The White Tiger Podcast
Embark on a transformative journey with "The White Tiger Podcast," where change becomes the catalyst for new beginnings. Hosted by retired NFL Tight End Asante Cleveland and former police detective Craig Casaletto, this podcast delves into personal growth, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence.
Drawing from their diverse experiences, Asante and Craig share insights from both on and off the field, offering guidance to help you navigate life's transitions and challenges.
Whether you're seeking to overcome personal struggles or aiming to become the best version of yourself, "The White Tiger Podcast" provides the tools and inspiration to propel you forward. Join the conversation and prepare to embrace your season with confidence and purpose.
The White Tiger Podcast
Grocery Store Politics and the Game-Changing Moves
Ever wondered what the intersection of politics, sports, and grocery shopping looks like? Picture this: you're navigating the aisles, comparing egg prices, and suddenly connect the dots between political shifts and your cereal brand being out of stock. That's the kind of quirky connection we explore in our latest episode of the White Tiger Podcast. We're kicking things off with a fresh take on leadership changes in both politics and sports, all while maintaining our politically agnostic stance. Our lighthearted approach brings humor to the bizarre world of price hikes and coaching shuffles, making it a delight for any listener.
As we journey deeper, we tackle the complex emotions tied to fan loyalty and team management. Ever feel like Jerry Jones is more of a business mogul than a sports enthusiast? We chat about the tricky terrain of supporting teams like the Dallas Cowboys, where ownership decisions often leave fans scratching their heads. This discussion doesn't shy away from naming names, as we also spotlight the ongoing struggles of teams like the Jets and Browns. Our conversation goes beyond the field to explore how ownership, or a lack of change in it, defines a team's culture and future prospects.
Lastly, we turn our gaze to the broader world of sports dynamics and public perception. From the mounting frustrations over the Kansas City Chiefs' alleged favoritism to the polarizing figures like Elon Musk and their impact on public discourse, we leave no stone unturned. The episode wraps up with a passionate discourse on what makes or breaks a Super Bowl matchup and the growing anticipation for the playoff season. We encourage listeners to engage in positive discussions and lend an ear to content that uplifts, hoping you'll carry some of that positivity beyond the podcast. Join us for a conversation as varied as the topics it covers, promising both entertainment and insight.
all right, all right, what's up, sante, welcome back. I'm doing good, good to see you and, uh, welcome back to another episode. Everybody to the white tiger podcast. Yep, here we are. You know what, asante? First thing I wanted to start off with is like, so many things, I think, have changed since we last did this episode last week. Like, first and foremost, we have a new president right in office. Right, egg prices are soaring through the roof they're coming down are they coming down?
Speaker 1:I don't know I'm. Are they put still putting limits on eggs? I don't know. I don't know. It's crazy. I'm a person, listen, I will never notice the price of eggs because I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know, it's crazy. I'm an egg person. Listen, I will never notice the price of eggs because I don't like them.
Speaker 1:I'm an egg person and I definitely notice the price of eggs and it's yeah, we're getting limits on eggs. I don't understand. At some point I think this has to stop the shortage of paper towels and I understand that was kind of during a crazy time, right, but paper towels, toilet paper, but when shit hits the fan or something happens, some product takes a hit, right Just happens to be eggs, but some change of power or something. If you have a new president, paper towels go down, like I don't know, vice president says something, napkins go down, like secretary of state goes to the hospital, has a heart attack or something, boom, eggs go down. I can't figure it out, I never will. I just got to tell my kids, just to be prepared for this for the rest of their life, to see a pattern like this happen some weird butterfly effect.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean it's all intertwined, interconnected, but yes. So I had to hear for all the people struggling with these egg prices. I actually thought about making French toast. So I mean I'll probably put that on a burner back burner. I'll have to save up for our. How much are eggs? So much so that it's become a conversation.
Speaker 1:I don't know if they said I risk I. I recently read something news-wise because there was something about it. I'm just curious. I'm like, why is this happening? They've gone up 20%, so I don't know. Probably an extra buck or two per dozen, I don't know. So it depends. Listen, you have a million zillion choices. You can get straight up white eggs, you can get organic eggs, you get pasture-raised eggs. You can get whatever you want. I probably say they're anywhere between three and eight bucks a dozen, depending on what you get. Eight dollars a? I'd probably say they're anywhere between $3 and $8 a dozen, depending on what you get. $8 a dozen doesn't seem very high, yeah, but that's like the bougie eggs. That's when you're getting the pasture-raised, organic special insert eggs. I don't know Whatever it is.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I'm grateful that that is not part of my morning breakfast. I'm a yogurt guy these days. A little bit of fruit, peanut butter.
Speaker 1:Well, you're back into training. That's why yeah, that's true, see, you got to get hey. Appreciate it, appreciate it. So, yeah, donald Trump's back to office. I know we don't typically talk about politics, but that's obviously a sensitive topic for some and for and for others it's just a. It's a cool topic to talk about, but I know we don't normally get into it, but just good to acknowledge it, we don't. I think we're. White tiger podcast has always been political politics free.
