Boundaries, Bud Heavy, And “Please Hire Our Moderator” Because We Can’t Stay On Topic

What happens when your franchise quarterback becomes the franchise decision maker? We dig into Atlanta’s bold move to put Matt Ryan over football operations and why a clear chain of command might be exactly what the Falcons have needed. We talk fit, risk, and the hires that will make or break this reset—an experienced GM, a head coach with a defined identity, and coordinators who can translate vision into weekly execution.

From there, we widen the lens to the playoffs. Rams-Panthers gave us a masterclass in January football where probability models collide with momentum, field position, and feel. We unpack why some fourth-down calls age poorly under pressure and why balanced teams with clean situational habits travel in cold weather. Then we preview the divisional slate—Caleb vs Stafford heat, chess matches on the sideline, and the matchups that matter more than the seeds.

We also step into the NBA for a real talk moment on lines you don’t cross. The Luka–Schröder dust-up is a reminder that words have weight and respect is currency—on the court and beyond the tunnel. That theme flows into a critique of Memphis’ rumored teardown: small markets can’t keep chasing novelty over nurturing a nucleus, a lesson Atlanta fans know too well. Finally, a quick hit on Falcons branding and new jerseys—because identity isn’t just on the field; it’s in the look, the logo, and the standard you set every day.

If you’re here for smart football talk, honest culture takes, and picks you can actually use, you’re in the right place. Subscribe, share with a Falcons fan who needs hope, and drop your take: did Atlanta just find its identity or double down on nostalgia?

Transcript

Cold Open: Sponsors, Boundaries, And Banter

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Are we doing Parlay Pete?

SPEAKER_03 0:27

We are doing fantastic. How are we doing today, Lee?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Man, not too bad. Not gonna lie to you. I should have talked to you about I should have had multiple conversations about this a while back. Uh had a potential sponsor conversation. Okay. I was sitting here drinking this here uh Budweiser, and I was like, how dope would it be for us to be like this show brought to you by Bud Heavy? You know?

SPEAKER_04 0:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

And then I was like, oh shit. My cousin did talk to me about a sponsorship for his uh accounting company.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

I don't see why not.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

And he listens to the show, so like I we're in a group text. My bad, dog.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

Sounds like a match made in heaven. This sounds like something that should have been in pre-production, though.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

It definitely is, but I I I had to thought and I didn't want to lose it. So instead, I opened with it. Sorry guys for talking behind the scenes business to open up a show. That's so tacky of me.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

It's very tacky of you.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Probably as tacky as this jersey I have on, huh? I don't think there's anything tacky about that.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

Isn't that the most popular Falcon of all time? I could be wrong. I think people think he is.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Some would say maybe the most impactful Falcon of all time.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

Maybe.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Some might even say the best of his position of all time.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Hey. Guess it depends on what football you like to watch, you know? Winning or, you know, just exciting plays, or you know, you know how that stuff goes.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Yeah, no, I just wanted to put on a uh a Falcons quarterback jersey today. Because we are back to reality, back to life, back to reality, you know. And uh this is the only Falcons quarterback jersey that uh has ever graced my body. Yes, for many reasons, and Matt Ryan, me not wearing your jersey has nothing to do with fandom, it's much worse, and I won't tell you why.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Is it because he's white?

SPEAKER_01 2:42

No.

SPEAKER_03 2:44

So then what would you say the reason is? If it's much worse, how could it be worse? If it's not that, it can't really be that, it can't be worse, I guess is what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Or maybe it's just something I don't feel comfortable discussing.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

I thought that this was the Washington Winning podcast. When did when did we start not being comfortable talking about things?

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Well, when I had to place a boundary to protect my peace.

SPEAKER_03 3:10

Okay. I won't take it any further than that.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Hey, I I didn't do this on purpose, but do you see how awkward that is to actually say to somebody in a conversation?

SPEAKER_03 3:24

Say what?

SPEAKER_01 3:26

I put up a boundary to protect my peace.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, that's hey, it's 2026, Lee. That's the world that we live in.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Unfortunately. Yeah, it is. And yes, it's okay to put up boundaries and protect your peace, but there are ways to communicate that that are just more conversational and don't make things awkward and weird, and just be like, hey, I don't want to talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

It's a it's a it's a direct cutoff of it without any type of explanation, which is why the explanation was asked to begin with, because it's like, well, I want to understand.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Yeah, like, hey, I'm trying to under get to know you better. Understand what's going on in your brain, but you are putting up a boundary. Can I be a moderator? Uh, what do you look like? What do you what are your what are your skills? Have you moderated before? We're definitely looking for a moderator. But if we're being honest, we're looking for a woman that uh to moderate the show. And Nora definitely comes off as a woman. And we're looking for a nice looking woman who knows her stuff.

SPEAKER_03 4:32

Translation, do you have a fat ass and a nice face or big titties? No, that's essentially that's really what you ask when that you start.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

You don't have to have all of those things. We're just looking for a nice looking smart woman to help up keep us on track. Yeah, so yeah. Hey, so hit me on a period underscore C period uh two on Instagram. This is funny to me, but yeah, a period of the comments and view anyone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I should probably yeah, just yeah, hit us, leave your IG or something in the comments so we can reach out to you and see if we can get something arranged.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Nonetheless. Um buddy. Yeah, Falcons first, huh? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

We are all here to do my Falcons.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

Yeah. Um obviously we spoke about last week being in that because last week was our first show of the year, right? So um naturally with the NFL season progressing, now you get into interviews and hold on a second.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

No, no, we don't need all of that.

Falcons Announce Matt Ryan Over Football Ops

SPEAKER_03 5:58

Yeah, not that kind of word. Just drop your Instagram, or I guess Lee gave you his DM him, whatever. We'll we'll do it from there. Yeah. But nonetheless, um, yeah, you got the Atlanta Falcons making a big move. We officially made um Matt Ryan, the team president, uh, or president of football operations, I guess is actually what the title actually is. It's not team president, it's football operations. And um I think this was the step, this was something that we knew that was inevitable um and that we knew was going to be coming. Um and hold on one second.

unknown 6:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

Um, we knew that this was coming, and basically, I guess the idea of bringing back the prodigal son to the organization that he feels like he let down, that it in my opinion, I think that it eats at him that he did not get that Super Bowl. And obviously everybody likes to talk about it, and that's kind of his lasting legacy, which it really shouldn't be, but that is kind of what people think of when they see him. Um, we bring him back to basically be the decision maker, right? And I think that my favorite part of bringing him back is now we know the structure of the organization. It's always been kind of a question of, well, whose decision was this? Does that not kind of feel like what it's been over the past five or six years? Who made this decision? Who drafted Kyle Pitts? Who traded this pick? Who decided to pay cousins, but also draft Penix? Who's the decision maker? I think bringing Matt Ryan into this capacity, we now know who the decision maker is.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

He sets the culture.

SPEAKER_03 7:37

Exactly. And there's gonna be collaborative effort, of course. So whoever the GM and coach are, we know that they're gonna have their hands on it, but now we have somebody to point the finger at and say, it was Matt Ryan's decision. Fire him. He's the problem. Fire him or give him his flowers. Say, man, he's doing a hell of a job. He should be executive of the year or something. You know what I mean? We will have these answers. And so um I can't think of anyone that would have been a better Falcon to bring in to do this job than him. Um and then the fact that he's not that far removed from the game is another thing. And then the idea that, you know, a lot of people consider the Falcons' job being the most attractive job. This idea that we've got somebody that's coming in that played the quarterback position, so leader on the team, certainly knows how to take the scrutiny, but also knows how to take the praise. And then, of course, that being the one thing that a lot of people look at the Falcons and say, if there's an issue with that job, that is the issue right now. It's quarterback, right? That would be what some people would say. I am still on the Penix bandwagon. I don't think that I can't give up on him yet. I don't understand how why everybody's saying that. Injury is a concern, obviously, because it's the third ACL injury in five years, but I'm not off the bandwagon on it yet. Like, I don't understand why some people are like they don't have a quarterback. It's like we don't know we don't have a quarterback, you know? Um, but obviously very excited about him getting ready to lead the franchise, and then we've got um hit coaching interview coming up.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Hold on, hold on, let's just stay here on map first.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

Oh, okay. Well, go ahead, Lee. What are your thoughts on this?

SPEAKER_01 9:16

Um, I like it and I don't. I'm okay with it. I'm cautiously optimistic. Um he doesn't have experience in the front office. He's never built a team, he's never had to lead an entire football operation. So that is concerning. Uh, but we'll see when he starts to make the staff hires. He has to hire a gym, he has to hire a coach, and that's gonna tell us a lot. Uh I'm hoping that we go experienced uh to help Matt learn how to be a uh president of football operations while also someone young enough to collaborate properly with the vision. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 10:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Uh and my biggest concern, and it's not even a real concern, it's we bring a big big piece of the stench of 28-3 back into the building. I mean and I know it's in a different capacity, and that this is fan talking. This is not a person who tries to sound like he knows what he's talking about on Wednesdays.

SPEAKER_04 10:46

Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

This is just fan talk, like, dang man. As soon as we get rid of Ra 28 to 3 guy, we bring in Matt, a 28 to 3 guy. Yeah, leave your leave your Instagram in the comments.

SPEAKER_03 11:02

Yeah, that's what we're trying to get done here. Nor, if you see if you're very serious about it, just she says he doesn't uh have an Instagram or whatever, but well Yeah, if you don't have Instagram, you can't be the moderator.

SPEAKER_01 11:15

I'm sorry. I'm prone to believe you're a bot or something. We appreciate the engagement. Yeah, yeah, Facebook. Right, something like that. Back to the show, man.

SPEAKER_03 11:28

Yeah. I just I didn't want to not answer because it's like blowing up the comments, so nice guy. Hey, I try to be.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

But uh yeah, it it it all comes down to the hires for me uh on a serious note, and I guess that takes us two-hour head coaching uh vacancy.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

Which then I'm gonna double back on you here with the head coaching vacancy. Then why would we want LaFleur in there if there's 28 to 30 stitch on him, too? And hell, he he's coming off of a blown lead in a playoff game, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:03

So that's winning percentage to start a career.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

I'm look, I'm with you. He's a he's a he's a damn wizard. You know, he's as close to, I think, Canahan is well, McVay, obviously, but he's he's a top five play caller in the game, no doubt.

Does Experience Matter In The Big Chair

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Yeah, and Ben Johnson is good, and Caleb Williams starting to do that shit he did at USC in the NFL at a high level. Jordan Love could never be that.

SPEAKER_03 12:38

Jordan Love threw five touchdown passes. Or no, four touchdown passes in that game. Uh yeah, yeah, no. He had he had nothing to sneeze at, I guess, is all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

No, no, no. It was nothing to sneeze at but the plays that Caleb was making. Right. It just looked like you understand why Caleb was a number one overall pick.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

Yes. That, and then let's just, you know, one of the things I hated about what LaFleur did, and I know we're we're gonna get to the playoffs, but one of the things that I hated about what he did specifically in that game was he he took his foot off the gas. And they did keep running the ball. They weren't getting any results running it, but every time they threw it, they literally got results. And it's just kind of like, hey, just don't run the ball then. I mean, they're not stopping you from passing it. So let's stop having these empty possessions of run it up the middle on first and second down, then try and make a throw on third down, and hopefully we can move the chains because you're giving them that momentum that they need. You already missed a kick on the way uh into the half. And it just, I don't know, there's a little bit about that that I didn't like, but at the end of the day, players play coaches coach.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

So it's a tough spot, man, because you you gotta eat time to. And what's that balance when the run game isn't going? Because a run play still helps you, even when you get a yard, you know. It may be one of the most uh it may be the toughest coaching spot to be in, especially in a big moment. Having a lead. A big lead. Yeah. Yeah, if you're up, if you're up two scores, you're up ten steadily, it's easy to maintain that. Make it 17, make it 24. You know what I mean? But when you make it, when you make it 21, 17 early, it's hard to maintain that that that those margins because you want to eat clock, you don't want to take chances, but you also need to run your offense so you don't become so damn predictable.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

And then stagnant too to go along with it, but which is what happened with them. Um, yeah. Who do you want us to hire? Like out of what's available today? Harbaugh. I want Harbaugh. Now, with the caveat of knowing is Monking gonna be the OC? Do we get to keep Brick? Because obviously, I think from a the CEO coach is not exactly what I want, but I think for the culture of the organization, that almost it's exactly what you want. You know that you're gonna be a contender next year. Well, maybe not a contender. You're gonna yes, you're gonna be a contender because you're gonna be a playoff team. To me, that's what you get with Harbaugh. He's the best coach available. He's the only, I mean, I guess McCarthy is there too. Outside of McCarthy, he's the only other Super Bowl coach winning coach that's available. Um, that we know of that is directly available. Because Pete Carroll's not, we're not hiring him. Bill is in Chapel Hill.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

Bill's not coming to Atlanta. We we played with him once before.

