The Ringer NFL Show - Championship Sunday: Darnold's Moment, Pats Bury Stidham, Steelers Hire Mike McCarthy, and Blue Man Group

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

The guys break down the Seahawks’ NFC championship win, with Sam Darnold outdueling Matt Stafford and huge games from JSN and Ken Walker in an instant classic. They also hit Sean McVay’s late-game mistakes and why this playoff run finally feels real for Seattle. (00:00) Intro (01:16) Seahawks Make the Super Bowl (23:04) Patriots Make 10th Super Bowl in 25 years (40:08) Tom Brady (50:34) McCarthy to PIT (01:06:19) Emails Discord link: https://discord.gg/Ge8bbYHrau Check out the 2025 Ringer Fantasy Football Rankings: https://fantasyfootball.theringer.com/ Email us! [e-mail] Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck Producers: Kai Grady, Carlos Chiriboga, and Cameron Dinwiddie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, everyone, before we start, we don't always talk about current affairs on the show. And I know the show is an escape for people, but sometimes these things are inescapable. And federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this weekend, two weeks after an ice agent shot and killed Renee Good. And to be totally honest with you guys, I just felt that if we talked for 90 minutes about football and didn't bring this up, it would feel inauthentic. and so we just want to acknowledge mass federal agents are killing people in the street with apparent impunity and we need accountability. And so it feels weird to talk about football

with what's happening in Minneapolis and other places around the country and it just feels like a watershed moment in American history. So we are going to dig in all the action from Sunday but we think it's important to acknowledge the impact these events are having on so many people. I have no good segue from that into football, but we're going to play the music and we're going to do our best.

What's the ringer fantasy football show? My name is Dana Hyatton. I'm joined by Danny Kelly and Craig. Horace Beck Craig. You're coming to us from Utah. You're at Sundance Film Festival and you're recording on a potato. That is correct.

Recording the old school way. Like we used to like a year ago. I apologize to everyone on, I'm officially, this is the ugliest image that's ever been on Netflix. So I'm sorry about that. But a lot of Seahawks fans in Utah, D.K. Oh, really? Was you going to say, D.K.

Get into it. Nice. Seahawks Patriots in the Super Bowl, rematch. D.K. Sam Darnold has led the Seattle Seahawks to the promised land. How do you feel? He has exercised the demons. This house is clear. That is a...

East Ventura. Yeah, East Ventura, for those who don't know. Yeah, this is crazy. I honestly, that game, I was telling you guys before the show. I'm like sweating right now. That was the scariest fourth quarter I've ever experienced, also exhilarating. I thought the Rams were going to pull it off for a minute there. There was like a horrible requal and sequence that,

was going to live in my dreams for the rest of my life. Thank God that's not actually going to happen now. Taunting on the sideline and then it was a touchdown on the next play on Rieck Woll and also he dropped a pick on that play before he taunted and whatever. So that was tough. Just added to the drama, but feel good now, obviously.

So yeah, yeah, crazy, crazy game. There's a lot to get to. So the Rams, the Seahawks, the Seahawks win 31 to 27,

right? Yeah, that was the last score. We'll go with that. 31, 27. And I unfortunately, I think we have to start with Sean McVeigh, using all of his timeouts with three minutes left in the game, including, not to be harsh, but holy crap, this is a week after Sean McVeigh with the Bears game kind of acknowledged to that Peter Schrager mentioned this on Bill's show on Friday, that McVeigh kind of knew he botched the clock management last week for Chicago, comes into this week with the Seahawks and calls a timeout to debate whether he needs to challenge the play. Which is a mistake. Just throw the flag.

That's when Jeff Fisher would do that 15 years ago when they made the rule that if you lose a challenge, you lose a timeout. The punishment for losing a challenge is losing a timeout. So calling the time out to debate a challenge when there's one minute left in the game to use any of your challenges. I don't know how you can be so smart as Sean the Bay.

There's a Jerry Seinfeld bit in there somehow. You know how to use the timeout. It was just like, yeah. That was brutal. And he's like talking. And then he ended up not even throwing the flag. No. And then they used another time out of the next play.

And they were out of time out. That was horrific. And I, the play. And then the drive before that, which was, I think, the single best drive of Matt Stafford's entire career outside of maybe. It took like 10 seconds. Hot knife through butter. Yeah.

That was crazy. Stafford, I think the only time I've seen Stafford play better than that, I'm sure, maybe there are other ones. I'm forgetting. He's 38 years old. But at the Super Bowl, going down like the no look passes to Cooper Cup to win that game. But outside of that, that drive Stafford had that got in the goal line,

we're, oh, sorry, you're talking about the methodical driver. He checked down the whole way. And then he was talking about that crazy touchdown drive that lasts like 10 seconds. So I'm talking about a different drive, but you're right. Continue. Sorry. No, yeah. The whole thing was incredible.

But just I, I, that drive ended, the one with the long one. And McVeigh ends and is screaming into his play sheet when they go turnover on downs. Yeah. on that one he's screaming. Devin Witherspoon broke up a pass that was intended for the rookie Ferguson, I believe. He kind of, Wetherspoon ran his route underneath. Great play.

That was a fourth down. And then you see McVeigh just screaming into his, was he screaming because he was mad at himself for the play caller because they had an open guy. I think he was screaming fuck because he knew they were going to lose the game. I think it was screaming at a rage. And also the drive before,

when they had the touchdown, which again, I mean, the Rams, look, this is all the things we talked about, McVeigh's clock management. It's the special teams. The Rams fumbled a punt, recovered it in the first half, fumbled another punt in the second half,

didn't recover it. Seahawks immediately get the touchdown. The Rieke Woll and 4th and 12 kind of undid that. But overall, like there were so many mistakes that the Rams ended up making the clock management. I don't want to put this on McVe, but you combine the timeouts at the end

and how the game just petered out and the Rams even almost got to the 50 for El Mair. If they had any timeouts, they would have had a serious shot at the end. Combined with the fact that when they scored a touchdown and cut it to five, they kick an extra point. to go up four instead of even trying for a two-point conversion to cut it to three,

which they would have been able to do on fourth down. I don't want to put this in McVeigh because McVeigh is like maybe the best coach in the whole league, but I don't know how he's going to sleep tonight. It's got too many jobs. It's hard when you're calling all those plays. You got to manage the clock. It was brutal. I honestly think both these teams played well.

The Rams just made a couple bad mistakes and they lost the game. And like the Seahawks were clean, man. Donald was so clean. The Seahawks were just outside of the woolen unsportsmanlike conduct, which was very questionable that we can get into. The Seahawks just played a really clean game. Like Jared Verst jumping off sides, the Xavier Smith fumble on the punt was absolutely brutal.

The Parkinson drop on that final drive that could have maybe even been a touchdown. The Rams just made some big mistakes. And Stafford played well and the team generally played well. They just had like three to four big mistakes in Seattle didn't. And Darnold was rock solid. And McDonald stuck with Darnold the entire fourth quarter. Even at the end of the game,

they were closing the game, dropping Darnold back and trust. him to make throws. And every throw he made was right on the money. It was solid. It was safe. I thought that was super impressive. And just like an awesome moment for Darnold that like, even in the crucial moment, it wasn't like, all right, let's take the ball out of his hands because we're afraid of him. And they leaned in. And that's the confidence you need to go into the Super Bowl. So what I've been saying all year, I have just unlimited confidence in Darnold to come through in the clutch. Well, it's funny because the first quarter, like the like the second

throw he made was like a pick. Should have been a pick. If you remember that. And then since then he was perfect. That's how both games kind of started because Drake May's first throw of the Patriots Broncos game was a pick six that if Fonga for the Broncos just dropped and then it changed the whole game. And Donald kind of, it was kind of like that similarly. But D.K., you were texting in the middle that, uh, this was like a heavyweight fight with Donald just going toe to toe with Matt Stafford and he won. I know. This game is crazy. I think just what you guys were talking about during that whole set like so many times in an NFC championship gave a FC championship these these do or die go to the Super Bowl or go home games you're

going to look back all offseason probably and some guys like all the rest of your life about one or two little plays that made the difference in the game I felt like there was eight plays in this game that kind of were just like oh my god that is going to be so hard to think about for the rest of your life um you know like the drop the was a Parkinson drop there's so many of these oh my That was also in Stafford's long drive was the third down Colby Parkinson drop. That was a walking touchdown. Yes.

But, you know, not to pat ourselves on the back, but I feel like this game went exactly how we thought it would go and how everybody thought it would go. It was just like back and forth. The Seahawks, for whatever reason, cannot stop the Rams. The Rams offense is the only offense in the NFL that did this to the CX all year. Literally the only offense that could move the ball like this on the CX this year was the Rams. And Stafford was making incredible throws. It came down to the final drive. Tuku Kikoa barely had his shin down on that out route at the end of the game.

If he would have been out of bounds, they could have tossed it up from midfield. That bothered me. That was, that was, that was, just let him throw a hell, Mary. That was silly to me. Yeah, sure. That sounds great to me. What are you talking about? His knee was in bounds.

Oh, with a quarter of a second, it's one of them like, oh, dude. He was clearly, he was clearly in bounds. We shit on the rest all the time. And I feel like the refs nailing that in the moment was extremely impressive. And then if you even rewind to the Cooper. Cup first down that was debatable where McVeigh screwed up the timeouts. They also got that right in the moment where Cup I did

get the first down. A hundred percent. They don't treat it that scientifically all the time. It's go away. It's not. They wanted a lot. He was in bounds. That was the right call. They nailed it. What do you want? Sure. It's fine. Let me sure. Whatever. I'm not dying on this. I don't care this much.

They nailed it in the moment. What do we want? I don't care that much. It's not that. What are you going on about? Are you saying you wish that they were just like, now he was out? And then we watched the replay and like, no, it was in, but they just let the Rams get an extra bite. It's one of those that when you, I don't know, I want, when you, I rewounded, I watched it live and I'm like, he's going a hundred miles an hour. And he just like 90% of his body lands out of bounds. And during the flow of a game, it's just not rough that way.

I don't care. It's not that big of deal. Guess what? They were to throw a hellman from the 50. Craig, I'm not trying to get stuck on this. Let's just move on. They would have lost the game. We're moving on. I don't care that much.

I don't care. I don't care. I'm not even arguing. That's a horrible take. Horrible. It's not a take. I just, I wish it said, oh my God. I literally am not even.

Thank you. Thank you for saying all this. They would have had. Oh my God. I'm not even fighting. It would have been a 50-yard Hail Mary. Like, that could happen. I don't know what we're doing here.

