The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Russ/Hawks Divorce Vibes; Big Ben Price Break; Free Agency Red Flags; Mailbag

Episode Date: March 5, 2021

In this episode, John explains why the Russell Wilson/Seahawks divorce seems more inevitable every day, why Big Ben returning to Pittsburgh on a discount was his only option, what red flags he would a...void during free agency, and answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag. Follow John on Twitter and SUBSCRIBE now to get all the latest content!! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:03:53 A lot going on. Little Russell Wilson, divorce feels imminent. Rathesberger Steelers. Feels like they figured out their problems. Free agency, which is right around the corner. Basically, you know, when our next podcast comes out on Tuesday, starting Monday, we're about a week and a half away, right? It's the 17th, but it really kicks off on the 14th.
Starting point is 00:04:14 So we're here. Guys are getting cut left and right, and I'll dive into that. And then, of course, Middlecoff Mailbag at John Middlecoff is the Instagram handle. And slide in, shoot me a DM, and I will answer your question here up on the podcast. Very, very easy. Very 2021. You know, back in the day, used to call radio shows, used to email radio. shows. Now you just direct message me. And maybe we'll just BS a little bit in the DMs. Or maybe I'll just answer your question here. You'll have to wait to find out.
Starting point is 00:04:46 Let's start with the Seattle Seahawks. And I think at this point we just have to call a spade a spade. Sometimes in life, breakups, divorces, they just become inevitable. There is no way to get around it. Hell, Kim and Kanye got a divorce. Is that official yet? But I think they broke up. Who would have saw that coming? Most people.
Starting point is 00:05:10 But this is one, I think Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, none of us saw it coming. Unless you really, maybe a beat writer for Seattle and you knew some rumors. Maybe if you were a player on the team and you knew kind of the, you know, eroding relationship or maybe what people in the building thought of Russ, not as highly as some of us outsiders.
Starting point is 00:05:31 If you're close with Pete Carroll and you realize, you know, Pete's not as in love with Russell as many people thought. You, but most of us, us peons, us civilians, us as they call it, Augusta, the patrons, we don't know
Starting point is 00:05:46 that. The first I've really learned of this stuff, like most people, is over the last couple weeks, the last couple months, whenever, since this story became a story. But at this point in time, story today, Deanna Rossini, works for ESPN, like,
Starting point is 00:06:02 they're making calls. And maybe that Seattle's not actively looking to shop shop him, but they're talking. Why wouldn't you at this point? And there comes a point where quarterback, like a home, like a business, you never want to get rid of an asset when it's down. I don't know of how many people listening check the stock market on Thursday. If you didn't, more power to you, you avoided a bloodbath. It was ugly. Whether you have a dollar invested or whether you have $10 million invested, you couldn't open up your portfolio. and not see a lot of red.
Starting point is 00:06:38 Well, what do you never want to do on red? You don't want to sell. Ideally, you never sell a home when it's values down. Ideally, any asset you sell or in football trade, you would like to do at the peak of its value. My investing philosophy is pretty simple. I only buy on days that are red, and I only sell on days that are green.
Starting point is 00:07:03 Now, I've been lucky. I've never been in a financial pinch where I had to get a certain amount of money. So obviously you can break your rules. Sometimes in football, you trade a player whose value plummeted because he had a bad year. You just wanted to get rid of them.
Starting point is 00:07:17 Think of Antonio Brown with the Steelers. They didn't have a choice. They just wanted to move on from them. They did not sell at peak value, right? They got rid of them for like a third round pick, basically, to the Raiders. Now, they were proven right when his life fell apart. But Antonio Brown had one of the great six-year stretches,
Starting point is 00:07:33 and they traded him for a third-round pick. It was a disaster, right? A lot of people sold homes in the 2008-2009 stretch for a major, major loss. I would imagine a lot of people sold stocks today because they freaked the you-know-what-out. They said, holy shit, I'm losing a ton of money. Sell! Five years ago, John, I would have sold a lot and a loss. Today, I smiled.
Starting point is 00:07:56 I bought more. Because ideally, I'm only going to sell when it's in the green. Well, if you are okay with selling or get rid of any asset, as it feels like Seattle is with Russell Wilson, which makes it much more complicated. Because I think with the house analogy, with the stock analogy, you can always buy another house.
Starting point is 00:08:15 You can always buy more stocks. It's not many Hall of Fame quarterbacks are walking around on trees. Right? That's just not the way it works. It's not like, you know what, Seattle, just get rid of Russell. I don't know, the best player in the history of your franchise is complicated. But as we talked about, I think on Monday, once you get to a point where both sides,
Starting point is 00:08:35 Pete and Russell, unlimited money, huge egos, no mediator, no one to mediate the situation. There's going to be no counseling. Remember when the story broke with Jared Gough and Sean McVeigh that they need marriage counseling? I went, yeah, this is over. There's no such thing as marriage counseling in football. Maybe there is when you have Aaron Rogers, right, that you can do some marriage counseling. The Packers weren't going to trade him, partly because the Goudicans couldn't. He doesn't have the equity. Matt LaFle. That could be career suicide. Pete Carroll's almost 70 years old.
Starting point is 00:09:09 He's got $100 million in the bank. He's won a Super Bowl. Bend to another. One national championships. His legacy's set in stone. Now his legacy can't improve, but he ain't worried. Like, he accomplished, what he accomplished?
Starting point is 00:09:22 Now, obviously, he wants to accomplish more. He wants to win more. But at his point, you think whatever his principles are, for the reason not being on the same page with Russell, whether he's too big of a diva, whether he's become too big of an issue dealing, like leaking this stuff to the media, kind of his nephew to management,
Starting point is 00:09:38 as someone who supported him from the jump and used to have to tell L.O.B. and the defense to be nice to Russell, and now Russell's acting like he's getting the short end of the stick, whatever it is. And whatever Russell's beef is, you don't let me open up the offense, you don't ask me about players,
Starting point is 00:09:52 you don't listen to my advice, you don't build the offense around, whatever it is. It feels like it's at the point where there's no coming back. There are probably things said. It's never happened to me. I'm not saying I haven't said things. to a girlfriend or whatever.
