The Bobby Bones Show - 25W: Bobby Gets Honest and Vulnerable About His Gambling + Steve Smith Sr. on What He Remembers from Playing in the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Show + Beanie Wells Committing to USC Before His Mom Said 'No'

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

Bobby opens up in a way he rarely does—getting honest about his own relationship with gambling, how many thousands of dollars he lost in 2025 and what he learned. Then NFL legend Steve Smith Sr.... joins to relive one of the most unforgettable Super Bowl weekends ever, including what he remembers from being part of the game tied to the Justin Timberlake–Janet Jackson halftime show that turned into a cultural moment no one saw coming. Plus, Beanie Wells tells the story of his recruiting roller coaster: how he nearly committed to USC… until his mom stepped in with a firm “no,” changing the path of his career before it even started.   Download the DraftKings Sportsbook App today: https://dkng.co/bobbysports If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NJ/ NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. N/A in NH/OR/ON. New customers only. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 wager. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Ends 9/19/22. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.  Follow the Show: @25WhistlesSports  Follow the Crew: @MrBobbyBones @ProducerEddie @KickoffKevin @MikeDeestro @BrandonRayMusicSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. The 2026 NFL draft is here, and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Rodriguez after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks.
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Starting point is 00:04:13 All right, blow it. Welcome to the show. I do want to start off with, and I brought my stat sheet on Draft Kings. Just full transparency with how much I lost last year or won last year. Let's go. And I can tell you this, I was having a pretty good year up until about August. The last two months, though, really set me back. That's when things just started getting weird in both the NFL and college.
Starting point is 00:04:36 I was very open about my struggles. Yes. And we appreciate that. Vulnerable. I never want to be the guy that acts like he wins all the time because I don't. I do well some years. I've had years where I've really come out ahead. This was not one of those years.
Starting point is 00:04:50 My total for 2025 was minus $24,256. See it again? 24,000. Oh, my, oh my goodness. And 18 of that thousand was in the last two and a half months. Oh, my goodness. I couldn't hit. Yeah, it was hard, dude.
Starting point is 00:05:08 And I was doubling up to catch up. And I was also doing a lot. I wasn't chasing, but I was doing a lot of... I think that's called chasing. No, no, no. I wasn't chasing immediately. I wouldn't chase as my emotions were high. The next week I would go,
Starting point is 00:05:21 now I check my stat sheet. Let me try to climb back in this thing. That's a version of chasing. It is. But I don't like chase. I don't feel like that's chasing. No, I don't... Chasing is like the night of a big loss.
Starting point is 00:05:32 Like, I need to make it back. You West Coast Chase. Yeah. And more deposits. More deposits. More deposits. We're chasing. I did a lot of bets, though, this year that were big bets, big futures
Starting point is 00:05:41 that I did not hit. Are those are all done? I have one left. I have the 49ers. I put a thousand bucks on. I can make it all back, right? Oh yeah, it would. Wasn't that pay like 20?
Starting point is 00:05:52 Yeah, 23,000? Yeah, $2,000. But like, I bet a future and it didn't count as a loss until it hit. I bet at the beginning of the year, preseason, $2,000 on the Broncos and the bucks
Starting point is 00:06:03 to both make the playoffs. I thought that was easy money. About week seven. Uh-huh. So, yeah, I lost $24,000 in 2025, and most of it was in the last two months of the year. So there you have it. Don't say I'm not being honest with you guys. Oh, thank you.
Starting point is 00:06:19 I had to, so you sent a bet, I don't know, a couple weeks ago, and I showed my kids and like, look what Bobby hit. And they were like, whoa, that's crazy. And then I was like, relax. He loses a lot too, all right? Just so you know. I don't want them growing up. That was a good one, though.
Starting point is 00:06:33 It had like a seven game parlay for $2,400. Yeah. They were like, he hit all that. Yeah. I did, though, and that was fun. But yeah, it's been a rough year. It has been tough. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:06:44 Dang, that's a lot. I've had to slow down a little bit. Yeah? Yeah. I'm a boy. Especially since our skin. Brandon's head, same under his breath. I don't know if you heard him.
Starting point is 00:06:52 Oh, yeah. We haven't heard from Brandon about gambling in like three months. I remember a lot of Brandon stories. Dude, I hit five touchdowns. It was seven parlors in a row. But I have to say, you guys were 100% correct. I don't know if you remember this, but I was like, oh, yeah, I'll get into it. I started winning, like, just that first time.
Starting point is 00:07:10 And you're like, dude, you don't understand. Like, you're, it's not going to last. I was like, I think it's pretty good. Like four or five weeks in, I was like up. I was having it. Oh, my God, dude. Bobby, you're not kidding. Like, this has been just the worst past like two months.
Starting point is 00:07:26 Losing money, but how much fun has it been? Well, you have to do it for entertainment. Yes. Yeah. And I was entertained the crap out of minus $24,000. That sounds like a lot of fun. I'm trying to think like, what else could we do? much fun, man.
Starting point is 00:07:39 It's awesome. It was fun. Look how much fun it was. So, yeah, don't do it unless you have it to lose. It's entertainment only. But my wife, my wife thinks I have a problem because, and it's not a, I don't have a problem, okay? And I know if I did. You know what someone without a problem says?
Starting point is 00:07:54 I don't have a problem. Yeah. I can quit whenever I walk. No problem here. I have black friends. No, what's that? Oh, that's if you're called the racists. Got it, guys.
Starting point is 00:08:06 Get it mixed up. You guys had done that bet, you know? and like, what was it, it was Arkansas basketball parlayed with... San Francisco. Something. Something, okay? And I was at a basketball game.
Starting point is 00:08:19 And I saw Kevin's text come in. Never saw your text come in until Kevin's came in. And I was like, oh, I want to jump in on this. And I was in a gym where there was no service during the basketball game. I'm going up to the top of the bleachers. That a boy. Putting my phone up high. Entertainment with us.
Starting point is 00:08:35 You hang with your buddies. And my wife goes, you have a problem. You try to hang out with the boys. said, no, no, I'm just trying to place a bet so we can all be part of it. That's it. Yeah. Those ones are fun, though. Like when all three of us get in on one. And then you're rooting for you're like hanging out, but you're not. Exactly. And you know what that's worth to me? $24,000. That's crazy. I was a little surprised at it. Yeah. Because I don't look while playing. I'll look at the end of the month and just go month. And I think the stat sheet is
Starting point is 00:09:03 great too because it really lets you know what you're doing. And if you're losing too much, you stop. And I looked at the end of the year, and it was. like, oh man, my last couple of once were real bad on me. But it was a lot of those futures. I just never hit those futures. Never. But it's, see, to me, the futures are fun because it lasts a long time. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:20 A lot of entertainment there. You know, I couldn't find it back in my stat sheet, but I looked like in December or November, and I had placed 5,000 bets last year. Nickel at a time. 5,000 bets. That's a lot. Well, so we'll start with a little honesty there to get us started. I do have the richest.
Starting point is 00:09:39 athletic departments in college sports. Who has not seen the list? I have not. I have not. I haven't. Okay. What do you think the richest athletic department is in all college sports? Texas. Texas.
Starting point is 00:09:53 Ah, Vanderbilt. Not endowment for education. That's just rich to go to Vanderbilt. That'd be probably like Harvard too. But athletic departments. So I'll let you come back on that one. You can also go with their answer. I'll go Texas.
Starting point is 00:10:08 Okay, it's Texas. It's Texas. And number one. We've seen it. It is Texas. Oh, you saw it. Okay. No, not the list.
Starting point is 00:10:13 We saw Texas. It was crazy. Oh, yeah. And we've seen other rich schools and then you see Texas. It's unbelievable. I don't know how they lose a single game at anything. That's the thing. Yeah, they shouldn't.
Starting point is 00:10:23 They shouldn't. Yeah, I missed it on that one. Yeah. But Oregon, you guys said it's better than even Oregon. It is. Oregon was. And Oregon was nice. And that was the one that was like, wow, they have so much money.
Starting point is 00:10:33 Then you go to Texas and you're like, oh. This is money. This is money. Number two. By the way, Oregon. does not make the top 15. That doesn't mean that their football doesn't have more.
Starting point is 00:10:46 Because they could take and put a ton in football, which they do. I got a guess. This is college athletic departments. Go ahead. I'm going to go to Notre Dame. That's a good one. I got another guess.
Starting point is 00:10:55 What is your guess? Ohio State. I was going to say Ohio State. Ohio State at 2. Oh, come on. Notre Dame at number 6. So we'll go to like 10. You guys have been on.
Starting point is 00:11:06 Number three. Florida. Michigan. Oh, that's a good one. Michigan. No, Texas, A&M. Oh, dang, they do a lot of money. Stay in Texas.
Starting point is 00:11:17 Yeah, Florida at 14. I thought they gave all that money to, was that coach that left? Jimbo and Bo Fisher. Jimbo's got all their money. He took all that money. They had to hawk all their weights. Got to sell the weights, guys.
