PMS 2.0 1507 - Franchise Tag Deadline Day, Jeff Passan, 3x Olympic Gold Medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, Adam Schefter, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk

Summary

The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 – Episode 1507

Franchise Tag Deadline Day, World Baseball Classic Hype, and Mikaela Shiffrin Joins the Show

Date: March 3, 2026
Host: Pat McAfee (A), with AJ Hawk (E), Darius Butler (G), Toxic Table, Tone Digs (C), and guests Jeff Passan (H), 3x Olympic Gold Medalist Mikaela Shiffrin (F), and Adam Schefter (I).

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Pat McAfee Show blends NFL franchise tag deadline day discussion, rising World Baseball Classic excitement, exclusive insight from ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan, and an inspirational interview with skier Mikaela Shiffrin. Plus, Adam Schefter checks in live with up-to-the-moment NFL news, and the crew breaks down the latest on combine rumors, player movement, and more.

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Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. NFL Franchise Tag Deadline: Explaining the Stakes

Timestamps: 00:00 – 13:08; 74:37 – 93:47

• Main Points:

  • Pat details what the franchise tag is, its upsides (guaranteed money for the player) and downsides (limits long-term security).
  • Personal story: Getting tagged as a punter, celebrating the payout, and understanding other positions have more risk.
  • Multiple big names up for the tag as the 4pm deadline approaches: Breece Hall (tagged again by the Jets), Kenneth Walker (not tagged by the Seahawks and set for free agency), Daniel Jones (likely to be transition-tagged by the Colts).
  • Adam Schefter joins with live updates. He explains the difference between the franchise and transition tag:

    “Franchise tag basically kills any chance that a player has to move on ... Transition tag, another team could sign Daniel Jones to an offer sheet and the Colts could match.” – Adam Schefter (76:29)

  • The case of Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals gets attention—a complicated relationship finally ending as he heads to market (150:49).
  • Conversation on how the “Super Bowl tax” and cap realities lead teams like Seattle to let stars walk.

• Memorable Quote:

  “Players are getting guaranteed some money, teams are restricting free agency, and hopefully term deals will be struck. We shall see. Guys will be pissed...” – Pat (01:01)

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2. World Baseball Classic: Team USA Hype and Behind-the-Scenes

Timestamps: 02:28 – 31:02; 15:14 – 31:02; 120:20 – 126:23

• Main Points:
  • Pat and crew attended Team USA baseball practice—sharing anecdotes about how massive and talented the players are, their camaraderie, and the thrill of watching batting practice.
  • Jeff Passan breaks down why this is the most stacked Team USA roster ever:

    “It is unquestionably the most stacked team. ... When you look at this lineup ... that’s a bunch of 1,2,3 hitters.” – Jeff Passan (16:15)

  • The importance of recruiting Aaron Judge, and how pitching is finally a strength (Logan Webb, Paul Skenes, Tarek Skubal—though Skubal is limited, likely for contract reasons).
  • Behind the scenes: players' pride in the effort, the 10-run and 15-run mercy rule, and MLB’s open-arms approach to McAfee and crew.
  • Passan on WBC: “What it all comes down to, this tournament needs to create moments. ... If they do, it’s got real long-term health and sustainability.” (27:18)
  • Fun moments: Pat’s attempt at pitching (and soreness!) and being coached by legends like Andy Pettitte. “Pitching’s hard, man. ... Everything hurts today.” – Pat (05:49)
  • Banter about possible new traditions, like how to flex gold medals or use them as “belt buckles.”

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3. Olympic Inspiration: Mikaela Shiffrin Interview

Timestamps: 45:01 – 65:08

• Main Points:
  • Pat introduces Mikaela Shiffrin as “the greatest alpine slalom skier in history,” and the crew expresses awe at her sustained excellence.
  • Shiffrin explains the grind of professional skiing, being on the circuit from age 15, and racking up wins (“I have 8 or 9 reindeers as race prizes!” – Shiffrin, 47:49).
  • Detailed discussion on the difference between technical and speed events, Mikaela’s rivalry/friendship with Lindsey Vonn, and the depth of Team USA’s women’s ski team.
  • On Beijing 2022 disappointment:

    “It’s that cliché ... you have to have the rain to have the sunshine. ... I would not have gotten to this level without Beijing.” – Mikaela Shiffrin (55:53)

  • Her mental battles: “I had to shut off social media entirely. ... Had my psychologist there, my whole team ... all geared towards putting out my very, very best skiing.” (55:53)
  • Mikaela previews her interest in post-skiing life, including starting her own podcast and exploring what comes next, plus the difficulty of retiring from a lifelong sport.
  • Light-hearted segment brainstorming ways to display her medals (Headband? Belt buckle? “I’ll come back to you for more ideas”—Mikaela, 60:45)

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4. NFL Combine Rumors, Draft Scuttlebutt, and Media Literacy

Timestamps: 31:02 – 41:20; 96:38 – 105:27

• Main Points:
  • The crew addresses recent rumors about top draft prospect Caleb Downs’ health, calling out how these reports are often unfounded and how teams or agents might leak misinformation.
  • Reinforces that, according to multiple teams, “there is no significant concern with the knee” (34:00).
  • Darius, Tone Digs, and Pat use the Downs saga to talk about how NFL teams try to manipulate narratives before the draft.
  • Adam Schefter offers insight from the insider’s perspective about how stories get sourced, and how not all leaks come from agents or teams:

    “The point is, stories often and usually don’t come from where people think. Sometimes they do, but more often than not, they don’t.” – Schefter (101:15)

  • Entertaining side-conversations about Pittsburgh’s draft setup (the “Carnegie Science Center” stories), local meteorology legends, and Pittsburgh sandwiches.

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5. Other Notable NFL News & Offseason Player Movement

Timestamps: 105:27 – 147:03

• Main Points:
  • Free agency frenzy preview—Schefter will join McAfee’s show for live coverage, with the ESPN department and extra personalities flying in.
  • Discussion of what the QB carousel looks like, especially for the Vikings and Colts (Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, Tua, Kyler, rumors around Aaron Rodgers, etc.).
  • Kenneth Walker’s Super Bowl MVP was let go by the Seahawks (“Tough one to let a Super Bowl MVP walk ... but I trust John Schneider.” – Pat, 93:24)
  • Trey Hendrickson’s long-awaited freedom from the Bengals and the path to a payday.
  • Mike Evans’ likely departure and what he could mean to other contenders.
  • Miscellaneous NFL combine betting, the future of young QBs, the Vikings’ “JJ” (McCarthy) conundrum.
  • New stories break in real-time, e.g., Drew Dalman’s surprising retirement at age 27 from the Bears (157:45).

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6. Life, Sports, and Show Culture

Timestamps: Interspersed throughout

• Sports as the Great Unifier: Multiple affirmations that sports—despite flaws—are “the best thing we have, athletes should be celebrated” (67:06).
• Olympics and sports as life-prep:

  “Force your kids to play sports. ... It should be a necessity. ... Buy into your role, deal with people you don’t like to accomplish a goal.” – (70:01)

• Team USA Baseball Hospitality: Pat and the crew relish how warmly they were treated by Team USA and MLB, underscoring how sports’ camaraderie extends even to outsiders.
• Recurring humor and running bits: Yapping (talking), regional food debates, bowling segment banter, and playful brainstorming for new show segments (like the “Thunderdome’s World's Greatest”).

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Notable Quotes & Standout Moments

• Passan on Baseball Fandom (18:10):

  “Baseball is a game for everyone. ... You fan the way you want to fan.”

• Shiffrin on Perseverance (55:53):

  “It’s not always going to be gold, gold medals. ... When you’re in the trenches, you just have to keep slugging.”

• Pat on Daniel Jones’ Impact in Indy (168:36):

  “What Daniel Jones did for us, man, he saved an entire football city ... his talent was outrageous.”

• On Sports’ Cultural Value (69:04):

  “What athletes do and what sports can do for societies and communities is just so damn special. … Sports are the greatest.”

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–04:00: Franchise Tag deadline explained, Pat’s story
• 06:00–08:30: Team USA baseball camp tales
• 13:08: Jeff Passan joins, state of Team USA
• 16:15: Why Team USA WBC is “most stacked ever”
• 26:33: WBC as the “Olympics” for baseball; sustainability of the event
• 45:01: Mikaela Shiffrin interview begins
• 47:49: “I have eight or nine reindeer.” – Mikaela
• 55:53: Shiffrin on Beijing disappointment and mental health
• 65:08: Break – Adam Schefter segment begins
• 74:37: Shefter live franchise tag/transition tag explainer
• 120:20: Recapping Team USA experience, behind-the-scenes
• 150:49: Trey Hendrickson released into free agency
• 157:45: Bears center Drew Dalman retires at 27
• 168:36: Pat on Daniel Jones’ meaning to the Colts

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Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a vibrant, fast-moving plunge into “deadlines and dreams” across sports:

• NFL Insiders’ day: Major NFL names get tagged or cut, with Adam Schefter’s live input making the show the hub for up-to-the-minute news and contract intricacies.
• World Baseball Classic excitement: Pat’s first-hand experiences at Team USA camp highlight both the immense talent assembled and America’s revived affection for international baseball, bolstered by commentary from Jeff Passan.
• Mikaela Shiffrin shines: The Olympic legend delivers a candid, inspiring interview about handling expectations, overcoming heartbreak, and loving her sport—all while ribbing the crew about their “yapping.”
• Media smarts: The crew shows how to parse real news from smokescreens around the combine and the draft.
• Culture, community, and fun: Whether they’re breaking down contracts, brainstorming medal uses, or debating bowling alleys, the show’s unfiltered, joyous sports banter is always on display.

If you missed the episode, catch up knowing you’ll get informed, entertained, and reminded why sports matter—on the field and off.

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome on this franchise tag. Tuesday, March 3, 2026 this program begins now. Sports are fantastic and today football is obviously going to be a huge piece of the conversation because franchises all around the NFL are deciding whether or not to utilize the franchise tag or the transition tag on a player that they don't want to see hit the market. Now, the franchise tag, not necessarily beloved by the player's perspective. I once was a franchise tag player. You know, my contract came up, there was a new general manager in town who did not necessarily respect my Twitter account, although I think, we think now at this point probably should have. He certainly did not. We did not get along at the time. We did not see eye to eye. He was not there when I was drafted. He had no loyalty to me. So in return, if we all know how I operate now and how everything has gone, I'll let him know that there's no loyalty between us. Jim Mercy had to step in and say, hey, MacFie's not going anywhere. Boom. Franchise tag. The next day, all of a sudden, I'm told by a lot of other players that I should not be happy. But what I saw was $2.1 million being guaranteed to me to kick a football over the next 12 months. I was pumped to sign that thing, signed that thing, headed straight to Niagara Falls with Nick Maraudo and his little brother. And we had an absolute blast up there in Canada back when Canada was good to me. That's right. Those are good times up there in the old casino, the new casino, the Frankenstein over the Burger King, let alone Boston Pizza. And then there's a place, you get a linear tuning down there. The sun will set, but the sun also goes down. I mean, I had a blast up there in Niagara Falls as a teenager and that was my first trip. I went up there and I started talking around to people like, hey, why aren't we signing I'm a millionaire. I'm a millionaire kick footballs. What are we we're not happy about? Well, obviously if you get hurt this year, then obviously your future production and every other position other than kick and kicker and punter. The franchise tag is a lot of money, but it's certainly not the amount of money that whoever is getting franchise tagged is worth. So today you got a day where players are getting guaranteed some money, teams are restricting free agency for people, and hopefully term deal will be struck. We shall see. But guys will be pissed whenever they are getting guaranteed this amount of money because in return, what they're looking for is a long term stability and investment from the franchise in me, the person. This all goes down 4pm Eastern time. So about 3 hours and 57 minutes or so, teams will have a decision to be made. Breece hall, congratulations. You've been franchise tech once again. He's not going to be happy about this.

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay, so these players are not necessarily thrilled about any of this. Well, it's a lot of guaranteed money. It's like. Well, the reason why they're getting it is because the team doesn't want to see them go somewhere else because the money they're actually going get is about to be absurd. The average of the top three, I believe at your particular position, without all the bonuses, just average salary without all the bonuses is normally how they make up the franchise tag number. So then you obviously have differentiators there between what the market is and what you are. Most of the guys are going to get. Franchise tags are going to be number one or number two guys and their big term contracts will have bonuses in them. Those are not for this. This is just strictly a salary deal. So fascinating little thing, certainly a lot of money, not as much as the players want. And teams are able to say, yeah, you were going to be a free agent, but not anymore. We're going to pass the buck for at least another year. Players can still get traded once they sign a franchise tag. Players can still sign long term deals once they sign a franchise tag. And players can opt to not sign a franchise tag and say, I'm not doing any of this. And then it gets really ugly, really public and we all have to talk about it. That's basically what franchise tag Tuesday is in a nutshell. And we're thankful to be here. Team USA has their first practice game against the San Francisco Giants today. Paul Skeens will be on the bump. The lineup is absurd. I mean, they put the lineup up and it's just like, oh, I know who that is. Bobby Witt Jr. Got a chance to see him yesterday. He's got fat ass as well. I mean these dudes are Giants. Yeah, they are, they're, they are barbarian, like gentlemen.

[B]

Well put together, all of them.

[A]

I mean it was spectacular getting to watch them do their thing in person. Paul Skein's heading to take a dump right there. As you see that particular jog, his vibe's immaculate. The entire squad pumped up and it feels like they understand that they're representing for our country. And after what the hockey teams did, they are very evident Today they are proud to have USA across the board. Board. They got Brazil on Friday in their first game, then they got Great Britain. Then they're playing Mexico. Then they're playing Italy. Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants will be the ace against Brazil. Tarek Scuba will throw 55 pitches against great Britain. Go get your money. You gotta do your thing. Yeah. Why are you saying any of this stuff, though, Scoobs? Let D row the skipper be the one to say, ah, we're holding back because we understand what's on the line here. He doesn't need to be the one coming out saying absolutely any of this. His team. I told Boris that yesterday. I don't like that this is happening. Now. An official pitch count has come out. This guy's unbelievable at baseball. He's also on the precipice of generational wealth and also baseball wealth. So nobody in baseball wants to see him get hurt or waste any reps or do anything like that. But he wants to be a part of Team usa? I would assume so. They kind of met in the middle, but they don't need to be publicly saying all this thing because all it does is make this guy look bad. Especially when everybody else on the team's like, I am very thankful to be here. He is also thankful to be there. They're trying not to give up $700 million here. That is potentially going to go his way depending upon how all the negot negotiations go. And then Skeins will start against Mexico. The Aces are absolutely ready to go for the Team usa. And we're so thankful for the hospitality yesterday. MLB kind of put me in a little bit of a spot. What was that on X? They posted just one of my pitches. I know I had a lot of pitch now. Other pitches did look like that particular. But what was this? Well, that's what I had a lot of pitches. That wasn't my only pitch. Mlb. And you know that because your Instagram social media team kind of showed the full count of what was happening. That was to walk Clayton Kershaw there. That was the fourth ball at that particular case. There were other balls. That was certainly the worst one. Whenever we got in there, pitching's hard, man. I'm a la and everything hurts.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. I'm gonna tell you, everything hurts today. Everything. Ball's too small. Okay. I didn't grow up playing baseball. I grew up with the right ball. Sure, I like the baseball culture, okay. I'm learning more and more about it, but I'm spending pig skin my Whole life always that thing big.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[A]

That little tiny ball down there. My fingers didn't even know really what to do. There was a couple times where I was. It hurt. I mean, everything in me hurt yesterday. So you'll see how that all pans out. We're obviously filming Captain Judge. I appreciate the hell out of him doing what he was doing. Had some people say, this guy, not a captain. It's like everybody in there is like, hey, you're the guy. D. Rowe said he was his first call, you know, So a lot of people are wondering how this all came to be. Well, D. Rose first call was to Aaron Judge saying, hey, we need you on squad. That guy is our skipper right there. Icon.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Legend.

[A]

This guy is the greatest. Weird. We are. So he looks good in the uni, too. Yeah, he looks good in the uni. Hey, D. Row, I don't know what you've been doing, but I don't know if you're on the same stuff I'm on.

[C]

But, Jack, a lot of the coaching

[B]

staff, that was good.

[A]

Oh, the mayor.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. How about Andy Pettit? What's he doing, by the way? Talking me the entire time? Yeah.

[C]

Andy looked good, though, Dino, also.

[A]

Andy did coach you up.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

He made that adjustment and went well.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

Until it didn't. But, yeah, we appreciate the opportunity to be around greatness. Yesterday, we. We understood what was happening. We knew we shouldn't have been there. And how kind Bryce Harper did one of the boys, it feels like, which is so phenomenal. It was very, very cool to me to met Tony, Tony's boy, Anthony Upper. I mean, paisan's got a he. Yeah. Bregman had some 21 years old. Yeah. Bregman was put into a batting practice. Group of gold, I guess, would be the case. Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper Schwarbo. Okay. So whenever you look at the humans that were going into the backstop, I don't know what the hell that is. Yeah. Okay. Sounds smart. Into the cage. It's like Judge gets in there. Fucking giant. Okay? Bryce Harper gets in there. And you just hear the thing. Schwarbe gets in there. This one's for Fernando.

[G]

Boom.

[A]

And then Briggs gets in there. He's clearly shorter than everyone, all of them clearly smaller than him. And then all of a sudden, you just see some violent pop off the ball.

[B]

He's strong as an ox.

[A]

We got dogs all over the place. They were so incredibly kind to us. They have their first practice game today against the Giants over there at Papago I would assume, or Scott, whatever it is. And we're very excited for World Baseball Classic. And if you're not, that just means you haven't experienced it yet. These first couple games they got on Brazil and Great Britain and then Mexico, as, as a team, the boys might. And we learned this. There is a 10 run and a 15 run rule.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Okay. Nice.

[A]

At certain spots, the boys are taking a lot of pride in. Like, hey, let's go do this. Let's go. Let's go win this thing. All eyes are on the Dominican in Japan and with what World Baseball Classic is going to become, we think over the next couple of weeks. We are so thankful that they allowed us in there to kind of learn a little bit more and do our thing and let's go win that thing. We also have, obviously, conversations about everything else happening around sports. We have three time Olympic gold medalist Michaela Shiffrin joining us in about 20, 30 minutes or so. Can I wait to talk to her? She's a goat.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

30 years old. I did not expect that, especially with the Lindsey Vaughn info when we were learning about her. How long she's been around. I assume Mikayla, because we've known her seemingly forever now, decades at this point in doing her thing. Difference is, she does slalom. Okay. I guess Lindsey Vonn is more of a downhill. So these are two different versions of alpine skiing where they're going way too fast for me and living on the edge literally at all moments. And she's done that for America seemingly forever. 30 years old, so we got another 10, 15 years, 20 years of Michaela Schiffer dominance. We're thankful she will be joining us. And then Adam Scheffer will join us in a second hour just to see what he's hearing here on this franchise tag Tuesday. It should be glorious. Let's go over to the talks with TABLE. It's been a while at BostonConner at Ty Schmidt. Good to see you boys. Con man.

[D]

Yeah. Great to be back. It is awesome to be here back in the saddle, especially from, you know, the combine to Team usa.

[A]

Little bit of a run here. A little bit of a runaway.

[D]

A little bit of a run. It is awesome though. And you mentioned it. Sports are kind of flying right now. It's great to have the World Baseball Classic. College basketball is picking up. We've learned, you know, January, February, Cam, Boozer is kind of a new motto that some Duke fans. Yeah. Instead of March, they're saying boozer, which is awesome. But yeah, Duke, they're rolling I think Arizona just won their conference yesterday. Michigan State, all of it. It's incredible.

[A]

Yeah, college basketball should be spectacular. We might have a pretty big name joining us for the rest of college basketball. Okay, might. We might. I don't know. We gotta. I missed one already on this. That is a part of it.

[D]

Mj.

[A]

We're talking college basketball. This nine year NFL. Darius J. Father. It's not anarchy. Great to see you. You're fantastic. Thank you for traveling out to Arizona for yesterday. So much fun. One half of the hammer done. Cowboys ap. Tony's here. Tone. I don't know what the odds were on Seattle Seahawks franchise tagging Kenneth Walker, but breaking they will not franchise tag the super bowl mvp. So that means they're going to be working a long term deal with Kenneth Walker. I don't think I see a team just go ahead and let in a Super Bowl MVP running back leave the building. But I would trust John Schneider with whatever move he wants to make at this point. I believe he is certified. Now who now is poised. What did Sheffer say there? To become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens. There's going to be a lot of people interested.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Whenever there's 126 million people watch you take over a game and win a game when there wasn't a lot of points or offense, if anything, there's going to be a lot of people interested in Kenneth Walker. This modern era of the run game is the most important part of the offense. Not that it hasn't been forever, but there was certainly an era of NFL football where the run game was just kind of viewed as like, yeah, gotta have it. But doesn't really matter now we're in a standpoint. You go back to Saquon Barkley, you go back again. Now you got Kenneth Walker winning the MVP in the Super Bowl. The run game has to be real. And if you have a guy that can make people miss and a guy that can explode and break through the second level, I mean, there's a chance Kenneth Walker does something for the running back market that we haven't seen. D Budge.

[G]

Yeah, absolutely. We got a couple guys in that running back space that should be paid here. But I mean what he can do in the run game and with the ball in the air and if another team does get him, they won't be afraid to pay him because you look at him, he's been splitting carries with Charbonnet. So you would think he's got a lot of tread left on those tires, man. But yeah, putting on that show that he did in the playoffs and then the Super Bowl. I'll be shocked if Snyder lets him out of that building. Remember the last, you know, the lob days when they had Marshawn? He was kind of there. He put it all on his back. So I expect him to keep nine in that building or at least try their best to.

[A]

It would be hard just to let that guy leave after winning the super bowl mvp. But hey, once again, we trust Schneider.

[G]

That's right.

[A]

We trust not to throw a football for charity.

[D]

No.

[A]

Okay, we won't ever do that again. We won't. We certainly won't do that. But we certainly trust that he'll make the right decision for the team going forward because he's already done that now. Team is up for sale. Does that change anything on how they spend money? On who in what position? I don't think so. But good luck to all parties. Congrats, Kenneth. Getting a long term deal. Dude earned it, brother. Joining us now is from the baseball world, ladies and gentlemen. It just got announced that he resigned with ESPN to be the face of the baseball for the next foreseeable future.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Multi year.

[A]

Multi year. All right. What are we guessing? We're guessing five.

[C]

20, 27.

