Club Shay Shay - Nightcap - Hour 1: Bengals miss playoffs, CM Punk joins the show, Unc slams Pickens

Episode Date: January 8, 2025

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recap the top stories from the final week of the regular season including Unc roasting Ocho over his Bengals for narrowly missing the playoffs, CM Punk joins the show, Unc slams George Pickens and says the Steelers need to ditch the WR and much more!03:00 - Unc is hype about his Broncos…and roasts Ocho about his Bengals09:19 - Jets vs. Dolphins17:50 - Panthers vs. Falcons26:10 - CM Punk joins the show33:25 - George Pickens got punished for his bad behavior(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey there, it's Michael Lewis, author of Going Infinite, Moneyball, The Blind Side, and Liars Poker. On the latest season of my podcast, Against the Rules, I'm exploring what it means to be a sports fan in America and what the rise of sports betting is doing to our teams, our states, and ourselves. Join me and listen to Against the Rules on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search Against the Rules. Listen to Against the getting in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. All 30 teams split into six

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In New York call 877-8HOPENY or text HOPENY467369. In Connecticut help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-77777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario, one no sweat bet per new customer, The quarterbacks like to get gifts. I got the Bengals. I got them that hefty baton.

Who's that? Because you know you got to clean out your locker tomorrow. I got to use some luggage. I got the boys with luggage. That's this hefty baton to put all this stuff in to make sure they get it from point A to point B. Oh man, listen, you ain't got to do that. Because you know what?

I got something for you. I got something for you since since you're talking sporty, right? Since you're talking sporting I'm in my party. I thought you ain't mentioned about my money. Oh You're thousand, right? You owe me a thousand on top of the three you already owe me So I don't you run me my money. I'm back at 4,000 again show lives Okay, you was at three. But you see, I told you I said, Ocho, I don't want to bet you. Listen, I don't want to do this, Ocho. I'm gonna get, I'm gonna give you money. I'm gonna give

you money. Where you want me to give it to you at? You want me to sell it to you? I can sell it to you right now. No, let me tell a little joke? It's my turn. Now, I want $4,000. Right. $4,000. How you want it? Buffalo nickels. Right before the end of Buffalo nickels. What the fuck? Hey, how you want it man? Come on man for real. I want Buffalo nickels.

I don't know what no Buffalo nickels is. Don't worry about it. That's not your job. Go to the bank. Go to the cashier and say you like $4,000 in Buffalo nickels. Is there such thing? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? Go to the bank, go to the cashier and say you like $4,000 in Buffalo Knuckles. Is there such thing? Whoa! I'm just saying, is there such thing? Chad, why are you doing me like this? Oh my gosh!

I've never heard of anything called Buffalo Knuckles. That's not a currency. That's not a currency here in the States. Can I please just zillion your money so I ain't got to hear nobody no more? Chaddie says no. Teddy Bear says no. You cannot zail me my money. Or you give me $4,000 in wheat pennies. Who? $4,000 in wheat pennies.

What's a wheat penny? Whoa, whoa, whoa. You know what? What I'm noticing is you're asking a lot of questions. Well, I'm asking a lot of questions because down here in Miami, at Bank of America, at Chase, at Navy Federal, we don't know nothing about no wheat pennies. We don't know nothing about no Buffalo nickels. I've never heard of these phrases in my life.

I want Buffalo nickels. And I told you I don't have cash out. So you can't zail me. I didn't even mention cash out. Everybody has zail. I don't have zail. You have an iPhone, don't you? Yes! Okay, you got Apple pay. I got Apple pay it to you then.

I don't got no Apple pay. I got auto pay. Now, run me my money. I'm trying to pay you. You keep on talking about what you got. And all this right here. I got Ocho paid. Now, run me my money. I'm trying to pay you. You keep on talking about what you got and all this right here. But first of all, why you talking? You asked me questions. You're talking.

