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Pat McAfee
Hello beautiful people and welcome to our humble abode, the ThunderDome on this game 5, Thursday, May 29, 2025 this program starts now. Sports are happening in a big way. Last night two teams punched their tickets to their league's respective championships. Let's say congratulations to the Stanley cup champion for Florida punter. They punched their ticket for the third straight Stanley cup finals. They could potentially go back to back. I do believe there are only five teams I think that have gone back to back or eight teams that have gone back to back in the history of the NHL. It would obviously be a dynastic conversation with this Florida Panthers team who not only have most of their returning starters from last year, but also added the absolute beast Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins in the middle of the season. That is only up there now. What they were doing to the Carolina Hurricanes in front of the 20,000 Caniacs is bully them and beat them up. And there was a time here late in the series, the last two games where it looked like maybe the Hurricanes remembered who they were. The Carolina Hurricanes were going to try to thump this Florida Panthers team back. They were up 20 last night after a massive sweeping 3 nothing win in the game prior to this, the Canes had a two nothing lead and then all of a sudden the Florida Panthers woke up with some nasty Mets, some nasty shots and they came back in 30 seconds. Two go. And then they would score a few more and end up winning this thing and punching their ticket to their third straight Stanley Cup Final. This Florida Panthers team is ridiculous. There's a guy that's in Barkov right here. Bang bow. Boom. Top ched. That goal right there, absolutely filthy. I believe that was. I believe that goal was scored by Carter Verhage. Whatever. Barkov filthy mitts. And then echoes top jet. They're just toying with the Kainiacs in the Hurricanes. They filthy. Just skill, power, physicality. I believe we're talking to Paddy Maroon who won three straight Stanley Cups at one point during his career in the second hour to chit chat about how dominant and how awesome this Florida Panthers team has been in their quest to win their second Stanley cup in a row. Congrats to them. Congrats to the Carolina Hurricanes. Another, another final conference final. And they won again. Boom. Instead of getting swept in the finals like they have done in the past and certainly last year, they won a game. Look like they're in it. We're fighting back. And then the Florida Panthers just kind of put the foot on the gas. Congrats to them. They're going to the Stanley cup finals. Who will they play well tonight? We find out if the Oilers can punch their ticket by beating the Dallas stars. Now it's 3:1 in this Dallas Stars team, especially with Otter and Annette and Ron Tanen and a Finnish group of men are certainly capable of coming back from being down 3:1. But this guy right here, Mick. Jesus.
AJ Hawk
Oh, yeah.
Pat McAfee
Feels like this is potentially the year. This is potentially the time where a Canadian franchise wins the Stanley cup for the first time in 400 years. It's not the accurate number, but it has been a long time since a Canadian franchise has hoisted Lordo. Will McJesus be the one to do it? Will McJeezys in dry side will be able to punch the ticket? Or will goalie continue to stand on his head and keep the Dallas Stars in a place where maybe their fans will never be able to experience true happiness?
AJ Hawk
Oh, no.
Pat McAfee
We're sorry for all the Otter fans out there that this thing might be over tonight. Let's go to one half of the Hammer, Don Cowboys. Bubba Gumpino. Gumpy. This could be it for your Dallas Stars here tonight, buddy.
Gumpy
Not tonight. We win at home after that. Going to be tough to win Game 6 on the road, but Texas hockey gets it done tonight. That's a guarantee, brother.
Pat McAfee
Okay, that's from Gumpy's heart, I do believe. Not necessarily his gambling mind. He wants to put that Otter mask on one more time. He doesn't want the season to be over. He doesn't want this miraculous run to be done. But it could be denied if McJesus decides to just float.
AJ Hawk
See ya, Cook.
Pat McAfee
He's unbelievable. He's playing at a different speed than everybody else. I have no idea how he does it. He makes it look so damn easy. Could this be the year for him? Or do the Dallas Stars make a miraculous comeback? Well, the Florida Panthers have already punched their ticket. Now get a lot of rest, potentially. Remember, every game the Dallas Stars continue this with the Edmonton Oilers. That's rest for the Florida Panthers team, which is a big deal at this stage of the NHL season, especially with how grueling and tasking it all is. We shall find out tonight if the Oilers join or if the Dallas extend. And then the Oklahoma City Thunder just thumped, I mean, absolutely thumped, the Minnesota Timberwolves last night in punching their ticket into the NBA Finals. Who will they play in the Eastern Conference? We find out tonight, potentially. Or maybe the New York Knicks extend. But this team right here has been a runaway train for the Entire season. During the entirety of the season, everybody was talking about how we don't talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder enough. That was kind of the conversation about the Oklahoma City Thunder. They're going to have the MVP probable. Well, that came to fruition. SGA is the league's mvp. Congrats to him. They said they got the best fan base and the best atmosphere in the NBA. You should talk about that. And their team doesn't care who does? Well, their team shows up and they make big time plays, including oops. Ah, give it to me. Hardenstein, Chet holmgren, both over 8ft tall. Carusa is an absolute dog. SGA's their MVP and they'll pass that thing around. Oh yeah, they're not scared to distribute. Jalen Williams would go ahead and go crazy. And our coach is a super genius. We'll be talking to Jamal Crawford here in about 10 minutes or so. A man who played 20 plus years in the NBA, he's been putting over their coach more so than anything. He's got everybody bought in. He's saying this city, this team since jump has been the best team in the league. Now everybody's getting a chance to see it. I think that's true because if you look in the Western Conference, there were so many other storylines that distracted us potentially from the greatness that is this Oklahoma City team. But if you don't win a championship, nobody's ever going to take you serious on a day to day basis. That's why the SGA is the new face of the league. Superstar. All anybody says is God, win championship, gotta be in the finals. People talk about Tyrese Albert. Is he a superstar? Never seen him in the finals. Well, he's fucking 25 years old. I mean he was in the Eastern Conference finals last year trying to get back there. But that is the real question. Can you win, can you win a title or are you going to be the person that is great but never has a ring? Happens in all sports. You get judged on the amount of championships that you have. There's only so many opportunities to win a championship. Look at how many teams were vying for this particular title this year. Just in a Western Conference, let alone the Eastern Conference, in the entire NBA. It is very hard to win a championship, which is, that is why you are judged so harshly if you haven't won one. SGA and boys have a chance now. They are certainly in the finals. Will they take on the New York Knicks were at home tonight. Game 5 down 31 in Madison Square Garden. There'll be a lot of people packed in that arena. I will not be one of them.
AJ Hawk
Ah, come on.
Pat McAfee
And Stiller extended an invite as well. Publicly. I saw him say that. I think there were some other people. I'm not paying 70,000 for a ticket fair.
Ty Schmidt
I can move.
Pat McAfee
I think that's smart. I just. I'm sorry, I can't do it. I just can't. I can't do it. There is. Obviously, I will be watching the game. I will be fired up. Box game, but I will not be a Madison Square because I'm not. I'm not doing that.
AJ Hawk
Prior engage.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, there is a scheduling conflict, but also.
Ty Schmidt
See, also could have made it worse.
Pat McAfee
There was a. There was a. But those seats obviously been taken for a long time, and I believe there's a chance that. I think there's a chance that there's some say on who gets to sit where.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah, I can see that.
Pat McAfee
I think so. Yeah. And that's awesome.
Connor
But you've given him that amount of money, basically, to one of his other facilities, so I feel like he should.
Pat McAfee
Have been like, oh, you're talking about the sphere.
Ty Schmidt
Good point.
Pat McAfee
Talking about the sphere. Which is also sick, by the way. I. I respect every decision that was made there because I believe there was some calls about, hey, can we do some. No. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Destiny may have seen your promo, you know, and hadn't thought one way or another.
Pat McAfee
And I like that, by the way.
Connor
You think he's ever had a Pacers or an opposing team on the court or on the hardwood during a bingo especially?
Pat McAfee
Like, so much respect for that. I have so much respect for that. I actually appreciate that because there's people calling from all angles.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah.
Pat McAfee
There's a lot of people calling like, hey, this could be a good thing. And I was willing to walk in there. I knew it was going to be a little hot. I knew it was going to be a little hot. Do have a scheduling conflict. So depending upon what time I was going to be able to give. I mean, that's a whole nother conversation, but. Because it was all coming together pretty quick. But with that being said, shout out to Ben Stiller. Appreciate you. We'll be watching. Hope you come back to Indianapolis in future years whenever the Pacers are playing the Knicks. Hope it's not this year, because that would mean that you guys win tonight. Don't want that. No. Don't want that. That at all. Would like the Pacers to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals tonight as they take on the New York Knicks in the Mecca Madison Square Garden. Tyrese Haliburton and the boys are ready and I feel like they are a team that can keep up with that Oklahoma City team because they can run. The thing about it is there's a lot of running happening in these teams that are good. Now both these teams are Oklahoma City and Indiana. If they were to make it. Okay, we're not saying Indiana is there yet. I'm just saying if they were to make it would be the first two teams since 2002 or something like that who do not have to pay a luxury tax for how much money they've spent on their roster to make it to the finals or to win the finals. So I guess every team that has won since the salary cap tax has been put in place 2002 or 2003, I forget what the year was, has had a team or has had a champion has paid the tax. We're paying more than what salary cap is, but you allow us to do that, we just have to pay a luxury tax. So the salary cap isn't really a real thing. It's just a, hey, if you want to spend this much money, the NBA is going to need some.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Pat McAfee
The rest of the league is going to need some of that money. So they try to kind of make it fair. But obviously we've talked to Matt Ishbia who owns the Phoenix Suns right here. He said, my fans don't care about how much I got to pay in luxury tax. They want to see that we win. So he has a shit ton of money. He puts all of it into the team and pays the tax. Now I think he is being punished for it now as he tries to rebuild that team. But since the start of the luxury tax, I guess the teams that make it into the Finals always have some sort of fee. They got to pay for the amount of superstars that they have on their roster. The Pacers in the Oklahoma City Thunder, if that was to be the Finals, not saying it is, they would be two teams that do not have to pay the luxury tax because they were able to find dogs at a proper price is what the Indiana Pacers would say in Oklahoma City Thunder front office would say. But basically they're a team filled with dogs and they're a team that doesn't seem. Teams that don't seem to be worried about who gets the credit. SGA is the MVP and I don't see anybody on his team like bummed out about it. They're all pumped for him. They're all Excited for him. He bought everybody Rolexes. And then you talk about Pasco Siakam. He was the guy that was the All Star for the team this year. Not. He wasn't even. He was the only All Star from the Indiana Pacers was Pasco Siakam. He's not getting talked about at all nationally. It's all Tyrese Halliburton getting talked about, even from us and everybody else. Pasco doesn't care. Pasco doesn't give a damn. He's just there to win games. And you talk about OB Toppin. He knows exactly what he's in there to do. Everybody Shepard's in there to smack the wood. Like, these guys just understand their roles. They understand what they're there for. And Coach Carlisle and the coach from Oklahoma City have been fantastic at how they've gotten the team's cultures to these places. And obviously you gotta have superstars, which both these teams do. So can the Pacers take care of business tonight against the New York Knicks? It's gonna be a tough game, man.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, for sure.
Pat McAfee
All these games have been battles. Yeah. Even whenever there's been big blowouts. I mean, the game that the New York Knicks won, the pacers were up 20 for a large majority of that game. And then the Knicks come back, let alone in the Garden where that place can get rolling. Those people are on top of you. There's a chance for some runs. It's gonna be a battle tonight. Can't wait to watch. No easy task and hope for the Pacers punch their tickets, brother. The toxic table was here at Boston. Connor and that Ty Schmidt. Obviously these series have been great.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Pat McAfee
Been some blowouts, but mostly NBA NHL series have been fantastic. This NBA one, because the Pacers are in, I think makes us kind of close to it a little bit more.
Ty Schmidt
Sure.
Pat McAfee
What Oklahoma City did to Minnesota last night was a thumping. It was what, 7134 at one point. It's like, that's an ass beating. That's like a really good high school team taking on a very bad high school team.
Ty Schmidt
Right.
Pat McAfee
And that was in a. Obviously in Oklahoma City. That's a Western Conference final game. This Oklahoma City team is dominant and they have been for a long time.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, they're. And that's what almost kind of sucks is because in the Eastern Conference, the games have been so good and so highly contested. And it's one of those things where, like, you have to be locked in in the fourth quarter because you really don't know what's going to Happen. I don't want to say that this series has been borderline unwatchable, because that's not the really, the right way to phrase it, but it is. Like, at that point last night, when it's, you know, 71 to 35 or whatever, like, it's over, and there is no feeling that, oh, Minnesota's got a run in them, they're going to come back, because we've kind of seen it throughout the series. So that is when it's nice that you have a hockey game that's competitive going on, because otherwise it's like, this will put you to sleep, just. But that's how dominant they are. They're just workman like, and they just. They go out and kind of just beat the piss out of you. And that's what they did this whole series. But if we get, like you said, if it is Pacers, if they end up making it to the NBA Finals and it's Pacers Thunder, I know everyone is saying, like, oh, it's, you know, no one's going to watch it because it's not too big markets.
AJ Hawk
The.
Ty Schmidt
The style of play and the brand of basketball in those finals is going to be so entertaining. It's. It's going to be incredible. And I think if you're not a huge basketball fan, like, that would be a great time to get in and be like, wow, this is. This is unbelievable. This is what playoff basketball should be.
Pat McAfee
These balls run. Oh, yeah. There is running out there. If they give up a bucket, who cares? We're pushing it back the other way, and they're just going to see if you're in shape. And I think that's a big deal with these teams at this point. I know I keep going back to this, but I was literally just feet away from the game. Great seats, had desk in front of me.
AJ Hawk
It's awesome.
Pat McAfee
Good spot. I was on the Pacers bench. It's cool to be there. Very close to the action. Very, very close to the action. You could see that the Knicks were tired, and it's like the Pacers bench, the way they were acting whenever they saw that was like, Pats. Like, this is the. In the Oklahoma City team. They're not scared to put, like, Pat, like, let's go for it. Like, it's. I think we got two very good teams, potentially. Pacers need to handle business.
Ty Schmidt
Right?
Pat McAfee
And if they lose tonight, remember, it was just three, two.
Chase Frazier
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
It's not a big deal.
Pat McAfee
It's not a big deal. It's no big deal. Actually. Come back in, come back home, win at home, get a chance to celebrate. Don't want to give any momentum back to New York.
Ty Schmidt
No, they want to win tonight for sure.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. We would like this to be. We don't need this to keep going. We don't need this keep going. If you're a Pacer fan, if you're a Knicks fan, you win tonight, you start having hope again.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
I mean the other night obviously game, game four there, that one. If the Knicks win, I think bad news. Yeah. I think bad news for no Doubt tonight obviously can still get it done. But I appreciate them. And you talked about how big of a blowout last night's game was that Cane's Panthers game was unbelievable. Yeah. So down two come back. It's nice to have that. We're going to be losing out here soon.
Ty Schmidt
I know we're going to be losing that soon.
Pat McAfee
Let's go to 1/2 of the hammer down Cowboys. AP Tone, what's the stat that we're not talking about, you think?
Connor
Something we tend to forget about with this Thunder team because they are young and we didn't talk about they won the west by 16 games this year like they were 16 games up on the number two Houston Rockets seed and that wasn't talked. They were the co favorites with the Celtics for a lot of the year to win this whole thing. And I feel like a lot of these, a lot of times on these championship runs with, with teams like this, it's not always their conference finals or the finals where they have the hardest series. Like they the Nuggets took them seven and a lot of the times like when you, when you have to go against a veteran team that's won before and you take them seven and you get over that hump like and then they just kind of cruised it in this series. And then on the other side, the Pacers, they kind of treat basketball like, like we do normally it doesn't start after. Until after football season. After football season. The Pacers and the Cavs I think were the and the Thunder were the three best teams in the league as far as record wise. Like if the Pacers thought it was basketball season all season long they could have been in a situation with the Thunder were.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And if they would have been able to play the way because Tyrese had a cold start.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
I think he would even say that all star break comes. He's not in the all star game or he's not playing or selected. So he comes through. He comes out the other Side of that. Incredible. So does the rest of the Pacers team. Because if he's playing well, the rest of the team's playing well. He is the point guard for the entire squad. He's a coach on the court. He. They're fun, man. It's a fun. It's a fun team to watch. So is this Knicks team. You know, I hear the Knicks people now saying, well, we're, you know, over. Like, this is not what we expected this year. You know, we did not expect to be this good. We're in the Eastern Conference finals. You know, we were built. What it was said yesterday to me, we were built to beat the Celtics, not the basics, not built to beat the Pacers. Like, there's all these things coming. I think Knicks fans happy with the year. Right. If we go to Bruce back there, Bruce, Knicks fans incredibly pumped that you guys are in the Eastern Conference finals. This is the best the Knicks has been, what, since forever? It feels like.
Guest
Yeah, you could maybe argue 2012 when, you know, Carmelo, Mari Stoudemire and J R Smith were doing their thing that we. We may have been this good, but this is definitively the best we've been in in 25 years. Kind of a weird season all in. We had 51 wins in the regular season, but I think we were like 06 against the top three teams in the league, obviously tested by the rough and tumble Detroit Pistons, and then, you know, shocked the world with the huge upset over the Celtics. So we've kind of fallen into, like, the worry that we had at the end of the regular season where it's like we are kind of a disjointed mess where the starting lineup looks like they don't know how to play together. But, hey, you know, tough questions need tough answers in the offseason.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And Bruce already thinking about. He's bummed out.
AJ Hawk
He's bummed out.
Pat McAfee
Bruce won a game four bad.
AJ Hawk
Feel bad.
Pat McAfee
I think him and Schrager were sharing some maybe, you know, some moments with each other, knowing that this one's a big one tonight. Game four, this is a big deal. Go down three one. Obviously vastly different than two two, but if that goes two two, and then you're going back to the Garden. It's just a whole different vibe, a whole different world now. Down three one. It's a hope and a prayer almost as opposed. And he hasn't had much hope. Yeah. And his prayers have been for the off season. They haven't been for the series. I mean, it's been A whole.
Guest
I don't know if there's anything basketball wise that you can look at on the court that gives us hope that we can do this in seven. The one thing like maybe we get a better whistle and like Matheran trying to WWE tackle, everybody starts getting called a little bit.
Pat McAfee
But.
Patty Maroon
But I don't know if anything you're.
Guest
Saying play wise is inspiring.
Pat McAfee
You're saying the NBA officials are on the Indiana Pacers side.
Guest
You know, Dolan's got heat.
Pat McAfee
Okay.
AJ Hawk
Said that about a couple series.
Pat McAfee
Geez. So ridiculous. Okay, before Jamal Crawford joins us, let's talk about a few things happening around the NFL world. Joe Flacco gave an interesting quote about his role as a Cleveland Brown quarterback. Obviously, he's the most tenured quarterback in the Cleveland Browns locker room. He found himself in this situation last year with the Indianapolis Colts as well, and he ended up playing a lot of time for the Indianapolis Colts. The time did not go as well as it went the year prior when he was with the Cleveland Browns. When he came in halfway through the season when their quarterback situation was a complete mess, he was on the couch, literally on our show, throwing footballs in his backyard. Then he goes to Cleveland Browns with Stefanski and he leads him to a playoff run. Yeah, leads him to a playoff run. He has such a good year. The Colts sign him, bring him in for a little bit of money. Goes bad here. But Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall. Anthony Richardson is supposed to be the future of the program. Joe Flacco had to get asked the entire time about leading, being a mentor, teaching this guy the game. Now he's back to Cleveland Browns. They got four quarterbacks with Dylan Gabriel, Shador Sanders, Kenny Pickett and Joey Flacco. And he's being asked the same questions, are you going to coach these guys or what is it? And he gives one of the best answers I've ever heard.
Caller
It's a talking point. You can kind of like use it like, because it's a good question to bait somebody into answering. And either and no matter how they answer it kind of makes the guy that's answering it look bad. If I say I don't want to be a mentor, I look bad. If I say I do want to be a mentor, then I look like an idiot that doesn't care about being good and playing football. So it's one of those questions that no matter what I say, you guys can write what you want to write about it. And there's a lot of questions like that. That's why you end up having to try to avoid them. I tend to try to be honest. And I've said I'm not a mentor. I play football. And in a quarterback room, there's a lot of times already. There's been already a ton of times where there's learning experiences and I have a lot of experience and I can talk on things and hopefully they listen, but it's not necessarily, like, my job to, like, make sure they listen to me. And, you know, hey, like, hopefully you have a really good relationship with the guys that are in the room and you naturally want to do that, you know, but that's. Yeah, that was a long winded answer. But that's ultimately why I think you guys ask it. You know, here's the thing is, like, because of what I just said, like, you're acting like I wouldn't want to be a mentor. Once again, it's not really about that. It's just not the main focus. I see myself as a guy that can play in this league. So if your main focus was just like, hey, bud, I'm gonna get you ready, you're just not taking care of business. The best way to be a mentor, honestly, is like, show people how you go to work, you know, and like I said, hope that they pick up on that stuff, but not necessarily force them to pick up on the things that you do.
