← The Pat McAfee Show
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- [00:01]
Pat McAfee
Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble of both the Thunderdome on this big program. Thursday, April 17, 2025. This sports program starts now. Sports are happening all around us and yes, your eyes were not deceiving you. The toxic table is here at Boston Connor and at Ty Schmidt. And obviously we're juiced up to get to Las Vegas for Wrestlemania weekend. We cannot wait to hit the road and hit the skies to get out to Sin City. And yes, one half of the Hammer Cowboys, AP Tone is here with a ball cap on. And yes, what you saw at the end of this desk right here is he who is a college football national champion, a Super bowl champion, a Ryder cup winner, A father of ten, a onesie wearer. Ladies and gentlemen, AJ Hawk. Holy shit. AJ Hawk. AJ Hawk. AJ Hawk. A.J. hawk. Great to see you, brother.
- [00:57]
AJ Hawk
It's great to be here in dbu. I feel like I had to wear a onesie to try to represent. He told me yesterday, hey, make sure you represent and wear a onesie and look good. So I'm trying that for D bus.
- [01:06]
Pat McAfee
You do look super cool. How about at big night out in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? There was a lot of booze of the state of Ohio. You were former President of Ohio, A.J. hawk. Chant radiating through that entire building. Had to feel pretty good to get that love from the people of Pittsburgh.
- [01:18]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, the people were awesome. I met tons and tons of Pittsburgh people and people from all around the country, I would say. And they were all. They were all very nice, very, very good people. Ty Con man, We saw a bunch of them in the tunnel when we were coming down from the suite, actually going down to backstage, and they were. Honestly, they were juiced.
- [01:34]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I feel like we've built a pretty cool little community. Yeah. And we have you to thank for a lot of it. You've been a great partner of ours, and this is one of the first times I get to be in studio with you. Every time you're in studio, I'm not here. The boys obviously share these wonderful fairy tales of getting to hang out with a legend. That is A.J. hawk. And I very rarely get to do that. So it is awesome to be here. It's a big day for the program today.
- [01:56]
AJ Hawk
Huge day.
- [01:56]
Pat McAfee
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will join us in about 13 minutes or so. The second batch of play in games happened last night. 9 verse 10. 9 verse 10. On both sides. Winner gets an opportunity to play against the losers. That happened the night before in the 7, verse 8. 7 verse 8. I'm going to tell Adam Silver that I think they should have been playing on the same night.
- [02:13]
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
- [02:13]
Pat McAfee
7, 8, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9, 10. Should have been playing on the same night because last night a little bit of a waste of time. Con man.
- [02:18]
Boston Connor
Yeah, huge waste of time that he played the Bulls first. And it was a blowout, I believe it was like 71 to 45 at halftime. Tyler Herro started the game 8, 8. He was absolutely balling, but it was terrible. It was bad ball start to finish. There wasn't any cool like Orlando Magic esque people in the crowd. It was more so just. Just people there to watch the game. Caleb Williams signed a football and threw it up into the stands. But that thing, he just looks so freaking pissed because we know how much he loves to win and the Bulls lose and was clearly getting to him. I felt bad for him in that time, but no, it was a blowout. Now the heats will go and play the losing haw Atlanta on Friday, I believe.
- [03:03]
Pat McAfee
And now the second game needs to be talked about.
- [03:06]
Aaron Rodgers
Yeah, okay.
- [03:06]
Pat McAfee
Because on the same day that Nico Collins and I don't know this Mr. McMahon who works for ESPN, he wrote a book, I believe he covers the Mavericks down there in Dallas for ESPN. Tim McMahon I think is his name. He wrote a book on Luka's greatness. It's actually the header of this. Now he's covering the Mavericks. So he has a lot of questions for Nico about what Nico's doing. And all Nico said was I think defense wins championships. That's what I think. That's what I think. Then I turned on the game against Sacramento inside and there was like two consecutive possessions where shot clock just ran out and Sacramento didn't even get a shot off. And then there was time, they couldn't get the ball in. And it was like, okay, this Dallas Mavericks team is potentially going to be like, hey, we're locking it down. Sacramento was never really in this game. It was a blowout basically since I turned it on like mid second quarter going forward there. And I'll tell you what, Dallas Mavericks going to run here. That would be quite a. How you doing? Keep it moving from Nico Collins and the Dallas Mavericks. Rich Paul kind of alluded to it earlier because he reps Anthony Davis and obviously this trade, Anthony Davis was just getting dunked on by everybody getting absolutely murdered. And Rich Paul goes, they're going to figure out how to win down there. Obviously they got to get healthy. They're not healthy. When they get healthy, they're this, they're this, they're this. And it's like, it feels like they are taking a lot of pride in being smacking a wood on the defensive side. And that's from Nico. And I assume it's radiating through the rest of the team. I'm not saying they're going to win this entire thing, but them getting a win last night, huge, I would assume for that Dallas Mavericks, locker room, front office, coaching staff, you name it.
- [04:34]
Boston Connor
Well, and it kind of changes the entire thing too, because then after last night, you think about what this team.
- [04:38]
AJ Hawk
Would be with Nico Harrison.
- [04:40]
Pat McAfee
Sorry, Nico Harrison, Nico Collins.
- [04:42]
Boston Connor
Great player, great player, one of the best wide receivers. But also, seriously though, it does kind of change your perception. Like, okay, if that team is the team that they were last night, and then you were to add Kyrie Irving, the way Klay Thompson played, the way AD played, of course, AD talking shit to the fans after, I mean, it was kind of like, all right, everyone settled down a little bit. Anthony Davis is still unbelievable at basketball. They do have some sort of plan. I know the closed door meeting shams is reporting that everyone was pissed about that the Mavericks did with Nico was not what Nico wanted to do. That was an ownership thing.
- [05:19]
Pat McAfee
Nico's like, you think I want to talk to any of these people more? No, I don't want it on the record, off the record, that Tim McMahon guy was really putting it to him. And all Nico just kept saying is, you don't think we're going to be able to win like this. I think defense wins championships. As somebody who said, to hell with Nico, okay? This guy somehow convinced people that he was more important than Luka. I said that I'm actually pulling for Dallas not to do well because I want Nico to kind of have to sit in losses because once again, Luka led this team to the finals a year ago. And this guy is somehow convincing people alongside a nutritionist that they are more important to the Mavericks than Luka is to the Mavericks in the long run. I don't like that. I don't. I hate that. But I also, after watching them against Sacramento last night, I was like, okay, they have a plan. This is who they want to be. And they were. I mean, they were. Yeah, yeah, we are. Yep. We are locking people down. And it's like, can that win in the NBA? Probably going to need another piece. Offensively, are you going to be able to win in the Western Conference this year? Probably not with how deep it is, but you could see like, that's his plan and he was very, very steadfast with it. Whenever he spoke with the press since then.
- [06:23]
Boston Connor
And sweet for A.D. like, I feel like after Kyrie blew out, he, he got that injury. I forget if it was a knee or Achilles acl. Yeah, it could have been. That's when AD was already hurt. It could have been like, okay, Anthony Davis is just going to shut it down. I, I don't need to play. Who cares? Everyone's already killing me. But for him to still kind of go out there and ball. And then the Kings also fired their GM after the Kings, who were terrible forever, finally got better. And then they say, you know what, this guy sucks. Let's get the hell out of here. I think it was, they've won like three seasons in a row that they won 40 plus games or something along those lines. Yeah, here it is. And they hadn't done that since 2005. 2006. Pretty brutal.
- [07:02]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. You can see which way Sham's leading towards the news whenever he gets it. Because you go back to that first tweet that he put out at the very end, he goes, yeah, Sacramento went 48, 34 and snapped a record 16 year drought to make the playoffs. Let's get that guy out of here. Almost feels like what the Lions did with Jim Caldwell. You remember winning, but not enough. We need more, we need more, we need more. I was in that Sacramento building. Beautiful arena, beautiful town, wonderful people. I'd assume that the Sacramento Kings fans would like to continue to have success. Maybe they'll just be a part of the turnover that's happening around the NBA. But congrats to Dallas. Congrats to Heat. Good luck getting in now. Everybody's fighting for the number 8 overall seed on Friday. Heat, Hawks Mavs, Grizz. Will John Morant throw grenades all over the place? Will Trae Young do his thing, Throw balls at refs?
- [07:53]
Boston Connor
Yep.
- [07:53]
Ty Schmidt
That was, that was funny. It was very sweet.
- [07:57]
Pat McAfee
Can't wait to talk to Adam Silver in about eight minutes. And then in the next hour, about an hour from right now, we'll be talking to four time NFL MVP man who's currently a free agent. A man who has been contemplating a lot, open to everything, attached to nothing. Aaron Rogers will be joining us in one hour. Cannot wait to chit chat with him. AJ Hawk, also here in studio in the Thunderdome for this particular conversation. There's a lot to kind of go over with Aaron. There's a lot to kind of hopefully Clarify with Aaron. A.J. i know you've been in constant contact with Aaron Rodgers throughout this entire process. While the world has Kind of debated and contemplated and maybe made up storylines and things. Maybe they're true, maybe they're not true. What do you think we're going to hear from Aaron today and how excited are you to see how he handles this? I'm pretty pumped up to see how he handles. I'm very excited to see how this goes an hour from now.
- [08:52]
AJ Hawk
I am pumped to see how. I guess just with everything that's been going on. I, like, like I've told you many times, like, I felt like something should have happened by now. I assumed he would be signed with the team at this point. So, yeah, I, I can't wait to hear what his perspective is, where he sees, you know, moving forward, I guess, where his health is and I don't know, like, we haven't heard anything. When's the last public statements Aaron has had?
- [09:12]
Pat McAfee
We got a text. Was that two months ago, like, hey, maybe I come on next week.
- [09:18]
AJ Hawk
Short of short in the near future. So I'll be on shortly.
- [09:21]
Pat McAfee
Shortly. Something like that. And then I don't think we've heard anything. We've seen him walking the beach at sunset.
- [09:26]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, that's really the flag, the football camp.
- [09:29]
Pat McAfee
Flag football. We've seen him flag football, which he looked good, by the way.
- [09:32]
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah, lovely.
- [09:33]
Pat McAfee
He's not taking drop backs either. Just. I'm going to stay at the line, scrimmage, shorter throws, whatever we need. Let's get this thing in there. Does it every single year to raise money. He has won philanthropist of the year in California since last time we've talked to him. And then obviously the throwing at DK at UCLA has taken place since then. He has visited with the Steelers, which has been reported by numerous people. So there's a. Was he the vi. Was he with the what, Vikings?
- [09:57]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [09:58]
Pat McAfee
Giants, Steelers, Saints. Conversation.
- [10:01]
AJ Hawk
Yeah. Like how close was he to anything?
- [10:03]
Pat McAfee
That's what I'm saying. Like there's a lot to ask.
- [10:05]
Aaron Rodgers
Or is he.
- [10:06]
Pat McAfee
I don't know. What's that tone? What do you say he said was.
- [10:09]
Aaron Rodgers
Like in the past tense?
- [10:10]
AJ Hawk
I mean, over these last like two months, was he ever close? Like, was there ever. Were they ever even talking contract with any of these teams?
- [10:16]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And to your point about. You thought that something would have been decided by now. Us too? I think so. Like why? Why? I'm like excited to hear why. Why have we not really gotten an answer.
- [10:24]
Aaron Rodgers
Florio reported that he was looking for $85 million a year, which, you know, was a lot we thought, but, you.
- [10:30]
Pat McAfee
Know, that seems like that's not what Floriola. That is not what pro football talks Mike Florio, Paeson legend who's been covering the NFL for a long time. But there has been a lot of hypothesize zing about what Aaron Rodgers is thinking or doing for next season. Hopefully we'll get some clarity on it all today. What do you think we learned today?
- [10:50]
AJ Hawk
What was first was do people really think money was an issue or like the money was a problem? Okay. At one point, no, I'm going to hold out until I get what I, you know, two years, $105 million or something.
- [11:01]
Pat McAfee
@ one point that was a part of the conversation. Like the money could potentially be scaring some people away. And then, then it was reported that there's already a contract in place at certain places. And then there's, you know, The Giants offered 90 or $100 million for Matthew Stafford. Did they offer something? There's just so many things that have been just about Aaron as if it's been fact.
- [11:20]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [11:20]
Pat McAfee
And we have been very lucky to be alongside the Aaron Rodgers experience for the last few years. There's a lot of things that are just said about Aaron that I think Aaron would disagree with wholeheartedly, even though it is very much about him. So I'll be pumped to hear how he comes in. What's his angle? Ty Schmidt and also what his thoughts are on everything.
- [11:36]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. And you know, I'm most excited because, like, I'm not. I don't think we're going to necessarily get like a definitive answer today. Like, hey, I'm doing so and so next year. But I think the longer this went on and we didn't hear anything like the. And it's still a possibility, I guess, but like the reality started setting in like, maybe he is going to retire. Like, and as like a massive packers fan and Aaron Rodgers fan, like, I still think he has more left in the tank, especially the way he played down the stretch last season. Like, I want to see him play football again now. So, like, you know, maybe we're going to get, you know, at least a little inkling as to what he wants to do next year again. I don't think he's going to come out and definitively say, hey, I'm going and playing here, I'm going to retire. But maybe we will.
- [12:17]
Pat McAfee
Maybe. Yeah, maybe.
- [12:18]
Aaron Rodgers
Personally, I don't think we should bring up retirement at all.
- [12:21]
Pat McAfee
Okay.
- [12:21]
Aaron Rodgers
On this program. I don't think we should try to talk it.
- [12:24]
Pat McAfee
I think we kind of were the only ones that Were bringing it up there for a while.
- [12:26]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [12:27]
Aaron Rodgers
But I don't think he.
- [12:27]
AJ Hawk
Why you think we might push him over the edge and push him into.
- [12:30]
Aaron Rodgers
Well, I'm just maybe. And we don't. We want to see him play ball.
- [12:33]
Pat McAfee
The only thing push feet from retirement. He's thinking. That's what you're saying. We don't want to be the one.
- [12:39]
Aaron Rodgers
Feeding so far down.
- [12:41]
Pat McAfee
That's what you're saying. We don't need to be the ones that are promoting the two.
- [12:44]
Aaron Rodgers
You want to see him play ball.
- [12:46]
Boston Connor
The mother of ayahuasca pushes in.
- [12:48]
AJ Hawk
Brother, don't worry about us.
- [12:49]
Apollo
Don't worry about.
- [12:49]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Has there been any of those?
- [12:50]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [12:51]
Apollo
Chance.
- [12:51]
Pat McAfee
I mean, there's a lot to. To catch up on. But, you know, I'm sure everybody will listen and say, yeah, that's the truth.
- [13:00]
AJ Hawk
We agree with everything you said.
- [13:02]
Pat McAfee
No matter what Aaron says here, I'm sure the people who have been pushing narratives or whatever Will certainly say, yeah, maybe we weren't right.
- [13:10]
AJ Hawk
That's going on around the world that he's gonna. You know, sometimes he pops up with, like, random things aren't really football questions, answers. I wonder if he has anything on his.
- [13:18]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I'm sure there'll be something he and connor will share some laughs about. This hour is presented by ram trucks. And powered by the new 2025 Ram 1500. All the power you need, the luxury you want, and the capability you deserve. Shout out to ram. Finally got the the 2500 heavy duty rebel ram over to Weston Arthur from Mount Union. That was a wild experience. We won't be doing that again. You're not doing that again. Just what I've learned from cars. If you've ever purchased a car, all the paperwork that you sign is immense. I assume there's a lot of lawsuits. There's a lot of things. There's a lot of. I don't know why it is the way it is. Buying a car is terrible experience. It is a terrible, terrible experience. Now, whenever there's three different states involved and a truck that's potentially not even, I guess, classified to anybody because it came right off the thing right to us as a showcase thing. So it has been a tough experience getting the ram truck, But I would say the ram people have been on top of it. We are very, very thankful for the ram truck people. Just. I guess there's a lot of laws, like, on Sundays, you're not allowed to do anything with cars in Indiana. You know, really, you're not allowed to sell or buy a car on Sundays. So there's been some things that have happened. Been some. I mean, it is a lot, dude. And shout out to the Ram Trucks people for being as helpful as they have. We hope Weston enjoys the truck. Seems like they're very grateful for it over there. And that has been really cool to kind of be a part of. But, yeah, we will not be. We will not be doing all that again. So the last Ram Truck giveaway that we did was last year. Congrats to Mount Boom. Congrats to them. We won't be doing that again. We.
- [15:01]
Aaron Rodgers
It was fun. Until it wasn't so many.
- [15:04]
Pat McAfee
A lot of red tape Mike Foss has spent. He went back and looked, I guess, a total of 26 hours on the phone with different DMVs in states and license, like all the things that he has had to go through. So shout out to Fosso getting this done. Once again, thank you to the Arthur family for being very grateful for it all. And what an incredible play by Weston there at Mount Boom. And it was an honor to spotlight your play at Mount Union. And thanks. Thankful that this thing is. We're about the. We're about two feet from. You know, we're in the red zone on this. But the Ram Trucks are a wonderful truck, and we're thankful that Ram is a part of our team. Speaking of a part of our team, AJ Nico IH Maliava has joined a new team. He's going to be going back to Southern California and playing for ucla. Congratulations. You know, we didn't know how this was going to work because there was a lot of people saying that maybe the reputational damage or maybe the drama was going to maybe hold him away from a lot of different schools. You know, Tulane was being talked about at one point. A lot of people were like, nico Yamaliava is going to play for Tulane. No offense to Tulane, but you understand how this whole thing goes. Then we were hypothesizing yesterday, maybe he goes back to Tennessee. Maybe they go shake hands, say, hey, we made a mistake here. We had a miscalculation. We had a misread. We're all very new to this situation. There's not a lot of rules, not a lot of guidelines. This was inevitable. We just happened to be the first big name, do it yada, yada, yada, and they go back to Tennessee because Tennessee also doesn't have quarterback. Instead, what Colin Cowherd reported yesterday, obviously based out of Los Angeles, is that he's hearing that Nico is going back to ucla. And then other people confirm the report that he's going back to ucla, back home to Southern California for less money than what he would have made at Tennessee is what's being said. But at least he's closer to home and he's in the Big Ten.
- [16:50]
Ty Schmidt
That's right.
- [16:51]
Pat McAfee
And you know, local kid, maybe he's able to do with ucla. What should doar Travis were able to do both at Jacksonville, Jackson State and at Colorado. Maybe he's able to bring some buzz, maybe he's able to bring a little bit of juice and maybe he's able to continue his career in his growth so that we can see him in the football world for a long time at ucla. We're happy you found a home. That's. That's all I would like to say now. West Virginia got in. Yeah, maybe we got quarterbacks, we got guys. I don't even tell you, my Scotty Fox, okay, get out of Ohio. You know this kid is.
- [17:23]
AJ Hawk
I know of him. Yeah, of course.
- [17:25]
Pat McAfee
Got long hair. I guess they call him Sunshine.
- [17:28]
AJ Hawk
He might be the next dude.
- [17:29]
Pat McAfee
He's supposed to be in high school. He was at West Virginia. He's one of the first guys who go to West Virginia. Like skip spring.
- [17:34]
AJ Hawk
Reclassify or not reclassify, but yeah, graduate early.
- [17:36]
Pat McAfee
Graduate early. And they said the boys gravitate.
- [17:40]
Ty Schmidt
Hell yeah.
