Green Light with Chris Long - Marty Smith! CFB Traditions, Music & Leadership Lessons from Coaches. MNF Recap & Red Sox Win Total

Episode Date: September 27, 2023

Marty Smith joins Green Light today and gives us a masterclass in Leadership. Marty's book, Sideline CEO, is out now and it is full of leadership principles, stories and lessons all straight from some of the greatest coaches in the history of sports. Marty also teaches us a little something something about southern rock, the greatest CFB traditions and Eric Church. Rock on! Marty Smith's book Sideline CEO: https://www.amazon.com/Sideline-CEO-Leadership-Principles-Championship/dp/1538758385 (1:52)- Hello, Layup Line and McDonalds at ITNFL (12:28) - MNF: Cincy Bests the Rams and Philly Beats Tampa Bay (29:27) - Marty Smith talks leadership lessons learned from championship coaches, stories from an amazing career in sports at ESPN, music and waving a pirate flag at an Eric Church concert (1:42:44) - Chris addresses a few NFL fanbases This podcast is brought to you by Cash App. With multiple tools for saving, spending, and sending, Cash App is the easy way to stay in control of your money. Cash App is a financial platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Make sure to check out Fax and the King every Wednesday on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FaxAndTheKing 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/c/GreenLightTube1   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

Well, all right, I get, do y'all remember Brandon Peters, who played quarterback at Michigan and then transferred to Illinois? We were on the same paintball team. All right. So Brandon and I are sitting there. He's kind of a quiet kid, and he looks at me. He's like, all right, do we have a strategy here? I'm like, yes, I have a very distinct strategy.

He's like, well, all right, what is it? Like, should we huddle up? Like, what are we doing here? I said, I am going to barge in the middle of that thing, and I'm going to try as hard as I can to shoot coach hardball right in the nuts. as furiously as possible, right in the khakis. Welcome to the Greenlight podcast. Straightforward show for you today.

Chris reviews Monday night football. The Eagles beat the bucks and the Bengals, bounce back and beat the Rams. Does Joe Burrow look good? Chris analyzes. And then we've got Marty Smith. ESPN's Marty Smith joins Macon and Chris. Talk college football.

Talk a little racing. Talk of plenty of music. We also talk Marty's new book, Sidelined CEO, all about leadership, everything he's learned, being around some of the best and brightest college football coaches

in the history of the game. We get some absolutely wonderful lessons and wonderful stories from Marty. And then we end with Chris responding to some fan bases in the NFL. So stay tuned for that. He's talking right at you.

Make sure you stay around. What's up, y'all? Happy Wednesday. I'm going to try to buzz through this opened. I'm going to get you to Marty Smith. Marty Smith, myself, Macon, sat down for a solid hour yesterday before I traveled to inside the NFL and had a great conversation. I'm a big fan of the guy. In fact, we're talking about getting together for a beer or seven here soon, me and Marty. So big fan of McGee, big fan of Marty, talk to McGee. McGee's been on the show,

but we hadn't had Marty. And he's got this new book. book coming out a sideline CEO so we'll talk about that during the interview all right sometimes i get in this chair and as much i hate doing the the solo stuff it feels good you know i'm getting all the targets the spacing is good for your boy i mean i love having makin and kylan but to get my ryan rsillo on kind of it's kind of nice coming from softball tuesday night we got slaughtered again by a team sponsored by a Mexican restaurant and one of the guys last week actually we played them two weeks in a row

I almost didn't want to pitch today because they sheled us so bad last week one of the guys DM'd read and was like hey LOL can I get like that video of the inside the park home run I hit buddy have had it have your video post it where you want it yeah I mean seriously

you fucking earned it yeah you know and inside the parker good for him they shelled us again tonight the good thing about getting slaughtered is you get to get to work early and get this thing going. So let's do that without further ado. Before I get to a hello, I got some diamond related stuff, guys. I do. I've told you guys about my baseball futures.

I'm not going to bore you with all of them, but I need like the Red Sox under to hit bad. Okay. Speaking of the Red Sox, the Home Plate umpire at our softball league, George is a big fucking Red Sox fan. All right. So I really want them to lose. Like he was really tough on the strike zone tonight, the whole thing. We were going back and forth. He was tough on all the calls.

Now, he hit us with the makeup call, so I appreciate it. But I told him like- He gave us one makeup call, but that did not make up for all five calls he made. But that's all right. It's okay. We're not going to slander, George. He's been out there a long time. I'm just going to keep sneaking out.

The fucking Red Sox have been out there a long time. I feel like they've been in the 70s for forever. And the number for me, I think, is 78 and a half. And I need to stay under that. they have six games left. Okay, they got a game tonight that's nine, six, raised in the bottom of the eighth. Okay, so we need to keep an eye on that. We got the raise tomorrow.

And then the Orioles, they play them four times. Now, the Orioles are pretty fucking good this year, and they just had Brooks Robinson die. So I figure they're probably going to want to win four for the Gipper. And that would be perfectly all right with me. So if the raise can take care of business, I'll be watching a lot of Orioles baseball later this week. Let's go O's.

uh hello fuck i did that backwards vaughan ontario hello so the reason i'm picking vaughn is because earlier this week in the in our little group text somebody had sent a link about some guests at a at like a county fair type of thing and they were stranded 75 feet up in the air upside down at one of these fucking you know like i say i don't go to these things i don't know what these guys have been doing I don't know if they've been to an ice in the parking lot before they're tightening the lug nut. I don't know what kind of liability you have, but like it doesn't matter.

Once the Skymaster, you know, gets unhinged and crashes down and crushes me under it, like I don't have a recourse. My family can sue, but what good is that? Okay, you already lost your life. I already lost my life, you know, and I shouldn't. But the whole thing is like this is what happens when you go to these fucking county fairs

where you've got carnies putting together the machine. small hands smell like cabbage and you know like these fuckers are upside down for 75 minutes like David Blaine or something that's 75 feet 30 minutes but you get the idea so Nate in the group text is like and he's dead serious you got to piss and shit yourself because you can claim emotional distress which is just I totally believe it if Dr. Fax was stranded upside down at a at a county fair he would take every opportunity to profit off this thing i mean you know you're all right up there getting a golden shower you got a or shit on yourself and then you can sue for more

it's a more emotional and cause for PTSD and then he followed it up with and they got to buy you new pants and underwear the whole thing i'm she didn't include shirt which if you're upside down yeah it's going through the shirt and everything you got to take the shirt off drop it down. So the whole thing is like Nate's got a plan. And honestly, Nate, if I were you, I'd just start and going to as many of these motherfuckers as possible because statistically speaking, you could get in a pickle. And you could sue. I suggest waiting until they get the carabiner strapped into you and start repelling before you soil yourself. Then you just don't have to sit in it for a while or hanging it for a while. Disgusting, but you know, we like to pepper you with some weird news on

this show. I want the layup line to be eye of the tiger. Okay, and I'll tell you why in a moment. All right. I'll tell you why in a moment. It's not because I bet the Bengals last night, well, the under. I didn't bet the, it's not because the Bengals defense and the way they helped me secure that under. It's not about that. So, you know, I drive up sometimes. I don't drive. I ride in the backseat all my way up to Philly to do inside the NFL because I love the time. I'm alone. I can do meetings. I do an hour meeting with the foundation. I watch Monday night football. my phone. I'm taking notes, that type of thing. I pop a couple mad dogs. I don't call fat Rob. I have an app. But like, I'm back there having the time of my life. The only problem is I haven't

eaten because of our schedule. I ate one meal yesterday at the time that I was riding up to Philly and it was like a fucking oats bowl for lunch. Your boy's going to waste away if he's working too much to eat. So I'm like desperate times, desperate measures, I'm going to hit the door dash and I'm have some McDonald's meet me there because you know what made me think of it is chat ochosinko's on the show and he's always talking about McDonald's all the motherfucker eats it's McDonald's his pyramid is like fillet a fish on the bottom like french fries on the top quarter pounders in the middle uh that's what he lives off of and he looks great for fuck's sake but like door dashing it is aggressive and they could fuck my order up you know the door dash template

actually looks kind of good like you can check things off the whole thing I'm like yeah they're not gonna fuck it up and on top of that if you google and i did there's a hamburger keep you up at night they didn't auto complete that search tab because nobody does but the results are troubling all that iron all that protein you're gonna want to wait at least four hours but i was in a desperate state so i ordered the burger uh and you know like i screenshot it because i thought it would i thought chad would think it was entertaining to screenshot the hamburger order and throw it up and i had the bangles game going in a little window and it was blocking the ingredients and the whole thing. A media I'm getting peppered for the size of my order, you know, then I'm getting peppered,

which I didn't even think, you know, it's like browsing history when you accidentally post your browsing history, which isn't a thing you guys have to really worry about. But like, if you're into some weird stuff, say you are, and you've got your, your history open and you screenshot the game, some people have ended up in that situation. There's something in a tab that you don't want to be in a tab. I'm not thinking about that because I think the game is blocking the order. People are skewering me about the order. They're calling me a serial killer because here's the order.

You be the judge. Quarter pounder or like a double hamburger, whatever fuck you call it. No cheese. I don't do cheese from McDonald's. Okay, I just don't. Bad experience? No, it doesn't look right. It just doesn't look right to me.

Okay, so like you can call me a serial killer. I hold the salt. Okay. Like, I got to go on TV in the moment. morning, your face is all bloated. The risk of coronary events in guys my age, my BMI. In your height? Yeah, so call me a serial killer, but do it from the grave, because I'm going to be alive because I held the salt, the cheese, I hold the ketchup because I like crib ketchup. I like ketchup from the set of the fridge talk. I like cold ketchup. Okay, you get the ketchup

packets from McDonald's, you know, they go everywhere. Catch up all your shirts. Somebody thinks something's wrong. No, it's just fucking McDonald's ketchup. Uh, you know, I do. I do. I I do pickles. So people are killing me. They're calling me all types of names. You know, they're going to meet me there at the, at the hotel. And they beat me to the pylon. They're there a little bit early. I have to get down there, go through the hotel bar. There's a couple Eagles fans of that type of thing, taking pictures. I get the package. You go up to the room and I'm going to do bad things to this motherfucker, right? So I opened the thing up. It's 1120 a night and it's covered in cheese. Now, there's so much cheese that it looked personal. Like, it looked like whoever put the thing. the cheese on the on the cheese burger was just fucking with me so what do I do I put the cheese burger in the fucking hallway uh because I don't want the cheeseburger to stink up my room I don't smell that McDonald's cheese so I just thought it was fun that people were you know sometimes you realize when you share things about yourself that you're different you know I'm just a different guy you know like and that's okay my McDonald's order is different than yours and it's okay

uh my bad browsing history ended up on the on the internet but the reason I did it was for Chad Johnson. And I was like, man, he doesn't like my McDonald's order. I'm hitting him in the group text. I'm tweeting. He's not tweeting back. He's not texting back. I'm like this motherfucker. The one time I ate McDonald's. Well, it's because he's entering the Bengals ring of honor. So he's on the field, you know, enjoying it. They gave him his, his jacket with the Bengal inset, the whole thing. He looked great out there. And I was so happy for him when I learned about it, actually the next morning, we're shooting inside the NFL. They opened the show with like, And here's, you know, Chad, the reason he's not with us, he's going in the fucking ring of honor.

Doi. I'm texting about my McDonald's order, and he's hanging out next to, you know, boomer Assison. Like, what the fuck is this guy doing? So just a bad deal for me. I didn't even get a meal out of it. But the Bengals, man, the Bengals, they took care of business. The defense stepped up when they had to. The under, the under is a beautiful thing when you bet the Bengals.

And, you know, I told you, I was mad dogging in the back of the SUV. I also sprinkle a little bit on the Bengals minus three. Okay, I thought Joe was going to come out there and do enough. The defense was going to stand up. I see as Sean McVeigh. The Rams have become real backdoor bandits. Two weeks in a row, the backdoor push from this guy. No accusations.

I'm just saying it's kind of interesting. Okay, so the Bengals got the win. They didn't get the cover. The defense stepped up. Whether it was Mike Hilton on a blitz getting his hand up, Logan Wilson with two picks. One, he played beautifully. I mean, he's looking for work, looking to the left sideline, and flips his hips and gets in the throwing window and makes the play.

