NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Don't Say Super Bowl, Quinn and Macdonald Land HC Jobs

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

In a room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler give you a break from all the Super Bowl coverage. The heroes start the show with a major announcement (00:45) and then react to Dan Quinn being named the new head coach of the Commanders (09:53) and Mike Macdonald landing the job with the Seahawks (16:10). After the break, the guys open the ATN mailbag and answer questions from the listeners (37:48). Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast. We'll not say Super Bowl today. From the Chris Wesleying podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. I am Dan Hans. It's got heroes here. Greg Rosenthal, Mark Zessler. And we will not say that word.

All the other basic bro podcast. out there shrug their shoulders and say let's just dig what is it today's linebackers day snore yeah lifeless

there's more to the NFL than the big game which is permitted there's more to life a lot more more you may know you may know

notice that Mark and I are on the show today. And that is because the Sports Podcast Awards have made their announcement. The winner of the Best American Football Podcast. You know it, baby. Around the NFL. Thank you. Wow. What a moment.

I mean, I think it would be good to. Chills. in case there's media outlets that want to need a quote to do a little presser or an announcement of some kind of we want to thank the fans of course we want to thank the academy at the sports podcast awards we want to thank everyone who got out and voted yeah to take out the fantasy footballers first place the second or second place is first loser as they say something called nightcap came in third check you later smell you later we win we are victorious so thank you to everybody that's nice it's been a while since we took home some hardware i would say this um you know we we work with a number of people involved with a lot of the shows and so um you know we take special pride our sky sports friends yeah i mean we take special pride like they it's it resets the everyone's Concept expectations, and I think it goes on our resume.

I don't know what we, do we win something beyond, I mean. Eric, did we win anything? Like physically. Is it our cash prize or a corvette or? We get that tweet. Maybe a trophy or something? But yeah, we had the fantasy footballers on our podcast earlier. It's nice to take them out.

PFF more like PF hump. Yeah, I don't know. I do feel like football. We'll fix that in post. To. I do. I feel like we are, you know, we're kind of like the 2014. Give them the music.

Patriots. Go ahead. And, you know, the Patriots had a lot of early success. We did, too. We famously took home a Stitcher Award in 2013. Best new podcast. Our producer did. Nominated for an iTunes Award for the best podcast.

I don't even know if they had a winner. I don't even know if iTunes exists anymore. Right, or Apple Store. But it's been 10 years since then. And I, now that we've won another award and been recognized, feel like our producer that stole that first award and had it. Physically the award. Yeah, had it sent to their house and then we never saw it. They are like the Bill Buckner of our podcast.

I forgive them now. I forgive them. It's okay. I believe that this cements our legacy as the greatest NFL podcast that has ever existed. And I already knew that, but having this award, there is no other way now. Just like hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on the day of the big game, you can no longer argue. Who's the best? The best there is.

The best there was. The best there ever will be. On a personal note, around the NFL. One of the people that we took out just cut them off at the neck was someone that took issue with fact that I was previously named along with you guys as a top 10 football insider. That show is out. Take a seat, Sto Gats.

He goes. We're going to see all these people in a week and they're going to and they're going to... I can't say that. I can't say that. Sessie made it Sessler. I mean, how about that guy? Who is that guy? I'll tell you who he is. He is a member of

around the NFL. The best. I think we've covered it now. Yeah, we've got it. Although I'm podcast in the world. I'm in a tough spot here because us winning actually I could view as an insult towards me that our listeners so badly didn't want a podcast just hosted by myself. There was a window there for them. That like we were actually trailing by a lot and suddenly they heard that and it just went crazy

to avoid that. Mark, you've said it so many times inappropriately this would be the time where you could mention they had an opportunity for a violent coup d'etat. Right, and they... And yet, they stood down. They were non-plussed by the concept of Greg taking over the show and a solo effort. They put down their shields. Well, listen, that's a good way to start the show.

And yeah, if you could find out, Eric, if you could let us know... We could end the show right there. Do we... Yeah, do we get something for it? Because I would like... I see that glass right there right next to the football I got for helping... Yeah, you can't even... Clemson, I believe it was?

Yeah, yeah. You didn't help. anyone it's the most ridiculous thing ever you were a tremendous help to Clemson he says otherwise it's signed by him helping out the underprivileged youth of Clemson Greggie right we have that

in the window for anyone who walks by including Greg right next to it we should have something yeah I'll reach out see what comes along with it maybe some DeJrano pizza comes with it well I think at this point they realize who they're dealing with DeJrano it's like let's start shipping product

all right so with that said we have a nice show ahead of us because we will not say it in fact if anyone says the name of the game as it's popularly known or even mentions

the two teams either of the two teams right it is a and this is going to be documented by our producer Eric a $5 fine $5 it's not insignificant

when you start when it starts I remember when this when this show first started the tradition and I feel like Wes struggled with it. He would have owed a lot of money. Yes, I do remember that. And I think the NFL should calm down on, you know,

not letting anyone use that word. We can't use that word today. But driving into work, I did notice in our town of Inglewood, where the Sofai Stadium kind of barged in. Hey, we're taking over. Sofi Stadium. It's the big game block party on Sunday.

Can we give Inglewood a break at least? Yeah, give me the city of champions rights to that. certain phrase? It only feels fair. I mean, we've essentially taken over that city with the stadium in our office. We got a bomber down the street built in an arena too. It's like, guy, I mean,

we're turning this into a vast playground. Can we at least give them the rights to the big name game's true name? Wait, one technical question. Like, so if you say the name of the big game, you owe $5 to who? Where is it going?

It's going into a slush fund for the show for use at another time like here's a great example you don't want to make it interesting it's like a ten bucks yeah we talked about well I can't actually say what it is

right now because it's something that's coming up next week but there's a certain project a creative project that we're working on that the fans are going to find out soon about that's going to need some type of capital to back it revolving t-shirts that it could go toward that fund

beautiful so it's a slush fund and you can't say it and Eric it is so important that you legislate it because we might miss something and the worst thing is when everyone misses it and then after the show the listeners like oh you did say it can't happen speaking to listeners we're going to open up the mailbag and again it's a don't say you know what mailbag no questions pertaining to the big game or the participants involved in it but before we do that let's hit the news damn it feels good to be a winner you got to have confidence in your team you got to have confidence in yourself and if you don't have that confidence you can't play football we all felt we could win we won and i asked joe do you feel like you're king of the hill joe you're king of the hill no no we're king of the hill we got the brother that's what a certain game uh january 1969 and uh that was sal marciano who was a mainst mainstay in a new york sports coverage who as a young man asked joe king of the hill which is just one of the more funny like that's very outdated uh ways of expressing yourself

but that uh wanted to get some joe in there during a another trying era uh for his team um Let's get to the news. And let's start with the coaching carousel, which it's coming to a stop. Every head coaching spot is now filled. Today, we learned that the Washington commanders have made their decision hiring Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their new coach.

Quinn replaces Ron Rivera, who was hired by new owner Josh Harris one day after the season ended So Quinn Who is the highest paid DC in the league for the Cowboys They had some really successful Defenses while he was there Even though maybe they disappointed a little bit down the stretch this year

Of course he served as the Falcons head coach In 2015 to 2020 There was a 28-3 comeback in 2016, after the 2016 season. What game was it? Which one was it? It was a large event, sporting event that featured the Patriots as well. I tried to get you.