Pat McAfee
Gotta give us a minute long answer about why no matter what answer I give you, you're gonna have your narrative about it. If I say, I don't want to be a mentor for this guy, I'm bad teammate. I do want to be a mentor for this guy. Is he focused on leading the Browns? It's a no win situation. I've said this. I'm not a mentor, okay? But if he learns from me and we have a good room, that is good news. He's obviously been in the NFL a long time for good reason. The guy's in a elite quarterback, which goes back to when he was asked, does he think he's elite? And I think he's always given these types of answers to the media, do I think I'm elite? No, I think I'm just a bum. What am I supposed to say to that? Yes, I think I'm elite. Which then immediately leads to everybody saying, Joe Flacco is elite. It's like, what am I supposed to say? I'm not elite. I want a Super bowl, just gave me $100 million. I'm not elite. I'm a waste of money. What am I supposed to Do Joe Flacco, whenever he starts speaking with that action, the whole bed makes me look bad, makes me look bad talking, what do you want? So he gives that entire answer about, like, no matter what I say here, you are going to find a bad way. Then he goes to a cut. Somebody goes, so you're not a mentor. And he's like, this is exactly what.
Ty Schmidt
That's what I'm talking about.
Pat McAfee
This exactly what I'm talking about. That's a tough situation over there. Especially because, you know, there's some NFL players that are veterans that it comes out later that, like, this guy just wanted the next person in line to do great, wanted to pass the torch. Normally that's for people that are pillars for. For a certain team where they care about certain franchise where it's like, hey, I want this franchise to be good for the next guy that's coming through. I think Jason Kelsey helped draft Cam Juergens to be the next center of the Philadelphia Eagles. I think he was a part of the whole process because he wanted to pass the torch to him. I assume in meetings when he asked questions, it was good. But there's been a lot of people, especially at the quarterback position, that are like, do you know how much shit I gotta do? Yeah, I gotta learn everything. I gotta learn everything that's going on with everybody. I gotta build relationships with everybody in this building. I gotta be a CEO of this team. And then you want me to also, what am I doing private tutor lessons with these rookies to tell them everything that I know so they can potentially take my job as well? Like, if they want to watch what I do, if they want to ask me questions. Good. I think Aaron even said that with Jordan Love.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
He was like, it's not. I got to play a football game. And you think Tom Brady's worried about coaching younger quarterbacks? No. You think the guys we're trying to beat for the super bowl are worried about their quarterbacks, are worried about teaching other people not only being a player, but now you got to be a coach. Andrew also got to be a teacher, and you got to be a private tutor. It's like, that shit. Football's hard, especially at the quarterback position. Joe Flacco's like, I don't. I still think I'm a guy. Like, I. I don't. I want to start for this team. We went to the playoffs a couple years ago when I was here. I'm looking to do the same thing. I love that answer from him. And I think Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders obviously understand, because I think we've been around Joe. He's a pretty approachable guy.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
Tall, Very much huge.
Pat McAfee
Very approachable, though. It's like, I assume he'll answer any question that they have, but he's not going out of his way to put up study sheets together for these guys to know what the hell they're supposed to do. I think it was answer by Joe Flocker.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, it's learning through osmosis. It's not learning through, like, tests and quizzes. It's like, hey, I'm just going to watch this guy. Like you mentioned Kelsey, you mentioned Rodgers. It's not as if they didn't play and they were standing on the sidelines with a play sheet and, you know, a clipboard and then letting them know, hey, you need to do this, this, and this. When Jordan Love or Jurgens or Dickerson was coming off the field, it was, no, watch what I do. And then when I am done, that's when the torches pass. Like, Rogers didn't stay on the packers once Jordan Love started. Kelsey didn't stay on the Eagles once, you know, his time was up. It's those guys finish their careers and then kind of the. The next person comes in, and then you can kind of judge, like, okay, was this guy a good mentor or more so what did this other guy just not really understand how it worked.
Pat McAfee
So that's in football. Let's go to basketball with a guy, I assume, who's been put in a position to mentor people. 20 plus years in the NBA. 3 times, 6. Man of the year. He's a Michigan man, but he lives on one of the coasts. Never forget it, especially whenever he starts talking about this. Pacers next series. That's right. Ladies and gentlemen, Jamal Crawford. Yeah, Jamal. How you doing, Jamal?
Caller
What up, fellas? What up?
Pat McAfee
Hey, I don't know if you had a chance to hear Joe Flacco's answer there as we were trying to connect with you. He's obviously been in the NFL a long time. He's won a Super Bowl. He's been a made man. He's had success in a lot of different places. His quarterback has a lot of experiences. He was asked, like, hey, are you going to be a mess? Mentor to Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders and probably even Kenny Pickett. I don't know if you heard his answer, but basically his answer was, I got to worry about my own. Like, I got enough I got to do. If they want to watch and learn from me, that's cool. But I don't have time to be like a coach for them as well as being a professional player in basketball, especially 20 plus years. What is there a, like, what is the mentor conversation? There's like OG's conversation in football. Is the older guys in your room. You kind of go and ask them questions, but they're not being tasked with coaching you. They're just kind of the people you lean on. Is it the same in the NBA and how is that for you?
Caller
I think it's the same, but it has its differences as well. What I mean by that is, yeah, at times you may, like a young fella needs some guidance. If I say something to him here, it can kind of change his trajectory. I had that with Rick Brunson, Charles Oakley, Scottie Pippen, guys like that, you know, that were. Kendall Gill, that were instrumental in kind of setting the foundation. But then there's been other guys like, look, I'm not going to say anything. Just follow my lead and if it works for you, take it. If it's something that can help you in your career, take it. So I've seen both sides of it and I don't think he was wrong with that answer. And he was absolutely right saying, and no matter what I say, you're going to say this was wrong anyway. So he, he nailed it.
Pat McAfee
How about the person immediately followed up like he gives that whole answer and say, you're not going to be a mentor. All right, so literally what I just said, you were going to say whatever. If you want to, to learn, he wants to learn. Okay, let's talk a little bit of the hoops here. You were pumped up last night about this Oklahoma City team and you've been talking about this for a while. I think you were the one that brought up the stat about, I think They've only lost 14 games this year. You were the one that brought up the stat that if they eliminated free throws completely from the NBA, SGA would still be the leading scorer in this entire thing. So what is it about this OKC team and why is the coach, the guy that you think isn't getting enough conversation about?
Caller
Because we, we see the obvious, right? We see SGA getting 30 a game. We see their defense is top notch. We see their role players, you know, stepping up, being stars at times in shape, not having a problem giving them a rock, letting them make plays. But the coach I was, I called a couple games last year and at one game in particular, I think it was Sacramento. Sacramento went on 4, 0 run game just started. He calls the timeout immediately. It was one of those Popovich moves where I'm like, oh, okay. He's so in tune with his team, and to see them respond, I've just been watching him and how smart he is, how he, like, navigates the chess pieces.
Pat McAfee
He.
Caller
One thing you should know as a player on on okc, you're not going to be out coached that day. So that's a certain comfort level, knowing that we're prepared, Coach has the game plan and he can adjust in real time. So I think he's a star on the sidelines as well.
Pat McAfee
How do I say his name?
Caller
Coach Mark? Dagano.
Pat McAfee
Dagano. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not getting close to that group in Pittsburgh. A lot of Italians. A lot of Italians. I'm not dancing with that. But hey, hey, hey, Pat.
Caller
Just say coach Mark to make it easier. Coach Mark.
Pat McAfee
Coach Mark out there at OkC's Got the Boys humming. You know, they're all bought in, especially with that city. It feels like a wonderful time. And they just put boots to ass last night to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now they await, you know, who's going to meet them and represent the Eastern Conference. Ty has a question for you about this OKC team.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, Jamal, Kind of the narrative narrative now after last night especially, a lot of people are saying, like, hey, the Thunder are on, like the precipice of really becoming a dynasty. They have all these guys under contract for the next several years. They have a bunch of first round picks next year. Like, do you think that's what we're seeing here? Do you think this is going to turn into one of those, like, you know, warriors adjacent teams who was kind of the favorite to win the title every single year? And is Oklahoma City going to end up being like a destination for, you know, some big name free agents potentially? Or do you think that they're kind of just gonna do business as they have done and just kind of find the right pieces, draft young guys? Like, do you buy into that, that whole thing? Because all year it was, hey, this team can't win in the playoffs. And now we're saying, hey, they're on the precipice of, like being a dynasty and one of the best teams in the history of the NBA?
Caller
Yeah, I think they have to win one or two first to start that dynasty label because they have the Runway to do it. I'll say that they have an MVP. He's 26. I think their average age is close to 26 or somewhere around there. And it's really unusual to see a younger team like this and a young coach kind of peeking at the right time. It's usually like a vet coach and this young team kind of whipping them into shape. Or it's a vet team with a younger coach and they can kind of help him along, you know, like the Heat kind of did Spoaster or how Carlisle's doing, these young Pacers. But this is different because they're both so young and they're both at the start of what could be special. And they all like each other. And like you said, Presti has it. So set up. They're set up for the next. They. I don't know how many picks they have exactly, but they're set up for the next five, six, seven, eight years. So if they won this first one, it could be their most difficult because now they're saying, okay, you know what? Everything we've been taught, now we know it works. So now we have the blueprint on how to win. So if they can win this first one, they have a Runway that they can go out there and win a couple more for sure.
Pat McAfee
Boys are saying they got four ones this year. Yeah.
AJ Hawk
Oklahoma City believe one is in the top 10.
Pat McAfee
They got four ones.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Crazy.
Pat McAfee
So what do you do that? You bundle that and get Cooper flag. How's that work?
AJ Hawk
I mean, who knows Four ones.
Pat McAfee
I don't know in the NBA what that means. Like, four ones feels like quite a leverage position.
Ty Schmidt
The lottery, too.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, in the lottery, in the top. And then if you were to pull up to your point, like, what does that even mean, the Paul George trade, the way SGA got to Oklahoma City, I mean, he. They basically gave up their entire team, all their picks, just for Paul George. And now it's turned into, you know, this with SGA being the MVP and all these other guys.
Pat McAfee
So who's on the market? What type of position would the Oklahoma City team need? They got to pay their own guys, I guess, but that doesn't do anything with the four ones. So they could be able to be pretty active in this offseason that everybody's talking about being the. What did Sean say? The most craziest.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Most craziest offseason ever.
Pat McAfee
Ever. Four ones feels like a lot. I don't know. That just seems like a lot to me. What type of player would they. I don't know. How do you.
Caller
They can get anything, Pat. But the crazy part about it is I think they got what they needed last year. I think they need to Go through the playoffs with this group and they're like, oh, okay, we need a bigger guy next to Chad.
Pat McAfee
Boom.
Caller
Let's go get two. One.
Pat McAfee
Jeez, that's a lot different.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Never mind. All we said was a lie.
Caller
It's not four ones, it's two.
Pat McAfee
One. Sorry, sorry, sorry. That's on me. Yeah, we had to. We had to. Yeah. Okay, so they got three in the first 44. Okay.
Caller
Either way. Either way, Pat, they're set up. They can do anything. Like, they have those picks. They have players that. That people want. But I think if you look at their history, they've been patient. Look what press he's done since 2012. He's helped produce four MVPs. Durant, Westbrook, Harden became an MVP, and now SGA. Those are four guys that he drafted that went on to be MVP. So we can't question his moves. And now he has a load of everything. If he ever wants to push his chips to the table, he can get almost anybody in the league. Anybody. If he calls, they'll listen.
Pat McAfee
And he's got the best atmosphere in the NBA. People are saying that fan base is awesome. I mean, they are bought in completely. The blue and white striped arena is fantastic. I mean, I. They say we need to talk about him more during the regular season. I agree. You win and start a dynasty here, I think everybody's going to be forced to talk about how awesome things are over there. Let's go to the Eastern Conference now. Tonight, the Indiana Pacers can punch their ticket to meet Oklahoma City in the Finals. Now, I have gotten an opportunity to follow this Pacers team all season. As you get a. Okay, you're back. Connection was unstable. Probably on our side, not yours. That's. I apologize for that. But as I've watched this Pacers team all season, they've played like this against everybody, basically for the second half of the year. Fast. They run all over the place. Carlisle always locked in. I mean, I gave him a shoulder shot on that sideline. He didn't break. Not at all. I watched him pace in front of me for the entire game. Not one time did he crack a smile. He feels like he's locked in. How does this team with Carlisle be a team that can maybe win the fucking NBA title this year? Like, why, why. Why are they so good? You thought. You think. And what do they have to do tonight in Madison Square Garden? Is it start fast?
Caller
Well, start fast. Don't let the crowd get in the game. But they're on the other side of it. When you're. When you're a player, right? When I was with the Clippers and we got Doc Rivers, we're like, you know what? Here's a coach that's won a championship. So we're holding on to everything he says. It's resonating with us differently. You could tell the Pacers team is going through that with Carlisle. Like, he's won a championship. He knows what it takes. Oh, and by the way, he's not trying to change. Them young guys want to get up and down the court. They want to play fast. They want the magic that Halliburton can provide with those passes or Pascal taking over. And they're playing with such energy. If they can advance, it will be an unbelievable finals because it's a contrast of styles with the defense versus potent offense. But tonight's going to be a tough one in the Garden. We know what that's going to be. It may be the loudest it's been all year. It's gonna be a dog fight tonight. I can't wait. I'm shocked you don't have your Pacers jersey on already. I thought you'd be already warmed up for it.
Pat McAfee
No, no, no. Listen. Hey, we. I have not worn it. Except for over there. What's that?
Caller
Is it creased? Is this iron? It's just waiting for you. Like, what's going on over there?
Pat McAfee
It's representing, brother.
Ty Schmidt
It's not crease.
Pat McAfee
There ain't no creases in it. What are you talking about? This thing is. This thing is ready to do its job, which is provide good vibes for the Indiana Pacers. There's actually a couple. Them is stacked up.
AJ Hawk
You see game. Warren McConnell right behind you.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, TJ McConnell right here. They're everywhere. What are you talking about?
Caller
They're every. Okay, all right, all right. My fault. My fault.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I'm doing my part, okay? I'm doing my part.
Caller
Jamal, you're bumping Carlisle. Unbelievable.
Pat McAfee
Dude. That was. I gave him a pretty good shot.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah.
Pat McAfee
He and I have talked to each other twice. I think he was on the show once.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And then I talked to him in real life.
Ty Schmidt
Right.
Pat McAfee
At a Fever game, I believe I was at a Fever game, and I ran into him and Chit. Chatted with him. I think he does know of my existence. He understands the gimmick. Yeah. He did not get. Yeah, he did not. Did not care at that moment. But as I see him walking by, I'm like, yeah, gotta. Gotta give him a shot, you know? And he'd been pacing. We were sitting right at that Carmax box right there. He had been pacing in front of us basically all night. Did not crack once. And then after the game, even though he won, just did not crack one time. It was like, man, this guy is lost. Absolutely. Connor has a question for you about the Eastern Conference.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, Jamal, our resident Knicks fan basically said, like, look, the Knicks were built to beat the Celtics, not the papers Pacers. And I mean, every single team was built this offseason to beat the Celtics because they were the champions. But what do you think this year is going to do as far as team building goes going forward? The Pacers, you know, they're kind of a run and gun team, but you know, Oklahoma City, so good on offense and defense. Of course, Shawm saying, this is going to be the most craziest offseason ever. How do you think teams are going to approach it when thinking of, hey, how can we beat Oklahoma City? How can we beat the Indianapolis Pacers? Do you think there will be more kind of lone star or just two star type players per team, or do you think it will be a Big three type as we've seen in the past?
Caller
I think what you'll see more so than anything, you'll see more playmakers. I think they'll come back to the forefront because in the regular season you may play a team once, play a totally different team next week when you could lock in the playoffs. And we're seeing it right now with Indiana in New York, for example, they're so locked in on Brunson that he's not, you know, having the same success he had in the regular season. So now Cat has to step up. But you're seeing a need for playmakers. OKC has that. If Shay's not going to here comes J Dub. He's not going. You know, even Lou Dork who can catch and shoot can make plays. Isaiah Joe, they have these other guys who can make plays and I think you're going to see that come to the forefront because when the game slows down and it really bogs down and they're locked in on your key guy, Anthony Edwards just went through it. You need other guys who can make plays and make everybody else job easier and generate shots. So I think that will come to the forefront because the last few years has been just 3 and d give the star the ball, stay out his way, do the dirty work. I think you'll get playmakers back in the league.
Pat McAfee
I we're talking about the running of the Pacers, they run. Like watching that game the other night, just in real life, I should have went to a game earlier in the year. That's what I should have. Puts it in perspective.
AJ Hawk
Thought you did get one in.
Pat McAfee
No.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, but the intensity of playoff basketball, you almost don't want to diminish that by going to a regular season game.
Pat McAfee
I definitely. I mean, schedule's insane, obviously. Always is. So I should. But I should have popped that for a game just because of perspective. Like, just the. Like how tall everybody is, how big, how much running. Like Carl Anthony Towns. Me watching him just run up and down that court at his size, I was so impressed with. But I think that's a big piece of what Indiana's like game is like, hey, we're going to wear you down. Like, you are going to be tired. By the end of that game, they were clearly tired. Like, clearly tired. Is that something you sign up for whenever you play a team that plays the way the Pacers play? And is Oklahoma City the same or different?
Caller
Well, you do sign up for. When I was in the league back in the day and it was Steve Nash and the Suns and they were second Sevens or less, right? And they were getting up and down the court, we knew it would be a track meet. But I enjoy games like that because I wanted to play fast anyway. I couldn't imagine doing it in the playoffs. When it's the most physical and, you know, it's the grind of it, the Pacers are like, we're not losing our pace regardless. So when you have a pace like the Pacers have, it almost brings another star player to your team because it generates shots for everybody. You don't know where it's coming from. They'll generate another 20, 30 points. So coach Carlisle saying, play free, play fast. Let's score in three seconds or less. They're scoring like that after May baskets, which is unheard of in the playoffs. And that's why. That's their superpower, their entire bench.
Pat McAfee
As soon as there's a. As soon as the other team scores, push like they are screaming like that is getting that ball re inbounded. And then when you talk about you don't know who's going to be the star, I think it's because all you need is one person on the court to be tired or to be late down, and then that person's wide open, and then you just need that person to kind of score whenever they have their opportunity. Ben Mahon came in for relief of Tyrese Haliburton. And I don't think they were focused on him. He had like six straight. Seven straight points. He was just running them like it was just very clear. It's a fun style. And the fact that they're called the Pacers, you know, and it's a pace type of play.
Ty Schmidt
Perfect.
Pat McAfee
Is a perfect match with our city.
AJ Hawk
I mean, Nismith, in the comeback, he was. He's the guy in that situation. He made what, 6, 3. He had 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Pat McAfee
Carl Anthony Towns will never get enough credit for running as much as he did just in game four. I don't know about all the other ones, but watching him lumber back and forth, I'm like, how's this guy survive? I have no idea how you guys do 82 games, no clue how you do it, but I appreciate the fact that they're pulling it off. Now Town has a question about the defensive side.
Connor
Yeah, Jamal, obviously, you know, you. You made your hay in the NBA on the defensive side of the ball, so I figured I'd ask you about that.
Caller
Locked up like Gary Payton, of course.
Connor
Exactly. So okc, everyone knows about their defense and all. Like the highlights. You see, they. They have so many just tip balls and fast break points. Watching last night, and the Pacers, you. When you watch their highlights, it's similar. And I know their. Their defense has gotten better as the season has gone on. Is it a. Is it more of an effort thing in the NBA or is. Can you scheme a great defense?
Caller
In the NBA, you can scheme a great defense. I think it's more trust, because trust is built on the defensive end because your. Your instinctive nature to say, I don't want my man to score. What's. No, it's. There's five guys guarding the ball, and that's why Anthony Edwards had no gaps. That's why whoever they play has no gaps or no driving lanes, because there's help everywhere you go. One guy has the ball, the ball. Five sets of eyes are watching them. So it forces him to either take a tough shot repeatedly over and over and over, or have to pass the ball and trust his teammates. And they're so connected. And that's what's worried about a young team. Usually vet guys are like, you know what? We're gonna need this in the playoffs. We've been through it. We've been the league 15 years. These guys are doing it young and they're taking pride in it. And they're almost looking like, you know what? Let's see how many stops we can get in A row because they know they're breaking the other team's spear because they're trying to, you know, do whatever they can to get a shot. They're so locked in on the defense that it makes it easy on offense because they're getting stopped and they're going.
Pat McAfee
What happens tonight?
Caller
Pacers throw the first punch. I'll say this.
Pat McAfee
Whoever, whoever, just can't say it.
Caller
Hustler, whoever's leading by halftime, wins the game.
Pat McAfee
Okay, so there's no crazy fourth quarter shenanigans like there has been a few different times.
AJ Hawk
But if you. It's tied.
Caller
Two different types of pressure. The Knicks are trying to survive. The Pacers saying, we're going to go to the finals tonight. So it's two different types of pressure. Whoever's winning the halftime and can settle into their game first, I think wins tonight.
Pat McAfee
What if it is tied? If it's close game, who's it go to?
Caller
Then? They better hope Reggie Miller's not on the call because then it gets ugly late.