Starting point is 00:11:30 Georgia at four, Michigan at five. So three of the top four are SEC. Michigan at five, Notre Dame at six. And they have Notre Dame listed as ACC, because they are except for football. Tennessee at 7. Southern California at 8. Alabama at 9, Nebraska at 9, Nebraska at 10. Penn State at 11, LSU at 12, Oklahoma at 13, Florida at 14, at 14, and Kentucky at 15. Wow, Kentucky's up there, huh?
Starting point is 00:12:00 That's interesting. Basketball, I guess, is that much? And they had a bad loss last night in Missouri. They keep losing. They're like, I was going to say, they're really bad. They're not ranked anymore, right? They spent a, no, they spent a ton of money on roster. a lot of teams do. I think they spent more than average because that's a big part of Kentucky sports. They're playing terrible. I've reposted some of Matt Jones's eclipse of him being like,
Starting point is 00:12:22 thank you for taking John Calaparte from us. We love it. And I'm like, I reposted one the other day. I said, no, no, no. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Nice. From the bottom of my heart. Yes, yes. No, thank you. So, yeah, that's what's up. We have a big show because we have two really cool interviews that we're going to do. We can go first to Steve Smith, which I think we'll do now. Here's our talk with former NFL wide receiver, Steve Smith. He was drafted third round, 2001,
Starting point is 00:12:47 and he's just been that dude. Carolina's all-time leader in receiving yards, touchdowns, all-purpose yards. He was inducted into the Panthers Hall of Fame, which is the Hall of Honor in 2019. Now he's doing a lot of work with the NFL, doing a lot of media. You can follow him at Steve Smith Senior 89.
Starting point is 00:13:00 Here he is. Steve, really appreciate the time, man. Big fan. Oh, appreciate it, man. How are you guys doing today? Doing pretty good. You know, I was just looking at Mike Me, Daniel, just got fired. A lot of coaches. It feels like in college football we just had this too,
Starting point is 00:13:15 whereas more than I think I've ever seen. I feel like now in the NFL we're seeing this a bit. I guess I would like to talk first because it's all just so new with John Harbaugh leaving with the Ravens. After 18 years, like what are your thoughts on that situation? 18 years is a very long time. I come in a little bit caught in between just because of being a former Raven experiencing John Hardball personally being in that city and in that organization. And then a little bit of understanding as an analyst where when you hear reports or you hear things, not everything is true. However, enough discussion really kind of brings you to the conclusion.
Starting point is 00:14:02 Anywhere you are for 18 years, there's a little bit, I don't want to say complacency, but your message gets stale. And that's just kind of part of business. Every organization, every individual, when you have a longstanding relationship or tenure somewhere, there are going to be people sad to see you go, and there are going to be people,
Starting point is 00:14:24 unfortunately, happy to see you go. And then there's going to be people in the middle, like myself, where I'm not really sure if it's a good thing or bad thing, because you've got to start to see what the next steps are. And over time, you'll say, hey, that was a good move or it wasn't. If you were an organization and you were looking for a coach,
Starting point is 00:14:42 or let's say you had a coach kind of right on the fence and you didn't know, would you bring Harbaugh in to be your guy? Yeah, you would. Bring him in because you know he's going to manage every aspect of it. You know, his background is special teams. So he's not an offensive play caller. He's not a defensive play caller. So he allows his coaches to really do their job.
Starting point is 00:15:03 And he just kind of oversees and manages the, aspect of the team. So I think it's good. I think John Hall, Harbaugh would be in a, would be good for a place that has an established quarterback, that has some things already established because he is 62 years old. And, you know, for him to start all over and be with a team that's going to rebuild and restructure and all that stuff, I think it's going to take a little bit of time, right? I'm here in Carolina. So you've seen that. It's taking a long time. They've in the playoffs for the first time in, what, 10 years. So to say that it's how long it's going to take to build up, I don't think John Harbaugh is
Starting point is 00:15:41 going to put himself at his age and the experience he's had that he kind of want to go through that again. We live in Nashville and the Titans are here. I'm not a Titans fan. It's hard to be a fan of a team that isn't good and you didn't grow up around, right? So like they haven't been good. Who is your team there? I'm from Arkansas. I'm just sitting here. I'm just sitting here about to judge you. So go ahead. No, no. I'm a time. I'm a time. I'm a This is absolute truth. I'm not pandering to you at all. So I'm from Arkansas.
Starting point is 00:16:08 We did not have an NFL team. So I'm a diehard razorback fan. And because I, everybody in Arkansas was a Cowboys fan, so I refused to be a Cowboys fan because Jerry Jones is from Arkansas. So I, this year, before the season started, I said, I'm going to pick a team, a team that does not, and I'm going to be a super fan, a team that does not have an easy culture, like an absolute winning culture.
Starting point is 00:16:29 And I picked the Panthers. And I've been a diehard fan of the Panthers. Why did you do the face? Wow. I don't know. know if that's a compliment. Well, because one, I said I was going to judge you. Yeah. You said Arkansas and used football. Yeah, yeah. I'm not sure where there's two actually. They don't. They haven't in a while. Yeah, they haven't in a while. It's a great point. Yeah. Okay. I did pick the
Starting point is 00:16:52 Panthers and I got to keep pounded jersey. Well, thanks. Yeah. Well, thanks for jumping on the bandwagon. We're a little crowded though. No. There was no wagon when I got on. It was empty. It was before the season started. So I have been a diehard year one Panthers fan and so it's been real fun. And we went last year. I went last year to camp and, you know, talk with Bryce Young and it was a lot of fun. We had a good time. And so I've been room for the Panthers. When did you come to camp? I was there a few times. I never saw you. Yeah, you never. I was the normal, you know, goofy dude with the big head. You didn't see me walking around? It was at the college. Was it Wofford? It was at Wofford last year. Yeah, we
Starting point is 00:17:32 We went at Wofford. No, it wasn't. Last year it was not at Wofford. Last year it was in... Not this year. Two years ago. Two years ago, yeah. Because I was going to say they haven't been at Wofford for two years now, so...
Starting point is 00:17:43 Two years ago. I'm just trying to keep up with the story. Yeah, yeah, yeah, me too, actually. Wait, did you have camp at Wofford? That didn't look comfortable. Did you have that when you were with Spanthers? Oh, yeah. I spent the whole...
Starting point is 00:18:00 I spent the full year of my life in a... Spartanburg, South Carolina. That did not seem comfortable for players that had a comfortable life at home. Yeah. I mean, that's what training camp is for, though. Training camp is not you're going to the risk call to, you got a bungalow over the water. That's not the purpose of camp. Camp is to make you uncomfortable, to strip you away from all the luxuries,
Starting point is 00:18:24 and to get down to the nitty-gritty, can you and will you make this team and be able to focus? So you're staying at a college when you live in a house in dorms. So, no, it's not very comfortable. But you can do some things to make it comfortable. I had a luxury like blow-up mattress with a top. And I had that for years because you can rent a bed. So I bought a luxury from, I think it was front gate or sharper image back in the day. And so I kept it for about seven years.
Starting point is 00:19:01 So I got my money's worth. Because it was like $300 a day to rent a good mattress down there. So I just bought myself. You know, I'm very, as my kids would say, I'm very frugal. Really? That's my thumb process. Oh, yeah. I'm a, I pick up pennies and quarters off the street.
Starting point is 00:19:23 Bang. Put in my pocket and I get a coin thing. and a coin collection. And after six months, I cashed it in, going to the coin star, a full $500 cash. Dang, right there.
Starting point is 00:19:35 Did you save a lot of money while you were playing? Yes, I sure did. Because I feel like, like, I didn't grow up with any money at all. And at first when I made money, I bought all the stuff that I didn't have as a kid.
Starting point is 00:19:48 And then I got right. Yeah, I mean, I screwed it up. My first check was blew it. However, I learned a little bit after that, and so I took care of my money, and I'm pretty comfortable. You think that Panthers can beat the Rams? This is a recorded line. I think yes.
Starting point is 00:20:09 Okay, what do the Panthers have to do then? They have beat them before, but what do they have to do? So, well, it's really tough because it's hard to be at a really good team twice. And it's even harder to beat a team where, the team before they sustained some injuries, just like the Carolina Panthers, but they're getting some players back, and we aren't.
Starting point is 00:20:33 So it's going to be tough, but the biggest things is don't leave the field without scoring points because you know Matthew Stafford is in company. Sean McVeigh is not going to have the same game plan. And biggest part is
Starting point is 00:20:51 third down. The Carolina Panthers are not great in the low 30s in third down conversions. So keeping themselves on the field continuously going through drives and not leaving points on the board, I think they give themselves a chance. If they don't do those things, it's going to be very difficult to repeat
Starting point is 00:21:12 exactly what they did last season. And ultimately, the playoffs, everything you've done in a regular season, that's great. That's doesn't you get no brownie points and they don't give you a four second head start because of what you did in a regular season is now zero zero and everyone has a clean slate however you know we all know the records and statistics and it's going to be it's going to be a tough game but i'm excited to watch it and excited to to talk about it after is it possible to be too hyped up for a playoff game as a player yes but no you want to be
Starting point is 00:21:53 be hyped up, you want to have nerves. Where it can get you is probably in those first few series. You're so hyped up, you have so much adrenaline running through you that you get super winded, super quick, because you're going 100 miles per hour, where you probably
Starting point is 00:22:13 should have been going 75 miles per hour. How do you feel about a team getting a by? Let's say it's not about injuries. Do you like the week off? And would you take week 18 off, if you were getting a buy. That's two weeks off then. Yeah. It just depends on your team.
