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The Pat McAfee Show
PMS 2.0 1334 - Shams Charania, Tom Wilson, Chargers GM Joe Hortiz, & AJ Hawk
02:45:30
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- [00:01]
Pat McAfee
Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome. On this. It's my Thursday, May 1, 2025. This program starts now. Sports are happening all around us. Obviously the playoffs are taking place for the NBA and the NHL. We'll have full recaps and chit chats about what's going on tonight. And we have some massive guests. Yes, yes. Fresh off of the Capitals winning their first series against the Montreal La Habitante Canadiens. Tom Wilson of the Washington Capital. Son of a bitch. Tom Wilson will be joining us in about 40 minutes or so. He's incredibly handsome. He's Canadian. He's been playing hockey in the NHL for about 12 and a half years or so. Got drafted in 2012, played in the playoffs. Now it's 2025. Do you count the playoffs? Do you not count the playoffs? 13 years or so. He has been a goon for Ovechkin in Washington. Now whenever you hear the word goon, you think to yourself, oh, he must stink at hockey. Uh, this dude's unbelievable at hockey. He's incredibly handsome. He's wildly tough, willing to fight you. And he is a freight train, this guy. Everything that you would want as a hockey player, especially if he's playing for your team. And if you're like the Pittsburgh Penguins who are the Washington Capital's biggest rival for a long time. You hate everything about this guy. Cannot wait to chit chat with him in 39 minutes or so about their upcoming task of trying to take on 25,000 plus CANIACs in Carolina. They are underdogs heading into the next series against Carolina Hurricanes. How do they feel about that? We shall see. Sham Charani will be joining us in about 19 minutes to chit chat about everything going on in the NBA. Heard Reggie Miller's taking production meetings to the air.
- [01:36]
Boston Connor
What?
- [01:36]
Pat McAfee
That's what he said.
- [01:37]
Tai Schmidt
Sounds like.
- [01:38]
Pat McAfee
Took his production meeting with JJ and said I actually had to calm down JJ in the production meeting. He was acting a little immature. Okay, Reggie, you've done a lot for this city. I'm a big fan of Reggie Miller. Feel like those production meetings are supposed to be sacred ground. At least in our sport it is. We'll talk to Shams about that. What's going to happen with la? This was a massive disappointment for the Lakers, I would assume. What do they do next? They and also Anthony Edwards is that guy. Yeah.
- [02:03]
AJ Hawk
Oh yeah.
- [02:03]
Pat McAfee
Is the NBA prepared for Anthony Edwards to be the guy? Shams will tell us all about it. He is fun to watch. He is an absolute dog Took a victory lap around LA last night. Just walked around with a couple of his friends outside in the streets, just letting him know, when I hear Lakers in five. You heard that a lot. Then whenever we were up three one, they said Lakers in seven. How about this? Wolves in five and let's keep it moving. I'm excited to watch what he's able to do. Can he lead that team all the way to the NBA Finals to take on the Pacers? Potentially the Cavs, potentially the Celtics, Maybe. Maybe the Knicks. We shall see. I'm excited for this guy to be a part of our sports world for at least the next 10 years. Just an absolute beast. An incredible basketball player. Moxie through the roof and he hasn't changed one bit, which some people probably are mad about. We here at our particular program. Absolutely love. Can't wait to catch up with Shams about all things NBA. And then next hour, we got the general manager. Their run of NFL general managers continues here. The week after the draft is a good time to catch up with them. Joe Ortiz of the Los Angeles Chargers will chit chat about some of the decisions he had to make to continue to build that culture in Harbaugh's image. They bring in Omarion Hampton, which a lot of people thought was maybe the number one running back, even though Ashton Genti was Clearly, the number one running back. This conversation got started. What were they focusing on? What do they need to do next year? And how's that building that we got to see? Yeah, that owner spent like 300 million or something building a practice facility. You never ever see that happen in a modern world. How's Ortiz feel about the team? How's Harbaugh doing? And we'll chit chat with him in the next hour. Now the talks tables here at Boston, Connor and at Tai Schmidt. Con man. Great time for sports right now.
- [03:33]
Boston Connor
Yeah, Unbelievable. The whole Anthony Edwards conversation is sweet. But again, last night, for me, the hockey kind of took over right off the bat. You know, Alexander Ovechkin in the Capitals Canadiens game, you know, you expect OVI to do something cool, but power play Face off one tee, you really can't draw it up better than that. It's something watching Ovechkin, like we're talking about how great some of the young players are. McJesus and how sweet he is.
- [03:58]
Pat McAfee
And Chucky's a dog.
- [03:59]
Boston Connor
Chucky's a dog. You know, I mean, Marchand, don't even get me started. We'll get there. But Ovechkin, just watching him, still doing it for the Capitals. Sweet. Bands, make a dance. Mr. Bands. I forget how to say his actual name. He had the second goal, which would end up being the game winner because they end up winning 4 to 1. Tom Wilson had a goal and assist. Actually an assist on the second one. Yeah, those stats that he just did in that first game. Of course. L'habitante mothers, I believe, love ovi. Who knows if this is from the playoff series. I assume this was probably during one of the, you know, hockey team's mother's weeks, as they do with travel, but yeah, look at that. Five games in the playoffs so far. Ovechin's got four goals, five points, 19 shots, 19 hits. This guy's 39 years old. He's the greatest goal scorer of all time. And you know, from something like that, he also shows up in the biggest moments. The capital is going on a run would be huge for hockey. The next game was Panthers lightning. Oh, obviously the Panthers, you know, the team, they just won the cup. This is the battle for Florida. It wasn't a battle whatsoever. The. The Cats blew him out. It ended up being kind of close in the second. It was a three, three game. And then Sam Bennett, right off the power play, rather penalty kill. He comes in, snipe, four, three. And that also was, you know, ended up being the game winner because the Lightning could not score again. The Florida Panthers are going on another run, folks. Don't look now. They added Marchand. It was incredible what Marchand was doing last night. This was their fifth goal, I believe Marchand just, oh, I've been here before. One timer. Goal. Five, three. See you guys later. Chucky said after the game, you know, we're talking about this rivalry of Florida. This ain't a rivalry, folks. Okay? This is back to back years. Now the Florida Panthers eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning. I think both of them were in five games as well. So that's a blowout. That's a gentleman's sweep.
- [05:56]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Chuck said this ain't a rivalry. Everybody's talking about floor rivalry. That's cute. Bugwee windshield type situation is what Chalkey said down there. And I like that because the Bolts had their run.
- [06:05]
Boston Connor
Oh, yeah.
- [06:06]
Pat McAfee
And now it feels like the Florida Panthers are going to have their run. And if Darius J. Butler was here, he would say, we're the state of hockey, brother. Which is crazy to think about what's going on down in Florida.
- [06:13]
Boston Connor
Yeah, it's ridiculous. Especially because Tampa, I believe they were the higher seed in this series. It's not as if Tampa was Kind of squeaking in with a. With a wild card spot. Tampa was a very good team and the Panthers, you know, they just kind of have that experience. They're rolling right now and they beat the brakes. The Lightning, the last game last night was the Jets Blues. The Winnipeg jets got it done. Kyle Conner, who also was a Four nations player for Team usa, he got it rolling. Couple snipes. I believe he ended up with three points, had two assists in the game as well. The Winnipeg jets are on. The kind of story of this game, though, was the Winnipeg jets player, I want to say, Mark Scheffle, I might be saying Scheifele, his last name, something along those lines. He got hurt and the coaches kind of got into him postgame. Monte Jim Montgomery, historic coach in the NHL. Also the coach the Bruins fired midseason. This year he goes to St. Louis. They end up going on a run, making the playoffs. He said after the game, you know, one of their best players, you know, he got hurt from a certain hit. The other coach for the jets, he basically came out and said, like, I didn't know Monty had his PhD in anatomy. This guy, this guy's calling out injuries and when he gets it. So that's. That's kind of the story there. But no, the NHL playoffs have been incredible.
- [07:35]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, they certainly have. They continue tonight. Leafs, Senators, Gold Knights, Wild knights are up 3, 2. Are they going to be able to put the wallet away?
- [07:41]
Tai Schmidt
Me too. And it's huge that this one is in the Midwest. So we got a 730 puck drop and not a 1030 puck.
- [07:47]
Pat McAfee
Texas Hockey against the Avalanche. That's become a little bit of a series there. Texas hockey can put that away. Three, two in Colorado and then LA in Edmonton is the nightcap on espn. The NHL playoffs have been showing up just like the NHL playoffs always show up. You talk about coaching beef. Steve Kerr is bitching again.
- [08:05]
Boston Connor
Well, I feel like that sky's blue too.
- [08:08]
Pat McAfee
Steve Kerr is whining a little bit about what's going on with Steph Curry. Steph Curry's thumb, obviously a big talking point right now because Steph Curry is a shooter, so his hand having any type of injury is obviously worthy of chatter. The Grizz Golden State warriors social media team put out this photo. So we obviously talk about the NFL social media teams. We don't have great relationship with a lot of the NFL social media teams because the NFL social media teams are social media degree havers, which. What does that mean? Okay, nothing. That means they wasted their time in college. Learning about what social media used to be, because social media is literally changing every single day. So a lot of these young kids who have these social media degrees, you know, they kind of bamboozle these old heads and say, we got your social media understood. But if they don't know ball, they can really lead you astray. Now, I don't know what Golden State warriors social media team is, okay? I don't, I don't know the NBA social media team. I don't know how they go about hiring process. But if you put your team into a situation where they have to answer some questions, if you release a photo that looks super cool but don't realize, like the storyline of this entire thing is if he's healthy or not, and then that thumb makes its way onto the Internet, there's going to be people that are going to wonder. This has now become a massive storyline with the Houston team because Houston's been attacking his thumb. Dillon Brooks, obviously bad guy around the NBA, formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies, now on a young, scrappy Houston Rockets team. He said, if I had a bad ankle, they'd be attacking my ankle. If I had bad shoulder, they'd be attacking my shoulder. And I'm going to say to Dylan Brooks's point, I'm not normally on that guy's side because he seems like he's just a big goon, but that's 100% right. Like if. If a guy's hand is potentially injured and he is the greatest shooter in the history and that team is potentially going to live or die on whether or not that guy's going to be able to hit and I can reach in and potentially grab a ball and also get a little bit of a shot on that and reach. I'm probably gonna do that. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying that's what competition actually is and that's how athletes view things. Steph Curry has yet to say a single thing about it. He said, I love this league. I don't know what you're talking about. He just goes out there, runs five miles back and forth. The NBA showed up as well. So shout out to Steph battling through. Shout out to Houston Rockets doing their thing and shout out to Ant man, you know, kind of putting the Lakers to sleep. Well, obviously talk to shams in about 10 minutes or so to see what his thoughts are on all of it around the LA story. But this Anthony Edwards dude is the guy. It is so much fun to watch him. Now, I know you're shaking your head because of Tatum. Tatum is so boring. So I think that is kind of the reason why Tatum isn't the face of the league at this point. Anthony Edwards has so much moxie on the court, off the court. Now. He has made some mistakes. I think he's a young man who has a lot of dog in him. So there's going to be some situations that come with that. You know, not everybody who is blessed with a dog mentality in a go get it moxie are going to make all the right decisions all the time, especially whenever you're in a spotlight. So I think he would even say 10, 15 years from now that he hasn't handled every situation perfectly off the court. But watching him on the court, in a way, he leads that team in a way. That team kind of rallies around the way he plays, the way the city appreciates, the way he plays, knocking out that Lakers team. And I know the conversation everywhere else is, the Lakers are done, the Lakers are done. And we will certainly have that combo because LeBron Versace happened with us, and we're very lucky and thankful to be a part of this Lakers season this year. But this dude deserves all the conversation and all the credit on. On that you can give him. I think personally, not just on the Internet, on TV all the time, he's fun. And I like the Minnesota Timberwolves social media team. Now you talk about a social media team of getting it. They pulled out a LeBron James quote where LeBron said, you know, whenever I feel like somebody is in better shape than me or running better than me on the court, then it might be time to kind of hang it up. And then they just cut to Anthony Edwards. Clip of him walking down the hallway saying, hell, yeah, I want to go one on one with Braun. Anybody that's saying they don't, I want to dog Braun. Like, that is what I want to be. This guy is the one, one of the ones. Now what does the future look like? I think it's very bright for the NBA, but the face of the league type conversation that is happening that people are trying to force upon things, that's like a nickname. I don't think nicknames are just like kind of up by the person. I think it kind of just takes over in itself. This is going to be one of the guys. And as somebody that appreciates dogs, I think we talk about it more than any other sports show. I appreciate the way this guy goes about doing his business. I appreciate his mindset and I appreciate the Fact that they're winning even though they're not the team that is necessarily spending all the money to try to build up that roster.
- [12:12]
Tai Schmidt
No, and you mentioned it. I love like the fact that he's in Minnesota and he's not in LA or New York or like a massive Chicago. Chicago massive market. Like, like that's awesome. And I also think with all this stuff about him being like the one of the future faces of the NBA, that's why it's huge that a Rod's one of the owners now. Like you have a guy who was, you know, I mean, steroid stuff aside and he'll never get into the hall of Fame, but like he was, he was the guy in baseball for a long time and he understands that whole process. So like, and he said like he has a great relationship with Ant. Kind of understands like they're gonna do whatever they can to kind of maximize this window and make sure that, you know, I mean Minnesota back when Kevin Garnett was there, like it was kind of the same deal and they never got it done. But now I think they understand and we've seen what he's done in the playoffs the last several years. Like they understand what they have in him and I think they're really going to maximize this Next, this next 10 to 12 years.
- [13:04]
Pat McAfee
Great highlight there for Anthony Edwards. Not great for Luke on that particular play. They genius iq. Who, I don't know. It's a new stats giver I guess on the entered. I have no idea where they are.
- [13:16]
AJ Hawk
I hit their homepage. It looks very expensive so I would trust their data.
- [13:20]
Pat McAfee
Genius iq, good name. Yeah. Brand name. They said that Luke had the most blow bys or got blown by the most out of in the history of playoffs or something last night. And this would go right back to what Nico was saying in Dallas and as you watch the game and JJ's decisions on subbing, it's like everything that was talked about between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers trade, the reason for the trade, how JJ is. It's all just kind of combusting today. So a lot of Minnesota Timberwolves fans I think are talking about like, come on, we just, we're Pacers fans. So I understand completely. Like Pacers weren't talking about oh, it was the Bucks. Why did they lose it? Why? And Tyrese's dad, it was never like.
- [13:58]
Boston Connor
The Pacers just, yeah, outplayed him.
- [14:00]
Pat McAfee
Just beat the hell out of the Bucks. There was no conversation about that. So I can see how Wolves fans would be upset, but the biggest storyline of the year was that trade.
- [14:06]
Tai Schmidt
Yes.
- [14:07]
Pat McAfee
And then for that trade to end up working out exactly how, you know, I think the haters of the trade kind of wanted it to work. It's fascinating, Stitch. That's why I can't wait to hear from Shams. The NBA is obviously on fire. We got two more games this evening, Knicks and Pistons. That's going to be a dog fight. Here we go. Knicks are currently up 3, 2. But the Pistons will punch you in the face. I mean, that is legitimately what the Detroit Pistons will do. And then we get Nuggets Clippers, which has been a phenomenal series. Joker on the right there, number 15 on the graphic. If you don't know who he is, obviously that is a man who is an absolute dog. He's been a champion before. Before coach and GM fired about 10 days before the playoffs start. Two weeks ago in the playoffs he has become player coach GM for the Nuggets. That number 15 right there, they are favored by six and a half tonight. They are currently up three two. They could win this series against the Clippers even though the Clippers have come kind of had a surgeon here through the playoffs with health with that guy Kawhi Leonard. That's right behind Joker there. James Harden playing ball. And then on the other side, Jalen Brunson's about to get beat up for another four quarters by this Pistons team. Can the Knicks handle it? Let's go to a man who's a behind the glass member of the Hammer Don podcast and he's a utility player here at the Thunderdome. He's former horse owner so he'll tell us about the Kentucky Derby that's happening this weekend. Obviously we all knew that. And he also has some boxing sweet science stats to chit chat about here today. Knicks have a chance to put this away. Are you worried about the Pistons beating them up though? That is literally what the Pistons basketball is. I'm.
- [15:33]
AJ Hawk
I'm certainly worried if, if they don't win tonight in game six. It goes back to the guard in game seven a la last year with the Pacers where they basically ran ran out of gas in front of the home crowd. I could see that happening here where we either lose in seven to the Pistons and you know, vibes are low where even if we do win in six or seven against the Pistons, we're going to get swept by boss, by Boston Connors fucking Celtics. There is no real hope.
- [15:59]
Pat McAfee
You.
- [15:59]
AJ Hawk
You were talking.
- [16:00]
Pat McAfee
Come on, you were talking about why doesn't Tibbs cut that?
- [16:03]
Tai Schmidt
He should.
- [16:04]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I think that's. Maybe he needs to do that. I was watching a game the other night, I'm like, I got no chance.
- [16:08]
AJ Hawk
It's America's last great coma.
- [16:09]
Pat McAfee
Come over. I don't think it's come over, though. Well, yeah, come over would be from one side to the other. That's from middle ahead to left middle.
- [16:16]
Boston Connor
Hold it on.
- [16:16]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah. And he like paints it on. I respect that he's doing it, but there is a moment where I assume every single day where he looks at that, where he goes, I should just get rid of. I should just maybe puts a rally head on. Maybe. Maybe he puts a rally head on here to slow down the Pistons and he just shaves that thing off. Just go with the Jefferson. Just. Just make sure he has that thing around the top.
- [16:35]
AJ Hawk
He's got to do something. It's been dysfunctional all year. Despite the 51 wins, it's been dysfunctional in this series against the Pistons, culminating in, you know, Brunson and Hart being out with three minutes left and not being able to sub back in because we burned their timeouts. And then they both got injured on the same play. And then yada, yada, yada, we're kind of a mess. But the Timberwolves front office deserves a ton of credit too, for we basically traded four cat Carl Anthony Towns from them and exported all of our dogs. Julius Randall, Dante Divan.
- [17:02]
Pat McAfee
Oh, I saw him making some shots.
- [17:03]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, they're. They're both perfect, complimentary people. Pieces to put around that alpha dog, Anthony Edwards. They're. They're the real deal. And, and we're, you know, the. The question now is, can this Knicks team be as good or better than last year's Knicks team? And it doesn't feel like. Like we can.
- [17:21]
Pat McAfee
Oh, it feels like the east is going to run through Boston. Yeah. Cleveland or Indiana. Yeah. I saw a lot of Cavaliers fans saying, you talked to Tyrese. Why don't you talk about the Cavs? We have. Yeah, okay. Watch the show. Don't just watch clips. Have a little bit of respect for the biz 1/2 of the Hammer Cowboys. AP Tone, what are we looking at whenever it comes to gambling o this.
- [17:38]
Evan Fox
NBA, if you want, we could start right there. The Cavs Pacers series has been, you know, it's already set in stone. That's what's going to happen in the second round. The Cavs are minus 500 to win that series, which is interesting. No respect for the Sirs from the Books.
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Pat McAfee
What's that all about?
- [17:51]
Evan Fox
What is all really good?
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Pat McAfee
I understand they've been really good all season too, but their record Pacers record for the last 50 games, very similar. So I'm not saying that the Cavs didn't have a much better season because before All Star break, the Cavs were much better than the Pacers were before the All Star break. But coming into the playoffs, the Pacers were hot. Cavs obviously remained hot. I guess they're just more consistent. Is that why people have talked about that for the whole season as opposed to just post All Star break?
- [18:15]
Boston Connor
Yeah, I assume. And just because they haven't really shown any sort of weakness, but even coming into the postseason, they weren't as dominant as they were kind of early on and even towards the middle of the year. So minus 500 is insane. I just assume there's a lot of money coming in on them for game one is my assumption just because of how good they are.
- [18:35]
Evan Fox
Something I found interesting also in the betting market tonight, two teams that are both up three, two would be the next the Knicks and the Nuggets. Both those teams are dogs tonight. Okay? So I mean you're the books are assuming potentially both those teams could lose tonight and they go to 3, 3. But for the series, the Knicks are -520 to win the series. Okay. And then Denver's -200 to win the series. So both those teams who are up three, two are dogs tonight, but they're heavy favorites still to win the series.
- [19:02]
Pat McAfee
So they say it's going to seven, but they need to be at home. They need to get home quickly to kind of do this because Detroit's going to be a tough barn brother. Detroit's going to be rocking. We haven't won a home playoff game. The Pistons have not won a home playoff game since 2008. And then after what happened last time at home, the ref screwed us. They're going to be going absolutely bonkers. So I expect it to be a good game tonight. And then you think about the Clippers, that's the Intuit Dome there. That's going to be rocking as well. So the sportsbooks think once the team, the higher seated teams get back home here, they're going to be able to close it out. But look for two game seven series in the NBA. I think, I think if you ask Adam Silver, he'd be like, all right, we like that. We like 414141 basically happening everywhere to get a couple game sevens would be a beautiful thing for the NBA.
- [19:47]
Boston Connor
Yeah, that's every game tonight too with the playoffs, NBA and NHL. Every team, every series tonight is a three two series. So we could legitimately see six game sevens forced tonight between.
- [19:59]
Pat McAfee
Let's go sports, baby. Joining us now as senior NBA insider for ESPN friend of the program, ladies and gentlemen, the ever handsome sham Charanya Shams. How you doing, brother?
- [20:11]
Shams Charania
I'm good. Can you guys see me? Can you guys hear me? Are we good? We're having some camera issues.
- [20:15]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I think.
- [20:16]
Shams Charania
Make sure it's all good. I see the tank is back though.
- [20:18]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, well, Indy 500, it's May in Indianapolis. You know, it's the greatest month a city can have is May in Indy because it all culminates with the Indy 500. I believe this is the 109th running of the Indy 500 coming here at the end of the month. But all month leading up to it, there's just a basically every single day celebrating our city, celebrating the race. And I just got this fresh tank from the wife yesterday and it's May, you know, so I shout out Samantha. Yeah, shout out Sam. Shout out Sam. Shout out Mrs. McAfee show on Instagram and X even though she doesn't use X ever. Nonetheless, basketball, we got a couple game seven possibilities here. He just talked about the odds of tonight. Both underdogs. The teams that are down three, two are supposed to win. They're favored to win game seven though. Both Nuggets and Knicks back at their home barn scheduled to win. If you go by what the odds are to win the series, how should we be viewing these games tonight? Do we think that the Clippers at home are a problem? Do we think that the Pistons after what happened last game are a problem? How do you kind of see these going? Is there any injury reports that we need to know before we bet on any of these games?
- [21:23]
Shams Charania
Yeah. So as far as Detroit, still don't know if Isaiah Stewart, their big man, he hasn't played for most of this series. He's dealing with a knee issue. Don't know yet if he's going to be available play tonight, but he's missed the last few games.
- [21:36]
Pat McAfee
If Beef stewards back in there. We thought it was physical before. Beef stew is going to bring the pain.
- [21:43]
Shams Charania
It seems unlikely, but we'll see.
