Scott Hanson Is More Excited Than You For the Return of The NFL and RedZone

Summary

Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara

Episode: "Scott Hanson Is More Excited Than You For the Return of The NFL and RedZone"

Date: September 4, 2025
Hosts: Matt Leinart, Jerry Ferrara
Featured Guests: Scott Hanson (NFL RedZone), Annie Agar

---

Episode Overview

This lively episode welcomes the legendary Scott Hanson, the face, voice, and heart behind NFL RedZone, as the NFL season kicks off. Matt and Jerry dive deep with Scott into the magic, chaos, and excitement of RedZone Sundays, trade their own football and fantasy tales, and bring in Annie Agar for some game predictions and tough sports trivia. The episode bursts with enthusiasm, nostalgia, and practical inside looks at what makes NFL Sundays—and RedZone—so addictive to fans and industry insiders alike.

---

Main Themes & Structure

• The Joy & Ritual of Football's Return: NFL and college football are back, and hosts and guests revel in the anticipation ("This is Christmas for us adults." – Matt, 01:50).
• Behind the Curtain of NFL RedZone: Scott Hanson details the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of producing the beloved seven-hour live football show.
• Personal Football Stories: From family sports stress to road food reviews, the hosts share their preparations, traditions, and experiences.
• Fantasy Football & Betting: The group explores their own league strategies and dilemmas.
• Iconic Broadcast Moments & Catchphrases: Scott elaborates on the rise of “the witching hour” and what makes a catchphrase iconic in sports.
• Pop Culture & Trivia: Comedic, interactive segments with Annie Agar highlight current matchups and test the hosts’ NFL knowledge.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. NFL is Back – “Christmas for Adults” (01:37–05:00)

• Matt and Jerry express uncontained excitement as both college football and the NFL return.
• Jerry laments the summer’s “sports drought” after the Knicks’ playoff run and skipping most summer baseball.
• Both hosts talk about their anticipation for the return of fantasy football and game rituals.

2. Behind-the-Scenes: Working in Sports & On the Road (03:05–07:18)

• Matt recounts road trips with Dave Portnoy (Barstool Sports) and current show dynamics.
• Anecdotes about Barstool fans, rivalries (particularly Michigan vs. Ohio State), and how adding Portnoy brings raw, unpredictable energy to college football coverage.

3. Game Day Rituals, Food, and Family (07:37–09:54)

• Jerry weighs the emotional cost of being a Giants fan.
• Matt considers starting a "cheeseburger review" segment on the road, inspired by Portnoy’s pizza reviews.

4. Fantasy Football & Thursday Night Games (09:37–15:12)

• The hosts discuss the roller coaster feelings of fantasy football—setting lineups, Thursday night dilemmas, and the thrill or misery of big early performances.
• Matt reminisces about finishing last place in his league, barely escaping embarrassing consequences.

5. On One-Handed Catches and Football Highlights (11:55–16:09)

• Matt and Jerry recall their favorite single-handed receptions, with Odell Beckham Jr.’s “and-one” catch cited as game-changing (“That was the NBA equivalent of an and-one.” – Jerry, 13:56).
• Conversation touches on how moments like Beckham’s catch inspire a new generation and shift expectations for athletic feats.

---

Featured Segment: Scott Hanson Interview (20:13–44:47)

Hanson’s Football Passion and RedZone Rituals

Memorable Quote:

"You only get 18 of these all year. Let's go! ... I'm literally like that [before showtime]. In fact, I just got goosebumps right now doing it because I'm here in the studio, and it kind of echoes just a little bit. But, oh yeah, I'm—I am a nut job." – Scott Hanson (20:37)

• Hanson compares the scarcity of NFL Sundays to treasured holidays, urging fans to savor every week.

Tour of the RedZone Studio (22:25–24:44)

• Scott reveals the green screen trickery and his “wall of monitors” (six screens, quadranted for up to 24 feeds), detailing the controlled chaos.
• He explains how the control room operates like “an orchestra playing jazz music,” always adapting to the action.

Orchestrating Chaos: How RedZone Stays Seamless

Memorable Quote:

"My producer will get in my ear and say ... 'If Jordan Love completes this pass, we'll stay on the Green Bay drive. If it's incomplete, we'll go to New England ... but keep in mind Dallas is in the two-minute warning timeout ...' And I call the play based on what the actuality is or what the defense, you know, allows me to call." – Scott Hanson (26:11)

• Hanson compares show-calling to a quarterback listening to the coach’s headset and adjusting on the fly—a combination of prep and improvisation.

The Birth and Impact of “The Witching Hour” (29:35–31:45)

• Jerry confesses he uses “the witching hour” in daily life; Scott explains he created it wanting a phrase marking the pivotal hour when everything changes.
• Scott shares how "the witching hour" has entered NFL folklore (Halloween costumes, custom suit stitchings, etc.).

Notable Exchange:

"When you know you've made it, Scott, that's when you know you've made it!" — Matt (31:45)

Worst-Case Scenarios & Personal Resilience (32:30–34:35)

• Scott addresses contingencies: RedZone has never had to replace him mid-show (over 250 straight episodes!).
• Explains his ability to go marathon Sundays without a bathroom break, and the preparation, focus, and team support required.

---

Daily Life, Prep, and Monday Night “Cool Down” (35:10–39:01)

• Scott reveals his home setup with FIVE big TVs to recreate the RedZone workflow, even on non-Sunday games.
• Shows off massive self-made packets: stats, depth charts, league schedules—all committed to memory for rapid-fire use.

Fantasy Football Philosophy & Celebrity League (38:31–40:50)

• Admits he’s in only one league (with the likes of Mark Sanchez, Emmanuel Sanders, and fans), suggesting simplicity is better—"That’s four too many, Matt," about Matt's five leagues.
• Scott doesn’t check his scores during live broadcasts to avoid bias—his team: “The Iron Bladders.”

In-Show Trivia Segment with Annie Agar (52:05–58:24)

• Annie hosts sports trivia, stumping Jerry & Matt with questions on records, MVPs, and 99-yard touchdowns.
• Jerry ultimately wins the friendly contest, with plenty of laughs about bad guesses and generational memory gaps.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Why RedZone Is Special:
  "The audience is so positive about RedZone and what it means in their football lives ... Imagine it's mid-May, imagine it's early June, and you would give a body part to have a RedZone episode right now." – Scott Hanson (21:12)
• On Broadcasting Jargon Entering Daily Life:
  "Even when we're doing bedtime for the kids, I'm like, 'We have entered the witching hour.'" – Jerry (29:35)
• On prep/disseminating info:
  "I saturate my mind with all of that ... so if a guy does something, I can quickly disseminate ... that 82 yard Derrick Henry run, now the longest in the NFL this season..." – Scott Hanson (37:39)
• On legendary catches:
  "What separates the Odell catch from all the amazing one hand grabs... it was an and-one. He got held so bad ... It was the NBA equivalent of an and-one." – Jerry (13:56)
• On sticking with a catchphrase:
  “But did I know that years later people would be tucking in their children with [Witching Hour]? ... My tailors, my tailors, when they make my suit, they'll stitch in the Witching Hour.” – Scott Hanson (31:30)
• On fandom pain and joy:
  "This has felt like the longest drought of sports in my life ... I am thirsty!" – Jerry (02:03)
• On handling the pressure:
  "When you don't have talent, you better have enthusiasm. And I got that." – Scott Hanson (32:38)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–03:00: Opening excitement, sports return chat
• 03:05–07:18: Behind the scenes—road life, show with Portnoy/Barstool
• 09:37–15:12: Fantasy football dilemmas
• 15:12–16:09: Iconic one-handed catches discussion
• 20:13–44:47: Scott Hanson interview (studio tour, show orchestration, origin of “witching hour”, bathroom breaks, fantasy football, motivational close)
• 52:05–58:24: Annie Agar’s Twisted Tea Trivia segment

---

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode is an energetic, fan-first celebration of football’s return, blending deep-dive industry insights with relatable sports banter. Scott Hanson cements his place as both an everyman superfan and a professional at the top of his game, while Matt and Jerry blend Hollywood, NFL, family, and fandom into a highly relatable package. Familiar rituals, changing traditions, and behind-the-scenes revelations make it a can’t-miss listen for football addicts old and new.

---

For New Listeners

If you love NFL, RedZone, football rituals, or just love a mix of sharp sports talk and fun personalities—this is the perfect kickoff for your season, with Scott Hanson’s infectious passion setting the stage for what’s sure to be a wild ride every NFL Sunday.

---

End of Summary

Transcript

[Scott Hanson]

Matt, Jerry, we have waited more than 200 days since the last full NFL Sunday. The wait is over. So get your snacks, get your beverages, and sit down on your couch and get ready for the Octobox for the witching hour, when wins become losses and losses become wins. All wrapped up in seven hours of Redstone football. I'll see you.

[Jerry]

I present to you an hour and 10 minutes roughly of uninterrupted throwbacks. Did you like that? Do you know what I'm doing right now?