Starting point is 00:10:06 I've never been married. But there are probably points in time in a serious relationship, whether it's a girlfriend, whether it's a fiancé, whether it's a wife. If you were to something come out of your mouth, say something about something
Starting point is 00:10:21 that happened previously in your relationship or something moving forward, there are words you can never roll back. Whatever the equivalent of that comment is, right? If, whatever it is, something about their family, something about a previous relationship, something about, I don't know, the way they look,
Starting point is 00:10:37 whatever that may be in your relationship, we all know it, the elephant in the room of a relationship, that there are a couple trigger words or trigger things that could just immediately a fire breaks out, and you got a problem. And you know just to avoid it. And you just wonder if things that have been said through the media,
Starting point is 00:10:58 that Pete is never going to be cool with Pete and Russell. Now, the irony is, this didn't just have. happened overnight. They had issues last season, and they went 12 and 4. Because Pete and Russell are basically two Hall of Famers, they can operate pretty well in chaos. So, you
Starting point is 00:11:13 could always just go, keep it going chaotically, and keep winning. They won 12 games. I just record a podcast with Guy, and we were talking, like, do you know the craziest thing about last season? The best season it felt like in the NFC was the Green Bay Packers. They found a harmonious relationship
Starting point is 00:11:31 with their quarterback and their coach, Aaron Rogers won the MVP. Matt LaFleur, it looked like became a good, really good coach. It was like the Green Bay Packers are back rolling. They won one more game than Seattle. Yet the way we talk about Seattle is like, they're in shambles, Russell and Pete hate each other, they got issues and holes all over their roster.
Starting point is 00:11:51 They won one more game than them. Think about that. So it just shows you how, this is why I keep going back to the Seattle well. They're a pretty high-level operation. Even when shit is chaotic, they still win a lot. Think how many teams would die for that type of record? I think we all know about 20 of the 32 teams in the NFL every single year.
Starting point is 00:12:12 Hell, maybe more would have no problem. Hell, maybe 27, 28 teams every year would be at 12 and 4. We'll take it right now before the season. But I just don't see them rolling it back. If you had to ask me what percent he's on the team, I would have said like a couple weeks ago, you know, it feels like 50-50, but what's the rush? Now it's like I'll be kind of surprised at running.
Starting point is 00:12:34 Russell Wilson stays. And, you know, there's only, I think of your Seattle, you need to use some of your leverage. Like, listen, Russell, we don't think you want to be here. He's like, yeah, true. Well, you need to open, you have a no trade clause. Can you, what about the Jets? What about Miami? Will you work with us?
Starting point is 00:12:53 Because if you work with us, we'll be open to trading you. Because I need, the Saints have nothing to give. The Bears have nothing to give. The Cowboys, they have the 10th pick, but other than that, they have nothing to give. Seattle does not walk Dak Prescott, who makes $37 million and wants a contract worth $150 million. To me, those aren't good options for Seattle. Part of this is, listen, Russ, we will trade you, but it's got to be good for us. The Raiders make a lot of sense.
Starting point is 00:13:20 They give Derek Carr, they give countless ones, like they get a quarterback. You can't just trade Russell to the Saints for four ones and you have no quarterback. It makes no sense. Now, if you're Seattle, what I think you're doing is like, listen, Russ, Would you be open to go into Miami or the Jets? Because if you will, then we will start a legit bidding and we'll trade you. It will happen soon. Hell, we'll trade you by beginning of free agency.
Starting point is 00:13:43 But you've got to give us options whether, and I don't know, John Schneider knows this. Where does he have, you know, the Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Mack Jones, Trey Lance crew of quarterbacks? What does he think of Derek Carr? Because to me, he'd have to get one of those two assets to pull the trigger and make this trade. because I'm not just trading them to the Saints for a bunch of picks. I don't give a shit about the picks if I have no quarterback. Here's what I know, a 70-year-old guy who's really rich
Starting point is 00:14:07 and Pete Carroll's not going to want to do, lose. He's going to want to keep winning. Who gives him that chance? Well, Derek Carr and some first-round picks would give him that chance because they could think, well, we might not be as good at quarterback, but we can use that 17th pick we get from the Raiders to maneuver because we don't have any picks because we trade for Jamal Adams.
Starting point is 00:14:24 In some of the cap space that we save with Russell for the trade by a player or two. or we go, we'll trade him, if we can convince him to open up his mind, to be like, go to the Jets, go to Miami, good for business, and we'll trade you if we really like a Mac Jones, a Tray Lance, or Justin Fields, or whatever, and then get a really cheap asset and do it. But also, you know, trade Russell for a lot, because he's in peak value right now.
Starting point is 00:14:50 Russell Wilson is legitimately the opposite of the Thursday stock market. His stock's never been higher. He just arguably had the best season of his career. career. He's in the peak of his powers. He's under contract. He's in his early 30s. He's a healthy guy. His stock couldn't be any higher. So this is when you sell.
Starting point is 00:15:08 You don't sell. I'll give the Raiders credit. John Gruden for as crappy as his tenure has been and it has not been good. Middle Cople. Are you PG-13? Shitty. It's been shitty. Does that make everyone feel better? He has increased Derek Carr's value
Starting point is 00:15:25 because when he showed up, Derek was in Chambles. Three years later, Derek's playing and he's worth a first round pick. He deserves credit for that. So, like, if you are going to trade a Derek Carr, you do it when his values high. If you can get another quarterback. The difference is other positions, like you trade a guy when his values high because you need more picks or whatever. Like the Niners did last year with DeForest Buckner.
Starting point is 00:15:46 You don't do that at quarterback unless you have a replacement. Because as we saw last year with the Patriots, Brady leaves, they have nothing. That's what happens to most teams. Most teams don't just like, oh, we'll just go from Farve to Rogers. go for Manning to Luck. That's usually not how it works. It's usually like, let's go to Elway to a bunch of random crappy players. That's usually the way it works.
Starting point is 00:16:07 And the thing is, when you get to trade a player, you're in a little control. With free agency, you never know. With a trade, though, Seattle actually has some leverage here too. And I think they can work together. And this is where, luckily, it's not as ugly, like Deshaun and the Houston situation. I do think they can work together, especially if Russell is open to another team or two, and probably figure it out and get a lot back and get a quarterback, whether that's whether they value Sam Darnold,
Starting point is 00:16:33 whether they obviously value Derek Carr. And I know right now I'm talking hypotheticals because Russell's list is four teams. Well, to me, if his list four teams, he would be open to other teams. Do you really want to get traded? Or do you just wanted to put those four teams out there so the rest of us do.
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Starting point is 00:20:08 available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. That you were mad at Pete. That's what I think we're going to find out in the next couple weeks. But my guess right now, if you have to ask me, is Russell Wilson going to be the quarterback of Seattle in the fall, I would lean no. Now, I'm not 100%, I'm not even 80%.
