Green Light with Chris Long - BOOMER! Chris Berman On The Bills, His Best NFL Stories & Championship Weekend Picks. Bourbon-Sipping Mailbag.

Episode Date: January 22, 2021

(02:00) - Welcome, North East End Zone Day in Philly and Retro-Shark Tank Binge Watching. (25:30) - Chris Berman on the Bills, His NFL Stories and Championship Weekend Picks. (1:30:00) - Bourbon-Infused Mailbag. Sign up for your DraftKings account at https://www.draftkings.com/sportsbook and use promo code : Greenlight 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. http://bit.ly/chalknetwork Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So you're walking underneath the stadium to get out to the field, and there's like a light hanging by a wire, you know, underneath the bowels of the stadium. Jim, hey, Chris. Hey, you know. Oh, there's Larry Little. And there's Nick Bonaconte. And I said to myself, 10 minutes before a kickoff, never forget.

Like, I. Happy Friday, everybody. Happy Friday? That's, see, you do that well. Thank you. Makin has trouble with that. Have you ever listened to the pod when he struggles with what to say

after I say happy Friday? No, I never picked up on it before. It's like a real challenging circumstance for our guy. Yeah. Macon will be back. Hopefully next week it's looking like. Taking a little hiatus here.

Sling an MLS. Yeah. Showing some property. Just showing property. He'll be back. Coach Wookiee is in studio with me. and we're going to talk a little bit of football today. But we'll mostly be bullshitting

because there is a tremendous interview that you're going to get a chance to listen to. I hope I didn't fuck it up. I mean, Chris Berman. You're thinking baseball. I'm thinking fastest two minutes in sports. Amazing. Iconic old school sports center.

Like, yeah, when we're older and we're telling our grand kids about, you know, what it was like growing up as a sports fan in the 90s and the 2000s. That's going to be that name. Yeah. You're going to be like, man, if you could have been here to hear Chris Berman do the fastest two minutes. They used to have these things called highlights.

You know, you know, that's like literally because when you wait until the interview, you guys will hear this. I mean, him describing the difference in the functionality of a highlight reel in the late 80s to now. I mean, when you think about it, a lot of people are seeing those highlights

for the first time. And a guy that's synonymous with football highlights, Chris Berman. So got to hear from him for a while. He's also a Bills fan. So plenty to talk about,

including what he thinks about the Brady Belichick legacy conversation. And the drama that we saw unfold this week? Or the lack thereof, the made-up drama? Yeah. No, I mean, like,

I just everybody was using this year as you know this this outstanding barometer of where where we land on who did it up in New England when that's impossible to figure out it never will be possible to figure out we'll be able to tell we will be able to make determinations on you know how Bill handles this situation how Tom handles his situation

but you'll never know who it was who was the chicken who was the egg Well, I mean, it's the only thing I can think of. We also talk about that. So stick around for that. Legitimately, I don't want to overhype this thing, but one of the best interviews I think we've ever had. Yeah, you were excited about him.

Yeah, he's just, I could listen to him and tell stories for a while. And a really, really good dude. I do want to get the Draft Kings picks in. We didn't do a gambling show this week because there's so little to talk about, I mean, there's a lot to talk about football-wise, but there's only a couple numbers here. Tampa at this point getting three and a half. I got on it at four.

So you know I'm on Tampa there. Although I didn't take into account that like, I wouldn't even looking at the weather because I think Brady will be fine in the weather. Last week I got burnt with the weather, took the over real early in the Buffalo. You're talking about the wind in Buffalo? Yes, I'm talking about those giant 70 foot flags

that were just reminding me the entire game that I should just wait till Sunday to look at the, totals. And I'm doing that with this game, but the total right now is 51.5. Talking about snow up there, I don't want to make it as big a deal as you might think like Florida team, you know, Brady, I mean, Brady spent his entire year or career in New England. And news flash, a lot of the players on the Green Bay Packers didn't grow up in Wisconsin. So snow is a fucking problem for everybody. Well, and then Sanchez was on last week talking about how snow is not as bad as like rain and other things like that.

Squanch made a great point there. I mean, like wind, rain. He said it was good for offense. It is good for offense. So you might want to look at the over. If you like overs, you should like snow. Yes. And you might get some snow this weekend.

51.5. I would be like, I'm a little tentative I'd probably take the under, but I might just stay away. Buffalo, getting three points. Buffalo, getting three points. I'm on both dogs this week. I am. It doesn't feel so, you know, it's funny.

It's like somebody's got to be the dog in these games, but these games feel like toss-ups to me. Straight up. They really do. And, you know, the only thing that you could check in the column of there might be a blowout, honestly, would be that first meeting between the bucks and the Packers. And I think things will be different in favor of the Packers,

even though the Bucks got better. I just think the Packers were better than they showed that day. Fair. and I think that'll be a good football game, but Buffalo, Kansas City, part two this year will be much more competitive. Coming down to the wire, I like Buffalo to win outright, actually.

I like Buffalo to win outright. And the total's 54. I think it makes sense to take the over here. I think it makes sense. So, yeah, I would take Buffalo, and I'd take the over there. And again, Tampa, I got them at plus four. I would take them at plus three and a half. I might buy to four, but like whatever,

it depends on how you feel about doing shit like that. And I'd probably lean under, but if it snows, Stanford Steve's dad says, overs. Overs. That's what Stanford Steve grew up hearing from Pops. Was, snow's good for the offense. I kind of agree there.

I think that's a provocative argument. I also wanna wish everybody in Philly a happy Northeast end zone day. Four men on the rush. Canem throw. Robinson back the other way looking for a block gets it Robinson for the touchdown. Yes, I've been watching those clips all day. Yeah, so I woke up this morning in a daze and roll over usually check the phone,

which is incredibly toxic to check your phone. Like first thing you do when you wake up, but I do it. What did the internet vomit over the course of the last six hours? Like, you know, 2020 it was like, we had a lot go down yesterday. You couldn't turn your phone off for an hour. Somebody died. You know, something blew up. You know, some terrible hate group emerged.

Some terrible hate group emerged represented in the federal government, you know, like stuff like that. There was a lot. Yeah. So I just got conditions checking my phone. A bunch of mentions. Hey, this happened three years ago today. The Patrick Robinson picked six.

Moderately successful podcaster pressured the quarterback, hit the quarterback, ball flutters in the air. Pat Robinson circus return. Ronald Darby absolutely just decleaded gave himself up for the cause and into the northeast end zone Patrick Robinson went

and Nigel Bradham beating the shit out of him like punching him in the end like that tunnel the security guys celebrating like just a sea of people flailing around say it was a lot of things ever been bro

and I get like damn near goosebumps thinking about it every time and I can hear Joe Buck's call and people don't like Joe Buck but I love Joe Buck as you know if you listen to the program Joe's a great guy and you know if you just get over the fact that you think he hates your baseball team he doesn't like fuck who even though like you guys are watching baseball no offense to

but like Joe Buck crushed it you know like in my mind I can hear it I can hear on the microphone on the TV copy the roar as the ball snapped and then I can hear somebody on the sideline when it's picked going yeah like go back and listen to it I don't know who it is I want to find that motherfucker whoever you are

you will live forever yeah and um and then Joe Buck looking for a block gets it yeah sort of like that happened three years ago today and it's pretty cool to be a part of the play what would be really cool if we get this Northeast End Zone Day started that's where the party went down.

And I just think every year, if we're going to be posting these videos, it's just be called Northeast End Zone Day. I like it. Groundhog Day? Yeah. Northeast End Zone Day? That game was just, that was an epic game.

Because it was like Minnesota was putting up big numbers. Everyone was kind of like, how's Nick going to do? Dude, I swear I got it, like, it was going all bad for everybody. The first touchdown, I feel like literally just all the life was out of that stadium. And that, they were good too. Like, we were worried about that game. Like, you know, like, not until we got there and they played meek on the loudspeakers and everybody flipped shit.

And then you were like, we'll be fine. We're going to be all right. But after that drive, though, for a second, you were like, maybe we're not going to be all right. It's just special night, man. And so Northeast Endzone Day. I don't even know what the date is today. What is the date? January 21st.

Cowboy Reed. He's on it. Got the calendar and shit. He's on it. Yeah, Groundhog Day is coming up, though. Keep that on the radar. You know, I hope you didn't get too spent celebrating Northeast Endzone Day. Everybody who's not on a little heat map from Philly is probably rolling their eyes.

Well, I don't give a shit. There's a lot of people in Philadelphia listen to this podcast. So, you know, spent three minutes on. on the Eagles. Anyways, I told you about the thing last night. I told you a little bit about how excited I got over Shark Tank. Yeah.

Like, there was a time on Southwest when you got free TV and everybody made a big ad about it. Yeah. Shark Tank was always part of the free TV. So for like the better part of like three years of business life, it was just Shark Tank on every flight. It's actually TV that, it makes no sense because out of all the mindless TV there is,

It should actually not be free compared to the other shit. I think it's brilliant. Like the fireman who invented the thing that puts a tree fire out as soon. It's the number one. I don't know if you feel this way, but I don't watch a lot of TV on purpose, non-football TV. Okay.