Starting point is 00:22:30 I have had the buy that's been beneficial for me at the time because I had an injury, so yes. But I also felt the rust. It took me a few series to get back in the mix of things. I prefer to play the wild car weekend. So you just kind of have a flow and a feel and you can start to get in rhythm. and hopefully you get in the rhythm and going all the way to the Super Bowl. So be able to start, stop,
Starting point is 00:22:59 and then reignite after watching another team run around and make their mistakes and get the rust off. I think it varies for both for different teams and it really counts and people utilize it based on the outcome.
Starting point is 00:23:17 Josh Allen in the playoffs and there's not a Lamar, there's not a Patrick Mahomes. And there hasn't been to Joe Burrow for a couple of, couple years, but he's one of the elite guys over in the AFC. Is this a year that he's got to do it? I think a lot of people are saying that,
Starting point is 00:23:29 and I'm not, I don't think it's fair to say he has to do it because he's also playing Jacksonville Jaguars team, who is pretty style, right? Offensively, they're doing what they're doing, but defensively, they're holding a lot of running backs, really good running backs, and James Conner is one of those guys below 75 yards per game. Jonathan Taylor, who's almost,
Starting point is 00:23:50 I believe the league, leader and running but for the running backs and yards and they held him to like 75 74 yards quarterback receivers they're holding under 75 yards per game so it's going to be tough to say that Josh Allen needs to do it where his supporting cast actually needs to do a little bit more and take some some weight off of his back because he's been carrying that team for a very long time I want to talk about return yards because you have a lot of them. But when you're returning, are you approaching that different than if you're catching a ball? Meaning the players are running at you all of them.
Starting point is 00:24:31 Do you have to have like supreme peripheral vision when returning a ball? That's a great question. Thanks. Neither one is different. And here's why I would say, when you're running a ball, when you're running a route, jump up and catch it. What's the outcome if you drop or pat? You drop or catch the football. If you drop it, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:24:56 You still might get hit. Yeah, if you catch it. Yeah, I mean, if you drop it, you still might get hit too if it's close. Yeah, but if you catch it, it's a guarantee you're going to get hit. Yeah. Home return, same thing.
Starting point is 00:25:09 The difference is they have a head start and you just get to watch them. That's it. It's a mind trick. The outcome still happens only if the ball that's thrown to you in the route is uncatchable or if you fair catch. Other than that, you're going to get everything you hope you don't get when catching a punt or catching a route with the ball in hands. Big guys try to knock the snout out of you.
Starting point is 00:25:36 Did you hate fair catching? Yes. I sure did. I was a stat whore. So, yes. Could you tell on a punt when they're running down, could you see the lane before the ball even got to you? Yeah, that's where the film study comes, where the ball is going. So for me, it's catching a football.
Starting point is 00:25:59 I'm looking up. As I'm looking up, I'm also, because, look, you're on a team with 53 guys, 46 that dress. You eat breakfast with them. You're around them since, you know, in those dorm rooms, two years ago, though, Those dorm rooms where you're standing, staying next to each other, you're learning each other. You also know who has a tougher matchup.
Starting point is 00:26:25 So if my gunner is singled or doubled, singled on the right side, doubled on the left side, I traditionally go, okay, I need to be paying attention to my single side. But if the player, the gunner is extremely good, and that's why they're doubling, I still have to pay attention to him, and then you're going to have an outlier where someone gets out of whack, and maybe loses a little bit levered. So I'm constantly looking at the ball at the flight of the ball. And while the flight is going,
Starting point is 00:26:52 I'm looking at the football as it spins. Is the nose up, which means it will continue to keep going, or is the nose starting to go down, which means it's going to fall, it's about to fall at that depth that we know that the punter is usually hitting. And then is it a left to right?
Starting point is 00:27:09 Is it a right foot of punter or left foot a punter? Right foot of the punter is spinning. It's going to go to the right. but when it's left, it actually falls and it goes to your left. Most punters are right foot it. So that throws it off and it's a different spin, so it hits your hands a little bit different. So it's a lot of calculated detailness that that's why the couch folks
Starting point is 00:27:33 that watch football think they could just get off the couch after a beer and some wings and go do it. It's not that easy. Were you a guy that when you juke somebody out, you went whoop, yep, got you. Would you ever talk while making plays? Oh, yes, I would definitely would say some things. I said more things inside of my head than I allow.
Starting point is 00:27:53 But then out loud would be after I make the play. But it was more psychological thing and just, you know, going through my keys and going through all of those things I need to do. So on the punt return, I had to make sure that was 11 guys on the field. You know, so just 10 guys ahead of me because I would be the 11th. It took me a while to figure that out because when I first did it, I almost called time out because we were short. And they said, hey, stupid, you need to count yourself.
Starting point is 00:28:21 So that's the requirement of the pump returner. And then just kind of seeing everything, is the return right? Is it left? Am I on a 10-yard line? If I go more than a step or two and a half steps, that means I'm beyond the eight yards, which means it's going to go on the, the ball is going to go on the end zone.
Starting point is 00:28:41 So I have to be cautious of that. and I got to look up and try to distract the donors who are trying to down it within the before it goes in the goal line, the end zone. And so I now have to trick them. So there's a lot of steps that goes into it that is less about what you're saying outside the people. And it's more of how quickly can you go through your checks list before the play goes on and be able to have the right judgment call on the punt return or catching a football?
Starting point is 00:29:13 What quarterback did you have the best chemistry with? The one I mean, the one I was with the longest. I was with Jake DeLum, I think probably about eight years. We grew up together. We made the playoffs together. We went to the Super Bowl together, N.N.C. championships together. So athletically, though, best quarterback, obviously, is Cam Newton. But, you know, athletically, gifted, and spending time and growing,
Starting point is 00:29:41 into this game with, man, it's hard to just it's hard to just kind of cross out eight years of experience to say, hey, man, I just had a more athletic quarterback for three years. I don't think that's necessarily fair. Who's the team to be in the AFC? Man, I would, I want to say Jacksonville. I'm interested in seeing how the Patriots are going to do.
Starting point is 00:30:08 I wouldn't be shocked if the Chargers win. and then but the Texans the Texans are one of those teams I'm really trying to figure out who are they because defensively they're top notch offensively they've had a lot of hiccups emotional rollercoasters so I would have to go with
Starting point is 00:30:26 I'm kind of favoring the Jags or the Patriots I'm gonna ask you the same thing about the NFC because again both sides they're really I don't feel like there's a team that's head and shoulders above everybody else but from what you've seen who's the team on the NFC side surprisingly
Starting point is 00:30:40 I think the Bears can shock some people. The Packers were doing really good until Michael Parsons went down and they haven't been able to generate a lot of sacks so their defense has changed dramatically. The Rams, let's see how they play the Panthers. Do they play down? Is this another game where Matthew Stavre has two touchdowns
Starting point is 00:30:59 and then they also give up a fumble so it gives more opportunity to the Carolina Panthers? And I'm intrigued to see which Eagles offensively shows up how Brock Purdy does against the top-tier defense like the Philadelphia Eagles. So I'm leaning towards I can see in the NFC championship, I could say, the Bears and Rams. You gave me like eight teams there. You basically said every team. You covered all bases there.
Starting point is 00:31:29 I'm analysts. But here's why. Here's the real truth. The real truth is if I don't mention all these teams, the teams that I don't mention that are playing, when I go to that game or I'm on the sideline reporting, they will say something to me. Oh, I saw you picked when Philly in Arizona when Philly was playing Kansas City Chiefs.
Starting point is 00:31:54 I have picked on like four different, a couple of different ones. I would say, oh, I got the Eagles. Then the next one. I got the cheese. And so I'm doing some things at the Super Bowl of the game. Patrick, strength coach
Starting point is 00:32:10 and equipment manager so you picked the Eagles I said come on bro I went on another show and I picked the Chiefs he said didn't hear that one so for now on I'm going I'm going to make sure I hear every team
Starting point is 00:32:26 every team so I can make sure I'm good because I still got to do my job man I can't have one team blackballing because I didn't pick them whenever you're going into the Super Bowl and there's that two week break Does that feel like an eternity after you've been playing every week?
Starting point is 00:32:42 It is. It feels like an eternity. But it also allows you to get everything ready. There's a lot of planning that's involved. And you still have to practice. So you have practice to get prepared for the Super Bowl, our biggest event of the year. And yet you got family members chomping at the bit of trying to how they're going to figure out to get those tickets.
Starting point is 00:33:02 And when you go to Super Bowl, each player is allowed it, allotted so many tickets. That you're paying for, not for free. You're paying for. So if you, they give you, I think, 10 tickets or you get to purchase 10 tickets, or you know it's the biggest game. And football is crazy popular. 10 tickets is not enough tickets. So you're trying to.
Starting point is 00:33:27 And so there's a lot of bartering or willing and dealing going on amongst players on the teams that are going to see, hey, are you going to use all the 10 of your tickets? No. how much you're going to sell him to you. And then you got a guy who starts to realize that he got a hot commodity. And so he starts to, the price that he said for face value, now he maybe tries to get extra $100. So it becomes a lot of will and dealing going on.
