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Sports Live! With Steve and Justin
WEEK 13 NFL - Everything Changes! F1 McLaren Debacle and Much Much More
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What happens when a missed cue under a safety car costs you a championship lead and a league of “contenders” starts looking very mortal? We connect the dots between McLaren’s baffling Qatar call and an NFL landscape where no team feels like a sure thing, breaking down how small decisions in hot moments reshape seasons, reputations, and futures.
We start with F1’s brutal weekend: Pirelli’s 25-lap cap forced two stops in 57 laps, and nearly the entire field pitted under caution—except McLaren. That single choice turned a three-second advantage into a race-long deficit, reopening the title chase and igniting questions about sportsmanship and strategy. From Ferrari’s inertia to cost-cap realities, and from Audi’s arrival to GM/Cadillac’s ambitions, we unpack why resources don’t guarantee results and how the ladder system (F2, F3) quietly feeds tomorrow’s winners.
Then we pivot to the NFL’s messy middle. The Chiefs’ offense looks stuck between improvisation and identity, the Cowboys are surging, the Bears are proving that a dominant run game and unselfish receivers can level up a young quarterback, and coaching culture still matters more than sound bites. We outline practical fixes for Kansas City, why aggression on two-point tries often beats conservative overtime, and how roster-building discipline can keep teams from chasing the wrong QB. Upsets like Panthers over Rams, the Browns’ quarterback roulette, and the Cardinals’ eternal shrug remind us just how thin the line is between talent and winning.
We close with a forward look at statement games—Bears vs Packers, Texans vs Chiefs, Chargers vs Eagles—that will tell us who’s real. And we dig into the business side: media silence around betting investigations and New York’s newly awarded casino licenses near Citi Field, Aqueduct, and Ferry Point, where sports, money, and city planning collide.
If you’re into race pace, trench warfare, and the strategy choices that swing titles, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves F1 or the NFL, and drop your bold playoff and podium predictions in the comments—who do you actually trust right now?
Cold Open And Food Poisoning Tale
SPEAKER_01Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Sports Live with Steven Justin. Hello, Justin.
SPEAKER_00Good evening, Your Honor.
SPEAKER_01How are you? I'm doing well. How are you doing? Good crazy. I had poor food poisoning. I know we spoke about it briefly. So the day before, or two days before, um, no, it must have been the day before. Day before uh Thanksgiving, I went at a fast food place and got a breakfast sandwich or whatever. And they made me wait for it, which is unusual. And then I bit into it and it didn't really feel right. And I ate it anyway. A handful of hours later, sick as a dog. And I today's the first day that I'm not like nauseous all day long or weak. I was like lightheaded. It was messed up, boy.
SPEAKER_00That stinks. I'm sorry. I know you were down for a couple of days there.
Qatar GP Tire Limits And Safety Car
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I didn't, so I had ordered this huge cake, cost$90, I think, for at a special bakery in White Plains for Thanksgiving because I was going to somewhere. So not only didn't I get my turkey, there was nothing in my house to eat but that cake. And no, and and and I have to say, food poisoning and a cream, chocolate cream cake are not a good combo. I'll just give you that hint for anybody that gets food causes poisoning of the future. But anyway, enough of that. And uh here we are, whoever thought. We're back uh, you know, NFL, we're calling it week 13. I think it was week 13. It was a crazy week all around, but I'd be remiss if I didn't still shake in my head over F1 last week, where McLaren makes a big screw up, and both drivers, who are Lando Norris, who's who's leading the points to win the world championship for the year, which is a big, big deal for you people that don't follow F, and is ahead that nobody can beat him, gets disqualified, both drivers, so they both lose. Lendo loses, he won, so he loses or came in second, whatever. He lost 20-something points, which is a big deal. Unimaginable. If he would have won, if he would have, I think he came in second, I think Max Verstappen won. If he would have kept his points, he would have been unbeatable. But he lost those points. This week, stupidity part two on McLaren's point, and nobody has any explanation for it. First lap there's an accident. They bring out what's called the safety car, maybe call something else too, but safety car, and everybody has to stay in their spot. And and they're in Qatar. So they so it's hot. So Peraly makes the rules for the tires. On Friday, they've only they given they're given tires on um in the beginning of the practice round, certain tires are given a soft, a hard, a medium, and that's all they get. They have to use those tires. Perelli, who makes the tires, put a limit of only 25 laps on each set of tires, which made it that you had a pit twice in a 57 uh lap race. So, and I'm guessing it's because of the heat, I really didn't know, but I I would imagine it is it's guitar. It's stupid. I saw them putting packages of dry ice in people's cars to help cool the drivers off. But anyway, no, I just shook my head. I was like, what are you thinking? So not only are you driving a car that the G-force is six times what it normally is while you're racing around a track, plus your attention, plus this, plus it's hot as hell. You're literally hot as hell. Not to make it.
SPEAKER_00I guess those cars aren't uh air conditioned.
McLaren’s Missed Pit Stop Strategy
SPEAKER_01I guess they're not. And and um so there's an accident in the first lap. And there's parts of the car all over, guy hits a sign. I think the tires gave out or he lost it. And and um there's parts. So the safety car comes out. That means everybody needs to stay where they are. They keep driving, but they stay in their form. So they're not racing and nobody could pass and they go a certain speed. So figuring that it must not have been the first lap, but it was may have been the seventh lap or something like that. So the knowing that they have to do two pits, they figure that if they do one now, that that's the first one, and the second one they could do, and they would save you when they're racing again. You said now those pits go really quick there. It's not like NASCAR where it's 20 seconds. The pits are the time driving in and out, and maybe three seconds. Some are even a second and a half. They're so quick. I mean, these guys are ridiculous. So McLaren's leading the race. Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris. Max Verstappen, I think, is still in third at that point. The entire field pits, except McLaren. So they're forced to pit an extra time while the race is running. So it made it impossible for them to win a race because there's not that much difference in times of the drivers. It made them impossible. It was just a fool's errand. They just did not do it. They kept racing. So McLaren decided not to pit. Not to pit. And the entire rest of the track all went into the pits. Now you have one pits place, and you don't pit two cars at the same time. I mean, there are you know, there are different teams. So, but even so, everybody else did it. McLaren couldn't do it. They won the construction, the constructors uh championship. This means that means the the team won. There's an award for that. They won months ago. It's been done. They had so many points. So these guys get screwed two weeks in a row. Now, originally it w it turned out on the last lap that you know Lendo was running like fourth or fifth, and one of the Mercedes drivers that's a friend of his let him by in the last thing, so he gained four extra points, which was a big deal. So now Max wins, Max was tapping for Red Bull wins. He's only 12 points, should have been eight, because that guy should have not let somebody buy him. And there may be issues with that later on with the powers that be. Yeah. And uh so he's 12 points behind going into the last week next week, and winner gets 25.
SPEAKER_00That's big. And we talked about that last week, that it would take some sort of anomaly for the points lead to really change dramatically.
SPEAKER_01So once again, McLaren's strategy cost their drivers maybe a championship.
Title Stakes, Team Politics, And Budgets
SPEAKER_00So did they think by not pitting at the seventh lap under caution that that was going to give them an advantage on laps that they could then wait till the 25 lap max pit then and then come back out firing?
SPEAKER_01I really believe that they just weren't paying attention enough. They weren't focused enough and it didn't cross their mind. Where everyone else across their mind. So they're leading.
