Green Light with Chris Long - Alex Anzalone! Dan Campbell Stories, Lions 2023 Success & NFC North Competitiveness. Mailbag!

Episode Date: May 3, 2024

Lions Fans, Stand Up! Alex Anzalone joins Chris to talk about the success of the Detroit Lions in 2023, the Best Dan Campbell stories, Detroit's 2024 draft class, competitiveness of the NFC North & being drafted by Sean Payton in New Orleans. Chris ends with a little Mailbag, talking about Nude Boat Cruises, Pete Rose in the GLP Softball Dugout, Pearl Jam & UAlbany's Lacrosse Team & Best Commentators for Specific Activities (00:00) - Intro (4:40) - Lions LB Alex Anzalone talks the Lions Success in 2023, Detroit's 2024 Draft Class, Dan Campbell Stories, Sean Payton & NOLA (39:20) - Mailbag: Nude Boat Cruise, New Member of the GLP Softball Team, UAlbany's Men's Lacrosse Team Tradition & Best Commentators for Specific Activities Want your Green Light Merch so you can look exactly like Chris and the fellas? Hit the website below and get kitted! https://stores.kotisdesign.com/yotehouse/products Have some interesting takes, some codebreaks or just want to talk to the Green Light Crew? We want to hear from you. Call into the Green Light Hotline and give us your hottest takes, your biggest gripes and general thoughts. Day and night, this hotline is open. Green Light Hotline: ‪[phone]‬ Send any Talent Search submissions to: [e-mail] Include any video of your talents, takes and bits as well as a little bit about yourself. Love hearing from the Green Light fans. Also, check out our paddling partners at Appomattox River Company to get your canoes, kayaks and paddleboards so you're set to hit the river this summer. https://paddleva.com/ Green Light Spotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/user/951jyryv2nu6l4iqz9p81him9?si=17c560d10ff04a9b Spotify Layup Line: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1olmCMKGMEyWwOKaT1Aah3?si=675d445ddb824c42 Green Light Tube YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxWFAA-wuB7osdiAJyLOcw Green Light with Chris Long: Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more including hot news items, trending discussions from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA are just a small part of what we will be sharing with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have a favorite Dan Campbell story for people? My favorite was when it was a Saturday before we were in a way game. It's giving a speech, you know, not getting too fired up, but, you know, kind of getting after a little bit in his speech. And his bottom tooth, I guess he has a cap or whatever, the fake two just flies out of his mouth. Like in the middle of it. And he goes and proceeds to just like, no one says anything because it's like a serious speech. No, he doesn't break.

He doesn't laugh. and whatever. He just goes on the ground, picks it up, puts it back in, and just continues. Welcome to the Greenlight podcast. Football fans, you're in for a treat today. Alex Anzolone linebacker for the Detroit Lions pops in to talk to Chris about the line's draft class, their success in 2023, being able to play with some of those great players on that defense like Aline McNeil, Aidan Hutchinson, and Brian Branch.

Alex tells some great Dan Campbell stories. Also talks about being drafted by Sean Payton, a little bit about his time in New Orleans, and how excited he is for the Lions' 2024 season. After Alex, you all delivered a wonderful mailbag. We put out the request. You all answered the call. Thanks for dropping in questions. Shout out to Will Brinson.

He dropped in a question that needed a little more preparation, so it'll show up in a future pod for sure. The mailbag topics we hit today were naked cruise ships, new softball team members, best commentators for certain situations, and a very special special. tradition by the University of Albany's men's lacrosse team. Enjoy today's episode. We will catch you one Tuesday for a double guest show. We can't.

They call me to breathe. Keep low and no. And they're going to know. And things. Not much to say on the pod today. Just a big, incoherent mailbag at the end of Alex Anzolone.

Alex Anzolone, big part of the Detroit lines defense. And I think that defense is going to be a lot better next year. I feel like they got things rolling in a way that, like, they know the few holes they have and they attack it. Like, if you'd have given that team a formidable secondary last year, no telling how far they would have gone. I mean, they went pretty damn far,

giving up big chunk plays left and right. So I'm really excited about what they added on the back end. I think the world of their offensive line, the weapons they believe in Jamison Williams. I guess it's going to be a Jameson Williams, breakout thing. They didn't really attack wide receiver like that. But one thing me and Anzolone talked about was they didn't add any linebackers. And that's a good sign. I feel like they like who they have. And he's one of those leaders for them and somebody that can make a lot of plays in the run game,

but also even more so in the past game. And, you know, they plan some shootouts. So to have a guy like that at the second level is really valuable. Here's Alex Anzolone and then stick around for a mailbag no no hey guys mailbag is not going to be good on under promise over deliver hey y'all green light has official merch like this hat right here like the one on my head this dad hat love this hat i'm not even a dad hat guy but this thing fits great this this hat right here fits great uh we've got hoodies we've got t by the way this hoodie's like super comfy I mean, it's like soft, plush. It's not the type of hoodie that's going to get stiff with one wash.

And the shirts, too, because I'm a big comfort guy, okay? You got like this white shirt here. You got the shirt with the logo, the Abbey Road looking logo, with Dr. Fax smoking presumably a blunt, Kyle carrying Cowboy Reed, make and driveling a basketball, which I've never seen him actually do, and me carrying a football. And then you've got the black shirt here too with the low.

So stickers hit the link in the description in the video below the video actually and make sure to tag us on social media showing off your green light merch. It's quality quality threads here. Okay. Wouldn't do it any other way. All right, Lions fans, you love this guy. Been watching him a long time. Now he's a season vet. Alex Anzolone joining me from the Detroit Lions.

