NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - TNF Recap Raiders Chargers & The Black Cat Call with Kevin Harlan

Episode Date: November 8, 2019

A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler recap the TNF showdown between the Raiders and Chargers and then are joined by Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling to talk with Kevin Harlan abo...ut the cat on the field during Monday Night Football.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:01:59 Intercepted again, picked off, return to the 40. Down the sidon, 20-yard on. Here comes Eric Harris going in all the way. Touchdown Raiders. First down and goal, Rivers. Good protection picked again. Intercepted by Eric Harris, his third. But a flag is down on the far side of the field,
Starting point is 00:02:22 and it's an off side against Oakland, and that's going to take the pick away. Rivers throws past caught touchdown against the touchdown they're down in a long one Jacobs back in the game the rookie for the touchdown Rivers airs it out Allen passes picked intercepted by Carl Joseph and there you have it Carl Joseph with the game deciding interception of Phil Rivers one of three picks thrown by Rivers he had another that were taken off the board. He was like a Joe Namath in 1974 performance for the great Chargers quarterback who wasn't
Starting point is 00:03:06 so great tonight and it wasn't so great for the Chargers who fall to the Raiders 26 to 24 at the Black Hole, a raucous black hole. Here I am in the throwback podcast garage as legally obligated for me to call it that with the great Mark Sessler. Mark, this was a fun AFC West Showdown, a little sloppy. but an enjoyable game and a great atmosphere, as I said. Well, yeah, I mean, this is what you think of when the Raiders are going to be a team that is a factor in the AFC, and they certainly are right now at this point.
Starting point is 00:03:42 And it was Eric Harris with the two early picks that made up for a Raiders team that really didn't have a lot of offense for the first part of this game. The early pick, and then the second one to drive later, it was, you know, Rivers had two picks in his first five passes, and that second one to Eric Harris for a picks, this was a strange game. You go in with three hours of pregame action listing all the offensive players that are going to be a big factor.
Starting point is 00:04:07 Very few of them were. Very few of them were. I mean, it just really was quite... I thought the Raiders secondary down the stretch in that second and the fourth quarter played a good job. I thought it was interesting. Everybody knows by now it's one of those stats that get thrown out wildly and repeatedly
Starting point is 00:04:23 going into a new week. But a week after the Raiders had four... touchdowns in a win and each of the four touchdowns were by rookies. It happened again, not all scores, but the fact that the rookie class, the baby raiders, as I'm calling them, had a big impact on this game. Max Crosby, a fourth round pick. He was living in Philip Rivers' face on this night, on this night, right down to that last play on the interception, that hurry decided it. And Josh Jacobs, who was quiet for most of the evening, had the a big touchdown run to put the Raiders ahead with two minutes to play, less than two minutes
Starting point is 00:05:02 to play. So again, you got to give it up. You got to give it up, Sessler, to the Mayak Rooden Brain Trust, which just hit a home run in their first year together. And I think one of the big stories of the NFL season continues to be a Raiders team that was largely written off as a joke, even all the way through the hard knock season last year during the 4 and 12. And no victory lap here, mark. But I feel like there was a lot of hate on the Raiders last year. I think they went four and 12. And everyone was just having so much fun saying that Gruden couldn't hack it in the modern NFL anymore. But what they should have been realizing was when you tear down an entire organization, you got to kind of throw out that first year because what they need to do is tear
Starting point is 00:05:44 it up, tear it down before they can build it up. And they built it up pretty quickly to the point where they're going to be playing relevant football in December. Yeah, I think I think it was the Gruden personality and the persona and the Monday night aspect of Gruden, that when he rolled in and rolled back into coaching for the first time in a decade after probably three or four years in a row where there were rumors of Gruden being courted or wanting to come back only if he could get the quarterback of his choice. And he rolled into Oakland and it was, you know what, Gruden and Carr just don't seem like a match. Gruden and Player X don't seem like a match. And Mayok rolling in from television, these two TV guys. And, you know, we've looked around the league
Starting point is 00:06:22 get a couple teams trying to do things differently. And I think that the Gruden-Mayok pairing was probably something that people didn't really want to work. I was certainly critical of it a year ago. And they've absolutely turned it around. And you're getting stories now of Gruden as the coach being someone that has, I think, absolutely turned the switch up on this team. And you're right.