SPEAKER_00Everyone else except them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but their time, they didn't know that because they were in the front. So when they passed the pit, and the timing was kind of tight, they certainly could have got one driver in a pit, no question.
SPEAKER_00So the safety car came off the track and they went full speed ahead.
SPEAKER_01Right. So now they're so the safety car's still on a track when they're going around. So everyone was able to pit in the safety car and come out where they came out. Okay. So total screw up, Lando gets screwed, a driver lets a go uh lets them buy, so now Max is pissed, and everybody hates each other. It's the end of the year, everybody's whining. It's unbelievable what's gonna happen in a reshuffle. Certainly, I can't believe that Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are gonna go another year. I can't believe that he is not totally sick of them. And here's the guy that's in the top 100, you know, top 25 drivers of all time. You know, Schumacher's number one, Lewis is number two. He's won seven world championships for Mercedes before he came to Ferrari. Yeah, and since he came to Ferrari, Ferrari's been a total disaster, and they've basically treated him like dirt, and he's been vocal about it, and that doesn't make him happy.
SPEAKER_00Sounds like the New York Jets.
SPEAKER_01Sounds like the New York Jets. And for many, many years, Mercedes, Ferrari, and everybody else. All right, Mercedes and Ferrari, they probably spend$500 million a year on their team.
SPEAKER_00That is outrageous money.
SPEAKER_01I mean, yearly. That's outrageous money. And they probably have a thousand people working for the team. All right? Other teams like Williams, which is like a privately owned team owned by the Williams family and others, let's not forget these teams are now worth billions of dollars. Years ago, they're worth 100 million, now they're worth a billion, if not two or three. Incredible. Absolutely incredible. And because how popular it's gotten. And and what's interesting is, you know, these other teams, maybe they have 200, 300 employees, maybe their teams spend 200, 300 million. So it's, you know, haves and has nots, look just like in every other sport. But here Ferrari has become a total disaster. And it's just like every other sport when you say it's not just about the money.
New Manufacturers And F1 Talent Pipeline
SPEAKER_00So it sounds like there's a lot of things happening. Next year the the cars are changing. There's there seems to be an evolution of rule changes throughout the last 10 or 15 years. I mean, uh the drivers age out. I mean, I'm I'm assuming there's there's that that happens at some point. Um, I don't know if that's happening here with Ferrari and but it's incredible how much the sport is gonna grow next year with I think you said Audi's gonna put a team in, Cadillac.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well Audi's buying one of the teams.
SPEAKER_00I forget what they're buying one of the teams, right?
SPEAKER_01So they're gonna be it's gonna become Audi. You know what? I I am always mystified by so the Aston Martin team runs Mercedes engines. So it's not just because it does it says Aston Martin, but it's not Aston Martin. It's not their engine, so but they run the team. So there's some interesting aspects. I don't think Audi is using their engines. I forgot where they got them, maybe Renault. Well, doesn't uh Audi's owned by the parent company's Volkswagen or Right. Volkswagen. Porsche wanted a team, but Audi, Audi said no. Um But they have Bugatti, don't they? I don't know. But these F1 engines are all like unbelievable. And then GM is coming in, but I think they have their own engine. It's Cadillac, I think. GM. Cadillac, yeah. Well, they're gonna they're trying to hit the ground running, believe it or not. And I think I don't think they realize what kind of ground. I mean, I believe they had team years ago, but I don't I'm not absolutely positive.
SPEAKER_00So where are they getting their drivers from? Because it's not like it is in Europe, right? Like there aren't a lot of American drivers competing from a young age in this sport.
SPEAKER_01Right. It may be an American team. I don't believe it's American drivers. I heard the names, I forget what they are. And but you have to realize that there's not only F1, there's F2 and F3. So there's this double double-layered minor league teams of drivers that are getting trained through the through whatever. And matter of fact, Red Bull announced tomorrow, but everyone knows the announcement already, that they're shuffling some of their. They have two teams. They have the Racing Bulls and and and Red Bull Racing or something like that. And so they have like a A and a B team. So as the drivers succeed, they bump up to the A B team, and another driver's gonna be riding with riding on the team with Max for Stappen. And then, but they have these other teams, and people are coming up, and good drivers rise to the top. And that's you know, that's just the way it works. And they're young guys. Young guys. So it's pretty incredible. I mean, you see them, and if you ever watch the movie F1, you'll see them juggling. You know, that you always see drivers juggling, and and it's high hand coordination. They're always working on it, like playing video games, you know, always working on their coordination. That's incredible. Always working on their physical, staying in shape. I mean, it's really hard. It's like it's like being a jet pilot on the ground. I mean, you're racing at a couple hundred miles an hour, you know, everything happens real fast. Sure. The track yesterday, the turns are very, very fast. They're made to be fast. So it's really an interesting sport. I I'm new to it, but once I started watching it, I became addicted to it. If you have the app, you get to see the practices, you see the qualifying, and you start getting into the strategy of it all, then the politics of the team and how much money is involved. And there's a great if you're interested in watching F1 and learning about F1, all I can say is go to Netflix and watch the documentary on it. It's like eight seasons, and it goes back to back when Hamilton was with Mercedes when he was a god, basically one every year. So it's a it's a great, it's a great thing to watch if you're into the racing.
NFL Parity And Contenders In Flux
SPEAKER_00I wonder how much of the money spent on this and putting the effort into winning these championships and building these cars goes into automobile sales. I wonder what the correlation.
SPEAKER_01So what they say is innovation. I don't know about sales, but the innovation that's made in F1 takes 10 years to get into a production car.
SPEAKER_00But they're not air conditioned.
SPEAKER_01Without without without air conditioning, yes.
SPEAKER_00Air cooled, but not air conditioned. Correct. That's funny. I mean, you always see the car commercials and there's always a race car involved. And then, you know, the transition from that to the more refined interior of the car and luxury vehicle and so on and so forth, and the guy's driving, and I I'm sure it plays a part.
SPEAKER_01Now, before we get into these teams and these games yesterday, if you wanted to say take a thousand dollars and you bet it on the team you're absolutely sure is gonna make it to the Super Bowl, could you do it?
SPEAKER_00Right now?
SPEAKER_01No, I don't think I could. Could any team that's at the top of the crop? Top of the crop? Top of the crop? Do you think any team at the top of the crop could not show up at any time, any day? You see the best teams. Dallas has got a little more head of steam lately, but we've seen them crash and burn. Philadelphia, forget.
SPEAKER_00Well, their schedule's pretty, pretty favorable the last four weeks, but I know, but they can't, but when they get there, they have no offense.
SPEAKER_01Zero. And that's what I've been saying all year. I mean, what are with all this shit they have to work with? I mean, you know how many teams would say, I wish that was my team?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, we talked about the Bears and where they were the last few weeks, and uh, you know, I texted you after the game on Friday, you know, Bears, Rams, NFC championship game, question mark. And now the Bears are the they went from three or four, they're the one seed in the NFC because the Rams lost.
SPEAKER_01So it's uh You want to know how crazy it is? Pittsburgh's tied for first.
SPEAKER_00Pittsburgh is right there.
SPEAKER_01Pittsburgh and they got crushed. Crushed. They got embarrassed. I mean, they embarrassed. The fans, you know how many times they played it on ESPN today? The fans chanting fire fired Tomlin. Tomlin. 19 years he's been there. Let me tell you, if they fired Tomlin tomorrow, he'd be hired by the Giants on Saturday.
