Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara - Dak’s Down on Dallas, Saquon’s Stunning Leap, Kelce vs a Fan and Kurt Warner Joins the Show!

Episode Date: November 7, 2024

In the latest edition of Throwbacks, Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara are joined by a legendary quarterback and one of the greatest success stories in the history of the league, the hall of famer, Kurt Warner! Kurt explains why he believes the quarterback position has deteriorated in the NFL and what qualities he’d look for in an up-and-coming QB if he were drafting one out of college. Plus, Matt and Kurt address their time playing together in Arizona and explain how even though their situation wasn’t ideal, they were able to maintain a great relationship.  Matt and Jerry also weigh in on Jason Kelce’s run-in with a “fan” and Joel Embiid’s run in with a reporter leading to Jerry’s explanation on the need for athletes, fans and media to co-exist. Jerry also explains why Saquon Barkley’s unbelievable move against the Jaguars should be nicknamed “the heartbreaker” and Matt explains why he was bothered by Michael Thomas’ shot at Saints QB Derek Carr.  Finally, in this week’s “Throwback 3,” the guys share their top 3 fictional sports movie characters of all time. There’s a ton to choose from, check out our selections and hit us up on social media @ThrowbacksShow with your picks as well!  New episodes of Throwbacks drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed on YouTube and following on all podcast platforms. Also, make sure you’re locked in on social @ThrowbacksShow on all platforms for highlight moments, bonus content, and to engage with the guys & the Throwbacks community. (https://link.chtbl.com/throwbacks)   A big thank you to our sponsor:   Wendy’s   Try Wendy's New Saucy Nuggs Today https://wendys.com/nuggs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a surprise, a takeaway so far, quarterback play, anything that sticks out to you? Yeah, quarterback play I think is terrible right now. Guys trying to come from college to play our game, it's faster, you know, good athletes in college are not good athletes in the NFL, so to speak. You got to know what you're doing. You got to know what you're seeing. Welcome to another episode of Throwbacks everybody. However you're taking in the show today, we appreciate it. Subscribe to us on YouTube, follow on Apple and Spotify and rate and review, do all those

things. Hit us up on social at throwback show. We've also been throwing our throwback three every week so you guys can let us know what you're thinking. And we do respond to you as always. Matt Leinert, how's it going today buddy? Whether they like us or not, whether they like us or not.

It's going good man. How was, we are a week from removed from Halloween and just did the holiday. First show in November. First show in November. First show in November first show November Just a little Halloween recap. How was it? I'll tell you what? I'm not a Grinch and I you're a little bit little no I wasn't a Grinch But so we're doing throwback our throwback three today. We have a really good category I'm gonna say my Halloween recap is in the thing that stuck out to me is in my Halloween recap with the throwback three

I will say though, I got my first, my Brie, my lovely wife who was on last week mentioned Elf on the Shelf to me yesterday and I put my cover in my ears and ran. I just ran. Not really Elf on the Shelf. The thing is, is both of our wives have agreed I think that November 15th is doomsday. It's an embargo. We have an embargo. It's the day you and I are going in the attic and just starting to, yeah, like we're little elves.

We're Santa's elves, I know. Gosh, if they team up together, we are screwed, dude. We gotta stay strong, bro. No, I think we have it in a good place. November's great. Like you got the college football last couple of weeks, a great race playoffs. You got, yeah, playoff heating up, just everything starts to heat up in November. You know, baseball's over, basketball's picking up. I think, you know, NFL we're halfway through.

We're starting to see some of these division races kind of heat up. Some of the teams that, that we said were shit a couple of weeks ago are starting to make a run. I mean, so we're on bangles are one like, like that's why I mean, Rams are one, Bengals are one. Like, that's why we love, we love football, man. Speaking of the Rams and also your former team, Arizona Cardinals, we got Kurt Warner joining us today. Greatest show on turf. I mean, listening to that dude

and the way he talks about quarterbacks, you're going to learn something. I think he's calling the game too in Germany, the barn burner that will be Giants Panthers. That's what we want Europe to see, Giants Panthers. I'm going, I'm going. Imagine, I called you, I'm like, Matt, I'm on the plane to Germany.

I would be like why, I would be like why? Bree would not allow that to happen. I'm excited to talk to Kurt because for a lot of reasons, you know, Kurt and I played together in Arizona for four years and it's such a fascinating like quarterbacks and quarterback rooms and veterans versus rookies and like it quarterback play, which Kurt, there's no one better to talk quarterback play than Kurt. So I think he's going to be fascinating. But also just going back to our time, we don't really get a chance to talk

that much because of lies and busyness and all that. But it was a crazy time, me getting drafted and taking his spot, then me being labeled what I've been labeled, but having a chance to really learn from him. And we really became really close in that quarterback room and really became friends. So I'm excited to peel back those layers a little bit, you know, of memories and and also like, dude, he was a part of some of the best teams that ever played.

Like he's I mean, listen, if you love football and you want to hear stories like this, this is this is your episode because he's he's going to be great. Well, you mentioned also basketball. It's November basketball star and just give me 20 seconds and I'm not gonna crush you with basketball just yet can I have 20 seconds? You can have 30 yeah give you 30 seconds. Alright Nick's off to a rough star not rough start 500 team to figuring things out but I more so I'm waiting Chris'm waiting. Chris Mannix, one of my favorite reporters, one of my favorite journalists. Love him for boxing. Basketball, that's my opinion.

He made this whole take of, McHale Bridges changed his shot, someone's gonna get fu- McHale Bridges is shooting the same way he shot last year. I'm waiting for the follow-up, Chris. You said you were gonna be following this McHale Bridges shooting hitch story real closely. You talked a bunch of shit on opening night and warm-ups. You haven't said a word since.

Just waiting. Where's the follow-up? Where are you gonna report like, hey, his jump shot looks fine, everything's fine, he's shooting the same exact way he did last year. Josh, be nuts. He obviously hates you. Are you guys, do you have a relationship?

I do. I know Chris for a long time. Because the way you talk about him, it makes me feel like you want to punch him through your Twitter fingers. Matt, he fired the first shot. And maybe it's my Italian blood if I have like a vendetta. I was minding my business one day,

and my Twitter account blew up because Chris Manix said, it's Nick fans fault that Jalen Brunson's not starting in the All-Star game. That whole, I'm like, okay. We debated it. That's a stretch. But he, he, he did a drive-by on me. He just, he didn't text me that. He tweeted me that drive-by.

So now I drive by him every single after every Knicks game I at him. Dude I would love to get him on the pod and just anytime. Yeah let's get him on the pod and just I. And he's a boss and he can handle me talking shit to it like he's not offended easily. He can handle it. Yeah but I would just stir the hell out of that pod. I just like I want to see you guys end up like yelling at each other. I can't stand his basketball takes. I cannot stand. Maybe it's because he's a Celtics fan too. He's a really good journalist I cannot stand his basketball takes that you gave me like 90 seconds there. I love you for it What's the Knicks or what? What are they four and four going into tonight?

They're you know, well by the time this episode airs, they'll either be there three and three right now They'll either be four and three or three and four. So nothing to write home about just yet. It's early. Let's talk about the NFL really quick, the things that stuck out. And I always try to think, what are the things I need to talk about with Matt? Obviously, the Cowboys, everyone loves to talk about them. But Dak getting caught on camera saying, we fucking suck.

I want to ask you that. He's not wrong. Well, my first thought is, that's like a tale as old as time. Meaning, I only played sports up until like sophomore year of high school, so I'm not the best reference point, but I can remember being 10 years old in Little League Baseball on a bad team

and striking out and going back to my bench and be like, we fucking suck. And everyone's like, yeah, we kind of do. I saw nothing terrible about that. Right? So it's like, it's like people forget, like athletes are human. Athletes are playing a sport. Most of us all played sports growing up. Like you said, you played sports growing up. And it's like, when you call an ACE, you know, a spade, a spade, it's like, dude, we fucking suck. We fucking suck. Like, we're not like, we're not fucking good. We're not a good team. And just

because we're the Dallas Cowboys and like there's all these expectations, we're in the media, it's like, we are shit. Like what are they, two and six? I mean, they're like, that is bad. And I'm telling you what, man, I've been on bad teams and the Cowboys are like, you can't win because they are just like, I mean, they're not,

I don't even, they're America's team, right? That's what they're labeled, but they're just always in the media. Good or bad. It's gotta be exhausting after a while. It's gotta be exhausting. And now that you're bad and this was a team that was coming in that was like, Hey, talent on paper, you know, this and that's a playoff team. It can go south really quick and that's just frustration. There's no problem

with that. They suck. They, they do. And I don't know, like, and he said it to someone, he didn't mumble it to himself. There was a few players with an earshot. So clearly you can't even say, Oh, the locker rooms falling apart. No, they all agree. They fucking suck. Cowboys, Andrew, thank you, cowboys are three and five. But I mean, that's fine. Three and five. Three and five at the halfway park. And Dak doesn't seem healthy as well. Dak's out for a little bit.

