Club Shay Shay - Nightcap - Hour 2: Michael Johnson joins the show

Episode Date: August 8, 2024

Former 400-meter World Record holder Michael Johnson joins Shannon Sharpe and Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson to react to Noah Lyles' 100-meter victory and Gabby Thomas' 200-meter gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They also discuss Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's chances to break her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles, Lyles' chances to become the first sprint double champion since Usain Bolt, and Johnson's upcoming Grand Slam Track league02:49 - Michael Johnson Intv41:31 - Q and Ayyyyy(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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age varies by jurisdiction, void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. See DKNG.co slash bball for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. Guys, as Ocho and I, we told you earlier, we had a great conversation with the legendary Michael Johnson and here's our interview with Michael. We hope you enjoy it. Ocho, I told you we're going to try to make this thing the real Olympics.

We're going to have people that anticipated it in the Paris Olympics and we're going to get, we're going to have former greats. The guy that's going to talk with us for about 45 minutes today is a former two-time world champion uh 200 meters he's a former four-time champion to 400 meters he was a former world world record holder at 200 meters at 300 meters at 400 meters he's still the current

american record holder at 300 meters and 400 meters. And he ran the anchor leg on the world-breaking World Championship 400-meter relay team of 2 minutes 54.29, Mike. There you go.

And he's a two-time Olympic gold medal in 400 meters. He's a one-time Olympic champ at 200 meters. He's the only man to successfully defend his 400-meter crown in back-to-back Olympics in 96 and 2000. And he's the only man currently to win the 400 and the 200 in the same Olympics. One of the greatest sprinters in the history of sprinting,

arguably the greatest sprinter in American history, Michael Johnson. What's going on, guys? Good to see you both, man. Good to see you. I haven't talked to both of you guys in a while. I appreciate that, man. Mike, when you hear the accolades,

you know, four-time world champion, 400 meters, two-time world champion, 200 meters, a two-time Olympic champion, four, Olympic champion, two, back to back, nobody in the history the game's been going on since 1896 and we see some young guys come in and they win the 400 early in their career at 18 i mean 19 20 years of age and can't replicate that you did it later in your career why has it been so hard for men and women to repeat?

I mean, it's more common in women repeating, but why has it been so hard for men to repeat the 400? It's a difficult event, man. It's difficult for people to get consistent in that event. Like you will see somebody come out, run 43 seconds, become a 43 second 400 meter runner. I can meet a 400 meter runner, but then you'll see them in some races running 44 high 44 mid, not consistently under 43 seconds. The 400 meters is one of those races where you need to be consistent in order to deliver that type of performance when it counts at the Olympic games. And what happens is, is you have somebody run the Olympics,

they get it right then. And then if you see them in those races outside of the championships being very inconsistent, running 44 highs and that sort of thing, then there's a likely chance that when they get back to that next championship, they're going to run worse, not better. It's just the way that it goes. You have to try to get consistent with that event. It's a really difficult event to run because it's such a long sprint. There's a lot of room for error. There's a lot of ways to make mistakes in that race. It's hard to get it right, easy to get it wrong. When I think about the 400 race, obviously,

from the start, you exert so much energy. I would say from zero to 50, and then you have another phase that you kick into where it's kind of not a transition phase where you slow down, but where you build up enough energy, where you're moving as fast as you can, where you're not allowing that lactic acid to build up, where you're not able to finish and kick towards the end. And the first thing you said was about being consistent. How difficult is it to be consistent when the field of competitive changes consistently each time you race and some people push you some people don't so how do you

find that happy medium where you can always run your race but still have a chance to always win yeah it's it's it's it looks like when you look at track it looks like you just going out there and you hear most people talk about just executing their own race because you're in your own lane and other people are in their lane but you have to know your competitors you have to know they are what they're capable of so like if i'm in a 400 meter race for example and that part you talked about ocho where you know you come out 60 first 60 meters or so you want to run as hard as you can get up to your pace not pace. Not slow down, but just hold that pace. It's like in your car, if you push your foot

all the way down on the accelerator, you're using a lot of gas. But if you let it up for a little bit, now you're not slowing down. You're just maintaining that speed.

Right, right. Don't keep mashing on the gas is the thing, the key down the backstretch. But in that position, when I'm going down that backstretch, if I see

one of my competitors who typically doesn't get out hard, but today they're getting out hard, and now they're getting a little bit of distance too far away from me, I have to make a decision right then. Okay, do I make an adjustment in my race based on what they're doing? But I have to know them. If I know that, he's not going to be able to hold that. So then I might decide, I'm going to let him go. But you have to be able to hold that. So then I might decide I'm going to let him go. You have to be able to make those decisions. So you have to know your competitor. You have to be able to execute your own race, but you have to be really good at making decisions in the moment, in the race, in real time. You got to make those decisions quickly because you can't just kind of think about it because the race is going to be over.

kind of think about it because the race is going to be over. Mike, when I look at you and I go back and study your career and you look at the runners and say I have to make split-second decisions on what I'm going to do. You look at some of the runners. You ran against Steve Lewis. You ran against Quincy Watts. You ran against Antoine Maybanks. You ran against Anton Pettigree. Alvin and Calvin Harrison. Got Washington.

Danny Everett. There was such a vast range of 400 meters and all these guys could go sub 44. And when you're racing these guys, you go into your mind says, OK, obviously, Steve Lewis is an Olympic champ. Quincy Watts was an Olympic champ. A lot of these guys you ran on the relay with. So when you when you're trying to break down, when you and Coach Hart, your coach, when you guys were breaking down a race, say it's a world championship olympic trials the olympics or so forth and so on how different oh i'm about to turn it over to you ocho how

different is running a 400 as a two because we understand two is half the distance of four but what's the difference because you were able you kind of started like at a 200 you won the first world championship at 200 meters and 91 91, if I'm not mistaken, and then built up, and then you got the courage to say, I can do both. I can. In the Olympics, boy, do you know what kind of brass or hoonies you got to have to say, I could be the world's best at four and two in the same? Yeah.

It's probably never going to be done again on the main side, Mike. Yeah, I so a couple of people have tried since since i did it nobody even tried before i did it you couldn't even the schedule wouldn't even allow for it so i had to get them to get them to change the schedule but yeah i started as a 200 meter runner but when i was at baylor i was on the four by four and i was always splitting 43 so i knew i could run 400 but like in college you always you can't really go back and forth between the two and the four very much because you're always preparing for got to qualify for nationals. You got to get ready for conference, you know, indoor.

And then the same thing I do in both of those seasons are pretty short. But I knew I could run the 400. Then when I when I started my professional career, I was primarily 200, but I was running 400 at meets on the Grand Prix circuit. And I was running low 42s, ranked number one in the world. But the first couple of championships, like that 91 championship, like you talked about, Shannon. So I chose the 200, made the team in the 200, won the world championship in the 200. But I'm sitting there in the stands and I'm seeing Antonio Pettigrew win the 400 meters.