Whatever. I, so. I just, I would pick Pooka over any wide receipt, probably him and Devonti Adams would be my first two picks for Hail Mary wide receivers. And Matt Stafford, other than Aaron Rogers.

Yeah, I was going to say. So, but speaking. Speaking of Pooka, though, the other guy in this Jackson, not just Darnold and Stafford, but Pooka Nakua, I think Jackson Smith and Jigba kind of outplayed Pooka in this game. And Jigba was, the trio of Sam Darnold and Jigba and Ken Walker were unbelievable for the Seahawks in this game. J.S.N, I don't want to see single-handedly, but almost literally single-handedly got the Seahawks down in the first half. The one he had the crazy one-hand catch in the first half where he just caught it. It was like Spider-Man.

It was instantly in his hands possession. And then the final drive for halftime, another one where I hate to say it. But like, Mike Vrable would never have given the Seahawks two possessions inside the two-minute warning at the end of the first half. Like this is a Tom Brady old-school Patriots Belichick thing, which is the first priority is not giving the other team the ball. Then the second priority is scoring. The Rams gave the Seahawks two possessions. And J-S-N had that one over the middle. Then the touchdown out of the backfield, J-S-S-S-S-N was unbelievable.

I was going to say, that drive, so that was the drive right before half, the Seahaw- were winning at the time or sorry the Rams were winning 13 to 10 with like a minute left or whatever it was and the momentum had fully shifted to a hundred percent yeah and it was like the sea ox that kind of crumbled a little bit there was like a weird play where Sam Darnold blew up with drive because he missed the snap yeah JSN on that drive made three incredible plays the first one was he caught the ball in traffic where basically the the the D.B was raking across his hands and he just hung on to it it was such a strong incredible catch he got that the next play they hit him on

a over or it was like a post route down the middle he gets absolutely blown up at the catch point hangs on to it the next play or maybe it was a couple plays in between and then another play later on the drive he lines up in the backfield which is something that they've been doing with him a little bit this year it's really fun and he runs a route out of the backfield into the corner of the end zone the rams don't pick it up they get confused and he hits and he has a touch on to me that's like such a distillation of js n's season he's just and then he made a couple like really clutch plays late in the game too but man he's just so good, so reliable, so clutch.

Cooper Cup, by the way, deserves a lot of credit in this game, too. Cooper Cup had some huge plays. He scored a touchdown. Cup and Jake Bob with the exciting whites. Bobo. The JIS up making blocks, yeah. Cup against the Rams. Obviously, Colby Parkinson on the Rams again, former Seahawk,

but obviously Cup is the cooler former Ram. We got very, very upset when he was cut by the Rams and went to Seattle. But the JSN, I can't see enough about JSN and the toughness. They showed him on the sideline after that drive where he had the touchdown. And he got the shit kicked out of him. His arm, it looked like Mendoza in the championship game. He was bleeding. It was like, honestly, it was so black and blue already.

And like an open wound, just like bleeding underneath his shoulder pads. And he was, it was so impressive. But yeah, Cooper Cup, this was everyone. And Ken Walker, cannot say enough about Ken Walker. The amount of times sometimes. Say it for 10 damn years. You have been saying it for 10 days. Ken Walker is so good.

No one has been more consistent. Like, why doesn't Ken Walker play more than you, Danny Kelly? And I got to give you your props because this was. game where sometimes he strikes out when he should get on base and sometimes he should strike out and he hits a home run. And this game was all Dangers from Ken Walker. I think his longest run of the game was only 11 yards. But the receiving work. He's a big dumper. He's Cal Raleigh. Who cares about the freaking strikeouts? I want the home runs. And they were all crucial. Dangers. He was like full Sequin today. Like straight up, he just wants Seekwan. Like him making guys miss in the backfield,

him in the receiving game. The receiving game was a big thing. And that's something that people kind of overlooked this season is him on screen plays and little dumpoffs. He's actually. really good at creating after the catch, getting them explosive plays when it doesn't look like it's going to happen. There was one play on duo. I just, I don't remember exactly when it was. It was just like, and he showed his look, he kind of showed a little bit of patience right before the line. And then he just hits the gas and picks up like 10 yards before you even see him. So he was, he was incredible. He's been incredible for the Seahawks down the stretch. I believe he's the most mistackles per touch in the entire league among all running backs this season.

I'm sorry, I forget where I think Dan Pizzuda maybe had that, that stat this year. Ken Walker, it's the kind of, it's the exact kind of stuff that doesn't show up in a box score. Because if you look at the box score, it just said Ken Walker, eight-yard catch. But the catch should have lost two yards. The amount of times that he just makes a cut and then, yeah, I mean, the cut you said in the hole where he made, it was Omar Spates. Just whiffed in the hole, which is like the most underrated characteristic of running back and a half is making guys miss in the hole. But also Ken Walker just does stuff and he just kind of runs. He gets to the corner so quickly.

He's just so shifty. and he created so many. It's about first downs. It's not always big plays and explosives. He's just keeping them, turning a loss on first and 10 to like eight yards. Or trading second and four, you're going to lose two yards into getting the first down.

In between him, JSN and everyone. But honestly, man, the first drive, it's the first drive with the CSM marched down the field, third and two or three or whatever it is. And Kenneth Walker takes the hand off. There's, I think, three Rams right in his way.

And he bounces it to the outside, beats the guy to the corner, gets in. This to me is why explosiveness is something you cannot have enough of on offense. I've been a huge believer in Kenneth Walker because of this. You cannot capture his explosiveness and success rate because a 50 yard run on first down is the same as whatever it is a seven yard run on first down. That's success rate. So to me, it's the explosives. It's the way he beats tackles and defeats tackles.

It's just that value. It's just so huge for the Seahawks offense with that. And especially in a game where you want to get things going. and not asked Sam Darl to do too much at first. Obviously, they asked a lot of them in this game. And he came through big time. But he's been massive down the stretch for the Seahawks. To that point about Ken Walker and Cal Raleigh, the Seahawks, they're sorry, the Mariners

catcher hit 60 home runs, big dumper and Ken Walker is it's kind of like measuring Cal Raleigh by on base percentage. Right. You don't do that. You do slugging percentage because it's about how many fricate, it's about how many dingers he has. And in Cal, I mean, Raleigh had some clutch hits in the playoffs, too. We had a bunch of, at least like three or four home runs in the playoffs as well.

So exactly. Yeah, it's like to me the success rate stuff is so overplayed. It's like, give me those explosives. Give me the, give me the broken tackles. Give me the plays that gets your offensive linemen fucking jacked up and wanting to block for you. Overall, the reality is the Cilocks and Rams were probably the best and most consistent NFL teams the entire season. And these were in the, not just the NFC, but the entire league. And all three games lives up to it.

And these teams live on the cutting edge schematically on office. offense and defense. And the, when the first time they played this season, like it changes around the league, how these teams are defended and have to play it. They are ahead of everyone. And the Seahawks, they, they edged them out, man. I, this is, it was pretty awesome. But yeah, credit to Mike Brydon.

Oh, yeah, fuck, I said it out. And you said it. You get mad at me for said, edging. Yeah. My, um, my, my friend, my friend texted me after the game and said, Darnold is going to a Super Bowl and it not feeling fraudulent. is an all-time turnaround story. And I think that's a really great way to put it.

Yeah. Like Sam Donald is going to be the quarterback in a Super Bowl, might win a Super Bowl. And it doesn't feel wrong. Feels right. Feels like he deserves it. He played well enough. Two years ago, Sam Donald's reputation was in the gutter.

Like, Sam Donald was irrelevant two years ago. He was playing for the 49. He was the backup on the 49th. I will pat myself on the back. I flogged myself a lot for shit I got wrong. But I was viscerated on this podcast when I said, when he was on the Niners, that he would be a good start.

But you lost all that goodwill after that dumb Pook and Nakua take by the end of the game. That just ruined all the same time. Exactly. No, you're totally right. And him being like in the right system with the right, you know, he had all the physical tools and him basically aligning with the right play caller worked out. So Hypat's credit to you because that was a great call. Nature versus nurture and just it's another cat. Honestly, this is like a forever cap feather in the cap for nature versus nurture.

I'm just a big believer like when you have got like incredibly talented quarterback prospects. that fail when they go to horrible teams probably aren't bad. Like, it's not that complicated. Like, second round picks, I don't know. Look at Baker Mayfield is a first pick. And like when he goes to a better team, you look at what Sam Donald's day. He's the top three pick.

It's like, how many quarterbacks do the Jets have to ruin? Until you're like, well, clearly it's the Jets. It's not, you know what I mean? It's not Sam Donald. And you have to re-evaluate other people. Could Mark Sanchez have won a Super Bowl and been way better in other teams? Probably. You look at all these other guys and their successes or failures.

And I don't know. It's so clear to me that environment and quarterbacks need a, You know, we're going to hear so much about, I mean, these are really the two ways to build the team. The Seawks went and kind of built something incredible in the roster, cutting edge schematically, and they found a quarterback good enough to get them there. And the Patriots are just going to fund the entire next five years in Drake May's rookie quarterback contract. Cool. And it's like, we don't have to get into all that, but overall, the darn old thing is just a cool human story.

Like, he was on our flight to Los Angeles this year. It's crazy. Yeah. And we were like, doesn't look that doesn't look like a big guy. We're like, he's an NFL quarterback thing sitting behind us on the plane. Yeah. We were like, whoa. It's just wild that he's in the Super Bowl. And I don't really think anybody thinks twice about it.

It's like, yeah, two straight seasons. He's been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. I mean, it's legitimately, I think him and Tom Brady are two players that have won 14 games on two different teams in back to back years. Him and Tom Brady. And dude, I on that note, we have two weeks to talk about this, but it has to be mentioned. Is the real loser of this of today, the Minnesota Vikings letting him leave? It's a toss up between him and Xavier. Smith, I think.

Xavier, no, exactly. Oh, God. Xavier Smith was to do Kyle Williams. The Niners, when the Giants made the Super Bowl versus the Patriots the second time in the NFC championship game, the poor of Niners punt return are fumbled two or three times. And that's why they lost. And unfortunately, that is who you are the rest of your life. And I hate to say that.

But Xavier Smith, he fumbled in the first half and McVeigh didn't bench him. You guys are? He fumbled again. He lost. He bobbled. He didn't fumbled. No, he hit the ball hit the ground. It hit the ground?

Yeah. It hit the ground? He mumbled in the air. No, no. No, it hit the ground. No, you're, you're thinking of a catch that someone in the first half bobbled and then they caught the pass. Oh, right. You're right.