SPEAKER_03 15:52

Yeah. Well, I think wow, that was a little crazy. Um, I I want our ball. That's who I want. And then as option B, of course, defense game, based on what's available, what we know is available. No day ball for you? No, not to be the headman, no. I think that he's got to put in another year of OC ship. Uh he he how is it that people think that the Giants job is just as good, if not the second best job, to the Falcons' job, but he just had it, and that's what happened. So it's like, no, uh, he's gotta put he's gotta put his lumps in. He'll be a great OC for the Eagles. He'll be a great OC for the Chiefs.

SPEAKER_01 16:31

This is where the media really shows their ass. When we're in the coaching cycle and they're bigging up a job, and they're bigging up a candidate, but that candidate got fired from that job. Yeah. And it was a shit show. I think a Jackson Dart lived in concussion protocol, bro.

SPEAKER_03 16:58

Hey, look, he didn't want him to live in there. That's why he got his ass out there once Russ threw that incomplete pass. He didn't want him to live there, he just did.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

I mean his play call say otherwise.

SPEAKER_03 17:12

Well, I call it reckless abandonment because that's the way that Jackson Dart likes to play.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

You know, coaches are supposed to, you know, protect players from themselves and get the best out of them.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Yeah, but if if you're a quarterback and you don't see anything, because you don't have any receivers that can get separation except Wandale Robinson, you can't throw it away every play. You gotta make something happen.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

And it gets you in the blue tent.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

Yeah, and that's exactly what happened. And, you know, I I don't think Jackson Darn necessarily wanted to be a runner as much as he was this year, but if you remember, there was a game against Minnesota this year where he only threw the ball three times in the first half, and that's with Kalka or whatever his name at as the head coach. But um he's running to that bitch a lot, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

But no, um of what's available, yeah. For me, it'll be harball and Stefansky. I I I've got some worries about Stefansky. I know that he can coach, but I do think he he wants to coach who he wants to coach, not who he has to coach. And that can be problematic because I want a coach who wants to get the his guys in, don't get me wrong. But I also want a coach who coaches his players. Yeah, if they play for said roster, Atlanta Falcons, I want my coach to coach the hell out of them and want what's best for them, uh no matter who they are. And I say that to say Deshaun Watson looked the worst he's ever looked in his life in Cleveland. And then the day Stefansky gets fired, the report comes out, Stefansky didn't want Deshaun Watson. Yeah. In a vacuum, you're like, okay, this means nothing. But then Flacco lights it up. Again, maybe it's Flacco. I don't know. But like, I don't know, I'm not football smart enough to say what the play calling was, right? And I'm not gonna trust anybody to break it down to look for certain things like that. But then you have Shador who's behind Dylan Gabriel, and it's clear and obvious that Shador looked better in the NFL than Dylan Gabriel. He looked better in college, but like it was clear and obvious in the NFL once Shador got to play. And again, I was a guy who said maybe Dylan Gabriel looks better in practice. Maybe Shad you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 19:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

But we know he didn't want Shador, and it starts to be like and shit, this is he ran Baker off too, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

It's like Kevin Savansky. There are players who you know Deshaun looked good before he got to you.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Baker looked has looked better since he left you. Yep. I don't know how Dylan Gabriel was above Shador outside of him being drafted earlier, but when they're both rookies, it doesn't fucking matter. You let them just bump heads.

SPEAKER_03 20:34

Well, you know, and that's where this question comes in too. Now, the reason why Stefanski is over McDaniels for me is because I feel like he's had to go through more adversity. And I would want to deal with a coach that's gone through that. I mean, I want you to think about it. Obviously, we do have an injury-prone quarterback. Stefanski's dealt with it before. He's gamed in game plan with it before. And McDaniels has had to do it too, but with no to no success. You know, when Tua went out last year, you know, when he was throwing up gang signs and shit after he's getting hit, the Dolphins, and it could be obviously the talent at the position. Dolphins still, they fell apart. So I think McDaniel is low-key a better play caller than Stefansky, if I'm being honest. McDaniels is an OC. That's his life. But you know, they're predicting that the Browns, that that's that he that the Browns are gonna be the ones that hire him. That's the prediction right now. He's the betting favorite in Vegas to get the job, and he's actually he's even money. I want you that's a pretty strong indicator. Why does Vegas have him as even money? That's crazy. Do you think it's almost like it's a shoe-in? Do you think he's a good cold weather coach? Uh no, but I mean, he also played with the warm weather team. His scheme, look, you know, he again, he comes from the the Shanahan tree, right? So, like they have that zone scheme running. I mean, you benefited from it in fantasy this year. Um, having the best record in our league, and you're he was your best player, was their running back, right? So um I think that he can do it. And you gotta remember, too, that division, it's basically a change in other guards. I mean, Zach Taylor is the senior coach in the division. I mean, who would have thought, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Continuity used to mean something.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

Yeah, I know, and that's why he's still there. Zach Robinson, that is. It's all about that continuity.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Oh, Zach Robinson's cooked.

SPEAKER_03 22:30

You don't think that they can take advantage of what's gonna for certainly that's gonna certainly be a down year in Pittsburgh, I think, coming up this next year. Um and the Ravens, you know, that's a roster that's aging and kind of in flux as far as I'm concerned, but they'll be the favorite. You don't think that the Bengals can take advantage of that? This this would not be the best year for them to do that this upcoming season.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

I don't trust them as an organization.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

Yeah, because they got Mr. Cheapskate, right?

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Is that what it is? Joe Burrow doesn't seem like he wants to be there. He seemed like he's in his Carson Palmer shit. You know what I mean? Well, you know, maybe that place sucks souls out of superstars, you know what I mean? Like Andy Dalton was happy to be there.

SPEAKER_03 23:22

Andy Dalton was happy because he immediately got to start, and he had AJ Green to go through it with him, which is a help. That's a hell of a receiving option to grow to basically uh uh grow together with.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

The best years of the Bengals in recent history, if we're being honest. Like I know they had the back-to-back, you know, the Super Bowl, then the AFC championship, yeah. Yeah, but like Marvin Lewis had a consistent winner there. He did.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

He's he's uh he's Mike Smith light.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

Mr. One and Done, but hey, hey, he he's gonna get you there. Hey, hey, you get a chance to be done. Yeah. You know? So uh but but back to the Falcons. Uh Stefanski, if he liked our players uh behind behind Harbaugh. After that, if we ain't calling Mike McCarthy, if Mike Tomlin ain't uh Mike Tomlin or LaFleur don't get let go for cheap and hold on.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Yeah, well I I the coordinator guys I was about to say, and and that's exactly that's exactly what I was gonna ask you, because you know, obviously everybody keeps linking Kubiak to us, and you know, I didn't even realize this. You know that Clint Kubiak was in that he was in the Falcons organization at one point. Um not shocked. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

He's he he's it Arthur's cut him a check before, and so of the coordinators, I would prefer him, but I don't want a coordinator. Me neither.

SPEAKER_03 25:02

We're on the same page there. We need we need somebody that has had success as a head coach in the NFL. We need a Dan Reeves, which is it to me, is exactly what John could kind of be. I mean, obviously John's won a Super Bowl, but that to me is what John would be. He would be a Dan Reeves, a consistent winner that brings a culture, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

You know, I'm gonna steal and has something to prove. Uh I'm gonna steal Mike Tomlin's thing. Uh the standard is a standard. I think that's gonna be something I operate with professionally.

SPEAKER_04 25:34

Uh is a standard.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

Yeah, I love it. Yeah. But here's the thing, probably, Pete. Speaking of Coach Tomlin, who stepped down, resigned. We'll talk about that. And LaFleur, who's in these contract, he's in contract negotiations. And long story short, Green Bay's telling everybody, hey, we're not gonna resign this guy, come get him. Don't let him become a free agent. Bro, can we just honor contracts? Do we have to like squeeze every cent out of every fucking dollar? Like, like these guys are are are are taking cents out of billions.

SPEAKER_03 26:16

That's not the American way. Bro, he's still he's still under contract. If he doesn't want to be there, he doesn't want to agree to our extension. Well, then we're not gonna let him walk for free. I'm not mad at that approach. I just think that actually, I am mad at that approach, but it makes sense, I guess is all I'm saying. But my thought is that you're not gonna the the the president has already said that he doesn't like to go into a season on a lame duck year with one year. So to me, it's either work out the extension or fire him. That's why I don't understand why the trade and see and then what if everybody says fuck you on the trade and then now you're stuck with them. So now what are you gonna do?

SPEAKER_01 26:59

Like and that's my my thing. You you're you're trying to get fucking pennies out of a billion. Hey, if you don't want the guy to be here in the future, fucking fire him or let him coach out his contract. Right. Don't make me a pawn in your game just because hey, you don't want me no more. Cool. Respect my contract. Like, if I'm LaFleur, I'm like, hey man, I'm not signing an extension if you trade me.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

Yeah, which is another thing, too, because then it's like, well, what if he doesn't want to coach there? You'd have to find somebody that literally wants him, and the only place that he would want to go. And then at that point, he because he knows he's coming into an organization where you're trying to handicap them of a pick. What kind of pick, what type of conversation do you want? And obviously, in years past, we've seen first-round picks get swung, which nobody's giving up a first-round pick.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

And I would, if I'm LaFleur, I'm telling the team that I want to go to, I'll be there next year. Don't trade this pick. So you want them to uh if I'm LaFleur, I'm gonna try to strong arm back because this does not need to become the precedent. You know what I mean? Like with Mike Tomlin. Uh cool. Yeah, what's up, Vol? Oh, what's up? Oh, my bad. I I don't have to be.

SPEAKER_03 28:24

If you listen in a little bit, we're gonna actually get into the playoffs. Just stick with us. We're just trying to go through the Falcons here real quick.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Uh and what was I talking about, man?

SPEAKER_03 28:33

You're talking about LaFlor and squeezing pennies out of a billion.

SPEAKER_01 28:36

Oh, yeah, and even and even with like Mike Tomlin, right? It's like, hey, he resigned, so they still own his rights for X, Y, and Z period. Let the nigga go. Yeah, you you don't want me here. That's why he resigned. They let him they let him resign so it looks like it's his decision. But nah, because they could have just fired him. Yeah, fire me. Don't don't try to stop me from moving on to where I want to go without damaging them. I understand it's competitive amongst you you owners in the league. But at some point, labor has to stand up for themselves.

SPEAKER_03 29:22

No, I I 100% agree with you. Um and maybe that's something I I'm sure that they they've had in discussion because we only talk about the players' association. We never talk about well, how do what is the coaches?

SPEAKER_00 29:35

You said we only talk about the who?

SPEAKER_03 29:37

The like the NFL PA, right?

Harbaugh, Stefanski, And Atlanta’s Short List

SPEAKER_01 29:39

Like oh that you mean you mean the you mean the owner's union.

SPEAKER_03 29:43

Well, I'm just curious as to how it works with the coaches, because I'm sure that they have their own union, but nobody really ever talks about how the coaches, how does that work?

SPEAKER_01 29:51

You know, like well, we got rid of you know ESP in the magazine, we got rid of you know a lot of the the written stuff and journalists, you know. You think that's sexy? You think Steve could talk about the coaches union for 20 minutes?