I'm like, I've been beating him all season. I should be the world champion in the 400, but I't run the 400 now somebody else is world champion so i was telling my coach then like you know i want to run both and and he was a coach was like yeah we can do both we just got to get them to you know work out the schedule for us so over time that became you know my thing i'm going to go to the championships i'm going to run the boat to two and the four nobody had done that before the races are very different the 200 meters is an all-out sprint for most people there's you know some of the guys that's 100 meter runners that's not really don't have that type of speed endurance to be able to hold it they can't run

the whole thing but if you come from you know like me like having a 400 background as well i can run the whole thing so the difference you know is there's less room for margin for error in the 200. You may be able to make one adjustment in that race because it's so short, 19 seconds. Whereas in the 400, you can make all kinds of adjustments. The problem is there's more room for error in the 400. You can make a lot of mistakes, and you probably will, whereas the 200 is much more technical. I think one of the most interesting things of mistakes, and you probably will, whereas the 200 is much more technical. I think one of the most interesting things about this and everything you've accomplished, the accolades, the four Olympic gold medals, the eight world championships,

I think with people that are going to watch the show, let's go back to the beginning because we know the finished product. We know what you've done. We know what you've accomplished. But what initially drew you to track and field, And how did you discover your passion for sprinting? Let's go back and take us where it all started so we get a better understanding on how everything came to fruition to where you are now. Yeah, I just always loved running, man. I played all sports growing up in Dallas. Played soccer, football, basketball, baseball.

We were always outside playing, right? And I was always fast. I was always faster than everybody else. So of course, growing up in Texas, you know, got to play football. And so all my friends, you know, and I did not like football. I love watching football, hated playing football, hated it, did not like it, did not like football, didn't like getting hit, didn't want to get hit, Didn't like contact. And so they wanted me to play receiver. This was in middle school. They wanted me to play receiver. I was like, that's not happening.

Nope. Not happening. Now I want to get hit. And so then they wanted me to play running back. Like, same difference. You know? You going to get hit more. So I ended up being free.

I played safety. I played free safety. So I'm roaming. And I was like, Dion. I was safety. I played free safety. So I'm roaming. And I was like, Dion, I was like, I'm going for interceptions. I'm going to catch an interception. I ain't going to hit nobody, right? And then so I played football just because all my friends was out there. I liked it.

And then I remember I had one game where I had a great game. Two interceptions, ran one back for a touchdown, and we lost. And I remember we on the bus going back home after the game, like everybody's sad. And I'm like, shit, why am I sad? I should, I should, I, you know, if I have a good day, I want to win. That's how I knew it. Individual sports is the path for me. Team sports, I'm too selfish, but, uh, but yeah, so, so, um, you know, so high school just track and, um, and then, uh, and then I started getting scholarship offers, so high school, just track. And then I started getting scholarship offers, chose Baylor, went to Baylor.

And I didn't realize until I got to Baylor that I could even have a professional career in track. Didn't even realize that. And so, yeah, so that was it for me, man. And then once I got to Baylor, started running times there, it got real coaching for the first time in my life. It's real cheating. I realized that I had the potential to be world class because I was running some of the same times that the guys that was running in the Olympic Games and running professionally were running.

Mike, when I go back and study, you're only about a year older than I am. And so I was a track and field guy too. But I noticed, but you weren't taught, in Texas, when you talk about runners, Roy Martin, Roy Martin from Dallas Roosevelt. I was running against him every weekend, Shannon. I was running against him every weekend

on the 4x4 and the 200. Crazy. He was a year older than me. A year older than me. Yeah. My junior year, no, my sophomore year, sophomore year, 1984, he was the alternate

in the 240 Olympic team in LA. We in high school. Yep. And I'm having a really moving like that. Yeah, he ran like 20.18, right? He set the high school world record and then also in the 100.

He ran 10-0 something. Yeah. Yeah. So I didn't get out of district. So you got to finish top two to get out of district to advance to regionals. Then top two out of regionals go to state. I didn't get out of state until my senior year because of ryan those guys and in my school we didn't really we didn't have we you know we didn't take sports seriously you know it was it was it was an academically focused school that you had to apply to get in

and everything i got in and sports was just like i have to thought we were in the hardest district in the country for track i mean the kids in our district 10 5a in dallas texas in the hardest district in the country for track. I mean, the kids in District 1058 in Dallas, Texas, was the hardest district. And we in there, it was crazy. So, yeah. And then I got out of district my first time as a senior. Won it one region. Got to state. Got second.

Behind Derek Florence, who broke Roy Martin's high school record in the 200. So, yeah. That's what I was up against as a high schooler. Right. Mike, when did you realize, because I'm looking at your career, and like I said, I love track and field, and I know a lot about the 200 meters. I was at the trials in Atlanta when you broke Pietre Menino's record. He ran 1972, i think it in 72 and you ran 1966 when did you know that you could break the world record in the 200 and the four

yeah so you were close yeah you were close he brought he it was 1979 he in 1972 in mexico city at altitude and and um that record stood for a long time because that was 1996, right? Yeah. So 1996 when I broke it. He broke it in 1970. 1970. 79. 79.

79. Okay. So, yeah. I knew when I was in college. I knew when I was in college. My sophomore year of college, I ran 20.08. I ran 20.08. And I remember that race. That was the first time I really dropped.08. I ran 20.08. And I remember that race.

That was the first time I really dropped the time. And I remember all the mistakes. And me and my coach were just talking about all of the things that we could improve in that race. And he said then, he was like, you can break the world record. I was like, I know. And that's what we did. And we just kept working on it from there. But I had a lot of injuries in college that kind of helped me from reaching my potential.

And I had to, you know, overcome that. I didn't like it. It was my fault. I was getting injured because I didn't like stretching, didn't like lifting weights. I just wanted to go out and run every day. Go run. And do it. So I wasn't strong, you know.

And then I realized, you know, I got it. I really, my coach had been really telling me, you know, and I was just, you know, hard-headed kid thinking I'm going to do it my way. Don't really like weights. I'm fast. I can just be fast. But the fundamentals are the fundamentals. It takes what it takes.

You know, there's not a lot of choices when you want to be successful. And I had to realize that. And once I did, committed myself to the weights and the strength training program, that's when i started seeing the results i love you you had some battles man you and butch when butch said butch uh butch said broke the world record he broke lee evans world record in 1988 uh uh my in 1988 he ran what 43 29 uh and so you and him had battles. You, him, Steve Lewis, Danny Everett, Quincy Watts.

Guys, you guys were going back and forth because all of you guys could sub 44 seconds. He breaks that record in 88. And you ended up breaking the record, Mike. You didn't break the record until 1999. So that was 11 years later and you i think if i'm not mistaken mike you're in your 30s that's unheard of for a guy your age to keep pr and pushing the record how were you able like you said you had some injuries early and maybe that what saved you

is that you didn't burn your legs out early and you had some juice still in the tank late so what was the process of going through and breaking that world record because you knew you were gonna have to have the perfect race the perfect conditions and the perfect people in the race to push you to that world yeah so my first year as a pro 1990 i ran 43 i was running 43.2 every time i stepped on the track but i But that was my first year running the 400. I had never really been running the 400. And at that point, I was really a 200 meter runner. So the first six years of my career, I was focused on mostly the 200 primarily.