Starting point is 00:20:28 But I'd say I'm probably leaning 60-40s traded. And if you had to go, who's he traded to? I'm going to go, well, a team that can give Seattle back a quarterback. Because under no circumstances, are they trading them without getting a quarterback back? That just makes zero sense. So this is a story that when the season ended, we never expected to get.
Starting point is 00:20:48 Right? We just thought, oh, they're just rough ending for Seattle, but we're here now. And as a content creator and someone who needs stories, especially in the slow month, like February, no combine, early March. Thank you, Seattle. I appreciate it. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsportsradio.com. And within the IHeart Radio app, search FSR to listen live.
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Starting point is 00:22:22 Find a forest near you and start exploring at discover the forest.org brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Okay, let's dive into a little story that I saw, I think I saw it on Twitter this morning that the Steelers have signed a new contract with Ben Rathesberger. And the headline reads a lot better than reality. And as we are seeing all over the sport with quarterbacks, they are gaining leverage like an NBA star, or you could even say baseball stars, right? I mean, if you're a baseball star, you get a stupid amount of money. Like, say what you want about Bryce Harper, a little overrated, whatever, he got $330 million. Like, when you are a star player in baseball, and there are different levels of stars, but Bryce Harper, Moogie Betts, whoever,
Starting point is 00:23:18 you're going to get a ton you have all the leverage Trevor Bauer the pitcher of the Dodger signed think about this has signed a three-year contract with opt-outs after year one and year two
Starting point is 00:23:31 I can't imagine being a baseball gym like you think it's bad in the NBA when the NBA unless your owner forces on you you don't have to sign Carl Anthony Towns to $180 million no one forced the Sacramento Kings to give Deeran Fox $175 million
Starting point is 00:23:46 that on their own volition. In baseball, like to get a sweet all-star level player, you got to give them a bunch of opt-outs. In basketball, you just have to overpay non-stars. It's kind of a crappy position, right? Now, you have no problem paying mooky bets or Price Harbor, we can argue all day long, Aaron Judge, whoever, the top players,
Starting point is 00:24:10 just like in basketball. Have no problem paying Steph Curry, no problem paying KD, no problem paying LeBron, Kauai. Those guys are worth their money. It's the next level guy. In football, you know, we saw it with golf and wents. We thought both guys were going to be stars.
Starting point is 00:24:26 They got paid like it, and then it backfired. Neither guy is on their team now. And Dak, who didn't get paid, is kind of going through the franchise tag thing that Kirk Cousins is going through. But the reality is with all these guys I've mentioned, Kirk Cousins has got fully guaranteed contracts back-to-back years, right? He signed the original contract in Minnesota,
Starting point is 00:24:46 fully guaranteed, then he essentially did the same with a contract extension. Not quite fully guaranteed, but it was a ton of money. Because quarterbacks, if you're just a top 15 guy, you have all the leverage. Obviously, if you're Mahomes, Josh Allen now, probably even a little bit in Lamar, but even Kirk Cousins, Jared Gough, Carson Wentz. Rothesberger, the contract extension essentially saves them $15 million this year. and it spreads the cap hit over a couple years. They essentially said to Big Ben,
Starting point is 00:25:21 listen, Ben, do you want to end your career on another team? Because are you still any good? We question that. But because our options are limited, we would like you to come back, but there is not a snowball's chance in hell that you're going to come back on the number that you're under contract for.
Starting point is 00:25:41 This is one of the rare times that a playoff team for how disastrous the, I almost said the Cleveland Browns. Remember, the Cleveland Browns killed absolutely boatraced the Steelers in a playoff game. And as we know that final month of the season, the Steelers were leaking oil fast. They started hot, 11 and 0 or whatever, finished 12 and 4, but they still went 12 and 4. Hosted a home playoff game, but they were trending the wrong way. And the Steelers, one of the best organizations in the history of sports, you could argue one of just the better run businesses of like the last 40 years in America, the Pittsburgh
Starting point is 00:26:18 Steelers, the brand, the consistent winning, the three total coaches over that period of time, they have been, you could argue the bar, right? Six career Lombardis, or is it five? Was Jerome Bettis the six? Sorry, Steeler Nation, you're probably mad at me. Don't have all your history, but you're an elite organization, football or non-football, any business. And this was a time, in a day, and age win. Quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson, screw you, Houston. I'm not playing. Russell Wilson, I want to trade to these four teams. Matt Stafford, I'm only want to go to these two or three places. Most quarterbacks have all the leverage. Rothesberger, a first ballot Hall of Famer, had none here. He had no choice. Okay, Big Ben, you want to go to the Bears? And if you're not good, the team would
Starting point is 00:27:09 stink. You want to go risk it with the Washington football team? Even though I actually think the Bears' Washington football team, typically it's terrible teams. If you were a quarterback and you ended up on one of those teams, they're actually pretty well suited for you to just have some success. Or do you want to end your career as a Pittsburgh
Starting point is 00:27:24 Steeler? A lifetime Pittsburgh Steeler. Because unlike Tom, who had a bunch of leverage because deep down, he still knew he was good, even if, I didn't think he was going to be as good as he was this year, 40 touchdowns in Tampa. I mean, that's pretty crazy, then we all know you're trending in the wrong direction. And you just had a devastating elbow injury.
Starting point is 00:27:47 You want to stay, here's the deal. And that's basically what happened. And now he's, I would expect him to, which is cool, which to me still matters. And I'm, listen, I think the word quote unquote loyalty, you know, I'm big into conditional loyalty. You know, it's like, I think loyalty can be overrated. Because the moment you screw me over or the moment you do things I don't agree with, like I'm not going down with the ship.
Starting point is 00:28:15 Hell, even if it's your family. Like if I'm loyal to my brother, but what if my brother robs me, right? We're not good friends anymore. I have conditional loyalty to everything. Now, people I'm really close with, it takes a lot for me to break that loyalty. But I, and maybe it's because you get fired in your 20s, you're kind of thrown to the real world, working in the NFL. You're like, God damn, this is, this world is not very loyal.
Starting point is 00:28:38 Happened to me again in the radio business, it just kind of opened your eyes. I'm conditionally loyal. But when there's a brand associated with you, Rafflesberger's not going to be the quarterback of a Super Bowl team next year, non-stealers, and I'm not even saying the Steelers are going to compete for this Super Bowl, but by far 100%, his best chance to be competitive next year is in Pittsburgh. Plus, his legacy,
Starting point is 00:29:02 like I do think it's pretty cool to only play for one team. That doesn't really happen anymore. The day and ages of Elways and, hell, even Kobe would probably be the most recent guy. Most elite Hall of Fame players play their career on multiple teams. Hell, several teams. Brady more than likely is going to end with two, but that's two. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, the two best quarterbacks the last 20 years, are going to play for two separate teams, each.