You asked me questions. Shut your ass down before I make change. Hey, listen. Listen. I said, Ocho, please. I said, Ocho, get up off me. I was down last week. I said, Ocho, please, I said, Ocho, get up off me. I was down last week. I said, Ocho, come on, Ocho, you got me.

Oh, don't you say foot. As a matter of fact, don't even make reference to a ball. I don't want to hear you say soccer. I don't want to hear you say basket, because they use ball. I said, come on, Ocho. Yeah. Nah. So now, boy, look here.

But listen, you know, you're a little too happy now. You very, very happy. You know, you got to play in the first round. I'll tell you, I'll tell you. You know, you got to play in the first round, right? So I will make sure I'll make sure on next week's episode, when I bring some trash bags in here, when I bring it and we break it down, can't count on three one two three

cancun I don't want to hear nothing. For the chat I want you to say what you just said you say oh do you know who y'all play next week? Right. I want you to know I want to know Ocho who do the bingos play next week? Oh so you happy you happy we went home went home? Hold on. Hold on. You think I take great pleasure in this? Let me ask you something. Let me ask you something. And this is for the people in the... If you're a Bronco fan, are you that happy that we got a vacation a week earlier than you?

That's it. That's all it is. We got a vacation a week earlier than you, because you're going to be home next week too. And I'm going to help you pack. I'm going to help you pack. What you got? Hey, hey, listen, hey, listen. Hey, one thing that's that boy right there, man. That's that boy.

That's that's that one. Now I'm not talking about the team. I'm talking thing, that's that boy right there, man. No, no, no. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you talking about my team? That's that one. Now, I'm not talking about your team. I'm talking about the individual that happened to play for your team. I'm talking about the individual

that happens to play for your team. Yeah, he nice. I can't believe this man talking about somebody that plays in the blue and orange. No, no, no, no, no, no. As a matter of fact, I'm embarrassed that your team has orange in their colors. Hey, don't do that. As a matter of fact, I'm embarrassed. Don't do that. That your team has orange in their colors. Hey, don't do that.

Ah, disgusting. George, learn this land. Why do you want to go on the Portier glass and then throw somebody on the shade off the counter? What you finna celebrate? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm just saying, it's gonna be a short celebration. I don't know why you're celebrating.

Can I ask you a question? Can I ask you a question? Can I ask you a question? Do you know who you guys are playing in the first round next week? Who y'all not? Okay, I understand that. You scared to say the name? I know it, with Buffalo. Okay.

Okay. You know where y'all playing at? In Buffalo, Amway Stadium or whatever I think that's the name of. Okay, I'm just making sure. You know what Josh Allen finna do to y'all? He finna send you home packing. He finna send you home packing. How that make you feel?

So you get no hype, you happy, but you getting ready to go home anyway next week. All that's going to be in Cancun. The Jets defeated the Dolphins 32-20, but the big news came out after the game. Tyreek Hill basically said he wanted out of the Dolphins organization. He's emotional after a win. Understanding he's always been in the playoffs and then having to be home. He let Patrick Mahomes to go to tour. What did he think? Now remember he was running his mouth.

Tour is more accurate than Patrick Mahomes. He's sticking up for his quarterback. Don't do that. Come on now. Oh, Joe, you mean to tell me, OK, so you're going to say, oh, yeah, but what you call him is better than Tom Brady. Ain't no sense in doing that. Ain't nobody believe that. Ain't nobody said tour plus his injury history, which you knew.

But I go to show you, you see 30 million came by you happiness when you get your eyes beat in you play with a quarterback that's injury prone so you're dependent on it the backup can come in and keep that thing going what's the one thing about how many games is Patrick Mahomes missed that's why you factor in all of that when you make a decision like you make. You got the money, but look at them stats. He looking at all them guys that got them stats, Ocho.

Tyreek Hill has never not been to the Pro Bowl. Now when they talk about Ocho, last year the players voted him the number one player. What do you think he's going to be this year? Let's talk be this year? Let's talk about this. Go ahead, let's talk. Where can we see Tyreek Hill going? Being that he's put that out there like that, understanding his frustrations in not having the type of season that Tyreek Hill should have, who by all means, regardless of this down season, is still a top three top five wide receiver this NFL, correct?