Starting point is 00:06:44 It's the rookie class. And you get these teams where the rookie class flips and it works. And you get this kind of thing. And it's the chargers that hours ago, we were looking at saying they are the AFC team that we now trust. They're getting healthy. Bosa is absolutely a defensive player of the year candidate. And this is the Chargers team that you have to be concerned about.
Starting point is 00:07:06 Not that this was a bad performance by them necessarily, but here you are. You've lost your four and five, and you are not necessarily a team that I can trust week to week at all. Yeah, I thought it was a tough performance by Los Angeles because for the reasons you just said and we speculated the possibility of them going on a run and who knows, at four and six,
Starting point is 00:07:27 maybe they still have it in them. But once you get to that six loss range and it's before Thanksgiving, you've really backed yourself into a corner. Philip Rivers, and you know, we mentioned Joey Bosa. He was completely erased in this game by Trent Brown. He had his first tackle with,
Starting point is 00:07:46 I think it was midway through the third quarter. He just never heard his name. But Philip Rivers, this is one of the worst games I've seen him play. And the fact that it happened in prime time in a big division showdown, that hurts. I just want to go through, Mark, the seven play drive that, the last charges drive of the game because it was messy wretched. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:08:06 Because what happens is the Raiders get the touchdown from Jacobs to go up 26, 24. Then Daniel Carson, because this is what kickers do. They blow it. He pushes the extra point. So instead of 27, 24, it's a. 26, 24, a two-point game, and you could just picture it. You can picture the Chargers kicking the field goal or winning, although it's hard to picture the Chargers doing that because they're usually one that
Starting point is 00:08:28 miss it. They miss the field goal up, down two points, but that's beside the point. It never got to that because with a chance, all they had to do is get into field goal range, seven plays, here it comes. Rivers, incomplete. Shotgun, Rivers, incomplete, deep pass. Shotgun, Rivers, incomplete, short pass, Kyle Allen. then a penalty.
Starting point is 00:08:53 Back to first and ten. Rivers, incomplete. Shotgun, Rivers, incomplete. Shotgun, Rivers, incomplete. And then finally, shotgun rivers intercepted by Carl Joseph, Keenan Allen, the intended receiver. I think that's 0 for 7 with a pick. That is wretched.
Starting point is 00:09:15 Yeah, and in the Raiders secondary, like we mentioned, I thought showed up big time at the end. And you saw Rivers trying to fling passes to guys like Andre Patton. They just didn't really have the weapons tonight. Mike Williams, you know, who I think he had a good game last week, two catches. Keenan Allen shows up, as always, but they just didn't have. This is a different offense, too, when you have, at this point, Melvin Gordon, with 22 carries and a bunch of touches on the night.
Starting point is 00:09:45 And Austin Eckler, this is not his offense anymore. And I guess I would have to ask if that's the way they. want to go down the stretch. Well, okay, I see that. Melvin Gordon looks, he looked great last week. He looked great again in this game. He made me think, I don't know if it will be by the Chargers. Probably not, but I think he might end up getting paid anyway.
Starting point is 00:10:04 I don't know if he'll get the contract he was hoping last summer. But if he continues to play the way he's playing the last two weeks, he's going to be a very good free agent, you know, target for anyone. But the Chargers, you know, they lose Russell O'Kung as well. I mean, it's, I don't know, it was just so chargers. I mean, this is their seventh, this is how many losses? Now, six losses. All the losses have been by a touchdown or less.