Didn't get you. I was trying to get the $10 going. I'm too locked in. Yeah, you're very locked in. Anyway, so he was the head coach of that team. Atlanta then let him go when things kind of fell apart in the years after that. And now he gets his second shot at the job. And it should be said, Greg, that we're going to talk about the new.

head coach of the Seahawks as well because Quinn doesn't appear to be the commander's first choice here, but they do have a head coach. No, he doesn't. Maybe it was going to be Mike McDonald. Maybe it was going to be Ben Johnson. It sounds like he was the third choice of the commanders. And Ben Johnson especially was the guy that the insiders kept connecting. And everyone who seems to have good relationships with their new GM, Adam Peters, who is really

well respected around the league, but man, like, he is getting pumped up as kind of the GM bell of the ball. And they kept saying he's looking for an innovative offensive mind. And you just got the feeling that Ben Johnson was his choice and they were maybe caught a little flat-footed. And they wind up with Dan Quinn, who I think is a good choice to run a team a second time that like Rahim Morris, he's had some time, not as long as Rahim Morris, but to learn from what happened and more than anything strikes me as a guy who can be a little Mike Tomlin like hopefully having a good idea of hiring the right people he knows a lot of people within the league and having an overall idea instead of him offering you like crazy schematic advantages i think

he did a great job with dallas and he's shown that he's improved i think as a defensive play caller and he brings that to the table we'll see who he hires as his dc but it's probably not one in washington after ron river that gets you at as excited for this new generation. And we'll see who he hires as his OC, which is big. Yeah, it's easy to forget that early with the Falcons, before they went to the big game, that Quinn was correctly touted to someone

that quickly developed, like, his defense and young defensive players. And on the flip side, you had Kyle Shanahan running the offense. Shanahan leaves, and the development of the defense stopped. And then the Falcons just started to become unwatchable. But Quinn, I think, is a consistent guy. He's, like, well-respected. It's not that it's a disappointing hire, but I'm with you that I think that the whole search committee they put together

and Adam Peters coming in as a very powerful general manager thought Ben Johnson, with the number two pick, the most cap room in the league, as a quarterback, you know, developer would make the most sense and really galvanize a Washington fan base that's been a long time. And there were these reports that Ben Johnson was asking for too much money. and we'd ever really heard Ben Johnson or his people responded

at any level, but I think part of it... They did when that first report came out during the season from Josina Anderson that he wanted $15 million a year, and his agent did win on the record and say that's not true. That's just ridiculous. Yeah, I mean more in this... But in this cycle, you're right, Adam Schefter threw it out there that, like, he might have scared

them away. One thing, though, because I think, like, if you're Ben Johnson and you realize, if you have one more good year with the Lions, you get your pick of seven or eight teams, and do you want to come in into a team where the general manager is essentially over you and the owner?

I think it's like, this isn't a hand-in-hand situation. I just think Adam Peters is a very powerful general manager and figure in that organization and like what's all right for Quinn, I think Ben Johnson decided not to take this job. I mean, I agree and disagree at the same time because Ben Johnson could have another really good year with Detroit.

I don't think all of a sudden he's going to be this guy that can go watch around saying, want full control of everything for it's been johnson i mean the resume is nice but it's not he's not like an all-time guy or a kyle shanahan i just think something made him blanche at this situation like something changed and maybe it is the money now just also and and and you know it takes some audacity for ben johnson if that's true he was asking for 15 million because like jim harbaugh reportedly is getting paid 16 million per year by the chargers so and that's a proven guy with pelt's on the wall.

So I could understand why a team might, you know, take a step back if that was true. Now, we'll see. And I know this is optimism season and every head coach hiring is viewed as a success. And every new GM is seen as a big time difference maker. But, and I'm not going to dwell on it. But I just, I wonder how we'll look back at this in a year or two. And we made this big deal about, well, Bill Belchick wasn't even considered for this job

from what we understand. Actually, now they did sort of add some reporting. from Diana Rossini that they talked to Bill Belichick. So they talked to Bill of Belichick, but they considered him that they And early on, Belichick and the commanders were, there was a lot of whispers around that. It was deemed that the combined wisdom of Dan Quinn and Adam Peters, you know, that's the way to go. Okay, we'll see. Let's see how this all looks in a year or two.

You know, find out. Because now Bill's not getting a job because the other head coaching position with the Seattle Seahawks is all. also has been filled. It is Mike McDonald, the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, who obviously had a big year there with everyone else until they got to championship Sunday. So he is, he is now the replacement for Pete Carroll and it's a six year contract. These contracts are huge for these coaches.

And also, in general, it's just, isn't that wild, like six years? Harbaugh got five. But that makes a little more sense. Like that's a proven guy. Whereas McDonald's, we don't know what he's going to be like in this position. And he is 36 years old. They literally took Pete Carroll's age, divided it by two. So this is a youth movement in addition to just changing the scenery and the decision making and the vibe of the organization right now.

So the six years struck me too, Dan. That was one of the first things I thought about because I was like, well, six is weird. It's usually four or five for a new coach. And Six just makes me think, well, Washington was probably in on this. And that's like, that leverage. There you go. That's how it works. And I think they really love the idea of McDonald as our friend Mina Kimes called it on her podcast.

I did this week. You guys should check that out too. The Shanna Handler, which I like that. I want to steal that. Because, like, he handled Kyle Shanahan. Certainly the Rams had some good numbers against him, but Houston and Bobby Slowick and all the different tree, the Shanahan trees, the Miami, like, they did a good job.

And it's as modern a defense as you can possibly imagine in terms of the disguise and getting everyone to sort of understand holistically, like what they're doing on each play, where the back seven was really connected. Because if you look at the Ravens, they had a lot of injuries. And I wouldn't say they were like the most talented defense in the league. And they really got it done for two straight years.

I can't think of, of these coordinators that, you know, a couple of years. He was in Michigan before he went to Baltimore. It wasn't there for that long, but did an incredible job with that defense. Like his name in the last couple weeks just bubbled up and you start to hear like all these, like, RG3, who was with the Ravens for a spell, like talked about Mike McDaniel just coming in. Mike McDonald coming in and just like talking to players in general and just being this incredible connector. So I think it's like the person. He kind of fits Seattle and it's a nice transition from Pete Carroll, but it's a new message. as well. And he's got it, he's got a, like, their defense, you keep thinking they have a great

defense. They were not last year. But they still have a lot of young players from to work with. And I think someone like Jamal Adams, check you later, but like a lot of these other pieces, like they could, they could be a quick riser from where they were at the end of last season. Rick Willan, Devin Wetherspoon, quandary digs. Like that's, that's a nice start to your secondary. I'm with you. They probably get rid of Adams. Pat, there's a lot of free agents on the Ravens, and they're losing coaches all over the place here. But they could also lose players like Matabike and Queen and Clowny. We'll see. They have a lot to decide there. But I'm excited. I'm excited about it like Mike McDonald. I do. The one figure in

Seattle, obviously, that I wonder about a little bit when you have Pete Carroll exit stage left and anyone comes in, including the new offensive coordinator and all that, a new system. Like, is Gino Smith going to face competition or find himself somewhere else? Or is he going to have the organizational belief that he did before? Because I feel like that was, the beating heart of that was Pete Carroll. Well, wasn't part of this decision to move on from Pete Carroll, who's an accomplished guy who's been there forever to, you know, change the status quo, the organization.