You know, unless there's a show that I'm watching, like, unless it's like a series or a game, I'm not watching shit. Right. I will accidentally watch Shark Tank for two hours. It's so good. Number one most accidentally watched TV show. And I get mad if Shark Tank doesn't continue.

Like I'm used to Shark Tank marathons. Yeah, yeah. Like one after another after another. No, you can't watch 26 minutes of Shark Tank. And sometimes it'll be like, I'll catch it right when the marathon ends or whatever. And it's something else. And I'm actually, I feel very let down. By the way, what are we drinking here?

Angels envy. That was my gift to the pod today. So Angel's envy sounds not. not like whiskey. But it is. It's very good. It's got like a 98 on the score. I made a joke about it when we were drinking the Mexican beer.

You did. You brought it up. I did. And it didn't occur to me at that time that it sounds like a like a, like a, like a, like a, like a, like a, like a, like a loob that you buy at CVS. But it's actually really good whiskey. It's very good. That was my gift to the pod today.

Well, thanks. And these are nice glasses. Stolen from downstairs. People were saying that they really like the taste test stuff. Yeah. So we got to drink more alcohol. for work. I'm here for all that.

And work, work, work, work. Yeah. Work, work, pay the bills. So, like, basically, we're going to tell you how Angels envy tastes. Amazing. Oh, so you've already had your glass. Oh, I've been working the whole time over here. Oh, it's gone.

Yeah, sorry about that. No, it's okay. I'm not really. You were talking about, you were on a roll and I just, I was thirsty. It is Thursday. Thursday. Thursdays. If you have a, if you have a problem,

them like whatever day it is you're like it is Tuesday well the best one i heard lately was uh if you thought 2020 was bad she just turned 21 oh man you like that and then there's the other one which is why wait last year it was why wait till 5 p.m it's 20 20 everywhere i actually drank less last year than probably any year of my life really outside of childhood years yeah because i was quarantine bro who wants a hangover in quarantine i don't know you want to want that? I did that a couple of times. You liked that? I didn't necessarily like it, but I did that a couple of times. I don't need that. I don't need to be evaluated with a hangover, you know, by my lovely wife. I don't need, I, I can't be at my half best to get my work

done at home. Um, okay, so let me take a sip of this thing, Angels envy. Let's see. First off, it smells like, it smells like whiskey. Yeah, it's good. Okay, it's bourbon because it's from Kentucky just to be official. That's sweet. It's good, isn't it? Yeah. I know. This shit is smooth.

I know. You know, all these, you know, all these years. You were just shooting it to get it down. All these dudes, all these years, um, dudes and vests were telling me about bourbon sipping and like, oh, is that a good sipping bourbon? You know, like, yeah. The dude and the flannel with the vest over it and the cacketka. beard and all that yeah yeah with his hands in his pockets right i'm describing reed it's okay

reed do you like sipping bourbon i actually do like bourbon and i love bourbon i do but i just never like thought about it like i don't i don't just sit around and drink like one glass to be like i might get into that shit i see it's good i can see why the angels are jealous exactly you know Yeah, I got wings on and everything. Man, can I sip it like again? Of course. There's no judging on the podcast. What's the rule though when you're into sipping bourbons?

You know, like guys, when guys did that, I was like, I'm like a child or something. I need to grow up. The dudes are sipping bourbons. So I think there's like this whole, there's like this whole class system to it, right? Where it's like you bring the good bourbon to your good friends. Yeah. And if like some schmo comes over and he's like looking at your bar, you're like, you want to hide the good stuff and let him have the other stuff. I mean, maybe I'm just a small, shallow person, but that's how I roll.

I save the good stuff for good times. Well, I don't fucking, I don't care about talking about Shark Tank now. I just want to drink this bourbon. I want to sip it. I do want to do this thing in the off season. I'm obsessed with watching retro Shark Tank's. Last night, edible, couch. Sounds like every night.

One thing was different though. Watch TV for a while. Shark Tank was on. Like I said, accidentally, like really into it, like belly laughing at some parts. Like,

I don't belly laugh at anything a lot. This woman came on. And by the way, this is like 2007 Shark Tank whenever it started. With the original core. This is season one, season two, bro. Nice.

What's the guy's name, Harrington? Kevin Harrington, okay? You remember Kevin Harrington? he's the guy with a little spiky hair. He was the guy who invented the infomercial. No.

Dude, when you invent a thing that rich people use to get richer, epic rich. Fucking guy is printing money. He invented the infomercial. Like his Wikipedia says that like on the first line, in quotes, info commercial. I didn't know you could even invent something like that. He invented it.

And he was on Shark Tank and somebody joked when I tweeted about it last night. They were like, yeah, I think I put the over under at the times Kevin Harrington's invested in season one and two at like two and a half. Yeah. Like he barely ever makes a move. He just basically sits there and criticizes people. And when you close your eyes, Kevin Harrington, he has a thick Cincinnati accent. Okay.

I can actually hear a football coach. And the crazy thing about it is when you open your eyes, it still looks like a football coach. Like Kevin Harrington is supposed to be a football coach. Guy cracks me up. Woman came on last night. Who's the other guy? You said Kevin O'Leary? Yeah.

A couple Kevin's on there. Yeah. O'Leary's the, what are they called? Ball guy. Mr. Money or whatever. Yeah, he's a jerk. Yeah. He's kind of a jerk.

He told a lady that if you were at my company, I would, I think he said he would water border, essentially. He said this on Shark Tank. He was like, if you were at my company, I would pour a bunch of water on you and I'd get the cattle prodder out. I was like, yo, what year is this, dude? I was like, Kevin.

Yeah. Holy shit, dude. He was always harsh. I got to go back and look at one and two. The shark tank in 2007 was the Wild West, bro. So Cuban was not on then? I don't think Cuban was on last night in that one I was sure. Was the Lauren,

was the blonde infomercial guy. Yeah. But then the guy is the realist. Okay. I got to go back and check that cast. It's a totally different ballgame, dude. Okay. It's and like I said, they had a woman on there.

I said turkey baster earlier. I had turkey baster on the brain because this woman had a turkey baster that was so important to her that she had been making out of her home. Brought it in the whole nine yards. Three minutes into the fucking presentation, they asked her, what's your manufacturing cost? I don't know. I'm like, lady, you're on Shark Tank. But what was so special about the turkey baster?

I don't remember. All I remember was that she did not remember how much it cost to make said turkey baster. I like it when they fudge their sales numbers. There's so much that they get them on the sales numbers, the pipeline. I'm just so dumbfounded by like some of that stuff, okay. But you're right. She doesn't know how much it costs to make. She's presumably known she was going to be on Shark Tank for quite a while.

So she doesn't know what profit looks like. She also didn't anticipate that they would ask her that on national TV. That's a tough one. Like, dude, you've been walking around for a month telling. What was she asking them for? All I remember was that she. $500,000. Listen, after she did not remember the manufacturing costs,

a lady, everything you're saying after this, you sound like Charlie Brown's teacher to me. Bye, bye. And literally, there was a point in the show where she goes, this is the most important.

This is like Kevin, this is like the birth of my children. Excuse me? Even you know what that cost. You had to pay that bill. Excuse me? Your kids are watching now in 2020 like college age kids. The turkey baster took priority.

Well, mom, you didn't know what the fucking manufacturing costs were? Good Lord. I mean, you went on, you probably told people about, hey, I'm going on Shark Tank. I'm going on Shark Tank. This, that, and the third. Hey, TiVo this shit, because it was like 2007. And you had to wear with all. to tell all these people about you going on Shark Tank,

but you didn't stop to think how much it costs to make your turkey vaster. It's wild. And I love the discomfort of people having to act like they're still considering investing once they've already seen it bomb in the first two minutes. Yeah. Like that... You know what I mean?

It's bad. It's a bad, good show, dude. Yeah, so we might do in the off season, we might do some watches. like I have some guests, right? It's so fun. Just have some guests in and shit. Oh, it's so fun.

All right, so without further ado, got to get to Chris Berman. When Chris and I did this interview earlier today before I met Angel, Angel, we didn't know about the Ted Thompson thing. So Ted Thompson passed away today. One of the most iconic GMs of his general you know, drafted Aaron Rogers and far too.

Yeah, great drafter. Far too young man, his health has been declining for a couple years now. So, you know, it's still really tough. Even though maybe some people close to him knew it was coming, you get the idea that people are still crushed. Like what a great guy he was, all the anecdotes. Especially with that fan base.

Yeah, it's like a family. It's like, yeah, it's like a, yeah. So tough, tough day for Packers fans. And on top of it this weekend, that just adds another element of, you know, guys play with inspiration. It's funny, you talk about, and I am somebody who says,

like there's no such thing as playing north of 100%. But so often we acknowledge that there are certain factors that can lift a team. Yeah. You know, like there are factors that can knock them down to, You know, and a lot of times, you know, loss can elevate somebody's game. And I'm sure Aaron Rogers is, he drafted Aaron, didn't he drafted Aaron? And I'm sure it's heavy on his mind.

And it's a lot to play with. I'm positive. But for that organization, it's another reason for them to really want to win this football game. As cliche as that sounds, it really does, that can rock a building when somebody that respected passes away. or I'll never forget Tori Smith playing the day after his brother died in an accident for the Ravens.