Starting point is 00:33:52 With the halftime show making a longer halftime, did you feel that during the Super Bowl? No, you don't. It goes by so fast. You don't feel anything in that. It seems short. Do you remember who played your halftime show when you guys playing the Broncos? I do because it was
Starting point is 00:34:10 umpteen years ago because it was the infamous Justin Timberlake Oh, that was the halftime show then? Yeah. Did you, now do you even hear about that during the second half at all? No, we didn't. Unless you have, you're listening to the broadcast, no. And I'm on the field, so I don't have broadcasting ears to listen. Yeah, I didn't know if he did.
Starting point is 00:34:32 I didn't know if they, yeah. Well, that's a great question. That was crazy for us. That was such a cultural moment. I didn't know if maybe word got back. Like, Janet Jackson's nipple was just shown at halftime. No, never went to cross our play sheet. No nipple talk.
Starting point is 00:34:46 When we're sitting in the nipple, we're sitting there in the huddle and they're going, hey, do you know what happened to halftime? That never happened. But a little bit, though, let's say in the game, if something like you see somebody in the stands. Like, you see Samuel L Jackson's here, Adam Sandler's here. Like, you see him over in row three. You guys talk about that in the huddle, right? We may talk about the huddle if you run out of bounds.
Starting point is 00:35:06 is really hard to see, and you kind of see the celebrities before the game. During the game, you're so locked in, you're trying not to pay attention to it. So when someone does say something, it's a big deal in the huddle. Talk about your podcast for a second. What are you guys talking about on Cut to It? Oh, man. So Cut to it, I switched the name from Cuttoe it to 89 just recently. But we just talk about football, everything that's going on currently right now,
Starting point is 00:35:33 talking about the Carolina Panthers. And then John Harbaugh getting fired that we did that one on Tuesday night just because the news came, Tuesday morning because the news came so early. And it was surprising. And then obviously, like today with Mike McDaniels, what does that look like? So we talk about everything about football. And then right now when the playoffs start in the Super Bowl combine, I'll start getting in the nitty-gritty of evaluating these wide receivers that are coming out. It's a ton of wide receivers, a ton of guys.
Starting point is 00:36:06 So I do a little breakdown on them, what I like, what I think they need to work on. And that's been pretty successful and I enjoy it. I love watching film still. So it kind of gives me a little niche. And I'm kind of a film nerd, so it lets me kind of geek out. And I enjoy it. So it's called 89. Now you change your name?
Starting point is 00:36:23 Yep, the 89 show, yeah. Oh, the 89 show. That's much easier than just typing in 89. Yeah. No, it's the number 89. So we got it, you know, you got a kiss. Keep it simple. Steve.
Starting point is 00:36:34 Yeah, the 89. On YouTube. All right. And it's yellow and has the number 8, 9. Like the number 89. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:36:44 Yeah, yeah. Just making sure 89, yeah, you were there. All right. Hey, look, I appreciate the time. We mentioned every team. You're covered. You can't go on a sideline
Starting point is 00:36:53 without them being like Steve Smith. You set our team. We appreciate that. You can follow Steve at Steve Smith Senior 89, like his show. The 89 show on YouTube. All right, Steve. We really appreciate the time.
Starting point is 00:37:03 I'm a big fan, so thank you very much for spending some time with this. I appreciate it, man. All right, see you, Steve. Okay, have me on again. All right, we will. All right, let's build the college football parlay here with Draft Kings.
Starting point is 00:37:14 Tonight, Miami minus three versus Ole Miss. I feel like my heart is weighing too much on me here. I really want Ole Miss to win because I want Ole Miss to win at all because I want Ole Miss to win at all with a different coach. I don't even like Ole Miss. I don't hate Ole Miss.
Starting point is 00:37:32 but I have no affiliation. I don't even root for the SEC because it's the SEC. Like that doesn't really happen as much as it used to. That's not why I'm rooting for Ole Miss. I'm rooting for Ole Miss because I love the disaster of they win a national championship without their coach who left them because he could win a national championship somewhere else. So I'm just going to go over 52 and a half.
Starting point is 00:37:54 Oh, okay. Smart, okay, good, yeah. I feel like I have too much of a bias. And when you bet, that's kind of what you want. want to do. Take that bias out. If I go to Friday night, Oregon at Indiana, I think Oregon wins the game straight up. Let's go. Anytime in my life, well, most times that people are, well, this is a for sure thing in sports. It turns out not to be a for sure thing. Like when all the commentators pick the same team, it's not good. Like when you say the Cowboys are for sure
Starting point is 00:38:25 going to win, they almost always lose. Not always. I'm going to go Oregon plus three and a half. Okay. I'm hedging my bet there. But see, isn't that one kind of a heart? That's a heart bet. No, because I don't have a heart in this. I really don't care. Okay.
Starting point is 00:38:45 I think Oregon can win that game. But I'm going to go Oregon plus three and a half. I think that's going to be the parlay. Do I need to do three? Well, you need to hit the... Was it 375, Mike? Is that what it is plus 375? The odds.
Starting point is 00:39:00 You know what? Over 48 and a half. I never bet unders. Over 48 and a half? the second game. And Indiana's got a really good defense. Indiana. Really, yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:09 So does Oregon. Yeah. Screw it. We're going over is on both. Okay. And Oregon plus three and a half. All right. That's the parlay.
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Starting point is 00:39:58 Minimum odds required for additional terms and responsible gaming resources. see DKNG.com.com slash audio limited time offer. The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:40:39 A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.
Starting point is 00:41:01 This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.
Starting point is 00:41:31 Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you're you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation. There is one finding that is consistent, and that is that our resilience rests on our relationships. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change.
Starting point is 00:42:21 We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football.
Starting point is 00:43:05 Is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, it's hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Auer Kohn and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:43:37 On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer
Starting point is 00:43:55 here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about like I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever
Starting point is 00:44:21 felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Okay, NFL-wise. Saturday night. Rams at Panthers. No spread. Rams at Panthers.
Starting point is 00:44:46 Ram. Yeah, Ram. No heart? Just who's going to win? No spread. Rams are going to win that. No-brainer. Packers at Bears.
Starting point is 00:44:56 What's surprising to me is that the Packers are a favorite on the road. The Bears are healthy. The Packers obviously aren't. Yeah. I agree. Their best player isn't. playing. Micah Parsons.
Starting point is 00:45:09 Yeah. Right. I think the Bears win. Same. Bears. Let's go, baby. What do they know? That the Packers have been there before, at least played in the playoffs?
Starting point is 00:45:20 Yeah, but Love hasn't played in like a month. That's what I'm thinking. Like, do they know that? But they're a favorite on the road. Yeah. They don't trust Caleb? Sunday. Chargers.
Starting point is 00:45:29 I'm going to take the Packers. Oh, really? Okay. Yeah, that's one of the different than you guys. Yeah. I figure. I look at you three and I'm like, idiots. And I lost 20.
Starting point is 00:45:37 $4,000. Sunday, Chargers at Patriots. Let's go. Patriots. Die hard. Okay. We need them. I'll go Patriots.
Starting point is 00:45:48 Bills at Jags. I'm going bills. I'm going at Josh Allen. Yeah, same. That's it. I feel like the bills need this one. I feel like this is the bills year. So yes.
Starting point is 00:46:01 Just like Cowboys? No, I just feel like the bills for the first time don't have the chiefs in the way. You know? So they can do it this time. 49ers at Eagles I'm surprised the Eagles and again I know we're not talking spreads here I'm surprised the Eagles
Starting point is 00:46:14 are a four and a half point favorite I get at the 49ers have lost their stars on defense but they've been gone for a while their defense does suck 49ers the eagle I'm going 49ers yeah same
Starting point is 00:46:24 I could also have a massive future on them yes so probably my heart talking there oh that's what you meant about heart earlier the heart yes yeah 49ers really yeah Brandon say 49ers 90s yeah Eddie please pick the eagle
Starting point is 00:46:38 this hurts me not to pick the Eagles. 49ers and one guys. I got perfect. Let's go. We're all good then. Texans and Steelers on Monday night. Yeah, Houston.
Starting point is 00:46:47 Texans. You got to go Texans. I'm going with the Steelers. I feel like that's such a slam dunked Texans win that I think the Steelers can do it. It is in Pittsburgh. The Steelers got so lucky to be there. They're so hard to watch. They won the games they needed to win.
Starting point is 00:47:02 I know. It just they wouldn't have been there. Ugly division. I mean, that's what it was. Same thing with the Panthers. That's the ugliest division. Ugly kick is what it was. Yeah, that sucked.
Starting point is 00:47:11 Now let's get over to former Ohio State. An NFL running back, Beanie Wells. Beanie played for Ohio State from 06 to 08, had 16,000 yards rushing. Wow. That's right, right? The combo was put in the wrong place on this, but it's 16,000 yards rushing, right? That's got to be it. Is that it?
Starting point is 00:47:27 Wait, 16,000. No, there's no way. That's a lot. There's no way. Nope, that's the typo on me. Okay, 1,600,000 yards rushing. That's better. Yeah, we got it now.