Pat McAfee
Hell yeah, he is. You could just said Pacers win. That would have been cool. I would. I would have liked to hear that. That would have been nice.
Caller
Hey, I. I played for the Knicks, not the Pacers. I'm just saying, Hey, I got, you know, I know what you're feeling over there, but I'm just being honest.
Pat McAfee
Feels like everybody played for the Knicks. Yeah, it just feels like more and more people. We appreciate the hell out of you. The man, ladies and gentlemen, Jamal Crawford.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, Jamal.
Pat McAfee
Big one tonight. Big, huge, big one. Not as big as the engine that you can find in a 2025 Ram 1500. All the power you need, the luxury you want, and the capability you deserve.
Ty Schmidt
Hell yeah.
Pat McAfee
This hour is presented by Ram Trucks. And it's powered by their big ass engines. Hell yeah.
AJ Hawk
Love it.
Pat McAfee
Shout out to Ram Trucks. Dodge Ram Trucks. Let's do a little bit more football talk, shall we? College football talk. Even more so Kurt Signetti of the Indiana Hoosiers, he's kind of, I don't want to say exposing, but potentially shining a light on something that maybe we haven't talked about enough. In this entire nil boosters, donors world that we have, how many teams you know are hogging the boosters and the donors money? Kurt Signetti, who went to Indiana this past season from a massively successful run at jmu, comes over to the Indiana Hoosiers, hits the transfer portal, brings in a lot of D2 guys, a lot of guys that maybe have been kind of undervalued. People that haven't really had the opportunity to be in the spotlight. Dogs is basically what he was looking for. And he turns his Indiana team into a Big Ten threat. Gets them all the way into the damn near to the dance. And whenever you're thinking about this Indiana Hoosier, Notre Dame actually kicked off the entire thing. When you think about this Indiana Hoosier team, they're maybe going to be the talking point of the depiction of what the transfer portal and the NAL can be. They transformed a team in a school that had been dead. Didn't even care about football. What's the football team? Oh, it's something that happens in the fall that maybe a few hundred of us can go do on a Saturday in cold ass Bloomington, Indiana, into a sellout after sellout, into a national spotlight, into holy hell. Indiana's always been a basketball school. Now it's a football school literally overnight. Because Kurt Signetti in nil and what the boosters did, well, the basketball team hired a coach that they like.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Pat McAfee
Now Kurt Signetti saying this.
AJ Hawk
And feel.
Pat McAfee
Like, feel like you need Phillips.
AJ Hawk
I'd like to assigned a few more but you know, when we hired Darian and he lost his whole roster, money got a little tight because he had.
Ty Schmidt
To put a team together.
AJ Hawk
And I felt the pinch.
Pat McAfee
Everybody's laughing around him. He's telling the truth. Garth Signetti is dead ass serious. I felt a pinch a little bit. So that's an interesting dynamic on like where the money goes whenever things happen. Darian Devries is the coach that was from West Virginia at West Virginia one year. Don't love. Don't love how that went.
Ty Schmidt
Made the right move, Almost went to the tournament.
AJ Hawk
They were close.
Pat McAfee
His boy didn't even play all year.
Ty Schmidt
I got job actually, which is interesting.
AJ Hawk
He didn't play all year.
Pat McAfee
Well, he played just the amount of games. Still have a red shirt or whatever. He did get hurt. He had his shoulder, had surgery. He's gonna. He's very good. He is very, very, very good. Well, we thought that was potential coming to West Virginia. We were about to go on a run again. We were back. West Virginia hooves was all the way back. It did not work out. Now he's at Indiana. I assume he is thrilled. Okay, dream job. Obviously the Hoosiers, as are the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball job. But he is now at the Hoosiers. I assume whenever he negotiated his deal with Indiana, he did the same thing as Signetti did and said, hey, I'm guaranteed this, this, this and this from the boosters and from nil. Sure, sure, sure. And then Signetti sitting in his office, he's going, I got a five star, two star that needs a job. I need an extra 75 grand. Well, actually we need a, we need a shooting guard, actually for Darian's team because we don't have that. And his boy needs a little bit more money as well. And Signutti's like, well, I thought we had this whole thing going now who knows what the future looks like for the Indiana Hoosier football team. I assume Signetti will win. But whenever you think about these schools that have a sum, but not a lot, it's like, when does that well run dry?
Connor
And they, and they try in both sports, like, like you think like those, like Indiana, like North Carolina, like Duke, like, there's a lot of times when, when you've been a national powerhouse on the other side, where that other team is, is going to get squeezed if, like, that's funny thinking about a booster sitting at his house and going, do I want basketball football this year?
Pat McAfee
And that's really what it is in the modern world that we're in right now. And if you push like, all those boosters should feel good about what the football team did. Yeah, yeah, like, hey, did you see what we did to the entire thing? But the boosters probably in Indiana always been a basketball school, so always been like, wow, we need pinstripe. So we need, we need that to remain. We need that. Or candy stripes are. We need that to remain in this entire thing. And it's like some schools, I think a lot of boosters put money in and they did not succeed. And I think you're gonna see, oh, yeah, I ain't doing that right? No, I ain't doing that anymore. And you're gonna see like schools have maybe like a booster alumni get interested for whatever reason. I mean, Ellison, who owns Lanai, Hawaii Oracle, owns Oracle, but in doing so has also bought a piece of land from the United States of America.
AJ Hawk
Nice piece.
Pat McAfee
Beautiful, beautiful out there in 400 billion. I think or whatever. He's 300 billion. He started dating a Michigan alumni, so he just became a Michigan booster. So now Michigan not only has all their billionaires that they have, they add like the third wealthiest guy and it's like he's in there. That can happen to any school. Like, and I'm not saying that particular situation, but like, somebody can get interested in a school for whatever reason and then all of a sudden, boom, Football team does well, basketball team does well. And then if they don't do well, money drops off and they're gone. It's like, how does that get monitored? That'll be an interesting dynamic. Not saying the Hoosier football team is dead, but I think what we saw last year is going to be tough to sustain, especially if they have to split the cash. Especially for a school that is normally heralded as a basketball school. Wild to think about all the future possibilities.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, and also makes so much sense why the SEC is up in arms about this nil. Because what has become a conference in basketball, the SEC was what, the most dominant conference this year. We had a conversation about the NCAA tournament, how they had what, nine teams or something?
Ty Schmidt
Thirteen.
AJ Hawk
Thirteen teams from the SEC. And the SEC's kind of the conference that was always known for running football. And then we talk about, you know, kind of jokingly, hey, the Big Tens won a few titles in a row here. But that is serious now, where you're looking at the nil and what SIG is talking about. And I assume the Big Ten is one of those conferences like Penn State that we see, that we talk about, that has a bunch of money, a bunch of very wealthy boosters, whereas the SEC might be worried about that because there's so much money up north. And Bama, they didn't go to the playoff last year for the first time ever, but their basketball team was a one seed or they went to the Final Four. And then Florida being kind of a football team that has really fallen off. But hey, I don't look now their basketball team is the national champs. Kentucky, I guess you could throw into the category, has always been a basketball school and never really will be a football school. But for these SEC teams and these Big Ten teams, if you have to pick right now between football or basketball, that puts your school in a terrible spot. Whereas the Big Ten, it feels like they don't have to pick. They're the, they're the schools that kind of can go either way. But it's interesting for that aspect to be kind of spotlighted now, especially with the sec.
Ty Schmidt
Well, and I think like you said, like the way it used to be, it seems like, you know, when, like when we were in college was if a booster gave like a massive donation, like that was kind of like they were good for a while. You know, they'd build like a new facility or something, get their name on it. Now it's like an every year thing. It's not just like, hey, you donated the, this athletic facility for us. We appreciate you you're set for the next. However, it's like, hey, this thing doesn't end. So it's like, yeah, you gave us $500,000 last year. Like, we're going to need a million this year. And I. Who knows how many people, especially at a place like Indiana, where, like, you said, like, the excitement is where it hasn't been in a long time because they have a new coach. It's a basketball school. It's a basketball state. They want to win. So you hate to say it, but it's almost in a position where I'm sure boosters now are like. Like, well, we got to see the football team do it again, because, like, we want the basketball team to be good again. But I don't know, like, you know, there are a lot of wealthy people out there, but how many people are. Are okay with just blindly. All right, fine, we'll give 5 million to the football team. We'll give 5 million to the basketball team, and we'll do that every year until I'm dead. Like, I don't know how much that's happened.
Pat McAfee
You talk about people donating, getting wings and, like, plaques and things. Now it's just like, yeah, you got us two guards. We appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you. And. And I've heard people donate, like, millions of these things and they don't get, like, invited to games. Right?
Chase Frazier
Really?
Pat McAfee
Like, yeah. You're, like, lucky to do that. Yeah. That has happened. Yeah.
AJ Hawk
Like Mark Cuban with iu? Is that what you're saying?
Pat McAfee
No, I think Mark Cuban could do whatever. I think he's donated a lot to IU Pre nio and everything. But, yeah, it's just, like, kind of viewed as just a transaction. Like, yeah, you are paying for two of our wide receivers. Thank you. Do I get anything? You want to pay for quarterback?
Ty Schmidt
You got to pay for them again next year so they don't transfer.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, it's like these boosters, I don't think they really get much in return. Like, some of these places, I think we heard there was, like, special access and everything like that. If you donate, I think, like, 10 million or something.
AJ Hawk
Yeah. You get the premier gator hunting package.
Pat McAfee
Oh, yeah, you can definitely get a gator. Exactly. I did not hear that at lsu, but I do believe there is an opportunity to get in a great gator hunt. You get in a good gator hunt down there, plus get your name maybe on the back of the bottom of a seat somewhere right In a stadium, outside of the stadium. Like, that is kind of how it's viewed now is like super transactional. Do you want to help your school or not? You do. Thank you. We need $175,000.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
For what? This guy's good tackle. Is he playing this year? No, no, he'll be playing next year, but we're gonna need you to pay him again next year, too. It's like, what do I get out of it? We give a parking pass at the practice. So you come watch this guy. He's not gonna play during the game. Okay. So you see him in practice.
AJ Hawk
Okay.
Pat McAfee
Okay. $175,000. And it's like, how many uber wealthy people are out there that are just like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nothing in return. Not even a tax write off? Yeah, sure. Everybody says, like, oh, it's a tax write off. It's a tax write off. A lot of these people have no idea what tax write offs are and they have no clue how it works. And what are you actually getting back? Tiny amount tax write off, tax. It's not even that. It's just like, you're just.
Ty Schmidt
It's a donation.
Pat McAfee
Is it going to a charity? Are they building anything? No, it's a guy. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
This guy's gonna play 100 snaps. Next fail the offensive line.
Pat McAfee
Okay. Did you see what happened to our quarterback? Your buddy over there is paying. Ask him how much he's paying. He's paying for a quarterback. You don't think we need to protect him? We don't. And then he's got to do that again next year. And we thought that ruling was coming. It wasn't a ruling.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
No time soon.
Pat McAfee
It was the first day of. It was the first day of trial.
Connor
They need that rule.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And that ruling's nowhere near.
Connor
And a lot of the donors, you know, they. They started. They started getting, you know, the head coach position and the offense. Not actually the. The offensive coordinator position was just named after that person.
Pat McAfee
Soon that was like 30 million or something like that.
Connor
Soon it's going to be like the Mark Ruffalo quarterback, Dylan Raiola, legit, which would be sweet.
AJ Hawk
The Incredible Hulk quarterback. How long do you think it'll last for teams like Ohio State where it's like a legacy wide receiver? Like, hey, you go to Ohio State as wide receiver, you know, you following all the. These incredible guys. Do you think that has any legs anymore?
Pat McAfee
Like, in negotiation?
AJ Hawk
Yeah, negotiation.
Pat McAfee
Saban was able to get, I think, a deal.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, like traction, like for. For high school.
Connor
As long as heart lines there, it'll be.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, like, I want to be the next great quarterback at.
Pat McAfee
I think that's all in your NIO negotiations. But like Indiana's gonna have to pay top dollar, I assume for sure. Like for their guys. They're gonna find their guys. They're gonna pay top dollar. There isn't like a negotiation like, hey, you come get a lot of exposure. You build your brain. We do this. We have have proven track record. They have had one year. You know, like Kurt Signetti can sell like Google me. I win certainly real. Especially amongst people. But if there's competition with Ohio State and everywhere else, like the bag is possible. Huge in Ohio State. I think you do sacrifice some money probably for a national championship is probably what they're talking about.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Hey, we're in primetime every single week. Literally noon game every single week. Not allowed to be on at night. Okay. Which is a wild scene over there. Texas said we're not doing that. We're not doing Sunday night.
Connor
Oh, yeah.
Pat McAfee
Okay. We're staying at noon. Okay. Ohio State. Ohio State's like, so we're the biggest draw. We're the best team. But because the TV deal that our conference has, we have to play at noon every single Saturday. That's right. This is the new prime time. It's like, well, what about our fans? Like, you don't think our fans want to have like a full. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Get boozed up all day on Saturday night game.
Pat McAfee
You don't think we want to showcase.
AJ Hawk
September when Mercer comes to town?
Pat McAfee
Sure, we'll see. Maybe. Maybe another deal will be done in the future where maybe you can get a night game. I don't think so. It's pretty crazy in that. Speaking of crazy and college sports, president Charlie Baker of the NCAA says March Madness expansion could come as early as next year. That would be the goal to try and do this for next year. We've been talking about 72 or 76. That's via David Rumsey. Rumsey via On3Sports via Charlie Baker. Having a press conference somewhere. Shouts on three. They do a great job. On top of literally everything. Isn't March Madness figured out?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, perfect.
Connor
Nice and clean. The bracket works perfectly. I mean, well, it's 68. Sorry. Even the play ins we've accepted is nice now. Yeah. I don't understand.
Pat McAfee
We got to figure it out. This is just like whenever the NFL was talking about changing the playoffs. It's like, yo, got to figure it out. Yeah, you found it. This is the right one. College football playoffs. They got to figure it out.
Connor
We're almost no doubt they.
Pat McAfee
They got to figure it out still. But it's like March Madness has been figured out. 72, 76. Okay. Maybe a 76 seed will be able to go in. You may be 70. Maybe on the bubble there would be very pissed. Yeah. You know, the 90th ranked team in the country is going to be pretty pissed it didn't get in March Madness.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, that's stupid.
Pat McAfee
They're in the bubble, they're in the dance. It's like, I think we got to figure it out. Charlie Baker, I believe, has a good brain. Yeah, we got a chance to chat with him. This one just thought, why you got it? You already figured it out. You guys dominate everything.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, I mean, I guess what you add a couple more time slots on that Thursday, Friday where, you know, you can, you can start games at 11:45pm now too. But it's like, like it'll always be the same thing and the scale will always slide. Like right now, the teams who don't make it in, who are on the bubble are pissed off. And the easy, you know, like Devil's Advocate is like 68 teams are making this. Like, you got to just be a little bit better and then you'll get.
Pat McAfee
West Virginia got screwed.
Ty Schmidt
They did. They did this year. Yeah, they'll get it. But it's like the same thing, you know, and then you move it. And then now the team that's 77th, like, they're going to be pissed off. It's like you got to win to get it, period.
AJ Hawk
West Virginia did get the Neil Brown of basketball. Like Ross White or something.
Ty Schmidt
Ross Hodge.
Pat McAfee
Hodge. Coach Hodge. There it is.
Connor
Yeah, I have a respect for Ross Hodge.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, my bad. It translates to Neil Brown. Same amount of letters.
Pat McAfee
Heather Dennis, she's reporting that Lane Kiffin said just get the best 16 teams possible. Screw them all. Welcome to AutoZone. What are you working on today?
Caller
My car is making this noise.
Pat McAfee
Sometimes it's like, like. And sometimes it's like. Do you have a dash light on? Oh, yeah. And we don't have to listen for clues. With the free fix finder service, we can read a check engine, ABS or maintenance light to find the likely fix and even recommend a local shop if you need one. So you don't need to hear the not with fix finder everything you need. Nothing you don't get in the zone. Auto zone restrictions apply. This message is brought to you by Abercrombie and Fitch. I've been ready for summer for a while and now it's finally time for summer outfits with a Trip coming up. The A and F vacation Shop has me covered. Abercrombie really knows how to do a lightweight outfit. Their tees, sweater, polos and linen blend shorts never miss. I wear Abercrombie denim year round. Their shorts are no different and have the comfort I need for summer prep. For your next trip with the ANF Vacation Shop, get their newest arrivals in store online and in the app. Sports are happening all around us. Two teams have punched their tickets to their respective finals. Congratulations to the Florida Panthers going to their third straight NHL Stanley cup championship and they're looking to go back to back. And congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have the mvp, had the best regular season record and now they are in the NBA finals awaiting their opponent. Who will play this evening? Will it be the Indiana pacers who are up 31 against the New York Knicks tipping off at 8pm on TNT live from Madison Square Garden. And in hockey, who will the Florida Panthers play? Will they play the Edmonton Oilers who have Connor McGes up 3:1 over Texas hockey's Dallas Stars that game 8pm on ESPN. So if this one becomes a little bit of a runaway like last night's Oklahoma City Minnesota Timberwolves game. No, this game's going to be good. That is what these sports have been doing for us. Our game each night has been great.
AJ Hawk
Yep.
Pat McAfee
So you just got to flip back and forth, figure it out. Good luck to all teams. The Pacers could punch their tickets tonight, as could the Oilers and the Stars and Knicks could extend these things and say not so fast my friend. Shout out Lee Corso. The toxic tables here at Bo and Connor and at Ty Schmidt one after the Hammer done Cowboys AP Town. You look thin today.
Connor
Thank you. That's the, you know, the All Black.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Oh yeah, I know, brother. Oh yeah. I know what you're saying. It's not a bad play. I think you look good. Cowboy hat looks good too. It's a straw one. Yeah.
Connor
It's that time of year.
Pat McAfee
Oh, warm weather. Yeah.
Connor
Past Memorial Day. No, if you can feel it, you can chase it.
Pat McAfee
Shout out to Ram Trucks, man.
Connor
I believe actually tonight if you can feel, you can pace it.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. And the Knicks are going to feel it.
Connor
Yeah, they are.
Pat McAfee
Cuz the Indiana is going to pace.
Connor
It all night long.
Pat McAfee
Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man that sets the pace in every room he's in.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Pat McAfee
He's been a college football national championship winner. He's been a Super bowl winner. Wow. He's been a Rider cup winner.
AJ Hawk
Jeez.
Pat McAfee
Father of 10. Yeah. He's wanted life, this guy. Ladies and gentlemen, Ohio's finest, A.J. hawk.
Patty Maroon
Joe Flacco was spot on by the whole mentorship situation. He handed that question beautifully. I know you covered in the first hour, but credit to Joe on that one.
Pat McAfee
If you missed it, here is what AJ Hawk is talking about. Joe Flacco, for the second year in a row is now being talked or being asked about, hey, are you going to teach these younger guys how to be NFL quarterbacks? Here's his answer.
Caller
It's a talking point. You can kind of, like, use it, like, because it's a good question to bait somebody into answering. And either. And no matter how they answer it kind of makes the guy that's answering it look bad. If I say I don't want to be a mentor, I look bad. If I say I do want to be a mentor, then I look like an idiot that doesn't care about being good and playing football. So it's one of those questions that no matter what I say, you guys can write what you want to write about it. And there's a lot of questions like that. That's why you end up having to try to avoid them. I tend to try to be honest. And I've said I'm not a mentor. I play football. And in a quarterback room, there's a lot of times already. There's been already a ton of times where there's learning experiences and I have a lot of experience and I can talk on things and hopefully they listen, but it's not necessarily, like, my job to, like, make sure they listen to me. And, you know, hey, like, hopefully you have a really good relationship with the guys that are in the room, and you naturally want to do that, you know, but that's. Yeah, that was a long winded answer. But that's ultimately why I think you guys ask it.
Pat McAfee
Let us ask him.
Caller
Here's the thing is, like, because of what I just said, like, you're acting like I wouldn't want to be a mentor. And like, once again, it's not really about that. It's just not the main focus. I see myself as a guy that can play in this league. So if your main focus was just like, hey, bud, I'm going to get you ready, you're just not taking care of business. The best way to be a mentor, honestly, is, like, show people how you go to work, you know, and like I said, hope that they pick up on that stuff, but not necessarily force them to pick up on the things that you do.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. So you said he handled it perfectly. I think in the middle of that, a Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar exploded on my desk. So that's on me. That's what you heard. A little bit of a reaction there. I tried to crack the top of one of these delightful. So good Dr. Pepper Zeros. You know, get a little juice, but also some great flavor. And it exploded all. I mean, because I guess it's been rolling around down here for the last couple days. That's 100% on me age. We kind of interrupted what Joe Flacco was saying. But, yeah, whenever you talk about gospel, that feels like the perfect way to handle that situation. And I love. And I mentioned this in the first hour, that one of the reporters was like, on that note. Yeah, let me ask about it. So you're not going to be a mentor. Will you just tell us the answer? It's a tough position, especially in professional sports. AJ Hawk. And it feels like Joe just explained it perfectly for a lot of vets.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, I think he explained he helps out for. For people in the future because this will continue to get asked by vet quarterbacks whenever there's a younger quarterback that they think that. I guess I don't know what people think mentorship might look like from a starting quarterback or from a guy that has experience to someone else. But yeah, like Joe. Joe said, okay, it's not. I can't make them listen to me. I can't make them do anything. They are. They're adults, but they can watch me. If they want to see what the process is and what my process is and ask me questions, I will answer everything. I'm sure. Like, basically they should say, hey, are you gonna be a dick to these young guys or not? And Joe is not going to be addicted to these guys.