Starting point is 00:10:29 And just when they start to get healthy, now Okun, he leaves with a groin injury in the first half. They have, you know, a ton of penalties. This game had 20 penalties, by the way, which continues to be a thing in our league. Our league. And it's a league, you know, that you and I know well, we've toiled in. I wouldn't say on the field necessarily. but this is a very AFC West primetime matchup and there was caution I thought
Starting point is 00:10:54 when we got a little hot on the charges coming out of the Packers game on both sides was that really the Packers team from last week? I don't think so and was that really what we could expect from the Chargers going forward? Definitely not because when have they really ever done that week after week? They are a hot and cold operation right now they've got a lot of talent but a night like tonight
Starting point is 00:11:15 they basically could not add up to the sum of their parts. The Raiders, to me, I don't care what's going on. They're a fun team. Derek Carr, this was not the Derrick Carr of the last couple weeks, but he is certainly playing like a good quarterback, and I believe I trust him down the stretch to guide this team. I think they're going to be right on the edge of the AFC playoff picture going right into late December.
Starting point is 00:11:38 It's a successful season no matter what happens, unless the wheels fall off, but I just don't see it happening. They have the Bengals at home next week. Then they go to the Meadowlands to face a bad Jets team. They have a tough game and arrowhead, but that could be a measuring stick game. Then you get two more home games against the Titans and Jags. So they are set up here. And I think...
Starting point is 00:11:57 They could be seven and four two weeks from now. It'll be interesting to see, I think two teams, if I had to guess, the Raiders and Bills are going to be fighting for that last wild card spot. I would not be surprised at all. Any final thoughts from your notes, Mark, before we move on? because, of course, we have Kevin Harlan coming up after this discussion. I think we're both just a little edgy and excited about that interview, which I wouldn't say that we don't know what's not going to happen because it already happened and we can promise it that it's exciting.
Starting point is 00:12:27 This is the final Chargers Raiders game in Oakland, and I know that I'm much more sensitive than some about teams moving from city to city. I think the Raiders organization is lucky that they have a national fan base that would follow them if they became. the Moscow Raiders, I believe, that you'd still have people dressed in silver and black in Eastern Europe, deep Eastern Europe. I just believe that. They're lucky that that's the case because this is kind of crazy that we're not going to have a Raiders team in California for the first time ever at this point. And that's, to me, I get it. That's the NFL moving forward
Starting point is 00:13:02 with its business. But I'm going to kind of miss this field with its dirt and its grime. And it's a bit of a messy stadium. I get that. But the fact that they're leaving Northern California to is problematic and it's being a bit masked masked over. It's a total dump that facility and the Raiders and the city of Oakland. They could never get on the same page and the NFL for whatever reason wasn't able to step in the way they had to
Starting point is 00:13:29 or needed to or should have or whatever to get it done and keep that team there. So it is what it is. And we're not even talking about the Chargers side of it. It's two teams with strange stories on that front. Like Luke Wilson says, Mark, it is what it is. is, and it's not what it's not. But at least they have the team now, and we've talked about it on the show.
Starting point is 00:13:48 It's such a credit to Raiders fans who are filling that building for every home game. And this could be the last primetime game ever at that stadium unless something gets flex. There's always a chance of a flex, and the fact that they are in the playoff race makes you think it could be. And that is a thought, by the way, to the people at NBC. You put a Sunday night football game with a lot on the line. I mean, that would be a great environment for Al Chris and Michelle. Totally agree. I mean, the crowd was a massive factor tonight, I thought.
Starting point is 00:14:21 You can't say that about every NFL stadium. It is certainly true of the black hole this evening. Neither Joe Buck nor Troy Aikman have been to West Point. That was a weird aside in the game. Very weird. Unnecessary, potentially. Strangely, Troy Aikman said that Richie Incognito does things as a guard that he hasn't seen since Larry Allen, his Cowboys teammate that went to about 47 Pro Bowls and was elected to the Hall of Fame.
Starting point is 00:14:49 I mean, that felt strong. A lot happening. But at the same time, whether or not you believe that Richie Incognito deserved another chance in the NFL, well, he got one. So you got to give it up again to the Mayak-Rudin team because that was not a move. That was greeted with any level of enthusiasm. And I'll take Eggman's word for it as a former quarterback in a Hall of Famer himself. that they have one of the best guards in the league and incognito, not bad. Big old G-G-A-F by the Raiders.