Yeah, look, I think it's, we're seeing a little bit of division, right, in some of these locker rooms and teams. And I'm telling you, man, when you lose at that level, people start, I was gonna say, you start catching some stray bullets, dude. Like locker room kind of becomes divided, people start, I'll say like you, you start catching some stray bullets, dude, like locker room kind of becomes divided. You know, quarterbacks get a lot of heat if they're not playing well. You got, you got guys start chirping online. Like it just, it's just when you lose.

Is that what's happening with the Saints? You just described, to me, I just thought you described the New Orleans Saints. Yeah. You got Michael Thomas taking shots at one of the other. What is up with that? That's like, that bothers me. It bothers me because there's a time and a place for that. You know, and I look like Derek Carr might not be playing to maybe the expectation, what he's making,

all of those things. No, and he's been in and out of the lineup. He missed a bunch of games. Whatever, we can say that. I think Derek Carr is a good dude. He works hard., and he's been in and out of the lineup. You know, whatever we can, we can say that. I think Derek Carr is pretty, is a good dude. He works hard. I think he's like, he's won a lot. Like he's had a lot of success in the league as well.

But like, like to take, I just, I hate, I hate that type of stuff. Like if you got a problem with a dude, that's, that's, that you go to his face, you go in the locker room and you confront them and hash it out within the walls. Cause that's what a that you go to his face you go in the locker room and you confront him and and you hash it out within the walls because that's what a team is right and so when people get online and we saw I mean guy we saw this with Jason Kelsey this past week with a fan but like when people get to that yeah yeah when people get to a point and this is an athlete right just like using this platform just to talk shit and And then it's like, then you got to, the quarterback's got to answer it in the media. It becomes a national story where guys like Gus now talk about it. It's like, grow the fuck up, dude, honestly. That's my thought on it.

So it pisses me off. And maybe it's because I've been in that situation before, but it's like, if you got a problem with me, come to my face and tell me, and that's fine. And we can talk like men. We're not going to talk via X. Well, that does go on. But also, you're trying to say he got Olave hurt.

Obviously not intentionally, but he's so bad that he just gets his wide receivers hurt. If that's a thing, I mean, there's lots of quarterbacks that probably threw some passes that are like, shit, I left my guy out to dry and they got crushed. I don't think that's unique to Derek Carr or intentional. Yeah, that was just, it's just like for what? But that's, that's the world.

That's this internet culture that we've created where just it's people think there's free rain without consequences. Yeah, dude, scare or panic and just throw the ball. That's what he series of, of getting the F out of here. He is so asked. Well, he might not be wrong about that, but I don't think I'm just saying, listen, like there's a time and place and I've been in those lock rooms where you're like, like if your QB is not playing well, he's gonna get, you know,

gets all the glory, gets all the shame, all that stuff. And that's part of the position. That's why you make $50 million a year. You got a problem, you address it. You address it within the walls. The quarterback takes responsibility. I've been in meetings where QBs come up and say, I'm not playing well enough for this team,

I'll get better or whatever. And that's just how you handle that shit. Like you're grown men handling it. It's a job, it's a business, but unfortunately it's just a different world, man. It's a job, it's a business, but unfortunately it's just a different world, man. It's a different world that we live in. Well, we also saw what a job and a business it was from my guy Saquon Barkley. I still don't get the giant fan bitterness, but I just have to... I didn't share this on Twitter. I saved it for this. Watching that

play, which we've seen him do amazing things with a giant I know some shows and people to me you're trying to like name the move whatever that backward reverse spin is for me it's just called the heartbreaker because not that I'm mad at him because he's in Philly do you know what it was like Matt it was like going on Instagram and your ex-girlfriend you see her and now she's like in Bora Bora with her very handsome, wealthy new boyfriend. That's what it felt like. You're on Instagram, you're looking at like, Oh man.

It's like the revenge, like the revenge body. Yeah. And all of a sudden it's like, Oh man, she's in, what are they doing to Bora? Oh, they're at the four seasons. They got one of those huts over the water. And then you, then you, then you start scrolling and deep dive's an entrepreneur? You accidentally like a photo and you start to sweat. He's on his fourth business? He sold his fourth business? Wow, that guy looks great. Definitely better than me. That's all I felt like. Happy for him. That move would have been the bright spot of the Giants season. The whole season, that would have been... We would have dined out on that

move if that was in a Giants jersey. He's just, dude, he's just, he's an incredible athlete. Like it's just, it's, you can't really, it's especially in football, cause it's so hard. Cause all of these athletes, the best part, and this was, and you know, the best part about this was the, all of the videos now of the Eagles reactions, all his teammates, and like the whole thing was like, these are grown men, grown athletes,

the best at what they do, watching their buddy do the same thing to the best athletes in the world. And they are like, like an all right. Like it would be like, I was like, say one reminds me of like Bo Jackson, like, but it's two different errors, but the build and the athleticism and like just the things you could do. It's like, this dude is hurdling guys spinning, hurdling backwards, getting like,dling backwards, like, get up and get back in the huddle, run next to it, like nothing happened. It's like, sometimes you need to stop and just appreciate like, holy shit,

like this dude is different. It's hard to see new things, even the Garrett Wilson catch was awesome, but I've seen that before, you know. And it's always compared to like, oh, Odell, and then like, is this the greatest? It's different, it's slightly different but it's in the same family. We've never seen that before, you know. And it's always compared to like, oh, Odell and then like, is this the greatest? It's different. It's slightly different.

But it's in the same family. We've never seen that before. We've never seen that before. That catch? No, Saquon. Oh, Saquon. Never seen. And then the only other thing I've seen this year in football that I haven't seen before,

I forget it, the dude on Alabama, the receiver who had that. Yeah, that crazy little like. I've just never seen a human body do that. Those are the two things this year that I've never seen before and I hope we continue to get it. But we're running out of stuff. By the way, dude, I'm just hoping not to pull, I'm just hoping not to pull a hammy

just shooting a horse in the gym. In our shootout that we're gonna have at USC in a couple of weeks. I mean, we should start pumping that up, dude, cause it is on. By the way, I'm creating a lot of hoopla around this. Yeah, we have our three-point shootout. When was the last time you shot a basketball?

This is a great question, because I was playing a little bit in the summer, and then I shot something at Madison Square Garden, where we were shooting a little bit. So I don't need any excuses. There's no excuses. I'm the only guy. If you don't shoot, that's on you. I'm the only guy. You have time. If you don't shoot, that's on you.

I'm going to get out there. Well, I'm flying to LA actually this week, but I'm going to get out. I need two days to get some shots up. That's all. We're not playing like a five on five where I got to run 90 feet back and forth. But you're playing.

And it's not a timed three point shoot out, right? We're not timing it. No, we're not going to time it. But you might have people watching you there. Buddy, I've been having people watch me for 25 years. Ain't gonna scare me now. I failed in front of more people. I've failed and lost the things in front of more people than that will be at wherever we're shooting. Oh, I can't wait. I can't wait. Well, you mentioned Kelsey earlier, and I know a lot, almost everyone has commented on it, but I do think we need to talk about it because I think there's a bigger picture with all this stuff.

Kelsey and Bede, even the stuff we were talking about with Michael Thomas and Derek Carr, but we saw Jason Kelsey in the smashed phone and the home, but we saw it. We know what happened. We don't have to rehash. I just feel like, and I'd love to get your opinion. I just feel like it's a slippery slope, no matter which way you go. Because on one hand, I'm old school, in a sense of like, oh, you want to make that joke on Twitter?