Starting point is 00:29:31 Rogers, you wouldn't think, but hell, Tom didn't leave teams until he was 42. So I think Rathusberger didn't have as much leverage because they knew he wants them. And I think one thing that helped Rathsburger, and this was my beef with J.J. Watt, when you have an unlimited amount of money and Rathesberger has way more, I think I looked it up the other day, it was over $200 million. Rathustberger has made a ton of cash. I just want to get the number right because I actually feel like I'm low-balling it now that I said it out loud. I think his number might be like 250 career millions.
Starting point is 00:30:09 Rothesberger's career earnings, I'm going to guess right now before I look, I think it's 237. His career earnings, after 2020, $253 million. Let me repeat that. Ben Rathesberger, as a member of the Steelers, has made $253 million. So he's made more than two and a half times what JJ Watt has made. Now, obviously he's played in the league longer.
Starting point is 00:30:39 But my ultimate point is money, even taking a little pay cut this year, giving money back, or allowing the salary cap room, their team some flexibility, his life, I mean, you talk about generational wealth. That is a stupid amount of money. I would imagine right now currently, now it'll change because the money's only going to get more inflated. He's one of the highest paid players in the history of the sport. So it's probably easier, plus the Steelers knew, like their leverage is, one, he doesn't want to leave, and two, money, like, he's made a ton. And we have some leverage here, and they used it.
Starting point is 00:31:15 And now Rathusberger, my guess would be, you know, the way Rathesberger is, it'll either be announced or kind of leaked, or maybe just implied this is going to be his last season. And whether they draft a quarterback, it probably doesn't make sense for them to, like, trade for Sam Darnold because you're not going to waste one. of his cheap years behind Rothesberger, is this can be kind of his swan song. And hopefully he has enough in the tank. You're going to have to get a better backup. You just try to win this way. But in a day and age when the quarterbacks have all the juice,
Starting point is 00:31:46 when it comes to leverage, Rathusberger is one of the rare guys. Now, part of it is he's just not as good anymore. Didn't have much. One thing I get a lot on this show, because I've mentioned it several times, like how I want to buy a house in Arizona. in Scottsdale, Tempe, just that area.
Starting point is 00:32:05 And I get texts all the times or DMs like, bro, you're really going to leave California? Why are you moving? What are you doing? It's not that complicated for me. Where I live right now in the East Bay, so about 20 minutes away from Oakland, kind of towards Sacramento, has these areas called Alamo, Danville, and Pleasanton.
Starting point is 00:32:22 I like the suburbs. I'm a suburb guy. But to buy a house that I would like to buy around this area, it would easily cost over $2 million. And that house, I got to be honest to you, ain't even that nice. Then when you factor in that I have a business that I can kind of do wherever,
Starting point is 00:32:43 well, the most anti-business state in America by a mile right now is California. It's the most expensive to get off the ground. It's the most expensive in terms of any sort of office you want to run out. The taxes are by far the highest in the country. So it goes, it's the most expensive place to live.
Starting point is 00:33:01 It's the most expensive place to do business. And then the last 12 months of all the lockdowns and shutdowns, no one was more extreme than California. And it's been proven it didn't even work. So it's like the pro business states, the Texas is the Arizona, the Florida's, they've been open up, and it's cheaper to live there. But I was thinking this before Corona,
Starting point is 00:33:21 just based on, like, it doesn't pencil, I don't have an unlimited amount of money. And if I want a big-ass house, like why in the even if I have two and a half million dollars why would I buy a house that don't even think's that nice that's fucking insanity it's why so many people outside of the state of California like you are crazy for living there now I'm born and raised here I am a california person at heart I love the state I like being on the west I'm a west coast guy but there gets to a point where it just does not pencil it does not make any sense whether this market right now
Starting point is 00:33:58 crazy corona hit everyone's moved to the burbs it's actually got way more expensive in like a 20 mile radius of me right now than it was a year ago pre-corona give or take is up 20% around me it's out of control now but even before it was up 20% i didn't have that much interest in spending what i'd have to spend to stay here mainly because i'm not stuck here like my job is not i don't have to be here and i can just keep real estate and go back and forth But I can't fathom buying something that I don't even think that nice for like 150 cents on the dollar. When I go to, when I look in Vegas or I look in Scottsdale and I'm like, you could live like a fucking king for a million dollar house. And if I did have two million dollars, I really be living like a king.
Starting point is 00:34:48 But it's hard to get there when you're getting tax left and right in this state. So it's just, it's just based on money. My mom lives 45 minutes away from me. So is my brother. I've got family and friends here, but I'm a businessman. Like, if it doesn't pencil, it doesn't make any sense. Mainly because the California real estate market, now other real estate markets in different areas are definitely booming.
Starting point is 00:35:09 But the differences here, if it goes up, the bar was already so high. I get real estate guys in Tempe. They're trying to do business. Listen to this show. The Middokov, if you move to Tempe, I want to be a real estate guy. And they send me these, you know, different Zillos. or whatever. And they go check out all these houses and they're, you know, whatever, $8,900,000 that down the street for me would go for like 2.2. So you're just like, well, if I just had
Starting point is 00:35:39 $2.5 million in cash, would I be better off buying that house for a million dollars and having $1.5 million cash also in my pocket to do whatever I wanted to do? I could buy an office down there, rent an office. I could invest in the market. After today, it's really cheap because everything things down. By the time you're listening to this, hopefully Friday's not as ugly. So it just gets to the point, like, I'm not in, at this point in time of my life, paying 150 cents on the dollar. It just does not make sense. And when you get into NFL free agency, if a guy is a good player, like a borderline pro bowler, let's just use Yonik and Dockway, if he would, if you were going to extend him on your own team early, and he's a $14, $15 million
Starting point is 00:36:25 player. The moment he hits the open market, it's why everyone wants to get free agency, he is worth 130, 140 cents on the dollar. You have to pay, if he's a $15 million player on the open market, he's going for 1920. If you're an average player, let's say, and when I say average, I mean, we'd all die for this type salary. If you're just, you're just average at your job and you get paid $6 million, let's just say you're a solid starting right guard. And your value in the league, non-free agency is like a $5 or $6 million player. If the equivalent of that player hits free agency, he's getting 10 or 11. We see it every year.
