PMS 2.0 1541 - GM Tuesday With LA Rams GM Les Snead, Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio, Pete Thamel, Quentin Richardson, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk

Summary

The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, Episode 1541 — Big GM Tuesday

Date: April 28, 2026
Host: Pat McAfee
Co-hosts/Panel: AJ Hawk, Darius Butler, Boston Connor, Ty Schmidt, Tone Digs
Guests: Les Snead (Rams GM), Nick Caserio (Texans GM), Pete Thamel (ESPN), Quentin Richardson (Q Rich, ESPN NBA), others

Episode Overview

This episode, dubbed "Big GM Tuesday," centers on exclusive interviews with two prominent NFL general managers—Les Snead of the Los Angeles Rams and Nick Caserio of the Houston Texans—shortly after the 2026 NFL Draft. The cast delves into high-profile cases from the draft (notably the Ty Simpson saga in LA), team-building philosophies, trade strategies, the latest NFL and NCAA football controversies (including a major college gambling scandal), playoff action in the NBA/NHL, and lively debates about league culture. The show maintains its signature blend of deep insider knowledge, humor, and real-time sports banter.

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Key Segment Summaries & Timestamps

1. The Ty Simpson "Meeting-Gate" Saga & LA Rams Draft Philosophy

[00:00–06:12, 37:31–56:49]

• Background: The Rams shocked the NFL world by selecting Alabama QB Ty Simpson at 13th overall, sparking drama around when/if he’d met Coach Sean McVay—a point muddied by Simpson and the Rams’ own comments post-draft.
• Pat’s Setup: “Is this Ty Simpson or Lie Simpson? I can't wait to hear what the actual story is.” – Pat McAfee [04:14]
• Ty Simpson Interview Recap: Simpson describes "secret meetings" with McVay, trying to honor the Rams’ request for secrecy ("stay on script"). [02:38–03:33]
• Les Snead Interview:
  • Rams’ Process: Snead reveals the Rams avoid traditional ‘top-30’ visits to mask true draft intentions and instead conduct private, low-profile meetings on players’ campuses—66 this year alone. [39:20–44:12]
  • What Happened: Ty Simpson stuck so closely to the ‘don’t tell anyone’ script that even after being picked, he denied ever meeting McVay—leading to public confusion (“He’s so earnest. That’s what he’s doing.” – Les Snead [45:07])
  • QB Room Dynamics: Rams view Simpson as a long-term investment and affirms Stafford’s role as starter (“If he wins two more MVPs for three straight, we'll take it… but you like to ensure some of those other picks…for your next QB.” – Les Snead [50:54])
• Notable Moment: Live on air, the show's graphics team updates “Lie Simpson” to “Ty Simpson” after clarity. (“Let's white. Let's put a line through Lie Simpson.” – Pat McAfee [45:13])

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2. Rams’ Post-Draft Team-Building & Trade Philosophy

[51:23–55:56]

• Defensive Upgrades: Snead discusses trading first-round picks for proven talent (e.g. Trent McDuffie) over riskier rookie picks, and signs like “dog mentality” and versatility. [52:21–53:29]
• WR Room and Trade Rumors: He addresses the reality of player trade rumors (“Once it gets into the insiders…once it starts percolating…the media…Sean likes to nip it in the bud. Have an honest conversation.” – Les Snead [55:23])

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3. Nick Caserio & The Building of "Dogs Only" Houston Texans

[106:10–127:19]

• Texans’ Aggressive Draft Approach: Caserio outlines his 28-draft-trade history, focus on adaptability, and how “toughness and physicality win in this league.” [106:56, 108:24]
• Player Archetype: "Dogs only" culture emphasized—targeting high-character, ultra-competitive, physically tough players (Kaden McDonald, Keilan Rutledge). [108:24–109:35]
• Seventh-Round Gems: Aiden Fisher’s selection (Indiana LB) praised for instincts and leadership (“Our head coach is one of the best linebackers in the history of the organization…he has a lot of those same qualities.” – Caserio [110:18])
• Mock Drafts vs. Real Boards: Caserio explains why consensus media boards rarely match team reality (“…Each team is going to identify the players that they feel that they want or can help them.” [112:19–113:34])
• Running Game Upgrades: David Montgomery acquired to fix red-zone woes (“33 rushing TDs since 2023, 28 inside the 8-yard line”—Pat [120:22])
• CJ Stroud’s Next Step: “It’s just to approach this year with the right attitude...CJ’s shown that in the first three years...focus on things you can improve.” – Caserio [121:41]
• NFL CBA Mechanics: Insight into the rarely-used unrestricted free agent tender and its impact on Aaron Rodgers’ future [117:15–118:07], plus latest rookie contract rules.

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4. College Football Gambling Crisis: The Brendan Sorsby Case

With Pete Thamel (ESPN) [22:10–34:28]

• The Scandal: Star QB Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech, via Indiana/Cincinnati) enters residential treatment for gambling addiction; over 1000 bets, including on football games while rostered. [23:14–25:11]
• Stakes: Likely faces lifetime NCAA ban due to betting on his team. “He will become the first face of college agent gambling.” – Pete Thamel [23:14]
• Industry Response & Tech: Coaches use his story as a cautionary lesson; major focus on monitoring, digital forensics, and pervasiveness of betting tech. [27:32–29:35]
• Philosophical Take: "You are what society is betting on. You cannot be part of the action till you retire.” – Pat McAfee [25:11–27:32]

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5. NFL Hot Topics and Draft Fallout

[13:13–20:50, 14:44–18:08, scattered]

• Aaron Rodgers & Free Agent Tender: Rare mechanism allows Steelers to control Rodgers' rights—he can only switch teams before training camp, otherwise must play for PIT or sit out. “I didn't know this existed… what an interesting little tactic.” – Pat [15:27, 17:32]
• Cowboys & George Pickens Franchise Tag: Debates over whether Pickens (verbally committed but unsigned) will play for Dallas in Brazil Week 3. [147:46–151:14]

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6. NBA/NHL Playoff Talk — With Q Rich (Quentin Richardson, ESPN)

[68:56–99:46]

• Oklahoma City Thunder Praise: SGA (“He is HIM right now” – Q Rich [72:52]), Caruso, Holmgren all lauded; OKC and San Antonio look poised to dominate the West.
• Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs): “He’s inevitable. … He has the mentality… he wants to be the greatest.” – Q Rich [75:57–78:36]
• NBA Culture & Trades: KD’s leadership and health (Houston), LeBron’s current role, and fit of new teammates.
• Eastern Conference: Magic out-physicaling the Pistons (“Out-physicaled by a team from City Beautiful… that's our nickname in Orlando.” – Q Rich [95:05]), Celtics looking dominant ("It's not gonna be easy, but I do have them picked to advance." – Q Rich [96:54–99:46])

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7. Lighter Moments and End-of-Episode Notes

[68:56–160:53, scattered]

• Shoe Talk: Pat and the crew debate sneaker brands/shoe styles.
• WrestleMania Recap: Pat shares stories from his recent in-ring (and near-injury) experience.
• Tributes: Emotional closing segment dedicated to Bob Kavoyan, legendary broadcaster and personal mentor to Pat McAfee.
• Motorsports Teaser: Chat about Cletus McFarland, "Burnout Rivals" event in Indianapolis ("Cletus & Cars"), and drag strip culture.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Pat on Ty Simpson’s secrecy:
  “He sold it after the draft. Biggest night of his life…In his mind, can’t tell anybody. Goes on stage. Can’t tell anybody. Goes and does the interview post: ‘I’ve never met Coach McVay...’" [43:30]

• Les Snead on Ty Simpson:
  “If y’all met Ty, lying’s probably not in his DNA.” [39:09]
  “There’s no way [McVay] would pick a QB without meeting him… He’s so earnest. That’s what he’s doing.” [45:07]

• Pete Thamel’s verdict on the gambling scandal:
  “He faces long odds to [ever] play college football again.” [25:11]

• Nick Caserio on the Texans’ focus:
  “Toughness and physicality win in this league…Those are the qualities we look for.” [108:24]

• Q Rich on SGA and Oklahoma City:
  “That guy is special...he is HIM right now.” [72:52]

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Timestamps for Key Topics

• 00:00–06:12 – Ty Simpson/Rams draft saga intro
• 22:10–34:28 – Pete Thamel on college gambling crisis (Brendan Sorsby)
• 37:31–56:49 – Les Snead (Rams GM) full interview
• 68:56–99:46 – Quentin Richardson NBA Playoffs deep dive
• 106:10–127:19 – Nick Caserio (Texans GM) full interview
• 147:46–151:14 – George Pickens/Dallas Cowboys future debate
• 152:02–160:53 – Bob Kavoyan tribute, lighter moments, closing

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Takeaways

• Inside Access: The show delivers rare, candid insights from the highest NFL decision-makers—especially around draft strategies, secrets, and player psychology.
• Live Reactions: Panelists provide colorful real-time reactions and breakdowns on breaking news and controversies, from Aaron Rodgers’ odd contract status to a seismic college sports gambling bust.
• Cultural Commentary: There’s no shying away from thorny issues—ethics in sports gambling, athlete conduct, media narratives, and the evolving pressures in college/NFL ranks.
• Signature Style: The Pat McAfee Show remains a can’t-miss mixture of genuine sports analysis, sharp wit, and a “locker room meets experts” camaraderie.

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For Further Listening

This episode is especially valuable for fans wanting a rare look into the post-draft mindsets of NFL GMs, those interested in NCAA regulations and gambling, or anyone following NBA playoff storylines and cultural shifts in pro sports.

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“Be a friend, tell a friend—something nice might change their life.”

Transcript

[Pat McAfee]

Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome, on this big GM Tuesday, April 28, 2026. This program begins now. Sports are the absolute greatest, and we're so incredibly lucky that we get a chance to chat about them every single day. And this is Big GM Tuesday. We wouldn't say that unless we had some GM stuff happening, and it would have to be big. Well, Les Snead, general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, in the middle of this Ty Simpson situation that has been Brewing since the 13th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Ty Simpson, obviously quarterback from Alabama. We all learned of him quickly as an NFL prospect. As Dan Orlovsky said, he was the best quarterback in this draft by far through his tape study. He liked Fernando Mendoza. He loved Ty Simpson. Turns out what he was thinking was not just his own thoughts, it was also Les Need's thoughts of the Los Angeles rams alongside Sean McVay. Now, when the draft pick takes place, obviously the world explodes. Danner was actually on our show. He chugged an IC light mango at a celebration, did a couple laps, kept banging his microphone off of a desk so his mic would boom and then my mic would also boom. Correct. So he's kind of ruining the entire draft spectacular from an audio standpoint. But he was taking a victory lap because he knew that the film was telling the truth that he thought he was seeing. Now he's a first round draft pick. He's going to be the backup behind Matthew Stafford for however long. Matthew Stafford would like is what Sean McVay said. But Sean McVay also said, yeah, okay, to Ty Simpson on draft night when he said, let's make history together. And there was also a lot of moments where he was saying, you know, he'll be battling with Stetson Bennett and like, trying to make sure Ty knew his place in this entire thing. Then Ty Simpson afterwards would say, I, I, I Never met Sean McVeigh. Can't wait to get to work with him. So we're like, we see these pictures of Sean McVay's face when he then we hear that he Never met Sean McVay. And Les Sneed now is friends with this guy's dad. So, oh, what the hell is going on with this pick? And now Dan Orlov potentially know that this entire thing was happening. Then it comes out afterwards. Sean McVeigh's happy, just wants Matthew Stafford to know that this is his team. And then Ty Simpson goes on with Ian Fitzsimmon. Amber and Ian, we love Ian. Yeah, we do he is the man. He gives us, yeah, smelling salts, smelling salts on the sideline, a field pass to wake us up at every college football game. Not that we need it, but he basically gives us a speech about look around and then he cracks these things open. And then we're all as if we're about to go into the thing. Ty Simpson was on with Ian Fitzsimmons, and this is what he said just yesterday.

[Ty Simpson]

You know, what's, you know, crazy is, you know, we tried to keep this, you know, under wraps as long as we could. You know, it was something to where I knew they were interested, but, you know, they wanted to, you know, make it private and didn't want people to know that, you know, they were interested. So I had some secret meetings with, you know, Coach McVeigh and, you know, I was just trying to be on script and, you know, do what, you know, everybody told me not to tell anybody. So, you know, it was something to where I knew that they were interested. I just didn't know when. And then, you know, sure enough, you know, I had had a lot of confidence in myself and that's why I decided to come out. You know, if it, if it wasn't them, I felt like that it was going to be somebody else.

[Pete Thamel]

You mentioned secret meetings there.

[Pat McAfee]

So take us behind the scenes.

[Pete Thamel]

What was that like when you first

[Pat McAfee]

met Sean McVay and then before the

[Pete Thamel]

draft and then after the draft?

[Pat McAfee]

Good follow up?

[Ty Simpson]

No, it was great. You know, we met. Met at the facility and it was something to where, you know, we just talked for hours and hours and it was just football. It was just straight football and it was like a kid in a candy store. You know, me and him are sitting there and, you know, we're just going back and forth just, you know, we can, you can tell the obsession he has for the game and you can tell the, you know, the love he has for quarterback play. It's something that, you know, I appreciate and it's something that I enjoy because, you know, I really, I really, you know, enjoy playing the position and value the position.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so that has people saying, well, is this Ty Simpson or Lie Simpson? I can't wait to hear what the actual story is. Les need, the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, will join us in 25 minutes or so. Feels like Ty Simpson is maybe one of the nicest guys of all time and didn't know what the right move was. But I think Les need will hopefully clarify it a little bit from their side and also chit chat about where the Rams stand at this exact moment. They use a first round pick from this year to get McDuffie in. And the defensive secondary, who's a stud, they get a quarterback of the future. Now you get another piece there to potentially go and win yourself a Super bowl this year. Maybe people will celebrate. But you're thinking about the future and you also get McDuffie. It's like an interesting game they got to play right now. They got a vets. They got vets that are great. They got a young defense that's hungry. They got studs all over the place. Can win now. Also have to plan for the future. Les need used to be a them picks guy.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

We're trying to win a Super bowl in Los Angeles here to win over the fans and also kind of jump start this entire Sean McVay operation that we have over here. They went all in. Now they're on the other side of it. They had two first rounders this year because they had the Atlanta Falcons. Whenever they make the trade last year for this year's first round pick, that ends up being the pick for Ty Simpson. So if you go for the Atlanta Falcons last couple first round picks, it was Michael Pennix out of nowhere.

[Boston Connor]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

For backup quarterback situation to a vet who had a lot of money in a contract. And then the Falcons Pick this year, first round 13 overall, Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Ty Simpson, which everybody was kind of surprised for. So maybe the Falcons pick next year. Let's keep an eye on that and see what the trend is going to continue to be. But I'm excited to hear from Les need who has built a winner multiple times, multiple different ways and has to pay people multiple different times. I can't thank him enough for joining us in about 25 minutes to break down everything that's going on with Ty not meeting then. He is meeting then. They're loving each other hours. Kid in a candy store.

[Ty Schmidt]

What's going on?

[Pat McAfee]

What's going on? Is this a love affair that's happening? How Sean. That's why Sean McVay had to sell it so hard on afterwards.

[D. Bud]

He's.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know the fucking guy.

[Boston Connor]

I love Stafford.

[Pat McAfee]

He's bad, man. And did Stafford know they're doing. I was. Oh. So much drama. Controversy. Not like the controversy that was across the street from the draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I'm sure they put up record numbers. Oh yeah. For what they just went through down there or whatever it is, but certainly something that'll get figured out. I'm excited for Less need. Also, Nick Casario, Houston Texans general manager, will join us in a second hour. He's fresh off of just drafting dogs all over the place. And oh yeah, they just made Will Anderson the highest paid non quarterback in the history of the NFL. So congratulations to him having a monster team down in Houston and also building from the messaging we're getting from the building, building a dogs only type of culture down there in Houston, which is obviously scary in the AFC South. Don't love that. I guess Mr. Rutledge is just. Yeah, freaking nature. I guess. He's just A mean Kaden McDonald, D tackle from Ohio State that I got a chance to see and watch him get drafted there on the second night backstage. He paints his whole face.

[Boston Connor]

It's cool.

[Pat McAfee]

He paints his. That guy right there who seems, you know, obviously incredible family. I got a chance to meet them. I got a chance to meet the whole family, talk to the whole family. Love Kaden. Loved his vibes. He gets on a football field, hears me and his whole family meeting, Boom. He paints his entire face. He's ready to go to absolute war. It feels like Kasario has a type. I'm excited to hear what that is. I'm excited to hear where they think they are and what's going on with C.J. stroud. What's going on, C.J. stroud? How do you feel about him? He did look very thin at a workout just like a week or two ago. We'll also be joined by Q. Rich, Pete Damill and yeah, I mean, this should be a great day. I'm talking sports, the talks tables here at Boston, Connor and at Ty Schmidt. Ty, right now is where we kind of start breaking down all the fallout from the draft. We enjoy the playoffs, but all eyes are on the regular the season. Are the Green Bay packers going to win? Because I heard Michael Parsons is getting in fights with Levy on belt on the Internet.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, you know, he's been mixing it up a little bit because that's Micah Parsons football. Exactly, exactly. And that was kind of the. The thing that all packers fans knew when we got Micah Parsons is, hey, guess what? When football's not being played, there's going to be stuff like this. Okay. He's going to be mixing it up with guys. He's going to be going on draft shows and, you know, taking shots at Philly. Like he's still playing for the Cowboys. You know, he's a dog. What are you going to do? Sometimes you got to just unchain the dog. Let him roam. I could Care less what he does outside of getting arrested. Do whatever you want in the off season. That's your time, brother. You. You know, you do what you got to do, you say what you got to say. And then come football season, when we get you back in there, you're ready to roll.

[Pat McAfee]

Focus on football, though, out there in New England. Is that what you.

[Boston Connor]

I would say, you know, the getting arrested rule is good. Probably. There's some other things that maybe you could throw in there, probably just stay away from, but, I mean, they got a playlist now.

[Pat McAfee]

We can't. We can't stop turning into a witch hunt every day. It stopped.

[Boston Connor]

Now it's turning into a witch hunt. It's bullshit, okay? And we have to remember there are two damn families involved.

[Darius J. Butler]

He's right. We should turn the page.

[Pat McAfee]

One half of Hammer Down Cowboys. Is that the name of the Cowboys here? No, you son of a bitch.

[Boston Connor]

That's not the name of it.

[Pat McAfee]

That's sick of this slaying. It's bullshit. All right, let's move on to ball. We are moving on to ball. You look phenomenal today.

[Darius J. Butler]

Thank you.

[Pat McAfee]

I really. I really like what you're doing here. Yeah, I appreciate it. Believe me. I respect it more than anybody else out there. Can we start getting some ideas on how we can get the crown? I know Sidney Crosby has started to play really good hockey right now. Tanger scoring all over the place. The boys are buzzing. The Flyers look a little hot.

[Boston Connor]

Hey, they do, don't they?

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, they starting to look like their stupid mascot. What's that thing's name?

[Boston Connor]

Gritty.

[Ty Schmidt]

Gritty.

[Pat McAfee]

There it is playing Pittsburgh, saying, you're gritty. Okay, but his eyeballs, you know, like this. That's kind of what the Flyers look like right now because they're in a Sidney Crosby buzz saw. How you doing? Keep it. Sidney Crosby in seven was almost the name of today's show before we found out that both GMs could join us. Big GM Tuesday. But what do we need to know other than just betting on Sidney Crosby right now, that can maybe bring the crown home in the NBA and the NHL? Lot of action every night right now. We are in a prime time to be watching sport, to be gambling on sport. But I would like to win and maybe get a crown or two every once in a while.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah, this week is actually a really, really good week for betting. And speaking of Philly and Gritty, if that bell would have been made with US Steel, it wouldn't have cracked.

[Boston Connor]

Okay?

[Darius J. Butler]

So just something to think about.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Darius J. Butler]

But no, you. What.

[Pat McAfee]

What are bells made out of? Just so we know what normal.

[Darius J. Butler]

Probably some sort of bronze or brass.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Ty Schmidt]

But if it would have been steel, it wouldn't crack.

[Darius J. Butler]

I promise you.

[Pat McAfee]

Probably.

[Darius J. Butler]

But no, I mean this is a really awesome time because you have the NHL playoffs every night. You have the NBA playoffs every night. You have a full lineup of baseball every single day. There is an elevated event for the PGA Tour this week. So you're going to get that and then at the end of the week you get the.

[Nick Casario]

The most.

[Pat McAfee]

The.

[Darius J. Butler]

The most betting thing of all time for degenerates. The Kentucky Derby at the end of the week. So this is kind of like this is one of the best weeks of gamble.

[Ty Simpson]

You can.

[Darius J. Butler]

You can have basically of all year

[Pat McAfee]

to get the crown.

[Darius J. Butler]

There's a lot of options.

[Ty Schmidt]

Hockey's tough.

[Darius J. Butler]

I mean those, those are one goal games. Those are, those are back and forth. Besides the couple that were that just went clean sleep four zero. And then the NBA this year out of all years, like. And you look at it last night with the Stones losing again to the Magic, like it's been kind of unpredictable in the NBA as well.

[Ty Schmidt]

So good luck.

[Darius J. Butler]

Getting the crown is kind of what I'm saying.

[Pat McAfee]

It feels like one of the automatic crowns, at least for the past few games. Is Cade Cunningham over on turnover? Yeah, no kidding. He's really putting the over in turn over, isn't he? What's he. Everybody's trying to be Tyrese Halbert. Is that what I read in the group tags? Yeah, everybody's trying to be Tyrese. Whenever the lights get the brightest and all of a sudden the ball doesn't just on a string for everybody and then the basket cart is. I can't blame Cade Cunningham because his center, his all star, a guy that was supposed to be on the Olympic USA team start center Jalen Duran hasn't showed up. He's non existent. He stinks. So when that happens, everything in the offense is going to change. Last night, I'll say it was the worst basketball game I've ever watched in my life. High school, college, NBA, you name it. You've seen some bad news. Trust me when I say these guys. Brick. Other side. Brick. Brick. Brick.