Speaker 2:Politically agnostic at this point.
Speaker 1:Yes, we are politically agnostic at this point. Yes, we are politically agnostic, you're right. But yeah, so just cool stuff. Yeah, what's been new and exciting that you think that deserves some attention?
Speaker 2:I think that there has been a lot shaken up in the football world recently. There are some new head coaches. Pete Carroll, usc, legend the football world recently. Uh, there are some new head coaches. Um pete carroll, usc, legend, seahawks legendary coach. He's now the raiders head coach and your team, the dallas cowboys, have picked the top candidate who was on the market waiting to get scooped up, and you guys got you guys' first choice right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what? It's just like one of those things where I'm not sure if I'll ever see the Cowboys win a Super Bowl while I still am on this earth. It's the same thing over and over again. It's a really good lesson to my kids. I'm like listen, some things change, but at the same time things remain the same. Right, and you know, there may be a new head coach, but everything still remains the same. With Dallas Cowboys, I was hoping for Deion Sanders, for many reasons, um, but obviously that was. I made a bold prediction and that bold prediction didn't happen. So you know, open, open mouth, insert foot yet again. And um, yeah, I mean it, just it. Open mouth, insert foot yet again. And, yeah, I mean it, just, it is what it is. I'm not surprised. It's totally on par with the way things are going to go for quite some time and it's unfortunate, but you know, it's life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't give predictive takes pretty much ever. So I'm glad that that Dion one worked out for me. It just it didn't feel like something that felt all that credible to me, just based off all of what Dion represents. But for them to get Brian Schottenheimer, who I was the first time I'd really heard his name and major news ever. I mean I heard of his dad, marty Schottenheimer, but I didn't know that he was a viable candidate.
Speaker 2:I don't think he was a very sought-after candidate and the way that Jerry handled the Mike McCarthy situation was just poor. I mean, if I was a Cowboysboys fan I'd be very discouraged at that, because the guy had great back-to-back seasons, I mean like over 12 wins, which is really incredible given the circumstances. And then for him to mismanage that situation like they didn't let him go interview for the Bears position and then they like fired him the next day so they also miss out on being able to interview all these top candidates like Ben Johnson, and it seemed like Brian Schottenheimer was just like down the hall and they're like, hey, you want to do it? That's kind of how it seemed to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's like man, I just planned a trip. I was going out to my all. Right, yeah, sure, okay, I'm free, yeah, I'll take care of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but yeah, exactly it's. It's such it's, it's mismatched. Listen, you know what the reality is and I think if, as a Cowboy fan, I think every Cowboy fan can relate to this, it's Jerry Jones's team. He bought the team and he's publicly said this. He'll do what he wants with the team. And that's where it's be hard to be a fan, because you know that it's not necessarily going to produce the best on the field product. But from a business perspective and we talked about this before he's winning. He's winning every day of the week. So, listen, from a business perspective, if you're a businessman, he's winning. Dallas is always relevant when they're not relevant. So he is winning. There's no doubt about it. The football team is not winning and won't win. It's unfortunate because I think you'll see guys like Dak Prescott probably just wind up not being with the Cowboys in a few years because again, they're not going to be able to compete. Especially with the rise of the commanders now and Philadelphia being just a strong team, it's going to be pretty difficult for them to compete. And who knows what's going to happen with the Giants? I mean, they can't really get any worse. So, yeah, it's going to be unfortunate.
Speaker 1:Don't know how this fits into things from a fan's perspective. I always hear fans like say you know what I'm done with my team. I'm going to switch to this team. I'm unbelievably incredibly loyal, like I should have jumped ship years ago. And I'm like listen, I'm in for the long haul. This is going to be my thing. It's like I no matter how bad you, they're, my ride or die Like I'm never going to change and and I don't know if that's a fault or I should just be open to maybe selecting a new team would you prefer fans who just jump ship and be like all right, I don't support this team anymore, or the fans who are overly critical on social media?
Speaker 2:they only have bad things to say about their team, but they are quote-unquote loyal fans.
Speaker 1:You know what I think it comes down to credibility and it comes down to when things go bad, if things go sideways, you're just going to jump ship. There's something ethically about that value-wise that I think I maybe stupidly hang on to, because I'm just like, listen, I made a commitment as a fan to this team and I know it sounds completely ridiculous, but I'm going to stick with them, like, yeah, it's not going to be all you know, roses and, and it's not going to be, it's not going to be great, it's not gonna be rainbows and roses. But like I'm going to and the Cowboys don't have like a I wasn't have, don't have a connection with Texas per se, so I don't really have like that, you know, like I do with some of my other teams or most of my others. So I don't know, they're just I'm stuck.
