Bald Guys On The Bench
Bald Guys On The Bench
Rivalries Resurfaced, NFL Rumors, and Torrey Pines
Recorded February 16th, 2025
Ever wondered how a Valentine's Day golf outing could turn into a comedy of errors? Join us as Scott shares a hilarious mishap involving his son Kellen, his girlfriend, and a bathroom that had everyone in stitches. This episode begins with host banter that's as entertaining as it is relatable, as we explore the lighter side of life before diving into the latest in sports, from the Four Nations tournament buzz to the Genesis Invitational's heartfelt tribute to Tiger Woods' late mother.
Our sports rundown covers a wide array of athletic excitement and strategic maneuvers. We delve into the buzz around Major League Baseball's spring training and the strategic shifts in the NFL, highlighting moves from the Dolphins and Steelers. Speculation runs rampant as we entertain wild scenarios like Aaron Rodgers potentially joining the Rams. We also ponder the Steelers' future, analyzing their draft prospects, and discuss the intriguing possibility of them entering the Archie Manning sweepstakes while drawing parallels between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Switching sports, we experience the intense passion of the United States vs. Canada hockey clash, a thrilling showdown that reignited a historic rivalry. Amidst this sporting whirlwind, we reminisce about the evolution of the NBA All-Star Games, contrasting past and present. We wrap up with heartfelt appreciation for our global listeners, celebrating their loyalty and teasing what's next from the iconic Augusta National Golf Club. Tune in for a mix of laughs, sports drama, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you coming back for more.
#baldguysonthebench #graboneandcrackone #4nationsfaceoff #nhl #nbaallstargame #genesisinvitational #torreypines #tigerwoods #nfl #nflrumors
Welcome to another episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench podcast, with your hosts Graham Cohen and Scott Wasco.
Scott:What's up world, and welcome back to another episode of the bald guys on the bench. Unfortunately, it's an episode where there was no football played. Today, the first Sunday was no football for six months. But here we are. I'm with my best homie, graham. We still got a lot to talk about, we're still going to have some fun and we're still going to talk some football. So, graham, what's cracking?
Graham:Oh, brother, I'm not going to lie. You took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to mention no football, but you beat me to it. But hey, like we always do when rambling together and talking about sports, let's grab one and crack one.
Scott:brother talking about sports let's grab one and crack one brother. It's time it is. Even though we're not talking about the pigskin, but like we've always talked about on the episode, the nice thing about the NFL is we talk about it year-round.
Graham:You know, yeah, and there's a lot to say. There is.
Graham:But, before we even get into it, like we always do. How was your weekend? I know you worked mostly and you know you worked Valentine's Day and yesterday and today. What's cracking? It was pretty chill at the course. Right now in Vegas it's the typical 62 degrees. It's been a little overcast for the last couple of days here a little bit of wind, so it hasn't been too desirable outside, but golfers are still out there. Valentine's Day was pretty chill, low-key. Went out to dinner a nice place the day before, because if you've worked in the food and beverage industry long enough, you know you never go out on the day because most of the time you're either working and if you do, all the smart people know I mean I've talked to countless people, people who have been married for 15, 20-plus years. They always say going out on Valentine's is a rookie move.
Scott:It's like drinking on St Patrick's Day it's amateur hour.
Graham:Yeah, we're still doing it.
Scott:Professionals drink on other days that don't involve Sam Rock yeah exactly.
Graham:So you know, just been laying low Work's been pretty good, other than that, nothing much. What about you, brother? How low Work's been pretty good, other than that, nothing much. What about you, brother? How was your?
Scott:weekend. It was good. You know Valentine's Day was Friday. I worked a little bit. As everybody knows, I have kids that have spouses. So I'm literally on the way home from work and Kristen's like, oh, the love bugs are at the house right now. And I'm like, oh gosh, and by love bugs I mean Ava and her boyfriend, kellen his girlfriend, and then Kellen's good buddy and his girlfriend. So they were all at the crib doing their thing. And one of the funniest things that happened that night is I was literally on the phone with my dad just chatting and I went past the bathroom downstairs to go get some beers out of the garage in the refrigerator and I'm like, oh my God, who blew up this bathroom down here? I'm like it is terrible.
Scott:I'm like oh, my dear Lord. So I get back and I didn't say anything about it and all of a sudden Kellen's girlfriend and his buddy's girlfriend are coming downstairs to go to the bathroom. And I text Kellen and I'm like dude, did you just drop a bomb in the bathroom? And now the girls are going in there. It's, the whole downstairs is destroyed. And he texts me back. He's like bro, I know. And I'm like dude, you got to know better than that. That's a rookie mistake.
Scott:Courtesy flush, bro, we're back and forth texting and I'm like, who went to the bathroom? He goes thank God it was not his girlfriend, the other one and I'm like, oh, like, oh my gosh, and so my dad's dying. And you know, anybody in his shoes that's young, that's been in the dating world, knows like the hardest thing to do is for a man. Is man, when you're hanging out with a chick for so long, at some point you gotta fart, you know, and it's like, oh my gosh, you're hanging out with a chick for so long at some point.
Scott:You got to fart, you know, and it's like, oh my gosh, I remember hanging out with girlfriends in high school and it's like holding it in for like four hours and then you get in your car to leave and it's just like you know it's, it's.
Scott:If that was the, if it was just a simple burp, you know you're good. If it was just a simple burp, you're good. So, anyhow, a couple of his buddies are hanging out tonight. They don't have school tomorrow and I told one of them like yo ask Kellen about what happened Friday night when he took a big old doggy dump and then they had to go to the bathroom and Kellen's like I can't believe you're telling them that. I'm like dude, it's a great story. Older people, the old generation will appreciate it. Then his next buddy gets here and I'm telling Fletcher and Fletcher's dying, and I'm like you know what, this might even make it to the podcast. It is that funny because old people my age and Graham's age will appreciate it and you know, oh my God, classic.
Scott:But you know the weekend was good, worked friday, worked saturday and, you know, jumped right into the four nations tournament last night. Second round of the with united states and canada. We'll get into that in a few minutes. But you know it was a great weekend, just hung out, didn't do much today, hung out on the couch, watched golf all day. And you know it was a great weekend, just hung out, didn't do much today, hung out on the couch, watched golf all day.
