41. Super Bowl LX Recap with JoJo Cash

A Super Bowl that felt like a slog on the field still delivered a story worth telling: pressure beats plans, patience wins possessions, and sometimes a running back defines the biggest stage. We unpack how Seattle’s defense squeezed Drake May into sacks and hurried throws, why five field goals quietly controlled the scoreboard, and how Kenneth Walker’s vision and timing earned a long-overdue Super Bowl MVP for a RB. Then we tackle the quarterback discourse: Sam Darnold’s night wasn’t flashy, but it was calm, clean, and exactly what the moment required. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ line and receivers struggled to create answers until late, when the math had already tilted.

The culture, though, was electric. Coco Jones and Brandi Carlile set a high bar before kickoff, Green Day gave the Bay a nostalgic jolt, and Bad Bunny turned halftime into a masterclass in inclusive storytelling. Minimalist staging. Maximal joy. Human “grass,” street chairs, a pickup, and a camera plan that felt intimate at stadium scale—plus a Gaga surprise that underscored the show’s message of openness and community. We contrast that precision with the NFL Honors’ awkward bits, mispronounced names, and tone-deaf jokes that undercut a night meant to celebrate players. The league proved it can stage world-class culture; now it should bring that same care to honoring its own.

We close with our ins and outs: Walker’s patience in, efficient field goals (yes, really) in, messy playoff beards and stale jokes out. We look ahead to international NFL games, the Winter Olympics as our sports bridge, and a summer slate of interviews that keep smart, inclusive football talk flowing. Hit play for a candid, women-led breakdown that blends tape, tactics, and culture without the fluff. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review—your support helps us keep amplifying voices and yapping ball all year.

Transcript

Welcome, Season Reflections, What’s Next

SPEAKER_00 0:04

You will be baby.

Guest Intro: JoJo Cash Returns

SPEAKER_02 0:10

The games on the games on the game, the game is games on, games on, games on games on the games on the games. I'm Victoria. The game's on. Welcome back to another episode of your favorite football podcast by the girls for everyone. The game. We have made it through our first entire season of the game of Living in a Fantasy, our All Female Fantasy Football League, and an entire NFL season. If you've been here from the jump, thank you so much for being here. This has honestly been such a pleasure to meet so many people from the community to interview incredible women, to amplify feminine voices in the NFL world and to create a show that both men and women can listen to where we're just yapping ball in most weeks of the NFL. So if you've been here from the jump, thank you. If you're new here, hey, welcome to the table. I'm honestly so happy to have you. And we will be continuing through the summer just with more interview format than yapping and recapping games until the season starts back up. But as we are growing, sometimes we change things up. So make sure that you have your notifications on so that you'd never miss an episode from us here at the game. If you're not following us yet on socials, at the game the podcast on TikTok and Instagram, our newsletter is on Substack, thegame the podcast.com, and our all girls group chat is also on that Substack as well. So make sure that you check those out. Today we are recapping the Super Bowl. I'm chatting with friend of show, Jojo Cash. She is a coder currently working in sports, but on the coding side. And she has become a friend of show. She created our living in a fantasy leaderboard this season. So if you saw that, that was all her, and we just became great friends through that. So we are chatting about the Super Bowl, things we loved, didn't love, and of course, an ins and outs list to close it out. So without further ado, let's get into it with the game's friend of show and favorite coder, JoJo Cash. Jojo, welcome back to the game.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Hey girl.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Hey girl. I figured for this episode, because this is your second appearance on a recap, we should tell the people how we met. Which when I started the Fantasy Football League, you reached out and you were like, hey, I'm a coder. And I was like, that's so cool. We like hopped on the phone. The second I heard your voice, I was like, oh, we're friends. And I was thinking about it the other day. And I was like, I just decided in my mind that you and me were friends. And then I came to Buffalo and I was like, do you want to go to the game? And then we spent like 10 hours together.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

I sure did. We were drinking jello shots and meeting people. And I went up to your hotel room like right off the bat just to just come help you bring stuff down. And I was like, am I gonna get murdered? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

And we were both like, are we safe? Like we were both like, is this a horrible idea?

SPEAKER_03 3:26

And then we met. We were like, oh no, it's fine. And now you're on the show.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 3:31

So welcome back.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Let's recap the most boring game of the season, aka Super Bowl 60. And only when we say most boring, we only mean actual gameplay.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Yeah, it was a snooze fest. Like what what was that? Like five field goals? No. The field goal thing.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

I mean, like, listen, they the Seahawks won and they won because of field goals, but like field goals are like kind of an ick. You can do like you can make it. You can get in there. I know you can.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

That's all there was for three quarters. For three quarters. Three quarters of field goals from one team.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

It was very hard to stay locked in on the actual game. Yeah. I was at a bar with like some good friends that I hadn't seen in a while. And like very much like doing the whole Super Bowl day experience. We had pictures, we were hanging out, like really good friends. Nice. And it was very hard to be like, I need to lock in and like take notes on this game because I'm gonna talk about it tomorrow. And so all of the stats that I have are not because I was so locked in on the game. It's because I like looked them up after and just like enjoyed the time with my friends and like kind of watched the game in real time. Yeah. Yeah. However, somehow Drake May did end up with around, I believe it's 294 total yards, which is wild because he did nothing in the first three quarters at all. And so I was shocked when I saw his actual numbers, you know, two touchdowns, 294 yards, also seven fumbles. Oh my gosh. That one I was shocked. I was like, I did not remember it that way.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