You're talking about. Yep. But there's a pun. No, Xavier Smith dropped the first point. The Seahawks guy just wasn't kind of close enough. But you guys, you're, you're burying the lead here, big time. First Seahawks offensive play of the game will happen. I think it was the first place.

Rashid, yeah. Shaheed. He had one catch. She had one catch. One catch is for 51 yards. Yeah, we took the over on 22 yards or whatever. We were like that first player like, oh my God, we're geniuses. That was his only catch of the day.

I was like, guys, he has zero catches in two out of the last four games. Speaking of one, what did we say? We said he'll get it on the first drive. It don't feel great to get it all in one chunk. It's exactly what happened. It's all you need. There you go. Let's look, man.

Better to be dumb and lucky than winning than good. Also, we're totally winning this one of seven thing. We hit the Drake May one. Like, the keys to just. I think we went three. And one. We did. No.

The key is to not think about your bets. We went three and one. Like the prop that comes to you immediately, just take that. I think that that is the correct answer. Too many minds. Don't do that. We spent like eight seconds. Drake Bay rushing, do that.

Yeah, yeah. We didn't know the numbers. That's the key. Don't look up the numbers. Numbers are, yeah, no. So, okay, so the, well, we're not going to stop talking about the C-Rex now, but the C-X are playing the Patriots, which D.K. immediate thoughts on a C-Ox Patriots reunion where you get to,

not, sorry, rematch, where you get to exercise the demons of- the Malcolm Butler sucks Patriots pick six. Uh, yeah. I mean, pretty exciting. Hopefully Bill will remember this one this time. Um, and no, yeah,

this is going to be fun, obviously. I, to me it's, it's funny that it's a rematch because these are two totally different teams and almost every respect, but like, yeah,

it is fun. And yet you're going to see that play. Winner of the week is Malcolm Butler who's going to have that play show a hundred times. Does he get like royalties from every time they show that replay or whatever? Cause he's probably raking it in this week. He's going to be on Radio Road at the Super Bowl. Loser is Ricardo Lockett and Russell Wilson,

who are going to have to watch that up. All the Seahks, Richard Sherman, all of them have to relive that now. But my goal, truthfully, is to not talk about that game this week. Let's, let's try to avoid it. Okay. Yeah, I get like, like, it's at Mike Tomlin. I'm looking in my, my, my front view is bigger than my rear view. Exactly.

Yeah. Can eat soup with a, you can't eat soup with a fork. No, we're not eating stupid forks. We should do that as a punishment one year. Oh, yeah. See how long it takes? Yeah, Patriots winning being in the Super Bowl God, dude, all the Patriots fans are mad

That we're upset about it And I want to be very clear You guys had a 20 year run That's the best run in the history of American sports You had four year fallow period And now you're back to the Super Bowl We're allowed to be a little annoyed That you just have done what everyone wishes they could do

Which is just draft rags to riches Draft a quarterback in the top three hire the best coach available in a decade and immediately go to the Super Bowl. I'm allowed to be freaking salty about that. That's okay. Unfortunately, the correct take is that we couldn't have the Broncos in the Super Bowl.

I know. I was going to say, we can't have Jarrett said, I'm starting a Super Bowl. That would be a disaster. Drake May is fun. He's MVP candidate. Yes.

The ASC in general was not that good. So it's like, in terms of the other teams that I think should have been there, I don't even really have a great answer. It could have been Denver. I guess it could have been Buffalo. So,

but the, Patriots were one of the best teams in the AFC all year. So I'm not, I'm not pissed at the Patriots are in the Super Bowl. I think, you know, they beat the teams in front of them. A lot of them had terrible offenses. But we couldn't have had Jared Stidham. It would have been a disaster. This was a necessary sacrifice.

We had to give up allowing the Patriots to make the Super Bowl to not have Jared Stid them. They're just the Patriots. Look, Roger Sherman, our former colleague put it very well, which is Patriots fans are trying to, like, defend their team as not being a fraud. And it's like, instead just be happy your fraud team made the Super Bowl. That's the dream. The Giants had a fraud team make the Super Bowl and win twice. Like, that's the goal.

I know they were fraud. It's fine. They're a wildcard. It doesn't matter. The Patriots are the easiest schedule to ever make a Super Bowl. No one gives a shit if you win. But we got to the 10th. They won't 10 to 7.

You're already the villains. You're the Patriots. Lean in. Exactly. Everybody hates you already. You're going to be the villain. Just own it. Like we're not unhating you because we like Drake.

I love Mike Vrabble. And again, I again, speaking to other losers, the Tennessee Titans, the most incredible. I cannot believe this is real. Mike Vrable has won more games to the Patriots. since December 21st, then the Titans have won since they fired Mike Vrable. So that's an all-time L for the Tennessee Titans up there with anything. They're playing whackable with the coaches. It's hilarious.

So the- Not for them, sorry. Before we go to this game, and again, props to the Patriots, because I actually am about to defend them a lot. How do you guys feel about the snow games? And I think that was like a very big criticism was like Seahawks. Rams looked like a different sport than Rams Broncos. D.K., how do you feel about just snow games and contesting the semifinals of the NFL?

I am fascinated to hear what you're about to say. I have no idea where you're going to go. Because I have an opinion. I am not against snow games, generally speaking. There's a reason for a really long time they had the Super Bowl and the dome every year. I think it's just a little weird that you have this whole season come down to, oh my God, it's fucking blizzard. And we're like just desperately trying not to turn the ball over.

I think generally you don't change it. Like the idea that you make only domes rule is stupid. I don't, we're not, I don't think we should do that. I think some weather games are fun. But I do think it kind of sucks that a whole season for two teams and two fan bases comes down to this is unplayable. We can't,

we can't play in this weather. It's bullshit. So what's the fix? Like playoffs have to be in domes, but regular season doesn't? There's no fix. It's just, it's just a bummer.

That's all. I think it's hard. It was an ugly ass game. really boring to watch. Look, it went from a, just for context, it went from a completely green field to completely snow white in like half an hour. You know what? It was an incredible change from the beginning of the mid third quarter to the beginning of the fourth. But Craig, how do you feel about the snow games? I watched that I watched the Niners, I watched the Seahawks game in my hotel. I watched the Pats game at a bar in Park City. And let me tell you, the first half of that game,

everybody in the bar was chatting with themselves, eating food, drinking beer. The second that shit started it's snowing, everybody locked in. And you know what? It's more fun. It's just more fun. It's football. The gladiators didn't fight in a fucking dome. You know what I mean?

This is what we have now. I like it. I think the gladiators didn't fight in a dome. This is fun. I think it sucks that the bills are getting a dome. I don't want that. This is a part of the game. And you know what?

If you are a team that plays in the snow, it should be an advantage for you because you know how to do it. And then when the Rams have to go to Chicago, that should be an advantage for a team like the Bears. I mean, the Broncos got screwed because the Bo Nix got hurt. But like, you know what? If you're a snow team, take it as a badge of honor and win in the snow.

It's genuinely like an inflection moment for our friendship, Craig. And I, we are of us, like, I literally think we will be stronger together going forward because you said that. I actually, like, I just become best friends. I didn't, I couldn't agree with you more. I look, all, like, I know,

because some people are really pissed. And they're like, this is stupid. I agree that you were saying about Buffalo getting into them. Football is just cosplay for war. It's just men playing dress up and doing little war cosplay with their little,

helmets and the teams are little armies and they're just like, ooh, gonna fight and it's like, we're gonna take your land. We're going in there. It's called opponent territory. Like, that's what it is. You can't just be like, I don't feel like fighting. It's cold and it's snowy.

Like, that's not what works. It's like, it matters. It's cold. The first chapter of the fucking art of war is about like fighting in the weather, man, or maybe it's like later in the book, but like it's the whole chapter on it. You can't just.

It's cool. I don't know what to say. It's cool. It's sick. It's so cool. You have to know how to play in the snow. And you know what? This is why, as much as I'm mad about it, the Patriots deserve to be in Super Bowl.

Because Mike Vrable is the last goddamn coach alive who understands what situational football actually means. It's not just the red zone. People are like, oh, mad. You're like, Mike Frable understood. Yeah. We're going to throw the ball away on third down and punt because there is no chance that Jared Stidham is going to drive 85 yards. in this freaking game.

And like Mike Frable understood that what the game had become. And I, I, they just are, again, it's not sexy. But the Patriots are always prepared. And that's why I'm so infuriated. Because the, Belichick was the best game to game preparation coach. Now it's like not even close that it's Mike Frable. Like, it's not even close.

And no one else in the league could have taken this team. Good at it too. Yeah, but I just, is there any other head coach you think could have taken this Patriots team this Super Bowl. There's, I don't think it's even close that anyone else could have done it. This is a Mike, Mike, it's one of the coaching seasons I have ever seen from anybody is what Mike Frable has done

probably since Belichick in 2001 when they, when they beat the Rams. I mean, the second half for New England, it was literally run, just run the ball until it was third down. And then if it was third and long, throw it away punt. And that's all they did. And it worked. I do you get it. Patriots, Craig, Patriots allowed 32 yards

in the second half. I mean, I mean, it was really, really, snowing. Five possessions, 32 yards. The Broncos were in three plays in the third quarter. The Patriots came out of the second half. They had a 16 play drive. The Broncos went three and out. The Patriots got the ball back, kept up the rest of the third quarter.

The Broncos got the ball back for their second drive of the second half. It was all snow. It was all, like the game was completely different from the, I mean, the Broncos basically had one drive in the second half that didn't involve snow. But if we're being honest, Jared Stiff, him did a max brosmer and that's why the broncos aren't in the super bowl he did the he did he kept drifting back now and and and roma was pretending like this was normal and and he would just drift backward which is like a practice thing when you don't get hit and he did he ran 15 yards

backwards and chest passed the ball backward and that was the only time the patient scored the whole day he did him he did it again yeah in the second half i know it i feel really bad for denver fans because outside of that play, Stidham was not terrible. And he, he like shit down his leg for one play and it kind of ruined everything. And honestly, Sean Payton, not kicking the field goal when they were up 70, fourth and one in the red zone. They go for it. They don't get it.

They get that field goal. They're up 10. They're up 10. They might win this game. Yes. They probably do. And if they go up 10. At the very least, they lost by three.

I mean, they lost 10. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It would have gone to overtime. Would have been 10. Yeah.

It's brutal. I feel, I do feel for Denver fans. Like there's nothing to say. The Bo Nix thing followed by this game that was in your hands is as a tough pill to swallow. The fact that he Stidham had to chest pass it makes it worse because he's running and it's like, just take the sack. There is no reason to throw the ball. Just lose the yards.

