The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Open Mike - David Bakhtiari on Green Bay’s future, Aaron Rodgers, did Packers miss their window?

Episode Date: April 23, 2023

Green Bay Packers LT David Bakhtiari joins Mike Silver to discuss his future with the team, expectations for Aaron Rodgers, and how the Packers organization compares to the rest of the NFL. They also discuss why Eric Bieniemy deserves an NFL head coaching job, how Silver unintentionally created drama on the day of Bakhtiaria’s wedding, and why there is no Ted Lasso slander on the internet. #volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Clifford Taylor the 4th. 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, unfills of conversations with athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Cliford show on the I-Hard 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. 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 harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in. He's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. One of the coolest things in football is when the people who are really, really good at it,

especially if the non-fantasy variety get recognized and get paid. And I remember back in November 2020, how psyched I was when David Bakhtiari got a massive deal in recognition of just years of being really, really good. And then I remember sending a text. It was all good. And then a few weeks later, a very unhappy New Year's Eve day, he suffered an ACL injury. And it has taken a long time for this guy to get back.

I feel like he finally is back to being a dominator. So naturally, people are talking about his cap number. welcome to the NFL. David, how are you, man? Good. Thank you for having me out, buddy. I mean, that pretty much summarizes it, right? You must be back because already, like, wow, he costs a lot.

Yeah, very true. All right. We'll get into that. We'll get into me almost ruining your wedding and some other things. Yeah, I was going to say, hopefully you'll bring that up. That's not. Yeah, I'm not getting off the hook on that one. But most important of all,

I have you. This is a big, big topic that I know everybody is really hinging on. How is phase one of OTAs going for you in great vet? Daddy daycare is going well. Just like the other 10 times I've done it, not too much variance. I will say through my, I guess now 11 years, I can say, seeing the progression from working, you know, we used to work harder and just kind of beat us up and we kind of were doing things to do them to now having reasoning and rationale behind certain, you know, training perspectives and not just trying to, you know, have so much competition all the time, so much running where you're just kind of beating the bodies up. I've loved seeing that progression throughout my years.

But other than that, I mean, it's good to get back. Good to see some fun, friendly faces at the facility, you know, throw some of my jabs in. I always, like, mess around a bunch of my teammates. And it just hits better when you're in person. So trying to find the positive things in that perspective of being in person. But overall, I mean, like I said, phase one of daddy daycare is going well. Well, so this survey has come out, NFLPA-indisated survey about facilities and all things. and I loved it.

Me too. Yeah, and I want to ask, because I was on someone else's podcast recently. He's a former Chargers team doctor, and he was kind of like, you know, it's like Yelp, and I go, yeah, it's like Yelp if only restaurant employees were allowed to respond. But I see, I think it's got a, you know,

people are going to have to up their game. So my first question is, are the trainers or other people at the facility like a little bit more mindful right now of interpersonal interactions at the wake of this survey? I would definitely say like subconsciously for sure. I like to think, you know, Green Bay got a very fair grade

across the board, and I would definitely expect them to be on, you know, top 10 or I think like just outside the top five. I think that's like very reasonable for what it is. For the most part, most things are pretty, good over there, over there with us. And I love the thing I loved about it. One, J.C., you know, we got drafted together. And he's literally, he was made to be the PA president. I'm so happy he kind of extended in and accepted that role. And he's got amazing ideas. And I think this was

one of the bright spots because it can really can highlight and show across the league. You know, I think a lot of, if I had to guess, I haven't been in any other franchises except the Packers, but there's a lot of things I think that gets swept underneath the rug and people kind of get lost in certain places. So I think it's awesome to see places, kind of get the grades and especially for free agency, guys can know. I mean, they used to say Raiders used to be where careers go to die. Now you look across the board and they're raving reviews from their facilities and the guys love it there from their quality of life and travel and nutrition where I used to remember hearing from like Donald Penn. They used to have a.

guy roll up and kick on a propane tank and cook like omelets on a two burner. And that was like their breakfast station. I was like, wow. It's remarkable just to see certain those places. I actually was so surprised about the Vikings. I mean, I would assume most of the places that do brand new facilities, they're probably going to get really good reviews. But I had no idea that it was going to get graded that well.

And that's, I mean, that's awesome to hear just from a player's perspective from the NFLPA. Now, you know, obviously they're a. rivals in the NFC North. So for us, I'm like, well, you know, I want to make sure, like, what do the Packers need to do? What do we need to do to be better? Because obviously, I want to be the best in our division. But yeah, overall, long winded way of saying, I think a lot of people kind of have been put

on notice and understand that any little interaction they have now can be great. And I think it's only going to be another data point moving forward that's going to push the quality of our profession and what we have to go through on a daily basis further, which I think is great on all boards. I think back to when I was at Sports Illustrated in the 90s, and my good friend Kyle Turley told me about the rant he went on at St.'s training camp in Tibado, Louisiana, about how bad he thought the food was. And I don't know if you've ever met Kyle, but he's not very subtle in his, you know,

descriptions and it sounded like one of the all-time rants. I loved it. We're hoping that people are more on their game because it is a free agency recruiting tool, negative and positive, I would believe. Well, also just from a daily life for the player, you know, I would assume, you know, looking across the league owners, GMs, they're only getting fed what the head of their departments are going to feed

them. So most of them is going to say all is good. We're the best in the league kind of curate your certain numbers, whether it's real or curated to benefit them. Because at the end of there is a human element of protecting your own ass. So now to see, well, here's another perspective from the people receiving the care and or the use of your department. And this is how they view it.

And I was just, I'd heard rumors about, I think it was like Baltimore, the Ravens Strength Coach. I'd heard rumors about that. I've heard rumors about the commanders. And I think it's awesome now to validate said rumors. And it puts them on notice, which is awesome. Because before it, you know, it sounds like, oh, we're just complaining. And then it's, you know, it always comes back to, which is funny.

The masses always being like, you know, the players are always complaining. They want more. It's like, well, again, you have to judge apples to apples to apples, not apples to oranges. So across the board from us players, how are we being treated? you know, hearing that when the Patriots went on their crazy running, they got like their own two custom planes here and they have like shake stations on it and like other

modalities in which they can like fully recline. And I remember sitting in a coach seat being like, man, that would be so awesome to have. And then now just kind of, you're just getting more information. At the end of the day, more information the better. You know, I complain what I said in coach. I don't even want to think about being you

instead of good coach. Yeah. But it's a great point because the football culture I feel like is kind of like geared toward shut up and do it, you know, because it makes you tougher. And there's like almost a militaristic like follow orders vibe to it when you're young. And then you ascend. And then you go to college and play for free, although that is now blessedly changing to some degree. And then you have an artificially deflated rookie deal because not only are you told where you have to play, but now you're not getting close to market value. It's been, you know, negotiated down.

And then finally you get paid and you have a choice to some degree. But, you know, you're also highly specialized athletes who are preparing to do very, very specific and difficult things that provide entertainment for the masses, et cetera. So you would think from the perspective of running a business, would want, you know, both from both, you would want the people to be able to perform well, but also just that vibe that we're not viewing you as a piece of meat. We're viewing you as a vehicle to our flourishing as an organization and, and league. And I totally and 100% agree with you as well. But if I take off my player cap and put on my owner cap, from their perspective,

it is a business. It is an investment for them at the end of the end of the day. It's a bottom dollar. So if they take out the human element, which I'm assuming a lot of owners of businesses or CEOs, whatever they do, and look at how do I get my books as good as possible? Where can I,

like, do we really need this? Can I put, you know, two players in a room at a hotel and cut out, you know, 15, 20% of the rooms.