And six sacks against six pets. You called it. I called it you texted me, and you were like, I think he's gonna be sacked a lot. And I didn't know how to bet on it. So I was trying to find total sacks and I couldn't in time. And I wish I did. I wish I followed your advice.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Yeah, yeah, because I just feel like that there was no way that he was not gonna get sacked because the Patriots are good, but the Seahawks were a more dominant team through and through the entire season. Like the Patriots are a great football team. They got to where they got to. People will, you know, say like easy schedule and whatever, but I think that the Seahawks are just a better team overall. And I don't think that the offensive line on the Patriots can hold a candle to the Seattle defense, which is exactly what we saw Drake May get sacked. There was just pressure. And it's like teams can go into any game, imagining what their idea of how the game is going to go. But then once you finish the first quarter, like you know what you're up against. And the Seahawks saw we can just pressure the heck out of Drake May, and we don't have to do anything else except kick field goals and we're gonna win the game, which is exactly what ended up happening. Like we can get a couple of solid runs. Kenneth Walker had some great runs in there, a couple 20, 30 yarders, but they didn't need to do anything else because if they could keep that pressure, then they would be fine. And the Patriots had they hadn't played each other yet either. So the Patriots couldn't have been ready through experience for the Seattle defense, only through tape. I just feel like Drake May going into the game and the Patriots going into the game, they knew they were going to be playing a hard game. And I think that they adjusted fairly well after halftime, though, if you think about it. Like two touchdowns after halftime. Like fourth quarter, they made the adjustments they needed to. It's just too late after a rampage of field goals.

Drake May’s Pressure, Sacks, And Nerves

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah, I think the Pats defense was pretty good. Yeah. For holding JSN and you know, not holding, but you know, I mean, holding them down and not letting them score, obviously. But I think just baby Drake May is just he wasn't ready. He was had some nerves, he had to shake, and you know, just that uh rookie, I don't know, it's not a rookie, but uh the rookie mentality just didn't have the experience yet. I think he was a little scared. But then the fourth quarter, you know, he's just throwing bombs because he has to at that point.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Yeah, he's like, okay, this is the time. Unfortunately, it's too late. But I also think that his team, like, I think that there has been a lot of Drake May hate today, like in the media and press. But I think that his team also didn't put up any of the like his offensive line let him down big time as well. Like he had more quarterback pressures than, like, I don't know. I think I saw a stat said like any quarterback all season or something like that. Like the amount of pressure on him was not his fault. And so, like, yeah, young quarterback, but he's capable if the rest of his team does their job. And it's kind of like nobody on that team really did their job. I think the one thing that stood out to me so much was that so many of the names that we normally hear, we did not hear at all.

unknown 8:58

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:59

We were not hearing like Ramondre Stevenson, I feel like, was the number one player that I saw replayed. He had five receptions and 40 yards total. But like, we didn't hear Stefan Diggs, we didn't hear Treyvon Henderson, we didn't hear Hunter Henry, like not too much, no. And even though like every single one of them had like a couple of targets, none of them were like these massive game-changing plays, which I think is really was interesting just to watch. And like, we weren't really hearing much of anything. Right. Like the whole game. Like, nothing was really happening except Drake May getting getting sacked. So I'm not really here for the Drake May hate because I don't think that it's necessarily him being a rookie. I think it's the entire team not being prepared to perform against the number one defense in the NFL that is reproduced over and over and over and over again, and an offense that's good enough to get it into the end zone or the uprights.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Yeah, that's fair. I mean, I I they couldn't get open, maybe like the wide receivers, because you know, Seattle C is so good. Yeah. So maybe that was it part of it, and you know, Drake couldn't get it off quick enough.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

And I s yeah, I saw in a one of the coaches had mentioned, one of the Seattle coaches had mentioned that Drake May likes to hold on to the ball, and they were like, We're not gonna let him do that. And that's exactly the strategy that they just ran with the entire game, which essentially is what created such a huge upset and like nearly a blowout.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Yeah, yeah. I will say Mac Collins is a dog, though. Yeah, there's something about him, he's so quirky, even when he was on the Bills, he's the exact same guy that like when they have a victory Monday, he puts some MMs in a water and then drinks it. Like he's so different. He walks around without shoes, unless it's cleats. Like he's he's wild, but I don't know. There's something about him that I I just love. I'm glad he scored that first touchdown. Cause yeah, I put money on that, but I did my money though.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Got my money though.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

But I don't know. He's just wild. He's a wild man.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

Matt Collins was also there breaking up the fight between Diggs and I can't remember who the Seattle player was.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Joe's or something. Job's Job.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

We didn't see a lot of that on the TV. No.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

I I saw a highlight more, I think, after. But they should have thrown a flag for that. Because he swung, he swung at Diggs too.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

Well, he like sma like pushed Diggs to the ground.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

And then Diggs did the whole face mask grab. But we didn't really see like Yeah, and then he swung. Yeah, like, and also moments that we didn't see on the I thought it was it's interesting to go on after and be like moments that we didn't see on the television, right and that there was a streaker, like a hack-okay, a lackluster streaker. That's there's nothing more embarrassing than being a streaker who doesn't streak.

