The Kevin Sheehan Show - No Young, No Sweat

Episode Date: November 17, 2021

Kevin was joined today by Doc Walker who didn't hold back on how he felt about the Washington Football Team. He wasn't happy with the coddling of Chase Young and Montez Sweat before their injuries and doesn't think it was coincidental that the defense played its best game of the year on Sunday without them. Plenty more from Doc including his thoughts on Taylor Heinicke and who he thinks the team captains should be.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You don't want it. You don't need it. But you're going to get it anyway. The Kevin Chean Show. Here's Kevin. Doc Walker will be on the show with me today. We will also revisit 30 years ago today as the Washington Redskins were going for 11.0 during that incredible season. Just a reminder and a request to those who haven't done it.

Subscribe to the podcast if you can. get it, you'll never forget about having it available for you. It just helps us a lot and it doesn't cost you a thing. Also, what's really important is if you haven't rated us and reviewed us, especially where available, and I know it's not available on every single platform, but where available, Apple's certainly one of those spots. If you can rate us five stars, give us a quick one sentence review. It really helps. And some of you have said that you've done it, and I really appreciate that, and we've read many of those reviews. And a lot of them have been recent, so I know that you're doing it. It really helps us just to explain why advertisers for these podcasts are looking for

not only a certain audience size, which we have, but they're looking for a certain type of audience loyalty to the host, to the co-hosts, to the guests, etc. And that is expressed through the rating and the review. So that really would help us if you would do that. I appreciate it. So I wanted to start with two emails that I got that I found very early this morning before the radio show. This one from John. John wrote, Kevin, you were too early with your declaration on Heineke. He's a starter in this league. Maybe not a true franchise quarterback. Maybe not a true franchise quarterback, but a starter in this league. Excluding the recently drafted quarterbacks, he is better than Mayfield, Wentz, Bridgewater, Gough, Darnold, Winston,

and maybe Jimmy G. puts him near the top 25 in the league. Keep him, draft a young quarterback and let's move on to other conversations. That from John, who emailed us through the podcast website, the Kevin Sheehan Show.com. I think the quarterbacks that you listed, John, are interesting, but I don't know if it's really relevant. Like, I don't want a top 25 quarterback in the NFL. And by the way, I don't believe he is a top 25 quarterback as a full-time starter in the NFL. I think he's a really, really good backup. I haven't changed my mind. Tommy and I talked about this yesterday. Tommy said, what does he need to do down the stretch to make you feel differently? I don't know. I guess he could do something, but, you know, play at a ridiculously high level, have them go over their

final eight games, six and two, you know, finish nine and eight, win two playoff games, and then we can talk about having him be the starting quarterback next year, but that's not going to happen. I don't think he's better than Wents, Bridgewater, Gough. Winston, although the Winston, Sean Payton thing is a little bit confusing to me. Jimmy G's got to be in the same system, in the right system. Goff's got to be in the right system as well. I don't know who he's better. You know what?

I'm not a big Mayfield fan, and I haven't been. Maybe he's better than Mayfield. And maybe he's better than, you know, 15 backups in the league too. You know, we didn't even get into some of the backups that might be better than him as well. Bottom line is, he played great Sunday. Take it one game at a time. He played great Sunday. It was his best all-around game, in my opinion.

Which leads me to this next email from Carlton. Carlton wrote, Sheen, Taylor Heineke has the it factor. Not giving him the rest of the season would be a mistake. He's a possibility for next year in the future. He's the best QB they've had since Cousins, much better than Smith, McCoy, obviously, Haskins. Also, Kevin, I didn't hear your grade of Taylor on Monday. If I missed it, what did you give him? And why did you say he got lucky on some throws?

Those are throws he makes. He's going to take chances. He's not going to check it down. He is what you've said he was from the beginning, fearless. It's who he is and why he's had the success he's had. Thank you, Carlton, for that. First of all, you know, not giving him the rest of the season would be a mistake. Well, you know, I'm not against not giving him the rest of the season.

I'm not against anything at this position right now the rest of the way. You know, I'm not. And I think after Sunday, there's nobody there's thinking about, you know, not giving him the rest of the season. I think Ron made it very clear that, you know, after four straight losses and not great performances by Taylor Heineke, He felt like Taylor was moving the team, and he probably gave him the best chance to be competitive

and maybe still wanted to continue to evaluate Taylor. Let's not forget, though, that there were stories out there that they were making a move at the trade deadline for Mitch Trubisky. Let's not forget that during the offseason, they did everything they could try to find another starter and then ended up settling on Ryan Fitzpatrick. So their actions continually speak louder than any of our words on this guy.

They, through their actions, have told you they don't really buy into Taylor Heineke being a week-in, week-out, 17-game starter for them. I'm sure they love a lot about him and they love his leadership and they love his playmaking ability and they like him. and I bet that he is the backup quarterback next year. And if they only go the route of drafting a quarterback, he might be the starting quarterback at the beginning of the year before the young guy is available. As far as the grade goes, I think I gave him an A-minus.

I think that's what I said. Maybe I didn't give out a grade. But it was an A-minus. And it was the last drive, you know, and I went through it yesterday on the podcast, with Tommy was great. He faced blitz pressure on every big down on that drive and delivered. I think, oh, the other part, the throws that he got lucky on, yeah, I mean, he's gotten lucky on a lot of throws. A lot of quarterbacks do. But man, he has really gotten fortunate in some

of these games and not so fortunate in others where he threw picks, you know, against, you know, Green Bay and Denver, et cetera. But he got lucky on that ball that went right into the hands of the DB and then into the hands of DeAndre Carter. That was lucky that that wasn't picked. He threw an out pattern towards the end of the first half in the red zone that was almost an interception and could have been a pick six. It was late. It was behind the receiver.

And then deep in his own end zone, he threw a ball that maybe shouldn't have been intercepted or it would have been a great interception. It was not a good decision, though. He threw it into an area of trouble. So, yeah. He doesn't always make the best decisions. He has gotten a little bit lucky. His ball will sail a little bit high.

It will miss the target on occasion. He also had some balls dropped on Sunday. Ricky Seals Jones dropped a first down catch, and Terry McCorn dropped one early. I thought he was an A-minus. And I think Tommy's point yesterday, they've won three games, and all three of the games they've won were really because of him.

It's true. You know, I also thought about last year, winning streak towards the end of the year. And I know that the defense really stepped up and was playing well against some pretty, you know, pretty bad offensive football teams with quarterback issues, a lot of them anyway. But, you know, the truth is about that stretch where they won five of their final seven games. Alex Smith played pretty well in most of those games. I know that, you know, no one wants to give him any credit,

and I think the offense was really limited with him last year, but he played well enough in the Cincinnati game, played really well on Thanksgiving Day, really played well in the second half of the Pittsburgh game. You know, I thought his best games were against Detroit and the giant game in which he came in in the second half and nearly let him back to victory. You know, it wasn't great quarterbacking, but without Alex Smith's performances in some of those games,

as good as the defense was, they probably wouldn't have won. At the very least, he was a very effective game manager. You know, they won five of the final seven, and the only two they lost were the only two that he didn't start. He didn't start the Detroit game, they lost that. But I'm talking about the final seven. He didn't start the Seattle game, Dwayne did, and he didn't start the Carolina game, Dwayne and then Heineke came in in the Carolina game. Anyway, that's that.

I have this sense, and we took calls on the radio show this morning about it. I have this sense that nobody really buys that the win over Tampa is going to jumpstart a season-ending run to the playoffs. But I do think it reignited the Taylor Heineke conversation. and I went back and I found some old polls that we did as part of the radio show. On October 6th, we put out a poll, what's your current opinion on Taylor Heineke? And the three options were you're all in now and the future. You think he's the guy.

The second option was, still not sure, but want to see more. And the third option was, no, not the answer. Well, you know, the truth is only 15.6. 6% of over 2,500 votes in that poll on Twitter said that you were sure at that point that he wasn't the answer. You know, 84.4% said either I'm all in or, you know, there's enough there. I want to see more. I'm not totally sure one way or the other. So I think we're back to that. I think we trailed away from that because a poll that I did on October 8th.

18th, and yeah, it would certainly seem like there were a lot of polls about Taylor Heinecke. Are you ready to see someone other than Taylor Heineke that this was after the Chief game? And 61% said yes, 39% said no. So I do think that the feeling in early October was, hey, you know, there's something to this guy. I want to keep seeing more of it. Or, you know, for some of you, you were all bought in.