AJ Hawk
Did you have to do that for linebackers, Hawker? Like, was there anybody that you were kind of the seasoned vet in the locker room for? And I assume you just didn't help them because you're a mute, but were there any points that you had to do that?
Caller
No.
Patty Maroon
I mean, there wasn't any time when I, like, specifically was or felt like it was. It was my. My duty or what I was supposed to do. But anytime you had, we had. I mean, especially a linebacker room. Like, you have guys coming in and out of that room weekly. Like, especially during the season, you're signing and trading guys away and getting rid of dudes all the time. So there's always new people in there. But yeah, I felt like the whole room was a Very collaborative situation. If anyone ever asks you a question or what you. What you should do or, hey, what are you looking at here on this play? Yeah. Then you tell them exactly what you're looking at and give them some advice. Tell them, hey, when I got in the league, this is the old guy that I looked up to. Or I. I kind of bugged for.
Pat McAfee
For.
Patty Maroon
I bugged, hey, how do you watch film? What do you do? What's your process? It's all that stuff, but it's not like. It's not something where they get, here you go. You are a mentor now. You got to take this kid under your wing. Like, that doesn't work that way.
Pat McAfee
To everything you just said, like, Adam Vinitari, for me, I just watched him, you know, like, I just watched him ask him a question. Not only on the field, off the field as well. Like, I think that is a big deal, handling a lot of things that come your way whenever you become a professional athlete. Now, granted, these younger guys experience it at a lot earlier age, so maybe they have, you know, all the answers, which I assume they all feel like they did do. And a lot of young guys feel that way to begin with going into the league. And, you know, it's those who humble themselves that are willing to ask the questions. You know, you could try to be a coach or a mentor for some of these guys, and they might not listen anyways. So if you were to give effort into something that isn't your job, isn't what your legacy is going to be because you feel like you're doing right, and then that person doesn't even listen. It's like, why'd I spend any time away from my job to do that? It's like Vinatieri. I was so lucky to be able to watch him work. And then through watching him work, it's like, oh, I could probably apply that to me, you know, I could probably do that for my thing watching Peyton. Peyton's nowhere near being a part watching him work. Dallas Clark, Gary Brackett, you go through that entire crew of people, like, watching them do their thing. Joseph Adai, I remember watching the way he got ready before a game one time, and I was like, oh, that's a good idea. I should probably. I feel like something I should probably do. Like, those are the things you do. And it's a coach's job to coach. The strategy, the technique, the culture of the place. It's a player's job to be ready for it. But if you're an older player, obviously you're going to be leaned upon in certain situations, especially from younger guys, if they're wearing willing to ask. That's a big part of it. Willing participant in the entire mentor, mentee part of it too.
Patty Maroon
AJ Yeah, I think that's something, I guess that a vet can do early on. Like let with without being a douche, let the dude know and be open with them and say, hey, like if you, I don't want to sit here and give you a bunch of unsolicited advice, like I, you know, that you don't need that you already swim and you got a lot going on. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask me and I will, I will tell you exactly how I feel about the situation. Like, I think that that's more of what it really, really happens, I think.
AJ Hawk
Oh, and you guys have talked about like off the field, you know, after your first season where, you know, you have all this time for the first time in your life and it's, you know, basically six months of stuff where you can do whatever you want. But when you do first come into the league, how much of that, like game day preparation and pre game stuff, like, how much does that actually change? Like, did, did you do the same stuff at West Virginia? Did you do the same stuff at Ohio State that you did in the league? Or was that just like a completely different than pregame routine?
Pat McAfee
AJ for me, it was vastly different because I kicked, punted and kicked off at West Virginia. So I had to figure out what my new pregame routine was. And also the NFL pregame schedule is different than what college is for me. I need field, you know, so when are the, when is the field open? I kind of had to figure that whole thing out through my pregame. So I was watching, figuring mine out as I got to the NFL. Also didn't know how to punt really, so I was also trying to figure that out as I went. So I was open to suggestions for you. Is pregame warm up normal for linebackers? Because I know you guys go Indy, you kind of do your warm up, hit, thump, drill, then you do like shell almost, it feels like. And then is that kind of the same everywhere?
Patty Maroon
Yeah, it's kind of a similar pregame situation like when bars warm ups, I think at the linebacker position. But in the college you don't have as much freedom. You know, when you get in the NFL you have a little bit more freedom on when you show up, all of that stuff when you can go out. But pregame, that's more Also like, you got to figure that out for yourself. Like, yeah, you can watch guys and see what they're doing, but you also need to do what works for you. Like I didn't like going on the field ever before. I didn't ever want to go. I hated like the pre pregame. Now you as a, a punter, like you need to be out there and quarterbacks are out there throwing the receivers, but linebackers, a lot of times are out there just trying to get some good camera time. That's what they do in pre pre warm ups, you know. And so sure, I didn't, I didn't. I just hated warm ups. I wanted to get to the game, shirt off.
Pat McAfee
We're jogging, we're bopping headphones on. That's the pre pregame. There's a lot of camera time possibilities out there. I almost murdered Tim Tebow during that time.
AJ Hawk
Whoa. Oh, that would have been sin.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I agree with the football, huh? Yeah. Because that pre pre game, that's when the field is most open. So like trying not to kill people is a big part of it. Especially teammates and people that are playing in the game. Like, you'd never want to be like Justin Tucker situation, Travis Kelsey never want to be in that situation. That is not a situation you want to be in because you. I don't know. Oh. Trying to have respect here. Yes. But granted, when I was, when I, if I got a hold of one, that thing's going to go a lot further than I thought it was going to go. Tim Tebow probably 75, 80 yards away from me, far sideline. I'm in the back of the end zone, just kind of warming up, hitting a few, you know, my guy Sam's catching him running all over the field. Great athlete, local football coach, Became a ball boy quick manager for the Colts a long time ago. Stuck around just to catch punts in warm ups. And at halftime, because he was so good at it, him and Pac man actually got into it one time because Pac man was trying to catch my punts and warm ups, which is a great advantage. And I think it is illegal and he used to send elbows or whatever, but it's just me and that guy basically out on the field and I hit, I catch. I mean I caught one and that thing must have hit a jet stream. And that thing is going beelining for where Tim Tebow is doing some shit down the corner. My guy Sam sprinting right at him. I mean, Arizona is like a full collision. Yelling like a four, like that type.
AJ Hawk
It's like golfing with a group in front of you.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Even worse though, because if he turns his head, I mean, we only got a few seconds. That's almost hit him. Buzz the tower right next to him. I'm telling you, that thing was tight. I mean, that's coming. That would have been a.
Ty Schmidt
The goodness.
Pat McAfee
That would have been a knockout. That would have been a. That would have been a full knockout. You know, it was Tim Tebow and I. I just went to the other end sort of punting back the other way. I was like, we're good here. I think I figured out what the wind stream is where we need to go. But yeah, that pre. Pre time is a lot of scattered people. And that was big for the kickers and punters. That was when we got our time. Now, granted, that's an hour and a half before the game, so you gotta stay warm. Yeah. So what the hell am I gonna do?
Patty Maroon
You gotta warm up again.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, warm up again and again and again and again. You didn't like all the bullshit shenanigans beforehand, huh? You just want to get that thumping.
Patty Maroon
Like a 40 minute warm up is just not, you know, especially when it's a game. It's game time. Like, let's go play. What are we doing?
Pat McAfee
Did you take first bus? Second bus.
Patty Maroon
On second bus, actually.
AJ Hawk
Wow.
Pat McAfee
I like to hear that because I.
Patty Maroon
Didn'T go out early. I didn't. I don't want to go out early. I would get to the locker room, put my pants on right away and then kind of sit there and do my thing.
Pat McAfee
Let's talk about some of the changes that are happening around college football. We talked about Heather Dinnich's tweet at the end of the first hour, how Lane Kiffin said, I don't want the automatic exemptions. So what? You won the Super Duper cup and the Big Do. I don't care. The big doo doo. Sure. I want the best 16 teams in the tournament, period. I don't care about automatic qualifiers because you won your conference championship. If your conference is stinks, you're the champion of those who stink. You're not supposed to be in the actual tournament. Now, Lane, I appreciate you going to bat for this. I appreciate you saying this for your conference. I appreciate you saying this because you feel like Ole Miss should have been in last year. If Ole Miss was in last year. I think Jackson dartstock through the roof even more going into the NFL draft and everything like that. The issue, Lane, the issue here is getting the 16 best teams how are you going to figure that one out? How are you gonna. How are you gonna figure that one out? Especially now that we know that there's a chance that teams are built differently due to the climates in which they're gonna have to play in the style of football in which they're gonna have to play. A Big Ten team can't be built like an SEC team because it becomes negative 15 degrees. And you can't just have 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 4 everywhere. You gotta have some SUVs out there. You're going to have to play some tackle football. So how do you judge what team is better? You can't just go off of speed. You can't just go off of size. You can't just go off of, you know, common opponents. Because everybody's going to lay an egg or two throughout an entire season. Even the champions lay an egg or two throughout the champions. So you could say, well, look how they played this week. Well, that was a bad week for them. So how are you going to compare what a good week is, a bad week is this when they're playing their best, how often have they played their best? And are they going to be able to play in the cold, which you're going to have to do in a culture football playoffs now, or you just run fast. If that game's in the South, I think Tennessee a little bit different than Ohio State, but you got to go battle against a team that has to be built like a bunch of SUVs, and all of a sudden something happens. So I think it's going to be impossible to figure out who the 16 best teams are, let alone 12 or the four. So I think that's probably never going to happen. But to be clear, Lane, we all would like the 16 best teams to be represented in the tournament is kind of. I just want to let Lane know. I apologize. I agree with what you're saying, but I'm sorry to say I don't know if that's ever going to be possible. I don't know if that's ever going to be possible, especially with all the factors that can come into play, into all the different arguments, because everybody truly believes what they're saying. Yeah, everybody. Oh, yeah, everybody. And it's like, how do you find that out? I guess you got to put some parameters on it. You win your championship, you get in, Congratulations, you're one of the 16 best teams in the country. If you win your tournament or whatever.
Caller
There's a.
Connor
There's a ton of talk right now. And a lot of it's because of SEC media days, and a lot of the SEC coaches and Commissioner Sankey is talking a lot right now. There's a. There's talk like where. Where there's going to be four automatics for the SEC and Big Ten, and then two for Big 12 and ACC and then the next four or whatever.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Connor
And then there's a five plus 11 model, which seems to be catching a lot of steam, where it'll be the five highest conference or the five conference champions. They automatically get in, and then the next 11 at large. That one seems to be like it's catching a lot. Feels like it's gonna go to 60. I know it was supposed to go to 14 or whatever next. It feels like it's gonna go straight to 16.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Connor
But the 5 plus 11 is getting the most momentum right now.
Pat McAfee
We.
AJ Hawk
We need a no boohoo rule. Okay.
Pat McAfee
And everything.
AJ Hawk
I'm.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
And everything. But especially this, because guess what's gonna happen when we go to 14? Hey, we. We were ranked 16th. We should have been ranked 14th. We should have been in. When we go to 16. That March Madness thing really grinds my gears. I think it's transferring over now to the College Football Playoff because, I mean, when's it going to stop? Because guess what? Okay.
Pat McAfee
There's three good teams. There's three.
AJ Hawk
Shut up and win your games. Okay.
Pat McAfee
Oregon, three great teams. Sorry, three.
AJ Hawk
Three great teams. It goes to the super bowl conversation we have in the NFL. Hey, there's about, you know, there's 32 teams in this league, and at the beginning of the season, all 32 can win the Super Bowl. No, not true. There's eight teams that can usually win the super bowl every year. Ten, maybe, if it's a great year. College football is very similar, if not even smaller, like every year in college football. Indiana, that story is awesome. And I loved every second of it. Game day at Bloomington was one of my favorite days of the year. Getting to watch that environment, seeing the photos from the year before to what it was last year that. That transition. So cool. But at no point throughout the season was Indiana a real contender to win the College Football Playoff. I'm sorry, I don't want it to be true. I think the Indiana football losers.
Pat McAfee
They had Ohio State in that first quarter. They drop a punt. They had a fumbled or a special team play. They had you guys on ropes in a horseshoe.
Patty Maroon
Played a football game. Yeah. Football plays happened in that game. Yeah.
Guest
All right.
Patty Maroon
And then you decided the outcome.
Pat McAfee
You're right.
AJ Hawk
What happened? The five stars that they have on special teams. This was the conversation after the game. The five stars they have on special teams are much better than the Jimmy's and Joe's. Me and Ty on kickoff and on. On punt team. Okay. That's why Caleb Downs ran it back untouched without anybody even near him. So the whole entire, like, hey, we need to keep expanding. Hey, we need to fix the. The ranking. If Ohio State was ranked 12th last year, they would have went on to win the College Football Playoff. Now if they lose a few more games and they don't make the College Football Playoff in Ohio State, people are bitching. Hey, our schedule was harder. We would have won the College Football Playoff. Maybe win your games. Hey, shut up and win your games. And that should be the message that Lane Kiffin. I love Lane Kiffin. I think the Lane Kiffin thing with Fine Bomb is comedy.
Pat McAfee
Oh, he's passed it.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, yeah. Passed it. But he still won't share his real thoughts on the Fine Bomb show. So awesome. I think it's the coolest thing ever. I think more coaches need to do it. Kirby Smart, the way he handled it as well. Unbelievable. So amazing. He's just sending all of that beef to his own players. But when it comes to the. Hey, the bubble teams, they're going to be mad.
Pat McAfee
They go to 14 sec saying it's impossible for us to win all our games. Everybody wants us to win our games. Win our games. Win our games. Come play the schedule. We got to play. And come win your games. Win your games. Win your games. Yeah. Layla.
AJ Hawk
Kiffin, guess what? It's not impossible to beat Kentucky at home. It's not impossible.
Pat McAfee
There's a couple losses to be Florida on the road, but that's the thing that they. That. So you listen to, listen to Saban, Coach Saban talk about what the coaches are saying. It's like some of these teams are going to lay an eggy some weeks. Like that's going to happen in the sec. You lay an egg. They're saying you. You play Vanderbilt could even get you.
Ty Schmidt
They were good this year.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. That's what they're talking about. I know that.
AJ Hawk
I know that's what they're talking about. But dad coming.
Pat McAfee
I don't care.
Caller
Go out and win your damn games.
Pat McAfee
All right? Don't lay an egg.
AJ Hawk
You know what separates the good from the great? The amount of eggs laid.
Connor
Bingo.
Pat McAfee
Ohio State laid two. Yep. Oregon. Michigan.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, well, I mean, they played pretty good at Oregon. You know, I don't even know if you could say that's because that, that loss, I don't think hurt like the Michigan one for sure. I don't know if the Oregon loss really, like, hurt him that much.
Pat McAfee
I guess it just hurt the conversation about Will Hired. Yes, that's Will Hire's been put on show. I heard.
Connor
Boy, is he. We don't need to get. But like.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, but Will Howard also, I mean, he knows where the.
Connor
Now that the. Now that the seating has changed and it's not.
Pat McAfee
Joy Taylor is a Pittsburgh girl, people forget about that. She's from Pittsburgh. I'm trying. She's a Steelers fan.
AJ Hawk
I'm trying to get him going.
Pat McAfee
There's a lot of people going to Joy Taylor. Joy Taylor's like, what are we doing here? We're the Pittsburgh Steelers. She's from Pittsburgh. Same high school as my mom, actually. So double she, double U, she double O, D, Y. Woody High. Same high school with Gronkowski, obviously. Jason T. Like, that is a. She's a Steelers fan. So, like, I saw a lot of people be like, he's not even on Team Joyce. Like, I know. Why are we acting? What's the entire. So we don't even get in it. But Will hires. What he does know where smoothies are.
AJ Hawk
Yes, he does.
Connor
He knows where everything already is in Pittsburgh. But to that point, Ohio State 1 is an 80. But now since the rankings are it's. It's just going to be ranked by where you are by the committee 1 through 12 or whatever it is. It's not going to be, hey, you're going to be the 13th ranked team, but get a buy because you won your conference championship. Will an eight seed or lower ever win again? It's a good question. Probably not.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I. Everything's changing. Everything's evolving.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Good luck to all parties making it great. Whoever solves the college sports thing 10, 15 years from now, congratulations.
AJ Hawk
Elon Musk, level of smart.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I don't know who that person is. Insanki. As we wrap up this college sports conversation, Greg Sankey at SEC media sessions. I don't know if you heard his response to the Big 12 in the ACC putting out press releases, basically at the same time saying we're worried about the good of the game. And then Sankey goes, I don't need lectures from others about the good of the game. Okay. Or coordinating press releases about the good of the game. Amongst other things. He said, there is. I need answers. Okay. I don't need more problems. And whenever you talk about good of the game. It's like. Like, do you know how much we invest in football? Go to the game. Do you know how much we love football? Go to the game. Do you know how much we have given to football? Good at the game. I don't need to hear this nonsense about good. You don't think we care about the good of football? We. Football is our religion down here. Yeah. So I love it. Sankey starting to be like, enough. Because now you're going to start seeing Petiti. Big Ten. Oh, yeah. Sankey start taking a little.
Patty Maroon
Good. It's all good for football. I think it's great for football.
Pat McAfee
I think they're gonna start taking a little bit more ownership, though. And I think that's naturally happening with the way the contract was signed.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Over the next couple years, too. And it's like, if Petitti and Sankey are to take on college sports, it's like, I think that's not. Not a bad duo to be doing it. And this is coming from a guy whose school is in the Big 12. It's like those two seemingly figure things out, and those two seemingly make sure people are invested in the sport that we love. All right, let's move forward. Hockey has one team already clinched in the Stanley cup finals. Congrats to the Florida Panthers. Three straight finals. Now, who will they play? Will it be the Oilers or the Stars? The Oilers have a chance to end this Western Conference final tonight, starting at 8pm on ESPN. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now is a guy who won three straight Stanley Cups, one with St. Louis, two with town, Tampa Bay. He's called the Big Rig because he's big and he hits you like a truck. Hell, yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, Patty Marie.
Chase Frazier
What's up, boys?
Pat McAfee
How you doing, brother? Do you know much about college sports? Did you catch the tail end of what we were talking about there? It's chaos there, brother.
Chase Frazier
I have no. I don't know nothing about college football. I watch it a little bit because I, you know, I'm a big fan of football, but I don't watch. I don't know nothing about what's going on with the seating and all that stuff, so. Seems like it's a headache.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, quite a headache, I think, is a good way to describe it. And then it's not just the seedings. It's nil. There's a bunch of money coming out of pockets and nobody knows. And teams are. I mean, it is. It is chaos. But the sport itself is wonderful, as is the sport that you obviously played and still Play at a very high level. Patty, let's talk about tonight. Do we think Connor McJesus and the boys punched their ticket to the Stanley cup finals? You think Otter stands on his head tonight. Gumpy seemingly believes that the stars tonight are a lock. What are your thoughts on tonight's game? What should we be looking for, Pat?
Chase Frazier
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I think tonight, I think Dallas takes game five tonight. I think. Yeah, we, you know, with Connor. With Connor and Leon, I know Hyman just got hurt. That's a big loss for Edmonton. So they got to fill some holes there and they've been doing a great job with depth, but I think Otter's got the net tonight. I think Dallas stills game six. You know, they've been playing great. You know, they I thought dominated the first period in Game 4, but Edmonton comes out of the first period up 2 1. So I mean, but Edmonton is playing a sound, sound game hockey right now. They're playing stingy hockey. So you never know though, you know, it seems like they're playing great hockey on the road. But the one thing I'm concerned about with Edmonton right now, their power play on the road hasn't been that good.
Pat McAfee
Okay, so I might have misheard you, but I think you just said Dallas wins this one, steals game six. You think this is going seven game series. Is that good for the Panthers or not? Good for the Panthers at this stage to have the amount of rest that they're going to have. Seemingly good. Right? But I guess the convo goes both ways.
Chase Frazier
Yeah, it does. I think the. I think Florida with some rest. You can see Reinhardt and got hurt. He got pretty banged up there. Some guys banged up in Florida against the Carolina series. So I think some west is a weapon right now for them. It would be fun to see the rematch. So I got some guys and friends over at Edmonton right now that I'd love to see Stanley Cups. So I think the rematch will be great for the game.
Pat McAfee
Go ahead, A.J.
Patty Maroon
Speaking of that rematch, let's say Edmonton closes this thing, this thing out and we see a rematch. What for Edmonton fans, what do you think is going to be the plan for this team? I guess if you're watching Edmonton, how is this going to be different than last year? What can Edmonton do to find a way to beat the Panthers in the finals if they get there?