Patriots’ Offense Stalls, Seattle Dominates

SPEAKER_01 12:25

But he looked good. He did. He was great shape. Great shape. Yeah, happy guy. He did run fast. I think he was wearing meta glasses too. So there's a it's probably it was probably streamed somewhere. Gotta find that. It's like a meta ad.

unknown 12:46

Yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_01 12:47

How sorry, we'll get into it later. But how many AI ads do we need during the commercials? Holy cow.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

Yeah. Also, I'm in I was in San Francisco. I didn't go to the game, but I was in San Francisco to like be around the hubbub and all of the excitement. And we went to like the pre-game day experience and nice all of that. And the amount I I went to coffee with one of my friends who lives up here, and she's like, look at the billboards, because every single billboard is AI because San Francisco is such a tech city. Right. Um, yeah, and then the the Super Bowl commercials were similar. I do think that's like one thing that if you watch the Super Bowl like at a bar, you miss a lot of the commercials because you're just like hanging out with friends or like getting your next pitcher of beer or like you're just out, you know, you're just like eating empanadas in a bar.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

I'll tell you, you didn't miss much. It's not like it used to be. Yeah, well, now they put them out ahead of time as well.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Yeah, yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Which I'm like, leave it for the Super Bowl. Right. It brings in viewers, and I felt like somebody should be thinking about this. Right. Okay, let's wrap up with our things to say about the game game because we don't have that many more, and then we can talk about all the fun stuff. Okay, so I loved, I was not expecting Kenneth Walker to get the Super Bowl MVP. And I love that Kenneth Walker got the Super Bowl MVP MVP. The last time a running back won MVP was Super Bowl 32. It was Broncos Packers. So it's been 28 years since a running back has won the MVP. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

It's insane.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

So Terrell Davis in 1998 rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns against the Packers, despite missing time due to a migraine. So my guy has a migraine.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

He can you I can't even function, let alone go win MVP at a Super Bowl with a migraine. That's a flu game. Flu game, yeah. MVP.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

Yeah, my best. I most people don't know this, but I was a club gymnast in college, and my most winning year was I got food poisoning. And so I was like puking all morning, and I had more wins in that competition than any other competition in my college career. There you go. Blue game. Yeah. This guy though, Terrell Davis. I didn't know about Terrell Davis before this, I'm not gonna lie. I had no idea who this guy was. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2017, 1998 NFL MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion, and held 56 Broncos team records. Wow. Yep. Yeah, and he's the only running back in Broncos history to win MVP. Wow, that's that's pretty crazy. Yeah. And then Kenneth Walker, 161 total yards, 135 rushing yards, and 26 receiving yards for the Seahawks. What I also love about this is we I've said this a lot on the show, but the NFL so much loves to put all of the hype on one single player and be like, this is the guy, or this is the receiver. Like we hear it Stafford and Nakua, we hear James Cook and Josh Allen, we hear, you know, there's so many duos in the NFL or single players that people consider like a hero. And I love this because Kenneth Walker has been one of the best running backs, has been one of the best players in the NFL the entire season. But I think that this I feel like this was so special because people probably expected it to be JSN.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

And I think that this shows like the depth of the team more than a JSN or like a Sam Darnold MVP would have.

Kenneth Walker’s MVP And History

SPEAKER_01 16:57

And JSN got hurt for a little bit during the game. Yeah. And you know, Ken Walker's uh runs were so patient. Like you just kept hearing that word over and over again by the officers, but he just like waits and then finds his hole. And it was he's really talented. And then I heard he was like uh he was talking about about Charbonnet missing missing the game and how he was doing it for his brother, Charbonnet, and I thought that was really cool. And he definitely held the torch for the both of them.

SPEAKER_03 17:32

So that was that was huge.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

Yeah, that's really yeah, that's so sweet. Last things to note, I think there's been a lot of controversy, and I want to ask you what you think. Uh did Sam Darnold have a good game, yes or no?

SPEAKER_01 17:47

I think he did what he needed to do. I think he against a decent uh defense like the pass. I think he had a decent game, probably not his best game, obviously, but uh he uh did what he had to do. He didn't he rush a few times when he needed to. He only had 202 yards but uh and 74.7 rating, passer rating. It's not great, but you know, he did what he had to do, and with JSN not really uh around for a quarter or two, and Cooper Cup and stepping up that helped. And uh I I think he had a decent game and they won. So I think he definitely didn't deserve MVP, but he did it. So I I think it was good enough.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

Good, yeah, good enough. Like, why are we fighting on if Sam Darnold had a good enough game or not? After five teams, he's a super world champion. Can you say that? And also, Sam Darnold has never been the guy to go out and say, like, he's a team man through and through, and like other quarterbacks like love their team, but they know that they're kind of like a lot of it relies on them. But like Sam Darnold in his press conferences, like he knows that he is a part of a team and that he cannot do it without his team. And so, like, if he says that and that's his approach, and the entire Seattle's team approaches that we're a complete team, then like, why are we hating on him for doing his job better than any other quarterback did his job this season? Right. So, I mean, yeah, that's interesting to me. I've seen I've seen I saw men fighting, like yelling at each other this morning all over that. And I was like, okay, this is way too much. He won. Everyone, relax.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

I'm sorry that you're offended that he won. Right, right. He did what he had to do. And he won the Super Bowl. He didn't just win a game, he won the Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_03 19:53

The Super Bowl. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:55

Also, people are saying like he had so many turnovers in the pre-season in the regular season, but in postseason, he's been an incredibly clean quarterback. So I thought that was just interesting. If you look at like him and Drake May had opposite preseason and postseason stats, where Drake May had really clean preseason and then postseason, he struggled a lot, fumbles, interceptions, just like being messier overall. And Sam Darnold really like flipped his script from going interceptions, turnovers, et cetera, to just being able to like hold on to the ball, which I think shows a lot of growth. And like it doesn't matter until it matters. And if you can play well when it matters, which is how Patrick Mahomes has gotten to where he's gotten, because he can turn it on when he needs to, minus the season. But historically, like him and Travis Kelsey can make it happen. Their whole thing is like whatever makes it happen, or what's their saying again? I forget. Find a way. It's find a way. There we go. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So I just think that Sam Darnold like did what he needed to do in the end of the season. So I'm not here. I'm not here for the Sam hate. Also, not here for the Drake May hate. It was a Super Bowl. It's an intense game. It is what it is. However, nothing would hurt more than a pick six in the Super Bowl safety. Or I mean linebacker, Uchana Nuoso, 45-yard pick six. That is wild. That was a little rough.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

That's when he kind of knew it was over.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Yeah, hit May's arm. And I mean a pick six is like by a linebacker. It went right to him.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

I love a big boy touchdown. Oh, a big man touchdown.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

Yeah. Yeah. Love. On the ends list.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

On the ends list.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

Of course. Yeah. And then they also had an interception by Safety Julian Love. So I mean, Seattle D offense like just can't be beat this season. So I'm really curious to see how they come up next season.