Alex, how you doing, brother? I'm good. I'm good. How are you, Chris? I'm good. Would you, first off, what did you think of the uniforms? Because I know swag's important to a guy like you. Yeah, right.

No, yeah, they're cool. They're cool. I feel like I got a little insight before we released them. And, you know, I didn't do all the jersey reveal stuff. But, you know, I'd say this, from what they sent me, the preliminary with the media marketing people in the uniforms, from when St. And, you know, Hutch and all them were in the uniforms. they looked a lot better when the actual players are wearing it.

Dude, they always do. Sometimes I'll be like, ah. And then, you know, you see Amman Ra in that Honolulu Blue home jersey, which I think that's the best one. Yeah. The all blacks look sick. I'm partial to all black. I always say that.

I love, like, black accessories. And, you know, I just think it looks good. You know why? It's maybe because it's in your DNA being a New Orleans guy. Since you got, I mean, like you guys, I mean, I felt like the inside of that stadium like was shadowy. You know what I mean? The lighting was fucked up. The uniforms were dark.

It was like, it was moody in there. Yeah, 100%. It's, it's, uh, when I first got drafted there, it was like, you know, it seemed like the lights weren't on on the people in the stands. Yes, dude. Just on the field. It was weird. Yeah, dude.

I was watching TV and it, sometimes like during the pandemic. in down there at the Superdome. I was like, this is the, the loneliest field I've ever seen. It's like, you know, it just looks like this enormous void. And then the players are down on the field. What is it? So if you wear all black, do you feel faster?

If I don't feel it, at least appear it. You know what I mean? You appear it. Yeah, you're damn right. The O-Lyman love the all-black. O-Lyman don't like when you put them in all-white shows love handles. The blonde wigs, dude. This is how you know you have made it in a city where they're putting on the Alex Anzolone blonde wig.

What do you think about that? What was the first time you saw somebody rocking that wig? Were you worn? No, yeah. I was walking off the field that I think we played the Raiders on Monday night. And I guess whoever was interviewing me after the game, some NFL network person, and said like, yeah, like, do you know those people? Who are they wearing the wigs?

I'm like, what are you even talking about? And then obviously when I get on my phone after the game, I see all the messages and people talking about it. It was hilarious. Let's just talk about it. Dude, I'm watching a draft the other night and I came to a league in 08 and you know, Detroit was Detroit. They were

bad like us for a long time. But I turned on the draft the other night and not only is the draft in Detroit, this is the key part. They've got five Detroit Lions up on stage with the commissioner to kick the draft off

and you don't even need like a kairon under him you don't need like hey this is who this guy is this who this guy is it you guys have stars on your team you you pack the house in the playoffs how great does this feel and what's your message to the guys that haven't been through this before haven't been a part of a winning organization before detroit yeah no it's it's cool man like you know there's there's nothing like it because of the past that's been here before and you understand that you can build a legacy you know even from winning one freaking playoff game, which seems like to me, if the furthest or the least amount, I think in New Orleans, we went to the division, at least the divisional round every year.

Every year. And so, you know, that's what like, what me, Dan, AG, is what we were all used to before getting there. And just to be able to leave a legacy just from winning a couple of playoffs, playoff games tells you a lot. But at the same time, it shows you how much it means to the city and, you know, be a part of something that that cool and special. And, you know, it's really, it's really up from here. And, you know, I feel like what we did this year is just the standard. So you've been with Dan a while,

you know, and what was your first year with Dan? Was it like, was it 17? Your rookie year. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, like, I can remember when Dan was the interim coach in Miami and I don't know much about him. And then when you talk to guys that were in Miami, like I talked to Channing Crowder and he's like, dude, this motherfucker had us doing Oklahoma drills his first week out there. We were like, I don't know what to make of this guy. There's no way. And then he turns out to be everything you'd hope for in a former player coach. That to me, he embodies the former player coach better than any coach I've ever seen.

What do you think is key to that? And then have you seen him change as he's become a head coach at all? Yeah, I think that, like you said, the former player, I was talking, I think to my massage therapist today, just about how, you know, he, like anything he asks you to do, because he's, does have some like meathead to him and you know he's smart he's smarter than what people perceive smart meathead yeah yeah exactly but he's he's calculated and uh he knows when to push buttons and when not to and um you know when we do need to have a live tackling period or when we don't and when to pull on and when to pull off but um you know i think that as he's you know grown into

who he is now and as a head coach it's you know cool to see him adapt and i think it's not necessarily like, you know, his first year in Detroit as a head coach, he was like uncomfortable or anything like that. But I feel like now from where we were at in 2021 to now is like it's his. You know what I mean? Like he built it the way how he sees it and how he wants it. And, you know, it's cool to see. What a Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell draft class. Okay, first off, the coolest names in the draft. I'm going to read them to you. Probably always say, Rake Straw, Manu, who is a huge guy from BC. not Boston College, British Columbia, who I know it, like nobody knew if he was going to play in the NFL. A guy named Vaki, guy named Wingo, and a guy named Mahogany.

Now, how much have you learned about these kids? Not a ton. I mean, I watch a little bit of the draft. I don't, when I was younger, I dove a little deeper into it, you know, and as any backers, no backers? Backers, I guess that's a good thing. So that's good. That's always nice when you don't watch the draft. I can, I'll never forget, I've told this story a lot on this.

pod, but I tell you, like, I was in Germany when I was an Eagle, and I had just signed with them. They're like, we're not going to draft anybody, really. Maybe, maybe not. And I'm over there getting stem cell. My old ass is sleeping. It's six hour difference. So it's the middle of the night.

I'm like, fuck the draft, nothing to worry about. I go to bed. I wake up, take a leak, and I got 120 text messages. And they said, is the Derek Barnett thing bad? You mean the guy who broke the sack record at, he broke Reggie White's record? I think it's good. I think it's fucked for your boy. I couldn't go back to sleep.

