Michael Chiklis puts the football pads back on, hates the Yankees and how he landed The Shield

Summary

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Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara

Episode: Michael Chiklis Puts the Football Pads Back On, Hates the Yankees, and How He Landed The Shield

Date: September 18, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode, Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara welcome Emmy-winning actor Michael Chiklis. The conversation explores Chiklis' lifelong love of sports—especially Boston teams—his experience portraying real athletes and coaches on film (The Senior, Winning Time), nostalgic football memories, and not only the highlights but also the harder, more personal moments of his acting journey. The discussion also takes fun detours into TV antiheroes, behind-the-scenes Hollywood anecdotes, the camaraderie of sports and acting, and what it means to parent, lose, and keep rooting for redemption, both on and off the field.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Michael Chiklis — Not Your Usual Podcast Guest

• Jerry notes Chiklis is “not one of those guys that you see on 10 million podcasts all the time,” making this interview especially insightful and personal. (00:42)
• Quick recap of Chiklis’ career: The Shield, Fantastic Four, Winning Time, and his new film The Senior, about 59-year-old linebacker Mike Flynt.

2. Chiklis' Sports Fandom and Boston Roots

• Chiklis is a die-hard Boston sports fan: “Listen man, I named my dog Tom Brady. The dog's name is Tom Brady...I call him Tom Brady.” (13:54)
• Grew up in Lowell and Andover, MA; played high school football, hockey, and baseball; was captain of his football team. (14:25)
• “I played both ways. Fullback and weak side linebacker. Captain. Could have played D2. Look at me, quick off the mark, no speed in the open field.” (15:02)

Notable Quote:

“I hate the Yankees, dude. It’s because they made me cry a lot when I was seven.” — Michael Chiklis (13:13)

3. The Athlete & Actor Mentality — Finding Parallels

• Discusses the similarity between athletes and actors: the drive, the camaraderie, and the way each field idolizes certain legends but also loses intimidation over time.
• Chiklis: “There’s maybe two actors I would freak out about. For me, it was Anthony Hopkins.” (05:20)
• “With athletes it’s the same—you know how the sausage is made.” (05:20)

4. Breaking into (and Surviving) Hollywood

• Early career hardships: after portraying John Belushi in Wired, Chiklis was blacklisted, but Burt Reynolds gave him a lifeline role, drawing parallels to being “traded” in sports. (06:54)
• Emphasizes the importance of pursuing a “body of work” over single roles, inspired by something Gene Hackman once said. (06:54–09:22)

Notable Quote:

“I’ve had to fight for every inch...I had to fight for The Shield. I’ve had to fight.” — Michael Chiklis (36:56)

5. Evolution of TV & Movie Stardom

• The hosts and Chiklis reminisce about the old boundaries between “movie stars” and “TV actors” and how streaming has changed the landscape. (09:51)

6. On Playing Mike Flynt in The Senior: Art Imitates (Older-Age) Life

• Chiklis talks about getting offered the role at age 59—the same age as his character.
• Fascinating connection: the film’s producer bought the rights to the story in 2004 and spent 20+ years getting it to screen. (34:31–35:42)
• Chiklis’s personal connection to the material as a former player and lifelong fan.
• Detailed stories of putting the pads back on after decades—including performing most of his own football stunts, and the physical toll of playing a lineman at 59.
  “We were doing this 12 hours a day...my eyebrows hurt, man.” (22:58)

7. Stunts, Sports Movies, and Real Impacts

• 90% of the football stunts in The Senior were Chiklis himself. The most brutal hits were done by his younger stunt double—one even dislocated hips because of a set miscalculation (24:23).
• “On The Shield, I did almost all my stunts. But my guy once told me: ‘You’re not doing this one. Step down. Off the roof.’” (23:34)

8. The Pain of Almost-Wins—Sports Redemption, and Regret

• Chiklis and Leinart trade stories of “the ones that got away”—iconic losses and mistakes that still haunt former athletes and actors alike (17:10–19:44).
• Discuss the core of The Senior as a redemption story; “We all have those things, those moments we want to redeem, and this is a redemption tale.” (20:23)

9. Texas High School Football and Sports as Community

• The larger-than-life world of Texas high school football: “We shot in Fort Worth. Some high schools have 30,000 seat stadiums—this is Texas, son.” (33:10)

10. Choosing Projects & The Unpredictability of Showbiz

• Chiklis details the importance of story first, then the people involved, when picking a role.
• He explains the real-life stakes of pilot season, cancellations, and the fantasy vs. reality of Hollywood and career stability. (48:15–50:11)

11. Hollywood & Family: Advice on Being a Parent

• On parenting, especially being a “girl dad” after years of raising boys:
  "You hold more sand in an open hand than a closed fist...You have to give them space to make their own mistakes....Let them land on their ass, it’s part of learning." (79:41–81:32)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Naming the Family Dog:
  “I named my dog Tom Brady...Part of it is to see people’s faces when I go, ‘Come on, Tom Brady, make a poo poo.’” — Michael Chiklis (00:00 & 13:54)

• Hating the Yankees:
  “However, I don’t...I hate the Yankees, dude. It’s because they made me cry a lot when I was seven.” — Michael Chiklis (13:13)

• Redemption in Sports & Life:
  “There’s always like two or three hidden plays in a game that can decide [the outcome].” — Matt Leinart (19:44)

• The Lightning Stunt Moment:
  “On the shield, I did all but two shots...I had to hop onto a skylight, break through it, fall onto a false floor…my stunt guy says: ‘You’re not doing it. Step down.’” — Michael Chiklis (23:34)

• Greatest Sports Moment — The Super Bowl Comeback:
  “Gotta say, the comeback was the comeback...I was on the 50 yard line, first row behind the Falcons. I would not let it go. I was just going, ‘No, we can do this!’” — Michael Chiklis (70:03–72:39)

• Fatherly Wisdom:
  “You hold more sand in an open hand than a closed fist...Don’t lie to me. Come to me. I’ll help you.” — Michael Chiklis (79:41)

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Timestamps for Key Topics

• Chiklis’ Boston fandom & Tom Brady the Dog – 00:00, 13:54
• Chiklis’ sports background (HS football, Boston roots) – 14:25
• Similarity between athletes and actors – 05:20
• Early acting struggles, Burt Reynolds story – 06:54–09:22
• TV/movie actor boundaries & industry changes – 09:51–10:28
• Getting the role in The Senior (offer, connection to story) – 34:14–36:56
• On doing stunts & football scenes at age 59 – 22:41–24:25
• ‘Getting 1 yard in the NFL’ discussion – 15:23–17:10
• Sports losses that haunt, redemption – 17:10–20:23
• Texas high school football as a culture – 33:10
• Picking roles, the unpredictability of Hollywood – 48:15–50:11
• Fathering advice, being a ‘girl dad’ – 79:41–81:32
• Favorite sports memory – living the Pats’ comeback – 70:01–73:38
• The ‘Longest Yard’ joke in The Senior—generational differences – 77:40–78:50

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Other Fun & Pop Culture Segments

TV Antiheroes Draft (Wendy's Fresh Take, 28:34)

• Matt’s picks: Logan Roy (Succession), Frank Underwood (House of Cards), and his “fresh take,” Ruth Langmore (Ozark)
• Jerry’s picks: Brody (Homeland), Omar Little (The Wire), and his “fresh take,” Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

Twisted Trivia (59:36):

• NFL and pop culture trivia game, featuring Annie Agar.
• Running jokes about difficult questions and random NFL facts.

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Tone & Style

Conversation is friendly, engaging, and peppered with self-effacing humor, nostalgia, heartfelt moments, and locker room/band-of-brothers energy. Chiklis is effusive and candid, with elements of “old school” sports talk and actorly wisdom that blend perfectly with Matt and Jerry’s blend of jock, fan, and showbiz perspectives.

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For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This episode offers not only a rare, intimate look at Michael Chiklis’ Hollywood and sports journey but also a window into how athletics shapes character, resilience, and the lasting bonds people form along the way. Whether you love football, Boston sports, redemption stories, or just great behind-the-scenes Hollywood tales, you’ll come away entertained and inspired—and with several laugh-out-loud moments you’ll retell. Don't miss Chiklis’ stories about putting on pads again at 59, getting the role of Vic Mackey, and why, even decades later, the scars (and glories) of high school football never quite leave you.

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Transcript

[Michael Chiklis]

Listen, man, I named my dog Tom Brady and part of it is to see people's faces when I go, come on, Tom Brady, make a poo poo.

[Jerry Ferrara]

All right, welcome to another episode of throwbacks, Ferrara and liner. You know what? If we had a radio show, we could be Ferrari, Leonard and Ferrara.

[Matt Leinart]

I think, I think, I think it'd be better to be like Matt and Jerry. No, Matt and Jerry, like Turtle in the quarterback or something. I think we got to play into Turtle more.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Hollywood and Heisman. Right? Or Turtle in the heism. Those are all good names. Good show for you today. Kindly ask that you all follow us on our social channels at throwbacks show. We're gonna be coming at you with a lot of stuff there and obviously on YouTube a subscribe throwback show over there. A lot of you been watching the show on there. A lot of people watching the pod not listening. You're going to want to watch the next few that we have coming up because we have some great, great guests. And today, I mean personal favorite of mine, I'm going to call him. I don't like calling people by their character names. He's an actor because like that happens to me all the time. But if you don't know who Vic Mackie is out there, so what are we even doing? But most people know. So I'm talking about Michael Chas from the Shield. Awesome guy, awesome career. Right. Obviously know him from the Shield. Won multiple Emmys. Fantastic four. Not the previous fantastic four. And we get into that for a second with him. But also Matt, he's done like the two things I think I'm most envious of. He played a coach as like a non athlete. Right. He played Red Arbox in the Laker show and then he has a movie coming out now. It's out probably now by the time this interview airs today called the Senior where he plays Mike Flint who was a 59 year old, I guess former D3 football player who then makes the team at 59 years old.

[Matt Leinart]

Yes, incredible story. Also like a massive Boston sports fan was at the comeback game, right? The Falcons Patriots.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah, apparently he says, which has a.

[Matt Leinart]

Great story about that. Great story about that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And it involves the fake Maddie Ice, Matt Ryan, I think.

[Matt Leinart]

But yeah, by the way, that's a whole. That's a who conversation. But yeah, but the senior comes out, plays like a linebacker. It's just. It's a really incredible movie. Incredible story. And Michael Chickless is an absolute G dude. Like one of my. It's literally one of my favorite episodes Just sitting down.

[Michael Chiklis]

He was.