And I think Gino has been very good for them on balance, but is he the guy that gets you over the hump or do they want to go? I would not be surprised to put it that way. If they aggressively seek out another option beyond what they have in-house with Drew Locke. I think it would be a, I think it's more likely to be a rookie, but it wouldn't be shocking. He has some guaranteed money coming on February 16th,

so it's early in the offseason. Gino Smith does, and I fully expect him to get that because his salary is manageable. But I think it's a negative for him that, look, Shane Waldron's already gone. I do wonder if they knew McDonald was going to be the head coach, whether they would have tried to retain Waldron, who I think did a good job.

And so I have no clue what kind of offense that they're going to be running there. Gino's pretty, like, offense agnostic, just because he's like a traditional pocketer. at quarterback where he could maybe work in anything. But McDonnell, like, I just love the way that, like, Marlon Humphrey talked about how, like, everyone in that defense sort of, you hear linebacker say, like, oh, he knew what everyone else's role was supposed to be, but in this defense, everyone knew what everyone's role was supposed

to be. And it's just like, he's the youngest coach in the league. Jared Mayo only lasted for a couple of weeks. This is one of these age things that's crazy. It's like, they're both 36, but, like, you go to Sean McVeigh is still only 37 years. old. It's crazy. And other to spin the carousel again.

We got a lot. By the way, the commanders were trying to call up McDonald's as he was getting on the plane to go to Seattle. Like, hey, hey, hey. He has one more chance. He was like, please. That's where the...

He just like copied that text that they sent him to his agent and then the agent copied that text to the Seahawks and the CX are like, all right, six years. I also heard that they were like essentially in in route to Ben Johnson when he announced that he didn't want to take a job. Yes.

That's a sad flight. They interviewed Terry Aaron Glenn there anyways, but they were in the plane. All right. The Titans hire another Ravens assistant, Donard Wilson as their defensive coordinator. The Packers hired Boston College coach Jeff Hathley. He was, yes, Jeff Hathley.

He was BC's coach for four years. As defensive coordinator. The Ravens, or you, kidding me they name lineback inside linebackers coach Zach or their DC that's a good position that's similar to you know what's been going on in San Francisco in recent years although I don't think Steve Wilkes is going to have the same success but that that could get you a job just got McDonald's a job so or takes over that defense and the Panthers do decide or Canales decides Agiro Aviro ever will remain their defensive coordinator.

One thing, like, because the Jeff Halfley thing to Green Bay, that was such a huge hire after what's been going on, like, the past couple years. Like, I was like, why did, why did they don't, he doesn't really know LaFloor very well, but he had, he worked under Mike Petton in Cleveland. He worked under Shanahan as well. So there is some link with the floor. Where's Mike Peton at, by the way?

He may be back in that cabin. He built that cabin on the lake in Ohio. Wasn't that, like, right next to Brown's training camp, though? No, no, that's where he lived. Speaking of collision, low crossers, where's petting at? these days. Go ahead, Mark. Well, no, but, like, Halfley, there was reporting that Halfley decided to leave a head

coaching job at BC because of the nonsensical, like, nature of, like, the transfer portal and the NIL. So he was just like, I don't want to do this anymore. And I go, like, coach real football. So, I mean, I think it's an interesting, strange hire because unless you're deep in BC territories, he went 22 and 26 at BC. I don't know. Right.

I think being a college coach now is so. tricky and it's just it's the situation college football has given to themselves that essentially now coaches and players like you don't blame halfly you don't blame the players you kind of blame that system uh but he came into ohio state and like the year he had there was like incredible but i think the packers by all accounts and the rams might have had a giro evero as their number one choice for defensive coordinator and the panthers had rights to his contract and just did not let him leave and wanted to see who they ended up hiring as a head coach

did not let him leave. Who knows, maybe you work out a thing and you use a little David Teper money there. But I do like, I do like. Somebody asked Tapper, by the way, at Senior Bowl. Is that where everybody is right? Tpper B. I think they were at a press conference today

for their new head coach, Conales. Teper B asked the question about something pertaining to the Panthers and Teper B saying he's like, I'm receding to the background. You're not going to hear from me. So Teper be changing his profile or be attempting to. Not great for Teper be talking, like, you know, what we thought would be a... See, you would think that, but I have a feeling he's going to struggle to keep the stance.

But right now, Teper be laying low. Shout out to Zach Orr, by the way. First of all, we can use the Oar. You kidding me, drop more and we'll talk with Conner. He's 31 years old. I was like, wasn't he just in the NFL? He is 31 years old. And I got to think they chose him over Dernard Wilson, who got a lot of looks elsewhere.

and got that job in Tennessee where he's going to run that defense. Does anybody else see where this is going, by the way? What? Because now what's in vogue is you must hire a young hot shot. We're going to end up with some high school analytics genius. Like some 17-year-old kid running a team. Honestly, like 25% of the people that we've talked about

during this hiring cycle came from analytics and half of them work for PFF, like Bobby Slowick and there's others that just like, that's not unusual. And it's like the Sean McVease of the world that are hiring these guys. But, I mean, let's, it's going to get to the point where somebody before they even have their learner's permit is going to be running a team. They've just learned like, look what we've done.

We're ahead of the curve. Your curve, I laugh at your curve. Look at my curve. I'm a boy. They're crafting like rise overrun, you know, diagrams in their math notebook can suddenly run in a nineers defense. So that should make you feel better. That's a coach that's older than all of us. Yeah, it's a great hire.

So I guess maybe I, I know I'm supposed to say every hire is amazing. I don't love that hard. You're not. No, everybody's like, this is such a great hire. This is one of the great hot shot. We talk about how the sausage gets made with the insider. Yeah. Insiders. We have to understand, like, everybody is pumping up these guys as, like,

yes. The most gifted future roster builder or a coach who truly deserves a second headshot. Let's see where all these guys are here. Well, I think someone like David Canales, like we don't. Canalas. We have no idea. On a personal, right, on a personal, I think you have hit on something that's true. Like, for me personally, I've found as wrong as we are every year, like incredibly wrong about our preseason predictions of like who's going to win and stuff, as wrong as I am of like which free agents are going to work out.

Like sometimes I'm right, sometimes they're wrong. But I'm very often wrong. I feel like there's nothing I'm more wrong about than knowing which coach is going to be good or not. So it's just like at this point, it's just like, okay, this makes sense and let's see what happened. I have a hard time like being like, that's not going to work because it's just, you just have no clue. Mike McDaniel, for instance, Mike McDonald, that's going to be annoying, by the way, is this year's version of once upon the time, Brandon Staley. Like, remember, like, the flowers being thrown at his feet when he was hired, the, like, this, you don't know. But right now, everything looks good.

It's like the one day where they haven't made a mistake yet. And so, okay, it's a one day, there should be like a one day window and then you can start to get. The problem with Quinn is he's the most Ron Rivera-ish of all that. That's what really kind of sticking with me. And I feel, yeah, I feel for Commanders fans because obviously all the things they've gone through with the ownership, but it seems like they're still, it's taken time to get out of the mud here.