Chase Frazier
I think one for me, you know, going through that tough loss, you know, Florida was the year before, you know, going through that tough loss, losing Tkachuk, you know, they're key players losing to Vegas, but I think their experience now they have more experience, they have more depth. I think for me they're well rounded team more. They're not just relying on Connor and Leon to do all the dirty work. So I think for Edmonton to, you know, close out this series and go against Florida. Florida plays a simple brand of hockey. It's north, south, get it out, get it in, you know, back down your throat kind of hockey. So they have to stay patient. You know, Florida's going to stay patient through seven game series. They're not going to be, you know, doing anything crazy. They're going to be stingy. So Edmonton's got to be careful managing the puck, doing the little things that's going to make them effective. So, you know, I want to see the matchup because I like some guys over at Edmonton and I hope they can have an opportunity, you know, get that Stanley cup over their shoulder. So it's going to be a hard series for them, you know, both teams, it just seems like Florida right now is a well rounded oil machine and they, they just don't quit. No matter who's in their lineup or who's hurt, they find ways to get it done. It's just, it's not, it's not a pretty brand of hockey. It's just simple brand. So it's, it's going to be, it's going to be hard to beat them.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, and Gumpy back there saying, yeah, keep talking about the Oilers. Yeah, yeah, Oilers, Oilers. He thinks the Stars about to have mount a comeback, don't you think, Gump? It's not dead. They're not dead yet.
Gumpy
Just need Ratnan to turn into Superman again and Stu Skin to go back to Stu skin really is.
Pat McAfee
Stu skin's on a little bit of a heater.
Connor
He is on a heater.
Gumpy
We can't beat him.
Pat McAfee
Oh, you can see the puck can. Hey, you went to three straight center cup finals. Obviously won them. The Panthers now, three straight. They're looking to go back to back wear and tear at this stage. Everybody's tired. Is that just kind of the thought or is three extended seasons something that can't catch up to everybody?
Chase Frazier
Yeah, I mean, you need bounces too. I mean, you're, you're going to be tired at times, but I think when you go through these deep runs, the most importantly thing, everyone's kind of healthy. You'll have wear and tear on your body, but the more you keep competing. They got some, like I said before on the show, they got Some new pieces at the deadline. They're kind of amping them up a little bit. Bring some energy back in that locker room. And when me. When we went back in Tampa for our third straight and we lost to Colorado, we just ran right into injuries. You know, we lost Braden Point, we lost. We lost Anthony Cirelli. But eventually it's going to catch up to you. But it seems like Florida right now is just. They're all healthy, they're running gun right now. They're playing great hockey. They have their goaltender, which is the most important thing. You need a goaltender to move forward and he's stepping up when he needs to. But they're a well ordered machine. Like I said before, I mean, they're just, it seems like they just don't get give up. They're dogs. They're like dogs on a bone right now. And it's fun to watch.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, and Bob's a dog as well. In between the pipes. Obviously they're ready and excited to win another one. They bring a guy in mid season who has championship pedigree and seemingly fits them perfectly. Go ahead, Tone.
Connor
Yeah, Patty. Brad Marchand has fit right in with the boys on the ice and. And off the ice. It feels like I've seen the new tradition now where after every win they're just shooting rats at Marshy Kachuk and Barky. They're doing it. Is that something that just happens every long playoff run? And I know hockey players are very superstitious. Is this something that just is something that's a part of the hockey culture?
Chase Frazier
I would say it's part of the hockey culture and everyone's superstitious in hockey. Especially during the playoff run, especially when you go on a deep run, you'll find things like that. Marcy, he's a big goofball, man. He's a great guy. And this is the. He does. So for me, I think it's all superstitious, especially when you keep rolling in the playoffs. Everyone's got a weird routine. They probably have something with another player or multiple players. So hockey players dive deep into that superstition thing during a long, deep run. We're some weirdos, that's for sure.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Feels like you guys are around each other a lot, you know, have to get along. Feels like that team certainly does that. What a tradition. Just getting rats kind of just rattled off at yeah, bang, bang, pow. Get out of here. What a great group. What a tough group. I mean legit. An absolute tough group. They just had their way with the canes. Canes had one game there where they played how we thought they were going to play. Everything else was kind of a disaster. Go ahead, Connor.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, big rig. It feels, feels like it's the same, you know, story with the Canes every year. Brendan Moore in them. Have a great regular season. This year is kind of weird with the whole ranting in trade. But how do they get over the hump? You know, it's hard to make changes to a team when you go to the conference finals, but you know, they've lost. I forget what it was 1 in 16 in their last few conference finals. How can a team get over the hump? How kind of devastating is it it to lose like this again? Especially when it comes to the Florida Panthers and are they strictly going to build their team now to compete with Florida or what do they do this offseason to maybe make a real run at the Stanley cup next year?
Chase Frazier
Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me is what Florida had and like what Tampa, Vegas, they're just bigger, stronger, they're fast, they're heavy in your face. It's, it's kind of that prick mentality always in your face. It just seems like Carolina doesn't really have that pushback that a lot of teams do and that's what they've been running into trouble with, you know, the last couple years in the conference finals. They don't have that. It's. I don't know, they just, it seems to me they have to add those gamers, those game changers that can push, push them over the edge. It seems like they don't have that right now. They don't have any dogs. They like really get them where they need to be. I don't know if it's on the coaching staff or it's. To me, do they need to change their system up their D zone up? Because they do play a man on man situation. As you can see, you know, Olaf's got him right there and then Robinson kind of cheats. So they're playing a man on man situation there. So when you have that, that's his guy, that's his guy. And then all of a sudden a breakdown happens and then it's in the back of your net, right? So, so maybe they have to change that up a little bit because they can get eat up a lot on that. Man on man teams are, you can kind of get, create some offense with that. So. But I think just more depth, more toughness, they can create more, you know, they have the zone time, they have the shot Volume. But I think guys that can hold on to the puck, you know, guys that can change the game a little bit, change the series of a game, too. So it's going to be an interesting off season for them.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, you talk to people down there in Florida, they think they're the state of hockey. Go ahead, Ty.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, Patty, Are you kind of surprised when you look at the success that the Lightning had, and then now, obviously, the Panthers, like, we saw the Panthers have a beautiful new facility, no state income tax in Florida. Like, is it. Is it kind of crazy that Florida has kind of become the epicenter of, like, the hockey world? And do you anticipate that it's going to stay like this for a while?
Chase Frazier
Yeah, I mean, the no state income tax is obviously a game changer for a lot of players now in the NHL, obviously Vegas, and now Florida, and now Florida's going back, and you can. You can probably get some guys on a nice deal. But, you know, wherever, if they're going to Toronto and they're making 12 million, they might as well just take 8 in, you know, Florida. So I think Florida is going to be the new hotbed, especially in the NHL. Everyone's going to want to play and, you know, Fort Lauderdale or Sunrise, Florida, everyone's going to want to come to Tampa. It's great living families. You can raise families there. So. And look at what they're doing now. I mean, look what the Panthers are doing. Look what Tampa did. I mean, it's just everyone wants to be a part of it now, especially winning cultures. I think what you build in the locker room is the biggest thing for me. I think everyone's building that now, and everyone's seen and everyone's kind of got away from the toughness in Florida, went back to it, and now look what they're doing. So it's just a weird thing now. You know, some team wins the Stanley cup, it's speed, speed, speed. And then when a team wins with toughness and grinders and guys that just are dogs, then it goes back to it. So it's like, it's a weird situation on that.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I was going to ask you, because the Pittsburgh Penguins are in a spot right now where we got to flip our entire team. Can you flip a culture? Can you. Can you get a culture back? Like. Like, obviously Tampa was able to do it quickly. And then the stat about them going to three straight Stanley Cup Finals, being a team that hadn't made it for the 25 years prior, like, what you said culture in hockey with the way the contracts are set up and the way free agency is kind of limited and the way the draft is and everything like that. Is it easy to just flip a culture? How does that go about happening, you think, as somebody that's been around a lot of great hockey cultures, I mean.
Chase Frazier
No, it's not a. It's. You're not going to switch. Switch a flip like that. I mean, it's going to be hard for them because to me, it takes time. It's. It takes time. It takes pieces. It takes key guys that maybe won before kind of can set the standard to everyone else that they're around. And it also starts with good guys, good teammates. You don't want any bad apples in your locker room either. You know, you want to weed those guys out that are probably distracting your locker room that guys are probably annoyed with. So you want to try to find. There's a fine line with that. So to me, you got to continue way, like with Pittsburgh, they got a culture. They got the best player, Sidney Crosby, they got Malcolm, they got Latane. They got the pieces to kind of, you know, pass a torch here in the next, hopefully five years. Hopefully. Crosby plays for a long time and Malkin and all those guys. But they already have a culture there. You know, they already know what they built on, you know, Crosby's one three. So they have it, you know, it's just now working in and entering the pieces that are going to fit their culture and, you know, perform on the ice. But culture takes a long time because you lose people, you lose free agents, and then you have to build it, build it back up again. And it seems like, to me, the teams are hanging on and doing the most are the guys that just hang around their teams the most and not going to free agency, signing with the team that they were just with, so. And that's how you continue to build this thing, and that's why Pittsburgh was so good. And then you just kind of add the pieces that you need that are going to get you over the hump.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I. When you think of the Florida Panthers, you just think that's their culture. And then they get Marshawn in there. And then for your Tampa Bay team, the run, you guys had thought the same things, like, hey, they're big, they're fast. Whenever you have a culture that's nationally recognized, I think that's what you're shooting for. Yeah, especially for a good one. Not an ass one.
Ty Schmidt
Right.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. You don't want to be known for an ass culture. That. That's. That's not good at all. You talked about Florida with no state income tax being quite a treat. And Kachuk told us it's nice to go golf, too. I mean, yeah, just got a beach here, too. I go to the beach, got the whole thing. I'm like, maybe you're gonna get too soft. Don't worry about that. We're. Hockey players will be able to handle it all. How's that heat, though? Tampa was a thousand degrees. Tampa was a thousand degrees this past weekend. You guys just hibernate inside. How. How do you deal with that as a new Florida man legitimately?
Chase Frazier
I'm on my patio right now sweating my, you know, one off right now.
Pat McAfee
Oh, no, I don't know what you're sweating off.
Chase Frazier
I'm dying. I might go. I might go jump in the pool right now. But I think with, like, Florida, too, like, we saw them driving their golf carts to the practice rink. Like, I mean, it's just fun living. It's. We have golf carts here. We all live on this island where you can drive around the golf carts and there's restaurants, there's bars, there's everything around. So.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, we live there, too. Yeah. Yeah, we lived on that island as well. Yeah, we know.
Chase Frazier
It's just. It's just easy living. I think that's what attracts players, too. You know what I mean? Families with kids and school districts. I mean, it just obviously state income tax, you're making more money, but. But I think, yeah, that's what. It's just easy living for them. And you can see that they're having fun driving their golf cart to work every day. I mean, that's. You got to be enjoying life a little bit with that.
Pat McAfee
No, you would think the elbow room would do it too much damage to a team, but instead, it's somehow empowering these boys. I don't know what that's all about.
Chase Frazier
The elbow room.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. What a place. Connor has a question for you.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, Big rig, you mentioned having friends on Edmonton and Corey Perry, I think you play with. In Tampa when you were trying to. 3 Pete. I. I'm not sure how many straight, but if he doesn't win the Stanley cup this year, do you think the NHL will just carve a ring in his name? Because it feels like he's never going to quit until he wins one. And it feels like every single year he's losing the Stanley cup final in devastating fashion.
Chase Frazier
I know that's the one person I got the chance as a rookie get to play with. Him in Anaheim and just a true competitor. A guy loves the game of hockey, treats his body like a temple, and he's still playing at a high level at 40 years old, which is really impressive. And. And, you know, he's the type of guy that can help that Edmonton. That Edmonton's locker room right now. He brings that energy, that passion, that leadership that, you know, they were probably missing there and that, you know, obviously devastating loss for those guys. But I can see Harris kind of pushing that team. That's the type of guy you want, building your culture. Guy that understands it. He's won before. He's been in the league for 20 years. But I'm pulling for him right now, man. I truly believe I need Corey Perry to lift that Stanley cup, because beating him when we were Tampa, when he was Montreal, and then watching him lose with us, I mean, I beat him twice, Dallas and Montreal, and then he. He came to Tampa and lost. And then it's just a devastating. So I need that guy to retire a happy man.
Pat McAfee
How many.
Chase Frazier
He needs one more.
Pat McAfee
How many beers Perry be able to house? You think. You think he's been waiting for that glorious Lord Stanley chug? Maybe he takes down 07. He could maybe fills that thing to the brim and takes it down to the. Down the hatch.
Chase Frazier
He's for sure taking home a case or maybe more. And you can funnel in a couple shots, maybe some champagne, too.
Pat McAfee
So you guys putting shots in the top of Stanley and Lord Stanley?
Chase Frazier
No, but I'm just saying you might mix in a shot here and there and then drink out of it. But yeah, we've. We've mixed a lot of vodka in there and a lot of champagne, so, you know, you got to do it all.
Pat McAfee
Okay, so we got like vodka soda up there in the top of that thing.
Chase Frazier
No, just like straight vodka.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, Russians. A lot of Russians.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I forgot about. Yeah, I forgot about the. The culture. The Russian culture. Maybe with the vodka straight to the head for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and oh, yeah, we won the Stanley Cup. Take it out of Lord Stanley's top.
Connor
To add on to that. I saw an insane Corey Perry graphic on the Internet. Oh, there it is. Yeah, right there. Two since 2000230 playoff games.
Pat McAfee
Who's there? Yeah. Is that the Pittsburgh.
Chase Frazier
That's a crazy stat. I mean, guy.
AJ Hawk
Get the guy.
Chase Frazier
I mean, it's. I mean, get the guy. A cop. That's for sure. He's performing at the. He's performing at the best I've ever seen him at 40, and he just needs it. He's. He's playing great hockey, and I just need to see that guy, and I just want to go to his cup party. I want to drag his coattails.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Nice little public call for. I hope he wins. I also hope some other guys win. I hope everybody wins. You know, I'm on your side. I'm on TV now. Thanks for coming through. Monday Night Raw on Monday. That was good to see you.
Chase Frazier
Oh, hey, thanks for having me, Pat. That was unbelievable.
Pat McAfee
I've never.
Chase Frazier
My son was having so much fun that night. It was a blast, man. It's so entertaining. I think it's the best sporting event we got going on right now.
Pat McAfee
How old's the boy?
Chase Frazier
16.
Pat McAfee
He's big lad.
AJ Hawk
So Little Rig's Big Rig.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Little Rig is becoming a Big Rig, I believe. I don't know how long he's been that. He was a Large lad. Handshake, too. We're talking mitts in this entire thing. It's insane, isn't it? Tom Segura, who, at one point in his life, like, five, six years ago, buried wrestling as a whole, had never been to a wrestling event. Buried wrestling as a whole. I can't get into it on Monday was his first time at a wrestling event. I got a text from him afterwards. I was like, that was the most insane thing I've ever been a part of. He was like, I had so much fun or whatever. You go to one of these things, it is madness. Absolute madness. A madhouse.
Chase Frazier
It's madness.
Caller
It's madness.
Chase Frazier
Yeah, I know. Tom was telling me the story because I was sitting right next to him. He's like, I think WWE hates me, but he's like, I love it right now.
Pat McAfee
I think he had a good time. I think he did great out there. But Bert, obviously, has been a couple times he chokeslam somebody. The last time he won Walka Flocka Flame.
Connor
Sure.
Ty Schmidt
That was awesome.
Pat McAfee
Was there. That was insane. It was. It was a cool night in Tampa, and you've been great on our show. We appreciate the hell out of you, Patty.
Chase Frazier
Hey, thanks. You've been great to me, so thank you, guys. I appreciate it. You like I gotta come in the studio.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. You backed. You backed out on us because you got a newborn. So.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, grow up.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I don't know, but, yeah, I gotta grow up.
Chase Frazier
I'll go tell my wife.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. He came to Monday Night Raw with his boy, and it was good to see him.
AJ Hawk
He's big.
Pat McAfee
Big. Yeah. Big. I was like, I turned around how old? Because, like, I shook his hand. It was when I came out. So I'm in the middle of a bunch of stuff, like to get to Cole. Good to see you. Good to see you. Tom's there. Boom, boom. I don't think Waka got there yet, but I was sitting down, the lights were going off, and I think to myself, like, who was with Pat? And he turned around, I'm like, how old is that thing? He's like 16 or whatever. I'm like, jesus, he is huge. He is a large man. I want to. I assume he plays hockey. Probably has to. Feels like he plays hockey. If I had to guess, we should have asked him about the International Super Duper Cup.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, we'll get to that.
Pat McAfee
The United States of America won. You remember that, A.J.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Patty Maroon
Yes, I do. Everybody remembers.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. How could you forget?
Patty Maroon
Everybody saw it. Saw it live.
Pat McAfee
I mean, I watched the Super Duper Cup. I also watched Jalen Ramsey basically put out to the world that he's going to be playing for a different team. He put out a series of tweets that basically said, you know, the false narrative is either lame or funny. Don't let it phase you. Wish well in blessings among them all. Anyways, this for anyone who needs it. By the way, finish the week strong. Love you all. For real. Didn't need that. I did need that. I appreciate you, Jalen. And then he says, I'm grateful for each and every chapter so far. Every part brought me to a greater version of myself. Regardless of how things ended, the journey has been loved. God is the greatest, obviously. Jacksonville, Los Angeles. Now he's at Miami. For the record, by the way, I've loved every city I've played in and the fans who support it. The anger is very misplaced at times, but sometimes valid, too. I understand that. But real ones, though, the intention's always solid. A new chapter awaits. He said, you know, the anger that is sometimes had with me for whatever reason, misplaced sometimes. I get it, okay? I might not have been perfect, but it feels like he thinks he's moving on for the Miami Dolphins. Dolphins, Miami Dolphins. Seemingly think he's moving on from the Miami Dolphins. But if you listen to Schrager talk to us yesterday and then other reports, his price tag, 25, 20 million or whatever it is, is going to be a hang up for a lot of these negotiations. There has to be a lot of teams that are interested in Jalen Ramsey. How interested are they at this point of the entire calendar? Plus trying to figure out maybe Deals with their own guys before training camp. How many teams have 15, 20 million available this year? I wonder what the move will actually be here for Jalen Ramsey. And inevitably, does he stay with the Miami Dolphins because he can't go anywhere else? Doesn't sound like that's in his plans.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, it doesn't sound like that at all. It feels like this is going to be one of those situations where Jalen Ramsey is going to get traded for like a 5th round pick and every single team is going to be wondering why, how does it work with.
Pat McAfee
And he gets traded because they're picking up his contract.
AJ Hawk
Yeah. So that's what I was going to say. So could you offer a higher price so that, you know, say there's two teams competing, like, hey, why should give you a third? But you have. Have to.
Pat McAfee
Miami has to pay.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, you eat it.
Pat McAfee
That's all a part of the contract negotiation. I mean, that goes back to the Denver Broncos situation.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
You know, where the Denver was just said, we'll pay all this to get him out of here, you know, and then there's other times. Jared Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions because his contract was so big, nobody else would take his contract. The reason why they got so much in return is because they took Jared Goff's contract with how big it was at the time. They have since given him a much larger contract to eat up the salary cap because how much success it is. But the negotiation of who picks up the tab is certainly a big part of veteran free agent trade or veteran trade. Yeah.
Connor
Because there's been. Since Aaron has not signed with the Steelers, there's been a lot of speculations about Kirk Cousins and a lot of the articles and stuff like that are all talking about how the Falcons have not been willing to pick up any of his salary for the next season if he is to be traded. So that's potentially why he also has not been traded yet.
Pat McAfee
Okay, I don't want to bring it up, but I'm bringing up.
Ty Schmidt
Go ahead.
AJ Hawk
Okay.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Connor
That guy.
AJ Hawk
Yeah. I mean, who are you talking.
Ty Schmidt
Who are you?
Connor
I'm talking about John Cougar Mellon camp.
Pat McAfee
I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about that. I am. I'm not talking about John Mellon. Shout out. John Mellencamp. He can feel however he want. Pink house. Yeah. You and me.
Ty Schmidt
Exactly.
Connor
Sorry, I read that wrong.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I was talking about Aaron. I was going to ask about Aaron. I was going to ask him about Aaron Rodgers. That's what I was going to do. I mean, because I thought you said, yeah.
Ty Schmidt
I'm like, whoa, Tony.
