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The Pat McAfee Show
PMS 2.0 1472 - BA Day with Bruce Arians, MNF Recap, Peter Schrager, Dan Orlovsky, CEO and Co-Founder of Big Loud Seth England, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk
03:20:08
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- [00:01]
A
Hello beautiful people and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome on this BA Day, December 16, 2025. This program begins right now. Football. Ladies and gentlemen, that voice and that cadence you just heard comes from one man, one legend, one icon. A guy who coached football for 47 years, multiple times super bowl champion. Our coach, ladies and gentlemen, Coach BA Is here. You look incredibly cool today. Obviously the kangal hat clean, that particular hoodie alongside your skin type just is popping on this glorious BA Day. And there's a lot to talk about. The toxic tables here at Boston Connor and that Ty Schmidt, nine year NFL vet man who loves rocking blue jeans on PA Day. Darius J. Butler. Good to see you. Blue jeans.
- [00:49]
B
Great to see you too man.
- [00:50]
A
We've never seen D butt in blue jeans today. He's wearing blue jeans today and it's a blue jean type of day because I'll tell you what, it is magnificent to be a football fan. And last night the Pittsburgh Steelers dog walked the same cold Dolphins. Now the Dolphins have been on a four game win streak. Maybe this is it. Eight or pounder rock Achan's the guy. Mike McDaniel has a team ready to roll. This could be the year where they're able to battle the elements and be a football team whenever football matters. Robert Morris University in Moon Township outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania allowed the Miami Dolphins to come up and practice on their field in the snow, get acclimated to the weather. Was this going to be a different night for this Dolphins team that anytime they went north of the Mason Dixon or below 40 degrees in any type of American temperature?
- [01:40]
C
Fahrenheit.
- [01:41]
A
Yep, they're Celsius up north and over there we're talking Fahrenheit here in America. They would get their asses beat. Could this be a different. Nope, they got their asses beat yet again. This is a sad state of affairs if you're a Miami Dolphins fan. Because I'll tell you what, we have one amongst us here. Now obviously Darius J. Butler grew up in South Florida, so he likes the Dolphins, but he also likes five other teams that are much more successful than the Dolphins. So I have nothing but respect for that. But there is one man from north left Canada who uses Celsius and now he's trying to learn Fahrenheit, who has been a Dolphins fan through and through since the day that I met him. This four game win streak is like it's not just about two of playing well. It's about our offensive line. We are ready for it. We are ready for the Conditions, we are ready for meaningful football. This team is different than what it's been in the past. Don't look now. We're lurking, lad. We're lurking, lad. Well, they go into cold ass Pittsburgh and they get their asses beat by a Pittsburgh Steelers team that obviously hadn't been the best in the league, but last night showed the maybe they can be a team that can go on a run. They get their first win without T.J. watt. Obviously he has a freak incident enduring dry needling last week that has him miss the game. The record for The Steelers with T.J. watt and without T.J. watt, very, very different. With T.J. watt they win games. Without T.J. watt they literally don't win games. Two of though they don't win whenever it's cold. Something had to give. Well, Steelers get a win without TJ Watt. He's only going to come back and assist this defense that was all over the place. Jalen Ramsey gets a little get back. John.
- [03:07]
D
Ooh.
- [03:07]
A
Smith scores a touchdown and goes AB it feels like the Dolphins pieces that moved away from Miami certainly wanted to showcase last night that they're thankful for that. The Pittsburgh Steelers said, we are a real team. All you gotta do is get hot at the right time, baby. Aaron Rodgers is spinning it. DK Metcalf's out of control and they're running the rock better than I think people would have expected. And why not Friarmouth and Darnell Mount Washington becoming a great tight end combo. Now on the flip side, the Miami Dolphins fans have to live in the misery that their team stinks. And I don't want to say they got their hopes up and maybe they worked themselves into a shoot and maybe it was fool's gold for the last few weeks, but boy, as soon as that temperature dropped, especially in the second half, this Dolphins team got exposed for the lack of culture and toughness that they have once again. Ladies and gentlemen, let's head to the back. 1/2 of the hammer died. Cowboys bubblegum Beano, you're bummed out this morning and I looked at you right in your eyes and I said, why are you. What did you. So if you would have won, cool. You're brand new. But you've been here before. Like, why are you bummed out? You believe this team was different? Gumpy, I think you and a lot of Dolphins fans believe that it was different this year.
- [04:10]
B
Yeah, I did.
- [04:11]
E
And the way the defense started the first half like they were tackling hard. Jordan Brooks was unbelievable. But the truth is your highest paid player also can't be your worst player. That interception by Tua was absolute dog. Maybe one of the worst throws I've ever seen in my Life.
- [04:25]
A
It was first and 10.
- [04:26]
E
You were driving at that point in the game at 00. And then it was all downhill from there.
- [04:31]
A
Okay. All downhill from the first quarter. You know, that's a long, that's a long night. I heard Renegade played and there was no booing. Let's go to Coach B in the third quarter though. Third quarter offense scores touchdown. Go to commercial. Break, break. Let's play Renegade play. Going crazy and defense is going on the field. Good time to use it. And I do wonder if the person that's in charge of playing is like, we got a time right now where we can kind of bring this back. We don't know what the future holds.
- [04:57]
D
Good feel.
- [04:57]
A
We don't know what the fourth quarter holds exactly. Great feel by the person running the game day. Ops put that out there. And I heard all of Pittsburgh, oh mama, I'm in fear for my life from the of the law. All of Pittsburgh was jacked up. You see the inserts afterwards when Scott Van Pelt was interviewing Cam Hayward and the boys, they were sticking around. They got work in the morning. Obviously they'd like to let the world know that the Steelers are up. Let's go to Hammer down. Tone. AP Tone, you guys winning the super bowl after what you saw last night? Aaron Rodgers looked incredible. The defense was able to get a win without TJ Watt and they seemingly suffocated a team that's ass in the conditions and made sure it remained that way.
- [05:39]
E
Tone, yeah, it was an awesome night from beginning to and obvious you talked about the Miami Dolphins going in with their streak of what I believe 14 in a row. Not being able to win when kickoff is under 40 degrees. There is also now the streak of 23 straight Monday night Football wins for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They do not lose on Monday Night Football. They do not lose when they're wearing color rush. They do not lose when the end zones are gold. So I mean it was just a recipe for disaster for the Dolphins last night. Aaron is off of his best back to back games all season long. Ken Gainwell who just made that catch right there is literally probably been the the team's MVP this season. Throw or sorry, running the ball, catching the ball. He's doing everything. The line was blocking well. The defense stopped the run. I think HN and the Dolphins only had 60 some yards rushing and Tua had 60 yards passing going into the fourth quarter before they decided to stop or decided to stop playing defense there. It was a. It was a perfect night. And the boys are kind of getting confidence and starting to kind of get a role here going into, into the last part of the season.
- [06:39]
A
No booing of Renegade. That's huge, obviously for the entire city and the, I mean, state of sports, I guess, in western Pennsylvania.
- [06:46]
E
Yeah, yeah, it's huge. When you're up 21 3, I think is when they played it after maybe 28, three after that and it's Monday night and it's cold and everyone like you could just see the Dolphins defense had given up after they came out and they were flying around. But then they saw their quarterback look horrendous. They knew they didn't have a chance. Steelers started, started just pouring it on. It was awesome.
- [07:05]
A
Take some shots here early from Dolphins fans and Steelers fans are pointing out his ineptitude. But it is crazy that in the fourth quarter they were kind of making a little bit of a comeback. And McDaniel was like, it's first quarter still. It's not. Let's not make this too close here. Troy Aikman was like, what the hell is going on on this field right now? Now, granted, a lot of people probably done with it because the game was clearly over long before the fourth quarter began. But during the fourth quarter, Dolphins put together a couple drives. Darren Waller was making some plays, scored two touchdowns. Darren Waller had two touchdowns last night. If you fell asleep, you didn't know that. And there was a chance that maybe the Dolphins steal their way back into this. Almost like they were lurking in the game, like they were lurking for the playoffs. But they never ran. Hurry up. They continued to huddle. There was seemingly no sense of urgency at all. Weren't able to get an onside kick. And instead the Dolphins obviously get a two score or the Steelers get a two score win. Coach Ba you obviously coach them, Pittsburgh. You understand what their fans are like. You understand their fans are expecting a lot. And also they're very loud. And that is a football town through and through. When they see a win like that and they see Aaron playing like that and they say their defense playing like that, I think they think that the Steelers have a chance. What did you see from the Steelers last night and do you think Aaron in the can lead them to a potential run maybe to even the Lombardi at this stage?
- [08:18]
F
I don't know about the Lombardi, but that's the best I've seen him look all year. And the stadium was Electric and it always is on Monday night. But yeah, I thought Aaron looked fantastic two weeks in a row. Now it looks like he's got his hand in this offense. A big. Because it's a lot of Aaron Rodgers stuff, a lot of the dinks and the dunks and he knows how to get in and out of plays. He did a great job last night. And the Miami Dolphins should have stayed in the locker room. Halftime. That was the best tackling team I've seen in the first half and the worst when they came out at halftime.
- [08:47]
A
What do you think happens there? Do you think it is a fact about getting in the first half? You're warm. I think you're coming straight out of warm ups, you're playing well. And then it's a reset button at halftime for a lot of things. Not only strategy and scheme and you assume the Steelers figure out what you're doing, but also mentally, whenever you do have to go into the freezing cold, you have to embrace it again. You think that's a potentially part of it or why do you think the Dolphins asked in the second half? And also why do you think a team's culture can be that you just can't win in cold weather? Like what do you think that is?
- [09:15]
F
Yeah, I think that's a myth, but not for the Dolphins.
- [09:19]
A
But I don't think It's a myth. 14 straight now, they went into the game with 13, as Tone mentioned last night, made it 14 straight losses for the Miami Dolphins. When the kickoff Temperature is below 40 degrees, it's almost like an expected thing that this soft ass team from South Florida cannot win whenever it's cold. Is there a way to address that? Like how do you even if you.
- [09:38]
F
Go back to the Bucks when the Bucs were in the Green Bay Division and they could never win when it was under 40 degrees and all of a sudden they broke that one and they go win the super bowl, you know, and they win the playoffs. So it's just a matter of mindset, you know, you know what you got. And I thought the Dolphins came out electric. You know, they're running the ball, they're tackling as good as I've seen any secondary tackle, you know, and in the second half, the same guys that were flying up to make the tackles, hesitant, little body block.
- [10:06]
A
Oh no. Business decisions happen.
- [10:08]
F
These weren't big backs. Now Kenneth Gainwell's not a big guy. To run right through a safety for 30 yards, whatever, that's unacceptable.
- [10:16]
A
D Butts, you're from South Florida, played college at UConn, though, obviously got drafted to the Patriots, played in Carolina. Then you're in Indianapolis and we have a dome. Whenever Mr. Ursay decided we had a dome. If not, it was window open and roof open. But it was nice when that thing was closed. But the cold weather is a little bit of a different element. Obviously, I don't want to say for the Florida boys, but for Florida boys and Southern boys, there is a lot of conversation about, hey, whenever your bones feel every single hit, will you be able to get back up for the next play and the next play and the next play. It's the reason why we all thought Ohio State was going to beat the hell out of Tennessee. Not that Tennessee doesn't get cold. I'm not saying Knoxville doesn't get cold, but that level of cold that it was in Ohio, I think you have to live in it, embrace it, and understand that it's going to suck to kind of get past it. Why do you think the Dolphins have this particular case and is it fixable? I guess.
- [11:05]
B
I mean, it doesn't seem like it's fixable with this regime, with this, I guess, staff and the quarterback, for sure, he's shown who he is in the weather, but I mean, like BA said, you gotta play football. And how these guys came out and they did. The Dolphins did everything they could do. Robert Morris, they tried to help. They opened up their facilities. You went out there and practiced. That's something you rarely see, to go out there and practice in those elements. Because when you're practicing, you don't have all those resources available that you have during the game with the heated bench and the heated helmets and the big jackets and all that stuff. You don't have that during practice. So they tried and they came out flying around. BA Mentioned it. Corners and safeties coming up, making these open field tackles in any weather, that's tough. Coming up in those elements, doing it. But I mean, if you're, like you said, you're living in it, it. It works the opposite way, too. I know when I was in New England, we would go play the Dolphins late in the season. We always kind of struggled down there late because it's just different. You're dealing with the humidity. You're dealing with.
- [11:55]
F
Oh, yeah.
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B
You're not dealing with that in December anywhere else. So that's something. You just got to adjust and you got to be a pro and find a way to, you know, figure it out.
- [12:02]
A
Steelers hammer Dolphins last night. Congrats to them. And obviously we assume this will quiet off the media and Steelers fans hammer. Don Resident. You guys believe now in the Pittsburgh Steelers again? You're all the way back in on what you got going on.
- [12:18]
E
Yeah, I don't see why anyone should be complaining this morning after back to back wins. You know, you're first in the AFC North. You had you control your own destiny. No, there's nothing, nothing to complain about this morning. And I got. We. We always complain about Mike Tomlin, how he's stuck in his ways and stuff like that. They were three for three on fourth downs last night and two of those were on the second drive of the game in their own territory. So he was the aggressive coach last night, which I know all the Steelers fans love to see. Which is. Which is something that we've been asking for forever.
- [12:47]
D
Yeah. Tony, you also kind of talked about it already earlier in the year too. Like typically that halftime is where the Steelers start to collapse. Like they have blown multiple. I think it was three different halftime leads you mentioned. And for them to come out in the second half and agree the Dolphins did kind of lose some sort of luster once they went into halftime. With that being said, Jordan Brooks is so good at football. Middle linebacker. Didn't even realize number 20 could look that cool on a middle linebacker. It does. But the Steelers coming out in the second half, to me is why I kind of have more belief now. Like, I thought it was going to be okay. It's going to be a grind of a game. Maybe 1710 Steelers are going to let the Dolphins back in, but somehow they're going to get it done. Rodgers got better as the game went on and that's what gives me a lot of faith. In Pittsburgh.
- [13:30]
A
There's a ball to DK over the middle where they have the perfect end zone shot of that thing. Tightest spiral of the year I've seen. Yeah. That wasn't even it. But that was another one. There's one where he throws it right down the middle. And that thing is like on a line. Actual rope laser. And the spiral is just so an Aaron built for the cold weather. This is the throw I do believe. Yes. And they'll have an end zone shot of that. And it's outrageous. The ball that he. I tweeted Aaron spinning it. Go to the other one. There'll be an end. Yeah. This one. Yeah. I mean that's. That guy's 40 plus years old right now. He'll be able to do that till the day that he dies. Just like Phil Rivers, obviously. And whenever it's that. But When Aaron's doing that and the offense is clicking, it's like, why not the Pittsburgh Steelers especially Because Aaron can figure out everything that the defense has going on for almost every single team because he's been there, done that with everything.
- [14:21]
C
And that's why I felt so good about the Steelers going into the game yesterday. Just because like I've seen that Rogers last night 100 times in my life where it's so cold and. But it just, it doesn't bother him. And obviously he's not the same guy he was 10 years ago. But to like Connor's point too, I mean it, that it was so close that entire first half and then they score a touchdown and then right from the the get go in the second half like they blitz creeked him and then all of a sudden the game is over. And you know, I mean if it's going to keep being cold, like Rogers is one of those guys who. It's just, it's tough to bet against him because he's done it so many times.
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A
Not only can he spin it in the cold, he's also smarter than you are. You see the 12 men on the field last night?
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C
I sure did.
- [15:01]
A
Yeah. You see 12 men on the field, the refs didn't even see. The TV didn't see it. The refs didn't see it. Nobody saw it. That's Aaron Rodgers football, baby. They got too many people out here. That's. That's bullshit. After replay assistance, they had 12 men on the field. Let's go ahead and move that thing up and go ahead and continue to do that. I like that. Replay assist is assisting the super geniuses of football to utilize having too many people on the field. Listen, BA Quarterback whisperer. A man who should have been teaching his quarterbacks about this. Oh yeah, this is something that should have been happening. I'm. You're only allowed 22 cleats. Cleats on the ground. On the defensive side, you get 23 cleats, you get 22 and a half cleats. You have 24 cleats, 26 cleats on the turf. That's too many cleats. That's too many men. That's free play for the offense. B.A. i know you love this rule and you love that Aaron's that smart.
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F
Oh, I love that Aaron is that smart. But I hate the rule.
- [15:58]
A
What? Come on, you're a quarterback whisperer.
- [16:01]
F
I know. And I, I taught the same thing for 27 years. Quick, count them. Get them them. We're not Substitute. And they try to substitute. We better get a field at 5 yards. But if the guy is not participating in the play, he's like one foot off the field. He has nothing to do with the damn play. Let it some go.
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B
Spirit of the rule.
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F
I mean hockey does it. They're all hanging over the bench, jumping over.
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D
And that's what you want.
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A
Yeah, that's what, that's what you want. You want to lose all control, sideline.
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C
That's what it has been though. Like it's never that There are just 12 guys on the field. Like it's always a guy running off and then that's, that's, that's what Rogers.
- [16:38]
A
Made his bones with D. But I don't like that you're just spotlighted and amplifying the quarterback. Whisper Bruce Arian's thoughts here. I assume this is what the defensive guys are saying. Oh, I was half an inch on the field. Get off my ass.
- [16:51]
B
And if it's called, you know when it happens, like as soon as the ball snap, you see a flag going there. Okay, you called us because. And now you know, you know it. The head coach, they're going to look at whoever's responsible on that defensive side. They're responsible for the subs because you do take a risk, especially against a veteran quarterback like this. Substituting. When the offense isn't substituting. And it's always the big boys, you're taught to run, you know, straight off the line, you know, straight down the line, get off the field. And Aaron knew it. He knew it. As soon as he snapped the ball, he called him. But I thought we got away with that. So I'm begging for it. Begging for it. It goes, it cuts away. Then 45 seconds later we see the flag come out. I thought replay says. I thought they were meant to pick up flags.
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D
Yeah.
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B
I didn't know you were allowed to play. You can go back and throw one. So I'm with BA on this one. I'm surprised BA Is on my side.
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A
Yeah, I don't like that out of B. Okay. I like the free plays for super genius stuff. That's third and three. Caused the first down.
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C
Big one.
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A
Huge play. You can't have too many men on field on third down.
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C
Bingo.
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A
Like, what are you talking about? Can't have it happen. Follow up to that. Yeah. Replay assist. Not allowed to add a flag.
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B
Interesting.
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A
But if we're allowed to do that now, I think this is good news, not bad news. Okay. If there's something clear and obvious that these refs whose contract is up in May. Okay, Miss. Which feels like they do humans. They are. They are humans. But also some of them ass at their jobs.
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F
Some are blind.
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G
Okay.
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A
Which we're happy for them, by the way. Living a dream out there. Yeah, exactly. Got blind people reffing in the NFL. That's unbelievable that we have that in 2025, almost 2026. We should celebrate that. But I had no idea the replay assist was allowed to add a flag. I think we were all kind of taken back.
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D
Yeah. And it's terrible for the game because it's going to be so subjective now. If there was a pass interference that they didn't really realize was a pass interference and then replay assist, like, this is what it opens up. This was never supposed to be a throw the flag type of thing. Like even a hold and offsides. I mean, shit, the Bucs in the Falcons game, the Bucs damn near lost because the Falcons, and this is in the first quarter. So you can't say they lost the game because of this. But they called an offsides on a field goal even though the guy got back on sides. And then it was a fourth and four. Atlanta gets first down. Next play, Kyle Pitts first is touchdown. So that's why it doesn't. It doesn't help. Now if they did this the whole entire year, yeah, that would be incredible. But there's no way in hell in week 15 that now they're starting to say like, oh, well, replays just can't actually tell us like, oh, no, they were offsides. Oh no, it was, you know, seven or six men lined up on the line of scrimmage. Twelve guys on the field. Like, there's so many calls now that we can go back through and be like, well, why didn't they use it for this when they used it in a prime time game? Again, the first time they use it is in primetime. The first time they use Hawkeye technology this year was in primetime. And it made no sense. And it still doesn't make any sense. That's why May, like, I'm pumped for the Super Bowl. I can't wait to see what happens with this NFLPA and the NFL. Because it really is NFL ra. NFL ra. Excuse me. Because, yeah, that's actually awesome. But it will be like the repercussions that come from that will be massive. When you talk about the game as.
- [19:55]
A
A whole, that's in May, that contract is up and it's a big deal because the last time the refs contract was up, it got Full chaos. And it wasn't good for the league, it wasn't good for the sport. It wasn't good for anybody. And the refs took advantage of that and they utilized their leverage. And the contract that they negotiated was. We have no accountability. We're not answering any questions. You can't even talk to us after the season. How about that? We can't be full time. Yeah. We got other things we got to focus on. It's not good for anybody to be able to do this. They had all the control because of the fail Mary.
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C
Yeah.
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A
That happened on primetime amongst all the other things that happened. So the refs union is the strongest, right? Right.
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F
By far. But way better than the players union.
- [20:32]
A
Got to be. I got to be close to the coach's union though. You guys get guaranteed cash for like 20 years if you get your. Your deal.
- [20:38]
F
We don't have a union though. It's just life, man.
- [20:41]
A
You don't have a union. You have guaranteed contracts. The players have a union. Don't have guaranteed contracts. And then the refs have a union and they don't have to do anything they don't want to do. Feels like the players union is the worst out of all of them.
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D
Feels like the NFL is the toughest on the players union versus all of them.
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A
Well, there's the most amount of people obviously guaranteed injuries, 100% chance. Well, how about the refs? There's 100% chance of failure for you guys too. Every one of you is going to get a call wrong at least at some point.
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D
I mean they're so old they're blowing out knees and ACLs and Achilles and feet these days.
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B
Now some of the old return this past Sunday too.
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A
Okay. Shout out to him. And obviously he wasn't going to let anybody that may be better at reffing than him get a shot at that. Yeah, right. Nobody's going to shot the shot. Nobody's getting a shot to shine. Speaking of shine last night big for the Pittsburgh Steelers and we talked about this yesterday, a massive piece of why we all assume the Steelers are going to win last night. Not only because two and the Dolphins are terrible in the cold. Not only because. Here we go. Dolphins, they said yesterday, hand up, hand up as well.
- [21:44]
B
I got to take some ownership.
- [21:45]
A
Yeah, D Button Gumpy did that yesterday. That was a bad decision by you guys to do that in the moment we said it. But also there was a lot of OGs in the building for the Steelers. Joey Porter goes into the hall of Honor. Ben Roethlisberger goes in, Pouncey goes in. The Rooney family there. Roger Goodell was in attendance. I mean, it was a huge night in Pittsburgh, let alone Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher. Both have never lost on Monday Night Football at home.
- [22:09]
D
That's insane.
- [22:10]
A
So that is. There's a lot of things that were kind of working for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The OG's back in the building seemingly mean more in Pittsburgh than maybe other places legitimately. I think the city of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers try to treat it like a college organization now. Now, it's easier to do that whenever you have three head coaches over the last 60 years. So there's a lot of continuity, a lot of familiar faces. But the Pittsburgh Steelers very big on having the alumni still be around. Hall of Honor celebration last night. Very special. Do you think that is something that's different than everywhere else, is how the Pittsburgh Steelers welcome and keep the alumni kind of in the building, in close proximity?
- [22:46]
F
No, there's no doubt. You know, every year when the rookies come in, we have a dinner. And Franco used to come. Rocky, all the guys would come and sit with the position players that we drafted, free agents, draftees, and welcome them to the Steelers and what it was like to be a Steeler. And it was one of the best dinners I've ever been part of.
- [23:05]
A
See, that's a pretty cool thing that doesn't happen everywhere. Let's go to Hammer. Done. Done. Tone, the boys were back. Seven's in the building. Guaranteed dub is how you felt.
- [23:13]
E
Yeah, it was every. Like we talked about it earlier the year when we. When the super bowl anniversary happened and everyone was back in the building and. And that was one of their best games of the season as well. But, like, this was. This was basically the same guys. Kyra was back. James Ferrier. Did the towel twirl. I saw Casey Hampton there. I saw Kiesel there. Everyone was there. And I feel like it does mean the players on the current roster see that when they're there, and it just works out better. I don't know if they play harder, but it feels like they might.
- [23:44]
D
And this is also why the Tomlin thing and Tony, you've always kind of been, hey, Tom was not getting fired. Like, if anything, if he's going to leave, he's going to leave on his own terms. But if you do fire a guy like Mike Tomlin, it's awesome that this has kind of quieted down these past two weeks. Like, that is what you risk, like, all of Tomlin's guys being like, Pittsburgh kind of, you know, treated him wrongly on the way out, and maybe, you know, stuff like this doesn't happen.
- [24:07]
A
Yeah, I. I think. I'm not going to say it. Cowers. Guys still come around, you know, like, that is the.
- [24:13]
D
Did they fire him, like, unceremoniously?
- [24:16]
A
No, but he did. It was like a no.
- [24:18]
F
Bill retired.
- [24:18]
A
Yeah. It was like a see you later. And then he left the IC light in the fridge for.
- [24:23]
C
Light on for you.
- [24:24]
A
And then I don't think him and Coach Tom and talked much. I don't think there was a lot of communication between the two.
- [24:29]
C
He told us deliberately that he didn't. He wanted Tomlin to kind of, hey, you figure it out on your own. I had to figure it out on my own. I don't want to be stepping on your toes or anything like that.
- [24:37]
A
Yeah. Which is an interesting way to say, like, this is your time. I'm out of this. You kind of. Because being the head coach of the Steelers does come with a lot.
- [24:46]
F
Yeah, I went through that transition with those two guys and. And Bill. It was. Bill was ready and a lot of things personally that were going on at the time. And Mike came in. It's Mike's show. Step back. It's Mike's show. You guys run it. And that's the Steeler way.
- [25:03]
A
It is the Steeler way. And I'll tell you, Mike Tomlin continuing to win. Look at the odds to win the AFC north here. Steelers minus 125. They got Detroit. What are they? Good football team. Yeah. Unless the Steelers just say, hey, we want to punch them in the mouth. Well, actually, Tony and Nick told me that this game doesn't affect them at all. So I'm thinking Aaron sits. TJ Watts sits. Cam Hayward sits. Connor Hayward sits. And the whole Steelers defense sits Connor Hayward. But the tush push. Good to see him kind of getting into pain a couple different times. I like having Mount Washington literally just pick him up and just shove him through there. Zack Frazier, center, different technique than Jason Kelce and the Eagles, I don't know if you saw this. They were trying to go over right guard. They were not trying to go directly over center. So Frazier actually, instead of diving, kind of stands, turns, and then they're pushing him to the right. It was basically every single time he was going to the right, almost as if it was on purpose, as opposed to Zach Frazier having to get straight through the Mountaineer. So I found that to be a little piece, an interesting piece, because now other teams are going to start loading up on that. Right. And then guess what they're going to do. Matt Washington's gonna go, boom. I'll throw his ass this way, too, if you want me to. It's interesting. And then Aaron Rodgers just sitting back there, either doing this or this, and we forget he's got a fractured wrist.
