Bussin' With The Boys - CJ Uzomah Talks Zach Wilson Rumors & Shocking Theory Behind Odell Beckham Jr.'s Super Bowl Injury

Episode Date: August 1, 2026

Recorded: July 20, 2022 | Fresh off of a week spent with "Man of the Year" candidate Zach Wilson, New York Jets Tight End CJ Uzomah joins the podcast this week. When the interview starts you don't have to wait long to hear the answer to the question the sports world has been wondering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Tuttle. And listen now. All right, so we have CJ on the bus. I'm very excited about this. I met CJ at Tideen, you. We had a great time. I think we were exchanging numbers during the water balloon fight.

That got out of hand. But I have one question for you. One question that I want to start this entire podcast off with. I cross my legs too. I think you need to prepare for this one. Does Zach Wilson have that dog in him? I think that's a resounding yes, right? Like everyone in America.

That's a resounding yes? Do you not think he has that dog in him? I saw on... I'm not bad about my quarterback right now. No, no, no, I think he does, but I think we all know what we're talking about here. You, I saw your Instagram. It seemed like you guys had a great time out wherever you guys were throwing,

slinging the rock. It was a good time. Obviously, rumors are swirling. Rumors swirl. Does Zach Wilson have that dog in him? I mean, if that's what the rumor says, you know, like, we just let, we just let social media take over. Are we dapping each other up the next day? Then the, the stuff it comes out, the next day it happens.

Are we coming in? No, yeah, he gave me a call. He was like, yo, how should I, like, approach, like, what do I say on social media? I was like, dude, we're about to go to Idaho. Don't say anything. Just go media. She made the right move. Yeah, I was like, just don't say anything.

Like, just let that ride and whatever happens happens. And then you react to it afterwards because you don't know what people are going to say off of whatever you're going to say. So, yeah. smart, smart by him. Very smart by him. And the internet, I mean, he's elevated. Like, he's like, he's in the conversation with Tom Brady right now. Yeah, like MVP outs for him right now are greater than Tom Brady.

It's kind of, I mean, that's my quarterback. You know what I'm saying? I'm like. So we, we, we, we also have a Milf Hunter on the bus in the back. Take a guess at which, who you think it would be. Probably not JP, huh? I mean, no, I mean, no, I mean, JP's awesome. Yeah, well, what do you mean by that?

No, no, no, no, no, no, I mean, you know. Maybe that Joseph. Paul, maybe, but that JP, you know, he's got a little class to him. Dang, what are we doing back there, man? What are we? No, I, one rumor gets started. I shout out single moms on Mother's Day. And then all the sudden I'm...

Shouted out all the single moms? Well, I shouted out of all moms. Then I said, especially the single moms. And we were all like, yeah, and he's like smiling green. And next thing you know, I'm out here, poaching women, but I'm respectful. Wow. You know, it's... He talks about going on the...

I see you, dude. Yeah, he talked about... going on the lake and we're like in all the single moms he'll be out there and he's like hey so now like this personality's about. I'm trying to average like one mention in my tweets per tweet that's like you know watch out single mom something so

we can tone it down. Tone it down I just elevated it with that one. What are you doing? I appreciate you for coming on bus with the boys. I think we have what we need. All right boys. See you guys later. No but that was um is that a boy? Is he like one of the boys? What do he come on the bus? Yeah, he'd come on the bus. For sure. I think he's, the more I get to talk to him,

the more like he opens up a little bit. Like, you would probably have to have a couple conversations with him just like outside just to like loosen him up, but he's on me. Yeah, I mean, he's a quarterback. Like when you're like a first round quarterback and stuff, it's kind of like you're there. From Utah. Right, from Utah. I went to BYU. Like they do it, you know, the Mormons do it a little bit differently, right? Yeah. It's a little, it's just a little, it's a cultural shot. But you actually, you were saying right before we came on the bus you bought a place out in New York and you'll be building that relationship

with the boy. Yeah, no, I mean I live like two doors down from him and or I bought a spot that's two doors down so we're going to be right next to each other and we'll just be kicking it. He's got his basement is the is the film room so he'll have the boys come over like watch

film, whatever and then we're going to jump two doors down. I got a bar in the bottom of my house so we'll hang out there for a little bit. We'll drink responsibly. I'll get all the boys. We'll have a good time. Doug, that is awesome.

By the way, congratulations. Three-year, $24 million deal with the Jets. Round of applause for the boys, CJ. That's a come-up because you're a fifth-round guy. Like, you're like, we were talking about before. You're like, fifth round's the best round, like, all undrafted, and we went back and forth. But if once you hit the fifth round and beyond, like, you're pretty much scratching to be

on the roster. Like, do you take us through that. Like, signing a deal like that has got to, like, feel. really fucking good, knowing how you came into the league. Yeah, I mean, yeah, the crazy thing is, like, junior year, I had a decent year in college. Senior year, I really didn't play too much, which is, like, the offense, whatever. And so I was like, damn, I don't even know if I'm going to get drafted, to be honest. Like, I thought I was going to be an eighth round guy.

And then I fortunately got drafted, and, yeah, it's been a grind, like, the first, I mean, the first couple of years were, like, anytime a titan gets hurt, it's like, it doesn't matter. Like, all right, you go in, you're with the first team. You're also doing scout team. You're also doing every special team. You're also doing every scout team on special teams. I'm just like... You were running the scout on special teams.

Oh, I was doing everything. Oh, brother. I was, I was done. Like, I was like, I lost like 13 pounds every day. And I would just be like, ah, this is fine. I'll be fine. Like, this is what it takes, right? Hey, we're developing you.

Exactly. So, yeah, something like this. I mean, it's... I never thought it would happen, right? Like, you know, my parents are very, like, hey, just saying, you know, like, you have a better chance of getting shocked by lighting. twice in making it's in NFL and like, you know, the average is like,

your parents are telling you this or outside people? No, no, no, my parents. Oh, in the house. My dad was like, hey, make sure you're undergrades. Just letting you know this is like, it's tough. So like, we believe in you. Like, you know, they're giving me the dad's. Be realistic.

Yeah. So yeah, you know, it's like the average is what, three and a half, four years maybe? Like, yeah. We're smacking that right now. Go us. Like, come on. I think it's 2.8 just a hypo episode even more.

Come on. So, yeah, no, it's, you know, something like this was like, like got to spend it with my parents too, which was nice. And I hung out with them talking about it. So that's sick. It's dope. Do you appreciate them keeping it real with you when you're young kind of going through and they're saying they talk about the odds and everything else?

Yeah, I would have been a piece of shit probably. Like I would have been not like a, not like, I mean, my parents raised me right, you know, but I think, you know, throughout high school, like you start hearing some hype. You're like, oh, wow, like I'm getting, like colleges are coming and talk to me. Like, I'm an only child. I talk a lot. Like, I would just, like, act up a little bit in class, like, Matt Karen, really. Spoil it a little bit.

Yeah, just, I mean, our high school was really good. And my parents were like that. And you were a beast. You play quarterback, wide receiver. You also said punter. Yeah, I was the punter. You went 11 and 1 as a junior passing for 1,700 while also rushing for 800 yards. Like you, so, yeah, you were a stud.

Yeah, I mean, our, I won't say I was a stud. I'll say the high school, our high school was really good. And they still are really good. I keep in touch with some of the guys there, like some of the coaches. But, yeah, man, it was just, like, that football was, like, the essence of the school. Like, Taylor Heineke. We played Taylor He played Taylor He's School. And, hey, Taylor, we beat that ass, too.

What's up? Oh, my God. It was a good game. But, like, that game was hype because we were both undefeited. Was Taylor a beast in high school? Freak. He was a freak. I mean, dude, what do he throw for over 700 yards in a college game?

Oh, no, I know. I kept up with him in college because I was like, dude, this. This guy's unbelievable. People just sleep on them. Yeah. And our county is really good. We have a lot of good, whatever, talent coming out. So, again, like, football in our county was like,

Taylor could probably do whatever he wanted to in his high school. Like, it's like, yeah, cool. Like, school. Great. But, like, if you are like, hey, like, dang, I missed some homework assignments. Like, if this test score is an A, because I was decently smart. Like, if this test was an A, like, can the A be for the rest of the homework? Oh, yeah, sure.

We got you. Like, oh, cool. Oh, great. If they'd hook it up like that in high school. It was one teacher. I'm not going to... Because you're saying this like Friday Night Lights at your high school. It wasn't to that extent.

But it was, it was like... They're about ball. Yeah, it was very football-oriented at the school, for sure. In the county. And then you go to Auburn. Yep. You played with a fellow friend of the show, Darren Bay. You play with him, right?

Yep, I played with him. Stories on TV? I got great stories with him. He's... I mean, you know, this guy's fucking... He's crazy. He's a lunatic, bro. He is.

Speaker always blurring Kevin Gates in the locker room. Oh, yeah. But the fucking mad shit to everybody. Oh, yeah. He always controlled the ox, you. I remember, like, like, we played at South Carolina, and this man is just like, he's going crazy in locker. I won't forget that.

I was like, damn, this is sick. This is my freshman year or two. I'm like, I'm out of my mind. But the best story was we played in Tennessee. I don't remember what year was, like second or third year with the Bengals. I see him across, maybe like fourth year, but I see him across and he's just talking shit the entire time. Like, yes, CJ, I'm on your ass.

I'm like, oh, dope. Like, you're blocking me. Cool. I know it now. This is great. I'm on kickoff. I'm going to give you a move, whatever. I'm staring out of the entire time.

Tidding comes out of nowhere and just smacks the hell out of me. Like, it was a dope. And he's just in my ear the entire time. Damn, you're going to let us do that to you? We'll be back next play. And I'm like, oh, God, here we go. Like, this guy, he's a lunatic. He's a menace on special teams.

He is. That's funny that he had you dialed in. And then all of a sudden you get blindsided and I don't have double to you. My coach was not happy either. Did you love your time at Auburn? I did. It was a good time. I got my best friends from there.

Like I was friends with only, for the most part, like only walk-ons. Like those are my best friends. So we had like walk-on parties. We call them Wops. Just like nobody knew what that we were talking about. Hey, like in front of coach like, hey, we got that wop later on. Coach's like, what the fuck is that? It's a dance.

Like, that's all I know. And we'd get after. I was the token scholarship player. That's what they call me. token scholarship player allowed at the walk-on parties so i loved so you're like the gaykeeper you're like the bridge between walk-on and scali that was that was me that's a good that's a good label to have i mean dude walk-on dudes got they got treated like i mean we're in the national championship they're in like cage like they're not even the locker room they're like a little separate cage like

outside of the locker room and i'm like this sucks did you almost go somewhere else um i kind of wanted to go to florida because my god brother goes there but other than that i mean i I'd visit the LSU when Les was there and I was like, this is awesome, but I kind of do it. It was Auburn pretty early. Then you get drafted in the fifth round to the Bengals. Yeah. You were kind of going through the shit.

Like obviously you guys made it to the Super Bowl, which we'll get into. But you were weathering the shitty years of Cincinnati. Yeah. I mean, my first year wasn't, though. My first year, we were nice. Like, we had everybody. Like, we had AJ was in his, we had Marvin Jones. We had Mosano.

We had Andrew Whitworth. I mean, we had the boys. And we won the division. And that was a while ago, Andrew's on the, was on the Bengals. Yeah, that you guys were nice then. Yeah, and we won the division. Andy gets hurt.

AJ Mack comes in. He's leading us down. Like, we're about to win the game. Then some stuff happens. And like. What happened? Remind us. Like, you know, our defense kind of got into it a little bit with the Steelers.

And like, oh, that was that game? Oh, yeah. That's how long ago that was? Yeah. So, like, we were nice that year. You're talking about with, with Tess and, uh... Tez and, and AB. Yeah, A.B.

And then, like, how they're, like, running to the locker room. Yeah, Joey Porter. Yeah, like, it was a lot. And that's my, again, that's my rookie year. I'm thinking shit sweet. I'm like, damn, we're nice. Like, this is great. We're doing great.

I come into the locker room after we lose that playoff camp. I'm pissed. I'm like, dang, this sucks, whatever. And then I'm like, dang, this is. I mean, it was, it was tough. What is that locker room like? Oh, I mean, people just yelling at each other. Like everyone's young man

Tes not that I know them personally But like you obviously hear stories Right well yeah I'm gonna be honest The craziest thing is like Tess likes me a lot Which is awesome Like he I do some like car karaoke stuff

Which is like it's just I do it for fun And he would come in and be like Hey bro me and my girl watch that car karaoke That's just funny I'm just like Hang on car karaoke Yeah Like you got a YouTube channel

No I just I just hop in the car And I just like play some like Taylor Swift I get some props out there there, like, Miley Cyrus, like, I got, I was in California. I'm doing, I'm doing some crazy. Dude, I just, yeah, have some fun with it. But he's the last person that I expected to be like, hey, well, that's funny. I mean, my girl were watching this last night.

Yeah, like, hey, do that. Like, when's the next one? I was like, I don't know. I was going to stop doing it. Like, whatever. He's like, no, you got to keep that going. I'm like, all right, cool. Like, Tess is the boy.

But locker room was crazy. I mean, yeah, like you said, you got all those different personalities, like, clashing, people pointing fingers and, like, just yelling at each other because emotions are high. We just lost the game, right? We thought we were going to win with the backup. And it was, it was hell. I mean, it was hell. Playing with Taz, I mean, what an animal.

