PMS 2.0 1324 - Rich Paul, Peter Schrager, Ashton Jeanty, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Pat McAfee Show
Episode: PMS 2.0 1324 - Rich Paul, Peter Schrager, Ashton Genti, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk
Release Date: April 15, 2025

In this dynamic episode of The Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee, alongside co-hosts AJ Hawk, Darius Butler, Tone Digs, and Ty Schmidt, navigates through a whirlwind of sports topics. From the electrifying start of the NBA playoffs and the commemoration of Jackie Robinson Day in MLB to the high-stakes NFL trade rumors and the anticipation surrounding WrestleMania weekend, the show offers a comprehensive and engaging discussion for sports enthusiasts.

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1. NBA Playoffs Kickoff and Analysis (00:00 - 07:28)

Overview:
Pat McAfee opens the show by highlighting the significance of Jackie Robinson Day in MLB and the simultaneous kickoff of the NBA playoffs, emphasizing the unique play-in format in both conferences.

Key Points:

• Play-In Structure: McAfee explains the Eastern Conference matchup between the Hawks and the Magic, and the Western Conference between the Grizzlies and the Warriors, detailing how winners secure the seventh seed while losers face elimination.

• Conference Depth:

  • Western Conference: Described as "unique" with teams like the Grizzlies, Warriors, Clippers, and Rockets closely packed within a four-game spread in records.
  • Eastern Conference: Lacks depth compared to the West, appearing "crap" with a more top-heavy lineup centered around the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.

Notable Quotes:

• Pat McAfee (02:13): "Whoever loses that game is out. Whoever wins that game will play the losers of tonight's game to cement themselves as the number eight overall seed."
• Ty Schmidt (04:03): "I think the other teams that have, you know, projected coming into the season, remember, the Sixers were the real hot team. They're getting Paul George. Obviously, they crumbled. They suck."

2. Jackie Robinson Day and MLB Highlights (08:54 - 11:07)

Overview:
The conversation shifts to MLB's celebration of Jackie Robinson Day, honoring his legacy in breaking the modern-day color barrier and his exceptional performance despite the challenges he faced.

Key Points:

• Historical Significance:
  Butler elaborates on Jackie Robinson's debut in 1947, noting the MLB's 90 years of segregation prior to his arrival and the ongoing tradition of wearing number 42 across all teams and umpires every April 15th.

• Dodgers' Performance:
  Discussion on the Dodgers' recent historic home loss to the Cubs, marking their worst performance against Chicago.

Notable Quotes:

• Darius Butler (09:08): "Every April 15th is Jackie Robinson Day. The MLB initiated it in 2004."
• Pat McAfee (10:27): "What a moment for sport. What a moment for United States of America. Love that the MLB celebrates this."

3. Masters Golf Tournament Recap (35:54 - 58:00)

Overview:
Pat McAfee and his team delve into the recent Masters Tournament, celebrating Rory McIlroy's impressive performance that captivated millions of viewers.

Key Points:

• Viewership Surge:
  McAfee highlights the record-breaking viewership numbers, with 19.5 million tuning in during overtime as Rory McIlroy clinched victory after a dramatic putt on the 18th hole.

• Star Influence:
  Emphasis on how star players like McIlroy and Justin Rose elevate the sport's popularity and drive engagement during major tournaments.

Notable Quotes:

• Pat McAfee (60:51): "Only thing that matters in sports, I think, is if the stars show up. Which brings us to the Masters."
• Pat McAfee (59:00): "I love the sound of golf on the TV. Oh, God, it's the best in the background."

4. NFL Trade Rumors: Jalen Ramsey and Miami Dolphins (14:53 - 22:50)

Overview:
A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to NFL trade rumors, focusing on Jalen Ramsey's potential departure from the Miami Dolphins amidst financial and strategic challenges.

Key Points:

• Financial Constraints:
  Discussion on the Dolphins' limited cap space, highlighted by Ty Schmidt's comment on potentially retaining only $7 million after trading Ramsey, leaving little room for new signings.

• Trade Dynamics:
  Exploration of Ramsey's value, his reluctance to request a trade, and the complexities involved in satisfying both Ramsey and the Dolphins' organizational needs.

• Saints' Quarterback Needs:
  Analysis of the New Orleans Saints' quarterback predicament following Derek Carr's injury, with speculations on possible candidates like Shador Sanders and Jackson Dart.

Notable Quotes:

• Pat McAfee (14:53): "Jalen Ramsey might be on his way out of the Miami Dolphins."
• Connor (16:22): "A hell of a player that we need to make sure everybody understands."

5. WrestleMania Weekend Excitement (55:00 - 72:00)

Overview:
The hosts express their enthusiasm for the upcoming WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas, outlining their live coverage plans and interactions with wrestling icons.

Key Points:

• Event Coverage:
  Pat McAfee announces live segments from WWE World, featuring appearances by legends like Roman Reigns, Triple H, and the mastermind behind WrestleMania.

• Guest Appearances:
  Teasing special guests, including Roman Reigns and potential surprise attendees, amplifying the show's promise of exclusive content.

Notable Quotes:

• Pat McAfee (55:00): "Cannot wait to hear his thoughts. Just days before the main event against CM Punk and Seth freaking Rollins and then Triple H."
• Pat McAfee (72:00): "Our tribal chief showed up."

6. Draft Discussions with Rich Paul and Peter Schrager (26:43 - 34:00)

Overview:
In an insightful segment, Rich Paul, NBA agent and founder of Klutch Sports, joins hosts to discuss the NBA playoffs' strategic elements and the upcoming draft's uncertainties.

Key Points:

• Playoff Strategies:
  Paul and Schrager debate the playoff seeding battles, the impact of coaching changes, and the potential for underdog teams to make significant strides.

• Draft Uncertainties:
  Rich Paul highlights the unprecedented uncertainties leading into the draft, with teams scrambling to secure top-tier quarterbacks amidst a fragmented pool of prospects.

Notable Quotes:

• Rich Paul (26:44): "The playoffs, man, this is a time where you don't have enough monitors."
• Peter Schrager (29:22): "The hype is one thing. Obviously, anytime Steph Curry and, and you know, the Draymonds of the world are involved, it's going to be hyped."

7. Guest Spotlight: Ashton Genti – Boise State’s Star Running Back (100:08 - 115:32)

Overview:
The show features an in-depth interview with Ashton Genti, a standout running back from Boise State, discussing his remarkable college performance and aspirations for the NFL.

Key Points:

• College Accomplishments:
  Genti shares insights into his development at Boise State, his relationship with coaches, and his pivotal role in leading the team to the playoffs.

• NFL Prospects:
  Discussions revolve around Genti's NFL training regimen, his versatility as a running back, and the strategic considerations teams might have in drafting him.

Notable Quotes:

• Ashton Genti (100:08): "The conversations have been great. I mean especially you see with what Saquon was able to do and bringing his team all the way to the Super Bowl."
• Pat McAfee (102:34): "What were you talking about? I was just thinking about myself, like, if somebody came into the NFL and just had one leg to kick, that was, you know."

8. Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks (115:32 - 175:57)

Overview:
As the episode nears its end, the hosts reflect on the day's discussions, share humorous anecdotes, and preview upcoming events like the NFL Draft and additional WrestleMania festivities.

Key Points:

• Behind-the-Scenes Insights:
  McAfee recounts memorable moments from live events, interactions with guests, and the challenges of producing high-energy sports entertainment content.

• Upcoming Events Tease:
  The team builds anticipation for WrestleMania weekend, the NFL Draft, and further sports coverage in subsequent episodes.

Notable Quotes:

• Pat McAfee (175:34): "This is the double zeros. That came up real fast there. The double zeros."
• Pat McAfee (175:54): "Everything is happening around us and we can't help ourselves from saying, thank God we're alive."

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Conclusion:

This episode of The Pat McAfee Show masterfully weaves through various sports narratives, offering listeners a blend of expert analysis, insider perspectives, and entertaining banter. From dissecting playoff strategies and honoring legendary figures to spotlighting emerging talents and hyping major events, Pat and his team deliver a robust and engaging sports roundup. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual observer, this episode provides valuable insights and memorable moments that encapsulate the ever-evolving landscape of sports.

Transcript

[Pat McAfee]

Hello beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome, on this Jackie Robinson Day. Tuesday, April 15, 2025. This program starts now. Sports are fantastic and obviously we get a chance to chitchat about it every single day. And we're lucky for that. Baseball will obviously be a topic of discussion because it is Jackie Robinson Day. So we will certainly have to celebrate the world changing, the sports world changing. And it's also tax day, so everybody figure that out. You know, the IR IRS doesn't play any games. Who knows what the future holds for the irs. Seems like every single day my algorithm tells me something new about that world. But what we do know is that if you mess with them, they will mess with you. Let's make sure we get that entire thing handled. Huge day for sports. The NBA playoffs essentially begin tonight with their play in games. Here we go. Now obviously the way the NBA does their play in games and the way they do their playoffs is certainly unique. 7 Verse 8 Tonight in the Eastern Conference between the Hawks and the magic. 7 verse 8 tonight in the Western Conference between the Grizzlies. The winner of that will take the seven seed in the playoffs in their respective conferences. Then nine will play 10 on Wednesday in the east and in the West. And then whoever loses that game is out. Whoever wins that game will play the losers of tonight's game to cement themselves as the number eight overall seed in their respective conferences. And then once they get in, boom, now we're playing the game. Okay, so that is the NBA playoffs. I do believe they're trying to make the best teams in and get the best teams in. But on the Western Conference from second to like eight seed is like a four game spread whenever it comes to the records. So you got a lot of great teams packed in those top eight spots on the Western Conference. And then on the Eastern side It's from about 7 to 10. It's kind of crap, kind of, kind of shite in this entire thing. Eastern Conference seemingly a little bit more top heavy. Western Conference with the Clippers coming into play as well and with Jimmy Butler and Golden State warriors not playing great right now, obviously, but in the playoffs it will be different. And how about John Morant who is now taking his words and tossing them into the crowd and then not listening to the reactions post is the Memphis Grizzly time now with, you know, the, the words.

[Ty Schmidt]

I thought that was a grenade. He didn't want to hear the screams of the people blowing up.

[Pat McAfee]

No, come on. Those are his words because he always gets taken out of context. Oh, so he takes his words, goes. Snaps those off.

[Darius Butler]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

And it says, take them. And then he goes, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it.

[AJ Hawk]

Love it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind. And I think we. We've been on this hype train since the beginning. Like, ja. There's no reason for any. Take you away from the sport. Take you away from the sports world. We love you. If you think you're being judged unfairly, cool. Just deal with it. We need you to deal with it. And let's not forget about a sword.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's not forget about a sword of words. You know, can't spell sword without word.

[Darius Butler]

Bingo.

[Pat McAfee]

And we need him to make sure he does that as well. The NBA play in is obviously a start of something very exciting. And we can't wait to see the stars. Remember, in the NBA, it is so long. In all the series that take place, this is literally where the stars are born. The reason why LeBron James became face of the NBA, not only because whenever he was in high school, he was supposed to be the guy had a Nike deal, the whole thing, but because he played in the playoffs for, like 20 years straight, all the way through the Finals. Every playoff game is on national television. This is when people learn of the league. And I know, you know, the NFL stole Christmas from the NBA, but for the casual fan, the playoffs is when they learn about the NBA. If you're not in the playoffs, you might as well not even exist. For some people, that time is now. Who will create their legendary story? Who will be the champions? Will it be the Boston Celtics? Let's go to the toxic table at Boston. Connor. And that Ty Schmidt feels like in the Eastern Conference, it's either Boston or the Pacers. I guess the Cavs have an opportunity. The Knicks obviously always going to be dancing. But there is a chance that the Boston Celtics are in the middle of a run right now in an Eastern Conference that's not as deep as the West. And I think that is on show display this evening.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, not even close. I think the other teams that have, you know, projected coming into the season, remember, the Sixers were the real hot team. They're getting Paul George. Obviously, they crumbled. They suck. And, you know, the Bucks as well. People thought the Bucks were going to be very, very good with Lillard and Giannis with a whole season, but they also kind of fell off a bit. But, yeah, this is kind of where it comes to life here. You know, you just Mentioned it. Like this is when all the basketball fans kind of like myself, like Bruce, like some of the others in the office who claim their fans of some teams. But it really becomes a very competitive season. Yeah, but let me get to that. Yeah, but huge fan of the Heat, but we're talking about the play in games. You know, we're talking about tonight now, Magic, Hawks, congrats. Because whoever wins is going to get shit pumped by the Boston Celtics. I don't want those fans to take that for granted. You know, enjoy your day in the sun because I think it will be cool for you to get this Tuesday in April. You know, we talk about certain days that fans look forward to. This should be one of those days for the Magic and the Hawks because as soon as they win, they're going to fly to Boston. They're probably going to stay in a hotel. Fire alarm is probably going to get pulled at that hotel.

[Pat McAfee]

They're going to say coincidentally, yeah, well.

[Ty Schmidt]

Fires happen, you know, and especially in Boston. That can take place especially at the away team hotels. Bingo. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So I want.

[Pat McAfee]

Welcome to Sonor Doe.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, welcome to New England. Welcome to where championships, you know, basically live. You know, this trophy is just not on my desk for fun. You know, you earned that. He earned this thing last year, you know, I mean, Brian said it, you know, everyone's coming at the Celtics and the Celtics are kind of the team to beat. And I know everyone in Boston, I know everyone in the NBA is still looking at the Celtics as that team. But that's the east. Like you talked about the west last year the warriors were a six seed and they ended up beating the Kings who were a three seed in the first round of the playoffs. Like the west playoffs are going to be awesome. I would say even, you know, Warriors, Grizzlies and you know, don't want to make assumptions, but you can assume whoever loses that game is going to win the next game. So all four of those series, I think are going to be great.

[Pat McAfee]

Warriors, 0 for 3 in playing games, I guess. Steph Curry, 0 for 3 in playing games. But they got Jimmy Butler on her team. Playoff. Butler now with Golden State, obviously alongside Draymond and the rest of the crew. And they got Ja Morant who they have to battle and contend with at 10pm on TNT. Let's go to nine year NFL vet Darius J. Butler, who was absent from the conversation that Connor just mentioned about NBA fans. But this is shaping up to be a magical playoff series. Stars are potentially aligning for the NBA which is what any league was.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. And this is, you mentioned earlier, this is where stars are born. Now we obviously have the old guard, the LeBron Steph, if he can get in there. Joker kind of be in that mix now as well. Giannis, those guys who kind of established have won championships now this is an opportunity for the new guys. You know, Paolo, who's had a great season, Orlando kind of in and out of the lineup. He, he's having an opportunity ant to kind of get back on that big stage and maybe get to the finals. Halliburton, obviously, he's coming off a, you know, gold medal run. He's having a fantastic season. Has a big matchup against the Bucs in the first round. And then what the Houston Rockets have been able to do as a team, as a young team to be the 2 seed in the West. You mentioned how bunched up they are in the West. But what Udoka's been able to do with that squad out on the west side, that's been awesome. So I'm excited to see obviously the playoffs start and then the new stars kind of make the names for themselves and obviously the old heads take care of business as well.

[Pat McAfee]

The Clippers are a team.

[Darius Butler]

Oh yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

They're doing Kawhi.

[Connor]

Jimmy Hort still there.

[Pat McAfee]

You talk about the old guard. Yeah, Kawhi.

[AJ Hawk]

Kawhi, absolutely.

[Pat McAfee]

47 minutes the other night. He's playing Harden's ball in.

[AJ Hawk]

Absolutely.

[Pat McAfee]

And the Clippers are a team now.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, they're squad Zubot like he's a beast on the boards, putting up double doubles every night. It was an interview a few weeks ago with Harden. I think they said if the season was to end, they were to be in the playing game. And he has no play in experience. And he was like, nah, don't plan on it. We won't be in it. And they closed out the season to make sure that they weren't in it. So on this first round matchup, I think all these matchups in the first round are going to be great regardless of how it shakes out. And this is when it matters, man. Even with betting, you know, we've been looking at, if you prop bettor and you've been looking at these numbers, maybe they're at 24, 25 now. You know, they're up around the 30. So guys are going to put up numbers, going to be big time moments and somebody's going to make some special memories for teams and fans out there.

[Pat McAfee]

OkC the odds on favorite to win the championship. Congrats to sga, that's obviously tough because they've never done it before. You know, SGA hasn't done it, so it's like hard to necessarily bet on that. But what they've done all season has just been great. The conversation about Oklahoma City all year has been. We should be talking about. Okay, we should be talking about. Ok, Seymour. Well, now's the time. National television, every single game. Good luck to SGA and the boys. Obviously, I think it's good for the NBA to have teams like Oklahoma City, to have teams like Indiana, to have teams that are in these cities that are very passionate about their, their teams, but not as many humans. And yeah, congrats to the NBA. We're in your time now.

[Ty Schmidt]

Let's go.

[Pat McAfee]

The time is now. NBA starts this evening. Stars are playing now. Let's talk about Jackie Robinson Day. Baseball is obviously happening. Jackie Robinson is one of the figures in baseball that gets celebrated. Celebrated in a massive way. I assume that continues today. Tyson.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, so every April 15th is Jackie Robinson Day. The MLB initiated it in 2004, so. And it just commemorates when Jackie Robinson made his debut. It was in 1947. A lot of people know he broke the modern day color barrier. So like the MLB had like 90 years of segregation before he played. He got treated like obviously, but his teammates loved him. And the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, there's a movie that came out that basically like, you know, kind of shows like what he had to go through to get Jackie Robinson. And obviously Jackie comes in and he's the, he's the best player in the bigs by a wide, wide margin. So yeah, every April 15, every team in the MLB and every umpire, they all wear 42 to just kind of celebrate and appreciate what he did for the game of baseball as a whole.

[Pat McAfee]

Couldn't imagine what his life was like going in front of a stadium of people walking out there. Oh yeah, you know, all by yourself. Had to feel alone a lot. Obviously for that time period. I was not alive then. I obviously could not relate to the situation. But walking out there all by yourself, not knowing what the response is going to be or the reaction is going to be. And then to perform the way he did at sport by not really letting everything outside kind of effective inside. What a moment for sport. What a moment for United States of America. Love that the MLB celebrates this.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, I love how they continue to do it as well. Talked about not knowing the. The other part about the scary part of that is knowing, you know, what type of response you're Going to get at a lot of these places and then the teammates, you know, it always. I'm sure it helped him a ton being with certain teammates that looked out for him. Actually watching that old Celtics doc that comment was talking about. Yeah. Bob Cousin. They was talking about Bill Russell and the other black teammates that were on that team. Just the different things they had to deal with traveling around the country. And a lot of times, you know, sports are kind of on the forefront of changing things like this in the color barrier in this country. Same thing happened in college football and a lot of these different sports. So it's dope what MLB continues to do for the Jackie Robinson legacy.

[Pat McAfee]

Sports are unifier. You know, you watch. Remember the Titans.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, there's like so many documented things that have happened throughout history that have brought the world together through sport and competition and also spectacle and saying, holy hell, what a talent. And that certainly was what Jackie Robinson was. So. Shout out to Jackie Robinson. Shout out to sports.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah, Jackie.

[Pat McAfee]

Shout out to April 15th. Shout to the world. Continuing to get better. And shout out to baseball. Having an entertaining season thus far. I've enjoyed turning on the games and watching Dodgers. Are we. Are we still all in on the Dodgers? I heard they got their asses beat by the Chicago Cubs. Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

They actually had their worst home loss in their franchise history against the Cubs.

[Pat McAfee]

Pummeled them. Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

Cubs have been one of, like, the big surprises. Yeah. Although they did just, you know, one of their best pitchers is going to need Tommy John. So it's a little that.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, baseball.

[Darius Butler]

So it's one of those things, really. The. The big thing so far, at least for me watching, is we need to get into the warmer months because it's been like, unseasonably cold in a lot of these places. We were in Pittsburgh and it really wasn't that bad, but like, it's like.

[Pat McAfee]

35, 40 degrees too.

[Darius Butler]

Too cold to be playing baseball. And you could see, like, skins is stuff like it doesn't move as much. So, like, all these guys are major league hitters. When it's that cold and you're throwing 95, you're just throwing like straight fastballs. So guys get pinged around a little bit. And even like. Like the Yankees, they've had a couple players come out and say, like, you know, like jazz Chisholm. He. They got him from the Marlins last year and he was like, I was playing in Miami, like, it's. It's too fucking cold. I can't play out here. He's like, he's got a terrible summer sport. Yeah, exactly. So. But yeah, there have been, you know, like all the kind of big teams who he thought would be good. Like the, the Mets have started very, very well. The Yankees had a little bit of a slump. They hit four homers last night and came out of it. Obviously the Dodgers, the Padres are undefeated at home so far this year. They're 11. And oh, at home.

[Ty Schmidt]

So.

[Darius Butler]

So it's one of those things where again, now you got the, the NBA playoffs start and the NHL playoffs are right around the corner. But if you find yourself on one of these nights where there's no other sports going on, like watching one of these kind of marquee games, like, you can do worse than that because you're seeing big time bombs from. You mentioned it with the stars in the NBA. Like, the stars have been performing early in this baseball season, which helps quite a bit.

[Pat McAfee]

Only thing that matters in sports, I think, is if the stars show up. Which brings us to the Masters. Ratings have been released for the Masters over the weekend. The Masters of golf down there in Augusta Georg, hard to find for like half the day, all the days until about 3:00, 12.7 million and then from 7 to 7:15 overtime, 19.5 million. People watch Rory put that thing to two feet after missing a putt to win it on 18. And then going into extra holes with Justin Rose. What a time for golf. And it's all because the stars showed up. Yeah. That is legitimately why any of these sports do well whenever your big name players play great. Now, I'm not saying there isn't time for a new name or an unknown to kind of break through, but for a league to have success, for a sport to have success, for the world to be interested, we need to know who the hell is kind of operating and performing. Rory McIlroy at the top of that thing with D Sham bro to kick off Sunday was beautiful Oberg, Scotty Scheffler in the mix, let alone Justin Rose doing his thing, who we obviously have known over the years. Huge for golf, massive for Rory in the numbers showcased it. Congrats to the Masters. Congrats to golf. And once again that leads directly back to the conversation of like, we wish that they were all golfing against each other every single weekend because this was. Phil missed the cut, Brooks missed the cut. A bunch of big names missed the cut at the Masters. Still brought a huge number and that's only going to continue. I love the sound of golf on the tv. Oh, God, it's the best in the background because it's one of those ones that will give you a heads up when you should watch, you know, because whether it's a commentator or it's the roar of the crowd or you'll see somebody's shot happening and you'll hear a roar from somewhere else and it's like, oh, can't wait till they cut to wherever that is. Here's guy you never heard of from 185 yards out. Well, I wonder what he's going to do here. Oh, stick it or put it in the hole. It's a wonderful sport. It's a great game. Obviously, a magical moment for Rory McIlroy. And golf had great weather and great results through the Masters. Good luck to all of them and congratulations. Now football's still cooking. There's news coming out of Miami. 1/2 of the hammer done Cowboys. AP Tone, Jalen Ramsey might be on the move from the Miami Dolphins. Do they have enough people to field a team down there? And obviously the draft is next week. Okay, we got WrestleMania this weekend. Cannot wait to get to Las Vegas then. The draft is next week in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This is when a lot of movement kind of takes place. Jalen Ramsey allegedly on his way out of the Miami Dolphins. Shador Sanders is doing another workout for the New York Giants this week. The Saints now need a quarterback. Feels like there's a lot of things brewing in the football world, Tone.