SPEAKER_03 30:04

No, I don't think that Steve can talk about anything but Charlie Kirk catching footballs.

SPEAKER_01 30:09

Um let's look at his Twitter search. Yeah, well his YouTube album.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

Let's look at his likes. That's what I want to see.

SPEAKER_01 30:19

But now Steve doesn't like he sends DMs.

SPEAKER_03 30:26

Well, he's gotta catch their eye some way.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

Yeah, he's discreet, you know.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

You think he sends the NDA with the DM?

SPEAKER_01 30:39

No, I think Stephen A probably has somebody do his DMing for him.

SPEAKER_03 30:47

See, you think he's got an assistant that works for him around the clock because that's it's not going on while he's on TV. So that assistant wouldn't I think he's got you saying he has it like almost like a publicist or something.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

I think Stephen A. And I don't know the guy, I've never seen him in person. I I just don't like the way he speaks. You never seen Steve in person? No. I I I think that Steve um over-insulates himself with staff so that when you see Steve, you have to deal with his staff. You know, like like like I can see Steve showing up to ESPN LA with security.

SPEAKER_04 31:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

It's like nigga, this is LA. You know how many rich and famous people live here and just get in their cars and go to work or wherever the fuck they have to go.

SPEAKER_03 31:39

Yeah, there's there's plenty. But again, Steve likes to make it about him, right? I mean, I think we've talked about that in the past on this show, but but fuck Steve first. Let's finish up this Falcons first.

SPEAKER_01 31:50

I'm done. I'm done with the Falcons. I just care about the hires.

SPEAKER_03 31:54

Well, it's looking like obviously, like I said, we got this this trio of what we're hoping is Matt Ryan. It sounds like Ian Cunningham, which it sounds like he's regarded highly in the Bears organization and around the league.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

Ryan Poles, put some respect on his name, dog.

SPEAKER_03 32:10

Hey, and you know another thing, real quick before we hop off of this uh pause, um kidding. Yeah, of course. Um is I think that that's what gives us slightly an edge with Harbaugh, outside of the fact that I don't know, we're so much more fucking talented than the Giants. Is you get to come in with Matt Ryan and whoever the GM is gonna be. Everybody's on the same page. But the Giants, they still got Shane. They still have they still have their GM there. And let Saquon leave. Yeah, and regardless of how much they think that it's gonna align at the end of the day, he has his way of doing things. He's they should have shown him the door, but they weren't gonna do it. And I get it, I guess because they feel like they hit on this draft class or whatever. You know, you got Malik Neighbors, which Malik Neighbors, people talk about fucking uh goddamn Michael Penix. At the end of the day, Malik Neighbors didn't pay played just as many games as fucking Michael Penix damn near has. So I don't, I don't, you know. Michael Neighbors looks better. Michael Pennyx did not look bad. If we look at Michael Penix's numbers, his completion percentage was dog water.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

But that's I don't want to look, I don't want to look at his numbers because I watched most of his games.

SPEAKER_03 33:23

I know, but I'm just saying, even from the outside looking in, if you're somebody that doesn't watch it every Sunday, again, which he shows in the stats, anyways. I think that like he's been in accurate, but outside of that, I don't think that he's he he's he's hot or cold, right? Like he had a great he played, he he bro, he he is who he's who kept us in the Tampa game to start the year, the first game of the year. It was down, right? And then you'll have a game like the Carolina game where you're like, man, what the fuck was that? Like Carolina game number one, that is. Because he got hurt in Carolina game number two, but we were we also had like a 15-point lead in that game, too.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

Bro, Bijan had two nothing games and still had like 2200 yards from scrimmage, yeah, and made two all-pro teams.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

Yeah, all pro first team. But shout outs to while we're on this, because I guess that ad has come out. Shout outs to Bijan for uh all-pro first team. Like, he's gotta be the first Falcons running back. Oh, Michael Turner was probably first team all pro.

unknown 34:22

Yeah, come on, man.

SPEAKER_03 34:23

That that year, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

Oh, the guy who's supposed to come on our show to open the season.

SPEAKER_03 34:27

Yeah, and and and I felt like a part of why he had said what he had said. I've got text messages right here. I think a lot of that had to do with I didn't realize that he was doing the show with Ovi Mahaley. Like, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

No, me neither.

SPEAKER_03 34:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

So it makes sense. I get it.

SPEAKER_03 34:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:45

That was like a fake shot because Mike was a really cool is a really cool guy, and yeah, and the communication was there. And if the nigga never came on the show, it was vibes when when we kicked it.

SPEAKER_03 34:58

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. You got you got Mark race the nigga and shit and saying he could beat him in a foot race, and it's just like okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

Bro, you got a tell of a day. Bro, that was a hell of a day for me.

SPEAKER_03 35:12

Yeah, because you well, I met with you first, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:17

Well, well, I'm talking about how my day ended, and we won't discuss how it ended, but yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_03 35:21

Oh, well, yes, yes, of course. Of course. Um, well, since we're on the NFL, we might as well segue into uh what Fifth River Rat here is talking about. We can talk about that game first.

SPEAKER_01 35:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

Carolina Panthers, LA Rams.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

Rams can't stop the run. Carolina can run.

SPEAKER_03 35:42

Uh Bryce, they look like they couldn't stop Bryce Young to me.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

Well, I was getting there. Shout out to Bryce Young because he killed shit. Uh he's getting a fifth-year option. He went from damn near cut to, hey, he's going to at least get the play out the fifth year. And really, it's going to be talking about it. How good does he look next year? And if he looks good enough next year, they'll probably get that contract done uh uh more than likely after the season. But the win the division, lead them to the playoffs. Uh he played well. Shout out to Carolina, even though I don't like Carolina. But uh the Rams, can the Rams win the Super Bowl? Absolutely. When you have the running attack that they have, when you have the quarterback who's having an MVP level season, hopefully he wins it. You have Puka Nakua playing like one of the best receivers in the league, and Devontae Adams leading the league and receiving that that pass rush. Yeah, the Rams can win the Super Bowl. I mean, they had a hell of a record. Uh obviously did not win the division, but it was super tight. Uh we'll see, man. It's just all about matchups. It all it all boils down to matchups. And um I don't know, but I I like what the Rams are doing. I thought that was a great, uh, great game. Honestly, I know that Carolina won the regular season game. I didn't not expect that game to be that close. And I kind of started rooting for Carolina. I know this is bad as a Falcons fan for me to start to root for Carolina. Uh, but I I've been very critical of Bryce Young since he's been in the NFL. Uh uh publicly and privately. I've said he's not good. I didn't say he couldn't be good. I I didn't say that he didn't have good days, but day in and day out, he was not a good NFL quarterback. Well, he played like a great NFL quarterback in his first playoff game. And I was rooting for the kid because at the end of the day, I want Bryce Young to be good. You know, I don't want him to beat the Falcons. Like, I'm not rooting against Bryce Young, the talent team always. But it was just nice to see Bryce Young look like a guy who got drafted first overall.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

Yeah, I'll say this much. It was um, I'm glad that they made the game entertaining. Although I blame Sean McVeigh a little bit for why the game became entertaining. There's no way you're up 10. Uh under two minutes, you're at two-minute warning. It's a fourth and three. You go for it, you don't get it. First of all, can we stop overthinking these situations where well, yeah, take the fucking point?

SPEAKER_01 38:35

It's well, no, take the points. I'm just saying, but both ways, take the points or punt, like play field position sometimes, don't.

SPEAKER_03 38:42

Yeah, well, especially when this is a winner-go-home scenario, too. And it's just kind of like, well, why wouldn't you just score more points, go up 13? You're already getting the ball to start the second half. I don't, I don't understand. You you do that, you don't give them any momentum. They have to come out and try to drive. Now they're down basically two touchdowns. I don't I don't understand. I don't understand why you wouldn't just take the points. It it wasn't fourth and inches, it was fourth and three. Just kick the fucking ball. And so that's the spreadsheet. You don't have the spreadsheet, man. Yeah, yeah. You know what I do have, Lee? I've got fucking football knowledge of watching this shit. You know what I mean? That's something that I expect to hear out of a Josh Holsey, you know, these these box score, these box score holsies, you know. And so I don't know. It just I'm glad that that it ended up going that way because it did make for a very entertaining game. Maybe the best game, which we had a lot of good. Well, that Bears game was damn good too. But still definitely one of the better games of uh Wildcar Weekend.

QB Development, Media Narratives, And Fit

SPEAKER_01 39:51

Yeah, man, it it was good. Um, real quick on your spreadsheet, guys. You know, the point. Of the game is to score the most points. And here's what I the NBA catches a lot of shit. Because it's a spreadsheet league. Until the playoffs. Then it's a basketball league again. Hey, Sean McVay, it's the playoffs. It's the football league now. Our spreadsheets and our and our probabilities over eight, 17-game season? No, no, no, no, nigga. Every play matters. Every drive matters. Like I was watching the Monday night game and just listening to Peyton, Eli, and Big Ben on the Manning cast just talking about the intensity, the tightness, the you don't want to make a bad play because every like you feel every play mattering. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah. That's what the Manning cast is about. You know, basketball, y'all gotta find a way to do something like this. But ESPN, ABC, uh the Mannings, they do Omaha media productions, whatever. You know, whoever really puts that thing together, if you have a good game in the fourth quarter, you are going to learn some good fucking football listening to the Manning cast. And I know it is hard to turn off Tony and Joe. Oh, I mean, Troy and Joe, golly, fuck Tony. It's hard to turn off Troy and Joe. But just the football shit that they were talking, and then the jokes back and forth with each other talking shit. Like Eli threw out a little.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

I guess you guys are scared to play me. He was like the two years I get in, y'all scared to play me.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

And it's just shit like that. And it's like Eli knows he's not the quarterback that they were. But they all got the same amount of rings, and he beat GOAT in years that they didn't.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

I mean, they had to beat GOAT too. Yeah, yeah. Obviously, not once the Super Bowl, but they had to beat him to get there.

SPEAKER_01 42:31

You know what? This is why I understand Eli Manning in the Hall of Fame, even though I don't agree with it. He can talk shit with anybody. You know, kind of like Isaiah, he's like the positive Isaiah Thomas. Not not as good as Isaiah Thomas. But you know how, you know how Zeke can really be like, yeah, nigga, I beat Magic, I beat Mike, I beat Larry. Like I guess the question is, do we weigh the playoffs more than regular season? The media does. How do you think MJ built up this fucking legacy?

SPEAKER_03 43:11

But that's different. When you're talking about the greats, yes, that's what they compare themselves to, but when you're not a great, does it matter more?

SPEAKER_01 43:21

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 43:23

That the playoffs is the only slide manning the hall of famous. The regular season is the prerequisite. And to me, when you don't have that, we can't we can't really talk much more because you could have a hot, too hot. It's like, okay, what did Jay-Z say about Nas? He said when he's talked about Il Mag, he's like, he's like, he made four albums, 10 years. So he said that's uh every two, every two and a half year average. He's like, one of them was Il Mag, the other two were due. Like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that it that that mattered. We can't, like, just because you have one good season, two, and even in those years, it isn't like I don't know if Eli was a pro bowler in 2007. Or he was never an all-pro guy. He he but I'm just saying, even Pro Bowls. Like, I I still count Pro Bowls from back then because those did matter. If you were a pro bowler, it mattered back in the 2000s. That mattered, but um no, no.

SPEAKER_01 44:20

I I personally, me, a non-voter, totally agree with you. I don't think Eli Manning deserves the conversation. I watched his entire career outside of two playoff runs. The only years he won a playoff game.

