THESE GUYS! - MARCH MADNESS AURA, BEST COLLEGE HOOPERS + PEYTON MANNING BEEF

Episode Date: March 10, 2026

"Every guy during a bro hangout is secretly setting something up w a girl for later" We look back at the absolute glory of hanging out at lake houses in June and the feeling of dropping everything to go to a catholic school festival (not a religious pod). We finally face the hard truth about Broncos Peyton Manning and why he hates Indy. Plus we remember the most savage high school players we ever watched, draft the best months of the year during Mel's Best Available, play AFC vs NFC, talk about March Madness during spring break😍 and look back at how cold McDonald's All-American games used to be. Do we talk about Tyler Hansborough? No. Do we talk about Greg Paulus? No. Is Noel Devine a fake name? Ye📬 *SUPPORT THE SHOW*Hit us up on the email line: [e-mail]🎧 *Listen to the full pod*https://open.spotify.com/show/0DCF4F4r78p0eXiD3fyh2Lhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/these-guys/id1649757408🍻 *Follow us on Instagram*These Guys! https://www.instagram.com/theseguyslolBenedict Polizzi https://www.instagram.com/benedictpolizziJoey Mulinaro https://www.instagram.com/joeymulinaro🧢 *50% OFF ALL MERCH with code BALD at checkout*https://www.benedictmerch.com1:08 - Diet and Pizza Stats5:34 - Papa Johns Breadsticks7:54 - 90s NFL Football Pads10:35 - Peyton Manning Broncos14:14 - Local TV Commercials14:49 - Best Months Ranked15:21 - October Fall Weather18:12 - December Holidays23:01 - May Indy 500 Racing24:42 - 90s NBA on NBC27:00 - Catholic School Days30:56 - November Thanksgiving33:23 - Michigan State Football36:21 - March Madness Hoops39:47 - Summer in June41:27 - Lake Houses in June45:07 - AFC vs NFC Fast Food49:14 - PB&J vs Grilled Cheese52:32 - Latrell Sprewell Knicks56:30 - NFL Ref Ron Torbert59:39 - Sports Radio Intro1:02:07 - College Hoopers 2009-20121:09:31 - HS Athlete Mt Rushmore1:10:12 - Ed McCaffrey Broncos1:12:37 - LeBron HS Highlights1:15:22 - OJ Mayo High School1:24:52 - Joe Mauer MLB Draft

We're just doing whatever. No girls. So it's just like just dudes at a house. A little fring. Yeah, a little fring. Oh my. We don't have to worry about anything. But you know, every guy.

That comes later. That comes later. Every guy in the like while they're hanging out though. Yeah. Setting some up behind everybody's back. Everybody's doing it. Every guy, dude. Every guy during a guy hangout.

It's all about the boys. But low key behind everybody's back there's setting something up with a girl. Not bad for a fat cat. What up, Clubhouse? This is Benny Politsy and Joey Molanaro. On this week's These guys, we talk about getting whipped by a garlic Papa John's breadstick. If Starbucks is AFC or NMC,

why Michigan State is the most November school of all time. And we obviously don't talk about Greg Paulus, Joe Maurer, or Tyler Hansbrough, because this isn't a sports podcast. Let's get to the shh. Let's get to the shh. TG 176. Oh, God. 176 is that how many ice coffees I've had today?

That was a, how many pieces of beats I had all weekend. Give me the stats. Give me the stats. Wasn't that bad, actually. Saturday night, wrapped up the Purdue game, went down,

went up there with my boy, great day with the boy, terrible game for a result. All good. But went over to my in-laws. Saturday night, father-in-law whips, up salmon with rice and veggies.

That's a Wednesday night dinner right there. I know, but I wasn't that mad about it. Locked in. Summer body. Hey, Summer body, man. It might be that. He's,

they got a boat and shit, and they're always out in the water. So they might be this weather starting to turn a little bit. The trigger is happening where it's like, whoop, whoop, yeah. Gonna have that my shirt off.

whoop. Yeah. So I wasn't too mad about it. And it was good. I put a little, I was like, I'm a big, I need a little something, a little sauce on a salmon meal.

I don't need to have Yum Yum sauce. Right. Wait, did you put me on yum yum sauce? Somebody did. I told you about it and you're like,

it's too good, man. It ruins the whole thing. Oh, yeah. My Asian girlfriend did. I can't tell them. Seriously or not. I don't know. Well,

ever meet her? No. Will I ever know her name? Probably not. Would never tell you, don't worry about it. But I just went with the little hot sauce. Oh, yeah, that's good. What kind? I don't play. I can't remember what the top of my head now. Hey, it's got to be Franks, right? No, it wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't Franks. But it was just one of those, you know, those ones where those things are crazy the way they designed those to shoot out of

there, huh? Oh, I know exactly what about it. You're talking about Tabasco. Yeah. All right, Super Soaker, 3,000 XP. What the hell? I'm like, who's the engineer? Hey, hey, who made this bottle?

That's all I want to know. Just all I need is a little tap. Just a little tap. I don't need it though. That's part of my French ejaculate on my salmon. Jesus. Hey, can you pass the penis, right? Oh, geez, come on.

No. Thanks for. designing this like a sawed-off shotgun. Just blasting off all over my eggs. It's getting even we're talking about this now. All right. Oh my God.

But it was a random Saturday night, you know? So wasn't that bad stats. Wasn't that bad stats? Feeling all right. You got a lot. You had some pizza? Is that what I heard? Friday night I did.

And I had some, see what happens is that we had, I think we'll order something. Like we had Pacini's tonight. and I got a little pasta chicken pasta dish, but then the kids, they always have to, you know, you're not going to get any pasta or anything for the pizza. So you get a pizza, they have three bites of it.

And so I'm just like, oh, for sure. Oh, my God. If I had a kid and he took three bites of a piece of pizza, I'd be like, let me get that. All the kids' pizzas are always thin crusts too, so you don't feel as bad. And then the crunch, the crunch of the crust, man. just eating chips what do you mean getting a little jaw workout yeah that's all just a little bit of pizza

five pieces of pizza what i do to eat five pieces of pizza right now dude just a number you can't go wrong five pieces of pizza bang done deal out of here that was actually i forgot what has gone on this weekend because yesterday it was such a whirlwind of like being up at per do and whatnot but Friday night, you know, the Lent, staying true to it. Catholic, not a Catholic podcast, but staying true. And so we had, we got,

I was over at my sisters, my brother-in-law, you know, he's the face of Papa John's pizza. Like, just always a leftover box of Papa John's and his garage fridge. You're like,

that's such a great thing to count on. Like, you know it's there. Could be there for four days ago. Could be there from four months ago. I don't know. Either way, eating it.

But I don't know. It doesn't matter. So that was where the fat sets happened. Got a large cheese, but then I got some, I got some garlic bread sticks. So, yeah. Oh, mama, dude. Oh, gas. Insane.

Got to be the best pizza. I open up that, I opened up that box of the garlic breadsticks and almost like started to bend over just because I wanted somebody to just take one of those, take one of those doughy, powdery, Papa John sticks and just who psh who psh

What kind of pants are you wearing khakis, please just a wet spot on the butt of your khakis What's up? You sit in something? What are you talking about? You're lying

acting like somebody just didn't whip you with a garlic breadstick. What are you talking about? No, no, no. Oh, I must have just No, dude, I'm wearing like Just you and Greg out in the garage.

The The garlic ones, too, they're a little bit longer. You know, the Papa John's regular, the dry ass sawdust ones that are so good. They're little. Oh, my God. Stone me like Jesus with those. Jesus wasn't stone, dude. Not a Catholic podcast.

Do you think I know? I mean, all those years in a Bible, he had to get a couple of rocks thrown at them. Put me in the tomb, throw Papa John's breadstown. sticks at me. They look like a box of potatoes. I'm like, God. Right. Those are great. So there's a little bit more compact. The garlic ones, I was surprised a little bit more length to them. They were stringing those out. They're stringing those out. It's pretty crazy. It's nice how they like, you know, give you a little versatility. I'm like, you know, I thought this would be all the same breadstick, but you guys are really back there with a whole different recipe. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

All right. Papa, I'll stay out of it. No, dude. I had my, I had my Russell athletic Steelers pants on the ones that you'd have when you're a little kid that you'd have the full uniform. Imagine eating Papa John's and wearing anything else but that couldn't. What are we what are we having for dinner? Papa John's just pulls your pants right up. Hey, no shirt. Hey, hip pads. Don't forget your girdle. Girdle, man I mean, can we update the terminology?