[AJ Hawk]

Brick.

[Q Rich]

Turnover.

[Pat McAfee]

Turnover.

[AJ Hawk]

Turnover.

[Pat McAfee]

It was the worst game I've ever seen. It was the ugliest game I've ever seen. If you want to watch bad basketball, you watch Pistons vs Magic. It's insane. Magic are kind of continuing to move there. Pistons, number one overall seed in the east, kind of shiting the bed right now right in front of us. Maybe they're not ready for the moment. Maybe they need another year. Good luck to them. But it's certainly a good time to make fun of your Detroit friends because they thought the Pistons were going to certainly go on a run for them. They have not. Nine year NFL vet Darius J. Butler is here. D. Butts, obviously NHL playoffs are without your team, the Florida Panthers this year. The NBA playoffs obviously electrifying. Will be joined by Q. Rich here in a matter of moments. This Ty Simpson NFL fallout. And with Casario coming on today, what are you most excited to talk about? What do you think is the big news around the NFL at this exact moment?

[D. Bud]

Honestly, the Ty Simpson want to see what GM Lesny has to say about that. And the other moves, obviously he made the Trent McDuffie the highest paid corner in the league. So I'm excited to talk to him about that as well. And Nick, you know right here in our division, we all know Nick very well. I'm interested to see what he has to say as well. I'm excited about those GM conversations. And then NBA basketball, the playoffs are still on a hot start. So I love Q Rich. Love Q. Rich as well. So I'm excited about it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I love Q Rich. We'll talk to him in about an hour. I have the wrong time in front of me for that. What we don't have and what we haven't brought up is the Aaron Rodgers unrestricted free agent tender. Okay. Which the Pittsburgh Steelers have placed on Aaron Rodgers. I believe that allows them to still receive a compensatory pick if he was to go to another team or play this upcoming season. I think it also means that if. If Aaron Rodgers doesn't sign with another team by the beginning of training camp, he won't be allowed to. Basically he has to play for the Steelers. So a decision has to be made by the beginning of training camp if he was going to play elsewhere. There was some conjecture from an Adam Schefter tweet that initially rolled this out that basically said like the Steelers have the right to match or the right of first refusal. I guess that's not exactly true. But they will get compensatory pick if he was go to another team. And that decision has to be made before training camp as opposed to something that happens afterwards. From our understanding of this rarely used tender. I guess which. Which has an unrestricted free agent now restricted a little bit. How. Never heard of this. Maybe.

[Boston Connor]

How does that work?

[Pat McAfee]

I guess it's Been used before is what we were told in the years past.

[Darius J. Butler]

I guess J.K. dobbins was the last one, I believe last year or the year before that.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so now the big question is, do they think Aaron's potentially going to play for somebody else, which is why they want a compensatory pick. Okay, that feels like big news if that is the news. And how is Aaron going to react to them? You know, there's just so much drama potentially around this entire thing on all sides. Interesting move that I have not seen and I had no idea this, this has been used before by teams. This feels like quite a loss by the NFLPA in negotiations of the CBA that a guy who's played in the NFL for 20.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Is like 23rd or 24th.

[Pat McAfee]

He had. What if he. What if his decision was, I'm away to see if somebody gets hurt, go into a place, maybe be a mercenary here, you know, towards the end of my career, it's like, nope, actually you can't do that. You have to decide you're going to do that before the season starts. Like that's an interesting little thing that I didn't know existed. And shout out to I guess the NFL's lawyers for negotiating this in there because what an interesting little tactic to keep somebody kind of having to live in your world as opposed to their own world.

[D. Bud]

I mean, I guess I'm just a fool. I thought this would all be sorted out by the draft.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Q Rich]

Me

[D. Bud]

on Aaron Rodgers timeline. And now with this wrinkle here, this is interesting. I'm sure more details will probably come out about this, but this is very, very. And what, what are those. What will be those other landing places, especially right after the draft where everybody has filled whatever needs they have at the quarterback position. We know injuries always happen, but I mean, Aaron, at this stage in his career, would you go somewhere and learn a new offense? Like we all, even Mike Tomlin, we don't went on NBC say, hey, gun the head. Aaron's to going to be the quarterback. Tone, you back and forth.

[Darius J. Butler]

You know, I am not back and forth. See you later, dude.

[Pat McAfee]

What?

[D. Bud]

Okay. That's how come on, Tone.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, maybe the Arizona Cardinals with another La Flor. Yeah. You know, the immediate thought last year if this conversation would have been happening is the Minnesota Vikings. Because the Minnesota Vikings were potentially going to be in play with Kevin oconnell's offense and they got Justin Jefferson and obviously they got Addison. They had Aaron Jones last year. I mean, they had weapons all over the place. Be Flow on defense. You expect them to have success. They bring in Kyler Murray Ky now basically going to be their guy two ends up where in Atlanta and then Miami is Malik, Malik, Malik Willis.

[Boston Connor]

I mean the Browns aren't scared to add another quarterback.

[Darius J. Butler]

Go back to the jets maybe.

[Pat McAfee]

I mean you're right. The Browns could potentially add another sound like Rogers.

[Ty Schmidt]

Go, go play for the Browns in his last year. Join a room.

[Pat McAfee]

Join a room. Okay.

[Darius J. Butler]

But hey, a contract offers out there. Now we know it's 15 million, right? One year 15 million. That's kind of what this tender does. So Aaron can't say that there's not a contract offer out there anymore.

[Pat McAfee]

It's a 10% raise of last year's salary which would pay him about 15 million, says Schefter. But if that was 10 million, wouldn't that be 11 million then instead of 15 million. Whatever the case is, this particular tender has placed the amount of money in a formal offer, I guess from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers has now been publicly made I believe is what this would be and compensatory picks if he was to go elsewhere.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah and it kind of puts a deadline on Aaron. Now by that if you do want to play for another team or whatever, you need to do it by the, by the time camp comes because we'd also like to know what our quarterback situation by the time we open camp.

[Pat McAfee]

You got Will Howard and Drew Howard. What?

[Ty Schmidt]

And Mason and Mace Dog.

[D. Bud]

Sound like you are ready to turn the page.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah. Vibes wise I am.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Why, why though? Why are you so good time. Pittsburgh just had eight.

[Darius J. Butler]

Pittsburgh had a great time.

[Pat McAfee]

Folks come through the NFL draft and

[Darius J. Butler]

all the players saying like hey if Aaron doesn't come back, Will Howard's our guy. They're all speaking glowingly of him.

[Nick Casario]

He's.

[Darius J. Butler]

He's at a Luke Combs concert. Shotgun and beers. He's not trying to find the stars or whatever he's doing out there. He knows, he wants.

[Nick Casario]

He will know.

[Pat McAfee]

We don't know what his process will be if he plays 23 years in the NFL. Find the stars Unbelievable. Will Howard is a good leader though, they say. Not saying that Aaron isn't, but it was very obvious that Will Howard was QB1 at the Pittsburgh Penguins game that we went to both in the parking lot. Before we went in they were waiting for Will when Will got their QB one. Whenever he was in the Pittsburgh Penguins building is a hockey night in Pittsburgh. Will Howard in the middle of that entire thing I believe at a ribbon cutting ceremony Will Howard was like very much Will Howard acting like QB1 around teammates. And I guess that's because he is right, right.

[Darius J. Butler]

Technically, as of right now, as whatever, the phase one minicamp, whatever last week. Yes, he was QB1.

[Pat McAfee]

And he also came out and said, if Aaron comes back, cool, I got another year watching Aaron Rodgers. If not, I'm ready to go. It's like, feels like I have believed in Will Howard longer. I think you have.

[Darius J. Butler]

You have.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Longer. Longer than most.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah. Still do.

[Pat McAfee]

And I still. Yeah. From what we saw from him and at the combine, freezing cold, warm up beyond doing the entire thing. Going through a situation. That's right. No cameras. Just so happened to have an employee that we happen to know walking by at the time because we're in Indianapolis. We were called liars for saying that. No, well, horror's not out there in 45 degree weather working or whatever. And it was like actually he was. Actually he was everything we saw out of him. With Ohio State, he had a celebration with every guy on the team. He was brought in for big money. They had two losses during the regular season. Obviously, Oregon and Michigan, they got the flag planted in their face. That team could have turned against him. That team could have completely turned against him and said, it's your fault, dude, our team was really good. You come in here, we're ass. This is on you. Because he made a couple bad plays, Oregon slides in there. Michigan, we think he potentially got knocked out, but didn't play his best football game there. That team could have killed him. The fans were, oh yeah, that team could have killed. And instead it was the complete opposite through the entire playoff run. And then they went to national championship. It was like, I think I believe in that guy. And he's also gigantic, huge. And he can move. And I think that's a big deal in the NFL also.

[Darius J. Butler]

It's kind of like a thing where you find out about your future. If will does get the start this year. If let's. I mean, people said this about this, this draft class this year and turned out it was just Mendoza and Ty Simpson. But if, if the draft class turns out to be what it is next year, don't you kind of want to find out what you have in the building right now? And you're not going to do that with Aaron.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, let's pivot away from the NFL and let's go to a massive scandal in college football. This is a big deal for all of sports, certainly collegiate sports, because there's a lot more athletes in that Gambling becoming as readily available and prevalent as it is to society has certainly become a little bit of adversity for leagues having to monitor their own players and coaches. Obviously Pete Rose is who everybody kind of points to in the sports world. Whenever you get drafted into a professional team or you're playing college football or college sports of all, we, me and D butt have had to sit through numerous meetings at every single level saying don't be Pete Rose. Do not gamble. Do not put the integrity of the game ever in question. If you do that, it can ruin it for everybody. That is still very real. But gambling is much easier to do as opposed to the back seaty days. That was always happening, but certainly not as easily available. Now we have a story that is rocking college football. Brendan Sorsby, formerly of the University of Cincinnati, transferred to Texas Tech as the number one quarterback in the transfer portal. Guy was an absolute stud at Cincy. Texas Tech has all stars all across, across the board. They got a lot of money from they, they take shovels out there and they go down and then there's this. They literally live on top of what provides for them, which is just old dire.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's right.

[Pat McAfee]

They got a lot of oil. They're building a monster down there. They have a monster down there. Obviously number two overall pick David Bailey is from Texas Tech. That's only going to continue with what they were able to do. Brendan Sorsby, highly sought after by everybody. Texas Tech wins the battle they're going to get. Now he's in a residential treatment for a gambling addiction and it's come out that he gambled on games in which he was a part of the team at Indiana his freshman year even though he did not play, which was the school he was at before Cincinnati. Then there was a report that there was over a thousand bets made and then there were some baseball bets allegedly made for like a buck or 250. Now we await what is going to happen for all of this. We assume massive suspension or penalty to Brendan Sorsby. But the man who will know is the man who put out all these tweets. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now, the authority of college sports, Pete Thammel. Pete, thank you for joining us. Every time you join us, it's seemingly something super serious. That is why we bring you in here. You are the man for the job. This is a big deal, obviously not only for Sorsby, his family, his trajectory, Texas Tech, but college football as a whole. Can you kind of take us where we're at? How they found out and what's possible with this entire thing.

[Pete Thamel]

Yeah, Pat, let's start with the macro. I think culturally you touched on it. This is a giant story. He will become the first face of Khalifa agent gambling. There has obviously been other instances, even some of the college basketball gambling stuff that I came on your show about a little while ago came out today in terms of prop bets and everything. But he is the first major college athlete to be the centerpiece of this. This is someone who projected as a first round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He's a five million dollar plus portal edition. He was number one in Max Wilson's ESPN Porter ranks this year. Brendan Sworesby is one of the faces of college football. So for him to come out, enter a gambling addiction in house treatment is a residential treatment I should say is just certainly like an eye popping moment for the sport, for gambling. And you know, the intersection of gambling and sports has never been, has never been more together. Like you said, everything's available on your hand and such. So I think what people want to know Pat is, you know, will he play college football again? And he, you know, I would say he faces long odds to do that right now. If you dial into what the NCA has listed in terms of potential punishments for what he's accused of doing. You know, if you bet on your own team while you are a member of that team, you know, you face a, you face a permanent ban. And so that is that, that is sort of the odds that Brendan Sorsby is, is up against. Is there leniency for him coming out and admitting it? Is there? You know, is there, does there, is there an evolution in thought because of the pervasiveness of the gambling? Those are all things that are, they're being bandied or bandied around right now. But by the pure let the law it would be, you know, he faces a long uphill climb in order to play football at Texas Tech next year. And he certainly doesn't have any other eligibility past that. He's played for redshirt and then played three. So this is his final actual year of, of eligibility.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So thank you for all of that. You used some words in there that are awesome and I'll try to use them later. Bansy around. Bandy about. Bandy about. Yeah, whatever it is in the. Its entirety. So it said it was a gambling app. So that would mean that they can track all of his bets. The people that will be investigating him at the NCAA will be able to see all of his bets. Right. Will we publicly be able to know all of his bets because obviously we've heard of this freshman bed at IU when he wasn't playing and he bet on them to win. Allegedly is what it all is. I'm not saying that that means he should be okay because he bet on them to win. We cannot. I. I've stood pretty firm as somebody who has got into sports gambling gambling as a retired athlete, as somebody that comes from Pittsburgh. Okay. As somebody that knows a lot of people that have. My entire life have been doing this. The people playing the sport and the people covering the sport talking about gambling are two very different things. And the people that are playing the sport know that, and they've been told that their entire life. It's for the good of the entire everything. I mean, you can't have people questioning whether or not a game is rigged or if everybody's trying to work against it that takes down all the sports. So I understand people are going to attack us because we obviously promote DraftKings at this point, and DraftKings is all over our stuff and we talk about sports gambling. That's because the fans and the people covering it can treat sports gambling a little bit differently than the people that are actually playing it. There's a responsibility, there is a accountability process of like, whenever you're playing the sport, you are. And it sucks that this is happening during their era, but you are what society is betting on. You cannot be a part of the action until you retire. I think that's understood by all athletes. I think that is. But it is kind of an interesting dilemma to talk about as we are like. And on that note, Texas Tech over under is seven and a half now without Sourcebee. They got it like it's. It's an. Because it is so just a part of culture. But we should expect, I think, personally, the athletes to stay out of it. Like we have. It has to happen because everything falls if that is the top everything falls. If the people watching, even the sports books are done, they'll stop taking bets on, like, everything about everything is over. So I don't know. It's tough for me to talk about because I'm so against it, but I do gamble on games. So as somebody that covers the sports in which we talk about. So it's like, it's an interesting time in our. In our society. So maybe the rules do evolve a little bit, especially if they can see every bet that has been made, you know.

[Pete Thamel]

Yeah, Pat, I'm sure the NCAA is going to end up with Access to what bets are made. I don't think we'll know that. We'll know that publicly. But one thing, as you know, the store broke yesterday afternoon and the day went. I got a ton of calls from college football coaches wanting to know exactly what happened, why it happened and because they weren't like looking for the T. What they, what they wanted to do was scare the pants off their team in team meetings day. I guarantee you every team in college football that met today, the first slide that came down on the projector was a picture of Brendan Sorsby in all the assorted headlines from all the different media outlets and clips for what happened. Because this stuff right now, Pat, as you said, is so accessible to everyone. And you know, look, there's monitoring, right? Like if you remember the baseball scandal that took down the Alabama baseball coach, they knew like what cement block he was on, the guy who, who placed the bets, who got the inside information. Like they could track you like to the foot of where you are and where you make these bets. The technology is, is unbelievable. You hit the nail on the head, Pat. These are billion dollar, multibillion dollar industries. Industries and if the integrity of the game is under question, that is a giant threat to these billion dollar industries. So there is, there's massive education like you and D but talked about. I'm sure you sat through a ton of those meetings. But there's also everyone's phone in major college football that I know of, depending on what service they use, is subject to an app where they can track what you download and when you do and pings go back to, to that. So clearly Brendan Sorsby had a way around that. You know, if you remember the Iowa, Iowa State scandal, which I'm sure Ty does, it was one of the participants and that had his mom open up the, you know, open up the gambling, the gambling app for him and he bet through his mom's account. But like the, one of the lessons here is those workarounds don't work. Like you will eventually get caught. There's just, there's just too much information that's available right now. So you know, Brendan stores right now looms as a cautionary tale for, for all of college sports.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, the trail is always going to lead to you at some point. I mean it's just kind of how it goes, especially with the geo tagging of where the betting is, I guess. Last question on this entire thing and we appreciate you so much for your time. When were these bets being made? Because I saw a number Like a thousand plus. And then I saw some baseball stuff being posted. Was there baseball bets? Like, what do we know as of this moment when his most recent bets were. Was there? Ty was like, is this happening at Cincy? You know, like, what is the most recent bet?

[Pete Thamel]

So my understanding of the betting timeline is that it started when he arrived at Indiana in 2022 and went through his time at Cincinnati. I don't know, Pat, if he had bet at all since he arrived at Texas Tech, that, that information hasn't been available to me. But the sheer vastness of this is something that's, is something that's really significant, right? Like you have thousands of bets. Now, he wasn't betting, paying, you know, thousands of dollars a game. This was, you know, balls and strikes, small stuff that the kind of things, quite frankly, kids his age do. Like when I walk through the crowd in game day to go do one of my injury hits, people just scream like a random tailback. What do you think? Plus, minus 78 yards today? Like that is how that age in that generation consumes sports. They're. They don't consume it through the hay. Is West Virginia, just to use your example, going to win today? They view it through their, their own personal prism or of I have a bet on this prop, on this guy on this team. How will that, you know, how will that unfold?

[Pat McAfee]

As somebody who played a lot of cards, poker, pretty big part of my story, somebody that played blackjack, you know, pretty big high limits throughout most of my NFL career, and they would get mad about us either accepting free drinks at casinos, but they could have scratch offs. It's like the constant debate on what you're allowed to gamble on, what you're not allowed to gamble on, where you're allowed to gamble, how you're allowed to gamble. Campbell has always been happening in sports, at least in the NFL. Now in college, it's like if these, if we know that this guy's betting on balls and strikes, it's like, that's not a big deal, right?

[Ty Schmidt]

No, not at all.

[Pat McAfee]

That can't be a big deal. But if he's betting on his, on football, on his team, it's like that I think is probably the one. And now it's already out there. They bet on Indiana as a freshman. It's like he wasn't playing, though.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's.

[Pat McAfee]

So now the conversation is still, though,

[D. Bud]

if you're in that building, I agree, especially in college, we don't have. Have to put all the injury information like you do in the NFL. So you're, you're privy to.

[Ty Schmidt]

He's making bets while he's the start starting quarterback at Cincinnati in any capacity. Like he's dead to rights. There's just, there's no, there's no wiggle room there, I don't think.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, Pete, keep us updated, will you please?

[Pete Thamel]

Thanks, Pat. Cheers, guys.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, have you talked to Cody Campbell down there at Texas Texans? This has all happened. What happens with that? Legit.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[D. Bud]

Is that like some type of breach of contract?

[Darius J. Butler]

I would assume so.

[D. Bud]

And who replaced those sports be there in Texas Tech?

[Pete Thamel]

Well, the, the contractual piece, depending on how this unfolds, will be a fascinating one. And there's no answers to that 24 hours out here debut, but it is a compelling question. We haven't ever seen anything quite like this. The backup at Texas Tech is a young man named Will Hammond. If you remember Texas Tech's win at Utah this year, Will Hammond subbed in for Baron Morton. Baron Morton was obviously dealing with those leg issues all year. And Will Hammond balled out that day. I think he was 13 to 16 passing, two touchdowns. He's dual thread ran for, you know, 60 something yards. He was, he was a weapon that day, as you would like to say, Pat. And they really thought of him as, you know, as the future of Texas Tech football. He tore his ACL midway through last year, I believe in October. So his projected timeline According to Joey McGuire to return the best case scenario, McGuire said this spring is week three of next year. Texas Tech has an FCS game to open. They go to Oregon State and, and then week three they play Houston on a, on a Friday night. Now again, those timelines could change, be sped up, etc. But will Hammond is likely the future of Texas Tech if Sorsby isn't available. They did bring in a veteran from Tulsa named Kirk Francis who started a bunch of games in his career. He's kind of your classic modern third string quarterback who's been around a little bit, played a little bit and you know, could certainly function in those, in those early games. What they can't do is go get another Division 1 quarterback right now. There's no spring portal and the NCAA has eliminated ghost transfers, which is a favorite term of all of ours, meaning they can't induce some guy to like de. Enroll and then re enroll outside of the portal as it happened a little bit in the, in the past.

[Pat McAfee]

But a really good quarterback can see what's going on down there and potentially understand, right? That's a possibility.

[Pete Thamel]

No, you can't do that anymore.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Huh. I like to hear that college football is kind of getting maybe back on tracks a little bit. Maybe a little bit of some guard rails so everybody can thrive. What we know is can't be gambling on games. We shall see what takes place with Brendan Swsby. We appreciate you, ladies and gentlemen. That's Pete the Animal. That's crazy.

[Darius J. Butler]

If the spring portal still existed, there'd be a.

[Pat McAfee]

So he. He said that like a good QB at some school. Can't you say, I'm dropping out of here. And then publicly announcing, saying, saying, I don't go to school at this place anymore. And then maybe even at Cody Campbell.

[Darius J. Butler]

If I saw that, if that happens with the new rules, Joey Maguire would be suspended for half of this football season. So the head coach would be suspended for half the season. And there was some other stuff.

[Pat McAfee]

It's crazy what's going on there. All I know is we need the game.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

The game has to remain the game. And to Sorsby, obviously, this sucks that this is all happening, but he had to have sat through at least 10 different conversations about not happening, you know?

[Pete Thamel]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And it is a time where sports gambling is very prevalent, not that it wasn't before. You know, depending on where you're from, you know, the spread and where money was and everything was always a part of sports conversations. I mean, I don't want to continue to harp on this, but like a lot of Italians, I grew up around a lot of Italians. You can say it louder. Go ahead. I grew up around all these Italians. Okay. I think we realize that every time we go back to Pittsburgh, when another Italian shows up, we run a great book.