- [21:46]
Pat McAfee
Can't just go out there and take six vows, you know. Strategy, actually. Yeah, just mcdc added AC DC concert last night. Shout out to him enjoying his time. Mcdc would have beef stew out there. All right, let's start this game. You're actually taking the jump ball, but you're not jumping. Just low bridge. Yep. All right, we'll take a foul. Yeah, I guess. Tech, sorry about it. Let's keep it moving. Beef Stew, though, is an enforcer, right? A game changer for you guys? Yeah, he's an enforcer. He's been one of our guys all year long. I'd actually like it if they kept him on the bench. And then stolen cold glass hits and then he comes out there. He hits Brunson. He hits hard. He hits cat, like actually punches him is what you're talking about. Yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely. I'd love that. Everything Detroit wants to see tonight. Hey, Sean's. They're physical. I was watching that. I haven't seen much of the Pistons this year. I apologize. Kade, I guess, is a baller and obviously Foxy keeps me updated on it all, so. Oh, yeah, definitely. I don't feel obligated to have to watch their games. They are physical. Like, Jalen Brunson has at least one to two dudes hitting him every time he has the ball. His little run through, turnaround, fade at like the free throw line is basically what he's asked to do. Pistons been playing that way all year. Is this the new norm in the NBA? Because I think I saw the New York Times talking about maybe basketball's too physical right now. Is. Is that a conversation that's actually taking place we this.
- [22:59]
Shams Charania
I think it's good for the game. I mean, the fact that to me, it shows competitiveness. The parody in the league right now that exists. Like, guys want to win clearly. And you're seeing it. And I actually like when they're able to have a little level of physicality again, there's levels to how much can you allow, how much you don't want to. Like, you don't want guys to spill over. You don't want fans to get involved with players and stuff to spill into the. To the crowd. But this is. It's good for the game overall. But I think with the Pistons, I spoke to Kate Cunningham before the start of the playoffs. He told me, like, they've been breaking this bad boys Pistons, you know, the old bad boys pistons from the 80s and 90s, they've embraced that. And I think if you. Okay. What Katie Cunningham told me is when you're in Detroit, you know it, you feel it, and you want to. To actually make good on what that old bad boys culture is about. So I think this group, and it probably starts with guys like Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duran, Tobias Harris, coming over from Philadelphia, he got a lot of flack in Philly the last few years and then he's come in, played such a big role for them as a leader. And what we've seen from guys like Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. It's all surrounding a guy that to me probably is going to be an all NBA player, going to be a guy that's going to be a face of that franchise and a face of one of the young faces of this NBA in Cade Cunningham. He's the real deal. He's all about winning. You see the fabrics of what it takes to win all in him. This series could easily be 3, 2, the other way for Detroit and, and Denver and the Clippers. That's a very tightly contested series too. So tonight I think we have two series that could easily go seven games.
- [24:38]
Pat McAfee
I'm excited to watch tonight shout to the NBA, delivering obviously I, hey, is Joker the coach, GM and star of that team over there? Is that accurate?
- [24:47]
Shams Charania
Well, Nicola Jokic, the moment that that firing happened, I think what we've seen even before then, he was a little bit vocal. But, but he's, he's, he's been unleashed. And, and when I talk to people around Denver, they say Nicola Jokic is finally comfortable with the power, with the influence, with who he is as a player. And before, I think we hadn't seen him as maybe demonstrative or as vocal, but right now he's showing it. And I, I don't think it's like the power that he feels like he can heal, right? Like it's not like, oh, I'm gonna fire this coach, I'm gonna trade this player. It's like, how can I influence my teammates? Like, this is the first time I think we've seen Nicola Jokic's career where he is going about it every night. And he's trying to influence how his teammates are behaving, how they're playing. And it's not going to be guys like Jamal Murray. Him, him and Jamal Murray have a long relationship. And I think there is a level of trust with Jamal Murray that when the, when the lights are on the brightest Jamal Murray is going to show up. And he has at least last game he did. But you see Nikola Jokic talking to some of his younger teammates and everyone in that roster. He is as vocal as we've ever witnessed. I'm happy to see someone that's never this vocal.
- [25:54]
Pat McAfee
I'm happy to see that. And Joker needs to know and I assume he'll experience this by himself, just like he did with that parade. You know, whenever they told him that after they won championship that the parade was like three days away, he was like, oh, I don't want to wait horses. I got horse race to go back to. And then he gave speech at the parade. He goes, I know. I say, I don't want parade after parade. I want parade. I think we like, through experiences, he learns that maybe enjoying the fruits of his labor isn't a bad thing. I think we saw that with the parade. But also him opening up like this more, I think he's gonna realize that people are gonna think that he cares more. Like, that is gonna be the natural reaction from people. Cause in that kind of conversation, like, this guy's so good, he's unbelievable. But he doesn't seemingly care. And we know that he cares. Has to care to get that good at basketball. The amount of time that he has to spend off season to get to be as good of a player or throughout his life that he is, he has to care. But once you're more vocal and more demonstrative and start showing things, I think it's just more natural for people that don't necessarily know you to be like, oh, that guy's invested entirely. And I think that's awesome. If we're in the era of Joker becoming like a little bit more of a personality good for the NBA, I think from what I've heard, I think he's probably a hilarious human being. Yeah, I would assume Joker has a great personality. He's obviously an incredible basketball player. But if he's going to be start being a little bit more assertive, I think that's good for the NBA as a whole. Now let's pivot to last night. Not good for the NBA. No, not good for the NBA. I know you were pulling for it. I know Adam Silver was pulling for it.
- [27:26]
Shams Charania
Luka Edwards was not pulling for it. I'll tell you that Edwards is one guy that was not pulling for it.
- [27:32]
Pat McAfee
And I'm pulling for Anthony Edwards forever, by the way. Whenever he's playing for Team usa, whenever he's playing for whatever team he's playing, if it's going to be the Timberwolves for his entire career, which I think would be a very cool story, especially in this modern basketball world, I will be pulling for him. Luka Lebron, though. Exit first, first round, exit in five games. Obviously, there were some moments last night that are going to highlight Luka's inability to try on defense or inability to play Defense, which is what Nico was mentioning whenever he decided to make this trade. And since this trade has happened, when Luka gets traded to the Lakers, obviously Luka went to the finals last year with the Mavericks and they don't make it to the finals and they don't win a championship. It has been a full on. This was a catastrophe for the Lakers this year going into the all Star break before the trade happened or whatever. I don't think the Lakers were that good. They get Luka all of a sudden expectations now are championship. JJ Redick is getting judged harshly because of how things are getting handled even by Reggie Miller about production meetings, which I didn't know was a lot. I love Reggie, Reggie's done a lot for Indiana. I'm not saying anything but I didn't know that was like how your guys sport works. Ours doesn't work like that. But with that being said, Lakers being out, is this considered a fail, Massive failure by all parties. And what happens in the off season now going forward?
- [28:48]
Shams Charania
I think everyone expected, I mean everyone was, was predicting, right? The Lakers the win. Like from a media perspective, I guess you think about fan perspective and Anthony Edwards and the Timber Organization. I remember talking to people in Minnesota before the series started and they'll like why is everyone picking the Lakers? We literally had one less win than them, right? And you think about the seatings that, that, that went on the Western Conference between two or about three and eight. It was, it really just jumbled up. There was one game separating them. So even though the Lakers with a three seed, Minnesota was a six seed, there wasn't much difference in this team. I think what we saw here was you have to give first of all Anthony Edwards a lot of credit. He, I don't know, Dragon slayer is the right term. You think about who he's beaten the last couple years in the playoffs. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic now this year he's, he's, he's taken, you know, he's taken it to some big name players in this league and at such a young age. And when I talk to people in Minnesota, they talk about someone, even though he might not have the best shooting night sometimes he's emerged as a leader of this team and he's emerged as the guy that when the going gets tough, you know you can rely on him. And this team got a lot, lot of flack during the season and Julius Randle took a lot of it too. But he's looking like a great get for them. Rudy Gobert last night played amazing. So this is a real team. But when I look at it from the Lakers perspective, Luka Dante said last night, he's still dealing with like exhaustion mentally, and he needs rest and he needs that trade. It changed everything for him, for the Lakers, for the Mavericks, obviously. And I think we saw him, he's continuing to deal with that, that I'm sure he's going to still need some time to deal with the closure. But this is a team that. JJ Redica said it, Anthony Davis said it before he got traded. LeBron James has said it. Like, they needed a center and they need a big man, and that's going to be their number one focus in the offseason, is going and finding a center. You know, this is as simple as I can put it. The Timberwolves had Nas Reed, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle at center. The Lakers had Jackson Hayes, and that's who they played at center in this series.
- [30:56]
Pat McAfee
And if you think back, like, that has been the Lakers kind of Achilles heel throughout this entire thing, which is why I assume AD Said it before he got traded and why I think we all would assume that this would end up happening for the Lakers. Because LeBron's teams make moves, especially if LeBron thinks that that's something that is a necessity. Right. So we assume that's going to happen with the Lakers. Who would be available?
- [31:20]
Shams Charania
Yeah, I mean, I think it's a little early on. Names. I mean, there's. You go the free agent route, do you go the trade route? They do have some draft picks. The one thing the Lakers can say is they've got flexibility, they've got some contracts you can trade. They've got two or three first round picks they can move. So they have an ability if they want to explore trades. But what player out there will make a difference? Obviously they made the trade for Mark Williams, rescinded that. But that is going to be the number one focus for the Lakers. And. And JJ Redick spoke to it after the game, before the game, like he can be better, too. And when it. Whether it' inexperienced. And you think about that game four, when, when J.J. redick played his entire group in the second half, you know, that was clearly a gamble that he made. And I think some of the players on the team could have also looked at it and said, you know, we probably needed a breather there, but the coach rode with us and he kept us in there. If JJ Reddick could do it over again, he probably makes a sub in the second half. But Again, that's the part of being a first time head coach. He showed a lot of signs of being a really, really good coach in the NBA.
- [32:19]
Pat McAfee
I appreciate that. He also so isn't just a cookie cutter press conference. You know, it was a big stir whenever he gave the answer. He gave about consulting with his assistant coaches because the way he took the question was so you think I'm idiot. You think I'm an absolute idiot is what I'm hearing. And then you know J.J. redick, from the stories we've heard about how ultra competitive he is inside his brain, he starts going, this guy thinks he knows basketball more than I do. This, this, this. So that probably gives him a little bit of. I'm just, I'm just assuming what Jay as this person is indicating that JJ doesn't know ball is how JJ Redick is going to take it. JJ doesn't know how to do his job. There's people that are on his bench that know how to do his job better than him. Maybe that is how J.J. takes that question. I'm not saying that's how the question was meant, feels like probably was, but if it wasn't meant that way, I think that is how J.J. takes it. Then J.J. gives the answer. So you don't think I consult with my assistant coaches every, every single time we have a timeout and then he like basically ends his press conference at that morning or at that moment walks out. So then it's he stormed out. He's this. Then Reggie Miller said he was acting immature or something like that.
- [33:25]
Shams Charania
And we have that clip of Reggie Miller saying that. I keep. People keep saying that. I didn't hear it.
- [33:30]
Pat McAfee
We do not have the clip either. Wendy is the one that reported it on get up this morning. It's like I don't, I love J.J. reddick. He was good to us. We had him on the show. He was very nice to us. I like he's a former player that's running this thing. I like that he was getting absolutely murdered whenever he was hired. Like this could have been his dream job to be an NBA. A coach. To be a coach. When he got hired, it was just a murder scene. Then he gets the team good, gets the team playing well. Obviously they make a massive trade for a great player and he continues to just not act like a cookie cutter person that they want him to act, act. So I appreciate that. Do you think there is going to be a change in JJ Reddick though, the way he acts? You think they're going to like put the clamps on him and tell him he's going to have to act differently. Like, I don't know how the NBA works, like Wide and Silver say, like, hey, can't have you just like tell the reporters they're doofuses basically whenever you do this, can't have you doing this. Or will they let JJ continue to be jj? And is everybody excited about the possibilities of JJ being and actually a potentially a good coach as opposed to how he's being painted right now?
- [34:33]
Shams Charania
Anyone that knows JJ Redick knows he will only be himself at all times. There's no really adjusting with him as a. From personality perspective. But what I will say is, and he's spoken to it, this is, this was his first year as a head coach in the NBA. He's a rookie head coach. So any person that starts anything, whether when you first started out, when I first started out, like, we're different from our first day, our first year year to when we develop as we get lessons, as we continue to grow. And I think what we're going to see from J.J. redick in the off season, next season, the years to come, is a refined version of how he is now. You're never going to get rid of that grit that he has. You're never going to get rid of that edge. You're never going to get rid of that LeBron this is in LeBron James words. And, and I think this is what he said. He said, J.J. redick is a. This is literally what LeBron James said. So I didn't say it. I promise I didn't say it.
- [35:23]
Pat McAfee
No, I said it right here. He said it right here.
- [35:25]
Shams Charania
Yeah, on your. Thank you. Yeah, he said it on pms. So he said it. That's. Everyone knows around the NBA what JJ Redick is like now. What you can refine is some of the things you learn in games. And then there were some stories, you know, him breaking clipboards during training camp and during the early, you know, parts of practice. And those are things that over time, how do you channel that in the best way? And I think everyone around the NBA maybe doesn't. And he might, and he might. And he might be breaking clipboards every single year, but at the end of the day, it's about, do you get buy in from your players? Do your, do your players understand where you're coming from? Do your players respond to what you're, what you're teaching? There's never going to be a commissioner call like, we need J.J. redick to change. There's never Going to be like anyone in that Lakers organization telling JJ Reddick, we need you. JJ Redick is JJ Redick, but how can you refine? And I think I, I think there's a lot of confidence in that organization around the NBA. A lot of people are high on JJ Reddick.
- [36:25]
Pat McAfee
I would assume his coaching style is going to remain the same, but I assume just because he's not going to want to have to deal with the bullshit, like having them attack him for being immature and everything, he's probably going to be like, okay, it would be nice. It might be nice if that's not in my life going forward. So might change the way he does deal with press. And I'd like to say we're going to call him boring. If he gets to a boring point, I'm not going to be happy about his changing them. Okay. I'm not going to be happy about getting boring answers out of JJ Redick. Hopefully that never takes place. But, hey, good luck, J.J. it was your first year. You're going to be judged off the success you have. First round exit, first year. Yikes.
- [36:58]
Shams Charania
You know, that's what's the Lakers job, too, though. And the Lakers job is judged by championships or bust. Especially when you have Luka Doncic and the guy that we haven't even spoken about yet, LeBron James. And that's the other, you know, big elephant in the room for the Lakers.
- [37:12]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. What is it? He's playing, right? What are we. What's the. What is the elephant in the room? Room.
- [37:17]
Shams Charania
I mean, for sure. How long is, is LeBron James gonna play? There's, there's, there's no expectation for LeBron James to retire. I will say that my sense, my understanding is he will play at least another NBA season. You think about next year 20, 25, 26, it'll be year 23. That would set a league record. Year 23 for number 23. The All Star Game is in Los Angeles. He potentially playing in Los Angeles. There's a lot of stars that would align for next season. Season, potentially. If that's what LeBron James decides, he'd be 41 years old in December. He's 40 years old right now. So the expectation is he's going to be playing at least another season. But again, how long? And the other thing, Pat, is, does the Bryce James, his son, does that factor play into it at all? His son is going to be potentially draft eligible in 2026 next year. So if, if he feels at some point next year, Bryce James might be an NBA player, draft eligible player. Does he extend that window? I think that's the only potential carrot caveat that you think of out there that could keep LeBron James even longer than at least one more year. But we saw his answer last night. He said he was very non committal, you know, and every time a Lakers season early, a Cav season in the past, a Miami Heat season in the past has ended since he's been like 25, 26, what he's been saying is, I'm going to take time with my family, I'm going to talk to my advisors, my support system, and I'm going to come back and I'm going to make a decision on where I'm going to land at. Before it was about free agency, before it was about where he's going to end up. Now it's about is he going to play anymore and how long he's going to play. Either way, him coming back to the Lakers, there's going to be a lot of questions. He's got a $54 million player option. So what do you do there? Do you opt in? Do you opt out? My feel is that he probably opts into that. And then from there it's like, what does the Lakers roster look like? Because this was a LeBron James at 40 years old that was playing games and playing significant minimum minutes as a center. And I don't expect that to be in his future, to be playing the center position at 41 years old. This is not sustainable for LeBron James at this point in his career.
- [39:25]
Pat McAfee
Okay. Player option in 39 million, not going to be playing center. You said potentially playing 4 million.
- [39:31]
Shams Charania
54 million. You just took 15.
- [39:33]
Pat McAfee
I didn't mean that. Sorry, I was miss. I misheard. That's on me for 54 million player opt in option. You said potentially play potential All Star game, potentially playing in la. If he plays again, he's definitely playing in Los Angeles. We need. That's definitely the case that that's.
- [39:51]
Shams Charania
He hasn't indicated anything otherwise.
- [39:53]
Pat McAfee
Okay.
- [39:53]
Shams Charania
I mean, to leave Los Angeles at this point in his life, in his career, I mean, I guess you'd never say never. You'd never say never. But he, all the indications would be that that that's where he would retire. He said it publicly. That's where he would want to retire.
- [40:06]
Pat McAfee
Okay. And I, I very much understand him maybe at the age of 40, as soon as the season ends and you're devastated and bummed and everybody talking shit on you that you just want to think about, do I want to sign up for this again. You know, the answer is probably yes. I don't think he's ever said anything, whenever asked directly about it from us or anybody else that doesn't. Or you. That doesn't sound like he's not going to play next year. But at that age, with how many minutes he played with how it ended, I don't blame somebody just for a second being like, do I want to sign up for this again? Just for, I don't know, a day, a week maybe. It happens in our sport. I'm happy to see that LeBron's going to take. Take time to fully commit yet again, and we're excited to watch him. And Bryce James might be the one, you know, not that Bronny isn't. You know, Bronny obviously ended up having some minutes with the Lakers and he's much better at basketball now than he was at the beginning of the season. They continue, they hope for that to continue, but it's like Bryce is big, tall, fast and strong. Okay, we appreciate all that news. We have a rapid fire situation here because we do have a guest lined up in like a minute and a half and he could beat up all of us. So we don't want to do that. But Connor has a question for you.
- [41:05]
Boston Connor
Yes, Challenge. We're talking about all these teams who are eliminated. The Celtics are still in it. Let's talk real shop here.
- [41:11]
Pat McAfee
Excuse me. Jeez.
- [41:12]
Boston Connor
Is there a chance. Sorry. Is there a chance the Celtics have to make changes at the end of the year here? It feels as though, you know, the Boston kind of way they're set up because of the fact that Tatum and Jalen have both been drafted there, that the luxury tax isn't as massive. Is that the case or are we looking at a situation where Boston might have to make some changes?
- [41:38]
Shams Charania
Basically, you were just choking up. I don't know. You're not going to want to hear this. I know you're not going to want to hear this. You might start bleeding from your ears. Right now, Boston is fully focused on winning a championship. That is the number one focus repeating. But I can tell you the rest of the league is bracing for some level of change to come. Come to the Celtics from their roster this offseason. And, you know, sources have been telling me for. For weeks now that the Celtics will be exploring trade options in the off season. This team, this iteration just is not going to be sustainable for this team. And no one around the organization, from players to staffers, would be surprised if there are changes coming to this roster because when you think about the new collective bargaining agreement, there's restrictions that come, that come with trades, there's restrictions that come with freezing of draft picks. That's all stuff that they're dealing with right now. They have five players right now scheduled to make $28 million or more next season. That's a league record. They would have a salary bill of $500 million. That's a. That would be league history amount. And I think the Celtics knew when they traded for Drew Holiday and they trade for Christoph Porzingis, they'd be staring at this in the face this summer. Summer. But they're, you know, none of these changes are the top of mind for the Celtics now. They can't be. And this is obviously the most talented team in the league. You know, I think a lot of people would agree with that. So these are good problems to have. But the league is bracing for some level of change to come to this Celtics roster in the off season.
- [43:09]
Pat McAfee
Okay, that's crazy. Absolutely crazy. Especially in the middle of dynastic run to even think about what the future could be. You just sold it, I guess, for 6 billion. So 500 million nonetheless. Quick, Giannis, do we have any answers? When do you think we'll get an answer?
- [43:22]
Shams Charania
I think, I think, I think everything around Yanza and De Campo right now, it's going to take some time because they just lost. And the way he operates, he's going to talk to his representation.
- [43:32]
Pat McAfee
Eventually.
- [43:32]
Shams Charania
There's going to be a meeting between him and the Bucks and eventually they're going to have to get on the same page of what this looks like. Is there a pathway for this organization to win? Pat, I'll give you a quick rundown. They don't have any cap space. They're very limited with players that they can trade with value. So when you think about how can you improve this team, you need players that other people want to really give up a lot for. They just don't have that. Bobby Portis is going to be a free agent. That's really the only guy that you can look at that would bring back significant value. But he's not your. They don't have rights to him.
- [44:02]
Pat McAfee
Potentially.
- [44:02]
Shams Charania
He's a free agent and they don't have a draft pick until 2031. They have one draft that they can trade. It's that year. Year. Are you really going to trade a pick that far out? Their options are very, very limited to make this team better. And I think that's a reality. Eventually in the coming weeks, Giannis and co and the Bucks will be discussing that is.
- [44:20]
Pat McAfee
He's so good.
- [44:21]
Boston Connor
Oh, yeah.
- [44:22]
Pat McAfee
He's so good you put him on a team. I know I, I know he won. But like, at this point, with the way they're set up from what you're just saying there, putting them on like, you know, what if he goes to the Lakers? Can't go to the Lakers. What if he comes to the Pacers?
- [44:35]
Shams Charania
Don't start this. Don't start.
- [44:36]
Pat McAfee
What if he comes to the Minnesota with him? Pacers would be very interesting because, you know, there's heat. But that means there's probably respect too. About like, hey, this is how this goes. And we've seen this in sport before where the people who seemingly are the biggest enemies are actually the ones who have the most amount of respect for each other because they maybe see the game the same way. Tibbs, hot seat. Bruce wants to know.
- [44:56]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, is he coached for his job? Does he need to shave his head? Going to run here?
- [45:00]
Shams Charania
I haven't gotten an indication like that. I mean, I think his relationship with Leon Rose is very, very tight. Tight. But listen, at the end of the day, if you, if you lose 3:1, you lose after going up 3:1, there's always going to be conversations.
- [45:13]
Pat McAfee
All right, we appreciate the hell out of you. Ladies and gentlemen, senior NBA insider for es.
- [45:17]
Shams Charania
You see how we beat that time crunch you see.
- [45:21]
Pat McAfee
Ladies and gentlemen, but it was good. So it doesn't matter because you are the man. Ladies and gentlemen, Sham Sharanya. This hour is presented by Ram Trucks. If you need a truck that you want to feel good in, look good in, and have enough power to do anything in, you get yourself a Ram truck. Now, whenever you see it, you say, damn, that's good looking Dodge Ram truck. And whenever you hear it, it's going to sound. And if you were to get in, it's going to be like you're sitting on a cloud. It would be nothing like how it feels to play hockey against this man. This man is a Ram truck. Yeah, he is, but somehow he has the of a sports car which is kind of how it ran truck that rebel kind of off. This man was the second leading scorer on his team. This man was the only player in the NHL with 30 goals or more and 200 plus hits. It's his 12th year in the NHL and we're still, still bringing it somehow. You know, I like like hockey players. Busted grills, dented faces, just been eating pucks. This guy, handsome. Handsome. He's out of a movie. He'd be a villain if he's not on the team you're playing for, and a hero if he's playing for the team that you're a fan of. Ladies and gentlemen, from the Washington Capitals, that man, the assistant captain, Tom Wilson. Look at this. Son of a. Look at this.
- [46:46]
Tom Wilson
Hey, boys.
