Or maybe that's what he wants. I don't. Maybe it was a good thing.

[Dan Beyer]

You don't want him to sleep on it though. Then there'd be another kid.

[Rich Davis]

Yo, let me ask you this. Where does, where does. I mean, too early to speculate because we got to look at numbers and payroll and salary caps. But where, where does a Tyree Kill go from here? Because he had his run with Mahomes, won a Super Bowl.

[Covino]

Yeah, but it went to Miami.

[Rich Davis]

Well, no, went to Miami and it, and it was a made money, but it turned out that's not the move for him.

[Covino]

So where now it would be? Well, he basically implied that he should be in the playoffs right now and that's where he desires to be. He's not going to be on Miami. He made that really clear.

[Rich Davis]

The reality. Covino is wherever Tyree Kill ends up, he is by no means done. He was just unhappy and I think fed up. And you know, his, his game was off, off kilter. Right. But you don't think Tyree Kill becomes so key to another playoff caliber team next year, Add him to any playoff team or a team that is missing like a piece.

[Covino]

Huge weapon. Yeah. Huge weapon for any of these teams.

[Rich Davis]

Just think about that. Now I want to do this thing with you guys and I appreciate you guys not looking at the point spreads. I said yesterday, I said, danny Cavino, please don't look at the point spreads because I want to guess the point.

[Dan Beyer]

Spreads we normally don't anyways because we're not a gambling fool like you.

[Rich Davis]

That's true.

[Covino]

I was just to say that I don't look at them anyway.

[Rich Davis]

Kavino's like, don't worry, I didn't.

[Covino]

And I'm not. And I'm not. Not good at point spreads, but I'll play along.

[Rich Davis]

I just want you to play along again. I'm the gambler of the show. I know you're not. I'm the Kenny Rogers don't know when to really usually hold them.

[Covino]

Oh, I thought you meant you got lots of plastic surgery.

[Rich Davis]

It's a good one. No, no bro talks yet. When you look at wild card weekend, I always like to do this. And if you are someone that likes to wager, gamble, have a little fun, you know, be responsible. What I like to do is I like to guess what I think the point spread is and then see how off I am from Vegas. Because if I'm right on the money, I'm like, I'm not proud of myself. I'm like, all right, that's what I thought. If I'm way off, that means my instinct is somewhere different and I. Then I like it. Let's just go through all six real quick and tell me if you had the same instincts as me. We open up wildcard weekend Saturday. And by the way, you think it's funny how they stagger where it's all AFC games and then all NFC games. Like the AFC plays three games before the NFC touches the field. So we start on Saturday. Saturday, the Chargers at the Texans. Now, keep in mind, Harbaugh brings this team. Justin Herbert, playoffs. Texans sort of limp to the finish line. Sort of, right? I mean, they. They're.

[Dan Beyer]

They finished strong.

[Rich Davis]

They finished strong, but like, they were.

[Dan Beyer]

Like three and five in their last eight.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, and then, Then you said last year they were the young team with Buzz, and now it seems like they're a playoff team, but they're not stacking up. So I. I don't want to. No more horse around. Chargers. Texans.

[Dan Beyer]

Chargers got to be favored, right?

[Covino]

I'll say the Chargers are favored, even though the Texans are, you know, tops of the AFC South.

[Dan Beyer]

And it's a home game for Houston.

[Covino]

Home game for Houston. Chargers favored by three. Only because it's a. It's a. It's a home game for Texas.

[Rich Davis]

Money, bro.

[Dan Beyer]

Nice charges by three.

[Rich Davis]

I thought that. I said, you know what? Even though they're on the road, they're a. I think a better team. They're. They have one game better record, which doesn't mean anything, but.

[Covino]

Yeah, by the way. Total guess. But it's. It's. You got to imagine it's a close Game.

[Rich Davis]

It's a close game and they're in Texas. Yeah, yeah, it would. If it was in la. It might be like four and a half or five, but, you know, in Texas. Field goal makes sense to me. All right, next game.

[Covino]

Oh, so it was dead on.