SPEAKER_00I agree. I agree. The teams would be lining up to sign him for sure. Are you kidding me? And that includes some first place teams. And and uh, yes. Imagine him in Philadelphia. That would be, I mean, wow. Yeah, I don't disagree. I mean, I know, you know, look, these coaches are as good as their coordinators will will take them. They'll go as far as they can take them. Obviously, you need the relationship with the quarterback. You have to have all the things that to fall into place. But Mike Tomlin is not leaving any stone unturned. And I think you're realizing right now how there is a lack of depth and talent on the Steelers' offensive side. You know, particularly, you know, they're lacking at a number two receiver, a real number three wide receiver in that offense where they want to throw the ball, obviously. They've got two decent running backs, maybe three, but again, if you have two or three, you don't have one. Their offensive line has not been good, which is, you know, uncharacteristic of a Steelers team. And defensively, they just couldn't stop anybody. So they've got a lot of work to do. I mean, but as far as Tomlin is concerned, like you said, you put them on a team with with the Philadelphia talent, and I don't think they miss a beat. I really don't.
SPEAKER_01I uh I I don't know what to say.
SPEAKER_00I mean And that's a whole culture slash personality change at the head coaching position. That's a guy who's gonna hold every single person accountable every week.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I don't I don't know what to say.
Chiefs’ Offensive Stagnation And Fixes
SPEAKER_01I I know he wanted Aaron Rodgers, and you know what, you're gonna say that was a mistake, but I don't know what other choices he had. I know he everything he had to work with wasn't gonna work, and he knew that. Hasn't worked anywhere else. It's not like he gave up a quarterback that now is, you know, winning games.
SPEAKER_00I think the biggest free agent or difference maybe in offense was, you know, Pickens leaving for Dallas. Um Pickens is playing very well in that Dallas offense. He's been tremendous for Dak. If you look at the division, it's wide open. No one's running away with it. Everybody has something, right? The Ravens can still win, even though they played like dog do. Lamar is clearly hurt, clearly playing with some sort of injury that slowed him down. He's not explosive, not throwing the football well. It's just a combination of things, but their defense is also uncharacteristic of a Baltimore Ravens team. Absolutely. Yet their schedule says it's still right in front of them. You know, not to sound like our favorite New York head coach, but they all kind of control their own destiny, so to speak.
SPEAKER_01Well, look at the the Lions crumbled to the Packers, and now I had to listen to today. Do you see the way Love played? He fell into his own. Uh you know, they're gonna be uh Packers are gonna be the best team bull. I don't believe that for one second. Now, what did we learn? One thing we learned this year is that Patrick McColmes is actually human, and that all those games where he did things when the game was on a line to win the games, he hasn't been able to do.
Cowboys’ Surge And Bears’ Run Game
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's been something that you can see him struggling with it on the field every week. In the beginning of the season, you know, when we talked about them, they were 0-2, and you could see he was trying to will his team to victory every week. And now it seems like they just kind of threw it into his lap, and they're not progressing and developing players on offense the way they have in years past, where they bring guys along every week and they seemingly get better. Now they've got Brashard Smith, who is their third string running back on that depth chart, in my opinion, is a pretty good football player offensively, and they haven't really gotten anything this year. I know Pacheco's been hurt. Kareem Hunt is not the player he was a few years ago, but he's their their back. He's their offensive, you know, go-through right now. I know Rasheed Rice came back, but they the Chiefs have always been good at running the football, regardless of how the quarterback has played. And that is something that goes unsung. They're not really getting the pass or using the pass to open the run, and they just can't run the football to open up the pass. So there's a big stalemate there. It's it's kind of like they're they're stuck in the mud, spinning their wheels a little bit on offense, and they're gonna have to downshift and get into gear. And I think it starts with challenging your offensive line and running the football. And maybe you need to make the switch. Maybe you need to get that young, fresh legs in there from Bashard Smith, who can line up, you know, at halfback. He can line up in the slot. He's a very talented player, multifaceted, whatever you want to call it. I'm not saying that he's gonna be, you know, Jamal Charles, but they've got to kind of let the engine cool off a little bit because their defense isn't terrible, but I mean, I you know, the Cowboys' offense made him look terrible. But that was a close game, well, close to the final score, but they they you wouldn't expect, even a few weeks ago, to say, is Dallas gonna dismantle the Chiefs, right? We talked about how no one wants to play the Chiefs. Well, the Cowboys have nothing to lose. They're, you know, they're still playing for a division, even though they're technically two games back, I think, right? Because of the tie. I don't think anybody expected that to happen. I think we all thought the Chiefs would probably come out, win this game, and then all of a sudden they'd be at the forefront of the AFC after a win like that. And instead, they're, you know, they're circling, they're middle of the pack. They could still maybe win their division, probably not, right? Right. I think were they six and six and the Broncos are nine and three? I think, right? Or the Broncos 10-3 now. I forgot. So are the Chiefs a playoff team? The same rule applies. I don't think anybody wants to play the Chiefs. And like you said before, is there any clear-cut team right now at the top of any division that you think is going to win the Super Bowl? I don't, I don't see it. Could they? Sure. Between, are we gonna get a Broncos Patriots AFC championship game rematch old school? We could. It certainly looks like it's it might be headed that way, especially the way they're playing. Both defenses are playing well. I would give the Broncos probably a slight advantage defensively, but Frabel's got that defense playing very well in New England. They're, you know, on a 10-game win streak. Um I think everybody expects them to win tonight. Um and they're gonna roll. You know, their schedule is is relatively friendly. Uh nobody scares them. So we'll see. I mean, it's it's for the Chiefs, they've they've got to, you know, they've got to regroup, and I just think they gotta kind of get back to basics, find a way to get Kelsey the ball and find a way to run the football. Because without that, if you're just gonna leave it in your quarterback's hands, I mean, look at Lamar Jackson, right? He's 28 now, which the way he plays is old because he's he runs the football. It's such a big part of his game. But how old is Patrick Mahomes, right? He's been around a long time now. You can't expect him to win games with his legs solely. He has to be able to throw the football, and they're just relying too much on his ability to make great plays rather than have plays that are in hand that they can gain yardage on and move the football.
SPEAKER_01And Kelsey's not catching things like he used to. I mean, not only is he not getting the ball there, sometimes he's dropping passes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think defensive defenses have kind of caught up a little bit in that regard to the way that the the Chiefs throw the football, especially, you know, and he eats zone defenses alive. It's not like he's locked up by the other team's best corner every week. You know, he's usually playing in an offense where they're gonna see a lot of zone coverage because they have so many weapons and you know, they have speed and everything else, and it just makes him more dangerous when he can get in open space. I just think maybe defenses have caught up, and they have that's why I say they have to kind of circle the wagons and downshift a little bit and redirect the offense and run the football.
SPEAKER_01Right. Well, I mean, the that's it's definitely true, but Dallas seems to be on the cum. So, I mean, they really they've really Dallas is playing pretty inspired. I mean pretty inspired. The defense has changed. I mean, listen, the quarterback is playing lights out this year anyway.