- [46:47]
Pat McAfee
Listen, Colm, I'm hurt. I'm sure you've heard that type of thing for your entire playing career. I don't know you from before your time at the Washington Capitals, where you were before. I know you're from Canada. I don't know your whole story. All I know is, as a Pens fan, as soon as you showed up, I mean, all hell started breaking loose. And in a good way. It's like you're a throwback. You're obviously an incredibly tough guy on the ice. Your teammates love you, everybody else hates you. Has that how it's always been? Is that just been your style of play your whole life?
- [47:16]
Tom Wilson
Yeah. Yeah. Growing up, you know, throwing some big hits in minor hockey would always get the parents fired up. My dad and my mom would always catch some heat in the stand. So it's always been a part of my game. But obviously, try to evolve as a player, but the physicality is always. I still remember my first body check in practice when I was 8 years old, and I was fired up for it.
- [47:45]
Pat McAfee
Okay. So there's rules, you know. You know, some of the ones that we see. Are you trying to add a little extra and it gets a little loose because we're on ice or is a lot of it just. Everything's happening so fast in there? Because that's a big part of the story, right in the hits is like. Because the game is. They've tried to evolve the game, I think, you know, and people say they try to take fighting out of game, physicality of the game. I don't think that's the case at all. But I do think they tried to speed it up after the lockdown or whatever it was. I think they tried to speed the game up a bit so players like you kind of were getting phased out of it all. But then every once in a while, there's a hit that comes, and hockey people are even like, nah, we can't have that. What is the line? And is the line always moving on what's legal and what's not legal?
- [48:26]
Tom Wilson
Yeah, I had to learn that a little bit. Obviously, when I came in, you know, 12 years ago, it was a little bit different. The game was a Little more old school. You know, it's changing, you know, in juniors, as guys come into the league, you know, they're not necessarily, you know, ready to get hit sometimes, you know, as the game changes. So I found I was getting myself in trouble when guys just weren't even seeing me coming, and they weren't prepared to have me out there on the ice. I had to adjust my game a little bit. But obviously, in the playoffs, it's a different beast. You want to be laying as many big hits as you can. You want to invest. You want to wear them down over the course of a series. So, you know, I've always toed the line. Obviously, I've got in trouble a few times throughout my career. It happens pretty quick. I mean, we're talking. When we're talking to the department with the league or the player safety or whatever, we're talking tenths of a second. Sometimes we're talking inches on execution. I always try to depend on my habits that I grew up, you know, throwing the body. But sometimes it's fast and they can get. They can get messy. Obviously.
- [49:33]
Pat McAfee
See, it's all happening on ice, you know, and the people that aren't hockey fans, I assume they watch the Olympics, the Winter Olympics, and we got like, Nathan Chen comes out and does this thing, and everybody's like, holy. They're doing that on ice. What you guys are able to do. When did you put your first set of skates on?
- [49:50]
Tom Wilson
Probably two and a half years old. On the. On the backyard ranch up north.
- [49:55]
Pat McAfee
And what. So that's just normal, right? That's just like. So you guys are very like. And how many months are you skating straight? Because when I put ice skates on or hockey skates on, my entire lower leg cramps. Immediately my ass burns. And I'm like, I have no idea you guys are able. It's. It's the most impressive. Do you know the speed you guys are going? Do they tell you the speeds? Like, in football? We have all the satellite on the guys. Do they tell you guys how fast?
- [50:20]
Tom Wilson
I think. I think it's like 24 miles per hour around there, kind of top switch speed.
- [50:26]
Pat McAfee
How heavy are you? What's your size? What. What are you?
- [50:29]
Tom Wilson
230. 230, give or take 24 miles per hour.
- [50:32]
Pat McAfee
He's like a Toyota Camry. It's unbelievable. Okay, let's talk about not just you being a hitter and a physical guy. Even though that is a massive piece of your game, you're also talented. The guy's got Some dangles, but he's playing alongside. Greatest of all time. Go ahead, con man.
- [50:47]
Boston Connor
Yeah, Tom, Obviously, this year was kind of covered very closely with the Capitals with Ovechkin's goal chase. But what is it like playing with a guy, you know, like Alexander Ovech? When we had him on the program, he kind of went down and introduced the entire team, yourself included. And clearly, he's a massive team guy. But to see him still doing this at age 39, damn near 40. What's it like night in and night out? And did you ever look at him when he's eating that Subway and hot Cheetos or drinking a soda on the bench? Like, this isn't what, you know, hockey and greatness is supposed to be, or you're glad that it looks like that.
- [51:24]
Tom Wilson
He's. He's one of a kind. There's really no words to describe him, as you guys have seen. You know, if I was doing what he was doing, there's no chance I'd be in the league. He's. They don't make him like OVI Anymore. He's truly one of a kind. And, you know, he's. He's just. He's an incredible leader. You know, 20 seasons, banging body, scoring goals, blocking shots. You know, you hear him coming when he's on the ice, you know, sometimes, obviously, he's a close friend now, but sometimes you just gotta sit back and say, you know, holy smokes, this isn't gonna happen again for a long time. And it was an incredible season. I'm just. I'm really proud of what he's done and what he did this year.
- [52:10]
Pat McAfee
He was so cool on our show. We can't thank him enough for stopping by. Nobody in the history.
- [52:14]
Tom Wilson
Yeah. Everyone was wondering why you call me a son of a. Everyone's like, hey, what? What the heck? What the hell? What the hell?
- [52:23]
Pat McAfee
They know. I mean, you know, what you did to the pens. I mean, like, what are we even talking about? That was a great robbery for a long time, literally. Yeah, it was. And now we're on the tail end, obviously, of that whole thing, and Dubas has got to figure that out. And I told him, he's young, okay, he's handsome, but we need to. Ha, ha. Let's get.
- [52:39]
Evan Fox
Set it up.
- [52:39]
Pat McAfee
We need to figure this thing out. We got the guy here now. It's obviously not the Penguins year this year. Feels like it might be you guys here, though. You know, you talk about that ov. Chase in the entire year, it's been a Lot of eyes on the Capitals. You're the underdogs going in to play against the Kayniacs, brother. How do you feel about the matchup and how do you feel about the team this year? You've won a Stanley cup before. How does the team feel this year? Feels like you're big and fast, which is what you have to be.
- [53:02]
Tom Wilson
Yeah, we're. We're big and fast. We have a really tight group. I know everybody kind of always says that, but if you look back at training camp, we had that feeling kind of right away. We brought in. We obviously had the core and the culture from the last 10 years or so, but there's some new pieces that have really complemented us well, and they're great guys. They're characters. Our room is just an absolute clown show on most days. It's a lot of fun. Guys that are, you know, keep you on your toes. No one's safe. They're all over me. It just makes it really fun to come to the rink. And I think when the game gets tough, you really see that. You see the, you know, the ability to depend on each other and the expectation that the guy next to you is going to be right by your side. And I think that's what makes us dangerous. This year is just a really solid foundation, a solid group, a good group.
- [53:52]
Pat McAfee
Of lads over there in Washington. Holy smokes. You said earlier the Canadian accent is so phenomenal, and it's sounds like you have a locker room filled with people that are like most Canadians that I know. Dogs, good vibes, great lines.
- [54:07]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [54:07]
Pat McAfee
Great accents. On that note, Ty has a question for you.
- [54:10]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, Tom. I think everyone who loves hockey obviously was jacked for the Four nations, but even, you know, like, casual fans really got involved in that. I. I saw a lot of Canadians were pissed off that you kind of got snubbed from the team. Does something like that kind of add a chip to your. Your shoulder? Like, do you need that at all?
- [54:27]
Pat McAfee
All.
- [54:28]
Tai Schmidt
And also, like, are you eyeing the next time they're doing this and be like, yeah, next time, you know, we have a Four nations cup, like, I'm. I'm going to be on that.
- [54:34]
Pat McAfee
Ross, when the Kachuk boys dropped the gloves nine seconds in, I would like to be on the ice for our country. Do you. Do you have that thought?
- [54:43]
Tom Wilson
Yeah, I was, you know, as the team got selected and stuff, obviously you're a little pissed off and you want to be there. And then, you know, I was. I was sitting on my couch and I turned on the Gate. And as that stuff was all going down, I was sitting there like, holy. You know, I want to be out there so bad. You know, you just kind of. Your blood started boiling a little bit, and it's an amazing rivalry and just the game at its greatest. And, you know, as a competitor, you want to be out there, you know, competing with your country, and you always want to put that jersey on and go out there, best on, best. So, you know, if it happens in the future, I'll be stoked. Obviously, it was. It was great for the game of hockey. Everybody saw what. What savage. What a savage sport it is. And great skill, speed, and toughness on display. So it was awesome.
- [55:30]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Crush the All Star Game. I mean, it was just absolutely crushed. All NBA All Star Game happened. And then that happened, and it felt like the entire country got around. It felt like it was an Olympics. It felt like it was a massive ordeal. I got a. I think I got a pretty good proposal for you. I think I got a pretty good one. They don't want you on a Canadian team. They said it. Yeah, did they? They said it.
- [55:50]
Nick
He'll be there at the Olympics. They'll be on the Olympic squad for Canada.
- [55:55]
Pat McAfee
Play for America.
- [55:56]
Tom Wilson
Trouble.
- [55:58]
Joe Ortiz
Don't do it.
- [55:59]
Shams Charania
Don't do it.
- [56:00]
Pat McAfee
Usa. Usa. We need you. We need you. We would love to have a Tom Wilson on the bench in the change room, lad. I just want to let you know that. And we'd certainly make it comfortable. Any. Any Canadian stuff you need. Even if it's that sweet creamu or smooth cream.
- [56:15]
Tai Schmidt
Couple Molsons.
- [56:16]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, the tiger tail or something.
- [56:18]
Boston Connor
Tim Hortons.
- [56:18]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, King Timmy Hortons. Double doubles all day, brother. Whatever you need.
- [56:23]
Tom Wilson
No comment. I got to stick to my roots. I grew up playing there. And hey, Tim Hortons is pretty good. You got to give it a. You got to give it a try.
- [56:31]
Pat McAfee
Hey, the double double is a game changer. It really is. Hey, we appreciate the hell out of you. Good luck the rest of the way. Happy to see you got that little baby lord over your shoulder. Good luck on your chase to the next one. Ladies and gentlemen, Tom Wilson. Thank you. Such a beauty. Such a beauty. Yes. Beaut. Nobody.
- [56:48]
Evan Fox
What a beaut.
- [56:49]
Pat McAfee
I do wonder if they actually wondered why I called him a son of a. What if. Everybody's just super nice to him, even though everybody hates him on every other team.
- [56:55]
Boston Connor
Tom, he hates you.
- [56:57]
Pat McAfee
Tom. Really? What you do to him. 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 biggest true crime story that everyone is talking about. ABC's got some unique access here, so I'll talk to the reporters and producers who have followed these cases for months, sometimes years, years. We're bringing the latest developments and the larger context on the true crime stories.
- [57:33]
Evan Fox
You'Ve been hearing about.
- [57:34]
Pat McAfee
Follow the crime scene for special access to the people who know these stories best. Rapper Sean Diddy Combs was a king maker. He had wealth, fame and power until it all came crashing down.
- [57:52]
Evan Fox
Federal investigators ran raiding two homes owned by hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs.
- [57:57]
Pat McAfee
I'm Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal contributor. As Diddy heads to trial, we trace his remarkable rise and fall. And what could be next? Listen to Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy, a new series from ABC Audio. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Sports are happening all around us and we're so incredibly lucky that we get to talk about it every single day. As you saw in the intro, the wrestling ring has returned to the office. It lived with us downtown. It is since it moved into my barn at a property I have out here in Indiana. Love Indiana, by the way. Never in my life would have thought I had a barn. Yeah, you know, had a shed growing up. It was up the steep ass hill. It was a good shed. Tim McAfee built it, as you've seen with the gazebo.
- [58:52]
Joe Ortiz
Right, right.
- [58:53]
Pat McAfee
It was good tight shed though. Sheds always get packed to the gills always. Because if you have anything put in a shed, put it in the shed. Well, inevitably everything's going to be in shed from the last 10 years and you have no room. Then you got to rely on your dad who's like a Tetris player because he was a professional mover in the back of a thing to start stacking things. So if you need to get anything out of there, you got to remember how to un Tetris this. I'm doing a Rubik's Cube to get anything out of the shed. Tight space but nice to have. Then you come out here and there's just barns everywhere. Barn is a hell of a play. Yeah, barn is a hell of a place. Obviously costs money, but just what a nice piece of life. Literally everything goes into people's barns. In my case, professional wrestling, couple ATVs. Got a dirt biker too. Aquatic machine, aquatic vehicle. It's good on land and sea. Bought that from my neighbor's front yard. Obviously, whenever I moved out here to Indianapolis, actually had a neighbor that understood the type of neighbor that he had, which was me. A guy brand new, with money and not a lot of discipline. So that guy's front yard became like a store of cool things. I bought numerous things out of that guy's front yard aquatic vehicle. We might as well just said, hey, Pat, before you go home, if you want to pay 2,600 bucks, this thing is good on ground and in that pond that you have behind your house. And it turns out we didn't properly use it. We didn't plug the proper hole. That thing was good on ground, and then if it is plugged, it's good. And we took that thing to the.
- [60:18]
Tai Schmidt
Bottom of the pond, as you should.
- [60:20]
Pat McAfee
But that thing was pulled out of the pond by Crane. It was a big day celebration. That thing's in the barn. It's sitting next to this wrestling ring for the last few years. Now we bring bringing in the Thunderdome because there's a lot of work that needs to be done, and the boys piece this thing together. It was a hell of a team effort, and it's incredibly difficult to do because just like, you know, the shed that I was talking about being a Rubik's Cube. So are these wrestling rings for the ropes? Because you got four posts, obviously, and they all got to be connected. Then you got a bunch of boards, and then underneath, you got to be able to keep those taut. So watching and learning how to kind of piece together a wrestling ring. Cool. This is a part of the process that I. I missed in the development of becoming a wrestler or in the wrestling world because I was kicking balls for a living at the time. So I do try to earn my stripes in certain ways. This ring thing is a wild thing to have in the office, though. It's impossible not to look at it and go, you know what? I might as well go jump off that thing. Yeah. And then you got people pounding the mat. A lot of pounding the mat, running the ropes. Couple people running the ropes, going, whoa, whoa, whoa. That ain't a soft as I thought. I thought that was like a. Like a rubber band. Hurts a little bit. It's hard not to do that. It's a nice, you know, it's a nice talking point, but it's also a great place to kind of prepare the body a little bit.
- [61:32]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [61:33]
Pat McAfee
What we need to do to beat Gunther, he's big, he's strong, he's good.
- [61:37]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [61:37]
Pat McAfee
He's former world champ. Two through three weeks.
- [61:39]
Boston Connor
That's right.
- [61:40]
Pat McAfee
Best in the world, they said. And I'm just okay. Yeah.
- [61:44]
Tai Schmidt
So what now?
- [61:45]
Evan Fox
What we barked.
- [61:47]
Pat McAfee
Let's go get it.
- [61:48]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, exactly.
- [61:48]
Pat McAfee
Let's go get this thing. You know, I don't know if he feels that way. He, you know, he bullies around Michael Cole. 60 years old, Michael Cole.
- [61:56]
AJ Hawk
Not right.
- [61:57]
Pat McAfee
Can't do that. Greatest of all time. Think about how many just life events that Michael Cole sacrificed so that he could be in the WWE and the wwf. So that the WWE can be where it is today. We're so professional, right? Wrestling can be where it is today. The amount of commitment that this man has given to professional wrestling, which is the thing that Gunther says he loves more than anybody. And what the. You know, his supporters on the Internet say they love wrestling more than anybody. We love pure wrestling. All this stuff. Michael Cole has sacrificed 28 years of his life. He's missed three shows for the good of professional wrestling. Loves professional wrestling. And Gunther is going to bully a goat. I don't think so. Can't have it. We love, love Michael Cole. Yeah. I mean.
- [62:38]
Boston Connor
And he went down like a sack of potatoes.
- [62:40]
Pat McAfee
Who's that?
- [62:40]
Boston Connor
Cole?
- [62:41]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. He's 60 years old.
- [62:43]
Boston Connor
I mean, he was a war journalist.
- [62:45]
Pat McAfee
You think he's ready to get snatched up by an Austrian who's a world champ, who's tall, strong and intimidating?
- [62:50]
Tai Schmidt
Got the glasses smacked off his face, too. He couldn't see anything. Luther cut him a check for a new pair of glasses. Those aren't cheap.
- [62:55]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, not cheap at all. I mean, those things go flying on. See you.
- [62:59]
Boston Connor
And he tried to calm him down, too.
- [63:01]
Pat McAfee
Listen, Michael Cole, you're an adult. I'm sitting over there. That's what I'm thinking to myself. Okay. All right. Get a little tight here, huh? Don't you think? Oh, I had to break up a fight between Damian priest and Drew McIntyre at the kickoff, if you remember. Oh, yeah, I was doing a little boxing out. Hey, hey, come on. Come on, Come on. Come on, boys. Let's have a good time here. Just trying to do the same thing. And then he attacks Michael Cole. I don't think so. Buck pushed me over.
- [63:18]
Evan Fox
Were you in Cole speaking German there? Was there something lost in translation or.
- [63:21]
Pat McAfee
No, see, that's. It has become a problem with. With this commentating. I don't understand any other languages. Oh, I did see that. I am native. I did see that. I am a native idiot. But sometimes there's moments that I think are calling for a give and take situation and that's a one way street.
- [63:38]
Tai Schmidt
Sure.
- [63:39]
Pat McAfee
It would be cool to be able to understand Spanish and German.
- [63:42]
Evan Fox
Yeah.
- [63:43]
Pat McAfee
At some of these wrestling, especially in the, the Spanish department, we have a lot of Spanish speakers. Yeah. And I want to let you know they're all good. Every one of them is great at wwe and I think it'll be around a long time and I, I, I wish I could. I try every week. Penta, Penta. Cool thing to say in Spanish. Cool thing to say whenever, you know, something sweet happens. He tells me, my man do a little poop kind of. I walk out of the room, 20 minutes later, that thing's gone. Yeah, that thing's gone. Then I'll write it down sometimes, but I don't phonetically write it out and I don't want to disrespect. So if I say it wrong, it's almost more disrespectful.
- [64:23]
Boston Connor
Yeah, no doubt.
- [64:24]
Pat McAfee
So I'm trying, I'm getting Rosetta Stone. That's what I'm saying. Okay. I'm gonna try to learn Spanish. I'm gonna try to do this thing. I'm also gonna try to learn about Sprocket Zee Deutsch, you know.
- [64:32]
Evan Fox
Sure.
- [64:33]
Pat McAfee
Guten Tag ein gross beer bitter. That's about as far as I got. I need to get a little far. Nine means no. So we're gonna go for it. But anyways, I was thinking for Michael Cole at Backlash and also for society. Can't be doing that. Can't just be walking around smack around journalists for no reason. They're allowed to have opinions. Stuck tables here at Boss Connor and ATI Schmidt. One half of the Hammer done Cowboys. AP Town is here. Sweet chains today. Thank you.
- [64:55]
Evan Fox
Appreciate that.
- [64:56]
Pat McAfee
Good pyon horn there. Yeah. Do those tangle all the time.
- [65:01]
Evan Fox
I sleep with them. I, I haven't taken these off in like a year, so.
- [65:03]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [65:04]
Evan Fox
At night sometimes you wake up not breathing.
- [65:06]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I used to be a multiple chain wearer and I just realized that they're always going to want to dance with each other. Like two snakes fighting too. And you think it'd be easy to get them undone? They're not. No, not at all. You look cool though.
- [65:16]
Evan Fox
Thank you. Appreciate that.
- [65:17]
Pat McAfee
You ever see the guys have nine or ten of those things stacked?
- [65:20]
Boston Connor
Yeah, sure.
- [65:21]
Pat McAfee
That's one. Producers of Hammer die Bruce Brown. You've seen the nine stack?
- [65:29]
AJ Hawk
Yeah. On Gumpy, right.
- [65:30]
Pat McAfee
He, he, he runs six at one point.
- [65:33]
Nick
I used to have those big ones.
- [65:34]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [65:34]
Nick
I just got the Skinny gold ones.
- [65:36]
Pat McAfee
Now we need the Cuban chain.
- [65:38]
Nick
I didn't see that clip wearing, like, five of them.
- [65:41]
Pat McAfee
I. I was. I was wearing it as well. Those things were big.
- [65:44]
Nick
He's wearing at least six right now. Under the shirt. These one. They don't tangle, and they. If they do, they come undone very easily. I don't know how.
- [65:51]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, it's just. I haven't been a necklace wearer in my whole life. But then you start wearing tank tops a lot. Then it's like, okay, probably got to add at least something. You got to accessorize tank top at least a little bit. So I got in the chain game, and then once they start twisting up, it's a. It's an interesting time. Join us. Now is a guy. I don't think he's ever worn it up.
- [66:07]
Boston Connor
No, no, no.
- [66:08]
Evan Fox
He has zero jewelry.
- [66:09]
Pat McAfee
Has his ears pierced, though, up on the top, too.
- [66:13]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah. Yep.
- [66:14]
Evan Fox
He gauges them, too.
- [66:15]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, he's got.
- [66:15]
Boston Connor
He's got that other piercing, too.
- [66:17]
Pat McAfee
Bottom. Bingo. Whatever. Belly button. And then he's got the.
- [66:20]
Evan Fox
Is it called King?
- [66:21]
Pat McAfee
Ladies and gentlemen, college football national champion, super bowl champion, Ryder cup winner, A.J. hawk.
- [66:28]
Bruce Brown
Yep. It's called the Prince Albert. And I do not have anything pierced through my urethra throw, as that does.
- [66:34]
Pat McAfee
Okay.
- [66:35]
Bruce Brown
No piercings for me.
- [66:36]
Pat McAfee
I'm happy to hear that. I. I am happy to hear that. Did you.
- [66:39]
Bruce Brown
What if I did? Would you be unhappy if I did have that?
- [66:42]
Pat McAfee
I.
- [66:42]
Bruce Brown
Don't you look at me differently?
- [66:44]
Pat McAfee
No, I would just. Yeah, no, I would. That would be. I think I would have been expected. Par for the.
- [66:48]
Evan Fox
You'd be the second person we know that has it.
- [66:49]
Pat McAfee
If you.
- [66:50]
Boston Connor
DJ Paulie A.
- [66:52]
Pat McAfee
Okay. All right.
- [66:56]
Bruce Brown
Yeah.
- [66:57]
Pat McAfee
That's an aggressive decision. Whenever you make. Make it.
- [66:59]
Tai Schmidt
Certainly.
- [67:00]
Pat McAfee
I don't know. I. No way.
- [67:02]
Bruce Brown
It can't be your first piercing. You have to get many other piercings before you say, hey, let's go. Let's go through the meat.
- [67:07]
Boston Connor
Never done.
- [67:07]
Pat McAfee
You ever see the people, they, like, just. Yeah, they pierce, like, just parts of their skin.
- [67:11]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [67:12]
Pat McAfee
How about the cheek? Have you seen that up here?
- [67:14]
Boston Connor
I think that's cool.
- [67:15]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, but how bad would that hurt if something.
- [67:17]
AJ Hawk
It's taking, like, a staple gun to your cheek. Yeah.
- [67:19]
Pat McAfee
I don't know, man. I don't know. I had my ears pierced. I just. Studs. Went to Claire's, did the whole thing. Getting a pierce. I was this. That was a scene. I did not enjoy it at all. Puncturing a hole in it.
- [67:29]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [67:29]
Pat McAfee
How about the people that had the full. You know, the gauges. Yeah. The big gagers. Yeah.
- [67:34]
Boston Connor
People that. They go. Those people.
- [67:37]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. They got sweet tats.
- [67:39]
Boston Connor
They're not afraid.