[Jerry Ferrara]

He's got awesome story. And you know what? I like when his name came up and he was promoting the movie, was also like, Chickless is not one of those guys that you see on 10 million podcasts all the time. So we obviously know a lot about him. But to get the kind of intimate sit down that we got, he hasn't really done that before, so kind of hyped. I think you guys are all gonna love it. So, yeah, let's get to it. I mean, you almost wanted to ask him because, like, I actually had my first senior moment. Speaking of the senior, bro, I could barely stay awake for that Canelo Alvarez fight. Sorry, I just really have to get that out. I could barely, barely stay awake. It was one o' clock. And what are we doing, guys? One o' clock in the morning. You don't care about seniors, but we care about the senior. Starring Michael Chiklis. And here's the Michael Chiklis interview right now. And he did not bring his Emmy. Just checking. He did not bring his Emmy to the interview. I equated being cut to, like, getting killed off a show, right?

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was on the show where characters get killed off all the time. Power. I was not in one episode, so I wasn't at that table. Reading. Came back to the next one. Four main characters who I was good friends with were gone. I'm like, hey, where's Junior and Lala Anthony? Oh, they got killed last week. So I just didn't even get to say goodbye. And they're gone.

[Michael Chiklis]

You just reminded me of, like, what. What is tantamount to a trade. Because when I did, I did a sitcom for Disney, and Hillary Duff played my daughter in the pilot, but Disney wanted her for a show called Lizzie McGuire.

[Jerry Ferrara]

McGuire. Tiny little show called Lizzie McGuire.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. So that we. We ended up. They ended up, like, taking her from us and we replaced her and had to reshoot the pilot based on the fact that they wanted her. And then that show explodes and that show explodes. My show dies. I was like, what was.

[Matt Leinart]

What was your show?

[Michael Chiklis]

I was daddy. Oh, Like, I've short lived. Let's not talk about that. So what? You know, I did one season of it. Are we rolling?

[Matt Leinart]

Well, I think I'll say too. I think the really cool thing about Jerry and I is from, like, an athlete perspective. And I love entertainment, movies, music, I love all the arts. My wife was an actress, but he's also like the psycho sports fan, but in a good way. So, like. Yeah, so we have a Great. Two different perspectives that we always like. I'm so, like, honestly, when we start talking Boston sports and be like, how are you guys so obsessed with your. I don't understand. He's like, watching playoff games, athlete thing.

[Jerry Ferrara]

He doesn't get the fandom as much.

[Matt Leinart]

I love. I love my Dodgers. I love. I love my west coast teams. My dad raised me. Like, I love those. But, like, I'm not obsessed. I've watched playoff Knicks games with them, and I'm like. I'm like, buddy, who are you? Like, it's okay. He's, like, gonna kill himself.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, no, no, I get it.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, I know you probably get it too.

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, because, you know, I. What I've noticed with players is you. You guys, you travel, you. It's like us with actors, you know, I'm not trembling when I'm meeting other actors. You know what I mean? There's maybe two that I would freak me out. Like, you know, that I'd be like, you know, and I've experienced that already. So, you know, for me, it was Anthony Hopkins.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was gonna ask who. The first one.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. You know, when I. When I met him, I got a chance to work with him for a couple of days on Nixon.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Years ago. I just had a. I. And I took. It was a cameo, really was a small role, but I took it because I knew I was going to be in a scene with Anthony Hopkins. I was like, yes, because just, you know, and there's something. Some people that you feel like, I don't care what it is. I just want to work with that person. But really, everybody else, you know how the sausage is made. But I've noticed that with athletes, too. You see poppy and, you know, and. And a rod hanging out and everything. And, you know, you know, we're all.

[Matt Leinart]

Like, what was a. So Jerry just told me the story a couple weeks ago about he did a movie and he ended up getting cut out of it. A lot of it.

[Jerry Ferrara]

But Sully, Clint Eastwood.

[Matt Leinart]

Eastwood was a director. And I'm like. And then me, I'm like, that's freaking awesome. You got to work with Clint Eastwood. Did you kind of just mentioned Anthony Hopkins, but did you have a welcome to the industry moment where you're like, holy, I made it? Or holy, this is like, I can't believe I'm doing this. Or like, was there a moment for you when you.

[Michael Chiklis]

There's been a number. There's been a number of moments like that for me, but I had the strangest. I do not even want to talk about this, but I had the, a very hard indoctrination into this business, and I want to skate right past it. I'll just mention it. It's just that I, you know, it was very fraught. I, you know, I came up through the theater and had this vision in my head I was going to come up through the theater and get into film. And it sort of happened that way. I came up through the theater, got my first movie, which happened to be Wired, where I played John Belushi in the film Wired. And then I was blacklisted. So it was a very difficult period in my life. It was horrible. The late, great Burt Reynolds saved my life and cast me in the middle of it. And that was one of those moments when I, when Burt Reynolds tricked me into coming down to Florida so that he could hide hire me. Wow. Which was, he didn't know me. Right. He didn't owe me anything. But he had, the way he put it to me was, listen, I grew up through the, I came up through the McCarthy era, and I saw people destroyed for no reason. And you're an actor and you took a role and I, I, how'd you like to play the villain in this movie? And I said, say the word, bird. He said the word, and that was, that's awesome. And the doors open back up again, certainly in the television side. So, you know, I mean, I've had a number of moments where I found myself pinching myself and going, this is surreal. I can't believe this is happening. I'm, you know, what I'm more thrilled about is that I'm still here. Yeah, you know, yeah, I, I, I'll never forget watching Gene Hackman, who was one of my favorites, doing an interview with, I think it was Michael Douglas years ago when I was a kid. And he, Michael Douglas said to him, well, do you think you'll be most remembered for playing Popeye Doyle? And he sort of bristled and said, well, I hope it's a, actually more for a body of work. I remember literally standing up in the living room and going, that's right, that's it. And I've always sort of thought of that, that, you know, yeah, you, there's certain roles along the way that you want to be recognized for, but you hope that there's enough of them that create sort of a tapestry and a, and a, and a, a career, you know, that, that you can look back at and, and say, you know, it's a, Sorry, it's a body of work as opposed to a single character, you know.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah. Because I remember too, like, when I first kind of came up and you know, I get Entourage. I'm playing a character named Turtle. Right. It's going to be definitely. It's going to pop and you're going to be called that a lot.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. Right.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And back then, too, is still a little bit more like, you did tv. That's kind of what you did. And then.

[Michael Chiklis]

Right.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Know, you cut to all these years later and all the things I used to be worried about. It's like so different now. And I think it's better in this way where you don't. It is about the body of work.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. And it's changed a lot. I mean, the industry isn't the same at all.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Right.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's changed in all. So many barriers have been broken down. There was like such a delineation between film actors and television actors and the rarely did a television actor break into film. You know, I. I love that so many of the barriers are broken down now, but at the same time, there aren't as many movie stars as there used to be.

[Jerry Ferrara]

True. Because it doesn't carry the same event.

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, I think that the industry hasn't focused on creating movie stars.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That used to be a thing. This is going to be the next curate a career.

[Michael Chiklis]

Right. And you had guys like, you know, when I was coming up, I. I told my parents, apparently when I was like five or six years old, I. I announced that I was going to be an actor. And of course they went like, okay, sure, he'll be a fireman next. Good luck, you know. But I never changed my mind. And my father recognized this and was like, well, kid, if you. If you're going to be an actor, then watch this guy and watch that guy. Watch this woman. And it turns out my. My mother and father happen to have really good taste. And they were showing me Paul Newman and Robert De Niro. Phenomenal. You know, we had Friday, I would go out to the movies with my dad, you know, and every week.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And I've been so psyched for Friday. Oh, Friday, end of the school week. Friday night.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. And by the way, I saw a lot of films that were totally inappropriate for me at the time. Like, I think my father took me to see the Deer Hunter when I was 14, you know what I mean? But he was always there to drive home with me and talk to me about what we saw and, like, help me get through it, you know what I mean? That movie shook me to my core.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was only Russian roulettes Holy 14 too. That's.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, that's tough. But, you know, that was early and, you know, and also there were some, like, horror movies that I saw. I snuck into those. I didn't see him with my dad. He wasn't a horror movie guy. But I. I snuck into, like, the Exorcist.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah. Me that terrified my dad.

[Michael Chiklis]

All.

[Matt Leinart]

The Exorcist still like the Ring Exorcist?

[Michael Chiklis]

No, no, no.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I don't love the horror movies either.

[Michael Chiklis]

I don't either.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I scare easily.

[Michael Chiklis]

Oh, yeah. Well, also, I loved it when I was a kid when they were like, Bella Lugosi.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Right?

[Michael Chiklis]

They were. They didn't scare you. But then when they started to get realish. You know what I mean? From inside the house and burnt offerings. Oh, no. And, you know, so I. Especially when I had children, when I had my kids, I. That was it for horror movies with me. I. I can be in them, but I can't sit there and watch them because, you know, I don't need the heebie jeebies any more than a half.

[Matt Leinart]

What's the point?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah, no, because if you hear the scary note. My thing is with young kids now, you graduate into that role as a parent, like, you realize as a dad. Oh, I'm the scary noise guy. Like, if they hear the noise outside, I have to, without missing a beat, I'll go check it out. And I'm the. Usually that's the guy who dies in the horror movie first.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So that's why I don't like it either. Because if there's that scary noise, I have to act like it's all good. But deep down, I'm still like, I hope there's no.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, what's a horror movie to me? That hat you wearing. Because you had to. You just had. You knew I was coming on and you had to go, did you do that on purpose? Can I just explain that I don't have hate in my heart for any person, place, or thing?

[Matt Leinart]

I could tell.

[Michael Chiklis]

However, I don't. I hate the Yankees, dude. It's because they made me cry a lot when I was seven.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So this is just it. Two of the reasons we were so excited to talk to you. One, we talked about off air. You don't do a lot of podcasts, which to me, the best podcast guest is the guy or girl does not do a lot of podcasts because we get a fresh new story and insight. And second, one way, I feel like we're both similar and it bleeds into the Work. And we're going to talk about your movie, the Senior, and some of your other work. But you love sports. And to me, that's. The fun part about acting, is we might not ever get to professionally get coaching jobs playing. But we could pretend for a little.

[Michael Chiklis]

While, and it's fantastic. Listen, man, I named my dog Tom Brady. The dog's name is Tom Brady. No, I don't call him Tom, and I don't call him Brady. I call him Tom Brady.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Tom Brady.

[Michael Chiklis]

So when I'm walking, and part of it is to see people's faces when I go make. Good boy, Tom Brady.