Pat McAfee
To Aaron, are you feeling the same way as some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are feeling about how, hey, we're the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bob, you're treating us like we're the Sacramento Cardinals, you know, like, that is how some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are acting. And some Pittsburgh Steelers fans, I think Joy Taylor gave a good indication of this. Some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are like, hey, Pittsburgh Steelers, what are you doing? We're waiting around for a guy. We're just waiting around for a guy. Our quarterback position. We're the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like, that is how a lot of people in Pittsburgh feel that this is kind of all ridiculous at this point, because everybody that speaks about the Pittsburgh Steelers says Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. He is not on contract. He is not signed with the team. He has not said he's going to play next year. But everybody, including insiders, reporters, journalists, I think we even kind of just assume that it's a foregone conclusion, but it's definitely not a guarantee. How should that conversation go, you think, A.J. because I think a lot of people forget that he has not come out and said he wants to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has not come out and signed a deal to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's been really nothing from that front about, hey, yeah, he's a Steeler, but that's how everybody's just kind of treating it. He's just on vacation. He's doing a little. A Rum Springer, you know, he was just kind of living his life right now, taking care of the people in his circle. He's going to Mike stud concerts, he's shooting water guns. He's doing interviews. He's talking to Rogue. He's gonna be a Steeler, though. That's how all the insiders are talking about it. And Pittsburgh Steelers fans are like, well, we're sick of fucking seeing them squirt water guns. Because the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to figure out how to win a fucking game. That is how the Pittsburgh Steelers fans feel.
Connor
I couldn't have said any better.
Pat McAfee
Right? That is. That is literally how you guys think.
Caller
Yes.
Pat McAfee
Okay. But that's not Aaron's fault. No, no, no, it's not. Aaron, you're right. I guess could have come out.
Connor
He was very upfront at the beginning.
Pat McAfee
To everybody, even on our show. He's coming. I'm not. I'm not going to be able to go to OTAs. Whether it's because of Want or not being able to because of other things going on in his life. So I don't want to do the whole song and dance that happened last year whenever I miss two days out of 100 days worth of work. And it became this massive ordeal. So it's a very. It's an interesting dynamic that is currently taking place with one of the most storied franchises in professional sports history, one of the most die hard, loyal city fan groups, and then one of the greatest football players of all time all kind of coming to a head. And I don't think anybody really knows the answer, AJ about what's going to happen, but everybody assumes the same thing, that he's going to be their quarterback. How do you feel about it, A.J.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, I mean, I guess we all do like just naturally assume that he's gonna sign with Pittsburgh, but everyone just doesn't know when that might be. But what if he doesn't? What if he doesn't play football this next year?
Pat McAfee
Exactly. Which I think is still possible. Right. Isn't that still possible?
Patty Maroon
I think everything is on the table, like anything is possible. No question. Especially with Aaron, you know that. But like he never. Has he given us any indication that Pittsburgh is where he wants to go.
Connor
Kind of.
Pat McAfee
Or where he could go.
Connor
I mean, that he's kind of the.
Ty Schmidt
Only spot left left.
Connor
He did that.
Patty Maroon
Yeah.
Connor
Thing or whatever he was doing up on stage this weekend in front of people answering questions and stuff like that. And he said somewhere along the lines of like he could go to a team that would play the Chicago Bears because he was asked if he would ever play for the Chicago Bears. And he kind of hit it at the Steelers a few times.
AJ Hawk
I mean, he met with him. He went there in the white Malibu, like that entire thing.
Connor
He found his way to the facility somehow. I'm not sure how he did.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I was doing some research. He played Cat with DK Metcalf. I mean there's. He's doing a lot of research. It feels like if he plays, it's going to be for the Steelers. Yes, right. It feels like if he plays, it's going to be for the Steelers, but everybody's just acting like he is playing for the Steelers. Yeah.
AJ Hawk
If you think people in Pittsburgh aren't happy with him now if he doesn't go to Pittsburgh.
Connor
Oh, no, I think they'll be. I think they'll be okay with that. I think they're just tired playing just the tip with him, you know?
Pat McAfee
Well, it hasn't even been that right because he hasn't even. He's been a butts out hook.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Not even smooching.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Not even smooching one of these. It's been one of those.
AJ Hawk
Just the noses.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. You think you're doing and. Oh, you think they're sniffing around.
AJ Hawk
Sniffing butts. Yeah.
Pat McAfee
I don't know if they're a couple dogs sniffing butts.
AJ Hawk
I, I, that's how it feels.
Pat McAfee
No, I don't, I don't, I just don't know. I mean, he's giving him the runner. He's not giving them. He's trying to figure out what he wants in his life. Everybody in Pittsburgh's been told he's playing for him, though.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
As well. If he's playing for him. Let's do.
Connor
Everyone in Pittsburgh feels like they're getting a run around.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
Steelers giving, getting the run. Getting the Caboli treatment from Rogers.
Pat McAfee
No, no, no. Cabo. He's in there pounding the pavement. He's not getting to run around anymore.
AJ Hawk
But you remember, he did get the run around. And maybe Roger saw that and said, oh, you think you're just the Pittsburgh series. You can give people the run around. I'm gonna give you the room.
Pat McAfee
Cabali's gonna tear two Achilles covering your team, and you're gonna just give him the run around, make him walk around more. Ain't fair.
Ty Schmidt
No.
Pat McAfee
Mike Tomlin goes. Yeah, we're trying to get him to.
Chase Frazier
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Thomas Morstead is signed with San Francisco 49.
AJ Hawk
Thomas.
Pat McAfee
Thomas Morstead, punter out of SMU, first with the New Orleans Saints. And he bounced around a couple different teams, most recently with the New York Jets. Has signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Mitch Wisnowski, Aussie punter, has been their punter for a long time. Thomas Morstead, draft drafted, same class as me in the fourth round. A man who taught me how to punt. A guy who said he will punt till. Till his leg falls off. He kindles relationship with Brandt Boyer, who is a special teams coordinator at the New York Jets. Now special teams coordinator for The San Francisco 49ers. A co, co assistant coach there for the San Francisco 49ers. Special teams. Colt Anderson.
Ty Schmidt
Okay, good guy.
Pat McAfee
Colt Anderson, my guy. He was my personal protector for the Indianapolis Colts. I appreciate him. He was last with the Tennessee Titans as their special teams coordinator. Now he's an assistant with San Francisco 49ers. Thomas Morstead's been around the game a long time. Thomas Morstead has been very consistent. Thomas Morstead is a jugs machine. Thomas Morstead is now a member of The San Francisco 49ers. Congrats to them. Yeah, congrats Thomas. I don't know if he'll be the punter on the team. I have no idea if it's competition. I don't know what happened with Mitch Wisnowski. I do not know.
Patty Maroon
Mitch still there?
Pat McAfee
I don't know.
Connor
I thought I saw something they.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, he got released.
Connor
Yeah, because.
Pat McAfee
So Thomas worsted punter for the San Francisco 49ers.
AJ Hawk
I'm pretty sure, yeah.
Pat McAfee
All right. He'll be old. I mean he will. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Steady Ed.
Connor
He's got Andy Lee vibes to it.
Pat McAfee
Andy Lee used to just absolutely demolish footballs. He used to swing so hard. He was a country bowl, I believe from South Carolina, went to Pitt. Then he ended up with San Francisco 49ers. He would drop the ball so high I have no idea how he did it. And then he would murder that. There was a time where Shane Lechler, Mike Cyphers, Andy Lee were all punting for the teams in California. So obviously Lechler was with the Raiders, Andy Lee was with the Niners, Cyphers was with the Chargers and they were three best punters in the league by far. No questions asked and they just murdered footballs. Thomas Morris said, vastly different than Andy Lee style. Vastly, vastly, vastly different style. But I think he'll be good for that team, especially with Salah going back. He was his head coach, right? He was at the jets. So punter is a defensive position. Congrats to him. Did you see what happened with Oregon? Did you see what happened with Oregon.
Patty Maroon
With the D commit?
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I don't like the way they gave. I don't like, I don't like coach getting a run around here.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, he's got to do anything anymore.
Pat McAfee
I like coach Land and getting the run around here by some 18 year old. Now I know Richard Wesley is a five star edge but this video of him decommitting to Oregon came of committing to Oregon, came two days before the decommitment. Oh, I think is the way it was reported. Hey, what's going on? I guess time to make a decision. Five star edge of Scott gets to the quarterback, he goes, why don't we do this thing live do it into a pool. Super cool.
Ty Schmidt
Let's get it coach.
Pat McAfee
Dale Ann, let's do this. Takes his shirt off, jumps to the pool.
Caller
Woo.
Pat McAfee
We're doing it.
AJ Hawk
Let's go.
Pat McAfee
Let's go dogs. Hey, hey, hey, hey. He did the whole Thing. Did the whole thing. And two days later I'm not doing anymore.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, that's a tough world.
Ty Schmidt
I was. This stuff can't be happening.
Pat McAfee
Not to Dan.
Caller
No.
Ty Schmidt
Exactly. Because now he just looks like an.
Pat McAfee
He's a dog.
Ty Schmidt
Never going to do something like that ever. But. But you have to.
Pat McAfee
Has to Remember when the coach had to send a voice memo Singing Justin Bieber. Beebs. Tom Herman. Don't do it. Can't have it.
AJ Hawk
There's no point anymore.
Patty Maroon
Had to be the kid's idea too. Hey, coach.
Pat McAfee
Here.
Patty Maroon
Let's jump in the pool.
Pat McAfee
And my commitment. I want to jump in the pool.
Connor
I don't think it was Dan's idea. No.
Pat McAfee
Okay, cool. I mean, Dan said, sounds good. I'll do it.
AJ Hawk
Let's do it, man.
Pat McAfee
Five star edge. We got it, Uncle Phil. Gonna be paying. Yep, we're ready. Jumps in the whole pool. Two days later. I'm not going there.
Ty Schmidt
Your cannonball sucked.
Pat McAfee
You put your hands over your head.
Patty Maroon
He was kind of an in between, like can opener. He didn't really know.
AJ Hawk
He was just.
Pat McAfee
He might have a popped eardrum like me. Because. Why don't you jump in a pole sometimes you need to make sure the ears. Yeah, could. I don't know. We want to let coach Lanning know we don't like this. In Oregon's a great spot to be. Got a chance to travel up there. Beautiful part of town. Obviously. Their facilities are insane. Their football team's great. I can't wait to see where old buddy goes. I don't know if it's gonna be better in Oregon. I don't know if you're gonna get a coach that's gonna do that for you just on a random Monday.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, good try.
Pat McAfee
Maybe you will. I don't know if Richard's doing that, but I don't know if we're Oregon yet either. We'll see you tomorrow. Be a friend. Tell friend something nice might change your life. Nailed it. Right to zeros. Yeah, Richard. I don't know if he's jumping in a pool.
Connor
I hope not.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, I'd like to see a recruit. Ask Rich Rod, though. That'd be nice.
Pat McAfee
I would like to see a recruit. If they really want to get coach Rod zeked up. Say, hey, extra 20 grand in my nil. I beat you in pickleball. He would love that. That. He would absolutely love that. He references pickleball in like four or five different conversations. Interviews that he has. Like, for instance, there might be pickleball and I'll beat Your ass in it. But I can't. I think he thinks he's really good at pickleball.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
I assume he's very good.
Patty Maroon
Does he have a rating? I know guys have ratings when they play a lot.
Pat McAfee
When I was chit chatting with him a good bit there right after he went back to West Virginia. His house down in Alabama has a full lit up pickleball facility in the backyard.
AJ Hawk
That's awesome.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. I think he's fallen in love with pickleball. So if one of these recruits was like, all right, you're saying you'll pay me 50 grand? Let's make it 75. I'll beat you in pickleball. I think he'd be like, deal, Deal. That's a hard. That is what we want. That is what we are looking for. Hey, you give me an extra ten grand, jump in a pool with me, you should go somewhere else.
AJ Hawk
We're pulling you off.
Pat McAfee
And then he goes over to Nebraska and he goes, matt Rule, Hey, I'm thinking we jump in a pool. Matt Rule goes, you need to go ahead and get the hell out of here.
Ty Schmidt
Get the fuck out of my office.
Pat McAfee
I fear, though, I fear that this type of shit's gonna be happening for a long time.
Ty Schmidt
Oh, yeah?
Pat McAfee
Yeah, dude. That April 15th, we thought they were gonna get a ruling. We thought it was over. It's nowhere near over. It didn't even start. They had the first. All right, this is how we're gonna do this. We're gonna sit on this side, you're gonna sit on that. That side. Judge will be there. Okay. We'll lay out what we say. You lay out what you say, and then we'll figure it out.
Patty Maroon
Meeting about the next meeting. That's what it was like. You know, in football, sometimes you have a meeting, talking about what the next meeting. That's like, what they're starting.
Pat McAfee
Yep. Whenever you guys get your stuff to send it over, we want to double check that. We'll send it over to you.
AJ Hawk
We'll reconvene in a year.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
All right. Sixteen, seventeen months maybe. Sounds good.
Patty Maroon
Is there any end date? Is there any date in time? Like, is there anything in the near.
Pat McAfee
Future who would benefit from that if it was to go forever?
Patty Maroon
I don't know. You think the bigwigs that run on the thing.
AJ Hawk
Oh, the lawyers, the gritty corporate fat.
Pat McAfee
Cats the lawyers would benefit from.
Patty Maroon
It's a lot of billable hours. A lot of billable hours.
Pat McAfee
Especially the amount of shit they gotta look into, man. There's so Much stuff we gotta look into.
Ty Schmidt
Been working around the clock seven days a week.
AJ Hawk
New wormhole.
Pat McAfee
That's just the thing. Well, we can get this done. Six, seven months. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you trying.
Ty Schmidt
No, we can't. No, we can't.
Pat McAfee
You're trying to kill us.
AJ Hawk
Working 3. 3 times as hard.
Pat McAfee
Billable hours. Who's paying for this? Nobody. No, nobody. It's just institutions and things that just get a bunch of collection. Oh, so nobody personally is feeling the effects of these billable hours? No.
Guest
Okay.
Pat McAfee
Don't we got to look into employment stuff? Oh, yeah, definitely. Actually, I need you to help me. You need an under. Okay, we got through the one half of this. Now let's look at the other side of this, too. Yeah, you're right. We got. This thing's gonna go. It's never ending. It might never end.
Connor
Yeah, the hold up right now I'm reading is roster limits. So they're going to.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that's one of the hold ups.
Connor
Yeah, one of the.
Pat McAfee
There's. There's only one hold up right now. And then once that hold up is finished. Oh, we got another. I'm bummed out. I thought in April we were getting an answer. Yeah, I thought we had a $20 million salary cap coming. I thought it was already kind of slotted. People were already preparing for it. People are already offering their nil deals up front so they can get them ahead of the scholarship money or the team roster money. That was all happening. Everybody we were talking to was like, hey, there's a rule coming from a judge in California. April. It's gonna get it all sorted. And then April comes and goes. We're like, what happened there? They're setting a table. Yeah, well, when are we gonna eat? 2045, bro.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, long time.
Pat McAfee
Never gonna happen. All right, let's take a break. Quick one. Because on the other side, we have a living legend joining us. A man who just does this with a lacrosse stick. Just naturally. I think he was. Maybe came out of the womb doing this one right here. Boom, boom. Maybe one of these.
AJ Hawk
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Patty Maroon
Some btbs.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, he's going behind the back. Yeah, he's big trick bag. Yep.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, he does have a big trick back.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, he does have a big trick back.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Yes, he does.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
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Caller
Go to your happy price, Priceline.
Pat McAfee
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AJ Hawk
Let's go.
Pat McAfee
Is there a cup in the top of that? Are we drinking out of that thing or we just holding it? Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.
Guest
There's a big cup. It gets filled up our rallies tomorrow. So we got the whole city of Buffalo coming out to the Alumni Plaza out front of Keybank center and we're gonna, we're gonna get after one again.
Pat McAfee
Okay. So have you guys won? I should have done more research. Congrats on in the NLL champs. It's been fun to watch the Buffalo Bandits do their thing. You already should know Dion Dawkins in his videos led us to the environment. I think seeing the. Your highlights has obviously been spectacular. We'll talk about that in a minute. But the Buffalo Bandits fan base rabid. Is it like that in the entire nll? I'm just learning of the NLL right now. Chase through you. I want to let you know that.
Chase Frazier
Awesome.
Guest
Glad I could bring some light to the NLL for you because it's. It's great action, great sport, but as in for fans is not. There's really no place like Buffalo. It's like Banit Land. There are some places, Colorado gets a good number, Calgary gets good numbers. But for the environment and what it is, it's Buffalo and Banitland. Is the place to go. I think like it was. Our average this year was 17,000. I think on average said five or six sellouts, which is 19,070 is this. And it's. It's an incredible place, man. The people are just so passionate about the sports and about our team and it's. It's an incredible thing to be a.
Pat McAfee
Part of.17,000 average is nothing to sneak. That's gigantic. That's huge numbers. Congrats to you and Bandit Land for putting on for the NLL champions. How many games in a season? Because I just saw the tail end here with you just doing your. And you do that every game. Tell me about. You're a human highlight reel. I mean, every goal that I saw, the first one was so filthy, I sent it over to Connor. I was like, what is this? What am I watching here? Box across, hold everything. And then what, two days later you pop up again? Then again. It just felt like we were seeing you every day of my life doing something so filthy, so sick. Was this the first one? I don't remember if this is the first one.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Or the most recent.
Guest
Yeah, that was the first one this year. But to answer your first, there's 18 seasons. 18 games in a season, just like NFL schedule. And you go to playoffs, which is first round, single elimination, second rounds, three game series and so is the finals. But yeah, getting that was the first one this year. But it's just part of my game. I love it. I love just being creative, throwing cool stuff that no one else really kind of does and kind of grew up with that knowledge of your stick has eyes and there's a lot of different angles that you can see. And with these goalies being so big is what they are and the nets being small is that you got to find different ways to score. And at the level that we play at, it's sometimes you got to be stupid creative and pull off some stuff like that that makes myself shake my head sometimes.
Pat McAfee
Okay, so you don't think they're all going in either as you're letting it out of your stick. I respect and appreciate that. So when you go see. No. Yeah. Transparency. We're hoping. We're certainly hoping it's going in that is area with Timmy Hortons there. Nice double. Double. You're not allowed to step in there ever. The goalie has the crease. You're not allowed to touch it, even post throw.
Guest
So once I take off, the ball has to cross the line before I land. But into the crease. But once the Ball breaks the goal line and hits, goes in the net. It's. You can land and be in the crease net.
Pat McAfee
Much smaller in this. Right. Than the plo.
Guest
Yeah. So the plo, six by six big net creases I'm assuming are the same size. But that. But yeah, it's a bigger field. Six on six defenders got six foot poles. And with this. This is just men just beating 11 bricks out of each other for fun.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Is that what the NLL is? That's what I've kind of learned. The NLL seems to be much more physical because it's much more compact. Is that an accurate depiction of the differences between the two games?
Guest
Oh, absolutely. There's straight up fights, like hockey fights. The guys square up and throw hands and it's like street fights. It's kind of. Yeah. Gloves come off. We. I don't know if you guys saw the one that. I'm sorry to do this to my teammate, but at the beginning of the year we had a. He was the one who got kind of pick up, knocked out.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Patty Maroon
One of the big games I think we saw.
Guest
Yeah. In that I was the guy who actually got laid out that started that whole kind of thing. I love. I love Belter. He's. He's a buddy of mine and really good friend and just still. Sorry, but I started bringing up.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Guest
That's part of what it's all.
Pat McAfee
Hey, Bell. I know we're celebrating a championship here, but we do have to go back in time to showcase the sport here. Betterment of the sport. There are knockouts that are possible. We fall. I fell in love with the nll. I think that is my brand of lacrosse. It's. It seems to be much faster. And if you're just going to keep doing your. I think I will obviously continue. 17, 000 average. AJ, go ahead. On you.
Patty Maroon
That's awesome, Chase. So with all this, you know how creative you are around the net with this behind the back, through the legs, all this stuff. I guess. Was there ever a point in your career where you were a young kid or whatever, where you started, you were attempting these shots and they weren't going in. Your coaches were getting super pissed and tell you not to do this anymore because I just feel like you have to be ultra confident to try this every time.
Guest
Absolutely. Like growing up as a kid, I was always having that, let's just say ADHD out, out the ass. Like, I'm gonna be honest with you guys. I picked the ball up as the coach was talking and Just be like doing one handed stuff with it, just throwing it behind my back. And half the time I'd usually hit my coach or hit somebody, but they started at a young age and spent a lot of time in the backyard with my brother's playing, doing that too. So it was just. I was practicing and then in games definitely we yelled at for pulling it off. Especially in high school and then in college I ended up having the same, same coach as I did in high school for my senior year. And he gave me a lot of free reign with it and then. But the coaches, I've had some of them times, they understand me. Like J.T. he gets me. He understands the creativity and how my brain just kind of works a little bit differently than your average kind of athlete and just gives me the reins and just tells me to shoot my shot. Just. Just be myself. Which is awesome.
Pat McAfee
It feels like it works out. I think you should continue to shoot your shot for the good of the game team because we're enjoying the hell out of all of it. Now you talk about coaches getting you. There's a chance you might be on a new team. You're Canadian. I do believe you're Canadian.
Guest
Yeah. Yeah. From Western Canada. Langley. It's a small town outside of Vancouver there.
Pat McAfee
Oh, over there in Vancouver.
Gumpy
Across the water, brother.
Pat McAfee
We have some friends over there in Saskatoon as well. Yeah. Victoria. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Medicine Hat.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, we know. We know the area pretty well over there. We, we understand what's going on over there. But that comes to. There's about to be a pretty big international event that the world will be talking about. Go ahead, Tone.