- [17:40]
Pat McAfee
Too old Scotty Fox, he said he's a guy. We got Nico Paisano, the real Nico over there. A lot of Nico talk today. A lot of Nico. Nico Collins, Nico Harrison, Nico Iamaliava, Nico Paisano. There's a lot of Nicos out there. Great name, by the way. Nico is a great name. And then obviously the transfer from Texas A and M quarterback. We got a lot of good quarterbacks in West Virginia. So whenever I said yesterday we'd love to have Nico there, that wasn't because I thought anybody was mad. But I like that Nico has a home and he's in the Big Ten. So he's still going to be playing big time football. A lot of travel for him, but he's back in Southern California. What are your thoughts on how it all turned out?
- [18:10]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, I mean, I'm glad we watched him firsthand against Ohio State. The guy is tough as nails. So I have a ton of respect for how he plays and we know how good he is. This guy can be an unbelievable quarterback. I think he's just scratching the surface on what he's going to be. But yeah, going back home, ucla, if he can bring them, I Don't. I don't know if you say bring them back to the glory days, but bring them, you know, bring some juice to ucla.
- [18:29]
Pat McAfee
Relevancy.
- [18:29]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, some more relevancy and some more people. We know it's a big old stadium they play in and they're trying to fill up every single time they play. So I think it works out for him. I'm glad he got somewhere so quick.
- [18:38]
Apollo
Does it.
- [18:39]
AJ Hawk
That was this all along. What's the whole no contact thing that these guys enter the portal?
- [18:43]
Pat McAfee
I don't know. And who knows if that's real? Yeah, you know, who knows what is real? What is it real? We don't know. But I like, he's gonna have to go to Iowa Point, you know, for the next couple years and, you know, the Hawkeye is going to be able to handle Nico Yamaliava coming into the Big Ten. I don't know. We shall see.
- [18:58]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. You know, I mean, it's interesting because ucla, you know, they're not. They're not exactly, you know, powerhouse when it comes to football. Everybody knows that. But the weird thing that I like girls soccer. Girls soccer.
- [19:08]
Pat McAfee
Softball.
- [19:09]
Ty Schmidt
They got a great softball team. Their basketball team is solid. Their women's basketball team, solid. So they've been a great addition to the Big Ten, no question. But. But a lot of the talk around it was that money was part of it, but it was Tennessee's offense. Like, I don't know if that just got like squeezed in there and UCLA has a first time oc, so, like, I don't know if it kind of seems like, because I, I agree. Like, I'm glad that this is over and done with and he found a spot and he doesn't have to go the next three weeks with like, getting his name dragged through the mud. But it seems like they did kind of just maybe realize, like, oh, wow, like this is going to get very bad very quickly. Like, let's see if, if UCLA is interested and ucla obviously, like, you get a guy like this, I mean, there's. There's a chance that, you know, they could contend in the big. I don't know if they're going to win the Big Ten next year, but this certainly doesn't hurt them. I mean, like I mentioned yesterday, 99% of teams in college football, I think, would look at their current quarterback situation and say, we'd take Nico Yamaliava.
- [20:05]
Pat McAfee
Big 10 stuff.
- [20:06]
Ty Schmidt
Yes.
- [20:06]
Pat McAfee
Tough. You got a lot of big time players in the Big Ten. You know, Oregon, obviously on the west coast in The Big Ten. People forget about that. I still think. And they are the ones that we're not. Penn State is Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa.
- [20:19]
Ty Schmidt
SC is in UCLA's backyard. They're in the Big Ten. Like.
- [20:23]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. So it's going to be tough to just win the Big Ten. Yeah, you know, it's going to be tough to even be great in the Big Ten. But UCLA was a complete afterthought and now, you know, I think Nico brings them some relevancy and I'm happy all parties have kind of. Yeah, to your point, we move on now. Moving on. Let's talk about the NBA. Ladies and gentlemen, the association is in the middle of its biggest time. The playing games have begun. The playoffs officially start on Saturday and all eyes are going to be on the NBA. Well, who would know the league better than the guy who's the commissioner of it? Duke grad, ladies and gentlemen, friend of the program, commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver.
- [20:59]
Boston Connor
Hey, Commish.
- [21:01]
Pat McAfee
How you doing, Commish?
- [21:03]
Adam Silver
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me, dude.
- [21:05]
Pat McAfee
Thank you for joining us. We are obviously a massive fan of yours. The fact that you ever take time to chit chat with us makes us feel smarter and more prestigious. I think without a doubt more distinguished. I believe there's a lot of words that we could say that you make us better. But we're very grateful that you take your time, Commish.
- [21:22]
Adam Silver
Well, I wore my tie and jacket, so thank you.
- [21:24]
Pat McAfee
That's what I'm talking about. See, we need that. That's the type of shit we need, Commish. Okay, let's talk about it. Playing games happen, you know, the excitement starting to build about playoff time. You guys as a league understand that the playoffs are the most important time for your league and understand that this is where the massive piece of your ratings and entrance and relev is going to rely. What is the mindset of the league going into the playoffs? Basically all your stars still in play, Commish.
- [21:51]
Adam Silver
Well, mindset, as you said, is best time of the year for basketball. And I think it builds not just from our regular season, but I'm a big college basketball fan. You mentioned I went to Duke. You know, builds into March Madness and then into the NBA playoffs. And I think the play in has worked well. We got two number 10 seeds playing tomorrow night and I think that's kept a group of teams competitive that might otherwise have thrown in the towel earlier into the season, you know, and to see Dallas still competitive, to see Miami still competitive. So, you know, we got Those two playing games left tomorrow night and then the playoffs start Saturday. In fact, I'll be out in Indianapolis to see Milwaukee Indy on Saturday afternoon.
- [22:32]
Pat McAfee
Okay, well, we can't wait to have you in our city. We will not be here. We'll be at WrestleMania in Las Vegas. But the city's pumped you're coming. There's a parade. I think it was a parade. If you want to talk to those refs, you know about the hands on Tyrese Halliburton. Let's talk about the season as a whole. In the state of the NBA, Obviously, you signed a brand new broadcasting deal. Congratulations, some people are calling it greatest deal that they've ever, ever seen, negotiated and get done. So way to go. ESPN obviously benefiting from it. Other partners as well. Then the report comes out that the ratings were down 2% this year versus last year. I've always been a proponent of the fact that the NBA runs digital, runs social. Whenever the NBA is happening, it takes over X, it takes over everything. And that's a massive piece of your younger demographic. But to the ratings component from this season only, do you think there's been two different leagues or seasons for you guys? Pre All Star Game, Post All Star Game, I think post All Star Game, everything up. Right. Do you agree with that sentiment?
- [23:33]
Adam Silver
And yet, you know, Pat, it's a great way to put it because you remember the narrative early in the season was that the ratings were down. In fact, they were down. There was a competitive world series of presidential elections. There were a bunch of factors, I think, that led to our ratings being down early on. But in order to end up down 2% or relatively flat for the season, which is a victory these days, especially with declining television viewership from traditional television, you know, that's a victory. And the reason that happened is just as you said, essentially post All Star, the ratings picked up a lot. In fact, to end up just down 2% for the season from where we came from, the ratings had to be up significantly. And I think you saw, you know, tremendous competition around the league. Teams playing, you know, for playoff seedings, teams playing to get into the playoffs, healthy stars, a trade that attracted a lot of attention. A bunch of things happened in the league and that generated a lot of interest. But to your point about digital media, you know, I've said this to you before to take a page from you. You know, people are e watching this right now on ESPN or on YouTube and I think you have a bigger audience on YouTube than you do on ESPN. And again, in those new Television deals we did. Not only do we have a huge digital presence in terms of social media and highlights and everything else, but every game, every national game will be streamed in our new television deal. So as fans, particularly young fans, migrate away from call it traditional television or legacy television and are increasingly just watching things on their phone, on their iPads, just, you know, consuming things from through streaming media, that's where we'll be next year. And so, you know, it also, I think in the same way that you're sort of reinventing sports television in a way, in the way you present yourself and your crew when you do games, it's going to open up all kinds of new opportunities. I mean, traditional television, it's been great for professional sports, really for all of sports, but when you move to digital, it creates all kinds of new opportunities to personalize the feeds, to add merchandising and gaming and new angles, new audio feeds, sort of that Manning cast idea, but sort of on steroids where you can have sort of unlimited ways to access games. So I think we're about, you know, you're at the beginning of, of what I think we're gonna see a huge sea change in the way sports are presented through media.
- [26:01]
Pat McAfee
I appreciate you saying that. That is very, very kind of you to kind of acknowledge, but we started digitally, then we add the linear component, so we've had to kind of watch others. You know, there's plenty of digital companies that have created avenues for content and ways to do things. But the fact that you suit, literally and guy who's been around league long time, have the vision for what the next iteration of this whole thing is, is the reason why we have so much respect for you. So you need to know that that's not easy too, because I know that you're dealing with a lot of people that I don't want to say have made a lot of money doing something one particular way, but that's. We've had to deal with that. A lot of people have done something the same way. Same way, same way. And then we come in and say, we think if you do this, at first it's not going to be good, but in the future it'll be better. Those are hard convos and you've had to have a lot of those, which is why I think a lot of people say the deal that you were able to get done. Brilliant, brother. You need to know that. Absolutely brilliant. And we're thankful as a sports media team that covers sports, that a league is doing it too. And the NFL will try to follow suit, obviously, with what you're doing. And the NFL's ratings are bananas and they always will be, but other leagues are going to try to do what you guys are doing with this deal. And I think it'll be great for the game and I think it'll be great for the sports going forward.
- [27:13]
Adam Silver
Yeah, again, you know, thank you, Pat. But I would just say we're following our fans and we, we have a particularly young fan base in the NBA and we have to make that transition to digital to streaming television, because that's where they are. I mean, and again, as I said, to be down 2% this year, relatively flat in the regular season is a huge victory because we're losing as an industry, enormous amount of traditional television viewers, whether young people never subscribe to cable in the first place or disconnect because they can get the content they want to watch. And your show is a perfect example. And espn, I think, is doing a really nice job straddling both worlds. You can get your telecast, you know, your program through traditional television on ESPN or you can get it on YouTube. And now ESPN has already announced they're going to take their service and go direct to consumer next year. So if you're not a cable subscriber, you'll be able to get the full ESPN feed directly to your phone. And that again, will be a huge turning point in traditional television because what's holding, holding the cable bundle together in large part is professional or, you know, sports right now, major league sports, whether it's professional, top notch college sports. That's a key part of why people get cable right now. And again, the whole industry is really just following the consumer, following our fans. You have no choice. And it's really interesting also for sports because in a way, I mean, I'm older than you guys, but you lived through the time where you had to get home to watch the game, and now you carry your television with you and wherever you are. You know, as I said, it's, I think, the way people think of it now, if you look what's happened, you have a lot of traditional telecasts have gone from, you know, let's say ESPN to a streaming service or, you know, from NBC to Peacock. And it's still, by and large the same feed that you would be watching on television. What we're about to see, and I'm really excited about is all this new optionality. So you'll be watching sports in a different way and it'll create more engagement because one of the big things for us is it's not just the number of people watching your game, but it's how long they watch. And as you guys were talking earlier in the show about blowouts last night, you know, you look for ways as a league, all right, you can't control the competition on the floor, but you can find other ways to keep people engaged. And really just the way that you guys do, you know, I'm a longtime viewer of what you guys do. You find ways to keep sports interesting to have Aaron Rodgers on to be talking about things that are happening around the game. And I think that now those things are very separate. You have sort of the traditional pre game shows, halftimes. You have, you know, formatted shows like what you guys present. And I think what really smart people, producers, are looking to integrate those different aspects, you know, so that when you tune into a game, if you want a traditional X's and O's presentation of the game, you can get that. If you want sort of the Manning cast type presentation, where they're not just talking about the games, but they're talking about other things that are happening, you can then expand that through streaming media, where you don't have any limitation. Now, like you guys were talking about, why not have all the games on one night?
- [30:24]
Pat McAfee
Yes.
- [30:25]
Adam Silver
You know, part of it is just a limitation in terms of traditional television. Like, you think of it like shelf space. You know, we have two networks to work with. We're working with ESPN and tnt. So the only choice then is then you got to put games in the afternoon so you can get them all on as opposed to going two nights in a row. When you go to streaming media, it's unlimited. If you're on, you know, use a platform like Netflix or whatever else. You don't think of it as in terms of what channel it's on. It's on Netflix, and you have unlimited menu of options. You can do the same thing with sports. It really opens up tremendous opportunities for us in terms of the schedule that if espn, for example, has Friday night, as opposed to only choosing one game to go with, and there's an 8:00 game or 10:30 game, and it might turn out there's an injury or there's a blowout, whatever else, they can have the full menu of games and you can be presenting them all at once. And from ESPN standpoint or from the league standpoint, we just want people to watch. If they choose to watch Oklahoma City, you know, as opposed to, you know, Memphis, really, we're indifferent to that. We just Want people to present the best possible competition at any time. So, like, I think you're going to see in the next few years more change in sports television than you've seen in the last 40 years.
- [31:45]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I think so too. And the NFL obviously is doing it. Thank you for that beautiful layout of what the future looks like for your league and also every other league that is going to have to. You're either going to have to do it or you're going to kind of die. It's a survive or die type.
- [31:58]
Adam Silver
The marketplace is forcing us there. Again, I think that if you, particularly when you have a young league, and part of it I learned from our players. I mean, even if you ask them how they consume games, like very most guys, they're watching on their iPads, you know, they're watching on their phones, you know. You know, we started with that League Pass product that you can get, you know, through cable, you know, or satellite. But it's just not how young people consume television anymore. And part of it is because you're on the go and, you know, you can take your tablet, you can take your phone, and that's how I watch so many of our games. You know, I joke sometimes. I live in an apartment in New York City. It's easier to navigate through my iPad to go from game to game than it necessarily is on a traditional television.
- [32:40]
Pat McAfee
Definitely. I mean, that's no questions asked. Especially because you gotta. Gotta connect into the streaming service on your, on your tv. Then you gotta log in. You gotta hope you're still logged in. If you're not logged in. Okay, let's remember our password. Do you want to log in with your phone? Yeah, take a little picture, little QR code. Let me do that. I hope my phone has the updated password whenever I do the. It's like a whole. It's a whole thing. But it's the world that we're in. And to your point about, you know, there's gonna be more change in the next couple years than there's been in the last 50 years or 40 years or whatever in sports world. It's like, remember when they started streaming games? People like my, my dad doesn't know how to get on Amazon. It's like now they do, you know, like now like society as a whole, both young and old. I feel like, understand what the modern technology is. I'm excited you're taking advantage of it now. With that being said, we talk about pre All Star Game, post All Star Game, two different seasons basically for you guys in my Eyes. Personally, watching from like 30,000ft, I feel like your players are more liked now than maybe they have been over the last couple years. Do you agree with that and do you appreciate the fact that your players are speaking a little bit more? Whether it's telling their stories with Netflix documentaries, doing more interviews? I mean, LeBron coming on our show was the most absurd thing of all time. So thankful that he did that. But I think we all learned a lot about LeBron that we haven't learned in like 20 years. And I think anytime you learn more things about people, you like them. And we're in an era now where I think people have to like who they are a fan of if they're not just a blind fan of the team. I feel like your players have done better with that. Do you agree with that and how do you feel about that?
- [34:07]
Adam Silver
I definitely do. I mean, it's in terms of like, more. I think it's hard from. Harder for me to judge it on a relative basis now versus five years ago. But I know now that at the end of the day I see large part of my job is putting our players forward as the multi dimensional people they are. That, you know, that sort of one end of the extreme is that shut up and dribble notion, like we just want to see you play basketball. The other end of the spectrum is you see people for who they are, that basketball is one aspect of their lives. Now I get it as a fan first and foremost, and I'm often pointing this out to players, that it has to begin with their play on the floor. That's why they're here. People want to see them give their all on the floor. They want to see the passion, they want to see the effort. And so we can't ever take that for granted. But once you bring them, you know, to the big stage to play basketball, then to show that they're multi dimensional people, that they're not just from Indiana. This is the city in Indiana they're from. This is where they played high school basketball. These are obstacles they've overcome in their lives. This is, you know, whatever, you know, issues they've confronted, this is how they made themselves better as a player. This is what they're interested in off the floor. I think the more ways we can present these players again, so much of what you do, you know, through your show, it makes them more likable to your point, it makes people more interested in them. I used the word engagement before. I mean, I'll just give you a quick example. When Victor Wembanyama was in New York for. At Christmas, he played the Knicks. And then he stayed in town because I think he was playing the Nets. Two days later, he went to Washington Square park downtown in New York City, and he played chess. It was raining that day, and he loves playing chess. He played chess down there for an hour. And a bunch of cameras showed up. People with their, you know, smartphones, whatever. Something like 100 million people watched that over the next week. Clips of him playing chess in Washington Square Park. And I think now, number one, he's injured at the moment, but he'll be back. He's a phenom, number one pick in the draft, an incredible player. But when people see, oh, what an interesting guy, he also plays chess, he speaks multiple languages, that draws people in. And I think that's where this league can use social media. But it also, it has to be authentic. He didn't pretend he played chess. He plays chess. He wanted to go out and play chess that day. But then people find new connections to him.
- [36:38]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, it's like humanized, you know, because we see them.
- [36:41]
Adam Silver
That's the right word.
- [36:41]
Pat McAfee
I mean, they're all special. Like, you have to be a special human type to make it into the NBA. They're all so tall. Steph Curry does not look that tall on the court. He walks by you, he's taller than you. Like, they all feel like superheroes almost whenever they're on tv. And then whenever you don't know anything about the actual human that is underneath. I think some people feel like, ah, I don't really know if I can relate to this person. And then Wemby sits down in the rain in New York and just cooks people at chess. It's like, I didn't know this guy could play chess.
- [37:12]
Adam Silver
Exactly.
- [37:12]
Pat McAfee
You know, it's like all these things are great things for the league. And I appreciate the fact that your players, you know, because I think there has been a lot of. And it's very well documented, and I'm not saying anything. It's out of pocket, and it happens in every sport. A lot of X players, a lot of media always want to say what's wrong with the sport or what's wrong with the game to make the game better, I think, is what they're trying to do by pointing that out. But sometimes whenever you're super negative about certain things, people can build that narrative about the entire league. And I think a lot of the players kind of got a little bit like, ah, to hell with everybody. Everybody hates us. Everybody talks shit. So the fact now that I think more of them are talking and showcasing who they are to the fans, I think that's great news for your league. I think that's great news for sports as a whole. Like, once again, LeBron walked in here.
- [37:57]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [37:58]
Pat McAfee
Just walked right in and just started chatting. And he's like, the guy. He's the face of your league and has been for, like, 20 years. And I think him and everybody else that's doing it is good for your sport. Now, the boys will have a bunch of questions, but I have to ask about something you alluded to. That trade was certainly something that drew some interest, you know, and obviously Nico down there in Dallas is having to kind of answer the questions for the decision that he made that that team might be. They might be. They might be. I mean, there is a chance that they end up having a lot of success in his vision. But Luka, superstar going to Los Angeles to team with LeBron James, and I know people that don't follow basketball very closely say, well, didn't the NBA block a trade from New Orleans to LA in the past? How is this even possible? I think the NBA was running the team at the time because they didn't have ownership. What were your thoughts on this trade? When do you get a heads up that Luka is getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and AD Is getting traded to Dallas? And what were your thoughts on it as a whole commish?
- [38:55]
Adam Silver
Yeah, so first, just to clarify, I don't. Or the commissioner doesn't have the right to block a trade other than a trade not conforming to our rules. So. And you alluded to David Stern once blocked a trade, but I get how confusing it was to fans, but he was both the commissioner and the acting owner of the New Orleans franchise at the time.
- [39:18]
Pat McAfee
Got it.