- [67:39]
Pat McAfee
They normally got really sweet tats. And I'm like, I have no idea how you have the courage to do that. Anyways, speaking of courage, let's play hockey with Tom Wilson. Did you hear him? What a legend. What a beauty. Obviously, they said. And I think hockey is having a great playoffs right now. And if this Capitals team is able to go on a run. Talking about the documentary you could tell about this team, think about the reunions 10 years from now for this team. Now, a lot of it would be revolving around Ovechkin breaking the record, but if a team was able to go on and win the Stanley cup in that same exact year. You're talking about most historic team in the history. Most historic team in the history. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Of the NHL. I mean, that's really real, real motivation, I think, for them. Underdogs against the Hurricanes in the next round. I think there's a lot of stories that can be happening in this NHL playoffs, and I love them. I love most of them.
- [68:27]
Bruce Brown
I did like. So Tom Wilson went. I don't know hockey as well as some other people do. Like, is there. Who would be the closest player to, like, a Tom Wilson style on another team? Is there anybody like him in the league right now?
- [68:38]
Pat McAfee
I mean, I was going to say incognito, just because that's like a person who was.
- [68:41]
Bruce Brown
Because he does it all, though. I mean, he. He's like the most feared, intimidating guy, but he also is a hockey player.
- [68:46]
Pat McAfee
Second leading scorer. Second leading scorer on Capital.
- [68:49]
Boston Connor
He's more skilled, but, like back in the day. And maybe Nick, you could agree, like a Pat Maroon when Pat was with, like, Tampa, when Pat Maroon was also. Or even St. Louis before he went to Tampa, where Pat Maroon was scoring goals and throwing the ball.
- [69:01]
Evan Fox
Yeah.
- [69:01]
Nick
To be honest, guys, Tommy is kind of like a unicorn. He's just so skilled, and he didn't start out in the league that way. He obviously had some skill when he flashed it. He had a couple goals. He'd score a timely goal here or there, but he's just grown into a pure goal scorer. He had 11 power play goals this year. I was just looking. They moved him from the front of the net spot where guys just typically stand there, battle trying to take up space and screen and tip pucks in and battle to a bumper slot when Tjoshi retired. That means you drop out into the slot they feed you one timers rebounds. He's got 11 goals this year. Career high on the power play, 30, 33 I think in total on the season. And he's got two so far in the playoffs. So he's turned into like a pure like first line winger and he's the power forward that just doesn't really exist in the NHL anymore. In the early 90s, you'd see a ton of guys like this Kevin Stevens, Rick Talkett type of guy. They don't. They just don't exist anymore.
- [69:53]
Pat McAfee
I was kind of piecing it together, you know, you don't really see the goon. I mentioned the goon position there. That's also like the protector position used to be for the superstars, okay, Superstars. Wayne O had goons, okay, that would be on his team and they were there so that people didn't abuse Wayne Gretzky. That has been something that hockey has had for a long time. I think it's like a part of the culture almost. It's like a position like, hey, fighting guys about to come out or big hit guys about to come out or something like that was like a part of it. They kind of phased that whole thing out. I think Tom Wilson, to your point, about whenever he was drafted twice, 12 season, 13 years ago, 12 seasons ago, I think he was probably brought in to be a hitter, be a, you know, like, let's third line this thing. Let's go ahead and do what we got to do. But if you're the protector of the greatest goal scorer of all time, I assume there's going to be some things you pick up, you know, from watching Ovie, like at some point. And it's like, I wonder if there was like a decision made, like, I don't have to just be this guy. I can also watch the greatest goal scorer in the history of the game every single day. And maybe I become something. It's like, yeah, 30 plus goals, 200 hits, only player in the NHL. It's like. And he has that in him still. So it's like, what a perfect guy for the Capitals. He should be playing for America. It'd be cool if they don't. Hey, Yumpy, if you guys don't want him, he should be playing for the United states of America.
- [71:13]
Nick
I 100 guarantee he will be on that Olympic squad.
- [71:16]
Pat McAfee
I don't know which one you're talking about.
- [71:18]
Nick
America, Canada, 100%. I will wager anything with anybody.
- [71:22]
Bruce Brown
If he gets left off, there should be a rule that he can play for America if they leave him off. The Canadian agreed.
- [71:27]
Pat McAfee
I think that should be in all sports. Even if the player opts out from playing for that country. Lou Messi lost last night.
- [71:35]
Nick
There's some issues in her Miami squad right now. Boys. It's not good. Machinero, who's never really coached before, people are not happy with his coaching style. They've sold bunch of players. They got kicked 3:1 by the White Cats last night. Lost 5:1 on aggregate. It is. It's not good. That's two tournaments they're out of now.
- [71:55]
Pat McAfee
AJ you were talking about these tournaments. They're. They're the biggest one till the next one. So this one's the most recent one. And this is tough. This is tough.
- [72:02]
Bruce Brown
Yeah. Five to one in aggregate. We all know what that means and yeah, next week when the next biggest tournament comes on, we'll see what happens.
- [72:07]
Boston Connor
I guess they need to hire our. The new guy.
- [72:12]
Pat McAfee
No, he stinks. What's going on with the coaching? He has L. Messi on the field.
- [72:18]
Nick
Machinero used to play with all these guys at Barcelona. So he came over, now he's coaching.
- [72:23]
Evan Fox
Is that the Cherry guy?
- [72:24]
Nick
It's not really going.
- [72:25]
Tai Schmidt
It's Maraschino.
- [72:27]
Pat McAfee
Is this his first time coaching?
- [72:28]
Nick
Kind of. He coached like an academy sort of.
- [72:30]
Bruce Brown
What's he doing? Is he not playing? He's not playing. Messi like that's the only mistake he can make.
- [72:34]
Nick
Well, they, they actually sat all their players players on the weekend in the MLS to go really go for this game. And then they ended up losing both games.
- [72:42]
Evan Fox
He should be like Will Ferrell. In what?
- [72:45]
Tai Schmidt
Kicking, Screaming.
- [72:46]
Evan Fox
Screaming, get the ball to the Italian. Just give it to Messi.
- [72:48]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that's a great soccer movie. Will Ferrell.
- [72:51]
Joe Ortiz
It was.
- [72:51]
Pat McAfee
It was a sad runner.
- [72:53]
Nick
It was a sad day. Cristiano Ronaldo got knocked out of a tournament.
- [72:57]
Pat McAfee
What? Which one is super duper?
- [72:59]
Nick
It was the Saudi Cup. Messi got knocked out and Lebron James got knocked out of the NBA playoffs.
- [73:05]
AJ Hawk
The game is gone.
- [73:05]
Nick
The old firm is a tough day.
- [73:07]
Evan Fox
For the old firm. All had a good day though.
- [73:09]
Pat McAfee
Yamal, the new firm. Unbelievable.
- [73:11]
Nick
He is.
- [73:12]
Pat McAfee
There's a. Have you. You know this guy? You know this guy? 17 year old guy from Spain, Remember him? He played in the last big tournament. I seen clips.
- [73:19]
Bruce Brown
Yeah, I saw some clips of this guy.
- [73:20]
Pat McAfee
Looks good. So he's already got 100 caps I guess for Barcelona and these. He's only getting more electrifying seemingly every single game. Do we have the clip from. Yeah, I don't even Know if we're allowed to play it. Probably not even a lot of play.
- [73:32]
Evan Fox
No.
- [73:32]
Boston Connor
Is he coming to the Timbers next year?
- [73:34]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. How are we getting him to the mls?
- [73:36]
Tai Schmidt
White Caps are trying to get him as we speak.
- [73:38]
Pat McAfee
They're a good team. 5 1. They had over Lou Mess in aggregate.
- [73:42]
Shams Charania
Yeah.
- [73:42]
Pat McAfee
So. So what happened to AJ's point? To AJ's point? I played soccer growing up. I understand there is strategy and everything like that. A messy team probably has its strategy figured out. Right. Like that's not big changes from one coach to the next coach. Not. Not only that. I think he's kind of directing traffic like he, he. It's all kind of. It was in one. What's his name? Alba.
- [74:06]
Nick
The other guy, Jordi Alba scored last night.
- [74:08]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [74:08]
Nick
Suarez hasn't scored in a while. It's kind. It's tough. It was tough watching all the egos.
- [74:13]
Pat McAfee
Is that what's going on right now?
- [74:14]
Nick
No, they've just brought in a bunch of new players and the guys that were there that were good, they got rid of, but they were actually really good. Been good in the MLS for a while. While. But they're not.
- [74:23]
Pat McAfee
A full turnover. They're doing. Yeah.
- [74:25]
Nick
Like they're not. They're bringing in all Argentinian guys, all Spain players. Yeah. They're kind of just building their squad and it's not going as planned.
- [74:35]
Tai Schmidt
Sounds like a lot of these new guys aren't used to the lightning fast pace of play in the mls.
- [74:39]
Pat McAfee
That does. That does sound like that.
- [74:42]
Nick
We're Halter's kid. Plays for the White Caps. He scored again last night.
- [74:46]
Evan Fox
He is very good.
- [74:49]
Nick
He's so good.
- [74:50]
Pat McAfee
Dude, you never believe. Greg could have had a. Could have.
- [74:54]
Boston Connor
I mean, no wonder we weren't winning. Guys a dad.
- [74:57]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Well, okay.
- [74:58]
AJ Hawk
Weren't we starting that kid like when we shouldn't have been?
- [75:01]
Pat McAfee
No, it was. He was on Team usa.
- [75:05]
AJ Hawk
Well, we weren't playing Geo Rain, but I'm sure we were giving caps to Burl.
- [75:10]
Pat McAfee
What's going on with us soccer Gumps? Are we going to win this thing or not? And it sounds like maybe we don't want Lou Messi with everything that's going on. Aj, what do you think we need to do to get back to win the World Cup? It's on our land. Coming up.
- [75:23]
Tai Schmidt
It is on our soil.
- [75:24]
Pat McAfee
It's on our land.
- [75:25]
Bruce Brown
Well, I mean, I would.
- [75:27]
Pat McAfee
Well, yeah, it's not you. What is where I'm from.
- [75:29]
Evan Fox
Well, this is your land. This land is our land.
- [75:31]
Pat McAfee
North America made for soccer anyways. We need to win a World cup.
- [75:40]
Bruce Brown
To tie to Ty's Point. There are these foreign players not able to keep up with the pace of the mls. Like, this is, like, flying under the radar. People don't get it.
- [75:46]
Pat McAfee
They.
- [75:47]
Bruce Brown
They get in the MLS and, like, oh, my goodness, this is, like, four times faster than what I'm used to.
- [75:51]
Pat McAfee
So on film, it looks slow and bad, but once you get on the pitch, it's just a whole different ball game.
- [75:56]
Boston Connor
Physical.
- [75:56]
Pat McAfee
Is that what it is, Gump? They can't handle the white cops. Yeah. Is that.
- [76:00]
Nick
The game wasn't close last night. Like, the score almost flatters inner Miami. Like, they got shit kicked.
- [76:06]
Pat McAfee
So you're telling me that the MLS isn't some amateur bush? So we should win yet? We should win the World cup then.
- [76:13]
Tai Schmidt
We should.
- [76:13]
Pat McAfee
We should.
- [76:15]
Boston Connor
Except all these guys are coming over from Argentina now because they've got word like, hey, you blink, the ball's fucking gone in the mls.
- [76:23]
Pat McAfee
Messi's bodyguard gone, too. Maybe he's not playing as loose and safe. Sounds like he's staying in the middle of the field, you know, could be staying away from everything. He's a little scared to go the outside. Whatever the case, congrats to soccer. It's happening, and whenever the next tournament happens, we want to win it.
- [76:38]
Boston Connor
It's tomorrow. What's that huge one starts tomorrow.
- [76:41]
Nick
Gold cup this summer. You got to have a good showing of that before the World Cup. Gold Cup. Gold cup is one that we win.
- [76:48]
Pat McAfee
The Gold cup, right?
- [76:49]
Nick
Yes. You guys should.
- [76:50]
Pat McAfee
I don't know.
- [76:51]
Tai Schmidt
Ponch couldn't coach a dog to sit down, so I don't know how we're gonna win that one.
- [76:55]
Pat McAfee
What do you mean? You saw that?
- [76:56]
Nick
There is some rumblings. There is some rumblings.
- [76:59]
Joe Ortiz
There is.
- [76:59]
Nick
Some old US Players are saying that he doesn't care about the team.
- [77:03]
Pat McAfee
What are you talking about? Old USD man members. Is this coming from Conceifa?
- [77:06]
Nick
No, this isn't from Concave. It isn't Lawless, but it is kind of the same squad.
- [77:13]
Joe Ortiz
They're saying he doesn't care.
- [77:15]
Pat McAfee
He's not American. Why would he care?
- [77:18]
Nick
Well, it's kind of how all international teams are. They're all coached by guys who aren't from the country anymore.
- [77:23]
Pat McAfee
That makes no sense. I would like our country to represent, and hopefully we'll win on this land. Yes, on our land. Land.
- [77:31]
Evan Fox
We just crushed soccer.
- [77:33]
Pat McAfee
We did such good soccer talk. And for more of that, listen to the concave pod with people that actually know about soccer. Gumpy Brea, Jeff Cameron. Great show out of you lads. Really good stuff.
- [77:45]
Nick
New one just came out on Tuesday morning.
- [77:47]
Pat McAfee
Okay, Liverpool one. Liverpool. Congrats. You never walk, Al. How would they fare in the mls? They'd be so drowning.
- [77:57]
Tai Schmidt
Probably looks like the good north or fifth speed.
- [77:59]
Pat McAfee
Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now not from the world of soccer, but from the world of professional football, our general manager. Conversation week continues with friend of the program, general manager for the Los Angeles Chargers, Joe Ortiz. How you doing, boss?
- [78:15]
Joe Ortiz
Doing great, Pat. How you doing, man?
- [78:17]
Pat McAfee
Hey, great. How is life post draft? Does it feel like one chapter of the NFL calendar is over and you can move forward, or is there a celebration? What is the feeling as draft kind of ends for you guys?
- [78:28]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, there's. I mean, there's excitement, celebration. Obviously, you hit free as soon as the draft ends. You hit post draft free agency. And then. And then that night is really just kind of a letdown, really, because it's all done. It's a. You know, you just. You go through a little bit of depression, honestly, because you just so much excitement, so much buildup, and then all of a sudden it's done and, you know, what next? But, you know, we're excited. You got the rookies coming in in a couple weeks, and that's when you get to kind of unwrap your Christmas presents.
- [78:57]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I love that you are so invested in all these guys because you've been literally studying everything about them for the last three, four months. And then when draft day comes, it's like, all right, never going to think about this guy until he's either a free agent again. Now you got to figure out how you kind of bring your guy guys in. Let's talk about the guys that you brought in. You had a running back in the first round there. Okay. Harbaugh football. We've all, Hey, I think you even did it with us last year. First pick of the Harbaugh Ortiz era is. Yep, yep. There it is. Yup. Exactly. Yes. We go with an offensive lineman. We're going to protect Herbert, and we're going to be a tough football team. Now you get a running back. Was that always going to be the idea, or how do we land on Amarion?
- [79:39]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, no, we just. We stack our players, you know, one through 200, really, and we go in that order. And, you know, when we got up on the clock, he was the guy, and he was one of those players that we had up there high that, hey, we're not gonna. We really don't want to trade Away from him unless we get blown away and just really a special player. You guys see the clips here. Physical, talented runner, very good speed. The guy, honestly, who I noticed last year when I was looking at Drake men, he just jumped off the film then, and he wasn't even draft eligible, so, you know, stacked. Another great year on top of his 2023 season and really just excited to have him in, but I think he can do a lot of great things for us.
- [80:18]
Pat McAfee
And by the looks of him, I mean, he's gigantic. That's, you know, to the year two years.
- [80:26]
Joe Ortiz
That's the beauty of photography. Whoever captured that picture, whoever took that, I don't know if Ty took that or Mia, but whoever took that picture, you know, that's. That's a great photographer there to really, you know, make him his biggest. He is actually not taller than coach.
- [80:43]
Pat McAfee
Taller, big.
- [80:43]
Joe Ortiz
Oh, there you go.
- [80:45]
Pat McAfee
Different angle here, but he's put together.
- [80:47]
Joe Ortiz
You can see it.
- [80:48]
Pat McAfee
Charger social media team and digital team is awesome.
- [80:51]
Tai Schmidt
Top notch.
- [80:52]
Pat McAfee
I believe that's who you just shouted out there. They were incredibly kind to us. Let's talk about what you did in the off season leading into the draft. What was the mindset Postseason, Obviously only one team is going to be the super bowl champion. What was the mindset? And from the last time we talked to you at the combine, how has the strategy gone for how you addressed everything?
- [81:12]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, you know, I think when. When you finish the season, you know, what I did is I took every player that was a free agent, an impending free agent on our roster, and I took them off our depth chart and just put them in a stack and kind of of shows you how much we had to get done. And, you know, our goal was to build, you know, add, you know, try to retain as many guys as we could, add some quality players and then just rebuild the depth and have a good deep team. So when we're into the head, into the draft, we truly could take best player available. You weren't forcing needs up the board. And, you know, love the way the draft fell for us. Loved what we did before the draft. You know, keeping guys like Khalil, getting Elijah done. And then I had guys like Makai and. And the D lineman. We added desean Hand, Naquan Bowers, and the list goes on and on. Bringing Mike Williams back and just being able to really fill in a lot of spots and then, you know, hitting the draft and attacking the draft with best player available and it felt. It felt great for us.
- [82:10]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I think your fans were Also pumped about everything that you did. Go ahead, A.J.
- [82:15]
Bruce Brown
Yeah. Do you pay attention at all, Joe, to people that kind of grade your post draft? You know how it went. I know online you guys are getting a lot of good pub with which I'm sure, either way, it probably doesn't matter. I guess it's better they're saying good things than bad. But people, you know, seems like the majority of all these pundits think you did a very good job in filling out your roster here with the draft.
- [82:34]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, you know, we. Internally, we're very excited and you know, scouts, you know, ownership, coaching, and that's.
- [82:42]
AJ Hawk
That's.
- [82:42]
Joe Ortiz
That's really the grade that matters to me when it comes to draft day. Really, we don't. You can't really grade a draft drafts until they get out there on the field and play a year or two. And so certainly people would, you know, grade the drafts based on. Oh, they. They attack their needs or they got value here.
- [82:58]
Pat McAfee
And.
- [82:58]
Joe Ortiz
And that's what you're trying to do. You're trying to. You're trying to get value with every pick, certainly. And we feel like we did that with a lot of players, but I think the draft grades itself and it degrades itself in the next two to three years.
- [83:10]
Pat McAfee
I don't think, you know, shit. We got to give a draft grade the day afterwards. This was a D + draft for this team. And what if they have five Pro Bowlers or all Pros? You have all these guys could be all. Every one of these guys could be a Hall of Famer.
- [83:23]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [83:23]
Pat McAfee
Isn't that crazy?
- [83:24]
Joe Ortiz
Well, you know what? You know, I missed my. My oldest son's senior day. It was draft week. It was on Friday of the draft. And he wrote me. Joey is his name. And he wrote me. He gave me a game ball and, you know, actually got me. I don't want to talk too much about it. I might get choked up. But he did say, I wish you were here, but since you can't be go draft a Hall of Famer. So hopefully, hopefully. Hopefully we got one in there.
- [83:45]
Pat McAfee
Hell, yeah. Hey, let's go. Better. You being a dad that gets choked up, talking about your kid isn't a bad thing. Yeah. You could do that whenever the hell you want. Now let's talk about a move you made before the draft. Go ahead, Ty.
- [83:57]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, Joe, before I ask this question, I'd like to just kind of jog your memory of something that you and Coach Harbaugh talked about at the combine. Foxy, I think we have the clip, if you could run it, you know.
- [84:08]
Pat McAfee
A guy that's known Khalil Mack. What are you gonna do? Come on, Joe.
- [84:15]
Joe Ortiz
Khalil knows how I feel about him, and we'd love to have him back, and we're gonna work towards that. You know, we had good conversations right after the season.
- [84:21]
Pat McAfee
Pay the man, Joe.
- [84:27]
Tai Schmidt
So, Joe, after seeing that, we obviously see, you know, Coach Harbaugh put those big mitts on you right away. When we started talking about it, was there any consideration that this might go a different way? Or were you thinking like, hey, if I. I don't sign Khalil Mack, there's a good chance that Coach Harbaugh is going to beat the out of me, So I probably need to address that first and foremost.
- [84:46]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah. No, it's funny because Khalil was. Listen, he was our in. In the end of the season. I'm like, we got to get Khalil back, you know, and, you know, I wanted him back, you know, heck, before the season even began. I love Khalil. I mean, just a tremendous, tremendous talent, but an even better person and leader and teammate and just awesome to be around. So that was. He was priority number one. And it was funny, though, after we got done that, that session with you guys, I'm doing agent meetings with. With Ed McGuire and Katie Sylvan and John Spanos, and I walked in and I'm like, hey, you got Ed. You're screwed, man. Coach just put it out there that we're. We got it. We got to pay Khalil. So I, you know, his agent got leverage now, you know, So I like.
- [85:32]
Pat McAfee
I like a little puppet public leverage loss for you guys and for Khalil on the program, you know, good for business. Feels like he got a good deal done personally.
- [85:39]
Joe Ortiz
Oh, yeah.
- [85:40]
Pat McAfee
Just looking at it, it felt like it was a good deal. I think we all thought, okay, 18 million fully guaranteed for Khalil. He gets to stay in a place that loves him from the way you're speaking of him. And we saw that Silver Bells, you know, club down in the weight room, and Khalil was. I forget what the number was.
- [85:59]
Boston Connor
It was 252 plus what was.
- [86:02]
Pat McAfee
I don't know what it is. Anyways, it's a silver old school dumbbell bench, I believe. And you got to use it, and you got to hit a certain mark, and then you get to the Silver Bells Club, and then your name's up on the wall, and they have it roped off like it's a VIP section in the weight room and their coach, strength coach Herb. Herb, yeah. Legend energy brings the juice in there. Feels like your guys culture is. And we just got a chance to walk around and see it. Do you feel like you, you know, added to the culture this season? Like, what do you think your culture got better at this season? Do you think it's just gotten cemented more in and how do you feel about where you guys are in the build of this Chargers team?
- [86:41]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, you know, I mean, I, I think just one on the culture, you know, I think coach talked about it, you know, at the end of the year and he talked about during the year to the players. You know, he took the culture that our existed, you know, we. The culture was here, you know, and he just. He's. He's like a catalyst for it. Like, he's the. The match to the fuel, the flame. You know, they just. That's what coach is and, and that's what Ben Herbert is. And, you know, but these guys, the culture existed and you got a bunch of guys here that love football, and that's what we tried to add, and we added more players that love football and that, and they're going to work hard and have fun playing it, and we're going to work hard, we're going to have fun. That's what Ben Herbert's all about. And the cool thing is we got Khalil done, and I called him up to congratulate him at probably 11:30 his time, he was still in Florida, and he answered the phone, he was so fired up. And the first thing out of his mouth is like, I can't wait to get back with Herb. I can't wait to get back there and get with Herb, you know? So, like, that just tells you, like, the impact Herb has on these players. And, and, and they love them and, and I love him. And I've known him since he's. Since he was the head strength coach at Wisconsin. And, you know, but what we're about is just working hard and having fun and winning, you know, and that's got.