Speaker 2:I feel like there is a very loud minority of fans who, unless their team is winning, all the time they always have something negative to say and it's definitely overshadowing the probably quiet majority of fans who are like all right, it's not gonna go right, but I not going to go publicly bash our team because the Raiders just hired Pete Carroll and right now everybody is ecstatic and I know that letting them lose three games in a row or Pete Carroll doesn't use a timeout properly at the end of the game, all over Twitter going to be joe biden and a raiders cat yeah, have you ever noticed that, like teams that are teams that are bad, are typically bad for quite a long time, like there's?
Speaker 1:there's like a pattern of mismanagement for like decades? Right, there's certain teams that if you're a fan of their fan like if you're part of their fan base like oh, I'm a browns fan, I'm a jets fan, I'm a raiders fan, I'm a this fan of their fan like if you're part of their fan base, like oh, I'm a Browns fan, I'm a Jets fan, I'm a Raiders fan, I'm a this fan and it's not like because they had a couple of bad years, it's because they've had multiple years of just, and maybe it starts at the top, maybe mismanagement. So who's to expect that all of a sudden, you're going to hire a coach and all of those things that you were doing wrong for all those years are going to completely disappear? Maybe it does happen, but I find it like very, very slim. I think the patches it's like I said before to come full circle. It's like it's as much as things change, as much as they stay the same, like you have a different face, but it's going to be the same stuff. And I think for the teams like the ones I mentioned are probably going to have the same issues that they've always have, and I expect the same from the jets and and, and probably even the bears.
Speaker 1:I like the bears higher. I think ben johnson's a great hire. I think caleb williams is uh. I think they probably have a really good opportunity to do well. Um, I don't know, man it's. I just think the bad teams are going to continue to be bad unless something happens. Is at the top of the iceberg or the tip of the iceberg. You're 100 right.
Speaker 2:It all comes back to ownership. Culture is set from the top down. Even if this is a figure that's not in the office day to day, the culture is set from the top. So, jerry being who he is, as long as he doesn't change the Cowboys, fate isn't going to change. But I think the perfect example of this is the Washington commanders Cause. The first year Dan Snyder is officially out and we hear all the documented stories of how toxic that culture was, how he was doing all types of alleged shady stuff. The year that they sell it to a new group, they get good ownership in there. They get Patrick Johnson in there, who has been a part of championship organizations across multiple sports. The first year they're in there they are a brand new franchise. They're incredible. They have an opportunity to make it to the Super Bowl. So back to your point. It all starts from the top down. So if leadership never changes, then the direction of that organization, that company, you could look all across the world.
Speaker 2:It's not going to change.
Speaker 1:Yeah, true, and also, too, I will say, the perspective oftentimes is reality. Um, I have seen that I don't know if you got a chance to watch uh off-season giants hard knocks when uh the general manager like had his kids, like, hey, who do you think we should pick and jayden?
Speaker 1:daniels yeah, jayden daniels right, listen, the kid was probably was spot on, but nonetheless, like I hear also rumors about like, uh, uh, the jets, uh, owner, uh, his kids being involved, right, so it's just kind of like, again, owners are going to do what they want to do, like it's it's their team, right, but like it's it's crazy. Like when that happens, like we're, we're, we're all we're human beings or emotional beings, right. Like if the culture sucks and the people that are leading suck, like who's going to? Why are you going to want to be part of that? Like, you want to be around people and you want to be around coaches and leaders that are going to move you in the right direction. You don't want to be in an organization where you know your owner comes down as the first one to talk on the mic after the game and then there's a lot of confusion on whether or not who's leading this team. Is it the coach or is it the owner? And if it is the owner, does he really have a grasp on what the hell is going on or is he just the owner? So I think a lot of people, really a lot of players, I would think, especially for a team like the Cowboys, where the owner's heavily involved.
Speaker 1:Why would you want to go there? If it's strictly money, then I get it, or an opportunity, I get it, but why the hell would you want to play there? Why would you want to coach there? But why would you want to play there? There's a million other places that you can go that you respect the coach and know that you're going to play your heart out for them, which, in the end, is going to produce better results, and that goes anywhere. That goes just in life.
Speaker 1:In general, it's like you want to put yourself around and join teams that are going to move you in the right direction, they're going to support you and that you respect the leadership and that your values align. Because if your values don't align, like you're not going to run through a brick wall for that person or the other people on the team Right, like if everyone's got their own agenda and it's it's. You know, 20 to 30, 40 individuals as opposed to one team. That's a recipe for disaster and I feel like the majority of these teams that have those difficulties or those obstacles fit that mold and it's unfortunate, but you've seen it.
Speaker 1:I think Dan Campbell's done it in Detroit. I feel like Dan Quinn is doing it obviously in Washington. I feel like there's other coaches that are really going in there and emphasizing culture. That's why I thought Deion would be such a great fit for the Cowboys, but you know, obviously he probably doesn't want to go there because he knows what he'd have to deal with. So you know, it just is what it is. Culture is a big deal, oh for sure.