Starting point is 00:47:36 How many yards of Beanie Wells have? Leave this end by the end by the way. way. Of course. Fifteen touchdowns. Maybe he just had 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2008, 2007. Yeah, that's what it was. 1,600 yards. Screw it. He had 16,000 rushing
Starting point is 00:47:50 yards in... I saw it. Yeah. He was drafted by the Cardinals 31st overall. He set the Cardinals record with 228 yards in a game. You can now follow him on Twitter at Beanie Wells 26 to keep up with this work. Let's talk with him now. Here it is. Beanie Wells. Hey, Beanie, I was checking out your podcast, which is, it's on
Starting point is 00:48:08 Ohio State, right, called the script? Yes, yep. So what's interesting to me is I want to play it in this basketball, like, camp once as an adult. So it's like guys just trying to like relive whatever shred of athleticism they had back in the day. And your partner, Cardo Jones, was in it too. And he dominated everybody. It was so annoying.
Starting point is 00:48:26 He was dunking. He, that's wanted to say that. Tell him that when he came to Arkansas, play that basketball, he was dunking on everybody. And I was like, man, you guys just don't lose it. Do you still have that Twitch in you as well? I don't. I wish I did. I can tell you one thing about Cardell.
Starting point is 00:48:42 Anytime he's in any type of competition, you know, he's going to go full force, no matter who he's going against. There was a situation to where, you know, he was at the Ohio State James Hospital visiting kids that had cancer. And one of the kids wanted to play him in Madden. In that Madden game, Cardell took no prisoners.
Starting point is 00:48:58 He beat the kid like 70 to nothing. It's the most ridiculous thing in the world. Well, I appreciate the time. Everybody check out the script. It's a podcast. on Ohio State. Hey, what were your takeaways from that game against Miami? I mean, it was brutal.
Starting point is 00:49:12 It was very brutal. I mean, the Miami, they were so dominant at the point of contact. You have to love the pass rush that they have in Ruben Bann and the Keen Messador. But for Ohio State, you know, as a former Buckeye and as a Buckeye fan, watching that game, I was kind of in dismay the fact that we couldn't pick up the blitz. We couldn't figure out ways to get the ball out quick and manufacture some type of offense on a consistent basis. It was disheartening to see because I thought this was a year, Ohio State.
Starting point is 00:49:37 was trending in that Georgia-type direction to where they'd be making a statement as being back-to-back national championships and going on and making a run and create this dynasty. But unfortunately, they came up short, but Miami played their tails off. You played for Coach Tressel, but can you give me some, maybe some commentary on Ryan Day and why you think he is the guy for Ohio State? I love Ryan Day. I think he's the perfect mix between Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. He can be a feisty guy. He comes across. a very nice individual, but, you know, behind closed doors, he gets after his players.
Starting point is 00:50:11 He makes sure that those guys are prepared. And, you know, one of the things that he has that a lot of people don't get a chance to see is that edge, that edge to, you know, make sure guys are in the right mental space because he is. He's going to be, and he's preaching that to his players on a consistent basis. But then when you go looking at the exes and those, you know, Ryan Day's teams are always prepared. And, you know, him being a former offensive coordinator, he dials up offenses with the best. Now, unfortunately, versus Miami, it didn't show. But when you go look at his track record, you know, he's always had Ohio State in contention to win a national championship down the stretch at the end of the year.
Starting point is 00:50:45 And I think that's what you want out of a coach to have your team in it in the thick of things when it matters most. And he's done just that. I want to ask one other Ohio State question. You played with Brian Hartline, and then he obviously was coaching on the staff. He just took over the job at USF. What do you think about him as a head coach? What did you think about him as a player? Can you give me both of those?
Starting point is 00:51:05 Yeah, no, the heartline is an overachiever as a player. He's one of those guys that's always going to have an edge. He always played with a chip on his shoulder. And that was the same way that you saw him coaching at Ohio State. You know, you saw him go out and be able to go and get the four and five stars guys at the receiver position at an insane clip, but not only get those guys, but develop him. You talk about his track record of a who's who in the National Football League right now. You talk about Emeka, Mbuka, you know, the list goes on.
Starting point is 00:51:32 Chris Olive, Garrett Wilson. I mean, the list goes on and on. Margaret Harrison, Jr., he developed all of those guys, and it's doing part to the edge and the chip on the shoulder that he always had, and that dates back to high school. Heartline felt like he was a guy that was overlooked, even though he did end up getting a scholarship to go to Ohio State. He felt like there were a lot of guys always talked about more than him.
Starting point is 00:51:54 So he approaches the game from a different perspective, like his back is against the wall. And I think he's going to do a heck of a job down there, USF. What about you growing up in Akron? Did you feel like you had to go to Ohio State? Initially I did. Growing up, I had family, and there's a small portion of Akron that are Michigan fans. So, you know, you have people that are Michigan fans and that, you know, growing up in the 90s, Ohio State didn't fare well versus the University of Michigan.
Starting point is 00:52:18 So me being a Buckeye fan, I was like, you know what, I got to go and avenge some of this. So when I got the opportunity to go to Ohio State, it was certainly the case that I started where I wanted to go growing up a fan and not seeing them beat the arch rival. You had a nasty taste in your mouth. But there was a situation to where, you know, as I'm being recruited, I take a trip out to Los Angeles and, you know, go visit USC when Pete Carroll is, you know, dominating college football. And it was a brief moment in me that was going to USC because, I mean, what 16, 17 year old kid doesn't love the lights of Los Angeles, especially when you got the USC who's running the world out there. There's no professional football team. So those guys, Matt Liner, Reggie Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, those guys were it in that town. So, you know, there was a small portion of me that was going to USC when I went out there on my visit.
Starting point is 00:53:05 Did you ever commit to USC? I did. I really did. Dang. So the crazy thing is I committed to USC while I was still committed to Ohio State. But my mom shut that down so quick. My mom got on the phone. I literally called my parents, we're after breakfast with Coach Carroll.
Starting point is 00:53:19 And I'm like, I'm coming here. I'm telling him I'm going there. I call my parents, my mom and my dad and my dad. I tell them I'm going to USC. He chuckles. He passes the phone to my mom. And I say, I'm going to. the USC and then she gives me an earful and says give Coach Carroll the phone and all I see is his face
Starting point is 00:53:36 starting to turn red and I'm like well what did she say to you she said take you back to the airport immediately so that was my short brief 10 minute commitment to USC where else did you visit so I didn't go to a lot of places I went to the university of Michigan went to Ohio State and USC that was it you know once I committed to Ohio State it was a kind of a deal between me and coach trusser well you can go to one more place to visit and see what you like. And, you know, I think he kind of knew my parents wouldn't let me go all over across the world to go to college. So he was like, yeah, go visit USC, go check out what LA has the offer.
Starting point is 00:54:11 And that was the one other place that I went. I still think I have a bit of brand bias unfairly against Indiana, even after watching them be awesome, be dominant. I've just seen them for so many years not be. I mean, I've not seen a coach like Signetti come in and completely shift a program in two years like he has there. Indiana, they are the favorite to win the whole thing. What do you see from them that makes them so strong?
Starting point is 00:54:33 I mean, they're a complete football team. You know, we talk so much about, you know, Fernando Mendoza, but, you know, it's not just Fernando Mendoza and what he's able to do in the past game. They have a great offensive line. They got a two-headed monster, you know, and Black and Hymie in the running back at the running backs position. But they don't know defense aside.
Starting point is 00:54:48 I mean, they get pressure like no other team in the country and they're not talked about because there isn't that one dominant pass rusher that you see winning all the college football awards. I mean, they're a complete football team. And, you know, it's been a tough. nothing short of amazing to watch a coach coming to a program that has been essential doormat for college football
Starting point is 00:55:06 for so many years and resurrect it. And not only resurrect it, but resurrect it to the point in which he's had them in the highest points in college football, the college football playoff the last couple of years. And I think they're probably going to win a national championship. I mean, this story, I mean, he's going to have a statue when it's all said and done
Starting point is 00:55:22 outside in Bloomington, Indiana, because of what he's been able to do there at that program. But, I mean, it's been crazy. I mean, they're so good at every single position and is doing part to one Kirksonetti but him going out and finding the right guys in the portal. You know, we hear so many people talk about the portal, but
Starting point is 00:55:38 it's not an exact sign to us, but he most certainly hasn't figured out because he's getting the right guys to be able to come into his program and be able to deliver right now. They're killing it in the portal right now, but fairly, because they've been really good the last couple years, and they can now pitch that with money. But year one, it brought a lot of his
Starting point is 00:55:55 JMU guys. It wasn't that they had a ton of money. It wasn't that they had a staff a winning culture that people knew about. How the heck has he done this? I would say it goes back to the culture in which he had at GMU. He brought in guys that were familiar with the way that he did things, guys that were big-time playmakers. Elijah Zarat is one of those guys that's still on the roster right now in Indiana,
Starting point is 00:56:16 killing it. But when you bring in guys that understand the way you want to do things, now as a coach, you don't necessarily have to do it all your own because these players can speak to the locker room. They can speak to the other players. They can kind of galvanize and get those guys. infatuated with the way that you do things and knowing that is going to lead to the ultimate success
Starting point is 00:56:35 because, look, he won at the other programs. And now if I'm a guy that was on JM News roster, I can tell a newbie on Indiana's roster, like, all we have to do is listen and buy in, and it works. And when you have other people in the locker room preaching that same message, I mean, that thing makes everything cohesively and it makes everything jail so much easier.