[Jerry Ferrara]

You're dead serious, Tom.

[Michael Chiklis]

Come on, Tom Brady. Make a poo poo. So you're gonna go, like, get the.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Your Boston teams down the line? Correct. Because you grew up. Where'd you grow up exactly?

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, I was born in Lowell, raised in Andover. We moved.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's Mickey Ward territory. Lowell, Massachusetts. Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

And. Yeah, a whole other set of stories. But, yeah, Then I moved to Andover. Andover. Which was very nice, but I was a townie. I. I went to Andover High, not to Phil.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So your Red Sox, Pats, Celts, Bruins.

[Michael Chiklis]

And, you know, and I played football, hockey and baseball. Those were my three sports. I was the captain of my football team in high school. You know, I. I had a number. I could have played Division 2. I started both ways. In high school, I was a fullback and a weak side linebacker.

[Jerry Ferrara]

He's just cracking.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, I was a short yardage and a blocking back. You know what I mean? Look at me. You know, it's like a new house kind of a guy, you know, Quick off the mark, no speed in the open field, because I have.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, but you're good for two yards.

[Michael Chiklis]

That's right.

[Matt Leinart]

And. And to lead block in the hole.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, that's right. And I'll smash you in the head, by the way.

[Matt Leinart]

I want to ask this. I gotta ask this. So, yeah, there's this. There's this thing going around. Where could a normal person get 1 yard in an NFL game?

[Jerry Ferrara]

I say yes, normal.

[Matt Leinart]

Like, you know, Adam over here. Right. Normal person. Could Jerry.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I mean, I'm five, six, one.

[Matt Leinart]

We're gonna talk about the senior, because in the senior, you look fantastic playing, you know, line, whatever you're playing linebacker.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

Could you, in an NFL game, line up at fullback with the line, get a yard? One yard?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Why do we need one yard out of you, Mikey?

[Annie Agar]

Me?

[Michael Chiklis]

Now, Just right now, Right, Sure. It depends on who's in front of me.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We'll give you a. An Average offensive line. You have an average NFL offensive line.

[Michael Chiklis]

I'd give myself a solid 50, 50 shot.

[Matt Leinart]

I like it.

[Michael Chiklis]

Sure.

[Matt Leinart]

Jerry thinks he could.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. If I could find the seam or if I, you know, if I was off the mark. Hot. But if one of those guys runs into me dead on. No, no, by the way, because you know this. As a player, you know this. I don't give a. If you were a man, woman. As long as you played competitive sports. There are times that you, right now, Matt, you wake up and go. Then you remember moments, right?

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

And you wish you had him back, right. And. Or the triumphant moments were like, motherfucker, right?

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

And that's all of us. I don't give a shit if you played big time usc, Heisman or you just played for a little Andover High and you know, and had your moments. We all have that. If you're a competitive person, you have your moments. One of them for me is my junior year and my senior year. We were one game away from going to the state finals.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's in.

[Michael Chiklis]

Our rival Chelmsford beat us both years. And one of them my junior year. I had, we had. I was a short yardage back. We were on the one yard line, 14 nothing, us. Seconds left in the clock before we go to the halftime. I, I get the call. I, I never dove, ever. I always put my head down, run through it. But there was a gap and, and it was, you know, it's a moment in time, right? And I just went, I dove for the, for the opening. And this kid, I believe I remember his name, Coloman Zakis. He was a huge Greek kid. He ended up playing for like Notre Dame or something. My. My arm went up like this. I was trying to just push the ball over the, over the goal line. And he hit me, his helmet under my armpit. And I, he was twice my size. And I, by the way, I'm 5 9. I was 199 pounds, senior in high school. I was always a big boy, you know, like, they called me the fire hydrant because I was deceiving you. You know what I mean? I looked smaller than the other guys, but you would run into me and I wouldn't move, right? So column and Zakis hit me in the underneath my armpit, flipped me upside down and drove my head into the ground. My shoulder touched the top of my head. So he completely dislocated my shoulder. I got taken off of the field. We went to halftime. I did not score. I did not score. And that's the One for me. And I find out after that we lost 21 14.

[Matt Leinart]

Isn't it, isn't it?

[Jerry Ferrara]

That hurt. I don't even like hearing that.

[Matt Leinart]

So you just went. I know, I know because I get asked. The USC Texas game, right? The, the, we're going for three championships in a row. No, no, I'm just saying, like there's always, there's. I, I remember the plays that keep me up and I remember the one play that I screwed up on or whatever. Like in that game, Reggie pitches the ball. Never did that in his life. But in the moment he just saw me trying to make a play. Sure, I remember. There's a play, there's, I always say this. There's always like two or three hidden plays in a game that can decide, right? So there was a play. No one even talks about the first half. It was a quarterback sneak. Fourth down in a long one. And again, bush push is going through my mind. I'm like, oh, we'll get this, we'll survive and we'll call timeouts, maybe we'll score. Field goal, it's fourth down. I didn't get it. And we left.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah, I don't remember that play.

[Matt Leinart]

No one remembers the play. Yeah, I didn't get it. We left three points on the board. We lost by three. So we could have. Yeah. So that play, I'm like.

[Michael Chiklis]

Exactly. And that's what the senior really gets into, which is amazing. Yeah. And I, I fell in love with this story and by the way, you know, book of the same title, the Senior with the forward by LeBron. LeBron. This caught his imagination as the oldest player in the league too, that, you know, this guy saw what an incredible story and yeah, he felt compelled to write the, the forward to his book. You know, we, again, any of us who have played organized sports, male, female, does. Listen, I love sports. I could watch guys pitch quarters against the sidewalk. If it's competitive, I'll go watch eight.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Year old basketball, man.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, I don't care. I watch it. Oh, games, you know, I just love it. So we all have those things, those moments that we want to redeem and this is a redemption tale. Yeah. And I, I just fell in love with the story. And then I met Mike. Yeah, when I met Mike. Yeah, I shook his hand. He was 74 when I met him. Right. This, this when he was 59 and did this.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That sounds like a firm handshake too, probably.

[Michael Chiklis]

Right. It's like, oh, you know, I, I, I, I, I went, oh, yeah, he's a Strength trainer. So he has that inner strength. And I just, and I, I said, Mike, I gotta ask you, you know, because he's a Texan good old boy, you know, he's got that draw. I said, mike, are you crazy? I said to him, are you crazy? I didn't swear because I. He's a Christian boy and he's very, you know. I said, are you, are you crazy? He says, well, let me tell you something, Michael. My body deceived me and thinking that I could do this and you know, because, you know, being a strength trainer and everything. But there's just. You try to explain it to people. There' big difference between being field ready and being fit.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Like be, you know, when you're young, you hit the ground and you bounce. You know what I mean? You, you have pliability. And that's something that Tom Brady preaches, flexibility, pliability. Because now, man, that first time I put on the uniform, first of all, it was first time in 40 years I was so fired.

[Matt Leinart]

I was about to say you had a binge.

[Michael Chiklis]

Column put him in front of me. Now I believe I remember his name. I hope I got it right. In any case, I, I go out onto the field and then I meet Willie bell.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

632-230-Miss. And he goes, I'm the one you're going to be hitting, man. I'm like, that's awesome. Okay. And I like doubted my intelligence. And I was like, what am I doing? Like I thought, oh, I'm in, I'm in trouble now. Thankfully I did have a stunt guy and he did a few. He did this. The shots where I got ask you cuz like I did 90% of my.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I feel like this is a movie where too especially you having the football background, loving sports where not that you get carried away, but I know if I was cast in any sports movie at all, I'm going to want to do as much as possible that won't kill me, right?

[Michael Chiklis]

I did 90% of it. There were three shots in particular where I get the two of them blindsided and one just completely taken out. And three, thank God I didn't do those shots cuz Willie just destroyed my guy.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And I'm sure it wasn't your last day. You have other stuff.

[Michael Chiklis]

We were doing this 12 hours a day. We're on the field. My eyebrows hurt, man. It was.

[Matt Leinart]

You get full like both you guys when you're doing stunts and all that, especially in, well, football. You can pretty much tell them like, hey, I want to do all of this? Or did they say, hey, no, Michael.

[Michael Chiklis]

Like, oh, no, they'll fight with you.

[Matt Leinart]

They'll fight with you.

[Michael Chiklis]

Like. Like on the shield, I did. It's funny. I did all but two shots. And then the whole years of the shield, I did a hundred percent of my stunts. And the one time, my stunt guy, it's like season six, all of a sudden, he turns to me, he goes, you're not doing this one. And I go, get the fuck out.

[Jerry Ferrara]

How dangerous is this?

[Michael Chiklis]

He goes. He goes, you're not doing it. And he never, like, he got real with me. He was like, you're not doing it. I had to hop onto a skylight, break through it, fall onto a false floor. In other words, they put. It's an old gag where they. A room this size, they replace. What they do is they put down about. Depending on your weight, Dixie cups, right? And then they put a plank over it so that when you land on it, the floor collapses, but it absorbs. It absorbs the shock, right? And I had to land on a guy's shoulders and. And. And take him out, right? So I was on the roof. I was ready to shoot, and he came up to me, he said, you're not doing it. Step down. And we had words for a moment, and he said, off the roof.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was like, oh, stunt guys say that.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. That's when I got real. I was like, huh? So. So. So. And it turns out because I was a little bigger than him, a little heavier than him, they didn't take out some of the cups which were set for my weight. Oh, so it was too stiff. So when he bounced off that. No, he. His hips were dislocated. Oh. Because it was 13ft, it was like this. That height. So you fall and you don't have any squish.

[Jerry Ferrara]

It's just. You're falling at that point. It's not a stun. It really.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, he's coming out on the thing. He's like, I told you. I'm like, oh, dude, that was Randy hall, man. My. My guy. He was my stunt guy for many things, not just the shield. What an animal.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We never got to do stunts, obviously, on a show like Entourage, but when we did the movie, my love interest was Ronda Rousey, right? So I get in the octagon with her, and this is at the height of her power. And so we're rehearsing our little fight scene, and she's, like, judo flipping someone over her back. Like, we're working it through. And then I'm like, all right, I could do this. Like, it was safe from great stunt guys. But Rhonda came up to me on the side. She's like, jerry, you know, I have broken men's ribs who are far bigger than you with this move. Just. Let's be careful. And then I look over, and I saw my stunt guy drinking an iced coffee, chilling like that. I'm like, you know what, dude?