Starting point is 00:15:17 They don't care what anyone thinks or what anyone says. They're going to go do it their way. And so far, when it's working, it's working. And they look like champions tonight in terms of their decision-making. We'll see how it plays out. It is what it is, and it's not what it's not. I will say one thing. Kevin Harlan actually texted me.
Starting point is 00:15:33 We're going to hear this interview. Really? Yeah, and the question there, too, that I asked him, he said, thank you for cutting through the haze and the fog. of war to ask the in true question he referred to our interview as the fog of war just he said it you know it was a lot coming at him and you these guys that roll into interview with our with our podcast you suddenly have four males coming at you with their questions he said thank you for asking the question that mattered the most to me i know i asked the question i asked too so i don't know which one he was
Starting point is 00:16:00 referring to but it was one of the two well that's exciting uh so that is potentially made up too if you were planning to you know click out of this podcast originally now you got to stay in there because Mark changed, just changed things. He changed the temperature of the entire industry with one question. I wouldn't normally bring that up, but I just thought it was relevant from an industry giant. It was the right thing to do. All right.
Starting point is 00:16:26 So that's it. The Raiders, they're playing relevant football, the Chargers. Was this a dirt nap game? No, not at all, because the Char is as annoying as the Chargers can be with their missed kicks and all their business, they're going to find a way to, like, two weeks from now, we're going to be hyping them up again and talking about how edgy and talented they are, too.
Starting point is 00:16:46 So I'm not ready to bury them yet, no. It's a bad loss, though, because they've got the Chiefs next week who have their quarterback back. All right, so there you go. Now, let's throw it Mark and I as well as Wes and Greg got a chance to speak with the great Kevin Harlan, who is obviously one of our very favorite broadcasters in the league. So enjoy that.
Starting point is 00:17:10 And we will see you on Sunday night. Now a policeman, a state troopers come on the field, and the cat runs into the end zone. That is a touchdown. And the cat is elusive, kind of like Barclay and Elliot. But he didn't know where to go. Look, they're trying to corner him, and they got him in the end zone.
Starting point is 00:17:30 There are state troopers all around this cat, which now climbs up into the stands, and the fans are running for their line. Now it goes back on the field again. And it's running in the back of the end zone. And it runs up the tunnel. Oh, there it is. The call of the year so far.
Starting point is 00:17:50 And if someone's making the call of the year, you know, it's got to be Kevin Harlan, one of our very favorite broadcasters in the game right now, maybe our favorite. And we're so lucky because for the first time, he's joining us here on the Around the NFL podcast. Kevin, what's up? Well, thank you for your kind words.
Starting point is 00:18:05 Great to be on with you guys. Thank you very much. It's fun to join you. and in the aftermath of the Black Cat at the stadium in the Middlelands. So is it like you hear when players, when there's a big play and they have a huge game and they're like, oh, yeah, I looked at my phone and it's just blowing up. I can't even like pick up my phone without the mentions piling up to the point where my battery is running out.
Starting point is 00:18:29 Does that happen to you when you have a viral hit like you had this week? Well, you know, it happened in the first half, and the game was a good game because the Giants were driving again and they had a lead over Dallas and so you know you're so focused especially in radio where you've just you've really got to keep your focus you're going to get messed up with all the sub packages and substitutions on on both sides of the ball and and here was an important drive and they had just completed an important play to Evan Ingram their young emerging tight end and the cat was standing at the 50 watching it then they stopped play and that's when we diverted our attention to the cat and watched its movements down.
Starting point is 00:19:12 So, as it was, it really, and so it happened, and then, and then, I forget what the Giants did, but, but, but, you know, the game's going on. It was in the first half, and I never look at my phone unless I call my wife at half time to say good night, and that's what I was doing. I was calling her, and I go, what are all these texts on here? I put my, I put my phone in the, in, in my briefcase. So, um, I called her. and she said, hey, people are texting me about this cat call.