Scott:And you know, genesis Open had to be moved to Torrey Pines Second time the Tours played at Torrey. In what four weeks, maybe? Dude? What a difference in four weeks.
Scott:The course conditions, ugh, dude, the rough, oh my Lord, wow, wow, wow. I mean we were talking to a friend of the podcast, or I was the other night, and that's Ricky Romano. And dude, he was like it was almost unplayable. You know the pictures and the videos and the divots. I mean I don't know if you saw the one when Rory hacked it out of the rough on that one hole and a dude, 15 yards behind him caught the divot. It was hilarious.
Scott:I mean Torrey showed its teeth this week. I mean it showed why it's been a two-time US Open venue and it's not a fancy. I tell people sorry real quick before you get in. I tell people that, no, I used to play Torrey a lot. It's one of my favorite, if not favorite, golf courses. I got to play on a regular basis, to the point where I named my dog after it. You know right, I tell people when I'm going to play and I would joke, I would say, before I go to Torrey Pines I would sharpen the grooves on my four or five and six iron because it's such a long golf course. It's not, it's not tricked out, it's not fancy, it's just tough out. It's not fancy, it's just tough golf in your face. You better hit the goddamn fairways and if you don't, you're going to be like Scotty Scheffler was yesterday.
Scott:And the crazy thing is as bad as he played all week top five.
Graham:What was he? Plus four on Saturday and still finished top five.
Scott:That's the golf course we're talking about, you know it's. I mean, you got the hazards left on four and 12 and three and that's none other than the Pacific ocean, aka black speech nude beach. But then the only water hazard you have is on 18. And when you're watching the telecast that that pond on 18, it looks like it's massive. And then you go play the golf course and literally you could spit across it. It's so tiny, wow. But you know, always fun finishes at Torrey, you know, and not only a fun finish. Ludwig, who was dominating after the first round a couple of weeks ago at the farmers, who got the flu and then was throwing up on the golf course, comes back four weeks later and gets the dub and our boys, our boys governed on the bag. Nice payday for Hundo. I mean Ludwig.
Scott:I mean not only and this is this is the last time I say about it Not only does Ludwig is the last I'm going to say about it. Not only does Ludwig have all the skills, the guy hits amazing shots. My guy hits putts. The 72nd hole he had to hit the fairway had to make birdie on 18 because he was tied. But he plays fast, like fast, yeah, it fast, yeah, it's awesome. The drive he hit on 18 when he had to hit the fairway so he could go for the green. And two, the most pressure he had on the golf course to hit a fairway on Sunday. And he's like, yeah, hold my beer, I'm just going to hit this laser 320 down the fairway, hits the green from 244 out Two putt Game over the end. The guy's a machine dude.
Scott:When I watch him play golf you know older people like you and myself can remember the old commercial with Albert Pujols on ESPN and they're like the machine Because everybody called Pujols the machine. All I Pujols on ESPN and they're like the machine Cause everybody called Pujols the machine. All I can think about is Ludwig. The guy's a machine. Right First time playing Augusta finishes second.
Graham:That's impressive.
Scott:If he didn't hit the ball in the water on 11 last year in the in the last round, who knows what's going to happen? Right, yeah, but that's a good point. Props to Skob and Ludwig. It was fun, and for me, as a person that loves Torrey to the point where I named my dog after the golf course, it was even more cooler because I got to watch the best of the best play the course twice in four weeks. Yeah.
Graham:It's a good point, but, as you said, it was different though, because this time around the conditions were a little tougher.
Scott:And they didn't have to play the North course, they played the South course four times.
Graham:Right We've talked about it in previous episodes where, when it comes to the game of golf, obviously we want to see the best players playing in the tournament. We got to see that more in this elevated event in this elevated event. But my point of bringing it up is in this event, as we were saying, the rough was longer, the scores were down because we're such big fans of the game. I think we're at a point where it's just like a high score or high. What I mean by like going low, it's not as impressive. Or I mean like you don't have to go low to be exciting for golf. You know what I mean.
Graham:Like what you saw this week and how the rough affected the players. I mean, like you said, scotty Scheffler on Saturday and just gotten killed by the rough People. That's what average, how average golfers should think. Like if you hit it in the rough, you should be penalized. There's too many times where pros hit it in the rough in regular weeks and it's just like all right, I'm still going to go out and shoot 66. What?
Scott:Yeah, I like to watch golf where par is a good score, right when you're watching Waste Management, when you're watching the American Express.
Graham:Well, that's a different one when you're watching the American Express in Palm Springs.
Scott:If you're making par, you're probably losing a half a stroke to the field. Oh, there's no rough for sure. No course. Conditions like we said last week, you're playing in a dome, but obviously thursday there was a lot of rain and wind and shit. And san diego I mean to the point where the second hole on Torrey South is a short hole and when I play it granted, I'm playing a little bit further up, obviously, but I'm hitting three wood wedge and from the tour guys they're normally hitting three wood wedge from 40 yards behind where I hit from. But dude, scotty Scheffler hit five iron from 165 yards on the second hole at Torrey's South. Like those types of things showed their teeth on Thursday. It was fun, it was awesome.
Scott:You know, fowler played, shot three or four over on the first round and then he came back and I think he shot 68, 69, three under on Friday. And obviously I'm watching the telecast on TV, but they're not showing Fowler finishing up and I'm watching his shot by shot on the PGA Tour app and he hits his drive in the rough and then he hits the next shot and he's got 170 yards in on 18, which is a par five. And I'm like, wow, he must have had a shitty lie. And then he's got 70 yards in for his fourth shot and I text Romano and I'm like, did you get a bad lie on 18? He goes a couple and that's a par five for a PGA Tour player. Just showing you you hit it in the deep shit, good luck.
Graham:Hey, we're all human yeah.