Starting point is 00:56:55 But it's crazy. It's wild to see because we haven't seen anything like it in college football. A guy that come in from, from a smaller program, go up to the big leagues, essentially, and dominate in the fashion in what he's dead. I mean, one of the all-time great coaching stories that we'll see in college football history. Yeah, it's been odd, but refreshingly odd, because I've compared it to, in a different way, Adrian Peterson bouncing back from injury so fast that it actually showed you could do it. And so then, fairly or unfairly, people were trying to match themselves to that standard.
Starting point is 00:57:23 Like Adrian Peterson's back, he's running the ball months after he was injured. They let people know. But now all these coaches are getting compared to Signetti, fairly or unfairly because he came in and changed that word that's thrown around so much culture. Have you been, and I don't want you to say any names if you don't want to, but have you been in bad cultures before? Yeah, 100%. 100%. When you play football, we play any sport for a long period of time, you're going to experience it.
Starting point is 00:57:46 And, you know, the one thing that you can't let happen with the culture is once you start losing the locker room, you start losing some of your veteran players, that stuff starts to trickle down. and everybody starts to kind of, you know, start questioning the system and start trying to, you know, figure out their own way. And once, you know, people start figuring out their own way, I mean, nobody's jelling together. Nobody's together. So that's the most awful thing that can happen to a program is you lose a locker room and you lose your veteran leadership. That can go south really quick. Let's talk about the portal.
Starting point is 00:58:18 I feel like it's the Wild West. I'm sure you do too. The story that I was thinking about this morning was the Williams kid, the quarterback at Washington. and, you know, he signs four million bucks a year. They've pretty much said that's what it was now. He signed the paperwork. And then now it's like, hey, LSU's offered him six,
Starting point is 00:58:32 so he wants to go to LSU now. And that is just, that's representative of kind of what's happening now. I mean, it is definitely on the polar side of it. If somebody who signs and then probably gets poached and said, hey, we'll give you even more money. Like, what are your thoughts in general on what the porter? I think players should be paid, first of all.
Starting point is 00:58:47 I think absolutely players should be paid. But there's got to be some sort of boundary, right? 100%. I mean, I honestly think they should be paid as well. But when we talk about, you know, guys, you know, agreeing to something and then, you know, all of a sudden, boating thinking they're going to get more dollars and going to greener passengers, I mean, I think that's where we have to, you know, get this thing reeled in a little bit. And obviously, on one end, we see it with coaches too, because coaches, you know, can leave and go to a different program for more dollars, i.e. Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. But nonetheless, I mean, when it comes to the portal, we don't necessarily even talk about the fact that a lot of, lot of these kids, if you don't pan out after that one year, you may be pushed back into the portal.
Starting point is 00:59:30 So I think, you know, there has to be some collective bargaining agreement that is in place for these guys to not only protect the players, but protect the university. Because if I shell out, you know, $4 million, I want to know that this guy is going to be committed to this program and not leave me after a year. And after he has a great year, just because the program says we're going to give him two more a million dollars. Now, let it be a situation to where I can come and necessarily up my money. my contract that I'm offering a kid before he says, you know what, I'm leaving and going
Starting point is 00:59:59 elsewhere. I don't like that standpoint of it. I think there needs to be some rules to rein it in on both phases to protect both the player and the university because nobody wants to be left in the dark. And then in the flip side, nobody wants to be pushed out if I don't necessarily live up to the contract you gave me the year before. You bring up something really interesting. And I think we saw it with the receiver at Texas who is now going to Oklahoma. He basically said, hey, I was pushed out. Like it's not all just players. going, hey, I want to leave for more. Some players are getting in the portal because the coaches are going, we don't have a spot for you anymore. You got to get in the portal. And I think there has to
Starting point is 01:00:34 be something there too, right, to protect players. No question about it. I mean, just imagine if you are, you got a kid and you're trusting a coach and a program to say, you know what, my son's going to commit to you and we're going to expect you to go develop my son, not only to be a great football player, to be a great young man, to be a great student. And then all of a sudden, the program isn't winning and we're trying to figure out ways as a program to go out and get players that are going to help us win right now, your
Starting point is 01:01:01 son is going to be exiled because he isn't a player that's making an impact right now because he didn't develop soon enough. I don't want that. I wouldn't want that as a parent. I mean, nobody would. So, you know, you have to put in some rules and parameters to protect these student athletes, if we're still going to call them
Starting point is 01:01:17 student athletes, right? If you're still going to have the expectancy for these guys to go to school and go to class, and go to class and to be students, you still have to protect him some way in form or fashion. I don't want my kid to be pushed out just because he is a producer right now for you because he's still a young kid. He still needs time to develop. He needs to figure out how to be a student athlete, but also be a young adult in the same sense. And it's not easy, especially in this day and age and this climate where it's become more about winning and dollars than anything. The timing of
Starting point is 01:01:48 the portal opening is terrible. I think everybody agrees on that. I mean, you have running backs at Oregon, hopping in the portal, they're still in the tournament. If you were the commissioner of college football, like, what is the one thing you would do with the portal to at least give it some sort of semblance of it being collective and unified and working? Not even just with the portal, but I think just with everything that we've experienced this year with college football from the coaching changes to the portal to signing day, I think we need to bump this thing up.
Starting point is 01:02:21 We need to move the schedule up to where it's a clear-cut date to where we're going to be done by, to where the portal opens after the season, and you can take a new job after the college football season. Make this thing done in the early part of January to where we're not faced with these situations to where Elaine Kippen has to decide on if I can finish up my college football season where I'm at Ole Miss and still be able to take a job elsewhere and finish up a recruiting class or go out and get the portal guys that I need to help me for the following season. So I think it's a whole college football issue. It's not just a port of issue, but they most certainly have to fix this calendar if they don't want these issues to continue to be a problem. And for us to face – we sit here talking about these issues next year. We can't – it's too much money at stake. It's too much at stake for this to be an issue when it's a simple fix.
Starting point is 01:03:10 Ole Miss is playing with their new head coach, but obviously he wasn't the head coach all year. And their old coach is at LSU right now. And that makes me root for Ole Miss. I would love to see Ole Miss. I'm not an Ole Miss fan. As a matter of fact, I don't like a coach. Ole Miss because I'm an Arkansas guy, but I'm rooting for Ole Miss because I would love to see
Starting point is 01:03:25 Lane Kiffin leave for a team he thinks can win a national championship and watch his team win a national championship. As someone who doesn't live in SEC country, what are your feelings on Ole Miss? Are you rooting for them or against them? Yeah, I'm rooting for Ole Miss, no question about it. I think it's like between Indiana and Ole Miss, they're the best stories in college football, right? I mean, I honestly couldn't believe Lane Kiffin decided
Starting point is 01:03:47 to vote and go to LSU when he's shown right now, you can win at Ole Miss. You can get the guys, you can get the players, and they're essentially going to give you the money to go out and get more players and give you everything that you need at your disposal to win, and you decide to go to a program at LSU where the expectation is going to be so much higher. It didn't make sense to me.
Starting point is 01:04:08 It didn't make sense. At the end of the season, this year, he would have had a statue at Ole Miss and been riding high forever, and then he would have been able to go out and get recruits at a high rate that he wasn't before at Ole Miss. I mean, it just made no sense. The issue that I have, especially with him going to LSU, if he doesn't win in three or four years of LSU,
Starting point is 01:04:28 he's going to be on a hot seat, and he's going to be scratching his head saying that I make the right decision. Hell, he may even be scratching his head at the end of the year if LSU or Ole Miss wins a national championship saying if I made the right decision. Cardinal Tate just said he's going to the NFL. What advice do you give new guys going in
Starting point is 01:04:42 from what your experience was? One, enjoy the process. You're getting an opportunity to live out a lifelong dream. So take it for that, but also understand that this is a business. Understand that there's certain expectations of you that maybe weren't of you at the college ranks. And you're going into this. You have to understand that it's a business first. And you are the captain of your ship, meaning you call the shots.
Starting point is 01:05:08 Don't let, you know, an agent or, you know, some marketing guy kind of force you in a certain direction. Understand the narrative that you want for yourself and the path that you want to go with your career and that you are at the ham. You're the captain of this boat and you drive it in a direction that you want to go in. I want to ask you a question just about you in high school because I'm always so interested in guys who were number one. You were the top running back out of high school,
Starting point is 01:05:32 which is awesome. And congratulations on that retro. Was it just wild in the stands to see all the scouts or all the coaches always there or the fan? I mean, it had to be crazy, right? Was it about you a lot when you were in high school? It was, from my junior year to my senior year, it definitely was. And it was a whirlwind.
Starting point is 01:05:55 It was a crazy time. I mean, this is when, you know, recruiting magazines and recruiting pundits were really starting to get popular, right? So, you know, all of those guys were at the games. And, you know, I felt like after the game I was doing, I don't know, six, seven interviews. And then obviously you had the scouts there. So it was a fun time. It was a wild time because it was all new to me and my family, for that matter.
