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Speaker 1: Human h.

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Speaker 2: Final hour beginning here nine to noon t c O

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Speaker 2: Studios and egan the final weekly appearance for for nine

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Speaker 2: to noon here and we've loved it.

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Speaker 3: It's been an awesome year. Just awaiting the.

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Speaker 2: Head coach in the vox to take it away. X's

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Speaker 2: and o's with head coach Kevin O'Connell. I did want

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Speaker 2: to take a moment appreciate the talkbacks. By the way,

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Speaker 2: found one we're going to use for the coach. But

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Speaker 2: you can check it out whether it's my social at

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Speaker 2: mad producer one. You can see it posted on kfan.

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Speaker 2: I was even strong armed into using Facebook. But there's

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Speaker 2: a Ballard's Resort trip coming up February twentieth through the

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Speaker 2: twenty third Little Walleye trip Lake of the Woods, and

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Speaker 2: I'm going to be up there and you have the

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Speaker 2: opportunity to book your spot. You can go to Ballardsresort

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Speaker 2: dot com to learn more. But it's a package that

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Speaker 2: includes lodging, meals, fishing, drinks, the licensed transportation, all of that.

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Speaker 2: Ballard's Resort is absolutely first class. Love it up there

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Speaker 2: and the ability. It was a trip from the spring

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Speaker 2: that sadly due to some health stuff in the nord

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Speaker 2: Quist household. I wasn't able to attend, so just working

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Speaker 2: with them, it's like, well, let's try one on ice,

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Speaker 2: let's try one in February. So again February twentieth through

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Speaker 2: the twenty third. All you winter anglers out there, if

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Speaker 2: you are interested in jumping on board and booking a spot,

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Speaker 2: it's Ballards Resort dot com. And to the text line,

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Speaker 2: you know, many conversations maybe we'll get into tomorrow as

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Speaker 2: I fill in, as I fill in for Pa, whether

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Speaker 2: it's what the Minnesota Wild are doing, anticipating and having

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Speaker 2: some hockey heavy affairs with the matinee or mid afternoon

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Speaker 2: game at San Jose. But Vikings talkers, just what a

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Speaker 2: year that this has been twenty five, twenty twenty five

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Speaker 2: kind of cliche in some ways, right, just you know,

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Speaker 2: it's not ups and downs or best and worst type

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Speaker 2: of conversation, but what a year it has been for

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Speaker 2: some of our favorite pro sports teams. And that'll be

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Speaker 2: part of the conversation tomorrow, But for now, happy to

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Speaker 2: welcome not just PA, but the head coach of the

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Speaker 2: Minnesota Vikings, Kevin O'Connell in studio, joining US exs.

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Speaker 4: And o's is in the air at FM one hundred

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Speaker 4: point three KFAM. This is our swan song with the

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Speaker 4: head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for the twenty twenty

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Speaker 4: five and on behalf of yours truly the radio show,

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Speaker 4: radio station and the x'es and O's Covenant. Thanks for

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Speaker 4: everything this season. We look forward to these chats every

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Speaker 4: single week. Hasn't been the greatest at times on winning

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Speaker 4: streak right now, started back in twenty twenty two, you

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Speaker 4: know where we were in the TV studio switched to

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Speaker 4: this recently and we just really look forward to it.

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Speaker 3: So thank you very much. You got it.

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Speaker 5: Really.

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Speaker 6: I really appreciate the time, the talkback questions and the

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Speaker 6: interaction I get to have not only with you guys,

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Speaker 6: but with all the listeners out there as well.

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Speaker 3: So it's it's been good talkback.

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Speaker 4: I don't know what it's going to be. Nordo has

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Speaker 4: it all set up. Let's nail that talk back now.

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Speaker 7: Hey Pa, Hey Nordo, it's Max Remegan. My question for

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Speaker 7: Ko is I know that the season didn't go exactly

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Speaker 7: according to plan, but we've gone on the incline for

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Speaker 7: the last couple of weeks here and going into this

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Speaker 7: off season, What lights that fire under your seat and

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Speaker 7: what gets you excited and motivated going into next season.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, it's a great question, and I think you know,

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Speaker 6: first and foremost, you know, I think of all the

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Speaker 6: things that I could do better and I can do

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Speaker 6: to make sure and ensure whether that's in the off seasons,

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Speaker 6: that's that's how we prepare a team in the off

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Speaker 6: season program, when we go into free agency, in the draft,

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Speaker 6: you know, and any and all input I can have

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Speaker 6: on you know, with the collaboration of our coaches of

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Speaker 6: how we're going to play, where we think we need

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Speaker 6: to do things differently schematically like, we'll go into all that,

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Speaker 6: but that always gives you energy to know that you're.

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Speaker 3: Already on your way.

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Speaker 6: The moment really the moment that I get done with

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Speaker 6: meeting with every player in those exit meetings, you know,

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Speaker 6: the couple days after we get done, I'm I'm kind

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Speaker 6: of full speed ahead on the task at hand, which

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Speaker 6: is a daily approach to trying to grow personally and

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Speaker 6: obviously challenge the staff and figure out ways for us

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Speaker 6: to grow football wise, and then figure out what the

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Speaker 6: twenty twenty six vikings are going to look like, and

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Speaker 6: then how we go about building that from a standpoint

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Speaker 6: of what we do on the grass when we get

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Speaker 6: them back in the spring. But it always starts with me,

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Speaker 6: and there's always going to be things that I'm learning

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Speaker 6: in this job.

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Speaker 3: And the beauty of it is we have great players.

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Speaker 6: We have great people in this organization, and many of

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Speaker 6: which work tirelessly to make sure that we're constantly improving

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Speaker 6: and chasing that ultimate goal, which as we've learned each

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Speaker 6: and every season in the NFL, just looking at teams

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Speaker 6: that didn't make the playoffs last year and now they're

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Speaker 6: winning divisions, and you're looking at teams that did and

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Speaker 6: like ourselves, and we're not going to be a part

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Speaker 6: of it. But that does not mean that every moment,

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Speaker 6: every minute will not be massively important as we prepare towards.