I mean, this guy's really underrated. He's been a big part of what they've done. And Hendrickson, just abusing guys that they're getting off the street. There's one tackle. There's the next and none of them can block Trey Hendricksson. And these are the knights, and I'm not a jealous person. But I'm feeling a little bit of green running through my. I'm green with envy.

I want to beat Trey Hendrickson for a night. this is the kid that, you know, from FAU that walked up to me after Saints game, one of my last years in league like, hey, buddy, I'm a big fan. Let me get a jersey swap. And I'm like, who is this kid? And he turns out to be fucking the second coming of me and then some. I just love watching him play. And I loved playing guys off the street.

And that's what he got last night. And he is just so fun to watch. He's so good with his hands. He's real good at running the top of the hoop. Hubbard's a really good compliment and you know the big guys inside DJ Reeder in the red zone Rams were in the red zone early

Okay this is where they didn't They could have pulled it away in this game Had they capitalized on their first two trips But whether it's Hendrickson killing and driving the red zone Whether it's uh you know Matt Stafford being a little bit out ahead of two out well You know probably missed the hold there Whether it's DJ Reader on the first down sack

Like they really just stepped up all night And Staffer was off and on dude Like he, you know, he missed on some ball placements. We said coming in that the Bengals, and I thought they'd play more man, would be more competitive. And I think what's playing out with the Rams is, we're just trying to find out who they are. And each week a new challenge presents itself.

And I thought Anirumo's group looked more like Anurumo's group last night than it has all year. Okay, like you needed these guys to step up. They did. Dax Hill is a guy that like, you know, we talked about missing the safeties. This is the guy we raved about last year because we heard how much they liked him.

We saw the physical traits. But now he's stepping into a full-time role. He's knifing into the backfield. He's making plays. He's sacking people. His TFLs. I mean, he's a big athletic guy. He killed a two-for-one on his TFL before the half.

The Rams are getting ready to go, get the ball back. So this looked more like the Bengals defense, 31 total pressures. And on the back end, they were competitive. I mean, they got beat on the seam once or twice. They got beat on some deep routes when they were in tough coverages. but I thought they had a better day. And the offense, man, like, not their best night, Joe Burrow, dealing with a calf. I know what those feel like, okay?

It does factor into his readiness to look like Joe Burrow. And we'll see this for a while maybe. I know he's the type of guy that probably pushed them to play him. I had heard they were making him play was like the language. Like, I don't see that happening. I think if Joe Burrow doesn't want to play with the contract he just signed, not fucking play him. guy that probably would have played even without the contract that's the guy kind of guy who he is that's the reason you love him as a teammate probably but also the reason you probably hate him sometimes

because you want him to chill the fuck out and get right well he wasn't going to do that he made enough throws to win he was off all night uh i think we can give the guy some leeway i think he's out there playing hurt uh but the offense in general i just want to see i want to see it look like last year in some capacity he talked about balls outside the numbers getting jimar chased the football He got the ball more last night, okay? He left the stadium with a smile on his face. Even if you're not clicking on all cylinders, you leave the stadium with a win,

you get your guy happy. And to his credit, Jamar Chase doesn't seem like one of these assholes who's going to make a big deal every time he doesn't get the ball. And I don't mean to say assholes because, like, I'd be that guy if I was a receiver too. I'm a competitor. But Jamar Chase is so elite,

but also seems like such a great teammate that he was going to be patient, roll with it. I know he talked to the coaches. and he got the ball more. But I don't like who you're targeting and key downs. You're targeting practice squad tight ends. You know, you couldn't get the run game going.

And last year, I thought, I don't know how much they miss Pryan. I don't think the screen game looks the same. Bengals fans chime in because I am a bit confounded. But like, you used to be last year when I thought you were really rolling, a power football team. And it's hard to run power looks

out of the spread looks that they like. You know, it's not enough big bodies and the tight ends being displaced and that sort of thing. But I thought you were committed to that gap scheme shit and you were pounding people. Maybe you're keeping that in your back pocket for cold weather. But I think it would help you to run the ball better, right? And to look a little bit more like you looked last year

and take shots outside the numbers and that sort of thing, I don't know. The offense is a work in progress. We're getting used to this with the Bengals, but this is a team win. This is the defense stepping up. To pick up the offense, especially in the red area. And I thought the Eagles as well, another game

that I bet the under, no sweat at all in the first one, but a little bit of a sweat in the Eagles game, I thought the Eagles defense really stole the show. We talked about winning those matchups up front. They had to do that. They had to take away Mike Evans. They survived Mike Evans. I know that because in my group text,

everybody's like, what the fuck? I had Mike Evans, I had all these props, the whole thing, none of them hit. Well, they did a good job on Mike Evans. However, they did it, they did a good job on Mike Evans. up front, I'll tell you what they did do, the guys on the inside of that defensive line are bullying people right now.

You know, whether it's on the goal line, Jordan Davis taking a double in the minute, the minute, the second, the millisecond, that 300 of those 700 pounds, or 350 of those 700 pounds on him, comes off for just a hiccup, it's like a fucking steamroller. And moreo knives in there and makes the play.

And the reason those plays are so big is because, The offense wasn't clicking, you know? And I say this, they had 450 fucking yards. Okay, like they moved the ball on the ground. It will. That last drive was a thing of beauty, especially for somebody with the under. I mean, it was like they just had a death grip on the football.

And that's what they're capable of doing. That offensive line keeps your ceiling so, well, your ceiling's high, but your floor is so high because you have that run game. And they ran 78 plays to Tampa's 44. So while the offense wasn't great, look what we're talking about them. I mean, 450 yards of offense, 78 plays, running the ball at will, seemed in control of the game the entire time. Jalen didn't have to be perfect. And yeah, you had a Goddard, a swift miss.

These things look like they're either communication or Jalen's, you know, just misfiring the ball. But when he threw his picks, and he did. Whether it was before the half and Jalen Carter gets the ball back after Jailen makes a mistake in that, middle eight which is so important or it's you know you throw a pick in the end zone which you want to put these guys away you can't quite do it and you know the guy's knife in for that safety like the defense just stepped up and i got to say this about fletcher cox i got so much respect for the guy you know obviously he's a brother of mine but the guy's finally getting singles late in his career and he's taking care of business i mean i'm just watching him manhandle people

might have lost his step whatever you want to say he might not be the the the fletch from seven years ago. I can't believe that we're approaching that kind of time pass since that team, but the guy is still a huge plus inside, and I think he's a good vet for these guys. And I'll tell you something about Jalen Carter. I wanted to jump out of the fucking SUV and hop on a flight to Tampa to go play with Jalen Carter as soon as he made that play. Because as a guy who fed off of other dudes who were just absolute dogs, I wanted to play with a guy like Jalen Carter, especially a guy with all his ability. I got to see Aaron Donald come in the league. The thing that always surprised me about Aaron Donald was how much ability he had, but also how hard a worker he was.

He didn't take plays off. He didn't fuck around. He set the tone. And when you got a guy running out of the stack like that dislodging the football, I just think as an Eagles fan, you've got to be excited because he's a tone-setting type of guy. When your leaders are your best players, and he doesn't have to be a vocal leader, there's all types of different leaders in that locker room. But if if you've got a tone-setting young motherfucker who comes out of the gate, not having to be taught to dig for every inch, you know, to defend every blade of grass, to go make people hurt when they catch the ball in the middle and they get held up, you know, in the second level of defense, you know, make them pay that tax. I love Jalen Carter. I mean,

and I love him for how slippery he is in the in the past game, you know, his natural ability, stuff but i really love the motherfucker for the play he made last night if he does that his whole career everybody's going to elevate there i used to use the wolf emoji you know with with with my boys on that d-line timmy jernigan anytime i talk to him send him a little wolf emoji because he was a dog you know he might not have had the ability jalen carter has but he was a fucking dog and i would go i would i would get in any fight in any alley with that guy because i just get chills thinking about it You know, like lining up with those dudes is a privilege. So Jalen Carter is that type of guy that I would love to play with.

And if you got him in your locker room for a long time and he's that type of tone setter, you're going to be all right. Best D-line in the league? Best D-line in the league. I mean, due to their depth and the even distribution of the talent, I'd have to say so. I mean, I don't think Dallas has the guys inside that they have. I think San Francisco is close, right? I might be leaving somebody else out.

Washington's really good. but I think Cleveland, obviously. But I'll take the Eagles best five because they do put five down a good bit over the Brown's best five. The Browns might have a better best. You know, there might be a lot of talent in San Francisco or Washington.

But I think until the Eagles start looking like they're not, they are, in my opinion. Love that, love that. The offense wasn't great. What a floor to have, 450 yards, 78 offensive plays. Just a backbreaking drive to end the game. Get on the plane, go home.

Get ready to play three teams who have offenses, quite frankly, that have struggled at different points to start this season. I think they got the Jets, the Rams, and they also have the commanders. The commanders over the next couple weeks. So these are tune-ups before you

see the big dogs in Miami. That's going to be a hell of a game. That's going to be a hell of a game. So good wins by both defenses on Monday night. I know the the offenses are working through shit, but keep banging those unders, man. You know, people say life's too short to bet the under. No, it's not. There's nothing better than an ugly football game in my eyes. And when I get the profit off it, too, especially in prime time, that's the thing about a Monday night game. People say, hey, I said this last night,

nine six is just fine with me on a Monday. I'm so fucking wired. I'm overstimulated from Sunday. I'm so tired from that 70 point performance. My brain just can't handle it. I need something. something like 9-6 to be that runway into a good night's sleep at the Mount Laurel redacted hotel. Okay, so anyways, I just wanted to shout them out. Also, last thing on the NFL and current events, the Jets are in the news every day because of the quarterback thing. I'm here and they're going to bring in Trevor Simeon, Reed. They signed him. They signed him. They signed him today. He's going to pick up the offense quick. And I mean no offense to Trevor Simeon. But if you're punting on the season, Jets, which is what you're doing, you're

punting on the season. Just say it out loud. I kind of like the bring in Kaepernick thing. I know some people are going to be like, oh, but fuck it, man. Answer the question everybody's had for seven years. Can the guy still play? You know, like probably not. You've had him out long enough that it doesn't matter if he could in 2017 or not, but I'd like to see him play. If we're just going to punt on the fucking season, let's make it an entertainment business. And he sent that letter. The letter. Joe D.

J. Cole shared it. We all know about it. And he just wants to be on the practice squad. You know, I think it'd be great. I think it'd be great. You know, some people,

they're never going to be okay with me saying that. But like, we disagree. I think it'd be great. And, you know, he doesn't have to play it down. But if he played it down, would that not be entertaining.

Right. I mean, everybody would be glued to the TV that Sunday. And you'd, the X app would be going off. Because that's what you're doing right now. You're just entertaining people. You're not trying to win.

I mean, you are trying to win. the players on the team are trying to win. I believe in Joe. I believe in Robert, all that stuff. Whether it came down from Woody, whether it's Robert's decision, whether it's Joe's decision.

You can tell me how steep the price would be to actually try to play this year out. But you are saying out loud that it's not worth that price. Because there's a way to do it. Right. And we saw today that, you know, it just broke when we were sitting down,

was that a report was that the Jets locker room is near breaking between, or as a byproduct of Robert Solis near, you know, blinders going after, you know, dedication to Zach Wilson. And like the same problems last year, right? The defense was if we had not even a middling quarterback, a top 24 quarterback, you know, 20 to 24, we would have some of these wins back and we'd be a playoff team and they're the same boat.

Listen, it'd be one thing if this was year one of this experiment, but it's so hard as a player to sit there. And I know that some people will say, hey, it's a business. What do you want them to do? what do you want players to do? You know, like you are at risk of losing the locker room when you don't make moves to help your team. You know, and it's an unfair situation for Robert DeBean

because I think they made those moves. Absolutely tried to make those moves. Well, I mean, we got Woody Johnson back in 2016 replying to Kaepernick's protest with like a weak thing. He said, weak, yeah, explanation. Mark. Well, Woody, I think you're a fucking big, rich baby. know, like, it's 53 guys out there.