The Sam Darnold Debate

SPEAKER_01 21:51

Uh, any other notes on the actual game? I think it was just not the actual game, but just a note about Sam Darnold. Like, this was. His first year with Seahawks. So, like, he's gonna be learning a new system. And I know the Vikings were kicking themselves for letting him go after that. Every person who's ever talked to Sam Darnold is pissed. Why'd we let him go? But yeah, I I thought it was a good performance for the Seahawks. Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up back in the Super Bowl or you know, late in the playoffs next year, too. Yeah. They look they look good, solid.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

They look, they look good and they have they have everything that they need to be a continually successful franchise. And I think it's gonna do wonders for Sam's confidence, the way not just the Super Bowl win, but the way that he was able to become a significantly better quarterback in the postseason than he was in any other season in his entire career. Right. I feel like he rose to the occasion that he needed to rise to, which will like do wonders for his confidence. And I think that confidence really does matter on the field.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Yeah. Also, did he have a glow up, or is it just me? I think he had kind of had a glow up. Wait.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

From his rookie year? Oh, yeah. I mean, his beard is cleaner. He's like looking, he is. No, that's so true. Yeah, he looks good. He's also engaged, so his fiancee has to be there for the must have been a part of the glow up.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Oh, absolutely. Completely random. Do you watch Love is Blind? Of course.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Okay, who's the girl who she wore that like silver bodysuit at the reunion and they're still together? No. Oh my gosh, what was it? She has like dark brown hair. Garrett. Oh, Garrett's the guy. And I think that's one of the best glow-ups of all time.

SPEAKER_01 23:55

Oh, yeah. And um, oh, absolutely. I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm trying to think of what his wife's name is. Yeah.

unknown 24:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

And then that 100% goes to the girlfriend or wife or fiance, whatever.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

I do have to say, we should consider like how do we get men in the NFL to like trim their beards just like a little bit better. Like we have a lot of scraggly beards going on. And it's confusing. Like your hair is gorgeous. So like what happened to the rest?

SPEAKER_01 24:25

Right. I think a lot, well, when they get to the playoffs, then it's a playoff beard. And it's just it's a no. That's probably why.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Yeah. Yeah. It's a no playoff beard's a no for me. Sam Darnold did not do a playoff beard, and Sam Darnold was looking good. Absolutely crushed it. I want to thank our partners over at Kusos. Kusos is my favorite seasoning. The best supporters of the show. If you don't know what Kusos is, it is seasoning blends that are all natural with no preservatives, nothing crazy. So it is blended seasoning. So it's really a one-stop shop for anything that you want, food and meal-wise. Personally, I've been using the Southwest Sand often as a replacement for regular taco seasoning. And what I love about that is that there's no like cornstarch. It's not based in anything odd. And it makes my food taste really good. So I'm a lover of a good taco bowl. It's kind of one of my go-to's for a quick lunch that I could whip up, get some veggies in, get some meat in. And using Southwest Sand, the Kusos seasoning on that has made it so much better, so much more flavorful, and so much easier to cook. And it also gives me peace of mind because who wants random things in their seasonings when you can have something that's all natural with nothing crazy and that tastes really bold and really flavorful. So if you want 10% off your order with Kusos, head to Kusocuts.com slash the game or use code the GAME at checkout for 10% off because it really helps the show and gets you great seasonings to your mouth. Okay. Thanks, Kusos, for sponsoring. Let's get back to the show. Although the game was a little sleepy, the musical performances through and through the entire game, honestly, whoever is in charge of that needs their own award. Because okay, when when they brought out like the violinists on the little platform for Coco Jones, yeah, I was like, you know, this is interesting. Like, I'm not sure. So when she sang, Lift Every Voice and Sing, I was locked in. I could not take my eyes off the screen. Also, her outfit was like an homage to Whitney Houston.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

Stunning.

SPEAKER_02 26:45

I was so captivated, honestly. Like, yeah, anything that that woman does from this point forward, like, I'm in.

Off-Field Moments: Fights, Streaker, Ads

SPEAKER_01 26:51

There was something about how it was she had performed at the Super Bowl when she was a kid too. And it was just like a full circle moment.

SPEAKER_02 27:03

That's really, really sweet.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Yeah, it looks just like Whitney Houston's traps outfit. That's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 27:11

Yeah. It's just yeah, absolutely stunning. So we started with that, and I was like, oh, this is gonna be good. Like I'm locked in. And then we had America the Beautiful by Brandy Carlisle, which I loved because that's also an LGBTQ singer, Grammy Award winner, which is obviously great for representation. Um, which I think that the Super Bowl did an incredible job of just highlighting so many different cultures within the U.S. And I know that it's like a polarizing time. We don't get like too into like politics or anything like that, but I think that the NFL did an excellent job of representing what America really looks like, its diversity, and what types of people are successful in America. And it can be anyone. And so I was so excited to see her come out and sing and also absolutely smash America the Beautiful with her guitar. Yes. Come on. So good, so good. So good. And then we get Green Day, and whether or not Green Day was a palette cleanser for Bad Bunny, I don't care.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

That's perfect. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:19

Palette cleanser for Bad Bunny. I love that. Because Green Day got announced after Bad Bunny, after like the outrage, which I can't even.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

I honestly can't even. So I I kind of think that Green Day could have been a palate cleanser, but Green Day is also from the Bay Area. So that was like a Bay Area treat. Okay. Um and obviously they killed it. Like it's Green Day.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

Absolutely. And they ended with uh American Idiot. Is it ironic? Was that I mean, was that a statement? It's like it was planned or something.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

It's like it was planned or something.