It was a night game and I want to say it was Monday night and he had an amazing game. And I just think about just the different ways people deal with tough situations like that. I mean there's just no there's no slam dunk answer and I know a lot of people in an organization are probably affected. So rest and peace.

Ted Thompson, amazing GM, certainly somebody that's synonymous with this generation of the Packers remaining relevant and successful. And by all accounts, a great man. We'll hear a lot more stories, I'm sure, over the next week. And I bet Boomer had some good Ted Thompson stories, but literally the news broke while we were on the line.

But let's get Boom on, and then we get a quick mailbag on the way out. This is a treat. This is a guy I've known for a long time. he used to see me running around the pool at the Hilton in Hawaii sipping virgin peanut colatas. You know him as Boomer. You know him as Chris Berman.

I know him as somebody I used to stay up late after I played games to see if we'd make the highlight real with him and Tom Jackson. Chris, how we doing, man? Hi, Chris. Nice to talk with you. Yeah, we met when you were eight probably. And, you know, I said, you know, that's a well-behaved. young man here at the Pro Bowl.

And then again, I looked at it, he better be well-behaved or he ain't going to have a show. Yeah, I knew you long before you were a first-round draft pick. I'll tell you that. Absolutely. And we've had a few beers like at some of these events that now I'm missing with everything

going on. I can't wait until the world gets back to normal one day. We can have a cold one again and reminisce. But like, I've talked to you about this. When I was in St. Louis, we were bad. and I used to stay up till like one in the morning after games to see if we'd make the tail end of NFL prime time. And it would be two Stephen Jackson runs and y'all would get out and I appreciate it every second.

You were trying, but it's hard to run the, hard to rush the passer when they're up by 17. You're damn right, Chris. You're damn right. So, yeah, when it comes to prime time and everything and you've done all types of stuff that if you're my age, you're 35. if you're 40, if you're a dude that grew up watching sports, like, you know, I know you're humble about it, but you're a voice of so many people's childhoods when it comes to sports, whether it was a home run derby

or, you know, calling a Monday night game or doing, you know, prime time, which I've talked about at length. But when it started out for you, the fastest two minutes in football, your kind of two-minute rapid fire, what just went on, what the hell happened today? Was it always like that from the beginning? What did the first highlight reel you ever read sound like? And how hard was it to get to where you are today?

Shorten up the 80s, which is when ESPN and cable were just starting, and I was in my 20s, and, you know, I was just like you were at eight years old, the Pro Bowl. And so we weren't doing the NFL, although eight years in, 1987, we got the NFL. So if I fast forward to that, all right, I was doing, Sports centers every night, Chris did back then, 1130, 2.30, which would home in Connecticut in snow at 4 in the morning, obviously. But that's not the deal.

The highlight part, look, when we first began hard for you, and certainly a lot of your listeners to understand this, Chris, is that not all the games were on. So I'm saying, let's say it's baseball. Okay, let's say it's baseball, that not every team was on Tuesday night in the Seattle in Kansas. So any highlight we could get our hands on was like gold, right? And we cut a two and a half minute highlight of the Padres and the Giants. Prime time, the beauty of that show, when it started in 87, this of course was up. You only saw three games. You didn't get, you didn't see Seahawks at Chargers. You didn't see that. So this show, I realized I was doing, and we and Tom were people that

they never saw the game. They heard through three touchdown. They didn't see it. They heard the what, but they didn't see the how. Yeah. Right. I heard you tell a story. It was like on the Buffalo radio about how a Buffalo fan or Buffalo fans would come up and say there was like a playoff game that was blacked out.

Or something to that effect. Yes, that was the famous one. The, that was the famous one, the Frank Bright comeback. That was the story. Oh, that was the Frank comeback? Yes. Because it was a playoff game that they didn't know they would be stays during Christmas week to sell, and the stadium was like 80.

And it's Buffalo. And they love the bills, but 72 hours to go. So essentially during Christmas, that's a four or five-day window. I think the game was a Saturday. Right. They had like no time, 72 hours black. So even we're showing it to the loyal fans for the first time. So you owed it to them not only give me the six.

yard play, give me third and four in the snow, one first down shot, and we showed it. Highlights were more of a, I don't want to say a service, Chris, but a, look, we understand that football fans are thirsty. I don't know what happened in the Arizona. Colomax through 350 yards. Show me. Yeah. You know, even though I could care less about that much from, we felt like we were bringing

to life. if they wanted to. That was, and that's how you watched, certainly early on, prime time. You got the three games in your market, and that was the end of it, right? Absolutely, and I can remember, like, I was a Panthers fan when I was a kid, but, like, luckily, when I was 10 years old and the Panthers became an expansion team, like, not soon after, or soon after was, like, Sunday ticket and that sort of thing. And, like, you could get all the games.

But my dad used to describe to me literally, guys walking off the field in tight races within the division or in the conference and having to make like landline phone calls to find out who won elsewhere. Sounds like the dark ages, but it's like insane. Your dad and I are that old. Not your mom. Not your mom, not mom, but your dad or not. But like legitimately, you know, we get on planes now,

and I was talking about this on a couple weeks ago, can you imagine being the dolphins week 17 this year after taking a whoopin from your bills hopping on a plane and juxtaposed to a team in the 80s that was dependent on another team winning and turning on a TV on the back of the headrest in front of you and watching indie almost loose to the Jags it's almost like you'd rather not have that on the TV on the flight home

but but these are the scenarios that like were commonplace in my NFL and talking to my dad, it was just so different. I mean, get on a plane. You might as well be in outer space, and you don't know what happened, and you've got to get home, and you've got to make a phone call. So it's so interesting.

Where were you that? You were obviously working, but the Frank Wright comeback had to be great to call in some capacity, whether it was a highlight or not. You love this story often. So Tommy and I and the crew in like a war room, right, where we watch the games. Of course, it's the only game.

I think that was the first game of the whole weekend. And I want to say it's Saturday, 1 o'clock or 12, 30, whatever, not important. It looked early. It looked early in the highlights. Yeah, yeah, and it was a Saturday. So usually when there's 12 or 14 games being played, we've got a bunch of people watching the games, right? But it's the playoffs, and we've done our morning show,

and now we're all in there watching. It kicked off for 35 to 3. You know, I have some things I've got to take before the next game, right? So 3517, about three people came back in the room. 24. Now we had all... And I'm going back to the Zoom. And you had to be ecstatic

reading that highlight, but I'm sure you've read some highlights where it was probably hard to hide your disappointment at times after game. Of course. But, yeah, but at the same point, somebody would beat the team, you know, in your heart.

You don't change what you say or what you see. Right. Some people do. I never have. I mean, I've rarely been accused of it. Oh, you want to pick in the, bills again, okay, fine. It's almost like, of course, it's like, not a joke,

but it's an old... It's an old thing. Come on now, you know what this is, where San Francisco's playing Dallas in the 80s. I mean, or the 9th, like, who do you think? I remember doing picks, and a pick that will surprise no one. I picked the 49ers to beat the kid.

But I never really heard from Cowboy Faye. So in other words, when you're doing a highlight, there are fans of both teams watching it. So that can't change what you say and your observations. That's not fair to anybody. I never, well, the reps through 18 fly, they shouldn't have to know. That team was better.

They won enough. Because everybody has teams anyway. Anybody watching, rooting for a team as long as you're not a jerk. And I think you'd find, I don't know if you could back me up on this, and maybe things were different back in the 80s and 90s, but if you had a former player working in TV, I think fans often assume that we're like fanatics of our former teams when really a lot of times we root for the guys we played with.

It's not even about being fanatical about a team. You played six, seven, eight years with, especially nowadays with free agency and the way things have changed. So, like, if you see a guy on TV, chances are he'd like his team to win, but he's not a diehard. Like, he didn't grow up a Bill's fan like maybe you did. So it's just an interesting dynamic trying to do your job,

but having such a rooting interest, and I think you pulled that off for a long time now. How about this Philip Rivers stuff, man? You know, he finished playing pretty well this past year. I mean, certainly he could have kept going. You could make an argument that he held them back a little bit. But when you look back at his career, you know, consecutive starts, durability, the ACL game, fifth in yards and touchdowns,

all the folklore. Is he a Hall of Famer the way you look at it? I just read something this morning saying when we asked that question. It was kind of an online thing. I got to think about it, because I'm not as big on, though.

That's exactly what I said. If we go to that context, I believe so. What I like about Philip to go back a little, MC there, but I, of course, this is a move. Part of me, these playoffs to say, you know, Philip River's going to play Drew Breeze, because I think they're both going to retire. That would have been really good.

That's a storybook, especially in 2020, the way the year went. I mean, that would have been cool. Philip never missed a start with the charges, right? And on the ACL and in New England, when it was like 10 degrees, and his last game with the Colts up there at Buffalo, he threw the ball great, Chris, didn't he? He did. He threw the ball while he missed a couple, but, I mean, like, golly, they, they, went toe to toe with those guys.

They really moved the ball all up and down the field. They just couldn't capitalize in certain high red opportunities. So I just, he played at a high level even to the end. I mean, sure, once some throws back here or there, but the guy's almost 40 years old. He was 40 years old, right, this year? Throwing the ball around the yard. He's got nine kids. That would make you about 80 years old, right?

