Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - ESPN's Myron Medcalf talks about Rodgers madness and Vikings relationships

Episode Date: November 6, 2021

Matthew Coller and ESPN's Myron Medcalf get together to discuss Odell Beckham Jr. and his fading star now that he's been released by the Cleveland Browns and Aaron Rodgers's handling of his COVID situation. Will this be a costly distraction for the Packers? How does it impact Rodgers's legacy and what does it say about the Packers' role in other drama that has involved Rodgers. Plus Myron talks about how he sees the Vikings and Mike Zimmer as a relationship with signs of coming to the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TD Direct Investing offers live support, so whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, you can make your investing steps count. And if you're like me and think a TFSA stands for Total Fund Savings Adventure, maybe reach out episode of Purple Insider. I'm your host, Matthew Collar, here and joining the show because something happened with the Packers, and this person grew up in Wisconsin, but also lives in Minnesota. And I just felt like it was really a perfect time to discuss ESPN's Myron Metcalf. And we have some Aaron Rodgers to talk about Myron. What's going on? Man, it's always something in the NFL, man. Never a dull moment. That's for sure. Not only that, but Odell Beckham was released just a few minutes before we're doing this.

And OK, all right. I want to throw this out there, too, because you and I are old and we watch the 90s NFL and love the 90s NFL. I feel like Odell Beckham is very Andre Rison ish, where it's a guy who was great, but kind of aloof and weird. No one has burned down Odell Beckham's house, but he had this, this rising shooting star of excellence like Andre Rison did in Atlanta. And then he ends up playing for like 42 different teams because every team he would go to, he'd be like, no, I'm still superstar Andre Rison.

And they're like, well, you know, could we just play like a role? No, no, I can't. I have to be the star. And that's Odell Beckham. I think that's just who he is. Like he's not good anymore and, or at least not a star anymore, but thinks that he's Odell Beckham, this big superstar wide receiver. And so you end up with this, a guy off a team that is competitive,

like just fighting his way out of there to go somewhere else and probably do the same thing is my guess. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's an interesting situation. People really want Odell Beckham to be the same guy who had like three 1300 yard seasons in a row to start his career. He turned 29 on Friday, right? Today. So I don't know what people are seeing, right?

The injuries, the production has changed. He's not the same guy. And if it's about the whole freak of nature thing, well, there are a whole bunch of young receivers now in this league that can do all of that stuff and more. So he doesn't have that same edge. I do think he's the kind of guy, like an Andre Rison, who has to respect you a whole lot in order for him to sort of buy in. But you only do that with the guy if he's great. Like Randy Moss from the Raiders to the Patriots,

you knew you were getting a Hall of Fame receiver. And, of course, Randy Moss has an almost 1,500-yard season that first year with New England. It was clear that when Randy tuned you out, it was over. But he was still Randy Moss. Odell Beckham, I don't know even if he buys in what you actually get because, to me, his game is still built on these sort of freak of nature moments where i'm in the open field or i make this circus catch

and i do things that are cool for sports center but the guys who i always admired in the nfl in terms of the greatest wide receivers of all time yes you had a calvin johnson and you had a randy moss but look at the guys who stuck around outside of a couple of those freaks. You're Jerry Rice's, you're Chris Carter's. You look at a guy like Heinz Ward, who was just doing every little thing to squeeze out every inch of his career. Steve Smith, pound for pound, one of the best receivers of all time. How on earth did Marvin Harrison put together a Hall of Fame career at that size? So I think Odell Beckham is just sort of waiting to be able to hit a button for his ability to take over. But I don't think there's any evidence he's this great wide receiver. And in order to do that, he's going to have to commit to those little things that the greats

did time and time again. I remember Ricky Waters told a story of the old 49ers. It was a young guy. He had made the Pro Bowl. And Jerry Rice says, hey, man, let's go get ready for the Pro Bowl. And Ricky Waters is like, it's the Pro Bowl. What do you mean? But Jerry's like, no, we'll just do a little workout. And Jerry's got that infamous heel that he used to run.

And he gets up there, nothing'll just do a little workout. And Jerry's got that infamous heel that he used to run. And he gets up there, nothing. Ricky Waters barely gets up. I mean, he's an NFL rookie, NFL young guy. I don't know if he's a rookie. He barely gets to the top of this heel. And then Jerry says, all right, we're going to run back down. And he just couldn't understand

what Jerry Rice was doing to stay in that mode. But he saw his commitment and discipline right there. Like, oh, this is how he's above everybody else. I don't think Odell has any of that, man. And if he doesn't have any of that stuff, that obsessive stuff that you have to have to play at a high level, what do you get?