It's fine. And like, it's funny. This is I meet it when I say Max Brosber. You're trying to avoid really bad and you create a catastrophe. Here's the thing. It's hard to, it's hard to avoid really bad way. He hasn't played in a regular game two years. There's like 285 pound dudes that can run four fives running at you.

This is why it's actually fucking hard to not make mistakes in the NFL. You know, that's like I think it's asking a lot to say just don't turn it over. It's like kind of what we said with Stroud to and it's like frustrating. At least Stroud is the starter and had the entire season to practice and all that stuff. Like you know what I mean? This is it is a lot to ask for him to play a clean game. This is what backups do. Yeah, yeah.

Like this is why you know, you know, he played okay. and then he made a couple stupid mistakes. That's why he's a backup. That's like 29 years old. Yeah. It's almost, and again, it didn't play.

It didn't play. We're probably talking here about, I mean, he had that one screen in the first half where he missed a screen to Marvin Mims that would have got like 20 yards. And he laughed and he kind of collapsed. And I was like, that's actually a good reaction.

You need him to not be down on himself. Next play comes back, it's more of him for 50 yards. Beautiful throw. Perfect throw. And I remember thinking, okay, like this could really be a changing moment for like the whole

Bronco season. Like they might go win the Super Bowl because he I thought they were going to really well. First half I was like Broncos are winning this thing. And it really, I don't want to put it on one play. May was shaky. Denver's D was good against May in the first half. They were getting after on the first drive. He almost had a pick and did not, he did not look that great. Fonga baited Drake May into throwing a slant and Funga just dropped it, man. He would have been walking in the end zone and like that changed the whole game. The difference in this game, ironically, Craig, because you called this, the big difference in this game was just Drake May running.

Yeah. Like everything else was shit. This is what I wrote down in my, in my notes. Terrible throws, terrible runs, terrible puns, terrible field goal attempts. That's what this game was. The only thing that was good was Drake May when he ran. Yeah. The field goals were kind of good misses because Borogales attempted a 63 yard field goal

and he missed and left. The ball landed in the stands. And I'm like, how isn't there 10 yards between the goalpost and the stands? I'm like, so let me get the straight. this miss was 75 yards. I couldn't believe it. Like it landed in the third row. I was like,

holy shit, what a miss. I, they didn't even replay it. I was like, am I the only one who cares that he should miss the game? 75 yards? Like those home runs that just missed the foul pole, and they like go out of the stadium?

Yeah, 500. Yeah, he crushed that. Yeah, he's in the parking lot. I don't know. No one else cared about that for me. But the,

I mean, the kicks were, it's too bad. I feel like you knew when Will Lutz lined up for one of those kicks. I'm like, man, Vrabel is thrilled that he's lining up

for kicking his squirly win. But overall, it is incredible because if you just look at what the Patriots did, not to just do the box score thing, but I'm like, the only touchdown they had was he did the, was Stidham did the Max Bros. But again, he looked like a guy who was the first quarterback to ever play conference title game without taking a snap that year. And then guess what? They came in and then immediately scored a touchdown because they got the ball at the,

at the 12 yard. Yeah, Drake May running a quarterback draw, which was a good play. Drake may have 10 completions in this game. Take, I don't take that play out. Here's what the, here's what the, here's what the Patriots did. six yards. I know. This was like one of the worst offensive playoff games ever.

I was going to say, here's what the Patriots did if you take out that one time that he got a touchdown because they got the ball to 12. Three and out punt, six and out punt, three and out punt that lost, they got 12 yards in their first 12 plays. punt, punt,

missed the field goal, which was a 63 yarder in the snow, 16 play field goal drive, missed a field goal, punt, punt, and then they knelt to win the game. there was you guys there was 14 punts and three missed field goals in this game this is I think this is like maybe one of the last games ever watching high school football it was it was like two college basketball teams you just can't score it was the combination of rabble being this kind of old school coach and the Broncos were Peyton's old school but you have the backup quarterback and it's snowing this feels like one of the last games like this will ever see because teams are building don'ts I like I'm not saying we'll never see this again. but this is like a dying greed of football game.

Both teams averaged 3.2 and 3.1 yards per play in this game. Just brutal. Nine feet. Ultimately, does it feel like the right AFC team is in the Super Bowl? And you have to factor in the bonus cover. I mean, because of the injury, I think so. I think I probably agree. I mean, it's weird.

The Patriots averaged this postseason 15 offensive points per game, and they made the Super Bowl. Yeah, but they're. defense was great too. I think if you look at what the Patriots defense did down the stretch, plus the Patriots beat a good Chargers defense, a good Houston defense, and a good Denver defense. Well, I mean, like, we can't points a game against those defenses. Well, they won. They won. Yes, because Strouds shit down his leg and they played Jared Stenum. I mean, they won the games in front of them. You have to give them credit for that. But like, what do you want me to say? They scored 15 points against good defenses, which is underwhelming. they played shitty quarterbacks,

but their defense was good enough to stop guys like Stroud and you have to give them credit for that. But like, I don't know. It's weird. I still don't know if the Patriots are good. If you want to just give the CX the Super Bowl, that's fine would be.

It's one of the, it's one of the easiest path to the Super Bowl ever. It's unambiguous. Like, and Patriots fans can't get mad about it, whatever. Like, I'm very much giving you guys credit for being situationally prepared and a very resilient team. And like, you're incredibly well coached.

And you have like all the offseason signings that's all that's true. Everything's good. But also, yeah, it's like C. C.G. Stroud melted down. And again, the defense is good, but I guess the way I'd say it is this. They, the Patriots have played 12 quarters in the playoffs,

and they're the three hardest defenses they faced, right? It's the Chargers, the Texans, the Broncos. We're three of the better defenses. How many quarters of the 12 quarters did the Patriots play well in offense? Because I would argue it is one to maybe two of the 12 quarters. Do they look good? They look pretty bad for 10 of the 12 quarters. I agree.

But here's the thing, though. this is the worst the Patriots are ever going to freaking be in the entire Drake May era. That's why it's like, I feel like it's okay. Us criticizing the path and talking about it, this team, nobody thought was a Super Bowl team. Like this was a, DK was saying like this feels like a team that's like the year before they really make the lead. I mean, Matt Collins is their leading receiver. Like they don't have anything going.

It's insane. Their offensive line is not good. Will Campbell's getting torched out there right now. And they made Super Bowl. I'm in hell. I'm taking grenades out here. So many Patriots fans were, we're mad at me. I'm like, including my friends, but I'm just like,

this is like if Washington last year had made the Super Bowl. Yeah, it's like you know you probably shouldn't be in the Super Bowl, so you just be happy you're in the Super Bowl. Yeah, exactly. And I totally agree with everything. Again, you have a rookie left tackle who was on IR with a knee injury, like a month ago. Like, you have another, like your offense,

everything about the Patriots was a mess. And I can't, yeah, the Mac Collins being the receiving receiver. It's all, it's actually insane, all making it even worse. If D.K. If you guys can't get it fucking done and the Patriots win the Super Bowl again. Start with that shit. I'll start with that.

You can't deal with this. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl again, we're so fucked. D.Ks, I mean, Hyphids is right. And you know what? All these Pats fans, if they're mad at this right now, okay, beat the Seahawks. I'll shut up.

If you beat the Seahawks, it'll be real. God. Simple as that. Unbelievable. You're fucking good. If you can beat the Seahawks, you deserve to win. It's, yeah.

And we'll watch Darnel. Well, watch Vrable figure out of, break Donald's brain again. I don't know. It's insane. I mean, look, it's, it is cool.

It's like, it's too bad because if, if it was 30 other teams, I'd be so happy for Drake May and Mike Vrabble. I'd be over the moon. I just kind of hate the Patriots, but I am blown away. That you hate the Patriots.

You beat them twice in the Super Bowl. Yeah, and you develop a hatred playing team in the Super Bowl twice. Like, like, you have no good reason to hate the Patriots. DK. Let me tell you something.

By the end of this two week period, once you spent a combined month of your life rooting against one team in the Super Bowl, you will also, I think, hate the Patriots more than you did now. Okay, we'll see. I'm just saying. I played one team in the Super Bowl of my life, and it was them. That makes you like mortal enemies.

It's like the Cold War. It's like, you know what I mean? It's just because you won doesn't mean you're over it. I don't know. All right. Should we move on? Speaking of teams I hate. The Steelers?

Well, we do Steelers before we do anything else on this, you want to do Steelers? You want to talk about Tom Brady announcing this game? No, we can do Brady. I thought Brady was once again great. You fixed him. I kind of want to guarantee this. Bollying words. Someone showed Brady the video of Craig making fun of him yelling.

Because he was like, because you know why Craig's impression that has been weirdly good doesn't work anymore? Because Brady doesn't do the yelling on speakerphone like a boomer anymore. He talks normally and he started doing that four days after Craig made fun of him for it. And I actually think it fixed it because now

Brady is totally fucking normal. He was really good today. And I thought he, he just feels, he feels calmer in the pocket. I think his anecdotes are relevant and they're not meandering. And he actually gives good insight. And he was talking about why JSN was getting open and the way Kubiak was calling plays and how certain coverages were disguised and all this great stuff. And you know, it's funny.

He only slipped up one time. And it was when, when they asked him about going to San Francisco to watch his Patriots play in the Super Bowl, he kind of frees up and reversed. converted back to Robo Brady. And he was like, two great teams. Really excited to see great players. Like, I wasn't ready for that. Yeah.

I love Mike Vrable, teammate of mine. And I was like, because he like got nervous. But the rest of the game, he was awesome. I thought he. 100%. Last week he was good. And this was his best performance in the season. Andrew Marchand wrote a story at The Athletic about this.

It was a little PRE, but it also, I think, was right where basically the point was that Tom Brady prepared as an announcer last year and a lot of this year. And I think this season was him realizing that he should just prepare. you know, like a quarterback and pretend he's briefing Josh McDaniels, not briefing, not, like he was trying to dumb it down for people and do an impression of an announcer. And he was like, no one is interested in Tom Brady

doing an impression of an announcer. We want to hear what you would say to Josh McDaniels prepping for a game, which is what he does now. And like, I actually love that he's stripped down the jar. He's like, that's a two throw. And I'm like, yeah, actually, reteach the entire United States of America how to talk about throwing footballs

rather than bend to how we talk about them. That's exactly what I want, actually. He also had a little bit of like early Romo in him where he's starting to call. call stuff. Like he'll see a flag and be like, that's a hold on the tackle. Like, JSN in the backfield. He's like, he's the number one option. Why is the defense not doing it? And it's funny because it's like obvious, but he's just like, I don't get it. So he was great. He did some reps, you guys. It's literally like his football career is happening before I'm.