All right, I don't know who you are, you got me. You want to make it to my face? That's a different story, and all the rules are gone. But in the same boat, Kelsey has, you know, is a very, very public figure right now. He showed and lost restraint in amazing ways at the same time. Breaking the phone is a complete loss of restraint,

but then him kind of getting pushed and not smashing the guy's face after that is amazing restraint. So I do think that crossing this line where you get that close to, in this case, a former player, but now big personality, and you get to say that stuff, I don't know, I worry. It makes me worry.

He should have punched him in the face, and it would have been justified. But yeah, I mean, it's a fine line, but I'm glad it happened in that sense because we talk about this internet culture and you know you can hide behind a screen and you can type away because now you have access to, you have direct access to athletes, public figures, politicians, whatever it is. Like you can communicate with them and if they choose to communicate back with you,

like you are literally speaking to that person so you can tell them whatever the hell you want good or bad. And you do it without consequence. And zero, zero, zero. You know, we call it like, you know, Twitter, Twitter fingers and like, you can hide behind a keyboard, but that's, that's what people do. So when it happens, and it very rarely happens, I think in person, like we saw with Kelsey, I'm kind of glad it happened in a sense because a lot of these people, they need to be reminded that there are consequences at times for this shit.

If you do that, you are lucky he didn't beat the hell out of you. Now, maybe they want that because then they can sue and they can do all these things. Like that's the shitty world we're in. But I think it just reminded I thought he handled it perfectly great, honestly, probably better than a lot of people because as you said, you know, he lashed out with the phone, which by the way, was great. Didn't put his hands on the guy, but you know, like, don't mess with me. And then and then he showed

the patients in the restraint to be like, say what he said and he moved on. But I hope it's a wake up call for people, man. Like, like, like it's one thing on online and you can do this and all that. But like when you're in person and like, dude's mind your own business and you're walking, you're going this and like you have, you maybe have a couple of drinks in you and you all of a sudden you're like, Oh, I'm feeling pretty tough today. Well, do not, you're not, you maybe have a couple drinks in you and all of a sudden you're like, oh, I'm feeling pretty tough today. Well, do not, do not.

You're not, and by the way, that could have ended very, very badly for you. So, well, I have this one, I'm not gonna mention his name, but this actor friend of mine, and he's done pretty well in his career. It's not anyone from Entourage, so don't worry. But he's definitely, you know,

was the kind of person where a lot of people maybe would talk shit to him in the same way almost as an athlete, even though he wasn't an athlete and he was an actor. We're talking one day about, this is like insurances and stuff, and he has like an umbrella policy he used to call his knockout fund. I'm like, what do you mean?

He's like, well, someone says some shit to me, I knock him out. They sue me. That's why I carry extra insurance. But I want that ability to be able to handle it. And that rocked me to my very core. I'm not about that life. But yeah, so you almost wish Dana White started the slap. You almost wish Dana White like, hey, imagine

that incident happens and Dana White pops out. And it's like, all right, we're gonna do contracts real fast, sign. Sign up, okay, you're not gonna sue him. He's not gonna sue you. You guys got beef, you called him a slur. Ready, go. Like you wish it could happen that fast

because that would stop it all. That would stop it all. And look, I'm all for the like, hey, Jason, you suck as a center. You were terrible, which is not true. When it gets personal, you lose me. Whether you're playing pickup basketball or you're playing in the league, when you get personal like that as a fan or whatever, someone trolling, which is getting more and more popular,

you lose me, which brings me to the Embiid situation, okay? And look, he put his hands on the reporter in that case, Marcus A's, and that shouldn't have happened, no matter what, because you got a shorter stint. But just for me, and again, I'm no Joelle Embiid. I have 1% notoriety that he's ever had. But I've been in situations where someone in media said some not nice things, and you try to redirect it. that notoriety that he's ever had. But I've been in situations where someone in media said some not nice things and you try to redirect it.

But I have also been in a situation, this wasn't a nefarious thing, where I think it was like Rosie O'Donnell where I was doing like an interview, and she innocently mentioned my father who died 40 years ago, okay? And it was, he didn't go out, he went out, there's a story behind how he went out.

But I wasn't prepared for it. Okay, and it was, he didn't go out, he went out, there's a story behind how he went out, but I wasn't prepared for it. She asked me about it, and I just like panicked. You saw I visibly got shook up. And I guess that's my point. There's a golden rule. If your personal life is affecting something on the field, if you get in legal trouble and you're not playing because you're suspect, all right, that's fair game.

That's a story and it's affecting your performance and it's like a legal thing but I get into a lot of I Get into I don't know. It just hits me a different way. No, I agree I don't know what his angle was what he was trying to say like you're failing your son like whatever it was Yeah, I mean he lost a family member and yes, just like bring it up Don't even bring it up. There's that personal professionalism sport person like like you can't blend the lines because There's no story there

There's no story if you want to talk about him not playing back-to-backs you want to talk about his injury like you like those like Those are that's fair game. He can answer it how he wants and react but that's fair But like when you make it personal or you use that as an analogy to whatever, it's like, dude, no, like this is not okay. And that's like the golden rule. Like, like for me being an athlete, like that was always we talked about locker room. It's like, you know, you got to be a big boy. Like you're getting paid a lot of money. You got to be able to handle criticism and all that. But like when you, when you talk about a family member or a personal issue and all that, that

you're going through, like you don't know what these dudes are going through. Like, you know, like you don't know what they're going through outside of, of basketball. And yeah, you can't even reference, if you reference that my friend who passed away 20 years ago, like even if you just bring them up in a nice way, I still have to go off in the corner and like fight back tears. So to make that into a story, it's so weird, Matt, and we could wrap it up and move on, but I was thinking about it like this too. And I don't even know how you feel as a, you know, play, being a professional athlete, but we are all in this together in our own way, meaning the athlete, the fan, and the media member,

regardless of how athletes feel about media. I get it. Or how fans feel about some athletes. I get it. But this whole thing works. We're doing this show because of that revolving door. We are in business together, whether we like it or not. Okay. The fans pay money and watch and consume athletes get paid real love but you're playing a game your love and you're making a living doing it and the media is supposed to highlight the stories and and on and on we go and I just feel like it's in the weirdest place that it's ever been. And Twitter's been around long enough now that we can't say it's just social media it's been around long

enough. But it but it's social but it's again I just go back to the access and and just like this, this feeling that fans and people have that they feel like they can like, like they feel like they're as invested as the players so that they can have these, all these opinions and you suck and this and that. And it's like, you can't coexist that way. Like, and I get it. Like you get frustrated. I get it. Like, that like but I would tell you the players are just as frustrated They're living in it and and everyone's like well. I always this is a little bit off talk But I always hated like well. They're making millions of dollars. Okay. Yeah, dude like they are they're still human

This is what this is what they chose to do. This is the path They're they're they're elite in what they do It doesn't mean that they're robots dude like they're like still putting a roof over their kids and they're still dealing with real shit at home. Like, all the things that we all deal with as people. And I think that's sometimes what's forgotten from a fan or a media and all of that. And again, it's hard because it's like,

well, shoot, you make 10 mil, like, come on, man. Like, grow a pair. Like, that's not it. It's just not it. So I get it. Like, well, shoot, you make 10 mil, like, come on, man, like, grow a pair. Like, like, That's not it. It's just not it. So I get it. Like, it is a full circle. Like, it's all interwoven.

Fans make sport great. Media allows sport to be watched. Like, we give athletes, give fans what they want. Like, how do you coexist? And just recently, and again, also, not to get too deep here, like, we're in a, we're in a place right now with a divided country, man. Like we need to like, and sport is actually the one thing that brings everybody together. You would think, yeah, you would think, you

know what I mean? So I'm with you, man. That's why I don't mind. I don't mind Kevin Durant up in the wee hours of the morning, tweeting back at people that to me is healthy. I think that is healthy. I love listening to Draymond Green on this podcast. I don't always agree definitely about his Nick stuff, but I love athletes, you know, current and former having their own platforms to tell the story their way, but don't get it twisted. Like it is a, it is a cycle. And I've, look, my limited experience, there was a reporter one time who was following me and the Entourage guys around when the movie came out and was gonna do this exclusive story

as he'd follow us out for two days. And we all got along real great, thought the guy had a great time. We were there working and the guy shit on us for like 10 pages, right? It sucks. And there's things I could say to this people. Look, that's part of it, but it wasn't really personal.