Yeah, in dog years, yeah. I just, I would say so, too, because, like, there's literally a precedent for this. I know you got to take it into context with Dan Fouts and the fact that it wasn't as much of a passing league and he was like a big part of his role was important whether or not he won a Super Bowl or not and we're judging quarterbacks differently and all that. But I got to believe

he gets in eventually. If not for just the production on the field, but also the folklore aspect of it, man. This guy is he's an icon. I mean, when I think about watching football and watching your highlight, how many fourth quarter comebacks that succeeded or failed

did you read through over the years that everybody was glued to in that four o'clock spot right? I mean Philip Rivers and a four o'clock dramatic finish those two are synonymous the sun going down, Phil scrambling around trying to make up a 10 point deficit sometimes throwing the pick sometimes

completing the comeback but I mean we saw so many of those and I just feel like coupling that with the production it's okay to say the Hall of Fame is sometimes also about fame. And look, I'm not necessarily saying, I'm just kidding, I mean, Dan Founds are great. I mean, I didn't want to be all that didn't, that certainly shouldn't eliminate them.

Now, as far as Philip goes, you having played for a team that's now, you know, what, four years out of St. Louis, right? I mean, I know you went up and played other places and won Super Bowl rings for having you, and the contributions, et cetera, Lewis Rams. Now, it's weird that there aren't any, but you may have another one or fame from those teams.

and then the door closes. You're right. You're absolutely right. So Philip, tearing down the Murfers with just mantling, you know, Jack Murphy Stadium where they played. And it was, it hit me that this is really, again,

like it was, even though they haven't been there for three. Yeah. You know, and they were there a lot longer than the Rams were in St. Louis. So it's, but if he gets in the Hall of Fame,

what we will wear, like I did for L.T. But like a blue. I think you could pull it off. I'll have a charger call. Boom. You roll up in a conversion van with a light blue suit and a bolot tie. That's what you do that day.

And it's coming. I think our guy's going to get in. So, I mean, needless to say, so many great memories, do you have one that sticks out when it comes to Philip on the field? Tough losses that they had. I brought up when he, you know, two of his playoff wins, I think he ended up, Chris, this is off the top of my head. and seven, like, you know, because they got in a lot, won a game and then got beat, right?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was in that one championship game, but they had great records and got out there. But I remember him twice, but then I'll say something else. I remember him twice. I said, you know, two of those wins were against Peyton Manning, and one of them, I want to say is when they were eight and eight. Maybe they were nine and seven, but I think they won the West, and Peyton was a wild card. because the mayor was in the division. Yes.

Yeah, they were four in eight, boom. They were four in eight. They won four straight to go eight and eight, and then they beat Manning. Yes. And yeah, you should. You won the division. I'm fine with that rule, by the way. Because that means the team with the better record, we're getting off on a tangent.

If you can't beat an eight-n-eight team, then you're not going anywhere anyway. Exactly. And they went into Indy and won another one. But I'll give you one other. I'm very close with Andy Reid, which makes... You know, this Chief's Bill's game very difficult for me. I mean, Andy and I are very close, you know. And as a Chief's coach, twice every year, obviously.

Hear him the week of a game, they were game with me or give him a clip, but he goes, I like Rivers privately with me. So all I needed to know. Yeah. All I need. Yeah, respect. He's got it from everybody around the league. Whether or not you think he needs to don the gold jacket.

I mean, if you played against him, you love playing against them, and you respect the hell of him. I don't think I've ever heard a teammate. say a bad word about Philip Rivers. So happy trails to him. You mentioned... You would have loved to be his teammate, huh? That would have been pretty cool.

I would have loved to be his teammate because one of my good friends, John Phillips, who was a roommate of mine, he was a blocking tight end, played in Dallas, and played in San Diego. I remember. Yeah, but he was behind Gatesy there. And so, like, it was, you know, the stories about how competitive he was.

Like, you know, there's a lot of guys in the league that we build up these caricatures of them, and they might not be that person in real life. Philip Rivers seems to be the genuine article although he did cuss once at me on the field, Chris. That's all right.

Well, you know the thing where he never cussed in his life. That's bullshit, as I would put it. He cussed to be one time. So the MRF, you mentioned the MRF going down, right? How about these old stadiums, man? I look up at the field up there in Orchard Park, which is now what, new era field, or have they changed the I don't know.

Yeah, it's like every year. Yes. But I loved playing in big concrete. Well, a lot of times they weren't as big. They were like cozy concrete buildings. That one, Candlestick for me was like Kevin to play at, even though it was so junky. I love the old stadiums. They're going away.

If you could bring one back, which one would it be? Farther, of course, Candlestick has very special memories for me, in addition to my baseball team is San Francisco Giants with Willie Mays. I'm old enough. You know, so I mean, that's my, but I'm going to give you, and as far as, and now, the reason I say that, yeah, the Dolphins' perfect season now, compared to the L.A. Stadium or the Vegas or Jerry World. It's another life.

But to your point, there was something special. I was fortunate enough that there for Monday night games a year, even though on my Sundays are about 16 hours, and I'd fly day. of and have a tough time completing sentences at midnight when the game was over. But by the way, A, Miami was always good, and they always had a good December Monday night game. I said, you know what? I think I should go cover that one Miami. I'm smarter than I look, Chris.

But the games were great, including that one with the Bears, when they're the only team to beat the Bears in 85. And I will never forget it. And that's why I say the Orange Bowl. So you're walking underneath the stadium to get out to the field. and there's like a light hanging like by a wire, you know, underneath the bowels of the state. You get out there. This is a football game. Two other rickety ones.

I only was in Mile High, the original one, a couple of people. Yeah. I heard another one, Happy Stadium. I was in there for a couple of championship games in the early championship games both years. The stands moved, Chris. I don't mean like the upper deck, but I mean the stands on the bottom of all. Listen, you cannot, I don't care. I love the Death Star out there in Vegas.

You know, some of these newer stadiums, I think they're big swings and misses, and I love grass. You said grass, like, that's how football should be played on grass. So I'm glad that I play when I did, because if I played 10 years from now, I bet you wouldn't be able to find a grass field. No. You know, and I got that same feeling when you walked out in an old field, an old stadium, it was like you felt all the energy of everything that had been stored in that building for all those years.

And, you know, it's just the history. Yeah. Right? I mean. You can't get that now. And boom, actually, I played in the last game at the Orange Bowl. I played in the third. Yeah, I played in the third to last game at Candlestick.

The last one was that Atlanta game, which was a wild Monday night game, if I remember correctly. I was at it. Yeah, it was wild. There was something having to do. Did Bowman get hurt that night? No, Bowman. No.

A big 100 yard. He scored the last touchdown. 100 yards. He scored the last touchdown for the 49ers at pick six. Very good. Yeah. Yep. Okay. So the brains were in.

Yeah, I got a decent football. But the Orange Bowl, 2007, Virginia football, going down to play Miami, we close the thing out. They had, you know, like kind of that big, because it wasn't the same anymore. Like Miami football had taken a real dive and they're still diving. But you walked in that. stadium and for one night it felt like the who's who was back you know like every player you knew from miami back in the day was on the sidelines the rock did the coin toss who by the way wasn't that big at

that time and uh and then we beat him 48 nothing Chris beat him 48 nothing so what am I proudest my proudest nights was closing that building out also getting a chance to go back and play the Rams when I was with the Eagles at the Coliseum and seeing that same flame, which they should have brought over to the new stadium. That flame, I was just mystified by it. I was like, my dad used to look at this thing. You know, it's just the energy in these buildings is going away. Let me give you one.

My favorite orange ball story. And again, I'm not even most of my, look, I do Sundays in the studio. So I'm not at games like I used to do 30 baseball games a year. I'm not at that many football games. I'm at Super Bowl's in the year's game, which is still the most memorable, still the highest rate of Monday night game of all time. It's broken because the way TV and everything is now plus. So the Bears are 12 and 0.

The Dolphins were at one loss, two, or whatever it was. Bull shuffle, blah, you come out. So I described halfway coming out under the field. And warm-ups, we're to mine, both teams, blah, blah, blah. A lot easier back then, huh? Yeah, well, I mean, you wouldn't surprise them, but you'd arrange it. And I tell you, who always did an interview with me, you know. But that's neither here nor there, Chris.

I mean, that's only conchula. But he, and he liked me for whatever reason. I fooled him, friends, and something to eat, and that's why I was going to there. There's Jim Tick. Hey, Jim, hey, Chris. Hey, hey, you know. Oh, there's Larry Little. And there's Nick Bonacanti.

And, by the way, friends of all my, you know, and some of myself. 10 minutes or four kickup. None. Never forget it. Like, I get it. It's as if there aren't enough people watching the game anyways. If I see somebody who was great, and I respect, walking the sideline, you're going 100 and whatever, five, whatever you think the ceiling is.