Jets, Coaching Futures, And Roster Building
SPEAKER_00He's been playing very well all season. I know he's, you know, fantasy stats don't matter, but I mean, he's not afraid to throw the football. He's got huge weapons offensively. Their offensive line is not the same offensive line that it was, let's say, even five years ago, but they're formidable. They can run the football. They don't have, you know, the highlight real running back, but that guy pounds it and he's, you know, three plus yards of carry, and you know, he can get after it, and they can maul people if they have to.
SPEAKER_01So they're they're definitely, you know, a team to watch. I mean, everybody's talking about the Bears.
SPEAKER_00The Bears are doing everything we talk about, right, when we talk about teams that win championships. Their offensive line is protecting the quarterback and they're mauling people up front. They have the best running game in the NFL. And it's not like they have, you know, Marshall Falk at running back or Walter Peyton at running back. That's right. You know, they they have two, you know, reliable running backs that, you know, are probably more like launch pail guys. They're not gonna roll people over and they're not gonna run away from anybody, really. I mean, they they have that ability, but they're playing within themselves and they're methodically moving the football on the ground, which is what you have to do, especially late in the season and in the playoffs. You have to be able to run the football, and they're protecting the quarterback. So, you know, from a defensive perspective, they've gotten better. I know that this coach has made them, you know, has turned them around completely. I mentioned before, you know, last year it was the Redskins who, in that game against the Bears, turned kind of turned the corner for their season. And this year it kind of has the same effect. When the Bears beat the Redskins, they've been rolling ever since. It's hard to think that the Bears would be, you know, the the number one seed in the NFC. But kudos to the coach and his staff. Yeah. You know, people are hard to judge, especially young quarterbacks, but Caleb Williams is, you know, it seems like he's playing better.
SPEAKER_01He's coming into his own alone.
SPEAKER_00One thing that I will say for him that I think helps a young quarterback is they do have two, maybe three very talented wide receivers. They're not divas, right? You're not going to see these guys tweeting and Instagramming and Snapchatting and TikToking. That's not who they are, right? Like I know every everybody's got a little bit of that, especially this age group of players. That's what they grew up with, social media. But Roma Dunze, who's listed as their number two, I think really is their number one, he plays like a 10-year veteran. This guy's out there blocking. If he doesn't get the ball, you don't hear him complain. When they throw him the ball, he catches it. Very, very unselfish player. And I think the way their receiving core is handled, being a receiving core, has helped their quarterback grow because they haven't put any pressure on this kid to be a 300-yard, four-touchdown a game passer. And they've got two very serviceable tight ends in Comet. And of course, I'm biased because Colson Loveland went to Michigan, but they're coming along. Colson Loveland's coming along each week. You're here each week. He's ready to have a breakout game. All he's got to do is catch the passes that are thrown to him. You know, that's it. And he gets open and they do it. They move the ball methodically. And they, you know, I know it was the Giants, and but that comeback against the Giants, if you're going to be a championship team, if you're going to play for the playoffs or to win a division, you have to win games like that the way you won that game. You have to be ready to come back and score and win. And they're doing.
SPEAKER_01So, you know, that's the Bears and Eagles. I mean, Saints and the Dolphins, who cares? Not only are they not good teams, I don't think they have any idea how to make themselves better. Both of them. But then you get the Texans and the Colts. And I don't know where this defense came from with the Texans, but they are here. Number one defense probably in the number one defense. Number one defense in the NFL. They are tough. They seem to be everywhere all at once.
SPEAKER_00So this, yeah. Their coach is a defensive coach, right? Right. And they've got talent. And, you know, I think they kind of went unsung the last two years because there was so much promise and hype. CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, right? Offensively, you know, they don't they don't have a stout run game. Their offensive line is decent, but their running backs are not great. And I'm not trying to disparage them, but you know, Mason is a Mason, and you know, Nick Chubb is not the same guy he was, you know, four years ago. But they're serviceable because their defense is so stout, it makes them formidable. They could, they had, they do have talent on offense. I think there's a little aggression from the quarterback, but he's not a bad player. All these teams kind of mirror each other with these young quarterbacks. There's a little element, I think, where you think, you know, we talk about parody in the NFL, but you know, at the halfway point, week eight, I think it was, set week seven or eight, we taught, you know, the Colts were seven and one, and we talked about how the second half of the season probably would look vastly different than the first half for some of these teams. They were for seven and one, now they're eight and four. And they went from the number one clearing away one seed, looked like they were gonna run away with the division and the conference, and now they're in a dogfight.
SPEAKER_01And here is a perfect example. This is a team that we thought was gonna do everything, and now we don't know who they are. We don't trust them. I still think and Daniel Jones is hurt, right?
Overtime Drama And Two-Point Gamble
SPEAKER_00Fractured uh fractured tibia?
SPEAKER_01Something like that. And I I re I still think Daniel Jones is is a good quarterback.
SPEAKER_00So he's he's played well within himself. What made him excel this year was the play action pass. So he's he's he's seemingly better. I think it's like his success rate is like 80% in the play action. Um which obviously you need to, you know, at some point you're gonna have to run play action if your offense is built that way. And when you have a good run game, you have to take advantage of the play action. The Colts have a tremendous run game, they have a great running back. So, you know, of course you're gonna take advantage of the play action. What happens now is when teams catch up, how are you gonna play when you can't run the play action or when you're not able to run the play action, or your run game isn't going anywhere, and nobody's fooled and they know you're coming. So I guess defenses have caught up in the last three or four weeks. We'll see. I mean, that's what coaching is all about, right? You see it on film, you go back, you look at it, you practice, and you come up with a new game plan, you make a couple of, you change a couple of things, and you hope that you can put your position, put your quarterback in a position to succeed and work on his deficiencies because you you can't just do what the Giants do and let the kid take off running and he gets his head knocked off, and you know, you have no quarterback. For Daniel Jones, who used to run a lot with the Giants under the same coaching staff, if you will, they've reeled him in. He's he can still run if he has to. It's not a major part of their game plan. It's a weapon that they can have, it's a wrinkle that they can roll out every week. They might you might see more of that in the coming weeks because they have to do something to offset the lack of success with the play action the last couple of weeks. They're gonna have to re-establish the run to open up the pass. And I think they'll be okay. It's getting really, I mean, this is some good football coming up the next few weeks. I agree.
SPEAKER_01I agree. So moving right along, Falcons and Jets, Jets won, who cares?
49ers, Browns QB Dilemma, And Rams Shock
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, I mean, I I know it's not they're not worth talking about, but I gotta say, I I know I know Jet fans are frustrated. I know that they the Aaron Glenn takes more criticism than anybody because he he's coaching in New York and it's low-hanging fruit. The Jets are not good, okay? They have one talented player on offense, excluding their offensive line, and that's it. And I love watching Aaron Glenn every week when he gives absolutely nothing and he smirks and he's defiant because it's better than watching a Belichick press conference where he gives you absolutely no personality whatsoever. He was fired up.
SPEAKER_01Did you see him talking? Did you see the film of him talking to his team? He's like breakdancing on the floor. He was so fired up.
