NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Hard Knocks New York Jets: Episode 4 Recap

Episode Date: August 30, 2023

On the NFL's Official Hard Knocks Podcast, Dan Hanzus and Colleen Wolfe recap the fourth episode of the "Hard Knocks Training Camp with the New York Jets". Dan and Colleen start the show by discussing... Dan's favorite moment of the series, Hard Knocks paying homage to 'The Sopranos' (01:52). Dan and Colleen then jump into some story lines they've been following including them seeing a new side of Aaron Rodgers (08:30) and the wide receivers room developing through camp (12:40). After the break, Dan and Colleen debut a new game (19:10) and cast their votes for Hard Knocks MVP (22:34). Note: Time codes approximate.NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an IHeart podcast. For some men in this room, it's going to be the last time you ever strap it up. And I say that not to apply pressure to make it bigger than it is. I say that so tomorrow, soak it up. And then when it comes for your time to play, let it rip. Because if you do get cut, because you weren't quite good enough as the team saw it, that will hurt. but you can live with that
Starting point is 00:00:30 you get cut because you didn't go hard enough that's regret and that shit will eat you alive so it's very simple empty the fucking tank it's gonna be an unbelievable environment I can't wait to
Starting point is 00:00:45 see it man I can't wait to see it I'm not gonna sleep very good tonight from the Chris Wesleying podcast studio it's the hard knocks podcast the official podcast of hard knocks and that was well i'm dan hansis hey with my co-host colline wolf that was jeff
Starting point is 00:01:09 olbrick the defensive coordinator of the jets offering up his latest hype speech to the players going into their last preseason game and that's one of those fun um things about this show uh so for many of those guys their last game ever that's it and you don't think about that when you're just following the sport and we and I do it on the other podcast all the time, kind of poo-poo the pre-season. But these guys are playing for their football lives. And it's real.
Starting point is 00:01:37 It's real human stuff. Yeah. And I also just like that he's using Empty the Tank. It's all gas, no break. Like there's a lot of car references, I guess, too, even though it's a plain organization. It's very macho, yeah. I'm getting, like, caught up in the details.
Starting point is 00:01:51 But, you know. All gas. But I liked it. And that hype speech from Ulbrick goes right into Colleen. I think the highlight is. the season from far. A shot for shot recreation of the iconic opening credit sequence of the Sopranos. Naturally, with that song, woke up this morning as the musical theme. And I'll tell you what, Connie, it's all clicking here. You have the synergy of two Titanic
Starting point is 00:02:20 HBO productions. You have the Jets, deep ties to Jersey and the most famous TV show ever set in the Garden State. You have Robert Sala, the head of the New York Jets, kind of playing the role driving in the car is Tony Soprano. The tight shot of his eyes in the rear of you here.
Starting point is 00:02:39 I love it. The head of the DeMeo crime family. Driving from the Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel, shot for shot. So Dan actually, like, check this out and cross-referenced the two and played them side by side.
Starting point is 00:02:54 He was freaking out when we were watching it. I mean, I kind of once, too, because, like, I just love the Northeast in general. So, like, give me Sopranos, give me New York, New Jersey, all of it. The nostalgia was hitting hard, driving from the Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel to their respective homes for Tony. It was his suburban estate in North Caldwell for Sala. It's MetLife Stadium.
Starting point is 00:03:17 Or, as Aaron Rogers proudly announced in this episode. Welcome to JetLife Stadium. And I've said it so many times, Connie, in digital print. for years on NFL.com and on this podcast that we've been doing together for almost two full season. Yeah. An ultimate episode tonight. Hard Knocks is the greatest sports
Starting point is 00:03:36 docu series that's ever existed. And it's because of creative flourishes like that Sopranos homage. Because it's a simple but fiendishly clever idea executed by obviously some of the most talented people in the medium.
Starting point is 00:03:55 It's a chef chef kiss Connie and my favorite moment of the season. If anyone can pull it off it's going to be the people at NFL films and HBO it was done perfectly and to be honest I was in on this episode from the very opening
Starting point is 00:04:10 scene when they were cutting bagels and grilling maybe it was a grilled cheese maybe it was a French toast I don't know but the key to my heart is a bread product of some sort so I was already there I mean what is the for me and it varies but the go-to North East, you know, New York, North New Jersey, Southern New Jersey, Philadelphia area.