So I'm saving rooms. Like, these are all, you know, places in ways that I can only rationalize. for the ability and the reason why that the team and or a club is doing it. For sure. For sure.

I mean, the NFL's printing money at this point. By the way, the value of the franchise you play for appreciated another $100,000 while we were just talking right there. Yeah, I wound out that one bit. And they printed more stock probably, so that's a whole other thing. Yeah. Yeah. And listen, I worked for the owners for eight years.

at NFL network. I was ultimately a cap casualty. You know, it would be the analogy. Yeah, it happens, you know, but I know, but it is interesting because I came up, I was a young beat writer covering the 49ers. I was really close with Eddie de Bartolo. This is even before the cap. And ultimately, they put in the cap because of him and people like him. But he had a way different attitude. He was hyper generous what he could be. He was. would literally hand out towels, you know, when players would come through the tunnel after games and at halftime. I think as a gesture of saying, I understand that you are sweating for me.

And you grew up in the Bay Area, so I think you kind of know the lore. But I also remember the same franchise when John York and Denise de Bartolo, York were now in charge. I believe I reported that a player, space it on which player it was, signed. a deal had got like maybe a $40,000 signing bonus. And they back, it was before direct deposit. And they mailed them the check. And it was for like $39,9.79. And five cents because they took the FedEx fee out of the check.

Yeah. I mean, again, I don't like it. But from again, at the end of the day, I respect it. It's, if you want to run the business and that's who you are, great. Like that's what it is. But the same end, you have to accept what can come of those said actions based on how you're going to run your business and or team or franchise. And I think that's, you know, when you can take the, you know, emotional side out of it, which I try to do a lot when, to be rational, sometimes you have to take your emotions out of it to really see what,

what exactly are they doing, even if it's the demise of said myself, from a player's perspective. So that's where a lot of times for me, I'm like, yeah, I guess this is, I, I, I guess this is, this is the only reason it could be other than now we're acting in the realm of irrationality, which then doesn't bode well either because then it's like, well, then why are you in the position to make these choices if you're not going to be a rational choice maker? So again, it's a cyclical cycle. It could be a vicious cycle. And that's that's kind of where I've kind of wrapped my mind and come to a sense of like understanding

and at peace with the things that are good that, that me as a player benefit from and then things that aren't so good that come to me as a player. Well, you are not shy about, you know, keeping it real. And you recently went on with a couple of former NFL linemen, Taylor and Will, who know a lot and spoke your mind, talked about your future or, you know, uncertainty surrounding it, talked about Aaron, and caused quite a stir, although, because I want to get to it later, I will support you wholeheartedly on the Ted Lassow being overrated. I appreciate that.

And I totally want to get into that. And also why Trent Crimm is kind of the devil. But that's an aside. But yeah, you know, so you did say some things. I think you said you called the Packers they and people freaked out. Has there been any awkwardness since you've been back in the wake of any of that? Yeah. I think there's been a little bit of awkwardness.

I think that really just stems from the lack of understanding and the fact that I have to spell it out. I guess this is the platform to do it. They is the front office. I am not the front office. Like I said before, when I act rationally and I take my motions out and look from a business standpoint,

I'm thinking from a third person point of view. So it's almost annoying the fact that I have to explain that. And that's why I know I have Twitter and my ability to use my voice. I'm like, by responding to any of this creates credibility and it makes it more real when I'm like, this is just people going off on a tangent, nitpicking said words for what? Like I'm, again, I'm not a type of person that's going to assassinate my sentences so that you can find a cryptic message I'm trying to find.

If I felt like I wanted to disassociate, I would flat out say I wouldn't going to disassociate. and that's pretty black and white. There's no gray area with me. So again, if I have to spell out even further, they means front office of the Green Bay Packers when I'm trying to talk about said negotiation tactic because right now there's two points in which people say that there's leverage from.

And my own thought was like, well, where are the Packers seeing their leverage? And then I thought to myself, if I'm in the front office, I would assume that this is probably what the hill they're dying on from where they see deemed leverage based on where they've held their cap, how they've been active or inactive in free agency for their position. That is as black and white as I can get.

And I'm almost excited to see how people can still pull that apart and make their own reality. And again, if you're going to live in the reality that you want to live in, great. I don't care to change your mind. Now, if you want to listen to what my mind says, fantastic. But don't read into something that's, don't make something fake real. What's real is what's being said. So that's my piece on that.

Some of the pearl clutching that I've seen is, well, you said they're rebuilding. And I'm like, yeah, probably because I think you're rebuilding. We're moving on from a whole film quarterback. I literally, literally today talk to Jordan about this. I'm like, the Packers rebuilt from Brett Farf to Aaron Rogers. What are we going to say? it's not a rebuild. Like, it is exactly, like, that is what that is.

And that's totally fine. We could, I am not saying that we're going to be bad. I'm not saying we're going to be it. I don't know. And that's a beauty. No one really knows how good the art. We start the season. Everyone is batting 1,000.

No one has any losses. No one has any wins. And let the season play out however it may will, may be. Now, I'm assuming Vegas has their odds and their standards, and I'm assuming they're going to put us pretty low. Great. I remember a nineer team that they've had pretty low. up like what did they? Harbaugh's first year. They almost, yeah, the NFC championship game

overtime, I think. Not only that year, but I remember, I think it was the year like when Richard Sherman was on the team. Oh yeah, like 2019. And they ended up coming out of nowhere, I think with even like Jimmy G, I'm like, again, I have no idea. I'm on the team and I don't have no idea. A lot of teams don't know. And all of us are getting the same coach speak every year about, you know, this is a championship team. We're going to be out there in the Super Bowl. I'm like, you goddamn right. I fucking hope so. But. but let's, you know, I'll also probably take a breather halfway through the year, kind of see where we are.

I'll take another breather and kind of look at, dissociate myself from, and think about taking my emotions out of him, and be like, realistically, are we a playoff team or not? Who are we? And like, I'm just trying to look at from a very honest and real perspective. I'm not going to live in a fake reality. I'm going to see exactly where my team's at.

And like, it's funny, like, when me and Jordan have like a laugh about it, kind of talking about it, and it's just like, we're, everyone else outside, you know, buildings or people can just, their mind runs rampant. And, you know, it's like, oh, it's the disrespect to Jordan. Oh, he doesn't care about the team. I'm like, when did I ever say I didn't care about Jordan? If I say, again, if I said I don't care about Jordan, I'll say, I don't care about Jordan. If I said, I don't want to, I don't like the team.

I'll say, I don't like the team. But I'm under contract. I'm in Green Bay. I'm showing up with like, like phase one. I'm having a good time. I'm having great laughs. Me and Jordan are having good conversations. we're trying to go golfing next week.

We're trying to build rapport and chemistry. Like that's what you do as a team to be a teammate. So it's just like, man, it is just hilarious. That's why I part of me, I just love sitting back and just kind of watching the chaos. And then you really see who starts squirming. I'm like, that's where I almost kind of sit back. I'm like, huh?

I guess that's where you can really stand or how you really think if you're having, you know, if you're really this uncomfortable about it. Because no part of me feels uncomfortable at all. It's all kind of real. And I'd be lying to myself if I looked at the moves and things that are happening in our facility. Ooh, I heard our.

Hour in our facility. And I would just, I would be like an ostrich with his head in the sand if I didn't. And that's not who I am. I'm going to take all the moves. I'm going to think critically and then come up with like, well, obviously, this is what this means. And if it wasn't, then we would be doing different actions. but clearly from what I'm seeing, this is what it's looking like. And I mean, who knows?