[Rich Davis]

Dead on.

[Covino]

Oh, okay.

[Rich Davis]

Dude, one for one.

[Covino]

I thought you were just guessing in the scene.

[Rich Davis]

Again, my point here will either be proven or not. Because I think one of the six games, I'm like, what? When you get to it, you'll see. Maybe Steelers at Ravens. We could argue that the Steelers limp to the finish line.

[Dan Beyer]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

And I have not. I have not believed in them at all. You know this. You know that. I give props to Mike Tomlin.

[Covino]

We saw the true colors in the last four games.

[Dan Beyer]

Ravens just had a huge 20 point line against the Browns.

[Rich Davis]

And the Ravens just look when. When playing complete football, they look like.

[Dan Beyer]

This has got to be a touch by a touchdown, I'll say seven and a half points.

[Rich Davis]

What are you thinking, Cuff?

[Covino]

For fun, I'll just say Ravens are 10 point favorites based on. How bad are you cheating? No, ravens by 10. Really?

[Rich Davis]

Ravens by 10. I'm on fire. Dude, is this guy. Does Kavita work for DraftKings? Are you making the point spreads?

[Covino]

Dude, if I was going to cheat, I'd cheat on last one because I'd never win.

[Dan Beyer]

Last hour, I heard he was the pro reader of the show, so he might be reading these lines off the Internet.

[Covino]

Well, no, I agree with Danny. I was just being bold because I would agree it's over a touchdown. He said seven and a half. So I'm like, let's make it a 10.

[Rich Davis]

Baltimore by 10. Some might say that number's a little inflated because it's a division rival, but Baltimore's been playing hot and I don't think the Steelers will have answers. So those two points friends, don't seem preposterous. So can we move on and say those seem sort of.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

Okay, let's move along quickly. Sunday, Broncos at the Bills. Broncos. Sean Payton and Bo Nicks making the postseason. They have moments where the defense looks good. They look good, but they're going into Buffalo. Who is Thurston. They're like Thurston Howell the third.

[Covino]

Wow. I'll go first on this one. You know, I think that we've all seen the Broncos have proven they're a good squad and they're led by a great young quarterback, but they're playing Buffalo at home. Buffalo on stop. I'm saying just by touchdown. Buffalo by a Touchdown.

[Dan Beyer]

Let's see. I said seven and a half last time. I'll go up a point. I'll go eight and a half on this one.

[Rich Davis]

So you guys, everyone, we're in the ballpark. Buffalo by nine.

[Dan Beyer]

Okay.

[Rich Davis]

All right. So again, so far, I think I'm proving my point that we're all sort of instinctually guessing these points. Friends, right? I. Moving along. Buffalo by almost 10. Packers at Eagles. Packers just had a big key injury. Jordan Loves back in the playoffs. They were in a tough division. If they weren't behind Minnesota and the Lions, you'd be like, man, Green Bay, impressive. They're playing in Philadelphia. What are you thinking?

[Covino]

All right. And you got a Saquon Barkley who rested fresh legs. That was the whole point of resting.

[Rich Davis]

Right.

[Covino]

So he's going to put up big numbers in Philadelphia. But Green Bay, I mean, Philadelphia, the Eagles are favored, but by how much you know, I'm going to go again. Let's do a Danny G. Seven and a half.

[Dan Beyer]

Packers aren't a bad team at all. They didn't limp in anywhere. I mean, they had a strong season for the most part. They had some injuries with Jordan Love a little bit to start the season.

[Covino]

I'm going to say they're the one team that's capable of beating. Really? Anybody That's.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah.

[Dan Beyer]

Love their defense and Josh Jacobs. That was one of the best off season additions of the year. I'm going to say. A little closer. Rich, how about five points?

[Rich Davis]

Four and a half. Four and four and a half in some places. So I liked. I picked that one myself. I was like probably like four and a half. Yeah. They're giving. They're given the packers some respect even though they're on the road. And Philly's a tough place to play, but the packers are no slouch.

[Covino]

Cool.