And maybe Quinn, listen, Quinn, not to double back, but Quinn nearly won a big one. Right. He had Kyle with him. Like we said, we have to, he needs somebody up and coming. One thing, though, like, if you, go back one of the most and the quarterback like the one hiring

that had people flustered and annoyed and thought it was completely failed when they hired him as a second head coach was Bill Belichick to the Patriots. His cue rating was low. The whole thing had happened with the Jets. Like there was there were a lot of people thinking they gave up too much for him. It was like Bill Belichick was not

highly regarded and he wasn't thought of as a guy that was easy to get along with and it was like. There was a lot of grublin going into the 2002-1 season two after one year. Right. So you never No, like, I mean, Quinn, Quinn, it's not a sexy pick, but he could be more reliably successful two years from now

than any one of these other guys who are unknowns. Yeah, I remember when they came out that Belichick was going to replace Parcells. I think a lot of Jets fans at the time were like, okay, that sounds pretty good. But it wasn't like, oh, my God, we're getting Belichick. Yeah. And then maybe it was when all the warring began with the Patriots about where, how things would end up,

there was a feeling like, oh, just let him go. It's not like, you know, turned out he was somebody who would want. now he can't get a job. Well, you know. Maybe next year. A quarter century later, but yes. I did put it out there into the world that we'd welcome him, you know. I know he's going to do some media and a little fourth chair action maybe on Wednesdays, something like that, Belichick's corner.

Wait, replace Colleen? Not Wednesdays. Whoa, you really, he'd seeked where that was going to be, though. Thursday? How about on the preview show? Maybe she won't listen to this one, though. It'll be okay. I was just throwing out a brand.

Greg was very hot on this when he thought you and I were no longer part of the show. Right. Did you watch a game on Monday? It was actually me, Colleen, and Belichick. Speaking of Belichick, I do not, I do not envy Zaddy because Jerry Jones keeps talking, talking and talking. If you ask Jerry Jones about anything involving head coach and job security, he will not outright back his guy, really. He's always going to leave the door open. We have a quote here.

You see this quote. Someone asked about whether he could work with Bill Belichick. And here's what Jared Jones said via Yahoo Sports. I know him personally and I like him. There's no doubt in my mind we could work together. None. Like, I don't know why Jerry thinks he needs to say that. I have no idea.

I don't, I have no idea. Now, his star defensive player, Michael Parsons, came out and got after. the team saying they were the old we were outplayed out scheme did he say out coach that's usually what's said too um so he was filled with frustration about uh that situation and then um also this week jera was pontificating about listen we we haven't put it i think this is what i think this is the metaphor we haven't put it through the the hoop yet but we're right at the rent right there Jara. All right there.

I thought we made a pretty good move four years ago when we hired Michael Carthro. And he's had some great in-season success. Now, he's come up short three times, three times in advance us in the playoff. Okay? But I like the fact that he's hanging around the rim. And I like what the team has done to hang around the rim. So I think what the answer that I would have is that I'm aware that we're hanging around the rim. We're not getting the ball in, but we're hanging around the rim.

Let's don't discount hanging around the rim. And where we are right now with the players we've got, and I'm thinking about it from the whole look. Which is, it's apt the metaphor, because Mike McCarthy, he can dunk, by the way. like McCarthy like I know people are going to say oh no he's a bigger guy no that guy he can cross you over he can barrel down a lane

and he could throw down a thunderbomb on you football is completely different than basketball Dan when have you ever seen him do that athletically what you just mentioned my dreams but I imagine he can that's all I love Jerry Joan I'm starting to like him more and more

because that was an utterly absurd soliloquy and you've got a coach who's lucky he wasn't fired. You've lost your defensive coordinator. Your quarterback has a $59 million cap hit, which means like, do you have to extend him to fix that? Or do you let 25% of your cap be eaten up by a quarterback and lose his playoff games?

If you could push the money, yeah, I think they will extend him. Buy into us. He loves ball, though. You got to admit, like at this point in his life, he's there in Mobile. You could see he's wearing one of the lanyards. He shows up, you know, I'm sure a press agent gets it for him, but he puts the land you're darned. The draft starts in Mobile.

He's wearing the, like, he's hanging out in Mobile for five days right after the season. Like, he never gets, he'll be in Indianapolis. He's on the cycle, but he knows what he's doing there with Belichick. He's sending a little message to his guy. Hey, keep us in your thoughts. Maybe he's even aware that there's been some rumors there down there at the senior boy. I bet he is. Greg Bedard from Boston Sports Journal put this out there.

that there were some Eagles Belichick connections, that Howie and Belichick have a good relationship and that maybe it was just a rumor mill but that if things didn't work out with Siriani, if like that meeting they had with Siriani didn't work out, that Belichick was maybe on line one and that

we got Bill kind of hovering over this NFC East as we enter 2024. Interesting. He could end up back at the Giants, by the way. that is what i would wish the most the new york post has been writing about that too so it's like every everyone wants them um all right that's what's happening in the news and in case you you just joined us uh the news went down we are the champions of the american sports podcast awards is that what it is it's the sports podcast awards the category was the best

american football podcast that's the lead news item today but we have done what we have achieved. I don't want to say nobody said we can do it. I think a lot of people doubted us. I don't want to say nobody believed in us, but I'm going to say it. I remember when we started this podcast, we had a boss who said,

you guys can't even all be in the studio at the same time. We need one person in the newsroom for optics. And I remember after a long road to get full-time employment with this company, another boss, no longer with the company, said to me, I know you think you're getting this job for that podcast, but it's not about the podcast. And you know what I said to myself? It's about the podcast.

So this is an award that celebrates everything we've done. And we went out and had a great dinner last night, the three of us, did a State of the Union conversation, and had a few drinks. We didn't even know this was going to occur when we had the dinner. This was not item A on the conversation. It wasn't.

It wasn't. But. It shows our humility, though. After 11 years, the humility on display, I think, is impossible to miss. I also want to just say to the, there's a technical department gentleman who about seven or eight years ago

watched many of our shows from afar and confidently labeled us podcast bozos. We're now podcast bozos who have won a massive award, an international award. In his defense, I think he liked the podcast.

I don't, I've never spoken to him about any other aspect of the show, but that's how we were labeled. Watch us fly. Bozos can fly too. You're not exaggerating. Is this such a good time

to check the sink on these podcast bozos? Yeah, he sounds like he likes the show. No, I've talked to him many times because we work together, and he always makes a joke about it. But you know who doesn't make jokes? You're not exaggerating about that first boss. There is no exaggeration that he thought this was a completely useless waste of time that he acted.

A visionary that man was. And actively discouraged throughout the process and tried to break up on some level and get me out of it too. Like, what are you doing? You used to just be managing. The amount of times management. That's right when he was the boss. A million times. He literally tried to end it.

The amount of times management and current management is excellent. And we're very happy with all the shadow league figures actively working with the show. But the number of times management tried to kill this show before it even began. Or just when it was gaining momentum. Give me my music again, please. If you're just joining us. If you're just joining us, we are the winners of the American football, best American football podcast. They tried to kill us.

They tried to say, you're not good enough. And we said, no, bro, you're not good enough. Okay. And now here we are, the winners of the most humble podcast, 2024. I think we're selfless. We're charitable. The humility is so bright and shining. It's blinding everyone around us.

All right. Let's take a break. Definitely. And we'll be right back. Hit the mailbag. In case you're just joining us, we are the winners. The others have lost. And they must live with that reality.

Thank you to Henry Hotschston, by the way, over. the UK, our friend. You know that he galvanized some voters into action. We definitely reminded us to mention it on the show, which helped. I think he played a hand in us being nominated. Oh. As I understand. That's true.

We were not nominated the first three or two or three years here. What a success story. We went right into the wind. The problem is, talk about Joe Namath. As Patrick Riley would say, the disease of more, I've already gotten a text from one of our contributors, David Ely, who says, congrats and then follows that up with as a recurring guest do i get hardware so already people are a shout out on the show i think is more than enough we spoke about him at you know at length the other day probably not in a way that he would like to find him a wife that's our next that's our

next mission that could be a good off-season show like that might take more than one off-season a listen he's a great guy though he's a catch of yes all right um Um, it is the don't say you know what. And so far, Eric, how much money has been raised? Zero guy. We haven't even been close. This is too easy. Yeah, there was a couple, there's like one reference to like San Francisco.