Even though in 96, I ran both. In 95, I won world championships in both. 93, I won the world championship in the 400. I would run, I would probably run

my races every year. I'd probably be like 75% of my races are 200, 25% of my races are 400. So I wasn't running a lot of 400s. So I probably would have broken that 400 meter

world record a lot sooner had I been focused on that race, but I was focused on trying to break that 400 meter world record a lot sooner had I been focused on that race. But I was focused on trying to break the 200 meter world record first. And so I did that. Once I did that in 96, then I shifted my focus and started started running. Seventy five percent of my races were 400. Twenty five percent of my races were 200.

Because then once I had the world record in the 200, then I started focusing on breaking the world record in the 400. I had the world record in the 200. Then I started focusing on breaking the world record in the 400. So it was like 1996. I ran 43, 39, which was a 10th of a second off the world record, which was 43,

29. It took me the next three years. And finally in 99, I got it. Cause it was like, you just got to try to find those little areas in the race where you can make up some time. Yeah. That was, that was in Seville.

Perfect conditions. You transition. Let me ask you this. In 93, I think that was the time that you guys broke the world record at the World Championship in the 4x4. Andrew Vollman led it off. I think he ran split 44-5. He passed to Quincy Watts. I think Quincy ran split 44-5. He passed to Quincy Watts.

I think Quincy ran sub 43-5. He passed it to Butch Reynolds. And then with you with nothing to prove, Mike, you got it. You guys have got this. You already got a 30-meter lead. They hand you the baton. You go. What's going through your mind? Because that was the first time in the history that somebody has subbed 43 split into 400 meters.

You stepped on the gas. I think you ran 42.9. What's going through your mind as you're going around the track and you got nothing? You got a 30-meter lead, Mike. What possessed you to do what you did? This is a story. This is crazy. So we broke the world record the year before, 1992, right? what possessed you to do what you needed? This is a story. This is crazy.

So we broke the world record the year before, 1992, right? We just broke it by a little bit. 1992 Olympics, I ran the 200. I didn't run the 400 at the trials. I make the team in the 200. There's a debate about whether or not I should be on the 4x400 meter uh oh because I'm going to tell you go back the year before that

1991 my first world championship in the 200 US lost the 4x400 meter relay to Great Britain because they didn't put me on that relay the hurdler the hurdler ran down Pettigrew that you're exactly right Chris Akabusi ran down Pettigrew. The hurdler ran it down. That you're exactly right.

Chris Akabusi ran down Pettigrew. The team coach that year didn't like me. So he said, hey, we don't need Michael Johnson on our 400-meter relay. He didn't run the 400 meters at the trials. We don't need to put him on. We can win it without him. I'm ranked number one in the world, undefeated for two years, right? He does not put me on the 4x4.

They lose. The next year, 1992, I'm on the 4x4. I got food poisoning right before the Olympics. You remember this, Shannon. We talked about this. Back then, what happened was I got food poisoning, didn't make the final

in the 200. We still need you on the 4x4. I'm like, man, I'm, I'm not, I'm, I'm, I'm not, I'm not even, I'm a shell of myself.

I can't even run that fast right now. They're like a 75% Michael Johnson is better than anybody else. So let's go. He joined the street. I'm like, okay. So my split in 92, when we broke the world record,

I was the weak leg on that relay. I was still, I was, I lost weight. I'm still feeling, I think I split like 44, nine, I lost weight. I'm still feeling, I think I split like 44, 9,

or even maybe 45 flat. It was horrible. But we still broke the world record. So, fast forward to what you're talking about,

93, I had just won the 400, beat all of those guys. Now we're coming together in the 4x4. Yeah, at that point, it's like,

I'm going to make up for last year. And then also, if we broke the world record last year with me at 45 flat, if I can put it down like what I'm normally

used to doing, we're going to put this world record to a point where ain't nobody going to break it for 30 years. And that's where we are today. Nobody has still

broke that record. Because those guys ran faster than I ran 42.9 on the anchor. Mike, do you realize that the record that y'all originally broke was the 1968 team? Yeah. Matthews, Freeman, James, and Lee Evans. Do you realize outside the Americans, nobody else has ever run a time like they ran in 1968?

That's 68. That 250. Lee Evans, Larry James, those guys, crazy. That's also where Lee Evans broke the 400-meter world record. 4386, I believe it was. 4386. Larry James was set. I think they might have swept the podium then, right?

Yeah. Yeah. But we've been dominant in the 400 meters. If you go back from 1984 to 2008, we dominated. And then it was sad to see. What happened, Mike? What happened? I don't know, man.

You know, it does go in waves sometimes, but that shouldn't happen. We just had some, like this cat, Quincy Hall, right? Quincy Hall. We always just talk about, you look at, Quincy Hall, right? Quincy Hall. We always just talk about, you look at his profile, he has a dog on there, like a face of a dog, because he's literally that, he's a dog, right? He is that, you know, the young kids say, oh, yeah, he a dog, man.

We didn't have that for a while. We did not have that for a while. I saw it and like, no, we didn't have that for a while. I mean, so right after me, it was Jeremy, Warner, Taylor, you know, Jeremy was a dog. He's like, I don't care. You know, I don't care because he had that. I don't, if I lose, I lose. You know, if I lose, I lose and I deal with that then. But the guys that come into an event, come into a race thinking about, well, what happens if I lose

before the race? You already lost. Right. You already lost. And we had some of them. We had a few of them for a while. I think it's coming back now. Coming back. Yeah, it is.

You know, that transitions me right into your next question because I want to get ready to ask you, what are your thoughts on the current state of track and field right now? And how do you see it evolving based on where we are now? Because you did just say it comes in waves it goes in wave do you think we are right on the on the on the right track to kind of dominating the sport again and maybe the the one the two and obviously the four yeah that's a good question uh ocho so look the jamaicans been taking it to us for the last, you know, I mean, you got to give them credit. I mean, this is a nation of less than three million people and they go toe to toe.

And sometimes, like I said, for the last 15 years, they've been handing it to a nation of 300 million people. That's crazy. Where else does that? It's crazy. Where else does that happen? It's amazing. That's why the Jamaican brand from a sprint standpoint is so significant. They were known around the world as the sprint capital. They got great coaches. They got a lot of talent. And it used to be back when I was in college, all of the Jamaican athletes would come to

the U.S. for better training and facilities. Right. Around 2006, better training and facilities. Right. Around 2006, 2007, they stopped. They got some great coaches down there and they started saying, hey, just stay at home. We'll train you here. And that's when you saw that explosion. Right. So, you know, and it's just been amazing.

But, you know, for us as the U.S., we saw what happened here in Paris. You know, Noah, Fred, you know, those guys. I mean, it's not. And look, the Jamaicans have found some new talent. Shane Thompson, Savile Oblique, Savile. Those guys, they got some talent. You know, they had a little bit of a void after Bo left, but now they got some more talent. But U.S. got some, too, on the men's side.