[Matt]

Yeah, I know what you're doing. You're teasing our gas, bro.

[Jerry]

Let's go. I present to you. No. It is now time for the witching hour. This is why I'm not Scott Hansen. Everyone knows who Scott Hansen is, right? I couldn't think of a better way to promote the fact that the NFL is back. I mean, everyone's talking about what quarterbacks are going to stay all this. And look, I'm here for all of it. But today we have Scott Hansen joining us. If you don't know about the NFL red zone, where the hell have you been? I'm sure you do, but we're going to maybe try to go a little behind the curtain of the red zone and then just talk football with the one and only Scott Hansen. And coming up later, toward the end, we have Annie Agar, who was on last week. We're going to do some twisted tea trivia and kind of preview a little bit of Thursday night stuff. We got a big.

[Matt]

Is there. I mean, listen to me. I got a little pep in my step, you know, college football's back. The NFL is back tonight. I mean, this is. This not.

[Jerry]

It's.

[Matt]

It's just. It's the greatest time of the year, buddy. This is.

[Jerry]

It is.

[Matt]

This is Christmas for us adults. This is Christmas for us adults.

[Jerry]

For me, because I truly got beat up so bad during the Knicks playoff run. It was just nothing but stress and.

[Matt]

Get ready to get beat up again.

[Jerry]

Well, I was ready. Once the Knicks season ended, I was. I was ready to be done with sports. I'm like, I'm taking the summer off. I'm not gonna really check in much baseball. I'm not gonna pay any attention. Like, we had the NFL draft quickly, but I'm just. I'm out. This has felt like the longest drought of sports in my life, and it's not any different than any other year, but this drought has felt bad. Like, I am thirsty.

[Matt]

Yeah, you're feeling it. You're feeling it. You took some time off. You had a Nice off season. A lot of things happened in the Ferrara household. Your giants made some moves this awesome season.

[Jerry]

My last football season as a father of two.

[Matt]

Yeah. Fantasy football starts tonight. We're in it.

[Scott Hanson]

You're.

[Matt]

You're back in it. You're back in the grind. There's just a lot of to be thankful for, buddy. There's a lot of to be thankful for. And I'm thankful for football.

[Jerry]

I have a fun take for you on the Thursday night game later, but let's dive in now. You finished your week. One for you is in the books.

[Matt]

Oh, dude.

[Jerry]

For your big noon travel. I gotta say, buddy, what you think? And I watch every week. I watch every week. I. I've been watching for years.

[Matt]

I appreciate that. Thanks for the support.

[Jerry]

I love, I love, love, love the Portnoy edition because here, look. I'm tuning in because I want to hear between all. How many national. How many natties do you guys all have between you, Urban and Mark? Is that five?

[Matt]

I got two. Urban's got three marks. Five.

[Jerry]

So six. I'm tuning in because, you know, it's not that I know what to expect from you guys. I don't know, like, you guys educate me in an entertaining way.

[Annie Agar]

Right?

[Matt]

Y.

[Jerry]

But then you get Portnoy now. And now we have a layer to the show of I don't know what the hell to expect. And I think that's really cool for Saturday at noon. And he was cutting wrestling promos, essentially.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, he's food. Yeah, he's great. He was great. Awesome. Is great to hang with Dave. Just meetings, dinner, you know, I mean, you know about this, like our weekends.

[Jerry]

It.

[Matt]

It is. It's the closest thing to a locker room. We have our own locker room. Our producers were a tight group. We. We, you know, bust each other's balls. We have fun. We. But. But we love. We want to give a great show, right? We want to educate, talk football and have fun because college football is so fun and so great. And then now we have barstool and Dave and obviously with a lot of the chaos that went down last week and him not being able to go in the stadium and just him being a Michigan guy and all those guys, all those things. Like, it was a big week. It was a three hour show. There was a lot going on. I thought Dave crushed it. And he was awesome, man. Like, it was. It was. He was just fun to hang out with. It's just. It's just like one of us talking sports, talking, having fun, figuring out what works you know, like it's a week to week thing, but he was great. And dude, we're in, we're in. We're in Ames, Iowa this weekend. Barstool Sports. The show is coming this week, so we'll see some of those guys. But he was awesome, man. And it'll only get better week to week.

[Jerry]

So I got two things for you. One, what was, what was your thoughts when he first comes out and the whole place is just booing? Are you like, this is what we expected or are you like, wow, how long is this gonna, how long is this gonna go on for?

[Matt]

What I'm, what I'm noticing is, is you know, his, his demographic, right? And that his audience is a lot of those people. They all love Barstool. They love and, and, and he makes a great point and he, he digs in on Ohio State because he went to Michigan. He and that rivalry. And I've seen this and Urban will tell you for sports that rivalry is second to none in sports. I've been around a lot that it's, it's a, it's a truly a hatred. A truly a hatred. But like you said, rivalries are great for sports. So he plays into the rivalry. He plays into that. He's like, dude, this is what's, what's great about football. It's what's great about college football in particular. So.

[Jerry]

And he has the flex of a huge win last year for a not very good Michigan team. He has a huge flex.

[Matt]

They've won four years in a row. Michigan, I mean, it's been right.

[Jerry]

But last year was really so.

[Matt]

But like, but like he, he, he, he. I think he even said on his show this week, like, Ohio State's the number one team in the country. I'll give them respect. They're, they're really good. But like you still gotta have like, he play, he plays into it. Obviously he loves it. He plays into. But that's, that's part of what like he and Barstal are so shout out Dave. Dave was great. Iowa State this weekend. Iowa, another big time rivalry. But yeah, here's my second thing because.

[Jerry]

He'S already putting out, you know, pizza review. Should he do it now? Well, you should get in one of those. And then also my pitch to you because you're on the road so much, why don't you talk to Portnoy el Presidente and find out your own. Like maybe what would you like, what would you review? You know, like review. Yeah, find something.

[Matt]

You know what I would liner.

[Jerry]

It's what like your chicken wings? Like what are you gonna.

[Matt]

I would go. I would go taco. Cheeseburgers.

[Jerry]

Cheeseburgers.

[Matt]

Yeah, bro. I'm a big. That's my. If I, if I'm die tomorrow, I'm.

[Jerry]

Going cheeseburger and fries and I think that's valuable to a fan base. So if I were you, by the way, I don't know if I go into Des Moines where a good cheeseburger.

[Matt]

I was probably pretty good cheeseburgers in Des Moines. Just saying pitch it to pitch you.

[Jerry]

And him going out and then you start the cheeseburger review. I would watch the out of that, bro.

[Matt]

I'd gain like £6 a week though. Got.

[Jerry]

Nah, you land and go right to the gym. You, you're. You land and go right to the.

[Matt]

I mean all the gentlemen out there listening. I mean it's, it's, it's a holiday week, bro. Let's go.

[Jerry]

It's great.

[Matt]

I mean this, this. I mean, what are you, what are you doing this weekend? I mean it's NFL Sunday, it's college football Saturday.

[Jerry]

Temper. Here's what the biggest challenge for me this week will be. This weekend is tempering my excitement for the Giants because I know it's smoke and mirrors, I know it's a good vibes team, but I do not want to. I'm trying not to get sucked in. I'm very excited.

[Matt]

I think you've made up a good vibes team. You, you, all you've talked about is that good vibes.

[Jerry]

I think Giants PR department did a wonderful job this year for the Giant fan base. I know it's not reaching you in the South Bay, but in New York and the tri state area, the vibes are high. Good pr.

[Matt]

Goodbye.

[Jerry]

I'm. I am beyond excited for Lamar versus Josh Allen. I can't believe they're giving that to us week one. But there's some other sneaky interesting matchups that I mean, Caleb. I'm very curious about Caleb Williams in that first game there. It's just a great, it's a great slate and I'm totally going to take advantage of. You know what? You wanted the third baby. I wanted one more NFL football. So I mean, I'm gonna be a degenerate this weekend.

[Matt]

Fantasy football starts tonight. As you said. We got Scott. Scott's in a fantasy football league maybe too, so that'd be interesting. How the hell he handles that during red zone.

[Jerry]

Is he in fantasy?

[Matt]

I can't imagine. Yeah, he is. I'm gonna ask him about it. Because I'm trying to get in that league that he's in. He's in with a lot of, with, with like George Kittle, a lot of current players. I'm trying, I'm get in next year. I've already got the end. I've already got the ask ads. I'm already in. But fantasy football starts well.

[Jerry]

Question off that I always get suckered into. You know what? I don't really want to play George Pickens. But you know what I need? I need a hat, a dog. In the fight on Thursday. Do you sometimes play someone in the Thursday night game that maybe you shouldn't, but you're just that excited to get?

[Matt]

Yeah. Thursday night games are the worst though, dude. It's always, it's typically a lower scoring game. It's always one of those. It's Thursday night is the second guessing game for me always. And I, and I travel like I traveled today. I traveled Iowa.