- [26:16]
C
Yeah.
- [26:16]
F
Oh, yeah.
- [26:17]
A
You completely forget that. His left hand is. Or his left wrist is fractured in two places.
- [26:21]
D
Tough. They banged the shit out of that thing yesterday.
- [26:23]
A
And he's just, yeah, we're doing this. Not even a thought of whether or not he's playing. Not even a single thought of whether or not he's playing. Seemed jovial after the game, too. Feels like as of late after successful things. Aaron happy they won, but certainly wants to clarify some things to people, you know, about the. What he liked or what he didn't like, that maybe this will shut you guys up about something. Like there's always something. Last night it felt like it was a pretty jovial Aaron Rodgers after a massive win. Obviously his moment with Rasul Douglas West Virginia Mountaineer legend, also former Packer. And Aaron told the story about him coming off the Cardinals. I think he was cut, then he was on practicing. Then he comes to the packers and he becomes like a pro of the entire team. So it was obviously special seeing him catch up with old teammates. And I thought he was a bad teammate. How come all his old teammates want to come over and talk to him? I don't think I fully understand that. But the risk thing, you just. It's not even a conversation. Like it wasn't even mentioned. I don't think last night this guy's got a cast on his left hand. He's quarterback for an NFL team. We would see other people potentially utilize that as an excuse to not play or maybe rest a week. But to your point, Fox, Yeah. Steelers can lose the next two games. As long as they beat the Baltimore Ravens in the last week, they go to the playoffs. Now, granted, the Ravens can lose a couple games and the Steelers will get in automatically. But Troy and Joe Buck were talking about that last night during the game about how Detroit and Cleveland. Cleveland will always matter because it's Steelers and it's Cleveland, but not really. The only thing that matters is that last one against the Baltimore Ravens and they get a chance to host a playoff game. Pittsburgh Steelers. And there's a chance to said, oh, mama, I'm in fear for my life. From the long arm of the. So who would they be hosting right now?
- [28:08]
E
The Chargers.
- [28:09]
D
Yep.
- [28:10]
A
Maybe win that they could Beat the Chargers now maybe you win that game.
- [28:14]
D
Chargers have a tough road too. Chargers might. I mean especially if the Colts continue to climb with Phil Rivers here. Be careful.
- [28:21]
A
So we got the Broncos sitting at the one seed. Congrats to them them coming into the year. They were Lombardi Darlins in a lot of projections for a lot of people because of how great their defense is. Defense has remained exactly who we thought they were going to be.
- [28:34]
B
Absolutely. And Bo Nicks is playing his best football right now.
- [28:36]
A
Patriots, obviously. Congratulations. I I think people expected them to have success with Vrabel and Drake May this quickly. Outrageous. Sitting at the Tusi. The Jags currently in the lead of the AFC south sitting at 10 and 4. They got stretched down here. They got his Colts team and obviously they're going to have to finish the job. Will they be able to do that?
- [28:57]
F
They look really good.
- [28:58]
A
Trevor Lawrence threw five touchdowns and ran for another one. Liam Cohen seemingly not a dipshit at all. He is seemingly a very, very good coach. And this is all without the number two overall pick that they traded a lot of pieces away and Travis Hunter playing for them. And then Pittsburgh Steelers lead the AFC north and then Chargers, Bills, Texans, Colts and Ravens. Ravens only real chance is to beat the Steelers and win a couple games here to get into the playoffs and win the AFC North. Colts though we can obviously mess around and catch up to a couple of these other teams. You know, Colts with Philip Rivers at the helm can do anything and we know that. Including lose by 50. There's a chance that that could happen. Certainly I don't see it likely. No way. Phil Rivers on Monday night hosting the Niners will be his first time in a full Lucas Oil Stadium as Indianapolis Colts quarterback. Because whenever he was the Indianapolis Colts quarterback back in 2020 was coach co. So they had some cardboard cutouts. I think I had a cardboard cutout in her one game.
- [29:49]
C
Sure.
- [29:49]
A
I think I was sitting in like the. Remember they were saying that tonight there will be 24,000 cardboard cutouts. There will also be. I mean you guys won a Super bowl during that year, so you guys certainly did handled it all the best. But whenever the NFL was trying to like spice up the announcements Tonight there'll be 150 first responders. They will be scattered throughout the entire stadium. They'll be each sitting in their own section, obviously safe. And they're also to be 302007 cardboard cutouts of super fans from the fan bases nation or whatever. And it was like, oh, that's really cool. And then they did, like, a pan of the cardboard cutouts there. They would be. If people were allowed to be in public, then people were stopping. I think that's my cardboard cutout right there. I paid $50 to be a part of. And that was an insane time. That was when Phil Rivers was the Colts quarterback, so he's never experienced a full Lucas Oil. Monday night against the Niners is a mass, massive, massive ordeal. There's a couple things that we need to chit chat about. Niners are one of them. Patriots are another one. Seahawks are another one. And the Eagles, three out of four of them in prime time, can all punch their ticket to the playoffs this weekend.
- [30:58]
F
BA Yeah, I think the scheduling guru's got it perfect. You know, you got Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night. Big, big games in December. It doesn't get any better than that.
- [31:07]
A
Thursday night, Seahawks play the Rams. Seahawks win. They're in the playoffs. Patriots play Sunday night at Baltimore.
- [31:14]
D
And this is a flex as well. Let's keep in mind, fantastic job flexing a game like this and not just rolling with whatever was supposed to be there.
- [31:21]
A
Shout out to NBC doing that. That's on primetime. Sunday Night Football. Patriots win. They're in 49ers. Monday Night Football in Indianapolis. They win, they're in the playoffs. And eagles playing at 1 o'. Clock. They get a chance in the afternoon to kind of punch their ticket. This is the season, season. Now we are here. People getting into the dance, people falling out, people looking to the future of people thinking it right now. It's a wonderful time of year. Out of those four, how many of them punched our ticket this weekend? D, Bud.
- [31:48]
B
Oh, three. Yep.
- [31:52]
A
Which one does? Not Niners.
- [31:54]
B
The Niners.
- [31:55]
A
Yep. All green. I like that.
- [31:57]
B
Yep.
- [31:58]
D
Three.
- [31:59]
A
Sorry. Shanahan. Now they got an interesting situation going on with iu. Okay. Kyle Shanahan has come out, and for a while, Kyle Shanahan was talking about being hopeful that he would be back. Hopeful that he would be back. None of us really understood what he was talking about. And then yesterday, his press conference, he was like, I haven't seen him in, like, a month. Literally haven't talked to him or seen him in a month. So we've just put him on the. He's not gonna be on our team. Are you still hopeful? I. I was very hopeful, yes. For a very long time. But now we're at the point where, like, we only have a few weeks left and we haven't seen, seen, or heard from him. Coach. B.A. 47 years in coaching. 27. I think in the NFL, obviously, there's going to be business and personal grievances and all that type of shit that happens. What's going on with this situation, you think? Have you ever seen anything like it? And how do the. How did we get here, you think, for the Niners?
- [32:50]
F
Yeah, I think that's the thing. How'd you get here? Because there's this point of no return and great player, played extremely well for you. And all of a sudden we don't want your ass around or you don't want to be around and trades or whatever. You know, the grass ain't always greener anywhere else. It is around the septic tank, to quote Tom Moore. And so it's like you don't know what's in front of you. You got a great deal right here in San Francisco. I don't know what you're thinking.
- [33:17]
A
Iuk was blocker, too, all in, right? If I recall, he was like, all in for the Niners. And then they're coming. This took me by surprise, and maybe I hadn't been paying attention to it.
- [33:25]
E
Close.
- [33:26]
A
Close enough. But when Shanahan's up there, like, I haven't seen him or heard from him. It's like, what does that mean in the middle of a season? I don't even know how we get it. We hope everything's okay, by the way. We first go to, like, mental stuff and is he okay? And he. Is he in a good spot? But it's like, this is wild for this good of a player on this good of a team and this big of a run. I think.
- [33:42]
B
Yeah, you see him, you know, posting things or whatnot. This is extremely disappointing because he kind of had a rocky start with Kyle Shanahan. He was a high draft pick. Things weren't going well, kind of off the field. You thought, you know, maybe immature, had to figure some things out. And then he did. Then he started playing great. We all know the contract stuff, the trade rumors to other teams. Then they get it figured out. He gets paid, then he gets hurt again. And for him to not, like, be showing up and maybe in a few weeks, we saw a story about him voiding, like 27 million. Like, you never want to see that with the player because of anything that they can control. Like, you're just going to void, you know, 27 million because you're not getting treatment or you're not showing up or being around the facility. Like that would be a bonus idiotic move for him. If that is, if there is any truth to that. But I hate this for iuk. And then it's like, yeah, you talk about the grass not being greener. Other places, a lot of other places, wouldn't want to take a chance on a guy like this to bring him into the building and maybe throw off, you know, continuity, other things that's going on. So it's a terrible look right now. I hope it gets all figured out for iuk, but this is a tough, tough look right now.
- [34:45]
D
Well, and that's the thing. He was the belle of the ball last offseason. I mean, New England, I remember Steelers, Steelers, everybody. I think there was a story actually about New England reaching out to try and get him. They had a deal in place and a contract in place. And he basically said, like, well, I'm not doing that. Okay, I want to get paid, but I don't want to play for the Gerard Mayo Patriots. Which, you know, understandable, looking back on it. But him choosing to stay in San Fran, he gets hurt, obviously, last year, very tough. But then for it to go like this is just wild because he chose San Francisco. This is where he wanted to be. Like, how can that much change?
- [35:18]
A
It would be great for Brock Purdy to have him as a weapon down the stretch. Here. Here's his contract. Details from Spot track and from Hembo. Pre June 1st release or trade. 29.6 million dollar dead cap next year for the San Francisco 49ers post June 1st. It gets very easy. $8.3 million dead hit in 2026. $20 million dead hit in 2027. Feels like all eyes are headed towards the post June 1st. And then there's always somebody, though, right, in the NFL that says it won't be like that in our building.
- [35:48]
F
I fix it, right?
- [35:49]
A
There really is that, isn't there?
- [35:51]
F
Totally. There'll be 15. Not just one, there'll be 15.
- [35:54]
A
They're not gonna be paying them that. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen. He's a man who probably has a little bit more insight on this. I used to have a podcast called Flying Coach. Now it's called Schrager Hour. He also does the Most Interesting man in the NFL every single week. Didn't do Phil Rivers last week. Seems like quite a miss. Ladies and gentlemen, Peter Schrager. Yeah, Shrags, we appreciate you joining us. We'll dive into your selection of the interesting man piece that we obviously love as you one sh into a camera, tell a beautiful story. But let's talk about the story of the Niners and Iuk Shanahan coming Out and saying that was first time I really caught ears on the situation. What do you know and what are we kind of missing?
- [36:31]
H
Well, for the last couple weeks it has been assumed that Brandon Ayuk was just not a part of this team and was not going to be a part of this run. Whatever they did for Shanahan to come out publicly and explain that, yeah, we haven't seen him in a month and yeah, it would have been a nice bonus to have him especially with our wide receivers room but we're moving on. It was, it was chilling considering, considering to what you guys said all off season last year was Brendan Aiyuk watch, like panda watch, you know, on Anchorman. It was every day it was where's Iuk? Is he coming? And then they did find a deal to bring him back to think it came in and unraveled in such a way. Then he went on social media and was posting as well. So it's obviously one of those situations where you want to make sure everybody's okay and then after that say okay football wise, what's that mean for his future? Because as much as it went awry here in San Francisco and whether it's health related or not, not, you would like to think that Brandon Aiyuk's story is just gonna get started somewhere else in the near future if that's the case. The dead money is the dead money. But it seems like the 49ers and Shanahan, they're over this and they're moving on with Ricky Piersol and the boys that they got in house.
- [37:34]
A
The NFC west is the NFL's best and that Niners team can punch their ticket to the playoffs of the win over the Colts on Monday night. Without Iuk, without Fred Warner, without Bosa. It's incredible work what they're doing out there. They're a fun team. Let's stay in that NFC Devonte Adams I think there's a report that came out McVeigh said he felt it but we're not ruling him out for Thursday. Did he save it? Maybe because he felt it and he's so in tune with his body or what are you kind of hearing about Devonte, the 32 year old's hamstring who's become a touchdown machine for Matthew Stafford in the Rams.
- [38:04]
H
Well, it's interesting because typically on a Thursday night you would say oh no, no, no rest that. Take the 10 days, we'll be all right. But this is the biggest game of the season for them. This a win on Thursday gives Them the division, it gives them potentially a buy like this is, this is everything. So it's if you're going to push a Thursday night game, if you are ever going to push it for a regular season game, this is it. And yet I would think it's unlikely he plays given the quick turnaround of this game. Fortunately it looks like Puka Nuku was just fine and when he went down there was worries that that he would be seriously injured. You know that Rams Seahawks game, it is going to be so interesting because they're going back up to Seattle where the Seahawks early in the season dropped a couple games and it was head scratching and then since then have just been rolling. But this game being played up there on a short week on the road, I would be shocked if we see Devonte Adams. And yet I am not Reggie Scott their trainer. I am not Sean McVay their head coach. I'm not the one to make that decision. It would just be a really quick turnaround on four days rest to go up there and play in those elements.
- [39:04]
A
Jason Myers kicked the fairytale right in the balls on Sunday as he had six field goals including a 56 yard game winner. He grew up watching Philip Rivers in the Chargers. He told us that. So afterwards his family did say like hey, do you remember that? And oh, I'm sorry, I just had the best game of my career. Maybe Phil river should have chose a different time to come back as a grandpa. This Seattle Seahawks team, you talk about it dropping a couple games early. McDonald was doing his Seattle Seahawks show I think and he was chatting about how one of the refs was trying to talk to him and he's basically saying I did not hear a word you just said. I'm currently calling plays for the defense right now. Can you give a better picture on what's going on in Seattle and how quickly this has turned around into a brand new channel because they kicked Pete Carroll the hell out of town. They painted the walls, they said we're a brand new era and they are certainly become a wagon and expected to be it seems like with McDonald as the head coach and if Darnold continue to have success, played a great Indianapolis Colts defense so let's not judge him. But can you tell me about the Seahawks? This is special out there man.
- [40:04]
H
Really, truly, it's really bold. You know, John Schneider's been the GM going back since 2010 so he's been with both the eras, the Pete Carroll era, the Russell Wilson era into like the Geno era with Pete and now this one with Mike McDonald, it's, it's really cool because they were able to turn this thing over without having that huge dip. What's also really interesting is that last year, you know, they had an offensive coordinator, Ryan Grub from the University of Washington, and it wasn't working. And it's so rare that a first year coach would say, you know what? It's just, it's not what we're looking for. Rip the band aid off, move on. Geno Smith, he had a fine career there in Seattle. They were like, you know what? No, we're going to rip the band aid off after one year and we're going to move on and pursue somebody else. In Sam Darnold. Clint Kubiak is the offensive coordinator and he gets together with Sam Darnold. Now what you have there is two guys who were together in San Francisco, but also with Darnold you bring, you know, obviously the, the, the Shanahan stuff that he had, but also the Kevin o' Connell offense that he played last year, which is kind of McVeigh ish in a way. You combine that with Kubiak and they have their own little offense going. Now. Their defensive coordinates coordinator, I think is one of the coolest guys in the league, guy named Aiden Durday, who was, he's British and he was the Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach. And one of the main things he was responsible for was bringing in DeMarcus Lawrence and saying, hey, like that's the guy who still got something left in the tank. Every off season move they made, whether it be hiring Kubiak, where they're going to get Darnold, whether it be drafting Nick Emmanue, who is absolutely unbelievable in that defensive backfield in the second round to DeMarcus La Lawrence on forward with Cooper cup and the rest, like they've just hit home runs. And yet when we do this coach of the year talk, which we do all the time, we immediately say, Vrabel, Ben Johnson. What Mike McDonald's doing right now in Seattle is pretty impressive too. And oh yeah, what Sean Payton's doing is pretty impressive. What Liam Cohen's doing is pretty impressive. Like there are a few candidates in this thing. It's not just a two horse race.
- [42:00]
A
Yeah, certainly as we get closer to playoffs and everybody has to realize who's real and who's not. You know, the thing about Seattle, and it will always be the case, and I guess it's the entire NFC West, LA obviously is its own media market. So you hear about the Rams and AF Stafford and everything like that. But one of the Seattle Seahawks decided to completely move on. I think for most media conversations it's kind of just like we started talking about the Seattle Seahawks on a regular basis this year because we thought they were unbelievable. We thought they were so good. They had this road win streak that was just outrageous. That needed to be talked about by people that understand how hard it is to go win on the road in that kind of that rapid of a pace. Seahawks fans started like sending us like, thank you for talking about our team like that. That actually started happening. Seattle Seahawks social media team started like ripping our our clips and being like, thank you for talking about us. Because like nobody talks about them, but you're going to be forced to now down the stretch because these, this, they're for real. Like, the Seattle Seahawks can win a damn Super Bowl. Then the question all goes to can Sam Darnold play good in the biggest game? Do we think McDonald will be able to help him with that? Do we think this setting with Jackson, Smith and Jigba, could Cooper cup in the boys will be able to help Sam Darnold? Like, what is your projection and thoughts on how he does down the stretch? Because that's literally the only thing that the Seahawks are going to get judged upon is how Sammy D. Does at the end of the season.
- [43:15]
H
Yeah, look, they had 14 wins in Minnesota, but there was an eight day stretch where he had two brutal losses and two brutal performances against both the Lions and then the Rams down in Arizona in that Monday night game. And that stuff's real. There's a lot of, all right, just find me in January with Sam Darnold. I think that that's fair until he wins one. And that was the case with Kirk Cousins for a long time. Then he went and did it and before that it was the case with Peyton Manning. And he did it like you got to go do it. So he can't get this thing out of there until he finally wins that big game. And I'll tell you, they had a road game against the Rams in which he threw what, four picks in a big spot. And those doubters and those critics came out again. So Thursday night, home game, game, they've given you all the money. That city loves you. You're the quarterback. Go win this game. Shut people up. Like it would be great for Sam Darnold to have a big game because honestly, they are a passing first offense. You know, Kenneth Walker and Charbonnet are fine running backs, but they're not quorum and Kieran Williams right now. They don't lead with the run, and their passing game is what leads them.
- [44:16]
A
Okay, quarterback whisperer, quarterback guru here shaking his head. What, What. What is your take on this?
- [44:22]
F
No touchdowns.
- [44:23]
A
Last week at home, Colts defense was stingy, brother.
- [44:27]
F
Without four starters and both their starting.
- [44:29]
A
Corners out, something's wrong. Bro is cooking.
- [44:32]
B
He's a song.
- [44:32]
F
Louis Lou and Bets are great. I love them. I know that. But it started last week. I started to see this December creeping into Sam.
- [44:40]
A
Oh, no. See, every single year.
- [44:42]
F
And I love Sam Darnold, don't get me wrong. But he's got to prove it to me.
- [44:46]
D
Yeah, like, if they go to Tampa in the first Rams, they're going on the road.
- [44:50]
F
The Rams last year, the Rams this year. Look out.
- [44:52]
A
Yeah, you. That's because you believe in staff. But before Stafford got to la, I think the same question was about him in Detroit, because all the talent, all the skill, but not really ever winning the big one, because was it him? Was it the team? Now everybody thinks the Seattle Seahawks team can, just like the Vikings team can. So then it's 100% on Sam Dardle, which goes back to the conversation.
- [45:10]
D
Yeah, like, if they're going to Tampa and we. I also love the Seahawks in their defense, like, to Trager's point, Emin Warri, watching him play, I mean, he had one of the greatest field goal blocks I've ever seen last week against that Atlanta. But, like, are you going to take Sam Darnold and the Seahawks over Baker Mayfield in the Bucks after Mike Evans and Godwin and a Booker and McMillan, and then Kate Otten comes back. Like, I even find it hard to put myself there because I don't want to be there.
- [45:40]
A
I don't want to have to choose.
- [45:42]
D
Between Seattle and Tampa because, like, I don't know, Baker had an unbelievable start to the season. You could see them closing out the season strong, beating Carolina and then maybe going on around. It's crazy.
- [45:53]
A
I believe in Sam. Just need the opportunity. I believe in. Hey, Sam. Come on, Sam.
- [45:58]
D
I thought you were doing it.
- [45:59]
A
No, that was tough Colts defense. Yeah, that was tough Colts defense. You know it. Dr. Liu was in there fucking doing his thing. Okay, let's move to the next conversation, shall we? I got a text from Dr. David Chow. Okay. Okay. Former NFL team doc for a long time. He is currently in charge of the.
- [46:18]
D
The.
- [46:18]
C
The sports injury podcast or something like that.
- [46:23]
D
Zone.
- [46:23]
A
Sports performance zone.
- [46:25]
C
I see the patch on his shirt. I can't think of what it says.
- [46:29]
A
And I see what it is. So it's a slew of doctors and medical professionals that much like sports injury Central. Okay, sorry, Dr. David Chow. We apologize. Sic, sic. We see the thing. Yeah. But it's just like the refs have their own setup with TVs everywhere for replays and everything like that. This is basically a bunch of medical professionals who I believe are.
- [46:48]
H
I saw that for the first time this week.
- [46:50]
A
The Chow war room. Been doing it for like three years now. They've been doing for three years. It's like retired doctors, basically, or team docs or physical therapists and things like that. They basically all in there watching games in real time and then given their projections or prognosises through the screen. Now, I will say this guy gets it right a lot of the time. Okay. They did it right a lot of the time because just like all of us and just like Shefter said yesterday, we've all seen it a lot on tv. We can almost guess what it's going to be. He, I believe, predicted also the LCL for Patrick Mahomes, not just the ACL in real time with the sports injury central as they're watching it. And he texted me and said, with the LCL confirmed, there's no way that Mahomes will be 100% for the start of next season. Wentz in 2017 is the comp there just for your conversation piece. So on that note, with what the Chiefs are going forward, that's his. Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes. So obviously, all these timelines and projections are certainly their own being and their own journey, and Patrick Mahomes will exhaust all options, get back as soon as possible. But what he's saying is, with LCL also being damaged in this injury, the beginning of the season seemingly is going to be a tough task for Patrick Mahomes, which leads to. Go ahead, con man.
- [48:04]
D
Yeah, Shrags. What do you think the Chiefs look like going forward? A lot of, you know, fodder around Kelsey's future. Andy Reid, I think we all assume he will be back with Mahomes. And, you know, to Pat's point, even if Mahomes misses the first four games, you can see the Chiefs going 13 and 4 because of how good this guy is. But what do you think they will look like, you know, next year, the year after? Do you think this is kind of the beginning of a shift as far as their culture and maybe mindset and team build goes?
- [48:32]
H
Yeah, look, first off off, Mahomes had surgery last night, so already has gotten under the knife with Dr. Cooper, who's one of the best in the game down there in Texas. I texted with Mahomes this morning. Nothing for, like, news, just to chat back and forth. It's. And he's in good spirits and is like, yep, we're going to attack this thing. So Mahomes, I think of it from his mental standpoint. And, Pat, you could appreciate this and ba, of course, going on these long playoff runs that you've had. I was heartbroken for the injury of the. Of course. But I'm also heartbroken for Mahomes, for the fact that he has played in seven straight conference championship games, meaning his seasons end in late January, early February, for his entire career. When they were getting eliminated this season, like, I almost felt like a. All right, at least Mahomes gets an offseason. He's played four or five straight extra weeks every single year, and now you're talking about these injuries. He has to attack this like he's never attacked, attacked rehab, or football in an off season before. It's a huge mental weight on something that in his head, he was probably thinking, all right, if the. If we're. If we're out on December 15, we're out on December 15, we finish out the string, we'll go from there. But this is going to have to be an individual rehab so tenacious, so aggressive, given the timelines, that it's going to be the hardest offseason he's ever had. So I think of it right from that standpoint, the mental anguish in addition to the physical anguish, and then as far as the teams goes, there will be challenges, changes. I don't know if anyone's losing their job, but I would imagine the Chiefs look at themselves in the mirror and say, whatever version we were this year is not going to be enough. So whether they're minor tweaks, whether it's players, whether it's coaches, trust me, Clark Hunt, Mark Donovan, and I would include Brett Veach and Andy Reid in these decisions. They're gonna have to look in the mirror and really make some hard, hard choices. Because as much as this season didn't go their way, you could also kind of rest on the fact that we were 1 in 6 in 1 score games or 1 in 7 in 1 score games, and we still do have a really good young defense. And oh, by the way, the Bengals had an off year.
- [50:35]
A
The.
- [50:35]
H
The Ravens are having an off year. There's still a window where next year we get back and we're back in this thing. So I don't expect a complete overhaul to answer your question, but I would imagine there are some really tough decisions and hard changes that have to be made.
- [50:47]
A
That's so cool. You just text with Patrick Mahomes, tell him we said hello and Godspeed. We don't know what he sees or what he doesn't see. We assume his blinders are on. And yeah, you talk about his most intense off season. It's miserable too and very painful going through all of this recovery and rehab. So we're pulling for him. But what it sounds like for you or what you're saying is Andy Reid back. Let's go ahead and run this thing again is what it sounds like you're saying. And then are you also saying the human exclamation point Travis Kelce expected in your to be back next year playing or that's the big conversation piece because we're going to have this conversation later with ba. He wanted to make the point like what Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are is a historic duo in the history of our NFL. The hall of Fame will showcase them on a very regular basis throughout the history of the league amongst the greats and who else are they next to? Well, there's been a couple other duos that they'll certainly talk about.
- [51:41]
F
Brady and Gronk and Rivers and Gates. I mean that's what doing. We're talking about the the and you have to go way back. Johnny Anitis and John Mackey. But that's, that's a tight end hall of Fame.
- [51:52]
A
Yeah. And I think you could even add in just like quarterback and pass catcher.
- [51:55]
F
Dude.
- [51:56]
H
Like I believe, if I'm not mistaken, I think they have the most touchdown passes in the postseason to each other in the history of the sport already.
- [52:03]
A
So this is a huge thing for the future of ball in our eyes. And also as massive fan of Travis Kelce and as somebody that, that would never want to not that I could just text with Travis Kelce on a regular basis, but would never want to say, hey, I wouldn't want to put the pressure on him to make a decision because that's a huge decision to make for your football life, for who you have been and for being a goat at a sport. But what is your lean towards that for the future? Because that's a huge part of NFL football that could potentially change next season. And that's the fears whenever we start thinking about this next chapter of this chief dynasty.