They're rotting with Zach Wilson. You're running a bad business. All right? You're running a bad business, Woody. Well, no, Curtis, there's no question you could do it. There's no question you could do it, Curtis. Hey, Woody, there's no question you could do it. Just do it.

It doesn't cost you anything. Anyways, I mean, hey, listen, you don't want to see Cap on a football field ever again. Whatever, man. I just think, hey, if you're punning, let's have some fun. Okay, we can all, I like chaos, man. If it's going to be chaos, I'm tired of the Zach Wilson chaos. I want to see some more entertaining chaos. So anyways.

Different angle of the chaos. All right. So with the Monday night games under our belt, let's get to Marty, Marty Smith. And then afterwards, I have, I'm addressing Patriots fans and a few fans around the AFC East. I got into this Mack Jones's dirty thing and just was going at it with these motherfuckers yesterday. And, you know, like my message might surprise you. You know, I'm in a very zen-like mood today.

So stick around after Marty if you want to hear me speak directly to a fan base or two. This podcast is brought to you by Cash App. With multiple tools for saving, spending, and sending, cash app is an all in one way to stay in control of your money. But what happens when life takes an unexpected turn and you find yourself losing control? I got a quick story for you. The other day, we had our third child, name is June. We brought her home from the hospital here in Montana, got home to our cabin,

and the plumbing was out. So that's a pretty bad first day. We go to bed, 2 a.m., the smoke alarm goes off. The whole house is awake. Wasn't my fault. But that's losing control. It happens. Bottom lies, I can't control the plumbing going out. I can't control the smoke alarm going off at 2 in the morning, but what I can control is my money. A great way to stay and control your life and to stay in control of your finances is cash app. So download cash app in the app store or Google Play to see why it's the number one finance app in the US app store. All right. So we've got somebody, we both really like this guy, dude. I've got a chance to meet Marty a couple times. And, you know, I knew McGee from back in the day, you know, with his dad being an official in the ACC and all that stuff. But getting a chance

to get to know Marty, even though he's a hokey, a guy we both really like. Well, so yeah, Marty and I have been on a bit of a roller coaster that he doesn't know about. I was a big Marty Smith fan. He spoke our language. And then he said one day that he identified as a hokey, big Beamer disciple. And I thought, all right, I hate this Marty Smith guy. He's not for me. But then I've come back around and like him again. He's too easy to like. And now he's an author. We have him on because he's promoting sideline CEO, his new book, leadership principles from championship coaches. It is available now as you hear it Wednesday morning. So go out and get you some of that.

But welcome Marty to the show and congrats on being an author. I appreciate you, brother. Thank you guys for having me and offering me a platform. Yeah, I kind of have that effect on a lot of people. They're like, man, he seems pretty cool. I think I might be able to get down with that guy. And then they're like, no, that guy's a dick. I'm out.

Yeah. Well, I actually didn't know that about you, that you grew up a tech fan. but now that's come to my attention. We definitely built in some time. I was saying earlier, if I go on an interview and they're like, we just want to hit you on the Virginia Virginia Tech Robbery, I'm like, I don't know, I got a hard out.

But for Marty, I think he's fine to talk about it. So the book is awesome, man. I mean, like you look at these names that are involved, Sabin, Brown, Mac Brown, Malky, Doc Rivers, Coach Cal, Izzo, and then you got Dabo. And then one thing I noticed, Marty, is everybody in the book has a championship, but one is Frank Beamer. So I'm just wondering how Beamer slid in there, but, you know.

ACC championships, big East championships. We count those in Blacksburg, brother. We count them here, too. And they're easy to count for us. But when you sat down with these folks, like, take me soup to nuts through how you actually say, okay, I'm going to write a book, and then I got to get these folks lined up. and what's the process of learning everything you had to learn to write this book? It was pretty involved, actually.

I had the title first. I mean, sideline CEO. That title hit me several years ago. I'm like, man, that's baller. That's a baller title. And I knew I wanted to try to leverage the relationships I've made with a lot of these legendary leaders and coaches through my job at ESPN. I just wasn't necessarily sure how yet. And as I made my way in towards COVID, you know, COVID hits.

And it was neat to be home for a minute because I'd never been home in my whole adult life. And Laney and I were very intentional about our time with one another and our time with our children because I was home for a sustained period of time. But I feel like a lot of Uber-driven people operate this way. You start getting pretty restless, pretty quick. and I had this tremendous concern or fear what a sports don't come back? Then what? What am I going to do?

How am I going to keep his bellies full and this roof over our head? And I thought, okay, let's control what we can control. And I called Mack Brown. He was the first coach that I called. And I kind of told him my philosophy on this. And he's Mac, he's like everybody's dad. And he was like, sure, go.

And 53 minutes later, I'd gone to a master class. So the next day after that, Chris, I transcribed his interview and I was like, man, there's some real depth in this. The next day I called Urban Meyer, and that interview was 57 minutes long and left no doubt. I was like, man, this thing has some juice. Yeah. And ultimately in the fall of 22, last fall, my publisher called and said, hey, we need a book, man. We need a book for next October. What you got?

and I'm like, I got this idea, sideline CEO. I don't really know what it is yet. And then, okay, I'm going to go interview all these coaches. How do you format it in a way that isn't boring? Is it every coach is a chapter and it's their story and their path to leadership? What is it? Well, I bought this. Another thing during COVID, I was very intentional about reading books.

I wanted one every 10 days to stay the hell out of my phone. And one of the books I bought was called I Want My MTV. And it was written in an oral history format. It would be like MTV VJX, three sentences. David Lee Roth, one sentence. CEO Viacom, a paragraph. I'm like, I sat up in bed one night. And I went straight to my office and Lane.

He's like, where the hell are you going? I'm like, I'm going to work. And that's how I formatted the book. I wrote it in this kind of eight pillar oral history format. with all of those amazing coaches that you mentioned. And there is so much insight in it and depth in it that I've enveloped a lot of what those folks said into my daily walk, not just as a professional, but as a father and as a husband, self-accountability.

Yeah. And so that's kind of the process that I went through. And, I mean, I feel like what came out of it is pretty cool. Well, I can't wait to dig into it. And some of these coaches, man, I mean, I would have loved to play for some of these guys. Mac Brown, I mean, like just off the cuff here, I think a lot of people looked at him going to UNC, and we did, and we were hopeful that maybe he was,

he was antiquated in his leadership abilities, because UNC's turned into a bit of a low-key powerhouse in the ACC, and I wonder, because you talked to Texas fans, they were like, oh, Max Wash, she's not good. But this guy, however old he is, is able to walk into a room in a changing landscape in college football, and he can recruit, he can motivate, and he can still coach. What is it about his leadership that you think had staying power into his 70s and beyond?

I think it is vulnerability first. I think it's consistent evolution as a person and as a leader. And he said something to me in the book, Brother, that really kind of made me sit back and think. because one of the kind of pillars or chapters in the book is about evolution. It's classic Eckhart Toll. If you don't evolve, you die. And I grew up in Southwest

Virginia with an old man who beat over my head. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Boy, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, boy. Well, that's just not applicable if you want to stay relevant in a high intensity landscape. And Mack has done such a brilliant job.

You know, when he left Texas, he jumped into Broadway. So all the sudden he has all of this depth of knowledge about that whole side of what college football is. And these days, as we know, television dollars are king. That's what it fostered realignment with the grant of rights from the networks. Yeah. And so there's this tremendous scope of information that he has. And there was the fire and being pissed off that somebody said he wasn't good enough anymore.

So when he wants to come back to Carolina, I mean, look, a lot of people, all of us were like, man, can't, I'm not sure if that's going to work. Yeah. He's older. Will he relate to the young players and all the look at me's and the selfies and all the stuff? Well, not only has he related, he's done it at a very high level. He's recruiting very well. This, Chris, to me, and I think in my lifetime, when L.T. played at North Carolina, y'all two weren't born yet. Yeah.

And I think I was like three years old or something, four years old. In my memory, this is the most physical North Carolina team I've seen. They'll hit you in the teeth. And then they got a stud at quarterback. And you spent some time with Drake May. Yes, I did. I did a feature on him earlier this season for week one. What a wonderful family.

You know, they have such a great spirit about them. servant leadership approach to life. And of course, Luke is Luke. He hit the second most famous shot in North Carolina basketball history and had a tremendous career there. Cole won a national title at the University of Florida on the baseball team. Bo was on the Carolina basketball team. Injuries have kind of thwarted his path there and Drake's the best of the bunch probably.

And right now, I think, projected to go second in the NFL draft if he continues to play at a high level here this season. Just studs. I mean, just amazing. Their parents are awesome. Yeah. And I really admire that family. And getting to meet these quarterbacks, I mean, I just saw you the other day with

Jordan Travis. And, you know, I watched him play one game last year. I forget it was one of their televised games. Maybe it was Florida. And I thought to myself, like, man, this college football landscapes loaded with great quarterbacks. And we're not talking about this guy. So you went fishing with Jordan Travis.

You spent time with May. I'm wondering, is there a common, kind of thread with these guys and their personalities or their leadership abilities, because we talk about coaches, but quarterbacks, you spent time with a lot of them, do you think there's a common thread between how they act or where they come from? It's self-confidence in my estimation, and going back to Jordan Travis specifically for a moment, Chris, he didn't have it. He actually considered giving up the game based on the pain that was inflicted upon him

from the feedback on social media when he was at Louisville and into his transition to Florida State. He had this moment of cloudiness about the passion to play the game. Like, do I really want to do this? And fortunately, that was a fleeting moment for him, but then you fast forward just a little bit.

Coach Norville and Coach Dillingham come into Florida State three years ago. Jordan actually walked in Norville's office, office and requested to transfer to wide receiver. Yeah. He's like, can I just please transition to wide receiver? Wow. And Norville said, I want you to get out of here, stand up, walk out in the lobby and look

to your left. You're good enough at quarterback to win one of those. And it was Charlie Ward and Chris Winkie's Heisman trophies. And here we are. He's going to probably be a finalist when we get to New York in December. He's a baller, dude. Yeah, yeah, he's awesome. And you bring up that anecdote, I think, about like every leader you have.

ever met, they had to have a leader. They had to have somebody that gave them that boat of confidence. Well, I think there's two things, and I'm sure you have two. Every interview I've done for the last three weeks, they asked me about Dion. Yeah. And why is Deion working? Why is this? It's the biggest story in sports, in my opinion.

I mean, hey, kudos Travis Kelsey, man. Big props, bro. Yeah, it's a big story. Wow, man, she actually showed up at the spot. Yeah, they didn't even like, it wouldn't even like, yeah it wasn't even like a long run of uncertainty no man right there she is yeah wow i was with donna kelsey with donna kelsey up there donna kelsey's living a charmed life she's been i mean she did a great job with her boys speaking of leaders in the background of leaders but yeah no taylor swiffs

is a big story it's a huge story and and but with deion i think fellas what we really want if you look at the fundamental human level all of us want hope and belonging and I mean, it's applicable to every facet and every path your life happens to take. We want those two human emotions. And he has offered that he's walked into a culture that was completely irrelevant and flipped it immediately and made them relevant. I mean, these story in sports. And all these young people are looking out west of Boulder and going, all right, I see the way he leads with love. I see his servant approach to the way he's leading these young people

and they go, hey, I got Alabama, Georgia, you know, Clemson, Ohio State on my list here. I might have to head out there and take a look. Yeah. And I think one thing that's made Dion great, and you mentioned, it's changed the landscape of college football because now when Dion dafts up your best player at midfield after the game, a good game, son. You're like, hey, let me get in here.

Stay away from that guy, right, get away. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think what makes him great, and I think, you know, leadership as a guy who's been a captain and been a vet in the NFL, like I always think about social intelligence. And I think about the ability to have that duality where, okay, I can ship a bunch of guys out and say, hey, hardline, y'all aren't good enough to do what we're about to do here. But also the ability on the other side of things to love guys up after a loss, the ability to go at, you know, another team because it's personal, but then to take your medicine. at the podium after you get your butt kicked by Dan Landing in Oregon. It's the intelligence to when the whole world is saying, hey, we're big Colorado fans.