I woke up the next day in Frankfurt and just walked around aimlessly. Like, do I want to retire? So I love when your position doesn't get picked, but I want to tell you a couple things about these guys. Because to me, it screams like Dan Campbell. You got Rake Straw who can tackle. You're going to love this kid. You've got Wingo.

He's this kid from LSU. He's detackle. He missed six games before the bowl game. And then he decided, I'm going to go finish my career and play with my teammates. Okay, like Dan Campbell type guy. And then this guy, Mahogany, the O-Lyman, scored a touchdown in college and did a kegstand as a celebration. That's good shit.

I mean, and his name on Twitter's Dirtbag. I think he's going to like this guy. Right, yeah. I mean, hopefully Dirtbag in a good way. That's good shit. He's an O-Liman, man. Talking about that group, like the O-Line, I just love watching him work together. I think they work together as well as any group in the run game and the past game in the league.

What do you think the catalyst is? Do you think it's Penae and everything he can do or is it Hank Freely in the way he coaches that group? Yeah, I think it starts with Hank. And, you know, we just have guys that can do, they're versatile. They can do a ton. You know, Penae, you know, Frank and Decker. And obviously we have some, you know, host of film. But Graham Glasgow coming in last year as a, you know, 30, 31-year-old guy.

and, you know, performing at a high level. So, yeah, just the versatility. I feel like they work well together. What Ben Johnson asks them to do is, you know, creative. And it makes it hard on defenses to, you know, you see Penae, like, swinging out on, you know, just like screenplays and, you know, guys pulling here, there, and just movement.

And then they come at you and just go downhill power. And you're like, what the hell it's coming next? You know, so it definitely gets us ready for the season and training camp, just seeing all that they do. Okay. So Dan being a man's man and that class kind of reflects this. Who's the biggest man's man on your team? The guy that you want to go get a beer with,

the guy that you go to for advice. Right. Man, I mean, like, I have my boys. And it's hard because, you know, it's, you go like, you know, linebackers stay with linebackers. And, you know, defensive guys usually around defensive guys all day. I'm trying to think. I feel like Frank Ragnow's good.

Oh, yeah. That guy's always fishing and shit. Yeah, like he's cool. He's chill. He's kind of my... Yeah, that's a man's man right there. You know, he's not going to say a ton, but he'll just let you be. But if he'll chime in what he needs to, you know, I'll probably stay away from the DV room.

No DVs, dude. Although I think this, is this branch kid? He's a pretty cool kid, huh? Yeah, I'd say he's up there. He's cool. He's quiet. He came in as a rookie balled out. Didn't say much.

Oh, yes, sir. Yes, sir. That's all he said. Don't call me, sir. Yeah, come on, man. I'm like, I'm not even 30. Are you 30 yet? I'm 29, almost. 29. You're almost there. All right, well, with Branch, because you got a lot of turnover in that DB room,

but like with Branch, his versatility, can you help people understand through a couple examples of how versatile this guy is? Yeah, I mean, you know, he can play Pressman. He can play zone. He can, you know, a lot of times we just let him kind of just be a bonus hook player. and, you know, say, hey, bro, just go make a play. And, you know, he's the type of player that you kind of, you know, don't, like, you know, obviously everyone has responsibilities, but he's like a player where you kind of just want

to let him do his thing. And that just is a credit to how especially he can be and how special he is. And, you know, he can play nickel. He can play safety for sure. Obviously, he did in college. And, you know, hopefully he will a little this year. But, you know, he could probably play outside too. How big of a help is getting these young guys in?

And they obviously have to prove themselves and, you know, there are vets that are going to be competing with those guys. But third down was a big problem, you know, like getting, you know, getting off the field, that was an issue. And I thought it was one of the issues that kept you guys, in my opinion, from being, you know, Super Bowl champions. You guys are that good. But if you can't get off the field on third down, like, what do you think y'all needed to do

towards the end of the season to get off the field and how much can young secondary help? And would you be able to onboard those guys as a lot? member of the linebacking court, do you kind of leave it to the vets in the secondary? Yeah, for sure. I think one, any talent is helpful. And, you know, I don't think that, you know, is in my opinion, I don't think that any defense is too confusing to, you know, tell a guy that has a ton of talent to just, hey, lock this guy out.

Right. And, you know, I feel like last year, like you said, is I think we're bottom of the league in third and 11 plus or something like that. And just, you know, that means. you did great on first and second. Like we had a ton of third and 11 pluses. You know, that's obviously a self-scout area we have to address.

And, you know, I think that's a reflection of who we brought in and drafted and, you know, traded for. So I think that'll definitely help. And, you know, I think guys just playing fast, competing, challenging receivers and doing it the way it's coach is really what's going to make, what's really going to help us get to that next level, like you said.

What the hell do you do about Justin Jefferson, dude when I watch you like anybody play them but like the two games you guys had late in the season i'll never forget it was like you know they're playing mullins and they're playing other guys but it just doesn't matter because they're so explosive and i just think that coach over there o'connell's so good what's it like taking the field with him and what are those meetings like leading up yeah i feel like you know it's there's definitely a game plan as far as you know how how how free and how you know, open or how many yards do you want to give up first him instead of, you know, let's challenge him, let's lock him up, let's eliminate him from the game plan, you know,

just kind of give and take and, you know, a little bit of a chess game when you play a player like that. So yeah, you can cloud towards him. You can, you know, put cover two to his side every time, but he's going to find the hole go up. And that's the thing about him. He's so competitive when the ball's in the air. So it's like two people, you could double team him if you want, but I remember in 2022, we were double team in the whole game. and he's just going up when the ball's in the air and just making plays on it. Right. He's just super competitive and has obviously the traits to get the ball in the air.