- [52:37]
H
I wouldn't, I would never dare speculate or put it my opinion on it because I don't have one. And if I know Kelsey, of course he likes the off the field stuff and would be a wonderful superstar in cinema and he could be the next John Cena. He could be whatever he wants to be. But I also know that guy is a dogged, dogged competitor and is a football player. So everyone's speculating that just because they missed the playoffs and he's a certain age age that he is done. Like I look, everyone for Brady's last season in Tampa was telling me, Brady was done. Brady was done, but Brady came back. Everyone tells you that this guy's done. This guy's. These guys come back. So I would not. Unless you're Travis Kelsey or Jason Kelsey or Taylor Swift or Mama or Dad Kelsey, I wouldn't put your opinion out there as fact because he hasn't revealed anything to anybody, and my sources in Kansas City have no indication either way. So I'm not going to speculate on his future without him speculating on it first.
- [53:35]
A
Good luck, Trav. Don't be taking any bumps, though. We don't need you to start to. John Cena don't want you losing on.
- [53:41]
D
Your last game either.
- [53:42]
A
Well, I kind of liked it.
- [53:45]
H
I know you don't want to hear my wrestling takes. I thought it was kind of cool.
- [53:48]
A
Now we don't. He quit. No, he didn't. You know how many people quit because of the XL?
- [53:55]
E
Maybe that's why McDaniel stopped playing in the fourth quarter. John Cena's fault.
- [53:59]
A
I didn't even think about. Thanks a lot, John McDaniel.
- [54:03]
D
Two or two.
- [54:03]
A
And I saw those glasses. McDaniel certainly could have had one eye on Cena's retirement match. One eye on the game at the beginning, whenever that thing was split.
- [54:12]
C
Don't let that happen. If you're him, you. You do whatever you can to make sure that doesn't happen.
- [54:17]
H
I, I, I grew up loving the Sopranos. And when that thing goes to black and you're so shocked and you're so horrified and you're like, wait, that can't be how this thing ends. I will never forget that ending. I can't tell you.
- [54:30]
F
Tell you.
- [54:30]
H
You know, rest in peace. Macho man's last fight. I couldn't tell you this other guy. I will never forget John Cena's last fight because it was so shocking and it was so different and it was so unique. And yes, this torch has been passed.
- [54:41]
A
That's good. Call, Shregs. I didn't even think about that. And then Gunther comes out last night, the man that tapped out John Cena, and he says, john Cena tapped out like a dog.
- [54:51]
D
Loved it.
- [54:52]
A
Me too.
- [54:53]
D
Gunther's a dog, you know.
- [54:55]
A
Yeah, right. Yeah, right. You know what Gunther is and what Gunther isn't, and that is not what Gunther is. But I do appreciate that it continued. And Gunther was getting asshole chants as he's walking out the arena. I mean, that is good. Hey, it's good for the business, kid. That is really good for the business.
- [55:11]
D
Did you tap versus Gunther? No. Did Cena tap versus Gunther? Yeah.
- [55:16]
A
So it might be my fault because my body couldn't stay awake whenever Gunther had me tapped out or choked out. Then my body just quit seeing. I was like, I don't want to be a limp body out here on my last night. Maybe it's my fault. I didn't. I didn't even look looked in the mirror at this potentially being my fault. But nonetheless, him smiling right beforehand, I.
- [55:33]
C
Was gonna say, yeah, just.
- [55:35]
D
It was great.
- [55:35]
A
It was ready, Screw it, it's over. This has been fun.
- [55:38]
C
He wasn't comfortable at all.
- [55:39]
A
He took a. He was uncomfortable. He's after it like the butcher's dog, man. He said he's leaving it in good hands. Or shall I say arms is what he said. Austrian arms. So you're right, Shreks. It was good for the business what he did. It was good for the business what he did. But, yeah, I didn't expect us to just dive into this entirely. There's certainly other things to talk about, but we got to get a heart out, brother. So big historian sports.
- [56:05]
B
Yeah.
- [56:05]
A
Truly, last night, McDaniel, is he on a hot seat?
- [56:09]
H
Yeah. Look, you missed the playoffs and on a nationally televised game put out that effort. It's. There's. Everyone's going to be under the spotlight in Miami, I'll say that.
- [56:19]
A
Everyone who's that quickly, I would think they.
- [56:22]
H
I think they have to explore the quarterback position. Are you going to get any further in with this guy? I don't know.
- [56:27]
A
No, I don't know. That's Gumpy. He is certainly in his emotions right now. Certainly has a feeling. And there's a chance, though. There's a chance. Global warming makes every game warm. So he's better and good everywhere, but I don't know when that's coming, brother. Hopefully not that soon.
- [56:40]
D
Who knows?
- [56:41]
A
We appreciate you. That's Peter Schrager. Appreciate. Listen to the Schrager Hour podcast. Incredible. He gets incredible guests because he knows everybody. And what a jolly fella.
- [56:50]
D
He's the best.
- [56:50]
A
Jolly Fell it's very nice to talk talk to him. Feels like he knows more than most, but he's also scared to give out some stuff so kind of got a pry at him.
- [57:00]
B
This is Marshawn Lynch, AKA Beast Mode.
- [57:02]
A
Checking in this holiday season. Everybody out here stressing, shopping, rapping, cooking but me trying to kick back Marshall Sports and go green on my Prize Picks Lineups Right now, Prize Picks is getting into the festive spirit where new users get $50 instant and lineups.
- [57:18]
B
When you play your first $5, it's.
- [57:20]
A
Real simple to play. Pick two or more players, pick more or less on their stat projections and you can win big real quick, faster.
- [57:28]
B
Than heating up leftovers.
- [57:29]
A
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- [57:57]
B
Must be present in certain states.
- [57:58]
A
Visit prizepix.com for restrictions and details. This is Arc Raiders, a multiplayer extraction adventure where most of humanity shelters underground. But Raiders rise to the surface in search of something greater in the Rust Belt. Every run is pressure, every decision is.
- [58:12]
D
A play, play call.
- [58:13]
A
Face the relentless machines of Ark and rival raiders chasing the same prize. Push forward or extract while you're ahead. Team up, trust no one. ARC Raiders is available now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S and PC. Rate a T for Teen. That's right. Oh, that's a good cadence right there by a man who coached football for 47 years multiple times super bowl champion. Coach Bruce Shout out to you ba I said it was November 16th and I think that's because my mind wants time to slow down.
- [58:50]
C
Sure.
- [58:51]
A
You know, not only because my baby girl is growing. She's going through growth spurts right now. It's a cool moment. She's obviously incredibly uncomfortable, but seeing her grow in continue to be the person amazing. Would like time to slow down at each one of these stages, but also football. I would like time to slow down down. We're in meaningful football time. We got division championships about to be won. We're about to see playoff tickets get punched. We're about to find out who's Who? And last night, I think we learned the Dolphins are still shite and the Pittsburgh Steelers might be for real this year. They invested a lot this offseason to take this miraculous run. It felt like everybody in the Pittsburgh Steelers building understood that maybe their window is kind of closing up. Cam Hayward's been around a long time. TJ Watts been around a long time. Obviously, Coach Tomlin and the coaching staff have been there forever. Are we going to make a run at this thing? Sure. Let's bring in a Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Now, they didn't have a deal with him throughout all of spring ball. They didn't really have a quarterback. A lot of people were saying, we're just going to wait for this guy. We're going to wait for this guy. Mike Tomlin, from my understanding behind the scenes was like, yep, we will wait for this guy because he's such a big fan. They inevitably get Aaron Rodgers into the building in the summer, he becomes their quarterback. They sign in, pay DK Metcalfe at wide receiver. A wide receiver. Receiver. $30 million. A wide receiver that's never been a Pittsburgh Steeler for $30 million a year. Completely out of the norm for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They make trades for Jalen Ramsey, John who Smith. They bring in Darius Slade. They start spending money and doing things that the Steelers had not done ever in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, all to kind of signal to the world, we're going for a Super Bowl. Their fans bought it, the NFL bought, bought it, and now we're living it. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still very much in it. They could still very much win the AFC North. Next two games against Detroit and Cleveland don't really matter. Play the Baltimore Ravens final week of the year. If they beat the Ravens, they will have a home playoff game. If they get in the dance. Aaron Rodgers is in the dance. T.J. watts in the dance. Chris Boswell, who might be the best kicker in the league, is in the dance. And Mike Tomlin, a man who's had a successful run as an NFL quarter quarterback for the better part of the last two decades, would be in the dance. I think all they care about is getting in. And when they get in, can they win. Well, that's what they're trying to prove to themselves and to all of us. Every single time they step on the field, pitches to John Hugh Smith, him running downhill. Outrageous. Darnell Mount Washington, their tight end that weighs 320 pounds, who just sealed that particular block right there, who can get down the field in crazy ways is obviously a monster. Are the Pittsburgh Steelers going to do everything that they hope to do whenever they change their ways this past offseason last night would tell you? Yes. And on the flip side, are the Dolphins everything we thought they were going into the year last night would tell you? Yes. They got to figure it out as well. The talks at tables here at Boston, Connor at Ty Schmidt. Ty, anything I missed there on the breakdown of both those teams last night?
- [61:40]
C
No, I think that was pretty accurate. And for, you know, a lot of people were saying last week when the Dolphins went into the Meadowlands and beat the jets and it was 40 degrees, like, hey, they did it. Two, two is a cold weather guy.
- [61:52]
D
Now.
- [61:53]
C
This is the end of this. The difference between playing in like 40 at kickoff and like 15 when it actually feels like it's closer to zero. Just as people who live in cold weather states, like that's a pretty big difference. It's very cold when it's like 0 degrees. It's not that cold when it's 40. And to your point about the Steelers in the playoffs, like, if it stays like it is right now, like I can see the Steelers beat the Chargers and then you win one game in the playoffs and get a little of momentum. Momentum. Like who knows what could happen next?
- [62:20]
A
Who knows injuries are going to happen to any team. Who knows what the future looks like for anybody? Honestly, you experienced this this past weekend. You lose your best player on the field. What does the future look like? Who knows? You know, the Green Bay packers are going to deal with a Michael List team going forward. Who's Green Bay play next?
- [62:36]
C
The Bears in Chicago on Saturday.
- [62:38]
A
You don't think the Bears are pretty pumped that they're facing the Green Bay packers in week 16 without Michael Parsons? I would say, I mean that could happen any week. We saw Devonte go down, we saw Micah go down. We saw Patrick Mahomes go down. You're talking about pillar, pillar, pillar players, game records across the board could change. That's the end of the season. That is what could potentially happen. So if you get in the dance, who knows what a team looks like in the divisional round versus the wild card round. It's a, it's almost a game of attrition at this point. Who can survive because the season's so long and obviously it's very, very brutal. Who can stay healthy and who can go on a run? Are the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of those teams. Nine year NFL vet Darius J. Butler.
- [63:14]
B
Like you said, playoffs definitely can win a game in the Playoffs, Yeah. Super bowl, that'll be a stretch. But you know, down the stretch, I know we're saying these games, you know, don't matter when it gets to the math, but they do matter on the field when it comes to. Because when you hit the playoffs, when you're hitting the home stretch, you want to be playing your best, your best ball. And so these, these games will mean a lot. And obviously our last game against the Raven Ravens would be huge, but super bowl run, that would be a stretch. I have to see that to believe it.
- [63:39]
A
Let's go to Hammer. AP tone. AP Tone. Everything that you guys were dreaming of in the off season still very much alive right now. Was it wet dreams last night or did you stay awake and beat the hell out of yourself?
- [63:52]
E
Both, actually.
- [63:52]
C
No, I didn't.
- [63:53]
E
Didn't get it all out the first time when I was awake. So that situation happened. But no, like this team, this team in general.
- [64:02]
A
Half.
- [64:03]
E
Yeah, yeah.
- [64:04]
D
Visual.
- [64:05]
E
They show flashes in all areas of being a good enough team to go on a deep run in the playoffs. Playoffs, it's just like certain ports during the season. It just has never all come together in one game. The last two weeks have probably been the closest situation. And we talk about like the next two games not. Not mattering because you don't have to win those games. You could lose those and then play the Ravens in Week 18. But if the Ravens lose this week to the Patriots or next week to the Green Bay packers, all the Steelers have to do is then beat the Cleveland Browns in week 17 and then get, guess what, there's two left tackles out right now.
- [64:40]
A
The.
- [64:41]
E
The D line is banged up. Obviously know about TJ Watt. Herbie got hurt a little bit hurt last week. We have corners out. Then you could rest week 18 to get prepared for that home playoff game in the wild card round of the playoffs. So while yes, you don't have to win the next two games to get into the playoffs, it would be super awesome to potentially win and then not have to worry about Raven Steelers Week 18 winners gets the AFC North. Like that's not something.
- [65:06]
F
Something that.
- [65:06]
E
That I don't think anyone really wants.
- [65:08]
A
Yeah. That are Steelers fans.
- [65:09]
E
Correct.
- [65:09]
A
I definitely would like to see The Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers for who is going to make the playoffs and who wins. The daunted, tough AFC north coach BA You've gone on multiple super bowl runs with multiple different teams. There's always the conversation about the end of the season whenever you can choose to rest. Does that create rust or does that create recovery for your team. What are your thoughts on playing your best ball at the end of the regular season and how that can carry into the playoffs? That Tampa Bay team that you coaching with Tom, I think it was like week 11, you guys had a bye week or something like that. And then on the other side of that, I think you beat the Falcons and then you guys just go and demolish seemingly and go on a war path basically right to the Super Bowl. Your thoughts on ending the season with mo momentum?
- [65:52]
F
Yeah, I think that was huge for us. We had to win the last four and then we're down 17 nothing and a half. The Falcons and scored 31 in the second half and that propelled us the rest of the way. And so there was never any rest. I've been on it. Hey, let's sit him this week. And we went one year we set everybody and a team had to win to get in and we went and beat them with our guys. It's like, hey, these cats were these wanted, they wanted to play. And I'm not going to name the team, but it was. It's that it's. It's hot. Get hot at the right time.
- [66:25]
A
So let's talk about. So my rookie year, we're undefeated and by we I played E tiny. I mean I held for Venetary and I kicked off. I also didn't know what I was doing punting the ball, but I punted for the team and we did not punt that much. So I say we. I mean I was a part of the operation that did this. We were undefeated until we chose to lose. Okay, then we lose to the Jets. We choose to lose to the Jets. We kind of let them in the playoffs and then we lose to the Bills. The final week in the middle of a snowstorm blizzard. OG's on the team are not happy because obviously 72 dolphins are the only team that's ever gone undoubtedly and they wanted to chase that. I believe Bill Polian made the decision though, like we're not losing anybody these last two weeks if we're in the playoffs. It wasn't for rest. It was strictly like we are top heavy as a motherfucker on this roster. We cannot lose anybody here. So we are going to remove the risk of anybody getting hurt was kind of what the decision was made there. Your thoughts on those types of things towards the end of the year because momentum, I think the boys would have said, like we also can get better through these games, which is what everybody else kind of gets to do. Where do you kind of sit on that.
- [67:27]
F
Yeah, I, I, we kept playing our guys. Even in Arizona, when we had a lockdown, we, you know, I had a lot of confidence in Drew Stanton if I wanted to sit Carson Palmer. But no, most of you can only sit, like four or five guys anyway because you don't have as many guys on the roster. Somebody's got to play. So I'm going to let you three sit. You three got to play. I'm pissed about this shit. All right, so let's all play. Let's go win.
- [67:49]
A
What are your thoughts on it, D, Bud?
- [67:50]
B
Oh, it depends on your team. You got to know your team, where you are injury wise, how much it will help you. And to your point, it's only so many guys that dress up. So let' say you decide to, you know, sit, tie and come, and then the guys playing ahead of them get hurt. Now you got nobody play teams. They maybe have to go in now and play in the second half, so it can be a shit show. And all these reps matter, you know. And on the flip side of that, I know we're talking about teams, you know, resting and being at the top of the league, but at the bottom of the league, you know, when we had that graphic yesterday when it done, you know, and people say, oh, these are meaningless games. You know, we see Jaden Daniels shut down, you know, which is probably a good decision with how he's been this year. But most of these teams for players and coaches, like, these are critical games going forward, because a lot of those teams, we talk about, what, six to eight jobs being open. So those are coaches and front offices changing. So those rosters, most of those guys after, probably the top four or five guys, are kind of ahead on the swivel when it comes to changes. So these are critical games for, you know, a lot of those teams as well.
- [68:45]
A
Also, when it comes to evaluation, like your competitive spirit, all that type of comes into deciding if somebody's going to be a part of your program, be a part of, of your team. If you get a chance to get some film, let's make sure it's good film.
- [68:56]
I
Yeah.
- [68:56]
A
That's why whenever people are like, this team's tanking for this person, it's like the players on the field aren't tanking because they don't want to put film out there. Well, if they're superstars, they're good. Well, they're trying to make the hall of Fame then, so they don't want to put. There's no reason for Any player to put film out there to everybody. Now, are there other decisions being made on who's getting a chance to do film by some people? Potential. But the players never want to put bad ball on tape. That's just a matter of fact. This is a profession where money is made by putting good ball out there and money is lost by putting bad ball out there.
- [69:28]
C
Yeah.
- [69:29]
F
If you've made it to the NFL, you're a hell of a competitor. And competitors don't quit. They play and they play to win. And that's the way every team should be.
- [69:37]
A
Hell yeah. Unless you know it's time.
- [69:40]
D
Yeah.
- [69:40]
A
Joining us. Well, ladies and gentlemen, a college football national champion, a Super bowl champion, a Ryder cup winner, ladies and gentlemen, AJ Hawk. It's time obviously to go and move on and allow the business to prosper in a different way. But let's talk about last night and the Miami Dolphins I guess will fall into the category we were just talking about about down the stretch here. What does their team look like? Who's going to be on their team? What does the next year look like. And then for the Pittsburgh Steelers, hey, this is everything they talked about in the offseason. And I think there was a lot of times where Aaron had to do his R E L A X quote to a lot of different people about when they want to play their best ball. They're seemingly doing that. What did you learn last night, AJ about this Pittsburgh Steelers team?
- [70:25]
G
Well, I mean this throw to DK was awesome. Early on you knew Aaron felt pretty good when you saw him complete this ball early. And DK first off, getting the end zone later was unbelievable. Like the dude obviously cannot be tackled and gave Gainwell. I think their offense was great. I think Aaron, you guys, it's funny mentioned like his.
- [70:39]
A
Yeah.
- [70:39]
G
You notice he's got a cast on his left hand like. Yeah, that is something for sure.
- [70:43]
D
Right?
- [70:43]
G
That's. It definitely affects his play, I would say. But to, to Miami's credit, like they came out early. I was, I legit stopped it a few times and ran some of their defensive plays back for my kids. But came in, watch these dudes making open field tackles. Watch them set the edge. Like Miami was very physical early and then for some reason after half just kind of fizzled out.
- [71:03]
A
If you want to know what it's like to watch an NFL game with the all time leading tackler for the Green Bay packers as his kids just know Monday Night football does become five to 10 minutes behind the rest of the world because dad wants to make sure we see proper form, tackle pursuit, angles. Look at the tenacity and the alpha ness here. This is what we need if we want to play good football. Is that happening every game you're watching with the kids?
- [71:28]
G
No, it's not. But the older I get, the more I do want to run plays back. Hey, man, remember, I tell you, keep your outside arm free. Here we go, right? And then you. You keep it and you knock it back inside to your 10 buddies. Running inside out like, it's very simple. And when I see teams like showing that on national tv, I have a hard time not stopping it and running it back.
- [71:45]
A
Who are you showing this to?
- [71:48]
G
Usually, my. My three boys and my daughter too, if she's there.
- [71:50]
A
What are your three boys name? Just so we can kind of get a little more intel.
- [71:54]
G
Hendrik's veteran Axel.
- [71:55]
A
Okay.
- [71:55]
C
Yeah.
- [71:56]
A
Hendrick, veteran Axel, please come in. See this guy sacrificing his body for the betterment of his team? Dude, he has good angle. See, he's on the outside shoulder. He's forcing him back. He will not make the tackle, but he sacrificed his body for the good of his team. Do you see that? That is Hawk football. That is what you will do. Do you understand? And Vetter's like, I don't know, he could have just made. We'll go back to the beginning of this every single. That's awesome. Hawk, full ball, baby. Hey, that's a good thing for the future of ball. I appreciate you doing that, but to your point, they didn't look like it was the cold. It didn't look like it was going to be an issue for them. And then the Pittsburgh Steelers pull away. Tell you more about the Miami Dolphins or the Pittsburgh Steelers, AJ I think.
- [72:35]
G
It tells you more. I think the Dolphins, maybe they're a little. Little bit of what we thought they were, but I think the Steelers might be a little better than we thought they were coming into this one.
- [72:43]
A
Can they go on a run, brother? They get into the dance. Aaron Rodgers, TJ Watt, Chris Paul, Boswell. Okay, those are the. Those are the three leaders of the three. Perspective, our respective groups. Boswell, potential best in game, T.J. watt, potential best in game, Aaron Rodgers, first ballot hall of Famer. Now, I know there's 10 other people on the field with them whenever they're out there, but defense, most expensive in the league still, Tone?
- [73:08]
E
I believe so, yes.
- [73:09]
A
Okay, so they got talent stars all over the field there, especially if they're able to get healthy offensive offense, are they going to be able With Aaron to be able to make any plays against playoff caliber defenses. I guess that would be the question. What is that look?
- [73:23]
D
What is that?
- [73:24]
F
Well, you just picked up two your two top receivers you just got in the last three weeks who have been cast offs.
- [73:29]
A
Yeah but feeling a blocker right now. I don't know if you see him feeling down there.
- [73:32]
C
Demon mode.
- [73:33]
A
Yeah, yeah, the demon Thiel blocking guys.
- [73:37]
F
That didn't want to make a damn tackle.
- [73:39]
A
Yeah, well that's the Dolphins. Yeah, you're right. We're going to have to find out.
- [73:41]
F
If it's going to be Valdez Cantley catches a touchdown. I mean he was on the street but.
- [73:45]
A
But.
- [73:47]
F
He knows him very well and thon Aaron knows his role so. But that still scares me when you thought thinking about going against a high powerered offense Coach, you did it with Scotty Miller.
- [73:59]
E
Scotty Miller is on Steelers. He can't even get on the field.
- [74:01]
F
Okay, so they don't know how to use him.
- [74:04]
A
They don't know how to use him instead of ba. Aaron.
- [74:06]
F
Aaron can't throw it dead far.
- [74:09]
I
This is Aaron, not Phil.
- [74:11]
F
Yeah.
- [74:11]
A
Joining us right now. Ladies, watch your mouth. Hey, you got that one. Yeah, it did. I was about to introduce somebody that was maybe going to give us a little bit more information. I didn't know old man Rivers was about to take a shot. You sack of. Don't you do that to Phil. There's no reason to. Now on that note, Aaron Rodgers does spin that thing. That ball is still hovering above earth defying gravity song somehow at the age of 40.
- [74:38]
E
What, what is he 42?
- [74:40]
G
42.
- [74:40]
A
42 years old. I mean it's outrageous the arm strength and I don't want to reiterate the story but it is worth noting. Fresh out of bed Bud Light from fridge at cabin we are 80 yards away in Lake 2. Step from the deck into somebody's tube looking for beer. Whatever time it was in the morning that's fresh out of bed for Aaron as a 30 plus year like 35 plus year old as an old man Shoulder you think? Potentially elbow. Potentially wrist maybe even in that thing. Yeah, right. Goes back to fridge, grabs a couple more spinning them out there and then I ask him about it. I'm like hey, that beer toss might have been the most impressive throw that I've seen. Just because as somebody who has thrown a couple beer cans fans before I know the size of it and also the weight distribution not the best for this especially with how old you are. I could see quarterbacks wanting to warm up entirely before doing any type of those things. He just literally woke up out of bed and hucked something 80 yards as like a 37, 38 year old. And it's like, what's that all about? He's like, I could probably do that forever or whatever. There's not even a thought that that thing's going to slow down. Aj.
- [75:56]
G
No. No chance.
- [75:56]
C
Yeah.
- [75:57]
G
You know, it's quick release everything. It was on, you know, it was on display last night. I feel like even in the cold.
- [76:02]
A
Joining us now, a man who has a lot of the same traits that Aaron Rodgers has. Dan Orlopski.
- [76:10]
I
What's up?
- [76:10]
A
How you doing, Dano? Hey, what network are you on? What network do you work for? Espn.
- [76:16]
D
Dor.
- [76:17]
A
Oh, wow, that's so cool. I like that. It's like he's on baseball team.
- [76:25]
D
Yeah. Sweet hat.
- [76:26]
A
Loser. How come we don't get one of these hats? How come we don't get. Oh, that's.
- [76:30]
I
That's not espn.
- [76:33]
C
Well, whoever it is.
- [76:37]
A
Yeah, they need to watch it. We weren't even allowed to put a line through the PMS live. Remember that?
- [76:43]
I
This is. This is Aikman's Beer Company 8.
- [76:46]
A
Bye bye, Troy.
- [76:47]
B
He's gonna get another. Are you sure?
- [76:49]
D
Better change that quick.
- [76:50]
A
I don't think so. I think you're lying to us.
- [76:53]
B
You got it wrong.
- [76:54]
I
I'm always lying.
- [76:55]
A
Exactly. Which is a part of the problem.
- [76:57]
I
I'm always lying.
- [76:58]
A
Yeah, it's all. Is it a work or a shoot? We never know with you.
- [77:01]
B
Husky vest.
- [77:02]
A
So that's the eight beer. Cuz he was getting a lawsuit from somebody else for that.
- [77:05]
F
Lamar.
- [77:05]
D
I don't think so.
- [77:06]
A
I'm going to look Troy in the beer. That is not the last ESPN logo. You. I mean, what are you doing? Why are you lying to us?
- [77:12]
B
That is one.
- [77:13]
A
This is the 8 logo right here.
- [77:15]
B
ESPN. Yeah, that's right.
- [77:18]
D
Dude.
- [77:18]
A
What's the purpose?
- [77:20]
I
This is I believe.
- [77:22]
A
Can you put Dan where my seat is? Where my.
- [77:25]
I
This is his new logo. He just gave us me these hats like two, three weeks.
- [77:29]
A
Yeah, him and Joe Buck just got signed from Fox like two years ago. Three years ago. Yeah, he's got signed espn. They're the number one crew on Monday Night Football. We get it.
- [77:37]
D
Yeah.
