The Ryen Russillo Podcast - NBA Tales From the Couch, Alex Smith on Mentoring Mahomes, and Today's QB Challenges. Plus, Catching Up With Dierks Bentley.

Episode Date: October 25, 2024

Russillo shares his first NBA Tales From the Couch of the season, including Nuggets-Thunder, Spurs-Mavericks, Kings-Timberwolves, and more (0:43). Then Ryen is joined by ESPN's Alex Smith to discuss his transition into media, challenges faced by young QBs, the impact coach Jim Harbaugh had on him in San Francisco, his time with the 49ers and the Chiefs, mentoring Patrick Mahomes, returning from his injury in Washington, and more (21:03). Then Ryen talks with his college friend and country music star Dierks Bentley about his decision to pursue his country music dreams, finding inspiration for new music, creating his own bourbon, opening his own bar, and more (59:52). Finally, another edition of the Alliance and Life Advice with Kyle (1:27:42). A Judge Judy landlord situation. Host: Ryen Russillo Guests: Alex Smith and Dierks Bentley Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, and Mike Wargon The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A little Tales from the Couch basketball style for you. First few nights in the league, just want to go through some thoughts, including OKC's win at Denver. We've got Alex Smith on quarterbacks finding a way to make it later in their career, much like him. He was awesome. So I can't wait to talk to him. And we're going to catch up with old friend, Dierks Bentley, met him 30 years ago. He's famous and he has a new whiskey out and we'll talk about his origin story.

And we've got life advice with just Kyle and the Alliance marches on. This episode is brought to you by Movember. The mustache is back with a vengeance. the Alliance marches on. prevention and prostate and testicular cancer research. And if you don't want to grow a mustache, you can still walk or run 60 kilometers. Host an event or set your own goal and mow your own way. Do great things this November. Sign up now. Just search Movember. It's the Ryan Rosilla podcast presented by Fandul.

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I'm going to run through a bunch of different things here. I'm going to try to go faster on some stuff towards the end, but with the games last night, uh, we had stuff worth watching, right? So we've got, okay. See at Denver, this game turned in the third quarter, although there was a run that we'll get to kind of in the first quarter as well. Chet was terrific last night, 25-14 in five, four blocks.

It's his third season, but not his third season. It's the second season. We talked about the third score for OKC because I still think that that's something to like make them absurd. Then we start thinking about, like there's the regular season viewing and projecting the world that will all look like in the playoffs and sometimes it'd be the same, sometimes it's different, right?

Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's easy. Um, but. You know, there's a reason why check was consider the prospect that he was and potentially even go in number one, where, you know, I think taking them one wouldn't have necessarily been a mistake, even though Palo was terrific for the magic, right? But he was only taking 11 and a half shots per game last year. Last night he took 18.

I know he missed a bunch of threes, but he's 37% from three. So I'm not worried about that, but there is a scenario here where I think the really good players and certainly the special players. So I'm not like saying that yet about Shep, I think the really good players and certainly the special players, so I'm not saying that yet about Chet, but the really good ones, you'll see a significant jump from year one to year two. Even more likely, perhaps, because he got to, after the injury, be around a team. It wasn't like he was the truest rookie, even though last year was first year he was playing. That's something to look for, And it looked really good last night.

Denver. Oh, another thing with Chet, he only played 29 minutes a game last year. Denver, this is gonna be about the bench guys. I don't know. I don't like what I saw last night. And again, this is all which is one game in, but I mean, there's some pretty like tough projections here based on like what you're seeing with the bench

options here for Denver. So Jokic comes out in the first quarter and they were up 18, 10, not right when he came out. So this isn't, I don't want to make it out to be like this guy comes out and this group comes in, but they try to line up with Jamal Murray staying in with Russell Westbrook, with Sarich and then Watson and Strother. OKC closed the quarter 21 to six. Again, Jokic was in there for some of that. So it wasn't like 18-10 comes right out and then that's the problem. But yeah, that's not great. They tried it again later on with Murray, Russ, Strother, and then Jokic was in there, Watson, and then Sharj comes in to close

the last Cull movement. It's the third quarter when Jokic comes out, his standard pattern, depending on like how Denver's feeling about the Knights, when they'll bring Jokic in in the fourth quarter. But there's just no spacing on this. There are seven 38 on threes. They're not going to be that bad every night, right? But if you look at the numbers here, Watson's 30% for his career, Strother's 29%. Westbrook's been below 30%, eight of his last 10 seasons. There's one season that's a shorter sample of like 21 games with the Clippers, but again, that was not the full season where he was like a 35%.

I've heard people kind of argue like, Oh, Westbrook's actually, you know, from quarter threes, like there may be some quarter three numbers there, but the problem is, it's like, look at how the defense lines up. Like there were lineups that Denver was throwing out there where there's three people that nobody was ever worried about closing out on. So when Jokic isn't in there, it's early an issue, even during these championship run years. But when he's not in there and you're trying to keep Murray in as the other

great offensive option to work with all the other guys, there's just not anybody out there that anybody respects unless a Strother or a Watson, you know, it's still very early in their careers to develop into something. But like whatever you say about KCP, which I would admit like on the lower end of stuff, like he can be on first team, is he in the game and not really notice him, but at least you had to respect it. And so now to replace that with some of these combinations where there's just not that much spacing, like look, Westbrook will be great on some kind

of cut where Yokocho is going to find him and feed him, it'll be terrific. So this isn't all on just like Westbrook being pretty bad last night. It's just the concept. Like let's map it out over, over six months. Just the concept, like let's map it out over over six months. Now, maybe the point for Denver is, you know, just keep going. Probably still win 50 games because of Jokic and, you know, shorten rotations and hope you have something, but in today's game, like I almost feel like I'm going to start writing teams off.

Like where is the shooting? And that's a lot of non shooters in today's game to all have on the floor at the same time. Um, Oklahoma cities won four straight against Denver. Uh, I thought Murray looked much better physically than what we saw this summer. He didn't shoot it well. Um, in those four straight, Murray played all four, Yokech missed one. So sometimes you can look at the season series stuff and everything and be like, oh, this guy missed it.

I didn't feel like going through every single box score this morning. Bench guys for OKC. Let's hear from Usman Gang immediately paying dividends. Corner three, Caruso Wallace, Wiggins 15 points. He's like the uncool OKC depth, but he's also like just pretty good and no J-Will two from them. Dallas San Antonio, spacing a theme here.

We'll get to it. But to start clay looked great. Uh, it wasn't just the shooting. I thought he moved pretty well. Yes. He's never going to be the same guy was defensively again, where I think we're talking like five years ago now. So I think it's okay. Now he was six to 10 on threes. You know, when you look back on it the way he's been talked about, he missed two seasons back to back. And since those, the last three that he's played, he's shot 39-41 and 39% from 3.

He's 34 years old. The bench thing last year, he was only benched for 14 of the 77 games that he played in. You're right. It doesn't look the same defensively, but people that are throwing around like clay being washed, you're just wrong. I know I never understood. I mean, look, the world is a nasty place on social media. Um, I'm reminded of it from time to time, but I think the overwhelming like negativity towards who Clay is or isn't,

like his life's going to be really easy. And I, I'd say last night, I even saw him kind of getting into a shot with the ball a little bit more than we're used to seeing. All right. Wemba Nyama with Chris Paul on the other side. This was actually kind of disappointing last night. Came one game. So who knows whatever he finished five at 18, I was charting it through the three quarters. Only four of his 14 shots were at the rim.

Dallas did a really good job with Wimbanyama last night. Lively, when we got him once at the rim with that absurd up and under where you're thinking he's too far out, no, his arms are still going and he made a bite, that was really the only time. Like the only time he kind of got him. Um, Lively played more than Gaffer because of Gaffer's foul trouble. Gaffer still starts, but it's a really nice one, two punch that we saw pay dividends through the back half of the regular season into the playoffs for.

So that's not necessarily surprising. And I like Dallas's top eight better this year than, than last year's. I just do. Um, but back to the women, Yama part of it, I think Dallas did a really good job and I also think San Antonio does a bad job with him, at least for a game. I don't like where he starts. He was even bringing the ball up a few times in the first half.

And then sometimes they get the ball back to him. He's in the triple threat at the three point line. I understand that his size and his combination of skills, this unicorn that we've never seen before, like the fun part is that he can catch it from the three point line and drive and do all these things. But, you know, sometimes it comes back to an issue with spacing. Like, Champagney's a pretty good shooter from three, 37% from the line last year.

Chris Paul was 37%, but he's just not going to shoot enough. And then Barnes is actually 38% from his career from three. So in theory, you're looking around and they didn't have the cell last night. So, you know, like, all right, maybe there will be enough shooting, but watching the way Dallas defended, they just stayed big. They cut off like off ball paths for Voendonyama. If he was trying to get better position, they would just be tough with him. And I also just don't think San Antonio did enough stuff where there was one ball

screen for women, Yama rolled against the switch and then he got the pass. And I think he may have gotten free throws out of it and you're like all right a little bit more of that I imagine Chris Paul are gonna figure some of this stuff out and maybe Chris Paul is gonna have to take more threes but even with some of the three-point shooting numbers I don't know that Dallas was necessarily like afraid of it and it just allows guys to trickle off and look with the selling that'll add another element to it Castle was fun as far as his energy.

He was a little, I mean, look, his first NBA game, he was a young kid. So yeah, there was a little reckless of times there as well. And Kelden Johnson, I remember liking him. I do. And I know I've said that last year. He looks like he's in better shape. But I think San Antonio, I'm not going to sit here and be like, oh, they need to do a better job with Wim Bignama. Like, I'm really, I just here and be like, oh, they need to do a better job with Leman Yama.

Like I'm really, I just thought at least last night with Dallas and the way they defend him, just being smart about it, staying big, just trying to like throw big bodies, stay in front, trying not to go for all the stuff that's really exciting with Leman Yama. But I also don't love like where he was initiating his offense from through much of the night. He missed a million threes. I don't know if he was settling or whatever, but you know, I don't know that it was like great contest either.

I just think he was missing shots. The best game was Minnesota at Sacramento. It's 8171 Sacramento, late third. Minnesota goes small with Ant DiVincenzo, Nas Reid, Randall, who had 33 last night was much better than the Lakers game. And then, naw. Uh, this is not a look at that. They took go bear out and went small and they came back in the third quarter

because they did come back in the third quarter, but it's, it's not that trust me, I'd be willing to do that if that were the case, but it wasn't because when they brought go bear back in, it was still, they were still down. It was 87, 87, 78, and then D. Vincenzo, Nas and all hit threes and that put the run together. Uh, the go bear factor part of this, like if you don't like go bear, it's worth looking at some of that fourth quarter. I know nobody's going to do this, but I, I've talked about go bear plenty of

times, the good and the bad and him not being an asset offensively is just a really frustrating thing and you can see same thing happening in Utah, happening of times the good and the bad and him not being an asset offensively is just a really frustrating thing. And you can see same thing happening in Utah, happening in Minnesota. You just don't always want to throw the ball down. He's just not strong with the basketball. If the other team goes small, he doesn't make you pay for it with his offense. Okay.

All right. But on the defensive side, not that this is breaking news, this is one of the defensive player of the year. Look at when he's out, how excited the drivers get on the opposing team. It is a completely different attitude from the opponent. It's like, oh, he's gone. This is great because Rudy is so good at switching onto the small guy and then still retreating and then changing the shot. It's just something to remind yourself of if somebody who is in your friend group. And I'm not the biggest fan, right?

Cause it's the contract, the trade, some of that other stuff. But just watch when he comes out what the ball handlers do and how happy they are. And by the way, Demar DeRozan, when Go Bear was in, had one of the best drives on Go Bear, you're gonna see, because he was anticipating Rudy kind of playing too.

So ball handler showing on DeRozan, but then also retreating and keeping the rolling big within arms distance. I think Sabonis was cutting down the left lane. And DeRozan drove it and just gave him the slightest move to make him think he might be giving up the ball, which kind of throws Rudy in this absurd thing. We ask of these centers to play two guys at once.

And yet he still got the shot off on Rudy on the right side and Rudy still kind of like came back and contested a little bit. It was the most like delicate thing that the Rose, it wasn't some massive move, jab step up fake, all this stuff. He just got Rudy thinking like, you gotta stay honest to the right side of the lane here. And he got the shot off against him, which doesn't happen a lot.

DeRozan was really good, hit a million free throws. Keegan was terrific. Sabonis was really good. He had three or four threes. He's taken one three a game for his entire career. It's a bonus, because you can see him pass on that open foul line shot because these other teams scout it. And I mean, this has been going on since like, I don't even know.

I think it was really ugly in that warrior series where Draymond just was like, I'm not even leaving the restricted area. When you catch it, it frees their line. You would just think with Sabonis' touch and all of this stuff, like he just needs to take it, needs people to respect that and they don't. And yet then he pulled it out and started hitting huge three. He's not a great Fox game, whatever, but the ant fuck it mode is the best thing in the

NBA. It can't be matched. He just kind of went off there at the end and ended up getting the free throws to win this one after getting fouled. He did get fouled by Sabonis with like 0. four left on the shot clock, two seconds left in the game. A couple of things though, bigger picture here with Minnesota, because I was talking about like the Randall part of it of does Finch start Randall? Because it's Randall and Nas has already come off the bench to appease everybody,

keep everybody happy. But Randall's still going to whatever you think of him. Certainly there's nights. I don't love him. He's going to be talented enough to get you buckets. He's also been a really good passer going all the way back to Kentucky, so you think he might be able to fit in a little bit better. But I do like that Minnesota feels like they have a couple different options here, whether it's that they want to take Conley out in the closing moments and put in DeVincenzo.