Yeah, he's a bit. Did he ever, did he ever lick you? Over the middle once. Yep. I wasn't supposed to, I mean, it was supposed to be like, just fit. Like, you know, just fit up. And I'm running a shallow, and I sit and I turn right into him. And he just lowers his head. And I'm like, oh, God, are you here?

Just stay off. ground. Oh, my coach. I'm trying to stay off the ground. I just got smacked. They would talk about how, like, uh, like how smart he was,

like instinctive he was. Yeah. Not show up to practice, but he'd be like, he would know everything. Oh, yeah, when he would show up. Like sometimes they say they'd come in,

he'd be in the hot tub and he'd back, no, I'm not practicing the day. They'd be trying to get him to come out to practice. While I'll practice and warm up and starting, and he's like, in the hot tub. He's like,

oh, no, I'm not practicing today. But then he'd come out the next day, say it's like a fast Friday. and he would know everything and he'd be on the field like pointing shit out. Oh yeah. No, like even when he was hurt

like when he was injured or like off the field or something he'd be like the trainers would be on him he'd be kind of talking to them looking at the field and be like it's a fucking cross route just yelling it before the play and it's a cross and he gets pissed

and then he's like doesn't matter if he's hurt or not he's putting a someone on and he's going back in and I'm like what are you? Are you serious? Like how do you know that? Like he's just he's smart

he's one of the smartest football players that I've been around like defensively for sure but maybe in general. Like he knew concepts really well. It was crazy. When did Marvin get fired? My fourth year.

So going into my contract year. So this last year? So no, no. No, no, because you've had Zach Taylor for a couple years now. For three years. Oh, and the Bengals extended you? Yeah. So after those four years, Marvin gets fired.

Bengals extend me. And I was there for three years. Okay. All right. And then that's when you guys kind of have, you know, bat on through some stuff. I will say the one pre-draft visit I went on with Cincinnati, what a hellhole it was at the time.

Maybe it's still is. I don't know what more they did to it, but at the time that I went, there's a fucking, like, the cafeteria was in the basketball gym, and they would just set up tables. Yeah, they renovated that. They switched it up for sure, because now it's, I don't know if you remember or not,

like, now you walk in, you take it right, and the cafeteria is there. You guys, the players while I was just like a, it was just like a room with a couple chairs in it. Yeah, it's still the case. At the time. Oh, it's still that way? That was still the case.

Yeah. But you talked to everybody around the league. Everybody's like, oh, Cincinnati has got the worst. Yeah, it's pretty, like, that's the, there's a couple teams for sure that I hear. But, yeah, it's up there. So you were grinding there for what, six, seven years? Seven years. You wish you would have stayed?

Nah, I mean, it was. Like, was this situation going into this last year? Obviously, you have a good year, but are you wanting to stay in Cincinnati? Yeah. I mean, I think, I think, you're, in a place for seven years, right? You're like, dang, like, this is, you know, you make it your home. And you're like, and I'm talking to people that, like, one of my boys, he's, like, in the corporate world even, right? And he's like, yeah, you know, I've been this company for four

years and I'm like, dang, do I really want to take this other job? Like, that's going to be tough, like me and the family. I'm trying to start, like, start a family with my wife, all this stuff. And so, yeah, you're comfortable in a city that, like, embraces you, especially after, like, like, like, like, like you said, being through the shit and then going to the Super Bowl, you're like, Oh, dang, like, you know, I got, you know, I, I've made, I've planted some roots here. Like, I kind of want to stay. And then, you know, you see certain things. And you're like, dang, all right, cool.

Like, man, I kind of see that you're wanting to maybe go a different direction. What are the certain things? Yeah, it's just, you know, like. Like trying to rotate other guys in there? No, it's not that. It's more like just contractually stuff. You know, it's kind of like, go me a bone maybe. And you don't get that.

And you're like, all right, well, you know, I, I know another team that has some young talent that is going to, you know, throw me a bone and I'm going to stick with them. So is it one of those situations where they're trying to start negotiating, like, way ahead of time? And then, obviously, like, every player gets, like, disrespecting their first offer. Yeah, well, I mean. And you're either, you either understand what's happening or, like, there's some guys who just get so pissed off that, like, yeah, they're trying to disrespect me type of thing. Yeah, no, I mean, I knew how they, I knew how they were going to do it. I knew how it was the first time, and I knew that's kind of the way that, you know, that contract works.

And it's not just Sincy. It's most teams. Most teams are, okay, I'm going to try to blow ball you in Steve. That's business. Yeah. But it was the ending stages. We were like, okay, cool. Like, nice.

We got a couple back and forth. Like, let's see if we can, like, actually plant something down. And it was just like not happening. And I was like, all right, well, I mean, that's fine. Like, it sucks, right? Like, seven years. Like, dang. But at the same time, it's like, all right, nice.

like I'll go somewhere and make something shake with the young team with some dogs in them. Ooh, there you go with the dog in them. Do you feel like you do a pretty good job of like keeping your emotions separate from like the whole business thing? Like it seems by the way you're talking like you want it to work out, but if it doesn't, like you're all right with trying something new. Clearly that's the option you did. But some guys, they want to stay with their team badly and will do, you know, whatever to make it work. And usually the player ends up like, you know, holding. in the business world of like taking a lower deal to stay with the team or stay in the city.

Yeah, I think, I mean, I would have for sure. But it was, it was pretty bad. Dude, it is what it is. Like, George was on the pod a couple weeks ago. And then we were talking about the Debo Samuel situation. And he goes, look, man, he's going to have a locker. Like, he's going to have a locker here in San Fran. Like, we hope he stays with the team.

But he's like, you only get this small window for each individual or each athlete to capitalize on, like, what they've worked their entire life for. He's like, who am I to like say, hey, don't go get your money. Like, you only have this much time to acquire it. Like, you have to do what is best for you. Some guys, some guys, you know, their priorities are set differently. But it's not like every player goes through like a situation to where it's like, hey, you got to do like what is best for you.

Because when the logo's gone and the shield is gone, no one cares what's happening, you know, no one's going to care what happens to you or what happens with you. It's like, hey, good luck in the next, the next, chapter. Yeah. I mean, and the guys know that. I mean, I still, I still talk to some of the guys in the locker room for sure. You know, the punter was probably my best friend. Kevin was probably my best friend for the past couple years, you know, on the team. So we still talk. But yeah, I mean, everyone knows. Like, you know, they're going to, they're going to have some problems just retaining Joey B back there. So I was like, yeah, I mean, respect. No doubt. If it's a lot, if it's like a longer

deal, because Joey B's got, what, two more years or two more, well, they'll have to probably renegotiate. But the he's, he's like, he's. He just finished his second year, right? Yeah, yeah. No doubt. Like, they got a, it's like that time frame that everybody talks about, like in the media, like you have your quarterback on a rookie deal at the moment. You better build all around him to try and obviously win the Super Bowl.

Exactly. But, no, I feel you, man. It does seem like you do a good job separating the two, though. Well, yeah, I mean, I will definitely, like, hats off to my agent for that because he was like, hey, like, your job. Like, I know that you have emotion into this, but, like, my job is to make sure that, like I'm looking out for you and your best interest. Like if you're wanting to like take this, just no, it's, it's not good.

Like it's not something that I would recommend you taking. Like just talk to your parents about it. Let me talk to your parents about it. Like, let me just like try to inform you of everything that's going on. And I'm like, dude, thank you. Like, because, you know, it is, it's an emotional game in general. And then you like, tie your route somewhere. But he was like, hey, you got to take that out of it.

And that definitely helped for sure. And now who all was in the, who all was in the game for you? It was between those two. Jets came up, man. They had a good draft. Yeah, we did. You guys are gonna win a, you know,

a ballgame or two this year? Well, no, we probably went way more than a ballgamer two. You know what I'm saying? We got the MVP frontrunner right now. There's no question, bro.

Zach Wilson, the dog that everybody, this facade that is getting created is pretty funny. Yeah. But yeah, how do you feel about going through OTAs and everything with the Jets?

Like getting acclimated to New York? Like being out there in the city, like you go from Sinti, that type of situation. I've heard the Jets have an incredible fucking facility where you probably go over there and you're like, yo, how do all teams don't have it like this? I haven't been there, but like one of my boys who was at Nebraska would take videos of like they're,

where you had the nutrition table, like making shakes, like the recovery, all of this stuff. Like how do you like getting acclimated to New York? Oh, I mean, it's New York as a whole. I mean, the city is amazing, right? I'm happy that our facility is kind of a little bit further away to. It's like 40, 45 minutes. Should an hour, 15.

We'll try. I don't know. It just depends with traffic. But yeah, so I like the city, obviously. But then just the facility is in, it's insane. I'm like, hey, like, messing guys. Like, hey, where do you get massages or like X, Z, whatever? And then I'm just like, oh, yeah, in the training room.

Like, what are you talking about? Oh, yeah, we got dudes every day, dude. And like, just go in there, write your name down and you can get whatever you want. I'm just like, what? Right. Like, are you serious? Like, yeah, whatever you need. And I'm like, all right, cool.

Like, who has like chefs around here? I'm like, yeah, some people do. But like, just like, check out the cafeteria, bro. They got anything you need in there. And I walk in and I'm just like, oh, my God, like this is. Because since you didn't have none of that. Yeah, I mean, not. I mean, yeah.

It's not really. Washington, that you'd have to go to like, you know, like the third parties outside the facility to get your massage. And then you're in, you're in Vegas, bro. And they got everything out there in Vegas. Massage people coming in. Like you said, like they're set up. up all over the field.

I mean, like they got the, the cafeteria. If you don't, if you want something that's like dietary restricted or something else, like they will cook for you like a chef and give you a meal at nighttime. And in the morning, like give you something that's off off of what they have out there on the floor.

But it's just, it's unreal. Yeah. I think, and I think there's talks about this. I think the PA needs to put like a ranking list of teams. Like, hey, this is what,

this is what's available for the facilities. Like this is what the practice. looks like, this is what, you know, training, like, whatever it is so that, and everyone has it. Like all the whole team, like everyone has it. So you're like, oh, nice. Like you're a free agent. And you're like, oh, cool. Like, let me see what cool. Like maybe, like you said, like Pete, there's tears to it, right? Or there's like in your head, you're like, okay, nice. Like, this is the offer, but like maybe the facilities aren't great, but like training camps, they show you love, like, you know, whatever it is. And you're like, oh, cool. Like,

I know what a certain team has. And that'll make sure, like, That'll make sure teams are like on their shit with it. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah. Because we'll be in the PA meetings and everybody would be kind of arguing about the old, like, the training room setup and like the access you have because they want you to, if you get hurt off site, it doesn't pertain or happen. It doesn't involve your contract.

Right. But if you get happened on site, like at the facility, then they'll take care of you. Right. And everybody just argues back and forth about like, we would train there or we would be there, but everything is shitty compared to what you can get. 100% training somewhere else in the off season, whether it be Nashville, Austin, L.A., Arizona, Miami. Going back to your college is a fucking insane. Right.

I'm like, dude, I go back to the airport and I'm like, how much did you guys spend on this? Like, donor money is paying for all of this and like we can't have what? Right, because NFL's money goes to players. Money in college goes to like getting recruits. Right. So yeah, you're right. It's like you're better off going to your college and getting taken care of. But no, I agree with you on that.

What do we have next? I'm sitting here thinking about all the different sponsors train at because I do remember vividly. Did you go to the, do you go to the PA meetings? Dude, I went to some of them during the COVID stuff and I just had to get out, man. I was like, you guys are asking the most absurd.

What do you say the COVID stuff? Is this when they're zooming the PA meetings? Okay, yeah, that's, you never went to the in-person ones. No, I was supposed to this past year. Like this year, I was, I'm getting text still, like with, with two Cincinnati guys. I'm like, hey, boys, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not in this anymore.

Like, I'm going to have to remove myself. So I haven't been to any of it. Are you like an alternate? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, I got a question from someone who's not in the NFL, because I feel like a lot of our listeners, when you hear about the NFL PA,

the only general consensus from players is that you hate them. Can you all, like, go into more depth of why the NFL PA is like maybe poorly run or just give us more insight to people who don't get to understand what the PA really is doing and stuff like that? I think it's hard, too, because number one, one, even with that question, you already put us on the other side of the fence from our own union. The NFLPA, the NFL Players Association is our union. And guys have a lot of mixed reviews on the PA, on how, you know, it's ran.

Guys always have a million questions when you go to the meetings. It's like I, it's when I hear guys complain about it or get upset about it, there's like things that obviously I, none of us know everything about it. But you sit there and hear stuff on them being involved with the NFL a little bit more than they probably should be. Or they could be working side stuff. Or we build up this war chest and we never are really going to do anything with it.

If we're just going to cower up and sign the dotted line right before a new CBA happens, which in my opinion is what we did this past CBA is we all signed. Half the guys were signed before we even got to the NFLPA meetings. And so there's just always this like, there's a lot of mixed reviews about it. Like if we had Dennis Kelly on here,

Dennis Kelly is somebody who I look to, who I always trying to hit up, because he's somebody who plays that side of like, you got to understand it from this point of view. Because some guys will be really emotional about it and they just fucking hate it. But there's a lot of guys who don't go to the meetings or they don't show up to stuff.