Starting point is 00:04:31 For me, it's an everything bagel, ham egg cheese, salt pepper ketchup, and give me a little bit of that Frank's Red Hot on it. That's to me, like, the hangover cure or just fat guy hungry cure. Yeah. It's, but yeah, seeing those shots, it does, we've been out here on the West Coast now for over a decade, Connie, and this season is, it makes you kind of. a homesick. I know. I was just about to say that. Just like watching the Sopranos
Starting point is 00:05:00 does for me when I did a rewatch with my wife this past year, who's from Texas. Oh, you did? I'm watching it in a total different headspace as someone now who's kind of longing for, I kind of grew up in town that looked like where Tony grew up. It's this show, which is, even though it's the New York Jets, it's very much a New Jersey
Starting point is 00:05:16 vibe. Yeah. Right down to their Flor and Park headquarters, so it's very cool. It's perfect. I'm surprised, though, you're not going Taylor Pork Roll. And I do feel like my dad always calls it Taylor pork roll, which I, like, and I feel like that is maybe not the, the way that people just say pork roll or, like, what do you, what do you people say? Yeah, I grew up literally on the border of New York and New Jersey. In Rockland County, separated Bergen County. I would drive to
Starting point is 00:05:43 New Jersey to get gas. Yeah. And they pump it for you. Yeah. And you have to, by law. Stupid, weird. But so I'm not a true New Jersey and the pork roll didn't really translate to the northern New Jersey side of where I was in the same way that it's a staple in other places, but I've certainly had it. Yeah. I've had the disco fries and I've done, I've been to a million New Jersey diners in my life. I'm getting really hungry right now. Do you do cream chip beef?
Starting point is 00:06:12 I've had it and I've enjoyed it. It is one of my favorites in the entire world. And my dad and I, it's like a tradition and it's a sodium bomb. And my dad and I would go out and if I ever go home. for Thanksgiving. We'd go out Thanksgiving Eve and then we would come home 1 a.m. My dad would whip up some cream chip beef. Speaking of dads, I think we might have to get the number one Jets fan in my life, Keith Hansis, my old man,
Starting point is 00:06:42 on the show before it's over. That's got to happen. One episode left. So maybe that's something for next week. Okay. So yeah, so you have that great soprano's moment on the show. You have old brick the dc who's really had a um obviously a great season of hard knocks setting the tone for where they are at and in training camp now um but Aaron Rogers has been the star of the season he's the star of the Jets he's the key to everything I thought this was a really interesting Rogers episode I think the most interesting Aaron Rogers episode since he's episode one the premiere which was all about Rogers and before we whatever they said about air Rogers on
Starting point is 00:07:23 TV is a lie. Yeah. That's true. But before we get into it, Leav Schreiber is the voice. Yes. Hard knocks. Can't get him.
Starting point is 00:07:35 It's sad. It's disappointing, but that's okay. We work around this. I would like maybe, maybe a little elbow over at our friend, Ken Rogers over there at NFL films. Maybe we can get a helicopter landing for Leav Schreiber. Yeah, here at Sofi.
Starting point is 00:07:53 And get them on the finale. last week? Is it possible? Is there any money in the couch cushions to make it happen? I'm just throwing it out there. We still don't know how much that helicopter cost. We don't. Think about it all the time. Anyway, the Lee F. Shriver, quote of the week with Jason Zubal
Starting point is 00:08:08 standing in for the great actor. This Saturday, Aaron Rogers will take the field as a jet for the first time. No place for a neck beard. Hold the thought on the neck beard because that ties into something we're going to talk about later, but he did clean up
Starting point is 00:08:23 his act. And you saw it with Rogers, Connie. Forget, this is a great New Jersey episode so far. Forget about Springsteen. The boss in New Jersey right now is officially Aaron Rogers. For sure. And as this team is preparing for Rogers' first preseason action in over half a decade, years. I mean, he hadn't, but he played two series against the Giants.
Starting point is 00:08:51 You see some of the tension on the practice field. And, you know, remember what Randall Cobb said last week in episode three, do not get on this man's bad side. He will not throw you the ball. This is the exact Cobb quote. He going to get pissed off. He will not throw you the ball. Well, he got pissed off, and NFL Films was miced up in there to catalog it.