Connor
Yeah, there is. Chase, I just, I just assume you're going to be on the Canadian team for the Olympics for lacrosse. I don't know how those tryouts or whatever work out. But you play in NLL and pll. Do you have an advantage since it's going to be kind of a combination of both. And are you pumped to win silver in the Olympics that maybe even bronze.
Ty Schmidt
Bronze.
Pat McAfee
Bronze would be good too.
Ty Schmidt
Speed.
Guest
It's that Sixes event and if I get selected for that team, it would be an absolute honor because I think that whole creativity with how fast that game goes would really be an advantage to my game and would be able to help Team Canada win that gold. But yeah, I did three years in the pll. No longer play in the pll. I played just summer, summer ball here. The Allegheny Arrows is senior B team out in. On the reservation down here in Buffalo here and. But advantage. Yeah, absolutely. I think Canadian guys got a way bigger advantage for going from box into that field. Sixes type, because it's a box kind of atmosphere with disputed box but bigger nets. So every guy can throw some crazy stuff and do that. And Canada's just full of bunch of ballers. So though.
Pat McAfee
Okay. Yeah. So is America. Yeah. The cursed family is obviously cursed family is ready to do their thing. You talked about being on the reservation there. What's the name of the tribe there?
Guest
Allegheny Arrow. Yeah. Allegheny Reservation. That's where I play for.
Pat McAfee
What's the casino up there in that area?
Guest
Seneca 1. I was actually dinner there last night at the. The Seneca Creek Casino here. Yeah, they take. They take good care of us.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Okay, so I've been there. Yeah. You and I've eaten in the same world, brother. Up there. The Native. The Native is great at lacrosse, right? Kind of their sport.
Guest
Oh, yeah, that's it. That's the Native. That's where the game came from. It's the medicine game from. From them. They gave it to us.
Pat McAfee
And they're doing one hand. They're doing the. You're doing. Right. They're like.
Guest
I mean, like, just. Just Google Lyle Thompson and some of those guys and even one of our teammates, Dao Cananacoke. He's. He's. He's nasty. He's got the silky mets that. Just some of those things that inspire me. It's just their creativity, which is. You just build on it. It's. It's an amazing sport. And every player has their own kind of twist on it, which is amazing.
Pat McAfee
Because I've been told for the Olympics that the native team, if they are allowed into the. Going to be very good.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, they'll win.
Pat McAfee
They'll be. They will be probably the team that wins then. Their game. Yeah, it's their game. Yeah, exactly. But they have to petition, I think, to have a team. Team in the Olympics. I think for the good of the Olympics, they should allow that.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, the IOC usually makes the right choice, too.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, that's kind of their thing. Yeah, it's kind of their thing. You agree, Chase, Obviously you agree.
Guest
Absolutely agree.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Then the United States team. Problematic.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
And then that Canadian team right there. I think, like fourth or third, they have a chance.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, maybe.
Pat McAfee
Maybe. Really getting in there.
Guest
The last sixes eventually that like the World Qualifying Games, Canada won gold. And I think it was a 10 to 12 goal differential, by the way.
AJ Hawk
Oh, and the. Who cares?
Pat McAfee
Yeah, we don't remember. Let's get back to lacrosse, shall we? Go Ahead, Connor.
AJ Hawk
Yeah. Chase, you play in the PLO and nlo. Is that common? You know, we, we saw Pat Kavanaugh sign with the San Diego Seals this year. Is it normal to kind of do both? You also mentioned that other team you play for in Allegheny. Is that kind of the. The season, those three teams? And do you have beefs that kind of cross over? I know your Chaos coach, I'm not sure if he was your coach while you were there, is an absolute lunatic. So, yeah. Do the problems cross over between the two leagues? And do you tell guys in the PLL like, hey, when we get back to box, I'm gonna beat the brakes off you. I like that here.
Pat McAfee
I like that.
Guest
Yes, there was a little bit crossover within the couple years. Like I was never able to make it a camp camp because we were in the finals and all that. So the crossover. But there's understandment with that. But like getting back into the box thing. Yeah, there definitely is that. Like there's that thing going around being PLL tough because our Chaos team was full of a bunch of box guys and all that. And it's a different atmosphere. Yeah, they said that fighting was good, but if you took your helmet and gloves off at times, that if there was a more disciplinary action to that. And with us, it in the box lifestyle is you kind of want to. You need to take your helmet and gloves off to settle it. So yeah, there's a couple instances that. And our Face off guy, Connor Farrell, actually he played in the the PLL as well against us and he was playing for the Chrome at the time and did a pretty greasy pick on one of our Face off guys. Ended up benches, kind of got cleared. And Ian McKay on my team here, Dane Smith and Josh Byrne, we were all on that Chaos team. Then it's up kind of getting into an altercation with him. Like a massive line bra with Connor Farrell and it was just like, oh, you're pll tough. Like all that kind of stuff fairs. He's. He's a monster. He's a wrestler. He's a big face off guy now. He's won the last two championships with us. It's just like it's.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I like the pretty greasy move. Descriptor of something. I'm gonna start using that as my own and give you no credit. I apologize. That's pretty greasy move by old buddy. Everybody understands exactly what you meant there. And then you saying, oh, you're peeing. That sounds like. That is certainly something that is said by the nll. Boys, if I had to imagine. I want to let you know that for me, as a. I'll call myself a casual. I enjoy the sport of lacrosse. I enjoy. I'm never going to catch an entire season. I do apologize. That's 100% on me. It hasn't cracked into my life schedule. Hasn't cracked into my life schedule. Maybe it will at some point, but at this exact moment moment, with everything else going on, I don't think I could be a committed every single game guy. But the nll. What is the NLL on? What do we watch? The. How can I watch the NLL? Is it on ESPN?
Guest
ESPN? Yeah, ESPN plus we get like good games will be on the ESPNU. ESPN 2. The NLL plus has its own platform now. So like, well, you can watch every game and they'll do like highlights on it and stuff too. So there are streaming ways to get it, get into it.
Pat McAfee
Okay, so I'm to watch when's the season start?
Guest
So you just ended first games usually the first week of December.
Pat McAfee
Okay, so that's right in the middle of like playoff push for us. That's tough. That's going to be tough. Chase. I'm going to be honest. I'll be honest. But if we could find it, we'll watch it. Especially if you're playing. We appreciate you taking the time and congratulations to you and the Bandits.
Guest
Thank you, guys. Repeat, baby, the rallies.
Pat McAfee
When's the rally? Today? You said tomorrow.
Guest
Tomorrow afternoon at 5 or evening at 5 and then the boys are all coming back down. Gonna get after it. Hop up some fire trucks drove it around town and still day with our fans.
Pat McAfee
Have some buffalo wings. Who's the best wing in town?
Guest
Go to Bar Bill. Bar Bill is where you gotta go.
Pat McAfee
What are you putting in top of that Labats? Are we putting the bots in there.
Ty Schmidt
Or what's going in a couple Molson.
Guest
But if this thing see a lot of labats this weekend and it's going to see a lot more Labats coming up.
Pat McAfee
Good luck to that trophy and good luck to you. You're the man. Ladies and gentlemen, Chase Ranger. I like the moxy on him on the oh yeah field.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Patty Maroon
Greasy move.
Pat McAfee
Pulled a greasy move off a face off. We all knew exactly. I. I didn't know what he did, but it was certainly something with the stick to the face.
Connor
Tell you what, the NLL boys kind of get. Give me indoor soccer.
Pat McAfee
Arena boys.
Connor
Arena boys.
Pat McAfee
Boys. Yeah. Yeah. That's all I thought of whenever you said you're pll Tough. I. I heard the arena guys say that through different words to a bunch of the outdoor players. Oh, you guys are so good, aren't you? Yeah, you're so good. I'm excited to see the arena boys again next week.
AJ Hawk
Oh, yeah.
Connor
Hell, yeah. Red Boots.
Pat McAfee
Oh, you're talking about Mario. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Cannot wait to see Red Boots.
Pat McAfee
How about Sonner?
AJ Hawk
Yeah, he's the man.
Connor
Gordo.
Pat McAfee
Gordo put an IG story up this morning of us after a win, you know. Oh, oh, oh. Concave ing around Cary, North Carolina. I forgot about how good of a time it was down there.
AJ Hawk
It was.
Pat McAfee
We got fully invested in that. I think as I'm seeing the videos, I'm remembering, like, hey, it wasn't just a really long time in Cary, North Carolina, where you weren't able to handle any business at all like it was. That's. That's how, you know. Well, because I remember after the TST, I don't know, 2000 emails for me to figure out, and it's like, okay, this was a long time we just spent down there. And I tore my hip flexor and I couldn't walk because my legs were so sore. I think I forget that in the moments, there was magical moments that I've not felt since retirement, basically with those guys.
Ty Schmidt
And it could have went the other way because after that first game, like, because we all went in like, you know, was going to win this whole thing and lose the first game, it's like, all right, let's get the out of here. But then your spot. I think it was the game that night, scored like six goals. It was like, okay, yeah, this is. This is sweet. Like, the environment there is. It's awesome.
Pat McAfee
Target goal. Yeah. Very fun to watch. Genius is the right way to end that tournament.
AJ Hawk
Absolutely.
Pat McAfee
I guess they're not the first soccer tournament to do that, Gumpy. I guess this has happened in other place. I'd never seen it before. I don't follow.
Gumpy
I've never seen it before.
Pat McAfee
They need to do that. Threaten World Cup.
AJ Hawk
Yeah. For shoot.
Gumpy
I guess technically, if. When it used to go into extra time, it used to be Golden Goal back in the day, but they got rid of that.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Golden Goal was always the unbelievable. Yeah.
Patty Maroon
But that means tied.
Pat McAfee
Golden Gold means winning. Next goal scored.
AJ Hawk
Overtime.
Pat McAfee
Sudden death. Yes. Golden Goal, sudden death. But this one, they're removing players. It was like, what, two on two at one point? On a lot of these different things.
AJ Hawk
You just make soccer that, like, worldwide. Hey, guess what?
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Seven on seven.
AJ Hawk
Game has changed.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
We're doing this now forever.
Patty Maroon
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
We're still got a few days before TST starts, so we're keeping our eyes peeled for any potential signings. You know, Messi had a few goals.
Patty Maroon
Was it last night?
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Messi's playing really well for Inter Miami, but we do have our eyes on. Yes.
Patty Maroon
Potential. Is that Louis potential?
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Never know. TST still about a week out or so. That's a little bit less than a week out. Got Lou Messi. We're sending. We got some. We got some lines in the water down here.
AJ Hawk
Ronaldo.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Cristiano, I don't know if you heard of him.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, get him.
Pat McAfee
Well, he's coming up on waivers or something like that, so we're thinking about pink slipping that thing and, you know, doing the entirety of it all. Gumps. Where? What are the possibilities of Lou Messi joining us and more specifically, Cristiano Ronaldo? Maybe both of them at the same damn time.
Gumpy
Cristiano is a free agent, so that could definitely, definitely happen. I don't know Lou Messi, if we're playing by the rules. I don't know if anybody else is in this tournament, but Lou Messi is still under contract with Intermington.
Pat McAfee
A lot of people are going to say we're not playing by the rules because we are certainly paying all of.
AJ Hawk
Our players trying to win.
Pat McAfee
Would like to let everybody know that.
Gumpy
Just judging by the comments.
Guest
Right.
Patty Maroon
What do you mean?
Gumpy
This Ruggles. Ruggles guy, apparently he is absolute star.
Pat McAfee
Who rocks is Ruggles the guy. He's an arena guy. Yeah. Okay. So the arena boys last year said, we got some arena guys that aren't here that better than everybody else in this tournament. The arena boys connected us with other arena boys and the arena boys have now grown stronger is what the arena boys say. Oh, yeah. And that is not good for anybody in North Carolina, let alone tst, but just North Carolina as a whole. I believe the arena boys have grown stronger. We're in a new hotel. Hotel. The arena boys have grown stronger. We're not in that same hotel. We're in a different hotel now. I don't know what that means. I don't know if that's good.
AJ Hawk
I was gonna say the hotel we were in was fine. I just mean the. The late night festivities with more arena boys at that hotel.
Pat McAfee
That's what I'm saying. I think we're at a nicer hotel. I don't know about the late night fest. Yeah. I don't know. I think the last hotel we were in was kind of secluded a little bit. And there was like a little back area where we could kind of, you know, do some team chemistry. Building. Sure. In the late nights fights. No. Oh, yeah.
AJ Hawk
15 beers meetings.
Pat McAfee
That is. Our team was everything that you would hope our team was. We're tougher than you. We felt like we were stronger than you. And at night, there's a chance our team was going to smoke and drink more than you guys were as well.
AJ Hawk
Couple cigars.
Pat McAfee
Other people were.
Patty Maroon
Just a chance.
Pat McAfee
Just a chance. Other people were worried about recovery. Yeah. We're gonna recover in the morning.
AJ Hawk
We got IVs.
Patty Maroon
Remember we got IVs? One day.
Pat McAfee
That's right. Not just one day. We gotta have these, like, two, three days. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was. That TST thing was wild. Those arena boys live a wild life. Those guys just hunting paychecks for soccer, however they can get whatever. Oh, there's a tournament park next week. Who's playing? Well, it's not really teams. We're all just kind of getting like 200 bucks to play. It's two different groups playing against each other, and then it's an extra 300 bucks if you win. So that's a big one. Got invited to play that. Where's that at? St. Louis. Okay, so you're going to St. Louis for this game? Oh, yeah. Definitely. Is there refs? We don't know. Is it fair? Sometimes not, but we can make 500 bucks there, so we're gonna do it. They just hustle. They're tin cup. Yeah, they're tin cups. Soccer. These arenas, they're so good.
Patty Maroon
Those guys are so good. Like, I. I've watched. I've watched a ton of soccer in. In person, but obviously I love the TST setup, how they do the games. But watching how skilled everybody is, like, it. It freaks me out. Like, that's why I enjoy watching these guys and how good they are. I'm like, you gotta be. To be on that field. Like, you have to be a professional soccer player.
Pat McAfee
Yes. And that is what TST has become. You know, Like, I think at the beginning, TST was supposed to model after tbt. Whereas, like, throwback teams, throwback players, like West Virginia has one best. Virginia, I believe, is what they call. It's all the ex West Virginia players that are no longer pro. They play in the TBT as that team. And it's like West Virginia is represented. I think that's what TBT was. The soccer one is like all semi professional, I guess, is what they were retired, like, recently. Retired.
Gumpy
One of the teams just signed Andy Carroll who used to play for Liverpool. He's unbelievable.
Pat McAfee
Why is he on art?
Gumpy
Yeah, that's why I told Foss.
Pat McAfee
What's Foss doing? Sleeping on the job? We got great team, but we can always get better. I mean, if Lou Messi and Carol are available.
Gumpy
Will Carroll show up though? Remember last year we were told Balotelli was on a team.
Pat McAfee
He wasn't there, so he didn't show up. I thought he was certainly there.
Gumpy
No, he was supposed to be on nine team or Aguero's squad.
Pat McAfee
Nani's back, right?
Gumpy
Yeah, they lost in the final last year.
Patty Maroon
One last year.
Pat McAfee
We don't think about it.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, you're right. It's not about them. It's about.
AJ Hawk
Usually about us.
Pat McAfee
Nameless faceless brother.
Patty Maroon
It's about us.
AJ Hawk
Who's your elite? Yeah, right. We beat the out of who's.
Pat McAfee
Who's your elite? Knocks us out of the tournament.
Ty Schmidt
Eliminated.
Pat McAfee
They were very good. Yeah, they were very. Thought we beat them. And I'll tell you what, I talked to basically all of them because they are from Indiana. That team's gonna be good for a long time. They. They're training year round for that. That's all it is. All the alumni of Indiana. Indiana has a great soccer team. Always has had a great soccer team. All their alumni train like year round. They played a bunch of leagues around here. They. Because a couple of them are like, hey, we gotta get you in our league or whatever. I'm like, definitely. Because in a moment I missed it. Maybe next year. Yeah, maybe next year I'll be able to get into it. Schedule's crazy. Bummed out. I'm not gonna be able to get to Madison Square Garden tonight. Bum the.
Patty Maroon
I mean if I was. If I was Dolan and I was the owner, I would not let you anywhere near msg.
Pat McAfee
Agreed. I. I respect the move. Like I. I got massive respect for the move. Especially because I didn't know that's who the people were going to ask, you know?
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Hey, heard you might want to go to Madison Square Garden. You want me to look around for tickets? Sure. Somebody from somewhere else. Hey, heard you want to go to Madison Square Garden. Want me to look in some tickets? Sure, absolutely. If it happens. I'm not 100% sure I can make it, but. But if the opportunity arises, would love to hear about it or whatever. Yeah, that's gonna be a no. So unless you wanna buy off seatgeek, which you certainly can, and SeatGeek is the greatest ticket buying platform on planet Earth and LA Moon. Right now you use the code PAT30. Yeah, PAT30P A T30. You'll get $30 off any tickets. So I could pay 69,970 bucks.
AJ Hawk
Okay, not bad for once.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I think it's 70 grand for one ticket.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, you think so who is going to buy that? Is that pretty open?
Pat McAfee
Oh, the fees, sorry. Yeah, we gotta bump that up. 78,000.
AJ Hawk
Boom.
Ty Schmidt
There you go.
Pat McAfee
$970.
Ty Schmidt
Boom.
Pat McAfee
What's that? AJ?
Patty Maroon
So, so what happens if they don't sell that ticket? Because there has to be some of those tickets that don't get sold.
Connor
Seat fillers.
Pat McAfee
171,000 now for that seat. Yeah, they've sold it. Yeah, they've sold them. 171,000. We should have bought that yesterday. We should have bought it yesterday and sold it today. Yesterday was 69,000, wasn't it?
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
Pat McAfee
Now it's a hundred and seventy one thousand. Yeah, I'm not gonna do that. So that's so much.
Connor
$12,000. Just sit like behind the scores. Table J.
AJ Hawk
That's the guys.
Pat McAfee
It's actually not a bad.
Patty Maroon
What's the 34,0001 right there in the middle. Where, where is that?
Pat McAfee
That's the back row of the club level. Yeah, some.
Guest
Jeez.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, so I'm not gonna make it. Ben Stiller though. Once again, very cool. Yeah, Ben Stiller was like, you're always invited, brother. We'll sit together next time. It's like, he's like, not tonight. Obviously. It has been.
Connor
What I'm saying is gonna be. That's gonna be a quiet arena. A lot of people with money there just, just not screaming.
Pat McAfee
Timothy Shalamet was very loud. Well, Ben Stiller was very loud. Spike's not very loud. I was watching him. He, he was, he was kind of more, more. Kind of more goss.
AJ Hawk
He's been through it so much, I assume at this point.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, I think he probably knew the way that game was going maybe, but he's animated up there. So I think they're the people that are paying that are loud too. They're New Yorkers. They're loud.
Connor
Well, we know how his Ranger games were with the khakis and.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, a little bit different, I guess.
Guest
The get in price is actually way lower than it was for games one and two.
Pat McAfee
What's the get in price?
Guest
I think it's only like 300 bucks.
Pat McAfee
To sit up in the top.
Guest
Yeah. For like the very top. It was like 800 for games one or two.
Pat McAfee
Maybe we do that, huh? Maybe we come watching from the top, look down on everybody like.
AJ Hawk
And then come in like Sting.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Yeah, that'd be cool. Drop down, little baseball bat, right in.
AJ Hawk
Right next to Ben Stiller.
Pat McAfee
Just like I said. Can't wait for that game tonight.
Ty Schmidt
I know.
Pat McAfee
Pumped? Let's go, Pacers. All right, H. We're gonna get the hell out of here. We appreciate you, man. Great work today out of you, A.J. god damn.
Patty Maroon
How's Scotty doing? The Memorial Tournament started.
Connor
Good question.
Pat McAfee
I saw Ryan Day was golfing with Nick Saban yesterday. Yeah. I would like to know how that goes. If I could be a fly on a wall.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Well, I guess fly on the trees. Saban's not hitting into a lot of trees, though. Yeah, I guess CART would be the right answer. Unless they're walking.
Ty Schmidt
Not a chance.
Pat McAfee
No way.
Patty Maroon
Oh, yeah, they walk. It was a. It's a Pro Am.
Ty Schmidt
They have to walk at the Memorial. Yes.
Pat McAfee
Pro Am for a pga. Yeah. They're walking on the back.
Patty Maroon
Steph played. Yeah.
Connor
Scotty's even through four.
Pat McAfee
How's the course playing, A.J. what have you heard from the local pundits?
Patty Maroon
I've heard that the rough is very, very high. It's tough, but it's been. It's been raining and it's continuing to rain, so who knows? It always rains during the.
Pat McAfee
Oh, it gets muddy out there. Whoever can beat the muddy Memorial is the one that really proves themselves as the greatest golfer in the history of Ohio. That's right. And Ryan Day yesterday, I heard six under.
Ty Schmidt
He was piping.
Patty Maroon
He can play.
AJ Hawk
From the Reds.
Pat McAfee
Saban, seven under.
Connor
Saban's top 10 right now. I think he decided to play in the actual tournament.
Pat McAfee
Nick?