- [87:51]
Pat McAfee
To be the biggest compliment that you could ever pay a strength coach right there, Herb. I hope you took that in there, brother. And I don't know if he's heard that story before or if you told him that he said that because he, he deserves to obviously hear that. Herb was a legend. We were with him for what, like an hour down there, and it was like, I, I wanted to. I was like, man, maybe I can. No, you guys got a great punter, but maybe I can swing for a year. This feels like with the. You. Yeah. Their gym, their job is like Manhattan Beach. Yeah.
- [88:15]
Tai Schmidt
Unbelievable.
- [88:16]
Joe Ortiz
It's awesome.
- [88:17]
Pat McAfee
It's outdoor. It's. It's the, the, the facility, top notch. So nice. Everything you could possibly want there. And it's like angel working her ass off in there. Feels like everybody has the right. It's like the food, I mean, the food.
- [88:30]
Tai Schmidt
New soft serve every day.
- [88:32]
Pat McAfee
I mean, everything about it is like I. So if I work here, this is where I. This is what I do every day. So I would come.
- [88:39]
Joe Ortiz
This is, this is what, this is what Dean built for us, man. It's awesome. It's unbelievable. And I mean it's. And just everything about it like that, what you're seeing there, if you, if you saw it from the opposite view at 7am in the morning, the sun is rising right there on, on the backside of the fields and it's like just shining in on you. At 7am I come walking in, the players are all lifting. It's. I mean, how do you not want to be here? It's. It's unbelievable.
- [89:05]
Pat McAfee
Good for you guys, dude. Hey, that's not easy at all. Especially, you know, to find an OD owner that'll spend that money. Now let's talk about the players that you draft. Go ahead, con man.
- [89:13]
Boston Connor
Yeah. Joe, as you're ranking players one to 200, you mentioned, you know, during this combine, what are some of the things off the field that you kind of look for? We've had a bunch of GMs on this week. We saved you for last, obviously, because best for last. But, you know, something that Jason, like talked about was, I think they called it like, I am that dude.
- [89:33]
Pat McAfee
I am that man.
- [89:33]
Boston Connor
I am that man. Yeah, there it is. And you know, it kind of just goes into them loving football and they talked other things about like, you know, kind of the psychology of having them in the facility all day and how that can be kind of, you know, strenuous throughout the day and they become long days. But by the end of it, if they're still very engaged and still want to have those conversations at football, they know that they, they really do love it. But what are some of those things that you guys do to kind of try and figure out if of the players you're drafting really do love the sport.
- [90:04]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah. You know, and this is, you know, I brought this over from Baltimore. We did it in Baltimore. And it's funny because I actually, Jason was one of the guys I saw on here and just listening to them talk. It's. It's very similar. You know, you want guys that can love that love football first and foremost and that love their team and are committed to their team. But you know, we break down character. Like we break down a position position, you know, and you know, what do we look for? We look for guys that have that charger mentality and work ethic and you know, strong team players and, and you know, resiliency, mental toughness. We grade all those things independently. And you, when you do that, you kind of get an idea. Okay, this is the hole in the play. When you grade it by position specific. Okay, this is his whole. The hole in his game. If it's a linebacker, if it's a wide out, this is what he's got.
- [90:55]
Pat McAfee
To get better at.
- [90:56]
Joe Ortiz
Saying thing, you know, in terms of his makeup, this is where he may be weak, where we're going to have to pour in some resources. And you know, what you try to get is obviously like the, from the playing aspect. You want guys that are all, you know, high scores in their position specifics and critical factors as a player. We want guys with high scores in their makeup, you know, and we shoot to get as many of those as possible.
- [91:19]
Pat McAfee
Asking questions to people around them. Is there anything you notice on like when you meet them? Is there like. And I don't want to give away. No should. Yeah, we should give away some game here, you know, because Jason Light said a guy put on a sheisty a mask and say he didn't want to talk anymore. And then obviously there's been other stories of these types of situations that happen. Are there things that take place that you notice? Because I don't think everybody fully understands like the scouting also judgment, the scouting that goes on whenever you're trying to figure out this multi million, maybe potential billion dollar changing person to come into your facility. It's a lot, right, like in how people act some of the times, how they act all the time. Do you watch for any of that stuff and how do you like kind of keep up on it?
- [92:05]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, absolutely. Our scouts do a great job. We got a great group of guys that go out to these schools and talk to the staffs and watch them at practice and are they first in line? Are they last in line? You know, are they. Is their effort strong in practice or can. Are they just going through the motions? Obviously we want the competitors, the guys that go out and compete in practice, the guys are at the front line, the guys that are leading and. But there's so Many stories over the years. And then when you interview them, you know, it's chance to get them to open up. And, you know, we watch a lot of film with them. You get an idea of how much preparation they've done for their interviews, but also how familiar they are with what they were doing in college, the way we run the interviews. But you fire questions at them during the course of the interview and see how they respond. And, And. And you just take notes and you get that. You get. You know, we've never had a. I've never seen a guy with a sheist on who said he didn't want to talk. But you know, me personally, it wouldn't go well, you know, okay, we might want to push this guy off to the side, you know, but we want guys to engage, you know, and. And show that passion. We want it to come out when we're interviewing them.
- [93:08]
Pat McAfee
It sounds like with the research you're doing, you're going to find it somewhere, like at a practice, could be a Wednesday, middle of the season. In college. College scouts, there you talked.
- [93:16]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, you talk to staffs. You know, you don't just talk to the head coach or the coordinators or the pro liaison. You're talking to gas. You're talking to assistants around the building. You know, you just. Our scouts, they, you know, they go into these schools year after year, multiple times a year, and they really build relationships with people that they can trust. And, you know, me personally, I've. The schools I've gone to in the past, I've always got someone where I can go pull them to the side and say, hey, tell me the truth about this guy. Tell me what you got. You know, and we've built that relationship up where they know they can say it to me, and I'll keep it in house and I'll keep it to myself and. But I'll use it to help make a. You know, get the guy in the right spot.
- [93:51]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And people forget, you know, they say it's a business for real, and the business is both ways, you know, and you want to do business with people that do business the way you like to do business. So trying to find out who your partners are is a deep investigation. I mean, that is. Think about all the study and research, and that's what you're talking about. Whenever it's all over, over, it's like, man, that was so much commitment to these people. I learned. I learned if this guy wanted to be third in line on a Thursday in a hitting drill, midway through the season on this guy and then he goes to a different team. Is there a disappointment? Like there are guys personally that you would like to have seen be and obviously you're happy with your draft class, but there are guys, I assume post draft, let's say you guys are having a beer, hanging out afterwards. I mean, like, would have been nice if blank would have got to blank. Like, was. Is that happen every year?
- [94:37]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, I think that's every draft. I, you know, it's people like, oh, you know what? H. You know, how do you feel when a player gets, you're sitting on, gets taken right before you. Well, that I've been there in the past and a player, we're going to take him, he gets picked. You know what, I've seen it happen and I've seen the guy be a Hall of Famer, you know, the guy who, who, who we pick. So, you know, you just got to trust your process, trust the board. There's going, you know, if a player's taken right before you or taking 10 picks before it's a player that you wanted, he was higher in the stack. So the players getting picked before you want before you get a chance to pick them all the time. So whether it's right before or 20 picks before, it doesn't matter. You would have taken that guy if he were there, but he's not there. So you just trust your, trust your staff, trust your process and pick the best player available.
- [95:24]
Pat McAfee
No regrets, brother. Yeah, we're coming out of the draft completely happy with what we did in there. That is, we played the draft exactly how we were supposed to play the draft. That's awesome. Good for you. Congrats on the successful draft. Yeah. Hey, hall of Famer in there for the boy. That's right. Hall of Famer in there for the boy. One of the picks Tony wants to talk about.
- [95:41]
Evan Fox
Yeah, Joe, last year's draft, you got a stud for Justin Herbert in the second round and lad Monkey at the wide receiver position. And then this year you go Trey Harris in the second round, also wide receiver, who I think I believe is 130 yards per game, which was number one in college football lasting season. Were you surprised that he was there in the second when you guys were on the board or on the.
- [96:02]
Joe Ortiz
We, we definitely had him up there in our, in our stack. And you know, he's one of the guys that were very excited that that fell to us at 55. Was I surprised? You know, I think you, you pay attention to, you do have to pay attention to what, what as you get closer to draft, what outsiders are saying and, you know, did I think there was a chance he would be there? Yeah, I did. Was I excited that he was there? Absolutely. You know, he's a talented player who was before the, before he got hurt. He was leading the country in receiving and, and just a big physical playmaker, ability to win at all three levels. And you see him there, that's. Those are the things we saw and we're just excited about the opportunity to Adam, you know, well, guys, you're, you're a little, you're a little anxious. You know, is he going to get there? Is he going to get there? He's going to get there. And you just, again, you try, trust it. He trusts the process. You trust the research, trust the work. And he was there and we were fired up to turn his name in.
- [96:55]
Pat McAfee
You knew there was going to be a lot of trenches drafted early. Did you, did you expect that?
- [97:00]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, I think I, you know, one, the D line group was really strong this year in the draft and I think teams are always going to look to add offensive lineman, certainly tackles. And so, yeah, you expect, you expect the tackles to go just like they have the past five years, you know, and, and then with the depth of the D line this year, I thought, you know, we thought there'd be a good run on D lineman so that could push down some skilled players. And you saw it, I think with. On both sides of the ball. Some corners didn't go as early, but still talented corners that ended up going and, and wideouts. Obviously we were able to get Trey at 55.
- [97:34]
Pat McAfee
Let's talk about another move you made with the vets. Go ahead, Tone.
- [97:37]
Evan Fox
Yeah, Joe, I was just thinking about it because it popped up when you're talking about offensive lineman. Were you just trying to have the, the biggest offensive line of all time with Maai next to Joe Al or how's that going to, how's that going to go?
- [97:48]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, I, hopefully it's going to go great. We fired up to get Maai, you know, definitely a guy we won. We, we, we're targeting in free agency and our coaches like them, our scouts, our pro department, Lou and Denny and Tyler, they all loved them and so guy we had targeted and very happy to get him in here. And he walked in the building, I'm like, you know, you put him through the physical and all that. I'm like, hey, hey, you know, I can, I can pass his physical. I can pass him on the physical right now. Like, you know, he's Good. You know, imagine just thinking about him and Joe next to each other.
- [98:19]
Pat McAfee
What about the change of conversation about him? Yeah, yeah. You know, it's crazy. What just a move in a mindset in the right place. Like coming out of Philadelphia, obviously going to get a great offensive lineman. You assume from Stoutland University over there as an offensive line, and with the way you guys. Guys operate, that feels like a match made in heaven. I assume that's how you guys felt, too.
- [98:39]
Joe Ortiz
Absolutely. Yeah.
- [98:40]
Pat McAfee
That.
- [98:41]
Joe Ortiz
And then, you know, Chad Alexander, who's our assistant gm, he was there with Makai at the jets, and we were actually talking about signing them last year going into the 2024 season. Philly signed him before the draft, we were talking about signing him after the draft and, you know, and just see how the draft goes through. And so he was on our radar, actually last year. And Chad knows him well and felt really good about him and had been around this four years with the jets. So, you know, definitely, you know, a guy we. Chad stayed on and our coach, like I said, our coaches loved them.
- [99:10]
Pat McAfee
That's awesome. Go ahead, A.J.
- [99:12]
Bruce Brown
Joe, when you're interviewing these guys at the combine, I guess now I feel like now they're so, like, polished from when they speak to agents and they're preparing for these meetings now, obviously, the whiteboard stuff, I think you. You definitely want to be prepared for all that. But when it comes to, like, character issues and just speaking to them as a human, is it. Are you able to break down sometimes through that barrier of, like, these canned answers? Sometimes I feel like agents prepare them for in their interviews and actually get to know the real player.
- [99:37]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah. Yeah. Because, you know, our scouts are again, our scouts go into it armed with so much information about the player, and in we get an opportunity to talk to them multiple different times. Senior Bowl, east, west combine, bring them in on a 30 visit. So, yeah, those are things. If there's a character concern, we'll definitely address it with them and impress them on, you know, and. And see their. What their answers are. And it's not just one individual. You know, certainly if we have them, you know, come here to Los Angeles, we can literally, he'll meet with five different. Six different people and he's going to get asked the same question in a different way each time. And we're all listening to the answers. And so we get done and we talk about it as a group and, you know, say if we have concerns or if we feel the players learned his lessons or he's developed, he's Outgrown, you know, he's matured from his poor decisions in the past. Yeah.
- [100:25]
Pat McAfee
And on the film. That's awesome to hear, by the way. And the fact that you're saying, do we think having a conversation like, okay, he made a mistake, everybody makes mistakes. Do we think he's matured and passed it to be a guy that can help us and benefit our team? Those conversations taking place is so smart. Let's talk about the film aspect, though, of it. And he talked about the whiteboard. So whenever you guys bring them in, will you give them like a play in the morning? And then like, you ask them about the play, like in the afternoon, do they have a heads up on what the film is going to be coming in? I've never done this, so I don't think I fully understand. I'll see the videos that come out from the people on the film and on the whiteboard, but is that just getting thrown to them in real time? How does that kind of happen?
- [101:03]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, a lot of different coaches are different, you know. You know, there's different ways to do it, I should say. And I've seen coaches install play and then come back to it. And after the. At the end of, you know, they'll install the play right away, and then we'll spend 45 minutes talking to the player. And then at the end we'll say, okay, remember that play we installed? Yeah. All right, teach it to me. The other way to do it is you're watching film and you're asking them, you're seeing what the recall is, you know, what's what protections, this, what routes, this, you know, what coverage are you facing here, what's the play call, what's the formation call? You know, and you just, you get an idea of the players, really, when you just ask them that, there's some players that can't tell you the formation, you know, and it's just like. And. But now, that being said, the game's changed a little bit because you got everyone signaling individual.
- [101:48]
Pat McAfee
Is that their place? Is that their place or your place?
- [101:51]
Joe Ortiz
Their place. Yeah, their place. Their place, you know, so you're asking, you may have a wide receiver and saying, okay, what's this formation? And there may, you know, or tight end. They may not know the answer. They may. They just know it's right. I go right, you know, and then I'm looking at my designated coach who's signaling in my call, you know, so. But that's just the way they teach it in college. So the ones that can Actually tell you, hey, yeah, this is the formation, you know, this is what, that's what the X has. This is what the Z has. This is what the F has, you know, so, you know, different guys are different, you know, and, and it's not to say they can't learn it and get better, but it's just you're the baseline of knowledge. You're coming in with.
- [102:31]
Pat McAfee
How was Herbert in there? Herbert was with that organ. Because they were so like, right, weren't they? I mean, I just assume. Morgan. I don't think I watch enough. Justin Herbert, whenever he was there. Herbert, football iq. I don't think we ever talked. I don't think it's ever.
- [102:45]
Boston Connor
He won the academic Heisman, but never.
- [102:47]
Pat McAfee
Really talked about his intelligence ever. I don't think he's super cool. He's super big, super strong, super athletic, super competitive. Nobody ever really talks about the brain of Justin Herbert. Has to be ISU J just.
- [103:00]
Joe Ortiz
And I wasn't part of the, the pre draft process with Justin being around him for a year now. A year plus. He's a, he's, he's brilliant. So intelligent. I mean he's, he's got a. He's got. I mean, listen, if, you know, as a guy, when I look at Justin, I'll be honest with you, I hate Justin because, you know, he's got everything beautiful. He's got pinpoint accuracy. He's athletic as can be. He never looks out of breath, you know, throw the ball through the wall. He's smart. Like, you know, I hate him. He's the best man. I mean, it's, it's, it's just the whole. Not all men are created equal, you know, or all men are created equal. I say on the inside, you know, but not on the outside. He's, he's, man, he's gifted and so brilliant and such a great dude.
- [103:47]
Pat McAfee
So. Yeah. I remember Harbaugh saying he's the golden goose. That's what he said. Why'd I get this? Why did I take this job over there?
- [103:54]
Joe Ortiz
Wow.
- [103:56]
Pat McAfee
We got walking around seeing Justin Herbert. That's a guy.
- [103:59]
Boston Connor
Erwin James.
- [104:00]
Pat McAfee
Wow. But for Justin Herbert, the way he held Justin Herbert up in high regard. We're gonna protect this guy. Is like the first thing he said whenever you're talking about it. And it was legitimately the Justin Herbert hype train from Harbaugh for the first maybe 10 days of his press conferences. What did you like about Los Angeles whenever you came here? We know you're living in an RV or whatever. I saw Justin Herbert for the first time. This guy. Wow. They built a quarterback.
- [104:25]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah.
- [104:26]
Pat McAfee
This is it.
- [104:26]
Joe Ortiz
How can you not want to. How can you not want to be, you know, be a part of that? You know, he's phenomenal.
- [104:33]
Pat McAfee
Harbaugh, Herbert Ortiz over there in Los Angeles in a brand new facility. I. I can't wait to watch what you guys continue to build over there. We appreciate the hell out of your time and enjoy whatever time. Time of year is happening. Now we're getting. We're signing free agents again. Is that what we're doing here now?
- [104:50]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, we're looking. We're looking around, you know, just keeping our eyes open all the time, you know, and always talking through things and any chance we get to upgrade the roster or add. Add to the competition, you know, if it makes sense, we'll do it.
- [105:03]
Pat McAfee
Well, good luck with all your decisions. You're the man. Thank you for joining us, ladies and gentlemen, Joe Hort. Hey, guys. A good building over there.
- [105:12]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [105:13]
Pat McAfee
Organ.
- [105:14]
Bruce Brown
What is it? Organizational alignment. They seem like they have.
- [105:16]
Pat McAfee
Top down. Yeah. Did you. Were you with us then? No, you were not. You missed.
- [105:21]
Bruce Brown
No, not at that trip.
- [105:22]
Pat McAfee
Okay. So it was unbelievable. You missed that.
- [105:25]
Bruce Brown
That weight room. That inside, outside weight room. And to think that's your NFL weight room, dude.
- [105:30]
Pat McAfee
Awesome. It's. And then her. The coach, the strength coach is just like, beast exactly what you want.
- [105:35]
Bruce Brown
Schle loves that guy.
- [105:36]
Boston Connor
Schle.
- [105:37]
Bruce Brown
My buddy, Anthony Schle, strength coach is what he.
- [105:39]
Pat McAfee
He.
- [105:39]
Bruce Brown
That's all he does, is he speaks so highly of Herbert.
- [105:41]
Pat McAfee
We're going to have to reconnect with you because your zoom's glitching, but it's like. I understand.
- [105:46]
Boston Connor
What was the governor thing with. With Herbert?
- [105:51]
Pat McAfee
The Governor and the. The Governor and the.
- [105:55]
Evan Fox
Oh, I for.
- [105:56]
Boston Connor
But it was awesome.
- [105:58]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. He told a story about this Ben Herbert. That is. What's that?
- [106:01]
Evan Fox
Ben Herbert.
- [106:01]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [106:02]
Tai Schmidt
Governor and like Deacons and. Governor.
- [106:05]
Pat McAfee
Governor and the Deacon. Yeah, yeah. And it was a plant that was in the middle of the weight room. And basically the story was throughout the entire year when he was with the Texans, I believe, or Wisconsin, he was with J.J. watt.
- [106:18]
Tai Schmidt
I think it was at Wisconsin.
- [106:20]
Pat McAfee
So at Wisconsin, they had a plant in the weight room, and at the end of every workout, they would water it and put good stuff in it. And basically he was comparing, you know, the plant to what your body is right now, especially because you're in, like, the blossoming year. You're in the middle of the season. I believe the governor was the the deacon. I don't know what is a deacon. What is a deacon? Do you know what a deacon is?
- [106:44]
Tai Schmidt
I mean, in like, the church? I do, but I can't remember in his story if.
- [106:49]
Pat McAfee
Anyways, one of them was eating right, doing right, watering the plant, and it was all season. After every workout, they all, like, dumped something in there. And then they got to, like, a championship game and they want it. And then they go in that weight room and they put, like, beer cans in it and everything. They're like, every once in a while you got to celebrate, though, whenever you do that. And I was like, like the stories, like, JJ texted me that whenever I went to see him a couple months ago, he was, what, 20 years old whenever that was happening. Now he's like 40 or whatever. So that's like a strength coach is really a person that, like, molds you and guides you and it sets the culture for your entire building. He talked about slightly legal. Who's joining us again? AJ Hawk. The strength coach is most important for college. It is. I. I think in the NFL it can be as well. It is the most important position for your culture. I think, personally, I agree.
- [107:36]
Bruce Brown
100. Especially in college, you spend the most time with the strength coach, with the whole strength staff, because there's all these weird dead times where you cannot have contact with your coaches and all that stuff. So, yeah, strength coaching, NFL, I agree. Also has a gigantic impact. You don't get as much time with. With them, but you're every single day, like, first thing in the morning, you're. You're with the strength coaches. You're seeing them throughout the day. And like, I don't know, you got to have great communication. You got to have a great guy at that position.
- [108:00]
Pat McAfee
They're the ones. They're the ones setting the tone on what the entire mindset is of the team. Like, are we a calisthenics based or.
- [108:07]
Bruce Brown
Think about the bad ones, too, if they're the bad ones. Like, if you have a bad strength coach, man, that trickles down through the whole team, like, it's a tough deal.
- [108:14]
Pat McAfee
Okay, we're doing. We're doing bodyweight stuff. Okay. And we're doing bands. And I'm not saying we're doing. And I'm not saying Pilates is a bad thing. I think all these things are good in workouts. I'm not saying these are all bad. But that sets a tone differently than a team that has the silver bells weight room, where it's like, hey, if you could bench press dumbbell bench 290. You can get your name on a wall and then you're gonna have to re rack it. It's like that. There's a. That's a whole. And then accountability. Like, are you gonna push through how. What's the tone going to be? Like, that sets the. The whole building. I think I, I legitimately. And I'm only saying that because I saw Mike Barwas work. You know, Mike Barwiss was our. Our strength coach at West Virginia. And he was the one that like, you know, Rich Rod had his expectations and obviously I assume he was a massive piece of hey directing with Mike Barwis. Like this is. And he hired Mike Barwis. So, like, this is what we want. But like, he's the one that's like in full forcing it. Like, oh, you think you can put your hands on your knees? Huh? You think you're allowed to. You think you're allowed to look tired? I don't think so, buddy. Yeah. That's 110 yards and you're going to need to do that in 13 seconds. And if you don't guess what, you got another one. And at that point you're going to be even more tired. And guess what you're going to want to do. You're going to want to put your hands on your knees. And guess what you're not allowed to do. Put your hands on your knees. If you do. Now we got two because you didn't get the first one still. So it's like that is a. Okay. That sets a completely different tone than the people that, like, I see pictures of like some training and if a guy's not touching the line on like a.
- [109:45]
Bruce Brown
Can't happen. That just can't never happen legit.
- [109:48]
Pat McAfee
There's like that where it happens. And I think people think I'm crazy. That haven't been a part of like. Like, I'll say it to my wife, like a video will run on the screen or something and they'll be running gassers or whatever and the person won't touch the line or whatever. And I'm like, can't have it. Like, literally can't have it. And then guy jump early or whatever and they don't stop. Don't stop everybody or punish everybody. It's like somebody jumps early and it's like a. Okay. It's like, what are we.
- [110:10]
Bruce Brown
That gives me anxiety thinking about that gives me like anxiety thinking that someone gets away with that. Because I. I've never been around a team where anyone can get away with that, like, it just wouldn't. Doesn't feel right.
- [110:20]
Pat McAfee
I got so worried that the strength coach would blink at the wrong time and he would think that my hand or foot did not touch the line. Like, going to have to do another one here. Yeah, right. Dude, I'm not doing it. Body all the way through the line at 13, by the way. I don't want to see a cleat. I don't want to see hair. I don't want to see shorts through the line. And there was a couple there where, boy, I think my ass was on the line and they let me through. So maybe they are letting a little accountability kind of shout out. I. I watched guy.