Okay. Wait a minute. Was it about the, no, it wasn't about the team. It was like, what was, I think it was Mark. He said what's happening in San Francisco. You know what? Like, like, let's, let's, wait a minute. What?

That's do it. That's not fair. I'm going to check the tape on that. Hit him with the buzzer. It's good to actually test to make sure this buzzer works. in case. I'm happy to contribute to a sluffman

typically illegal but yeah I know that's the one I've seen do you want to throw the red flag because you can to challenge whether or not you owe the 10

I mean I need I want to take it out of the sock I believe if everyone behind the glass says that I did that then I'll be happily contribute to the slush front are you challenging it though

I would like to I would like confirmation after the show it's in a gray area I'll challenge that I'll leave it in a gray area and I will not well I know you said

San Francisco like you don't need to challenge it oh I had a new I'm just saying, like, the reference, I was a little vague on, like, whether or not, because you didn't say 49ers, you referenced. Oh, you did, though. Oh, he got old. I got rope adoped dopeed. Buzz yourself. I got rope adoped. Buzz yourself and take out your dollars. I actually have a better idea. I'm just thinking of it now. Can you bring, is Big Funk back there? He's not. Oh, no big funk. No. Shoot. All right. I'm going to save it for next time because I, the Slush Fund actually I had a better idea. Okay. For what it's going to go toward.

and it involves funk but we'll have to sit on that one just let him know it's good it's gonna be something I think he would really appreciate and maybe we get the listeners involved I can't wait to Greg and I think I know

I think I know but I'd be very surprised if you do but don't yeah don't say anything I have an idea not a fanny pack with I want to write a wrong around funk and I want to use this show's platform can't get my music I think our show So what we strive to do now that we've achieved, what we have is to help others as I did a cleansing.

How so? I'm not sure. I mean, you keep saying underprivileged youth and it was a business leadership conference, so you don't even know who you were helping. It's so many different things. I'm helping so many people. My elderly neighbor, Sharon, she has a leak in her roof, and I helped clean her car. the other day. Do you hear me talking about that? Yes. Because you just prompted me.

Just now. You're challenging my bona fides. Wait a minute. As a good human. Yes. A leak in her roof and then you watched her car. Like her roof car. Yeah. A roof in her car. Okay. There's a leak in it. It was like one thing was happening and you helped in it.

Sharon, we got a garage here. Let me help you empty the garage and get the car. Yeah. Into the garage. So this doesn't happen again. She says, oh, no, it's fine. she after the car is cleaned she covers it with a plastic sheet in the driveway and then we get destroyed los angeles morning by a monsoon and i'm like oh sharon i'm upset about that it's a part of my saturday anyway gregg that's an example a strong one i want us to uplift now that we've

become i i like it and i think i know what it is you can confirm to me later but let's let's do this mailback All right. Let's do the mailbag. Let me see if you're right. What did you? Slack to you. It's just, we are on air right now. Yes.

You're actually, see? It's a great idea, isn't it? It's pretty good. All right, let's open up the mailbag. First question, don't say, you know what. All right. Grasshopper 84 asks, is Dan ready for year two of Aaron Rogers. I am, I am like when you watch a horror movie,

and if it's well done in the first act you're getting to know the protagonists that are many times doomed in some way or another and it's a well-written type horror film where you start to really feel and connect with those characters

like insert jets fans I feel terrible about year two of Aaron Rogers and everything around it and that athletic deep dive by Zach Rosenblatt and I think Diana Rossini was involved in it as well It was interesting hearing the paranoia that's gripped poor Bob Sala

and hearing how Zach Wilson, his feelings on Aaron Rogers have changed now because Rogers really didn't even connect with him after the injury. None of this is surprising necessarily. Oh, wow, it was all phony. Yeah. What a shocker. Exactly. And surprise, surprise.

Hackett wasn't, according to some, wasn't even putting in the work in terms of scheming. And all those people are coming back, except for Wilson. So am I really to expect this now to be all right? Because the 40-year-old quarterback is back from his Achilles tear. No, I feel this. Everybody, and I get it, I'm jealous because I know it's a good sport to laugh at the misfortunes of the Jets. They're funny. Get out your popcorn.

It's going to be a great year in 2024. That's where I'm at right now. It's tough when, you know, a feel for Jets fans for you, but like, they're, it's, we're months and months away from, like, the business of the season and the Jets, you know, becoming better in certain ways, like, they're already exhausting. That's not a good, that's, it's not like, it's, I don't want to blame the players working hard on that, on that team and the coaches, like, apparently some of them are, but, like, they're already an exhausting topic, not unlike the Cowboys to me.

Right. It's less about exhausting. And if anything, the fact I think everyone's going to be sewed down. on the Jets, maybe that's maybe that's the one time. Yeah, we don't have to worry about the hype machine. Right, they could actually, right, which is good, that's good.

But Rogers, it's just funny how much he pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, I think, during that hard knocks and stuff. And like that Wilson story, and we've just seen so many of them, I think just makes it very easy for me to root against that guy. That's all.

And like I heard Larry David on the Bill Simmons podcast, he refused to even talk about the Jets and Rogers because he just didn't want to say anything negative about Rogers. And that's all he would have to say about Rogers. He just like doesn't like the experience. You could tell, but he just like doesn't want it to be aggregated or even mention it because he's a Jets fan. But he just doesn't, he can't even be honest about it because just like I can't, I can't deal with it.

Because he then goes on McAfee and then gets asked about it and all that stuff. It's, uh, it's not good. It's not good. And it's quite frankly, uh, super depressing. Because after this happens, if it goes the way it feels like it's going, then they're starting over again. All right, next. JM 1982, if you could

go back in time and cover slash be a beat writer for any NFL team, you do not support for one season, which team season would it be? Mark? I like this question. I came up with my own list

and it was kind of like, it's obvious ones because it's when I became a football fan, but we grew up on the East Coast. and my earliest, some of my earliest memories are watching those old like Bill Parcell's Giants teams with my dad. And, you know, in 85, you could see the team forming

and the Bears went and won the Super Bowl that year and the Giants got taken out in the playoffs. But the 86 Giants is the team that I pick because not unlike when the Steelers became a powerhouse after decades of darkness, and not unlike when any team suddenly, like the Lions finds light, that Giants team was one of the most

celebrated. No, it's the same year the Mets won the World Series. So like New York the New York tablets were going crazy. I would love to have been there to cover that from wire to wire because there were there was a, you got L.T. in there. You got Bill Parcells. Bill Parcells and

Phil Sims didn't get along half the time. You had Phil McConkey. There were a lot of strange players that created this Super Bowl winning team that were trailing at halftime to the Broncos, then exploded. And Phil Sims had the game of his life in Sunsplash, California. It was absolutely like

the crowning achievement of a team that, you know, they went and won in 90, but that was a bit of a different team. Like, it turned Bill Parcells, who was carried off the field. It was like, your first Gatorade dunk and everything, too, so I think that was a very special time for the NFL, but for New York. And the team, it was like, back then

there was no, you only could watch one team. Jets and Giants, basically. Those two teams, that was it on my television. The first one that came to mind for me was the Buddy Ryan Era Eagles. I don't know why. I was always been fascinated. It's funny because I was thinking of the buddy Ditka Bears.