Maybe they did and I'm just 45 years old But that pissed me off so bad Equipment pickup Yeah, make sure you get your girdle I'm like, ew, dude No, never wearing that What the hell are you talking about? I'm like my mom's right there

Can you like keep it down? She don't know what this shit is either Hey, the higher up the hip pads wear The worst you wear at football I know, man. Big hit pads. That's how you knew. Coming out of the top.

Hey, rubbing up against my ribs third grade. I was like, I don't want to play anymore. More of the hip pad was outside of the pant than that was in. You're defying like physics and gravity. How is that staying in? This much of the hip pad underneath your pants. The rest is the whole. the whole rest of it just out here.

I'm like, this is so unathletic looking. We have to fix this. So terrible. Dude, 8th grade, I was like, I don't care. No. Took some gardening scissors to him from the garage. Just, you might get a hit point around there. Get them, hey, yeah, get the tightest pants you can

so that you just have to wear the thigh and the knee pads. Don't even, who cares? It's a hip, who cares? When's the last time you've been hitting the leg? square in the leg anyway. I'm like, we don't need any of these pads. Hey, NFL players, when they're taking pictures for promotional stuff, just no leg pads. Isaac Bruce on a Kroger, like, cardboard cut out.

Baggy's jersey, too. Mm-hmm. Zipper. Instead of strange. Zipper? I know you can't use the official one, but you can't get something better than the knockoff baggie. Come on. Yeah.

they're selling that at the mall. I'm like, you just pick that up. It's still got wrinkle lines on it. I always hated like those Bapa John's commercials that ran our life with Peyton and JJ Watt. When they'd be wearing blue jeans with their game jersey, I'm like, tucked in.

Everybody knows, like you're, everybody knows that that's Peyton Manning. Okay, so there's like a few people who just moved here. There's a couple grandmalls maybe that don't, like anybody who's watching. watching TV, he's watching the shit, knows that that's Peyton Manning. We don't have to have the bright orange baggy jersey on. A ball?

Just so you know, I play football. J.J. Watt, like having to tackle people in his Texans jersey and jeans. Yeah, yeah. I black on. Can we just put a graphic up? Like, J.J. Watt, D.N., Houston, Texans. And he can just wear a plain shirt and just make it look like an actual commercial? I don't know.

That just drove me nuts. Peyton, dude. Lived in that orange Broncos jersey from 2012 to 2015, just on TV. And if you wasn't playing, he was still on your TV in the jersey. Part of me is like, did he play for the Colts? A little bit. I'm like, I don't really think he did anymore. I think the Broncos wiped our memory.

Not a local podcast, but I don't know if Indies is ready to have that conversation. Hey, he's better on the Broncos. Hey. Just so much more forehead on the Broncos too. Just can't miss him. Hey, he lives in Denver, not Indy. What's that tell you? Doesn't really affiliate himself with the city too much, does he?

You'll see, you'll see like week seven, 425K. He'll be on the sideline with his son in Denver. He only goes back to the Colts if he's forced. He's never been to a court game. Hey, when he cried in the press conference when he was leaving, fake. Oh, hey, we might be losing half our audience here. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but I'm just.

Hey, we tell the truth on this show. They don't want to know. They don't know. they want to like Peyton Manning? Yeah, okay. They want to like them? They don't know.

Can he please do it? Can he please do it? A Peyton Manning like sound bite like that? I can't, I can't even, I don't know who you were impersonating there. Can't even start to guess. Dude, that sounded sound. Everybody wants to get crazy about Peyton Manning in my ass.

I'll see Peyton Manning coming back to Colts games well okay alright Peyton Manning they don't know my ass be back oh god wow not a local podcast smash the shit out of the mic

it's quiet for like four seconds and it goes to the heating and heating and our cooling commercial no it goes to that but it goes right back to and he's eating during the break. Oh, I'll tell you right now,

Hope, heating and plumbing, they do know. They do know. Ha ha ha. Just seven B window commercials in a row. B window. Not a local pod,

but he's going to be in my doorstep ready to kill me. with a Tabasco bottle got all these blogger boys yeah anyways yeah so that's what should we go on should we do do you want to hop in to Mel's best available this week get it

Mel's best available we had smells last week and this week we're staying pretty simple as well Mel's best available months Oh Not a holiday podcast We don't talk about months on this podcast

Not a calendar podcast But These guys have never even seen a calendar before You first Yeah, Mel's best available Right at the top of the board Molnar's starting it off

Mel's best available months October number one Oh October It's And you get a mix of nice weather. It's still got a little bit of chilly. You got spooky season, Halloween, ghosts, candy. Cobwebs on mics. Pumpkins everywhere on college game day final.

Or college Saturday final, whatever that hell is called. Gripping crawly, da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da still holds. Shows, movies, the build up a holiday season coming. all football, starting conference play in college football NFL is in full swing high school football

is getting the playoffs you might swing over on a chilly Friday night you know get a little hoodie go catch sectionals get a little buzz on the parking lot

with the dads beforehand little apple cider whatever the hell they got going on Apple cider shots Apple cider shots Apple pie shots Apple cider fireball

and a crockpot Apple I don't fireball at a crook butt. I'm so down to sit on a tailgate of a truck and just, just me for two and a half hours, not saying a word. This, them talking about what Docch talked about that day. He doesn't claim Andy.

I'm telling you, he doesn't claim Andy. Just regurgitating what they heard. So you got all of that. Food's good because you got candy, pumpkin pie starts creeping in. Yeah. Fun-sized Snickers.

You can start having chili. Yep. Just a drawer full of them. Chili. There's parties all the time. Everybody's having a harvest party or Halloween party. Stuff going on constantly. Excuses for everything.

Ah, yeah, it's Halloween. Let's get drunk on Friday night. Dress up two weeks beforehand. That's a Halloween party. Fuck it. October is so lit, isn't it? Man. From the first to the last day.

God, dang it. You love it. Does anybody not like it? Is there any like anti, you know how people are always trying to go against a grain? Yeah. Not really for October. I'm sure there is. Not anybody I want to be friends with.

Get out of here, right? Right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Right, yeah, yeah. Mel's best available. Top of the board, October. Go. I got it I got to take them

I mean we're we're trying to we're going best available here and he's a playmaker can't let him slide anymore

taking December yeah see so so Pletcy comes out he takes it from Mold Arrow he takes December off Mold Lauer it can't have it anymore

got to you man kind of shocked you went October 1st honestly that's like when everybody thought Reggie Bush was going to go one, but Mario Williams did. How crazy was that, though?

I know. We're doing that. You're right. You're right. There's like two days before the drafts. They're taking Mario William? All the rumbling started. You know, and that was before Twitter. That was before any of the internet. You know, so you had to solely rely on.

There is a little bit of rumbling that Houston is interested in a dynamic past rusher to build their franchise around. you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. They're not even. Reggie Bush? How do you not? How do you not, man? Electrifying. Playmaker.

I'll never forget when I saw that the Texans like picked them without the draft even starting. On the ticker. I was like, I think I called my dad. I was like, why wouldn't they? Dude, I have so many sports memories on the ticker. Luca gets traded. I was like, no way. Down there.

Bottom of your screen. Hey, we got one of those on YouTube. Check that out. You can try to get some Clubhouse listener DMs of the week. Yeah. That's wild, though. I guess I'm Houston. I guess in my perspective, I'm Houston in this scenario.

And I'm like, most value, most bang for your buck. Can't miss. It's going to, yeah. Change the course of your franchise. Can't miss, dude. You know, December, you know, Reggie Bush, maybe a higher ceiling. But Mario Williams is like high ceiling, high floor, good to go. Consistent.