On the women's side, the Jamaicans have been, it's been ridiculous. I've never seen a situation where they had two of the greatest sprinters of all time and then found another one on top of that with Sharika and converted her from a 400 meter to a 100, 200

meter sprinter and now you got another one. It's been crazy. That doesn't happen all of the time. Now what we're seeing is okay those are they you know elaine is pretty much done her body's just not going to be able to form a coach you even said that her body's just not going to be able to do that anymore so she's probably on her way out and probably going to retire here soon shellyanne is done she's the greatest of all time she's done enough she's retiring after this year and um so so this is the first time like in this women's 200 last night um the other day i mean gabby where gabby

won there was no woman jamaican woman in that in that final and a jamaican woman has i saw this stat the other day a jamaican woman has meddled in the 200 every year every olympic year since 1976 so it goes in stages and goes in waves i think the u.s is is at a position where i mean we're always at the top of the medal table but the events you talked about ocho the sprints right yes it would afford for us the last few years but i think it's yeah it's coming back it's coming back yeah we've been having to share the table you talked about gabby thomas she ran a blister in 21 82 if you go back and look at this before the olympics her pre-race trial she ran on the diamond league and she faced julian alfred and she faced dina asher smith and she

let them get out and she came back in the last 20 meters she was in third and within the with 20 meters to go she shot the first she did not make that mistake yesterday, Mike. When she came out of that bend, she was not bulljiling with Julian Alford. She was not bulljiling with Dina Asher-Smith. She said, I am going to drop the hammer. I'm going to leave no doubt in your mind that this race is over. And when she stepped out of that bend. When she came out of that bend. Hey, listen, when she came on that curve,

when she came on that curve, by that 150, that 150, that 140, whatever it may be, man, that was a wrap. She's a very unique athlete. She's got range from 100 to 400. She's

world-class in all of them. She's a 10-9 100-meter runner. She's a sub-50 second, 499, 100-meter runner. She's a sub-50 second, 49 low, 400-meter runner. She could improve on both of those. So she has that perfect combination. She's got long stride in 200, like Allison Felix. And yeah,

she was bronze. Gabby was bronze in 2021 at the last Olympics and this was a redemption. It was great to see. It's good to see her win it. It's good to see her come back to the U.S. on the 200, too. Mike, would you like to see her,

even though she hasn't run? I would like to see her on the 400. I think she should run a leg on the 400-meter relay team. Kind of like Allison Felix. We know Allison and Abby Simon. Yeah, she's run on that 4x1 before. She ran on the 4x1. No, 4. Yeah, she's run on that 4x1 before. She ran on the 4x1.

No, 4x4. She's run on both. Yeah, she's run on both. And she's always in the relay pool for both. So last year, Budapest World Championships, I think she was on that 4x1 and 4x4. I know in 2022, she was on both relays. Yeah, so she's put herself like an Alison Felix

because she runs the open races she ran 100 meters 400 meters she's run open 400s and 100s against world-class competition early in the season to put her name in it so you got like like noah is talking about you know coming into these olympics like he wanted to be on the four by four it's like no you run any 400s against nobody nobody's going to put you on the 4x400 if you haven't gone out there and run against people world-class in the 400s.

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I mean, everybody was thinking about talking about Kashane, and rightfully so. He jumped out there. He ran 9-7-7 at his trials. And the only thing that i had concerns about i've never seen him run like this on a global stage running like this at your trials are one thing and we've seen guys mike guys and men and women run great at their trials run great

but when they get to that global stage they don't perform because the heaviest thing you can carry as an individual athlete is expectations the expectations what he had following Usain Bolt what he's done the world fastest time this year and Noah Lyle says sometimes you gotta and that's exactly what he did yeah uh I think he needed to just get out with him his reaction time was very close to Shane Thompson and I felt if he could make him run, because nobody had made him run 100 meters. Everybody was out of the race at 80 meters, and he could drop off the gas. Noah Lowes and Fred Curley made him run a full 100 meters, and we saw that. Now, you're exactly right. So what happened was, and Shane isane is massive talent i mean huge talent he is going

to be a force to be reckoned with just because he's still very young this is his first championship ever of any kind he's never been in a world championship or any kind of olympic games none of that never done that so that was my only concern with him as well i saw the 977 i saw his other races and they were very impressive, very impressive. So on paper, yeah, it looked like, yeah, he should win it or he could win. But like you said, Shannon, you got to come in here and you got to actually do it. The issue for him, I don't think it was so much the expectation or the pressure from the Jamaicans, which can be heavy, but the Jamaican athletes typically handle pressure.

Well, their coaches do a really good job of bringing them up as young athletes, as juniors and, and helping them to understand how to navigate the pressure of a championship. The issue for Kishane was he had never been pressured at the end of the race. This race he was, but it wasn't by Noah, because Noah was way over on the other side of the track. What he could see was big Fred Curley, and Fred is big like Kishane. They're both big dudes, right?

And that looming figure beside you, right there with you, can possibly make you tighten up. Yeah, he was. looming figure beside you right there with you can possibly make you tighten up. He had Akani Sambini from South Africa on his other side. Akani had been running really, really well also. At 90 meters, 80 meters, both of those guys are right there. So for the

first time in his life, he finds himself in a absolute race. first time in his life, he finds himself, Kashane, in an absolute race. It's not about now, it's not about execution of your own race and all that. You find yourself in a race. So what do you do in that moment?

At that point, at 80 meters, you are already running as fast as you possibly can run. The only way you can get yourself to that finish line quicker, that last 20 meters, is to focus on maintaining form and what's going to be is going to be.

That's a hard thing to do because your instinct is run faster and hunker down. As soon as you do that, your body just tightens up. It tightens up. And that's exactly what happened with him. You watch his 9-7-7,

blew it the whole way. You watch that race the other night, last 20 meters, he's here, you know, like a boxer, and he's not just doing this thing. And meanwhile, you got Noah over there just doing his thing. Relax and running through the finish line,

and there you go. Yeah. It was kind of like Sha'Carri. If you remember in the World Championship, Sha'Carri was in lane seven. And then you had all those. You had the Jamaicans. You had everybody bunched. And Sharika couldn't see Sha'Carri way outside lane seven. And the next thing she knows, she

looks up like, where did you come from? She was way over in nine. Because the thing is, what knows, she looks up like, where did you come from? She was way over in nine because the thing, because what happened was she ended up getting an atrocious start in that semifinal in Budapest last year in the world championships. Didn't get a great start,

but her frequency was so, but what happened was, I'm going to tell you the truth, right? In that race, that semifinal, she didn't get a great start didn't and Sha'Carri at that point had not proven herself

to be a real championship racer to be able to to do what Noah did she had shown herself to be more like what we saw in Kashain to tighten up a little bit at the end

when under pressure right in that semifinal she tightened up and ended up having to qualify on time. She wasn't an automatic qualifier to the final. She was the last person to get in.

There was three semifinals. They take the top two. She was third. So she ends up having to wait for the other semifinals to finish and finds out, okay, I had one of the fastest two losing times, which means I get in.

She gets in the final. Because she had the slow time in that semifinal and finished third, she ends up way over in lane nine and not in the heat. That benefited her because she's over there able to run her own race, not coming under any pressure. Wins the world championship.

We all know she carries fast. We all know she's been fast. We all know that sheCarri is fast. We all know she's been fast. We all know that she's got massive talent. Coming into this Olympics, running fast times against a lot of the Americans and everybody else. Get here. This is what happened.