What do you get? So I think the buzz is a lot different than the reality of Odell Beckham Jr. right now. Yeah, I think that's a great point about wide receivers. And even you see someone like Stefan Diggs in Buffalo and he's getting toward his later 20s, too. He might be the same age as Odell Beckham. And yet it feels like he's in his prime and is going to be good for a lot longer because the foundation is built on work ethic and technique and obsessive competitiveness. And you see this really with Justin Jefferson, too. I've been so impressed with Justin Jefferson's mentality as a superstar where he hasn't taken this approach of like, look, guys, I run the team now. OK, I'm a big superstar and I'm the guy and I'm going to be doing all these things in public and everything else. It was almost surprising to see him at the

court side at the Lakers game, but it was so funny because we asked them, well, did you say hi to LeBron or anything? He's like, I don't know. You know, he lost the game. And I just thought I probably shouldn't say hi. Or it was like, he has a humility to him that I think is required to be great. And Odell Beckham does not have that unless you are Terrell Owens, who had the insane work ethic though, that sort of drove him. But when the athleticism fails, so it's like, this is like running backs, running backs coming to the league. It's athleticism. You're just a freak. You have crazy explosiveness. The minute you lose one tiny bit of a step, it's over. Unless you are Frank Gore or,

you know, Adrian Peterson is the all-time freak, but Latavius Murray is a good example. The guy never had crazy bursts. He's great technically. He passed blocks. He, you know, makes sure he gets three yards on every run. He's not running by people. So he has longevity in the league. I think the same thing for Odell Beckham. It's like your technique and your dedication and how good of a teammate you are. Those things, they will guide you long-term in the NFL. And whoever picks up Odell, you might get a flash in the pan of a few great catches and a few great plays. And that's a great signing if you're a competitive team. But if you're a team looking for a long-term wide receiver, Cleveland made a mistake in thinking that that could be their guy that completely changed their franchise.

So anyway, that, sorry, go ahead. That's just kind of an interesting subject to me is when wide receivers sort of reach that point in their career and then go off of the edge. Yeah. I mean, it sounds like the anti-Larry Fitzgerald in a way, right? I mean, just a guy who just committed himself to just always being ready, always improving, man. So I'm at the – I believe it's the 2016 Final Four, and I see Larry Fitzgerald Sr., who I know. I had never met Larry Fitzgerald Jr., but he's in the first row. I said, hey, Larry. Hey, his son's there. He's like, I'll introduce you to my son. So Larry Fitzgerald is sitting

there, Jr. in the seat, and he says, hey, hello, cordial, signing some autographs, just being sort of a normal dude, kind of being a regular guy sitting at the Final Four in the front row. I look on the field as I'm walking toward my seat on the field at the court, and I see Odell Beckham Jr. walk in. Now, this is Odell. I want to say it's like the second or third year in that explosive run, and he's got like three guys with him, and he's wearing these giant sunglasses,

and he is just letting you know that he's here right like and i just thought it was such a contrast man here's odell beckham just like hey everybody i i'm here i'm friends with drake i'm friends with lebron i'm a celebrity beyond the nfl and then you got lar Fitzgerald, Hall of Fame receiver, just kind of sitting there hanging out. And I think Odell needs that to have a long career, a productive career, because the athleticism isn't what it was five years ago. You're not as – you don't have the same edge over everybody.

And I'll tell you another thing that happened to Odell. You talk about, like, paying attention to your own highlights. Oh, that guy did that, you know? But I think we could go to a place, man, 20 years from now where we say Odell Beckham, Jr. And the only thing we talk about is the catch. And there's nothing else that really stands out about his career. Yep.