SPEAKER_04 44:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

He was never elite. If you're not elite, I don't care what you did in the playoffs, that does not make you a Hall of Famer. Correct. And the only thing is I just want to clarify for anybody who's listened, like listening. The only comparison I was making to Isaiah Thomas Zeke, right? Nothing about their talent and play and performance. Only the fact that when Zeke goes to he can go sit at the big boy table and niggas be like, what you doing here? And he'll look at Magic, Larry, and Mike and be like, y'all talking to me? Right. The only the only little point guard to win a championship? Like real point guard to win a championship. Y'all, y'all, do y'all need to take my glasses off? Yeah. I know y'all don't want me here. That's why I'm here. But I get to sit there. You you know what I'm saying? Like, he can look at a nigga like KD, hey, hey, KD. Hey, OG. Let me let me let me let me let me let me let me sit right here real quick. You see what I'm saying? Yeah, I get it. So Eli, he gets bumped up because of who he beat in the playoffs, the Super Bowl. But nah, Eli is nowhere near the Hall of Fame. Put him in a giant's ring of honor uh because he's a giant great. But it Eli gets into the Hall of Fame because of this bullshit narrative that they sell that you know, quarterback's the most important position in sports and all of that stuff, and building up the quarterbacks, and that's why they pay the quarterbacks all of this money.

SPEAKER_04 46:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

Look at Joe Burrow. Not this past season, but the year before. Joe Burrow had MVP numbers and didn't make the playoffs. But you tell me quarterback's the most important position in sports. Stop. No, it's not. It's not. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl, and I know the NFL is different.

SPEAKER_03 46:48

So did Brad Johnson. I mean, there's guys that have done it that aren't all.

SPEAKER_01 46:54

But look at the Steelers, and we can kind of go into that game or really Coach Tomlin, because that's the only important part of the game. Is Yeah, Mike Tomlin hadn't won a playoff game in 10 years. Mike Tomlin hasn't had a playoff-winning quarterback performance in any of those games. You know what I mean? Ben at the end should have played better. Like that Browns game, we blame Tomlin, but you mean when they were down, what are they?

SPEAKER_03 47:24

They were down 28-0 to start that game, weren't they?

SPEAKER_01 47:26

Yeah, they had like three first half turnovers. Yeah. Like one was a bad snap.

SPEAKER_03 47:31

All courtesy, but yeah, but still all courtesy of the quarterback as well.

SPEAKER_01 47:35

Exactly. And that has nothing to do with coaching, right? And then that quarterback is a fucking Hall of Famer, first ballot, two-time Super Bowl champion, uh Pittsburgh legend. A legend in a legendary franchise, the second greatest quarterback in that franchise's history, a loyal franchise who's only had three coaches, now about to have their fourth. Do you really think they're gonna give Big Ben the boot? Even like Bill Belichick would tell him to go. We know that. Right. But do you think the Steelers were ever gonna like give Big Ben the boot before a contract ended?

SPEAKER_03 48:13

No, there was loyalty there, unlike the Falcons with Matt Ryan. Right.

SPEAKER_01 48:17

So the Steelers are a loyal organization, so they couldn't kick Big Ben out when they needed to. And because Mike Tomlin wins so many fucking games every year, he's never gonna get he wasn't gonna get a good draft pick. And it's hard to get a free agent quarterback to be your franchise quarterback.

SPEAKER_04 48:35

Right.

SPEAKER_01 48:35

So I say all of that to say you say quarterback is the most important position, but the Steelers have performed in the top, I don't know, 10% of the NFL, and they haven't had good elite quarterback play since the killer bees were there. Yeah. So is it really the most important position? I don't know. It's easy to say that to a novice, but it's too many people. It's 22 people on the field at one time.

SPEAKER_03 49:05

There are a lot of variables, but that's exactly why I think that Drake May should be MVP over Matt Stafford because of moments like we had on Saturday where Matt Stafford's going against the Panthers. And I'm sorry, guys, if I just keep shitting on the Panthers. I don't think that they're a good fucking football team. I don't think that Bryce Young ever plays in another playoff game in a Panthers jersey again. That's how bad I think of this organization. And kudos to Dave Canals for getting them there and having them prepare for that game. But there's no reason why Bryce Young. Can we have hired him? Uh what's this? This is year three. This is year two for him. Yes, this is year two for him because Liam Cohen's in year one and they succeeded each other out of coming out of Chamber. But um, yeah, we could have had him. But honestly, I wouldn't have been happy with hiring him because even in our last coaching cycle, we literally talked about how we were like, we need to hire a head coach that has head coaching experience.

Wild Card Weekend: Rams, Panthers, And “Spreadsheet” Coaching

SPEAKER_01 49:58

Yeah, no, I'm I'm I'm just throwing out another coach who made the playoffs that we could have had. I ain't talking about the guy with the MVP and and and and and uh and might win the fucking AFC East in his first year. I mean the AFC in his first year already won a. I'm not talking about that guy that we kicked out. No, no, no. But sorry. Yeah. I'm sorry, I cut you off. I'm rude.

SPEAKER_03 50:22

No, no, you're totally fine. Um that's what she said. But and that's why, again, and I know we'll get to kind of preview it more so. Um we'll have some picks on it a little bit later, but uh just to answer the uh five river uh fifth river rats question can the Rams make it to the Super Bowl? My answer to that is honestly no. I don't think that they're gonna go. Um, and you'll get to hear it in the picks, but I mean, you know, spoiler, I think they're gonna fucking lose this weekend. That's what I think is gonna happen. But I can you do that again? Spoiler. Spoiler. It's true. I I think that they're gonna lose this weekend, but we'll get into that a little bit later. Um, your biggest takeaway from the wildcard weekend, I didn't want to spend too much time, I guess, on this because we everybody knows the results. We got four fantastic games, two shitty ones. Um surprise, Eagles, Kevin Petulo gets canned. Josh Holsey is somewhere. Uh, he's got some champagne on ice that he's gonna get to crack open as soon as he gets to touch land. Um bad football operation there. Uh big shout out to obviously to Shanahan. It's kind of crazy to think that every time he makes the playoffs, he goes to the NFC Championship. And isn't that amazing that he's never lost a wild card or a divisional round game?

SPEAKER_01 51:44

Isn't amazing that he's never won a Super Bowl game. I know, but I'm saying with those statistics, the fact that look here, look here, bro. Fuck Kyle Shanahan and fuck the 49ers.

SPEAKER_03 51:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

I I ain't rocking with either.

SPEAKER_03 51:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

You know, they put my mother. They put they put my daughter in those threads, man.

SPEAKER_03 52:06

Yeah, and I understand that that can be tough, but we're not gonna sit here and act like this guy. Just like how you feel about Sean Payton.

SPEAKER_01 52:15

Oh no, yeah, no, look, if Kyle Shatterhand said, I want to come back to Atlanta, make things right. Come, come. Come on, come on, come on, come on.

SPEAKER_03 52:24

Yeah. Let bygones be bygones, huh?

SPEAKER_01 52:27

Oh, yeah, the bygones are gonna be uh bygone. Shit, nigga. Fuck out of here, you bygones, nigga. Right. Um, but you were asking me my biggest takeaway?

SPEAKER_03 52:39

Yeah, from wild card weekend.

SPEAKER_01 52:43

That the college football playoff is too big. Because college football is trying to emulate the NFL model without the consolidation of talent. Less is more. People hate DEI, right, because they think you're letting less qualified people in. But what you don't understand is no, less qualified people have been allowed to be in for so long that we're trying to balance this out. And if it was always merit-based, it would look different. It would actually, we would, we would not need DEI. Right. Same thing with college football. We don't need less is more. Like in every in every in every part of this world, we are trying to be agile and more efficient, except for the college football playoff. And I know this is not a college football segment, but the point is the fucking Panthers, who we don't think are a good football team and don't think they have a good quarterback, and outside of Tet, who the fuck can he throw the ball to? You know what I mean? Go against the Rams team who almost won the the NFC West and NFC out proper. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 53:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:59

A team with a quarterback who's having an MVP season, a Super Bowl champion, a Super Bowl championship coach, Puka Nakua, Devontae Adams, Kyron Williams, you know what I mean? Like like Jared Verse, like they got they got a team that we before this game considered a Super Bowl contender. I still consider them that. Uh but neither here nor there. And they almost lost.

SPEAKER_03 54:27

They were losing, they were trailing in the final two minutes of the game.

SPEAKER_01 54:31

Motherfucking Indiana has not sweat all damn near all fucking season. You understand what I'm saying? Like semi-final game, they put belt to ass to motherfucking Oregon. Or the way Georgia did T T T U in a Natty that one year. You know what I mean? College was right the way it was because the talent is so spread out. Right. It's not the NFL. It can't be the NFL. So in closing, the NFL is just the best brand. Playoff NFL football is just the best football that is available. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise. And we like to say it gets better round by round, but it doesn't always get better round by round. Like some of the best games are actually this week, divisional week, because the seating matters, the place you play matters, but most importantly, the matchups matter. And the seedings may not speak to the matchups. And that's what you get in the NFL. You don't really get that in college football. Because we don't know because we don't have enough common opponents. Like, like college football, I'm sorry, I want to rant. This is just capitalism. This is not about superior product. It is strictly about how can we make more money. Because they're putting bullshit on TV, but it gets better ratings because you know what? We can't write a fucking good show anymore. You know, all this football is on TV simply because the networks go, hey, we don't have to invest in writers and top-notch actors. We can just pay a fucking gob of slob of money, ESPN ABC, and get all of these fucking games. And we ain't gotta play uh uh, we ain't gotta buy on the rival. We ain't gotta play college basketball on TV. We're gonna get better ratings and more money when we're not getting better football.

SPEAKER_03 56:47

Which interesting take, and I know we're still kind of on the NFL here, but just I have to bring this tidbit in because it uh relates to what you're talking about. What do you think of the idea of because Indiana being the only team in this short span of time that we've had a 12-team playoff, they're the only team to win having the bye week, right? Yeah. What are your thoughts on switching out how they're doing this and having it to where bowl games are played in that first round of games? And then for the when you advance to that next round, for the teams that do have a bye, they get home games to kind of help, you know, weigh this a little different. Because clearly it seems like it's a disadvantage to have that buy.

SPEAKER_01 57:29

It doesn't work for the corporate sponsors. Do you think they want to go to fucking Bloomington? Uh it'd probably be a theme.

SPEAKER_03 57:36

Hell, it was the same here.

SPEAKER_01 57:37

That Oregon game was a fucking no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. What no? So Atlanta is different. Do you think the corporate people want to go to fucking Bloomington? No, they don't want to go to Oregon. They're gonna go to the cities that for one, the airports can support, the hotels situation can support, all of this and that. I get you because you're talking about the spirit of football.

SPEAKER_03 58:03

Yeah, I'm talking about what makes most sense for those teams.

SPEAKER_01 58:06

Well, what makes most sense is Indiana not trotting a fucking semi-pro team out there of college students. Yeah. Goddamn average age is 23 years old, a bunch of grown goddamn men out there.

SPEAKER_03 58:17

Well, you know, there's that, and then of course there's just the idea of I don't know, maybe they just um I don't know, expand it to 16 teams. That way every team plays week one.

SPEAKER_01 58:28

That would be the only reason that I would support expansion, but you know, I'm a four-team playoff guy.

SPEAKER_03 58:35

Yeah. Even though we've got Miami in who's a 10, you know, as the last, the last real team to get in.

SPEAKER_01 58:44

Yeah, but they're probably gonna fucking lose. And Cincinnati's probably gonna beat the shit out of them or Indy, Indiana's gonna beat the shit out of them because Indiana's beat the shit out of everybody pretty much all fucking year. Who? I didn't believe in it. Who's yours? Like, I didn't believe in it because I didn't believe in the competition, but goddamn, they beat the shit out of everybody. You didn't believe in the who, who, who, who's yours? Well, they beat the shit out of Bama.

SPEAKER_03 59:10

Yeah, beat the fuck out of Oregon.

SPEAKER_01 59:11

It's even worse than Oregon. Like, they beat the they beat Ohio State. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 59:20

Like, these niggas just beat everybody. They've been the best team. I hate that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:29

Uh and lastly, I know we're not talking college ball, but I'm I'm so over, and maybe it's me a hurt SEC fan. I'm so hurt, I'm so over the which conference is better because these aren't legitimate conferences anymore. These players aren't investing in a conference, they're they're going team to team every year. It's like 8,000 niggas in the portal. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 59:50

Like it's no longer, it's not regional anymore. Like to where mainly, even in the SEC, very rarely, prior to a guy like two. Right, coming from Hawaii to go to Alabama. Very rarely did you, most of the time, it's like, oh, these guys are from this area. They're from this state. They're from the region.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:12

Yeah.