Starting point is 00:19:42 I said, with the cat call, getting nervous. And then it just from that point, and then I still put it away after the call with her because I thought, uh-oh, I'm either in trouble or it's okay, and so you never know. And anyway, don't be humble, by the way. Kevin, you're being too humble. The greatness, and we talked about it on our Tuesday episode was not just, it wasn't like you were calling the game and then you went to the cat. No, Harlan, he went full flex on the end.
Starting point is 00:20:08 entire industry because you called two events at the same time you called the ingram play as it was developing and you called the cat when you threw the sponsor read in you had to have that was the winner had to have like known in the back of your head this is magic oh well no listen that howard dinner off is our was was her producer and he was giving me the card because the giants at the other end were about ready to enter the cdw red zone CDW people you can count on. Gash that check. So I had it right there, and then I'm looking at the cat,
Starting point is 00:20:42 and the card is in my hand, and I get a nudge, and so I read the card, as it turned out, so we didn't want to miss a sponsor. Regardless of who was scoring the cat or the Giants. It's been so good for the league. I think that, you know, we all have kids, and they absolutely loved watching this wildcat run around the field. Would you, it was good for you as well. Would you be an advocate of saying the NFL,
Starting point is 00:21:04 introducing more wild animals into game situation, maybe an angry deer, 200 mice or something. Well, if we can have the cats chase the mice, that might be good. You know, it's weird to have an animal on the – this is actually my second animal and then third interruption of a game. When I was at ESPN back in the early 90s, a rabbit ran on the field. This is an Elvis Gerbach, Michigan quarterback team against Breast. do on Halloween in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Starting point is 00:21:36 I was working with Craig James, and the rabbit was at midfield. They stopped playing. The rabbit ran right down the middle of the field, like a back, and then cut like at the five, then into the end zone, and I called that. And then we had the drunk guy on the field in San Francisco a couple years ago. That's another animal. That was another animal, exactly, not the kind you want to. Wait, Kevin, can you pause right there?
Starting point is 00:22:00 Let's listen to that's what really, like we've known you for you. years as football fans and sports fans. But that's when he became a legend on this podcast. Let's listen to a little bit of that call. Hey, somebody has run out on the field. Some goofball in a hat and a red shirt. Now he takes off the shirt. He's running down the middle by the 50.
Starting point is 00:22:18 He's at the 30. He's bare chested and banging his chest. Now he runs the opposite way. He runs at the 50. He runs at the 40. The guy is drunk. But there he goes. The 20.
Starting point is 00:22:28 They're chasing him. They're not going to get him. Waving his arms. Bare chested. Somebody's st. Here comes the blue coat, Kevin. Oh, they got him. Here comes the blue coats.
Starting point is 00:22:38 Oh, and they tackle him at the 40-yard line. That's performative, though, Kevin. And the best way, you're sensing that moment. And just like what happened on Monday night, you're rising to that occasion, right? You sense it that you have, that's something to have fun with there. Well, that guy ran right through the Rams slot receiver position. So it was like, he ran. right through the offense, through the defense, and the players just stood there and looked
Starting point is 00:23:09 and did not move, and no security guys came out to chase him until the very end of his romp. So he was out there for a good minute plus, and the cat, you know, had some staying power too. The cat the other night stayed on the field for a long time. And the fact that it went to the 50 as the play was going on, watching the play, then play had stopped, and they all looked at the cat, and then he retreated and went the other way. You know, made it for, you know, when they're on there for a while, you've got some. something to kind of work with. And, you know, listen, I don't want to be known as the guy that calls, you know, animals and drunks on the field, but they've just kind of happened. And they
Starting point is 00:23:42 both happened on radio. I should mention, you know, because radio is, is all about, you know, being the eyes of the listener and describing what you see. And if I'm in the stands or watching on TV, what I see is a drunk or what I see in this case was the black cat. They didn't show the drunk on TV, but they did show the cat. And if that's what we're all watching, then I felt I guess, compelled to call it and did. And I think, listen, I think a lot of this was powered by a lot of animal lovers out there, too. A lot of cat lovers, and they enjoy their pet, and they enjoyed watching the cat. And hopefully there was nothing malicious that happened to the cat once it left.