[D]

I think he's a savage.

[A]

They're saying 23 year deal.

[B]

No, three.

[A]

Okay, okay. You're 20 year. 20 year deal. I'm with buck him up. I mean there's a chance that he did sign a 20 year deal at this point strictly because he is a suit. Now that would be a terrible decision for JetPasson to sign a 20 year deal. But maybe he just wanted a little comfort. Maybe he wanted to get comfortable. And what we know is that whenever he's talking balt. We're listening ladies and gentlemen, a man who knows everything about Jet passage. Congrats on New Deal. 5.

[H]

Am I supposed to say how many years?

[A]

Yeah, it's good for you. So we know when you're up, brother. Yeah, I mean that. Listen, you do. I'm not going to get you in any shit with anybody. I'm assuming it's a four or five year deal. Did you work an opt out in in your favor or. No, no, no.

[H]

No opt outs, no deferred money, nothing like that. Just a.

[A]

Just straight up beer. We don't know. We don't know what the salary cap is. I mean, you know, we got to work a little salary cap. Gym would like to say. Jetpassen, you've gotten to a stage of your Life where you should be looking at an opt out at least at some point in your contract so you can renegotiate that thing and get to fair market value. But we are very pumped and thankful that ESPN decided to do the right thing and bring you back. That's a good decision, we think.

[E]

Thank you.

[H]

And let me say this. I am not just pumped to be back, but I'm incredibly appreciative of what you guys do for me and for baseball as well. And seeing you guys out there in Phoenix yesterday, it warmed my heart. It really did. Because, you know, it's taken some time, but I think you guys, I think you get baseball now. I think you get why I love it and why every time I come on this show, I'd like to think that people see the passion I have for it and for this game and the people in it and recognize that in a world that is dominated by football, understandably so, there's room for other sports in that. Baseball and the niche it has is pretty awesome.

[A]

Okay, so speaking, speaking of all of that, I think you are right. And the more we've gotten to know the baseball culture, remember I was never around, like actually never embedded in baseball culture in my entire life. Not as a kid. Hey, everybody does T ball. No, I didn't even do T ball. I did no baseball. So I don't know anything about the culture. I don't know anything about the people. You have done an incredible job in my eyes of informing me and others like me about what we should care about baseball, why we should care about baseball. In the process of doing all that, we got new rules in the game. It feels like we got more star power than ever. And whenever you think about W, I think people that aren't baseball people are going to get locked into this. And I'm only saying that because a few years back at the last one I was dialed in. Feels like Team America is ready to go. Jet, I know you weren't able to be out there yesterday because you were too busy signing new deals with espn, but the boys are locked in. It feels. What are your thoughts on Team USA and is this the most stacked team in the history? And how do we bow it against the Dominican Republic team? And the Japanese are obviously the reigning WBC champs.

[H]

It is unquestionably the most stacked team. And all you have to do is just look at the lineup today in their exhibition game against the San Francisco giants, Bobby Witt Jr. Third best player in baseball, leading off Bryce Harper, Superstar extraordinaire, hitting second, Aaron Judge, best hitter in the world. Third, Kyle Schwarber, bombs. Fourth, Alex Bregman, Cal Raleigh. I think Roman Anthony's hitting. Seventh, Byron Buxton. Eighth, Bryce Tarang, ninth. That's a bunch of 1, 2, 3 hitters. By the way, Paul Skeens is going to be on the mound. And when you can come into a tournament like USA is right now, and you can go with Logan Webb, Paul Skeens, Tarek skubal and Nolan McClain in the past, Pat, it's been difficult getting pitchers on board with the WBC just because it's such high quality play early on, and guys usually aren't built up to the point where, frankly, they're ready to just go in and act like this is a playoff game. But that's what it feels like when you're wearing USA across the ch, when you're wearing Samurai Japan across the chest or Dominican Republic, it's just more meaningful. I covered four Olympics, Pat. I saw it up close and personal and didn't really understand what it meant. Until you see the athletes in that environment, they care more about this than they do just about anything. And that this has just sprouted up in the last 20 years and turned into what it has. I think you got to give baseball a lot of credit for having this idea that there really wasn't anything solid international nationally. And so let's build something. And they've built something that I think is their last.

[A]

And we would like to say thank you to mlb, who put the world baseball class together for not gatekeeping us out of mlb, you know, like. And you as well, because I know there's a lot of baseball purists and traditionalists because it's been around a long time. And believe me, I understand. To be a fan of baseball, you gotta be fully committed.

[H]

Whoever those people are need to go away. Baseball is a game for everyone. It doesn't have to be your favorite sport. It doesn't have to be number one on the list. You can still love it regardless. Fan, fan the way that you want to fan. And if it's casually or if it's die hard, as long as you're still looking at that game and saying, I like baseball, that's ultimately what matters.

[A]

Okay, So I appreciate you saying that. You've always been like that with me because I've said some things that don't make sense in baseball. Once again, because I don't get it. But the more I'm around it, the more I love it genuinely. They had an infield practice Yesterday. Oh, man, Got to watch.

[C]

It was Dino was hitting a mean Fungo.

[A]

Yeah, Dino from the Dodgers. Dino Devil.

[H]

Do you know, Abel's about as good with the fun go bad as anyone out there.

[A]

Yeah, I guess he put up a perfect game yesterday and even hit pop ups to the catcher. That from my understanding, so high. Very impossible with the bat. I guess that is a tough thing to do with the bat. He was the Fungo bat or whatever he was using. So there he is. This man is an icon. Also has thrown for, I think three home run derby champs. Yep. And was also throwing BP for the boys yesterday. And then. Oh, yeah, he's got the Fungo bat, too. Flying around as they're doing that. That Dino fella. The weapon chart. Hey, he loves. Yeah, I mean, he was throwing it out there. I need to do a little bit of that. Maybe I should have been watching him a little closer while I was doing it. Okay, let's start chit chatting about Tarek Skubal. Okay. So he obviously, I don't like that this has happened. You could probably tell me why it has happened. We had Scott Boris on the show yesterday. We understand the way he operates at the Boris Corporation. Obviously, Skubal is one of his guys. He said there was 50 lawyers in there for his particular arbitration. The largest difference in the history of arbitration was 13 million. It came out. I don't know who put it out, whether it was the Tigers that released it or Skubal's people released it. Like, hey, he's only doing right after the men's and women's hockey gold medal. Everybody's riding this high. Team usa. And then it comes out. Scuba's only pitching one game, so get the most you can out of this guy. Okay. And then it comes out he's only throwing 55 pitches, this guy. So depending on how they do it, I don't think they should have said anything. I think if they would have a conversation with D Row, I think D Row would have been like, we'll manage it. Let him take the bullets. Let D Row be like, Scubal's on generational wealth. We got other pictures. We're trying to take care of our guy. If we need him, we'll do that. But that seemingly wasn't the angle here. How should we be viewing what's going on? How common is this? And when does he get his deal done with whoever? Is that Very near future. Is that after this season?

[H]

That's going to be after this season. Unless Detroit does something which nobody in the industry Anticipates which is paying him enough to lock him up long term. And you know, when you're Tarek Skubal coming off two consecutive Cy Youngs best pitcher in baseball and you have the opportunity to get a larger contract than any pitcher in the history of the game, you gotta be a little careful. Like I get it, I don't like it. I get it though. And look, you gotta look out for yourself. And the fact that he gets to wear Team USA's uniform I think was important to him. And you know, at the end of the day, Tarek Skubal just wants to be healthy at the end of the season because if he is, he's going to get 400 plus million dollars in free agency.

[A]

And we understand that. I think. Hey, I think, I think we understand that. I just think it was a stupid idea to make it sound like it was coming from Scubal, like, you know what I mean? Like it seemed like the way it was reported, it was like this is Scubal's decision. Scuba would probably go pitch every game in this Team USA if he could. If I had to guess, he'd be an absolute dog. So this is the business, people around him making this decision which once again best maybe in the history of SP sports around and making these decisions. But we should have pawned that off on D Row like we should have pawned that off on Rossi, Sean Casey, Andy Pettit. We should have pawned it off on them saying hey, this guy's about 500 million. Like we're, we all have been in this situation before. We're just happy he's here now. On that note, what does that mean for the pitching rotation for Team usa Because Skeens is in. How many games should we expect him to pitch? How about Logan Webb on the San Francisco Giants? How many games should we expect expect him to pitch out there? What about all these other pitches that are listed? What should we be expecting from these studs? And how many games in total are we needing to win to win the entire WBC jet for America?

[H]

There are going to be seven games if you get to the finals. And so Tarek Skubel dropping out. Listen, it's never great when the guy who's the best pitcher in the world is not going to be there for you when you could have had him. But Logan Webb is just so, so consistent going to be starting game one. Paul Skeen's right there in lockstep with, with Scubal for best pitcher in the world. He's going to be around to the end. And I think there's a realistic possibility, pat, that Nolan McClain, a guy who's had a half dozen big league games in his career, who's going to be a rookie this season, could potentially be starting the finals. If Team USA makes it there and you see all the other names on the screen there. You know there are legends like Clayton Kershaw who's probably going to come in either in emergency role or in a blowout game. But the number of high end pitchers that Team USA has this year is so much better than they've had in past seasons. In past WBCs they've run out sort of like mid level starters. They haven't had the studs. This is the first time that they've had real buy in on the pitching side. And that's why I think Team USA is the favorite in this wbc. As successful as Japan has been, not just the last time around, but winning three of these things and as much talent as there is with the Dominican Republic. Republic, nobody can compete with Team USA just in terms of pure talent right now. But baseball's a funny game, man. Talent doesn't always win. And one thing that Team USA has not been able to do over the last couple times is really lock this thing down.

[A]

We're going to, they, we're going to,

[H]

they need to, they, they, they have to. Because I don't know the next time around whether they're going to have as much talent as they do right now. This might be the most talent we ever see on a Team USA D

[A]

row is going to say we're going to have talent every time. Okay, we're gonna do that. They have taken an approach of, they've been recruiting since last March. I mean they've been putting together plans since last year, you know, and I only just so happened to be on a bus in which some of it was being discussed. And I just poke my ear in and start listening. I'm like, oh, I'm fascinated by this. And I start, I start getting some background information. It's like that entire coaching staff, all the boys by the way, all ex players, legends out there, they've been selling, taking trips to people saying, hey, this is what we're looking for, this is what we're hoping for. We have to, right? Don't we kind of have to for Japan. And from my understand now, Skubal's got a different animal on best pitcher and you gotta do his thing. But everybody was like, yeah, if they signed up for it, it's like yeah, we ain't losing this shit. So it feels like it's a very locked in group.

[H]

You know where it started? It started with Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge was the first one to commit. And Aaron Judge just has such immense respect from his peers. The way he conducts himself, the way he trains, the way he just operates in New York, which is an extraordinarily difficult way place to play. And he does it in a man that is both welcoming and accommodating, but also holding others accountable. And I think it's like if Aaron Judge is signing up, what excuse does anyone else have, right? Like he is the best. He's the captain of the New York Yankees. If he's gonna be there, why aren't you?

[A]

Yeah. And I think D. Rose said Judge was first call. Okay. So then whenever he knew that if Judge goes in, it'll be an easier sell for everybody else. But like Paul Skeens, I don't know how his big ass was ever going to fit in a fighter jet. I I gen. I genuinely have no idea how that was ever going to happen.

[B]

He wasn't.

[A]

I don't think, I don't even think his ass was going to be able to get in there. I'm sure he would have made it happen. But like playing for America, for all these like Bryce Harper talking about how like in Jos. I played for America and what it was like to kind of do it. It felt really cool yesterday. I don't know how long that lasts. I know they're living in hotels for the next few weeks. Obviously families will come and go. Their season seemingly, seemingly starting earlier than before. They're away from their teams. Like they're, I don't think they're making money. Bryce Harpers have no idea what the money is. So like I don't know how long the juice will last for this entire thing, but it feels like they're about to give it a go for the country, which I respect. Okay, we know you got to get out of here soon. Ty, is the last question for you.

[B]

Yeah, so speaking of that Jet and this might be the best collection we'll ever get, but with baseball not being in the Olympics anymore, and I know that right now it is kind of the perfect storm in terms of everything that just happened with hockey and all that kind of stuff. But do you expect this to kind of be the expectation, expectation moving forward for the like USA as a whole where like this is the most important thing, you know, before the season and like we will have kind of the, the best of the best who will be signing up and playing for this. Like it. Do you think this tournament is going to continue to carry the kind of juice it has right now over the next several years? And it will be, you know, kind of a thing. Yeah, like our version of, of, you know, I mean, because these guys are talking about winning a gold medal. Like it is an Olympic gold medal.

[A]

Right.

[H]

You know, ultimately, is it ever going to stack up to the Olympics? No, probably not. And by the way, baseball is going to be in the Olympics in 2028 and there's some real optimism that big league players are going to be there as well. That being said, regardless of what the public thinks the WBC is, the players are bought in. And I think the more that the players are bought in, the more the public is going to go there with them. But what it all comes down to is this tournament needs to provide moments. And last time around, man, there were some real moments. Like that lasted bat between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Two teammates, two guys who love each other in a one run game in the championship with two outs in the ninth inning. It's like what every kid who has ever swung a bat in the backyard was thinking of. And we don't get a lot of those moments in meaningful games. You know, we saw it in the World Series this year. But if, if the WBC can continue to provide that, I do think it's got real long term health and sustainability and is going to be something that Major League baseball and the players can, can look at every year is, is something that they're really looking forward to.

[A]

We love the vibes, we love the energy. We cannot wait to watch. I know you got to see me one pitch. Maybe if you're on Twitter. Couple more. You looked great on Twitter. On Instagram, I threw a strike. They showed a strike. They showed a strike on Instagram.

[H]

I mean, I mean it was. I mean, I guess it was in the zone, but you talk about that one. Lord, man, that was.

[A]

That's Twitter. That's the only one I posted on Twitter. That's misinformation. Also.

[H]

You also acknowledged to Clayton, there's no

[A]

way I'm gonna throw it over the place. Yeah, yeah. And that wasn't the first time I said that. Actually, there was. There was a few other times where I said that throughout the entire process, I threw other pieces.

[H]

Patrick, I'll say this, this. You look damn good in the uniform and that's what matters.

[A]

I'll tell you what, Harper thought the same. Yeah, Harper's just talking about all the peptides. I mean the baseball guys immediately were just like. That's science in a nutshell right there. I'm like, all right, true, but valid, boys. That is valid. That is 100% valid. But I. I think my body type and some of my athletic abilities would have boded well for baseball. Now, I don't know if my attention span would have helped me in that sport. I think there's a lot of patience and things like that.

[H]

Look at the shoulders.

[A]

Yeah. I mean we're left.

[C]

You'd have to catch J.

[A]

This is what lifting ace. But on that note, yeah, I would have been very active. We. We would had been in there. What do you think happened between me and Kershaw, hitting wise? What do you think? We'll be releasing that video here in a little bit. What do you think happened for me and Kershaw, hitting wise?

[H]

I got to be honest. Kirsch can rake a little bit like he was.

[A]

No, no. Him pitching to me. Him pitching to me.

[D]

To you.

[A]

Yeah. Full inning, three outs.

[H]

Oh, you took him yard.

[A]

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, that's brand new contract. Ha.

[E]

Jeff.

[A]

Thank you. Jet. Yes.

[B]

Little tease.

[A]

Four ball maybe, huh? You tell me. You find out they just locked him

[G]

up for 20 years.

[A]

Who? Jet?

[C]

Yeah, ESP.

[A]

He said, I guess I'll say anything. 20 year deals sounds so good. And then you get three years into them, you go, huh?

[B]

How many more I got?

[A]

When's this thing? 17 more. Yeah, but remember when you sign this thing, right? This is what we wanted forever. Yeah. How about him not saying how many years it was? He was like. Am I supposed to say it's like. You definitely want people to know when you are up, Jet, if you're going to be good at your job now, if you were going to be bad, you do not want anybody to know when you were up. Jet. Passing has been great for us. Angry great for baseball. The World Baseball Classic is going to be awesome. Just please trust us. These first couple games are going to be boring because we are going to murder these teams.

[B]

But which

[A]

home run derby is happening in the name of America? Hopefully also Sweet. You know that is off couple midnight. All right, let's. Let's move along here. Now there are some news coming out of the combine now. Everything right now, smoke and mirrors. Whenever it comes to prospects, especially really good prospects, you never know what's real, what isn't real. There was something that kind of hit the Internet. Sonny Styles, that was not his dad. Turns out, well, it was his dad. But we apologize. Yeah. Two time Big Ten, all Big Ten NFL guy. We assumed that was possible believable. So just know, sir, you could potentially, I think with modern science get to that point. But it was only out of respect. Now Caleb Downs, okay, there's a report coming out and who knows what's real and what is it. But we do know that even the people that aren't considered real, if their shit generates enough traffic, it does become a topic of conversation for people around the league, especially if it involves somebody who was deemed a Hall of Famer the first day they were on campus in Alabama. We reach out to the Downs family. The Downs family immediately sent us to a suit, sent a thumbs up. Never going to do that. So then we go to a couple NFL teams and we try to get a little follow up on what we have heard. Multiple NFL teams have told us there is nothing in the medical that would deter us from bringing Caleb Downs in, especially with how great of a football player it is. It feels like this is a part of this entire process and who knows what's real and what isn't. But we do know that like this kind of made its run on the Internet. There's a lot of people from around the league, not fan bases, that were like, hold on, how are. I was told Downs was flagged with partially torn meniscus this week. That is not a serious concern. But also being flagged with a potentially degenerative acl. It's like these are big deals. Obviously, whenever you're talking about investing millions of dollars into a pipeline player, especially one that could be a franchise player like Caleb Downs. But we. Every NFL team we talked to, there wasn't one NFL team that we talked to this morning that said anything was wrong. And we talked to Multiple. So this feels like it's all bullshit, but this is kind of the name of the game in this time because that might be a team that likes him the most that is putting that out there, actually hoping that he will fall a little bit. So we got to stay on our P's and Q's here, I think.

[G]

Deebo, unfortunately, it's part of, especially in this kind of day and age, in this environment, that could very well not be a team or agent, just be a loser on the Internet or somebody just with some bad information trying to make a name for the himself and become the next, you know, Mel Kuiper, whoever it is out there. But Caleb Downs, he's a phenomenal football player. Like we've watched him boots on the ground A few times at Alabama and O State. Last year in a national title run and this year with the run all the way to the Fiesta Bowl. I mean, communication, tackling, like everything you want from a football player on that second level, second and third level. That's what Caleb Downs is. You see a lot of impact players in the NFL right now who do multiple things like a Kyle Hamilton or Nick Iman Warrior or these guys kind of Twink Derwin, you know, Witherspoon, who made, who had a huge Super Bowl. All these guys that can cover that can blitz, that can tackle an open space and just as importantly, communicate pre and post snap. And Caleb Downs provides all that. Second generation NFL guy, his brother's doing his thing here. I can't wait to see this guy on the next level. I hate that we have to deal with bullshit like this.

[A]

Just got a text from an NFL team who's watching while you're talking. Everything D. Buddy's saying is right. His stock won't drop because of any medical. There is no significant concern with the knee. Okay, that's. That was enough. So that's like the fifth team there that has kind of said that. And I'm happy we're getting ahead of this because those types of things start to linger and then they take on a story of their own. And then all of a sudden this guy can't run anymore by the time the draft comes and it's like, what? None of this is real and Caleb Downs can't come out. If Caleb Downs was to come out publicly and be like, my knee's fine, people would be like, oh, that's what I would say too. It's like a. This is the drawback of this type of shit, you know, when there's billions on the the line. And especially if you think that's what K. Downs could do for your team, which literally the first day he was on campus at Alabama. This is Sabins, Alabama, the first day Caleb Downs showed up on campus, the OGs of the team, NFL guys, they told us directly, we're like, da. There's a gold jacket right there. That guy is a gold jacket guy. He obviously transfers over to Ohio State, national championship, has the time, best player on the field, whenever he's on the field. So I guess these types of things are going to happen to those types of guys during this draft process. But we would just like to let fans know that there is also another story out there from the people that are making the decisions in the NFL saying, this ain't real. Now will he have knee problems down the road? Like, is there a chance he has arthritis and shit in his knees? Potentially. Like these are things that happen to a lot of guys, especially if they played a lot of sports or a lot of football. But this is happening to dudes all the time. So if you want to pick and choose what you put out to potentially build a narrative, that's certainly one thing. But every team we have talked to said this is a non issue for us. If it was coming to draft time

[D]

and it feels like he never dealt with injuries. Like you could basically say every human in the world has a potentially degenerative ACL if we're really getting technical with it. All I can remember from Caleb Downs, especially from the field passes, is how fast he is and how whether there's 20 yards of open space and it's one on one with a guy, he makes a tackle every single time. I mean he literally is one of the best football players, players we've probably been able to see up close and personal. He almost started the game, the Rose bowl off against Michigan with a pick six. If J.J. mcCarthy didn't throw a football 95 miles an hour, like he is unbelievable. And think about the guys that he's been around. He's played for Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach of all time, then he has played in Matt Patricia's NFL type defense. Like between the smarts and the production, he is probably one of the best players on defense in the entire NFL or in college football.

[A]

Where do the sportsbooks think he's going to get drafted right now?

[C]

I mean he's, he's listed anywhere. Top 10 is what everyone is expecting. Anywhere from 2 to 10. I've seen a, I can't remember who was at 10, but it was like he's probably not falling past there. Thank you very much. Bengals at 10. Yes. If, like if the Bengals who, a team who have struggled on defense for so many years now, who have a great offense, if he gets bastard 10, that would be shocking. 12. There's no chance he gets past Dallas in my, in my opinion. But I've seen anywhere from the jets at 2 all the way to 10, somewhere around there. He'll probably be up there.

[A]

Yeah, somebody's working here.

[D]

Yeah. Yes.

[C]

They want him, they want him to fall, they want him to fall farther

[G]

than you got it. You got a guy that, that improves your run in your past defense immediately. You know, obviously a three down guy, but like that's what you need. I mean 40, we're in a four down league now. So you need a guy like that who's probably going to play 99% of snaps, maybe be a green dot guy. So he, he instantly improves. A lot of times you get a pass rusher, he may not help run defense, may get an interior guy, he may not help pass rush. This guy does everything and he's going to make the players around him better as well.

[A]

And didn't Fernando Mendoza do a interview at the combine and say one of the teams told him like, hey, could you get arrested? Yes. Yeah, yeah. So you could drop a little bit. That is really how some of these teams are thinking. Especially if it's a game changing type player like Caleb Downs. Yeah, definitely is in this whole thing.