[Michael Chiklis]

Earn your keep.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Come on. Listen, man, I love you. I don't want anyone to get hurt. But I just. And sure enough, like, she was flipping this dude and this dude the next day was like, dude, my ribs are so sore.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, right?

[Jerry Ferrara]

So, yeah, no, I had to.

[Michael Chiklis]

There were three shots in particular where I got my. And they did one of them right in front of me. And I thought, thank God I didn't do that, because Willie just destroyed him. And he took the hit. The kid was, you know, he's. He's 24 years old. He popped right up. Yeah. And Southern boy who's. I go, you know, he had that, you know. Yes, sir. No, sir. You know, he stands up. I go, you good? He goes, yes, sir. I'm like, he had played for the Crimson, you know, so he was a monster. Who was my guy? Jordan Tyler Moore.

[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Annie Agar]

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[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

All right, it's time for the fresh take of the week, presented by Wendy's. Wake up with Wendy's Breakfast. Big fan of breakfast, even at lunch and dinner for me personally, in honor of Michael Chas being on the show, who played one of the great anti heroes of all time on the shield, Vic Mackey. Matt, we're going to do our favorite TV anti heroes. We're going to name three, but the number one will be our Wendy's Fresh take. So I got to be.

[Matt Leinart]

I had to look this up, right? Because I know, I kind of know what an anti hero is, but I was like, villain. Anti hero.

[Jerry Ferrara]

But you root for them.

[Matt Leinart]

You kind of. They have some good in them, but they're kind of like, they make poor decisions sometimes.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Imperfect people.

[Matt Leinart]

So I'll give. So this one I'm going to do. I'm going to give two.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Okay.

[Matt Leinart]

I'll give two. Off the get and I'll save my last one, but I'm going to give two.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Okay.

[Matt Leinart]

That also, honestly, this guy's probably more of a villain, but Logan Roy from Succession, I mean, just an absolute beast, just like Ruthless. But, you know, I mean, I try to. If you watch the show, which, by the way, is one of my favorite shows, there's not a ton of good.

[Jerry Ferrara]

In him, but split his kids against each other.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah, he split. He did build an absolute empire. So, you know, he did. He did do some well, so do some good. So that was one. And then, and then I'm going with Frank Underwood.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh, wow, you're going House of Cards on me.

[Matt Leinart]

House of cards again. Ruthless did anything he could to get to the top to become president, but just I thought Kevin Spacy in that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Show was also launched Netflix. Let's not forget House of Cards pretty much launched Netflix as original.

[Matt Leinart]

I was pretty religious about watching House of Cards when that came out every season. I thought that was a fantastic show. So I don't know if you're necessarily rooting for him, but he did have, you know, he did have some.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Some.

[Matt Leinart]

Some redeeming quality.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yes, yes. All right, so do you want to give out your fresh take now, or should I go with my two before? Okay, so I'm gonna disclaimer James Candle. James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano is, like, the number one. It's not a fresh take. It's an easy take. So we're going to put James Gandolfini to the side. I have to give that disclaimer. All right. My two before. I'm going. Brody from Homeland. Don't know if you watched Homeland. I mean, everyone loved season one, and then he takes that wild, wild turn. So Brody in Homeland. Okay. My number two. You hear that? Omar is coming. Michael K. Williams as Omar in the Wire is just. I mean, I don't even know if you can call him an antihero. He's kind of just. He's a bad guy. But, man, I just. That was just my favorite character. And now we're gonna get to our Wendy's. Fresh takes are all time. Okay, Matt, I'm gonna turn to you.

[Matt Leinart]

She was phenomenal.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Okay.

[Matt Leinart]

She played in the show Ozark, which is one of my favorite shows.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I don't know if you watched it. Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

Her name in the show is Ruth Langmore.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That is a great.

[Matt Leinart]

Shake is a beast. Julie Garner plays Ruth Langmore in Ozark. What a pick. Yeah, I know.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That is a fresh take. She doesn't get enough love for that.

[Matt Leinart]

I had to look this up, and I'm thinking, like, oh, my God, she's perfect for this because she's good. Like, she. She comes from a bad background, and she's this and that. She means well.

[Jerry Ferrara]

She's.

[Matt Leinart]

She's edgy. She's ruthless. She's a. She's one of my favorites. I think she won a ton of awards for that. She did shout out to. Julia Garner plays Ruth Langmore.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That is a fresh.

[Matt Leinart]

I knew I'd get that one.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Okay, I'm gonna give you mine. Okay. We love Breaking Bad, right? We love it.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Now, you probably think I'm gonna pick Walter White. I'm not. How do we not get any love for Jesse Pinkman when we talk about these anti heroes? Okay. Did he not have some of the most gut Wrenching performance stuff. Battling all sorts of issues. Jesse Pickman, the only one who survives. The only real one who survives. We talk a lot about Walter White. Deservingly so. Unbelievable character. My fresh take, Jesse Pinkman.

[Matt Leinart]

That's good. I think we. I think we got two winners right there. I like that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Let's get back to another anti hero, Vic Mackey, AKA Michael Chiklis.

[Matt Leinart]

Did you get a feel for how big. I mean, you know this as Boston. I don't know how big like high school football is in Boston or like New York, but like what. The film takes place in West Texas. Right. We're like, how big like West Texas?

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, we shot football. Yes. Because we shot in. In Fort Worth.

[Matt Leinart]

Did you get a chance to see like some of the high school stadium?

[Michael Chiklis]

Just all we shot primarily in high school stadiums. We go into this one high school stadium, crazy. It's a 30, 000 seat. I'm like, this is a high school.

[Matt Leinart]

I think the high school Kyler Murray just went to, they just did like a 30 million dollar renovation to.

[Michael Chiklis]

And the guy's like, this is Texas, son. You know, we. We love our football.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

I was like, yeah, it is, man. This is a like a saying. Huge. Yeah, it really is. I mean, there. It's into it.

[Matt Leinart]

It's definitely a way of like Texas high school, Texas football, especially like West Texas, where there's not a lot out there. It is a way.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's a way of life. That's right. And that's the thing that you realize just, just in the run up.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

To making this movie, you realize how incredibly important it is to the people who live there.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Where does, where, where does.

[Matt Leinart]

Like just getting to know you in the sports, like, where does this role. Because you've played some iconic roles. You know, you've done superheroes, you've done, you know, obviously the shield and all this. Where does this role kind of rank as far as, you know?

[Michael Chiklis]

It's high up there.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

I have to say, in the body of work. Yeah. And I'm thrilled at this stage of my life to have a role that I feel is a diamond. It just came to me out of the blue too. Was one of these straight offer.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's what I was gonna ask you if this story you went after or they just like, this is the best guy.

[Michael Chiklis]

And by the way, Mark Giardi, the producer who I mentioned earlier, who did you know Miracle.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh, that's a great.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know. Yeah, right. Miracle Secretariat. This is what he does. He does sports films because he was An MLB pitcher. So he understands, he knows how to do it. Everything we're talking about, he understands that sports mentality that. And, and that. And the, the sports that. Movies that move you. Rudy that, you know. Yeah, this is very much like a Rudy, you know, this movie. And so out of nowhere, Rod, apparently, you know, he. Marchiardi had bought this, this rights to this in 2004 when it happened.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh, wow.

[Michael Chiklis]

He saw it on ESPN. The store. Yeah. It was a big one on ESPN. Yeah. And he went right down to Texas to my meet Mike. He was like, this is the kind. He made a deal with him and he bought the right to the book. And he's been trying ever since. I mean that, you know, 21 years to fruition. So this is a love project for him, something he's wanted to do for a long time. And several other major actors apparently were cast and then, and then it didn't come together. It could.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Crazy movies like that.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. I mean, how many times you hear like, oh, Forrest Gump took seven years to make all the. These different major motion.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And they're awesome movies that like this seems like such a no brainer. How does this take so long?

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, it's. This business so fraught. I mean, it's crazy.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So they came to you like, you're the guy. You're my.

[Michael Chiklis]

Get this. Yeah. You've been offered the role of Mike Flint in the movie. The.

[Jerry Ferrara]

What a great email or call to get.

[Michael Chiklis]

Right. And I read it and I'm like, Michelle, my, you know, my wife. I'm like, holy. I go, yeah, I'm on. You know, like, you know when you.

[Matt Leinart]

Freaking awesome.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

So when you get, when you get that, I, I'm just. I, I think this is fascinating stuff. When I hear these stories in your guys's industry, it's like, no, your football background, you love sports. You're competitive. You get this story, which is redemption. And, and again, we saw, we saw, we saw it before.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We're not spoiling too much. That's why we're not giving Away movies.

[Michael Chiklis]

59 when it came to me, the same age.

[Matt Leinart]

Right. It's fake and like, it's got to make you feel like, like you're just drawn to something. Like I always ask Jerry, like whether. Whatever. It's like power entourage, like sometimes it just, it's like a calling. It's drawn to you. So when you read that, you're just like, this is me.

[Michael Chiklis]

This is me. I have to do this.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. There's no, there's no second guessing. There's no. I'm not sure.

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, whenever I, you know, whenever you get something sent to you and it's whether you chase it or it's handed to you or whatever, and usually you understand. I look at me, you know, I'm not Brad Pitt. No, no, no. But you know, I'm not your normal, like your average. You know what I mean? You're sort of classically anything. Right? So. So I've had to fight for every inch is what I'm trying to say. Of course, things don't usually just get handed to me. I. I had to fight for the shield. I've had to fight.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I love your shield story, by the way. I don't know if they tell accurately in this book Difficult Men. I don't know if you heard much about that, but it's more about the showrunners. Yeah, but they tell the story about like you came in and scared the at it. I don't want to get too sidetracked. You came in as Vic Mackie.

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, I was pissed. A handsome kid left the room right before me. Such as I went, aren't gonna give me this role. You know what? If anything, I'm just gonna. I'm gonna. I got these guys. I'm just gonna put the fear of God in them right now. And I walked in and I was already like, you're all tense.

[Jerry Ferrara]

You're ready to go.

[Michael Chiklis]

And they were just like, I know that I must have. In retrospect.

[Jerry Ferrara]

They say it in the book.

[Michael Chiklis]

They're like, Jesus Christ.

[Jerry Ferrara]

They say it's a problem. They say it in the book. Michael walked in the room. We didn't even recognize it. They knew who.

[Michael Chiklis]

You were really upset. I was like, I know they think I'm the. The roly poly affable the out of you. They don't know me. You know, that's got to be like. Well, you know, when you have a chip, man, look at Tom Brady. Listen, I. I texted Tom when I was making this movie. I said, you're no longer the oldest guy in the field. Help. My eyebrows hurt. And he got. And all he wrote me back was, football's hard. Good luck. That's it. Like. Like, I don't know. Cold plunges. Well, like give me a cut out Strawberries.