Scott:Something we mentioned a couple weeks ago that we were super excited about was Tiger playing in the event. It is Tiger's invitation to the Genesis, and then he had to pull out because, unfortunately, his mom passed away. And something pretty cool that happened today is all the players on the first hole got a pin from the starter with their scorecards A red pin with his mom's name on it. Pretty cool, pretty special, pretty neat. Uh, one more thing before we jump is Wednesday, normally Wednesday, uh, pga tour events is pro-am day. All the AMS that played in the pro-am for the Genesis open on Wednesday we were all LA firefighters because of the fires. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, pretty amazing. That's dope. Pretty sick, right. Wow, yeah, pretty cool.
Graham:That's sick yeah.
Scott:People forget why the tournament was moved. Yeah.
Graham:And it's funny you bring that up Dude, southern California is getting crushed. They had all those fires. Dude, they're getting flooded. Yeah, like the rain. Dude, costa Mesa is like. I'm just watching videos on my phone. I'm like what the hell is going on right now?
Scott:Like just flooded and flooded.
Graham:you know, up in Malibu, I mean shit is just falling apart. I'm like what is going? On right now Yep.
Scott:But hey, the West Coast swings over. We got you know tournament in Mexico next week, and then tournament at PGA National what used to be called the Honda the next week, and then it's straight to Arnie's place, dude Bay Hill.
Graham:It's getting? Is Honda used to be Doral? No?
Scott:Honda used to be the Honda at PGA National. Now it's called something weird. I don't know what the hell it's called now.
Announcer:Okay.
Scott:But anyhow, the Masters it's closed bro. I don't know what the hell it's called now, okay, but anyhow, the Masters it's close bro.
Graham:I don't want to don't no, don't.
Scott:No, I'm just saying it's close.
Graham:I know it's the jealousy in me. I'm sorry, CBS, I mean.
Scott:Jim Nantz. As he was signing off today, he was like I think, don't hold me to it, I think CBS's next broadcast is Augusta.
Announcer:Wow, that's crazy.
Scott:Yep, but anyhow, let's switch it on over. I know something you don't really want to talk about. We're just going to mention it real quick Spring training Major League Baseball underway this week, you know.
Announcer:Who yeah?
Scott:A lot of people carry a gram.
Graham:I'm just kidding.
Scott:But something I mentioned as we kicked off the episode, today was the first Sunday without football until meaningful games in September. But with that being said, the rumors going around right now and free agency Spicy Free agency starts, I think. The new league year starts in what? March, pretty much a month away. 15th, I think yeah, it's almost a month away, and then the draft is another month.
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:Dude teams are dropping some players, cutting them. I saw the Dolphins released the running back. I can't remember Mostert, yeah.
Graham:Raheem Mostert, I saw your.
Scott:Steelers release somebody to free up $13 million. Yeah, what's his name? I can't think of his name.
Graham:Preston.
Scott:Smith, yeah, but dude it's.
Graham:I was pissed, I was pretty bummed about that. I was like damn, he's Dude for someone that came in at the trade deadline. He stepped right in and produced, but you know he's a little older of a player and for that cap hit. I mean, it's not that Pittsburgh doesn't have money, but you know they want to funnel it in other places.
Announcer:I.
Graham:Pittsburgh doesn't have money but they want to funnel it in other places. I mean they got people they need to pay. But yeah, I mean we'll get into that later.
Scott:Yeah, it was just. This is the time where your player personnel department and your GM and your salary cap advisor this is where they're doing their work. This is where they're earning their checks.
Graham:Oh, this is where teams get built, folks, if you don't follow football that closely, if you're just a casual fan, this is literally the bread and butter of your football team. This is the time they just finished I think it was last week the Reese's Senior Bowl. Do you know what that is, the Senior Bowl? Yeah, no, it's called the Reese's Senior Bowl. Yeah, week, the reese's senior bowl. Which? Do you know what that is the senior bowl like? Yeah, you know it's called the reese's senior bowl. Yeah, it's pretty much like the college all-star game for seeing more or less.
Graham:You know they have down in mobile yeah, in mobile, and it's just like all the personnel guys are down there, gms are down there, and it's just like once you hear that going on, that's when really the bus starts going, because it goes pretty much from there. And then the combine in a couple weeks, and then I mean once the combine hits all the, I mean I don't want to say the rumors, but that's when all the speculation and what's going to happen, what, where, and we're going to go back and forth like who the Chargers are going to take, who the Pittsburgh is going to take, who are they going to take? Like what are the Patriots doing at three is going to take, who are they going to take? Like you know what, what are the patriots doing at three?
Graham:You know all this crazy stuff I mean for not having ball on. There's plenty of ball to talk about. So I mean even right now. I sent you last night, uh, a little something I saw on instagram where it was the, the billboard saying down in indianapolis Rogers, don't come here.
Announcer:We don't want you.
Graham:You know what I mean it's just like the Jets were like yeah, we don't need you, bro, do your own thing, and that's great. Well, I don't want to say it's great, but to us it's perfect, because now we get to banter for how long. It's just where's Aaron Rogers going to go? How about this? Does any team like, do they? Want him, yeah, like is there a team that still want aaron rogers?
Scott:and I'm not saying that, talking you know what I'm, you know what I'm getting ready to say when I talk about aaron rogers, what I've already.
Graham:Waster domus has spoken yeah, well, it hasn't been mentioned yet.
Scott:Via text with you and with TP. If the Rams somehow trade Stafford, which I think it's going to happen, it's not going to happen for what they want from the Giants, the third overall pick, I mean Stafford is 37, and he's owed a shit ton of money. But if somehow Stafford is dealt I've told you the other night it makes sense dude Aaron Rogers to the Rams. He's a fill in quarterback for a year, maybe two. There's no quarterbacks that the world wants this year. Next year's draft class coming out of college Quarterbacks are a lot. There's a lot of them.
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:And and the Rams finally have first round picks. Whatever they can get for Stafford, you get Rogers who let's just go out and say it the Rams played the Eagles better than anybody else in the playoffs. I mean there was a fourth down play at the end of the game where incompletion happened that, if it was complete, could have scared the oh absolutely heck, saquon broke one in that game.
Graham:If that got contained, I mean look, obviously anything could have happened, but they definitely played them the best.