But there's always an extra 1 or 2%. You just can't manufacture it on your own. And situations like that, you know, walking out on the field where there's kind of that smoky haze because there was a bunch of pyrotechnics that just went off, it's all the same feeling, right? The camera flashes, the haze, the seeing greats walking up and down, like, how about the last Super Bowl that I was at? I was on the sideline, and it was the red jacket game. So there's dudes walking around that are like living legends at this last Super Bowl. You know, when Bill was on the field with his red jacket, you know, L.T., just a whole John Randall, like all

these guys and we were up in the suite, that's like, that's when you know it's a big situation. My whole career, I played in situations like, you know, the ones where we're trying to just make NFL prime time, the last couple were pretty cool. So how about this weekend? You've got Brady and Rogers, who needs it more for their legacy? I'm not really into the legacy thing, but I think if Rogers wins two, he usurps anybody with two rings at that position. Barring injury, five. If he wins, it's not only two, it's ten years apart, Chris. Yep. Now, you paid in one in zero six and in fifteen. Very few others. And, you know, I'm going to win ten years apart and be the reason, which he would be, for his legacy. Now, legacy is it?

It's an overplayed word. I'm glad you think that way. You guys played four years ago. Is he a Hall of Famer? Would you stop? Stop. Yeah, because to be a Hall of Famer, it's like, I did this thing, It's such an easy trap to fall into. I do it all the time. Like I did it with George Kittle a year or two ago. And I think George Kittle, of course, George Kittle would be a Hall of Famer if he kept that pace up. But being a Hall of Famer, it's the difference between, you know, maximizing your four-year prime and having a 10-year prime. You know, like, so what you're saying, the longevity, the ability to be the reason 10 years apart, I mean, it's unbelievable, especially when you consider the only other guy that you mentioned is Manning.

And as you know, it's like the two rings couldn't be any different and the roles he was playing on those two respective teams. Well, obviously, because they won in Dallas and they beat the Pittsburgh and now let's see if he gets there. Yeah, we'll see. So especially since, you know, he's been to championship games before, I'll be it all up, but he never got on the field in 07 with Barb. I mean, but it wasn't the holder, you know, wasn't in there.

They weren't short on special teams. you didn't have to go down. That would be not a difference maker, but look, two Super Bowls and a decade apart, at the top of your game, that would answer any question. And people, well, he did. No, what do you mean? Well, no, he did. Yeah.

Now, Tom, here's the thing. He knew this year. He knew. And I bet you the Patriots knew. I don't know this. I've not been told this, but, you know, I'm read, I think, up there. Tuition, yeah. Yeah.

They're not surprised that he's playing like this, A, Tom. Because he certainly threw the ball well. There was plenty of, he had plenty of oomphon on all his throws. You know, could he throw 80, 70 to Randy Moss anymore? No, but he could make all the throws. And I think New England even knew that, and Tom sure as hell knew that. Now, we also know he was playing on a better team the New England was going to have this year.

Now, did he make them, has he made them that much better? Of course. Since the buy, you know, they were the last team to have a buy. Well, there were four of them, but you know what I mean? Yeah, they had that annoying late buy that you had to wait all year for and for a team that needed to develop and get together and huddle up and say, who the fuck are we? Like, they needed that buy.

You know what I mean? It was perfect. They haven't lost since. Yeah. Perfect. they're a different team offensively even. It's not only Antonio Brimey, you know. So for his legacy, he doesn't need a thing, obviously.

He's playing with House Money. He's playing with House Money. But you know, there was a stupid debate, and I refuse to dignify it more than just mentioning it. The debate of was it Bill or Tom. Any success you see on a football field, largely, it's the ultimate team game. And if you've got the greatest coach of all time and possibly the greatest quarterback of all time.

You know, why are we trying to figure out who did more? I mean, I would, I'm always going to be a, I'm always going to lean players north of 50%. But I don't think this proves anything negative about Bill or what they're doing in New England if he goes and wins a Super Bowl. It just means that Tom's that great. I mean, I thought Bill did a resourceful job this year, actually with the hand that they were dealt,

and you could talk about the draft picks they've missed, but that's another conversation. I don't, I'm not going to make this a legacy thing if he wins it. This is a, you know, a peg down for Bill Belichick. Talking about it. What do you think? And that's been all here. Even when what's the matter with Tom and Arians, can't they get along?

Remember when they were about 500 or whatever? They can't beat the Saints. They got hammered, blah, blah, blah. So, I mean, what I said in March when he left or April, and I'm glad you said that, Chris, the judgment, and there is no judgment, there is no argument, this, but this is a three-year look. The Patriots didn't think Tom in year two would be Tom Brady. By the way, he still might be. Tom was saying, oh, yeah, I will be.

I plan on it. And New England was going to have to do something else anyway. So how are they two years from now, which makes it three years? and in the process did Tom, well, he's already at one championship game, maybe farther. How did they all do in that three-year span? That's the only fair way to evaluate the decision, not who needed who more. Listen, they made magic for 20 years. Why do we have to analyze it?

Yeah. Why do we have to analyze? It was great. It's a great thing. The best football we've ever seen over two decades. Geez. And we just enjoy it? The only interesting thing is Bill enjoying it.

Is Bill up there? Like, Bill, people have asked me, like, what do you think Bill's, is Bill rooting at Tom? I think Bill is totally neutral. I don't think Bill's worried about Tampa. I think Bill's worried about his football team. I think you're right. And you played for him. I mean, I didn't, but I've known him along.

Yes. I just think. I believe you're right. He's not upset that Tom, isn't I? He was not looking forward to that. To your point, I think neutral is a perfect way to put it, Chris. I agree 100%. He's neutral.

on so many things outside of just what's going on between the white lines in New England. The big one, the Bill's game, Bill's Chiefs, we've already seen it once, which, by the way, we've already seen Packers bucks once. And although the bucks have gotten better, I don't think it's going to be, I don't think that means they're going to blow them out worse. I think we're going to get two great games. I think the bills have closed the gap a little bit. You get your linebackers back healthy.

Josh and Brian have just been cooking there. I think it's going to be a lot of fun how do you see this one going? The four divisional games we didn't get not like they stunk but we didn't get what we thought we'd get right and really any of them.

Thanks, wind. I had the fucking over boom and I'm hey I put the over in early on Baltimore Buffalo and I'm just watching those flags every damn commercial break coming out of commercial I'm like yes I know I took the over

I know. Just stop from behind me. I did. Listen. The pig six, boom. It's like we used to say about race tracks when I was young and we'd go, you see all those flower pots up on the, you know, on the overhang? Yeah. Who do you think bought them?

Us. We bought the flowers. That's great. So, so I learned that like in college, like, oh, I bought those flowers. Oh, yeah. You know, at any rate, I would think, and we don't know if Patrick's going to play, we think so, but as you know, it's out of the chief's hands. It's not like they're hiding a knee injury, right?

I think he plays. Yeah, I do too, but I don't know that. I think he's in protocol because he got choked out. I think he had the, I think it was a crowded artery thing that's kind of floating around. Could be. You know, and so they had to put him through the protocol, because how bad would that look if you're trying to, people would not understand. the nuance of whether or not he should be in the protocol.

Like, you know, losing consciousness is a lack of blood flow or a blow to the head. It's all the same to everybody. You would know that I've not been in that protocol for that reason, thank God. We need to. That's why, yeah, you know, broadcasting gets rough sometimes, but not like that. So, believe me, I could tell you horror stories, but not quite being on the bottom of a pile, looking for a fumble with eight people on your leg.

I've not been there, you have. So this game, look, they're both kind of, I hesitate to say, in the 30s, because to your point, the bills won last week with defense, which was their calling card in August going into the season, not the offense as much, although Diggs had arrived and et cetera. But no one could see his offense for defense second. Because they got into the playoffs two of the last three years before this with defense. and defense that week.

So, and then the Chief's defense is sneaky better, as we saw last year in December and January, is sneaky better. It's not, oh, my God, they're the Rams there. Yeah. But what they're doing, and they have some impact players, as you know better than me, a couple guys on the line, the Honey Badger, et cetera.

I have both games in the, like, 28, 24 range. I lean, as we speak Thursday, because I, again, we don't know if Mahomes is playing, so I feel almost goofy, completely handicapping that one. Right, exactly, exactly. I lean Chris to the two home teams, but my God, I know Tom and what he's capable of, and I got it. I'm not predicting. I just, you have a couple things, and this is historical, which doesn't play into the game,

but, well, this one does. the chiefs are two wins away from being one of those rare teams that can repeat. And that's cool, especially a likable team. You don't have to root for them, but I don't think there are a bunch of people going, I can't stand the chief. They've done an amazing job of the novelty on them has not worn off. And I think it's because Andy Reid is so likable. And I think because Patrick Mahomes is so likable.

And there's like a breath of fresh air because they were the, like, they were the hero and New England was the anti-hero for all these years. like we were waiting for number two to change the guard up there. Like, do it already. And I feel like football fans as a unit have exhaled a little bit. So I don't think people mind my cheese. I agree. I kind of like that we can have a repeat champ.

We've had like one a decade, right? New England-034, the Dallas in the 90s, San Francisco did it twice in the 80s, and the Dolphins and the Steelers. I mean, in the 70s, that was it. And the Packers in the 60s. But my point is, like one of the,

a decade and since this was 19 was the first one we're still counting it as last decade, right? So I think that would be cool just for history. quarterback is who the coach is and to your point, you know, look at how much fun now with Buffalo.