- [110:49]
Bruce Brown
I watched a guy dump his pants running half gassers because he didn't want to. He wanted. Wanted to get hit his time. He was on like 17 of his 20th one.
- [110:55]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And you've obviously seen the.
- [110:57]
Bruce Brown
Oh, yeah.
- [110:58]
Pat McAfee
Grow up.
- [110:58]
Bruce Brown
Why they're running.
- [110:59]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [110:59]
Bruce Brown
Keep running.
- [111:00]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. It's crazy. Those workouts used to be wild. If they're still doing that stuff, we need to have a lot more respect for the guys because I think those. That's why I think the strength coach is so important to just like I think they are.
- [111:11]
Bruce Brown
I think the big programs definitely still do it.
- [111:14]
Boston Connor
I mean, bloody Tuesdays we talk about with Georgia, like, they're still.
- [111:17]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [111:17]
Boston Connor
Bringing the heat. No matter.
- [111:18]
Pat McAfee
So maybe we should. You know, we heard from the last couple days from General man Andrews. Nil. Actually making these. Some of these guys more mature whenever it comes to, you know, handling money and success and a lot of brands and having attention and everything like that. Their life is. They're a little bit more ready for the NFL system. They. A couple of them said, I wouldn't want to be the one that has to deal with it for the first time.
- [111:39]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah.
- [111:40]
Pat McAfee
Like everybody in college does. But we used to have to be the league that had to deal with everybody getting rich for the first time. That there's things that come. Good stuff. Obviously, people give back and change. Obviously dreams and trajectories of families and generations and everything like that. But also people's first time with money. There's been a lot of documentaries done on it. Not always great. You know, there's a bad decision. I am an example of that as well. I mean, I'm granted there's some great decisions that come with full circuits, like a wrestling ring, for instance, squared circle. Full squared circle, if you will, in the entirety. But it's now the college. Now the college people have to deal with that. So the NFL is like, thank God. God. We don't have to take any guesses on it. The. It's all such a fascinating, like social study because, like people judge a draft. I mean, like Mel Kuiper got really upset. Not mad Mel.
- [112:27]
Tai Schmidt
No, no, no.
- [112:28]
Pat McAfee
You got jacked. Yeah. Yeah.
- [112:29]
Tai Schmidt
It's kind of the.
- [112:30]
Pat McAfee
It was a happy.
- [112:30]
Shams Charania
Yeah.
- [112:31]
Tai Schmidt
The inverse.
- [112:31]
Boston Connor
Yeah. Rose reversed a little bit.
- [112:33]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. He. He got really upset about it and he started saying, the NFL doesn't know how to evaluate you.
- [112:39]
AJ Hawk
50 years.
- [112:40]
Tai Schmidt
He.
- [112:40]
Bruce Brown
He said for 50 years they haven't.
- [112:42]
Boston Connor
Been able to evaluate that.
- [112:42]
AJ Hawk
We saw Boomer, Sia and fall into the second round.
- [112:45]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [112:45]
Pat McAfee
Listen to what Horte is saying. We got scouts looking to see if these guys are first in line or third in line. Maybe there isn't an exact science. You maybe. Maybe you just don't know if a situation is going to work.
- [112:55]
Evan Fox
Percentages tell it.
- [112:56]
Pat McAfee
And that's basically what he said. He said, you know, my son wrote me a letter. I had to miss his senior day. He told me, good luck in the draft. A Hall of Famer. And I think we got one in there. Like, that's the hope. Like, even the GMs who know everything about these people, I would assume even the people that are closest to people, they're saying the same thing. Like, there's a chance now what happens from this point forward. Time will tell what a beautiful story the NFL is, you know.
- [113:19]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [113:20]
Pat McAfee
Changes a lot of lives. Has certainly changed ours. We're incredibly lucky that we get to talk about sports all day, every day. And it's only because, you know, we had the opportunity to get grotesquely overpaid him much more than me at our. To kick pickleball and to tackle more people than anybody in the history of Green Bay. And the draft is just like a nice reminder of that, you know? Yeah. A lot of dreams coming true. Even if they're coming true a little bit later than expected in one weekend, you still got a 15, 20 year period to tell the whole story. We will continue digitally on YouTube, ESPN Plus, Disney plus and TikTok Live. TikTok Live, I guess allegedly second largest streaming platform. Yeah. Live streaming platform. TikTok Talk still alive.
- [113:58]
Bruce Brown
Anyone buy it yet? Did they sell it yet?
- [114:00]
Pat McAfee
Everybody's always piecing together, aren't they? I saw Zuck did a conversation. He did. Did he talk about.
- [114:05]
Boston Connor
I didn't know 15 was the number. I got to up my game a little bit.
- [114:10]
Pat McAfee
What's that?
- [114:11]
Boston Connor
15. There's a huge demand for friends right now.
- [114:14]
Pat McAfee
Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's how the show ended on tv. Most. That was a great quote out of him.
- [114:21]
Boston Connor
Yeah, that was ridiculous.
- [114:23]
Pat McAfee
Most. Most people have about three friends. This is Zuckerberg, who knows everything about everybody. That was actually part of a massive thing.
- [114:30]
Boston Connor
Yeah, that massive bunker.
- [114:32]
Pat McAfee
Most people have three actual friends. Our studies say that most people are only DMing about two, three people. You know, we think that it's a big world out there, but most people, there's a demand for 15. Yeah. He didn't say it in that delivery, but he did say that.
- [114:48]
AJ Hawk
That is what he said.
- [114:49]
Pat McAfee
Hey, there's a. There's a chance that AI can supplement some friendships for people too. So maybe people don't feel as lonely. And I think everybody just starts getting very worried about all these things. Yeah, But Zuck's got a huge brain.
- [115:00]
AJ Hawk
It feels a lot like the whole demand for real estate in the fictional metaverse.
- [115:05]
Pat McAfee
That was an awesome little bit. Do you remember that they were selling real estate in a. In a world, in a headset. Yeah.
- [115:11]
Boston Connor
Yes.
- [115:12]
Pat McAfee
You can be right next to Snoop Dogg. Yeah.
- [115:14]
AJ Hawk
Yeah. And it turned out that demand for that was. Was very, very low. So I. I expect similar with the whole AI friendship, personally.
- [115:21]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [115:21]
Bruce Brown
I don't know.
- [115:22]
Pat McAfee
Humans could beat all this. I guess we all just assume that all this thing's just going to keep going and keep going and keep going and keep going. But humans can choose to do good with this stuff. Sure. You know, Certainly. I don't know if we will. I don't need an AI.
- [115:33]
Tai Schmidt
We won't.
- [115:33]
Evan Fox
AI assistant, maybe.
- [115:34]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I'm part of the problem. Yeah, I'm part of the problem. I'll have a question. I'll be like, you know what? Grock, smart.
- [115:41]
Tai Schmidt
Man up.
- [115:42]
Pat McAfee
What's going on?
- [115:43]
Bruce Brown
That's what it's meant for, though, right? That's what AI is meant.
- [115:46]
Pat McAfee
It's like new Google Grock has become like new Google for, like, new things for me.
- [115:50]
AJ Hawk
And Google is now basically just AI as well.
- [115:52]
Pat McAfee
And Google was AI.
- [115:54]
AJ Hawk
I think for us, the algorithm was basically AI, but now they're putting, you know, first result is just like. Basically their grock.
- [116:01]
Nick
Yes.
- [116:02]
Boston Connor
Google's AI got too powerful. Remember the guy who invented it quit because Sweet Black.
- [116:06]
Evan Fox
Sweet black.
- [116:07]
Boston Connor
I don't know how this works perks anymore.
- [116:08]
Pat McAfee
I'm bummed out about Sweet Blake. I'm bummed out he worked his ass off on that thing.
- [116:13]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah.
- [116:13]
AJ Hawk
Now he's missing the gold rush.
- [116:14]
Pat McAfee
He did now.
- [116:16]
Evan Fox
Oh, no, he ain't missing.
- [116:17]
Pat McAfee
Sweet place. That guy ain't missing.
- [116:19]
Bruce Brown
There he is.
- [116:20]
Pat McAfee
That guy ain't missing. We love Sweet Blake.
- [116:23]
Boston Connor
He's got a different Gold rush cover.
- [116:24]
Pat McAfee
This guy was super cane.
- [116:26]
Bruce Brown
Does he need the cane or is.
- [116:27]
AJ Hawk
That part of the penguin?
- [116:30]
Pat McAfee
It was a Halloween at the zoo.
- [116:32]
Bruce Brown
Are you sure? No, it was just what he wears.
- [116:35]
Pat McAfee
No, this isn't every day for sweet. I think the US USB sticks. Could you plug in?
- [116:39]
Evan Fox
Maybe that's his house.
- [116:40]
Pat McAfee
Could you imagine him walking into the office to work on this AI? Taking off that hat, hanging it, sitting down, looking good. Sweet Blake probably what happens this guy. Now people laugh because they probably might not know what we are referring to here. Sweet Blake has been a part of our program for a few years. Whistleblower, old office, old way.
- [117:00]
Boston Connor
This goes way back.
- [117:01]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. We've known about Sweet Blake for a long and this is actual story that happened once upon a time. Sweet Blake was one of the big builders of the algorithm, I believe at Google and AI and everything like that. And he said that it was starting to get sentient. Isn't that what he said? He said this algorithm is starting to get sentient, which means get feelings and start speaking as its own person. As opposed to just kind of a robot answering questions. It's started like thinking and stuff. And we all just assumed it's cuz Sweet Blake and his algorithm had such good friendship that the algorithm couldn't help itself. Sweet Blake was so damn charming that even a robot had to friendship.
- [117:39]
Evan Fox
Sure.
- [117:39]
Pat McAfee
Start having a little feel. There's a chance that is true. There's also a chance that he saw a lot of things potentially coming down the pipe. It was like, I don't want to be associated with this. I won't go to a Halloween at the aquarium. Yeah, I want to have a good time with my life.
- [117:50]
Evan Fox
A love story.
- [117:51]
Pat McAfee
So that is Sweet Blake in a nutshell, if I do recall correctly.
- [117:53]
Tai Schmidt
Nailed it. Absolutely. Absolutely.
- [117:55]
Pat McAfee
Pretty pumped to hear that.
- [117:57]
Boston Connor
And then when we saw that's what he looked like, we were like, what?
- [118:01]
Pat McAfee
How could you not?
- [118:02]
Boston Connor
What the hell?
- [118:03]
Pat McAfee
We don't know.
- [118:04]
Bruce Brown
He had feelings. Did he develop feelings for the AI?
- [118:07]
Boston Connor
Last name was Blake.
- [118:08]
Evan Fox
Yeah, his last name is Blake. That's what I.
- [118:09]
Pat McAfee
No, his first name's not Sweet. I think we're saying he was sweet because he was sweet man.
- [118:13]
Evan Fox
I thought for the all this whole time his name was Sweet Blake.
- [118:16]
Pat McAfee
No, we're saying he was a sweet man because he was like, it's not good. You know, like it was. And I. I don't know if he's Southern. Looks like potentially who knows where he's from. This guy is an incredible AI algorithm developer. Though I think maybe too good.
- [118:29]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, maybe too good.
- [118:30]
Boston Connor
You see some gator pouring out of his mouth.
- [118:32]
Pat McAfee
I mean, there's a chance. There's chance. Who brought up eating gator the other day?
- [118:35]
Evan Fox
His real name is Blake Lamone.
- [118:36]
Pat McAfee
Break Limone.
- [118:37]
Tai Schmidt
Okay.
- [118:38]
AJ Hawk
Certainly Sweet.
- [118:43]
Pat McAfee
Tyler Shuck eating.
- [118:44]
Boston Connor
Oh yeah, Will Campbell gator thing was. Yeah, Will Campbell Campbell.
- [118:47]
Pat McAfee
Thank you.
- [118:48]
Boston Connor
Tyler Shuck.
- [118:49]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, we're going gator hunting.
- [118:51]
Pat McAfee
Are we going gator hunting? Is that. I don't want to. Yeah. I watched that barefooted guy from Florida. Did you see him? What was his name?
- [118:57]
Evan Fox
He was a dog.
- [118:57]
Pat McAfee
The Barefoot Brawler or something. He on the highway. State police down there in Florida called. This man said, sir, we've been watching your Instagram reels. We need you. We got about a 10 footer here with a fat neck right here in between the highway. And he barefoot jacked.
- [119:14]
Boston Connor
Delivered.
- [119:15]
Pat McAfee
Absolutely jacked. Running in and. Like a zoo. Yep. Go Kiko. Back to the beginning of that. Did they have the beginning? Boom, There he is. Look at this guy. Runs up to this thing. Yep. Let me go ahead and go face to face with his gator. Drags his ass out on the street. You're in my world now. Okay. Cops had to stop the highway.
- [119:33]
Tai Schmidt
What are we doing?
- [119:34]
Pat McAfee
Rides that thing, tapes it up, it fights yet again, gets him another round. And then he. He in the state police say, you know, let's get this thing out of here. We've seen your Instagram reels. We knew you'd come through. What's his name up there? Something Brawler. Is it up?
- [119:50]
Bruce Brown
I think he thought about just throwing that thing into traffic and let him run it over.
- [119:55]
Boston Connor
Yeah, I think they thought about it.
- [119:56]
Pat McAfee
I think he. There was a chance he was focused just on that gator.
- [119:59]
Tai Schmidt
I think he didn't see the trap.
- [120:00]
Pat McAfee
Oh yeah, a Florida man. Keep scrolling. There'll be something that says his name. He is like he's a blue collar brawler. There he is. Yeah, he is. That's his thing. Because I went and checked out. That is his thing. Those the alligator corrallers down there in Florida? What a gig. Just like Steve Irwin. Rest in peace. Rest in peace. We watch. Steve Irwin will go and dance with those crocodiles, you know. And I know if it's ever one on one, you gotta be. Can't let it see you. You gotta be behind it. And then if you get on that thing, you can Beat it.
- [120:32]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [120:32]
Boston Connor
Oh, yeah.
- [120:32]
Pat McAfee
You can beat that thing if you get on the proper state. This is if you need it. Now it's going to try to buck you like a rodeo. And it's going to have the.
- [120:39]
Nick
You got to cover their eyes too. They'll go to sleep.
- [120:41]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And if you put them on their back, I think they go nightly. You start to rub their belly. So what you need to do is you need to get them, you need to snatch them, and then you need to roll over on your back. Big spoon, small spoon, alligator.
- [120:53]
Evan Fox
Bingo.
- [120:53]
Pat McAfee
Because when it's on its back, that thing will fall asleep.
- [120:55]
Boston Connor
Exactly.
- [120:56]
Pat McAfee
And go and take that Moshe shut. And then you say, what are you gonna do now? You kind of flip it back over and say, what? What? That's. I think that's what Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin did.
- [121:03]
Evan Fox
You want to talk about Jack? You ever. Have you seen Steve, sweet boy.
- [121:07]
Pat McAfee
Lately?
- [121:07]
Boston Connor
Yeah. Oh, yeah, he's growing up.
- [121:10]
Pat McAfee
He. He did some at the draft.
- [121:12]
Evan Fox
He did.
- [121:13]
Boston Connor
I think he did do a Dancing.
- [121:15]
Bruce Brown
With the Stars as well. He's doing. I heard.
- [121:17]
Pat McAfee
Did he do a pick? I think I just.
- [121:18]
Boston Connor
I thought he did.
- [121:19]
Pat McAfee
He did a pick from Australia, I believe. And now remember, Roger Goodell said something about a game in Australia, probably a good play to try to. Who you going to get, you know, become. Be friends. They have a reality show about a sanctuary they have over there. That family, the Irwin family. It's a.
- [121:32]
Evan Fox
Just a good family.
- [121:33]
Pat McAfee
I'll tell you what. Yeah.
- [121:34]
Evan Fox
I wholehearted family.
- [121:36]
Pat McAfee
They got a lot of courage. They got a lot of courage. You know, I know animals generally loving beings. I think most, you know, some are just hunters. They're just trying to eat. So I don't know if they can. I don't know if empathy is a trait that they have. No, but there are. There are a lot of animals where if you just keep them fed, they seemingly are pretty cool. So like a lot of these sanctuaries that you see, I see people taking pictures with them. And then we saw Tiger King. There's rolling up in there. Yeah. But at any moment, you know, like there was a safari video that resurfaced in my algorithm where that lioness runs and jumps in the thing and starts rubbing like a house cat on the people that are in the safari car or whatever, whatever. And everybody's. Ah, this is awesome.
- [122:18]
Tai Schmidt
Tell us.
- [122:19]
Pat McAfee
Not one second, one second.
- [122:24]
AJ Hawk
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- [123:00]
Pat McAfee
At Harbor Freight, which goes back to the gorilla conversation. Yeah, I haven't seen AI simulations.
- [123:09]
AJ Hawk
Oh yeah?
- [123:09]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. But I don't like the AI simulations.
- [123:12]
Bruce Brown
I have not seen any. How's it going?
- [123:13]
Pat McAfee
A lot of them. 10,000 verse. A million. They've done the hundred verse one. They've done all this. But the algorithm in the simulation doesn't have the scheme, the strategy, the in game audibles that humans will have. That is what has separated us from primates is. Is the opposable flop. Yep, sure. Big deal. And then our. I think reason and logic. I think. I don't know why we. He got it. To be honest, I have no idea. Sometimes it feels like some people, not everybody. Yeah. Bingo. Didn't. But it's like that. That can't account for that. So I'm seeing a lot of people saying we're dead. You know, this gorilla simulation. Boom, boom.
- [123:47]
Nick
You're gonna need somebody to coach or organize the squad. So you got to come up with somebody who can lead the. The other 99.
- [123:54]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I need a whistle. Mikel Harbaugh. Mike Fra. Because if it gets down to Vrael and Gr. Gorilla or one, even if he has one guy, two humans. Variable being one of them. Yeah, Variable will definitely step in probably with five, I assume is when he'd step. Who's our MVP that we're sending in that we know. So the MVP are these people that we got to talk into.
- [124:17]
Bruce Brown
The first 25 deaths, the first 25 bullet catchers. That's what.
- [124:21]
Pat McAfee
And they just need. They're doing it, you know, give them meth. For real.
- [124:25]
Bruce Brown
Have you seen those videos of guys on meth? And they're getting tased over and over and over again. Again they keep coming. And that's what we need to give these people.
- [124:30]
Pat McAfee
And it could win. You know, that's the selling point to them. Could, but most likely dead. And that's. This would be. Have to be like end of world situation. Okay. That would. It would have to be death row end of world situation here. Yeah. Like, hey, this is the only way. And those 10 people would have to be the most confident and also the most willing to be like, if I go down, I go down here, okay? For the good of everybody. Because we're going to learn from those.
- [124:52]
Evan Fox
First 10, I think, highly motivated human.
- [124:54]
Pat McAfee
Beings that's gonna be.
- [124:55]
Bruce Brown
No, we're not. We're not gonna learn. We're just gonna learn to tire the thing out. That's the only hope. Hey, this thing killed so many people, it's dead tired.
- [125:00]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, but every animal, I'd assume, has a flaw.
- [125:04]
Tai Schmidt
Yes.
- [125:05]
Pat McAfee
Like, what if the gorilla we're fighting doesn't have a good left hook? Doesn't have a good left hand? We don't know. What if there was an injury back in the woods that we don't know about? Left ankle maybe just kind of dinged up a little bit? I think we'll learn that through the first 10. Everybody's assuming this is 100%. Is anything 100? No, I don't think. Well, unless gorillas just don't get injured.
- [125:25]
Tai Schmidt
No, they do.
- [125:25]
Pat McAfee
They have to sprain an ankle.
- [125:27]
Evan Fox
Tell you what they do. Their flaw is, and I've read a lot about it, is their endurance. Like, yeah, they're short. Super tired.
- [125:33]
Boston Connor
That's why. Do we send 10 guys to die, or do we send one at a time? No, 10. You know, great colleagues, Lesnar.
- [125:40]
Tai Schmidt
We only need one.
- [125:42]
Pat McAfee
Kali, are you talking into this?
- [125:45]
Tai Schmidt
He'd do it willingly.
- [125:47]
Boston Connor
Yeah, I think he's already done it.
- [125:48]
Pat McAfee
I saw him circulating the Internet, and I thought. I forgot about how big some humans can get.
- [125:52]
Tai Schmidt
He's big.
- [125:53]
Evan Fox
Brock is also the same size as a gorilla.
- [125:55]
Pat McAfee
Brock. Yeah. And I assume Brock has not heard about this, you know, because he's out in the middle of the woods in Canada. I'd assume he's probably offended Super. By the conversation.
- [126:10]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [126:11]
Pat McAfee
A hundred.
- [126:12]
AJ Hawk
Come on.
- [126:12]
Pat McAfee
On. Yeah.
- [126:14]
Bruce Brown
How much does a silverback weigh? Like a normal silverback. What do they wear?
- [126:17]
Evan Fox
It was like four or five hundred pounds.
- [126:19]
Pat McAfee
Think about Bones Jones. Okay. And now I know. Now we're maybe disrespecting the athleticism of a silverback.
- [126:28]
Evan Fox
I don't think.
- [126:29]
Pat McAfee
Okay, I. I might be doing that at this moment. And to all the silverback gorillas that are listening, no disrespect. I'm standing up for humans here. You think Bones Jones ain't gonna be able to. Exactly.
- [126:41]
AJ Hawk
A couple leg kicks, maybe he's got.
- [126:43]
Bruce Brown
That nice kick, that little teep kick right to the chest to hope we.
- [126:45]
Nick
Knock the window, knock the wind out of.
- [126:48]
Pat McAfee
How fast? How fast? How fast these things go?
- [126:53]
Evan Fox
Not that fast.
- [126:54]
AJ Hawk
Fast.
- [126:54]
Bruce Brown
Yeah.
- [126:55]
Tai Schmidt
I think when they get moving, they.
- [126:56]
Pat McAfee
Put a video plus, so are we.
- [127:00]
Bruce Brown
Yeah, they're quick. Twitch.
- [127:02]
Evan Fox
Their max speed is 25 miles an hour.
- [127:04]
Pat McAfee
Okay. Jeez Louise.
- [127:05]
AJ Hawk
Tom will.
- [127:06]
Pat McAfee
A little bit faster than us. A little bit faster than us because we're like, what, 22, 23 miles an hour. Yeah.
- [127:11]
Evan Fox
The fastest.
- [127:11]
Pat McAfee
The fastest. Which is probably the fastest. Is every gorilla going 25 miles an hour. I got it.
- [127:16]
Boston Connor
I bet the heaviest ones aren't.
- [127:18]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Just like humans there. So we got to figure out in bones, if he wanted to run 25 miles an hour the other way, he probably could do that. Or 20 miles an hour the other way. Silverback gorillas can run at speeds between 23 and 25 miles per hour. Putting the International Fund for Animal Welfare. They can run using both legs and arms, which is a different animal. It's going to be tough to take down. Going to be tough to take down. Comparison. The average male human runs at about eight miles. Oh, I don't think that's correct. Okay. They're comparing their absolute best versus our absolutely normal. I don't like the way this thing's talking. This is what sweet Blake was talking about.
- [127:48]
Tai Schmidt
Exactly.
- [127:49]
Pat McAfee
This is Google right here. This is the way they're selling it. With that being said, it's going to be a tall task, but Brock Lesnar in there, trained fighters in there.
- [127:56]
Tai Schmidt
I mean, Bones Jones, like, you know.
- [127:58]
Pat McAfee
Eight miles an hour.