Yeah. He's going to be the greatest of all time. He's actually, he's like a year away for being the best ever. And also speaking, which it's weird because in the middle of the game, people were like, he's literally going to hire either Chris Schuller, the Rams Defense Corps leader or probably Clint Kubiak, the CSOft's quarter is going to be the Raiders head coach. The way he was just talking about Clint Kubiak, you're like, kind of think Brady's going to hire him. Is it going to be like, remember the meme from the Raven Steelers final game of the year where it was like the uprights and it's like he's going to hire or Tomlin fired,

Harbaugh fired. Tomlin fired. Is it going to be just because the Seahawks end up pulling that out that Kubiak is going like Xavier Smith fumbling that ball is why Clint Kubiak is going to be the head coach of the Raiders. Fucking. God damn it. Yeah.

This is going to suck for me personally because. I really want to keep Kubiak now. Not if you win the Super Bowl, you get over it. Well, it'll be fine, ultimately. But yeah, I want to keep Kubiak. He's been great. Yeah, Brady was great. Before we do the Steelers, the last thing I want to say is, DK, you had an amazing

introducerous of thought. And I want to read this text. You texted a group chat. I think this is the funniest thing any of us have said all year. As an actual football observation, DK, you said, I don't understand how players hold on to the ball on any play. This is, I've, I've had this thought a lot of times because, the force at which these guys get hit and punched and squished and picked up and thrown down.

How was there not 30 fumbles a game? I actually don't understand the physics of it. Like you, have you ever held a football? I mean, it's like, I feel like there would there should be at least 30 fumbles. It's really big. It's easy. Yeah, and it's oblo. Yeah.

And it's like there's so many plays where a guy's just running and there's three guys ripping and tried to rip the ball out and he still manages to hold onto it. I had this thought like four times during the game where I'm like, oh, he's going to fumble that. You're so right. Held onto it. I'm like, how do you do that with one hand?

Ripping at Ramandre Stevenson every time he touches the ball. I couldn't believe. Romandri being in a game at the end at the snow. I was like, I'm kind of think he's going to fumble this. I'm like carrying a football and somebody comes over and just does a peanut punch on me. I'm going to be like, ow!

And then drop the ball. I'm like, oh, that hurt, man. This is the one thing. This is another kind of like intrusive thought or whatever. the thing we don't really ever talk about is guys suffer injuries in games, but we don't really ever talk about how things just really hurt bad. You know what I mean?

Like so many of these hits, these guys should be out of commission because it's like getting a body bow and boxing. You're not getting knocked out, but like, ow, that really fucking hurt. And I just need a minute to like take it, take a breath. Yeah, like fingers to the face mask in five degree weather. I would go out. A hundred percent. Imagine if you hit your hand on a follow through and how, but dude, Jay Asset is sitting there with the biggest bruise.

It looks like he's bleeding open wound. Nobody's even tending to him. And I'm like, if that happened to me, he's like doubled over on the sideline in pain. I'm like, he's fine. Get back in there. Dude, the peanut punch, I feel like we can, it can evolve. I don't think you should punch the football. I think you should punch the guy's arm over and over and over and give him a dead arm

to the point where he like physically can't flex. Yeah, he can't flex. Like, it's like, it's like Rocky going at Drago's ribs. Like eventually it's going to give. Think of it. It's like the leg kicks. The leg kicks in M.MA or whatever. You do a Justin Gagee?

Just like, like I can't stand on my leg anymore. You know, like in high school, you take the knee to the thigh, the dead leg. Imagine if you just hand to someone's shoulder over and over and over, eventually he won't be able to grip the ball. Well, that's, that's good. You know, they don't allow tripping, but we should do dead arm. That'd be good. Tripping is over the line.

Dude, D.K., though, you talking about, I don't know how to hold onto the ball. This weekend, I've, I've, I've, I've been in cold weather before, but it was on my mind because of the Bears game, which was like 10, you know, it was like felt like 10 degrees. Walking around Park City, last night, it felt like five. And I truly, I just can't believe that people play sports in weather like that. This is the thing. I've said this in the past, but.

Dude, I walked like 15 minutes home to my hotel. Coastal elites don't know what cold. You don't know what cold feels like until you're in the cold. I've had this in Indianapolis during the combine and it's not even that cold I mean it's very cold there like it'll be I don't know what it's been like eight degrees or something like that I guess in the big scheme of thing

it's not that cold you go outside and you're like my face fucking hurts this hurts a lot I don't know how do you play a whole game in that there was there was uh Matt Collins in Denver today was just wearing short sleeves he's just like running around he probably walked up to the stadium barefoot

these people are built differently they did a whole thing he did like a like a chant from the movie The Warriors. He was walking in today. He had like bottle caps on his fingers and he was doing like the Warriors come out to play. Matt Collins would is going to be an interesting cat after he graduates. Or after he retires. I'm interested to see where he goes. What were the glass bottles on his hands? Why did he walk? I know he doesn't.

It's from the movie. You've seen the movie Warriors, Craig, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's from the movie. The guy does in the movie. He has he clanks the bottles together. Is the, the, the UFC fight with the little brothers who fight each other? No, no, no, no. That's Warrior. The Nick Nolte movie, no. That's the Warrior. That's a great movie, though.

Warriors is from like the 80s, and it's about gangs in New York or whatever, and they all have different uniforms. There's, like, the baseball guys that have bats and baseball uniforms. It's a very weird 80s movie. It's like a dystopian future New York, and it's like filled with gangs in Manhattan. Matt Collins is wild. We got unpack. We're going to have to unpack his Instagram over the next two weeks because we have to figure out

content, but like Matt Collins's Instagram is, fucking crazy because he does Max hacks where he teaches you like, here's how you should use baking soda get stains out of your collared shirts without wrinkling the collar. And then he also does like Max history where he's like, did you know about, um, this attack on Harper's Ferry in the 1800s by John Brown? But he also is very much like here's how you, um, change a tire. But he's doing this like while preparing for the divisional round.

And I don't really know what his deal is. I feel like the Renaissance man. If he catches a touchdown in the Super Bowl and the Patriots, win, I do think he will be co-hosting a rewatchables in the next two months. He might do the re-warriors with Matt Collins. The re-warriers. Oh, my God. Okay, wait, before we move on, is the last thing, just the Patriots, we have a lot of this.

But again, I can't believe that Mike Rabel has as many wins since December 21st as the Titans do since he was fired. But the other one is that the, this is from David Fironis. The Patriots are about to play in their 10th Super Bowl since the Dolphins last playoff win. Brutal. It's tough. It's actually like the most fucked up thing in the world that Tom Brady left like six years ago and they're already back in the Super Bowl. That's crazy. Every Patriot stat is unbelievable. I mean, dude, the things that just don't even like affect me, roll off.

I think this is Josh McDaniels. Like this is like his seventh Super Bowl as a Patriot staff member. Do you think that Bill Belichick is kind of pissed right now? Oh, he has to be for sure. He's like, fuck this. For sure. I'm sure Brady's a little bit like miffed. Brady picked Matt Stafford is the MVP.

That's awkward as hell. That's because he knows ball, but yeah. That's true. He's like, yeah, they're fraud. Look at the schedule. Yeah, anyway, okay, we have a lot to, we have a lot of Patriots stuff in Sealk's going forward. It's a good Super Bowl matchup.

It's a great matchup. It is. I'm excited for it. And again, you can't quantify the coaching and all of Rable versus Arnold's just like Vrabel versus Stroud. Okay. I can't believe the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl, man. Isn't that weird?

It's actually very surreal. It has not sunk in yet. Yeah, pretty crazy. Yeah, you know, your ass, three Super Bowl is in the last 15 years. Not bad. Yeah, I'll take it. Not complaining. We've got to get to something else here, which is so, Craig, I couldn't believe this.

But you said, I believe that if the Steelers hire Mike McCarthy, you will root for the charges. Well, I mean, The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy. Yeah, the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy. He's already back in. It sucks. No, I'm not at all. Oh, really?

I suppose it's fun for content. But I thought about it, and I realized that the Pittsburgh Steelers hired the Pittsburgh Steelers of coaches. That's what Mike McCarthy is. He won a Super Bowl a long time ago, and since then has been associated with mediocrity, brutal playoff losses, and questionable playcalling. Who does that sound like? That sounds like the Pittsburgh Steelers to me.

All these Mike McCarthy stats, the Cowboys became the first team in the Super Bowl era to win 12 games in three straight seasons, but not able to reach a conference title game. That's a Pittsburgh Steelers' ass stat. You know what I mean? You want a couple playoff games? I will say, I think what's crazy,

my thoughts in order, I mean, there's all these weird things. One, it's just weird that Mike McCarthy is hired to replace Tomlin, and he's 10 years older than Mike Tomlin. Mike McCartney is five years younger than Bill Cower. that's what wow that's that's that's that's yeah Mike McCarthy 63 dude that's you know that reminds that that's like how Al Gore is younger than any of the Democrats who ran for president in 2020 like yeah yeah Hillary or fucking Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders or whatever uh but I you know what's crazy I tell me if you guys disagree I think there is zero chance Mike McCarthy gets this job if he's not

from Pittsburgh right right my intrusive thought that I was going to bring up the end of the show is I think we put way too much emphasis on where the hell people are from. I don't give a fuck that he's from Pittsburgh. I don't care. He's like picket played in Pittsburgh. I don't care that he, him working with Omar Khan and Wiedel 25 years ago, I don't care about that either.

Him being like he knows the Pittsburgh way. He understands the culture and the people. I'm like, I don't give it. Where's Sean McDadee from? Dude. I don't know. It doesn't matter. It's actually insane.

This is, but you say it's a joke, but it's, Jude, Jack, my fiancee is family from Pittsburgh. This is such a Pittsburgh thing to care that he's from Pittsburgh. The people love it. It's like this biggest small town. And McCarthy, it's the joke we made about the Steelers in Tomlin and we were like, it's the departed when Matt Damon's like, look, I'm Irish. I'll do this forever.

Like that is what the Steelers are doing where they're like, Mike Tomlin will do this forever. Kenny Pickett. They're like, we'll take the guy already works in the building. The pit facility is shared with the Steelers facility. They took the guy in the building. Joey Porter Jr., they just took him. They're like, we loved your dad. It's like it's not a joke.