No, I think you're right. And that's the case for, I mean, it's the case for a lot of NFL players. You know who I think of for that would be like Sean Merriman, who is just the biggest star and injuries got him and some maybe not so legal methods of getting to where he was also got him. But there's so many flash in the-the-pan stars in the NFL, and it really just hit me the other day that, like, wow, I think this is over. I just thought, yeah, he'll be around and he'll be a guy. But if you are, like, 12 right now and first starting to understand the NFL, like, who's this guy who's causing all the problems? Like, oh, he used to be good? And it's an interesting point about the receiver position

has long been sort of tagged as this. Oh, it's for divas and things like that. And I think that, you know, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson, they kind of made it that. But those guys also were incredibly hard workers and unbelievably diligent about their craft. And so there is a point of that's what's going to win long term even if you have the other flash part of it's um it's going to be the reason larry fitzgerald is so great the reason adam thielen will keep being good it's like technique route running like those things are what's going to get you to succeed not being a celebrity because you can run past everyone

and i thought when odell was out on the field at l, handing out hundreds to the LSU players after winning the championship, it was probably one of the saddest things I've ever seen. It was just like, oh man, you are so desperate for them to think you're cool that you're like trying to give them money on the field. And what do you, what are we doing here? So he, he is the different. I remember a couple of years ago where I thought, you know, the Vikings should maybe go after Antonio Brown.

And I know that he has some serious problems. Also won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay being very helpful to their team. But Antonio Brown was the technique guy. I mean, a total technician and had gone from a fifth round pick to where he was. And he had clearly some serious personal problems that maybe he's gotten through or dealt with but um that's what's going that's what's going to get you there to still be effective late into your career not desperately reaching out for attention and hoping that you'll catch another one-handed pass that everyone will pay attention to so rises and falls

are always interesting and i think what we're witnessing here is a pretty serious fall. Now, I agree. And, you know, someone's going to pick him up and the media story is going to be, here he comes. It'll be a big story, but I don't know what kind of production we'll get. Yeah. So let's talk about Rogers for a minute, because I think that one of the things Vikings fans enjoy the most is when there's drama going on with the Green Bay Packers. And so the Vikings fans, they had a very fun summer, if you recall, of Rodgers doing a lot of jackassery about whether he was going to come back or not. But this recent event, I don't know if it's going to impact their season. I think that he probably comes back. They probably win a lot of football games still, assuming that it doesn't have an issue with his long-term health.

But I think what this did was it put every nail in the coffin to the idea that it was Green Bay's fault somehow, that it was, oh, they weren't treating him right or they should have done this and that and the other thing. Now, look, I mean, I wouldn't have kicked that field goal at the end of the nfc championship but but i think this solidifies like oh that is just who he is he is a nightmare for them to deal with and unfortunately he he's the best chance that they have and he does nothing but win but any idea that all green bay should

have done this they should have handled it this oh, Green Bay should have done this. They should have handled it this way. Gutekunst should have done this. Matt LaFleur should have done that. No, no, no. It's just him. That's who he is. Yeah.

Yeah. And I pay attention to what Matt LaFleur said this week when he was asked about the whole immunized versus being vaccinated. And Matt LaFleur said, that's a great question for Aaron Rodgers. And to me, that was a moment for Matt LaFleur where he could have done what he's been doing, stand up for his quarterback, which he did the entire time of the offseason because he knew it's the only way we're going to win big games. We need Aaron Rodgers.

But I think even that was a sign of frustration. hey man i've had your back you know i've been the one defending you man and now you put everybody in a bad spot um i don't know what the nfl is going to do if anything but i also feel like if they don't do something then if you're the raiders if you're some other team that's been scrutinized in the past for COVID protocol issues, I don't know how Aaron Rogers can just go to these press conferences without a mask. And everyone's like, well, that's just the media. Well, no, it's not just the media, it's the NFL rule.

And then what was he doing at the facility? Was he actually following all of the rules or was he just Aaron Rodgers and he didn't have to do it? So I think my bigger question will be, yes, they can win a lot of games. We've already seen that. But the margin for error is so slim. In an NFC where Tampa Bay is Tampa Bay, Dallas has the top scoring offense in the league. You saw what they did without Dak Prescott. You got an NFC West with the Cardinals and the Rams and all these other teams that can put up big numbers there are no guarantees and I just

wonder how that's playing out in the locker room not this vaccinated thing because I'm sure all the guys knew but does this speak to the personality he's demonstrating in what has felt like his last year. For me, it was a signal of he just doesn't care at all. Like this year is just sort of him going out there and whatever, if they win big, they do. If not, he's already in his mind in Pittsburgh or wherever else he's going to end his career. He's already there. And that would be the thing that would make me most upset

in that locker room. Like, where's your head at, man? You know, you're the leader of this team. What are you doing? So I've been someone who's defended Aaron Rodgers, and I have thought the organization's had a lot of missteps with him. But this just speaks to a guy who is already somewhere else other than green bay and i don't see how those guys there's no history now you can say tom brady left right

and was still competitive but tom brady loved new england and he had an issue with you know him and a coach where they were trying to work out their egos but those guys he loved them and vice versa does aaron rogers love green bay anymore or is he a guy who was put in his two weeks notice and it's just sort of messing around waiting to leave I don't know folks football season is in full swing but we've got basketball and hockey getting rolling as well and Soda Stick has got you covered you have to see the moose t-shirt designs for marcus felino you could also get your hands on the very popular dollar bill carril shirts as well on the basketball side the design with three wolves howling at the moon perfect for the spooky fall