Your division's going to be a lot of fun. I mean, it's crazy because you guys kind of took over the division and you think, oh, Aaron Rogers is gone. Maybe things are, but it got more competitive top to bottom. Caleb Williams coming in. You've obviously got J.J. McCarthy. Do you get excited about playing young quarterbacks? Uh, personally, yeah, I think it's, I mean, I'd rather play younger quarterback than play Aaron Rogers.

Yeah, I hear that. You know, just because, especially in their younger years or hopefully we, you know, play them earlier in the season before they, you know, get in the group. But, yeah, I mean, it's, it's the league and it's different. And I just remember Jamie Collins, I played with him in 2021. He just kept, he always said, like, this, the league, bro, is different. Oh, Jamie? Yeah. Where was he in 2021?

He was in Detroit for he got cut after week two. Dude, Jamie Collins is one of the biggest badasses I've ever met. Yeah, he's a dog. A total dog, bro. And one of the best football players I've ever played with. Yeah, yeah. He has like freaky athleticism with, you know, 6'4. He's like 260.

Positionless. Yeah. It's crazy, dude. I mean, some of the linebackers that were in that New England room, like Dante High Towers, like a real 1990s backer. Yeah. He's like 255, bro, and he could rush the edge. Yeah, yeah.

I knew I wasn't going there. You're doing pretty damn good. Your first stop, New Orleans, like, I know you had some injuries. I think you've done a good job of staying on the field. I know though this year you had three broken ribs. Is that right? Yeah, that's, I don't. It's a rhetorical question coming from me, but how does that feel for people at home?

It's, you know, at first they thought it was, you know, just a contusion and, you know, because I wasn't like super symptomatic, but I remember it was the Friday before the Rams playoff game. I'm turning the alarm. I'm just like at home turning the alarm on at night and I reach over, just like let my dog got reached over. I had pop, pop, pop, and then I just got a ton of movement. So I think I did obviously something happen. And then I got an x-ray Monday morning.

I played the Rams game. got an X-ray Monday morning and you got three broken ribs golly and that was such a physical game. Yeah. Yeah. Was that the most physical, like what was the most physical game of the season last year? Would that be it? Because the speed and the hits were just

Yeah, I mean, I think that any playoff you know, this, any playoff game is just a whole another, you know, level of people flying around and you know, putting your body on the line. And I just remember they I think it was towards the end of the game. They ran duo, you know, just

normal duo French play and my gap just opens up and I'm like fucking hey I'm gonna have to go throw it though that up Williams up and I had to do it I just remember being on the grill she's like oh it's terrible hey the laughing is the worst dude you know it's on the plane after the game somebody tells a joke and then all of a sudden you're like in the in the aisle bro you're in pain so much you can't sleep yeah it depends on you know how you slept but how was that atmosphere man like did you see famous people walking around that you weren't used to seeing around the facility did you see people at the games like bob seger was there like i feel like at the game we didn't have a ton at the facility like i remember in new

Orleans we had a like a lot of people coming through that that's probably because of you know drew and sean they're all in la california but yeah the game day we had a lot um it kind of felt like because it doesn't sit that many fans like it's like 60 i mean it's like 50 60 000 or something like that? It's tight. Yeah, intimate, rowdy, crap. Like, almost like a playoff basketball game in a sense. Right. That's cool. Dude, that's all. I mean, like, it was so fun to watch that atmosphere. You could tell people I'm waiting 20 years for it. And having played in New Orleans, you know all about big atmospheres. I feel like for you guys, that home field with the front you have now is a big advantage. How much does DJ Reader help? Have you got a chance to talk to him a little bit? Yeah.

I don't got down as like hang out with him much. But, you know, I think that's definitely a hole that we need to fill. We, I think that, you know, the interior D-line as a linebacker is the most important, you know, thing that you'd want. You love that. You want the big boys up front to be good so you can just not take on line in every play. But, yeah, I think that he'll help a ton and, you know, Hobie as a linebacker will be my best friend. No question. And when you're out there on third down, like,

When Hutch kicks inside, I always say this, like, Hutch is a really, really good rusher, but the reason I think he's really, really, really good is because he can rush inside too. And when he goes inside, I think he's as good as any end rushing at a three technique in a league. And I don't think a lot of people realize that. Yeah, 100%.

And, you know, what's funny is he had some pushback on that at first because he just wanted to stay on the edge and, you know, not mess. But then, you know, I forget maybe it was training. can't practice. We were practicing against the Giants or the Jags. And he just, like, got to work on the guard. And, you know, from going going forward, and I think he finally bought into it. And it's like, you know, I could be productive here. And, you know, it's easier for him. No question. I mean, it's the length. You know, I know he's not the longest guy in the way. He's tall. But it's like his arms are that long. And I think he does a really good job of creating length on the edge.

But then when he gets inside, like these guards are like, you know, he's just a better athlete. And he plays so hard. He's so active. That's why I love about him. So I'm just excited to watch that D-line work. Is there anybody else that doesn't get enough credit on that D-line? Oh, yeah, that's a good question. I think that Aline McNeil is obviously really good productive player.