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Speaker 3: The next season.

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Speaker 6: But we'd like to make sure we take care of

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Speaker 6: business on Sunday and winning five games in a row

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Speaker 6: after being at the you know, the four and eight

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Speaker 6: spot we're at where you're right these these lights in

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Speaker 6: this studio. We're a little dim those days, and there

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Speaker 6: was a little a little bit of you know, you know,

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Speaker 6: angst that we still feel because ultimately we're not going

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Speaker 6: to be able to participate in the postseason. But at

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Speaker 6: the same time, very very proud of our guys, very

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Speaker 6: proud of the way this organization is kind of really

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Speaker 6: leaned in in some moments where quite quite honestly, and

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Speaker 6: and you know, this may be something that is a

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Speaker 6: surprise to people. A lot of NFL teams don't do

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Speaker 6: what this collection of guys have done over these last

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Speaker 6: four weeks. And we've got to We've got to finish

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Speaker 6: it off, and it's important to finish it off the

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Speaker 6: right way. Not only just an NFC North rival opponent.

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Speaker 6: We've got a chance to finish four and two in

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Speaker 6: the division. We've got a chance to, you know, obviously,

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Speaker 6: you know, win our last five, but most importantly, win

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Speaker 6: another game at home in front of our great fans.

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Speaker 6: What an atmosphere that last Thursday was. I cannot I know.

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Speaker 6: It was unbelievable. It was so happy that.

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Speaker 3: Time you got in the building.

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Speaker 6: It's just there was energy, Uh, there was joy, and

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Speaker 6: then our players felt that and we wanted to make

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Speaker 6: sure we responded to that the right way and find

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Speaker 6: a way to win that game. And but total compliment

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Speaker 6: to to to our fans, most importantly, but all the

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Speaker 6: folks that put on that great show for us within

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Speaker 6: this building.

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Speaker 4: So after the Green Bay game that there correct me

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Speaker 4: if I'm wrong here, but there is a shutdown factor.

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Speaker 4: I mean like decompress, you know, or how's that work

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Speaker 4: for for you, the coaches, you know, before you before

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Speaker 4: you settle fully into the offseason.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, it'll be it'll be a two or three week

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Speaker 6: process before I probably take a little bit of time

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Speaker 6: just with the family at some point. But there's there's

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Speaker 6: a lot of layers to it. Yep, we will as

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Speaker 6: a you know obviously mentioned the exit interviews. I think

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Speaker 6: it's important each and every player practice squad in our

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Speaker 6: roster get a chance to spend some one on one

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Speaker 6: time with me and make sure that you know, I

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Speaker 6: can articulate how much I care about those guys.

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Speaker 3: But also there might be some young.

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Speaker 6: Players where you can immediately give them, in conjunction with

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Speaker 6: their position coach or coordinator, you can immediately give them

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Speaker 6: the pathway, the roadmap to them improving and finding their

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Speaker 6: their place they ultimately want to be, which is on

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Speaker 6: the field for our team. But then there's you know,

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Speaker 6: I'll spend a lot of time with somebody like Brian

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Speaker 6: O'Neill or Justin Jefferson or you know, t J. Hockinson,

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Speaker 6: Harrison Smith for sure, and that one will be obviously

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Speaker 6: a little bit different, you know where you know, it'll

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Speaker 6: be part celebration, part recruiting, trying to see where his

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Speaker 6: head's at. He won't answer the question, he won't even

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Speaker 6: go there, and I'll still ask it anyway, But a

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Speaker 6: lot of questions like that, and and then we'll get into,

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Speaker 6: you know, a week or two of some evaluations of

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Speaker 6: you know, some of the things we did at the

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Speaker 6: bye week, and then we assess what we did coming

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Speaker 6: out of the bye week, what do we do over

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Speaker 6: these last you know, four or five weeks as a

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Speaker 6: team that allowed us to obviously.

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Speaker 3: Improve and and and win some games.

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Speaker 6: And then ultimately we've got to identify, you know, what

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Speaker 6: we need to do to improve not only with our roster,

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Speaker 6: with our team, but like I said, schematically as well.

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Speaker 3: So there's a lot that goes into it.

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Speaker 6: And most importantly, making sure that you know, putting a

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Speaker 6: bow on a season, even when it's not necessarily the

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Speaker 6: kind of season you wanted, is important because you can't

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Speaker 6: just move on. You can't Yeah, this isn't a barrier

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Speaker 6: the tape kind of year, although at times, especially offensively,

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Speaker 6: it's it's been one that you would like to but

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Speaker 6: at the same time it's it's it's how you grow

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Speaker 6: and improve is meeting it head on and attacking this thing.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you you hate not being in the playoffs. I do,

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Speaker 4: I can tell. I mean, it's you and I have

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Speaker 4: a lot of chats together, man, and whether it's your

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Speaker 4: tone of voice or your outlook is altruistic, it has

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Speaker 4: a positive side to it, yep. But I've just you know,

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Speaker 4: mentioned to extra or other ancillary people. It's just I mean,

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Speaker 4: you just really really hate this. But you can't dwell

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Speaker 4: either and be like, ah, this had happened against Duvernet

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Speaker 4: and this had happened against Atlanta. I mean, you can

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Speaker 4: analyze it and tear it down, make it better, like

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Speaker 4: you just said, But this is really eating at you

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Speaker 4: right now, isn't it.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, It's just you know, you you think back to

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Speaker 6: you think back to moments throughout you think back to,

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Speaker 6: you know, how we prepared our team for this week

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Speaker 6: or that week, or you know, it feels like forever

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Speaker 6: ago that we were all in Ireland and London. We were,

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Speaker 6: you know, taking on that challenge for January.

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Speaker 4: That was the theme end of the season. You get

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Speaker 4: them ready for January.

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Speaker 3: And it was you know, you just there's really nothing

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Speaker 3: else to say. I do hate it.