[B]

And especially when a lot of people are saying, hey, this guy might be the best player in the draft class and just because of the position he plays, he's not necessarily going to go in the top five. But I read an article this morning that it was a, it was an anonymous, you know, scout or gm. I can't remember who it was specifically but they said Caleb Downs would be a top 10 pick in the last 20 years, every single year. So there's not one draft you look at and you wouldn't that that's how good this guy.

[A]

Generational type.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Especially from a family of athletes as well. Congrats to him him on having to survive all the bullshit because it's going to be a fortuitous draft night for you in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with all eyes headed that way. What's the date of that particular draft?

[C]

April 24th, 3rd, 4.

[A]

Yeah, April 24th. I cannot wait.

[D]

20's the Monday.

[A]

Pittsburgh is going to be bananas. Yeah, we're going to be out there. I believe we're going to head out there on Tuesday. That. That the Football Town movie that is at the Raven Views. Cuman Science Center.

[C]

That's not what I call it.

[A]

But we do though, we know the story of why it's called that. Yeah, they should have kept Carnegie in there.

[D]

Thank you.

[A]

They should. It should be the Cuman Carnegie Science center is what it should be. April 23rd there in Pittsburgh. The Carnegie Science center is something that has been a Pittsburgh staple basically our entire childhood. You take school visits to this thing. They've always had like a sphere. Before the sphere existed, the entire ceiling was do things they'd show you like constellations or like Everest. It was like a school. It was always like for kids basically in the Carnegie family. Carnegie Mellon. Carnegie this, Carnegie that. Carnegie Steel. Yeah. Carnegie Science center, they were the ones that donated all the money. This place, this is a fixture in Pittsburgh for everybody, basically, since we're kids and this sphere thing is always really cool. I always. I just assumed everybody had it. Then when the sphere came out, I thought to myself, oh, that's like Carnegie Science. Which is an interesting, you know, kind of dynamic. I believe the story goes that the Carnegie Science center people reach out to a family in Pittsburgh who liked what they were doing and said, like, hey, we need to do some upkeep to the place. Would you like to donate? And they were expecting, like, I don't know, like 100,000, 200,000, $300,000.

[G]

Good donation.

[A]

And I think they ended up getting like 40 million or something. They're like, all right, we'll take the Kardashian family. Yeah. Because I was. As soon as I showed up and I heard about being a part of the football town, I was incredibly honored. Like, I'm a voiceover Pittsburgh Football. Like, first of all, I don't deserve that. And also, this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Thank you, NFL Films. And thank you. I think there's a sky dance, maybe is a part of that. Thank you for choosing to do that. To kind of put into perspective what our city is and how much football means to Pittsburgh. It is. This thing is awesome. It was an honor to be a part. I mean, this was multiple days shoots a little this, shoot this through this, do this. I was very thankful to be a part of. But it is launching the Cuman Science center just there. I believe tickets are available now. They had a premiere, I think, last week, last Tuesday or something like that. I am going to be trying to rent out the whole place, one of these draft night things so we can have a good time in there to go watch it. Because I have yet to watch the entire thing. It is going to be special. So I think we'll go out there probably Tuesday, we'll do our show somewhere around Pittsburgh. Wednesday, this show, and then Thursday for first round of the draft. We won't have our show, which is custom during the day, and then we're with you for the first 10 hours of that night. One NFL draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That should be a special times. We know Caleb Downs name is going to go early and then we're going to have another four and a half hours of show afterwards. And that should be a good time.

[C]

Yeah, I saw football town was 98% on rotten tomatoes, so that's pretty good.

[B]

Certified Fresh.

[C]

I got an idea where we should do the show on Wednesday, but I'll save it for later.

[A]

What do you think it is?

[D]

Come on.

[C]

I think we should do it on the Gateway Clipper.

[A]

All right. We're not doing it on a boat. We will find a place. We will.

[G]

I got to start fact checking in your Pittsburgh stuff.

[D]

What do you mean? They got a fazil.

[G]

We've been. And look. Joe dinardo. Yeah, my goat.

[A]

Yeah. He's all about holy.

[D]

I agree.

[G]

I don't want to be the guy Foxy, but you guys told me he was. And it was only him. Nobody else in the conversation. Then I opened which can't believe the. You see on X. I'm seeing another name.

[A]

What? What do we. What was his name? The guy that called in with the suspenders on our show. Craig.

[D]

Nope, not him.

[G]

Him.

[D]

Now There is a LeBron to the.

[C]

I had never seen that name before.

[D]

What?

[A]

What?

[G]

Me either.

[A]

I've never seen either. This is fake. They're going for some trouble.

[C]

I trust Joe Denardo's understudies, Jeff Forella.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

That's the guy.

[A]

That other name that was out there. Not nobody knows what we're talking about right now. And I was like, I'm okay with that. Normally not okay with us not letting people watch in on the inside that we're talking about. I would like everybody. You need not explain. You don't want to change. No. Because what you're saying is just complete and utter bullshit in Foxy Island. Like, no coming from back there. Shut up. I'm the one that saw. And also, hey, I have a question for tone and tone only, please. No one else answer. If at the draft I want to get the best sub in town. Where am I going? We'll be back at Pittsburgh. We cannot wait to get back there. Foxy.

[D]

What kind of.

[A]

Rudy, you've been going to Pittsburgh a lot. I love the place.

[D]

It's interesting.

[A]

They're nice to Foxy in Pittsburgh. That can change. Okay. And I think it should potentially, with the way you've been trying to. Whoa. Don't you good. A lot of that coming out of that mouth of yours. Okay. And I don't love it. I love the city. I just want to make sure that I'm not getting lied to every time I go. That Rudy subs. Oh, wait. No. There's a different place. Weatherman. Oh, wait. There's a different guy. You know.

[G]

Thank you.

[A]

There isn't a different guy. I don't know what you were talking about. Honestly, this is Miss my algo and when Cabolio's around he morning he knew not to bring it up. So there's not even a question of whether or not Joe DiNardo, the guy who created the Doppler, is the guy or not. He is. Grape pies on rest in peace, not piss like what these guys are trying to do right now.

[G]

Love you show. Just want to get it right.

[A]

Just want to get it right.

[D]

Want all the information here. And to Foxy's point, it feels as though there is some sort of generation, you know, basketball type thing going on. Okay. 90s boys ball. And now there's some Greg Bednack or Bedzak or something like that.

[A]

And I don't even know what the answer is. What is this misinformation that's being spread? What is happening? Please rest in peace.

[C]

The only bad you need to know from Pittsburgh is Bednar and he's going to be the closer for team usa. And Dominic,

[A]

The love of the love. Let's move along.

[D]

Heard some stuff about the Steelers too.

[A]

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Not about Renegade. Not about Renegade. Can't wait for the draft. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is somebody we would draft with the number one overall pick. Hey, if you could take a goat, would you do it? Yeah. Do I know this world through a. Through absolutely not. But what I do know is when her name pops up, America's winning. And for that I am very, very grateful. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the greatest alpine slalom skier in the history, 30 year old icon, three time Olympic gold medalist, Michaela Shifra. How are you, Mikayla?

[F]

You guys yap like no other. I am sorry I've been.

[A]

This is a yapping show. This is a yappy show. Lot of yapping over here. Lot of yapping. I do appreciate that. Okay, thank you, Michaela. Yeah, a lot of yapping.

[F]

Thank you for having me on.

[A]

No, thank you for joining us. Honestly, we should have stopped our yapping early. But you don't even know what just happened. Joe DiNardo. Okay, who I grew up meteorologist. This man. Rest in peace.

[C]

Rest in peace.

[A]

Love you, Joe. Okay.

[F]

Rest in peace.

[A]

Thank you, Michaela. Feels like you kind of get it. Feels like you kind of three. That's goat right there. Dbut got anything to say, love? Okay. And. And weather, by the way. Huge.

[I]

Yeah.

[A]

In this particular. Okay, so Michaela, let's talk about this. I feel like I've been watching you dominate on mountain forever. Then we look it up. You're 30 years old. Okay, so we got another 20 years of this thing. You're already a goat. So can you just tell me how we got to this point? Did you start. Were you the greatest in the history, like when you were 10 years old? How do we get into the skiing world? And how did you get. Get to this spot, you think now at this point, at the age of 30, which is so young in everything.

[F]

Thank you. Yeah, I guess, you know, 30 is generally pretty young in a lot of sports and ski racing. You're actually kind of nearing the end of your career. The average age. Age is getting a little bit older these days. But, no, it's just. I don't even know how to compare. It's just a lot of years of. You know, we have a World cup season from October until March, and it's

[A]

most trophies of all time in a World cup season. Most all time. Most all time. We did our research. We did our research. Okay, so that's how long.

[F]

Thank you. So that's October till March. It's like 40 plus races per season. But I don't do all of the races. That might be wrong. But anyway, I don't do all the races. I do, like, kind of pick and choose. And it's just over the last, I think I've been racing for 14, 15 years on the World cup circuit. I've racked up a couple good races. Couple victories.

[A]

Yeah, all of them. So let's talk about the World Cup. Is that all in Europe? Where is that? Does America host any of those?

[F]

Yeah, so we have a couple races usually in November, December, period, in the United States. Like Beaver Creek hosts the Birds of Prey. That's a pretty iconic race for the men. And now the women are starting to race there. We have some races in Montremblant in Canada. Canada. But it's. It's pretty much all in Europe. So we start the season in October in. Sold in Austria. That's like up in the glaciers. And that's the end of October. And then basically we're racing every single weekend. We go to Finland next. That's where the reindeer is the prize for winning the race.

[A]

A live one?

[F]

A live reindeer, yeah. So I.

[A]

How many do you have? You have a full.

[F]

I. I have eight or nine reindeer.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

On a farmer Blitzen Common. And this one I got for all the asses I'm kicking. That would be great. I love that. We got reindeers all over the place. We got a full farm up there. Okay. So we would say. And this is my take from Winter Olympics. I Get all in every time. But I feel like they have quite an advantage over there, these countries that maybe create some of these sports. Some of these sports I don't see and I have no idea what they are. How have you. You just have been good since you were young or do you think, think like their mountains have made you? Like, how do you kind of view your career and why you've been able to have so much success as an American in a European seeming sport?

[F]

You know, that is such a good question.

[A]

Yapping. We're yapping. Michaela, we're yapping out here.

[F]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So

[F]

I would say that there's. That it's definitely like European dominant. But our United States team, our Distivo US Ski team is building depth in a way that we've not seen before. Like right now our women are leading the nations cup standing for the World cup circuit. And we're like ending the end of our kind of this ending stretch of our season. So we've had, you know, we've had podiums, Paula Molson, Breezy Johnson, Olympic champion and downhill. You know, Jackie and Paulo were bronze medalists in the team combined. And like through the World cup season we've had multiple podium, obviously Lindsey Vonn being multiple victories this season. And just like there has been so much depth building. But I do think the big challenge in the US is the size of our country is actually not really an advantage when you're trying to sort of centralize like skiing knowledge and development. So that's, you know, that's something that's. It's really a different conversation. But for me, I think my parents and the way my family taught me how to ski, like my parents taught me some pretty key fundamental values in ski racing skiing, period. When I was young and I started when I was two and a half on skis, I wasn't racing at that time. I guess that's probably obvious.

[A]

But I probably. You probably beat the other three year olds, probably four year olds if I had to guess. If you had to, yeah. Yeah. Your pizza pie was just going faster somehow. Nobody understood how you were pizza in that thing and you were speed, picking up speed. Yeah, she's got something I think. But we would like let you know we're incredibly proud of what you've done in this particular world for the United States of America. You mentioned Lindsey Vaughn there and I don't know your guys relationship. Once again we do a lot of yapping, not a lot of looking up and. And that's 100% on me. You Guys obviously bring the best out of each other. She's older than you. She does like the different version of Alpine versus what you do. Right. So you both dominant in your own fields. Is that accurate?

[F]

Yeah. So when is like the hands down the greatest speed skier of all time? And I have been more. I've been more on the technical side. So we've got four different events in skiing. Slalom, GS, those are the technical events. Super G and downhill are the speed events. She towards more the beginning of her career, she raced SLOM and GS and she won in SALOM and GS, but kind of of moved more towards speed. And then there was a period of time where she retired and then she came back and obviously this has been like a huge story. Her. Her whole season has been spectacular and she had a really, really bad. A really bad crash.

[A]

Gnarly. Yeah. That's crazy.

[F]

But, you know, she's on like starting the road to recovery, which, you know, every. We're really thankful for. And on my side, I've been more on the slalom, giant, solemn side of things. I have most of my wins in solemn G. Solemn with a few super G downhill victories. Yeah. So the last, really, the last 15, 20 years, I think is when Lindsay was sort of starting to win her first races. Was. That's been pretty dominated by the US which is

[A]

us. That's why we get so excited. That's why we get. We get so excited because we know you. You're going to be out there. Okay, now we. I don't want to say anything. When I found out you're 30, I was so pumped. I'm like, we got this.

[D]

Let's go.

[A]

So we can be ridiculously arrogant about something we know. I've never. I can't even ski something, and I don't even know if I could pizza if I had to at this exact point. Apres ski. I've heard it's a good time. Would like to be a part of that. But about the skiing, we were very arrogant because of you. And I know that maybe some of us say some things that make you feel uncomfortable in spots. Americans and as a whole. And we apologize for that. Just know we love being able to talk shit because of all your hard work. So thank you for doing that. D butt has a question for you, Mikayla.

[G]

Speaking of that hard work, Mikayla, you said you've been skiing basically your whole life and you. What I. From what I read, you turned pro at 15, so you've been pro half your life. Any other interests or hobbies outside of skiing. And you said you're probably closer to the end now or any interest post skiing career for you?

[F]

Yeah, I have quite a few. And I feel like at this point in my career, I'm sort of starting a bit of a transition. Like, I don't know, you know, in sport, it's tough ending your career. You guys, I feel like you probably have this conversation a lot when you end your career. Not that I'm ending it right now, but it is like, it's tough to know what to do. Right. And so that's like, athletes go into business and do all these other things. And I'm sort of like starting a podcast right now. This year has been the first yapping. The first few episodes, it's been super fun. But this, it gets given me, like a whole different world of understanding or even, like, respect for what you're doing, because it is hard to, like, host conversations and know what you're. It's like, you do such a good job. You yap so well.

[A]

Thank you. That's very, very kind of you. Yeah. Michaela, I think I don't want to say this because people take this out of context and say that. I'm saying you're. You're good at yapping too, Michaela, because you're like goat. I don't want people to just rip that, which they will. I don't think. I think you need to know you have a great head start because of how much America loves you. So anything you say, people are going to be interested in. And I think you're a great yapper, too. Like, I think you should get excited. But also, you don't have to be the best at this. You don't have to make sure that this is your career right now, because you have what you have going on. So you always keep the main thing. The main thing. And if you're going to experience other stuff and be great at it, we're thankful for that. Because the more we get to learn about you, the better society is. You know, when goats are sharing game, that's good for everybody. And I have a two and a half year old as well. Indiana's pretty flat, so it's gonna be hard for me. Maybe that's why I need to put her on ski, start pushing her around out there. So it's like the more you do and say, we will be thankful for and we will want to support and whatever you get into next, you'll be successful because you're a dog. Which leads to this last question here from Ty, actually.

[B]

Yeah. Michaela, you know, being the. The goat and everything, and. And anytime the Olympics come around, like Pat mentioned, they. The expectation, whether we know anything about the sport is like, hey, we're gonna have someone who's gonna win a gold medal going back to 2022. Like, it sucked for all of us. I'm sure it sucked for you, too. Like, I think you were expected to win a couple golds there, and then you end up not getting any medals. How difficult is that when so much of your time and energy goes into something like this, and then you have to wait a full four years for, like, Olympic redemption?

[A]

How.

[B]

How difficult is that entire process?

[A]

And congrats you back.

[F]

Yes, thank you. Yeah. You know, I realize now if I had said this right after Beijing, I. I wouldn't have said this right after Beijing and been like, I. You know, I wish that sort of didn't happen. But at this point in time, the lessons that I've learned since Beijing, and, you know, it's kind of that cliche kind of statement that, like, you kind of have to have the rain in order to have the sunshine.

[A]

Right?

[F]

But I would not have gotten to the level of skiing that I've gotten to. To be able to produce that in court, Martina, without Beijing. But there was so much going on at that time that was just so much bigger in my life. It was the second anniversary. It's weird to call it that, but the second anniversary of my dad's passing, like, in February, beginning of February, right when we were in Beijing during COVID I had just had Covid. There were all of these sort of weird explanations. But also. So it was just one of these things, is like, you don't get to really wash away the Olympics with excuses or explanations. Like, if you don't get a medal, you don't get a medal. So going through that process and, like, realizing how big the expectations were, and I've been. That's been a process the last four years. I've realized how big the expectations were in Beijing over. Over the last four years and leading into Cortina, where I had to shut off social media entirely. Like, we. Because we went to Cortina for the turn in between the start and finish, like, I was. I wanted to show up and do my best skiing regardless of the medal. I know that's, like, easy to say now, but it was my whole, like, I had mantras. I had, like, sticky notes on my mirror. I had my psychologist there, my whole team, we were all geared towards putting out my very Very best skiing. Because this may or may not be my last Olympics, but it's like, I want to show what I can do in slalom. And this. That was my very, very best solemn performance on an Olympic stage that I've ever had. And I don't think it would have happened without Beijing. So it's just sort of this message that, like, when you're in the thick of it and you're just in the trenches, you just have to, like, keep slugging. I don't know. You just have to keep going. And it's just not always going to be gold, gold medals, you know.

[A]

Well, for you, it was for a long time. That's why when it didn't happen, we all were like, oh, no. And then.

[F]

I know it's like, what?

[A]

But I would like to let you know, for us as a society, it was incredible to watch somebody in the public eye, you know, And I don't think many people are giving you grace for the two year. I don't want to say it either publicly. Anniversary, because it's not a positive thing. Obviously, I've had that type of situation around me in my life. I understand what that is. Is so mentally what you're going through at that time, nobody cares outside.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, nobody cares because you're sport, your athlete, do your job. Don't be human. So the fact that you were able to hear a lot of noise, I would assume, take a lot of shit, experience a lot of lows, while also feeling low, and then fight your way out of that shit, hey, that's inspiring to everybody. And that is why we need more Michaela Shifrins and not less. And that's why we are thankful you represent our country. You need to know that that's a reason, real thing. And your story will be told large and loud. Now, the people telling the story won't really know what the. The sport is. So that is. That is kind of an issue I'm kind of having. But we will sing your praises, obviously, forever. And there will be many more like us. You're a beast. We appreciate you.

[F]

Thank you so much, you guys. Thank you.

[A]

What do you do with all your gold medals? What do you. What do you do with them all?

[F]

Well, right now, I don't know. Right now, it's in its case.

[A]

The tricky part is we miss it. We miss it. We miss it.

[F]

I haven't gone home home yet, so I'm still in Europe and we're racing. I haven't gone back to the US yet, so it's like carrying around this metal for the rest of the season is a little bit sketchy.

[A]

Fine. Having a blast. Yeah. Jack Hughes just had in his back pocket. He's just walking around with it dangling out of his back pocket.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

Looked really cool. He looked like a X Games, like, skater guy. Used to wear the stuff as it was kind of hanging out. If you need us to brainstorm, we could do it. You can maybe make maybe. Maybe just wear it.

[F]

That'd be great.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Maybe put on a belt. Oh, put on a belt. Pull on like a. You know those.

[F]

Think I'm gonna wear that. I just so appreciate it, though. I really.

[A]

Look up. Big belt buckle. Look at it. Look. I don't. I don't think. I don't. There's. Oh, yeah. Headband would be so smart. Put that thing right on the front. GoPro right above it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So you just get everybody's reaction while they're looking at it. These are all ideas.

[C]

Melt it down and make at the frames for your goggles.

[A]

Oh, I didn't think about having it. Yeah. Look right here. Look right here. You know what I mean? And have those words. There's cool words on it. Something I read on Jack Hughes. Have that one right below the. Right under the eyes.

[C]

Like Michael Johnson wore the gold shoes. It'd be like the same thing.

[A]

Yeah. Any other idea? I think we got it right. We figured this one out. Watch.

[F]

One of those is a winner for sure.

[A]

Watch which one. Nobody tells the time anymore anyways. So just have it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, just put one of their straps on it.

[F]

Bang.

[A]

What time is it? You tell me. You know all these things. There's. You know what I mean? Just. If you need these ideas, we could be here for you.

[I]

I will.

[F]

I'll come. I'll come back to you. Maybe with a little bit more brainstorming, I feel like we could work on this. But it's really good ideas.

[G]

It's a bit bald.

[A]

See, we like that.

[D]

Boom. I love that.

[A]

She does.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

She knows. Listen, I'm not bringing an umbrella to a brain. No, no. Shout out to Ted Lasso. I have a question before we let you go back to your life and what's. You were the greatest. Is there like a treadmill or something I can get on to try to do this skiing? Is there a way for me to be without actually having to go plane to car.

[C]

Actually to bog.

[A]

Helicopter? Is there a way I can experience what it would be like up there without having to go up there and see that I'm Terrible at this thing, you know, Wave pool. Is there a way? Yeah, like a wave pool. That is. That is. Is there, like a wave pool for this thing? I could experience what it's like, or do I have to. Do I have to go.

[F]

There actually are set up. So there are, like, skiing treadmills, literally. But you need to go, like, find them. There's multiple cities. I think there's one in Denver. There's like, ski treadmills. There is kind of a ski simulation. It's a ski simulator machine. So you put. You click your boots. You put the boots on, and you just. You're just in a. Wherever, in a room, whatever, and there's a big screen, and it's kind of like a. It's kind of like a video game, but you're. It reacts to the way that you move your feet. So that's. I mean, I would love to see you guys go do that. Please. Go do a ski simulator.

[A]

Okay.

[F]

We will invite you to Park City, to the center of Excellence. It's a little bit a funky name, but that's like the home base for the ski team. And you can use the ski simulator. Like, please, I want to see this.

[A]

All right. I don't know when we're doing it within the next couple. When you do you get back to America, are you going to be the center of Super Vex? What you. I don't know what you call it.

[F]

Superdome?

[A]

Like, no, don't give away your location. Don't worry about that. Okay. We will definitely try to get on the simulator. We will definitely attempt to get on the simulator. And we appreciate the invite and everything you do for us. Yeah, I guess just kicking everybody's ass all the time on the mountains. So we. Can we watch these things. What do I got to do? Do I got to download an app? And when's your next race? Where are we racing?