If they want to go Nas instead of Randall. But then last night, they actually closed the last few minutes because I thought, Oh, D'Vincenzo is still in there. Then they brought in Conley, but then they put, they took McDaniels out. So again, something to look at there. D'Vincenzo, Conley and McDaniels all played 27 minutes last night. All right. Rapid fire. Ben Simmons looked better in that Atlanta game on Wednesday. He just looked better. Also had some bad plays monitoring benched the last, I think six minutes of that one and it was a close game. I love the Pacers closing with Benedict Matheran.

I'm a Matheran fan. I just think he gets through the room constantly. He's another like offensive threat. You have to worry about it. I'd rather close with all these offensive threats, but Nie Smith is going to be in there for his defense and the shooting in theory. Nie Smith might be the only guy I think will leave the but Neesmith is going to be in there for his defense and the shooting in theory.

Neesmith might be the only guy in the league that plays too hyped. Neesmith foul trouble. I think he could foul out of every single game if you wanted to call the fouls on him. They'd probably just go, we can't call all of these. But I don't know if that's something that Carlisle is going to do with the Pacers. I would be in favor of it because I just think Matthew gives you so much more offensively, but I'm sure that there's a defensive drop off, but you know, that might be one of those, those taxes that you would pay and giving up some of

that defense to have another guy that as soon as you like swing it opposite to him and then he gets some momentum and starts driving, he's, he's making a bucket or he's getting free throws. He really is that good at it. The Magic might be really good. One seed good? No. I can't fathom anybody beating Boston after what we've seen from Tatum shooting.

To start the year, and that's not exactly brand new news, LaMelo was the best player on the floor in Charlotte's win at Houston. He was fantastic. I think there's probably some lineup confusion that'll happen here with the Rockets as Udoca tries to figure out what he wants. I thought it was funny to see like, Amen Thompson kind of come in and go, yeah, you know what? I'm not going to kind of sit around anymore. I'm going to give you a little like prime Jaylen green

and start going for it. I thought he was really aggressive. There's also some Shangoon sub patterns that are worth paying attention to because he's probably the most skilled player on the Rockets and they just did his contract. And by the way, credit to the Rockets for doing the Jaylen green contract,

the way that they did it. Like, okay, we're going to give you the huge bump, but we're not doing the full thing. We're not sure yet. And you have an option where you can reset the whole thing and make even more. So it's kind of a win-win, even if the standard is if I'm this high of a pick and I'm the leading

score, then I'm supposed to just get the five year, $200 million. Like what are we doing? Um, but I thought credit, credit to the Rockets for doing something a little different that I think a lot of other teams would have just Maxed out Jalen Green even if they didn't know if they had the answer on if he's actually going to be the guy Jabari Smith handle looked a little bit better Stat line did not to a seven eight points five rebounds 33 minutes definitely getting frustrated with my position in the Jabari portfolio

jaw for Memphis looks like Ja Morant. I guess he's just, he should, right? He's still young enough. He's this ridiculous athlete, but game one, like yeah, hey, look at that. Looks just like Ja Morant because it is. If you don't like Zach Eaddy, I don't know that you can take the victory lap

at him fouling out in 16 minutes. You go back and watch those fouls. It's not him getting caught in a switch against a smaller player and getting exposed defensively the way that I think if you were on the floor closing, that's something that you're going to see and he's going to have to figure out a way to survive it. But the fouls were just kind of like reaching in frustrated a couple of times. They were, I think for the most part, pretty legitimate, but it wasn't

because he was switched on to a smaller ball handler and being exposed sons winning overtime hardened was hardened again and then he was hardened again 10 to 28 but the final stat line 29 12 and 8 could harden lead the league in scoring it's look it's gonna be a little slower but it's gonna look a lot like the Houston Hardin years if opening night was any indicator. Clippers also played really hard and shout out Kai Jones at center. You want to talk knee Smith energy. Phoenix love already the rotation and what it what it looks like O'Neill, Allen, Plumlee, Morris, they've got two rookies playing in Dunn and Iguodara,

who can do a little bit more with the ball if you didn't watch him at Marquette. And then final two thoughts here, Scoop Anderson off the bench. Can't phase him, 18 shot attempts. Got to the free throw line a lot. I'll tell you what, he looks bigger. He looks taller. He's getting so big.

He looked a little quicker to me, but. You know, took a lot of free throws. Final thought, just a thought moving forward. I'd like to present a new rule. If you're doing a Jersey swap, should you reach a minimum points threshold the night of said swap? Yeah, I'm in favor of it. The jersey swap should be limited to, I mean, is eight points too nice?

How about ten? How about 10 points for a Jersey swap? If you score nine, it's like, hey man, you're just gonna have to get 10 the next time. Pick up a win this NFL game day on Fandule, America's number one sports book. Right now, all customers get a profit boost every single NFL game day. That means you can pump up your gridiron winnings

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Your game time tastes like Miller time. Learn more at MillerLight.ca. Must be legal drinking age. This is the first time I've ever talked to Alex Smith. I'm pretty sure that's true. Through the ESPN years, you can lose track, but he joins us now and he's now working with ESPN. He's doing some awesome interviews. We're going to talk to him about that. Also has a new podcast out, the glue guys, Shane Batier and Ravi Koopta. So, uh, what's up, man? It's good to see you.

How's it going? I feel like I've talked to you before because I've listened to the pod. So like, you know, you do make this connection as a podcast listener. So I do feel like I know you. So it's cool to talk to you. Uh, it sucks to Saruti's traveling today because Saruti is one of your biggest fans ever. And I'll just come clean.

I think there was a time where it was like a graphic where it was like, here's the all time winning. And it was like Brady Manning and then Alex Smith. And I would like, whether it was a pre-show meeting or on the air. So if you listen to me, like I just always have to be honest. I'll be like, come on, guys. We can't do that with Alex Smith.

And then Saruti would just jump in and be like, he's way better than you think he is. And I'd be like, yeah, but what about, so yeah, just in full transparency here, I hate that he's not here because he's been one of your strongest defenders of anyone I've ever met. So. Oh, well next time, we'll have to do it again.

What's this been like? I know it's been a few years now. Usually those first two are tough for somebody who's had a life in football. But what's it been like? Is you've kind of really fully transitioned and understood the next chapter of your life. Yeah, I mean

transitions are hard. They're hard. And the walk away from professional sports is such a unique thing. You know, I'll never forget like entering the league. And all you hear is NFL, not for long, right? Like the average career spans, you know, two years. And, you know, I was playing as a young, you know, top pick, and it was just, it was a lot.

Those were like dog years, right? I had never thinking that like, man, if I could ever make it 10 years. And that seemed like that was a thousand years away, right? Like that was so far away. I didn't think I would ever make it. And then to end up playing 16 years, obviously just so incredibly lucky and grateful for that to happen.

But then you walk away and there were, I had all these interests and things that I'd always wanted to go do that I got to put off. I got to like kick the can on just because football kept going and going and going, you know? And, and then here's my opportunity. And at the same time, all of a sudden I'm, you know, middle-aged and got have kids and, uh, football at that point was always kind of a means to an end, right? Like you're sacrificing so much. You know, I put so much into football all those years. And it was always knowing, right, this is going to last forever. So my wife knew it.

Everybody knew it. And then you kind of you unplug from football for a while and decompress. But you quickly realize, like, I can't just play golf every day. You know, like, I can't just play golf every day. You know, like, I can't do nothing. What the hell am I going to do with the rest of my life? You know, and so just trying to find that balance. And I still feel like I'm on that mission. I'm still trying to work it out.

I don't have the answers at all. I am enjoying my time at ESPN. I never thought I would do TV, ever. I don't know if you knew this when I played. I was like the most boring interview of all time. Like just, I was like the epitome of getting on the podium and the microphone and just like, just verbal vomit. Like there, I didn't say anything of meaning.

And that was kinda cause you're coached, right? Like you're coached to do that. Just don't give them any ammunition, say less is just like walking cliches. And I kind of never thought I'd have something to say on TV. And it's so funny narrative. You know, I really, I really do enjoy the challenge. Uh, doing the Sunday countdowns now getting ready for that, like gearing up. I listened to so many people that have crazy stuff to say during the week. They like just amps me up and fuels me for Sunday. So it's, it's been fun.

Okay. So you touched on something like I use the, you know, the Brady timeline for me is, is kind of funny. We're, we're close to the same age. He came into the league. I was a huge Patriots fan back in the day. I moved to Boston, right. When it all started, you know, from Massachusetts.

And I remember thinking like Belichick has the perfect muse in Brady because Brady was just buying into all of it immediately. And like Belichick didn't want free thinkers, right? Yeah, no. But the part that I've admired with Belichick, even if I didn't love all the interviews is that he just basically was like, I'm not going to, I'm not going to do anything that you want me to do because it's all pointless. So why give you anything?

But then there's always probably like a moment of you getting a little bit older and you're thinking, I, there's actually is a personality in here. Like if I were a player, you know, and you told him like I, and we're seeing it with Brady, you know, but it took like 20 years and now we're seeing it with you, I'd still think it's the right approach because outside of the locker room, knowing what it's like being in the media, we lose our minds over the dumbest shit. That doesn't mean anything, but I do wonder if you ever replay it being like, maybe I didn't have to be like that.

Yes, no, absolutely. So two things, a lot there, like even think about Belichick and Saban now, right? These guys were like the most stoic head coaches. Don't say anything, right. They were like cut from the same cloth. This is this old school. There even was like the media was, it was the enemy, right? Like even when they, like when they, you know, and now they're, you know,

they're all over the place in media and you're seeing their personality come out. And, um, and it's actually been this like very fun experience and no different with Tom. You know, you and I talked right before the taping like about the interviews and this is where it hits me the most Ryan likes when I go sit down with these quarterbacks and I get asked to do this from ESPN and I get it because it was the same thing like when I was playing like they would send a quarterback because I think they think you'll say yes to the sit down, you know, and it works. And like, there's nothing worse than I'll go interview

somebody who kind of was me when I was playing and you leave it and you're like, man, that sucks. You know, like, it's just like, that was a crappy interview. I didn't get anything. It was like pulling teeth. And then I'll go sit down with a guy like Baker. And I'm like, this is awesome. Like this guy is so refreshing.

You know, like he just kind of is who he is. It's so honest and authentic. And I really love that. And I do reflect back on when I was playing, and certainly the back half of my career, when I probably could have walked the line better, on being myself and not providing fodder for anything. You know, like not providing fodder for anything,

like not becoming a distraction to anything. And yeah, so like live and learn, but I do, that thought definitely comes across for me as I reflect back on my career. I think the problem with sharing more is that if you're not playing well, then the reason you're not playing well, part of it becomes your personality.

Baker's a perfect example of that. Like whether or not you like him coming out of the draft, you could use his personality as an asset and you could use it against them. I mean, really he was, he was probably hurt way more than we realized when he was at Cleveland, there was certain place where I'd see him running around being like, dude, he doesn't even look right. Um, but it wasn't working right. And it wasn't working.

You know, he goes to a place like the Rams. It's not like he's going to take over for Stafford anyway, but it wasn't working, right? And it wasn't working. You know, he goes to a place like the Rams. It's not like he's going to take over for Stafford anyway, but it is funny. And I think this gets back to like a flaw that we have in the media. But I also think it happens with fans is that now that it's working for Baker, his personality is thought to be this incredible asset. Like it's a great part of his makeup because he's so relatable and all the guys rally around him. He's just a guy's guy. I'm hearing he's no different, but the way it's talked about plays

out entirely different just based on wins or losses on Sunday. I couldn't agree more. Yeah. I battled this when I was really young. I guess this is the thing I do appreciate about even Baker specifically. He's not trying to get everybody to like him. And I know for a fact, like if you'd go back into those Brown's locker rooms and the Carolina locker rooms, like he was, his teammates felt no different about him. Right?

Like that certainly is at the core of a huge motivation. In fact, probably is like the greatest respect. Like you want your teammates and even opponents to respect you, right? Like that's, that's like the greatest compliment, like you want your teammates and even opponents to respect you, right? Like that's like the greatest compliment, you know? And certainly the outside world is not a part of that, but you know, when you're young and you're a high pick, you want everybody to like you.

You want to justify the pick and that you were good enough. And so you like, you're starved for that. You crave that, which is actually like this horrible motivator. But for sure, all everybody sees are the results, right? Like all everybody sees is the output. So when they see the wins, you know, and they see Baker's, you know, personality, they correlate it and no different when it's not going well.