Like it does matter to them. It's also all the stuff they put through in the media. Adam Schifter goes in ESPN this morning, which obviously is kind of talking to the team. And he's talking about he said he's from Pittsburgh in three different ways in his first six sentences. And that's a fucking crazy way to hire an NFL and coach. This team if it was sold would get like $11 billion in his sale and they're hiring a guy because he's from the town. Is there another town where this is so applicable?

applicable. I feel like it's Pittsburgh always, this is always what happens with Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, it's just like steel city, you know, there's a, there's a, there's a yinzer, the yinzer vibes. I don't know, whatever reason, it's always Pittsburgh exactly. I'm sure there are other cities, but Pittsburgh is the top of the list. It's like maybe, maybe Texas, like some cities in Texas, it might be similar. I don't know, but. Art Rooney the second was talking and he was like, I don't, I don't want to have bad seasons. Like, I want to keep making the playoffs. Why would we stop now? Mike McCarthy is basically going to do what we've all been complaining the Steelers

I've been doing for the last 10 years, which is squeak out 9, 10 wins and not get anywhere. I'll defend him for a moment. We always joke, I guess I always joke about the HR meme, where it's like the hot guy can hit on women at work because it's hot. Are you going to do the record versus Harbaugh and the record versus Tomlin? Exactly. It's like you can't, the ugly, whether you can hit on people, you know, the HR meme,

it depends. And the truth is Mike McCart. McCarthy's John Harbaugh, but he weighs 80 more pounds. Well, and John Harbaugh's hot. Brett, Brett Farv and Aaron Rogers. So. Okay. John Harbaud and fucking Lamar Jackson.

I'm just saying, I'm just saying, oh, please, it's worth mentioning Mike McCarthy and John Harbaugh are basically the exact same age. Mike McCarthy's actually a year younger at 62. They've coached three both 18 seasons. They have almost the exact same number of wins. It's like 180 and 174. The win, their win percentage is identical. Their playoff record is like almost identical.

They have the same number of double. double digit wins the same number of Super Bowls that are almost simply far apart. They're both like 13. I'm just saying it is funny. That's all fair. I saw all those stats out there. Here's the difference. You bring in John Harbaugh to the New York Giants because the Giants can't win more than four games in a season and you need somebody who can get you to nine or 10. The Steelers don't have that problem. The Steelers need somebody to completely change the

culture and start fresh and build something new from the ground up. That is not what Mike McCarthy is here to do. How long is Mike McCarthy going to be the coach of the Steelers. What's the over under? Two and a half, three and a half? Telly. No. 78. Seven years would be a lot, right? So that's the seven years would be a long time. This is like, like 71, you know? I don't know if this was like, you know, they interviewed Chris Shula. They interviewed, uh, Shilhaas, the past coordinator for the Rams. They interviewed Anthony Weaver for Miami, the defensive coordinator, all these guys. And I heard they all did really well in the interview. And I don't know if the Steelers were like, we don't want a young guy or if maybe Chris Shul was like, I don't want to go to the Steelers. This sounds terrible.

but it's it's such a boring uncreative decision to bring in Mike McCarthy and pray that we can just like find some quarterback they talk about his quarterback development. I don't know. I don't know where to go with that. I'm like you had Brett Farb, you had Aaron Rogers. What what what quarterback development?

Mike McCarthy, I don't think should get credit for Aaron Rogers, to be honest. And he certainly doesn't get credit for Dak Prescott. They said in the interview that he mapped out, all the quarterbacks that he developed and that he mentioned Joe Montana on the Chiefs. Did they mention that Mike McCarthy, you know what, like, uh, Joe Montana on the chiefs, Mike McCarthy helped develop Joe Montana on the Chiefs. Look, it's one of those things.

Who had already won four Super Bowls. Here's where I'm concerned. Mike McCarthy's a politician. Mike McCarthy lied in his, in his, in his interview with the Cowboys. He said, he told Jerry Jones to his fucking face that he watched every snap of the 2019 Cowboys to prepare and that was a, that was a lie. We got to post this on Instagram. The first thing Mike McCarthy said,

he's doing the opening press conference, Jerry Jones, and the first question of Mike McCarthy is about, did you actually watch every play of every game last year? And Mike McCarthy's like, oh, now you got to say it, you got to say, get the job, right? And it was like, that's the first thing he said is the Cowboys coach. He's like fudging his LinkedIn, like a college grad. It's ridiculous.

He said, Craig, he didn't say, I was just wondering this because I was like, did he say that he watched every player of the Cowboys? He said he watched every play of the entire season for every team. Yeah, that is what I said. Which is like, come on, that would take a while. This just feels weird.

I hate it. I don't know what to do. This stinks. I'm so upset. I really genuinely thought we were going to hire Chris Chula or Anthony Weaver. Like, I would have put a lot of money on that. Mike McCarthy wasn't even on my radar. When I heard that he interviewed, I was like, why are they doing that?

Does it make a wish thing? Because he's from Pittsburgh. There's no way that's going to happen. The Steelers, Bell Cower, Mike Thomas. where these like defensive-minded guys in their 30s. These like young guys, they wanted to like, let build something from the ground up. And now it's like, oh, maybe we'll get Rogers back with McCarthy.

Cool. We'll have the 20th pick again for the next five years. I will say, I see the Steelers being like, well, he won 12 games three years in a row. And so, you know, like we want to be competitive. You should look up how those games ended with their season. Well, look up how those seasons ended. Horrifically.

I remember, I remember they got the shit kicked out of my Green Bay and Lafleur. and then the Niners one ended with Zeke Elliott as a center. And then the one before that was also against the Niners. And that was when they couldn't spike the ball in 19 seconds. And then the same day or the same weekend, the Chiefs got the field goal in 13 seconds. And then the Cowboys couldn't run a fucking spike in 19. So that's the thing is the lack of detail oriented has been the hallmark of McCarthy.

Also, the Cowboys team he took over incredibly talented. They still had good line at that time and they had Dak Prescott. And that's way more than the Steelers have right now. I don't know if the argument is like, we don't want to bring in some young mind when we have nothing going on at quarterback and they're going to be screwed and we want to bring in McCarthy

to help identify that quarterback and bridge that gap. And so it doesn't turn into like Brian Dayball on the Giants where it's like a good, an offensive mind, but it didn't work because they didn't have the quarterback for a while. Or like Arthur Smith going to Atlanta who was like at the time supposed to be this great

offensive mind and it crashed and burn because he had like old Matt Ryan and Desmond Ritter. Maybe they're like, we don't want to do that to a young coordinator and Mike McCarthy is the guy who can help us like develop Will Howard and and try to draft a guy that he sees and bring him up maybe but to me it's just more of the same in Pittsburgh do you think that Rogers is going to play again I don't know I have no idea don't they hate each I'm confused I know I can't remember the timeline and if Rogers got him fired or not well I thought they hated each other but it was a long time ago so my

maybe Rogers comes back but I also don't hatch it you know I it was a while ago but they certainly have run their course in 2018. It was also like, it was one of those, I don't know. I mean, it's important to remember the reason that Mike McCarthy was fired, but that Packer season, I believe it was after a Cardinals game, but I could be wrong about that. But like, it was, the offense was running was so outdated. And Rogers won two MVPs in a row as soon as Mike McCarthy was fired.

And like, that's important to remember is like Matt LaFleur came in and Rogers immediately won two MVP's in a row. It is also worth noting that I kind of think the Cowboys were much better this season without Mike McCarthy. I know they didn't make the playoffs. But overall, with what Brian Schottenheimer was handed, I think the Cowboys offense was completely modernized. And they started doing motion and they started doing things.

I know they brought Church Pickens in, but I think Schottenheimer did a lot of good stuff with Dallas this year. I know they didn't. But I mean, he took over a seven-win team. I don't know. It's just funny. That's all. I'm giving Mike McCarthy absolutely zero breathing room this year.

The second he does one thing wrong, I'm going to be on his ass. Like Brady. Yeah. Yeah. He has zero margin for air. He better come in and turn Will Howard into Dak Prescott immediately or else I'm going to be missed. Will, yeah, okay.

All right. So we're going to be doing, we're still doing three shows a week. We cover also the entire off season. So after the playoffs, we still do free agency. The draft. Danny Kelly is a draft guide coming out this week. Mock drafts. Yeah.

DKs are draft expert. He studied. You watched every play of the entire college. triple season, right? 134th FBS teams every single snap of every single player. Just trying to get the job, you know? I watched every single snap. But you actually are, you actually do do our big board here at the ringer and you do

like our draft coverage and your crush it and you have the best player comps in the game. So we're going to have mock draft. We're going to have mock draft. We're going to have a little bit of draft 101. So stick with us for the entire offseason. Trades for agency, everything. Yeah. So, I mean, we're going to have more shows.

We have, we have fun, a lot of fun stuff coming the next month in particular, They're going to the Combine later in February. Before we get out of here, Craig, you're at Sundance. We haven't talked to with this at all, but do you have any cool Sundance? Can you explain what Sundance is? Sundance is a film festival,

started by Robert Redford, like 40-something years ago. And sadly, Robert Redford died a few months ago. And so this is the last festival in Park City, Utah. They are moving to Boulder, Colorado next year. It's been in Utah for 40-plus years. Redford wanted it to be here. There's rumors that it's Matt Bellany,

who hosts the town that I produced. He jokes that, the rumors that Robert Redford started it in Utah because he wanted all these like Hollywood yuppies to have to like schlep out to Utah in the freezing cold and like freeze their asses off watching movies. But it's like it's one of the most important independent film festivals in the country

and they produce amazing documentaries. All five of the best documentary Academy Award nominations this year all came from Sundance. Oh well. So how does it work? So they're trying to get bought by they're airing it and someone made the film that they're trying to get a distributor? Like I don't I don't understand.

Yes. It's changed a little. bit lately. It used to be like, yeah, you scrounged up money, you made a movie, you submitted it to Sundance. The committee at Sundance watches thousands of films. They pick the ones they think of the best. They get shown at the festival and then companies like Paramount and Warner Brothers and all that they come and watch. And they're like, that was really good. We want to make a bit on it. They buy it. And then they distributed across thousands of theaters and they make money on it. And that's how it would work. Now it's gotten a little different where like some films are already sold and they just like put it here to, because it's good PR. Prestige. Yeah. But there are still like, I went and saw this film last night.

that Olivia Wilde directed called The Invite, and it was fantastic. One of the best movies I've seen a long time. And it hasn't sold. It's about, it's a remake of a Spanish movie from 2020, based on a play, and it's two couples having a dinner party, and that's it.

It's four couples in an apartment, the whole movie. It's a movie of a movie from five years. Oh, no, it was in Spanish. It's a Spanish film from 2020, but based on a play that came before that. It's just two couples having a dinner party, and it's Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilder a couple, and then it's Penelopee Cruz and Ed Norton are a couple.

average SEC couples. And like, Seth Rowe getting a living while. It's, it's, it's really funny and smart and great. But anyway, that movie did not come in with a, with a distributor or like a studio attached to it.