[Jerry]

So sometimes it's nice not to worry about it on Thursday. You just don't play anyone.

[Matt]

Exact. Yeah. Or, or it's. It's really nice if you get off to a great start. If your running back gets you like.

[Jerry]

28 points from Philly defense.

[Matt]

By the way, that might be one of the greatest feelings in fantasy football. Starting a guy on a Thursday night and him going off, going into the season already up like 15 to 30 points. Oh yeah. With one player, there's nothing better than that.

[Jerry]

That's a great feeling. And I think short of that, the, the one of the best feelings is like you're down 60, but you got two guys left and like, you know, you kind of lost. So maybe you watch the first quarter, nothing happens. And maybe you go eat some dinner. Your why? And you just go to your phone's like, oh my God, I'm only down 12. Some like your two guys make two huge plays and next thing you know you cut that 60 point lead to 18 at half. That's a really exciting.

[Matt]

That's a great feeling.

[Jerry]

Or the Thursday big performance is amazing.

[Matt]

Or the, or the dud performance of the opponent. Right? They, they, if they play three guys on a Thursday night and they score like a total of 18 points, it's already like, like it's fine. Dude, I finished last place in a league last year. Last place.

[Jerry]

That's embarrassing.

[Matt]

What an embarrassment. I didn't have to do anything. They tried to make me do something. This year I'm like, guys, that ship has sailed, bro. You should have done that last year. I'm not doing for You.

[Jerry]

Wow. Maybe we'll talk more fantasy with Annie. We got Scott coming on right now. Last thing, Arch Manning. We're all moving on, right? Meaning like it's fine. Give the kid a break. Play the, maybe the best defense in the country. I.

[Matt]

Couple, couple, couple big takeaways. Real quick. Talent is there. He's going to be a really good player. I think it was probably unrealistic for even guys like myself to kind of go in assuming that he would just light up.

[Jerry]

Osu. Light, light up.

[Matt]

You know, I think, I think, I think we all missed the boat. There a lot of people, one in particular in the media who's just a clown and I won't even say his name. He missed the boat. Um, but yeah, I, I think it's, I think he needs time like anybody else. He hasn't played a lot of football, so. And, and again I, I hyped him up too. I think he's going to be really good. Second, Ohio State defense is legit. Matt Patricia was in his bag. Yeah, I watched the film. He was in his bag. So pump the brakes. Texas is going to be fine. They're one of the teams that lost this weekend that I'm not worried about that. That'll be there when it all, when it's all said and done.

[Jerry]

All right, let's do fresh take of the week presented by Wendy's. Wake up with Wendy's breakfast. Let me tell you, I'm gonna hit a Wendy's breakfast on Sunday morning while I get all my lineups set. We're gonna hit this one really quick. CJ Daniels maybe early candidate for best one handed catch of the year. We see one handed catches now forever and ever. Question for you, Matt. Do you need a bad throw from a QB in order to get that great one handed catch?

[Matt]

I mean, of course there are some players that, you know, I played with that. All you have to do, we would just say, dude, just throw the ball in the vicinity of him because he's going to make the catch. Larry Fitzgerald was one of those. Mike Williams in college was one of those. And yeah, so typically like, like you go back to the L. Beckham catch with Eli, like that's, we're going to talk about that. It's a good throw. But he doesn't make that catch. If he doesn't. I mean, yeah, it's, it's so, so, so I would say this to a quarterback standard. If a receiver has to make a sick one handed catch, it's probably not a great throw. But sometimes you Got to put it in places where only they have a shot. I, I just, I, I want to, I want to ask you like what are your favorite catches of one handed catches of all time? Because I have, I have one that's unbelievable.

[Jerry]

I, I did a little deep dive too. First of all, I don't know what you consider the Edelman super bowl catch, like one hand tip ball thing. That's arguably one of the greatest catches.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

Great most important catches. There's been so many great one handed catches. Here's what I came out of my deep dive because I started watching all time great NFL catches and they were even going back to like Chris Carter days where they did not really do the one handed catch. Every like what Odell did with that catch is what Curry kind of did with the 30 footer and then kids start working on that and next thing you know it's like one handed catches aren't ridiculous. But what separates the Odell catch from all the amazing one hand grabs that we've seen. And it's not because he was wearing a Giants jersey. Matt. I know. That's my.

[Matt]

I know, I know.

[Jerry]

The thing about it that made it unbelievable was it was an N1. He got held so bad and the ref threw the flag. It was the NBA equivalent of an N1. He gets held, he breaks off the hold, ref throws the flag and then he makes the catch. So that to me is, that's just the best. We've had great ones since but no one will ever touch that one.

[Matt]

Yeah, I, I think and he, it, it almost, I mean and Odell was a great receiver so he didn't need that catch to be a great receiver. But that was just like one that like kind of put him on the map, I would say. Odell Beckham's catch is right up there and Mike Williams catch.

[Jerry]

Mike Williams. Yeah.

[Matt]

You probably won't know, you probably hadn't seen this, but we're going to, we're going to post this. Oregon State, my first year playing. Oh three. He runs a little stick nod in the red zone which is like a five yard out and kind of up through the middle of the thing. I throw it off my back foot. I kind of throw it high. He catches the ball with one hand and never puts and just holds it the whole time. Never like to palms it never brings it back in like to tuck it. He didn't fall. He literally, he holds it like a, like a loaf of bread and just keeps it high for like five seconds. It just gives it to the Referee. And I was like, when I.

[Jerry]

When I feel good as a qb, like, he just gave goosebumps thinking about it.

[Matt]

When I, when I saw it, I think I watched the highlight and I was like, my God. God, like, it is one of the sickest catches of all time. Like David Tyree catching the Super Bowl.

[Jerry]

But that had a lot of luck. I love that catch. That was.

[Matt]

A lot of these catches are luck. I mean, one handed. I mean, Michael Crabtree's catch in college, Texas Tech, when they beat Texas on the sideline is arguably. And again, a lot of these catches, ours didn't. A lot of these catches had great, like, ramifications, right? Edelman's catch, Super Bowl, Tyreek catch, Super Bowl, Texas Tech upset Texas, I believe on the sideline, you got to watch that one, too. Those are, to me, some of the sickest catches of all time.

[Jerry]

Justin Jefferson has a great one versus the Bills. But yeah, for me, the, the big bang of it all was odell with the M1. Because then I think kids started working on it, and now we see it all the time. It is now time. Boy, I'm gonna stop doing a Scott.

[Matt]

We gotta, by the way, that and we gotta. You know, we're gonna give this man a proper introduction with. He comes on. J.

[Jerry]

You want it? You're gonna take it.

[Matt]

I'll take that. It is no time. I got. I got to do the TV voice.

[Jerry]

A lot of pressure.

[Matt]

I. I just want to just say, like, bro, what's up, dude? What do we got?

[Scott Hanson]

Let's.

[Matt]

Let's go.

[Jerry]

I love your intro, bro. What's up? What's up?

[Matt]

I'm gonna give him that intro just like that.

[Jerry]

All right, here we go. Scotty, breakfast might be the most important choice you make all day. That's because at Wendy's 2 for $3 breakfast, you could mix and match your very own perfect pairing of our delicious.

[Matt]

Morning favorites with this breakfast deal. The choice is all yours. It's not someone else's. And isn't that how it should be? It's your breakfast, after all, not Martha's. She can pick her own breakfast. This one's all you.

[Jerry]

No matter what you choose from our sausage biscuit with that grilled breakfast sausage or the egg and cheese biscuit with that fresh cracked grade A egg and. And melty American cheese on a fluffy buttermilk biscuit, a small size of perfectly seasoned potatoes, or a medium hot coffee to power through the morning. All you got to do is pick your ideal morning pair.

[Matt]

You really can't lose because you're the one calling the shots. The choice is all yours. Wake up to Wendy's 2 for $3 breakfast. Just the way you want it. Limited time only during breakfast hours. U.S. price and participation may vary. No substitutions. Not valid in a combo. Single item at regular price.

[Jerry]

You know those days where you start with just a couple of friends and maybe a backyard grill going, and before you know it, you've got the whole crew there, music playing and the game on. That's a twisted tea day.

[Annie Agar]

Twisted tea is a real brewed iced tea, but with a kick 5% alcohol, so it actually tastes like the tea you love. Just a little bit more fun. It's full of flavor, super refreshing and smooth. Because there's no carbonation. That means you can sip it all day while the good times keep rolling. And if you've ever had twisted tea at a tailgate, guys, it is a game changer. There's no heavy, bloated feeling, just cold, smooth refreshment that pairs perfectly with burgers, brats, and the pregame buzz in the air from the first parking lot toast to the last whistle. Twisted tea keeps the energy up without slowing you down.

[Matt]

So this weekend, keep it smooth, keep it flavorful, keep it twisted. Grab a refreshing twisted tea today.

[Jerry]

You know, sometimes having a lot of options can be a good thing, but just as often, it could feel a little bit overwhelming. I know me when I'm trying to even figure out which TV show to watch or what movie to stream to sit down with, or even sitting down in a restaurant. Sometimes you get those giant menus that have 150 options and you just can't figure out what to order.