Manningcast Lessons And Playoff Pressure

SPEAKER_03 1:00:12

Now it's not that. Now it's no surprise that the entire team is from a different state. Like, yeah, you're still getting a lot of guys, like, for instance, at Georgia, there's plenty, they're still getting the top, like Kirby's getting the top guys from the state of Georgia. But it it opens it up to where you do have it to where, oh, wow, Brock Bowers from Napa, California.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:34

Um well, you would get those onesies, twosies, though.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:42

Yeah, yeah, like on occasion, like Brock's guy from California to go to a school far from home.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:50

Yeah, Brock Bowers was a onesie twosie. He USC was down at the time, so uh it made sense for him to to come east. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:00

Join and join the NWO, basically.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:03

Yeah, and and and also with the SEC versus Big Ten thing. Just because the Big Ten wins the Natty doesn't mean it's the best conference. It just means it had the best team. And and and with these playoff seating, with the playoff bracketing, they pretty much put teams conference versus conference. You know what I'm saying? Like it was you didn't get to see the conference teams go against each other and then say, oh shit, the SEC teams beat the Big Ten teams. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's eventually gonna turn into the SEC Big Ten invitational.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:39

Which was another thing that ended up getting brought up too. Um, and I think this was on Cam Newton on fourth and one. You watched that bullshit? No, I saw a clip, but it made a ton of sense. He was basically suggesting why don't like how with college basketball, how we do have the Big Ten versus or the SEC versus ACC challenge, Big Ten versus you know, Big East or whatever challenge, why don't we start the season off that way? Have it to where because he's his point, how it came up was that the bowl season just doesn't matter. Why don't we make that opening week those bowl games instead, in a sense of not like the Orange Bowl, the sugar bowl, because those are playoff games still, but make the the Pop Tart Bowl a season opening game, but you're having these mixed matchups that you'll get, which they do a good job of like we had Texas versus Ohio State to start this year, right? But like making it official where we get the Big Ten versus the SEC, it's a bowl game.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:42

And it keeps bowl, it keeps the bowl feeling alive. Correct.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:46

And I thought it made a ton of sense. I was like, you know what? Cam, you might be on to something. He's like, you have the Maui invitational for college basketball, right? Like, and you know, granted, basketball's different, so they have this tournament or whatever, but um that's how they kind of do their shit, right? That is how basketball works. A lot of times it's at the beginning of the year when they do have these neutral site games, but it's all the top teams playing each other, like early in the season. Why not set it up that way to where you have the Big Ten versus SEC challenge and we put big on big? You know, Georgia, Georgia does play Ohio State, but they play the game in a neutral site, and weather won't be an issue either, which is the best part about it. But he's much play these games anywhere. So, like Yankee Stadium, as long as they don't have a playoff game or a game, like you know what I'm saying? Like, you could still have these games played.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:37

But these coaches are afraid, they don't want to get the early losses, they don't know how the polls are gonna act. Also, hey, college football. You use polls and people's opinions to create your playoff system. Right. You can never be the NFL. The NFL shit is scientific. Right. It's objective. Even when it could be subjective, it's objective. There is a rule for every situation. Right. College football is some guys getting in a room coming up with who should play against each other. Oh yeah. And this is going on ABC. Your niggas got marching orders.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:32

Well, okay, look, they sent Tulane and James Mass in those games. They were on TNT because of you know the deal with inside the NBA. They basically traded off. Hey, we're gonna show Chuck and Shaq, which I don't know. I know that they haven't really been on as much this year. Have you even been watching any of that like at all?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:48

They opened the season and I watched. I don't watch the NBA show, and to be quite honest, dog, I paw we had Monday night football up until like this. We just had our last Monday night football game, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:04

Yeah. Well, technically we got the national championship on Mondays. Right. So that would take the place of that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:09

Right, but so we've had Monday night football, so that's I don't watch basketball on Mondays. I record Village Vets on Tuesdays. I don't watch basketball on Tuesdays. We record this show on Wednesdays. I don't watch basketball on Wednesdays.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:27

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I watch basketball, but trying to find I have to go to the ESPN app to figure out where the game. It's it's really a problem. Yeah. Like the streaming thing, yes, I have all the stream. I can watch basketball when it comes on. I'm probably playing for League Pass and don't know it because that shit is on auto renew. Yeah. But it's hard to watch basketball and it's fucking frustrating, dog.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:56

But that's more capitalism, more money, and it it becomes when you when you when you start caring more about the money, you stop caring about the product or the service.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:07

Which is the issue with the NBA, anyways, to begin with.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:11

Well, the NBA's issue is also fucking lazy.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:15

Bad product.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:16

It's but it's lazy scouting, lazy coaching. You know, it's hey, we're gonna play five out, and we want a 6'6 to 6'10 uh primary ball handler, and everybody just stand out there and let them do their thing. You know, it's it's easier to build that team and find the players who can do the other stuff because it takes less skill, but you're getting rid of valuable skills while also not becoming like you're less entertaining and you're also not scoring, you're not scoring as many points per possession, like you're not scoring like dramatically more points per possession, more points per game than other eras in the NBA who who played different styles of basketball, you know. Like it's it's when you let the fucking pencil pushers make the decision instead of give a recommendation. And I think we talked about that last week. We've got to get back to reality. Look here, dog. Nerds don't make fucking decisions. They don't. The best people, the best decision makers in the world aren't fucking nerds. Nerds want too much information. Dog, I'm a nerd. You know what I mean? Like I I care about the structure of things and the science behind it and how it works. Nigga, you don't want me making every fucking decision on the shit that I'm nerdy about. If you want me to give a fucking recommendation to somebody who is actually doesn't know as much about the nerdery of it and has a feel for it, who does it, have experience, and they can take the nerdery and combine it with experience to get a good decision.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:02

Yeah.

College vs NFL: Playoff Design And Capitalism

SPEAKER_01 1:08:03

You know what I mean? That's why, hey, when college niggas get jobs, they get these management jobs, but like the ship is flowing without them. Like it then you don't need the college nigga to actually make shit happen. Yeah. But over that time, you should learn enough to then when you get your next promotion, be able to be a decision maker because your nursery is back in experience. Right. Wow. I'm getting philosophical today. I've got to start watching more sports and sports podcasts.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:36

Yeah, stop letting Jeff uh fucking burn you out, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:44

Every Saturday is fun here. What do you want to talk about next?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:50

Well, I kind of wanted to preview just a little bit of the NFL. I know we we damn near bet, damn near did talk about college.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:57

I mean, we'll we'll get to talk about the matchup specifically with Miami, Indiana, but the most important part about that game is what Michael Irvin's gonna be doing on the sidelines.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:06

Oh, you mean hanging out with his fucking dealer?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:11

The Miami Hurricon?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:13

Yeah, and then him taking his belt off and putting a Hoosier jersey on a trash can and looking around at everybody and telling them, look at me, while I I act like I'm I'm because because you guys can relate to this. It's like, oh, it's like it's like today it's just called belt to ass. But for us, it's like, oh, I used to get whoopings. This this hurts. I'm getting my butt beat. You know what that is, but that's what he's saying he's doing to them as a fan and an alum and a former football player that's gonna be. That's what we're doing, guys. Belt belt to ass. And it's just like, well, I don't know. I used to get my ass beat with a belt.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:56

So why is it okay for us to say belt to ass, but it's not okay for us to put belt to ass to our kids? I am not standing for whooping kids. I I'm I'm calling out the inconsistencies here.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:10

Yeah, it's because uh this is the society that we live in, and um you shouldn't question it. That's why.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:19

Because you know, belt to ads has never like belt to ads does not refer to peers dealing with each other. The only like like when you think about leather to body, you think about a kid getting a whooping or a slave getting put in line. You know what I'm saying? Those are the only two things that it can run. Somebody who is lesser to you in social hierarchy, right? Like, nigga, if me and you got into to altercation, at no point are our belts coming off and being being slung around here. Like, you're not nigga, no, right. Don't even take your belt off around me, to be honest, because you're a fucking man. Yeah, and I'm not into that. If you are, it's okay to have a man take his belt off around you. But for me, don't take bro, don't take your belt off around me. Like, nigga, we ain't in a locker room. Ain't talking about the group. Wow. Sorry, uh what what are you talking about here? You're on one league. Um I I I haven't I didn't speak enough today.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:29

Well, I I I I thought you spoke a little Espinol. Moi Poquito.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:36

Um poquito, un poquito.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:38

Yeah. Um, but no. Uh I tell you what, which divisional game are you looking forward to the most out of the four that we have this weekend? I think we got some pretty good matchups. Let me see. You got the uh 49ers, Seahawks, and the Bills, Broncos. Those are gonna be your Saturday doubleheaders, and then on Sunday we get um Bears, Rams, and uh Patriots, Texans.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:02

Bears, Rams.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:04

Yeah, yeah, I feel like that's why that's the crescendo of it all.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:08

Ben Johnson, Sean McVay, Caleb Williams, Matthew Stafford. Yeah, Caleb being back in LA. No, games in Chicago? Yeah. Sorry, guys. My job schedule doesn't allow me to research the way I used to. Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:28

Games in Chicago. And funny enough, that was that's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:31

Oh, yeah, Chicago won the division, right? Yeah, I'm tripping.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:33

Yeah, that's gonna be the NBC game. Um Chris is the Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this is the. Wildcard Weekend had been the only weekend where we would have those games. Those divisional games would be Fox, CBS, Fox, CBS both days. And I'm glad the NFL business. Well, I'm glad the NFL finally decided to do this because it's always made more sense. Fox and CBS are calling the Saturday games, and then both Sunday games, one is on NBC, and then the other one's uh we're gonna get Joe and Troy. It's gonna be a Monday night football crew for the Texans uh Patriots game.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:30

We got another week of Joe and Troy.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:32

Yeah. But I'll tell you this much, Al and um uh Kirk. Kirk, yeah, they're they're done for the season. Well, I guess we'll get to hear Kirk on Monday.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:47

But you'll hear Kirk on Monday, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:49

I'll probably Yeah, we'll get to see his fucking dog. Somebody on Twitter, he put up a video of the dog, and then it's like everybody was like, somebody tweeted there like, they're like, we fucking get it. You got a dog. It's like you and everybody else in America. Can you please stop posting?

SPEAKER_01 1:14:02

Like hey, real quick though, did you uh have thoughts on that on the Jacksonville reporter?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:10

I sent it to you. I thought that um I I thought it was heartwarming. I didn't have an issue with her comforting or basically words of encouragement uh for the season because the Jaguars did have a good season. They won 13 games after they lost 13 the year before. They lost the game in a fashion thanks to Carzil's own.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:32

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, relax.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:35

I'm not shitting on it. I'm just saying it was a terrible well, it wasn't even really a that bad of a throw. He still threw it like, I don't know, he shouldn't have threw that ball there. Look here, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:43

I'm not gonna lie to you here, Parley Pete. The the Trevor Lawrence, the anti-Trevor Lawrence rhetoric on this on this show. Uh we're gonna have to cut that out, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:55

Nobody has anti-Trevor Lawrence rhetoric.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:58

I mean, I don't even think we should negatively discuss joke about the idea of cars dual as all. I I don't I don't think even if he has a bad performance, I don't think we should discuss it. I think we should act like it didn't happen. I think we should do like every other media outlet, and if we have a relationship or a paying you nobody today, okay, and nobody ever. I I I wouldn't my views would not change based on my sources of income. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:28

Well, I I don't know. I just I think it's odd that you're like, even if he plays bad, we just shouldn't talk about it. It's like, well, no, we should talk about it because if he plays bad, I mean that's just what happened. You know, it's not a it's not a personal thing, it's a well we don't he threw a bad interception, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:48

Well, you know, sometimes you want to keep doors open when you live in someone's hometown and you're involved in the community.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:54

You ah, so that's what it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:57

You you don't want a a a bad clip to get to someone that you don't know and be taken out of context when you're approaching as a totally different person.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:06

Hey, you're that guy that told me about the interception I threw.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:09

Yeah, bro, bro, bro, bro, nigga, you know I'm bullshitting. Like, we're gonna come on here and be honest, man. Like, hey, yeah, obviously, I would love to throw some type of fundraiser here with Trevor Lawrence. Yeah, you're fucking right I would. Yeah, you know, for the community. But at the same time, like, nah, if the nigga don't play good, I'm gonna say nigga didn't play good.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:30

Yeah, and and that's all it was. And again, it gets back to kind of my point and why people had an issue. I don't know why some people had an issue with the black woman that was, you know, basically telling Liam Swords.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:42

America hates black women. That's what I've been told by black women.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:45

She sounded just like a nice black lady that I've met before.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:48

I know she did. I'm just saying that a lot of the hate could be cut could be because America hates black women, and black women, multiple black women have told me America hates black women. So that could actually be the direct source of the hate.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:05

But nobody in the media really was talking that badly about it. I don't remember. I mean, Adam Shepherd's one of the people that posted it. He said it was heartwarming. Like, he's the biggest, he's the biggest name in the NFL as far as media-wise, I would think, to a degree, since he breaks, you know, all the stories.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:23

But um, well, well, well, hey, you're not gonna play my guy. Who?