Starting point is 00:09:13 It's a fucking basic at 12 to 14 yards. Puckin' mistakes in one damn drive. It's unbelievable. It's healthy up on. It's so relatable. this is. Drop three balls.
Starting point is 00:09:25 Five. Three wrong routes and a false start. Seven. I mean, seven and counting, to be honest. Like, this was... That's very New Jersey, too. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:09:34 It was the first time that we got to see this other side of Aaron Rogers. Everything so far, up until this point, has been very zen, very, like, just he's introspective.
Starting point is 00:09:49 Chill NorCal, dude. Exactly. Sometimes it feels like it's a, bit like he's laying it on a little thick that he's that guy. But here's the competitor coming out. What lies beneath?
Starting point is 00:10:01 Right. What lies beneath is a furious competitor that does not stand for BS now that we're getting to the nitty gritty with week one Monday night football against the Buffalo bills down the line. But for Rogers and he admitted it to the media after they played
Starting point is 00:10:16 their final preseason game and he got in, he was nervous. Like Aaron Rogers, 18 year veteran, who's won a Super Bowl, who's been in countless playoff games, was nervous to play two series. And just seeing him take total control of the field, it's a reminder that he's not just the quarterback
Starting point is 00:10:33 in the face of the franchise now. He's the guy that everyone looks to. And he can say to Garrett Wilson, for instance, 17, step into my office. And it's Rogers on one knee on the sideline. Come here. I'm going to talk to you. We're going to figure this out.
Starting point is 00:10:47 Yeah. And sure enough, we see in that practice, they do figure it out, and they end on a good note. just really interesting seeing him. And it's like Aaron Rogers is the god here. He is the one that is in charge. He can figure this out. But when you talk about him being nervous before a preseason game since he hasn't played in one since 2018 and obviously all of this attention that he's getting with hard knocks and being in the New York market, like it reminds me of a conversation I had with Jerry Rice a couple years ago. Oh, what a name drop by wolf. I know. I know. Jerry Rice. I'll never forget this because I, I, I, I, I, couldn't believe it. He said that he would get so nervous before every game throughout his entire career that he would throw up. And it never went away. And those nerves were always there. And I think
Starting point is 00:11:32 no matter how long you've been in the league, how much success that you've experienced, if that's how you operate, like that is. So I think it was an interesting window into Aaron Rogers and how he goes about his business. But his frustration at camp in that practice, it felt like to me, me, the angrier he got, the sharper he was. And there's a couple people we work with here at NFL media who I've thought that about when they get angry, they instantly become laser focused. And they can like, they're operating at their highest capacity when they are, when they're annoyed or when they're angry. I've always been like going back to my school days, but then in my newspaper days and even, you know, having deadlines here at NFL media, like, I'm a procrastinator by
Starting point is 00:12:20 nature. I need there to be something hanging over me. This needs to be done in three hours. That's when I lock in. These guys, it's get mad, get disrespected. They lock in. We saw Aaron Roger get mad in a different way later on and we'll get to that. I think the other big plot line, Connie, in this episode, they did a lot on the wide receivers. And everyone knows the top of the depth chart, Garrett Wilson, who caught an Aaron Rogers touchdown pass in that preseason game. And it looks like he's going to be a superstar this season. Alan Lazard, he's, he's locked and loaded,
Starting point is 00:12:55 McCall Hardman, locked and loaded, Randall Cobb. He's Rogers' buddy, so he's locked and loaded, and he continues to get a lot of screen time as well. But there are guys like Xavier Gibson, undrafted free agent, Jason Brownlee, and it's one of those hard knocks tropes. They can make anybody, including undrafted free agents, look like Jerry Rice.
Starting point is 00:13:19 Yeah. And that's how Gibson and Brownlee came off, both in practices and then the preseason game. And it was just adorable their bromance that they have, the two of them. Like they are. So wholesome. They are competing for a final one spot, that fifth spot. And they are just like hanging out playing ping pong. Like I found it really funny, Xavier Gibson's disdain for up downs because that was like, if you lose, you got to do whatever,
Starting point is 00:13:46 up downs, pushups, whatever. And it was just like, it seems so cute the two of them. Like, it's a legit love for each other that they have. And I think that that's cool because they're competing, obviously, but they can put that aside. And this is interesting from a football standpoint because today was cut down day in the real world. And Gibson made the team. Brownlee made the team.