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Speaker 6: I've shared my feelings on winning obviously as the ultimate intent,

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Speaker 6: the ultimate goal every single game we play, but you know,

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Speaker 6: the losses do sting, and then when you they sting

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Speaker 6: because you look back on them in these moments where

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Speaker 6: you could finish a half game out or possibly even

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Speaker 6: have a better record than teams that in the playoffs

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Speaker 6: and maybe in a different division or conference. But ultimately

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Speaker 6: it's not where we want to be and not where

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Speaker 6: this organization or our fan base should ever feel like

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Speaker 6: we don't belong, because we do and we will be back.

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Speaker 3: With Harrison Smith.

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Speaker 4: Have you come across many who get the respect that

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Speaker 4: man receives take away your playing days, yep, I mean

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Speaker 4: go right to Tom Brady some other people, but in

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Speaker 4: your coaching career, the respect he receives from coaches, players, fans.

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Speaker 4: DJ Reid coming up to him after the game, tapping

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Speaker 4: him on the shoulder like man, fourteen, you're the bomb.

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Speaker 5: You know that.

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Speaker 3: Just stuff like that resonates.

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Speaker 4: He's one of the most beloved players in the history

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Speaker 4: of this franchise. If you come across many who like

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Speaker 4: win favor with media of a whole.

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Speaker 6: Thing, it's hard to even compare him to anybody else,

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Speaker 6: just because he's so uniquely Harrison and he's never tried

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Speaker 6: to be anybody else but authentically who he is.

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Speaker 3: And that's been, uh that, that's been.

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Speaker 6: The best part about it, because he is a person

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Speaker 6: that I enjoy, you know, I enjoy my friendship and

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Speaker 6: my relationship with personally.

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Speaker 3: He's taught me a lot.

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Speaker 6: You know, we have some really really awesome conversations every

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Speaker 6: Friday morning, and very rarely is it about football.

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Speaker 3: But he's smart.

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Speaker 6: He's incredibly thoughtful and in his approach to not only

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Speaker 6: football but life, and he takes that serious in regards

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Speaker 6: to his leadership role on this team. He's got his

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Speaker 6: own personal way of you know, his touch points with

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Speaker 6: players and people in this building. If every organization could

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Speaker 6: have a Harrison Smith, they'd be doing pretty well. And

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Speaker 6: I'm just so fortunate to have had this time with

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Speaker 6: him and then hope to have a little bit more

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Speaker 6: as well.

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Speaker 5: Well.

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Speaker 4: And you know, in listening to your press conference yesterday,

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Speaker 4: and you're getting peppered with with these Floraes questions and understandably,

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Speaker 4: so what do you think of this? Because when when

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Speaker 4: I or others talk to Harrison Smith, there there's side

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Speaker 4: of it where he's like, this individual defense that I'm

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Speaker 4: in mentally stimulating puts me in a.

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Speaker 3: Good spot, and it's good.

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Speaker 4: So, now can you take the Harrison Smith forward thinking

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Speaker 4: conversation and kind of tie it to what's next for Flores,

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Speaker 4: whether it's here or somewhere else in regards to like

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Speaker 4: like say, say Brian, say Brian goes somewhere else. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: well then that may elevate the chances Harrison doesn't come back.

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Speaker 6: Well, first of all, I'd not like to think like that, Pa,

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Speaker 6: But second of all, what's been what I would say

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Speaker 6: here is you know, I do think what has been

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Speaker 6: built here, especially you know over the second kind of

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Speaker 6: part of the season into the tail end of this

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Speaker 6: season is wildly unique, you know, and probably one of

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Speaker 6: one that's existed in the NFL, at least by my

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Speaker 6: knowledge of a player with you know, essentially the keys

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Speaker 6: to you know, exactly what's going to happen on the play.

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Speaker 3: And we've had a check d.

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Speaker 6: We've had incredibly high football IQ going on on our

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Speaker 6: defense of guys like Harrison or even cam Bininghm and

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Speaker 6: Mattelis like last year, like the way those guys all communicated,

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Speaker 6: and then you throw Cash in the mix as.

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Speaker 3: The green dot, a guy like Van Ginkel on the edge.

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Speaker 6: I mean, you've got some off the charts football intelligence there.

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Speaker 6: So it's always been a thinking man's defense. Ultimately, when

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Speaker 6: the ball snapped, it becomes a violent, physical kind of

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Speaker 6: group of a defense. But with Harrison over these last

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Speaker 6: few weeks, it's just kind of morphed than a really

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Speaker 6: cool way. That has been one of the one of

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Speaker 6: the joys of coaching this team has been watching when

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Speaker 6: we're on defense and you know, no one hearing the

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Speaker 6: initial call from Flow and then ultimately watching Harrison kind

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Speaker 6: of take it from there and play that game within

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Speaker 6: a game with the other team's quarterback and in many

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Speaker 6: cases the other team's play caller.

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Speaker 3: And it's just been really really cool to watch.

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Speaker 4: If I'm a player, I ask Harrison, what do you

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Speaker 4: do from the time you leave to the time you

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Speaker 4: get back here. He's running I don't want to say

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Speaker 4: he's running better than last year because I don't like

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Speaker 4: I mean, I remember him playing last year, but his

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Speaker 4: blitzing and his running right now. He really takes care

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Speaker 4: of his body, doesn't.

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Speaker 3: He He does.

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Speaker 6: And and the other thing to mention is, you know,

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Speaker 6: he had a pretty significant kind of issue he had

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Speaker 6: to work through an early part of the season training camp,

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Speaker 6: and that might have in many cases, you know, maybe

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Speaker 6: slowed his start to what has been a you know,

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Speaker 6: a really really good season. And I think his finish

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Speaker 6: to this season and the and the amount of snaps

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Speaker 6: he's playing and just the energy he has and the

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Speaker 6: physicality like you're talking about he's playing with, I think

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Speaker 6: is a is a is a credit to him. It's

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Speaker 6: a credit to how he handles the off seasons, how

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Speaker 6: he manages his body, how he recovers after games. We

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Speaker 6: try to obviously take care of him as you're around

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Speaker 6: here a lot, you see, we're trying to make sure

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Speaker 6: we know twenty two is going to be ready to

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Speaker 6: go on Sunday.