SPEAKER_03 1:17:33

In terms of breaking stories in the NFL, it's chef to be.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:36

The guy who breaks the best stories.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:38

Rap?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:40

No.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:40

Pelichero?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:42

He shows up once a week on Sunday. And he breaks stories? He's a bald guy with a gruff.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:49

Oh, Jay Glazer?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:51

And he may only break three stories a year.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:57

Jay Glazer, but he has his own gym out there in Cali, doesn't he? It's in San Diego, I think, too, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:03

I don't know. I just know he had the gym out uh in California.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:06

Maybe it's LA, but you know, this is why a guy like Jay Glazer, because he was on ballers. I think you watch ballers, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:14

No, I don't watch TV.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:15

Well, it's old. I don't know. I don't watch TV either, but it was one of the few shows that I did watch.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:22

Well, I've been watching House of Cards finally.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:24

With with The Rock, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:27

I I'm not an HBO guy either. Um, so HBO wasn't a thing in my house until like high school when I was my TV was locked in on ESPN and NFL network.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:40

So, like, I nigga, I didn't watch The Sopranos until I was married.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:46

I still haven't watched it.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:48

Bro, you need to watch it. And actually, I was talking to one of my friends last night, and I'm actually planning to finish that because I I didn't finish it because that uh The Wire Entourage, none of that stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:59

I never watched the water.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:00

I didn't watch The Wire either.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:01

Curbier Enthusiasm.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:04

But I'm watching House of Cards right now, and it really has my attention. I'm actually can't wait to like get done with this show. Not that I'm rushing the show.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:12

I feel like you'd be a big curbier enthusiasm guy considering your connection to Seinfeld.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:18

Um, I'm not gonna lie to you. I have uh avoided Curb because I love Seinfeld so much. And in my mind, I'm a Jerry Seinfeld fan more than I'm a Larry David fan, and I'm not giving Larry David a chance. That that's a personal thing I have to work through. You know, like if if I if I if I'm talking to like two or three chicks at one time and I really start liking one, I become loyal and the other two don't matter.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:51

Right. It's understandable.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:55

Yeah, so I'm kind of like that. Like bruh, bruh. I realize I'm gonna kind of try. Person. I gotta figure out the root of that. Uh, I may get to it in therapy. Oh shit, did I talk to you about the therapist I talked to last week? No. I will call you because we will not talk about it on here, but yeah, man, that shit.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:15

You missed out on that therapist the night we were all hanging out. I we had some pretty good dialogue. What night? Halloween when you were asleep? There's remember there was a therapist there?

SPEAKER_01 1:20:28

Sleep, buddy. I woke up. I woke up and uh walked up to the elevator and went downstairs, man. Uh it was just, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:40

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:46

Yeah, hey, you know what? You know what's really cool about this show now?

SPEAKER_03 1:20:51

What's that?

SPEAKER_01 1:20:52

We actually go make uh like real life shit that we can talk about on the show.

Divisional Round Matchups To Watch

SPEAKER_03 1:20:59

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:01

Um how much time do we have left? Because I feel like there's more to talk about.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:07

What are we? We're at 121, so we got 39 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:11

Hey, I want to throw this out here. Why is Indiana having one of the greatest disappointing sports years ever?

SPEAKER_03 1:21:22

Uh you I guess you're talking straight from the Pacers to the Colts in their start.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:28

No, the the Pacers.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:29

Oh, yeah, the Fever went to the championship.

unknown 1:21:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:31

Colts in their start, and now we got IU and the fucking national championship.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:37

What's going on? I didn't really look at it that way.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:40

Um, you don't watch Club 520.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:44

Oh, well, of course. Yeah, of course, those guys are gonna feel this certain way about it. You know, it's interesting. I mean, what a time, right? What a time to be. I I guess we kind of got it a little bit with Georgia and the Braves. Uh the Falcons just weren't very good, so I guess maybe it doesn't. And then the Hawks went to the Eastern Conference Finals as well during that same year that Georgia won the national championship and the Braves won the World Series. So we were kind of on fire. It was just Arthur Smith and you know, whatever the fuck that was that we had going on.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:13

But yo, did you see that he's a candidate for a head coaching job?

SPEAKER_03 1:22:17

Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of guys that are gonna be candidates. We're about to see a few retreads uh get hired. I mean, would you be surprised if Bob Salah got a head coaching job this cycle?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:26

Well, they're Saints going to the to Oakland. I mean, Vegas.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:33

I don't like that. I don't like that as a hire. I don't think that that's what Brady wants to do.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:38

I don't think Big Bob gets you over the hump.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:40

I think I think he wants to hire what's his face and Dayball. I think he really does want to do that. If if that is true, I feel like that makes a lot of sense. I can see Bob Sala being with the Cardinals, though. Like, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:52

Like Do you think Dayball and B flow work because of what happened with the New York thing? And the bill text and then the lawsuit was.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:02

You know, that's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:04

Or or and I only say that because we don't know, we know they like that there's a coaching web there, right? And we also don't know if Bill sent B flow that text on accident on purpose, right? You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 1:23:18

Yeah, I'm curious as if they ever crossed paths while they were in New England, if they were ever there at the same time. I'm sure that they probably had to have been.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:25

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Uh let's ask Chat GPT so I don't have to like look up multiple things. Let's see. In New England.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:50

They had to apply.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:51

Yep, they did.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, because B Flo was there 2012 to 18. Oh, yeah. He was there day balls whole time. So again, their relationship may be solid. I only just asked that because of what we know publicly, where there could possibly be a riff because Brian Flores did um file a lawsuit with the NFL uh because of that that hiring. And is Brian Flores gonna be comfortable being Dayball's uh number two?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:27

You know, that doesn't play No, it would be B it would be B flow would be the the head coach.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:33

I like that. And I'm not gonna lie to you. B B flow created the culture in Miami, and he was right about Tua, by the way.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:44

He was right about Tua. He's arguably, you know, I guess Shanahan would maybe say Vic Fangio, but you could argue he's probably the hardest defensive coordinator to scheme up your offensive players.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:56

Did you see what he did to McVeigh in the Super Bowl?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:59

He changed that nigga's, he changed half his coaching philosophy.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:03

Yeah. He made that nigga go to dark room and say, hey, Brian, as good as I thought I was. All these plays I got. A little soul searching, huh? Shout out to the guy that beat Calvin Johnson for player of the year in Georgia.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:19

Isn't that crazy? Just to think about.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:22

No, because of who his dad is, the politics, the position, you know. Yeah. Reasons why I wouldn't wear a Matt Ryan jersey. You know, it's all these different things.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:36

Anywho, moving along. Um, I think I'll agree with you though. Bears, Rams probably is gonna be the most entertaining game of the week. Um, I want to talk hoops too, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, here, I tell you what.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:48

Oh, yeah, finish your playoff stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:50

Nah, I mean, we'll get to, I mean, we got picks later, but like, um, so because then everybody can know exactly kind of how I feel about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:56

Like, um, yeah, Luca and Dennis Schroeder. Yeah, you might want to talk about serious basketball show. I want to talk about ignorance.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:04

The drama?

SPEAKER_01 1:26:05

Yeah. You know, I still follow uh a spiritual word. J J JP tells me I should unfollow the page. I tell him I'm like, bro, I need the filth for the uh for the show.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:18

Right. Sounds like a guilty plunger to me. Say again? Sounds like a guilty pledger to me.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:25

I I have a few. I still watch Law and Order SBU.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:32

Haven't missed an episode ever. Your favorite uh shoe places athlete's foot too, huh? If I'm looking for some kicks, yeah. I'm comfortable in there. But nah, uh Dennis Shooter got suspended for um a three games for swinging at Luca based on the report, and then apparently he commented and said, Nah, they got connected.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:03

I I didn't realize that he was waiting for him outside of the locker room, too. So this was a little Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony type thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:12

I won't say it was that bad. Because have you heard the the after stories?

SPEAKER_03 1:27:18

Yeah, why that happened between.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:20

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, not the whys, because the why the actual whys never came out. Whatever story they've told, like Mellows told, it's not true. And I don't believe the honey nut Cheerios. Um I it may have been something about his wife, but I I don't necessarily think it was honey nut Cheerios. And even if it was honey nut Cheerios, that's not what got him there. It's you said my wife take you say anything about my wife, it it this ain't basketball no more. Right, nothing about that. No, no, no, like no bullshit. I'm telling you as a nigga with like separated, like niggas can't talk greasy about my wife. You can say true things if you're in the inner circle. No, I'm just like my inner circle, that's different, but like you can't no, you can't talk bad about my wife. Like that that nah that's that like when you love somebody enough to give them your last name, nah, people can't nah, nah, you nah, nah, nigga. So, anyways, they said Luca called him the B word, told him he should have taken that money. You know, we read some lips. I I just respect a nigga waiting on a nigga. Like if we own that on the court and you you go pack like I'm a shit talker. I I know the line. I I know the line. There's a line, I know the line. And when you cross that line and somebody wants to come see you about it, I'll always respect that because a lot of the times we talk about this NBA stuff. Oh, hold me back, hold me back. Yeah, if you try to fight right there, it's a hold me back moment in today's NBA. But if you go wait to see a nigga when he comes out, confrontation, you put your hands on him, let him know how you feel. I don't agree with violence, I'm not supporting violence, but I'm just saying somebody crosses a line and disrespect you, and then you take the appropriate means to actually address it, not yelling in his face in a game. But hey, hey, hey, my nigga, we need to talk after the game, and I ain't got nothing to say. I'll always respect that as men amongst men because it's private.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:25

Right.