SPEAKER_02 29:05

Yeah, I was honestly sure like just the sheer entertainment value of every single one of those performers, like it was such a well-curated group of performers to enter in on the Super Bowl. Like I was so hype, I was so invested, I was so ready for the game to get going. Yeah, I loved it. I loved every single second. Like, I honestly can't say I can't say enough about it. Then, shall we talk about Bad Bunny?

SPEAKER_01 29:36

Bad bun. Bad bun. Such a vibe. What a party. Ugh. Okay. Like just right from the get-go.

SPEAKER_03 29:49

Right from the jump. The grass is people. Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_02 29:53

My guy said, You want to be in my show? You want to be some grass? Like, the grass has never been hotter.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

They weren't even like dancing grass. It was just sit there. I loved it.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

Honestly, I loved it. And okay, so I have honestly been kind of a Super Bowl halftime hater, which some of my friends think is ridiculous of me. Okay. I just, I feel like we never get enough of any song. And so it just feels like a mashed up mashup, but like not in the way that I really can like get into any piece of it. Okay. And I feel like, and also I feel like there's always like so much light to people are flying from the ceiling. And I'm like, this is like a 20-minute show. You've covered 96 songs. You have like 47 extra performers. Like, I just feel like it never actually lets the artist shine because of like the grandiosity of it all. I don't even think that's a word, but like how grandiose it all is.

SPEAKER_03 30:51

Yeah.

Music Pre-Game Standouts

SPEAKER_02 30:52

And so what I loved about this was that he was like, this is who my people are. This is like a representation of my life and where I came from and the items that you see. You know, you have like the pickup truck they had, the white chairs that people were just sitting in. And then that mixed with the street bag celebrities. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:18

Yeah. I just, I thought I think it's one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time. And I think it was so good because it was so simple. And to make something look effortless is insanely challenging. Absolutely. And I think that the entire performance was effortless. And there was not a there was not a single person in the bar I was in. There was not a single person in the stadium who was not bopping from left to right. Bopping.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

Yeah. Absolutely. I think he just absolutely nailed it. He didn't overdo it. He didn't underdo it. He, you know, showed the culture. And then like he brought everybody to the party. You know? Like it was just such a a vibe. And like he was very inclusive and it was it was just really well done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:05

And like to name all of the countries I thought was really incredible. And then like what I also loved about it was that it wasn't, it was in no way an anti-America moment. It was very much like a, this is what makes America and the Americas so incredible. And like highlighting that. And it was in no way like, it was in no way anti-anything. It was just like pro like love and togetherness and like support and honesty. And like, I just honestly, I can't, I really can't talk about it enough. Like, I am so shocked. The performance value, the camera value, the shots that we were getting on the screen, the live grass, the celebrities on the stage. Like Cardi B was on the stage, which is iconic of Bad Bunny to do, bring Cardi, especially because how she's been in the NFL. Um, Alex Earl was on the stage, like to include his like friends was awesome.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

That's so cool.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

And Pedro, Pedro Pascal.

unknown 33:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Yeah. Such a cutie.

SPEAKER_02 33:16

Yeah. I was really also shocked when Lady Gaga came out. That I was not ready for me, me too.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

I was like it's so random, but I it worked. Obviously, I was so curious. She sang a Bruno Mars song, which was also random, but I it worked. Whatever.

SPEAKER_02 33:36

It like, yeah, it flowed seamlessly. And like honestly, Bad Bunny at this point could do no wrong. So like I was so curious though to see what Twitter had to say about it. So when I woke up in the morning, I went on Twitter and I typed in Lady Goggon and was like, what is the world saying about this? People loved it. And somebody mentioned on X this was a like uplifting moment for the LGBTQIA community because she's been so outspoken about like being able to be exactly who you are. And so like that moment was to like amplify and like being like the whole thing was about like kindness, love, and inclusivity. And yeah, and so that apparently was one thing that people took away from Lady Gaga being there. And I think it also just shows that like just because something's unexpected doesn't make it like something that you should turn your head at, you know? Like just because it's unexpected doesn't mean it's wrong. It just means that it's like unexpected, you know? Right. So I thought that was super interesting. And then Bad Bunny, also after researching that, he's like also a style icon, which I didn't really like, I didn't really know that about him. But he's like a total style icon. And so I think that's another reason why he brought Lady Gaga out is because she has like very outspoken, she's kind of always been like just doing whatever she wants in fashion, and so does Bad Bunny.

Halftime: Bad Bunny’s Cultural Masterclass

SPEAKER_01 34:51

Yeah. So yeah, I was watching an interview of him when he went to the Met Gala one year, and he was talking about how he was wearing a corset and how he couldn't breathe in it. But like he's just so confident in who he is, like he can pull anything off. And just his message last night was just really powerful. And together we are America, and you know, I I just I don't understand that you can hate on that. It's it was very inclusive.

SPEAKER_02 35:27

Yeah, like I don't understand how you can hate on it either. Because, first of all, like even if you don't dive deep into the message, performance slapped, visually interesting, visually entertaining, stars studded throughout. There were stars everywhere, the music is good, the beat is good. Even if you look at it, even if you want to go like the most surface level possible, like great performance. And then if you want to dive in, like the message of like, yeah, inclusivity. And it takes such an artist to be able to like truly do what he did and be that effortless, yeah. With so much, I like to give so much, like obviously it takes so much effort and like thousands of people to put that on, but then to make it look like effortless is crazy. And if you guys haven't seen on like Instagram, search the grass because all of the grass are doing like get ready with me to be grass. I gotta look that up.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

You gotta look it up amazing.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

Honestly, it's so good. It's like 8 a.m. coffee, 9 a.m. get picked up, 10 a.m. sea lady gaga, freak out, 11 a.m., whatever. And then it's like, we're grass, we're grass.