And the truth is, obviously it's, one has nothing to do with the other. You know what I'm saying? Like this is who he is and, you know, personality is, obviously, one has nothing to do with the other. You know what I'm saying? Like, this is who he is and personality is, we all, this is part of, especially as a quarterback in your leadership role within a team, we all do it a different way. Okay, so there's a few different things

that I could go to off of that, and I'm gonna get to all of them, but I wanna start on something that I was thinking about when I was thinking about your career, because if you go through, you know, granted granted the team wasn't doing well right I don't think it was until the sixth season you played you had missed one of the injury were it from a one loss standpoint you know honestly Alex like I wonder if in today's age if you would have been the starter I wonder for I went up yeah no

just I like watching the Bryce Young thing. And I think the leash for quarterbacks has just gotten even shorter and shorter, which is crazy. And like watching Sam Darnold is this like perfect example of this. They never given a chance to reach his potential, right? Like this guy's gifted and it's in there, right? And he's drafted as a 20 year old kid to a dysfunctional organization. It's a disaster and everybody, there's this belief out there that it's like just this binary thing, like you either have it or you don't, right?

That's it. You know, you come in as this young kid, you're, you're a top picks. You inherently go to a bad football team. You play right away, right? You don't have great stability around you. You, you, there's even this, this this process obviously for you as a young kid to adapt to a pro game and learn and make, and be able to make mistakes and grow. And that mindset isn't present at almost all teams and organizations. Now the really good ones it is, and that's why they're good because they can develop

guys they can like, they have a growth kind of mindset, but the vast majority of places like soon as you make a mistake and it starts to compound a little bit, you don't have a lot of room for error. And it's like, well, he can't do it. We missed bust. Like, and that's just, everybody rushes to judgment, you know, and especially as a quarterback position where you're so dependent upon everybody around you, right? Not just the other 10 guys in the huddle and your defense, but again, the guy calling plays,

the guy building the scheme, like there's just so many compounding factors that I think are hard to measure, but all we see is the guy with the ball in his hands out there, right? And when you're the quarterback, there's nowhere to hide. Right? You could be a guard,

you could be a top pick guard and kind of hide sometimes. Like you're a QB man, like everybody sees the stat line, they watch it, like it's out there. And then to think about Sam, like his first two teams, then he goes to Carolina Panthers, which may be more dysfunctional and the jets. I mean, this is a team that like had Sam and Baker walk through that doors. They've mowed through five, five or six coaches in the last couple of years. They couldn't identify a QB, you know, if their life depended on it.

Look at what's, I mean, they've just destroyed Bryce young. Like it's been a disaster. And so we all rushed to judgment and then, Oh, Sam Darnold goes to a year and with Kyle Shanahan and kind of rehabs a little bit now and goes to Kevin O'Connell. And Oh my God, we turn on the tape. And like, if you're a Jets fan or Carolina fan, you're like, what, what the hell, man, like, you know, but that's, that's just the way that the NFL is right now. Unfortunately for the vast majority

of teams. And the really good ones, again, do it a different way. So I've talked to Matt Liner, it's a buddy. We live near each other, see him all the time. And we were talking about it once. I was like, what do you think happened with you? He was like, I was in the wrong system for the way I played. Immediately, it was complete. It wasn't even the right fit. And I think people will be listening to this and be like It was like complete, like it wasn't even the right fit.

And I think people will be listening to this, but okay, well, maybe he wasn't good enough or whatever. And he's very honest about things. He goes, look, I'll just tell you Ryan, like by year five, that's when I finally felt comfortable, right? But at that point, like, as he knew, as most people know, it was over. It's too late. Like it's just, it's not going to happen.

But you mentioned Baker and it. Clicking for a couple of different reasons. Darnold was a draft pick where as much as I just kind of shrugged when it comes to the QBs based on the history, I was like, there's no way he's going to be bad. And now you're like, was I right? And you have golf who, you know, Rams granted, they felt like they were upgrading the Stafford. They went to Superbowl, but they still traded somebody they made a Superbowl with, which

you know, is fairly rare. So I don't know if this is a new way of doing things because it is kind of rare for guys to jump as like top overall picks to go somewhere else and then have playoff success and actually win playoff games. It hadn't happened for a really long time. And now we have this group where it's happening. We'll see what happens here with Darnold. And then when I think about like, when it clicked for you,

you can't tell NFL teams, hey, you've got to give it five or six years if you're taking somebody this high. But like, what was it specifically for you when you realize, okay, this is what I need to do? I mean, I know there's probably a really long answer in there, but I think we're seeing it all over again. I think a couple of things happened.

I mean, one, I had seven offensive coordinators in seven years, and you just never- Is that bad? Yeah. You're just never gonna get to an advanced level of play, like pressing reset every year, right? Like, it's like, you're only in, you know, football 101. You never get to like the advanced graduate school level football, because Like it's like, you're only, you're only in, you know, football one-on-one, you never get to like the advanced

graduate school level football. Cause it's just like, dude, pressing reset and learning a new system and like a new philosophy in a new way. And a couple of things, like, I do think I needed to kind of learn and hit, I, you know, definitely kind of hit rock bottom a little bit, as far as like trying to get everybody to love me and like

justify the pick. And I was consumed with that for a long time and like finally letting go of that. Um, and you know, and focusing on what matters. And again, do I, I do think it mindset is such a funny thing, especially as a quarterback and confidence. And they did coincide with Jim Harbaugh. Like I flat out, like Jim coming in, there's a guy that played quarterback for

15 years. Um, you played for the chargers where I grew up, I watched him play. like flat out like Jim coming in, this is a guy that played quarterback for 15 years. He played for the Chargers where I grew up. I watched him play. And he was such a great example of me, for me, of just like letting go of all that. And- What does he say to you?

Like what does he say to you that we don't hear? That gets to the click. Yeah, and it's not just the words. No, it's not just, it is that though, cause he talks about it. And I've talked about this before, like his last words before the entire team took the field were don't worry.

All I did was worry. I'd spent seven years worrying, six years worrying, worrying about what they're gonna think about me, what are they gonna say about me, what are they gonna write about me in the paper, what did they boo me, all this crap. And again, here I'm getting ready to play football game when you should be dialed in, man,

to the little things, right? Especially as a quarterback. And again, I'm consumed with all this crap that doesn't matter and bad self talk and doubt. And Jim again, the expectation too, like I had played for some defensive coaches where I felt like they thought just quarterbacks had this magic dust that just made everybody better. Right?

Like, you just go out there and just, it's on you. You got to do it. You know? And I felt like I had to be more than myself. Right? Like I had to be more. I, I couldn't just do the little things. I had to do this extra stuff and like, well, look, like it was always pointed out, well,

like, look, Peyton, like, look what he's done. You know, he gets, he just gets the ball so fast and like all these things. And I had never, I had never seen up close to this is part of this. I had never seen a quarterback play at a high level up close. I never got a mentor. That never happened. And Jim finally, like, I think probably there was that. And it was like, dude, you don't have to do anything.

Like you just run the offense, man. Like that was it. Like, and it was, I remember being like, huh, like I just have to throw the stick route. Like, that's all you want me to do anything. Like you just run the offense man. Like that was it. Like, and it was, I remember being like, huh, like I just have to throw the stick route. Like that's all you want me to do. And he's like, yeah, that's the offense man. Like, don't, you don't have to do anything extra. And I remember this like big weight, I felt like was shut off of me because that was the expectation all of a sudden. Now just like, go run the offense. You, you, you know, it's the guard's job to block. It's the tight end, you know, like the offense works for you and you just go run the offense, you know, it's the guard's job to block. It's the tight end, you know, like the offense works for you and you just go run the offense and kind of finally,

they're like playing well and building confidence, right? And again, this confidence and mindset is such a big part of that. And that was the big difference maker for me. When you're doing the sit down interviews, you know, I know you had the one with Harbaugh and I went back and watched Aaron Rodgers one this morning. And this morning and there's just, especially with you and Rodgers, the history coming in the same draft class and then he waits his turn and then he turns into one of the great quarterbacks

ever. He was so much better with you than most people I would see him in that kind of forum with. Do you notice that when you're interviewing? I mean, you and Harbaugh have the relationship as you just referenced here. So you walk in the room with it, you may not have studied it the way others have, but you walk in with advantage

very few of us have in those settings. Yeah, and it's, you know, I still feel like I'm learning, in fact, would love some advice, but like it's a delicate dance because like the Aaron one, right? Like I still feel like I'm learning. And in fact would love some advice, but like it's a delicate dance because like the Aaron one, right, like I've known Aaron for 20 years. You know, we're both 40 now. We were 20. Like my first college start was against Aaron and Cal.

Like we go back a long time and have remained friends. Yes. And have remained friends over the years. Like very much like a very honest, real relationship. We're not like crazy close, but like when we see each other, there's a very honest, real relationship. We're not like crazy close, but like when we see each other, there's a real connect and real conversations kind of about our journeys and we've, you know, and, um, and very much a respect there. But I do realize like now I'm coming in with cameras. Like I get it. I know why they sent me and I appreciate certainly that, you know, obviously Aaron's a tough, you know, like he's not saying yes to everything at this point.

And I understand why I got asked to come out and talk to him. And, you know, I think the fine line too of you're getting prepped from my producers and like, what do we want to get them to talk about and topics and questions and things like that? But certainly my ownership over that. Right. And, and how I get to certain things and the angle you come towards with them,

I guess, so to speak. And then I think the great thing in these, I guess what I've realized in these interviews is you can prep all you want. The best interviewers are like great listeners, right? Like in the moment. And you can't just be like worried about your next question. You gotta listen, man, and follow up.

And I do think there's, they leave breadcrumbs out there for you oftentimes and you gotta listen for them to kind of dig a little deeper at certain things. And so, and again, I think to try to maintain that respect is also at the core, right? Like he and I are still friends and I don't wanna, I'm not gonna cross a line, I value that. Um, and so just trying to strike that

balance. Okay. This will be a tougher one. Um, how different were the scenarios for you losing the job to Kaepernick versus losing the job to Mahomes? Um, yeah, uh, well, for one, you know, obviously one experience, the lead, you know, helps you with another. Um, the cap thing. You were having such a good time. Yeah, you know, I was like leading the NFL and passer rating and, or whatever. And I feel like finally, you know, again, I, I'd gone through so much turbulent time, all the coordinators and the dysfunction and head coaches. And then all of a sudden, here we go. You know, and I felt like I, it was worth it, man. I put in, I, you know,

I hunkered down through all that stuff and now it's paying off and here we go. And the team was so good. We were loaded and I was loving, loving playing for Harbaugh and Greg Roman and the entire team. Big Fangio are de-coordinator in the core of that locker room that had been through all that crap, you know, that like now coming out the other side and, uh, you know, obviously then to get the concussion and watch Cap go in and roll. And I don't, I don't, people I think have a twisted view of those, like Cap's first eight games were historic.

Like the run he went on there was ridiculous. Um, through the playoffs, uh, Green Bay looked like they'd never seen anything. Like, yeah, they still don't know who has the football, you know, and then all the way to the super bowl and, you know, to go to the super bowl, listen, I was a team captain. I still had to see on my chest, right? Like I, the only time I stepped on the field was for the coin toss, like it's embarrassing.

You know, and to watch that pass me by, you know, it's hard, it's frustrating. And at that point in my career, I still wasn't like totally solidified. At least I hadn't felt like it. And I think it was kind of a, you know, for me a pivotal point in my career, after everything I'd gone through,

as distracted as I'd been, I'd distracted myself for so long with the number one pick thing and the weight of it. In that moment, I remember very much thinking, I'm pretty confident at some point I made another opportunity. I don't know if it's gonna be here as a Niner. I don't know where it's gonna be

or what it's gonna look like, but the only thing I do control is if I'm ready for it, you know, and I'm not going to be distracted anymore. All the noise around the media, me not playing in the Superbowl and get my job back in cap and you know, all this stuff, like I'll never forget the media day at the Superbowl and the frenzy that that was. Um, I just wasn't going to be distracted by that stuff anymore and just was going to put my head down and work for the next opportunity.

And obviously grateful that it came, it came in the form of an Andy Reed phone call, you know, uh, which, you know, what's that phone call like? What's that phone call? I mean, I've never forget the first thing you said to me. Hey, you know, he asked me if I could run 22 ZN, you know, like it's like, that's like West coast one-on-one for everybody out there. That's like day one install. And, uh, I'd been in, you'd been in a couple different versions of West Coast

at that point through all my coordinators and just laughed at it. And I'd played Andy, it felt like I played the Eagles every year of my career. And it was like through the Eagles good years and it was a lot of painful memories. You know, I mentioned hitting rock bottom as a player and it was actually like at candlestick against the Eagles when the entire stadium was like chanting the

back of quarterbacks name. Um, and so, you know, I'd always been a fan of his from afar and the offenses and everything they had done. And so he had just got the job in Kansas city and yeah, I'd like jumped at it. The coach, I'm ready, man. I'm, you know, and again, everything I'd been through and certainly the stuff, obviously losing my job It really does make you grateful for the opportunity, right? I had kind of been spoiled as a number one pick and just like the leash I had right to make mistakes and still be the starter and and Again, like losing it

It was it was a learning experience right I was like dude, you know like How quickly this may end and that was also part I think that the cool thing from Jim It was, it was a learning experience, right? I was like, dude, you know, like, how quickly this may end. And that was also part, I think, the cool thing from Jim, you know, Jim, like, was so, I felt like he wanted to play one more game, you know? And I thought, I always found that, like, endearing when I played for him. I was like, man, this is gonna end, right?