Even if he has a bad game, he's still going to have some like tackles for loss, you know? And that's where like, yeah, like, you know, Reggie Bush is really only impact in the game. If he's like house and screen passes, house and handoff scoring, you know, Mario Williams, can impact the game in a lot of ways without, you know, showing up on stat sheet. Hey, we got to double team him. Right. You know, right? Reggie Bush, though.

That's just like October. It's like, you know, December is the high of like, holy shit. Reggie Bush just housed that 85-yard punt return. Christmas Eve and Christmas. Oh, my God. But I still think bank, bank for your buck. Best of top, top of the board, October. Like you said, from the first to the 31st and the kicker, Johnson.

The kicker is the fact that when Halloween. is over, you're not that sad. More to come. When December's over? Bye, bye. We've established this. October. October ends.

We're just heating up, babe. Right. So that had a lot of impact. That had a big decision making when it came to take it October for tomorrow. December, big plays. Big place. Exciting plays. Everybody knows, too.

Everybody's in. Mm-hmm. Dude, the kids are buying December jerseys. Flashy, commercials. Shit, everything. Come to 26th, December could get injured. Yep. December might be out a few weeks.

Not so happy anymore, are you? Right. Totally. I will say that December was second on my board as well. So now that's off. So I'll move on. Go ahead, though. You haven't really,

of went to Mario Williams, Reggie Bush, but what's your number two for December? Is it just, what's just, you know, reasoning? I mean, right when you get into it, it's just right, right off the, right out of the gate. It's kind of, you got, you got everybody all in in December. I mean, a lot of, there's some people that go against the grain say they don't like Christmas. They're lying. Everybody loves it. Stores are into it.

commercials are into it, you can't escape it. And then once you hit like the 17th, I mean, I just, I just can't not pick December right there. If you would have walked away from this draft with October and December, what am I doing? Yeah.

It's just a must have. But, I mean, we've never talked about Christmas on this podcast. No. I don't really need to say. Snyder Stamps is super excited. All over it. All right.

Mel's best available. third overall here on our big board. Mel's best available for my slot. Not a local podcast, but May. I knew you were going to take them. New it. It's a good one. It's another one for me that,

similar to October from the 1st of May to the 31st of May, party, fun, good weather. You're at the track. Mother's Day? Mother's Day underrated holiday. Everybody's, you know, you take care of mom. Everybody's in a good mood because mom's happy because she's getting taken care of.

You want to literally give flowers to your mom, the mom's in your life, you know. That's a fun holiday you're getting together on. Maybe she gets a little drunk, you know? Maybe you're going out to a nice meal, which is cool. But then, not again, not a local podcast, but I mean, just, yeah, first of May, like back home again. I mean, you're there for four weeks in May. you're at the track. There's parties.

There's checkered flags out everywhere. There's IMS. There's a welcome race fans. You know that you're building up to the race weekend. Like I said, the weather is turning nicer. Oh, by the way,

too, playoff basketball is going on. Baseball is happening. Mm-hmm. You know, you got a nice, like, Wednesday night baseball game,

Sunday night baseball, you know, is going on, which is always great. Sunday night baseball. Just music to my, da-da-la-da-la-d-d-d-d- It's not on ESPN anymore.

Is that Fox? This is the first year it's going to NBC. I'm so sick at NBC taking all the cool stuff. They're not doing it like they used to. Like NBC basketball used to be, oh man, that was like premiere. Like the Sixers would play like the Lakers. And it said Philadelphia so long on the scorebug. You know, I was like, how many letters is that?

Damn. And just like plain white font, the most plain font of all time. But they just packages a game so well that you're like, is this a playoff game? Philadelphia, Miami, Jamal Mashburn. I was like, yo, oh my God. They're making me watch this. I'm forced to watch this game. It looks so important.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like they always had when it was Los Angeles. It would be L.A. dot. But I think... Oh, I don't know. That's a good question. You have to do some scorebug research. Yeah. It just looked so classical.

These guys L.O.L.L. this week, the, what did it say on the Monday night football? Scorbugs. Bronx? Bronx, Dolphs? What the hell? Yeah, I knew it blew my mind when they were doing that. It was Rams. It was Rams Broncos.

I kind of liked it. Rams Bronx. Yeah. Never forget pack. Pack fins. I was like, oh, that is thin.

I mean, just taking so many liberties, put it in an F in there. Mm-hmm. Yeah, guys, do whatever you want, my guess.

That's crazy. Taking so many liberties. That's such a funny way to say that. I love it, but that's crazy. Was dolphins, Dolphins branding? Like,

hey, can you run this by us? We don't have any of that. That's not in our brand Bible. But yeah, May, going back to third best available, May, start a summer, you know, again, once the race is over here, and it's Memorial Day weekend. Like, then you're going to some Memorial Day cookout or on a boat or then you're rolling right in June. Oh, shit, summer, cool. into the school year

like growing up for us not a reminiscent podcast but like once May rolled around it was like we got May crowning somebody might be looking hot somebody might pass out

hopefully both hopefully the hot girl passes out take care of her you're the eighth grade I love you the eighth grade

girls they're showing out for May crowning Jesus I was like when I was in seventh grade the eighth grade girls the last two weeks of the year

I was like oh okay all the sudden you guys have wet crimped hair okay didn't know that was like yeah we're just doing that

on field day yeah we're not gonna talk for the next three years but all good I'm never gonna see you again I hope all you guys go to Perry but if we but if we hold

Hands in church, I'm not going to be mad. You see that girl at Maycrowning? Yeah, you're like, and she's already dating Kirk Cahill. God damn it. She's definitely dating Jakey's L, but I got to go. Damn it. She dates, hey, she dates O-LG's running back. I don't stand a chance.

Oh shit. He had spats in eighth grade. Yeah, but he dunked over the summer. I got to go. Just no shot, man. It's just in your dreams, bro. Absolutely no chance. All the shiny new toys, yeah.

It's been with us for eight years. So, Sionara, I guess. Heardy's got a Chevy Trailblazer, too. He can already drive. Oh my God Yeah Yeah dude Once May rolls around in school

Though for everybody It was like Party time Bringing the cleaning supplies Stack the chairs Oh what a beautiful thing Desks against the wall I was like

It's really It's over School's over Yeah You're like in your classroom The last two days All the desks are in the back I'm like

What the hell of we even doing here? What is this? just free play just like the ultimate kid free play just sitting on a vent sitting on the ac event all the cold airs go all the cold airs going up your butt shirt up your shirt a little bit a little bit of a little bit of puffy shirt oh I'm pitting out wow look at clubhouse that too that too that too at school dude it's this is I mean we got a little heat wave going on here with like the spring forward and I don't know my house ventilation it's just it's like I just been and a fucking greenhouse.

It's just been humid as shit in here. So hot here, dude. I had to take my shirt off and walk through a parking garage. I'm like, I can't take it anymore. I feel like dudes should just be able to take their shirts off and just go. Like, sorry.

I don't care. I know I'm in a Whole Foods parking lot, but I'm going to scream. Yes, that's three. That's third best available, May. It's good. It's really good. I knew you'd take them

almost kind of thought you were going to take them one. Yeah, I know. But, yeah, it's just like the preview for summer, pretty much. And then it is summer. It turns into summer. At first it's like, summer, hey, summer! And then it's like, summer's here. What are you going to do about it?

All in one month sneaks up on you, too. Me anyway, because I don't know the months. But, uh, all right, my, uh, next pick. It would feel wrong if I didn't take them here. I'm going November. Ooh. High up on your board.

I mean, you can't, it's, it's so perfect. The Thanksgiving, the high school football championships, it's pretty much December. It's December. It's diet December. Yeah. You got lights up. You got trees up after Thanksgiving. We're in there.

College football games crazy. Oh, my God. The beginning of November is. college football. You get the Halloween, October's over. You'd be barely even notice. We're right there.

Black Friday, family pie lions. Feast week. Dude, when college hoops starts creeping in all of a sudden too, you're like, we got rivalry week for college football. Thanksgiving on Thursday and

Purdue's playing in Hawaii on Tuesday at 1 p.m.? What is going on? Okay. The second I wake up in November, I just picture Randy Moss with a drumstick. I'm like, we're in. Hey, we got scorebugs with leaves falling. I got it. I got, you're, we're signing.