SPEAKER_01 36:38

Did they have to paint their face screen or anything? I don't think so. I think the grass just kind of covered it.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

It just covered okay.

SPEAKER_01 36:45

Yeah, it's so funny.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

Yeah, I could go on and on about Bad Bunny, but I honestly loved it. The couple on the screen actually did get married. So I think that that's so special. They apparently invited him to their wedding and he said, Can't come, but I have one for you. Reverse.

SPEAKER_03 37:04

Was it reverse Uno? Yeah, yeah, Uno reverse.

unknown 37:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:11

Can you imagine? Bad bunny calls your house and you're like, hello. He's like, it's Bad Bunny. And you're like, excuse me.

SPEAKER_01 37:18

He's like, hey, you want to come to the Super Bowl and get married? Yeah, no, for real. What? Who is this?

SPEAKER_03 37:25

Who is this? Wild. Wild. Okay, any other notes on the halftime performance?

SPEAKER_01 37:31

No, just what a vibe. What a vibe, honestly. I didn't like it because you can't dance. Just say that. Just say you you can't dance. Like just say that you're embarrassed because you can't dance it. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 37:43

Like you can't shake it. That's fine, but that's all you get.

SPEAKER_02 37:51

Okay, there is one thing that we were texting about that I want to talk about so bad. Okay, and that is the absolute chaos and weird, weird situation that the NFL honors ceremony was. Because can you imagine being Sierra, being Olivia Copo, and being at that ceremony? And genuinely, with what we saw and how incredible the Bad Bunny halftime performance was, like, you have the resources to make that ceremony as good as a Grammy's ceremony. So what happened? It was so weird. Like it was so I was so uncomfortable watching.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

I think the players are just awkward in real life.

SPEAKER_02 38:48

I do think a lot of them are more shy than we think they are.

SPEAKER_01 38:51

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you know, we see them in the heat of the moment celebrate in their touchdowns, but at the honors, you know, they're a little more reserved and I yeah, I also feel like the environment is just so it was so odd to me.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

Like, like the the fake Pope that we had, who was just making like weird jokes, and then they were just like shitting on the Browns for like 20 minutes, and I was like, bro, this is an honor ceremony. What is happening? Like, this is not the time for like a bad bit. Genuinely. So confused. Yeah. Honestly, like I don't, I don't even have words. Like, I'm I actually was so confused. And I feel like that's the reason why I'm the why I'm so fired up about it still a week later, is because I feel like the NFL honor ceremony is supposed to really highlight all of the benefits of these players and really do it in a way where it's amongst your peers. And so I feel like it's a disservice to them to have like odd comedy to not have prepped the announcers, like two names were said wrong, which I feel like is kind of unexcusable. Like names, huge names, huge names. And like, if you didn't watch it, I don't know if you need to, but it was it was just weird. So I don't know. I just had to like bring that up and just say, like, the whole thing was odd. I think the NFL could do a significantly better job at putting on that ceremony. Like, where was Green Day? Because random people just started singing with no announcement.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Honestly, yeah, I don't know. I I don't know if they just don't have the writers, like the talent of writers for that show, or like I don't know what it is, but like you said, the one thing that they need to do is the presenters need to know the names of the people they're about to announce because come on.

Gaga Surprise, Inclusivity, Style

SPEAKER_02 40:54

Also, we cannot do women jokes. Let's just not. There's two, I'm not gonna rename them, but I'm just gonna say, like, get it together. How weird of you. Honestly, how weird. Like, all of the wives and girlfriends are in the room. Like, don't be weird. And they were weird. Also, wow, I really do feel strongly about this. But the the comedian kind of like insulted Barry Sanders, and I was like, you cannot insult Barry Sanders.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

Yeah, it's it was quite the show.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

Quite the show.

SPEAKER_03 41:35

All right, let's move on.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

Shall we go to ins and outs for the week? Sure. Okay, I'll do my first two together because we've already talked one into the ground. My first in, of course, is Bad Bunny and the Benito Bowl. My second in is Taylor Gilmore. And if you don't know who Taylor Gilmore is, Taylor Gilmore is on the Bay Area Planning Commission. So she was the girl essentially who picked out all of the venues for the Super Bowl and all of the events around the Super Bowl. And then she was also in charge of a lot of logistics regarding the Super Bowl, safety, events, literally everything. They have a tiny team. She came on our show. She's also a front office wag for the 49ers. So she's like as invested in football as anyone else. And I just think that like her and her team did such a good job. She was everywhere this weekend. It looked like she had a lot of fun. And so she's on my end list. If you didn't listen to her episode, go back and listen to it. But I'm just like super proud of her as her being a friend of the show. And then the Super Bowl being really epic and iconic this year and everything that they did. I'm just like so impressed and like so proud to like call her friend of show. What a boss. What a boss. Yeah, she's so cute. She's so nice. She's cute. She's the best. All right. I'm gonna do two outs together because the first one I don't even want to talk about, but so so out that I can't I honestly can't even believe I'm saying it. I just shouldn't. But whatever the other Super Bowl performances, I don't know. I don't care. I don't want to talk about it. So let's move on. But how weird. And then the next out is the Patriots. The Patriots have a new stat that they are the losingest Super Bowl contenders of all time. So I think this was like their seventh Super Bowl loss, which is more than any other team has appeared in the Super Bowl and lost. And I believe they were tied with the Broncos at oh, maybe they were tied with the Broncos at five, and now Broncos have five Super Bowl losses. Patriots have six Super Bowl losses.