- [39:18]
Adam Silver
And so. So a trade was recommended to him by the general manager, and he turned down that trade based on what he thought was in the best interest of that franchise as an owner, not as the commissioner.
- [39:28]
Pat McAfee
He turned down the trade as the owner, not as the commissioner.
- [39:30]
Adam Silver
Exactly. And by the way, I learned my lesson because in that interim period when we were running the Los Angeles Clippers, a guy named Dick Parsons came in and he was the interim governor. And I, of course, had been here when David turned on the trade, and I said, dick, you are the owner of that team. You will decide what trades to make or not make, not me. So there's absolutely no confusion. But in this situation with Luca, I learned the league office learns A little bit ahead of the public because to the point of leagues approving trades, it's kind of like a closing at a house. Both teams have to be on the phone, the lawyers and the basketball folks, the league office have to make sure that the contracts match, that the team does indeed does have the cap room to make the trade, that it complies with our rules. So I learned when they called the trade into the league office and again, so I don't really have a role in that process other than if there's somehow a dispute as to the mechanism of the trade, you know, in terms of the trade itself. Look, it's obvious time will tell. The only place where I feel defensive on behalf of the Dallas Mavericks and new ownership, there is. There were some suggestions early on that the trade wasn't done for basketball reasons, that somehow new owner didn't want to pay a maximum salary or had, you know, was focused on building a new real estate development or something else. The only thing I can say, and I feel very confident in this, knowing Patrick Dumont, who's the governor of the team and the people involved, they believed that they were making the best trade on behalf of the Dallas Mavericks. Whether that turns out to be true, again, only time will tell. I've known Nico for a long time, Nico Harrison. He was a longtime executive at Nike before he was at Dallas Mavericks. Again, whether or not he made the right trade, he's a really decent person. I know he's trying to do the best he can to run that franchise. It's been a rough time since they made the trade. There's no question about it. Combination of Anthony Davis, my God, going down in the very first game he was playing for the Mavericks, you know, Kyrie, then with the season ending injury, you know, I'm still, I'm proud of that team. Obviously they're still playing hard, you know, they still have a chance to play into the playoffs tomorrow night. So I get the fans passion. I understand again why Dallas Mavericks fans are so upset. I personally am a fan of Luka Doncic. I think he's a great young man, you know, and, you know, let's see how this turns out. I want him to be great. I want the Dallas Mavericks to be great. But it's. But there's no doubt, I'd say I've been in the league for a long time. It's been remarkable, I think, how much interest there's been in this trade. Maybe because you have the Lakers on the other side of it, you have happenstance that Mark Cuban just recently stepped out as the owner of that team. So a lot of chatter around it, but, you know, we'll see when they play the games how this works out.
- [42:28]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, and LeBron being a part of it too, is just another, you know, elevated, let alone JJ Redick in his first year. There's so many storylines there. And to your point about intrigue with the trade, I think a lot of people that weren't really paying attention to the NBA were like, hold the phone. Didn't that guy just go to the finals last year? Now he's teaming up with LeBron, and I think it's good for the league as a whole. I know that there's a lot of drama that comes alongside of it that you probably have to deal with. Speaking of dealing with things, it is your job to drive new initiatives to bring people more, you know, interest in the league. AJ Has a question for you. Commission.
- [43:01]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, Commish, you mentioned engagement earlier. Is the in season tournament, I feel like, has done a lot for people and brought people to more eyeballs, I guess, during the regular season. Is there anything you guys are, are spitballing or you're kicking around the room trying to think you may try in the near future?
- [43:16]
Adam Silver
Yeah, I mean, look, so yes, to your point that the in season tournament has been successful from that standpoint, we knew we needed more, I think games of games of consequence during the regular season. You know, we took a page from European leagues a little bit from college basketball that's always had some of those tournaments, you know, around Thanksgiving or the holidays or whatever else. I think in terms of new initiatives, number one, we got to do a better job with All Star. You know, I've said that before. We tried some new things that frankly haven't worked. You know, we're moving the All Star game moves to NBC next year. We're going to be smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics. I think that NBC has some ideas around, you know, international.
- [43:57]
Pat McAfee
You guys playing basketball on skates, you guys wearing ice skates, not a bad idea.
- [44:01]
AJ Hawk
I'll watch.
- [44:01]
Adam Silver
You know, and if you see the, you know, credit to the NHL for the four nation face off, obviously that was really successful. We know from the last Summer Olympics, you know that when USA played France, for example, or Serbia got tremendous interest, tremendous ratings around that. It's a little hard to figure out when you have, you know, 30% of your players are international, you know, from many different countries, exactly what format will work. But AJ that's something we got to get right. I think we're also looking at doing some additional things in Europe. You know, there's. We're the number two sport behind soccer globally in Europe, tremendous interest. Half of our international players come from Europe. Our last, you know, last six MVPs have been, you know, in the league have been international. Five of those six have been European players. You know, so we see opportunity there. You know, I think one thing that differentiates us is we're such a global game and we continue to look for opportunities to just broaden the pool of people who follow this game. You know, Africa, we're doing a lot there. In the middle of COVID crazily, we started a league there. I always use this statistic, amazes me. 10% of the players in the NBA were either born in Africa or one of their parents was born in Africa. You know, Africa, you know, it's 54 different countries, a huge continent, but well over a billion people. So that's something we're focused on. And I just say last, aj, just go back to the earlier conversation about technology. Again, we're not even scratching the surface in terms of, of when you move to streaming and digital media, how much more you can do around the game to create that additional engagement from your fans. Just, you know, some of it, you know, sports betting obviously has become really, you know, prevalent now. You know, legalized something like 35 states. And I get the other side of it. And one thing about digital media, for people who don't want to see ads for sports betting or don't want anything to do, have anything to do with it, click, click. That's off their screen. They won't have to deal with that. But I think that that and other forms of gaming becomes a point of engagement for a lot of fans. Merchandising, collectibles, social media, user generated content. I think you're going to be able to have immerse that into the game experience.
- [46:18]
Pat McAfee
There's a lot coming, aj. Boom. Yeah. What do you think this guy's doing? Just sitting in New York, not thinking of ideas. Aj, what do you think this is?
- [46:26]
AJ Hawk
I knew there was a bunch going on behind the scenes. I just wanted him to be able.
- [46:28]
Adam Silver
To tell AJ's the studio today and I'm not what's going on.
- [46:32]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, agree, commission we get. You'll be in our city this weekend. We think everybody will treat you fantastically. You've done a great job as commission. You talk about, you know, having to change some things and dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge your way through. AP Tone has a Question for you.
- [46:46]
Aaron Rodgers
Yeah, Commissioner. You and Pat were talking about digital and streaming and linear, and you used the word shelf space, which, which I found interesting because Christmas Day mea used to have all the shelf space, the whole cabinet, the whole, all the snacks were NBA. And now Commissioner Roger Goodell comes in and he wants all the shelf space for Christmas Day. You talked to Commissioner Goodell about that and said, hey, what gives? And have you thought maybe Christmas Eve is NBA's new shelf space for that time of year?
- [47:16]
Adam Silver
Well, I mean, Roger and I talk all the time, but we're competitors. And on one hand I think that to the extent that the NFL does better, that college basketball does better, it's good for everyone. It definitely, definitely is a rising tide, I think, in the, in the growing interest in top notch sports. I mean, if you look at, you know, the most watched programs, you know, on television, NFL dominates that list. But the rest of the list, much of it is, you know, NFL. I mean, I'm sorry, you know, NBA Finals, Major League Baseball, World Series, et cetera, NHL. So we're seeing tremendous interest in sports. And I think that where they came on, you know, Christmas, they had the two games on Netflix which were competing against our games on ABC and espn. I get it. I would never even suggest, first of all, you wouldn't listen to me anyway, but I think the NFL should do what's in the best interest of the NFL. So I have no issue with that whatsoever. In terms of looking at, I'm not saying we're going to move away from Christmas because the NFL is also on, but I think our players recognize that, you know, we work on the holidays and whether it's Christmas or Christmas Eve or there's other opportunities where people are home and are more likely to have free time to watch our telecasts, we should be looking at other dates as well. So that's something we're constantly exploring. But back to that shelf space issue. I mean, so there's, you know, there, of course, on, if you think it wasn't so many years ago when you didn't even have that optionality of live sports on streaming, or remember early on they couldn't get it right and everything. Now it's just a given you're going to have live sports on streaming. But now if it's just the NBA on Christmas day, it may create the opportunity for more teams to play. I remember in the old days teams used to complain to us when they played on Christmas Day. And now it's, you know, now teams coming to the League and say, we want to be part of that showcase. We recognize that this is a day that people expect to see top notch NBA competition. So I welcome the NFL. I welcome the competition. It makes us better too.
- [49:09]
Pat McAfee
We need you on Christmas Eve. We need you on Christmas Eve because Christmas on Thursday obviously is upcoming year. So now there's three games for the NFL. And you talk to Raj. So you know they ain't gonna give that up. No, you know, they're not gonna give that. Oh, it's Thursday. What do you want us to do? We always play on Thursday. And it's like, okay, well, that's just gonna be how it is Christmas Eve. I found myself just kind of twiddling my thumbs and it's like, wow, it would be nice if we had the NBA showcase that's normally on Christmas on Christmas Eve. But hey, hey, that's your world. We're just football doofuses. Speaking of your world, your world's big right now, but there's one side that's seeming a little bit more heavy than the other side. Con man has a question for you. Commission.
- [49:46]
Boston Connor
Yeah, Commish. It feels like you guys are the most, you know, proactive in changing the playoff format, obviously with the play in games and everything. And right now there's a pretty big difference between the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, especially when it just comes to seeding and overall record. So do you guys kind of see a chance where the seeding kind of changes after the playoffs are set, where you kind of go back and recede 1 to 16 instead of doing the east versus west? Or is that kind of a bad idea when it comes to the idea of, you know, Lakers versus Celtics in the second round versus kind of a finals matchup that you get with the east versus West Conference?
- [50:28]
Adam Silver
It's definitely not a bad idea. And it's something we've come back to over the years. We sort of looked at it, decided ultimately not to do it. Then depending on where the balance is of the competition, we'll come look at it again. I think part of it is when you recede. You have to then wait for that whole bracket to finish. So it adds some delay in the playoffs, I think in terms of when you can start the next round. Part of it is travel. You know, that when you stick with your conferences, you know, up until you get the finals, it's not perfect, but you reduce the crisscrossing the country to a certain extent rather than, you know, first round going from coast to coast. So that's part of it as well. Part of it is tradition, you know, that I don't think tradition ultimately should be controlling because you have to change with the times. So it's something we keep coming back around to. I think I'm fine with where it is right now, but, you know, we want to create the best competition at the end of the. At the end of the day. So we'll just keep looking at it.
- [51:25]
Pat McAfee
Okay, you keep looking at everything. While we will continue to watch the league. You know, one of the narratives around the Dallas Mavericks, whenever you said new governor, new ownership, everything like that, they were trying to get a real estate deal done, a casino deal done. People are also thinking maybe they're trying to get the hell out of town. Now that's just things that were said. We're not saying that that is real. We're just telling you this is the reality of things that were being said on the Internet at a rapid rate about the situation down there in Dallas. With that being said, Ty has the last question for you here. Commish.
- [51:58]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, Commish. How often do you think of potential expansion? Because we've been hearing for years now about a team going to Vegas. Obviously the A's and the MLB are moving there. We've seen the success, you know, in the city that the Raiders have had. I know Des Moines, Iowa is just clamoring for a team as well, so.
- [52:14]
Aaron Rodgers
Really?
- [52:14]
Pat McAfee
Oh, yeah.
- [52:14]
Ty Schmidt
Big time Pittsburgh. Big time Pittsburgh, exactly. There's a bunch of other cities. How much on like a year to year basis are you thinking about expansion? Especially when you take into consideration all the things you're talking about with kind of the media rights exploding over the next five years or so.
- [52:32]
Adam Silver
So. So just to go back to what Pat said a minute ago, and you know, and I was the one who raised it, so I'll. I'll just finish the thought on Dallas. Dallas, they're not going anywhere. There's no thought of that team going anywhere. It's true that the group that bought the team is out of Las Vegas, but they couldn't be clear. And I just want to make sure that while there's no doubt people have been talking about it and it'll turn out over time to be a good or bad trade, but there were no ulterior motives there. This team is staying in Dallas. In fact, they're looking at building a new arena in Dallas. So that's that journalism.
- [53:03]
Pat McAfee
Shout out US journalism out of us.
- [53:06]
Adam Silver
In terms of expansion, we try not to look at it every year just because we don't want to be too much of a distraction. What I've been saying for the last several years, we knew we needed to get a new collective bargaining agreement done. We did. We needed a new media deal to get done. And you know, Pat referenced that before we did that, we've locked in our television rights for 11 years. And part of the reason we want to know what your television deal is is because you now have new partners. You're going from dividing up the money in terms of 30 teams and those players to, let's say, if we expanded by two teams to 32. So you want to know what those economics are. So now that those things are done, we're just beginning a process internally at the league of exploring the opportunity to expand. I will say sometimes on the outside it looks like a no brainer because it seems like you're printing money to expand. But again, as I said, you're really selling equity in the league. You have 30 teams that own the league and now you're saying we're going to have 32 teams that own the league. So you're diluting the economic interest of all the 30 teams. And you're also potentially diluting the talent because, you know, with 450 players plus some in the NBA, but roughly 450 players, you know, there's even among those, the greatest in the world. There's only so many difference makers. And then how are those players going to be distributed around the league? That's a lot of what we spend time on in collective bargaining groups, the right distribution of players. And so we're looking hard at it. We're sort of modeling it for lack of better terms in the league office. Look, there's no doubt there's been interest in Las Vegas, Seattle. I've been very public about it, that it was a market that was fantastic for the league that we left at the time for understandable reasons. But there's no doubt that there continues to be enormous passion in that market for the NBA. So we're looking at those markets and others. I think as we get into the summer we'll get into a more formal process of how we go about doing it. I don't want to say it's a foregone conclusion that we're going to expand, but I also think over time organizations tend to grow and I look at the success of those markets for other major league teams now. And so it's easy to present a scenario where you can see it working successfully for the league. But I don't want to jump the gun here. You know, we have the 30 existing teams who all need to weigh in on this process and also at some point need to have direct conversations with the people who are, who are interested in those teams. It's premature to do that right now. That's what, you know, we've been contacted by groups who are saying we'd love, we have interest in potentially being part of expansion, not just in those cities, but other. And we've sort of said we're not quite ready yet. But again, we will, you know, go through a very, you know, methodical approach to it and do it very cautiously, but we'll continue to look at it.
- [55:59]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, it sounds like that's how you do everything. Commish, we are nothing short of impressed with you. Congrats on another NBA season being great and congrats on the playoffs about to begin when all eyes are on your league. We can't thank you enough for joining us today. Safe travels out here to India and to all the other cities. And you're the man. We appreciate and love the hell out of you, man.
- [56:19]
Adam Silver
Yeah, thank you. Thanks Pat and everybody. Appreciate the time.
- [56:22]
AJ Hawk
You're the man.
- [56:23]
Pat McAfee
Ladies and gentlemen, the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver. So many things. Do you have any other plans?
- [56:31]
AJ Hawk
So many things.
- [56:32]
Pat McAfee
Well, yeah, I laid them all out.
- [56:35]
Ty Schmidt
Repeat all those.
- [56:36]
Boston Connor
Yeah, hold on.
- [56:37]
Pat McAfee
You aren't impressed?
- [56:38]
AJ Hawk
The first time he gave me a.
- [56:39]
Pat McAfee
Great answer, that was a great follow up. That was great. Because he does have to continue to 82 games. A lot of games.
- [56:45]
AJ Hawk
He kept saying engagement earlier. Engagement, engagement. Like what do you do? Like, it's tough. These young kids, how do you get them engaged?
- [56:51]
Pat McAfee
That's they have the digital audience. It never gets talked about when at the linear stuff.
- [56:58]
Unknown Speaker
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- [58:48]
Pat McAfee
S'mores are fantastic. We're lucky to talk about them every single day. And today we've been blessed with the presence of greatness here in the Thunderdome. It's not just me and the toxic table at Boston. Connor and that Ty Schmidt. Sweet shoes.
- [58:59]
Boston Connor
Thank you very much.
- [59:00]
Pat McAfee
Is that a wolf howling at the United States of America? Yeah.
- [59:02]
Boston Connor
Howling at the United States of America and almost howling that Take.
- [59:06]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Shout out Tank. Shout out Tank. One dead man show is happening on Saturday, I believe at the Fontainebleau theater which is one of the many shows that'll be taking place over WrestleMania weekend. Would like to hear take tell some stories.
- [59:20]
Ty Schmidt
Oh, hell yeah.
- [59:21]
Pat McAfee
He was on our show, told us a couple stories about, you know, Cypress Hill and many others and things that he's done. I couldn't even fathom what it's like listening to him chitchat. That's one half of the hammer cowboys ball cap tone. What's that?
- [59:31]
Aaron Rodgers
I, I was just pictured take if take shows Saturday. I know David get his performing at the pool fountain blue on Saturday too. I didn't know if they were doing it together.
- [59:38]
Pat McAfee
I, I, I don't I think it's a theater and a pool. Two different vibes. But hey, both can be great.
- [59:45]
Ty Schmidt
Take is going to be choke slamming people into the pool. That's part of it.
- [59:49]
Pat McAfee
I mean I, I wouldn't. Ah. And American badass. Yeah. They put up a bunch of like pool noodles.
- [59:58]
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
- [59:59]
Pat McAfee
And then he rides his little chocolate over top. There's chance. It's Vegas. Yeah, it's Vegas. Yeah. Potentially. I mean, this weekend In Vegas. Maybe the greatest weekend in the history of Las Vegas. And that's saying something. This might be the greatest Thursday in the history of Thunderdome him. Because we're joined by a man who is won titles at every level high school. He once had Twice actually had 30 some tackles in one game while averaging 45 plus yards a punt and scoring multiple touchdowns. On the offensive side, he's a Centerville Elk through and through. Former president of Ohio, ladies and gentlemen, Ohio state Buckeye legend AJ Hawk.
- [60:37]
AJ Hawk
Didn't average 45 a punt. You know, every once in a while I'd boom, 1 60, but then I'd yank one left into the crowd.
- [60:43]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, but that's what average is for.
- [60:44]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [60:46]
Pat McAfee
You hit 60 yard so that you can hit a 30 yarder on the.
- [60:49]
AJ Hawk
Other side and then you hit a six yarder into the crowd. Like that's what would happen. I'd be dead tired punting. Yeah, kicking off too. I kicked off a few of them into the crowd.
- [60:57]
Pat McAfee
A lot of people, I mean, that's going to happen. A lot of people forget that you were a punter. I don't think that ever gets talked about enough. Is most athletic guy on the team, usually the punter. That is kind of how it goes in high school for some places if they don't have a soccer player punting or whatever. And you, I assume, quickly learned the punter math. Yeah, because all of us jogging off the field after the first punt, that was a 49 yarder. All right, we need to remain that. Ooh, that was a 32 yarder. Okay, start doing the math. We want this thing to be a 45. You do 13. And then on the other side, we need a 58 yarder next. Okay, so we have 45 yard average, which is what you were able to do. Congrats to you, AJ make you one of the greatest athletes of all time.
- [61:34]
AJ Hawk
Thank you. Now I'm. I mean, the guy that sits here, what LeBron was here. Debut was here.