I'm just telling you the truth. People can love Sha'Carri, hate Sha'Carri. You can call me a hater for saying, but I'm just telling you the truth of what is happening here. What happened was, in that race, she's now under pressure. She didn't get a great start. She never gets a great start.

And that's fine if you can then come through at the end. But she got one of her worst starts. One of the worst starts. Last, just left in the blocks. And now you're back in the race. You got to get back in it. But now you are under pressure because julian is gone gone yes right but that never was able to get back in it but that race was over before it starts if you look at shakari and it was so surprising even to

me you look at her coming out before that race started and she looked scared she did not look confident she did not look confident she did not look like she was like i'm in champion you know mindset i'm about to go out here and take west mind and she just didn't look like that and and oh that that race was oh my oh you and i talked about it i said it that's what i said oh i say she didn't seem like herself now what role did the warm-up because it was being reported that the athletes got that didn't ride like herself. Now, what role did the warm-up, because it was being reported that the athletes got, that didn't ride the bus

from the Olympic Village had to go into a separate entrance. She had that situation arise. Shelly Ann Frazier-Price had that issue. So how much, how big of a difference did the warm-up, did she properly warm up? From what I understand,

they, what happened was they have been going through, they weren't staying at the village, right? So there's some athletes that don't stay at the village. I never stayed at the village. So you have your own transportation. You're not riding the team bus. You have your own car, driving, all of that. own stuff. I need a pass to get through, right? So they would give it to me or they would say, okay, well, if we can't give you a pass, you have to meet us and then jump on the bus. But you can come from your place, come to the village or whatever will meet you and you get on and jump on. They were getting through that gate for the first couple of days, no problem. And then the next day, I guess they clamped down and said, no, this is not supposed to be happening. You can't come through this. I've heard two different stories.

I've heard that they had to walk an hour, which I'm not. I've only heard that from a source that wasn't really that reliable. The other source I heard said, and what I've heard more consistently is there was another gate that wasn't that far down that they did have to walk. But it was just on the other side of the warm up area and they had to walk down there and get in so and and i've heard from very reliable sources that they had all of the time they needed to warm up that's what i've heard so i don't nothing official has come out yet uh but that's what has been been reported so i don't think that that was an issue the jamaican camp has reported that shelly and fraser price did not drop out of that semi-ifinal because of that.

She dropped out because she had been dealing with an injury and it flared back up. And she had been dealing with injuries earlier this season. What about Sharika? Why did Sharika drop out? Has she been dealing with injuries? Because it seemed like a lot of the Jamaican women, she hadn't run really great this year.

So has she been dealing with, she got injured actually in a track meet and stopped on the track uh about uh three weeks before the game so it was always questionable coming into this whether she was even it was just a matter of how serious that injury was and uh so first she gets here they were being very and a lot of the jamaican fans are sort of upset right now because the coaches and the team were being very you know know, sort of clandestine about, you know, well, how serious is an injury? They want to know these are our athletes. We support them. They want to know, you know, what's going to happen. What can we, you know, don't get us

getting our hopes built up. If the athlete is injured, they never really said, you know, and then, so she pulls out at a hundred, uh, out of the 200, uh, the day before the 100, she pulled out at a hundred and said, I'm just going to run 200. I'm just going to run the 200, the day before the 100, she pulled out her 100 and said, I'm just going to run 200. I'm just going to run the 200. She never said why. And then, so we all knew why. And then the day before the 200, she pulls out of that as well. Right.

Mike, handicap. Handicap this 200 meters. You got Noah Lyles, who's the American record holder. You got Kung Fu Kenny, who's run sub-10, 19-6. You have Arian Knighton, who's run a blistering turn. You have Tobogo, the Botswanan, who's run unbelievable. Handicap this. Can we sweep the podium?

Will we sweep the podium? What do you think is going to happen between Noah and Kenny Burnett? Yeah, I think it's going to be... Look, let's talk about silver and bronze because gold is gone. I mean, Noah's a three-time world champion. I mean, as far as the 100, yeah, he proved himself right. And that's a good thing about Noah. Noah doesn't have to prove anybody wrong.

He don't care about what everybody else thinks. He's not going to prove that he's right. And that's what he did. 100 where there was some doubts. I even had my doubts at some points. But the 200 meters, there is no doubt anybody saying that Noah's not going to win the 200 meters is an absolute certified hater. And they just don't want him to win.

And they're still not going to get their way. Nobody in their right mind doing true analytical analysis and handicapping of this race is going to say that Noah's not going to get their way. Nobody in their right mind doing true analytical analysis and handicapping of this race is going to say that Noah's not going to win. He's a three-time world champion. He hasn't lost in forever. So he's going to win it. I think behind him,

there's going to be a battle with Kenny Bednarik, Arian Knight, and you can, I mean, let's go Tobogo. It was us. Was he bronze? He broke the world record in the 300 meters.

And ran 44 low in the 400 meters. Unbelievable. Silver medalist in the 100 meters last year. Silver. And bronze in the 200 last year. He's an unbelievable kid, but he lost his mom just four months ago.

Not even back in May. So really sad. Young kid, though. Great talent. He'll be in there. He was disappointed in his 100 meters where he finished, I believe, fifth. But he'll be in there. And then, yeah, you got Kenny, Arian.

Yeah, those guys are going to be battling for bronze and silver. And the one person that, you know, just because Andre DeGrasse from Canada, this cat always finds his way in finals. He didn't for the first time, he didn't make his way in that 100-meter final, but he always finds his way. So just for good measure, put him in there. If somebody falls, he might actually sneak up and get a medal too. Let's handicap this.

I mean, this is what everybody's talking about. The 400-meter hurdles. You got Alison Dos Santos. You got Karsten Warhol. You got Rob Benjamin. And on the women's side, it's a two-woman race. It's Femke Boll and Sidney McLaughlin. Let's take the men first.

Rye's been running exceptional. Karsten, he hadn't been at the top like he normally is. Dos Santos, we know he can go sub 47. All these guys. What do you think the winning time is going to be? Are we on world record alert in the

men's 400-meter hurdle? I would never say never. I'm going to say this track is ridiculous. It's even faster than the Tokyo track. This track is really fast. Really? Yeah, it's a new type of circuit. It's Mondo. Yeah, but it's fast.

All the athletes have been talking about it and they did some different stuff. Anyway, so it's possible. It's absolutely possible because those three guys are the best ever and they are all coming right at the right time Karsten is having a good season

but he's just not raced as much but he trains in such a unique way that he trains to be able to run the 400 meter hurdles all out which is just crazy that's the way they train just so strong and it's all about strength. So he's going to go from the gun and all that,

and he only knows one speed and only one way to run, and that's all out. And that's why he's doing world record all the time. Catch him if you can. Rye is a sub-20-second 200-meter runner, a sub-10-second 100-meter runner, and a 44-low 400-meter runner. So he's got speed like nobody else in that race

he's got way more speed than karsten or allison but he hasn't in the years past been able to struggle with a few injuries and then hasn't been able to figure out how to use that speed in the hurdles to be able to stay with karsten but i think he has now so it's going to be a it's going to be a battle um that's going to be a very interesting race i think it could come down to the wire uh with all three of those guys those santos all three of those guys aren't afraid to lose you know they all go out there and put it on the line so yeah that's going to be a good one on the women's side on the women's side? Look, man. The thing about that is, you know, it is a rivalry because the very definition of a rivalry is

people competing against each other. They all want the same thing and only one can win. And that is this case. But it's not a back and forth rivalry. Femke's never beaten Sydney. She won the world championship last year, fair and square. And she's an amazing athlete, but she hasn't beaten Sydney. Sydney wasn't there.