[Jerry Ferrara]

What do I cut out?

[Michael Chiklis]

Nothing. Wow. Nothing. Football's hard. Good luck.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So you get the call. We want you to be Mike Fly and.

[Michael Chiklis]

But you know, whenever you're looking for something, whether you fight for it or it comes to you, you know, the first thing Is the story the story, the story? You know, what is it on the page? Right. Yeah. And that met every criteria. It was a phenomenal script and a great story. Then who's making it? Who's involved? And you got an Academy Award nominated director and Rod Lurie, who's phenomenal, you know, Last Castle, Just an incredible body of work. Speaking of body of work, and. And Mark Ciardi, who is the guy for.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, sports films. I was like, holy crap, Michelle.

[Jerry Ferrara]

It's a dream job.

[Michael Chiklis]

Like, my God. And we're gonna shoot this in, you know, football heaven in Fort Worth. This is looking good. You know, and then Mary Stuart Masterson gets cast as my wife. And I've always been a huge fan of hers. And you know what? It's. You know, and you know this, too. Sometimes you meet people that you love and admire their work, and then you. And you get disappointed.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah. Don't meet your heroes.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Right. Well, in this case, it couldn't have been more the opposite. Just now. I. It's better. I. You know, not only is she a magnificent talent, but she's like among the best people I've ever worked with. Really lovely, substantive, real grounded. Everything about her. Phenomenal. And the boys, that's the other thing. I, I ended up being like a playing coach with these boys. They all played football. They all, you know, and that you could see that, too, in the performances. You can see their athletes. You know, they, they, they played and they played Division 1 and Division 2 football, these kids, you know, that's the other thing is that there's. That there's a whole wave of professional athletes moving into the film and television business. And they're. What I love about them is their work ethic is they want to get it right. They don't want to be an athlete that, you know, is trying this thing. If they're going to do it, they want to hear about the craft. They want to know. Yeah. About the work. You know, at least these kids did. And they were really coming to me and asking, and I loved them.

[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

All right everyone, listen up. It's time to flex your ruggedness in the Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek.

[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah, that's right. The Pathfinder Rock Creek comes equipped with 18 inch beadlock style wheels with allterrain tires to help you handle the tough conditions on and off road.

[Matt Leinart]

And with a tubular style roof rack that has up to 220 pounds of dynamic capacity. You'll be ready to haul the gear you need to your next adventure.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I'm telling you, this is the one. It's the Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek.

[Matt Leinart]

Let's go.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Intelligent four wheel drive. Cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

[Matt Leinart]

You would know this. And Jerry didn't play. You didn't play. You played a little bit of baseball growing up.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I played basketball.

[Matt Leinart]

I'm saying, I'm saying. But it comes off in the movie. But the, there's.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I quit football after day one. I was like, no way.

[Matt Leinart]

Football, especially as you know, the locker.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Room, you don't play football.

[Matt Leinart]

The locker room and the camaraderie is the greatest fight part about the sport.

[Michael Chiklis]

And the greatest thing.

[Matt Leinart]

And that is something that's so cool when you watch the movie and obviously you're playing a 59 year old, you know, guy who, you know, obviously has that year left of eligibility and comes back and you can see it come across and it's, it's so. It's cool. And then, and then knowing you now, it's like you get to relive a little bit of your high school days. You miss that because sports. I ask him all the time. It's like being on set. I've been on sets before. It is different. Like you go to your trailer and you try to build camaraderie probably with your. But you're kind of clocking in, clocking out, whatever.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Always happen.

[Michael Chiklis]

No, but it, but it depends on the gig. Exactly. There are gigs that I've been on where it's just very cold and impersonal. The shield was not like that at all. We were a team. It was familial. We never were in our trailers. We were like, it's always together. I got that vibe from Entourage.

[Jerry Ferrara]

The best times are in between, and.

[Michael Chiklis]

That comes across well. It's always the biggest hit, too, because you can. It comes off, you know, I'm sorry. I'm going to break your balls about your Yankees.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Come on, let's dive.

[Michael Chiklis]

Championship team now. Not to say, by the way, the Dodgers can. On some of the worst trades in Boston history. God, Mookie, Betsy. Oh, my God. Anyway, it's not that we don't spend a lot of money in Boston, too. We do. But the thing that makes the difference, and it always has, is the chemistry of a team. When you look at the 04 Red Sox team, the knuckleheads, the idiots, you know, there was just. You could see they had that chemistry, that alchemy with each other, that. And that's the difference that. That, you know, the. The Yanks of late are a bunch of mercenaries, man. They're just. They're. Every one of those guys. Three deep would be number one on the call sheet on any other team, right? They. They. They'd be.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Starters. Anywhere else, and they're getting splinters in their ass on the bench. A bunch of these guys, and you can be deep like that. And if the chemistry isn't there in the. In the dugout, you're. You're in deep. Same thing in the locker room. That's the difference between a team that performs or does okay and a championship team. And you could see it over and over again in every single competitive sport. And I'm. I love making films and television because it's a team sport. It's 140. 150 people coming together and making something together. It's sort of tantamount to asking 50 chefs to go into a. Into a kitchen and cook one chicken.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Like, it can go horribly wrong.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, it can go horribly wrong. Well, that's what I mean. It's the old adage, a lot of cooks, too many cooks spoil the broth. Right. Well, it shows. You have to have this. This equal portion of. Of restraint. Oh, it's not my time to put the salt in. It'll be over salted. It's. It's. Or it's my time to shine. It's my time to perform. And I just love when you're on a team that's working and everybody gets each other, and it's electric. Same thing with a band. Like, I've been doing bands my whole life. You know, I've been a musician my whole life. And that's. It's the camaraderie of it. It's the collaboration of it. And when it works, it's sublime. There's nothing like it. It. When it doesn't, it's soul crushing. It sucks. And you. It sucks when you go on a set and everyone's sort of cold and analytical and goes to the. And it's a job. And, you know, I listen, I'm an older guy. I, you know, I go, okay, all right, paycheck. I'm still gonna throw myself between action and cut. I'm gonna throw down. There's no flies on me. I don't give a. You know, I'm gonna do my best work no matter what. Right?

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, even when I know this is. This one's gonna suck, you know, because you see the incompetence in the room and you go, like, oh, no. But then you go, hey, man, I'm right here.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Doesn't mean I'm gonna try to lift it.

[Michael Chiklis]

Doesn't mean you try to lift it.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Gene Hackman, has he ever sucked in anything? No, never. I'm sorry. All my favorites. Even the. And we all make stinkers. We've all. Because there's so much that goes into it. That's the thing. You know, people think, like, why did you do that? You're like, hey, man, the best laid plans. You know what I mean? And by the way, they also think that there's a guy in short shorts with a baton in one hand and a script in the other is running to your house, you know, with your next gig. It's not that way. Everyone's fighting for that next gig. Everyone's looking for their opportunity. And when you finally do get an opportunity, there's so many things to weigh, you know, finally, if you get in a financial position where you're able to just make choices, good for you. But I don't know about you guys. I put not one, but two children through Stephen S. Weiss, USC and. And Harvard Westlake and Fight the. On. That's an expensive place. I was gonna say that.

[Matt Leinart]

Tuition just went up, like this year, dude.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, I spent at least a million dollars per kid to educate them.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

And, you know, but I, I. Well, I wouldn't do anything else. I wouldn't change.

[Jerry Ferrara]

But you're. You're in a business that does not guarantee you could have one tremendous year. Two tremendous years, and then that third year could be like, oh, I just didn't have this. Like, it could Change. The swings are so big sometimes and.

[Michael Chiklis]

It'S so life changing.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

When you get a show, when you hear the words pickup, well, now it's, you know, that's actually the pendulum swinging back if forever. It was. You got a pilot and then you had to wait until it got picked up or not. And it got picked up for your, you know, back in the network days, you got that front 13 pickup. And that's a life altering. Those two words, pickup on a pickup. And then the back nine you get you for the. It was so fraught all the time. Now for the longest time it's been streaming, you know. Oh, you got a full season pick up.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Right.

[Michael Chiklis]

10 shows. Right. Which is still a life altering thing. When someone says you're picked up, you are gainfully employed and in a way that is, you know, going to pay your bills for a while.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I kept my waitering job when we shot the Entourage pilot and then HBO at the Times 2000, they took months before announcing their six, seven months till they announced their pickup. I kept my jaw. So I'm working at the restaurant still and I have this pilot on HBO that I just shot that if it gets picked up, my life completely changes. But I just, I'm like, it's probably not going to get picked up because most of them don't.

[Michael Chiklis]

I'm going to keep talking about this because there's something that we've done very poorly in this, in this industry is we haven't communicated. Everyone's so afraid.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

And everyone's so worried about their own perception that they're afraid to speak candidly about this. They don't want to be perceived as anything less than a star. And that's created this perception in the middle of the country that were Hollywood elites, but there's no such thing. There's maybe 10 people that are Hollywood elites. The rest of us are kids from Lowell, Massachusetts. And from what. What burger you from?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Brooke Benson, you're from Brooklyn.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, you're not a Hollywood elite. You're a kid from Brooklyn with no.

[Matt Leinart]

Connection who lives in Ohio.

[Michael Chiklis]

Dreams and. Right.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, and you know, you know, I'm gonna digress to go to the whole Hollywood versus, you know, or LA versus New York thing. One thing I find really hilarious because I'm an East coast boy, right. From Boston. Born, raised, educated, lived in New York for years. Love New York again. I only hate the Yankees. I don't even hate the Mets. That's another thing. But, but I, I hate the Giants.

[Jerry Ferrara]

A little too, right?

[Michael Chiklis]

Okay.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We would be fun watching games together because we have some real.

[Michael Chiklis]

And I'm gonna go talk to them.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Manning, you can talk to the Mannings.

[Michael Chiklis]

I'm gonna, I'm gonna. Oh, God help me. Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, no. The difference between New York and LA is like New York has like a, you know, a rivalry with LA in la, man, you guys don't give a. Hey, buddy, come on, it's cool.

[Matt Leinart]

Like, hey, everything's cool.