We're signed in November here. It's so, it's so, it's so, it's so sports and so food and, hey, sweaters. Hoodies? Like it's on. Like October's like I sit down. Might get a hot day. Might get a hot day. You try to force the hoodie.

Yeah. Right, right. You don't want to force the hoodie in October. But there's still some hot days at November. I'm like, oh, we're locked in. Like we're wearing winter clothes. Jackets. It's fall.

You know, it's kind of like, it kind of ties in perfectly because this pick to me kind of feels like the lion's taking like Charles Rogers like fourth overall. Yeah. Like it's kind of one of those

it's just like, hey now, all right. Take the playmaker. There's probably other like more steady options out there. But shit, if you got him a high on your board like that, like that's where he grades out. Hometown kid, man. Let's go.

Yeah. I like that. Dude, Michigan State weather, so November. Oh, my God. Michigan State, every game of theirs on their schedule. They play September 4th. It's November 4th. Isn't it insane? I think we're the only ones to say that. But I think about it every single day. I'm like, it's so overcast. And it rains for like the first quarter of every game, I'm pretty sure. It's a rule.

Dude, it's like, you know how everybody talks about how there's no footage of the Wild Chamberlain in a hundred point game? Somebody show me the footage of a sunshiny, 80-degree football game at Michigan State. Show it to me. And if you have it, I don't want to see it to leave it, burn it. Bro, I swear, I tried to play at high noon on the video game. It was still raining at MSU. Hey, if college football teams were months, uh-oh.

Uh-oh. Oh. Hey, real quick. Real quick. Real good. Real club housey in here. Real quick. While we think about that,

as just parked that over there. Michigan AFC, Michigan State NFC? Oh, my God. Michigan State is so NFC to the core. Jeez, man. Just dark, gloomy, mad.

MSU is so mad at the world, aren't they? Their mascot. Sparty. Hey, when you play the mascot game? Always Sparty. Sparty running the option. It's like, good luck, bro.

Playing the Syracuse Orangeman, all of them, just oranges. Spardy, stiff arm and the piss at him. I'm down the sideline. Dude, all I get, the last three minutes of this show, I just think about that, that lady that,

at our Chicago live show that at one point about an hour in just goes, what the fuck is this? Yes. God, dang it. It's exactly how I wanted to be. Hey, if you don't know,

you're just not part of the clubhouse. It's a clubhouse thing, babe, you wouldn't understand. It's just our language, okay? I don't know what to tell you. Hey,

don't come. Hey, But going back to what you said, Michigan State November, that's a college football team's his months. Dude. We want to finish Mel's best available first? Sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sorry, we'll stay on here. Rounding out my board here with five. I'm going to go March. Holy. Oh, my God. This is that pick in the draft that everybody, whoa, no way. Really?

Who do you compare that to? This is Kenny Pickett to the Steelers. This is Kenny Picket to the Steelers. I don't know. I think there's a, I think there's another one. Another guy that got drafted and you're just like, what? Oh, a Christian Ponder. Vikings Christian Fonder.

Dude, I was like, what? I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, I kind of think that. That's why. We're pretty, we're pretty. We're pretty deep in the draft, though, so maybe it's not that crazy. Go ahead.

I mean, fifth, fifth overall on your on your big board, best available. Like, no, I mean, I think, I think March, it's, you finally made it out of January and February. So you're starting to get these days like we've had over this last week where it's like 68 and sunny. You're like, oh my God, you're falling out. This is beautiful. This is what's to come. Amazing. So much hoops.

I mean, the first week, two weeks of March madness is insane. Like, even if you're not. like a huge basketball fan. It's like Thursday through Sunday, just quite literally at noon, games on. Like we're, love it so much.

Every company, everywhere's having like their, their company happy hours, you know, like lunch and basketball, hoops and hoagies or whatever the fuck that they're doing, you know, like,

so it's like, you're not really working for that shit. All right. And then all of a sudden, of course, it ends up being like 70 degrees that day too. Like, this is the best day of all time.

Yeah. This is my spring break. March is spring break month. Spring break plus March Madness at the same time. I'm like, oh, I cannot even handle this. Right? St. Paddies.

Oh my God, bro. It's just I've never felt the feeling in my life. When you're on spring break, everyone's having a blast. The best time of their lives. And there's just like a game on that's and it's in the middle of the day. I'm like, oh, this cannot get any better. Exactly. Exactly. Like even if you're not at a college spring break or it, but like it's a, it's a month. Like I'm going to Florida this week.

Oh, it's almost better than a college spring break. When you get to do your own little spring break, like your own little like, yeah. But people are taking trips like that. Um, weather's turning St. Paddies, people are ready to get out and about again. Like baseball starts up. Racing starts up for me. Like you see NASCAR and Indy car and everything back on, which is huge. I mean, obviously, yeah, the basketball is the big pull. But yeah, man, I really think you round that all together with all that that's going on. And then the fact that you're just like, oh, the year is like finally starting. We made it out in January and February. Boom, let's go.

It's kind of summer. Kind of summer. Yeah. You can feel like that when it creeps up to like 71 in March. So wild decisions start happening. Everybody goes out for St. Patrick's Day. Everybody in the world is out. Yeah.

Pretty good pick. Once you round us out there. So March is off the board. And then we can finish up here with, we'll do the three and three. I don't really have any reason for this. I just like it because it's so summer, June. I don't really.

I just, it's not July, so it's not over yet. It's just so, what do we do today? I don't know. Let's just go swim. Like that kind of feeling. Yeah.

Like it's just hot. It's just, to me, June is peak summer. Maybe just growing up, I just had the most fun in June because I'm like, it's not over yet. Yeah, I got the 4th of July. Football wasn't quite serious. Like, it hadn't quite picked up. Maybe you're doing like lifting or like seven on seven where you know, but it was like, yeah.

Hey, festivals. What? I was waiting. I was going to say it. I had in the back pocket. I wanted you to be able to say it. Oh, St. Jude Fest? All right. Let's see who's there.

I always kind of felt like a piece of shit, though, when you went to a festival three days in your row, you're like, I'm a loser. All right. Yeah. Okay. My dad's so mad at me. It was such a big ask to go to a festival.

Yeah. Like, what do you think we're doing there? Kind of equivalent to like a high school football game. Summer. high school football game. For sure, it was the social event. Had no money to your name.

That's where everything and everybody was. Where do we park? You had to wear something cool. Oh. Cut off. I can vividly remember. This is so June, bro.

You're going to kill yourself. So June. Hey, Lake House Day. Lake House Day got there at around 1030. Just me and like four dudes, one upper classman. Why am I talking about Evan Lamasters like that? I don't know.

We're just doing whatever. No girls. So it's just like just dudes at a house. A little fring. Yeah, a little fring. Oh my, we don't have to worry about anything. But you know, every guy. That comes later.

That comes later. Every guy in the like while they're hanging out though. Yeah. setting something up behind everybody's back. Everybody's doing it. Every guy, dude, every guy during a guy hangout. It's all about the boys,

but low key behind everybody's back. There's a set and something up with the girl. 100 p. Anyway, Lakehouse. The most fun I've ever had, it was just crazy. I'm like,

we have keys to the boat, like, like you can tell nobody's been at the lake house for so long. It was just a fresh, clean, new. We leave. like two hours early

because all of a sudden we're like oh dude the St. Jude Fest tonight so we go right from Lakehouse Lake hair cutoffs tan big tan squad from the lake house

all pull up to the St. Jude's Fest dude I was wearing a St. Barnabas football cutoff hey I love football lanyard backwards Penn State hat.

No clue where I found it. Somewhere at the lakehouse behind a couch. White hat with a nitty line on the back. Like I just committed. What's up? Trying to hit the zipper. You're trying to go on the zipper? I love football from Bishop Dolahan.