[B]

Or.

[F]

I'm racing in Italy in the end. On the weekend. On Sunday. Sunday. I'm in a place called Val di Fasa, Italy. So it's not

[A]

over there. Okay. And we're racing this weekend. And where can we watch it? Can we watch it?

[F]

You can watch this. Yeah, they're actually. There's a couple streaming apps. Ski and Snowboard Live has. Oh, my gosh. You know what? It's really complicated.

[A]

That's right. We'll look it up. We'll look it up.

[D]

We'll look it up.

[A]

We'll look it up.

[D]

We will look it up.

[A]

You don't have to do this. You're Doing enough. You already got a podcast. You're the best in the world. You got to beat a bunch of Italians this weekend. You do what you have to do. We'll look it up. Just know we are betting on you to win it. So let's go. Let's go. Okay.

[F]

Thank you, guys. Oh, thank you.

[A]

All right. Thank you for joining us. Please tell everybody we said hello. Good luck this weekend in. What do you say to Italian Val di fa. Yeah, grazi.

[F]

The valley of fa.

[C]

Oh, true.

[A]

Val di. Good luck this weekend and the rest of the season, and thank you so much for being a beast that others and youngs can follow and learn from as you continue to grow and become more of the goat that you are.

[F]

Thank you so much. So it's so good to yap with you.

[A]

It is pretty good yapping, wasn't it? Now I'm trying to get down to 90 in this thing that I'm in the simulator. Is that what I'm do. Trying to. To do here? I wore rollerblades out in the.

[F]

You're. You're turning in the simulator, but that was. Yeah, it's gonna be so much fun. You guys are gonna love it. I really believe it.

[A]

I don't know what that was, but I just want. I. I felt. I felt pretty good base, you know, I felt pretty good balance. I wore rollerblades out for Halloween in Morgantown, West Virginia. They're called the Mountaineers. Okay. I wore rollerblades out in intellectual entire evening. Okay. Wore tights.

[F]

That is pretty impressive.

[A]

See, that's what we're working with here. That was the last time I've done anything downhill. Yeah. Being able to move. Yeah. That's the only time. That's the last time I've done. All right. You're the best Buono Fortuna Michaela Schiffer in this week, and you're the best, ladies and gentlemen. That's what he's gonna tell you.

[D]

Good luck.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Good fortune.

[D]

Good fortune.

[A]

Yeah. Can you drop a ear on that? Can we hear what that thing is, or do we have any sounds?

[D]

Bu.

[A]

Fortuna. Yep, nailed it. Okay, on that note, let's take a break. I think we blew through it. Thank you at ESPN for keeping that going. Obviously, we're talking to a goat. So the people back in control at ESPN said, we'll roll with you until you want to take a break. So why don't we have that break now? We'll be back on the other side. We got Adam Schefter joining us with all the updates. Happen. This should work out perfect. Thank you to Michaela. Thank you to you all for allowing us to do this for a living. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change your life. Take three.

[I]

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Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest 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 Sports for the Greatest Genuinely J Sports are the greatest. Yeah. That's all that needs to be said until the end of time. Whenever that's gonna be, you know? Yeah, yeah. Who knows, you start looking at the wrong memes all of a sudden.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They'll get you believing. They'll get you start digging, trust nothing. Then you get down there and earth. So let's not worry until forever, okay? Sports are gonna be the best thing that we have. Athletes should be celebrated. Now do some athletes make terrible decisions, say bad things and maybe potential? Yes. Okay. That is going to happen with any human being that exists in a human driven world. But what athletes do and what sports can do for societies and communities is just so damn special. Which is why we're so incredibly lucky that we get a chance to chit chat about it every day. It's never been more on display than it was last week at the combine where we're watching these dudes try to live out a lifelong dream and change the trajectory of entire communities and families and definitely family trees forever. And then we're out at Team USA Baseball. These guys who seemingly have it all, all they want to do is put on for their country to inspire the next generation of baseball players here in the United States of America to understand that this is Our pastime, although it might be Japan's current time, right now, this is our sport. Just the amount of pride, togetherness, community that this beautiful thing brings is so special. Sports are the greatest. And then Mikayla Shifrin drops in from a world that I know nothing about. No, never skied. I don't think I've ever had friends that skied recently have gotten invited to ski trips. I think this is a pretty big, you know, they're a good time. Great. I've heard they are a great time. Never really been around the ski community. Always just drop a ski. Haha. Because I like, know what that is, but I don't really know anything about it. She comes on dog. Like, absolute dog. Michaela Shiffrin. It just feels like if you have sports in your blood or sports in your. In your life, life is much better. And we're so lucky that we get a chance to chat about it every single day. And I think that's what the break that we took for two and a half weeks kind of taught me is just how thankful we are to be able to be time criers, if you will, for what is sports as a whole. The toxic tables here at Boston. Conor and that TI. Sh. Go ahead, Con.

[D]

Well, and the Olympians, like we were just mentioning this, if they weren't always locked in 24, seven for what, three and a half or four years out of their life every single time. And they got to do more interviews like that. Like, Mikayla Shiffrim was unbelievable. Like, she was so good. That was an.

[A]

Her podcast is a human, super fast ski. Strong lady over there doing her thing is unbelievable. The moxie coming out of Michaela Shiffrin was fantastic. It's like, I would like to know what the hell's going on ski.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Let alone her podcast. Giving game away about what greatness is and working hard and falling and then having to get back to the top and having to go through a lot of incredibly difficult things, which is what life is. Battling adversity is another thing that sports kind of teach you. Also working your ass off and not winning and still knowing like, well, if I work again, something good could happen, as opposed to working, losing, and then just being like, well, I'm never doing that again. Sports teach people like, hey, sometimes it's not going to work out how you want it to. You can go ahead and defeat that. She's a perfect story about that forever.

[G]

Oh, yeah. Force your kids.

[A]

What's that?

[G]

Force your kids to play sports.

[A]

Force them. It should be a necessity to play team sports. Honestly, as I go through this life and I meet people and there's certain traits about people, and then you start asking questions like, you ever play. You ever get a chance to play any sports or whatever? No, no. I just loved it, though, with my whole life. I'm like, man, I wish you had to buy in to what a team was. I wish you had to buy into your role. I wish you had to buy into dealing with people you don't like to accomplish a goal that we're all trying to get. Sports are the greatest. Honestly, in every. This Olympics, I think, has only proven that even. Even more.

[G]

Yeah, you got to deal with. Like you said, you got to deal with people. You got to deal with failure. You got to, you know, have certain run ins and uncomfortable conversation, whether it be with a coach, whether it be with a teammate, go this way, go that way. And just even the little things, like with the baseball, like, that was the first baseball practice I ever watched on any level. And even just a little thing like after bp, like all the players and you mentioned it and you guys been around baseball pretty much your whole life. Like, all them, you know, pretty much shagging in all the balls. You know, like, these are Aaron Judge picking up baseball.

[A]

I think Breg was hitting or whatever. That was, like, cool to watch.

[G]

Exactly. There's nobody else, you know, around the world, you know, making 40, $50 million, even doing something like that, Something as simple as cleaning up after yourself, the place, places you go, and just how to treat people. And obviously, you know, everybody's not going to make it pro, but I think dealing with people, being a part of a team, that is so important, working

[A]

while tired is a whole nother animal.

[G]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah, that is like, y' all on par as I get. Cool, bro. We got a game. So what are you just not.

[B]

Yeah. Not going to play today.

[A]

Oh, you know what? They'll delay the game. Yeah, they'll actually delay the game because you're tired. Like, that is. That is literally what sports does. And I agree to your point. So, like, let's keep sports thriving, and in doing so, let's also win some bets. Let's go. One half of the hammer down Cowboys. AP Tone, how'd your combine bets do? I think it did okay.

[C]

Yeah, two and two. Could have done better. Lost on the. The under the under vertical. I didn't know they were going to put a trampoline under the vertical jump this year.

[D]

Come on.

[C]

I mean.

[A]

Or under the 40.

[C]

Yeah, the 40.

[A]

40.

[D]

We're good.

[C]

Though 40. I had the under in that one, so we won that one. But the. The over under was 43 and a

[A]

half for the vertical.

[C]

I mean, multiple guys hit that. And then 45 and a half for Eli Stowers. And then, yeah, I got the bench press from Mr. Gosta from Kentucky, so those were the good ones. And then did not hit the broad. The broad was a little 11 foot for the jump. Yes, the broad jump.

[A]

Sorry.

[C]

The farthest was.

[D]

I hope you didn't hit the broad.

[A]

I was gonna stop the broad jump.

[D]

Happy?

[A]

One, two and two. Thank you.

[C]

That would have crushed in some circles, but not.

[A]

Not a lot. No, no. What do you know? It was over. We're already there. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now live from Manican, Ohio, obviously, college football national champion, super bowl champion, Rider cup winner, former number five overall pick, AJ Hawk.

[D]

Hawker.

[A]

Saw some specimens at the combine, bro. I. I mean, we're talking special, special athletes coming through that combine right now. A.J. hawk.

[D]

There he is.

[E]

Oh, you guys can't hear me. You cannot hear me.

[A]

No, no, we can see you're moving. We cannot hear you.

[E]

Well, I mean, you may be doing one of these things. I don't know if I can trust you on that. Oh, yeah, you got me.

[A]

Cannot hear him in the back. We cannot. We'll take him off.

[E]

What am I saying right now, then?

[A]

Okay, so we'll call.

[E]

Oh, he's trying to not hear me.

[G]

He's trying to.

[A]

He can't hear me. I got it. Yeah, you're back. Yeah, you're back, you're back, you're back. We can hear you. Go ahead, please. What you're gonna say call back.

[E]

Yeah, I mean, obviously the comment sitting there going, I'm.

[A]

Go ahead. I'm sorry, you're right, you're right.

[E]

I don't want to step on Shefty if he's coming, but yes, Shefty was there. We know. We saw Shefty taking pictures with the gold medal and everything. There were specimens all over the place. That place all position groups as well. And, you know, like we said we thought early, maybe it might be our guys getting bigger and slower. No, they're getting bigger and faster somehow. So it's even a scarier league now than it was a year ago.

[A]

Yeah, it feels like it combines the old school NFL with the modern NFL somehow. And we thought because more weight was going to have to be had for some of these positions that the speeds were going to go down and somehow E equals MC faster. I don't know how any of it's taken place. But humans are seemingly at their peak. Joining us now is a man who's maxed out on this franchise tag. Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Joining us now, senior NFL insider for ESPN Michigan man, Adam Shefter. Sorry we wasted your time. Okay. We couldn't hear him and then we could, and then we wanted him to think that we couldn't. Anyways, let's get to it. Franchise tag day. Breece hall this morning he gets tagged for the New York Jets. Then it comes out that Kenneth Walker will not be tagged. Is there any other news that we need on this franchise tag day and is there any, anything we're missing?

[I]

Yeah, the guys that you're looking at right now that are relevant in that box, as we see, would be Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce and Trey Hendrickson. I'll give you what I think is going on right now. The Colts and Daniel Jones have been in discussions for a long term deal. Both sides, I think, would like to get it done. There has been a disagreement on value that could change today. We'll see. But it certainly sounds like it's tracking for Jones to be tagged. My guess, my sense is it'll be the transition tag on Daniel Jones. We'll see how that works out. There's a $6 million a year difference on the transition tag compared to the quarterback. Franchise tag, I think.

[A]

Can you tell me about the transition tag a little bit for people that are probably watching and saying, excuse me, what are the difference of these? I thought we were just tagging players. What is the difference between transition and franchise? One more likely to make moves with.

[I]

Right, yeah, well, well, there's the money right there. Franchise tag means that if a team wants to sign that player, it would have to give back. Let's just say the Vikings, let's say the Colts franchise tagged Daniel Jones and the Vikings wanted to sign him. Well, obviously at the franchise tag number, it would be 43, 895. The contract would start there, you know, 44 a year. And then if the Vikings, Vikings were to get them, they'd have to give up two first round picks to the Colts. So that, that's just not happening. Franchise tag basically kills any chance that a player has to move on. Like Breeze Hall. Franchise tag. As great as Breeze hall is, there's not a team in the league that's going to be willing to give up two first round picks for Breece Hall. So he's essentially off the market this year. Transition tag is interesting in this particular case for a Quarterback. If the Colts were to transition Daniel K. Jones, it would be 37.8 million.

[D]

Damn.

[I]

It'd be cheaper. But here's the difference. With a transition tag, another team could sign Daniel Jones to an offer sheet that they could construct. That could make it cumbersome and difficult for the Colts to match. And if the Colts don't match, they lose the player. But they'd have the ability to match the offer that he signs with another team if he gets one.

[A]

So they get a right to counter. They get a right to counter basically with the transition. To match. Right to match. Okay. And if they match, it's good. They don't have to beat it. It's not like they can go back to another the team again and say all right, they match that.

[I]

Can we go up more as is they. They inherit the contract and change the name of the team back to the Colts on the transition tag. But, but the other team wrote it. It's probably not going to be in terms that are favorable for your team. They're going to make it difficult. Although poison pills are illegal, you can't put them in the there anymore. You remember the, the Seahawks once did that to the, to the Vikings or the Vikings did this on Steve Hutchinson. They put in poison pills and he had to be the highest paid player on offense, which meant that to do that you'd have to cut the quarterback. You know like tricks like that. Right?

[A]

Yeah. No, that's bad faith I believe is

[I]

what that is called shrewd business.

[A]

Oh yeah, shrewd me. It depends on the eye of the beholder or the be not getting her. Yeah, that. That would be. Be certainly the way you would decide on who says shrewd business or negotiating in bad faith. Okay, so Alec Pierce then means probably hitting the market. That's what we were assuming then.

[I]

Well then, then if Daniel Jones is tagged as we think then answer it shefter.

[A]

It could be something big.

[I]

Then Pierce would be able to hit the market. But I think the Colts are determined to sign him to a long term deal before he gets to free agency next week. Week. So I don't, you know, listen, he's close to free agency. I don't know why you wouldn't get unless the Colts blew him away with an offer. But it sounds like the culture really prioritizing him and they want to keep him and they're determined to try to get a deal done with him.

[A]

It'd be great to have both those guys in the building again. Daniel Jones signing for 38 whatever for the transition tag. Fascinating, because I would be interested to see what the market would say about Daniel Jones, especially coming off the injury. All I know is everybody's been acting like Daniel Jones is going to be the Colts quarterback next year. Very confidently. I hope they have all been right. We would love to have Dimes back in town. We're 8 and 2. Number one offense in the league going to Super Bowl.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Oh, then we lost our last seven games. Okay, so that is what life has been like here in Indianapolis. All we want is Shane and Chris just to win some games. If they have Danny Dimes as quarterback, we assume they'll be able to do that. Alec Pierce obviously became a number one threat with Daniel Jones at quarterback. That'd be a great duo to keep together. Okay, let's move Cincinnati. Go ahead. A.J.

[D]

yeah, chef.

[E]

You mentioned Trey Hendrickson. What are all the possibilities with Trey and what's likely to happen, you think?

[I]

Well, this is interesting. I think he's waiting to hear. Everybody's waiting to hear. The Bengals have called around the league to see if it were possible. If, if they tagged him, would there be a team that's willing to trade for him and give up something from. I, I, I don't think they got the responses that they wanted, I don't think. And so they're unpredictable. My guess is there's been so much that's gone on between these two sides that it's probably at this point in time best to let him leave and he'll go sign and then the Bengals will get a compensatory draft pick in 27. But could they surprise us and tag him to let that could happen? You know, they're the Bengals. Anything's possible. Well, my guess, just my guess is he won't be tagged and he'll hit the market. That's my guess.

[A]

Congratulations, Trey.

[I]

If he gets there.

[A]

I understand if he gets there, but you just said that that is what you think is going to happen, and you are a man that is plugged into a lot of information.

[I]

I want to be very clear, Pat. In this case, I really don't know. That's why I said I think if I knew that he was not getting, I would say he's not getting. I don't know that. I don't know that that year.

[A]

This is like three years running here.

[D]

Just let him go.

[A]

Just let the guy breathe. Let it, let him go somewhere else and let him at least get an offer sheet somewhere else. And if you want to, you know, hear it or get a Chance to counter or whatever the case is, do it. But I'm sick of hearing about Trey Hendrickson and Cincinnati Bengals, mostly because I like Trey Hendrickson a lot and I actually like the Bengals. But the way this has all gone has been stupid, we all think personally, especially as we've kind of been the starting point of the entire thing. When Trey came on our show at Radio Row and was like, listen, can we just figure this out? No, we'll do it next year. Hey, can we just figure this out? We never said that. And you should be happy with what she's. Yes, you did. And now we're at another year we're doing this whole thing. So we would just like them to figure it out for the best of both parties. And Trey, don't be scared to come over Indianapolis, you know, if you still call Louis Ruin.

[D]

That's right.

[A]

You know, we got all that going. Let's talk about other talking points around the NFL, shall we? Go ahead, Con Man.

[D]

Yeah, chef. Do you mentioned this morning on Getup how the prices of Max Crosby and AJ Brown might slowly go down into next week? Now, obviously a team can still, you know, shell out the money, even if, or the picks or the Eagles and the Raiders can figure something out and keep those guys. But let's say they don't figure that out and these guys are on the block. What do you expect that trade compensation to go down to? Do you think it's still going to end up being, you know, first round picks for both of them? Do you think, you know, maybe Max fetches a first, but slowly but surely AJ Brown fetches more of a second, like DK Metcalf, like, like what do you expect that kind of those deals to look like if they potentially happened?

[I]

I don't expect the price to go down much. I said we don't know whether the teams are posturing and whether they would be willing to lower the price on either player next week? I. I personally don't know that they will and I don't know that that will happen. Like, I don't think the Eagles are lowering the price on A.J. brown. I think they'd be prepared to keep him and I think the Raiders would be prepared to keep Max Crosby. If they don't get the price they want, they're looking for a Micah Parsons type of package. Are they going to get that? I don't know. And if they don't, then what do they do? Are they still willing to come off that price? I don't, I don't know. The Answer is a story.

[A]

Max doesn't want to be there or they don't want him there. Like, what is the reasoning behind this? Because I think. I think what happened was Jay Glazer said it, right? Yeah, I think Jay said it maybe at the the most authoritative. Like he had the most authority, I guess, behind saying that this was news. Because we had been preaching for a long time and I feel like we've been nice to the Raiders, I feel like we have been nice to Raiders for the situation in which they're in. But we would like to see Max Crosby get an opportunity to play in games or his 50 million people watching, 60 million people watching. We think Max Crosby is a special talent. So we've been pitching for a long time. We assume that that's actually pissed Crosby off because how much he views himself as a Raider. Then last season towards the end, when the Raiders, his Raiders in his eyes are what the Raiders are now, tell him, hey, we don't want you to play. And he's like, I want to play. Like, that's what I do. I play hurt. I'm a Raider. He got offended. Like, can you tell us how we got here and if he really wants out of there? If that's what the story is. I feel like he could probably make. Right. Players can kind of make. Especially Max Crosby's of the NFL could kind of make that type of shit happen, can't they?

[I]

Well, Miles Garrett wanted out of Cleveland a year ago.

[A]

Interesting.

[I]

And he Cleveland and Brandon Iuk wanted out of San Francisco. And eventually he'll get his wish. But he signed Debo Samuel, wanted out of San Francisco and he stayed. And so these things are fluid. Do I think there's been a time here where Max is wanted out of Vegas? Absolutely. Do we know that he's going to be moved? I still think it's up in the air. Like they could sit down with him and say, hey, hey, Max, I know you've had six head coaches in seven years. I know.

[A]

Five. Sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Go ahead, please.

[I]

Six coaches in five years. Six head coaches in seven years. Five general managers. You never won in the pros. You never won in college. You never won in high school. You want to win? I got it.

[D]

Well.

[I]

Well, guess what? We're drafting Fernando Mendoza. We got 90 million in cap space. We got Brock Bowers and Ashton Genti, and we want you to be a part of this. Do I think that's going to change his mind? I don't know that it Will. But you can make that pitch. New head coach Plin Kubiak that people love. Right. There's a lot of, a lot of, a lot of things going for them. All I'm saying is just because you feel one way, one month doesn't mean you're going to feel that way.

[A]

This guy deserves some happiness in his football life if I get this guy some. Now, granted, I think Fernando Mendoza is very good. Like, I think this might not be the time to leave the Raiders if you're Max Crosby, but the Raiders might also see it as a time to be able to get a lot of things in return to build what they want to do right now. Interested to see what it all is. And I, I saw some practice film with Max Crosby that six head coaches, seven years, five GMs in however, the same amount of time. Why don't they put his ass at tight end? That's why you get fired. Okay, Vrabes, J.J. watt, if this guy is doing this in practice, there is precedent for you putting this guy on the offensive side and have a couple packages. Then we see him hitting threes when he can't even walk. It's like, this is one of the greatest athletes we have. Yeah, and you just rattled off he didn't win in high school, he didn't win in college. Oh, yeah. And he yams on people's heads and cleats and then he one hand grabs things and then he has a work an engine that is just like second to none potentially in the history of the NFL. It's like, we would like to see this guy have success and hope. Hopefully. Hopefully everybody's on the same page there. And maybe it's now the Raiders time because of how much we believe in Fernando Mendoza. Okay, let's move to another topic. Ty has a question for you, Chef D. Yeah, chef.

[B]

You reported right before you hopped on that the Vikings are willing to listen to offers for Jonathan Grard because they're kind of dealing with some salary cap space issues. Are you expecting more of this to come? Especially now that things are heating up and it's kind of like assumed that there's a good chance that they're going to have to go out and maybe want to sign like a Kyler Murray or something like that? Or what is the situation the Vikings are in right now?

[I]

Yeah, I think they're up against it. I think that that probably factors into the Colts decision on Daniel Jones if they transition them. Because really the Vikings might pose, might pose the biggest threat to trying to get Daniel Jones, everybody expects them to bring in some type of quarterback who's are going to be and they have enough cap issues right now that they're going to be open to trading Jonathan Garnard. So they're going to release Aaron Jones, Javon Hargrave. There are questions about Jonathan Allen. They got a number of cap decisions that they still have to make and payroll they have to trim to get under the cap. And so they're trying to do that right now. Can't keep everything. Everybody. Obviously if they got an offer back on Garnard, they would be open to dealing him right now. He's been a very good player for them. And this is just what every team has to go through all the time. So we'll see. Yeah, but yeah, I, I, I think we could see more trades than usual. We've seen front offices and GMs not be afraid of trading. We saw crazy trade deadline day this past year. We've seen crazy trade deadline days in recent years. And it wouldn't surprise me if it just carries over into free agency and the wheeling and dealing just continued.