Starting point is 00:37:06 Now, obviously this year with Corona the cap coming down, there's not as much money out there, but that does not change the fact that guys get overpaid in free agency. Because all it takes is multiple teams bidding for you. And I think the thing we have to be careful of, as NFL fans and people listening of your specific team. It is very, very risky to sign higher-end players. It's one thing to extend a free agent at a lot of money. Let's say the Cowboys last year.
Starting point is 00:37:34 Remember, they let Amari hit free agency and they gave him $100 million. And they guaranteed $60. Amari just makes, he's a $20 million a year a year a year a year year, a year year, give him $60 million. So it's essentially a three-year contract. but they already had Amari. They had some success with Amari. So yeah, do I love paying Amari $60 million guaranteed? I don't.
Starting point is 00:38:00 But I'd already had him and I had a pretty good idea what he was and what he's not. Then obviously this year it went pretty well. He had a career year, even though the team was shitty, it wasn't his fault. A lot of times though when you sign the equivalent of Amari that's not in your team, that's where you can get into tough positions.
Starting point is 00:38:15 You can find yourself in predicaments. Because you're going to have to overpay for an $8 million player, you're going to have to give them 12 or 13 a year. So that immediately, that extra $4 or $5 million you're giving a guy in free agency takes away another player that you would have on your team, potentially multiple.
Starting point is 00:38:32 So it limits your team building. And then there's a huge risk. Why is that player on the open market? There's a reason, if you just think in recent memory, besides the guys that were traded for two ones and a two, right, Jalen, Jamal, Kalil Mack. We all acknowledge those teams like, just bad business.
Starting point is 00:38:50 But those guys, every team in the league would want those guys. But you see guys like, two names that stand out to me, two probably future Hall of Famers, Richard Sherman and JJ Watt, right, were free agents. JJ was cut this year, Richard was cut several years ago. Those guys had already signed contract extensions with their original team.
Starting point is 00:39:10 J.J. Watt had signed multiple contract with the Texans. Richard had already signed a massive extension with Seattle. So those guys are hitting the, the open market for a reason, right? The team is basically shorting their injury, which isn't that big a deal. It's very understandable. It's like, okay, older player, it's just part of the league. Right? If you have a, if you're a non-quarterback, I'd say anywhere between an eight to a 10-year run with your original drafting team is very, very successful. You were good enough to get extended. You were clearly probably a really good player and you were a core piece of a team.
Starting point is 00:39:42 And typically, if your team's good, that's how a guy like that stays for a long period of time. But when I get a guy who is four or five years into his career off his rookie contract hits the open market, I read flag that. Because any guy worth their salt unless I... Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.
Starting point is 00:40:06 Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please!
Starting point is 00:40:36 But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice.
Starting point is 00:41:08 One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream and chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shake my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast.
Starting point is 00:41:43 deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you. To hear more, listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown
Starting point is 00:42:20 from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Georgia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew.
Starting point is 00:42:40 Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at the end of the day, when people are.
Starting point is 00:43:12 at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Trade you, like I said, with Jamal Adams, some of those guys. But if I'm just letting you hit the open market,
Starting point is 00:43:28 the best I can get as a team is a third roundback in the compensatory picks. And people are always like, Middilcoff, can you explain that? I'm not a capologist. It's, you know, the Cliff Note version, if someone's signs a player or your players that hit free agency, 30, 40, 50 million dollars and you spend
Starting point is 00:43:48 way less than that in free agency, then you get better picks. But if you let guys go and then you spend the money that all those guys get on other players, then it's kind of a wash. It's the Cliff No version. It's obviously way more complicated than that. But just know this. I'm not buying a pizza real estate here in the Bay Area. Why? I don't think it's worth it. It does not pencil for me. Now, sometimes, in football you have a need. You are a desperate position for a defense event. But just say it out loud like usually the worst deals happen in desperate situations.
Starting point is 00:44:22 I.E. JJ Watt, for example, they gave them probably too much money. But that was the only way they could get them. So the Yonnik and Doc Ways, the Allen Robbinsonsons, whoever. I mean, these guys are really good players. Just know to get them on your team, you have to make them probably the highest paid player at your position. So the teams that signed these type players are going to get a ton of credit. Fans are going to be really excited.
Starting point is 00:44:44 Most of them are not going to work out. And most of them are going to be very, very overpaid. There's a reason a lot of the good teams typically shop, the second week, the third week, because it's way cheaper. Then there's way less pressure when you miss. And you have way more flexibility getting rid of that player. It just allows you typically the guys I want to pay huge money are guys on my team, are guys that I know in and out thoroughly.
Starting point is 00:45:08 There's a reason that Belichick and Brady, they won the most. they extended the guys they really liked. Even people act like they traded everybody. The guys they loved, the Gronks, the Richard Seymour's, the Logan Mankins, the whoever's, got second contracts in that operation. Devin McCordy, Edelman, they extend guys. Now, they cut bait year 7, 8, 9, but they don't shop big ticket because there's typically a red flag there.
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Starting point is 00:46:07 That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit AdoptuS.kids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Atkins. Council. What grows in the forest?
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Starting point is 00:47:13 Let's just dive right into it. From L.D. Question for the pod. Shouldn't Pete Carroll bear most of the responsibility for Russ's frustration and Seattle's inability return to a Super Bowl? He was under 500 in his first two seasons. He did take over a terrible team. The second year most of his famous defense was in place.
Starting point is 00:47:33 Russ arrives at the team wins 11 games. Year one and wins it all his second year. I mean, they had the best defense in the league and a dominant running back. Since 2016, I'm like adding as he's talking, my own opinion. Since 2016, the defense has struggled, and their draft picks have been terrible, and he's in control of personnel. In 2018, they drafted Penny, who's a bust, agree.
Starting point is 00:47:55 19, call year, a reach-a-defense end, agree. And when they chose a safety in round two, who's now their nickelback before getting lucky with D.K., it's not, you can't say they get lucky with picks, and they miss picks. Like, you hit on your picks, and you miss on your picks. The Texas Tech linebacker over LSU's Pat McQueen I think McQueen I know Russ is a fraudulent diva
Starting point is 00:48:19 But maybe all of these trash decisions Is why he is a stick of possess I think it goes both ways I mean Russ does not have a Super Bowl If he's not on an elite team Number one scoring defense in the league And Mark Sean Lynch They had an elite team
Starting point is 00:48:34 An unstoppable defense We've seen Russ with great offenses and bad defenses he can't win. This is a team game. Pete Bears' responsibility, 100%. Have they missed on picks? Of course. Belichick misses on picks. The Steelers miss on picks.