So by the time, guys are showing up at these meetings when they have them, these destination places, or when you have them on Zoom, I mean, that one is, that one does suck. But when you go and meet and we're all in the big room and having our getaway every year, that three-day trip, guys are arguing over so much stuff you can't get anything done. It's like you sit there because we're going back and forth or we're trying to get stuff done with like 32 NFL owners.

You're talking about guys who, you're talking about people who are the elite of the elite. There's 32 of them sitting in the room. They understand negotiating way more than any of us ever fucking will because they've been doing business their entire life. They're not like, yeah, some of them could be, people can argue like trust fund or legacy children or whatever the case may be, but it takes a lot of work to be a billionaire and you're all sitting in a room

and there's 32 of you. And with us, the NFLPA, you get 2,500 guys. Now all of us aren't there at the meeting, but you get all of us in there. And we're just charged up athletes trying to argue. And we think we know what we need to be doing. But guys are just sitting there fucking arguing all the time. And it's like, yo, this is not happening in the owner's room.

We know that. And everybody argues over stuff. And some of it's petty enough to where it's like, we try and get stuff taken care of in the season, where they come in and visit us and have our meetings. and what I think about that is like we have to pay attention in those small meetings because when we have them in season, they're usually after practice. They're later in the year where it's dark out already.

You're already in the grind of a season. Somebody from the NFLPA is standing up there. We're either making fun of them or you're trying to joke about the coaches are, you know, doing too much in practice or we're having it. You know what I'm talking about. And you vote on your reps, your alternates, and this, that, the other. And we don't take care of the small stuff that we try and we end up arguing about when we're at these big meetings. And that's kind of my two, that's kind of like my thoughts on it when I sit back because I've been an alternate a few times.

Like I've been in the little meeting rooms. And I argued one time about practice squad guys getting accredited season. And they ended up getting that done because Lorenzo Alexander was, he was a peace squad guy for like two or three years. And it ended up helping pioneer like getting something done. But you can't get stuff done. but to me guys aren't locked in like they should be, and they would rather judge and have big opinions versus taking the time to think about actual situations.

Yeah, and guys just, they just like, some guys just like hearing themselves talk. Like, it's, like, it's, dude. Some dudes be on their thing, they're spitting game. Like, they're like, hey, let me, let me spit something to you. Let me, hey, let me educate you. It's like, no, you're not educating anybody.

Yeah. You're just saying the same thing over and over again for 10 minutes. and then they're giving you an answer saying like, hey, like, we'll come back to you on it. And you're like, okay, but you're trying to word it in a way that's like, well, you just said that. You're just trying to sound a little smarter, but you're sounding dumber because you're saying the same thing and you're not using bigger words correctly. These are on the phone. Some of these will start laughing. Yeah, no, I mean, it's insane.

It's like it honestly is insane. And those same guys, like you just said, like they're not in every meeting. So they'll miss a couple meetings and be like, they'll hop on five, whatever, however many meetings later and just be like, okay, so what about this? and just going to a rant like, hey, hey, then you got people. Eating well shouldn't be complicated, but somehow it turns into recipes, prep, cleanup, and half your Sunday gone. Factor solves all that. These are fresh, ready-to-eat meals designed by dietitians, delivered to your door,

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your girl, Sam Jay. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating?

The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka, showing out, she beat Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened.

We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. We're talking over each other. It's like, hey, we discussed this. It's this, this, and this. But he doesn't want to hear it. wasn't a part of that meeting.

And so now he's just like, all right, I'm going to, I have the floor. I started talking. I'm going to keep talking. Like, dude, just shut up. Just shut the hell up. There's not like full attendance with the reps or the representation, the guys who get voted on. Yeah. And some guys are complaining you need the money guys to show up.

Like, yeah, that's like a, that's a valid argument. But like, it's just, it's way more. It's like guys are, it's, we don't spend enough time trying to get the actual stuff done. And I think on the flip side, as a player, you sit back and you see some of the stuff that does get done or the way it's handled. And sometimes, like, I know for me, it's like, I would feel like, you want killers going up against these, you know, going up against the NFL. Yeah. Sometimes, like, guys feel like we can cede a little too early too much, which I would agree with in certain situations or certain areas. I'm doing my best to toe the line with all this stuff because obviously I'm pro for the boys.

Like, I want stuff to get done for the players for the NFLPA. So I am for the NFLPA. So I try and hesitate like talking shit, so to speak, because I want us to be better. So in my mindset, it's like instead of bitching about it, like, let's figure out a way to, like, be together on something or show up. Or you who are sitting here bitching about the whole time, like be on a phone call or show to a meeting. So that way you understand, like, what you're digesting and spitting out in the first place. Yeah. No, I mean, I'm, I'm with you.

It's, or you just said it's just bitching. It's a whole lot of bitching and there's no like, there's nothing constructive that comes out of it if you're just going to yell or like talk or raise your voice or if you don't get the answer you want or like, yeah, like if you don't get the answer that you're looking for in your head too, then it's just all hell breaks loose then you freak out more. And you spend too much time talking on certain topics to where you waste all your time. The dumbest stuff. The dumbest shit, bro. The rants are on the dumbest things. It's not on the things that are important too, which is the, which is why I'm just like, dude, I'm pissed off. Like I'll just mute myself and kind of just like, all right, I'm going to put my phone down 20 minutes later.

What are he's still going to be talking? or we're still going to be talking about the same point because someone else is going to jump on about something that has no effect on anything in the grand scheme of things. Like it just so minute. And then we get nothing done because then it's like,

all right, we got an hour and a half conversation, 20 of it spent on this. People have left the phone call because like, all right, what are we doing? Exactly.

But if you're a player listening to this, I advise everybody to go to these meetings that we have every year. Especially the one who can do the destination was. Like, you plus one first class. Like, it's a little vacation. For sure. But don't just go for the vacation,

show up to the meetings. I know a couple of years. that there was like an attendance problem because people would go get taken care of on like, you know, hotel, first class, plus one. And dudes wouldn't show up to. These ones show up to the meaning where they'd start taking attendance.

That's why attendance started to happen. Yeah. That's funny. Dude, this past year going to the Super Bowl, being this fucking close. What was it like experience in the Super Bowl? And getting there on some like bullshit calls. Can you elaborate on that?

So I know. one in particular against the Raiders that play in the end zone when the whistle was blown? I think that was a bullshit call. I don't recall that one. Bring it up, Jack. I don't know what you're talking about,

to be honest with you. This man just... Johnny on the spot out here? What are you doing? Yeah, he'll bring it up. Computer crash out there or what? He'll bring it up. Final play or is it?

It was like, it was towards... Oh, definitely not the final play. No, no, no, it wasn't the final play because the Raiders were trying to go down and score. Yeah, I don't remember a whistle on that one. And unfortunately, we stopped a route pretty short from the end zone when it's the last play the fucking game. Yeah, it's tough. I got cut the week before.

However, I was all about caping the boys going into the playoffs because I do strongly believe that I was a huge reason while we got there. Yeah, I mean, for sure. Just keep a straight face the entire time. Yeah. Dude, Foster's a stud, man. Yeah, he's a good dude. Very funny individual when you get to know his humor. Yeah.

Because at first you kind of can't tell. No, you have no idea. No clue. First time I met him, last was last tied in you and I was just like, What? You thought he was autistic, right? No, I saw the shit. No, I didn't think that.

I was just like, this guy's got some, and he was like, yeah, you know, you're talking about Joe. He was like, yeah, you know, tell Joe, I said, hey, like, that's my boy, blah, and then it like clicked. I was like, oh, you two are probably the same because you got the same sense of humor.

Like, your friends probably because you're just like, you say something and you're just straight-faced and then you'll laugh maybe later or smile maybe later in like a cynical way and you think it's funny and it's not really that funny, but then it turns out that it is funny, that was like a whirlwind, but like that's how it is.

You got to keep up with him. Oh, yeah. As we wait on him bringing this play up, playing with Joe B. The dude seems like the truth. Yeah, he's, he is. I mean, he's, he plays like a vet.

You know, he's, he's a. How so? Like, explain what makes him comfortable enough to where he commands a huddle like that to play like a vet. I don't know. He doesn't even like, he doesn't even talk to too much. But when he talks, it's like, oh shit. Like, he's spoken.

When you say talk, are you talking about, like, speaking in front of the team? Are you talking like... Yeah, really he doesn't speak too much in front of the team. When he does, it's like, okay, like, this is how it is. And I think... The main thing, I think, too, was, like, in offensive meetings, coaches talking, and it is kind of an open dialogue for the most part. Like, people aren't, like, just absolutely going insane out there.

But if he would... If you were to say something, like, Joe would just be like, you know, I kind of just want you to run it like this. Or just, you know what? Just get open. Like, I'll find you. Like, I know where you're supposed to be. If it's cover three, whatever.

whatever, like, be in the direction, and I'll get you the ball. Like, oh, okay, cool. Like, dope. I can just go out there and play, and not like a robot. Like, and then you just have fun. And, and to an extent, like,

because then if you're having too much fun, he'll be like, hey, we got to lock the fucking. And then it's just like, okay, cool. And then you just stop. Like, done. Got you. So he's got the whole quiet demeanor until he wants to speak up or say something.

For sure, which is why, like, dress up for the, for the games. Exactly. Which is, dude, which is like. Is that a mind fuck? If he's like, got a quiet demeanor and then all of a sudden he's showing up to the plane or shown up for game day like he's let me tell you how fucking hilarious that is to me like seeing this man just like sit in

his locker and not really talk not really do much like he has a chessboard in front of his locker that like like low key he'll play chess against himself like certain moves bro like it's like bro it's super interesting he's got a chess board sitting in front of his locker so they got like a little golf cart right or like a little cart whatever and i played against him once and he thought i was gonna be he thought i was going to be trash i could tell Like he was like, oh, this is going to be easy. He's sitting down. He's making some moves.

And he'll sit back. And it took like through meetings because he thought I was going to be quick, right? Like he slats on me. So it took a little bit. But he got out of meetings early and I just see him sitting there looking at the board. And he's like, hey, you want to make a move? And I'm like, all right, cool. So I sit there for a second.

I make a move. And he immediately moves a piece. And I'm like, you jackass. You've been calculating every move that I was going to make. Like this is weird. And so like he plays a couple people. He's beating the shit of him. And people just are like not playing anymore.

It's during the season, later in the season. And he'll just like, kind of like move the chess pieces around a little bit, like play against himself. And you're just looking like, oh, are you good? Like, are you good? Like, are you just like that smart to where you're playing? It's like, what, like, what is this? And he won't say a word.

And then he'll just get ready, go out to practice. Like kind of smile a little bit, kind of joke around a little bit, be all serious, come back in and kind of sit there for a second. Like after games too, like depending on the game, he'll just sit there. No phone, no nothing. In his pads, just sit there. I'm assuming just analyzing the game, but dude, he's...

Do you ask him why he sits there? No. I'm not going to disturb him when he's in his, like... Don't disturb the game. Yeah, like, I'm just like, dude, you're sitting there and chilling. Like, I'll just talk to the other boys that are around the locker room because I'm... I was a couple lockers down from him. You know, next to me was Drew Sample, then, like, Tyler Boyd.

So TB and I would fuck around all the time. Like, we would... He'd come over to the crib, take a shot after every win. Like, that was an open-door policy for him. We talked about, like, this open-door policy. He would walk in the house. take a shot with me and then just walk out. Like that's...

Not say a word. Yeah, not say a word. Just like, cheers. Good shit. All right, see you later. And so we would mess around a lot and you just got Joe in the background as we're like clowning. Just... Like chess.

Against himself. Yeah, against himself. Hey, that's iconic. Like, that is awesome. That is legendary. Yeah, it's insane. And then all of a sudden, like, when it's obviously a big game, he just pulls out the cigar and just... Yeah, he didn't want to...

He starts doing the little dancing and the rhythm for the internet to go crazy. He didn't want to smoke. either the cigar until the Super Bowl. Like he was like, yeah, I want this. Like, he was like, I'll smoke this one now. Like, we just won, like, we're AFC, no one, whatever. But like, I'm not smoking another one after we went a playoff game. Now, none of that.

It's going to be after we win the Super Bowl. Like, he's like, I'm cool off that. I was like, all right? He doesn't even, I don't even know if he likes smoking cigars. It's just now that's, that's him. What a legend, dude. Did you find the play? Yeah.

Here we go, scrambling around. Did you hear that whistle right before he caught that ball? I know you fucking did. Go back. Wait, go back? What quarter was? What even is this? This is second quarter.

This is before halftime. Nah. You saw my man back there blow the fucking whistle. No, I saw him put it. Look at me. I'm just looking at, I'm just looking at TB. Look at me. Oh, yeah.

Listen to the whistle. I'm listening. Oh, no, I think that's a delayed. That was a delayed TV reaction, I think, is what happened. You got that little shit grin on your feet. face, man. You're not on the Bengals anymore. I think it was just...

Let's talk about it transparently. Where are you sitting there thinking like, shit? Yeah, all of us are. We're like, what the hell is going on right now? Did you think, like, oh, I thought I heard the whistle? Like, be real, did you personally on the field hear the whistle? Are you just thought, oh, what is the conversation even about?