[A]

How's free agency frenzy going to be?

[I]

I hope that the broadband, the Internet, the, the, you know, the bathrooms work like the foods and working out, I have no idea like what I'm eating, what, like, you know, who Uber eats from there.

[A]

Chef in here for you, Chef. Are you actually going to tell us a couple of the food items that you would like? Chef, he's going to be in here for free agency frenzy Monday. If you do now free energy frenzy. Monday is the biggest day of the offseason. I mean it is the biggest day of the off season. Cuz all these deals that have been negotiated from the combine here in Indianapolis to the back channels during the legal tampering period are basically announced on Monday during free agency. Deals aren't allowed to happen until that Wednesday. But we've already had an entire negotiation period that's happened. Legal tampering. Okay, well then it's not tampering if it's legal. Just call it a negotiation period. But nonetheless, you do what you got do to do. Okay, you gotta, you gotta evolve, whatever. And then on Monday at noon, literally at noon when we go live, everything is boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then deals are being accepted by teams that they thought they didn't have. So then all of a sudden money's getting shifted out of people's pockets and more people doing it. And that Monday is electric. We, it is electrifying to see what teams are doing espn NFL people. Okay. Which is a department. ESPN F NFL. They didn't think we would ever to handle it last year so they counter program us on ESPN too. Okay. They tell us immediately, yeah, you're not allowed to have shefter. He's with us. It's like, okay, we'll see how this goes for you guys. Murder scene, by the way. Okay? Not only because we're on espn, which is what everybody has on, but also cuz we've lived this life too somehow. You know. I know you guys created the game, but we've also, you know, been in this whole thing. So there was nice conversations since last Free agency frenzy. Until next free agency frenzy where we're gonna work together. Okay. Don't, don't. We think this would be a good idea. And we just so happen to have the computer right over here for the entirety of free agency frenzy. Wait until you see what we're building up for you there. There is. You're gonna be in a little zone over here that is going to be fantastic. We also got Orlovsky and Schrager coming out here. I mean we are, we are, we, we are considering it an honor to be able to represent for the entirety of ESPN on this. But also we're very thankful you're coming out here and your rider or whatever, you know that hilarious to see it all. I need somebody points me in the direction where I need to go. I need to know where the food's gonna be, where waters could be, how many steps for my dump that I'm definitely gonna have to like. I appreciate you understanding how chaotic it's about to be for you and letting us know like, hey, if I'm gonna be doing this gonna. We're. We need. There's some. We gotta. Because I'm. I'm in the middle of it. But we are ready and excited to take care and we cannot wait for that, Chefy. Legitimately. We cannot wait for that.

[I]

Well, you know the funny part is they say that free agency opens at 4pm on Wednesday, right? They say free.

[A]

Yeah.

[I]

Ends at 4pm on Monday.

[A]

It's over.

[I]

Most of the big stuff has happened on Monday and Tuesday and leading into the start of the new league year. So we're going to be with you Monday the day tell you. Up, up, up, up. Hold on, Pat, hold on.

[A]

Do it,

[E]

Coach.

[A]

Mute him, mute him, mute him, mute him, mute him. Legit. We do not want to give. Whatever.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

What if that person comes on? Did you see President Clinton? What is that? President? Could you have Asked him for his birthday. That would be.

[I]

Did they tell you that I'm sleeping in your house that week?

[A]

Yeah, they never said that. But we certainly have a few days you're going to be here, and we're very thankful for that. Who. Who was that? Was that anything?

[I]

No, not yet.

[A]

All right.

[D]

Not yet.

[A]

That's the thing. That's why having him in here, it's going to be good for hour and a half. Feel a little.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Hey, let's go ahead. Let's get it out of here. Let's get out of here. Now you're talking about markets and free agents and everything like that. That goes to an announcement that was made this morning. Go ahead, Tone.

[C]

Yeah, Chef? You reported that the Seahawks will not tag running back Ken Walker, who was the MVP of the Super Bowl. Now he will be a free agent. Do you expect his market to be, and is there a chance that he does end up going back to Seattle?

[I]

I. I think that's always possible, but I think when something like this happens and you're not tagging a guy, you're giving him the freedom. And I think the. The price will climb up to where he's going to get a great offer somewhere. And I know that obviously it has to be a very hard decision for Seattle to make. They've got a lot of other financial needs that they have to address. They're going to want to resign Devin Witherspoon, Jackson Smith and Jason Jigba, pay for the draft class, add some free agents. You just can't pay everybody. And it's almost like the super bowl tax. Everybody wants more money, and inevitably there are some casualties along the way. In this particular case, they can't afford to franchise Kenneth Walker. Not going to tag him at all. He's going to get to the open market. And my guess is with all the teams out there that need running backs, he'll find an offer that is more lucrative than Seattle, and he'll be leaving Seattle.

[A]

Okay. I, literally, as soon as this news came up, I was like, congrats to him getting a long term. There's no way Seattle's going to let him out of there. You win a Super Bowl MVP at running back. Normally, football gods could potentially curse you if you just move on from said person. But the old adage is, if you win, there's enough to go around, and it doesn't mean there's enough to go around here. There's other teams that potentially would like some of whatever you had that got us to the championship. So we will bid you adieu. Kenneth Walker on any team would obviously be specific, spectacular. But you just let a Super Bowl MVP walk out the building like that.

[B]

Crazy.

[A]

I'll be intrigued to see, you know, how. How football responds. Oh, yeah, genuinely. I think that's a tough decision to make, but once again, I trust John Schneider. I think we all should at this point. He has made a lot of great decisions and built, you know, multiple legendary teams. That's. That's a tough one, though.

[G]

So good.

[A]

Yeah, that is. That. That's a tough one, that. That is. Especially with what happened with Charbonnet and then him coming on late. You don't even really know yet.

[I]

Yeah, you know what? You know what? But you're right, it was a tough one to trade Gino. It was a tough one to sign Sam Darnold. It was a tough one to make some of those moves, the moves he made. It was tough one to hire Mike McDonald in a coaching pool where there are a lot of candidates. He's.

[G]

He's.

[I]

He's pushed the right buttons. And I think as good as Kenneth Walker has been, they feel like they really like Zach Charbonnet. He's coming back from an acl. They tender George Holan today, and they're going to add one of these running backs. In this market, somebody's not going to get the deal that they want, and I don't know who it is, but one of these backs, these free agent backs, is going to wind up out in Seattle. I don't know whether that's Kenneth Gainwell or whether that's Tyler Algier, but, you know, take a look at some of these top free agents. There's a lot of good players.

[D]

Etn.

[A]

ETN has a chance to be a guy.

[I]

One of these backs in the free agent class winds up out in Seattle and takes the spot that Kenneth Walker is vacating.

[A]

You rattled off a lot of names there about decisions that Schneider made that worked out. And we agree. We. He's a do. He was awesome ownership, the man. He is. And he's certified now. You know, hall of Fame, first ballot, maybe. Well, yeah, I don't know.

[D]

Nobody's first now.

[A]

We don't know if he's first ball because of your friend Shefty. But, like, in that entire conversation about you mentioned off, it's like, Sam Darnold, tough decision. It's like, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Minnesota won 14 games with that guy and said, yep, let's get him out of here. I think football, I Think football was like, hey, that done that. You can't be. You can't be doing that. I'm not saying that that's going to happen with a running back with Super Bowl MVP stuff, but, like, that's a tough thing to do, man. That. That is a tough decision, you know, in the history of football to do that. Not that it hasn't happened. Not that I don't trust John Schneider. I'm just thinking immediately, like, you hope Charbonnet comes back and is exactly what he is. Because if you chose to. I trust Schneider. Trust Schneider. Anything but throwing a football.

[I]

If we. If we look at it right, there have been three other players that have gone on to win the Super Bowl MVP and then leave their team. Larry Brown, Desmond Howard, Dexter Jackson. Didn't Malcolm Smith do it too?

[A]

You tell me. You're the one telling us, bro.

[G]

So, yeah, go to the Raiders.

[C]

I know Dexter Jackson because the Steelers wanted him, but they didn't end up getting him. And then they drafted Troy Paloma.

[A]

That worked out. He's so good at football. How do you know that we were going to run dust? All right, let's get to another conversation here, Chefy. About this time of year that we are in. Certainly something that we see buzzing. Unless you're breaking news right now with appears that you are tweeting right now.

[I]

No, no, no, no, I'm not. I just. Just respond to somebody. We're good. This is. This is what it'll be like Monday and Tuesday.

[A]

I'm just letting Himbo know, like, hey, can't be sending me half ass. That's okay. That's four guys. You can only send me three. Okay.

[I]

You make half assembo. It's all full ass. That's great.

[A]

Yeah, you're right. Ambo is all the time. We love Himbo. Hambo has made us look much smarter than we certainly are. But we're in a time now where. Where there's seemingly some gamesmanship taking place. Go ahead, D. Bud.

[G]

Yeah, always some smoke screens. We talked about the Caleb downs in the report that came out about him. I don't even know if it made it to you yet, but there was a false report based on some medical that came from the combine with any of these guys, Caleb Downs included. Did you hear anything medical wise, good or bad for some of these prospects coming out of Indianapolis?

[I]

I didn't hear that. Now what usually happens is sometimes there's a guy guy that goes through the pro the process and something comes out. Like, I remember Nick Fairly had the Heart issue. There have been other players that they've detected heart murmurs or stress fractures, whatever it may be. I have not heard anything specific yet, and I don't know that I would, but I have not heard any specific chatter about any player. So anybody that's saying anything may be right, may not be right. No idea. They're ahead of me in that area. I'm kind of on franchise tag candidates and free agency.

[A]

Okay, how do you know? Okay, I know you're locked in. Geez, we're thankful you're plugged in right now.

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

How do you know what's real and what isn't, though, in this whole time? Because there's certainly favors going to be asked of you, you know, and you know the game, you know the business, you know how those things. Not that you're giving out favors. I'm just saying there's certainly some information maybe that gets delivered that you have to decipher through. I assume, is that not an accurate read read on how draft works?

[I]

Listen, I think there's a lot of people have a lot of perceptions for how it works, and I, I just think that it doesn't work the way that people think it works all the time. It's, I've done it for 36 years. So when you say sift through it or decipher it, you know, there's stories behind every story. Every story is different. I, I, I don't know how to answer that question with just a blank statement. It just, to me, it's just making calls and, and building relationships and tracking things and I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, but if you're a friend with this one agent, you're not friends with this other agent. Even though your agent can only represent a certain portion of the league, and there's a much more greater part of the league. I do love whenever they say, well, Shefford's doing this because he likes his agents. Like, Sheffield likes a lot of agents, bro. Yeah, yeah, Chef like, likes a lot of GMs, you know, that's how this whole thing works. Yeah, but he likes this guy more. It's like we agree with that actually, from the intel that you're saying, but let's not act like all the other shit doesn't exist. You know, it's not like you're covering for four teams. You got 32, at least 32 situations you're trying to get the proper information out of. And we appreciate you for that, but we all as subjects to your 36 years of work and networking and everything. Always have to try to guess where the information. Information's coming. So that's what we're doing all the time. So I think whenever you say, like, people don't have a misconception on how it works, I think you don't fully understand how we as non insiders operate, which is as soon as you put it out, my. What's the angle? What. What's the angle here? Why. Why is it.

[I]

But I'm just telling you and Ty and I went over this in our pocket. I'll tell you a story. And it pertains to your guy, our guy, Jack Hughes, a mentor.

[A]

This guy?

[I]

Yeah. So he came over and he says to me, we start talking and he goes, hey, I got a question for you. I said, what's that? He said, where did you get the Artemi Panarin trade from when you broke. That was the first thing he asked me. And I said. And I. I'm like, wow, you aware that? He goes, oh, we got in our phones, me and my guys are like, how did Chefy get this hockey trade? So I showed him the. I said, you know, there's this hockey insider at a Cat Canada who supposedly is really good, hardworking, respected. And somebody sent me a clip of this guy going on Hockey Night Canada. Had it at him. Get this. And he goes, oh, of course. His agency, you know, helps work with the same player. Not to mention the fact that apparently, as I found out after Artemi Panarin hired someone in that agency, a Russian agent that day who I've never met or spoken to. And I could tell you that when the trade came down, there was zero players. Part of it that came from any agent. Zero. But this guy went on national TV in Canada, like he got it from his.

[A]

His agent.

[I]

No, no, I did not.

[A]

Hey, stop smearing my name, okay?

[I]

I appreciate you advancing a false theory on this. And I showed Jack Hughes the full exact text chain, told him he was cracking up. He loved it. He loved it.

[A]

I'll crack. You crack. He was great on Saturday Night Live, by the way. That was spectacular. All of it. I'm appreciative of sports bringing laughter and light to people as opposed to division and nonsense which seemingly was happening for a little bit there. Sports are the greatest. So what you're saying is you've heard what everybody has said about you. Yeah.

[I]

The point is, stories often and usually don't come from where people think. Sometimes occasionally they do, but more often than not they don't.

[A]

All right, we're going to find out for Agency frenzy. Monday. When you're out here, we're going to put your spotlight on you right here. Who told you? Sheffy.

[C]

We should bug his phone.

[I]

There you go.

[D]

Well, we know who told him.

[E]

Somebody is.

[A]

Who's that?

[D]

Gabe Morenci. I mean. All right.

[A]

That's Canadian.

[D]

All right.

[A]

You're the man, Shefton. We appreciate the hell out of you.

[I]

I'll see you guys on Monday, right? If I don't speak to you before.

[A]

Yeah, and I apologize for asking this. I'm sure it's very nice. And I just don't know. Have you had to board your window? Are like, people coming after you? Are you boarding your windows behind you? It looks like I was. I was conceived in a trap house. That window there appears. Is everything okay? Are we all right?

[I]

We did get a notice that we have a dumpster in our driveway. It needs to be moved.

[A]

Hoa Couldn't do that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

You need to at least put a bush around it. I don't need to see this thing. That is not a boarded window, though. Behind you. That is not a boarded window.

[I]

No.

[D]

Oh, it's a blind.

[G]

Oh, does.

[E]

It's like a window.

[D]

It's got designs, mind drape, whatever you call it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh, Egyptian cotton.

[A]

I thought that was just good wood, though.

[I]

The rest of the house is boarded up at the rest of the house.

[A]

Oh, yeah, I forgot. You got 18 months in there. Forgot about that.

[I]

What a joy it is to live through this stuff.

[A]

That's life. It keeps lifeing. And we appreciate you. Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Schefter signed up for a kitchen remodel. How long is it going to take? 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 24. You're in my house. Well, your kitchen. Yeah. Then he showed us and it was just demolished.

[D]

Blown out.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Two porta potties in the backyard.

[A]

You're just getting a little glimpse in what it's going to be like on Monday. Look at my phone. Having a conversation with you. I'm a special talent. I understand that. Okay. And a lot of people think that stories are coming from a place. They're not. They're coming from somewhere else. You ever hear your Art of War? Yeah, Shinzu. That's what I'm doing with every tweet to lead people off. That's right off the scent. I will say, though, every time I read it, I'm. That's my immediate thought. Who's this coming from and why? If it's not like an injury or.

[E]

What kind of propaganda is this?

[A]

Yeah. Somebody wanted this information to be delivered in this particular fashion through Schefter, why we have to do that. Now granted, good information, that is breaking news. But why am I learning of that right now? And that's a big draft conversation. Yeah.

[D]

And that's like leaning into free agency like Linderbaum. Last week the Ravens reported that they offered Linderbaum or Shefty reported that the Ravens offered Linderbaum like a record setting deal. So then that angle becomes. Well, did he report that? Because if Linderbaum says no, then the Ravens are baby facing the good guys because they offer that deal. Or is the deal not actually like that and now they're making Linderbaum just the automatic bad guy.

[A]

Or is that Linderbaum's people saying, hey, highest of all time. Other teams know there's so many. So many.

[D]

The angles are endless.

[A]

Yeah. And hey, NFL never sleep. Yeah.

[D]

Does not probably nice for him to get out of that house during free agency because could you imagine the construction workers knocking on his window while. While he's trying to figure that out.

[A]

Do you want these handles or these. Which handles did you want on this?

[D]

Wait, wait. Who the Giants getting Is that.

[A]

Is that smoke of the Giants? No.

[C]

You could tell from the blunt mind in the wallpaper that no one's allowed to touch that area.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

That's his sacred place. Okay. It's been like that for 35.

[A]

I thought he had a boarded up window over his head. And I was thinking to myself, what the hell did chefty do? Is that like spray paint on him? Yes. Yeah. Is he in a bunker that always been there?

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Really? Oh, yeah.

[D]

I thought it was a different blind.

[A]

Yeah, I thought so. Maybe a different angle too.

[B]

Certainly a different angle. Like Tony said. I'm. I'm pretty certain that, that that room has not been touched 25 years and

[A]

he won't let it. Especially after what's going on with the kitchen right now.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Let's go to some notable free agents that he obviously mentioned. Free agency frenzy is next Monday. Adam Schefter will be here. Dan Orlovsky will be here. Schrager will be here. Scott the Jib man will be here. He did a fantastic job at everything, but certainly out there in Phoenix yesterday. We appreciate the hell out of Cajun man down there from Louisiana. Mike Evans potentially on the move is crazy debut, don't you think?

[G]

It is. I thought he would be be kind of get that Larry Fitzgerald treatment in az where. Hey, one year, one year, two year. We'll keep you here because he seems like a one helmet guy. He's had I think a Hall of Fame career down in Tampa Bay, but he'll be in a great addition to any team. He's a mismatch. He will be a mismatch for however long he plays. When it comes to that red zone, you can just throw it up to him and it's a rebound and most times he's going to come down with it.

[A]

We talked about this with Landon Dickerson, offensive lineman. Once they win the super bowl and they've been paid for offensive lineman and hand to hand combat guys, it's like, all right, check the. I did it. We did a football season. We did a football career for speed and talent and edge. Once you get the super bowl it's like, okay, now let's go ahead and try to get another one here. So I think a contract with Mike Evans is very doable, I would assume, especially if you're a ring contention and having him either be your 1A or even a 2 or third option on particular teams would be absurd. Imagine him going of the Chiefs. We'd all be pissed. Yeah, we would all be pissed off if he went to the Bills for

[C]

him obviously any pa we'd all be

[A]

pissed if he went to any of these teams that were like incredible. But him at the Bills would obviously be something that Josh Allen would welcome. And so a new head coach, Joe Brady, Mike Evans on the moves, crazy Kenneth Walker, we talked about him. Daniel Jones allegedly going to get the transition tag, which means he might be Indianapolis Colt next year. Other teams can sign him to a, an offer sheet. The Colts will just have a right to match it if he does get transition tag. Malik Willis obviously is what he was able to do with the Green Bay Packers. They're saying he might be the bell of the ball here. As we talk about quarterback needy teams. Yeah.

[B]

And especially I mean I think you know, all of the t. There's, there's obviously the connection in Miami with, you know, John Eric Sullivan who was with the packers and Jeff Halfley. So they both know what he can do. And then, you know, he kind of flourished in Matt Lafleur's system and obviously Mike LaFleur out in Arizona. So there's all signs have kind of pointed to hey, Malik, Willis is going to get paid and he's probably going to get paid by either the Dolphins or the Cardinals.

[A]

And the Dolphins obviously that means Tua would not be there. That Minnesota Vikings quarterback situation is fascinating because when he brought up the transition tag for Daniel Jones did you hear what Team Shefter said? Yes, might match. He was like, if the Vikings want to get involved, they just moved Granard. They obviously doing some, some salary cap gymnastics. They need to do that. I don't know if they'd be able to afford Daniel Jones out there, but they're talking any quarterback that can layer a football potentially becoming a Minnesota Viking next year, especially if they're a veteran.

[G]

Yeah. Tua's not too far removed from like an mvp, you know, caliber type season where he was slinging it all over the yard. And we know accuracy, timing the shit across the middle, that's his strong suit. But I mean, now how, how would the money work for two if he's released from Miami? Is it. Would it be kind of like that Russell. Okay, that Russell Wilson, cheap rental for what?

[D]

Yeah, I believe it's 1.2 million.

[G]

Okay.

[D]

He could sign the vet man, and then he gets all that money from Miami still.

[G]

Yeah. So you bring him in to compete maybe with JJ McCarthy for the starting quarterback job. I don't see that being a terrible, terrible situation.

[D]

Yeah. But we can kind of. That ship has sailed. Right? I mean, we are watching three. We are two seasons removed from the JJ McCarthy thing and we're already talking about like, who the hell is going to play quarterback for the Vikings. Like, I think the GM who drafted him is gone. So there's that. If they love JJ and we all love koc, like genuinely, he's an amazing coach. But if they aren't confident now, what is going to change over the next year if he's not going to play this year, like, at this point, JJ McCarthy feels like he might fall into the, like, hey, Baker Mayfield, he'll go somewhere, somewhere else, you know, revitalize his career. Fresh start. And Minnesota kind of damn near moves on because they're not going to pick up his fifth year option. I mean, that is completely out of the question. And this is going to be.

[A]

Is the JJ train leaving the station in Minnesota already?

[G]

I'm not, I'm not going to write them off.

[A]

The 9 train is out of here.

[G]

Still a first round pick in the building. Like, you bring in somebody for sure, hopefully a veteran going to come in and compete with him. But I mean, he's still young, he's still talented. He showed glimpses at times.

[A]

Fourth quarter, Chicago Bears.

[G]

Yeah, he definitely looked terrible at other times.

[B]

Week one.

[A]

What do you mean sick? What do you mean? Week one, that was sick.

[G]

I'm not writing them.

[C]

He was the offensive player of the Week.

[A]

You're not writing them off?

[G]

Not. Not yet, no.

[A]

Okay. It sounds like he sent that to

[G]

a lot of people.

[A]

Permit in.

[D]

In Minnesota for sure. Not like career. It just feels like in Minnesota things have gone sour. Like, plain and simple. They wouldn't be.

[E]

It goes one way or the other, though. Con man think about if they bring someone in, it's one way or the other. Either he finds a way through competing with a veteran maybe and figures it out and takes that next step, or he gets beat out and then bam, he goes somewhere else.

[A]

Yeah.

[G]

I mean, you've seen the meme too much.