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Check that out today. Use the promo code Purple Insider for free shipping and also follow myself and SodaStick on Twitter for our giveaways. Yeah, just another side point. This is because I saw some people talking about this on Twitter. This is why reporters asked players about their status is because they could miss football games. Just because, you know, when we did that with certain players, with the Vikings, there was some criticism.

And it's about we're football reporters. And if you are unvaccinated, there's a chance that you could miss football games. So this is why that question is asked. And it has happened now with Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings have not had this problem with any of their unvaccinated players. But that's why. That's why you say, hey, you know, cousins, like you're putting yourself at a do that because you're sort of putting yourself and your opinions above the possibilities of your team winning. And I think that that's certainly what Aaron Rodgers has done here, that if you don't get the one seed,

life is a lot harder now in the NFL. The one seed is the thing. And looking at Arizona, they beat them. So you got the tiebreaker there. The other teams in the NFC are good, but flawed. And so you're like on the fast track. And now all of a sudden you have to rely on Jordan Love to step in and make his first start and figure it out because of your own sort of personal, this is how I'm going to do things. I know better than everybody else. I know better than the team doctors. I know better than all the other players who have done this, that kind of thing. And that arrogance, I think makes it difficult for him to be around. And the one unfortunate thing for Vikings fans is that there's no justice in this though. Like he'll come back and he'll be good and they'll probably win. And the only

justice that they've gotten is that the Packers have not been quite a good enough to knock off the other great teams in recent years. But I think long-term, Myron, everybody already knew the deal, and this won't really affect anything about what happens to the Green Bay Packers. Yeah, I mean, they're going to be a playoff team that can get to the Super Bowl. I mean, that's not going to change. I guess for me, I just wonder, again, the margin for error is minimal. Are we headed into a chapter where, you know,

he makes it more and more clear that this is it, you know? And if that's the case, what happens? I just think this is a league where, like, momentum can be shattered so easily. Cincinnati was a Super Bowl contender. Man handled the Baltimore Ravens. Are you kidding me? Joe Burrow has finally figured it out with Jamar Chase,

former college teammate. They are going to be the greatest duo we have seen in NFL history. And then they run into the Jets with a backup quarterback. Like Zach Wilson's backup quarterback beat you. So I just don't think you can take anything for granted in this league. And I just think that has to be the biggest concern here, that if you're Matt LaFleur, yeah, when Aaron Rodgers comes back, you're going to be good.

But I got to play a Kansas City team that has never been this desperate under Patrick Mahomes. And then I got to go play a Seattle Seahawks team, or who knows what their situation will be. But you're not going to get Aaron Rodgers at the earliest until the day before that game Robbie's ready to go he'll play but that's not ideal in a league where a couple of losses can not only change your momentum as a team it can also throw you into a very dangerous opening game in the playoffs and in that nfc there are just so many traps i think there are so many first round games i could imagine for the packers where i could say i don't care where the game is there's a chance for them to lose and that's why this has

to be so frustrating like the one seat is the only protection from that and this could put you in a position where you miss out on that. And that's where Aaron should be questioned. You can do whatever you want when it comes to the vaccine, right? But this is an availability issue. And you're not available as a result of your decision. And that's problematic for everybody involved. Right.