Speaker 2:And it confuses me how, in Jerry Jones' situation, he made his money through oil, I believe and he's been very successful. He has had a team that at one point was very successful. He fired Jimmy Johnson after winning back-to-back Super Bowls. But how can't you see that there's a chance that you're a part of the problem. There's a chance you're a big part of the problem, so why wouldn't you be able to have that awareness and make some changes so that you can help your franchise this thing that you love be successful?
Speaker 1:Yeah, uh, ego, probably, oh for sure, you know.
Speaker 1:So, ego, yeah, like I'm not gonna have anyone tell me what to do. I've, I've had this, you know, I've had success so far and despite what, I mean, listen, there's no short of it, there's no, he knows, it's not like he's blind to the fact that he's, but he don't care, like if he, if he really cared, he would maybe make the effort to make a change, or someone in his circle, like his son or or his family, would be like, hey, we just need to do things differently, because this is just not working. But first of all, the team gets inherently, just gets an overabundance of attention. So, no matter what you do or what you say, it's going to get blasted. And especially for a guy like Jerry Jones, anything he says or does, people are just waiting. There's those teams out there and those people out there. I think George Steinbrenner was like that for the Yankees years ago, like they just wait for him, though him, to open his mouth and they're ready to pounce right and say something stupid because they just don't like the guy.
Speaker 2:Well, jerry, reading this wrong, it feels like he's more unaware than he doesn't care. It seems like he doesn't even consider the fact that it's him.
Speaker 1:I disagree. The only reason why I disagree with that, asante, is because there's enough people around him that are smart at football, that know and would be in his ear or are in his ear about things Right. But you think about it. Sometimes certain actions leave clues, right, or certain things leave clues. When he said he was all in last year and did nothing, it seems to me that he's the only person.
Speaker 1:There's other people that are in his circle that say, hey, jerry, I think we should really start thinking about these guys.
Speaker 1:In order to stay competitive with what's going on in the league. It's not just about what you're doing in house, but you got to be aware of what's going on in the league. It's not just about what you're doing in-house, but you got to be aware of what's going on in order for you to be competitive with other teams, right. So if these guys are, if he's not making an adjustment or refusing to, and just like I'm going to do it my way and in the end, sante and this is the last I'll say about this is like it all comes down to dollars and cents. Like he built a billion dollar stadium, but he's making a lot, he's he's pouring that stadium out. He's selling everything he could possibly sell in that stadium. He's the tours, everything. He's smart, he's smart. And again it comes down to like from a businessman's perspective he's winning, but and it doesn't matter even if it's at the expense of not putting a really good product out in the field I get that is the legacy he's gonna lead.
Speaker 2:I feel like there are probably people around him that understand that their input doesn't matter. So sure, he may be surrounded by smart people, but smart people who don't speak up and it's like it doesn't matter who's there. But yeah, that is the fate of the Cowboys. And hey, all best luck to John Hammer. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And one thing, too, I will say is that do you know how people are often fearful around people in power and leadership? Like sometimes when, either where they work or you're, or there's like the CEO, you know you're working for a corporation, the CEO walks through the door, or something like that, and says, like you're inherently like, there's like a fear I don't know if it's a fear of I'm going to get fired or I'm going to lose my job, or if I say the wrong thing I'm going to get blackballed, or whatever the case may be, I don't want to be that guy. I think a lot of people are just fear. I think that's the case with Jerry Jones.
Speaker 1:I think that what happens is that I think people just don't. They're not going to say anything to the guy. They're like you know, hey, all right, jerry, whatever you want. And that's why a guy like Schottenheimer, coming in, is the perfect fit. He's already been part of the system, he knows what's going on, he's not going to make waves, he's going to listen to what Jerry has to say. Jerry will ultimately coach the team from a distance and that'll be they found someone who's going to fall in line and be a good soldier.
Speaker 1:Yeah, agreed, so you know. Another thing too I want to talk about football-wise is you got a chance to watch the games last weekend? Yeah, of course, of course. So one of the guys taking a lot of heat from last weekend's games is Baltimore tight end, mark Andrews.
Speaker 1:And you know, this stuff comes around once in a while when there's like big losses in sports and big time games and I think it's such horse shit and it just it bothers me because there's these fans out there that literally are the true meaning of the words, they're fanatics and they're they're making death threats toward, towards mark andrews and his fiance or his wife and stuff like that, because he dropped two important passes in the game, and especially the one at the end when they could have tied the game for the two-point conversion, because it was pretty much a catchable walk-in touchdown or fall-in touchdown, whatever. And listen, how many times have we done something that we've messed up right? We've done something stupid that we're embarrassed of that and and we've and it's and we let it linger. Either we let it linger or we let it, or we just hold on to what other people think about it for way too long and it impacts us mentally and it impacts us from moving forward. And I think you know it's unfortunate, but like what's? What the hell is wrong with people, man, that they got to sit there and like it's it's, in the end it's a football game but two. It's like and I say this a lot there's not one thing in any sports game that contributes to a loss or a win. It's a combination or a series of things that have to take place that produce that result Right. So it's not one drop, it's not one pass, it's not one run, it's not one misfield goal, like there had to be a series of things to get you in that position, to make that situation that important that it needed to happen, right. And then it puts all the pressure on that one play, that one kick, and if it doesn't work out, then all of a sudden you chastise the person or persons involved and it's not about that. There's so many things that had to happen.