- [77:38]
I
So he gave them to Laura. Laura gave them to me. Said, these are. These are Troy's new hats.
- [77:44]
E
So Troy's lineup.
- [77:45]
A
I don't like that with what happened with Herbert. I don't like.
- [77:48]
D
Troy definitely told Laura like, hey, let's tell Orlowski that these are new beer hats. And he'll just think that could be true.
- [77:54]
I
It could be true.
- [77:55]
A
I mean, how many years have you worked for espn?
- [77:57]
I
All right, let's take this off. Seven years.
- [78:06]
A
Happy? You're just now learning what the logo is. You're the greatest. We appreciate you. Okay, so you've been doing television.
- [78:11]
I
I hope I don't get in trouble for that.
- [78:13]
D
Let's see.
- [78:14]
A
For not knowing what ESPN's logo is.
- [78:16]
I
Might either one.
- [78:18]
A
Either one.
- [78:18]
C
Either one.
- [78:19]
A
And Troy Aikman's going to be pissed. Troy Aikman's going to say, we spent so many hours with focus groups trying to get the perfect logo and here you are wearing ESPN's logo thinking that it's our logo. Troy's. Doc. Yeah. Troy's going to be doing some crazy core workout for however old he is, 90 years old, or whatever the hell it is. He's just doing it. Him and Joe. Very good, by the way. Yeah, very, very great, man.
- [78:39]
I
They're great.
- [78:40]
A
Always will be. And we appreciate them for that. Let's talk about the game last night. Pittsburgh Steelers stomped dolphins. Inevitably in the end. Now Darren Waller has a couple touchdowns. Dolphins seemingly making some plays. Fourth quarter. They're just running it as a casual offense. This game's over. This should get some preseason reps here. We'll kind of go about our business as if there is no sense of urgency. And you know, who knows how or why we got to that point. Is it because Tua doesn't understand what's going on? Is that because McDaniel don't trust them? Can they even operate a two minute? Who knows? Whatever. Nonetheless, let's go to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers. I just told the story about him throwing a beer can 80 yards from literally waking up out of bed from like a. As a 38 year old. He had that throw to DK where they had the great replay from the end zone on it where it looked like the ball is still just levitating. Perfect spiral. We're in week 15 right now. He's been playing a lot of ball. He's still spinning it at his best level. The offense seemingly find it. MVS gets in the end zone. He might become a new defense threat for the Pittsburgh Steelers. T.J. watt's going to come back. Inevitably, that defense gets a win for the first time without TJ Watt on prime time. Just what are your expectations for this Pittsburgh Steelers team and what changed last night or maybe stayed the same in your mindset?
- [79:50]
I
Yeah, nothing really changed for Me off of last night's performance. Last night I was way more disappointed in the Dolphins and myself for actually believing in them. But for Pittsburgh, the reality for Pittsburgh is this. For whether they can win the division and get in and if they get in, can they be efficient on offense and can they keep Rogers clean? If they do those two things, yes, they'll have a shot versus somewhere in the playoffs. But those are a very big ask and or question mark. If like last night in Miami, I have defensively, I really don't know what they were doing. I mean they weren't very. They didn't make things hard. They were very soft zone. They were just giving completions on a consistent basis to guys and they never really got to Rogers. And so do I think that if the Baltimore Ravens defense is going to do that?
- [80:39]
A
No.
- [80:40]
I
Do I think that the Houston Texans or the Jags defense in a playoffs, the Baltimore Raven, excuse me, the Broncos defense in the playoffs would do that?
- [80:47]
H
No.
- [80:47]
I
So there's a very small margin of how Pittsburgh has to play. It's efficient because they're not explaining explosive and they got to keep people away from Rogers. If they do that, they can play good enough on offense to be in a game, but I just don't think it's likely.
- [81:01]
A
Okay. And for the Miami Dolphins, you're bummed out, man.
- [81:05]
I
I thought they were different. I really.
- [81:07]
A
Same cold Dolphins.
- [81:10]
I
Yeah, dude, they were playing so much better. Their run game was awesome. Just the different stuff that they were doing, I thought going against the defense that was struggling against the run, I really thought they could go in there, make it a good game in the fourth quarter too to make a throw or two. And they were in the first half, but that was because of their defense, not their offense. I was just so disappointed with the way they played. I'm disappointed with how Tua's playing all year. I've been a huge fan of Tua's, I still am. But goodness gracious, man, the turnovers are just debilitating. And you know, performance last night only kind of reiterates a lot of the question marks about, you know, the long standing spot on in the organization moving forward. Which stinks because I'm a huge fan.
- [81:54]
A
For McDaniel and Tua. You're just saying maybe the future looks different for the Miami Dolphins and you're saying that Gumpy is just going to have to kind of strap in for just another turnover. And here's the contract details for Tua Tong of Aloha if he's traded before June first, It's only a $45.2 million dead cap hit in 2026. If he's traded post June, June 1, it's 13.4 in 2026 and then 31.8 in 2027. With where the cap is headed and how much money is already a dead in most places this feels like something the Dolphins would be willing to take on, but I guess another team would have to pick something up. Ba, what are your thoughts on any of the movement for potential to a post Dolphins?
- [82:37]
F
I don't see anybody picking up any of that money. You know what? Yeah, just the guy hasn't gotten any better in my opinion the last three years. If anything, he's got worse.
- [82:47]
A
He took two sacks.
- [82:49]
F
You just throw the damn ball away.
- [82:50]
B
Terrible.
- [82:51]
F
You're running to your left, you're left handed, you're 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage and you take two sacks.
- [82:56]
A
What year is this for him?
- [82:58]
F
Oh, too many.
- [82:59]
A
Six maybe.
- [83:01]
D
Same as Burrow.
- [83:02]
C
Yeah. And Herbert.
- [83:04]
A
Yeah. Because the way we judge those quarterbacks is how situational football they are. What are they like with their football iq, yada yada yada, all those things. And you talk, talk about if Patrick Mahomes was to take a sack and not throw the ball away or something like that, we would bury him obviously. Whenever we talk about guys who are in their sixth year, whenever talking about being in their second contract, show me the money. To a bunch of fans that are showing up at a free event probably because they do not have the ability to get tickets. So screaming that we're talking about at least becoming an elite quarterback, like that is kind of the goal of the entire thing. And you're saying there's too many things that, that are just like very much on display.
- [83:41]
F
Like Dan said, the first interception, he's got a two man route. They're playing cover too. You're trying to throw a corner route with no nobody in a flat to hold the corner. And you thought right to the corner. I mean Asante Samuels just standing there, throw me the ball. And he did. I mean that's inexcusable for a six year vet.
- [84:00]
D
And they did do a little statue there. To BA's point about how I think 15 of his interceptions are against zone. So like a lot of the times in man it's awesome because he's got, you know, high flyers all around, flying around but when it's in zone he's, he's not really reading anything. He's just throw into a spot and Then a guy like, you know, Asante.
- [84:19]
A
Samuel Jr. Just standing there when there's eyes on you, when they're just waiting, literally, for you to throw it to you, it's a little different than whenever everything was kind of operating full speed and you're throwing to a spot, and everybody was kind of trying to figure out your game. I think now defenses get a book, right? That's kind of conversation.
- [84:35]
B
You get the book and you get the motions and you know the. You know, the spots. I guarantee if you look at, like, a heat map of Tua, like, it'll be between the numbers and the hash. Those would be, like, dark, dark red, and everything else would be, you know, blue or light blue. And I always go back to, like, my ISO cam test. If I'm just watching the quarterback and I'm just watching Tua, as soon as he goes from his first read and he gets to his second reed, his everything just gets off. Whack. His feet, his eyes. And it's almost like, you know, nothing good is going to happen. BA Talked about it, the sack, like, taking those sacks. Like, you can't take the. At least make it a situation where you got to think about going forward in this situation. But when you take this sack, this is like something we talk about rookie quarterbacks, where it's like, okay, you got to get used to the time. Understanding that throwaway is a good play, like wearing you.
- [85:18]
A
It's 14:3.
- [85:19]
B
Yeah, we can't. Can't have these conversations. You're looking at his class. To my bird, Herbert Hertz, like, those look like veteran quarterbacks. They'll have a bad day here and there, but nine times out of 10, they're gonna make the right plays.
- [85:31]
A
All right, let's move past the Miami Dolphins, which look like a sad franchise. Absolute shite. Looks like it's the Finkel days almost. But they can only dream to have a moment in which a missed kick would matter. Right?
- [85:45]
D
They're in the middle of the purgatory, too, where they're. They've won enough games where they won't have a big house.
- [85:51]
C
14Th pick.
- [85:53]
D
No, thanks. Oh, me thinks that stinks.
- [85:57]
A
Dan Marino was on the sideline last night, too, so the fans actually got a chance to see what he. What glory almost times were like for the Miami Dolphins. And he's talking to Seven, who's obviously filled with wonderment seeing Santa Claus actually came to the game last night. What you don't see on this camera is Dan Marino and Ben Roethlisberger seeing Santa Claus for The first time I saw him yesterday, you know, you told me you weren't coming here and Ben's like Santa, you know, like, this is obviously two magical moms.
- [86:33]
C
I know what happened.
- [86:34]
A
Okay.
- [86:35]
E
Okay, Ben sauce. Aaron spin. It was like, oh, we're awesome.
- [86:40]
A
Okay.
- [86:40]
E
And Dan saw. It was like, oh, we're tonight.
- [86:42]
A
So. So it's not. So it wasn't Santa Claus.
- [86:45]
F
I think it was a little bit too that pick.
- [86:47]
A
Oh geez. Okay. That is potentially that moment. Actually, we would like you to tell us what this moment was. What do you think this reaction was? To go ahead and comment below or post on X below or put in the Instagram comments below. Best Responses we'll make the program tomorrow. Now let's move past the Dolphins and the Steelers. A.J. hawk has a question for you. Dan, who has a husky poking up over his head.
- [87:16]
G
Hey Dano, I'm sure obviously you've been, you've been asked about Phil Rivers and his performance going out to Seattle and you know, probably should have won the game, obviously unbelievable kick there to win it as well as what, four other kicks I believe in that night. What'd you make of Phil's performance and how tough is that really if you think about it, coming off the couch after five years almost and having three days practice leading into this.
- [87:35]
I
Yeah, I got tons of credit or tons of like respect. Kudos to Philip for doing that. Credit to him for doing it. Unbelievable and very cool and courageous. And the post game comments that he makes about his sons or son and the, the kids that he gets to coach are awesome. Hopefully that they can learn from that and see like, hey, don't be scared. Don't be feared. Fear of failure. He was good, you know, got the ball out. I thought he moved in the pocket. He didn't look uncomfortable in the pocket that often. The ball went to the right place. You can tell he's still got smarts, still can throw it under 10 yards, right place, right time type of thing. That game is what it is because of the defense and really because of Seattle's offense right now and where they are more so than anything that Indy did offensively. So really impressed by the fact that he was able to go out there and do it. But there's nothing really in that offense that makes me think this team's going to get in or if they get in, they're going to, you know, be.
- [88:29]
G
A Can you get one or two wins here? Can you get one or two wins for him down the street?
- [88:32]
D
Stretch, you think?
- [88:33]
I
I don't think so, man. I think San Francisco, now San Francisco maybe San Francisco's pass rush is relatively non existent and they'll be able to run it on San Francisco. But San Francisco's offense is just firing right now and the way that they're playing and healthy and Brock has been sensational and then they play Jacksonville, Jacksonville and Trevor Lawrence is on an absolute heater and their offense can throw it around, I think they'll match up well versus that run game that Indy has from a defensive perspective. And then playing the end of the season, I believe they play Houston which is a good level. So I just, I think it's hard to envision if they can get maybe one. I don't think they get two.
- [89:08]
A
Okay, so all these conversations that are being had by people on television about Phil Rivers performance and you can't throw the ball far. He's playing a Seattle Seahawks defense, they're very, very good. Now you talk about the down the stretch, got the Niners defense and you got the Texas Texans defense. So he's not playing like the easiest defenses to get dropped back into an NFL game and maybe they're not allowing deep balls to be thrown and Phil Rivers is too smart knowing that it's not my job to be out here, do any turnovers. Like we are trying to keep the ball. So I assume there's shots that he could have taken that he didn't that I think with another week in an NFL building for the first time in half a decade, he's going to be letting that thing fly. Look for Phil Rivers to have a 20 plus yard completion on Monday night in the Lod House in my eyes. But also, also he put us in the right spots. Okay. And who knows what that team looks like without him. A lot of people saying Riley Leonard could have done that. AR is back to his return window. Cam Newton, who we all I am, we are massive fans of and have a lot of respect for. He had a lot of people and including himself that were upset that he wasn't asked. It's like all they're looking for right now is somebody to operate this offense right. Isn't that kind of what they're trying to do? Yes, I think so.
- [90:21]
F
Yeah.
- [90:22]
A
I think Phil was our best option. Maybe Riley Leonard. I don't know how much Riley knows though and I don't know how many defenses he has looked at and seen. I don't know any of that type of stuff in the building. They might know that. I'm not 100% sure if they would if they haven't seen him actually in the games. But it was like, it was clear what they were looking for. We want somebody that's able to operate Shane Stan's offense and Jonathan Taylor is the one that's going to be winning us games or not. Literally everybody else has been saying that all season.
- [90:47]
C
Yeah, I mean, they couldn't afford to win that game. They couldn't afford Riley Leonard to go out and throw four interceptions, which is possible a rookie quarterback would do. Like we just saw Max Brosmer do it not too many weeks ago. Like they knew, hey, Phil might not be having a bunch of explosive plays, but he's not going to go out here and throw five picks and we cannot turn the ball over if we want to win this game.
- [91:06]
A
They got the entire AFC south down the stretch. Obviously a lot on the line. Let's stay in the AFC South. On a completely different side note, it.
- [91:12]
B
Feels like about two young quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence, you know, mentioned it earlier. Him been on a heater. Obviously he had a historical day on Sunday, but he. This last five weeks, they've won five in a row. He's been playing great. And then CJ Stroud, too. I know he had to knock some rust off with Nick Haley, his oc. He's been playing well. What are you seeing from these two quarterbacks and these two offenses?
- [91:32]
I
Yeah, I'll start with C.J. i. I think Houston from an offensive perspective is the most improved unit in football. If you go to what they were to start of the season and offensive line was still a huge concern. The adjustments they've made on their offensive line is totally revamped this offense. The interior of their offensive line playing so much better. And now C.J. i think C.J. is one of his superpowers. Deep Bud is like throwing the ball in the middle of the field. He's got great understanding of windows, the touch in between windows or over the top of windows. So that. And then Nick Kayle as an offensive coordinator. I think he's the most improved offensive coordinator in football this year. We called their Monday night game on the road in Seattle two months ago, maybe 10 weeks ago, and it was like. It feels like the same stuff of last year. And the way that they brought six offensive linemen into the game, the way that they've gone back to underneath the center, the way that their young players have stepped up in Higgins. Kirk is healthy, Nico Collins is dominant. Woody Marks running the football. They're not trying to get overly creative with their running game. You know, he comes from the. The Rams, and I think you're starting to see a lot of the stuff that Houston's doing has a lot of the elements that the Rams have done in the past. The keeper game. I continue to go to that. Matthew Stafford is running the keeper bootleg game more than anybody in the NFL. CJ Stroud is in the top five when it comes to the usage of booting your quarterback out five or six times a game. And so we rave about Houston's defense, rightfully so. I've only seen this offense just get better and better and better and better. And Houston is much more a complete team today than they were, you know, certainly in the middle of October. And it's not just about their defense. It's a great unit, but their offense is. Is very, very good right now.
- [93:18]
B
When you talk about throwing the ball over the middle of the field, though, because I see a lot of people take shots at other quarterbacks avoiding the middle of the field. What. What's so difficult about that? And what kind of separates quarterbacks that can attack the middle of the field, that can't.
- [93:30]
I
Yeah, I think the middle of the field, number one, there's more bodies there, so there's more danger. You know, quarterbacks that throw the ball to the perimeter more often than not, there's less people that you have to throw the ball through or over. And so it's a little bit more of a safe and confident throw. You know, throwing the ball over the middle of the field, you're usually having to throw one of two ways in between people from a horizontal perspective. So you got to throw it with windows that are open before you want to and close faster than. Than you kind of see them. So you got to be able to anticipate but also throw the right pace of a football to, like, this ball. He's holding Nico up. So, like, you got to throw that ball in between that underneath defender of his right helmet, number 20, but also 27. Excuse me. But also not pulling Nico into that backside defender. So, like, that's a zone ball. That, That's a dangerous throw. That just the. If you throw that ball on a lot line, 27 will back that one off down here into red zone. Like, this is a. You got to throw over people, but you can't throw it too high because there's usually a safety behind or out of bounds. And so, like, I just, you know, that's the, the, the skill of throwing the ball over the middle of the field is anticipation. And it's. For me, it's Pace. A pace of a football, of how fast or hard you're throwing it is a huge deal.
- [94:50]
A
So real ball throw throwers can throw in the middle of the field.
- [94:53]
D
Hell yeah.
- [94:54]
A
Yeah. That's kind of the difference maker that that is. You know, in baseball, it's. Can you see the curveball? Right? That is the thing. Can you hit? That's how you get into the next. That's how you get in the majors if the hitter can see the curveball and hit the curveball. So for quarterback, it's like, can you make the throws over the middle? Because you have to have good timing, you got to have good anticipation, you got to know where the ball's supposed to go, you got to know what the defense is doing, and you got to have elite arm talent is what you're saying. Middle of the field, Kyle of equal equals.
- [95:20]
I
Yeah, yeah. Like that throw right there. If, if. If we took that throw, that one, that Nico, he just connects. If we just took that and did routes on air, you would sit there and if you just had CJ and Nico running the route, you would go, oh, the ball's behind Nico. And then you would sit there and say, that's an accurate throw. But when we're playing real football and you're throwing with defenders and windows, you that that's the right throw at the right time. That's why I always said, I've always sat there and. And said, like, don't find me a quarterback who can make all the throws. Make the right throw at the right time. That's the right throw at the right time. And so, yeah, I think that's a superpower of his man. And I think also I would say this, there's some quarterbacks that because scheme the middle of the field gets schemed open, so it's a little bit easier.
- [96:04]
A
But we'll know when those are happening.
- [96:06]
I
Quarterback play.
- [96:07]
A
We'll know when that's happening though, right. For our on quarterback. Okay. We'll be able to see whenever that feels like. That's not really the quarterback having the courage and the confidence because the amount of things that go into every one of those throws. Confident in your arm, courage, that your decision is the right one, and then also an understanding that this could go terribly while getting blasted in the face as you're doing that.
- [96:27]
B
Troy was saying it last night on that touchdown pass to DK where. Where I think it was Davis 21, his hand was like. He was like. He never even saw that same night because he just trusted. He still has the juice to kind of get it through. It looked very similar that touchdown throw against the Steelers when I think it was RC Ryan Clark talks about that play. I think his backside of quarters and he had his arm went right. But like the quarterbacks, they just got to trust it. Got to be able to let that thing rip too. Unbelievable throw, man.
- [96:52]
A
Yeah. Aaron said, there's nobody that's currently out of my frame that's going to get this ball before DK is the decision that he's making in his head. He had no idea if a guy was coming, but if somebody was coming, there was no way they're going to get there. And that's the one you think Aaron, whenever he came back after the injury or whenever he feels like he's in it, a strike over the middle to beat zone is a ball that quarterbacks can kind of, I don't want to say flex their on, but flex their on do.
- [97:17]
I
Yeah, I certainly think so.
- [97:18]
A
I mean, how are you over the middle, Dan? How are you over the middle Elite surge?
- [97:23]
I
I wasn't good enough, bro. I wasn't good enough nor courageous enough. You know, I think like if you watch Stafford right now, I mean that's where like some of the no lookers come in. Again, zone pick people, you with zone, you got to move people with your eyes, you know. And so Stafford right now is lighting it up. Trevor Lawrence right now we're the middle of the field. To answer D Butt's previous question, you know, I think that, you know, with Trevor, what you're seeing with Trevor is There's finally and Ba knows this @ a high level too, like when the quarterback truly believes in the play call and the people around them, it's almost to a point like I, I could place this ball wherever I need, need to. I, I just have so much confidence in myself and the play call and the people. There's very much a, a Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVeigh element to this. Whereas a play caller as the quarterback, you're like, I have so much confidence in these play calls right now I'm just gonna cut this sucker loose because I believe the dudes will be open. And with Trevor it feels like they've finally gotten him to this point where it's like, dude, just trust us. We're gonna get guys open, see it, trust it and rip it. And I think that's allowed him to be way more aggressive, way more confident and also allowing him to not think as much and just react. And you're seeing some of the athleticism on Display some of these. I mean that throws off the charts good dude because he's going from that crosser to that in round on the backside and he's hot right now. But I think a lot of it is to do with just the structure of the play call. Liam Cohen is dialing right now. Jacoby Myers has been a godsend for them. High level of.
- [98:59]
A
Confidence. See it, trust it, rip it. That sounds like a quarterback meeting. Yeah, that sounds like something that is said on. It's just like alignment assignment technique is in there, you know, like there is so many of those little quick reminders for people whenever they're doing their job. See it, trust it, rip it. What a cool thing, bruh. Yeah, I heard a bra at the end of it too. I think that's probably how most.
- [99:20]
I
Quarterbacks. That's an old Ron Turner.
- [99:22]
A
Thing.
- [99:22]
I
Okay. We used to with Frank Reich and when I was in Indy with Peyton and Kurt Collins and whatnot. That's a Frank Reich, Ron Turner.
- [99:30]
A
Thing. Where'd he was he out west coast.
- [99:32]
I
Right. Ron Turner, I think part of.
- [99:35]
A
A lot of different offenses, I think. Yeah, I think. Do I.
- [99:39]
C
Know. Yeah, you think of.
- [99:41]
I
Nor. Nor is his brother Chargers. Nor is with Aikman. Pa. Probably knows.
- [99:45]
F
Him. Yeah, they're all from the Ernie Zambezi and Don Corio.
- [99:49]
A
Sure. What's that from that.
- [99:50]
D
Tree?
- [99:50]
A
Corleone. They're from the Corleone family. Is that.
- [99:53]
F
Right? Ernie.
- [99:53]
A
Zambezi. Oh, oh, is that easy. Yeah. You know, he used to gobble goo that thing better than Cordell was the.
- [99:59]
F
Best. Put it up the field.
- [100:00]
A
Baby. Yeah. And they called Ronnie Turner. Ronnie play calls. Where's is.
- [100:04]
F
He? Nor Ron. They all came out of that coral tree.
- [100:08]
H
Okay.
- [100:08]
F
Yeah. Which is Joe Gibbs and.
- [100:10]
D
Everybody. Okay. When you got Joe Gibbs, you got good.
- [100:12]
C
Chance.
- [100:13]
A
Exactly. Put your hands up. Who are we? The commanders? That was a bar that guy dropped. Okay, let's get to some quarterback who can spin it. And we've seen spin it, but how long they going to be spinning it for? Go ahead, con.
- [100:25]
D
Man. Yeah, Dan. Oh, Everybody's kind of worried about the Cincinnati situation with Joe Burrow and the stuff going on, you know, off the field. That's been alluded to. That's one thing. Hopefully everything for Joe is okay there. But just talking about on the field and in the building, like what do you think Cincy can do to get this fixed? You know, he gave this press conference basically about how he's not really having too much fun. Pat talked about it kind of earlier in the Week this offseason when they made their team and built their team around two number one wide receivers and gave them all that money, not many people thought it would work. How do you think Cincy can kind of make this happen for Joe Burrow so he's not in this miserable situation? And what do you think about the people calling him Boo Hoo Burrow on the Internet? I can't believe I can't get it out, but it is sad. They're calling him Boo Hoo.
- [101:13]
A
Burrow. I don't like that at.
- [101:15]
I
All. Yeah, I don't really have any thought on.
- [101:17]
C
That.
- [101:17]
I
That. I think that the problem in Cincinnati for Joe and really Jamar is like, where's the hope of the future? There's, there's, this is a. Years of this kind of being the same story, not drafting well enough, not developing well enough. The defense continues to fall apart. This was a historic performance last year from an offensive perspective and didn't get in. They can't protect. And so there's not a lot of evidence in the last five years, years in Cincinnati with Joe that they'll figure this out. So, like, what can get done? I don't really have that answer. I mean, the easy answer is, well, draft better and develop better and better and get good players. Could you sit there and say like a different philosophy, scheme wise, maybe, but they score a ton of points. Zach Taylor can call an offense, you know, so that's. Do you want to get rid of that? And so I think that's part of this is like, Joe, I gotta imagine sitting there going, what, where, what can I point to for a hope for the future? And for everybody sitting there saying, well, they gave him everything that he wants. They paid his two number one wide receivers. We've seen that at times in the NFL. We have. We're watching it in Philly. They've got two highly paid wide receivers and be successful and they've drafted well with some of their younger players. And so I'm not saying it's the best way, but they've.
- [102:36]
A
Been. Who's this one bad for the Eagles? Who's this one right here? Sam, the quarterback. Hi. Who's this one right here? What's that? That's Saquon.
- [102:48]
I
Bar. Saquon.
- [102:49]
F
Yeah. I mean, so I just, so.
- [102:52]
I
I just don't know what, what to point to for, for them and say, like, if you fix this, it'll be better. His defense has been bad for years now. This offensive line can't keep them clean. It's not going to get fixed overnight. It's not going to just be one off season and all of a sudden it's.
- [103:08]
A
Flipped. So we think he had the realization that that's the truth. Joey B. Had somebody in his family go, hey, we've been trying to shield you from this. Okay. So you didn't start thinking like how everybody else was thinking. But this looks. This probably looks like next year too. And turns out probably the team after that. And then guess what, I hate to break it, unless we get lucky on some drafts, draft picks, probably that next year and then it's all start spiraling. And then Joey B. Who has always kept the blinders on and thought as if he could be the one that changes the Cincinnati Bengals franchise forever and brings a Super Bowl, a Lombardi there and becomes the Ohio boy who delivered for the Bengals. If that's doubt starts creeping in, that's not good. I don't like that at.
- [103:52]
C
All.
- [103:52]
A
Right. No matter how it gets in.
- [103:53]
F
There. Yeah.
- [103:54]
I
And. And I think the two quarterbacks that are getting correlated to situation wise a little bit are Andrew Luck and Stafford. Because I. And you were around Luck. But like I remember Matthew got drafted, I believe in.
- [104:08]
A
09.