SPEAKER_01 43:41

Yeah. You know why I like that that stat. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:45

Yeah. Yeah. As a Bill screen. I love that stat. Jojo rapping the Bills right now. Honestly, what I love about Bill's Mafia is like all the Bills Mafia's still been like, go Bills. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

Like the whole season. We're so interested. Whoever who we're rooting for whoever's playing the Patriots. It's so funny because I don't think there's as much hate coming back from the Patriots. They're just like, oh I don't think they care about you. No, they don't like at all. They don't care. We're like their kid brother. Like they just don't care.

SPEAKER_02 44:22

It's kind of like the lions in Green Bay, too, because like Green Bay and the Bears have had like a very long rivalry, and so they're like really deep in that rivalry. And then the Lions are like, we hate the Packers, but the Packers are kind of like, okay. Okay. Like weird. Okay, whatever. Like we don't care about.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

No, listen to us. We hate you. We hate you.

SPEAKER_03 44:46

Oh my god, that's so money.

SPEAKER_02 44:48

Okay. Next in is Sam Darnold. Sam Dar. Did the job. Sammy D. I do. I just made up my own name for him. Sam, if you're listening.

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Sammy D.

SPEAKER_02 45:02

Blink once if you like it.

SPEAKER_03 45:06

What that sounded so creepy.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

I take it back. Okay. Sam, if you hate being called Sammy D, just tell me and I'll literally never say it again, okay? We like to call people by their names here, the names that they prefer.

unknown 45:17

Okay.

NFL Honors Misses And Awkward Comedy

SPEAKER_02 45:19

Next in, which I'm so excited about. If you guys didn't know, I'm obsessed with Europe and specifically Paris. And I flew to the Berlin game this year to see Carly Ursay, IRL. And I did, and we interviewed a fiance of a Colts player, Julie Seifert. So go listen to her episode. And so I flew to Europe for the game, and it was one of the best experiences of my whole life. It was so fun. The NFL has nine Europe or nine international games this season, some in South America, some in Europe, one in Australia. Um and also I'll tease my episode on Friday, which is an AFL wife. So her name's Kelly, and she was married. She's married to a previous AFL player. So we like talked about AFL versus NFL and how like their wags are treated there. It's very interesting.

SPEAKER_01 46:08

So listening to that episode, but Australian Football League. Yes, Australian Football League.

SPEAKER_02 46:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

Very cool.

SPEAKER_02 46:15

Yeah. So Europe games. Hopefully, I can convince Jojo to go to one. Yeah, the girls. It won't be too hard. I'll be like, I booked this hotel. Are you coming? I got you a room. All right. Just like, I guess, I guess I have to.

unknown 46:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:33

So if any girls are going or guys are going to probably the Paris game, don't be a stranger. Let us know if you're going, and that's gonna be a great time. Next out is field goals, but I also put field goals lol. Because this Super Bowl is field goals win, Super Bowls, not defenses.

SPEAKER_01 46:55

Five field goals. Honestly, I thought Myers might get the MVP. If it wasn't. Oh my god, wait, yeah. Yeah. I was like, has that ever happened that a kicker won MVP? I don't think so. But honestly, he had zero misses, right?

SPEAKER_03 47:15

Yeah. Insane. Insane.

SPEAKER_02 47:18

Okay. So field goals. Okay, my next in is the Winter Olympics. I know that the NFL is over, so obviously we're sad, but luckily we now have some sports entertainment to like at least keep us through. Yes. Yeah. And then last in of the day.

SPEAKER_01 47:34

Let's let's go back to Olympics. What's your favorite event that you like to watch?

SPEAKER_03 47:39

Oh, I like the snowboarding half pipe. That's fun. That's a fun one. I'm so sick. Yeah. It's fun. I like this team speed skating.

SPEAKER_01 47:48

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

It's just I've never watched that. Oh, it's so fun. Oh my god, I'll be locked in. Yeah. Okay, sick. Great question.

SPEAKER_02 47:56

Okay, and then my last in is Kenneth Walker. No, no explanation needed. He really did it when he needed to, and we're proud of him. And then my out, my last two outs are ACLs because Lindsay Vaughn, if you didn't know, like downhill skier, tore her ACL and then she ended up getting injured actually. And so ACLs are just so out. I just I don't want to hear the word ACL for like at least a year.

SPEAKER_01 48:22

After the Olympics, maybe.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

Yeah. After the Olympics, after next year's Super Bowl, someone else can tear their ACL, but until then, I don't want to hear it. Yeah. Or turf toe, right? Oh my god, don't even bring up turf toe. Literally. Why? What an ick.

SPEAKER_03 48:39

Oh, what an it's the biggest NFL ick.

SPEAKER_02 48:42

I should do superlatives, biggest stick of the season, turf toe. Superlatives over. Easy. Easy. Okay. And then my last out, and you can tell me if you like this or not, but the Super Bowl ended yesterday. It's Monday. It's coming out on Tuesday. And Los Angeles Super Bowl is already promoting. What? I have been spammed on Instagram with Super Bowl 61 in Los Angeles. I'm getting like book your suite now or like register for like pre-register. I don't even know. But it's everywhere. Yeah. And I'm like, can we just can we just lean into this for like just 30 seconds?

SPEAKER_01 49:23

It's it's like when they tease Christmas before it's even been Halloween. Like, come on, relax.

SPEAKER_02 49:32

Guys, let's just be like present. Like, let's just all do a little meditative exercise. Just like be present. Because I am excited for the Super Bowl next year for sure. But like let's have like one day.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

I need a breath.