Yeah. Red one. There you go. There we go. Oh, wow. Yeah. I'm sure I was probably roaming around there as a 13-year-old wearing

khaki cargo shorts with like LeBron sneakers and a puka necklace I remember a big big pooka back in the day I was like I'm proud of him

in a you know American Eagle polo shirt tight haircut Moulinard no probably like just like probably like kind of long

gel everywhere like braced is just so Yep Just so ready for high school Maybe not Yeah

All right Mel's best available months Cool You're like You're like kind of burn A girl comes up to you Where were you all day? I'm like

Lakehouse Feel cool saying All right All right That's it Hey hey Didn't tell your parents You're going to Lakehouse

So Kind of nervous the whole time Kind of scared Are they going to find out? They're going to talk to some of it. Are they going to talk to, is my mom going to talk to Mrs. Allen's mom? Mrs. Allen, like, I think they own that lake house that I went to. Never mind.

Yeah, you remember how you had to coordinate that shit so much? Hey, don't tell. No, no. So this is our story. This is our story. This is where we're going here. We're out. Yeah, dude.

Too dumb to remember any of that. Yeah. Mel's best available months. Cool. Do you got an AFC or NFC? I got an AFC or NFC. I got a whole slate. Been waiting for this moment my whole life.

All right. I got one. My AFC NFC of the week. I don't, I feel like we might have done this. There's been so many thrown at us, but I was just thinking about it because Fat Stats was coming up this weekend.

Dairy Queen AFC Ritters NFC. Mm-hmm. Dude, Dairy Queen is just made for the NFC, or AFC. Sorry. Derek couldn't make to the I don't know if it's the red in their logo or

the fact treats they did the whole thing with a red logo and then they had the blue and the orange too coming in there I'm like that's so

AFC Pro Bowl like yeah that's exactly what I was thinking Ritters kind of feels frozen tundra frozen custard you know

Stay in the blue. Blue. They're doing it. They don't really mess with soft serve. You know, they're going at it with the scoops. Tough. Yep. Gritty.

Definitely. You just laid out my argument for me. So, I mean, I think, I think if you're arguing against that, I don't know if you know ball. All right. Play it on me what you got. Or we're just fat. All right. AFC.

NFC. Duncan Donuts AFC Starbucks NFC Oh C I mean Starbucks Absolutely 100%

NFC Similar to Ritters Now we're getting into Cowher They're just very focused on the coffee They don't worry about anything else They stay with the green They're very very Everybody we think Starbucks

I think green You think Ritters, you think blue. When you think Starbucks, you think coffee. When you think Ritters, you think custard. They're sticking what they know. They're sticking to that side of the ball. Very, very one side of the ball, very NFC in that way. Duncan is pretty interesting.

I never thought about it in that way. They go everywhere. Dunkin' Donuts kind of like, yeah, maybe we'll get a coffee, but I'm kind of here for other reasons. Versatile. They're spreading the. ball around. They're getting the playmakers involved. They're drafting.

They got a lot going on. So Duncan is like, Duncan is like 2007 AFC with the Colts and the pads. Just airing it out. Just airing it out going wild. And Starbucks is like the 2007 Giants that was just like bringing the heat at the pass rusher, really,

really good on the defensive side of the ball. They got a couple hot sandwiches, you know, that's Eli Manning and, you know, like Plachshall Berris that can like, oh, shit, okay, that's nice to have on top of our base here. Yeah. The pass rush, Michael Strayhan and Justin Tuck. Just a plus. Yeah, but they're rushing the passer. They're getting after the QB.

I was thinking I was thinking Starbucks is like Sean Alexander on the cover of Madden, Seattle, Seahawks. Jeff Put it in his gut I'll turn the corner All right next What? Just Sean Alexander Man the way he spells his name

The number no gloves 37 Just up the sideline forever Cannot catch him Nobody's getting him The body type No gloves The number

The way like just all of it You're just like wow dude like stick stand out more you know the arm action when he runs to just so pure god nobody's tackling him okay peanut butter and jelly aFC grilled cheese NFC you think it just like the cheese kind of the dairy Lambeau Packers, Wisconsin. Yeah. You're putting it on a skillet.

You're, you know, there's a lot going on. There's, there's cheese, there's butter. It's warm. Just seems a little more thought out,

you know, a little more grand. Peanut butter and jelly. Cut it and cut it. You're good to go. just feel like it's not as like a special occasion. Still, hey, still can run the table, though. Yeah.

Yeah. Grilled cheese, I get like a chunky soup feeling and chunky soup. Straight up, NFC, man. Did they ever have an AFC spokesperson? I just tried to think of that and I don't think of. Ben Rathesberger was never up on a chunky soup can, was he? I can only remember Dak Prescott, Donovan McNabb. Michael Strayan.

Oh, Terrell Davis. Trill Davis. Is it, it was it chunky or is it got milk? I think Terrell Davis is chunky, bro. Because I think I got the soup. He was on, he was on the can. And I was like, I got it. I don't even care what the flavor is.

Could be clam chowder if TD's on the front, buying it. The campaigns, too, with all their moms and shit. God, what? Oh my God, who thought of that? Here it is. Trell Davis. Chunky soup, late 90s, early 2000s, the iconic Mama's Boys ad campaign. Trail Davis, white pants, Navy Jersey.

I know. He was in it with John Elway. I would probably be mad watching that commercial. Because they'd just probably be the Steelers, like 35 to 10. God. It can't get away from them. Yeah. All right.

I like it. Cool. AFC Ennesee. You know what to do. Drop them. These guys L.O.L. on Instagram. Email us.

You guys. You guys always kill. Should we keep them? Keep. Should we save them? Yeah. I was thinking maybe just like we do like one each of the week and then people can submit or comment or whatnot.

But yeah. Keep sending them. Because we got some, we got some, we got some, Club has to get to. All right. Let's do it.

We get some station. Know about this. Team of these guys at Gmail.com. We keep rolling all the way back. We'll get to everybody's. All right. We'll get to everybody's. But we just now we're,

we got all this different shit that we do and just keep sending them. We'll get to them. Just know that. I'm looking at it all of them right now. This is from Grant. Names. Boys, multiple emailer. Latrell Sprewell.

That is all. Best Grant. It's one of the best. LaTrell Spreewell is so 2000s. So tough too, man. God, that Nick's team just, I've never been more Matt. I think I cried after they beat the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Marcus Camby.

Everybody on that team matched that era of Nick uniform perfectly. Black panels. Oh my, why don't the Knicks bring those back? I've been waiting every single NBA season. I'm like, when are they going to do it? Camby, Allen Houston. Alan Houston pissed me off so bad when I was like nine years old, screaming into a pillow.

Dude, he was so automatic, man. And acting like he didn't even care either. Hit a corner, like, yeah, whatever, yeah. But like, LaTrell Spreewell isn't wearing the Knicks. uniforms that they currently wear. Nope. Can't even imagine it. Don't want to. No. But I think that might have a part of what you're saying because like I don't

really know if I can see Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns wearing Marcus Keyneserve it. They don't deserve it. Charlie Ward. I don't want to see that. I don't want to see that. Oh my God. That Knicks team was good. Went to the finals against the spurs. Just one of the spurs to beat him so bad.

And they did. Like that one though, Grant. Yeah, short, simple to the point. Cool. From Tommy. Tommy says, Half sides. Ben and Joey,

have an email in a while, but the ref accent talk from a couple weeks ago really hit home. Two things. There's one ref my dad swears, quote, agrees with his own call. Being a quintessential dad. take, I asked him to explain what that even meant.

He said, quote, he nods his head, yes, as he's making the call. Like he's self-affirming he made the right call. Attached it a link to who it is so you'll notice next season and never be able to unsee it. Adrian Hill. Oh, God. Interesting. Okay, yeah, now I'm not going to be able to unsee it. This is, this sounded like a Kirby enthusiasm or like a Seinfeld episode.

I can just hear Costanza being like, he self-affirms. Self affirms. Yes. He nods. I can hear it right now. Second thing, do you guys also do the thing where when the broadcast shows the rep for the first time, you have a visceral reaction to whether or not he's good or bad, despite never actually remembering if that ref is actually good or not.

My dad and I will add out a side relief when Ron Torbert shows up on screen. Guess it's just a vibes thing. Anyway, keep up the great show. And as always, come to Dallas slash Fort Worth. Ronald Torbert, dude. Yeah, you know this guy. He was a little hefty when he first came about in the, and ref in the NFL.

He had glasses. He's black guy. Yeah. Give Ronald Torbert a look and you'll know exactly. Yeah, I know what you mean. I know what you mean on that. Oh, wow. I love this guy.