[Matt]

Yeah, Jerry. And the same applies if you're a business owner who's hiring. It can be overwhelming to have too many candidates to sort through. But you're in luck. ZipRecruiter now gives you the power to proactively find and connect with the best ones quickly. How? Through their innovative resume database. And right now, you can try it for [e-mail] throwbacks.

[Jerry]

Yeah, ZipRecruiter's resume database uses advanced filtering to quickly hone in on the top candidates for your roles. You could see a candidate that you're really interested in, or you could unlock their contact info instantly. So no wonder ZipRecruiter is the number one rated hiring site based on G2.

[Matt]

Skip the candidate overload. Instead, streamline your hiring with ZipRecruiter. See why 4 out of 5 employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Just go to this exclusive web address, ZipRecruiter.com Throwbacks right now to try it for free again, that ZipRecruiter.com ThrowbackS ZipRecruiter the smartest way to hire. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we are joined now by the former captain of the Bishop Foley Ventures varsity football team, Syracuse long snapper, by the way, one of the best positions in all sports. Every football bro's favorite face on Sunday Morning, entering his 17th season as the host of the NFL Red Zone, Scott Hanson. Let's go, baby.

[Scott Hanson]

Let's go, guys. Happy New Year, Matt. Jerry, great to be with you. I'm getting fired up. In fact, I chose to do this interview from the studio here just to give you guys a. A quick feel if. If you wanted.

[Jerry]

I. I kind of got chills. Do you get as excited as all of us as, you know, how the fans feel specifically for Red Z? Get the same feeling going into Sunday? I can only imagine.

[Scott Hanson]

So I think they record. Our studio crew records me in the last 90 seconds prior to you guys and the fans hearing me at home, because I am literally like, I don't want to blow the microphone here, but, like, let's go. You only get 18 of these all year. Let's go. I'm literally like that. In fact, I just got goosebumps right now doing it because I'm here in the studio, and it kind of echoes just a little bit. But, oh, yeah, I'm. I'm a. I'm. I am a nut job. Before the. Before we actually kick it off, because I just. I'm so thrilled because when. I mean, I love football. I love serving our audience. The audience is so positive about Red Zone and what it means in their football lives. And I'm like, you only get 18 of these all year, you know, 17 games, plus the bye weeks. And we obviously go all 18 weeks of the regular season. Um, and in the. I think if you get tired at some point, either during a show or maybe, you know, by December, you know, people are starting to get a little tired, a little. Little fatigue. I'm like, imagine it's mid May. Imagine it's early June, and you would. You would give a body part to have an NFL Red Zone episode begin right now. Focus on that, and you will be back and enthused to get after it for seven hours.

[Matt]

Jerry, do you see. Do you see this man right here? Do you see how football players are just built different? We are just like. We are just Built different. They. By the way, you need to come speak. You need to come speak to my son's high school football team and motivate their team because they are on the struggle bus right now, buddy.

[Scott Hanson]

But it's. What happened. It's early. It's early in the season.

[Matt]

They're already ass kicked week one. We're all right, though. We're gonna bounce back. What. Let me. You know, we got the green screen behind you. Awesome to see.

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah.

[Matt]

What's the studio look like? Can you. Can you move? I don't know what camera.

[Scott Hanson]

First of all, I know we're shattering some people's dreams that. That the background is fake.

[Jerry]

It's not just 800 television.

[Scott Hanson]

We're getting a first. You undoubtedly have had a bunch of green screen experience, and I have your career. So, yeah, you know that they. They. They digitize the background. But look at this, boys. Here we go. This.

[Matt]

Look at this. The.

[Scott Hanson]

I got to get the camera here correct, so. Oh, oh, oh, here we go. The stage is. No, this is not an ego trip. By the way they use.

[Matt]

Is that AI.

[Scott Hanson]

It's. It's. Yeah, no, it's. It's a cardboard cutout that they use to match the green screen for what I'm actually.

[Jerry]

That's your stand in, essentially.

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah, it's my stunt double.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Scott Hanson]

The desk is real. The. The host's enthusiasm is real, and most important, the touchdowns are real. So. But it's all fake. Background, green screen. Here's what I'm looking at, obviously.

[Jerry]

Oh, that's amazing.

[Scott Hanson]

Camera, lights and whatnot.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah, dude.

[Scott Hanson]

Camera that I say hi to the country to is right over here. And then this is the part you'll like. The donut light is usually not on. That's for you guys. But this. This is my wall of monitors. Six big screens. And then we quadrant each one of them so eight games in the early window kicking off on Sunday. And I actually do not stand over there. I say hi to the football world over there, and then I walk back around here about 15ft, and I stand right here, and my eyes are glued to these monitors for seven straight hours. We have every feed from every game brought to me over here on the far side. This. This monitor has live scores to every stadium that literally tapped into the scoreboard in the stadiums. So the game clock is completely synchronized, no delay or anything, so I can keep an eye on things there. And then this is what we call the program monitor, meaning this is what. This exactly mirrors what's on in your living room. At any given moment. So I know what you're watching. And then I, I can determine. And the crew and I can determine what. Where we're going to take you next and bounce around. These two seats over here are my guys, Tim Galanyans and Brian Laravie, my right hand men. They sit there with a laptop to help me out with any stats, facts, player identification.

[Jerry]

That's your O line right there.

[Scott Hanson]

That is my O line. 100%, Jerry. Yeah. And they're my guys. I would be. I know a lot about football, but I'd be lost without these guys. So that's our little. That's our little studio upstairs. There's a control room with like 15 to 20 people who, who, you know, help determine where we're going to go to at any given moment. And it's like an orchestra playing jazz music. Everyone needs to be sweet and sharp on their instrument, but then they need to be listening to everyone else in the orchestra to say, because we don't have sheet music. Right. We're responding to wherever the football. We don't care who's in the red zone. We just care that someone's in the red zone. We don't care who scores the touchdown. We just care that there are a bunch of them. We try and blend it all together into what, what hopefully is a good watch on television.

[Matt]

By the way, I goosebumps just watching that. It's fascinating, man, the job that you do and everything. I get asked this a lot of. A lot of the time on the show that we're on and like, you know, you have your ears in, right? So you, you have your. Yeah, you have your beating ears. And there's always people talking in your ear while you're talking.

[Jerry]

Walk.

[Matt]

Because you just talked about that. It's an orchestra. You got a lot of moving parts. You got your stats dudes, you got like, hey, we need to move to this game. What is it like? Take us behind the scenes with that on how you kind of balance the ears and where to go to next. How much, how much, how much do you have to say in doing whatever kind of going off script.

[Scott Hanson]

Okay, you're going to love this. As a quarterback, you're going to love this because I equate it to the coach to quarterback communication system.

[Matt]

Yep.

[Scott Hanson]

Okay, got it. So I'll give you, for instance, and this is when it gets real frenetic, which is quite often. Not always. Sometimes it's pretty obvious we should be on this game. It's the only game in the red zone. So we're in Detroit or whatever. But let's say there's a scenario like this with eight games going on in the early window. Let's say Green Bay is third and eight from midfield and that's what you're watching at home right now. Okay, third and eight. Let's see if they can convert this and get the drive into opponent territory. But my producer will get in my ear and say, all right, we're on the Green Bay game right now. If Jordan Loves completes this pass and they get a first down, we'll stay on the Green Bay drive because they'll be in field goal range if it's incomplete or they don't get the. They're going to bring out the punt team. So we'll go over to New England because they're just outside the red zone. But keep in mind, Dallas is in the two minute warning timeout. When they come out a break, they're first and goal from the five. So that's our top priority. So he just gave me all that instruction and then that's like the coach, or at least what I imagine the coach calling multiple plays in my ear. Then I get up to the line of scrimmage, meaning I watch what happens in the Green Bay game. All right, Jordan Love drops back to pass, tries to target Matthew golden up. Incomplete. Packers are going to bring out the punt team. Let's go over to New England right now. They're just outside. Hold on. We just got out of the two minute warning timeout. Dallas is first and goal from the five. Let's go to AT&T Stadium and see if Dak can score. And, and I call the play based on what the actuality is or what the defense, you know, allows me to call. Does that, does that make sense?

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, and no one does it better, dude, you're one of one.

[Jerry]

Well, that's, that's the thing, Scott. I think as an audience, and maybe I relate with this with acting too, we know you're having fun not saying, like, it's not stressful. It must be. And it's not, it's not easy. It's very hard. But we feel that you're having fun doing this. You're not just like, hey, this is a good job. I'm going to do it. Like you, like you said, the way we only have 18 of these, we feel how special you treat it and I think that's why you get the reaction that you do from all of us. And I will say, you go into year. Is this year 1717, baby.

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah, it's a. Yeah. Huge.

[Jerry]

30 years from now, if you decide to hang it up, take that desk with you. People will. That desk is awesome, by the way.