[Connor]

Yeah, a ton. And things don't seem to be great down in Miami. I saw a tweet where if they were to trade Jalen Ramsey, I believe four draft picks before the draft, they would only have $7 million in cap space, and that's about what they need to have for their draft pick. So then they wouldn't be able to sign anyone else. And as Gump knows, they. There's a lot of positions they still need to sign this off season. So things aren't going great down in Miami. But, like, as far as the draft's concerned and you talked about Shador, Jalen's.

[Pat McAfee]

A hell of a player that we need to make sure everybody understands.

[AJ Hawk]

Great player, top five corners still. Still in the prime of his career. Can play. We had the slot defender conversation yesterday. Can play outside, can play inside, can blitz, can cover, can tackle, can do absolutely everything at a high level at the cornerback position.

[Pat McAfee]

21 million with what we're seeing everybody else get paid at the current rate. Not bad for two pickup.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, he just got a bunt. What, last year, right? To make It.

[Connor]

Yeah, he went back to the table.

[Pat McAfee]

It's Chris Greer master class all over again. There's no vision. The guy got no idea what he's doing.

[Connor]

Paid this guy last year.

[Pat McAfee]

You're.

[Connor]

You're gonna trade him and then still.

[Pat McAfee]

Have the dead cap?

[Connor]

It makes no sense. Yeah, we don't have any safeties. We have two cornerbacks, maybe one defensive tackle.

[Pat McAfee]

Armstead, Campbell, Ramsey.

[Peter Schrager]

Gone.

[Connor]

All three of our leaders. We are cooked, folks.

[Pat McAfee]

It's. I'm close. I'm close. Don't do it.

[Connor]

I'm close to getting the NFL hat. I'm just gonna be a fan of the league.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm close. No, you can't be Rob Low and is that who the NFL hat. You can't do that. You've been a Dolphins fan through the thick, thick, thick of this entire thing. In the thin of this entire thing. So what? You're another year of probably not going to win at all. You know, at least we'll be lucky not to finish last in the East. Yeah, but if you finish last, you know what that brings. Draft season.

[Darius Butler]

Exactly. Good draft.

[Pat McAfee]

Draft season gets really.

[Connor]

You know, they say you can't win the off season. I will never forget that off season.

[Pat McAfee]

We got Tyreek.

[Connor]

I mean, that might have been the.

[Pat McAfee]

Best time of my life as a Dolphins fan. We did win the offseason. How's that going? Obviously now, but, you know, it was.

[Connor]

Fun for a year or two. Like, this sucks.

[AJ Hawk]

Tyreek just went back to the table, too. He got a bump. And if I had to make a bet today on AJ April 15, I don't. You know, I don't think Tyreek or Jayla Ramsey starts the season.

[Pat McAfee]

So who are you guys playing down there? Is this replacement football? You got Keanu Reeves in the boys.

[Connor]

We can't even pay our draft picks. We can't feel the team.

[Pat McAfee]

We got no all line. We got nothing. We got nothing. But we got. Show me the money.

[Connor]

We got that. We'll never forget that.

[AJ Hawk]

Got our franchise quarterback.

[Ty Schmidt]

Do we do like a Vince Papali? Yeah. This is Miami. I mean, you know how many superstar athletes are down there just waiting for an opportunity? Opportunity. Like if Mike McDaniel, he's the coolest guy in the South. You just have him kind of get some joe off the street. I bet Mike McDaniel can draw that League, man.

[Pat McAfee]

League man.

[Darius Butler]

A couple UFL guys, maybe.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, big weekend. Over a million people. That was rude. I think. Destroying hit from 50 something. Yeah. Big time kick. Love that.

[Ty Schmidt]

He could probably play. He could do the Tyreek Hill role.

[Pat McAfee]

For the Miami Dolphins. Yeah, it is interesting what Miami's doing down there. You said you can't win a Super bowl in the offseason. You can't win in the offseason. Feels like the Dolphins have certainly lost this offseason. You know, I don't know if anybody else has got worse than Miami, but keep on. Keep on trucking down there. You guys got great beach, great restaurants.

[Ty Schmidt]

Super nice weather is awesome.

[Pat McAfee]

Great UFC event.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Connor]

Jalen Waddle. Great, great player.

[Pat McAfee]

Love Jalen Waddle.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Cool dance. He needs to keep doing it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Tyreek's his mentor.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so let's get away from. Let's get away from the Miami Dolphins situation. Hopefully they're able to figure it out down there. And to the fin. Fam, though, we're pulling for you. Yeah, okay. We are. We are pulling for you. But draft conversation has heated up because the Saints now potentially needing a quarterback with Derek Carr's shoulder injury and potentially being out for an entire season. What the hell happened to him? What was it? How did he get hurt? Maybe this is why the Raiders were like, we're not letting you in our building. We don't know what's going to happen. Okay. We can't have any injuries take place. I'm excited to learn. Was he wakeboarding? Like, what. How do you. How do you hurt your shoulder so bad? You're going to miss an entire season ahead of time and nobody even knows it's going to take place. Godspeed for him on his recovery. The New Orleans Saints, are they in the market for a veteran quarterback? Are they in the market for maybe Aaron Rodgers? Are they in the market for a rookie quarterback? Who would be the rookie quarterback? Well, odds are saying maybe Sanders ends up down there. I think Shador would be awesome down there in the Bayou. Maybe. Jackson Dart obviously played in the sec, knows Southern hospitality, even though he's a Utah guy who was originally out in California. That kind of throws a curveball into this entire draft process. Shador working out with the Giants. Big deal. I think there's reports now coming out that potentially the Giants front office are a little bit torn on what quarterback is the right quarterback to go with. Remember, the Giants were all in on every veteran quarterback that he could possibly be in. Allegedly $100 million offer to Matthew Stafford, fully guaranteed. Allegedly Aaron Rodgers. They were fully in on Aaron Rodgers. Allegedly. They bring in Jameis. They bring in Russell Wilson, Shane and Day Ball. Understand the situation in New York, especially with last year's Hard Knocks Offseason with moving on from Saquon. Saquon going on doing what he did. Daniel Jones is now on the Indianapolis Colts so they understand that it is a pressure packed moment. Will they go with a rookie quarterback while also having a very veteran filled quarterback room him possibly to show him the way. Is it Shador? That's the convo happening this week, I guess.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Connor]

For the Giants there's always, there's always levels to this thing and you know we talk about day Ball and Shane. Is this their last season to potentially you know secure a job for, for their future because they were potentially on the hot seat this offseason and does drafting shoulder help them that with this. Help them with that this season if they are going to have Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston as their quarterback and then you know they're going for another workout which they've already attended. His, his pro or sorry his showcase workout. They were at every single one of the Colorado games this year. Whether that was for him or Travis Hunter or is you know a lot of people are speculating is this the owner coming in saying like I'm not worried about your guys jobs next year. I want Chider because he's going to be our quarterback for the future. So there's, there's levels to that on why there's going to be another private workout with Shadur. And then you know a couple weeks ago Kuiper actually mocked Jackson Dart to to the Saints. Now Shadur is the favorite odds on favorite to go to the saints right now plus125 I think plus330 for the Giants somewhere around there. But so the Saints were potentially looking at a quarterback already because of the car situation, not his injury but just they weren't going to move forward with him as their future quarterback. But now that this has happened it's, it's definitely like put a accelerant on this situation for their quarterback. Now a lot of people are thinking it's start A lot of people are thinking if he gets by, if Shitter Sanders gets by three it's definitely going to be the Saints for Shooter. So as far as that situation goes, it's, it's, I mean everything. All we know is Cam Ward's going one.

[Pat McAfee]

That's it.

[Darius Butler]

That's it.

[Pat McAfee]

Full chaos. Yeah. Next Thursday night at the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Which great we will be at.

[Darius Butler]

Wow.

[AJ Hawk]

Hell yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Shout out to the NFL folks.

[Connor]

Shout out.

[Pat McAfee]

Shout out to the, you know, let's go shake their hands. Let's try to make a Positive out of this entire thing, which we always try to do in every situation legitimately. There might be some times where it doesn't feel that way, but inevitably going to try to be an additive to everything. So we will be there. Full chaos is potentially looming for this NFL draft.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Because the Browns allegedly were only taking a quarterback. That was like months ago. Browns are definitely taking a quarterback now. They're not definitely taking a quarterback somehow. And then the Giants, well, if there's their quarterback available or are they going to take the best player available in Travis Hunter? And then what happens with the Patriots pick? Is somebody going to trade up now because there's potential quarterbacks ahead of that? It's. This is the most amount of question marks I think we've had going into a draft since we've covered it, especially in the first five, ten picks.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, definitely the order. Like, it feels like we know, like Ward's going one, but we know Ward, Hunter and Carter are going in the top four. Like, no matter what, they're not falling past New England because for New England, they're going to take Carter or they're going to take Hunter if they're there. If not, that's when they could trade. Well, that's when the trade back would come into place where like it will if the Saints, you know, if Sanders is there at 4, who says the Saints or someone else now because of this Jackson Dart conversation, like someone in that mid tier who maybe thought like, oh, early on this guy's going to fall to us. But now all of a sudden, and you know, they don't know. And Abdul Carter, who's represented by Drew Rosenhaus, he has his final meeting today and that's with the Patriots. And Rosenhaus told Carter, like, hey, we're only visiting the top four teams. We're not going past any of these other players or any of these other places you're going to go in the top four. So it really does depend, like, where are, you know, the Browns and Giants at when it comes to the quarterback? Because, you know, we've referenced it a bunch of times. But. But the other thing, and this was before we even knew Cam Ward was locked in at 1. The only thing that we knew was the Browns were taking a quarterback at 2. And that was like before 10. Like, that's still when Tennessee had questions if they were going to take a quarterback or if they were going to.

[Pat McAfee]

Trade out generational players, if they were.

[Ty Schmidt]

Going to take, yeah, a Carter, Abdul Carter or, you know, Travis Hunter because they've been Talked about as generational players and obviously it's clearly gone to cam ward over them too, but it's just insane. I'm so pumped up.

[Pat McAfee]

Up for me as well. Cannot wait for next Thursday In Green Bay, Wisconsin. This weekend in Las Vegas for WrestleMania. We'll be live Friday from WWE World, 9:00am local in Vegas.

[Ty Schmidt]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

That's early.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Noon show, obviously. Eastern, 9am Local. Doors for WWE World Open at 8am and Roman Reigns, the original tribal chief, will be joining us at 9:15 local. Cannot wait to hear his thoughts. Just days before the main event against CM Punk and Seth freaking Rollins and then Triple H. The mind behind this WrestleMania will join us in a second hour. And I believe there's one more massive guest that we will announce later this week joining us on Friday. We cannot wait to get out there. And then on Monday we'll be out there as well. Massive guests in abundance. We cannot wait for WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas. And also the time is now for the NBA to take over prime time slots. For the NBA to take over topical sports conversations for the NBA to find out who their next champion will be. Tonight, there's playing games to decide the eastern and western conferences, seventh and eighth seeds. Who will tell us more information about that than the man that runs the game, the best agent in the NBA, the founder of Klutch sports, friend of the program, ladies and gentlemen, Richard Paul. Rich.

[Peter Schrager]

Fellas.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so you told us you might potentially be in transit. The fact that you're not, I want to let you know we thank you for. We thank you for it because you were worried about the quality of the connection, I think. So you're only holding up right now for us to talk to us, so we appreciate you. Rich, great to see you. Okay, let's talk about this. NBA playoffs are where stars are made. This is when the whole world is watching the NBA prime time. Every single.

[Peter Schrager]

The best time of year. Best time of year right now.

[Pat McAfee]

It is. It probably does feel like that way is imaging right. Like real people.

[Peter Schrager]

Well, with. Yeah, you have everything. All the sports are, you know, the draft, NFL draft. Now you have the NBA playoffs, obviously hockey and then getting back into baseball. So it's that. It's that time of year. It's perfect. I just came from the masters, which was unbelievable, by the way.

[Pat McAfee]

So you were down there. Wow.

[Peter Schrager]

It was incredible. Yeah, it was incredible.

[Pat McAfee]

Incredible. What you have. Do you have the fermento cheese sandwich or whatever they call it?

[Peter Schrager]

I did not. But I did have the peach ice cream sandwich, which Was great. You know, my good friends that at Delta really took care of me. Ed Bash was a good friend of mine and CEO of Delta and his team, Anakin, his team, they really, really rolled out the green carpet for us. So it was fantastic. I really enjoyed the trip.

[Pat McAfee]

Great. The green carpet, I like that. How about nobody on their cell phones? How awesome is that? Beautiful times.

[Ty Schmidt]

No cell phones.

[Peter Schrager]

I'm not gonna lie. I panicked for about two hours. But after I realized. It's okay. It was good. It was good. But they did have phone service, just not just your cell phone. It was great.

[Pat McAfee]

It's like you feel like you're gonna miss everything, you know, and then you get back to your phone and you realize, okay, I can take a day away from this. Was that your first time down there?

[Peter Schrager]

That's my first time. I've been invited a few times. Hadn't, hadn't, hadn't gone. But this time, you know, I couldn't, couldn't turn it down. It was great. It's really great.

[Pat McAfee]

Are you a golf ball?

[Peter Schrager]

Something I look to go back for every year. I'm not a big time golfer, but I did find myself watching the rest of the Masters, which, you know, and then I did see my golf coach at a game and so maybe that's all a sign. Maybe I'll get back into it.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, they say a lot of business is done out there on that golf course, Rich.

[Peter Schrager]

I assume you know I can do business anywhere, man. I don't need.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, let's talk about the business. Tonight. The play in game seven and eight taking each other on in the Eastern and Western Conference winner cements itself as the seventh seed. Loser has to take on the winner of the nine, 10 games happening tomorrow night. When we look at tonight, Eastern Conference not as deep as the Western Conference feels like. Grizzlies, warriors, obviously a lot more hype than Hawks magic. How should we be viewing these games tonight, Rich, in your eyes?

[Peter Schrager]

Yeah. You know, the hype is one thing. Obviously, anytime Steph Curry and, and you know, the Draymonds of the world are involved, it's going to be hyped. But when you think about the east matchup, it's pretty, you know, it's pretty even, evenly matched. You look at Paolo and Wagner, obviously have Trey and Dyson. Dyson is right up there for probably most improved, but definitely on the first team, all defense. I think they'll miss Jalen Johnson, the Hawks and obviously the magical Ms. Suggs with his ball pressure. Although they have KCP and Anthony Black, who. Who defends the ball really well. You know, I imagine mostly he's going to put Trey in every pick and roll and also blitz him on the. On the offensive, on the defensive end and make someone else beat him. And then, you know, with the Hawks, I think there are others going to have to step up. I mean, you know, Trey could be Trey at times, but. But he's going to be dealing with much bigger defenders. It's going to be interesting. You know, it's a toss up. This is really a toss up. This one is okay, so it can go either way.

[Pat McAfee]

Eastern Conference, toss up. Western Conference, Grizzlies, Warriors. Tonight, Jimmy Butler being added to the warriors, does that change them? Because Steph's.03 in play, in games is the stat. And does that matter now that Jimmy's on the squad?

[Peter Schrager]

It definitely does. It definitely does. Anytime you ask someone that has that, you know, that playoff experience, like a Jimmy, he's been to the Finals, you know, twice, and, you know, he's. He's been playoff Jimmy for many years now. You add that to Adremon and the Steph who we know what their championship pedigree is and how they lock in during the playoffs. They're going to be tough to beat. They're going to be tough to beat. But you got those young guns, you got those young guys over there. And in Memphis, Ken, Jarrett, Jackson stay on the floor is going to be the real issue there. Bane, look for him to have a big game and Ja will beat Ja, but I think from a Golden State perspective, it's going to be the others that really helps them win this game. Can Moody and Paj really make shots if they're on the floor? I thought last game, having Peyton and Draymond kind of shrunk the floor for them versus, you know, having some guys that can actually help spread the floor. So when Steph gets into his coming off of different screens and things like that, have a little bit more spacing. And then when you have Jimmy there, just all three of those guys made a little bit tough, but I know more for the defensive end of things, so we'll see how that works. Tonight. I would have to probably give the home court advantage aspect to it. And obviously Steph is always Steph. Anytime you have him, you definitely have a chance. But, you know, this is what the playoffs are made of. You know, this is where guys really, really step up and take advantage of the moment. But I do think Bane will be the X factor in tonight's game.

[Pat McAfee]

Love that. Remember the teams that lose tonight are not necessarily out. They will have another opportunity. They will have to play against the winner of the 910 seed to inevitably get the 8 seed in their respective conferences. Let's talk about the playoff picture a little bit more. D Bud has a question for you, Rick.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

With the matchups, obviously we got to figure out what's going on with the top two seeds after the play in. But with the first round matchups that we already know on the east and west, which ones are you most interested in, you think will be most interested in the first round?

[Peter Schrager]

Look, listen, that Nugget Clipper series is going to be tough. Obviously you have to deal with Jokic, but Kawhi seems to look extremely healthy and they've really managed him properly getting him halfway through the season, managing his back to backs. I think he played his first back to back not too long ago. He looks incredible. And you know T Lew and his game planning. He's always going to come prepared. James is tough off that. You know, anytime you can set a high ball spring, he's getting downhill. He loves to draw fouls and obviously if he has a three going, he's really tough to stop. But Jokic is Jokic and they've been there before. And so that matchup is going to be, I think that goes seven and then you have the Timberwolves, Lakers matchup. That's not going to be an easy one for anybody. Anytime you're dealing with that youth, that size that the Timberwolves have and obviously Ant being able to be Ant, he can give you 40 any night. On the other side, you have the experience with LJ and Luka being at the level that they play, IQ wise, et cetera. But they're going to have to depend on their others as well. Austin Reaves would be the X factor in that series, I believe. And then when you look on the East, I'm looking forward to that Detroit Knicks series. Oh yeah, I think that's a bad matchup for the Knicks. And JB Bickersab has those guys playing really, really well. And so, you know, look, I think, I don't think there's. Look, the Cavs and Celtics, they can't sleep, depending on who they get. And then obviously, you know, the Rockets, the Rockets play the warriors. That'd be very interesting, very interesting series there. And so look, it's the playoffs, man, I think anybody can be beat. There's never been this much parity in our league. I think I said this to you guys before, so you know, I'll be glued. I'll be at some.

[Pat McAfee]

Glued.

[Peter Schrager]

I'll be. You know, this is a time where you don't have enough monitors. And, you know, being at a game is kind of torture for a guy like myself because I like to hear and see everything that's going on.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you need to catch up on happenings around the entire NBA that you run. You know, you need to at least keep your heads. Yeah. The issue when you're at one game is there's only two teams here. There's a bunch of other things happening that obviously you have to monitor and keep your eye out for. And you talk about the parody of the league. I think it's been electrifying, and I think it's all because of the stars. You talk about Kawhi coming back. It's like, that's good for basketball because even if people haven't paying attention all season to catch casual fan, they know Kawhi's name. They know the Kawhi moments.

[Peter Schrager]

Absolutely.

[Pat McAfee]

Harden too. Harden back too. In the bright lights. Great news for the NBA. I think, as a whole, having them now. The NBA made some massive moves, I think, very close to the playoffs. Connor has a question for you, Rich.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Rich, it feels weird that two teams, the Nuggets and the Grizzlies, who are in the playoffs and still hunting for a championship, would fire their coaches over the last month or so before the most important time starts. Is that normal? Like, what the hell happened there? Is Jokic now the head coach of the Nuggets and then his jaw the head coach of the Grizzlies? I assume the second one. Probably not. But maybe Jokic, with his basketball IQ everyone talks about as the head coach of the Nuggets now, like, can you tell us what really went on there, what the situation was? And also, I know you have a million things to do, but, you know, we're still waiting on our clutch sports hats, and I see you have one on, and they're really cool.

[Peter Schrager]

Well, this is not a clutch sports hat. It's clutch athletics. But they're in the way. We'll send you both. We'll send you both. No, I think the last thing Jokic wants to do is coach. I don't think he has any desire to do that. He has enough with his. Between him putting up triple doubles and his horses. But I think, you know, it's uncharacteristic. It's not something that we've seen consistently throughout our league. But. But at the end of the day, when Owners make decisions. It's their team. They're making a decision for the reasons that they all know internally. And so some good coaches, pretty good coaches, were let go of their roles. And, you know, the timing of it, again, very different. We haven't seen that before. But at the same time, they made the decisions, and now the team has to focus. All these teams have to focus towards the playoffs with Memphis and obviously Denver, the Phoenix situation, three coaches in three years, I think they look to have some consistency there. Obviously, the guy there for them that I think is probably likely the mainstay is a guy like Devin Booker, has a lot invested there and doesn't seem like the type of guy that want to be uprooted unless you force his hand. And so I'll see. We'll all see what happens there. But I do imagine they try to go a little younger maybe, and try to have some consistency there within their coaches. They've had changes. It's hard to have continuity when you have that many changes at the head coaching position. The Mike Malone thing, he had been there, What, I think 10 years, won a championship, come from a great coach's pedigree. And obviously, I've known Mike a long time. He's an unbelievable coach. I don't think he has a. A hard time finding a job if he wants one. And the same with Taylor Jenkins. I don't think those guys have a hard time finding, you know, an occupation.

[Pat McAfee]

Malone just won, right then. He just won. Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Schrager]

A couple years ago. Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, look, it happens. I've been in situations where coach went to the NBA Finals the year before and was fired midway through the season. Oh, Vogel and. Well, no, Vogel actually won a championship and was let go the following season. But Black was. Blatt was let go during the season. And again, we all know. I think you kind of joked about it earlier in terms of why those things happen. The owners make these decisions. Players don't make these decisions. The owners make the decisions. And so they made a decision that they think is best for their organization going forward.

[Pat McAfee]

I was wondering how LeBron got all these coaches fired from all these other teams, you know, because that's always the.

[AJ Hawk]

LeBron is LeBron.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Leg owner.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Yeah. Little guy that runs NBA.

[Peter Schrager]

We know how that goes.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I didn't know Joker had some Leokage in him, too. You know, it is wild that these things happen, though.

[Peter Schrager]

Like, you know, these things happen much above those guys. And, you know, obviously, the star players, they take some of the blame or whatever the case may be, you know, but. But, you know, I think. I think ownership has, has an idea of which way they want to go in. So we'll see. We'll see.

[Pat McAfee]

I do love that these owners are all billionaires, you know, with egos, and they think they got to figure it out. Stephen A. Smith in. I mean, Ishby is a friend of the program. Stephen A. Smith said, you're staring down potentially the worst owner of all time.

[AJ Hawk]

Three coaches, three years, tough.

[Pat McAfee]

You're staring down with all the deals that they made and all the trades that they made. They weren't able to do anything at the deadline because they would have been so hamstrung in the future because of all the trades and everything they've given up. So it's like the Phoenix Suns now find themselves in a beautiful city. Beautiful, beautiful city. Phoenix is awesome place.