And that's how we've talked about it on the show with the Vikings being sort of the team with the most players who are not vaccinated is that every day that they're not, there's the potential that you could show up at the facility someday and you get that press release. And it says that, you know, so-and-so is on the COVID list and clearly players who are vaccinated, it's possible that it happens, but the rules are much different. And that's what really separates it. The odds are lower, but the rules are much different. And that's what really separates it. The odds are lower, but the rules are vastly different. I will say on the matter of the press conferences, I was told because the Vikings have been with their unvaccinated players doing maskless press conferences, that the league told several teams with key players that were unvaccinated, that that was okay, including the Indianapolis Colts and the

Vikings. That's what I was told. So I don't expect there to be some massive fine that the NFL sort of backdoor, like, Hey, it's, it's no big deal. You can have them do the indoor press conferences without the mask. Maybe they just didn't want it to be a conversation all the time. They didn't want every tweet sent out with Kirk Cousins or Carson Wentz or Lamar Jackson to be, oh, look, look at that. And there's also on the sideline, it's city ordinances. So Carson Wentz does put his on, but Aaron Rodgers doesn't. And what a football topic we're talking about here, right?

I mean, what a mess. What a mess for all these teams to have to deal with. But I just wanted to clarify that, that Rodgers was doing the same thing that other teams were doing when it pertained to that. So I don't think that this results in any sort of suspension or huge fine. Maybe if he wasn't doing it inside of the locker room in general,

maybe you'll get, you know, a sixth round draft pick or something. But I mean, the Vikings though, have even put out some videos of like, here's these guys in the locker room joking around and unvaccinated players don't always have their masks on. Right. So I, yeah, I don't, I don't know. It's a, it's a very, very tricky situation, but I think what it did about Rogers and you're right to be fair, uh, the Packers should have drafted him some wide receivers. I agree with that. But I think all it does is just sort of like when we talk about the legacy of Aaron Rodgers, it's going to be one of the greatest,

if not the greatest quarterback to ever play football, but dot, dot, dot. And long-term, these things do kind of fade with Favre and the whole picture incident and everything else, but his disposition and how he has acted in these recent years, I don't think that's one thing. This sort of puts the exclamation point on who he has been, and it's been a major checkmark off, I think, of his legacy. Sam Ekstrom here, wondering if you're stuck on your company's injury report. In an unfortunate situation like that, it's good to have someone in your corner. That's where Kemet, Sanford, and Kramer Law can help you understand your rights under Minnesota's workers' compensation laws.

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And I'm not even talking about Aaron Rodgers leaving. That's just sort of who he is to that fan base, where Aaron Rodgers has always had that level of arrogance. That was the perception of Aaron Rodgers. Yeah. But you put up with it because he's so good. Right. And it seems like the players love him so much. So you don't really argue against that because it's like, all right, he's a bit aloof, kind of his own guy, but Hey man,

this guy has a chance to get you to the Super Bowl every single year so I don't know if that changes because he's still going to be really good and they're going to be very good going forward but where this comes back is if you lose the Kansas City and now you're a two or three seed and now

you get one of those terrifying opening matchups that's where it comes back if there are rumors going into that that this is it And now you get one of those terrifying opening matchups. That's where it comes back. If there are rumors going into that, that this is it. Because I guarantee Aaron Rodgers' camp is going to float that toward the end of the season, right? That's going to become a storyline again going into the playoffs, that Aaron is essentially looking at his options and treating this as the end.

So that, to me, again, that's a lot for these large locker rooms to process. You can't tell me, Matt, that the Cleveland Browns locker room wasn't impacted by the Odell Beckham drama. Yes, they've had injuries and all other things that they've had to overcome, but you can't tell me that those guys weren't dealing with this and reporters asking them and having to just absorb all this. You can't say that didn't affect them i'm not saying it caused wins or losses but as a coaching staff you don't want any of that turbulence and that's what this could be for the packers some turbulence right

and for a team that can win the super bowl that's all it takes to throw things off so like forget thinking the regular season is going to be disrupted. It won't be. But those things that coaches fear that maybe even the general public won't even know about in terms of what's happening in their locker room, that is going to be something to watch in the second half of the season, especially if you have a guy who has already decided that he's not staying and that he's going to create a new legacy somewhere else i don't know man i i don't know especially for an aaron rogers who sort of hand put handpicked

this crew that he has within the team that everyone sort of these diehard aaron rogers loyalists does everybody feel that way if they don't are we going to hear more about that if they struggle it's always a circus there, man. And Aaron just made it a bigger circus with his actions. Yep. And distractions are a tricky beast in the NFL. But I think what you see in the Super Bowl always puts the light on it. I think the strongest that whenever there's been a team that something else happens.