[Matt]

Take that. Take the cardboard cutout.

[Jerry]

Have that forever. It's a great desk.

[Scott Hanson]

I'm the first one in the studio at, like, 5am on Sunday. I'm the first one in. It's usually dark. That thing still scares the crap out of me. I forget that it's in here. And sometimes one of the crew hands will move it on, like, Wednesday or something, and it'll be right at the entrance to the studio, and I'll be like, who's in here? And then I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, that's me. That's cardboard me. But good call Jerry, on that. I'm gonna do that.

[Jerry]

I'm gonna take that whenever. Yeah. 30 years, you decide to hang it up with the red zone on year 47. Take that thing. Put that thing in a nice spot in your house.

[Scott Hanson]

Did you take anything from a set that was.

[Jerry]

I take everything I could. Anything. Anything I could.

[Matt]

But didn't you take those sneakers behind you?

[Jerry]

These sneakers came from. Yeah, I. Anything. Because also, it's like, look, of course, sneakers. That has some value. But just looking back, you know, even with the Entourage stuff, it's like, it just. I don't know. I want these in my family. And I feel like that desk is something that should be with you forever.

[Scott Hanson]

And when security tries to stop me, I'm going to say that you. You greenlighted it.

[Jerry]

Yes. Real quick. You know, I'm a. I've said this. I use this too often in my regular life. My wife wants to kill me sometimes because even we're doing bedtime for the kids. I'm like, we have entered the witching hour.

[Scott Hanson]

No way. Really?

[Jerry]

I swear to God, I use it in life way too much. And I was thinking about this the other day, right? And I fully. I'm saying this is my opinion. You don't have to get weird about it. I think witching hour is up there for me with let's get ready to rumble with Mike Breen going bang. It's to me, it's in the zeitgeist. If you ask someone, give me, like, three phrases that make, you know, NFL football's coming. The witching hour is up there. Did you have any idea that that was gonna stick the way it did? It's almost impossible to know, right?

[Scott Hanson]

No, I wanted to come up with a nickname for that hour. It's usually more than 60 minutes. Because when you hit the end of the third quarter in the early window and I'm looking across my wall of monitors and we've got eight games going on across the National Football League and five of them are one possession games and you got 15 minutes to play. You can guarantee that out of those five, two, three or all five of them, the trailing team's going to end up winning that game. And it's going to be something that everyone's going to be like, did you see the blank game or whatever? And on red zone your answer is going to be yes. You will see every jaw dropping moment every when a win becomes a loss and a loss becomes a win. So I had workshop some different things to say. We got to identify this hour and I wanted there to be a catchphrase where the fans would associate it with. But did I know that years later people would be tucking in their children with an hour? Did I know that every year dozens of people hit me up on social media saying, we're going as the witching hour for Halloween. Right?

[Jerry]

That's great.

[Scott Hanson]

In a flava flav clock. And the girl will be dressed up as a witch. We're the witching hour for our Halloween costume. My tailors, my tailors, when they make my suit, they'll, they'll stitch in the stitching hour, you know, like it's, it has taken.

[Matt]

That's when you know you've made it, Scott. That's when you know you've made it.

[Scott Hanson]

You got your own, you guys are in show business. You know that, that's, that's good to have an association with fans that's so positive that they think like, oh yeah, that's, you know, say the thing. Say the thing.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean I, I, you, you've talked about this and maybe we can dive a little deeper. The, the, the absolute worst case scenario. Right. I think that's what everybody, I think it's fascinating. You are just grinding for hours. You don't leave. Well, paint the picture of just if I don't want to jinx you but if things go wrong or the absolute worst case scenario, what, what, what happens? What do you do? And then do you have like an understudy? Do you have someone that just goes up there and maybe fills time? Like how does that work? Or how would that work?

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah, thankfully we've never had to come to that. We've had more than, more than 250 episodes, I guess. And I've never.

[Matt]

Machine dude.

[Scott Hanson]

And it's a, I, I, you Know what? When you don't have talent, you better have enthusiasm. Stop. And I got that. So I ain't, I ain't.

[Matt]

By the way, you were a long snapper, dude. It's for the Orangeman. You got talent, right, bro? You can make a lot of money.

[Scott Hanson]

Being a long snapper, the more you can do. Yeah, yeah. But the problem was I would snap. I could snap. We used to do 15 yard snaps back in the day. And, And I could. On my best days, I could snap in 07. The problem is I'm about 5, 10. Back then I weighed a little over 200 pounds. And the, the nose guard, when the center wasn't protected by the rules back in those days, I used to get jacked up. And my special teams coach one time said, hanson, it don't matter if you can snap in 06 if your ass is flying back at point five. And I'm like. And I'm like, almost blocking the punt with my backside because. So, yeah, like, you know, but I loved. I loved playing college ball. Syracuse was fantastic. During my time there. We played usc. Got beat, unfortunately, by USC back in the day. That was the Todd Marino. Did you have team old enough that it was Todd Marinovich?

[Matt]

I was gonna say McNabb was a.

[Scott Hanson]

Little younger than I am. So I was. I was at Syracuse before he was. I played with Marvin Harrison. Marvin Harrison and I would play. You don't look at.

[Matt]

You don't look a day over 35.

[Scott Hanson]

My man, you know, you know, good buddy. Drink. Drink a lot of water. Except on NFL Sundays, you know, what.

[Matt]

Are we drinking on NFL Sundays?

[Scott Hanson]

That's. No, nothing. Because I thought you were gonna ask me the bathroom question. So you can't.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, we already know.

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

No, and you know that's the last thing you do before you go live, though, right? Like we take your last countdown clock.

[Scott Hanson]

You know, when you're watching your last break, like, I'm in the men's room handling business and then I am locked in on the touchdowns. I don't. I don't go. So. Yeah, but to answer your question, yeah, they're. They. They do have like backups and whatnot. But yeah, like you said, hopefully. Hopefully.

[Matt]

By the way, they're gonna have to carry you off of that, in. Out of that studio for you to not.

[Scott Hanson]

Right.

[Matt]

And that's the dedication that we all need and we love from you, dude.

[Scott Hanson]

I appreciate it, Matt. Thank you. Thank you.

[Jerry]

How do you feel about, you know, let's move off a Sunday now? You're On Monday. And there's only one game most of the time. Sometimes there's two. It must feel nice to sit back. Like, I got one football game, and I just get to watch it, right? Like, Monday night's got to be a little bit of a. A come down, a relief, and then. Cause you know, you only got X amount of time before you got to ramp it back up, right? What's Monday look like for Scott Hansen?

[Scott Hanson]

This might freak you out on Monday Night Football or even Sunday Night Football. Thursday Night Football, a standalone game. I had a media wall built into my house in Los Angeles with five big screen TVs. It looks exactly very similar to what the six monitors are. So when there's a standalone game to make me feel like I'm in my comfort zone, I'll put Monday Night Football on the center screen, and then I flank it with a Marvel movie highlight.

[Matt]

Oh, you are sick. Are you serious?

[Scott Hanson]

I am still Matt. I think that is comfortable to me now. You have a wife and kids, Jerry. And you guys have your. I'm a bachelor. I live alone. So, like, I didn't have to ask permission for Mrs. Hansen to say, Can I put five TVs on in the living room right now?

[Jerry]

It'd be Bluey living the dream.

[Scott Hanson]

No, I don't have Iron man or anything like that, so. But I literally will watch. All of that stimulus coming at me is like, I can process it for some strange reason, and I love it. That's like, my comfort zone. So I think the.

[Matt]

I think the craziest thing, too, is, like, I was saying, because you're not, you know, you're not doing a pregame show for a game or you're not. Like. Like, the preparation is different. Like, you're reacting. You're reacting to everything. I think that's just. That's the hardest in our world. I think that's the hardest thing to do. And that's what makes guys like you great guys that call a game. Because you're just reacting what you're seeing, and you're doing it in a millisecond. I think it's.

[Scott Hanson]

It's.

[Matt]

There's not a lot of prep you can do, right?

[Scott Hanson]

Oh, no, there's tons of prep. As a matter of fact, I actually brought some if you want to see it. Like. Yeah, let me see if I've got last year's. Let me just show you. I'm already working on week one right now. So I'll start off with basically three different packets. I have an overarching Packet like this is my schedule for week one. And I'll usually draw lines between the early window and late window just to have the schedule right. Then I go into different individual statistics. I'll do. I don't know where I put it over here anyway. I'll have quarterback stats spreadsheets that I create myself with just so I know, okay, who are the top performing quarterbacks, how many touchdowns this is, this guy have entering the game, how many interceptions does he have, where, where is he at and how many times he's been sacked, what's his, what's his passer rating, all these things. Kicker stats, defensive stats, running back, wide receivers, fantasy stats. And what I do is I saturate my mind with all of that. So therefore, if a guy does something in a game that is pertinent to something that I've read during the week that I can quickly. Because they're not waiting for me to go to the next game and whatnot, I can quickly disseminate. Well, that 82 yard Derrick Henry run was now the longest run in the NFL this season. Damian Pierce had an 80 yarder back in week four. And, but I've got that available to me. So I'm constantly studying, you know, depth charts as well because, heck, the time you get to November, injuries are a thing and there are guys catching passes in November that weren't even talked about among individual fan bases back in August. So it's. Yeah, I do a lot of prep work. But. But I think what your point was there's no teleprompter there.