She's never beaten Sydney. This year, Femke's having the season of her life. 400 meter indoor world record. She's run some amazing times. You saw her run that blistering leg on the 4x4, mixed 4x4 on the second day of these Olympics and that was impressive but you have to then look at

Sydney, Sydney broke the world record again just a couple of months ago coming into the Olympic trials even after the Olympic trials, she had the second fastest time in the world in the 200 200 flat I mean so Even after the Umpire Strike, she had the second fastest time in the world in the 200. 200, black.

You know? I mean, so, you know, I don't see Sydney losing this unless she underperforms some kind of way, which she typically just doesn't do. I think Femke is the nearest challenger. That's why we talk about Sydney versus Femke, because she is the nearest challenger. I think it'll be Sydney. And I think that Femke, the gap may be closer this year than it's been in the past, but I think it's still going to be a gap. And then you're going to have everybody else battling for third. But look, that's why we have the races.

You know, Aka Binger Brinson was supposed to win the 1500 meters. And no, that did not happen. He ended up out of the medals and you got Cole Hawker is the Olympic champion in the 1500. Right. When you mentioned, Ry, the foot speed that he has and it seems like he's changed

a little bit that he's not afraid now to drop the hammer to go out. It's like, okay, catch me. Because he has that kind of 100-meter speed, because he has that kind of 200-meter speed, and the open four, like you said, he's faster than all these guys in all three disciplines. If you lined him up in 100 meters or 200 meters and an open four,

Rob Benjamin will outrun both guys, Carsten Warhol and Dos Santos. Now, if you watch him now, Mike, he's running that race a little different than what he has in the past. Rye is smart enough to know that you can't just use that speed any kind of way you want when you've got 10 hurdles to clear. That could be a detriment

to you if you use it the wrong way. And he's been trying to figure out how to use it in the right way. And I think my sense is that he's figured it out. Now, you know who his coach is? Quincy Watts. And Quincy was telling me a couple of months ago that, you know,

it's a new Rye. It's like, look, this guy, what he's been seeing in practice indicates to him that Rye is going to be running some special times this year. Mike, we're going to get you out on this you established a new league grand slam track the league is set to revolutionize the track world with like tennis golf schedule four major championships slams each year slams would take place in four global cities two domestic in the u.s two international starting in spring of 2025 um 48 of the fastest races in the U.S., two international starting in spring of 2025. 48 of the fastest racers in the world would be signed to compete

in all four slams and the other half will be filled by challengers looking to prove they deserve to be a racer. What made you... What was the concept behind this and what made you decide to come up with your own track? Yeah, you know, like, what we're talking about and the excitement that both you guys...

We both talked about track before we all talked. We both talk about track all the time. I talked to both you guys over the years about track and y'all are excited about it. But you want to see, right? You want to see track.

You see it during the Olympics, you get excited. And then the Olympics are over and it's like, I want to see some more track. You can't find it. It's out there, but it's fractured.

It's not organized at scale. The athletes aren't organized at scale. The meets don't pay the athletes enough, so they don't really want to compete in those meets because it's not worth their while, right? They don't want to travel all the way to the other side of the world. And hey, if I win, you're going to pay me $10,000. These athletes, the best athletes in the world do make good money. They just don't make the type of money they should be making because the sport doesn't have enough visibility in those times in between the Olympic

Games. So that's what Grand Slam track is about. So if you think about tennis, every four years, you know you got your four Grand Slams, Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open, French Open. You know you got your four golf majors every year. and those are the ones that the best athletes want to be at, and they want to compete there. It's big prize money. It's best of the best. Fans get into that. They know those athletes are going to be there. That's what we're doing with track. So the best of the best athletes, the best racers. We're not doing field events. We want to focus on just the racing. We want to focus on just the fastest people and where we can storytell around that, get people to understand who these athletes are, like UFC, like WWE, like Formula One, like golf, like tennis. These athletes are the best. So when we organize them

and next April, when we start, you will be able to see the same sort of stories, the same sort of, all of this stuff we're talking about, handicapping this race. Hey, what's going to happen in that race? That doesn't happen in track and field outside of the Olympics, but starting next year when we launch Grand Slam track, it will. Ooh, that's live. We're excited for you. I can't wait. Hopefully we can be a part of it. Anything that

we can do as far as, you know, talking about it on Nightcap, we'd love to. We got to get you guys to the meet. And then, and we will have a celebrity race too. So I need to see. Yeah. I know Ocho. Ocho think he's got,

Ocho be challenging me to races, man. And like. Hey, Mike, whenever you're ready, baby. One foot in front of the other. I'm going to win. I got, I got two artificial hips. So both of y'all gonna run past me so i'm good mike handicapped this to 400 meters we got karani james he ran the fastest time he ran 40 43 78 his fastest time since 2016 matthew hudson smith who has the world's fastest time this year you mentioned quincy hall you mentioned no michael

norman who underperformed in tokyo and he's put together some races he's run 43.4 but for whatever reason on the global stage he has been unable to put it together so if you had to handicap this men's 400 meters who you like it's man, because if everybody ran their best, Michael Norman wins that race. He's faster than everybody else. Sub-10, sub-2200, sub-1200. But like you said, you look at his history, he underperforms more often than he reaches his potential.

And he didn't look good in that semifinal. He left it late. He did. He looked better in the qualifying. He looked better in the opening round. So he just goes blank sometimes. Quincy is also his coach. And I've talked to Quincy about it.

And Quincy tries to work with him. And it's just Michael's got to be able to focus in the race. So it would be hard for me to say that he's going to win it. He shouldn't medal. He should win it. But I'd say medal. I'd say right now, I would matthew hudson smith or quincy hall quincy hall is a dog and he just man he just and he's new to it techniques a little

bit unorthodox but i had unorthodox technique you know it's like and i don't he he can clean it up a little bit at the end but right now it's working you know just keep doing what you're doing i wouldn't try to change this technique in the middle. So if I was going to go out on a limb, I'd say those two are going to be battling. But Karani looks good. And he got so much experience. He already has, in the Olympics, 400-meter finals.

He's got a goal, a silver, and a bronze. Goal. So he's going to get another. I think he's going to get another one of them in this Olympics. I think he's on the podium. But I think he's going to get another one of them in this Olympics. So I think he's on the podium. But I think it's going to be a really good race. And that's what gets me excited. You don't want to have these races where there's one clear person way ahead.

And you know that they're going to win. And nobody's going to touch them. I mean, Noah's race is 200. The 200 is going to be interesting enough. Because it's Noah. And he makes it interesting. But we already know who's going to win that race. That's not as fun as this race where it's like, if you race this race four or five times, you might get four or five different outcomes.