Again, I'm excited because that's, let's football. At the end of the day, I don't care how good a team is on paper. You're going to have to go out there and play 60 minutes, and then we really see who's the better team. Well, I've paid special attention to the Packers for most of my journalistic career. I bet you have. Yeah. Well, so I covered the Niners when it was Montana and Steve Young.

And that was the first time in history that there was a transition from, First Ballot Hall of Fame quarterback to first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. And it made Aaron and Brett look like, you know, Barney, the TV show. Like it was, it was the most, it was six years and it was insane by today's standards. People have no idea. A lot of animosity, a lot of awkwardness. Yet they were teammates and those teams thrived. And ultimately, there was a transition.

You know, they didn't, the Niners didn't get decades out of it like the Packers did. but it went great, ultimately. Then, you know, I covered Brett all those years, and Aaron was drafted. I knew Aaron because of Cal and had a very, very strong conviction that he was going to be a good player. And I was in the distinct minority by the time that drama was playing out and Brett was getting traded.

And I was going on record saying, he's going to be really, really good. And people are like, whatever. So for once, I was correct. ultimately. But, you know, that first year, he lost some close games. It took a while. And again, look at a first ballot, arguably the best, and in my opinion, like, the best player to play quarterback. Like, he, his first year, would he go? Like, six and ten, I want to say. Like, there's still a transition period in that. Like, you have to build your team. Like, we're still cat, we're, I know, in looking at our cap,

we're still hamstrung by the previous years and our inability to do certain things because, there holds weight because of, you know, from COVID and moving guys caps down the line that gives us less latitude. Like that is all fact. That is all reality. And like it's just funny when people don't want to accept it or then their emotion gets into it. It's like now they're mad about it's like, I didn't, I didn't do any of this. That's just what's out there. I'm not in the front office. That is them. Like I got like I come in and I play left tackle and I make sure I take care of my stuff as best of my ability every day. This is the most

coach speak I probably will use that I agree with. Control what you can control. I'm not going to find what I can. Hit him in the mouth. Want it more than they do. Exactly. Yeah. So and so yeah, the, it's happened twice in NFL history, in this case

three decades of uninterrupted first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback play. I think the fans who kind of have this presumption that, well, it'll just happen now again with Jordan. A, not fair to Jordan, B, I would argue it's probably a little bit of an ask for it to happen a third time in NFL history, but one franchise just go from A to B to C on that level. But, you know, I'm excited to see what Jordan does and maybe, you know, maybe it will. You know, the other thing is just that all those years,

I felt strongly that the Packers were not going after it the way I would have hoped in terms of player acquisition. And part of that was being on the free agency show every year and we want action and all that. Part of it's human nature. But part of it was talking to plenty of people that you know well and I know well who were like, yeah. And I remember when Aaron,

wanted Marshawn in 2010 and they had an issue with the running backs not really stepping up. They didn't do it. The Seahawks got them for cheap. Now, James Stark stepped up in the playoffs and they won a Super Bowl. But I used to rail against the Packer philosophy in that, look, dude, I could draft and develop and stay passive if I have Aaron Rogers covering up all weaknesses at all times and making me look awesome. But I want to, you know, I want to be killers.

We have Aaron Rogers. Go get everyone and be, you can't get everyone, but you can be a little more proactive and aggressive. And I used to fight that battle over and over. There have been times where they went out and were more aggressive. A lot of times they haven't. I guess I would just ask it this way. Do you worry that a window has been missed now that we're on the verge of a transition? I mean, like, it's so like, can I go back in time change things?

I mean, due to how history's played out? Yeah. But that's that's also like, you know, hindsight's 2020. Like I'm not. That's such a tough thing, like tough thing to ask. And like, again, like I totally respect and understand people's philosophies. Because I want to say, men, you know, the one, there's a reason why you're not a GM. Like you want to make all these good a, a few reasons.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons why you're not in that position. And for them, like, I think if I had to put on my now, my GM cap, it's like, a certain, I think that's been like a Packer philosophy that's been instilled since like the Ron Wolf era. Yeah. And again, there's like core values that, you know, you grow and learn and understand that I know Goody was a part of. And there's a, there's, because he's definitely been different than Ted, um, and definitely more around. Like, the ability that conversal them is, it's been awesome. And this is no slight on Ted.

I thought Ted was amazing. Ted was great for me. Ted drafted me. But again, Ted had his ways, and his ways was a lot more on the, he was just, I don't want to come from, more of like a hermit. Like he was just kind of over, you wouldn't see much of him. And when you did, there wasn't much of a conversation to be had. With Goody, you do see more of him. Conversations are to be had.

I think he's more of an extrovert compared to Ted. But I think, you know, there's some core values that they have, that they have, that they're instilled, that that's just kind of like the hills that they'll die on on how they operate, just like I see other teams that operate heavily in free agency. Like, they're primarily free agency, and you see constantly, like,

they only have few draft picks and they come and go. Like, you see certain teams that are constantly throwing draft picks left and right, and, you know, even saying, quote, unquote, like, F them picks. F them picks. That's, and again, I don't, I don't know which is better. I think things are sick. I think there's times where playing in free agency is better, obviously because there's probably a talent to be had there and not in the draft.

That's obviously hindsight. And there's other times where you might get a good stretch on draft picks where there's a plethora of players coming out of college. And it's better to draft and develop them because you've gotten for cheaper. You help build more of your core team. At the end of the day, you take, if you have a bunch of really good players, it's probably better than having a few great players. Like it's one thing I've seen because this is a team sport.

It's 11 players. on offense, 11 players on defense. That's a lot of guys on the field. And, you know, even from my experience, I never would have a chance to win a Super Bowl. But we had, you know, like I said, the best quarterback to ever play the game up to this date. And that's one guy.

And still, I never got the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. That's no slide on my quarterback. But that just shows, like, you can only do so much you need the other pieces to fall, to fall where they may, whether that's pieces on the offense, piece on the defense, piece on the special teams, pieces of, you know, from a coach,

is like I don't know. I don't know that that said recipe. So I think that's that there's so many it's so dynamic and there's so many different pieces and properties. But to go back to what you're saying like did we miss window? You know, that's that's a if hindsight going back in time question, you know, I think any person would 100% say just like you had brought up. Of course you'd take Marshawn Lynch at a discount. You know, who knows what the next trade that happen. Like, of course I would have traded that pick. Because that pick was ended up being such and such. Like, the Raiders or something like that, who they traded like,

Khalil Mack for and who they got in their first rounders, like most of them are not even on the team. Like that right there, hindsight would tell you, like, you'd probably want to keep Kaleel Mack. Yeah. And, and I think, you know, when I used to, again, because part of it is just programming. I remember on TV, I'd be like, I'm going to, I catch myself. I'm always cheering on the teams that did something because it gave me something to talk about. Now, I did do the gag where I was Ted Thompson doing a crossword puzzle every year. And one thing is I will beat a gag into submission.

I will, you know, I will stay with it over and over. And also my sons, you know, were huge Packer fans growing up and still are. I was going to say. Yeah. See? We just, you know, they, they, we, my sons growing up were, and still our Packer fans, it was a Cal, Aaron thing. And, you know, they met Aaron when they were little. And, you know, fans are the harshest critics.