Starting point is 00:24:22 They're still looking for it. Yeah, I'm sure they are. Do you ever have telemarketers call you on the phone to try to sell you product X, Y, or Z, and stop cold when they realize matching the name with the voice? even just listening to you, it's like I'm just suddenly in game mode listening to you announce. It must happen occasionally. Well, at airports maybe sometimes it'll happen if I'm talking to a friend or at a restaurant with my family. But that really is only it.
Starting point is 00:24:51 You know, they know my voice probably more than they know me because our stand-ups on CBS are very short and on TNT for the NBA, very short. and then a lot of them know me for the 2K NBA video game. And then again, of course, that's a voice only too. So a little bit from that. But, you know, I don't know. I'm not sure how I, there's a nice, it's always nice to be, you know, somebody, hey, I know that voice or something like that.
Starting point is 00:25:22 But it's, when I'm not on, I just soon be a dad and husband and just a regular guy. When we're talking to you now, you're in your hotel room, you're preparing for your TNT basketball game. I don't know if you've noticed, Kevin, that Joe Buck every year now with Thursday night football and World Series. He gets a lot of pop from doing, you know, World Series game after game. And then he's got Thursday night and Sunday night. And everyone's, wow, this is the hardest working guy in the business.
Starting point is 00:25:54 But I know your schedule, and you're doing NFL on Sundays, you're doing NFL radio on Mondays. Then you're doing like Lakers' clipper. on Tuesday and another NBA game on Thursday, do you sometimes think like Buck is a little soft compared. A little bit. You deserve a little more pop for that. You could say, Kevin, go ahead. Well, only because they work with Joe at Fox for those four years and know him,
Starting point is 00:26:17 I would say Joe's a tough guy. Like his dad, you know, his dad was a workhorse like this, too. It's funny, you know, in this, you know, with Tom Brennaman and Kenny, Albert over at Fox and Joe, all three of their dads were in the business. My dad was in pro football for 37 years at the Packers and ran the team for 21 of those years. And I grew up in that environment and pro football
Starting point is 00:26:45 and know what kind of an endless clock it is and where there really is no beginning or end of the season. It's like just one continuous season. And maybe some of that has carried over to broadcasting. I don't know that any of the four of us would say that we purposefully try to work as many events, I guess it's more for me, and I'll speak for them, it's that we all kind of love the business so much. We love the business. Now, if it ever gets in the way of our families, then it becomes another story. Luckily, you know, we all four
Starting point is 00:27:18 probably married the right gal who could, you know, put up with the schedule. And if we're lucky enough, being able to take, you know, family and our wives with us when we go to these games. And for instance, at the Super Bowl, when I do the Super Bowl, I always, we always bring in, we have four kids, and we bring them all in with their spouses, and now a grandchild, and fly them to the Super Bowl and have a kind of a celebration and more of a thank you for putting up with a, kind of a tough schedule for the fall, but they've all grown up in it. And my kids, we have three girls and a boy, but my girls, who all were cheerleaders in high school, you know, I always made it a point to be there on Friday nights and never missed a game. Our son is our baby,
Starting point is 00:27:59 and never missed any of his games. So I'd like to think that they never thought, yeah, Dad was busy, but Dad never missed any of the important events. And I think they'd all say that. So I do feel kind of good about that. All right, Kevin. You're a better dad than us.
Starting point is 00:28:12 Way to go. You nailed it. Hey, Kevin. No, that's amazing. When I get a Tony Romo game, I like to get out a bottle of wine and just enjoy the show. And, you know, we're big fans of John Madden.
Starting point is 00:28:25 But with your dad being in football and your fandom probably going back a long time, Is there a play-by-play guy who's a personal favorite of yours, either from the olden days or even now? Well, I was attracted to voices first. And really, when I was a kid, when I was about eight, nine years old, I remember it distinctly because when I heard the voice, I automatically start paying attention to pro football.