It's different for me because I have a few of Steelers accounts. Yeah, there he is. I think he ditched the glasses, but I like them better with the glasses. Hey, ref. Come on. You need the every fucking person at a game. Got your glasses,

at home. God, just set yourself up. Yeah, you trust the guy in glasses a little more. But I follow, there's like these Steelers accounts that I follow that like,

they'll give out the ref assignments, you know, on like Tuesday. Wow. And so they'll be like, they'll have stats of like, hey, the Steelers are going to

really want to watch it on the offensive line because the head official calls 70% more holds, you know. So I already, I already know going in. I'm like, got hockey league again on prime time. He's going to make it a show. We know.

God, I'm so glad. I don't pay attention to it like that. That would drive me nuts. I know. God, dang. I don't really think about refs like that.

No, I think you're pretty normal. But I just, I do refs to me are just like I don't know I don't remember any of them it's just whatever every time like they they don't make an effect on me at all

you know what I'm kind of blown away by and I'll think about this every now and then is how we keep just finding refs like who whoever at any developmental point in their life is like you know what seems like a really fun gig you know it would be

good to like add in as something to bring home some money being a ref. I'm like, are we ever going to get to a point where people are just going to be like, this is too much like I don't want to have all this on me. I'm not doing it. It's like being a priest, man. You know, are we ever going to run out of them? I'm like, what a horrible gig. I mean, legitimately like besides being able to be like, yeah, I get to be in NFL stadiums and, talk to, you know, Joe Burrow or whatever.

Like, what is the perk? Everybody hates you. Immediately. Just a, I don't know. Like, what's the upside? God, imagine being a ref in your girlfriend's like my husband or your, my boyfriend's the ref. It'd be so embarrassing.

That's him out there. You look like a, you see his black shoes. You look like a dork. You sound like a dork. Dork. That's the requirement. ref interview Hey you a dork

Yeah We'll see you tomorrow Hey you the biggest dork We know Yeah pretty sure We'll see you tomorrow Are your two fingers like this all the time Or whatever they do?

Every ref bro The whistle around Yeah Dork City I want to be a sports cop That's pretty much what that is Hold on. Probably timp is low on display.

Fringing up space, different volumes. Do you like to review auditions discash? Hold on a second. No. Wait. Yeah, what a perfect thing to do during a podcast.

Sorry, dude. I just got this. No, no. Like when your computer says that, yeah, let me review it real quick. Like,

I'm not doing anything. I don't know. I'll keep an eye on it, but it's like, it's still going. So whatever. Let's go to Greg. these guys radio show intro

gentlemen been listening to all your pods from the beginning TG 92 you guys talked about a hypothetical intro for these guys what would sound like if it was a radio show I'm a producer in radio and I created this for you hope you like it smack my backside with a fake 23 blast

George reverse like your life depended on it we all know what that is remember the Titans use this version he sent it here we go all right oh God I'm afraid to open it because I don't you probably won't be able to hear it

Hold on, hold on, hold on. What's his name? Greg. Guy can't remember anything. Greg. From February 13th. These guys. Podcasts for a bunch of foo-foo nonsense, but you want the truth?

You only just tell you how it is. You come to these guys. He'll say what they're not saying. I'm here to tell the truth. Yeah, I don't give a shit in my ass. Not sports podcast. Get a ball, get a book, get a book, get about. I can't hear it.

Is it still going? Not bad for a fat guy. Right, right, right. We appreciate the goal. With Joey and Ben. Okay. You, me, and a whole lot of truth on the other side. I just got the chills.

Let's go, man. That is sick. Thank you, Greg. Man, we know. I said we know me and Ben worked in that world but I was always blown away by like production wizards it's the best way to describe them I was like where do you even find like how do you mix it down and interweave I don't I can never do that hell's going on out there all I needed to hear that's amazing we got we got a yeah uh appreciate the work appreciate the email

weave that into the show. Chip. Ship. Thanks, bro. I knew that took, I know that took some time. So for real, thank you. Yeah.

No, that's why we got to, we got to have it on every, every week. Maybe at the beginning. Nice little break going into the lead up with our station. This is from Will. 2010,

Luke Herring Goaty. So, Notre Dame. Second time, long time. Given, this isn't a reminiscent pot. brief. Can we talk about the run Luke Heron goatee had at Notre Dame in 2010? I genuinely don't think anyone has ever been better at basketball for a single season than he was that year. At the time, I was convinced he was league bound, and then you remember he was not athletic at

all. Are there any basketball players from 2009 to 2012 whose runs still live rent-free in your head? Jimmer's run was obviously beyond epic as well. Keep fighting the good fight, fellas. Sent from my AM messenger name Cadillac Wheels 24 based on Cadillac Williams. at Auburn. Oh. Nice. Kind of like wheels. That is sick.

Except just imagining you trying to explain what that meant to any girl. At a movie theater. Trying to be kind of quiet because of previews are on. There's this guy that I like, he's like my favorite player. And right after you say that, you go, why do I even say that? I gotta change my screen name So Cadillac wheels do you like Are you like racing a lot? Like do you

Are you really into cars? And you just say yeah You just like catalyc like you like like escalades Like from like rap videos or yeah Yeah It's not about a guy that I have pictures of in my closet Right Hey great great all time nickname

Doesn't get talked about enough. Cattle. Yeah, I'll just take Cadillac. Okay. Luke Herringote. Yeah. Just kind of that prime era of like guys that you're like you shouldn't be good. I know.

I hated him. You're just big. There's not really anything that you like do really well, but you are. God, he was putting up monster numbers. though. I was like, I really hope he doesn't go to the NBA. I hated him so much. Just because I kind of know, it's not fair,

but I kind of don't like Notre Dame, especially basketball. I was like, oh my God, he's taking over. Him and like Hansborough are kind of like dude, I hate Notre Dame's court and arena. I'm like why is it so dark in there? But the court

is so bright. Like the wood is like a particular kind of wood that is so bright. It doesn't seem like Notre Dame should have a basketball team. Yeah, 100% weird. I'm like, you guys, I don't know, they're playing Notre Dame. Yeah, you mean, you can make the argument for both the Hansbrows, Ben and Tyler,

of being that same kind of like, holy shit, Tyler Hansborough, just like everywhere on ESPN, every night, dominating everybody. What does he do, though? Why is he so good? was he 09 to 2012? No, I mean he was he had he was 08 oh 9 is when they won the title in Detroit That was his senior year So he was a little bit before that but still kind of in that era

That's the guy I think of for for college basketball and I was like in that little 09 to 2012 I don't know he was just on I swear he had to be on like 65 magazine covers while he was in college I'm like this guy Wow, everywhere. Couldn't figure him out. Seemingly, he was also, and you remember,

Ford Center would have that thing as like, that intro that would be, ding, doong, and they'd have a bunch of different highlights. He was always in that. Hansrow was always in that. ESPN HD.

Mm-hmm. They'd fire that up. That always got me so hype. Hansrow was in that. Him, like, coming out of nowhere, three guys around them and two-hand dunking. He did. Oh, the ESPN HD intro.

Woo! Yeah. He was like Tim Tebow of basketball for me. I was like. I think one of those was like Devin Hester on Monday Night Football returning a kick. Crispy. Crispy.

ESPN HD Monday Night Football. It looks so crispy clear. Couldn't get enough of it. Miami Dolphins orange jerseys every Monday night. And dude, those jerseys were so prime time. You wouldn't find them wearing those jerseys any other time. No. No, 1 p.m. under that South Florida sun. Absolutely not.

They wouldn't be caught dead in orange jerseys. Only when it's pitch black outside. Your mom's screaming at you for some reason to brush your teeth. God. Dude, I can't believe they went away from those jerseysers. I don't know. Jason Taylor, bro. Their orange now sucks so badly, man.

Their whole thing sucks. Everything about them. Their orange now. Their orange now is like similar to what the Lakers gold is now. It's just like you guys just, you messed it up and you can't figure it out. How do they not know? I'm like, how does everybody know but the team?