I mean, my God, they're 60 minutes away. I feel so bad that those folks can't have been going to games. I know it's the biggest irony. I know them so well and I'm so excited for them. And last time they went, they beat the Chiefs. Of course, that was 93 with Joe Montana, so that's a long time ago.

But they're certainly capable. I mean, the cheap's better be on it. Exactly. Because I think the bills are due, you know, they scored against Indy, but they... They weren't themselves. They'd yet to play their best offensive playoff game. You agree with me? I absolutely would agree with you.

They barely... Listen, last week, they threw the ball 37 times, but it felt like 70. so that was not ideal. You lose Zach Moss the first game and really the run game and I'm not waiting for it to show up but I think this weekend they have something there. I mean Josh Allen was their run game

in that first game and they made a number of mistakes so you're right. We're waiting for them to play like they did down the stretch offensively. And they can still win. They can still win playing 90%. But that defense has played really well and that defense wasn't there for much of the year.

It was so funny, it was like the biggest identity flip of any team in recent history. Last year they were to keep everything in front of you, you know, allow 17 points a game type team. And then this year for a long stretch, it was 28 a game. You know, and those linebackers came back. So let me ask you those.

Those linebackers are good. Oh, they're great. Milano is all over the place. They're awesome. He's my favorite player to watch. I mean, sometimes TV doesn't really show all over the field. Now, he's not quite Luke Keeckley, but he's kind of there, Luke Keechley.

You know, that's not the, take anything away from Evan. So I love here, if you're a Buffalo fan, right? You're going, wait a minute, we can come in and beat the Chiefs, yes. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Wait a minute, but don't 20 years, this friggin guy, don't even tell me after 20 years of finally getting him out of the division. Don't tell me he's at the end of the tunnel.

That's the way you beat the video game, Chris. You have to beat that final boss. It couldn't go any other way. can you imagine Bill's Brady in a Super Bowl? Oh my gosh, after all those years the rabbits got the gun now. We'll see. I'll tell you what. When Fitsy

beat them up there in 11, by the way that's a decade ago, they're still drinking from that game. That's amazing. All right, so if they get there, this is a big if, let's say they're taking a kneel down in Tampa and you know,

you've called games. Yeah, the bills are taking a kneel down after 60 minutes. It's about to happen. Who do you want making that call, and how should they make that call? Stadium, but it's the same field that they almost won the first one. Interesting. That was the big sombrero. I still call this the new sombrero, even though it's been around for 23 years because that's what I do.

I'm sorry, that's what do you have, but it's the new sombrero. It's still new to me. Oh, who, well, I mean, of course, whoever did, I don't even know what, CBS. I think CBS has got it. I figured Nancy Romo would do a really good job. Yeah, what do you say? Whoa, to be a true Bills fan, I don't think you want to pre-program that one. I'm not evading the question.

No, no, no. I'm like, you don't want to assume that that's 120 more minutes of so many times. So, I mean, if I were calling it, it certainly would have circling the wagons in there. I mean, maybe they've circled Niagara Falls. I don't know. Wow, I got to work on. So if that happens, and I do, I'm doing primetime on TV this week after the championship games, by the way, on the SPN, whenever they give the trophy out in the second game, which is the Bill's game.

and then we're on, Kishon, Tommy, not this year, but hopefully back. And then I'm doing the show in the Super Bowl, which you know you've been a guest of mine on the show a couple times. And you can be sure that on that show, if that's the case, as you described, something. I know you will. I know you will. I don't know what yet, though. I don't know. It's okay.

It's okay. You're the first to make me think about it. You got to think, hey, that's what we do here. We ask the hard-hitting question. we have a bunch of sidebar conversations. All right, so if you could give one Bill's player not named Jim Kelly a ring, who would it be from history?

Oh, one? Oh, I'm so friendly with all of them. I know this is like a tough situation for you. I didn't realize I forgot how tight you were personally. No, no, no, no, no, no. That's fine me because I'm in touch with we see each other every year at least once, if not twice, and three times this year, of course, notwithstanding.

I answer it a little differently. Have about Marlivi? Yeah. I talk with Marv two weeks ago. He's 95. You know that guy lived healthy because he just, he still looks great. He walks in Chicago. He's still humorous on the phone.

That's great. It's not like, you know, this is not, okay, I got a little conversation. Oh, no. Marv was still had that sense of humor. I mean, Marv gave me some of the best. the footballism, I don't mean Yogi Berra. You'll appreciate this. The one I quote all the time, Tommy Jackson

never forgot it. Chris, depth is great until you have to use it. That's awesome. That's great. True. It sounds like somebody should have told me that in coverage one or two times. Well, so how about that? It's not as a cop-out answer, but that's a good answer. No, that's a really good answer. I thought you might say

Norwood. Like, I don't know how Norwood figures Yeah, I know. We love Scott. I mean, yeah, I can only imagine, man. I think it's one of the most unfair things in sports. I mean, you know, why sports are so, why people are so, it's the biggest reality TV show in the world, right? I mean, you can fail to kick a ball through an upright, which has nothing to do with your character or who you are as a man.

And that follows you the rest of your life. So I would think I'm pulling for them just for Scott Norwood alone, right? That's a good one. You know? That's a great one, Chris. I might give it to Scott. Yeah, 46, 47-yarder. That's not a two-inch putt.

No, look at the playoffs today. Look at this year. Like, nobody can hit the broadside of a barn. It's just that his bad luck happened on the biggest stage. And it's like I always felt bad for Cody Parky. He was in Chicago and the double-doin guy, right? I was on the field for that. That ball was tipped there, boom.

And so nobody knew it until after. the game. I don't know if it wasn't tipped if it goes in or not, but I know because the dude right next to me, Trayvon Hester, tipped it. I always have a soft spot for kickers. On one hand, I think they should fucking look busier than they do most of the day.

But I still feel bad for him. You talk about your friends with a bunch of bills players. Where is Aaron Schoble now, man? Oh, I don't know. It's like one of the greatest rushers and he just disappeared. It's the names you don't remember. You don't remember.

because level players, which they had a ton, obviously. I just wonder about shows. They had a lot of bit pieces in that, you know, Kent Hall was the center of the late Ken Hall. It would be the one that would rush to mind. He was a pro-bowler some, but Jim will say, are you kidding? He called, this awesome. That's like a fellow who passed a year ago was a friend of mine, baseball. Bill Buckner, yeah.

who was a hell of a player, had almost 3,000 hits, by the way. He passed over here. I met an event every year he had his... You know, heroes welcome in Boston, but after they won the World Series, so your analogy, and they would bring back some old Red Sox,

he would get a bow. That's a wonderful comment on Scott Norwood, and that's why you're you. That's why you're the most thoughtful, ferocious pass rushers. Thoughtful passers. You know what, you're right, Broom. I was thinking about rushing the passer a lot,

but they were just running power and counter at us perpetually in the second half. So I don't know. Maybe there's more leads. Hey, one or two quick hitters before we go, we always leave you with a grab back here. What should happen when the ball comes out of the end zone with a fumble? Make the rule.

Your commissioner for the day. I'm not sure it's the worst rule I've ever seen, although, you know, The penalty, like, if it had gone out at the one-inch line, that would have been their ball. Right. I don't know that you give it to keep it. I thought about that one. If people were saying.

Spot of the fumble? Yeah, maybe spot of the fumble? Which, of course, in this case, would have been the same thing as where it went out of bounds. But in this case, maybe spot of the fumble, because sometimes you might fumble at this eight, let's say. Yeah, and that's really freakish and unfair. The only reason I really care, boom, is I had Brown's first half plus seven. I told you. The flowers.

And speaking of that, a friend of mine said to ask you about the gold sheet. The gold sheet is... I know the gold sheet, too. Well, look, when I first got into this and I became the Swami, 1979, I didn't know it, but they found me or anything. This thing's been around since the 50s old school. They know their football. You know, they got to write their predictions Monday night, by the way.

way their full length and not do when you don't know. Right, exactly. Somebody got hurt on Thursday, you know. What do you mean? The whole team has COVID. We didn't have that when we wrote this. So you know, it's hard. But they had the back when they printed it.

It's a little different just this year. It's like a roadmap. We used to call it the roadmap. They'd have the logs. Oh, and college team, by the way. And you could, what were they six weeks ago? Who did they? Oh, yeah.

They won 28 to 20, but the spread was 10. Like, you have it all in five seconds, you know? I've seen the sheet. I love the sheet. I love the sheet. Jeff Schwartz introduced me to the gold sheet. They're the best. Those people are the best.

And they're right. They're not trying to be comedians. Yeah. But they, their writing's great, and they've been nice enough to, I've had many a question. and it's not so much, oh, give me a gambling stat. As the Swami, a lot of it was,

a lot of things you learn about point spreads teach you about football, too. I know that sounds stupid. Yeah. But why, and this has not been the case in these players, but why, what do you mean,

their favorite by 10? Often the last score in a playoff game puts it over, they're getting rid of you. Right. You know, and things like that. Yeah. and it would teach me a lot about

I don't know things other than well they didn't cover that you know there's just nuggets that I've learned after football that like in gambling that I learned that I never knew as a player like there's just trends and like you know like hey a division sandwich like what the fuck was that like before like okay all right so a team is

is got a look ahead game but it's sandwiched in between two divisional opponents like well that's a big Yep. You know, like I never thought about things like that as a player, because as a player, you keep your head down and you just play. You know, but there's all types of these isms that I've learned from, you know, right. Those sandwich games.