It never got personal. So you accept it and you move on. But yeah, it does suck. And we were making good money for that movie and we had to deal with it. So I don't know where to go from there. I just, I feel like it could all get better All right, thanks Jerry, sorry, sorry, I'm a deep thinker today, but you know

Let's highlight something good, huh? Let's give it let's pivot out of that stuff and let's do our let's do the can't get enough sauce at the moment brought to you By Wendy's I know exactly who mine is this week. It was one of the easiest decisions I've had. But every week, Matt and I are going to highlight a player on or off the field or court doing something we love and especially something that's saucy. Matt, it's a quarterback. I guess this is the quarterback episode that we're doing in general.

Did we do the same quarterback? You didn't have Kirk Cousins, did you? No. OK, I have Kirk Cousins. Did you know? Okay. I have Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins, uh last two games. He has seven touchdowns 500 yards last five games He has 13 touchdowns and almost 1500 yards and only three picks For and over in the division three and oh on the road basically cemented the Falcons I mean they'd have to have a pretty big breakdown for anyone to catch them with the injuries that the Bucs have. The guy does it everywhere. He goes, he's going to win comeback player of the year. He has to be the favorite. I love Nick Chubb. I love the Sam Donald story. He's the comeback

player. The guy blew out his Achilles last year and he's putting up monster numbers. And hear me out, Matt. I'm listening. Blue out as Achilles last year and he's putting up monster numbers and hear me out Matt I'm listening. I know the Falcons have some defensive problems, but I love where that offense is that obviously We hope Drake London comes back. I was gonna say they have more problems than the defense. That's right. I love I love Kurt Cousins He saved Kyle Pitts the very people who draft Kyle Pitts every year in fantasy Competency saved Kyle Pitts just like hey, let's just get this dude the ball. Right, but having someone who can get him the ball also helps.

So, Kirk Cousins, you are my can't get enough sauce moment of the week. I love that we're on the same page. I'm going with... Who do you think I'm going with? Honestly, I don't know, because Kirk Cousins to me... Oh, you're going with Joey B.? I'm going with Joey B. I'm going with Joey B Yeah, go with Joey B five Tuddy's against the Raiders last week Quietly having an MVP season, but I was gonna say a big one big one tonight against the Ravens They've won three or four we spent the first three episodes just talking how bad the Bengals were and they were They were they won three or four

how bad the Bengals were. And they were. They were. They won three or four. Everyone talked about, he's not that good. I heard a lot of these people on media been like, ah, like he's got good players. He's not as good as what they paid him, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

All of a sudden you don't blink. And what you just said, 20 touchdowns, four interceptions this year. I think Baker's the only one. Like 80% completion percentage. It's like the numbers are ridiculous. It's saucy. An under the radar MVP candidate.

And also this past week, he was talking a little smack on the guy on the bench. You can see it. I love this shit because you can see it in his. Joe B is always serious. He's always serious. It's almost like, dude, loosen up a little bit. But you can tell, right?

And like yelling at the guys sitting down. I still don't even know the backstory of that, but like he's locked in, dude. He's locked in. The Bengals win against the Ravens. They're what, five? What are they, four and five right now? Or three? Whatever. They're right in the mix. They're right back in the mix. Dude, saucy with the side of extra sauce. in the mix. Dude, saucy with the side of extra sauce. Shout outs to Wendy's and yeah, the bangles are coming, man. And he has my best quote ever. Like, what would you tell a young player? Don't put workout videos on social media. Shout out to Joey B. Those two guys can't get enough sauce moment of the week.

All right. Thank you to Wendy's as always. And we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, Kurt Warner, everybody. and we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, Kurt Warner, everybody. What does possible sound like for your business? It's having the spend to powers your scale with no preset spending limit, more cash on hand to grow your business with up to 55 interest-free days,

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We take you inside the biggest moments in college football. While having some fun bringing you guests from all over sports and entertainment. Watch Triple Option on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, joining us now, two-time MVP, Key Figure in Wood is known as the greatest show on turf, which I miss, by the way. I miss watching that every weekend. He's enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,

and you can hear him every week on Westwood 1's call on Monday Night Football. He does a great job with that. I was listening to it the other night. The legend, Kurt Warner, joins us. Kurt, thank you for coming on. We appreciate it. You got it.

Great to be on with you guys. And just the white beard, just letting yourself go. You just look so handsome. I think I'm the only one on TV that has gray hair. And I'm trying to figure that out, how these guys get to be 45 and 50, and they don't have gray hair. I can tell you how.

Yeah, well, no, exactly. But what are you going to do? My wife likes it. So we figure we try to age gracefully the best we can. By the way, happy wife, happy life, man. Isn't that, it can be more true. Someone just asked me the other day if I colored my beard. I'm actually, it's short today, but I'm like,

no, I don't color my beard. I just, I haven't, I haven't hit the gray yet, but. No, not at all. Okay, that's good. No, a little bit. I'm hiding it a little bit I just, I haven't, I haven't, I haven't hit the gray yet, but. No, not at all. Okay. That's good. No, a little bit. I'm hiding it a little bit up here, but. Let's start, let's start just today's NFL buddy. And just like we're halfway, you know, through the season

and you're calling games, you're fully invested in it. Is there, you know, is there a surprise, a takeaway so far, quarterback play, anything that sticks out to you? Well, yeah, quarterback play, I think is terrible right now. Which. It's rough, I mean, you know, you cover college football, it's such a different game,

and these guys trying to come from college to play our game, it's just different. It's faster, you know, good athletes in college are not good athletes in the NFL, so to speak, right? You can't live in that world in the NFL. You got to know what you're doing. You got to know what you're seeing. And, um, you know, you know, and I think some of these guys are in bad spots

because they're getting thrown in before they're ready to play just because they're supposed to be, or because they're grafted high. Um, but that's probably my biggest takeaway is that the game is evolving to me in the wrong direction. It's becoming everything at the line of scrimmage, a bunch of bubble screens, a bunch of quick throws, oftentimes because these guys can't see it. It's become a lot of pure progression stuff,

which I'm not a proponent of it because I think it hurts quarterbacks as much as it seems to make sense. And I'm sure you see it all in college football. Hey, we gotta get the best athlete on the field right now and we gotta play him. So the best way is to just throw him out there and say, hey, this is one, two, three, four, five,

no matter what coverage you see. But it's just, it's hard to play that way in the NFL, in my opinion. And I see that hurt quarterbacks every week. So that's kinda to me, kinda the bummer of things. Cause I think we have some really good young quarterbacks. But they're not being put into situations to succeed, or they're not being given the chance to sit a

little bit and learn. And now they have to survive. You know, like, you know, look at Justin Fields is that, you know, they threw him in in Chicago, and it was just survive. You got to try to win while you're surviving without knowing what to do Anthony Richardson, I think is the same way here go, you know You're great athlete figure it out while you go and you can't learn that way You just survive that way and so that's coming probably the biggest takeaway for the most part How would how would you describe because because we come it's it's crazy

how much the offense has evolved and I was just telling telling Jerry before like if you completed over 60% of your throws like and you you had one I mean you and like Drew Brees and some of those guys in that era were like 65 closest but now it's like you see guys 75 and it's a different it's it's different how would you describe for everybody that will listen how the quarterback position was taught when you played the way you helped me learn it as opposed to what you just said now like what is the biggest difference in simple terms? Sure yeah I mean first you know it's funny we looked like a couple years ago so for a few years I led the league in completion percentage 65, 66 whatever that was and

we looked a few years ago and there were 20 guys, like we went back to one of the years that I led the league. There were 20 guys in the league that had a higher completion percentage than I had when I led the league. Crazy. Back in the day. And so it is so completely different. But just to kind of expand on what we were talking about, I'm a guy that believes in defender read. And so what I mean by that is that, if I put Jerry on a deep route

and I put you on a short route, I'm basically reading both of you at the same time because I'm reading the defender that I'm putting in conflict. If he goes deep, I throw it to Matt. If he goes short, I throw it to Jerry. That's how I was taught how to play the game is that the defense always has to tell you where to go

if you've got a good concept. If I have a concept where I just send Jerry deep and then I send you somewhere else on the other side of the field, there's nothing that tells me where to throw it. I'm just like, okay, is Jerry open? No, okay, is he not open? No, okay.