- [61:39]
Pat McAfee
Now I think I AQ Shively sits there. All these guys are super. Chuck, hall of Famer, that's Chuck Pagano. Obviously he's a boxer and a football player. Let's talk about goat announcing that he has one more show of electrifying college football fans around the entire globe. I've had the opportunity obviously to work alongside him the last few years, but obviously I've had the opportunity to watch him do his thing on top television for the better part of the last like 40 years or whatever the case is. However, I think it's 40 years is how long they're saying he's been with ESPN. Lee Corso has announced he's retiring after week one. He'll be turning 90 in August. And I've said this numerous times, whenever you watch him at either the production meetings on Friday or on these campuses moving about, he's still got, you know, still quick, refuses assistance whenever you're talking about steps and everything like that. Obviously on camera, it's been a little bit different for Coach Corso than It was maybe 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 15 years ago, you name it. But he was an energy, just had an aura around him at all times that was just like, hey, how you doing? Keep it moving. And he was a big proponent of, it's just entertainment, sweetheart, you know, and he very much understood that. And it's guys like him and Charles Barkley who understand that you're allowed to be entertaining, you're allowed to be funny, you're allowed for the people to enjoy the experience. Why? While they're watching and learning about sports. Trailblazer dog. Honored to call him a peer for a couple years here. And the sports world will definitely miss him every single week, but he does have one show left. Can't wait to see what he does. Not so fast, my friend. How many of those will we hear? How many more Ticonderogas will we see doing their thing? How many more gems will be dropped in that one episode? We'll certainly hang on to all of them. And congrats to Lee. Changing the game. Changing the game forever. Changing college football forever. You know, he is credited by a lot of minds at espn who. I know a lot of people get mad at ESPN because of how involved in college football they are. And a lot of people say ESPN has more say than they actually do. But it's an easy thing to say because of how invested ESPN is in college football. But the reason why ESPN is so invested in college football, from my understanding this, is just from being around it and meeting all the people that make all the decisions. They love college football.
- [63:56]
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah.
- [63:57]
Pat McAfee
Like, absolutely love. Obsessed with. I mean, we talked to Kirk Herbstream, obviously, he does a great job calling the Thursday night games for Amazon and kicking off each every NFL weekend. But you're talking about obsessed with college ball. Yeah, everything about Rhys Davis, Chris Fowler, you know, the. The Nick Saban obviously is the greatest of all time. Desmond Howard, 20 plus years on college game day. The people behind scenes breathe, sleep, eat college football. I mean, that is just what they Are. That is why they're so at the highest of highs at ESPN and Disney. Love college football, and Lee Corso is credited as building that sport and its popularity with his performances, not only on game day, but just throughout the college football season, no matter what he's doing in his speaking engagements and everything. So, like, you're talking about a guy who was viewed as a go, a guy who was talked about as a goat, a guy who acted like a goat, I think, for a long time, and a man that'll be missed on television. So change the sport, change the business, change the trajectory, change everybody's life that he's around. So I think that'd be a job well done if you were to kind of, kind of speak about a human and his existence and his profession on television, speaking into a microphone.
- [65:05]
AJ Hawk
Think of all the people that legit just waited around to see Lee put the mascot hat on, like, hey, who is coach going to pick this this week? And yeah, I mean, as far as I can remember as a kid, I remember Lee Corso on TV and checking out Saturday, turning on game day, seeing whatever he is doing. And the dude is an absolute entertainer. That's what I love about him. He came and spoke at my high school years ago with Kirk and Lee was off the charts. You talk about energy, man. He took the stage and just lit the whole room on fire. They wanted to have him back every single year, but unfortunately he has those all around the country. He's doing it, but, yeah, what an absolute legend, man.
- [65:36]
Pat McAfee
They put out a couple graphics about Coach Corso. Coach Corso, by the numbers. 430, mascot headgear picks. Okay. Which to your point, became the show.
- [65:46]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [65:46]
Pat McAfee
You know, that. That is what we're all. That's what the whole show is leading up to, is the headgear. 69 different teams have been picked. Most headgear selections by team. Oregon's been picked 21 times.
- [65:59]
AJ Hawk
Wow.
- [65:59]
Pat McAfee
Shout out to the duck. Loves the duck. Florida's been picked 22 times. LSU. Hey, oh, great place down there in Bayou. 25 times. Alabama roll tide 38 times.
- [66:17]
Boston Connor
No way.
- [66:17]
Pat McAfee
The Ohio State Buckeyes, where it all.
- [66:20]
AJ Hawk
Started, by the way.
- [66:20]
Pat McAfee
Brutus, 45 times selected. So when you hear AJ talk about, I love this guy. People of Ohio, absolutely. Everybody does, obviously. But yeah, I mean, what a showman. An absolute showman through and through. And I think there's some people, you know, very young, that won't get the entire Lee Corso experience over the last five years, I'd say, or Whatever, three years, whatever the case be. But you're talking about one of the quickest guys on television in the history, so let alone coaching and how much his players love him. Let him be an entertainer. But when you're talking about just brain, wit, quickness, you're talking about one of the best of all time to time.
- [66:55]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. I mean, and now the cool part is, like, we're seeing all the clips, like, the best of. It's like, you know, and. And like AJ Said, like, it's very rare now when you get to be around our age. Like, he has been a part of Game Day for my entire life.
- [67:09]
AJ Hawk
Me too.
- [67:09]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. When I started watching Game Day, he was there the entire time. And for like, what we do in sports media in general, like, that's just very rare. I don't think we're gonna have very many instances where you look at a show that you watched your entire life up to, like now when you have kids and everything, and it's the same mainstays on there. Like, I don't know how often that'll happen.
- [67:28]
Pat McAfee
It's a comforting feeling knowing that without a doubt, what's going to be there. Lee Corso is going to be there. Kirk Herbstrut, obviously, as well, and Coach Corso gave Herbie a nice shout out in his retirement letter last year. Watching them have a few moments to get that was obviously very emotional for all parties. The people behind the scenes of Game Day have been there a long, long time. Too long. A lot of them. Now, granted, there's new people that come in to the crew, but you're Talking about, like 30 some years, some people working back there. So whenever you talk about Lee Corso, they've seen Lee Corso be and do everything that he's done for a long time. Those people love ball, love college Game Day. I think some of them did not necessarily love the addition of old Pat McAfee, but I think obviously I have massive respect for them and I think I've maybe earned theirs as well over the years. But it's like watching Lee kind of work a room too. Just.
- [68:17]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [68:18]
Pat McAfee
You know, just always, always up, sitting down. And when he was losing his here and there, obviously a little bit at the end. And being we'd be in a production meeting and something would get brought up, he wouldn't know what was going on. Then he'd be reminded and that you think the topic was over. And then he would be informed on what's going on. And then he would drop just a fucking nuke in the middle of it, it's like, oh, yeah, still got my man. My man. Yeah, absolutely. So age obviously catches up with everybody. But what he was able to do throughout the entirety of it. He's gonna be 90, still on television.
- [68:47]
Ty Schmidt
Crazy.
- [68:48]
Boston Connor
Insane.
- [68:48]
Pat McAfee
That's. That's a wild thought. Congrats to Lee. Yeah.
- [68:51]
Boston Connor
And I feel like he even had a lot of great moments over these last few years. Like, I forget what it was with Kirk, but if it was his 500th show or what. Exactly it was, but they had that moment too, where, you know, even Kirk talked about it.
- [69:04]
Pat McAfee
500. Was it his headgear? Yeah.
- [69:05]
Boston Connor
Was it his five man headgear?
- [69:07]
Ty Schmidt
I forget.
- [69:07]
Pat McAfee
600. What was the number?
- [69:08]
Boston Connor
So it was like 500 something.
- [69:10]
Pat McAfee
So maybe it was the 400th.
- [69:12]
Boston Connor
400Th.
- [69:13]
AJ Hawk
I don't know.
- [69:13]
Boston Connor
Yeah, I forget what it was, but. But it, like I. I remember that scene, you know, of them two together and, you know, Lee was obviously very thankful. And then, you know, even him going back to certain places that he's been at, like the return and him being honored at multiple. I mean, Indiana this year, you know, that his entire team from that time when he was coaching those.
- [69:32]
Pat McAfee
79. I think he was coaching.
- [69:33]
Boston Connor
Yeah, 79. And then, you know, Belichick, when Belichick was on last year at the Navy and Bill was talking about, you know, like, I remember when you were coaching with, you know, his. Bill's dad.
- [69:44]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [69:44]
Boston Connor
And things like that, I feel like are really cool to kind of relive over these last few years. So hats off to him.
- [69:49]
Pat McAfee
Is he still going to be working at Taekondaroga winner, I would assume. I don't know if that's a rib that people tell me like the game day people, but he had like full time job attack on the rogue.
- [70:01]
AJ Hawk
Really.
- [70:01]
Pat McAfee
I think from what I've been told, like calling people. Let me tell you about these.
- [70:05]
AJ Hawk
Doctor Like a salesman. He's cold. Calling people.
- [70:08]
Aaron Rodgers
Leading salesman.
- [70:09]
Pat McAfee
I don't know if he was a salesman or if like Ticonderoga asked him to make calls or stuff because, you know, he always had the. The pets. What he was talking. But yeah, I think he had a very like an actual. Like worked for Taek. I think he had a. I think he worked for Ticonderoga from what I've been told. Now they might be ribbing me though.
- [70:25]
AJ Hawk
So that's why I would assume they're going to retain. They're. He'll stay with them.
- [70:28]
Pat McAfee
Has to. That number two pencil won't be a.
- [70:31]
AJ Hawk
Number Two without Sam Robster, con man, of course.
- [70:33]
Pat McAfee
So edition huge for college ball, though. And I think that is. That is something that I don't think is said about Lee is like, they give him credit for building the sport and being a part of the development of college football. Just foundation he's a pillar of the sport is kind of how he's viewed by a lot people that are in the conferences, people that are at the schools, people that are at espn, College Football Playoff people. I mean, like, everybody's like, hey, this guy helped elevate this sport entirely over the last 40 years. So everybody is a massive fan of his.
- [71:08]
Aaron Rodgers
Well, there was a period of time where he. I think he was the most popular person in, like, in sports media. Like, I think. I don't think that could be argued. There was that time period and then, like, you talked about it where he was like, it's all about the entertainment. He was like one of those first people who weren't just taking. Weren't just spitting out facts and just talking as serious as they possibly can. It was making it fun and lively and actually entertaining. And yeah, Lee. Lee is like. I'm like, Ty said. That was all I thought when I first saw the clips coming out again. You know the one where he throws the headgear and goes bad. Yeah, it like, there was no one else doing that on air and making people laugh. Like, you actually. He actually got like, pop from people on tv, which was awesome. But, yeah, Lee's a goat.
- [71:48]
Pat McAfee
And I would like to finish up with saying Lee could have very easily been mean to me, you know, because what I am, who I am, how I operate, you know, I pull a lot of inspo from guys like Lee and Charles Barkley and a lot of professional wrestlers and everything like that. The way I speak, in my energy and the way I talk, it's like, I'm not a news journalist. Like, a lot of people are in sports world. I'm trying to like, let's have a good time here. He was very. You look at the South Dakota State, the first time I did it, Lee sitting right next to me, and you see him go like, oh, I did not like. And then after that show, very kind to me, very nice to be, very complimentary. And throughout the entirety, he's been very cool to me. So I'm very thankful for Lee and good luck in retirement, man. I hope you enjoy fall. I hope you get a chance to go see some games. Hope you get a chance to go do whatever the hell you want to do. And happy early 90th birthday and happy retirement from all of us. You're the man, Lee. Joining us now, Lee, ladies and gentlemen, is a four time NFL mvp. He is a host of one of the top sports podcasts in the history of sports podcasts that drop every single Tuesday during NFL seasons for the last four or five years. Five years, I think. Ladies and gentlemen, a first ballot hall of Famer and a free agent quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Hello, Mr. Handsome.
- [73:11]
Apollo
How's my Internet?
- [73:12]
Pat McAfee
Okay. All right. Your Internet's great. I know you're probably. Where are you right now? Are you at that same place we saw you walking on the beach with the, the towel in the blanket and open to everything attached to nothing.
- [73:27]
Apollo
I'm hanging out with this guy.
- [73:28]
Pat McAfee
What up, Apollo?
- [73:30]
Apollo
And I'm looking out at the. You know what, there's actually a couple dolphins out there. I might need to get out there and get some of that good healing energy. Yeah, but there actually are two, two Dolphins just, just raised up. It's very serendipitous.
- [73:45]
Pat McAfee
Well, don't get out there because we know they like to. You know what? We know they'll get you. You know, we know they are a horny bunch from what we've been told. We don't know that in particular, but we've just read that, that around places. Shout out to the dog. That's Apollo, right? I think I learned it is.
- [74:01]
Apollo
Yes, it is. Yeah.
- [74:02]
Pat McAfee
How old?
- [74:04]
Apollo
He's born on Christmas. He's so. He's not quite four months.
- [74:10]
Pat McAfee
Way to go, Paula. Welcome to the world.
- [74:11]
Apollo
He's a handful. He's a handful.
- [74:13]
Pat McAfee
Hey, you have a puppy. That's a wild thing to have. You're a first time free agent quarterback and you have a puppy. Let's dive in.
- [74:19]
Apollo
Yeah.
- [74:20]
Pat McAfee
Okay. So being a dog, dog dad has been a massive piece of your life, I assume over the last few months. As of April 17th. Where do we kind of sit in your world right now? How is everything kind of gone? Because there has been a lot of things projected and said about what you're doing, what you're thinking, where you're at. Where are you at right now on April 17 as a human, we shall.
- [74:42]
Apollo
Say I'm in Malibu looking at the dolphins.
- [74:45]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah, you get it. Mindset. You understand what I, what I'm saying? You understand what I'm saying?
- [74:49]
Apollo
Listen, you know, I live a, you know, I live kind of a quiet life. If it weren't for my buddy Tim and my sister Mia, I wouldn't hear about a lot of the. That's out there. Nice. But Mia finally said, listen, you got to go on the show and just set some of these ridiculous rumors and all these people who said they're close to me, sources, just set them straight because there's been a lot of bullshit out there and again, 90% of it I wouldn't hear about if it wasn't for Mia or, or Tim. So shout out to, to both of them because I'm sure they're watching. But yeah, you know, it's been, it's been an interesting break for me. But yeah, it's been hanging out, working out, hanging out with Apollo and enjoying, enjoying my time.
- [75:44]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so I'm assuming the Tim and Mia shout out and thank you for watching if they are watching and thank you for joining us to clarify some things. I assume what they're alluding to is all the different reports about what your football future kind of is going to look like over the last two months. We'll say since free agency kind of started, it's been a lot of buzz. You know, there's. You're holding teams hostage with not giving them an answer. You're waiting out for another place. Oh, you might end up back staying at home in New Jersey for the Giants. Is there anything you kind of want to set straight here off the top as we dive into a lot of these conversations that have been happening about you that maybe you haven't been participating in at all over the last couple months?
- [76:28]
Apollo
Yeah, I'll set it all straight. I'll set it all straight. I have no problem. Listen, you know, from the jump, it's, you know, I'm in a different phase of my life. I'm 41 years old. I'm in a serious relationship. I have off the field, off the field stuff going on that requires my attention. I have personal commitments I made not knowing what my future was going to look like after last year that are important to me. And I have, you know, a couple people in my inner, inner circle who are really battling some difficult stuff. So I have a lot of things that are, that are taking my attention and have beginning in really January, away from, away from football. And that's been where I've been focusing most of my attention on, you know, to make a commitment to, to the team is a big thing, whether you're a first year player or a 20, 20 year vet. And I had a lot of great conversations with a lot of teams. Not one of those was the jets because that wasn't a great conversation.
- [77:43]
Pat McAfee
We heard, we heard so that was an accurate report. Okay, got it, got it, got it.
- [77:46]
Apollo
Okay, that was, that would have. Not an accurate report. We can get into that in a second. But. Okay, but I had some good, I had some good conversations, but I've been up front with all of them. I don't have anybody, you know, working on my PR staff. Like Mia is the head of my pr, she tells me what the hell is going on. If I need to know anything. I don't have any leaks. I have a very tight circle. I'm not out there putting out just to put out. That's just not how I operate. There's been a lot of, of people assuming they have information about me that's just not true. I've been straight up with these teams from the start about where I was at, you know, starting with the money thing. You know, I told every single one of the teams I talked to, you know, ain't about the money. I'll play for 10 M's, you know, I don't care. I never once said I need a multi year deal. 30, $40 million is absolute. I said play for 10, whatever.
- [78:39]
Pat McAfee
Well, I thought you, you're a selfish prick. I thought that's what it was. I thought I just saw a guy sign for 60 million or 55 million or whatever. You said you'd pay for 10 million. Okay, so you saying you would play, that means you are thinking, is retirement still on the field? Like, where are you whenever it comes to like playing or not playing? Playing for 10 million, by the way, makes it very easy for a lot of teams to be able to accommodate you.
- [79:08]
Apollo
Is that mean I told him? That's what I told him in March, you know, in the beginning, in the very beginning. You can ask any one of the teams I talked to. That was, that was the conversation. But, but also the conversation about where I was at in my personal life. The stuff I'm dealing with off the field in my inner circle, that, that has to take my attention right now. And so I wasn't, you know, stringing in anybody along. I wasn't holding anybody hostage. I was honest from the jump about where I was at mentally and some of the constraints that I have in my life right now that have to warrant my attention. So, yeah, you know, I'm open to anything and attached to nothing. So, yeah, retirement still could be, could be a possibility. But right now my focus is, has been and has been and will continue to be in my personal life. And that's what I've told the coaches. There's still conversations that are being had. So it's all been very honest alliance communication. I've really appreciated the time I talked to the various teams, but there's been a lot of narratives that have not been anywhere near accurate. Starting with the Jets. Continue with some something I just read about, you know, me pitching something to the Vikings. I know Ben. I only know this, again, because of me. Ben was on the show talking about me waiting around for the Vikings. That's not accurate either. You know, I know there's, I'm sure, some lot of sentiment from both packers fans, even maybe Vikings fans about certain things. But. But no, I've known Kevin forever. I've known Kevin OConnell since we used to work out at Fitness Quest 10, I think it was called in San Diego county, in North County. I've known him for 17, 18 years and we got a good friendship. So we talk outside of just, you know, this off season. We keep in touch during the season. So we've had good communication. And.
- [81:14]
Pat McAfee
I know, oh, we're getting right to the government.
- [81:17]
AJ Hawk
Shut them down.
- [81:18]
Pat McAfee
The government just shut down your Internet right there. We heard it. The NFL just shut down your Internet there for a second.
- [81:22]
Boston Connor
Shoot.
- [81:23]
Pat McAfee
Let's talk about.
- [81:23]
Apollo
We're back. We're back.
- [81:25]
Pat McAfee
Okay. So Ben Roethlisberger hypothesized, which is what a lot of people have been doing, because a lot of people assumed that a decision would have already been made in your whether you're going to play football, who you're going to play football with, especially with the draft looming and free agency coming and going. I think you saying that there's a lot going on in your personal life that that needs your attention. And I think you've told me a little bit more about that. I think if everybody kind of understood what was going on. Not saying you need to tell anybody's story, but it's like they don't.
- [81:52]
Apollo
Yeah, they don't need. They don't need to. You know, they don't need to. I don't need. My personal life is my personal life and I don't need to dive into the. You know, there's a sensitivity around some of the stuff that's going on, for sure, and it's very important to me. But yeah, I mean, there's a lot of silly narratives. Narratives out there. You know, like, I'm sure people are assuming I've been sitting in a hole in the ground contemplating or maybe down doing Ayahuasca somewhere. Actually haven't done any of that. Nothing's on the horizon. Haven't been doing any of that.