Starting point is 00:14:09 Another first year wide out, Irvin Charles, who we haven't seen documented on the show. We haven't met him yet. made the team. So those guys are all safe as of right now on the initial roster of 53. That could change when the churn of rosters, which gets really cruel when you make the final 53 and then the Jets could pick up another wide receiver
Starting point is 00:14:29 that got cut today. And one of these guys could get whacked. But our boy, Jerome Cap. Didn't make it. Yeah. I think it's interesting what we didn't see as well in this episode. You see Jerome Cap not be able to make a dent, in the box score
Starting point is 00:14:46 in his last preseason game and then you see him walking down the hallway would have liked to see the conversation with Pat and Sala there but shout out that he got an Eminem shout out on Twitter I know and we didn't even talk about this last week
Starting point is 00:15:02 that Eminem now back to back years he's been an important plot line of Hard Knocks he was in Detroit hanging out with the Lions and now he pops back up with Jerome Cap so he's a hard-knock superstar at this point.
Starting point is 00:15:16 Eminem on the lion's sidelines. I remember being a little bit uncomfortable to watch. It was weird. This was more organic. Yeah. He's so famous that you could tell the players were a little nervous to be around him and Eminem was a little nervous to be around the players. I'd like to I like that nervous energy, though.
Starting point is 00:15:32 And then I thought the other thing that was interesting in terms of an editorial choice was a lot of this conversation about who's going to fill out this wide receiver depth chart. And they even talk about it. you hear Leav say it, that there's one spot available. Well, there's two spots available because Corey Davis,
Starting point is 00:15:50 uh, stunningly announced his retirement. That was wild. At a nowhere. I kind of was expecting all the buildup through this episode to end with, uh, look at the Cory Davis decision and maybe that comes next week. We'll see. But that, that is the wide receiver, uh, down low for the jets. And I, I, they gave a lot, a lot of run probably in there was also, you know,
Starting point is 00:16:11 our buddy, uh, Tanzel smart. who's been an ongoing figure in terms of the underdogs for this series. He got a lot of running this episode as well. So there's a little more of that. We even got the... I want to eat a carcucci board. That's right. Yeah, what happens away from the facility?
Starting point is 00:16:29 And you saw Tanzel Smart and the other D-Linmen who are all kind of adorable, too. Oh, my God. They're like all brothers making a carcucci board and some type of seafood dish that looked tasty. I think crawfish of some sort. It was a family recipe. Just to button the wide receiver conversation, though, I absolutely love Randall Cobb's family. They have been a constant throughout hard knocks,
Starting point is 00:16:51 but when he had the block, the penalty in the last game, and seeing them watching it and seeing his wife be like, oh, great, I think we're going to get a fine in the mail. Last year, it was about $19,000 in fines. It's like the equivalent. If I buy like a dumb framed poster, of um from once upon a time in hollywood okay okay is this an attack that feels like no because i did it too i know i know you guys you and john your husband did it as well and it
Starting point is 00:17:22 cost like 185 dollars and my wife's like wait what like it's not going to bankrupt us but it's like wait that was like this is dumb we maybe check with me before we dropped the the two honey my dad always says you must differentiate between wants and needs there you go can't fix stupid He's a wise man All right Let's take a break here And when we get back We'll share our MVP's
Starting point is 00:17:48 Of episode four Victor voting system is starting to heat up We're getting close to the end now And then of course Well not of course But a little surprise coming up after you know I don't like surprises Well you're getting surprised
Starting point is 00:18:03 We'll be right back What's up everybody? And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team-building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape,
Starting point is 00:18:34 talk to decision-makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game
Starting point is 00:18:50 day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast
Starting point is 00:19:06 is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. Now I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL cover zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.
Starting point is 00:19:30 What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly. what you're going to get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL.
Starting point is 00:19:52 Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. All right, welcome back to the hard knots podcast, the official podcast. There's only one. Yeah, because check out the episode we're talking about today. The last shot you see, Aaron Rogers holding up his index finger, like Joe Namath, so many years ago, and then check out the words at the bottom. The Kairon. Oh, God.
Starting point is 00:20:24 He's really into the Kiron business. The Kiron reads. Make sure you watch the credits. Listen to around the NFL hard knocks recap wherever you get your podcast. That, I mean, it doesn't get more official than that. Connie, want to play a game? Sure. Let's do a game show.