I am. Disappointing. disappointing for sure 2010 I'm trying to think back because there's always I mean you just go through like Duke's roster

the Plumley brothers were there at that time and I know that you had Mason you had Miles I think Mason was the best no Miles is the better one Mason is the one

that Pacers ended up drafting for some reason but they were both there at Duke and it was both like all right this is they were insane they're catching all those oops

I was like are those created players how'd they get them? Miles had like a pretty solid NBA career but Mason dude just never never touched the floor John Wall was like in that little era he was college basketball for me I was like God dang

John Wall boogie cousins you had a few of those Kentucky teams you had the John Wall boogie cousins and a couple years later you had Anthony Davis Booker

Marquis Teague that was a team that won a title actually Towns? No, they were later that was Booker and Towns were on the team that went undefeated in the regular season and lost in the Final Four.

Willie Collie Stein. Willie Collie Stein, dude. I thought Willie Truill I thought he was going to be next in the NBA. I was like this dude's like 6-11 is more athletic than any guard on the floor. And didn't even scratch the surface yet, you know?

You're just like, oh, Lord. Hey, no, never mind. Not going to say it. Okay. Let's do from Johnny. High school pro athletes, Mount Rushmore. What up, guys? Listen to the show.

Always bring me a good laugh and great memories. Not a reminiscent pod. Grew up in Chicago suburbs, eventually worked at a local new show. Station down in Louisiana. Covered high school sports, lots of guys who ended up at LSU and SEC schools, Derek Stingley, DeVante Smith. I'm a high school teacher now

and tell students' stories of the days back in Chicago of our high school team going up against star basketball players, like getting eliminated sophomore in junior year by Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn, throwing lobs and dropping 40 points. Yo. All that to say, this question, what's your Mount Rushmore or top three

freak high school athletes you saw live back in the day who went on to start, in college are the pros. Smack my ass with an Ed McCaffrey 87 Broncos jersey. Oh, I got Christmas 2002 that my mom inexplicably let me wear to the family Christmas party only to get roasted by my older cousins. I'll hang up and listen. Thanks for the show, Johnny.

God. That email actually gave me chills, dude. That was like, I don't know, top to bottom, fire you. Look at this dude going, hey, yeah, I don't need TD. I don't need John Elway. I don't need Rod Smith. That's why, too. Ed McAfry.

Such a sleeper playmaker on the Broncos. I'm like, is he just going to have like a 63-yard slant that he catches and takes to the house every game? Post, dude. Skinny post, Ed McAfry, and he was so jacked, bro. Ed McCaffrey, I was like, I think he just works out all day. Smallest shoulder pads. Yeah. I was like, why'd you take Jason Elam's shoulder pads?

It really was. I'm like, he knows he's jacked, too. And I think my mom has a crush on him and I'm jealous of him. Oh, yeah, dude. My sister likes him and she hasn't told anybody. You know, you like have that feeling. I'm like, God, my sister thinks he's hot. She's not going to say it, though, but I know she does.

Yeah, and it's at that weird point. You're like, oh, this is, yeah. Always my sister have to like, like dudes now. Yeah, it is a weird thing. You're like, okay. God dang it Now I Now I hate Ed McAfrey for absolutely no reason

Just out of instinct I'm like kind of when Kind of let him get hurt Hey Is your mom have a crush on? Yeah He needs to go on the next one Oh Ed McAfrey

Yeah Lord Jesus Hey Who's your dad have a crush on Ed McGavry Who's your girl friend have a crush on his son Christian McAfria. Whole family dime piece.

All of them. Cool. Sorry. What was the question? Oh, high school Mount Rushmore that we saw live. Do you have any? Like that you just went to go see or played against or both?

I guess it's going to be any of them. I saw this is crazy, but I saw LeBron James play his senior year of high school, which is like the craziest game thing I've ever done in my life. Yeah. It was insane. It was the, it was so old at peak. The SPN. Peak. It was ESPN. It was the SPN. St. Vincent's St. Mary's. Peak like LeBron is going to be the best player ever. And they had to move his game to Dayton. Like, it wasn't at St. V's. It was at Dayton. And like my dad somehow just got tickets. He's like,

yo, when my dad, when I was little or younger, my dad took me to see Chris Weber. And that was like a big deal. So I think we should go see LeBron. I was like, yo, it was so sick. Wow. I don't want to talk too much about it. But like warmups, watching LeBron warm up. I think he hit like 73 like corner threes in a row.

Like in the farther you could be on the court. Like he was like tiptoning there. Just put down so many of them. Do like turnarounds. Yeah, just automatic like over the corner of the backboard. You know what I'm saying? And then he was doing, it was like a dunk contest before the game, but you couldn't touch the rim.

So he was doing all this crazy stuff and dropping it in. I forgot the high school rule. Yeah. Yeah. All those like tattoo covers and armbands. Yeah. Baggy jersey. Almost kind of like this.

You know what I'm talking about the Adidas ones. No show socks high top shoes Adidas high top shoes Just With no show socks When ever he wanted to Headband I was like if he does the headband flick

I brought like pictures from Sports Illustrator I was like maybe he'll sign him I was ready to make of that the show That one And there's one there's one inside where he's like He's doing this on like the doors Like the doors to go in the gym You know how they have like

The hinge thing on the top Yeah. I was like, God, that's so cool. Damn, that's sick. That's like the best one you could ever have.

It was a crazy. Yeah, it was the craziest thing. But yeah, that's definitely number one. I'm trying to think football. Besides Jason Warner, can't really think.

See, that's what I was thinking, I don't have too many stories like that that you did with, but I, I was going to go a different round of just like when I think of like the freak high school athletes that I remember hearing about seeing I'd say that Mount Rushmore would be uh LeBron Eric Gordon OJ Mayo

Oh he was that was trouble OJ Mayo was crazy Yeah throwing the ball in the crowd I was like This is nuts. He did like an in between legs or he did like off the backboard, yammed it and then just picked it up and tossed it. Did he kick it too? No, I think he threw it.

I think he took, I swear he took his jersey off to and threw it into the crowd. Like, and then the game wasn't over yet. Bro was insane. Yeah, no, I remember. I remember, man. I remember it got this fucking thing. I was excited to see who he was going to go to. which college.

I was like, who was AJ? O.J. Mayo going to. By the way, he went to, O.J. Mayo is his name? But then he went to USC

and it's like, how much were they paying him then, you know? But you're kind of like, what? O.J. Mayo.

Oh, and then Derek Rose would probably be on there. Yeah. I'd say, O.J. Mayo, LeBron. Carmelo probably

could still be in that, too. Derek Rose, just Eric Gordon. A lot of hoops. I feel like football, not a ton's coming to mind. Just guys we watched. For some reason, it was harder to see dudes kill on the football field

like when we were younger. I'm like, I didn't see any games outside of Indiana. Yeah, and I feel like ESPN just had all these high school showcases of basketball, but they hardly ever did for football. I know they always played high school games, but like it wouldn't be something that oh yeah, in like four years

all of a sudden that guy's the LeBron James in the NFL, you know? Like ESPN was all about Mello was all about LeBron was all about OJ. Mayer was all about Eric Gordon. All those guys like Eric Gordon. ESPN came to like Jay Billis and Dick Vitel came to North Central, not a local podcast, but

like and he went off. Mm-hmm. And Eric Gordon didn't end up being LeBron, but he still was a one and done at IU and then a lottery pick and played for like 15 years in the NBA. Bro, didn't Michael Jordan go to that game? Am I tripping?

Yeah, because he was playing, as part of it, he was playing, he was playing Michael's son. He's like Michael Jordan's son versus Eric Gordon. Like, yo, that's the craziest place. That's the craziest thing that's ever happened like in our city. Like Michael Jordan's at this high school game?

dude. Yeah. Also, I remember watching Warren Central like peak when they were the only Under Armour High School football team. Darren Evans absolutely, like doing whatever he wants. But the most impressive part of that was their quarterback

who actually played receiver at Purdue. I can't remember his name. I think he was number six long time ago. But he was their QB, just do it all athlete guy. But he could do it a little speed option. with him. Yeah. Gone.