No, no, no. I heard the whistle as the ball was in the air. Like, as I'm looking. Like, as I'm looking, I was like, because the ball was throwing, like, I mean, you hear, he's putting the whistle on his He's not blowing it yet. He's blowing it like now.

And I'm like, wait, what the hell? Like, that was a little premature. Like, did he know he was going to catch that right now? Like, what's going on? Because you see me, I'm just like, okay, he caught it. That should be a touchdown. I don't know what's going on on the sideline over there, but like I'm going to act like it's a touchdown.

And so they say it's not a touchdown. Yeah, you see me looking out. I'm not like super hype at the moment because I don't know. Because you're thinking all, I don't know what that was going on. Touchdown. Yeah, exactly. I didn't know. That's all we needed.

But I do know, I do know that that was a touchdown. If you look at it, too, I mean, he's not going to make the play. Yeah, I mean, yeah, he's probably not going to make the play. However, like, for argument's sake. For you, yeah, for you. For my narrative. Yeah, for your narrative, you got it. For social media.

For everyone else's narrative, social media, the world. We got the clip that we need. It's going to be up to you to find the rest of this clip and post it yourself. All right, cool. You got, we got it. We got it. I'm boys with the boys now. We're good.

We drop one and he drops it right underneath. Here's the full entire quote. Yeah. I was doing one with Foster last week on saying that he's the team to beat. The Raiders are the team to beat the AFC West. And we quote it like a big graphic, that he said it.

And then I'm like very small. That people can't understand. And everybody's like arguing. It's crazy that he's already claiming that they're the best team, blah, blah, blah, blah, just to just to rot everybody up on the internet. God, I love that. Going to Tennessee.

Talk about. that game. Obviously, you got now, as you do talk about it, you got two juggernaut fans back there, and Garrett and Jack. I'm obviously for the boys as well. You beat both my squads back to back. What was I going in to Tennessee? Like, I'm sure you guys had all the confidence in the world, but Tennessee was fucking rolling. Derek, the King Henry's coming back. Yeah. Talk about coming to Nashville. All right. Well, I got to say this too. Offer it. After the game, I said, I got to talk about clickbait and like things I got blown out of proportion. I said,

you know, the quote was that they were scared of us. You're quoted saying that? That's what got quoted. Bring that up, Jack. No, that's what got quoted. That's what got quoted. But the entirety, like, I'm long-winded, right? So, like, sometimes I just, I...

Explain the, yeah, explain the situation, give context. So what I was saying was, like, the entire situation was, hey, I saw it the way that they were playing, right? Like, the offense was trying to run the ball. They were trying to run the ball. They were trying to milk the clock. They weren't really like, like, yo, you guys can come down and you guys can go win this game too.

Yeah. We're on the sideline and we're watching our defense and we're kind of seeing how Tennessee Tennessee is playing. Dot, dot, dot. Oh, they're scared of us. Dot, dot, dot.

You see that ellipsis in there? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know some more. If we get the ball back, we're going to win this game. That was our mindset the entire time. Dot, dot, dot, dot. They know if they give it back to us,

it's game over. And then we get the ball back and we're like, it's game over. dot dot dot it's over yeah so what i was saying was like okay like it's a tie it's a tie game right and time's winding down like heavily and it's just we're still going to run the ball we're still going to run the ball we're still going to run the ball right and i'm like oh dang like yeah they're not i mean they've had some explosive runs like well like we were happy with how our defense was playing we're like yo this is we're playing great it was a really good defense a game and

we're sitting on the sideline like dang like they're not really really, it doesn't seem like they're like too keen on hurrying up to try to get, you know, get a touchdown or getting field go range. It's kind of like, it's a slow methodical pace. And I know the game of football. Like, I'm like, dang, all right. Obviously, they're wanting to kick a field goal to win the game. Yeah.

When you do that, I mean, it's kind of like, 100%. Exactly. Yeah. But I'm like, you know, certain, I'm like, you know, like, you can throw the ball a little it's third and however long. Like, throw that thing. Air that thing out. Like, that's, I'm a coach.

That's how we've been kind of playing. Like, in my mindset throughout the year, it's like, all right, cool. like yeah we've been able to run the ball well but like games coming down we're putting the ball in and on our boy's hand and he's gonna we're gonna make plays on the perimeter and so I'm just like yo we get this ball back like we're good like they're they don't want us to touch the ball for a second like they don't want it they don't want us to anything and so I'm that's me yeah that's just what I'm saying to the team what I'm saying to the squad like that's how I'm thinking and I did say like oh they're scared they're scared of our offense and what we can do right like

rightfully so. You don't got to explain yourself. You can talk your shit and they stand off. 100%. You know how dudes are on the side land. They'll walk up and down the bench. And they'll be like, hey, they're fucking scared. They ain't trying to score the ball.

100%. I will still talk my shit. It seems like you're trying to back pedal just a little bit. I just want the record to show. I didn't just be like, those motherfuckers scared of shit. Hey, we win. Done.

I'm like, yo, like respectfully, 100% we're, we're on dogs. Great. Like, they should be scared of our offense. We, you know, they're having a good game. They're got however many sacks, whatever. but like nut crunch time you know how many sacks did tennessee get nine nine and nine eaten nine but we're still we're still there like cool this is what we do like end of the game

end of the half time this is what we do we make shit happen and so that's that's that's that's that's that's all i felt cool i'm gonna say it but like at least quote me on the whole damn thing don't just be like they're scared of us idiots we win game over i mean if i'm the reporter like that's obviously the headline they're of course yeah like i got a i got a word word word my stuff a little bit better maybe but yeah no coming to tennessee oh i mean i live here in the offseason um and so like the hotel we were staying at was like a seven-minute walk from where i live oh for real yeah and that's nice people were like you're gonna go back home like you want to see your family there whatever i was like no i'm gonna do the same thing that i always do i'm gonna be in the

hotel if you want to see me you can come to the hotel like it sucks because i want to go back to the crib like hang out like get some decent food whatever but like i do what i do every time so um now i was electric man i i got to have to have I have a lot of family and friends come too because, I mean, Nashville is close to Georgia where I'm from. And it was sick. When you're going to Nashville, I'm thinking of this now because you know how the boys like to go out and eat and stuff. Yeah. What spots are you putting the boys on coming to Nashville?

Oh, that's a good question. For the most part, the first thing that I say every time is Barcelona. I love a good tapas spot. Tapas and wine on Monday. You got a half price wine on Monday. You get to tapas. Oh, come on. I'm not a big tapas guy, man.

No, but like, why not? I know you can order a lot more. So my wife, she's from D.C. There's a Barcelona out in D.C. And she took us there one time on one of our dates. And I wasn't the biggest fan because you're like, tell you something, you got to split it. And I'm like, hey, order up more stuff.

And then, you know, we were young in the game back then, too. So my mind was probably somewhere else. Like, let's get up, let's get out. Let's get out of this date. You know what I'm saying? Let's go back home. Yeah. But I'm not a huge tapas guy.

See, like, the thing that, I do for the most part. Like, I know what I like from Barcelona. First time I went there, I went there for the wine. Tell me, tell me my order. Tell me my order next time. Get the, get the croquettes. Get the, get the potatoes bravis, get the calamari. Get the, ooh, what did I just have? That was decent.

Yo, they have this spinach and chickpeas something. And it was actually pretty fire. Like, I'm not like, I kind of, if he, I don't even, I'm going to be honest. Spinich and chickpeas, like, let's, you're already trying to put that one out. But it was fire. They have a, I'm like, I don't know. They have this other like pork something. It's like a little like.

Pork belly? Yeah, the pork belly there. Phnominal. No, it's, but then get the croquettes and the potatoes no matter what. But ask the chef what their favorite thing. I do it every single time. Hey, whatever the chef wants. Like, give me, give me something that just, and it is always fire.

Okay. I'll do that. Outside of Barcelona. Outside of Barcelona. Oh, that's a good question. Where do I go out here? What's your favorite steakhouse in Nashville? I don't go to.

many steakhouses here. Really? Oh yeah. I went to, yeah, bourbon steak, went there. Bourbon's fire. Yeah,

bourbon was pretty fire. Especially if you get the nice, like view. Yeah, if you get against the window or in a room, like you get a nice view. Bourbon steak was,

bourbon steak was really good. I went to Cain. I like the apps. Say it again? Cain. Bro. Amen, brother.

Yeah, the apps there are fire. I will say this from bourbon. The fries, the trio sauce. Yes. Fire. Oh, my God. That was right. Okay.

I wasn't ready for it either. Because I'm talking, I don't forget, I'm like in conversation with somebody. He's explaining everything. And then I look, I'm like, damn, what, like, what are all these sauces? And we took the boys there. Like it was me, Zach, it was for Tideon-U. Like, a conk was there.

One of my boys was there and their girls, whatever. And I'm like, hey, bro, what the hell? What are these sauces? I have no idea. Just try them, whatever. So I'm trying them. I'm like, damn, okay. I hit another fry.

I'm like, wait, this is a different fry. They have different fries with the different sauces. My mind was, dude. It's like a flight of fries. I was just thinking, should we go there this weekend, boys? 100%. But it's like a flight of fries with three different sauces, three different styles of fry.

I mean, it's incredible. Yeah, no. And it's like their bread, right? Like, they give that to you. Yeah, I don't remember. They just came out. I guess. They just came out.

I think it is. I think it's kind of like their version of bread. If not, though, anybody from bourbon listening, we're giving you a free shout-out. We shouldn't be, but you should hook the boys up with some fries. Yeah, 100%. But Kane Prime, I am fucking with you on their apps. everything like when it comes to actual steak

you can kind of figure it out at any of these steak houses like they're all similar they're all kind of in the same ballpark but when it comes to everything outside of the steak like the entrees came prime to me as hands down best appetizers

best bread like the popcorn lobster fire the cotton candy bacon the bacon if you were going to leave the bacon out of it out of it that is the most fire thing that I like in in the world talk to them like actually and I was kind of sleeping on it first time I heard it was was from a friend and she was like yeah you know uh you gotta you gotta

go here you got to get this cotton candy bacon I was like no that sounds just like I all I was thinking it was like con candy on a stick with bacon and I'm like that just sounds disgusting and then the she comes out she's like prepares it for you and you're just like what is going on here you take a bite and you're just like I'm done baking kind of melts on to it on Yeah, I'm sold. Bro, it's incredible. Yeah, they actually bring it out in this thick, well-done bacon, dude. Oh, dude. Oh, my.

With the cotton candy on it, it's like a nice presentation. You're sitting there, like, the ambiance in the in Kane Prime is like darker. You know what I mean? It's got like the tinted light vibe going on. And then they talk to you about the bacon a little bit and it's sitting there melting and you kind of like, you're splitting it up a little bit. You want to take the whole thing down. But my mouth is watering, talking about it.

It is a vibe in your mouth. I come back for the bye week. I'll take you there. Oh, hey, you, I was going to say that clip, boys. We got this. Bus with the boys. Team dinner on CJ. Well, I didn't, wait, hold on.

I didn't say team dinner. You're not. All right. All right. My father got a little ahead of myself. Now, you can sit a table away from us. Another good one in the Southern. That's a good steakhouse in Nashville.

I've been there once, and I didn't get, I didn't. get the steak. So you can go up and choose your selection. Actually. Yeah, like window shopping, go up there and you get to pick your cut. Oh, wow. That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool.

Check it out next time. All right. Where were we before we got off the tangent of Nashville? Okay, playing the Titans, you talk shit. Tines were scared of the Bengals last year. You said Derek Henry didn't want it too, right? Did you just say that right now? Was that what happened?

Then you guys, yeah, but they, They went to the conference championship after that. Who did you guys play in the conference championship? Chiefs. KC. After their crazy game with the bills. Against the bills. I know, man.

Like, I'm a fan of Casey. Like, everybody loves Kansas City. The Chiefs, like my mom, her favorite team was Kansas City. And everybody in Nebraska, they're pro team, since there is no pro team in Nebraska is Kansas City. But, bro, like, there's something about pulling for the bills that I was wanting them to pull it off. I was wanting Josh Allen to pull it off against Mahomes.

I mean, they won. They had won a super football. Super Bowl, but I was room for the bills to kind of like go to the Super Bowl outside of the Titans and, of course, outside the Raiders. You guys were like the Cinderella story running through everybody. Don't you feel that way? Don't you feel like you guys were the underdog? I mean, yeah, to the outside for sure.

Or not to the inside. Yeah, I mean, like you just said, you got to talk your shit. Like in the locker room, we were like, you know, we, we're those boys. Like, we are a damn good team. We've been showing it. Like, you know, we've had some hiccups throughout the year. But like, shit, we're here now. Like, come on.

Like we got to try to earn our respect. So, yeah, no, that game was crazy. I mean, I got hurt that game, like, pretty early. First quarter messed my knee up, and I was fucking pissed. Oh, yeah, because you're in the playoffs. Like, you're like... I'm like, this sucks. Like, this is like the worst thing that could happen to me right now.

And low-key, like, I thought to the squad, I was like, damn, if I'm not on the field, like, this is just, that sucks. Like, I don't know. Like, kind of feel like I'm a little spark plug, whatever. So I get... And I, like, feel it. And I'm like, damn, I might have just. What happened?

What happened to your knee? It was a grade three MCL. Like they said, like two and a half, three or whatever. And I tried to jump. And right when I jumped, I felt to like twinge a little bit. And then I missed the ball and I was like, oh shit. And I looked back and I landed awkwardly. And that's when I like heard something.

