PMS 2.0 1558 - Wayne Gretzky, PGA Championship Winner Aaron Rai, Kendrick Perkins, PK Subban, & AJ Hawk

Summary

The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, Episode #1558 — May 21, 2026

Episode Overview

Pat McAfee and the crew deliver a packed sports show covering the latest in NHL and NBA Playoffs, discuss legendary sporting figures and moments, and bring on elite guests: Wayne Gretzky, PGA Champion Aaron Rai, Kendrick Perkins, PK Subban, and regular AJ Hawk. The episode blends expert analysis with McAfee’s signature humor, offering insight across hockey, basketball, golf, football, and baseball.

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Key Segments & Highlights

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NBA Playoffs Recap & Discussion

[00:00-05:11] | Panel: Pat, AJ Hawk, Tony Dungy, Conman

• Western Conference Drama: Oklahoma City Thunder’s physical play and tactics against the San Antonio Spurs, centering on SGA’s leadership, Hardenstein’s “goon” reputation, and Caruso’s clutch performance.
  • “Hartenstein does this. He’s a dog through and through, always will be. Feels like this is his style of hoops.” — Pat (01:30)
  • Notable Moment: SGA telling his teammate “Shut up. I'm the back to back MVP. Please calm down.” (02:10)
• Eastern Conference Setup: Can the Knicks repeat their huge comeback? Spotlight on James Harden’s defense and Coach Atkinson’s support of him.
  • “He was pick and rolled 21 times... That usually means you’re the matchup they want.” — Pat (03:50)
• Injuries Update: Jalen Williams (OKC), Dylan Harper (Spurs) out with hamstring issues.

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NHL Playoffs & Wayne Gretzky Interview

[10:36-41:13] | Guest: Wayne Gretzky

• Growth and Parity in Hockey:
  • Gretzky on the NHL’s strength: “There could have been 20 teams you could’ve said could win the Stanley Cup this year. That comes from leadership... we have parity in our sport.” (18:41)
  • On the global reach: “It’s bigger now in Finland and Sweden and Czechoslovakia… Americans win, hockey’s gone to another level.”
• On Hockey Legends and Growth:
  • Crosby’s longevity: “He’s our Tom Brady. He’s our LeBron James… Play as long as you want, make them tear that jersey off you.” (16:01)
  • Old school vs today: “If I could play, I’d be out there. Trust me.” (17:30)
  • Crosby story: “He was 14, outplaying 18-year-olds.” (16:01)
  • American & international player development, US Olympic sweep, and the spread of the game.
• Modern Expansion & Media:
  • Gretzky says TV has made geography less relevant: “Now you can see every game. Where you play isn’t as big a deal.” (24:24)
  • On fan environments: "Montreal's home ice… is the Olympic ceremony for puck drop. Carolina is a buzz saw." (06:05, 33:22)
• Playoffs Matchups & Home Ice:
  • Colorado/ Vegas evaluation, coaching changes, home ice/rest vs. rust.
  • “You don’t replace Cale Makar, simple as that.” — Gretzky (26:06)
  • Praise for Jack Eichel and Carter Hart.

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PGA Championship Winner Aaron Rai Interview

[43:48–55:08] | Guest: Aaron Rai

• Breaking Through: First Englishman in 107 years to win the PGA Championship.
  • “It’s definitely career changing... I was probably more consistent putter as a child than now!” — Aaron Rai (45:00)
• Two-Glove Technique: Why he wears two gloves and its impact on his swing.
  • “I think when I think about it... there’s more grip wearing two gloves. My swing is less handsy.” (46:39)
• Personal Life: Life balance from golf, supportive wife/caddie also a pro golfer; celebrated at Chipotle post-win.
  • “She has a more balanced perspective on life than I do. Golf doesn’t dominate our conversations.” (50:12)
• Future Plans: Now eligible for all majors and elevated events; new Eagles fan since moving to the US.

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NFL: Aaron Rodgers' Future with the Steelers

[58:20–74:03+] | Hosts discuss

• Rodgers Announces Final Season:
  • “This is it.” — Aaron Rodgers (59:59)
• Steelers Rebuild and Optimism: Analysis of Mike McCarthy joining as coach, player buy-in, and fan reactions.
  • “Optimism is through the roof… bringing back Aaron, Mike McCarthy’s won everywhere he goes.” — Tone Digs (62:21)
• Quarterback Succession Plan: Potential transition to Drew Aller.
  • “One more year. This is the first time he’s been this direct about it.” — Pat (65:02)

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NBA Playoff Deep Dive with Kendrick Perkins

[74:09–101:34] | Guest: Kendrick Perkins

• Wemby’s Challenges, Physicality and Flopping:
  • “They had to expect OKC would junk it up… there’s a flopping problem in the NBA.” — Kendrick Perkins (76:11)
  • Hartenstein’s role: “He came into the game... I got six fouls, and I’m willing to use all of them.” (77:50)
• Caruso, Top Role Players History:
  • “Caruso is entering the conversation of top five greatest role players ever.” (79:43)
  • Perk’s Top 5: Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Danny Green, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller.
• James Harden's Impact & Cavs–Knicks Analysis:
  • “James Harden has been one of our best defenders.” (sarcastic)
  • “If it's about winning basketball... it's facts over feelings.” — Perk (87:09)
• LeBron’s Future Speculation:
  • “If it’s Bron’s last year, I’d love to see him in a Knicks uniform… but Cleveland would be perfect.” (96:55)

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NHL Banter with PK Subban

[106:30–122:32] | Guest: PK Subban

• Montreal and Carolina Home Ice: Subban hypes both barns, praises the Canes' and Canadiens’ environments.
  • “Carolina’s forecheck is not something you want to play with... but Montreal needs to play a connected game.” (107:52)
• Mitch Marner’s Play: Marner “mixing championship pedigree” in Vegas, thriving outside Toronto’s pressure.
  • “He’s hockey IQ is on the level of McDavid, Crosby, McKinnon.” — PK (111:03)
• Skating and Modern Skills: Detailed breakdown of edgework and how skilled skaters beat the size game now.
  • “Your edges and the use of your edges... Mitch might be one of the best at it.” (112:48)
• "Stinky" Office Fish Banter: PK jokes about bringing salmon to ESPN offices, sparking classic McAfee Show humor.

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Baseball Roundup

[133:07–152:32] | Tony Dungy, Ty, Panel

• MLB Trends: Shohei Ohtani’s dominance, low AL parity, NL Cy Young race (Miserowski, Skeens).
  • Tampa Bay Rays surprising as AL’s best.
• Pirates Above .500: Optimism for Pat’s hometown team, with Pirates young shortstop and reliever on a tear.
• Gameplay Highlights:
  • Inside-the-park grand slam by James Wood.
  • Bobby Witt Jr’s deft deke at third base.
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr’s superstition: using Giancarlo Stanton’s pants and teammates' bats to break a slump.

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NFL Quick Hits — Rookie & Team Progress

[152:32–End] | Panel

• Jack Campbell Signs with Lions: Heart and soul of Detroit’s defense.
  • “He’s the grit, the jam, everything you want.” — Foxy (153:37)
• Raiders Optimism: Brock Bowers as a “football robot from heaven”; Fernando Mendoza impresses early.
  • “Every throw was almost perfect… He’s huge, fast, athletic.” — Panel on Mendoza (158:01)
• Free Agency Correlation: Teams who spend big, like Raiders & Titans, likely to see win increase.
• NFLPA & “Jobs” PB&J Partnership: J.J. Watt, Caleb Williams announced as owners, expanding PB&J in NFL locker rooms.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Wayne Gretzky on US Hockey Growth: “Every time the US wins... hockey’s gone to another level.” [13:24]
• PK Subban on Marner: “He’s a small dog playing a big dog’s game.” [112:16]
• Aaron Rai on Luck in Golf: “Sometimes I have some good weeks, some very average weeks. Last week, fortunately, was a really good one.” [45:52]
• Pat on Rodgers' Future: “This is the most clarity I’ve heard from him.” [71:24]
• Kendrick Perkins, role-player debate: “Caruso is entering the conversation of top five greatest role players... he’s one championship away.” [80:12]
• PK Subban, being ‘stinky’ at ESPN: “So I’m probably known as the stinky guy, is what you’re saying…” [116:26]

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Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• NBA Playoff breakdown — [00:00–05:11]
• Wayne Gretzky Interview Begins — [10:36]
• Crosby anecdote — [16:01]
• On parity and NHL growth — [18:41]
• Aaron Rai Interview Begins — [43:48]
• Aaron on two gloves — [46:39]
• Aaron, Chipotle celebration — [52:13]
• Kendrick Perkins on Wemby/OKC — [76:11]
• Role player GOAT debate — [79:43]
• PK Subban on Marner — [109:27]
• MLB wrap-up — [133:07]
• Inside-the-park GS — [146:47]
• Bobby Witt Jr. fake — [148:09]
• NFL, Lions/Jack Campbell — [152:32]
• Raiders hype, Brock Bowers/Mendoza — [155:52]

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Tone and Style

• Signature McAfee: High energy, sports fanaticism, irreverent humor, open debate, “locker room” banter.
• Guests: Respectful, knowledgeable, conversational.
• Noteworthy: Frequent cross-sport analogies (hockey-basketball-football), inclusive of both casual and hardcore fans, lightning-paced roundtable.

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Summary Table of Main Guests

| Guest | Segment | Notable Topics/Quotes | |--------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Wayne Gretzky | NHL Playoff/Legacy | “Parity… could’ve been 20 teams who could win Stanley Cup.” (18:41) | | Aaron Rai | PGA Champion Interview | “Two gloves feel more stable, less handsy.” (46:39) | | Kendrick Perkins | NBA Playoff Analysis | “Caruso is entering top 5 role players ever.” (79:43) | | PK Subban | NHL Analysis | “Mitch Marner: all-world talent… a small dog in a big dog’s game.” | | AJ Hawk | NFL, roundtable | Candid football, future of Rodgers, sports takes |

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For Those Who Missed It

If you skipped this episode, you missed breakthrough insight from hall-of-famers, rare behind-the-scenes NBA and NHL playoff perspective, and lively, uniquely McAfee moments. Guest appearances from top athletes and analysts provided context and color you won’t hear anywhere else — all with engaging humor and energy. This episode was quintessential “Pat McAfee Show”: sports entertainment at its most inclusive, insightful, and riotous.

Transcript

[Pat McAfee]

Hello beautiful people and welcome to our humble abode. The Thunderdome. On this, the Great one. Thursday, May 21, 2026. This sports program begins now. Sports are the greatest. And obviously playoffs last night. Hello Vegas Golden Knights and welcome back to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The playoffs have been spectacular. So many different storylines. Like for instance, is that ethical ball that's happening over there in Oklahoma, Obviously they're the reigning, defending, undisputed shout out to Paul Heyman, NBA champs. And they have the back to back mvp. One of the first times that that's happened in the history of ball. And people are watching the game saying, I don't like this. What do we got going on? They're saying that they sent in a goon to attack Wemby and Hartenstein. Well, I would say you don't understand Hartenstein ball. This is kind of what he does. He's not just a goon. He has this raindrop drop top touch that is capable. Hi up over Wemby obviously feels like he potentially said to coach Daggs, I'll be the one. And we got how many fouls? I could potentially do that. And in doing so, he kind of fostered Wemby. Pissed off a lot of people because not only do they now have a guy attacking the alien here, Hardenstein does this. By the way, he did it to the Pacers last year. He's a dog through and through, always will be. Feels like this is his style of hoops. He had one from the side as well where he shot that thing to the ceiling and drop it down. He did it against the Pacers last year, but the flopping, yeah, you just can't do it. Can't do it. Especially when the refs aren't calling it. Now, there was quite an advantage in free throws for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the San Antonio Spurs. Cause remember that, that one right there really pissed the people. Harrison Barnes just kind of stand there. We're out there. This is a post game. Every point matters in this particular thing. And the refs are calling it. And we're seeing bodies flop all over the place. And everybody thinks to themselves, Oklahoma City, you don't have to do that. You guys are talented enough. And they showcase that they are. Caruso makes buckets again. Hartenstein obviously doing his thing. SGA goes off, which we all probably expected with what I was going happen. And while he's hitting a massive shot to kind of seal the entire thing, he's telling one of his teammates, hey, shut up. To McCain basically, hey, listen, pal, I don't need you yelling in my backswing while I'm doing this. I'm the back to back mvp. Please calm down, please. Okay? I. You don't think I back to back mvp? SGA don't know that you're open right now. You think me, point guard that has been awarded the best player in ball back to back years, don't know that you're open right now. I know that, that you're open. Okay. And if you heard Chris Paul maybe yesterday and everybody else, basically the message that SGA has been getting seemingly from everybody around him is like, hey, need you to. You got to start going. You're trying to find the open purse because you're getting doubled. You're always going to get doubled. You need to take this game into your own hands. He's starting to do that now. He was on the floor a little bit. People don't love that. People talk about that a lot. But I think what people were kind of reminded of last night is that this Oklahoma City team can win games. This Oklahoma City team can cover. Okay, yeah. Caruso could have missed that.

[Tony Dungy]

He could have.

[Pat McAfee]

Caruso could have missed that. That game could have won a very different way. At the very end and you know, maybe you fall asleep, you wake up a little bit later and you go, whoa, did not hit. Because I thought for sure Wemby would cover. And then you go, well, what are the coverings? Just so I know what were the covering points? And it's Caruso doing some freak show shit. It's like, okay, pal, maybe not how I want everything to happen, even though it had to happen. But we move forward 1:1 in the west in the battle of Goliath. And tonight, off the jaws of defeat, the New York Knicks 22 point comeback. A run of all runs to end game one of the Eastern Conference finals. Can they do it again? The Cleveland Cavaliers team, Coach Atkinson who said, hey, James Harden's been a good defender all playoffs for us. We love this guy.

[Conman]

One of their best.

[Pat McAfee]

We love this guy. Now my eyes and stats were saying very different things and I'm a James Harden fan. It was just tough for that entire thing where he was basically pick and rolled 21 times. Allegedly. He was the stat 21 times he was pick and rolled, which I didn't play basketball. Anytime we would play pickup basketball, I knew that usually the picks were to try to shuffle people onto different people. I potentially every once in a while with my build and potential look was somebody that people were trying to get onto, somebody that had the Ball. I knew it was happening. You're in the middle of war. I think this happens in basketball at every stage. And it certainly can happen with Jalen Brunson whenever he starts feeling hot. And when Jalen Brunson starts feeling, he will check everything and then he will make you look like a fool and he won't blink the entire time and he'll do his little celebration right in your face while Tim Timothy Chalamet saying, I know, I know. And Ben Stiller's high fiving, Tracy Morgan's going crazy. Jimmy Fallon's there with his kid. I mean, it's a New York celebration in your face, which is what happened to James Harden. I assume he's going to answer. I assume Atkinson, the coach that stayed behind him, said, we played three and a half, good quarters. Let's remember that we beat the hell out of him in three quarters. Donovan Mitchell's now getting talked about as being a 20 point loss in a playoff. Guy like a record that I think he's going to answer tonight. Do the Cleveland Cavaliers tie this thing up in the east, or does this become a little bit of a runaway and they missed out on their opportunity to steal one in Madison Square Garden, maybe catch the Knicks a little bit rusty. And then in hockey, we head to the East. Welcome back to Hurricanes.

[AJ Hawk]

Here we go.

[Pat McAfee]

Carolina Hurricanes sweep the first two rounds of the playoffs. Haven't seen them in forever. They are now at home taking on the Montreal Canadiens. Now, the city of Montreal, I think, sent me a tweet this morning.

[Tony Dungy]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

They sent me a tweet this morning. It was something about how am I feeling about Montreal? Okay. And I would like to say the way that I feel about Montreal right now is really high. I mean, when they were able to go into Buffalo, into that buzzsaw and get a massive win, their home ice environment is something that I said I wish I would have been at because they had fire and flames and a torch, I think was being passed at one point. It was like an Olympic ceremony just to drop the puck here in the playoffs. It was something that was very special. I was super high on the Montreal Canadiens, but it's hard not to. It's hard not to think about how dominant the Carolina Hurricanes were.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And then you start asking some questions around to people that, you know, that played in the league a little bit. You know, we got Horno now in. All right, horno, Eric Johnson, 18 year NHL vet. Get a chance to send him a text. Hey, what are your thoughts on kind of tonight, Montreal he said there's a chance Montreal's a little bit tired. His exact text was rather electrifying. It's buzz saw. Okay. A hornet's nest you're walking up on a down escalator is how it feels to play in Carolina as an opponent, especially with how much off time they've had. He said that that's how much he thinks the Caniacs matter. Now, remember, in hockey we have been learning through stats that the home ice thing may be real, like feel and see, but on the ice it doesn't really matter. The Caniacs have held true to the stats that home ice matters. They have dominated down there. Well, Montreal looked tired after a very long series with the Caniacs coming off a massive amount of rest. Be more fresh. Will they be buzzing because of it? We shall see. Two games tonight and joining us in like four or five minutes will be the greatest hockey player that ever played. The great one, Wayne Gretzky, tnt, which is obviously tonight. Eight o'. Clock. The toxic table was here at Boston. Connor, Ty Schmidt, one half of the Hammer Cowboys. AP Tone is your con man. Just saying that the great one, Wayne Gretzky's coming on is worthy of a wow type moment. But I think if we look all four teams in both leagues. Worthy.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, right.

[Pat McAfee]

Every once in a while the team will get like hurt and like this situation, it's like this team is vastly different than the team that was like last round or maybe even the round two ago where they would slip through like an easy round. It feels like every night anything can happen. Vegas Golden Knights last night getting a massive win over the Avs. Huge deal. Yesterday we're being told by EJ that a Cole McCarr being out, Kayl McCarr being out is like the loss of a prime LeBron James. And it certainly looked that way. But NBA, that can happen. NHL, that can happen any night. Anybody can get it. Sports delivering in a big way. Tonight's going to be no different. Con man.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. Very excited. Both teams in the west last night losing Jalen Williams for OKC and Dylan Harper with hamstrings for the San Antonio Spurs. That kind of stinks. Kind of great for the Knicks and for the.

[Pat McAfee]

What happened with Dylan Hart? Was he coming back to play?

[Tony Dungy]

He was trying to look like it, allegedly.

[AJ Hawk]

And then one of those.

[Pat McAfee]

Nope, nope, nope.

[AJ Hawk]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

No way are you going to let that. But there was. There was like an interesting situation because, I mean, maybe a decision was made by coach or something like, hey, hamstring. Yeah, right. This is not how this is going to go. Who knows? But yeah, you're right. There is certainly now the attrition part of this entire thing.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Bodes well for the east as well with the Knicks and Cavs tonight. And they're probably not too worried about it. Both of them have kind of had their rest. Not, not as much. The Cavs, they haven't been as dinged up, but kind of big thing that big Horno did say yesterday was the rest versus rust thing not being real. So to say that I feel good about the Hurricanes Canyx tonight would be an understatement. Especially because Montreal, I mean, they've played football 14 games like that is absurd. You wonder if Freddy Anderson for Carolina stays hot between the pipes. But if they're this rested, I believe Jarvis boys will be on site. It does seem for those that don't

[Pat McAfee]

know, Jarvis Jarvis plays for the Hurricanes. One of the young stars up there. He has a group of lads that we assume he's been playing hockey with since he was a wee little boy out there on the ponds and ice in Manitoba.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, juniors, obviously.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, certainly through all the different leagues that they were playing at. They were a little peewee on the ponds, kind of doing their thing. And they all knew that he had a shot to make it. And they became a tight crew. They humbled him, they hardened him, they sharpened him and they have followed him to Carolina. And they are certainly having a few. Oh yeah, they are certainly having a few. A good time. And they're cranking on the crank up there big time. And the vibe. I mean, everybody that has talked about Carolina. Jack Hughes a couple days ago says Carolina's barn is the one. That is the one. Okay. E.J. horno just goes. It's like you're walking up a down escalator. I don't know what it is. The Kainiacs are ready for this in town. Entire thing should be an electrifying environment, which is good for sport. Touch, man.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, without a doubt. And this is the. You know, even if you're not a fan of the NBA or you're not a fan of the NHL or you're just a casual fan and you have no dog in the fight. Like, this is the. It's just the perfect time to watch all of these series, really. Like even the. The Knicks game the other night, you know, you're thinking, oh, this stinks. If you just. If you just have it on and you kind of stick with it. Exactly. Just hold. Same deal last night, Vegas and the Avalanche you know, Vegas gets up three, nothing, and it's kind of like, oh, here we go. And then the Avalanche score, too. You just kind of gotta hold on and trust that all of these games will deliver. And they have so far.

[Pat McAfee]

Joining us now is a man who delivered on the ice for a long time. Long time. 20 years. All of the records. So, like, sports have records and there's a lot of records. Right. Especially with the amount of numbers that you can have for stuff. How many periods are in hockey, how many different. You know, you can certainly get an apple or you can get a goal. Like there's so many different points or second assists. There's so many. There's a lot of stats that you can have in hockey. The guy that's about to join us, that guy right there, Incredibly handsome, by the way.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Watching the film, you would never think he looks this good right now. Okay. The film looks like it's from 17.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. It looks like George Washington skating.

[Pat McAfee]

It did. It kind of does. With the advancements of technology and film and everything that it is, it's crazy that that was the quality versus what it is now. But even with the poor quality, kind of the finger paint look, you know who he is?

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. He's faster than you are. He's scoring all the goals, and he had all of the records whenever he retired from hockey. Still has a large majority of them. And now, obviously a massive contributor in voice for the NHL on tnt. Ladies and gentlemen, the great one, Wayne Gretzky. How you doing, Wayne?

[Wayne Gretzky]

Oh, thank you. Hey, nice to be on the show. Great to be here. And I want to thank you guys for how great you've been for hockey. It's just wonderful to see that.