Scott:So Rodgers you know, Rodgers going to the Rams makes sense to fill in until they draft their future. Yeah, Indoor, yeah, exactly. But the thing I had to bring up in this was the rumors slash. I don't. Some people say it's 100% bullshit. Some people are saying it's not. The Steelers reached out to the Jags for Trevor Lawrence. Oh no, I've read things that say that's 100% bullshit. It's for clicks, like our boy, andy, always says.
Graham:But then I've read things that are like no, it won't for clicks, no, I've well. Some people that I follow that are reporters for Steelers on YouTube. They, I mean, they talked about it and the way they talked about it they made it sound like it was a legit claim and I just one. They just paid the guy what you'd have to give up to get him. You have a new coach. Why would you get rid of your quarterback, who you paid to be your franchise number one? Granted, where you're drafting, you really want to start over fresh with someone new, like the Jaguars're on the rise last year. So before the season started last year, would you not say how they finished the previous year? Before that you would think they were on the rise really and then not.
Scott:Not really because they waved their terrible towels and then they got the terrible towel curse and then lost the rest of their games. So no, I would not say they're on the goddamn rise, graham.
Graham:Hey, I'm not going to lie. I like how you believe in the faith of the terrible towel curse. So thank you.
Scott:Well, you play with smoke you're going to get the fire. I mean, let's face it. I mean, let's face it, Trevor Lawrence got paid because the Jaguars beat the Chargers in the playoffs when we were up 27 to nothing. Trevor Lawrence, he had a couple plays, but let's don't say he was the reason.
Graham:Let's say the reason was yeah if the Chargers would have ran the ball.
Scott:Brandon Beaniehead Staley would have ran the goddamn ball. That game's over. But whatever, we're not even beating that dead horse. Andy, I don't know, dude, I don't know.
Graham:Trevor Lawrence is a good player, but I heard something the other day and honestly I kind of like it. There's only two ways to get better in this league. Right, if you're a team that's always in the middle of the like, you do well enough to like, okay, you make the playoffs, or you're doing well enough and you just miss it like. My point is, if you're drafting in between 16 and 22, you're a decent team, but like you can't get top level talent because you're not bad enough to get those low, you know, those top 10 picks. So, thinking about that, I'm like you know what I'm not saying I wouldn't.
Graham:I don't want pittsburgh have a losing season, or I do want them to have a losing season, but it was proposed. Yo, let's just pay Fields, let's just give him a little prove-it deal and just stick it out. If he wins, great. If he doesn't, great. Because if he doesn't, then hey, dude, pittsburgh Steelers could draft in the top 10. I mean, dude, pittsburgh Steelers could draft in the top 10. I mean, dude, when we drafted Roethlisberger we were, I think it was like 11?
Announcer:11 or 12.
Graham:I mean Pittsburgh hasn't drafted inside the top 10 in 20 plus years. So I mean I don't want to waste a year for Cam Hayward. I mean he only has a couple years left. I don't want to waste a year of TJ, but for the development of the team it could work out. Because if Field does bad and we have a top pick, hey, I don't mind being in the Archie Manning sweepstakes.
Scott:Yeah, you're not going to be in the Archie Manning sweepstakes.
Graham:Yeah, you're not going to be in the Archie Manning sweepstakes, I know I know that's not going to happen?
Announcer:I hope it doesn't happen for your sake.
Graham:okay, let's say that. Trust me, what little hair I have left will be boobah. That's not going to happen. I'll be ripping it out.
Scott:That's not going to happen, but I don't know there's. I mean, look at my Chargers. Okay, what did we win? Five games last year, yeah, enter Harbaugh and we went 11. Go to the playoffs With a team on paper that wasn't supposed to do what they did. I mean, we got rid of Keenan, we got rid of Mike Williams, we were cap strapped and Ortiz got cooking and started signing these guys to one-year deals. A new coach comes in, new structure, a new culture. That's not happening in Pittsburgh. Tomlin's not going anywhere. I don't care what anybody says. Who are you going to bring in to replace Tomlin?
Announcer:It's not happening.
Scott:Okay, no, the. Steelers are not looking for a culture rebuild like the Chargers were Okay.
Graham:No, but I will say this Okay to the little things, and by little things I mean he doesn't, he doesn't, he doesn't give chatter any breath. So what I'm saying by that is, sometimes you gotta read the tea leaves, Tom, and you gotta hear the chatter and you gotta hear what everyone's saying. You know what I mean. Everyone says, oh, you're a player's coach. Well bro, if you're a player's coach, that's great. But if, oh, you're a player's coach, Well bro, if you're a player's coach, that's great. But if people know what you're doing, if people know that you're stale like you, have to change it up.
Graham:The whole mantra of like the NFL has changed. You can't say like, oh, it's your 11 versus my 11 and we're just going to duke it out and see who wins. It's like dude, strategy ability, all that changes. Like you can't just say, oh, we'll tell you what we're going to do, but our guys are better than yours, so we're just going to beat you. Like that just doesn't work in the NFL anymore.
Announcer:Like that used to work but obviously that shit doesn't work anymore.
Graham:So it's just like you. You have to evolve and the fact that Tomlin's been with Pittsburgh for now 18 seasons, bro, switch it up. It's time Because the fans have turned Dude. There's fans that bought signs to tell the owner, like yo, get rid of this film. And you know they saw it 100%. You know they did 100% the writing's on the wall. I'm just hoping, tomlin responds.
Scott:Remember Fields was 4-2 when Tomlin benched him for Russ.
Graham:Yeah, but it was an ugly. 4-2, though.
Scott:Well, the 2 was ugly because you lost to the goddamn Cowboys and the Colts, but the 4 were good to the goddamn.
Graham:Cowboys and the Colts, but the four were good. No, no, we won four good games, but I'm just saying watching those games like it wasn't like, and then y'all beat the Jets on Monday night when you were there and the whole world started praising Russ. Yeah, because he actually threw the ball down the field. We didn't need fields to you to. We won a lot of those games with short passes and him running around. Like you can't win in the NFL by just running around, oh, ok, did you watch the Super Bowl last week?
Scott:Jalen Hurts had 72 rushing yards, most in Super Bowl history.
Graham:One of those. He broke for like 30 or 40, number one, but yeah, he also threw for over 300. Fields hasn't thrown for over 300 since Well.