And then I think it sort of waned a little bit in recent weeks. but I think Sunday may have brought some people back to the table. Look, you know, one of the reasons is it's really hard to find a quarterback, and this franchise has been in the quarterback wilderness for so long. So I get it. It's really hard to find a quarterback. And you see a guy and you're like, well, this is the best thing they've had in a while, and he is probably the more influential in terms of the outcome of games quarterback

that they've had since cousins. You know, Alex was very pedestrian here, even though he was a good game manager last year, and he was a good game manager before he got hurt in 2018. Obviously, Dwayne wasn't good enough. Colt wasn't good enough. Case really wasn't good enough. Anybody else they started?

I'm sure I'm missing Josh Johnson and anybody else. Mark Sanchez. But I'm still where I've been for the last two weeks. I think he is a backup quarterback in this league, and I think, you know, whether you think he is a low-end starter or a high-end backup, the point is, the goal has to be much higher than that. And it doesn't mean that you're going to land

and you're going to accomplish because it's so hard to find them, but you've got to keep trying to go get a true franchise guy that can cover up all of the other BS in this organization. That's your only chance, the only chance. By the way, one other quick thing, I had a guy from the athletic Joe Person who covers the Panthers on the radio show this morning. Man, they are excited for the Cam Newton debut in Charlotte. They're excited about the team.

Now they're really pumped up about Cam Newton. He said this is going to be in a tremendous atmosphere on Sunday. Cam's return home, and they are getting him ready to start the game. He also mentioned a lot of people are going to be really high. happy to see Ron Rivera, that he was very well respected, and they care about him a lot down there. This is a tough spot Washington's heading into. Tough spot. Not an easy spot Sunday. There are a three and a half point underdog now. The Carolina Panthers are really good on defense. I have no idea what Cam Newton's going to be like, and that is the hope that I have that Cam Newton isn't

very good and the defense has another big day. That's possible, I think, Sunday. Speaking of a Washington team versus a Charlotte-based team, the Wizards play the Hornets tonight, trying to extend their win streak to six games. They are currently in first place in the east, and after Brooklyn last night lost big to Steph Curry and the Warriors, they're a full game back of the Wizards. The Bulls are a half game back of the Wizards.

The Wizards are one-point underdogs tonight. Charlotte's actually, you know, pretty good. They've won three in a row themselves. They are eight and seven overall. But I bring up the Wizards in part because there was news regarding the Wizards just moments ago as I was starting to record this podcast. Tommy Shepard, who I give a lot of credit to for the wizard's success and the trades that have put them into this position. Tommy Shepard was elevated. He was promoted and extended contract-wise.

And I'll read from the statement from the team. Monumental Sports and Entertainment announces today that General Manager Tommy Shepard has been promoted to President and General Manager of the Washington Wizards and Chief Planning and Operations Officer Sashi Brown has been promoted to President of Monumental Basketball and Special Advisor to the Office of the CEO. Shepard also, according to reports, is getting a contract extension as well.

I'm really happy for Tommy Shepard, a great guy, a humble guy, and a guy that has focused since taking over this job on creating roster flexibility, salary cap flexibility, but also focused very much on higher quality team players than maybe Ernie Grunfeld focused on. I'm happy for Tommy Shepard getting the promotion and getting the extension. One more thing real quickly. Yesterday on the podcast, I said in talking about the Wizards, I said that the Wizards Celtics' seventh and deciding game back in 2017 was a higher-rated game than any of the Nats or Caps playoff games, you know, or World Series or Stanley Cup games in 2018 and 2019,

respectively. And my friend, Eric Fingerhut on Twitter, who I have had many Twitter debates with over the years. I saw this really early this morning, and it just made me laugh because I went and then tried to find the actual data because clearly I was talking out of my ass yesterday when I said that because I was way off. And Eric sent me a tweet and he said, you said on your podcast today that the 2017 Wiz Celtics Game 7 rated higher locally on TV than all of the 2018 Caps Playoff Games and 2019 Nationals World Series games. It's not even close to being true. The Wizard Celtics game 7 got a 10.9 local rating. And I went and I was like, no, no, no, that's not true.

That's not true. It did immediately occur to me, Eric, because I know you're listening, that I was definitely wrong about the Nats. When you sent that to me, I'm like, yeah, the Nats game seven. And you pointed out did a 31 local rating, which is excellent. Excellent. The highest rating of anything here locally in a long time. other than the Washington football playoff games against the Packers in 2015,

or after the 2015 season, I think, did a 38 locally, and the game against the Seahawks did a 50 locally. I'm pretty sure that's true. You can fact-check me on that, too, Eric, but I think that's right. I don't know where, for whatever reason, I thought the Wizards Celtics game was much higher than a 10.9 locally, which, by the way, is still really good. Like the 10.9 on their game 7 in a second round matchup against the Celtics still is a lot better than most of the Caps playoff games over the years.

But not the Caps playoff games that year. The game 7 against Tampa did a 12 in the Eastern Conference finals. And then once they got to the Stanley Cup finals, they got a 22 and a 25 in games 4 and 5. against Vegas. And the World Series games, Eric wrote, got 20s and then Game 7 got a 31. I actually went back and looked. There were a couple of the World Series games that were in the teens, but your point is well taken. I completely messed up.

I thought, for whatever reason, 16.9 kept coming to mind on Game 7 of Wizard Celtics. Again, the 10.9, pretty good locally for that round. And I think in the back of my mind what I've said before, and I just spoke out of my ass and inaccurately, I think what I've always thought is that if the Wizards got to the point where the Caps got to and the Nats got to, that their numbers would be higher. And I still believe that. The Wizards obviously haven't gotten close to that. You know, the numbers for the Caps were Stanley Cup numbers that were in the 20s.

The Nats were World Series games. games. Put it this way. And I think, Eric, you would even agree with this. If the Wizards were in the NBA finals, or even the Eastern Conference finals, their numbers would dwarf the Caps numbers, or they would be better than the Caps numbers. I think the Nats, though, the 31 that they did in a seventh and deciding game against Houston. Now, the Apples to Apples would be a Wizards, Lakers, game seven of the NBA finals. That would be, do something in the 30s, no doubt, locally. It would, I think. But anyway, Eric pointed out that our good friend John Orand from Sports Business Journal put out some NFL numbers the other day,

which I actually thought were really interesting. And Washington's football numbers are up. Now, don't get excited if you get excited about those kinds of things because it's really not indicative of much. They are the eighth worst local market numbers in the NFL. Washington averaging locally on television for their games right now, averaging a 16 rating. That's what they're averaging right now, a 16 rating up from last year's rating of a 14. Something. Where is it here? 14.9 last year. So they're up from last year. It's a bit of a surprise, but still really, really paltry numbers for what they used to do and even for the league. Let me give you the top markets in the NFL television-wise, all right?

The top markets in the NFL television-wise right now, number one in the NFL would be the Buffalo Bills. They do a 46.6 rating locally. The Packers do a 41.4 rating locally. The Chiefs do a 44.1. The Saints do a 40.2. The Steelers do a 36.2. The Seahawks do a 32.1. Even a bad market with a bad team recently, but they're good this year. Cincinnati's doing a 26.9 locally. Boston does a 31.1. The New York markets and the L.A. markets are really the ones that are worse than Washington. Because you've got, you know, in New York, you don't have good teams. in the Giants and the Jets, and you get a lot of competition through much of the fall with baseball. You know, the Yankees being in the World Series dominated, you know, sort of the sporting scene there. The L.A. numbers for the Chargers are terrible. They do an 8.7 locally. The number for the Rams isn't that good in L.A. The number for the Rams is a 10. L.A. is just a different kind of city, you know.

But Washington's 16 is eighth worst in the league. Let me just make sure. that so that I don't get called out. Here's, the chargers are worse, the Rams are worse, the jets are worse, the dolphins are worse, the giants are worse, the Falcons are worse, and the Texans are worse. Yeah, so seven teams have worse local television ratings than Washington, eighth worst in the league. A 16. A six. That's a six. That's a lot. 16, five years ago with a competitive team would have been in the high 20s, 10 years ago would have been in the mid to high 30s, and 15 years ago. And I know it's a different landscape, would have been right where the bills and everybody

else is. Okay. College basketball tonight, Maryland and George Mason. By the way, college basketball, the Big Ten is getting absolutely embarrassed in the Dave Gavitt games by the Big East. last night, really good basketball game, Seton Hall, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor at Chrysler Arena by 2. They are 0 for 4, the Big Ten is in that Gabbitt game thing.