Hey, I don't know what is all right. Oh hell top five what a what top five receiver, you know requesting a trade Now I know now we not now we not gonna do this We we not gonna do this on Beyonce's internet. We not gonna do this on Beyonce's internet. Tyree Hill is not a top five player just simply because he's not a down here. Come on now, don't do me like that. Don't do me like that. With understanding to his injuries, back ups, things suffer,

he can't throw the ball to himself. Back to that end when you made that. Turing was hurt before you got there. He was hurt in college. You didn't factor that in. You didn't care. Hold on. Every chance he got, he took a shot at the Kansas City Chiefs.

They didn't have to trade him. They traded it. With years left on his contract, they offered him money, but they couldn't get to the guarantee. Oh, but they were trying to lowball him. Don't do that. You remember the year before? They asked him, would he restructure the contract?

And Harry Hill said, no, once I sign the contract, I sign the contract. Ain't no restructuring. Now what happened to that a year later? If you sign a contract and you't no restructuring. Now what happened to that a year later? If you sign a contract and you don't restructure in their favor, why should they sign a contract for you in your favor? Can't say that. I'm just going by what he said.

Now, if it's a lie, he said it. We can pull the tapes if you want to. You see, you see what happens? You see what happens when you, oh Joe, he didn't have to say Kansas City done right by him. I got fired by CBS. You've never, ever heard me utter a bad word about CBS. Fox, let me go. I haven't uttered a bad word.

They gave me an opportunity. CBS gave me my first media job on network television, the Tiffany Network. I'm grateful. FS1 gave me a chance to show that I could do, I could be more than a football player. I could talk about more sports than just football. I'm forever grateful. That's not what he did with Kansas City. Every chance he got, he took a shot at him.

Now look at it. You should be made to stay his ass in Miami. Nah, you're gonna be alright. You're gonna be alright. We're gonna get it done. But you know, once you put the bait out there like that, you know, teams gonna come a call in there. I'm gonna lowball you.

Cause I know he won't out. Why would I give you what he's worth when I know he won't out? I know you, look, I know your house about to go in foreclosure. I'm not finna give you what is worth Hmm. I know you need to sell that car. I'm not gonna give you what is worth You got valuable you got watches you got whatever the case may be Why would I pay you what is worth when I know you got to get up off it? He's seeing Think about it. Think about how what Hollywood would

have looked a three times Super Bowl champ. Now maybe he doesn't have 1700 yards, but Ocho, what's the difference between 50? You think if Tyreek Hill stayed in Kansas City and instead of having 1700, 1800 yards, he has 1500 yards. Do they view Tyreke any differently? They don't. They don't. They don't. I like, you know, you see how you put the bait out there, though, huh? What if he ended up back in Kansas City?

I'm sure my homeboy would love to have it. Yeah. Hmm. Come back home, tail tucked between your legs, huh? Oh, you see that old joke it's funny how that thing work aided Sometimes sometimes you got to go back to your ex There's no place like home in that wood duck. Oh, whoa. Whoa. Whoa. You think I'm gonna let you see that? Y'all heard it. Yeah, you think about it. Let you speak that

You think I'm about to let you sneak that in there? Y'all heard it chat. You think I'm about to let you sneak that in there? So what you mean, what you trying to get at, Ocho? Oh, no, I'm just saying. I'm just saying it to you. No, ain't no just. There's never, there's no such thing as just. There's always a reason.

Nobody just does anything. Do you just sit in your car? Or do you get in your car to go to work? Or do you get in your car to go to the gym? Or do you get in your car to go to the store? Or do you get in your car to go to the airport? There do you get in your car to go to the store? Or do you get in your car to go to the airport? There's never just. There's always a reason. Now, again.