[Matt]

You're just flying by the cedar pants and whatever you can retain.

[Scott Hanson]

Exactly. Yeah.

[Matt]

Fantasy football starts. You do play fantasy football. And I just, I'm asking now, I'm asking this and I think you're the guy to ask, how do I join your league? Because you're in a league. You're in a league with what you.

[Jerry]

Got to give him your Heisman.

[Matt]

You got to give him Chubby's. Does the league right. Chubby's great. I wear their, I wear their shorts all the time. My son had matching one. Couple current players are in or what? Tell us about this league because I need to get. I'm in five leagues, Scott, by the way. Five already.

[Scott Hanson]

Okay, that's, that's four too many, Matt.

[Matt]

No, it's not. I agree with Scott.

[Scott Hanson]

1. One league with your best friends and just say, I'm going to pummel each and every one of you. Because that way when I show you Lamar Jackson running for a 50 yard touchdown. Are you going yay or boo with your.

[Jerry]

Both or both?

[Scott Hanson]

Exactly, Jerry. Exactly. Like it depends.

[Matt]

It depends which leagues I'm making more money.

[Jerry]

You lost me, Matt.

[Matt]

How do I get in this league, man? Can we tell us about that?

[Scott Hanson]

So Chubby's great partnership. I was thrilled to join with them in preseason. We just had our draft not too long ago. Mark Sanchez is in it. Emmanuel Sanders is in it. Ian Rapaport, the great information man from NFL Media, is the commissioner of the league. And then we're playing against just Chubby's customers, you know, just fans of the NFL who got into this league and wanted to, you know, mix it up with, with some people that they see on TV celebrities and whatnot. And, and it's awesome. We, we had a good time. And I'm going to take absolutely no mercy on anyone. My contract with Chubby's does not require me to be a gentleman when it comes to smashing someone.

[Matt]

But you don't even get to look at your team throughout the day.

[Scott Hanson]

I try not to, actually, and here's why. Because I don't want to cheat.

[Jerry]

You don't want to affect.

[Scott Hanson]

I don't want to be like, okay, oh yeah, I got Christian McCaffrey or, or, oh, I'm playing against Christian McCaffrey. So that 50 yard run that he just had, you know, I'm not going to give it the enthusiasm that I would on Red Zone. So I try not to check my scores during, during the early window of the show. But my favorite football team is the Iron Bladders. My fantasy football team, the Iron Bladders.

[Matt]

Well done.

[Scott Hanson]

So get in the Chubby's league is the bottom line, Matt.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah, I'm in. I'm being said that I have power.

[Scott Hanson]

Invitation, verbal invitation extended. Right here, right now.

[Jerry]

Make him give up his heism. He has to. The winner of the league gets to hold the Heisman for a year. You have to be willing to risk that for a year, Matt.

[Matt]

That we'll, we'll, we'll negotiate that.

[Jerry]

It occurred to me too, Scott, you probably. If we go 17 years of history, I don't know if you remember, like the show Stump the Schwab, you, you probably would annihilate everybody in trivia or, or the sort of thing. I know when I do a scene with acting, it's like out of my. Once it's over, it's like out of my brain. Does it leave you like right away or does some of that stuff stick with you?

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah, that's a good question. A lot of it. I described it as saturating my mind with all these stats and facts. A lot of it. If I know it's a one week thing, like this guy needs to score a touchdown this week, otherwise his seven game stretch of scoring at least one scrimmage touchdown is over. Then I'll dump that out of my head if he doesn't do it. But if there's something like Saquon Barkley having a season that he had last year, okay, he's 300 and some yards away with three games to play. He needs to average 104 yards on the ground to hit 2,000 yards. And then that, you know, you got to maintain that in your head and be doing the math constantly. So a little bit, a little bit sticks with me. Some of it I just let go. But, but again, if I was a doctor or a lawyer or any walk of life, I would have four windows open on my, on my screen to NFL websites. Anyways, I get paid to do this, so it's an absolute labor of love. I love doing it. And so, yeah, it's, you know, it's fun. It's fun. Oh, but trivia wise, I do a little fun thing. We have a production meeting with the whole entire staff two hours before showtime on Sunday. And I will present to them a trivia question and it's me versus the entire room of whatever, 20 people or so, if they get it right, I throw a hundred bucks into the, into the pot and at the end of the year, if we have a couple grand, then we go out and have, you know, whatever, an open bar celebration somewhere, something like that. And I come up with some stuff that, that does. It's, it's firm but fair. And they have to, they have to use their collective brains with no googling obviously to come up with the hundred dollar question answer. So yeah, I do like, I do like trivia, but Schwab, Schwab was the man.

[Matt]

He was the man. Scott, before, before we let you go, one last message to our NFL lovers out there across the globe. Look into the camera, give us one last motivational speech because guess what? Yeah, it's go time. Yeah, it is go time for you and for everybody else. What do you got?

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah. Matt. Jerry. Ladies and gentlemen, we have waited more than 200 days since the last full NFL Sunday. But on September 7th at 1:00 Eastern, the wait is over. So get your snacks, get your beverages, set your lineups, all five of them, liner and sit down on your couch and get ready for the Octobox. For the witching hour when wins become losses and losses become wins. All wrapped up in seven hours of red zone football. I'll see you then.

[Jerry]

You are a legend, Scott. This has been the best way to start.

[Scott Hanson]

Famous actor on the zoom here with me. I had to play a little sauce into it. It was all you.

[Jerry]

You crushed it. You absolutely crushed it. I cannot think of a better way to ring in the NFL season and having you on.

[Matt]

We appreciate you, buddy.

[Jerry]

Have a great season. We, we love you. Seriously. You absolutely crush it. You are a part of our lives and my kids. Bedtime. Now officially the witching hour. Good luck to you. We'll be watching. Have a great season, buddy. You got me so fired up. I wish it was right now.

[Scott Hanson]

Let's go.

[Matt]

I got goosebumps.

[Scott Hanson]

Let's go. Hey, let's check back in during the season. We'll do it. We'll do a mid season update or something like that.

[Matt]

Great to be with you guys. All right, Scott. Thanks, buddy.

[Jerry]

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

[Matt]

Whether you're going off road up a rocky trail on a weekend trip with your boys or driving through a snow covered road trying to get the kids to school, the Pathfinder Rock Creek can handle it.

[Jerry]

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]

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]

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

[Matt]

Let's go.

[Jerry]

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

[Verizon Announcer]

Popsicles, sprinklers, a cool breeze. Talk about refreshing. You know what else is refreshing this summer? A brand new phone with Verizon.

[Annie Agar]

Yep.

[Verizon Announcer]

Get a new phone on any plan with select phone. Trade in in MyPlan and lock down a low price for three years on any plan with MyPlan. This is a deal for everyone whether you're a new or existing customer. Swing by Verizon today for our best phone deals. 3 year price guarantee applies to then current base monthly rate only. Additional terms and conditions apply for all offers.

[Annie Agar]

Muy pronto. Amazon Gasta menos sonri.

[Jerry]

Okay, Annie Agar joins the show right now courtesy of Twisted Tea. Grab A refreshing twisted tea today. I'm actually gonna be grabbing quite a few of those later tonight for the game and the weekend. We're gonna do a little twisted tea trivia with Annie. She has some questions for us. But before that, Annie, you shared something with us off air at your local coffee shop. We'll call it are you still riding high for your packers and Micah Parsons with the back stuff?

[Annie Agar]

Oh, what a great week. What a great month. I'm so happy. There was another time, too. I didn't mention it. So, yes, that happened this morning at Starbucks, my coffee place. And then the on. I was on a walk the day it happened. Like that night, I think I went for a walk and some guy didn't even acknowledge me. Didn't say like, go, pack, go or anything. He just said, we got Micah. Like, just pointed to me and said.

[Matt]

It was like they already know we.

[Annie Agar]

Know we got this ever said in Chicago has come together and I just love it.

[Matt]

By the way, you got my. You got Micah in a bad back.

[Annie Agar]

Well, okay. Well, I did extensive research, Matt, and by me, I looked at a doctor's tweet on Twitter and he said that they don't get epidurals right before a game. This would have to be like days in advance. So everybody, like, there might be false information out there. So Jerry's not smarter than we think. Guys.

[Matt]

You know what you get, though? You get some. You get that good old kid.

[Annie Agar]

I mean, you, you know, more all former player. Like, should I be worried about this back thing?

[Matt]

I. I honestly, I don't know. I never had a bad back.

[Jerry]

I've had a bad. Usually.