And like, you better freaking, you know, make the most of it and enjoy it while it's here. Do you think Jim thinks he could convert a third and seven today? Uh, I don't know what he would say, but yep. I just threw with them, man. I, at that interview we, we played catch. He could still spin it. Uh, he's one of a kind.

And yeah, I think he could go. He could definitely go convert. Yeah. One more play. I know next time, next time could definitely go convert. Yeah, one more play. I know, next time, next time. I don't need to help you prep your interviews. They're fantastic. What's your favorite Mahomes story of him,

maybe in his rookie year, when you start the whole year, he plays what, in that last game? Was there a moment where you were texting one of your buddies or somebody you just went, this dude is ridiculous? There were, gosh, I'm trying to think. Like it's funny. There was never one like aha moment probably,

you know, that it just was this like kind of slow wave that just came on over the course of that season and Certainly by the end of the season when he started, you know We we had the last game of the year we had already clinched the playoffs and couldn't move, you know We couldn't get any higher. So You know a bunch of stars didn't play and he started With really a limited again. None of the starters were playing, right? He's out there playing, playing an NFL game with, with,

you know, a bunch of kind of backups and just how, how easy and prepared he was for that. And I think over that entire year to go back, like, Pat beat me in the building most mornings, right? And at this point I was year 13, like I was so dialed in to my preparation and how seriously I took it and I was like, how structured it was.

And man, and Patrick was just like, was like glue to that, the way that quarterback room everywhere I went, everywhere we went, you did it together. Tyler Bray was the third and was just like, I mean, from eating together, training together, working out, practice film, dinners at night with the girlfriends and wives,

it just, you know, so many things. And the stories are true, man. We'd go to a steakhouse and this guy'd ask for ketchup, right, like, we'd go out to drink and it's Coors Lights. That stuff's all real and was, certainly I gave him a lot of crap about it. But again, to go back to football, just the slow wave and it's probably about halfway through the season where he's running scout team and he's going against our defense and

our defense was good at that point and stout. I remember he started no looking slants, which is like one thing, you know, it's a three step drop. And then all of a sudden he starts no looking like dig routes, you know, like a 20 yard dig route. And he's like, dude, you're a rookie. You know, like if I were like flash back to my rookie year, like again, my head was spinning, dude, it was such a disaster.

And here's this kid who, you know, starts like humming and the confidence and I think the vision and understanding of the game to go do that. And again, he was so dialed in when he made that start week 17. I think the little things jumped out his control of protections. I don't think Patrick gets enough. All everybody sees are the trick plays, which they're jaw dropping. But like he's so dialed in up front, to watch what he did against Baltimore

last in the AFC championship game on the road, just dissecting them. And again, every protection, you watch him up front. He's so good, seeing what the defense is doing, analyzing it, protecting himself, getting the ball out. Just never caught off guard. And that stuff jumped out in that week, 17 game, you know, against Denver switch, which was when then when I lost the playoff game, you know,

what is it the next week or two weeks later, it was very apparent that, that, you know, what was, what was about to happen? Did they tell you as the season was happening, like, Hey, he's taken over? No, it was apparent. We knew he was how good he like was playing you know the throws he was making I'll never forget like you know like Eric Barry coming up to me like damn did you see the throw he made in practice today like going and watching it. Thanks Eric. So and it was cool we had a good environment then like it wasn't you know it was

such a healthy place but I knew once I'd lost in the playoffs again like that was kind of my MO there at that point like hey great hey, great playoff run. I mean, sorry, great regular season runs, but, you know, coming up short in the playoffs. And so, um, obviously I knew they traded up for him and how ready he was at that point. I'll tell you though, and I had heard this, it just, your role in it. And you know, I don't know, but you know, I don't know if my home starts immediately somewhere else without you, without Andy Reed. I mean, I think he's so special that I might agree if you, if you told me like,

I probably he figures it out wherever he goes. He's that special, but no, that relationship that you had with him, you deserve a lot of credit for it. Um, because when a guy is still in the league and he's got some years left and the team spends a first round draft pick on a quarterback, I don't know that I would blame the quarterback for, you know, maybe thinking about like, I need to do everything I can do to keep my job. And I know like I'm supposed to everybody get along and mentor and do all this

kind of stuff, but like you, you have to be a certain kind of person to be willing to do that for the greater good of the franchise and for this other guy that it's, it's not his fault that the team drafted. Like I'd heard stories about, you know, back when Rogers used to still like Van Pelt, he would tell us about, he would, well, I didn't Van Pelt didn't do anything. It's just that Rogers was very, like he used to come on with us a couple times cause he liked Scott. And I'd asked about sitting behind Favre and Rogers like, this is the part that I do like about it. He just wasn't screwing around. Like he basically let you know

without saying it that Favre was awful about it. Okay. Like just wasn't, which I also understood Favre's position. I think I remember, was it when Mason Rudolph was drafted and Rothenberger had some quote, we were like, okay, like they're not going to be roommates. It takes a really like maybe because everything you had been through and you know, it doesn't mean you're less of a competitor. I just think it takes a really special combination of a person to be able to help someone that may be replacing them. I'm not, I don't even know if I could think it takes a really special combination of a person to be able to help someone that may be replacing him. I'm not, I don't even know if I could do it. I don't know, like I'm not saying I'd be a dick,

but I don't know if I could do it. And you deserve a lot of credit for it. I appreciate that. I mean, I think I agree with you. I often, I think people give too much credit. I think, you know, certainly if there's somebody that could have played pretty early, it's obviously Patrick.

Maybe, you know, he's in the conversation for the greatest of all time. I think a couple of things, listen, my experience as a top pick certainly played a big role in this, right? Like again, I mentioned, it was turbulent, right? There was no plan. I didn't get to watch anybody.

And again, when you get drafted, you don't get to pick where you go, man. Like they just send you there, right? And he and I had no influence over the position we were in. Right? He didn't get to pick, I didn't get to pick, and yet we're there. And so certainly for me,

I was empathetic about I'd been a top pick and I understood what that was like coming into a new building. And it didn't need to be that way. And I think another thing, again, I mentioned the distraction. I'd spent so many years distracted. Even then I remember when he got drafted and again, the media, every time I talked to them,

they took your replacement, they moved up to the 10th pick. How does that feel? What's that like? I wasn't going to be distracted by it anymore. I wasn't going to look over my shoulder here. I knew I had the starting job. You know, Andy had made that very clear. And again, it was like year 13 for me, you're not guaranteed anything at that point.

I knew if I didn't play winning football, regardless of them having drafted Pat, like they're going to go find somebody at the end of the year. And so I knew I had the opportunity before me and again, uh, determined that I wasn't going to be looking over my shoulder, uh, at all. And so, uh, that definitely played a big part of it. And I think this honestly, like if you're pissed off, like to go back to the bread thing, you're distracted, right? Like if the pick, if you're so to the point, like every time you see this

guy, every single day that it's upsetting you and like you're got this vendetta and like you're, I'm not going to help him. Like you're distracted. Like you're not, you're not doing your job, which is getting ready to play. And then I think that's the other thing about mentorship. It wasn't like I hugs and kisses, you know, it's not this like, that's not what mentorship is man. He got an up close look. It was nothing I said. I wasn't whispering him secrets to playing quarterback in the film room. He got an up close look for an entire year to seeing about, and again, I had

year 13, like I, my schedule, I had down to the minute, right? Like I was, I had three kids. I was so efficient with my time and so committed to be being the best I could be. And he got an up close look at that. Everything I did, he was right there. And that was the instruction. And that's the way the QB room worked in Kansas city. And that's what makes this so brilliant. Everybody, you do it all together. And so again, uh, he got to take from that what he liked, right? That what fit him, uh, what he saw, how I went about my business. And again, I don't,

I also don't think it's a coincidence that I had my career year, right? Like as a motivator, you know, like I don't think that that's a coincidence at all. And so, uh, that's the brilliance of it. And it's not awesome when you're in it, right? Like it's not that you don't love it, but it's certainly you can respect, and I know I do as a football fan, and again, my journey, like Andy had a plan, like and not many teams do, right?

Like they look, they just throw them out there and cross their fingers and the brilliance of what's going on in Kansas City right now, you know, everything about it. It's rare and obviously it's working. Last thing, weird isn't the right word, so I'm gonna try to frame this better, but you have this terrible injury at the end of your career

and then we have access to your story. And I don't know that I've ever seen like a collective concern. Um, people were really moved by your story. And the payoff of that is it's probably the highest your approval rating ever was throughout your entire career. Like it just felt like a full circle moment where people were like, you know, who's it was pretty good was out, you know, man, I really liked him. It just, everyone got on the same page because once they learned more about you,

it seemed like everybody liked you. And I felt, I felt good for you in that moment. Yeah. Thank you. I mean, I'm so grateful that I got to come back and play after, after my injury, because like the prognosis for so long was obviously so sideways, as they're talking about cutting off my leg for a long time.

And it was all kind of, even though I was documenting it at the time, no one knew about the infection and how serious it had gotten and where I was at. And then obviously the E-60 airs kind of during COVID before I made my, my comeback. And so all that did finally get put out in the open, everything that I'd been dealing with. And the feedback, obviously, and support I got, I think, from football fans and teammates and, and, you know, opponents was like overwhelming. And then, so to go take the field that later, that fall and people understanding kind of the gravity of the situation, um, it was really cool, but also

overwhelming in the sense that. I never thought I'd actually take the field, Ryan, like I, I was chasing it, but I never thought again, my leg is so messed up, like I never thought it would be in the cards. And so for that to finally, my, for my rehab to progress far enough that it was It's crazy and You know to run out there that Rams game when I first played you know as the backup and then I run out there and you know getting sacked by Aaron Donald and

you know on live TV in front of the country and getting back up, right? Like knowing that I'm okay, I'm not fragile, you know, obviously changed my life. But more so, again, I go on to start six games and the freedom I played with, right? Like, again, I never thought I'd play football again.

I thought I'd lost it. I thought my career was over. And the gift to get to go back and play one more time, you know, like you said about Jim, like I got to play six games and I played, man, you want to talk about carefree. Like I, every, every play was a gift, right? Like I played, like it was my last, like,

they're not going to let me do this again. Right? I would call my wife and tell her that every single game, like this is probably going to be the last. They They're not gonna, you know, and I, I didn't care what they said about me in the paper. I didn't care what anybody, you know what I'm saying? Like so to juxtapose it to have come, you know, really full circle from how I started my career, overwhelmed with that crap, you know, as the top pick and then my career in such a free space, such a gift for me that I'll take with me for the rest of my life in such a free space, such a gift for me that I'll take with me

for the rest of my life. And again, grateful for it, grateful that I got to say goodbye to the game. I got to go out on my own terms. Those things matter. And you know, not everybody gets that gift. And again, how lucky and grateful I am for it. And think about this.

I mean, I know you mentioned golf and everything, but what an unbelievable excuse if your wife's like you're playing a lot this week and be like, you know what I could have lost my life Totally totally. Yeah, you know like there's not much I say no to every day's a gift as a physical challenge And yeah, like it also has for sure change the change my perspective the rest of my life. No doubt But when I start losing on a golf course, I do. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it.

I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it.

I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it.

I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. I'm going to be able to do it. what makes teams work, new episodes just come out. So they're out every week. And if you have a final plug-out, I don't wanna cut it short or anything, but if you want to add anything to it, that's fine. If you don't, that's also fine. Yeah, it's fun. Glue guys, we talk about it's not a lot different than this interview and talk we just had, this conversation.

And we talk about all kinds of fun stuff. We have awesome guests on. Man, we got to bring Urban Meyer, my college coach, who just this crazy core philosophy about team building and his obviously effected my career. And just fun conversations like that between sports and business and different amazing leaders and people.

And so it's been a ton of fun. And obviously Shane and Ravi are like, they're unbelievable. So it's been super cool. Alex, this was incredible, man. I can't thank you enough. This was just a great interview. Honestly, you're really good at this.

So I'm sure the podcast will do well. I can't wait to check it out. And thanks for the time today, man. Appreciate it, man. The feeling's mutual. This is gonna be a lot of fun. Always get excited about the chance to catch up with one of country music's biggest stars, Dierks Bentley.

18 number one hits. I was researching him this morning. I was like, damn, that's a lot. Even longer, I met him over 30 years ago, back when we were just a couple of skinny kids trying to figure it out. Dierks Bentley, what's up man? How you doing buddy? I'm good man, it's great to see you. There's a lot of stuff that I want to get to and it's been a little while but I got my bottle of Row 94 whiskey fresh off the shelves,

ready to go. Probably not going to drink it during the interview because it'd probably get out of hand here a little bit. I'll make it a little more fun. I'll drink to the two of us. because it probably get out of hand here a little bit, but I know you're right. The two of us. Um, what, uh, what, what, what, what ended this man? What I know, I know how you are. You, you were on it early. So, uh, full circle here. Well, yeah, you know, I opened up, I mean, there's, I don't know really where to start and it's going to start with that. I opened up a bar called whiskey row and Arizona in 2012,

but then I really have to take it back to Vermont with you and the boys and and there's all the fun we had up there. I definitely drank a lot of bourbon in those days and really even further back to just getting falling in love with country music when I was about 17 and the guy I really liked was Hank Jr. and Jim Beam was kind of synonymous with with Hank. I mean, it still is in some ways. So probably, that's why I first really started getting into the bourbon. And back then, it was more about just how quickly can you get it to your

liver? And for many years in the road, a lot like that too. But during COVID, I'd always wanted to have my own, you know, whiskey in my own bars. It's kind of, I just really have time to, I needed to kind of really get into it. During COVID, I was able to really kind of use have time to do that I needed to kind of really get into it during COVID. I was able to really kind of use that time to start just thinking about opportunities and exploring avenues to kind of make it a possibility. And yes, this is the result of that last four years have really been a lot of time and just obviously finding the right juice and going to a lot of different distilleries to find what I want to find and then work with a buddy to try to get the right, you know, juice and going to a lot of distilleries to

Find what I want to find and then work with a buddy try to get the right price point and just Little business side of as well So the fact is out the fact you have a bottle in your hand still gonna is weird to me because I've been I just can't believe it's actually out after all this time. Yeah, Luke whiskey rose been a lot of fun Especially I think we hit it up right when it had opened and we had done It looks Super Bowl week that week bowl week that week in Arizona. That's right. That's right. So we were, we were posting, I've had like two runs.