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Speaker 3: But what can we do to make sure he's.

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Speaker 6: Prepared and ready to do a lot of the super

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Speaker 6: impactful things that he does, but at the same time

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Speaker 6: be physically turned over.

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Speaker 3: And that's part of it too. That's part of the plan.

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Speaker 6: For what that may indeed look like moving forward, and

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Speaker 6: that's the off season, that's training camp and then on

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Speaker 6: into hopefully next season.

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Speaker 3: But he is, you know, And.

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Speaker 6: The one thing about it is that I think is

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Speaker 6: really really special is I don't believe our fans. Every

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Speaker 6: time he runs out of the tunnel. You can feel it.

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Speaker 6: Our fans don't take it for granted.

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Speaker 3: They don't.

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Speaker 6: That's what makes our fan base so special as they

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Speaker 6: understand not only the player, oh yeah, the impact he's had,

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Speaker 6: but the person and the leader and the human as well.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 4: There are a lot of eight teams in the stands. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: a lot of threes, a lot of thirty threes, a

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Speaker 4: lot of twenty two's, Yeah, I mean a lot of

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Speaker 4: old gold twenty twos. They go all the way back

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Speaker 4: to twenty twelve. Kevin Kevin o'connella coach of the Minnesota Vikings,

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Speaker 4: Swan song X's and O's fabe and Moreau. Yeah all right,

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Speaker 4: you've known him since your Washington days. And the reason

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Speaker 4: I bring it up is there there's so many ancillary

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Speaker 4: facets to this defensive success that are underrated. And the

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Speaker 4: reason I bring up Fabian is he never splashes, but

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Speaker 4: he's never on the wrong side of anything catastrophic. Yeah, well,

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Speaker 4: that right, there is a work of art in its

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Speaker 4: own right from the way that transpires.

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Speaker 3: Correct.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, And I think you know why Fabian's been so

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Speaker 6: important is you think of how we play defense and

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Speaker 6: there's a lot of moving parts. There's a lot of

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Speaker 6: changing happening second to second, pre snap and even post

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Speaker 6: snap in many ways depending on how the play kind

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Speaker 6: of you know, takes takes shape there. From an offensive standpoint,

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Speaker 6: when you're defending an offense, Fabe is just so constant,

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Speaker 6: so consistent, the same guy. He can be relied upon

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Speaker 6: an end game is probably my favorite thing about him.

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Speaker 3: It is never too big for him.

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Speaker 6: He always is, you know, ready to meet the moment

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Speaker 6: when those plays do inevitably come his way. And I

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Speaker 6: think he's answered the bell this year when we absolutely

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Speaker 6: needed him to. As a guy that has played a

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Speaker 6: lot of football, like you mentioned, whether it was Washington, Day's,

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Speaker 6: New York, Denver here, but you know, wherever he's gone,

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Speaker 6: Fabian's been ultra consistent and he's always kind of been.

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Speaker 3: In that role where you know, what really is his role.

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Speaker 6: It's going to be to play a lot of football

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Speaker 6: where maybe he came out of training camp thinking, hey,

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Speaker 6: we're lucky we got him, but he's not necessarily going

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Speaker 6: to be the starter, or maybe it's not going to

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Speaker 6: be a you know, it hasn't been the long term

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Speaker 6: playing in one particular place for Fabian.

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Speaker 3: But that's what I love about him.

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Speaker 6: Great relationship with him that goes back to his rookie

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Speaker 6: year and he's just always a guy that I know

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Speaker 6: I'm going to get the same Fabian Moreau every day.

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Speaker 6: And and that is deemed very much been a good

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Speaker 6: thing for the Vikings this year in our defense.

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Speaker 4: And Kevin, you mentioned the the Christmas Day victory over Detroit,

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Speaker 4: the joy and the building and Harrison Smith, and now

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Speaker 4: he factored into it that it also was joyous when

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Speaker 4: ty Chandler ran into the game as the backup running back.

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Speaker 4: You know what a kind human being, super fast, been

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Speaker 4: on an arduous trail to get to that moment and

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Speaker 4: then you see then.

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Speaker 3: You're like, well, hey, fresh legs too.

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Speaker 4: I mean from like a football standpoint hard, but man,

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Speaker 4: how how great.

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Speaker 3: Was that for Tie?

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Speaker 1: Yeah?

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Speaker 3: It was it was a long time coming.

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Speaker 6: And obviously Aaron's been, you know, so tough and working

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Speaker 6: through some things and and continuing.

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Speaker 3: To be out there every week for this team. But

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Speaker 3: to have Tie to be able to come in there

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Speaker 3: and and really run the football hard. Detroit.

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Speaker 6: It's always a physical game, and when you're playing against

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Speaker 6: those guys, and he was running through some tackles finishing forward,

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Speaker 6: you know, really stealing a yard or two or three

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Speaker 6: extra on some of those carries. That really allowed us,

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Speaker 6: especially when we were stacking the runs as well as

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Speaker 6: we were at times in that game, to move the football.

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Speaker 3: Ty was a big part of it.

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Speaker 6: And you know, he's he's a guy that Vikings fans

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Speaker 6: can always know they're going to get Ty Chandler, the physical,

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Speaker 6: the the speed, the burst, the guy that has really

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Speaker 6: grown within this program over these last few years. And

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Speaker 6: you put him right there with Jalen Naylor and Jay

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Speaker 6: Ward and some of these guys that were here early

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Speaker 6: on in our tenure here when we first got here

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Speaker 6: the first couple of years and have really grown within

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Speaker 6: the system. We've got great coaches coaching those guys and

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Speaker 6: they have now become guys that are really the you know,

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Speaker 6: the standard barrier for our culture because They've been a

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Speaker 6: part of building it from day one.