I think the death threats aren't a big deal. You know, there was like, have we gotten there in society? And Dion's the guy, he's the adult in the room that stands up and says, hey, that's not okay. Right. You know, I just think at every turn, he's had, you know, a really diverse range of emotions that he's been able to tap into. he's been a motivator he's been a hardline guy he's been a guy who can build him up and i think

that's a big part of leadership is having the versatility to do all those things and to be the marketer because he's that he can coach he can market he's a swiss army knife and they have to be today that was kind of the one of the premises of writing the book is that they are genuinely CEOs yeah they run extremely lucrative businesses in the highest pressure situations with no time to be successful. You've got to do it now or your ass is gone. And that's the biggest difference between college and the pros. I feel like it's more of a CEO job in college.

You know, you think about Coach Saban, right? Yeah. Every single big-time volleyball recruit, tennis recruit, baseball recruit, when they come to Alabama, they want to meet Nick Saban. So he has to carve out all of this time for the university, you know, on top of the donors. on top of all the gripping grins everywhere.

And that's why I chose delegation as one of the pillars in this book. Because what do we say about guys like Jimbo Fisher, right? Is he holding on too long calling the plays offensively because he's running this massive business where he has to do all of this diverse, all these diverse responsibilities, yet he's trying to be in the micro-granular nuance of preparing for Auburn's defense. Yes. Right?

So you got to delegate. And Kirby Smart said to me in the book, he didn't become a really good coach until he became self-confident enough to delegate and not micromanage because micromanagement is insecurity. Yeah. Yeah, and usually it is.

And at times, like, even in this podcast, like I'll micromanage the process because I want the product to be so good. But as times going on over four years, it's like at different turns in the road, I've said, hey, not only is it easier to delegate, but as you build trust in the people under, your assistant coaches or your producers

or that sort of thing, like you've got to be able to delegate. And it's something I'm still working on is like that thing. And I'm imagining being a college football coach and saying, all right, I got to worry about recruiting, I got to worry about the donors,

I got to worry about the offense, I got to worry about the defense. Some of the best college football coaches of all time when I heard about Bobby Bowden by the end of his career, he was in the golf cart. Like he was up in the tower with the binoculars

and he's letting the, guys do their thing but it takes time right it's trust trust is one of the things you mentioned it and you you can't that is the absolute most important foundation principle of leadership yeah is trust because that's sort of where leadership begins and ends and it's it's really really hard to earn and really easy to lose yep because you when and that leads into community communication side you have to communicate in a very direct way that is consumable, and you've got to follow through on those words. It's the whole confront and demand part of the leadership side, which Urban Meyer is very good at, and Coach Izzo told me he straight up stole from Urban.

Like a lot of guys are fine confronting a failure, or find confronting something that isn't as efficient or successful as they want it to be. but do you demand with the follow-through that it's fixed? And like all of those little things. I'm such a nerd about all this stuff that I love every bit of that. And I was so excited to talk to you about it because you're right. I mean, you have played for awesome leaders and we're on the field and are just such a tremendous leader yourself with your actions, with your words, with your follow-through on that. and your play.

I mean, nobody ever questioned if you were given every last ounce of everything you had to whatever your obstacle was that day. And that's a hell of a thing to do on a sustained basis to demand of self. There's a lot of days you don't want to do it, man. There's a lot of days you get up and your body hurts or your mind's tired or your kids are not right

or something's going on at home. But I always say this is to myself. I'm a runner. There's someday, even now, I'm 47 years old, Chris. I get up some mornings, and I don't want to run, but I always say to myself, the difference between the man I am and the man I want to be is six miles. Go take the damn six miles and find that person.

It's whatever that yes or no choices on a daily basis. That eventually becomes who you are. A bunch of little decisions that seem small day to day, but eventually that becomes exactly who you are. I think you hit on another one, the communication, greatest leaders are great communicators. Because they can be really tough,

but they can build you right back up. They can be really direct, the whole thing, and they know each of the people in the room that they're trying to lead. And that's one of the hardest things. And I'll admit, leadership for me did not come easy.

I appreciate the compliments, but like post career, I'm learning how to lead in business. That's a whole different deal. You know, you talk about athletes getting into the leader. We always tell a funny story here on this show from last year where we were having a, you know, like a come to Jesus meeting with the crew because we had a lot going on and we were

just trying to get on the same page. And I said, listen, is there anything that you guys have to say to me that I'm not doing a good enough job of or that I'm fucking up? And one of my producers in the back was like, yeah, I'll go. Like, all right, here we go. All right, here we go. Here we go. Give it to me.

And he's like, well, last week. you called us motherfuckers. And I don't think that's, that's leadership or whatever he said. And I said, you're right. Let me just, I shouldn't have said that.

Can you give me the context of how I said that? And he goes, yeah, you called us some hard working motherfuckers. And I said, Marty, I go, that's a compliment where I come from.

But the difference is I got to recalibrate my communication, my emotional intelligence, my leadership to fit the new venture, which is much different than leading on a football field. And so I do think, like, a coach, there is the crossover ability. I think coaches can make tremendous leaders in other walks of life, but there's probably an adjustment period where they have to like,

you've got something. Well, I just want to circle back to the trust piece in this current college football landscape of realignment and portal in NIL, and Dion gets to 3 and O and we start wondering, well, is he going to be in Gainesville in a year or two. Well, that's the big question, right? players are in and they're out and is this sustainable? That's the hardest thing. You look at some of the most longest tenured coaches in college football.

It's like Whittingham, it's Ference, it's those guys. Dabo's been there a long time. You kind of wonder if in the current landscape it's going to be harder to keep your leaders longer and to have the continuity to build a culture. It's a lot like basketball. I talked about that with basketball coaches in the book because your leadership, like what do we always hear, fellas? as we hear, I have reached a team.

I know that I have gotten my team when it becomes player-led. When the leadership gets to the player level and it becomes a player-led unit, I have gotten them. They are here. They have reached that place that I've been leading them to. Well, when your culture is not passed down at the player level and you have to restart every single year, that's a very daunting process. and especially fellas in a time with the people that are in this book

who are getting four or five stars throughout their whole roster you got to think about every one of those young people has been told for most of their life you're the greatest athlete that's ever come out of this town you're the greatest athlete that god ever created you're going straight to the league and so it's like coach caliperi said to me the culture around here at kentucky is everybody eats. And when you have been that dude your whole life, who's the guy, and you got to get broken down and rebuilt within that culture, it takes time.

It is a process. And the great ones are able to do it over and over again, but it's got to be exhausting. And there's a couple. So there's a couple points I wanted to follow up on quickly about what y'all said, about the communication side. All right. I loved this. Leonard Hamilton at Florida State and Roy Williams.

You don't treat everybody the same. You treat everybody fairly. And fairly is a contextual thing. It's a subjective word because great coaches meet their players at their level emotionally. And no two people consume information and process information the same way. And so you have to think about the individual. time that goes into each person. And that time builds what?

Trust. It's all intermingled. Yeah. And so it's just, it's fascinating to me, the ones that are able to sustain it. Because it's, you're so right in a transient NCAA right now, where it's the Wild West. And the college football that I fell in love with going to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia, with my daddy, when I was a little guy. and the reason that I loved it so much, fellas,

you guys will relate to this. The reason that it was so special to me to go to those games with my dad is because I got to see him in a way, I didn't get to see him anywhere else. My dad worked a lot. He wasn't like around a lot. He went to every single game I played

from Pee We baseball till I finished high school football. Like my whole life, he was at every one of them. He was present for me. I knew he loved me. but didn't tell me that a lot. But when we went to see Virginia Tech play, I got to see that passion. I got to be in that energy and that aura

because he was like a myth to me. And I got to be kind of pulling in the same direction and feeling his love and hope he felt mine. And to this day, I feel closer to him in that stadium than I do anywhere. I mean, way closer than his gravestone. Yeah. Yeah, you guys shared a real experience there.

I want to, my son's starting to watch sports a lot. And I don't turn down an opportunity to sit on the couch with them and watch. That's one of the most fun things about being a dad. Paint us a quick little picture of Peresburg, Virginia. Very, very small, very rural. Yeah. It is a Friday night lights type of town. It's one of those towns where the, you know, people work hard,

the number one employer in our county, our entire county is Virginia. Virginia Tech, folks drive over the mountain to get to work. A lot of farming. I did not grow up physically on our family farm, but we have 500 acres out there that I grew up going to most mornings with my old man to tend to things before we went to school. And it's just that kind of community. And like high school football is so important there. It's the identity of our community.

and it's a great program. We won a bunch of state championships. I won one my final year there, and I'll never forget what it felt like, this realization of this dream, when you start to have the conceptualized philosophy that because we won on Friday night, those guys who are 50 years old

and have been going to these games every single Friday night of their life, and they're going over here to the Radford, Ammunition plant to work their 12-hour shift, they win on Monday because we won on Friday. And that's an amazing thing to consider for a 17-year-old kid, but you're a God. I can't imagine being you, Chris. Like, I can't imagine what it's like to be like a really good. I mean, it was cool. It was cool.

I'd say this, my ears perked up when you were like, hey, most of the guys that get to college football they think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread they've been told they're the I'm like looking across the dinner table I know I'm not the greatest thing they're sliced bread right there so like you know it's that that kept me humble and you know like getting it you I played smaller ball like in in high school and you know sometimes I look back and I'll be like man I wish I played in front of more people or hey St. Louis I love my eight years there I wish I was on TV every Sunday night but it does keep you humble I'm not saying I would have done it exactly that way but it does keep you humble.

And college football is special, man. Like, I'm at the age now where I'm finding things to do on Friday nights. And me and my buddies all of a sudden are like, let's go to that game. Let's go check that game out. So I think it's awesome in hearing about, I had never been anywhere near your hometown. I know every place in Virginia, I thought. But, you know, it's right over the mountain. So you're a Radford guy.

Yep. You grew up in Southwest Virginia. Is Enters Sandman the best college football tradition? It's just like as far as game day sound or sight. For me, for me, I think the coolest experience I've had, and I've been blessed to go to Penn State Whiteouts, and I've seen Clemson run down the hill countless times, and I've done Dixieland Delight in Brian Denny Stadium,

but Death Valley on Saturday night is, wild. I mean, it's a bunch of pirates down there in Baton Rouge boys, and they are fueled by Jack Daniels and Gumbo. And when they start singing, when they start singing calling Baton Rouge at the end of the third quarter, and that hunter, I mean, that cathedral starts swaying and that concrete swaying back and forth. And the intensity is in such a way that you are just losing your, I mean, we're supposed to be completely unbiased. We don't show any emotion. Man, fuck that. I'm ready to strap up and knock the hell out of something. That's so funny.

I've been wanting to go to a game down there. I don't know if I could handle it. Stanford Steve and Ryan Rosillo always go down there. Ricillo is a big LSU guy. I just haven't gotten down to Death Valley. You should go. It should be on the bucket list. You got to experience that.

And it's the whole thing, bro. It's not just the game. You got to watch how they tailgate. The hospitality is just so pure. and the food's stupid and the drinks are rolling. I mean, it's just awesome. Yeah, I can't wait to get down there. You mentioned Davos running down on the field.

First. And I was kind of wondering, yeah, is that your favorite? No, no, no. He has to run down first. Yeah, he has to run down first. You know, we're Virginia guys, so we're not as big Davo guys. But my question to you would be, if dabbo coaches there long enough, is it like a stair lift kind of thing eventually?

Like where they just kind of, or does the players carry him? escalator in. Yeah, like one of those stair chairs. Because, I mean, you talk about coach with longevity. I don't, even the way things are going there, I don't see them moving on. You talk about Marty, you get a chance to go a weekend and you've never been to a college football game. Maybe you haven't been to a pro football game.

But it's an experiential weekend where you got to pick a college and a pro team in a general market where are you going? Because some people threw out some pretty interesting answers. and I know I have my own. Give yours as Marty thinks. Yeah. Oh, mine? It's, oh, mine, it's Florida and it's Jacksonville.

I want to be in the, I want to be at the swamp on Saturday. I've never been there. That is one of the most beautiful things in college football is that big wall. Welcome to the swamp or whatever it says. And then, you know, that whole scene. And then, you know, take a little drive over to Jacksonville and hang out in the pool. Take a dip in the pool. You get to watch an NFL game in the pool, man.