SPEAKER_03 49:46

I need it was a long season. I know my team blew it this season, so I also need to rest.

SPEAKER_02 49:53

Like I'm not ready to come back until the lions are ready to come back. And however long that needs to be, I'm cool with like relaxing. That being said, the show is not going away during the offseason. So if you thought we're still here, does with a new headquarters coming soon. So stay tuned.

SPEAKER_01 50:10

Ooh. Not the car that I'm recording in now. So exciting.

SPEAKER_00 50:18

I don't know.

Sponsor Break And Community Plugs

SPEAKER_01 50:18

Okay, I have one more out. How about how about a couple that's on the out? Diggs and Cardi B unfollowed each other right after the Super Bowl. And I saw it, it seemed like something was off because I saw her interview right like going into the Super Bowl, and they're like, Oh, what do you want to say to Diggs? And she goes, and it was like kind of sassy, and I was like, oh, maybe something sprue in there. But yeah, I don't know. And she just had his baby a couple months ago. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 51:01

Honestly, the Stevon Diggs thing.

unknown 51:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:06

The Stevon Diggs thing is actually making me pretty sad today because he's 32. He's been in the NFL for this long. He's been in the press so much. Like he's obviously, I don't think that you just end up with like four kids and single. Like, I don't know. It just like the whole thing just like makes me feel really empathetic for him because obviously there's like so much going on that we're not seeing, and so much like emotionally that's going on with him. And then he lost the Super Bowl, loses his relationship, is a new dad, and then also has an impending trial going on. Like his whole situation just like makes me feel really sad. And like obviously, if you take actions, they're repercussions, and you deserve to get whatever that is. But I think that just like watching the internet absolutely annihilate him is like kind of tough to watch today. Not because I think that what he did, you can't justify anything that he did. And like I think that he deserves to serve time for what he did. But I don't think that like the internet pouring salt on the wound is something that we should like also cheer for super hard. Like, I just feel like internet hate is so intense, and so it's like I feel like I I was looking at like social today. I'm like, this just feels like sad. Like this guy's way too much on his plate right now, like, way too much on his plate. And like, how can you expect anybody in that situation to like act gracefully? Like, new kid, breakup, lose the Super Bowl, impending trial because of something that you did, previous like allegations and issues. Like, this guy's going through a lot, like he needs to turn his phone off.

SPEAKER_01 52:41

He's an interesting dude. He's I think he you're right, he's got a lot going on, but um, there's something we're not seeing, you know.

SPEAKER_02 52:51

Yeah, and I don't know that I want to see it, but no, I don't know, it's sad to watch.

SPEAKER_01 52:56

Yeah, yeah, it's hard to do that.

SPEAKER_02 52:58

Not the reality TV I was hoping for.

SPEAKER_01 53:00

No, but I also don't want that for Cardi either.

unknown 53:04

I know.

SPEAKER_02 53:05

Yeah, also though, how salty of like Cardi's like, we broke up, but I'm still gonna be in the halftime performance. Like the biggest day of Stefan Dix's life. This is like kind of equivalent to Braxton Berrios and Alex Earl when Alex Earl went like with Stephen Tom Brady. Actually, this is probably worse. You make it to the biggest stage of your entire life where you've been working for 32 years, and then your ex is also there watching you lose.

SPEAKER_01 53:32

But she was a big star, anyways, you know, like yeah. I mean, she could have been there without him, she didn't need him to get there, yeah.

Ins And Outs: Winners And Icks

SPEAKER_02 53:38

But like, right, oof, for sure. Also, wasn't there like a rumor of uh Cooper de Jean leaving with someone that's not his like suspected girlfriend? Oh no, come on, I know these guys, yeah, Cooper DeGene scene after Super Bowl with a woman, but now I'm in Nicky Bella.

SPEAKER_01 54:01

Oh no, come on, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:04

So this is that that's like completely gossip. Like we don't have any facts on that. Interesting storyline. Um, any other ins and outs from you?

SPEAKER_01 54:13

This is a silly one, but what's I think there was just one uh commercial that I really liked, and it was about prostate cancer, and it was I don't know if you saw it, but it was had all the tight ends, the famous tight ends in it.

SPEAKER_03 54:30

And it the message was relax your tight end. They had a booth like that in the Super Bowl. They had a relax your tight end like booth.

SPEAKER_01 54:41

So it was like Gronk, it was Kittle, a bunch of other guys, and it was I thought it was hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 54:49

I was I love it. That's so good. So good. Wow. Well, anything else for today?

SPEAKER_01 54:57

Any other thoughts? That's it. I think uh I'm ready for baseball season, I'm ready for Olympics first, then baseball season. Yeah, and then I'll be then we'll be back on ready for that shoot.

SPEAKER_03 55:13

Can't wait. All right, thanks, Jojo.

SPEAKER_02 55:17

Thank you. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode of the game. I'm so grateful to have you in the community. If you're new, I hope you loved it. If you are a returning listener, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it. And I'm so grateful to have you at my table and in the community. We cannot wait for next season, but over the summer, we will be bringing you incredible interviews with great takeaways. So make sure that you are following along for that. If you love the show, please give us a five-star rating and review wherever you get your podcasts. I'm at Hey Victoria Henderson. You can follow the show on socials at the game the podcast or on Substack, thegame the podcast.substack.com. Thanks for listening. I'll see you on Friday with an awesome episode from Kelly Finlayson. She is a wag for an Australian football player and has an incredible story of her own that I cannot wait for you to hear. So much inspiration coming in that episode. That's all for today. Love you. Bye.

SPEAKER_00 56:19

You a baby, baby. You gotta hold it on a smelling.