And I was like, oh, shit. Like, I think I just tore this. Like, this sucks. And then I like popped off the field. got onto the bench and they were like, yeah, we got to get you in the locker room. They put me in a splint. And boys came in at halftime

and I like crouched out there like trying to like... Tears in your eyes? No, I was like, yeah, boys, let's go. Let's go. I'm here with you guys. And I started jumping around and the trainer's like,

dude, you gotta, you have to sit down. Like, you cannot be doing this. Get away from the sideline. Like one of the trainers is, he's like actually one of my best friends for, for sure. Like Nick Cosgrave fucking love you. Shout him out. Shout him out, Nick.

No, but like he, he helps me with everything. Like he helped me get back for the Super Bowl, all this stuff. And he was like, dude, I love you. I know you're passionate about this shit. You got to sit down. Like, if you want to, if we win this game, you want to play in the Super Bowl, if you keep doing this, you're not going to do anything. I was like, all right, fine, whatever. So I'm sitting on the bench. And I'm just like, come on. Let's go, boys. Let's go. We're coming back. Let's do this. I'm watching the game. Like, even at half time, like, seeing Eli Apple, make that stand, like stop against a reek on the goal line. I'm like, holy shit. Like, that's, that's monumental. Like, that's huge for the boys. and we fucking win that shit and that was absolutely insane. That was like scenes. So you so you make it back for the Super Bowl

on a great 2 plus 3 MCL. Yep. What was that like trying to get back for the Super Bowl? That was the worst thing ever. That was like the actual worst thing ever. That's what I said like, Nick's the boy. Obviously you're not getting surgery.

No. You're doing what you can to make it to the Super Bowl. But like talk about, yeah, talk about those next couple weeks. Yeah, well, the crazy thing was when I like at half time I go in and they were like yeah it's like you won't need surgery for sure and the first thing I was like yo Nick like will I be able like can I play for this in the Super Bowl he's like I wouldn't count it out and right when he said that I was like I'm cool like I'm dope I'm great that's the first thing I said to coach after we won I was like yeah I'll be back for the

Super Bowl and I was like okay like all right I've dreams yeah I got you whatever said it to Katie who's the owner's daughter I was like yeah like I'm so sorry I was like don't be I'll be back be back for the Super Bowl. It's fine. She's like, okay. Um, and yeah, it was just a grind. Like, I was with Nick two, three times a day, just doing just everything I could, like, kept it elevated for two weeks straight, just like, in my bed. I have a little bed that, like, has a little foot lifter, you know what I'm saying? Kept it there. I was like, this sucks. It's annoying as hell. I can't, like, I'm a stomach sleeper myself. I don't know what you are, but. Oh, no, I'm on my back or side. Really? Back or side. See, I snore. I snore heavy when I'm on my

back so I can't do it. So I was snoring like crazy. No, we can talk about that after the part. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I got a couple. I got to, do you like, would you rather sleep on your bag? Do you like sleeping on your back? I like sleeping on my stomach. Oh, you like sleeping on your stomach. Yeah, I like sleeping. Yeah, I like it. It's comfortable. There's no, no pillow, though. You like being on your tummy. I'm just going to say stomach. I'm not going to say it like that. It's what it is, man. It's also called the tummy. You like being on your ass? Yeah. You like being on your booty. Yep. All right. There we go. I like being on these cheeks, man. reckless.

So you're obviously elevating. You're doing everything possible. Yeah. Like, there was never a doubt that you were going to be able to play. Obviously, you're resting and doing a lot of that shit. But at what point are you getting on the field and testing this shit out? I mean, two, three days before, like a couple days before. Like, we fly out to California.

I forget when we get there. Now, did you do stem cell or anything? PRP stem cell? Then do anything. Steroys? Nope. Okay. Not then.

You know what I'm saying? Like, that was. Just, no. I mean, I was even like, hey, can we shoot this thing up, like for the game? And they're like, nah, that's not smart. Like, we're not doing that. And I was like, all right, well. You wanted to put Toradole in your knee before the game.

Yeah, 100%. I just asked. I was like, hey, can you? Nah. I mean, I'm not doing that. I will, like, yeah, you're about to play for the Super Bowl. So you're willing to do whatever. Yeah, I understand that.

Like any other time, like people are like, that's like fucking varsity blues, trying to inject the quarter zone in the knee and everything. But you're at, this is it. Like, you're at the finish line. I'm like, dude, I've been dreaming. I mean, I've been playing since I was six years old. Like grew up like, I played Madden with my dad. We made a little out of a foam like pool float.

We made a Super Bowl trophy. We made the Lombardi. And we would play for it. And I was like, dude, that's the only thing that was going in my head. I was like, dude, I got to touch that. I fucking love that, by the way. Yeah. So like, I was like, there's no way in hell I'm not going to play.

And so I didn't do anything on the field. I did some stuff in the pool a little bit. And then we fly out to Cali. And Nick was like, all right, we're going to start doing some ladder stuff. like see how you feel. And dude, California is beautiful. Like it's, we go from, we go from getting stuck on a bus because no indoor. So we go from getting stuck on a bus because it's snow and icing to go to our indoor facility,

which is on UC's campus. We get stuck there. We get stuck through four lights because the bus is stuck on a hill. And we're just sitting here like, how the hell are we going to the Super Bowl? And we're stuck on a hill going to an indoor facility that's not like that we can't just walk to. Like this is absurd to me. So we're all thinking it. We go from that to California,

February, 87 degrees out. I'm walking off the plane like, yep, I feel fucking great. My knee feels better already with this weather. So we're doing some ladder drills. He's like, how do you feel? I was like, ramp it up, dude. Fuck it. Let's go.

Let's just, let's send it. See what we can do. And he's like, all right, like, you're not going to hurt it too much more than it's already hurt. So like, you can do whatever you want to. If you can go through the pain, whatever. It's like, all right, cool. So that first day, we did ladder, change the direction, ran a couple like short routes.

And he's like, I'm going to shut you down. Like personally, I'm just shut you down. Second day, he's like, how do you feel? I'm like, yo, it's stiff. Halfway through he goes, how do you feel now? I'm like, it's still stiff, but like, fuck it. We can just, we can push through it. And it's like, all right, cool.

Let's go. Let's do more. And from that point on, like, I practiced probably in and out. I had maybe like three quarters of a full practice, like total. Eating well shouldn't be complicated. but somehow it turns into recipes, prep, clean up, and half your Sunday gone. Factors solves all that. These are fresh, ready-to-eat meals designed by dieticians, delivered to your door, and ready in just minutes.

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Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of IHeartMedia. I also led the team that created MTV, and my co-founders and I are celebrating MTV's 45th anniversary this month. on my podcast, Math and Magic, stories from the Frontiers of Marketing, you'll hear the untold origin story from the people who built MTV from the ground up. I want my MTV! Those are powerful words, my, something for me that felt like mine and want. What a powerful word. Listen to Math and Magic, stories from the Frontiers of Marketing on the Iheart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist, Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports.

Because let's be real. Women's Sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is like,

what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game

and somehow keep going all we. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that.

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Throughout the span of us being in California and throughout those two weeks, but, yeah, you know, you've been, you're on. You're in chemistry.

You know what everyone's doing. It's the last game of the year. You know everything at this point. You're watching film. So, yeah, but it was a fucking grind, dude. That's impressive, though, bro. That was fun. Yeah.

And during this time, are you thinking about, because you're obviously in your contract year as well, are you thinking about those things? Now, my agent. And if not, is it something when you fast forward to when you're negotiating with the Bengals, you're probably, I would assume,

because one year, obviously, I've never signed a big deal. But I had a... You are a big deal. Oh, definitely, no question. I'm not sleeping on the boy. I'm just speaking from my experience. Right, right. I played on a torn PCL to try and help get us to the playoffs.

We end up missing the playoffs. So it was a winning in game at the very end of the year. And then the next year, I was a restricted free agent. I don't know. I was exclusive rights before that because I was a Peace Squad guy. But in my head, I'm thinking I'm the captain and starter. They might take care of me and extend me. instead of just putting a tender on me.

Or if they put a tender on me, hopefully they put like a higher round tender versus just like a low round tender. Right. And when it doesn't happen, there's part of you that's pissed off because when you're trying to get back on the field, like I played on the PCL within nine days. Got back on day nine, I was playing in the fucking game.

I had like two tackles, but they wanted me out there to signal call and do all that kind of thing. Which I was about. Like you, you're ready to fucking die on the field for the boys. But being honorable doesn't get you paid. When you're going to the negotiations, Are you thinking to yourself, like working that hard to get back, especially for the Super Bowl?

Like, you're doing whatever it takes to be out there, even though you tour your MCL. Is there a bitterness that you carry with? Like, when it's like, hey, are we not thinking that like, I'm, guys, I want to be here and I'll do whatever it takes to be a Bangle to have I not shown that these past seven years? And definitely in recency, like, trying to get back to the Super Bowl. Like, are you thinking about those things? I mean, at the time, definitely not, right? Like, at the time, at the time my agent had been like, hey, like, don't kill.

yourself out there. Your agent's probably trying to talk you out of playing like, like, hey. He didn't though. Like he was just like... That's good. But usually they're like... Yeah, don't do it. Don't play injured. Don't ever play injured. And the players are always like, fuck it. Like, we're trying to win games. He was more like... And to be honest, I didn't know how much I was I didn't think I was going to play the whole game. I thought I was going to be like situational. Like 15, 20 plays. I'm out there for the first play. Because I was like,

all right, nice, whatever. And coach is like, my position coach was like, you good? And I'm good. And he just kept... He was like... Like, yeah, I'm good. But also take care of me. like pull me back when you think I need to be pulled back. But like first half, good. Second half, 45 minute half time. It's like, holy shit. Like, I'm stiff as hell now. 45 minutes is tough.

But, yeah, I mean, at the time, I'm not thinking of anything, dude. I'm just like, you're... Fast forward to the negotiation period. Are you... Not like that that's you thinking like you guys should be taking care of me because I did XYZ, but you're thinking like, are we not... Is there no appreciation and fucking... It seems like you guys are just slapping me in the face for

everything I'm trying to do to play. Right, which is why, like, in my head, I'm like, like, are you going to throw me a bone? Like, are you going to, like, are you going to, like, are you going to show a little appreciation with, with the fact that I was like, dude, like, screw this, screw the contract, screw everything. I'm trying to make sure I'm out there with the boys

to win a Super Bowl and bring that to the organization and the franchise and, like, you know, everything that the city has been, like, gassing us up for. So, yeah, 100%. Like, like, that is definitely going gone in my mind the entire time. Yeah. Like, even the first. fair like that's the human being the competitor like the loyalty all that in us which sucks because

you got to remove that when it comes in negotiating but at the same time you're like man like that's not coming from a place of like i feel entitled and i should i deserve this and i you better give me this or you guys are fucking stupid it's just like damn like this is how it's going down like you can't throw me a bone at all right which is then then that takes that which helps take the emotional aspect of it out because you're like damn this is actually just cutthroat business right it numbs you up yeah like real real quick So, again, which makes it a little bit easier just to be like, all right, like, agent says, hey, just letting you know this is how it is.

Cool, I can see that. I can clearly see that that's how it's going to be. Nick's probably texting you. What are you hearing? It's not good, Nate. You're looking good, buddy. What the hell, dude? Hey, yeah, look.

We'll take a trip together. We'll be good. Talk about the, talk about the Super Bowl. Like, are there situations that you look back on there where there's like pivotal moments or things could have shaped out this way. they're there. Obviously, you play that in your head no matter what. But, I mean, this is the first offseason removed from that Super Bowl. Or the things that looks back is like, damn, we win it if we do X, Y, and Z right here in this moment.

Because every player lives in their own movie. Man, if I would have done this or had this play shaped out the way we drawn it up or executed the right way? Like, we went off this game. Like, talk to us about the Super Bowl. We're sitting around to fire. Fucking Grandpa's talking to the boys. Yeah, I mean, I'm thinking about it just from my perspective, you know? like, I don't know, like, certain things, like, playing with my knee and stuff, and, like,

I caught two passes. They were like, it was for nothing. It was like a couple yards, whatever. And I'm just thinking, damn, like, really, I should have, I should have made a little fucking corner miss. And then I would have been one-on-one with a defensive end if I just don't get touched by him for a second and stopped. And we're on, like, the 20-yard line at that point.

It's like, all right, cool. I make, I, like, shove this little SDB off me. And it's a foot race to the end zone in my mind to score as opposed to, you know, taking a field a field goal. Changes the game. You got certain like, you got certain like blocks that you're like, damn, like, man, he was kind of in the hole.

Like, the running back really could have just ran off my ass just then. But like, did I, did I block the hole? Right. And I did. So I think of it from that perspective more so than like anybody like saying like, oh, wow, this one player, like, if we would have done this one a little bit different, whatever, like. Was it sickening knowing that Jamar Chase was wide open on that last play?

100%. Yeah. 100% sickeny yeah for sure I mean it yeah you think about that too sometimes

yeah like that's what a game though when like OBJ goes down are you guys thinking like all right like when you guys are about to play the Rams you want to go get it Taylor maybe hopefully has he texted the group chat

oh well then it might not be him what was I saying so OBJ goes down. Oh, yeah, yeah. Like, when you were about to play the Rams, like, obviously they're clicking as well.