Starting point is 01:06:15 But nonetheless, it was a great opportunity. and looking back on it, I wish I would have enjoyed it a little bit more because you really never know how fast that time period goes. I mean, you know, I was 20-some odd years ago, and it literally feels like it was yesterday. So I most certainly wish I would have taken it and lend in and enjoyed it a little bit more.
Starting point is 01:06:33 But it was a fun time. It was most certainly, you know, fun seeing Jim Tressel, Lloyd Carr, the Urban Myers of the world at your school, at your game, you know, walking through your halls, and then all of the other kids in the school pointing and seeing, oh, they're talking to me. beanie right there. It was an amazing time.
Starting point is 01:06:49 Was your mailbox just full? Yeah. It definitely was. I mean, my mom still has tubs of, you know, the letters that I got in college and now my son's getting an opportunity to read them. And as they're going through the recruiting ranks, they're comparing their letters to the letters that I was getting in college.
Starting point is 01:07:05 So it's the fun time. What advice are you giving them as they're going through the process? Oh, man, just work. You know, I'm telling them all the time. Just keep working. I mean, things will come and, you know, you'll end up where you're all to be, but you have to put in the work because without it, I mean, you're going to be nothing. And there's always going to be somebody outworking. You are working just as hard as you think you are. So just keep working nonetheless.
Starting point is 01:07:26 Let me ask you one final question about the NFL. Obviously, you played in Arizona. You crushed it there. What's happening there? They just fired their coach. You're talking about culture. Did they have it? It doesn't look like it right now, most certainly. I mean, especially when you're in a situation to where you're running through multiple coaches or running through multiple GMs and people in their front office, that's a tough task. It's hard to build a culture when you don't have, that continuity upstairs in the front office. And I think right now, that's what we're seeing. I mean, they're not giving guys a lot of time to win.
Starting point is 01:07:54 And that's how it is in the National Football League in general. They want to win right now. So you're getting two to three years to go out and develop a program, build a culture, and expect it to win. And that's a hard task. But it starts in the front office. You know, I think when Steve Kahn was there, when he was at the gym position, they were winning games.
Starting point is 01:08:12 They were doing a really good job and retaining players and bringing players in from the free agency aspect. And right now they just haven't been able to get it done. And I think it starts upstairs. They have to figure out the right guys and the right pieces to the puzzle. And Bidwell, who's the owner, he's a great owner. He's willing to give, you know, the
Starting point is 01:08:31 GM and the coaching staff whatever they need to win, but it has to, you know, start with whoever they choose at the GM position. Over on Twitter, Beanie Wells 26. Hey, your CBS analysis is really good. I don't know how long you've been doing this, but we were coming on. I went to watch a lot of your clips. Like, you're really coming into it. You enjoy that? Oh, I love it, man.
Starting point is 01:08:48 It's the best thing in the world for me. I mean, growing up, obviously I wanted to play in the national football league that was a dream of mine. But secondly, it was to talk about the sport for a living. And, you know, I'm fortunate enough to be able to do that. It's something that's fun to me because I actually love college football. So it's not even like work to me whatsoever. That's why I'm always honed in and dialed in
Starting point is 01:09:07 what's going on across the landscape because I actually enjoy it. Beanie you really appreciate the time. It was a big fan of you when you played. And yeah, thanks for coming on with us. Hope you have a good rest of the day. All right. Thank you for having me. Beatty.
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Starting point is 01:10:19 Minimum odds required for additional terms and responsible gaming resources. See dkng.com slash audio limited time offer. The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks.
Starting point is 01:10:53 Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,
Starting point is 01:11:09 my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment.
Starting point is 01:11:34 And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance.
Starting point is 01:12:09 And then there's your body having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and host of a science. the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation. There is one finding that is consistent, and that is that our resilience rests on our relationships. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty. that none of us likes.
Starting point is 01:12:49 Listen to a slight change of plans on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
Starting point is 01:13:25 For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green
Starting point is 01:13:54 on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial disabilities, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts.
Starting point is 01:14:23 Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about, like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien
Starting point is 01:14:50 From the Black Effect Network On the I'd Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts Or wherever you get your podcast Before we get to the games tonight As far as actually watch them What do you think about Michael Irvin And Miami?
Starting point is 01:15:05 Because he's become a bit of the face Yes Like with his antics And I love Michael Irvin Because you're a Cowboys guy The Cowboys fan Michael Irvin's a cowboy man Like I love the dude
Starting point is 01:15:14 It's a little too much to me You mean the wop-in, the belt wop-and? The belt whooping. I'm talking even like watching the games and between every play. Let's see what Michael Irvin thought about that play. It's like he has his own area on the field. You're right because he runs back and forth and dancing and like, oh, and he talks to the players. He's almost like Matthew McConaughey has been for the last, I don't know, how many years has Matthew McConaughey been on that field?
Starting point is 01:15:38 With Texas? With Texas to Miami. He's way worse, though. Like he's more, his antics, I'm saying. He's much more visible out there. Because he's loud. Noticable, yeah. A little more polarizing, too, because he is active.
Starting point is 01:15:54 Right. McCona is not. He's there and people put the camera on him because he's famous. Yeah. Michael Irvin's there and he wants the camera. So he's doing things to keep the camera on him. Because even Ray Lewis is there and he's chilling. He doesn't stand by.
Starting point is 01:16:07 No. He's like, I'm out. What do you think about him? Yeah, it kind of annoys me a little bit. It annoys me a little bit. It just annoys me when they take, like, The Taylor Swift stuff was kind of annoying to. Like, we're watching the game.
Starting point is 01:16:20 And I know Michael Irvin is a huge, he went to Miami, he's a huge supporter of Miami, and he's the face of Miami. I get it. But I want to watch the game. And I think Michael Irvin takes that away from the team that's actually playing the game. You think Travis Kelsey's retiring? Yes. You? Yeah.
Starting point is 01:16:40 Yeah? I don't think so. Why not? I just, I don't know. I just don't think he'd go. out like that. Bad? Yeah, he goes out sour. Like bad. Well, now he's also on the drama with his charity. I saw that. Oh, I didn't see that. I don't know about this. They steal money? Money laundering. That's where my mind goes. Um, so I'm not going to say, and you may look it up
Starting point is 01:16:59 because I'm going to give you what I know, and this is without reading the articles, that I think when they did some investigating of his charities, like 40% of it went to the actual cause. 60% went to the people that were running the charity and the people that were running a charity were like his clothes. And that's not out of the ordinary. No, that's normal. Yeah, but they're going, well, you're a really rich dude and it's your foundation. We think more money should be going to the charity other than just paying like your people that are your possible friends and family that are running the charity. There's nothing illegal happening.
Starting point is 01:17:31 And with most charities, that's kind of how it goes. Yeah, I've dealt with charities. You pay for the infrastructure. And you, yeah, and the people running the charity, the people working for the charity needs to get paid. You know, and so that's kind of, it's a weird thought to think that, you know, you have money. and some of it, not all of it, goes to whatever the cause is because people need to get paid.
Starting point is 01:17:50 I think it's really dumb and short-sighted when people go, man, this CEO of a charity makes a million dollars a year, that shouldn't happen. But, okay, let's say you get somebody that makes $50,000 a year and the charity makes a million bucks overall. Or you get someone you pay a million bucks
Starting point is 01:18:03 that would be running another company and that charity makes $700 million. Because they know what they're doing. Because they know what they're doing. Like, do you actually care about the cause? Because if you did, you wouldn't so much care about how much money somebody makes if they're making more money for the cause.
Starting point is 01:18:14 So I always think those people are idiotic. They complain about CEOs of a charity making money. Because if they weren't doing that, they'd be running a company. But they go and hire people that run companies well to run this charity. What do you see, Kevin? Yeah, it says about 41 cents of every dollar has gone to the charity. Raised in the last couple of years, $1.5 million and spending roughly $1.1 million. And who is running the charity?
Starting point is 01:18:40 It is a A&A management group, a firm co-founded by Travis Kelsey's longtime business manager. So that's connected to him too. I don't think anything's wrong, but that's the controversy now. I don't think there's anything wrong either. I mean, yes, it's a little weird. It sounds weird, right? It sounds weird that more money doesn't go to the actual cause of the charity, but I understand
Starting point is 01:19:03 it. I think this one's amplified, though, because it's Travis Kelsey, and he's ain't Taylor Swift, and he's also a really rich guy, and you're like, well, why don't you just pay the people to run the charity because you have millions and millions of dollars? What do you think about that? I think it's unfair to judge him. him differently because of the accomplishments and the success that he's had. I agree.
Starting point is 01:19:20 Yeah. I think they're running the charity as the charity should be run. From what I know, I know very little. I haven't been in the books. Give me the books. I'll get on the books. Give me the books. Let me dive in here.
Starting point is 01:19:31 We'll see how I come out. I tend to think if Mahomes is healthy enough to come back at the beginning of next year, that he may come back as well. It is an ugly way to leave. Yeah. Yeah, dude. This is a bad year. Bad taste in your mouth, sour out.