That would be fun too. There's a great book. Maybe the best season in the life book I've ever read. It was by Mark Bowden, who also ended up writing books that turned into major movies. But it was called Bringing the Heat, and it was about the Eagles. And that team with Randall Cunningham and Buddy Ryan, Wade Phillips was in the mix at some point. And Reggie White and Jerome Brown, who was this crazy character, and Clyde Simmons, and the drama with Ryan and his coaching staffs and the way they interacted with the media back then.

And it just feels like a just feels like the most wild East Coast time possible and extremely exciting team that also was full of drama and personality from like start to finish. And they were like an open book. It seemed like a very fun team to cover in an insanely competitive like media core. That to me would be a fun era. Buddy Ryan's a great one because you could like point. to multiple teams. You could talk that would be a fun team. The one where he punched Kevin Gilbride,

that Euler's team. Yes. That West wrote about. Yes. The 85 Bears, of course. He gets carried off the field after that game. And, you know, we showed Joe, he said he was top of the world.

What was the question? King of the Hill. King of the Hill. You're King of the Hill. You're King of the Hill. See? Guess who the D.C. of that Jets team was. Buddy Ryan.

Wow. So he had quite a football life, and then Rex and Rob followed, of course. I would say, give me the mid-90s Cowboys. That would be a lot of... That was on my list, too. A young Jera, you know, King of the Hill, Jera, Jimmy Johnson, not the Switzerland team. The Jimmy Johnson team, Aikman, Irvin, Emmett, set against the backdrop of the best... How about Jim Cowboys!

Well done. Set against the backdrop of the best rivalry of the 90s, which was Cowboys. Cowboys Niners, which was the only one that really, to me, approaches that would be cults, patriots in the aughts. But I would say that what I think about those NFC title games in the early 90s, they were the, the big game. Like, it was just, it was whoever won that game was going to hoist the Lombardi. So that would be my pick. They also had, like, Cowboys Brett Far Packers, too. There was a lot going on in the NFC.

But I think the greatest and weirdest and most bizarre ending to a lot of that was that Barry Switzer comes in and replaces Jimmy Johnson. And it's like, you know, Barry Switzer during the Pro Bowl, they showed him because they lost the NFC title game. Like when you're in like, he's sitting there eating a hot dog. And today, no one cares about the Proble, but it was kind of like, this guy is a whack job. And like the reporting coming out of Dallas was like, you know, Troy Aikman was beside himself. Like post-Jimmy Johnson was about as chaotic as it could. We got one more. And that team is filled with Barry.

Shout out to the... I thought you were going to slip up there, by the way. What? You mentioned Pro Bowl, then you're talking to AFC title game. I was out of my head, too. I wasn't even thinking about what the episode's about at this point. The 70s, like the 70s Raiders or the 70s Steelers to me would be very fun because that to me is sort of the birth of what we think of as the NFL in general.

But it also, you know, reading the books from back then, it's like it was so much looser. the relationship between the media and the team and the fans it was all like the business of it all was all turned down to such a degree that you really got to know these guys as character like it was they were all kind of

in it together and they were just insane characters in a way that that those teams seem like there would be a lot of fun to do. All right next one. I think Wes would have thrown out of these teams out there. All right here. Sam asks Sam the Hobbit underscore 98. Everyone,

what were some of your favorite non-football related pieces of entertainment books, movies, TV concerts this past year. Okay. Let's have a couple things. Anybody want to start? I'll start with a couple

of books that are right off the top of my dome as my favorite. Beisting by Paul Murray, who is an Irish writer, like a family saga there. That's one of the best books I've read in like the last 20 years. It is incredibly written. It's a bit of a doorstop, but it's still, it's like 600 pages.

And yet it is incredible how talented he is. And then chain gang all-stars, I think, would be a crowd-pleaser too, which is a lot of fun by Nana, Kwame Adija Brenia, which is a... Whoa, that's a mouthful. A little science fiction-y, futuristic where people

in prison essentially choose to fight in these, like, death-to-the-death matchups. And yet, it's, like, very literary and very, very well done. The movie, I liked all the Oscar movies this year. I feel like none of them were bad, almost. Like, I like, I like told

I like May December. I like so many of them, but my two favorites are probably American fiction is just like the most purely entertaining and funny and just like the easiest watch. Like American fiction is really good with Jeffrey Wright and Killers of the Flower Moon is probably just the best, best

movie I see. Yeah, I enjoyed that one a lot. I liked May December. That was great. I liked Barbie. Barbie was there too, yeah. The new true detective so far has been excellent. Yep. I I'm not saying this

was a great movie but I thought air with Matt Damon and Jason Bateman was fun very nostalgic and it kind of they did a good job

with it it was I didn't love Affleck as Phil Knight I didn't love that well it just for me I sat and watched it and was like totally it was kind of cool

to see Damon and Affleck back together I watched Maestro and hated it and yet couldn't stop thinking about it and kind of liked it and I was like whatever

I just couldn't stop thinking about it for some reason like it's good performances but I was just like I don't know something about it is getting under my skin. Jason Zumwald and I have been talking about a film

that has been essentially re-released on Criterion with Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, directed by Ken Russell, called The Devils. And it is, and I took my child to The Exorcist a couple weeks ago, and I would say that is one of the weirder cinema experiences to take a child to, but the devil's... What is social services?

Like, where's the paperwork at right now? He loved it. He loved it. I don't know, in transit, but he loved it. He wanted to see something scary. But the Devils, which is not a horror film, it is and it isn't, and it's also comedic and strange and dark, and it was made a long time ago.

If you have access to this, I would not say it's a Gather the Family Around the Harth film on any level. It was banned in many, many countries when it was released. But it is incredible. It is like the mother of its day. It has mother vibes to it a little bit.

It truly does. It truly does. but it's it's it also feels like something shotgun from 45 years ago and it's pretty great when was it released I think the late six I will check that oh wow interesting

I am currently finishing the it's really sad and harrowing in different places and especially after he passed away but the Matthew Perry memoir about his life is really

fascinating and again sad because he died, obviously, shortly after the book came out. And so much of it is about his battle with alcoholism and various drug addiction. It's really crazy to get inside that world, especially when you're one of the most famous people in the world. I just watched that. What is the name of the? It's the documentary on Netflix that just came out on We Are the World. Oh, we were talking about that last night.

I want to see that. It's called The Greatest Night in Pop, which is, a great, great look at the recording of We Are the World, the USA for Africa song to raise aid for, you know, there was a major catastrophe, starvation, millions dying in Ethiopia, and they came together, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote a song with, you know, on just a couple days' notice, and then they got every big star in American, pop culture and music at the time to record the song in one night

and shoot the video. It was the night of the American music awards in which Lionel Richie hosted and won like swept all the awards and then he was leading the recording session with Quincy Jones and Quincy Jones has a big sign above the door. The biggest stars in the world. Check your ego at the door and everyone did except for Prince. Check out that documentary.

also I True Detective I'm really enjoying Return to Form with Jody Jody Foster Henry Speaking of Henry Turn me on to this

I've been a little bit of a slump looking for a new music that I enjoy but a band called The Smile Which is comprised of Tom York from Radiohead Also Johnny Greenwood The guitarist

And a different drummer So it's not Radiohead But it kind of if you like In Rainbow radio head which is my favorite radio head the smile scratches that itch that just came out and then in concert and i'm going to be able to get to see it in Vegas again as a long time you two fan uh you two at the sphere i went there with my wife in november and that was an unbelievable experience not just because i love their music but the the spectacle of it was very cool i highly recommended if you

can make it um all right good next uh let's see fenshield asks i've long wondered what team Mark supported during the three years the Brown ceased to exist. He's long wonder that. Did he consider the Ravens, please? Come on, Find Shield. Hold out hope for their return or move to the wilderness. This is, Mark, I've known you for many years now, 14 years. I don't know if I've ever talked about this with you.