Gone. Every time he got the rock, dude. Fake pitch of Darren Evans. See you 72 yards. Yeah, a lot of hoopers, though. I mean, I know every year, like August 16th,

there's always like a high school showcase of, you know, Carmel versus St.X or something like that. Like SanX versus Moeller or two Florida, Georgia teams. like but I feel like it's all yeah these kids that are getting highly recruited

but like I feel like I don't ever like five years later I'm like yeah I remember that craze when ESPN had them there doing their high school game and now he's like the first pick in the NFL I'm sure I'm maybe missing someone but like nothing that screams in my mind like those five basketball players that I just named yeah

if we're talking about people that just had so much hype this is like some underground hype Noel Divine That name too Noel Divine You had Divine? You had Noel Devine

You had like Reggie Bush You had Sam McDuffie McGuffie McGuffie McGuffie McGuffie Mm-hmm Oh he got like that

Hurtling open field Texas football I'm like I don't stand a chance I need to play tennis I should play tennis Yeah Hurdling. Hurtling with breakaway speed, too.

Number two? White guy? I was like, well, my dream is over. It's a nice run. It's a nice run. But they, yeah, that's a good point. Basketball was more mainstream on the ESPN, but the football was like the MySpace videos.

Yeah, you're like, what? It was like downloading an old soldier boy song. You're like, never heard this, but it slaps. Who is this guy? it never was on ESPN though and part of me was like is bro even going to get Noel Devine did the colleges even know he exists yeah like some of those highlight videos

it was almost kind of like is AI before AI he was like is this real if somebody just magically put this together like always thought about that I'm like did they did did they speed up this highlight tape because you can just speed up a highlight tape and then send it to 10 colleges. Sure.

Wild. Hey, basketball. Josh McRoberts. What? Another one. Yeah. Josh, like, you just, all you hear is just Dick Vitow Dick Vitile just screaming. Going to Duke?

Hey, excuse me. Going back to a couple of emails ago. Guy, the car like the herring goody one. Greg Paulus. Oh. Greg Paulus, dude, the second coming. And then that one year he just randomly decided to play football. I was like, what?

Syracuse quarterback? What a crazy. Yeah, that's the thing right there, man. Number one QB in high school football goes to Duke to play basketball. Like, dude, like, can I get one? Can I get like a tiny bit of fast twitch? The, yep, the rich get richer, man. I mean, just some dudes just have it all.

Goes to Duke number three starts, true freshman. I'm like, I'm a piece of shit. Oh, they got Paulus and McRabets. The diaper dandies, baby. You're like, these guys are four years older than me. Literally, I'm watching them in college, superstars. At the same time, I'm at the mall trying to like steal a hat from Hollister. I'm like, what am I doing with my life?

I'm trying to take the tag off this Hollister polo. Greg Paulus is literally running the Duke offense right now. In his back pocket could just be playing for any college football team he wants to right now. Jesus, man. You got the I love football. You got the I love football keychain on though. You're good. Not even my car keys.

My sister's car. Just need to have the lander. Just need to have the lander. on. A Syracuse, Greg Paulus jersey though? Football? That would slap. Syracuse 5? Who's that? Greg Wallace.

I'm pretty sure Paulus wore... I'm pretty sure he wore a visor too. He was cold. I was paying attention to his stat line more than anything. Because I'm like, yo, if he like kills it and wins the Heisman, like, what is this going to be like? I was all about Greg Paulus ticker, bro. Me, me the whole college football Saturday.

Just watching the ticket for Greg Paul's stats. I thought he had a visor. He didn't. For some reason, I was like, dude, I think he rocked one. What a pickup, though, you know? Like, yeah, we'll take this guy. Well, like, for Syracuse. Of course.

Get some good press. Yeah. Number one, QB coming out of high school, five years later, he's like, I'll develop smart. play QB for us sure if you could run the offense for the Dukies as a true freshman

I think I'm sling the rock over here Guy was like a four four I love that guy was a four four all American student athlete I'm like academic all American I'm like this guy I mean you know he had the hottest mom

ever it's like a Disney Channel movie dude probably had four wheelers at his house too I'm like what what is it? don't you have, dude? Carrier dumb, though. Joe Mauer.

Joe Mauer. Not a sports podcast. This is like, legend of him, like the guy who, there's like one guy. He struck out once in his four year high school career. Like the guy,

they have like a holiday for the guy who struck him out every year. Like it's like Groundhog Day. You know, like this guy still is celebrated because he's the one who struck out Joe Mauer. Joe Mauer, top overall pick in baseball. could go anywhere. Oh yeah, I had a scholarship to Florida State

to play quarterback. God, man. Florida State, too? Gatorade player of the year scholarship to Florida State in like 2000. Nah, I'll just go take millions and be first overall pick in baseball. That was the thing.

I was just never been more jealous of anything in my life when somebody got Gatorade Athlete of the year. I was like, what an honor. Gatorade athlete of the year. year. Not even in the state, just the whole country. A whole country. Every high school athlete.

You're the best. Here you go. Here's your Gatorade Thunderbolt. Hey, not a bad second place to that. Being a McDonald's All-American. Please, for the love of God. Those guys acted like they weren't even doing it. I'm like, if I had a McDonald's Reebok All-American Jersey in my hands,

Oh, you just got free Rebock shoes All that Free Alan Iverson Reebok McDonald's All-American shoes Just yeah I was in the McDonald's All-American Dunk contest Yeah, yeah

With LeBron Does red Those red Reebok shoes Oh So new Blue side panel on the red McDonald's jerseys With all the stars down the side

Kill me in my sleep That's the jersey to show up to this spring or summer. That's the one you go to eBay right now. McDonald's All-American, Chase Budinger jersey. Ooh, he was cold. Chase Budinger catching so many oops and throwing him down with two hands.

I was like, just, I mean. Arizona? It'd be funny to go like one of those guys that was like on like the like not, not quite like lottery pick, but still. McDonald's All-American. Yeah.

I'm sure you go back on the list and there's some names. You'd be like, whoa. They were. Everybody was just like, I'll go to the NBA. I'll go to the NBA. The hat McDonald's.

The one LeBron was in, I was like, I think I watched that slam dunk contest maybe 17 times after school because it was just always on after school. I'm like, I'll watch this again. ESPN 2. LeBron thrown off the backboard

and just hammering that shit. shit down. I was like me going out to my eight foot guerrilla goal with a mini ball. Flying baby. Running back in there to talk to my crush on AIM. Feeling so

good about how you just slammed. Kind of hurt my finger though a little bit. Now the wrist dude. I think I broke my wrist but I think I broke my wrist and this girl's definitely not into me anymore so.

Yeah. I'm just going to be sad at dinner. Binnie, why aren't you eating? Long day. Not going to be a McDonald's All-American. Not going to be Greg Paulus. Not going to be Greg Paulus. It's getting late.

And Natalie Cahill won't respond. That's two Cahill drops. That's two Cahill drops. Wild, wild pod for that family. Only if they knew. Never will. Please don't listen. Never will.

All right, Team these guys at gmail.com. These guys, L.O.L. on Instagram, Joey Mullenero on Instagram. Benedict Pullet, everywhere you're on social media. You know that. But keep sending the emails in. Benedict Pelletzi on socials for him, obviously. Cool. No, we appreciate you guys and rocking with kind of the, not a new format,

but like just trying new things, tinkering with new things. I hope you guys are liking it. And we're all just trying to improve the show for you guys. I always know that. Send in suggestions too for Mel's best available. Let us know about it too. Send in NFC, AFC. We'll put it on the ticker.

Keep telling the homies grow the clubhouse. It's a thing. Clubhouse is real, babe. Can't deny it. God, I'm getting so old. I sit like this for long enough. My back, just lower back props, babe. I see hot backpatch.

Oh man. Stocking stuffer. I see how that crap. Talks about Christmas for the 94th down. All right. Cool. We'll talk to you guys next week. Chris Duhon.

These guys. Oh, wow. Hold on, I wrote one down. I was really proud of. Chris Duhon. Hey,

Buster Posey. Why don't I hear that name every day of my life for the last 50 years? Buster Posey. every day on ESPN. I'm like, who is this guy? Always on the PTI ticker, but posy.

Dude, oh my God. Like, what do you do now? Who is he? All right. These guys. These guys.