[Ty Schmidt]

The arena.

[Pat McAfee]

The arena. Glorious. The Gorilla. The Gorilla, their mascot. Great gorilla. And KD wants to leave, but you just mentioned it. They're going to have to go younger. They're going to have to do full rebuild, basically in Phoenix. Right. Because Kevin Durant probably on his way out. When do those discussions really start happening?

[Peter Schrager]

You know, I. I think it depends on what happens this summer. Obviously, Brad has the no trade, but, you know, Kevin's in a different, in a different situation. What you're hearing is they're probably going to work together and try to find a solution. Whichever team wants to add a. Kevin at this stage of his career has to be looking to win a championship. And then what do you give up? Right? I think that's the biggest question for Phoenix. Again, Matt's a friend and obviously he's new to the ownership over the last few years. It's tough. You have guys that want to come in, you want to win, you're determined to win, and you have that competitive nature. But in the NBA, it's all about flexibility. It's all about assets and flexibility. And anytime you are stricken with that, it's very hard to make change for the better. You know, that's going to be a tough, tough, tough hole to dig out of. But, you know, I think they, they'll find a way to have some type of positive direction. I think he's having a conversation with Book and see how long he can withstand maybe not being at that playoff contention level. And if, and if he can have some patience from that perspective, then it gives you a little bit more capability to strategize. If that is not so much, then you have to think about, okay, we have to move everybody and start all over. You know, these next few drafts have some strong talent in it. And, you know, with the way things are set up from a CBA perspective, you know, it's going to get harder and harder to maintain these level of players on these major, major contracts for as many years as you need to actually to win. And so if you have it already and you're not successful, then you have to somehow figure out how to unclog those pipes and kind of allow it to be a different flowing system there.

[Pat McAfee]

Unclog the pipes, you know, you gotta take that plunger out. And I think Ishbi is not scared to do that. You know, he would mop the floors.

[Peter Schrager]

No, I don't think so. He told us.

[Pat McAfee]

He told us, my fans, Phoenix Suns fans, don't want to hear about luxury tax. They don't care. And he's paid the most, I think.

[Peter Schrager]

I don't care about. If you listen, I've seen it with Dan Gilbert, I've seen it with. I know HP is not caring about paying the luxury tax if his team is winning. We've seen it with the Warriors. You know, when you're winning, it's a different dynamic. But at the same time, how long do you want to carry that?

[Pat McAfee]

Right? I think Boston and you're not making the playoffs and then you can't make any moves. It's like Ishmael's got to be sitting there going, I was doing mortgages two years ago.

[Peter Schrager]

I think he's a very smart guy. He's built an unbelievable business that afforded him to buy the team so he can figure this out. And again, look at what Boston's doing. They have a huge payroll. They won last year. I think they'll be right there this year in the conversation to win it again. Then what do they do this summer? Right? That's another conversation. Whether you're winning or losing, it's problematic when you have that level of contraction, contracted players. So, you know, we'll see.

[Pat McAfee]

I got a loan from HBS company, you know, so I'm helping support the entire thing out there. It feels like he's just throwing out the window, really. He's looking for a 30 year. He's looking for a 30 year on these guys that things only happen in, you know, in a two year span. Excited to see what happens with Kevin Durant because remember all the excitement whenever he went to Phoenix. Here we go. That's gonna be it. I mean, yeah, you're right everywhere, but whenever he went To Phoenix, it was, here we go. Him, Booker in Phoenix, gonna be the team that's gonna lead the Suns back. And then now it's just not.

[Peter Schrager]

But it's not just about names, right? You gotta have cohesive, cohesiveness. You have to have. Obviously, there's. It's a team thing. So you know what that depth looks like, how those guys actually fit the mold, the comradery within the locker room and things like that. Losing obviously hurts everything. Winning heals a lot of different wounds. And so, you know, look, the names on the back of the jersey is one thing. We've seen it not work in other instances. Twenty years ago, it didn't work when the Lakers had all the names, they walked into Detroit and they was beat 4:1 in the finals. So that's not the end all, be all. I always love a big two. I don't really love a big three. I don't really. People talk big three, but, you know, the big three thing has never really worked. And you say, well, what happened in Miami, that wasn't really a big three. There was three guys that were winning the lottery, and they did really well individually on their team. So they put up big numbers and had big accomplishments. But when you think about it, Bosh was the ultimate professional. He took a back seat and he played a role in which, because he had such a high IQ and he was such a professional as an individual, his approach to everything is what made that work. When you look in Boston, okay, you can say Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce was a big Three. Again, thinking about names, but the way that offense was ran, Rondo's capability during that time, it was a lot different. When you seen people go for that, that it never really worked. And I've had this conversation with several different, you know, owners of teams and. And having this debate whether you go Big three, whether you not go Big three. I like a big two in depth is what I like. You know, that seems to be a winning pedigree.

[Pat McAfee]

Need people to buy in. You know, we talk about that Olympic team, and it's like you got all these superstars that are just doing their role, doing their job. Tatum.

[Peter Schrager]

Yeah, but how many them play big? You know, they play. They. I mean, you look at the effort that Devin Booker made. He starred in a row on that team, but. But on that team, coming in there, you have the. This approach already to know that this is what I have to do. It's very hard to get the guys to do that on a team that I'M a max player on, so I should be this player. Right? And then you have the people around them and the. The comments being made. It's just, you know, it's all about the mindset and your approach, so. But I prefer, again, I don't want to go into team ownership or run a team, but if I was to do that, my focus would be a big two depth guys with a professional attitude and approach, guys that want to start in a role and that are selfless night in and night out and giving a value and effort on both ends of the floor, night in, night out. And that normally equates to winning. I've been a part of winning teams for many years, whether it's through high school, in the pros, being around it for many years. That equates to winning for sure. And also equates to winning within an environment of what you guys are building.

[Pat McAfee]

Everything as well. Yeah, everything. I think you get everybody bought in. Obviously, that is the best for the entire team. You look at what Boston's doing right now, right? That's Tatum and Brown. And then everybody just kind of of bought in around that.

[Ty Schmidt]

No doubt.

[Peter Schrager]

And they have selfless Pritchard. Selfless. Yeah. We know what Holiday brings to the table. Derrick White, we've seen what he did, you know, in the Olympic team and also in Boston. Just a selfless mentality. Look at Al Horford, again, been in the league for so many years, a champion, selfless. And so that is a winning pedigree. It just is.

[Ty Schmidt]

And then even if you go back, like, that's how the spurs won so many championships, like, hey, Ginobi could have.

[Peter Schrager]

Started on any team in the NBA. He embraced the role coming off the bench as a sixth man, but he finished the game and he was unbelievable. So, again, we've seen this work time and time again. And I guarantee you ask any gm, any winning coach, any winning, you know, owner, they'll tell you the same thing.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, let's talk about big two. That there is now in Los Angeles, but it used to look very different. That guy down in Dallas still has a job. They're telling him to his face he doesn't deserve it. Mavericks fans. Ty, is a question for you.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, Rich. It was reported that Nico Harrison is holding a press conference today with Dallas media, but no, no recording devices are allowed to come in or anything like that. He kind of just wants to, I guess, I don't know, set the stage for before the play. Play in game. Have you a. Have you ever heard of something like this happening before and then B, like, is there anything really outside of the Mavs winning a championship that he can do to kind of save face, or is this thing inevitably going to kind of crash and burn because we see what Luca's doing in la?

[Peter Schrager]

Look, I, you know, I. Obviously it's a tough spot to be in, but. But I, I know Nico many years. I know the person he is, I know the man that he is, the father that he is. And so I don't question Nico when it comes to. To things. Obviously, he made a business decision that they felt was the right decision for their organization and they followed through with it. And so at the end of the day, that ownership group and that front office made a decision. I've moved on from that because obviously I have Anthony Davis there that needs to really focus and try to turn whatever the culture or the environment is into a positive. The best way he can. Obviously can't replace the guy that they traded, but he has a job to do. And so, you know, again, this is. This is something that we've never seen before, and everyone wants to blame it somewhere or not, but obviously that's the seat you sit in that comes with the territory, and so you have to take on those things. And I'm sure Nico is trying to handle that to the best of his ability, but ultimately, you know, I think that's going to be a forever state. Obviously, you know, we've seen the game when they went back and played there, and we know how beloved Luka was there, but, you know, decisions are made and at some point, you know, we all have to move on. And so I know it's. It's tough for that environment, that fan base and so on and so forth, but, you know, I just think if you continue to focus there, it's going to always be this greatness. And I think that's unfair to the guys that's there every day putting in the work, putting in the effort, trying to win ball games. And so, you know, I don't know how he, how he, how he pleases, pleases everyone there. I don't think you can please everyone in, in life all the time. And so, yeah, when you make a decision, you have to move on.

[Pat McAfee]

So in the NFL, we had hard knocks off season and Joe Shane, the general manager of the Giants, was like on in AK basically saying, we can't. We're not paying Saquon Barkley that amount of money. We need to move on from Saquon.

[Peter Schrager]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And then Saquon goes and wins super bowl and is player of the Year and breaks a rushing record for a season with the Philadelphia Eagles in the division right in front of his face. And it's like this Luka trade, with Luka and LeBron seemingly working out and playing very well, Nico's going to have to watch that. And you said it's a. It's a gray that it gets chatted about. And I understand for you, especially representing players that are on the Mavericks and how everybody was talking about how the Mavericks got fleeced here and. And everything like that, I couldn't even imagine the convos you have to have with Anthony Davis, because the way he's being talked about is if he's not, you know, a former NBA champion and a top 10, top 15 player in this whole thing. But, boy, if the Lakers go on a run here and Luka does what he did last year for the Mavs and take them to the Finals, it is going to be loud for Nico forever. And I'm happy you know him, because I don't know him. The only thing I know of him is he made a decision that everybody that I know around basketball said, oh, this guy's trying to make his fans hate him. Like, this guy is trying to tank the team. And if he's not trying to do that, that'd be a tough thing to have to battle against for the rest of your career. Good luck, Nico. Good luck. Good luck. No recorder in this conversation. Nico just wants to introduce himself and maybe to the reporters and keep it moving going forward. This guy accomplished business with Nike. Now he's running the Dallas Mavericks. New ownership, obviously, they got Clay down there, they got AD down there. They obviously have a squad that, you know, maybe is able to turn around. And maybe the story is different next year, but this year, well, they.

[Peter Schrager]

They. Listen. They haven't been healthy, I think, as a healthy team, but they moved on.

[Pat McAfee]

From Luca because they didn't think he could play right. And they say this guy's too fat, too slob, not good enough to play.

[Peter Schrager]

And then their team listen again. I'm. I can't, you know, mask whatever decision that was made. That's my. That's not my job. What I will say is they're not healthy. So whenever they're able to be whole, it's not one versus the other. It's whatever they felt like the team would be better positioned for going forward now, you know, as long as these guys do well on this other end in terms of where Luka is now at, and obviously, yeah, that's going to sting. That's always happens. You know, we call it after cards. And so same way with Saquon. If Saquon does not win a Super bowl or whatever the case may be, then you, you know, the sting is probably a little bit less. But the fact that he did win, yes, it's going to sting. And that's, that's, that's the thing. That's the price that you pay when you make those type of decisions. That's the risk that you, that you take when you make those type of decisions. But look, we're all, we're all, we've all been in situations where we have to make big boy business decisions. And when you make those decisions, you have to live with the consequences of those decisions. That just comes with the territory when you are a decision maker. And so, yeah, we'll see. We'll see. But again, Nico is somebody who's, who's a dear friend to me and someone that I support and love as a friend. And I know his family. I've been around him for 20 plus years. And, you know, he made a business decision and so he has to, he has to move forward with what he think was right. And obviously, Luke is in a different place now. And the Lakers have a big matchup with the Timberwolves and they have some things they have to correct. They don't have a perfect roster, they don't have a perfect team. It's going to take a valiant effort for them on both ends of the floor. They have to take better care of the ball and things of that nature and better care, you know, different shot selection and really, really dig in. This Timberwolves team is not going to be easy to beat. They're not going to be easy to beat. And you know, I know it's three versus six, but I think it's actually closer to that. So we'll see.

[Pat McAfee]

In the Western Conference, two through eight are like four games apart in win, loss. So you're talking about a lot of parity over there. Every matchup is going to be high stakes, high risk, high reward. Cannot wait to watch it. We appreciate the hell out of you, Rich. Rich, Good luck the rest of the day and we'll talk to you soon.

[Peter Schrager]

No, I appreciate you guys. Thank you.

[Pat McAfee]

Hello? It's Rich. All right. He's gone.

[Darius Butler]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

See, I'm not doing this. Yeah, I'm not doing it.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, thanks.

[Pat McAfee]

Don't, don't. Don't you patronize me. Don't you do that. Every time I FaceTime I get some sort of hello.

[Darius Butler]

As you should.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, goat.

[Pat McAfee]

We're talking goats around here. I mean he's surrounded by goats himself. Nico's dear friend, okay. I've known him for 25 years. He made decision, he made a business decision. And then him repping AD and then AD finding out at what, 1am or whatever. Allegedly there was group text messages. Everybody thought it was fake. They thought it was a Sentel. They thought it was NBA Sentel. They thought Shams got hacked, I mean, seemingly shocked the entire system of the NBA. Now Luka and LeBron can go on a run. Luka crying as they were showing. By the way, you can tell the digital team had a lot of love for Luka.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, they were big fans.

[Pat McAfee]

You can tell the video team was like not happy that this took place with the amount of effort they put in that video. Behind the scenes laughing everything about him and he started crying up and then he dropped 40 on him. Had to do it. It felt like Lucas said to him. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

And then the other big story of that game was during the, you know, opening tip, guess who didn't shake hands. LeBron and AD after the game, guess guess who stuck around and shook the hand of every single Lakers player except for LeBron James, Anthony Davis. I don't know. I didn't want to put Richard. Looks like two of his, you know, big time players don't like each other anymore.

[Pat McAfee]

Uh oh, uh oh. Well certainly ask Rich Ball about that going forward. L.J. i believe is how he referred to LeBron. This is like when you know the Rock, Mr. Johnson, Dewey, D.J. dwayne, don't know the proper title.

[Darius Butler]

High Chief, Final Boss, Bingo.

[Pat McAfee]

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[AJ Hawk]

Visit prizepix.com for restrictions and details.

[Pat McAfee]

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[Hembo]

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[Pat McAfee]

Finally, Edge Boost has a suite of responsible gambling tools to help you manage your bankroll and make informed decisions. What are you waiting for? Go to edgeboost Bet. That's edgeboost Bet. Sports are fantastic. And on this Jackie Robinson day, Hembo sent over some life stats about how sports unify the world, how sports change the world, how sports lead the way for the rest of the world. Which is why we're incredibly proud to be a part of the sports world. April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in sports. That's why we're celebrating today. July 26, 1948 a year and a few months later, Harry Truman issued the Executive Order 9981 which abolished military discrimination. Then on May 17, 1954, Brown versus the Board of Education Racial segregation in public schools deemed unconstitutional. Jackie Robinson is credited with leading the way for all of it. From 1949 through 1962, 11 of the 14 NL MVPs were black. Jackie Robinson Roy Campanella Willie Mays Roy Campanella Don Newcomb Hank Aaron Ernie Banks Frank Robinson Maury Wills Most War from 1947 to 1956 what is war? As wins above replacement Stan Musial 75.6 Ted Williams 61.5 Jackie Robinson 61.4 that spanned Robinson's entire career. A lot of people talk about him changing the game, changing the world. He was also brilliant as a baseball player. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Was quoted as saying, jackie Robinson made my success possible. Without him, I would never have been able to do what I did. Shout out to sports. Shout out to Jackie Robinson on this April 15, 2025. And also shout to you getting your taxes done. Yeah, they'll get you.

[Darius Butler]

Yes, they will.

[Pat McAfee]

They will. Shout out to Jackie. What a dog talk stables here. Oss Conner and at Ty Schmidt. One half of the hammer done Cowboys. AP Tone is here. Nine year NFL vet, host of everything. DB Good D Bad D Darius J. Butlers. Yes, sir. D Bunch D Butch. Baseball's a thing. The NHL is happening and the NBA starts its playoffs with their playing games this evening. The masters just had 19 million people watch over the weekend. And the draft is next weekend. Wrestlemania is a few days away. Feels like it is a magical time for sport.

[AJ Hawk]

Darius J. Butler, Rich just said is the perfect time for sports. Obviously it's mania season. We just had raw last night, which was incredible by the way. Great job out there with Cole, but thank you, Sacramento.

[Pat McAfee]

Long flight.

[AJ Hawk]

And we talk about the playoffs like I, I a couple years ago got into hockey playoffs. It's hard for me to say it's the best because I am a football guy through and through, but it's right there. Hockey playoffs, baseball is in full swing now and NBA playoffs. This is when it really, really matters. And we talk about golf, the golf world. When the best are playing against each other, that's when it's the best. But playing starts tonight. NBA playoff starts tonight. And then once we have the playing done after these next few days, then we have all the matchups on both sides. Should be a great time for basketball.

[Pat McAfee]

Speaking of basketball, AD and LeBron did shake hands.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. Comments.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you're just making up life. Look at this. Look at. They got their whole hand shaking.

[Darius Butler]

Handshake.

[Pat McAfee]

Whole handshaking. Yeah. The Internet saying AD and LeBron had their full handshake in. They knew it was going to be emotional. It was Lucas night, you know, it's not about that. It was Lucas night is what they were doing. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, live from Anakin, Ohio is a college football national champion, a college football legend and icon, a Super bowl champion, a father of 10. Ladies and gentlemen, A.J. hawk Hawker. How you doing, pal? Thank you for traveling out here yesterday. What a wonderful time in sport.

[Ashton Genti]

Oh, what a beautiful time. But you did Forget. I believe F1 Saudi Arabia is this weekend as well. So that might be top thing for people to especially guys like Darius don't want to see.

[AJ Hawk]

AJ thank you. Thank you. I appreciate they're coming off the Bahrain Grand Prix in Japan. The what In Bahrain.

[Connor]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

It's a country.

[Connor]

No, but they were just in Japan.

[AJ Hawk]

They were.

[Connor]

It was before.

[Peter Schrager]

I'm glad.

[AJ Hawk]

Program is dialed in.

[Ty Schmidt]

Where's Bay Ring?

[Peter Schrager]

Who won?

[Pat McAfee]

He doesn't know, bro.

[AJ Hawk]

We just talked about every mania. I mean, big night out still on my mind.

[Darius Butler]

You can end the gimmick.

[AJ Hawk]

It was a lot going on, but no, I believe it. Yeah, Lando. I think George Russell came in second.

[Pat McAfee]

George Russell, huh?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. The singer.

[AJ Hawk]

Yep.

[Ty Schmidt]

George Michael, third.

[AJ Hawk]

Told you. Good race, though. Good race.

[Darius Butler]

Sounds like it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Where in the world is that?

[Ashton Genti]

Good race?

[Connor]

Oh, Piastri won.

[AJ Hawk]

That's what I said.

[Ty Schmidt]

Pistorius is racing cars now.

[Pat McAfee]

Poor little Tink. Tink is out there. Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Every team has scored points.

[Pat McAfee]

They got this guy coming out to this race. You got to check in over here. Walked.

[Ty Schmidt]

Walked in with the pedals on his feet. That's the gas in the brake pedal.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't think he's free, though. Williams had no idea, no idea at the time what that was going to become. They got this. Man, that was cheating. Yeah. Okay. I'm happy that we all understand that now. And it's like we're allowed to say that. I wanted to say at the time, and I did say it at the time, and I was considered a bad guy. You don't want this guy to be able to compete with everybody. Why? Because he doesn't have. It's like, well, is caf ever cramp? Would there ever be any. It feels like an advantage. You could just tighten those things up. You know, guys get tired as the meets go on. He was getting fresher somehow. He was getting more bounce in per the ants than everybody else. And then obviously Cat Williams thought the same exact thing. He said, we got this guy. And then he, you know, what happened, happened.

[Ashton Genti]

Good bit.

[Pat McAfee]

That was unbelievable. Cat. There was a time there where Cat was released in an hour every single year.

[Connor]

The Pimp Chronicles.

[Ty Schmidt]

He's still breaking it in interviews.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he's still breaking it. Yeah. Cat William's always gonna break it. It does feel like poor little Tank. Tank. He's racing F1.

[AJ Hawk]

Tank.

[Ashton Genti]

Tank's out. He's out of jail.

[AJ Hawk]

Piastri.

[Pat McAfee]

No way.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah, I believe he's out. I believe I saw somebody's got a. He's got a girlfriend.

[Connor]

I think he picked a lot with us.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, all right.

[Ty Schmidt]

What's your problem? Prison break.

[Pat McAfee]

How does that work? And there's no way they let him have metal in there, right?

[Darius Butler]

No, no, no. He's some sort of car slide around. What has to he doesn't have a choice.

[Connor]

Those things are weapons.

[Darius Butler]

You can't have those in there. You kidding me?

[Ty Schmidt]

Two wooden planks, maybe.

[Darius Butler]

Well, I don't know. I don't even know if they let him do that.

[Pat McAfee]

Rest in peace, obviously. Dude. Girlfriend, I believe fiance. That whole thing. What a wild scene down there. Okay. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who has more inside information than all. I mean, the thought of whenever he was running, they were. This guy was the hero.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Remember? He was like the story of the entire thing.

[Ty Schmidt]

How does he get around? How did he get around in prison? I can't stop thinking about it.

[Pat McAfee]

No. Well, it's not a bad thing.

[AJ Hawk]

Take them away. They could.

[Ty Schmidt]

They had to.

[AJ Hawk]

Maybe he's a solitary.

[Ashton Genti]

They just didn't give him his running legs. He got like, his walking slow legs. The blades were for racist.

[Pat McAfee]

I remember when they told us how bad of people we were, you know, if we didn't agree with what was, you know, like, hey, this guy's a hero. This is. You need to be on board with this entire thing. It's like, I am. I'm thankful that this guy is powering through something, but this does feel like this is a little bit maybe something. And then Loma, you said that you.

[AJ Hawk]

Were out there first.

[Pat McAfee]

Early. Yeah, Early. I was just. I was just thinking about myself, like, if somebody came into the NFL and just had one leg to kick, that was, you know. Yeah. I would not be. I would think, well, that seems to be unfair.

[Darius Butler]

Carbon fiber leg.

[Pat McAfee]

But then me acting like that's unfair through the life that they've had to, you know, like. So then you. You have to take all different.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

All different angles. And I understand that now at this age, but I. I thought to myself, wow, that was wild. And then Cat just kind of beautifully illustrated what his life was like every single. Before the race even started, what they were doing to him. That really opened my eyes a little bit more. But, yeah, I was attacked a little.

[Connor]

Oh, there's no sign up at all, by the way. He was transferred to a jail for disabled prisoners.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[AJ Hawk]

Still locked up.

[Ty Schmidt]

Okay.

[Connor]

I don't know if he's. I'm just.

[Ashton Genti]

No, he's out. He's out.

[Ty Schmidt]

But that still doesn't really explain, like, what. So do you have wheelchair?

[Connor]

There was moving walkways and stuff.