I think, you know, what hindered him from potential Pro Bowl or, you know, that type of recognition. Last year is getting hurt. You know, I think it was like week 10 or something like that. But, yeah, I think that he's, you know, ready to make that, you know, a big, big jump and, you know, as a three technique with bringing a reader in. I know he was playing some nose last year, which, um, where he's playing three and then I think he's more of a natural nose. So we'll see, we'll see how they, how they shake out. But, um, you know, he's a really athletic, big, strong, smart player. Yeah, he was, he came on the show

a couple weeks ago. He's a fucking great kid. Yeah. Yeah. He's like, you just smiling the whole time. Yeah, right. Yeah, he's cool. You know what I mean? Uh, anyways, I mean, uh, With Ben Johnson's offense, and this is more of a practice question, because obviously during the game, you're not paying as much attention. You're worried about your stuff. But, like, what are the ways that he puts defenses in a bind? You had Sean Payton. You know, you practice against his group,

and now you've got Ben Johnson. What is he so good at? As creativity, you know, his willingness to run the ball, I think that the hardest thing, you know, if we did have to play against them, you know, it would be third and eight, and they'll just run the ball right at you. And, you know, you're, yeah, like, that's, to me, that'd be the most annoying. Because, you know, you get in those pressure packages where, you know,

DBs and linebackers on the line of scrimmage and, you know, you're ready to get after the rush. And, yeah, they just run right at you and inside zone and you don't really know what to do. So just as creativity in that regard and just to run the ball. his concepts are obviously great so well you know as you mentioned this is like a guy if you get out there on sub and they hold up like hey dime dime dime or nickel nickel nickel nickel like we're like yeah it's time you know the music's playing the crowd right bro this is my chance and when you're playing the lions it's like hey it's third and six they're fucking running trap exactly exactly i think in the chargers game you all had like multiple third and mediums that y'all pounded the rock it's wild

No one really, no other team does it. Nobody. Nobody. But it's so cool to have that commitment from a guy who's like the new sexy. Right. You know, like, and I think in general in today's game, and this is why linebacker is such an important position, the run game and the middle of the field is so important. Even these West Coast sideline to sideline, you know, offenses that are like futuristic, like Miami, all that speed. If you don't have backers, it's going to be hard.

You know, the play action stuff. But everything comes off the run game. And it's the same thing for San Francisco. It's kind of like quietly a lot of these hot shot coordinators are committing to running the ball. Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. I think that's definitely you think about like Shanahan and Ben and some other coordinators across the league, the ones that, you know, if you get into a game where they're going to throw the ball 50 times, you're like, okay, this is easy. You know what they're going to do. It's just when, you know, they mix it up well.

And that's what makes it hard. No question. I want to talk about Gibbs, man. Like you've been around Kamara. And I just think, I mean, everybody knows this. He's such a unique threat because of what he can do out of the backfield. And I'm sure that's the way you look at Gibbs too. But you've had to cover Alvin in practice.

How is Gibbs a little bit different? I think he's probably got a little bit more straight line speed, less size maybe. Yeah, I think a little less size, a lot faster, I'd say. A lot. Yeah. You know, the emotion enough to empty, I'll be one-on-one at him. Oh, shit.

The BTFU. Yeah, dude. Yeah, BTFU. I know that one. Dude, I had to run with Sproles on a damn wheel when I was in St. Louis when he was in New Orleans. I was like, this is not a good call. Yeah, right.

It's bad. Yeah. Oh, my God. No, yeah. But I think that they're used, you know, very similar, you know, so it's cool to see Gibbs develop and get going as the season went on. I know that he's probably working to, you know, be more, you know, comfortable and what they're asking to do and getting better at his option routes.

And that's what really makes it hard, you know, especially when you get linebackers. Even, you know, sometimes when safety's covering them, they're not used to covering running back. So, you know, you get to work on them too. No question. Who's a guy you hate covering in the league? Yeah, it's a good question. That you end up on more than you'd like. Yeah.

You know, I feel like I am a coverbacker. So, you know, like one-on-ones with running backs, it's hard. I don't come across that on, like, too much, you know. Yeah. You know, I cover a lot of tight ends on third now. It's the size. It can be the size, right?

I mean, like, LaPorta, to me, he's knocking on the door of being the best guy in the league. I think so for sure. I think that he's productive. He has the numbers. The thing if that separates him from a lot of different players is his, ability to run after the catch and, you know, be competitive in that regard. A lot of guys are just catch a ball and first guy, they get tackled.

And I think that's what separates him from a lot of other tight ends. He's a little gronky. Yeah. Yeah. He's obviously way smaller, but yeah. Smaller, but he's got that gronk kind of like just bull in a China shop. Yeah. And the length, you know what I mean?

Like he's got that length. I got to ask you about that 17 New Orleans draft class. Latimore, Ramcheck, Marcus Williams, Camara, Hendrickson, Hill, yourself, like all really good players. And how much pride do you guys all take in that class? You guys still talk a lot? You know, not a ton. I feel like a lot of us went elsewhere. Like, Trey went to, you know, the Bengals, Marcus, the Baltimore.

I talked to Tase him in a decent amount. He's still there doing his thing. Alvin, Marchand, still there. I don't know what's going on with Ryan, but I think that it's definitely a very, like, historical group. You know, it's hard to explain, but I think that the quality of players in one draft class is, you know, I can't think of many other that are good or just as good. No, I mean, we were stacking it up because I had Mickey Loomis on the show last year,

and I love Mickey. I thought he was amazing, and he's just done a great job. But, like, I thought we compared that to a lot of questions. classes. There's not many that much better. And now it's crazy to hear Trey talking about, you know, big Trey is like, hey, I'm out, bro. I love Trey getting his business hat on. Right. Yeah, money first. Money first, bro. But I do feel like he's the most underappreciated Russian league. I really do think that. Yeah, I wonder why. It might be the paint job. But honestly, his hand works incredible and he's consistent. It's just,

Sometimes, if I were to, if I was Trey's agent, I know what he's doing with the sleeves. We just talked about it. But I wouldn't do sleeves underneath. No gloves. No, I would throw gloves on. I wish I could be his swag. 100% is strong. Advisor.