I carried my wife out of the bar that night. I remember that real well. I think there was a fight broke out between Kid Rock and somebody, or maybe Aldine and somebody else. Yeah. Aldine was, was in your corner and it was funny too, because I was with a couple people and we had texted and I said, we're good. And it was mayhem, because I was with a couple people and we had texted and I said, we're good. And it was mayhem, right? It was mayhem. Yeah. Yeah. Your bouncer, I was like, look,

I'm texting with him. I know you get a million of these a night, but he's like waiting for me to come in. And the guy was like, if you're bullshitting me and I walk you over to him, like I'm going to, I'm taking you out. And I was like, totally understood, totally understood. And then we get over there and there was a slight delay on the processing and he looks at me like what? And then it worked out great. And you're right, like Kid Rock was next to us and it was funny because Darius Rucker was with you guys.

He's a huge sports fan, so he was really nice to me. And then he was like, where are we going to next? And then I think Kid Rock grabbed him and he was like, you're out. And I was like, yeah, I would go with Kid Rock too. You got a great memory, dude. That's unbelievable. Well, you know, that was, that was a big moment for me. That was just a nice, even though it's the stats and highlights of the last, you know, 15 years and I've been just 20 years, I guess I've just been drinking alcohol and losing my memory. So I think you made the better choice to the long-term health of your mind and body.

I love the story. And it's really cool that this is happening now because I was with all the UVM guys that you've met. For those that don't know, Dirk and I went to school together for a year. And I didn't really realize it at the time and certainly trying to fulfill certain things in my career.

And I know we talked about this, I think, over 10 years ago on ESPN. So if you don't mind doing it again with the audience where I imagine over 90% of these people don't know it is that, and I'll tell a story, but I've told the story to other people. I've told it on the air because it's incredibly inspirational and it speaks to knowing what you think your purpose is in the face of like, this probably isn't going to work out. But Dirks, you know, we hung out all freshman year, we're good friends.

And then just at the end of the year, Dirks tells an entire room of guys in our fraternity, he's like, Hey, look, music is in my heart. I need to follow it. I'm going to Nashville and I'm transferred to Vanderbilt. And dudes are like, what are you out of your mind? Like you do karaoke by yourself. And you think, and it's just, guys can be really tough on guys, especially that group.

And to think 30 years later, like where this has gone, where you just knew, you knew something earlier than most people ever know. And it's something all of us still talk about. And I think about it and it becomes more inspirational when I realized what that was for you to decide to do that. Well, yeah. So remember I think it was JP, he's like, you know,

we got CMT, you just watch CMT up here. I'm like, ah, it's, it's more than that. I actually want to be on CMT, but, uh, yeah, it's crazy. Look back on it. Um, you know, I have older kids now that once learned to drive and you, you try to think about that from their perspective compared to the parent looking down and going, they don't have any fear. They have all the confidence in the world and they're just getting behind the wheel of the car and doing things. As a parent, you're going, oh my God, it's so dangerous.

I think back about that time at UVM and just making that decision, yeah, there was no fear. It was all just like being almost being pulled along by a dream, more of like a, I almost didn't even have a choice. I was just being dragged forward in some ways. And I feel, I always feel really lucky to have had that, that dream and some of the chase like that. But, you know, just, yeah, looking back on it, it's pretty, there's a big leap of faith to take, but, you know, you find something you love back on it, it's pretty, there's a big leap of faith to

take but you know, you find something you love and I feel really lucky about that. And just like you have a lot of our friends have, you find that thing that you love. So you feel so fortunate because it gives you something to aim for, to shoot for and whether it works out or not. You know, like a lot of songs talk about the journey is sometimes more important than the actual results and just to go chase something and take a shot at it. There's a lot of guys that I'm here on lower Broadway, I'm not in my bar right now here on Whiskey Row

in Nashville. And I think about a lot of guys that I used to play with on lower Broadway back in the early 2000s, late 90s, early 2000s. And some of those guys didn't go on to, you know, to get a major record label deal and all that stuff. But I still see them now on the backside of it all, you know, and they got kids and they've been they're coming back from hunting or something or they're I see them at a sporting event, you know, life's kind of the great equalizer where you all you all meet up again at some point down the road, right? No matter what you did, you want to you know, the stories you want to tell her like, hey, you know, what did you go for? What did you shoot for? Tell us, tell us how high

you went, you know, we don't know wants to hear about the landing, you know, what did you shoot for? You know, tell us, tell us how high you went. You know, we don't, no one wants to hear about the, the landing. You know, what did you, what did you take a shot at? And, uh, so I felt fortunate that, you know, I had this thing to chase down. Same time. Uh, there's, there's so many great stories out there and I love catching up with people I hadn't seen in a while and hearing about what they did. But, uh, yeah, just, um, it was, it was wild how it all, how it all worked out for me for sure.

But just to put it like fully in perspective, you're 18 and you've gone through our freshman year, you weren't in a band. You just really liked country. So did you have internal debates and just for the record too, like Dirk's was actually like books smarter than all of us too. But did you have, yeah, you, you were, I never, you know, I know my, I looked back at my GP in high school to see what I had. I was, I was like a two, seven cumulative.

And then in college though, that freshman year UVM, I knew I was going to transfer. I think I got my highest GPA ever, which was like a three, four. So it wasn't that smart, but I was smart for the one semester that I really needed to be smart, which is that fall semester at UVM. I just retook a bunch of courses over again. Well, what you did was, was the legendary semester that I really needed to be smart, which is that fall semester at UVM. I just retook a bunch of courses over again. Well, what you did was the legendary, guys still talk about it, is you would hit up all of these,

be like, hey, it's Tuesday, you wanna do something? Be like, it's Tuesday, you can't do anything. You'd be like, how's this guy gonna pull any grades together? And then like two weeks before finals, the guy would disappear, he would go in a hotel, study his mind, and then he would take, I think you took all of your exams on the same day, so then you could ski the rest of exam week

while the rest of us were all freaking out. Yeah, I don't know, I wish I just stayed, we just all stayed in Vermont. I mean, what a great state, looking back on it now, and there's just so much outdoor living in Vermont, but yeah, Nashville's a big city. Yeah, a few more recording studios there, but whenever I'm back, I usually go back every summer.

And if I go to JP's and then it comes up, like no one will ever believe me. I'm like, he started right over there doing karaoke. But none of us could ever get in. I usually go back for almost a while. I had a grandmother, she passed, she was 94. So I always had family that was up there. But then I don't know how much you know,

but when everybody left and had graduated, I still had another semester. Yeah. So I stayed and it was funny cause I'd always thought that everybody said like, Oh, UVM five years and it's going to be great. All these guys and everybody graduated on time that nobody was around. So I was still there going, dude, everybody's gone. Like what happened to the plan that? So I became like a local for a couple of years.

I was running another bar for somebody else and I was finishing it up. And then I took a sports internship there at the local station and it was starting to plant the seeds. Here we go. Right. But then it still took like another three years for me to go, okay, you actually need to leave this place. But I, when you were having like the internal debate with yourself, like, Hey, can I actually be a country music guy with my background?

Like with, with, were there moments early where you told yourself, okay, this is insane. Like I can't actually do this. And then you had to talk. Well, so many moments like that. When I first moved to town, everyone was kind of dressed a certain way and looked a certain way. And I certainly didn't look that way. You know, a lot of people weren't cowboy hats and looked a certain way. And I certainly didn't look that way. A lot of people wore cowboy hats, starch Wranglers. And I was like, oh man, maybe I don't belong here. But I just-

The North Face pull-up. What's that? The North Face pull-up didn't work. No, the North Face pull-up and the mountain bike wasn't, that was not a lot of people running around town like that. But I just loved the music, man. I love the music.

I can't, I mean, how many nights I spent in the Harlan, listening to Hank Jr. drinking Jack and Coke, or Jim Beam and Coke. I just love listening to it. And so I got a job at the Country Music Association, the first day I got here, an internship, just to try to find a route. And really what happened for me,

I was listening to music all over town, trying to write songs, but I walked into a bar called the station in which was the bluegrass, like hole in the wall acoustic music dive bar, and popcorn and cold beer. But all they serve in there holds about 200 people looks like a jail cell on the outside is still here, surrounded by multi billion dollar, you know, high rises now. But back in the day, it was the only thing in this part of town. I walked in there as much as you know, guys my age playing banjo, fiddle, mandolin, upright bass.

And they're singing bluegrass songs that I'd never heard of. But they're also doing a bunch of Johnny Cash and George Jones songs as well. So and just a great community. It wasn't about your clothing, wasn't about your starch wranglers and your cowboy hat. These guys were in tennis shoes and baggy jeans, you know. It was all about the music. It's about the love of the music. And I fell in with that crowd. And that's kind of where I got the foundation to do my, you know, to start from. So yeah, wild, wild ride. No, there's definitely no course planned out or, you know, agenda or help. I didn't know anybody here at all. But

we just followed my muse and followed the love of the music and it led me to here, talking to you, catching up, drinking some bourbon. What was the first, okay, I'm actually going on stage to do this moment like for you? Yeah, for me, it really started just a little random gigs where I'd play for somebody's crawfish, New Orleans, you know, national party for Mardi Gras or some sort of wedding thing or a backyard barbecue or tailgate party where I had a, you know, my PA system was very small and powered by a generator where every time I touched the microphone, my lip, my lip would like get numb from a shock. So it wasn't grounded properly. But I remember the first time I don't remember much.

I mean, my memory is so bad. I remember the first time I walked out of the house, I was staying in with my guitar in my hand, you know, holding the case of the guitar and thinking I'm as walk to get go get paid. I remember thinking how cool it was to actually be making money with the with my guitar. I was like, wow, this is crazy. This is so cool. I'm actually going to a gig right now.

I'm gonna get paid. Because I've walked to the house many times to go do riders' nights and go perform in places for free, but actually have a gig. That was a good feeling. I've always wanted to ask you this because there has to be that adrenaline rush, that feeling being on stage where,

and I didn't even really like country music. Then the first few times I saw you, and part of it was just being so proud of your friend. But another part of it was just that you're so much fun. Your shows are so much fun. I was talking to Sully about it this past week. Sully comes to a lot of shows. He's great. Yeah. He's like,

I've been over 20 times and I don't even like country music that much because I just have so much fun. Like you created an atmosphere, fun atmosphere with these shows. Do you ever have, you have to because all of us like granted, I'm just on air talking about sports, but be like, I don't have it today. What are the days like when you have to go to a stage like just, I am worn out and everybody's expecting you to be at your best. I am tired a lot in the road. I was, I talked to, um, Keith Urban and I were talking about, like, what does

it take to be a country singer? Like the first requirement is just like, are you able to get by without a lot of sleep, you know, for any private traveling salesman, which is kind of what we are. I mean, we, you're riding the bus and just, you know, I don't sleep well on the bus. Never have. I used to think I slept well, but that's back when I was drinking a lot more than I am now. And I realized I was just passing out for about, you know, solid 10, 15 years. And I stopped drinking as much like, oh, I really don't sleep on these things.

And that led to all sorts of other problems. But yeah, you know, it's so fun, though. Yeah, it's a little tires. Everyone's tired. The crew's tired. You know, those guys get up so early to start hanging lights and and sound. And so we're all kind of that same weird space together. But, you know, come, you know, five o'clock, I usually do a little performance for some VIP folks.

And I do some being greats and show time. You start mixing a drink and walk on stage and boom, it doesn't matter if I haven't slept for days on end, or if I just had the best night of sleep ever before, it's always the same feeling of like, pure adrenaline, excitement, joy, wonder, gratitude, fear, it's all mixed together. And you're just the next two hours, it's just a total roller coaster. It's the only time in my life where I'm totally present. And I read a lot of books on presence.

You know, the older you get, the more you kind of get in that whole mindset of like trying to be, you know, trying to be present where you are. I'm not very good at it. You know, I'm bad about being on my phone. I'm I don't I'm not good at it. But when I'm on stage, I think part of the fun of entertaining and doing that is that is that you're just there. You're nowhere else.