I'm using the reference. I'm just using the reference in general. Mm, sometimes. I'm using the reference in general. Sometimes you don't understand what you got until it's gone. So Tyreq, with a great understanding after a short stint here in Miami. What's going that you understand,

have a better understanding and appreciation for? Who? Damn. Can you fly? a short stint here in Miami. What's going that you understand have a better understanding and appreciation for? Who? Damn. Can you fly? Let me see you turn your head all the way around. So you ain't no owl, so I ain't talking about you. You, you.

Right, I mean, you asked the question again, I didn't hear you. Nah, I say, what have you lost that you realized that it's better home than away? I wasn't referencing. We'll talk about Tyree. Okay. We'll talk about Tyree. Okay.

Okay. Hey there, it's Michael Lewis, author of Going Infinite, Moneyball, The Blind Side, and Liar's Poker. On every season of my podcast Against the Rules, I take a broad look at various characters in American life. The referee, the coach, the expert. My next season is all about fans and what the rise of sports betting is doing to them, to the teams, and even to my family. I'm heading to Las Vegas and New Jersey and beyond to understand America's newest form

of legalized gambling. Listen to Against the Rules on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. The Bears did something they haven't done, Ojo, since 2018. They defeated the Packers on a walk off 51 yard field goal, 24 to 22. Green Bay was right to play for the sixth seed in week 18, but leaving the game with injury, Kristen Watson with a knee, Jordan Love with an elbow. Scary times in Green Bay. You have to wait.

There was no diagnosis after the game. Watson looked like a non-contact. Jordan Love with an elbow. Scary times in Green Bay, you have to wait. There was no diagnosis after the game. Watson looked like a non-contact. It didn't look good. It did not look good, Ocho. Jordan Love, elbow, he left the game, did not come back. Caleb Williams, 21 to 29, 148 a touchdown. DJ Moore, nine catches, 86 yards with a touchdown.

Keenan Adler had three for 25. Malik Willis 10 to 13, bro. Malik, if you wanna play a long time in NFL, you better see that pre-release safety that hit you in your damn chest. Now you lucky that was a safety. What if that was a linebacker, Ocho? Ooh, it wouldn't have been nice.

That wouldn't have been nice. How you not, Ocho, how you not see that? You can see it, you know, you know, when the game, when the game is moving on. Ocho, I'm a right-handed quarterback. That guy hit me in my face. Do you know how hard it is for a guy to get a shot? That ain't a bl- Yes, you right-handed.

That guy hit you in your face, not your back. The left side is your blind side. You a right-handed quarterback. Ocho, did he not hear the line? It looked like they lived the call. N-Man of the line of scrimmage is your guy. You gotta throw hot off him. He never saw him.

Did the receiver, did the receiver ran a hot rock? He didn't even look to see. He did, Ocho, I'm just being honest. You remember earlier in the rookie season, Justin Fields got caught with a shot just like that. They knocked his helmet off. You don't want to take too many of those shots. Not no clear shot like that.

You won't get enough hits in your back. You know, you throw the ball, Ocho, and they get you at the last second. Bro, you don't want to make a living taking crash crash, uh, dummy shots. It wasn't great. They only had no little over 200 yards, 232 40, but Caleb Williams was 21 of 29. Okay. That's good. Nice.

He made some throws. Sometimes I think he tried to throw too much off balance, but the throw that he had to DJ Moore was off balance, change arm angles. But I think with the right coach, I think they got talent on the offensive side of football. I really do. I was just getting ready to say that.

You get the right coach in there, you know, with him, boy, sky's the limit. Sky's the limit. You can see, Kayla Williams gives you hope. Kayla Williams gives you promise, you know, with him, boy, sky's the limit. Sky's the limit. You can see, Kaley Williams gives you hope. Kaley Williams gives you promise, you know, based on what you know you can do. Again, I say it about quarterbacks all the time. He plays good in starts, but you can see the potential.