[Pat McAfee]

Feels good, doesn't it? Yeah. Wayne. Oh, you're going to experience this. I think you experienced this last time you were on when we were at tst. I think any compliment you say to us is a massive ordeal because it does feel like an entire league and a sport is talking to us through you. So thank you for that. Thank you for being such a great representative of sport and goats. I think everybody has such massive respect for you. And on that note, let's talk about the NHL right now and the league that you are obviously a massive pillar of building and growing up and to the right, everything viewer crazy. And we're talking about some teams now. Obviously, Colorado has stars all over the place. Vegas has been here before. But whenever we were going into the playoffs, there was a lot of big names that weren't going to be in the playoffs and aren't in feels like the sport is thriving right now. Why do you think that is, Wayne? And do you think that's only going to continue?

[Wayne Gretzky]

It's only going to get bigger. And let me say this. We have so many wonderful guys in the game of hockey. Not only are they great athletes and good players, they're good people. And they understand the responsibility of not only playing the game, but helping sell the sport. So I'm very proud to say I'm part of the National Hockey League. And listen, we're disappointed. We're devastated. We didn't win gold medal in February in Italy, but in the United States, with the Americans winning, hockey's gone to another level. And let's say this, every time the US Wins, Mike Aruzzi only gets paid for another four years.

[Pat McAfee]

We love whenever he gets. He was on our show. He was on our show.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I'm telling you, he's the highest paid player ever who scored one goal in his life.

[PK Subban]

It's a big one.

[Pat McAfee]

No way.

[Tony Dungy]

No.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Couldn't happen to a better guy, though. He's just a wonderful young man. So good for Mike. But no, hockey is growing. You're right. And it's fun to watch. Isn't it fun?

[Pat McAfee]

Yes.

[Wayne Gretzky]

And it's physical, it's hard, it's demanding, but my goodness, is it fun to watch. And these kids today, they're such great athletes. They're such good players. It's so much fun to watch.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, I love hockey. I have. I've been very lucky that I grew up in a hockey town. You know, in that hockey town, we had a lot of great players. We had Le Magnifique, you know, Mario Lemieux. And growing up, I thought him and Yarmouth Yaga were obviously the standard of excellence. And then as I got older, you know, I continued to watch Sidney Crosby do his thing. And I'm like, yep, there's the greatest of all time. Multiple times I've said other people, the greatest of all time.

[Wayne Gretzky]

You know, what's amazing is twice now, Pittsburgh Penguins used to have their training camp in Brantford, 1967-74. In those days, the teams would be in Southern Ontario. So I used to go to their camps once or twice a week. My dad would get me out of school so I could go watch the practices. So I have this sort of relationship with Pittsburgh. But isn't it amazing? Obviously, Murray was one of the greatest players who ever lived in the game and played the game. And he was so good for a game. He Saved a franchise there. And then you think, years later, this young kid from Nova Scotia comes along and he does everything he's done. And it's hard enough to get one superstar in the city, but for this city, Pittsburgh, to have two, not only two of the greatest players who ever played the game, but two wonderful young men who know what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin and what it means to play in the NHL. The city, I'm sure, is very proud of both of them.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, absolutely. Very proud of both of them and very lucky to have both of them. I think I speak for Penguins fans everywhere whenever we say that, but I just was brainwashed into thinking, though, that they were the greatest of all time. And then I, like, asked them and that you hear them talk and they're like, no, go look at the record books. Wayne Gretzky's the one. Now, on that note, Wayne O. Sydney's getting asked now a lot of questions, especially as he's continuing this international play. And what a guy that just absolutely loves sport. His dad's over there at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship that is currently taking place right now. And Sid was asked about, you know, how much longer maybe he wants to play. And he basically said, he wants to play till the wheels fall off. Is that just indicative of the love of sport? Or how do you kind of feel like he views it here? As a man who played 20 years in your sport as well, he wants to continue.

[Wayne Gretzky]

And listen, he's our Tom Brady. He's our LeBron James, a guy that can still bring it at an older age. Now, let's face facts. He's not 18 anymore. He's getting older. I'll tell you a funny Sidney Crosby story. They had this camp in California, in la, San Fernando Valley, and they had all these kids come in, and they were 18 year olds. They're going to be drafted in the National Hockey League that June. And I just retired. I went to watch these kids play and I said, yeah, they're all pretty good, but who's that little guy out there? He's the best player out there. He goes, that's crosby. He's only 14. I got my equipment the next day. I said, I'm going on the ice with him. So I jumped on the ice with the kids the next day. I wanted to skate with him because he was that good. So we came back to my house after the skate, his dad and Sid and a friend of mine, his agent at the time, Mike Burnett and Eddie Meal. I came, said, come over to My house. It was only 10 minutes away. Come over, have lunch. So we're sitting there and his dad looks at him and he says, can I ask you a question? We had a two on one, and I passed it to him and he shot and he goes, don't you realize this guy had close to a thousand goals? You passed the puck back to him. It's okay. He's gonna be fine. But we. I could see it then when he was 14 or 15, how good he was and how much better he was than everyone else at that age. But Sid's remarkable. He's going to play. I say the same thing. You play as long as you want to play. Make them tear that jersey off you, because once you quit, it's all done.

[PK Subban]

Right.

[Wayne Gretzky]

People say to me all the time, do you miss the game? I'm like, of course I missed the game. Problem is, I can't play the game. Or if I could play, I'd be out there. Trust me.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. By the way, I think there's some teams that would love to have Wayne Gretzky for maybe one of these best seven. You can give us one, right? You can give us one. We'll put you just in the third period or whatever. But yeah, everything you said there about Sidney, obviously Pittsburgh people have, like, come to recognize so humble. And to tear the jersey thing off. He, like, really feels that way. Like, he is committed fully to Pittsburgh because there's been a lot of talk about him maybe moving. He's also a big time distributor. You know, that's a big portion of his game. So whenever you talk about him being LeBron, it might go back to when he was 14. His dad said, hey, when Wayno's on the ice, he passed the puck. Okay, what are we doing? That's a hilarious thought that that's a place in that shape. All right, let's make everything.

[Wayne Gretzky]

It's funny because they said, how would you know? You were a goalie.

[Pat McAfee]

That's awesome to hear. And that's the hockey culture. It does feel like. It feels like now a large majority

[Wayne Gretzky]

of it is K. No doubt we have an influence in the game, but let me tell you, we're so proud of what we've accomplished in Canada, but we should also be proud of how we're growing the game.

[Pat McAfee]

Absolutely.

[Wayne Gretzky]

You know, it's bigger now in Finland and Sweden and Czechoslovakia. Hopefully one day this war ends and we get the Russians back in international competition because there's some great players that come from there, but the Americans and what the Hughes boys And the Tachuks have done for the game, going back to guys like Brett hall and Billy Guerin and guys. What they did and Brian Leach and Chelios, you know, we're so. We're proud of our sport. There's no other way to say it. We're very proud of our sport. And if you look around, there could have been 20 teams that could have. You could have said they could win the Stanley cup this year. And that comes from leadership. And so our commissioner, I think, is one of the best in all the pro sports. We have parity in our sport. We don't know weak links. There's no teams threatening to move or fold. And our game is growing each and every year. And that's the positive.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And obviously you talk about Canadian influence and it all. It has been fun to kind of watch the game grow to people that maybe had no idea what it was. I think a lot of people were kind of just regionally kind of phased out. But now that Florida's having success and Midwest teams are having success and Vegas obviously having success, it's huge for the sport, I think. And obviously when Team usa, You know.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah, I know.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Wayne Gretzky]

But let me tell you.

[Pat McAfee]

No, no, you know, you know, that's a huge deal. Our women and our men win. I mean, that's a. That's a huge deal for a sport for, like, parents, for kids, for everything. It's like Jack Hughes becomes an immediate pop culture sensation. It's huge for the sport.

[Wayne Gretzky]

He won three. They won the Paralympic gold, too.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yeah, I forgot. We did have the clean sweep. First time since, I think ever, maybe.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I think Rick Middleton was a big backer. Great NHL player for the Boston Bruins. He's a big part of that whole culture and coaching that team. Somebody asked him on radio the other day. I was listening to him, how did. How did you go from being one of the worst teams to one of the best in the world? He said, we're playing Don Cherry hockey. I'm thinking, how do you play Don Cherry in sled hockey? Like, I'm trying to figure that out. But he's working. He's getting gold medals.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Certainly is Don Cherry bringing it. I guess in a pair. It was fun to watch. We had that.

[AJ Hawk]

The superstar.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Farmer.

[Pat McAfee]

What was his name?

[AJ Hawk]

Declan Farmer.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Declan. I think, believe was it. We had a guy who was breaking all the records.

[Tony Dungy]

Good. Like six goals in the championship or something.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I forget what it was. Yeah.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Remarkable athletes. Remarkable athletes.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And also awesome that it happened like hell, yeah. And they're dogs, by the way. I've run into some of the basketball teams, the wheelchair basketball teams. And, you know, sometimes people walk up to them and, like, I think, like, talk to them as if, like, something's bad. I immediately walk up and talk shit to him. They immediately fire back. I mean, it is an immediate. Like, they're obviously very competitive and it's like getting a chance and have such good sports to be able to do it. Hockey, basketball, everything.

[Wayne Gretzky]

It's like sports, you know, we had this lady worked in the office in Edmonton for years and she was in a wheelchair. And she came down to the locker room one day and she said, wayne, I'm trying to organize this charity wheelchair basketball game against the national team. We get three or four of the guys and we'll go play them. I said, of course. So myself, Coffey, Kevin Lone Messier and her, that was our team. We lost 48 to 4. And she got both baskets.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they're physical, too. I'm happy. Yeah, I'm happy you guys remained healthy. Okay. That's incredible. In the sport of hockey, obviously growing in a big way has been for a long time. There was an initial move, you know, you going from Canada to la, huge deal, I think, for the NHL and for the sport of hockey as a whole. I mean, you're a guy who came into the league, won the MVP and then won seven more, I believe, won eight straight MVPs just coming into the league.

[Tony Dungy]

Very good.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Kind of phenomenal.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, kind of phenomenal. So to get you more eyes, potentially, I don't know if that was an actual decision that was talked about behind the scenes or not, but you go into la, big deal for the growth of hockey. Let's now fast forward to now. Can we talk about. Okay, go ahead, Wayne.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Oh, I was just going to say. Let me say this. And when I went to la, I was a part of it. But we had guys like Luke Groban and Kelly Rudy, Marty McSorley. They understood where we fit in, too. They helped sell the sport. And then I got really, really lucky. The timing couldn't have been better. Messi was in New York with charisma and star quality and a great player. Hall of Famer Stevie Eisenberg was in Detroit doing his thing and winning championships. And Brett hall was in St. Louis and Mario was in Pittsburgh. Each corner of the of the country had a guy who not only was a Hall of Fame player, but understood his position and trying to sell the game and grow the sport. So I Caught a wave at the right time and we all pulled together and we all were a part of it.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I appreciate the NHL having the forethought to do that and make that decision. And the players that you just mentioned, all legends and hall of Famers, understanding, like, hey, we're working this thing. Like, hey, we are a league that we are trying to grow at this point. We now have come at an interesting time here in 2026 with another Canadian superstar who I don't think a lot of the world gets to witness until playoffs. And if their playoff run is kind of cut short, it's like Connor McDavid being seen by people would be good for hockey. And I'm not saying that it's not right now because obviously in the playoffs he is, but that's a big conversation right now. How do you kind of view it versus, like, him potentially coming somewhere else or maybe moving or maybe Auston Matthews coming? What is your thoughts on players maybe moving for the good of sport, maybe in league and also themselves?

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah, I don't think the players think about that. I honestly think they. You know, I look at Connor and I know talking with Conor, he truly loves playing in Edmonton. Auston Matthews, I'm told, likes playing in Toronto. You know, the world, such a small world today, right?

[AJ Hawk]

Yes.

[Wayne Gretzky]

You can see every game on tv. I don't think where you play now is a difference of selling the game or making the game bigger because the world is a smaller place. My first two years in Edmonton, I'll bet 40 of the 80 games weren't even on TV, was on radio. Right. The radio announcers were making more than the TV color commentators.

[Pat McAfee]

You should see this guy. You can't. You can't. But this guy's unbelievable. Yeah, that's a fun thought.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I don't think where the player plays now is a big. Has a big thing to do with it now when there's voting that goes on. Not a lot of the east writers see guys who play in LA because the later games and guys in Vancouver and Edmonton, that could hurt a little bit as far as voting for awards go. But as far as selling the game, it doesn't matter what city you're in now. It's gonna sell.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, well, tell Connor, if you talk to him, he needs to be coming to Pittsburgh or Boston. Whoa, whoa.

[AJ Hawk]

Original. Sick.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I think that's a conversation you guys have with Connor yourselves.

[Pat McAfee]

No, no, don't throw us in it. That's why we're using.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I kind of like my statue In Edmonton. I don't want to see it burnt down.

[Pat McAfee]

Wait. Oh, don't say shit. Don't let us ruin anything in the great one's life. Okay, let's pivot to current series that are happening. Obviously, tonight the Eastern Conference would drop puck into for the finals for the first time. And the Kacs are back playing after a long layoff. But last night felt like a gigantic surprise to a lot of people that the Vegas Golden Knights were able to get one and not just get one. They look dominant early now. Avalanche were able to come back. They were out with Makar. What is your thoughts on the Western Conference that happened last night and how do you think these two teams kind of match up?

[Wayne Gretzky]

Well, listen, I really liked Colorado all year, and one of the things I like about Colorado is they faced some adversity during the season and they still finished first overall. I'm not sure if you remember a few years ago in Boston set that record and were on fire all year long and they had no adversity. And all of a sudden they lost game seven of the to the Panthers. So I like Colorado, the fact that they face some adversity. I don't like the fact that McCarr didn't play game one, because now is he going to play game two or not? Like taking him out of the lineup. And the great Eric Johnson told you guys that's a big hole to fill. And Eric does such a great job in analyzing. I'm so happy for him. But you don't replace Kale McCarr. It's just as simple as that. So am I surprised at Vegas? No. They're a veteran team. They play properly, they're unselfish, they play hard, and they're getting great goaltending from Carter Hart. Good for him. And so no Vegas and I said this when they won the Stanley Cup, Jack Idle was a superstar in that playoff run, and he's been good for them and solid for them this year also. And so Vegas is going to be a tough out. But Colorado is good.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, Colorado very good. Some are talking about maybe, hey, we might talk about this team as being the most talented or the best of all time. Then they lose one in Minnesota and it's like, whoa, Carolina didn't lose me. Which we will certainly get to in a second.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Seven games. You know, that's the thing about playoffs. And Tom Brady and I were talking about this when we were watching the gold medal game in Italy, and Tom said, you know, the super bowl and the gold medal game, anything could Happen. The best team usually wins in a four to seven series. Eventually, the cream rises to the top. Right. So if Colorado is as good as their record indicates, they'll be fine. But Vegas is going to be a tough battle.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, Vegas is going to be a tough battle, especially with the new skipper. Go ahead, Ty.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, Wayno.

[AJ Hawk]

What?

[Tony Dungy]

I think this happens in hockey, maybe more so than other sports where a coaching change does happen. You know, maybe right before the playoffs, like Vegas, largely the same team. But what is it about torts that has kind of gotten Vegas to. To play at another level? Because they do look like a much different team now that he is at the helm than they did before he was there.

[Wayne Gretzky]

First of all, let me say what he's done is miraculous. I mean, it really is. You go in with eight or nine games left in the season and you take over a team like that, it's an older team, a veteran team, and you got to go in there. And in hockey, you earn respect from the players. You don't buy it or they don't hand it to you. And he's earned the respect of his players. You can see that on the bench. I think he's really settled in and really enjoying coaching this hockey club. And I think this is the happiest I've probably ever seen him on the bench since he won the Stanley cup for Tampa Bay in, oh, what, five or six. So, you know, it was the right call at the right time, and he's doing a tremendous job. Good for him.

[Pat McAfee]

So what is he? He's a perfectionist, just super accountable. He can always find something that's miserable and fixable. We have a lot of those coaches. Is that kind of his thing?

[Wayne Gretzky]

I think his thing was he was a big teacher to young players, and this is a veteran team. And I think he's taken a step back and said, you know what? I don't have to tell him how to do this or do. And I'm just saying this and seeing it from the outside like you guys. I'm not on the inside by any means, but that's what it looks like, is that he's standing behind that bench. And whether they're up one nothing or down one nothing, his players get the feeling from him that he's still extremely positive and that they're in a good spot.

[Pat McAfee]

Good for the lads over there. They need it, man. I mean, every team needs it. And then let's pivot to tonight. There's a rest versus rest conversation, especially at one particular position. Go ahead, Tone.

[Conman]

Yeah, definitely. Wayne, let's talk about the rookie versus the vet in net tonight. Do Bash, the rookie from Montreal who's been incredible especially after a loss and then Freddie Anderson who's been in the league for 12 plus years. How do you think the rest versus Russ at that position is going to be tonight? And then as a goal scorer for you, would you rather be facing a rookie or would you rather be facing a vet who maybe you know more and have like more tape on?

[Wayne Gretzky]

Well, first of all, I'd probably rather face the rookie because everyone's human, right. And until you get in that position you're going to be a little bit nervous. But good for him. He's played unbelievable. I can't figure out this eight, nine day rest thing because it happened a few times in my career where we had the eight days off and we took a couple days off and then practiced and there was a couple times where he skated the crap out of us. I can remember all of us yelling, we're going to go seven games next series because we don't want to skate this much in practice. So I don't, I don't have the answer for that one. Right. I think though what Carolina has to do is come out the first 10 minutes, put their toes in the water, just get comfortable again, get back into that game mode because it doesn't matter how much you practice, it's not the same feeling as a game. They'll be okay. They got a veteran coach, they got a veteran team. They just got to withstand the first 10, 12 minutes. Montreal, they're going to be fine. They're playing on high octane right now. Their enthusiasm and their energy, their best players are playing well and you can feel it, you can feel it in the TV watching them that they're, that they don't believe they can lose. They got beat 8, 3 at home in game 6 and came back and won game 7 in overtime in Buffalo, which I couldn't believe. So Marty St. Louis did an incredible job. Roddy Brittamore, he's done an incredible job. This is what it's all about. It's exciting for hockey and everybody's excited about it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, Montreal is jacked up.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I mean we're going, we're going there Sunday and we got the F1 race as a bonus, the F1 races in

[Pat McAfee]

Montreal and Stanley, our Eastern conference finals game there.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Race, race Sunday, game Monday, Wednesday.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, and I don't know if you know what just happened too. I'd like to say bravo au victoire de Montreal Porce champion. They just won the pwhl, I believe. The Montreal Cup. Well, yeah, the Walter Cup.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I asked my son, I said, did they name that trophy after my dad? He said, no, no. Guy who ran the league. I said, oh, okay. All right.

[Pat McAfee]

So you got an answer for us?

[Wayne Gretzky]

I told all my friends that. Oh, yeah, yeah. They named it after my dad.

[Pat McAfee]

God. Wayne. Wayne. Oh, whatever the case, it might have, Gretchen, because the Montreal Victoire who won that celebrating in a huge way away now. I don't know if you saw this. We're slamming beers out of this cup after winning the PWHL chat. Look at this.

[AJ Hawk]

Hell yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Salamming beers up there after beating Ottawa. An all Canadian final up there for the Pwhin Arena.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I hope they're drinking Molson Triple X's only.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll tell you what, whenever we used it, look at that. I mean, they are getting.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[PK Subban]

Hey, respect.

[Pat McAfee]

Congratulations, Monroe Victoire. Okay, now let's move to the Canadians and that environment that we got a chance to witness from home. And hockey environments are awesome all over the place. I think there'd be a lot of fans, especially across the Canadian provinces that would say our barn's the best barn right now. The Montreal barn is going to be showcased after Carolina. I think it's the right one too. The watch alongs filled arenas, people going crazy. What do you think people are about to learn about this Montreal fan base and. And how should this be up there and how should we expect it to kind of go for this run from F1 to game one, game two of the finals? Jesus.

[Wayne Gretzky]

It's remarkable, isn't it? It just shows you the passion that people have for the sport in our country. I can remember playing in Edmonton and coming out after the warmup for the first before the anthem and the people standing in the stadium and cheering and clapping for minutes on minutes before they even started to play the national anthem. And Montreal looks like the exact same thing. It's just chaotic there. These people live, die, breathe. Think hockey. It's a national pastime, obviously. And you know, they're a storied franchise. They're up there with the Yankees and Montreal Canadiens and they've waited a long time for this. I think the last time they won the cup was in 1990. So these people are ecstatic and excited about it. I know I'm not going to go too far with biz. We're just going to kind of sneak into the arena and sneak out. So that's all I Know, Yeah, Smart.

[Pat McAfee]

I love what biz has really built himself into in the hockey world. I see his ass in commercials, I see him in arenas. I see players. I mean, biz is the right one for it. All you guys are great over there.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Thank you. It's fun. You know, we got a great group. I was saying to someone today, you know, we've been together four years. I don't think we've ever had an argument. Liam is our quarterback. He directs the traffic. It's fun group. It's a good group. There's no egos. We love the game. We try to promote the game, and it's just a lot of fun.

[Pat McAfee]

You know why there's no egos, Wayne?

[AJ]

I don't know.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Check them at the door.

[Pat McAfee]

Because you're fucking. That probably happens a lot with you, if I had to guess. Yeah, that's like.

[Tony Dungy]

Goes in the room.

[Pat McAfee]

That's like. When I'm with. What I was with. With Peyton, when I was with Peyton, he's like. Everybody kind of drops their egos at the door whenever Peyton Manning walks in. All of a sudden he's like, oh, okay. Yeah. We're all kind of on the same level here. And that's doing this one right here. So I think that's because of their captain pal. Okay. And I think it's because of you. I think you've done a great job doing tv. And I also appreciate the fact that you give back to the game a lot. I really do. Now you are forced to pay attention to the game. I think you probably do that anyways. But for tv, you are. I assume there are some thoughts in that competitor brain of yours. Connor has a question for you.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, way. No, Pat mentioned it earlier on. Like, you having 61 records in the NHL when you retired is ridiculous. And just going through them is crazy. But when you watch the game today, I mean, yeah, look at this. All time leader points, goals, assist, basically every single thing that actually matters, playoffs

[Pat McAfee]

included, I think in these ones.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. So there's just a 200 point game. Seasons.