And so to me, it slows the game down. Whereas if I can read two guys at one time, so, you know, we always talk about reads, right? This guy's number one, this guy's number two. Like if both of my guys are number one, like the game's faster. If I have to get all the way back to number five by going one, two, three, four, five,

it's gonna be impossible in this game. And so that was the first part. The second part is, you know, we do this pure progression, which kind of becomes this thing where we have guys all over the field running and we're hoping that the timing plays out where after I look at number one, now number two's coming open, now number three's coming into my vision. You know how we played, Matt, it was like, everything was

really a half field read because I can't see 11 guys. I don't really care what the guys on the backside are doing as long as the front side read stays on the front side. And so really most concepts are that way anyways, even if you're doing a pure progression type thing, it starts on one side. And so the way I always liked to play and when I coached and how I liked to design things

is I'm gonna give you a play on both sides, Matt, in most situations. So now I'm gonna give you the key to look for to the left. Okay, if the corner's off to the left, go ahead and read this and you're reading the outside linebacker, bang, bang, somebody's gonna be open. If the corner rolls,

now I want you to go back to the right-hand side and you're reading this guy and you're going one, two, three. And so we never really have a four and a five because you can't get there because the game is too fast. Like you're not getting there anyway, so we're not going to waste guys. And so that to me in kind of simplest terms is a I want you to read a defender. So that defender he goes in you throw it out. He goes out you throw it in he goes high you throw it low like so you know a quarterback, if you're looking at the right guy, he's going to tell you where to go with the football and you don't have to make it up as you go. And so that to me

is one of the biggest differences. And again, I think it's very much in college, a lot of this pure progression and it's starting to trickle into the NFL. So these college guys can play and I just see it every week. And I think I text every Monday after I watch film. I hate pure progression. Like I hate it. I see how it hurts quarterbacks every single week. And I feel for these guys, because it's like, you know,

like if number three is doing something that's not gonna get open for four seconds, I can't go to number three right now. Like I can't get there faster, you know, if I know that number one and two aren't open, I still have to wait for number three to run his route before I can get there. So it just slows the process down and it hurts the game and it hurts these quarterbacks and their development.

And I don't know the reason. So something I want to ask you, cause I'm pretty fascinated and I think my team is probably going to be involved in this, right? Drafting quarterbacks in the first round, especially early within the top 10, 15 picks, it seems like one of the best mysteries in football. Like how do you truly know and people lose their jobs over picking the wrong player or then these guys go and resurge somewhere else. So it's like, maybe I was right. So if you were GM or head coach, throw the Giants in there, but I don't want to make it specific for you. But if your job,

our team needs a quarterback this year, Kurt, what are the things that you would be looking for as a GM, as a coach, someone you're bringing in a kid from college who we just you just broke it down. So amazing. I'm going to listen to that all back because I don't wanna miss anything. What would you be looking for in that war room? Yeah, I mean, let's first just say, you don't know until you know. And you know, like we can assess them in a million different ways,

but the game is different and the speed is different. And I've seen great college quarterbacks that haven't been able to make that same type of transfer to the NFL because the game's just faster. And so they can be the same quarterback that they were in college five or six years into the NFL, but it's not good enough to excel in the NFL. And then you see guys like a Tom Brady that was okay college quarterback, you can say good college, but he wasn know, okay college quarterback, you can say good,

but he wasn't a great college quarterback. And then he just continues to go like this because he gets better and he gets better and he gets better. And I say that every year, like every college quarterback that comes into the NFL is gonna have to get better. They are going to have to be better in the NFL than they were in college.

So you can be great in college, that's not good enough to be great in the NFL. So that's the first thing is, is we're not ever gonna know until they're under center and whether they can do it. But the one thing that I would focus on is kind of the things that I'm talking about. I would sit in a room with them and give them a play and ask them why. Why would you read it here? What would you be looking at? Where would your eyes go if they gave you this coverage? Because that's what I want to know,

is I want to know how they think the game. Now that doesn't mean, you know, cause Matt, you know this as well as me, I've been with some quarterbacks that you put them on a board and you ask them that, and they sound like a genius and they can give you, you know, if you give them three minutes, they can give you every scenario.

But the bottom line is I need you to give you every scenario in four seconds. Like when, when it really comes down to it, you've got to do all of the stuff you just told me and be able to see it and process it in four or five seconds. And that's the thing that's such an unknown and why, when we see a Jayden Daniels, we're all blown away because it's like, my gosh, you know, it seems like the game's slow form, like he sees everything and he can make every throw and he's so poised. And that's because the mind is working as fast as it needs to work. And that's where I think it's so hard to assess these quarterbacks because a the game is so different, right? I watched college and I like,

I don't know how this is going to translate. Like they're not going to be doing any of this stuff in the NFL. So I don't know. And then, you know, I don't know how this is going to translate. Like they're not going to be doing any of this stuff in the NFL. So I don't know. And then, you know, I don't get a chance to sit down and talk to most of them, but that's what I would be doing is I would at least try to see if they could fully understand how to simplify the game, understand what they're looking for, have been taught from that perspective to a, to a degree where I felt like, okay, the physical and the mental are both there, now I need to take it and hone it

and get them to the next level. Kurt, can you imagine just running an RPO? Me and you in practice just an RPO and keep it and the defensive end goes down? I mean, it's so wild. I know, like, because I actually ran some in arena football, but it was simplified. But for me and you, it would be, we're throwing the ball.

Like, dude, when you used to run in Arizona, we were like, oh, get down, dude. Oh, me too, but like both of us. Oh, I know. That's what I was thinking. What am I doing? I was a little faster than you. But when you would take off and run, we would be like, oh, god,

just get down, dude. Just don't get down. You know, the funny thing is, Matt, is like, we play basketball. We played other like I told Jerry, you were a hell of a bad. He told me you were. You're of course, good at basketball. Really good athlete.

You're a great athlete. The weird thing is, when I got on the football field, it was like my mind told me, you're not an athlete anymore. Your job is to read the defense and throw the football like. And so even when I would run, Matt, I'm like, what am I, I felt like I was a, you know, a farm, like a deer, like, what am I doing? I'm so out of sorts. It just, it felt weird for me too. And, and it was so much of the mindset where it's like, that's

not my job. You know, my job is not to try to do that. Catch, throw, get the ball to the guys that actually can run. But you're exactly right. You were saying, what you were seeing on the sideline is what I was thinking in my mind. Like, what are you doing? Go down, you know, hopefully you can get three yards. But my kids laugh about it all the time too. Like, dad, what are you doing? You're so slow. I know I felt like I used to always tell everybody like, like, and again, this is like going back like you're a Hall of Famer, right? So you have the last laugh, but it's like,

you know, like I didn't have the greatest arm. I was like, you know, he doesn't have the greatest arm. It doesn't come out pretty all the time. He can't run, but my God, that dude, he will place the ball wherever he needs and he's the smartest dude I've ever been around. You know, and that was you. And I mean, that's what you were the best at.

And now you got to go jacket. You got to try to figure out, right? Yeah. Is that what's your strength? And I couldn't do everything, but what could I do? And let's become the best at what we can do. And so when I do work with young quarterbacks, that's the first thing I ask them is like,

we all want to believe, hey, you know, I can be Patrick Mahomes and I can throw all the, and it's like, at some point it's like, I can't, I can't do that. I can't run, can't grow it like that. So if you want to separate yourself, what can you do? And that was, and I knew that and I understood that. So I got to become really good at processing. I got to be accurate with the football. I got to have a quick release. Like those are the things that, that I knew I had to do. So those are the things I worked on. I didn't, I didn't spend time like we're laughing about the fact that I didn't run. I spent time doing that. Like I didn't spend time in the off season trying to get faster. Like it's not worth it. It's not going to,

it's not going to do me any good. Let's focus on the things you're good at. You know, I, I, I like flinched earlier in the year when the saints won their first two games, someone tried to reference like The Saints teams really fun. They they have like potential to be you know a great turf tee I heard like just great and turf in the same sentence and I like recoiled You're not allowed to say that and obviously it has not panned out that way and we referenced it earlier But for me, and you know, I'm a Giants fan But watching you and the Rams and the greatest

show on turf, you guys made it look so easy. Obviously I know it's not easy, but as a fan, it just looked like you could get whatever you want whenever you wanted. Looking back on that, what would you say to me when you're thinking what made that offense work so well? Because I know it's not one thing. What to you, if you had to sum it up in a few, one or two things, like what just made that offense so effortlessly efficient and great to watch? Well, I mean, let's start with the fact that we were talented.