Scott:I'm just going to say if I had AJ Brown and Devonta Smith to throw to, I could maybe, and I had that offensive line and Saquon behind me.
Announcer:I could probably throw for 300 fucking yards, Graham.
Scott:So let's simmer the fuck down right now. Okay, just throwing that out there.
Graham:I mean yeah.
Scott:Anyhow Touche.
Announcer:Let's switch it up real quick.
Scott:Let's just jump right into the Eagles parade on Friday, on Valentine's Day, and I saw the best memes ever from chicks on Instagram, on all over the place. Well, I knew my Valentine's Day was ruined when they scheduled the parade for Valentine's Day.
Scott:You know, I knew my significant other was going to come home blacked out, drunk and yada, yada yada. But something we mentioned last week was, you know, devonta Smith was the first player from Alabama to score a touchdown right in the Super Bowl. So I saw something the other night and I was like, wow, this is insane. Got to screenshot it for the podcast. Not only was he the first player from Bama to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl, he was the fifth player in history to win the Heisman college national title and Super Bowl. Do you know who the other ones are? You might be able to guess one, maybe two, because they were in our time, but I'm not even going to make the answer.
Scott:Charles Woodson, michigan won the Heisman won the National Championship, won the Super Bowl Reggie Bush.
Graham:Marcus Allen.
Scott:I was going to guess him. Marcus Allen and Tony Dorsett, now add Devonta Smith, once again proving Howie Roseman, you the man.
Announcer:But not only was it the man.
Scott:Did you see? My guy took a beer can to the face. Oh dude, he had a gash on his forehead.
Graham:Then he gets a. I saw the photo, I was like damn.
Scott:Then he gets the mic dude and the first thing he says is I bleed green, as you guys can all tell bleed green, as you guys can all tell dude it was. It was sick. The I will say this coolest thing I saw all week, especially at the super bowl parade, was saquon would saquon do gra'd, Saquon do Graham Maybe one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life in sports, Literally watching it at work. I got the parade live on my TV in my office and I didn't see it happen live, but I see the notification come out from whatever one of the sports platforms and I'm watching it and literally brought tears to my eyes because what my guy did for that kid platforms. And I'm watching it and literally brought tears to my eyes because what my guy?
Scott:did for that kid.
Graham:And folks know he didn't hand him the trophy, but basically what he did was better than handing him the trophy.
Graham:Oh, facts, facts. So obviously they're going down the street on the parade and all those people are there. Saquon notices, as he looks to the right, because the kid must have said something. One of his ball boys is there with his homies. He noticed. Saquon notices him, dabs him up, gives him a hug. They chat and then he's like wait a minute, you're a part of the team grabs and puts his arm around him, picks him up and picks him up over the uh, I wouldn't call it a ledge, but whatever was blocking where we're blocking off where people were standing barricade, picks him up over the barricade.
Graham:It's like playa, you're a part of this team, come hit, come party with us and just get some of them. They walked right down the field. I was like dude, that is the dude. You are the nicest, most genuine person ever.
Scott:Literally Represent Penn State, by the way, literally but I was like dude that is, and I'm like you could see. You couldn't hear what the interaction was, but you could see the kid Saquon says something to him and the kid's like shaking his hand or shaking his head and Saquon's like F that let's go bro. Yeah, and could you imagine being that? I don't know how old the kid was, I don't even know his name Irrelevant. Could you imagine being there at the Superbowl parade and you're his boys, boys with that kid, and all of a sudden Saquon Barkley picks your boy up over the barricade and now he's up with the team.
Graham:Done, Done Alright, Hope I'll catch you later.
Scott:See ya Of all the bad shit that comes out about athletes in the professional world. Why was that not blown up even more? You know that's a very good point. That could be a 30 for 30 episode in itself.
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:The highlight of Saquon's career after the best season of his career wins, his first Super Bowl and the unselfishness of him walking down in the Super Bowl parade seeing his ball boy picking him up over the barricade bringing him to the party. Not only that, saquon's ripping shots out of some dude's Hennessy bottle in the crowd.
Graham:Dude Yo, it needs to Look. I I'd do it too, but you got to you trust these mofos.
Scott:Dude, the last thing anybody in Philly is doing is giving something to Saquon that's going to hurt my guy.
Graham:Yeah, I mean Facts, facts.
Scott:But dude, it was. I mean, I can't say it enough, dude. I've seen it with my son the way he looks up to Taylor Heineke. Taylor Heineke is a backup quarterback in the NFL. Now you got Saquon Barkley, with arguably the best season in running back history, picking up a ball boy and inviting him to the party. There's no words. There's no words, none.
Graham:You can't talk about how amazing that is, but oh, dude, it's as soon as I saw it I had. I shot it right over to you. I was like, bro, did you see this? And you're like dude tear. Yeah, I'm like. As soon as I saw it, I was like it's like you know, there are good people out there.
Scott:You know what I mean. Like that's just a good, genuine thing to do. Good is an understatement. Good is an understatement. Oh for facts, Facts, but anyhow, best thing I saw at the parade besides that was my guy climbing up the light pole having Kermit the Frog in a noose.
Scott:That's but you know, whatever, let's jump into the next topic, because this is going to be fun and something I did not expect at all, and that is the four nations hockey tournament. And yeah, first time hockey's ever done it. You know, you got Finland, sweden, canada and the United States and a round robin event and most people, including myself, most hockey fans are going, they're going to go out there and they're not going to play hard and you know it's just going to be like a all-star event. Well, boy, that was proven wrong. Wednesday night, when the first round is hosted in Canada and Montreal and Canada is playing Sweden, and we're looking at the lines for Canada and we're like, oh my God, when Nathan McKinnon's on your second line, your team's pretty good, right.
Graham:Yeah right.
Scott:Anyhow, canada beat Sweden in overtime on Wednesday night, which was shocking. But then the United States plays Finland on Thursday night, which was shocking. But then the United States plays Finland on Thursday night. And obviously during the national anthem for the United States in Montreal, the Canadians booed the American national anthem, win 6-1. And so it sets up Saturday night, united States versus Canada. And so in this tournament the points are if you win in overtime, you only get two points. If you win in regulation, you get three points. So Canada wins in overtime, they get two points. United States beats Finland in regulation, they get three points. So it sets up a meaningful game Saturday night.