- [82:23]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I don't know if I clapped on the. Yeah, it sounds like you. Mentally, you don't need it, because, remember, we only did those things whenever we were trying to find clarity. We're trying to figure things out. So that's a good thing, I think.
- [82:33]
Boston Connor
Don't need the bets.
- [82:34]
Pat McAfee
But if you were doing it, we would let you know. We probably would say, I feel good for you. Yeah, we'd be happy for you regardless. There.
- [82:41]
Apollo
But I think my next. My next time I do that, I'm gonna have to take AJ down there because he needs some serious, serious help.
- [82:48]
Pat McAfee
Mother. Ayahuasca. He actually has a question for you, Aaron.
- [82:50]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, you mentioned the jets earlier. We can get back to the ayahuasca situation later. But you mentioned the Jets. What was that meeting like? We heard.
- [82:55]
Pat McAfee
Didn't.
- [82:55]
AJ Hawk
Is that in that. Where they said, hey, you can't. Come on Pat McAfee.
- [82:58]
Pat McAfee
No, but that was debunked later.
- [82:59]
AJ Hawk
Of course. But I'm saying, how was that meeting you mentioned? Oh, we'll get back to this. Sounds like you want to talk about it. What was it?
- [83:06]
Apollo
Well, maybe that was hypothesized as something that was going to be part of a conversation. Is the Internet good? Are we good here?
- [83:13]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, you're good. You're good.
- [83:14]
Apollo
I'm sure they're trying to shut this part down, but, you know, I. Listen. That was an interesting two years to say the least. But. But, you know, I figured that when I flew across country on my own dime that there was going to be a conversation. And the confusing thing to me, and the strange thing was, you know, when I went out there, I meet with the coach, we start talk.
- [83:44]
AJ Hawk
Oh, no.
- [83:45]
Pat McAfee
Oh, boy.
- [83:47]
Apollo
See, they don't want this. They don't want.
- [83:48]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, now you're back. You're back, you're back.
- [83:50]
Apollo
They don't want this out there.
- [83:51]
Pat McAfee
Right now you're back.
- [83:55]
Apollo
So where did. Where did I leave you? There?
- [83:56]
Pat McAfee
You're me with the coach. You meet with the coach.
- [83:59]
Apollo
We start talking. He runs out of the room. I'm like, that's kind of strange. I was like. Then he comes back with the gm, and I'm like, all right. So we sit down in the office, and I think we're going to have this long conversation. I've flown across country, and 20 seconds in, he goes. I mean, literally, I'm talking to the GM about something, and he leans to the edge of his sheet and goes, so, do you want to play Football. I was like, yeah, I'm interested. And he said, we're going a different direction at quarterback. And I said. And I was kind of shocked now, not shocked because I didn't think that was a possibility. Listen, of course they want to move on. That's totally fine. But shock because I just flew across country. You could have told me this on the phone if we weren't even gonna have a conversation. And this is verbatim exactly how it happened. So I said, huh? And he goes, we just want to know how you want it released, the messaging. And I said, verbatim, I don't give a about the message. And I said, why? And then he said, I don't want to be up in front of the room saying something and have guys looking back at you.
- [85:17]
Pat McAfee
Interesting.
- [85:17]
Apollo
And I said, what does that even mean? Are you assuming that I would be in the back of the room during a team meeting undermining what you're saying? I said, you don't know me. And he said, you don't know me. And then I said, exactly. Which is why I flew across the country to have a face to face meeting with you to talk about my experience with the jets and to hear your vision for the team. 20 seconds in, what I thought was going to be a couple hour meeting turned into like a 15 minute meeting and I walked out of there. But so at that moment, that was a strange meeting for sure. There was no me pleading like, please have me on the team. No, I don't know I want any part of that. It was already a debacle in some cases. Listen, that whole situation was, was crazy. And I think even that was a little rogue by the head coach because I talked to the GM later about it. Christopher Johnson called me. Chris is a fantastic guy anybody has ever met. Christopher Johnson says the same thing. He's a phenomenal dude. He's about the right stuff, stuff. He's a sweet human being. And I'm thankful that I got to meet him and Doris because their friendship was a big bright spot in the organization. And there's a lot of great dudes there, there's great players there, great humans, there's great, you know, guys in the equipment room, training room, you know, Carmen and Maddie in the nutrition department, all the strength staff. There's a lot of great dudes there. But there's, you know, there's, there's obviously some things that need to get fixed over there.
- [87:00]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, it didn't go well. Obviously. There was high hopes and dreams by jets fans, jets organization and You. Which I think gets forgotten about. You had great visions of going over to New York and with the jets and leading them to victory for the first time. Long time that ends up not happening. Then the exit, obviously, with new gm, new coach, as you said, seemingly a possibility. Regardless, the way it went about it, didn't expect it. So when you leave that meeting, and.
- [87:24]
Apollo
That'S what I'm saying, like, I, I wasn't surprised that they wanted to move on, but, like, would you. Why would you not pick my brain? I'm there to, like, talk to you about the team and about things that I think can get better and things that are good and, and players that have leadership possibilities and, and anything. I mean, I've been in league 20 years. Any type of conversation, they. There was none. There was none. Okay, so that was strange.
- [87:46]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so you get. You leave the building, probably in, I would assume, a little bit of a mood. You get on a plane to fly back across the country. During that flight, are you now contemplating future of ball there, or when does that kind of set in? Is there a conversation about, like, don't want to go out like this, or is this a sign from universe God that maybe my football life is like. Like, does that expedite the conversation of what your future looks like in football? Does it slow it down? How does that kind of affect what would then happen after that meeting takes place and you become a free agent for the first time basically in your career?
- [88:22]
Apollo
Well, first of all, I told my pilots, hey, have a good night, have some beers. This is going to be a long meeting. Shoot, we might even have dinner. I don't know what's going to happen. It's going to be a good, you know, I'm excited about this meeting. So walking out of there, you know, 25 minutes, this is like 40 minutes. Because I saw Vito and Gus in the training room. I saw Dave Zuffaloto, you know, awesome trainer there. Got to talk to him. So I was there maybe about 40 minutes at One Jets Drive, you know, then I drove home, you know, had some conversations with some people there, including Christopher. But the next day when I, When I left, I was just thinking, hey, that's the closing of that chapter. There's so many beautiful things about the two years that I had there. Obviously, most of them off the field. But no, I wasn't. I wasn't upset about it. I was surprised. I felt like there wasn't an ample amount of respect in that meeting. But, you know, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Based on some of the things I saw over the two years. But. But I am thankful for my time with the Jets. I'm disappointed it didn't work out better on the field, but it didn't damp or anything. I just thought, okay, well now, now I have a chance to, to talk to other teams and see what's out there and then also time to contemplate my own future.
- [89:44]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so let's talk about the other teams that were potentially available. I rattled them off earlier, but we didn't really dive into them. You've been linked to a lot of teams, a lot of conversations. Now I don't think anybody has said that you have told all these teams like, hey, right now there's a lot going on in my personal life, a lot going on, very serious things with people that I care a lot about. So I am not in a position to make a decision. I assume because you didn't want to go to a team as a quarterback and everything and then have to miss some time, which is what ended up happening last year with the jets when you wanted 98% of the OTAs and then you missed a weekend and everybody made a big deal out of it. So I appreciate us learning that you were up front with all these teams, but these teams became very pronounced seemingly unless there was a wild card team behind the scenes. We don't know about Giants. You and the Giants went down the road and chit chat a little bit and did you contemplate playing for the New York Football Giants and then Vikings, Steelers, I don't know how many other. The Saints. Saints kind of just got in there. You don't have to lay out all of them. But have you talked talk to all of those teams and what was it like being a free agent for the first time while chatting with these squads?
- [90:53]
Apollo
Yeah, it was interesting for sure. I'd never had that experience before. I'm not going to get into specifics about every team that I talked to, but it was, it was a few teams. There were a lot of teams I saw mentioned that I had no, absolutely zero contact with. I would say I did talk to Brian Daboll and had great conversations with him. Really enjoyed him a lot. I think he's, you know, a lot of fun to talk to and, and as a beautiful football mind, you know, him and Josh, he had Josh in Buffalo. Josh is one of my closest friends in the league and you know, I just enjoyed, enjoyed the conversations. He's a, you know, really bright football mind. But yeah, there were some. There's some other teams that I talked to. Like I already mentioned, you know, KOC is a buddy of mine and we talk during the season. So it was a, it was a cool experience. Obviously I went out to Pittsburgh and tried to do that as quietly as possible. You know, a lot of people think that I'm desperate for attention even though I haven't talked to you or anybody else in three months. But I did fly into a different airplane airport, not the downtown. I'll tell you what I did secretly, I. I flew into a different airport. I got a Malibu rental car, drove the Malibu rental car to the facility, to the backside practice field, got let in the practice field and then somebody in the building must have said something. And when I came out, there was like some cameras that were appointed, but there ain't no way they thought, this dude is not going to be in a Malibu right now. He's not going to be in a Malibu rental car, is he? So I kind of drove by him. They had like a really long lens I was seeing and you know, Mia did a deep dive to see if anybody got a picture. And there was one person who had a picture and it didn't go anywhere of me in the Malibu. But, but that was fun to kind of sneak in, sneak out. But, but yeah, I mean, listen, I've talked to Mike Tomlin. He's more than I even thought from afar as far as the type of person that he is. I have a lot of respect for what he's accomplished in the league. Arthur Smith, you guys have had Art on the show many times.
- [93:16]
Pat McAfee
Love him.
- [93:16]
Apollo
I mean, talk about a guy that doesn't need to work. Doesn't need to work. But, but he's a grinder. We, we have, we've had a friendship for a couple years now and I just like what he's all about. I like when he's on your show. And the quarterback coach is actually a guy named Tom Arth. Tom Arth was in the quarterback room with me in 2006 in Green Bay. In the off season, the first offseason I ever did went through the Mike McCarthy Quarterback School. It was me and Tom Arth and Tom Col Plummets. And thankfully I had Tom Arts because those were crazy ass workouts that were really hard. And Tom, you know, we gave each other some breathers here and there. But yeah, great dude. So it was nice to go into the city. I never really spent any time in Pittsburgh other than the few times we've played there. But yeah, I've enjoyed talking To Mike.
- [94:08]
Pat McAfee
So what are you doing there? You're doing due diligence on the people. People and just trying to. Do they invite you, obviously, to come, maybe learn a little bit more about you. How does that kind of come about you flying to probably the Beaver County Airport or Butler County Airport, hopping into Malibu, pulling in the back, going to.
- [94:25]
Apollo
Tell you what airport we flew into, because it was great. In and out, man. It was like. No, even. It wasn't even.
- [94:30]
Aaron Rodgers
It's always like that.
- [94:30]
Apollo
You know, it was.
- [94:31]
Pat McAfee
That's Pittsburgh, baby. Pittsburgh's easy. Don't worry about the traffic. Don't worry about that. I mean, Pittsburgh's good. But how did that come about? You guys just kind of wanted to see each other, kind of meet each other, because if you were up front with them, was saying, hey, right now, offseason, a lot going on, lot that is kind of taking my attention. And I assume they understand, especially if they learned what it was. It was just like, we should at least do some due diligence for each other. Is that kind of how that comes about with you traveling to Pittsburgh?
- [95:01]
Apollo
That's different when you're talking on the phone. You know, luckily, with my lack of service here, it's a lot of FaceTimes, but. But it's different in person. I just. You know, personally, I wanted to. To see what it was like there, see the facility, get to meet Omar in person, you know, see just. Just get a glimpse, a snippet of what. What life would be like in Pittsburgh. So I thought it was important to go see it in person. And I also want to do it as quietly as possible. So there were very few people that even knew I was. I was heading out that way Besides. Besides Mike and Omar and Arthur, like, even Tom. Art didn't find out to that morning. And I've known. Again, I've known Tom forever. I got to reconnect with him last year on the field, so I hadn't seen him, like, in person in probably, like, 19 years. You know, this guy was in my quarterback room. I GUESS it was 18 years if it was 2006, but he didn't even know till the morning, so it was nice to be able to get in early and get out.
- [96:11]
Pat McAfee
We found a picture of you in the Malibu. We found the Malibu.
- [96:15]
Apollo
Hey, there it is right there. That's. That was me.
- [96:17]
Pat McAfee
You look like you got a hoodie, sunglasses, Hannah. Malibu. That is awesome. You're an attention whore there. Remember? You're an attention.
- [96:24]
Apollo
Yeah, that was. That was the exact picture that I Saw. So I saw these people. I said, damn, they're gonna get a good pick here. At least I got my SR hat on. Shout out to Mike. But. But, yeah, that pick never went anywhere. So now obviously.
- [96:37]
Pat McAfee
Oh, well, yeah, there it is.
- [96:39]
Apollo
Everybody knew I was there at that point. But, yeah, that's me driving to Malibu.
- [96:42]
Pat McAfee
I want to let you know the people Pittsburgh will respect factor drive around a boo, brother. I'm gonna let you know that now. Let's stay in Pitts Pittsburgh. AP Tone has a question for you.
- [96:51]
Aaron Rodgers
Yeah, not me necessarily, Aaron, but there's gonna be a lot of Steelers fans who want to know if you are still in contact with the team and if they gave you a deadline. Because there's a lot of people in Pittsburgh talking about deadline. They need to have you before the draft. They need to have you before minicamp, whatever. OTAs. Are you still in contact with them? Did they give you a deadline or did they say, hey, you know, take your. Take your time, deal with what you have have to do personally, and then just let us know.
- [97:17]
Apollo
Listen, this entire time, I haven't felt like I owed anybody some sort of decision at any point. This is my life. Like I said, things are different now. My life is different. My personal life is different. I have stuff in the inner circle that, you know, I'm intimately close to that. It's really important to me. And I've been up for with him about that and said, listen, if you need to move on, if you need to do something, by all means, by all means, like nothing but love and respect. If that's a decision that needs to be made. But there's been no deadline. And. And yeah, I've talked to. I've talked to Mike T. Many times.
- [97:59]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so you're still in contact with Pittsburgh Steelers. Feels like the trip went well. You're dealing with stuff in your life right now. Steelers seemingly understand that. Didn't want to out you because I assume there's a lot of times where Steelers because they're getting questioned a lot by the Steelers fans, hey, hey, what are we doing? What are we doing? What are we doing? They have tried to completely kind of, I want to say dumb it down, but basically not say anything. So it feels like there is a trust between you two, which is great. And we saw some photos from UCLA Nico Iamaliava school. AJ Has a question for you.
- [98:30]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, Aaron, we saw you throw into a DK Metcalf. First off, did you hire the videographer photographer for that? What was this? What was this? All about how to go. I mean, you were pumped about this completion. You had a nice little dig across the middle it looks like. But how did this come about? And who is this, where is this footage from? Who took.
- [98:48]
Apollo
Was the other guy, what's his, I think his name is Alex was there, I don't know if he's a full time guy for dk, but yeah, he was taking some video and some pictures and I said, you know, it was fine if DK released it. And I don't think DK did. I think actually the kid did. So I'm not sure if everybody was super excited about that. Maybe they were. I don't care either way, but, but yeah, you know, again, I, I, I wanted to do due diligence with this whole process and part of it is talking to a guy like dk and let me just say this, what a, what a great dude. What a great dude who loves, who loves football. And I mean, what a specimen this guy is. I was laughing with him because, you know, I said, where do you work out? Because I've been working out a proactive here for a long time. Even rocking the proactive gear in that shirt. He goes, oh, UCLA. I said, what time you work out? He said, 6:00am I said, you got anybody else working out with you? He said, yeah, they last a few weeks at most, but, but then they taper off because nobody wants to work out that early. And then when we were throwing, I said, hey, can it not be 6am? You know, I gotta drive, PCH is closed. So we threw it. We met at 8 in the morning, which is much nicer than 6. But yeah, I've had a few conversations with DK and yeah, I just think he's a, he's a super guy. Part of the process is just, you know, with this whole thing is seeing how my body is, how responds, how I feel. You know, I'm 41 years old, take pretty damn good care of myself. But you know, I wanted to see how it felt to throw with DK and how the juices felt now that ball came out and just all those little things and also just get to know dk. And like I said, that's a really good human being. Like from the first conversation I had with him, he was saying like, yes sir and no sir. And I said, you old ass. Just because I'm this, because I'm old. No, that's just how he talked. He's just a really respectful dude and an absolute specimen. He's accomplished a lot in the league and And I've enjoyed. Enjoy getting to know him a little bit. Enjoyed throwing to him. I mean what. What a talented guy he is.
- [100:56]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so I'm gonna get right to the point here. You love dk, love Tomlin.
- [100:59]
Aaron Rodgers
Wait till you meet GP and Pat.
- [101:01]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. George Pickens Friarmouth. Absolute beast the city of Pittsburgh is. I mean, wait till you try Rudy Subs Everybody knows Primary Sandwiches Dallas Sellers Pizza Holy hell. I mean there's so much to love about the city that I assume you didn't get to experience in your one day in your Malibu. Easy in, easy out. But it sounds like what you're saying and we talk you like day ball. Obviously the vikings, you and Koc have a relationship. That was thing they got J.J. mcCarthy over there. But there's been a lot of chatter about you going to the Steelers and nothing that you have said here has made me believe that you're ruling out going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Is that an accurate assessment? And if you were to play again, does it feel like it would probably be for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
- [101:44]
Apollo
Well, again, you know, I'm going back to it, but I am trying to be open to everything and not specifically attached to anything when it comes to this decision. I'm not holding anybody hostage. I really want to emphasize that nothing about what I'm saying. I've been up front from the beginning. I don't mean any disrespect to any player on their team, veteran or young guy that comes in. I'm just going through a lot in my personal life that that has to take precedent at this point because you know, that's a big commitment and when the commitment is made, it has to be an all in type commitment. And I know people say, oh well, you missed minicamp last year. It's like we can go down that story at some point for a different time, but not now. I've talked about it at length, but I don't think it was fair to the Steelers or anyone, you know, to make a decision what while I'm dealing with a lot off the field. So at the same time I want to keep the lines of communication open. That's why I've talked to all the important people and the people that need to know know what's going on and the people that don't make up shit about me. And. And that really hasn't changed since COVID so.
- [103:06]
Pat McAfee
Well, I think even before COVID which is why Aaron Rodgers Tuesday even started then. I think Covid probably expedited.
- [103:11]
Apollo
Well, Covid, yeah, put it on on sale. Steroids for sure.
- [103:14]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah. We're not gonna get.
- [103:16]
Apollo
I haven't. I haven't, you know, not that I need one. Haven't got an apology. Haven't got an apology yet about anything Covid related. I haven't actually heard. I don't need that. I would just like maybe some of the, you know, the same. The same crew one time and maybe admit, especially after everything has been released, you were wrong.
- [103:35]
Pat McAfee
Maybe that hippie out there, maybe that football doofus who had a 500 page report that that kind of gets lost in the entire thing. Had a little bit piece of information ahead of time and maybe that type of mentality and stick to it. Iveness is a reason why he's a goat whenever it comes to football. Now, you said you're trying to keep the lines of communication open. I would assume that there's a reality about what is next week. Connor has a question for you.
- [104:01]
Boston Connor
Yeah. Aaron, great to see you. Always a pleasure. Next week, the draft. And I'm not saying, you know what prospects deal love, because I assume, like you said, you've been dealing with a lot of stuff. You're not really locked in on that specifically, but have you kind of thought about the idea of certain teams making certain moves and does that change anything? You know, you said you're attached to nothing. But if there was one team that maybe went a certain direction with that change of thought on maybe possibly playing for them, opening the door to go to that team. And then also, you know, you brought up last year's minicamp.