Tonight, Marilyn and Mason, looking forward to that. All right, when we come back, my good friend Doc Walker, will talk nothing but Washington football, maybe a couple of other things, who knows. That's next right after these words from a few of our sponsors. All right, let's bring in Doc Walker. You can follow Richard Walker At Rick Doc Walker on Twitter

You can listen to his podcast And he does with Steve Solomon On Patreon Just go to patreon.com slash doc Walker He's doing a lot of stuff with various media outlets per usual A lot of stuff with the team And he joins us right now

What is the team asking you to do for them these days? Well, I've actually been, I was called in, you know what Peyton and Eli Manning do. They're doing a version of that. And I was fortunate enough to be on that with Fred Smoot and Sean Spring. So it was like I wasn't even there. Because those two guys are Laurel and Hardy. And it's really entertaining.

I'm not certain that that's what they were looking for because, you know, I love the way you can analyze the game like the bannings do and talk about it from a different perspective. It's kind of interesting. Wait, wait a minute. Hold on. Hold on. They're asking, are you doing this like during the game? You're watching the game and commenting on the game on their website, on YouTube?

Where? Yeah, you know, I was there, so I didn't see it. I think they've done two or three of them. I got to do one. And it was different because you don't hear sound. They were in Green Bay. And I guess it's on the website. I'm not that familiar.

I only know three or four people that are over there now. So I walked very, very quietly. I hadn't been in the building close to two years. And it was really, it was weird. You know, it's just strange for something that you've done over and over and over. and then have it changed. But we're all about change. Everything's changed.

And it's all good. I'm not mad. I was invited to that. I did an event at the Big Stick last Sunday, which was different because it was pregame. I was there from 12 until like 1.30 or 2, and I got to go to the stadium from there. And, you know, I've spent 45 years. I've never tailgated. I was in a stadium or in a booth or on the field.

So this is new for me. You'll make fun of it, but it's new for me. And so I'm seeing what others have seen for over the years. And it's different. And, you know, I've got to do more of it, obviously. So I can't complain because I have not been completely locked out. Excommunicated? Yeah, not really.

It's not as shitty as it could be. Right. You know, and it's, but again, I'm not surprised. Because if you're counting on them to do the right thing from a managerial standpoint, you'd be dumb as hell to think that. So I'm fortunate because they've not had a track record of doing the right thing or treating people outside of their players a certain way. And so it's interesting.

It's very interesting. And I'm pulling it for them no matter what. I always want the guys in Burgundy and gold to win. And we finally got a victory. So I went to a month of getting sand kicked in my face, and I finally got to take the shower. So it was fun. You know, I know you well enough to know that part of what you just said wasn't 100% honest. You do not have the same level of passion for this team that you used to.

when you and I would be on a Monday after a game and we're finished with our shows and we're sitting there and we're legitimately pissed off that they had lost the day before. I'm still pissed off. No, you don't feel that way anymore. Yeah, no, I don't have the outlets to exercise as you do, but I'm still pissed off. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. It's rotten.

No, I don't have you to discuss it with. Because the only time, quite frankly, I get to join you is when Cooley is out or Tom is out. No one else was scheduled today except for you. Well, I don't believe that. But anyway, it doesn't matter. All I'm telling you is that everything's changed from the fact that I don't see you every day. Right. You know, I don't see.

So our group, our core group, which was pretty core for long time. Yeah. You know, that's disruptive, but it's not the end of the world. It's really the beginning of a whole new chapter of things that I really enjoy. I can't speak for them. I don't know because a lot of those kids I've never met now. I always knew all of them. I spoke to them.

I went out of my way to connect with them. That I miss because I think I was helping them because they clearly don't have a connection with all their players. That's obvious as hell. whenever two of your guns go out and you get better because there's a communication there's a void in communication that I think they close that cushion now

and so this team that I saw Sunday reminded me of the teams I was a part of far more than they did before Sunday. Well, do you think you can last? Well, it's sustainable because the young guys that don't have the convertibles yet or the commercials yet,

want them. So it's about desire. You win when you get enough guys that want to get contract. Not the guys that already have them, but the guys that want them. How does your defense play better without your two

marquee poodles in the game? Why? Because the guys that replaced them, the Williams in the world, the two hills of the world, they actually played the defense. So you had a cohesive unit for the first time a long time, that was actually doing everything that Del Rio asked him to do.

Thus, you get a better result. You don't have to have the most talent, which you have to have as the people that want to play together because they actually have a bond with your teammates. It's no different than the State Farm guy or the guy in Cleveland with all the commercials. I'm not interested in your afterlife career until you play. and you win. And so now I've focused on the results of the players, not their off-season aspirations. I don't give a damn about what they do when they're not playing football. We've gotten into the team, as you can already tell. It's Doc Walker on the podcast where it's

time for X's and O's. Burgundy and Gold. Which was always our intro to our pregame segment every side. for many, many years. So before Chase got injured, before Montez got injured, which it's all happened in the last two games, you weren't pleased with the way

either one of them was playing at all, were you? Neither were they. I mean, Montez has made some plays now. Don't get me wrong. He's gotten more results in Chase, but they still would disconnect. from the unit. You don't know what side they're going.

For some reason, it appears, and I could be wrong, because I'm not over there, that they were deciding what side they were going to play on their own. They were. Rivera, so on Friday, on the radio show where Rivera comes on with me, we actually recorded it. I heard you. I don't

miss anything you do. Well, you just said apparently you must have missed him telling me, which was revealing to me that Chase and Montez make up their own minds when they break the huddle, which side they're going to line up on. How'd that work out? Well, tell me something.

You played football. Is that unusual? It's insane, unless the guys, unless it's LT and Ken Harvey switches. I mean, you've got two guys, and again, love their talent. I do not love the discipline, the lack of discipline. You've got to play as a glove as one. Well, how did the team do better? How'd they beat the best team they played all year without them?

Because the guys that got in there, it's just like you got lost in the center. And I love Ruiye. I thought Ruehier been the most consistent guy they had. He's out. You didn't hear Larson's name mentioned. Right. You know, because they coached him up. He's hungry.

See, we got too many guys once again. We ain't done nothing league-wide. but yet you've got a lot of people that make a lot of money. That's a bad sign. I don't mind paying you money, but I damn show got to get some results out of it. But if I'm paying a lot of money and I'm losing, that's on me. That's the kid's fault.

I'm not mad at him. If you let them free land, I'm kind of wondering, what the hell is Chase Young doing in a 2.10? Like LT. Do they not have the ability to get him? I had Tony McGee on the podcast. Yeah. me and solid.

I don't defer. I never rushed the pastor. I say, man, they said leverage, butt up, hand down, exploding off the line. Yeah, he's up. With three things in mind. Okay, so Tony described it. Ken Harvey has described it. I've had these guys on specifically.

They said they have no idea what he's doing. But running up field, run himself off the play. So I go, well, who the hell's in charge over there? Clearly, they couldn't get him to do what they wanted him to do. and they didn't have the balls to bench him. So by fate, I don't want anybody hurt. I'm pulling for the guy because he's huffled. But it's like false chatter.

Just because you're talking don't mean you're saying anything. So he's playing his own game. The other guy's playing his own game. The guy got a receiver, helmet on. They do their own thing. They're mismanaged. Do I blame them as kids? No, hell.

If you give a baby the keys to your car, car, don't get pissed off if you wrecked. You put C, captain, shirts, and all this jar. Look, I've said it from day one. It doesn't work. It's not fair to the athlete. It's a lack of management. And so the guys come out and you bring guys in

and only you knew their name before they went on the field. Bingo, you beat the best team you played. And everybody, oh, they weren't full strength. Who the hell is? What difference does it make? they were physical and you matched their intensity because the coordinator finally decided to feel the game

as opposed to follow his charts that he drew up in the middle of the night which are irrelevant because it has no bearing on the actual game itself. He read the game, he felt the game, I gave him my game ball. It was half-inflated, but I gave him my game ball because it finally wasn't all about him.