[Rich Davis]

Moving along. This might be an easy one. Commanders at Bucks, which I think might be. I mean, I love Baker and I love Jaden Daniels, but I don't think either of these teams goes beyond this round. But Kim answers that. Bucks, what are you thinking?

[Covino]

I think that's a fun game, but I'm with you.

[Rich Davis]

Like the Bucks.

[Covino]

I don't even know who's favorite.

[Dan Beyer]

I would think the Bucks would be favored because they have more experience and they're at home. Yeah, but this feels like.

[Covino]

But not by much. This is. This is going to be a fun game, though.

[Dan Beyer]

This feels like the first game we talked about which was a field goal game.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, you're right. Danny G. Okay. Bucks by three. They're just getting the typical home field field goal points, right? And if you're not a gambler, usually if it's an even match, the home team gets three points out of courtesy, right. As the point spread. All right? So clearly the one that confuses me is the last one. Okay, Monday Night Football.

[Covino]

Monday Night Football.

[Rich Davis]

Vikings at the Rams. Vikings at the Rams. Monday night in Los Angeles.

[Covino]

Man, there's so many factors here. Like why is Rich confused? Because the Vikings just lost.

[Rich Davis]

Now I set you up. Damn.

[Covino]

Vikings at the Rams. Man, I would have said, until yesterday, I would have said the Vikings were favored, but now they're at the Rams.

[Dan Beyer]

I mean, first instinct is that the Vikings would still be favored, but by how many?

[Covino]

So maybe because of their poor performance, again, they didn't score. Again, there's no favorite favored by three.

[Rich Davis]

Wait, when you say poor performance, I keep thinking that, yes, they couldn't even score a touchdown. They didn't show up last night. But again, I told you, all those blown red zone opportunities, a pass, it's a foot over Justin Jefferson's head. Another fourth and goal where they just are just short.

[Dan Beyer]

Vikings on the road. So field goal game, it's Minnesota by.

[Rich Davis]

One and a half. I thought it would be Minnesota. My instinct is way different than you. I thought it was good. Minnesota by like 6. I thought that they are going to say last night they played the Lions.

[Covino]

In Detroit, their defense was incredible.

[Rich Davis]

Like just there were misplays, Lions just took over. I'm thinking they didn't sustain any major injuries. My thought was they are still 14 and 3. And up until last night, everyone was talking about Sam Darnold, potential mvp. What do we think? So now all of a sudden we think they're matched up evenly with the Rams. Like, I know in clutch situations, you're saying Stafford's been there, won a Super Bowl, Cooper Cup, Nakua, Kyren, Williams, a lot of these guys got rest. But I think the Vikings win this.

[Covino]

Game clear favorite spy without a touchdown.

[Rich Davis]

So my favorite points for the week by far is Minnesota. To me, that's like a way odd calculation. So I could be totally wrong. And we'll.

[Covino]

And that's why Dan Campbell said, see, in two weeks when he said that.

[Rich Davis]

I was like, yeah, of course. My first thought was like, yeah, whoever Minnesota is going to play, they'll win and then they'll probably lose in the divisional round against the Lions.

[Covino]

I agree they're going to win, but I also agree that they have it closer because of how they played against the Lions. But you're right, Lambs are not the Lions.

[Rich Davis]

Not, not to get all over the place, but of the games we just mentioned, is there, is there a non top tier team that, that you are rooting for to make a fun run like you, like Buccaneers, like Baker? It'll be fun to watch Baker and Mike Evans and those games.

[Covino]

Yeah, I don't know what it is. I'm not a fan of the Buccaneers. I'm not a fan of his.

[Rich Davis]

You know, I used to hate the guy.

[Covino]

And that's again, one of those fine lines between love and hate. Baker Mayfield was sort of an abrasive guy. Learned to love him because of that fine line.

[Rich Davis]

Dan Blair, who do you. I heard you.

[Danny G]

It's not the Buccaneers, I'll tell you that. They're so plain and just whatever. If they wore the Creamsicles, then maybe, then absolutely.