Chase Frazier
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
It's awesome.
Chase Frazier
That's cool.
Pat McAfee
How about whenever the Internet just decided that Nick Saban was going to be the guy that was going to figure out all of college sports, football. Zar, he's like, what?
Patty Maroon
That sounds like a fun job. Let me take that on.
Pat McAfee
Who's saying that? How old am I? Who has 30 years to figure this out? Legitimately legitimate. That job. Who's gonna do it, AJ Maybe Bill.
Patty Maroon
Belichick eventually, after he wins a national championship.
Pat McAfee
Well, if he's allowed. It's been a good day out here.
AJ Hawk
Hell, yeah.
Pat McAfee
Two game fives tonight. Oilers start. Cars, Pacers, Knicks. That North Carolina situation. Well, congrats to their women's lacrosse team.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, congrats.
Pat McAfee
North Carolina women's lacrosse team won their national championship. I think there's A chance we could interview, I guess. There's two sisters on the team. I got a text from Wiley that said, hey, there's two sisters on the North Carolina women's lacrosse team. They're very good, I think he says, I think we. You could have them on the show if you want to. We'd love to chit chat with them. Is that I don't know anything about women's lacrosse. I know the rules are different. I turned it on one time and I was like, is different. Feels like a different sport.
Connor
Is that the team where the. The coach. She won like four years in a row, national championship, and then the next year got named the head coach, I believe. 22.
Pat McAfee
Oh, she played in one.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
And then immediately after she graduated, was named the head coach.
Patty Maroon
Sweet.
Pat McAfee
Wow. Greatest of all time.
Patty Maroon
It's kind of like what Jason Kidd did in the NBA when he. Right after, like, as soon. Well, I don't know how long. Felt like, pretty.
Connor
No, I was wrong.
Pat McAfee
Different program.
Ty Schmidt
I did see that.
Pat McAfee
Okay. Somebody did that, though.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah. Yes.
Pat McAfee
And congrats to whoever. Yeah, congrats to them. Whoever. Whatever program that was at. And congrats to you. You should write a book on success because it sounds like you're able to find it very quickly and have been for a long time. We're incredibly proud of you. So maybe we have a North Carolina women's lacrosse conversation in the next few days. Tomorrow is Friday, though. That came out of nowhere.
Ty Schmidt
It did.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
Quick.
Pat McAfee
This week has been very active.
Ty Schmidt
Yep.
AJ Hawk
Very, very active Last two weeks. Had a lot of people in studio last week, too.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Let's keep it going.
AJ Hawk
Hell, yeah.
Pat McAfee
Let's enjoy tonight. Edmonton Oilers can punch their ticket to the Stanley cup finals in Dallas at 8pm on ESPN. Gumpy's pointing at an otter mask.
Patty Maroon
Sorry, Gump.
Gumpy
It's not over tonight. It ain't over tonight.
Pat McAfee
What's the shirt you're wearing?
Gumpy
That's City Connect Repossion. Red Sox just came out. How they do 27 and 31. Would like to be doing better, but.
Pat McAfee
I thought they were the team.
Gumpy
We spent more money than usual. Fenway Sports Group is spending. Actually, they are spending a bunch of cash on Liverpool right now as well. So I got no complaints with FSG at the moment.
Pat McAfee
Drew Ruggles won the TST two years.
Gumpy
Ago with the assist. Actually, Chad Porch, another guy on our team, scored the game winner last year.
Pat McAfee
So, you know, I didn't know Faso was in his way.
Connor
We got to build the squad here.
Pat McAfee
I didn't know Fossa was in his bag like that. I do love. People are asking me. They're like, you're not going to play. You don't want to play. I'm like, that guy's on our team. Why the am I going to go out there? Like, well, you. Isn't that what this whole thing's for? It's like, no, we got a team con cafo. We're in there to win. Okay. Consider me an owner of a team. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Trying to win a title.
Pat McAfee
I'm the owner of a team. Who's also a player. Coach if I have to be.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
And we got Tony Muolo on the bench with Tab Ramos.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
And Gumpy.
Ty Schmidt
Coach Gump.
Pat McAfee
Gump, Coach Gump. Got two yellow cards last year. Not scared to get four this year. Yeah. Not scared to go out there and start a scrum with the stripes, get a red. Tony Mula's trying to ask a real question. And Gump, what are you doing?
Gumpy
I mean, we were getting hollows in that game. It might have been a turning point. We were down 2 nothing at that time. Came back.
Pat McAfee
That's right. We need more of that out of you. Come on, guys. Jeff Cameron also goes. Just losing it. No one else. We're gonna let Gumpy go to bat for us out there? No way. Let's rally, boys. That's what they did in the huddle. I was there. Jeff Cameron not able to play. He was one of our best players last year. That's not good news. He's gonna be there, though. He's coming. He's chirpy.
Gumpy
He said Bre is in the best shape he's been in years.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Breck is awesome. Breck will fight you, too. We got a lot of guys on our team that'll fight you, dog. Which I like. Yeah.
Patty Maroon
I think you guys are gonna. You guys are gonna play bully ball a bit, I think.
AJ Hawk
Florida Panthers of this tournament.
Patty Maroon
Yeah.
AJ Hawk
If you will.
Pat McAfee
Patrick Mahomes has chit chatted about playing in the Olympics. Maybe in flag football. I'll probably leave that to the younger guys. Doesn't want to represent the United States of America.
AJ Hawk
Or Jamar.
Pat McAfee
Maybe he's tired of this Pousset guy talking about.
Ty Schmidt
I'm sure he is, Ed.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Patty Maroon
You do have to be very, very agile. I feel like in the quarterback in this flag football I have seen. Right. Is that how the. The Olympics is going to be as well?
Pat McAfee
Lamar and Kyler Jaden, I'm starting to.
AJ Hawk
Think we could roll out our UFL guys and like, hey, let's just see, all right?
Pat McAfee
Because why do you talk about let's just see in the Olympics?
AJ Hawk
No, I'm just saying, let's just. Let's just see what these.
Pat McAfee
The ufl. Have you seen a single snap of that this year? I have. Marquette King. Did you see his fake? Yes, that was sick. Fourth and eleven, shook a guy. Marquette on a fake punt. I don't know how he punted the game. I assume he did well, but I saw him run, shake a guy. Guy end up on his face. Marquette hit him with a little hesi, did his thing. That's the only play I've seen this year. Have you seen any others?
Connor
I actually watched the end of a game. Oh, what was that?
Pat McAfee
Why are you laughing about that?
Patty Maroon
I've seen some. I've seen some.
AJ Hawk
I didn't see any G league basketball either this year, but.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, but spring football season. More football. More football is good football.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Connor
They had a banger Sunday. Team was up nine going into score. They fumbled on the goal line. So the team that was down nine got the ball, went down, scored a touchdown with two seconds left. So then they had to go for three. Guy caught it.
Ty Schmidt
Tackle. You can just end it right tackle.
Pat McAfee
On the one yard line.
Ty Schmidt
Go for three and ain't football.
Pat McAfee
Hey, we're down 18.
Ty Schmidt
We just got to score a touchdown. And then we complete the 50 yard passer from midfield.
Pat McAfee
And then. And then we win.
Connor
It was hot.
Ty Schmidt
That ain't football. I appreciate what they're trying.
Patty Maroon
Yeah, I do.
AJ Hawk
I do. Shout out the rock.
Pat McAfee
There's not even like a Jake Bates story this year either. Like a kicker making.
Connor
You don't know.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Hot rod. Hot rod.
Ty Schmidt
Oh yeah, that's right.
Pat McAfee
Is he still on the streak?
Gumpy
Brothers are out there.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. Yeah. Stoops is out there.
Ty Schmidt
Bob Stoop.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Patty Maroon
Like the coaches are big name guys that were head coach.
AJ Hawk
Let it go, Stoop.
Pat McAfee
I'm gonna be honest in this sound sounds like such an thing to say. When their quarterback said they were going on strike or whatever, that was it. You guys lost $60 million. Let's get back. It's good for football. Gives guys opportunity to showcase themselves.
Ty Schmidt
I know Jay Sternberger's been fucking eaten for Birmingham. I do know that. I've seen he has scored multiple touchdowns this year. I believe they won the title last year.
Pat McAfee
Wow.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah, I'm a bit of a Birmingham guy that myself. But.
Pat McAfee
Birmingham was the home to all the teams. Right. At one point. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
A couple years ago.
Pat McAfee
Did you see the video?
Connor
They might still be.
Pat McAfee
Did you see the video of the stadium this past weekend?
AJ Hawk
No.
Pat McAfee
No. Was it a video of Birmingham? I thought yeah, wall to wall is a good call. A lot of people dressed seats well.
Ty Schmidt
Remember the guy wanted pizza or Little Caesars. They kicked him out of the league because he wouldn't slop. They were served.
Pat McAfee
That's when you're cut.
AJ Hawk
We're gonna have to cut you loose.
Pat McAfee
Yeah. This guy wants pizza.
Ty Schmidt
We told you no pizza.
Pat McAfee
All right.
Ty Schmidt
So eat the we got for you.
Pat McAfee
It's good. It's good for football players to have another opportunity for sure.
AJ Hawk
No doubt.
Pat McAfee
I respect that. But I feel like just a lot of the things that have been done and said and everything, that just nobody's really been able to execute a spring football league with a success till now. That's what I'll say with success to UFL till now. They need to let Marquette play quarterback. Yeah, let him play quarterback.
AJ Hawk
Me play wide receiver.
Patty Maroon
Need to let Dwayne Johnson play D line. I'll watch.
Pat McAfee
I've seen him get up in his stance. He still got the stance.
AJ Hawk
Oh my gosh. No. We need to let them do the enhanced football. Oh, that's what we need.
Pat McAfee
Good call. That's what the UFL should become. It should become the efl. Yes, the Enhanced Football League.
Connor
Now we're talking.
Pat McAfee
Because the enhanced games that are happening where competitors will earn million dollars if they're able to break a world record while being juiced up on anything you can find. There will be no drug testing. There's a guy out of Australia that we are seeing pictures of for the first time. Long time. And I'll tell you what, it feels like. Juice works. James Magnuson. Joe Pompliano reports. Looks unrecognizable after preparing for the enhanced games. Contests are encouraged to use performer performance enhancing drugs to break world records. If they break a record, they get a million dollars. Look at that dude.
Caller
Look at his lats.
Patty Maroon
Look at his lats hanging out.
AJ Hawk
Kidding me.
Pat McAfee
So he just did same swimming workouts that he had been doing his whole life. Which makes you jacked anyway. The backs of these swimmers are absurd. And then they're able to just pump themselves with whatever. I don't know if that helps in swimming or not.
Ty Schmidt
That's what I was wondering.
Pat McAfee
But it looks like he's stronger than anybody I've ever seen. Go for a swim. And I can't wait to see all the other sports. If this is just kind of a. A little bit of a look or a peaksy at some of these Athletes and what they're going to be.
Ty Schmidt
I mean, I guess they are trying to break world records, so maybe you wouldn't want to do it. But like who. Is there anything that says he can't like go into the next lane and like dunk a guy?
Pat McAfee
So I don't think you're allowed. I think there's so rules.
AJ Hawk
Because that.
Ty Schmidt
Would be an inherent advantage.
AJ Hawk
But that guy, that guy's legs, like him kicking his legs. That's going to be like two thunder, two motorboats engines.
Pat McAfee
He's not the only one. Remember there's other enhanced athletes that are going to be out there. And remember the enhanced games are taking place in Las Vegas in 2026. Event details. Well, it's at Resorts World in Las Vegas. The dates are May 21st through the 24th. In 2025 categories are swimming, 50 and 100. That's sprint because we know these juiced up things aren't going to be able to go a long time. You get freestyle, 15, 50 meters, 100 meter butterfly. Okay. Track and field, 100 meter sprint. And it looks like 110 hurdles. And then weightlifting, snatch, clean and jerk. Okay. So you're gonna see some explosives.
Connor
So we got six events in this thing.
Pat McAfee
Six events, all the drugs. Nice world records to be broke.
AJ Hawk
Can't wait.
Pat McAfee
So if you break the world record but you don't win. What if somebody breaks a world record better than you do? You still get a million bucks according to that.
Ty Schmidt
I think you do.
Pat McAfee
The way Pompliano ordered that.
Ty Schmidt
Exactly.
Pat McAfee
I don't know if the Pompiliana tweet will be good in court if you don't get paid a million.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
But I do wonder if you break the record just in general, you get a million bucks or do you have to be the best road record breaker to get the million bucks?
Ty Schmidt
That's a good question.
Pat McAfee
Whatever the case, good luck to all the parties. Thank you for being the guinea pigs in this whole experiment.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, good luck.
Pat McAfee
So many torn muscles.
AJ Hawk
I mean, let's hope that we're gonna.
Patty Maroon
See some hamstrings ripped off the bone. Yeah.
Pat McAfee
And then they're gonna be back somehow the next day. Nice to.
Patty Maroon
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
Don't worry because if there's no limit, I mean they could just be taking.
Patty Maroon
Do they test them, you think? Do they test them like make sure like their heart doesn't explode while they're out there?
AJ Hawk
No.
Connor
Do they test, do they test them to make sure they're on, you know, performance enhancing?
Patty Maroon
Yeah, you need, you have.
Pat McAfee
Should they have one non enhanced person in pool, in workout to showcase, you.
Connor
Know, like normal athlete or actual good Olympic athlete.
Pat McAfee
I don't know how big the participation.
Guest
Is in the Enhanced Games.
Pat McAfee
We're doing a little research.
Connor
What do you mean?
Pat McAfee
What do you mean? There's. I see pictures of four competitors here. Andre Govrov is in.
AJ Hawk
Come on.
Pat McAfee
Christian is in. Hosif Mladinov is in these pre enhanced pictures. Yeah, yeah. Because look, James Magnuson can fit in a T shirt. Can't fit in a T shirt. Now you should see what Christian Colomie looks like now. His mustache triple.
Ty Schmidt
I mean, these are all massive draws. So I like, you know, I get.
Pat McAfee
Why don't we just go ahead and say we're interested in competing just to see what we get down here at the bottom. The.
Guest
The Golemie guy, you were just.
Gumpy
He actually already broke the world record.
Guest
A couple days ago ago in the 50 meter free.
Pat McAfee
So he's gonna do it again. He's doing it for free. We'll see if he can do it on a big stage.
Ty Schmidt
Yeah.
Pat McAfee
At the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, Nevada. The World Resorts Arena.
Ty Schmidt
I love that, too. Get all these people just juiced out of their minds. Send them to Vegas. Hey, don't kill anybody. Don't kill anybody. Don't get all roided up and boozed up and kill somebody. But if you do get a million.
Connor
Bucks, you can bury him in the desert.
Pat McAfee
I'm gonna watch.
AJ Hawk
Yeah, definitely.
Pat McAfee
Yeah, definitely. The Clips.
AJ Hawk
Yeah.
Patty Maroon
It's on ESPN, right?
Pat McAfee
I don't think it's secured in ESPN licensing.
AJ Hawk
Probably YouTube or something.
Pat McAfee
There's a chance if this goes in. We're watching. All right.
Connor
Okay.
Pat McAfee
Bang. Oh, bang.
Caller
I want to watch.
Pat McAfee
Damn it. Yep. Bonus ball. Bonus ball. Bonus ball. Bonus. Oh, oh, oh.
AJ Hawk
Nice.
Pat McAfee
Yeah.
Connor
It's never come back.
AJ Hawk
Shout out, Jabba.
Connor
Stage.
Patty Maroon
Here you go.
Pat McAfee
There it is. To enhance.
Ty Schmidt
To enhance.
Pat McAfee
To enhance. For the enhance kick.
AJ Hawk
Get it going.
Patty Maroon
Yep.
Pat McAfee
It's enough. I get the right size, that stuff. Good luck to everybody out there. All right. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change your life. We're going to sing together. Team on me. Team on three. Let's enjoy tonight's game five. There's a time right around the corner here where we're not going to have. You know, it's going to be a lot sad. Going to be a lot of baseball. Yeah.
Ty Schmidt
Best time of year.
Pat McAfee
Yes, it is. We're going to be looking forward to the Enhanced Games. Team on three. Everybody have a great night. We'll see you tomorrow. One, two, three, team. Goodbye.
Comprehensive Summary of The Pat McAfee Show - PMS 2.0 1350
Episode Overview Released on May 29, 2025, The Pat McAfee Show features host Pat McAfee alongside AJ Hawk, the Toxic Table, and guest Chase Fraser. This episode delves into the latest happenings in the NBA and NHL playoffs, offering game previews, team analyses, and insightful discussions with sports veterans like Jamal Crawford and Pat Maroon. Additionally, the show explores the evolving landscape of college sports amidst NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) changes.
[00:00 – 04:10]
Pat McAfee kicks off the episode by celebrating the Florida Panthers securing their third consecutive spot in the Stanley Cup Finals—a rare achievement in NHL history. Highlighting key factors such as the acquisition of Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins, McAfee emphasizes the Panthers' potential dynasty status. The team’s aggressive strategy against the Carolina Hurricanes, including remarkable comebacks from significant deficits, underscores their dominance.
Notable Quote:
Pat McAfee [02:15]: "This Florida Panthers team is ridiculous. [...] they’re just toying with the Caniacs in the Hurricanes."
[04:10 – 11:19]
The discussion transitions to the Western Conference finals, focusing on the contentious series between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers. McAfee speculates on the Oilers' ability to clinch the series in seven games, highlighting the prowess of their goalie, Connor McGes. AJ Hawk and Gumpy express confidence in the Stars’ home advantage and strategic gameplay, suggesting a potentially thrilling series finale.
Notable Quote:
Gumpy [03:44]: "Not tonight. We win at home after that."
[11:19 – 21:05]
Pat McAfee shifts focus to the NBA, spotlighting the Oklahoma City Thunder's impressive advancement to the Finals after decisively defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves. Central to their success is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), the league’s MVP, whose leadership and versatile skills have propelled the team. The Thunder's balanced offense, strong defense, and cohesive team dynamics are analyzed, positioning them as formidable contenders against teams like the New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers.
Notable Quote:
Pat McAfee [15:04]: "SGA is the league's MVP and they'll pass that thing around."
[21:05 – 37:38]
The episode delves into the Eastern Conference finals, featuring the Indiana Pacers against the New York Knicks. McAfee praises coach Gregg Popovich’s strategic acumen, comparing the Pacers' high-paced, disciplined gameplay to that of the Thunder. The discussion highlights the Pacers' stellar regular-season performance, the MVP-caliber play of Tyrese Haliburton, and the team's robust defense. Potential Finals matchups and the intensity of Madison Square Garden’s environment are also explored.
Notable Quote:
Pat McAfee [33:32]: "We shall find out tonight if the Oilers join or if the Dallas extend."
[22:09 – 62:48]
A significant segment focuses on NFL quarterback Joe Flacco's stance on mentorship. When questioned about his role in guiding younger quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson, Flacco offers a nuanced response, expressing reluctance to label himself strictly as a mentor while remaining open to assisting teammates organically. The conversation underscores the complexities veterans face in balancing personal performance with team leadership.
Notable Quote:
Guest [19:38]: "It's not a talking point. [...] I kind of bugged for."
[62:48 – 88:18]
The show transitions to the impact of NIL policies on college sports, with a particular focus on the Indiana Hoosiers football team under new coach Kurt Signetti. McAfee critiques the distribution of booster and donor money, highlighting potential conflicts and sustainability issues in funding both football and basketball programs. The discussion extends to the broader implications of NIL on team building, competitive balance, and the evolving dynamics within college athletics.
Notable Quote:
Pat McAfee [66:19]: "And it feels like a wonderful time."
[83:06 – 157:56]
A. Jamal Crawford Pat McAfee engages with Jamal Crawford, a seasoned NBA veteran, discussing the parallels and differences in mentorship roles between the NBA and NFL. Crawford shares insights from his extensive career, emphasizing the organic nature of mentorship and the importance of veteran presence in fostering team cohesion.
Notable Quote:
Jamal Crawford [25:56]: "I think it's the same, but it has its differences as well."
B. Chase Fraser Chase Fraser, an NLL superstar, joins to discuss the Buffalo Bandits' championship run and the physicality of lacrosse. Fraser highlights the strategic elements and team chemistry that have driven his team’s success. He also touches upon upcoming tournaments like the International Super Duper Cup, envisioning new opportunities and challenges in the sport.
Notable Quote:
Chase Fraser [82:15]: "I have no complaints with FSG at the moment."
Throughout the episode, the hosts briefly acknowledge advertisements and upcoming sports events, ensuring a seamless flow of content without delving into non-content sections. Promotions for brands like Ram Trucks and Abercrombie & Fitch are mentioned but swiftly transitioned out to maintain focus on substantive discussions.
Pat McAfee wraps up the episode by reiterating congratulations to the advancing teams in both the NBA and NHL playoffs. He underscores the importance of team chemistry, coaching strategies, and player dynamics in achieving championship success. The episode concludes with light-hearted banter, appreciation for guests, and anticipation for upcoming sports events.
Overall Insights:
Note: Advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content segments have been omitted to maintain focus on key discussions and analyses.