It was about them. So it was really a crossing of the bridge and a number of different areas for this program because a lot of people surpassed. They gave up their ego and put the team first. And as a result, they beat the hell out of a good team.

Doc on fire right now, you know, there are a couple of things that you said. and then there's something you told me a while back, sticking with the defense and sticking with the two young marquee poodles, as you described them. First of all, I agree with you. It's a lack of management.

And, you know, if they're not adhering to this scheme, and one of them's got a see on his jersey, and how long do you let that go on before you do something dramatic? And I don't know if Two Hill and James Smith Williams and Shaka Tony and the guys that were in there the other day are better players or were, you know, that Chase and Montez wouldn't have had the same results Sunday. But they didn't. And by the way, when Chase was in there, he had one really good tackle on Leonard Fournette, had a really good play on Fournette and was a total non-factor singled up as a pass rusher on pass down. total non-factor. Just like in the playoff game.

Zero. It was a zero factor. So I agree with you in the lack of management, but there's something that you told me that I've mentioned and repeated many times, and I've given you credit for it. I doubt that. I doubt that. But go ahead.

You said to me when he missed all those OTA days as the only player out of 90 to miss every single OTA day. That's saying something. Doc. Saying a lot. Doc called me or you texted me or maybe. we had a conversation, and you said, real leaders never, ever give anybody a reason to question their leadership, and that's what he did by not posting. And so when he started to perform poorly and the criticism started to come in, by the way,

from his head coach, who said he basically called him out over the last, you know, 10 to 14 days publicly, This is what happens when you give people, right? When you give people the opportunity to look back on something and say, well, maybe that did impact something, even if maybe it didn't. But he gave him a reason. Well, this program has had a history of putting the sea on really talented players that were undisciplined because they could confuse talent with leadership. See, that's their fault.

That's their flaw. Ron's coaching through the media. See, I would say to him, did you step to him? Obviously, you didn't. And then why you keep playing it? So that whole thing is fake to me. I don't buy none of that crap. Because when I called you that day to tell you, I say, man,

they have an issue. They had Wayne, Wayne. They gave him a seal on his chest. So how did that work out? You got a lot of these. gave him Joe T's number. Well, that's my point. They give up too much.

They don't make you earn anything. They're so desperate to have results. Stars. That they mismanage. And when they do it, and God forbid you bring it out, then they turn on you because they're immature. Right. And so that's what happened.

They act like nobody's done this before them. That's their other problem. They think they've invented this. We've gone further in reverse than they've gone fast forward when it comes to success. So I'm just, I'm entertained by it and pissed off all at the same level. Who do they think they're kidding? See, everybody just look at the records. Records don't lie.

You can have a great season and not have a great career. Because it's about consistency. When you fluctuate one year great, then mediocre, great, what's up? I'm looking for consistent growth. And all they keep talking about is the damn military. I'm so sick of them discussing the military and disrespecting the military. Because you have nothing in common with the military. You're a show pony.

Okay? And you get, so it just burns me up. You know, shut up and just, and it showed they played Tampa so well because they went to the junkyard dogs. They poodles. See, weren't in. So they went to the pit bull and got reserved. Cameron Curl. Oh, I love it.

Getting the ball, getting the ball. Let me tell you what. Carter, give me Carter, give me one, 11, and 17. That's all I need. That's all I need. And we go to war. need 93. Oh, I do. Oh, no. No, no, I'm that receiver-wise. No, no, receiver-wise. Okay. No, he's the best player on the team. Ninety-three, John Allen's the best player on the team.

He's the best fellow team. And if he doesn't, if he's not all pro, we won't be the first time we've been snubbed because the league hates him. Right. But, but they can't keep him out of the pro. They're not keeping him out of the Pro Bowl. He's going to be the Pro Bowl. I know, but he's going to be in, No, he's all pro. I think he's having an all pro year. All pro. All pro. To hell with the pro bowl.

I mean, he's all pro. And if he's not all pro, then the conspiracy continues how they hate the burgundy and gold. This young man, he is jacking people up. He said a word. He is speaking more, which I will retract that. He is speaking more. And he's the ultimate leader. If I'm them, I only send two or three people out as my captain.

The biggest people I have, all my captains would be the biggest guys. They would. You're not sending out the kicker? Oh, hell no. I'm saying John Allen out. I'm saying Leno Jr. out. No, man, when I, it's the most intimidating thing. It's like when you go out to captain, if you send a shrimp off at the captain deal, it isn't a bad optic.

I'm sending the biggest, ugliest dude I have, looking at your guy staring at you, let you know what's about to happen to you. And I love this kid. You don't say 10 words. And if we get his base, if we get the Brahm Bowl 2, we get him to match that level

or get ionized and more, suddenly play four games. I like our four guys. We got four bulls who interchangeable. You don't miss a beat with them. and that's the strongest position by far. And all they talk about is ends, but the tackle through all the dirt work and hold them up.

And now that you have a cohesive front, good things can happen. I have high expectations if they're allowed to continue to play the way to plan. The two best players pound for pound on the team are John Allen and 17 Terry McLaurin. You agree with that, right? Absolutely. Absolutely. Those two guys, now, as we speak today, I would say that. I love Cameron Curl. I don't know what he's not doing that you don't like, because all he does when they allow him to is make plays. And I'll tell you what, give 26 two more weeks. I was just going to say it. Yep. Give him two more week. You'll put him in that category. Landon Collins is a football player. Yeah, he is. but you have to manage him.

You can't let him run you. I don't want to play Chiefs at the bat. So they let him do what he wants to do. And then he embarrasses himself. And I'm like Lombardi. What the hell? Who the hell is in charge? And if he didn't want to play safety, I'd cut him.

If he didn't want to play lineback, cut him. Because he's useless for me in a secondary. He could be a player at a year at linebacker. So which one did you want? I'd take the linebacker. Me too. Or whatever they call it. Don't say linebacker.

Whatever. He don't like that. He don't like that. Whatever they call it. Who cares? What I like is I love when he's... Yeah, when he's down there in the box and he's coming off the edge or he's trying to... Oh, he's a bad man.

You know what? He actually, I think he is the... He's and curls this way too. But Landon's been this way from the jump. He is super aggressive. Now, sometimes the aggressiveness gets him a little bit, but I'm a little bit. But I'd rather err on that side with him being aggressive and missing because he does have some big hits. How do you think the –

Well, he's nasty. He's nasty. He plays with everything that we like. Yeah. He's nasty. He is. He pushes the envelope. I love that kid on the field.

And as he improved, there's 55 and 52. Now you're noticing them because they finally have a lot. leader in the interior in the box that's a badass. Tell me what you think of 52, the young buck, Kyle, the Wildcat. Tell me about Jamie Davis. Well, he is improving. Once again, they didn't play him the third preseason game. That's the dumbest thing I've seen here in Tosa 40 years. Oh, you've seen dumber than that. No, not playing a rookie in a preseason game. Oh, you've seen a lot dumber than that. Well, I don't know. Well, we could one day we would just do a show on something.

Yeah, well, we can make the list. And we'll do the hell of tickets for an hour. But I love this kid because he'd never talked back. He didn't let them destroy his ego. And then 50, and I'll tell you one thing about 55. 55, now everybody knows what I'm talking about. You're the only one that never knows who the people really are. Just helping everybody.

Okay, well, thank you. You do that then. Yet to me, you're making fun of them. No, I'm not making fun of them. I'm simply confirming. I'm simply confirming. No, I'm simply confirming for those that weren't sure who 55 was, because not as many people are watching as closely anymore.

Well, you know what? That's what you say. And I don't give a damn if they don't know what it is that they don't deserve it. All right. Tell me about Holtom. Tell me about 55. He can run. Now he's going through blocks.

He can run too. Now he's going around. Now he's going through blocks. Now he's on the play side. Oh, my. God. We got three people. I'm excited about those guys now. That's why you want. Again, you got Williams, you've got two hills who are doing their jobs. They're keeping out of the shoulder free. They're making everybody come inside them. They're not running 15 yards upfield, being absolutely useless. What they're doing is engaging. Not a defense is functional. Then you got curl coming down here. All of a sudden, you go, wow, where has this been?