[Nick Casario]

Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing?

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I'm saying it because I don't want you guys to think that I'm saying it as a bad thing. Remember, I. Which. Who knows where that went. Now, hindsight, we take a lot hindsight. 23andMe. I don't know where they have that all. But on that note, 0.01% Italian.

[Ty Schmidt]

I know.

[Pat McAfee]

So I don't like the way I was talking about me as a child either. Okay. What I was saying is, you guys, but I grew up around, like, all Italians, that entire culture. Sports conversation is. You're taught that is just what it is. You know, now that it's legalized and very prevalent and very available, it is certainly scary. NBA's had some stuff. The NFL is the NFL. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Guys getting kicked off Calvin Ridley.

[Pat McAfee]

It's been a little bit. It's been a little bit. But certainly had happened here. College football, now college hoops, it's like everywhere.

[Ty Schmidt]

Baseball had the guys too, but we

[Pat McAfee]

got to make sure everybody knows it's not the majority. Majority, no. And it never will be. But on that note, can't have it. Every time it pops up, it's like, oh, what? What's real? What's not real? Can't have anybody thinking that because sports are the greatest thing on earth. And everybody comes together thinking what's happening out there is actually happening out there. And that has to maintain forever for the good of everything.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

And to what Pete was saying, too, like the location services on every single app, they really do know exactly where you are. If you're on the sidewalk, they know what foot of the sidewalk, sidewalk you're actually on. But. And they even reopen them. We saw with Terrier this morning that

[Q Rich]

came through the wire.

[Boston Connor]

They're going back into that entire thing.

[Pat McAfee]

And yeah, so we're in a generation right now of turnover.

[D. Bud]

It's a tough spot transition.

[Pat McAfee]

Turnover right now. It's tough.

[D. Bud]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Very, very tough. And we, we are teasing peas everybody to not do it and also know you're gonna be so much better at gambling when you're done. When you're retired, you're gonna be so much better at gambling. Okay. We just gotta make sure it's there whenever you're done. So let's go ahead and lock in and let's do the sports. Joining the US now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who. He's not scared to do a little gambling himself, huh?

[Boston Connor]

No, he's not.

[Pat McAfee]

He'll send some picks to get some guys. He'll make some trades. He'll certainly make some moves that'll raise some eyebrows. Ladies and gentlemen, super bowl champion stud general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, Lesney.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

How you doing?

[Les Snead]

How's it going, guys?

[Pat McAfee]

You two. You and I, we have a similar look. Do. Do we not? That's what I just realized here. Yeah.

[Les Snead]

You know, I was. I was looking at my hair thinking it was not good enough to go on your show. But, you know, that's, you know, we. We're in black. You know what I mean? So. All right, we could. We can maybe be cousins, kind of basic white looking.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, we got the block heads, the hair. Very similar. I want to let you know, I. I look at the. You're doing how you're designing your hair for inspo for me. So just know that that's happening on a daily basis. So whenever you. When you mail it in, you're screwing me too. Okay? So let's remember that whenever you decide not to do your hair, you look fantastic. Fresh out of the draft. Let's talk about the big news. Ty Simpson at 13. Congratulations. Congratulations. Ty Simpson at 13. Okay, so Ty comes out afterwards and says he hasn't met Coach McVay. Coach McVeigh comes out and says, like, hey, me and Les need love each other. The reason why I was acting the way I was acting is because I want Matthew Stafford to make know that this is his team. He plays as long as he wants to play. And then Ty Simpson talks to Fitz, who we love on Amber and Ian, and tells him I had conversations for hours and hours with McVeigh about ball. Can you just tell me how we got here, why we got here, and is it Ty Simpson or is it L. Simpson less need?

[Les Snead]

I'll clear. Here's what I do. If y' all met Ty, I think you knowing lying's probably not in his DNA. Okay, I'll get to. Let's get to the meeting gate first and then we'll. We'll go from there.

[Nick Casario]

Here.

[Les Snead]

Here's probably where it all starts. And. And we'll get into the boring weeds of the NFL. There's top 30s. Let's start with the combine. At the combine, you can. You can interview 45 people, let's call it officially under for 18 to 20 minutes. There's some other. Let's call it whether they. I forget what they're called now, where you can interview people in other sense settings. But let's get the post combine. Such a thing as top 30s, right? What are top 30s? You can bring your players right into your. Basically to your facility. Bring them to your city. What happens there is. There is a lot of logistics that go with top 30s. A lot of times players are doing multiple. You're working with other teams to sometimes get a player from their facility to yours at a certain time. At the end of the day, these things become more public. And also there's a. You could get into some of the things when you're. When you're flying back and forth as a player to all these cities and time zones. And then there's a draft. And then a couple of weeks later, there's OTAs. You can get into some soft tissues issues. So here's what I'm saying. Here's what we do. We don't. Historically, we do not do top 30s here at the Rams. Right. And the main reason is this is, hey, a lot of times when those meetings become public, let's call it a team that's behind you, let's say they're interested in that player somewhere along the way in the draft, things like that, they could easily. You never know who's lurking from behind. So let's say you're picking 55, 65, whatever it is, and all of a sudden someone moves the 64 because they think you might pick that player. At that point, there's nothing you can do. You can just sit, wait, see what they do and if they pick the player you want. So there's a little strategy there. We our last top 30, 2023, Kobe Turner. So and the reason we did Kobe is he wasn't invited to Indy. Indy's where a lot of the medical, it's called physicals occur. And a lot of times if you're planning on drafting a player, you'd like to bring him to your right to your city, let him go through a physical with your medical team. So really 20, 23 is our last top 30. So last year year, what we like to do is go meet the player right on their campus. And I would cut in this draft cycle, we did 66 private meetings with players. In let's call it 20, 25 draft cycle, we did 61 private meetings with players. That's not Sean and I all the time. We're not going to go see 66. So it's different people in our building going to connect with these players. We usually don't work them out. Pat. We're, we're. Hey, they played football. We've seen them practice, we've seen them play games. A lot of times they've done the combine. A lot of times they've done their probate day. Some teams will go to these places and work them out and meet. We usually like to get them meet the kid also do this. You know how important it is with, with installations, whether you play offense or defense, install some of our scheme right. Allow those players to spit it back to us. See how they're processing football. See how they're relating what they've done in the past to our how fast it might take them to get up to speed and help the Rams. And also we'll also talk ball with them about what they've been doing. So that's. So at the end of the day, here's where it went awry. We do like to emphasize Pat, hey, look, try to keep these Private meetings between us. Right. For that gamesmanship, just, you know, we'd like for other teams not to know we're interested. Right. So we do emphasize that. A little bit stronger than most. Try to keep it between us, you know? So if you go to another team and they ask, a lot of times teams will ask, where have you visited? I know this. A lot of teams will keep up. Who's. Hey, where. Where's players been on top, 30s, where have they. You know, who was at the pro day. Right. And you're trying to, at the end of the day, figure out who may take a player or who may not. So we emphasize. Keep it quiet. Built really bad for Ty. He stayed on script. Four guys stayed on script.

[Pat McAfee]

He sold it. He sold it after the draft. Biggest night of his life. He's talking to you guys on the phone. Still selling it. Like, in his mind, can't tell anybody. Goes on stage. Can't tell anybody. Goes and does the interview post. I've never met Coach McVeigh in his mind, though. He knows that what you guys did in one of your 66 meeting, that's insanity, by the way. That's incredible due diligence on everybody. Flying to them to go see how they operate in their world. He said it went great. Were you in that meeting for multiple hours?

[Les Snead]

I was in that meeting with him and him and Sean for sure. Okay, so now that's football at a high level. They were above my. You know what? I was. I was. I was. I was planning my next haircut appointment. Pat Smart. They were about three levels ahead of me.

[Pat McAfee]

I understand that's why you hire Sean McVay to be the head coach and offense coordinator. I think that's why we were so confused whenever it came out like Sean McVay was not a part of the process because that's what it sounded like. Whenever Ty Simpson says that he Never met Sean McVay, it's like, well, that's your head coach and offense coordinator, and you're drafting a quarterback at 13.

[Les Snead]

That's what I do know. I think y' all all know Sean. There's, you know, we're. There's no way he would pick a QB without meeting him. That's. That's what we do know. I think. I think that's probably common sense, and I understand kind of why it got convoluted. Hey, Ty stayed on script. We were really trying to keep it from other teams. So when he. When he. When we were able to connect with him when he came out, because he Visited us the next day. And we were able to say, yes, you can let everyone know. Know that you visited with. And so here we are. Let's. Hey, get. Hey, who's your graphics guy? This is not Lie Simpson.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay?

[Les Snead]

That's Lie Simpson. He's staying on script. Poor guy. You know what? He's so earnest. That's what he's doing.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's white. Let's put a line through Lie Simpson. We'll put a. I need to see

[Les Snead]

a graphics guy worked. I want to process his feet.

[D. Bud]

It's a Rams fan.

[Pat McAfee]

It'll happen right now. It'll cook right now. That's a Rams fan. That made that graphic. It was against him. His. You know, it was against his better judgment. He did not want to do it. We knew there had to be some sort of story. Now, h. Have you. Have you ever seen a player, even after the draft, continue the gimmick? Because. And how do you feel immediately upon watching him continue the gimmick? Do you think, wow, this guy is all in.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And for Ty Simpson, he's basically saying, these guys have never lied to me. There's no reason for me to. Because I'm sure there's been people that have been told, like, the Dallas Cowboys told me they were going to drop draft me. Okay? Dallas Cowboys told. They told me they were going to draft me. You know, kind of. They told you were going to draft you, okay? So then it happens. So I have trust issues. I have trust issues with NFL teams. From that moment there, I assume there's a chance that Ty. Obviously, there's a relationship between. I believe you. His dad. I think that that was obviously getting called into it all. He had good faith to trust you to not tell anybody. And then when you draft him, he's like, I'm not. I'm not ruining this at all. I'm excited about. About it. How did you feel whenever he continued to lie immediately afterwards? And what do you.

[Les Snead]

Here's what happens after you make the call. There's a lot going on. It's not like we're now following what Ty Simpson is. Is. Is saying in interviews and historically here, Pat, we haven't had a pick. Right. It's been a long time since we picked as early as 13. So a lot of times players we pick late first or we've traded that pick or we've traded out of the first into the second second. Those players aren't at the draft. Right. They're not in Pittsburgh. They're not going through this. Let's call It Media gauntlet, per se. So it wasn't really until maybe it was that night or even the next morning that you realize, wow, Ty did say he, you know, he hadn't met with us, so we wanted to make sure we connected with him and let him, hey, you can. You can tell people you met with us. The media is not the teams that were competing.

[Pat McAfee]

That's awesome. I love that he just continued it, you know, so happy deep down in his heart, too. He's just like, I don't know if he's enjoying it. Like, oh, he's. You'll never know in this entire thing. And then him having to come clean, obviously an interesting start. Another reason why it's an interesting start is because mvp, literally quarterback. And we had seen this before just a couple years back in Green Bay. Different situation, but similar, certainly. Go ahead, con man.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, Les, how did the conversation go with Matt Stafford? Obviously he is kind of the consummate profess and he understands that this is proven to work for teams, especially in the long haul. But what was that kind of back and forth like? And when did you actually let him know, okay, this is definitely happening. We're taking Ty Simpson.

[Les Snead]

You know, we. I know Sean sat down with Matthew and Sean was the one that was communicating what our plans were. If. If Ty were to fall to 13 by the time we chatted with Matthew, there was a. If you want to call it good, guess what, that Ty would have a chance to follow the 13. I think. I think at the end of the day, Matthew's a very, very smart player. He comprehends right. What's. What the plan is. He understands it. He's a professional. That's what he does. And at the end of the day, he's the. He's the reigning mvp. We were able to articulate this too, along the way. And this whole plan really, let's call. Evolves organically, going back to. To when the season ended, when we were able to lick our wounds, right. Recover from the loss, go through the grieving process that you do have when you get right to the Final Four and you don't make it to the final Two and all of that. Once we were able to get back in the building and begin the blueprint and Matthew was to say, you know what? I want to come back. Hey, that's step number one. This is awesome. We're going to continue chasing special moments with Matthew, Matthew and right. His teammates, our core. But one of our. One of our top priorities was let's recharge that corner Room. Well, we had two picks in this draft. Pick 13 was a bonus pick. It was from, from Atlanta. So as we go through this process, there's a group of us that get together every morning and we spend probably two, two and a half, three hours with Sean every morning starting right there at the end of February, probably all the way through draft day. And we're going to begin the blueprint of free agency. Who we sign back, all that that leads into the draft lands. But what we determined is this okay with the 29. It's probably better is is the corners we like in this draft will probably go before 13. So let's say it's you know, let's say it's the kid who from LSU who I didn't forget where he went, Kansas City, traded up with him. Let's say that was our guy. We wanted to recharge. We had a good guess that we weren't going to be able to solidify that corner room with even the 13th pick. So okay, let's pivot. Let's. Let's use 29, trade for McDuffie. Here's what doing the QB this year does for us, right? There's an element that we are able to get a possible successor, come in and hey, earn equity, be a backup. But what it does in the future is this is hopefully we're picking late. Let's call it that, let's call it 27 draft, 28 draft. But when you have a QB that right is in the twilight of his career, a lot of times you want to save some of those early picks, right? To ensure just in case Matthew decides I've had enough, it's coming soon. It's his timeline, he's the MVP. If he wins two more MVPs for three straight, we'll take it right, Take

[Ty Schmidt]

that out of it.

[Les Snead]

I know Matthew will do this. Matthew would say he probably rather win championships in mvp but at the end of the day when you're not sure when he might say it's over, you like to ensure some of those other picks in case you need to react versus proacting for the next qb. We can now maybe use those picks right to add different players to chase special with Matthew whether it's through the draft or doing, you know, doing what we did with Trent McNuffy and adding a veteran.

[Pat McAfee]

Thank you for explaining your entire process there. Genuinely that was a really cool ride to kind of go alongside of you there and I do appreciate the fact after at all Sean McVay had to hit you on the shoulder publicly and say, this is my guy right here. And you just said every morning we are together through this entire process. I appreciated that Ty Simpson continued to sell the gimmick afterwards that they met. And I also appreciate the fact that you did the math on how many corners you think will be around. We need to fix this problem. Let's go ahead and send 29 out of here to get a playmaker. D. Bud has a question for you, Les.

[Les Snead]

Hey, that's what we do. That's why we get up early and do it.

[D. Bud]

Absolutely. Brought Watson in as well. Signed him from the Chiefs as well. But. But Trent McDuffie specifically, not only did you trade for him, but you made him the highest paid corner in the National Football League. I know as a viewer, I was watching your defense last year. No, you don't pressure a lot. You play a lot of zone coverage. I wanted, hey, can we just get a little more sticky? Especially down his coverage, down the stretch in coverage. So what was your exact thoughts when it came to trade for Trent and then making him the highest paid corner in the league?

[Les Snead]

Well, I think Trent's one of those players that probably gets sticky, but he also probably has the right to instincts, to football instincts, we call it. To play off, to play, vision. Right. Know when to break, when not to break. But he also can play sticky. There's those moments too where in certain situations you can move him into what we call the star and allow him to play some of those hard downs on some of those players, depending on the player, the scheme, all those things. Even blitz him a little bit. And I think you mentioned Jalen and I appreciate you doing that. Forgot it. Because he was a big part of the playing of basically bringing in. I could tell you about that. Seeing Brett Veach and Big Red at the owners meeting and it's like you kind of feel guilty you took their defensive backfield.

[Boston Connor]

There's that.

[Les Snead]

It's that awkward moment, like. But point being is on that, hey, if you've met Jalen, it's almost like he's a defense. I mean, he's like, he's a defensive end. He's a big, big, a long player. So if you're building a basketball team, you have Trent McDuffie stop start, can get sticks to, but big Jalen can match up with some of the bigger wide receivers too. And then we fill in from there.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I love the mindset behind all of it. McDuffie's a stud. Congrats to him getting out to LA and getting paid. Speaking of getting out to LA and having the time of his life. Go ahead, Ty.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Les. I would say it was a rousing success bringing Devonte Adams. You know, it seemed like every time you turn on the game, he's scoring multiple touchdowns. But there were a couple reports that came out this offseason that said you got guys were. I don't know if shopping is the right word, but maybe looking at, you know, trading him away. And then, you know, there are also reports that you guys checked in on A.J. brown when, you know, it came out that he's kind of discouraged with his situation in Philly. So I guess my question would be, is. Is pretty much everyone, you know, within a vacuum, I guess, tradable? Like, could anyone be traded at any time? And also, what kind of gave you the conviction to say, hey, we don't necessarily need to go and get, like, a Makai Lemon in the draft or someone like that. We're kind of good with who we have in that room and the weapons as a whole with Matt Stafford, and we're ready to just kind of run it back next year.

[Les Snead]

Yeah, I think going back to the first one, there's probably different levels in the spectrum of. Of is everyone available or not, Right? That's. That's obvious on a team. I think. Here's the. Let's call it the backstory. The nuance of Devonte is a lot of times when you. Especially that time of year, it's the offseason, you're having these discussions, right, with different teams and their. Their trade proposals. And. And you may. They may send you a player, and they may want a player back, but once that gets into the. Let's call it the media, into the insiders, it starts percolating on what I like to call the metaverse, the Internet, whether it's X, whether it's Instagram, wherever. All the platforms that you have, we are. I think what Sean likes to do then is. Is he immediately will call the player, right. And. And try to explain, hey, smart, yes, your name did come up. We didn't do it.

[Pat McAfee]

Right.

[Les Snead]

But that's how once it. Hey, if it didn't get out, maybe. Maybe some things are better left unsaid because nothing happened. But those conversations happen a lot of time. But in this world, right, in this. In this content driven, where, you know what, Patrick? Everyone on this show knows you got to wake up and provide. Right, your viewers something interesting tomorrow. That's not easy. So, hey, when things start percolating, I know Sean likes to nip it in the bud. Have an honest conversation with everybody involved and let them know kind of what went down and why we like to

[Pat McAfee]

do the same thing. That's why we have so much respect for you guys. That's why we called you to find out if it's Ty Simpson or no or no lie. It's just Ty Simpson. So thank you for joining. See? Huh?

[Q Rich]

There we go.

[Les Snead]

I like it. Graphic. Who's graphics? Let's give a shout out to the graphics team.

[Pat McAfee]

That'll baby Dirty. Hey, dirty. Whose house he was in back right?

[Ty Schmidt]

Crow's nest back.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, we appreciate the hell out of you, Les. Thank you for joining us, clearing the air and allowing us in on your process. You are obviously massively successful. So anytime we get to do that, we're appreciative.

[Les Snead]

I appreciate y' all having me.

[Pat McAfee]

You're the man. Ladies and gentlemen. Leslie, I got a couple texts from some people. Take the lie Simpson off the screen. He's the nicest guy of all time.

[Les Snead]

What's good?

[Boston Connor]

Journalist.

[D. Bud]

We did Dan Oticks.

[Pat McAfee]

No. Good call. Didn't even ask about Dano. Get him back on here. All right, we're back in the other side. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice might change your life. Goodbye. Every game, every practice, every moment, we

[Les Snead]

rely on energy more than we realize. From the courts and fields we play

[Pat McAfee]

on to the gear athletes use to

[Les Snead]

the technology and transportation that bring fans together.

[Q Rich]

Energy powers it all.

[Pat McAfee]

And energy transfer helps safely deliver the energy that keeps it all moving. Oil and natural gas help make thousands of everyday products possible.

[Q Rich]

Supporting sports and the moments that that connect us.

[Pat McAfee]

So whether you're playing, watching or cheering it on, it takes energy.

[Les Snead]

Visit ittakesenergy.com to learn more.

[Ty Schmidt]

If you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret, Bucked up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for. Insanely delicious, which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks. And they're built on real science backed ingredients. Clean energy. Energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked [e-mail]. grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.

[Pat McAfee]

Are the greatest and we get a chance to chat about it every single day. Day. It's not just me. The Toxic tables here at Boston Connor and at Ty Schmidt. How's Boston doing, con man?

[Boston Connor]

Oh, fantastic. You know, we got a big game five tonight for the Boston Bruins in Buffalo. I think we'll see how that goes. But the Boston Celtics also play tonight. That's the one that matters.

[Pat McAfee]

We got six games tonight, obviously. Three from the NBA, three from the NHL. Boston's got two of them happening. Good for you guys up there.

[Boston Connor]

It's a big time right now and it's tough too. Like, I would love to wallow in my sorrow with all the bad things going on and the Boston Bruins being down there 3:1, but I can't. The Celtics need me, you know, just as bad as I want to be able to kind of take that in, I gotta. I gotta turn my attention to Missoula and those.

[Darius J. Butler]

They're eleven and a half point favorites. They'll be fine.

[Pat McAfee]

It doesn't matter.

[Boston Connor]

See, that's the thing with a city that has just a couple sports teams, maybe it would be, hey, that team's fine. No, they need it all. Every single night, every single time.

[Pat McAfee]

Everybody needs to be focusing their attention 100% on the thing that they're supposed to be focusing on.

[Boston Connor]

Exactly. But that's the thing. How can you focus it 100% on when you have three different things? I mean, don't. Don't get me started on the Boston. Hold on, don't get me started on

[Pat McAfee]

the Boston Red Sox already fired your coach upper.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, and guess what, we're like three. And oh, since, I don't know, maybe John Henry's up to something and we don't know what's going on. But that's the regular season. You know what I mean? That is something that's like, hey, I want them to do well. But right now I got the Bruins and the Celtics and of course the Patriots. I mean, we are still all, you know, going forward as a team, as a unit. No.

[Darius J. Butler]

Are you saying you have side things or.

[Boston Connor]

No? No, we don't have side things, Tony. We got four main things, but right now, two of those things aren't in the postseason. The most important time of sport.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay? It's tough time for you Boston fans. We really feel bad. Come on, bees. Come on, Cs.