So I would always hear from them. Oh, my God. You know, we got to go get some people. So the ultimate hindsight 2020. There you go. I mean. Well, okay. So you, you are part.

of a team and it is a business and you are back from your injury struggles, I believe. At one point, you missed 22 out of 23 games. Then you came back and your appendix almost burst. It's, it's been a, I'm sure it's been an enjoyable run there. Yeah. And now I see that, you know, they did the contract restructure to free up cap space so people like me will be happy so they could do more. And then I saw, okay, his cap numbers 40 million next season, they could cut him and get out of 21.5 million cap dollars next year. So people are already talking about you not being on the team in 24. Then after you said they, people are kind of like, well, maybe he's trying to get traded to the Jets or he's part of that. How do you view all of that and your foreseeable future in

Green Bay? One, just noise. I mean, again, I love hearing the perspectives. I think they're very fun, very entertaining. At the end of the day, it's like genuinely how I feel, generally how the Packers feel, and how, I mean, obviously Goody is the one who's making the team where I fit and at what price point and at what cap hit.

I think, you know, again, now playing the business side of it. So buckle up people who are still holding their emotions for this part. The fourth year of those deals are always up in the air. They're usually never really guaranteed. It's pretty much if you sign a three-year deal, it's pretty much the first two years or a year and a half. If you sign a four-year deal, it's usually two and a half to three years.

You sign a five-year deal. It's probably usually three and a half to four years. And that fifth year is pretty much up in the air. And by the restructures that we've done collectively, the Packers and I, we've pretty much put ourselves in a predicament where it's going to be either, cutting me or extending me. So that's going to be mutually decided upon not today,

not sometime in the near future. I think it's going to come down to. And if I had to guess, as we play throughout the season, again, where I fit moving forward. And then also on my end, like where I want to be in my career, my life moving forward. So those are the two, again, I'm not saying, I'm not alluding to anything. Those are just purely the facts about what can be had on both sides and then let it all play out. Again, there could be a curveball of like a trait. I have no idea when it comes to that. That's kind of above my pay grade of understanding. I've been around the block long enough to know, I'm like, I'm, I know for pretty darn certain, it's going to be, they're either cutting me after this year or they're going to be extending me

because there's no way I'm living on that cap hit. And if they end up throwing an option three, I mean, I would be shocked and I'd be sitting here and be like, I was wrong. I have no problem admitting that I was wrong, but that's how I look at the situation moving forward in next year. You tell me if that's a fair assessment. I think so. Unless, you know, I guess you could decide to retire too, which if I'm a player, I'm thinking about that every, at the end of every season anyway. And I don't think people, I don't think people understand that when I just think,

even as a journalist, going through an NFL season can be so consuming and insane. And for a player physically, I can't even imagine. So I think a lot of players are like, let me get through. this season, get to a beach, be with the people I love, and then, you know, take a breath. Yeah, I think that's a very fair thing to say and very in tune emotionally with how players do think. I think the older I've gotten, the more, I think, and this isn't alluding to me retiring, but the older I've gotten, the more I've definitely thought of the idea of retiring. But, I mean, right now, based on how I feel like I don't, I want to play longer, definitely

that I did last year right now. And I want to play longer than definitely did two years ago. I think like a big injury definitely kind of scares you. But, you know, once you kind of get out of the weeds and kind of see, I'm like, oh, you know, still feel pretty good. I still got it. I still got it. That's really, that's it.

That's all you know. I still got this. I still feel young at heart until they start calling me like OG or like I start talking about players names and they kind of have no idea. There's old footage. And I'm like, yeah, that's me. It's crazy for me to think that I'm like the old head. walking around the building because I still feel very youthful,

still have a lot of fun. And then obviously, you know, the left knee really was the big thing. Other than that, I mean, I'm still kind of the young having fun and enjoy, I enjoy the days. And I enjoy that kind of the grind still. So until I stop and join that, that's where for me, that's where that battle really starts seeping in. Well, one of your buddies is older football-wise and about,

about to be traded and has a high cap number. So there's my segue. You know, I think you've said what I believe, which is it's going to get done with the Jets, we think, although you did broach that interesting scenario about the Packers squatting on them. I'm assuming that's the leverage that they have. Yeah. Again, I use the word they keep noticing how I say they. I'm not the one negotiating with this.

But I'm assuming, correct me if I'm wrong, that's, is there any, other type of leverage that I'm not seeing that I'm assuming that they're like from their posturing because that that's what I'm assuming why they're kind of still where they are because if it wasn't and if they were to say that pretty much the pack would have no leverage this deal would have been done quite a while because they would pretty much take whatever they can get but I'm assuming yeah and there's a cap trick that I think would level it out to but yeah and I think the Jets leverage because I know I've talked to all these humans unnamed humans but the Jets leverage is, hey man, he already knows Hackett's offense and he doesn't really like Otees anyway,

so we're not that stressed about it. But I specifically wanted to ask you that because you've had Hackett. You've changed offenses when LaFleur and Hackett came. You know Aaron. And what is the real trigger point in terms of when Aaron would get stressed about it getting done? just knowing that he knows that offense, but he doesn't know his new teammates, but there's nothing to stop him from working out with them on their own.

Is Aaron going to be able to just slip right into that system with his knowledge of Hackett and his offense later if it comes down to it? Yeah, I think answering that, what you said, which is, can he slip in the offense? He knows it inside and out, no problem at all. He has a great relationship with Hackett. So yeah, I don't think Aaron's pretty much sweating and probably even thinking about that being an issue at all. It's like me going to, I'm assuming, like, going to playing for the Rams and like McVe,

McVeigh and Matt have the same offense, I would assume. And what I've talked to is in a certain plays, like most of the same terminology. So there's not much of an issue at all for me, like moving over that. So I would say nothing at all would kind of really bother with that. And I'm also within me, you know, doesn't really, really enjoy OTAs at this point, his career. Again, I'm speaking for him, so I can't wait for him to yell at me telling me, don't talk for me. You don't know how I think.

I'm like, okay, buddy, sure. I've been there. It's so fun. But I mean, yeah, like, would I rather be in my home with my family and friends or, you know, go, like I said, do phase one of daddy daycare where pretty much you just have to have someone chaperone and watch you doing what you already have been doing. I love that. So if I'm Aaron and I want to force the issue, and I don't know how badly he does, as we just said.

But if I did, I would show back up at Daddy Daycare, whatever. I would immediately go to the weight room and I'd be like, hey, I want to try something new. Can you put like Bakhtiari-sized weights on each of these, you know, on, I don't know, weightlifting terminology. Yeah, squat rack. And I'm just going to go for it. And they'd be like, because it's one thing we're going to sit on his contract and make you bleed. But if he were to, you know, hurt his back doing that, then you're throwing a lot of cap dollars and real dollars into a hole. So I don't know if he would do that or if it would come to that.

I feel like it won't. Yeah, I mean, like that's the ultimate pettiness. But, yeah, I have even thought about that yet. I did think about it would be really funny if he did show up because, you know, he's, I'm assuming this is now, again, some assumption. I'm assuming he's still on the team. So I think that would be hilarious. But I don't think that's part of it. I don't think that's his nature at all.

But I would get a good laugh at that for sure. We're in April right now. Like football is so far away. So I love the seriousness of like day one reporting and all the news around the NFL because the NFL pretty much is 365 and everyone, you know, I love it too. Like football is amazing. It's, it's giving me a lot. And I absolutely love playing the game.

I just think it's so funny. Like right now, my God, football's so far away. It's, we have time. And people lose the, the voluntary side of it. I mean, I remember when I was at SI one off season, I was doing a big Edgeron James feature. And he and I were pretty close. And he goes, come to Miami.

And it was Memorial Day weekend. I think we just, he didn't, I think he'd stop drinking because it was Memorial Day, or maybe that was his last weekend where he would drink before the season. But he just would stay up all night bowling and gambling. I mean, he was nuts. So I was young and we went hard. And he tried to get me to go to Cancun afterwards. And I literally, like, talk about an Irish goodbye.