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Speaker 4: You mentioned Jalen Naylor currently set to be on restricted

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Speaker 4: after the year. You've put so much time and belief

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Speaker 4: into Jaalen Naylor. I'll never forget a couple of preseasons

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Speaker 4: to go into it. How excited you were to say

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Speaker 4: when we did those production meetings for the SIMU PA,

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Speaker 4: we're going to feature Jailen. You know, Okay, it's a

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Speaker 4: pre people be like it's a preseason game. No for

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Speaker 4: the offense, for Jailen for that moment, that's massive, you know.

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Speaker 4: And just and like when you put the c on

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Speaker 4: Mattellis at Soldier Field. Little things like that, you know,

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Speaker 4: just really really play into the totality of the story.

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Speaker 4: But talk about Jalen and all the time and belief

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Speaker 4: you put into him.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it really started.

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Speaker 6: I remember way back watching him at Michigan State. Remember,

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Speaker 6: you know, Jaden Reed, you know, from Green Bay, was

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Speaker 6: also a receiver on that team, and both of them

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Speaker 6: had very impressive film and you're kind of watching it

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Speaker 6: envisioning a guy and you were trying to figure out

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Speaker 6: exactly what he was going to be in the NFL.

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Speaker 3: Hey, what position does he you know?

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Speaker 6: Maybe slate as whether it's an inside and outside, how

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Speaker 6: is he going to compliment Justin Jefferson and the other

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Speaker 6: receivers we either had at the time or eventually, you know,

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Speaker 6: built that receiver room to be. And I remember coming

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Speaker 6: to the conclusion he can be anything he wants because

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Speaker 6: he's big, he's fast, he's strong, catches the football well,

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Speaker 6: has a football intelligence that allows him to really play

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Speaker 6: any and all spot required. And I'm on record saying,

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Speaker 6: when you play receiver in an offense with Justin Jefferson

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Speaker 6: the way he he lines up everywhere in motions and

438
00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,479
Speaker 6: moves in our offense, you've got it basically. But there

439
00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:06,560
Speaker 6: is no such thing as I'm a slot receiver. I'm

440
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:10,200
Speaker 6: an outside receiver that can be where you do a

441
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:11,880
Speaker 6: lot of your work and have a lot of your success.

442
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,240
Speaker 6: But the guys that thrive here around Justin are the

443
00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,239
Speaker 6: guys that can do a little bit of everything at

444
00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,400
Speaker 6: a high level. Jordan Addison's done a lot of those

445
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,560
Speaker 6: things as well, but I think Speedy is just a

446
00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,840
Speaker 6: great example. He's got Keenan McCardell, who I think is,

447
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,200
Speaker 6: if not the best, one of the best receiver.

448
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:28,880
Speaker 3: Coaches in football.

449
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,960
Speaker 6: His experience as a player, his ability to teach, his

450
00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,159
Speaker 6: ability to relate to these guys all at different points

451
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:37,960
Speaker 6: in their journey.

452
00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,520
Speaker 3: It's just been awesome to watch with Speedy and I

453
00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:41,960
Speaker 3: love him.

454
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,600
Speaker 6: I think he's I think he's earned everything that's coming

455
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:45,960
Speaker 6: to him.

456
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,439
Speaker 3: Hopefully we're able to keep him in this building.

457
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,359
Speaker 6: But as you know, you know, these football coaches that

458
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,679
Speaker 6: watch the tape, they know exactly what Jadon Taylor has

459
00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,440
Speaker 6: been able to do. He's fast and ultimately is going

460
00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,480
Speaker 6: to I think he's going to be a very popular.

461
00:22:59,119 --> 00:22:59,639
Speaker 3: Player, you know.

462
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,040
Speaker 4: And two to go here with Kevin O'Connell, Vikings and

463
00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,600
Speaker 4: Packers Sunday at noon. It's the season finale for Kevin's team.

464
00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,000
Speaker 4: I'm not trying to make Will Fries sound like a

465
00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:15,800
Speaker 4: cross between Randall McDaniel, Steve Hutchinson and Marshall Yonda. However,

466
00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,879
Speaker 4: in a season where a Minnesota Moving companies had at

467
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,280
Speaker 4: least twenty five different offensive line combinations, and then him

468
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,919
Speaker 4: coming back from that injury, having to get himself in

469
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,480
Speaker 4: shape in training camp, during preseason games, and to make

470
00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,280
Speaker 4: all the dances assuming he's starting this weekend, and to

471
00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,040
Speaker 4: make all the dances he's starting this weekend, right, he is.

472
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,400
Speaker 4: That's seventeen consecutive. Yeah, on a Minnesota moving company that's

473
00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,800
Speaker 4: been makeshift. I mean that's pretty good, he is.

474
00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:44,720
Speaker 6: You know, there's been a lot of combinations. As you mentioned,

475
00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,080
Speaker 6: there's been a lot of there's been a lot of

476
00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,000
Speaker 6: snaps without either, you know, either one of our tackles

477
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,919
Speaker 6: or both potentially, which is always difficult. There's been multiple centers,

478
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:55,800
Speaker 6: there's been multiple guys.

479
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:56,760
Speaker 3: At that left guard spot.

480
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,480
Speaker 6: And although Donovan I think has had a great year

481
00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 6: and a really exciting first year here, Will Fryes has

482
00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,160
Speaker 6: been a guy that you know, that injury was significant, right,

483
00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,400
Speaker 6: And you know a lot of times you find out

484
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,679
Speaker 6: about guys and you find out about their makeup and

485
00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,560
Speaker 6: their and their love of football.

486
00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:15,879
Speaker 3: Throughout that journey back from an injury.

487
00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,600
Speaker 6: And I think just the way he's been able to

488
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,000
Speaker 6: attack it, I don't think he's you know, truly felt

489
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,879
Speaker 6: like himself for much of the season, just because of

490
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,760
Speaker 6: of the grind of the season coming back from an

491
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,120
Speaker 6: injury like that. But I will tell you I'm really

492
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 6: excited about Will and think he's gonna continue to ascend

493
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:35,760
Speaker 6: in our offense. You know, knowing that he's had all

494
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,159
Speaker 6: this time, a full season and now he'll you know,

495
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,880
Speaker 6: obviously knock on wood have a great full offseason, ready

496
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:42,760
Speaker 6: to hit the ground running.