[A]

Yeah. Things on a lot.

[D]

I've seen it on presidency.

[A]

I've seen news.

[C]

Who was it on recently?

[E]

On everybody.

[A]

The toll. I guess we're kind of just going down the line. That's there has to be some sort.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm getting like. I'm getting highlight updates from war. This is a crazy thing to be a part of right now.

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

We got another one. Put two up there. It's like, whoa. Scrolling through. We got a scoreboard down this thing.

[B]

Kind of just playing duck, duck, goose over there.

[A]

We need to. We need to make sure this is not a law long. Hey. I don't know what crazy time to be alive on your phone. Certainly then Elon comes in, goes, you can go up to the 4U thing and just get rid of politics if you want right now. Don't you worry about that. And then go in there. You're like, I feel like everybody else is watching it right now. Kind of want to be in. You know, we'll keep it in.

[I]

Yeah.

[A]

But. And then I'm a part of the toxic problem. Part of the toxic problem.

[C]

X might be the worst place to get the news on all this.

[G]

So.

[A]

No, because right there on the bottom, it Grok tells me if it's true or not. And then somebody goes to Gro. Are you sure? And then Gro goes, good point.

[D]

No,

[A]

it is a crazy time to be alive. We hope it all works out. But the. The JJ meme has entered into that world, into that space pretty good. And to your point about not giving up on him, maybe he becomes a guy. But it does feel like the Minnesota Vikings are at a point where they need somebody else to be their quarterback, at least at this point. Exact point. And then moving on. And if this quarterback does good, I don't know if they're just going to Sam Darnold him. I don't know if they're just going to Kirk Cousins him. Feels like they would probably not make that same mistake. So I think whatever veteran comes in here, if there is success, I don't think we ever see JJ because that's what they're looking for again. Now, will that happen with Tua, Kyler, Gino, is Aaron Rodgers potentially. Rod, we don't know. We don't know what's going on with Aaron Rogers, but they're. There was a little smoke with Aaron Rodgers in the Minnesota Vikings last year and you start putting two together, it's like Aaron Rodgers and Kevin oconnell's offense. What do you got to be able to do? Well, you got to know what the defense is doing. Okay. I think he. I think he knows that you got to know where to go with the ball and then you got to be able to put the ball there. That, that is. Those are the three things you need to do in a Kevin o' Connor because there's going to be people wide ass open if you know what the defense is doing with the way he draws up plays. And it's like, could you imagine Aaron Rodgers in that offense? And then everybody's like, well, could you imagine Mike McCarthy? What do you. What are we talking about back in Pittsburgh there? So it's. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback is a massive question mark. I think this entire off season and I don't know how much money they have to really address the entire situation. I guess they're going to try to find.

[B]

Not a lot.

[A]

Yeah. Sounds like they're going to try to find it.

[G]

Yeah, it's going to be interesting. When you have one of the best wide receivers there, that always helps. You have some talented offensive linemen and obviously the head coach being the play caller helps his. Well, the only drawback I would see with, with Aaron is what it's been for the last, you know, few years. It's just the age and like, if you're getting a quarterback in the building at this point, it's somebody that you want to like build a future with. Especially if they're not hiring the GM until after the draft process. But you're going to have a new gym there with klc. So I would think it would be someone that you have, you know, at least kind of a longer road at this point. I see Aaron Rodgers almost being, you know, year to year type thing after every year it's like, hey, am I right retiring or am I going to continue? So that. That would be the only draw.

[A]

Which would be. But that would be a perfect setup if they still believed in jj. Yes. You know, and Then that's.

[G]

He needs reps, though. He's got a he, we, we.

[A]

But he's not going to play.

[B]

But that's what makes no sense either when you're talking about guys like Kyler or like, he, he. Kyler's not going to Minnesota if he's not the starting quarterback. Does he seem like the kind of guy who's gonna like, hey, I'm going in, and I'm gonna battle, and. And even Dan Jones, like, is he gonna be healthy? Like, so if they're bringing him in, he was competing with.

[A]

And they made him an offer, allegedly more than what the Colts made them an offer off for. So they've been in the game before. It's crazy. All these things are possible, and that's why this time is fantastic Today, in about an hour, Team USA takes on the Giants. Let's see Skeens and the boys do their thing before we take over the World Baseball Classic. We'll be back tomorrow. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. Might change their life. Goodbye. Got a lot of info in there at the end. Yeah, perfect. I want to drop one more take. I wanted to give one. One more take, but I didn't. I held it back.

[E]

What was it?

[A]

I don't know. It's gone.

[D]

Just the one from earlier that.

[A]

You also have not said that.

[D]

Okay, okay.

[A]

That one's waiting.

[I]

Okay.

[A]

I had something that was ruthlessly, toxically smartass that almost came out of my mouth earlier, and I said, I'm not even letting that get out here. And everybody goes, no, we want here. No. I'm gonna have to craft this one a little bit better, you know, make sure it gets out of my mouth and doesn't just destroy everything.

[D]

Sure.

[A]

I got some ideas, though.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

It was really cool doing the combine.

[C]

Great.

[A]

Combine's here every single year. We talk about it like, hey, all the deals get done in these things. Never been in there. You know, just hear from everybody around the city, basically, about what it is. Never actually got to see it. Getting a chance to kind of see how it all operates. What a special time for the NFL here in Indianapolis. Honestly, in the amount of info that is being gathered by everybody, obviously, on the new prospects, but just, like, getting a little bit of intel on what an expectation is for something, and it's like, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And then going back to home base, putting all the info that they've gathered, trying to decipher what's real, what's not real, what matters, and what doesn't. Matter. To set the tone for free agency frenzy, to set the tone for franchise tagging, to set the tone for everything that's about to happen during draftsy. It's like it is is a insane time in Indianapolis throughout those four nights. And I don't know how they survive. Well, I don't know how these people survive. I genuinely don't. I mean we're talking 2:30. 3. 3. Just normal. Hey, we'll meet at 2:15, 2:30. It's like, I have a show 12, 3. And they're like, no, no, no, I'm talking.

[B]

Yeah, am.

[A]

There's another one right coming around. Go ahead and catch that second one. I'm like, what? And they're like, yeah, I have something at midnight with. And then something. It's like, you guys are just doing shit all night. It's like, yeah, have a drink. Figure this whole thing out. It's like, would love to catch up with you. Then I get in there and then you start like listening to this person talk about everything that just took place and then pointing over to something right over there right now. If I had to guess, I would say they're trying to figure out what their salary cap issue is and who they can get to renegotiate their deal and if they're able to do that, what they can move. And it's not like people are hammered drunk now Hammer having drinks, like a lot of that. But it is like a happy hour basically for like eight hours for the entire city. And all the shit gets done. And we just got a chance to get a glimpse of like a lot of it. And then we were invited to a couple different suites during the combine. Shit. And we stopped by a few. Obviously the Buffalo Bills post a photo of us in there. Being in them were so nice. Like what? Looking at why what matters. Here's how this goes, why we got to this point, who's doing what. It's like everybody was kind of like that. And what I kind of gathered from this and it sounds pretty self serving, but I mean the show's named after me. The people watch our shit in like in every single building. And it's like very. Somebody told us that something we mentioned on our show made them change. Not in Buffalo. We happen to know a lot of people in a lot of places now, which is what I learned at the combine. People we played with people that were younger coaches maybe when we were in there. And now in different spots, GMs that know somebody that we know are now in spot. It's an interesting time as we get older. Feels like these older NFL reporters had quite an advantage, you know?

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Because all the people that they had were kind of. Our group is kind of getting in there now, lads. Like, our boys are kind of getting in there who. Who kind of know who we are, so, like, getting a chance to kind of chat and hear all the shit around. It's. It was really cool. I mean, it was a cool combine. And then we just fly right over to what, the greatest city on earth over there. Yeah.

[B]

Well, pretty close.

[D]

I'm not going there, but it is amazing.

[A]

You were fasting for half of it. You missed the whole thing.

[D]

Beautiful.

[A]

And you missed the whole.

[D]

It was beautiful.

[A]

And I was so mad at him. I was so happy for him that he was fasting. And then I just looked at him, I was like, you got to eat.

[G]

He probably experienced it better than you.

[D]

Exactly. I didn't.

[A]

Okay. That's not the city to go to to do that.

[C]

Top 10 USC.

[D]

Yeah, sure. Absolutely.

[A]

I. I drop it in top six. Top five.

[B]

I think I would, too.

[A]

I'd put it in top six. Top five. Yeah. I don't want to have to.

[E]

Who's above it?

[A]

Nashville. I like Nashville.

[E]

Depends what you want to do, though. I think that whatever, like, cities depend on what you're looking to do.

[A]

Whether or not that's what we're talking about, though, like, having things to do, being able to do things. Like, I think that goes to a city being ranked. I don't think it's just, like, event at place like, Scott. The. The weather there was out. It was 92.

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

Weather, it was dry. So obviously, you get a bunch of winter creatures like us in there, we're going to naturally just like it. But then the way they took care of it, the people, the group, these boom, boom birds out there, there's lightning, and then there's the thunder, and those birds are boom, boom. Okay, Not. They're not on mushrooms, but this group. Group was awesome. Okay. And they really took care of us. And then what? We're hanging out with Team usa. It's like. It's a joke of an existence.

[G]

That backdrop in the show.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Backdrop.

[E]

Look fake, bro.

[A]

How about. How about Cajun man? Scott just working that thing. It was unbelievable. It was like, bro, your camera.

[D]

The beauty.

[A]

Good. So good. Grandpa Rossi, What a legend.

[B]

Yeah, he's the man.

[A]

Andy Pettit was talking to me. I don't like that.

[B]

After you threw a strike, though, he said, okay, at least he's coachable.

[A]

Yeah. Feels like the USA baseball guys all have a little something to him.

[I]

Yeah.

[A]

Feels like they all got to have a little something to get through the time.

[B]

If I had to guess, like you said too, like, that's the other thing is like, I think though, almost all those guys watch the show every single day too. Because there is so much downtime. Like you're in the clubhouse or you're in the weight room. Like ESPN is on. Like, they are. They. They know who we are.

[A]

Yeah. The lads knew who we were.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The lads know out there. I. I will say did not expect that. AJ did. Honestly did not expect that. Tony. Tony's boy coming over to us.

[D]

Roman legend.

[A]

What a stud. What an absolute stud. He looks exactly how you think.

[G]

I didn't know he was that big.

[A]

I mean, that's the most Jack looking Italian kid I've ever like that I've seen. He is the one, that Italian American kid playing baseball. This would be the one they would make. And his dad's name's Anthony. Anthony. I mean, yeah.

[D]

15 pounds of muscle this offseason worker.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

He's huge.

[A]

Yeah. He's blue collar. He's Italian. This is just what he is. It was unbelievable. He knew who the hell we were. Obviously. Bednar just immediately is the man on. I mean, all of them. The whole crew was very, very cool. Dump. Obviously got a chance to ride alongside the big dump for his entire season. It was. It was cool to know that they know who we are. Because I have so much respect for him. Because he's completely different world that I know about. Aaron judges is a giant. It's nice to meet Dino. This guy's. Yeah. Dina. I don't like it. Kind of Sicilian where the angle of the camera is and mountain in the middle. Yeah. In the groundskeeping crew, we'd like to say shout out to the dogs.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We appreciate you boys. Once again, I believe they watch the program as well. Shout out to the horse flies. Okay. I got a ping pong team jersey from one of the grounds crew. Gentleman's name was Patrick. I do believe he gave me a tank top. He has a ping pong team. They're called the horse flies. He actually drew up the graphic pretty solid. He had a large and an xl. No, he had an XL and a double xl. Didn't know how fat I was. Because he is a fan of the program.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

I said, hey, you're on.

[D]

Smart man.

[A]

I said, I'll take the xl. Give me a couple months. Maybe. Keep getting a little lazier. I'LL take the double xl. So it was like, felt very welcome. Maybe the most welcomed we've ever felt at one of those types of events.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

In any sport.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Players, coaches, people working there.

[I]

Athletes.

[D]

Absolutely.

[A]

I think so.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Thank you, baseball. We appreciate. I don't know sh. I don't know enough about you, but I. I'll try my best to learn. Thank you for all of it.

[D]

I mean, learn more.

[G]

You kind of can't say that anymore. I know you stared down one of the coats.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I was in.

[E]

When do we get to see that?

[G]

Yeah, so I mean, we wait till

[A]

you see the camera angles too. The boys did it. Hey.

[B]

Yeah, it's great.

[A]

We kind of did some out there age. I. I think we got some good content.

[E]

I. I think you went right handed. You bet right or left hand? We. You're a switch hitter.

[A]

He didn't know that. I didn't want to drop that on a mid inning, cuz. I know. And also he's a lefty.

[B]

You do not going lefty on.

[E]

You chose to go right.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. For his sake. For his sake. But there was a couple times in there where I had to remind myself like, hey, like, try to hit, you know, try to hit this thing. Cuz I'm sitting in there and I'm like, holy Clayton Kershaw right now. He's pitching me. I sent him a big long text afterwards, like, hey, brother, listen, thank you for allowing me to experience that, okay? Like I. Top 10 Pitcher All Time is what the conversation was. Obviously generational, maybe even top 5. Their stats aren't gonna be able to say he's whatever, when, whatever, forever. It's like the only people that get to do that are the people that have worked their ass off for their entire life in baseball and gotten a chance to experience that. I. I know. And while I was in there, I know a lot of baseball people, but while I was stepping in, I'm like, this is certainly a bucket list item for 100% of baseball fans. And then as I'm getting in there, I'm like, I'm not the right guy to be doing this, but holy. We're staring down like a goat right now. Who can still do it? Yeah, he can still. And there was some real. I don't know what's all going to happen in World Baseball Classic. I. I'm not going to be the one. One that's going to be putting out ideas or opinions because I don't know about. But I think there was a little bit about how this was going to be, what Clayton was going to do for Team USA was potentially just this. And then be. And then all of a sudden, they're seeing what he's doing. It's like, of course Kershaw can still. And then it's like, wait a minute. Or are you. Or like, we don't want. You know. And then, pet. It's like, hey, yeah, we don't need

[B]

to hustle the up.

[A]

We don't need as much downtime right now warmed up. We don't need any more fucking pitches. Okay? So let's. So it was a. It was awesome. It was a really cool experience. But as I was in there, there were so many times where I was just like a little kid. Just like, let's just. Man, I'm at Disney World right now. Clayton Kershaw on this thing. And then I remember, oh, trying to hit this thing. And. Yeah, right. By that point, we're so far gone, we have no chance. Was there a buckling? What is your guess? No, I like that jet passing. Said I took him yard. AJ Said I didn't buckle.

[D]

They know.

[E]

I thought you took him left field. I think you pulled it. You went left field.

[A]

You have to see. You have to see to see what. What happens, you know, it was a inning. I had three outs against Clayton Kershaw. And we'll be releasing. Releasing the video. All for charity. All for charity. If I hit a home run, he would have had to donate and would have to donate 25,000. And then there's a different monetary values for different things. Him throwing a strike, me making content stag, me getting a hit. We didn't put anything in there for laying a bun. There's a couple times where I was,

[B]

like, thinking about it.

[E]

You squared around on it. What if he threw you a curve and you squared around a butt? You just. Oh, just ate one, right?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, it was. It was crazy. It was. And he's coolest guy.

[D]

Yeah, the man seems like it.

[A]

The coolest guy, dude. Him walking into that tank top, that headband.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Imagine him just walking into that clubhouse. Boys, we gonna win this thing or what? It's Clayton Kershaw doing that. Like, he knows. He's a vibes guy, team guy, and also a legend. And he was so cool with his time. And he's one of the first people Jelly Roll did this at Big Night Out. He's one of the first people where I say, hey, we're gonna make a donation. You know, if you wanna be a part of it, or whatever. That's cool. And he goes, yeah, I'll donate, dude. Yeah, I'll donate with you. And I was like, well, you're gonna have to donate. You know, if I take you when. When potentially you already. You're gonna have done it. Okay. Yeah. He said, okay. There was some shit talk from Mrs. Kershaw.

[D]

Sure.

[A]

Which I respected. She was holding a baby and she talked shit on me. I thought. I thought that was really awesome. I thought that was. That was a cool moment. Yeah, it was really cool. The hospitality was outrageous from baseball, and we're very grateful for it. Very, very, very grateful for our legit. And we're going to continue to try our best to learn more and sell. Celebrate the. Out of the sport. But I think the sport's going to do that with this wbc.

[B]

Yeah, I'm very excited to watch that.

[I]

Yeah.

[D]

These next two weeks, it's like actually all baseball and then March Madness.

[A]

All right, let's take a break on the other side. We'll wrap up all the story lines around sports, and then we'll get the hell out of here and watch Team USA in their first scrimmage against the Giants. That. That Giants practice facility over there. They did it.

[E]

Yeah, it looks. It looks pristine. I would say it comes across well on camera.

[A]

I watch them put together a batter's box and line down the thing. Their grounds crew and 14 seconds.

[B]

Yeah. Less than 30, for sure.

[A]

Like NASCAR picker was that. Put a cage up, take a cage down, move this over to here. Move this over to here. It's like, no problem. Bang, boom, bang boom. And they're all just lockstep with each other, and then everything's perfect. Hey, you know what? That dirt looks a little dry back here. Not anymore. Perfect. Like I thought. There is Team USA Drop the A off the hat. Because it's all about us.

[E]

That's. I like that.

[A]

Me, too. That was a good bar. That was a good bar. I dropped it on somebody else, and they didn't know what I was talking about. So I don't know if they're all

[B]

saying it, but it might be a Bryce.

[A]

Been doing that for a long time.

[D]

Spread it around. It was the first day.

[C]

He's been on that team for 20 years.

[A]

Hey, boys, remember we dropped the eggs. Be friend. Tell friends something nice. It might change your life. We're back on the other side. Take. If you're ready for an oil change. Trust the professional parts People at O'Reilly Auto Parts to recommend the best products for your vehicle right now. Get five quarts of Valvoline, full synthetic motor oil and a Wix filter for 35.99 and receive a 15 O'Reilly gift card. After after rebate upgrade to a WIX XP oil filter for just $2. More limits apply. See store for details Stop by your local O'Reilly Auto Parts store or shop online at o'reillyauto.com Monster Energy everybody knows White Monster, Zero Ultra, that's the OG it kicked off this whole Zero Sugar Energy drink thing but Ultra is a whole lineup now. You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaiian Sunrise and Vice Guava and they all bring the Monster Energy punch. So if you've been living in the white can branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe and every single one is Zero Sugar. Tap the banner to learn more.

[D]

Sports.

[A]

Thank you AJ for fully committing like that. Even though you're completely off because of timing issues, not because of yourself but because of technology. That's A.J. hall Hawker. How you doing? There's a professional league here in town I believe this week happening at this exact moment. I got an email saying that they would love to host us out there and I just read it literally right before we go live and Connor just stopped in his tracks. He goes I would, I would seriously do that if we were going to do that. And then we're back right there. So I didn't not expect the full blown reaction out of Conor in the exact moment. Maybe we do got to go check out some bowling.

[D]

I mean it's electric.

[B]

I co sign. Yeah that would be awesome.

[D]

Someone just a 300.

[A]

Perfect. I believe the PBA is in town and we got an email saying hey, if you want to come through, let's go and do it. I think it was a brand new guy.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

I think it was like his first round. Young gun I think so rolls 300. Kind of knocks everybody's pins off their.

[D]

Yeah, calling him the next Rick Kenmore. He's that good.

[A]

Yeah, no they were calling him more so the American two handed wonder from down under there. Oh that's what they were kind of saying at the time, I believe from my reporting or journalism around the Internet. But yeah, I guess PBA is here in Indianapolis and I did not expect the immediate from Conor over there. I mean it was like a dog sees treat.

[C]

You guys do realize that Ken Moore and Norm Duke and Pete Weber, they're not going to be there, right?

[D]

No, but I'm.

[B]

You don't know that. You don't know that.

[A]

And what if the moment happens where who the fuck do you think you are? I am. Happens right here.

[B]

Yeah. For the new generation right now.

[A]

We have no idea.

[D]

Yeah, a suck my sack moment. Yeah, like that is. That is what you live for. And yes, Tony, they're not going to be there. But you know people when they first went to see Rick Kenmore and Pete Weber didn't know. Holy. We're watching. Until they got there and watched.

[A]

Yeah, we see the clip now. It wasn't like it was planned to happen exactly. It might take place at the gold bowling U.S. open. Happening here and is U.S. open is

[B]

the major we're talking.

[A]

Yeah. So a nine year NFL fed, Darius J. Butler saying I don't think this is what you guys think this is.

[G]

No, I'm not saying that. But I mean those are greats. Those are all time guys. I don't. I don't know yet. We got a new young gun just coming out here rolling 300 his first go round. I mean we never know. We'll see. I'm in too. Count me in the two.

[A]

Okay, so there is a two handed. We need to think about this. Scroll up please. Scroll up please. There is a new two handed. You see that?

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

There is a new double wonder coming there from.

[G]

From that Brandon Ba.

[A]

What?

[G]

That double B.

[E]

Is that legal?

[C]

That could be B.

[A]

This one. We know this one, don't we? That that one is a famous one. The one over the two of 2026. He's somebody. We know him. He's been around a long time. Iore.

[G]

Make sure

[A]

they're in town. Yeah.

[E]

Did it just happen at normal bowling alleys? Do they just set up some like bleachers behind a couple lanes in a normal alley?

[D]

Son of a.

[A]

You're calling roll pin just a normal.

[E]

I do not. Do you guys know Roll Pin Woodland?

[D]

You guys know this.

[E]

This place?

[A]

I know that if you go in there, the oil pattern's a little bit tougher.

[D]

RP Dub.

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

A little bit more weight in that ball.

[E]

Okay.

[A]

You need to check the watch.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Just a little bit cleaner and a little bit smoother. You need to go three triangles to the right. Go ahead and let that thing eat. Because what you don't know is there's a little bit of a dry spot iron L2. So. Yeah. Yeah, I think we know what it is. Okay.

[G]

Surprises. The ao.

[A]

Yeah. That is a fascinating place. I have been through Royal Pin Woodland. I do appreciate there's a lot of space.

[G]

I was thinking Lucas Oil normally for the crowds.

[A]

Yeah, not enough space.

[B]

You can't set up a Mickey Mouse Runway just on a football field. These guys are going to get Runway. Oh, I've been saying the whole deal. I mean, I'm obviously the alley they call the Runway leading up to it. You know that that's got to be pristine wood. That's got to be old royal pin.