- [104:32]
Apollo
We.
- [104:33]
Boston Connor
We now all know over the last three months you went to Egypt to explore the tunnels beneath the pyramids.
- [104:39]
Pat McAfee
Bingo.
- [104:40]
Apollo
I wish I had. I mean, I've read a lot of stuff about even before the. The, you know, the. What is it? Lidar. What they're using to expose it.
- [104:50]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [104:52]
Apollo
Bare minimum. You know, those weren't tombs, so.
- [104:55]
Pat McAfee
Okay. Bare minimum.
- [104:56]
Ty Schmidt
Boom.
- [104:57]
Pat McAfee
Just use that. The bare minimum conversation. Okay, well, happy you went over that. We didn't know if you had a shovel when you went over there. You were digging down to see what was then. But anyways, go ahead.
- [105:08]
Apollo
I wish. Yeah. But I haven't seen one draft prospect film or nothing. I mean, I watched some college football for sure. I did see the running back from Boise State. He was at UCLA the day that DK and I worked out. And he is a specimen now.
- [105:24]
Pat McAfee
He.
- [105:25]
Apollo
He's. He's put together. He's put together well. Yeah, he is well put together. And I think. I don't Know, maybe Bijan Robinson, who's the last running back to go in the top 10.
- [105:36]
Aaron Rodgers
Bijan.
- [105:37]
Pat McAfee
Bijan. Yeah.
- [105:37]
Apollo
Was it Bijan? Yeah, I think it's probably going to be. He'll probably go in the top 10. And I mean just the eye test. He passes the eye test for sure.
- [105:47]
Pat McAfee
Look at this. We got a mock drafter, Aaron Rodgers, while doing this. But. But does the draft affect anything that you are going through?
- [105:54]
Apollo
Oh, no, not at all.
- [105:56]
Pat McAfee
You just kind of. You'll watch it, see what it is and then we'll catch up and see what's happening on the other side.
- [106:02]
Apollo
I mean, listen, I'm not gonna say I won't watch it because I know you guys are doing. If I watch anything at all, I'll be watching you guys.
- [106:09]
Pat McAfee
That's kind of you. Thank you.
- [106:11]
Apollo
I'll say that. And you're going back to. You're going back to Mold stomping grounds.
- [106:14]
Pat McAfee
That's right.
- [106:15]
Apollo
A.J.
- [106:16]
Pat McAfee
The. The Herald of Sonic Green Bay is coming back to Green Bay. It'll be great to see him out there.
- [106:21]
Apollo
What type of reception he's going to get because he did end up playing for a couple other teams. You know, is he going to get fears or.
- [106:27]
Pat McAfee
All time leading tackler for the Green Bay Packers. They got to go bananas for AJ Hawk.
- [106:32]
AJ Hawk
We would assume they're waiting on you to come back here and just like we were at the big night out.
- [106:36]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. What's that all about? I thought you were making your decision a big. Sorry.
- [106:39]
Apollo
I'm sorry I couldn't make it. Yeah. Sorry I couldn't make it. Yeah. Really wanted to be there.
- [106:46]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I know you're a guy that loves all the attention and spotlight and everything like that. He told me. He was like, could you imagine if I go in, I'd be the biggest asshole of all time. The amount of time that you put into this and all the people that you have and then I show up.
- [107:03]
Apollo
And it's just like, hey, that was a private conversation.
- [107:05]
Pat McAfee
Okay. All right. I'm just telling you. I'm still not sure. I'm telling you. Yeah, Aaron, I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Aaron was like the fact that I was like almost apologetic that it was even like a part of the COVID You need to know if you would have been there. Definitely trotting your ass right out of that middle. You're getting a football in those right hand and left handed. I want to see both out there. We would have loved having you. But I do respect and appreciate you being like, you didn't like that. That was a big part of the narrative, which I respect out of you. And I think a lot of people kind of misunderstand who you are as a human as a whole, and I can't wait to see what you do next legitimately. How often are you thinking about it? Like, whenever we saw that picture of you on the beach, like, there's a thousand things going on in your personal life, so I guess you could be contemplating anything. But how often is football on the mind? I assume it has to be a lot legit. I assume it has to be. And are you listening to oh Mama, I'm In Fear for My Life from the Loss of the Law or Tone Diggs wondered if you actually had wave crashing sound in your headphones because the ocean wasn't making good enough wave crashing sounds, so you just kind of amplified it in there. When. How much are you contemplating football? Is it in every day? Every hour? What is the. If you had to just put like, kind of a. A time frame on it?
- [108:29]
Apollo
I mean, it's a small percentage because the conversations have been had. You know, there's no more contemplation. It's. I'm taking care of my people right now, and I'm taking care of my personal life responsibilities, and I'm keeping the conversation open as well. What I listen to on the beach, I listen to mostly Alan Watts speeches.
- [108:57]
Pat McAfee
Oh, really? He's good one. That guy's an orator.
- [108:59]
Aaron Rodgers
That was the Watts, our second guest.
- [109:01]
Pat McAfee
That's guys. Yeah, we. We did.
- [109:02]
Apollo
That was the second guest.
- [109:03]
Aaron Rodgers
Oh, TJ Watts speech.
- [109:05]
Apollo
Yeah, I'm sure it was.
- [109:06]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. JJ's dad. Yeah, it's all the Watts. Okay. Yeah, we're tying it together. Stj, he's starting out the peace sign. Last question for me. Your helmet being banned? Your helmet being banned, Is this something that's crossed your mind on, you know what the helmet goes?
- [109:22]
Apollo
I go, oh, again, I didn't hear about that until. I don't. I don't know if it was me or Tim, but one of them let me know that that was out there. Listen, I know it's been on the edge. I mean, I've worn multiple shut helmets that have all been on the edge. And then at some point, I think this is at least the second, if not the third helmet I've worn that is, like, got cycled out because it doesn't pass the concussion test. Good enough.
- [109:54]
Pat McAfee
Absolute.
- [109:55]
Apollo
I don't know. I don't know. Listen, I don't. I don't know the. The. You know, the. The. The inner workings of shut. But if I were to play I'm aware shut, if they're still going. If they still got a. You know, they still got a good helmet that passes some sort of test. That's what I wear. I'm a shut guy. I've been for 20 years. You know, I've tried other helmets at other times in college, but that was my favorite helmet. So it's too bad that they. That they banned it Because I haven't had a concussion in a number of years. But they make damn good helmets.
- [110:29]
Pat McAfee
I'll tell you what. If shut can pass a protocol, I'm aware now it's on the edge. How about him saying on the edge every time it needs a score of at least 6.4 or higher. This thing's 6.4.
- [110:38]
Apollo
I mean, it's been. It's been on the bottom of the yellow for sure. At least the last three or four years. You know, it goes green is. It's all the vices and different ones or best riddell ones. And it'd be like the shut xp, whatever throw down at the bottom that I wear, like, just two notches above, you know, that no one else in the league is wearing.
- [111:00]
Pat McAfee
They put that up on the jumbo, like on the screen at training camp. Because they'll come out and do an entire presentation about the new models, the new studies, the new research, the new everything. It's part of the equipment room. And they do have, like, a scale. Here's the safest in our eyes, helmet. And then they do say, like, these ones have been banned. These ones are close. That's a hilarious thing. You describe it as on the edge because everybody's, like, looking, oh, nice new model. And then Aaron every time, like, still good. All right. I don't know how they're rolling that one out there again.
- [111:26]
Apollo
I swear to God that it's one of the first things I look at. It's. It was. There was always, like, a. A player in a helmet, and it had, like, green, yellow, and red, you know, And I'd always look for that little sh. I'm like, oh, well, I was still good.
- [111:38]
Adam Silver
Still good.
- [111:39]
Pat McAfee
Well, I'm happy to hear that you are still open to things. I'm happy to hear that it seems like your football conversations in life are going in a positive fashion. I'm happy to hear that you're driving in a Malibu in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a Friday out of nowhere. I'm sorry to hear about you going through a Lot of things in your personal life, with your inner circle. And we all are excited to hear about what you're going to do with your future whenever you figure out the time is right to make that decision. We appreciate the hell out of you, man.
- [112:08]
Apollo
Yeah, listen, I don't have sources. I don't have people that are out there pushing narratives. I speak for myself. And it's been nice to be quiet for the last few months. It's funny in that time period how the narrative goes crazy right when I haven't said a word. So there's nothing to say. I just laid out where I'm at. There's nothing else to report. There's no other reason to be continuing to talk about me at this point. So time to turn the page. All those people that have made a lot of money, slander in my name, you know, apologize for Covet.
- [112:53]
Pat McAfee
Okay.
- [112:54]
Apollo
Say your back status.
- [112:56]
Pat McAfee
Okay. All right. Okay. All right. I'm happy to hear you. A couple months off. Still got fast. Blow it.
- [113:00]
Apollo
Hey, and keep it moving.
- [113:02]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, you're right. How you doing? Keep it moving. Tell Apollo we said hello. Can't wait to meet him.
- [113:06]
Apollo
Yeah, I don't know where he's at right now. He must be laying down on the ground here somewhere, pissing on something.
- [113:11]
Pat McAfee
He's pissing on something?
- [113:13]
Apollo
Yeah, chewing something up. For sure. He's chewing something.
- [113:16]
Aaron Rodgers
Huskies are. Are very. Not active either.
- [113:18]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah. And Apollo.
- [113:20]
Apollo
Not at all.
- [113:20]
Pat McAfee
Apollo is a. No. You can tell just by looking at four legs and everything. Two different eyes, right? Huskies sometimes.
- [113:29]
AJ Hawk
Sometimes. Oh, yeah.
- [113:30]
Apollo
No, he's good. They're both blue. They're both blue like that for Apollo.
- [113:34]
Pat McAfee
That's what you're saying.
- [113:34]
Boston Connor
Oh, Australian shepherds. Yeah, they have the. The different eyes a lot.
- [113:39]
Pat McAfee
Have you ever seen the half wolf, half husky? You're seeing that one? Yeah, those are big dogs.
- [113:44]
Boston Connor
Direwolves are back.
- [113:45]
Apollo
Connor.
- [113:45]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [113:46]
Apollo
Connor, are you thinking about going to space anytime soon or not?
- [113:49]
Boston Connor
I mean, I don't know. It depends if we got any green screens around here later on.
- [113:53]
Pat McAfee
Okay, Aaron, we appreciate you, brother. Hope you stay on land. Hope you make whatever decision makes you the happiest.
- [113:59]
Apollo
I might go in the ocean later, but other than that. Yeah, I will. I'll be good right here.
- [114:03]
Pat McAfee
Watch those dolphins.
- [114:04]
Boston Connor
Careful.
- [114:04]
Pat McAfee
Watch those dolphins.
- [114:06]
Apollo
I don't see any right now. There's a guy down there fishing, though.
- [114:09]
Pat McAfee
Good luck out there, pal.
- [114:10]
Apollo
Fishing for. Well, thanks. You guys be safe out there. And if you go to Green Bay, man, and you want dinner, go to Chives.
- [114:19]
Pat McAfee
Can we stay at your house.
- [114:21]
Apollo
Yes.
- [114:22]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [114:23]
Pat McAfee
Go to Chives, stay at errands. Life is good. We appreciate you. Ladies and gentlemen, Aaron Rodgers. Out here, there's no one way of.
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Pat McAfee
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Pat McAfee
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- [115:43]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so as a Steelers fan, what did you hear? Because I'll tell you what I heard. Go ahead. What I heard was.
- [115:51]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, sounds like if he's playing, he's playing.
- [115:54]
Aaron Rodgers
That sounds like that is due diligence.
- [115:57]
Pat McAfee
Not only is due diligence, and he wouldn't say. They're obviously, it's very personal, it's very serious things that are happening to people very close to him. And I think he is a big part of helping his. Like, I think he's a big part. So I think he probably didn't want to make a decision, do it all knowing that he was going to be absent. Not only physically, but like mentally as well. He's very serious things. He won't say it and I don't want to. I almost feel like it. I'm not gonna say it. There's very, very, very serious. Not for him, but people very close to him. And he feels, I think, compelled or responsible.
- [116:35]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, he's helping. He's helping people.
- [116:36]
Pat McAfee
People that have been around him a long time that have had a lot of things happen to them. They're very, very serious. So he feels. So I think he doesn't want to. I think he was very upfront with people, like, I don't want to do this. And then because I Don't think he liked how big that story got last year about the OTAs. No, he was like, I was here every.
- [116:51]
Aaron Rodgers
If he's going to be in, he's. He's going to be there fully.
- [116:54]
Pat McAfee
I think that's what he wants to do. Yeah. Because I think he wants it to very much work. Like, if he's going to continue to play, which he said he's still open to retirement, which potentially is something he doesn't want to go. Like what the Jet. Like, he's going to want it to have success. So I think I, I. It sounded like he is a fan of the Steelers is what it sounded like. And it sounds like he's not in a time to make a decision or in a time to commit to a football team right now and be their quarterback at the age of 41 with everything going on around him. But it sounds like, let's see what takes place. And then, you know, it sounds like he likes Mike, Tom and what's going on in UPMC down there.
- [117:24]
Aaron Rodgers
Yeah, obviously, he, he loves Coach T. He said Coach T Exceeded his expectations. Loves Artie Smith. As, as we've said many, many times, Artie Smith didn't need to be sleeping on a couch. He could be an exec at FedEx if he really wanted to. Got to meet Omar. I know everyone in the facility, from what I heard, loved Aaron, and everything went great inside of there. I mean, him renting a Malibu and cruising through the streets of the Pittsburgh is, is awesome. Doing his due diligence with DK and everything like that. And he spoke so glowingly of DK, which, you know, we know we gave him $30 million. No, it's. It sounds like if he's gonna be playing football, it's gonna be for the.
- [117:59]
Pat McAfee
Steelers, which I am so happy it's in the Vikings. He was like, me and KOC know each other very well. Didn't really dive into that much. Gave him a couple opportunities to dive into. The Vikings didn't. So it sounds like in his eyes, maybe not as big of a story as maybe we or anybody else is kind of making it.
- [118:13]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [118:13]
Boston Connor
And it's crazy because when you think about it, he was already in the league when KOC got drafted to New England. So you assume they probably had a relationship a long, long time ago, before KOC was even a coach.
- [118:24]
Pat McAfee
Feels like a lot's going on in his personal life, but he feels like he's a piece, too.
- [118:27]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, I think he's doing great. I think he's. He's doing well, like off the field. But the one thing I didn't ask is we didn't mention the Saints, did we?
- [118:35]
Pat McAfee
Didn't say anything.
- [118:36]
Boston Connor
Mentioned it. Yeah.
- [118:37]
AJ Hawk
So, yeah, I guess that's a non story.
- [118:38]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [118:39]
AJ Hawk
So if he's gonna play, he's gonna play for the Steelers. What did. Was there any other options out there that we mentioned that he said, like.
- [118:46]
Pat McAfee
Giants, you like day ball?
- [118:47]
AJ Hawk
I mean, because that doesn't have a quarterback right now though.
- [118:50]
Ty Schmidt
They didn't though for the longest time.
- [118:52]
Aaron Rodgers
I don't think the jets were an option.
- [118:55]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, it sounded like that did not go well.
- [118:56]
Ty Schmidt
That's wild.
- [118:57]
Pat McAfee
You could have just texted me and said we're moving on.
- [118:59]
Aaron Rodgers
Like, that's not normal in the NFL, right?
- [119:01]
Pat McAfee
I don't know. But maybe AG was looking for his response there, you know, maybe like he was hoping Aaron would be like, no, I want to be. You know, like there's. There's always a reason. I'd assume. Now, Aaron Rodgers, for instance, I would certainly expect a heads up that 20 seconds into this thing you're just going to tell me you don't want me to be here whenever.
- [119:18]
AJ Hawk
I mean, I would have thought, that's.
- [119:18]
Pat McAfee
A long way, brother.
- [119:19]
Apollo
Yeah.
- [119:20]
AJ Hawk
Yeah. Do I? Maybe from the, the jet side, they're thinking, hey, we wanted to do the courtesy of talking to you in person about this. But then if you actually thought of it, like, well, I live in California, it's kind of far. If you're going to let me go, just let's do a phone call.
- [119:32]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I mean, there's obviously two. There's a reason that AG did that. Yeah, I would assume because you could.
- [119:37]
AJ Hawk
Easily say, oh, they just. They sent me a text and cut me. You know, you hear people like break up.
- [119:41]
Pat McAfee
They break up with their wife over tweet or something. Yeah.
- [119:44]
AJ Hawk
So they made. They probably thought, hey, I'm being respectful by doing this in person. But which.
- [119:48]
Pat McAfee
But Aaron, on the other side, what are we.
- [119:50]
Adam Silver
Yeah.
- [119:51]
Pat McAfee
You didn't even ask me like, who. What I like.
- [119:53]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [119:53]
Boston Connor
What needs to be changed.
- [119:54]
Pat McAfee
21 years I've been okay at this thing. I know you are also a very good coach. But you know, I've been around a long time, had a lot of success. Not even a. You don't even use me as a sounding board before telling me. Okay, thank you for all that information. Now with that being said, we'd like to move on. So I think he probably assumed that conversation was going to go a lot of different directions. Even if it was a conversation Conversation about him not being there anymore, which I think we all knew was a very real possibility, especially with the way the NFL works. New coach, new gm. They have a team in their eyes, how they want it to be. Is veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers the one that they're looking for? Maybe not. So I think he understands the reality of the business, that he could move on. I think he's just like a lot with the jets that I don't. I couldn't have expected. You know, I think that's probably how he is viewing it all. We didn't get to your question, which I apologize for.
- [120:38]
Ty Schmidt
No, all good. I think the biggest takeaway, at least for me, was that like there is no, you know, because we kind of talked about this out there like before the show a couple days ago. Like, what if, you know, he. He just waits around kind of until there's like a. An injury to some other team and then he decides, hey, I'll, you know, week eight or week nine, I'll go sign with one of these contenders who gets put into a spot. But it sounds like he's not waiting around for the Vikings. Like once he kind of. Of puts everything to bed in his personal life with that situation, then it seems like he's going to come to a decision. And that decision ultimately feels like it is going to be the Steelers. Like, it doesn't seem like we're gonna get a. Four weeks from now. You know, the Vikings just actually, you know, like, maybe I will come in and then we'll figure out, you know, the situation there. Like, it does seem like he knows it's. It's. Steelers are nobody.
- [121:28]
Pat McAfee
That's what it feels like. Yeah. Is that what we all heard?
- [121:30]
AJ Hawk
That's what it feels like. Yeah. But if they. He said the draft doesn't change anything. If they go like say Shadur falls and they draft him, I don't think that doesn't change things.
- [121:38]
Aaron Rodgers
Does it not start in year one?
- [121:39]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [121:39]
AJ Hawk
So. Yeah.
- [121:40]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Because then you still have the. Yeah, because Aaron with the Jets, I think he has said that he would be open to.
- [121:45]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, yeah.
- [121:46]
Pat McAfee
A younger quarterback never needed multi year. He said 10 million bucks. 10 M's.
- [121:51]
Ty Schmidt
10 M. 10 M's, dude.
- [121:53]
Pat McAfee
It's a great amount of money. Bucks just out nowhere is great.
- [121:56]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [121:57]
Pat McAfee
But in comparison to what he would be the 28th. I don't know how many rookie quarterbacks I guess was 4 or 5. So he'd be like the 26th, 23rd, 22nd highest, whatever.
- [122:07]
AJ Hawk
You can guarantee me 10 M's but I. I want to put a bunch of incentives in there. If we. If I take you to great heights, I want some. I want some more.