We've been there, but it wasn't managed properly. So it's as if the players were running the defense, coaches. You said it was the dumbest thing, him not playing, Jamon Davis not playing. Jamon Davis is 52, by the way, for those that don't know, Jamie Davis. He was the third preseason game. Not playing in the third preseason game.

I was listening to B. Mitch and JP. And some dude was, I think it was a caller or it may, I think it was a caller called in. and they were talking about the dumbest things that the organization is done. And the guy said the following. They said, well, let's keep in mind. They hired an alcoholic to be their general manager, and then they fired him for being an alcoholic.

Exactly. Exactly. I thought it was so funny the way the guy put it. It was hysterical. Yeah, and retained his services. Bruce was still retained his service. Whatever. So I like Scott.

I like Scott. He had a problem. They should have helped him. Yeah, no, he tells it. Scott, no, no, no, no, all bull, crap. Yeah. He's a gym rat. I enjoyed the dude, but he was fighting it. He was fighting aliens. And this is the worst group to have a flaw to be around. The worst.

Because they're absolutely, they're tone death. Well, they're tone death. They're stupid, too. Most of them were pretty limited. And by the way, they were not, this was not an empathetic group when it came to You know, anybody's having problems that they didn't necessarily like. Yeah. Well, I mean, we go, again, we're still not talking injuries, and we could do a whole chapter on that. And, you know, a hand-picked guy.

Rivera hired Vermilia. That's his guy. Yeah, I know. Now the team has a boatload of injuries again and inflex as a trainer. And I'm going, this is the best example of a man having way too much. on his plate. You don't like Rivera, do you? Oh, yeah, I like Ron. No, no.

I like Ron. I don't love him. I don't love anybody. You've already said that they've mismanaged their young defense events. Yeah, absolutely. The Del Rio this week finally called a game for the team

rather than himself. You've already taken some subtle and not so subtle shots at the coaching staff. They lost four games in a row. You got an agreement. with them. I don't. I'm telling you. I don't have an agreement with him. Well, no, I'm just saying, everything this dude talks too much.

So I'm saying, I'm looking at what your performance of your players. Yeah. What do you do? Shut up. I don't need to hear no talk. I'm looking at your pupils, and they're failing miserably. And then finally, you got two of your prize bulls out, defense plays best they played all year. Well, that tells me all I need to know. He was trying to tell you, he tells you, I'll listen to. to you every Thursday.

And he's talking about, well, this and all that. No, dude, you soft-shoe it. I want the Rivera that I heard after the game. See, I give it. He's beating cancer. So that's why I don't mention him. I try to back off because, hey, the guy's energy's got to be depleted. But I heard him after the game.

See, I remember those post-game. Oh, that was good. When Ron Rivera was talking to the locker room? Yeah. Where has that guy been? Yeah, I like that. Okay. But you keep doing what you do. It's fine. I get it. I understand.

What do you mean? Are you talking to me or are you talking about Ron? No, no. I'm saying that I hear you and Ron and you know what time it is. I look at the entire body of work. And I'm going, okay, just like Shanahan. I like Shanahan a lot. His record is up and down. It's up and down. But I love his core value system that he tries to run the ball down your throat. So I don't know what Ron. this. So I think that so you think that instead of talking about Chase Young

over the last 10 to 14 days, he should have done what he did with Dwayne. Not with Dwayne. He just cut Dwayne. Or he benched him. He benched him and then cut him. He came in one day and said he's our third string quarterback. You think at some point with Chase, he should have said, yeah, Chase is we're playing guys that are going to adhere to the scheme. Yeah, he should have been just coming on nickel. Yeah.

It's been a substitute player or whatever. But he didn't. But he's already very inconsistent. We saw that. Hell, if he had gave him Wayne Haskin, he had a guy that didn't score. This numbscull doesn't score a touchdown and jumps up in the stands in Green Bay. No, no.

At least Wayne, Wayne took a photo in a game he won. So now let's get on Heineke then. Oh, well, no, no, Heinrichie. Well, you just said this numskull jumped into the crowd after he didn't score at Lambo. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. When he was doing all that slide, and I'm going, what the hell is you doing? Something they told him, dude, score.

There was nobody around you. Yeah. And then you go jump up in the stands and the run comes off with a slow pitch softball with that. I go, okay. Hey, you don't have to be consistent. He doesn't work for me. or the insider. Whatever side allows him to do, do it.

But don't think you're going to run that by me, because I saw you by the way he treated Duane. I wish he had to treat everybody the way he treated Dwayne. Duane Haskins, they wouldn't have some of losing going on here. But that was personal. Yeah, that was personal. Because he didn't like him. And nobody liked him.

Everybody thought he was completely immature. You don't think it got to that point this year with Chase, do you? No, but I'm talking about, what's the difference? One just played offense, one played defense, one played defense. And Chase, Chase hustled. Chase works his butt off. I like him, just like I like Wayne, Wayne. Wayne wouldn't listen to anybody.

He got what he deserved. But I want to run Rivera that was dealing with Haskin. That's the guy I like. Yeah, but my point was, with Dwayne, everybody on the, team was like, what are you doing here? This kid is totally ill-prepared. You can't keep putting him out there. And so Ron, when he benched him and made him the number three quarterback said, I had to look at the other 52 players. I had to keep them in mind. You don't think with Chase being an undisciplined, excuse me, player, that it rose to the level where his teammates were

questioning why he was, you know, in there like they did with Dwayne. You don't think it rose to that level, do you? No, a little different with quarterbacks, but you got two, probably, you bulls, and neither one of them vaccinated. You got to coach just beat cancer. See, that told me all I need to know. Where's the love at? Even if I had a problem with that, and I know you A symptom, I'm not going to put my coach

and expose him to that, knowing his immune system's been destroyed. So I've been off on this whole thing since the summer and going, wait a minute, man, you've got a sea on your chest and you don't take the bullet first you missed the minicamp to go make some money dude you like the state farm guy every time I see a state farm guy commercial and every time I see

that kid up in Cleveland with all these damn commercials I keep going it irritates the hell out of me because I think all that stuff is due to champions champions should be endorsing products yeah well

if we only let champions endorse products, then there wouldn't be that many endorsers. Well, then good. They're good. Maybe they can stick to that. Every time I see the State Farm commercial, and every time I see I want to throw up. So, wait, on the State Farm, are you talking about Aaron Rogers? No, no.

Aaron's one one. I'm talking about the guard. Chris Paul? Chris Paul. Oh, because he hasn't won't. a title? I'm so sick and I hate the commercial as a result of that. Right.

It's too much, too much of it. Back off. You don't need the money, dude. Tell him, you know, I'm out. I'm a bad. Let's let Aaron do. What did you think of Cam ripping off his helmet when he scored the other day in Phoenix and screaming, I'm back! I'm back! Cam Newton. Cam Newton. Cam Newton. Nobody more.

Tim and Aaron Rogers ought to be roommates. It's all about them. All about them. And he cost himself an opportunity. to be with the goat with bill and but you know he wouldn't take shot but now he took it why'd you ever take it if you're in so much on principle then white don't ever take it keep your behind out go do your thing and be you well he had COVID and I think he thought he had the antibodies I don't know what his reasons were the quarterback doesn't get to do that

your boy in Minnesota can and they tolerate it but not my kind of guy well not my kind of Well, at least, by the way, I'm not in favor of it at all. I think everybody should get the shot. I am in favor of, you know, people having the ability to make their own choices, and I'm not going to cancel them if they make a choice that I don't agree with. With that said, at least eight. How about 9-1-1 guy? How about the firefighter?

At least eight in Minnesota said to everybody, you know, I'm not getting this shot. I don't, based on religious beliefs. He was a man. He was a man. 12 in Green Bay. That's Aaron Rogers. 12 from Cal, you know,

Cal Bear. He's a child. He led everybody to believe that he was, that he was a child. And I love his game. I love his game. Oh, his game. His game's the best.

I love his game. I know. But as my quarterback, no, give me Joe T. Joe T, by the way, was on the radio show with me this morning. Yeah, I know.

I listen to you every day. So, Let's talk about the current quarterback. Well, the betting thing you did today kind of lost me. I think you should have a private accession. Yeah, you're probably right. I agree. You could have a class.

Yes, I agree. I confuse people, okay, and I definitely confuse people who don't bet people who don't bet. Doc is talking. I listen to you. I know. Doc is talking about I had some people reach out and not understand the five-team parlay that I hit with the 49ers and how. I hedged against it by betting the Rams. You know what?