I have a definitive answer for this. Well, it makes me think of West because I was obviously, I was, there was news right away that Cleveland was going to fight to get a team back, but you knew it was going to take a while. So that's a storyline. So I didn't pick a new favorite team, but I was agnostic. I lived in Boulder at the time. There was this incredible sports bar that I'd go to with friends and watch everything. But it was the Brett Farr Packers from essentially 96, 97, 98 that...

Well, you got a title out of it. Yeah. Yeah, you can't complain. You got your... I guess I kind of did. I should have stopped complaining at that point. You're right. But that was just like every Sunday, Brett Fav was like Brett Farve was like Brett Farving about his

card as you could as you could possibly want. Yeah. That was the good old days of Brett. Well, it, right. Right. Three straight MVP's, I have this article that goes up every year, which is the best quarterbacks of all time. They call it the best Super Bowl quarterbacks of all time, but anyone, you have to have

started a Super Bowl to qualify. Oh! That's doubled. That's $20 hit. Eagle. Wait, it started as five, I thought, before the show. No, no, he doubled it. He doubled it.

He doubled it. It's a 10 for the kids. It's such a good cause that. I kind of want to just keep saying it. Go ahead. Keep it organic. You don't know where to put Mahomes on this list. I guess so many jobs.

He actually has at least $14 million in the bank currently. So, yeah, you'll be good. I have one other job. Mahomes. My homes, like, I had to decide, like, where to put Mahomes or Brett Favre on this list. Because, like, of course, Mahomes is going to end up near the top. But the idea is just, it's just accomplishments, what you've done so far. And it's like, man, Brett Farr won three straight MVPs.

For that, he had a shorter window than most. But for that window, it's right there with any quarterback that's ever played. Maybe better than any quarterback that's ever played. He's that dude. And I'll say, and everything that happened in recent years is terrible around Farr. But one of the great performances I've ever seen, and this, this comes after he had a one year stopover with my team. But when he went to the Vikings, and had that huge season.

He was there two years, but the first year was awesome. And Greg Williams and Sean Payton essentially put out a hit on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. And he took as vicious a beating as you will ever see a quarterback take in that game. And that son of a bitch

got up every time. They were literally trying to injure him. There was money. you know, bounty. There was a bounty on basically killing Brett Favre and Brett Favre knew it.

Everybody knew it and he kept fighting through it now. Vikings fans and anybody else remembers the game will also say, well, he also threw the interception below the game.

I get that. But there were a lot of elements in that game. One of the more sneaky painful losses in the history of the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, they should have won that game. They outplay the same.

But I always had so much respect for Favre of the way he played that game. And like, you know, the photos and images were released after what Farv's lower body looked like after taking those hits. I mean, it was like beyond medical science. And you're right.

He like, during the game, never even showed. Wait, did you? And it also gave Jordan Love like an inspiration of how to end this Packer season. He's like, I'm going to be exactly like Brett Farve

and throw that exact same path. Same throw. So when the Browns come back. Yeah. And they stink because they're an expansion franchise. Was it hard to let go of the Packers? Now it helped, I guess the Packers then start.

to come down a little bit, right when the Browns came back. I will never forget, like, the night that they were relaunched on Sunday night football in week one against the Cordell Stewart, Bill Cower-led Steelers, I went to that same Boulder bar with an empty notebook that was going to be my Brown's notebook for the year, and I was going to write dense notes, and I had a feeling that they were going to be at least interesting and special, and by the end of the first quarter, they were down, like, 21 to nothing, and I was like, this notebook can go into the circular file. There's nothing to write or see about.

It was a disaster, but there was no conflict. I was all the way in. And, like, you know, they never really got a whole lot better from that, but they made the playoffs in 2002. Five, yes. Like, when you're born in. Five and 27, those first two years back. It was rough.

Ooh, that is tough. Tim Couch. What the hell is Palmer? Chris Palmer was, uh, Chris Palmer was a, back then a, like, an offensive guru who, like, you know, had been with a bunch of teams and was, they, that, I will not go on about it. but the difference between, like, the Jaguars and Panthers and, you know, expansion teams that were given, like, a two-year lead-up

and given a proper time to hire, and they were given, you know, draft privilege. The Browns got really hosed, and it was a truncated process that I think helped those other teams in general to do a better job in any expansion team since. Cleveland got really hosed in every possible way. His defensive coordinator was Bob Sloick, you know, this league. Hey, man.

There you go. Different, different one. Hey, it's a family. Romeo Cornell then took over for him the next year. Pop quiz, Mark. Who was the leading rusher of the 1999 expansion Browns? Oh, it's going to kill me when I hear the name because I used to talk about him all the time. But he was pulled from their little strange expansion draft.

Terry Kirby. Terry Kirby. All right. Next. You have filed, sir. But that's a tough, but it's not like. No, no, no. But it's, you know.

It wasn't Jim Brown. No, it was not. Waffle House, Hamlin asks, when will the pain from the Ravens losing stop? Now, well, that's interesting coming off the heels of the Browns conversation. I will say this. It's an underrated fan pain. I've experienced it three times personally to lose on Championship Sunday. Because if you lose the AFC or NFC Championship, you obviously, it's one that you lose in the Super Bowl.

Oh, give it to me. for a good cause. And you'll soon find out. It's one thing to lose, but then at least you get there. If you fall short in the title game, yeah, you get the two weeks of the hype and the excitement around that.

Nobody remembers how deep most teams went in their conference playoffs. And it's just like so empty when you're that close to making the big game and then you don't. I think also that game particularly, like coming out of it, it's like, why didn't Lamar Jackson,

why didn't they just unleash him in full fury and it's a bit of a what if game where it's like this isn't the Ravens team that we saw especially in office. Did you see O'Dell? They had some good NFL films of him sitting next to Lamar as the game started to spin

out and he's basically telling Lamar you can you can change the game like when you run like that flips the script and everyone watching the game was saying the same thing how many times was he just living in that pocket instead of making plays with his legs and changing the feel and dynamic

of that game. Yes. The answer is like week one-ish. I mean, it's never going to leave you until unless they make and win the Super Bowl, but especially the next couple

weeks are going to be going to... Oh. You guys are spinning out. I just said it once. I remember when we first did these I was so focused on it and it hasn't even crossed my mind to not say it.

I was like, how did I get out of the 86 Giants conversation, Scott Fried? That's a good job. I think, though, it gets more painful the further you go. if you lose where the Ravens lost, that stinks for the next couple weeks

and you always believe that you should have been there and it's going to stink all off season, all the coverage of it, especially if the Chiefs win. But it's even worse if you lose the next one. Like, it keeps getting worse. I've said this recently. What happened there?

Chiefs. Well, you can't, oh, you can't say, Chief. Are you got $140 at this point? Are you down $50 right now? No, I think. I think it's 50. That's not a, that's a little bit of scratch. Anyway, um, if our teams ever get to the big game, we got to win it.

Cannot get there. No, no, no, no, they cannot. They cannot, no, no. All right, let's, uh, check a couple more. Uh, Guzzy Maine asks, seeing as how the Vikings will probably never be the team of ATN again, well, you never know. Third time could be the charm. Charm. Are there any other teams that can't ever be team of ATM?