- [122:13]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, we need at least a division title, playoff win, conference championship. Super. Yeah.
- [122:23]
AJ Hawk
The only way he's playing is if he feels like he can win.
- [122:24]
Pat McAfee
Let's like, yeah, money is not the thing.
- [122:26]
Boston Connor
Which he said. Yeah. With. With the jets, but I mean, to the point of the money.
- [122:30]
Apollo
Yeah.
- [122:30]
Boston Connor
Fields, Justin Fields got 2 years, 40 million from the jets. So I'd be way under that.
- [122:35]
Ty Schmidt
That's also why the Giants and the Saints never seemed like viable options, because, like, he's not going to go just play. Just to play and collect a paycheck. Like, if the Giants or the Saints get Rogers, do they immediately become, like, super bowl contenders? I don't think so. Like, if he goes and plays for the Steelers, like, here we go. Yeah, that.
- [122:51]
Pat McAfee
Yes. They're always going to win tough.
- [122:52]
Ty Schmidt
Exactly.
- [122:52]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [122:53]
Boston Connor
If TJ's there, he'll be.
- [122:55]
Pat McAfee
Oh, they're going to give him 40 million.
- [122:57]
AJ Hawk
They have to.
- [122:57]
Boston Connor
He's chucking deuces, though.
- [122:59]
AJ Hawk
You can't let TJ go.
- [123:00]
Aaron Rodgers
It's only 30.
- [123:00]
AJ Hawk
You can't even let TJ play on the last year of his deal.
- [123:02]
Boston Connor
This year he's chucking deuces, bro.
- [123:04]
Pat McAfee
He is.
- [123:05]
AJ Hawk
He's going like the foundational piece was.
- [123:08]
Pat McAfee
That on Big Night Out Wednesday. It was. Maybe he was saying.
- [123:10]
AJ Hawk
What does that mean? Do we know? Do we know any context to that?
- [123:13]
Boston Connor
Yeah, because I'm out.
- [123:16]
Pat McAfee
No, maybe he said maybe he had four. One. He did, and that was two. You know, maybe he was.
- [123:23]
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah, could be.
- [123:23]
Pat McAfee
Maybe he was representing four. One, two.
- [123:26]
Boston Connor
Where's the one?
- [123:26]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, well, it could have been because he. Four fingers and then one, and then he was doing.
- [123:32]
Aaron Rodgers
That's how we do it.
- [123:32]
Pat McAfee
The two. Yeah. That's what people do.
- [123:34]
Boston Connor
He's chucking deuces, bruh.
- [123:38]
Pat McAfee
Nah, you see that, dude?
- [123:40]
Boston Connor
Yeah, but he doesn't have his pinky up in that, so it's.
- [123:42]
Pat McAfee
No, but I'm saying he did. He tried to change it. He tried to do it this way. He tried to do it with five.
- [123:46]
Boston Connor
Two.
- [123:46]
Pat McAfee
Four fingers, one thumb, and then two over here, see? Four, one.
- [123:51]
Aaron Rodgers
You wouldn't get your duff from it.
- [123:54]
Boston Connor
He's saying, pittsburgh, bruh. I'm out of here.
- [123:57]
Pat McAfee
No, he's not saying that.
- [123:58]
Boston Connor
He is saying, oh, deuces, bro. What's J.J. saying?
- [124:03]
AJ Hawk
His brother can say what he can't say.
- [124:05]
Pat McAfee
Jade said you get a deal done early. It's cheaper yeah, yeah. And should have done that. Basically. That's what he said the last time he was on the show.
- [124:11]
Boston Connor
JJ said, oh, oh, yeah, Go ahead. Talk about your superstars brother, bro.
- [124:17]
Pat McAfee
Go ahead.
- [124:17]
Aaron Rodgers
You're right. That was a bad idea.
- [124:19]
Boston Connor
This is why. This is why TJ's leaving. He's sick of it, man. Just like all the cena marks. They're sick of the disrespect. Disrespect. And TJ should be, too.
- [124:28]
Pat McAfee
I think the TJ deal will get done. That feels like it has to.
- [124:31]
Aaron Rodgers
It always does. It got done during training camp last.
- [124:32]
Pat McAfee
Time for the good of the NFL. Feels like.
- [124:34]
AJ Hawk
Is he gonna hold in or is he gonna. Is he gonna go to OTAs?
- [124:36]
Pat McAfee
He.
- [124:37]
AJ Hawk
No, he held.
- [124:38]
Aaron Rodgers
He held in last training camp. I can't remember what he did for OTAs.
- [124:42]
Ty Schmidt
He might get traded on draft night.
- [124:43]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Next Thursday night. So the NFL is obviously very alive. The NBA is very alive. Hockey. The Canadiens secure a playoff spot. Congratulations to the LA habitant getting into the playoff picture for the NHL, which has been set to. Columbus Blue Jackets do not make it in. Hell of a run there at the end, though. Hell of a run there at the end. And the boys will be back stronger and sharper than ever next year. Obviously, we're pulling for the Capitals strictly because we met every single one on a member of the team.
- [125:13]
Aaron Rodgers
We did meet the whole team.
- [125:14]
Pat McAfee
Every single member of the team. And OV is a beast. What a year it's been for them. Good luck. The Golden Knights also.
- [125:20]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. We'll see you in the finals. They're hot. I mean, they are blazing hot right now.
- [125:25]
Aaron Rodgers
Really?
- [125:26]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [125:26]
Pat McAfee
Stoner.
- [125:27]
Ty Schmidt
Stoner. Obviously doing what Stoner does, per usual. Jackie Ace is coming off the best, you know, season of his career. I mean, Noah Hanifin doing what he does. I mean, just all the boys are. Are buzzing on all cylinders right now.
- [125:37]
Pat McAfee
Do you still have your pods in your kit?
- [125:39]
Ty Schmidt
Without a doubt. Hanging in my locker right now. Whenever called upon.
- [125:42]
Pat McAfee
How come? Oh, yeah, that's a great qu. Sorry, Gumpy Tone. Just wanted me to ask you how Texas hockey is doing.
- [125:51]
Aaron Rodgers
We've lost seven straight.
- [125:54]
Adam Silver
Just.
- [125:54]
Aaron Rodgers
We're just cruising going into the playoffs.
- [125:57]
Boston Connor
Who just came off ltir brother?
- [125:59]
Aaron Rodgers
Tyler Sagan. Yeah, we scored 15 seconds into the game, then we let in six straight last night against the starters. One of the worst teams in hockey. I don't know what happened. We got ranting in one of the best goal scorers in hockey. We need Miro Heiskin in back. I don't know if he's gonna be ready.
- [126:16]
Pat McAfee
We got the Avalanche.
- [126:19]
Aaron Rodgers
Robo, he got hurt hurt last night playing when he didn't need to either. So yeah, he was in a knee brace leaving the stadium. So it's great. Awesome Glue with Pav.
- [126:27]
Pat McAfee
The Obvs the favorites to win the Stanley cup on espn. Bet Florida Panthers with Marshawn down there. Are they getting Kachuk back? I heard he's on the ice.
- [126:35]
Ty Schmidt
Coach spoke today and said everyone's available for game one.
- [126:39]
Pat McAfee
Chucky's back.
- [126:40]
Boston Connor
Need them to go. Want that first round pick.
- [126:42]
Pat McAfee
Canes, Golden Knights, Oilers and you know, I'll be excited to see if the Devils can get it done at plus 5,000.
- [126:49]
Ty Schmidt
Sure.
- [126:49]
Pat McAfee
You know. And congrats to the Canadiens making their way into the playoff picture last night. Earning at least one point is all they had to do. Now let's talk about another sport that's taking place. NFL, NBA, NHL and the MLBs happening. And it was a night of big bombs, big hits and even a concussion or two.
- [127:07]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah we've been talking about this time and time again. You know the MLB's at at its best when the superstars are performing. Only had a couple games last night, but what happened sh Otani hits another ding dong. Aaron Judge hits another blast. Shays was an absolute moonshot and he's hitting that 450ft. Just a no doubter. No doubter thought the Dodgers would go ahead just beat the out of rock out of the Rockies. Because the Rockies are another team who kind of they skim by but they're very similar to like the Pirates. They just absolutely five miles an hour every middle of yeah I could have done that. But the Rockies are another one of those teams who are okay with kind of just winning 60 games every year getting their ass kicked. They also have a course field's great, beautiful ballpark but they're, they're very pesky. They came back almost beat the Dodgers. They didn't so you know, it doesn't really matter. And then judgy here. I mean listen, I know we talk about Shohei and he is you know like one of the the the biggest star in the mlb. Aaron Judge is the best player in baseball. And I'm not just saying that as a homer. You look at his numbers absolutely ridiculous was he was 3 for 3 in this game. He got intentionally walked earlier and then tie game in the seventh. This guy gets like one pitch to hit every single night. And that's why they don't pitch to him because when he gets a pitch to hit. He hits a shot.
- [128:19]
Pat McAfee
I think he was two. Two with an intentional walk before this at bat. Correct.
- [128:22]
Ty Schmidt
So he ended the night 3 for 3. He's batting over.400. He leads the MLB in batting average in slugging in on base, plus slugging in rbi. He. He's. He has seven homers. I think the league leader has eight. And then. Yeah. Scary situation here. You forget this kind of stuff can happen in baseball. Hunter Wendelstadt, first base umpire, just eats one eats a line drive.
- [128:45]
Pat McAfee
Side of the head, right?
- [128:46]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, right off the side of the head. And you can see. I mean, he. He drops like a bad habit.
- [128:51]
AJ Hawk
Obviously, that's why first base coaches have to wear helmets now. Yeah. I would assume these umps are gonna start wearing helmets there on the side.
- [128:55]
Ty Schmidt
Well, you can't obstruct their vision because they got to be able to get.
- [128:58]
Pat McAfee
The John Oliver so bad. Oh, yeah.
- [129:01]
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah. And luckily he was fine. Nothing. Nothing ended up happening.
- [129:05]
Pat McAfee
Dog.
- [129:05]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, he left the game, and he was good, but every once in a while, like, you know, I mean, this is. This is kind of the. Why the majors can never have metal bats. This is because of, like, this.
- [129:16]
AJ Hawk
Shohei almost got donged in the dugout.
- [129:17]
Pat McAfee
He did?
- [129:17]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [129:18]
AJ Hawk
He almost took one right to the head.
- [129:19]
Ty Schmidt
Mookie Betts hit a foul ball into the dugout, and, like, they have those concrete barriers, so, like, those balls are going super fast, and then it hits that concrete skin.
- [129:27]
Pat McAfee
Like, it's also coming back off the backside of it. When we were at that Pirates game, there was. We were in a foul ball.
- [129:34]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [129:34]
Pat McAfee
To the face. There was a couple that get over the net, and they're going so fat because the pitchers are throwing harder probably, than. I don't know.
- [129:41]
Ty Schmidt
Than ever before.
- [129:41]
Apollo
They are?
- [129:41]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Okay, so they're throwing harder than ever. The batters are stronger than ever. So anytime and I don't know equals MC squared or whatever it is, but anytime something's moving fast and then something very hard, that shit's going very fat. Tough to react like hockey with a puck. You know, the way hockey's had to protect the fans because of the pucks going in there, baseball's obviously had to do the same thing. But if you're on the field, it's going to be difficult. You're right in the way, aj Big head on that guy. I think probably protected and saved him.
- [130:09]
AJ Hawk
I hope so. I mean, I hope. Thick skull. This is real. Like, if you're watching a baseball game or even a hockey game. We went to that Pens game. I was sitting up a little ways, like we were right over the glass. Like we were right in the area where you could take one right to the face.
- [130:21]
Pat McAfee
Got to be attentive.
- [130:22]
AJ Hawk
I told her, I'm like, hey, don't protect you guys. I got you. I'm keeping my eyes on. I'm not looking down at my phone like you look down at your phone in one of these games, you're dead.
- [130:28]
Ty Schmidt
There's nothing you can do there either. Like, it doesn't matter how. Like, you can't react that quick to a ball coming off a bat like 115 miles an hour. It's just, there's no way. But he's way to get back up. Yep, way get back up. And then, you know, people making a bigger deal about this. This fight was. We had a benches clearing brawl in the Nationals Pirates game. Absolutely chicken, though. Pablo Lopez throws high at Kutch right after he hit Brian Reynolds before that. And then, you know, quote unquote, the, you know, obviously they're wondering, hey, skiing's gonna go out there and beat the out of this guy. The bench is clear, the bullpen's clear. But this is what we can't have happen. Then these guys just kind of sit around, play, play grab ass, play patty cake. One person did end up getting ejected, but if the benches are going to clear, like, we need people to, we need fights, throw hands, you know, that's.
- [131:15]
Pat McAfee
That'S kind of how cold looking the guys are. Oh, coming all the way.
- [131:17]
Ty Schmidt
That's what I'm saying. You clear the bullpens too. Like that means actual bad blood. That means, hey, we need guys throwing punches. We need guys, you know, getting ejected. We can't just do this kind of bs. It ended up being, you know, nothing really happened. And, and that was kind of the end of it.
- [131:31]
Pat McAfee
Koch, we hope you're okay.
- [131:33]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, he was happy to see the.
- [131:34]
Pat McAfee
Boys stand up and yell at the other side for him.
- [131:36]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
- [131:37]
Pat McAfee
That was good to see a little bit of, you know, a little bit of energy there. AJ The Pittsburgh Pirates are in a bad spot. Okay. They got Paul Skeens, the next one. Koch, obviously has been very successful baseball player. Started with Pirates once a month, came back to Pittsburgh. The ballpark is glorious, but the numbers are not good.
- [131:56]
Ty Schmidt
Dar, it's a joke. It really is. Like, you guys talk about it and I think, like, people who maybe aren't from there don't follow, follow baseball. Like, don't understand. Like, there should never be 8, 000 people at a major league baseball game ever. Like, it's just. It's like, I understand it's cold, so you can maybe say that for a couple. But, like, we've seen a couple of these instances where, like, the weather's great, that stadium is immaculate. It's beautiful. The tickets are cheap, the food good. Yeah. Like, everything about that experience is. Is grade, eh? And it's still, like, you're still watching major league players. And I think that's kind of partially why people are fed up. And they've. Like, The Pirates have five guys batting below.200 in their lineup right now. Like, they just don't. They don't try to compete. So even when Skeens is pitching, the night we went and saw, there were probably.
- [132:43]
Aaron Rodgers
What.
- [132:43]
Ty Schmidt
I mean, I don't know what they said for attendance, but way less than, you know, 8,000 might have been. What they said there were probably like 3,000 people there. Like, it's just. It's a joke, man. And, like, something does need to change.
- [132:55]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And people. I think people not showing up is becoming a message from the city to the ownership and to the team, not to the players. I tried to tell that to Paul at Big Night out, because numerous times throughout Big Night out, it. It has gotten to a pitch with Pittsburgh fans. You remember Fire Canada. You remember that? That was everywhere.
- [133:17]
Ty Schmidt
Everywhere we went. Yeah.
- [133:18]
Pat McAfee
And then they. Tomlin was forced. The Steelers are forced to do something that they have never really done, which is make a coaching change at a coordinator position in the middle of the season literally is not something that the Pittsburgh Steelers ever do. But it got so loud. Pittsburgh fans will let you know. And this one feels like they are finally fed up with the ownership because I think it's because Paul Skeens. I think the Pittsburgh people are at the point of being disgusted with the owner. Used to be mad at the owner, hate the owner. It's bullshit this bucko. But we'll go have a nice family night out. BNC park, you know, cover everything we just said. Maybe we'll get some Zambelli fireworks. We're going to expect the Pirates to lose, but hopefully somebody on the other team is good enough that we can say we were there for a moment. Now it's at the point where it's like, the Pittsburgh people are like, we're done with this. This is from big Night out last week on Wednesday. Whoa. Jesus. Jesus. Oh. Two hours later. Oh, no.
- [134:22]
AJ Hawk
What's he supposed to do?
- [134:23]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, Paul is in a tough spot there, and I did not expect that to Be clear. I did not expect that reaction. I had no idea. But it does feel like the entire city of Pittsburgh is at the point where they're like, this guy deserves better. Paul Skeens. We got a guy, and we've seen this before. A lot of Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers have started in Pittsburgh, and then they go on to win awards, World Series at other places. And then with Paul, it's like. I think all Pittsburgh is like, this guy loves our city. This guy is perfect for our city, and he's the next one. And this ownership group is still just not doing something or anything about it. That's why I think they're so loud, and that's why I think they're not showing up. I think they've decided as a group, like, nah, we're not giving this guy anything. Is that how you think about it?
- [135:03]
Aaron Rodgers
Yeah, it's definitely a decision because the tweet that was just up there, I think it's four or five times this year already on under 9,000 tickets sold. It happened only once last year. They weren't good last year either. They weren't good the year before.
- [135:15]
AJ Hawk
When was the last time they were?
- [135:16]
Aaron Rodgers
2004. 2014 was the last time they made the playoffs so that I would. Ten years it's been. And so they haven't been good since then. But this is the first time that it's. This is the first time that no one's showing up, and it's a coordinated decision by the city because they are so fed up with everything and because of Paul. I just definitely. I mean, there's. There's definitely a correlation to Paul starting second half of last year, coming into this season with all the expectations with Paul and the rest of the pitching staff. And then, you know, it just. They did nothing this offseason for the lineup to help the. The pitching or Paul and the, like, it was loud coming into the season, and then they didn't have a good start, and it's just kind of reached a fever pitch.
- [135:52]
Pat McAfee
Would like to let Paul know this is a compliment they love. This is because they love ball skates. Big old pop, like. Yeah. Huge spot.
- [136:00]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [136:00]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, exactly. He is the one that they are mad. Finally fed up with ownership because of, like, here we go again. Another one for him. Yeah. And you're everything that Paul is about Pittsburgh. People are like, we like this guy.
- [136:13]
Apollo
Yeah.
- [136:13]
Pat McAfee
What are your hobbies? Nap and then baseball. Baseball, really? How do you feel about the city of Pittsburgh? Love the people here. Love the city. Love this. Love everything about Pittsburgh. It's like nobody's saying that in baseball for the Pirates in history, let alone the guy who's supposed to be a Hall of Famer now, obviously a lot of career left, but he's doing things that nobody's ever done before. I think he is the reason why the Pittsburgh people are done with it. Just like this guy does not deserve this. Basically this guy's representing our city in a poor fashion and I think it's only going to continue.
- [136:44]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. And I assume like Diggs would know and like Pirates fans would know, but like now it's just like the expectation, like we joke about it where it's like, oh, you know, he'll, he'll be a Yankee in five years. But it's like a lot of these guys, like, you know, it's gonna happen. Like these guys don't, don't want us. And it has nothing to do with Pittsburgh, it has nothing to do with the city. But it's like he had more people were showing up to his games at LSU to watch him play. Like, you don't get, you're not the number one pick a guy who could win a Cy Young. You go to the big leagues, you've dreamed about this your entire life and then it's your day to go out there and pitch and nobody's in the stands. It's like you're playing in a high school game. Like people can blame the weather or whatever, like it's cold as New York. There are 43,000 people at the Yankees game the other night. Like, because guess what? They have a 300 million dollar payroll. Like they put money into it. They want people to come to the stadium and enjoy the, the, like the, the pirate, the Pirates payroll is $88 million. Like they just, they don't try to feel the competitive winning team and eventually people will, they'll just be like, you know what? Fuck this, I'm done. Why am I going to spend my money if this rich prick's not going to spend any of his money?