Let him get the right coach in there and watch what happens. Oh Joe, Kansas defeated the Falcons in overtime. Bryce Young does it. They walk it off 44-38. Bryce Young a counselor. 5-1-2-3-4-5-3 passing, 2 rushing. As they beat the Falcons 44-38 no team Falcons missed the play. I think bright I think Carolina found a quarterback of the future They had him all alone guys started making plays if you go back and look at that game look at them guys making plays Coker made some hell of a place Adam Thieler made I mean guys made tough catches today. Oh Joe. That's what you have to do Guys have to make I mean you have to make tough catches for a guy.

I mean, damn, the guy can't put it between the, uh, the, the, the numbers all the time. Just is anywhere in the vicinity. Just put it in the area. That's all I need. Especially you got a young quarterback. He's struggling. Make some tough catches.

Let him get you confidence. Uh, he was 24, 25 and 34, 251, three touchdowns. Michael Penich Jr. had an outstanding day and a losing effort. He was 21 of 36, 312, two touchdowns, one interception. B. John Robinson had a monster day running the football. 28 rushes, 170 yards, two TDs. They ran the ball 36 times, 227.

Drake London, monster day, 10 catches, a buck 87, two TDs, 18 targets. Ray Ray McLeod had four for 66. Kyle Pierce had two, three targets, two catches, 15 yards. They're a couple of players away. I think Carolina, look, I'm not saying they're about to be Detroit. They're about to twist this thing around, but I know they got their quarterback. Now get them, get them a little offensive line. Look, did a great job. He got no sacks.

Protect them a little better. Get a couple of offensive linemen. Hey, you know what? If they get, they get them. I ain't saying if they get like a, I'm not seeing there is one out there, like a Jamar Chase, a Justin Jefferson, like a Malik Neighbors. Yeah, I'm talking about one of them,

like Brian Tomlin Jr., one of them type, like one of them type, like, yeah, like that boy. Cause I like, I like Bryce Young. Yeah, he's frail, yeah, he's 5'10", yeah, he's thin. Ocho, he never gonna be 220. So stop saying if he gained weight, he not. That's not his frame. His frame can't carry 220. That's like trying to put an 18-wheeler motor in a Volkswagen. What is 220 gonna do and help with his skill set?

Nothing. You like to have him to gain a little weight to see if he can gain 10 pounds, Ocho, because he look like he about 180, Ocho. You wanna take some of that, you want some cushion to take some of them blows. But he not gonna be, he not gonna be, he's not gonna be an overly large man. That's not his frame, so we can stop that.

But the Panthers win the final game of the season 44 38 novertime Bryce Young five touchdowns three passing two rushing you have to feel he had you have to feel good with what you saw with Bryce Young today those young receivers stepped up defensively look they gave up but they got to stop when they needed it. And here we are. Bryce Young did it. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers, 47 to 24. Kyler ends the season with a four touchdown day. It's Kyler.

Yeah. Ocho, let me ask you this. Do you keep Kyler, try to build, or what are you going to do with Kyler? You keep Kyler, what you mean? Yeah, you keeping that. You think Kyler's try to build, or what are you gonna do with Kyler? What you mean? Yeah, you keeping that. You think Kyler's happy in Arizona? Damn, that's a good question, huh? I would think so.

You have a okay offensive line. You got James Conner, you got Marvin Harrison Jr. I mean, do you really, do you really, you look at the landscape at the NFL, any other team that you can go to? Any other team you can go to? I like it, 25 and 35, 242, four touchdowns. Trey McBride got another touchdown, 765, one touchdown.

Marvin Harrison Jr., five and 63, one touchdown. Dorit, four for 47, two touchdowns. Zay Jones, I think that's a Jones for forty six. They were out James Connor, but they ran the ball twenty seven times with one fifty one. Joshua Dove didn't play bad, turned the ball over. We got to cut down on turnovers. Twenty nine to forty three, three twenty six.

Ricky Pierce, all six for for 69 on the touchdown. Kyle Yuscheck had a touchdown. But when you turn the ball over, three times, you're probably gonna lose the game, especially when you play on the road. CM Punk, CM, what it do? How you guys doing tonight? Ah, CM, I'm doing much better than my partner.