[Boston Connor]

We need you boys.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, obviously for the whole city. One half of the Hammer, Cowboys ap. Tony's here, looking great. Nine year NFL vet, Darius J. Butler. Super cool. You see the way he tied the thing?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. The drawstring up top.

[Pat McAfee]

It came like, unbelievable.

[Boston Connor]

That's swag.

[Pat McAfee]

That's like when the shoes come tied in a certain way.

[Q Rich]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm always like, oh, if I mess this up at all.

[D. Bud]

Thank you. These Cooper Flag New Balance, they're nice, aren't they?

[Darius J. Butler]

Those are Coops.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. They're not Cooper Flag.

[Pat McAfee]

I told you I was. Those are not Cooper Flag shoes. He has other New Balances. This particular pair of New Balances, though, has kind of. It's kind of me up a little bit. I'm. I'm gonna be honest. I. I don't dabble outside of, of a couple shoes off.

[Les Snead]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, I'll wear Jordans for sure. I'll wear Air Force ones and I'll wear the Adidas superstars.

[Nick Casario]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I like shell tops. Like, how you doing? Keep it moving. Those are basically where you'll find me. New Balance. I decided long ago can't let my feet, which have done a lot for me be seen in those. Okay. I, I just decided that I can't. These eyes can't look down and just be like, I'm sorry, boys, you know? Cause these feet have done a lot for me.

[Ty Schmidt]

Sure.

[Q Rich]

So.

[Pat McAfee]

So I just could never do it. New Balance sent the right ones this way. Those things look cool. Oh, yeah.

[Boston Connor]

First class feel.

[Pat McAfee]

They look like. They're actually not like a throw together shoe brand, which some of these shoe brands look like whenever they're new because they're trying to figure out what their molds are and their customs are and they're trying to figure it all out. We watch shoe companies go through it and they're like, we're the next shoe. And it's like you're at stage one of the shoe. We know that. We've seen that before with everybody else. Thought New Balance was going to forever live in that perpetual actual ass looking shoe.

[Ty Schmidt]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Like, that's what. From my standpoint of what shoes, there's other people that enjoy the look of shoes. I'm just saying from my perspective, never wearing them on, on my feet. These ones are the ones. These ones are really nice.

[D. Bud]

I like them.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh.

[D. Bud]

I wear the same shoe 95 of the time. So anything that jumps up in the foot, I'll go is good. So.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And this is, this is a free ad here.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

New Balance has sent us some good shoes here.

[D. Bud]

They get one for you?

[Pat McAfee]

I, I don't know. I think I'm gonna be wearing them. Yeah, they're very comfortable.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean, you hit the nail on the head. That's how it was for the longest time. And then you bring in guys like Cooper Flag and Shohei and they look at the shoes and it's like, I'm not wearing that. So you guys are gonna have to do something else. And then they do and boom. That's the, that's the product.

[Pat McAfee]

That is why a partnership with an athlete is such a big deal. Because the athlete will actually say a good leader of an athlete, you know, somebody that has ideas and opinions and things like that. That's why the Jordan brand, you know, I obviously know there was other people that were involved in the designing, but he had to. Let me see those ones. Let me see these ones. Like as you build the brand, I think the athlete being there is a big deal. Cooper Flag, congrats. Right?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Rookie of the year. Which we didn't know was going to happen or not because con can impel with the Charlotte Hornets. Obviously they make it into a play in series where the Dallas Mavericks were absolutely ass. So we thought that would potentially get held against them. Instead Cooper Flag wearing New Balances. I will say I'll wear these ones more than I will wear the Cooper Flag ones.

[Ty Schmidt]

The black ones stink too.

[Boston Connor]

What? They're the same.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, no, they stink.

[D. Bud]

Whenever you got all black shoes, it's kind of tough.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, yeah. It's like it reminds you of certain.

[D. Bud]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's like you're looking at them, you're like, oh, well, are Those like sweet Js or something? You flip them on the side and you see like the green N on there and it's like, what, what is this? I'm not get away. But those are sweet.

[Pat McAfee]

Where do you, where do you see those normally at?

[D. Bud]

You know, I'm just. Reminds me of where I experience any, any jobs or careers.

[Pat McAfee]

If people are working, we appreciate it.

[D. Bud]

Hell yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

If people are working, I do appreciate it. Whatever you got to do to do what you do, do what you do, we respect and appreciate that. But you, you made a valid point about it. Did feel like maybe you walk into like a Wendy's or something where that is the fit, you know, and the new balance is, is because I have black pants on. I wear black pants normally. And then I had those on. Debo looked at me immediately, said, I just saw you working at Wendy's that entire thing and it was, it was phenomenal. I. And I looked down. I was. Yeah. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who is a college football national champion, super bowl champion, Roger cup winner would certainly wear these.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, man. He wears boots shoes.

[Nick Casario]

Yes, that's.

[Pat McAfee]

And they would wear these. Ladies and gentlemen, aj.

[Q Rich]

Ha.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, the boot shoes you were wearing for the draft were your nicest yet, I think personally. Was that a new brand?

[AJ Hawk]

No, it's a classic Amazon brand, whatever it may be. Yeah. I'm a big high top guy, so I don't know who made it cool to wear like the geriatric grandpa shoes. But it's a thing now with young kids, obviously. Like the white scrubby grandpa looking running shoes with jeans. Like that's kind of a thing now.

[Pat McAfee]

The monarchs are always going to be. Oh yeah. I mean, but they wear them non

[AJ Hawk]

sarcastically like they want. Like my daughter got a pair of these Nikes. I'm like, yeah, these are like the geriatric things that you guys think are cool now. She's like, no, they are cool. And I guess they are like back in the day, it's the shoes like we would have made fun of my dad and his friends were wearing.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, but remember, cyclical. Everything, Everything's cyclical. The pants, you know, seems as if the AJ Hawk suit is just about two years out from the way that we're heading that you wore, you know, because everything went the opposite direction and then now it's going back that way. I. I feel like there was a time where the modern fashion I could not any of it. I feel like it's gotten to a place where some of it is okay. You know, it feels like we've gotten to a place where some of it's okay. I think Abercrombie and Fitch was really the first eye opener about what all the way back. Yeah, they are like a.

[Boston Connor]

They changed their thing a bit too.

[Pat McAfee]

I like the baggy jeans look because the skinny jeans look was tough and we did that. It's like I could definitely do the baggy jeans. Well, the reason why he hated the skinny jeans, you see, is because he had tiny little bird legs. That's part of it. So you know when you do skinny jeans on bird legs, he actually looks like a little ostrich. And that's what foxy. That was what foxy had to go through. We don't think about that. Especially me because I'm from my hind and Cors is big. So like the tighter jeans there are scary, but the thicker jeans even worse for me. I mean, I look like a librarian.

[Ty Schmidt]

You wouldn't throw on some jancos right now?

[Pat McAfee]

I, I just can't never. No, they, I just can't really.

[Boston Connor]

Too far.

[AJ Hawk]

I mean, like, like boot cut is one thing, but the super like Jinko looking things. Those are what's crazy.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I appreciated just like the fact that the skaters wore them and they looked cool.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

But I just couldn't really get down with lot of it. I do. I do appreciate, though, the people that are at the forefront of like, hey, we're changing how everybody's going to look. We're going to dress like, everybody's going to call us an. And then inevitably, we're going to become the fashion. Because that happens.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah. Basically what fashion is.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. In Europe, I think. Right. You know, where a lot of the dressing kind of starts, certainly. And then it kind of oozes across

[Les Snead]

the head of the time.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, I'm ahead of the time. You guys are too dumb to understand. I'm like 12 months ahead of you.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what they think. Exactly. Exactly. Now, granted, are we those people now? Huh? I see a lot of people dressing like Connor out there. Yeah, well, I know everybody just kind of bumps. No, I didn't mean that.

[Boston Connor]

No, no, no, I understand. I understand what you mean. But what people don't understand is that I don't even look at what I put on. So if there is some sort of like, like, thought process or fashion to that.

[Pat McAfee]

You look good. I think you found a good Connor.

[Boston Connor]

Sure. I'm more of a. Hey, I don't.

[Pat McAfee]

I kind of miss the safari. You remember when cotton showed up with a new animal every day? Oh, it's still in there.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, Yeah, I still have it. One of those things where, you know, I'm not. I'm not looking. Okay. Oh, pants. Just let me. Okay, perfect.

[Pat McAfee]

I know I have to wear pants

[Boston Connor]

today, so let me get those.

[Pat McAfee]

Pants.

[Boston Connor]

Shirt. I know I have to wear a shirt. I'll wear that.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, but that's fashion. I think what you're doing.

[Boston Connor]

Maybe.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And then you got the Halliburgers on.

[Boston Connor]

Well, yeah, the Tyrese still play. I mean, they always will, no matter what. I think these. These were after his favorite Tabasco sauce or something, the hibiscuses. But I still love the Scooby Doo's as well. I mean, Tyrese's shoes. I will say, in comparison to others, I do believe it's very strictly similar to my fashion style. I need shoes. Okay, Put them on.

[Pat McAfee]

No. And you're supporting friend of program.

[Boston Connor]

And I'm supporting friend of program. He hasn't texted me back in about three years, but

[Pat McAfee]

for sure not allowed

[Boston Connor]

to touch your phone.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't love that. Yeah. It might be his battle. And joining us now is a Man, that might have more answers, especially out of the NBA world. He played 13 years. That's so long. So long. Think about all the flights.

[D. Bud]

Cool.

[Pat McAfee]

The shuffling in the hotels.

[AJ Hawk]

Starting and stopping the jump. Like every single night. Starting, stopping. Trying to stop these guys trying to dunk.

[Pat McAfee]

What's that one?

[Ty Schmidt]

Drill Mike.

[Pat McAfee]

So many of them.

[AJ Hawk]

And he did.

[Boston Connor]

He was. He was probably doing the mic in from three. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

But I'm assuming he had to do this.

[Ty Schmidt]

Definitely did the mic.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, and then the Steve Nash thing. So many of those. So, ladies and gentlemen, joining us now, one half of the Knuckleheads podcast, ESPN NBA analyst, friend of the program, Q. Rich. So many drills.

[Q Rich]

What's up, fellas? What's up?

[Pat McAfee]

Thank you so much for joining.

[Q Rich]

Like the mic and drill. You like the mic and drill?

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what, I, I forget how it came up in conversation. There was one basketball player who was really good that just came. Couldn't put the close ones in. And then because I didn't do the basketball, I don't really know the drills. So I was taught the name of it. I think it's a hilarious name. So it's basically all I got, you know, Like, I run into a group of people from Mexico. I'm gonna say, estamos, mi amigos. And then they're gonna say something. I'm gonna say, muchos gracias. And I'm gonna say, uno cerveza, por favor. And then that's all I got for the basketball drills. All I got is the, the Mike and the Mikan drill. That's all I got. And then we're weaving, too. We're the weave out there. That's all I got.

[Q Rich]

But I thought you was in the bop, in the wood.

[Pat McAfee]

More than you can imagine, brother. Yeah, I'm bopping Dukes wood right now. You know what I mean?

[Q Rich]

Okay. Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

You see that?

[Q Rich]

That's a. That's, that's a real piece of the Duke floor. I think I saw Coach K give you that. That's dope. That's pretty dope.

[Pat McAfee]

Thank you. We're bopping wood right now. Let's talk NBA playoff wood bopping, shall we? Whenever you think about Joe Joker and you think about who he is as a person, when he got in that fight with Jaden, at the end of that, we knew for sure he was going to come out next game and dominate. And how do we feel about what's going on in that heated rivalry, it appears?

[Q Rich]

I like it, man. Me personally, I, I, I, I like Joker's response because like, for me, I played in the league 13 years and that and once I became aware of the whole un. Unwritten rule and the un unspoken rule that you don't score, I mean I never, you know, I never did that. I never crossed the line. But I understand this. Teams that don't like each other. Jaden McDaniel has been public about his dislike and said it in such words after games, during interviews and things like that. This was the part for me. Cause when you run up like that, hey, now like Jayden Daniel's not wrong if like by the time he get there, Jayden Daniel set up and. And got one off on him because you running from pretty far away and you are a massive freaking dude. So I was surprised. I was glad that nothing further happened. But like, for those reasons right there, that's what. Why I never really subscribed to that. I wasn't going to run up and try and rub somebody up over that rule. Like, I feel like I should have did that during the game. And that's why I say I like the response of Joker coming out and dominating the next game. Because if you did that and you don't come out and dominate, what you even do that for?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, and I think Joker, I mean, we know he loves horses. Okay. We know he loves horses. We know he's not a big talker. We know his two brothers are just absolute monsters. Behemoth. We know he's incredibly talented. But I do think he's a bit petty. Like, I do think he does have a little bit of that. So are we talking about a team that can maybe go on a run here? Can the, can the Nuggets do anything in the west or is this 100% the Oklahoma City world? Because there's some stats coming out about SGAQ that are outrageous. And Iman yesterday basically brought up, he said, what's happening at the end of games for SGA needs be studied. It is outrageous what he's doing. And then stats came out. Yeah, he's missed four shots in the fourth quarter or overtime since March 17, which is just an absurd thing to think about this guy. Special, huh? Q. Rich, Is that how we should view it? And the rest of the team plays perfectly alongside of him, or how do you describe it?

[Q Rich]

100. 100. 100%. 1. That's. That's why when you asked me who was the mvp, I said it's this guy. This guy's been. It's been going for two to three years now. You heard Devin Booker last Last night, you know, a superstar in his own right. Give SGA credit. So he's been. He's been dominating the league for the last two years. And it's facts. This is. This is SGA's time. When you. When you culminate and you. You doing things the way he's doing it, and these stats are coming out like, man, this stuff ain't fake. And this is not something that's easy to do. You know what I'm saying? Like, he's doing it efficiently. He's doing it at the highest level. He is the man right now. What they say he is him right now. That's sga. He got it right, right now.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I love to hear that. Oklahoma City. And is Caruso. Is Caruso just going to win forever now?

[D. Bud]

Possibly.

[Pat McAfee]

Tell me about the rest of the roster over there. Check. Tell me about.

[Q Rich]

You got. You gotta love Alex Caruso. He's definitely a winner. But like you said, they got. They go. They got a deep roster, dude. They got. They, like you say, Chad Homegren, Hardenstein, Kason Wallace is a. Is a straight dog. Do you see. Do you all see how he guards up the court and gives guys hell? 90, 94ft? He's. He's tough. Then they come off the bench with. With Isaiah Joe. They. They. They got a lot of players, and we're not even talking about Jalen Williams, who's hurt. And then they got the other big guy, Jalen Williams, who does play. Luke Dort, like, is a. Is a. Look, he's a brick. You know what? House like that dude. He is the unit. He is huge. Pause that. But he's a big dude out there on the court.

[Pat McAfee]

What else are you talking about?

[Q Rich]

I think. I think. I think DB just, you know, kind of echoed my sentiments. He knew what I.

[AJ Hawk]

He knew the language.

[Q Rich]

I was thinking.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, I heard you say pa. I thought you were talking about a different type of house over there with Lou Dortcher. Now, he. He was a problem for us. They're saying he's problem for everybody. Hardenstein nobody talks about till the playoffs. That guy's guy's a menace.

[Boston Connor]

Yes, he is.

[Pat McAfee]

Hardenstein's a man. Chad Holmgren, same thing. SGA never misses, actually, statistically. Okay, remember we were talking about this last year during a playoff run? Does this guy ever miss? I actually asked that question. Him and Jalen Brunson kind of had the same thing, which I'm assuming somebody's going to mention to you or ask about you here in a matter of moments, but that Oklahoma City team. Special, special, special in the West. Go ahead, A.J.

[AJ Hawk]

yeah, the Oklahoma City team, obviously, we. Everyone kind of crowns them champs already. But what about the Spurs? Are they going to be able to close out the Trailblazers tonight? They're up three one. Wemby's back from missing the game with the concussion. Do you see tonight being the night that they close this thing out and then continue their run?

[Q Rich]

Yeah, I think so. I think so. I think the Portland Trailblazers just, you know, they not. They not a good enough team to be, you know, to beat the Spurs. The spurs have the dominant roster. They got.

[AJ Hawk]

Is anybody. You rich. Sorry. Is anybody good enough to beat the spurs or to. To be.

[Q Rich]

Right now? I still say OKC is the. Is the. They. They lead the way. They're my favorites to come out of the west. But I, I think if anybody scares them, I definitely think that, that San Antonio makes them blink because the way they did them in the season, they went 4 and 1 against him in the season, and it was pretty dominant. And so I think, you know, sga. SGA even spoke on it, like, yeah, like, it's hard to think you got anybody's card. They beat you this many times the way that they beating us. So I think that's a series that I really look forward to seeing if it's going to come. But, I mean, I, I, going into it, I think I would still pick OKC until, until San Antonio shows me different in a playoff format.

[Pat McAfee]

Listen, I love Oklahoma City. I appreciate their fans. I like the E60 that they just had. I would very much appreciate. Exactly. I, I love what they're about over there. I also like that their team is okay just with everybody outside their area hating them. You know, they'll kind of do what, whatever. It'd be really cool to see an alien kind of.

[Nick Casario]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, kind of decide that he wants to take over the entirety of the NBA. Him coming up.

[Q Rich]

Oh, it's imminent. It's imminent. Pat is. Even if it doesn't happen this year, he's like, remember you watching the Marvel, the Thanos? He, like, I am inevitable. That's Wimby. He's inevitable. I don't, I can't. I can't predict exactly when, but he is inevitable. That is, that dude is something different. He is going to be the man soon. Real soon.

[Pat McAfee]

Is this year two or three for him right now?

[Q Rich]

This is year three. Is it? Yeah, I think it's year three. What is it Year two for him?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know, that's what I'm saying. I think three.

[Boston Connor]

Castle was their first.

[Q Rich]

I think it's three. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So three years into this and every year he's gotten significantly better, but I think the spurs have also gotten significantly better around him and knowing that he's the man. You know, Castle obviously a stud, but he's coming to a. He understands that the team is running the through the seven foot seven guy because remember the spurs, the first year he was there, it wasn't like that. It was like a bunch of vets almost that maybe didn't fully understand what was happening here. Now they're fully committed to him and he seems like a guy who is like, hey, we are going to win. Like that is. We're going to do everything we have to do to win. I'm thankful that we are doing this program while he is playing in the league because he. He's seemingly actually not from here. No. Like, it is a very, very different. He's tall, he's aggressive, like, as opposed to like kind of being like kind of docile, relaxed or whatever, you know, as some big guys are.

[Q Rich]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Like, he's a mean cuss, it seems like. And then he'll go hang out with the monks. Yeah. Up in the mountains and do this. He's talking about the universe. 17 years old and. Yeah. And then he goes and talks to Kevin Garnett. It's like, hey, how do I become maybe the biggest dog? It's like he's special. I think mentally, not only his entire body. I think mentally he has the right. And Is it starting.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Q Rich]

His mentality.

[Pat McAfee]

Go ahead.

[Q Rich]

His mentality. No, he has. He has the mentality. Like you said, he's not afraid to talk about. He wants to be. To be one of the greats. He's doing all the things. When he talks about the awards, he has an understanding to become one of the greats that you have to accumulate these awards and check these boxes and do those things. And I think he's not afraid. He's not shying away from any of it. Like you said, I think the front office over there in San Antonio be right. My man Brian.

[AJ Hawk]

Right.

[Q Rich]

And the rest of those guys over there did a great job. But like you say, bringing the type of guys in that are rallying around him and acknowledge what and who he is and the ability that he has to make everybody around there better. And like you say, it's. It's inevitable, man. And in another year. So like you say they got A chance this year. I'm not counting them out this year, but I. I just feel like either way, in the next one to two to three years, he is the man and they gonna. They gonna get them one because they got. They building the roster the right way. They got a squad and not. They can only add to it it. So I only see them getting better.

[Pat McAfee]

Where Chris Farley grow up at in Beverly Hills?

[Ty Schmidt]

Ninja in Japan somewhere.

[Pat McAfee]

Is that where Wemby's headed next offseason?

[Darius J. Butler]

Potentially.

[Q Rich]

He worked. Y' all left out. He worked with Hakeem to dream too. Now like that's. That's. That's different too. He checking crazy boxes, y'.

[Ty Simpson]

All.

[Q Rich]

He's doing the work. He putting the work in.

[Pat McAfee]

I assume he's going to do something with Shaq, right? At some point.

[Boston Connor]

Shaq maybe like Magnus Carlsen learns chess in some way.

[Pat McAfee]

And who was the. You said Magnus is. Who is the Magnus that threw the kegger? Who is the world's strongest man?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, Magnus. Magnuson. But also maybe Mario Pujianowski, who is also, you know.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I mean we'll be excited to see what he does. Yeah. Maybe he is throwing darts with Luke Littler to understand the finer details. Aim small.

[Boston Connor]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

With Luke Litla, he'd be able to

[Ty Schmidt]

just stick it right into the board. From where that's standing there, he might want to just do darts in the off season.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Cuz he could.

[Ty Schmidt]

Cuz they could reach the board.

[Pat McAfee]

They stand the sideways on that. Uhhuh. He.

[Boston Connor]

He be very close.

[Q Rich]

He like the real life Space Jam movie.

[Pat McAfee]

Bullets cheating. They'd be so mad. The accents would be so loud about him.

[Boston Connor]

Johnny Clay and would lose it.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, 100 again. He's done it again. Oh, man. Something to think about. Wemby might just take over everything.

[Les Snead]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Why did he go play Sock? He's from France. We don't want him. We don't. Volleyball though. That the. The dunk looked like a. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. If I mean he could. Volleyball.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Q Rich]

He would just stand in front of the net. He wouldn't have to jump. He would just stand and lift his arms.

[Ty Schmidt]

I think he could throw a baseball like 160 miles an hour.

[Pat McAfee]

That's feels like it. Oh my God. World Baseball Classic.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

France.