Starting point is 00:48:53 You know, the Chiefs, they miss on picks? I'm sure they have. I mean, Samuel Watkins, if they could do that one over again, they probably wouldn't assign them to the big money a couple years ago. And I know they like them, but it's just
Starting point is 00:49:07 they paid them a lot. Like everyone misses. You know, when I say misses, like, obviously Rashad Penny is a massive miss because they could have had Nick Chubb. It's not ideal. But, you know, what does Russ think? Only Tom Brady goes to Super Bowl every year. No one else goes to Super Bowl every year.
Starting point is 00:49:23 Not Peyton Manning, not Brett Farve, not Aaron Rogers, not Steve Young, not L.A. Just go to history of the league. But even just the last couple decades. Rothfelsberger, no. Stop comparing yourself to Tom Brady. Every other quarterback win a Super Bowl or two, you're a little. a legend. Russ, you're a legend. You don't get a Super Bowl every year. It's not the way it works.
Starting point is 00:49:44 It's too hard. So I don't really know what else to say beside I think his expectations and which you should have huge expectations, right? No one should have bigger expectations any high achiever than themselves for themselves
Starting point is 00:50:00 and for what they do professionally. I understand that. But I also think you have to be realistic. It'd be like a guy, you know, he's making $30 million a year. but he's jealous of the guy is making $100 million a year. Well, you're doing pretty well, making $30 million a year. Business is a booming. Could it be better?
Starting point is 00:50:17 Of course. Because whether in business, whether in sports, unless you're Tom Brady, it can always be better. But I think we're comparing him to Brady. It doesn't get any better. He fucking wins the Super Bowl. It feels like every year. He's the all-time outlier.
Starting point is 00:50:33 I even saw today on social media, Joe Montana, was like, yeah, he's the goat. What can I even say? said it. I think Russell Wilson, like, you've had an incredible career, you make the Pro Bowl every year, you're going to go down as a first bout
Starting point is 00:50:48 Hall of Famer. You're the best player in the history of the franchise. You helped resurrect the franchise. Sherman and Earl Thomas and Pete, those guys deserve credit to. I just think, I think Russell's, I don't know. And listen, I'm all for being positive and all for shooting for the stars.
Starting point is 00:51:06 But there's a balance between like shooting for the stars, and being realistic, right? What do you think about Kyle Van Nuoy? Is the Dolphins preparing to make a move for Deshawn? Well, twofold. I saw that he wasn't happy that he got cut, team captain.
Starting point is 00:51:24 It's like, bro, I don't pretend to have studied Kyle Van Hoy this year with the Dolphins. Solid player. To get paid $15 million, like, see, the NFL doesn't honor their contracts? No, literally in the contract. If it says they can cut you after a year, that's the fucking contract.
Starting point is 00:51:39 It bothers me so much when I see. people like they didn't order the contract. No, the contract literally says they can get out whenever they want. If you and I have a contract for you to take out my trash every day for a year and I'm going to pay you 10 grand and you take out my contract or my trash every day for a year and I don't pay you any money, that's not honoring the contract. Or I pay you five grand. You're like, where's my other five grand? That's not honoring the contract. If I can, if in that contract that well, after two months, I can break the contract and I only have to pay you $200. And I break the contract after two months and I hand you $200.
Starting point is 00:52:20 That's not not honoring the contract. It's literally following the contract. Now, I don't know all the rumblings. A little weird. You know, it felt a little weird, but I don't know. I mean, maybe they just didn't think he was that good. I don't think Kyle Van Nuoy is also, you know, he made a ton of money. No one's giving him $15 million.
Starting point is 00:52:41 He should feel good that he took, you know, the dolphins gave him all that cash. Question for the pod. What are your view on athletes taking PEDs? I personally want to see the best athletes at peak performance. And if drugs help with that, especially with recovery from injuries, so be it. I also think we'd be naive to suggest a large percentage of NFL isn't taking HGH at a bare minimum. I know this is a bit loaded question, but I love your thoughts. Not offended by PED use at all.
Starting point is 00:53:09 I am pro PED use. I'm pro enhancement. Whatever you can do to make yourself feel better, go ahead. I think people over the years have freaked out about the reason that they test, the reason they test for recreational drugs. It's not that complicated. You ever read about the way insurance companies operate? You typically have to do for insurance reasons.
Starting point is 00:53:32 You think, how many owners do you think smoke weed? Or how many owners do you think in their 60-70s? if you were an owner right now, if you were Jerry Jones, you were in late 70s, you've never been richer, wouldn't you do everything possible? You don't think he's taking stuff? So I don't know
Starting point is 00:53:50 what percentage of athletes take stuff. I do think this. These guys, to get to that level, you are such a genetic freak. I've started lifting weights in the last year, and when I say lifting weights, just doing like resistance. You know, like lighter stuff.
Starting point is 00:54:08 Curls, you know, bench press, but light and a lot of reps. Just to kind of tone up. I've always been a cardio guy, but the older you get, you feel a little flabby, right? Back when I was in my 20s, as long as I ran a little bit, I felt like in pretty good shape. Now it's like, even if I'm doing cardio, I feel like a little soft. So I try to incorporate some weights a couple days a week. My body is not receptive to weights. It never really has been.
Starting point is 00:54:31 But when you watch, I remember being at Fresno State, and you'd get like a rookie, not a rookie of freshman and they'd start in the weight program two years later you'd be like God that guy's fucking jacked because these guys are elite and this is at Fresno State let alone the dudes at Bam on Ohio State
Starting point is 00:54:47 once they get to the NFL and they've been up their intake of eating the right foods training the perfect right way figuring out exactly the way to train for that individual their bodies are really receptive so whether Ray Lewis was doing
Starting point is 00:55:00 deer antler spray or not I don't care but Ray Lewis got probably put on stupid amount of weight throughout his career because naturally his body's more receptive of that stuff. And I think it incorporates all these NFL players. NBA guys too. Do I think guys are doing stuff? Of course. But I also think if you gave the average, even like in shape Joe, dude like the whoever would be the number one pick in an office building.
Starting point is 00:55:28 If you went to the cubicles and you went, okay, I'll take James. He was a all-conference high school player. ever played past that. Like that guy, if I gave that guy HGH and I gave that guy all the good PEDs, he would probably get bigger. But I bet if I went to an NFL and I gave that guy, like his body's going to be more receptive. These guys are the biggest freaks on the planet. So I think sometimes, and even I'm guilty of this too, I overvalue like all these guys
Starting point is 00:55:56 are on PEDs. Maybe. I think all these guys are taking supplements. But I think it's a smaller percentage doing true, true, like illegal stuff. Are guys pushing the envelope? Of course. If you ain't pushing the envelope, you ain't fucking gonna make it. Simple, period, point, blank, end of story. Are guys full on quote-unquote cheating relative to the rules?