[Pat McAfee]

It sounds like a very high tech jail.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

From what it sounds like. I was on a run there watching. Watching all the jail docs. Oh, yeah, all of them. Black dolphin fraud.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That'll Scare you. That'll really make you act right. The black dolphin over there in Russia is really problematic.

[Darius Butler]

Play no games.

[Pat McAfee]

You do not want to go over there.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That's why whenever everything happened with Griner, I mean, it was like, so, so scary. It's like, I don't know if their jails play by the same rules as our jails. And then there was one in, like, Iceland. Where? Iceland or Greenland. I watched where they were just. Just kind of leaving for the day.

[Ashton Genti]

I saw the same one. Yeah, I saw that.

[Pat McAfee]

What, they're in jail? Yeah. All right. I'm good downtown here. Trying to do a lap. I'll be back 8pm yeah, I'll sleep in here tonight.

[AJ Hawk]

I guess I came back.

[Pat McAfee]

Just come on back. Yeah, that was basically just kind of checking in. Check it out every single day.

[Ty Schmidt]

Good shelter.

[Pat McAfee]

Dude, I gotta go to work. I'm gonna go make society better. Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna get done, then I'll come back. Yeah, just checking back in. That was Greenland. Wow. And obviously you've been learning about a lot of jails down with the international stuff. There's some places you. You don't want to be. Yeah, there's some place you don't want to be. Bolivia, obviously. Any jail is not a place that you want to go to. As a man, that was in one for about 12 hours or so. Solitary confinement's a real deep. It's hard time. Nobody talks about it. Toilet was broke. Smell like it was my fault for sure. But I was thinking about escape. I was like, how could I, Andy Defrain out of this thing in 12 hours. I couldn't imagine being in there full time. Hope everybody learns their lesson.

[Darius Butler]

That's right.

[AJ Hawk]

Hope he's still locked.

[Pat McAfee]

Speaking of jail, people are saying J.D. vance deserves to get in jail for what he did at a national championship. No. AJ what the. What happened? Okay.

[Ashton Genti]

They needed to design this national championship trophy. Much better. Why does the top. What? Glue that sucker? I got some super glue. I'll put some super glue.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, no.

[AJ Hawk]

Got.

[Ashton Genti]

Don't watch a two part trophy. You got to let people know it's a two part trophy.

[AJ Hawk]

You watch ball, you know?

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I. I think. I think we know because that thing's been standing right in front of us a few times. JD Masculine people hoist trophies above their head. He had no idea it came with a nice stand. Sure, it's a good stand sheath. I'll tell you what. I've seen this because J.D. vance, Ohio guy, you know, that's a big part of the story. So Ohio State coming to the White House to celebrate national championship. What number is Trump wearing?

[Ashton Genti]

AJ E. 47. He's the 47th president.

[Pat McAfee]

What number were you?

[Ashton Genti]

I actually wore that same number about 20 years ago.

[Pat McAfee]

What is your birthday?

[Ashton Genti]

My birthday?

[Ty Schmidt]

Why.

[Ashton Genti]

Why is that relevant?

[Pat McAfee]

Just, just tell me what your birthday is.

[Ashton Genti]

After seeing January, January 6 is the date I was born.

[Darius Butler]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So your jersey was given to President Trump. January 6th is your birthday. Really feels like they're trying to make AJ Hawk as happy as he possibly could. When you saw this with J.D. vance and the boys, what was your first thought?

[Ashton Genti]

Well, I actually had multiple people from around here that sent this to me with the 47 jersey. Think like, oh, it looks like yours, bud. Yeah, that might be a, a throwback that someone might make and try to wear around now, I guess with Trump on the back.

[Pat McAfee]

I wonder if he'll ask you for your autograph. And I wonder if JD Vancers had, you know, say anything about learning about the trophy being a two parter, two piecer. I didn't think that was good omen for the next Ohio State Buckeyes. I didn't think that was good omen personally. I did see that there was a lot of conversation on the Internet. Once again, these are things that we do not create but do happen on the Internet. We are just observing and reporting things that are taking place on the Internet. Ryan Day does not dye his beard. That's a big piece of information.

[AJ Hawk]

That's bullshit. Yeah, definitely 100% bullshit. Not true.

[Pat McAfee]

That's Cap. He came directly from the Day family said, nope, this is how Nina, his wife, came from.

[Ashton Genti]

Nina.

[AJ Hawk]

I don't want to speak ill against Nina.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, Nina said it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yep, she did. She said, I'm with him every day. And then the General, Bob Carpenter came out and said, said, I see Ryan Day every single day. It is dark every single day. Well, the guy has a great beard. They have a great team. They obviously have a lot of nil money and they have a trophy that's been dropped at the White House. I don't think that has happened ever before. Maybe it's a good omen. Maybe this team's unique. Maybe that leads to them going back to back in college football playoffs.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, the General part, I don't know because if Nina Day told the general to eat poop, he do it. So let's not act as though I.

[Pat McAfee]

Think Bobby Carpenter would eat poop.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

If it was to lock in another.

[Ashton Genti]

National champion, I guess.

[Ty Schmidt]

Right.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Okay, so you're telling me I eat this poop? National championship again.

[Darius Butler]

10 win season.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, as long as we beat Michigan.

[Ty Schmidt]

Brother, you'd be drinking. So. I don't know about that, but one of the sweet parts of that video is looking at Jack Sawyer. Once, you know, J.D. vance does drop that trophy, he looks over that at President Trump and he says like, oh, man, A.J. hawk would love this. As soon as it happens, he looks over to say something so pretty awesome for the Buckeye.

[Pat McAfee]

I saw Jack Sawyer got a shout out during the speech. What a name. Name of a legend. Jack Sawyer threw it all. And they recalled the play. The strip fumble. Strip sack. Touchdown. Jack Sawyer sends Ohio State to the national championship. Obviously, the national champions go to the White House. They celebrated yesterday. JD Fancy gets his hand on that trophy once again. Needs to figure that whole thing out so you can get a photo. Ohio guy, he's probably so jacked up about, oh.

[Ashton Genti]

I. Oh, they're going to get back to him.

[Pat McAfee]

Obviously, I owe you a new trophy. This is what JD Vance said, and it looked like it was a nice gathering. I'm happy to hear that. Football and sports are a wonderful thing. Joining us now is a man who has joined ESPN and has been nothing short of Spectacular Taylor on linear television at the worldwide leader front of the program, former Emmy winner for Good Morning Football, ladies and gentlemen, Peter Schrager. How are you, Shregs?

[Hembo]

I have so many thoughts. We could start with the Blade Runner or we can go to remember that.

[Pat McAfee]

That'S what they called them. Yeah.

[Hembo]

And then I have a quick Jack Sawyer story about the combine. And I didn't go to any of the college football games. I watched him play, obviously. And I'm on the field with Sean Payton, who said he had never been on the field during combine drills, but I was interviewing him for the NFL Network's coverage of the combine. Mid defensive drills, mid drills, Jack Sawyer comes over with the firmest handshake you've ever seen. Mr. Peyton. Jack Sawyer, linebacker, Ohio State. Good to meet you. I said, okay, I want to draft this guy.

[Pat McAfee]

What a move. What a move. I'm like, this kid's unbelievable. He's a dog. Through Shregs, he was heralded as the Mexican one. Right. Whenever he went to Ohio State. AJ If I have this right, yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

Columbus kid from the area. Yeah, he, he came in as the man for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

And then obviously this unbelievable cements Ohio State heading to the national championship right in front of our face. The speed, the wheels, the awareness, the heartbreak for Steve Sarkeesian. In the Texas Longhorns. Smart play by Jack to go shake Sean Payton's hand, look him right in the eye and introduce himself. Let's, let's talk about this time of year. Shriggs feels like there's more question marks in this draft than ever that we have covered. Now obviously you've been around the game a lot longer than us. Is that an accurate assessment? I feel like nobody knows what the hell is happening. And then this Derek Carr news gets dropped on us within the last few days and adds a whole nother wrinkle. Are we looking at it the same way as you, Peter?

[Hembo]

Makes it a really interesting draft. I wouldn't say it's, it's rich with first, you know, top tier blue chip prospects, but that makes it all the more, you know, I guess, interesting. When we get to Thursday, I, I gotta tell you, like we're talking Shador Sanders all day on this network. I don't know where Shador Sanders goes. I don't have a certain team raising their hand saying, hey, if Shador falls like that's our place and that's a prospect that we're talking about constantly. You go name by name and really there's only two blue chip prospects across the board. When I talk to these gm, and that's Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter and then Ashton Genti's one of those guys. But you wouldn't trade, you wouldn't draft him likely in the top three. Other than that, it's wide open. And I had a GM tell me, you know, who we, who Jacksonville takes at five, you could easily see, you know, at 17 or 18, after you get out of those top three. It's not that it's a drop off, it's that it kind of plateaus and it's, well, what do you need? What do you want? Who did you like? Which makes the draft all the more interesting. Last year we knew there were quarterback hungry teams you kind of match with who might go where. And I knew the top three was set, you know, nine days out. We're now nine days out outside of thinking it goes Ward, Carter, Hunter and some combo in the top three. Pat, I could tell you with great confidence that I am not alone. Nobody knows where it goes from there. And really what's so interesting is that after the one quarterback, Cam Ward, you've got a wide open list of possibilities as to the teams that are drafting quarterbacks, where they're drafting quarterbacks and on what day they're going to end up getting a quarterback.

[Pat McAfee]

How many of those Quarterbacks are in the conversation because Shador was considered the clear cut number two quarterback in this draft class behind Cam Ward. Then Jackson darts name seemingly gathered a lot of of steam. Now Jaylen Milro allegedly has a private workout with the New York Giants this week as well. I'm a fan because I watch him in a playoff run, even though he had a bad combine of Will Howard. There's a lot of different potential outcomes for a lot of these different quarterbacks. Are you saying that the teams are viewing it the same way? Is there a set list on who's above where or. It's kind of scattered across the board.

[Hembo]

Unlike any other year, it's wide open. And I think the Kenny Pickett year is unfair to these guys because I think this is a better class than that. And that was Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis and, and, and, and what was his name from Cincinnati?

[Darius Butler]

Ritter.

[Hembo]

Ritter. That was that draft class. And those guys kind of fizzled out this year's draft class. Like, I spoke to a GM who I really trust and is really good, and he's like, well, if you're looking for the best pure thrower of the ball, it's Tyler Schuck out of Louisville. And I'm like, tyler Shuck. And I'm looking at my list and I'm like, okay. And I'm looking at this list here on your board list. And there are several other names and Tyler Shuck's not one of them. Another GM I was talking to over the weekend as I'm watching the Masters and just texting everybody and on calls about the draft and he's like, I could easily see Milro going late. First he's like, that's the kind of deal where you have a starter already and then you put Milro in for some subset packages and then two, three years, who knows? Jaylen Milro is your guy and he's been learning for a year. And of course he can run the ball. He ran a 4,340at his pro day and he's got a, he's got an awesome arm and he's a winner and he's about it like he is a great, great leader. The same conversation on Melro is, well, he was benched against South Florida a year ago, you know, and it's. This is where you're at. So I don't think it's a sure thing that Shador is the second quarterback taken. I would imagine that's what's going to happen. I would assume that's going to happen. I Don't see Jackson Dart or Shuck or Milroe going before Shador. But anything can happen with this class. And we could look at two quarterbacks taken in the first round. We could look at four quarterbacks going in the first round. And that's not me pleading the fifth and being like, I don't want anything on my hands. I am just telling you that is what's being discussed with teams. But different than other years. They're not banging down my door to be like, what are you hearing? Like, could I do we need to do something to get Chador. It's not like anyone's doing flips over any of these other guys.

[Pat McAfee]

Greatest mock drafter in the history of mock drafting. We're talking to Peter Schrager obviously has for. Yep, tip of the cap to you as well, sir. I don't have a hat on, but I would if I could. Has inside conversations with every team. That's why his mock draft is so spectacular. Sounds like question marks in chaos everywhere next Thursday night. Go ahead, A.J.

[Ty Schmidt]

Trigs.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah, we're all going to be watching to see what happens with Shur. Have you heard, is there any kind of like basement of where, like, hey, if he gets to this point, someone's definitely going to take him. Is there a number we've seen that the stewards find him at 21, they would take him him like, do you have any idea on what the basement for him could be of where he could go?

[Pat McAfee]

No.

[Hembo]

And here's the thing. He had a really good meeting with Pittsburgh last week and that lasted like five hours. And he met with Arthur Smith, he met with Mike Tomlin. He went around the facility. So like that to me seems like a good backstop. Like, at worst comes to worst for Shador, like 21 would be a really nice place for him to go. It would be a really good situation considering the weapons, the organization, the culture, the city of of course, that you guys know so well. But you know the Giants are going to this private workout and Shefter broke that news last night that this is not just window dressing. Here's the deal. The Giants had 13 different people at his pro day. So if you had a, you know, it wasn't just two of them, 13, they had him in for a top 30 visit. Then they took him out to dinner. Joe Shane himself went to multiple Shador Sanders games this year. Joe Shane went to a Shador Sanders practice at Colorado. So this isn't a player they're unfamiliar with. So when you tell me they're going for another private workout. It's more than just due diligence. This is, we are going to make sure if he is our quarterback, we are 100% certain that this is the guy we love. But that doesn't mean he's going three to the Giants. What that could mean is the Giants get Abdul Carter at a penny state number three and then if Shador starts slipping out of the top 10 out of the teens, maybe that's when they pull the trigger and they say, you know what? We really feel comfortable with this guy as our quarterback. We might not want him at three, but we like him at 15, 16, 17 in that range.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Very fascinating on the quarterback conversation. Shador obviously going to be chatted about because of his family, because of everything he was able to accomplish at two different schools. Brought a lot of tension to two different schools. Now he's getting his jersey retired at Colorado. Everybody's real pumped up about it on the Internet. Sounds like everybody's excited for him. I will say congrats. Anytime we get your jersey retire, that means something magical had to have happened. And he sold that building out alongside another guy that those Giants people might have been watching at all those games and practices. Go ahead, debug. Yes.

[AJ Hawk]

His teammate, Travis Hunter, obviously the Heisman winner. What are you hearing about the people, people you talk to in the know what position he will primarily play once he gets in NFL? I know I've heard him say he still wants to play both ways, but what are you hearing as far as once he gets drafted what position he'll primarily line up at?

[Hembo]

There's a difference in opinion. I spoke to one team, he said I put him at wide receiver. He's the number one wide receiver in this draft and he's got unlimited potential and he is so raw at the position D But they say that this guy, he's just scratching the surface. Like his route running is not as, as precise as someone who's been doing it his whole life. And if you were to put him on the board with like Malik Neighbors and Marvin Harrison last year and Roma Dun, you wouldn't even put him in the same conversation because he's so raw. But you put him with a good wide receivers coach, the instincts, the size, the hands, he could do it. And then you go over the defensive side of it and he is by far, bar none the best defensive back in this draft. However, can you at number two justify I'm going to put him on the field at both positions. I'm going to have him as our number one or two wide receiver and then also have him play defensive back. You can, if you draft him second overall. This guy played 120 snaps a game last year. I mean, insane stuff. I work with Charles Woodson for years at Fox. Woodson was the last Heisman trophy winner who did it from a defensive position. Charles Woodson was considered this two way player, the special teams demon. Charles was like, I played, played. I played 30 snaps, you know, the season like it wasn't the same thing. This guy's doing stuff that is unprecedented. The last time we had a true two way player at those positions was Roy green in the 1981St. Louis Cardinals.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, he was a dog.

[Hembo]

He was a dog. But he came in and played that. After years of safety move to wide receiver. We've never had a prospect coming out. So I honestly feel that there is a chance that he, in Week 1 of the NFL season, can play both defensive back and be your number one corner and be your number one or wide, number two wide receiver. And that is a legitimate possibility. That is how spectacular and rare this prospect is. Oh, and by the way, great freaking kid. Everyone says that they meet him, he's about the right stuff. He's everything you want in a prospect. Home run.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so we heard originally, I think it was Schefter said, that the Browns are taking a quarterback at number two. Browns are taking the quarterback at number two. That was like a month ago, two months ago, whatever. It was before all the draft cycle kind of takes place, before all the meetings and everything. Now it's almost like if Travis Hunter's available and your team doesn't take him, you're an idiot. Is that kind of the view in Cleveland? And then if, if that is the case, Flacco is his quarterback in Cleveland or Travis Hunter, or does that lead to the Kirk Cousins move that everybody kind of is assuming is going to take place from Atlanta to Cleveland?

[Hembo]

Well, let's put Travis Hunter in Cleveland. Now if we were to pencil him in and you say, oh, Joe Flacco and I, you know, we, we could have our thoughts about Flacco. What?

[Pat McAfee]

I love Joe Flacco. It does not work in Indianapolis, but I love Joe Flacco. I have his cleats. Here you go. I have Joe Flacco's cleats here. They move.

[Ty Schmidt]

They.

[Pat McAfee]

They move. Where? They rock with it, lean with it, with the grass. Okay. Flacco. Flacco was a great with a cold Colts, but with the.

[Hembo]

Not great with the Colts. Guess what? He wasn't he wasn't good with the jets, he wasn't good with the Broncos.

[Pat McAfee]

Took him to the playoffs.

[Hembo]

He was great. He was great with the Browns and he was great with Stefanski. And if you tell me that you have Flacco throwing the ball 40 times a game deep and he's throwing it to Travis Hunter, Jerry, Judy and David and Joku, you could compete, you could play. That said, you're not tied to Flacco, you're not tied to Pickett, and that you could take Hunter at 2 and you could trade back into the first round. With this draft, I'm telling you, there are not. These home run plays were like, I will not move out of 11 or I will not move out of 12. It's not like that this year. There is a. A lot of parity when you're talking about after Prospect 4 to Prospect 30, and you could justify any of them. So if you need a quarterback and you really like Shador Sanders and you're Cleveland and you could probably get both of them, you could do what Houston did and not have to give up the farm to do it. But you could take your number one defensive player and your number one offensive player and you can get both of them in this draft. I think back to the Lamar Jackson draft. It's almost ancient history now, but they took Hayden Hurst with a pick 22nd overall. They took a tight end and then DaCosta moved up and then they went up and they got Lamar at 32nd because they saw a window to go get this guy. Guy. That could be Cleveland, where they're like, we have our quarterback. We could compete with Flacco or Pickett. We could compete. We could get it.

[Pat McAfee]

We could.

[Hembo]

We could. I don't know if they're going to win anything. They could put a football team on the field. If you want to worry about quarterback and you're. You don't have to take one at two. And I think where Adam was in the beginning of the month, it was like, they're going to probably get a rookie quarterback at some point. Since then, things have changed. Joe Flacco is signed. And also I think the quarterback class is not viewed as one of those where you need to take the guy at 2.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. On that note, when you're talking about moving back in with a couple different teams, Ty has a question for you.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah. In terms of trades as a whole, shrags, what are you hearing? Like, how active do you think we're going to be? Field Yates and Mel Kuiper in Their most recent mock draft had the Browns trading back up to 29 to get Jackson Dart. We heard Dan Morgan say today, like, hey listen, we're open for business. We're, we're, you know, listening to calls if anyone wants to come up and then in again in field and, and meltdown, you know, mock draft. They've had a bunch of different other trades mocked. Do you think that's just like, you know, for the fun of it or are you expecting there to be quite a bit of action on draft night?

[Hembo]

When we were in Vegas that year for the draft, I think there was like 15 trades in the first round. I asked a head coach, I said.

[Pat McAfee]

What are you hearing?

[Hembo]

Do you think it's gonna be one of those? And he said, this is the stick and pick draft. I go, okay, well that's not as exciting. He's like, I just, I don't see the prospects where people are going to be jockeying in the first, first round to go up and get players. The quarterback position makes it interesting. So there are those sweet spots, right? New Orleans, obviously, if Derek Carr is not going to be there, there is a need at quarterback. Unless you're going to just roll out Rattler and say we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll roll the dice and then maybe get Arch Manning next year, which, who knows, could be a possibility. But nine seems like a spot, a pressure point for that. And of course the Steelers or the Giants or the Browns could be teams that are maneuvering to move up and make that pick. I, I look across this list of logos though, and like I don't see the Raiders taking a quarterback. They, they signed Geno to an extension. It's like they, they're not draft, they're not picking him to only have him there for one year. And you go across the board, it seems like everyone's pretty much spoken for. So Steelers, Browns, Saints and I would put in the, I would, I would probably say the jets are a possibility to get back in the first round if they're desperate to get a quarterback or they want to have in addition to Justin Fields. That's kind of what you're looking at. And to me there's not enough burning hot desire to move up to get one of these quarterbacks or we're going to see a ton of jockeying to do so.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, you mentioned a team there, the Raiders. One player has been mocked to that team basically since the beginning. He will be joining us here in a matter of a few moments. Connor has a question for you?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. As you said, Ashton Jinty is one of the three, you know, blue chip players. Do you see him going there, you know, two, the Raiders had six. Do you see him dropping at all? Or do you think he is one of those guys that you can kind of bank on going in that top 10, you know, top seven area just because of how nasty he is?

[Hembo]

I would start with five at Jacksonville and I would say Liam Cohen comes in here and Liam Cohen is an offensive guy and they, and they have that four with the Patriots could be a possibility, you know, especially if Josh wants to get the offensive offense going. Like it could go that high. And then you just look at the classic argument of do you want your defensive tackle of the future, do you want your offensive line of the future or do you want this stud running back? It's an age old debate. Where do you draft the running back? When do you draft the running back? I'll tell you this, the last two running backs to go in in those early picks were Ash or Bijan Robinson and Jameer Gibbs. I think those guys worked out pretty well.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Hembo]

But on the flip side, and you look at, you know, Bucky Irving led to all rookies in rushing last year. It was a fourth round pick. Tyrone Tracy led all, was second in rushing. He was a fourth round pick. So it's a, it's a question of appetite. But this guy is special. He's everything anyone could have wanted in a running back. It's just the fit and whether or not that team needs to add a running back and wants to add a running back over other positions.

[Pat McAfee]

You talk about the rookie running backs doing well, I'll just tell you Saquon Barkley was a topic and he did it okay with the Philadelphia Eagles. And is the run game becoming much more prevalent because of what the Eagles did? I would say yes. Excited to see what Genti is able to do. Excited to chat with him here in a few moments. Last question for you. Shregs here from AP Tone.

[Connor]

Yeah, Shregs, I want to talk to you about the big news this morning on Jalen Ramsey. Chris Greer just said that the team confirmed that they decided to part ways. Ramsey did not request a trade, but the decision was made in the best interest of all parties. And then on top of that, they asked him if, if Tyree Kill could also be traded. And he said that is not anything we're pursuing. Who knows, if someone wants to come and give me two first round picks, we'll consider it. I'll just let you I'll just let you comment on what's going on down in Miami.