Like, you know, you gotta start with talent all over the place. You know, I always say this for quarterbacks too, and Matt will know this, like he was in a couple of different, the system fit me perfectly. What I did well was throw the ball down the field. That's where I could really separate myself, was kind of that, what we call chunk throws, right?

15 to 35 yards down the field, making those throws. And so the offense was built that way. This offense that we see now in the NFL, like, Hey, you're five. Yeah. Like I would know we were going to attack you and we were going to threaten you. And we were going to put the fear of God in you on every play. Um, you know, the, the way that we played, we had a coach that had the same mentality. Right.

And so, you know, we talk a lot about interceptions in this NFL. I could care less if I threw an interception. Love that. My mindset was my coach is going to give me shots to make plays. I'm going to make a mistake here or there. Like, that's going to happen. But I promise you, I'm going to make more plays than I'm going to make mistakes. And those plays that we make are going to be touchdowns

because we're going to attack down the field. So that was our mentality. So it was aggressive, attack, attack, attack. I think you've said this before, Marshall Falk. And I'm actually curious, and we both play with Larry, who I think Larry is, I almost don't think he gets enough credit for what he did in his career. It's one of the best to ever do it.

I think you've said Marshall Falk is the best football player you've ever played with. Yes. Just elaborate on that and just how great, like we see Christian McCaffrey and some of these guys now and how good that Marshall was the original guy. And then Larry, like, we both know Larry a little bit.

Like he's a goof, but he was as good as they come. Like those two guys are right up there. Yeah. I mean, you know, I was looking at something recently and so in 99, you know, I won the MVP in 99, but you look at Marshall stats and he had a thousand plus rushing yards, a thousand plus pass yards that year. And you're just like, this is ridiculous. Um, but I say that because there was nothing that Marshall couldn't do.

First of all, you know, just physically like he was a the prototypical three down back. Like if you needed if you were in third and one and you needed a power run to be made, give it to Marshall. If you need to run a toss where he needed the speed to get outside, give it to Marshall. If you're going to throw the ball on third down and he had to pick up a blitzing linebacker in the A-gap, put in Marshall. Like if you wanted to put him out wide and have him run a wide receiver route, we ran everything with Marshall.

We ran skinny posts in the red zone. We ran still slant and goes, double move. Like there was nothing he couldn't do. And so no disrespect to Christian Caffrey, who I think is one of the most versatile backs in the league. He can't do what Marshall could do. He can't run routes and do those things like Marshall could do. And then Larry, I agree with you that I don't think he gets the credit he deserves. And a big part of that is he played in Arizona. Both of us got there. Arizona had never won anything. Nobody expected

us to win anything. We were never on primetime TV. Like nobody ever saw Larry play. So he went four or five years of his career without anybody ever seeing him play. And then finally we make that Super Bowl run and everybody goes, oh Larry's pretty good. Like you know that's all these right. They're like oh my gosh you know I'd heard about this guy but I'd never seen him. And again you know it's different because I used heard about this guy, but I'd never seen him. And again, it's different because I used to say this when I was in St. Louis, being open was about space. When I could see space between Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce and the defender,

it was like, oh, those guys are open. Being open for Larry Fitzgerald was not about space. So when I got there, I remember Josh McCown saying, oh no, that's open. And I'm like, what do you mean it's open? The guy's like, you know, Velcro on his back, but he's like, trust me, throw it to his outside number. That's open because he will check it and nobody will be able to get to the football. So you had to realize how he played the game was different,

but his understanding of spacing, like I've never seen anybody able to track the football. And yeah, he was incredible. Like Larry that made the, you know, the difficult routine every single day. Yeah, I always look at it like as the game changes and you discussed how different it is now, but what would those guys be like today? What would Marshall Falk be like in the NFL now? What would Larry think? He would dominate. I think there's several teams right now that would want to put a jersey on Fitz and just say give us what you got. Even if you're not in that shape. Well, let's try it. I'm gonna set the table for a second and I might just get out of the way.

Well, I was super excited as a Giants fan when you came there and then you know, Eli's there and that whole thing and then you go to Arizona in 05. And then shortly after that, another young punk named Matt Liner comes in, this young punk. I get to call him that now that I know him. And I just think it's cool seeing you two after all these years together and talking because it was a magical run that you guys were both on.

So just, I don't know. let's be honest dude, you hated me when we got drafted. It's fine. I hated that we drafted him. Yeah, right. I did not hate Matt in any part of the process. And here's the thing is that what I came to realize over the course of my career is that we all just want to play. And I'm not, you know, like, so ultimately when I got benched and Matt took over, yeah, did I want to be playing? Yeah. Did I feel like I was the better quarterback at the time? Yeah.

But was I mad at Matt for going in and trying to seize the opportunity and excel? Absolutely not. Because everybody would do the same thing. And that to me, you know, I used to hear about these quarterback rooms where guys didn't talk to each other. And you know, it was me against Matt and it was, you know, I don't like him because he's trying to take. And I always just thought to myself, I just want to be in a situation

where the best guy would plays like just make it a fair competition. If Matt's better than me, then he should play. And I'm not going to be mad at him for that. If I'm better than Matt, then I should, that's all I ever wanted in the NFL was that kind of situation. And so I never looked at it personal, right? You know, even though, you know, again, you did want to play and you know, and I'll even say that we all have human nature too. And so you got to fight that when Matt's playing

and I wanna be playing to not, hope Matt throws an interception. So like at the end of the day, when I sign on the dotted line to be a part of a team, I sign on the dotted line to be the best teammate that I can be, to be the best for that team that I can be. Not just when I'm starting and not just when everything goes my direction. But if I end up

finding myself on the bench, then I need to be the best teammate for Matt to help him succeed. And I couldn't be mad at him for trying to do exactly what I would have done in the same situation. Like, you know, if I got put in, I'm gonna try to succeed and never let Matt get on the field either like, which is what you did, Which is what you did. To hold that against somebody is ridiculous. And so I never tried to take that approach. But yeah, I mean, I didn't want us to draft somebody because I wanted to play and felt like I could still play.

But I think the beautiful part too was we were able to coexist. You know, Matt wanted to play and, you know, I go back to the first year when he did play and we lost so many stupid, crazy games because Matt played really well over that period of time, but we lost like 10 straight games or something. I know. Like that Chicago game, you know, they are who we thought with, I mean. Kansas City the week before, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, 400 yards in a game, like you played really well, but we worked very good. Like that's the other thing that's hard for people to understand is like still a team sport. Very good in Arizona. And so, you know, you could play well as a quarterback, but that didn't correlate to wins a lot of times because we weren't built the right way and we, and we didn't have those pieces. And so, you know, that was the bummer for Matt because he had such a really good rookie year where it was like, you know, this kid's going to be going to be good. And then obviously it played out with the competition and I,

you know, actually he played an 07 before you got hurt. And then once you got hurt, I played really well down an 07 and then it became the competition from there. But, you know, but that's, you know, again, it works out for me. So it's obviously a huge blessing for me. But I think it was a bummer for Matt, because I saw the potential in what he had done early in his career. And then all of a sudden, boom, it stops. And, you know, he's got to sit back and watch for three years. And again, you can, you can benefit from sitting back and learning and doing that stuff, but you're also missing time if you can be successful to kind of get your career going

in the right direction. I would say before we let you go, Kurt, we appreciate the time. Just in response to that, I get, it's crazy, man, because I get asked all the time, and I've been labeled a certain way, and honestly, it doesn't bother me because I do believe everything that happened got me to where I am now and I love what I'm doing and all these things

I I gosh I go back and I think about the rookie year and I'm like gosh What if what if we make what if we win those first two games or what if I don't you know hurt my AC joint? That last game there's you know, what ifs there's always what ifs and it's so interesting because you and I were so different what ifs, there's always what ifs. And it's so interesting because you and I were so different, like with your background, with my background. And after those first couple years, it was, the first few years were really difficult for me. And then, you know, the pictures came out and all this bullshit that was like, man, like I really want to play. How am I? I didn't know how to be, I tell everybody, I'm like, I didn't know how to be a professional at the time. I knew I wanted to. I tell everybody, I'm like, I didn't know how to be a professional at the time. I knew I wanted to.