I'm not feeling good, CM. My bangles are going home. My bangles are going home. Unc is making fun of me. He's embarrassing me in front of people I love in the chat. And then I'm trying to find a way to get over it. I'm trying to find ways to get around the fact that not only did we lose, the Chiefs didn't even try today.

They even pinched the Broncos. You know, they didn't fight. They didn't. They just laid down. They laid down. So I have no way to actually to fight for myself. I'm doing everything I can not to cry tonight. So far I'm doing okay.

Just keep your head above water. If I could give you any bit of advice. And this is coming. This is coming from a Chicago sports fan, bears, cubs. There's always next year, Chad. There's always next year. I like that. I'll take that. Yeah. That's what I was going to get. Your bears did something that hadn't been done since 2018. They beat the Green Bay Packers.

It was the final game of the season, but it showed, hopefully it gave you hope, showed you what could potentially be for your Chicago Bears. Hope is a four-letter word in Chicago sports. There was hope at the beginning of the season. I just, and comforted in the fact that I can at least make fun of the Green Bay Packers and their fans for losing to this Bears squad.

That's the hope. That's the that's the silver lining in the Bears game. Let me ask you this. You own like the Bears. You own Netflix special when they had the Christmas Day game. And you were very outspoken about your Bears ownership. You like, raw, y'all need to sell the team. Yeah. Cause this is, this is, this has been terrible for a long time. And it's been a long time coming. Given what you saw today, they beat the Packers for the first time in five. Oh, five years. Does that give you hope that they're trending in the right direction, that they have the right pieces in place, even if they don't have a coach currently?

Yeah. You know, I think the coach is obviously a big part of it unless they're going to field the team with no coach, which might be kind of interesting at this point because, you know, we had Lovey Smith, great coach, right? Super, super elite dynamic and he went 10 and six and got fired. Yeah. And he couldn't figure it out, you know? Um, so after a while, listen, this is, I was born and raised in Chicago, 85 bears. I could send you the Superbowl shuffle backwards. You know what I mean? Uh, that I look back at it and historically everything I know now, I look at that team and I'm like,

that should have been the dynasty, buddy Ryan, Dick, uh, like all those players, like we only won one. And it just feels like as a Chicago sports fan, you get that one and then it just feels like another hundred years of pain because you're just like, well, we won that, you know, Cubs, Cubs fans, hundred, hundred and eight years. And now all of a sudden it's just like, oh, well, we want to join. You had joined for those years. But that's to me, that's the standard of being a Chicago sports fan, brother. Like, yeah, yeah.

100%. We expect and we demand greatness. You know, we get these generational players, these generational talents and stuff like that. I can only look at the management and the ownership after a while when all these pieces are in place and nothing works. You know, after a while looking at the McCaskys and I'm hearing chatter about, oh, we need a new stadium

because the city owns Soldier Field and we're not getting concession money. And after a while, I'm just like, okay, you just agree the owner and you don't care about winning. Sports fans all across the world, no matter where you're at, whatever city you're in,

you rep that city, you love that city, you show up to that city. You want winners. And that's the bottom line. I need a, I need an owner who's going to feel the team of winners. See, you mentioned that you got injured. You sustained an injury last year. If you don't mind reflect on that injury, what happened and what's the worst injury that you have sustained in your professional wrestling career?

Oh man. This one was, I think this one was pretty bad just because of, you know, my age and everything and I tore my right tricep tendon completely off the bone. Oh, okay. And that's a bad one, especially I think in football that's normally a career ender if I'm not mistaken. No, it's not a career, but it's normally seasoning. Okay, yeah, season, my season definitely ended that day. That's,

that's for certain. Uh, I, I had a, I had a night where I woe is me and I cried about it and I was upset. I just come back to the WWE after 10 years of being gone and was looking forward to doing a, you know, just awesome, awesome stuff. And it came to a screeching halt, you know, and as an athlete, somebody who's active every day, you guys know, if you can't play, if you can't do what you do, if you can't go to the gym, you lose your mind. And I lost my mind. I felt bad about it for about eight minutes, had a cry and then realized that at that moment, it felt like the worst thing that had ever happened to me.