[Ty Schmidt]

Look out.

[Pat McAfee]

That's another one where he might be able to exactly place it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Just kind of move it around the

[Nick Casario]

bat and put it in there.

[Pat McAfee]

There's a chance. I can't believe he is as healthy as he is. You know, whenever we heard about him Very late. We are a group of stooges over here, but whenever they. We started learning of this wembanyama, who's going to be the number one overall pick, and everybody's saying, this is the one. And I'm like, we've heard enough. Europeans are going to be the one. Okay. I love them. Appreciate it. But very rarely does it end up working out. Luca comes in, takes over. Giannis comes in, takes over. There has been a little bit of a European takeover, but whenever they're saying, this guy's better than any prospect of all time, and then we start getting his dims, he's how tall? Then we listen to him speak. He's like, I know. I'm just such a small piece of the universe. And it's all. It's like, holy shit, we're talking about something a little bit different here. Then they're like, he's been working out his foot muscles and his foot parcels so his feet don't get injured because of how tall he is. And his tendons and his knee, they've been working on since he's like a little kid, because they know how tall he's going to be and how athletic he's going to be. They're trying to take care of the giant basically his entire life. It's like he has been made for this moment. Turns out he. I mean, he's.

[Q Rich]

That's why he's not been as hurt as everybody think, though, because he does a lot. I've seen some of the stuff, and I've never seen that stuff. He's crawling around on the floor with no shoes and socks on, like, you say, working on different muscles that people don't really pay attention to and know about. And I was being educated just watching what he was doing and the people talking about why he was doing what he was doing. And I'm like, this dude is incredible. Like, he's take like. That's why I say he's putting in the work. He's doing all of the things that. That he has knowledge to get knowledge from, to do. He's going, like you say, went to go be with monks over. And where they be at, wherever that was, I don't know.

[Pat McAfee]

But this was like, he be with the monks. Where the monks be at? Yeah, he was.

[Q Rich]

Yeah. It was like. So, like, he's doing things that people haven't done before him. And he's going like you say, go get with kg, go get with Hakeem. Who knows who he's gonna be? Was with Jamal Crawford, who's the best. One of the best ball handlers of all time, he was working out with Jamal. So it's like, who knows what Wimby's gonna do next? But I, I see that he. He's putting no limits on trying to improve himself and put himself in the best position, period. And I love it.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, who knows where Wemb, you know.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Who knows? It could be.

[Q Rich]

I see what you did there.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Could Wemby anywhere. Yeah. You know, could Wemby anywhere at any time. And we'll follow along. We're lucky to do as such, that whole training, the little muscles, though, for the job. They knew he was going to be a giant. So they're like, what normally takes out. Well, it's the little things you don't think about because the little things with giants are actually big things. So all the little is actually pretty big here. If we can take. Take care of it. I love it. Let's stay in the west before we move to the east. Go ahead, Ty Schmidt.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Q. Rich talking about another guy who seemingly is not from this planet, LeBron. And we. I think everyone expects the Lakers to close out Houston.

[Boston Connor]

What.

[Ty Schmidt]

What's going to happen when, you know, potentially Austin Reeves comes back and Luca comes back? Like, how much will their style of play kind of change if it's not just kind of, hey, LeBron, we're putting everything on your back. Go out here and win us a game, win us this series.

[Q Rich]

I think that'll depend on, you know, what, what when they come back. What, what shape they are in. I mean, I don't think, you know what I'm saying. I think LeBron is rolling right now. He, he's, he's doing great as the, as the number one guy. And I mean, he's shown the ability to be, you know, versatile, whether y' all need me to play the two or the three, three man role or whatever you need him to do. He's played center. He's done everything this year, so I think he'll be fine with whatever it is, but I think it'll determine on, you know, what level those guys can come back at. If they can't come back back in. In position to. To be that number one or number two guy. I think LeBron will still lead the way. Like, he's been doing the most unfortunate thing about. I do think they will close out tonight, but even, you know, whenever they, if they. As long as they advance. The most unfortunate thing is, is OKCs waiting on them and that's good for nobody.

[Pat McAfee]

Tell me about kd. Tell me about KD here. Tell me about what I. What I should think about the whole situation and how this ends up unfolding for next year. Is he coming to the Pacers? Is he coming to the Pacers?

[Q Rich]

Listen, man, I think KD is just, you know, he's one of those guys that he's a lightning rod, and anything he does is going to be highly opinionated and highly talked about. The man hurt his knee coming into the. To the season. I mean, to the series. And for him to sit out, I knew he had to be significantly hurt. And then you couple that he comes back in game two when you know he's not 100%, but then on that game, he twists and ankle. So at that point, you gotta listen to your body. And he's done the whole thing. Like, how many times should somebody like a Kevin Durant, or anybody for that matter, who's done the things that he's done to prove that he. He loves the game of basketball? He played through things when they told him don't play, and then he tore his Achilles, like, so if he's hurt and he's missing games, I just believe that he's hurt. All of the different narrative and the things that pop up and go around in the rumor and, like, y' all say sore says and all of that, like. Like, if nobody's not gonna put a name on it and. And come out and say, this is what it is. And if KD isn't saying it himself, I don't believe anything until I. Until I see that, until I see KD come out, I just feel like, yeah, he hurt. Like, if he's not playing, what do you think? Like, this is a dude who plays basketball anywhere. Give me a ball and I'm hooping. He's literally known for that. So if he's not playing, I truly believe he's hurt. And that's just what it is.

[Pat McAfee]

How about the Kevin Durant situation in Houston? He was going to join a very good team, just supposed to be an additive. Then it kind of became like his team, right? He started, like, doing a lot for the Houston Rockets this year, but he was supposed to just be an additive to them whenever he leaves Phoenix. That's just like LeBron this year, supposed to just be an additive to Luka Lucas. I don't even think they knew it was going to be Austin's team as well until it kept going like, this is Luka and Austin's team. LeBron just needs an additive. Then lo and behold, what's going on with LeBron. Well, he's kind of carrying the team right now because there's some injuries. KD was kind of carrying the Houston Rockets for a while. He was kind of their go to guy. Then he gets hurt. There's always something, though, with kd. I, I, I don't know him. I've never met him. I've just watched him from afar. There's always something. He's been on a lot of teams, and I think he does, you know, because the, the, the X activity certainly provides a lot of things for people to get mad at him for. But if he was in his reality stage of his career. Oh, yeah, we would certainly want him at the Pacers. With Tyrese coming back, we're gonna.

[Q Rich]

You saying if, like, are you. Listen, this is the dude who's averaged 25.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But I think he still wants to be in the act. I'm saying if he, if he'd be willing to Tyrese, you know, just kind

[D. Bud]

of, he can play any kind of basketball.

[Q Rich]

That's what I'm saying. Thank you, db. Like, KD can, you can plug him into any type of. He doesn't like, if you watch, watch. He takes the back seat for Shangun and some of those guys a lot. Like, he's not a guy who's out there, like, dominating the ball and saying, give me the ball. Like, for him to do what he. He's averaged 25 plus points and shot 50 plus percent for like 13 straight seasons. Like, currently right now, still on that streak. Like, do you understand how elite that is? Yeah, that is out of this world. And like you say, having the injuries, being up there in age and being in his 17, 18 year, he still is automatic. Yeah, automatic.

[Pat McAfee]

Tyrese to KD. I can already see it. And that's what's happening. Splash. And then there's a big. Yeah, we're back in the playoffs.

[D. Bud]

It sucks. He got her. I would have definitely loved to see this matchup and come this regular season, I want to say KD missed like five games or something crazy like that in year 17. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And he was, he was a big part of. Every time I was watching Houston, Houston games, KD is playing like, hey, this is a K. This is a Kevin Durant basketball game.

[D. Bud]

They lost Van Vliet, man, if they had a real true point guard.

[Q Rich]

Yeah, I felt like that was a big factor. Like, and people don't even give it the credit. Like, they, they act like Van Vliet is not A champion and doesn't have the experience and. And the game that he has. He was a huge piece. Him going down was. Was monumental for them this season, I feel like, because not only is he, you know, a great point guard and a veteran and champion, he has a leadership about him. A leadership characteristic. Would have helped their team, too.

[Pat McAfee]

Tyrese is perfect. And I think because the Olympics, they probably are having a great time. Probably did the entire thing. I don't know how we get KD in Indianapolis. I will tell you what. Be a good time for the city. Katie, I don't know how everybody in every team is feeling towards you joining them. And hell, I don't. I don't talk to anybody at Space other than Tyrese Halber. I would like to let you know,

[Q Rich]

I would venture that you would have a great time hanging out with kd. I would. I would be. I'm not a betting man, but I would bet many push ups that you. You and KD would hit it off spectacularly.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I think we. We cruise at the same altitudes from what I've been told, you know, which would certainly be a fantastic conversation. But, yeah, I would like to let him know. You'd love it here, bro. Oh, yeah. Oh, you'd love it here.

[Boston Connor]

Good time.

[Pat McAfee]

Got great things everywhere. Whatever you need. What are you looking like that for, D?

[D. Bud]

But I don't like to lie. People, a lot of people at this age.

[Pat McAfee]

He's going to love it.

[D. Bud]

Brooklyn, Phoenix, Houston, India.

[Ty Schmidt]

It's kind of interchangeable.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what we're saying. It be perfect.

[Boston Connor]

It'll work at those other places either.

[Pat McAfee]

Exactly. Indiana, San Francisco, where it works. Couple. It's similar.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, it's very, very. You're going to love it. You're going to absolutely love it. And guess what? The. The bucket bigger here. So just think about that. All right, let's move to the east, please, shall we? There's big story developing over there in the east with a team that you obviously know a lot about and a team that was supposed to be the Stones. Go ahead, D. Bud.

[D. Bud]

Yeah, Q. I know you tapped in with the Magic and what they're doing. Are you surprised at the success that they're having against the 1 seed Detroit Pistons? And do you think with their big three and how they're playing right. Right now, like they can actually go on a little run here in the East? It kind of. From your opinion, what has clicked for the Orlando Magic?

[Q Rich]

We have our full roster. I mean, not the full, but I mean, we got Our, you know, Franz is back and Paolo is back and then you got Bane. I mean, you guys understand. Like, I don't feel like the Magic were a true eight seed. We, we came into the season with high hopes of being like a third or maybe higher seed. And that was the outlook until the injuries piled up and then, you know, it's tough to play without your top guns. Like Desmond Bane came, he was able to play all 82 games. He was, he was huge this whole year. He's been huge these playoffs and I think he'll be huge in monumental force going forward. But like, it's tough if Paolo gets hurt and then Franz is playing it, then Paolo comes back, then Franz goes out like Jalen Suggs was in and out of line out. Mo Wagner wasn't there a lot. So it was like to deal with that stuff, it kind of gets tough. And this year was a tough year for us during the regular season for that and for us to recover and get to the, you know, to play in and win in and then to come out like this. I was, I was not surprised because as much as I believed in Detroit, me, many of my peers, we always, when we talk about them, it's like, okay, so what happens if K. Cunningham has a off night? If he, if K. Cunningham doesn't go crazy, who's next? And that question is yet to be answered for them. And they, that's the, that's the biggest thing. They got big guys, they got toughness, they got, you know what I'm saying, some versatility. But they don't have that second primary score that's going to be consistently there for them.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh no, Foxy, what happens if he has a bad game or 2 or 3, 1 or 4?

[Les Snead]

1?

[Pat McAfee]

Q. Rich, how much of this do you think is Kade Cunningham's fault? Or how much of this is Jaylen Duran's fault? Because that was the second guy that was a guy that was going 20 and 10 every single night in the regular season. And then in the these playoffs he has been non existent also. How does that happen? How can you begin all season an all pro player, A guy that's supposed to get a supermax, A guy that's supposed to be on Team USA in the Olympics and then you're just non existent for the playoffs. It's embarrassing.

[Q Rich]

It's actually, it's not as bad as you make it sound like you gotta understand Jalen Duran. No, Jalen Duran is not a guy. If you look at it, he's not a guy that they Run plays for. He was going to getting 20 and 2010 off. Pure hustle and muscle. Like going to the glass. He might get a pick and roll or alley up here, there. But if the team knows that when you go into a playoff series, everything is. Is hyper focused. It's not like we just coming in and one of the 82 and you playing Toronto, then you playing Orlando the next night on the back. No, they. They got film. They've been studying for you. They got the bigs. They know this. We need to take away that. And coach Mosley is an unbelievably in his staff. They do a great job at defense. That's what. That's what we hang our hat on here in Orlando. And they've done that since knows he's been here. So I already know he's queuing them guys up on everything. So you're not gonna get your normal easy rolls and your lobs to the basket. So if they're not running plays for you, where you gonna get your points from? Because he's not a guy that they drop the ball to the post and say go get a bucket and do these things. So it's not, you know, I know it looks bad when you look at the regular season stats and then you look at what he's doing now. But if you look at. And you focus on what's really going on.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, it's.

[Pat McAfee]

It's.

[Q Rich]

That's why they need that second bobbing dude. And they could do.

[Pat McAfee]

It's wood bopping. Orlando bops wood better than anybody else. That's what he's saying, right?

[Q Rich]

Hey, listen, we brought the physicality, man. And we, you know, I'm. I'm proud of the guys. I couldn't be happier for them. And I'm glad that they, you know, doing it right now in the playoffs and giving them chance, giving themselves a chance to advance. And the fact that they the eight seed in the one seed, that's historically great.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, you're not just going to be able to play Boyce park basketball against the Orlando Magic. Okay? Detroit Pistons. Why don't we drop some place? I couldn't agree more with what Q Rich said. And Q Rich, I know you watched that game last night. Was that not the worst basketball game you've ever watched in your life? I've watched a lot. Middle school, high school, college, you name it. That game stunk last night. All right, Fox.

[Q Rich]

No, was. You gotta. Those are two defensive teams, man. Those are. That game go back to like to the. To the early 2000s, late 90s, where it was just like. It was a lot of physicality, a lot of refs having to break up, little short skirmishes and chats and things like that. And these guys got a little animosity. I'm not. I'm not. I'm actually enjoying it to the fullest. Especially with Orlando winning. I got no complaints.

[Pat McAfee]

Detroit always has animosity with people. It feels like they had heat with the Pacers last year, they had heat with the Hornets this year. Now they got heat with the Magic. You start looking around, maybe you start wondering, what's all the heat? Well, might be.

[Ty Schmidt]

I might be the problem.

[Pat McAfee]

It might be the case. But you need to win. Win if that's the case. You can't just lose everybody. That's why I'm mad. We're getting out physical, and that can't happen with the Detroit team in any sport. It's okay. You're growing, you're learning, just like the Orlando Magic have had to do. Okay, let's stay in the.

[Q Rich]

And the thing is, they're getting. They're getting. They're getting out physical from a team that hails from City Beautiful. That's our nickname out here. City Beautiful.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, no. Mickey. Mous time.

[Q Rich]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Q Rich]

The greatest place in the world. The happiest place in the world. Excuse me.

[Pat McAfee]

It's just Beef Stew's there to Detroit.

[D. Bud]

Fight somebody.

[Pat McAfee]

Beef Stew's our best player right now.

[D. Bud]

Oh, yeah.

[Boston Connor]

You're in trouble.

[Nick Casario]

He had eight blocks last night.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes. That's unbelievable.

[Q Rich]

He's at the rim. He's crazy at the rim.

[Pat McAfee]

Sounds like Orlando is through, though. They're not very scared of any of that. Okay, so everybody. Obviously, the Pistons were the number one seed, but you talk to anybody from. From Massachusetts, they'd say, come on, we know who runs the East. And it seems like that is the case. Go ahead, con man.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. Curious. We can be real here. Okay. The Boston Celtics are head and shoulders above everybody in the east, especially right now with what they're doing. Tatum's coming off 30, 11, and seven. He's been unbelievable. Jalen Brown, he's just a quiet 25 a night. And then we have guys coming off the bench like Peyton Pritchard dropping 30. This team feels different in Boston just because of how deep they. They are. Is it kind of a layup to assume that, yes, the spurs and OKC are going to go to battle, but Boston's damn near going to waltz into the Finals fresh, healthy, and clicking on all cylinders. After Lethal Shooter Helped them kind of find it before these playoffs started. What have you seen from them? Should I feel this confident? Should I feel more confident? And also, are the Sixers not as good when Embiid plays? Because it felt weird last game just because less Vijay Edgecomb, less Tyrese Maxey. Embiid getting his shots up, and he's clearly still injured from his little situation.

[Q Rich]

I'll start with the MB part. I think. I think it's not. I don't think they're worse, but I think that everybody knows that when you add something like him, he's an MVP in this league, so he's not somebody like, just coming back to the lineup. He's a feature. He's a focal. Focal point. And I think when you do that, you know those guys, like the. Tyrese Maxey, he came to the team after Joel Embiid was already MVP in the man. So it's like he. He kind of defers to him without even really knowing it. And then, you know, everybody else is gonna follow suit because, like it or not, he was the big dog. And like, so you got an adjustment to make when that guy comes back. And I think you. We were seeing that in real time because it's like, we got the big fellow. We still got to give him the ball. But. But it's like they kind of. They kind of didn't do their own thing as aggressively that they had been doing it, and that took away from the team. But I think it'll be different the next game. But when you get to Boston, I would say. I don't want to say they just gonna waltz into anything. It's not gonna be easy. I still have them pick. However, I do have them picked to advance out of the east and come be in the finals, waiting for whoever and fighting for the title. But I. I'm never gonna say that they gonna just waltz in and it's gonna be easy and it's gonna be this and. And that. But what I will say, the way they've been playing has been. It's been incredible, man. It's been something that's been dope to see. I'm. I'm. I'm a huge Jason Tatum guy. We got the same agent, Jeff Wesley. So I'm. And I've known Jason through. Through Larry Hughes and his dad, Justin, since he was younger. So I'm. I'm completely for him doing what he's doing, and I'm loving the way that he's been, you know, gotten back into the fit for the team. And the way he and Jalen and everybody are playing together and all of the people that was naysayers chirping and saying food since can can silence the hating and just. Just relax and let hoop. They've been doing, like, that's the part I laughed at when everybody said they can't play together. Jason Tatum literally has not played in the NBA without Jalen Brown. And Jalen Brown only played one year without him. So it's like, what are we talking about? But like, you're seeing it in real time. And I can't say enough about what Tatum has been able to do. I mean, you guys know, you've talked to Tyrese Halliburton, and he's told you how difficult, how hard, how crazy and all of these things. And that shows the level of dedication and how hard Jason worked to get to this point, because we. I was totally expecting him to get back out there and have to work his way in. I didn't realize that him going to the G League and doing all those practices, he was. He was crossing and checking those box and doing the. Working my way back, and I'm feeling better. And like, now he. You see him out there starting to have trust in that leg. It's not like those first couple games where he was like, is he trying to not land on it? Like, he's going in there sometime, and I'm like, oh, whoa. And it's like he's straight. So I mean, I totally respect him as being an athlete who's been injured and had to be off for four, five, six months, and that was crazy than that. And for him to come back like this, I ain't got nothing but praise for him, bro. It's incredible.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I agree. And Joe Missoula is a maniac. Shout out to him out of West Virginia, obviously.

[Q Rich]

Yes, he is.

[Pat McAfee]

Cavaliers obviously in it. Knicks always going to be a topic of discussion. What's today's conversation about the Knicks? Did we see what it was on the earlier shows? There is yesterday was. Should it run through cat.

[D. Bud]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Today might have been make or break.

[Ty Schmidt]

How do we get Bridges going?

[Boston Connor]

Perhaps Mike Brown needs to win or else he's going to get fired, which

[Q Rich]

is possible because New York City.

[Pat McAfee]

What are your thoughts on these three games if you had to pick them right now? You like the Celtics, you like the Knicks and you like the Spurs.

[Q Rich]

I like the Celtics. Celtics, yes. All on the right. Celtics, Knicks and Spurs. I like. I like the Knicks coming back home and knowing that they gotta handle business, knowing it's not. I don't think it's gonna be easy with the Hogs because they, you know they're gonna come to fight. They know the importance of this game to go up three to two, but I think Celtics and Spurs gonna handle business.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Nick Casario]

All right.

[Pat McAfee]

Chalk night for Q Rich. We'll certainly pay attention and we'll talk to you soon. We appreciate the hell out of you, man.

[Q Rich]

Anytime fellas.

[Pat McAfee]

You already know ladies and gentlemen, that's 13 year NBA. Evan Cohen here. PayPal is now the official peer to peer payment sponsor of the NFL. Which means all the money moments that fandom creates. Whether splitting tailgate costs or chipping in on tickets and game day food between friends are covered. Wherever the game is played or watched

[Les Snead]

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[Pat McAfee]

You can send money through text, email or directly to your friends with eligible accounts on Venmo. Just download the PayPal app and share

[Nick Casario]

all the moments that matter.

[Pat McAfee]

Account with PayPal is required. Not available in all regions where PayPal operates.

[Ty Schmidt]

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[Pat McAfee]

you already know. Thought of Dion Dawkins, your art party Snow.

[Boston Connor]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Speaking of snow, feels like we're in spring now here in Indy.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, I got a couple. Got a couple days here over the next week. But that's just in the morning.

[Pat McAfee]

What do you mean a couple of days?

[Boston Connor]

A couple days under 60. But. But then we will be. Yeah, kind of there.

[Pat McAfee]

We're here.

[Ty Schmidt]

We're kind of in the April showers, bringing May flowers. Correct portion of the calendar.

[Pat McAfee]

And are we doing spring? Like we hadn't done spring in a while. I don't know how Ohio is. We hadn't really had a spring before. It was like cold. Couple good days cold and then 95 degrees and then it was like 100 degrees for two months and then it got cold again. That was kind of what we had before. It's been pretty nice outside. Feels like, we're starting to really catch our stride here. The less need conversation earlier really catching on. Did you know a lot of that stuff, AJ that he was talking about there, where he was saying, We've 66 private trips, two different guys at their schools, I guess, kind of bouncing around. He went and met with ty alongside Coach McVeigh. They talked for hours about ball. Coach N Said he was just kind of checked out, kind of doing some other things all by himself. While Sean McVeigh and Ty Simpson did their thing. He said Matthew Stafford, it's his timeline, but we have to prepare for whenever it could potentially be up. They like Ty. They don't think they're going to have this high of a draft pick in the future. They're hoping that isn't the case. What did you feel or how did you feel about our combo with them, AJ and where do you kind of sit on the entire 13th pick saga as we are here today?