Buying the flowers for years. I just, I've been the flower game for the first time. A sandwich game, three in a row on the road. Yeah. Things like that. Yeah, you just wouldn't know off a buy. And by the way, it's not the same for every team, but. Andy Reid off another, of course he didn't cut, but I mean, as far as winning the game, like buy or a playoff by, or regular season by, he's a joke.

Yeah. Like 19 and 3 or something. Like, well, that's not an accident after a while, right? Absolutely. So I love that a young man like you knows about the gold sheet. Because here's my favorite gold sheet story. I got friendly with them very early in the 80s and we had a strike. You know, we had a strike for nine weeks, right?

But we had to do a weekly football show anyway, half an hour. I did it with Paul McGuire. And I got this idea like the sixth week or something. We're going to put up, and we're going to be honest. We're not looking up the scores or anything. We're going to put up the games of 20 years ago, NFL and NFL. We're going to give you the records. You know, this is November 1st of 1962.

Well, you know off the top of your head, Green Bay was great. So Green Bay is playing the Bears, and Green Bay is, I'm making it up, 8-0. There 8-0, and the Bears are 4 and 5, and the game is in Chicago, and I called the gold sheet up. I said, can you give me, and I'll tell you years ago? And they go, yeah, if you give us 20 minutes, we'll get that to you. They're going through the stacks, man, in like a library. That's unbelievable. Well, they have, I mean, this isn't Google it.

Oh, no, no. Give us a table. What's your phone number? call me back in an hour. I know where to get it. I got one thing I've got to do. We'll get that for you. And, of course, you mentioned thanks to our friends at the gold sheet.

You know, and that's what they didn't ask for a damn thing. And so we put up the spreads. And Paul and myself picked the games. They were played 20 years ago, but we were honest. And it was fun for the viewers, you know? They couldn't Google anything. We just threw it out there, and it was awesome. and except Paul got one right, I'll leave you with this story.

Now, do you remember Paul McGuire? And certainly he's an announcer. Yes, yeah, yeah. He was a player. He was one of 19 players, Chris, that played all 10 years of the NFL. Right. He was a punter. He was also a linebacker, so he could play that, but he was a really good punter.

And you punt in Buffalo, that's no picnic. So started with the Chargers. I remember what happened in that game. I played in it, but I'll tell you why. I think they're playing who would come out, you know, and line up behind the end zone, you know, getting ready to take.

There's a punter, and I was lined up like we're punting from our own three or whatever. I'm standing there. Into the tuba. And he goes, I remember we won that game or whatever it was, you know, but I remember because the ball like that,

now that's a funny story. I haven't told that in about 20 years. That's so great. Well, you can't forget it if it happened like that, man. Hey, boom, you got any charities you want to plug before you roll? I'm on Bob, quite a few, but thank you for this, Chris. You're very, you know, I wouldn't expect anything else from you, but certainly didn't expect this.

It's a small one. My late wife, you know, who we lost car accident in 2017, Kathy was a teacher and, et cetera, elementary school, et cetera. So we're involved, and I'm involved, and she served was. It's literacy volunteers of Greater Waterbury Cane, Connecticut, and it teaches people who want to learn English to learn English. This isn't really tutoring kids, although it can be. But it's adults who go, you know what, I could be a better person in the workforce.

My English is okay, but I speak Spanish, for example. Teach me. And these are volunteer. I mean, there's literacy volunteers all over the country, Chris, but this is, and that's one that we do a little while. We didn't have one this year. A little auction for and do things. That is very kind.

That would be the one. I'm involved with others, certainly, the V and the Dana-Farber. But, I mean, literacy volunteers are greater reward of expecting a darn thing. No, but you know what? We got some really, really, I mean, I know the listeners really appreciate getting to hear you talk about all for an hour, and what a guest you are, man, and what a guy you are. So, hey, help him out. I know he's not asking for it, but I know we like to be charitable here.

So hopefully our listeners will check out the work that they do. And English is a tough language. They say it's the toughest one to learn. Not, yeah, Russian might be hard. I'm still learning it. So, yeah. Yeah, but you know how to read the gold cheats. That's pretty good.

Yeah, exactly. Boom. I appreciate you, man. Come back another time, and I hope to see you when things get back to normal. We'll rendezvous for something, man, and get a beer. Like I've known your whole life, Chris. I'm proud of you the way you handle yourself. I'm not surprised.

and great professional as a person and football player secondary. So we get done with this. Thank you for even asking that. And best of you and your family and moms and pops. And, God, I, you know, I met pops when he was just a kid too. Of course, so was I. When he had a mullet, not a flat top. Yeah, and I had a lot of hair then in the early 80s.

You're still the man. You looked just to say to me, brother. I interviewed him and Lyle Al-Zato. Him and Lyle Lousaeta with the Raiders together. Lyle did all the talking almost like how he was. Wait a minute, you talk when I say you could talk. That's what it was. It was classic.

So it's great to be with you. Boom. It's great having you, ma'am. The return we've all been waiting for is finally here. UFC's most notorious icon is stepping back into the Octagon this Saturday. Be sure to check out Draft King's Sportsbook. The official sports betting partner of the UFC for a shot to turn $1 into $200. $257. Download the top rated Draft King Sportsbook app now and use promo code Greenlight.

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Gambling problem call 1,800 gambler or in Indiana, 1,8009 with it. So what we're doing now, look, is we're coming out of Chris Berman. Okay. So we're not going to beat it. No. God, he's good. He's good. It's good.

Storyteller. He is a storyteller. I love that you are trying to act like you've seen it, but I'm not judging you. I'm selling it. He's trying to sell it. Wilk's going to listen to the pod later, I'm sure. Guys, this is one of those behind the curtains looks.

Yeah. Like showbiz in a moderately, to quite moderately successful podcast. This week, number six, a lot of people would be, did you see that? I didn't. Read that in the newspaper? Whoa. Did you read that in the newspaper? That's awesome.

Greenlight pod. Number six, sports podcast. I don't know what it means. I don't know if we'll stay there, okay? Interviews like that will keep you there. But I think it should. Yeah. I mean, shit, I'm doing this for the love of the game, though.

I just, I might as well. And these guys will tell you, this is a real thing. I bet they talk about me behind my back on this thing. They're like, they're probably like, Chris doesn't even give a fuck about the numbers. Like I do text from time to time. I couldn't even tell you what they mean, honestly. Sometimes I get frustrated if they're not enough. But that was some good news today.

Mm-hmm. Some good news. Well, not today this week. Number six. Great news. Yeah, beer. We were just talking about Miller High Life. And we were talking about Reed.

Reed got a sip of this. Angels envy. And, Reed had some of our sip and bourbon. And he loved it. Yeah. Pretty good. Yeah.

It's really good. Yeah. I like bullet rye. and uh is that the orange yeah i love no no that's green oh you like the green i love the orange i love the orange i mean they're both really good i would sound like such a cop in a sipping bourbon party yeah yeah which one's the green one i would be like hey i want the orange drink guys but have you had the orange bull it bouleigh bulli fucking dudes and vests would be pointing at me and laughing fuck read would you would you rank this in your top five

Oh, for sure. Wow. Ragged branch I like a lot out here. The double-oaked? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I actually have had that. The double-oaked is good.

I feel really cool saying that. Yes. You see how I did that with my chin too? When you just turned your chin up a little? I actually have had that. God, you feel like you belong. Yes. You're a flannel away from me.

I'm just not, I'm not cool, though. That's the thing. Yeah. I'm just not that fucking cool, dude. I got to figure out like an area of expertise that would make me cool. That you can exploit. I don't, I'm not an expert in anything. I gotta figure out what the fuck to be an expert in.

You're pretty close in music. I wouldn't say expert. I would, you know what I, I think expert music fans like know about the recording and the musical instruments and like the notes and chords and terminology and like B minor and shit. Like I don't know that stuff. If you're not an expert, you'd probably be like an adjunct professor. I'm an adjunct professor. That's like, I'm just waiting for the new Twitter handle. Chris, adjunct professor of musicology.

Before I agree with this, with this new moniker, what is an adjunct professor in my life? Not a full time. Oh, fuck that, dude. I'm a fucking, hey, no, what I'm not. You don't have tenure. What I'm not yet. But you're allowed to guess lecture.

I'm not a fucking Oxford guy, okay? But you could guess lecture. Music. No, music, I got a degree from like, I don't know. Virginia. Yeah. But I'm just not an Oxford guy. Oxford guys know like they read a bunch of books.

You know, they know the backstory of everything. I feel like adjunct professor works. God, I don't want to be part-time. I listen to you. But you've got a full-time job running a moderately successful podcast. But I do listen to music while I do it. Okay. You could be a full-time professor at University of Phoenix online.