497
00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,159
Speaker 4: Do you now I heard the press conference yesterday. I

498
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,719
Speaker 4: don't know, maybe something changed. Do you think we'll get

499
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,040
Speaker 4: to see McCarthy in the finale or is it over

500
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,200
Speaker 4: until next year or we just have to wait?

501
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,159
Speaker 6: Yeah, there's no way to there's really no way to

502
00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,959
Speaker 6: know right now because it there's there's really no uh

503
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,119
Speaker 6: you know, there's no gamesmanship with this one. This purely

504
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,560
Speaker 6: comes down to we were able to get some of

505
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:06,560
Speaker 6: the swelling out of that thing, and it's it's doing

506
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,040
Speaker 6: a lot better. We'll see how he's able to purely

507
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,480
Speaker 6: if he can grip the football and throw the football

508
00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 6: the way he's capable of doing that throughout the practice

509
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,320
Speaker 6: week leading into the game. We're going to try to

510
00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,359
Speaker 6: get JJ out there for one more start because all

511
00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,199
Speaker 6: these are so massive yep for him now as he

512
00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:23,080
Speaker 6: wraps up here.

513
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,640
Speaker 3: Two know on his progress has been terrific and he's.

514
00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,040
Speaker 6: And he's improving and the progress has been there and

515
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,320
Speaker 6: we just uh, you know, we just got to work

516
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,840
Speaker 6: through the week and there really is no there's no

517
00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,000
Speaker 6: gamesmanship to this one, PA, where I got you?

518
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,000
Speaker 3: Wait and see mode.

519
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:38,879
Speaker 4: Well, God bless you and your family. Thanks for everything.

520
00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,640
Speaker 4: With X's and o's thank you. We'll see each other

521
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,399
Speaker 4: around the corner and certainly I'm at the combine.

522
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,240
Speaker 3: Thank you very much. Appreciate you guys very much.

523
00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,640
Speaker 4: Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. That's X's

524
00:25:50,680 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 4: and o's wild head coach John Hines joins us. Next

525
00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 4: was going on, man, what's up, PA, Let hit a

526
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,560
Speaker 4: swoosh or let us know when a coach ies calls.

527
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,560
Speaker 3: Okay, just clip on in there and say we got him.

528
00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:11,560
Speaker 3: Time four.

529
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 4: That's Devin Ward. He's gott in the Great Ship Loft

530
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,480
Speaker 4: Covenant back at f M one hundred point three, KF A.

531
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,240
Speaker 4: N Hey Sports Leader Nordo and yours Truley Paul Allen

532
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,920
Speaker 4: Our twenty twenty five t CEO Radio Swan Song Yeah

533
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,200
Speaker 4: is taking place today And that was our final chat

534
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,680
Speaker 4: with Kevin O'Connell during the course of this season. Under

535
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,919
Speaker 4: the assumption I am going to the combine, I'm not

536
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,080
Speaker 4: exactly sure how long A if I'll be there, B

537
00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,080
Speaker 4: how long I'll be there. That that could be the

538
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:45,639
Speaker 4: next sit down with with Kevin O'Connell. Maybe we'll arrange

539
00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,560
Speaker 4: something before that, But you know, it's it's I sensed

540
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,480
Speaker 4: early in the conversation and via some of Kevin's you know,

541
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,760
Speaker 4: I like to make it abundantly clear I am not

542
00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,200
Speaker 4: the I looked into his eyes and I could tell

543
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,840
Speaker 4: this was happening. Yeah, I'm not that guy. I don't

544
00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,679
Speaker 4: like when people pretend to be that person. I just

545
00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,560
Speaker 4: know from chatting with O'Connell as much as I do

546
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,600
Speaker 4: on or off the microphone, when the cadence in his

547
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,560
Speaker 4: voice gets a certain way, he wears a certain amount

548
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,840
Speaker 4: of his emotions on his sleeve around certain people or

549
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,960
Speaker 4: certain situations. I could just sense early in that conversation

550
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,440
Speaker 4: he was pissed off and times like it's starting to

551
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,399
Speaker 4: hit him hard that while we're not going to be

552
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 4: in the playoffs and the season is over this weekend

553
00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:33,639
Speaker 4: at noon, and he loathes it, he's loathing it. Joining

554
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,240
Speaker 4: us now from the West Coast, John Hines, coach of

555
00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:41,520
Speaker 4: the Minnesota Wild the team as well, convincing five to

556
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 4: two victory at Vegas last night. Shoot Man, coach hones,

557
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,640
Speaker 4: you guys rough five zero before people could settle into

558
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,240
Speaker 4: their seats and like get their concessions before we talk

559
00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:53,520
Speaker 4: about last night in the state of the team. Just

560
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,000
Speaker 4: conducted a long interview with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell,

561
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,920
Speaker 4: and he asked us to say hello to you and

562
00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 4: wish you nothing but the best the rest of the journey.

563
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,160
Speaker 5: Oh, great Kevin. Kevin was a great guy. I gotta

564
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,080
Speaker 5: get him. He came to a playoff.

565
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,840
Speaker 8: Last year, so I'm looking forward to uh seeing him again.

566
00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:17,040
Speaker 8: And uh, you know, he's a bright right right coach.

567
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,040
Speaker 5: And I enjoyed our conversation with so I appreciate that.

568
00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,720
Speaker 4: And and we appreciate you. Thank you very much for

569
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,200
Speaker 4: on a holiday week and then you're you're thousands of

570
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,520
Speaker 4: miles away. Thank you for calling. And you know, I'm

571
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,520
Speaker 4: not the first to say this here. Uh, last night

572
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,800
Speaker 4: was different for me. Joehansson, Boldi and et that line

573
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,600
Speaker 4: and just how well it's going right now. You know

574
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,000
Speaker 4: you've talked about it before, but like from a trained

575
00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:47,400
Speaker 4: eye standpoint coach with with Johansson, Boldi and Eck, like

576
00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,080
Speaker 4: what is clicking that is nuanced?