That's my kind of stadium. it's I mean as as you say that you know I'm a I'm I'm I've been all over the south certainly I've been to all you got to go to Gainesville too when they're singing won't back down oh dude and just channeling Tom Petty Gainesville's native son yeah I mean it will just make every hair you and they're so loud I mean these college stadiums are so huge dude yeah and so so I highly record commend that. I mean, I've never, again, the Penn State Whiteout is a, I saw them play Michigan there a couple years ago, and it was unlike anything I've ever, it was an SEC, like big time

SEC West type of atmosphere. It's out in the middle of nowhere. It's those people's identity. They love that program, awesome fan base. And so what I might do, I don't, I'm not a geography major by any I think it sounds close to Pittsburgh. So it's definitely close to Pittsburgh. Okay. I actually, one place that I've never seen a game is Buffalo, New York. Oh, that's fun, man. You go in there, but it's like college.

Yeah, that's what it looks like to me. And I'm super tight with Josh Allen. That's my guy. He's that dude. And so I would love to go up there and see Josh and Damien Harris. They're running back. I got super tight with Damien when he was at Bama. So I would love to go up there and see them boys play.

But, you know, Happy Valley to Buffalo is probably like 18 hours or something. You're stretching it. You're stretching because you're road warrior. I thought you're going to say I'm going to the Carrier Dome, which is actually a tough place to play. I saw Clemson hang 59 on Syracuse in there one Saturday. And it was when Deshaun was there. Yeah. Man, I was doing sidelines that day.

And I was like, dude, this game's going to take 90 years to finish. I bet. What's your answer? And by the way, we're going to Penn State soon because my good buddy, Mark, Higgins is now the wide receivers coach up there and uh he was a ball player that guy man great player great player but the way he described happy valley was like you said it's like you know like there's nothing for a while it's gorgeous and then it's like boom town and the town's function almost entirely is sport penn state and you know they do a wrestling match and there's 20 000 people in

there they all the olympic sports are packing them in because people just live and breathe it i'll take my lead from Marty. I'll say Death Valley and Baton Rouge and then that beautiful glow of the Mercedes Mercedes-Benz dome, which you know, your ear drums are going to be hurting out to that one. I'll give them a couple years to get back to Sunday night football. You mentioned Deshawn Watson.

Who's the best college football player you've seen in person that you're like, I don't know if they became the best pro or whatever, but like somebody that... Probably him. I mean, he was just he was just unbelievable at Clemson. I mean, unbelievable, and it kind of took that program.

You know, when Davo first got it humming, when he first got hired, nobody really believed. You know, who's this wide receiver coach who, you know, has kind of this goofy sort of approach to personality and that kind of thing. And people thought even Clemson fans were like, this is super temporary, who's going to be our guy? But then he got C.J. Spiller to sign.

And when C.J. a five-star you know, comes up from Florida. It's like, oh, okay, whoa. This guy could have gone anywhere. He came here, and he came here because of that guy, because of dabbo. Yeah. Okay. And then from there, this influx of great recruits start showing up.

And, of course, he has it humming. But, man, I mean, Deshaun, if you would go back and look at what he did against Alabama in those college football playoff games, I mean, it was like throwing for 405, running for 100, 100 yards, 130 yards, just gashy. those dudes and go back and look at those defenses. Loaded. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

With like, you know, Kirby Smart was the defensive coordinator. Like, they had it going on. His fingerprints are all over his defenses. They just play so nasty. They do. I mean, they just, I mean, I remember when they beat Baylor, I always tell this story in the bowl game a couple years ago. The mics on the sideline were picking up guttural noises, dude.

Like, people were down there to, I mean, it was like they wanted to destroy Baylor. And I have chills thinking about it because I'd love to play for a guy like Kirby Smart. And yeah, Clemson before Dabo was Virginia. I mean, you know, like, no offense to us or them, but they weren't Clemson. And so, yeah, he turned around. Speaking of turnarounds, I didn't get you on this earlier with Dion, I kind of wonder, because I do think this is a replicable model, but you've got to be careful with the person, because it's all about the person.

I mentioned Ed Reed. I think Ed Reed could be great doing this. I mean, he had the thing of Bethune, didn't work out. but I think he'd be awesome. But from a program side, once Dion showed up in Boulder, I got the sense and things got rolling like, this was a gold mine.

I mean, they haven't recruited. They were just a one-win team, but Boulder's gorgeous, all the things that, you know, you talk about like a magnet for people like, this place is amazing. Cool uniforms, you know, kind of sweet, the sweet setup, you know,

actually like the monies come in. Is there a sleeping giant, not that Colorado's a giant, but is there a Power 5 team that you're like, why hasn't this worked? And if there was another Dion, and I stuck him in a place like this, they could make that same, you know, kind of turn.

Well, if we're talking about recent relevance, I would say the University of Miami. Yeah, yeah. You know, such an insane talent base right there. Tremendous tradition. Awesome city. I mean, I know it's in Coral Gables and it ain't South Beach, but, you know.

He doesn't like the geography of Miami. It's cities too spread out. Then you're driving 90 minutes to the stadium. And that's the truth. I mean, I remember one of the neatest things I ever saw, man. Remember a couple years ago when Miami was back? Like, I think Mark Ricked was there, and they had one year where they were like back. Yeah.

And it was when, and they hosted Notre Dame at home, and we were there for college game day. And one of the neatest things. things I've ever seen was it was like the five minute mark during warmups or something and the lights like the main lights in the stadium kind of dim and next thing you know they start playing in the air tonight and there's that you know that organ like the keys to start and then Phil Collins starts singing and I'm like oh man this is hot you can just feel this like this this unbelievable energy building. And when the drum solo hits,

they blew the lights back on and the damn lid blew off the place. And it was a two-hour commitment to get to the stadium. Yeah. But that was worth it. Miami Gardens or wherever it is. Yeah, I think that they're right for it.

And I just mentioned Ed Reed. It's like, I don't know, but... Well, Mario's doing, like, Mario's doing a great job. Yeah, he's doing a good job. Yeah, he's doing a good job. But it's like, you know, there's still Miami. I was thinking maybe Virginia might land at some point, some celebrity coach. Yeah, look at the mountains.

Basically falls in 2003, people magazine rated at the number one place to live. We're hanging on to that. That's good. That's a 20-year run. Marty can't hate on that. We're basically Appalachian. No, we're basically. I mean, basically.

But here's the question for you because we're talking about leaping giants. Duke was a sleeping giant for a long time, and now they're getting game day. And you frequented game day a lot. I know you're on the SEC show with Laura and Paul and all those guys in Roman, Tebow, that's a star-studded show, but when you get to go to Game Day,

what's that like, and why Durham? Well, I think a lot of reasons for Durham. Mike Elko's got that thing humming, man. They're going to need to open up their purse a little bit here. The wallet's going to have to open up, I think, for Mike down there at Duke. And I love their quarterback. I think he's just a dude, and they got some guys. And they're relevant in the national landscape,

and it's not a place that you instantly think college game day football. Now, college game day basketball, sure. All day. And it's funny because the SEC show, we're going to Kentucky this weekend. I'm like, is this a damn basketball weekend? College game day is at Duke? We're a UK, but it is an awesome experience to be, just to see the passion that people have for their team

and to be at college game day, and it's turned into this. I mean, college game day is every bit a thread in the fabric of college football. Yeah. As the games are. Yeah, it is. I mean, it is, people get up, and it is a family experience, and all those guys living, I mean, it's crazy, dude.

Like I did that feature on Jordan Travis that aired on Saturday. I was hosting because Laura is doing Monday night football. And my phone starts blowing up in the middle of the SEC Nation show. And I'm like, I must have said the F word. I don't know what happened here. But it was because that feature just ran. It's just the power of the platform for storytellers like myself is a blessing, man. And just the people go out.

And they're out there at 3, 4 in the morning drunk as Cooter. brown hell raising funny signs all the different i mean it has its own traditions and i love reese and herbie and des and i mean it's coach is an icon yeah that's a trip he's a trip yeah no it's funny because you you mentioned as part of the fabric it reminds me the way the NBA on tn t is to the NBA like people are making time around their schedule oh they don't care that the clippers don't tip off till midnight because we got to get an hour of chuck and shack in yeah the same thing with lee and those guys over the year and for anybody headed to Durham this weekend, I highly recommend Franklin Street in Chapel Hill,

North Carolina. That's good. Marty. We'll see if he can name these schools. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you guess a couple of the places that haven't had game day? There's six power five schools that haven't had a game day.

Can you guess any of them on the spot? It's tough. It's actually not that tough. Six power five schools. I'll give you a hint on one. Virginia. Yeah. UVA's never had college game day.

Uh-huh. There's a Pact 12 school in here. Three Big Ten. Well, they've been to Wazoo, so that means they've never been to Oregon State. Have they been to Corvallis? No, they've been to Corvallis. It's actually Cal. They've never been to Cal.

They've never been to Cal. They've never been to the Tadford era. You know? Not even in the Aaron Rogers stint. They haven't been to Champaign, Illinois. Okay. All right. Are they saying champagne or Champlain?

You got it. Okay. And then the Rutgers. They're obviously not going off to Rutgers. Scadaway. If Chiano couldn't do it, they're not going to Rutgers. And then my favorite is it never been to college park. And why would you?

And then the last one we've already mentioned this school is Syracuse, New York. So maybe... That's a lot of cold cities I just heard right there. There's one really nice one here. There's actually two really nice places in Berkeley and Charlottesville, depending on what time of year it is and all that. I don't know. Speaking of Berkeley in Charlottesville,

I wonder how those baseball... I wonder how those baseball teams are going to enjoy that conference tilt here in a couple years. God, dude. Transversing the globe. How about the volleyball team? Right, I know. I mean, I... Flying spirit across the country.

Rutgers to, you know, to Cal. I had a guy, y'all going to laugh at this. I had a guy. So let me tell you all about my last Thursday. Okay, last Thursday, I get up at like 4.45, take a quick shower, I make my kids lunch, and I haul ass to the Charlotte Airport. All right, I go Charlotte to Memphis. All right.

I get out in Memphis, get in the rental car, drive to Oxford, Mississippi. Yeah. I'm in Oxford. Interview Jackson Dart, old Miss quarterback. Great kid. Big boy. Damn, he's big. All right.

Big, dude. Turn around. Go back to Memphis Airport to fly to Dallas. I'm delayed. I finally get to Dallas. I'm delayed to fly to Austin. I finally get to Austin. All right.

Now I got to drive two hours to college station. Yeah. And by the time that I get to college station, it's like 1230 in the morning. All right. Well, I'm proud as hell of this crazy itinerary I've negotiated, navigated. And so on my Instagram story, I put this itinerary on my Instagram story. I bet you I got 500 responses from people going, must be nice having that PJ, bro. Yeah, exactly.

Yeah. Ain't no damn PJ over here, Jack. This America Airlines over here, buddy. He was Charlotte Douglas. The story started with Charlotte Douglas. He's in the C terminal, which is the terminal in Charlotte that's a mile long and you're going to every southeastern city. But the funny thing to me is you bring that up.

Herbie last week, he's on his social and he's got his map and it's like big, long red lines. You know, he's out west. Then he's up to Notre Dame and then he's down. And I'm like, man, that's got to be a big plane. I think Herbie might be doing the big playing stuff. I think his situation is just a tad different from mine, just a hair. You need to quote tweet his with like, hey, man, you know, they give me peanuts, but that was about it.

How was A.A. 1072, buddy. Yeah, dude. But the coolest part about that for Herbie, though, first of all, I don't know how that dude does what he's doing. I don't think he's sleeping. It's amazing, truly, what he's doing. But I love that he's getting to watch his son play high school football every Friday night. Like he builds that into that crazy itinerary. Like I just think that's so cool as a dad. Yeah, my dad did it.

I mean, and he went as busy as Kirby or as Kirk. But, you know, my dad used to do Friday night at my high school or wherever we played in Virginia. And then he would get out, you know, Friday overnight, take a red eye to L.A. for the Sunday show. And for years, he was going commercial out of D.C. So he'd drive two hours, go up there, and then Red Eye back to get back. My mom would go to Oregon to watch my brother play on Saturday.