[Hembo]

You know, a few off seasons ago, we were talking about the Dolphins as a Super bowl contender and a team that right there away from the chip. And now it seems like that same group, group that they brought in a lot of those veterans, Tyreek and Jalen Ramsey, and, you know, Chubb and all these guys, it's like, all right, well, we. We missed that window. Maybe Jalen Ramsey is still due $21 million from whatever team ends up trading for him because the Dolphins paid him his $4 million guarantee. Like, that's a big price tag for a guy who is very accomplished, but is also, you know, probably on the latter nine holes of his career, I would imagine. So. So fascinating to see what the market is for a Jalen Ramsey and what team is willing to pay him that money, because I would imagine they'd want to restructure that deal.

[Pat McAfee]

Who do you think he ends up with, Buddy?

[Hembo]

Oh, I don't have a team yet. And that's the thing. It's like, these veteran guys are, hey, I'm looking to, you know, view a trade, and these teams dangle these names out there. I watched Cooper cup, you know, be dangled and then not be traded and end up going to Seattle as a free agent. Like, these things happen in the league, and veteran players like Ramsey, they deserve better. But this is how it goes sometimes. And, you know, you turn that corner at 30, and all of a sudden you think everyone views you in one way, or we do view you in one way, and then that number comes around, comes creeping in, and suddenly you feel like, oh, my gosh. It's pretty humbling. And it could be. It could be a bitter pill sometimes.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I'll tell you what, if he wants to come to the Colts, we'll. We'll certainly have.

[Hembo]

He still could play.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And can I.

[Hembo]

Can I something real quick? I'm. Yesterday, I'm watching on my phone all these. These very. These very esteemed, famous women go to space. And I'm thinking to myself, laughing, can your crew go to space?

[Pat McAfee]

No.

[Hembo]

Can we get this group to space?

[Pat McAfee]

Shatner said, yeah, those ladies. Those ladies have a lot more courage than we do, bub. I will tell you that. Morning go, no. What are you talking about? I need to see that thing. We can pretend like we do 100, 150 times. I need to see success on a regular basis. That's why the courage it takes to sign up for that, I think next level I don't know if we have it. Triggs, you would go. It sounds like.

[Hembo]

No, hell no. I can't. I mean my feet.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't.

[Hembo]

I don't skydive. I don't go on roller coasters. I am a complete. You know what when it comes to that stuff. But you guys seem like to do anything.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know what you're talking about. A couple of words started in my head.

[AJ Hawk]

What group of. What was the group that went yesterday?

[Pat McAfee]

Women.

[Darius Butler]

Stale King, Katy Perry, Bezos wife, Lauren Sanchez.

[Pat McAfee]

Yep, this is her name. She. She led the group.

[Hembo]

You know, a lot of women were not happy. You saw Emrat my. I love Emily Ratajkowski. She came out, she was not happy.

[Pat McAfee]

I did not know who you were talking. But I do know Emily Ratajkowski the name Olivia Elsewhere.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean did you guys see watch the video of the spaceship going up into space?

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Cuz it didn't look real to me.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, all right. Not getting into that.

[Ty Schmidt]

I'm just saying.

[Pat McAfee]

We appreciate you so much. Tr. Thanks for bringing it up. Yeah, thank you. Really appreciate you guys. Ladies and gentlemen, Peter Shregs. Thanks, Shakes. What's his problem? No, I'm sure knew exactly what he was doing. Right?

[Darius Butler]

I'm with him on that one. I saw the video.

[Ty Schmidt]

Boy, it looked.

[Pat McAfee]

I saw Katie floating. I thought on a video. I was on a plane for a lot of the day yesterday.

[I]

CGI that.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, we're not doing this with everything. Congrats to them. Go to space.

[AJ Hawk]

Maybe I didn't expect that from you, Ty. Well, I didn't expect.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, I mean we're talking nasty here. We're not talking about Bezos little Mickey Mouse penis shaped thing that he just set up.

[Pat McAfee]

You think that's Mickey Mouse?

[Darius Butler]

I do think it's Mickey Mouse. Like you said 100 to 150 times. You need to see. I need to see that thing go up in space 100 million times before I'd get inside there. Did you see Bezos when he was coming to open the hatch walk in that crater that it landed on it? I mean it just. Oh man, he took a header. It was. That thing just comes down in the middle of nowhere. I mean, you see Katy Perry kiss the dirt like Jesus Christ, I thought we were dead up there.

[Pat McAfee]

Amen. Yeah, I understand. That's why with what you're saying, I don't think I saw the reaction afterwards. There was a real. Thank God we're back and everything like that. Which I'm very appreciative. But the courage it takes to go.

[Darius Butler]

Oh, God.

[Pat McAfee]

Is something that I. I do not have. I've been skydiving before, Trigger, but did it one time. Cool. We're checking the box. We are good with fighting gravity. Okay, we are. We are done with that. I am a land animal, which I think is what Schrager was going to say. I'm a big. You know what? I think he was going to say, land animal.

[Ashton Genti]

That was it. That was it.

[Ty Schmidt]

I honestly had no idea, but. Oh, they kissed the ground. Yeah. It's called a work, brother. They got to sell it, man. They gotta. They gotta let you know, like, boy, it was really, really scary out there. But to Ty's point, it is Mickey Mouse, because NASA actually changed the rules after all these people. People were like, let's go to space. Let's go to space. Because you get your pin or whatever. And NASA was like, okay, now we have to change it because it's not just going to space anymore. And all these people are doing it for fun.

[Pat McAfee]

What was the Red Bull guy that bought Felix Bombardment. Do you remember him now? I got one.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't want to hear shit about Bomb.

[Ty Schmidt]

Bob Gardner with a balloon. That's real.

[Pat McAfee]

That's a hero.

[Ty Schmidt]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

He passed out on the way.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[Darius Butler]

Head over feet.

[Pat McAfee]

He was just gonna go. He was going. He was gone. Yeah, he's gonna be with those cars, that. Tesla cars are just floating around. He's gonna be called space junk. Yeah, he was gonna be good because he passed out. Do you remember this? We were watching it live.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Watch this guy live. He's gonna attempt the biggest BASE jump in the history of the world. Is that guy out? That guy's out.

[Connor]

He was doing 30 GS, coming down and passed out.

[Pat McAfee]

He fell out. No, he passed out on the way up.

[Connor]

It was.

[Pat McAfee]

I think he passed out on the way up. And then he fell out of the thing. They, like, kind of like. Yeah, kind of fell up.

[Connor]

Quick, push him.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he was spinning so fast. Thousand miles an hour, maybe. This guy coming off. He was in. He was in a spacesuit. He had a Red Bull spacesuit on. He was in this little rocket thing that was, like, going up and he was going to do the highest BASE jump, I think. I think is what it was. I. Jesus Christ. I remember this.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's, like, out of the atmosphere.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And he was. He got too big. He has passed the point of where he was supposed to be. We think he's potentially out. Like, people are, like, scared. This guy never going to Leave. And then somehow he ends up out of the thing and it's just a full on.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Waking up in the middle of that, through the.

[Pat McAfee]

Falling through the atmosphere, through the different ozone. And then I don't know, when he came back to it, he had to be so sick. Oh, my God. No, no, no. He survived. Congrats. Proud of you. Felix.

[Darius Butler]

Felix.

[Pat McAfee]

But yeah, that one cemented home the. We're not going up there.

[Darius Butler]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. We're not going up there. It's crazy how much like water is like space seemingly. You know, I watched. I watched a guy break an egg underwater. Do you see this? It was a video that hit my algorithm and the yolk and the egg just kind of floated there, just like, you know, you would think whenever it was space there. I don't like being in water. I don't want to be in.

[AJ Hawk]

What are you. What are you more scared of, personally? Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Never been in space, so I'm okay with not being scared of it. Water scares the out of me, though. I don't like that. Really?

[Ty Schmidt]

You're more scared?

[Pat McAfee]

Dude, I've never been to space. You can just sign up not to go water. You can around and just fall from the sky. It's gonna start happening, you know? Like space ain't just gonna start falling from the sky. Maybe, maybe, maybe that is a fear. Every once in a while, there'll be a new, new tweet too. It's like, did you know that within a light year of Earth, a asteroid flew by that we did not know was coming? It's okay. It's past us now. It's like, yeah, all right. I see a lot of movies that have that thing in there. I hope we have a, you know, a nice little shield.

[Ty Schmidt]

We do.

[Connor]

We do junk.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's a junk shield. I like. For some reason last night while I was in bed, like, pictured myself in space because I was looking at all this stuff and I was sitting, seeing a bunch of tweets like that. Boy, I was so scared.

[Pat McAfee]

William Shatner said.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Don't ever go.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

It completely changed my life for the worse.

[Pat McAfee]

Don't think about going up her. It's.

[Ty Schmidt]

There's nothing.

[Pat McAfee]

You look up there and you say, we're. This is all for not get me back down to the lonely ass planet Earth. That's what he said when he came back.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Katy Perry had a. Like a pretty emotional response whenever she came back. Back, I'd assume. It's crazy whenever you go up there.

[Ty Schmidt]

Well, they did it.

[Pat McAfee]

Thank God. All Right. Join us. Now is a guy that's on a one way trip to space rocket ship.

[AJ Hawk]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

He's been on a rocket ship for the last few years. We've obviously just learned about him over the last two years. I'd assume throughout high school, throughout little league, throughout junior high, this guy was untackleable. He won every single award. Maxwell Do Walker and the Earl Campbell. He was a runner up for the Heisman. Ladies and gentlemen, out of Boise State, running back, star stud, Ashton Gente. Ashton, how you doing buddy?

[I]

I'm doing great man, thanks for having me.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so let's say you get drafted, top six to the Raiders. Like everybody has you mocked. And the general manager of the Raiders said that his kid has told him that if he doesn't draft you, he's going to disown his entire family. You get a bunch of money, they offer you to go to space, you go to space, you staying on ground.

[I]

I'm staying on ground, man. I ain't going to no space.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, smart.

[Pat McAfee]

Me too. Yeah, you've dominated the turf too. The way you chew up ground is better than anybody else. I couldn't imagine him in space. Oh my God. Genti, maybe something to think about as you get older. Hembo sent me some stats here about you while we've been chit chatting and I'm gonna rattle them off and then I'm gonna get into asking you some questions about your game, if you don't mind. Including the playoffs, saquon Barkley scored seven 60 yard touchdowns this season. No other player had more than four. No other running back had more than two. That's Saquon Barkley in the NFL. Ashton Gente rushed for 29 touchdowns last season, the average of which was 28 yards. He had five of them for 70 plus yards, eight of them for 60 plus yards, 10 of them for 50 plus yards. Genty also forced 126 missed tackles. 38 events, 88 broken, most in America. First of all, Ashton, hell of a season. Hell of a season out there.

[I]

I appreciate it.

[Pat McAfee]

No problem. Let's talk about what the game has become. Obviously for Boise State you were their go to player, the key player, the running back. The NFL was also becoming that. What is the conversations with the NFL teams been like for you in more of a focus on the run game type kind of evolution of the game we're kind of experiencing. Ashton.

[I]

Yeah, I mean the conversations have been great. I mean especially you see with you know, what Saquon was able to do and you know, bringing his team all the way to the Super Bowl. But a lot of teams have a need for a running back, you know, a workhorse that you can, you know, take most of the load throughout the game and, you know, wear defensives down and, you know, they're, they're seeing real value in that from the running back position.

[Pat McAfee]

Now, how have the conversations been going? Has everybody talked about, hey, obviously you played every down, you got the ball damn near every single down. What have the teams been asking you about other than your explosion? Have they been asking you about protection? Have they been asking you about wear and tear? What does the convo been like going into the draft for you?

[I]

Yeah, I mean, those are the main things besides the running ability. Their main thing right now is, you know, can you pass protect, will you protect the quarterback? Because that's a big deal year three down back, but also being able to, you know, catch the ball, run routes and just be a allaround complete bat.

[Pat McAfee]

Go ahead, A.J.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah. When you were, you know, getting ready for the combine in your pro day, we know everyone works on like these drills, these are specific drills you'll be doing, but other than that, I guess what have you been doing to try to, you know, step your game up the next level Once you do get to the league, I'm sure every coach will, like we said, we'll talk about your pass pro and you have to learn how to pass pro. But if you watch your tape, like, we know you're not scared to stick your head in there and shut down any kind of blitzers, but what do you think you need to do, I guess, to separate yourself your rookie year?

[I]

Yeah, I think it's attention to detail. Once you get to the NFL, I mean, everybody knows exactly what's happening when it's happening. So just understanding defensive structures better, understanding, understanding what we're doing as an offense with the O lines, doing the receivers, the tight ends, understanding it all so that I'm a step ahead of everybody when the ball snaps.

[Pat McAfee]

Chuck Pagano is a friend of the program. Obviously he is a friend of the Boise program as well. He lives out there now. He's coaching for Baltimore. He has sang your praises for years. Ty has a question.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, Ashton? What was it about Boise State that made you want to stay? Because with the way Nil is right now, I assume a couple years ago, you know, like, you could have went and played in the Big Ten, you could have went and played in the sec, you could have played wherever you wanted to. And obviously, you know, Boise State, you Guys made it to the playoff, you know, this year. Everyone knows the Smurf turf and all that kind of stuff, and it's going to work out for you. But why did you ultimately decide to stay at Boise State?

[I]

Yeah, I think the number one thing that I wanted was, you know, to develop and to a great running back and, you know, have a chance to play on the next level. You know, I had great group of coaches around me, great group of players around me, so, you know, that remaining consistent. But also the hiring of Coach Danielson. So he was the interim head coach my sophomore year. And, you know, once they hired him, like, I knew for sure, like, he was a perfect guy. And just the relationship that I had with him already, I mean, I knew that he was gonna, you know, give me the keys and, you know, let me do my thing as a leader, as a player, as a running back. And we also had a chance to, you know, make history with the new playoff landscape and make the college football playoffs.

[Pat McAfee]

You guys gave Oregon all they could handle week two or week three, and everybody's like, oregon's not a team. Oregon's bad this year. Little did they know Boise State was a monster in the running back was outrageous. You were phenomenal to watch all season. Thank you for the excitement every single week. D, Bud has a question for you.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, Ashton, I got a question, I guess, coming up, you know, what, what backs did you want to really model your game after? What backs did you admire? And more specifically your stance, too. You got a very unique stance when you're standing behind the quarterback in the backfield, very upright. So I guess, what backs did you model your game after? And where did that stance come in at? Where did you start with? And obviously you stuck with. And it has paid off so far.

[I]

Yeah. So probably the first running back I really, you know, paid attention to and watched was Marshawn Lynch. I just loved his, you know, physicality, his. His running style, you know, those beast mode runs. And then, you know, more recently, you know, as I got older, watching Derrick Henry, I just love the stiff arm, even though I'm not as big as him. But, you know, that's a great tool to have in your bag. Alvin Camara is a comparison I get a lot. So that contact, balance, love watching him and what he does in the receiving game as well. But I just try to take little things from, you know, all the greats. And the stance, man, the stance, always something that I did, but, you know, I always had a coach telling me that I couldn't Stand like that. But this past, this past year, I mean, like I said, Coach D, and you know, my running back, Coach Montgomery, they said, do your thing. And as long as you're being efficient out there and making plays, there's no problem with the way you stand.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you look like a punter back there. And then you get the rock and you're going for 70 every single time you touch it. What an offense. What a. Hey, what a player you were legitimately in college ball. You'll be remembered forever as one of the greats, which is spectacular. Have you always been built the way that we saw you at the pro day? Because obviously you want tops off, tarps off at the pro day. You said I'm not as big as Derrick Henry. I think you're pretty jocked, lad. Has this always been the way you've built? Have you put on weight for the NFL or is this standard? Ashton Gente?

[I]

No, that's pretty much how I always been built. I mean, I started, so I started lifting in the sixth grade with my older brother. He taught me really how to lift. And I mean, it's, it's paid off, you know, so I, I had to take the top off and show everybody what I'm working with.

[Pat McAfee]

Smart play. Yeah, we saw it. Yeah, we saw it and we. Holy sh, sh. Look at this guy. Let's give him the ball. Connor has a question for you. Ashton.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Ashton, speaking of training, have you been able to train with any guys that are, you know, currently in the NFL or were in the NFL and then aside from the training, when you were doing meetings with teams and things of that nature, did you get any, any, you know, kind of off the wall question? Nick Sirianni has told us he used to play like rocks, paper, scissors in the meetings with guys and prospects. Did you do any of that during your kind of entire process during this break?

[I]

Yeah. So sorry, can you say, can you say your question again?

[Pat McAfee]

He said, have you trained with any NFL guys? And they said, did you get any? Yeah, he, he, he's in a bad. That was a little long with it. Yeah, he's a little uncomfortable. Have you trained with any NFL guys and did you get any weird questions from any of these NFLs? Nah.

[I]

So I, I haven't really got to train with NFL guys. I kind of been on my own just trying to get right and then, I mean, we're flying around so much and doing so many different things. You gotta find creative ways to, you know, get it in. I actually was just working out, running Hills earlier, and I didn't really get any crazy questions, surprisingly, but I. On my 30 day visit with the Raiders, they had us playing golf at topgolf, but I know they were. They were scouting to see who had a good swing or not. I know they were.

[Pat McAfee]

How's your game? How's your game?

[I]

It's all right. It needs a little bit of work.

[Pat McAfee]

So I think those. Was there a group of you there at the top 30 visit for the Raiders?

[I]

Yeah, yeah, it was a group of us.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So I think they're trying to see how you interact with people, probably. Right. And everybody that has ever talked about you said, like, perfect teammate, great teammate. It feels like that's something you take a lot of pride in. Yes, I assume. Yeah.

[I]

I mean, relationships are important, especially, you know, with those guys that you're going to battle with on the field.

[Pat McAfee]

We talk to in top golf or are we quiet? Talk on the field or are you quiet? It depends.

[I]

It depends on who I'm playing. Like it was somebody who talks trash mode and I'm gonna talk back to them. But golf? No, I'm not talking trash because I'm not good.

[Pat McAfee]

It's my turn to hit gray. Let me get this out of the way. And then you guys kind of do your thing. Excited to watch. Cheer you guys on. Do your thing.

[AJ Hawk]

Good move by the Raiders, though.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Worked out for the commanders.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes, it certainly did with Jaden. They did that last year with the group visit. They did the topgolf thing and everybody.

[AJ Hawk]

And from the reports, he wasn't that great either.

[Connor]

So at golf, did you make solid content?

[Pat McAfee]

Did you embarrass yourself out there, or did we make at least some solid content?

[I]

No, no, I was making some. I was making some contact for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Yeah, you dropped down the draft board. Quick fall into the neck, do the whole thing.

[Darius Butler]

You're done.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, you're out of there. You're out of there. All right, let's talk more about those visits. Tone has a question for you. Yeah.

[Connor]

Ashton, you talked about the top 30 with the Raiders a couple years ago when Jaylen Carter was coming out. We had agent Drew Rosenhouse on and he said, I'm not sending him on any top 30 visits to any team that's picking outside of the top 10. How did you approach that this season? Have you visited anyone outside the top 10? Or was it a similar approach where you're like, I don't think I'm going later than that, so why would I take that visit?

[I]

I mean, it's Been a similar approach, mainly with teams that are, you know, interested in me and, you know, only one's been outside of the. The top 10. But, you know, as a possibility, you know, as a running back, you know, falling out of the top 10, even the fact that projected to go in the top 10 is, you know, great for the position, but just, I think it was most importantly meeting with the teams who are interested and, you know, really have a need for the running back position.

[Pat McAfee]

Are you doing football training now? All the combine stuff kind of behind you? We're not worried about all the. I don't want to say track drills, but are we back into full football training? Do you feel like you're.

[I]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely back into full football training. I mean, yeah, the track, the underwear Olympics is behind me.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, congratulations. Your college career is behind you as well. And it'll be one that is chit chatted about forever. Truly miraculous accomplishments for the Boise State squad and we can't wait to see where you end up on draft night. Good luck and thank you for the time.

[I]

Yeah, appreciate you. Thank you guys.

[Pat McAfee]

Are you going shirtless at the draft, too? Oh, good.

[I]

I just might. I just might.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you should. You should take the professional wrestler thing too, and kind of all up.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, all up. You got all up. Gotta let that thing go, you know. Ladies and gentlemen, Ashton Genty. Thank you, Ashton. TaxAct can think of a million things.

[Darius Butler]

More fun than filing taxes.

[Pat McAfee]

TaxAct is going to name some now. Sitting in traffic, folding a fitted bedsheet, listening to your co worker talk about.

[Darius Butler]

His fantasy team digging a hole.

[Pat McAfee]

Digging an even larger hole next to that original hole. Unfortunately, TaxAct's filing software can't make taxes fun, but TaxAct can help you get them done. TaxAct, let's get them over with. If you want tools that stand the test of time without testing your wallet, Harbor Freight is the place for you. Expert engineers design and rigorously test Harbor.

[Hembo]

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[Pat McAfee]

Whether your next project is big or small.

[Hembo]

Harbor Freight carries a wide selection from.

[Pat McAfee]

Hand tools to power tools to automotive tools and welding equipment. And with prices lower than other top brands, but with the same top quality, you're getting more for your money at Harbor Freight. There are over 1,500 Harbor Freight stores in the U.S. so come see for yourself. Whatever you do, do it for less at Harbor Freight. Yeah, he's hug, hug.

[Ashton Genti]

Roger oiled up, too. Roger's suits messed up the rest of the night.

[Pat McAfee]

Just walking out. What up, Roger? How you doing? Say he Started listening in sixth grade. You know, some people just built a little different. Sixth grade, he said his older brother started teaching him how to start stacking muscle on top of each other. And then all of a sudden he gets a junior high football. And I see one of the people, this guy's untackleable. What the hell's going on? Then high school, same exact thing. Goes to Boise. And he said sophomore year, coach was the interim coach. He gets the head job or whatever. Chuck said he was the best player in football. Yeah. For numerous years at Boise State. Just nobody really knew because it was Boise. So they love him in that community. He's beloved by his teammates and his coaches and obviously college football is very thankful for everything he did last year. Can't wait to see where he ends up. A.J. a good. That's like teammate. Everybody talks, talks about him as a teammate, number one. As opposed to also being incredibly elusive and incredibly impossible to tackle.

[Ashton Genti]

I mean, listen to him, listen to him speak and you know, like, yeah, this guy, he is. He kind of has his priorities straight. It feels like when you listen to him. But Also look at 5, 9, 215 pounds. The dudes all muscle. Like, I just, I know from experience of attempting to tackle guys like this, it's impossible. Like when their, their legs are gigantic, their upper body's so strong, they got that, that low center of gravity. Gravity. Yeah. Good luck. Good luck. You're going to try to take him low and you're going to knock yourself out. Your. Your head's going to hit me in death.

[AJ Hawk]

Serious, Bill.

[Pat McAfee]

And he has breakaway.

[Darius Butler]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, if he gets through the second, third level, it's gone.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

He's a home run hitter. 70 plus yard touchdowns, 60, obviously. His numbers are absurd.

[Ashton Genti]

His vision. Vision's awesome.

[AJ Hawk]

Chasing a record we thought was untouchable. The Barry Sanders record. He actually, like, actually had a chance.

[Pat McAfee]

Was in it.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

All right. Speaking of in it, we'll be back back tomorrow. We can't thank you enough. See you then. Goodbye. That came up pretty quickly there. The double zeros. That came up real fast.

[Darius Butler]

You got it?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

Got it off. Got the shot off on time.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's all matters.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

Comment?