Scott:And sorry to jump over the Finland-Sweden game, I questioned on Saturday why is Finland playing Sweden and Montreal at 1 pm and the United States is playing Canada at 8 pm? Why the big time difference? And my buddy at work, he goes dude, it's because it's prime time in Finland and Sweden when they're playing at 1 pm and I'm like, got, it Makes sense. But dude, the game of all games Saturday night Okay, first time in nine years that United States and Canada play each other. Okay, first time in nine years that united states and canada play each other people were calling this the most anticipated game in hockey history, dude, in years. Okay, yeah, both teams are loaded, loaded. It's in montreal. It's a meaningful game and kudos to the organizers of this tournament that they didn't put it the third game of this round, robin. They put it in the second game, so it was meaningful. You know what I mean? Nobody had clinched, yet they put it in game two, where it was a meaningful game.
Scott:Yeah, I'm fired up. You know, fans of our show, listeners of our show, know I'm like a seven-year hockey fan. Since the night started, dude, I've watched my Vegas Golden Knights go to the Stanley Cup Final in year one. I've watched the Knights win in year whatever six. Last night's game was, if not the greatest game I've ever watched, with action and being intense. I don't know what was. Wow. That's a statement, dude, and it's not only a statement by me, tp, a regular on the show, the biggest hockey fan, I know. He said the same thing and I felt so sorry for my boy, tp being the biggest hockey fan, I know, because he bought his kids tickets to Monster Truck, whatever thing, at Angel Stadium last night and he couldn't watch the game and oh, he was crushed dude and I'm texting him and we actually talked about it this afternoon. He couldn't watch it. He was. You know it's your kids, you know it is what it is. You got to do what's right for the kids, but he was so crushed.
Scott:But, dude, national anthems start First off. The Canadian national anthem in a hockey game is maybe one of, if not the most beautiful things you'll ever see in your entire life. If you're a musician and you get called on to sing the national anthem in a Canadian hockey game, that's the easiest job in the world. Other people are like stressed, all this guy's got to do is say the first verse and then the crowd takes over. You know it's amazing, yeah. But before the American national anthem starts, the PA announcer says after Wednesday, thursday night, when they were booing hey, let's be respectful for the nations that are playing, because the Canadian fans boo, right, because of the tariffs and all that shit. Well, three lines into the American national anthem, here comes the booze and it's like oh boy, here we go. Well, let's just say if you like sports, you're going to love the beginning of this game.
Scott:And dude, puck drop, fight. That's insane. After the first fight and they get everything settled on the ice, next puck drop, fight. And I'm like, are they just showing a replay of the first one? Oh no, they're brothers. That's the Chuck brothers fighting. Then after that, we got two Americans in the box, two Canadians in the penalty box. Then we get a couple of seconds. We're like, all right, we're going to get into hockey. Oh no, here comes another fight. We got three. Dude, we got three fights in the first nine seconds for the most anticipated game in recent memory.
Scott:And, like hockey fans and hockey people, kids that played, they call the arena the barn. Right, they call it the barn. Well, let's just say, the barn in Montreal was on fire, fire. I could not believe it, dude. I thought the sports social media world was going to blow up. Do not remember anything close to that in recent memory, besides when Kobe died. Besides when Kobe died, yeah, but something I read tonight, dude, before the episode, I sent it to my dad and I was like, wow, this is incredible. The Tuchuk brothers, okay, were the two first fights and they said they had planned it. Yada, yada, yada. So this is incredible. Off the opening face-off was the fastest event in the NHL international game history, topping the previous record of 20 seconds in the 1996 world cup of hockey for a fight that involved his dad, dude I dude I it it was so crazy, dude, it was nut and you want to talk about getting the place fired up?
Scott:I mean another thing. I saw after the game a quote on the scraps according to somebody at ice level to Chuck. Asked Brandon Hagel to. Saw after the game a quote on the scraps according to somebody at ice level to Chuck. Asked Brandon Hagel to fight. After the fight, Brady to Chuck yelled to Sam Bennett we're going next. Bennett was on the bench, so he came off the bench onto the ice for the face-off to accept the challenge and then JT Miller was going to fight anybody that dropped the gloves with him because his gloves were off.
Graham:So far in advance. He's like, I'm just waiting. He's like who wants, let's go. It was so sick.
Scott:But then we get into the hockey. The place is fired up. Now we got to play a hockey game. I mean we're nine seconds in, we got three fights. It's like, oh yeah, remember, we got to play. You got to put the thing in the thing remember, we got to play, you got to put the thing in the thing.
Scott:We're here for something I I don't remember what it is, but you know it was so wild. I mean canada scores first to go up one to nothing on the power play after the third fight, which still I don't understand why, whatever, that's another topic and then we do, then we score to tie it up at the end of the first. Somebody drills mcdavid dude at the end of the first period and, like I told tp, from that moment on united states dominated the game. Yeah, it was insane, it was wild. United won 3-1, clinched a spot in the championship game. The nice thing is they don't have to play anybody tomorrow night because they've already clinched. If Canada wins, they advance to the finals, which is going to be played Thursday night. But the nice thing is tomorrow they move from Montreal to Boston. Tomorrow and Thursday is in Boston. Dude, if we get another rematch of United States, canada and Boston.
Graham:Those Boston fans are going to be litty.
Scott:It's going to be so sick it's going to be insane. I mean, I don't know if I sent you the viewership. I sent it to my dad. No, you didn't. Hockey draws 4.4 million viewers and 10 minutes into the game, after all the fights, they hit 5.4.
Graham:That's I mean for hockey.
Scott:I guarantee you more people watch that than are watching this NBA all-star bullshit going on right now.
Graham:Bro, I would venture to say that's more than what the NBA Finals is at, to be honest, but, but I I mean, look, I remember when we were talking about the game last night and I saw a stat that popped up that said Sidney Crosby is 26, hasn't or has won 26 matches in a row. Hasn't lost international. Has won 26 matches In a row, or hasn't lost in.