He goes, it's like three in the morning. He goes, be at the airport by six. We're going to Cancun. I was like, sweet. Let me go get my. passport and just went right to the airport and flew back to California. I was like, no, trying to stay married. And so anyway, so I write this long edge of James story. Well, it turned out the weekend we'd spent together was a voluntary minicamp in Indy, and he, of course, was with me.

And so when by the time the story was getting ready to run, it had become a controversy because Bill Polly and then the GM, future Hall of Fame, G. and Peyton Manning, the quarterback, had both ripped him publicly, which is odd, right? You know, a quarterback ripping a player for missing a minicamp and Bill Pullian, he's kind of a grump, so not surprising. But my editor called me and said, before we run this, you got to call Edgeron and get a quote about him missing this minicap. And I go, okay. So I called him up. I told him what was up, long pause, and then EJ goes, man, I only went to college for two and a half years.

And even I know the meaning of the word voluntary. I'm like, thank you. So, you know, I'm right. I mean, so anyway. I think it's his off-season. That's he wants to do. I mean, fine. Again, we have to own our reality and own also our decision-making.

Like if he's doing that and as long as he's taken care of business, that was just his week off and he's taking care of his business and he comes and plays good football, there shouldn't be an issue at all. It's his offseason to do what he feels is needed to put him in the best frame of mind and physically for the season, which I think is totally fine. And now he says from gold teeth to gold jacket,

it worked out for him. So there we go. That's what I'm talking about. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you'll say. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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. 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. 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. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Kunky, his best friend, and business manager.

And we've got a new show called The 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared O'Dano.

You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me. 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. One ring is too scary. Cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream.

Cream a 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 IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right. So last year, back in late February, early March,

there was a lot of intrigue about Aaron Rogers' future. And it was super charged and talk about the NFL news cycle. Is he going to retire? Is he going to keep playing? Is he going to try to go to Denver or Hackett? Is he going to try to go to San Francisco? You know, so many scenarios. about what Aaron might do.

And as it was all playing out, I was at the Combine, you know, I kind of was vaguely aware that you were getting ready to get married, which is amazing. And that at this wedding, a lot of the people who were very, very interested in this would be there. The Combine, I don't know if you've ever been other than as a player, but it's a shit show. It's spring break for coaches and talent. evaluators, their media there. We go all night, a lot of drinking, a lot of disjointed conversations.

And nobody's mad about that. I actually am all for that. Right, right, right. Yeah. Let me love steam. Let, let guys have fun. Right. Like, whatever. I like, right. And so, and, you know, a lot of, a lot of stuff being talked, but whatever. And so one of the conversations I had had at the combine somehow talked, it was someone who was going to your wedding and said, said, oh, yeah, and it's, yeah, well, I'm going to David's wedding, and Aaron's going to officiate it, and I was just, I kind of like forgot. It was just one of those, like, oh, cool. And then as I was leaving Indy, I ended up in the same airport connecting with somebody else who was also aware, I think, of the wedding, and also said to me, oh, yeah, and Aaron's officiating. And this is what it was

like, I think, day of it must have been the day of it. was fly back. So I was like kind of, you know, hug over from days of it. And I tried to send a tweet, and I haven't written down. I'm going to read it. But I tried to send a tweet that basically was kind of like, this is really awkward and weird. This is how the NFL is. And it's going to, this shows you how much is on the line with Aaron. I did not know that there was any, nobody had said to me it's a secret that Aaron is officiating it. So that was my first disadvantage. And And then my second disadvantage is it's just probably not a good idea to get it to anyone else's most important day of their life and all that in retrospect.

So what I tweeted was, today Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari is getting married in California. So again, at least I didn't say the location. But Aaron Rogers is set to officiate it. Matt LaFleur will be there. Rogers is likely to tell the Packers what he wants to do by Tuesday afternoon. timing is kind of wild and you know my Twitter's the shit show people

so people started people started kind of banging on me and I was like okay typical fans who don't understand that like David and I are friends and I'm not like you know doing anything like they're like oh come on it's his wedding and I kind of blew it off and I

fell asleep on the plane and I woke up and I kind of saw some more of them and I'm like ha ha and then I started tracing one of a back and it was a tweet from you saying, Mike, what the actual fuck? And I mean, I want to hear your version because for me, I was like, I was just truly mortified. And my first thought is, this guy is about to get married and I just fucked up his wedding day. And that cannot be a good thing. So I want to hear your, I want to hear you take me through this. Yeah, I just remember as we're

getting ready. I believe we were like in a, uh, uh, I was all with my groomsmen. We're getting ready. And I think someone, like one of my friends like told me that like a reporter found out and kind of like, like you had sent that and then a lot of more information started coming out. And I was kind of trying to keep it like, hey, last thing I need in especially in California, which is like TMZ Central is having everything blow up. So that's where I was getting mad at. Sure. The second thing was, it's better not fuck up how my wife's going to look at this way. because I want her. This is supposed to be the most magical day for her.

100%. Mike is the reason why we fuck, like he fucked this up. I'm going to be so pissed at him. So in the other part, I'm like, it's kind of funny. I have a little gaggle.

Let me make him sweat a little bit. I mean, like, I was assuming most things are going to be fine. I just didn't, like my biggest thing was TMZ about Mike. I think it might be pretty good. So then I remember just like,

oh, I'll just go on with everyone. Just like, because I was getting tagged in it with you. when you sends it because everyone's like freaking out. I'm like, fuck it. I'll, I'll throw a little one. So I remember asking you with that. And then I kind of like pulled your goat a little bit when we talked on the phone and just wanted to get it like, like to me on how your side of the profession works. And I, again, I appreciated

that. And I still hold that to this day. But that's about it. So not as serious, I guess, as like I tweeted it out. I'm kind of more of a sarcastic, funnier guy, at heart at least to myself. And no, it all ended up working out really well. I think some person ended up snagging like a photo of Aaron and like the ceremony. But for the most part, it didn't disrupt. We had a great time. So you can sleep easy now. Okay, good.

So yeah. So to continue on my head, I immediately texted you. You did text back, which I just hated. I'm like, oh, my God, this guy's getting married. He's fucking having to text me. Like, I just hated it. But I also was freaking, like, mostly because what you said, like, I don't want your wife. I don't want anyone having to deal with this.

And I, and you, I just remember at one point, you're like, call me right now. And I was on a plane. I'm like, luckily it was landing suit. And I'm like, dude, I'm dying. I'm like, actually, I can't. So I get off the plane in Sacramento. I'm like trying to get to an Uber. and I'm just like, fuck, I got to call him.

So I ended up, I think you called me in the Uber. And I'm like, I don't want to do this in an Uber. But, and then, yeah, you were very, like, you were great. And I just, you know, I could hear in your voice that it didn't necessarily ruin your wedding day. And I just kept me like, dude, go get married. I'm sorry. And, you know, for me, I was definitely pulling on your go. It was, it was fun for me.

And everything did work out. I just, again, I think I was like smoking a cigar with my room's been hanging out. And I was right. Because part of me, I did actually kind of went on like, how the hell did like this get out? Like that, that was like my main thing. And what you told me is that I, which I didn't realize is you're like, how the hell did you know Aaron's officiating it? And again, like, no one, if someone had said to be like, dude, it's kind of a secret, but Aaron's officiated. Like, of course, I'm not.

Like, I'm not a spoiler alert. It's your wedding, whatever. But, so I felt like, okay, the world thinks David's going to kill me, which that's fine. But, like, I don't think David's actually going to kill me. And more important, I don't think it, you know, you're like, the boys and I are laughing. It's cool. So I'm like, okay, I think that's going to be okay. But, okay, so that's a great prelude.