- [127:59]
Tai Schmidt
When gorillas are fighting each other, they're kind of just grappling. Like, can you imagine when those things eating a spinning back elbow, like, they're not ready for that. I'd never seen that. It'd be like Rocky for. He opens up a cut underneath his eye. It's like, holy. The gorilla's cut.
- [128:13]
Pat McAfee
Go, go, go.
- [128:14]
Tai Schmidt
I mean, there's a good chance he'll.
- [128:15]
Pat McAfee
Do that little forehead game. Yeah. And the gorilla will probably learn quickly and do this. You know, there'll be a feel out.
- [128:21]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah. I poke Brock Lesnar.
- [128:23]
Pat McAfee
Brock Lesnar will have. He'll go for a double leg. Now, if the gorilla's on all four is going to be tough. He just. Just go to the back. Yep. With his right hand on his right elbow and his left hand on his back. You know, that is like kind of the startup of amateur wrestling, freestyle wrestling. Right. So Brock understand grab. Then he'll, you know, do the thing, maybe break an arm.
- [128:42]
Boston Connor
It's a ty's point, too. Like, that gorilla takes an F5. Are you kidding me? He's gonna have no idea.
- [128:47]
Evan Fox
If we get to pick humans, we.
- [128:48]
Boston Connor
Might only need 10.
- [128:49]
Pat McAfee
Well, I saw Kyle Van Noy put together a list. It was awesome. He put me on the list, and I wanted to thank him, but also tell him I'm okay watching if that's. If there's a. An availability for that. He. He put together a pretty good NFL team. Just all the history NFL greats. Like, if we put all these people on a team now, I think they would all have to be in their prime. So if we're fighting the gorilla, we need to be able to get everybody in their prime as well.
- [129:14]
Bruce Brown
Is it in a. Is it an enclosed. Do they say, like, is this an enclosed area? Like, how big is the arena?
- [129:19]
Pat McAfee
I assume it's a sanctuary. Yeah.
- [129:21]
Evan Fox
Yeah.
- [129:21]
Bruce Brown
I mean, basically, you. What if he run all of a sudden, they. They blow the whistle and the girl just sprints directly at all. 100.
- [129:28]
Tai Schmidt
Flying knee.
- [129:28]
Pat McAfee
It's a fly, isn't it?
- [129:29]
Evan Fox
Knee.
- [129:30]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Or Mike.
- [129:30]
Boston Connor
All stop with a football.
- [129:32]
AJ Hawk
We're getting, like, Spartan for me. Try to flip it up.
- [129:34]
Evan Fox
Someone takes his legs out.
- [129:36]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Okay. Backdrop.
- [129:37]
Evan Fox
Like, you just take. You take. Yeah, you take Brock and you take the. Every heavy heavyweight NCAA champion from the last, I don't know, five years.
- [129:45]
Pat McAfee
Imagine he does a back.
- [129:46]
Evan Fox
Who's our. Who's the air Force guy? Who, Gable?
- [129:48]
Pat McAfee
Why? Hendrickson.
- [129:50]
Boston Connor
Those three.
- [129:51]
Evan Fox
I put those three up against.
- [129:52]
Pat McAfee
Okay, so we're not sending them first, right? We're letting them get a read on the putt in the scramble. We're sending some others to tire down.
- [129:58]
Boston Connor
20 to 50 are where the five stars go in.
- [130:01]
Pat McAfee
Okay.
- [130:01]
Boston Connor
You know, 11 to 20 are the crackheads or death row inmates.
- [130:06]
Pat McAfee
Jeez. And then just those who sign up.
- [130:09]
Boston Connor
Yeah. 51 to 75 are cleanup crew. Our CIA murderers. 1 through 20 is, like, Dicky Seals.
- [130:16]
Evan Fox
Dicky Eckles type guys.
- [130:17]
Nick
If we're in a sanctuary, you may not even need that many because, like, there's rocks on. You just pick up a rock.
- [130:23]
Pat McAfee
I don't like.
- [130:24]
Boston Connor
Whoa.
- [130:24]
Bruce Brown
He can pick him up, too.
- [130:26]
Evan Fox
Open field.
- [130:26]
Pat McAfee
No. And you know what they do? They, like, sharpen tools. Oh, yeah.
- [130:30]
Boston Connor
Oh, yeah.
- [130:31]
Pat McAfee
What if the. What if the gorilla goes away for the night because he's tired from fighting all the things? It becomes like a war. That's what he comes back the next day with, like, a bow and arrow that he pulls out.
- [130:41]
Boston Connor
Can't let that happen.
- [130:42]
Pat McAfee
Zito just. Zito just said guerrilla warfare. Yeah, yeah, exactly. He comes back with. He's got, like. He's got Gear.
- [130:50]
Bruce Brown
He's got all kind of gear. He's got a vest on. He's got like a bulletproof vest that.
- [130:54]
Pat McAfee
He made, they say. Now, granted, I see videos of them just eating their poop too, but, yeah, I'll see other. Cleaning their fruits. And like, you watch it and it's like, damn, man. They're doing a lot of like, pretty sophisticated stuff. If this thing goes to a day two, and there's a. For an overnight or a fortnight.
- [131:11]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, we might be in trouble.
- [131:12]
Pat McAfee
That might be.
- [131:12]
Boston Connor
There's no way.
- [131:13]
Pat McAfee
What if he takes the trees?
- [131:15]
Bruce Brown
Oh, yeah, he can climb the trees, right. And attack you from the tree.
- [131:19]
Pat McAfee
Right back up. But, you know, we got though we can build bow and arrows too. Oh, yeah.
- [131:23]
Bruce Brown
Oh, I mean, if we got weapons.
- [131:24]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [131:24]
AJ Hawk
What you do to my head with a gun?
- [131:26]
Bruce Brown
I mean, come on.
- [131:27]
Pat McAfee
All right, well, we don't got a gun.
- [131:28]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, it's what you.
- [131:31]
Pat McAfee
What do they have a gun tree out there?
- [131:33]
Bruce Brown
Well, you're going to fashion a boat arrow out of some wood.
- [131:36]
Pat McAfee
The gorilla Mike, you don't. Yes. By the way, I want to see.
- [131:40]
Bruce Brown
Honestly, all this just. I want to see it happen. Like, we've been talking so much. We need to. Someone needs to put this together.
- [131:44]
Pat McAfee
Well, I saw that. Yep. Cook the Books. No. Yeah, I think his name is Cook the Books. I'm sorry, I don't know his name. He's good. Good energy, good juice. Covers a lot of just good. Fuck. What is his name? I need to get. I need to. He said Mr. Beast is going to offer up 10 million bucks.
- [132:04]
Evan Fox
Oh, for sure.
- [132:05]
Pat McAfee
He did a full. Hi, I'm Mr. Beast and I'm offering up a 10 million dollar prize. And then it's for. I need a hundred people to come fight a gorilla or whatever. And it's like, I don't think we're at that stage. I don't think that's what Mr. Beast is about. But it is hilarious to think that we just said, yeah, somebody needs to do this. Yeah. Okay. We do not need to be watching this, but our algorithm will pop up.
- [132:24]
Joe Ortiz
Somebody watch the.
- [132:26]
Pat McAfee
Out of this. Dude. It's crazy. Crazy things that pop up into the algorithm every once in a while. I'm like, how is this allowed on the. How is this allowed on the Internet right now?
- [132:32]
Evan Fox
You wouldn't watch it.
- [132:33]
Pat McAfee
What's that? No. No way. No way. No way, dude.
- [132:37]
Boston Connor
I would watch it.
- [132:38]
Bruce Brown
What do you mean?
- [132:39]
Boston Connor
What are you worried it's over?
- [132:40]
Pat McAfee
What am I worried about?
- [132:41]
Bruce Brown
Yeah.
- [132:42]
Pat McAfee
To what?
- [132:42]
Bruce Brown
By watching it. What's it gonna do?
- [132:44]
Pat McAfee
I just don't want to know that that's possible. Yeah. In my head, I want to be like, we win. We keep it moving.
- [132:49]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [132:49]
Pat McAfee
And then you think, I'm gonna tune in and just watch us. Yeah.
- [132:52]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah.
- [132:52]
Pat McAfee
Massive disclaimer in the beginning, by the way.
- [132:54]
Tai Schmidt
Seeing that first guy get his head ripped out like a Mortal Kombat fatality.
- [132:59]
AJ Hawk
Like pimples.
- [133:00]
Pat McAfee
No way.
- [133:03]
Tai Schmidt
I'd for sure watch that if I. If I was guaranteed.
- [133:06]
Pat McAfee
This is. We're in a bad spot right now.
- [133:08]
Bruce Brown
He's gonna throw the head at the next guy, the first. He rips the first head off and he fires the head of the neck.
- [133:12]
Tai Schmidt
He uses the tip of the spine like a spear and throws it right through it.
- [133:15]
Evan Fox
So this would be more watchful.
- [133:17]
Pat McAfee
You guys would watch us. Coming up. I can't wait.
- [133:20]
Bruce Brown
I would Pay to watch.
- [133:21]
Pat McAfee
Two and a half billion a part of the problem.
- [133:23]
Boston Connor
70. When human 78 finally rips that gorilla's throat out.
- [133:28]
Pat McAfee
The celebration of society.
- [133:29]
Boston Connor
It's going to be like, we won World War II.
- [133:31]
Pat McAfee
That's like Truman Show. You know, you watch Truman show and you think to yourself, like, that would be crazy if that was how it was. But you are being tra. You're being filmed everywhere. Like, everywhere you go, you hop in a car, they're filming you. You walk on a street, they're filming you. For us, you're at an airplane, airport, you're being filmed. Any arena, you're being filmed. It's like everywhere you're being filmed at this point. And everything is content, seemingly. You know these guys that are just live streaming, walking around.
- [133:58]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, yeah.
- [134:00]
Pat McAfee
What a dime. They're like, you could. You know how electric you got to be just to have a film just walking around you. We'll see KSI and Speed tomorrow.
- [134:08]
AJ Hawk
Hell yeah.
- [134:09]
Pat McAfee
Tomorrow night at the Fatal Fury situation of wolves once in a lifetime event at Times Square, New York. Aj, have you heard about this?
- [134:18]
Bruce Brown
No. What are they doing?
- [134:19]
Pat McAfee
How do you mean you haven't heard? What the fuck are you talking about?
- [134:22]
Bruce Brown
I've heard of this, but everything else that you just mentioned, I have not heard. I know the boxing match, but what does K signal?
- [134:28]
Pat McAfee
Romero, Devin Haney, Jose Ramirez. So many storylines going into Times Square, including a once in a lifetime boxing event happening directly in the second center of Times Square. There's a firefighter fighting a policeman. There's obviously massive people on the rise fighting, and it's going to be a spectacle. And I think I'm going to be there live tomorrow. For this particular program. And then I'll be doing a kickoff to the countdown to the once in a lifetime event with Booker T. Hell, yeah. Okay. We'll be doing. We'll be doing a countdown show to the event with Booker T. It'll be on our YouTube and it'll be on D. We will have special guests during the countdown to the once in a lifetime event. I think Mike Tyson, potentially Lampley stopping by. I mean, we're going to be Jim Lampley. I think so. I think we're going to be. Yeah.
- [135:22]
Bruce Brown
Somehow in the middle of who's calling the fights. Do you know who's calling the fight?
- [135:24]
Pat McAfee
Lampley. Yeah, he is. Yeah. So I think he'll be joining us before calling the fight. Like, obviously, I am not in the boxing world. Okay. Love sport, watch sport. Went to PAL a couple times in Boys park in Plum to learn boxing. They sent me shadow or they just had me do this footwork thing for like three straight times. And other people were having fun fighting. And I was like, okay, this is. I'm not gonna be able to fit this. I just. Just the whole time. Just did this the whole time. Just, ah, okay. Are we gonna. Yeah, fundamentals. So I've always had a respect for the sport. I don't know the inside Booker T. I guess. No, I mean, he is in it. But we're gonna bring people, obviously, that know and getting the opportunity to do this. I appreciate them wanting to expand potentially, you know, like, hey, people that don't necessarily just know boxing, like, the people that watch our show, they think that our people are gonna enjoy what they're putting together. And to be honest, when I was pitched me, I was like, I don't know if I'm the right guy for a boxing thing. They're like, it's times. First we're hosting one in Times Square. It's like we want it to be a big celebration with our sport being in the middle of it. So it's an honor to be asked and I can't wait to get over there. I think it's going to be pretty electrifying, legit. And obviously, Garcia being on the card, that's a massive name. Haney being on the card. Obviously, Garcia and Haney have the rivalry that they have in the last fight. Missing weight, the money, the find, the everything like that. They're yelling at each other. They're not even fighting each other. So it's been like a spectacle all week leading up to this in New York. And yeah, it's an honor that we're going to be over there tomorrow legitimately, and I think the boxing world's going to show. I think these are going to be good fights. From what I've been. I've been doing as much research as I possibly can on this. I think they're all going to be good fights. Good, good matchups.
- [137:07]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, definitely. This is a, a stacked three fight main card that basically determines the future of the welterweight and the super lightweight divisions moving forward. Kicking it off with the battle of the badges is sick. FDNY versus nypd. They've been doing this for, for years at the theater underneath Madison Square Garden. That FDNY guy, James Jurani, Ladder 24 out of Midtown. Ladder 24, say no more. He's taken on Joel Allen. That guy has been fighting for like 20 years doing kickboxing, boxing and MMA, so that'll be awesome. The Tsutsumi guy is a. He's been an amateur forever in Japan. He's 26 and 2 as an amateur. He's coming over here to make his first professional fight. He's a bit of a phenom, if you will. Teofimo Lopez is the champion in the super lightweight slash junior welterweight division. He's sort of like that eye of the tiger story where in 2020.
- [138:26]
Pat McAfee
Where.
- [138:26]
AJ Hawk
He upset Lomachenko in 2020, which was like a big time shocker. He was like + 1100 to do that. Lomachenko was like the Ukrainian, you know, world beater, former top of this division. He knocked him off, obviously he's the champion. Then immediately lost the next fight. And then he worked his way back up, reclaimed his titles. And along the way he started to question if he still had that eye of the tiger. He was like asking his corner, am I still good enough to do this? After he got his titles back, he actually retired, but he's still chugging along. And Barbosa Jr looks very confident.
- [139:00]
Pat McAfee
In the pre fight interviews that I watched. Yeah. Sunglasses on, hat on. I can tell, like every sport there's a chance you can lose your confidence, especially in fighting.
- [139:08]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, yeah.
- [139:08]
Pat McAfee
I assume more so in fighting you gotta have a blind confidence in a sport where it's. The other person could kill you. Like, you have to be very confident and you're gonna get hit. So you have to battle through adversity. Confidence helps you with that entire thing. It looks like he's all the way back from the videos that we've been sent over by the Zone for the pre.
- [139:26]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, big time. And he's young, he's what, 25, 26 years old. So he, you know, he's got a ton in front of him. Barbosa Jr. Who he's taking on. He's 33 years old, 32. 0. His, his problem really hasn't been in the ring. It's been getting over outside of the ring sort of that like more entertainment side where like you know, probably a lot of stuff.
- [139:45]
Pat McAfee
Undefeated.
- [139:46]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, he's 32. 0. Undefeated. He was on the Devin Haney Ryan Garcia card. He was the fight before them. Won a controversial split decision against an Irishman. But he's chugging along, he's tough as hell, he's tatted up and he's, he's big for the weight class. Then going up you got Devin Haney, you know, so he lost to Ryan Garcia technically and then afterwards the whole drug test thing, it became a no contest. So Devin Haney right now remains undefeated. Needed and this is sort of a, a get back spot. He's trying to get back on top but he's not fighting a slous. Jose Ramirez is a former champion baseball.
- [140:24]
Tai Schmidt
Player basement for the Cleveland Guardians and.
- [140:27]
AJ Hawk
Third baseman who absolutely rigs for the Cleveland Guardians. But he, he's you know a tough some. He's been a former champion in the, in the super lightweight division. But Devin Haney's probably the best pure boxer on the card.
- [140:42]
Pat McAfee
See I see him on the, on Instagram.
- [140:44]
Evan Fox
What's Haiti do?
- [140:45]
Pat McAfee
Rolling shoulders which, what's his style?
- [140:46]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, he think about like a slightly bigger than a, you know, Floyd Mayweather where he's trying to touch you and not get touched. Counter punch, put on, put on one of those shows where he takes zero damage.
- [140:59]
Evan Fox
I don't know, I, I can't visual. Can you show? Can you show?
- [141:02]
AJ Hawk
You know, please Bruce. Keeping distance.
- [141:09]
Boston Connor
Stand up a bit. Let us see.
- [141:14]
AJ Hawk
He's phenomenal though. He, he's the best technical fighter. He ran into trouble with Ryan basically missing weight. Coming in like eight pounds bigger than him and just kind of out muscle in him and then you know, the top of the card, Ryan Garcia. If we were to bring all these boxers to the punching machine right over there, Ryan Garcia would have the high score. His left hook is absolutely disgusting. His right, right hooks nothing to sneeze at either. He's been, he's almost like the child star of the sport where like he had like 8 million Instagram followers before he had really done anything in boxing just because of the fast hands, you know that he was showing up and.
- [141:49]
Pat McAfee
He would do that Left hook challenge body shots. Yeah yeah, Body shots and he was melting people. Yeah. He was a social media. He's social media boxer. I was impressed with how fast. Oh yeah. And how about that thing that was moving which I assume a lot of boxers watchers use and it is a normal for their. He was the first one that I was watching like on a regular basis and dominating.
- [142:08]
AJ Hawk
Yeah. I mean you don't see a lot of guys posting that when they're on that.
- [142:12]
Pat McAfee
That bag.
- [142:12]
AJ Hawk
It is insanely difficult to do what he does with it and it only comes when you, you know, he grew up boxing in his. In his parents garage when he was, you know, probably six years old. He's just been doing it his whole life. Insane power, fast hands. He. He only really runs into trouble because he just kind of stands there and, and will let himself get into a brawl when he probably should stick and move.
- [142:34]
Tai Schmidt
We love him a little bit more.
- [142:36]
AJ Hawk
And Rolly Romero is why we love him. Rolly Romero, interesting matchup, is kind of the quintessential brawler. He just wants to muck it up, throw a thousand punches. Doesn't care much about getting hit in the head.
- [142:47]
Pat McAfee
He.
- [142:47]
AJ Hawk
He'll take it and keep it moving. So that, that's kind of what. What we're looking at.
- [142:51]
Pat McAfee
All right, so we have a big time fight card tomorrow night. Yeah. The fight will not be on YouTube. Our YouTube, just the pre show will be on YouTube and we'll be sending you to I believe the Dazone app and it. The Ring magazine is putting this together. Is it going to be on their stuff too or is it. I think it's on just on Disown.
- [143:08]
AJ Hawk
I believe it is just on Disowned. Ring magazine has been around since like 1920.
- [143:12]
Pat McAfee
Of course.
- [143:12]
AJ Hawk
Obviously recently changed hands, new ownership. They're. They're just a written word site. I believe they got their own so hard. They got their own types.
- [143:21]
Evan Fox
What are you saying?
- [143:22]
Boston Connor
It's still hard to like visualize. Bruce's breakdown was great. I just can't.
- [143:26]
Pat McAfee
I couldn't.
- [143:27]
Bruce Brown
I don't know what it looks like.
- [143:27]
Pat McAfee
You're talking about being a pure box.
- [143:29]
Boston Connor
Being able to actually see it. Yeah, that's like the, the.
- [143:31]
Pat McAfee
What did you mean by like.
- [143:32]
Evan Fox
What did you mean by like stick and get out?
- [143:34]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Slipping. I think you said slipping like, like.
- [143:38]
Bruce Brown
What'S the footwork like?
- [143:39]
Pat McAfee
If only somebody had been a trained boxer.
- [143:41]
Tai Schmidt
I know.
- [143:42]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, so that would be good.
- [143:43]
AJ Hawk
The sticking moves.
- [143:44]
Evan Fox
You stick a movie.
- [143:46]
Bruce Brown
Here we go.
- [143:46]
Pat McAfee
Bone foul shit.
- [143:49]
Boston Connor
Okay.
- [143:50]
Bruce Brown
You get in the ring and do it.
- [143:51]
AJ Hawk
Oh and then Ryan's famous for his dance.
- [143:55]
Pat McAfee
Hey, one time, one time. One time. Get in there. Is that how they get in the book? Stick. Your move. Stick him in. One, two. Wow. Oh, it's hook. Body's not going to like that. Sticks. Committed to the jab with a hook.
- [144:19]
Evan Fox
Find your dish, find your distance.
- [144:21]
Boston Connor
Wait, Tony. Is that actually what it looks like, though? I thought.
- [144:24]
Evan Fox
Yeah, that is what it looks like. He did a great job.
- [144:26]
Boston Connor
Oh, I thought Tony said he had.
- [144:27]
Pat McAfee
Kind of a. Oh, yeah, cuz, Tony. Tony has a different style.
- [144:30]
Boston Connor
More of an Italian bog.
- [144:32]
Pat McAfee
He's more of an up and over.
- [144:33]
Evan Fox
I'm more of a trainer. I'm more of a corner guy. You know, you got to find your distance.
- [144:36]
Pat McAfee
Thanks. Way to stick and move here. Way to stick.
- [144:38]
Evan Fox
Throw the jab to find the distance, and then, you know, know you parry and then you're in.
- [144:43]
Pat McAfee
Well said.
- [144:44]
Boston Connor
I thought you were gonna also show us your kind of stuff.
- [144:46]
Pat McAfee
Oh, yeah, the ring right there.
- [144:48]
Boston Connor
Tony, you might as well.
- [144:49]
Evan Fox
I will not do what Bruce just did.
- [144:50]
Pat McAfee
Bruce. That was pretty good.
- [144:51]
Tai Schmidt
That was good.
- [144:52]
Pat McAfee
That was good.
- [144:53]
Boston Connor
You won't do what Bruce just did because you have a different style. That's our pull.
- [144:56]
Pat McAfee
You looked. You looked.
- [144:57]
Evan Fox
Save some for the show.
- [144:58]
Pat McAfee
You look like you were giving it there.
- [144:59]
AJ Hawk
Thank you.
- [145:00]
Pat McAfee
I respect that.
- [145:01]
AJ Hawk
I was flashing back.
- [145:02]
Bruce Brown
Did Bruce grow up boxing?
- [145:03]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [145:04]
Tai Schmidt
Long time.
- [145:04]
Boston Connor
Yeah.
- [145:06]
Pat McAfee
No.
- [145:06]
Boston Connor
Mike Tyson's his grandfather.
- [145:08]
Evan Fox
He won golden gloves at what, 30, 13 or 14.
- [145:11]
Pat McAfee
Baron, you know, Baron Corbin actual. Yeah. Like Golden Gloves as a teenager. Now he's doing jujitsu and rolling people. It's like, that's a good thing. I think people like. I do wish I would have went back a couple times, you know, And, I mean, I feel like I got what was going on in there, sure. But I don't have. I don't have three free hours in the week with my current soccer schedule.
- [145:32]
Tai Schmidt
Right now to just move back and.
- [145:33]
Pat McAfee
Forth, walk back and forth. I respect what you're doing. I understand what's happening here. But, man, with my add, I can't believe I got through two of them, to be honest. I. I can't believe they torture you. I understand. It's a lot of respect, and you got to be disciplined. You got to get through it. But I feel like they chased me out of there pretty quick. I might have been good.
- [145:49]
Evan Fox
Go to the boys park one.
- [145:51]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was right down there. I felt so good walking in there. I'm like, here's a smart idea. Yeah, I'm gonna go there. All right, front of that mirror right there.