[AJ Hawk]

Four 200 point seasons. The only guy to have one is Wayne Gretzky. He did it four times. But.

[Wayne Gretzky]

But.

[AJ Hawk]

And this is probably very awkward for you to listen to that.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. But take it all. It is what it is. Sit there and take it all, brothers.

[Wayne Gretzky]

That's what you're doing.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. All right, sorry, go ahead.

[AJ Hawk]

But looking at the game now, when you do watch, do you have like. Yeah, I'd probably score 100 goals in the season if I were playing Right now, is there a team or a player you would want to play with it, like Crosby, you mentioned McDavid, even Celebrini, now kind of seemingly the next, next guy for Canada. What is your thoughts when you're watching and what do you think? Do you think you'd have probably averaged three points a game, you know, four or five goals?

[Wayne Gretzky]

I don't think like that. But I tell you what I do think, like how good these guys are and what a pleasure it would be to play with them and against them. I. When I watch the game, I more look at the rules than I do the individual players. So, like, Mario was a big, big backer of. He got rid of hooking and holding and hockey. He basically said, we got to get this out of the game. And the commissioner agreed with him. We got hooking and holding out of the game. They took out the red line. I would have loved to been able to play hockey without a red line. My goodness, how much fun that would have been. But the athletes are better today, so there's some things that I think I could benefit from. And then there's other things. Well, these guys are bigger, faster, stronger, way better than we were in the 80s and 90s. So, no, I just appreciate the game more than anything and I love watching it. These kids are such great athletes. But it's. It's. It's like that in every sport, right? Athletes are just getting better each and every year, and it doesn't matter what sport it is.

[Pat McAfee]

It's not just the athletes. I think the sports, the strategies, the techniques. You mentioned it. The rules are changing. Yeah, the whole sport kind of changes, you know, like. Yeah, look at.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I was going to say look at Tom Brady. I'm sure he would have loved to play. The era where you couldn't really run over the quarterback. Guys like Terry Bradshaw, Kenny Stabler, they got killed back there. But it's a different era, right? You can hit the quarterback, but there's a certain amount you can't. And I'm sure Tom would love to play in this game today if he was 22 years old.

[Pat McAfee]

Hold on. Speaking of getting hit and everything like that, when did. Okay, were you first goon guy? Were you first goon guy in NHL or was there goon guy before you?

[Wayne Gretzky]

What does that mean? I don't know what that means.

[Pat McAfee]

You know what that means.

[Wayne Gretzky]

No, I don't. A protector.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes. Sorry, sorry. I was just using strictly movie references.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Okay, yeah, yeah, I figured out halfway through the conversation. But, you know, back in those days, Back in those days, every team had one or two. That was part of the deal. Like each team had their guy to protect their guy. Right. And it was just part of the game. And what was ironic about it was the real tough guys you didn't worry about because they were honest. They didn't want Dave Simenco didn't want to hurt Mario Lemieux, Tim Hunter and Calgary didn't want to run over me. But it was the middle guy that you worried about that thought, okay, I can get away with this. And that's why you had the tough guys, because you eliminated those guys from getting those extra shots in. Right. And so that's why every team had one or two protectors and that's how that kind of all started.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Hey, capo. Yeah, you're talking to him, but okay. They talk to each other. You, you do not. You do not travel up. There they are. Yeah. Okay. That is, that is a great thing. I think what they did with the game though, after the lockout, I believe they changed some of the rules, kind of open it up a little bit. And then obviously they went a little bit aggressive on fighting to kind of change the. I think they tried to change what the pace of the game was. But now we're at a, we're at a spot fighting still exists, still a lot of physicality, a lot of speed. Feels like we're at a great spot, rules wise. For a sport that is on the up and to the right, I think,

[Wayne Gretzky]

I think the rules are fine. It's a physical game, it's a hard nosed game. The league and the players association did one great thing. They didn't eliminate fighting. Okay. And people say, well, you didn't fight anyway. But you know, we're the only sport where you got a lethal weapon in your hand. And it's so. But what the league did was you can't fight in youth hockey anymore, you can't fight in college hockey, you can't fight in junior hockey. So all these guys coming up now, they've never been in a fight.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh my God.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Whereas when we were pro. Yeah, when we were pro hockey, all those guys grew up fighting at 15, 17, 18. So we've pretty much eliminated fighting. It's not in the game as much periodically it appears. But all in all, it's not in our sport anymore.

[Pat McAfee]

Man, those young guys just happening to stroll into one of those games, just the, oh, you don't even know about this move.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, that's fun. If you can't even. That some of the experienced fighters in there, it's very obvious. I mean, the. The grab right to here for the left jab. Just the constant. And then the overhand timing. And not scared to look like this either. Some people might be too.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Stand in.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And then. And then.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I was in la. I first shared one of my friends who didn't know much about hockey said, is. Is fighting real? I said, well, if it wasn't, I'd be in more of them.

[Pat McAfee]

You're the best way. No. Good luck the rest of the way through the playoffs.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Thank you, guys. Thank you for all your support. Have a great day.

[Pat McAfee]

Are you all. Are you always wired headphones?

[Wayne Gretzky]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, okay, okay. I didn't know if you were always a wired guy. Okay. You're the bad. Ladies and gentlemen, Wayne Gratz again. Yeah, Wayne.

[AJ Hawk]

All right.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, that's like a thing.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Conman]

Oh, yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, somewhere people do that would probably. Yeah. Wire guy. What a legend.

[Tony Dungy]

Seriously.

[Pat McAfee]

He's so humble. He's a goat. Like an actual goat.

[Conman]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

And he's just like so damn humble Canadians. How about him saying, yeah, that whole show, everybody drops their ego at the door. We have a good time in there. It's like, yeah, Wayne, everybody's dropping their ego at the door because you're the greatest to ever do this. And if you don't have an ego, you see nobody else can really be an at all in this entire thing. What a legend, dude. I think he could still do it if he had to.

[AJ Hawk]

No doubt about it.

[Pat McAfee]

No doubt about it. I love the amount of respect that he showed to all the young guys, too. Kind of passing the baton as opposed to burying the next generation. Just kind of acknowledging like, hey, these guys, bigger, stronger, faster in the game. It's crazy. Yeah, I certainly love hockey, but this is a crazy game, though. This is just a different sport than what. Basically what he was saying is kind of what happens every sport. And some of the old legends hate it. You know, some of them yell at the cloud in the front yard. He has been very different the entire time through it all. I mean, he wanted to play with Sidney Crosby when he was 14. That was a crazy little story there.

[AJ Hawk]

That was so cool.

[Pat McAfee]

Nick, did we know that had that been the first time we had heard that story? I don't think I've. I remembered ever hearing. I've seen him talk about that before

[Conman]

in other areas, but it's still just

[Tony Dungy]

surreal to hear that a player of

[Conman]

that magnitude sees a 14 year old

[Tony Dungy]

and goes, hey, I Get my gear. I need to get out there.

[Pat McAfee]

It's. And hit the ice with that guy. Let's see if all my records are going to be okay or not. Let's find this out. I wonder if he was on a constant search for that. Okay, let's see. Got a youth game over here. Yeah, I got a real guy. All right, let me get on here.

[Tony Dungy]

Bring my gear.

[Pat McAfee]

That's incredible. All right, let's pivot. From hockey to golf, ladies and gentlemen. Something historic happened this past weekend at the PGA Championship in Philadelphia. Iron Mink. The course was beating everybody's ass. Even though the golfers thought that they were going to potentially bode well. It wasn't just the rough and the hits. It was the greens that were kind of dominating. Nobody could really bury a putt. Par, par, par. Bogey would be an absolutely devastating play. A birdie would be a wet dream for these guys as they were trying to battle for a major. And as we watched Sunday kind of unfold with about 100 different golfers being available, it was clear that one man was seemingly up to the task to battle against a course to become a major champion. And that man had two gloves on. And that man is the first English man to win the PGA Championship in 107 years. From Wolverhampton, England, ladies and gentlemen, PGA Championship champion Aaron Rye. No gloves, no gloves.

[Aaron Rai]

Thank you for having me, guys.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so it's not just all the time. I didn't know if we were getting the hands ready all the time. I appreciate seeing your hands, good looking hands there. A lot of conversation about the gloves. Those hands are now obviously PGA Championship champion. Congratulations, Aaron. Legit.

[Aaron Rai]

Thank you very much, guys.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so tell me about it a little bit. The course was beating everybody's ass. Felt like that was kind of the story of us watching the PGA Championship waking up Sunday. And now this was a little piece of information that we would learn later about you. I guess you've been in a phenomenal putter since forever. There's a Lee Westwood, world golf putter champion. 10 foot 207 straight 10 foot putts or something. As a child. Okay, Putting is obviously the thing that everybody hopes they can do. If you make two or three ten foot putts in a row, you are pumped about yourself. You made 207 as a child. Okay, so then on Sunday, whenever you bury that long putt and the story is like, nobody can make anything. Are you always confident in the putter? Literally, since you're a child, did you know that it would show up for you? It's just only a matter of time, and then you bury the 68 and a half footer. Like, what was kind of your thoughts on the greens and how the course was playing throughout?

[Aaron Rai]

Yeah, the course. The course was really difficult. I think it played harder than everyone had expected because it wasn't long. The greens were very slopey, but generally all back to front. So not a huge amount of complexity compared to some modern courses. So we definitely caught everyone by surprise at just how hard that it played with how thick the rough was. Conditions were really cold the first two days. It was windy for most of the week and continued to get firmer over the weekend. But I think it was just really testing in every aspect. And regarding the putting, honestly speaking, I was probably a better putter as a child. Now I'm a little bit streaky. Sometimes I have some. Some good weeks. Sometimes I have some very average weeks. Last week, fortunately, was a really good one. But I was probably more a more consistent putter back then than I am even now.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, that's hilarious. So obviously, golf has been a part of your life. We learned about the iron covers. I believe that you're putting over top of it and the reasoning for it and your entire story. You're 31 years old. The gloves obviously were a gateway to a lot of people saying, well, this is different than what we have seen. I, as a punter in the NFL, who, every time I went on the field, had to catch a ball, I wore one glove, like golfers usually do, to help and assist in the catch. But I wanted to be able to feel the ball okay. Whether I was holding or I was dropping it, I wanted to be able to feel it. And I maybe was too much of a head case to think that I could feel it through the gloves. I guess that's the big conversation, right, is whether or not you get a good feel. You feel as if both gloves is a better feel. How long have you been doing this? And is this what I need to do to start being a better golfer?

[Aaron Rai]

So I started doing it probably since the age of 8 or 9 years old. And it was originally just to keep my hands warm in the cold winter months in the uk. And then by the time the following summer had rolled around, I went back to wearing one glove, but it just felt really strange, and the grip in my. In my other hand wasn't as good. So then I just continued with two and stuck with it ever since. But I think when I think about it as well, obviously there's more grip wearing two Gloves rather than one. The gloves are rain gloves, so they're a little bit thicker than the traditional leather gloves that most people wear in golf. But I think some of it probably shaped my swing over time. But because I have more grip on the club, there's definitely less rotation. So it feels like it's just a little more kind of stable and less handsy. I think that's the way I swing the club anyway. But I feel the gloves have definitely played a role in that. It's not something I tried to create, but I think it's something that has just happened a little bit over time.

[Pat McAfee]

Interesting, because I get a little handsy out there sometimes.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, you're a little handsy out there on that. Go. I mean, I kind of duff it. So maybe if I put two gloves on, maybe it'll be a natural reaction from the nerves in my hands to my brain and to my golf swing to just go ahead and stay pure in that thing, you know, Golf sales, glove sales for both hands in the golf community. One up. I don't know. 45,000% because of you. You know that?

[Aaron Rai]

Maybe 45,001% with you now.

[AJ Hawk]

Good call.

[Pat McAfee]

Hell, yeah. Hell, yeah. Okay, let's talk about you still having such a full PGA Tour career ahead. Go ahead, Tone.

[Conman]

Yeah, Aaron, Obviously, obviously, winning the PGA Championship is huge for that single weekend, but how big is it now for, you know, the next five years? You're exempt into all majors. You're now exempt into all signature elevated events. I know before the PGA Championship, you played in the Myrtle beach event when there was an elevated event that same weekend. So how big is that for your career now that you get to play in all those events and majors?

[Aaron Rai]

Yeah, it's great to be able to plan ahead. Not even so much for the next five years, but certainly for the rest of this season and going into next year. That's a position that I wasn't in going into this year, so that's a massive thing. So, yeah, it's definitely career changing in terms of just what it opens up and the opportunities that are now there.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. And I think it just. It indicates you're a made man, brother.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Because some people, obviously, in our sport, or chasing a Super bowl forever in your sport, it's chasing a major. Like, some people will have that type of thing on their shoulders. I assume it was on yours for a while as you were trying to do it, but at a. A larger scale once you. You become certified. This guy's won a major before. Congrats on that.

[AJ Hawk]

Hey, let's go.

[Pat McAfee]

That's a big deal. That's a big deal, Aaron. Like, hey, made man. And now you're gonna.

[Aaron Rai]

Thank you very much.

[Pat McAfee]

It's only. It's only go. What you do your next time with your English acc. I understand, but you. You. You're. You have obviously worked your ass off to get to this point to become a made man. And we just showed the video of you celebrating with your wife afterwards, and I believe that you two are on quite a run here this season. You win the par three with her on the bag at Augusta. From my understanding of the Masters, she obviously hits an absolutely pure stroke. Is she also a professional golfer? I believe. How much does that help, actually, how that has to help a male immensely that you two are in the same profession. And do you view it that way? How much do you try to keep golf away from, you know, every aspect of conversation? Almost?

[Aaron Rai]

We do a really good job at that. She's. She's been around the game a very long time, but I think she has probably a more balanced perspective on life than I do. I think I'm definitely more tilted towards golf, and I think that balance that she has and consistent reminds me of helps golf not dominate our lives, and it definitely doesn't dominate our conversations. So I think she's great in bringing that balance away from the course. But naturally, golf is a really big part of our lives. We're traveling nearly every week as a result of it. That she, again, can put that hat on extremely well when it comes to advice, when it comes to decisions. We practiced a lot together back in Jacksonville, which is where we live, so there's just a really nice blend of life and golf that. Yeah. That goes into our partnership. Yeah, it's beautiful. I'm so lucky. Sometimes I still can't quite get my head around how lucky I am to have found a woman like her, man.

[Pat McAfee]

That was cute, man. Hey, that was awesome. That was awesome. Good for you guys. Actually, that is fantastic to hear. And I would like to see either one of you try to go through a swing change, you know, and like, they're being a fool, I assume. Like, hey, you're doing a little different. Yeah, I've been trying to work on a. Oh, not a bad idea. Maybe I give that a go. Hey, I just buried a 68 and a half foot butt. I think maybe we try this one out for a little bit for the good of the family. I massive respect to you guys. That's cool. Congrats to You, I can't wait to see it continue to grow. Go ahead, con man.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, Aaron, I read some somewhere that for celebration, I believe you kind of balled out, if you will, a Chipotle on Sunday night. Not sure if that is true. Have you had a chance to maybe fill the Wanamaker with beer a couple pints down at the pub? Have you been able to kind of pass that around the family by chance? And how has there been a celebration? Or is it just kind of, hey, we're on to the next one.

[Aaron Rai]

The one on the Sunday evening. There were a lot of commitments that followed after finishing on the 18th, and we had a really nice dinner actually at the golf course, which was great. And a mini celebration there with some of the PGA guys. My wife Makadi, we did make it to Chipotle on Monday, on the following day, so I really enjoyed that one. But outside there hasn't been a huge amount of celebration. We flew back to Jacksonville a couple of days ago and just kind of got into some normality, really. My dad, dad flew over yesterday, which is great. My, my sponsor as well, who's been like a second father to me, flew out yesterday. So I think we'll, we'll do something together this weekend, but we'll, we'll keep it pretty low key overall.

[Pat McAfee]

Congrats to the entire team. I, I don't want. Maybe your dad brought the news over, but Wolverhampton soccer, not good right now.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, boy.

[Pat McAfee]

Not good right now. Aaron, I don't know if you follow. I don't know if you have any footy team. If they are your team. Are they your team?

[Aaron Rai]

They're not my team, but I live very close to the stadium. I've, I've kind of supported them, but they've not been my, my main team.

[Pat McAfee]

Who's your team?

[Aaron Rai]

Who's your game this season? They've had Manchester United.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, that's not Arsenal.

[Pat McAfee]

First time in 2020 worth of. Oh, my God. Arsenal just. First time, 22 years getting the job done. Jeez, Lou, that's tough stuff. You know, Wolverhampton going down. I think Burnley. Yeah, I think they're going down.

[Tony Dungy]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Football, you like American football?

[Aaron Rai]

I haven't got into it since I've been over here, but I did promise on the Sunday evening that I'm now an Eagles fan. So I'm going to have to start following the NFL.

[Pat McAfee]

That's an interesting bunch to go ahead and choose to ride with. I'll tell you, they will accept you in there and that'll be a good One to kind of introduce you to football culture. I think that'll be okay. And they're good, too. Lot of drama, though. A lot of drama around them. I don't know if you're ready to sign up for that, but there's going to be a lot of drama. The head coach, Paisano fella. Awesome character. I mean, just an awesome character. You're going to love it, I think, Aaron.

[Aaron Rai]

Okay. Awesome. I look forward to being part of the journey. I'm gonna follow.

[Tony Dungy]

Boom.

[Pat McAfee]

Part of the journey. I can't wait to hear how you describe that journey. And also, we can't wait to watch your journey through golf. You're the man. Congratulations.

[Aaron Rai]

Thank you very much, guys. And thank you for having me.

[Pat McAfee]

Next Ryder Cup. You're sick, right? You're not doing it. Let's not. Okay. We need that. If we lose the President's cup here, this one against the world, and then we lose another Ryder Cup. Yeah. Right. Guys need to wear two gloves. All of them. That needs to be a part of the Team USA costume is I need two gloves on all.

[AJ Hawk]

Or change your name to Aaron Ray and come on over.

[Pat McAfee]

Come on over.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You live in Jacksonville. Ladies and gentlemen, that is PGA Championship major winner Aaron Rye. Appreciate you. We try to do that with Sydney, too.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Messi, which I think Lou is still Messi.

[Pat McAfee]

He's still potentially available.

[AJ Hawk]

Joe embiId.

[Pat McAfee]

I'm not 100% sure who he's playing for this World Cup. Gumpy, has it been decided if Lou Messi or Lionel Messi is playing in this World Cup?

[Wayne Gretzky]

Leo Messi.

[Conman]

Yeah. It's his last run with Argentina.

[Tony Dungy]

This is it.

[Aaron Rai]

He did change.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so we got.

[Wayne Gretzky]

So next one.

[AJ Hawk]

He's playing for us.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Conman]

Did you hear he changed his name?

[Pat McAfee]

What's that? Go ahead.

[Conman]

Go ahead.

[Tony Dungy]

Leo Messi.

[Pat McAfee]

If.

[Conman]

If you're calling him Messi on Apple

[Tony Dungy]

TV when he's playing, it's Leo Messi.

[Pat McAfee]

It's not Lionel.

[Tony Dungy]

It has to be Leo Messi.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, well, I didn't know that. Am I on?

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[Conman]

It's not apple tea.

[Pat McAfee]

It's.

[Conman]

That's more for twerman.

[Pat McAfee]

Taylor Tuesman has to say Leo Messi.

[AJ Hawk]

We like Taylor to double T. One of the greatest New England Revolution players.

[Pat McAfee]

He's gonna be on a call, I assume, for a lot of these World cup games. Do we know who's gonna be?

[Conman]

Yeah, he's involved. They got Jamis doing some cool stuff.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, the.

[Conman]

Grow the game for sure.

[Tony Dungy]

If it's not Ian Daca, I won't be watching. Ian's in the mix.

[Pat McAfee]

There's Latan's actually on Fox. I heard Jerry Jones is building shades and blinds to cover the sun, but won't do it for football games.

[AJ]

Yikes.

[Pat McAfee]

I heard some of these stadiums are putting grass fields in here for soccer. They want their football Thames.

[Conman]

Oh, all the greats are calling it for.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, yeah, we're good.

[Conman]

We're in a good spot for now.

[Pat McAfee]

On that note, I do think the grass that they're laying would not be good for ball. And I think the sun in the thing, maybe they do try to fix that.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, they should.

[Pat McAfee]

Especially if they're gonna do it for soccer. Yeah.

[AJ]

Come on.

[Conman]

Ian Daca with Landon Donovan.

[Pat McAfee]

That'll be the eighth England's taking on Croatia in Jerry World. I believe to kick off the entire World cup, there will be no shadows because we need to see the ball in the pitch. That's right. How about football, Jer? How about Landman, Jer?

[AJ Hawk]

How about pickings?

[Pat McAfee]

We'll be back on the other side. Great. Hour two waiting there. Can't wait. Every game, every practice, every moment, we rely on energy more than we realize. From the courts and fields we play on to the gear athletes use to the technology and transportation that bring fans together. Energy powers it all. And energy transfer helps safely deliver the energy that keeps it all moving. Oil and natural gas help make thousands

[Conman]

of everyday products possible.

[Pat McAfee]

Supporting sports and the moments that connect us. So whether you're playing, watching or cheering it on, it takes energy. Visit ittakesenergy.com to learn more.

[Tony Dungy]

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 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 over. Prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up@buckedup energy.com. grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.