Speaker 1:I helped coach out, I coached my son's baseball team last year and I told these kids I'm like listen, don't be afraid to strike out, don't be afraid to make an error, don't be afraid, because kids would get so upset when they would see that when it came down to a really close game and the result wouldn't go their way, they would automatically look for blame. Who's to blame? The pitcher walked, the guy scored the winning run, he let up a home run, he let up a base hit, the kid made an error or whatever. And I say listen, when it comes to losing and winning, not one thing determines the outcome of the game. And even with winning, it's not like hey, listen, we won this game because of one home run. No, you put yourself in a position where you could create that scenario which can potentially make that happen, that positive result happen. So I just think, shame on people who are sending death threats and commenting on Mark Andrews.
Speaker 2:Come on, yeah, that's 100% inexcusable and wildly unnecessary for people to get that up in arms, to make threats against him and his family, especially for people who will never understand what it's like to be in that situation, don't understand the pressure that it takes to get there, don't understand the preparation that it takes to even get into that situation, and people will quickly forget how incredible Mark Andrews has been for his whole career. People may not know this, but he is the all-time leading touchdown getter for Ravens organization. So he has produced massive for the whole entirety of his career. So he didn't come through in this game specifically and people are upset about the drop on the two-point conversion. I mean tough ball to catch, very cold. So even if he does make that catch, the Bills had a minute and a half with two timeouts and even though he didn't catch it, they were only down two. So if the Ravens' defense gets a quick stop, then they have an opportunity to win the game. So honestly, I think odds are Bills win that game whether he catches that ball or not. Win that game whether he catches that ball or not.
Speaker 2:One of the things that comes along with being in such a high profile position is you're going to get a lot of public accolades and praise, but you're also going to get a lot of shame.
Speaker 2:This is kind of the inverse of what we were talking about with Aaron Rodgers' statement of if I only won the super bowl, could I ever love myself? And it's like from from his statement I really love what he said about. Um, I'm trying to read through a statement right now, but here we go. It says I refuse to let this situation define me, which is an awesome perspective because, yeah, it didn't go right, but that doesn't define the entirety of his legacy as a football player and as a person, because he has also brought a whole bunch of awareness to type 1 diabetes. And what's cool about bill's mafia culture is they made a huge, collectively made a huge donation to his foundation. I think they raised over 30 grand for it. So that's awesome, but yeah, I it's annoying when fans get all up in arms about something that they themselves will never have the opportunity to experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know what? Historically, I think, no matter what you do, people always remember the times you failed more so than the times you succeeded. Remember the times you failed more so than the times you succeeded. I could tell you that you know you could do a million things right. You do one thing wrong and it cancels out all those million things you did Right and it just and that's the that's a perception thing I mean the people who truly know you and truly care about you and truly know who you are and what you do and what you, what you give it.
Speaker 1:It. That's not the case. But, like the majority of people nowadays, society, wise, like you can do a million things, great. Like you can you can cure diseases, you can give to, you know you can raise money, you can, you know whatever. But you drop that pass, forget it. Like you're, I'm gonna, I'm gonna it's, it's insane. No one ever said this crap was rational, asante. No one said people were rational. People are irrational all the time and it's easy for people to comment on things because that's what we do, that's what people do yeah, I get that, but just the death threats like that is something that I will never understand.
Speaker 2:How, something that absolutely does not affect your day-to-day life him dropping that pass didn't affect your ability to put gas in your car. Him dropping that pass didn't affect your ability to eat that more. You know what I mean? It's like that had absolutely nothing with your, had nothing to do with your day-to-day livelihood outside of your emotions and your fandom. It did nothing to you. So for you to even make threats like that is so. I can't understand why people feel the need to go to that lengths for like like you will never meet these people for the most part. Like you have zero connection to this team outside of you, live in the general radius or have been a fan of them.
Speaker 1:Like there's no reason for you to get that upset about this yeah, you know what, asante, that's why we love you so much is because you're such pure of heart. You know what I mean. Your perspective is so pure of heart because I gotta tell you, have you ever seen some of the fans that go to these games? I mean, come on, like you, get on social media. There's, it's, it does have channels for just fans getting into fights at these games, like that's all people do. They drink and get into fights. Like I refuse, I, I cannot take my kids to a game, especially a football game. I cannot, I can't do it, dude, I can't. First of all, I wouldn't, I'm not gonna spend the money, uh, and the time to go to a football game and deal with all these knuckleheads acting like idiots, like I refuse to do it, like I won't, I won't do it. So these are the same people that are making those threats that you're talking about. I'm like, come on, bro, like you, just stop well, people didn't understand.