So I wanted to do the impossible and flip it and make it the best thing that ever happened to me. I think we did that over the year. Fortunately for me, in the sport and the business we're in, we don't always have to be a hundred percent. And I was injured, not a swing, and I was in the ring. I was talking my mess, cutting promos and stuff like that. And I was still, not a swing, and I was in the ring. I was talking my mess, cutting promos and stuff like that. And I was still a real contribute.

So that was like a weight off my shoulders. When you sustained that injury, did you know something right away was wrong? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I don't know if you've ever done a tricep, but it just feels like a rubber band in your elbow snaps. I've done my left one, no pain in that one.

They did the right one. It hurt like a son of a bitch. And I don't know why. I don't know what the difference was between the two. Uh, but yeah, I knew, I knew I was, I knew I was out immediately. Sam, did you always want to be a wrestler? Did you, did you, did you play sports growing up? Did you know watching this, like, this is the direction that I want to go and I want

to be in this sport? Yeah, I played baseball when I, I tried out for my football and wrestling team when I was in high school, but they told me I had to cut my hair and I peaced out after that. I was like, and now I look in every jock in the world, just got like a wild mohawk. And I'm like, that was me when I was 14. Like, why wouldn't you let me on the team? What the heck? I didn't, I grew up, I like to say I was economically challenged.

You know, so like most of the sports were pretty expensive. Couldn't play hockey because I couldn't afford skates or pads or sticks. Baseball was pretty cheap. And then everything, I was a catcher, everything changed for me when I had to get glasses. The mask wouldn't fit over my Coke bottle glasses and my parents wouldn't spend the money for contacts.

So my baseball career was cut short. CM Punk, thank you for joining Nightcap. We greatly appreciate that, man. Good luck. And let me tell you, if at any point you need a partner, tag team at that. I'm always available. Let's go.

As long as your last name's not McCasky, you're my huckleberry. All right, I got you, I got you. I love football guys. I love them. And I love when they punish bad behavior. They punished George Pickens tonight. And I love it. And I've been telling you from day one,

I say, you know what, Mike Tomlin, you condone George Pickens' behavior, you tolerate things in a way and you never would've lost. And I told you, I saw this with AB in 2016. Now you see this, now it come with Pickens. It come with Deontay Johnson. Mike Tomlin will tolerate negative behavior if he wins the game and I look at he looking George

Pickens basically lost him the game tonight cuz he was awful he was awful oh Joe and you'll think it don't it oh he can make plays don't look at the place that whoa I let you talk about your team, the Bengals and Air Rogers. Okay. Let me have this moment. Okay. You have been George Pickens' biggest supporter. Even when he wouldn't run, even when he wouldn't recover a fumble, you supported him.

Even when he was the reason that the interception happened in Pittsburgh to Friar Moves, you supported it. Now, I want you to put on, yes, Chad. Now I want you to put on your best support and support George Pickett for the, for the game that he had tonight. He had a bad game. He had a bad game. He, and you know, you know what I can say? He had a bad game.

He has to watch that film. He has to have a better understanding and you can't perform like this. Obviously they're the fifth seed, right? They're the fifth seed. So the Broncos, Dolphins, or Bengals can only be the seventh seed. The only thing that can flip would be the charges. If they win, they're the five, Steelers are the six, and then you get Bengals, Dolphins, or Broncos as the seventh seed. But again, let's go back to George Pickens. Pickens, you can't have a game like that. You can't, you can't. If anything, you need to be the reason why your team is winning. They have to count on you.