NBA Detour: Luka, Schröder, And Lines You Don’t Cross

SPEAKER_01 1:29:26

The NBA didn't have to put that shit out. Nobody knew about it. No, no, nothing leaked.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:33

Well, except the clip of them actually on the floor of him saying, I'll beat your ass at the free throw line when he like, you know, when somebody shoots a free throw and then niggas be switching out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:45

But I and I also respect that. When he says I'll beat your ass, and then he comes and sees you.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:53

Cause it's a nigga right now I ran into when I was in Bahrain. I still don't respect that nigga to this day, Parlay Pete. I don't respect him.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:03

Well, you ran into him.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:05

Uh, we were hooping one day, and I was talking shit. And I, and you know, I wasn't using fighting words. I was just probably saying he was trash, he's a bum, he with us, we six on four. Give me the ball because he guarding me, so ain't nobody guarding me. You know, you know, shit like that. Nothing to fight for. It's all basketball talk.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:24

And we're in the middle of the year.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:26

And yeah, and we're in the military, so like there's also a level of we really not gonna fight here unless it gets bad. I made that nigga so mad. He he got chest to chest out with me and kept calling and calling me a pussy. He's like, nigga, you a pussy. You a pussy. Look at him. I start laughing.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:49

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:50

Niggas is like, hey bro, y'all gonna get y'all mad? I'm like, bro. They like, nah, he good. He did he he doing what he wanna do right now. He wants this nigga mad. And long story short, I see the guy later that day at a party. He wants to dab me up and be cool. No nigga.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:16

So he didn't keep that same energy.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:19

Exactly. And you know, this basketball shit talk ain't calling no nigga no pussy, ain't calling no nigga no bitch, ain't no I'll beat your ass. You know, I'm saying, hey, take the money, like shit like that. Hey, your wife this, your girl that. Nah, that ain't that ain't basketball shit talk.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:36

Yeah, that's something completely different.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:40

And you know, I had a conversation with a co-worker today who pretty much was calling NBA players and celebrities pre- Madonna's. And I said, I agree. But I will say that people do go out of line in how they talk to these people because they think can't nothing happen to them. So that's why I be happy when Russ get a nigga kicked out for calling him a nigga or talking about his family, or you call somebody a bitch ass nigga. I think, don't get me wrong, would I get a nigga kicked out for calling me a bitch ass nigga or a nigga? No. But my my experience is different. But I have no issue with it because yo, I done got my ass whooped for saying something I shouldn't say, I shouldn't have said. When you done got that one ass whooping, you learn a lesson. I don't say things that I won't fight over. You know what I'm saying? I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say something that could start a fight if I don't want to fight.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:36

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:37

And I think those people need to learn those consequences. I I don't know how we got there, but yeah, shout out to uh uh Diaz for pulling up on Luca because that nigga got it.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:46

That's how we got there.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:47

Yeah, yeah. Like, hey, niggas talk greasy, they deserve consequences, and I'm not saying murder, I ain't saying violence. It could just be a cutoff, you know what I'm saying? Or it could be you you spoon feed them now, but like, hey, nah, nigga, you can't talk to people crazy and just think it's okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:03

Yeah. Greasy, greasy, greasy talk.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:07

Um, what are your thoughts on the association in general? Because we haven't talked much association this year.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:12

Well, because we've been getting fed by the NFL, and um I'm very happy about being fed by the NFL. Because guess what? We're gonna get that one big feast in February, and then that's gonna be it until fucking until fuck. I mean, we got the draft, but this is not even that good of a draft, and we don't have a first-round pick, so we really aren't invested in that shit.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:32

Are the party this year?

SPEAKER_03 1:33:35

That's a good question. That I think that they are, because especially if we like hire like a harball or something, maybe he sh nah. He can show. I don't know. I don't know how.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:46

He can like show up but not be accessible.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:52

Kind of like a pep rally in a weird way. Yeah, like, yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. So they could do something like that. Plus, they're gonna unveil the new jerseys.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:01

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:01

Which that's something we didn't talk about at Falcons first. We're finally getting new jerseys. Thank you, Arthur, for listening to the fans.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:07

Like, like get rid of them fucking wrecked jerseys, nigga.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:10

Hey, my only thing that I ask is, and I've said this so many times, and it's gonna change how any jersey that they make, whatever the design is, please make the pants the gray britches. We need those gray and silver britches just like we did in the 90s and the 80s. They have to be that color. If they're not that color, the uniform, I'm not saying that the white pants, and then bring back also that make those the primary, but then also bring back the black pants. Bring back the white pants with the white, like like where we can have these different combinations, but the primary needs to be the gray pants. And please give us a white, a black and a red jersey. Some people want some people want a red helmet, and maybe we keep the logo, we keep the logo the same as our general logo, but it's not on the helmet. And I've even seen some people think that like maybe we get falcon wings similar to the Eagles.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:14

Keep the bird on there. Go back to the old bird, not this bird.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:18

But make it a modernized version. I don't mind it being. I want it to be the shape of the old bird, but they can still modernize it to where, like, for instance, because I'm looking at this helmet now behind this iPad. The old one is just you know, black and white. This one's got it incorporates the silver and the red. You can still keep the silver and the red, but modernize, like modernize the old look with the new scheme, color scheme.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:44

You know what? I I like what they do in Pittsburgh. I like what they do in Philly, I like what they do in Cincinnati.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:55

Well, Philly's changed their their logo though.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:59

When they changed the helmet logo.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:01

Well, you're right. The helmet logo has it, just the color.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:04

Yeah, no, so you can always you can always identify the helmet. Low, like, like the logo, no matter what color it's on. You go to a little recreation game, and them motherfuckers might be the purple, whatever. But if they they got that logo, you you know that logo. So I want a logo to be synonymous with the Falcons that is the Falcons no matter what. So you can be the Red Birds in in the fucking Southwest Georgia League, but everybody knows you took your shit from the Falcons.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:38

Yeah. And I think that we we have a nice logo.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:41

I mean, you know, like the Braves have the best Atlanta logo.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:45

Well, it's so iconic.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:48

Exactly. I'm not saying it's the best design model. I'm I'm just saying the Braves logo is timeless.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:56

Well, everybody knows when you see it, it's the A.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:59

And if they think it's Alabama, then they're a hit.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:02

Nobody thinks it's fucking Alabama.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:03

I've had somebody ask me about my A on my arm and say, is that for Atlanta or Alabama? And I'm like, they're different A's. The Atlanta Braves A is skinnier than the Crimson Tide A. Get the fuck out of my face. You're not Southern. Right.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:19

Um, our logo was the Denver Broncos.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:23

Who's we?

SPEAKER_03 1:37:24

Mount Vernon Mustangs.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:26

Wrong.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:27

We for our football helmet, we had the the current Denver Broncos. That was our um logo on our helmets.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:34

I got my football helmet from high school, like right over here.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:36

Yeah, but you got yours is just like a C, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:37:39

C with some crosshavers and some generic shit. Yeah. Yeah, I stole my helmet after my last game. I I walked off the field and walked straight to the game. Nobody ever like checked, like was like check that in or uh I told one of the managers what I was doing because she saw me. She's like, what are you doing? I was like, I'm taking my helmet. And then apparently when they checked out when they checked in our gear, I uh they did it during school, during football weight training, but because I I was going to college and shit, I didn't take the I didn't it didn't work in my schedule. So I wasn't there when they when they checked them in and and nobody ever asked me anything. And I graduated in 2010, so uh I think I'm good.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:23

I was only worried because my mom worked there. I I wasn't worried about me. I'm like, whatever. Uh Memphis is trying to blow it up, Parlay Pete, or gonna blow it up. And I understand to some degree moving off of job, but you know what I don't understand, Parlay Pete?

SPEAKER_03 1:38:40

What's that?

SPEAKER_01 1:38:42

Why a team with a good young core would blow up their good young core, fire their coach, and bring in a coach who doesn't want their good young core, and then try to rebuild a new young core. Like that's stupid.

Memphis Rebuild Logic And Hawks Ripples

SPEAKER_03 1:38:55

It's stupid, but it's it's very on par with what the Grizzlies' history has been in a sense of outside of that grit and grind team, there is no history. So it's kind of like no man's land. And I know that they're one of obviously one of the newer NBA franchises, but and I honestly better ran over the last 15 years. Yeah, because they were a team that was able to make a good team that could make runs that was taken seriously in the league, regardless of having a superstar type player on the team. They never had a superstar. Ja is the biggest star that they've had, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:30

I would never trade him.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:32

Yeah. And they feel like they're gonna have to, there they're gonna have to. You know, obviously the rumor is Miami. Uh somebody just brought this up. I saw it on Twitter.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:42

Well, hold on, no, no, not about the Josh shit, but like I I really want to focus in on why would you blow up a a good young core that's walking into their prime to restart?

SPEAKER_03 1:39:55

And honestly, it's not working. And then um, I mean, their competition. In terms of a young core walking in as Memphis, I mean as uh OKC, and we've already seen that now. Two what twice in the playoffs? Them just dispatching them niggas. I I'm not mad at them for blowing it up. I think it's just at what cost? Like, what are you gonna get?

SPEAKER_01 1:40:15

But you're but hold on, dog. You're Memphis. You're in a shitty market. You have a superstar.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:26

Well, you can't buy the coach again.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:28

Well, you should not hire the coach that didn't want the superstar who makes the fucking money and gets you to the playoffs when he's healthy. It's not like Memphis was bad with Ja. Yes, Ja's health is a problem. And if you're gonna move off of Ja because of health, cool. But you're not moving off of Ja because of health. Right. You fired your coach nine games before the season ended going into the playoffs. Yeah. Bring in a nigga that doesn't like your star player, and your star player doesn't like. And then you drag Devin Bain. You already let Dylan Brooks walk because of the bad series, but look what the fuck he's turned into.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:12

Yeah, he's looking like a diamond in the rough for the Suns right now. Like he's gonna get paid again.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:18

He's a when we talk about two-way players, it's typically perimeter players. I know people, but he hadn't been that great off.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:26

Like he wasn't great offensively with the with the Rockets, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:28

Well, no, I was I was but I was I was saying like he's now turned into a top five two-way perimeter player. You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:37

So like great offensively with the Suns.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:40

Yeah, so you had that in the building. You had Desmond Baines 20 points in the building. Uh Ja's not playing up to his standard. He's not getting his minutes, his percentages are down, and now you're gonna move off of Jaron Jackson. You should try to build a championship team.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:59

Hawks should have traded Trey straight up for Ja. That's why I hated the timing of the Ja thing. It would have been a perfect match. Like Trey would have got to fall with Jay. They did trade a solid. They did. You know, now his MCL, they're saying they're gonna reevaluate after All-Star break. He's done for the year. That's what that means.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:19

But yeah, but yeah, because they don't want to lose their draft pick, but they didn't trade a solid. So I don't have I don't have any criticism for the trade trade unless we're gonna say the Hawks are wrong for doing right by their biggest star since Dominique Wilkins. You know what I mean? So like it the Hawks trade wasn't just about basketball. It's about hey, hey, we like you. This doesn't work. How can we help you make your life work and our life work? You know what I'm saying? And you can dump the salary, open up the free agency splot slot, possibly, or be able to make a trade. And and so even if I don't like it, I see what's going on. But Memphis blowing up their shit and then being in a shitty market where you'll never get a free agent. Like Hawks, we we may get lucky and get a Joe Johnson or or uh a uh old ass Antoine Walker. Like there are reasons why niggas don't come to Atlanta. It's not because they don't like Atlanta, it's because their wives don't like Atlanta.

unknown 1:43:21

Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:21

You understand what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 1:43:23

Yes. Like I've hung out at the after hours with like adult professionals till 5 a.m. in Atlanta, you know what I mean? And it wasn't nothing crazy. So imagine millionaires. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:34

But Memphis, no nigga, no one's moving to Memphis unless they're in the Navy.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:40

Yeah, that is not a or they work for FedEx or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:44

And FedEx is dying because you know, other other companies are are are really taking over. Really? Yeah, but we we'll leave that words at. We don't want to talk any further.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:57

Yeah, with Arthur. Um, but I did have a bit of breaking news, not to cut into our basketball conversation. I know we got about 16 minutes, but Zach Robinson flying to Detroit to interview for the Lions OC job. Obviously, successful history with Jared Dahl from his time there in LA. I don't know what his capacity was because he wasn't a quarterback coach, I'm sure. Maybe he was. He could have been. He's probably an assisted quarterback coach, I'm sure. But like just uh just wanted to throw that out there because Rap Sheet just put it out there, and it's just like get his ass out of here.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:27

Well, we know he's gone because he's allowed to interview. Brick can't couldn't interview for Dallas. So yeah, we the somebody's making some good decisions. Shout out to that consulting firm that said fire all these niggas.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:40

Yeah, Lions fans are about to ill themselves, is what somebody tweeted about.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:46

Hey man, we say America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but why does somebody have to say ill themselves instead of kill themselves on social media?

SPEAKER_03 1:44:56

Well, who knows? It could be one of those things where they don't want to get flagged, and then they're now they're being filed because they're saying these words like killing why are you being flagged for that?