And then Red Eye, no sleep, go to the Edward Jones dome at noon, which is not going to keep you awake. But she was there, and she was usually partying later than me on Sunday night. So parents, man, showing up. It's a big part of it. I was going to ask you, man, you're a vest guy, right? I'm a big vest guy. I had a vest on earlier.

I had a Carhart vest on earlier. got a little cold in the studio, so they're on a hoodie, but you're a man of fashion, and I'm wondering who's the best-dressed college football coach of all time? Best-dressed college football coach. Sidelined attire. Like, if Marty Smith were a coach,

whose playbook are you taking a page out of? Are you a visor guy like Doug Peterson? No, no, visors. No, my hair's too good for that. Are you just going to be like, yeah, you got great lettuce, and not like Holgerson, who's just out there, like in the rain, like.

Holgerson has the greatest skisorier. I mean, that thing, it should be in the Louvre. It's just remarkable. He's got, I mean, it is going back to Phil Collins. It's like Phil Collins live aid 1985 right here in the front cranial region. And then it is a full-blown like Tennessee top hat, Wisconsin Waterfall Camaro Mullet spilling out the back. And it's like stringy too, dude. It is.

It's, it gets got real strength. hands to it. Yeah, you just said, oh. Well, talk about the common thread between quarterbacks, common thread with your head of hair. It's all about confidence, whether it's Marty. Yeah, you're right. Or it's Dana. And Marty.

He's got all the reasons in the world. He's like Josh Allen with the arm confidence. Marty used to wear a flat top. I did. How'd you know that? Did you find my high school pitcher? Big research guy. He's a big research guy.

Let me tell you all about the flat tops. All right. I don't know what the hell kind of trend that was. we all had them and how he lost how he still has one oh yeah that's true that is true that is you're like dad what do you want i'll give you whatever it's iconic on your old man's head it is like iconic and i'll you know what else too i know your old man has a gold jacket all the whole thing right but his real legacy is the fucking neck roll yeah that neck roll that thing what was it doing i don't think it was doing a thing except for him walking in there and saying this is it was like

billboard i'm a badass uh-huh no i know and everybody went through the mc david cowboy collar era around the time the program came out and like alvin mac looked cool and so in high school i was wearing a mac the whole time but that's out now like vanderette still has one doesn't he he's still rocking a cowboy collar yeah that was a real 90s early 2000s thing uh you mentioned in the air tonight did you hear the chris stapled in uh yeah i thought was amazing i mean chris is Chris is just a freak man What a freak show dude There are

I say all the time There are certain professions that save lives There are doctors, nurses, EMT surgeons I always put songwriters in that list because The fact that these individuals

Have the talent and the vulnerability And the skill To tell those types of stories In three minutes that can be a tow rope of hope for somebody who needs it. It's just an insane talent and responsibility in a lot of cases. And I say all that to say, Chris is such a lion with his pen.

And, I mean, obviously his voice. Look, I didn't think anybody would ever even enter Whitney's neighborhood with the Super Bowl National Anthem. But Chris is living next door, Bubba. Yeah, he is, man. And he's salate that thing. He's about as good as you. It's just so nice to have somebody on this show finally with some musical taste.

And Marty and I share a buddy and Kenny Chesney. And Marty, Marty's guest hosting No Shoes Radio this week. I heard that. How'd that come about, man? That's sick. We met Kenny after the, we went up, we drove up to Pittsburgh, see Kenny and Eric Church. Yep.

And we met Kenny after he's the nicest guy I've ever met that was that famous. Then we met Ben Ruff. But you didn't like. Maybe not the nicest. And Ritchie Incognito ripped your shirt. You didn't like him, but he liked Kenny. It was a big night. So how did the Kenny thing come about?

He asked me. You guys are tight like that. So he, all right, so he has this amazing channel, you know, on Sirius XM, No Shoves Radio. And they're in the middle of this kind of guest DJ run. And they've had like Brian Dable just did it. Matt Rule just did it. Shane Beamer just did it.

And John Anthony, who is... Bail addict. Who is the guy that, like, Kenny's buddy that runs the No Shoes channel, reached out to me, and he's like, because I had hosted, I'm super tight with Eric Church. I was actually with him last night until about 3 o'clock in the morning. And you put it a good word? Can we get him on the show sometimes?

Just tell him a guy that kind of looks like him? You won't chief on? Yeah, man. Yeah, I'm going to. Big Chief fans. going back to people who saved my life Eric saved my life I mean almost quite literally

saved my life with his first album but so so they reach out to me I had done a guest DJ thing on Outsiders Radio which is Eric's Sirius XM channel and I think Kenny heard it and thought it was cool so he's like

hey let's get Marty on so so they gave me I was like yeah I'd love to do it I got a book coming out if you'll let me talk about that book, I'll do anything. That's so cool. And so I'm so grateful that they gave me that platform. I got to play whatever music I wanted to play, share whatever stories I wanted to share, one of which goes back to that tour. You two are talking about where you saw Chief open for Chesney in Pittsburgh. And Chase Wright. I flew out to Seattle. Dude, this, this, I flew out to Seattle with Eric

to watch those guys play the Quest Field or whatever there. Century Link. What is it? Seattle's century link yeah and during eric set i'd had a i'd had a substantial amount of jack daniels like embalming level and and chesney at his front of house scaffolding had this pirate massive pirate flag bolted to the scaffolding well i was hammered and i went out to that i climbed up on that scaffold on the mast. And I un penned the pirate flag. Yeah. And I am on top of the scaffolding, just waving this flag furiously.

Church is trying to sing Springsteen, and he is staring right at me, waving this damn flag, and he's laughing his way through Springsteen. Meanwhile, you know old John Law from every corner of the stadium is descending upon to apprehend the hillbilly with the flag. Fortunately, Eric's people saw it and got me out of trouble, but that's one of our all-time. We have done some funny shit in our time together. That one's way up near the top. What do you think the best country show you've been to is?

Oh, my God. That's like asking me to pick a kid. I can't pick a kid next because Dion did it. Yeah, he ranks his. It's definitely a church show. No question about it. I would say, Laney and I were talking about this last night because Eric just played Charlotte back-to-back nights.

We went Saturday night and last night. And he's just so talented as a writer. I think he's the best writer alive. And then he has this ability to turn up his intensity and this demand that there be the energy exchange between artists and an audience. And there's just nobody like him. Yeah.

And I remember. seeing him open for George Strait at the Sprint Center or whatever in Kansas City several years back. And one of the coolest parts about that deal was watching those two sing Cowboys like us together. I mean, you talk about like holy shit moments. Yeah. We're all sitting there just like dumbfounded that he's up there with the King of Country music singing this song.

And it was just that one, was that one, it's probably that one. That's awesome. We just went out, this wouldn't be my answer necessarily, because I wish I could have seen everybody play longer, but I went to the Willie 90th birthday party

at the Hollywood Bowl. Awesome. And man, let me tell you, it was amazing. You talk about some of the best singer, songwriters of all time, and some of the best,

you know, living relics of that last era, which to me was the best. You're like me. There's guys like air. Eric, Whelan and Chris and William. Yeah, I love them all, man. And, like, you know, now there are guys like Eric who are still very, like, you know, those guys have that spirit in them.

I mean, I would put Chris and that Tyler and those guys, like guys who can write, you know, guys who I, but those old guys, man, I was going to ask you this because we said we're going to bullshit on the highway men. Here's my way of asking about the highwayman. Who is the highwayman who you most identify with? Whelan Jennings. It's so easy for you. Yeah.

This is something I've given tremendous consideration to during my journey, Chris. Waylon Jennings is the coolest dude that ever walked the face of the earth. Really cool. And just the way he carried himself, the words that he delivered, the way he delivered them with this just dripping moxie, like coolest dude in the room. And, you know, when you are in a moment where you are, in a moment where you are, performing alongside

Johnny Cash whom many would say is the greatest country artist of all time, Chris Christopherson, whom many would say is the greatest writer of all time, and Willie Nelson, who is still...

Who's Willie fucking Nelson? Willie Nelson. All right. And there's a great story, and I don't know the exact details and I don't want to butcher it, so when y'all have Chief on, he can tell you. But here's the gist of the story. When they were shooting they were shooting some promotional shit for the highway man okay and all four of their buses are parked in unison together and the they were supposed to start it let's call it like three

o'clock in afternoon or whatever time and the time comes and ain't none of them there so the producer is like coming over and asking the managers like y'all got to get them out here man we got to crew we got to her and manager goes up on the bus to willie and willy's like i ain't going out till whalen goes out so then they go into cash's bus i ain't going out till whalen goes out they go up on whalen's bus i ain't fucking moving till cash moot gets cash and so it's you know that who's got bigger balls thing yeah uh-huh and so i just love that about those guys that's the coolest thing they are the coolest dudes of all time and to me whalen is the alpha among those alphas I think he probably was

I think Chris was the you know the guy who had the the kind of abstract kind of left brain thinking that helped them navigate some shit and Willie was just Willie and I think yeah Waylon was probably like the hammer he was supposed to be on the plane

with Buddy Holly yeah yeah because his back and this is why he's a big bopper took his spot yeah he's a big he's a good person because the background was his one of the roadies backs was fucked up and he was like he felt bad they had to fly back you know wherever it was but it was a long trip and whalen was like well i'll give you the plane seat and i'll hop in the car and you know that's

one of those like music stories that just you know it's crazy to think about who are your if you're okay i'm flipping the script on y'all now i get the opportunity to interview you all right if you guys uh who is your dinner group all time like in the history of the world okay it's you and three others who's going well i'll stick to music maybe. Safer. Willie's going, for sure. Because you know, it's funny,

I'm in a time in my life where I most identify with Willie Nelson. Like, there was, there was, in my late 20s, I, you know, I'd named my first son,

Whalen the whole thing. I was like 30 when that whole thing went down. But, um, but that whole thing went down. But I, late in my 20s, you know,

I could drink a lot. I could go all day. I was, I was kind of like a fucking a little bit of a badass. that sort of thing. And now that part of my life has kind of passed me by. And the whaling in me is a little bit, you know,

it's a little less. And now it's more Willie and Chris. And I think when you get old, that's when you turn to Johnny, you know. But I think I would have Willie, you know, one of these died too soon guys, Blaze Foley. I don't know if you know any Blaze Foley.

Yeah, okay. All right. Marty, I've put a lot of thought in this over the past 60 seconds or so. And my answer is very clear. So I would have, I do have right now three children. The oldest is two and a half years old and none of them are twins. So I would have three empty chairs at my ideal. That makes a lot of sense, actually.

60 minutes of peace and quiet. I get to pick the menu. It would be delightful. I mean, I'd love to sit down with Doc Watson. If we're staying in the music, I love Doc Watson. Jimmy Rogers. Let's just get Jimmy Rogers at the table and be like, what was it like, man?

You were out there on the road, tuberculosis and shit. You're out there just working through it, the whole thing. Hey, you started country music. What was that like? Yeah, what was it like starting country music? And did you ever see the Ken Burns thing? Oh, I watched it. I mean, I watched it once.

I watched it twice. It was incredible. I can't get enough of because you got to remember being a guy who grew up in Appalachia and knowing that, All of that heart and soul came from right there. East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, East Kentucky. That whole area that I'm so proud to be from,

picking and grinning and the whole thing, it's just so cool to consider that. It's the epicenter. It's one of the epicenters, man. And, okay, I have my answer. If we're just doing music, Andre 3000, greatest rapper of all time, Dwayne Allman,

one of the greatest guitar guitars of all time, period. And, you know, a guy that you talk about Eric Church and what his music's done for me, Dwayne over the last couple years has been huge for me. And then I would put, I think, out of the highway, man, I would go Willie and then maybe finish off with, I don't know, do I have a fourth seat?

Yeah, sure. Jesus. Jesus. That's a good one. Okay. It's a good one. There you go. Did he play any music, Marty?

I mean, I think he did plenty of things that would probably. Okay, good. All right. If you know, everybody's going to get J.C. at the table, I would like to get him there, too. I imagine. I imagine Jesus could pick up a six-string and just be Stevie Ray Vaughn immediately if he wanted to. That's the other one. Stevie Ray Vaughn or Dwayne, it was like going to be a tough decision.