You can't be anywhere else. You have to be in the moment. You can't think too much about the song or the lyrics or start forgetting words. You just have to be totally present in what you're doing. That's probably my favorite thing about it all. Yeah, it's like anybody else that works. There's so many people who work so many hard jobs. This is not... My daughter one day was telling somebody, asked somebody, asked where I was, and she goes,

he's singing. And like, he's not at work. He's singing. I don't really consider what I do work and they're right. I don't really consider that, that either. So fun doing what we do and yeah. So yeah, I love it. It took me a while as you can attest to like, we get so accepted like, hey, Dirk's is in town. And then as I got older and realized like some of the demands that I had, I was like, wait, this guy has to do this.

There's a me in every city that he goes to that thinks like, Hey, this is my night, but like you're just, yeah, this is the stop and then we're going somewhere else. It took me, I think there was one, one late night that we had where I don't know, did you ever get it? I sent you a Sega Genesis with 94 in it as a thank you. I sent it to the Nashville address. What? Yeah. I wanted it for you. I sent it to the Nashville address. What? Yeah, I wanted it for you. I wanted you to have it on the bus. That was years ago.

So I was like, you know what, I'm gonna do something. I was like, you've done me so many favors. I go, I'm gonna do Dirk's a favor. And I'm gonna hook up 90. With 94 shoved in it? Yeah, with 94 in it. And I sent it to the address. Yeah, for the bus. And you don't even talk,

you guys don't even talk about hockey in your show. You still did that for me, wow. We did a preview with a Bucci the other day. Oh, you did? Oh, shoot, I the bus. And you don't even talk about hockey in your show. You still did that for me. Wow. We did a preview with a Bucci the other day. Oh, you did? Oh, shoot, I missed it. Yeah, we did. Well, I'll send you the link to it. I guess the point of it all is,

is like you're something that everybody else is so fired up about and you at some point have to be like hey I've got like 40 of these. Right no no I I I love it I mean having friends at the shows when you come out and friends come out it really is what makes shows unique for us and I just have to do a certain time of the day you know the show it's managing the cell phone and which this summer request because you have people are coming to show that night you got people are hitting you up about the show, it's managing the cell phone, which just just some requests, because you have people are coming to show that now you got people are hitting up about showing to each

I think people hit me up about showing a couple months, and there's several interactions back and forth per text. That's just something to kind of categorize and do a certain time of the week. But um, no, I love walking in the room soon. Who's there, I guess, been a half hour, whatever it is, most longer catch on people sometimes sometimes after the show too. It really makes the show fun because you see the show through your friend's eyes.

They're so excited to be there and stuff that you kind of, not gonna take for granted, but stuff that just kind of feels commonplace now. You get to see, I get to borrow your excitement when you come out or Sully comes out, I get to borrow his excitement and make that my own for a little bit. And certainly makes you, you know, when you're performing on stage, you know, there's, there's almost like a couple different shows going on while I'm on stage.

There's a show amongst just the guys in the band, you know, we're all have inside jokes and stuff that's happening on stage. It's kind of like our own little show. And there's a show that's happening for the people in the first like six rows where they can kind of catch the little subtle, mostly stupid bits that we've come up with over the years. It's like, trying to like, it's just dumb stuff that we do. Like little fights are going on, you know, between us during the show and there's obviously a big show. I'm performing so much for my crew that watches the show every single night you know I, I get self-conscious of doing the same things over and over on stage or saying the same things over and over because I don't know. There's like I want I want my crew to love watching the show too. But then certainly for your close friends that come out to the show,

there's that performance going on as well. So I love when friends come out. It really makes it makes it does make each stop unique in that way, for sure. OK, we'll finish up here and we'll get another plug for the whiskey, but I always like asking- Plug, plug, plug maybe. Row 94, row 94.

College tuition going up. When I think about a writer who writes this amazing movie out of the jump, sometimes I'll think about, if you're wired that way and you wanna be creative and you wanna try maybe the first thing you've been thinking about for so long that you haven't figured out

and then you've got to follow it up. And for some people in music that certainly doesn't happen. They have the one song that pops and then you never hear from them again. Creatively to be this many years into it, this many albums into it, what do you search for where you feel like, you know, I'm not taking such a departure that the fan base is thinking what the hell's dirks doing here on this one

But yet you feel fulfilled and you feel like you still have that creative Energy that creative vision that you had when he first started. I'm asked a great question. I just shot something this morning for um CBS Sunday morning, it's I don't know if you can see on my makeup, how good I look, Ryan. You always look good. We're just downstairs at the bar. The guy I've known for a while, he's a producer of the show and he goes, man, your last album, all your albums,

they really speak to me because you're not at the same age, we're maturing at the same level. He goes, your albums always seem to hit me right where I am in my life. I said, yeah, because I try to make records that reflect where I am now, not, you know, there's a lot of country music's nostalgia and a lot of songs about when you're running hard, you know, when you're 17 and I certainly have some of the songs, but I do try to make records that reflect just what I'm feeling now. And

that's what interests me. Try to make a record that speaks to me. I try to make music that's for me. I'm not trying to make a record that you like or somebody likes not chasing that. I'm trying to make something that I will, uh, you know, 10 years from now, I can pull that back off the shelf and be like, I was really proud of that record. It really reflected where I was at the time and not to promote the whiskey, but it's the same thing with, with that. You know, it's like something that like I drink some of it.

I made it for me. The label, the juice, the label, everything about it is for me. I hope people like it, but I ultimately made something that I would like. So just the music, like this next record I'm working on, I'm always waiting for some sort of theme that excites me. The last record, Gold, the record before that was called The Mountain and I had moved to Colorado and lived there for a little while. Gold was kind of that song. It might be gravel, but it feels like gold. It always made me think about Nashville. You know, coming back to live here, there's a lot of things I did not like about Nashville.

I kind of just, I've been there too long and kind of grown a little weary of some of the big city stuff, but it's such a great town. I think that song was the one last time I wrote for the record. It was a little bit of just like, man, there's a lot of gold in this town. I kind of need a little bit of a break from it. So this next record is going to come out in June. So I have a little ways to work on it, but the feeling right now is just about songs and about the writing community in this town and how great songwriters are on this town and how the song always seems

to find you. There's always a song out there that comes and like finds you and takes you back to a certain place in your life or the past or present and so it's really things I was really going to focus just on songs and just how they hit me and how they really steered my life. And kind of in some ways a love letter to Nashville, all the great songwriters here. Well, I can't wait, man. I mean, you've gotten me to dig into country in a way that I never would have when we first met.

It's hot, man. Country music's never, just something that can't get any bigger. It's like, it's just everywhere right now. It's crazy. I had to drive for like 12 hours straight. I was in Iceland. I couldn't find a hotel on one side of the island. So I had to go all the way back. And I just was like, you know what? 12 hours and the sun wasn't going down.

It was just right at me. What were you doing in Iceland? I just went, man. I went for like 10 days. Explored both. I drove the entire outer ring of Iceland in 10 days. Yeah. Did you go by that airplane, the black beach,

the airplane that crashed on the beach? Yeah. Oh yeah. I almost got my Land Rover stolen. I was by that airplane, the black beach, the airplane that crashed on the beach. Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. I almost got my land rover stuck there. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I was there for about 72 hours or maybe and, uh, working, but I'd love to go back and hang. Well, we'll do it. It's a lot smaller. It's two Iceland. National is getting a direct flight to Iceland.

Isn't that crazy? It's, it's not that far. I flew from LA to Minneapolis and then from Minneapolis to Reykjavik. It was, I think four and a half hours. I started thinking I might meet someone this week and then I'll just commute long distance Iceland. This is across my mind in about 20 years, but I'm glad you're out there living the dream. All right. So final word on row 94. I like that you said you like it.

So that means, cause I know you that you weren't going to do this unless you liked it. I'll tell you what, next time you're doing the Redondo beach thing or whatever, I'll organize a little tasting party for you in town. It had to be something that was like four years old. So it's like, it's old, not like new whiskey. A lot of, a lot of, there's a lot of stuff out there being promoted. I know the guys aren't drinking behind the door when the door is closed.

Cause nobody's drinking young whiskey. So it's four years old and it's from the 10th oldest distillery here in Appinol, Williamsboro, Kentucky. And to me, I would say the country music is in Nashville and Burma is in Kentucky. This is not Kentucky. I don't want Kentucky. I don't want to drink it. But a lot of the way it turned out is it's good enough for a fancy place. It's good enough for JPs. They're on Main Street in Burlington, Vermont.

It works in all the works everywhere. Red Solo Cup or a Rocksglass. So I love the way it turned out and I'd love to have some with you. Love to hear what you think of it. You drink bourbon? Yeah, I do. I would say- I hear you're going to. It's not my go-to because it's a special occasion.

I think the Jim Beam run that we went on. Yeah, I didn't drink brown liquor for a while after those years. But that was a tough one. I remember, I think it was like 10 years after and somebody was like, you used to drink Beam of Coke all the time. I was like, do you want one? And I go, you know what? I think it was like 10 years after and somebody was like, you used to drink Beemel Coke all the time. I was like, do you want one?

And I go, you know what, I love them, let's do it. And then, you know, you're a little bit older, you go, how did we drink this much? I know man, the Coke just kills it. That sugar is like, I can't believe we drank it that way. What the hell's wrong with us? Well, at least we figured out the answer at some point. Again, Row 94, check it out in stores now.

We should get a case up to JP's. And as you know, every time I get a chance to catch up with you, man, I'm just so happy for you. So proud for you, man. It's cool. Thanks, dude. Likewise, your success, man. Absolutely.

Yeah, we're doing all right. How are the Titans looking? Not good, not good at all. Are you more of a hockey guy still? People don't know this. I love the Titans. So the Titans in 98, right? We went to I want so the Titans in 98 right we went to the news 90 it was the Super Bowl and I was there for all that and just and I followed them up the years

I love the Titans I just man it's hard it's hard they're so they make it hard and I wish they didn't make it so hard but I do feel like now it's a good time to get in for anybody that's moving to town because we've got the new stadium going up. It's going to bring new energy into the city. There's no reason why we shouldn't have a great team. And I don't know, but yeah, a little more, my son plays travel hockey and that's a little more of what I'm into. Yeah.

You're way more of a hockey guy and he used to play with the Red Wings in 94. You just yelled dangle, dangle, dangle on your face the entire time with Iserman. And he would just, he wouldn't even look at the screen. He was so good with the forwards. He would just go dangle, dangle, dangle, dangle, Dangle, and you're faced the entire time with Iserman. And he would just, he wouldn't even look at the screen. He was so good with the forwards. He would just go Dangle, Dangle, Dangle, Dangle, Dangle. He had a really just, it was an unnatural approach. So he was a really tough matchup in 94. The Red Wings in 94, you could jam the, you could jam the puck in from the side.

There's a glitch in the games. You could just, you came around the outside and just went straight to the goal. You could jam the puck in. I'm going to have to find that game. I always love playing with Pavel. So, you know, yeah. So it was good. And then, I don't know. My son has a PS five. He does all the Fortnite, the hockey. It's way too complicated. I might try to find that set, see where you sent that thing. Maybe it's sitting in the office still.

Cause that would be probably, yeah, you probably thought it was some lunatic fan. It was like, is there a bomb in this thing? No, I, it's one of the most mature, nicest things I've ever done. You really did. It was like, give me your address. And then I sent it and then I should have,

I should have just sent it to an assistant or something. That way they would have known it was from me. Yeah, my wife. Hey man, you're the best. Congrats on everything. Row 94, check it out now and I'll see you soon on the road. All right? Okay, buddy.

Till the boys. The Alliance marches on with only two legions stationed. So Rudy Borgon flying back Spotify week. Maybe we'll do a little recap of that before life advice. So it's just Kyle and I right now. Lost last week. Maybe we'll do a little recap of that before life advice. So it's just Kyle and I right now. Um, lost last week.

Sorry. Um, Kyle, you have everybody's picks. Then I'll throw my pick in at the end and see where the payout is. All right. Yeah. Shout out to Alex Smith. Talk about playing free. I mean, I just, I don't care what anyone says about me

at this point because it's just funny now. I'm going to go with mine. I was trying to go with Wargon's vibes because he mentioned that he was hot. And so I just took Penn State minus six and a half. That was actually his pick. And then as a gentleman, he was like, you know what? I like Minnesota.

So I'm taking Penn State minus six and a half. Wargon has just taken the Minnesota money line. Cerruti is dabbling in the alternates and he's gonna take the over in Texas Vanderbilt. It's alternate over at 47 and a half. And what is it that you have? No one likes this pick. Washington is plus six and a half at Indiana.

Indiana is on the back of quarterback, but he's actually played Trace Jackson, Davis' younger brother, huge kid. So he's actually gotten out there and run around a bit. Washington just got destroyed. So nobody would likely be betting Washington plus six and a half with the fanfare around Indiana football this week. But we're going to alt this one. So it can be Washington plus 10 and a half.

And what's that payout? I mean, plus 538. I mean, we're usually aiming for the 450 and we just kept going up and up. It's like, how high can we take it? And yeah, yeah, right. Let's, let's make it even harder. Um, 538 election time. This podcast has been accused a few times the last few weeks of trying

to swing the election, which I appreciate that you think our platform is that powerful. Uh, so look So look, that's what it is then. Run it back, recap it for us one more time. All right. We've got Penn State minus six and a half. We've got the alternate over 47 and a half with Texas Vanderbilt. We are taking the Minnesota Moneyline and we are Washington plus 10 and a half. Okay. All right. Couch money research. Here's what we've got. Couch, I'm so tempted to give out the Giants under at 15 and a half. Primetime Giants, I kind of feel like I have to,

but you know, as soon as I do, they're gonna score like 28 points. So I'm gonna go Bears minus two and a half. Daniels did not practice for Washington on Thursday. That line is clearly telling you if you think not going to play. By the time this taping, maybe we'll even know or when this comes out. But as of right now, we don't know. That's going to be fun.