[Pat McAfee]

Are the absolute greatest. We're incredibly lucky that we get a chance to chat about them every single day because you watch this spirit stupid ass show that isn't just me. It's also the talks at table at Boston Connor and at Ty Schmidt. One half of the Hammer Cowboys AP tones here. And joining us live from Anakin, Ohio, is a man who might be able to give us a little bit more clarity on what was said yesterday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Aaron Rodgers. This guy was a Super bowl champion alongside Aaron Rodgers for the Green Bay packers, where he's also the all time leading tackler for that storied franchise. He'd go on to win a Ryder cup cup duel in which Team USA would lose to Europe, but he is a Ryder cup winner and he would go on to father a hundred kids.

[AJ]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

Ladies and gentlemen, former president of the state of Ohio, A.J. hawk. Wow. Man, got me jacked up there. So many accomplishments.

[AJ]

Yeah. What an intro.

[Tony Dungy]

You're right.

[AJ]

I did win my, my match with Rob Riggle and the Ryder cup at our team fell short, unfortunately to the Europeans.

[Pat McAfee]

Yes, you're a Ryder cup winner.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, you're not a champion. No. You are what you could have been, but you are a winner. You want to know about a champion? Okay. You want to know about a, a superstar. You want to know about one of your best friends saying something pretty big in history in the annals of football. Aaron Rodgers said, this is it. Mark Caboli asked the question who is a Steelers goat analyst for our show Correspondent. That's the word. That's what he's correspondent. We know that he his goat though all these things that we talk about it. He is correspondent for our show for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mark Caboli with the question. Aaron Rodgers with the massive in answer.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Aaron, do you believe this could be your last year?

[Pat McAfee]

Do you even think of that right now? Yes. As in your last year.

[AJ]

This is it. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's go back to the beginning. Let's run Cavoli back. Let's see. Just listen to the question and how it is asked, forcing Aaron to answer. This is good journalism.

[Wayne Gretzky]

This could be your last year.

[Pat McAfee]

Do you even think of that right now?

[AJ]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

As in your last year.

[AJ]

This is it. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Go follow this year. Last year, huh? Kaboli kind of in distant thought. Wow. Can't believe he gave me an answer there. He did though. He said this is going to be it. Now, I don't think he is expecting a celebration tour around the NFL for his final season. That does. Take a trip to Bonjour Sava Paris, France, which obviously Steelers fans are not exactly thrilled about. But if this is the last year, that means he believes there's a chance to go win this damn thing. There's no other reason to do this unless he thinks they have a chance to win. Defense Great, right. We assume defense is going to be great. Could be on the offensive side of the ball. We got a lot of playmakers. If the offensive line isn't ass. And Mike McCarthy's offense does hit. Mike McCarthy wins everywhere he goes. We're watching him coach things up and you see the assistant coaches, these are all people that he's watching, worked with in the past. It's like Mike McCarthy has a system, for whatever reason, it does win games. Okay. Mike Tomlin also as well. Different system than the way Mike McCarthy has done it at Green Bay. Also at Dallas. The Guy was winning 12 games a year at Dallas. Okay. Now granted Dallas had a great roster, but then they get to the playoffs, it all shit to bed. Okay. Now will that change with the Pittsburgh Steelers because they have a great defense. Will Mike McCarthy's offensive systems make them great? And Aaron Rodgers, who I think is probably still feeling good throwing the ball. I don't think I saw any drop other than like, you know, he probably can't do the same thing, but he threw a deep 60 yard ball, I think last year. 65.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

69 yards. I think it was. Was it.

[AJ Hawk]

I think it was the longest ball in the air. Yeah. Longest travel football in the. So.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

So I guess he has found himself. Who knows who he was talking with. It could have been a million stars and they could have hit him in the eyes and he could have looked in the mirror and gone in a hole or he, any way he goes, got to the answer that he got to. I think this bodes very well for how Steelers fans should view how the team is feeling about this. They are trying to run. There's a lot of experience on that team. There's a lot of winning on that team. There's a lot of history on that team. And it feels like Aaron signing up to go on a run and he was there day one of voluntary OTAs. So everything seems to be great. And the celebration, maybe the send off years of Pittsburgh Steeler getting seven. Tylen Diggs. I can already see the zipper burn pile from here.

[Conman]

Yeah, it'd be so awesome. It's very optimistic right now. All the coaches are saying right now all the right things. You know, the people that were super bummed that they hired Mike McCarthy, everything that he's done since then, he's won over. He's won over the city already. Some moves that he's made on the offensive line already. People are very, very pumped about bringing in everyone that they brought in during the draft. Everyone's pumped About. So the optimism is very high. Bringing Aaron back. Everyone knew that.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Aaron.

[Conman]

And as far as you know, whether Aaron came back or not, he was the best option to win football games. Everyone was just upset that he didn't decide earlier, which, you know, very, very understandable. But as of right now, as of today, optimism is through the roof.

[Pat McAfee]

You hear what people are calling you on online? What's that? They're calling you oui, oui, Monsore. And it's not oui. It's not O, U, I, O, U, I. It was oui, oui, like a penis. Wee, wee, mon. And Monsoor isn't even spelled right. So.

[AJ]

Tony Dijon, Photoshop, anything weird that loaf of bread either. Don't let people do.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, I'm sure there was other options.

[Conman]

You know who started this and actually I decided I need to block him was McQuaid.

[Tony Dungy]

It was McQuaid, yeah. McQuaid was the first person to bring that picture.

[Pat McAfee]

I should have known that because it did happen. It involved Europe. So McQuaid.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Wait, what's that lot?

[AJ Hawk]

Who said footballers.

[Pat McAfee]

He is our ambassador, it feels like, of sport for Europe. That is how we learn everything.

[Conman]

Block him right now.

[Tony Dungy]

Do that to Mc.

[AJ Hawk]

You will curse your team's season if you do that.

[Pat McAfee]

McQuade has done a lot of good football.

[Tony Dungy]

He has.

[Pat McAfee]

McQuade has done a lot for me, though. He brought football to Ireland.

[AJ]

Just kidding.

[Conman]

He actually did chaperone us a bit in Ireland.

[Tony Dungy]

He did. He's just taking a piss lot.

[AJ Hawk]

Come on, have a crack one time.

[Pat McAfee]

Don't see we're a pretty international show. Even though you. That was McQueen.

[PK Subban]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

That was my.

[Conman]

He did kind of introduce me to the beret, which I kind of might start rocking.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you and judge me and Travolta. Yeah, he's doing some press right now.

[Tony Dungy]

I did actually order one.

[Pat McAfee]

He did. That is exactly what Travolta looks. Put some glasses on this guy. Travolta had those little roundies on.

[AJ]

Line your beard up a little.

[Conman]

Yeah, his beard was a little crispier. Yeah.

[Tony Dungy]

No half measures from McQuade, though. I mean, what a beautiful. You know, like, if he's going to do it, he's going to do it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. It looks like you were actually on the Sean's. At least he's there.

[AJ Hawk]

Coach Diggs is not happy seeing this.

[Conman]

No, he's not.

[AJ Hawk]

No son of mine is wearing a.

[Pat McAfee]

Holding a baguette in front of the Eiffel Tower and Perry. Hilarious. I don't know if you're Going to be welcomed back into the bocce league, pal. I think you need to go ahead and face your fears. Definitely not one.

[Conman]

I've never been in it.

[Pat McAfee]

How come we can't get in that league, can we? Can we compete in a super duper Italian bocce?

[Conman]

You can probably get in if you want. I won't.

[Pat McAfee]

Thank you. I'll start wearing pinky ring.

[Conman]

That's my dad's thing. I don't know. Need to follow in his footsteps.

[Pat McAfee]

You should think about it. Coach's footsteps are really cool.

[Conman]

My brother's it. My brother's in it.

[Pat McAfee]

It's a. Oh, it's a family thing.

[Tony Dungy]

Skip the generation.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you do whatever.

[Conman]

Am I gonna drive the six hours every Thursday.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. So, aj, what do you think, though, about Aaron saying something? Think about, though, if the bocce's good, that's what it takes. They got good courts over there. We're using that kind of shady rocky one where we didn't like in the finals. The Pepperon. I believe we're doing it from over there in Pen Hills.

[AJ Hawk]

A lot of crying from the fight indies.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, well, I don't know if that's our name anymore because. Yeah, well, actually I think it is. They said it's 2026 there. Who's where? Us. It. You guys aren't allowed to say it. And then I said, well, can I say it, everybody? Oh, easy. Don't you be saying easy. How am I supposed to promote the team if I can't say the name? Don't say the name. That's how you're promoting the team, Grazzi. Prego. And we move on. But on that note, speaking of moving on, aj, this is a big deal for Marin. That means that's what he was trying to decide this entire time. He was trying to figure out whether or not he wanted to play. And then he was like, well, I could definitely do one more run at this thing. Do you think that's a combo or do you think the convo was introduced? Like, hey, how about a couple years here so we can plan ahead? Maybe so it isn't just like a wasted year of development for somebody in Will Howard or maybe in Drew Aller. Maybe it is like a two year plan and then we do the handoff to Drew Aller, who's potentially going to need a lot of. Of development whenever it comes to just becoming a quarterback, even though that could happen quickly, especially with how Mike McCarthy is as a quarterback coach. So we're not saying that isn't the Case, but one more year. This is a very. This is the first time he's been this direct about it. I think he's been very kind of gray about it in the past with us, with everybody else. And everybody's kind of just assumed that that meant that he was going to be done after a year. Much like whatever he said, he was immunized, you know.

[Conman]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

And everybody just assumed that meant that thing. And he felt like checkmate, actually. And he has also won celebrity Jeopardy. So he has. There is a special Amina's win. Mina. Way to go. Mina, by the way, representing sports over there, Mina. Representing sports over there, Mina. Hell yeah. Good win. Aaron has won before and has great stories coming out of that. That feels.

[Conman]

Oh, like a matchup, you think? A face off, if you will.

[AJ]

Oh, you mean celebrity Jeopardy. Contestants, Tournament of champions.

[Pat McAfee]

But that would come in retirement. Okay. That would come in retirement. So in retirement, which is allegedly after this year, that feels like a concentrated decision made by Aaron. Does it not feel like that whenever he says that? Just with how quickly he answered to Caboli as well. Feels like that was the big thinking point all off season while he was trying to decide what the hell he wanted to do. You think?

[AJ]

Yeah, I think it's. Yeah, for sure. But I would imagine they're taking everything, like, hey, one day.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, no.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh, what happened?

[Pat McAfee]

I couldn't even take a drink there for a second. It was over with me. Yeah. Who knows, dude?

[Conman]

Yeah. The bees are in the. In the wires.

[Pat McAfee]

I didn't even think about the feral swarm of bees that could be out there. Run a rough shot because you didn't get them enough honey last night. You've kind of welcomed an enemy in here. You've kind of welcomed an enemy in here. We will never know what is the bees, what is not the bees, whenever it comes to connectivity, because they're buzzing around your entire damn house because they've decided that your beehive right now is the most fruitful, the most delicious, the best looking. Those things are getting ready to leave your ass. If we know anything about these bees in our short relationship, is that not an accurate depiction of your relationship with them? It could be over at any time. As soon as you slip up, they're leaving. And they're going to probably take down your Internet while they're doing it, because these things are smart. Is that not right, Adrian?

[AJ]

That's not right. But I do. I respect the fact that they will get up and leave if I'm not giving them what they need. So no question. These guys are. They're battle tested. We had 12 hours worth of thunderstorms and everything going on checked on this morning. They are doing well. They seem to be doing great. And I cannot wait to open that thing up five or six days and go check it out. But as far as Aaron goes, don't you think it's a good thing as far as like we always talk about coaches, there needs to be like a sense of urgent urgency every single day. Sense of urgency. I think when Aaron is there and when you know, hey, he says, this is last year, you have every coach on that staff and every player on the staff thinking like, hey, like we need. This is it. We need to go all in this year because after the season we don't really know what any of our future holds. So let's do whatever we can while we have a guy like Aaron on the team. So I think it can only be a positive.

[Pat McAfee]

And how about all the reports that every player on their exit meeting said they wanted Aaron back. If they were to have Aaron back with. With Tomlin, without Tomlin, they would want Aaron back. That that was an interesting little piece of information that Adam Schefter shared that was certainly told to Adam Schefter from within the building. Hey, we would like you to know that every player that we talk to that has any importance is like, yes, we think Aaron is not a part of the problem. He could definitely help us win whatever it is. That felt like a big deal that Omar Khan was taking into account the relationship with Mike McCarthy obviously happening the way that it is not only Mike McCarthy's relationship with Pittsburgh, but obviously his relationship with Aaron. Aaron understanding the offense, what Mike's looking for, what a jump start on kind of a transfer of mindset in Pittsburgh Steelers if you're able to get the quarterback on the same exact page as the head coach. So it's feels like a very interesting dynamic that kind of came together with the ingredients of potential magic or a delay and a restart, which is what Yinzers were kind of pissed off about to begin with.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, yeah.

[Conman]

I mean, we'll see. I like that whole thing is let's just win. Let's just try win football games at this point. But yeah, as far as the exit meeting, someone told us that months ago. I can't remember who it was, but yeah, they were very adamant in the exit meetings, like, hey, we want Aaron back. He's gives us the best chance to win.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, let's pivot away from Aaron Rogers. Congrats. Aaron, that had to be. That's the most clear I've ever seen him about his future. He's finally like, for anything, you know, like, actually a lot of people are

[AJ]

saying because of the massive amount of respect he has for Caboli as well. We know that.

[Tony Dungy]

Duh.

[AJ Hawk]

And the massive amount of loads.

[Conman]

Did you see that? A lot of people said Connor asked the same question last year and he gave the same answer. So really a lot of people were saying, I didn't go back to look.

[Pat McAfee]

But. Well, he's always alluded to things. That's what I'm saying. This is the most definitive you've heard from Aaron Rodgers, I think, just as somebody that got a chance to talk to him every week there for a while during seasons. Not that I. I do not claim to know how Aaron feels about anything. Okay. I am just as intrigued as the rest of the world. But I am a huge fan of Aaron Rodgers. Just everything, how he goes about his life, what he has to go about. But I think this is the most clarity I've heard from him. Projecting a year from now since I've known him, like, in everything.

[Tony Dungy]

No. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

He was going direct force for a while.

[Conman]

Yes.

[Pat McAfee]

Then he went into a hole there for a while. Okay. Then he was going to New York. Then. Are you going to New York? Then he went to New York. Then he was kicked out of New York. Then he goes, you know, like, there's just been. It's been pretty much chaos. There's been really. No. What is next? What is next? Feels like for the first time we got like an actual answer. Go ahead.

[Conman]

He did, he did give himself an out. He said, I'm pretty sure this is my last.

[Pat McAfee]

Exactly.

[Conman]

That's why we did a one year deal.

[Pat McAfee]

That's what I'm saying. Saying. He's saying, you just go, listen, I'm immunized. Hold the phone. What's that mean? What does that mean? You know, that, that is how Aaron, you know, like, that is literally from the beginning. And a lot of people got really mad at him for that. Okay. He would say, can we revisit the topic and have a conversation now? Okay, that would. That would be a very different thing. But he has always operated in his own way. He's always done his own thing and he's never really locked in them saying, him saying, this is it. Tuca boli. Okay. Good luck out there, Aaron. Happy for you, dude.

[Conman]

He also said yesterday that when Tomlin stepped down, that that was a very emotional day and that he had thought that he was done. Big Mike. Big Mike comes in and that kind

[Pat McAfee]

of changed some things.

[Conman]

And they were able to have those conversations and that kind of reinvigorated. Big Mike's irresistible.

[Pat McAfee]

True. He is undeniable. Yeah, he is now him and Coach Carr. Cause you see what they did down LSU was like bring back the mascot. Yes. Obviously we got the tiger. Bring back the living, breathing goat hoggers. Bring him back in. He could do something. Yeah. Defensive recruiting back here. Go ahead. Yeah. So we'd love to have you around. Of course, if Mike McCarthy was to offer Bill Carr one of these types of positions. But Yinzer, the mass climax from the volcano would just right out from the point, right where there's three. It would become a lake. It'd become a lake right there. It would no longer be a point.

[Conman]

Big Geyser, just.

[Pat McAfee]

It would be a big lake as everything. The Cayman Science Center. Sorry. I think they'd end up being a part of the. The explosion there. Good luck to the Steelers fans. They're on quite a ride right now. Everybody loves us because the draft we broke all the records. Aaron Rogers doesn't want to play for us. Now you gotta talk to the $800 for a hotel room. For NFL it's been like this. Now we got a chance to go on a run. I know not all users are excited about it and being Aaron, but as soon as the season comes around, they start winning some games. That offense looks anywhere near what a Mike McCarthy offense looks like. And a defense can play at all in a brand new AFC North. I mean, the run could be sweet for them. Are they going to be able to beat the Indianapolis Colts with Daniel Jones? We'll see. We'll see. Let's pivot away. What's that?

[Kendrick Perkins]

With who?

[Pat McAfee]

Daniel Jones. He's a. Ok. Ok. Yeah, we'll see.

[Conman]

Yeah. Achilles don't just heal overnight.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. Tell Jason Tatum that. Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is from the NBA world, friend of the program, one of the funniest dudes we have seen. The other night after watching Wemby go absolutely crazy in game one of the Western Conference finals, he got on TV immediately and said him and his wife were talking about getting his kids to Dem. Monks. Ladies and gentlemen, Kendrick Parkins. Yeah.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Yeah. I mean, y' all don't want to take a trip down there to go visit the monks?

[Pat McAfee]

They said he was dribbling four and a half hours on a seven and a half hour trail over suspension bridges. Dribbling a basketball with these monks in the off season perk Well, I don't

[Kendrick Perkins]

want to do that, but I do want to go and do the other stuff.

[Pat McAfee]

Sure.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I mean, I, I, I want to get my mentality right. I want to get my, my mental right.

[Pat McAfee]

You want to do a lot of the temple stuff with the most.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. When it comes to being athletic and doing the activities, I'm cool on all that, you know, I mean, but I, the internal side of me, I need to go get healed.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I think a big part of them is like deep in mountains, up a lot of hills or stairs. You, you're saying chopper to the top. I need the brain stuff, not the body stuff.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I'm at that point in my life.

[Pat McAfee]

I think they'll understand that. Yeah, I think the monks, I think the monks would be pretty cool with that, especially with your kids. But let's talk about Wemby and let's talk about what's going on in the West. Last night, a lot of people calling for unethical hoops happening. Okay. A lot of unethical hoops people are saying. And now you add in Hartenstein kind of coming in there roughing up Wemby all night. No, not only do you, you got the flopping on the one side, you got the bullying on the other side. And then you talk about just an entire team that is reigning champs, back to back MVP in a national narrative that is happening quickly, at least on the Internet. We assume the Internet indicates a little bit about society. People hate watching this team. What are your thoughts on the Western Conference and how this Oklahoma City team goes about doing what they do?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Well, I mean, they're the champs. And in order to beat the champs, you have to beat, beat the champs. Right. And so look again, WIMBY is something that we've never seen before. And he had to expect coming into that game last night that the Thunder was going to junk it up. Right. He had to expect it again. It's some areas that we do have to clean up. We talked about this, I believe. What was it about 10 days ago about. We have, we do have a floppy problem. Right. In, in the NBA, we have that. But OKC has established themselves over the last two years as a team defensively that is going to play with a different level of physicality. And so as an official, coming into those, coming into those, into the games, knowing that this team is going to be physical, they're going to play with a lot of activity for his deflections and steals. And Isaiah Hardenstein was a star in this role that was arguably, in my opinion, his best game of his postseason career.

[Pat McAfee]

He did some stuff to the Pacers last year. That's obviously how we get introduced to him quickly over here. But do you think this came about him saying to Dags, hey, I'll do it. I'll be the one that'll go do Wemby or whatever? Because a lot of the ex NBA guys were saying that Chet needs to say, I'll take that guy. Like a lot of ex NBA players are saying. That was the case because obviously the matchup in game one was not all the time on Chad. It was a lot on Caruso. Was finding himself guarding Wemb a lot. Do you think Hartenstein came out and said, I'll be the guy. I. I'll go in there and do it? And they thought it was a no lose situation because if he fouls, we got Chet still.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Yeah, well, if he fouls, you still got Jaylen Williams coming in off the bench. And I thought, check. I mean, Isaiah Hardenstein came with. In, into the game with the mindset of, I got six fouls and I'm willing to use all of them. Like, we gotta go out swinging. By the way, I'm to the point now where I've called out Chad plenty of times over the last since this series started, and he don't want that smoke. He don't want the smoke with you. I won't. No, he don't want that smoke with Wimpy.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, yeah, he.

[Kendrick Perkins]

He don't. He don't want that action. He don't want that action. And people's like, like, well, perk. He can't just. He can't just go in and just tell the coach he wants to, you know, go away from the game plan. I'm like, the hell if he can't. I played with Paul Pierce when we played LeBron James in the semifinals, and his assignment wasn't LeBron James defensively, but defensively. But I watched Paul Pierce come into the huddle in the fourth quarter and say, nah, Doc, I got them. I watched Paul Pierce in the. In the finals.

[Wayne Gretzky]

The truth.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Tell Doc Rivers that. Hey, no, Tony Allen, you don't have them no more. I got cold like you. That's what greats do if you really want the smoke. And at the end of the day, you live with the results. But I'm not seeing that energy from Chad Holmgren. Okay. And if you're not going to give me that energy defensively, I believe that Jalen Williams is out. We haven't heard the reports from Psalms yet, but when you think about him hurting at his hamstring again, I believe that he's going to be out. Okay, now we're looking at who's the second best player offensively for the Oklahoma City Thunder?

[Pat McAfee]

Caruso.

[AJ Hawk]

Yup.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Now, I will say Caruso been balling, by the way, but then I'm gonna get to him in a second. Chet was an all Star this year.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, okay.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Chet has to run. He has to raise his level of play offensively. Right now, he's somewhat displaying of what Jalen Durham was doing in the. In the playoffs for the Detroit Pistons. Eight, 13 points. That ain't gonna cut the mustard. But now let me say this real quick. Alex Caruso, the way that he's playing right now, he's entering the conversation of top 5 greatest role players to ever play the game of basketball.