[AJ Hawk]

Well, after hearing Les kind of lay out exactly their whole process and what they were thinking and then like hearing him talk about why they did it, yeah, I feel much more comfortable with them taking Ty simpson there at 13. But also my main takeaway was credit to Ty Simpson for keeping that close to the vest and not but and as you said, like staying with the gimmick even after you were drafted, like, this dude is somebody you could trust. He seems like he is. He's a vault and think also his agent had to be involved. Other people knew that he talked with these, the Rams and less need and McVeigh before the draft. And it never got out from anybody. So, like, everybody in his camp seems to be on the same page. And I think that's a great thing for them.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And we do know who represents him. I think we all do. And that would certainly be something that would come from their good business department, which is what they do good business over there. And he everywhere.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Does business everywhere in that particular world. And people are going to love it. Jimmy Sexton. That's right. He's the man involved with a Ty Simpson story. And Ms. Amy, I do believe, and I think there's a few others, obviously on the team is the 13th overall pick who's a quarterback. So there's going to be a lot of people that are kind of on the job of taking care of things, making sure they stay tight. I just appreciate the fact that Ty Simpson finds a place that clearly loves him. And you know, Matthew Stafford seemingly 100% in on all of it. So I like where they're at. I appreciate les need joining us. I also appreciate any time we get to talk to the actual decision makers, the people that are actually in the league that is kind of driving all this rating success and all this pop culture conversation. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now on this big GM Tuesday is general manager for the Houston Texans. Big time Mark.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

So I was talking to him whenever I was out there with Randy all those weeks. Ladies and gentlemen, Nick Casario. How are you, boss?

[Nick Casario]

What's happening, fellas? Good to see you. Last time we talked, I took a picture with Randy and then we were talking a little wrestling. So it's good to be back.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, me and Randy have had quite a. Quite a trip.

[Nick Casario]

You have since then. Get Glad to see your next. Okay, thank you.

[Pat McAfee]

It turns out it was 100% okay. But there was some strains obviously throughout all of it. Could have been anywhere from the C2 to the C5. Obviously you know the medicals of everything there. Happy, we're clear. But Cody got me too. Crossroads jelly.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. That thing shattered. I still got wood.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

The splinter got a place. Let alone.

[Nick Casario]

Well done. Very well done done by everybody involved. Very well.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Okay. Very well done. Let's talk about you. Okay, so you make massive moves. You make Will Anderson the highest paid non quarterback in NFL history. Congratulations. That's obviously a previous draft pick and a massive move on draft night that comes to fruition for you and obviously, obviously sets the tone for your Houston Texans defense. I love that you've done that. 28 trades Houston have done now through your draft. Is it just something that you have to do? You feel like you're super active in there. Like, how do you view your approach to draft night and when do you know the guy that you want and when do you know you're going to move to potentially get him?

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, honestly, I didn't realize it was that many trades. I think the reality is we just try to stay as flexible and adaptable throughout the process as much as possible. And as long as we have an understanding of the players, you have to have an understanding of players, understanding of the board. And a lot of this has to do with position positioning. You don't know exactly what other teams are going to do or whether or not you're looking at the same players. So you just try to put yourself in the best position and get yourself in an area where you think you may have to draft that player. So that's a big part of the discussion. A big Part of the calculus. So we try to keep the conversations moving throughout the course of the draft. And I think we've adopted the philosophy we're not necessarily afraid to do anything and do it in a responsible way. And as long as it's in the best interest of the team and everybody involved, we just try to make good, sound, calculated decisions as we're working through the process.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, it feels like you're building quite a monster down there with an edge maybe. You know, you look at a couple of the guys that you drafted there and you're flexible, you're able to move. But like Kaden McDonald, I got a chance to see him get drafted backstage there. I was with him, I met his whole family. We got to see him play. He paints his entire face. It's like that guy's a dog. This guy. Guy is an absolute dog. The Keelan Rutledge draft pick there out of Georgia Tech, we're hearing stories about him. He's a mean, mean cuss. And then you hear about, like, how Will Anderson is. It feels like you are targeting a certain type of player and how do you figure out if a person is a Houston Texan like player and why these guys?

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, I mean, I think we've all seen toughness, toughness and physicality winning this league. I think we feel that way. There's a number of teams that feel that way. When you look around the league, I mean, it's in the end that that's going to be important part of it. So we try to identify who are those players that have those requisite traits and characteristics throughout the course of the process. I think our scouting staff does a great job being able to get the information and identify those players that maybe fit the profile. So that when we transition after the season, when a coaching staff gets involved, when d' Ameco gets involved, we can maybe identify some of those players that have those characteristics that, that we're, I would say targeting and have discussed that we feel are important to winning. And I would say those two players in particular that you mentioned, Rutledge and McDonald, we feel they both have those qualities. Both played for really good programs. I'd say tough, hard nosed coaches. I mean, Coach Key at Georgia Tech does a great job. He's done a great job. And we've all seen what Coach Day has done at Ohio State. And you know, Coach Patricia, I'd say put his kind of stamp on the defense there a little bit. So there's a familiarity to some extent with maybe some of the things that they were doing there. But those were two, two play players that we had a certain level of conviction on and we were fortunate enough to be able to add them to the team.

[Pat McAfee]

And then as the draft unfolds, Marlon Klein, their tight end, he's 66250. That guy is a monster. And we all saw Aiden Fisher for Indiana, and we all have such high respect for him. For you to be able to pick him up and pick 243, it's like, I really like what you're cooking down there, Nick. I hate that you're in the AFC south, but I love the way you view it. It sounds like you're looking at dogs only. Go ahead, A.J.

[AJ Hawk]

yeah, Pat mentioned to Aiden Fisher there, your seventh round pick, obviously, a lot of, you know, you don't get a ton of questions about your seventh round pick, obviously, but we watched this guy play in person multiple times, I guess. What did you see in him? And he has a bunch of tape, he's played a bunch of football, seems to be playing a few steps ahead of everybody else. Like, what do you like in Fisher?

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, you said it, AJ and when you watch him play, he's a very aware. He's a very instinctive player with a very good playing style and playing that position. And, you know, we had the. I mean, our head coach is the best, one of the best linebackers, if not the best linebacker in the history of the organization. And he was smart and instinctive. And when you watch Aiden play, he's not as big as d' Ameco was, but he has a lot of those same qualities. He plays with good anticipation, he has good range sideline to sidelines. He was very well thought of within that program. When you watch their tape, their defense was kind of the sum of the parts. It wasn't necessarily one particular player that stood out, but they played 11 is one. And he was kind of the leader that defense. So that was a player. When you kind of get into some of the late rounds, you're looking for some traits or qualities that, you know, a player possesses at certain positions. And the reality is those players are probably going to have to make an impact in the kicking game before they have an opportunity to maybe play on defense. But really good playing style, you know, comes from a really good program, a winning program. Transfer up, coming over from JMU with Coach Sig, and just his awareness and instinctiveness is something that, you know, we feel stood out in his play.

[Pat McAfee]

How much him being around an Italian for an extended period of time did Kind of weigh in on that.

[Nick Casario]

You think it always makes a difference. So he probably had spaghetti and meatballs once or twice during the course of the week, whatever Coach Sig was serving down there.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I. I assume he's had some

[Boston Connor]

moots, a lot of pursuit.

[Darius J. Butler]

He's a big rigaton guy.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, so much.

[Boston Connor]

Maybe Bucatini.

[Nick Casario]

Oh, maybe

[Pat McAfee]

could be doing. Anyways, Anthony De Julio has a question for you about the draft before we move on to other team moves.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah, Nick, there's been a lot of talk on X. I'm sure you have not seen it, about GMs and where they get their draft picks versus the consensus board of draft analysts. Now, I'm not going to ask if you saw that or if you see the consensus board or whatever, but do you as a gm, use the mock drafts of guys that, you know, talk to GMs around the league to kind of get an idea of where guys are going to go and how. How is that viewed in the GM world?

[Nick Casario]

No, it's a great question. I think you have to do your work and you kind of have to stack your board. And there's a multitude of mock drafts that are put out over the course of, call it March, April, and a little bit closer than a few more people have theirs. So we try to do our work and we try to identify the players that we like. And then we do have analysis that we will look at the mock drafts, if you will, to see maybe where a player was projected and then after the draft, look at, all right, what did that. Who was most right, or where was that player projected to go? How close was he? You're always going to have some outliers. And I think when you found at this draft, I mean, the reality is player teams took players that they liked, that they wanted. And I think that's the beauty of it. 32 draft boards don't all look the same. And each team is going to identify the players that they feel that they want or can help them. So you don't necessarily factor into the overall decision making. It's maybe something after the fact that you look at to kind of see, like, all right, where were we? Where were the outliers? And kind of, how did that player fall? And as you get a little bit closer, you start to hear maybe a little bit more, well, you know what? Teams may have liked this player a little bit more than anticipated. So, you know, you try to factor in everything, but without factoring in too much noise, because ultimately you got to stay disciplined to your evaluations. And your draft board.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, why would anybody have a different draft board than anybody else with every team being built the exact same way? You know, so every team needs the same exact things. Every team obviously in the market for the same stuff. Same type of characteristics. Like you are clearly tracking to build a locker room that has a dog mentality. And if you don't let dogs in, then you really can't not have a dog mentality, which is a big part of your draft board. I wonder how many analysts have dog mentality as an actual score whenever they're trying to subject who somebody could pick because you were actually voted amongst the worst in the consensus big board. I don't know if you know this. 29th and look who's number one, Casario. Look who's number one.

[Nick Casario]

Was that your poll or was that somebody else?

[Pat McAfee]

No, I actually like your draft a lot. I actually like what you guys did a lot. But it's like such an interesting thing listening to what you're actually looking for. Like, hey, this is what we were looking for. But that wasn't what the analysts were looking for.

[Darius J. Butler]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

So if you could be a little bit more like them and not like a guy actually running a team, maybe you could be like the Colts. Not number one in the consensus. Big boy, put a banner up.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, you guys actually might actually.

[Darius J. Butler]

Mike.

[Pat McAfee]

We got 30 seconds left on linear television as we will continue on YouTube, ESPN Plus, Disney plus, tick tock live and X. We're basically everywhere in your hands for the next hour or so. This pies on. Nick Kasario will continue to join us. We don't know how long. How long will you join us for after this? 19, 18. 17. 17 seconds here.

[Nick Casario]

However many more questions you all have for us, however many.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, boy.

[Nick Casario]

Within reason.

[Pat McAfee]

Ladies and gentlemen, strap up. If you're gonna join us digitally, we got a long one. If not, Sports center is about to crush it. We will see you tomorrow. Be a friend. Tell the friends have the nice. It might change their life. Goodbye. Okay, we're in there. Hey, good answer out of you.

[Darius J. Butler]

Great.

[Pat McAfee]

That was a good answer out of you. Super humble, super open. Within reason. You know, you could have added at the end to do this entire thing because we have all gone to the bathroom already. AJ has a bottle under the table. We don't know what your pissing situation is. We could do this four or five hours, no doubt. We can come up with questions.

[Boston Connor]

I got plenty. What are you watching right now?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, that's good. What are your thoughts on the tribal Chief coming back. I mean, we get a different. Let's stay in ball, though, shall we? Let's stay in ball. Let's go back to some moves that you were able to make this offseason, but maybe not make. Go ahead, con man.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, Nick. Kind of weird situation. You signed a Neil hunter to a one year, $40 million deal. We actually all celebrated it and then realized how big, bad it was for our respective teams, because you still get that guy. But then I think the next day or the day after it came out that the league didn't approve the contract. What was that situation? How often does that happen and why would something like that happen? Especially when it's just an extension and a reset, not even a free agent or a trade.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, and that's a good question. Honestly, it was strictly a semantical, kind of a clerical thing on our end. Sometimes there's. There's some void years and some things that included in contracts. And again, it had to do more with that. So it was a very easy fix. There wasn't anything. There were no shenanigans. The league had kind of flagged it, so we just had to get it fixed real quick. So, I mean, honestly, there was really nothing to it. I wish I had more for you, but. But there's nothing more to it than that.

[Pat McAfee]

No shenanigans. He says clerical error on the back end. I appreciate us finding out about it the way that we did. Yeah, it was weird because it was like breaking. You'll never believe what they're doing down there. And then the next day we read a tweet. It's like it was just kind of a filing error in its entirety. Not really that big of a deal. Everything. Have you heard about this unrestricted free agent tender? Do you know you can do this? Do you know you can. You can do that to somebody.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah. It's funny you bring that up. It doesn't happen very often. When I was in New England, we actually did it one year. I think we did it with lg. I think we did it with legarrett Blunt. You know, I think it's. Again, it's kind of case by case, sort of team discretion. So, I mean, I think it looks like Pittsburgh did it with Aaron. I'm sure when you bring him on a show, he'll talk about it, but no, it happens. It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen periodically. And I think it's just more the team is looking at it from the perspective of, you know, just trying to maybe potentially Keep a good player around potentially beyond, you know, the upcoming season.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so you get an email that says that this is happening from the Pittsburgh Steelers. So you are basically told by the NFL, hey, if you are in pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, know that this has happened. So is that how that works?

[Nick Casario]

Well, they notify the team. So it doesn't. It doesn't preclude you from potentially signing that player. So it just knows there's certain parameters that are involved in a situation like this. So you all have the note up there. So that gets promulgated to the teams. So at least they're aware of the player status. And then you can deal with it however you see fit, you know, based on the team.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Fascinating. How often are those types of emails coming to you guys? Like, is there a daily. Like, hey, this is kind of what is happening around. This is what's taking place.

[Nick Casario]

There is. There's something that gets sent out daily, just essentially a snapshot of the transactions that take place. So sometimes there. It's that day, the transaction takes place that day. Sometimes there's a little bit of a time lap there, but it's a way for, you know, essentially all teams to have the same information. Lee does a good job of making sure that, you know, all teams have the appropriate information.

[Pat McAfee]

Fascinating. Hey, you make moves any. There's a lot of people getting emails because of shit that you do. Go ahead. Ty Schmidt.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Yeah, Nick.

[Ty Schmidt]

One of the moves I, that I love that you made, and it was early in the off season, you guys traded for David Montgomery. And the last couple years you've got production from your running back room, but it feels like it kind of has been like a musical chairs thing thing where last year, you know, with mixing, we didn't know what was going on, and he ended up not playing that much. Woody Marks obviously looked pretty good, but how important was it going into this year to find like a bell cow or a guy that you could actually rely on and maybe take some of that pressure off CJ and kind of get that. That running game, you know, very, very good moving forward.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, the running game's an important part of any offense, so hopefully it'll be a big part of our offense as well. That was a position that we had identified. We were probably going to add a player or two at some point along the way. So we just looked at our opportunities and, you know, David was a player that was very highly thought of in our building. Highly thought of in the Lions building as well. Like, we have a lot of respect for the program that Coach Campbell and Brad are running in Detroit, and we practiced with them, we played against them a few years back. David's been a very consistent, a very productive player who's tough. Kind of going back to what we were talking about a little bit earlier, Pat. I mean, the toughness and his physicality kind of stands out in his play. So we felt that this was a player, if we had a chance to add him to the team, would be a good fit for some of the reasons that, you know, we articulated.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And what you're saying there, there's some himbo stats that kind of back it up. And I don't want to bring up poor stats again. Okay. Because this is not good. This is not fun. You're the general manager of the damn team. But on that note, Gold go efficiency for the Texans. 26 in the NFL red zone efficiency has a whole 30th out of 32. David Montgomery has 33 rushing touchdowns since 2023, which is the eighth most. 28, eight of which come inside the eight yard line. Hey, we have a little bit of an issue finishing here. Let's go ahead and bring a finisher in who we also respect. Coming from a great place. I love the move, just like I love everything that you do. Even though their stats are saying your ass. That's what they said. I. I didn't love that. I didn't love that they said that, but that is what they said. Your team has obviously been very successful since the first snap that C.J. stroud took. Okay, rookie year sensation. They were talking about him. Him being maybe the greatest rookie in the history of football. Now the next step. The next step. The next step. D Butt has a question for you.

[D. Bud]

Yeah. CJ's kind of had to ride the ebbs and flows of the league and he's been successful by all accounts, in my opinion of a few playoff wins already. But in your opinion, what's the next step? What do you want to see? CJ Stroud and his game to take that next step? I saw you picked up his fifth year option. We just saw Will Anderson get paid. Derek Stingley got paid. Obviously every wouldn't expect CJ Stroud to get paid here at some point. But what in your opinion, through your eyes, what do you want to see as that next step from your franchise quarterback?

[Nick Casario]

Yeah. Debut. I mean, the reality is, I mean, it's just to approach it this year with the right attitude and just go out there and play good, consistent football. I mean, C.J. is one of the Better quarterbacks here in the league. He's shown that in the first three years. You know, right now we're in the offseason program here. He's been. He. He's been here. He's been involved. He's had a good attitude. He's worked really hard. So again, it's focus on the things that you can improve. Improve. You know, correct some of the things or where are the areas of growth. I mean, that's what this program and that's what the focus is for him and our program, and Dimo talks to the players about that all the time. So it's just kind of focusing on yourself and continually improving and getting better and then growing in the areas that, you know, we've identified that we feel you can growth and, you know, we're glad that he's here. We're glad he's under center and glad that he's our quarterback.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, Cario, what do you think of the traffic Tribal Chief being back?

[Nick Casario]

I'm okay with it. I think I need some new blood here at some point. Roman is obviously very highly thought. No, Roman's great for. It's great for the wwe and he's a great. Don't you back see who the next challenger is? So I didn't see what happened. Did he accept Fatu's challenge last night or did he not?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they're going backlash.

[Nick Casario]

He did what is that?

[D. Bud]

Backlash in that Next Monday they'll be squaring off. Next Monday, and they will be squaring off, but from what Nick is saying, he sounds like a Obafemi guy to me.

[Nick Casario]

Obafemi, wow. He's kind of interesting. Yeah, he's a big dude. He's a big dude.

[Pat McAfee]

He just laid the base with Brock Lesnar. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Hung his boots up.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, Brock.

[Nick Casario]

Looks like Brock was ready, so.

[Pat McAfee]

What's that?

[Nick Casario]

What do you mean, looks like Brock was ready? He. He put in his good years and he was ready to go.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, right.

[Nick Casario]

Nobody like him. Nobody like him.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Maybe you bring him down to Houston Texans, you know, maybe because he was a Viking there for Cowboy. Yeah. Oh, my God. He would. He would show up. Him running out of that bull. Oh, full uni. That'd be.

[Boston Connor]

Make it happen.

[Pat McAfee]

All right. Good luck the rest of the way. What are we doing now? We signed our undrafted free agents. We got workouts this weekend because Ravens. I don't know if you know this well, he will not be available. Diego Pavia has signed a deal with the Ravens. He was supposed to work out this Weekend and a rookie mini camp tryout type thing. They have signed him to continue over there with the Baltimore Ravens, which is good. What, what are you looking like that.

[D. Bud]

I thought they already signed with Joe Fo three year deal. Giving out three year deals.

[Pat McAfee]

The hell is going on? Yeah, Joe Fano and actually db.

[Nick Casario]

The way the, the undrafted contracts are now, that's standard for everybody. So if the undrafted, they're all three year deals. So the league kind of standardized that. So again that I want to say that's new over the last few years. So again, all undrafted players that haven't signed an NFL contract, they all sign three year deals now. So it's pretty, it's pretty, pretty standard practice.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so on that note, first rounders can get a fifth year option picked up, which has happened for you in the past. Normal deals, rookie deals, four year deals. Is that normal? And then.

[Nick Casario]

Correct, that's correct.

[Pat McAfee]

You're drafted, four year deal and then undrafted is now a three year deal. So everything's kind of standardized now.

[Nick Casario]

Yes, for the most part it is.

[Pat McAfee]

So if you go undrafted and you go, you can sign earlier.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Nick Casario]

So let's say you play it out or after the three years and then depending on how it goes, you're going to be restricted or unrestricted. So I mean again, if you're restricted, then it's up to the club to decide whether or not they retain your services or if they don't tender you. So the four year deals are a little bit more to your point, Pat, a little more standardized and you know, after the fourth year then they'll be free agents if you haven't done an extension with that player after the third year, third year, which all players are extension eligible after their third year. So then you have the choice of whether or not you're going to do it regardless of the round. The first round is the first round, that's a part of it. But even a player that's in the middle rounds after three years, like you have the ability to extend him before the end of his contract. So you know, every team will kind of look at that on a case by case basis.

[Pat McAfee]

We're kind of heading that direction, aren't we? Don't you think that's kind of becoming more and more like. That's why I think you're situation is getting loud. Right. I think your situation with CJ is going to become a louder conversation because it feels like the deals are getting done earlier or expected to be done earlier. And it's getting louder about deals getting done earlier. Do you agree with that?

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, I think you're seeing it more commonplace maybe than it was previously. So, again, I think each team is probably having a lot of the same discussions, and those discussions will probably continue throughout the course of springs and into training camp and into the. Into the season. So you're seeing deals done, really? I mean, across all times, all parts of the year, spring training camp, in season deals. So, you know, and I think the team, every team probably approached a little bit differently. You know, we're pretty flexible and, you know, in the end we'll just try to figure out and thread the needle on every player that, you know, timing wise, we feel makes the most sense

[Pat McAfee]

for the good of the Texans, you know, seems like you got a bunch of dogs down there. How much would you have loved Ben Bane on your own?

[Nick Casario]

Really good player. Yeah, you had made.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I assume you had.

[Nick Casario]

Really very high.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I assume you did.