Starting point is 00:56:17 I would imagine it's a smaller percentage than most of us think. Even when you work in the NFL, it's not like you're going up to players like, using PEDs? How about the PEDs there? You're not. Coaches, they're not asked, they don't want to know. Now you do want to know Here's where you do want to know Like if I get a Bosa brother or whatever
Starting point is 00:56:39 Right And those guys are not on PEDs And I go God this guy's a freak This guy's a dominant player Right I feel good he's gonna get to the league And dominate and both those guys got to the league It was clear they're pretty good
Starting point is 00:56:51 But for example I'm not gonna use a name But there have been players over the years That are like first round talents Maybe not on the Bossa's levels Or Kalil Mack or like a top five pick But like a first round level player. And if you get rumors in college, if someone tells you at that program, they go,
Starting point is 00:57:10 be careful, this guy's a steroid guy. You have to tell your GM and your coach that. Because you might end up really liking that player, but if you find out like, this guy's not going to be able to pass test once he gets to the pros. And if he can't, then he won't be any good. And that that happens sometimes. Right. So that's something to, it doesn't really get out. So I don't know if I answer your question there, but that's, I really don't care. If you told me everyone wanted to do steroids, cool with me. Really hope Justin Fields and Mack Jones end up in New England or San Francisco. Shanahan needs to go all in on one of these quarterbacks.
Starting point is 00:57:46 If he's a quarterback whisper, he and Lynch can get a cheap labor for four to five years, make another Super Bowl run with studs, other areas making big money, Bosa, Warner, O'Line, etc. I agree. I would always, I think the Rams are a good example. They were in such a draft pick hell. They didn't have any picks. They don't have any money. The only route they could take to upgrade their quarterback
Starting point is 00:58:09 was do something crazy like they did. They almost had to triple down, right? They had doubled down with Jalen Ramsey. They were stuck. The only way they could maneuver was doing what they did with Matt Stafford. In a perfect world, if they had more flexibility, maybe they would have tried to draft a guy because it would have been much cheaper, but they didn't have a choice.
Starting point is 00:58:28 If you can, you would always rather get your rookie quarterback who can become a top 12 guy. The problem is you just never know. You know, I mean, more than likely, Mac Jones or Justin Fields, and I like both those players, there's a decent chance one of them is a complete, terrible NFL player. It's not out of the realm possibility if we just use those two guys as examples. They're both bad.
Starting point is 00:58:54 That's the hard part about the draft. And I'm guilty, right? in theory, draft a guy, draft a guy, and I keep saying this about the Niners, draft a guy, draft a guy. What if you don't love any of the guys? What if you don't think any of the, you know, from quarterbacks three to six
Starting point is 00:59:08 are going to be franchise quarterbacks? Because if you do draft a guy in the first round and you miss, you're in trouble. Given your NFL experiences, can you give some perspective on how much the past culture of an organization plays into the approach, philosophy of the present and future of the organization?
Starting point is 00:59:25 How much does it affect team decisions on personnel and money. And is it something that's explicitly talked about? Complements. Thanks so much for reading the question. Side note. Totally fan girl.
Starting point is 00:59:38 Josh. Okay. Josh gave a bunch of compliments. Don't want to read on the air. Very nice. Appreciate your kind of words. Well, I've only been on one team and just, you don't like,
Starting point is 00:59:48 the culture, the culture. You don't talk about it. You just, your culture is just the building every day. Right? It's just your coaches and your personnel people and your players. It's why I said that I thought the Patriot culture was a little overrated because it turned out like Tom is a huge part of it.
Starting point is 01:00:03 And Tom creates the Belichick culture because his best player, the best player in arguably the league history doesn't make that much money, can get coached. Everyone's kind of on edge because Tom's kind of on edge and just kind of gets created. When I was in Philly, like it was just Andy kind of set the culture just by the way he acted, the way he operated. And the players and the coaches, it's just, I don't think you just, I don't think you just, I don't know how to describe this.
Starting point is 01:00:30 I never felt like the culture was this. I guess some days were good. You know, some days people are mad after loss. I don't know. I think it gets a little overvalued, I guess is my ultimate point. Now, good culture, like, I can't imagine a place that always loses, everyone's negative. There's something in that. I've never been around that.
Starting point is 01:00:47 I've been around, you know, I thought pretty successful people that were very positive. Last mailbag, somebody said the Niners need to put their big boy pants on and go get to Sean, which I'm a fan of them doing. Since that's in the air, then why not use the same mentality to trade up to number one and grab Trevor Lawrence and give Kyle the quarterback he needs?
Starting point is 01:01:08 Niners would be giving up around the same number of picks in that scenario and most likely be giving up less since we wouldn't be losing out on core players in a trade and possibly less picks. Lawrence would be cheaper for many reasons, worst case, trade for pick two instead and get Wilson.
Starting point is 01:01:25 Well, the Trevor Lawrence thing it takes two to tango, right? You can't ask, you can't get a dance with a girl if she won't dance with you. And there is under no circumstance. If the Jaguar said today, if Trent Balke and the Jags just tweet it out,
Starting point is 01:01:43 we're open or just leaked to Schefter. The Jags are open to listening to offers of the number one pick. Every fucking team in the league would call. Teams would be lined up. Why would the Jags trade with the Niners? What do the Niners have to give them? Why wouldn't the Jags want Trevor Lawrence?
Starting point is 01:02:00 I just, it's just not an option. Because I think they would. Like, would the Niners trade three first round picks and two second round picks to get Trevor Lawrence? Probably. It's just not available. I'm with you. I would do that yesterday to get Trevor Lawrence.
Starting point is 01:02:14 The Zach Wilson thing, you just, to trade up to get a player, here's the key. You got to believe in them. And one of the great conviction trades of modern day, of the internet age was a non-quarterback was Julio Jones when the Falcons traded up to get Julio Jones. And remember Belichick told him not to do it.