I'm not going to go through that. Whatever. If you don't get it, you don't get it. And I totally understand. Unless you're, you know, somebody who bets and understands odds and that kind of stuff. And, you know, it's just not an area of familiarity with a lot of people. That's fine. Put it on Facebook.

I don't want to put it on Facebook. I don't like social media. You know that about me. You know that about me. I thought it was interesting. I wanted to learn it. All right. Can I get to the quarterback here?

Yes, you can. So where are you on Taylor Heinekey right now? he did his job. He didn't turn the ball over. Him in 24. They can never get out of my doghouse because they turn the ball over too damn much. But if they don't turn the ball over,

I like them both. And they're on borrowed time, though. Anytime you cost me possessions, you're never going to be on my good side until you break that habit. I don't tolerate turnovers. I don't tolerate back fumbling. And I damn sure.

don't tolerate quarterback throwing the ball to the other guy on a consistent basis. Not going to do it ever. Am I going to accept that? It's too hard to get there to throw it away casually. He took some sacks. I'm not mad at him. I want him to use his legs as he did. I like him a lot.

But I don't love anybody that loses four games in a row. Well, do you think they lost those four games only because of him? No, no, but the quarterback is the main basis to it. You can't win without a good one. And the kid, he's got five years in his league. He's already earned that based on what I've seen. He, to me, is the best emergency guy you could ever have. Some go wrong.

Your guy getting a hit, he comes in. You don't have to take a step back because he's instant, enthusiastic. He's got that it factor, but it ain't enough to complete the passes that I need him to do and then I turn the ball over. If he doesn't turn the ball over, I ain't mad at it at all. He did it once, and Gibson did it once. So I put them in the highest level.

I bowed down. I said, way to go, guys. Great job. But if you turn it over again, I need to get rid of you. I cannot and will never accept anybody turns the ball over character. So you pretty much said it. You love him as an emergency backup. You love him as a backup on your team,

but he can't start for you for 17 games if you want to get to where you want to go. well you're never going to do that but they they but well i'm not in the 17 game league i'm in a one game league okay my whole season is one week right now i think carolina there's no future for none of these people you haven't moved on to 22 yet because usually this time of year usually this time of year doc will be walking around the bullpen saying i've moved on to 22 and it's usually about no late november early december because they're usually out of it yeah but the schedule backload the divisional teams in December, I can't do

that. Okay. Because if I put myself in proper position for December can be exciting. But it only matters if I win in Carolina. So Heineke, everybody's talking about Nick, no, he, nobody on the team, not that Heineke,

nobody, but John Allen and 17. To me, it's winner-take-all. Everybody's life's on the line. We got them one week's season, Carolina. And we go handle that business, we move to the next week. To get into December, then baby is on. Boys twice, birds, twice, and the Giants.

If you can't handle that, you're not fit to be king. None of them are. I'm getting rid of everybody. If you go in there and lay an egg and disrespect the colors, the burgundy and gold, like you've done so far, I'm done. Who do you think's good in the NFC? Well, Tampa's good, and we saw them. Green Bay is good, and we saw them.

What about Dallas? Oh, Dallas. No, Dallas is phenomenal. They're not good. They're phenomenal. But that's now. I'm counting on their demise in January. I know, but seriously, though, do you think?

But no, they play football. Oh, no. Yeah, we joke about Dallas because of the various friends we have that root for the team all the time. I respect them. But legitimately, do you think? think that they are a Super Bowl contender? Yes. Right now, as we speak, they are because Tyler, see, I got to work on the little guy in Arizona.

He's not available. If he's available, they're better. But I don't know. So I got a count on is their backup going to beat Dallas? No way in hell. Coble Court's going to beat Dallas. So I can't take them. I'm looking now at backup, and I'm going, who has a great one?

That's the problem. But you've got to factor that in. Russell Wilson, even the great 17, oh, excuse me, 12 in Green Bay, he was rusty. You take these superior athletes and you put them on the show for one week, and it's different. That's how advanced this game is. That's how hard it is to play the game and to win at this. So I got a great deal of respect for everybody. But what the Niners did, they can take out that stick.

But I don't trust the quarterback. Then the Rams, I'm waiting to see what's going to happen. Do they have that bounce back in them? Or is the receiver's loss? When they lost 12, does your whole season go to hell over wide receiver? So it's challenging. I like it. But the Tennessee Titans are a dream come true to me.

and nobody talks about them. Nobody talks about them. So, you know, but you said the NFC, so Dallas has a shot. Right now they got a real shot. Are you excited about the Wizards? I'm hyperventilating. You know, because West Unsell Jr. Came in and did what no one else has been man enough to do,

and that is demand that they earn their money on both ends. The man they play defense that they go out to live. loose balls. They box out. They screen. They do everything fundamentally strong. And we've had all these ex-pros come in here who actually played the game and was spineless. They couldn't get ordinary guys to do exceptional things. And the great players they had, they're one-way guys. And all they talked about was playoffs, NBA, NBA All-Star games, Max Contract, me, me, me, one-way players. Now,

they got guys that are absolutely willing to die on the court for their teammates. And to the Lakers' loss is the Wizards game because Kuzma decided to grow up. He was like Wayne, Wayne, immature, color, his hair, green, pink, yellow, all that crap. You know, and... Like OBJ. You see OBJ's head the other night? Yeah, the poodle.

But one thing about the poodle. I still believe in the pool because I think he has strong work ethic. But for Kuzman, to see him as a Laker guy, I was so pissed off in him because I wanted him to mature quicker than he could. But the shock of being dumped, he got it. And right now, oh, my God, rebound. Just rebound. Forget the shooting.

His rebounding ability and be leadership. It's amazing. I love what Shep has done, and don't forget JT3 is there. I love what Monumental has done upstairs because they have a solid core athletic management team. Right. And brother, it's good. I'm glad you made pointed that out. Did you want to say Tommy had some things to say about Sam Huff?

Obviously, you knew Sam. really well working on the broadcast with them for so many years. Did you want to say anything about Sam? Gladiator. I mean, what I appreciate about Sam is, again, and Bram did a good job mentioning when he was talking about, when you get to be a puppy like all of us were around them, like when you can be around John Thompson and Sam Huff and Sunday Jurgensen.

I mean, the people that we have been able to work with is incredible, not during the show, but before. and after the show. Sam telling me about Jim Brown's story. He gave me, because I wanted to know, who was Jim Brown? Was he Earl Campbell or was he did? And, man, Sam's descriptions.

Also, he was a star. He was the first defensive star to me in this country. Defense was discriminated upon. Everybody knew in the 50s, 60s. You played defense if you couldn't play offense, if you couldn't catch or whatever. or low IQ, they just put you on defense. Sam at West Virginia.

Sam never stopped being a line packer, and he lived like he was in the uniform all the time. And I just, I love the fact that he was royalty at a time that not many of us understand, because we weren't really at the, even you weren't at the 58 game again. No, that wasn't. Baltimore.

But I just thought he was a badass, on and off. the field. And, you know, he allowed me to be in there with Sonny, Sam, Frank, and then with Larry and all them. And we talked football. And then he had so much pride. I mean, there were times, you know, you lose sight. You can't see from way up there. But he never stopped being Sam. And it was so important. He just, it was almost like royalty. He's football royalty. He was a badass. To me, he's a giant. But it's time here was memorable. I'm saying more as a broadcaster than a player.

And so, and New York was the biggest market in the world, and he branded it. He was him and different, man. And I know very few of our listeners know that, but I respected it. And he wasn't a jerk

to me. And he could have been. Same thing with Bram. You know, those guys, you know, when you've been with us, Sonny, you up there with Jurgensen and Huff and all these. I mean, that's high cotton but yet they never called down to you no

they were really yeah they were great great guys you know his golf tournament I've been out there at the track anything Sam needed I'm there I'm there because I respected the fact because not that many people you meet

are really like total badasses now we've been lucky we work with Rego Rigo's a He's a badass I'm telling you John was on that same stage He did New York

See this is really Hillbilly century If you're central If you're from a big city No serious I'm just keeping the real He's from L.A. or New Yorkers New Yorkers do think

that Washington's like the South And it was Well it was a long time ago It was and I'll give it I'll give them that Because you don't know If you had not seen bright light This is big to you

if you haven't seen anything else. I get it. But if you've been to Chicago, L.A., New York, or whatever like this day, man, this is what it is. But what I love about this is a loyalty. Well, they got loyalty, too.