[Nick Casario]

Very good player.

[Pat McAfee]

Him. Everything he did, that hat grab, everything about it was just like everything that Cristobal said about him. Everything. It's like. Feels like this is a guy that was probably high on the dog draft board down there in Houston, if I had to guess.

[Nick Casario]

He's on. He was on the dog board for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I can imagine. It's awesome. I appreciate the way you view ball. I appreciate what you're doing down there and I appreciate you taking time to chit chat with us. You're the man. General manager of the Houston Texans, python extraordinaire, Nick Casserio. Hold on. Was he saying something there? We just muted him.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, Real quick. Just want to say I appreciate your support on the donation. I know we had a little fun there at the combine with the throw, but in reality was that donation. You know, my. Our oldest daughter, I had a fundraising campaign and effort and she ended up being the highest donor because of a donation that you all gave and provided. So really appreciate your support, appreciate the relationship with the program and a lot of respect for what you all do. And thanks for. For being a part of that.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, thank you for the opportunity. You could spin it, brother. Never forget it. And I'm happy we can be a part of that. You're the best, ladies and gentlemen.

[Nick Casario]

Thanks, fellas. Appreciate it.

[Pat McAfee]

Nick, that was very kind of him.

[Boston Connor]

First.

[Pat McAfee]

We buried him the first time.

[Ty Schmidt]

Big time.

[D. Bud]

I love Nick.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you obviously know him from your Patriots. We, I mean, it was kind of. We had to do it. He had headphones on.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's right.

[Pat McAfee]

General manager directly to sideline, sideline Was coaching a team that was ass. Okay, why is this general manager got headphones on. Get this guy out of the goddamn game. So we obviously mock and ridicule him mightily. Everything goes to. They become a dumpster fire.

[Ty Simpson]

Oh yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Laughing stock, whole thing.

[D. Bud]

Quarterback wouldn't play.

[Pat McAfee]

See ya. Dave Coley's chewing on his tongue actually.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah, he got a raw deal.

[Pat McAfee]

He was one year coach with Josh McCown. Was going to allege. I mean it was all bad down there. Everything was. We agree Coach Dave did get a raw deal. But during that process heads head was. I mean it was. It was all bad down there. And then all of a sudden he starts chipping away. This guy, he comes on the program. We're like this guy's gonna fucking hate us. He's gotta do it. And he come on immediately he said, I know what you guys had to do. I mean, can I talk about this? I've been doing it since my Patriots days. It feels like I should know what's going on. Especially if I'm picking the people. That's just kind of how I operate. I'm not on there telling them what plays to run. I would just like to know what's gonna happen and how I can help out. I've been doing a bit little literally forever. We won a couple Super Bowls with his entire.

[Ty Schmidt]

So.

[Pat McAfee]

So it was like. It was very fascinating getting them super bright finance guy whenever it comes to numbers and business and everything like that. And then the way he's been able to seemingly seek the people that he would like in his building has been superb. So I. I'm a big fan of old Paisan down there in Houston. I hate that there in the age.

[D. Bud]

Big fan of Nick as well. And obviously you, you know, do you win a Super Bowl? Do you win a championship? How does your quarterback succeed? That's what he's going to be judged off on. But he's always been a great communicator and him being having that headset on, he's had his kind of fingerprints all over the organization. His days in New England kind of was a de facto GM at some point. So I love to see him having success in Houston. But you know, when you have a quarterback who we deem as a good franchise level quarterback, it's going to come down to how much can you. You win and can you get to the big one and win one?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I. I like CJ Stroud a lot too.

[AJ Hawk]

AJ how could you not? I mean obviously who would you get take instead of him? Like when when people want to say that he's, he's fallen off, whatever. Yeah, there's definitely up and ups and downs as an NFL quarterback, but. Yeah, who, who are you going to get instead of this guy?

[Pat McAfee]

Aaron Rodgers? Maybe he's available.

[AJ Hawk]

Why did they sign that? What is that? Why did they sign that whole situation?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know. So what do you think? Okay. Okay. This is. I'm happy you're here. This is.

[Boston Connor]

But you.

[AJ Hawk]

Are they trying to protect themselves? Like, what do they. Like they don't want him going somewhere else or they don't want him, like, say somebody gets hurt, he hasn't signed, it's July 29, and he goes and plays somewhere else that they're trying to like protect themselves from that happening.

[Pat McAfee]

He can't do that. I think with this thing being.

[AJ Hawk]

That's what I'm saying.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

So if they didn't do that, they, they think, hey, what if he came on August 10, somebody got hurt and he goes, and all of a sudden he's starting for the packers again.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, and I think they're also.

[AJ Hawk]

That's why they did this.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, that and also I think they're trying to, to allegedly get a compensatory pick. But the way Casserole just said it there, he's like, this is somebody you're trying to keep around or whatever, or something like that. I guess there's multiple different ways that this thing could be used, but if you're Aaron Rodgers, how are you viewing it? AJ My immediate thought was, so I've given this league 23 years of my life, and if I am choosing to become a mercenary at this stage, where I go in after somebody gets hurt, like to your point, first week, sixth week, 10th week, quarterback goes down on a good team, I would like to go do that. Now, I can't do that because of this tender that is somehow in the CBA that I had no idea that existed. It's a crazy thing that a 23 is this 23 year. A 23 year NFL vet can get slapped a tender on him that's like, yeah, you can play, but you gotta do it soon. You gotta do it soon. It's like, what if he doesn't want to do that and there's a chance he doesn't want to do that. And it's like, I don't know if this is just going to be. And I appreciate the Steelers looking out for themselves. You know, every team's got to do what they got to do. But I'd assume Aaron Is taking this a certain way. A.J. you would know better than me. A.J.

[AJ Hawk]

how do you. I don't know. I would guess that you could also look at it like, hey, this team really wants me back. They really want me. If I'm playing football, they want me on their team. That's how you could look at it.

[Pat McAfee]

And also, they're paying me whatever, 10% raise increase. They made a formal public announcement. You could do that. It's just fascinating that this exists. I. I don't think I knew of J.K. dobbins. I guess had it happen in 2023, I think, is what was said or something like. Or no less than 25. Yeah, it's what, 25. Okay. So this has happened before, but, like, to a quarterback this old in the NFL who is considered who he is, you know, first ballot hall of Famer, we assume we don't know what first ballot hall of Famer looks like, like, anymore. It's like, that's an interesting thing to just roll out here on Big GM Tuesday, April 28th.

[Ty Schmidt]

I mean, knowing what we know at this point, I think what everyone knows, like, there had to be a conversation.

[Pat McAfee]

Right?

[Ty Schmidt]

Especially, like, you know, I. I know Mike McCarthy's not the one who's, like, drawing this up and ultimately making this. Like, he knows Rogers. He. You know, you think he would tell Omar or at least if they hadn't talked, like, you know what? Maybe we kind of just pump the brakes on this. Like, he might take. Take this the wrong way.

[Pat McAfee]

AJ have you heard how Tone is talking about it all? He's excited for a compensatory picture.

[Boston Connor]

Pretty wild.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Tony used to kind of play both way, you know, say, oh, you know, he can come back, whatever. But make a decision now, you're just. You're all out. Is that where you're at?

[Pat McAfee]

The vibes are bad. Their vibes are.

[AJ Hawk]

That's why you're wearing all black today.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

The funeral.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah. Just. Yeah. And the vibes are just terrible around the guy.

[Pat McAfee]

We don't need him. We don't need him. Every time I've been around him, it's been good vibes. Oh, yeah?

[Darius J. Butler]

Really? Every Tuesday was good vibes.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Darius J. Butler]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, there were some that immediately afterwards got really loud vibes.

[D. Bud]

Football.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, that is. And if he doesn't want to play

[Darius J. Butler]

football with Steelers, him.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. But he's not allowed to now. If he makes that decision after training camp.

[Darius J. Butler]

Well, he should make a decision before training camp.

[Pat McAfee]

He wants to live his life.

[Boston Connor]

What. What happens before training camp? Camp Anyways, nothing. What happens during training camp? Damn near nothing. You got a guy's going into his 24th year.

[Pat McAfee]

He.

[Boston Connor]

He can show up September 1st.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what I'm, I'm saying. This is an Interesting.

[Darius J. Butler]

His 22nd year, by the way. Let's not give him extra years.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay? Sorry. We don't know because those CO years were worth two and he didn't start

[Darius J. Butler]

for the first three. So it's technically under 20 years.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. I don't like it either. I don't like what's going on here. He's a first bout hall of Famer. Cool. Okay. He. You wanted the decision before draft. I think there was a lot of fictitious timelines that were kind of put out into the world so that. I think those timelines were put out though, so that Aaron would make a decision by those timelines. Because I think like maybe ownership made one at one point. They're like, we're expecting to hear before draft. That's owner talking publicly about like, hey, this is what we would hope, you know. Now was there a conversation with Aaron about that? Did Aaron ever say, hey, I'll give you that. Is Aaron even in contact right now? Like, can you even.

[AJ Hawk]

America.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Can you even reach him? Right. I know we have no idea what an interesting Mount Rushmore quarterback in the history of the NFL, which is what we also have to remember. Mike McCarthy's offense is one that he knows. Pittsburgh's building now is one that he knows. Feels like he knows everybody in the building. Still would be a very comfortable, I think a good setup for him to play another year of football. At least maybe one, maybe two more years. Yeah, maybe three. Three more years.

[Ty Schmidt]

Especially till he's 50.

[Darius J. Butler]

We want volunteers, not hostages.

[Pat McAfee]

That coach is now working for BC and he's going to be great on tv still.

[Boston Connor]

You don't know that.

[Ty Schmidt]

This guy needs to figure it out at the derby. Enough of the.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, we're just here having fun.

[Ty Schmidt]

We're just not going to be weird.

[Pat McAfee]

Like grill him.

[Ty Schmidt]

Be coy about it. You don't have to necessarily grill him. But let's get some answers.

[Pat McAfee]

AJ the city of Pittsburgh was good to you. There was. There was an AJ Hawk chant. You're from Ohio. You owe them.

[D. Bud]

Custom.

[AJ Hawk]

Pittsburgh people love the Pittsburgh people.

[Pat McAfee]

Exactly. The Pittsburgh people. And Aaron knows this.

[AJ Hawk]

You're right. I got my. I got a custom T with my name on it. But I traded talk. He has mine. I have talk.

[D. Bud]

So it's a good trade.

[AJ Hawk]

We traded at the party.

[Pat McAfee]

Bill Cower has Mine.

[D. Bud]

I saw that picture actually with AJ and top trading.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, they trade like a jersey. I didn't see that. Both had got good night out there. You know, you guys laid it all out there. I appreciate you guys swapping. Bill Cower took mine. You had a video of it?

[D. Bud]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

Cuz I was wondering where mine went and then I watched your video and I was like, oh, I never got that. Coach Cower currently has that just kept.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, me and. Me and the bone actually got left out. We did not receive towels together.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, Deone did the Cody Rhodes situation.

[AJ Hawk]

How about Cody calling. Calling him Debone Bone on. On national television?

[Pat McAfee]

What do you mean?

[AJ Hawk]

I just love it. I just love Cody bringing. Bringing Debone into the storyline. Like he's going to be out there in the squared circle soon enough.

[Pat McAfee]

Debone the bones. I don't know. Sports Center. That wasn't what it was. That wasn't what it was at all. And what did we learn about the American Nightmare?

[Ty Schmidt]

He's the one.

[Pat McAfee]

He might be the one. He might be. He might just be the one. Yeah, Mikey. We threw everything at battle that we had.

[Boston Connor]

Everything.

[Pat McAfee]

Everything.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, I agree.

[Pat McAfee]

Before the bell. Could have never expected that. No main event wrestlemania. No would do that. None. He could have never expected that. I'm up to my old tricks again. Bang. I get him. Then he turned it on me. He kicked me almost. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

I almost launched out of the ring almost.

[Pat McAfee]

I me out these boots.

[Boston Connor]

Head on buckle. Damn near.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, actually. Actually that was almost it for me. Nobody's talking about it. Went through a couple pairs of sunglasses.

[Nick Casario]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That night. Obviously those things are nice ones. Nice ones. Not from Amazon.

[Les Snead]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

Not 3, 4, 5$ ones. No.

[Boston Connor]

3, 4, 5000.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. No, I don't want people thinking I pay that much. Don't pay that much for sunglasses. There is very nice, very cheap sunglasses is out there. It was a long night. But Cody Rhodes somehow very end. I mean I was gonna.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know if it would have counted. I do, I do wonder.

[Darius J. Butler]

I think it would have.

[Pat McAfee]

Brian Westbrook's kid asked me why Randy Orton got me, you know, instead of Mark Ingram's kid. You know, they asked me the same question as soon as they saw me. Hey, why Randy Orton do it? I guess I should have kind of faster like that's what I should have done. But I thought Cody was done. So I was trying to just enjoy.

[D. Bud]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ty Schmidt]

To the Hulkster.

[Pat McAfee]

Boom. You know, I was trying. I was really feeling. I wanted to make sure we're all very Clear about where I was on that count, if it was one or if it was two or if there was a fake one that came in earlier, because I don't think a lot of people had eyes on that particular account with where everybody ended up at. So, you know, we're trying to get that thing loud out there and then that three. If I hit that three there, you know.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, he kicked it out.

[Nick Casario]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

Look a thing. If I hit that three. Randy Orton, champion.

[Ty Schmidt]

He's a champion.

[Darius J. Butler]

Game ref shirt on.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, it would have been better if you would have hit that three. There's no bell and you're trying to call, you're saying it's over and no one's acknowledging it at all.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what I'm wondering.

[AJ Hawk]

That would have been nice.

[Pat McAfee]

Tyrese Halberton asked me that immediately afterwards. He was like, so if you would have got the three, like, what happens? I'm like, right? And then he said. Who said that? I was like, ty, three count. Three count. Does he.

[Darius J. Butler]

Did he not see the stripes?

[Pat McAfee]

I think he didn't think I was like a official ref sanctioned.

[AJ Hawk]

You got cert. You got certified.

[Pat McAfee]

That was actually a little bit of a problem in one of the states, actually. Not a lot of physicality without having a little bit of something. But when you see Cody Rhodes down, you can't help yourself. But you know, hey, is there any. Anything happening? No, no, no. All good. All good. All good. Just. Just talk. Just talk.

[D. Bud]

Now.

[Pat McAfee]

You're done.

[AJ Hawk]

Forever.

[Pat McAfee]

Forever.

[AJ Hawk]

Forever. That sucks.

[Boston Connor]

Moment of silence maybe then now gone forever.

[Pat McAfee]

Forever.

[D. Bud]

Damn.

[Pat McAfee]

It was a good run. It was a fun run.

[Q Rich]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

My travel chief's back, which is kind of a little bit of a bummer. Now I'm gone. He said he's going to be here all summer. He just. Of Michael Jordan taping.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, there it is.

[Pat McAfee]

That run. Yeah. I'm a genius. I'm a genius. I'm a genius. And. That wasn't slow.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, he was so close.

[Pat McAfee]

He was so mad right there. He's like, why didn't he just count faster? You dip. We didn't know that at the time.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, that.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what he was thinking right there. He said, thinking you looking back on it, though. What a. He's laughing.

[D. Bud]

Yeah. Voices.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh. Oh, my God. What? Move by Randy. They're both bleeding out there. Yeah. They really left it all in the mat, didn't they?

[Boston Connor]

Well, it's one tears.

[D. Bud]

So were you on protocol medical table like you just had gotten strapped up, still doing your, like, what?

[Les Snead]

What?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[D. Bud]

Before you hit the.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they were. They were. I just. Yeah, they had scanned me up a couple times. I got ct, mri, and X rays.

[Darius J. Butler]

Were you in the referee locker room? Is that where you grab the shirt?

[Pat McAfee]

No, I ran by it. Nice. As I was watching, I'm like, you know what? There's a chance these boys are really getting after they're both bleeding, you know, I knew there was a possible chance. I was stretching out earlier already because Jelly roll, Jelly rolled me. And I got hit with Crossroads before the match even started. Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I mean, it was really from the beginning all the way to the very end. Nightmare situation for me. My American Nightmare happened in Las Vegas as I got.

[D. Bud]

I mean, you told the major that punch telegraph vicious attacks.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I gotta stop trying to punch like that. But, yeah, I was in the back. CT scan, mri, and an X ray. Didn't get any scans back because I had to get up and bounce. Obviously, scans are coming back on Tuesday, so I had to get up and get out there. I had to let people know I was okay because my family might be watching. But to everybody here, this is how I feel. Skin. You need to understand that.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, geez, what a great run.

[Pat McAfee]

I didn't even see my shoulder was really up.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I didn't know I had that much energy because I thought my body. That's why I was kind of scratcher.

[D. Bud]

I hope they got this video you just on Unreal or something. Snatching the shirt and doing it all.

[Pat McAfee]

It's in the back. They show you they got cameras everywhere there. Yeah, I. I even grabbed the neck thing. I was like, is this the thing?

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, put that on right, right now.

[Pat McAfee]

Now. I did. And I ran. Snag your referee shirt. Took my shirt off. I was running through the back, saw some people that were s. What you say about the business? Yeah, I was talking to you, running through there. You know, get up through gorilla. Oh, look what happened. Just as I thought. And then all of a sudden, Randy looks at me. It's like you. We. I'm the one.

[Boston Connor]

Get ready.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm coming, Randy. All right. And I turn. Tell Randy. Genius. I'm a genius. Just like I said, that's what I'm doing there. So, yeah, I'd say, I don't know how long it take me to run that 300 yard. Whatever. However long that was.

[Boston Connor]

10 seconds, four and a half seconds.

[Pat McAfee]

I was kind of gliding a little. I was kind of.

[Ty Schmidt]

Thought you had wheelies on for a second. Jesus Christ. Flying down the ramp.

[Pat McAfee]

Could you imagine wheelies down there. I do, I do. The knees. I'm sure pretty pumped about the knees. You know the science of science there. Yeah, I was feeling pretty good, but that's what I was doing. I. I was. You're right. I was on the train. Table waiting was. Was a little slow.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You think it was slow? Is that why.

[Darius J. Butler]

Let's take a. Let's take a look at the count.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Well, Randy I think got really mad because of how slow the count.

[Darius J. Butler]

He's already got him cover.

[AJ Hawk]

How did you.

[Pat McAfee]

But could you imagine how good that third one was? I'm with you. I was trying to put it through the ring.

[Boston Connor]

Have gone nuts.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Like tiger backing off a swing when he hears a noise in the back. Like on that third one, you were about to smack the matt and you saw him kick out and you.

[Q Rich]

Boom.

[AJ Hawk]

You didn't make contact.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't know about any of that. I don't know about any of that. I was just trying to live off the moment a little bit. I was about to save the business right there in front of my broken neck.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah, it's mania.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, let's get the hell out of here. What do we not talk about today? They can Kentucky guy. Oh yeah.

[Boston Connor]

Guy who saved by Young Hoku.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, Young Waku. This is a massive story where you know something bad happens, you think, but then it actually just gets you to a place where you get inspected basically for everything else. And all of a sudden, holy hell, we have a life saving situation. Miss kick for Young way leads this man to obviously lose a little bit.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, Kentucky man was watching the Monday night football game. Giants Patriots, we are remember it. Hyung Hui Koo actually didn't even miss the kick. It was actually ruled a fumble because he did not hit the ball. He hit the ground before the ball. Man in Kentucky, watching the game in his own home in his bed with his wife, starts hysterically laughing to the point of seizing, starts to have a seizure. His wife, who I believe either works in a hospital, she calls 911 and immediately he goes to said hospital, gets a CT scan done, reveals a tennis ball sized tumor in his brain. Benign, not cancerous. They remove it basically saved his life because young Wei Koo missed that kick so miserably.

[Pat McAfee]

That's an incredible thing.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, that's awesome.

[Pat McAfee]

And young Wei didn't know at the time he was potentially doing that. And it got loud for young Wei.

[Boston Connor]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

A lot of people were questioning a lot of things, but how can you be a kicker just in a Professional kicker and miss the ball. Yeah. He was a public. Public scrutiny on Young. Wu was really high. He was down in Atlanta. People loved him.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Then he has a duff like this. People go crazy. I don't think he thought the hold was going to get down. He was trying to check his swing, you know, and. And the. The ump at first was like, yeah.

[Nick Casario]

Yes, he did.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes, it did. Uhhuh. Yes, you did. In the Internet. This is what. Well, so I'm happy that good came from that terrible day for Young way. I hope he finds solace in that.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, I'm sure he does. I'm sure he's looking at that and

[Pat McAfee]

said, you know what?

[Boston Connor]

That was the most important kick of my life and I didn't even touch the ball.

[Pat McAfee]

Week three, the Ravens will face Cowboys and Rio de Janeiro. They played down there to start the season. It was the Chiefs and the Eagles.

[Ty Schmidt]

No, the Chiefs and Chargers did. And then before it was Eagles, Packers.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so we've played a couple times now down in.

[Boston Connor]

In Brazil.

[Pat McAfee]

This game will be electrifying. Dak Prescott saw him bopping into work. He looked like he was jacked up. He did have a little pet. He looked lighter. Oh, yeah, he looked lighter. Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

What's that about?

[Darius J. Butler]

He looked jacked up about life defense.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he's going.

[Boston Connor]

Pickens almost signed his tag.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, well, he's jacked up about will George Pickens be a part of this week three game in Rio de Janeiro? Let's go around the room. This is the question of the day. George Pickens is thinking about doing his franchise tag, even though we were certainly told that he signed his franchise tag, which led us to believe maybe he's going to get traded. Now, if he signs a franchise tag, Dallas Cowboys could do whatever they want. He's locked in for at least a year, maybe another. If he doesn't show up, it doesn't count as a year. So he's got him in the next year. And you can get franchise tag twice. Yes, you can. Okay. Used to be able to get franchise tag in unlimited. Then he can get franchise tag three times. Now he can get franchise tag twice. George Pickens can choose to use one of the franchise tag years, which the Dallas Cowboys said he was going to play under. But Mulaguet is his agent. That just doesn't feel like it's a real thing. D Bucks. Is George Pickens playing in Rio de Janeiro? Week three with the Dallas Cowboys against the Ravens.