Yeah, he's, yeah. Ever since he was a rookie who's like that, I'm like, bro, we got to get this a little together. I got his jersey up here. He came up to me after the first time we played. he's like, yo, let's trade jerseys. I was like, I really didn't know who he was. He was out of FAU. And I thought it was super cool that a kid wanted to trade jersey with me.

And I just had no idea that it would be maybe my, my favorite jersey on the wall. His career has just, I mean, it's been so fun to watch. All right. Last thing. We talk about, well, I want to ask you one more thing about New Orleans. Ryan Nielsen, dude. Not a question yet. But, but I really wanted him to go to Philly this last off season.

I just really like the job he did down there in Atlanta, right? What do you think he's going to bring? He's in Jacksonville this year. What do you think he's all about? So Jacksonville fans that might be listening to this get a little flavor. No, yeah. He's definitely from, you know, I'll speak from my perspective. He was the D-Line coach in New Orleans, my four years there.

And, you know, he was definitely, you know, intense. And he came from a college background, but it was what we needed. And it's what it really worked. Like guys like Trey obviously succeeded from him and, you know, Cam did really well with him, Cam Jordan. But yeah, he's definitely a guy that is he's smart. He's played. He's detailed. He's like the way he, funny story, he would have, we'd be on a Friday walkthrough or not Friday walkthrough, but Friday like Fast Friday. And he'd have the D-line come out with shoulder pads on for individual. And obviously there was some pushback. but it was good accurate five minutes an individual on Fridays

but he definitely brings the best out of his players and even when it's not you know exactly what you want to do you know it's the right thing to do. Damn, dude, that would have been some static. I think I liked him because I've always liked them just as a coach but old vet me

would have been grumpy as hell. I would have been like, what are we doing, dog? 100%. But Sean Payton, they say his camps were motherfuckers. Uh-huh. 100%. Yeah, it was way.

way harder than college. I played at Florida. One, it was hot. It was hard to shit in New Orleans. Yeah. And two, they were physical 9-on-7 every day, pads every day before the new CBA came out. The new CBA. You motherfuckers, Alex. Do you know, I'm like two CBAs ago, bro. Hey, hey, I'll never forget when they took away two a day. It was like two, three years into my career. I was like, oh my God, there's a whole generation of people who are never going to have to practice twice. Yeah, but you also got that signing bonus when you got drafted. We did.

We did. We did. We did. That's paying for some of this equipment in this home studio. Right. Yeah. So I just, who's a bigger hard ass like on the, is Dan take a lot of the Sean Payton with him in the program? Is there a lot of similarity in the way he runs the program or is it different?

I think it's a little different. I think Dan has his own flare on it. but I definitely see, like, idiosyncrasies in his team meetings and, you know, how he speaks to people and, like, you know, kind of like what I said and when to push buttons, when not to, when to call someone out in a team meeting, when not to. He gets a lot of that from Sean, I think, and, you know, but, yeah, there's some, like, same flavor as far as how he runs it, but also his own flare on it. Sean talks longer, though. And slower. I had Sean on this show. And I was like, oh, it's so cool.

Sean's going to do the show. And I was psyched. He was like, I'm driving across Louisiana. I'll call you in the phone. So there was no video he just called. Yeah. I was like, I need you for like, can I do like 30? He's like, we'll go as long as you want.

Hour and 50 later. We're still talking ball, dude. Yeah, I love him. If I were in a team meeting, not so much. No, yeah. I mean, sometimes you have to get in there for the team meeting. So good. All right. So I have a little tidbit about Dan. I was, I didn't tell a lien. Well, I told Alim, but he was like, what's that? This comes from one of Dan's friends who told me this, that when he was in a league, he used to go to Vegas and stay at a particular casino, supposedly very religiously. This is a rumor. If Dan hears this and he didn't really stay there, I blame somebody else. He stayed at the deb at the Excalibur. I don't even, I don't even know. Pull it up, dude. It looks like a castle. It's the, it's, it's. It's, it's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's.

the one casino that looks like a castle. It literally has, it's a little bit seedy, in my opinion. And he would go, he would go stay at the castle. Like, so his room was up in like a rampart. You know what I mean? Like, which is just perfect for me in my mind's eye as far as where a dang camp would want to party. I know, I know he used to get after. I know that for a fact. Oh, yeah, dude. A tight end from Texas A&M that played in the 90s? Right. Do you have a favorite Dan Campbell's story for people. My favorite was when it was a Saturday before we were in a way game. It's giving a speech, you know, not getting too fired up, but, you know, kind of getting

after a little bit in his speech. And his bottom tooth, I guess he has a cap or whatever, the fake tooth just flies out of his mouth, like in the middle of it. And he goes and proceeds to just like, no one says anything because it's like a serious speech. No, he doesn't break, he doesn't laugh and whatever. He just goes on the ground, picks it up, puts it back in, and just continues. And this is, I think it was in 2021 when it was his first year. Things weren't good.

The guy's fucking tooth. Did you see the Jets fan whose tooth flew out? Oh, no. You got to say, well, you were playing football. This is what I do now. I just, I'm on Twitter looking at the videos. But this Jets fan, it was in, it was raining. They were down by like 40 points this year.

And he went to yell at Zach Wilson or some shit, and his tooth just flew. It was a slow motion into the commercial break on CBS. So Dan Campbell lost a tooth. All right. Last thing. My green light team just went to Detroit for the draft and Bo Allen was out there. We had them mixing it up and the whole thing. Mom's spaghetti.

Have you been there? I haven't, but we've had it caterer at the facility. Okay. So I'm not going to expect you, especially with the catering thing to agree, but Bo thought it was very, very pedestrian. I mean, it may have been a great opportunity for my dog. You don't say anything. You don't have to say anything.