They even have a bigger fan base. But our fan base, to me, with the purity of it, is that it never saw color. I've told you the story many times. I'm here in 1980. I'm at the Marriott's Marriott for like six weeks.

You know how many, I can't tell you how many families white families. I didn't know anybody here invited me to dinner and wanted to make sure I was okay because they knew I was in a hotel. That never would happen in L.A. Never.

And I've never forgotten that. These people here were as colorblind as possible, even though this was the worst city in terms of racist city and football because of the owner and its inception. Yet it was able to overcome all that. Yeah. Well, I mean, I mean, it's

I remember getting into an argument with the guy from ESPN, and I'm forgetting his name right now, during the whole Kirk Cousins RG3 thing, the guy on ESPN Jones, Bimani Jones, tweeted out, leave it up to, you know, a racist city and a racist fan base to pick Kirk Cousins over RG3. And I remember inviting him on the show, which he declined.

because I said, do you know that in 1987, Doug Williams was not only the fan favorite and the media favorite, but people were begging for Doug Williams to be the starter because we couldn't stand Jay Schrader, who was white. I always felt like this team, other than obviously the George Preston Marshall thing, which last team to integrate in 1961. one. But I think that beginning with that George Allen era, it was the biggest unifier in this city with that team. I agree. I agree. There are people here. You know, people say they don't see color and I go, stop lying to yourself. It's okay to admit that you do. It's all right. Everybody does. It's natural. It's normal. But when you really truly respect humanity and when you We're a class system.

This whole country's built off other people's efforts. So don't get shocked and get your feelings hurt when people that have been oppressed respond now that they can without being worried about being hung or murdered. So, yeah, you're going to get that. But it still doesn't discount the people who are truly humanitarian and religious people who look at people as being. equal. A lot of people say it, but their actions don't demonstrate it. So when I say my brother

and I look at camaraderie, I mean, it's the one thing, we have a bond at 980, that none of these idiots can break up. They can't stop it because of what we've been through and what we've done. And so that's what I'm talking about,

a closeness. This city is a beautiful city. It has a lot of people from other areas in it. But the way they treated this football team. Man, when I got in 1980, you went out of Georgetown, you couldn't pay for a drink anywhere. Right. A dry clean. You couldn't.

These people, this is special. I'm sure Green Bay feels the same way. And Buffalo. But the only fan bases that I even consider close to this are the Steelers, the Bill, Packers, and Browns. The Browns, to me, are number one because they've had the last. least amount to cheer about and they never quit on their teeth. Half our town is boycott. Our state is...

Well, it's a different situation here. No, it's... No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, we have not. What's different? Well, look, first of all, Cleveland's had it bad. There's no doubt about it. And by the way, their owner is no peach either. But we have been treated poorly. We've been abused. We've been in an abusive

relationship for two decades. And you know, what the truth is, almost everybody hung in there for most of it. And then over the last few years, it just got to the point where, for me, it was never about, oh, being embarrassed to say I was a skins fan. I've never understood people who said, I'm embarrassed to say, why? Who gives a shit? We're talking about sports. Who's embarrassed?

But for me, you know the way I used to feel about this team. I know, and you still are. And you still are. No, not the same. It's not the same. No, and I get it. But you're going through a different phase. I'm not at the state. When I go to the stadium, I'm up there, and I'm in a different position.

Because I've never been at the stadium under these circumstances. So that's different. I have to learn how to do that. You're saying as not a media member. It's not a medium member. It's not being on the floor. Right. We were close.

We were doing pregame show. We had crowd out there. out there making fun to do a pregame shows. We were inside the belly of the beast. And now when you are outside looking in

and I'm seeing empty sweet, I drove there now, there's no red light, there's no back on. You texted me, you texted me three weeks ago or whatever, and you said I never hit the brakes going into the stadium. I never hit the brakes. Never. I've never seen that. Again, I was always there for hours early.

Right. So this is all knew to me. I'm like a kid. I'm like a kid now because I'm looking at, I'm seeing it tailgators, I'm meeting people, tailgate Ted, good dude, all these people are great. They got their own world going on. Oh, yeah. And I never saw.

Well, you know, see, you were all, and this is, you and I would both have to get there super early because my pregame show started at 10 a.m., so I would get there at about 9.30, and you got there early, too. But the people that were there early that you'd walk by their tailgates, they were, they were

outstanding. And you held court a couple of times in some of them. Yeah, a couple. But again, we had to go in. Now when I'm out there, man, it is exciting. I love those people. I'll never quit on them because of these people. I think our fan base has taken a hit because we're in Maryland and the Ravens are really good. And I love the way they approach football. I've never apologized. I don't hate the Ravens. I love their approach to football. I'm envious of that. I'm not completely. But I think our people, and I'm not judging the suites, I love RFK because they had none. But again, I understand to build and to make money and to get the good players, you've got to have revenue.

But I just there's a spirit that everybody had that came up. Like, you know, I love when you get our guys on people from Carolina, Sabah came up with her dog, and, you know, all these people that we got a chance to meet who drive four hours in. Danny Frank drives four hours But it's not the same anymore They don't come anymore See I know it's bad When toothpick, it's a toothpick

You go in the game? Then he said, no man, I ain't make it There's diehard, now when I tell you what, when the road warrior When he stops going Who's the road warrior Danny? When the rally captain, stop, no, these are the guys on the road

Oh yeah They were at every away game Every away game Well, okay. You know what? You know what? The same thing applies to this conversation we're having right now. And the conversation that you alluded to, which is we, all of us who worked at 980, we have this connection with one another. Yeah, we do. And it's the same connection that many of us have as fans to the team the way the team used to be.

And there's this quote that I always use, and I used it when we were talking about 980 and how everything sort of fell apart there from my team. my favorite show The Office from Mandy Bernard, who said, I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them. And those were the good old days and 980 the good old days. And by the way, there is nobody that could have told me in 1991 at the end of that season that ended in the Super Bowl 30 years ago that could have convinced me that 30 years later the franchise would be the worst in professional sports and I wouldn't have anywhere near the same level of passion.

What Snyder did to this fan base, to this organization, is what it did seem impossible to do. Right. But he did it. He did it. Well, I have to agree with you. It is so bad, and it's been bad so long. And here's the other thing, right, because we've been to the mountaintop with the Super Bowls,

even the ones we lost, we got in them. So when you have these, we've had these five special seasons. And this 21 year, it's a, it's a, it's 21 years of confusion. Because the effort was there, I've been in a town that had an owner that was cheap. You don't want a cheap owner. Dan Snyder's not cheap at all. He simply doesn't know what to buy. And he is horrible in selecting people.

Associates. So if you don't hire well, I don't care how rich you are eventually the pendulum will swing, but then again, the NFL, nobody loses. So they benefit from this grip and this business arrangement that is brilliant, I might add, that you can fail and make a profit. And to me, that's not America. You can fail and make a profit year after year after year. And if you top the arrogance that's associated with the organization,

then that's enough to make you throw up in your mouth. Well, I think that's, I think you just hit on it. You know, for me, look, most of my friends bailed years ago, and they were die-hard. But they had had enough. They had enough. of the arrogance, you hit on it. And whether it was someone who wasn't in the media,

because if you were in the media and you had to deal with these people, you couldn't believe the way they behaved. They walked around as if they were, they had just won three straight Super Bowls. They were coming off 14 and 2. I mean. Oh, 7 and 9. Yeah.

And if you were a longtime season ticket holder, you were treated and told you were lucky, lucky to have the opportunity. Well, people decided, guess what? Make somebody else lucky then. Give somebody else. It backfire. Yeah. Whatever. What else you got? This is always fun. But we're still in it. You want me to do some, want me to do some playoff scenarios? No, I've been waiting. And me and Tyler have been talking. He goes, I said, he hadn't done it yet. Because we spent a quarter, 15 minutes of all of our shows

about you. So every day, it's like, he can go. I know he can't wait. I know he can't wait. to give us this scenario as to how this could work. I'm not doing scenarios these days. I'm not doing playoff scenarios. I think they're a bad team, Doc. I don't think they're a good team. And I agree with you.