Starting point is 01:02:34 And he said in his gut he believed in it. And he drafted a Hall of Fame player. It was worth it. Sometimes, you know, when you trade up for quarterback, that guy has to be a pro bowl level guy or it doesn't feel it's a bad decision. What do you ultimately see the Washington football team doing a quarterback? Going with what they have,
Starting point is 01:02:55 free agent or drafting someone. Well, they made the playoffs, so their pick is not that high. They could trade for Marriota. Rumors were out there that they tried to a month ago, and then they kind of pulled back. Because there's a chance to Raiders cut them. I would say Mariotta would make some sense. I would say drafting maybe a Mac Jones would make some sense. And I would say, you know, if a player like Jimmy Garoppolo or Sam Donald become available
Starting point is 01:03:22 would make some sense. I get to ask all the time. Like, what is my team going to do at quarterback? I don't think anyone knows. Because there are crazy, you know, kind of variables out there right now. Start with Deshaun and Russell. Do those guys get traded? Because if they do, then what happens with Sam Darnold?
Starting point is 01:03:40 What do the Miami Dolphins do with Tua? Do the Niners draft a quarterback or they keep Jimmy Garoppolo? What the hell are the Bears going to do? Is there any chance that Kirk Cousins or Matt Ryan were to get traded? I hate not being able to answer the question, but I honestly don't know because I see it could be like 10 options. It's one of those years where it's not just,
Starting point is 01:04:01 what are the saints going to do? For someone who aspires to work in player development and ultimately a front office one day, the insight you provide is refreshing. I'm in my last semester of college right now and want to get into the game of baseball. My end goal is to be a GM in the game, but I feel as if scouting is the best route
Starting point is 01:04:19 for me to break into the game. I wanted to see if you had any advice for someone like me. My plan after graduation is to try to find a somewhat normal 9 to 5 job to give me some more capital for when I do slide into the baseball world because I know I won't be making a lot of money, especially after the pandemic has done to sports, and we love, you know, talking about economically speaking. Once again, huge fan.
Starting point is 01:04:44 Appreciate that, Brett. My advice would be this, and this is going to sound a little crazy, I would do everything possible to get your foot in the door as soon as possible. I saw someone say this the other day and I do think it's true when you give yourself an out like when I got into sports I never took another job
Starting point is 01:05:02 I never like before and I was lucky right I got a GA job at Fresno State right out of college but I remember thinking like Fresno State was paying me the equivalent of a college scholarship like what the players were getting
Starting point is 01:05:15 you know I got like $7 to $800 a month and I didn't make any money I was on scholarship but if I had done a job, let's say, and I graduated college right when the recession hit in 08, but let's say I'd gotten a job, like some of my friends making $60,000, $70,000 with my, you know, selling insurance, Morgan Stanley, whatever. That is so, even, that is so much more money, 60 grand than I was making at the time. Who knows? Maybe you get kind of comfortable. Maybe you realize some people tell you,
Starting point is 01:05:43 like, you can make a lot of money doing this, and you just kind of get into a rut. But I just went right into the world and it's all I knew. Now eventually looking back like I could never go back and do that now, what I knew now. But at the time, I didn't know that now. I just knew what I wanted to do and I went all in. I would always advise someone to put all their chips in the middle of the table. Because then if you hate it, at least you tried and you took a big swing. Now obviously you need money to eat, need money to live, but sometimes you just got to suck it up. And the good thing with working in sports, especially if you can work in the front office, you know, what am I first year in Philly? I made like 25, 30 grand. 20 grand. I can't, maybe it was, I don't think it was 30. I think it might have been 25. But the thing was sports,
Starting point is 01:06:29 I had a free gym, I got free food. Same thing at Fresno State. I got a bunch of free food. I didn't have to pay for a gym. I got free clothes. I wore sweats every day. Like you can live pretty simply. It is a big advantage, right? I like to work out, I like to eat, and I was all in. That's basically all I did. I didn't have much of a life. I didn't go on vacations. I didn't go on any vacations in my 20s. Vacations didn't exist. I didn't have any fucking money. I didn't care. I was just trying to climb up the ladder of what I wanted to do. I think sometimes when you give yourself an out, I never have, but just knowing people that ask me questions about getting in as they get older, it's hard. Because you're like, how am I going to go from making 60 grand to making 10? Well, if all you know is 10,
Starting point is 01:07:14 you learn how to survive. Right? It's just like animal instincts. You can make do with what you got. But it's harder to take a huge step back. Okay, one more. I've been a Chargers fan for 15 years, and I've experienced mostly pain and suffering watching this team.
Starting point is 01:07:32 However, with Herbert at quarterback, I am hopeful he can one day lead us to a championship. What's your take on the situation? Well, he literally just had the greatest rookie season in the history of the position. So are his expectations probably a little outrageous? Yes. But you do not have to be Parcells or Bill Walsh to realize.
Starting point is 01:07:54 His talent is stupid. His arm strength, his mobility, just his overall ability is eye-popping, even at the NFL level. Then you factor in their team, pretty talented. Got a ton of studs on the squad. They are built to win now. To me, the only, like, I actually don't have that many questions.
Starting point is 01:08:14 with Herbert. Now, once fans come back, it's going to get harder. Transition period. Will it, you know, could he have some struggles? Of course. But he's pretty damn good. The question for me is the coach. The higher Brandon Staley, who'd been a coordinator for a year. To me, less about being a coordinator for a year, he'd only been in the NFL for four or five years. So there's a big transition. Now, he seems like a smart guy, seems like an impressive guy. There is a ton of pressure on him. He inherits Justin Herbert and Bosa and Keenan Allen and all these guys, Mike Williams, hopefully what's his name?
Starting point is 01:08:50 The Derwin James can stay healthy. Because if he can, God, their team is just loaded. They drafted Kenneth Murray last year from Oklahoma. They have a ton of talent on their squad. They just have been poorly coached. Like, Anthony Lynn's gone now. I just don't know if Staley's any good. He was an awesome coordinator for Sean McVeigh.
Starting point is 01:09:10 Best defense in the league. He was awesome. Can he do that with these guys? we're about to find out. Can't wait to watch. I would be really excited if I were you. I would expect to be in the playoffs next year. Thanks for listening.
Starting point is 01:09:23 Have a great weekend. And yeah, have a great weekend. Peace. The Winter Olympics are streaming on Bicom live. Your All-Axas pass to stream every event every day. The Winter Olympics on NBC. and Peacock.
Starting point is 01:10:05 Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.
Starting point is 01:10:28 Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, Point Game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hiring.
Starting point is 01:10:49 You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis keep coming to you. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.
Starting point is 01:11:00 So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on to Ernie. Score at the chip. Score! I'm Tav Ramos.
Starting point is 01:11:17 I'm Tom Boca. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines, the biggest decisions, and the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals.
Starting point is 01:11:33 Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bow, Ogden, Tabramos on the I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Rivera, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to fupas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me, or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure. you're going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard
Starting point is 01:12:09 Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.

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