Did you see the Darren Waller? wedding stuff that came out of this year's combine? Because it's, this is unbelievable. Okay. I always put photos of his wedding. I don't know if any drama that came. Okay.

So you're going to love this because I've actually, I'm an adaptive person and I've actually learned. So this year at the combine, I'm having dinner with a coach who is close to Darren Waller, no longer coaches him. And he brings up twice to me. Yeah, and I got to leave the combat early because I'm going to Darren Waller's wedding. And I'm like, oh, that's great.

And I wasn't even really curious about it. He married Kelsey Plubb who's like one of the great athletes in America. So that in and of itself excites me. But again, as a human, as a journalist, I'm now like, I'm not in the wedding business anymore. I already fucked him, David's wedding potentially. So all my instincts were never say a word about this, but it's cool to know. And that someone else, I think he brought it up again when I saw him in a bar. But like I totally knew and totally was like, I'm not messing with it.

So check out what happened. Josh McDaniels in his media briefing has a breakout session with the writer writers and ends up saying something about Darren getting married, although I don't think he was going. one of the writers puts it out. I think the Las Vegas paper writes it up. Like, hey, Darren and Kelsey Plumber getting married this weekend. And they didn't want anyone even knowing it was happening, period, I guess. I think that's the main thing is that people that would come and, like, disrupt the day.

Because it's that I would say that's probably the only thing that I was, like, focused on. Once I realized, like, that from a, uh, from an event perspective that it wasn't going to be like tainted at all. I'm like, okay, cool. But that I can definitely say. And I'm glad, hey, I can be the help for your learning experience. And that's about the person's side. It's like, all right, like, you know, stories worth it.

But like, this is also like their day. Yes, you saved me because here's the best part. Then there was talk. So Darren gets traded, like pretty quick after that, which kind of sucks because Kelsey plays in Vegas. And there was some talk that some of the tension between

Darren and the team or Darren and Josh is that Darren was pissed and probably Kelsey was pissed that Josh leaked probably inadvertently the news of their wedding. But there was this one tweet I saw from Kelsey that said like

yeah probably because he wasn't invited and I'm like ooh! Like at least I didn't get that one. That's spicy. That is spicy. All right. So we have, we've left, we've left that dark day behind. You are now happily married.

You are a father. I am. Which is the best. And so that's all awesome. I'll tell one more story about me since it's obviously my favorite topic is to talk about myself. But it does relate to you. So back in, 2001. I'd been hearing

so I have a brother-in-law who teaches at Sarah High School and I'd been hearing for years. Mark McShark-Goyer. There you go. So I've been hearing for years about Tom, Brady, Tommy, Brady. This guy's really, oh, he's a good player. Oh, he's playing at Michigan kind of. Not really starting, but he's playing. Oh, he's at the NFL. He's a fourth strigger. And I was kind of like Mark Goyer as a teacher at Sarah in San Mateo married to my, or no, I'm married to his sister, and which kind of gives me the upper hand, I feel like in conversations. And so he would always tell me, but, and I was like, yeah,

yeah, yeah, yeah. And then all of a sudden I'm in Foxborough. They're getting ready to play in the AFC championship game in 2001. And I'm like, hey, Mark, can you like tell Tom? Like, you know, I need him. So I'll never forget telling Tom, it was very young. Hey, I'm Mike Silver Sports, and my brother-in-law is one of your former teachers. And he goes, which one? I go, Mark Goyer. And he looks at me and he goes, Mr. Goyer is a great man. He is.

And I'm like, okay, that seems a little thick to me. Like he was young. It's like Mr. Goyer. So now fast forward about, I don't know, 12, 13 years later, I come up to you in the locker room at Lambo and I tell you, hey, Mark Goy is my brother a lot. You just go, Mark the shark. Oh, yeah. And I didn't know the nickname. So that actually was a great moment for me. Yeah. No, Mark Goyer, a big fan of him. He was in it. He still is an amazing teacher. I had so much fun in his classes. He made learning fun. He made like I, so, I, it's just, I can't,

when I think about those formative years and being in his class, there's only good memories. So that's a good sign. That means you you taught the right way. He didn't like, you know, he wasn't at a corporal punishment, like paddling people. He made learning fun. And then, you know, when it's time to be serious, we're going to be serious. But then when it's time to have fun, you know, we're going to have fun. He kept the vibes high.

That's for all the trendy kids, let them understand what I'm saying. But, you know, he's awesome. And I got a lot of respect for him. And I love that connection. and that's kind of how we kind of spurred kind of our relationship when you told me that. Is it true that you, part of your strength training as a senior was to lift him and carry him around the classroom? Maybe in his memory. Now, no, but did I ever pick him up in class?

I probably, I don't remember, but I wouldn't put it past myself, given who, like how I was as a kid. And that happening. Now, it might have just been something that I didn't think anything of much, but maybe he was like, wow, I have this kid who's carrying me right now in class. And then now he's in the NFL. So obviously, he's going to remember it better than me. But I wouldn't put it past myself when I was in high school. By the way, when I texted you the other day from Nashville, I neglected to mention that my wife and I were there with Mark the Shark and his wife, my sister-in-law, on a yon-a-on-a-to-night, you know, bender, basically. Oh, yeah.

And I got to tell you, man, like, so I did a book with Rodman. I've been trying to drink with big people like you unsuccessfully for decades. I always make the same dumbass mistake. Like, oh, I'll go beer for beer with David. Can you go beer for beer with Mark, though? And I actually, he is not bigger than me, but he's like, it's the same problem as like trying to drink with like, you know, Joe Thomas. Like, Mark is, he's a freak of nature, dude. He's a tank.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I learned about that once I was in college. So once he actually showed me that side of him, too, I'm like, dude, this guy. I was saying, Mark's amazing. Big guy. Okay, okay. So there you go.

Yeah, I was at various lower Broadway establishments, just, you know. Did you guys go to 1230 supper club at all on Broadway? Yeah, we had dinner there the first day. That's like one of my, like, I don't, you know, I don't really enjoy, like, going out like I used to. But that's like a very tasteful, live music, beautiful scene, going upstairs. is like in there. Food is really good too. So I was, I was a big fan and their cocktails are awesome. Yeah. We did all of that. We did all of those things and then ended up at Tutsis and the stage. Yeah. Then you have just getting the more, uh, uh, dressed down, just have some fun.

Yeah. It was his, right, let loose. It was his first time there ever. So he had, uh, you know, we had to do all the things. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Perfect. No, I love it out there. I'm a big fan. Before you go, one thing I want to ask is you're a proud Buffalo, University of Colorado, proud alum. You were pretty vocal when a guy that I worked with and covered Dion Sanders got the head coaching job. And I know you're into it. Tell me what, you know, what it's like to be a Buffalo right now.

A lot of energy. And I really think, and this is no disrespect to the coach before him, because I thought, you know, Coach Relle was awesome. I love anyone that comes from the NFL branch back down to college because the more times than not, I do know what they're talking about. And he is a respected coach in the NFL.

I think anyone who's followed the Buffaloes, they just know, like, they had been so stale for so long and needed that injection of just kind of the pizzazz, the fame, the clout, and the attitude. And again, all this is great, but they're still tied with everyone else in the PAC 12. No one's done anything yet. But so far, the momentum that's building, the roster on paper that's showing is exciting, especially from a fan's perspective.