Speaker 2:even if your favorite team wins the Super Bowl, it doesn't give you a life anymore. 100% 100%.
Speaker 1:But you know, hey, they call them fanatics for a reason.
Speaker 2:That's true, but reel it in, like reel it in, there's no. You can be upset and talk about the play and like, oh, how could you drop that bat? Like okay, understandable, but once it gets off the football field and you're making threats like that is 100% on the exam.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I want to give you an example real quick. So, probably like several months ago, I was at a travel baseball game with my kids. Right, my sons were playing, he, my, my sons weren't up to bat, but there was a kid up to bat and he, the pitcher, throws the ball and it comes close to hitting the guy, like the kid and the kid and there was some, there was some. It was a close game and there was some runners on base and someone from some adult, older adult, yelled from the stands hey, you got to wear that one. You know what I mean? You got to lean into it so you can get hit. So take it. And I look at this guy and I'm thinking I'm like you, son of a bitch, dude, why don't you get your old ass out there and put yourself into a 60 mile an hour pitch right? And see, yeah, you got to wear that one. Like it's easy for you to say you dope, like sitting in the, in the, in the uh stands like I'm like, come so again.
Speaker 1:Like I see it and I hear it and I'm just like, yeah, I'm not surprised like people say stupid shit all the time yeah, that's what the whole fan thing is like.
Speaker 2:You will never understand what it's like to even be in that situation. You don't know the pressure, the emotion, the weight of the moment like you don't experience that. So, without trying to empathize for a moment about that, is crazy. And then for all the ravens fans who talk trash, to see the juxtaposition of the Bills fans donating to his organization, it's like if you really loved this player, this person who's given you so much joy throughout the years maybe not today, but why didn't you go support this person's foundation? Yeah, I agree Support a player for your favorite team's foundation who is doing great stuff in the community outside of football yeah, I don't know again.
Speaker 1:Can't expect irrational people to be rational asante just can't just can't.
Speaker 1:Hey, you know. What I do want to say on the football note is this may be the first year. I may have said this last year, but this may be the first year I don't watch the super bowl in like a long time. So, depending on the results, the results will have already happened by the time this podcast comes out. But if the Chiefs and Eagles are playing for the Super Bowl, I promise you, I swear on my children, I will not be watching the Super Bowl this year. I will not be watching. It is hands down.
Speaker 1:I am so tired of the kansas city chiefs, and you know what I have. I'm unapologetically saying this. So if you're a chiefs fan, I do not apologize to you. Uh, I am so over the chiefs like I can. I do not want to see the chiefs anymore. I don't want to see travis kelsey anymore. I don't want to see taylor swift anymore. I don't see patrick mahomes flopping like he's playing basketball, like like he's LeBron, like I am done.
Speaker 1:You're in the brain. Yeah, no, lebron is involved. Flops like a champ In Hollywood, no less. So perfect, but nonetheless, like I can't. And the referees For someone? You have to be completely blind to not see what's going on Teeing like? The Chiefs are a good team. Do they need to be teed up anymore for success? Does the league really need to tee them up anymore for success? And I understand and this is going to be a little conspiracy theorist coming out of me that, hey, I understand it may be in the league's best interest to see the kansas city chiefs in the super bowl, for many, many reasons of course I mean listen, we're gonna.
Speaker 1:I mean it's, but to see, to see what's going on. It's happened all year, sante. I've seen coaches that will shouldn't even be calling timeouts get the opportunity to call a timeout. Spagnuolo called a timeout that he shouldn't have called and it was loud, like that's just one of a million examples. The games this weekend it's like I knew it going in because of the history this year of the chiefs and I couldn't believe it. Like it continues. It's like it's how stupid do they think people are? Like we're just going to continue and I guarantee you, by the time you hear this podcast, there will be something else that happened in those games this weekend that you'll be like there you go, perfect and and the conspiracy theory, conspiracy theorists out there are all going to party thinking, yep, this is the truth. League wants the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl and if the Eagles make it, oh my God, I'll watch. I don't know, I'll watch Yellowstone on repeat for the whole weekend.
Speaker 2:So why are you against the Eagles making it Well? First of all, the Cowboys.
Speaker 1:Yeah and I don't know. Well, first of all, yeah and and I don't know, I'm not a fan of you, oh no. But listen, to be honest with you, I like jayden daniels, like and I like dan quinn, former cowboys coach, like I. If I had to choose, like I, I think and again, it's a, it's a culture thing. I respect the culture there. I respect dan quinn as a coach, as being a fan, and, yeah, I, I would, oh god, I would rather see the, the redskins, more than the Eagles, but if it turns out to be Eagles, kansas City, forget it. I'm going to make a prediction to Asante just before you speak. I guarantee you, like, I think it's going to be a, I don't know. I want to say I think it would be a very low or lower viewership this year.