- [137:43]
Boston Connor
Yeah. And I saw a video from Jet Pass and talking about that how like going into this year, like you have Paul Skeens, you have, have the pitching staff, you have a bunch of guys. And then they put like 19 and a half million dollars in free agency this year. And like we're talking about $300 million for one team. And then, you know, we're talking about Pittsburgh here where their best player isn't one of their highest paid guys. He's on a rookie. You know, it's A rookie quarterback. Rookie quarterback deal. Yeah. And they're only putting 19 and a half million dollars in that offseason.
- [138:11]
Aaron Rodgers
That is 100% the issue. Because, you know, skeens at an average 25,000 people at his games last year, which is. Which is a pretty good number this year. We saw the game, there was nobody there. And it's exactly because of that. They said, oh, we have the guy, we have the pitching. Let's put money into this team this offseason and we'll be great this next year. And they did Jack. So that's why everyone's super fit.
- [138:30]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And everybody in Pittsburgh said, they did Jack. And then they said, no, we like our team. And then he started out terrible, and they're like, you did Jack. Yeah.
- [138:35]
Ty Schmidt
They don't play in a good division. So, like, if they would have done a little bit, like, they. They could go with like, Wall Skeens is like in his prime here, and he's not making, you know, $40 million a year, which he will be eventually. Like, they could have been one of those teams where it's like, hey, the Pirates could win this division every single year.
- [138:51]
Pat McAfee
That park AJ deserves beautiful.
- [138:52]
Boston Connor
It's the best.
- [138:54]
AJ Hawk
You from where we sat you. If you stand at home plate, you look through, like, the outfield into the. With the Clemente Bridge. Right. Known. And everything about it. It's awesome. Everything's awesome.
- [139:02]
Pat McAfee
Everything about it. Great logo.
- [139:04]
AJ Hawk
There's no quick fix though, right? What can the owner do?
- [139:07]
Pat McAfee
Well, bring it. Spend money. Bring.
- [139:09]
Boston Connor
Sell the tea.
- [139:09]
Pat McAfee
So we're looking into this. Baltimore sold, I guess, a few years back, 1.3. 1.3 billion. So we would assume that the Pirates would be in that ballpark, you know, maybe 1.5, maybe 1.75. Whatever the case is, the guy bought.
- [139:24]
Aaron Rodgers
The team for how much money was 90?
- [139:26]
Pat McAfee
Congrats, dude. You did it.
- [139:27]
AJ Hawk
90 mil.
- [139:28]
Pat McAfee
90 million.
- [139:29]
Aaron Rodgers
What year Orioles was 1.7725.
- [139:31]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so probably like 2 billion. Just because as things go, professional sports are only going to go up. So somebody could buy the pirates potentially for $2 billion. You're also buying that p that every hat has. I don't think you're buying a stadium. I think city runs the stadium and all that, but it's like you got Paul Skeens there. If you were able to buy that team, that guy goes from 90 million to 2 billion. You should be pumped about that guy. Yeah.
- [139:54]
Boston Connor
Passion fans.
- [139:55]
Pat McAfee
Get out. Take it and leave. Dude.
- [139:57]
AJ Hawk
It can't be fun to be the owner and the Owner has to. This has to come across their desk.
- [140:02]
Pat McAfee
Sales team, from what I've been told, he's hurting. And also. So opening day, he was walking around a stadium, wanted to be a part of the people. And one person recognized him and was like, yo, it wasn't a thanks for everything. It was a sell the team. And they just. Everywhere he walked, it was just literally like a hive of people. And they passed. It was like a wave. They passed the chant to the next group of people that were. He was walking by because he was walking down, like, a walkway or whatever now. So, like, there's a group of people here. They recognize him. Sell the team. Oh, Buddy goes, okay. He gets to the next group, they go, hey. And they sell the team. And then he gets to the next group. Sell the team. He had people from every part of the city, every part of the stadium telling him to sell the team in person on opening day. That should be like. As an owner. As an owner. Like, opening day should be like, a big deal celebration.
- [140:51]
AJ Hawk
Okay? There's hope. There should always be hope on opening day.
- [140:54]
Pat McAfee
We're back. Instead, every single human that's on, except for the security guy that was walking with him, I guess because he probably felt obligated not to say it was telling him to sell a damn team. That's basically. There he is. He's walking through. Sell the team, you son of a bitch ass. Caught him. This fucking guy. There he is. That's him. That's him. Then people are turning around, continuing to sell the team. And, you know, from what I've been told, obviously he has heard the stuff that's been said on shows.
- [141:17]
Ty Schmidt
Sure.
- [141:18]
Pat McAfee
Our shows, other shows and everything like that. And Mark Cuban always said, because Mark Cuban's from Pittsburgh, went to Indiana, obviously ends up up in Dallas buying the Mavericks. Allegedly. He got turned down buying the Pirates a couple years ago. He's trying to make a couple runs at it. Who knows if that's still the case? But he. He says, if you were getting paid 40 million a year, would you wake up every day, go stand in the middle of downtown for five hours and have everybody come tell you you suck? And then you just go home, are you getting paid 40 million a year? Would you take that job?
- [141:49]
AJ Hawk
I don't want that.
- [141:50]
Pat McAfee
Me, personally, no, no. But there's a lot of people. I would say, yeah, in a heartbeat. $40 million.
- [141:56]
AJ Hawk
You're living that for years. That's tough.
- [141:59]
Pat McAfee
At some point, you got to lay your head down. You would think that there would be some sort of pillow thoughts. But what I've realized with this guy, he doesn't have them.
- [142:05]
AJ Hawk
He don't care.
- [142:05]
Pat McAfee
He is not there. I mean, he's just walking around, just.
- [142:07]
AJ Hawk
Run the profitable business.
- [142:08]
Pat McAfee
Bingo.
- [142:08]
AJ Hawk
That's all he's doing.
- [142:09]
Ty Schmidt
It's not the same thing because there's not as many of, like, the issues and like, the, oh, this guy's a real piece of. And I don't know, you know, like, his backstory really or anything like that, but it's almost like a damn snider situation where it's like everyone says for the longest time, like, this guy sucks. He needs to sell the team. We're never going to be any good while he's the owner. And they get off on that. It's like, oh, well, guess what? I do own the team and I'm making a shitload of money, and there's nothing any of you people can do about it. Until people are like, okay, well, then we just won't come anymore.
- [142:40]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And that's what's happening right now. Yeah.
- [142:42]
Boston Connor
And, like, the direction of baseball, like, it feels like baseball does have steel.
- [142:46]
Pat McAfee
And a lot of stars.
- [142:47]
Boston Connor
A lot of stars. The games we were talking about earlier.
- [142:49]
Pat McAfee
Trout's playing well, right?
- [142:50]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [142:51]
Ty Schmidt
He's hitting homers. Yeah.
- [142:52]
Boston Connor
But, like, the games are going quicker, the pitch clock's helping, all this stuff. Like, sure, he could sell the team now or he could wait 10 years, and baseball might be in a much different place where he's selling it for, you know, two and a half billion. Like, look what happened with the Timberwolves. Timberwolves sell for, what was it, 1, 1, 1.5 or whatever it was. But now the team, the Celtics just sold for 601 four years later, like, that guy tried to get out of selling the team because the NBA stars, a lot more people got more steam. Like, the MLB might be in that same position now.
- [143:24]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. So maybe he's just holding on for a couple more years. Yeah. We got Paul, you're right.
- [143:28]
Boston Connor
Another decade, a lot of people could.
- [143:29]
Pat McAfee
Be buying Pirate stuff. This valuation's going to go up, and everybody in Pittsburgh is like, clean field a team, clean to be a squad. We got to your stadium, we got the atmosphere, we got the people. We got an ace that's really.
- [143:45]
Ty Schmidt
They could spend, like, if they spent 70 million more dollars. Like, we're still talking about having half a payroll that, like, the Yankees and the Mets do. But, like, at the very least, like, at least you're trying a little bit. Like $88 million for your in like your entire team's payroll. Like it, it just, it says to everyone like, hey, we're not trying to win.
- [144:03]
Pat McAfee
So, you know, and I assume other owners don't love it either because they have money.
- [144:08]
AJ Hawk
It's red. They got rev share. So they're take. There's these teams the Yankees are taking care of the Pirates, aren't they? How they have to take care of these teams that don't spend.
- [144:13]
Pat McAfee
And it's not good for the league to have a team that is just like clearly not attempting to win. You know, I'd assume the MLB doesn't love it.
- [144:20]
AJ Hawk
They have to hate it. I would love to see hear what like the other owners say about that.
- [144:23]
Ty Schmidt
More people are showing up to these AAA stadiums than they are to the Pirates games.
- [144:27]
Pat McAfee
More people shut up. A big night out.
- [144:29]
Ty Schmidt
Exactly. Yes.
- [144:30]
AJ Hawk
A lot more. Yeah, yeah. Go to a Columbus Clippers game. AAA team in Columbus, Ohio. There's a team. The clips jammed.
- [144:36]
Unknown Speaker
You tried, Pat.
- [144:37]
Pat McAfee
You tried to make it entertaining.
- [144:39]
Ty Schmidt
You tried to put on a good.
- [144:40]
Pat McAfee
Night and you did. It's weird how that works.
- [144:43]
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
- [144:43]
Pat McAfee
Invested heavily and it's weird how that works. You sell a lot of place Pirates.
- [144:48]
Ty Schmidt
Do on their entire roster for the whole season in one night.
- [144:52]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [144:53]
Ty Schmidt
So, you know, I mean that kind of. That kind of says it right there.
- [144:58]
Pat McAfee
Let's get out of here. We got to hit the road, Jack. Oh, yeah, we're gonna come back, but it's in a long time.
- [145:03]
Aaron Rodgers
The road to mania.
- [145:05]
Pat McAfee
The road to mania is hitting the sky for us here in a matter of a few moments. Next stop will be Las Vegas for the greatest spectacle in all sports entertainment. WrestleMania tomorrow will be absurd. I have got confirmation that there will be another guest.
- [145:25]
Ty Schmidt
Here we go.
- [145:26]
Pat McAfee
Shut up. Who?
- [145:27]
Ty Schmidt
Who?
- [145:30]
Pat McAfee
No, I don't want to say it. Word. No.
- [145:35]
Apollo
What?
- [145:35]
Boston Connor
No way.
- [145:37]
Pat McAfee
Word What? Word What? What?
- [145:45]
Boston Connor
What?
- [145:48]
Pat McAfee
Give me a Hell yeah. Hell yeah. I do believe for you.
- [145:53]
Apollo
Whoa.
- [145:53]
Pat McAfee
What a day.
- [145:55]
Ty Schmidt
Let's go.
- [145:56]
Pat McAfee
Doors open at 8am local at WWE World. We will start at 9am local, obviously. Noon Eastern. 9:15 will be our tribal chief. Rhea Ripley will stop by. Triple H will stop by. And I do believe Stone Cold Steve Austin will be stopping by. Cannot wait to kick off WrestleMania weekend tomorrow morning. Cannot wait to be a part of the hall of Fame. And the kickoff to WrestleMania in the afternoon. Afternoon, then hall of Fame late night east time, 10pm local. And then obviously WrestleMania Saturday and Sunday is going to be absolutely glorious. The things that come out of WrestleMania are talked about forever. Every single Year. Even if you're not a massive wrestling fan, you turn on this weekend, you're going to find yourself entertained, wowed, and potentially yourself a wrestling fan for the rest of your life. Just disappear for a little bit. Just disappear. Just go into the world and enjoy the hell out of yourself. Because what the WWE puts together is second to none. We are very lucky to get a chance to work intimately with it for Big Night out. And the people that have been around WWE on the production side have been putting on the greatest spectacles around the world for decades and decades. And in Vegas, with all the opportunity in the stars and the investment, this weekend is going to be second to none. I cannot wait for an iconic weekend. And we hope you'll join us tomorrow and then we'll be live on Monday, wrapping up WrestleMania and also pick it, potentially chit chatting with Max Crosby live in person in his home of Las Vegas. So we appreciate you all so much. Aj, thank you for coming out to Thunderdome. You did look cool. Great fit with AJ here. I think we need to do a giveaway.
- [147:39]
Aaron Rodgers
Yeah, I don't actually.
- [147:41]
Pat McAfee
You're right. We've done a lot. All right, never mind. We'll do one maybe tomorrow. WrestleMania. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change their life. We're in this thing together. Hey, chat. We appreciate you guys. Shout out to the chat, aj. Anything you say in the chat, shout out.
- [147:58]
AJ Hawk
Chat.
- [147:58]
Ty Schmidt
Nice.
- [147:59]
Apollo
Boom.
- [147:59]
Ty Schmidt
I already said that.
- [148:00]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, I know. So I reiterate it. So they got it. Double down.
- [148:03]
Pat McAfee
Boom.
- [148:03]
AJ Hawk
You wanted to retweet, like Bruce dancing on Pete. I said, bruce, what are you about to do? Doubling down. And he went and grinded on Pete back in the day when he did.
- [148:11]
Pat McAfee
The talk about Pete Thammel. Yeah, my bad. All right. Yeah. Obviously everybody understand. Understands what you're talking about here. Of course, inside jokes and inside stories are obviously amazing, especially when outside people are insane, too. Yeah, it's very, very, very, very, very inside. Yeah. Bruce is a Michigan fan, so whenever Pete Thamel was doing the news that he was doing about Harbaugh and others, Bruce was offended by it, like, I believe a lot of Wolverines fans were. And then Bruce was a little boozed up in a hotel at the National Championship, and Pete Thammel happened to be hanging out because Pete Thamill is friends with us, and Bruce just couldn't help himself. And Bruce stumbled, basically knocks over Pete.
- [148:45]
Ty Schmidt
Pretty much headbutts him, and then says.
- [148:47]
Pat McAfee
Something to him, and it was almost a scene. And, Bruce, I hope you felt good over There go blue. Go blue, baby.
- [148:52]
Apollo
That was a deep cut then. It's a deep cut now.
- [148:54]
Pat McAfee
Well, shout out to aj.
- [148:56]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [148:56]
Pat McAfee
He didn't know your name at first. That's why we call you Bruce.
- [148:58]
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
- [148:59]
Pat McAfee
Now he's referencing a drunk night in Houston, Texas, at about 2:30am in a.
- [149:03]
Boston Connor
Hotel lobby multiple years ago.
- [149:04]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that's good. Brain on.
- [149:05]
AJ Hawk
Two years ago.
- [149:06]
Pat McAfee
Yep, that's it.
- [149:07]
AJ Hawk
Zero concussions, unlike a multiple.
- [149:08]
Pat McAfee
Multiple. Multiple, yeah. Could also use the word couple in that particular instance. Multiple would also work because it's more than one. But I appreciate where you are coming from and thank you for coming out here.
- [149:18]
AJ Hawk
It's great to be here.
- [149:19]
Pat McAfee
Are you getting in the ring this weekend? Looks like you're in shape.
- [149:21]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, I don't believe so, but there's a couple people that. That I'm looking for. Some surprises I think might get in there.
- [149:28]
Pat McAfee
Who are you looking forward to?
- [149:29]
AJ Hawk
Oh, I mean, we all know. We all know our one guy. We like it. Tommy Invincible. We hope he gets his shot. Maybe Sam Roberts. Roberts. I hope Sam Roberts gets a chance to get in there.
- [149:37]
Pat McAfee
I'll let Tommy Invincible now because he heard D but shout out yesterday and we talked about him. AJ was.
- [149:43]
AJ Hawk
I've been pushing him for a while.
- [149:44]
Pat McAfee
AJ found you early. Yeah, AJ found. AJ's been funneling your reels to me for a long time. And I would like to say, aj, you got an eye for talent, brother. You got an eye for talent, eye for moxie. Absolutely. How could you not? I mean, the first video I saw, I think there were seven people there.
- [150:03]
AJ Hawk
He high fived them all, though.
- [150:04]
Pat McAfee
All of them. And the yell and the intensity, it was like, that's how you like a professional.
- [150:09]
AJ Hawk
Like, yeah, he's a pro. That's what I think of. This guy's a pro. It doesn't matter how many people are out there. Who's out there? We're gonna entertain.
- [150:14]
Pat McAfee
Are you in good shape? Looks like you're in great shape right now.
- [150:16]
AJ Hawk
Why? What does that.
- [150:17]
Pat McAfee
He doesn't. He doesn't. He looks. I haven't seen it. I haven't seen you in person a long time.
- [150:20]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, I'm about the same as I've always been.
- [150:22]
Pat McAfee
You look jock, dude.
- [150:24]
AJ Hawk
Not really, man.
- [150:25]
Ty Schmidt
I'd love to see Pun Punk kick your ass this weekend.
- [150:28]
AJ Hawk
I'm not taking. I would never. I would never take one of those. You've seen the bombs he throws.
- [150:33]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I'm there every Monday.
- [150:34]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, I know. No, I don't want any party. I don't want Any party. You know what, what about.
- [150:39]
Pat McAfee
What about Seth freaking Rollins maybe stopping your head through your desert?
- [150:43]
AJ Hawk
I don't want any part of anybody in the wwe. They all scare me.
- [150:47]
Pat McAfee
What about Michael Cole?
- [150:48]
AJ Hawk
Michael Cole. Now, if he came out of the old Cold Train and put a single back on, maybe I'll get in there.
- [150:52]
Pat McAfee
You knock him out.
- [150:53]
AJ Hawk
Maybe I'd carry. Maybe I'll carry him like a backpack into the ring. I'll be his manager, Johnny Bananas. Or maybe. Yeah, you know the Baby Bjorn, he's on the front, you know, facing you. Well, facing out with his little straddle. Be facing either way. I'm not doing it. But you know what?
- [151:07]
Pat McAfee
I don't know if he was facing you like that lady did whenever they wanted. Big night out. That's right, you know.
- [151:12]
AJ Hawk
Oh, yeah. No, I'm not.
- [151:13]
Pat McAfee
No. Maybe Michael Cole straddling maybe. That'd be pretty cool.
- [151:17]
AJ Hawk
I don't think so. What tone.
- [151:20]
Pat McAfee
Let's get out of here. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice might change your life tomorrow. Even if you're not a wrestling fan, just know it's going to be absurd. Tomorrow's going to be a spectacle in of itself on our show. And then the greatest weekend in wrestling happens and we're lucky as hell to be a part of it all. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change your life. We're in this thing together. Team on me. Happy Mania Weekend.
- [151:38]
Ty Schmidt
Hell yeah, boys. Here we go.
- [151:39]
Pat McAfee
Team on three. One, two, three. Team goodbye. Hey, I'm Brad Milke. You may know me as the host of ABC Audio's daily news podcast. Start here. But I'd like to add aspiring true crime expert to my resume. And here's how I'm going to make it happen. Every week I'm going to unpack the.
- [151:58]
Aaron Rodgers
Biggest true crime story that everyone is talking about.
- [152:02]
Pat McAfee
ABC's got some unique access here, so.
- [152:05]
Aaron Rodgers
I'll talk to the reporters and producers.
- [152:07]
Pat McAfee
Who have followed these cases for months, sometimes years. Years. We'll bring you the latest developments and the larger context on the true crime.
- [152:15]
Aaron Rodgers
Stories you've been hearing about.
- [152:16]
Pat McAfee
Follow the crime scene for special access to the people who know these stories best. Rapper Sean Diddy Combs was a kingmaker.
- [152:27]
AJ Hawk
He had wealth, fame and power.
- [152:32]
Pat McAfee
Until it all came crashing down.
- [152:34]
Aaron Rodgers
Federal investigators raided two homes owned by.
- [152:37]
Pat McAfee
Hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs.
- [152:39]
AJ Hawk
I'm Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal contributor.
- [152:43]
Pat McAfee
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.