Eric Church, country music Jesus. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Sam Hartman, college football Jesus. I mean, he's a dead ringer. How did Dwayne Allman impact your life that deeply? His solo stuff, man. I listen to my Super Bowl, me personally, is what?

In my personal life. What's my favorite thing to do? You sit on a river. Okay. So it's floating the James River or whatever, and I usually have some Dwayne, and it's my time to get away and deal with the stress of the life, maybe some extracurriculars as well.

But I think going down slow is one of the greatest songs of all time. I think it ain't fair with Aretha Franklin and Dwayne is one of the greatest songs of all time. I just did a top 10 the last couple months ago. Those two songs made it for me. So the Allman Brothers stuff. I mean, just imagine going to the film more. We were joking about this other day and being, you know, the mic cuts on and you're about to play whipping post. And you're like, this is all my first album.

And then it's like 13 minutes of the best music of all time. I'd love to be in that time and place. Me too. And see what it was like to be a part of it. that group. I don't know. What's the greatest southern rock song of all time? Oh, man. Well, you're going to tell me is it Skinnered? It is

Skinnered, but it's not what you think it is. It is, it is not simple man. It is simple man. It is simple man. Okay. No, I was good at, what do you think is the chalky pick? Well, everybody's going to be like, Freebird, man. No, it's not Freebird. It's not free bird. It's not free bird. I like Simple Man better than Freebird, but The second best Southern rock song is Tuesday's gone.

Tuesday's gone. I agree. I agree there. The third greatest southern rock song is Can't You See? Can't You See? Can't You See is great. And by the way, Marshall Tucker band has been huge for me the last couple years. That live album is one of the best live albums of all time.

24 hours at a time. Do you know the song 24 hours at a time? I do. Probably one of my favorite, top ten favorite songs of all time. I've had spirited debates, my friends, with Zach Arnett, the newly minted head football coach. Mississippi State University about Southern Rock. He is infatuated with it just like you and I are.

Yeah. And I got into a, we were at SEC Media Days, and we got off on a tangent about whether Creedons, Clearwater, revival, and the Black Crows are Southern Rock. I maintain they both are. Okay, yeah, I mean, it's like, but CCR, those guys are from way out west. California.

But they definitely, they definitely sound like Southern Rock. And the Black Crow's had a great run. Marty, you've got to get on here again and talk about some music and some more football. I think we go in a lot of different directions. I think we left trucks on the table. I know old trucks are a big topic. Left fast cars on the table.

Fast cars. Why didn't Joe Gibbs make the damn book, man? The Joe... He's in. Oh, he's okay. There we go. There we go. You want to talk about a guy who led on the gridiron

and at the racetrack, man. That guy's amazing. I got a chance to meet him at Martinsville, or it was Richmond. I was down to Richmond. I drove the pace car. And the thing that blew me away, Marty, was before, you know, us football players,

what were like before a game, everybody's like smelling salts, don't talk to that guy, you know, it's just too intense in there. I'm in the tent, and these guys are just walking around in their uniforms, just shooting the shit with the fans.

I get why NASCAR is so popular after going to this race. Because, number one, I drive the pace car anytime you want me to. And number two, I met Martin Truex, and he became my favorite race car driver. I got a Martin Truex paint top that I wear almost every day.

And I get to meet him. He's just standing there in his get-up. I mean, it's a really cool setup going to NASCAR race. I'll help you get him on here if you want to interview him on here. That'd be cool, man. Hey, quickly. Okay, this is the last thing for it. Marty, if you get your start just having your ears open in the garage

and listening for the scuttle butt and reporting on it, how did you make all these guys your, best friends if you're reporting on them well that was an interesting line to walk and it was one that i always you know because that was actually one of the questions ESPN asked me when they hired me like everybody says your name that you know these guys really well that you kind of know what's going on in the garage are you willing to report on them if there's a story that warrants a controversial you know reporting or whatnot and i said oh yeah sure like it's a i mean they all know.

Like, don't, I, some of those dudes like Dillenhard Jr., Jimmy Johnson, I mean, even in their absolute career heydays were some of my dearest friends. And they, of course, now that they're both retired, they still are. Yeah. But it's really incumbent upon you. Like, don't be a dummy. Right. You know, it's my job.

I'm going to do it. And there's a great story. So Jimmy won the NASCAR championship in 2006. It was his first of seven. NASCAR championships. All right. Well, after he won the championship, he was surfing on top of a golf cart like a dipshit.

Fell and broke his wrist. Okay? Well, I find out that he fell and broke his wrist. And I, I mean, I tell him, I call him, I give him the courtesy of, hey, I got to report this, bro. What's your comment? How do you want me to, how do you want me to help? you here with, you know, the messaging because I'm going to report that you broke your wrist.

And he's like, dude, it's not a story. You better not. I'm like, I have to. So I'm on Sports Center live and my phone is blowing up in my pocket. It's Johnson. And he is furious at me. And it did, it did impact our friendship for a couple months. But I told him in the moment when he kind of confronted me on it, we were in Paris

France, long story. And I said, look, bro, I understand you're pissed. One day, I don't know whether it's going to be tomorrow or it's going to be two months from now or you're going to wake up and go, he was right. Yeah. And ultimately, our friendship grew even closer out of that. Yeah, because you probably told him what he didn't want to hear. And then eventually you realize those are your friends.

I definitely told him. you mentioned Europe, the last thing I want to ask you is you went to Rome, I think, with Jim Harbaugh. Indeed, I did. How? What does it go? Yeah, it was quite an experience. There was a, we did this paintball. So they did this team building paintball experience on the outskirts of Rome.

Yeah. That's very, you know, very ancient Rome. Let's bust out some paintball. You know, we'd like gone and visited the Coliseum or something. And it's like, all right, let's go shoot up some shit. Well, all right, I get, do y'all remember Brandon Peters who played quarterback at Michigan and then transferred to Illinois? I'm looking them up. So Brandon, in that era, it was Brandon and Wilton Spate and John O'Corn and those guys were the quarterbacks at Michigan.

Great kids, all of them. Well, Brandon and I are on the same, I almost said pickleball. I play a lot of pickleball. We were on the same paintball team. All right. So Brandon and I are sitting there. He's kind of a quiet kid, and he looks at me, he's like, all right

do we have a strategy here? I'm like, yes, I have a very distinct strategy. He's like, well, all right, what is it? Like, should we huddle up? Like, what are we doing here? I said, I am going to barge in the middle of that thing and I'm going to try as hard as I can to shoot coach hardball right in the nuts. As furiously as possible, right in the khakis.

Yeah, because he had kakis, right? He was rocking those Lulu khakis, baby. They're comfortable. He is like, I love hardball, man. I love being around him. He's a quirky kind of different personality. But when you're around him, he's a guy that you've got to win. He doesn't just give you his respect and trust.

And because we went to Rome and Paris with Michigan two straight years and really showed him that we were invested in his players and invested in their culture and all that, I mean, I love the guy. that's so cool though I just imagine it could be like a movie Jim Harbaugh and Rome get that guy in the Coliseum he just wants to run through some shit did you get his nuts no man I missed I think I got a thigh I think it's a story like it's just no different than deer hunting for me yeah you know I miss a lot I love deer hunting yeah well I'd like I'd like I'd like get up in a stand soon I've never actually been up in a stand because all the

times all my teammates were like I'm like why are you so tired Carson it's because I was up at four in the morning, you know, him and flet your cogs out in the stand. So eventually, I'm too busy chasing turkeys unsuccessfully. So if you get down our way, let me know and we'll get up. Oh, by all means, I'd love to, man. And it's funny because I get Jimbo Fisher, I saw Jimbo this weekend, and we're chatting. And I was like, hey, man, what are the three most important things you need to do to beat Auburn, like, whatever.

And we talked about ball for three minutes and talked about big bucks on our land for 25. He's like, man. And you know how he talks 2,000 miles now. I got eight or nine bucks. I mean, they're a big old rack. You know, you know what a 30-bath? That's great, man. That's pretty good impression. It's a very good time. Marty Smith, he's got the new book coming out, sideline CEO. It is going to be awesome. I can't wait to dig in leadership principles from championship coaches. Again, it's available now. So maybe you don't have to re-win every 10 days. Like Marty, I don't know how the hell he's doing this stuff. I mean, the guy's got his you know, he's busy.

But check this book out. Thank you, Marty, for the time. You guys are wonderful. I appreciate the platform so much. I love y'all's spirit, and I'm grateful to get to spend the time in fellowship with you, fellas. Anytime, bro. Come see us.

Thanks, Marty. I hate buying tickets. I've been playing my whole life, never had to worry about buying tickets. The ticket part is stressful. The game's stressful. Ticket part's really stressful. Buying tickets to your favorite events shouldn't be stressful.

Game time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy, and theater near you with killer deals on last minute tickets and their best price guarantee, you can stop stressing over tickets and start getting hyped for the fun you'll have. And with the GameTime app, it's easy to find and buy tickets for every kind of event in your area. I'm trying to see the monster trucks for my kids or Willie Nelson for me and my kids. I can find it all on the Game Time app. Game time's the place for last minute ticket deals. Forget planning months in advance. Game time has the deals on tickets right up to the day of the event.

Get exclusive flash deals on tickets for football, basketball, baseball, concerts, comedy, theater, and more. The game time guarantee means you'll always get the best price. If you find tickets in the same section and row for less, game time will credit you 110% of the difference. Stagged the tickets without the stress with game time. Download the game time app, create an account, and use code green light for $20 off your first purchase.

Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem. code green light for $20 off download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed little seizures is a mainstay on game day here at green light we order online one hour before nfll games during little caesar's pizza pizza pregame so we're ready for some football and fun it's a pizza pizza pizza pizza and you can win too by choosing your favorite little caesar's pizza or customizing your favorite little seizures toppings and then ordering and using Little Caesars convenient delivery or our in-store pizza portal pickup. So on game days,

order from Little Caesars, meet up with your buddies and enjoy a few slices during the tastiest hour before kickoff. Little Caesars, the official pizza sponsor of the NFL, Pizza Pizza. So coming out of Marty, Chris, you want to talk directly to a fan base right now. And just to preface this is the New England Patriots fan base because they got on you a little bit on Twitter the other day for labeling Mac as a dirty football player. They don't want to believe it, even though this take kind of has some legs. In 2021, Mac Jones grabbed Brian Burns' legs. There's a video of it.

In 2022, there was a slide against Jaquan Brisker. He slid pointed his shoes up. There's video of that too. In 2022 also, towards the end of the season, he had that low cut block on Eli Apple. Video of that too. That's out there. And now we've got the nut tap against sauce.

So, Chris, you want to talk Patriots fans? yesterday I ended up mixing up with these guys again I don't know how we got here okay like I'm just gonna be as candid as I can I don't know how we got here to where y'all hate me I seem to hate you like it was a great year it was a lot of fun I left sometimes I'm gonna talk about you guys sometimes you might not like what I have to say but read before I start the segment for the past fans that might be listening for the first time have I not gotten on my knees and blown them at various turns on this podcast? What was it like six hours before that tweet? You said they're the best O and two. Who says I don't suck up to you guys? So anyways, all I'm

saying is if I've been an asshole to you in the past and I'm not going to be able to litigate each situation because there's a lot of exchanges, then I apologize. But I will not apologize for the take I had yesterday, which is that Mac Jones is one of the dirtiest quarterbacks of all time, which is not, I mean, like, it's not a, it's kind of a low bar making that list because there's not a lot of dirty quarterbacks. I'm not saying he's the guy from Colorado State. I'm just saying the dude, the dude does some dirt dog stuff out there. And I called him Conrad Throbler, which most people probably went over your head, I bet, but not you, but maybe some of the fans that were upset because it is a funny image to think about Mack Jones and Conrad Dobler being in the

same sentence. Conrad Dobler, not only the guy that gave me my flu shot in like 2000 and, I don't know, 15 in St. Louis, like in the twilight years of my, uh, I walk into the fucking side room. They're giving out flu shots there. I know I'm a sheep. Uh, and then in Conrad Dobler standing there and fucking scrubs. I'm like, is this the guy from, from NFL films that in the 60s was the dirtiest player in the NFL when being dirty was the norm? Like Conrad Dobler was a handlebar mustache having dirt dog out there. I mean, he would try to hurt you. So I'm not comparing him really. The joke is in the tweet. The joke being baked in is that being a dirty QB isn't scary at all. And nobody's really like outrage by the fact that he grabbed sauce gardener's

dick. I don't even think he's outraged. I mean, he had to ice his balls, evidently. But I mean, making the list not a high bar. I mean, so surprise, surprise. You guys don't see it. You know, you're looking at the video, you don't see it. You're like, if the glove don't fit, you must have quit the whole thing. Or maybe you legitimately don't think he did it, which to me is ignoring the context around the incident. So I get these things all the time with Pats fans. It's always, we gave you this, we gave you that, you hate the Pats.