[A]

Woodland is an interesting.

[D]

If I've been there.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, we've been there. I think we've all probably been there. No, it is crazy. It's not Luke sore.

[C]

There's a good arcade gamebridge.

[D]

At least use the basketball court.

[A]

Yeah, why not down there at Butler or field House?

[D]

Hey, boom.

[A]

They can use their wood.

[D]

Know what they need to use because

[A]

it ain't a bowling alley until when to double wonder.

[C]

IMS is probably the only stadium or arena facility that we have in the indie area that would house everyone who wants to watch it.

[A]

Yeah, you're talking about. Maybe we do put it in the middle of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a place that is as large as some cities and put it right in the middle so everybody can watch from the outside.

[D]

Should do that with the dark.

[A]

What we're saying, PBA is look out. Sounds like we're coming through. You guys still smoking cigs in there or not?

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I'm coming in with mask because of the smoke. I will declare the reasoning on why I have it on as well. So everybody. Everybody understands that. But actually, no. I need to get. I need to get back in.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

It's good for you every once in a while.

[C]

Yes, it is.

[A]

What was it? Holiday lanes.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

I grew up dugout.

[E]

The last real place that people could smoke cigs was bowling alleys.

[A]

Yeah. Holy lanes. I. It's not open anymore. They shut it down because they hate America. I guess. So maybe it didn't make any money after school Friday.

[C]

Bowling alley.

[E]

Probably that. Probably the second part.

[A]

It was right above. It was right above McDonald's. It was right above McDonald's, man. And walk. Walk down there, go up to the bowling alley. They had a little bike track in the back upstairs. Bowling alley. No, it's up a hill. Pittsburgh, dude. Everything's up a hill. So like McDonald's is here. You walk uphill around Bend. Holiday Lanes is up here. A lot of fighting in that back area back here.

[D]

Sure.

[A]

And then you come in here, you got smokes, you got billiards, obviously you got bowling table.

[B]

That was kind of the parking lot to fight in.

[A]

I mean, you kind of pass six, seven hours of your day and then you just walk your ass back Home be like, like. Well, that was fun. What did you do today? I couldn't.

[C]

Went to lanes.

[A]

There's a fight and somebody got beat up pretty good. They're fighting down the lanes. We got to go. Yeah, I think I smoked a Sig at one point.

[B]

You walked.

[E]

Try to get some Sigs out of the machine too. Old school cigarette machines where you pull the, the lever like those things are. I bet those are worth big money now.

[A]

Yeah. Try to convince somebody who is leaving before their ball rental ends. If we could steal their balls for the last like 10 minutes or so so we can get a little round in here, that'd be great news. Also, I'm selling those things here, not smoking. So if you just leave this out easier, I would appreciate that. The bowling alley brought a lot to my life. Bowling's awesome.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah.

[G]

Oh yeah.

[A]

But I never, I never got into the. Oh, I, I, I could, I could hold my own. Like if we were to bowl, I would not look like. What did I do for that one where we took on the 70 sometimes.

[B]

Yeah, that I was gonna say like 182 was the first thing.

[A]

Yeah, I think I had like a 170 something. So that is possible. That is.

[E]

You spin it. Are you a spinner? Like a real bowler?

[A]

Check watch, bro. Yeah. Every time. All I've learned one time somebody I watch who probably rolled over 200. Oh, this guy's greatest in the world. I didn't even know that was possible. Just check watch. Move right to just check watch, dude. And then it'll go where it needs to go. And I ain't picking up like I, I'm not doing sure. You know, I watch the thing. Tell me I need to. It's like, yeah, we'll see here, pal.

[C]

Maybe you're a two hand Gush.

[A]

That's what there's a chance. And it is immediately when my eyes go to, it's like, holy, we got some real.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

If you do go two hand. I thought you only go two hand if you're not strong enough to go one hand.

[A]

No, no. That's cuz you want some more solace, bro.

[D]

Yeah, you got, you want to move over four and rotate that thing.

[A]

Yeah. You want to turn, turn that someone doesn't know his. Yeah, obviously Guy in blue here that you are. Disrespectful acting. He's turned that song from the gutter to the head.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And he's hitting that pocket. Boom. Dancing that thing. And every time it's going down, people go There's a lot of that. What's that?

[G]

I don't know who's competing.

[A]

It's kind of doing it closer to today so that when we're done here, I could maybe think about making the great decision of going and watching that, you know, without having to ruin anything happen today. I can't.

[D]

I thought it was going to be Saturday.

[A]

It's all. It's still. It's all day.

[D]

Okay.

[E]

It's always prime time.

[A]

Is it happening right now? When go bowling US Open? It's on CW, too.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

It's March 1st through March 8th.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

The final is on Sunday and it'll be on cw.

[A]

Can we call these people, see if anybody's competing to try to get on CW right now? Like, I'd like to go see double Wonder kid. Is he pitching right now? I'd like to know if he's out there.

[C]

Are they open for normal traffic?

[A]

Like.

[C]

Like foot traffic? Like.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Got at least eight lanes over.

[A]

Maybe we get both sides of what they got.

[B]

Bad idea.

[D]

Just set up some choppers on one side.

[A]

We need to stop brainstorming on air. This is the off season. Michaela Shiffrin lied on the Internet. Don't like that.

[D]

Yes, she did.

[B]

Yeah, she did.

[A]

Friend of the program. Okay. We will call her a friend of the program forever because how great she was. She seems to be very active on social and on X or. We like that. Okay. We are excited that she has entered our algo. Oh, my God, you guys. I swore on Pat McShow Live and told him they yapped a lot. She. That was the first thing she said.

[B]

It was.

[A]

That's maybe the greatest intro I've ever seen of anybody.

[C]

We were yapping.

[A]

In her defense. There was a lot of yapping. And then, you know, she actually pretty good yapper as well. But I also didn't say fuck.

[C]

She did.

[B]

She a thousand percent did right away and shit.

[A]

And then she said that was awesome. We agree. We appreciate you having us on, but let's not be lying here. Yeah. Let the record show exactly. Michaela said. And numerous times through it all quick succession. And we would like to say that's why almost immediate hall of Fame performance on our program out of Michaela Shifrin and we appreciate her enter this weekend. She's got the gabagool down there and she. Yeah. Is she bowling too? She's good.

[D]

Oh, okay. I didn't realize she could.

[A]

No doubt. Yeah, she could.

[E]

Where's the gabagool open?

[A]

It's over there in Valla Gabagool Italy. Valla Deluza.

[I]

Yep.

[A]

Gabagool, Italy is actually pretty big region. Yeah, I think it's a pretty big.

[D]

Oh, yeah, you're right.

[C]

Northern.

[D]

The Gabagol province.

[A]

Yeah, I think it is.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

I think it's territory. Yeah. Territory, sure. Speaking of bowling and all these awesome things. Things, I put out a bird call in the middle of the break because I would like a new segment on the show. I'm looking to do the Thunderdomes World's Greatest whatever it is. If you have a talent that would be deemed world recordable. Okay. Like if the Guinness folks would come and say that's a world record. If they would adjudicate it and say that's a world record, we'd like to start doing our own here at the Thunderdomes World's Greatest. Now, the first person that we want to be entered into the Thunderdomes World Greatest hall of Fame has already been decided. So nobody, except for this one person who is the one that we would like to model the Thunderdomes World Greatest after we'll go. But we would like ideas. So we got terrible responses to this.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. We got a few.

[D]

Like what?

[A]

Just. I mean, there was just some bad ones. There was some marathon ones. Like, there were some, like, those type. Types of things. We appreciate what they. They have and what they're able to do. But I think what we all understand, we're trying. We're trying to do this as a segment on show. So, like, we. We. It needs to be something that could be done. But we obviously. Cash prize, 10,000 bucks down there to a winner. Travel them in. And obviously you're a part of the Thunderdomes World Greatest hall of Fame, which will become a book which we will start giving out. So I'm trying to make this a real thing because I think people who have special talents should be celebrated. But I also think it's absolutely spectacular television. Whenever people are attempting to do something that I've never seen before, and it appears to be incredibly difficult and holy hell, nobody's ever done this before. So I would like to add that to our world and to our entire program. We just need the people that have those abilities to want to do it as well.

[I]

Yeah.

[A]

Saw some people say only 10,000 bucks. It's like if somebody's throwing a paperclip for, like. All right, you want a million? Yeah. Am I. You know, like, there's. Yeah. Oh, my God. Holy. Everybody stop what they're doing. Guy Fi's on sports. What?

[E]

Yes. What are we doing?

[D]

Can we get audio?

[A]

He's talking about the Raiders, obviously.

[C]

How did we miss that today?

[A]

I don't know. We should have been told by false to market this.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Can we.

[A]

I'm sick of not knowing. Awesome stuff's happening. This kind of goes back to the Thunderdomes World's greatest. We want to know all the awesome that's happening in the world. If Guy Fieri is on SportsCenter talking about the Raiders, we'd like to know about it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If somebody can make a thousand free throws in a row, we would like to celebrate you in real time.

[C]

Hottest pepper in the world.

[A]

I've already done that.

[C]

I know you have.

[D]

Maybe a bullseye on a dartboard from 150ft.

[A]

I don't know if we have. From however long we have. Right.

[E]

Or something.

[A]

Yeah. From like any of these. Archery, though. Good idea.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Whatever you. Whatever you think you could do in here, it'll be happening in here. We got the height. Whatever you need to do. Height wise, we got it. If you want to do a belly flop, you know, on to cement. That would be outside because we got a wooden floor in here. Oh, yeah.

[G]

Waiver.

[A]

But. And we.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

The amount of waivers that will be happening for the Thunderdomes world greatest will be real. But we want to celebrate people who have special talents. And. And I put a tweet out, got a lot of responses. Did not necessarily get any of the things that we thought would potentially be. So we're trying to do this again. We would like this to be a thing. We would very much like this to become a thing. Cause I think it would be awesome watching us watch something happen.

[B]

Yeah, certainly.

[A]

And also we'd love being in the presence of greatness. The world's greatness. The Thunderdome's world greatest.

[B]

Well said.

[A]

Wow. That might be the tagline. We need to. Guy Fieri may be in there somewhere. What would he. I don't watch. I bet he has.

[D]

Believe it.

[A]

He's still.

[D]

He's got multiple most delicious burger of all time.

[C]

How the person that you talked to before the show. Knox. Suggests that we have a guy.

[A]

That's what I'm saying.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. We called multiple people. Hey, anybody got anything? Need anything? Nobody. Nobody. We talk to numerous people.

[G]

Yeah.

[B]

This could be why no one's trying to book someone. Head up with Guy at really any time.

[A]

Yeah. You.

[D]

You want someone at 1 o'. Clock.

[B]

So it's like.

[G]

That's a great voice.

[B]

Like, hey, guys on tv, cancel plans. You were going on TV today. No, you're not.

[A]

Look what we did. We turned our show off. Put their show.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Immediately upon seeing it. Guy, we love you're in sports, bro. Keep, keep on coming.

[D]

It's a really interesting thing going on with Guy too with his tequila.

[C]

What do you mean?

[D]

You guys see anything?

[E]

Oh yeah. He lost like multiple trucks, codes, right?

[A]

I did not see anything. I. Guy, I think he has like 45 different businesses too.

[B]

He does.

[A]

I mean that is. That is a fascinating human being. When they look back on the Guy Fieri life, they're gonna be like, wow, that guy did this, this, this. And let's not even talk about groceries games.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

I mean let's not even talk about

[D]

the mayor of a town.

[B]

Triple D. Yeah.

[A]

Flavor time. Yeah. Flavor town tournament champion.

[B]

Donkey sauce.

[A]

He's more of the king of Flavortown, I think. But I like that he says mayor as if it was duly of a

[D]

piece appointed or mayor of state perhaps.

[A]

I was voted that here in Indiana. Shout out to me. That was pretty cool. At the combine. Who's the unofficial mayor of Indiana? It's like, well that's not how that works. I don't think they put that up on the Jumbotron and everybody was voting on it with a QR code. Sorry, Fernando, I'm the mayor of state,

[D]

so take your ass to Vegas.

[A]

See ya, dude. Guy Fieri's waiting for you. Maybe player. I don't like that early. Because people will think that he's not as good at football because they'll call him a donkey if he's representing.

[D]

Yeah, you're right. It's like that quote he had. People are like, you have one bad game, get ready for this thing.

[A]

On that note, Guy Fieri, if you have anything that you could do, perform live an act of some sort that you think would be considered the Thunderdomes world's greatest. Guy, we would like you to be a part of the Thunderdomes world great hall of fame. Celebrating the world's greatness. The Thunderdome World's greatest. That's a good tagline. Now we just gotta find them.

[G]

Yeah, some bench press reps. Oh, 600 pounds.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Tebow and J.J. watt still, you know, they said they'd come in and aq. AQ was in there as well.

[A]

Aqc he said, I don't think Tebow and JJ because.

[G]

And I said records.

[A]

They look at AQ and they're like, there's no way that thing is going to beat me in something. Yeah, it's like the bench Press. This guy's body was creative. Yeah, that's the one.

[C]

I just watched him do 315 for 10.

[A]

So who ain't you?

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

Where?

[C]

I think didn't talk. Put out a video of herself.

[A]

Those short arms. It helps. Yeah. I mean, you just saw.

[E]

It's pretty damn good.

[A]

I didn't know if he did it this past weekend.

[C]

Yeah, I think.

[D]

I mean, probably did in that base.

[C]

I'd have to confirm with Talk Talk, but I. I could have swore I saw it on a Talk video recently.

[A]

You did.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

Is that a recent video, though?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Yes. He sent him the video doc texted

[A]

him and said, hey, can you hit some bench? And he did me with a thumbs up walking through. True. I did that. AQ is the greatest. AQ is an absolute, absolute beauty. No, we gotta go stop at this new place.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, I got this other place. I won't go to bed kind of, though. Yeah, but you won't. I'm kind of tired, dude. I mean, it's been a long couple. This next place. One more, one more. Wait. TC's next place. And I'm walking. This is really nice. Holy. So what are we doing now? We're just sitting here. What. What's going on? No, we're having a good time. Come on, let's get some music. Check out this room. Come on. Okay. All right. All right, let's do it. I'll do it. I'll do it. I feel like I'm kind of being a downer right now, though. Entire thing. It's been a long day. A lot of sun out here, a lot of boozing. I think I should go to bed. And then you all exit. I thought.

[B]

I just assumed we were leaving.

[A]

I get a tour. Yeah, when you. That was the word. I get a tour of a place. Okay. Kind of like, look at a place. Hey, this is kind of happening. This is what's possible. It's like a club of some sort, you know? Very nice. I come back, boys up and leaving. I'm like, oh, no. These people that I just talked to are not expecting me to leave right now. And I look at you guys. Where are you guys going? Everybody get in bed. I'm like,

[C]

we out of here.

[A]

I did.

[B]

10 times.

[A]

Yeah, that's what we said.

[D]

Yeah, we said. Yeah, okay.

[A]

And then you guys got. Pulled the trigger and got out of there. Yeah. I should have been celebrating, you guys, what you said. Let me tell you what I was thinking when you guys were walking out of that place and I was saddling up for whatever the. Was about to settle up for. I was like these doing everything I want to do right now. I was watching you guys skip out of there. Look like you guys found energy on your way out of there. That was the first time. Four hours.

[D]

They're going to get those tacos.

[A]

Oh, Velvet Taco. Thanks for showing up. Smash Burger tacos. Those things were phenomenal for the group. Thank you very much for that. Place was gorgeous. I. There's just like seven more places to go. I don't know.

[D]

Was it a private club?

[E]

He took you to his couple private clubs.

[A]

Couple, yeah. Yeah, that happened a couple of those. Couple public ones. Couple. Whoa. What is this? There's no way this is allowed. Thought about that a couple times. This is real life out here. This is. Felt like a couple places were staged just for me and Gumpy. I felt like we walked into a place. It was like. This feels staged. This feels like a recruiting trip. Like I thought I was on like a recruiting visit to a school. They were trying because there was a lot of. Look at this house. Look at this house. There was a lot of trying to get me to move there. And I'll tell you what, they got me pretty close. Yeah. They called me about 5:30, 6 o'. Clock. Almost had me buying a house out there.

[C]

It's a very nice place.

[A]

It is. And then 7:30 came and I wanted to go to bed. And then 8:30 was still going. And you. 7:30, you guys. That's when you guys left, if you recall.

[I]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Yep.

[D]

When we. So let's get out of here.

[A]

That was really nice of you guys doing that. Then 8:30 happened. Then 9:30 happened. 10:30 happened.

[C]

You gave us an order.

[A]

I was in a basement with 1045.

[C]

You gave us an order and we followed it.

[A]

That's not on us. Dumpy was there. Bill was there. Bruce, were you there? Yeah, Bruce was in the middle of it all. You should have seen him.

[E]

Not a lot of basements out there. Arizona either.

[D]

That's how you know.

[A]

Yeah, I guess it was first floor.

[E]

You got to have some cash to

[A]

have a basement, I think, out there. Yeah, a lot of that. I mean, I didn't know a lot about what was going on.

[C]

The critters.

[A]

I'd seen some of the stuff before in public. You know, I've seen some of the stuff before. They had little energy devices that they were using.

[D]

Sure.

[G]

Is it a bunker or a basement?

[A]

It. It looked like it was. It was a basement. It was. I didn't know you saying were they bumpers, you know? Yeah, there was a lot of that going on. It looked like. I didn't know that was still taking place. It was 20, 26. It was like Jesus Christ. Yeah, you guys all got a little burst of energy. It seems like. I don't know what's going on around here. I still like you bed. Come on, come on, come on. No, that ain't my. Can I smoke in here? No, you got to go. Okay.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

I'm going to go sit outside.

[B]

See you guys in 10 minutes.

[A]

Yeah. Holy. Here is AQ doing it. Here's the video Tik Tok put out there. I love Arizona. I'm going to say that.

[B]

Yeah, it's awesome.

[A]

It's kind of a dangerous place for us to go, I think because of how awesome it all is. We didn't even get on a golf course.

[B]

No.

[A]

But this guy just walked us around. Look at that. What is that? That's not 315, is it?

[E]

It's at 295.

[A]

Yeah, I think so. It looks like for five, there's 10.

[E]

What's on the end for fives or tens?

[A]

I don't know. Can you run that again?

[E]

Still a lot. Still a lot of weight.

[G]

AQ 75 to 95, maybe one.

[A]

See, that's what. That's moving a total of four inches.

[E]

Yeah, he is built. I mean, AQ is one powerful dude.

[D]

That's six of them.

[A]

Yeah, and he knows it too, you know, like somebody. What'd she say? Yeah, he got a little bit of that, you know, Got a little bit of that in his old age, you know, and he had it when he was young too. But now he's still letting everybody know he's still got it, you know. That's a good thing. You can really get him route up pretty odd just so quick. What, What'd you say? He had one where he dropped his glass. What'd you say?

[E]

He does do that sometimes.

[A]

You look your fucking dad. Rudy, I'd like to go to bed. You have no idea where we're going. Just wait. Okay.

[E]

He's very flexible too, for how thick he is.

[A]

Yeah, he had to be, man. You lose one trait, like having arms the size of most of the dollars. You have to gain another. Like, he's super duper. He's the best. AQ is the absolute best. The weather is so nice out there. We didn't get really burned up.

[B]

No, no.

[A]

Not.

[B]

Not like I was expecting to yesterday especially.

[A]

Yeah. We didn't get cooked as much as

[B]

I thought, and it was hot, but when it's not humid, you know, it's not. I mean, you're not sweating buckets everywhere you go.

[A]

Arizona might go into the Thunderdomes, World's greatest. They have a chance, if they're able to, to get here to state, which we know the group that would come.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Belts on. I'm sure they could do some. They were a great group. Thank you for the hospitality out there. Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is not being tagged and will now become an unrestricted free agent. Congratulations.

[C]

He's free.

[G]

Go on.

[A]

Ladies and gentlemen, they've done it. The Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson have figured out what they're going to do do with each other. This has been a three year battle of, oh, well, he needs to just take the deal and shut the fuck up. Well, don't you think I deserve some sort of something? No, you don't. Well, I'm not going to go then, but I feel bad if I don't go. So I'm actually going to go and I'm going say the reason why I haven't been here is on their side. They're going to understand that. Trey Hendrickson, a lot of people eyes too good of a dude to do the whole hold out, be a squeaky wheel that could potentially get an oil especially with the Cincinnati Bengals franchise and organization restructured his contract a couple times, negotiated in good faith a couple of times at a little bit of a lower value. Was allegedly from his side of things. Was told that they'd fix it next year. Next year came. They did. They will fix it next year. Next year came and we'll fix it next year. So now Trey Hendrickson is going to be able to go wherever the hell he wants and receive whatever contract is available. We are incredibly happy for Trey Hendrickson and congrats to the Bengals not having to answer questions or say anything stupid about this situation going forward. This is a good day. Yeah, it's a good day for the NFL that this is happening now. Bengals fans are going to say, well, it'd be nice to have Trey Hendrickson on our team. Which I think is what Trey Hendrickson has been saying for multiple years now. Like, yeah, can we not. Don't we want to kind of commit to that? I've already done a lower number. Like, what are we doing? So good luck to Trey Hendrickson. Sucks that the Bengals are losing a stud, but I'm very happy for Trey at this moment. I think all, all parties involved.

[E]

AJ yeah, this didn't we talk about this like they claim, obviously they could attack him. They could do everybody. Didn't they claim that they would take care of him after this year and they would not tag him in that something we. We talked about.

[A]

Yeah, but then remember they were going to give him a new deal last year and then they didn't give him a new deal. So there's been a lot hurt. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And then his value went.

[B]

The thing that sucks is, you know, if this would have happened last year, he would have been one of the. Yeah, exactly. We've been getting paid like that. And now like you said, we'll see what contracts out.

[A]

30, 35.

[C]

It's good.

[A]

Anywhere from 25 to 30, I'm thinking. Yeah, that's what I'm going to.

[G]

How old does he know?

[A]

31.

[D]

31. Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Cuz he missed like 12 games or something last year, didn't he?

[C]

Most of the season.

[A]

Yeah. Let's just turn on the highlights.

[C]

Very, very good.