Starting point is 00:20:44 Oh, no. Here we go. All right, everybody. It's time to play your favorite game, Travis or Jeff. My heart is pounding. What is this? You may or may not be aware, Colleen Wolf, that Kansas City Chiefs, tight end,
Starting point is 00:21:04 Travis Kelsey, Jets defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrick, have a very similar white boy flow. Oh, yeah, definitely. So what I'm going to do, it's very simple. Okay. And if you are victorious here, you win a 1987 Toyota Cameron. Okay, that's great. Lightly used.
Starting point is 00:21:22 It was found in the swamps of the metallands. In a junkyard. There's a body in the trunk, 50% chance. It was in Queens. It's fine. All right. Here we go. Travis or Jeff, very simple.
Starting point is 00:21:35 Okay. You have to get everything right. To get the Camry? To get the Camry. God, I've always won in the 1987 Camry. If you get everything right, I'll get the body out of the trunk. Great, great. All right, let's hit it.
Starting point is 00:21:51 Eric Roberts, the first voice. We didn't really have anybody at practice. It was kind of the dog days and just the fellas. Travis. That's Travis Kelsey? We didn't really have anybody at practice. It was kind of the dog days and just the fellas. Wow.
Starting point is 00:22:10 Okay, you're hot already. Here we go. How does a pistol? Let's go. All right, here we go. Strong, fast athletes. Jeff. Whoa.
Starting point is 00:22:20 Wait, you're good at this. I'm really good at voices. That one would have had me as well. All right, next. Two for two. Colleen. Yeah, he's got a superpower of speed. Jeff.
Starting point is 00:22:28 And it shows up every time he's on the field. What? All right. Let's do another one. Got to get her once. He's created a legacy for himself in this league. Jeff? No, that's Travis.
Starting point is 00:22:43 That's a great player. Oh, 1980. What, there's more? Last one. This one will decide whether the body comes out of the camera. Yeah, well, first things first. It's great game planning. All right, everybody.
Starting point is 00:23:03 She did it. Thank you. We'll see you next time. That's unbelievable. So one of my favorite things to do as I drive out of here in my brand new, Camry. It only has 294,000 miles on it, in addition to the corpse think. The steering wheel just falls off. It's in my hands.
Starting point is 00:23:24 One of my favorite things to do is listen to a press conference from Eagles. Yeah. And then name check who the questions are from, just like from memory. I'm working from all like the beat writers stuff. Uh-huh. Elliot Chuck Parks. Uh-huh. John Gonzalez.
Starting point is 00:23:39 Exactly. Colleen Wool. Wow, I'm impressed. Thank you. The best person to transcribe in the NFL is Jerry Jones because he speaks in a halting cadence. That is almost meant for 29-year-old part-time copy editors to transcribe. That's a nightmare. It was.
Starting point is 00:23:58 But look at us now. Wow. All right. So there you go. All right. Let's get to the MVP talk now. uh let's see let's see let's see it's a vector voting system and at the end of next week's uh finale episode uh we will unveil the MVP of season i keep on meaning to look this side
Starting point is 00:24:19 i think it's 17 Eric help us out with that season 19 of hard knocks uh it is a hallowed honor and now the votes the voting counts equally every week as we hit on last week. But now it's time to really separate the men from the boys. As we're your third place vote for MVP
Starting point is 00:24:42 worth two points, I believe. All right. So this may mess up the vector voting system in the end, but I have to be true to myself. So third place
Starting point is 00:24:53 is the entire defensive line. I love them so much. They're so cute together. They hang out together. And I know that's true of like so many position groups, but They have such great personalities and such different personalities.
Starting point is 00:25:07 And when they were all at Tansel Smart's house, having like this nice little meal together and making the carcucci board and Tanzel Smart's wearing a shirt that says, I want to eat a carcucci board. And Solomon Thomas is making meat roses from the luncheon. That was impressive. I got to say. Solomon Thomas is a Renaissance man. He truly is because he's the first one that brought up going to Broadway and seeing a show.