Right. One last question, Mike. Could you see a scenario where Sidney wins the Olympic 400 meter hurdles and and bobby says okay that's enough of that we're gonna focus on taking down that 35 40 year old record of moderna coke 4760 could you see a situation where they focus and she goes from the 400 meter hurdles to the open 400 i'm telling you that's that is the situation that is the situation sydney the only reason sydney's running 400 meter hurdles this year at the Olympics is because she wants to put that world record so far out there.

She knows that if she leaves that world record too soft, it's not soft, it's unbelievable, but she knows that Femke could possibly come and break and then she'd have to come back into the event to try to get back. So, her position is, I'm going to try to put

it out there so far that then I can leave it and it's safe with me. Femke's not going to be able to get it. Now I'll go over here and now I'll go over here and focus on this Open 400. Because remember last year, she didn't run the World Championships. Last year, she decided, I'm going to focus on the 400. That's what she did at the beginning of the season, but then decided to just shut it down for the season. So, yeah. So I'm telling you, yeah, I do see that scenario.

I think that's exactly what's going to happen. You know, she's the first person we signed to sign the Grand Slam track. We already signed her. She was the first person we signed. And Josh Kerr. Could you see her going sub 50 in the hurdles? I think that's her goal. I think that's what she wants to do.

This track is fast. You know, now it's just a matter of whether or not she can go out there and put it together. But I think that in her goal. I think that's what she wants to do. This track is fast. Now it's just a matter of whether or not she can go out there and put it together. But I think that in her mind, yeah, she thinks that that's where she can take this event. Well, if she put that thing sub 40, she goes sub 50 in the 400 hurdles for the women. Ain't nobody touching that anytime soon. I agree. I agree. Mike, appreciate that,

bro. Hey, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day, man. Like I said, Mike and I, we go back a long, long way. I used to see him all the time. He and my boy Ray Crock are the best friends, and so he used to be at all the game and talking, and so it's great to catch up with you, Mike. We really appreciate Nightcap.

The fans are going to love this interview, man. Thank you for your time. Enjoy the rest of the Olympics, and we'll see you in April at one of these meetings. Perfect. All right. Thanks, man. Appreciate you, Sean. Appreciate you, Ocho. Yes, sir.

All right, man. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps, and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee. No dumb hot takes here, just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now.

This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why, Colleen. Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guys, we really hope you enjoyed that interview. That was Michael Johnson. Yes, that interview was pre-recorded. You have to realize there's a nine hour time difference between myself and mike there's a six hour time difference between ocho and mike so we had to pre-record that early in the morning he's kind he was obligated he's a a bbc for him to take time out of his schedule to give us some insight and handicap some of these races and offer some insight because you're talking about one of the greatest sprinters of all time. He is the greatest 400 meter sprinter in the history. And it's not even close.

He held the world record at three different disciplines, the 200 meters, 300 meters, the 400. He still has the American record at 300 meters and 400 meters. And so for him to take time to give it with us, we greatly appreciate your time and patience. And we had a great time talking with Mike. Like I said, I've known Mike 30 years. And we're glad.

We got some other Olympians that's going to be joining the show tomorrow and I think Friday. So we got a couple of more Olympians, people that actually competed. You're not going to tell them? No, I'm not going to tell them. They got to wait and see.

Okay. So, Ocho, we're going to get right into it tonight. Like I said, hopefully you guys enjoyed in that interview. And again, Ocho and I, we're going to have I think tomorrow and Friday, we will have

people that actually participated in the Olympics. Give you their experience, what it was like, the electricity and the atmosphere of them winning. Thank you, guys. Without any further ado, Ocho, we're going to get right into our last segment of the night, and it's called

Q&A. Q&A Q&A uh Ocho Stan Stan ask a question would you put Noah on the 4x4 for the four gold medals no because he cannot run anybody

that's in the medal pool. He didn't run any 400s. As you heard Michael say, Gabby has run 400s. Sidney has run 400s. So they put their name into the pool. Rye has run 400. He hasn't. So who

on that relay team? Is he going to outrun Rye? Is he going to outrun Chris Bailey? Is he going to outrun Quincy Hall? Is he going to outrun Rye? Is he going to outrun Chris Bailey? Is he going to outrun Quincy Hall? Is he going to outrun Vernon Norwood? Is he going to outrun Deadman? No. No, we're not.

No, it's not. No, you don't get gifts here. If he wanted to be considered taking serious for the 400-meter relay, he should have run some 400s, Ocho, to get those up under his belt so he could have been entered into the pool, right? That's how it works. That's how Allison Felix did it. That's how Abby Steiner did it.

So yeah, that's how it works. But no, I don't, I don't think he's, I don't think he should. And I don't think he will. D love said in track and field,

are those staggered starting positions, the 200, 400, 800, really the same distance for each runner? You do realize, like, yes, but the thing is with the 800 meters, while you start out, and the 400 and the 200, you have to stay in your lane all the way around.

In the 800 meter, you start those staggered, and then you get, at a certain point, you get get to cross over and then everybody's in the first two lanes basically so yes but they are if you have to stay in those all the way around they absolutely are the same distance yeah because you don't have i mean the bend it's hard to win from lane one though you win the 200 because if you remember the Americans, the women, what was that? Was that Rio? Might have been Rio. Was it Rio?

It might have been Rio, Ocho. We won the four by one, the women, from lane one. Because remember, they ended up, the ladies knocked the baton out of Allison Felix and the exchange partner. They picked it up, the ladies knocked the baton out of Allison Felix and the exchange partner. They picked it up, finished, protested. They had to run by themselves. They qualified. They got lane one and ended up running

and winning the gold medal from lane one. That was real 2016? Yeah. They got out, boy. Yeah. Yeah. Kimber Norwood Jr. said, oh, do you think I could beat Ocho in a 100-meter dash? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Kemper Norwood Jr. said, do you think I could beat Ocho in a 100-meter dash? Yeah.

Man, stop playing, man. Ocho, you ain't done pulling the muscles? Let me tell you something. Pull them on. I still train like I'm playing. I ain't pulling nothing. You just told the people yesterday, Ocho, ain't nothing to do.

Nothing gets you ready to play football but playing football. Right, so I've been running. So what you ready to play football but playing football. Right. So what you training for? Soccer. For next season. Matter of fact, listen. Half of the people competing in Paris can't even beat me running right now.

Honestly. Who? Who? If you go who, you can hear. You must be talking about the people that's checking on, making sure their hands are behind the line. Those are the only people

that can't outrun you. Hey, we'll see. Watch what happens when Quincy comes down here. Let's Talk Sports 3000 said, is it hard talking about the same subject in different environments and have you ever slipped up?