So give me your Detroit bucket list for anybody who's going to, if somebody's moving to Detroit for six months, what do they have to do? Well, I'd come in the summer, spring summer. You know, honestly, I don't go downtown Detroit a ton, but there are a ton of, like, really nice suburbs. You know, I live in Birmingham. You know, it's just like,

And I live a nice place in Florida, but there's honestly nothing that beats, you know, the trails, the wet, you know, like the forest, the flowers and everything in Michigan, you know, lakes. Nothing that beats it. It sounds like you're going to be calling Detroit home when you retire. Have we committed to living in Detroit after retirement? Yeah, that's probably if I get divorced. This isn't going to happen. All right, good. Alex Anzolone. Love watching you play, dude.

Pulling for y'all. Hope we get out to a game this year. I'll hope to see you out there, man. But good luck and hope you come back on again. Appreciate Chris. I'm doing this new thing, read, where I blow off all my fucking responsibilities. And I got to tell you,

it's the most empowering thing I've ever felt. You know, you work your whole life, and that's supposed to be empowering, having success, answering the bell. But sometimes you just got to be, I say, hey, fuck it. I want to shirk all my responsibilities for a period of about a month. And that's what I'm doing right now.

So today we're supposed to have a podcast. I said it's 88 degrees outside. I want to take my little brother out on the river. We'll worry about the podcast later. Plus, how many different ways can we talk about the NFL draft? It's over. We'll find more. Yeah, we'll find.

Yeah, we can always give love to the Denver Broncos draftees. One of the mailback questions I saw read was that there was a Broncos fan that was like, wondering if you could defend that draft. I know, and I did. I just responded to him. You know, I'm getting higher and higher on the Bo Nix pick. There's info out there on his, that he's like the number one rated in pocket passing and under pressure and not like all these metrics that are, that dive a little deeper. So, yeah, exactly.

So we'll see, we'll see what he looks like, you know, when he matches up against a mile high, Zach Wilson. I fell on the river today. My life flash before my eyes. There's just some things you can't do. Okay. How was it? Well, it's great until I forgot my speaker at which moment I started to almost cry because I can get a chance to listen to any of the River tunes.

It was just me and Kyle. I took Kyle out. Couldn't find anybody else that wanted to go. Imagine that. A lot of people work on Thursdays, but the whole new setup I have going on, which is the Paul Rudd way of existence, do less. Kyle was my only friend and pull up to the river. I don't have my speaker.

No big deal. Kyle said, let's listen to nature, shall we? We had some great convos, bro. I just, I love being with my brother. I will say when you pulled up outside the studio, you both had a, you both had massive smiles on your faces. And I don't think you could wait until you got down to the water. No, I asked, I was like, Kyle, I've got some of your shit in my car. Can I give it to you right now?

And he's like, no, later, we're leaving. I had all Kyle's items, the whole thing. It was fun. There wasn't anything to report back on. We just had a nice day on the river. So do we have good GoPro footage from today? I gave you a GoPro. I got 40 seconds of GoPro,

shot a helicopter that was probably looking for a body in the river that was like just, you know, hovering around us. And then Kyle and I started talking about some really deep shit in 30 minutes in. I was like, you know,

we should probably wipe this. I did, I got a text from Kyle saying, do not delete that GoPro footage. There's some great shit in there. You'll see it when you watch it. There's not great shit on that GoPro at all. All right.

So not to mail it in, but we are going to do a mailbag because I just don't have much else to say. We got Alex, Alex Anzolone. What more could you want? What more could you need? Not much. You spoiled fucks? I don't know if you saw this. I didn't.

But there is a big nude boat cruise. Yeah. The big nude boat will take travelers from Miami to the Caribbean on an 11-day adventure back to paradise. The website says, setting sail from February 3rd through Valentine's Day 2025. The trip offers a strict. stress-free and close-free experience during which up to 2,300 pastors can roam the ship in the nude while out at sea. So I want to know what, because we've talked about a teammate that you had a conversation with that you would go on naked and afraid with. But this is a whole different thing.

Who is somebody you would take on this cruise outside of your wife? Nick Foles. Bro, nobody's looking at me. It's like an invisibility cloak. walking around next to Nick Foles. Sir, you're leaving a tennis ball-sized divot everywhere you walk all through the galleys. People drowning, falling off the cruise ship

with some drunk frat kid falls in the ocean. Folls just, ooh! Bro, they're like, fuck, man, I'm trying to dock this ship. We're a little far from the dock. If only we had a jetway of some sort that was 27 feet long. My wife's not coming on the screws, right? No. Okay.

She didn't need to come home. Just you and a friend. No, okay. So what I was going to ask, though, in reality, is, or I could go with the, take one of those old linemen, make you look good. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. Make you look real good.

You know, it's funny because Michael Bennett and I always talk about, like, we were big fans of the show naked and afraid like huge fans of it and he's like legit intrigued by this show and he was like petitioning i think he was i don't know if he went as far as like his reps reached out to them but he was like bro you and me need to go on that show you'll meet to go on that show you'll meet to go on that show you want me to go on that show first off i would crush his skull with a rock day three because he's really good to get on my nerves what he wants too. But secondly, like, I don't think we'd be cool just hanging out naked like that. You know what I mean? Dudes in locker rooms are like, hey, put your meat away, man. That's why I wanted to ask or bring

this story up because I think this would be, you know, it's not just you two and one closed environment. You've got a boat and you've got, what, 2,298 other people you can interact with? Yeah. Yeah. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. I got it. Tom Brady. I don't really want to say. talk about Tom Brady's dick. Nick Foles Dick, that's okay, but Tom Brady, I feel is like a bridge too far. You know who I'd like to bring? Who? The Florida coach that swore up and down, he didn't fuck a shark.