Speaker 2:But then again, I just you know, with Taylor Swift being being involved, maybe you'll get some non-football fans. That'll boost the views. I'm right there with you. I think this is probably the first time I have really been hoping a team loses. I really don't want the chiefs to get there.
Speaker 2:I'm kind of split between I think the bills can beat the chiefs they've beat them in the regular season a bunch of times, just never in the postseason recently but if the Bills don't beat the Chiefs, I want the Eagles to beat the Commanders, because I don't think the Commanders can beat the Chiefs but I think the Eagles, with that defensive line, can.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I agree, I feel like the Chiefs have really been propped up in a way where it's almost not even subtle, where it seems like we all see the disparity in some of the calls that they're getting but we're supposed to pretend like we didn't see what we actually saw. So I I really hope the bills pull it off. I think that'd just be a great story in general Josh Allen being able to get over the hump, beating the Mar and my homes and the same year on the way to a super bowl, getting able, being able to redeem the failures of Buffalo bills past. So I think the bills winning it would be a great story and selfishly I don't want the conversation to shift to. Are the Chiefs the greatest dynasty of all time? That is the pay-for-it. Yeah, and it should always be.
Speaker 1:Well, first of all, you have skin in the game, so that's so you're a little biased, but nonetheless, yeah, no, and I, and I think even if they were to get to the Super Bowl this year and win, I wouldn't agree with that per se. But I, I gotta be honest, like it's, it's a mess, like I mean really, like the Chiefs Come on. Like I am so pushing for the Bills, I hope the Bills win. I don't care if I offend any Chiefs fans, whatever Too bad. But like I'm just saying, like I cannot bear to watch it, especially if there's more of the shenanigans that go on again. Like just please stop, please stop, please stop, please stop. And then, uh, this, I think the bill skins or bills sorry, uh, not skins, but commanders. Uh, I just hope that. Yeah, I just hope that happens. I would like to see that. Yeah, I think so too. Um, but you know, I don't know, I think that would be the most electrifying matchup commanders versus bills.
Speaker 2:I feel like that would be a light show, because Commanders don't have a great defense and Bills are really banged up on in the secondary. So Jade would probably light it up, josh would probably light it up and we would probably see one of the most exciting bowls in a long time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree with that. That's a Super Bowl I would watch. I would watch that Super Bowl If it turns out the other way. No way in hell I'm watching the Super Bowl, no way.
Speaker 2:The NFL could just get Taylor Swift a box anyway, just like Pandora. Or they could just Pandora at home, just choose making coffee and then just like, do a quick shot to Taylor Swift waving. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, we just wait. Wait till all the swifties say, uh, kansas city, when they win a travis, kelsey is going to propose um to taylor's. I don't even know about that narrative. Oh no, I didn't. I don't even know if it is out there yet, but I'm just putting it out there. I'm just putting it out there because that's how things go. A griff tv be great for tv viewership would be. Oh, through the, through the roof. Oh yeah, that's what I'm saying. Please someone argue with me why the league wouldn't want Kansas City in the Super Bowl. If there is one person out there, please reach out to us. I'd be more than happy to have you on this podcast. You could tell me why you feel that the Chiefs are not really. The NFL doesn't want the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, they just want to see it pan out the way it pans out. Yeah right.
Speaker 2:I think the Bills have a great shot to knock them off. I'm rooting for them.
Speaker 1:Oh, also, too, if you are a conspiracy theorist with sports, check out that Donahue with the NBA, the crooked ref. That was a really, really, really good documentary and I think it could really open your eyes to the influence, uh, over certain results and what can happen yeah, I saw a clip of him talking about alan iverson.
Speaker 2:Uh, maybe, like went at a ref previously and then essentially the group of refs decided that he just wasn't getting fouls called for him anymore and just actively chose like when he would drive to the hoop, get hacked, they wouldn't call anything. So it's crazy to see how much influence can be easily exerted on the outcomes of NFL games. For sure, but to see it play out in basketball do you think that that exists in pro football?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I I hear the talk of like NFL is rigged. I don't know if it's rigged, but I know it is easily rigable. The refs have such a large impact on the way things are called the potential turnover that gets overturned. That would have given a team life and momentum, but they decide to keep it in the hands of the other team. It is very rigable and maybe, who knows, it's above. I've never ascended to the level where that kind of conversation would even be floating by me yeah, watch that documentary.