577
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:56,720
Speaker 8: Leyden Well, I think all all three players, you know,

578
00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 8: all the same time, are playing at a high level.

579
00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,360
Speaker 8: I think that the they have tremendous work ethic and

580
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 8: consistent competitiveness, and the details in which they play the

581
00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,400
Speaker 8: game with are are very good, you know, whether it's

582
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,760
Speaker 8: you know, defensive detail where they don't have to spend

583
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 8: a lot of time defending because.

584
00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:15,320
Speaker 5: They're in the right spots.

585
00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:17,920
Speaker 8: They check hard, they win fucks back, and then from

586
00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,560
Speaker 8: an offensive perspective, they you know, they they have a

587
00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 8: high level level of execution right now. They make the

588
00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,800
Speaker 8: right decisions at the right time, and they support each

589
00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,320
Speaker 8: other from an offensive perspective in those areas and that

590
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:30,440
Speaker 8: allows them to play.

591
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:32,200
Speaker 5: You know, they're playing a really.

592
00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:34,760
Speaker 8: Strong, complete game and all three of them are contributed,

593
00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:35,760
Speaker 8: contributing at.

594
00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:39,960
Speaker 4: A high level the as the team goes into totality.

595
00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,480
Speaker 4: It was just so calm last night. You guys were

596
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:48,240
Speaker 4: just so calm and poised with like you know. Now, granted,

597
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:50,720
Speaker 4: it looks like Vegas blew it in the high slot

598
00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,800
Speaker 4: by just letting a puck saunter across the ice for

599
00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:57,040
Speaker 4: the first goal, but nevertheless, Brodein didn't freak out. He's

600
00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:03,240
Speaker 4: a veteran, nice, nice calm pass. Middleton calmly hitting Johansson

601
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:06,920
Speaker 4: from his knees, triggering the two on one for Baldy's

602
00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,280
Speaker 4: twenty fifth. Do you sense that that that the farther

603
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,840
Speaker 4: you get into this, the the calmer and more poised

604
00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:14,800
Speaker 4: everybody's becoming.

605
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:17,520
Speaker 5: Yeah, I do.

606
00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,080
Speaker 8: I think the guys, you know, I think you know

607
00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,800
Speaker 8: what happens over the course of the season is you know,

608
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:26,520
Speaker 8: they're they they the team has confidence, but they've earned

609
00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 8: the confidence, the attention to detail and you know, the

610
00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,920
Speaker 8: commitment to play a strong team game and the details

611
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,240
Speaker 8: we want to the guys that really they've taken ownership

612
00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,200
Speaker 8: of that and and they're I think they believe in

613
00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:42,000
Speaker 8: each other, they believe in what we need to do

614
00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,800
Speaker 8: to win games, and they're committed to it. So, you know,

615
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,280
Speaker 8: I think that comes into the ploys and the confidence

616
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,600
Speaker 8: and just if we do make the right play and

617
00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,040
Speaker 8: do the right things, you know, then we're good enough

618
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:54,640
Speaker 8: team to be able to come out and win a

619
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,280
Speaker 8: hockey game. And they've taken ownership of that. Social It's

620
00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:58,400
Speaker 8: been great to see.

621
00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,360
Speaker 4: John when when you make a move for Quinn Hughes

622
00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:05,160
Speaker 4: the way you do, does that in essence say to

623
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,840
Speaker 4: those in the room, all right, Wow, Holy cow, they

624
00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,880
Speaker 4: really do believe in us potentially get into the Stanley Cup.

625
00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,520
Speaker 4: I mean that that's underrated, but it's big, isn't it.

626
00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:21,120
Speaker 8: Yeah, it's a big part of you know when you

627
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,440
Speaker 8: particularly within the team for the players, you know, the guys,

628
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,320
Speaker 8: I mean, they all want to win and everybody wants

629
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,800
Speaker 8: to be highly competitive and you know, get into the

630
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,520
Speaker 8: playoffs and give your chance, give yourself a chance and

631
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:32,680
Speaker 8: the team a chance to win.

632
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:35,200
Speaker 5: You know, that's why we all do this.

633
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,920
Speaker 8: So when the organization and you know, Billy makes the

634
00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:40,760
Speaker 8: move to add a guy like Quinn Hughes and and

635
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:42,400
Speaker 8: it was a big trade. You know, you've given up

636
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,640
Speaker 8: three really good young players and right, but you're getting

637
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:47,320
Speaker 8: a marquee player in the league. You're getting one of

638
00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:52,440
Speaker 8: the top top two play driving defenseman in the league.

639
00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:56,400
Speaker 8: It certainly gives that mindset and helps the mindset of

640
00:32:56,400 --> 00:33:00,240
Speaker 8: a team push forward and and and want to want

641
00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:02,840
Speaker 8: to give back also from that belief in how they play.

642
00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:07,520
Speaker 8: And it's been good to see and I think it's

643
00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:08,800
Speaker 8: been great for the players.

644
00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,760
Speaker 4: Hey John, back to that second goal for a second,

645
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,080
Speaker 4: when when Middleton when he goes down and he makes

646
00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,480
Speaker 4: the pass you know, first he has to direct the

647
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,440
Speaker 4: puck with his skate. Then he's going down, makes the

648
00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:22,400
Speaker 4: pass from the knees, goes to Johansson. Then to act

649
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,440
Speaker 4: Baldy gets his twenty fifth uh and they created a

650
00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,760
Speaker 4: two on one. What was Middleton purposely passing the puck

651
00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,360
Speaker 4: or was it just trying Was he just trying to

652
00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,320
Speaker 4: get it out of a zone?