You are the team's best offensive weapon. Therefore you've got to always be on point. Your feet always got to be ten toes. Every time you step on the field, you have to understand that. You have to move as such how valuable you are to the Steelers. You have to. Um, that also comes with growth. That also comes with understanding on how important I am

to not only the franchise, but my team's success offensively. He got to understand that. So when is he gonna understand that? Because you saw that behavior last year in Cincinnati? You saw it at Indy last year when he wouldn't chase? When he wouldn't hustle? He gave up on the play and it got picked?

Me personally? I don't believe you can win with him. Yeah. I want somebody else to win. I want him to grow with somebody else. Okay. I, you know what? I understand what you're talking about, right? I understand what you're talking about, but let's not, let's not, let's not

mistake and understand the type of talent that is. Well, I don't see Randy Moss talent. I don't see Randy Moss talent. So I got to let him go. But ain't no, sir, ain't no Randy Moss talent coming through that door. I gotta let him go then. So because that behavior, his play don't overcompensate his behavior.

Because, look at, is he more talented than AB? I understand. So what did they do to AB, Ocho? Tell the people, for the people that don't realize what happened, what did Pittsburgh do with AB? They had to pull away, don't they? I want you to understand, and when Ocho and I, we talk, we talk a lot of stuff about sports, but this applies to regular life and a regular job situation also.

Your employer will tolerate you until he can replace you. They will tolerate until they can replace. Now let me tell you what happens if you're a really good player and you got negative behavior. When that time comes, it makes it real easy for them to get off you. Yes, sir. You see how easy it was for the Packers to get rid of Aaron Rodgers? What?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, how many years? How many years first now? How many years? But you missed the point. They will tolerate you. No, I'm not supporting. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not supporting.

I'm telling you how long they got rid of him. Once they tolerated that behavior until they could do what, Ocho? Now, what are the Jets going to do? What you now? If you had to put some money down, do the Jets keep him or let him go? Well, hey, you know what? That's's you know what I'm glad you said that oh listen to me listen to me real quick

Stay with me. You understand how difficult it is to find a quarterback now as bad as he's played this year Who do you think they'd rather gamble with you? Do you think they'd rather get him with somebody that is new we don't know what you get or someone that has a resume? That a resume got him this year. He got that resume. What have they gotten them? Nothing, but it's that resident it has been the position you'll believe do you believe they can find another quarterback and go for the level? Yes, no Yes, so why keep air Rogers and pay him 50 million and you can give somebody else pay him 10 15 Maybe even 20 or even 30.

So what's the, what's the upside of keeping Aaron Rodgers? First of all, Ocho, he hadn't won the Super Bowl in 14 years. Now you believe in year 21. Right. That there's a chance he could do it. Nah, nah. Thinking like a GM, thinking like an owner, their belief is based on what he has done is, you know what? He gives a chance.

There's hope. I don't believe GGMs feel that same way anymore. I don't. No, you don't think so? I don't. Okay. Let me ask you something. Kirk Cousins, everybody feels Kirk Cousins is worth it.

You know, he can go get three, a hundred, whatever million from goddamn Atlanta Falcons, but he won one playoff game. We look at the Patrick Mahomes, the Josh Allen, the Joe Burrows, the Lamar Jackson, the Jordan loves, the CJ Straus, Jaden Daniels playing well this year. It's very hard to get an infinite quarterback where, you know, once we get somebody in that position at the helm, we can build around that.

Sometimes it's so hard to find you got to go with someone old, someone that's done it before, even if they're not, even if they, you got to take them out to the passion and it's time for them to just go. He gives us hope. If he was a locker room presence. Now, why would I keep him when he, as he brings no value to my locker room? I'm on there. Now I'm with listen, I'm with you when you're right.

Sometimes we and people don't want to realize how important the locker room is until there's chaos until the culture is in shambles. And then you realize the presence how important locker room presence is. This is not an accident. Hey there it's Michael Lewis, author of Going Infinite, Moneyball, The Blind Side and Liar's Poker. On the latest season of my podcast Against the Rules, I'm exploring what it means to be a sports fan in America and what the rise of and Liar's Poker.