- [104:09]
I
Yes. And the Lions, he would get beat up and they would lose. But like he had the 2000, I think 11 season. They went to the playoffs and they were really good. And he was like. So there was a. There was improvement. I think they went to the playoffs in 13 and 14 as well. So they. There wasn't this significant stretch three years in a row right now for Burrow not getting in while also getting beat up. And last year the historic offense and bad defense. So there wasn't maybe as much with Matthew and then with Andrew. I think Andrew went to the playoffs a decent amount in his first four or five years. Right. Even though he was getting beat.
- [104:45]
A
Up. Yeah. He went to the AFC championship second year, I believe, first year made to the playoffs. And coach.
- [104:50]
B
B.A. banner wild card rookie divisional.
- [104:53]
A
Championship. You remember rookie year, we would have went to the Super Bowl. Coach PA got sick in Baltimore. Happy you're okay, by the way, but we certainly missed your ass. I mean that was certainly a game changer morning of the game. But yeah, there was success and there was, yeah, those types of things that keep you going, I think, and keep you believing that there's a chance that you can win here no matter.
- [105:12]
D
What. Well, and then when they finally figured out the offensive line, it was too late. Like they finally drafted Quentin Nelson. They got all these pieces to, you know, block for Him. But then. And he called it the year before and that's when Joe Brissette stepped.
- [105:23]
A
In. Ba your thoughts on the Joey Burrow situation that's currently brewing because can he find it again? Can he find the. I mean Carson Palmer, I guess. And you had him in Arizona. He has the best. What was the.
- [105:35]
D
Stats? The only winning quarterback in the.
- [105:36]
A
History of the Arizona Cardinals with a minimum of 50.
- [105:39]
D
Starts. Yeah.
- [105:39]
A
Boom. The only. How many? 50. I think 10. 10 what? 10 games. That's a crazy stat if that remains to be true. There's no quarterback that has a winning record for the Arizona Cardinals with a minimum of 10. 10 star says the Marv space Kurt.
- [105:56]
D
Warner. 30 and.
- [105:57]
C
31.
- [105:58]
A
Really? One under. Yeah. Cuz everybody responded and there was a response. But nonetheless, Carson Palmer was that guy. You coach him out there. Obviously you know Carson well. Carson was like I'm quitting from football. I'm not doing it anymore. And then finally force his way out of Cincinnati. And I'm saying, I'm not saying Cincinnati Bengals organization is the same now as it was then. Obviously there's been a lot of upgrades and things have changed and there's an indoor facility and maybe that's a universe saying they forgot to shovel their seats this weekend. So maybe that's why the universe they're saying not so fast but let's just assume they're two different organizations and then and now. But for Joey B. If he's lost like the drive at this stage, is this just middle of the season frustrations, you think? Does it change in the off season or what are your kind of thoughts on where he's at right.
- [106:42]
F
Now? Yeah, it's very scary for me because I would have never guessed Andrew to retire, you know, having coached him and how much he loved the game and how tough he was. I mean for Joe to have the ball 40 minutes last week and no points, that. That's unheard of. That's usually 35, 40 points every time. So there's something missing, obviously. Hopefully it's not a mental health issue. But he's got to find his love for it for sure. That's for sure. And it's going to be a tough, tough offseason for.
- [107:09]
A
Them. We love you.
- [107:10]
D
Joe.
- [107:10]
A
Love. I love you, Joe. Even this cat in the middle. You mow at him a little bit. When you sit back up. When you sit back up just a little.
- [107:17]
B
Bit. Dano or cat. What are you talking.
- [107:20]
A
About? Will you sit back a little bit? Go to your left a little bit and.
- [107:25]
I
Yep. Stop that's where you're.
- [107:27]
A
Doing. You did that though for a lot of your answer. I want to let you know you're going to watch it back. You had. You had boom. You had ears the whole time. You had ears the whole time. It was awesome. I was hoping he. You would purr or something. I didn't know what was going to take place. It's a.
- [107:40]
I
Dog. It's a husky. It's not a.
- [107:42]
A
Cat. Yeah, but with the size of your head versus the size of that particular painting, the ears looked like cat ears. It did not look like dog ears at all. So you were kind of a cat. You know, it kind of meow. There was no cats. Cats are good.
- [107:54]
F
Animals.
- [107:54]
A
Okay. They. They are.
- [107:55]
D
Cats.
- [107:56]
B
Why? Gotta watch.
- [107:57]
A
Em. What's going.
- [107:58]
I
On. They.
- [107:58]
D
Suck.
- [108:00]
A
Damn. They don't. Cat's pretty good animals. They take care of themselves. They poop in their own places. They kind of just live amongst themselves. You can even have some cats that want a little bit of attention so they'll act like dogs and then they'll kind of leave you.
- [108:12]
G
Alone. You like dogs.
- [108:13]
I
Dan? Love.
- [108:14]
C
Dogs. Give.
- [108:15]
I
Me. Give me all the dogs and big dogs.
- [108:17]
C
Too. I.
- [108:18]
I
Don'T. I'm not a. I'm not a little dog guy.
- [108:20]
A
Either. There's a new big dog in my house and I'll tell you what.
- [108:22]
I
This thing is what you.
- [108:23]
A
Get. Wrecking ball. It is. We saved it from the Hamilton County Humane Society, which we are very grateful for. That Blue Heeler. You know what Bluey is? You know the cartoon Bluey? It's the type of dog is called a Blue Heeler dog. It's like a cattle dog or something like that. And when I was in Australia, where Bluey is actually from, I saw a couple of them on the street walking with a veteran man who had been in the military for 16 years. And he was walking without any leash with them downtown Brisbane. Just walking with these two dogs. And I could see that they were a special breed of dog. They had like gray hair. It a very cool look. So I went and asked him about it. I'm like, I kind of want a dog that just kind of trails me. Like I'd be sick to just have one of those dogs that's just always on the lookout, you know. So I started talking to Lad and also I'm in Australia. Everybody that I know is asleep right now because it's opposite time in the world. So I'm talking to anybody I can over there. So I start chatting to this guy, learning his story and he Talks about these dogs are the best bloke. You know, he does the entire thing about how loyal they are, how fast they are, how athletic they are and everything like that. He said, no, no. You know, gets into the entire thing. So then we look at the list of dogs at the Hamilton County Humane Society. I believe it was on Thanksgiving. We look into it, and this dog that is like Bluey, which is obviously Mackenzie's favorite cartoon, is Bluey. And I saw the Bluey in Australia, told the story about it. There's a Bluey at the Humane Society. It's very abnormal. I don't think blue heelers are just kind of sitting at a humane society. So we go, look at this dog. Dog runs like the wind. I mean, it's a gazelle. It's like such an awesome dog. Such a good personality, you know, very loyal. But what I forgot how smart these things. This thing was just kind of selling to us because it wanted to get the hell out of there. This dog is a psycho. I mean, you're talking about the most amount of energy out of any dog in history. You know those puppy zooms that puppies get? And puppies are small. This thing is this big, this large. Zoomies around the house. I mean, jumps over full bed from one side of bed, doesn't touch bed to other side. Just casually athlete galloping around around the.
- [110:23]
I
House. It's like, holy, what's it doing to the.
- [110:25]
A
Floors? So pissing. I didn't even think, yeah.
- [110:29]
G
Bingo. He's putting him on the treadmill, man. Get him on the treadmill. Tire him.
- [110:32]
A
Out. We're getting the geotag here for the Thunderdome. We're getting the geotag for the Thunderdome because we got a field over here. This thing needs to run. Like, this thing needs to be out there moving. I don't even know how it survived this long in our house. I'm running it upstairs from one side of the house to the other. Like, just trying to get some energy out of this thing. And I looked into it. I don't think that energy is ever leaving. Like, for the next 10 years, this thing is at least jacked up.
- [110:57]
I
Like a sheepdog or.
- [110:58]
A
Something. It is, yes, Incredibly cool. Nice. Kind. Sees Mackenzie jumps over or around McKenzie. Like, doesn't hit me. Like, this dog is awesome. It is the best. So kind, so cool. But, geez, Louise, it is way too big to have the amount of energy that it has. And I'm being told that this is the rest of its life. So we are promptly trying to find a Way to get this energy out. And we're putting the laser, the electric thing here. And I think every morning I'm bringing this thing up and I just gotta as far as I can for as many as I can with this dog. So yeah, it's. I love this dog. I love dogs. But it's a life changer. It's a life changer completely that what's about to happen. But it is awesome. Awesome of this.
- [111:41]
I
Dog. It's awesome. I want a Burmese mountain dog. That's the next one. I want.
- [111:44]
A
Big. Those are big. Those are very big dogs. Hey, you look like a cat again. So on that note, let's get you the hell out of here. Ladies and gentlemen, that's Dan Orlovsky. Meow. All right, we got three minutes before the end of the show. That dog Blue, he's awesome. Oh yeah, he's a cool dog. Blue's a cool dog. Jump up in bed whenever I'm going to bed and like does a full.
- [112:05]
G
On. How old is.
- [112:06]
A
He? They said one, but who knows, dude, who knows? The feet are so big and it's like, is this thing only going to keep growing? Like, is this thing only going to. Here he is laying at her feet. Literally. This is what he looks.
- [112:18]
D
Like. So he is, he's cool looking.
- [112:20]
A
Man. Cool dog. Nice dog. Fun dog. Just the most amount of energy for a horse that I've ever seen. Like I've never seen a horse with this much energy. He's, he's sweet to. Very new to the the family. And Mackenzie loves them. Like you wake up, Mackenzie and she go blue home. It's like, yup, yup, blue home. And I think she just likes the spectacle of this big motherfucker just wrecking our house. You know what I mean? Just all the way through the entire thing. It's been sweet. You should adopt though. By the way, there is a lot of dogs, especially the Hamilton one. They have such a nice facility. A lot of people donating to them obviously, which is what they run upon in the. Very thankful for. But so many dogs just looking for a home and dogs are such a good companion, obviously for a family. If you have the ability, I would certainly promote it and I'm very thankful for Blue coming into our lives. It's going to make me more of a runner, I think. I think I'm going to be. Have to. I mean, I'm running sprints at my house, trying to wear this thing because there's snow and everything that's going.
- [113:19]
G
On. I'm telling you you can put him on the treadmill, man. I had a dog that ran on the treadmill and loved.
- [113:22]
F
It.
- [113:22]
D
Who?
- [113:22]
G
Kevin? No, not.
- [113:25]
A
Kevin. I will put his. He's smart enough, too, to.
- [113:28]
C
Learn. Oh, yeah. He put that.
- [113:29]
G
Leash. Just stand on the side. With a little leash, the thing will go. You run forever.
- [113:32]
A
Man. His strides might be too long for the treadmill that's.
- [113:36]
D
On. That's something he's gonna have to figure.
- [113:38]
A
Out. Yeah, he's got to adjust quiet, too, Like a ninja. I'm like, what the hell is this thing? I first morning, it's in the house. I'm sleeping. I hear, like, a little, like, some noise. I think it's maybe a cat or something. And then all of a sudden, this whatever £70, 80 pound thing jumps over me, lands on bed next to me, and then puts its head down on my pillow. And I'm like, what's up, dude? Welcome to the house. And he's like, yeah, great to be here. You should have seen the shit, right? Yeah. I couldn't even breathe. So go ahead and adopt. This holiday season is my big message. And you never know what you're gonna find. Maybe a whole new life. And it's a beautiful thing. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change your life. We continue digitally. Goodbye. All right, let's take a break. On the other side, we got BS or no BS with BA we got BA's game balls. We'll also have a conversation with Seth.
- [114:32]
C
England.
- [114:33]
A
Really? Yeah. One of the founders of Big Loud, which is obviously a music label down there in Nashville, has many artists that you obviously know and guys that we love. Hard Hardy Ernest. Oh, yeah. And the third largest artist of all time, Morgan.
- [114:47]
D
Waller.
- [114:48]
A
Boom. So we are so incredibly thankful for his friendship, and I'm excited for the combo with him. We're kind of forcing him to do this because he's here. So I'm sure he's pumped about that. But we got questions. He's got answers. And we hope you will watch as we continue on this glorious BA Day. December 16, 2025. You ever show up late to the game and your friends already saved your seat, your drink, even a plate.
- [115:17]
J
That'S looking out that's having your back. And that's exactly what AT&T does with the ATT.
- [115:22]
A
Guarantee. They know staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you depend on, guaranteed. Or they'll proactively make it right. Just like that friend who takes care of things before you even at&t. Connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguaranty for details. As you know, managing maintenance, repair.
- [115:46]
J
And operations is never.
- [115:47]
A
Easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can.
- [115:53]
J
Count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're.
- [115:56]
A
There to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest question questions. And because Granger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-granger click granger.com or just stop by football. He's the greatest. That's A.J. hawk. Coach Ba is here. The toxic table's here with it. That was your best game? Yeah. What was it all on right.
- [116:28]
F
There? That's three, baby. That is a.
- [116:30]
A
Hard. Oh, let me hear, let me hear the three again. Okay, so let's say I'm an offensive.
- [116:34]
F
Lineman. All.
- [116:35]
A
Right? I'm in my stance. It's fourth quarter, 65 plays in cold. It's cold, but I'm dead. I am dog tired. I'm over there. Miles Garrett right over.
- [116:46]
F
There.
- [116:46]
A
Okay. Just waiting on me. It's. It's late in the game and my quarterback comes out and goes, we're going on three to try to save you. Right? That's what we're trying to do. So I'm out there on an island and I hear this.
- [116:55]
F
Other. The.
- [116:56]
A
Quarterback. Yeah. Back up five. And it's like, just go on one, please. Geez Louise. And then you got the DNS who are up there on the edge of their fingertips. Just like Rudy back in the day. I'm sorry? Vince Papali back in the day. Whenever Rudy applies. Rudy also, if it's red, I'm coming. You're on the edge. Miles Garrett's trying to get the all time sack record in the history of the NFL. The quarterback decides to go on three. And it sounds like what? I mean, how it's going the other way. That's a good cadence. Need that. It's from here. It's not from here. It's from soul. It's from knowing ball. Is Zach Wilson going to be doing that for the Miami Dolphins? Coach McDaniel has come out and said after being asked about two tong of the loa struggles. Is there a quarterback change possibility? Everything's on the table, says McDaniel. Talks table at Boston Conrad Ty Schmidt, nine year NFL vet Darius J. Butler. What does that.
- [117:57]
B
Mean? Whenever that answer is given, everything's open. Exactly what he said. Usually Coaches lie. But I believe that we've seen the worst. Some bad football. I won't say the worst. It's been some bad quarterback play this year, but it's been some terrible quarterback play. We talked about all the reasons earlier with all the quarterbacks in his class. When you're at this point in your career, you can't do some of the things that TUA has been.
- [118:17]
A
Doing. BA When a coach says this publicly, that means conversations have already happened behind closed doors that he's allowed to say that about the franchise quarterback. You've already.
- [118:24]
F
Paid. Yeah, I think it's already been set in stone. We're. We're switching and talk to you yesterday. I'm going to put it out.
- [118:29]
A
Today. Okay. And now who has to be a part of that decision? Everybody. Right. Chris Greer gets fired. So obviously there's no GM or president, but you would think top down would have to be a part of the head coach coming out and saying, hey, the quarterback that we paid a lot of money is potentially not quarterback anymore. Like, that is a massive statement to make. I think by the. By the head.
- [118:45]
F
Coach. Yeah, you're going to the ownership, you're going straight up top. Hey, we're making this move and you have to have their.
- [118:51]
D
Blessing. And there's been science, too. Like, against, I think it was the Browns or whenever it was when, you know, they had that interaction where Tua threw a pick and McDaniel basically, you know, very, very animatedly, if that's a word, basically was like, all right, sit this guy the hell down. And then, you know, other stuff happened as well. But, like, there has been things, like it feels as though this isn't out of nowhere, even though, you know, the losses and stuff have piled.
- [119:13]
A
Up. Let's go to Hammer that time. AP. Tone, Tone, we thought there was a chance that this game was going to be a clearhouse situation for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, your team is on the side that is actually causing changes on the other side. Good for you, Tone. I know you didn't think that was necessarily going to be the outcome last.
- [119:29]
E
Night. Yeah, I mean, it feels. It feels really good to be on this side. It feels nice to be happy the day after, after a game. It feels. It feels nice to respect your team and be proud of the team that you watched play on Monday Night Football instead of, you know, the Miami Dolphins, who haven't won a playoff game in 25 years and their quarterback.
- [119:47]
A
Stinks. Okay, let's go to the other half of the Hammer God Cowboys. Bubba Gumpino what do you hear from McDaniel here? Whenever he's saying everything's on the.
- [119:56]
E
Table, even on the win streak, Tua wasn't playing that great. You can look at his numbers. It was like 14 of.
- [120:01]
A
21. Like, we can go.
- [120:03]
E
Back. Give me Quinn, yours as.
- [120:04]
A
Well. I don't need to see Zach.
- [120:06]
E
Wilson, but let's trot out the.
- [120:07]
D
Rookie.
- [120:08]
C
Okay?
- [120:08]
A
Yeah. Quinn, yours goes from first overall pick to seventh rounder. Somehow I don't know how that took place for his college career, but Maybe him and McDaniel system, maybe he is the one that needs to do it in Zach Wilson. What are you being so negative about? Quarterbacks that have left New York have gone on to have prosperous careers in their second chapter. Chapter third.
- [120:27]
E
Chapter. Ewers already jumped him for backup in one game. He came in in that Browns.
- [120:31]
A
Game. So it has happened.
- [120:32]
E
Before. So I imagine it is on the.
- [120:34]
A
Table. I think I saw Ewers in a sheisty last night and I said, I forgot yours was on the Dolphins. Is that what you did as well.
- [120:39]
B
A.J. yeah, a little.
- [120:40]
G
Bit. But can any of these guys save his job, the head coach's.
- [120:43]
A
Job? Well, that's the thing, especially with this offense. Right? Because there's a lot of to it. It's kind of what we learned through.
- [120:47]
G
The. What if yours comes in and lights it up? Then could McDaniel say, hey man, I told you. Like, just two is just not seeing it how I see it. But otherwise guys.
- [120:54]
D
Will. And they have kind of turned it around. Like this was of all the teams in the NFL, the team in Miami, after firing their gm, you would think be like, all right, let's quit and let's just have some fun in Miami. But like they didn't quit per.
- [121:06]
B
Se. They one to six, we start one to.
- [121:09]
D
Six. Yeah, they were.
- [121:10]
A
Awful. And when people quit, they say, that's on the.
- [121:12]
D
Coach.
- [121:12]
C
Yeah. Yeah, they did kind of quit last night.
- [121:15]
A
Though. They were called coach. Kind.
- [121:17]
B
Of. No, they kept.
- [121:18]
A
Fighting. No, they kept. Yeah, take your time. Make sure we're under four minute offense.
- [121:22]
D
Here. Let's do this thing.
- [121:23]
A
Right. Four minute offense here. Let's go ahead and operate.
- [121:25]
B
Here. That's exactly why you got to root for multiple teams. That's exactly why. This is example 1, Exhibit A. This because like, imagine just being. What did you say, Tone? 25 years wait for a playoff win. It is weak. 15 just wrapped up. This season's already done. Probably a new coach, probably a new quarterback. Guess what? I got Jalen Hurst and Eagles. I Got the Chargers in the hurts. I mean I'm charges in in freaking.
- [121:51]
A
Herbert. Oh no you're not. You're.
- [121:53]
E
Not. Getting sent to any.
- [121:58]
D
Codes. Don't call yourself a.
- [122:00]
A
Fan. You're not a.
- [122:01]
D
Fan. You're a football fan. And to your point is exactly why you stay. Hold on. Because when you suck for this long, once you finally get good again, it means more. Ask Foxy. Yeah, Foxy's team has sucked his whole life. They're finally only good. It means.
- [122:15]
A
More. You said 25 years. It took me 30 years to see my team win one playoff game. And that was the greatest day of my life. Now on that note, was it worth 30. Near 30 years of suffering. That's a long time. Built character. It built.
- [122:28]
C
Grit.
- [122:28]
A
Boom. I got character. I.
- [122:32]
B
Got. Guess what? Detroit's on the, on the borderline of being out of it.
- [122:35]
A
Again. Eight and six football team. Eight, six football team borderline right.
- [122:40]
B
Now. Hey, roof. Multiple teams. Look, I'm, I'm, I'm a fan of play. I'm blood in, blood out with the Dolphins. I'll forever be a Dolphin fan. It sucks. Yeah. Same thing with the Colts. That's my football family, football home. So that's one side of the bucket, another bucket where as a player, I'm a fan of players. I'm a huge fan of Herbert, huge fan of hurt. So they made me a fan of their team. So it's two different buckets. But I'm going to enjoy every football.
- [123:01]
C
Season. X players, everyone ex players can also do.
- [123:03]
A
That. Agree you can be grat because I see organizations differently. I also all these teams could have drafted you. For instance I grew up in Pittsburgh. Steelers could have drafted.
- [123:11]
B
Me. Uh.
- [123:11]
A
Huh. I want to pick 222. Okay. That's a long time waiting around where they could have picked me. The Colts said hey, we would like to financially invest in your family's future. So my family picked up the Indianapolis Colts as a thank you and I am an Indianapolis Colts fan because of that. So I do think X players are a little bit different. Yes, but you've been a little bit greedy with your just picking everybody. That's good. Become a fan of good place to.
- [123:35]
D
Be. Like you could just do your teams though. Like you. You also talk about New England. Like you, you, you still have love for New England too, you know like you, you could do you, you could do that.
- [123:43]
A
Yeah. You know what? You're right. I do like New England. That's what he just did Right now number two team of the afc.
- [123:48]
B
That Gave me the opportunity. Gave me the first opportunity, being an NFL player. Call back. Hey, Robert Kraft. I will always have huge respect. I said courtside of finals. Robert Craft. I got to watch Kobe Bean Bryant playing the finals. God rest. So it will always have be near and dear to my.
- [124:02]
G
Heart. How'd you set that.
- [124:03]
A
Up? Yeah, that's.
- [124:04]
G
Amazing. How's that come.
- [124:05]
B
About? He set it up. You know, when you play football in New.
- [124:07]
D
England. Tell him.
- [124:08]
A
Deebot. Tell him what it means when.
- [124:09]
D
You play football in New.
- [124:10]
A
England. All.
- [124:10]
B
Right. Real deal. The teams. All the teams. The Bruins, the Celtics, the Sox, all got great relationships. And it wasn't like some other teams where you got to pay money. Like, these are free courtside seats. The final. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett. Like, I can't believe they're doing.
- [124:26]
D
It. That's title time, baby. It means more.
- [124:29]
A
Okay. Is that why I'm seeing Anthony? Anthony around.
- [124:31]
D
There? Exactly. Well, Tony. Tony and Drake may happen to be fricking best friends. So the young core in New England, from that standpoint, yeah, they are all buddy. Buddy, very.
- [124:42]
A
Close. And Missoula and Vrabel.
- [124:44]
D
Right? Missoula and Vrabel, both sickos in their own right. Yes. They don't really have friends. They just talk ball 24 7. That's all they think about. And then, you know, the Bruins. The Bruins, the Bruins. You know, a lot of Europe, Eastern Europeans on that team. I don't know how much they have in common with the other kind of athletes in the area. But that's the thing. There's so many good guys that.
- [125:06]
A
Just by who's on your team, I forget. You guys trade away all your good players.
- [125:09]
D
Right? No, no, we. We funny enough. Bruins already back, baby. David Posternak. Yes. We currently don't have a captain, but David Posternach has kind of taken his, you know, leadership role. Chuck. Charlie McAvoy. He broke his jaw. Three weeks later, he's back. I mean, he looks like the Goonies guy because of how messed up his face is, but he's already playing hockey again. I mean, he's just sick.
- [125:32]
A
Fuck. Are the Pens still in the lead? The best team in the hockey. No.
- [125:36]
E
No. Pens have lost a couple games in overtime.
- [125:39]
A
Recently. We're worse than the Flyers, blowing a lot of leads. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That can't be true. We stink. It's only one point out of a playoff spot. We're worse than.
- [125:51]
D
Detroit. Tight race right now. In two games, 5, 0 a week from now, the whole thing will be different than any NHL is.
- [125:58]
C
Hot.
- [125:58]
H
Listen. Oh.
- [125:59]
A
Really? Everybody's actually.
- [126:00]
D
Yeah. The NHL is incredible. And there's already been a massive trade. The captain from the Vancouver Canucks, Quinn Hughes just got traded to the Minnesota Wild for like a first round pick and three.
- [126:11]
A
Players. And the Pens traded goalie I think to.
- [126:14]
E
Skin. Funny enough they traded Tristan Jory to Edmonton or Stuart Skinner the goaltender.
- [126:20]
A
Goalie swap those teams play each other.
- [126:22]
D
Tonight. Goalie.
- [126:24]
A
Revenge. And we needed it, you guys. We needed a new. We needed a new person back here. Change of scenery for both guys will do them both wonders. And both cities I assume would be good and better off. We've done this before with in the past and in between the pipes agent. Okay. We love hockey around here. The NHL season's rolling. Florida Panthers way.
- [126:42]
B
Down. I was hoping we just glow spread.
- [126:45]
A
Over. They have one.
- [126:46]
F
Five. Tampa Bay Lightning.
- [126:47]
A
Baby. What are you Tampa Bay Lightning.
- [126:48]
F
Fan. Oh.
- [126:49]
A
Yeah. Go.
- [126:49]
E
Boy. Who did Cats beat the shite out of the.
- [126:54]
A
Bolts. Panthers are fine in it right now. Okay, that's Florida Panthers. And the bullets is Tampa Lightning. What you heard was a Canadian speaking about hockey right there. People that don't follow hockey might not have known who either of those teams were. Florida Panthers been a three straight Stanley Cups one back to back. They could win three straight. They got dogs all over the ice. But a lot of them are injured, right? Is that why they're so low in the standings on. On.
- [127:18]
E
The. Yeah. They got a lot of.
- [127:20]
A
Injuries. A lot of long term injuries. They played a lot of.
- [127:24]
B
Hockey. What was that.
- [127:26]
E
Nick? You know.
- [127:27]
A
Divas. They got, you know Barov, the.
- [127:29]
E
Captain. He's been out a long.
- [127:30]
A
Time.
- [127:30]
C
Chuck. He's.
- [127:31]
B
Hurt. Good. Great.
- [127:32]
D
Pot. What's it.
- [127:34]
A
Called? Bob was struggling for a little.
- [127:36]
B
Bit. He's on the.
- [127:38]
A
Pipe. It's called Ice Heights. What you say be a sick.
- [127:41]
E
Name. I was just reinforcing all debut's.
- [127:44]
A
Points about all the injuries and the goaltender struggles. They're turning it around. It feels like you don't know what's going Florida.
- [127:49]
B
Pants. December baby. December.