[Michael Chiklis]

When I went to move here, that's how we are. Listen to this. When I went to move here, I'll never forget, man, I was living in New York. All my New York buddies, like, chick, you don't do it. You know, it's the. It's fucking 10 miles. It's 10 miles wide and an inch deep. They're all vapid fucking fake. They're fake and bullshit and get out. Not. Don't do it. It's a culturalist void. Don't do it. And, you know, and beautiful place to live. When you first come out here, you focus on the things they told you, warned you about the traffic at the time, the no good pizza at the time. Now LA pizza, awesome. Right now, at the time it was by comparison, but you focus on those things. So for a year you're like, well, maybe. And then January 10th comes beautiful, and it's 72 and at Las Brisas and you're like, you guys.

[Matt Leinart]

That's why I tell everybody, hey, come out here, 12, come out here for a full year and you'll see. Okay. Yeah, you've adopted. You've adopted. Well, usc, you've adopted. Yeah, my Dodgers. You were at the Freddie Freeman walk off game one, World Series. And I'm a die hard featured.

[Jerry Ferrara]

You were featured.

[Michael Chiklis]

With my daughter, Odessa, my youngest.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah, you were heavily, heavily featured in that.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, right behind home plate. Was great seats. It was amazing. And my, I brought my Odessa because, you know, I. I hadn't taken her to enough Dodger games and it was just a daddy and me game. And you know, I'm a big believer in doing things with the whole family, but I also individual, you know, you.

[Matt Leinart]

Got to time with each one.

[Michael Chiklis]

That's right. And I took Odessa to this game and it was just. It couldn't have been like. It couldn't have been better. Soup to nuts. We, you know, it was a tight, tense game. It gets down to. It gets down to, you know, bases loaded, the Yankees. I'm like, come on. Oh, it was. And then he just, by the way, you Gotta love it when off the bat, like from the moment, you know, like different sounds. Yeah, it's just. Oh, it's out like that. Instantaneous.

[Matt Leinart]

The hug with the dad.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

So real quick.

[Michael Chiklis]

So insane.

[Matt Leinart]

We have. We have Bryce Harper on our show on Big noon for an Ohio State game. Because he's an Ohio State. Whatever. This was like, I think a couple weeks after, so. And he was cool as he. I asked him, I said, dude, what'd you think of Freddie Freeman? Dodger? I'm just like, talking baseball. He goes, dude, Matt. He goes. That pitcher who was the lefty relief pitcher. His scouting report is first pitch, fastballs down the pipe. He's like an 89, 90 mile. But that was his thing.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So he goes, first pitch, strike.

[Matt Leinart]

First pitch, strike. Fastball down. Like, he'll paint it, but, like down.

[Michael Chiklis]

The thread he's looking for.

[Matt Leinart]

And so Bryce is like, that is our scattering point. He's like. So you look and swing. First pitch. And that made sense. First pitch, he.

[Michael Chiklis]

And he just launched it. Literally, it was out off the bat. You just. We just jumped to our feet immediately. We're like.

[Matt Leinart]

I was in Ohio. Actually, it was the same week I was in Ohio. And I was watching it, and I'm fucking. Let's fucking go. Being with your daughter has got to make that moment incredible.

[Jerry Ferrara]

All right. Joining us as she does every week, Annie Agar, courtesy of Twisted Tea. Grab a refreshing Twisted Tea today. Annie, we know life is good for you still with your Packers. How you feeling this week?

[Annie Agar]

Feeling great. I'm. I'm feeling probably a little bit better than you're feeling, but it was a good. It was still a good game.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Listen, I'm on Giants.

[Matt Leinart]

Just throwing blows already, Jerry.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I'm on Giants text threads. They're like, hey, guys, we're, like, scoring points. We're just happy to be scoring points.

[Annie Agar]

450 yards for Russ, man, that's more than.

[Matt Leinart]

By the way, he looked like eight games. Seattle Seahawks, Ross and Daniel Jones is balling, too. So it's like, it's a win win for everybody.

[Jerry Ferrara]

It's not a win minus your Giants.

[Matt Leinart]

Who don't have a win in the wind.

[Annie Agar]

It's a win win for everybody except for the Giants.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Now, before we get to twisted trivia, we're going to hit a few things. We were talking right before we started recording. Annie, I think you asked Matt or someone asked Matt if he ever had turf toe. Matt, do you know anything about turf toe as our fellow quarterback has.

[Matt Leinart]

Well, first of all, I've never Had turf toe. I've heard it is miserably painful. And do you guys know exactly what turf toe is or do you know?

[Annie Agar]

No, it sounds stupid. It sounds so like you scuffed your toe on the turf. They need to rename it some sort of medical name. Freak is pretty.

[Matt Leinart]

Turf toe is a sprain or ligament injury to the main joint of the big toe caused by forceful hyperextension. It's common in athletes playing on artificial turf, which is a big deal. We need actually natural grass symptoms. Pain, swelling, bruising, stiffness. It is absolutely miserable. I would. I would equate it to like, like, you know, like a. Like a basketball. Like a calf, Right. Like you need your calf to move later. Like.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

You'd be surprised how much you need your big toe when you're planting and you're playing.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah. Because it's really painful, right?

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We need a name for it that's better than turf toe. And you know, sometimes there's like breaks that they name after the guy who did the break. What if you call it burrowto? He's got. Oh, he's got burrow toe. That's the new name for the next 10 years. He's got borough. He's got burrow toe.

[Annie Agar]

We could use Joe bro's name for a plethora of injuries, but, you know.

[Matt Leinart]

I feel bad for Joe, man. That's.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Wait, Matt. One injury I think you do know about. You broke your collarbone, right?

[Matt Leinart]

Oh, yeah.

[Annie Agar]

Bring that up.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And unfortunately for Annie, Jaden Reed off to a great start. Yeah, but you got a million wide receivers.

[Matt Leinart]

Right back though.

[Annie Agar]

Next man up, you know, Gives more targets to Matthew Golden. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it sucks because he landed kind of like on the ball and I. He rolled over and I thought, oh, that's either a shoulder, an arm or I don't know, it didn't look good. But yeah, I think you just had successful surgery, so that's good. But he's out six.

[Matt Leinart]

Six to eight weeks. He's back easily.

[Annie Agar]

Oh, good. Okay. I had some time for us to lose to the 49ers.

[Matt Leinart]

I saw that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We're going to get to twisted trivia in a second. I got one more thing for both. You guys can weigh in. We're going to do what storyline are you just not buying yet? Okay. It's either Daniel, I'm going to give you two choices.

[Annie Agar]

Okay.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Daniel Jones is now a really great quarterback and the Colts are real. Or the winner of Chargers Broncos this week is now the best team in the AFC west. Which one Are you not buying?

[Annie Agar]

Oh, that's a really good one.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I think I did good with that. I'm proud of that one.

[Annie Agar]

That's a great one. I might not buy into the Daniel Jones hype quite yet.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Okay.

[Annie Agar]

I mean, the. The Broncos game was just so lucky. Like it. I mean, he still played really well, but that was that.

[Matt Leinart]

And I mean, the Dolphins are.

[Annie Agar]

And it's Miami. Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

So.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah, listen, you know how like. Yeah, well.

[Jerry Ferrara]

All right. You're not buying Daniel Jones, by the way.

[Matt Leinart]

He's got the Titans. It's another win. And then. Then you got the Rams. Their schedule was pretty easy.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah. Cause they were horrible last year.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Great agenting again by Daniel Jones as agent. You know where you're going to go? You're going to go to the Colts because you're going to win that open quarterback competition easily and you're going to have a starting job for one more year and you have a good coach over there.

[Michael Chiklis]

I'm.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I differ from the two of you. I don't know if I yet believe that the Chargers or the Broncos are the best team in the West. I know we're all writing off the Chiefs. They're gonna beat the Giants, most likely. Like 99, 98.

[Annie Agar]

It might be like their get right game too. And they all go off and BY.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Like week 10, they're gonna get guys back. Rice will be back worthy be back. Like, they'll be healthier, better. I just don't. I'm still not buying the Broncos Chargers are the best team in the west thing.

[Annie Agar]

Just my take the poor Raiders. We don't even care about them.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Well, we did after week one.

[Annie Agar]

Tom up in the booth and Geno.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Started genoing and just like brutal, rough.

[Annie Agar]

I tweeted that I was up until 1am watching that stupid dumb game. Gino throw three pigs. Said I was terrible. Terrible.

[Jerry Ferrara]

You had a great video that just dropped though this week. So those of you go check out. Gives me great content on social. Great content. Now for some more good content. Let's do some twisted tea.

[Annie Agar]

Twisted trivia. You guys are one and one, right? Did we. Are we keeping score?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Well, one and one or we or total games overall, I think we're three.

[Matt Leinart]

To three and three.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Three and three.

[Annie Agar]

All right, gentlemen, let's get into it. Are you ready? Five questions. I like that all these questions, like, relate to things that are kind of happening currently. So starting with number one.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's a hint.

[Annie Agar]

That's a hint.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah. Starting with number one. Who was the last number one? Overall pick to win the Super Bowl. This is. This seemed like a very tough one because I forgot about who this was. And I should know because. Hint, hint. He went to a college in my home state.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Last number one pick.

[Annie Agar]

Number one overall.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Win the Super Bowl.

[Annie Agar]

Let me know if you need a hint.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I need a hint. Matt, do you need a hint?

[Annie Agar]

The super bowl was a win over the 49ers.

[Matt Leinart]

Last number one.

[Jerry Ferrara]

The Super bowl was a win over the 49ers.

[Annie Agar]

It's not a position player, I'll tell you that. No quarterback, no running back.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Which is weird. Oh, see, we're so beat up to think about quarterbacks. Only thinking about.

[Annie Agar]

Yep. That was literally my first thought. Let me tell you. The college.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

Central Michigan.

[Matt Leinart]

In number one overall pick.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

From Central Michigan.

[Annie Agar]

I know.

[Matt Leinart]

This is. This is old.

[Annie Agar]

This is really old.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Then you might need another 2013.

[Annie Agar]

I had to. I didn't remember this at all.

[Matt Leinart]

There's no way a Central Michigan player was.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Wait, okay.

[Michael Chiklis]

I know.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Who beat 2013. Who beat the Niners?

[Matt Leinart]

Number one overall wasn't the Ravens.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Who beat the Ravens.

[Annie Agar]

Nope. It was the Chiefs. Drafted by the Chiefs.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh, he's drafted in 2013.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. Oh, he's got to be a lineman.

[Jerry Ferrara]

This is brutal, guys.

[Annie Agar]

Can we tell you. I'll give you that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

Eric Fisher, Offensive technical.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That was.

[Annie Agar]

Shocked me.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That shocked me. The number one overall pick in 2013.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

Isn't that crazy?

[Matt Leinart]

I thought he went to Texas A.