[Rich Davis]

Is there a dark horse to you like hardball and the Chargers get hotter or is we just going to have the same conversation where it's like, like, dude, as predicted, Bills, Chiefs, Eagles, Lions. Like, is it going to be what we think? Yeah.

[Danny G]

Because I don't think the commander. I think a lot of people would pick the commanders, but I just don't think they're that good. I think that when you look at how they've won and who they've beaten, it just isn't.

[Rich Davis]

Doesn't add up to you. Yeah.

[Danny G]

I mean, what, they win what, 11 games this past year? One's on a Hail Mary, one's on when the Giants didn't have a field goal kicker. 12 games. Excuse me, I shorted that. But I think the Chargers, if I had to pick one, it would be the Chargers. I think that would be the fun one.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah. But because as of right now, if all goes according to plan, I feel like the AFC really is a matter of Chiefs obviously have the buy. You're going to assume the Ravens and the Bills move along. Then it really just becomes who's the 14 that's along for that party? Like who, who's like the person invited to the party because there's an extra seat.

[Danny G]

I'll tell you, I'll tell you this because if you look at what could happen in the next round in the nfc, you mentioned we could see Vikings, Lions again.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah.

[Danny G]

And then you could have, I don't know, let's just say Eagles and Buccaneers. I don't know if that really does anything for me. But in the afc you could have Chargers, Chiefs, Ravens, Bills. Like, yeah, yeah.

[Rich Davis]

So that looks good to me. We do this every so often when he. When he's down to play along. Shaquille O'Neal, Shaq Diesel trivia.

[Dan Beyer]

Whenever we say not to name drop, that means we're about to name drop.

[Rich Davis]

I'll name drop.

[Covino]

Oh my goodness.

[Dan Beyer]

Not only are CNR friends with Tyson and Mahomes.

[Covino]

Hey man. They're also buddies with the Big Aristotle.

[F]

What's up? It's big Shaq Diesel, aka Shaq 4 Crew, aka Shaq Daddy, aka the Big Aristotle. Guess what? It's time to win some C and R prize.

[Covino]

Time for some basketball trivia.

[Dan Beyer]

What he said.

[F]

I used to break bad boys. Now breaking records for FSL Radio.

[Covino]

Shaq Diesel basketball trivia.

[Dan Beyer]

All right, FSR security walking our Broke Shaq Fu into the main studio.

[Rich Davis]

Hey, Broke Shaq.

[F]

Hey, good to see you guys. Hey, what's up, Danny J. What's up man?

[Dan Beyer]

How you been man?

[F]

Hey, what's up little buddy? Rich Bridge, my little buddy over here.

[Dan Beyer]

I heard recently you're going to be part of the reason everybody tunes back into the NBA.

[F]

That's right. That's right. I'm always the reason. Shaq Diesel. But yeah, it's good to be with you guys.

[Rich Davis]

By the way, Shaq, are you team JJ Redick or Charles Barclay on their little.

[F]

I was going to say I saved it for the best show on the radio. I'm here to propose a fight. JJ Redick and Charles Barkley in the octagon. Dana White's listening. I want to make sure we're there.

[Dan Beyer]

We have a big affiliate in Vegas, so he's listening right now.

[F]

Let's do it. Let's do it in Vegas. Let's do a big J.J. redick, Charles Barkley in the ring.

[Dan Beyer]

All right, let's meet the contestants for this game. 10 time winner, Rich Davis right over there.

[F]

He's my tiny, tiny teeny buddy. Rich Davis, 10 time tiny little man.

[Dan Beyer]

Another 10 time champion in the room. Dan Beyer right over there.

[Danny G]

Oh, hello.

[Dan Beyer]

Three time winners, body boy. Just three times. Looking for four and looking to win a CNR stainless steel swiggy on our studio lines. All right, Byer, I will use you for this. Would you love to travel to Missoula, Montana, Dunmore, Pennsylvania, Austin, Texas, Conway, South Carolina or San Mateo, California?