[A]

Turn on, take. Turn on the hands. Turn on the hands. Turn out the untaped hands. You know, and him buying into everything. It's like we like Trey Hendrickson around here and some team's gonna sign him that's gonna be in a Super bowl hunt and they're gonna get an absolute dog. That's what they're gonna get. Huge. That is a big deal for today. Okay, so Kenneth Walker is gonna be a free agent. Shefty doesn't think he's going back to Seattle. They're not gonna be able to afford him. John Schneider's gonna move on Trey Hendrickson. He's not gonna be a free agent. Congrats to whoever signs him and everything like that. Breece hall got franchise tagged today. Kyle. Kyle Pitts has been tagged and so is George Pickens for the Dallas Cowboys. That's the first time we've brought that up. Yeah, sports media should have done that a long time ago. But also that could have been a block, B block, C block.

[C]

We saw other shows talk about Max Crosby to Cowboys a lot today. Even though Shefty said on each show Cowboys have not talked about this with all at all so.

[A]

Well, they said something you do. They said something about a Micah Deal. Micah you to be with the Dallas Cowboys. It's a natural tie in that you can kind of do that. Max Crosby. I just saw a clip from his podcast. I believe a lady young woman asked him. So what are you doing, dude? You getting trade was like pretty good. Little. Pretty good little gimmick out of her Actually asking some real questions. He said it meant Kubiak life is good. Trying to figure it out. He said he spoke too much on this. We have reached out to Max Crosby to potentially come on program. We do not think that's going to be damn happening. We've sent him a lot of like, yeah, but then he's on the rush and he's phenomenal. So I would do the same if I was him, by the way. But it would be nice just to get a full clarity on it. But maybe he doesn't even know what the hell is going to happen. There's so much turnover. Six different head coaches in seven years, five different gms from Max Crosby. That's an absurd.

[D]

Couple stats, nuts, insane.

[A]

Just turnover. Nothing ever real deal. Hey, I've heard what you're saying. You've said a hundred times, hey, I'm gonna come in here, I'm get everybody buying. I'm gonna do it. Okay. The last four coaches of literally said that, buddy. Yeah, hey, I'm a G. I'm gonna get the right guys in here. I'm gonna do that. Okay. The last three GMS that I've had in the last four years have said the same exact thing. I assume. It's getting hard to believe. I. I assume that it's something that is. Yeah, that is taking place. But once again, we got a new one.

[B]

Yeah, that's right.

[A]

We got a new one.

[D]

Let's run a Super Bowl.

[A]

Yeah, we got some new ownership as well. Fernando's a guy. Brock Bowers, Ashton Genti. Right now might not be the time.

[B]

A lot of money.

[A]

Now might be the time to kind of hang on. But then the rest of the NFL is like, ah, are you available? Cuz if that's the case. New time, fun. Yeah, we got an old time. In this old time, we go to the Super Bowl. That's what we're trying to do. That'll be an interesting talking point as we continue throughout this entire time frame.

[G]

Yeah, for him. You, you mentioned earlier, like we want to see him playing on the biggest stage. Sheft, you talked about him not winning in a collegiate level or in high school. I mean, I don't know how he lost games in high school. I feel like a guy like that would just dominate both sides of the ball based on the highlights that we've seen. But that sucks. Especially when you get to this point. You are such a good player to not be on a winning team and you're in a division. You talk about the NFL, but you're In a division where you've seen teams go from the bottom to the top, obviously with Kansas City and the Chargers, they're doing their thing. And then Denver, they've turned things around as well. And you, you're sitting here going through all these different head coaches, different gms and I believe F Fernando Mendoza is a great quarterback, but it is still going to be part of a rebuild. It's a rookie quarterback. He still got a young running back back there. You got. Hopefully you can fix the old line. But I want to see him on a contender. He said it multiple times. He wants to be a Raider. Now we hear the reports that maybe not we'll see how it plays out, but I want to see 98 playing some big time ball games. I feel like, you know, he, he obviously deserves it.

[A]

Yeah, he's special for football. We hope the world gets a chance to see him. But if that's what the Raiders, that'd be cool too. Good for them. Let's go to some breaking news. Adam Scheffer has reported officially. Bears Pro bowl center Drew Dahlman has informed the team that he is retiring from the NFL at age 27. Dahlman left Stanford in 2021 and after four seasons in Atlanta and won Chicago, he has made the sudden and surprising decision to retire. That offensive line was the first thing that Ben Johnson focused on. Obviously they had immense and immediate success with Caleb Johnson or Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson kind of seemingly clicking defense that hunts. Wow, that sucks. Hey, congrats, dude. I assume this is a huge decision. You see the helmet that he has on? He went to Stanford. Obviously what's in between those ears is also incredibly precious. I assume he, he thinks he's made enough money from the game, he's given enough to the game, has enjoyed the game enough and now it's time to move somewhere else. Very hard decision to retire from anything, especially at this young of an age with as much opportunity that's still out there that can lure you away from it if you really want to do it. So congrats to him. We're happy for him, AJ Absolutely.

[E]

And like I don't know how it works if you retire in the middle of a contract, you have to give some of that back. How does it work?

[A]

Well, it depends on what the refundable of the signing bonus. Because signing bonus is normally money from future years just kind of being allotted up front so that we can kind of dance it around. That's why you're always paying it off forever. So who knows what the contract stipulates on when's refundable, how long it's refundable. Sometimes there's like obviously one year with Chicago. I don't think that's going to enact a clause that it's no longer refundable or whatever it is. But that's probably all within the contract. I assume Chicago's not going to take any money from them. That would be an interesting look from Frank franchise and organization. But this is interesting. This is. I mean, not that I've had any conversations with Drew Dahlman about Drew Dahl ever in my life, but anytime you see somebody that Pro bowl at a place that just had success, got a chance to experience success and can see the future up and to the right, decides to walk away at a very young age, you hope everything's okay. First of all, we hope. We literally hope everything's okay. And then you think immediately that had to be such a difficult decision to make.

[G]

Oh yeah.

[A]

His whole life probably around.

[G]

Yeah, yeah. And. And part of that money thing too is about the team too. Remember what I said? He didn't go after any of your money that luck because when he. A bunch of money that he let him, you know, walk away with. But yeah, at the height of his career, he is a human part at a part of it. And look, you don't know what he's dealing with off the field. I mean, to be in a building like that with Ben Johnson, how he's turned things around round Caleb Williams. He's been a tremendous quarterback. The Arrows only seem up to the right for him, but we don't know what he's dealing with as a human off the field. You went out kind of at the top of your game at the peak. I hope everything is good. And shout out to Drew, man, congrats on a great career.

[A]

We're happy for you if you're happy. We just hope you're happy. Drew, thank you for your commitment to game Smotrack who's been evolving. Smotrack is doing good. Drew Dahlman has two years 24 million remaining on his contract, including 9.5 million fully guaranteed in 2026. And you have to wonder what signing bonus was and a lot for and all that type of stuff. We assume spot track will do the math. We'll follow up with that tomorrow. Also about an hour and five minutes left before franchise tag deadline hits. We will not remain live for that.

[D]

Yeah. The boys are about to start their journey.

[A]

Yeah. Team usa Paul SK is taking the bump. SK about take the bump. So what you're about to see is if you had eyes inside of Thunderdome. What you're about to see, AJ Is this entire entire group just mosey right on over there, and there's going to be a good time had watching this Team USA that we had the incredible opportunity to experience yesterday start their journey to becoming world champions again. Good luck out there, boys.

[D]

Good luck, boys.

[A]

I'm proud of the boys.

[B]

Hard not to be.

[A]

I hope we get hot bats for the entire.

[D]

I was going to say let's. Let's get.

[B]

I'll be more proud when they win it all.

[I]

Yeah.

[D]

So we go on here. Wasn't really proud of any of the Olympians before it started.

[A]

Michaela Schiffer, we were proud of. Oh, you weren't?

[D]

No, I was.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

I wasn't proud of Jordan Stoltz. I wasn't proud of any of them

[A]

because we didn't know.

[D]

I mean, that's if team. If Team usa, you know, won silver, would I be as proud of them?

[A]

Nice talking about it.

[D]

Yeah, I wouldn't. They won gold, though. So let's go out there and take that back from Japan, man.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well said. Let's definitely understand that the Dominican team is.

[B]

That's good baseball.

[D]

They're not even on my radar.

[A]

No, they need to go baseball team. Somebody showed me their lineup. I know those names.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[A]

I'm not. Yeah, yeah, I know those names. I know. Yeah, they're. I'm not a big baseball guy. I'm seeing some of these lineups. I'm like, wait a minute. I thought it was us. Japan.

[G]

That guy was American.

[A]

Holy. Where's he playing? Here. How long he's been here? Since he's how old? How come we don't got him? Oh, yeah, he's pounding a baseball right now. Yeah, this is just.

[D]

Yeah, this BP looks a little different.

[A]

Yeah, well, they're also in Tropical Island. You know, there wasn't wind howling it all.

[B]

Not working on it. Juice balls.

[A]

What are you saying?

[B]

Well, I'm just saying, you know, any of the guys on our team could have went in there and just. Hey, hit a homer every single time. They could have done. They're taking BP from 25ft away. They're working on. You know what I'm take. I'm gonna take every single one of these the other way, because I'm talking

[A]

strictly about Aaron Judge right now.

[B]

Yeah, I am. I am. Because guess what? Judgy could hit as many homers out of that, you know, complex as he wanted to, but he's saying, hey, Rossi, can I get a situation here? What am I trying to do here? Was it. We got guys on first and third with two outs in the seventh inning. Okay, yeah. I'm gonna rip one into the gap the opposite way and make sure both these guys get in. You know, that's just a level of professionalism, a level of captaincy that I don't think a lot of these other countries are dealing with.

[A]

You're saying all these guys just want to hit ding dongs. Ding dong, ding dong.

[B]

We could do that. And guess what? We had guys who. Who said, you know what? All right, we got a bunch of media here, and people here like, I'll be that guy.

[A]

Bryce took one.

[B]

Bryce Harper hit.

[A]

Hit the.

[B]

Bryce Harper hit it a thousand miles an hour. Every single hack he took, he fragy. Yeah. Boys were hitting the ball hard, bro.

[A]

So as soon as this BP starts, I. I know don't know the game, and I don't know how this works. Bryce gets in there, two bunts, ting ping. I guess that's just tradition for baseball.

[I]

Yeah.

[B]

And you saw the. The buns Bryce laid down, because guess what? Bryce ain't gonna be button, but he

[A]

just, like, he felt obligated to do it for the game. I think judge did the same thing.

[B]

See a couple.

[A]

If you got to do it, let's do it. Brag. Boom, bang. And then you see after the second one, as soon as that thing leaves their bat, it's like, all right, I did what I was to supposed. Supposed to do. Like, if my dad was watching right now or my coach was watching right now, they'd be like, that's how you do it. And then as soon as I say, that Bregman guy, he's got a lot of pop.

[D]

Junkyard dog.

[A]

They silly honored him too.

[B]

I mean, with the group, he's not a huge dude. We said he came out and we saw him after, you know, just in street clothes.

[A]

I don't know where it's coming from. I. I don't know where it is coming from.

[C]

A lot of baseball players are like, that powerful torque.

[E]

They find some torque. They got crazy torque it. And their hand speed is off the charts.

[A]

I mean, the. The knock that was happening. Just the purity of the sound.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

There was a couple where Bryce just decided he was going to start pulling this. Just kind of put on a show. It felt like it's literally what he was doing. And it was like he was just like. Like a pitcher would. It was. He was curving it into it was and then to your point about Judge. Judge hit everyone. Oppo. Every single one. Oppo. And he was like slicing it basically to like hit a thing. And Tyler goes, oh, he can hit a home run anytime he wanted.

[B]

Guys hitting 330, you know, cuz he's going to use the whole field and he really did.

[A]

Yeah, he was just like putting bows places. But he didn't hit anywhere near as many home runs.

[B]

No, definitely.

[D]

Harper went deep center.

[A]

Yes. Crazy bomb type with howling wind. Yeah. Yeah. It was cool. We're lucky to be we. We shouldn't continue to brag about being there. We understand. We weren't.

[B]

It was pretty cool.

[A]

It was cool. I saw Mush.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Saw Marty there. That was good to see him. There was multiple different media entities over there. It's cool to see everybody. They all love bowling.

[E]

Do all the boys stay together like in one big hotel or where?

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, I guess the way it goes is they'll stay in a hotel, families will come in at different times and leave. I guess that's kind of just like the baseball world. Like families will travel in on a road trip somewhere because they're on the road so much. It's just normal for them.

[C]

A couple boys live there.

[A]

Diner in Houston. Yeah.

[C]

Oh, for Houston. I thought you meant Arizona.

[A]

Yeah, there's been a couple of the boys that hosted a couple dinners I guess out in Arizona. But yeah, once they get down to Houston, whenever this all starts. Yeah, they're. I guess they're in hotel living down there and it's just like we're in time to go. They're in the MLB season. All of a sudden it's like, let's go boys, let's go.

[C]

Gregman knows Houston well. He'll take care of the boys.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

Oh, he was a part of the.

[D]

The bats.

[B]

Yeah, he's.

[D]

He's cheating bats on camera.

[E]

He was cheating at.

[A]

That they were doing with garbage cans. Can't wait to ask them about that now that we're friends with him because we're doing a lot of speculation there for a while.

[C]

Yeah, we were.

[A]

Now feels like we maybe get to the bottom of it.

[C]

Exoskelet.

[A]

I'll tell you what, it would have been nice to know what Clay Kershaw was throwing.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Right.

[D]

Would have helped.

[A]

It would have been nice to know what Curse was saying. And maybe in there he actually tells me something. Maybe he does start telling me what pitch is coming. You know, one of those, which is nice.

[E]

Would that help if you knew a curve was coming Would it make you feel better?

[A]

I'm not going to give anything away.

[B]

Yeah, you have to watch.

[A]

I'm not gonna give anything away. Oh, I'm not gonna give anything away. Did I know what pitch was coming at one point? Maybe. Did I? Oh, I think I know what he wants to do right here. I think I know what he wants to do right here.

[D]

Pitch the show. All of a sudden you see it lasered in. You know exactly where it's going.

[A]

No, because there was a moment cuz he was in a heat. Yep, we're doing full.

[C]

He did his.

[E]

His wind up is sweet.

[G]

Was it intimidating?

[A]

Yes.

[G]

You can see his eyes over the gloves.

[A]

So there's a couple times where he was not as serious while he was pitching to me. And I'm like, okay. He's treating me like I'm one of his kids right now. I got it. Then there was a couple where I could feel it.

[B]

Two strikes on you.

[A]

And it's like I could feel. I could feel. I'm like, oh, he's taking this one. This like Shane did with the two sumo wrestlers when we didn't know when they were going to wrestle or not. And Shane said, this one feels a little bit more intense. And then they went for it. There was like a couple pitches where I was in there. And I'm looking at him, I'm like, oh, I think this is. I think he's really trying to cook this one. I think this is real. I think I'm experiencing real Clayton Kershaw right now. And it's like, this is so cool. But then also, like, let's try to make contact here on Clayton Kershaw. And then all of a sudden, I'm not gonna give it away. I'm not gonna give it away. There were some sick pitches coming.

[E]

Dong shot, dead center.

[G]

Maybe.

[E]

Maybe I would have used a metal bat, by the way. Should have brought a metal bat.

[A]

Not gonna say anything. Don't think it would have mattered. All right, we're gonna get the out of here. We're going to watch the boys. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. You might change your life. We're back tomorrow. We love sports. We hope you do as well. We're in this thing together. Let's never, ever forget that. Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three.

[D]

Team.

[A]

Goodbye. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news, and this is big. The Indianapolis Colts have officially placed the transition tag on Danny Dimes. Wow. On Indiana Jones. Now, this means that if any other team makes an official offer sheet to Daniel Jones, the Colts have the right to match it. Okay. 37.833 million will be the least amount of money that Daniel Jones makes next year playing football. I would like to say to Daniel Jones, I'm incredibly thankful that there is a chance you're going to be a Colt next year. Remember when Dana came into town, he was allegedly in a competition with Anthony Richardson. Anthony Richardson, former number four overall pick for the Indianapolis Colts, now seeking a trip to from the Indianapolis Colts. Daniel Jones was coming in here. Not a lot of fanfare from Colts fans other than us. Not a lot of hope and optimism from a lot of people around the league, including Colts fans other than us. And what Danny Dimes came in and did was an incredible leadership position. His talent was outrageous. And what he did was lead the colts to an 8 and 2 record, the number one offense in the NFL, and us singing every single overreaction Monday that the Colts are going to win the Super Bowl. And he broke his leg overseas.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

All of a sudden he couldn't do anything that he was able to do. You know, Shane Steichen's offense is certainly much better whenever the quarterback can move and the quarterback can run and Danny Dimes can certainly run. A lot of people undervalue his running ability, mostly because he is a big, dorky white dude. Correct. But he is a weapon with his legs. He's a weapon with his arms. And what he was able to do in Shane Steichen's offense whenever he was healthy was spectacular. Something that we haven't seen here in Indianapolis in a long, long time. Going to games was awesome. We were able to talk shit once again and then we wanted seven to end the season.

[C]

That was tough.

[A]

And now we wonder, broken leg in one leg, torn Achilles in the other. Will Danny Dimes be able to be healthy for next season? Feels like those conversations are taking place and it feels like it's personal. Probably potentially going to be with the Indianapolis Colts, which makes me zeed up Darius Butler that he's going to be here. Cuz there was a lot of chatter. Dimes is back. Dimes is back. He's like, do we know that? Feels like a lot of people are going to be interested in Dimes with how he played. Now at least we know there is interest and the Colts can keep him if anybody loves him more.

[G]

Absolutely. We know that revolving D has been at quarterback since Luck left and now we. It looked like we had a guy, you know, the first half of the season, not only guy for this year, but the guy for the Future. So now getting him back on his one year deal, we'll see how that plays out and then hopefully he comes back and he is the same guy and we get him long term because you want a long term answer at the quarterback position. So getting him healthy is the first thing. Obviously another team not stealing him away and then him getting out there hitting the ground running like he was this year.

[D]

And now what this means for the rest of the players on the team, you know, Alec Pierce, you cannot use a trench tag and the franchise tag. So Alec Pierce is going to be hitting free agency, which also means maybe they let him go. Hey, let's bring Pittman back. Let's. We still have downs. Got Tyler Warren, you got Jonathan Taylor. Like this is kind of great for the Colts as a whole because now he can rest. Maybe you give a couple other guys a chance. Riley Leonard, he was unbelievable against the Texans. Maybe he gets a little more reps early on and then he has more time for Danny Dimes to come back.

[A]

Scher to your exact point just tweeted, Colts cannot tag free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce. But the Colts still hope to work out long term deals with both players. Okay, so this just gives an extension.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Of time for them to work with Danny Dimes. It also lets Danny Dimes and his people go see what the market's saying so they can take a fair deal back to Chris Ballard and Nicole to see if they want to match it or not. I'm eager to see what the market looks like for Daniel Jones because what he did for us, man, he saved an entire football city. I mean, he. We were down in the dumps over here. There was not a lot of expectations. I think one of those places, one of those blogs put out like a vote of optimism from the fans and the colts had a 96% negative reaction to what the expectation was for the team going into the year. And that was strictly because Danny Dimes was the quarterback that was brought in to compete with Anthony Richard Richardson. Nobody really in our universe. Now, granted, the people that are voting in polls on the Internet, are those really people that you would quantify as actual people that you want to take opinions of? I'm not 100% sure, but I do know they weren't the only ones. People in real life were like, Daniel Jones, like, he's not really good, is he? It's like, well, actually Shane Steichen's offense, if he can do remember Jalen Hurts. You remember what Jalen Hurts was able to do in Shane Tykens offense, you know, that whole thing worked and they're like, Daniel Jones is not Jalen hurts. Like actually he might be taller, might be faster actually. And if we can get his ass to be a good accurate thrower, it's like Daniel Jones has a chance to be great. He's a big, strapping, very athletic, incredibly intelligent lad who felt like he was at home with Shane Steichen in the Indianapolis Colts. And then it all crumbled as soon as he got injured. We lost seven straight games. Everything sucks.

[B]

But I think that's also part of the people are kind of forgetting that because things ended so bad. Like he wasn't just good, you know, he wasn't just like a good steady. Like their offense was setting records, you know, I mean it looked completely different. They were the one seed for, you know, like. And we're not talking in September. This was October, November, exactly halfway through the season. So like when things were going and then I guess if other teams are interested and they're, you know, putting offers out there, you would assume that medically teams are comfortable with whatever the case may be. So yeah, I mean we'll, we'll see.

[C]

Phillies are tough.

[A]

Well, not only that, he had broken leg in the other one. Yeah, that's a lot of injuries to your legs, especially when that's a big

[D]

piece of your game.

[A]

Of your game. But he from all accounts, dog, I think he was a son of a bitch. I think he's a 4:30am or wakes up, he's in the building at 5am every single day. Like everything you want from a guy, from my understanding is exactly what Daniel Jones was. And then think about what Jonathan Taylor was able to do whenever he was put him into perfect play.

[C]

MVP when before Daniel Jones got hurt.

[A]

Hey, here's the perfect play for you to do what you do. You think Jonathan Taylor likes that? Yeah. You think the offensive line likes whenever a quarterback knows what the fuck's supposed to happen? Yeah, that was the first time long time the offensive line had that. I mean there's many stories about the revolving door at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and the quarterback in the offensive line nowhere near speaking the same language and it just being a complete clusterfuck. Instead Daniel Jones gets in there, gets along with the boys, understands the offense, understands what defenses are, puts everybody in the right position. We will look like an actual. We look like a legitimate threat. I'm happy he's potentially back.

[G]

It's a huge win. Win.

[A]

And we went off the air live and then that news broke 25 seconds later. Yep, the trend continues. Shout out to the Colts. Shout to you. We'll see you tomorrow. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice might change their life. Hey, we'll see you in the comments, dude. Like, comment and share. Yeah, right. Bill. Bill will love that. Love that. Ring the bell, dude. Get more of this. All right, see you. Goodbye. Calling all fun lovers and memory makers, Texas invites you to cheer from our stadiums and dance like no one is watching. Culture seekers can find the art that truly inspires.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

And from our shopping hubs to our chic boutiques, fashionistas will never leave empty hands. Texas is an unforgettable experience that's waiting just for you. Visit traveltexas.com and plan your trip today. Let's Texas from 30 for 30 podcasts. Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman for Miami,

[C]

gunned down the key to this case.

[I]

Case?

[H]

It's Brian.

[E]

An hour before he died, he was

[A]

on the phone arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth? They just want a conviction.

[I]

Being placed under arrest.

[H]

We had a killer amongst us.

[A]

Murder at the U. Listen now.