Starting point is 01:19:48 When's the wedding? Who knows. There's no date? My invitation says... Pull it up. Brandon open for Taylor Swift. That's right. Yes, he did.
Starting point is 01:19:58 On the Red Tour, right? Oh, yeah. We're not kidding. No, no, not a joke. Yeah. But you're making it sound like we're kidding. I know. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:20:06 Tell us a little more. What was she like, dude? She was awesome. Yeah. I mean, everything, everybody says, you know, sweet, kind, takes care of. of everybody. Would she talk to you in person? Like, look at you and me, hey, Brandon. I think she got my name wrong a few times, but I didn't care.
Starting point is 01:20:24 But by the end of it, she knew it. Hey, Braylin. What's going on, Braxton? What's going on, Braxton? I'm like, whatever. That's cool, though. That's awesome. Yeah. The 26 NFL draft is here, and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Rodriguez after night one on
Starting point is 01:20:47 Thursday. Nick Shook joins me Night 2 Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
Starting point is 01:21:04 you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,
Starting point is 01:21:21 this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes
Starting point is 01:21:37 of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,
Starting point is 01:21:56 this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body.
Starting point is 01:22:16 having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation. There is one finding that is consistent, and that is that our resilience rests on our relationships. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
Starting point is 01:23:00 podcasts. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist. John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love.
Starting point is 01:23:24 On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan.
Starting point is 01:23:44 I love this game. I love it. history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Ho'Brien, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts.
Starting point is 01:24:29 Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about, like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Who's the favorite to win the Super Bowl according to the odds? Eddie?
Starting point is 01:25:08 I know you haven't seen it, so. I have not seen it. I'm going to guess, I'm going to guess the bills. No, no, no, no, no, no. Bad, they're plus 1,100. Dang, that's a good bet. So you should bet on that then. That's a really good bet. I got a little bit on them as a future. Yeah, I did too, like a couple months ago.
Starting point is 01:25:29 The Seahawks are the favorite. Oh, yeah. At plus 320, the Rams are second, plus 400. And I think if the Rams win this week, that will probably even itself out. I think the Seahawks are getting that slight edge because they have a buy week. Yeah, and the home field, they're out. Yeah. The Broncos at three.
Starting point is 01:25:44 The Patriots at 4 plus 900. but the big gap is between the Rams and the Broncos. It goes from, what did you say? Plus 300 to 900? Plus 650 is the Broncos. Patriots, Eagles, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Houston, Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco, the Chargers. The Steelers and Panthers are at plus 20,000.
Starting point is 01:26:05 Dang. That's a nice payout. I bet on that. Just an update because I haven't seen it and you have. What do we owe on our Skins League going to the playoffs? Boys. You did the math? No, I didn't do the math.
Starting point is 01:26:16 No, he just looked at the math. 4,900. That's what we're down before the postseason. So basically five grand, which would mean I owe 25. You guys owe $1,000 each. We need the Patriots to win to only lose like $100 this week. Okay, just this week. But if they lose, we lose like $600, $700.
Starting point is 01:26:37 And then we stop making money. Yeah, but we don't make money the first two weeks. We're just trying to stay even. They need to win so we don't lose money the first two weeks. Okay. The only thing that makes me feel better is we're not the... We don't owe the biggest. That doesn't make me feel better.
Starting point is 01:26:51 What's that number right now? That's 7,900. Ayah, aye. Oh, my goodness. Dude, that would sting. If the Patriots, just doing some math for you guys, so you can know, if we're 49 now, and there are, what, six games?
Starting point is 01:27:07 This weekend? Yeah, yeah. I thought you're talking about the Patriots. So we could basically lose another thousand this week, another thousand the next week. If the Patriots lose. So if we lose, the Patriots win, we're probably even. Okay.
Starting point is 01:27:22 So it doesn't matter. Now, 500. So I would say we could lose, if they lose, lose this week, we're going to be down a thousand more after next week. So we could lose another $1,600. If the Patriots lose immediately, we will. Okay, the Patriots lose this week. We're going to lose another $1,600.
Starting point is 01:27:41 So it's going to be basically... It's an $8,000, right? Just to be safe? No, five. No, probably seven. Okay, seven for the season. I would say Oh yeah
Starting point is 01:27:48 That's what I meant Super conservative Yeah No no I want real Well I can't do the real Because I want worst case Yeah worst case
Starting point is 01:27:54 Realistic 7500 Okay You need the Patriots to win Or that's going to be What it is And the Panthers right What about the Panthers
Starting point is 01:28:05 Winning? What if they win the whole thing If they win the whole thing That's going to save us 400 bucks Go All right It's already
Starting point is 01:28:13 It's already impossible But okay Guys I know it's January But should we Start a car wash Should we... A food drive?
Starting point is 01:28:21 Any offerings? So we could lose. Let's just say... So bad. What's up? That's so bad. Those numbers are bad. Like, like, and I know, every time you do something like this, you're like, oh, there's a chance we can probably owe a lot of money.
Starting point is 01:28:37 But I didn't... I wasn't really ready for all that. I wanted us to be like, oh my gosh, we want $10,000 off this thing. It's awesome. And we definitely could have. We could have. We didn't. So if we get to 7,500, each of you guys will owe 1,800 bucks, basically.
Starting point is 01:28:55 Okay. So just say the worst case scenario, $2,000. Okay. And why didn't Brandon jump on this? Because he's smart? Yeah. Remember you wanted to go split in third to their idea? Yeah, I was never asked.
Starting point is 01:29:08 Here's the question for you guys. You want to jump in now, Brandon? Take over for me. Maybe next year. Will you guys want to get in next year? Nope. I have to think about it. I'll get in next year.
Starting point is 01:29:19 Let's see the damage this year and then we'll think about it. It shouldn't be that though. You should already know based on what's that. Well, no, I got to know how much to save all year. Hey, I'll be in next year without a doubt. Because if I lose a bunch this year, I'll probably be bad even again. Because I had a couple good years in a row. There's got to be some conditions.
Starting point is 01:29:34 There'll be no conditions. No. You can't make conditions. Hear me out. You can't blame me when Joe Burrow gets hurt. We didn't. You made me feel like crap for a whole month. We said we fought about it.
Starting point is 01:29:46 And I also said if the Bengals win, it's your very. victory. Yeah, but that wasn't going to happen. But it doesn't matter. I said before Joe Burrow got hurt, if the Bengals end up being a really good team, this before Burrow got hurt, you're the one that was right the whole time.
Starting point is 01:29:58 It wasn't just take the shots at you. It was you also get to be the hero, too, because you fought for the Bengals, over the Packers. Yeah, my crystal ball was foggy. That's all right. So we are going to do a NCAA Calcutta. I know.
Starting point is 01:30:12 I saw that email. I don't think I can do that. Those are awesome. It's too close to the damage. But you don't, yeah, maybe. for you. Maybe, maybe, but you don't lose more. There's the limit on you're losing. You bet on team so you can bid 500 bucks and get a team. Dude, it's crazy. But you don't lose any more than what you already pay in. You can sit in the draft and then you're like, all right, I'm going to do $20
Starting point is 01:30:31 and then you never have a chance to play. So you have no team. You get a 13 seed. But the more your team wins, the more money you make. Yeah. Just like the NFL sees. Let us breathe, dude. I got to breathe a little bit. I'm not saying you have to be in. I know. I saw the email. My favorite thing is the Calcutta, NCAA Calcutta. It's fun. March Madness. It's fun. All right, we're done. I've been think about that for a little bit. What's up? Just think about all that.
Starting point is 01:30:56 We need the Patriots to win. We do. Yes, we do. Because it will save us a bunch of money. Are there any other teams that we should be rooting for that people have as losers? Well, yeah, one guy has the Seahawks as a loser, so he's lost a bunch of money. So if they eventually lose... Or if they lose immediately.
Starting point is 01:31:15 Well, they're not going to lose it this week. No, no, the next week. Yeah. Yeah. So because they also get money for winning if they're on a buy. It's a free money as well. Oh, really? So they got to win.
Starting point is 01:31:25 So they got to win. They earned it, you know? I sure did. All right. All right. We're out. We'll see you guys next week. Eddie Blow the whistle.
Starting point is 01:31:31 Here we go. Theme song written by Bobby Bones. That's me. And performed by Brandon Ray. Follow Brandon on social at Brandon Ray music. You can follow the show on Instagram at Bobby Bones Sports. Thanks to our crew. Co-host at Producer Eddie.
Starting point is 01:31:52 Segment producer at Kickoff. Kevin, an executive producer at Mike D. Stroh. But most importantly, thank you for listening. Bobby Bones, we'll talk to you next time here on 25 whistles. The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players. were my favorite picks.
Starting point is 01:32:26 Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th.
Starting point is 01:32:40 You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.
Starting point is 01:32:57 So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shunker, a cognitive scientist and hosts of the podcast, a slight change of plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change. We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes. You can have opinions. You can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program.
Starting point is 01:33:39 Listen to a slight change of plans on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. It's much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far. But I'm John Green, co-host of the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to The Away End with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 01:34:18 On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobrient, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to money and wealth with John Hope Woff. Ryan from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 01:34:59 This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

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