And it's even more exciting seeing, you know, the university reaching out and wanting to put more things together, wanting to build more of the outreach of alumni. I will say, like, I hadn't noticed that in my past that really wasn't there. And to put an emphasis on it, and to understand how strong your alumni are, especially the ones that do make it out and into the NFL. It can be big. I remember hearing stories, my buddies going back to Ohio State and hearing like how they treat them. I'm like, man, I remember, because I didn't have the right credential. Like, this is like in 2016, 2017. I wasn't even allowed in a certain portion. during a football game, I'm like, and I'm not going to go over there and be like, you know who I know.

I'm just going to be like, okay, like, if this is how it is, it's just crazy. They roll red carpets for a couple of my buddies that played on the offense line for Ohio State. So I'm excited to see how everything looks. I'm excited to see how he, you know, meet Dion. I've been a fan of him since he played. You know, I think these younger kids know him as, you know, coach prime, but, you know, I think all of us, remember him high stepping in all the picks and the swagger i mean he was a dog most of that today that you hear that are talked about they're literally the the makeup or their profile is based off of what

his standard what he said from the bandanas to everything like he was a stud so i i'm i'm from the the little football fan and me i'm be very excited to meet him it's been someone that i would love to meet and then just kind of see see the guy, see the players, of course, my respect to the offensive line. I can't wait to go meet the players there and kind of give them any little bit that I can and really just kind of see the university. I haven't really been back. Last time I was there is pretty much when I met my wife and then I haven't been back since.

Is your wife coming or is this a boy's trip? No, she can't. She's actually got girls' trips. So she's got a bachelor's got a bachelor's got a bachelor's in Nashville. So she's going to have that fun time. That sounds wholesome. That sounds super wholesome. Yeah. So, no, things are going really well.

And again, my college roommate, he's going to be flying out as well. So me and Daniel, we're going to get to hang out again and kind of get to go to the old stomping ground. So it's going to be, it's going to be a good time. I'm excited to kind of see a couple of people I know that are still working at the university when I was there. And obviously meet the new faces, see the new facilities, you know, probably be like back in my day, you know, we couldn't even get a breakfast. was considered an extra benefit. You know, we had to have a bagel, no cream cheese. Oh, my.

It's crazy. It's absolutely insane. What, like, if I were to tell some of these kids, the stories of what even I had, they would go, they would have no concept or frame. They'd be like, that's impossible. And then I'm saying this on my high horse compared to the people back in the 90s on what they, what like, you know, if I were to talk to Mason, Crosby about, you know, what I got in college, he goes, you got that?

Yeah, right. I'll never forget in the 80s when I got to Cal, you know, there were no football dorms. So I had football players living across from me. And they're like, come on, we're going to go buy your books. I'm like, what do you mean? They're like, yeah, we get a book allowance. And we have no money. We're like dirt poor.

And, you know, we're from Texas. So are the only way we could like afford to buy food ever is if we buy your books with our book allowance and you just give us the money. And I'm like, oh, yeah, of course, like, cool. But like, what a system, you know? And one guy blew out his knee. It's great. It's just a great deal.

I don't think you know this story. I want to tell you. So I, when coming out of high school, I drove for an unofficial visit to Cal, watched their entire practice back when Alex Mack was a senior. And I remember sitting there. So I drove for Tedford years. I drove. look at the doorstep, watch their practice.

I think there was like one or two, maybe two or three other guys that might have been there. And pretty much got ignored the entire time. At the very end, the guy just handed me a card and so like, hey, you know, we'll see how you do. Good luck on your senior season. I'm like, we'll stay in contact with you. And I, again, I went out of my own way.

I was, I was just would have loved for any sort of attention. So fast forward, obviously that never transpired. I never end up going to Cal which probably, again, this is hindsight. but there's a very high chance that I would have went to Cal because I only had like four offers. It was pretty much between Colorado and Utah or my final two.

If you throw in Cal, I'm like, well, school was super important to me, education and then also football and then also being a native, like, and then my like little connection I have with Cal through my family that went to school there. So it's just funny. And then I remember seeing that coach a couple years later

and he goes, the worst decision we ever made was to let you leave. the university. I'm like, and I sat there after they just beat us, they beat the piss out of us on our home turf. And, but I was sitting there,

I'm like, that kind of made me feel good. And it kind of sparked the whole, like, I think I am actually a pretty good football player. Because again, I was on terrible teams in college. So that kind of like,

okay, I'm, this guy's kind of validating when I'm kind of seen, but I'm not, I've never been the over boisterous. You know, I'm not the Dion of personalities when it comes to my play.

And I don't think offense alignment, you don't really see two. many of those. One of my favorite, I have a lot of friends who went to see you, but one of my favorites, we're going to have them on open mic probably very, very soon. Eric B. Enemy, who recently switched jobs because apparently the rules that normally would apply for someone in his position following Doug Peterson, Matt Nagy, and in that role have not applied to him. And now, I don't get that. I don't know if, is that just headline new stuff or is that like real?

Is he really not getting any head coaching? He's had a lot of interviews, but, you know, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, he's done it. And so now the, the idea, I think, for him and for, you know, I know, I know Ron Rivera was selling him on this, but the idea was, look, there, you're an Andy Shadow, so let's bring you out and let you run an offense for a different head coach. and in this case a defensive guy, Robert Rivera. So now the offense really shows from.

Yeah, which Doug Peterson didn't have to do and Matt Negi didn't have to do. And they got head coach jobs. So again, once you get the information, that doesn't look good. Right. I got all the, like, Eby was one, he was my offensive coordinator back in college.

Yeah. So, yeah, that's why. So you tell me he's had such a cool career. I covered him as a player. And, you know, I really enjoy talking football with him. what kind of guy is he and how would you expect him to be as an NFL head coach? He's a man's man. He's a leader of men.

And again, this is not me trying to like sell and jumping on any sort of like trend and fun stuff. This is just real talk. That dude is a fucking dude. He is a man. He will walk up to whoever, whenever and curse. And sorry for the language you can believe me. You'll curse you the fuck out. He don't care who you are.

It is about what is right. And that's what I love so much about him. And like I, there was guys who ran away from him and there's guys who ran towards them. And the guys ran towards them were the strong and the guys who ran away from were the weak. And he's, he's a no bullshit. He's just going to call it. I was if he's, if it's right and it's rational and it's just, he's going to give you that. And if it's not, he's just going to, he's going to tell.

And you're going to know why too. But I, again, that actually kind of baffles me. Like I thought there was a different reason and I haven't really looked too much into it. I just thought it kind of like he won the Super Bowl, you know, being in his spot. And then when I saw that switch, I'm like, well, I guess, I don't know. There was when the head coaching job, maybe he just kind of got bored and one to start a new project. But he's awesome. I loved when he coached me.

And he coaches you hard, but he also rewards you even harder. And I think that's the, I was a huge fan of him. I mean, I can't say enough good words. Okay, good. That's good to hear. and you know, I think he'll, I think he'll have a chance to show some people, some cool stuff.

Yeah, I thought he's already going to get head coaching job already. So the fact that he has, I'm like, could you be mad? Sure, but like it's inevitable at this point. Like I, I, if I'm betting in Vegas, again, here we're using the Vegas odds, I am betting that he's going to be a head coach in the next like three years. Like he has to be.

He's not like, forcibly needs to be, but like he, he is a head coach. coach, period. Isn't it weird that like five years ago you saying on a podcast, if I'm betting in Vegas, would have been like, oh, my, investigation. That's just, that's the vernacular I use.

It's just an analogy of like. Oh, it's cool now. Now it's, now it's fine to say the NFL is. Five years ago, I probably would have said it too. Like, that's just coming up a thought. Five years ago, they told Tony Romo, if you go to this fantasy football convention that's being held in Vegas, all. sorts of horrible ramifications will happen to you.