But part of me is always like, maybe he fucked that shark. Jim, Jim McElwain. That's what happened to Jim McElwain. He looked like this guy that was on camera humping a shark. If you're at home, look up Jim McElwain's shark. It's not him, or so he says. And I think it's better for

recruiting that it's not. Saw your son play last night. Where is he? Where is he headed? He's headed at Gainesville to play for the shark fucker. Oh yeah. I heard he's a great coach. That would, see, that doesn't work.

It's better that he didn't fuck the shark. All right, this one from Durbin, what broadcaster, aside from Gus Johnson, would you want doing play-by-play on a home video? Bill Raffery. That you may have hidden away. Rafferty. Yeah, Rafferty.

I always fuck his name of Bill Raff. Onions. Well, no. Boom goes to dynamite. Colin Coward, just podcasting over it, just fucking doing a monologue over it. Pat McAfee standing over an orgy with a white feeder on. Some of the guys did the orgy repeat after him.

And then Mike Green popped in right at that moment and says, bang. Bang, dude. bang Chris Berman oh fast as three minutes uh

fastest 60 seconds what and whoop and whoo hiby brown like you have to love the agility on the scale hubby

hubby hubby would be any of the NBA people Doris Burke Avery Johnson I want to hear Avery Johnson call

a good old-fashioned BBW threesome. That would be, I think, get off the rails pretty quick. Mark Jackson. Mama there goes that, man. I think we've been here. I think we've literally talked about Mark Jackson calling

sex before. I'm looking up this Reddit thread. Where's Mark Jacksonism? A hero is more than just a sandwich. Did he really say, I'd hit it. out the park. No question with all due respect. Harrison Barnes is possessed by a demon. Three ball corner pocket. Someone asked what former athlete do we need to sign to the green light softball team? Pete Rose. Me and Pete Rose at the end of the bench, he'd be ripping my pen. He'd have

a white baseball hat on. He'd be like, oh, you like 1990s F series too? You know, we'd have a lot of in common. Like we just, I feel like we'd really hit it off. And then we'd bet the NBA, like the 730 game every 6 o'clock Tuesday night, you know, I'd be like, what do you like? And I want to be clear, I think this should be not for their playing abilities because we've got a pretty silent top ball team. This is just vibes. We need dugout vibes. We don't need Pete Rose. Maybe throw Frank Thomas in there for the all vibes theme. See, Pete Rose would be sent to the end of the bench. Passing out boner pills. He'd be sent. at the end of the bench charging Nate $25 for autographs.

Yeah, you've paid him $25. Kyle would be like, oh, Frank Thomas is here? I'm out. I read about that thing. Yeah. That thing. I read up on that thing a little bit. I don't think it's very good.

I don't want Pete Rose in the dugout. He's going to be watching Field One with a bunch of money on B&B Electric. He is, bro. He's going to be side bet in B&B Electric. For sure. Yeah, true. For sure. Michael Jordan, great baseball player.

He'd be calling all of us bitches. Call us bitches. He'd be flipping quarters to the corner, and he'd be holding that bat and smoking a cigar and said the real man's come out when you're down. Yeah, and you'd all fall in line because he's the true alpha. Yeah, oh, yeah. He would talk so much shit to our umpire, George,

a white guy from Boston. He would have George in a pretzel. Just shagging balls out there. Yeah, Jordan would be awesome. The University of Albany lacrosse team, they sing Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam is alive before every game. This came out the other day. They've been doing it like 10 years.

I know you talked about how you and Fletcher Cox would listen to Death Row before every game. What song would you play as a team that you could all sing if you knew the other team could hear it? So like to freak the other team out or like scare them, get them in a, you know, make them real nervous that you could all sing in unison. Alive. They're singing alive. They're singing Pearl Jam's alive. It's, I, I, I, I, how do the black guys feel about this? They don't have any black guys with their team? I just want to check with the brothers, man, because the brothers I know are not down with singing Pearl Jam in full uniform. Is that what they're saying? Yeah, literally right before the game.

Okay, no shade. I'm a huge Pearl Jam fan. Not that Pearl Jam's reach isn't cross-racial. And there is one brother on the U. Albany lacrosse team. Oh, that guy's, that guy. That's like, there's definitely an inside joke when that shit comes on. Everybody's like, come on, dude.

Have fun. Albany, fuck. The two top line items on the Albany sports website. webpage Albany football is going to be singing alive as a team and then in small print only black guy is transferred. Like I can't deal with that shit, dude. Right? Is anybody out there, you know, like nothing gets.

I love Pearl Jam. Oh, wow. Get out what's a sickness. That is kind of like a white anthem. It made me wonder what song is like the most associated with white people. I feel like it's all the small things. the song that's most associated with white people, that's a really good question.

Any hockey rink in America can sing all the small things. Oh, say, can you see? I'm not saying you're a racist if you sing the national anthem, but you might be if you do the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. Hey,

I'm going to roll up on one of these, like, biohacking, kind of like alt-right biohacking IG pages and they're like rewire your brain. Brush your teeth left-handed and recite the pledge of allegiance in front of the mirror every morning. Five tips to rewire your brain.

Two, by Donald Trump's book, unload your firearm in the air. It opens up your chakras when you get up in the morning. When you get up in the morning, the first thing we want to do is get sunlight, get your blood pumping, but that's the way we're hardwired. So I want you to get outside, look around for the closest vegan, and then beat the shit out of them, man.

I think we might have found another alter ego for you. Alt-right biohacking. Yeah. Alt-right biohacking is awesome, dude. That's Christopher Long. No, yeah, no, it's Chas Long.