Scott:Yeah, hasn't lost in 26 matches in a row.
Graham:Yeah, international matches, yeah, and I'm just like dude, because also the thing is like I didn't realize the hype of it, because this is new Dude the USA hasn't played Canada since like the only time they get to play them is the only time they get to play them is in the Winter Olympics. Because I was like I'm thinking about it. I was like wait, when do they play.
Graham:Is there a special tournament besides what's going on? Not a special tournament, but do they do exhibitions or something? But no, it's just like not much has gone on.
Scott:And I was like, wow, that is insane. Jerry just sent me something as we're recording. He goes average NBA salary 11.9 million. Average NHL salary 3.5 million.
Scott:This all changed after yesterday and the reason for I mean it definitely salaries in the NHL and we may or may not have ever talked about it on this show. There's a lot of TV money in the NBA and the NFL. There's no TV money in hockey. If you had that many commercials in hockey, the game would take six hours. Ain't going to happen. Not going to happen. The game would take six hours. Ain't going to happen. Right, not going to happen. Yeah, I mean, like I've always said in NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, it's the worst time to be a beer drinker ever, because you go to the bathroom and you miss a goal. Yeah, whereas in the NFL, oh, they went three and out, they're going to punt and here comes a fucking timeout, you know, yeah, yeah, it time out you know, yeah, yeah, it's the nature of the beats on, unfortunately it's like there's, I mean it could.
Graham:just a shot in the dark question here, like what do you think, or should I say, is there something that could happen that their tv rate, like their tv money, could go up? Like is there anything they can do, or is it? I mean not that they're capped, yeah, now that.
Scott:ESPN is bought in and everything is on ESPN, espn plus.
Announcer:I don't have an answer to that.
Graham:Yeah, I don't know, I have no idea but Because, as you were saying, that is a good thing where it's just like once the period starts, the period starts, unless there's like a major penalty, like the clock's going. I mean that that is one thing that is nice about hockey, where you're not like oh, okay, the clock stopped already, or it's like how in football it's like, oh, there's only two minutes left, but you're just like yeah, yeah, but that two minutes is gonna take exactly and in hockey it's like no, no, it will take two minutes.
Scott:And not only that. Like you got superstars, dude, in the NBA Superstars the top 10, 15, 20 players not playing back-to-back games anymore because their knee is a little sore. We watched last night hockey players. Okay, cool, I'm willing to go die for my country in a goddamn exhibition. Okay, cool, I'm willing to go die for my country in a god dang exhibition. Couldn't imagine taking my family to go see the Lakers and all of a sudden, luca and LeBron are oh, it's a day off because we played it back to back. Shut up, whatever, I don't know what you say. I know what you're saying. Yeah, but anyhow, it's come to that time. You wanted me to put it in the notes, so I did. Nba, nba All-Star Weekend.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:My guy from Virginia won his third slam dunk contest in a row that nobody could even say his name. I mean, does he even start on his team? I don't know. Does it matter? You don't even know, do you?
Graham:Mack something. It's Mack McCluck.
Scott:All I'm going to say is this NBA, bring the superstars back. Dude for the slam dunk.
Graham:Dude they've been. I know they haven't really been doing that forever like dude. I don't even think I I did. Look, I think lebron only did it once in his career. I don't even know if he did it once dream on green is calling tonight's festivities terrible.
Scott:He said this is a zero out of ten.
Graham:Yeah, it's so hard. Look, I was watching because we had up on the TVs at work. They were replaying All-Star games from 15 years ago. They were actually playing defense. You know what I mean? It wasn't how the format is now, where the score was like 180 to 176. It's like no dude, these games were like 105 to 107. Like they, it actually meant something like I don't know what happened, where it changed, where it's just like all right, we're not taking this seriously anymore and it's just it's getting to a point now. It's kind of like the nfl, like we don't want this turn into a watered down exhibition. Where it's just like oh, it's going to be flag football now. It's just like that's not exciting anymore. They I mean the NBA obviously knows that the numbers are down, but it's like what are they? They're trying to reinvent the wheel, but like are they? I mean, look, perfect example, the kid that won. Do you even know what team he plays for?
Scott:The slam dunk. Perfect example the kid that won. Do you even know what team he plays for? The Slam Dunk? Yeah, no, I just know he's from Virginia. That's all I know.
Graham:Yeah, so he was wearing a Magic jersey, but the thing is, because I was saying I'm like I haven't seen him, he's on their G League team, exactly.
Scott:That's what I was just saying. The only reason Does he even play in a regular game?
Graham:Like. The thing is the fact that he was the back-to-back champion, like the dude's six foot, but like has 54.
Scott:I mean, he jumped over a goddamn car. I'm not taking anything away from that.
Graham:Right, oh, no, 100%. But the funny thing is it's like you got to take everything with a grain of salt. Thing with a grand assault. This kid now is the only player ever to be a three-time or a sort of say, a three-time consecutive slam dunk champion. This white boy, the face of, not the face of, the NBA. But I'm just saying like, like, unbelievable. And look, am I saying he didn't deserve it? His dunks were amazing. Like I'd put his dunks up against some of the other great dunkers of the past. You know, when Dwight Howard did his thing, I mean, everyone knows the greatest dunker in the slam dunk contest was who. I mean, it's pretty obvious, I think.
Scott:Well, I could argue two people.
Graham:Well, you're not really a basketball guy, so I don't know if you know this.
Scott:Okay, 23.
Graham:Do you know their names?
Scott:Jordan when he did the foul line thing Alright. In my mind the most impressive, yeah, five foot, whatever Spud Webb.
Graham:Alright, that was impressive. Impressive, I would say what?
Graham:I'm three inches taller than my guy and I can hardly cut to the goddamn net and this guy's fucking winning dunk contest so don't come at me an impressive well, I was gonna say, uh, vince carter, oh yeah, that when he has, I mean that, one year, yeah, I mean, he basically just opened the lid off and just was like yo, I'm here, let's go, and you ain't going to forget about me type of situation. So but yeah, I mean it's. I mean, look, the NBA weekend is just, it's not the same anymore. But hey, it's news, that's what we talk about and we have, you know, obliged you. So it's over and on to the next. Next, and I mean unless we got.