SPEAKER_01 1:45:06

If if if free speech is a thing here and we now accept social media as a place to where we speak. I understand that you do not have free speech on social media. I understand and I understand that free speech means you can't go to jail. Right. But that's not really that is not the accepted societal standard. Right. Especially when there's no actions behind the things that you're saying. You usually can kind of say what you want. And the fact that you can't say kill or you gotta say YT for white.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:44

Yeah, that stuff's weird. I don't understand why people do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:47

That one is Well, no, no, it's it's a it's an algorithmic thing, but it's it's fucking up communication in the language because now people don't under necessarily understand what other people are saying because they're not using the words that have definitions to describe exactly what's going on. All this started with LOL. Bro, I've got to start. I've got I've got to stop watching all these fucking documentaries, dude. I I've got to get back into some lighter shit.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:15

Maybe, maybe, maybe watch a to be movie tonight, Lee.

SPEAKER_01 1:46:19

No, I'm gonna watch House of Cards tonight, buddy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:22

These I've been watching movies, I've been watching movies, by the way. Um by yourself? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because basically, I'm like, well, in order to keep myself, especially I'm not, you know, I watch a little basketball here and there, but like some of it's just bad. I just really don't like watching it anymore, crazy enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:46:39

But all they do is shoot threes and do layups, bro. Niggas don't want to watch it.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:44

It's terrible. But I watched him the other day on Peacock because I didn't see it when it came out. Okay. Um, I don't know if you've seen it, but you know, it got a really bad rap like when it came out, which I I understood because after watching it, it was like, well, you know, because a lot of people confuse it as Jordan Peel directing it. When he didn't direct it, he was just a producer. But you could see his uh vision, his influence on the film for sure, but like it's like, oh, when you watch it, you're like, yeah, this isn't a Jordan Peel film. Like you can tell. And Marlon Wayne's I thought was pretty good in it. Uh, the kid that was in the Atlanta episode, I thought he was good as the lead role. The movie was not as bad as people said it was. I don't think it was bad at all, but like it just it got shit on a little too hard, I think, for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:32

But gotta stop listening to these internet niggas because they don't know anything.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:36

Well, that's why I watched it. That's why that's why I went on ahead and you know gave it a twirl there.

New Falcons Jerseys, Identity, And Branding

SPEAKER_01 1:47:40

I don't care about I only care about movie reviews from people that I know. And I understand their palette, I understand like how they rate certain things. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know these critics. Like, like, like the the movie industry, these critics, they've killed movies like Friday. You're not gonna get a new Friday because every movie has to have certain projections before we even fucking green light it, you know what I'm saying? Friday, I don't know what it did at the box office, but I know they have re-rocked, resold, gave those rights here, there, and everywhere. And it's a fucking classic, not even a cult classic. Friday is an American classic. Like, how many people do you encounter on a day-to-day hat that haven't seen Friday?

SPEAKER_03 1:48:28

Um, not many, certainly that are black, not many. No, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:48:34

I mean, even white people. I ain't saying they can quote it, but like we can, but they've seen it, dog.

SPEAKER_03 1:48:41

Yeah, it doesn't come up very much in conversation, but normally you can at least, if there's a reference from the film of any type, you can tell who's seen it or last and because they'll get it, they'll know. Nigga, by Felicia, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:48:55

Bro, I ain't gonna hold you. I remember when I was uh in the Marine Corps.

SPEAKER_03 1:48:58

You got knocked the fuck out, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:00

Yeah, that was really I remember I was in the Marine Corps when Ba Felicia like became like a thing that people would say. Yeah. And I checked one of them young niggas. I said, Nigga, you can see you can see Friday, you even know where that comes from. No, I just thought it came from the internet. Right. He's like, no, sir. Right, hey, hey big dog, go home and watch Friday. Like, you you need to do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:25

Hey, let's do this. We got 10 minutes. I'm gonna run through the picks and then let's get to whatever we want to freestyle about here uh for culture. Which I guess that was kind of culture, but you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:35

Yeah, yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:38

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Paul AP NFL Plus the College Football National Championship prediction.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:56

666. That, you know, let me tell you, Lee, that was pretty impressive what you just did there. I the and gentlemen, you know, it's great.

SPEAKER_01 1:50:06

Uh people understand that I practice, I practice this more than I should. Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:14

Well, let's kick this thing off with the going with the games uh in order. So we got four o'clock Saturday, mile high field, Denver, Colorado. Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos. We're going two for one in this game. There's two different things I liked about this. Is the only game where I've got two, because of course we had to make a six-pack. I like the Denver Broncos on the money line, and I also like under 47 and a half. I think that the Bills, obviously, everybody knows what's at stake for them. No Patrick Mahomes, no Lamar Jackson, no Joe Burrow, Josh Allen. Best chance to get it done. I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't know why this game is a pick'em. I guess it's because of Bo Nick's and the idea that that offense isn't very good. But people need to remember that this was arguably, you know, along with the Texans, this these are pretty much the best, the two best defenses in the NFL this season. They're at home. Sean Payton is obviously a vetted coach, although a lot of people don't realize he actually has a shitty playoff record outside of that Super Bowl year. But I like them to they do. If you look at Seattle, they've lost, I mean, uh, not Seattle, they lost to Seattle, but New Orleans, they typically actually lost a lot of playoff games. I mean, they only went to the NFC Championship, I guess they went three times, but in his era there. The first year he was there with Drew Brees, and then obviously their Super Bowl year, and then the Rams game where the no-pass interference got called. Nonetheless, I like the Denver Broncos to get it done here. I don't think that the Bills are healthy enough, and I also just think that um they're gonna suffocate Josh Allen, and I think he's a little hurt anyways. Give me the Denver Broncos on the money line, and then I also like under 47 and a half.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:52

Um next, Saturday night, we get the San Francisco 49ers at the Seahawks. This was a game that wasn't very competitive uh about two weeks ago and three weeks ago, whenever they played, two weeks ago. It was the last game of the season for both of them. Cook causing uh costing the San Francisco 49ers obviously a chance to never have to leave San Francisco or San Jose, rather. Or Santa Clara, actually. Um give me Kyle Shanahan uh plus seven and a half. I like the 49ers here for a bevia reasons. Yes, I know that there's no Kittle, but people don't realize how good Tondes has been when Kittle's been out. I just I don't know. I don't I don't see them getting blown out by a team that they played now twice this year, especially that they just played two weeks ago. He's gonna scheme up a little bit better. I like them to cover the seven and a half. Give me the 49ers. Then next we got Sunday, 3 o'clock, 3.30, actually. Houston, Texas at the New England Patriots. I've kind of said it all year long. Well, not all year long, but certainly during the second half of the year. I would argue that the Patriots are probably the most balanced team in the NFL, if I'm being completely honest. They are good on both sides of the ball, and they're very well coached. Give me the New England Patriots minus two and a half. I could see Houston winning the game, but honestly, the Nico Collins injury is of concern because, again, CJ Stroud turning the ball over three times, and it just so happened to be that they were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think the Patriots and Josh McDaniels are gonna be a little bit more prepared for Jamico Ryons. So give me the Patriots minus two and a half. Then uh next, we got the final game in the game that we talked about earlier that I think is gonna be the most entertaining. Rams at Bears. Give me the Bears on the money line. I like them as a dog. They're a big dog. They're actually the biggest underdog, uh I guess aside from the 49ers. But as a home dog at this at plus 170, sign me the fuck up. I think the Rams coming into a game that's gonna be under 20 degrees. Uh, Matt Stafford with a broken uh finger, and just the idea of them going into Chicago. I don't know. I just it's weird. I don't know why they're that big of a favorite, honestly. So give me the Bears on the money line. And then finally, our national championship game. We have got the Florida, Miami, this is Miami, Florida, the Florida Miami Hurricanes uh taking on the Indiana Hoosiers for the national championship. This number has gone up significantly since it opened. It opened at seven and is now at eight and a half. And I hate to say that I want to back the public here, but I'm gonna back the fucking public. I still think that they're gonna cover the eight and a half. Uh I wouldn't trust Carson Beck in a national championship game, even if the game's in Miami. I don't really care. Indiana's a buzzsaw. They're winning it all this year. Give me uh the Hoosiers minus eight and a half.

SPEAKER_01 1:54:33

All right, so we got Denver on the money line. Uh Bills at Broncos under 47 and a half. San Francisco plus seven and a half, New England minus two and a half, the Bears on the money line, and IU minus eight and a half.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:48

That is correct.

SPEAKER_01 1:54:50

You like it. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:54

And when you love it, that means it's time for Leeds 3.

SPEAKER_01 1:54:59

League. All right, so for Leeds 3 this week, give me that San Francisco plus seven and a half. Uh it's a division opponent.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:09

Big number, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:55:10

Yeah, and and and I know they got injuries, a lot of injuries, but it's also Sam Darnold in the playoffs. Like uh That too. I I've seen Brock Purdy in the playoffs. That too.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:22

And right, you've got all the experience on one side. That other side doesn't have any experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:55:27

No, Mike McDonald, he doesn't, you know. But uh give me New England minus two and a half. Uh they're a really good fucking football team.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:36

Yeah, Briggs.

SPEAKER_01 1:55:38

And I do think IU's gonna win, but I'm just gonna put it on the table. Give me IU minus eight and a half.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:45

There you go.

Parlay Pete’s Picks And Lee’s Three

SPEAKER_01 1:55:45

That cocaine cowboy, that cocaine coon boy, he he he's not gonna be putting no belt to nothing. And shout out to my dog for uh for for uh inspiring the the coon the the Miami hurrican because I've taken that and ran with it. Yeah, it's a great call. Oh, yeah, no, uh uh you know what we I actually should get him on the show soon because he's a Steelers fan. Uh culture? Uh you know, the Golden Globes just happened, and I'm not gonna lie to you. Why the fuck do they do those speeches to talk about all of this important stuff when you have the resources and the network to affect it, and your speech does absolutely nothing but like make people say you gave a great speech. You know, celebrities just think they matter so much, like as human beings. And you only matter to the people who know you and love you. To the rest of us, you are just entertainment. And even to your biggest, like super fans, uh they only love you for your entertainment. So, like, if you're gonna talk about action, be about action. I don't want to hear about you on a fucking award show that regular people don't watch, don't give a fuck about. Like, hey, nigga, I watched a movie, it was good. Hey, that motherfucker act they ass off. I like that. They were good. That's what matters to us regular folk. We don't care about your golden globes and how that makes you more money inside your industry. That just means we gotta pay more money to watch a goddamn movie.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:21

Or subscribe to another streaming platform. Uh or they up the price. It's it's nobody cares. And like, you know, for me, I didn't even see any of it. I knew that it happened, but like I hadn't seen any coming on Twitter. The only clip that I saw was everybody talking about Ariana Grani and how she looks like a human again.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:39

Um, good for her. She's getting clean.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:42

Uh well, a lot of people were saying that uh what I and I'm I'm sorry if I I'm not even gonna pronounce her name. Her wicked co-star, Ivoro. I think that's her name. Um, basically was sucking the life out of her because you know they did a big PR thing where they were constantly together every time.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:59

And it seemed like Ariana Grande was her bottom.

SPEAKER_03 1:58:02

Yeah, and that she was paler and like, you know, people were talking about gosh, she she was already skinny, and then people were like anorexia. Like, I don't know. It was like a lot of skin.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:11

Have you ever been around a woman consistently who you didn't need to be around? Uh, yes. Did you become a lesser version of yourself?

SPEAKER_03 1:58:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:22

All right. They suck souls in more ways than one, buddy.

SPEAKER_03 1:58:27

That's a cold line there, Lee. Um, yeah, no, it just it's just one of those things where you just look at it and you just think, oh man.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:37

You know, but like, nigga, why the fuck do we care about these awards? Do we really care if our favorite rapper gets a Grammy?

SPEAKER_03 1:58:44

No, because it doesn't change how we feel about the art form and what we listen to. Like, if clips doesn't win rap album of the year this year, I'm not gonna be upset. Like, you know, I think that it was, I think it was the best rap project that did come out. But um, and we talked about it tonight when we heard it, which uh we got 60 seconds, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 1:59:05

Hey, I've got nothing left. That's what he said. We'll see you guys next week.