Hmm. the same subject in different environments and have you ever slipped up what do you mean slipped up i guess uh say ninja oh yeah i mean look i'd say i i can i changed completely from from I am on here, the inside NFL. I'd be a completely different person. Talk different. The accent is gone. Yeah, I think, yeah, for sure. Like, you know, I got ESPN Shannon. I got Nightcap Shannon. Nightcap Shannon is totally different than anything that's on television,

for sure. That's 1,000%. And he's totally different from Club Shay Shay. Shannon is an entity like this nightcap Shannon is only for nightcap. That's it. Hey, he gets hung up in the closet until it's time

for him to come out again tomorrow. That's it. Yeah, but it's look, if you're on TV long enough you're going to have a mishap you're going to say ish or you're going to say ass

or you're going to say something I said F I've said F on on Undisputed before yeah so so this me this is a combination

of like kind of like nightcap but this is more like in the locker room in savannah state in denver in baltimore in the barbershop when i'm with my boys if you were like with Privy,

I mean, all the guys like Rob Smith and all the guys that I played with and different like he's like this every day. I mean, everything that you hear him say, he's said that. Now I just get paid. I just get paid to, you know, I had a job with Undisputed.

They pay me for all the quick win. First take now pays me for but yeah this is uh i'm a totally different this person that you see that's talking to you right now he don't come out only on that cap yeah you're a vampire ocho you only come out at night that's it jerry leaguer said she had a just to let you know shea by laporte is top tier best cognac out there You're a vampire, Ocho. You only come out at night. That's it. Derrick Lincoln said, just to let you know, Shea Balaportier is top tier. Best cognac out there.

Had a bottle last week. Amazing. Just letting you know. Derrick, I appreciate the support, bro. Thank you very much. I really, really appreciate that. Ron DeVos, it really brings back some PTSD here.

And Ocho mentioned CL final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. Sergio Ramos and his dirty plays are the only reason Madrid won it all. Ocho, what'd you say about that? I mean, he's probably right. He's probably right. Listen, Real Madrid has some type of voodoo that they always have and find towards the end of games. Almost similar to give you better context, like throwing a Hail Mary with two seconds on the clock.

Yeah. And they score in at the last minute when it matters most. better context like throwing a Hail Mary with two seconds on the clock and they scoring at the last minute when it matters most every time Jerome Kamani love the show today it's my birthday me and my girlfriend are watching

we'll also be seeing you in Atlanta hopefully hopefully. You guys still going to Magic City? I don't know where you going. I'm going to be there. I'm trying to see what these wings, I'm trying to see what these wings hitting on. Yeah, I'm trying to see. I'm going to keep on tipping and sipping and see what we can do.

Okay. 20 for the top, 20 for the bottom is all to get those things to fall. You know what I'm saying? Yes, sir. Put your hands down. you ain't going nowhere yeah hey you know listen didn't even wait for me to invite her oh yeah oh y'all going on tour okay i'm coming too what i ain't even invite you yet talk about oh yeah, I'm going. I know you're trying to go to Magic City.

I'll be there. Wait a minute. Like, how you know Unc ain't want to show me around? You trying to be my chaperone. No, no, no, no, no. A real bait. You know what I'm saying? Nah, nah, nah.

We don't need no baiting now. We don't need no bait. Hey, Unc, we've been fishing for 30 years. We don't need no bait. No, no, no, no no no no no no see rail rail that rail rail the baby rail the cute little you know when you walk you got a little cute little fella doll they're like oh she's so cute can i pay they all they all but they they don't nah see when they see rail there's that rail who is that that's my uncle

man i'm the matchmaker man i got you no no no no no no everybody need a ring woman you know you got a ring man i got a wing woman real nah nah nah nah because she gonna have you with the wrong people man her decision making ain't nah hey real let's play uh shot uncle and niece that's my uncle that's a good one that's a good one that's a good one oh that's my uncle he's shadow you know you know he ain't really been out he ain't been on a date in a long time but he really harmless though that's a good one uh nicky grant said today is my birthday and as a gift can chaffer tell me tell the truth for one whole day and shannon no notes change nothing love y'all no no what she wants she wants for her birthday her gift is that you tell the truth the whole day

well hell i don't i don't lie anything i talk about on nightcap is about personal experience through my lifetime you have to understand i've been doing this 56 years i've done everything that we've talked about that's what that's what people fail to realize i've done and experienced everything i've traveled the world i've been through all type of all type of different things that people don't even know you know i've done trades and done all type of stuff so it's good for me to have this platform to kind of share with y'all because you only see me as a former football player not realizing i've lived i've lived two three lives already so nothing i've

ever i might exaggerate a little bit i might exaggerate a little bit, but everything I talk about, I've done. Yeah. Yeah, that's what we do. So, Nikki, happy birthday. Happy birthday. And hopefully you enjoyed the day. Did something special. Had a lot to eat. Got some good food.

Hung out with some family, friends, and loved ones. And so, thank you for Nikki for always. You've been great. Nikki was probably one of our first five she had to be like I don't know if she was first but she had to be top five for sure and you want us to go ahead

Nikki you want them to know Nikki is now an official member at Shay Shay Media. We just hired Nikki. Hey, congratulations. So Nikki is officially on the payroll. Damn. How much I got to pay now?

How much I owe? how much is my bill it went up we put up some more damn i'm probably out about 350 000 now huh 325 damn all right y'all better hurry up i ain't paying no more than 500 i got 500 y'all been about to break a world record after 500? You out of gas. That's it. That's it.

Yeah, man. We've had a couple of people on me now. Adrian, he runs Shannon Sharp Burner account. He works for us. Hey, that Burner account funny, boy. They be having some good shit

on that, boy. He works for us. And now Nikki. Nikki's been great. Like I said, she's been great. Adrian has been great. He was my Burner account. You never know, guys. You never know. I like helping people. I like people that want to see She i like you know helping people i like people that

want to see shea media grow i like people that have a vested interest and that's going to work hard and we understand we do one thing here we work yeah there ain't no way around it we work here and uh so congratulations mickey well deserved well earned uh appreciate all your support that you've given us. Thank you guys for tuning in. Hopefully you enjoyed the Michael Johnson interview. Mike was great. Like I said, I've known him for so many years.

And what better way? You talk about one of the most distinguished sprinters in all in history. Oh, yeah. The greatest 400-meter runner in the the history and it's not even close um so thank you mike i really appreciate that we got a special guest for you tomorrow make sure you tune in tomorrow uh thank you guys for joining us for another episode of nightcap i am your favorite on shannon sharp he's your favorite number 85 the rock runner extraordinaire the bingo ring of fame honoree the pro bowler the all pro liberty city's own that's chad ocho cinco johnson please

make sure y'all hit that like button please make sure you hit that subscribe button and go tell family friends and loved ones man y'all really should subscribe to uh nightcap oh yeah and ocho man they'd be on one all the time. Guys, please make sure you go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed, wherever you get your podcasts from. We value all subscribers. Every subscriber counts. So thank you for helping us get to

the top of the chart. Hopefully we'll continue to stay there by bringing you great content. Please make sure you check out my Shade by La Portia. We have it in stock, so we'll be able to get that to you promptly please make sure you go follow my media company page on all platforms Chez Chez Media

and my clothing company 84 that's 84 spelled out thank you guys for selling out our Olympic merch please link the rest of our merch in that pin at the top of the chat if you order Olympic merch it will be shipped in under two weeks. Remember, under

two weeks. Again, thank you, Mike, for joining us. Hopefully you enjoyed the conversation. I'm up. He's Ocho. We're back tomorrow. We're out. The Volume. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast,

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