- [145:59]
Tai Schmidt
See what you got.
- [146:01]
Pat McAfee
Go forward and go back, clean some stuff. It's like, all right, I'll do that. But I think, you know, when you start watching it, especially the really good guys, and obviously I'm not. If you're a boxing enthusiast, you're gonna say that I'm an here. But, like, watching the people like Tyson Fury when he took on the Alabama Hammer, Watch it like his.
- [146:23]
AJ Hawk
And then head movement.
- [146:24]
Pat McAfee
Floyd, you know, all their footwork.
- [146:26]
Bruce Brown
Their footwork is nuts. Like, he mentioned Lomachenko. That dude's footwork is off the charts. Like, it's. That's really cool to watch him move.
- [146:31]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And him talking about Haney, like, not getting hit. Like, your expectation of boxing is like, these guys like to get punched. They don't care, and they want to punch people. It's like, no, it feels like these really good ones are just so much quicker than you. What was that thing that happened with Canelo at, like, a press? Like, it was like a matrix type situation where Canelo just moves his head and, like, slips something. It's like that just the human ability to be able to do that is the athleticism that requires. Because you gotta have awareness, obviously, then your brain, your quick twitch muscles have to be trained. And then also it just has to be a sense of feel that you have in there while everything else is happening. It's like, you gotta grow up doing that. Yeah, yeah.
- [147:10]
Boston Connor
Reaction time.
- [147:10]
Pat McAfee
That's why the celebrity boxers. Anytime celebrity boxing happens, the. All the old school boxing people are like, if they take on an actual boxer, they're dead. And it's like, yeah, but they're not fighting an actual box. They're fighting like a. Like a former mixed martial artist. Yeah, yeah. But they need to fight a boxer if they want to get into. It's like, maybe one year, but like, it's just like whenever you golf with a kid that golfed in high school, it's like those boxers just know, like, the shoulder protection just is coming out of nowhere. Like Tyson Fury's little brother whenever he fought Jake.
- [147:37]
Boston Connor
Tommy.
- [147:37]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, exactly.
- [147:38]
Pat McAfee
I don't think Tommy's like, right.
- [147:40]
AJ Hawk
No, he's not insane, but he, you know, grew Life. Grew up boxing and was a professional boxer. And then obviously he goes in there with Jake, and it looks way different than all of Jake's previous fights.
- [147:48]
Pat McAfee
And it looks different probably for Tommy's previous fights, too, whenever he was in there as well. And it's like Jake still continued to work there. And I think Jake is him committing himself at this stage of life to boxing.
- [147:57]
AJ Hawk
His natural talent and just pure punch power for a guy who didn't grow up doing it is actually insane ability.
- [148:03]
Pat McAfee
To commit hard sport to commit to. I just talked about walking back and forth.
- [148:06]
Tai Schmidt
Especially when you're as rich as he.
- [148:08]
Pat McAfee
Is and successful and have other businesses.
- [148:10]
Tai Schmidt
It's like signing up to get punched in the face all the time. And it is very sweat and being miserable.
- [148:16]
AJ Hawk
You don't get punched face, like all the time in the training aspect. And it is very fulfilling when you, like, climb the ranks and like when.
- [148:23]
Tai Schmidt
They let you spar for the first.
- [148:24]
AJ Hawk
Time after just hazing you for like a month.
- [148:26]
Pat McAfee
Oh, it's a part of the. That's like a part of the gym. Yeah.
- [148:29]
AJ Hawk
So when I. When I walked in, I did like one camp, right? So I. I walked in there like, you're fat treadmill. And that was the first two weeks, basically. I didn't. I didn't box it all for two and a half weeks. And then they finally were like, all right, you like, do you have gloves? Like, did you bring them? And then. Then we started, like, actually training on top of the running, but I still had to run every day when I showed up.
- [148:48]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, the cardio is just insane. That's why the Floyd. Floyd run for how long it is. And they say, well, he's not fighting anybody. Whenever he went over to Japan, I think he took that fight. The billionaire on New Year's Kid, son. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just the cardio that it takes that they just naturally have built up because they've been boxing their entire life. Unbelievable stuff.
- [149:07]
Boston Connor
McGregor thing when he fought. When Floyd fought McGregor, it was like, yeah, until once he gets around 10 or 11 or whatever the hell it was, he's gonna win. And then that's exactly what happened.
- [149:18]
Pat McAfee
The boxing people told us.
- [149:19]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [149:20]
Pat McAfee
Whenever we were talking about it, we were a small little program at the time, but whenever Conor fought Floyd Mayweather, I was a believer in Conor. I was like, connor, he's not signing up to just get beat up. This guy's in the middle of a run. Like, he's. He doesn't want to lose anything right now. Maybe watch his documentary. Whatever the case, I was caught up. I'm like, if McGregor's doing it, I'm betting on him. And every person that was a boxing person that I knew was like, I'll take the. I will take the bet. How many rounds is this thing? I think it was like a 15 round. They were like, yeah, okay. Yeah, I'm sure he'll look good for 10, 11 rounds, maybe. Maybe even 12. Then there's still 13, 14, 15 there where this can all end. And it is like this stamina is just different now. Granted, there's people that are going to end the fight early. And the brawler you talk about this weekend will be a great, you know, opponent for Garcia, especially if Garcia wants to get into a brawl. So the main event should be live action, but watching them move is like, to see. I can't wait. This is going to be like, the first time I'm gonna. It's.
- [150:16]
AJ Hawk
It's like, obviously it's the old cliche, like, oh, you have to see it live. But once you do see boxing live, it'll change your perspective.
- [150:22]
Pat McAfee
I've seen rough and roddy. Yeah. Yeah.
- [150:24]
Boston Connor
That is.
- [150:26]
Pat McAfee
I've seen rough and rowdy. I've been.
- [150:27]
Bruce Brown
You ever go to tough man contest when you're a kid?
- [150:29]
Pat McAfee
Went to a tough man contest. Two of them in West Virginia. That was a good time. Out in the middle.
- [150:34]
Bruce Brown
Middle of nowhere, best dudes in, like, jeans boxing against some dude, you know, that was the best.
- [150:39]
Pat McAfee
Wait, we were at the Triple G fighting Madison Square Garden. I forgot about that. Oh, yes, we were. It was electrifying.
- [150:43]
Tai Schmidt
It was. Yeah, it was awesome.
- [150:44]
Pat McAfee
Completely forgot about it. So now we had great seats at that. Yeah, it was electric. I can't wait for tomorrow. Yeah, that was a great time. And that was.
- [150:51]
Tai Schmidt
Emmett Sg was awesome. But, like, being in Times Squares.
- [150:53]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [150:54]
AJ Hawk
It's gonna be crazy.
- [150:54]
Tai Schmidt
You know, I don't know how.
- [150:56]
Pat McAfee
Functionally, I don't know how that whole thing goes.
- [150:59]
Boston Connor
It's gonna be so cool Just. Just seeing those photos even.
- [151:02]
AJ Hawk
I. I bet it'll be kind of like the draft where it's like secured perimeter type deal. And then, like, very few sold seats close to the ring.
- [151:09]
Pat McAfee
I don't know. But I do know all the ad boards that are around are all going to be a part of it.
- [151:13]
Bruce Brown
So, like, there's Carlo's bake shop. Buddy's in there. Carlo's bake Shop. Right there.
- [151:17]
Pat McAfee
There he is.
- [151:19]
Evan Fox
Buddy.
- [151:20]
Bruce Brown
Is Buddy on the undercard? Buddy Valastro. Is he on the undercard?
- [151:23]
Pat McAfee
He's got a. We should have him maybe. Come on the show. You're talking about cake boss.
- [151:27]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, yeah.
- [151:28]
Bruce Brown
Cake boss right there.
- [151:29]
Pat McAfee
That's his.
- [151:30]
Bruce Brown
That's his.
- [151:31]
Pat McAfee
Carlos got to stop by his.
- [151:34]
Evan Fox
His last super bowl appearance was unbelievable.
- [151:35]
Pat McAfee
What? No.
- [151:36]
Tai Schmidt
No questions about the sweet science.
- [151:38]
Shams Charania
I don't know.
- [151:40]
Pat McAfee
I will ask him. He might he's got a front door seat.
- [151:45]
Boston Connor
Picks for every single fight.
- [151:47]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. All right. We're going to get the hell out of here. Tomorrow should be a good day. We obviously not just talk about boxing, but maybe. I have no idea what the setup's going to be. Tomorrow should be a good time. We appreciate you all so much for allowing us to do this for a living. It's going to be wild seeing. I think.
- [152:01]
Tai Schmidt
Oh yeah, be cool.
- [152:03]
Pat McAfee
I don't. What are they. What's happening to the cowboy?
- [152:07]
Boston Connor
The naked cowboy, Spider Man.
- [152:08]
Bruce Brown
Is he still around?
- [152:09]
Evan Fox
Oh, the there.
- [152:10]
AJ Hawk
No, they all got.
- [152:11]
Evan Fox
They're actually introducing the boxer.
- [152:13]
Boston Connor
They shot them in the head and move them out.
- [152:15]
Pat McAfee
No way. They were. They do a Lucas Oil halftime show. You remember?
- [152:18]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, that's right.
- [152:19]
Pat McAfee
They do Lucas Oil. That's right. That was good.
- [152:22]
AJ Hawk
That is great.
- [152:22]
Pat McAfee
I'm excited to see Times Square. I'm excited to be over there. I'm pumped for the opportunity. There's gonna be so many pissed off boxing people that I'm doing it. I can't them can't wait to listen to the comments about me getting dropped into that. I would like to let you know I. I'm honored that I get an opportunity to be a part of an evening that they are saying once in a lifetime event. I think they're trying to make it feel big. Hopefully we can do that. I can't wait for me and Booker T. Yeah, it's gonna be. Yes. I've hung out with Booker T backstage. I don't think I've ever got to be on a microphone alongside Booker T. Booker T's been a commentator and a professional wrestler in WWF since I've been alive, basically. Now he went over to TNA and while he was at TNA is one of the greatest moments of all time. He was doing commentary and then he got into the ring with the headset. Oh, King. Booker's beating the hell outta. Oh, King Booker's kicking. It might have been just a handheld microphone. He gave his own commentary in there. And then everything else that he's done with the wwe. He is just like so entertaining. And boxing, I guess, is his full.
- [153:23]
Tai Schmidt
Like he loves it.
- [153:24]
Pat McAfee
Like, I guess it is his thing. Like he loves, loves, loves boys boxing. So we are honored. I think I don't want to speak for Booker, but from my conversations, he said yes immediately upon being asked about it. It's like, let's try to make it big. We're gonna try to pay it as much respect and do it as much justice as possible because I understand this is probably a very big commitment by people to rent out Times Square. Yeah. And there's a lot of big fights. And on Saturday, you got Canelo fight. Yeah. Happening. So, I mean, it's a big boxing week weekend. Let's go ahead and enjoy that. Let's enjoy that with the NHL, the NBA Derby. Kentucky Derby. Yes. Let's talk about that, Bruce.
- [154:02]
AJ Hawk
Yeah. So, you know, kind of, you know, not a ton of hype around it. I think part of that is because of the strength of the favorite. That would be Journalism, the number eight horse at three.
- [154:14]
Pat McAfee
Journalism.
- [154:15]
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
- [154:15]
Evan Fox
So.
- [154:16]
AJ Hawk
So Bafford was trying to get, like, five horses qualified today, and he. He didn't get it done because Journalism was so unbeatable. I do not believe that the horses watched Lost. When you watch it move, it is clearly different. If you are looking. If you are looking to beat Journalism. Bafford Scott, the number one citizen bull, 20 to 1. He's got the four. Rodriguez, who shut the door on Mac Fe's Kentucky Derby hopes in the Wood Memorial.
- [154:43]
Joe Ortiz
I would.
- [154:43]
Pat McAfee
Charles and Vers McAfee would have been a. That would.
- [154:45]
AJ Hawk
Would have been scenes.
- [154:46]
Boston Connor
Instead we get down the stretch.
- [154:48]
AJ Hawk
Instead we get Rod.
- [154:49]
Pat McAfee
Oh, my God.
- [154:50]
Evan Fox
What about Sandman? Sandman's got Sandman.
- [154:53]
AJ Hawk
Sandman's a closer. Just needs a clean trip. Sovereignty right behind him is a. Is a great horse as well. Publisher. I find it kind of interesting. I don't know if it actually is. Has never won a race.
- [155:04]
Boston Connor
Titastic.
- [155:05]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that Publisher has never won a race. Tastic is obviously in here as well. How about Owen Almighty?
- [155:14]
AJ Hawk
Owen Almighty.
- [155:14]
Pat McAfee
Is that Jeff? No, Jack Bruce. Bruce, Bruce's kid.
- [155:20]
Evan Fox
And Evan.
- [155:21]
AJ Hawk
There's probably a great story behind that.
- [155:22]
Pat McAfee
Oh, Almighty, I assume.
- [155:24]
Bruce Brown
Yeah, I'm sure.
- [155:24]
Pat McAfee
30 to 1.
- [155:25]
Boston Connor
Mohawk.
- [155:26]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, flying Mohawk. I. I don't think he's ever ran on dirt.
- [155:30]
Pat McAfee
So how's. How's Flying Mohawk?
- [155:32]
Boston Connor
What's he running on?
- [155:35]
AJ Hawk
Points. So, like, Publisher finished second in the Arkansas Derby. That's enough points to get in. But has never actually won a race.
- [155:42]
Pat McAfee
Got it. Okay. And then these aren't the fastest horses on earth.
- [155:46]
AJ Hawk
These are the fastest 3 year olds on earth.
- [155:48]
Boston Connor
Yeah, Breeders cup is the fastest.
- [155:50]
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
- [155:50]
Boston Connor
That's the real, like, main one.
- [155:52]
Pat McAfee
Fun fact about the Kentucky Derby, which is a grand, spectacular event down there in Louisville. There'll be more than 125,000 mint juleps. Surf says Joe Pompliano, always on top of the stats. 22 bucks a pop. That's 2.75 million sales. And one drink, brother. Let alone the merch and everything else and the food and the tents and the VIP suites, if you will. Are you going this year?
- [156:15]
Bruce Brown
Yeah, I'll be there for the race on Saturday.
- [156:17]
Pat McAfee
Let's go.
- [156:18]
Bruce Brown
It's going to be sweet.
- [156:19]
Pat McAfee
Holy. Oh, man. I completely forgot. This a massive weekend for aj. Aj, don't worry about tomorrow. I forgot about this. This is a big.
- [156:26]
Bruce Brown
Oh, no, no, it works out well. It works out well. It's actually closer from Indy. Thank.
- [156:29]
Evan Fox
Is.
- [156:29]
Bruce Brown
Oh, hot from.
- [156:30]
Pat McAfee
Okay. Okay, good. We're good.
- [156:31]
Evan Fox
Hey, get some answers while you're down there.
- [156:32]
Pat McAfee
Okay. Yeah, I'll see.
- [156:34]
Bruce Brown
See what I can do.
- [156:35]
Pat McAfee
Walk up with your phone just right behind him.
- [156:37]
Joe Ortiz
Yeah, yeah.
- [156:38]
Pat McAfee
Oh.
- [156:44]
Bruce Brown
See how it responds.
- [156:46]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. If he goes, get that out of here. You need text immediately. Bad news boy.
- [156:50]
Evan Fox
Actually do it while he's sleeping and just put it next to his ear. And then it'll just be in his head and be like, what?
- [156:56]
Pat McAfee
Like I'm singing a song or have.
- [156:59]
Boston Connor
A nightmare and I don't know.
- [157:02]
Pat McAfee
Got to be the universe. You could potentially be the universe there. And Sticks actually sent us some beer. Yeah, right.
- [157:07]
Boston Connor
Sticks.
- [157:08]
Pat McAfee
Golden.
- [157:09]
Bruce Brown
Some of that.
- [157:09]
Pat McAfee
What is it called? Sticks Golden Lager.
- [157:11]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, there's some other wax, literally called oh Mama. Yeah, it is. Oh Mama.
- [157:15]
Pat McAfee
Oh Mama beer was sent here to the office. It's. It looks like a thick one. I'm obviously in the middle of a keto right here. Surprised me. It wasn't as thick as the can looks. It was pretty good, actually. Good beer. Yeah, I liked it.
- [157:27]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah?
- [157:28]
Boston Connor
What's it taste?
- [157:29]
Tai Schmidt
Well, no, no, it's not bad. Foxy had one sip. We're talking about a 19 ounce beer here, though.
- [157:33]
Pat McAfee
Oh, yeah. Big can. Yeah.
- [157:34]
Tai Schmidt
So like the first 8 ounces.
- [157:37]
Pat McAfee
First.
- [157:37]
Tai Schmidt
First can. Let's say first 12 ounces. Not bad. Then you realize.
- [157:41]
Pat McAfee
Okay, I gotta.
- [157:42]
Tai Schmidt
I got another 7 ounces.
- [157:43]
Pat McAfee
This thing's a super diesel. And it is. It gets a little warm too, there at the end.
- [157:46]
Tai Schmidt
It does.
- [157:46]
Pat McAfee
I was never a big can guy.
- [157:48]
Tai Schmidt
I drank it. I drank it pretty quick. They're too popular, so I didn't have that problem. But, you know, it's a 6% beer, which again, that's pretty diesel.
- [157:57]
Pat McAfee
What was the beer. What was the beer that Roethlisberger and Spank gave me over there?
- [158:02]
Boston Connor
All American beer.
- [158:03]
Pat McAfee
No, not the real Americans.
- [158:05]
AJ Hawk
The tea.
- [158:06]
Joe Ortiz
Surfside Surfs.
- [158:07]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that was pretty good.
- [158:09]
Evan Fox
Those are pretty good.
- [158:09]
Pat McAfee
There's a lot going on over there in that part of the stadium. T's and Peas. Oh, boy. I mean, that was brutal. We're not going to show it because that. But that hit everybody's algorithm last night. Obviously, T's and peas going to the game. Yeah, that's incredibly. That was scary to watch. And everybody's reaction around it was scary as well. So obviously T's and peas back to Pittsburgh. Not only that, but Pittsburgh just had a devastating storm that came through and wiped out power and water. And they were projecting like, hey, you're not going to have power for like a week in some places in Pittsburgh. I think a lot of places came back on, I believe, but like T's and peas, obviously to the kid that fell last night in the outfield wall. And T's and peas to the people in Pittsburgh that are going through right now. That's Fiore's pizza right there. So good. That is a great pizzeria. They have fantastic pizza that obviously we grew up eating. They lose the entire top of the building, basically. So they're not the only ones. There's plenty of other places as well, I believe. The Oakmont Golf Course, they had all their tents set up for the US Open. That's coming around the way there. So that was all obviously destroyed. So big wind. I don't know if it was a tornado, a micro burst. I don't know what came through Pittsburgh, but they got it pretty good. And there was some property damage for Rio over there. Some people in. In the power loss thing was crazy nuts. It was just hearing from people, they're like, yeah, we just got a. An update that we'll get power next week. God damn. Next week.
- [159:26]
Evan Fox
Yeah, my. My parents are still with that. Well, they got a gener. My dad got a generator, but the. Their neighborhood is without power.
- [159:32]
Pat McAfee
It's gonna be days. Think about that in 2025. I don't. I don't know.
- [159:37]
Bruce Brown
Yeah, things happen after.
- [159:38]
Pat McAfee
I mean, you.
- [159:39]
Bruce Brown
You lose power for a week, people. People will go crazy.
- [159:41]
Pat McAfee
That's a long time. That's a very long time. In 2025. Didn't know it was possible, but Pittsburgh over 120, 000 people are going on 48 hours with no power because of one quick moving windstorm. And they're saying five to seven days. Obviously not happy. If there's ever tornado here, it better just take the house. House. Because it'll take Duke and light six. Okay.
- [160:00]
AJ Hawk
All right.
- [160:01]
Pat McAfee
There's been a lot. There's been a lot of. There's been a lot of anger from. Yeah, so they're saying like a week without power over there. So T's and peas.
- [160:09]
AJ Hawk
That's crazy.
- [160:09]
Pat McAfee
And obviously for that kid, man, sad stuff. On that note, tomorrow's big day.
- [160:14]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, big.
- [160:15]
Pat McAfee
Tomorrow's big day. Huge.
- [160:21]
Boston Connor
Head, body, head, body, head, body.
- [160:26]
Pat McAfee
Tommy Zowski, teammate.
- [160:28]
Tai Schmidt
Yeah, he Golden Gloves guy.
- [160:30]
Pat McAfee
Didn't he do a great boxer while he was playing in college? He sold out Madison Square Garden and knocked a guy out and got like 40,000 or 50,000 bucks or something like that. And it was a big deal in the NCAA because he had to, like, sue. He had to, like, appeal that he was allowed to go box in Madison Square garden and win $50,000, because back then, this is pre ni, you weren't allowed to make any money. He did it. I don't know. Is it middle of season or off season? I don't remember. Do you remember, A.J.
- [160:55]
Bruce Brown
I think it was the off season at some point.
- [160:57]
Pat McAfee
Yeah. He drives over there, wins, drives back to Notre Dame. Then he obviously goes to the Baltimore Ravens. Great punt returner, great safety. Comes over the Indianapolis Colts with Chuck Pagano, obviously. Chuck comes from Baltimore as a secondary coach. Says, want this guy here. I got a chance to meet him, hang out with him. What a special athlete that guy was. Yeah. And we went to Buffalo Wall Wings that had one of these, you know, and watching him hit that thing and then teaching stuff and then, you know, might get a cocktail at the time, get a cocktail in or two. And then all of a sudden, it's like this guy's real boxer. Let's see. Okay. And then you just get slapped in the face five, six times. You'll boom, boom, bag, boom. Oh, my God. And then he turns to like wanting to teach something. He's a good move. Here, look. Low bang over top. That's an easy. Just any time you just move body down, hand up over top, because they're naturally going to go like this. And then it's a bang. I guess I don't know if that was what he won the Madison Square Garden fight with, but every time I fell for it, every time he did it to me.
- [161:56]
Bruce Brown
That was your. That was your oculus move.
- [161:58]
Pat McAfee
Yes. Bingo. It really was. And it. What? It was 100? No, I think.
- [162:02]
Bruce Brown
And it was an overhand right. That overhand right.
- [162:05]
Boston Connor
Get on the machine.
- [162:07]
Pat McAfee
Remember, it was big. He was the biggest. He broke the record. Obviously, he knows how to punch. He was big. He was NFL guy. Yeah, he was cool teammate, man. Learned a lot from him. He was a good dude. Now he's a firefighter, I think, in Chicago. Was a firefighter in Chicago. I'm excited for the firefighter police fight.
- [162:20]
AJ Hawk
Yeah, it's going to be sick.
- [162:21]
Boston Connor
That might steal.
- [162:22]
AJ Hawk
I'm worried for the firefighter. After digging in on the cop, he. I found a video from 2007 of him kickboxing when he was, like, maybe 15 years old.
- [162:30]
Pat McAfee
Oh. So. But I assume the firefighter boxer as well.
- [162:33]
Boston Connor
No doubt.
- [162:33]
Pat McAfee
Yeah, yeah.
- [162:34]
AJ Hawk
I'm just saying.
- [162:35]
Tai Schmidt
Is a kickboxing match.
- [162:36]
AJ Hawk
No, no, no, no. It's a boxing match.
- [162:39]
Boston Connor
I think so. So it's just pissed.
- [162:43]
Pat McAfee
Okay. All right. We can't wait to get over there. Lucky to be a part of it. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. You might change your life. We're in this thing together. Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three. Team. Goodbye.