[Matt]

Usually when there's an issue with the back, it's not a great thing. I'm sure he's going to be fine. I mean, go. Because we had. We talked. We had you on last week and I feel like you were just so, like, I don't know, the packers and.

[Annie Agar]

This little D side by side of my. Yeah, I was concerned about the depth and injuries in preseason and we just needed. Our pass rush was so bad and now we filled that one hole that I think I'll. I'll. Like I'm not talking super bowl, but I'm talking Super Bowls.

[Jerry]

Well, you've checked the odds for the packers going to the super bowl, at.

[Annie Agar]

Least in the division for sure.

[Jerry]

Well, we're going to hit trivia in a second. Obviously. Tonight we start off, we got Eagles, Cowboys. I have a little bit of a take. Any quick thoughts for us on that and then maybe what matchup this Sunday and Monday are you most excited for?

[Annie Agar]

Great questions. First of all, we got to get your, your betting back up. You got to get your money back on this game. So I just bet on Saquon because Dallas still can't stop the run. No matter what Jerry says, they're not going to stop the run. And as a Packers fan, I know what Saquon did to us the opening opening night last year, so I'm just not going to talk about that. Yeah, I just think it's going to be not Dallas, not in Dallas's favorite. Maybe take like the over on Dak passing because they'll play playing from behind the entire game as per usual. But I'm, I think the storyline I'm most excited about is to see how Matt Eberfluss does because I kind of forgot for a hot second that he's D.C. over there. I did make so much fun of him.

[Matt]

Obviously I was about to say where you're, where are you going with this? Because I know you probably risked his.

[Annie Agar]

Just remember, let's remember how Matt did the last Thursday night game. They blew his Thanksgiving. I think Bears fans remember that one. But no, I'm excited to see how that. That plays out. That's gonna be interesting. What do you guys say? What's your take, Jerry?

[Jerry]

Well, I, I look at things in terms of the storyline. That's why I felt so good about OSU minus one and a half. Like everyone's daring you sort of to take Texas. And I just looked at the storyline like what's the most likely headline the next day? And it was not arch and text in the Longhorns look amazing at the shoe. I just didn't see it. So with this one and I watched even all the talk about, you know, how the Eagles are, they're not going to come out for the banner raising. They don't want to celebrate that and they're just pretending they don't want to fall into this like we're the defending champs thing. They want to go at it like still this underdog, no one believes in us mentality, which, whatever, fine. I just think after this trade, everyone is ready to bury the Cowboys and maybe they should. And I don't think they're winning the game. But if you're giving me eight and a half, I know it's in Philly. I just think with the amount of the, the amount of passing, the Cowboys are going to have to. Have to move the ball because they ain't going to move the ball at the run.

[Annie Agar]

Right.

[Jerry]

I just think they hang around. I think the Eagles handle their business and it's like a survive in advance for the Eagles. I think maybe it's a six, seven point game. So. I like the Cowboys with the eight and a half. I like a fight.

[Matt]

Am I the only one that like weirdly thinks that Cowboys are going to be good this year?

[Scott Hanson]

I, I, I'm, I agree.

[Jerry]

I don't think like ball, but I think like, you know, seven, six seed isn't.

[Matt]

You know what? I feel like I root for Dak. I just, I don't know, I root for like good guys and I root for guys that are like, he just, he's been manhandled by media for his whole career and I think he's a good player.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Matt]

I don't know, it's just weird. Like, I, I think maybe that's the former player me, but I root for Dak. I, I don't really care who wins this game, to be honest with you guys. But I do think, I do think.

[Annie Agar]

With you on that map.

[Matt]

Yeah, I'm just thinking like, I root, I actually root for the Cowboys. I don't really, I mean, again, I don't have a dog in the fight. I don't really care that much, but I'm rooting for Dak, man.

[Annie Agar]

I'm on board with that because I, he, I've only met, I met him once and it was.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

And he's, and everyone, anytime anybody asks me who's the nicest person you met, I say, he was so nice. Dak was just the nicest guy.

[Jerry]

Don't talk me off this ledge, but I'm starting George Pickens tonight. I don't care. I think they're going to throw 48.

[Annie Agar]

I think he'll at least have a deep touchdown pass. But I don't know about.

[Matt]

I got CD Lamb and I got CD Lamb in multiple fantasy leagues. So I'm rocking with the Cowboys offense.

[Jerry]

I can't believe we're having this conversation because, like two weeks ago felt like it was two years away and now here we are. A lot's changed for you, Annie Agar.

[Annie Agar]

I love it.

[Jerry]

What's changed for us now is each week we are going to do some twisted tea trivia. One of our great new sponsors. I can't wait to crack a few later. And you have some questions for Matt. So for reference and other trivia ish competitions, Matt has absolutely destroyed me.

[Annie Agar]

Okay?

[Jerry]

So I need to show up here.

[Matt]

It's getting to the point where I don't want to play anymore.

[Jerry]

Can we get hints if need be?

[Matt]

It's like, I play my buddy course all the time in basketball, and I've won 99.9%. It's just like, dude, I don't want to play. Like, it's not fun for me. So let's see.

[Annie Agar]

Maybe we can change Michigan State. It's not even a rivalry anymore. I want to keep.

[Matt]

Yeah, it's like, I mean, big brother, little brother. I mean, are we even talking?

[Annie Agar]

I mean, Jerry, you gotta defend yourself here. All right.

[Jerry]

I wish we could get Scott Hansen to go. We now present to you Twisted T Trivia. Here we go.

[Annie Agar]

Get him to do it. That'd be hilarious. That'd be great. We'll use it every open. It'll just be Scott.

[Jerry]

They probably have to give him, like, $10 million to say that out loud, but commercial.

[Annie Agar]

Free trivia. Yeah, a little bit. Okay, I have five questions.

[Jerry]

Five.

[Annie Agar]

I don't think I'll give out any hints. Maybe if we get really stumped on something. But if I. I knew a couple of these, so I feel like you guys. Okay, we'll know them if that makes you feel more comfortable.

[Jerry]

Are we going one at a time, or do we just buzz in? Shout it out.

[Annie Agar]

Shout it out. Yep. All right, number one, ready. Who holds the record for most passing touchdowns in week one? Since we're talking week one here.

[Matt]

Oh, gosh.

[Jerry]

True breeze.

[Annie Agar]

That was a good guess. That's probably what I would have said, but incorrect. Incorrect.

[Matt]

Matt, let me ask it. Let me ask a question. Are we going how many years back are we going or is. It doesn't matter.

[Annie Agar]

Not very far. Well, okay.

[Jerry]

Oh, that's a hint. That's a. That.

[Annie Agar]

That close.

[Matt]

I know, but, I mean, we can go back to the 80s. I mean.

[Annie Agar]

No, no, not that far deep. I. I remember this.

[Jerry]

So Annie was not around in the 80s.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah. More. It's probably a lot more simple than you're thinking.

[Jerry]

Get your guess in Matt.

[Matt]

Aaron Rodgers.

[Annie Agar]

Nope. Good guess, too, though. All right, but same wavelength, though.

[Jerry]

Brett Favre.

[Annie Agar]

Nope.

[Jerry]

All right, give it to us. We're 0 for 1.

[Annie Agar]

It was in 2013. How about I give you the year? Peyton Manning.

[Jerry]

Oh, my. It was.

[Scott Hanson]

Oh, my.

[Jerry]

Yeah.

[Annie Agar]

I don't know if I would. I don't think I would have guessed. I would have said Drew Brees.

[Matt]

I think 2013. Payne Manning was.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Matt]

In. Oh, Indy.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah.

[Jerry]

Have a hard time getting the Broncos.

[Matt]

How many touchdowns did you throw?

[Annie Agar]

Seven touchdowns.

[Matt]

Seven. Oh, I just saw that the other day on tv.

[Scott Hanson]

Damn it.

[Annie Agar]

In week one. Geez.

[Jerry]

Well, Jack will not be doing that versus the Eagles. All right, number two.

[Annie Agar]

Who was the last super bowl champion to miss the playoffs the following year? Not that we're hinting it with the Eagles. Yes. Jerry.

[Jerry]

New York Giants.

[Annie Agar]

No. But that is a great guy.

[Matt]

This is the problem. The problem with Jerry and trivia is he gets so excited and blurts it out before he even thinks about the answer.

[Jerry]

That's. That's.

[Matt]

So who's the last.

[Annie Agar]

Who's the last Super Bowl Ones that.

[Jerry]

Make this. To win the super bowl or make the Super Bowl? Win the Super Bowl. Oh, Patriots.

[Annie Agar]

Nope.

[Scott Hanson]

Oh.

[Matt]

Tampa Bay.

[Annie Agar]

No. That's great.

[Jerry]

We suck.

[Scott Hanson]

Come on.

[Jerry]

Stink at this.

[Annie Agar]

I know. Because of Brady. No. Same thing. Though their quarterback retired. That may have given it away.

[Jerry]

We stink at this. Was it. Is it the Broncos?