Starting point is 00:25:33 now he's out here, like, putting together these gorgeous charcutory boards. For me, the one thing... Just call it's carcucci. Right. On this show. The one... And like John Franklin Myers, who was supposed to be watching Smart's daughter,
Starting point is 00:25:47 she was just, like, crawling around in between the couch cushions while he was playing Xbox. And he's like, this is how I watch my kids. What's the problem here? So they're all so adorable. And I love their friendship that they have. But I really would love for Hard Knocks to pay off them going to Broadway. because we heard at the very end of the show
Starting point is 00:26:05 that some of the guys talking about different shows that they've seen or liked and I want to go to a Broadway show with that. Connie, I think you're a wise woman and that feels so natural. Having watched every episode of the show ever, that feels like such an episode five payoff. Hopefully we're not spoiling it,
Starting point is 00:26:24 but that feels like a fun thing to do. Yeah, I had, what do you got there, Robbins? Do you have an update? IMDB has this as season 20 of hard knocks. Uh-oh. 20? It's 20-ish. If it's not 20, it's 20-ish.
Starting point is 00:26:40 I had Tanzel Smart, so it's kind of the same place as you. Do we want to maybe throw it to somebody? Because you had the whole D-line? I had the entire D-line, yeah. Should we just give Smart since he kind of like represents him? You know what? That's great. And I think, again, today was cut down day in the NFL, and it's not official as of right now.
Starting point is 00:27:00 when we're taping this, but the practice reports from the beat reporters that Tanzel Smart was not seen on the field today, which usually is a sign the player did not make the team, which is a shame. And we saw him get hurt his shoulder and they just rubbed some tiger bomb on it, which I could not believe that was the fix for it.
Starting point is 00:27:19 He played through it, and the reason he played through it is because he knew. He knew he was like almost no other player on the defense on the bubble, and he played through what was obviously had to be probably an extremely painful injury and was just trying to get by on adrenaline and a little bit of bomb.
Starting point is 00:27:37 Like they had to convince him to go to the x-ray room once they kind of saw how much he was in pain. Yeah, and I thought there was a moment on the sideline at the end of that preseason game where Smart kind of looks up and he's a little undersized compared to some of those other big dudes we've talked about here.
Starting point is 00:27:54 And he says, you think I belong with you guys, right? It was like a really kind of a sweet moment and he was almost like a little brother, even though he might be older. I think he's 27 or so. He wants that approval of them. And I think it was maybe JLM was like, John Franklin Myers was like,
Starting point is 00:28:11 yeah, man, you belong, you belong. Nice moment and hopefully smart lands on his feet. If it's not with the Jets. Second place, Connie. Wait, what, oh, okay, right. Yeah, yeah, I'm with you. Lockstep, lockstep. Second place is Aaron Rogers.
Starting point is 00:28:26 Okay. There were so many moments from him. We talked about the frustration during the practice, and then he kind of like focused everyone, wrangled them up, made some sense of what wasn't working, and then we saw it actually work. But I loved his exchange with Jihad Ward when they actually played the Giants in this game.
Starting point is 00:28:46 It was so perfect. I think we have some of that. Yeah, and just to set it up, it was Rogers drops back to pass. It's during his final drive of the game, and Ward hits him a little bit late on a pass, and Aaron Rogers did not like that at all. What the f*** a bro?
Starting point is 00:29:01 What the f*** is that? What's the speck, bro? Come on, what the fuck is that? Five gham six? I don't know who you are, bro. I don't know who you don't. I never heard of you. I don't know who you are.
Starting point is 00:29:12 I've never heard of you. And then they come back at the end and Rogers brings it back again. I don't know. I'm like, what's the fear of you? That's after he threw the touchdown pass. It's incredible. Don't poke the bear.