They're in the Super Bowl. They're fucking, obviously, we, Blas, he's not here, but he's a huge 49ers fan. We're like, Blas, so that safety doesn't drop that pick. Niners are going. Yeah.

But are there, oh, Steve Burns here, our next guest. Oh, yeah. Fuck. I keep losing out. Oh, oh, I keep in the OBJ thing. But, like, you know,

as a player, like the human element of all the pieces that they have, because they have a lot of fucking talent on their team. Obviously, picking up Von Miller late in the year, OBJ middle of the season. But when OBJ goes down is one of those things to where you're like,

hey, we can get this even more because one of their best players go down. It was actually, that's not even like the thought process. The thought process was we knew like, we knew that the field felt kind of weird, right? Like the paint, the paint, they had to keep going over it in the middle of the field. Really?

And so we kind of as a team, like offensively, we were like, hey, you know, like that's the spot. you got to like control yourself like you got to be way more controlled don't run to full speed like oh for real 100% that's what we that's what we talked about that's what i told the tight ends immediately that's what the tight end coach told us immediately that's kind of what we told some of the receivers like hey just letting you know like that spot of the field's a little fucking weird like the paint is the spot where obj tore his knee just the paint in the middle of the field in general was it was a little it was a little it was just different you know what i'm saying so it was a little

more slick because they put a little too much not too much but they just put a little more paint there So we didn't personally, I didn't think, damn nice, this is our shot. Like it was like, you know, boys, be the fuck. Be careful. Like in that spot because that's where, because we couldn't walk there for the team pictures because they were still going over it during team pictures the day before. And so that's the only thing that was on my mind was, hey, if I'm around this area, especially with my knee, like, I got a tempo.

Damn. That sucks to here. Yeah. Like, that's like, especially if that's where he's, him doing it there too. Like, that sucks. That sucks that that was like a thing. Yeah. Have you played in London?

Yeah. I feel like London is, uh, it's got a little slickness to it. Yeah. But I, I, I'm biased. I love London, dude. I'm, I'm a big soccer guy. So like, playing a Wimbly. Oh, that was historic.

That's historic. What? I was going crazy. I hated having the whole fly over there thing. Did you guys fly over on Thursday or did you spend a week over there? Brutal. Talked. Did you got, wait, did you do anything the night before?

Like, did you have a team activity or something? I don't think so. I just remember I was trying to catch up on sleep and shit like that. Dude, first time, we went over. over there. We had a team activity on London Tower Bridge. Oh, no, we had nothing like that. You don't have a police escort. We were in the car for like two and a half hours. We got there for 30 minutes and they were like, damn, yeah. We didn't think this one through. We got to go back. Oh, no. I'm like, what the hell are we

doing out here? Because our practice feels like we had the bus for, I felt like quite a bit to go over this little like middle school baseball field that we practiced on. Yeah. Brutal. Yeah, we did that. So yeah. It's right when you land like your sleep is that night. Like As you're on the plane, you're supposed to get your sleep. Dudes are popping like the sleeping pills. What is it? Melaton. Oh, Melaton.

Yeah, well, I'm not talking the natural melatonin. I'm talking to ambient. Yeah, we got to go out. Yeah, yeah, we got to go out. And then you land and it's Friday morning, right? So fast Friday begins when you get all your stuff at the hotel. Brutal. It's a brutal experience, dude.

Then you fly back right after the game. We played the Bengals and we fucking tied when I was on Washington. That was the team. That's the time that I'm talking about. That's the time where we had. You were there? 100% Oh fuck

Yeah That's what I'm like Yo we had a How brutal was that game? Don't go back and forth And then hey We got the ball out on Andy When you know

Oh my God Listen we're over here too And everyone knows I'm a huge soccer fan Everyone knows I'm a huge soccer fan And I'm like I'm like I can't believe we came over here in Tide And everyone's like

Yeah these British people They're used to this shit They watch soccer all the time They're used to zero one one, two, two. That doesn't mean shit to them. It means something to us. I was like, no, this shit still sucks.

You didn't know how to celebrate. Yeah. You kind of feel like you won, but then you see the kicker. You're like, hey, man, it's all good. Because the kickers were basically missed. So I guess you guys turned it over. Did your kicker get a shot? No, we had that turnover.

Yeah. Bro, it was nuts, man. And you don't know how to feel. You're like, are we going to party on the plane right back? Oh, people still party. I didn't. I was like, I was like, dude, I'm just. Everybody still party.

I didn't party either, but everybody partied on the way back. I didn't party. No, no, I don't drink. Definitely don't remember too much of the plane ride. Yeah, I was asleep. Is there anything I'm not hitting on boys? Super Bowl. Okay.

Ooh. Can we talk about that? That's right. No, there are some, there were some storylines out there. No, K and I. You and K. Adams. Yeah. One of the hosts of, hang on, let me.

He still wants to talk. Host, good morning football. she's a stud, she's for the boys. We're a big fan of Kay Adams over here. But there are obviously some tabloids going around. You know, the magazines of Walmart showing that, you know, you and Kay Adams were a thing. Seems like you're both very private about your dating life. So there was never any truth to be brought from it.

However, are you dating K. Adams? No, no, I wasn't. And I am relatively private about, like, I like being private about my stuff, especially, like, honestly, especially now being in New York, it's reckless. Like, people, like, if, if someone. Someone, I was talking to some of the Mets players and like, hey, like, my girl, like, kind of deletes her or, like, goes private and does all this random shit because she will just get blown up by people.

I'm like, all right, that's good to know. Like, even if you're not doing anything, he's like, oh, no, like, I've been, it's just like, his name's Pete Alonzo, Pete, I fucking love you. And he was just like, hey, I'm to be honest. I've been with my girl since high school. And she still gets blown up. She knows, I'm with her that night and she's getting blown up. Just about him, the, him playing in the game?

No, just like him like, oh, yeah, I was with Pete last night. blah, blah. And she's like, what the fuck? Like, who the hell even is this? Like, I was with you last night. Like, yeah. Um, so I'm private in that regard, thankfully. But unlike, like, then something comes out and they're like, oh, shit, is this true?

And I don't want to say anything because I'm like, dude, I'm private. I'm not trying to like say whatever. Um, but no, like we were, we were homies, like good people. Like you said, she's for the boys. She's a good person. She's awesome. Being on like, good morning football. I was like, oh, this is dope, whatever.

Um, but now we were not, we were not dating. I'm not going to, I'm not good of touch you. I'm not going to touch him. I'm not going to touch him. No, no, we were not. We were not. Just get my hand out there. I already know that's how it's going to look for you, J.P.

Then you're going to put me, like, drinking this water bottle right here in his hand. You're going to, like, Photoshop his hand there so it looks like I'm doing it. Yeah, exactly. Just try her up and touch his fingers. Should we get into tear talk? Yeah. It's a fun one. We came up with this one.

The boys came up with this one yesterday. So our tier talk this week is going to be best grades in school. Growing up, kindergarten. garden K through or I mean if you remember the preschool days you want to throw preschool shout out preschool through grade 12 that is what our tier talks going to be tiering them one through three your top three your favorite grades growing up do you want to go first or do we make the back of the bus go first we make the back of the bus go first for sure is a collective effort or like how we collective do you do you usually do collective efforts we've only done at once usually it's just a

guest and will who do the tier talks and we'll do shoutouts and we'll do shoutouts but I think we can rattle off like a tier three pretty easily, at least for me. We all might have different. Yeah, I mean, go ahead. Like JP might have got bullied in certain grades. So he might not remember him the right way. Check the tape. I was prom king.

Oh, talk to your shit. Senior year. So my favorite, were we all just going to say our favorite? Are we going to give you three? Oh, yeah. All right. Favorite fifth grade for sure. I was peeking athletically.

We had the fastest mile time, fastest pacer test, or most laps on the pacer test, fastest swimmer in the county in 25 meter freestyle. I made a half-court shot at a high school basketball game at halftime, and everybody was going crazy. That's electric. And the coach came up to me. He's like, can't wait until you're in high school, man.

Hey, I was like, oh, my guy. That's some rap. I'm going to the lead. That's real, though, bro. Like, that's part of one of my, like, descriptions. Like, but that is fucking real. Yeah. So fifth grade for me.

Okay. Obviously, honorable mentioned senior year is great for everyone. But if you used senior years, you number one, you just had a shitty upbringing in high school. It means that you had to wait until your last year. You should have said that. I was hoping this is going to be. So for me, it's freshman year of high school. You just love middle school and you were the top dog and now you're the lowest in the totem pole.

You thought you were cool and you were like truly dog shit to. everyone that walks the halls. But if you were special, like myself, you might have been friends with a couple of the upper classmen. Juniors and the seniors, I, you know, start running around with. You start dapping up some of the homies in the hallway. You think you're cool. But I remember my sister, she ratted on me to my mom freshman year.

And she was like, Jack cannot be hanging out with kids in my grade anymore. She's like, like, they're starting to like him more than me. And like, I'm like, hey, like, I don't know what to tell you. Like, and I was, I was a, like, short little fat kid. freshman year. So it was like it was it was an adversity battle all uphill. But for me, freshman year, there's so much potential and like opportunity for growth. You really don't have too much going on. It's easy classes. And yeah, a whole change of scenery. So freshman year is tier one. So you've, you've been into Cougars off rip, huh? You've always been in the older

women like, man. What do you got, Garrett? I'm going to go a sophomore year for some of the same reasons hanging out with the older guys on our lacrosse team they used to just take me around all the time to all the parties um so that's always fun when you're a young dude and sophomore year because that's usually when you get your driver's license and so it's that first it's that first time like like you freshman year's epic it sucks in your guys descriptions because like oh damn if you're gonna hit your year it's okay no i'm talking about you're right about sophomore year when you get your driver's license yeah because you you're still young but then you get that little bit of like, I'm free.

Like, I can just drive myself places now. Now you can, like, pile in your homies to drive places. So I think sophomore year for me was like that one year where you're like, all right, let's get it. That's big time. Yeah. So you guys just saying your tier ones? I guess.

Just our bus. Yeah. So we got fifth freshman sophomore. I like those picks boys. I do. I think that's very good. I think that's very fucking good. All right.

C.J. I'm in. I'm in serious seat, so I'm going to go last. No, no, no, no, no. You're first. No, no, no, no. You go first. Actually, if Taylor is on today, I was going to make the case that I believe I should go last

because I feel like the record recently has displayed that I've earned the spot the right to go last. I mean, usually you all say, like, guess is right, but that's fine. Yeah, I'll go first. I like, I like, I like what they all said. Guess usually goes first. Yes, it does usually go first. And it was a toss up for me. It really was.

It was between for tier one. It was between... Start with tier three. Oh, you want to start with tier three. Yeah, build it up. Build it up. And if you've listened, so if you get crafty,

you can throw in a little honorable mention on the side. My honorable mention is pre-k nap time. Oh, so you have a pre-k honorable mention. I love that. Always. Pre-k nap time was goaded. And I remember it. I remember just being like, oh, nice.

Like, on the playground, you're running around. You're going crazy. You get back in. you got your nap time. That nap time was, I mean, electric. Like that's what more, right now, we're in practice, right? We have the craziest practice. We go through camp.

Coach says, you know what? No meetings in that time. I'm going to be honest. Nat time was a nightmare for me because I went to bed until I was a teenager. So anytime I fell asleep, it was like Freddie Krueger's coming for me. And I'd wake up with a soaked cot. You know what I mean? I'm trying to blame the kid next to me or figure out how I get out of this situation.

So pre-K, like, you know, nap time was always like staying over friends' houses. Like there was, there's some chess being played as I went over there. I would have the doctor who told my mom that I had to stop drinking Kool-Aid by 7 p.m. Stop drinking Kool-Aid in general, then just drink water or something. Well, just stop drinking liquid. Like the liquid, like there was no water when you're a young kid. It's like, give me some Kool-Aid. Yeah, that's facts.

Like water was boring. You're not about, like, water tastes shitty when you're a little kid. I'll keep going with my tears, but I just want to say that whatever your tier list is, if it is a grade that's under 13, like under the age of being 13, I'm going to judge you a little bit because I'm going to be like, damn, like, it's a good year for you. That's your one, but you're still in the bed a little bit.

Like, that's tough. I still have some prime years. That's fine. So, tier three, we're going to go one year after pre-K, kindergarten, miss head of summer,

loved the class. I thought I was a, I thought I was the coolest person ever had. Wait, what grade is this? Kindergarten. You're going pre-K and kindergarten for two, three and two?

No, No, no, no, no. Oh, that was honorable mention. My fault. The Garden is Tier 3, and it's because it's a multitude of things. But I thought I was the coolest person because in the classroom, I had two girlfriends. I had Rebecca and Madison. I remember all my teacher's names through and through.

Miss Head of Simer, coolest teacher. She was friends with my mom because my mom's a teacher. And in class, I could kind of just do whatever I wanted to, essentially, right? Like, and it was, you got popcorn reading, and it would be like, popcorn Rebecca, Rebecca would popcorn me. Popcorn, Madison. Madison would have popcorn me. I'd be like, damn, I'm just getting tagged. I'm getting the pie.