[Matt]

Atlanta.

[Annie Agar]

It was the Broncos.

[Jerry]

Broncos.

[Annie Agar]

Oh, shoot.

[Jerry]

Peppering us with a little Peyton Manning.

[Annie Agar]

2016 Denver Broncos, which I forgot that happened. I forgot.

[Jerry]

Wow. We stink at this. So far, I'm basically over 10.

[Annie Agar]

This one goes back a little bit further. Number three. Who was the last defensive player to win MVP?

[Matt]

J.J. watt.

[Annie Agar]

This is it. No.

[Matt]

Oh, you said.

[Annie Agar]

I thought that was. I thought that, too.

[Jerry]

Is it. Is it Ray Lewis?

[Annie Agar]

No.

[Jerry]

Lawrence Taylor?

[Annie Agar]

Yes.

[Scott Hanson]

Yes.

[Annie Agar]

Wow. Oh, my.

[Jerry]

Only the greatest linebacker of all time.

[Annie Agar]

Redemption arc here for Jerry. Okay.

[Jerry]

Of all time.

[Annie Agar]

Jane Daniels was the first rookie quarterback to win a playoff game in over a decade last year. Who was the last rookie quarterback to win a playoff game before him?

[Matt]

I know this answer.

[Jerry]

I think I know it. The last rookie quarterback. It's one of these two. I know. And they went one and two, I think, in a draft, but I don't want to get. If I see RG3. RG3.

[Annie Agar]

No.

[Jerry]

Then it's Andrew Luck.

[Annie Agar]

No.

[Jerry]

No.

[Scott Hanson]

What the heck?

[Jerry]

Those are my two.

[Matt]

Cam Newton.

[Annie Agar]

Nope. You're on the right track, though. Think of. I can't.

[Matt]

Come on and give us one.

[Jerry]

No.

[Matt]

Give us a hint. Rookie quarterback to win a playoff.

[Annie Agar]

It was 2012.

[Matt]

Stafford.

[Annie Agar]

No. You already said his name once, I'll tell you that.

[Matt]

Oh, if you remember. Ryan.

[Jerry]

No, no, I. Just give it to us. We stink.

[Matt]

No. Give us one more.

[Jerry]

Russell.

[Annie Agar]

Sorry. Sorry. Matt.

[Jerry]

We should have got, by the way.

[Matt]

By the way.

[Jerry]

We should have got, by the way.

[Matt]

Jerry's best friend. Great story there. If you ever want to tell Annie one day.

[Jerry]

Maybe we do.

[Annie Agar]

Oh, I need to hear this story.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah.

[Annie Agar]

This is a story over twisted teas. We need.

[Jerry]

This is definitely a twisted Tea story.

[Annie Agar]

Okay, one last question. This is.

[Matt]

I'm. This is embarrassing.

[Annie Agar]

These are great questions. Shout out to our producer.

[Matt]

By the way, by the way, great question.

[Annie Agar]

1599 yard offensive touchdowns in NFL history. Offensive touchdowns in NFL history. What was the last one? The last 99 yard touchdown?

[Jerry]

I mean, was it Saquon?

[Annie Agar]

This is a tough no on the right track.

[Matt]

It was a pass. What is a running back?

[Annie Agar]

It was a running back.

[Jerry]

Yeah. You know, I know it because I. I think it happened in like overtime. Right.

[Matt]

Derrick Henry.

[Annie Agar]

Derek Henry. Yeah. Nicely done.

[Matt]

I'm visualizing the run. It was. It was out to the left and I remember that.

[Annie Agar]

Okay, I. There was some question about what happened last year and it was like. It was a. I don't remember who it was now. I thought it was Derek Henry last year, but it wasn't the longest run. Well done. Unfortunately, Jerry comes out on top as our twisty tea trivia champion. That's hard to say too. Geez.

[Matt]

Gotta be honest, that was. That was embarrassing.

[Jerry]

The trivia. We're horrible. We need to study. We're not going.

[Matt]

You were actually pretty good. I was terrible.

[Annie Agar]

Those are tough questions.

[Jerry]

Maybe next year we do it from something from the last three. Matt and I are old, so maybe we just go. Meaning. But not like we should go back in time. Meaning our memories don't work.

[Annie Agar]

Better at. Because I'm definitely, obviously better at like the current stuff. Like if it's a couple years back, I'm good.

[Jerry]

But before that, I think we're old enough now that we just don't remember stuff like that.

[Matt]

I bet. You know what? I've been leaning on hints in the stuff that we do, so maybe I'm not as smart as I think. Annie, what is. What is. What does the weekend look like? I mean, I know we got packers, obviously.

[Jerry]

Yeah. What's your watching?

[Matt]

Yeah, this is. I mean, I said this is. It's Christmas season.

[Annie Agar]

My brother has blocked me on Twitter. So that's. We're off to a great start.

[Jerry]

Great start.

[Annie Agar]

Great start.

[Jerry]

You probably deserved it.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah. We're gonna do. I think we're gonna do a joint. Like last year for the game we had. I had a camera on him at home in Michigan, and then I came on me and we did reactions of the game that way. So that. Because he won't talk to me during the game, like, everybody thinks this is like a joke. Maybe we. No, we don't. There's no.

[Jerry]

I love it. I love it.

[Annie Agar]

So mad at me. So. Yeah, so that's What I'll be doing Sunday, I'll be sitting in my apartment watching by myself.

[Matt]

Nothing wrong with that.

[Annie Agar]

Yeah. What are you guys doing this weekend? Other than obviously Saturday or a little busy?

[Matt]

What am I doing this weekend? I don't know. Sunday. I mean, I'll just be. I'll probably be sitting in, I don't know, somewhere where I'm not supposed to be looking at my phone with the wife and look at it all day. A lot of sports this weekend. Kids start. Yeah. But fired up.

[Jerry]

I'll be watching while also, like, chopping vegetable. Like, that's our agreement. I turn into a sous chef. I prepare the stuff for cooking later while I have a giant screen going. And just give me. At least give me the one o' clock games. That's all I want. Like four o'. Clock. What? I get it. West Coast. I don't even need to watch the Chargers anyway. Yeah, I feel like the Chargers and the Cardinals, like, I could watch that with one eye. Give me the 1 o' clock game.

[Annie Agar]

Those late afternoon slate. Usually those games are really rough, but, I mean, we have Lions, packers, so I can't even relax in the.

[Jerry]

Oh, that's. You got. Oh, that's four o'. Clock.

[Annie Agar]

I hate when.

[Jerry]

That's a great one.

[Annie Agar]

This may be a hot take. I hate when the packers play in that slot because that's my relaxing time for like half an hour. I can compose myself and now I have to be stressed out the entire time. It sucks.

[Jerry]

Yeah. 4 o'. Clock. I'll be thinking of you because you're. You're in the torture chamber for three and a half hours, and I've already.

[Annie Agar]

Like, locked in for three hours before that. So it's just gonna be.

[Matt]

By the way, you're gonna need to.

[Jerry]

Do some yoga and meditate.

[Matt]

That's why. That's the reason why you guys should move to the west coast and you start the games a lot earlier.

[Jerry]

It is the best times. It's the best for sports. It is the best fast times.

[Annie Agar]

I know Debbie, my agent will call me and be like, oh, yeah, we're making dinner. Like, having a. I'm like, oh, great, it's eight o' clock here. I'm stress, but trying to figure out.

[Jerry]

I'm gonna stay awake for the. Also watch the night game.

[Matt]

And there's nothing better than west coast time.

[Jerry]

Well, Annie Agar, we are looking forward to your recaps and everything you're gonna be throwing our way over the weekend. Big shout outs to Twisted T. Matt and I will do better with trivia next week. And we'll see you next week, Annie.

[Annie Agar]

Awesome. Thanks, guys.

[Jerry]

Thank you.

[Matt]

Bye.

[Jerry]

All right, Matt. I mean, the next time we do this show, we are gonna have a full week of NFL and the second week of college football to discuss.

[Matt]

Say goodbye to the girlfriends and wives.

[Jerry]

It's over.

[Matt]

It's fine.

[Jerry]

Enjoy Iowa. Go hit the farmer's market over there.

[Matt]

Yeah, I put it out there on X. I got a lot of funny responses. Go check out my reply section of that. I said, ames, what's good? And everyone's like, nothing. Don't come here. I'm fired up, though.

[Scott Hanson]

Could be fun.

[Jerry]

It's gonna be good. Listen, everyone, enjoy. I know there's gonna be a lot of people awake on Saturday night staring at their fant lineups and their batting stubs and all that. Just. Just enjoy it. I. Similarly, with golf, I love the anticipation almost as much as I love watching the actual thing. So Saturday night, for me, knowing I get to wake up and do that will give me just as much joy as actually doing it. So good luck to everybody in fantasy. To everybody betting, to all your. Your. Your favorite team super bowl hopes and dreams. Good luck, everybody. Buddy, week one, that's coming at you.

[Matt]

We're back.