I knew that I thought I had enough talent for sure. And it just didn't work. And I really, I say this to everybody, like I really enjoyed when there, I felt less pressure on me when you took over. I really enjoyed those years with you because I really felt like I learned a lot more from you then, because I was like, this is Kurt's team for me to for me to to prolong my career. I need to I need to look in what is Kurt doing? We didn't have the same game. How does he prepare all of these things? And I really believe that helped me when I got to Houston.

And again, that system fit me with what they did with with Kubiak and Shanahan and all of that. That's that's more what I I just felt like a thrive in. And honestly, before I got hurt again, I felt the best I've ever felt. But you were really a big part of that. Like early on, it was tough on me. And then those last two years, like I saw what it was like to be a professional quarterback and a Hall of Fame quarterback. If I want to do anything in this league, this is how you prepare. This is how you hold those film meetings. This is how you talk to the receivers. This is how you lead a football team. And we, we, Jerry was asked like, do you guys cross pass

and talk? I'm like me and Kurt, man, if we, if we saw each other tomorrow, we'd hug it out and talk and tell stories and tell talk shit. And we used to hoop and all those things. But it's, it's so good to see you, man, on this video. And you're crushing that you're doing great. And also, too, we're both like our kids are all grown up and just to see that part. Like it's just it's awesome to see your kids playing college ball and my son is going to play college ball, which is crazy. So I love you, buddy. It was, it was tough at the time. But I appreciate what you did for me

in my career. For sure. I appreciate you saying that. And was a it was tough at the time, but I appreciate what you did for me in my career. For sure. I appreciate you saying that. And I think it's a great point because you know, I reach out to a lot of young guys now, and very few guys ever really respond or get back to me. And one thing that I always say, and I think it speaks directly to your point is, most of us don't know what we don't know. And what I mean by that is so many guys come in kind of like yourself, very talented,

had great success in college. And you think like, I got this, like I know, I know what I need to do. I know enough to be able to thrive, but you don't know what you don't know. And so being able to sit back and go, oh, this is what it takes, or I could do this, or this is how Kurt looks at it because no one's ever

taught me to look at it like that. And even if you don't end up, you know, taking that on as a part of your personality, it's giving you perspective on how the whole thing works and how other guys do things. And that's the thing that disappoints me so much with the young guys now. And again, I know they have a million things going on and I know they don't have to call me and listen to me, but I wish they would.

And I wish coaches would simply to challenge where you're at, challenge what you know, challenge what you're doing, challenge why you think what you think. Maybe there's a different perspective, right? So that's what I'm always trying to do is I always want to hear and learn. Like I'm very convicted in what I believe, but tell me why you believe something else and let me challenge that.

Because then if I can challenge that it either, a makes me more convicted in what I believe or B it opens myself up to, wow, never thought about that before. Like nobody ever taught me that before. And so I appreciate you saying that because I think it is so true with a lot of these guys is that when I talk about surviving, they're just going out there and doing the best they can do with what they know. And now you give them a chance to step back and learn and realize, man, there's more to it. Oh man, I could make this game easier if I just saw it this way.

Well, I know we gotta let you go because you're hopping the flight. You're off to Germany. Two players I think that should call you, Daniel Jones, Bryce Young. The man's gonna be calling the game. You're gonna get me through this game, Mr. Warner. I will get you through it.

Yes. I'm gonna try to. Let me just start with this. Let me just start with this, that I know, and I'm not gonna sit here and say that, that, you know, I believe Daniel Jones should be, you know, paid as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But after the first game of the year this year, I actually think Daniel Jones has played pretty good football this year.

It's a tough situation. They're still trying to figure things out, but he's actually played pretty good football. If they can build a team around him. Again, I don't know if he'll ever be one of the best in the league, but I believe he's better than a lot of people. You know, when you look at every down, every snap, every decision, better than a lot of people are saying that he is. So hopefully I'll get a chance to express that. But so don't go crazy. They got work to do in New York without a doubt. But but but but I like

the way Daniel's been playing the last few weeks. He's already gone crazy. So I can't thank you enough. We appreciate you, man. Really appreciate it. Oh, guys. Great. Great to be on with you. I look forward to doing it again. All right, coming back. And I just want to point out really quick to Kurt Warner was very gracious with his time. He went a little long with the interview. So if you want to go to our YouTube page, the full video and the full interview will be up on there. Might be some things that we leave out of this episode that can live on their own.

So go check that out. But Matt, I mean, I really do think young players should call Kurt, right? I would call Kurt if I was a young player and just heard that. He's just, he's so, he's so, he's one, he's a gold jacket. He's one of the best ever dude. He's so knowledgeable, you know, and the way he, the way he sees the game, the position is just so unique and it's such a different game now. So like, I would encourage any young quarterback, And it's such a different game now. So like I would encourage any young quarterback, gosh, it could be high school, whatever, just he loves talking to kids.

So if you have people like that at your disposal, reach out and just learn something, it could help you, man. And yeah, he was fun. Great memory too, because I also thought he brought me back in time and he really, if you go back and even look at your situation, yeah. I just thought the way he remembered it so specifically

in detail and I think it lined up for you the same way, right? Yeah. It's cool because people, you know, like, like those are quarterback battles and everybody wants to know like, what's it, what's it like in the quarterback room? And you know, do you like each other? Do you hate each other? Kurt and I genuinely got along. And we genuinely, and I said that the second half of my four-year career there, we became a lot closer. Because it was kind of solidified. And I just realized, hey, I got to learn.

I got to learn from this guy. And he helped me a lot. The first couple of years, it was battling. But you were lighting it up, man. Dude, I know, man. People forget, but it's OK. You know, it didn't work out the way. But he's incredible, man.

His mind is incredible for the game, the quarterback play. And it was good to see him. Good to see him in his white beard, that's for sure. He's ready for Christmas. All right, I teased it earlier, throwback three. I realize I don't actually tell the audience what the topic's gonna be, but this week it's Matt's turn. This one's so good. And I'm fired.

This one has been hard for me. I'm patting myself on the back. Do you wanna let everyone know? Let's get into it. So we're going, last week we did our Halloween candy and I got crucified for that with candy corn. That's fine, we don't need it. We can move on. Disgusting.

Top three fictional sport characters in movies. All right, so If you think about that, right you think about some of these great characters in all-time sports I mean, there's a thousand dude. Yes thousand. Okay. I have a list of 20. Yeah, so I'm gonna I'm gonna start with my number three This one was hard But Um, but it's maybe my favorite top two sports movie of all time. Billy Hayes, Billy Hayes from white men can't sure Billy ho Billy ho Billy ho. Um, I don't know. I just like, I, the movie's so great. He and Wesley Snipes are phenomenal. The storyline's great. He's just like, you know, he's a hustler. Like it's all those things. I just think his, like it's, it's, it's, it's an all time basketball movie and both of those guys, Sydney, Sydney, like they're,

they're both incredible characters. So I'm going with Billy Howe. So Billy, Billy, Billy Hoyle. So, but for you, I wonder, because you're tall and athletic and you played basketball at a high level in high school, you never walked onto a court where you were able to be like, all right, we'll take a lie. Everyone knew you were good, right? What are you saying? Cause I was white. That's why I'm saying. I'm saying you're unrelatable to Billy Hoyle. I am way more Billy Hoyle than you. Yeah.

You're not unsuspecting. What I'm saying is you're not unsuspecting. Like I've never walked on a court and been like, they look at me like I'm a chump. Like basically what's it, what's it, yeah, like you. Okay. Well, your game is still debatable. We're gonna find that out pretty soon.

Okay, Billy Hoyle, I'm going Billy Hoyle, white man can't jump, number three, what's your three? Okay, my number three easily could have been number one, but this is tough. But I'm just, we leave out the obvious all the time because you want to try to make it eclectic, but I have to, it's Rocky Balboa. Yeah.

Easily could be number one. One of the best fictional characters that you almost, he really is not even fictional at this point. You believe he's real. He was like was like yeah yeah we fights were real we crushed statues with Dwayne Wade last week and all that stuff you know what statue was made correctly the Rocky Balboa statue by the steps with his arms up that's a perfect statue and also fun little thing I like to play these games with movies so we know rocky won he loses to Apollo and in a split decision, 12 round thing.

And then going in, so he's a pretty heavy underdog, but he proved himself. Going into Rocky II, the rematch with Apollo Creed, I asked my guy John Ewing, if you don't follow John Ewing on Twitter, you should, does great stuff with betting. I asked him, what do you think, just make a guess, what Rocky's odds would have been in that rematch fight against Apollo Creed. Do you care to venture a guess, or do you want me to just tell you?