[Tony Dungy]

Wow.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Real talk.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, so have you. Have you done the other four already? Do you have a top five?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Well, well, I. I know Robert or is number one big shot Robert or is number one. I'm going tell you that. And you got guys like Derek Fisher, who I believe has, what, five championships?

[Pat McAfee]

Ray Allen.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Ray Allen not a role player, Pat. He's not a role player.

[Conman]

The brawny was.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, but he was just three points. I mean, he.

[Conman]

But Ray was the guy.

[Pat McAfee]

But you're saying he's one of the stars. So role play, not star of team. Even though have specific role. Okay, so just. Can you describe role player to me from a basketball sport? Because I see Ray sitting there like this, and I see it falling in, and I'm like, oh, that role. Nailed it.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Like, role players never have a chance to. To, like, make All Star games. Right? Role players are guys that come in, you know, that are pieces to the puzzle for helping you win the championship. But it's like, all of a sudden, I wouldn't go that far. I wouldn't go that far. I definitely wouldn't go that far. I would think, like, along the lines of, for example, you will watch a guy like Derek Fisher in the regular season, and he will look like one of the worst point guards in the league. And then all of a sudden, when the playoffs come, yeah, he will look like a top five point point guard in the league. Like, his points per game will go from, like eight points to 16 points. And that's what I'm saying. Like, Alex Caruso is a guy that. You don't hear from him in the regular season too much. Oh, yeah, he cruising. He's still Being a star defensive stopper, a high motor guy. And then all of a sudden he hit this switch. And yes, we've been seeing him average 24 points in these. In these first two games in his Western Conference. But I always go back to last year, semifinals, Game 7 against Jokic. And it wasn't Wimby, it wasn't Isaiah Hardenstein, it was Alex Caruso that was guarding Jokic that was forcing him to turn over the ball. That was getting defensive stops. This man. Hey, look, he's one championship away of cracking that top five.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so we got Robert Horry, Derek Fisher.

[AJ]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Mike Miller.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Yeah, I like Mike Miller. You know what? We might could put you done as Haslam in there.

[Tony Dungy]

What about Bruce Bullen, Bill Wennington?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I'm not Bill. Who?

[AJ]

Luke Long?

[Tony Dungy]

What are you talking about?

[Pat McAfee]

Bill Weddington, Kirk Heidrick, Luke Longley.

[Kendrick Perkins]

No, no, You. You gotta have championships.

[Tony Dungy]

Bill Weddington, five of them.

[Pat McAfee]

Excuse me.

[Kendrick Perkins]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. We. We might have to like. I would put Steve Curry. No Big baby Davis.

[Pat McAfee]

How about Danny Green?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I like that.

[Conman]

Yeah, Great one.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I like that. I like that.

[Pat McAfee]

I definitely. I definitely thought of that. Not Bruce right there. Just saying, hey, Danny Green would be a winner. Also. Es pan guy. Awesome.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Hey, Pat Charms. That was great. That was great. Right?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. We're trying the hoops out here.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I like that. I like that.

[Pat McAfee]

We're just trying to do the hoops. Okay, let's pivot to the hoops. You know, there's a lot of people you've been kind of taking shots at. Okay. Over this basket, playoff run and people

[Kendrick Perkins]

you've been called me.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, well. And complimenting. You know, there's been. There hasn't been a lot of conversation about your compliments. There's certainly a lot of conversation about the things that you say negative about somebody that potentially becomes motivation for them to show up in a massive way. You said you were wondering if James Harden's heart was pumping blood or Kool Aid. That's what you said in that next game. He came out. I think he had 30 some. He went crazy. He looked like James Harden. It was an entire thing. And then there was a what? Chatter type conversation. It's very loud. About James Harden. Seemingly every single night that the Cleveland Cavaliers play. How do we feel about what's going to take take place in game two here? A 22 point kind of collapse is obviously heartbreaking. Do we think that Cleveland has a shot? What are your thoughts about how this

[Kendrick Perkins]

kind of works out well for James Harden? He's been horrible over the last three games. He was horrible in game six of last series. He was horrible in game seven of last series, and he was horrible in game one one. And here we are again. Different series, same story, Game one. More turnovers than made field goals. Okay, so he's not giving you nothing offensively. And then outside of that, big Brady Brunson was tearing his ass up seven of seven for eight and four in the fourth quarter in overtime when James Harden was defending him. And on top of that, that Mike Brown comes out and says, it's no secret we're searching out James Harden. And then Kenny Atkinson has the audacity and looks into the the camera and tells a bold face lie and says, oh, yeah, James Harden has been one of our best defenders. And I'm saying what? Do you understand that this is a national televised game? Do you understand that we could see this with our own two eyes? He's in Madison Square Garden on the biggest stage. And I'm gonna tell you this. Kenny Atkinson really needs to be careful on how much he protects James Harden, because at this point, he's protecting James Harden more so than he is actually coaching, because you gotta do what's best for the team at this point in the postseason. It's about facts over feelings. I don't have. You don't have time to cater to one person. You gotta find ways to win games. You have Dennis Schroeder over there, who is drooling at the mouth to get some of that action at Jalen Bronson defensively, who is known as the defensive piss, who is known as a instigator and not a retaliator. Look at this. Jalen Brunson just in his bag. He knew it. Like, oh, yeah, we got James Harden.

[Pat McAfee]

Let me cook 21 times. Allegedly, they ran a pick and roll to get James Harden isolated there and then every so single time, obviously, it would go on to become one of the most historic comebacks in playoff history, especially at Madison Square Garden, as the place comes completely alive. And the Coach Atkinson thing, I'm happy you brought that up, because we had some questions as well. And then we just assumed that he was gassing up James Harden, like, he was letting him know. And then now the messaging seemingly coming out from the Cavaliers is, hey, was three and a half good? Hey, three quarters of great basketball. We crush him. That's what they're kind of. Is he a super positive guy? Is he like, hey, this will keep James Harden engaged if I continue to publicly like, kind of get his back because Kendrick Perkins is on air saying this guy's got Kool Aid pumping through his heart and he can't do it. Do you think he's maybe going to bat for his guy? And is that how James Harden responds best? Like, what are your kind of thoughts of his strategy here, Simuli? Which it certainly is because we all saw the same thing.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Or is he playing the politics game? Which one is it?

[Pat McAfee]

What do you mean by that?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Is it because. Is it because they verbally agreed that they're going to give James Harden a contract extension? Is it coming from the top or is it coming from Kenny Atkinson? If it's about winning basketball, then at some point. Do you know how many times, by the way, Kenny Atkinson went home with a whole lot of timeouts in that game that he could have called to stop the bleeding. Kenny Atkinson also could have called a whole lot of time out to subs to substitute defense for offense. Did Kenny Atkinson do that? Absolutely not. He continued to let the Knicks do what the head, whatever they wanted to do. Get isolation made. No type of adjustments. Donovan Mitchell, I believe shot the ball maybe twice, if I'm correct, or didn't touch, didn't take a shot. After the 8 minute mark, like 8 minutes and 32 seconds is left in the game.

[Pat McAfee]

He.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I don't believe he took a shot. He didn't take a shot.

[Pat McAfee]

He's got an array of ways to score too.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Oh, there we go. There we go.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, here it is.

[Kendrick Perkins]

What is it? Miss, miss, miss. Yeah, but he didn't have the ball in his hands enough. Donovan Mitchell is still the number one option past it. Is he, Is he not?

[Pat McAfee]

Well, in our eyes, he is he also from the area, I mean, and now they're, they're showing, showing stats about Donovan Mitchell that not good perk. What you mean this one right here? I don't even want to read it because if people can hear, I don't think they should be able to hear it. But if they're at an airport or a cafe, they can certainly see that's a terrible stat. That is a. That is a terrible stat. Nobody wants that stat, especially in the big time games. Especially a guy who is in a city, Obviously that's all LeBron James who is still playing be able to do what he was able to do there. That is kind of the weight that Spider has as a Cleveland Cavalier. They're talking about this first time in his career he's gotten as far this first time this Boston Indiana heartbreak. Heartbreak. Cleveland Cavaliers fans Still showing up expecting greatness. Now he's hearing that happens for game one. Oh, Jesus.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Jesus.

[Kendrick Perkins]

You know what I. You know what I didn't see from the Cavs during that run? During that time? They was fold folding like lawn chairs. I didn't. I didn't see leadership. I didn't see leadership on the floor, and I didn't see leadership on the sideline. Did anybody saw any type of communication? Anybody saw anybody. Somebody trying to rally the troops together and having a. A quick meeting, doing dead balls or free throws? Did anybody. Did we see any type of energy? We saw it from the Knicks. We saw it from Jaylen Bronson there. Go right there. We saw. Look, that. That's. That's what togetherness look like. Like, that's what. That's what a true leader look like right there. Not just going out there and busting their behinds on the floor. But look at that. Yeah, I'm pouring it to my guys. I'm pouring it to my guys. Coach, you don't even have to say nothing. I got this.

[Pat McAfee]

Now, speaking of coach saying something, seems like he's got championship pedigree as well. He was trying to get the timeout, actually, at the very end. He was on top of it through and through. He's been there, done that. AJ Has a question about. About the other side of coach.

[AJ]

Yeah. Perk. What do you. What do you think? Coach Mike Brown, obviously, he's. He's jumping up. I believe he popped a calf. He's worried he might have almost tore his Achilles. Is that gonna have any kind of impact here moving forward in game, too? And also, like, second part of that. What are you supposed to do if you're the Knicks and you have that or you're that far behind? I'm sorry. I'm talking about playing with a lead. I just got. I got all kind of discombobulated on you, Perkins. I may just had a stroke. I was going to jump back because you want to know why I'm so pissed off about this Hartenstein situation? Going back to the other game, are you able to send in. I don't want to ask that question about Mike Brown.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Are they.

[AJ]

Are you able to send in clips? You know, in the NFL Perk, you can send it, say you lose a game or say a game happens. Head coach sends in clips to the referees, to the league saying, hey, watch this. We feel like you missed this. Can. Can Mitch send these clips in of Hardenstein grabbing Wemby's arm and doing all this? And do you Think the officiating changes next game.

[Pat McAfee]

I like where we're at, A.J.

[Kendrick Perkins]

i like and I like that. And I'm pretty sure that the spurs being the first class organization that they are being one of the best organizations in sports that they already. Those clips were sent in right after the game, to be honest. Which if not doing the game, those clips will be sent in. And, and guess what, Isaiah Hardenstein, sorry to tell you, brother, but you're not going to be able to get away with that in game three.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. You think there's going to be an adjustment? Done. You think there's going to be an adjustment?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I wouldn't say adjustment, but I mean, listen, they're going to, the, the officials are going to come into the game and they're going to watch that matchup. They're going to keep a close eye on that matchup. They're going to allow them to be physical. But I guarantee you, you, they're going to set the tone early if any of this happens throughout the course of the game. Yeah, I mean, at the start of

[Pat McAfee]

the game, the officiating, hey, the officiating is always a combo with Oklahoma City. Is that always how it's going to be with the top teams? Is that always going to be the case?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I will say this now, Isaiah Hardenstein, you have to be prepared because you are now the villain going into San Antonio. You need to be prepared to get boosted. Move. But I'm not mad at him. I. Look, I was a guy that actually did this. You know how much film they probably. You know how many people snitched on me throughout the course of my, throughout the course of my NBA career. I mean, I played that way. Seriously. I mean, you got to jump the game up. But he won't be, he won't be able to get away with that in game.

[Pat McAfee]

I love that we got Wemby battling through. We're watching him like battle through things in real time. Like, all right, now you got a goon on. He's strictly just out here.

[AJ]

One thing, though, don't you think? One thing is being physical, pushing around, not let him get towards who. But hooking the arm and like almost dislocating the elbow. That's what I feel like. I can't believe that wasn't called more.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, well, there's.

[Kendrick Perkins]

But.

[Pat McAfee]

Go ahead, Park.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Yeah, but, but A.J. you, you know, like, like when you're a big man, I look at it like offensive lineman and defensive lineman. Like you go you in the trenches. Like, let's not act like in in the NFL, it's not some things that go on when you in the trenches. Let's not act like when the running back gets tackled and it's a pile of guys. It's not some stuff that's going on in, in that pile. You know what I'm saying? You in the trenches?

[Pat McAfee]

Well, I mean, I think though the fact that he's so thin, okay, so we've seen really tall thin guys before and I don't think there's ever been as much banging allowed because they are like shooters, right. So they kind of get treated differently. He gets treated like a big, big man down there with the refs and how he bangs down there. I, I don't think that is just natural for us as a viewer to see because of how thin he is. But it's like old school basketball. Whenever he's down there, obviously last night, certainly, but the amount of, I mean that's why his arms all kind of scarred up. That's why he elbowed that guy in the thing because he gets hit a lot and usually very thin. Basketball players, just from my perspective are shooters. So any contact at all is normally a contact. It feels like he very rarely is getting any. And there's a lot of contact happening in basketball. Feels like.

[Kendrick Perkins]

But that's, that's why he went down there with the monks, to be prepared for stuff like this. He's 7 5. This is just the start of what's about to happen to Wimy. And going forward, guys have no choice but to try to junk up the game. Guys has no, they have no choice but to try to get inside his head and play with a different level of physical. Physicality. But the Spurs, I guarantee you, they sent the film in coming going into game three. The officials will keep a close eye out on that situation.

[Pat McAfee]

You're not going to tell tiny brothers what the call.

[Conman]

No, you will not.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. We all, we all do. We know who's refing tonight. Do we have the crew name for this evening? That matters, right? How they call. They all call the game differently or they all try to call it simile. What is the ref.

[Kendrick Perkins]

No, I, I think, I think when you have guys like Tony Brothers and Scott Foster as a player, you just know it's zero tolerance. When I say zero tolerance is like, you know, you can't approach them. They're going to take control. You got to stay in the moment. There's no complaining. Like it's, it's one of them moments, right. When you have a veteran crew, it's Zero tolerance. Like in these moments though, you want a veteran crew crew because you want a crew that, that has experience, that's not going to overreact, you know, to the fan base, the loud environment, right? That's going to stay in the moment and also that is not starstruck, right? You want those guys who are going to call the same calls on, on the superstars that they would do on role players.

[Pat McAfee]

I think Wemby's people are saying, let's do a little bit more of that. Let's do a little bit more of the proper calls. Obviously, Oklahoma City wins the free throw battle last. A lot of people saying it's because of flopping. Wemby almost got in foul trouble, had to review two of them early against him. Clean block on Chess, putting a roof on him. Basically just did one of these on that and then obviously the other play gets clear there. Special time for basketball feels like. And are we at the end of an era? So many different thoughts about what's happening with Braun. James. Go ahead, con man.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, Perk. It's kind of circulating that LeBron could, could if he were to leave LA, take a vet min or some sort of $15 million, one year deal, two year deal and you know, go somewhere else. And a lot of people have kind of thought, hey, LeBron, if he does leave, could go to a Cleveland, kind of go back home, help them get over the hump. What do you think about LeBron? I know that you feel pretty bullish about him possibly joining the Clippers. So maybe we see him over there. Or do you think he's just going to end up going back to Lakers?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I actually think the, I actually think Braun, if it's. Look, if it's Braun last year, I would love to see Braun in New York in the Knicks uniform if it's his last year. Can you imagine the money that's going to be made? Can you imagine how much money the NBA is going to make? Even if he goes to the Knicks on the vet minimum, you know how much money he's going to make outside of basketball. Like, like that would be, that would be so legendary. But again, we don't know what's, we don't know what's next for Braun. I would love to see him really go back home where it all started at, right? Again, me and LeBron, we go back like four flats on the Cadillac. We go all the way back to middle school days when we were going at it when he was playing for the Ohio Shooting Stars and I was playing for the Houston Hoops. Right. To us teaming up and playing for the Oakland Soldiers together, you know, in AAU basketball. To us playing the McDonald's All American Game in Cleveland, him winning MVP, the dunk contest. So again, I just would like for him to go back where it all started. I think it would be a perfect ending. And on top of that, he would actually have. He would actually have a chance to. To go out, to actually have a legit shot at winning the NBA championship on his way out. I don't think LeBron James retired after next year, to be honest. I think he got two or three more years left in the tank.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, so two or three more years. It would be nice to see him play in a place where, you know, he's already donned the jersey. Your cell for the New York Knicks. Sounds like that's your dream location. But then you also said. You also said, I would like it to be Cleveland. You kind of were saying New York would be sick. If you think about him in Madison Square Garden, Jalen Brunson, they got the entire team. Obviously his relationship with a lot of big time figures in New York is gigantic. Him playing for the Knicks, huge for the history of the game. And also playing for the Lakers, he would be everywhere. Him and Ben Stiller. I mean, we're talking old school sprite commercials with LeBron coming all the way back, being directed by. Yeah, Action. Bronson's obviously putting out an entire new album and movie about it. Yeah, I. That's what you. You had a lot of thoughts about that. Then you were like. But if you really want to know where I think it is, Cleveland would be nice. I appreciate what you did there. I appreciate what you did there. I had.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I had a. I had the AJ Moment.

[Pat McAfee]

Ah, you're the best. Burke, you want to pick tonight's game or.

[Conman]

No?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I got the date.

[Tony Dungy]

Knicks.

[Conman]

Okay.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I got the Knicks.

[Pat McAfee]

You.

[Kendrick Perkins]

You asking me if I. If I trust what I saw.

[Pat McAfee]

Huh?

[AJ]

But how much?

[Kendrick Perkins]

About 10.

[AJ Hawk]

What about the hockey.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. What about hockey game?

[AJ]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Big one. Canadiens, Canes tonight in Carolina, obviously. The Canes.

[Kendrick Perkins]

What's the. What's the series?

[Pat McAfee]

This first game? The Carolina Hurricanes have not lost in the playoffs yet. The Canadiens just got out of a set seven game series with the Buffalo Sabres. This is the first game. Go ahead.

[Kendrick Perkins]

When was the seven. When did the seven game series in?

[Pat McAfee]

Three days ago.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I'm gonna go with. I'm gonna go with the Canadiens.

[Pat McAfee]

Wow. I don't like that. Okay. They're saying Carolina's got a Tough barn. But wait until you. Have you watched any of these games at all?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Perk, you want me to be honest with you?

[Pat McAfee]

Yes, Pat.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I hadn't had the chance, man. Yeah, I've been work. I've been. Listen, I've been flying. I've been working. So much damage.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I got to get naps in before I watch the whole entire game. You know, I mean, I got to make sure I do my homework, but I'm trying to expand a little bit more. Okay. Outside my comfort zone.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, the Canadiens would be a good team for you just to pick up. Wait until you see their fan base. Their fan base is absurd.

[Kendrick Perkins]

You know what's crazy? I never been to a hockey game. I was supposed to when I was.

[Pat McAfee]

Dude, this is them. You need to see this. So this is in Montreal. Okay. So the way that Wayne Gretzky, who was on the show earlier, who's the greatest hockey player of all time from Canada, he talks about the Montreal Canadiens basically being viewed as like the Yankees in Canada. Oh, this is an away game. This is just a watch along happening in their arena. The Bell center or whatever up there they are, are a. A starving very, very good franchise and fan base that if you were to pick that, this would be a good time to pick them up as your team perk. This would be a good time and watch their games. It's going to be electric.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Well, let me go ahead and jump on the bandwagon. Let me go ahead. Yeah, I'm going. Go ahead and do that.

[Tony Dungy]

Get to a game.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Canadians to the top, baby.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, do the hockey.

[PK Subban]

Perk.

[Pat McAfee]

You're the best. Ladies and gentlemen, Kendrick Marcus. Okay. I'm excited for him to happen upon a Canadian tiling. There they go. I can't wait.

[AJ Hawk]

My boy.

[Pat McAfee]

A.J. you all right, man? We're proud of you.

[AJ]

I'm doing great.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I just.

[AJ]

I couldn't.

[Conman]

I.

[AJ]

The Hardenstein situation, I had to get to it.

[Pat McAfee]

So you were just brewing over there that entire time?

[AJ]

I mean, I just. I just thought, like, maybe I thought Mitch should have worked the refs a little bit more. I feel like the second half maybe. He said a few times.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah, he wasn't happy at all.

[Conman]

You know, Tony Brothers, you don't want to hear it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he. No nonsense, obviously, in that whole thing. Couple news stories that we have to hit before we jump into hockey with legendary Montreal canadien Jerry Jones on the international wear and tear. He says it's less than a night out, so these kids don't even really drink any anymore. So they don't even know what it's like. Me and the boys, we used to two kegger next day. Yeah, right. We're hungover for 17 hours. Maybe we, you know, hop right back on the wagon. Maybe we. Maybe we do a little hair of the dog, the next boy. Maybe have some magic beers to get back into it. But the wear and tear of aviation in 2026, come on. Absolutely nothing to a bottle with whiskey in 1985. So I don't even want to hear it. So he's done with it, I think. Jerry, obviously big international proponent, obviously, because that is how the big business is. AJ have you changed your thoughts on these international games? Because I'm gonna let you know I'm in on them. Let's take. Let's send more over there. Come on, man.

[AJ Hawk]

Welcome.

[AJ]

I'm fine with it. My favorite is the. The last part of that where Jerry says, stop, stop. Don't act like they'd be back at home resting in bed, resting up. Like. He's got a point there. He really does. I mean, I understand that part of it, but whether you agree or not, it's happening, and it's only going to expand overseas. There's going to be a Super bowl some someday that's not played in America, I would imagine. So whether you like it or not, we got to figure it out.

[Pat McAfee]

I think a lot of us would be more okay with a Super bowl being played overseas than like Steelers, Ravens, or Packers, Bears.

[Tony Dungy]

Can you imagine the super bowl being on it like. Like 9am though, on Sunday? Like, that pissed me off big time.

[Conman]

That's what it would be.