You got Bears minus two and a half. Jayden's coming out of the tunnel. But this is really more about my bears and the disrespect towards Caleb as Jaden got off to this terrific start. So we're, it's a little more emotional maybe than just the couch. The money is fading. You want to talk about no one on the Titans? 96% of the money, 90 plus percent of the bets according to action network are on the other side of this with Detroit. So no one is on the Titans. You are on the Titans plus 11 and a half.

Although I was told this morning it was like, yeah, be careful with that one. I was like, dude, be careful. Like I'm giving out the Titans against maybe what? The third, second, third best team in the NFL. And the research on this one is Browns plus eight and a half. Browns plus eight and a half, new vibe around the facility at home, divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens.

So open minus nine and a half. It's now eight and a half. So there's couch money research for this week. You can see all of these lines on sportsbook.fandle.com. You want details? Buy. I drive a Ferrari, 355 Cabriolet. What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork.

I have every toy you can possibly imagine. And best of all kids, I am liquid. So, now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required. Life advice. Just Kyle and the Ry Guy. Dual threat. Two seater. Let's go.

Two seater. I was looking at trucks online the other night and I thought, you know what? Ring back bench seating, Milton style. Cause I used to have a truck that had a bench and my buddy was like, you have to drive through random towns in Vermont with your arm around your girlfriend. Just cause Milton Vermont very, you have to drive through random towns in Vermont with your arm around your girlfriend, just because Milton Vermont very, almost no one will get the reference, but it was just like, we used to call it Milton style. And she was, she was up, she was game, you know, she, she, she thought it was hilarious and thought it was cute.

And I would maybe, you know, fresh off of playing pickup hoops shirt off, driving around in the pickup bench and just arm around her being like, let's get some soft serve and play mini golf in Georgia, Vermont. Maybe catch a drive in later. Yeah, right. Now I know some of you creepers are getting weird about, you know, that's not what we're talking about. Just two people in love and didn't make sure people know.

As you drive around. So yeah, I started looking at trucks going like, and there's a bench option for this one. And I thought, bring it back. Bring it back. Those consoles, just mints and sunglasses and fucking chargers and USB ports and all this stuff. And like, now what about love, right?

Right, Kyle? Who would argue with that? Who would argue with that? Yeah. I don't even know how we got on this. The point is, is that everybody was here and Kyle came over to my house last night with Saruti and Wargon, AKA Oregon. And I don't know, do we have to do the full recap? I feel like we have to do the full recap with everybody

because it wasn't, and it also wasn't that exciting. Yeah, I mean, they're gonna have different things. I was like, don't start opening his drawers and stuff like that, don't do that. I was very curious, obviously I held it together. Yeah, I'd like to hear their, what they thought happened. So I think we can just wait for them, but it was great. Your boys got some golf clubs now.

Dressed for golf. I'm not even going to golf today, but I just was playing dress up right now in my office. It's pretty good. Yeah, so we hooked Kyle up with some used golf clubs from TaylorMade. I would say both nice sets of irons, a really nice driver, a not so great driver.

I think that Callaway Faraway Rescue a really nice driver, a not so great driver. I think that Callaway fairway rescue was really nice too. And then I screwed up because I forgot that I had ordered this title list utility iron back when I was going full gear mode and I couldn't find it in my garage for the longest time. And as I was packing up the back, I hated this part. It kind of ruined the ending for me though, because you did it twice. The one thing you were like, Oh fuck, I'm giving you that. And I was like, hold on, take it out. And you're like, no, no, you're good.

It's in the bag. Okay. And then you're like, oh shit, the utility iron is in there. And I'm like, here, let me grab it. And you're like, no, no. And I was like, wait a second. This is, it was a hundred percent good. Now I feel like it's 98% good vibes, but if you're good, I'm good.

The reason I don't need it is it's a four iron utility club. And dude, I love that. Just line drive don't need it is it's a four iron utility club. Dude, I love that. Just line drive that shit out of a bad spot. I don't need it. Thanks so much. It's wrapped and it's custom. It's a custom shaft on that.

I'm going to unwrap it at Roosevelt and crank it. I can't wait. I can't wait either. I've been golf poor. I was like golf homeless. Now I've got that second beach house too. This is great. See, that's what we all love about Kyle.

Simple pleasures. Cause I don't even know if you're golf middle class with those irons. But I don't want to ruin the idea that you're not, you know, eating shrimp with all you can drink pina coladas in Fort Lauderdale. All right. We get a lot of people really worried about Ed and Ed's wife.

Yeah. Like this email. Ed, 1 million percent pumped his buddy's wife. It's a no-brainer. Okay. Thanks. That's like the worst demeanor friends hearing the story and giving it that spin. Like I think you do need to look into it a little bit, but it's just, I could just tell there's some guys in my group I would tell that story to, and they would like enjoy saying what that guy just said. They would just be like, oh man.

They would want it to be bad. Yeah, yeah, that frustrates me too with just the way guys can be, is they, some people just wanna believe everything's terrible. There was, I read the email again this morning about Ed so again the emailer wasn't Ed it was Ed was the new buddy that there was a mention in the email about her location being somewhere different than Ed's house and then she said she was

back at me remember? Did they go get more booze, you think? I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, that part's weird. I would have to know more about her. Like is that in her DNA that she could just get hammered on a Saturday and then not text you? Because that ever happened before.

Because the good thing is if it actually has happened before, then you have less to worry about. Like she's got a protocol here. It's a bit like, like Tom and cousin Greg, where it's like, I want the insurance. And then Tom says, the insurance in fact makes you a threat. Whereas if you were uninsured, the irony would be that you were safe. But they are in fact not receipts. Okay.

God's like, all right, yeah, I caught that line. All right, Slumlord. Let's try this one. Longtime listener, Jim Stats, not impressive. Former college athlete, just trying to recapture, maintain some of my former self in 35. I live in the Southeast roughly five years ago. I turned a residence into a rental property.

Since then, I've acquired two other properties. Two and a half years ago, I purchased a single family home purely as a rental property. This is the only non-condo town home in a small portfolio. What about this guy though, 35, just putting it together. The area of this town this is in is very much up and coming, which ends up being very important to the story. I do not use a property manager for any of the rentals.

I actively manage them and deal with the issues in addition to my full-time career. Well, good for you, because I know, like you look into property management, and is this worth it? It's definitely worth it if you don't want to deal with it. But if you can pull it off, I remember the first round of property ad,

I was over there with, you know, fucking corkscrew and duct tape trying to figure out the garage door. And then I fixed it and I was so proud of myself and the tenant was like, I can't believe you know how to do this stuff. I was like, great. Where'd you put the corkscrew? Nice joke.

But I got a call seven days later and she was like, it doesn't work. I was like, let's get somebody over there that has a ladder, that doesn't rent ladders, owns them. This single family home is the property I'm hoping to get advice on. I've had the same tenant in this house from the time I started renting just over two years.

And after the two year mark, I allowed the lease to be converted to a month-to-month lease with no change in rate. The only condition is that if I wanted the tenant out or if the tenant wanted to leave there was supposed to be a 30 day notice. The tenant was almost always late and turning in rent. I always worked with them and never charged a late fee just to be nice and accommodating. Definitely a mistake. Yeah, you could tell. All right.

So there's, there's one wherever the rest of this is going. Let's make sure we hammer that lesson as well. The tenant told me to take, The tenant told me a week in October they were leaving the following week. They refused to pay me rent in October and ended up officially getting out of the house on the 20th, I think. Here comes the issues. I haven't been able to get a hold of my tenants. The last I heard from them was on the 19th saying they would have everything out by the 20th and would be ready for a walk through. I've gone to the house every day and it doesn't appear anyone is there. There's furniture

and trash all over the front yard. I've sent an eviction notice, which I believe takes seven days to take effect in my state question for the guys. Should I remove remove all the stuff in there and take it to the dump legally because I haven't heard from them. I'm worried they have recourse to come after me because I didn't give them a 30 day notice. Additionally,

they let their dogs into the crawl space of the house that destroyed the duct work. Conservatively it's going to cost me about 10K to fix it, not to mention what I need to fix on the inside as I haven't been in the house in a while. Should I take them to small claims court or just cut my losses? I can afford the repairs, but knowing that these people are getting away with this just kills me. Any advice would be helpful. I am certainly not educated enough despite running a few places to know what the legal ramifications are for this.

And I think every state is pretty different. So look, the first thing that you learn is you can't be nice to anybody when you're going to be renting properties. In a small situation, yeah. Yeah, it sucks because you're going to have great tenants, great tenants, great tenants. You're going to have this, you know, because everybody you would think, you're like, oh, yeah, it's okay. It's a couple of days late. Like stuff happens, right? Like, oh, we're not sure what we're doing. All right. Well, kind of just let have this, you know, because everybody you would think, be like, oh yeah, it's okay, it's a couple days late, like stuff happens, right? Like, oh, we're not sure what we're doing. All right, well kind of just let me know, you know,

try to give me a heads up. We don't need to get everybody involved in all this. And most times that transaction works out perfect because people are reasonable for the most part. People are not looking to take advantage of everybody. Then you get some asshole who looks at the opportunity and is like, oh, this guy's like a little weak or he's a little understanding. He's really forgiving. Like the one time I had a guy that rented a place for me and pissed on my mattresses, decided to deal with my realtor behind my back and do like a night tonight, pro rated based on what the monthly rent was.

And then he would let me know when he was going to move out and then ruined a couple other things. And then of course was demanding his security deposit like a day after he had left. By the way, when I was like, when are you leaving? He's like, Oh, we're not sure yet. It was like, I'm kind of doing you a pretty big solid here. And this night to night thing being pro rated on the monthly isn't really cool either. And guess what?

I got into a fuck because he got over on me. And then from that point on, it's like, okay, well now I have to be strict about all of this stuff because if you keep renting properties, you're gonna have somebody that takes advantage of it. As far as getting their stuff out of there, I mean, I know what you're saying. I don't have the legal answer. I would be at the dump with all of their shit immediately.

I would also, you must have somebody who's a lawyer, who's a friend that understand these laws better. My problem, my concern would be, even if you go after them, if they're willing to do this, like this is kind of like a, who was it, George with the mattress? This is like a George situation where this guy's going to be completely unfazed by any letter of mail that comes to him. If you can even figure out where to mail him anything.

They likely abandoned your place. They knew that they trashed it. They likely abandoned your place. They knew that they trashed it. They're probably not coming back for that stuff. Yeah, I guess there's some path where you get a call in two months being, okay, where's my stuff? But I would go after them assuming you were going to lose so that you're not obsessing over it. It's not something you're wasting a ton of man hours on.

You're not wasting a ton of man hours on. You're not wasting a ton of legal fees on. I would go after them thinking anything is a win because it's still probably going to be some kind of loss for you. Yeah. This is classic Judy case. I mean, Judy's on your side, especially if you've got texts and stuff like that. I don't know about, I think there's a lot of protection for renters. If you're saying an eviction notice is only seven about, you know, I think there's a lot of protection for renters. If you're saying an eviction notice is only seven days in your state, I imagine there's less.

And I imagine you're, you know, definitely not in California. I think you said seven days. It sounds like it's a little stricter than California. Well, less strict, right? You would say, like, there's less rent protection in this state. They're saying eviction notice takes seven days.

Like, that's not bad. I think. No, that sounds pretty good. I'm just being told that, like, people told me horror stories about California. Yes, that's that's not bad. I feel that sounds pretty good. Yeah. I'm just being told that like people told me horror stories about California. Yes. That's what I mean. This guy said he's in the Southeast, I believe. Right.

So, uh, it's not that I'm going to guess it's a little different. Um, you know, this guy doesn't sound like he's particularly litigious. I love, I love the Judy call though. Tell us more about how you see Judy. Well, this is the classic thing based on cases you've seen in the past. Okay, so that's easy. Usually what happens is a guy will go away for like two months and he's like,

yeah, I went to go stay with my aunt in Florida or something and then I came back and I'm missing a laptop and I wanted, I had some shoes and it's like just he left the shit there. And he's just like, that's my property, I want it returned to me. And Judy's like, this guy's got all these texts of you not answering and we know that your phone was on

because you answered this one, you didn't answer these ones. You think that this is okay. I know that you had a lease that you said all these things were supposed to happen, but you abandoned the property. It's clear. And so Judy would throw that case out immediately.