- [127:50]
D
Hockey. Toronto stinks again. Kind of.
- [127:54]
A
Sweet. That is sweet. All right. Well good luck hockey. We appreciate you. NHL. Love.
- [127:58]
F
You. Go Coach.
- [128:00]
A
Coupe. It seems like they both had quite a run there. Will they be able to continue to do as such? We shall see. Okay, let's do BS or no BS with BA where we will read statements of seemingly fact that have been said around the sports media world world. And BA will tell us if it's B.S. or no B.S. are you ready? BA I'm ready, baby. Okay, let's get to the first one. Having a top tier defense is the way to win a Super Bowl. Again. Rams, Seahawks, Broncos and Texans all have dudes on defense to win it all. Is that BS or no BSBA that the top tier defense is the way to win a Super.
- [128:37]
F
Bowl? That's.
- [128:38]
D
B.S. it.
- [128:41]
F
Helps. It helps. If you got a quarterback can't score no points, you're going to get your ass kicked.
- [128:45]
A
Anyway. What do you mean? What are you talking.
- [128:47]
F
About? There's only one defense that won the National Football League. That was the Baltimore Colts. I mean the Baltimore Ravens with Ray Lewis when they, they outscored their offense the whole month of October. That's that defense. Now when you look at those teams you just mentioned, The Rams number two in offense, Seahawks number five, Broncos number 12 and Texas number. They all got great quarterbacks. They can score points. Now with a defense and points. We, we had a great defense in Super Bowl 43, but it took Ben 92 yards to go into the Super Bowl. At the end you got to have a quarterback.
- [129:23]
A
Baby. You got to be able to score points. So it's all. So we're putting a lot of. And I don't know if you're seeing our clips or just the conversation in general about how great defenses are this year. We've been talking about, hey, it feels like this year do you have an offense that can keep up with your defense as opposed to a defense that can maybe get a stop at some point. We started chatting about how defense is about to be the leader here down the stretch. And what you're saying is that's cool to have one. Yeah, but a quarterback is the most important thing whenever we're talking about Super.
- [129:51]
F
Bowl. Yeah, I thought the Broncos Green Bay game was a, was a highlight of what's going to happen in the playoffs. The hottest quarterback's going to win. Jordan Love came out on fire, smoking the Denver defense, who's great. All of a sudden B. Knicks comes back. Micah does get hurt. But B. Knicks had a hell.
- [130:07]
A
Of a, they would say every week.
- [130:08]
F
A hell of a fourth quarter. And, and they beat him. And you ain't doing that without a.
- [130:12]
A
Quarterback. Okay, and we've already heard your thoughts on the Seahawks then, I.
- [130:15]
C
Guess.
- [130:16]
A
Yeah. Cuz he said, well, starting up.
- [130:19]
F
That one's got to be.
- [130:20]
A
Seen. What's.
- [130:21]
F
That? That offense that's got to be.
- [130:22]
A
Seen. Is it the offense or is it Sam.
- [130:24]
F
Darnold? It's the whole offense, I think. But, but it starts with, with.
- [130:27]
A
Sam well, we hope he's able to figure it.
- [130:30]
F
Out. Me.
- [130:30]
A
Too. And I think defense is going to be the story of the playoffs. But I appreciate the fact that you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Is it going to be 00 in the super bowl or is somebody going to have to make a play on third and long or make a drive in a two minute situation or hell, is there going to have to be a wide receiver that's going to catch some Hail Mary or deflection that's going to get the win? Inevitably offense is going to be the thing that's going to win it. But your team being great defensively certainly gives you a head start and quite an.
- [130:56]
C
Advantage. Yeah. And I guess part of it could be that like in the AFC there's no Mahomes, there's potentially no Lamar Jackson, there's no Burrow. So like the elite of the elite quarterbacks, if they're not in the playoffs, you kind of just tend to lean towards like hey, this team with a better defense might, you know, might win this.
- [131:11]
A
Game. NBA. I want to believe you outright, but Hembo sent me a stat actually that kind of contradicts what you're saying this season. Offense and defense are virtually identical and explanatory power for winning. They each account for roughly the same share of win percentage variance. Thank you, Hembo. That's what I've been fucking saying this whole time. Let's go to the next.
- [131:32]
B
One. Himbo or ba? Who you listening to? Himbo or.
- [131:38]
A
Ba? Are you saying the Himbo stat is BS or no.
- [131:41]
F
Bs? I think that's.
- [131:43]
A
Analytics. What's that? Oh, okay, so he's, he's saying bs you're saying.
- [131:48]
B
Bs. No, that's not, I'm not even finishing that. I'm not even finished reading.
- [131:51]
A
That. But win percentage variance, you don't even.
- [131:54]
C
Know. That's a big.
- [131:55]
A
Thing. That isn't. That's not. That's no.
- [131:57]
C
Bs. Yeah.
- [131:58]
D
Exactly.
- [131:58]
C
Wbv.
- [131:59]
A
Yeah. Months. Okay, let's get to the next one. Con man has it.
- [132:04]
D
Here. Yeah, ba, Mahomes and Kelsey can only be compared to Brady and Gronk or Rivers and Gates. There are Rushmore QB Titans tandem. Is that BS or no BS?
- [132:14]
F
BS. That's no BS man. This tandem has been great for 10 years and you know they just pass Gronk and Brady for I think the most touchdowns in the playoffs and.
- [132:24]
A
Channel Gage just went hall of.
- [132:25]
F
Fame. And these combinations, I go way back to John Mackey and John Unitis was, I thought one of the greatest too. But these guys, they're just tight ends. They're receivers, they're game changers, they're game records. And you know the quarterbacks love those tight.
- [132:41]
A
End. Is the tight end position more prominent now than it's ever been? And will we see more of quarterback tight end duos that might be able to catch up to these four that you just.
- [132:49]
F
Referenced? Yeah, I think you're seeing more and more athletic tight ends, you know, but the guys like Gronk who are, they can block, you know, and catch and be a wide receiver, they're very rare birds. But college football, starting to put the tight end position back out there a little.
- [133:03]
A
Bit. Travis Kelce, the reason why he's so good is because he just had a feel for the game that was just better than anybody. Much like Gronk, I guess, and probably, probably the basketball player.
- [133:12]
F
River. I mean that Antonio Gates had a great feel. Philip knew where he was all the time and they'd always go trips Antonio Gates on the backside. Let's get a safety back here and give him a two way go. And that's not, that's not a fair.
- [133:26]
A
Fight. And how about Gronk? They talk about his football IQ as if it's just.
- [133:29]
F
Outrageous. I mean if you can look back at the super bowl, his second touchdown. Oh yeah, he's got a corner route all right. He's sees Tom and he sees the DB turn, he turns and goes back inside. Tommy hits him for a touchdown. That's just playing great football. And that's Kelsey all the play, all the way. Him and Mahomes, there's no design plays. Just go out there and get your ass open, I'll get it to.
- [133:48]
A
You. Yeah, and he even by his own self admittance had to get better at blocking as he got older. I think as he became more of a prominent tight end in the goat conversation, I think he felt obligated for the position but also for the good of the offense. Started putting his body in, in the way later in his career as opposed to earlier in his career which is completely ass backwards whenever it comes to everything. But I think that's because of how much he appreciates the position and how much he appreciated the opportunity to be part of the good Chiefs because I think he was there when they were asked too. I think at the beginning of his career I think they were not good and then they get great and he's a huge piece of it. I think he feels like he had to hold up his end of the.
- [134:23]
C
Bargain. Yeah, without a doubt. And he came on and basically talked with us about how like they went through that, that period where the offense kind of had to change. They went from, you know, where he was having 14 catches a game and 130 plus yards. And he was like, no. You know, I basically, I had to learn how to block a lot more and then just make more out of the opportunities that I was given. And then obviously in the playoffs, it seemed like he was, he was good for a touchdown. Every single.
- [134:46]
A
Playoff. All right, let's go to the next BS or no BS with BA Ty Schmidt has this one. It's about the kicking position, which is amazing this year. Go ahead.
- [134:57]
C
Tie. Coach. The new kickoff and new K balls are winning and losing games for NFL teams this season. Is that B.S. or no.
- [135:05]
F
BSBA? Yeah, that's no B.S. i think this has changed defensive play callers totally at the end of the half and at the end of the game. I look at the Colts, Seahawks. The Colts had a game winning drive that's a game winner for the last 10 years. Now. Getting the ball in the 35, even the 40, if you hit that short kick and it doesn't make it two first downs and all the kickers are making 60, 62 yard field goals was unheard of five years ago. Since they changed the balls now the balls have had at least 15 yards. Look at that kick last night by the kid from, from Miami, hines field. And 54, you know, 54 yards.
- [135:41]
A
At 10 degrees just in Hines Field in general, let alone in freezing temperatures. Hitting a 54 yarder and having room he's not knowing is like no offense to him. I didn't, I don't think anybody's thinking him as like one of the best kickers in ball. I mean, he makes a huge kick last and one of the best I've seen to your point.
- [135:58]
F
Yeah. And then you look at Seattle, makes two completions and all of a sudden they kick a field goal and beat the Colts with 45 seconds left because of the ball and the kickoff.
- [136:08]
A
Rules. So the kickoff, the new kickoff, having to hit the land zone and having to cover a kick is. We've talked about this since the beginning. It's just like, like baseball. Like you're gonna have to throw a strike in baseball to get out of a game. No matter how much you're winning by, if it's a close game, you just took the league lead, you have to throw a strike. You have to give the other team an opportunity. With this kickoff, it's very similar. You have to Give the other team an opportunity to return it or you're gonna have to just give the ball to them. At the 35 if you want to hit a touchback, it's like 35 yard drive start to your point. About 56 yarder was what Jason Myers hit routinely. That was a 56 yard field goal, just kind of a walk in the park. It was his sixth field goal of the day. That's only a couple first downs. Yeah, that's only two plays which takes what, nine seconds, maybe 10 seconds is what that.
- [136:53]
F
Takes. It changes your whole philosophy on defense at the end of the game. Like the board prevent is out.
- [136:59]
A
Of the game, I think.
- [137:00]
F
Anymore. You can't play prevent defense anymore and you never should have. But you got to come out, you got to have a blitz, you got to have a special one minute package. I think now the defensive quarter coordinator. All right. And I'm saving it. I got two special blitzes. I'm not going to give up anything big, but I'm getting after their.
- [137:17]
A
Asses. Sack changes, obviously the math for.
- [137:20]
B
All of it, you're talking about, you know, having to throw a strike on special teams. You kind of got to throw a strike on defense too. It's not like you can sit back and too high because traditionally it was, hey, cover two or cover six, you keep too high safety, you kind of play it safe, make them walk down the field. Now you kind of have to be aggressive. You got to play more press coverage, you got to have more one on ones. Maybe like you said, send the pressure, which typically you're not doing in like late two minute situations. So yeah, everybody, it's kind of like everybody has. It makes the game more exciting in all.
- [137:47]
A
Phases. AJ what are your thoughts on how we thought this could end up being a thing? Because I think early in the season we started seeing some kickoffs either go out of bounds ball at the 40 or a big return happen. And so all of a sudden it's a completely different outcome than we could have expected just 20 seconds beforehand. Now it's starting to get to meaningful football in primetime. People are to starting, starting to see it, it's on, it's going to be on display. This is what the NFL kind of wanted, didn't they AJ I mean.
- [138:10]
G
This is making it much more exciting. I mean you're never really out of it. Like you're, you're always in the game. I feel like. And like Debut said, like, you can't sit back, you can't give any free access. They only need Two or three completions to get into field goal range, you got to press them, you got to blitz them. You got to do something to disrupt them. Because before. Yeah, hey, nothing behind you guys. Nothing behind you. Let's, you know, sit at the sticks protector. Let's make. Let's rally and make the tackle and keep them on the ground. Try to. To sit on. Try to sit on for a couple extra seconds and not get that penalty. So they get up slow and it takes more time, but now it's like, okay, we got to get up in their face. And you're all. I mean, you're also. You're obviously giving up. You're taking a little more risk defensively to getting beat.
- [138:46]
A
Deep. A little ripple effect here for the new dynamic kickoff is like defenses also have to play a little bit more aggressive. There might be more plays there, which also causes some explosive plays against it. You know, no risk it on either side. No biscuit. But also you risk it every once in a while. You're to going to get cooked for said biscuit going the opposite direction. That's going to change the season. That's going to change the.
- [139:07]
C
Playoffs. Oh, yeah, it's going to be massive playoffs for.
- [139:09]
A
Sure. And there's going to be people that are very pissed off about that. There's going to be people that are very pissed off about the fact that a new kickoff, the way it is in some people's eyes, a gimmick kickoff is deciding games. That's what we're going to. We're going to have a new kickoff, decide what games are. And it's like, yeah, I think we got a couple thousand more. More plays. The defense has to play harder. The kickoff has to match. It's like this, I think, is what the NFL wanted. Now we're going to experience it and see, I guess, the reaction. It is electrifying to know that at any given moment, some guy that was signed on Wednesday to a team is going to have to keep his lane integrity on a kickoff. And if he doesn't, all of a sudden, another team is going to continue in the playoffs. For Lombardi. I mean, it is interesting, the last up, but it certainly adds electricity to.
- [139:55]
C
It. Yeah. And I don't know if you really can be pissed because at this point, like, we've had an entire season of it, you know, everyone was working from the same set of rules, and it kind of has been from the start. Like, there are certain teams that are pretty solid with this, and there are certain teams that aren't very Good with this. And you know, hey, the packers are actually kind of, you know, tighten things up a little bit. But even like when they're doing it successfully, they're kicking it to the eight yard line and, and the opposing team's getting, you know, a 25 yard return and it's like you're at the 32 or the 35. So it's like it's a massive deal and every team has had the opportunity to kind of figure out how to game this or how to get good at.
- [140:31]
A
It. Yeah. And it'll be on display. Those who have sucked at this will get exposed in a big moment. It doesn't show up until it shows up and that'll be when everybody's watching. Now on that note, I think that adds to this BS or no.
- [140:45]
B
Bsd. But everybody better, better show up. This will be the most exciting last three weeks of a season for a player spots ever. Is that BS or no.
- [140:54]
F
Bs? That's no BS.
- [140:55]
A
Man. Whoa. Ever. Long, long time this league's been.
- [140:57]
F
Around. You look at you look at these last New England and Buffalo, Jacksonville, Houston, Indy all in it. Chicago, Green Bay and Detroit all.
- [141:05]
A
Playing each other at the.
- [141:06]
F
End. Tampa and Carolina play each other twice in the next three weeks. They're tied for it. And the Rams, Frisco and Seattle throw it up. Who's coming down? It starts Thursday.
- [141:16]
A
Night. God, Thursday night's going to be special in three out of the four teams who are trying to punch their ticket in the playoffs. I'll play on primetime weekend, which is Thursday. One of the first thing that you said to me was like Thursday night matter, Sunday night matters, Monday night matters. The team can punch or taking in the playoffs. This is exactly what the schedule makers were dreaming.
- [141:32]
F
Of.
- [141:32]
C
Yep. And for the, for the purpose of this graphic too, the Bears and Packers play on Saturday.
- [141:37]
F
Night.
- [141:37]
C
Yeah. In prime.
- [141:38]
A
Time. So like, you know, hey, congratulations, schedule makers. So yeah, it felt like this year AJ and we. I might be mistaken, it didn't feel as if there was as many dud weekends. There's a couple shitty slates, but I don't think there's was a lot of them this.
- [141:51]
G
Year. No, there was always some good games I think to balance it out when we did have like a slate that didn't live up I guess to the week prior. But yeah, you're right. Like we, we're having just like blockbuster games. I guess that's what the NFL, right. That's what they want to do like every single weekend. They want all these games to be a huge deal. And now, especially leading into the playoffs too, we have these monster games going into their, their most viewed games of the year. So yeah, it's a great.
- [142:13]
A
Time. And network executives not being cowards and actually flexing games, we appreciate them doing that, having the right to do that for the good of ball. You are in a position to be a steward of the league for all of us sports fans. So having enough courage to say, yes, we are going to flex this for the betterment of ball. We appreciate you activating a right that you have been given and only you in that seat can make. So thank you for doing that for the rest of us so we don't have to watch some shite. Whenever something else gets buried into a one o' clock slate behind a bunch of other games. It's like we're in meaningful football season right now. The fact that all these games matter and they're winning was a flex to make a game matter. It's like, let's.
- [142:51]
D
Go. Hell.
- [142:51]
A
Yeah. Let's get. This is. We're doing it right. I mean, the NFL is throwing heat and college football is about to do the same exact thing this weekend. Now there's some college football news, obviously not just the college football playoffs. And then transfer portal news. There was a big announcement, seemingly on the Internet, even though it didn't come directly from family. Arch Manning set to return, return to the University of Texas next year. We obviously have not heard this directly from Arch Manning or the family. This is via Schefter's report from Adelson's report here about what is the plan for Arch Manning going forward. It felt like, and this is just my perspective on it, and I think you could go back to September of last season on college game day where there was a lot of talk, talk about Arch Manning becoming the starter because Quinn Ewers got hurt. Arch played a couple games. He played really good. They blew some teams out. They obviously had an incredible team that would end up making it to the semifinals and losing to Ohio State and everything like that, the Texas team. But Arch was playing for a couple games and Quinn Ewers maybe wasn't playing his best ball going into it. So there was an easy natural conversation. Arch should be the starter. Arch be the starter. And it got really loud. I mean, it got really loud. And there was a lot of people that were just trying to live in a fairy tale saying this shouldn't be that big of a deal. You know, nobody should make this that big of a deal. This is just Standard operating procedure. It's like the world has watched this guy play football since he's like, in 10th grade. His entire family name is football. So, like, if he's gonna be playing football games, it's gonna be a story. Like, that is just kind of how it is. So the Manning family came out and was like, hey, you don't lose a job from injury. This is Quinn Ewer's job. We are very here. And then I was also, also told that, like, hey, Arch is not rushing this college football process either. Like, he is, okay? He understands what he signed up for. He doesn't mind the process getting better and, you know, the entire college football thing. So the narrative that he's rushing through this or wants to get on the field so that he can potentially speed up the clock to get to the NFL and maybe you're ready. It's like, that was never from the Manning. So, like, I don't think this is abnormal to hear this as announced. And maybe with how the season went, it wasn't exactly what he was thinking. But obviously BA you know the Manning family very well, you know quarterbacks very well. There was still chatter about him maybe being the number one overall pick because he is Arch Manning and he has shown some spots of being very good at football this season, even though the entire season hasn't been it. What are your thoughts on this decision and how do you kind of feel whenever you hear it about.
- [145:22]
F
Arch? Yeah, I think that was the plan all along. I mean, the many family, they're. They're going four years, they're going to develop all the way and be totally ready when they get to the NFL. And I don't think it's any different for arts than it was Peyton and Eli. And so it's like, yeah, he got better and better this year, but he's still not a finished product. Go back, enjoy yourself, play college football, Learn, keep learning. And I think next year he will be the number one.
- [145:45]
A
Pick. You can never go and do college again. You know, like, that is a message, especially if you're making millions of dollars. We don't know what his contract is and don't want to pocket watch. He has a Red Bull deal as well, amongst other deals. So if you're already making millions of dollars and your family is okay, you know, money wise, financial wise, your situation is what it is. If you can go back another year in a system that, you know, with a team that, you know and potentially accomplish something that you had dreams of, feels like probably easy decision for Arch. Even though maybe there's talks of him still being top five pick because he is Arch.
- [146:15]
B
Banning. Oh, I wouldn't. Yeah, I wouldn't call it easy, you know, being in his shoes, maybe for the people around him. But as a. As a kid or a young man who has the opportunity to, you look around landscape, he can definitely be the quarterback that flies up the charts and be the number one pick. So that's always, I think, a tough decision any sport when you have that opportunity. But like BA said, been in the family with two former number one overall picks who went the whole ride through college, and they didn't have to either. So having that guidance around, having a family around him, definitely, I think part of the decision was kind of made for him. And then he obviously has to make the final call. So I like this, though. He needs to go back and develop, hopefully have a fully healthy season and be that guy coming.
- [146:53]
A
Out. AJ Enjoy the little run that Ohio State's been having, because what I read from that tweet is we're back, and that's the Texas Longhorns. Aj, Hulk.
- [147:06]
B
Maybe. Hey, it's.
- [147:07]
G
Good. I want the Texas Longhorns to be a solid team, obviously, but did Bart. Did Arch put in his draft grade? You know, you can go, you can. You can try to apply or whatever. They'll tell you where you might get drafted. Do they do.
- [147:17]
A
That? I have no idea. I would assume that his family does know from people, that they know what people are thinking or saying. I assume he has access to all information while they're making these types of decisions. And people are gonna say, well, that's nepotism. He has. Yeah. Yeah, it is. It is. Yeah. And it's not his fault either. Like, that is not Arch's fault. It's like his grandpappy is making maybe the grand pepe of football just as a whole, you know, college football and the NFL. His uncles are obviously hall of Famers, super bowl champions, and also promoted by the league and by football as the faces of football. So Arch might get access to things and viewed and talked about differently than everybody else. That's just life. I think that's just kind of how it is. And to that point, maybe the beginning of the season was a lot for Arch, and maybe he was nowhere near his best ball and he had to experience that. And maybe that's a part of development of being a good quarterback is like when everybody is expecting you to be the greatest player of all time like your uncles were. And talking about that with a team that's supposed to go in a national championship. Mentally. Mindset, forcing things, maybe not being the quarterback that you are, that's a part of college development to make it into the NFL. So maybe that's behind them and now he wants to work on everything else going.
- [148:34]
C
Forward. Yeah, and I think they're could be, you know, maybe a little bit of human nature involved too, looking at next year's potential, you know, top three, like, okay, well, the Raiders suck and they might for a really long time. I don't want the, the jets are really bad. You know, the Giants, they obviously have a quarterback, but like all these teams, all these teams, why wouldn't you, if you have the opportunity to go back and maybe win a national championship and continue to get better, why don't you just, you know, put the, put the dice back, back in the Yahtzee cup and just shake that up again and, you know, maybe try to get a Yahtzee next.
- [149:05]
A
Year. Let's go to Hammer Time. AP Tone your thoughts on Texas getting their quarterback back not only for next season, but transfer portal. You got Arch Manning as the quarterback during the recruiting period. You were able to say it. What are your thoughts on it.
- [149:19]
E
All? Tone yeah, I think after the way the season started that this is kind of how everyone thought it was probably going to be. He did get a lot better as the season went on and that's expected as your first season as a starting quarterback in college football. And we look at all these quarterbacks that come out, guess what? If you play more games, you're going to play better in the NFL. It's kind of how it works. And also a lot of these guys who are now staying extra years, a lot of them are making more in their last year of college football than they would as a rookie in the NFL. So I think that probably might. I'm not saying it has anything to do with Arch because like we said with, you know, his nil and the family and everything like that, he's going to be fine. But a lot of these quarterbacks, they're making a lot. They're making more, I shouldn't say a lot more. They're making more in their final year of year of college than they would as a rookie.
- [150:04]
A
Quarterback. Salary wise, not signing bonus wise. But still a point remains. We understand it's a new world in college ball where you are making a lot of money and he stays in a system, he gets a chance. You know, there's a lot of expectation that are going to come with it, as they should Maybe we'll see Arch at the.
- [150:19]
D
Top. Tough.
- [150:20]
A
Decision. DJ Lagway. He's hitting the road.
- [150:23]
D
Jack. Bryce Underwood.
- [150:25]
A
Soon. Where's he.
- [150:26]
D
Going? Definitely away from.
- [150:29]
A
Michigan. Dylan Raiola. He's on the.
- [150:31]
D
Way. Yeah.
- [150:32]
G
He'S. Yeah, there's some, some QBs out.
- [150:35]
A
There. Swords, but yeah. Cincinnati's quarterback. Yeah. Leaving transfer Portal was about to. Shout out to Gannon. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, final thing with BA here is it's time to give out BA's balls, ladies and gentlemen, BA will give out his game balls. One for the AFC, one for the NFC. And as a custom in team meetings on Mondays after NFL games or whatever day your game is played, coach normally comes in and has a couple game balls made, throws them out. It's normally a big soccer celebration. We're doing that each week. We will continue today. Your NFC game ball winner, BA is.
- [151:18]
F
Who? Jason Myers. Six field goals and it's hard not to give it to, you know, Pitts from Atlanta, but Jason Myers just put on a show the other.
- [151:28]
A
Day. 18, 16. Six field goals from Jason Myers. Philip Rivers and The Colts get 16. He hits a game winner with 56 yarder. With less than a minute left to. To put Phil Rivers fairy tale story into quite a bind up there in Seattle. We talked to him and he's been good for a long, long time. We're happy that he was able to have this type of game. And also, aj, Anytime a kicker gets game ball, good news, brother. We like.
- [151:54]
G
That. Great news. He also, I, I assume he played some other positions when he played football as a kid or he played other sports. He seems like an absolute athlete too. Like, he seems like a stud.
- [152:03]
A
Mindset. Yeah, he has a lot of humility too, about him. You know, it was, he's special talent. But once again, he's up early in Seattle, so it's so far away, nobody really talks about it. Every time he's on my TV though, and I'm not just talking about this week against the Colts, which also would remain true. He makes the kick. Like anytime this guy's on, the kick is good. And that's such a weapon to have. And he beat the Colts. Congrats to him winning a game ball from ba. Now your AFC game ball goes to.
- [152:30]
F
Who? Coach. Oh, game. What a game. Trevor Lawrence, six touchdowns, five throwing, win one running. What a game. I mean, he's coming to fruition, right? He's the guy that we all thought he was going to be. And Liam Cohen's doing a great, great job with.
- [152:44]
A
Him. Learn it Trust it, rip it, know it, trust it, rip it. I forget the exact Ron Turner line that Dan Orlovsky dropped. But what do you think the difference is? Do you think he's comfortable and confident in the offense and has trust in it? What are you, what are you seeing from.
- [152:56]
F
Trevor? Yeah, I mean his first year in this, in this offense and he and Liam, and Liam did such a great job with Baker last year and I see a lot of the same things with, with Trevor started out a little bit slower and all of a sudden, boom, now he's lit. He's got great anticipation. He's always had the great arm, but he's seeing it and he's letting it rip and letting it.
- [153:13]
A
Go. First NFL player in history and anytime you're the first one in history, obviously that's a special thing. You see him running there, had 50 rush yards, a rushing touchdown and through for five touchdowns. That's called taking over and dominating a game. He certainly did that against the New York jets who have a defensive, defensive head.
- [153:30]
C
Coach. Yeah. They fired the defensive coordinator though, so that, you know, that.