[Annie Agar]

And M. I think he transferred on. I mean, I just. Central popped up because tough. Isn't that weird? I know weird. Well, that was a really hard question. Okay, we'll bounce back. This is a. This is a more recent one. Who was the last quarterback to win offensive player of the year?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Last quarterback to win offensive player of the year. Which means it was like running back, who probably. Or wide receiver who won mvp because the last quarterback. Because usually you don't win.

[Annie Agar]

It was a quarterback last. Who's the last quarterback to win offensive player of the year? No, that's a good guess right up there, though.

[Matt Leinart]

Josh Allen.

[Annie Agar]

Nope.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Joe Burrow.

[Annie Agar]

Nope. This is actually hilarious. It plays into our talk really well because we just said that they're becoming non existent or their run of reign of terror is over.

[Matt Leinart]

Patrick Mahomes.

[Annie Agar]

Pat Mahomes. In 2018.

[Matt Leinart]

He wasn't even talk.

[Annie Agar]

Three answers. And I actually love that for us.

[Michael Chiklis]

Love that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah. I just always think that like, quarterback wins MVP and they usually give it to, like a wide receiver or running back.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah, that's what?

[Jerry Ferrara]

My brain. All right.

[Annie Agar]

2018. Okay. Brandon Aubrey. 64 yard field goal was the fifth ever 60 yard kick against the giants. Only one team has had more against them. What team is it really?

[Jerry Ferrara]

I thought the Giants were by far number one.

[Annie Agar]

Think of a team that just gets crushed.

[Jerry Ferrara]

The Cleveland.

[Annie Agar]

Last second all the time.

[Jerry Ferrara]

The Cleveland Browns.

[Annie Agar]

Nope.

[Jerry Ferrara]

No.

[Annie Agar]

In like it? Like only. Well, I mean they get crushed all the time, but more specifically in the fourth quarter. Like last minute comebacks. That. That just destroy the franchise.

[Matt Leinart]

Buffalo.

[Annie Agar]

Nope. That's good guess though. This one's a personal no. A team that just.

[Matt Leinart]

Chicago.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh, the Bears. No.

[Annie Agar]

You would think so, but no.

[Matt Leinart]

Suck. These questions are. These are random.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We have kickers.

[Matt Leinart]

We have a kicking question.

[Annie Agar]

Perfect word. Very random.

[Jerry Ferrara]

This is twisted. This is twisted.

[Annie Agar]

It's very twisted. The most. Yeah. A team that's lost by like last minute field goals over and over and over again. That would be a personal favorite of mine. Nope.

[Matt Leinart]

Minnesota.

[Annie Agar]

Minnesota.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I mean I can't even take these wins.

[Matt Leinart]

I can't even take these wins. I feel like that's cheating.

[Annie Agar]

We've named all 32 teams. Oh yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

These are hard.

[Annie Agar]

No, that was a tough one. Okay, number four, two more questions. Who was the first team to ever lose a Super bowl by one point?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Buffalo Bills.

[Annie Agar]

Yes. How'd you know that?

[Jerry Ferrara]

That was because the Giants beat them. Oh, that is Scott Norwood. No good. Giants win.

[Annie Agar]

That's wild. One of their four. Yep. Okay, Jerry, there you go.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So wait, Matt, are you taking the Vikings?

[Matt Leinart]

Absolutely.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We named 28 of the 32 team.

[Matt Leinart]

I named the right one.

[Annie Agar]

Okay, last one. Jerry Rice has the record from most career receiving yards and touchdowns in the playoffs. Who is second on both lists for most career receiving yards and touchdowns?

[Matt Leinart]

Most receiving yards. Kelsey.

[Annie Agar]

Travis Kelsey and touchdowns in play. Yep.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was gonna say Terrell Owens.

[Matt Leinart]

What are your Kelsey's having?

[Annie Agar]

Yeah, other than that drop. You know I'm so. I feel so bad because I should. I'm happy for him. I just like to. It's just great content. Like I love making fun of it. So much fun.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Do you know what else is going to be great? Content. And I want to ask you about this real quick. Matt, tell Annie what you're doing this Saturday.

[Matt Leinart]

And guess what? I'm going. Guess what I'm doing Saturday night after Big Noon.

[Jerry Ferrara]

After he finishes his big Fox show. Watch.

[Matt Leinart]

I'm. I'm running my boys out the tunnel. Usc. Michigan State. No, you know it. You know.

[Annie Agar]

Oh my God.

[Matt Leinart]

I did it about 10 years. I did it about 10 years ago. Gosh, I did. A long time ago.

[Annie Agar]

That is so cool.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. So they have, like, a tunnel captain, so I always bring back.

[Annie Agar]

I'm surprised you haven't done it more often than.

[Matt Leinart]

I mean, I'm just always. I'm never home for the game because I'm always on the road. So very, very few times they have a night game where I'm home before the game starts.

[Annie Agar]

Isn't it a late one, too?

[Matt Leinart]

It's like eight o'. Clock.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

Wow.

[Matt Leinart]

But it's gonna be fun. Jerry asked me if I'm. If I'm a hype guy.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Well, that's what I want to ask. I know.

[Annie Agar]

Are you gonna be like, full dabo and just sprint out there and leave the guy?

[Matt Leinart]

Oh, yeah, dude, I'm getting hyped. You're gonna sprint?

[Jerry Ferrara]

Wait, how fast are you? Like full sprint? No. You're gonna open up?

[Matt Leinart]

No, no, I don't really sprint. I'll jog, but I will get the crowd hyped is what I got that.

[Jerry Ferrara]

73 Madden speed, bro.

[Matt Leinart]

I might be.

[Annie Agar]

All I about Matt is being at the Notre Dame, Wisconsin game in Chicago and the amount of people that were. That were like, shouting at you and you handled it so well.

[Matt Leinart]

That's because it's Notre Dame.

[Annie Agar]

Like you. I need to be at USC with Matt. I don't need to be at Notre Dame.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And if the packers ask you to be the tunnel captain and run the team out on the field, are you going super hype or are you staying more like focused inner determination?

[Annie Agar]

Oh, gosh, I couldn't. I'd probably pass out. I'd be trampled by everybody because I'd be so excited. Lil Wayne does that. I'd be like full Lil Wayne right now. Yeah, I would be. I'd be hype. I'd probably. I'd probably full sprint.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Well, thank you, Annie. I will say maybe go. I don't want to say go easier on this next week because I do think the audience is going to like to hear us struggle.

[Annie Agar]

But if you beat the Chiefs, though, could you imagine Jerry? Oh, my God.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Well, we're gonna have. It's gonna be like a berry. We're all gonna be up here going, the Chiefs are done. Yeah, Chiefs are over.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh, and three for my Chargers Broncos take. I look like an idiot.

[Annie Agar]

Oh, well, good luck to you. I'm enjoying the tweets, so I'll keep watching.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was quiet. I was a little quiet this weekend.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah, it's okay. There wasn't much to talk about. So.

[Jerry Ferrara]

All right. Thank you, Annie. Enjoy. Good luck to your Packers. We'll see you next.

[Annie Agar]

Thank you. Sounds good.

[Michael Chiklis]

Foreign.

[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Matt Leinart]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Annie Agar]

To hire eczema isn't always obvious, but it's real.

[Jerry Ferrara]

And so is the relief from EBGLIS after an initial dosing phase.

[Annie Agar]

About 4 in 10 people taking EPGLIS achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most.

[Michael Chiklis]

Of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. EBGLIS Lebricizumab LBKZ a 250mg 2 ML injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Epglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebglis, allergic reactions can occur that can be severe.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Eye problems can occur.

[Michael Chiklis]

Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epglis. Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if.

[Jerry Ferrara]

You have a parasitic infection searching for.

[Annie Agar]

Real relief, ask your doctor about epglis and visit epglis.lily.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-800-545-5979.

[Matt Leinart]

Greatest sports moment.

[Michael Chiklis]

I. I've been really.

[Matt Leinart]

Of all time for you if you can go back.

[Michael Chiklis]

Okay. I gotta say, the comeback was the comeback. I'm sorry, it's.

[Jerry Ferrara]

It's.

[Michael Chiklis]

And I've been to like all of them, right? And I had a backstage pass to this because Tom and I are friendly, you know, I got to crazy. Come on now. You gotta understand. FX took me. So I was with the FX people and we were on the 50 yard line on the first row behind the Falcons.

[Matt Leinart]

Oh, behind the Falcons.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh. So you.

[Michael Chiklis]

So first of all, I'm a. I'm a. I was such a prick on this game, by the way. I. It didn't help because Matt was incredible in all world that game. And I think I made him better because I was going. I literally was going, matt, Matt, Matt, Matt. Do you feel him coming, Matt? That's the way I was doing it.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I was jam, though. Like, you were still.

[Matt Leinart]

Matt's such a great dude.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, such a great dude. Yes. But I. He was for me to this camera away and I was going, Matt, man. I knew he could hear me. I was hitting him at my stage. Never looked at me, but I could feel his body stiffening, you know. But then he'd go out and he was killing it. But one thing I did see was that every time the defense came off, they were gassed.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

And everyone, the New England contingent, see, we were sitting with the guys from. From Atlanta and they were.

[Jerry Ferrara]

They're celebrating. Celebrating, right?

[Michael Chiklis]

Totally.

[Jerry Ferrara]

They parties in the second half's gonna be a party.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's 23 or 28 three.

[Matt Leinart]

23.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's 28 three. It's. No, it's. And almost at the end of the third quarter, it's 28 3. And we're. Everyone's despondent. And I. I have to say proudly, I would not let it go. I was like, right now, right now, this. It has to happen now or it's not gonna happen. And my friend Chuck Sappler, one of the heads of fx despondent, incredible photographer on the side left. And he walked away from us and he went up into the upper deck, unbeknownst to me at the time. And he took a photograph right at that moment. And it's 28:3 with like two minutes left. And the name of the photograph because he had it framed and he gave it to me is called never give up. And it was because I was just going, no, we can do this right. And. And I, I. It was because I knew if we could get the ball back, we would score every time against this gassed defense.

[Matt Leinart]

And Brady's just.

[Michael Chiklis]

That's what. And. And also this miracle's the catch. We call it. We don't call it the Immaculate Reception. We call it the catch. By the way, Julian Edelman's catch. Holy.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's up there.

[Matt Leinart]

That catch goes up there with David Tyree. The Mac David Tyrese catch with Eli in the super bowl beating the Patriots.

[Michael Chiklis]

Is that happened right in front of you.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Was a little more skillful.