[Pat McAfee]

Somebody's just. Gino Smith just doing this.

[Connor]

Oh.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody's basically said he's going to the Raiders.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Especially from that area. You know, I'm not saying Idaho is close enough, but it is in that area. You know, like the Broncos have a lot of contingency in those states over there. Idaho, Dakota, Montana, you name it. Vegas as well in that area. You know, I assume a lot of fans of Ashton Genti in Las Vegas already, you know and obviously everybody knows about him and the fact that the GM's kid is like we're taking this one. Right. Not that that matters. We saw Joe Shane True, you know, turn his kids opinions down. Shut up, son.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, I wouldn't sleep on the Patriots who either. The Patriots have talked about taking best available and like to a Trager said if, if the thought really is there are three blue chip players and Jinty is one of those guys. Mike Vrabel whose team I mean the Titans, Grant, he's only been the head coach of one team but you know the Titans were obviously a running football team and you know, best way to help Drake May would be a nice little run game. I, I wouldn't see putting them at 4 either.

[Pat McAfee]

And I don't like, you know, putting this out in the universe because if anything happens happens, it's football. It can happen. Very durable.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

Played a lot of football, you know, and that is a great ability as a running back is availability. And he has been there for Boise State.

[AJ Hawk]

Absolutely. It used to be a knock on guys that had a bunch of, you know, tread on the tire per se, but like the, you know, so some guys would like to split carries like Henderson and Judkins did and you draft them, you expect them to be fresh. But you know, we drafted Jonathan Taylor out of Wisconsin. He had a ton of carries in college and has been pretty healthy. He's had some years. He's been banged up and been pretty healthy, especially early on throughout his career. So I don't think that'd be a knock on Ashley. He's been healthy and he can, he shows that he can carry. He's a workhorse.

[Pat McAfee]

Jonathan Taylor, whenever he's going is awesome. He is explosive. He, he gets out there and you start seeing shades of what we saw in college for the Colts. It's like, oh, that is the guy. I assume the same thing with Genti. You know, football is football and it feels like whenever you run the Rock you can run. Especially if your speed. If he would have ran a 48 or something like that. Yeah, then you're worried. But when the speed matches with the film, it's like, oh, that guy's gonna be able to run. He's gonna be able to play in a men league.

[AJ Hawk]

But you see, yeah, you see the breakaway.

[Pat McAfee]

It's like his speed I think is very apparent. So it's like, I think whenever you Match that with the ability to see holes and find holes. It's like, I think he's gonna be a men's league guy.

[Darius Butler]

I think immediately some guys can just handle, like, the carries, too. Like, Josh Jacobs, like, led the NFL and carries for several years, and then when he became a free agent, a lot of people thought, like, oh, he might take a step down. He had one of the best years of his career with the packers, and. And, you know, was getting just as many carries. Same thing with Henry. Like, you look at how big Genti is, like, obviously a freak injury could happen, but I don't think you look at how many carries he got in college, and, like, that's not a deterrent at all.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

A.J. what are they saying? They're saying Henderson is the number two guy or Judkins is the number two guy.

[AJ Hawk]

Who's the out of unc.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

That's interesting, because he's getting mocked in the first round of the Broncos.

[Connor]

I saw them some Bears, too.

[Pat McAfee]

What I've seen Judkins do. Oh, yeah, I think. Yeah, Henderson. I mean, they're gonna do.

[Ty Schmidt]

Scatter.

[Connor]

Come on.

[Pat McAfee]

He's gonna do.

[AJ Hawk]

He's running back classes. Caleb.

[Darius Butler]

Caleb Johnson?

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, the guy from VTech.

[Ashton Genti]

There's multiple teams, though, that won't take a running back in the first round, Right? Aren't there some teams that they just won't do it?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know. He mentioned that if he goes in the top 10, it's good for the running back position. And obviously, a couple years ago, we had the entire running back almost holdout, like, union. The running backs almost like unionized. Saquon was part of that. Josh Jacobs, I think, was a part of that job. Jonathan Taylor was a part of it. Now, everybody else took a deal. Jonathan Taylor remained, you know, steady on the mission, and I appreciate him doing that and taking a stand. Saquon ended up taking a deal and then ends up going to the Eagles and gets signed to big money. Obviously has the year that he has. Hopefully Christian McCaffrey's back.

[AJ Hawk]

Hope so.

[Pat McAfee]

For the San Francisco 49ers because he was paid a lot of money. It's like we're getting into a time now where it feels. And we are once again just doofuses who watch the sport. Feels like this one. Especially if the champions are doing it.

[AJ Hawk]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Monkey see, monkey do. Lee league. Okay. Copycat league. They talk about champions. This is what a coach is saying to a scouting department. Did you see what the Philadelphia Eagles did? They had Jalen Hurts go Like this right here, you see this Boom. And then Saquon ran. And then they did what? Boom. Then they did, ah, boom. Life is a lot easier for everybody if we can run the football. You got defense coordinators out there going, can we run. Run the football? Just kind of eat up some clock. Now that the champions did it, other people will feel empowered to maybe follow suit. We think that we are in the middle of the evolution, this cyclicality of football back to becoming a more physical running style of football. And I think Saquon Barkley is at the front of it, and I think Ashton Genti and the boys are going to benefit from that in the draft. Genuinely, I think that.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. And it's kind of already. I mean, that's all the positive stuff. It's almost caught some problems now with other teams, you know, like the James Cook in Buffalo. Buffalo's paid everybody in. You know, James Cook after the Saquon deal, you know, he views himself, which he is. He's a great player. But because these, you know, quarterback contracts are so high and the wide receivers are so high now that running backs are kind of stepping back into that, like, hey, we are a huge part of this entire thing. Like, you wonder what is going to happen with the. The salary cap, because the. We've talked about the quarterback being its own thing for so long, or a percentage of it going only to quarterback. But, like, if. How high can those numbers get between, you know, a Hertz and a saquon and an A.J. brown? I know you can just figure it out no matter what, but it's just crazy how some teams are able to and some don't.

[Pat McAfee]

I love that Haslam paid Miles Garrett 47 million. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Bingo.

[Pat McAfee]

I love.

[Ty Schmidt]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

He's just staring over at the Pittsburgh Steelers. You got any money over there? I didn't think so. Broke. That's what Haslam said. He said, oh, you. Oh. So our guy and the Steelers guy is up. Wouldn't it be nice if that guy wasn't on the Steelers anymore? How do we do that? Let's run the tab up. Let's run the tab up. Perfect. 40 million for a pass rusher. People are going to call us crazy, but, you know, those people are also going to say, Steelers aren't going to be able to do that. Not for TJ Walk. But so TJ maybe gets out of our division. Maybe TJ gets out of our hair. That Miles Garrett deal, gigantic, obviously. And we still got Micah.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yep. Micah's still kind of waiting to see what happens, but The TJ stuff with Pittsburgh, I, you know, TJ is the Pittsburgh Steelers in my eyes. He's the last one introduced. Okay. Whenever the defense is intro, place goes crazy. Them with TJ, much better than them without TJ. When TJ's playing, they win. When TJ's not playing, they lose. So when Miles signs for 40, I think TJ's people probably go, whoa, whoa, whoa. Didn't know that was possible. Yeah, I guess that's the market now, you know, and that's how it's going to be in. The Pittsburgh Steelers are saying, we're trying to win, brother. We can't put 40 in a pass rusher at this moment. Now, granted, the Steelers were able to pay a quarterback a million bucks last year.

[Ty Schmidt]

True.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so they were able to save some money in other departments. But TJ Watt not getting a Pittsburgh Steelers deal done at this moment feels like could be reality when just a few weeks ago, maybe a week ago, didn't seem like it was a possibility at all. I thought TJ was lifelong Steeler. How do you feel about it now and how do the Pittsburgh Steelers fans feel about it?

[Connor]

I've seen some mixed reviews on it.

[Pat McAfee]

Which Steelers fans will.

[Ashton Genti]

What do you mean? What do mean?

[Connor]

I mean, I think it's 50, 50 right now.

[Ashton Genti]

Whether some people are saying, don't pay them.

[Connor]

I'd say 50, 50 on pay them or trade them.

[Pat McAfee]

We ain't paying one guy $40 million against Cor.

[Ashton Genti]

I didn't realize, you know, actually what.

[Connor]

You say is, okay, how many? It's not me, by the way.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, okay. Sounds like this is going to be very offensive.

[Connor]

How many playoff wins TJ have? We can win with him. We could lose with him. We could lose without.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, and that's classic Pittsburgh. I mean, obviously that is classic Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh will ride with you. But as soon as they feel like a little bit disrespected or something like that, it's like, I this guy. Exactly.

[Connor]

And, you know, Coach T says volunteers, not hostages. And we could pay him 40 million, but do they want to pay him 40 million is the big question. And, you know, what would the hall be if you were to trade TJ Watt on draft day? Could you move up and get a quarterbacker in the third in. Sorry, what?

[Ty Schmidt]

Maybe in the third round?

[Pat McAfee]

What do you talk. I don't know.

[Ty Schmidt]

And this is just another one of those guys that's going to go for not as much as we think, because you have to pay him.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, we're going to be so bummed out about it.

[Ty Schmidt]

DK Metcalf.

[Pat McAfee]

There's going to be 31 teams. There are 30 teams, I guess because the Steelers count as one of them. And then what the team that trades for TJ, they're going to go. We couldn't give up a 5th round pick for TJ. Wat we couldn't get. Well, also you got to pay them 40 point. $40 million. DK for six a year in this entire thing. DK, we thought 26 want to go for first. He signs for 30 million immediately upon joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, which DJ probably goes.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, that doesn't help.

[Pat McAfee]

Wait a minute.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, so yeah, this guy's done a lot here, huh?

[Connor]

Well, he scores touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Puts the ball in the end zone.

[AJ Hawk]

TJ keeps it out.

[Pat McAfee]

TJ does through, brother.

[Ty Schmidt]

Well, that punch against the Raiders, I.

[Pat McAfee]

I just hit me about DK making $30 million by the Pittsburgh Steelers while TJ's in the middle of negotiating. Yeah, just going have him taking a snap. That's fine.

[Connor]

If TJ wants to make 30, that's fine. Pay him 30.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm outside.

[Connor]

He wants what DK wants.

[Pat McAfee]

Go ahead, give him take it.

[Connor]

Feels like 30 is the right number.

[AJ Hawk]

But the report is he wants 40. 40. I mean that's all you would expect to only go up with.

[Connor]

He wants more than Miles Gary.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Make it 45.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Might have 50 million. Especially. Especially if he's going to be able to do what we think he's going to be able to do.

[Ty Schmidt]

What number does he come out of the tunnel? Last 52.

[Connor]

We find a new last.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I think they only introduced 11 there. I thought you were saying.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, I'm saying 52 million.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Yeah, yeah, but I understand what you're saying because. But he's not the last person on the roster.

[Ty Schmidt]

He would be though.

[Pat McAfee]

It's the starting lineups. It's 11. Not all 52 are.

[Ty Schmidt]

If they. If they intro 53. Guess what number he'd be. Maybe first actually. Because maybe he doesn't want to wait.

[Pat McAfee]

Because he wants to stay warm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not sure you guys need to pay tj. Do we.

[Ashton Genti]

Is he gonna hold in.

[Pat McAfee]

Toad, is the guy saying? I don't think so. That's wild. That's wild. You've become that person. I could.

[Connor]

I could go either way at this point.

[Pat McAfee]

What are the stats on when TJ plays and when he doesn't?

[Connor]

Completely defeated when TJ does not play.500 when he plays.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so we'll give DK 30 million. Okay. Mason, quarterback. Mason Rudolph's quarterback.

[Connor]

DK is undefeated as Pittsburgh Steeler.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean, Cam Hayward saying, look, Aaron Rodgers, this guy doesn't want to play here. He doesn't have to play here. What's going on over there? Pittsburgh.

[Connor]

I'll be excited what he says about tj, because TJ is doing the same thing.

[Pat McAfee]

I saw that. Yeah, but TJ's done a lot for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think Cam probably understands that and appreciates that. We saw a lot of the Steelers saw Kiesel, saw the boys at Big Night out shout out to all the Steelers that came through. They reached out to the arena and they were like, hey, how. How do we go about getting tickets? Like, Fitzberg want to come? We definitely get them in the building. That was a cool moment.

[Connor]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

High.

[Connor]

Smith Highsmith was there. Both Haywards were there. Kiesel was having a great time, obviously. Seven was there.

[Pat McAfee]

I believe was there.

[Connor]

Christian Co were there. They were having a good time. Doc Hodges was there.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Connor]

The boys showed up. It was awesome.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, it was great to see him. Pen showed up. Pirates had a sweep. They showed up.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, they were. They were hitting the batting cages since their average. Batting average is what, 184.

[Connor]

So I'm glad they weren't scored 10 runs left.

[Pat McAfee]

They said it's the worst. Did they really? Yeah, they did okay. Hopefully a lot of walks. I guess they. Who were they playing?

[Connor]

That was against Cardinals.

[Darius Butler]

I want to say they play the Cardinals with the Reds every.

[Ashton Genti]

I know Reds already swept them. You know that.

[Pat McAfee]

Swept who?

[Ashton Genti]

Red swept the. The Buckos three zero.

[Connor]

Too goddamn cold.

[Darius Butler]

They did over the weekend.

[Pat McAfee]

Wait, you were at the Pirates game, right, aj? Yeah, I was at that one. Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

They didn't. They played the Cardinals that one. Yeah, but the Reds played him three times. Boom, boom, boom. Three wins.

[Pat McAfee]

You got cornered. You got cornered in the suite there for a good bit. I. I walked into the suite, I saw AJ Friend.

[Ashton Genti]

I thought, these are all people you grew up with.

[Pat McAfee]

No, I didn't know any of those people. Yeah, they're very good. Very nice. Those people shout sportsnet.

[Ty Schmidt]

Those cookies, man, I didn't have any.

[Pat McAfee]

Obviously strict diet.

[Darius Butler]

Spread was good.

[Ty Schmidt]

So good.

[Pat McAfee]

I got eight of the hot dogs that they had out there. Great ballpark dogs.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That's the thing about the Pirates. BNC park is awesome.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah. It's unbelievable.

[Pat McAfee]

That view.

[Ty Schmidt]

Coolest view is.

[Ashton Genti]

It really is out there.

[Pat McAfee]

Paul Skeens is doing things that I don't think any pitcher's done in a long Time. Right. There's more stuff. Stats coming out about Paul Skeens every single time he pitches that nobody's ever done. Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

Like his ERA and strikeouts and innings. Pitch through however many starts. Yeah. No one's ever replicated that to start their career.

[Pat McAfee]

And the guy's a baseball thrower, not a football thrower. Don't ask any questions.

[Connor]

You did try to throw a curveball with that thing.

[Pat McAfee]

That is interesting because it's such a. Look at that. What the is that?

[Peter Schrager]

Whoa.

[Pat McAfee]

What was that thing? They said he threw like an 82 mile an hour sweeper or something. I don't know what that is.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, it's like kind of like a mixture of like a curveball, slider type deal. That one.

[Pat McAfee]

Go back to that one.

[Darius Butler]

The fastball he throws. The movement on the fastball that he throws, I think is this, this last. Yeah, it's this, this one. Good luck hitting that.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, that's what he did with the football right there. Yeah. It looks like it's going in and then it's out.

[Connor]

He's also wearing that jacket, kind of.

[Pat McAfee]

Restricted, sick David Allen jacket. Shout out to DA Coming through. Shout out to Mikey and Big Bob for the pre record video they did. That was awesome. Set the tone for the entire night. That's a good video.

[AJ Hawk]

Painter was cool too.

[Pat McAfee]

Cody Sable, hand painter. So talented.

[Ty Schmidt]

Sachs.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Owen was unbelievable.

[Ashton Genti]

Awesome on the end.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. It was like. I don't know how that didn't. Why. Why was that on the Hulu, I wonder. Yeah, that was weird. So the version I grabbed, it was not in there. And then I'm realizing now that I just didn't add it in there after. Yeah. Because we still keep me referencing it in there. Yeah, that's. That is totally on me. Because once you guys brought that up, I just realized that it was a full on.

[Ashton Genti]

What about the USA chant? We had a USA chant to start the whole thing.

[Pat McAfee]

Great USA chant. Yeah. And you come out right, right after that. Yeah. So from the moment that show ended, I mean, I didn't even get to enjoy. I heard the catering was unbelievable, which I'm very happy about. Very, very good. That was a very focal. That was a big focal point in my eyes. Hey, for everybody that's working here a lot of hours, a lot of hard work. Let's make sure they're eating good and catering can really change morale. So we wanted. I wanted to go all in on the catering. I didn't even get to eat the catering one time because we're obviously working through the stage and the rehearsals. Everybody had a good time. As soon as the show ends, get a quick chance to dap up with everybody. Boom, boom, boom. Good to see everybody. Thank you so much for coming. I'm about to piss my pants. Okay, I gotta go here. Boom, boom, boom. Hey, is there anybody left? Yep, back there. Go. Say ya, Shane. Hanging. Still a couple people in the back. Hanging. Want to say what's up. Cool. Let's sit down, do a little bit of that. Oh, I didn't wear socks. I got blisters all over my feet. My cowboy boots. Okay, bad decision. Let me sit down, have a couple moments there. Everybody's heading to the hotel lobby suite. Then me and Foxy just have to sit there and like, all right, we got to get this fucking video to hulu in like 12 hours. We gotta rip this, we gotta clip this, we gotta post this, we gotta do this. That was a nightmare. No. Yeah. To be clear, I felt really bad about that. Thank you for staying up with me. But you literally just had your biggest show show you've ever done. Not only on stage, but everything you went that went into it, all the phone calls, literally. I've never seen someone on the phone more than you were prepping for this show. It was unbelievable. And this is weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks of this. And then the show goes great. And right after you're sitting there on a laptop in some random back room editing a video with me while everyone else is out having drinks and having a good time in your home city, I'm like, what the is going on? Right. Well, I don't think I would have been able to go to that hotel from what I've been told you would not, which is a good thing and a bad thing. If I would have walked in there.

[Connor]

One of the winners was there.

[Pat McAfee]

I think it would have been a good time. Hopefully they're running up that tab.

[Connor]

He was blacked out. He was having a good time.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, good. All right, good. I asked the. The two million dollar winner. He lives in Pittsburgh area. And I did ask a couple times, hey, can you guys spend some money there? Some restaurants maybe get a dowel pizza by Thousand pizzas. You know, just get back to the community.

[AJ Hawk]

I lay low.

[Pat McAfee]

About to have a In that jersey. Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

Don't tell your buddies you won that.

[Pat McAfee]

They know.

[Ashton Genti]

Unfortunately. Yeah, they probably. I'm sure they've been calling.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody knows a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Winning is the greatest ending. Sweet. It was good. It was good. I watched it again, the Hulu version last night. Not all of us.

[AJ Hawk]

It.

[Pat McAfee]

It's long. Three hours too long. I think two and a half probably the sweet spot. If I had to guess, two and a half is probably where. If we were to do one again, two and a half is where we would like it to be, but I think that is replicable. I think we could travel to other cities. You know, pretty expensive night. Obviously worth it, though. I think everybody had a great time. I think it is doable again in other cities. So now we're eyeballing what cities to kind of go and take you to, and also the acts that want to be a part of it. You know, after seeing a lot of people have reached out and been like, yo, you doing that again? Ichi.

[Ashton Genti]

Ichi's coming. He better be back.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, Hiroki.

[Darius Butler]

Hiroki is.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah, Hiroki is my guy. Yeah, that's my dude.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Hiroki took the L, but in the end, I think he won. Yeah. Yeah. From the moment he entered the stage, stole the show.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

To the time exiting in Heroki Shane. Shane goes, hey, hey, this is not racist. They told me to say this. Ah, what a moment. Thank you to everybody, man. Once again, let's remember Wiz Khalifa cushion OJ2 April 18. Parker McCollum at Acresher Stadium, May 31 with George Strait. Everybody that was a part of that program basically just did it for free because they wanted to put on a hell of a show, and we can't thank him enough for all of it. I will. I will take my mind to that night time and time again, probably for the rest of my life. What a moment. Great night. Yeah. Everybody's singing along.

[Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That'S how it supposed to be. Come on.

[Ashton Genti]

My hands up. I had my hands up. I'm telling you, I had my hands up. I look around the suite, nobody else had their hands up.

[Pat McAfee]

I was like, all right, guys, everybody had their hands up.

[Ashton Genti]

A lot of people in the suite did not. And as I was trying to get.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody going again, I'm disgusted if that was the case.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, he was.

[Pat McAfee]

When I talked to Snoop and Whiz and Will shout out to. Will shout out to Tasha and Sarah from Snoop's team. Whenever I talk to Snoop the first time about it, FaceTime with him, I'm like, snoop, I'm thinking about putting this variety show together in Pittsburgh. I've already talked to Wiz and Will, obviously, and we need you to be a part of it. He goes, oh, yeah, that's easy. We wrapped that up with Young, wild and Free 2. That's our biggest one. No problem at all. And then he started like piecing it together and I'm like, hey, Snoop, whatever you're thinking, buddy, whatever you are, whatever you want. So, like, the ownership that the guys took upon their, their performances, I'm very appreciative of, like Jelly Roll.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah.

[Connor]

He was so pumped.

[Pat McAfee]

Jelly Roll, if you could see Jelly Roll live, you go watch Jelly Roll live. He and his entire band. 11 piece band. Yeah, okay. Which the setup for the 11 piece band was a lot, but certainly worth it with how great they are and how talented they are and how getting a chance to meet them and talk with them, how appreciative they. They were to be a part of it, which was so cool. But Jelly Roll cares so much about people having a great time. Like the medley that played at the end, the hip hop medley they pieced together. He was like, hey, we're gonna treat this thing like it's a bar show. Is that okay? We want everybody to sing along. I'm like, yes, Jelly Roll. You completely understand the assignment. I think he does that for every show. I think Jelly Roll wants everybody to have a blast, including his band. So if you get a chance to go see Jelly Roll, you go, okay. That is my no doubt, big takeaway from it, especially getting a chance to work with him and the fact that he's lost £200.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Was so awesome to kind of see and report about he. Jelly Roll's special dude, special talent, his band so damn good. What a way to start that entire thing.

[Connor]

I'm just watching the stage right now and like, we knew watching it, how cool it was, you know, and it going up and down, everything like that. I saw a show two nights later in ppg. Boy, did your. Your stage just, I mean, dunk on that thing. A thousand out of a thousand.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, shout out to the wwe. A guy named AJ is director of wwe production creator. I told him he needs a better title.