- [153:34]
D
Was. Yeah, he was calling.
- [153:35]
C
Place. Yeah, good.
- [153:35]
A
Move. Yeah, it is a good move. Trevor Lawrence though this might not be. There might not have been anything anybody could do on defensive side without Trevor was rolling down there in Duvall. Does this.
- [153:44]
F
Continue? Oh, I definitely think so. Yeah, they're, they're on a roll right now and he's got a lot of trust in the guys around him and ATN is running his ass.
- [153:52]
A
Off. And we had a little WASP play here from Trevor Lawrence from the Super super bowl race. Thirty yards behind a line of scrimmage, throws it as far as he can and gets a completion for a first down. ETN makes an absurd catch. It's like their weapons are starting to show up too. D.
- [154:04]
B
Bud. Yeah. ETN had three tugs Tootin, he had a touchdown. He will be out for the remainder of the season, I believe. Parker Washington was out. But if you go to that touchdown from tune, obviously it, it's about Trevor Lawrence, but the play design, like there are unbelievable play designs. Dano talked about having the confidence in the plays, having the confidence in the players around him. We were talking about Brian Thomas Jr. Earlier in the season, how he was struggling with drops and his confidence. He's come on, he's making big time plays. But the play design along with Trevor Lawrence believing in it and making throws, they are hitting their stride right at the right time. Yeah. If you run it back to the beginning like this is an unbelievable playboard. Defense to try to guard this corner. He has a flat and then Tootin is going to come from the backfield. The other running back, you'll see ETN flare out. Unbelievable play design. Great throw, Great play. Like, I mean, yeah, obviously Def W. He got fired for good reason. They weren't producing for him. But Lawrence had an unbelievable.
- [155:01]
A
Day. Ref, get the hell out of the way. Okay, Trevor Lawrence has a little bit of space that he needs. Congrats to the.
- [155:06]
B
Jags. 10 and.
- [155:07]
A
Four. They're in the lead in the AFC.
- [155:08]
D
South.
- [155:09]
B
Wow. 10 and four to rookie head.
- [155:10]
A
Coach. Unbelievable. And rookie.
- [155:13]
B
GM. Oh.
- [155:14]
A
Yeah. Yeah. He's 27 years.
- [155:16]
C
Old.
- [155:16]
A
Exactly. Two overall pick without his number two overall pick. Yeah. Crazy. BA we appreciate the hell out of. You're the man. 47 year football coach, our coach. Ladies and gentlemen, Coach Bruce Har. We love you, B.A. we love you, B.A. we appreciate the hell out of you, A.J. you know, through this world that I've been living and we've been living through it all, college football has become a special thing for meeting legends, okay. Because in the south down there, there's a lot of people that love college ball. In the south, there's a lot of people connected to country music. In the south, country music is king. And in the south, country musicians and their friends all watch ball. So I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of different legends of country music. And it's actually been a pretty insane, like an insane thing actually. Certainly, like, hey, who'd.
- [156:06]
F
You.
- [156:06]
A
Boom. Just. No problem. And then, hey, these people want to talk to you actually, because you're a part of college football. It's like an absurd little connection from the south and with its, you know, ball. And in doing so I met this 39 year old dude, not even from the south, it's actually from Southern Illinois. Grew up a Colts fan.
- [156:29]
J
Now. Oh.
- [156:30]
A
Yeah. He is being regarded as one of the greatest young executives in all of every one of the founders of the big loud music label, man, who's been in music for 20 years. Friend of the program, Seth England. Way to go.
- [156:48]
D
Seth. Side.
- [156:49]
A
Entrance. Way to go, Seth. Coming through the think tank. I like that normally people come through the hallway. Seth, he's an innovator. Gonna do his own thing. Yeah, Seth's gonna do his own thing. I appreciate you.
- [157:01]
J
Man. How are.
- [157:01]
A
You? No, not your bad. Good. This is what you do, Seth.
- [157:04]
J
You think outside the bar, trailblazing.
- [157:06]
A
Entrance. Yes. I would say.
- [157:07]
D
For.
- [157:07]
A
Shoot. I would say, yeah. Anytime anybody comes from the think tank, we'll Say, hey, that was that big brain, big, loud guy. Seth England's entrance whenever he was here. First of all, thank you for traveling up to the.
- [157:17]
J
Thunderdome. Thank you for having me. It's always an.
- [157:18]
A
Honor. Thank.
- [157:19]
J
You. Very cool.
- [157:19]
A
Place. Thank you for being kind to me and the.
- [157:21]
J
Boys. Oh, the boys are great. I thought I'd be nervous up here, but this is very.
- [157:24]
A
Comfortable. It feels very similar to over there. You just got to remember people will see this over there. Nobody really sees here. People will see. People get caught up in that. Sometimes even some of us get caught up in that sometimes. You remember when Tone at the beginning of the season was like, is Aaron really? And we're like, yo, yeah, we are live right now. I didn't say that. I didn't say that. So there is a little bit of, like, a kind of lost in where we are. Know that people can hear you and they can see you, and they should. By the way, you're a legend, and you've been very cool to us, so we are very, very thankful for.
- [157:54]
J
That. Know about all that, but thank you. I. My phone was blowing up. Was it last week, where I got some nice compliments from the show. Some. Some unfair words were thrown out about my style. I appreciate.
- [158:04]
D
That. Was that.
- [158:04]
J
Me? Yes. I had teammates from my college days that I've probably forgot about. Lost. They just. They're watching this show religiously. So Yalls impact on football.
- [158:13]
A
Culture? Yeah. What you play? You played.
- [158:14]
J
Football? I did. I played. I played in college. I was more on a music business track, but, yeah, I played football all the way through college. N near St. Louis at Greenville.
- [158:21]
A
University. Are you a ball fan.
- [158:23]
J
Still? Big ball fan, Actually, when I was in college, I was trying to decide about going to the music business or coaching, and I was very serious about it. I think I loved recruiting more, so I probably would have tried to stay in college if I'd done.
- [158:33]
A
That. Okay, so I don't want to ask, like, the cliche question, but how do you think your football experience has helped you with your record label executive world that you're in.
- [158:43]
J
Currently? Well, yeah, it kind of does sound cliche, but there's actually a ton of parallels. Recruiting, number one, you know, when you're recruiting an athlete, you need to make them feel comfortable, make sure it's a mutual fit. You don't want to just force them to come somewhere where you know it's not going to work. The same is very true in music. And also, as you know, a lot of athletes and musicians become natural friends it's very competitive. You kind of always have to have to have this. Always on edge, you know, and so as that, like when we're hanging with Morgan in Indianapolis, I saw a ton of similarities between you and him and Tyrese there. It was just different.
- [159:15]
A
Professions. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about Morgan and Miranda Lambert and Hardy. Big Loud obviously, has become this name in music that is obviously synonymous with success and awesome in my eyes. Everybody that I've met from your company and your business, cool. You're a suit. But I think you're, like, super cool suit, an innovative suit. I assume the music industry is very old school, though. There's a lot of tradition and pageantry. How do you think you guys kind of have separated yourself? And why do you think you. You're having the success that you're having with Big Loud? And who's with you at Big.
- [159:44]
J
Loud? Yeah, it's called Big Loud. Well, there's. First off, there's three owners. Myself, a man named Craig Wiseman, and a rock and roll legend named Joey Moy, who we borrowed in country music for about a decade and a half. We're now, unfortunately, sending him outside of maybe Morgan and Hardy's music, sending him back to rock, as he's making his own rock label in Los Angeles. We're so happy for him. But, yeah, my path was very interesting. You know, again, musicians are a lot like ball. Ball players can sniff out a coach if they're full of shit, you know, on different topics. And not that I know every single thing or can make music in the studio, some as, you know, as good as Holman, who's here helping you out, or, you know, Joey Moy. But I understood it, and I went to college for music. So to have a little bit of appreciation for what they do, I think that's the first thing an athlete would want to know. A little bit of validation, appreciation from the coach. And.
- [160:30]
A
That'S. So that's your role you view as like a coach of Big.
- [160:33]
J
Loud? Very much. I've probably had had worse nicknames or very synonymous nicknames, as you might find with a coach sometimes. Just because I think, you know, not to sound cliche back, but I think you got to always compete against your best self. And that's very true in music, whether you're writing songs, you know, your live performance. No different in.
- [160:48]
A
Football. Okay, so let's talk about Morgan. Today was a huge day. He was just deemed the most successful country musician of all time. RIAA certified musician. You know what that means? I'm not 100% sure. All I know is I saw that he is the most certified country musician of all time in the streaming world, I think. And then he's the third largest artist of all time behind Taylor Swift, Drake, and then Morgan Wallen. He's obviously big.
- [161:11]
J
Loud. That's.
- [161:12]
A
Right. He has his own business, I believe, as well in the music world. But your ride with him has been through, I think, from the beginning. Right. And when you talk about coaching, it hasn't always been where he is now. There's a lot of the other stuff. What does the ride with him been like and what has it taught you? Maybe for the rest of the record label and how everything else.
- [161:29]
J
Goes? Well, on a human level, he's one of the best dudes. Like, if he was here right now, I think he would just become everyone's best friend on the human side, you know, And I really enjoy getting to know him that way. We met him before he became popular and we helped him with that ride. And so it's a very cherished experience for us to sort of always get to look in his eyes and know who's there than had we met him during this ride. But I'll say, you know, if I was to speak about his music skill, like you might have an athlete. He's all pro elite, first ballot hall of Famer, not just because of the stats you mentioned, but his. His drive and his ability behind the scenes is second to none. And his natural skill, especially in singing, his taste in music is. Is. It's still.
- [162:08]
A
Sharp. Song selection's a big deal.
- [162:10]
J
Right? Huge, huge.
- [162:11]
A
Deal. And that separates the great from the good is that a part of being a talent is figuring out what song is right for you or writing the right song as opposed to just performing it. Because I hear lot of people outside the music world that go like, everybody can sing and everybody can play. It's just the people that got lucky are the ones that made it when that's not necessarily true. From your perspective, I'd assume there's.
- [162:31]
J
Certainly some serendipity in our business just like others. But no, I don't think that's an accident. I think. And Morgan, one of his superpowers, I think he has a few, but one of them is his song selection. He has this ability, certainly like anybody else, they're going to love something they wrote, but he has this weird ability to not have that much more attachment to that than a piece of music he didn't write. And that if you stop and think about it, if you were to paint a painting or something, you're going to be emotionally invested. If you spent hours trying to, you know, when you write songs, you feel investment to it. But to have that equal feeling when you hear something else, as if you're in the room writing it is not.
- [163:04]
A
Normal. It's a talent to be able to do.
- [163:05]
J
It. It's a talent to be able to do it. And also, equally, he knows when it's not him, you know, but in the same way, he knows 1000% when he hears it, it's him, you.
- [163:13]
A
Know? Well, congrats to you guys. Congrats to Morgan. Congrats on the success. Congrats to everything you guys have going on. Let's talk a little bit about Ernest.
- [163:20]
J
Now.
- [163:20]
A
Yeah. Another member of Big Loud, but also Deville Records, Cadillac Records. Hitmaker extraordinaire, guru, genius, hilarious individual. I mean, one of the funniest of all time. If he was a talk show host, I think he would do a phenomenal job. I.
- [163:36]
J
Think.
- [163:36]
A
Phenomenal. Now, granted, he's got ADHD worse than any human I've ever encountered. Encountered ever in my entire life, which is a part of his gift, not his curse. Guy can freestyle for about 25, 30 minutes straight, just no questions asked, no problem. And during that freestyle, he'll drop five different songs that'll go diamond in him. And then people will just be ripping him, basically, and being like, there's a song, there's a song, there's a song. Special talent. He's the reason why I get to know you. And he's been helping me out with my shit. You've been helping me out with my shit. But how many Ernest out there and what is Ernest? If you could describe it to people that maybe say, well, he doesn't have the most amount of listens. It's like, well, this guy is influencing music basically all over the.
- [164:15]
J
Board. Yeah. He's another one in my life that, you know, at times, for better or worse, I kind of call him my little brother in the business because that's where, when we met, he was just this young kid who. He got his first publishing deal. He hadn't quite found his success, and some people had introduced us because he was so unique, you know, and they thought maybe Seth might have an idea for him. And our friendship just up, grew and grew. I've signed him to three different record deals with the partners, meaning different stages in his life over 10 or 15 years. I've just believed in him so much. But I would. I would describe him As a savant, sometimes I jokingly tell people, if you haven't met him, he's an alien. You know, there's many styles of songwriting. I'm not sure if there's just these two, but I would say there's like a freestyler style, freestyle style, and like a surgeon. And neither are right or wrong. I think for me, I've met way fewer freestylers. So when you meet one and they're as accurate as him, he doesn't just rhyme and ramble. He rhymes and storyline. He can. He can turn king of the hill on and put on mute and go in the Hank Hill voice and just start rapping. Whatever the show, what it looks like it's doing, and it just shows his. His brilliance, you know, it's effortless for him to do stuff like.
- [165:19]
A
That. Can you tell me a little bit about the songwriters? Because that is Nashville music row. I got a chance to experience it. I am huge fan of music. The show Songland was where one of my favorite shows. I couldn't believe they got rid of it. It was a glimpse inside of like the super music minds and how a song kind of comes together. I actually sent an email to every one of the coaches from there saying, hey, I would like you guys to make my songs into good songs. Never heard back from any of them. Talked to Jelly Roll. Jelly Roll was like, buh ba. I got you. Let me introduce you to Ernest. Ernest brings me to this. That's how this has all literally come to be. But my fandom of music and not having a clue about the behind the scenes. Cause I don't come from a musical family. I never took a music class, never took a choir class, never was able to do any of those things. So learning about it all has been awesome and spectacular. Music Row in Nashville is one of the most powerful places in the business, obviously. But all of entertainment and the songwriters are seemingly held up as the like the gods almost of the entirety. Right. Is that.
- [166:15]
J
Inaccurate? I would say so. And also because of that. Well, I tell people a lot that Nashville, in Nashville, the spirit songwriters, it feels like they run the town. Nashville is so unique because it's all together densely. I have people in the music friends in the music business in New York, L.A. or any other London where when they leave the office, they may not necessarily hang out with music friends. And in Nashville, we're all right there together in a super unique way. So sometimes I say on the best days, it feels like going to a college campus. I can walk across campus and see my Friends. And so this dormitory is connected with this one and a publisher publishing company. And we got a riff with this frat house over here, you know, because they've been punks or vice, whatever it is. I say on the negative days, it's kind of like a theme park, you know what I mean? You can't always get out. That's why you see artists spend their work hours there maybe and take a break. But no, the songwriting community. Ernest, you mentioned Hardy. He's a surgeon. You know, he can do a lot of different things and he's great off the top, but he's an absolute surgeon. And maybe nobody better when he knows where the song is supposed to go. But yeah, the songwriters kind of run the town. Some of Morgan's best friends, for example, again, are some songwriters, people he's being creative with. A few times a week for a few hours at a time, he'll add on a workout class with them, you know, maybe a Bible study. And I think you just kind of see how the creative partnership is very intimate. And you, you know, you need to talk about more than the song sometimes just to get good at it.
- [167:34]
A
Together, you know, us songwriters, big music star. Yeah, right. Yeah, right. It's been a fun process, though, about your guys.
- [167:41]
J
World. Don't let you guys know on the show, but for people watching, don't let this guy play you. When we met, which, by the way, it's not like we have a ton of free time to make music with people just interested in making music. I'm not trying to suck up or anything, but kind of caught me off guard that day when Pat, when you were going through your phone and you were showing me, you know, voice note on voice, note of lyrics, on lyrics on lyrics, some of which structured, some of which not, some of which had a hook and a concept. I think that's what Ernest saw as well. And then, not to mention your platform and willingness to try things that most wouldn't, you know, you take some courage to do that. It's not. It's not easy. It can. It's a very vulnerable sport, to be.
- [168:15]
A
Honest. Well, I. I appreciate you giving me effort and time and honestly investing your energy in it and travel. I mean, you've traveled up here multiple times. Boys love you. I mean, Bone, obviously, he's the big lot's biggest fan. I mean, he knows your entire. Bone, he already pulled the album that you gave us. He goes, I got a.
- [168:30]
D
Vinyl. You see, it's.
- [168:31]
A
Fine. Send your Amber. Big loud Vine. I had to be at The Christmas party to get this. Obviously I wasn't invited to the Christmas.
- [168:37]
J
Party. The first day you brought me through. I honestly said this is the big loud of sports media. For those in here that haven't been to Big Loud come down because they're the songwriters, the creators, the people help make the show and it's the same for.
- [168:50]
A
Us. Yeah, well, we're very thankful that you've invested and I'm excited for people to hear my story through.
- [168:56]
J
Songs. When are we leaking the next one? What's the.
- [168:58]
A
Plan? I don't know. I don't know. We were up there recording this morning. We. Hey, I think you would know much better than me. I think we have a couple people are thinking that like I'm not going to get into it. Dookie was a canary into the cave. That is what Dookie.
- [169:13]
J
Was. It was a bold place to.
- [169:14]
A
Start. It certainly was. It certainly was. But it was proud of it. Yeah. Because we went to Oregon a couple times. I mean it just so happened to be, I mean in there. But it's like with your guys brains and the music that has been around him, it. And I practice, you know, a little bit for. So I don't ruin these words in these stories but it's been like a pretty emotional journey through my shit, through the last couple years of my life, last 20 years of my life. Revisiting moments and like, you know, when you journal, I guess I've never journaled but I've always like wrote poems or bars or verses or choruses. It's like me talking to myself in there. So it's like these songs are very much like me going through different moments of my life and what I was telling myself or what I was trying to get out. So whenever I'm reliving them or like recording them, it's all just so crazy to me that it's going to live on, you know, like that is like kind of the weird thing. And if my daughter hears it, you know, or my baby boy, like I think they will be able to know exactly who I am through different stages of my life. So if I was to die, which is certainly possible, which you're going to hear me talk about a lot, you're going to hear me talking about a lot of different death stuff in there because I, I never thought I was going to live long. Like I thought I was dead at 30. Like I, I, the fact that I'm 38 now is crazy. I never thought about life as a 40 year old and then now in the world that I'm in. I have people telling me they wish I was dead. And then there's other stuff that happens around the world. And it's like, I'm gonna die. I think I'm gonna die at some point. Okay. I think I'm gonna die at some point. There's a chance I freeze.
- [170:40]
C
Myself. I was gonna say, yeah. Shout out to.
- [170:42]
A
Williams. I have looked into that. I have tried to look into.
- [170:44]
J
Hologram, but the catalogs I live.
- [170:46]
A
On. I wanted this to out. I wanted all my shit out. I wanted, like, my daughter and my family and people that maybe didn't get to know me or people that didn't know me or only read, like, headlines from people that didn't know who I was and wanted me. Like, this is who I. This is who I actually am. This is my fucking note section. And there's different parts that are mixed with different parts. So not everything's there. But, like, you were like, hey, man, I'll get your messages out, dude. Like, you said that to me. You're like, very much like, hey, I will do this for you. So I'm very grateful for.
- [171:14]
J
You. Thank you. Thank you for letting us do it. And nothing's gonna happen to you, but if it ever does, your kids are gonna know you made bangers, and you were fearless to try something uncomfortable. And I think that's.
- [171:23]
A
Dope. Bangers. We got a couple, right? Don't.
- [171:24]
J
You? We do. I believe it. I believe it. You don't wanna overhype the music. Let the fans aside. But I think they'll be pleasantly surprised how good it's gonna.
- [171:30]
A
Get. Hell, yeah. Let's talk about music a little bit more now and then. Go ahead.
- [171:34]
B
Debug. Yeah. Speaking of bangers, you know, I'm more throwback, traditional country. Charlie Pride, Linda Martell, even Hootie. Darius Rucker. Obviously, we got the same name. So you've been in a GS Thor straight. Oh, these are my favorite. But you talked about the parallels with sports and music, and I feel like you guys are kind of a big part of, like, evolution. And you obviously gotta, you know, take a chance and you'll hear a lot of noise. How's it been? Kind of been a big part of the. Kind of the change of country music as a.
- [172:06]
J
Whole. It's been great. I mean, you know, both my parents are still alive and watching what we're doing. And, you know, my mom is always great about hitting me and just sort of saying something. Very grounding. Whoever's important in your life. When you're excelling in sports. Reminding you, like, you know, because in and out of a football season, you might. You're excelling just by doing it. A lot of people don't realize that, you know, so I think just being up at bat to play is like. Is a special thing. But then taking us to step further, I idolized Motown Records. Fueled by Ramen Records. Craig Wiseman, one of my partners, came up in A and M Records. And all of these, plus more, you know, Sun Records stacks. They were very specific cultural brands. They weren't just a major music company, which I. We have good friends there. But I think just by doing that in general, we are setting out to be different. And so the first band we had before the record label that we met was a country band named Florida Georgia Line. And yeah, like, let's.
- [172:58]
A
Start. Never heard of.
- [172:59]
J
Them. Let's start the petition and bring that back. Maybe. When they're.
- [173:08]
A
Ready. What is that Is Hop up in his truck. What is.
- [173:11]
C
The. Yeah, a brand new Chevy with a lift kit would look a hell.
- [173:14]
A
Of a lot better with you up in.
- [173:16]
C
It. Come.
- [173:16]
A
On. Yeah, there it.
- [173:17]
J
Is. When they're ready, we're turning the lights on. Back in Noblesville, I saw them take pictures.
- [173:23]
A
Together. I saw him take pictures together at the last event. Hey, we like that, boys. We like. That would not have happened, I don't think, like six months ago to a.
- [173:30]
J
Year. Baby steps. All the right.
- [173:32]
A
Steps. Let's get them back in there. But Florida Georgia Line, I think, to debut's point, contemporary country versus old school country versus what's pop, what's rock, what's you know, what's what is kind of like the conversation around they were.
- [173:44]
J
So polarizing when it started, you know what I mean? With that band, you either loved it or hated it. And we learned over time that was one of their superpowers. You know, kind of talking to the guys individually recently kind of explained to each of them, you know, as you're both making music, I think that's awesome. But remember, it's kind of hard to chase your own tail here, because what you would make for either one of you individually is so different than the songs you should make for Florida Georgia Line. That's a buddy of my band. That's like Thursday night basketball. You know what I mean? That's what I do for guy time. And the songs should sound like that. They should sound like for the boys in a way. And so, yeah, we all of kind of miss that in our. In our A and R.
- [174:17]
A
Pursuit. What do you think of. Because I think Hardy addressed bro country. I think there's been a lot of conversation about.
- [174:22]
J
It.
- [174:22]
A
Yeah. Has that kind of settled down now that there's two different genres for awards? Because that's really what everybody was pissed off about.
- [174:29]
J
Right? Definitely. I mean, you know, go on. The fact that they're talking about you, again, admit, like, in your profession can be a good thing if they want to label it something that probably just means you really stood out in that decade. And, you know, both Hardy and Earn, before they were artists, they were young, aspiring songwriters on buses that would travel with the Florida Georgia Line tours, because all of our paths crossed. And so we put those two guys in front of Brian and Tyler often. They were spark plugs in the room. I remember walking back up on the bus and hearing a demo that neither of the FGL guys had. Had sang that night, and I'm like, who sang this demo? Like, the voice was just jumping off the speaker. And they kind of point to. You know, at the time, I would. I would describe him as dude on the couch, you know, always sitting there really quiet, smoking. And it was a very young, quiet Michael Hardy. I'm like, bro, I know you, but, like, let's. Let's go for a walk and just got to know each other. And eventually his aspiration grew, and, you know, I feel like the songs are the most important thing anyway, so.
- [175:18]
A
He had that unlocked, and he goes from there to having a place wall to wall, and he's still sold out. I love that he ain't scared to put a dead buck up on his Instagram. You know, he ain't worried about it at all. Obviously. Incredibly talented. And all these people have been so nice to me through my entire, entire process of trying to make my words become music. And you got a special group of people, man. The culture is.
- [175:40]
B
Good. Is that where Bone was driving the hershey.
- [175:42]
A
Pill? Yeah. 17.
- [175:42]
C
Hours. Meet and.
- [175:43]
B
Greet.
- [175:44]
A
Okay. Meet and greet. And Bowen also put together the Earnest songwriter playlist on Spotify, which has a. Hey, Earn. Here you go, brother. You're welcome. Here's all your songs in chronological order in which you have wrote them. Bone did that on his free time. And then, Hardy, I'll be able to predict what your song order will be for your album problem, because I know you better than you know yourself.
- [176:04]
C
And. And he.
- [176:05]
A
Does. And he did. Turns out he did. And that's bone football. I mean, that is bone football. But he's a fan of talent, and you guys certainly have that in abundance. Go ahead, Con.
- [176:15]
D
Man. Yeah. So you, you just kind of mentioned it a little bit there. Kind of the stars that are stars now, how they start out, like in today's day and age, Pat's situation, a little different. But how, how, how does that kind of go as far as seeing a guy who might or a girl who's a songwriter and then realizing like, okay, you're different, like you can be a star. Is it going to bars in Nashville and just seeing who's performing? Is it people who are already within labels and kind of realizing like, okay, like you have something different and is there like a specific look? Like, is there anything like that that also goes into.
- [176:50]
J
It? I mean, yes and no to all the above. There's no one or most common way that, that it happens. I think if I was to pick one of the most common ways, there's people that develop in the publishing companies, which that's sort of. If you're not familiar with the music business, that might be the sister company, if you will, to record labels. Record labels are for artists as publishing companies are for songwriters, many of which don't have artist aspirations. So their skill would be to pair them up with successful artists who may want to find new collaborators to write music together, maybe hear some of their songs even if they did or didn't write them. So Big Loud has that. We have a very dense publishing company as we were talking about, and all the songwriters are there available to the artists if they, if they want to work. So that's how Hardy and Ernest came up. Right? They developed in the publishing companies. Morgan, we met him through a booking agent. He was with a group of guys in Knoxville. We're starting to play shows and through a network of people, was trying to get his now manager's dad at the time to be his agent. And he kind of put more Morgan through this test. Like, would you play cover gigs at these bars for three hours straight? Which is a very. It's not what an artist wants to do. You want to play your music, you know, get on hard ticket shows and all that. But he was more than willing to do it, put the time in, learn a bunch of songs in order to prove it, to just get this one guy's attention. I had Florida Georgia Line with him. And so he sent me an email, just said, I met this new kid, you know, he was just trying to get him a co write. And I heard the, heard the demo. The songs were. Morgan would even say mediocre at best, but his voice just jumped out of the speakers and you know, we met him. If you've never met him, he's just a very down to earth guy. But when he gets rolling, he's funny and he's unique and you know, he's just that. The way I talk that first song that came out, it was just very much his personality. So it happens a bunch of different ways. But I would say at least for Big Loud we definitely want to find the best creators we can. You know, that's kind of something if we're trying to be. If an NFL team has a certain way of guys they're picking up on their squad, there would be a few quirks that we might emphasize more in a weighted decision than others. And I think yeah, as far.