So now it's like, who's going to bid on it? Netflix, Apple, Warner Brothers, 824. So it's cool to see the buzz. Like everybody was basically talking about that movie last night after we were going out and stuff. And it's kind of cool to hear like that buzz. So that's what Sundance can do.

And Olivia Wilde is like a proven star. It's cool to see some of the smaller people who break through here and then turn into something. You know, Ryan Coogler and Chloe Zhao did the Sundance training seminars here. So they still, like, build a lot of stars here. That's awesome. Yeah. And then the nightlife is all crazy too when you go out.

Yeah, it's basically like one street on, it's like one four block area and it's just packed with bars. You know, it's weird because it's Utah. So it's like, there's like caps on how much you can drink. And usually bars close super early. But like all these companies just like take over and people just party to like four in morning. There's like a town nightclub that opens up here over Sundance and people like party till 6 a.m. I'm not doing that. But, um, well, surely. Yeah. I know. It's only 915. So maybe I got to go.

But yeah, the nightlife here is really cool. I mean, and also people, the skiing is amazing. It's right near Deer Valley. It's like, oh yeah, I was going to say. It's the best skiing in America. So that's the other reason why, you know, holy people come out here and watch it. Is that where, uh, is that where Robert Redford had his home in Park City? Or is it? One of his many. He did live in Park City, but I'm sure he had quite a quite a few homes, but yeah. Yeah. Cool. It's cool. And he's moving to Boulder, Colorado.

You know what was, there was cities bidding on it. We should have like, we should have talked about this like it was the NFL draft. There were cities bidding on Sundance. It was like Santa Fe, New Mexico, Boulder, Colorado, and the, Cincinnati. Cincinnati was, the final two was between Boulder and Cincinnati. Well, they're building, they invested major stuff. The tennis tournament in Cincinnati is like trying to like separate itself into just being like a major I think it's the Bengals are pouring more money

to local infrastructure and they want that tennis tournament to be like the biggest American tennis tournament because it's the one before the U.S. Open and they're like this needs to be an event and they're doing a really good job actually the Cincinnati tournament's like a way bigger deal now. Austin lived in Cincinnati. That's right. He's probably crushed Skyline chili. He ate that every night.

I'm going to go. Email us about more city infrastructure stuff. Cool. Actually don't do that. It's boring. Unless it's cool. Unless it's cool Okay Do you guys Well I guess before you get out of

Can I read like one email Let's do it So this is from Anthony A lot of people emailed this Tony Tony Tony So it's about Craig had a whole thing

On Al Pacino Dry Swallowing pills Oh yeah In the movie two for the money Two for the money He dry swallows the pills And you were saying Not just how he can do it

laying down but how quickly it works So Anthony emails in About that scene A lot of people said it but what Pacino's taking in that movie is nitroglycerin tablets, which if you're wondering, is it that the bomb stuff?

Yes, that's exactly what nitroglycerin is. And it's sublingual nitroglycerin tablets which dissolve in your spit and absorbent your blood vessels in your mouth, which is why they do work almost immediately. Not as quickly as Hollywood says, but it is like within a minute or two, It's not like five seconds, but the nitroglycerin tablets, they do, like, I guess, expand your blood vessels for blockages.

And they do work almost instantly. Okay. Oh, so he's not even swallowing the, like, oh, okay. That's interesting. But, yeah, that's fascinating and I had no idea. However, that trope exists, like, well beyond that movie of, like, the detective who's, like, down on his luck and divorce and he's always, like, shoving pills in his mouth in the car. Like, they do, they're not like a dumb and dumber. There's, in the professional, Gary Oldman's.

character is like a whole thing about taking pills. Yeah, I forget what movie I was just watching. The new airplane movie, we were Liam Neesl's just popping pills and getting coffees. Oh my God, it's so good. All these cops, all these old cops are sucking down dry pills.

Did I already say this? They could all flip the cap with just one finger too. Like, you know, like you're working, it takes me two hands. Push down, turn.

You got to fucking do it with two hands and really try to get those caps off. They got the one finger. It's just, they were Bill Diff back then. Pop it off. There's like four or five in the palm. Shoot them and go about your day.

And you're like in the middle of a conversation doing it. Smoking a cigarette. Yeah. They do it while their cigarettes in their mouth. They swallow the pills out. My favorite thing. My favorite thing in movies is like you said, cigarette dexterity where people are just doing shit with a sig in their mouth.

Like, no. Oh, it's the, dude. Peekey blinders. Madman, dude. People, people doing stuff. It's like old school Vince Vaughn doing the iron cross with the cigarette. Stolving. Staling.

Saving Private Ryan. Oh my God. I need, yeah, dude, I wish I could just dangle a cigarette in my mouth. Oh, 1917, the sergeant in the fucking trench just like explaining,

yeah, yeah, yeah, no, to just walk. Wait until you could smell the dead horse and he's just got a cigarette. This reminds me. This reminds me. We should, we buried the plot here way,

way, way, way, way, way, way. The Seahawks made the Super Bowl. With the Seahawks made the Super Bowl, relatedly, and Sam Darnold was really good in the NFC championship game, by the way. Relatedly, this is something that we've talked about on the show, but I feel like we haven't brought it up

recently enough. Sam Darnold's grandfather was named Dick Hammer. Yeah. Dick Hammer. And he was the freaking Marlboro man. He was the first Marlboro man. How do you say that word?

Marlboro. He was the first Marlboro man. The Marlboro man. That's pretty sick. Like the cowboy? I know. Dick Hammer. Dude.

And he was an attractive dude. Dick Hammer. Dick Hammer. Damner. Dude, his name's Dick Hammer's got to be the best. We got to ask Donald this at Super Bowl. We got it.

We got to get someone to ask. We got to get either, maybe we get Mike Sean Dugard to ask. Yeah, we're like, we're like, we're like, Sam, what's like the craziest name you've ever heard? He's like,

Dick Hammer. What about Dick Hammer? What about Dick Hammer? Who was an athlete, actor and firefighter and the Marlboro man. I want to see Sam Darnel without a beard. Does he have a sneaky nice jawline? There's a lot of pictures of him without a beard, I think.

Well, I mean, I think he grew the beard because there was a famous thing that an NFL scout said when he came out of the draft that Donald had a bad face. Bad face. That was like, that was, they thought he couldn't be a quarterback bad face. It was like in a team's notes. Sam Darnold, which was probably, you know, slender. There's a lot of pictures of him with. Oh, yeah. I got to say the beard helps.

The beard plays. He's got quite the chin. He has. That's a marble. He has like a chin. He has like a red. He's a ginger beard. Yeah, I mean, he's a ginger.

Well, yeah. I feel like he's not a full ginger. He's a ginger. His beard is the most. I mean, he has red hair, isn't he? Well, I don't know. It's kind of like strawberry blonde or something, brown. People with red hair's hair is not actually red.

Some of it is. It's like strawberry blonde, usually. Sometimes. Sometimes people are straight up real red. Anyway, this is a scintillating, scintillating conversation here. consider him a redhead, but... I know what he's saying.

He doesn't look like Ron and Harry Potter. I get what he's saying. No, he's not carrot top, but... No one's carrot top. I know nothing about carrot top. What is his deal? I don't know.

He's a comedian. He's hilarious. He's a comedian. He's a prop comic, right? Isn't that his thing? Yeah, he's like the second generation of Gallagher. So he's just... Well, don't even...

So Gallagher was like, I'm just the first person to figure out I'm going to hit watermelons and sleet-chammer. You know, all those Gallagher was Gallagher was. Gallagher, Mike McCarthy loves to bring watermelons into the thing and hit him with sled jams. But Caratops, so he just has a Vegas residency and is rich and jacked and

just does that every day. People go see Caratop in Vegas. Is he still there? He is. He still has a residency in Vegas. I'm going to CinemaCon this year, which is in Vegas and Matt wants us to go to Caratown. Let's get the fuck out. He's like, it's the most vagusy thing we could do. And he's like, because

he wants to see. Because last year we saw Oh, why am I blanking? The famous musician. I mean, sorry, the famous magician who's been in Vegas forever. Chris Angel? No, no. David Blaine?

No, D.K. I mean, I was thinking Sigfried and Roy with like the Tigers. That didn't. Oh, my God. Oh, that's not. Famous musicians. Chris Angel.

Yes, the famous Vegas magician. He's very famous. David. David Copperfield's dead. David Copperfield. No, he's not dead. He's alive? David Copperfield.

Fife's just trying to kill Copperfield. Yeah, he's like, he's like 70, and I saw his show, and it was, it was a little rough. David Copperfield is alive. He's 69. Why have I not? Am I the only one who thought David Copperfield was dead, like, years ago? The greatest trick he ever pulled on you. Maybe it's because there's a novel by Charles Dickens named David Copperfield.

There is? Yeah, that's got to be why. I think I got that back. which was written in 1849. It might be why I thought he was so old. But yeah, Matt is like every time we go. Did he make a bridge disappear? What the fuck is with it?

He's like, what's the most vagusy thing we could do? And so we saw David Copperfield last year and he wants to see Caratop this year. This is a really good question. What's the most vaguest thing? Because wouldn't it be, shit, what's the same?

It's not like the spirit. No, it's like, the French Canadian singer, what's her name? I'm the greatest thing I ended up. You're talking about Celine Dion? Yeah. I think you're going to go to like a selim dion show or something. Yeah, that's a great one.

It's like what's like the most old school. I mean, I think personally, Cirque de Soleil to me is what I think of when I think of Vegas. Like going to Cirque to Salé show. I used to make the joke, Craig, because this is, I remember going to Cirque to to Soleil back when I was blogging for field goals. I was blogging on the Seahawks back in like 2013, 2014. And I went to a Cirque to Salé show and I was like, I need to be blogging about this. This is better than anything I've ever seen in my fucking life.

These people are the best athletes I've ever seen Dude, should we go to Cirque to Sala? The shit they do is mind-boggling And I wasn't even on shrooms Oh, can we do shrooms and go to Cirque to Salairet? I mean, that would be stealing a bit, but yes, we should. Who's bit? Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen did it in

This is 40 or whatever. They went to Vegas and took shrooms and went to Scribes. Kurt just recommended this movie. It's fine. They'll get over it. I also, I'm reading David Copperfield's Wikipedia and it says since 2016 David Copperfield

does campaign for Congressional Resolution 642 which would quote, recognize magic as a rare and valuable art form and national treasure. I mean, look, I don't disagree with that. He was so, he had clearly been doing this exact act for so many years consecutively.