[Connor]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

I told him. I said, aj, I want to give you a shout out. What's the name of your group? Because he's got like this group that is tasked with coming up with answers and ideas in building like the wristbands and everything like that. That's part of AJ's team. The stage building, the lights, the lifts, the smoke, like everything is from this guy, AJ's team, who's actually a twin. His twin named Sam looks exactly like him. Vastly different humans. From what I found out, it was a little bit dark on the stage rehearsal day, and I Seen aj and I had a question for aj. AJ walks away. Then AJ walks in again and I go, aj? He goes, I'm not aj. And yes, you the fuck are. I just talked to you. I'm Sam's twin brother. Oh. Oh, okay. Do you have the answer? No, that's AJ's. Okay, I will go to AJ. So AJ and his team, the WWE folks, all great. Stu, the cameraman, Cena's camera guy, he had that carry camera for 10 hours.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

The entire day. Probably 11 straight hours. That's a heavy rig too. And that's coming right out of Wrestlemania. He was just in Europe, right out and let alone Rico and Sweaty and you know, Marty Fathom in the crew, in the truck. It's like everybody. Grogan obviously out there grinding his ass off running through the entire thing. I mean, it's. And think about how many shows and how many hours are going to work just this weekend. A thousand. Yes. On top of all that. Yeah. So I'm very, very thankful for everybody. I will never stop saying that. And what a cool night. Hopefully we're able to do it again. Oh, yeah, we've learned a lot.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Learned a lot. A lot of time, lot of effort, a lot of calls, a lot of thoughts, a lot of pitching what it is to people.

[Connor]

Well, now you get. Now you don't hopefully have to do that anymore.

[Pat McAfee]

That's a big part of it.

[Darius Butler]

Well worth it too. It was. It was a success.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes.

[Darius Butler]

You know, I mean, if that thing would have sucked, then, yeah, we're. It's every conversation.

[Pat McAfee]

But yeah. Nightmare, nightmare, nightmare. Yeah. Everybody in there. And then obviously there was a fight. Pittsburgh happened. Only one. I'm just proud how media people are going to report it.

[Ashton Genti]

Press, that's impressive.

[Pat McAfee]

Put me on the record of saying only one fight in Pittsburgh in a 3 1/2, 4 hour event with everybody on top of each other. Yeah. For. I don't know what your city's like for Pittsburgh. That's really good. The under. Really good. Yeah. Especially West Virginia people in there, Pit people in there, Penn State people in there. I mean, it was. I think it was a celebratory. Yeah.

[Darius Butler]

I mean, the money through and through, the money game, giveaways, like, realistically, when that got down to the single rows, I was like, oh, Jesus Christ. Like someone who wins in row or in seat three, like, yeah, seat four is going to cold cock them. And like, like. And none of that happened. Everyone was genuinely excited for the people who won.

[Pat McAfee]

Him getting booed here. Aaron and Mara, they Had to put it at 2 million. And then he gets booed and I say, Philadelphia Eagles fan, you hear him kind of take his say he goes, go Birds here in a second. Holy. Yeah. Oh my God, we did it. They're having a baby. Which is awesome. Shout out to the Philadelphia Eagles fan winning that thing. Holy shit. Show them again. Go Birds. It's my favorite moment. All right, let's get the hell out of here, boys. We're back tomorrow. Big one tomorrow. Huge. Hey, we might have some real journalism over the next couple days.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's right.

[Pat McAfee]

And then Friday, 12:15 Eastern, 9:15 local. The original are the one tribal chief will be joining us.

[Ty Schmidt]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

He looks good too. Yeah, jacked up. So last night was. It was tough.

[Ty Schmidt]

We're going down. Amen up.

[Pat McAfee]

I like that he circled Paul a couple different times. Kind of let him feel the aura. Paul Ammon's in an interesting spot any.

[Darius Butler]

Yes, he is.

[Connor]

He's not so wise man.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, Seth also says, hey, you owe him. You owe me too because he could have stomped his head.

[Darius Butler]

I thought he was going to.

[Pat McAfee]

Seth.

[Connor]

Coming at Seth.

[AJ Hawk]

Just the best clean fit last night. Once again.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean he comes.

[Pat McAfee]

Those boots were outrageous.

[Connor]

Classic long term storytelling there.

[Peter Schrager]

It's beautiful.

[Ty Schmidt]

Takes another charity.

[Pat McAfee]

I did see some throwbacks back in the day. A lot of people throwing some things back. That's a good thing about the wrestling world. Certainly on purpose. All those things. Him bringing the Shield chair shot last night.

[Darius Butler]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I was actually in the crowd because that happened in Indianapolis. The Shield breaking up at Gainbridge downtown. I was in the crowd whenever that happened. Holy. This changed the entire thing last night, Seth, yet again. Just like at WrestleMania last year.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

What's going to happen in Mania?

[Ty Schmidt]

I don't know. Tribal chief's going to win.

[AJ Hawk]

I got some questions about Punk.

[Pat McAfee]

About CM Punk.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, what are your questions?

[Pat McAfee]

What are your question?

[Ashton Genti]

Throwing haymakers, man.

[AJ Hawk]

It's mania season. So just, you know, you should just.

[Connor]

Look into his eyes. D. I can't.

[Pat McAfee]

What do you see? Terrified personality.

[AJ Hawk]

On too.

[Pat McAfee]

Huh?

[AJ Hawk]

He has sick shoes on too.

[Pat McAfee]

He's a Hoka wear. Punk is out there.

[AJ Hawk]

Hank didn't kick one of those.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, no.

[AJ Hawk]

Never mind. Not the punches he throws.

[Pat McAfee]

His hair.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh yeah, it's clean.

[Pat McAfee]

This is the best hair CM Punk's had. I think long time. I don't know for sure if that's a factual statement, but his hair right.

[Ty Schmidt]

Now, I mean his hair in high.

[Pat McAfee]

School were those custom hokas.

[Connor]

I never seen them with that thick on the bottom.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what hocas are, brother.

[Peter Schrager]

No, those ones.

[Connor]

Those one looked even a little bit more.

[Pat McAfee]

I never seen.

[Ashton Genti]

Remember those ones you had Pat you seen wear the platform ones where you'd roll your ankle.

[Pat McAfee]

They're all platform ones because you're trying to make it like you're on a clock. Hogas are sick and I did fall off the hocus.

[Ashton Genti]

Run a triathlon maybe.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, maybe CM Punk is going to do that after his main event. Main event. CM Punk. Congratulations, CM Punk.

[Ty Schmidt]

We were Punk.

[Pat McAfee]

How about Mommy? Iyo sky and Bianca Belair. That one has gotten tensions high.

[Connor]

I was speaking Japanese to us last night.

[Pat McAfee]

She's done that the last few weeks, I believe.

[Ty Schmidt]

Picked a few things up.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you did.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Because of the sumo wrestling. Yeah, because of Andrew. That should be good. Fred Armiser, L.A. knight. Jacob Fatu. Yeah, that's gonna be a great match. Damian Priest. Drew McIntyre. Oh, yeah. Scenes are we, huh?

[Ty Schmidt]

Gunter versus the Yeastman.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what, Jay, USO looks like a different guy these last couple weeks. When we were in Europe there, I was all worse. Worried.

[AJ Hawk]

Locked in.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I was a little worried. I'm like, what do we got here? Gunther seems to be in complete control. Gunther snapped a little bit. He kind of lost his cool. Last time Michael Cole was supposed to interview him, it didn't happen at all.

[Connor]

Also, that was. Gunther was on his home turf.

[Ty Schmidt]

You're right over J. Jay needed his brother James back around.

[Pat McAfee]

Jimmy got his ass beat there right in front of him. And I think it was that moment where Jay was like, is that the worst that could happen? He's still alive. I'll keep it moving. I'll tell you what. Sacramento was eating hard last night. Looked like there's a lot of. Michael Cole needs to figure that out before Mania.

[AJ Hawk]

He needs to figure out, like, why does he keep trying to say that about Chad Gable? Like that he's.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I don't know. Why does he keep saying two people or one p. We get yelled at for saying, like, conspiracy stuff. Michael Cole is saying that two different people are the same person. I'm about sick of it.

[Darius Butler]

It's just not true.

[Ty Schmidt]

He's old.

[Darius Butler]

It's not possible.

[Pat McAfee]

I mean, I guess there is some similarities if you look at the body type and everything, but El Grande Americano is a vastly different wrestler than Chad Gable was. Yeah, exactly.

[Ashton Genti]

Both of them pretty jacked, pretty ripped.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Oh, it's professional wrestling.

[Ty Schmidt]

So is everybody in there?

[Connor]

This is the wwe, aj.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what. Rey Mysterio Last night, did a springboard splash from the outside. He's been doing that for 25 years. Every time I see it, I'm like, how the fuck is he still that excited? Explode. Legitimately, yeah. I have no idea how he still. Because those ropes. High, like, I. Very high, very high. In my match against Corbin, I did a slingshot out to the outside, and I've never done it before, you know, but I'm like, feels like right time. He was standing out there like, I need to do this. And as I'm doing it, I'm like, high school. I used to have to jump fences, you know, on the way out of things. I used to think I was pretty good, but that thing's moving a little bit, you know, so you don't know where to. So as I'm going over, I'm like, oh, maybe I'm not gonna get over this thing. And then Rey Mysterio just grabs that thing and flies through the sky. It's like, this guy's unbelievable. He's got his work cut out for him, though. El Grande Americano has been quite a problem since arriving on the scene.

[Ty Schmidt]

Mean Cuss.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know much about him, honestly. I know he's willing to put a. The Cinco head in there. The. Not just a forehead, the five head with the steel underneath the mask. That has been quite a weapon for him. Gotta keep. Don't the ref gotta check that, you think?

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, I think cheater, but Cheater, yeah, he's.

[Pat McAfee]

He's willing to break the rules a little bit. We're learning about El Grande Americano as we go here.

[Connor]

He's a competitor.

[AJ Hawk]

He is.

[Ty Schmidt]

Whatever it takes.

[Connor]

Fiery.

[Ty Schmidt]

Gotta respect that.

[Pat McAfee]

I heard him speak a little Spanish, too. I think he said, silencio. I think El Grande, he must be from a part of Mexico close to the Texas border. Yeah, Accent like Baja, Cat, California. His lingo might be a little bit different. I think he said, gracias as well.

[Connor]

Nailed it.

[Pat McAfee]

Bowling for all of them. Yeah. That chop by Penta was phenomenal.

[Connor]

That's Penta football.

[Pat McAfee]

Then Michael Cole started talking. I'm like, cole, please. Penta speaking. I've been learning a lot of Spanish through Penta. His Walt La, I believe, used to do it. Is that a WCW guy? Parker, he's kind of legend. Very similar. That's what he does. So they do those arrival shots and I don't know. I don't know if they tell him just, hey, just however you would arrive. But you can see Penta, like, casually walking and Then in his head, he's like, I can't do it. I gotta. I gotta. I gotta do something. He can't help himself. Like, needs to be electrifying. You can see middle of match. He's like, all right, I need to. Need to. Need a high. Tighten the stakes a little bit here. He is inexperienced. The Penta experience is on. I can't wait for Wrestlemania with Penta legitimately cero miero. And then I was. I was talking to him backstage, and I was like, is there anything I could add to that? And he. He gave me some Spanish lingo to throw in the back end of that. That I guess would have been translated to if I would have said it. Because, like, immediately after. After he told me, I was like, okay, sick. I'm gonna say that he, like, just laughed, like, walked away. So I get in the gorilla, and there's some other Spanish speakers, and I'm like, zelo, miedo, punta, whatever it was. And they're like, you should not say.

[Darius Butler]

Don't say that.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, all right. Okay, all right. I'll get better. I'll get better in Spanish. Rey Mysterio always walks over to me, though. Last night, he was even. Because he doesn't like that I am you know, still.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, sure, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Non biased against El Grande Americano, you know, because I'm just trying to call it as I see it.

[Connor]

Yeah, you're a professional.

[Ty Schmidt]

Shoot it straight.

[Pat McAfee]

That's right. Cole's not at all.

[Connor]

No, he's not.

[Pat McAfee]

So somebody here has to.

[Ty Schmidt]

At least it's a big mark.

[Connor]

You would think he would be after all those years, but he's not at all.

[Pat McAfee]

But Ray comes out and he goes to me. I'm like, ray, I'm a fan.

[Darius Butler]

Come on. Yeah, you're right there.

[Pat McAfee]

Viva raza Rey Mysterio. Should be a great WrestleMania week.

[Ashton Genti]

So good is getting a big push.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, what is the. What if.

[Ty Schmidt]

Eating potato chips and hanging out on his bus.

[Pat McAfee]

No, no. He might be.

[Ashton Genti]

Golf puts good golf videos out. Yeah, there you go.

[Pat McAfee]

He said he's gotten worse somehow. You see that?

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yep.

[Ashton Genti]

His swing is beautiful. Great swing.

[Pat McAfee]

He changed his swing, though. I don't know if he's. I mean.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah, he's in his head a little bit. Feel like.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. I think the maze will probably live in his head for the rest of his life, but. Hashtag Ms. Golf is a. It's a must follow. That's how powerful the game of golf is. Because Miz is the most confident person I've ever met in my life. And even golf has defeated the miss. Yeah, he. You're right. The Miz can walk into any situation. Supposed to be here. I'm the man. And golf was like that for what, two years with him? For a long time. Think about the NBA All Star Game. He thinks he's an NBA basketball player now because he was in that All Star Game and he made the shot, right? Yeah, but it didn't count. What is the most amazing thing of all time? But you're right. Golf has kind of humbled him a little bit. I'll even see a caption at like, I'm not good today. It's like, whoa. Are you okay? Is Miz all right? Golf broke him. Hey, you could be like Connor and I Miz and just stop playing the game.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, it's great. Life. Really enjoying it.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't even have to think about whether or not the ball is going to go the way I want it to go.

[Ty Schmidt]

Nope. The sim, doing the golf simulator, really fun.

[Pat McAfee]

Have you been doing it?

[Connor]

No, no, but it's fun.

[Ty Schmidt]

But I'm sure if someone were to do it, they'd be like, this is one.

[Pat McAfee]

Remember, I did the same for a couple months. I got worse at golf and I said, that's it. If I'm going to practice worse, I'm done with this thing that. Who has enough time to try and match Master of the sport? But I'll tell you what, you watch Masters, you think yourself. Yeah, I gotta get out there. It'd be so cool. It'd be so cool. That shot on Saturday that Rory hit on that par five. Oh, that was exactly like Tiger shot. Think about how awesome that. Oh, my God. Just beautiful shot. And then as it's flying, just walk that thing off. That had to feel so good. Yeah. So good. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

But we all know none of us will ever be there, so who cares, A.J.

[AJ Hawk]

I don't know.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't. If you try hard enough, AJ Will be there.

[AJ Hawk]

I have unrealistic expectations for myself.

[Pat McAfee]

You're new to the game. Yeah, we understand that.

[AJ Hawk]

I'm still in. Where m. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

What? How many times are we playing a week? Are we still playing?

[AJ Hawk]

I try. Well, now that it's nice out up here, I can get out on. Well, getting nice. Like Twilight. So whenever I can get out up here, it's probably twice a week, if I can.

[Pat McAfee]

It's still playing, though. Twice a week, right? Roughly, yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Playing.

[Pat McAfee]

How's the game? Are we getting better?

[AJ Hawk]

The game is good. I mean, I consistently break 90. So that's. I'm trying to take that next jump where I'm consistently breaking 85. You know, no bulls, you know, no, you know, free drops and mulligans and all that.

[Pat McAfee]

Hold on, though. You're not looking for a ball?

[AJ Hawk]

No, I.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, if we know what's in this area.

[AJ Hawk]

Gallery drop. If it's in the area that we know it came down. Like, I'm not a guy that's going to look around, hey, come help me out. Look for four or five minutes with my ball.

[Ashton Genti]

No, I drop or drop and take a stroke.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Or no, if I'm with somebody, he's.

[Pat McAfee]

Not taking a stroke. That's what he said.

[AJ Hawk]

Gallery, Gallery drop. I would not take a stroke. But if we, like, legit, nobody saw it come down, can't find it. I'll take a stroke for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so gallery drop I'm learning is the term because I've been playing by this golf rule my entire life. So we all saw it in this area.

[AJ Hawk]

We know, we know it's up.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm not a fucking bloodhound, okay? I'm not gonna be able to find this goddamn ball, and I don't have time. And it's in this area.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, we know. We know it's here.

[Pat McAfee]

That's called a gallery drop, I believe.

[AJ Hawk]

So.

[Ty Schmidt]

You don't need to. You don't need to remember that we're.

[Pat McAfee]

Not playing a game in the whole way.

[AJ Hawk]

Get back out there, man.

[Pat McAfee]

Foxy's playing really well, I think. Foxy, aren't you playing some good golf right now? Yeah. So I played three rounds so far this year, all nine hole rounds, and I've played really well. I shot 38 the first time I went out, which is really incredibly good for me. So, like, my expectations are all right here. I even changed my swing and it's working. So I'm in a bad spot going into this season right now. What do you mean? What'd you do? How'd you change? Come on. Pocket a little bit. Yeah. I'm actually, like, hitting the ball on the sweet spot, whereas before it was just weak right, Weak right. Weak right. So for some reason it's not going as far, but it's going exactly where I want it to, and it just feels right, if that makes sense. Aj, have you been playing?

[Ashton Genti]

I have not logged any. Any rounds this year, but okay, I've hit my 54. Yeah, I've hit my 50. 64 degree wedge down the basement. That's what I hit downstairs.

[Pat McAfee]

How often do you hit? You hitting that sim every single day, huh?

[Ashton Genti]

No, I mean, I definitely do. Especially after, like, watching the Masters. Yeah, I'll hit in there a couple times a week. No doubt.

[AJ Hawk]

You don't believe in swing changes every time somebody says swing?

[Pat McAfee]

No chance.

[Ashton Genti]

I don't believe in thinking when it comes to golf. Like, I have delusional confidence. Like, I feel like wherever I go, like, I can figure it out. Like, I don't. I definitely don't take time, like, worrying about golf. Like, I'm always like, positive eight doesn't matter. Glass half full. Like, if I, if I drove it 700 yards out of bounds. All right, let's take a stroke.

[Pat McAfee]

Boom.

[Ashton Genti]

Let's get up and down for par.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But somehow when you drive it 700 yards out of bounds, you find it on the other side of the woods and there's a clear path right to the green. I think that's potentially because of how positive you are. I think that's because of how positive you are.

[Peter Schrager]

Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

I don't, I just don't understand. Like, I don't. I'm not smart enough to understand what anything means. Like we say, oh, coming inside out or over the top or out of the pocket. Like, I, I legit.

[Pat McAfee]

That's.

[Ashton Genti]

That sounds like Chinese to me. I don't know. I don't understand.

[Pat McAfee]

I just go try to explain swing Chinese.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

Someone that a Chinese person I meant.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Mandarin would be the language that you're saying. You wouldn't be able to understand. You happen to have like a perfect swing, though. I think that's potentially. That's why I don't know what to anybody saying I've ever thought. You just look at the ball, you take the stick, and you just hit the thing. What is everybody thinking about his drives? You should be in a long drive. You should do a long drive. You should try that one time. Time. Will you do that for the program? Just one time? What kind of.

[Ashton Genti]

I mean, I mean, what kind of like one of the real competitions.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes, but I think those dudes hit.

[Ashton Genti]

It a lot farther than me.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But they're using juiced up big drivers.

[Ashton Genti]

Yeah, yeah. The things like 30ft long, that driver. Yeah. Let me try one of those.

[Pat McAfee]

We need to get you the John Ham.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

We need to get you that hammer in there. Because the way you hit your drive, it's cheating. Like, golf becomes much easier with the way you hit that thing.

[Ashton Genti]

And he's got to put it in play.

[AJ Hawk]

How far is he hitting it?

[Ty Schmidt]

You do forever.

[AJ Hawk]

Because I Know AJ Will lie.

[Pat McAfee]

So it goes and it's. Yeah, it's a flightish. It's awesome.

[Connor]

350, and that's just awesome.

[Pat McAfee]

Numerous people at the course that are working that American Century Classic, like the volunteers or whatever, haven't seen anybody hit it this far thus in the tournament, you know, in every single hole. It's basically like, haven't seen anybody put it this far on the fairway. Every time. Time it just. There's trees. Okay. It's par five trees here, fairway here. To get it to here, it's got to carry 320. Probably A.J. no thinking we're. And it's 340. Coming down on the other side. Straight. It's like a plane. A jet engine taken. Our jet plane taken off as well. The way it's like. It's a spectacle. And he's falling like Scheffler while he's doing it out of his forward.

[Ashton Genti]

If I fall forward, that's not gonna hit it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And Wriggle. Wriggle's trying to golf in his. Lady was his caddy. She's a professional golfer. She wasn't letting him watch AJT like, drive. Oh, yeah. Like, don't watch. Don't watch.

[Ashton Genti]

She told Rob not to watch me.

[Pat McAfee]

Sweetie, because she thought that Rob would start really going too hard trying to keep up with A.J. that's what he does at a tee box. He intimidates others.

[AJ Hawk]

Alpha.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Watch, like, she was literally, like, covering his eyes. He was facing the other direction. And I'm almost like, hey, there's about to be a show. Every year you want to watch golf ball whacker. Guys about to do his thing, and they're like, we don't want to watch him. We don't want to watch him. That's what he does in the tee.

[Ty Schmidt]

Ball the first year. On 18 with Riggle, AJ hit. It is like a 520 or 525 par 5 on 18, and AJ hit it. And when we got up there, that's when one of the people said, this is the farthest we've ever seen someone, you know, hit a ball. And then when we got next to him, we used the rangefinder, and it was like, 115 to the pin.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, it's like 400 yards.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

It's at altitude, obviously, so.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. And, like, it was that far.

[AJ Hawk]

Roll out. Little roll out.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But the flight of it is like a. Oh, yeah. And then it, like, just floats up there. It's unbelievable to watch. And you could take one look at aj. And you could probably guess that he hits the ball pretty far. My biggest thing was he does that, and then he's got silky smooth hands around the greens and he's making put putts.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I couldn't believe that he was making putts. And the golf gods bless him. Oh, yeah. It's not like. Like, it's. You know how you hope for a good bounce?

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, like that one brewery on, I think, 11.

[Pat McAfee]

Bingo.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

AJ's getting good bounces on everything. Even if it's the sprinkler head, he'll hit that thing and then it's going onto the green as opposed to, like, kicking off the thing. It's hitting the direct center of the sprinkler head, and then it's rolling up to three feet somehow. Oh, good bounce.

[Ty Schmidt]

That was cool.

[Pat McAfee]

And then the next hole, we're going off a tree right into the goddamn fairway. Every time.

[Ashton Genti]

It's because I'm not a victim, because a lot of golfers are victims. Oh, of course.

[Pat McAfee]

Of course.

[Ashton Genti]

My ball would get stuck in a dude. Of course it would do this. Like, don't be a victim. You don't ever need to be a victim in anything.

[Pat McAfee]

AJ is super positive. I will say, boy, walking that course.

[Ty Schmidt]

Out there is two thumbs down.

[Pat McAfee]

I wish I had two more hands. Yeah. So I could keep walking that course. Four thumbs. Drums. Beautiful event, though. And watching AJ drive a ball is a spectacle. We need to get you one of those telephone poles so you can take on those. Yeah. Long drive. So you're open to it? Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

Oh, yeah, of course.

[Ty Schmidt]

Open. Everything attached to nothing.

[Pat McAfee]

Speaking of, what's he up to?

[Ashton Genti]

Dude, I'm kind of attached to a lot of things, though, so.