That's a good one. Let's see. Ever. I would say. See, Washington would have been my answer until the ownership changed, but now I'm open-minded. New England would have been mine, but they're in a different world now. Yeah, the Jets can't. Like, we can't have more Jets talk on this show.

No, I understand that. And that's just my Patriots fandom, too. Obviously, the Ravens can't because of Mark. I would say probably the. AFC North. Well, the Bengals, I think, are exception there. Bengals kind of secretly, spiritually were for one season. Other than that.

Yeah, when you say ever, like, it's really hard to imagine the 49ers in this current iteration. Give me ten more dollars there. Oh, man. Or the team they're about to play. He getting dinged. But you never know. And, like, if this show is lucky enough to still be doing it in 10 years.

I guess if you like, maybe if you look at like, where we are today, there's a handful of teams that I would never, but that's it. Certainly the team that plays at Arrowhead are never going to be the team of ATN. And there's got to be a certain pluck and spirit to them that the true giants don't possess. All right. What's next? Dennis Kelly asks, what team would you most like to be a fan of of the next three to five years with an exciting future? And what team could you not be paid to be a fan of in the upcoming years?

All right. Easy for me on the first part. Texans, I actually love that they found a way to keep Bobby Slowick around. I'm sure money was involved there and who knows what else. But we didn't get a job offer. I think that's the number one thing. Well, in general, that's one to question the insiders on

where they always make a big deal of like, he's coming back. He's like, no, he didn't get a job off. Well, just the fate that he didn't. Yes. Like, just the fact that, like, if you're the defensive coach, like you keep the guy that's running your offense. Them for obvious reasons couldn't root for, I don't know, a bunch of teams,

I'd have to think about that one. Well, you mentioned one in the previous show that you couldn't root for, the Chargers, which I think would be close to my list of the fun one, two roo for the next five years because it would just be insane. Texans popped into my mind first, too, for a fun team, but I think the Chargers might be fun. I was just saying the Chargers organization can't go crazy.

I think it would be fun to be a fan of them. Okay, you know what? strikes me right now is the Saints. Now, they could, all this could get fleshed out, but there's something. On the negative side. On the negative side, there's something about this group running this team and this current iteration. That's the, I would not want to become a fan of this team.

I couldn't do Cowboys. Uh, two more. Stephen Lee. We need to bring back hashtag Greg likes rap. He does. I mean, but I like other music. Just as much and well. But hashtag Greg likes rap.

You're our rap aficionado of the podcast. With that being said, as a former New Orleans inhabitant, that's an interesting way I'm putting it. Cash money millionaires or no limit soldiers. I mean, that's a big one. I could be speaking out of turn here, but I feel like this sort of question would only come from a non, New Orleans. Ouch. It's not much of a competition. What no limit accomplished was great.

you know, they made the most with what they have. But cash money millinaires, when I was there, which was when both these crews were coming up. Late 90s, early 2000s. They were like the Beatles in Liverpool. I mean, and they're just far more talented juvenile in a little way. Than the Beatles? No, then the no limit soldiers.

I mean, no limit was fun, but come on. I got to support Master P. I always do. I'm very anti-Big Sean, very positive. I mean, he was fun, too. But, I mean, how many. Think of ball, too. How many bangers did, did No Limit really have?

No Limit, remember all the, all the album covers? They all had the same general. They got it done. They got it done. What was the aesthetic? It was a very garish, like bright colors. It was kind of, was it kind of animated and then like kind of blown out colors? It was great.

They're kind of coming back. People now are like copying them. I love Master P. His commercial where he was selling like his own. phone that no limit phone that you could buy that just ran nonstop in new Orleans is seared into my brain uh yes uh all right one more last question good one gregg see people wanted to hear it had been too long uh chris at t n oilers s where does kirk land a little uh look ahead of and we could talk kind of landscape of some

quarterbacks in general as we look ahead to the off season i i thought we were a little bit and we talked about some buyer beware with cousins on Wednesday but a little Kirkassants not just in how the public views him but the Vikings I felt like they were falling in love with Kirk again last year and then to see what happened when Dobbs betrayed both

us and the Vikings with his play and then everything had happened after. I mean it's not like any of his successors fared any better but yes. But I kind of would say the odds on favor would be him staying in Minnesota. But, I mean, to your argument from the other show is they also would have concerns, I think, fairly about what physical shape he is in post Achilles. That was Greg's argument.

Well, it's also, like, is this the time for them as an organization to reset? I think you're right, Dan, that they are the most likely destination. But for the sake of this conversation, I think it's fun to consider the Denver Broncos as an underrated team. I think he would fit well with Payton. I think they're very much in win now mode, and they have no quarterback. I don't think Russell Wilson is going to be an option there. And a real wild card here,

offensive staff is changing, but just throwing it out there, a ton of cap space, veteran team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I was trying to think of, like, where he would be. I like him. I think Denver actually strikes me as the team that would pay the money for him, maybe.

I wish he would go to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That'd be fun. I like him just walking in there and saying Kenny Pickett, give me number eight and get the hell out of here. You're gone. He'd weirdly fit the Steelers, but I wouldn't expect

myself thinking that. I could picture him in a Pittsburgh uniform. That just, and that team, listen, careful what you wish for. You give them a proficient quarterback with the skill players there with that defense. The Steelers could be, you know, back

in the AFC championship game themselves very quickly. All right. Is that it? Yeah, that's it. Any other quarterbacks to throw out there? By the way, while we're here. Who else is?

So Baker is obviously a figure of interest. Russell Wilson. Russ. Justin Field. See, Russell Wilson, to me, seems like a stealer. The Falcons, I think, will be looking for one. And Cousins could fit that offense quite well, too. I am very suspicious.

I'm a very suspicious of a team signing up for Russell Wilson. as their starter. Yeah, I feel like that would be, God, would any be excited in Pittsburgh? No. I don't know if they would. I think he needs to. I feel like Russ almost has to do a baker where he needs to go somewhere and win a job and then kind of try to reestablish.

I think it's safe to say James Winston will be looking for a new job after how last season. I'm curious. I am curious. I know this wasn't a overly popular take, but. Well, if he will have a slightly chillier market based on how the season ended. I mean, his market was very chilly last year. Like how many head coach is going to be like,

oh, that's the guy I want my locker room. I mean, it was an upset. He stayed with the Saints this season. He didn't have a ton of interest. So, yeah. Raiders got to find someone. Maybe Justin Fields in a Raiders uniform. I can see that.

Sure. Sure. Anything else? Good job. Good job, everybody. Thank you. Raised a lot of money. What a day.

Is this one of those days where this feels like a podcast we've done, like it's a very podcasty podcast. And then we're just here in this studio with these bright lights, and this is going to air on fast. And there's all those people behind the glass. And I was like, well, wait. Does that really work? Madison behind the glass.

Who else is there? Who's there? We've got Eric Roberts. Josh behind the glass. Cynthia. And of course, Eric the producer. Thank you. You guys all share in this award.

Equally. So when you, if you want to call up your moms and dads, be like today, we won. We shared this. Great success around the NFL. That's everyone else who attempted to defeat us, whether it's the fellow nominees or our old bosses. past lovers or the past lovers or the enemies

who have yet to reveal themselves we are Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC title game but there is no interception oh

just touchdands just seeds everywhere come after us and heed the call and heed the call This is an IHeart podcast.