I have complimented you for four years. I mean, I was, Bill texted me after one of the pods where I complimented you guys. And, you know, I'm using the you guys thing because I know you like to be included in the, in the conversation. You're on the team. Okay, I talked to some of our teammates this week. I talked to Jules for an hour and a half. When we talk, we talk for two hours because I just love talking to Jules.

I talked to Nanko the other night at three in the morning for like an hour, bro. Like, I fucking, I don't know, like, again, I called you. I still talk to the nutritionist at the Patriots for Christ's sake. I have Matthew Slater on my board. So, please, I don't hate the Patriots. I just wanted to get that out there. And also, I just wanted to clear this up. If there's anything I don't like about the Patriots,

it's some of you guys. I mean, I'm just being as honest as I can, dude. Like, I'm not saying every Pat's fan I've met, in fact, every Pat's fan that I've actually met in person has been really fucking cool. Usually, if one doesn't like me, I can kind of feel it from the other side of the room. They usually look like an undercover cop.

You know, they look like they're from, you know, they're like an extra in the town. They got a tight-fitted baseball cap, and they're just looking at me like, uh, but like most Pat's fans I meet are fucking cool. I know y'all don't like me. And I know I might have a dislikable personality. I think sometimes it's hard to step outside yourself.

If I didn't know me, if I wasn't me, maybe I wouldn't like me. That's fine. My guess, you know, leaving the team on my own, you know,

volition, going to the Eagles, being in the right place, the right time to beat you guys. I don't know if you think I'm lording that over. over you or something, or maybe it's the fact I like, I associate with the Eagles more. I played there twice as long.

You know, there's a lot of reasons that I associate with the Eagles a ton. You guys would both be getting the short end of the stick if St. Louis was still had the Rams. I'd be a St. Louis Ram, but it is what it is. It has nothing to do with the Pat. So I hit your team like I hit every other team. Occasionally, you're gonna hear my name.

And I think it really bothers some of you that I'm opinionated, especially considering my role in the team. But to be clear, I didn't start a Pat's podcast. I didn't center myself in the fucking Pats, you know, universe. I'll go on Tommy Curran's show, but I don't like to act like I'm Mr. Pats insider because I was there for a fucking year.

I think the same thing you think. It's like, what is this guy doing? I think the same guys that were in your mentions, Holland around the Patriots and send the ring back are probably the same guys that were championing Bailey Zappy to replace Mack Jones. And you stuck up from Mac when Bailey played well. They probably turned on Mac Jones last year.

But this is like, I cover 32 teams. Holy shit, the audacity of a guy to cover his former team. And it's not even like when I send that Mac Jones tweet and I call him Conrad Throbler, I'm not even thinking about you guys. I'm just like, oh, here's the thing in the NFL. So number one, it's not about you. Number two, you don't know how aggregators work because every time I say something, it's not like I walked out in the middle street to hold a fucking press conference

to talk about the Pat's. It's just on my show and somebody from Pat's pulpit picks it up. Do you think I want you to be thinking about me? I don't at all. I don't think about you. Please don't think about me. You know,

like I'm just doing my job. And this goes for anybody else listening that doesn't understand this part. And this is for all fans listening to show because sometimes I think on a sleepy Wednesday pod, I have to like break the fourth wall, third wall, fourth wall, fifth wall? Which wall is it?

I'll break it. Break all the walls. I want to talk to you guys. we're doing a fucking we're doing a full we're doing a full demo in here okay fourth wall i'm trying to break the fourth wall and talk to you this goes for anybody that that that doesn't understand this part i don't talk because i think i've done something special and i don't talk because i think i'm better than you i talk literally because i think i'm one of you like i've always been a sports fan i've always had big opinions about sports i used to go to panthers games and paint my fucking face i had a direct

package and when the panthers lost i would feel like i was going to cry and i was in like high school dude like it's too late to get you know well up when steve smith drops the ball like it's just fucking i'm a big sports fan always have been high school i was in the message boards at virginia i was i was on the virginia message boards i was hanging over the the front row at u hall our old basketball stadium telling carlos boozer he's ugly so i've done things that you've done now of course that was a long time ago i always pictured as being middle school but when i did the math i think Carlos Boozer was like only a couple years older than me. He scared the shit on me too.

He glared at me. And then a couple years later made fun of us when we were staying in Phoenix. And whatever team he was on, maybe the Bulls was in Phoenix, we're on an elevator together. And we're laughing. And he gets off the elevator and Carlos Boozer says, fuck are those guys laughing about. Don't they play for the Rams?

I'm like, damn. You are ugly, though. I don't really think that. Ugly jump shot, though. here's the thing like i i am a sports fan like i think about things the way you guys doing a lot and i'm still just like you i'm a degenerate gambler the only difference between me and you is that i i get to get paid to talk about the game and yeah i have more access and i have more experience but i'm wrong sometimes and i'm totally being when when that's pointed out i'm totally fine with

that um the catch-22 of being relatable enough to mix it up with you guys is you end up in this situation where you're arguing with fucking trolls and you know i don't care i'll waste all the day i'm just doing it my brain's non-stop but i can't do it i got to try not to do it more than anything though for y'all and i wanted to make this final point about pat's fans i was along for the ride absolutely uh that is so fucking fair you have no idea i have no qualms with that assessment okay but we kind of have a lot in common don't we because you guys have been along for the ride for 20-something years. All the reasons you don't like me, I could list them. I mean, like, you think I hit the genetic lottery? If you were born in Braintree within 15 years

of the turn of the century, you hit the fucking fan lottery, dude. You know, like, so I, we have a lot in common. We have a lot in common. We were both along for the ride. What a ride it was. I always admired the Pats. I want to say this to you guys, because I might never talk about you again. I wrote an article defending the Patriots post the flake gate okay I was in the league I wrote an article because I was like this shit it's not right Tom Brady's the goat what the fuck are we doing I rooted for the pads I look back in four of six Super Bowls okay predating my time there I don't remember 86 and I don't know what the fuck I thought in 97 I was 12 years old but the Panthers were my favorite team had to root for the Panthers and the Eagles that was

about Al Groh making us wear those ugly ass socks y'all make us wear or you know that we had to wear the three ring socks we're doing in college so you know what the difference though is in being along for my ride and being along for your ride i'm playing through broken bones i'm waking up early i'm staying late i'm in fucking foxborough in the summer living alone i got a newborn baby at home and i'm up there all day studying film working out busting my ass running hills with moses lifting way too much you know like i i remember that year one of my good buddies died suddenly I got to go into Bill's office and ask him if I can go to my friend's funeral to bury my friend on a Friday. Like that's the kind of job I'm at.

You know, I'm worried I'm not going to get the okay to go do that. You know, like displacing your family, moving your family, putting your ass on the line, playing left-handed, playing right-end, right-end, playing inside. You all thought I left because I didn't want to set the edge. I left because he wouldn't let me fucking set the edge. It was like, Chris, go beat John Randall or even worse, Richard Seymour. I can't do it. So like I was willing to risk my professional reputation to do something that was out of the out of my comfort zone and I did it to win a ring to be along for the ride and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I do it again a hundred times and I love those guys. But the difference between your being along for the ride and my being along for the ride here's the deal. If you want to come up to me and be hey we just want a big one. We did it back in 16. Great. We we can we all you want. But if you come up and insult you. We. We just want a big one. We just want a big one. We did it back in 16. Great. We can we all you want. But if you come up an insult. But if you come up. And if you come up. We want. We want. We want. If you come up. We me that's just one of my biggest pet peeves but i guess what i'm saying i just i hate i hate

being at odds with fans especially with fans that that that you know cheered for me in some capacity when i play for their team man i got no beef with the pats and most pats fans i meet are awesome people but i hate that part of the job and rarely do i provoke you um so we have a lot of a lot in common And I think we have opinions. We love football. Neither of us play big roles in the Super Bowl. We should get along, right? We both like the same players.

We like the same teams. Let's just get along. Okay, like some of you guys, if you want to motherfuck me or be rude, I'm going to be rude to you. But generally, I don't hate the pads. I like a lot of the fans I've met. And, you know, like, I'll take this. I'll take a second. I'll apologize to the whole AFCs.

Fuck it. We're up. The bills, man, they're better than I thought they'd be. We're only a month in, but I was probably wrong about that this year. I thought they'd take a little step back. And the dolphins, man. You know, like, I don't know if I've formally done this. We're just apologizing people.

I'll go Oprah. The hardest thing about being painted on the other side of this dolphins thing is that I like the team. And I have always liked Tua as a guy. And that predated me liking him as a quarterback. I just felt like he seems like a great kid. And I know things were tough for him with B-4. flow and the worst take of my young career in this industry.

And I've had some really good ones. I've also had a few that don't land. But this was bad. You know, like I go up to do ESPN and I question the fit of Tyreek Hill in Miami. Now I wasn't the only one doing that. But I did it and I was too casual. I just was kind of like, yeah, it's not going to work because Tua is not a deep ball thrower.

We can argue about the nuances to his game and what his limitations are. but I underestimated him and I underestimated Mike McDaniel. And I got to tell you, as more time goes on, I sometimes assume you guys hear me gushing about your team. And I try to be as respectful as possible, but I don't think you hear me. So I just want to say to you Dolphins fans, well, more so to Tua.

I apologize because I underestimated you. I got to say watching this kid work, watching him enjoy his teammates, you know, watching them lift each other up, the quickness with which he distributes the football, the pinpoint accuracy in the middle of the field, he's fucking really good. And so it doesn't matter if we're, you know, like some of the, some of the semantics of, is he top five? Is he, is he a hall of fame or is he, you know, because people get carried away. Let's just say he's really, really fucking good and I'm enjoying watching him play. And I would hate if Atua ever heard what I had to say,

and thought, this guy hates me. Because I don't. Mostly, I've been getting into it with your fans over the last calendar year. And you know, I'll go a step further. I talked about blocking that chick the other day. I shouldn't have blocked you. I just was in a mood where I was,

I was in a good mood. And I just was like, you know, I don't need this shit right now. The ironic part is the reason I'm even mentioning this and unblocking this gal. I don't care if you've unfollowed me. I'm just going to unblock you. It's because she kept tweeting at me

when she knew she was blocked. And that's what does. Dolphins fans are all about. They're relentless. They love their team. The only reason I found out about her tweet is because Dr. Fax had to relay it to me in the group text. She's just tweeting into a void.

And you know what? Damn it, I respect that. So whether you'll have me back or not, I'm going to unblock you. Now, you can tell me to fuck off, but this just feels good to do. So with having all that been said, a bunch of kumbaya shit on the back half here,

I really do look back. at that take is something. I'm like, fuck, that wasn't a great take. Now, they could come back down to earth, but right now they're not. So let's just keep it to that. And I'd like to enjoy the dolphin's success. You might not want to allow me to do that, but I'm going to do it. And I just feel better saying to you, Dolphins fans, uh, you know, like let Tua know that we're sorry here at the Greenlight Pod for underestimating him. He's had a great fucking run over the last year and a quarter. Good for him.

Good for the Dolph. We'll send you on your way with some good news. Final in Fenway, Tampa Bay, nine, Red Sox 7. Oh, yeah, baby. Fuck yeah,

stinky socks. Let's go. You guys stink. You're gonna fucking get swept by the Orioles. They're winning four for the Gipper. Raise, take care of business Wednesday.