Starting point is 00:29:27 How many times? how many F-bombs were dropped there because I didn't really even notice it until they were bleached out. But not even that. It was also some of his exchanges with Nathaniel Hackett and it was very Gen Z
Starting point is 00:29:41 of him to be wearing the wired headphones. It's super trendy now. I don't think he does it because it's trendy. I think he does it because he doesn't... I think it is. He said he doesn't want radiation to ruin his brain. Is there anything more on brand
Starting point is 00:29:55 than Aaron Rogers saying he doesn't trust AirPods because of EMF emissions being harmful to his brain. And maybe he'll be proven to be right and half the population will be dead in 30 years. But also it's just the type of nonsense that I was able to divorce myself with Aaron Rogers once became a quarterback of my favorite team. It's like, oh my God, this guy. And he also, I think he likes, oh, the young kids are wearing this? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:30:19 TikTok, okay. That's part of it too. And that's okay. Like I think Aaron Rogers, like, what I'm kind of taking out of the Aaron Rogers experience, is that he cares very much like what you think of him and I don't think that that makes you a bad person because I think everyone's like that to varying degrees but there's definitely an image that he's projecting
Starting point is 00:30:43 it's not one of those people as like I don't care what you think about me this is who I am I think it's more carefully cultivated than he would admit but what this show has been good for him for his brand is you see the authentic side of him where he's not protecting who he is and you see the competitor he is and you see how that great interaction with the fans
Starting point is 00:31:03 those kids at Jets practice that okay you could say that he knows the mics on him and the cameras on but that felt like a genuine moment too that so much has been made of Rogers in the last few years and he's taken a PR beating and I have been vocal in my criticism of them like things he said during COVID that I thought was misinformation from a very high public figure
Starting point is 00:31:25 in American sports but the person he is a I think a good person and does he put his foot in his mouth sometimes does he sometimes try to be the cool guy sure but I think he is a good person in addition to being obviously a tremendous player it's certainly a carefully curated brand that he's putting out there but I feel like
Starting point is 00:31:47 Hard Knocks has been the best thing for his brand because you get to see that authentic organic side of him that maybe he doesn't always have out for everyone but it's like when he's on the field like that's exactly who we thought he was and i'll say yeah and i'll say because he's this is a little bit out of order but it'll all it'll all work well white boy flow um i have aaron rogers my first place vote okay uh just because i thought that and i think hard knox has been mindful of not going too far down the rogers rabbit hole every week but this was uh with his first preseason game and seeing the way he prepares and seeing the fire on
Starting point is 00:32:23 the field. It's just fun to see this guy, this once-in-a-generation athlete, Reeves start his career and having boots on the ground here. It's very cool. So I give Rogers a first place vote. My second place vote, I believe, is your first place vote. Go ahead. We flipped on that. Nathaniel Hackett. There you go. He is just so fun-loving, I need more hack it. Like, everything, he's so funny. And it's like, I want to play for this guy. I wish I worked with this guy. Like, he... I just want to fly around like a butterfly. Exactly. I love him. The floby was hilarious.
Starting point is 00:32:56 So he's having the conversation with Aaron Rogers, after Aaron Rogers, I guess, had gotten, like, you know, his neck beard fixed up or whatever. Right. And got a haircut and stuff. And Rogers says, like, certain people, there's certain people that can touch my hair. Actually, we have it. I have certain people that can touch my hair. I would like to say that I'm one of them. I also have a floby.
Starting point is 00:33:17 A what? Dial it up. Floby right now. Type it in. You need to see the floby. They bring up YouTube on the projection screen. Welcome to the exciting world of floby precision haircut. Is this like from 1990? It's like early 90s. I remember it.
Starting point is 00:33:34 It's an insane infomercial product. I'm telling you, how it didn't make it, I don't know. I asked my mom for it all the time. She never got it for me. She got me some buzzers, but yes, the old floby. Is there really anything better than a floby? Okay. Now, he's someone, Nathan is not hack it, for better or worse, I don't think he cares what people think.
Starting point is 00:33:57 I think there are going to be probably people in a locker room that are going to give him sideways glances from time to time. Like, this guy's a dork. But I think he's very naturally himself. And, yes, I think he's very funny. He's so much fun. Even in that same meeting, he talked about how he wants to be the touchdown firework guy who, like, as soon as anyone gets to the red zone, even though he calls it the gold zone, like, this guy is just waiting, waiting. to like set off all the firework. I think the line is there's a f***er up there in the box
Starting point is 00:34:26 waiting to hit the button. That's it. It's so good. Yeah, it's just his. And then he's using the time in the film room to show the players how they're not celebrating together after a touchdown. Like it's not like who did what wrong here
Starting point is 00:34:43 or like how can we improve there. It's like let's make sure that these celebrations are in unison guys. He's such a positive guy. He's got obviously a sense of, humor that he wears on his sleeve, if that makes any sense. And he, it makes sense. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, why Rogers likes him so much.