- [178:46]
A
As Patriots like super smart guys with Belichick so they think you run four different defenses in one particular game. What you're saying is we are looking for good obviously but a trait that we would like is.
- [178:56]
J
Creativity. Yeah, creativity 100%. And then, and then the look, you know, there's no one right or wrong thing but I would say the fans are the best anrs and we've seen this happen over and over again where like the un likely physical appearance person has an insane skill set. You know Luke Combs where and I mean this lovingly, he would probably dogging himself worse if he was here. Like the guy that looks like he should change your oil has an incredible skill set and I think that's almost what makes him even more believable. Sometimes we get the perfect looking artist, amazing voice but. But they may not believe the singer for some reason. You know, we may be really high on someone and we just can't get him to connect with the so that's also a subjective thing that happens from time to time. We have these all star looking folks.
- [179:37]
D
That. How do you know when artists can't connect with the fans like in that aspect? Like Luke Combs for instance, like if he sings a song that maybe if Morgan sings might do really well but if it's coming out of Luke Combs mouth it might not do well. Like how do you even like gauge something like.
- [179:53]
J
That? Well, two answers one. Now with social media, if we're putting stuff out or putting videos, we can react with our eyes. We say that to our artists a lot because that's. I never want to be a trite company like go make music with your gut, your ears, your inspiration. Once we put it out we will need to react with our eyes and see what the fans are gravitating to because they're not wrong. Don't say they're wrong, because their habits are their habits of their choice, you know, but for me, behind the scenes, especially before we had social media to get a quick read like that. And this may sound very, like, cheesy record label guy, but there's a word I use a lot around the office. It's called free song. It's a free French word which just means your body's emotional reaction to music, to something, a painting, a poem, you know. You ever heard someone said that? Just gave me chills. Supposedly. I don't know if this is true or not. Supposedly everyone has a different amount that their body will let them do. Right? So if I'm trying to give you an objective answer, like, there's a lady in our company, our head of A and R, Sarah. One verse will make her just waterworks, you know, but then there might be other people in other departments in the record label that make not have it. They may not. They can appreciate a good piece of music. They know why it might work, but they may not have that unexplainable body reaction. And so for me, that's kind of been my guiding light. I get. I get it pretty good. You know, I don't go to waterworks, but if I'm listening to a piece of music, even if it's a party song, but I. I see images in my head of the music video or how big this might be live or the fans singing with it, it'll give me that chills feeling versus sometimes you can't explain why. It just doesn't, you know? So I. I've missed songs that way too. Could have just been all off.
- [181:19]
F
Day.
- [181:20]
J
Yeah. You know, but. But for me, it.
- [181:22]
A
Just. Your free song was love. Free.
- [181:24]
J
Song. I more or less did a nap before I got here. So if I go up there and miss one, my free song might be on E. No, no, we need.
- [181:30]
A
You up there with good. Yeah. So you need to fucking lock it in. Free song, pronounced free son, is a French word adopted into English, meaning a sudden intense shiver, thrill or shudder of excitement, fear, pleasure or awe, often felt as tingling on the skin or chills down the spine, commonly triggered by. By music. Feels like you're in the right space. Art or elegant speech. It's a fleeting sensation, a mix of physical chill and emotional intensity translating directly as shiver or thrill in French. And basically what they're saying is, yeah, bingo. Here.
- [182:00]
J
Here. Wherever it happens to you, you.
- [182:02]
A
Know, you can feel it. Yeah, that's what he's saying. All Right, last question. Actually, we got two more. AJ has one from Ohio. I.
- [182:08]
E
Apologize. What's up.
- [182:09]
G
Aj? Dude? What's up, Seth? Hey, I'm wondering with all these, like, elite performers, all these singers, songwriters that you're around and. And that you. You recruit, like, is there a common thread through all them? Like, is there one or two things that the great ones all.
- [182:21]
J
Have? Well, certainly songs, we covered that. But I would say if I was to mention something next, sort of the opposites attract thing that some people do. One of the best examples on our roster right now is Indiana boy Steven Wilson, Jr. Legend.
- [182:35]
A
Right? Fucking legend. This guy's story is.
- [182:37]
J
Incredible. Incredible. And. And he says this, he describes his country music as death cat for country. When we met him, it was. There was no one like him. So again, I don't know if there's a sports parallel there, a strategy someone has, but. But yeah, you know, I would. I would personally rather sign the people that are going to be go big or bust, you know, because they're so unique. They're not. They don't just fit into a crowd, which you would think sometimes a sign of music, you want to make sure you get things that you think has a high percent chance of working. Perhaps we have a luxury of that because we've had a few on the board keep providing business, but, you know, we really look for the unique and opposites attractive. Stephen does not exactly look how he ends up sounding. That's what I mean. That can also be in songs. Adele, Rolling in the Deep. It feels like a big positive melody, but heavy lyrics that just cut you like a knife. So that. That comes out in a few examples. But even in the human itself, I love opposites Attract, where you just did not see it coming. Someone very, you know, the human being.
- [183:31]
A
Is. And you smell wheat.
- [183:33]
J
Dude. Or no, I don't know. Every now and.
- [183:35]
A
Then. Yeah.
- [183:36]
J
Yeah. Blame on Florida, Georgia Line and Earnest if I.
- [183:40]
A
Do. Yeah, well, certainly. And.
- [183:42]
J
Also. And now.
- [183:42]
A
Pat. Well, hey, take it easy. We're in Indiana, obviously. Whenever we're in states, which is legal, we will certainly smoke all the time with the likes of Seth England. Aj. Do you hear his brain, though, dude? Like, this is. I hate.
- [183:53]
F
Suits.
- [183:54]
A
Okay? Sorry. I hate talentless suits. Okay. That. That is something that I. I don't like. I think it's a laziness. I think it's ineptitude. You talk about nepotism. I feel like these people got to the positions that they're in strictly because of the network that they have. Probably whenever they Were kids with their families, everything like that. I just have that natural reaction now. Am I able to be won over? Yes, I think I am a pretty fair person whenever it comes to that. But if you have like a drive and you say shit where it's like, wow, you've thought about that. Like you have special spent time not just at work when you're clocked in, you have spent time in your life focusing and thinking about this and provide a different idea or concept or a different way of looking at something. I am, I don't want to say wooable, but I am certainly win overable. And I think once you win me over, I am ready for war with you too. I think that is something that is very true. I don't know, I think it'll be judged definitely true. Whenever I'm done with this entire thing. You know, there's a lot of people that make anonymous quotes that have certain power levels to very powerful publishers and broadcasting companies and things like that that have had jobs for a long time that I do not get along with because I think they suck at their job. At some point they might have been good at their job, but in the modern world I don't agree with them because I don't think they're good. And I'm trying. We're trying to. Okay, we are trying to. Okay. So I don't really get along with those people and I'm not quiet about it either. I'm just like, this person sucks at their job. I am not working with this person. I've afforded my myself with the boys the opportunity to say that and do that. That's how this is going to go. Well, that's not how it's been forever. It's like, well, I don't. That sounds like a you.
- [185:30]
G
Problem. You would never do that to somebody that is, has awareness and has drive and cares about their.
- [185:34]
A
Job. You wouldn't do that. Care about their job is all like if you care about what you're doing and you care about putting something good in respecting the position that you have, there's other people that wish they had your position. Certainly there there. If you respect the position, any position up that that you have, there is somebody that wants that. But if it's a, especially in this business, there is and you're in there. If you respect the position that you're in and try and want to care like I will. Okay, I respect it. Even if I don't agree with you, I will. I think that is what history will say whenever I am and we are kind of done with how this whole thing goes. On that note, as soon as I talk to you, I tell boys immediately, I'm like, yo, this fucker is a thinker. This guy is a. This guy is a thinker. This guy is an executor. It is like, we are big fans of the way you operate.
- [186:18]
J
Man.
- [186:19]
A
Well. And I think there's no suspicions on why Big Loud is successful. I want to let you. Not just you, obviously, your team, but, like, you're. You are a good. You're a great suit, man. You are a good mind for our. Our.
- [186:29]
J
Society. Thank you. The feeling is mutual. You guys do not phone it in in sports media. I'm not trying to just follow you one back. Like, it's clear and evident. You try every day to be different, and that's why you'll continue to have.
- [186:38]
A
Success. Yeah, you just followed one back. This is our show. It's not yours. Okay, we will compliment you. Ty has the last question for you.
- [186:43]
C
Here. Speaking of the success you've.
- [186:45]
J
Had. Thank you very much. I appreciate.
- [186:46]
C
That. Speaking of the success, are you a Packers.
- [186:49]
J
Fan? I'm a mat Flor friend. A friend of the man. I support him. He's a Nashville guy for one year with.
- [186:54]
C
Rabes. Yep, that's.
- [186:55]
G
Right. Y. I mean, what's music with.
- [186:57]
J
Him? I'm sorry. Did I just.
- [186:59]
F
Decay?
- [187:00]
D
Our. Got a Patriots helmet right.
- [187:02]
J
Now. I'm sorry, Rabes. For six years. Even more so. Six.
- [187:06]
A
Years.
- [187:07]
J
What? Wish we.
- [187:07]
A
Had. But you didn't say.
- [187:09]
J
Anything. I'm sorry. Anyway, Go ahead.
- [187:12]
A
Sir. Go.
- [187:13]
D
Ahead. Not a frable guy. Learned a lot.
- [187:16]
C
Today. We did just learn a lot. That's okay, though. That's not. That's not what we're.
- [187:19]
A
Talking. Go, go. Go.
- [187:21]
E
Back.
- [187:22]
A
Go. Okay. It's going to be tough down the road. You guys lost a good.
- [187:24]
C
Player. Yeah, without a doubt. Well, again, we can talk about that off the air. I am curious, though, with how successful you are now. I would. I would guess that most young, upand cominging artists, like, it would be a godsend if they could come work for you and be a part of Big Loud. Has it gotten more difficult now with, I assume just more people, you know, believing that they're right for you guys and very talented and all that kind of stuff. I assume you have to sift through a lot more stuff now and going back to what you said about, like, your culture. Is it difficult finding people who, you know will fit? Because I assume you are kind of coming in contact with a lot of Very, very talented people that you believe you could make into massive.
- [188:03]
J
Stars. Yeah, and, and you know, maybe just like a roster, you don't have enough bandwidth or time for everything that you see that you think could be successful. You kind of just have to pick, of course, pay attention to what you have on your roster. Maybe not have too much of one style yet. Styles can be of season, so you may have a few in that vein. A few ways we've, you know, grown but still felt local is we started an office in Austin, Texas called Big Loud Texas. That's a partnership with Miranda Lambert, John Randall and Brendan Anthony. John Randall. No, man. How awesome would that be for the.
- [188:34]
A
Door? Welcome to Big Loud. Te lock.
- [188:38]
J
In. And then one of the co owners of Big Loud, Joey Moy, as I mentioned, he has more or less started Big Loud Rock in Los Angeles and the same things are happening there. I'm almost jealous of those two offices because they remind me of day one at Big Loud where it was very cultural and kind of all in. I would say it's not a requirement that you get along with our roster because not everyone's going to like each other again in sports, no different, you're going to have little rifts even within the same team. But I think we definitely think to ourselves, how would that go? Because on the good side of things, if they do get along well, it's natural and the roster is attracted to them. You know, art, artists break artists. That is very true. You know, in sports you never do anything alone, so a good teammate you had put you in a position to win. So artists break artists. Artists break artists. They do, they, they. Whether you take them on tour, whether you put them on a record, whether you, you just listen to their music, people want to know who they're listening to, you know, and that's, that's happened with Morgan. He, he jumped on the FGL tour a lot as an example. And throughout the years he would then check in with me or other friends of his in the business who you're working on. Always glad to be a good partner, you know, and many shows where he didn't have to do that, continues to do that. And I think he picks things that he likes. We don't ever ask him to pick something he doesn't like. So it starts there. But yeah, we always check on that, especially being Big Loud. I think we're an all together kind of company. So we see if that can. The camaraderie can help because it really.
- [189:54]
A
Can. Well, I think it has country radio named you the record label of the the.
- [190:00]
J
Year. Thank.
- [190:01]
A
You.
- [190:02]
J
Congratulations. That's the OG Building right there. Love that silhouette picture. Come see us in.
- [190:06]
A
Nashville. Yeah, they're in that building. They added on to it, I.
- [190:09]
E
Believe.
- [190:09]
A
Right. Have you added on to that.
- [190:10]
F
Regarding.
- [190:11]
J
We. We had to expand. We're across four different buildings, but by mid next summer, we're moving for sports fans, a few blocks from the Titans practice facility in that part of town. If you've been over there for any sports shows or coverage or anything. But we're. I'm hoping to keep that building. Craig Wiseman, if you're watching, I want to keep that building for some history's sake. Even before Big Loud, Garth Brooks signed his very first record deal in that building, when it's Capital records in the 80s. So I think it needs to be preserved and a lot of.
- [190:34]
A
History. Was I in the room where that.
- [190:35]
J
Happened? Yes. Yes, that was. That's Holman's writing room. He was passed on. And then the media room, he came back and he signed it there. And then all the Morgan music's been made there. Florida Georgia Line and many, many others. So I think they should keep.
- [190:47]
A
That. AJ I don't know if you've been through Music Row, what he just said about that particular building right there and Big Loud and. And what that cross the street. Hey, this building. Waylon Jennings recorded here. This, like, every building is like a museum. Music Row. You drive through it and it's like if you're with somebody that knows and they'll have billboards outside of the current music that they have and which their writers have created, top ones and everything like that out front of it. But if you're with somebody that knows music, like Ernest is from Nashville and he's in a music boom in that building. Elvis Presley, Presley in that building. And it's like one street you just kind of drive down, and it's like every single building and inside of that building, all those buildings, at any time of the day, there's somebody in there just trying to do one thing, and that's make a hit. That's all anybody is trying to do is just make a hit. And there's. It's a constant chase, I think, for every single building, constant collab. And it's like a really cool experience that you guys let me in on for like four, five days. And it was like, wow, this is all. Every day they're trying to get in there and hit the Powerball. Every day you're walking in to all these buildings. 2:00am you drive by, there's a light on in somewhere, somebody that headphones in trying to figure it out. 4am, 5am, middle of the afternoon. There is somebody in all those buildings just trying to make a hit and trying to chase the dream very.
- [192:06]
J
Much. It's very cool, Very cool scene, Very.
- [192:08]
A
Unique. And anything can.
- [192:09]
J
Happen. And it does. We.
- [192:11]
H
We.
- [192:12]
J
When. When the big loud guys. A lot of writers on that balcony. You kind of. If you can tell in that picture if they're congregated out there, there, maybe they're not in the same session together. And an artist drives by. This has happened on more than one occasion. The last one I remember, Luke Bryan stops in the middle of the street and gets out of his truck and he's like, hey, write me a hit record today. And gets back in the truck and drives on. And I'm like, now see, that doesn't happen in London. I don't think that's.
- [192:34]
A
Awesome. Nashville is sweet. We appreciate how kind you have been to us and hey, let's try to make a.
- [192:39]
J
Hit. Let's.
- [192:40]
A
Go. Well, you've already made a.
- [192:41]
J
Bunch. We're gonna go make more.
- [192:42]
A
Today. Let me get the stats.
- [192:43]
J
Here. Your teeth and n.
- [192:44]
E
God.
- [192:45]
J
Right? Come see us in.
- [192:46]
B
Nashville. Hell.
- [192:47]
A
Yeah. There really isn't much to do though. They come see you. They'll just be sitting outside. You guys got to figure out things for them to do. There's coffee across the street, I.
- [192:55]
C
Think. Oh.
- [192:55]
A
Nice. You can get good.
- [192:56]
J
Coffee. Too much to.
- [192:57]
A
Do. Yeah. But I'm just saying, definitely drive by, see the big loud building, take the photo and then. Yeah, you go do Nashville. Yeah, you're right. There is a lot to do in that. What a city.
- [193:06]
D
Dude. What a.
- [193:07]
A
Fantastic. You have. Have a good city.
- [193:09]
J
Though. Great city. It's a great city. I grew up coming to Indianapolis though. There a lot of memories.
- [193:13]
F
Here. Hell.
- [193:14]
A
Yeah. Well, it's hopefully making.
- [193:16]
J
More.
- [193:17]
F
Yeah.
- [193:17]
A
Boom. I thought you a coast.
- [193:18]
B
Fan.
- [193:19]
A
Right? Go.
- [193:19]
J
Ahead. I was and still am, by the way. I didn't. I didn't abandon it. I moved to Nashville. By the way, they were at Rose Hulman in camp for many. How. How many years are you there at Rose.
- [193:29]
A
Hulman? Two. No, first year. One year. One.
- [193:31]
J
Year. But many before.
- [193:31]
D
That.
- [193:33]
J
Yeah. Yeah. So I moved. I grew up in Illinois, but Terre Haute, Indiana was more or less my hometown. So I grew up seeing a lot of camp there. Became a big fan. RCA Dome a couple times, you know, very middle class family, whenever we could. And then when I moved to Nashville, it was a Year or two after that when the Payton departure happened. So, you know, for a lot of Colts fan in that time, if we moved out of town, you might have lost us for a little bit. And then I still definitely. I'm happy as I've gotten to know Pat cheer for him. And I think it's cool. What's happening this year. The Philip river.
- [194:00]
A
Stories.
- [194:00]
B
Like. Yeah, just getting.
- [194:03]
J
Started. Like the F1 movie. You know what I.
- [194:04]
D
Mean? Except Phil Rivers ain't winning like Sonny. Let's relax a little bit, you.
- [194:12]
A
Know, have you have no idea what you.
- [194:14]
D
Just. I'm a fan now. I'm all in on Cadillac. Like, I want to ask you about music engineers because the engineers in F1 are so.
- [194:23]
J
Important. What was it Toby Keith said? I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. And that Philip wrestler. Three more weeks. Let's go. I'm locked in on this right.
- [194:32]
D
Now. Let's hope he.
- [194:33]
A
Survives. Oh, he will. He knows what he's.
- [194:35]
J
Doing. He's a.
- [194:36]
A
Dog. Yes, he certainly is. But the F1 thing, I don't know if you know this, but our show pretty notoriously anti F1, you know, just because Indy 500 is right here. Indy car and everything like that. Now, I just want to let you know. Hold on, though, Seth. Big development here over the last couple days. I know. Don't even know if our fans know this. Darius Butler watched the docu series on Netflix, became a G1 fan, came into this particular program and was shoehorning F1 into our show. I was getting disgusted. Everybody was gross. Conor used to take his ears out and say, I'm not doing.
- [195:08]
F
It.
- [195:09]
A
Yeah. Conor watches this Brad Pitt. He comes in the other day. He's like, I'll tell you what, Cadillac sp, they're in.
- [195:16]
J
Indiana. A.
- [195:17]
A
Movie.
- [195:17]
D
Yeah. It is a movement like. Like, I. I am actually excited to watch it now. I'm only giving it one race. I'm not doing the whole, like, I'm here for a season. But I will give it one chance. I will give the.
- [195:31]
A
Cadillac. Don't be the Monaco.
- [195:32]
D
One. Yeah, not the Monaco one. The first one. I'm doing the season.
- [195:35]
G
Opener.
- [195:36]
D
Okay. Because think about how excited we.
- [195:37]
B
Are. That's where you close. That's where.
- [195:40]
J
You. By the way, IndyCar for life. Like, I grew up friends with Homeland families. I didn't mean to overlook IndyCar car. Like.
- [195:46]
B
It. Come on, we're the Pin. We're talking Pin. New.
- [195:50]
D
England. Like, racing sucks. Like, we don't have to play this. We have to. We don't have to do this.
- [195:54]
E
Okay.
- [195:55]
D
Yeah. Grew up in the Boston area. Just the four major sports. I mean, sure, New England revolution. Who gives.
- [196:01]
A
A. Either way, though. But.
- [196:02]
D
When. When it went moving out here, like, you get ingratiated in racing. Like, you go to the Indy 500 once, it's cool. You get.
- [196:08]
A
It. But you meet some of the drivers. There's go kart tracks out there that are having cars going 60 miles an hour, you know, as opposed to just where you're from, where it's, like, electric, like, out.
- [196:17]
J
Here. The governor's.
- [196:17]
A
Off. Yeah. It's actual racing. It's like. You learn more about racing, naturally, in. The Indy 500 is the world's largest sporting event every single year for good reason. So anytime F1 legacy, G1 was being mentioned on this show based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, I felt obligated to say, get that out of here. And I used to have a team of people on my side. And now what I'm learning is, you put Brad Pitt in a onesie, put him in a G1 car, everybody, he's a hero. He's all the way.
- [196:45]
D
Back. Not just Brad Pitt, though. Javier Bardem is a true, magnificent actor in this movie. But you understand. You. You understand the.
- [196:55]
B
Entire. I'm.
- [196:56]
D
In. Listen how I'm.
- [196:58]
A
Talking. I sound like.
- [196:59]
D
An. But I'm telling you, all of a sudden, I kind of get the whole entire thing. And I'm not going to try and Woo anyone to.
- [197:06]
B
F1. Use the words. Use the.
- [197:08]
C
Words. I.
- [197:09]
D
Will. Come.
- [197:10]
C
On. It's the pinnacle.
- [197:11]
D
Thanks. I'm not going that far.
- [197:13]
J
Yet. I haven't watched the reality show or the documentary piece on Netflix, but my wife and I went on our honeymoon in Italy this year, and we found out three days out that the race in Monza was the same day as we were in Milan. So we went to the race. That was my first ever F1 race. And I realized that I'm just, like, forever changed. You know what I mean? I went to the Pinnacle.
- [197:31]
C
Race. I'm not going that far. I mean, I think Brad Pitt lost me in the movie, but I.
- [197:34]
J
Understand. I was there in person. I got to.
- [197:36]
D
Deal. Yeah, I'm not calling it the Pinnacle until I watch a race, because I've watched an Indy 500 race, and it is so.
- [197:41]
J
Sick. But the way they party during the race, before the race, during the race, and after, and they're walking out in the track like it's nothing like I've ever Seen. It's a real. It's a real.
- [197:48]
A
Event. Well, congratulating your wife on getting married. She's great. Family's awesome. Thank you. Unlike you tomorrow, turning on this as well. It feels like I got nobody. Aj, are we.
- [197:59]
G
Still. You got.
- [197:59]
B
Me. You got.
- [198:00]
G
Me. I've seen the first 30 minutes of that movie. I will watch the rest of it. The movie could be great. It does not entice me to actually tune into a single file line. You know, time.
- [198:09]
A
Trial. This reminds me. So this reminds me from the way everybody has reacted to this Brad Pitt movie. Remember that Netflix had a documentary. It was turning everybody vegan. You remember that was happening. And I was like, I'm all watching it. I'm all watching it. And then everybody would be like, just be mentally tough. And then I watch another friend go down. Boom. I'm not eating burgers anymore. I'm like, why? Like, did you see the thing? I'm like, no. So I'm like, I'm not watching it. I'm staying at it. I put the same exact rules on this Brad Pitt G1 movie, okay? I love Brad. I really do. I will support the shit out of him, but I'm not watching it. I don't want to.
- [198:42]
D
Know. I get.
- [198:43]
A
It. I don't want to know. Who cares that the Cadillac team, the American team, is 10 minutes from this fucking office? It's located. It's based 10 minutes from here. Here it is. Literally right.
- [198:55]
D
There. They got the guys, too. The. The engineers did some research into him today. The team principal. Nonetheless, he's a legend over there. So I'm. I'm.
- [199:03]
J
Excited. It's a great story. You don't think there's a script writer right now writing down this Philip Rivers timeline and going one day? It's the perfect Friday night light scene. Rivers is coaching. His cell phone rings, and it's the Shane.
- [199:14]
A
Steichen.
- [199:15]
J
Yeah. Can you get on the plane.
- [199:16]
A
Tonight? Yeah. That's what I'm talking.
- [199:17]
J
About. It's.
- [199:17]
A
Tonight. Yeah. What you're talking about is turning people into Colts fans and football fans. I'm worried about seeing this G1 movie and becoming a G1.
- [199:24]
B
Fan. I don't want to watch Australian Grand Prix season.
- [199:27]
D
Open. I'm pumped. I already got it in my.
- [199:30]
A
Calendar. You know, it was 13 seconds ago. No, no.
- [199:34]
D
No. I knew it was in March. I just didn't know the exact date in the.
- [199:37]
A
Month. The whole month continent it was.
- [199:39]
D
On. I'm.
- [199:40]
F
Jacked.
- [199:40]
B
I'm. I'm a freaking watch unveiling the.
- [199:42]
J
Car. The super bowl, but still Indy car for life. I'm with.
- [199:45]
A
You. Who they you, Seth. And also, thank you for being with me during this musical.
- [199:49]
J
Journey. Thanks for having us. Thank you for. For working with big.
- [199:52]
A
Loud. Let's make some.
- [199:53]
J
Bangers. What are we.
- [199:54]
D
Doing? We need. We need a.
- [199:57]
A
Motivate. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change their life. Anything for the team here, Seth. Act like it's end of practice. You know, when everybody calls it.
- [200:04]
J
Up, big hits launch small names. Small hits slow down the big.
- [200:07]
A
Names. Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three. Team.
- [200:11]
B
Goodbye. Hi.
- [200:13]
H
There.
- [200:13]
A
Surprise. 30 for 30.
- [200:16]
B
Presents.
- [200:17]
A
Booyah. Can I get a witness with the.
- [200:20]
G
Congregation? You can't stop.
- [200:22]
A
Authenticity. Booyah. Stuart was exactly like you saw him on camera. Off camera. He dialed it up 10%. Can you imagine the impact of young black boys and girls looking at that going, I feel seen. He changed the culture. He changed sports.
- [200:37]
F
Stream.
- [200:37]
A
Booyah. Presented by Modelo. Right now on the ESPN app, the NBA is happening Christmas.
- [200:45]
H
Day. Five games, one unforgettable.
- [200:50]
A
Lineup. That's what Christmas is all about. Buckets for breakfast, breakaways for dessert. It's the holiday.
- [200:56]
B
Tradition. Christmas is all day with star.
- [200:58]
A
Power from across the globe. The stars, they are going to be out the best.
- [201:03]
H
Gift. You don't even have to unwrap.
- [201:04]
A
It. We want to say merry Christmas and happy New.
- [201:07]
I
Year. NBA Christmas day begins at noon eastern on ABC and.