Scott:Yeah, I got one more thing and I think we may or may not have talked about it. Last night I saw something come up, uh, instagram or whatnot. It said in 2022 the commanders offered the draft pick they used on jayden daniels in a package for russell wilson. They offered him three first round picks for russ, but the seahawks and wilson decided to go with denver. Wow, I remember that too. I remember the the media in my area going all in on Russ Dude.
Graham:Three first rounders for at the time, supposed to would have been what 33-year-old Russ I mean what did Denver give?
Scott:They gave him Noah Fant and all these other people. I mean what did Denver give Seattle?
Graham:I mean there was definitely a first. Was it a first and then a second later on, or two? First, I mean like there was definitely. Well, because they had players in there, it, you know, it eased it up a little bit. But yeah, I mean I don't know, I just think we're at the point where it's just like, are we going?
Scott:to really see a team give away three first round picks anymore. I mean that's a lot After the success of Stroud last year's rookie season and after the success of Jaden Daniels this year, Bo Nix this year? Yeah, I don't think so.
Graham:Yeah, I'd have to agree with that.
Scott:I mean, granted, stroud had a little bit of a sophomore slump, like everybody says, but also his offensive line was garbage. Yeah, you know he still beat my Chargers, but that was more a defense, but still, let's see, I don't know, man, I don't know. There was something else I wanted to talk about. Where is the picture? What was I going to say?
Graham:Well, you already talked about Sir Stink a lot Kellen's shitting himself.
Announcer:I'm trying to think of a nickname for him.
Scott:Here we go, max Scherzer.
Announcer:This is hilarious.
Scott:So you know when he was traded originally. There's all these terms in his contract where the team that trades for him has to pick up salary and stuff. Thank God he didn't do what he did with the Rangers last year, so the Mets are off the hook, but Scherzer just signed with the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are paying Scherzer $15.5 million in 2025. $15.5 million in 2025. The Nationals are going to pay Max Scherzer $45.5 a year until 2027. And the Dodgers are paying him $15 million in 2028.
Scott:There's got to be some kind of cap coming for Major League Baseball.
Graham:No there has to be. There has to be, because I was just going to say not to cut you off?
Scott:Yeah, no, go for it.
Graham:I was just going to say can we just fast forward to the playoffs? Because, dude, it's what the Mets and the Dodgers, and then on the AL side, it's like bro barring major injury to multiple people, you have to have, like a cinderella team, come out of nowhere or just, you know, play the most unbelievable baseball for however many games for it to be any different, like it's, I mean, it comes down to it. Do do we like seeing the same five teams?
Scott:and that's the thing with the nfl there's all kinds of parody exactly.
Graham:There's no parody in baseball there is to have that many fucking games like and you know, that's why it's just like, why 162 if it's the same four teams? Like why start baseball at the end of march and april when there's still snow and do on the ground like dude, start in may and then, like you know, end of september or at the end of august, like, or I mean they're not gonna do it because the record's like I get all that, but like something has to change because it can't be good for the game just to have two teams literally just be like all right, I'm gonna open up the checkbook and I'm just going to buy you and you and you and you and you and you.
Graham:Especially now with all this deferred payment that has to eventually bite teams in the ass. It has to.
Scott:Jump real quick on the Angels. Okay, the Nationals win the World Series. The Angels give Rendon this massive salary at third base. He's played like 12 games in the last three years and now he's already out for the season Insane. And he's getting paid 38 mil this year. I mean, somebody put up a joke the other night. I'm trying to look for the picture. It said all right, officially. Now that Rendon's out, April 30th or whatever is National Rendon Day, bobblehead day, and it's got him in a wheelchair.
Graham:I don't even. It is what it is, it's crazy.
Scott:It's crazy, it sucks, but I don't know. I don't know. We got a little hockey tomorrow night. We got the championship game Thursday night. Uh, graham, we're going to get some snow here, supposedly on Wednesday. I hope we get. I hope we get pounded so I don't have to go to work on Friday, so I can stay up late and watch the hockey on Thursday. But even though football's over. We've still got a lot of shit to talk about A lot.
Scott:Oh facts, facts, you know, and I gotta give a shout out and this was not on the notes, but I got to give a little shout out and I have no idea who these people are, and you can edit this while you took the while I'm editing this.
Scott:Uh, we have some people. The platform we use for this episode and this podcast we can see locations where people listen to our episode. We can't see names, but we can see locations. So we've got some people. We don't have a clue. We eat ribs with this dude. Who they are? We got some people in France, the Ukraine, japan and Australia listening to us. Whoever you are, I love you. Thanks for listening. And they're consistent dude. They're listening every week. When I saw that the first time, I was like I'm sorry, what I mean? This little area in Japan I can't even pronounce. It's like N-A-G-O-Y-A is the city and the country is A-I-C-H-I Konnichiwa is all I can say. I have fun. People in France. I hope your ladies are starting to shave their legs. Other than that, I like to go to France because the women over there don't wear no underpants.
Graham:Let's go this isn't the 90s, bro, this is 2025 you know they're up to date now. I don't know. I mean, that's what the homie like we've tried to guess. I'm thinking that France is my old roommate. I'm hoping. I've been telling the list and he says he is, so who knows if he actually is?
Scott:Okay then If it is who the fuck is in Ukraine, Japan and Australia have another shrimp on the barbie. I mean, whatever, Make it make sense. Like we always say, Graham, get us out of here. I had to give a shout out.
Graham:No, hey, shout out to the listeners all around the world. Shout out to you. Shout out to Shout all around the world. Shout out to you. Shout out to Shout out to Kellen. Shout out to my girl, bella. Shout out, wait, who else? Yeah, just shout out to the loyal fans. And Scott, it's always a pleasure doing the podcast with you and, as the best homie always says, buh-bye.
Scott:Good night friends. Next time we'll hear Jim, is that the Augusta national golf club? And hopefully Thursday night. Good night you, poutine, eaten Beeps. Go USA, let's go.
Graham:Got him.
Announcer:This episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench podcast is brought to you by our friends at North Star Credit Union and Southern Auto, located in Southeast Virginia.