I think he does like two shows a night. It's just mailing it. 15 shows a week. I'm looking right out. Dude, he doesn't finish his sentence before he starts the next one because it is so baked into his brain. Like, I can't.

describe to you how much he was just going through the motions like no one even needed to be there he was just like breathing it was literally like air to him and you know that many shows yeah they're not long they're like an hour i i i don't understand i am i maybe i'm crazy but i don't think i've seen a video of david copperfield in my entire life that was from like the last 20 years yeah everything i feel like i've seen him's from the 80s i can't believe he's alive and also looks fine he looks like the mayor in fucking dark night. Yeah, he's got a nice hat of hair. When I think of Vegas, I think of like Wayne Newton.

Yeah, that's a great one. Oh. Is Wayne Newton alive? I think he is. I think he might have not. I'm thinking. I think he's alive. He's 83.

Tony, Tony Bennett is the one who passed. Tony Bennett. No, Wayne Newton's a great call, Craig. Tony Bennett was old. Classic. He was like in his 90s, right? Yeah. Wayne Newton, I also think of like family guy sketches, you know, Conrad

twitty and Wayne Newton or some shit. Wayne Newton. What a name. Wayne Newton. God. Do you think we could ever get like a Vegas residency? For doing our podcast? That's what these guys do. They just perform in Vegas an hour every day and they just live in Vegas. Craig, I thought of another one.

This one, this one we might actually have to go to if we go to Vegas. The Blue Man Group. Oh, that's number one. That's so fucking that. That's the most. I guess. Also, all time of rest of development bit is like he just,

Tobias tries to change. I blew myself, yeah. Dude, Blue Man Group. So what do they do? They play music. They play drums and shit.

There's a whole show. I don't know. There's also like, there's also a ton of shows, and I'm just looking through it out. There's a ton of like burlesque shows and nudity shows and whatnot, which, I figured.

For adults only, guys. So be careful. Well, so the Blue Man, are they musicians? that do the costumes, or are they like costume performing and they play music? No, they're musicians that do that dress up in all blue paint.

Are they the most famous thing in the world that nobody would know what they look like? I've never been to a blue man group, to be clear. But I think they're like really, really good drummers. But is anyone more visually iconic that you like see them? You're like Blue Man Group, but that 0% of people know what they look like. Like you could know someone for 20 years. Yeah. They're probably.

They were probably nondescript dudes and there's probably eight of them and three of them play in every show. I mean, there's probably been 80 of them. It would be a great trivia question to say how many people have been in the blue man group. Do they sing? You know what else that is a trivia question. Do they put paint in the drums and they hit them and the paint flies everywhere? No, I think that was stomped. What do they do?

So they are a nonverbal stage show featuring bald blue painting characters that blend comedy, music, and performance. Oh, yeah. their minds. Comp out their mimes. Yes. And they're doing like physical gags kind of thing. Yeah, I guess. So Blumen Group is minds.

You imagine putting on that goddamn paint every single day of your life? It's a nightmare. It's like Jim Carrey with the Grinch. It's like, didn't he almost have a nervous breakdown? Every time I see that like Jacob Allorty and Frankenstein. He's like every day it took eight hours to put the makeup on. I'm like, Jesus, what the, maybe we should use AI. I'm like, God.

That's no way to live. Jeez, that's horrible. Oh, my God. Anyway, go watch Frankenstein now on Netflix. I desperately want to go watch the Blue Man Group now. Oh, God. All right. Email us about the Blue Man Group.

Okay. Thank you, D.K. Thank you, D.K. Thank you for emails at Ringerfantasy Football at gmail.com. Thank you to Olivia Newton, John, who I slandered earlier. Thank you. You have to give context to that. Right.

That was on our text. Dek. All right. Dika shout her out at the end. Thank you to everyone to listening. Yeah, stick with us on Netflix spot. for wherever you're watching us. We're here all the rest of the playoffs,

Super Bowl off season. We have, honestly, I think the show gets more fun. If you enjoyed anything, we just did less 15 minutes. It's probably more fun now than during the season. Thank you, Lauren. Lauren. Thank you, Olivia Newton. John. So during the legend.

So yeah. Tom Brady on the broadcast saying, let's get physical, physical. And KB was laughing. They were having a good time. And then Hyford's Texas. Oh my God, Tom Brady just sang a do a leap of song. Well, because she has a song called Physical

and she kind of, It's ripping off of you, Newton, John, so I got confused. Right. She doesn't sample it. They're different. They can sound different. They're different songs. But like, was this word, better or worse than my Pooka and Kua was actually out of

bounds and they should have got to play at the end of the game? Nothing was worse than that, which I still have to top. He's just so arbitrary hyphen. You know what the fuck got to take? Actually, you know what bothered me about it? The cornerback was just winding the clock and the ref looked at him. It was like, you're right. And he made the decision off that.

Yeah, that happens a lot. nobody looked at the player you're right I mean when when freaking Rieke Wollin got the penalty from talking shit to the line to the Rams sideline

Devante Adams went up to the ref and was like lobbying for it and the refills out his flag and throws it shit happens all the time I we're all human beings including referees hyphen we've been doing the show long enough

have we found out what Tarek Woolen said no no he better have been threatening people's families for him to get that flag Oh, he, Rick Wolland dodged the biggest bullet on this one man, because he would go down.

I mean, if CX had lost that game, he would have gone down as one of the all time. Well, at first I thought, goats in a negative sense. At first, I thought he really crossed over like the sideline and was like on the Rams bench, which I was like, you know what? That should be a flag. You can't allow that to happen. But then the replay of the wide shot, he took like one foot on the sideline and was talking shit. And I was like, eh.

I don't know. Can't have that in the game, Craig. Think of the children, Craig. You can't go like, you can't just go into the bench and talk shit, but like he was right on the sideline. How many plays in a game do they do that? Probably like 25 to 30. It happens like every drive. I think it was because like Sean McVeigh was more on the field than Rick Wullen. Like Wollin was closer to the Rams bench than McVeigh. So it was kind of weird. It felt like he was more in the mix than I was an illusion.

Yes, it was an optical illusion. It's kind of like Lord of the Rings where they were shooting it. They're like, they're actually really far apart or something. It's like, yeah, McVeigh's proximity made it closer. Also, by the way, one of the most badass things ever I've seen is him getting that penalty and then the Rams turning around and going right at him and scoring a touchdown. Like that to be, if I was a Rams fan, God, that's can't get better than that right there. That was sick. Obviously, it pissed me off because I wasn't a Rams fan, but I can respect it. Yeah, so I'm sorry, Olivia Newton, John. Sorry.

Dame Olivia Newton, John, by the way. Dame? One of the highest selling artists of all time. Huh. What does Dame mean again? It's the counterpart to Sir Oh, it's Sir and Dame

So, but that's not OBE That's just knighted I don't know I think there's different versions of OBE is above a night or below I just know OBE from Piki Bliners You expect me to know this? I don't know

You're sorry I don't know any of the British Like title shit Titles titles titles Yeah Yeah I saw Megan Markle last night Also she's Australia

Really? fucking guy. You're like, oh, from Spotify, remember? Yeah, I'm like, yeah, I work for the ringer. She, no, she introduced a movie that she produced about Girl Scout cookies, a documentary. A documentary about Girl Scout cookies? No. And?

The doc was really good, cute little girls who are like adorable and you fall in love with all of them. It's like great little stories. However, it does kind of make, it does make the Girl Scout organization feel a little soulless, I got to say. It's like, man, we're really putting these girls to work. to sell these damn cookies. I know. It's kind of like what's going on here. It's just like a pyramid scheme with all these.

I will say, well, you know, there's like an 11 year old girl who's like, I feel a lot of pressure to sell these cookies. And I feel like I need to do this. I'm like, God. Oh my God.

I don't know if I'm this. Teach us them entrepreneurial ship, Craig. You know my Girl Scout cookies take. Should I do this now or should do this? Girl Scout cookies are good. Is it even fucking dares? You think they're bad? You want them year round?

What is it? I just, I think. I don't like where this is going. I know. It's worse than my pookie take. in the Holston. No, come on. Do it.

You can't. I just think Girl Scout cookies are like the worst kind of cookies. And if they were good enough to be sold you around, they would be, but they're not, so they aren't. What? They're not good cookies. They're like all in fear. It's false.

They're guilt-free. What are you talking about? I'm buying them from Girl Scout. Basically, you're an adult. You're not supposed to eat cookies. But like, you buy them from a Girl Scout, so you're like, you're a good person. And when you eat a good, so it's what you're paying for. is you're paying for the excuse to eat cookies

and not feel bad about yourself. Sure. And what an exchange you're giving up is quality because they're lesser. Like the chocolate peat, the tag alongs aren't as good. Thin mints are sick and thin mince. Just agree with that.

All the other cookies just aren't as good. They're not restaurant quality cookies, but they're really good cookies. As what? You're saying like other store-bought bags of cookies? Are any of those great? Like chips a hoy? They're better than chips a hooy.

By law, like a lot. That's the bar. They're not good cookies. Like they're not good. They're just the guilt-free cookies. I agree that sacrilegious. I agree that they capitalize on scarcity. And they know what they're doing where it's like,

it's cookie season. You got to get them now. And if they were just available at the store every day, probably wouldn't do it. No chance. No chance. And then look, are the margins probably pretty thin?

And they cheap out on the ingredients of those cookies, perhaps. But I don't think they're bad. I like a Samoa, like a thin man. They're not bad, but it's like cook. They're cookies. No cookies are bad.

No pizza's bad. We're talking about cookies that come in a bag. What's better than a Girl Scout? What is 10 times better than a Girl Scout cookie that comes in a bag? Oreas. Not even close. You're right. You're right.

Yeah, but Oreos are like the goat cookie. Oreos give Oreos stale Oreos are like aged like wine. Areas get better when it's fair. Oreos is like MJ. That doesn't count. But the tag alongs are great. That was my jam. Yeah, I like that because chocolate and peanut butter is incredible.

What I'm saying is it's like the worst version of chocolate but peanut butter, which is still good. The docy dose? Those are great. I don't really like the, I'm just looking at the different ones. I just go thin mince out the freezer, rip those. That's kind of the move. Thinman, I will not fight you on thin mince out the freezer. But that's what I'm saying.

It's like the lowest version of a guy. I think tag alongs are on the Rushmore for bagged cookies. Well, Hyvitz, next time you see a cute little eight-year-old girl, tell her your take. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your cookies suck. You sit on a throne of lies. You don't smell like Santa. You smell like beef and cheese.

Oh, my God. All right. Goodbye everyone.