And I feel like I'm there. Read, that's great. I don't even have to leave. Exactly. Hey, University of Phoenix. If you're listening. I got an idea. Is it amazing?

Have you seen that campus? It's whatever you want it to be. I know. It's gorgeous. Spacious. University of Phoenix. Shout out. Shout out.

I might be getting my degree from there. You know I don't have my Virginia degree. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, I'm one semester short. And I always feel weird when people are like, you know, somebody from Virginia is listening right now. I'm like, Michael Scott.jiff. Yeah, I'm like, I had to leave to train.

So I left a semester on the table. And now Uncle Rico age. And, you know, to be sitting in a classroom. You should go back and do it. Like Uncle Rico? Yeah. Like looking like, you know, like kind of. Totally.

Like I'm at an awkward age right now. Totally do it. For me to be in a class, you really think the kids. Do it now while it's COVID and do it online. You don't even have to go. You found me a loophole there. I did. Do it while you can be online.

I'm brilliant, okay? Like really good at school. All right. Mailbag. So excited. Underrated restaurant chains. Bonefish grill. You like bonefish grill?

It's the perfect restaurant for a family. I love it. Because it's like they got everything. They got seafood. They got steak. They got kids meals. They got all this. And the food doesn't suck.

It's kind of nice, but it's not expensive. That's pretty good. Arby's. I can totally see that. With the curly fries. Dude, Arby's is, I'm going to eat Arby's in an hour. I'm going to, they take pride in giving you extra beef. My lovely wife is going to ask me what we should eat for dinner.

And I'm going to tell her Arby's. And when she says, I don't feel like Arby's, I'm going to say, let's get different stuff. You do you and I'll do me. Should be cool about it? Yeah. I love Arby's. Yeah, dude.

The roast beef is great. I agree. I agree. All right, all right. Dr. Pepper, they got good Dr. Pepper. It hits different. It's like they had the mix different. It hits different there.

Get a Dr. Pepper and an Arby's. Oh. In and out is overrated. Agreed. And the people that know the super secret menu and lored that over you, I went to San Francisco with Jess and someone was like, I'll have it monster style. I was like, what's that?

It's like, I can't tell you. Animal style. Yeah. It's like, I can't tell you. You don't know the secret code. Here's a take. I mean, Burger King's better burgers than in and out. I love Burger King, bro.

You don't like Burger King. I mean, they have, they've got that whole charboiled thing. Some people are like, yeah, this is the bad take pod. Yeah. I don't give a fuck. I love Burger King over in and out The burgers, yeah I am here for the mentions in Twitter later

Don't care Hey, just hey Crime me a River I love Burger King dude And I think people will agree that It's closer at least Than people would lead on Between In and Out and Burger King

And they just did a whole new like Redo On their logo That helps Yeah Actually let me see the new logo real quick. They went retro. Oh, they went back.

They went back. They went back. I think you're going to like it more now. Burger King is doing the thing every professional sports team should do. Going retro. Look at this. I know.

I'm going to Burger King. I'm not going to Arby's. I'm thinking of a way that I could disguise Burger King burgers as like some higher-end. Fancy, like Burger Batch. And watch Love. my lovely wife, Meg, be like, these are really good.

$20. It tastes like a $20 burger. Yeah. She would be so mad probably. Do it. Okay, good. Good. Meg, I didn't say that.

Name football teams based on what they do. Like what they do. I think this is a great question. Hard question. It's a tough question. The Tampa Bay Patriots. But it's not because of what you think. Do tell because I did come on.

I will tell you. I will tell you. They're formerly led by a guy who turned it over so much you wondered if he was playing for the other team. And that guy was succeeded by a senior citizen trying to take the franchise to the top. Joe Biden. Donald Trump was James Winston.

Okay. Diverse staff? Joe Biden's got a diverse staff. Okay. They have a diverse coaching staff. This is good stuff. But on the bad side, they are a Florida team. And right now, I think if the United States had a mascot, it would be the state of Florida.

Texans, the Houston gamblers, okay? They give all their best players away. And then they drive away all the people that love them the most and that they love the most. Like Deshawn Watson. I got one. the Jacksonville redcoats because they're the most likely to end up in London in London that's great that's great that's really good fuck okay the Patriot the the the the New England Van Halens they lost their front man they might never be the same again the New England Van Halens but here's the thing I hope Bill doesn't hear this because this really isn't

a shot. I was just doing this for the fucking sake of the segment. All right. Like, I really actually just, you heard it, right? Because you heard the Chris Perman interview. We talked about Tom Brady and Bill. So, you know. So.

Because fucking Bill likes, he really likes Bon Jovi. Oh, he had a bad look yesterday at inauguration. He looked. Did I say that out loud? I'm sorry. No, no, no. He looked. The whole, the whole stage thing on the end

of a pier with the drones is weird to me. I'll just put it that way. Okay. All right. And then the other one I came up with and I'm not proud of these. I came up with the Washington scandals. Boy, oh boy.

That's like when they ran out of things to call baseball teams in the 1910s and they called them different colored socks, dude. How about that? Well, everything in Washington's a scandal. I get it. Whether it's the Redskins or Capitol Hill or the presidency.

No, it's very good. But also consider how bad the white socks, the red socks. Like, what was that about? I don't know. Does anybody know? I don't know. Scandal. Washington scandals.

The last one I had was Green Bay. They slaughter the bears. Oh, yeah, okay. But I couldn't come up with anything better than bear. or trappers. Oh my God. Or trappers. Yeah.

Couldn't come up with it. Fine. Just quit. I just quit. That's amazing. It's amazing. The bear tamers? The bears versus the bear tamers.

The pats have kicked their ass over and over. I couldn't come up with anything better. Oh, so game? I'm trying to think of something that kills bears. I had trapper. Oh, the Green Bay rednecks.

Sure. The only people that hunt bears I know are just big rednecks. No. offense. I mean, like, I just thought, I could not, I could never, even if you have a tag for it, I just am not a, kill a bear guy. Nope. Movies you, you enjoy that, you know, are terrible.

So, I feel like I had the cheat code on this one because I feel like if you go Sylvester Stallone and Nick Cage, you can ramble off a ton in a hurry. Excuse me? National Treasure. Yeah, National Treasure. Con Air. Remember that one? Dude, you're

about to get fucking run off the internet. What the, these? You're saying bad movies that are fun to watch. Yeah, but Conair is actually, it's like a, it's like a, it's gone with the wind, Conair. All right. Shawshank Redemption. Okay, so I'll go Demolition Man with Stallone. Absolutely.

I'm just, yeah, absolutely. Demolition Man. Okay, what about this is, I'm taking two risks here. Fear with Mark Wahlberg. Mark Wahlberg, yeah. That scene on the roller coaster. you know what I'm talking about. Yeah.

Yeah. Was that, was he having relations? Or was he? Exactly. With his. That's right. And then my next one is show girls. I've always enjoyed it as a teenager.

Of course you did. It was like the first soft porn that came out. Can't be good. I'm trying to think of the movie. I told, oh, I told this story on Ryan Rissillo's pod recently, but stab my our school middle school first uh big trip we did as a group what williamsburg right um colonial yeah see the blacksmiths yeah see the canals see how they lived back there churn butter yeah you know you can do all that stuff you know get get terrible diseases like

get a cold die from a cold correct um also we stayed at this this hotel which was a big deal because we were 12 and we had roommates mine was sid preck you remember him yes shout out to sid preck he probably had a bad trip because the door was opening and closing all night because i was watching jade jade was a movie with the chick from men in black in it the dark-haired chick but it's essentially a soft-core porn okay so i had it on and i was just calling people's rooms to tell him jade was on and everybody was coming to watch and eventually what do they call those

the chaperones yes they got word and then there was no more Williamsburg trip ever again so I'm sorry you in high school trips man yeah it was like over four what are what do you got for fun to watch bad movies

uh Simon says it's a movie with Dennis Robben you should see it everybody who listens to this podcast would identify no seriously everybody who listens go watch Simon says

and I'll do a pod on the movie like that's how much fun it is it's Dennis Robin fair a secret agent movie okay yeah yeah it's terrible one of the reviews said

total indefensible trash great stuff it was uh it's one of the greatest movies ever seen Dane Cook is in it okay I mean how did Dane Cook end of in this fucking movie.

It's probably the thing he doesn't talk about. I really want to have Dane Cook on this pod. Okay, maybe this gets out. I would love to have Dane Cook on the pod

to hear his side of the story. Okay? I just want to hear your side of the story. Because I always have to talk about like the one in 15 seasons. This is a one in 15 season of Dane Cook's career.

Yeah. Why was he in that? Why? It's like, hiding at the bottom of IMDB. Zero percent. Okay. Dane, come on any time.

We'll let you tell your side of it, buddy. All right, Wook. I think we've been whispered to enough. That was fun. Thanks for letting me come by again. We had some bourbon. We got to answer some questions. That was good, man.

It was good. I appreciate it. Catch you all Monday morning. We will be back to an early drop. So check that out. Everything that happens Sunday. We'll go over that. and what lies ahead.

Coming down on the home stretch here. Can't say I'm not excited to be done with football. Joking, love it. It's amazing. See you all Monday.