[Pat McAfee]

Big time. No, no. They would make them do it late, just like Australia.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Tony Dungy]

The guys are playing at 1am Just

[Pat McAfee]

like they did with the UFC, whatever they're doing. I guess there are some time constraints, but obviously other sports have figured it out. The international growth is only going to be expedited through the Olympics. With flag football, there's more states getting legalized and more flag football getting approved. I believe it's going to become a college sport, which means, obviously, I don't know how they're going to afford it. Okay. Because this is an Olympic sport, technically, flag football would be an Olympic sport. Obviously, it is football, which is good for everything, so hopefully it'll get marketed well. But it is an Olympic sport. A lot of Olympic sports at a lot of places are kind of getting the squeeze right now. So I'll be eager to see how flag football kind of fits into an ncaa, into a college. Universities Budget especially as we're in state. A new NIO world. But if this becomes a viable option for both men and women for college and this becomes a whole nother avenue of entertainment for flag football. The international growth is only going to grow from all this because it's a lot easier to play flag football than it is play tackle football. So I think you need to get ready to go watch the Steelers take on the Ravens right over there and maybe Bell digs. I think that's around the corner. Basically what they said yesterday. Today I. I'm cool with sending all

[Conman]

the flag games to international. I think that's a good idea. I like what you just did there.

[Pat McAfee]

Like what the fanatics super flag fest was.

[Conman]

Yeah. And in college those sports may make money because it's football and people would actually maybe go watch them.

[Pat McAfee]

Got to build good proper stadiums. You can't be having them in the 65 70.

[Tony Dungy]

No.

[Conman]

You got to play them in the soccer stadium or whatever.

[Pat McAfee]

You said flag's tough to watch. Really. It's like pickle ball, pickleball. Tough to watch.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

I wouldn't watch it. Yeah. People.

[AJ]

I mean obviously it's. It's a different. It's not the same sport as that we're normally watching football. But. Yeah, I don't know. I. Yeah, it's tough to watch.

[Pat McAfee]

For me, the. The penthouse to outhouse move that they do is cool to watch.

[Tony Dungy]

It is.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

The elevator.

[Pat McAfee]

But I just. I just think the way the game is, it's a little bit too free flowy. It feels like you're watching kind of lacrosse. That's kind of taking place out there. Don't. It is football. But is it football? There's different rules. It feels like it's live too. There's always music playing. It feels like whatever it is. Yeah. So it's like kind of hard to you know, like feel like it is a big time. But I do think the sport of football will reign supreme in entertainment value whenever it comes to that. So I hope that it continues to grow. Okay. Speaking of growing hockey, obviously huge night tonight is the eastern tips are puck drops. And we saw that big perk is obviously riding with the Canadiens. He's not the only one, ladies and gentlemen. Joining us now is a man who's a 13 year NHL vet and has been on television basically for the last last three weeks every single day telling people how great hockey is. He's also up in Montreal seemingly having one. Ladies and gentlemen, PK Subat.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

How you doing pk?

[PK Subban]

The boys how are you going on?

[Pat McAfee]

Did you see Big Perk? Did you see Big Perk? Just signed up to be a Canadiens fan. I think it's a good time to do that.

[PK Subban]

I did. I just actually saw Big Perk the other day when I went over to do get up and, I mean, he's so much bigger in person. My goodness, he's a big man. But we'll take Perk. I can't believe he's never been to a hockey game, though.

[Conman]

You got to take.

[PK Subban]

We got to change that. We got to change that. I would definitely love to see him watch a little bit more hockey. His perspective is always intriguing and interesting, and he's a fun guy, so we'll definitely love to have him on the hockey side.

[Pat McAfee]

I can't wait to get Perk into the sport. This series.

[PK Subban]

Let's go, Perk.

[Pat McAfee]

This series is a good time to get involved because I. Obviously, both environments are going to be outrageous. You were early on in the. Hey, boys. The home ice good for the show. It's not. Doesn't really matter on the ice for the Hurricanes. It has, though. They've kind of just been dominating at home and all. Jackie Hughes came out and said, Carolina tough, E.J. you know, big Hornel, he said this morning that it feels like you're on a down escalator trying to walk up whenever you try to battle against the Caniac down there. That's how good their barn is. Montreal obviously very used to that. With how loud their place is. What do you expect from this game and how do you think this thing kind of gets started for this whole Eastern Conference finals?

[PK Subban]

Well, I expect Montreal to come out playing a connected game. They know they're going to have to be the faster team in this series just because Carolina has been faster than everybody all year long. I mean, on their fore check, their forecheck is not something that you really want to play with. So for all the work coming out of Montreal is we got to play our game. You know, we're a skilled, you know, quick, fast team and explosive team. Well, we got to see that because at different times, even through the first and the second round, they did not look that skilled. They did not look that explosive. They look like they were sort of a fish out of water on their heels. I don't think they can afford to do that to a Carolina team that is so used to rolling four lines and rolling on teams. I think Montreal does have to find their game in this series, and I think it starts tonight.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, I'm excited To see Montreal do that. We will never get a non biased take from this man. We are excited to watch the Kaniaks kind of. Nope. This guy was shirtless up there with them, that's all. Yeah, he was up there in the middle of Montreal. He was speaking French with me. Speaking.

[PK Subban]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Do you know French? Oui, oui. Sava tui.

[PK Subban]

Bremon Belle Me.

[Pat McAfee]

You're talking to me. No, no, you're talking. You just called me beautiful, I think. Right? Is that what you just said?

[PK Subban]

I was talking to somebody, you know.

[AJ Hawk]

Thank you.

[PK Subban]

Thank you.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, merci beaucoup. Merci beaucoup. Yeah. Some bell out there or. Mademoiselle certainly heard that thing loud and clear. You're the best. You're the absolute best, bk. Okay, let's move to the west shell that way. There's Tone Digs with a question for you.

[Conman]

Yeah, pk, obviously, VGK gets a huge win last night. Mitch Marner with an absolutely insane assist. He is on fire.

[Pat McAfee]

How.

[Conman]

How is Toronto handling this after.

[PK Subban]

Great question.

[Conman]

Thank you.

[AJ]

How's.

[Conman]

For people that don't know, Toronto basically blamed Marner for all their playoff drought or. Or in inefficiencies. And then he comes over and just. Just on fire with the Knights. So how do you think Mitch feels and how does Toronto feel?

[PK Subban]

Well, I'm glad you asked me the question because I was going to bring it up anyway. I want all the smoke from everybody from Toronto because I said it and I'm going to say it again. He's an all world talent. And you know, I think that at some point it's going to pass because it has to pass. The Toronto Maple Leafs had to change up that culture of that team. And maybe Mitch wasn't the right player. I certainly didn't think he was the guy that they should be getting rid of. But I'm going to tell you something. When you take that type of talent and you mix it with championship pedigree in Vegas and then add a championship pedigree coach in John Tortorella, like, this is that. This is what you get, right? And he's absolutely filthy. He's disgusting. The plays that he makes, I know that these ones are ending up in the back of the net. But guys, he's making a ton of these plays every shift and you know, the game, you're gonna notice these things and. And I certainly have been noticing them. I noticed them before he was playing in the National Hockey League. I noticed them when he was doing them against me. And I'm definitely seeing it now watching.

[Pat McAfee]

Hot.

[PK Subban]

Look at this. Like, my goodness, what is that?

[Tony Dungy]

Filthy.

[PK Subban]

How did he see him there?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, you know what they say, real, recognize real. And you and Marner are not strangers at all there. If you know Paul, you kind of know Puck. You kind of know that every shift he's doing these types of things.

[Tony Dungy]

It's silky.

[Pat McAfee]

It's not. Not just the ones with apples and goals attached to him. It's every time he's on the ice, he's making the right decision. Is that what you're saying, PK about Mitch Marner? Was he doing this in Toronto or is he significantly better now?

[PK Subban]

Well, you know, ask Auston Matthews, because, you know, no one benefited more from playing with Mitch Marner than Auston Matthews. It's not that he's not a 70 goal scorer without it. He may not be, though. If you don't have Mitch Marner, you need to have someone like him when you're a goal scorer. And Auston Matthews knows how valuable he is as a player. And it's not because of his size. It's how he sees the ice. It's hockey IQ. It's on the level with guys like McDavid, Crosby, McKinnon. This is one of the smartest players in the league, if not the smartest offensively because of his size, his spacing, understanding how to get in between defenses. Look at this understanding how to use bodies as screens and throw goaltenders up. He's exceptional at it. He's a. He's a small dog playing a big dog's game.

[Pat McAfee]

EJ said that these guys now, they're such talented skaters. It doesn't really matter the size because their shoulders, their stick and their hips are all telling a different story as they're skating. So they can create space by making you go a different direction. It's like he said. I think he said they're doing the Macarena across the entire thing. She don't know what to read. So even though they're undersized, it's hard to know where the. Where the hell they're going. I guess that's crazy to think about the minor details of that all, what you have to do. Saw it with Quinn Hughes as well. It's like it feels like if you're an incredible skater, all of a sudden, you can play anywhere out there and kind of avoid the big hits.

[PK Subban]

Great, great point your edges and the use of your edges. You got your inside and your outside edge. Quinn Hughes, Mitch Marner, Honor McDavid, Al Makar, Nathan McKinnon are exceptional from going from their inside to outside edges. No matter what they're doing, whether they're skating straight and they got to stop and start, whether they're turning, whether they're pivoting to backwards. Nobody in the league. Sidney Crosby, add him to that list. Right. All of those guys are exceptional at controlling their edges. Mitch might be one of the best at it because he can literally go heel to heel and go in a straight line. So think about that. If you can go down the ice heel to heel with your skate, okay, so essentially, these are the heels. If you're going. Wait, let me angle it. So heel to heel like this. You got to have loose hips in order to do that. Mitch Marner's got some special hips. You'll see him when his hips. He goes heel to heel skate, and he opens up. It allows him to go in a straight line while still seeing the whole life in front of them. So it's. It's pretty special to be able to do that.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. It's kind of how talk runs.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Obviously, it's two different outcomes. If I had to. If I had to say, that's P.K. saban and A.J. hawk, the boys are all here. Evan Fox just went to dump his pants. We will continue on Digital Sports center takes it from here. We'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye. Okay, so we're still live. PK Evan Fox with about 45 seconds left in that first hour. About 15615 or something drops into my ear. I'm about to shit my pants. Sitting in Zito. Way to jump in there. A lot of action quick, Z. A lot of action quick there towards the end. And we are pulling for Foxy. And the toilet. And the toilet, obviously. So there was a lot of chaos over here, pk as you were talking about heel to heal there as it was taking place. Foxy might right now be here. What's that?

[Conman]

He did apologize right before the show when he was walking into the back room, he heated up his food and then walked in the back room and said, sorry, boys. I think it was some stinky, stinky food. I. I don't think it sat right. Right.

[Pat McAfee]

That on the street is extra stinky food. I'll tell you what. We got the office issues. You know, somebody goes to the microwave, cooks up salmon, just ruins the whole place.

[AJ Hawk]

Onions.

[Pat McAfee]

Thanks for doing it. Thank you. There's been things that have been banned from our office a couple different times, you know, because their situation.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[AJ]

I think fish should be banned. Fish in the Microwave should probably be banned.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, it depends.

[PK Subban]

Well, I eat salmon all the time. I eat every single game at espn. I eat it all the time. I warm it up in the microwave.

[Pat McAfee]

Can you eat it cold? What do you do? Do you blow it on people too?

[PK Subban]

Do you go, like, so I'm the stinky guy now? So I'm probably known as the stinky guy is what you say on ESPN camp.

[Pat McAfee]

What I'm saying is I think they love you because your energy and everything that you do. But every time you do that, they go, this guy, again with the fucking fish. You know, Geez Louise. We all have to kind of. We all. And now we're all eating fish.

[Tony Dungy]

P you sub.

[Pat McAfee]

But also, you just can't. Yeah, that is. That is what they're saying. P you suban.

[PK Subban]

Unbelievable.

[Pat McAfee]

But it's a big campus there. That's a big campus. So I assume it is.

[AJ Hawk]

So a lot of people know.

[Pat McAfee]

No. Word spreads fast.

[Wayne Gretzky]

I cook it.

[PK Subban]

Hold on. I cook it the same day. So it's not in the microwave that long. Like if you're heating something up five minutes and you're really like, come on. It's. It's. It's a 45 second to a minute heat.

[AJ Hawk]

That's enough.

[PK Subban]

You're getting a quick blast of fish. You're not getting the whole.

[Pat McAfee]

What do you think? You think somebody's slow roasting salmon in our office? They're doing a minute and a half, two minutes. I think every office is about a minute and a half, two minute reheat of fish if that is taking place. And yes, everybody knows that you're doing it. Everybody's so happy. You're so healthy. You get your fish oils. We're all so happy for you. We got a guy here who's coming off a fractured ankle.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay. And he's gonna.

[PK Subban]

Oh, no.

[Pat McAfee]

He's gonna be trying to get back into. You know.

[AJ]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

He's staring at another one because he

[Pat McAfee]

started walking on it early. Yeah, well, he's pretty comfortable right now. His hips are certainly gonna be fucked. But he had crutches and he was carrying them. I didn't know that was how those go. And then his boot. He had just been walking with it naturally, but he's gonna be doing a lot of the salmon and the protein. Shit.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Yep.

[Conman]

Have to.

[Pat McAfee]

And we're gonna be a part of his job.

[PK Subban]

Pedaling. Gotta do the pedaling thing too. You know that pedal machine that you gotta do when your ankle banged up?

[Pat McAfee]

No. What, sitting down?

[PK Subban]

Yeah. So in hockey like if. I don't know if you guys have ever seen it, but there's this. I don't know the name of the machine, but if you ever injured like your leg or your ankle and you couldn't skate, for instance, you'd get on this pedal machine. You just pedal with your hands. You'd be sitting there and that's how you would get your cardio in.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, cardio sucks so bad. I need to do that right now because my knees. A.J. this might be. What, because A.J. does this one right? Don't you do the Versamax.

[AJ]

Versa. Yeah, Versa climber.

[Pat McAfee]

I like that. You didn't want to say your name first, but you kind of did. No, you kind of did.

[PK Subban]

I did, but you went with AJ Instead.

[Pat McAfee]

That was nice of you. Okay, let's pick the game tonight. Please, sir, pick up the game this evening. Do you think the Canes come out of this long, long break after sweeping the first two series, Rusty, or do you think they are a buzzsaw at home as Montreal might be a little bit tired after a tough seven game grueling battle with Buffalo?

[PK Subban]

No, I think Montreal wins this game one. I do think Montreal wins game one. And I think that they win this game. I'm going to go OR two.

[AJ Hawk]

Whoa.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay, we're doing exact scores. I like that. And let's go. Let's go to hoops. You're obviously in the building in Madison Square Garden watching an epic comeback. I assume you're going to be biased towards the Knicks as well, so you can still do all the cool things that you get to do in New York. Is that how we're viewing game two this evening?

[PK Subban]

Well, you know, I, I listen, I've gotten some heat before going to msg, so sometimes I do go in there and I get a little bit of heat with what I do say, so. So I still got to call it down the fairway, Pat, you know that. But I am and have become a Knicks fan. I am a Knicks fan. I have to say that it's one of the hard. It's hard work that I admire about the Knicks team. They leave it all on the court. So it's worth my time to go and watch them at the Garden. That's why I always show up. But now they got some star talent in Brunson and Towns. But Brunson, my, like, my God, I have to go back tonight. I have to go back and watch it with a chance to be a witness again of watching this guy take over a game and embarrass the team in the playoffs. It was so special to watch that performance. It really was.

[Pat McAfee]

He never misses. That's what I learned whenever he was playing.

[PK Subban]

The braids are going, Pat, the braids are going. And he's got this going too. He gets a little bit of this going too. But it's when it's how he gets in between the defenses, whether it's the teardrop, whether he pulls up his mid range game, he'll shoot the three, he doesn't care. He'll cross you over and then he'll penetrate, he'll dish like he, he beats you so many different ways. So when I get asked the question of how do you rebound after blowing 22 points with seven minutes left to go in a game? And I'm saying, well, well, first you got to figure out how to put this guy on a leash like this. He's a dog. This guy's eating you alive. And you guys are talking about like how you bounce back. Well, you guys got to figure out how to stop him.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[PK Subban]

And that's where the focus should have been because my goodness, he was, he was special down the stretch for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he's been like this too. He is very worthy of a title, I would say. Yes, he is very worthy of a title in the way he operates. Being one of the faces of New York, would become king of New York if he won for the Knicks, obviously. But the way he handles that type of pressure, Spectacular.

[PK Subban]

I mean, yeah, he does. And I want to. There's one other guy I want to talk about because I was super impressed. Was Mikhail Bridges. Just his defensive. Just how he stepped up in the game when guys got into foul trouble. No, I'm being honest. He was, he was a dog on defense. I loved just how he competed on Harden. He stepped up in those big moments. I could see that the team was rallying around it as well, which was pretty awesome to see. So I got to give him some love for sure.

[Pat McAfee]

Basketball pundit, NHL analyst, ladies and gentlemen, that's P.K. suban. Hey, are you on TV? Are you on TV tonight?

[PK Subban]

No, no, no, no TV tonight. I'll be at the Knicks game and I'm going to have the Habs game on my phone. So I'll be tuning in back and forth. I'm going to be watching it tonight. That's what I'll be doing.

[Pat McAfee]

Did we get a full workout in and soak in and everything today or.

[PK Subban]

No, I did, I did legs today. Really kicked my ass. Kicked my butt today. I did. Had Bromp jumps.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah.

[PK Subban]

Had the hack squat leg extensions today, so. Really got into the glutes and hammies. Fat.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. I need to keep those for stability.

[PK Subban]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Big cans. Massage.

[AJ]

Massage coming up now or what?

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, when's the massage?

[PK Subban]

I got the Epsom salt bath next because I. Cause I walked back from the gym in the rain today, so I gotta. I'm gonna get in the Epsom salt bath. Just really chill things out and then. Yeah. See where the day takes me from there.

[AJ Hawk]

Dinner at Emilio's.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, Maybe stop by Emilio's. Oh, yeah.

[PK Subban]

Yeah. That's standard. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

100.

[Conman]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

What an honor for you to be able to say that. Just be able to stop by me.

[PK Subban]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's get something to feel Parmesan.

[AJ Hawk]

That's all.

[PK Subban]

Why not? It's the best place, the best vibe, best place. I have to stop by and show love every day.

[Pat McAfee]

Shout out to Mario. This kid was dressed well. Yeah, he was unbelievable. Service was perfect. You like some more? That's more. Yeah, yeah, he was hair.

[PK Subban]

Shout out to Junior. Shout out to the whole. Whole crew. Anthony Carmine, everybody.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, we got. Say gazi to them for sure. All right. You're the man. Good luck out there. P. Saban. Yeah, P. Of course. He's salmon.

[AJ]

Is he bringing his own into the espn?

[Pat McAfee]

He said he was probably in a backpack. He probably has a super cool bag

[AJ Hawk]

still on the fishing line some.

[Conman]

Yeah, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Gets it out of the Hudson. It has the. The paper wrapping around. Yeah, he just caught it maybe on the way in. He was walking and somebody throws it. He catches it, puts it in some absurd bag with the head and the tail sticking out of it.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. Big go.

[Pat McAfee]

He's listening to the James

[AJ Hawk]

Scales it

[Wayne Gretzky]

in front of me.

[PK Subban]

Killing me, man.

[Pat McAfee]

No, no, no, no.

[AJ Hawk]

Moose starts the fire.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Moose Messier has a flint. He starts the fire right underneath the table.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, he certainly. Steve Levy. Somebody in there says fish again, huh? You know, I gotta do it.

[Conman]

Definitely leaves.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, certainly. All right. Speaking of, Steve Levy sent a text while. Either. While we were talking to Ueno or after we're talking to Ueno and he said, best wayo stat is if you eliminated all of his goals, he would still have the most points in the history or something like that. It's like Wayne was the guy. He was on. Wayne Gretzky, huh? This guy. Wayne Gretzky. This guy's good at all.

[PK Subban]

Hey, guys, when. When people try to talk about McDavid and like, like talk about him being better, like no one's ever going to Be better than Gretzky. Like. Like the conversation. There's certain. Certain conversations that we shouldn't have to have. Like, you know, like the Jordan conversation, the Gretzky conversation. Like, we should kind of be putting those to bed. Like, no one's ever going to be better than Wayne Gretzky. It's just not going to happen. Like, and records are meant to be broken. The game changes, rules change, we get all that stats going to change. But Wayne Gretzky, the great one, like, come on, man. What are we talking about? I don't even have to go on about this. It just put that to bed. It's Wayne, and then there's everybody else after that somewhere.

[Pat McAfee]

And Sidney Crosby, obviously, in there. OV has certainly scored his way into the conversation. I mean, there's some original six teams. Bobby Orr able to get there.

[Conman]

Wayne was 1.92 points per game, and then Mario 1.88. And those are the two. That's it.

[PK Subban]

And Mario Lemieux, for sure. Yeah, 100%. But Wayne's like, come on.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. No, I actually told Wayne that today during the conversation with him that because I'm from Pittsburgh, I used to say, Mary Lemieux, the goat, thank you so much. And just literally tell everybody, shut the fuck up. That's literally what I would do, just as a ignorant fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. And then Sidney Crosby comes along. Guess what I got again. Hey, we got the fucking greatest player of all time. You need to shut. Shut the fuck up. And then somebody forced me to look at Wayne Gretzky's stats, numbers, and it really changed everything. I was like, oh, shit. I've been pretty disrespectful to Wayne Gretzky. It feels like I need to stop doing that immediately. Hockey's a great sport. We appreciate the hell out of you. Pk Keep cooking those fish, dog. Ladies and gentlemen, PK Savant. Definitely scaling the fish there.

[AJ Hawk]

Maybe even a couple.

[Pat McAfee]

Like, I think he had.

[AJ]

You think he had the salmon from, like, the. The lunchroom one day at espn, and he said it was trash. I can't do this. I'll bring it my own.

[Pat McAfee]

I wonder if they even offer it, because they know that everybody in the building and campus is going to have to smell it.

[AJ Hawk]

I'm sure I was gonna say they got really nice stuff over there.