I mean, even with Andy Reid's son last year, the all time example, Eugene Robinson playing against the Denver Broncos to make another 90s reference. But, I mean, it puts the light on just like what something like that does to a team. And teams can go through things and still be successful as long as they're going through them sort of together. I think of Las Vegas for this. Like they're all going through this together. But with Rodgers, with Odell Beckham, that's guys who are splitting the locker rooms into I'm on Odell's side. I'm not on Odell's side,

that kind of thing. That to me is much different because there's so much focus required to win generally football games. Now, let me ask you this. Do you think that talk of Mike Zimmer's potential demise will impact the Minnesota Vikings players and how they deal with this upcoming matchup because the vibe around TCO Performance Center this week was awkward, Myron. like a relationship right like the breakup happens before the breakup right before before anybody sees it it happens and i don't know man you're around the facility but just watching sunday night it felt like you could look at that group and go they're getting divorced you know like it just it's just something's not there and that's been the case. And you could sort of maybe hide that a little bit, kind of up and down season. There was still potential, you know.

But it was right there for you to be the team in Dallas that doesn't have a starting quarterback who's led the best scoring offense, the top scoring offense in the NFL. You have to capitalize on that. And down in the fourth quarter, I felt like I was watching a Vikings team that was looking for leadership in a lot of ways and was just looking for someone to just take control and say, everybody calm down. We got this. There was that moment in the Ravens game earlier this year where Harbaugh

comes out and says, hey, Lamar, you want to go for it on fourth down? And Lamar's like, yeah, let's do it. And you just sort of saw that everybody was on the same page. I think you saw the opposite with the Vikings. I just, I don't know how much you can justify Mike Zimmer remaining the head coach after what we watched Sunday. And I think the conversation has to center on, okay,

you're going through about to start. You already started one of the most difficult stretches in the NFL in terms of your schedule. Can Mike Zimmer be the guy to bring everybody together and you salvage that somehow? Or is this one of those situations where you need maybe a new voice to give you a chance to salvage the rest of the schedule. I just felt like I was watching a divorce proceeding on Sunday night,

and it just felt like everybody in the room kind of knew it's over. And it hasn't really been the case that Zimmer is the one that brings them back from the brink necessarily. They have enough talent to where they're usually not completely out of it. But you think about 2018 when it was falling apart and they make the change to switch from John DeFilippo, but ultimately they are who they are. And in the final game where all they have to do is beat the Chicago Bears backups, they still come up short

and don't get into the postseason. And even last year where their backs were against the wall the second half of the season, but they're in the hunt. They're on the graphic is in the number seven seed and you've got to beat Chicago. You've got to pull an upset against new Orleans. Instead you blow the game late to Chicago.

You give up 52 points against new Orleans like this. There, there just aren't that many incidents that Detroit wasn't involved and they find a way to sort of bounce back and get themselves into the playoffs as opposed to, well, you know, he came up short. 2016 was the same way where they were in the playoffs the whole time, almost the whole season. They had very high playoff odds and then they needed to beat the Indianapolis Colts in a big game and they lost 34 to six. I mean, that's kind of it's not that they've never won big games. It's that when they have been pushed back into a corner, a lot of times they're unable to

sort of find their way out. And you mentioned the divorce. I mean, it wasn't signing all the defensive players, the therapy, like they go to the therapist and this is your sort of your last chance is that you go to the therapist and she says, well, I want you to stare into each other's eyes for 30 seconds a day. And that's Zimmer and Spielman going, I'll get you another nose tackle. I want you to get Mike another nose tackle and see if it were right. I mean, this doesn't feel like that's the same thing that this was. This was sort of the last. Let's throw everything at it and see if this works. And when nothing works to get new results, that's when usually a change

ends up happening. And all my audio is still good here. Just did the disconnect thing again. I don't know if you can hear me differently. It sounds a little different, but you're fine. Okay. No, you're right. I mean, at this point, you're kind of splitting the, you know, who gets the boat a little bit, you know? And again, these things just happen. And I always felt like this is how it would end with Mike Zimmer. Like I never thought it would be sort of this like scandal or some report, you know, like, you know, things are happening in the locker room and you just have no choice.

I always thought it would just kind of end like this, where it would just sort of be like everyone kind of understood it's over, you know, and that this is not the best long-term play for the team. But more importantly, you've got to figure out a lot of things between this year and next year. Yep. And the rest of the schedule is going to determine the decisions you make. Like, this is about a franchise that might be perhaps having a positive impact on the next five to seven years or a negative impact.