Hey, Lord, you see what's going on. And then Ms. Head of Simon would be like, okay, you have to popcorn someone else. All right, popcorn DJ. This other kid DJ was in my class. He would popcorn it back to me. I'd be like, all right, cool, we did it. We're back on what we're doing. So I thought I was hot shit, man.

It was kindergarten. when Rebecca had an older sister, she was in fifth grade, I'd be like, hey, how are you doing? Her name was Kayla. I was like, hey, how you doing, Kayla? People would have like, oh, my God, he's talking to a fifth grader.

Boom. Tier three, kindergarten. Easy. All right. Tier two. Love that story time, by the way. Popcorn K. That's good.

This guy. Tier two, staying in elementary school. I'm going fifth grade. Oh. Fifth grade, that was a great, I mean, fifth grade,

was amazing. Fifth grade is a really good time. So I actually changed schools in fifth grade and I went to McKendry or I went to I went to another school where my mom teaches now or taught. And at the time, like she's a teacher, whatever. I'm in fifth grade. Like, oh, wow. Like, who are you going to get for a teacher? Like, you're going to get the best teacher. If your mom's a teacher, you're going to get the best teacher out of school. And so I had Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson, like, My favorite teacher to this, to this day, she was awesome. I was a little shit. I talked a lot.

There were certain times where she would put me in this little, like, spot that had a cubby in it, whatever. But like after hours, it was me, Tanner and Tyler, who their mom, their mom was also a teacher down the hall for my mom. And we would just, like, we would just do whatever the, whatever the hell we wanted to in the school. We'd go into the cafeteria. We had this little ball that we'd play with.

We throw it at shit, like break some shit. There's flags that hang down in the cafeteria of all the countries. We'd be like messing with those. switching them around. Like, we were absolute menaces. I was in the play. I was the lead in Humpty Dumpty. Oh, it was great.

Hey, you could pull this picture. I'll send you boys a picture so you can use it. Yes, we need those. No, like, it was the lead in Humpty Dumpty. No, come on. I was going crazy. It was, it was fifth grade. Solid.

I mean, that wasn't peak, but that was close. That was as close to peak as you can get. So that's tier two. Tier number one. I got taken already. That's okay. That's okay. But I'm going to go with G on this one.

Tier 1, sophomore year of high school. G. Absolutely electric. One of the most memorable times of my life, started getting offers for college there. Started playing in varsity as a receiver at the time. Got my license. Didn't even use my license for the most part

because I had a senior take me to class or take me to school every day. Senior. Senior girl. Okay. Yep. I don't know if you're going to say like, the captain of the football team.

She was, she was captain of the basketball team. But she was my homie. So I met, she was like an actual, like, really good friend. So I met my prom date. Yep, I'll give you that. I met my prom date

sophomore year through her, who was a volleyball player who went to Wake Forest. Six to, I'm sophomore year I'm still six five six whatever like I'm still the same size so you see two big ass people come into prom me and I was one of two sophomores that went to our prom fire fun come on I was like damn this is sick I come in with Megan I'm like damn look you see our tall asses out here we're avatars you see what's going on it was I mean it was go to the playoffs

go deep in the playoffs scoring the playoffs like start getting I mean it It was just sophomore year. Sophomore year is a good one. Yeah. I'm sitting here listening to you guys talking like, man, I enjoyed my life growing up. Right.

Like, life was fun. Life was good. It's actually hard to choose out of these. Honorable mention, I'm with Jack on this one. Like, I think everybody enjoyed their senior year. My senior year, like, senior year was fucking awesome. Homecoming King, all this stuff going to Nebraska,

all that stuff. You were a homecoming king? Yeah. Wait, who was One step down. Who was not in, who was not homecoming king here? Yes. No.

What? Maybe at your school, at our school was all about homecoming. That's early in the year. Oh yeah, ours was homecoming too. Ours was all about homecoming. Homecoming was like a joke. Spear week.

Oh, he is spear week. Yeah, no, so we did, we did the whole night because I was homecoming king too. So prom king and queen for us was like, like, like you just pick two people that you want to date to be homecoming king and Queen so that they finally just like kiss. Because we were just Egamon to kiss. So that's what our prom king and queen was. So I'm with you.

I'm with you. I'm with you. Hey. Don't let the back of the bus to tourists. Yeah, go off. But yeah, honorable mention, you got to give shots to senior. Your senior was absolutely unbelievable. I think you guys said so many fucking good things that sparked a lot of memories.

The freshman year vibe hit her sophomore year with the driver's license. Incredible. My tier three, I'm going to shout out. Wait, it's not the shout out segment. My tier three is junior year. Junior year was all time. Yes, as freshman year, you're like the little, no one gives a shit about you. Side note, varsity freshman year.

The boys, the seniors took care of the boy. I never got taped. I never got hazed. So I could have, I was thinking about putting freshman year in there, but Jack explained freshman year very well if you were cool enough to be like, have a couple connects. But as you go through high school, you are now like, like junior year, you're now close with the seniors, right? Like being like a good athlete, you're in with the guys who are right ahead of you.

They're the studs. You can like, you play your role. You're a stud yourself. But you know you let the seniors continue to do all the cats, whatever that they want to do. But you're tight. Everybody's tight with each other. Junior year, I was also, I got my high school girlfriend at the time who was like my, like my best friend growing up. So it's kind of like a one tree hill moment when you get like your girlfriend.

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I also led the team that created MTV, and my co-founders and I are celebrating MTV's 45th anniversary this month. on my podcast, Math and Magic, stories from the Frontiers of Marketing, you'll hear the untold origin story from the people who built MTV from the ground up. I want my MTV! Those are powerful words,

my, something for me that felt like mine and want. What a powerful word. Listen to Math and Magic, stories from the Frontiers of Marketing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist, Ari Chambers.

Hey, what's up, y'all? your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is like, what's up with the snacks?

Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi.

You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The boy was all-state wide receiver. I started getting, I wasn't as fortunate as you.

my offer started to roll in junior year. So you just felt like the big dog on campus. Like you started to get ranked on like rivals and shit. I was a Nike MVP at one of the camps. Like junior year was a very prosperous year for young William. Thank you. Thank you. Awesome.

My tier two, my tier one, tier two, I'm sure with all of us, these can all be interchangeable because we'd all love to go back to school right now. But my tier two is going to be fourth grade. So fourth grade for me And you guys know the boy loves Dairy Queen I love blizzards I love all of it Bro I went to I went to a Catholic school in grades one through four And every day

Because our class was made up of three grades There were seven of us in the class Combined three grades There was four fourth graders One fifth grader and two sixth graders And it was me, low, low, and Chuck like boys that I'm boys with to this day. And we just like, we had Dairy Queen for lunch every day.

Every day, bro. You got to order Dairy Queen. You got like a little cup of ice cream. You got the burger. Wait. I'm not lying. Huh? No.

This is at school. Because there wasn't that many kids like in the entire school. It was grades maybe preschool through preschool through sixth grade. And in fourth or six, there's only seven kids total in the entire classroom. But fourth grade, like getting to order Dairy Queen in the sports world, like, that was our first year playing tackle football. And when I say I might have one of the best fourth grade highlight tapes out there, comparable to like Reggie Bush in college and Tavon Austin in high school,

will in fourth grade was a different fucking animal. I might have to go through, I might have to go through that old footage and put a little Yeah, I got some tape, the VCRs. Like I had the parents to where my dad's on the sign-long with me and my mom's filming the entire game. I had that kind of family. It was fucking awesome. Those were the days.

And one day I scored six touchdowns, boys. I'm talking four on the ground. I'm talking five on the ground and one on defense for a pick six. And I was living the dream. I was playing baseball that year. We're 10 years old, so I'm on the 10-year-old team. I made it to the All-Star team. Our 10-year-old team made it all the way.

to the Little League World Series in the Cal Ripkin Jr. League. However, they didn't tell us until after we won regionals. We go through district. We lost in the set. We lost in the quarter. So we had to come back in the losers bracket. Beat the team twice to win in districts. State, we walk through state.

We sweep them. We fucking 10 run rule those boys. We 10 run rule those boys in four innings in state. It was Sykston. Hey, then we get to the regionals. We go up to Iowa. Go to the field of dreams. We get to do that whole thing.

We go to Iowa. We're at region. I find $300 under my hotel bed at a red roof in. I thought I was fucking living. We go to like one of the big balls or whatever, and I'm like spending this 300 thinking it came unclaimed. We took it to the front desk, but nobody claimed this $300. So I'm rich.

You're rich as a fucking 10-year-old kid with $300. And then we go to regionals. We lose in the second round. We come all the way back and beat Kansas twice in the championship to win. Our coach comes over to us. It says, boys, I didn't want to have to break this to you because we didn't want to take away from the experience, but they just, they informed us when we got here at the start of the tournament that the Cow Ripkin Jr., they weren't going to have a 10-year-old,

the 10-year-old tournament representing in the World Series. So they basically just, like, they hosted us at the World Series. We got to, like, step out in the middle of the field and wave and do all that. But baseball and football, prime years, fourth grade. Now, my tier one, the way I just read it off fourth grade, I might have to just say that's my going to make some notes because I'm going to let you keep talking. My tier one, I'm going to say is eighth grade was my most fun time in school

Because seventh grade, like, you know Now this is, hang on, this is my time Like let's not try to kill the vibe What are we doing? So eighth grade From the top, running from the top. Yeah, yeah, yeah. My tier one is eighth grade.

Let me tell you why, because we have a fucking hater literally right next to me, but I will not let him I will not let him bring this adversity to me. So you know how I said in junior year when you're tight with those boys that are seniors? When you're in seventh grade, they're kind of like, when you're like that, how old are you then?

Like when you're in those like early teenage years, 12, 13, those early, like teenage years, like the boys are kind of like not, you used to keep it tight with your guys. The grade above you, they're kind of like assholes or kind of dicks. They think they're the man. You're kind of entering out of elementary school

going in the seventh grade. You don't feel like the big dog yet. But eighth grade, I say we got to run around and do whatever we wanted because all my boys' teachers were moms. And one of my favorite teachers of all times, Mrs. Kiekech, shout out. Mrs. Kikak, no free shoutouts. Pre-algebra was the best fucking time. I'm talking, that's when you're wheeling and dealing candy bars for your baseball league. You can look at me all you want to.

That's big time. When you're making money side hustling and eating candy bars in class, not only that, but eighth grade, high jump record, four-by-one record, four-by-two record, relay high-jump record. and I was also like the hurdle district champion. Maybe the peak of my entire athletic career was in eighth grade. But yeah, my tier one is definitely eighth grade. I felt like the vibes were the highest. We were, the boys were the best of friends. That's when I started sprinting to the cafeteria for lunchtime,

not caring who's in my way. We knew the principal. One of my boys' dads, he was the principal to fucking school. Like, we ran it, bro. And it was fucking awesome. And I was on my travel baseball team. We were number one in the state this year, the rage. Shout out of the rage.

No free shoutouts. that 10-year-old team that won in fourth grade, they stayed together. They stayed together and created a fucking dynasty. And we went all the way to eighth grade and we were number one in the state. We got third in the gold division in the World Series. That's my tier talk. All right. You got them?

There will be no honorable mention. There will be no honorable mention. You heard of him? He said there will be no honorable mention. My tier three is going to be my sophomore year of high school. It was a fantastic year. We won the state championship. we went 15 and no.

Oh, wow, that is a good year. A good year. I made my, like, my best core friend group I've ever had, like, for as long as we've been friends, it was unbelievable. It hurt. No. I thought you got hurt by that or something. No, I'm excited.

I thought I saw some sadness in the eyes. Anyway. No, once you said a core group of friends forever and I'm thinking like, oh, shit, like, yeah, that's a pivotal time. Like, you keep in touch with those boys? My freshman year, like, I was still trying to, like, figure out. I was coming out of eighth grade, which was a fucking, like, oh, oh, my God, year for me.

It was awful. And so freshman year was really just trying to get the training wheels back on and figure out how to go through this life without being a degenerate. And then sophomore year hit and I was like a part of this crew. We call each other the sexy six. If you look back on pictures, we definitely weren't the sexy six. But it was Kenny Proden, Cody January, fucking Anthony Stevens, Tommy Nevin, Nick Bennett and myself. The fucking boys, dude. And we went every weekend, we would go to Anthony's house.

He had the side little place, little good. guest house called the Cavoni. And we would just figure out any way we could to find beer. And we'd have like parties over there. We would like, Anthony was like our fearless leader. And that was like the first time of my life, I was like, damn, like, all you really need is friends. I'm part of something bigger than myself right now.

Yeah. Yeah. All I really need is friends. And we won state. Got a ring. Yeah, that's big time. Your boy had eight tackles, two TFLs, a sack, fumble, recovery. That game. Wow.

Yeah, your boy was fucking ball. Shout out Sean January for having 147 tackles at year too. It's fucking... Sean January, I was in the middle line backer. Over later to get older brother. Fucking, let me tell you about a heart draw voice. Stud.

Stud. Paper bones, though. That kid would break everything. That is my tier three. My tier two is first grade. Because it was going to be kindergarten and Ms. Berlin's class. You were in Ms. Burland's class for kindergarten and first.

But kindergarten low-key, you're kind of finding out the dynamics of how the real world's going to work. It was just like your first time in school. Unless you went to like preschool. She really don't even count either. First grade, your boy probably peaked from a popularity standpoint. Dude, there was this girl in my class. She was a twin.