[Michael Chiklis]

But that one was his head got mashed into the Rodney.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. Just to keep.

[Michael Chiklis]

Rodney hit him and it sort of pushed the ball against him. Julian's catch. That wasn't catch. And you can see it perfectly the way it got caught where he let it go and grabbed it again. This.

[Matt Leinart]

I'm being down 23 in football, no matter who it is, is virtually impossible.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's impossible. Just virtual.

[Matt Leinart]

You don't get enough time.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. Enough time and the immediacy. And to be there for that. I have to say as far as sports moments, to be there for that and watch it, the elation and to see it actually happen and to feel it growing, to feel it over the course of the whole fourth quarter. Oh my God. And I'm going, Matt, Matt, you had a. Matt, you were a big reason.

[Matt Leinart]

Why.

[Michael Chiklis]

What's that?

[Matt Leinart]

You were a big. You were in their head.

[Michael Chiklis]

No. No. Because every time.

[Matt Leinart]

By the way, I hated guys.

[Michael Chiklis]

Let me tell you something also. I'm. I'm sorry. And I believe it was the same offensive coordinator. You get a fact check this. I don't know. But I believe the offensive coordinator for Atlanta that year was the same coordinator who was for the Niners, Seattle.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Oh.

[Michael Chiklis]

When who called that pass that Malcolm.

[Matt Leinart]

Picked off Shanahan called plays.

[Jerry Ferrara]

It was Shannon.

[Michael Chiklis]

I know why I know that because something that. When he ever called that.

[Matt Leinart]

Who was the.

[Michael Chiklis]

That the pass from script from. From the shotgun Falcons. All they had to do was was run a short running play and. And take a knee and let the clock run and we were done.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

But because who was it who sacked him? I saw it. There's just so many moments again. And this is what I love about the senior. I got to take it back to the movie is it's about moments. It's about all these different moments in time that really isn't about, you know, it's a sport, right? I mean, at the end of the day, football, baseball, basketball, it's a sport, but it's about, you know, overcoming adversity. The people that your, your comrades, the guys that you're, that you're on the field with, in the locker room with. These are the great value lessons and things. I don't know about you. I know about you. I know the best things you've ever learned in your life were through those memories with your teammates, with your comrades on set. With my Good, bad and ugly. You know, I, I might even get choked up talking about it. My coach, Coach Dick Collins, great champion high school football coach, one of the most integral men. This guy was phenomenal. And he taught us how to be young men. My father did too.

[Jerry Ferrara]

But it's different from a coach, dad. It's just a different, different.

[Michael Chiklis]

Like one of the things I'll never forget in my life is we, you know, we were a good team and we were beating everybody. And like, as I said, we lost our last game to Chelmsford, but we won every game before that. We were 9 and 1. So we're winning, we're winning in one game. We just trounced the shit out of this team. And we were gloating and he tore us a new. You know, because he, he taught us how to win with dignity. Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Which is something that's kind of gotten lost.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, everything, the showboating and everything. I loved you. Like every value lesson that guy ever taught us, the way he made us look out for each other, that he made us pick each other up, I just, you know, these are things that stick with you for a lifetime. Here I am about to be a 62 year old man and I, this is high school and I still remember it, you know, and I, I hope that people go to this movie and it's that kind of movie that pulls at your heart. You know, there's a lot of humor in it, there's a lot of laughs, but it also, you find yourself wanting for this man. You find yourself going like, hey man, I, I want him to succeed. And I think that that's a big thing in any great story you want. You know, some people get lost in the explosions. They're so about the action and the next thing blowing up, they forget that. You don't give a, about what blows up if you don't care about the.

[Jerry Ferrara]

People who are at risk.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah, that's right. Correct. That's right.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yeah. There's two. I don't Want to spoil too much of the movie, so. But the two things I think we could talk about. One is also, you know, so to me, when I watched it, so much of what Mike Flint was going through was also him reconciling his childhood with his dad. And by the way.

[Michael Chiklis]

Correct.

[Jerry Ferrara]

My good buddy James Badge Dell played.

[Michael Chiklis]

Mike Flynn, and he's great.

[Jerry Ferrara]

We did our. My first ever was with Bad. She'd already been. He's acting. You know, he was in Lord of the Flies as a. Yeah. Kid.

[Matt Leinart]

Right.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So that stuck out.

[Michael Chiklis]

Terrific.

[Jerry Ferrara]

But then. Then I have a question for you about the. Is this scripted or is this improv? Because I have a take, and you might have showed. You might have given me a little answer there. I don't know. One of my favorite parts. Why laughed out Loud? Because I've had this moment was you talking to the young receiver about the Longest Yard, and he thinks it's an Adam Sandler movie. And you have the part where you're like, wait, Adam Sandler?

[Michael Chiklis]

That was scripted.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That was great.

[Michael Chiklis]

That was scripted.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's why it's great writing, because that's a real conversation. You mentioned Burt Reynolds earlier.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. I laughed out loud when I read it. I was like, I love this. This is fantastic creation of kids who.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Think the Longest Yard is an Adam Sandler film. And I enjoyed that one, too. But that's not.

[Michael Chiklis]

I love that Rod added that it was pouring rain.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Yes.

[Michael Chiklis]

Because that's the kind of game you're standing there. They all go to the ye. They go to the ground game. There's less.

[Jerry Ferrara]

I love that line. I laughed out loud. And I'm like, I have conversations with teenagers all the time about the remakes.

[Michael Chiklis]

He's like, yeah, you know, for me, it's, you know, you know, the Longest Yard. I go, yeah, you're like, North Dallas, 40.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Like, never seen that one.

[Michael Chiklis]

Well, Adam Sandler.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Wait, Adam, we love Sandler, but that's, you know, that's not the longest yard.

[Michael Chiklis]

I guess it's hardwired into us, to the human condition back to the days of the Coliseum and before it. You know what I mean? Where there's something. Gladiators, you know, battling this, there's something about the human spirit and, you know, and not just fighting, but competing. It's something that drives. It said, it drives innovation. It drives us to. To just be better.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah. You know, you talk about your daughter Odessa.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah.

[Matt Leinart]

Okay.

[Michael Chiklis]

And you have two daughters, Autumn and Odessa.

[Matt Leinart]

So I just became a girl dad. First time I got three boys.

[Michael Chiklis]

Oh, wow.

[Matt Leinart]

I'm sending my oldest now.

[Michael Chiklis]

You got youngest daughter. That's fantastic.

[Matt Leinart]

Sending my oldest to SMU baseball.

[Michael Chiklis]

Wow.

[Matt Leinart]

Two little boys. And then advice you can give me, being a girl, dad, and we'll let you go. What's the best advice?

[Michael Chiklis]

She's six. Well, with all my children. I said the same thing. I said, listen, I never want you to think Dad's gonna kill me. No, I'm not. I'm gonna help you.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Tell me. Yeah, come to me.

[Michael Chiklis]

Just don't lie to me. And because I can't help you if you lie to me, if you come to me and tell me the truth, you'll never get in trouble. I promise you. I'll. We'll talk through it. I'll fix it. We'll fix it together. We'll work it out. That's great, but don't. Don't lie to me. Just. Just tell me. And listen. Like, you know, I think parents remember their own youth, so they get afraid. So they want to like you hold more. My. This is my father. I'm a Greek philosopher by, like, blood. I can't help it. My father would say you hold more sand in an open hand than a closed fist. So a lot of people squeeze and the kids squeeze between their fingers, but it's this balance of letting the kid sit on an open hand rather than choking them out.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

So they have to make their own decisions. And you have to be there for counsel. You have to be there to hear them out, but you have to continually trust them and allow them to live their life. So what happens is people forget. They either remember too vividly what it was to be a parent, which makes them strangle, or they forget what it is to be a kid. Yeah, they forget. Hey, you know, remember when you were a kid?

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

You know, you did all this stuff. Nothing happened. You were okay.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

You have to, like, everybody wants to bubble wrap their children.

[Jerry Ferrara]

It doesn't work.

[Michael Chiklis]

It. It doesn't work. You gotta. You gotta let them fall. You gotta let them land in their ass. That's part of the learning process. You know, you. Obviously, it's terrifying. There's nothing more terrifying. And you don't want to see your kid struggle or get hurt.

[Jerry Ferrara]

That's the only way to learn sometimes.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. But it also shows them that they can overcome adversity, that they can, you know, that they can be brave, that they can bounce, that they're resilient, you know, all those things.

[Jerry Ferrara]

So that's great.

[Michael Chiklis]

It sounds to me, the fact that you even asked me that question says so much.

[Matt Leinart]

I mean I. I have three boys and I've been so. My oldest is 18 and we'll let you.

[Michael Chiklis]

Jesus Christ. You have an 18 year old going.

[Matt Leinart]

To college football player, by the way. Smu.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Good athlete. Shockingly good athlete.

[Matt Leinart]

Right. And then two brothers. Boys. So my wife.

[Michael Chiklis]

Crazy.

[Matt Leinart]

Had a. We had. We were. You know, we just. She's six months old. So like I've only known boys, which is different. It's just fun. It's different.

[Michael Chiklis]

Sure. But I grew up in like.

[Matt Leinart]

Yeah.

[Michael Chiklis]

Testosterone.

[Matt Leinart]

My house is very much that.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's. But now I live in estrogen house. I'm surrounded.

[Matt Leinart]

So that is.

[Michael Chiklis]

There are so many feelings in my house.

[Matt Leinart]

I'm gonna get there one day. But yeah. It's just all my boys who have daughters are like, dude, it's like they wanted me to be a girl dad. So back. Because I'm like, I've had boys and I love my.

[Jerry Ferrara]

The final boss.

[Matt Leinart]

But it's the final and girl. And she already knelt.

[Michael Chiklis]

You're so. I'm.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Wow.

[Michael Chiklis]

Yeah. You're dead. But in the greatest way.

[Matt Leinart]

I know. I appreciate it.

[Michael Chiklis]

It's the greatest thing. It really is.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Congratulations, senior. I think it's September 19th. You're always been one of my favorites and every time we run into each other, man.

[Michael Chiklis]

Thanks, man. Thanks for having me.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Great performance, by the way. Congrats. The senior 919. Check it out for sure.

[Michael Chiklis]

Thank you.

[Jerry Ferrara]

Popsicles, sprinklers, a cool breeze. Talk about refreshing. You know what else is refreshing this summer?

[Michael Chiklis]

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[Annie Agar]

Yep.

[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Michael Chiklis]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Annie Agar]

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[Jerry Ferrara]

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[Michael Chiklis]

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