SPEAKER_00So I I, you know, we talk about Mike Tomlin and Sean Payton and other coaches that become available. I don't foresee anybody in that caliber becoming available for the Jets this year. I would say just give Aaron Glenn one more shot. And winning these games, now you have people talking about how the Jets are losing draft position. Well, you know what? Sometimes, and I know it's the Jets, so I'm um, I say it and it's just, you know, lost in the win. But if winning these games prevents them from being forced to take a quarterback in this draft, that might actually be a blessing in disguise. And, you know, there's there's other players out there that could benefit them in bigger ways in the future. Like, I won't name names now, it's too early, but when we get to, you know, the combine and the draft and everything, you're gonna see players from teams like Michigan, Ohio State, uh, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, whatever, Florida. You're gonna see the cream rise to the top, and you'll probably see a different picture if you're a Jets fan, that it's not as bleak as you think it is. And I'm never this positive, right? I don't think they're gonna win anything. What I realize about the Jets, even though they're coming off the Aaron Rodgers situation, is they're never gonna develop a young quarterback into a superstar. It's not who they are. So unless you're getting the next Joe Namath, which is, you know, 60 years ago already, the Jets are better off building and cultivating their offensive line and their run game and their defense, specifically their pass rush and their run stopping. Right. And then after that, maybe a Kirk Cousins is available. I don't know. Maybe there's somebody out there that's like a Daniel Jones that has not Tyrod Taylor, because he's been around forever, but a guy that's still relatively young. He played well enough to come in and manage an offense. He played well enough to win yesterday. Absolutely, he did. He did. And I'm not saying he shouldn't have a shot at it, but they're still lacking talent. So they need to cultivate their talent and be more deep, whether it's drafting football players or bringing in free agents, they just have to get deeper and more talented via the draft and maybe trades, but just give Aaron Glenn, give Aaron Glenn a fair shot. I know there's there's mistakes, but sometimes it's just not what it what it looks like on television.
SPEAKER_01I mean, um I think the building's coming down. I'm hearing things fall. I don't know what's going on. We'll stop talking about the Jets then, maybe. I I mean all I'm gonna say about the Jets is they've had in all the years in this era of the new owner, whatever you want to say he is, they've never been able to draft one player and turn him into anything. They've maybe drafted players that are good and they're playing well other places. Yeah. But they've never been able to draft a player and turn him into something. So I mean, I don't care if they have 50 draft picks, they could draft, you know, the first 32, they would still screw it up. So I mean, I don't I don't think they have any ability to make anything happen, but move along. Why am I week looking at week five? I was looking at week 13. So last night's game was was was wild. I didn't watch it. Oh no, I didn't watch it. Was great. I thought the commanders really gave them a run for their money. Yeah. I mean, it was nice to see.
SPEAKER_00I thought they were gonna pull it out, but you knew they weren't. Well, I think it shows you the commanders are probably a little more talented than than the record indicates. Not so sure about their coaching, but I'm gonna give them a pass.
SPEAKER_01You don't think Dan is a good coach?
SPEAKER_00I I no, I well, yes and no. I'm not I'm not gonna kill him for anything. They they he is a good coach. But so is Sean Payton. And I want to give the commanders credit because when the Broncos scored, I'm saying to myself, gee, I wonder if they'll go for two here. And then I'm like, no, you can't. You have to kick the field goal because you'll never forgive yourself if you lose by an extra point. And then the commanders come down, score, and go for two. And I'm like, that's the way to play. I loved it. I I thought it was a great idea. It was the right call, was the play call seemed a little listen, enough is enough.
Cardinals, Quarterback “Winners,” And Warner
SPEAKER_01Yeah. You know what I mean? The guys are ready to drop, they got to play next week. Yeah, you have a week in defense. Their defense they were facing was ready to drop.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And it it really was, it's just was maybe the wrong play. They let the guy through and they couldn't get the pass. The guy was wide open. It was almost there.
SPEAKER_00Was it Mariota? I mean, he's backing up the whole thing, gets a snap in shotgun, and he's backing up. And I'm saying to myself, oh my God, what is he doing? And the edge, it seemed like it was a nickel back. I don't know if it was their their edge rusher because the tackle was outside the offensive tackle, the downlineman.
SPEAKER_01He's a guy that was making things happen the interesting.
SPEAKER_00But whoever came off the edge, I forgot who it was, was in Mariota's face almost instantly, and he just kept backing up. And I'm like, oh my God, what what is this play? It just got blown up from the beginning.
SPEAKER_01But they kept saying, Oh, he could have loft it over his head. If you re- you know, yes, I agree. He could have loft it over his head, except for one thing. When you watch the replay, the ball, the guy was on him. He couldn't loft it over the guy's head.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I agree. I just think that maybe they called the right defense against that uh against that scheme they knew was coming and they went after him. So I like to see that. I like to see a team go for two to win the game. I would have liked to see it at the end of the regulation, maybe, but it is what it is. I don't like overtime, but that was an exciting overtime.
SPEAKER_01So anyway, let's go to the 49ers and Browns.
SPEAKER_00You know, you that turned out to be, I mean, you know, for the 49ers, the Browns have a tough defense. They haven't given up a lot of points to some big offenses, right? So for them to give up 26 points to the 49ers, I mean, you know, I know there was a it was a big turnover, I think, right? Yeah, but I mean the 49ers are at the top of their division.
SPEAKER_01But that coach can't figure out what he wants to do with the quarterback. He it's like he wants to do everything in his power not to give it to Sanders. Like he's like, well, we'll make him next week. Well, I don't know what else. At the end of the year, who else do you got to play? You've given it to Flacco, you're giving it to the other guy, whatever the hell his name is, and now you got to give Sanders a chance. I mean, what what do you just not want to do it because you don't like him? Well, you drafted him, you stuck with him. Let him go out there and see if he can make it. Maybe he can.
SPEAKER_00You have nothing to lose. I mean, you drafted him. Nothing to lose. You drafted him. You did you draft him for window dressing? Fifth round. And you look like a genius if he wins because you drafted him in the fifth round.
SPEAKER_01Right. You'll save a fortune for a couple of years and build the other team. Absolutely. But the Browns are another team that have never been able to re-sign a good draft pick. They've never been able to do any of that stuff, and who knows why?
SPEAKER_00But that's going to the Jets winning that game is that it sometimes will save you from yourself.
SPEAKER_01Right. So, and then we have Rams and Panthers. Now, we were sure that the Rams were the biggest team out there, and we're sure, and what happens?
SPEAKER_00They lose to Carolina. But that was a knockout pool game of the week, right there. You're looking at the schedule, going, hmm, the Rams should win this one easily, and Stafford should have four touchdowns. And I think he had two interceptions in the first 10 minutes.
SPEAKER_02Right.
Seahawks, Vikings, And Pete Carroll Debate
SPEAKER_00So give the Panthers credit. They played tough. Their quarterback seems like he's turned a corner this season. I don't know. You know, maybe who knows? The Rams have a good defense, and you know, the Panthers scored 31. Give him credit. They hung in there, they played tough. They played to win. You know, they had no timeouts at the end of the game. They marched down the field, scored a touchdown. And, you know, it is what it is. They're they're incredibly resilient for a three-win team. And again, the Rams have an inexplicable loss, right? Like here we were, like, okay, you know, the the Philly game, it happens. And then here they are now. They were seemingly poised to take a huge lead in the division, and now they're tied with the 49ers, I think, right?
SPEAKER_01Right. And then and then you have Jaguars and Titans. Who the hell knows what the Jaguars are? We still don't know. You know, maybe they have something, maybe they don't. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Defensively, they're playing well. I mean, it's not like, you know, Trevor Lawrence is doing anything overtly spectacular every week, but they just find ways to win football games. So, you know, that's something to build on for sure. Well, that still needs to play out.