That's just, I know what Judy would do. There's a bunch of different versions of the same situation. This, I guess the other thing I would say is this guy like properly litigious. Do you think that he would actually go through, or is he more of a George thing where all that seems way too much for him

and he's not actually gonna go get a lawyer and take you to court to get what's 90% trash and maybe 10% valuables that he left in this place. So I guess maybe the thing that would set this guy off is if he's trying to get a security deposit back and then maybe he might start sniffing around. But I think you're probably well within at least common sense rights to be able to go and start undoing whatever damage this guy's done, especially if he's never going to come back, which it sounds like he's probably not going to. Okay. But a couple of things, there's two

different things happening here. You're talking about the Judge Judy scenario. And by the way, shout out to your hours invested in Judge Judy for giving us perspective that I can't provide on this. But there's two different legal directions that you're talking about. One would be the tenant being like, Hey, where's all my stuff? Oh, I threw into the dump So you're saying get something on record. Let's see all the text Communication right send some email send a letter to the last known address Although I don't even know that you're gonna know that text message constantly Hey, I'm gonna throw this stuff away. Like you needed to let me know what's going on. All right, whatever

So in that case you're covering yourself the other way, the other direction of him taking this guy to court for the duck work, I mean, imagine you have a security deposit, but $10,000 is probably not what the security deposit was on this property. I would, you know, you can go after him as hard as you want, but somebody who's willing to do this is, I mean, you hate to reward the asshole because this guy's so

not organized. The reward is kind of that he's gone though right that's the other thing the reward for this guy is kind of that this is the end of this road maybe. Yeah but if you own like when when I had the tenant piss on my mattress because they took the mattress covers off and I put in like brand new Tempur-Pedic mattresses, which is just stupid on my part. That was nice of you. And I was like, hey, there's piss all over the mattress. And they were like, it wasn't us. I was like, it's a hundred percent you. You know?

And you know, I talked to my realtor about it and he was like, ah. More like, is it worth it for you? Because it's probably not. Yeah, right, right. Because he didn't want to deal with it. You know, like I love, I love the just, like philosophy on things. It's like, I'm telling you to not do anything

because I really don't want to have to do anything. Yeah, I mean, can't you keep, unless you went month to month and you didn't, I mean, he couldn't have given the security deposit back. But again, there's no way, based on what you're telling us about this guy, about this property, where the whole deal, there's no way the security deposit was $10,000.

So it's not gonna cover the duck work. You can go after them all you want, but it probably makes you feel a little bit better. But don't be upset if it doesn't go your way on that part of it. But I love Kyle's Judge Judy scenario on all of the stuff that was left behind and covering your bases for a house that he has damaged and abandoned.

And now you have to make dump runs and pay for removal to get this stuff out of there. Yeah. The thing I would say is if you end up going to small claims, right, you want to make sure you're not taking any liberties like entering the home early and stuff like that. That can be proven. That's the only thing. If you're like, you know, if you're not looking at it as like, oh, this is good. This, this terrible mistake I made is finally gone and I charge it to the game. If you're like, I'm actually trying to recoup some

stuff here and you know, it turns out that you didn't actually do everything, uh, you know, as the exit agreement in your lease, then that could not be, if you're like shining a light on his shit, you might actually shine a light on you entering early and stuff like that. So if you're not, I think if you're not planning on going on record officially in a court system, then yeah, you know, open that door and start tossing shit out.

There's also probably a better people to talk to. Definitely, 100%. Next one, 6'2", 225, 20 years old, pick up comp, poor man's Kevin Love, used to be a bigger body and can get hot from deep if you don't close out. Sorry for the long email. This actually isn't even that long.

Here's my problem today. I got accepted to my dream school when I left high school and proceeded to get my dream job as a manager of a sport team there. He has told me what he's doing. It is very cool, very impressive. We will not share, but it's big time. So he's a, like, you know, manager for a very high profile college sports ball

team, um, now it's becoming a what if. As school was never really my thing, but having my dream job and meeting great people made me stick around. Now the school part is catching up to me and I'm most likely done with school two and a half years through college as I'm in a tough spot with my grades. I'm going to finish out this semester just to get the credits, but now looking towards the future, I'm not going to be able to keep this job.

Most likely we'll have to move home. Which of my steps be from here? Yeah. Here are a couple of options. Let me know what you guys think. Go into my dad's real estate business at home. Um, just go in home store and getting a decent job and living life from there.

I've had to face that demon. And for some of you, it's great. You start with a massive advantage. So, you know, not the same for everybody. Keep going to this school, far from home, and trying to work back my grades to get this job back if possible. I'd have to retry out for this spot to do that,

but knowing everybody here well, I think I'll feel pretty good about it. So he's telling us he likes his chances. So it looks like he's gonna, because of his grades, be ineligible to be the team manager. I don't know how any of that works. He's telling us that, but he could potentially get it back if he improves his grades.

Going home, number three, going home and just getting a simple communications degree in my local community college. I'm trying to work my way back into the sports industry I so wish to work in, possibly trying to get a job at a local radio station and being around the industry in some way. I have some connections at that radio station

so it might be on the table if I reach out. Overall, I'm just kind of lost after failing myself in this endeavor and just seeing what the gang's input is on this situation How would you handle this? So yeah, look, this is pretty big-time stuff. You seem to light up based on the communications school Community college this flash communication community path. Yeah. Well this story is sort of an amalgamation of what was going on with me two years in

Yeah, well this story is sort of an amalgamation of what was going on with me two years in I still not really cracked any books so to speak And I turned my shit around from like a like a 2-0 to like a 3-7 or whatever It was that by the end there and I really just big brains on Brad here. Yeah, I know I really I just found out About the library. It sounds like maybe this guy's put pouring all of us, you know I wasn't pouring all my stuff into managing a sports team. I was pouring my second hand knife business. Speaking of knives, shout out to Benchmade knives, our friends, they hooked the crew up. Kyle ended up with both his knife and Saruti.

It was a big knife for Kyle. Saruti could not pack his knife because he had a carry on. So we don't need, we don't need a knife charge on Saruti here on a plane, but great. Benchmade light as a feather. Fun knives, right? Really fun. Looking for something to throw them out of my apartment that like, you know, wouldn't damage anything. Anyway, um, sure. That's what they wanted to hear Is it gonna be your everyday carry? If I mean you wouldn't even know it's there. It's so much lighter than the other like four knives that I have it's really nice

Okay, like I got a chain around my neck. That's how light it is. So back to The tale of two Kyle's Oh, my point is it's totally Whatever you're doing. You're you're distracted from school, right? That's fine. And mine was way less admirable than what you're being distracted with. But you can totally do it. Like I was literally a flip was a switch was flipped. I mean, I was like, you know, if I got an 80 through high school, I was like, that's

pretty good, right, dad? And he was like, you know, because that's where I was in the rankings. He was like, you know what, I guess that's pretty good for you. And, you know, I, I didn't really start trying for, you know, a hundred percents until, you know, probably by the beginning of my third year in college. It, and all I'm saying is like, I thought it could never happen. And then I just changed my ways. And I think you just need to find time, like go to the library, uh, whatever.

Maybe, maybe you just need to not have this job for a semester and get it back. I wouldn't, if you went the college route, I think it's way harder to get back into it. My buddy is now 31. He just graduated this last year and he's like a different type of college grad and he's really struggling.

So like you already did the thing. You already said, fine, I'll do this. Even though the bunch of people in America are yelling, it's a scam. I still did it. I wouldn't give up on this. I would just try to crack the books and see, you know, see what don't sell yourself short, man. Don't just say, Oh, fuck it. I'll get a communication job. Maybe I'll be HR somewhere. I like, I don't know. I think, I think you're already here. Just like wait until they kick your ass out or you know, you flunk out or whatever. Really try to see if you can crack these books. It's not like you hate college. You're just like,

I hate failing at college. That's what he's saying? Yeah, that's a really good point because the way I read it was it sounded like there's a chance it's still salvageable at the current place, but you're just going to lose the student management position, but you could get it back. So here's what I would say is somebody who also fucked up in college massively his first year or his freshman year. Well, that's me. I can stop doing third person. Uh, I took the wrong courses and then later on I had some going on at home

and I didn't do great. Um, and a massive, uh, massive thanks to Patty Corcoran with the University of Vermont who didn't give up on me. Right. But I would tell you this, as somebody that had to like, fix it and figure it out, because I felt like I can't just leave. Like, I've already owe this money and I tabbed credits. And now, like, what am I going to do now? Like, I was always thinking in the back of my head, I was like, maybe I'll just become a general contractor or whatever, right?

That was kind of always like the fall when things were pretty down. Whatever, you know, not a bad kid. That much different than our guy here. Yeah, but what I would say to the emailer is that you would be shocked how adults respond to somebody that steps up and gets in front of it. Okay.

So I don't know if you're telling us you're like, you're absolutely failing out after this fall semester and there's nothing you can do about it. Can you go to anybody right now? It's October. Okay. The semester is not over. I actually, I don't know in the South how it works, but, um, no, well they can, I think they may start early, but that's not the point.

If you go to somebody that matters in your department, okay. This is like, I fucked it up. Um, and I don't know if you're getting kicked out of school, if you're just losing this job that you want. Like what can I do? I doesn't, maybe you can't salvage this semester, but like what can I do to fix this? I need to fix this because most people, especially at that age, you just kind of put your head in the sand and you hope it goes away. And guess what?

It doesn't go away. It doesn't go away. And because so many people have that approach, you're embarrassed socially you know there's some elements there that prevent you from just sitting but if you are you emailed us you got this gig okay there's probably something about your personality that's outward enough if you were to walk into the door to an administrator within your school and then maybe to somebody else and then talk to the coach just do an adult adult fest, okay, for a week

while you're on campus and walk in owning every one of your fuck ups here, you're gonna be shocked the way adults respond to you because they're not going to be used to seeing it happen. Where you're not making excuses, where you go in, I mean sometimes actually helps to kind of lay on like, oh, you know, whatever, deal with some stuff. But for the most part, be like, hey, you know, whatever deal with some stuff. Um, but for the most part, we were like, Hey, I've already, I've already messed up.

I need to figure out a way to fix this, get in front of what the next step is. I'm not giving up on this opportunity. You tell the coach, Hey, here's what I did. I met with this person. I met with that person. I want to come back. I want to be a team manager and I want to make it a priority. And I know I'm can't be promised anything and I may have ruined this great

opportunity, but I'm going to tell you like from this day on and just like Kyle said, get in the fucking library. Like whatever you think you can do or not do, it's not working. And I had to figure that one out too. I thought I was a lot smarter when I showed up to Vermont than I was. I was like this school isn't that hard and I'll never forget like thinking I aced the first test I ever took and it came back, it was like 72. I went, what the fuck happened here? I walked out of that room shoulders back going, I'm dominating this place.

This is easy. And then it was like- I put my transfer papers in. Yeah, right. It was more of Dartmouth. They're not that far away. See what they're up to. Probably walk on.

So I don't, I know what you're going, but if I could have ever, I don't want to do it over again, but if I were to do it over again, or if I were to have a kid dropping them off at college, I would say like, before you fire up the PlayStation, before you start just whatever it is that you do now in doom scrolling and all this stuff and the fuckery of the dorms that is so whatever those weird cans that you guys are sucking on now, whatever the fuck that is. Yeah, right. I don't even know what that is, but anyway, it's like nitrous or something. I don't know. You lost me.

But if you just decide to like after a class, stay on campus to do work for an hour before the fun times, crazy difference, dude, it's. It would change your life. And then I finally started doing that. I was like, before I get back and somebody's like, cause when somebody I heard the beginning of night, I could be walking down the staircase of my house, backpack on, truck keys in hand, ready to go outside.

I would see the snow and then I would hear the Genesis turn on and I would go, well, I'm not going to make it today. I'm not going to make it up there today because it was so much fun. It was just so much fun. But then look, the point is, to the advice, if you can show them a version that they rarely see from students going through this, I think you will be rewarded even if the payoff isn't immediately, if you actually want to stay at this place. But some of your email makes me think that you're kind of over it and maybe you only like being part of the team thing. But that team thing is major connections. I'm just basically telling you to do whatever you can

to get your degree from this school and continue on the path of getting back together with this team, because that's going to open doors that community college communications degrees are not going to open. Okay? Word. I mean essays and tests aren't fun, man, but doing well actually is.

Outside of like, oh, maybe I can convince them. Grades are cool. You're about to convince. Yeah. Like you can, I convinced myself. I was like, God damn, look at the, look at Mr 73, uh, pulling off a 96 with some, you know, encouraging a red pen on the paper. That's what I'm talking about.

And even though, even if that only lasts for, you know, 10 minutes of happiness, it's cool. You're like, you're not just showing them. You would be showing yourself. And just as a guy who felt like he didn't know where that switch was to flip it, once you fucking feel around and find it, it's like you'll be surprised at how much easier this thing will seem.

It's not gonna seem impossible, and how am I gonna do another two years of this? Anyway. Yeah, I know, when you're going through the bad times for college and the great, it's like every test you're taking, and then you get something back, and you just, it's like the doom of looking college and the great. It's like every test you're taking and then you get something back and you just like the doom of looking

up your grade instead of, and then when it pivots to I can't wait to see how well I did. Yeah. It's a lot like the bench press. All right, that'll do it for the show today. Thanks to Kyle, Sharuti, Wargon, no thanks to them except for their picks, but they're not getting a full credit on their knives.

Yeah. They didn't even get knives out of the deal they're gonna have to pay full price from Benchmade online because Benchmade try to make it happen Kyle's now a two knife guy so look out world thanks for listening check out our YouTube page and always subscribe to Rhondra's little podcast for your spots I'm out. Music Must be 21 and older. Present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in DC gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org forward slash chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland.

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