[Danny G]

Let's go to South Carolina.

[Dan Beyer]

Cackalacka. John, what's up?

[Rich Davis]

Hey, John. Hi.

[F]

Hey, what's up, John?

[Rich Davis]

Hi, how are you?

[Dan Beyer]

John, say hi to Shaq.

[Rich Davis]

Hi, Shaq.

[F]

Hey, what's up, John? Really?

[Rich Davis]

Speaking to Shaq.

[Dan Beyer]

Oh my God. Here Are the rules for Shaq? Dude. Yeah. The first contestant with two correct answers is the champ. If there's a tie, we have a tiebreaker question. Your name is your buzzer, but you do have to wait until all three possible answers are read. If there's two wrong ones in a row, we move on to the next question. Are you ready?

[Rich Davis]

Let's go.

[Dan Beyer]

Let's get it on.

[F]

Round one. Let's get this big Aristotle party started. Where did the great Manu Ginobili play prior to his NBA experience? Kinder Bologna. A, Totorna. B, or C, Reggio Emilia. Where did Manu play first?

[Dan Beyer]

Rich.

[E]

What is his name again?

[F]

Manu Ginobili.

[Rich Davis]

Manu Ginobili. He played in. What if the first answer was bologna.

[Dan Beyer]

Okay, but you gotta buzz in first. Rich got in.

[Rich Davis]

This guy sounds high as could be.

[Dan Beyer]

Rich got in there first. So, Rich, what's your guess?

[Rich Davis]

My A, Kinder Bologna.

[Dan Beyer]

And you are correct.

[Rich Davis]

Wow.

[Dan Beyer]

And I think it's because he's full of bologna most of the time. Rich.

[F]

But a fun fact. He start on Perfect Strangers before he played in the NBA.

[Covino]

No, that was.

[Rich Davis]

That's Bronson.

[F]

No, he used to say, don't be ridiculous.

[Covino]

No, no, no.

[Dan Beyer]

That was Bronson. Different guy.

[F]

No, no, no.

[Covino]

Bronson Pinchas.

[Dan Beyer]

All right, so, Jon, on this next round here, after Shaq reads the question A, B, and then C, then you could say your name. Okay.

[E]

Okay.

[Dan Beyer]

Right, here we go. Round two.

[F]

All right, round two. Shaq Diesel here. And I'm a big part of the big Diesel lack ratings back to the NBA. Which team isn't helping the cause because they have the worst record in the NBA right now. A, the Wizards, B, the Jazz. Or C, the Pelicans.

[Danny G]

Dan, fire. I'm gonna guess the Wizards.

[E]

Wizards.

[F]

I don't think that counts because he helped Dan.

[Rich Davis]

I think. Dan, I think you're right.

[Dan Beyer]

Buyer is correct. Good job, Dan.

[F]

The Wizards for the record, 6 and 27.

[Dan Beyer]

Okay, Rich and Buyer on the board. Wizards, we move on to the next round.

[F]

Round three. What was I once quoted saying about my awful free throws? Hey, the later I stayed out the night before, the better my free throw percentage seemed to be. B, I usually aim at a big dummy sitting behind a basket. I'm gonna need to aim towards those nosebleed seats, I guess. Or c, me shooting 40 at the foul lines is God's way of saying nobody's perfect.

[Dan Beyer]

Oh, you gotta say your name there, buddy. John. John. A, B or C?

[Covino]

I think he said A.

[F]

John, you sound like a big bonehead.

[Dan Beyer]

No, not A, unfortunately.

[Covino]

Did he say F? Did I hear F in there?

[Rich Davis]

Did he say all of the above?

[Dan Beyer]

He said A and then he said.

[Covino]

F. I want to bring John through the phone.

[Rich Davis]

In my head, I agreed that I.

[F]

Want to bring John to the phone and smack him around a little bit.

[Covino]

Spot.

[Danny G]

Spot.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, I got spot.

[Dan Beyer]

Spot for the steal.

[Covino]

A. I don't know.

[Rich Davis]

We just said it.