But like that's how it has to be thinking is this is a huge stretch here. Do you trust Mike Zimmer to lead the way? And if the answer is no, then that's something you really, really need to examine. Okay, so real quick, what do you think the odds are that they get it turned around and find something within these next few games? I mean, if it were a 0% to 100%, I'm at about a 30% right now.

I mean, again, the schedule is very, very difficult. You know, Kirk Cousins says before the season or early in the season, Mike Zimmer and I sat down for the first time to watch film together. And I always thought that was a very telling thing, not just the whole sitting down and watching film, but, but just, it said so much about their relationship. And then we hear about

Kirk Cousins trying to figure out who has the authority on timeouts and the end of the game. I just sort of look to the staff and wait for them to tell me what to do. There's a relationship issue there, man. And I don't know how that doesn't affect everything

and the teams they're playing are very very very good so i'm at like a 30 percent at this point because i think if if this stretches as bad as it could be i think it's going to be hard for them to just turn everything around even though the opportunities will be there. Like you get Detroit and teams like that, but will they just be so down that every game they play, they're vulnerable to lose? You know, I don't know. They're going to have to find something that hasn't been there.

Like that, that is the way I would think of it is, is it possible? Of course it is, but they're going to have to find something that we haven't seen. And the funny thing about the Zimmer and cousins relationship is like watching film together or cousins pushing them around after the game winning field goal. Those are like taking a nice vacation together and you have a good time, but then you have to go back home and then you have

to face sort of the reality of what, what, what you guys are together. Okay, final thing, I promise, because I bothered you for a long time before this about basketball. But I want you, since you have such great joy for early 2000s and 90s football, to tell me this. Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson are number one and two

in Ravens franchise history and passing yards. I want to know how many of the rest of the top 10 you can name for Ravens passing yard leaders all time. Oh, it's Ravens passing yards leaders all time. The list is delicious. Trent Dilfer is actually not.

He is 12th. For the Ravens? 12th in Ravens all-time history. That's how short Trent Dilfer's time was there. He was only there for one year. Yeah. He was there briefly. Oh, man.

Ravens. I don't know how many I know. You know every single one of these guys. I guarantee you do. I'll give you some hints. One guy is among the all-time NFL passing leaders in sort of hilarious fashion because he wasn't really very good,

but just played forever. Played for everybody. Doug Flutie? Not Flutie. Vinny Testaverde is the guy. Testaverde, yeah just played forever and played for everybody. Doug Flutie? Absolutely. Vinny Testaverde is the guy. Testaverde, yeah. Testaverde, okay. So Vinny Testaverde is fourth.

High draft pick for them. So after they had the Super Bowl era, they drafted this quarterback and thought he would be the future. Why am I blanking on this? This was the reason. They drafted someone really high this this was the drafted someone really reason this was the reason that rogers didn't get drafted high because it was the same coach and so there was always that like well he coached this guy and that guy didn't work out so you are blanking man this was just laid out for you. Kyle Bowler. Kyle Bowler. I'm blanking. Man.

Kyle Bowler. I'm going to run through the list because you have failed me. Give me the list. Yeah, you have failed me. I'm terrible. Steve McNair. How did I forget McNair? I thought you would get the guy who started the 2000 season for them.

Tony banks. Uh, I don't know why I'm blanking. Is it cause it's Friday? Probably. I have worn you out on this podcast. Um, but,

Elvis Gerback, Anthony, right. After the mountain, after he leaves Kansas City, right? Yes. Yep, yep. Eric Zier, Jeff Blake, and then Jim Harbaugh is 11th,

and Trent Dilfer is 12th. That's their list of starting quarterbacks for yards. I didn't get Steve McNair, man. What's wrong with me, man? I need a map, man. A shame, but it's a tremendous list of randomness. I'll tell you what, man. Lamar proved a lot of people wrong,

but that Super Bowl is still going to be the difference maker for him. He gets that and he's gold the rest of his career. 35-9 is a regular season starter, though, Lamar Jackson. Anyway, well, Myron,

this was a lot of fun, except for when you completely fell apart at the end. Other than that, it was great competition. Elvis lot of fun, except for when you completely fell apart at the end. Other than that, it was great. I knew from Kansas city. Yeah. I was looking at this list thinking,

Oh my gosh, this is perfect for you. Bowler. Oh, I don't know, man. That's all right. Uh,

great stuff though. I'm glad that we could do this and we will definitely get together again soon, especially if there's more Packer drama, which there will be. Definitely.