What do you think Apollo and, okay. So this is the rematch? Yeah, he said, public definitely on the underdog, so the line might have moved on. He likes 75% of the bets on Rocky plus 500 plus 90% of the money on Creed and he had Apollo Creed is minus 700 favorite minus 700 you know so think about that a couple of guys laying big money knowing Apollo is gonna win again minus 700. No way. You just lose it.

I don't even know if that's Buster Douglas Tyson level upset, but it's gotta be up there. You can't bet against Rocky Balboa. We know how this movie ends. I don't know. You would have said the narrative would have been Apollo didn't take him seriously in the first fight. He's gonna train harder. We're gonna really see why Apollo creates the goat and he's gonna, Rocky's not gonna

make it three rounds. Rocky four, arguably one of the greatest movies of all time. Bigger underdog though against Drago? By far. Ivan Drago, did you see the way he worked out in that? Did you see that? Juiced up, steroid head. I mean, juiced up, machines.

The dude, like, what did Rocky, like he said. But Rocky was the champ at that point. Maybe you can make the case Rocky's a little bit older. He took a lot of shots to the head. Or you look at Ivan Drago who's six, five. It looks like a machine and Rocky is five foot seven. I like that one. Okay, I'm going, I'm going, I'm going number two here.

Number two. Happy Gilmore. Good one. Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore. Good one. Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore. Uh, Shooter McGavin, great character by the way, as well. Could be a little bit of a villain. Um, great movie. Apollo Creed in that movie as well.

Yup. Um, that's right. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, what was his name? He had Chubbs. You're talking about Chubbs.

Chubbs. Um, I mean, so good they're finally making a part two. That's how you have a good fictional athlete. The great Bob Barker cameo. I mean, just a great movie. I mean, Abbie Gilmore's awesome, man. So my putter head cover, you know, us golfers, we love our head covers and our gear.

My putter head cover is the Price is Right logo, but the line on it says the price is wrong, bitch. That's what I have on my I'm going happy going number two I just anytime that movies on man. I'm I'm going to the TV. I am going and I I could have put numerous characters from this movie It's my favorite football movie of all time I think it's the best football movie ever made so but I have to pick one I'm gonna give you the guy that I always think of first. It's Lattimore from the program. I mean first of all the

program ahead of its time. I'm old enough to remember going to the theater and kids if you like the program. There was a scene cut out of the program famously where I believe Joe Kane probably intoxicated leads the team to do this laying down game of chicken on the highway. They pull, I think it was Disney pulled the movie, edited it out because they didn't like what it said to kids and then put it back in the theaters. I saw the original scene in theaters, but everyone's so quotable in that movie. But Marcus and Adam or juiced up.

Alvin, Alvin Mack. Alvin Mack. I think people need to understand. I talk about, I talk about this, this movie all the time. It is one of those movies that you could watch today and 18 year old kids would be like, that was a great movie. Like, like, like people forget about how great the young Halle Berry, right? You can make the case. Darnell Jefferson. I mean, he Darnell Jefferson carrying on the team. How do you put the program though up as just a, okay, college football life. Now it's a little before your time. You weren't in college yet, but you know, like Darnell Jefferson carrying around the football and the entire team, by the way, the poke it out during class.

By the way, I think Pete Carroll was inspired. This is a true story. Pete Carroll, I got to make this brief. Pete Carroll's, uh, his whole thing was mantra was the ball, the ball, protect the ball, protect the ball. If you protect the ball, we win defense, if you get the ball, we win, right? That was like it. So my I was his first recruiting class, we had a ball, the normal ball. And he said, at any point during training camp, you need to present the ball to me.

Obviously, he would be like, Hey, Matt, and I was a quarterback. So I was tasked with being the leader. So basically, what he was doing is like the whole freshman class would get together, we would hide it, we would protect it, we would carry it around, and the rest of the team, it was fair game. I love that.

Like the program. Like the program. You could rip it out, you could hold it. So dude, we would hide it up in the rafters of a ceiling, we would do all these things, but basically he was forcing us to work as a team and like work together as a team. But I promise you that he got that from the program because of when he rocks, you know, they,

he fumbles in the class and everyone's there and he jumped and he has it like that's what we used to do at USC. So also James Khan underrated coach. I thought he did a good job as the coach. I never heard the snot bubbles thing before or after. Which hit him so hard. It hit snot bubbles. That's a real thing? I mean, all right. Well, that's my number two, but it could have been many characters from that movie. Great movie. All right. Number one. Number one, my all-time favorite sports movie. My all- time, probably top three movie general, no matter what the genre is, Major League. And there's a lot of characters in Major League, but I'm going with Ricky Wild Thing Vaughn. Wild Thing! Ricky, you want Vaughn? Like, and also we were talking about this,

right? Like the most quotable movie of all time, one of them. Ricky Wild Thing Vaughn, one of my favorite characters, just a badass, just, you know, gets all the ladies, comes out of the bullpen to Wild Thing, has the hair, the glasses, you know, talking about hooking up with, you know, hooking up with Dorn's wife. He didn't know. I didn't know. I love that scene. I didn't know. It's the greatest. How do you not know that your teammates, by the way, how did I know that? They made like, because it was Ricky Vaughn, he didn't care. They made like three or four major leagues. They didn't do it justice. The original major league is the greatest sports movie of all time and I will say that we're gonna do a throwback three sports movie and that's gonna be my throwback three. And it's so interesting too because, obviously they're no longer the Cleveland

Indians. So now there's like time capsule element. It's like there will be kids, maybe 20 years from now be like, wait, they were called the Cleveland Indians and they have actually the logo. So when the Indians are when the guardians hit that home run against the Yankees, all over social media was when Serrano, Pedro Serrano hit that and it was like they were doing all these flashbacks of both. It was awesome. I think once a month at some point and it's usually on the golf course I say well if you don't do it fuck you JoBoo I do it myself. That's

one of my favorite sports. Fuck you JoBoo. One of the best quotable movies of all time. All right, buddy. Who'd you got man? All right This was tough too many to leave off But I I have to unlock the inner throwback kid in me. Mine is Benny the jet Rodriguez The Sandlot was such an impactful Movie for me. I tried to show it to my kids and not quite interested yet But I will say, the thing I didn't appreciate about Halloween last week, right after the Dodgers victory over the Yankees,

I'm with my kids walking, and I start seeing like three or four kids with Dodger jerseys on. This is in Cleveland in a suburb. Like what the hell is going on? Benny the Jet Rodriguez jerseys. That's who they were for Halloween. So there was an extra little knife dig for me

with that win. But yeah, it's a perfect movie. That movie makes me try to think about, okay, I don't think we're going to get many sports movies anymore. I think documentaries we have a, we'll go on forever, but scripted stuff. The only world I see it though is for kids, like Sandlot nostalgic type sports movies. But Benny the Jet man, when he put on the flyers, that was one of the biggest moments in movie history for me. I have one honorable mention. Do you have any, any honorable mention like who was close to making your cut? Honestly, uh,

Willie Mays Hayes from major league was close. Um, Daniel Russo from karate. That was my my off the off the beaten path one. Put him in the body bag, Johnny. Like I guess it's an, uh, karate is certainly at, you have to be an athlete. So that was my one. I wanted to make sure I just mentioned, but didn't Rick, Rick, Ricky, Bob, Ricky Bobby was pretty close. It's just more fun.

Like, but yeah, I mean, there's so many, man, so many, well, I had, uh, I was some of the mighty ducks guys, Gordon Bombay. It's not my favorite, but that so many, man. So many. Well, I had, uh, I was some of the mighty ducks guys, Gordon Bombay. It's not my favorite, but that young blood, some young, young blood, young blood is great. Blood is great blood. I haven't heard young blood young. Go rewatch, take it on the plane with you. When you go for big noon, go, I'm making that, I'm making that note right now. Yeah. And, uh, of course, let us know yours. We'll put it up on social. But for us, it's at throwback show on all social platforms.

Let us know your top three fictional sports movie characters. You got Matt's. You got mine. Hell of a show, buddy. Hell of a show. We're in November. Good job.

We have a couple weeks till the train comes out. But yeah, thanks everybody for listening. We'll be back next week. Peace.