[Dan Beyer]

Oh, sorry. I'm sorry.

[Covino]

I'm sorry. C. C. I meant C. Sorry. Oh, was it B?

[Dan Beyer]

No, C. Oh, geez.

[F]

C is good.

[Rich Davis]

Dude, the ratings of this are gonna be worse than the NBA.

[Dan Beyer]

I said C. I'm already wrong.

[Covino]

You can't, like, switch answers.

[F]

I blame John.

[Dan Beyer]

All right, everyone's high tonight. Rich and Byer on the board. We are gonna go to round four right now, please.

[F]

Round four. Shaq Diesel. Trivia. I blame Jon. Jon is like the Wizards of this game. When LeBron James won rookie of the year, who won the league MVP award that season? Season of 2003, 2004, was it a, Kevin Grant, Kevin Garnett, D, Tim Duncan, or C, Jermaine O'Neal? No relation to Shaq. Diesel.

[Rich Davis]

Rich.

[Dan Beyer]

Rich for the win and to put us out of our misery.

[Rich Davis]

A.

[Danny G]

Yes.

[F]

Kevin Garnett. Kevin Garnett. Big dummy.

[Covino]

Not Kevin Grant.

[Rich Davis]

Thank you.

[F]

I'm sorry. I gotta put my glasses on.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah. Welcome to 2025.

[Dan Beyer]

And John representing South Carolina.

[F]

Yeah, John, why don't you go back home, go to sleep.

[Dan Beyer]

Thank you for playing the game, John.

[Rich Davis]

Thanks, John.

[F]

Thanks, John. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you, guys.

[Dan Beyer]

Very special episode.

[F]

By the way, somebody.

[Dan Beyer]

Thank you, shaq.

[F]

Somebody get J.J. redick and Charles Barkley in the ring.

[Dan Beyer]

Thanks, Shaq.

[Rich Davis]

Thanks, Shaq.

[Covino]

Make that happen.

[Rich Davis]

Bye, Shaq.

[F]

Bye, guys.

[Dan Beyer]

Rich can proudly say that was his 11th victory in this game.

[Covino]

I know.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah. I have a question just in the room, because we all. We all agree, other than Danny G. Who is watching the Lakers every chance he could get.

[Covino]

By the way, I feel bad for dragging Shaq in here for that.

[Rich Davis]

I know. Me for that. I know.

[Covino]

For John. Put it that way.

[Rich Davis]

Trying to. Trying to move past it. Cove.

[Dan Beyer]

At least it was fun for the listeners.

[Rich Davis]

It was fun. The more ridiculous, the better.

[Covino]

Shaq all the way here for that.

[Rich Davis]

John should be embarrassed because we're not honed into the NBA the way we are after the football season ends. Are we majorly downplaying that there's two teams that are playing lights out right now? I saw our old pal Malika Andrews, we worked with at espn talking about how Is everyone just sleeping on the type of season Cleveland is having right now?

[Covino]

Fun times in Cleveland again. 31 and 4, bro.

[Rich Davis]

31 and 4. And then on the other side of things, OKC, 30 and 5. We're talking about two young teams that are playing at a level that, you know.

[Covino]

Yeah, but it goes. It's very indicative to the problem. No one's talking about it. No one's excited about. Unless you're an Oklahoma City Thunder fan or a Cleveland fan.

[Rich Davis]

They're 18 and one at home. Cleveland right now, they're playing out of their mind. So hopefully, you know, I mean, good for them. They get the props. They major.

[Covino]

Yeah, major props.

[Rich Davis]

Again, I think. I think, like a lot of people, I think once the NFL wraps up, a lot of people really dive into the NBA more because the reality is, right, all the issues with the regular season, the lack of interest, and we're in the height of not only NFL actually, but college football playoffs, too.