Speaker 1:that documentary is is really good, really good. I I someone turned me onto it and I'm like I got to watch this. I saw it. I think it was on Netflix. I saw it and I'm like, yeah, I'll get to that whatever, but it's a really really good documentary and it really opened my eyes to some of the stuff back then because I'm a Knicks fan, so I was thinking about those were the days when you had Iverson Jordan. It was just like there was a lot of things going on. It was just really eye-opening. I won't spoil it for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, check out the full document.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's good. It's really good Anywho. So, with that being said, anything else that you feel is trending or worth chatting about, that we haven't touched on today.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of things going on in the world. I mean, I don't necessarily know if we should talk about it, but my only message is just trust your gut, trust your gut. I feel like we are in the age of you didn't just like we were talking about with sports, like you didn't see what you saw, you didn't hear what you heard, you shouldn't think what you thought. I think it just goes back to just trust yourself.
Speaker 1:All right, so now you got to expand on it, cause I have no idea what you're talking about.
Speaker 2:I mean, elon Musk is a bit of a goober, so I guess he had a a little fit where he just couldn't control his body. And for anybody to say they saw what they saw, it's crazy to think they, you know. I mean that's like it feels like the spin of everything is so heavy that there is no rational side one way or another. If you think he did make that gesture, you're crazy. You think he didn't make that gesture, you're crazy. So we're in this era and that's why I said just trust your gut, don't try to look for validation. I mean, it's just, it's weird right now.
Speaker 1:It is weird. Why do you think people would see be? Why do you think it's so upsetting for people? I understand why it's upsetting for people, so, before you jump on that, what I said all I'm saying is I understand why people would be for people, so before you you jump on that, what I said all I'm saying is I understand why people would be upset, a hundred percent. But like what is the point though? Like what is, what is, what is the end game to that? Are they looking to just have more it to gather some really good, negative, whatever it is about elon and just like, uh, really set this negative tone for elon being associated with donald trump? Like what is really the end game to to people jumping on that, what he did, bandwagon?
Speaker 2:I don't think there's an end game to it, but it's just like it is. It is what we saw, right, I'm pretty sure, when it, in football terms, that was a teach tape, that was like that's what coach would. Coach wants to show a young player how it's done correctly by the book that was teached. So I mean it's not to, there's no agenda behind it, but it's like it is what it is, yeah, and to pretend that it isn't is I mean.
Speaker 1:I'm confused. Yeah Well, it is confusing and I get it, but you know, I don't know. You know, I don't know. That's that's, that's going to be my new bumper sticker I'm going to put on my car. You know, I don't know.
Speaker 2:No one knows nothing.
Speaker 1:No one knows nothing anymore. I don't. You know what it is it's. It's it's when it, when you deal with politics and religion, people go to war for those things as religion, people go to war for those things Asante, people go to war. It gets worse when politics becomes religion.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and I understand and listen, the fact that we're in a country where you have an opinion and you could speak your mind is huge, right, and listen, that's what makes us very unique is the fact that we can have these great opinions of ours and are allowed to talk about it. Right, and you know, I think sometimes it's a matter of, uh, irregardless. I think you know what's interesting is. I think sometimes some people, um, know that like, yeah, I could see it from that person's perspective, but they refuse to acknowledge it because they feel like they'd be going against. You know their cause or their.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean and I and I think that's the tough part Like, I think there's, I think if more people were open thinkers and really kind of maybe thought more so about like, yeah, I can understand it from that person's perspective, do I agree with it? You know, probably not, but I definitely could understand it. So I'm like, um, yeah, I think if we more were open to what other people had to say, without immediately looking to condemn what they have to say, getting angry about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's no room for trying to see someone else's perspective. It's the other person who you disagree with. Their perspective is wrong, no matter what, no matter how logical it may seem, no matter how their position may deep down sympathize with what you're going through, you may resonate with different parts of their argument or their belief, but because they aren't on your team, you can't even acknowledge them. Even acknowledge them. So that leads into a lot of disingenuous arguments, disingenuous conversations, painting people as evil and at the end of the day, just it gets nowhere and no one understands each other.
Speaker 1:but maybe that's the point yeah, maybe it is, man, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Just be careful where you spend your energy and time yeah, no, you should spend your energy and time watching this tim donaghy documentary and even more so listening to this podcast.
Speaker 1:Let's share it. Yeah, I mean listen, there's enough negative stuff out there like listen to a couple guys. I want to talk about real positive stuff and you know, I could put a positive spin on something, as opposed to putting a negative spin on something which you could find pretty much everywhere. So, hey, whatever you want to do, if you want to, if you like the negative stuff, by all means go out there and find it. It's easily, easily found. So, all right, asante, that's all I've got. I hope, uh, you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. I hope everyone listening enjoyed it, and please give us a follow on youtube at the white tiger pod, I believe it is on youtube and share the episode with somebody. You think someone like this, you think it's worth their drive, their 40 minute drive to work, or taking kids to sports, or grocery shopping, folding laundry the list is endless. But if you find that there's value in it, please share it with somebody. We appreciate it. So that's all I got.
Speaker 2:See you next time.
Speaker 1:See you next time.