Her name was Courtney B.elli. And I missed her to this day, dude. I had the biggest crush on her. That's what I found out. I liked girls. And I also had a Lion King lunchbox that I would walk into the cafeteria with holding like this. And all the kids, you'd be like, yeah, like fire it up on it. And I'd put it down in the middle and I'd open it up and eat my fucking wonder

bread with turkey and she probably. Or if your boy was real lucky, you just kind of open it and shake it. And there comes out the uncrustable pack. Not the uncrustable. The lunchable pack. But it was just a fantastic year. Not a whole lot of responsibility. My biggest issue was there was a carpet with letters around it.

And it was my job every single day to be able to sit at the tea. And if I didn't get the tea, it was a bad day. And if I got to the tea, it was a good day. That was kind of like the be all and all of how my day was going to go. So I think first grade was definitely number two to me. And my number one, dude, contrary to popular belief on this bus, goes to a phenomenal All-American senior year. I thought senior year was the coolest shit. I had so much fun.

Your boy played two football games, sent those tape in, became an All-American, got 30 offers in three months. It was a wild. It was a wild ascend into football. All of a sudden, I was way more handsome and attractive. to all the girls. I was having, I was giving out my jersey, left, right and center, abusing my power, having so much fun, dude, feeling like the top dog on campus.

It was a fucking blast. Lost two games that year. One to Sorro, 21 to 0, and the next one to fucking Sororough in the state championship, 38 to 0. Oh, God. Yeah, they had some boys out there. You thought you were coming after him, too, like, remember that first game, boys?

Remember that first game boys? In that first game, in that first game, Dwayne Garrett, who you met at that steakhouse, the running back. Can't catch anything. That dude had brick hands. Goes up, snives a double hand grab in the back of the end zone to make it 7-7 going into halftime. I thought you lost 38 nothing. Yeah, but there was a penalty.

Face mask number 77. That shit went back, bro. Oh, no, dude. He brings that shit up to this day. That's how he was. He caught the ball. He taught the ball like, I've never seen. Like an Odell from like 2014 type catch.

But with two hands. With two hands. I took that shit away from him, bro. Cried. My fucking face off after we lost that first game. Cried. You wanted to shake hands? I'm like, get your fucking hand on my face, bro.

Wouldn't shake no hands. You know that second game too. They thought they were coming forward. I'm about to take everyone. I'm taking lives today. Look at your teammates next to you. That Friday night life speech. Clear eyes full heart can't lose.

Damn, bro. And if we played them 10 more times, we'd have lost 10 more times. They were so much better than us. Damn. They had like eight dudes go D1 on offense and defense. Yeah. Offense and defense. Who went?

Six guys in their teams didn't go D1. Who went first round, though? None. Come on. Damn, dude. That's right, Jackie. That's right, Jackie. Fucking, take that.

But Jack, what did you think of his tier talk? I love it. And for me, personally, my senior year kicked ass, too. I love senior year. When we go check the tape, you will see how I had an honorable mention in a senior year. I know. I just think everyone's senior year, hopefully, if you played your cards right, it was just out of this world. So you're saying senior year's God tier.

Yes. But I didn't say God tier in there. I gave it an honorable mention. If I had played it right. He said if you had a, if you have to say senior years, you're number one, then your childhood growing up was tough. Basically, you didn't have other grades to compete. We'll have to just check the tape. Okay.

Because the way Will expanded to me was very negative. I know. Me and CJ and Will. I go, they go, what would be your number one year of school? I was like, oh, senior year and they both go like this. I look at each other. And I'm like, yo, what the fuck? Did I say something in my mouth?

There's something in my face. Oh, yo, yo. And they're like, you can't see that on there. You could tell when I. When I'm afraid of Jack. When I said it on the bus, you could tell that there was some very scary fear. If you said senior year, you were going to get dog. But that wasn't where I was going with it.

I bet like that was the vibe. Maybe I read the room wrong, the energy wrong. Damn, bro. You'll see it. High school for real is the best, though. Middle school, load key is the worst fucking... Bro, awful. Like, that's just when puberty's starting to hit.

You don't know which way's up. Yeah, but you get that. Anyway, seventh grade was a good year, though, because I learned to masturbate. When you get it rolling. That shit was going to say that's when you get it wrong. A lot of time up. What's that?

That's when you get it rolling. I was going to say... Yeah, you start looking at it. Cranking them out. Yeah, looking at them home good to different way. Anything you get it. You look at a poster the wrong way? Bro.

Boys and Ivy, Batman? Come on now. What? Now we're back to the episode. Bro, it got to where baseball's travel was all year round, and I was burnt out on it. And I was way more excited for like seven-on-seven. Like, when I got asked to do varsity

and partake in the seven-on-seven my freshman year, I was like on cloud nine. It gives me goosebumps. I got chills right now thinking about it. When I got to go work out with the varsity early in the morning, You're like, you're like having protein chicks for the first time. Like you're like the fucking like you're going to do it.

Yeah. And then they're like asking you to go play on the seven on seven team. And it's just like that was during the summer. So I kind of just nix baseball after that. No, I forgot to talk about seven on sevens. Seven on sevens are, were. I think now it's a little more political and there's like different teams and stuff.

But seven on seven with your high school team, there was nothing better. Dude, so fucking awesome. I mean, we, we traveled to Bama. We traveled to South Carolina. Oh shit. Oh, you guys. Damn, you guys traveled to the high school.

Yeah. And like Lil Wayne was bumping every single time. Bro, Carter 3 was going crazy. And I mean, that was life for sure. So I'm with you on that. Why is laughter on eighth grade? Let's talk about it. Middle school, like talking to middle school was the,

that's the worst of the three, elementary middle high school. That's the, middle school to me is the, it's the worst. I don't know. You start figuring out how to work the boy downstairs. You start learning about porn in eighth grade. Okay. I mean, those are incredible times. Cool.

You're learning about it. I mean, you can figure it out later. Clean up the computer because there were viruses all over it. And we tried blaming everybody else, obviously, except ourselves. Yeah, you have to at that point. It sounded so proud saying that. I'm just saying there's like good times in eighth grade, man,

before you go to high school, before you have to grow up for real. But you don't, though. Like, wait, well, how many people were in your high school? because you were in fourth grade with seven people. Okay, so it's different ones. After fourth grade, we were out of Catholic private, and then we went to public school. So our graduating class, mine was 240.

Okay. That's a little better for sure. I just loved eighth grade, bro. Like, when I say, like, all of our boys, like, their parents were teachers, and, like, one of my boys' dad was, like, the principal. And you started, like, so Little League playing football growing up. up the last year was seventh grade. They nixed the middle school football seventh grade program back when I was there.

They were asking me to play in eighth grade as a seventh grader in the community league, or there were whispers, there were rumors about it. It never happened. It never transpired. But like getting in the eighth grade was like the first time you get to put on for your school and start traveling around and playing other teams like in the area versus just playing community foot tackle football. Did you guys have like an AB team or no?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're talking about an eighth grade? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. The A team were playing And then the B team goes out there for like a quarter or something like that Well no we had two just different teams Like we had like an A

North Carolina at A and a North one at B Like it were two separate teams It wasn't like Both play on Friday But just different Like different times It was the best team team A? Yeah

Right Yeah But like not like just like People would come out You'd watch the B team play and then the A team would play right afterwards So you play four quarter quarter Like we had a lot of people just playing.

Eighth grade just sucked, dude. I don't know. Like, seventh grade sucks. Like, damn, you got these periods now. You're going out like, damn, I don't have just one teacher. I got to go to this teacher and I got to go to that teacher. We had trailers. I'm like, dude, I'm out in the trailers.

I'm an eighth grade. Why the hell am I walking out to the trailers? But before school, you would have like that home room and we would always have like certain games that go on. So say you're a home room. Mrs. Mrs. Worley was my teacher. Say you had the home room, right? You would have like intermurals before school.

so we would have Mrs. Worley's class was a team you would go and play like hockey in the gym before school started. Like to me, eighth grade is like fucking What kind of school did you go to my guy? 7.30 a.m.? Yeah, like in the morning. Like early in the morning.

Yeah. Did we play like intermurals? Like that's when I played all four of the sports I was probably played football, basketball, baseball, and track. And that was like the first time doing track and I was really good at it as like an eighth grader. And, you know, obviously you guys heard the tier talk had those records.

Young King That might still think middle school The one of the things I agree about middle school being like Not at the top for me was Sixth grade you have to like use a locker and like get books and go to class True stress that was the first time you felt stress in your life Sixth grade no doubt Eighth grade was fun but we were always in trouble bro

Like we did everything you were talking about running around But we were just getting so much trouble so eighth grade like you had to walk on eggshells They took our eighth grade trip away. Dude, well, it, yeah, we got, we got some. That sucks. We got some back of the bus driving right now talking about mid for middle school. I think that's, that is exactly what it is. Mid. Middle school is mid.

Yeah. You're playing the mid. I meant to get it up there when you were talking, Will. And then it just, just to fucking be funny. Like, have it up there. But even, even like your, even like your eighth grade team, one state, cool, right? We didn't win state. We got to play.

Number one, instig, you're, you said you're ranked one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ranked one, first instate, cool. Did you have $300 under your mattress when you went to a motel when you were traveling? No. In eighth grade? No. No, you're right.

But my man, if you, if you listen, if you would have been listening to me, I said, I think we can all agree that all these are interchangeable. Like, it was, I went, I went based off peak athletic career, I felt like. Okay, so okay. In eighth grade to me was like, I mean, I was a, don't get me wrong, I was a dog throughout all of it. But eighth grade to me, those were, I feel like the man, for real. Like, in eighth grade, you're walking around with, like, ankle weights on because you think you're changing the game.

As you ordered out of an East Bay magazine. Like, eighth grade, you're starting to figure out a lot more of the East Bay, the East Bay magazine. Yeah, for sure. And, again, walking around with ankle weights, you take them off right, you take them off right before the game and you feel light as hell on your feet. Yeah, then they find out that that's probably not the best for you. Right, no doubt, no, no, but at the time, you think you're changing the game. No, you're right. I think, but like, when did those, one of those, one of those damn balance bands and the fighting thing?

That's high school. Power balance. Yeah, power balance. Yeah, power balance. Yeah, power. Taylor and I were talking about that not too long ago. I was in college when those came out. Yeah, boomer.

So old. So old. Wouldn't you graduate high school? 11. Yeah, it was 2008. We were walking around that, we were walking around Nebraska tag and like, hey, you got to get these on. It'll help you working out. Yeah.

Balance and shit. Such a, I mean. Such a con. But he's great. I mean, cool, cool. But, like, also, they asked you why you didn't just stick with baseball. I, if you're getting paid under the mattress before. Hang on.

I wasn't getting paid under the mattress. No, no, no, no, it's cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah. Come on. I know. I know what it is. I know what it is.

I know what it is. I know what it is. I know what's going on here. They're going to go back and fucking find the coaching staff. Like, hey, we know what was going on here. You were paying your players. But yeah, man, I think that was a good tier talk. I brought up a lot of memories.

Great. A lot of memories. I think we had a, there was a good collective more of this side. I respect what you're doing. You've watched enough busts with the boys or where you want to create some animosity. I respect it. I think this was a good conversation all around.

I agree. I just don't think that, I mean, eighth grade was just cool. You had your... Okay, hang on, hang on, hang on. Just to try and put myself in your shoes, I see what you mean by saying eighth grade is my tier one, like my top dog. Yeah.

I can understand that. Right. But I have to stand 10 toes down. You tear what you tear. I get it. Yeah. I'm all in. If I could go back, it'd be, you think so?

It's what it is. I can't do it now. He's what I'm saying. Dude, you weren't getting paid in eighth grade. Yeah, but I was getting mentored by the senior high school high jumper who also had the record. And I was going for his record in eighth grade. Did you beat? He was mentoring me.

Yeah, I tied it. Five foot 10 as an eighth grader, high jump. You a track guy? No, but you tied it. You didn't. Doesn't matter, my name is up there. And if that school's smart, my name is probably up there solo. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean. You know. Hey, this was a great Bustin' With the Boys. I hope he had as much fun as I did. I did. This was amazing. So, Zach Wilson, that dog? He got that dog in him?

You said it. This has been a great episode of Bustin with the boys, with the boys. Subscribe YouTube channel, Apple Paws, Spotify. For the love of God, follow it and subscribe to it all. Leave a comment. watching YouTube right now, leave a comment. We had a fucking blast. Good luck this season.

Stay healthy. I wish you were on a team that I could root for, but there's like a little animosity I have with the Jets because I just, I think it's fun kind of going back and forth with their fans a little bit. That's understandable. They had a really good fan base, but you should like, come on. Strong fan base. Come on, you got, you got a couple boys there now.

You'll be on team. No doubt. No doubt. I will say that. I'm definitely cool for y'all. You fuck with the fans. Can we make some Jets gear? Will you pioneer for us?

100%? With us? Thousand percent. Let's fucking go. Thousand percent. Hey, you need a, obviously, I'm sure he's already on your radio, but Gary Vee, look him up up there. Oh, I already know. We already talked.

I was saying that, hey, people sleep on that. People sleep on that networking. Oh, I already talked to him. Come on. Hey, I appreciate you, bro. Yeah, thank you. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, A.O. rewatch. podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guestars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here.

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