[Covino]

So I think J.J. redick spoke on. I feel like we nailed it, too. We're like we said weeks ago when they announced the ratings were down 28%, we said, well, part of it is when you have your superstars of the game and an announcer is talking down about how bad it is, that's like saying, oh, man, this food tastes like ass. You want to try it? You're like, no. Or, yo, that movie sucks. You want to go watch it? You're like, no. The casual fans not going to want to tune into a game when guys like Charles Barkley are saying negative things about it all the time. And JJ Redick spoke on that.

[Rich Davis]

Yeah, it's true. How do you expect people to care when you don't care if you're the GM of the Raiders and every single person we Speak up is available and you have your pickings, not your Kenny Pickens. If you pick it, if you have your opportunity to get any coach, is it Ben Johnson? Is it Ray Bull? Is it someone else? Is it Rex Ryan that wants back in?

[Covino]

Like, no. Rex is saying he believes he'll be on the Jets.

[Rich Davis]

He really believes it.

[Covino]

Is it Craig T. Nelson? Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

I mean, he's a great coach.

[Dan Beyer]

Don't want to retread. Yeah. Would you want to retread like Rex Ryan? You want somebody that's going to modernize your offense. Use Brock Bowers to his fullest. Get Tom Brady, who's now helping to run your team and give him the elbow and be like, man, get me Tyree Kill as my wide receiver. One he wants out of Miami. Use your first couple of draft picks wisely. Tom Telesco, he's not good with contracts, but he is good at evaluating talent. He's good at making picks. So I think the Raiders will have another good draft. I would want Ben Johnson calling the shots.

[Rich Davis]

He's the hot commodity right now. We said it before, he may be overvalued. But what if. What if you could get a Dion Shador combo?

[Dan Beyer]

I wouldn't be mad at that.

[Rich Davis]

A Sanders combo in Vegas, like Kavino said, that has Billboard written all over it. That has Vegas. You land in Vegas and it has Coach prime and his son everywhere.

[Covino]

Matches the Showtime.

[Dan Beyer]

But winning needs to go with that. I wouldn't just want this sideshow.

[Rich Davis]

That is true that it's. It's just very interesting to think what comes next. And I bring that up because the Giants are sticking with Dable and a lot of people forget, memory short. He has multiple Super Bowls as part of coaching staffs over the years. He's a winner, historically. Three years with the Giants. Do we need a little refresher, Kavino, just for the hell of it, I.

[Covino]

Mean, that's the sentiment from a lot of Giants fans, a lot of football fans, like, they can't believe it. If any team needs a shake up, when you think about the embarrassment, you brought it up by saying teams that need to be good. We're talking about two New York teams that are the worst in the league, the jets and the Giants. The Giants, yeah, definitely need to shake up. And that's why it's a surprise.

[Rich Davis]

Brian Dable comes in. If you remember Daniel Jones, they took him to the playoffs. They won a game in the playoffs.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Rich Davis]

Nine and seven and one rookie year as a coach on that team did great last year, 6 and 11. Oh, down year this year, 3 and 14. Another big step in the wrong direction. So is the sentiment maybe like, yo, this guy, based on how things played out, he deserves one more chance.

[Covino]

Like you, I think when you play it out with. You had two seasons when we're talking about Tommy Cutlets, it's. It's not all his fault, right? I mean, I think he does deserve maybe one more shot.

[Rich Davis]

Like if you are at a point.

[Covino]

Where you're throwing and no, no disrespect to my guy, Tommy Cutlets, but if.

[Rich Davis]

You'Re throwing Tommy Cutlets and Drew Locke and guys like that out there, like, perhaps, like maybe Brian Dable needs a fair shake at one more year. Like I said, one more year.

[Covino]

I think so.

[Rich Davis]

All right. Interesting enough all right. Hey, have a great Monday. No Monday Night Football tonight. So what are you catching up on? Squid game. What are you. What are you watching? Silo.

[Covino]

That's a good one.

[Rich Davis]

What are you watching?

[Covino]

May I recommend piece by piece, that Pharrell Williams documentary is available on Prime.

[Rich Davis]

Not so bad. All right, we'll see you guys tomorrow. Until then, have a great Monday night. Arrivederci, baby.

[Covino]

See you in a promised land.