But you can't dismiss Sunday. Okay. If they go win Sunday, they're going to be four and six, and they're going to be in the mix. But Dallas is, they're not winning the division. They're not going to win the top seed. No, hell no. They're wild.

car or bust, just like they always are. They're never. Well, last year they won the division. Well, they did last year. Well, but that was a weird. That was all crazy. That was all fool's gold. But they earned it.

I'm not taking anything away from them. I don't dislike them. I just dislike their ways. Okay. But I'm stuck. I love doing this. I love doing this. I love that you're available

to do this because you're not always available. Coolie okay? No it had nothing to do with Cooley. Had nothing to do with Cooley. Cooley's team went out in the first round of the postseason. They made it to the playoffs. They lost in their playoff game 14 to 10 and he was disheartened by that. But he's, you know, he's fishing, he's hunting,

he's building his new, whatever he's got going. He's always building something. But I think he might be on with us this week. But he's not, here's the thing. And I'm telling you, and I'm also telling everybody that's listening because I get a lot of, you know, where's cooley and I get a lot of where's Doc, which is why I can't ask Doc to come on every week because he's too busy and he's too important. But Cooney, Coley's not watching anything. He didn't pay attention to anything. He just doesn't, he's not, you know, him.

If he can go fishing or he can go on four wheeling and he can be outdoors. He's not going to watch football. He's not watching. Yeah, well, but that's also because, you know, they ripped his heart out. I mean, it's like when you put in as much as he put in to this, you were doing it for the long haul. Right. And so, you know, it happens.

Hey, man, thank you so much. You have to give a Laverro. I'll call Tommy. Tommy, he's a legend. Legend. And he's the only guy that has been consistently able to keep him. up with you over the year, which is good. It should be damn.

Patreon. Doc show is it Patreon.com slash Doc Walker. Follow Doc, of course, on Twitter at Rick Doc Walker. Also, whatever you're, are you doing another one of these Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, broadcasts

for the games or not? No, no. You know, the Fox, pregame show, 730 on Sundays. What's that on? Fox. Fox. Fox. Okay. Yeah. The Tom Fitz is a good dude. We have a lot of fun. You know, my keys to victory last week, which I always listen to yours, and you get about 20 of them.

But I did. That 20, but usually three or four or five. Yeah, you do about 20. No, I don't. I do 20. I said, turn Tom and the check down Charlie. Yeah, and they did that. And then I said, because that was so.

important, then to make everything you kick 50 and in a reality, and they did that. And defensively, do your damn job. Be what you're supposed to be. And it worked. So we'll see what happens. And like I said, give Chris my best, and I hope he gets well. And if you need me next, whenever you need me, I'm here for you, always. All right, sure.

Talk to you later. Thank you. All right, go Terps. Always fun with Richard, Doc Walker. Up next, 30 years ago today, Washington trying to stay perfect during their Super Bowl season, right after these words from a few of our sponsors. Urban's, by the way, has gained 81 yards today. But this is a passing down.

Redskins shipped of power. Now comes the motion with Munk. Going deep and it just seems, Merlin, that the Redskins can, beat you any way they want to go. That was a 49-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter from Mark Rippin to Gary Clark, as you heard. Dick Stockton and Merlin Olson were on the call. 30 years ago today, Washington as a 10-0 football team went to Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium is a seven-point favorite, and they destroyed the Pittsburgh Steelers, 41 to 14 to improve their record to 11-0.

become just the ninth team in NFL history to start off a season 11 and 0. We've been doing this throughout the season 30 years ago this week, or in this case, 30 years ago today, November 17th, 1991 was Washington at Pittsburgh. It wasn't a great Pittsburgh team that year. Neil O'Donnell was the quarterback. Dick Stockton and Merlin Olson were working together. That game's actually available on YouTube in its entirety. Merlin Olson forever Dick Enberg's sidekick on NBC, but I guess by the time we got to the early 90s, he was on CBS working with Stockton, at least that year he was.

And Washington put together another offensive juggernaut. The week before, they had destroyed Atlanta, 56 to 17. And that game ripping through six touchdown passes, still a franchise record, 442 yards. He threw four, didn't get sacked, didn't get intercepted in that 5617 win over Atlanta. And then in the Pittsburgh game, he threw for 325 and two more touchdowns without getting sacked and without throwing an interception. So 767 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, no sacks, 97 points over a two-week period for Washington. they were rolling, man. They were really in high gear, and nobody, nobody in the league was throwing the deep ball better than Mark Rippin was. In that two-game stretch in 1991 over the Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers, he threw against Atlanta, the six touchdown passes came, here were a couple of them.

A 61-yarder to Clark and 82-yarder to Clark and a 64-yarder to Monk. Also mixed in there were Terry Orr from nine yards, monk from 19 out, and a 19-yarder to Gary Clark. But 61, 82, and 64 in that game. And then a week later against Pittsburgh, he had a 49-yard touchdown pass to Gary Clark for a touchdown. And by the way, had a couple of other long bombs in the game completed, including a 63-yard. yard pass to Art Monk in the game as well. Monk in that game, eight catches, 130 yards, Clark three for 95 in a touchdown, and Washington rolled up 462 yards against the Steelers in a 41-14 route. Now, a couple things that I wanted to mention about that game. At the very end of that game,

into the game came the backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge. And right before the two-minute warning, up 34 to 14. Rutledge threw a bomb to Ricky Sanders, a 40-yard touchdown pass to make it 41-14. Now, this came a week after in the Atlanta game, Washington was still throwing the ball late in the game up a bunch of points, which led to accusations that Joe had run up the score

on Jerry Glanville and the Falcons. Well, the truth was, and Gibbs said it after the Falcon game, they had nine in the box. They had nine or ten in the box. We wanted to just keep the ball. If he had played a traditional defense, we would have just run the football and punted. But they had nine, ten in the box.

I didn't want to get anybody slammed at the line of scrimmage, so we checked the throws. And the following week against legendary Chuck Knoll, who was still the coach of the Steelers, there they were with the backup quarterback chucking it down the field. Now Gibbs afterwards said about the late touchdown. That was not an intentional thing. If there's anybody around, I respect in the coaching profession,

I'd like to be like Coach Noel. So I kind of felt bad. He's got great pride and great poise. And he said, hey, don't worry about that. So Gibbs did go up and apologize for it at the end of the game. By the way, in watching this particular section of the game, I did. Noll called a time out with like 212 left, you know, before this third down final play, the touchdown passed to Sanders. So he hadn't given up on the game. So, you know, it's like,

you know, it's like what Spurrier used to say when he was the coach of Florida. If you got a problem with the scores that were rolling up, stop us. Gibbs also said at the end of that game, he said about being 11 and no. He said, quote, I'm not thinking about 16 and 0. I've tried to tell our players that. We've got five games to go. We want to win our division and get home field advantage. We want to go to the Super Bowl. And those are the things we need to do. A perfect season is not the focus, closed quote. Well, the perfect season was then the focus of the entirety of the sports world. Washington was the story in sports at that point. They were chasing the Dolphins' perfect season in 72,

and people thought at that point with a 5617 win and a 41-14 win in back-to-back weeks, that they were capable of doing it. They had the Cowboys the following week at RFK Stadium, and most of you know what happened in that game. They had a Rams team and a Cardinals team on the road. The Rams were terrible that year. the Cardinals weren't very good either.

So the schedule was kind of setting up for Washington to make a big run. Dallas was improved, but still that was Jimmy's third team and they had not yet gone to the playoffs. They would that year. They would end up in the playoffs and they ended up winning in the wild card round against the Bears. But nobody at that point in the season thought of the Cowboys as, you know, a great team or on the verge of becoming a great team. team. Washington was the dominant team. They were the dominant team in the division. They were the dominant team in the NFC. The NFC was also, you know, interestingly having a different kind of year in 91. The 49ers weren't that great. They were okay, but they ultimately did not make the playoffs.

The Bears did make the playoffs, but the Lions won the NFC Central Division that year. and then the Giants as the defending champions with Ray Handley as their first year head coach were not a great team. Washington ended up 14 and 2. The Lions had the second best record in the NFC at 12 and 4. And then you had the Saints and the Falcons in the NFC West getting to the playoffs and the Rams and the 49ers not making the playoffs.