[D. Bud]

It's hard to guess what Jerry Jones is ever going to do. That Year. Last year was unbelievable. You got one of the highest paid wide receivers already the highest paid quarterback in the league. Apy I'm gonna say no, he will not be a Cowboy.

[Pat McAfee]

No, George Pickens would not be a Dallas Cowboy. He's not on the graphic. If you did see, he is not on the graphic for Rio de Janeiro. Let's go to one half of the hammer. Don. Cowboys. Ap. Tone, you have an AP vote for all the awards in the NFL. We need to start looking into those about the biases that are potentially happening within those votes. For sure. Not saying for you, Ton. Maybe though. Actually, what do we know? We don't really know anymore. Do you think George Pickens will be playing for the Cowboys in Brazil?

[Darius J. Butler]

But he said it's hard to know what Jerry's going to do. It's also hard to know what George

[Pat McAfee]

is going to do.

[Darius J. Butler]

So no, I don't think that's going to happen.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so that's two nos. Let's go to the toxic table at Boss Connor at Ty Schmidt. Ty, you first. Do you think George Pickens will be playing the Ravens in Brazil April 28?

[Ty Schmidt]

Right now that is an awful lot of time for George Pickens to raise hell, raise a ruckus, do whatever he's gonna do. No, I do not think he's gonna be a Dallas Cowboy.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Like Michael Parsons. You think he's gonna be on his way out? You obviously reaped the benefits of that in the Green Bay packers organization. Traded a couple picks for it. But I think you would say job well done to

[AJ Hawk]

policy.

[Pat McAfee]

Gut and policy.

[Boston Connor]

Ed's policy.

[Pat McAfee]

Ed's policy up there. Carmine's boy, Boston. Connor, do you think George Pickens is with the Dallas Cowboys?

[Boston Connor]

I think so, yeah. Just because the flash, the flair, everything that Jerry loves. And look, it is April 28th and we've heard Jerry say it like, hey, I'll stir some shit up just so people are talking about the Cowboys. Shit, I don't care. And Pickens with CD Lamb. It's an entertaining brain of football. Let me ask you, what's the most the highest viewed regular season game in the history of football? Oh, Cowboys, Chiefs, Thanksgiving. And George Pickens was on that field and he knows, hey, people love this guy. Now that Dak is walking in like that, you think Dak's that happy if he knows that George Pickens isn't going to be there? Dak is that happy because he knows he's got the best damn tandem in the entire league.

[Pat McAfee]

Jeremy Fowler says last week the Cowboys Received verbal commitment via email from George Pickens agents that the star receiver is signing his grand. He is yet to sign the tender. As Todd Archer has reported, Dallas still has no plans to trade him. Now, that email there that they received that said he's going to sign his franchise tag is what sent every insider into a frenzy saying George Pickens signed the franchise tag. It's just kind of how it was being reported day of the draft, which led us to think he's going to get traded. A.J. hawk, you're the final one to give your official go ahead.

[Darius J. Butler]

Is an email.

[Les Snead]

Email verbal.

[Boston Connor]

There's a voice memo in it.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Darius J. Butler]

Just wanna go.

[D. Bud]

He's signing it.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah, I am.

[Pat McAfee]

That's the email?

[D. Bud]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Is there a subject or. No subject. Oh, or you think it says gp?

[Darius J. Butler]

Gpft.

[Pat McAfee]

Gpft, question mark from that agency.

[D. Bud]

It's a subject on there.

[Pat McAfee]

I think there has to be urgent.

[Ty Schmidt]

Definitely. Yeah.

[Boston Connor]

We them boys.

[Pat McAfee]

Urgent. We them boys. Yeah. That could be. It's pretty catchy.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. Immediately you're like, oh, let's listen to this.

[Pat McAfee]

Aj, what are your thoughts on George. What are your thoughts on them boys, the Cowboys, and George Pickens's relationship with him?

[AJ Hawk]

I do not believe he will be there week three in Brazil. I think he eventually signs his franchise tag and gets traded.

[Boston Connor]

What if he gets traded to the Ravens? Okay.

[Darius J. Butler]

That's a possibility.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yeah. Oh, wow.

[Q Rich]

You're right.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I guess there's only then the Ravens back out. Oh. Cuz that's what they do.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, there's also a chance he's on

[Nick Casario]

the Cowboys and he's just jacking around

[Ty Schmidt]

and misses the flight down there.

[Boston Connor]

Playing the game like in Vegas.

[Pat McAfee]

He's on team.

[Q Rich]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I could have had played the week. Week two.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah. And plays week four.

[Darius J. Butler]

Just goes to check out the favelas.

[Pat McAfee]

Man, I didn't have my passport.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

Do you guys have passport? That's. Battle process is redundant, I would say.

[Darius J. Butler]

And it's an oversight because he's not technically on the team. So they didn't check to see if he had his passport for this game.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, because they can't put him on the graphics. They can't do anything at this point.

[Darius J. Butler]

I like that one.

[Pat McAfee]

Gp, you need your passport. I think you need to get that just in case. Or is he going to raise hail?

[Ty Schmidt]

I think he. I think GP's got a lot of hell raising.

[Pat McAfee]

I think so too. I think so too. I genuinely believe that. All right, let's get the hell out of here, shall we? There's a new addition to the desk here at LA Dodgers cap. This is tribute to Bob Kavoyan of the Bob and Tom show. The man that did my wedding. A man who I moved into a house across town to be a neighbor of alongside his wife Becky and his brother in law Frank and the entire crew over there. A man who has literally been a part of every single step of my microphone, talking life. A lot of people know I got my start with Bob and Tom. They are a radio show, a morning radio show here in Indianapolis, Indiana that was syndicated to 180 different stations at 1.6am to 10am Eastern. And every person that drove a truck like my dad did and everybody that was around any of these cities knew exactly who Bob and Todd. I knew who they were because they had a little bit of a run on the Q, the WB network, maybe whenever I was in high school they would run at night. So I'd known them from the car and I'd known them from watching their show. And when I get to Indianapolis, I know that they are in town and I'm this massive fan. I actually know who they are. Every single comedian in the history of comedy stopped through their studio. They owned it outright to totally. They were. A lot of people claim to be an inspiration for this particular show. The Bob and Tom show is the inspiration for this show. And Bob was a guy who inspired me and motivated me to do everything. The first time I did stand up is because Bob Covoyan said you could do it. The first time I did this show, Bob Kavoyan was the one who said you could do it, wrote for me, texted me, sent me stuff alongside Becky in the Thunderdome in our old office. He came through, wanted to help. This is just from not too long ago. He had been battling cancer for a while. They were taking. He was taking some off the books trials to maybe fix it. And I think everybody around him kind of understood what was kind of happening in front of our eyes and I think he knew it as well. And he ended up being a Hall of Famer in the radio world and he was somebody that was really special to everything that I'm doing and everything that I am. I will miss the shit out of him. As he passed away, as we were heading out to WrestleMania and everything's been such a blur and I wanted to wait until we had the hat here on the desk to really pay him his tribute that he deserves. But I love Bob Kavoyan. Bob Kavoyan is a huge piece of my entire life puzzle. My Entire life journey. And he'll be remembered forever by me as a man that helped me in every single stage of basically my professional existence. So I love him. Rest in peace, Bob. To Becky, to his entire family. I'm so sorry that you guys have obviously had to go through this. The way he went out was with his best friends surrounding him, his wife's surrounding him. They're listening to a Beatles album and as this is his favorite, they're a super musical family. He loved music. He made songs. Actually, the last time he was in here, he made a song, which is hilarious to think about what his final words were, which is like, so him, they listened to this album and I guess literally he took his last breath as the last song was kind of wrapping up with his friends and family surrounding him. And he's a wonderful. And I was lucky to know him. Thankful to know him. And I'm sure he's smoking 4,000 cigarettes in heaven right now. I, I assume he's, he's doing that, but. Yeah, we love you, Bob. You did good, man. I appreciate the hell out of you, bud. Yeah, he, he was awesome, man.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yes, he was.

[Pat McAfee]

He was a cool dude. Just such a smart ass all the time. Such a smart, I mean, his house, you had to push a nipple to get to it, you know, like to get to a back room that he had, which was the studio they had like hidden. It was like everything about his life was just like thought out, funny, fun, you know, like everything about him. I, I, his time, every time I was around him was great. And I'm thankful for him. I'm very, very thankful for him. But this will be for him. And also, I mean, it sucks that he's not going to be able to watch fucking Shohei in this team right now. But I know he loved experiencing everything that happened with the Dodgers. He was a huge Colts fan. The Bob and Tom show, so fascinating. They started in Michigan, okay? Tom Griswold, Bob Kavoyan, they started in Michigan, they come down to Indianapolis to kind of run their shit. Then they start creating them business wise. They start this show this morning show. They start getting guests, they start, start really taking over Indianapolis, Indiana. They start doing really well. And then all of a sudden they start syndicating their show. And all of a sudden they go after, they go to Sirius at the same time like Howard Stern got offered. They stayed on free radio just because they wanted to hit everybody and the drivers because serious wasn't as big yet. And they maintained that throughout. Tom Griswold Chick Magee, Christie, I think Sam Griswold, Tom's kid. They're still doing the show right now. They're still doing this, still doing free radio in the morning. And they're just like absolute legends. And they took care of me and kind of set us up. And Bob was literally the biggest supporter of all time. Some comedian came in to Bob and Tom show and he had these questions listed out in front of him and then his answers and then they were handed. We were all handed the questions. Okay, this is a comedian that I was like a big fan of, comes in the studio and then lo and behold, I don't say anything. But I'm watching these people just ask the question. And then I'm watching him read, answer, read, joke. Okay, the next one then. Next one. All good jokes, I would say. But then my meat thought is like, well, who wrote that? Like, who, who? And I thought we were, you know, I thought it was anything. I almost felt like, you know, like kayfabe. I almost felt like kayfabe. I was like, oh, no, like this. This is how this goes. I grew up in a car. I was in a car a lot. So like talk radio and stuff like that. I. I almost felt like, oh, no, this is one of those, like, cheating husband, like, gimmick character. I didn't know. I thought this was like this entire thing. So I was like, matt, I was like, I didn't fucking know that. I can't trust anybody anymore. Like, what. What is the deal here? And Bob goes, a lot of these comedians, they got other people writing their shit. They're just incredibly at. At delivering or whatever. You can't judge them for. That's their fucking thing. They don't write the song, they just sing it or whatever. He goes, if stand up comedy, you think it's so easy for you to. I'll write the shit. You do it. Or we can write it. You do it. Why don't you do that? I was like, fuck you, I'll do it. He goes, all right, let's go. And we ran it out. Theater. That is literally. He helped me write the entire thing. And then we did Uncaged. We filmed it. And that was literally like kind of our relationship. It started from that. And like everything we did, he was like helping and writing and sending ideas. Because whenever you're on the air, doing radio, especially 6am to 10am, trying to fill time, I mean, that is. That's before Internet. That's before that. You're just trying to fill time. So many ideas for things that could cross over into Internet, you know, like, hey, we did this. And even if it wasn't the exact idea, it's like, oh, that's a good premise to kind of build off of. It was like, he's just always helped. Always literally since day one. And yeah, the world will miss him. The world misses him. But he did good, man.

[Boston Connor]

Absolute legend.

[Pat McAfee]

Absolute.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah. Actually legit.

[Pat McAfee]

So many cigarettes.

[Boston Connor]

Beast.

[Pat McAfee]

I mean, cigarettes did exactly what they said.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, like the cigarettes did exactly what he thought and said they were going to do, you know, And I think he said, yeah, well, that's just. They moved him into vapes. Yeah. Yeah. Because he was told like, hey, better alternative. Alternative. Here he was just blowing, mowing him down. I mean, just blowing through these.

[D. Bud]

He lived.

[Pat McAfee]

He did, brother. He did legit. And he was always humble, like, never.

[Darius J. Butler]

He was very nice to the Bugle

[Ty Schmidt]

boys, which, yeah, big time.

[Boston Connor]

Always, always appreciative.

[Pat McAfee]

And his backyard just had like a par three over a part. Like he was just like. Everything was like, hey, let's have a good time. Pull. Like, let's have a good time. House to win, set up. Let's have a good time. We got this. Let's have. It was just always like such a. He's the world lost a good one. And Becky, who is his tag team partner, I mean, they were like a perfect tag team there. Sad man. But his life. We shall continue. Because you have to. Yeah, actually. We love you, Bob. We miss you, Bob. All right, we'll be back tomorrow. Let's do the sports tomorrow and then biggest way six games tonight. Let's have, let's have NBA playoffs.

[Ty Schmidt]

Here we go.

[Pat McAfee]

If they're still happening, the series are good.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

NHL, if they're still happening. Series are good. So let's remember that as we're watching these things now. If teams are just slaughtering teams tonight, like that could happen in basketball. There's 11 and a half, 12 and a half points for tonight. There's some potential ass beatings on the way. Just take back everything I just said and let's say tomorrow is going to be awesome. But let's assume there's going to be great shit tonight out of the playoffs. Let's assume the NFL is going to continue to cook. Golf is happening in a huge way, which we were obviously pumped up about. F1's taking place. Indycar just started. I think their shit for the Indy 500k. So NASCAR's almost May. It is almost May. Just a few days away. NASCAR's in the middle of its season. I think there's a guy, Bill would know this better. There's a man named Clark. Cletus. Cletus. My name is Pat. This is AJ D Butt.

[D. Bud]

What up, Cletus?

[Pat McAfee]

That's one half of the Hammer Cowboys. AP Tone Toxic tables here at Boss Connor and at Ty Schmidt boys in back there. Graphic design boys. I believe he is a NASCAR driver, but also a YouTuber. Bailey McComas who has a shattered ankle. Explain to me who this lad is. Incredible name. I've had multiple people tell me that we need to link up with him. I've heard he's putting on event. An event over in Brownsburg which I used to live next to. There's a drag strip over there that they race and it's loud, you know, like Todd Monken talked about the music practice and the neighbors asked for him turn it down. And he said you need to move. Living in Brownsburg, which I did this strip whenever it was operating. Very loud, very cool. I've been there before. A lot of booze over there. Watching a lot of horseback car. Yeah. Kind of showcase, I guess. Cletus is putting together an event over there. Hey, we'd love to say what's up, dude. We'd love to chit chat. I think he's a youtubing racer person. Excited to get his thoughts on G1.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[D. Bud]

Cletus.

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm excited to hear what Cletus has to say about G1 Racing. I'm excited about it.

[D. Bud]

Pinnacle.

[Pat McAfee]

We know it's called the Indy 800. Burnout rivals. Cletus.

[Q Rich]

Oh.

[Pat McAfee]

Cars and Indy 800 returning May 1 and May 2, 2026. Cletus and cars event details. Let's go ahead and scroll down there. Let's get some infos on this Burnout rivals. Can you go over the burnout rivals part? Bill just crutched back here. Bill, sit your ass down.

[Ty Schmidt]

Jesus.

[Pat McAfee]

On Saturday, May 2, the fan favorite, Cletus and Carr's burnout rivals will return with both a professional and open competition. Pink slips maybe going, oh, maybe, maybe an infinite. Registration is now open for the professional and open competition portion of the event through Freedom Factory. Entries are 100 bucks and each ride is subject to approval from Freedom Factory before admittance into the event. Each entry includes a burnout vehicle driver and tow vehicle. All burnout rival competitors must follow these rules. One helmet. Two neck collar. Need those. Three fire suit. Okay, so what the fuck is this?

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

So this is incredible. So they pour a dedicated little bit of concrete and then it's just, you can either be an open person that comes in and brings a vehicle or there's like some professionals to come around and do it. It's incredible. There's just rubber flying everywhere. You can't breathe anything. It's great.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So, okay, they pour, it's a fresh

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

pad of concrete like in the middle of the drag strip.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

So that way they don't mess up the drag strip at all. But then they will also. The one year that I went, they were doing drag pulls. They did bring out some of the rocket cars due to the drag. It's just a great time hanging out at the drag.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So it's a lot of horsepower on display at the drag strip. Okay. Which I respect. I also appreciate them saying, hey, we pour new concrete so you actual people don't get pissed off at us. That's putting out a lot of fires. We have to do that in our world. Are these like nitrous rush cars? Like, is Nick getting his Subi Impreza in there or with the carbon fiber hood and the fart bucket on the back?

[Boston Connor]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Is he getting in there?

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Like it can be anything. So like I saw there was like a guy that had like a fork Ford F, I think it was like a 650 that he turned into a burnout vehicle. It's also people that just bring in little like Honda Civics that are juiced to the gills just to do burnouts. It's a pretty good time.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so it's Burnout Fest, not race. They're not drag stripping against each other. They're burning out against each other.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

They will also do the drags. I, I don't think you can do open on the drags. I wasn't there while they were doing open on the drags. At least I was just there for Burnout Fest. And then they also do the Freedom. I think it's 800, which is all Crown Vicks. And it's a bunch of YouTubers, a notable people that actually race an 800 mile bank of Crown Vic.

[Pat McAfee]

Are you in there or is that because of the ankle injury you're not going to be able to do?

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Oh, yeah, unfortunately, I, I had to get, get on the IR.

[Pat McAfee]

Have to miss out this WD the Indy 800. I'll tell you, I have inhaled some fumes at this bridge. Brownsburg track. It's a good time. I don't think I've ever seen somebody have a bad time at this place.

[D. Bud]

Oh, this Cletus.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Young, young guy.

[D. Bud]

Brother 20s must be named after.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, there's Chads.

[Ty Schmidt]

What is it? This is part of it.

[Darius J. Butler]

Monster truck.

[AJ Hawk]

What the.

[Ty Schmidt]

I was going to say, if monster trucks are running over cars, is that Grave digger.

[Boston Connor]

They got it all.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Yeah, I went two years ago. So this is last year's. That's incredible.

[Pat McAfee]

This is Cletus's in Friends thing. Is this.

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

Yeah, it's a two year thing. Bruce pulled it up. I think this is the highlights from last.

[Ty Schmidt]

Oh, Cletus.

[Pat McAfee]

I like what we're doing all of a sudden. I like what we're doing all of a sudden. Indy 800 qualifying 10. Oh, they're just going in a tight little circle over there. All right, Cletus, we'd love to chat about it if you want to come through. Come on through. We can race something in here, probably.

[Boston Connor]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

We can race something in here.

[Darius J. Butler]

Yeah, why not?

[Pat McAfee]

Chairs, maybe put rocket on it.

[Boston Connor]

RC car, we can get.

[Pat McAfee]

We get maybe Tim MC to come in here and Tim Allen this thing and maybe put a little rocket power on. On these chairs, you know, I mean, go down a basement, you know, do the whole. The whole thing.

[D. Bud]

How is Tim Allen doing? Still bringing it.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yeah.

[Darius J. Butler]

Still bring it.

[Ty Schmidt]

Never stop.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Tim Allen could sell out theater in any city he wanted for the rest of his life. I think so.

[Darius J. Butler]

I think he has Toy Story 5. Just dropped a new trailer today.

[Boston Connor]

Looks great.

[Pat McAfee]

And also, I think. No. Nope, that's not the time.

[Ty Schmidt]

Yeah, I know where you're going. Yeah, you're right. Hold on to that one.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, we'll keep that one right there. That was. You know, sometimes whenever we're at the super duper sudie events, you like, hear stuff from people and it's like. I don't think I'm supposed to hear

[Boston Connor]

yeah all the time.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't. I don't.

[Darius J. Butler]

Big news about shifting gears or.

[Pat McAfee]

Great show.

[Les Snead]

Yeah.

[Ty Schmidt]

Is that what it's called?

[Boston Connor]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Your friend. Tell a friend something nice about you.

[Darius J. Butler]

Abc.

[Pat McAfee]

Great work in the back, boys. Great work, work back there. Yeah, big thumbs up.

[D. Bud]

Those new Toy Stories suck, too.

[Q Rich]

You.

[Boston Connor]

Hey, you. That is not me at all.

[Darius J. Butler]

The first three was unbelievable.

[D. Bud]

Three.

[Boston Connor]

Okay, okay. The four was great. You guys read the same tweet this morning and now you're all just.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, you know what?

[Ty Schmidt (alternate)]

They're right.

[Pat McAfee]

I didn't see this tweet. I'm in the middle of Toy Story with my daughter Spango. Four is bad.

[D. Bud]

Stop it.

[Boston Connor]

Three, not bad at all.

[Ty Schmidt]

But it does not bring the requisite juice. That one through three do disagree. In my humble opinion, porky sucks.

[Pat McAfee]

Five, 13, the juice.

[Les Snead]

Three is not great.

[Boston Connor]

Three is not good.

[Ty Schmidt]

That's a nice little. Nice. Three good wraps the whole trilogy up.

[D. Bud]

It's like the card.

[Boston Connor]

It's not a trilogy if there's four or five.

[Darius J. Butler]

Well, yeah, there shouldn't have been.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, we appreciate the hell out of you. We'd like to give a big thanks to you.

[D. Bud]

You.

[Pat McAfee]

We couldn't do this without you. AJ's not doing it. Prick.

[AJ Hawk]

Of course I'd be pointing in the wrong direction.

[Ty Schmidt]

Great.

[Pat McAfee]

Straight ahead.

[AJ Hawk]

See, AJ doesn't point at me.

[Pat McAfee]

See, AJ doesn't want to show love to you. Okay, okay. They show a little bit of love, too, I get. Yeah, it's really all about you. We love. We appreciate you. Where were you, aj? Aj. I want to show love, too you. Oh, okay. Get in on that one. Wow, what a hero. Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice about changing life. We're in this thing together. We'll see you tomorrow. Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three. Goodbye. Hey, sports fans. The ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESP ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional cost. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming.

[Pete Thamel]

In the ESPN app, it's all of

[Pat McAfee]

ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now.