Starting point is 00:28:50 And the voice was John Fissenda. Oh, yeah. And I just, I just, I heard his voice, yes, and heard his voice, narrate a highlight show and have always been kind of in the back of my mind I always hear
Starting point is 00:29:07 Fesenda's voice in fact before I leave my hotel room on Sunday mornings for the stadium for my CBS game on Sunday afternoon I always on my phone
Starting point is 00:29:18 I've got a clip of him saying that that Raiders poem the Autumn Wind is a Raider and And it's not necessarily to get me thinking voice. It's me to be in the moment of how lucky I am to be doing the NFL, and I think of his voice, and I think about where it all began for me.
Starting point is 00:29:40 And here I am in my late 50s, and as an eight-year-old, I remember distinctly hearing his voice in NFL films. And it just kind of sets me on, points my compass in the right direction when I hear his voice. I've always done that, and I hope I do it to my last broad. in the NFL, and this is my 35th year doing it. But voices, Summerall, Jim Simpson, Crickey, you know, those are the voice, obviously, Ray Scott. You know, I guess those voices are the ones I remember the most in my mind when I think about what I want my voice to sound like.
Starting point is 00:30:15 It doesn't sound like any of theirs, unfortunately. You're kind of, you're kind of given what you're given. And so, but that, in my mind, that's the voice, those are the voices I hear. and that brings a smile to my face, especially Fassenda, who I dealt with briefly when I was in college. I used to produce the Chiefs Radio Network pregame show, and I was like a sophomore, junior, and senior in college at the University of Kansas. And I called NFL films one day, and just on a whim, you know, this is like back in the late 70s, early 80s, and I called NFL films, and I asked if I could talk to John Fissenda, and I said, and I called, and I talked to him. And I asked Mr. Fasenda, would you mind if you, if I sent you some copy and would you mind taping the open to this radio network show that we do three hours before the Chiefscape?
Starting point is 00:31:10 Bold move, Kevin. And he said, send me something and I'll be happy to do it. So I sent him something. And about two weeks later, I get this reel-to-reel thing back. And I stick it on the machine and I thread it in and I hit. play, and here is John Fasenda saying, you're listening to Chiefs Sunday on KCMO Radio and the Chiefs Radio Network. Love it.
Starting point is 00:31:37 But on there, there was a moment where he wanted to change a portion of the copy, and he changed it and read it the way he wanted to be and goes, ah, now that's a horse that I can ride. I just love that. And I just, I think about him and I think about the voice and I think about how kind he was to me as a young aspiring broadcaster. So I play his, I play his clip of that Raider poem every time before I leave my room on Sunday. Wow, that's awesome. Kevin, I mean, you've had an incredible career and you got a lot more to go.
Starting point is 00:32:12 In fact, you've called nine consecutive Super Bowls for Westwood one. You're only trailing Jack Buck, actually, who's at 17. So we hope you actually break that record. And we get to hear you for years to come across all the sports. spectrum. So thank you so much for joining us and we'll continue to enjoy your calls, not just the drunk animals and the other animals, but also the smooth, prepared way in which you approach all the sports you cover. Thank you. Well, thank you. You know, I would love a drunk animal to get out there. We can provide that. Wes, get to work. I promise you, I will have a
Starting point is 00:32:47 call ready for a drunk animal that will break all record. Awesome. And why don't we, why don't we play out today's episode with the autumn wind as we say goodbye to the great Kevin Harlan. Thank you guys. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you. The autumn wind is a pirate blustering in from sea
Starting point is 00:33:11 with a rollicking song he sweeps along swaggering boisterously. His face is weather-beaten. He wears a hooded sat With a silver hat about his head And a bristling black mustache He growls as he storms the country
Starting point is 00:33:33 A villain big and bold And the trees all shake and quiver and quake As he robs them of their gold The autumn win is a raider Pillaging just for fun He'll knock you round and upside down And laugh when he's conquered and won In the heat of battle, your squad relies on you.
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