SPEAKER_01It's just not playing out this week. And then all I can say about the Cardinals and Buccaneers is if that we think Buccaneers are a really good team. But somehow they could barely beat the Cardinals. So it makes me question their existence.
SPEAKER_00Well, I know Baker was playing hurt, right? He's always playing hurt. Yeah. I I I wonder if that hindered them a little bit. And you, you know, you pegged the Cardinals from the beginning of the season. They why why is this team, why can't they win? What's what's the problem? Every week it seems like it's a different facet of the game that lets them down. But historically, the defense stinks. The defense plays well, the running game is off. The receivers drop a football. You know.
SPEAKER_01But I think historically in football, there's always a quarterback that makes you scratch your head. That's got all the talent. He's fast, he's great, he can play play action, he's got a great arm and never wins. And you and everybody wants him because he's got tons of talent, talent, but his parcels would say, and you know, I like, he's not a winner. He's not a winner. He's not a winner. And unless some coach goes out there and teaches him, Mark just came on, and and teaches him how to win and gets it in his gut, like a Tomlin. Like, you know, these guys want to win, but for some reason, I don't know, they should just shut down that franchise. I never see any every year it's the same crap. They seem to they seem to be cursed to a degree. Well, what aggravates me more about them than the Jets or the Giants is they have the talent and they can't do it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. They can't put it together. I mean, they did, yeah. Boy, I tell you, they were a good team when Kurt Warner was there, and they, even though they lost to the Steelers, that that was one hell of a Super Bowl. Kurt Warner left the field with the lead. He did everything he could possibly do. I mean, I know he threw the pick on the goal line that went a hundred yards for a touchdown the other way, but I thought they outplayed the Steelers virtually the whole game. And then the tiptoe shoestring, not shoestring, tiptoe, tiptoe through the tulips touchdown by Santonio Holmes to end that game.
SPEAKER_01I mean Oh, come on. Kurt Warner, what do you want to say about him? He's a winner. Winner. He he he's a leader, he has talent, he takes control of the game. I don't care where he played. In LA, if they were in LA at the time, I don't know where they were. I mean, the Rams, wherever they were, he wherever he played, he was a winner. In Canada, he was a winner, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Didn't he win the Great Cup there? In in uh no, he won in uh Frankfurt.
SPEAKER_01Oh, whatever.
SPEAKER_00In the European football.
SPEAKER_01Oh, is that where it was? I thought it was Canada.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So, I mean, and he's a good announcer. So seemingly great guy, too. Yep, seems to be a really great guy. So, Vikings and Seahawks. Vikings have folded up and put their tension down home. Yep. They got on their ship and they went back to the Netherlands. So forget about the Vikings. They're never gonna get it together this year. Seahawks, who the hell knows who they are? They show up, they win. Everybody says, you know, Darn's not gonna do what he did last year, fold up in the playoffs. If they make it to the playoffs, I don't know. Depends who they play.
SPEAKER_00They will. I I think they'll make it. I think, you know, one of the things that plays in their favor is that the Rams have had the probably the toughest schedule in football in terms of travel, right? The Rams have had to come to the East Coast, I think, three times now, and they went to Europe to play.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Marquee Matchups Ahead And Stakes
SPEAKER_00And they weathered that storm, but I think maybe the schedule kind of caught up with them and they're feeling it now. Whereas, you know, the Seahawks, I mean, I know they have to travel too. They're both playing on the West Coast. Typically, the Seahawks travel probably more than anybody, but you know, the Seahawks are very formidable, and there's no reason why they can't, you know, put it together and win a couple games in the playoffs. Does that mean I think they're gonna go to andor win a Super Bowl? They could. I mean, they have they have a lot of talent at wide receiver, they have some big playmakers, and they're playing pretty stout defense. I mean, I know the Vikings are, you know, essentially terrible right now with whatever's happening there. But the Vikings did have talent a year ago, except they made the change to quarterback. They've got a young, inexperienced quarterback taking lumps every week, seemingly, who's shown signs of having talent. I think they just have to bring him along, you know, in a better way, but to expect them to be formidable this year after what they did last year, I think that was probably unrealistic, especially with a young quarterback. So there's some turmoil there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So can I ask you about something? Of course. Pete Carroll, you think he's done? Somebody used the term football has passed him by. Or has football passed him by. I think it was on Sean Salisbury's podcast. And I, you know, I don't think so. I don't I don't think the Raiders are extremely deep or extremely talented. I think they just are what they are right now. And I mean, Pete's still, you know. He had tremendous success in Seattle. He had had really good success in college. He's a football guy, it's in his blood. He's he's obviously got the energy of a of a 20-something year old for for a guy who's like near 70 now, right? Um or is he in his 70s? I I don't know. I I I think he can still coach. I think he can still get the best out of players, but I just don't think they have players. I really think that's what it is. I know they have a great tight end. He's 74. He's 74. Wow, I thought maybe 72. So yeah, I mean, I don't ever want to throw somebody's age in your face, especially him, because he's uh he's a he's a high energy guy. If he if he's lost a step in that regard, and maybe that's changed the way he's coaching, I just don't see that. He is who he is, he's an incredibly smart football guy. The players love him. You know, he seems to get the best out of players through his career. I think he's gotten uh the most out of people that he could get out of them. I know that things ended kind of sour with him and Russell Wilson because Russ wanted to be Russ, and it was, you know, that it could have been something different or could have been better, but I just don't think the Raiders have the roster to compete right now. That's that's that's really what it is. I don't think it's Pete. And they might have a they might have a situation with their coordinators and who's coming, who's going. Is it is it Pete's roster of guys? That was you know a question for him. So I wouldn't get rid of him, and I could tell you that, you know, there's a few teams that will line up to get him if if he became available tomorrow. So I don't think he's done, you know, has I can't see that the league has passed him by. I I just don't see that. But I'm not in the locker room, so I can't, you know, I can't make that determination. I think he's still got it. I just don't think the Raiders are a very talented football team.
SPEAKER_02Gio's got, you know.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I don't know what to say about it. I I just think, listen, it's a tough place to play meeting the Raiders. You know, Davis is a strange dude.
SPEAKER_00That's another thing, too. You know, moving from the transition of the team to Vegas, there's a lot of factors there. You know, what if we find out in 10 years that the players are all degenerate gamblers or they can't stay off the strip when they're have home games, or you know, there's something else going on. I I just don't think it's solely Pete Carroll if if in fact he's not the same guy. I mean, that's why they brought him in, right? Because they need somebody to stabilize the organization in a new city, especially a place like Vegas. So, you know, there's a lot. I can't imagine what that must be like. It's got to be an incredible challenge to coach there and live there. And play there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I don't have the patience to talk about the Giants tonight. I know they're playing tonight. I mean, let's just see what happens. Jackson Dart's coming back. Let's hope that they don't do anything stupid with him or he does anything stupid to himself because he is the future of that franchise and gets the build up and is the only player I think they want to hold on to. But if he goes out and keeps running his head into the into the wall, he's not going to survive.