[Pat McAfee]

Great cab, great food. I do believe that everything that I've ever had there, like, top of the line, delicious chefs and food and everything like that. There's been a lot of a variety of. You can get like sub obviously pizza, nachos, omelets, eggs, healthy.

[Tony Dungy]

I think you probably I would imagine you can get salmon.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, it's really high end.

[AJ Hawk]

Very much by like the LA Chargers little food eatery, cafeteria place I have very, very nice.

[Pat McAfee]

Here is a shot of the place, you know, get sushi there. This is from the draft. No, I'm sorry. Scheduled release prime time with the NFL Live folks. Dan Orlovsky Hawkins. I believe Ms. Laura Rutledge guided the tour through this entire thing. You really get a chance to see the entire place. You know, ESPN is gigantic. As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by if

[Tony Dungy]

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 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]

They just won an award, you know.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Congratulations. ESPN from the spot. Sports Business Journal Best in class.

[Tony Dungy]

Wow.

[Conman]

For the deal with.

[Pat McAfee]

Nice. Best in class. Yep. That's a big deal.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Best sports media, which means Best in

[Pat McAfee]

class, which means who else?

[AJ]

Who else is in the class?

[Pat McAfee]

There's other sports. Everybody's doing sports media now. Freaking everyone. NBC, Amazon, Netflix, you name it.

[Wayne Gretzky]

New YouTube, HBO.

[Pat McAfee]

So Turner, whatever. Nickelodeon. The other one is. Whatever. The. There's some. What's the one they're doing? The Twitch. The. The ness.

[Tony Dungy]

Kick.

[Pat McAfee]

The kick. There it is. Those ones there's a lot of.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, Rumble.

[Pat McAfee]

There it is. There's a lot of things doing.

[AJ Hawk]

Wake up.

[Pat McAfee]

Welcome to the world, aj.

[Conman]

What's wrong with your brain?

[AJ]

Just asking questions.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

Bees on the brain. Don't call him a bee brain.

[Pat McAfee]

Is that what happened? In the middle of that question you were just like, you know what? I just saw the queen's loose. Yeah. And then he had to go back Wemby. I was pissed off because Wemby obviously has bee at the end of that. So now you are. He's actually naming his hive potentially the Wemby Hive. So now he's kind of feeling a little bit of an extra closeness to Wemby. So even though we were 15 minutes past that situation, he still had to when beehive on the brain after starting the other one. And I'm happy you got to that. I'm happy you got that. Because that's what you wanted to know.

[AJ]

Yeah. I couldn't. I could not just continue. I had to stop, pause for 12 to 15 seconds, forget it and then come right back to it.

[Pat McAfee]

I thought you did great honestly, landing the plane. We've all been there, brother. Don't you worry about that. But the beehive shit is crazy that you're actually doing this.

[Tony Dungy]

Love it.

[Pat McAfee]

I would like to let you know that it is crazy. I've not broken any more NHL news since that first time I did the news thing. And I guess people say I didn't break it. I was actually pretty late to that entire. But I am potentially excited about some news that Schefter just broke.

[AJ Hawk]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Ladies and gentlemen, NFLPA has reached an agreement today with John's to become the exclusive peanut butter and jelly sandwich of the players.

[AJ Hawk]

What?

[PK Subban]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

J.J. watt and Caleb Williams are part of John's ownership group and the player led partnership will make the PB and J's available league wide this season. That's a big deal because we obviously have heard the stats. 80,000 uncrustable peanut butter and jellies. Okay. Throughout the NFL season. That's right. Is what was actually reported and projected. At least John's which I do believe we. We have experienced the jobs experience here at the office.

[AJ Hawk]

So good.

[Pat McAfee]

So good. Bigger. More. I think there's more protein in these things. I think they have a healthier option them linking or inking a deal. Very happy. Happy for them. Congratulations to the John's team. We have met them. Them wanting to become, you know, a part of the NFL and partner with the NFLPA was a big deal and I'm excited for that. I'm also excited for potentially this means more growth for jobs.

[Tony Dungy]

Jobs. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Wait until people have these things.

[Conman]

Jobs are delicious.

[Pat McAfee]

They are good. And you don't Immediately need to, like, feel like you need to get it out of you. No, it's good. And I'm a PB&J guy, have been actually, as a child, I wanted to open a peanut butter and jelly restaurant where we would serve different styles of peanut butter and jelly. Obviously you have it on the bread. What type of bread? What type of cut? Is it toasted? Is it not toasted? You can put these things on bagels. You can put them on absolutely anything. You put two waffles together and have a peanut butter and jelly on the outside, maybe even French toast. You can do so many things with a peanut butter and jelly. And I think everybody in America at least agrees on that. That's why the number was astounding whenever they reported what the NS NFL is going through. But me and aj, I think we would both say that makes sense. I mean, just being able to just snag those things. We're at the Ohio State Buckeyes building. So much things are available. Oh, there's. There's a uncrustable peanut butter and jelly option right here. Boom. Give me that thing. Every single time. John seems to want to get into the game AJ A little bit.

[AJ]

They do. And they're. They're one of the. That's like a thing now if you go anywhere, they claim, like, they add protein to everything. Any drink on. On a lot of these fast food menus with smoothies, like, it's a protein thing. And jams actually are, I think, a much healthier option.

[Pat McAfee]

Breaking the news because this is potentially a gigantic one. Salah just came out and said no seed oils in the building anymore. John's.

[Conman]

No seed oils.

[Pat McAfee]

No seed oil.

[AJ Hawk]

Wow.

[Pat McAfee]

P.B. and J. Knows some big J. P.B. and J knows. Happening right in front of our eyes right now. Congrats all parties getting a deal done. And. And congrats to Shafty breaking a PB and J. Good work, Chef D. We appreciate that. Anything that we missed that we need to talk about? Oh, yeah, baseball. Shohei Ohtani. He's dealing and donging. Ladies and gentlemen, Shohei Ohtani. Last night was absolutely dealing. And on the first pitch of the evening, remember, he has been called into question over the last couple weeks about his ability to pitch and also still remain a lethal hitter. Well, on night that he is on the bottom pump. First pitch of the game in which everybody's tuning in to watch him. He takes that yard. Shohei obviously still dominant. What's the conversation about him, Ty, and what else is happening around baseball?

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, I Mean, he's still very dominant. His dominance is to the point where, like last night he wasn't super sharp really, but he doesn't give up any earned runs. His ERA, I believe, is 0.73 through his first however many starts of the year. That's like, like the. The best ever going back to him. And one other guy, Jacob deGrom, have. Have had that loaf in era through this many starts in the year. And yeah, I think Shohei has said, hey, if I'm pitching, I also want to be hitting. They kind of tried messing with that a little bit, but it's just to the point where like, this guy needs it bats. It's pretty. It's as simple as that. He. He doesn't need to just lock in on pitching now. We'll see if they continue to do it, but they've been pretty successful so far. That was his first home run. And then obviously, you know, I. I don't want to say we're in the. We're definitely not in the dog days, but we are to the point now where it's like teams are kind of starting to figure out who they are a little bit more, what their identities are. You got the Braves in the National League are kind of far and away the best team right now. I shouldn't say far and away, but they've been the best team wire to wire. They've been incredible. And they're in the same division as the Mets and the Phillies, who I obviously spent all the money in the world this off season. And then in the American League, very surprising. The Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in the American League, and they're just. They'll small ball you to death. Bunch of singles. They bunt a lot. They put the ball in play. They kind of force the other team to make mistakes. Yeah. And that's the thing you can. Boom. But they are. They have. Their team is made up with guys you've probably never heard of, with the exception of maybe Junior Caminero, who in it he's in, you know, a very young player. He hit 45 homers, was in the Home Run Derby last year. But NL very, like, probably six or seven teams that are very good. The AL only has, I believe, two teams over.500. So the AL absolutely stinks. And then, Tony, the NL Central is unbelievable, obviously, which the Pirates are in. But I know you have something else.

[Conman]

Else. Yeah, I do have a quick set. If you put those division rankings back up there, the AL west leader, the AL Central leader, and the AL east leader are all the lowest spending teams in those divisions.

[Pat McAfee]

This help or hurt the CBA negotiations that are about to take place about a salary cap. But you, you want to get back to conversation about teams that normally don't spend and normally don't have success. The NL Central, I think, is one of those that is kind of literally with those types of teams. So I think you're about to dive into that. The buckos have a chance. Look at us. Above.500. Why are we only one game above five? Is this new? That's completely what we haven't seen. I haven't seen this in a while.

[Conman]

It feels like you're upset about. What are you upset about?

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, you should be ecstatic about them being 25 and 24.

[Pat McAfee]

Shut up, Red Sox. You guys haven't sniffed anything other than last place since literally day one. One game out of the playoffs right now. One game out of the playoffs, you're 22 and 27. And that's going to get it done in the end, baby. All right, enough, please. Can you go back to what happened to the Pirates? We need Paul on the bump a little bit more.

[Tony Dungy]

I wouldn't say anything necessarily happened. They're kind of just. Their, their bullpen has been. Pirates have been losing a lot of close games. So like, it's not like I feel like in years past and Tony, correct me if I'm wrong, but early in the season like this, they lose a lot of these games and they're getting their ass kicked either. It's like if skin isn't on the bump, they were defensively very bad and then their offense wasn't any good. Connor Griffin has been on a tear. The young phenom, he's really starting to kind of get his feet wet. And it's like, okay, yeah, we are watching the everyday shortstop of the Pirates for the next 15 to 20 years. If he stays healthy. Them being 20, 25 and 24. I mean, listen, they're in the best division in baseball right now. You could argue maybe the NL west with the, the Dodgers and the Padres and you know, the Diamondbacks have been pretty good, but the NL Central is kind of a murderer's row right now. We see what Mizarowski does every single time he pitched.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, this guy's doing some record breaking. They're saying not only being the fastest guy, but also he has some other. I guess nobody's even touching the ball when he's pitching.

[Tony Dungy]

No. Yeah, his, his like whiff rate and every. I mean it's really the Only thing that can derail this guy is if he gets hurt. Because at this point, like his stuff is so good. He goes out there and yeah, when you throw that hard, you're going to give up some home runs from time to time. But he, I mean he's, he's. Yeah, the NL Cy Young race are going also.

[Pat McAfee]

So last year, so I just wanted to. Sorry to cut you off here. I'm not super baseball guy, but last year when we were at the All Star game, I learned a lot quickly. He made the All Star team with only five starts. And the fans were very pissed off off about that. But everybody in baseball was like, yep, yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, this guy's five starts, he makes the All Star game, somebody else and everybody's like, hey, there's a reason this guy's got a lot of hype within the baseball world. Obviously we've gotten a chance to talk to him and he's electric on the mound.

[Tony Dungy]

He's, he's a unicorn. There is no one else like him. Like, obviously, you know, guys like Skeens and, and like Tarik Scubal and some of these other guys who are super dominant, he throws as hard as like maybe Jason Miller is throwing 104 miles an hour almost every time he's throwing a fastball. But typically he's throwing anywhere from 10 to you know, 15 pitches in a game because he's only, he's coming in and he's throwing one inning. Mizarowski is throwing 104 like 25 pitches in a game or he's throwing over a hundred, you know, 40 of however many p. Like he's doing it every single start. And they, we've, we've never seen a guy like, like this do that type of stuff before because like physically it just doesn't seem like you should be able to. A guy shouldn't be able to throw that hard every four days. And the numbers are staggering. The amount of 100 plus mile an hour pitches that he's thrown just this season ranks him, you know, in like the top 10 of like the last 20 years or something like that. Like it is, it's truly staggering what he does day in day.

[Pat McAfee]

So this is the Cy Young race. Shout out to Eric Cross, mlb. This is currently the NL Cy Young race and it's just littered with not only brand names but incredible talent. Baseball has been bringing it World Baseball Classic help. We talked about this with hockey. With the US Olympics, the men, women and Paralympic teams winning and hockey becoming like a spotlight for A lot of Americans World Baseball Classic I think brought a lot of hype to baseball and they've been bringing it and obviously you were away for paternity which we obviously appreciate came back with a brand new car which. Sorry.

[Tony Dungy]

God damn right, right.

[Pat McAfee]

Brand new van.

[Tony Dungy]

It's not brand new, but yes, I, I am driving my wife's car right now.

[AJ]

Yes.

[Conman]

And you're going to double it up cuz it's that, it's that nice two of them.

[Pat McAfee]

I just want to let you know we haven't talked much. Rock you stone.

[Tony Dungy]

It's. It's hard around this time because we have NBA finals or you know, conference finals games every night and there's NHL games every night. So if you're not like, you know, I'm watching NHL and NBA and the Yankees have kind of been relegated to the phone and that's just kind of the way it goes. But you know in, in three weeks here or four weeks when it's. You just have one NHL game, you just have one NBA game. Like we are in the area where there are upwards of you know, 14 to 15 MLB games every single day. So like if there is nothing else to watch, like there is a good chance that you're going to run into seeing a Mizarowski or a skiing or a shoot Johe or someone like that

[Pat McAfee]

Every night or tarps off the lads are taking their shirts off. I believe in St. Louis Stephen F. Austin made an appearance and then it became a thing and then we got walk off dong shots in front of the tarps off boys in St. Louis against Pittsburgh Pirates who are now just one game over 500 and the place is going bananas. I love okay that this is a thing for them. I love that this is becoming a thing I think for more teams in baseball. I like that this generation of fan is kind of bringing this type of fanhood back. Okay. We saw it in college football, we saw it in college football start to brew a little bit and then you starting to see it now. It's like I like the excitement, I like the togetherness, I like the unity, I like the moment, I like remembering things and I like that sports can bring people together to have a good time. And if the lads are taking the tarps off and the shirts off up there and it's bringing wins for the team and good times for the boys. Good on you lads. It's everywhere caught fire, don't you think A.J.

[AJ]

i think it's awesome. I just think about like the. There might. There's always probably A couple people that didn't know they were sitting in the section that was going to do this and they have to sit there like some 70 year old guy and his wife. Like, all right, I guess here. I guess I'm doing it. Here we go.

[Pat McAfee]

A little peer pressure to get shirtless. Not a bad thing. But I do think it is a comfort level from everybody in the stadium that maybe I'm not a shirts off guy in public, but how could you not want to rally? I guess there is a lot of videos of people getting out of there. I mean.

[AJ Hawk]

Oh yeah, yeah. We got to go.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, let's go. We're going up there. Yeah. And then on the way taking the shirts off. We saw that in college football once again. Now we're seeing it in baseball. You know, if anything brings people for. To happiness and togetherness and to experience something, I'm for it. And I assume that, that a lot of these lads had quite a night after the tarps off as well together, which would have never happened beforehand. So congrats to all parties enjoying the out of sports in a way that you're certainly allowed to do and hasn't seemingly happened in a long time.

[AJ Hawk]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

The bros have kind of come back

[Tony Dungy]

to sports a little bit.

[Pat McAfee]

A little bit. A little bit of bros.

[Conman]

Nature is healing.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, boys. Yeah.

[Tony Dungy]

Here we go, boys.

[Pat McAfee]

So many of those. So many. Hell yes. The amount of hell yes. That are happening. So many. And then there's a walk off at the end.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah.

[Tony Dungy]

And he's.

[AJ Hawk]

And the guy running the base is looking at you. Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

The amount of. Oh yeah, we did that. So much of that. You know, just talking about that forever. Maybe I was one of the tarp soft boys as Cardinals. Whenever we walk off on the Pirates.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Like there. There's a chance that. That's awesome. Yeah. Like how many times.

[Conman]

The way that organically started though with the. With the Cardinals and Stephen F. Austin. The baseball team was there for the Division 2 championship and I believe they won it. And then they went to the Cardinals game after and it started it and then the manager for the Cardinals brought them into the locker room and then gave them all free tickets the next day for that whole section to do it again. And then it kind of cough or things like that happen organically. Like that much, much better than like anything that would have been forced.

[AJ Hawk]

Agreed.

[Pat McAfee]

What are you. Why do you. What do you immediately talk about? Marketing ploys that end up being a nightmare and actually work against you instead of for you. But everybody is super smart because they went through a hard school and they think they're marketing geniuses.

[Conman]

I have no idea. But it feels like you have something to say about it.

[PK Subban]

No.

[Pat McAfee]

It sounds like that's what you're talking about. No force campaigns or force things that kind of are put out there. Some super genius thinks of it and is like yeah, we'll get everybody to buy in on this. And then all of a sudden it's like we look like assholes. The natural things have to happen. That's why.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

So I con.

[Conman]

Yep.

[AJ]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

The cone is so awesome. That was just genius from one company that saw exactly what would happen if they slapped it on his shirt.

[Pat McAfee]

What's that? The hoist. The cone fanatics.

[Conman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

They knew it exactly.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Kendrick Perkins]

That was.

[Conman]

You know what they knew.

[AJ Hawk]

That wasn't. That wasn't a guess. That wasn't organic. That was. You're welcome Pittsburgh.

[AJ]

Watch this.

[Pat McAfee]

Fanatics gets a lot of heat for a lot of things. They kind of created a pretty sick tradition in a once viewed fuck up. But maybe just a foretelling of what was to come. We don't know with anybody. Can anybody read the future actually and read minds? Oh I'm being told no CIA can read your phone.

[AJ Hawk]

That's what we're being told as well.

[Conman]

They can also read your mind too.

[AJ]

We know that.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Patriot act or whatever. I think we all know that. They're there with my words are their words. Their words are your words and they can put words.

[AJ]

Anything changed on the mind reading situation?

[Pat McAfee]

I guess not happening. They say my credit card thing. Huh. Somebody's gonna have to get that one for me. Figure that one out. D. But immediately upon meeting him for the first time, opening phone, scrolling phone, getting to something. Knowing exactly what that is. Unless he was able to Bluetooth into Debut's phone there, which may. Hey.

[Tony Dungy]

Fuck device.

[Pat McAfee]

He's able to do that.

[AJ Hawk]

How do you do the.

[Pat McAfee]

But then where is he looking at? Is that just popping up on contacts that he's wearing? Like where does he see the answer at? As well because he was holding something

[Tony Dungy]

right in front someone telling him.

[AJ Hawk]

And his ear does have an earpiece. But how does he get the draft order?

[Pat McAfee]

And I would like to know if there is an earpiece for another person there. Like what they think about my participation abilities. You know in this entire thing. You've been through a lot together. What do you think about me? Were you a little bit worried about me? Because there was a couple times where I was a little bit worried about Me, because I had multiple different thoughts, and he called him out on both of them, so I don't think he's reading minds, though.

[Tony Dungy]

Aj, he's playing a big stunt. That's the only way he can do it. He needs to be in, like, time square and then, like, teleport to, like, Hong Kong or something.

[Conman]

Oh, now, like, now you see me

[Pat McAfee]

kind of like one of those actual.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Like, pictures that they have, the. The. The big portal things that I think porn stars have really kind of taken kind of.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, right.

[AJ]

Yeah.

[AJ Hawk]

They turned them off because of that.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Because everybody was just going in there going, look at my only fans. Yeah. This what used to be for only fans, but now it's for the only plans ever. That's right. You remember those. Those were, like, kind of becoming a thing.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, yeah, yeah. If Shams could. Or not Shams, Oz, if he could do that and, like, end up on, like, the top of the Eiffel Tower, just, like, holding on, then I think then he could kind of put this all to rest and be like, oh, really?

[Pat McAfee]

Good luck, Shams. We do get to see.

[Conman]

Sorry.

[Pat McAfee]

Good luck, Oz.

[AJ Hawk]

Good luck, Oz.

[Conman]

Both of you.

[Pat McAfee]

There is some magic that happens in sports on a regular basis that nobody can kind of describe. Like an in the park grand slammy. Did you see this? There's been a lot of defensive plays that have been popping up on my timeline, specifically from one particular player. I don't like that he's gonna get back to being a dog. But in the park, grand salami seems like a pipe dream, and then it actually happens. What happens here, Ty? Just massive of.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Kind of Jimmy Wood. James Wood, right fielder for the Nationals. Absolutely. Pipes one into the gap, so kind of a perfect spot to hit it. Then you can see how hard the left fielder there hits into the wall. And the center fielder has no idea what's going on. The left fielder looks at him. He's like, the ball's way the.

[Pat McAfee]

Over there.

[Tony Dungy]

You got to go get it. And James Wood is. He's young. He's very fast. He's tall, so he's a long strider. So really, once that kind of carom drummed back into center field, it was like, all right, it. You know, let's. Let's try to get an inside the park grand slam. I'd be very curious to see how many of these there have been in MLB history. You could probably count them on one hand, but there have been quite a few inside the park home runs this year, Little League and otherwise. So I mean, it's like, what does that mean?

[Pat McAfee]

Literally?

[Tony Dungy]

Well, Little League would be like, if there's like a bunch of errors and, and like, so you hit like a ground ball into the outfield and it goes past the guy's glove or whatever, and then you end up up scoring. Like in, if you're in Little League, you still count that as a home run because it's like, hey, I, I, I got all the bases. You know, I'm still good. Like James woods, like, that's a legitimate, that, that is considered a home run. That's a grand slam. Because there were no errors on the play. He actually made it to home. It's, it counts the same as a home run.

[Pat McAfee]

One of the greatest photos of all time is him pointing where the ball is with him going, what's that? Ball is behind him in inside the park. Grand slam. I also saw him, I saw some gamesmanship. Oh, Bobby Witt.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Love this play, AJ Anytime I see a little sleight of hand take place and it actually work, I love it. So obviously you got a big hit and a throwback from the catcher. Aaron throw Bobby saying, then the, the third base coach go, jeez, he doesn't have it. He doesn't have it. That's what he's saying to him right there. Fakes that he has it, acts like he has, has the tag, then it holds the person, obviously at third base. Everybody's telling him in there that he doesn't have it. There's an angle that is, like, truly spectacular from the backside where he literally in the middle of, oh, no, I'm never going to catch that. You see him make a conscious decision to be like, I am going to gimmick this thing. I love. Whenever there's some real gamesmanship, baseball has a lot of that. It feels like we're watching Bobby Witt Jr. He's up for a gold platinum super duper glove, right?