[Ty Schmidt]

Like, family, kids, wife, chicken, rice, Everything plain chicken.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

I don't know what is there. Are the Saints an option? We hear anything?

[Pat McAfee]

Anything on that front, you tell me.

[Ashton Genti]

I got nothing.

[Pat McAfee]

We were talking about this earlier, and I don't know if people believe us whenever we say this, but it is the truth. We in this Thunderdome do not know shit about what Aaron Rodgers is thinking or doing during the season. We certainly talk to him, and we mentioned this during big night out. Like Aaron Rodgers. Tuesday ends after the season ends, and then if he comes back for a recap, that's literally on him or not. The one year, whenever he didn't, after the jets, obviously after Aaron Rodgers Tuesday was over, I was called a coward and everything, and then he was brought on the next day. Then I was called the worst person on earth. I mean it was an interesting back to back this relationship with Aaron. We've been very lucky to get a chance to chit chat with him and learn about him and everything like that. But we don't know shit about what's happening with him. We hypothesized today it would be cool. Cool if you're Aaron Rodgers to stay in shape, you know, not have to do any of the offseason stuff, not have to do any training camp. Week 10, week 11, week 12, a starting quarterback for a very good team goes down inevitable and then all of a sudden who comes? Sweet. That would be so cool. He goes to the. Not that we don't want to put anything in this guy, right? But let's say Jared Goff. Something happens to Jared Goff. Not that we want that to happen, but like, let's just say something happens to Jared Goff or Brock Purdy or fuck, Jalen Hurts or Lamar, any of these good teams that we were talking about, something happens. Week 13, week 14, need a quarterback and then who's out there? Well, there's a fucking four time MVP coming right off the couch like Flacco did for the Browns. Whenever he leads him in there, you're coming in in a hero situation. You're coming in in a hero. You're going to get paid a good amount of money. The incentives are probably going to be there for you to win and you're only going to go to a winning team. So it's like if I'm Aaron Rodgers. Yeah. And I'm not. It'd be cool if I was just. You play guitar so well.

[Connor]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Golf at golf. So good at golf. Makes no sense how good he is at golf. Hey, have you been golfing a lot? No, I was actually in Hungary. It's first time thing. I just think scratch. Okay. Unbelievable. Could you imagine coming in there? Week 13 though, no expectations. One of the best teams in football and then all you got to do is finish the season and go on a playoff run and then just gradually learn and then you might win a Super bowl with these teams. It's like that's, that's a possibility still that nobody's really talked about. Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

He shows up like super tan because he's been in Morocco for two months. But he's been throwing the ball when he. With whoever he's at in Morocco. That'd be pretty sweet.

[Pat McAfee]

Have you ever been in. I've been to Morocco. You ever been over there?

[Ashton Genti]

No. What's it like?

[Pat McAfee]

Good time, good place. I, I got pickpocketed playing soccer in the streets there.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

But that was a good.

[Ashton Genti]

Oh, is that where they tried to sell you the coffee beans or whatever?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Argon oil. Argon nuts of Moroccan nuts. Great guy over there. Chug some tea. Really lit the. The room on fire. That I want to. Had a nice. They got a lot of good rugs, I believe. Moroccan rugs, I believe.

[AJ Hawk]

Out there, too.

[Pat McAfee]

Hookah. Yeah, I think I did. I think I did have some hookah there. Good place. Great place. You know, it's right there on the Mediterranean. So Spain's there. I think the Canary Islands are right there as well.

[Ashton Genti]

You ever been to Ibiza?

[Pat McAfee]

Ibiza.

[Ty Schmidt]

A beef a.

[Ashton Genti]

My bad.

[Pat McAfee]

I've never been to a. Uncultured.

[Ashton Genti]

Me either.

[Pat McAfee]

I've never been to a child. But there is a chance that area. And he's at Ibiza. Jordan Love just got hurt. The Green B Packers need a quarterback. It's week 15. Stop the beat. Could you imagine?

[Darius Butler]

Oh, my God.

[Ashton Genti]

Throws a jetpack on.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

Takes off into a helicopter.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Jetpack. He just levitate, grab his wand, get his staff out or whatever.

[Pat McAfee]

So what he would do, he would move the rock there.

[Darius Butler]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And he would walk me back in the Green Bay.

[Darius Butler]

I'm back.

[Pat McAfee]

For the Green Bay Packers. He'd have that long johns on.

[Darius Butler]

Yep, yep.

[Pat McAfee]

He always wears. Come jogging out. No matter. Y'all ready for this? That's what they do.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah. Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

There's.

[Ashton Genti]

Move the rock at the entrance. Sorry. They move the.

[Pat McAfee]

Like.

[Ashton Genti]

Like he's coming out of the tomb.

[Pat McAfee]

That's.

[Ashton Genti]

That's the entrance. When he's last, they. They cut to real. They. They zoom out from the rock and they roll the stone out. And Aaron just comes out of smoke.

[Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And then they got that doppelganger guy standing right on top of him. Aaron actually turns, murders him. Boom.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. Stops halfway. Cobb and A.J.

[Pat McAfee]

I was joking. He's not actually going to kill somebody. Jesus.

[Ashton Genti]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

In the time that we're in. But that's a possibility.

[Darius Butler]

It is.

[Connor]

It is high. Like, highly likely.

[Ty Schmidt]

Can't roll it out.

[Pat McAfee]

Would be a cool thing to be able to do for the first time in your entire career, too. Just kind of like coming as a hired gun. Sure.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Going to be a welcomed addition to whatever team you are at that stage of the season. This is now, assuming that somebody's going to get hurt, which we don't want to do, but it is the NFL, and that is certainly possible out there. I mean, open anything attached to nothing. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

The most interesting One would be like if the Bears are good, Caleb Williams gets hurt.

[Darius Butler]

I don't think you do that.

[Ty Schmidt]

And then the Bears call.

[Darius Butler]

I don't think he would.

[Ty Schmidt]

And they all.

[Pat McAfee]

Ben Johnson's offense. Oh my God.

[Darius Butler]

I don't think you would. Well, we'll see if Ben Johnson's offense is good this year. He was great in Detroit, but you know, let's not put the car before the horse.

[Pat McAfee]

What are you talking about? They've been making all the good moves. They've been all the offensive linemen. I love what they did. Did.

[Darius Butler]

I know. Just got to see.

[Pat McAfee]

Just got to.

[Darius Butler]

We got to see it out there.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, I saw the Chicago Bear family said they're going to own the team for the next 100 years as well.

[Darius Butler]

Still happen.

[Pat McAfee]

I remember there was a super duper agent that was on our show from Radio Row. Very super. The super staging. Probably going. What's going on over there? Huh? In there? A little tax. There's going to be some stuff. It's going to have to go on up there. Could you imagine the Chicago Bears would go for quite a. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

You might have to.

[Pat McAfee]

Quite a hefty ransom if they weren't for. They're also building two stadiums as of right now because they can't figure out which one. They don't know what they want to do. That's so classic Illinois politics.

[Connor]

Just start them both.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's see. Start them. We'll figure it out at some point. Okay. Somebody's gonna have to budge. Whatever finishes first. Right.

[Ty Schmidt]

We do concerts. Right.

[Pat McAfee]

That's like Cleveland. Right. Didn't something going with the stadium in Cleveland. Nice throat.

[Darius Butler]

Yep.

[Connor]

I think they're doing it right.

[Pat McAfee]

When's the Buffalo.

[Ashton Genti]

They want a new one.

[Ty Schmidt]

26. They just.

[Pat McAfee]

The buffalo one.

[Connor]

They just put the last beam in or something like Buffalo one's on it. It looks awesome too.

[Pat McAfee]

It does look awesome up there. How's the Bison?

[Connor]

Not big enough.

[Pat McAfee]

Not big enough.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You haven't even. That's the problem with modern J.

[Ty Schmidt]

Don't need to see it to know it ain't big enough.

[Pat McAfee]

We're going to try to do a show from underneath one of those Bison.

[Ty Schmidt]

Not enough room for the Bison.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll fit. I'm six. Huh?

[Ashton Genti]

On top of it.

[Pat McAfee]

It's too tall. Tall. We're not gonna be able to be up there. Yeah, okay. Like effect.

[Ty Schmidt]

It ain't too tall.

[Pat McAfee]

It is.

[Ashton Genti]

We could probably. We could probably. I'm sure debugging, you know, standing two foot jump on top of those Things freak athlete.

[Darius Butler]

I know D Bone might be able to standing two foot jump those things.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't think so.

[AJ Hawk]

Agree. I think so.

[Ty Schmidt]

I just hope they're good enough to hold debone.

[Pat McAfee]

I saw D Bon build. He was. Was a chair in here yesterday.

[Ty Schmidt]

Locked it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

The dog nimble.

[Pat McAfee]

He was laying on his. On his belly.

[Darius Butler]

He was?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

He was sick of standing and using the top of the trash cans.

[Connor]

He was in the prone position.

[Pat McAfee]

He was laying down on his tummy. Did you see that yesterday? He was down on his tummy playing sticks.

[Ashton Genti]

I did see that. D Butt basically helped Tim build part.

[Ty Schmidt]

Of that gazebo yesterday.

[Ashton Genti]

We were out there helping him hold up the. Hold up the beast.

[Pat McAfee]

Yep. Me, A.J.

[AJ Hawk]

They'Re coming.

[Pat McAfee]

Tim told me it's too windy. Put steel up area flying everywhere. Sheet metal is going to be flying around. We'll be back tomorrow for a gazebo. We'll see what the weather's going to be. I'll ask DiNardo, see if it'll be good. There's Debunk looking like he's a sniper, but instead he was just building a lounge chair, which I appreciate. I got sent this photo out of nowhere. Looked at my phone. What the is this?

[Ty Schmidt]

Fell asleep.

[Pat McAfee]

D Bun fell asleep in the middle of it. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Fell asleep actually right there. That's why we got the photo. His chin is right. Rested on the back of the.

[Pat McAfee]

You did a great job. Chairs look amazing. They genuinely do. It's great to be back here in the Thunderdome. It's been a while since I've been here. Sacramento's far. It's great to have you back. Yesterday was quite the show without you here. Yeah. Let's just be honest. Well, I'm be honest. When I was in Sacramento, I lost service a couple times. Couldn't see it. Couldn't hear you a few times. Yeah, we'll get that all figured out. But nonetheless, great to be back here in the Thunderdome. Place looks good. Thanks for holding it down. Thanks for traveling out here. Aj, you're the man. And we'll be back tomorrow on this Wrestlemania week huge weekend in Las Vegas. I can't stress this enough. Hall of Fame on Friday night. East coast is going to be tough to stay up.

[Darius Butler]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

I think it's going to be worth it, though. It is going to be worth it. A lot of huge names. Triple H, obviously going in. Sean. Michael's inducting him. Undertaker is going to be there. Michelle McCool, I believe. Brett Hart. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Michael Cole. Yeah, it's about to be a who's who at that hall of fame, 10pm Pacific. Holy shit. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been legitimized. Roman Reigns. I will be there live this Friday, 9:15am so you and your audience can acknowledge me in person. You got it, Roman.

[AJ Hawk]

We will.

[Pat McAfee]

We will always. We certainly will. Roman Reigns. We will acknowledge. You know, I almost. Last night as I was sitting there and I saw Roman kind of all by himself. I was like, I ain't gonna let him know I'm on his side.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I almost thought about putting it should. I'm with you, buddy. I don't know about this guy. Paul Heyman. I don't know what you're doing. I don't know where your mind lies. I don't know what it's all about. But I'll tell you what, Roman, I appreciate everything you've done for me. Think about what he did for the business. Hardest time in the history of the business. There's no fans. None. Covid era. Everything's done. It's over. Who came through? Roman Reigns, the tribal chief carried the company on his back. Took it to levels that it's never been before. We get a multi billion dollar deal with Netflix. Why? Because our tribal chief showed up.

[Connor]

He never asked for one favor.

[Pat McAfee]

Not once.

[Connor]

He gets it done himself.

[Pat McAfee]

He ain't begging. No. He's going and doing. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. And that's what it's all about with our tribal chiefs. We will acknowledge. Friday, 9:15am local. Might as well be 4am in Vegas. 9:15am that is an early start time. We appreciate Roman and our tribal chief making the appearance. We hope you all will join us. It'll be a good show. Those wrestling shows are absurd.

[Ty Schmidt]

They're fun.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they will be a good show.

[Connor]

Excited to see the gimmicks.

[Pat McAfee]

Money.

[Darius Butler]

You take time.

[Connor]

I got something up my sleeve.

[Pat McAfee]

Really? For Vegas or just for wrestling?

[Connor]

Just for wrestling.

[Ashton Genti]

I don't give a cold singled on.

[Connor]

Not that I'm not there for Vegas. I'm there for Wrestlemania.

[Pat McAfee]

It happens to be.

[Darius Butler]

I was gonna say, yeah, it could hurt that it's in Vegas.

[Connor]

It could be in a parking lot in Odessa.

[Pat McAfee]

Have we made any decisions? I agree. I agree with what you're saying there. I understand what you're coming, especially from Odessa. But have we made any decisions on what we're doing with these blackjack tables and what we're doing with the casinos?

[Connor]

I know we got some reserved if we need them.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, but. Okay. That's not good news. Okay.

[Ty Schmidt]

We're going to win New Orleans.

[Connor]

Bill's not coming, right?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. If I see bill, I'm going to shoot him in the head.

[Pat McAfee]

I think.

[Darius Butler]

No, I think it's just Bill can't gamble. And if he does, he has to be at a different casino than anybody else.

[AJ Hawk]

Different casino.

[Darius Butler]

I don't want to see. I don't want to see. See Bill's bulbous, bald head Anywhere near me on the casino floor.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. We need to ting. Ting his hands.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

So he can't hit, you know?

[Darius Butler]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ty Schmidt]

We have to do it for him.

[Pat McAfee]

He was making some asinine plays.

[Ashton Genti]

He's standing on eight. He stood on eight.

[Pat McAfee]

I was disgusted. He was sitting right next to me. Because you guys were obviously saying all the things about him while I was not there. And then I get there and I'm like, why is everybody saying everything about Bill? I'm like, good to see you, Bill. He's like, can I sit here? Absolutely, Bill. Because nobody else will let him play. So then we get about two hands into this thing, and I look at the decisions he's making. I'm like, what the fuck is wrong with you? Yeah. Bill, no human in the history of gambling has ever done what you're doing. You're giving yourself negative chance to win. I think I got a shot. You don't. His money gets wiped out quicker than anybody else. You would think he would change because he's losing faster than anybody. He's stubborn.

[Connor]

Oh, boy.

[Pat McAfee]

He is stubborn in his ways.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's his gimmick now.

[Pat McAfee]

Now. Making terrible decisions at the blackjack.

[Darius Butler]

It sucks.

[Pat McAfee]

It does suck.

[Ty Schmidt]

But I'll never play with him. I. I actually never have. I've only heard about it.

[Pat McAfee]

You've only watched this? Yeah. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

I've only witnessed the madness of Bill mccombs.

[Pat McAfee]

It was just me and him at a table at one time, Me having a dealer, and the dealer was even like, yeah, geez.

[Ty Schmidt]

He didn't close.

[Pat McAfee]

Is this boy okay?

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Ashton Genti]

Foxy was good with it. Foxy. Weren't you cool with it with Bill?

[Pat McAfee]

Absolutely.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

No, I was not cool with it. I will say, the last time we gambled, I had a blackjack in the game. Blackjack. And the dealer looked me in the eyes and said, you should double down here. And I said, I have a blackjack. That makes absolutely no sense. You should double down here. And that's when I knew that New Orleans, they were just trying to take our money. They weren't even trying to Help us out. What'd you do? I took the blackjack and took my money, and I left the table and looked. That's what everyone around me said. They didn't get me, though. Good.

[Ty Schmidt]

Move away, Fox.

[Pat McAfee]

Good. Move the money when you can. How about AQ Shipley? He had it figured out.

[Darius Butler]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I found the two decks. Go play.

[Darius Butler]

Two decks?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. If you do the Math, there's only 16 face cards in there. You start talking about it, you got two of those, 32. Once you start counting them. You okay? Are you doing that? Oh, yeah. Real time. I get over there, his chips are pretty quick disappearing.

[Darius Butler]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I think it only took one deck.

[Darius Butler]

Mm.

[Pat McAfee]

There was two decks over there. Only needed one to take all of AQ's money. He had it fucking figured out. What's he been up to, sir? Is eight aces in this entire thing. Let's remember that. If you see one. Good. Remind yourself. Are you counting cards? Oh, yeah. Do you know how to count cards? I watched movie. Okay. Okay. He lost thousands over there. Oh, yeah. Just thinking he had it figured out.

[Ty Schmidt]

Fun, though.

[Pat McAfee]

What if the dealer was like, okay, there is now seven aces left, like, while dealing to him. Some of those people have it figured out, though.

[Darius Butler]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Like, some of those people are real weapons, like Dana. I guess Dana White is one of those guys. Has it figured out. He'll go huge, and then he'll just bounce. He'll leave.

[Ashton Genti]

That's why. Yeah, he'll get up and see you.

[Connor]

He has it figured out where? I think it's like if we were to put $10 down. If you lose 10, you then put $20 down. If you lose 20, you then put 4. That's how he has it figured out. Not all of us have those funds like he does to get figured out that way.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Yeah. And he's been booted from a few places because of his style and his technique and his strategy. I've seen somebody with that strategy with a Gatorade bottle into a trash can.

[Connor]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

It ended up being like a $35,000 trash can. Throw double or nothing all the way.

[AJ Hawk]

Those add up.

[Pat McAfee]

They certainly did. And then somebody was like, just say no, Say no. Double or nothing. And the person that was potentially on the beneficial side of that was like, how am I supposed to say no to this? It's like, hey, walk out of here with 17 and a half thousand bucks right now. Nobody ever says no. Inevitably, garbage can gets hit. Nobody wins any money. But I guess a blackjack, if you do that, you can Just keep going.

[Connor]

Why not?

[Ty Schmidt]

Then eventually.

[Pat McAfee]

Because he said he was going to get us our money back for the YouTube suite.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

He was like, I'll get you tonight. Just come over. How much was it? 30 grand. Yeah, no problem. Piece of cake. Firsthand. $30,000. See you want it off. It's a good game. What's going on at the Sphere?

[Darius Butler]

Is it Dead and company?

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yeah. I think it is, right?

[Ashton Genti]

I'm pretty sure they announced whoever's after them, though, too.

[Darius Butler]

Kenny Chesney.

[Pat McAfee]

I saw. Oh, it's right.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That's gonna be awesome.

[Darius Butler]

I think so.

[Pat McAfee]

I think what Kenny's concert is. Is good for the Sphere, and I think it'll be a very feel good, good vibe.

[Ashton Genti]

He understands the Sphere, what it is.

[Pat McAfee]

I think he wants to at least. Yeah. Which is good.

[Ty Schmidt]

Depending on what's going on. I think we should just think about the music. Let's do the, you know, immersive planet Earth type experience.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. April 19th. The sphere experience. Postcard from Earth.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, that's the one. That's Friday, though.

[Pat McAfee]

Or that's Saturday at 11:15am okay.

[Ty Schmidt]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

Just stop by that, go do WrestleMania.

[Darius Butler]

You're going to be up until 6am Eastern Time on Friday night. I don't think you're gonna want to be kid. I think you're gonna want to sleep a little bit.

[Pat McAfee]

I did look at the itinerary. You know, my wife is like, okay, I'm traveling out there for WrestleMania. What is your schedule? And I was like, do you have a minute? Let me sit down. Let me go ahead and run through this thing. Friday, we're pretty much Friday. Friday, we're doing it Friday. We're just on a microphone.

[Connor]

From the moment you land, it's basically.

[Pat McAfee]

Basically, yeah. And then Saturday, guess what? Wake up. That's cool. I'm gonna take a shower probably. And then guess what happens immediately after that microphone.

[Connor]

Because you don't show up. You know, just at showtime. You go be there A few.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, well, there's countdown and there's a kickoff.

[Darius Butler]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

There's obviously like eight hours before it's.

[Ty Schmidt]

Gonna be nice out. Not like Philly.

[Pat McAfee]

Philly.

[Ty Schmidt]

Remember that also when we're running through.

[Pat McAfee]

This and it's Vegas. So that, you know, and it's WrestleMania.

[Darius Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Like, this is always an honor to be a part of legitimately. Anytime they ask me to be a part of anything, I'm so incredibly grateful and thankful for it. But I did start looking at the itinerary and I'm like, so is there time to breathe in here or no WrestleMania weekend. And then we got Monday, our show there. Then the Raw after mania is always the most absurd thing. So it's just like, well, guess what's.

[Connor]

Well, guess what's. Thursday next week.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Then we got the draft next Thursday, which is good start a new year. Yeah, that's right.

[Ty Schmidt]

And then the week after that. The week after that, it's your birthday.

[Pat McAfee]

Which we got a massive thing happening in New York, which should be sweet.

[Ty Schmidt]

And then the week after that is great week.

[Pat McAfee]

It's gonna be a great week. Yeah. Then we got summer. And then we're ready in the train camp.

[Darius Butler]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's live, baby. Honored to live. Lucky to do this. At some point, there's going to come a time where none of these opportunities are available and I'm going to be disappeared. You guys are probably going to be taking over the world and we're just going to be watching from afar. The fact that we get to be a part of any of this is so incredibly cool. And there's not a single moment where I don't look in the mirror and think to myself, this is the dumbest life of all time. But I always end it with saying how appreciative and grateful I am for every opportunity. Because whenever I was a little boy, obviously this is only thing things that I could dream of. So we will travel out to Las Vegas. We will enjoy the hell out of all of it. Incredibly lucky to be a part of the biggest weekend in sports entertainment in professional wrestling. And then next week, the draft begins. A whole new round of. Holy, what are they gonna do? Can't wait for that. And inevitably, football's gonna happen. And then we're gonna have an NBA champion, and we're gonna have a Lordo Stanley cup champion. And then we have an MLB World Series.

[Ty Schmidt]

Right?

[Pat McAfee]

And then we're gonna have magic happen happening all around us that we can't help ourselves from saying, thank God we're alive. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change their life. We're in this thing together. Team on me. Team on three. We'll see you tomorrow. One, two, three. Team. Hey, I'm Brad Milke. You may know me as the host of ABC Audio's daily news podcast. Start here.

[Connor]

But I'd like to add aspiring true.

[Pat McAfee]

Crime expert to my resume. And here's how I'm going to make it happen. Happen. Every week.

[Connor]

I'm going to unpack the biggest true crime story that everyone is talking about.

[Darius Butler]

ABC's got some unique access here.

[Connor]

So I'll talk to the reporters and.

[Pat McAfee]

Producers who have followed these cases for months, sometimes years. We'll bring you the latest developments and the larger context on the true crime.

[Connor]

Stories you've been hearing about.

[Pat McAfee]

Follow the crime scene for special access to the people who know these stories best. Rapper Sean Diddy Combs was a king maker. He had wealth, fame and power until it all came crashing down.

[Connor]

Federal investigators raiding two homes owned by.

[Pat McAfee]

Hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs. I'm Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal contributor. As Diddy heads to trial, we trace his remarkable rise and fall. And what could be next? Listen to Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy, a new series from ABC Audio. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.