SPEAKER_00I don't think Kafka is going to do anything stupid with them or him. I I can't say Jackson Dart won't be in a position where he may, you know, do something to jeopardize his body. I wouldn't call him stupid. I would just say that he's, you know, incredibly talented and wants to win, which you want from your quarterback, and he plays tough, but he's not playing smart. So that's probably the best way to say it. You just want to see that that they didn't rush him back too soon and put him in a position to hurt himself. Because I don't think I would have played him at all. There's there's really no reason, there's no reason to play him right now. He's he doesn't have all his compliments on the field with him. And if you can't protect him, not only when he's upright, but from himself when he's on the run, you you're jeopardizing the future. On the flip side to that, Kafka's coaching for a job. Maybe he is the next big, you know, guru offensive guy. And maybe he gets his team straightened out. He's you know, fired the defensive coordinator. You're dreaming. What's that?
SPEAKER_01You're dreaming.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, uh just from the Kafka perspective, he's he's auditioning, right? Like he can't just mail it in. He's he still has to coach. So I don't think he'll do anything to jeopardize Jackson Dart's future or the organization's future. I don't think the organization is bringing him back one way or the other, but he's definitely auditioning for something for his future because he's still a young guy and he's gonna coach in this league for sure.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, I'm looking at the games from next week, and there's three games that have my interest. The first one are the Bears and Packers. If one of these teams want to prove themselves, that's the day.
SPEAKER_00This is a huge game for the Packers. Not just, I mean, I haven't said a huge game in general, but the Packers, traditionally speaking, have owned the Bears. And they haven't played well enough to say, oh no, they're gonna come in here and wipe the floor with the. And do they play each other? They play each other twice in the next three weeks.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I don't know.
Sports Betting Clouds And Media Silence
SPEAKER_00Two weeks. I think they play this week, then I think they have they don't they don't play back-to-back games. They play this week, and then again, I think in two weeks. They do. Week 16. So this is an incredibly huge game for both teams. And if you're the Bears, you're you're kind of playing with house money right now. But you do have to prove that you can beat this team because you haven't done it in the past. So this is one more hurdle for a young Bears team to have to get over. You've got, you know, the head coach knows him well. He came from inside the division, and seemingly the Packers are kind of ripe for the. I'm assuming they're f are they favored, even though the Bears are leading the NFC?
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I don't have I don't I only have the schedule.
SPEAKER_00I don't have the is that game in Green Bay or at Soldier Field?
SPEAKER_01Green Bay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I would say the pressure's on the Packers to have to win this game.
SPEAKER_01So the other game is the Texans and the Chiefs. Chiefs coming after a bad loss. Texans coming after a big win. If they want to show themselves, they should pummel the Chiefs like Philadelphia did in the Super Bowl.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't know that they have the capacity for that. Where's that game being played? Chiefs. That's a toll order for the Texans. Yeah, into that defense. I don't know. That defense is number one. But the Chiefs are still the Chiefs, even though they're six and six. This is this is this is what do they call it? Time to put your big boy pants on if you're the Texans. And the and I'll tell you the other game.
SPEAKER_01I agree with you. The other game is I lost it.
SPEAKER_0049ers?
SPEAKER_01No, I I I think the other game is I think the other game is the Eagles and the Chargers. I think the Chargers who can be tough at any given moment has an opportunity to show how tough they are and beat the Eagles into next week. And if the Eagles will lose another game, somebody's getting fired. I don't care if they're making the playoffs or not.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so the the Chargers have been pretty resilient this year considering their injuries. And Harbor has done a good job of keeping them, you know, without them turning into a afraid ball. Yarn. He's done a good job of keeping that team together. Quarterback's playing incredibly well. After this week watching the Eagles defense get, you know, basically dismantled by the Bears. The Chargers have to find a way to run the clock out, pound them into submission if they can, and protect their quarterback because the Eagles are going to come after him. The Chargers lost both tackles this season at one point. And to their credit, they they kind of didn't miss a beat, which credit their coaching staff and their play caller and uh the Eagles. I mean, this is kind of like are they on the tailspin? Are they on the downward spiral? You know, this is a team that started 5-0, and now they're in jeopardy of losing this division to the Cowboys who couldn't get out of their own way. Just like we talked about week eight, the second half is looking entirely different than the first half. So uh the Eagles can't take the charges for granted. I know that, you know, some people see that on paper and think, oh, the Eagles will win that game going away. Not so fast, my friend. And then, of course, you got Harbaugh and Sirianni. I don't think they have any sort of connection or relationship. Sirianni at this point looks like he's coaching for his job.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00If he does anything stupid, I mean, this weekend he was yelling at fans on the sidelines, and even his coaching staff was was looking at him like, what is wrong with this guy? Like they were having they know they're on camera and they can't really play their cards or show their cards. And you could just tell, like, there's there's turmoil in Philly where it seems like there's nobody knows which end is up. And, you know, I know they won the Super Bowl. This does not look like a team that won the Super Bowl last year.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00It does not. It just doesn't look like a very well-coached, well-organized, prepared football team. And seemingly every week they make some sort of bonehead move or the coach makes a bonehead call. And a guy like Hardball is gonna take advantage of that. One thing about Hardball, they're gonna come prepared. They're gonna have video on you, and they're gonna, you know, your players are gonna be in the film room. There's not no one's gonna be late to practice, they're gonna be ready to play. And the Eagles, you know, they can't take for granted that the front four, front seven, even with Brandon Graham back, are gonna dismantle that Chargers' offensive line, which was that's probably gonna be their game plan defensively.
SPEAKER_01And the other game that I kind of blew by, it's Thursday night game, is the Cowboys and Lions. If the Lions want to get back into this thing, they have to knock the Cowboys into next year.
NYC Casino Licenses And Team Impact
SPEAKER_00Talk about talk about a tailspin. I mean, that Lions offense is it's like what, you know, they have so much talent. And I know Goff takes a lot of you know criticism every week, and maybe it's due, but they're healthy this year, the Lions. Last year they had so many injuries and they were still alive, and you think, all right, they're you know, they're probably a 10-11, maybe a 12-win team this year. They're gonna come back and and you know, they're gonna be the team to beat. And now, you know, they're in a dogfight. And this is a big, big moment for them because if the Cowboys win this, you know they put themselves uh closer to not only the top of the division, but uh a higher playoff seed, and you might be knocking out one of your opponent's potential opponents, potential playoff opponents. So the Lions got to write the ship this week, and it's not gonna be easy. It's not gonna be easy for either team because they're playing on Thursday night. But, you know, Dallas has been playing inspired the last few weeks. I know, you know, it seems like the death of Nealand has kind of galvanized their locker room a little bit and made guys realize that they can't take things for granted. And I know that sometimes the press likes to over-dramaticize something like that because it's a very personal, awful thing to have happened in general. But the team seems to have rallied around this as a focal point for them to galvanize themselves and say, look, they have something to play for now. And they're playing for each other because of what happened. And if it, you know, it's it's it sucks that it took that, if that's what it took to get them to play better or to just to start winning games. You never want to see a tragedy like that unfold anywhere. But they seem to get some some worth out of this, and it seems to have made them more formidable each week because they have something to play for and they're not taking things for granted. And it's not, you know, that same old Jerry world attitude, which I'm sure is is he's just waiting for the right time for Jerry to be Jerry. But right now, the Cowboys are playing very well. You gotta give them credit. And the Lions are vulnerable. So, you know, the Cowboys' defense has been suspect pretty much all year, especially in the passing game. So obviously, with the talent they have on offense, you're gonna look for the Lions to take advantage of that. And if Jared Goff can, you know, find a way to straighten himself out and get the football into the hands of those wide receivers that he's got. I mean, they're tremendously talented. I know the coach has taken over the play calling, I think it was two weeks ago, but it kind of sputtered a little bit. Their running back is tremendous, so they just gotta put it together. They just gotta go out and be who they are. If they can go out and just be who they are, protect the football, and stop the run and get after the quarterback, they'll be okay. But they've got to write the ship this week. They can't. If they lose this game, I think their season's over.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I think you're right. There were a couple other things I wanted to get to. Uh obviously we haven't heard much about gambling, nobody talking about.