And now they're like go Raiders and seizures. Yeah. And drafters. Yeah. Draftings. I have 40 more questions for you. I cannot. I've already ruined your wedding.

I don't want to, so to speak. I don't want to have you have your wife mad that I took this one. No, you're all. Okay. I cannot let you go until we just do a quick lasso. Like, look, so. I grew up with someone whose son worked on the first season of Ted Lasso. So even if I wanted to criticize it back then, I couldn't.

And I didn't want to, I liked it. I just, I couldn't believe, like, is it a rule on Twitter that you have to love this show? Like, it's the greatest thing that's ever happened. I think that's a great way to describe it. I don't understand why there's no, like, slander against it. It's just only good. It's like, it's so culty. Like, and I agree.

I, again, I watch the show. I'm looking forward to seeing the next episode. It's just, it's a good show, period. Yeah. It's good. Like, does it get the job done? It does. But like for the way people talk about it and the pub surrounding it and the, like, all this noise,

I'm like, am I the one? I'm looking around. I'm like, it's not that good. I, I, I'm totally. different than my brothers. My brother has a believe sticker on the back of his phone and he's he's even like, dude, you're just a hater,

but I'm like, I'm not really like, I'm just, I'm my, you were all watching the same thing, right? It, I totally, like I said, it's a feel good show. Like, it has great, like values and I love kind of like the underlying tones of like what Ted is like showing and displaying for like what, you know, about like, you know, from the mental health side to be, you know,

always be authentically yourself. to, you know, love thy neighbor no matter what. And okay, you can go on and on with all that. But I'm like, it's, again, I, it's a C plus. It's, it's good. It gets the job done. And getting the job done in college is C's. So there you go.

It's like a couple of omelet burners for Donald Penn and the Raiders back in the day. Yeah. It's fine. Yeah, a little extra more topic you can put in your omelet. I'll give it that. I don't think it's as bad as bad. But yeah, I mean, again, it's not, you know, We're not talking about, you know, the five-star ultimate buffet, anything you can have.

And it's, you know, you got, you know, a potential Michelin Star talking about, you know, deeming this the best breakfast. Like, no, is that absolutely not? No, that would be breaking bad or something, for example. Yeah, right. There are so many, like, I can, entourage. That was an amazing. Yeah, entourage great show.

Matter what, like, there are so many other shows. But my daughter started a job a while back as an agent's assistant down in, one of the major agencies in LA. And I was trying to prep her for, so of course, I, you know, pulled up some entourage. And literally the first two clips of Lloyd that I showed her in one, Ari says,

Lloyd, I'm going to chop you up like Benny Hana. I'm like, whoa! And then he made a, you know, beat you over ahead with a strap on joke at the second. I'm like, I think Ari, Ari may,

like, may be my favorite character. And the dynamic between Ari and Lloyd, like Lloyd is amazing. Like, I don't know the character, but the actor playing him did such a phenomenal job.

Like, I just, again, that's amazing. And a good one, I will say this, because I do want this to be on record, which I don't think made it on Bustin was a fleabag. My wife showed show. No, that made it on. That made it on.

Okay, I did. I just watched it. I hate to admit, I haven't really listened to the whole thing. I kind of, once I had enough people, people that. care about within my circle that are actually complaining to me. I'm like, okay, what did I actually

say? Let me make sure I, and I was like, no, I meant everything I did say. And you, you must have taken the sound clips or you're freaking out there on us. Because if you listen through it, that is all fair, right, just. But, uh, yeah, fleback, phenomenal. Like, and I can't even take that. I've heard. You should, I would totally, like, I would totally co-signed. It's a really good show. The acting's really good. The storyline's good. Like that, I'll put that over Ted Lasso. No problem. again now flea back season two like let me see it and if it has a little drop then it could be okay now it could be potentially be in the ballpark of each other and if they have a bad season three I believe they only did the one season yeah but they have bad season three then I can be okay maybe

they're the same I ripped forest gump on national TV I was like it's the most overrated movie I've ever seen I don't know if you've seen it it might be before you're time and yeah I'm okay like I think kind of your opinion like you know for scump like who can make like who can hate Forrest Gump like the movie. That's, again, is it like the best movie ever? No, but like I totally see how people would like be like, uh, like, uh, take it personal. The fact that you would be like, you didn't like Forrest Gump,

or how dare you say it's not? And that always, it always goes well on Twitter. Like someone was like, well, did you at least, you know, you had everyone cried when Jenny died. I was like, I was so happy when Jenny died. Here's, so I want to read you this. This is the best one. I'll leave you with this.

So, Trent Crem. Okay, now this, revealing a source. I love this part because this must say at home for you from, like, your profession. You guys. I love to, snitches. Okay, so snitches get stitches and also, like, reporters have got to jail to not reveal a source. And I would go to jail. And let's be honest, I don't think I'd do real well in jail. I mean, you know, I don't feel like that would go well for me.

But I would also have to go to jail rather than reveal a source. So Trent Krimm decides he's just going to tell Ted Lassow, hey, Nate, was my source. And I just wanted to underscore how mad I was that that happened. And I said he should be castrated. Somebody on Twitter said, that's the wrong take. And I said, yeah, you're right, execution. And I got this tweet. Wow. It honestly took me more than a minute to process that you consider an ethics violation to be worthy of the same punishment as murder.

You are a talented reporter, and I, parentheses, used to respect you a lot. But you really need to step back on this. Listen, man, calling for the execution of a fictional character, I will die on that hill. I believe Trent Crim should be executed. I'll still watch the show. He's on there. But yeah, I mean, because you know how it is. If like a football player did something that was that like played to a bad stereotype of football players,

you'd be very, very, very, very angry, even if it were fictional. Yeah. I mean, black ball, do you, V-shaped points? Like, I don't even know. Because what goes into it and to have someone actually do that and then find out, I would. Yeah, that wouldn't go on the locker room. I'll just put it like that. Correct.

And again, for you, you are professional in your profession, you respect to the highest degree, and hold it to that. So yeah, of course, again, I'm assuming the person probably isn't a journalist, probably isn't in your profession, so it doesn't see it as that big of a deal. Now we're talking about apples and oranges. So, you know, I'm sure if you were to go and talk to everyone else in your profession and had that same sentiment, they'd be like, uh, duh, but that's, again, that's why.

And at the end of the day, that's why I fucking love Twitter because it's great. Like I sometimes love just going on there, sending a tweet, and then getting off for us today, and then come back on to see the chaos and be like, yeah, that's good. And that's healthy. And I think that's great. And sometimes it's even like more fun just to like placate and just argue with someone, even though like, is it really charging me? No.

But like seeing them probably actually getting charged. Like that's like the best. I'm like, God, this is like, you. really, is this really like what your day is about? This is fantastic. So I love the open space, the open forum just to be able to communicate. I think it's been awesome. Yeah, I can see how for players

like to be able to directly communicate. Yeah. I mean, there are times where I've enjoyed it. There are times which we've referenced where it's been less enjoyable. I don't end being a journalist at all on. No, just when I thought I ruined your wedding.

But like, I actually, I got so much joy out of seeing the Kelsey Plum tweet, clowning Josh McDaniels. I'm like, ah, that wasn't me this year. It's much better. You are the man. Daddy Daycare awaits you soon. You must go back and...

Yeah. Go to the... Is it called the squat bar? The squat bit? Yeah, squat rack. There you go. Go abuse that squat rack. And I'll see you when it gets closer to

actual football big played. Yeah, no, I appreciate it. It's good to see you too. Thanks, brother. Appreciate you. 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 acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

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A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. 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, unfiltered conversations with athletes,

creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. 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's podcast network on TikTok. 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. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to him, he's like,

you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.