Starting point is 00:35:02 There's no ego here. In fact, he knows the score. There's no way, the fact that all you heard leading up to the, during the courtship of Rogers and the Jets was how much Rogers loved Hackett. You've seen it over these past four weeks that he doesn't challenge Rogers in ways that would rub Rogers the wrong way. He's kind of like his wingman in a way. and I also watch this and I understand why maybe it didn't work out for him in Denver
Starting point is 00:35:26 because I don't know if this is big chair energy but to be the wingman of one of the greatest corebacks who ever lived and be on the same page and have the respect to the players because they understand that you're in it and you're a fun guy. It's been a great show for him. But we also saw him fired up and we saw like an angrier side of him when things weren't going right in that practice. Hackett was pissed too and it's not all sunshine and butterflies all the time with him.
Starting point is 00:35:51 Isn't it weird, though, when there are people in your life that are, like, good time, happy people? And then you see a mad, and it's just, like, a little bit more like, oh. I don't like it. Yeah. It's not for me. You know, Sean Kelly, we were with Sean Kelly? Yeah. Sean was being sassy today.
Starting point is 00:36:06 He's, like, the most positive guy in the world. Uh-huh. The happiest guy I've ever known, Philadelphia's own. That's right. But can you imagine Sean Kelly getting, like, angry? No. Like, wouldn't it be, like, disturbing? Like, there are people like that.
Starting point is 00:36:19 You can't imagine them mad. Just like, we all have our. moments. I still can't really picture it, to be honest. But we do have one more hacky clip that I think was my favorite clip. I've clipped it and I want us to use it. I don't want us to brush over it because it's a funny, I don't know, I love the association of it. Okay, go ahead and let a rip. We like to call this the golden day. This is the golden day. Now, how many people here have seen a movie called Gold Member? That makes me so fucking proud right now. That is so great. We all know we talk about this
Starting point is 00:36:48 is the Red Zone, right? That's what most of the world calls. it. It's not the red zone because what does red mean? What the fuck we call it the red zone for? Let's go get that fucking gold. I don't know. I love Austin Powers movies, so that was... Yeah, I hear you. I think, you know?
Starting point is 00:37:05 It's a great point, though. You know what else? He has popped up repeatedly in his MVP conversation. I have excited for next week's finale because Hackett is a very real player. I don't want to end on a sobering note, but one of the best moments of episode three,
Starting point is 00:37:21 last week was Randall Cobb clocking and then letting everyone on the sideline know that Thomas Morsted runs like a bastard off the field to stay loose because he's a dad. He was cut. He was waiting today and he tweeted something like don't panic everybody, maybe he's going to come back and there's something being worked out.
Starting point is 00:37:39 I hope so because I was looking forward to watching Morissette all year. We need it. We need him back. Also, we need to pay off Al the jeweler, Woody Johnson's chain. We had a listener, Joe Halstead. Shout out Joe.
Starting point is 00:37:55 Shout out Joey House. Who sent me the Instagram of Al the Jewelor so we could actually see what the wording was underneath Woody's name. And it was Woody and the Jets. Okay. What did we think of it? We thought it was Let's Go Jets. Idiots.
Starting point is 00:38:13 Can't teach stupid. No, you can't. Thanks, Joe. Two other things, the Jets defensive line coach is named Aaron White Cotton. That's just wild to me. Oh, okay. And I think that's it. I think that's everything.
Starting point is 00:38:31 Everyone was into the song Skiy by Sexy Red. Can you tell me how it goes? I don't know what's going on there. I don't know what's going on. Oh, I also liked the song, the New York, New York version, the cover. Forget it. Give me Frank. I mean, Frank is a staple. It's a classic. We love it.
Starting point is 00:38:53 You give me old blue eyes. That was a good one. And then I also just thought it was kind of touching at the end of that game in the locker room that Sala was like, all right, this is it. Like, make sure you take a look around, hug someone, go up to someone, like have those moments now because that's it. That is it. Good stuff. We'll be back next week. The season finale of Hard Knock.
Starting point is 00:39:18 with special guests, other special stuff. It's a finale. It's got to be big. Are there going to be bread products? Until next week. Head the call. You know it. Salt pepper ketchup.
Starting point is 00:39:32 A little bit of franks. Give me an everything bagel. Extra toasted. Frank Sinatra. Frank's red hot. Frank everything is what I need. All Frank all day. This is an I-heart podcast.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.