SPEAKER_00It's weird. It's a little weird that how that story has kind of deflated a little bit because I really thought it was gonna pick up and we'd start hearing more. Like when you heard about the two baseball players and the prop bets, I thought that was just one more leaf that was gonna get turned over before a bigger storm. And it still may be coming, but there are clearly other issues, if you will, that I guess it would be the FBI has their hands full with.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I don't know. I I think uh you'll find out that all those things are plead out because they don't want it to be in the press. So there won't be any trials, you won't hear the dirty uh deeds of the whole thing. Uh the nitty-gritty, the details of the story.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I the biggest thing is the press. Is the press gonna follow the story or not? Because the press has a way of doing that, right? They they make they get a magnifying glass on an anthill, and then when there's a mountain of evidence, they kind of just look the other way.
SPEAKER_01ESPN is partners with the NFL, it's partners with the Major League Baseball, it's partners with the NBA. It's partners, they have their own gambling company. So I mean, I don't know what else to say. I mean, they are ESPN.
SPEAKER_00Where there's smoke, there's fire, and all the evidence is there as far as I'm concerned, but the story is just dead in the water right now.
SPEAKER_01I mean, pretty soon they're gonna be, like I said, gambling on WWE.
SPEAKER_00It's funny, somebody else said that this week. Who was talking about it? I heard that somewhere else that we might as well gamble on WWE wrestling, which is just unfathomable, but that's where we are now.
SPEAKER_01That is where we are. So I don't know. I think that we covered a lot this week. Is there anything else we need to get into?
SPEAKER_00Uh I know I don't know if you want to talk about the Mets situation and you know the fallout. I don't I really don't think there's anything there. I think it's more media driven than anything else. But you know, they they made that trade last week. We touched on it briefly, and then this week you hear something about Lindor and Soto not getting along. But if you read Lindor's comments, he basically just said, look, Soto is who he is. He's a family guy. It's just him and his people, and he's not a rah-rah locker room guy. And somebody made a comment about Lindor being flashy or he likes to dress. Uh it's just his personality. He he likes to look good. That's not who Soto is. So I think they're trying to create something where there's nothing. Um, and then, you know, uh, I heard, you know, Marte is the leader in the locker room. And I don't know, I think it's just fodder. I think it's just there's nothing there. But, you know, for two big personalities, or at least for two big, prominent players on one team to not get along, that's a problem. But earlier in the week, it was looking like the 70s Yankees. It was kind of headed towards Bronx Zoo territory. But I think it's more media-driven than anything else. That's my gut feeling.
SPEAKER_01So I I don't know if you heard over the weekend that, or maybe it was on Friday, it was an article about uh Mets owner, uh Steve Cohen, had signed a deal with I think it was Hard Rock or somebody, um and working on a um for a casino um uh in in you know in Queensdale on the pro on the property, uh, which has gotten real resistance from United States tennis there. But the the state was handing out three licenses today to New York City, and the three licenses were handed out. I think they okayed$115 million or something to be to be allocated, and it's funny, they're gonna build three casinos, all three of them, two of them are in Queens, and one is in the Bronx, and they're right next to each other. So this is great. So the New York Mets owner, Steve Cohen, in Hard Rocks Metropolitan Park planned gaming complex, got one license near City Field and Flushing.
unknownWow.
SPEAKER_01The genting group resorts, who wants to experience slots, parlors, to offer table games next in Ozone Park next to Aqueduct. So think about how far they are away from each other. And the third is Bally's, who now runs the golf course at Ferry Point near Whitestone Bridge. That just makes so much sense. And think about you could drive so Ferry Point by the Whitestone Bridge and and Hard Rock Metropolitan Park are stone throws from each other. That's incredible. And then Aqueduct, is it those are the three they gave? I'm amazed. But anyway, the three casinos need final approval from the State Gambling Commission, who my former boss is the commissioner, by the way. Each license has to pay five five billion to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
SPEAKER_00Say that again. I lost your audio. They have to pay how much? Five billion?
SPEAKER_01Each licensee has to pay five million dollar, five hundred million dollar fee up front, totaling$1.5 billion to go to the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The Transit Asian already has already budgeted massive income as part of its budget, anticipating a three license from a pool of which included 11 bidders.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_01So I can't believe that was that this is so the two that lost was Times Square and Hudson Yards.
SPEAKER_00Could you imagine gambling in Times Square? That just seems so my God. Jesus. I could see it, I could see it in Hudson Yards. I just think that that property is too valuable to let someone have wow. I'm glad it's not. I can tell you that. I'm glad it's not. But you know, how much of this is off the heels of the deal in Yonkers falling through?
SPEAKER_02Um it didn't really fall through, they withdrew.
SPEAKER_01And I think they withdrew their application.
SPEAKER_00The Rooney sold that property, is that correct? Rooney sold that property to MGM.
SPEAKER_01MGM Resorts, who owns Aqueduct too. Okay. So they may have lost in Yonkers, they're gonna gain an Aqueduct.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00I wonder if that puts Yonkers in jeopardy now.
Wrap Up And Subscribe Request
SPEAKER_01So that means that they didn't I thought there was maybe going to be a license at the racetrack at Belmont. So that means that's not gonna have one because they're very close too. Yeah. So I don't know if you've ever been to the Aqueduct uh casino. It's a lot like Yonkers. I have to say, I I I don't get the casino things at all. I guess they're meant to entice people other than New Yorkers. Not that I wouldn't go. I know that the tennis association doesn't give it up. The U.S. Tennis Association hasn't given up with that fight because they're worried about parking for their events, of course. So, Mark, talk to us about it and we'll we'll go over it next time. All right, we'll definitely start the next time. So I think we covered about all we're gonna cover for one night. What do you think?
SPEAKER_00Hour and a half. It went by quick.
SPEAKER_01It went by quick. It's that F1 racing, it's so mesmerizing. And but I can't believe we led with F1 racing. I hope more why not?
SPEAKER_00It's very exciting. I mean, you get me into it. I mean, I'm following the points that we talked about last week, and I said, well, there's really no chance for for these other guys, it seems, unless there's a big shakeup, and there was.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00So so that makes it more exciting. So there it is.
SPEAKER_01Another another one in the uh in the books. I I thank you very much. Please, everybody like and subscribe. You will see uh if you didn't really watch it live, the best is to look at the edited version, which I you really don't take in any stuff, just the ums and uhs and kind of polish it up a little. Uh it flows a little, and that's the one that really gets pushed forward that everybody sees, hopefully. So thank you all. Like and subscribe. Please tell your friends. Everybody I tell that I do this ends up watching it and watch it all the time. I get questions all the time about what we do. They tell me how much Justin talks too much. Not really, but on and on, on and on. Thank you, everybody. See you soon. Thank you, Steve. See ya, brother. Bye. See ya.