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, he, he's an absolute wizard with his glove. His bat has really come on this year. I mean, he's always been a good hitter, but he, he was struggling a little bit at the start, but yeah, I mean, he's, he's good for, like, you know, I don't know, ten plus highlight plays a week. It seems like he's just unbelievable. Everything he does is very heady. Every play he makes, that is incredibly difficult. He makes it look super easy. And it'd be nice if the Royals could pick it up a little bit because they're kind of a, a younger team that has A lot of guys who are very, you know, they got the Pasquatch, they got Jack Caglioni, they got a bunch of like young talent, but they've been struggling a little bit. So it would be like that's the type of team who, if you're not really invested in baseball, like, you can see yourself kind of pulling for them and kind of riding their story for the rest of the summer.

[Pat McAfee]

And Bobby Wood's got silky hands.

[Tony Dungy]

Yes, very silky.

[Pat McAfee]

Silky mitts out there. PCA is in the middle of one right now. PCA is in a mill one right now.

[AJ Hawk]

I'll figure it out.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, well, it will. Come on, pca. Come on, come on, Come on, Pete. Boom, bang. Couple like just come on.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Happens just a quick mental lapse, you

[Pat McAfee]

know, long season, a lot happen. He's a dog. We're excited to watch him continue to showcase that Jazz Chisholm Jr. He was doing some cool stuff. Is he back? What do we have out of him?

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, Jazz as is he. He did not have a good first couple weeks, first month of the season. And this is a contract year for him. So very, very important. He's been slumping big time. So he basically said, okay, I need to start wearing my teammates pants. I can't wear my pants anymore. John Carlos Stanton is on the il right now. Jazz said, hey, Big G, let me wear your pants.

[Pat McAfee]

Big G's pants on.

[Tony Dungy]

Exactly. And Big G basically said, like, yeah, there's a lot of homers in the those pants. So I figured if I can't use them right now, Jazz can. He has been on an absolute tear. I believe that he was wearing Trent Grisham's pants in, in this particular game. But he did go yard. He had another three hits last night. So baseball is one of those things where superstitions, it's weird, you know, he's also using Jose Caballero's bat, the Yankee shortstop. So he's basically not using any of his own. And all of a sudden he's caught fire. So it's kind of awesome. And I would assume, like I'm. I'm hoping that maybe Jazz is wearing like judges cleats tonight. Sure, it might be a little big, but I'm hoping he'll do something like that.

[Pat McAfee]

Is he using his own glove or. We.

[Tony Dungy]

His. His ball, his mitt in the field has never been the issue. We. We need more production from Jazz at the plate.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, so he's trying to get Big G's pants on so you get Big G's back.

[Tony Dungy]

Exactly.

[Pat McAfee]

Okay.

[Tony Dungy]

And he's found it.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, he certainly. He's swinging that bat too.

[Tony Dungy]

He is.

[Pat McAfee]

Is he using others bats or is he still getting his.

[Tony Dungy]

No. So the. The Yankees, every day, sharding starting, starting shortstop, who is also on the aisle. I believe he's coming back tomorrow. Jose Caballero. He's been unbelievable. And Jazz said, jose, let me get your bat. Mine's not working right now. Let me use your bat. And boom. He had three hits last night.

[Pat McAfee]

So I've taken other people's putters.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

You know, if they're making it. Hey, let me give it a go here. I think it's what you're doing, not me doing it. As long as it works, who cares? Jazz is certainly a vibes guy though, right?

[Tony Dungy]

Oh, yeah, big time.

[Pat McAfee]

We might be seeing this for the rest of the year.

[Tony Dungy]

I hope so.

[Pat McAfee]

He might have. He might have. Boom. Boone's pants on.

[AJ Hawk]

It's 100 pants.

[Tony Dungy]

He might wear Boonies pants. I'd sign off on that.

[Pat McAfee]

Are you on? Are you in on Boone? Because I know you guys are really. Air and then air off. Boom.

[Tony Dungy]

Well, it's way too early. You know, none of this really matters until we get to the playoffs. So, like, right now, yeah, Boonie's great, you know, and it could be a lot worse. He could be like Tony Vitello. He could be the, you know, giant skipper. So, yeah, you know, I'm. I count my lucky stars with Boonie because obviously it can get much worse. But again, when you're the Yankees, like, none of this matters. They need to win the World Series this year. And if they don't, yeah, there will be probably a lot of. Boonie needs to go. Cashman needs to go. What the fuck's going on? That's kind of just the way it works.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, we'll go Yanks, go baseball. Lucky to do that. Let's go back to the NFL. Huge signing up there in Detroit. Shafter broke the news while the show was live. Today it's not just jobs in the nflpa, it's also Jack Campbell and the Lions. Remember, remember immediately following draft night, a lot of people said Jack Campbell was a reach, Jack Campbell was a reach. And then Jack Campbell does exactly what he did at Iowa. Just be an absolute dog for Dan Campbell in that defense. And now he's rewarded with a deal. Foxy. We knew this was coming for big jock combo. Yeah, absolutely. Jack Campbell is everything you want in a linebacker. Okay? On that defense, you got Aiden Hutchinson. He steals the show. He's the star, he's a very good player. But Jack Campbell, Campbell is the heart, he's the soul, he's the grit, he's the jam. And he is everything you want on your defense. And he deserves this. And he kind of gets this whole thing going. So I'm very happy for Jack Campbell here. This a big decision by Dan Campbell as we move forward on a new defense. With Kelvin Shepard in his second year as defensive coordinator, last year didn't make the playoffs. What will this year bring for the Motor City Lions?

[Conman]

Well, I remember earlier this year, a couple, maybe a month ago, month and a half ago, they didn't pick up his fifth year option because the fifth year option for linebackers is absurd for off ball linebackers because they include the edges and stuff like that, too. So that was big news. But there was never a doubt they were going to get Jacko assigned after an all pro season, coming off an all pro season. And Foxy said like, yes, the leader of that defense. But yeah, it was big news because when Linderbaum, they didn't tag. They didn't pick up Linderbaum's fifth because of the O line with that number was. And they didn't do it for Jack, too. There was questions if they were gonna. Someone else was gonna try to come get him. But no lion still.

[Pat McAfee]

Well, yeah, baby. Jack. And another Owl. Hawkeye. Just kind of doing it out there, Ty.

[Tony Dungy]

That's right. That's right. I've always been a Jack Campbell guy. I will continue to be a Jack Campbell guy, even though he is a Lion. And you know, Foxy, he said it very eloquently, you know, grit, Sandpaper. John Iowa, Hawkeye. Really? Nothing else you could ask of this guy? Love Jack Campbell. Glad he got paid.

[Pat McAfee]

Do the Lions find their way back to the top of the NFC north with another year of experience with both of their coordinators and maybe a new culture having to be settled in after losing Ben Johnson, AJ Hawk.

[AJ Hawk]

I don't know.

[AJ]

Was it Shrigs who told us last year, the Lions are going to have it down here? Like he told us preseason.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. Like around now, he's like, I have a hot take. I have a hot take. Do you want to hear my hot takes? I'm doing a hot take on Friday. Here's a hot take. Hot take. Detroit Lions aren't making the playoffs this year. And then we. Everybody was like, this guy. He was right.

[AJ Hawk]

He was right.

[AJ]

Yeah. I feel like they come out the gates hot. I don't know if they're able to

[Conman]

Be good though too.

[Tony Dungy]

Dolphins are going to be sneaky good too.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they were for a couple games.

[AJ Hawk]

Did get hot. Long win streak iron.

[Pat McAfee]

Malik Willis is going to dinner with the boys leader. Man, I can't say enough about this guy. You hear about this going to offensive line meals and things like that.

[Conman]

Hell yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

That's becoming a leader.

[AJ]

I saw halfway's mic'd up from practice. He seems like. I like his demeanors.

[Pat McAfee]

The real former head coach right in college. Then he goes over to Green Bay. He's obviously been around ball a long time. I like his energy. I like what they're looking for. I think Miami is a very difficult place to win with that many players, especially with that main distractions. But hey, maybe they'll be able to find it as the Green Bay packers front office and head coach kind of invade the Miami Dolphins building and former quarterback and Malik Willis who shined in Green Bay in front of Halfley's face, you know, is down there. So maybe the Miami Dolphins aren't. Aren't ass cheeks going into next NFL season. Gumpy a lot of money.

[Conman]

Not this year. But next year I think we go

[Pat McAfee]

over four and a half wins.

[Aaron Rai]

That's the total on us this year.

[Pat McAfee]

I think we might shock some people and win five, you know. Okay, five big wins for the Miami Dolphins. Good luck down there to the Finn fan. All right. Clint Kubiak, who obviously is with the Raiders said that Brock Bowers is a football robot from hell heaven. This thing created from the gods to be placed in a football uniform. And you saw it whenever he was in high school, whenever he was running the northern California Napa hills to train for football with all the potential other things he could be doing. Georgia, he was by far the best player on the football field. Now with the Raiders, he's broken all the records. He is a gift from the football gods. Makes me believe that, hey, this Raiders are team with how they dealt with free agency, the amount of players they brought in, who they brought in and then Fernando Mendoza. Have you heard the reports out of camp? I heard him. What are they? I heard them. Why did you hear the same thing I heard that I said so yeah. It wouldn't be Fernand. No Mendoza. It would be Fernand. Yes, Amendo, as advertised. Yeah. Everything's coming out positive about Fernando Mendoza and I, I know Ty Simpson also going to be an incredible football player. But Dan Orlovsky, I think the way he was kind of talking about Fernando maybe not being the outright number one guy I think was an interesting Conversation that kind of started taking place around a lot of football conversations. Because he did go to Cal and because he did go to Indiana, and it was kind of just a flash in the pan there with Indiana. There wasn't as many people that maybe knew Fernando as well. He's big, he's super smart, and he can spin the pill. That is all, everything. I think most quarterback or offense coordinators are looking for Kirk Cousins there. Now the conversation is going to start to be, do you start Nando, or do you let Kirk lead the way and let Fernando kind of fill in behind? I think that's only going to continue. And until we get eyes on it all, it's harder for me to believe anything because the coaches are going to have to compliment him. But from what we saw him do, we all believed he'd be a great NFL quarterback. And I love what the Raiders have done over there.

[Conman]

Yeah. I mean, every time he was on the field and we saw him with our eyes, every throw was almost perfect. Everything that, like, we saw, so we saw, like, with our eyes. And then every time we talked to him, he. Everything was perfect. And then, yeah, like, he's huge. He's fast, he's athletic. He. He makes all the right reads. And he talked about, like, when he thinks about the game as a puzzle, like, it was hard for us to envision that it wouldn't be like this, you know, like, there was never a doubt, like, this early. Obviously it's not. Not a lot, but, like, it's hard to see him. It's hard to see him not succeed.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah. It feels like with everything around him that he's ever been through, he's going to be locked in now. Granted, a lot of attention. He was on. He was on a magazine cover. I didn't like what they said, what they say, the next one or something like that. I forget the big. There was a big word right under him. I was like, I don't like us doing this right here, but I like us trying to drum up some attention for Fernando Mendoza. But it feels like everything we know about him says he's a guy and he's tough. People forget he's an absolute dog. He can take shots, wants to take shots. Con man.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. Tough son of a bitch. And to everything Tony just said about what he did in college, you got to also think like, hey, he also has the number one new head coach, the offensive coordinator who won the super bowl last year with Kubiak, who basically completely changed that Seattle Seahawks offense. You know, you talk about Sam Darnold being in his first year going and winning the Super Bowl. Then they get an all pro center. That's going to help the quarterback a lot. That's going to help Ashton Genty a lot. Who still somehow had a thousand yard season after getting basically the least amount of yards before contact in NFL history but still ended up with 1,000 yards. Colton Miller is a pretty certified left tackle. And then Brock Bowers being the number one option.

[Tony Dungy]

He is.

[AJ Hawk]

They're one of those teams that the number one receiver is their tight end. He's all pro.

[Pat McAfee]

You, you think about that comment of football robot from heaven. It's like Genti I think could be described like that. Fernando Mendoza could probably be described like that. He's 6 foot 5, fast, super smart, has an incredible arm. Like if you're going to build a football robot quarterback from the heavens, I think you would have a lot of pieces of what Fernando has in there. Max Crosby I think is you would certainly say a never ending engine or battery. I mean, I mean they kind of have it.

[AJ Hawk]

Linder bomb.

[Pat McAfee]

Bomb Brady as the, as the owner, a person, somebody like there is a lot of like are the Raiders not ass? Huh?

[Conman]

We'll see.

[Pat McAfee]

Is that what we're doing right now?

[AJ Hawk]

They're headed towards the Carolina Panthers. That's a good football team.

[Pat McAfee]

And Carolina Panthers, are they going to become a great football?

[Tony Dungy]

On paper they are much, much, much, much better than they were at this point. On paper, yes.

[Pat McAfee]

The fact that Max Crosby was gone and then now he's actually back.

[Tony Dungy]

Right.

[Pat McAfee]

Like oh, somehow they add an all pro to a team that they didn't have a lot of good players. It's unbelievable what they've been able to

[AJ Hawk]

do and that is a real thing like the on paper thing. The Patriots and the Seahawks two years ago, top five and spending in free agency, like there is an actual kind of correlation. I believe every team that was in the top three are the most spent team in free agency won like, like three more games the year after. And the Raiders and the Titans would be the two teams that were kind of at the top of the list this year.

[Pat McAfee]

Hey, no risking, no biscuit. That's the NFL. That's a show as a whole worth time.

[AJ Hawk]

Hell yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Let's get the hell out of here. A.J. who you picking tonight? Let's go Cavs, Knicks.

[AJ]

Give me the Cav. I mean I want to pick the Cavs, but I have a hard time. Give me the Knicks tonight.

[Pat McAfee]

I'll take the Knicks as well. I will take the Knicks.

[AJ Hawk]

Is it the first time he's ever gone against an Ohio team?

[Pat McAfee]

I think so. What changed situations?

[Wayne Gretzky]

They're not.

[AJ]

They're not my team.

[Pat McAfee]

But, you know, I like.

[AJ]

I like their Ohio roots.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, they do have Ohio roots up there in Ohio. Mistake. No, I'm not going to say it because I like Cleveland. Other people in the past, maybe old me would have said mistake by the lake.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

But I was not going to say that because I like Cleveland. I appreciate Cleveland. I like their fans up there. But, boy, some of those stats that are being shown to us are not good. And I think that is a heartbreaker in game one. You had it now, granted. Do they have the dog mentality to come back? Is James Harden going to get back in the kitchen? He going to start cooking? Is Donovan Mitchell going to be the guy that's going to get an opportunity to maybe be who exactly he is? Which is 1A for the Cavs? Is Atkinson going to dial up some plays? Definitely.

[Conman]

We'll see.

[Pat McAfee]

Or is a guy with a popped calf going to maybe roll run roughshod on him in strategy with Jalen Bigshaw? Big body Brunson is perk. Says Timothy Chalamet is going to look so cool.

[AJ Hawk]

Always does.

[Pat McAfee]

Ben Stiller is going to be fantastic.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Tracy Morgan's gonna bring it. Yep. I mean, it's going to be atomic in there, maybe.

[Conman]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

It's gonna be rattling. Remember Sean said he couldn't believe he got out of there?

[Tony Dungy]

Earthquake.

[Pat McAfee]

Because the place was moving, luckily. Earthquake. That they measure those in. In the Richter scale. We need to get a Richter on Madison Square Garden. Yeah. Y Eastern Conference final. New York Knicks win. Kind of a casual fourth quarter, it feels like, doesn't it? I don't like that, because then that would mean that the Cleveland Cavs will kind of just quit.

[Tony Dungy]

I think there's a chance they do

[Pat McAfee]

try to save up for home. We gotta go home.

[Tony Dungy]

Either that or I think if they don't win this game tonight, they're going to get swept.

[Pat McAfee]

There's a lot of people saying that. Is that just because we saw such a collapse at the end in front of everybody? Just our recency bias of watching what happened to them, thinking they would never be able to do it.

[AJ]

They're.

[Pat McAfee]

They're in the Eastern Conference final, though. Right. Remember?

[Tony Dungy]

But every person we talk to about the game with the Knicks with the layoff is like, hey, if the Cavs steal game one of this series, like, then we'll see that there is a chance that they can. But if they don't like, they have to win game one. And for them to lose in that demoralizing of a way, it's just like, I. I don't. I mean, I think they have to win tonight. Otherwise it's blouses.

[Pat McAfee]

All right, I'll take Knicks minus six and a half. Even though I would love to watch Cleveland do their thing, I would like to watch the Cavs battle like they did against the stunts. That would be really cool to kind of watch that take place. And then in the hockey. AJ you think the Canadiens, fresh off that Buffalo Sabers ride, which was electrifying, have a way to beat the Carolina Hurricanes down in the buzz saw that is in front of the 40,000 caniacs that are gonna be going crazy. AJ who do you like? How do you like it?

[AJ]

I'm going to have to pick against big perk here. Give me the Carolina Hurricanes at home.

[Pat McAfee]

I got a tweet from Montreal today. Yeah?

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[AJ]

Oh, yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

The city tweeted me. How are we feeling about the Hobbs with glasses on emoji? I don't know if that means they're gonna watch or they're trying to see in 2020 vision.

[Conman]

Sure.

[Pat McAfee]

What I'd like to say is I do love their team. I like the way they play puck. I like the way their city goes absolutely apeshit for the Montreal Canadiens. I like that they got a young goalie that says I can go 100 more games. You at least seems like they are real grit and johns type team up there. But with that being said, give me the Caniacs a hundred times out of 100 times. Okay, Messi beaucoup or all the incredible times that you're about to deliver to sports society. But the Caniacs I think are maybe are representative of what maybe Montreal's fans are. So we need to think that we just like the Olympics. And I would like to bring in up. Okay. I don't like wayo kind of brought it up.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah, true.

[Pat McAfee]

I don't like bringing it up. But like the Olympic. I. I think. I think we win this one. And by we, I mean the Carolina Hurricanes, who I don't know if they're going to win the entire Stanley cup, but I do sure. I'm currently going with the American crowd being such a. A problem that the Canadians who have a phenomenal bar.

[Tony Dungy]

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Phenomenal bar.

[AJ Hawk]

Beer Scarlet.

[Pat McAfee]

But the jarvey lads from Manitoba are going to be in there. The. The. The Hurricanes fans have been tailgating since yesterday for this thing. Tom Diggs just walked out.

[AJ]

Oh, no. He was doing this going through the office.

[Pat McAfee]

He was doing this as I was talking there while he's staring at me. You know, I'm happy he did make the decision. Just kind of bail out that door there because I was getting a little anxious on what was going on. Be honest. You think that's pooper pee that looked like. Maybe pee that looked like.

[AJ Hawk]

Yeah. Piping hot pies.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Is that what you.

[Tony Dungy]

Yeah. Piping hot pies.

[Pat McAfee]

Couldn't have said it better myself. So all in favor of that probably being a piss, say I. There's a chance it was a dump. We'll see. But I like the CACs, even though I love what Monreal is doing.

[Tony Dungy]

Of course. And you can pick Mario, and they go back on Mario.

[Pat McAfee]

Yeah, because Montreal's environment might be the reasoning. Exactly. But I think the Hurricanes got it. I'm on the Hurricanes tonight as well. All right, A.J. you're awesome. We should wait.

[AJ]

What if. What if it's a long dump?

[Pat McAfee]

I don't. I don't know if it's a dump, AJ if this goes in a hoop right over here. Over Sacky the elephant.

[AJ]

Yep.

[Pat McAfee]

AJ Hawk will give 20 people $500.

[AJ Hawk]

Nice.

[Wayne Gretzky]

Nice.

[AJ]

Okay.

[Pat McAfee]

Thank you, AJ oh, wait a minute. As we wait for Ton Diggs, who will so graciously give 30 people $500. Okay. Thank you so much for doing that, Tone. We appreciate you, Tony. Give 30 people. That's very nice of Tony. Dogs to do that. 30 people, 500. All you're gonna have to do is repost this post, say something nice to somebody, and maybe you could be randomly selected to be one of the $3,500 winners.

[Conman]

It was a piss.

[Pat McAfee]

Oh, jeez. I don't know if you heard. He almost gave away 15,000.

[Conman]

Yeah, I, I heard. I, I. I heard giggles when I walked away, so I had to see what was going on. It was a piss. Yeah.

[Tony Dungy]

Piping hot pies.

[Pat McAfee]

Piping hot P. When we don't take

[Conman]

the the break at that one, I

[Pat McAfee]

don't think we ever have. But then we carry for another hour or so. Yeah, it gets tough for me too. I'm starting to bop a little bit here, but, Tom, we were waiting for you. Thanks.

[Aaron Rai]

Appreciate it.

[Pat McAfee]

Be a friend. Tell a friend something nice. It might change your life. We're in a sin together. We'll see you tomorrow. What a great night of sport. Yeah, let's enjoy it all. Thank you so much, A.J. great work today. We're proud of you for what you accomplished. Today and the adversity you battled.

[AJ]

Thank you. I'm gonna go ice my head.

[Tony Dungy]

Good move, Hoggle.

[AJ Hawk]

Hell yeah.

[Pat McAfee]

Smart. Hell yeah. Both of them.

[AJ]

Every day.

[Pat McAfee]

Team on me. Team on three. One, two, three, Team. Goodbye. The NFL schedule dropped and it is time to settle up, people. There's road trips to plan, hotels to book, tickets to split, tailgates to cover, scores to settle. All the things for the season.

[PK Subban]

But now, when you send $10 or

[Pat McAfee]

more to a friend with PayPal, by May 28, you could win two tickets to every home game of your favorite team. Yep, the whole season. Visit paypal.com P2P sweeps. No purchase necessary. See website for details, including how to enter by mail. Brought to you by PayPal official peer to peer payment Sponsor of the NFL hey sports fans, the ESPN App has all of ESPN all in one place. The 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 in the ESPN app. It's all the ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now.