653
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,720
Speaker 8: No, it was a second effort play by Mizzi to

654
00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:41,719
Speaker 8: get that puck up there. And then obviously Jojo had

655
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,120
Speaker 8: good boys on the wall, and then he made a

656
00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:46,320
Speaker 8: nice play. And that's you know, even when you like

657
00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,440
Speaker 8: that that one play in particular, but even if you

658
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:52,760
Speaker 8: look at like the Winnipeg game on CAPRESAF school eure

659
00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:54,880
Speaker 8: Offs coming into dizon at the end of a shift,

660
00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:56,960
Speaker 8: he's completely exhausted. He's been out there for like a

661
00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,080
Speaker 8: minute minute ten. He comes down, blocks a shot on

662
00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,760
Speaker 8: an odd man rush against and then has a second

663
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,760
Speaker 8: effort play to Zucarello who then springs Caprice off. And

664
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,080
Speaker 8: those are the little you know, you talked about those

665
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:10,520
Speaker 8: little things.

666
00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:11,640
Speaker 5: In the games.

667
00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,880
Speaker 8: That's where you know, you guys are you know, really

668
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,560
Speaker 8: committed with second and third efforts and you have to

669
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,880
Speaker 8: recognize those little plays. The price off goal was beautiful,

670
00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:24,080
Speaker 8: but there was a huge play and a self sacrifice

671
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,040
Speaker 8: play by You're off to be able to set that

672
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:27,520
Speaker 8: play up.

673
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,560
Speaker 4: Hey, on a fourteen day trip, like you guys are on,

674
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,759
Speaker 4: you're two and zero so far at San Jose tomorrow.

675
00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,920
Speaker 4: How does one pack for a fourteen day trip?

676
00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,719
Speaker 8: Some guys overpack, some guys underpack. You know, it's a

677
00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:48,000
Speaker 8: long one, but I think it's it's tough. The one

678
00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:50,320
Speaker 8: good thing about the trip is, other than the Winnipeg,

679
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,520
Speaker 8: you're basically getting kind of the same weather everywhere, so

680
00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,719
Speaker 8: it's easier to pack. It's tougher sometimes when you go

681
00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:59,319
Speaker 8: from like, you know, winter climates to a little bit

682
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,000
Speaker 8: you know in California climate, it gets a little bit different.

683
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,319
Speaker 8: So it's easier that way, but it's always a challenge.

684
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,440
Speaker 4: What what do you guys do for New Years in

685
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,880
Speaker 4: California or New Year's Eve as a team or like,

686
00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:11,640
Speaker 4: what do you guys do?

687
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:15,959
Speaker 8: Yeah, we have we have a we So we played

688
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,120
Speaker 8: tomorrow and one against San Jose and then we fly

689
00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:22,040
Speaker 8: to uh Anaheim and we have a big seam dinner.

690
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,960
Speaker 8: So our team services guy Dom, you know, did a

691
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:26,439
Speaker 8: great job.

692
00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:27,920
Speaker 5: We have team.

693
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,560
Speaker 8: Dinner table set up. We got TVs in a big room,

694
00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:34,279
Speaker 8: got some card tables that guys can play, so we'll

695
00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,920
Speaker 8: have it, you know, to celebrate New Years together. So

696
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,319
Speaker 8: it'll be nice. I think it's an opportunity for guys

697
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:44,040
Speaker 8: to be able to spend time together and everyone everyone

698
00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:45,960
Speaker 8: brings in the New Year's to you know, together as

699
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:47,280
Speaker 8: a team and a great environment.

700
00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:48,760
Speaker 5: Uh. And it's grateful.

701
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,319
Speaker 8: That's another thing that's where the organization helps us well too,

702
00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,200
Speaker 8: that you know, they allow and help us provide opportunities

703
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:55,680
Speaker 8: to be able to do that with the team. And

704
00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:58,239
Speaker 8: so it should be a it should be a great night.

705
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,040
Speaker 8: And that's something that you know, those little things on

706
00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,120
Speaker 8: the road when you have opportunities to do those. There

707
00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,520
Speaker 8: are moments in the season that I think also helped

708
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:06,800
Speaker 8: bring brings the group together.

709
00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:07,720
Speaker 3: Amen.

710
00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,640
Speaker 4: That's a terrific answer. Two more for coach John Hines

711
00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:14,000
Speaker 4: the the uh back back to.

712
00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:14,800
Speaker 3: Your blue liners.

713
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:20,239
Speaker 4: The the three defensive pairings that you have, how do

714
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:25,920
Speaker 4: they give you situational flexibility in all circumstances. Obviously the

715
00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:30,160
Speaker 4: addition of Hughes makes some things different. But do you

716
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,720
Speaker 4: guys have situational flexibility maybe better than you've had before.

717
00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:37,680
Speaker 8: Yeah, you certainly do. I think with the with the

718
00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:39,640
Speaker 8: three D pairs we have now, I think you feel

719
00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:43,160
Speaker 8: comfortable putting them out. You know, we may match, say

720
00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,520
Speaker 8: you imagine Rodein and and Spurs and maybe against a

721
00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:50,839
Speaker 8: certain line. I think then you can rotate the other

722
00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,920
Speaker 8: guys through regardless of who the other team puts out there,

723
00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,480
Speaker 8: which gives you flexibility and some balanced ice time for guys.

724
00:36:58,120 --> 00:36:59,600
Speaker 8: You know, you have some of the guys that they're

725
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:01,440
Speaker 8: main or responsibility.

726
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:01,680
Speaker 5: Is penalty killing.

727
00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:05,640
Speaker 8: Obviously, you have three of the defenseman, our power play

728
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:08,520
Speaker 8: guys and Hughes favorite Spurgeon, so you don't have to

729
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,680
Speaker 8: overtax guys. But I think it gives guys an opportunity

730
00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:14,600
Speaker 8: to dig into their role and their responsibilities. You know,

731
00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:16,880
Speaker 8: you could also you feel very comfortable with guys like

732
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:23,399
Speaker 8: say Midzy, Middleton and and and Pogosian some these zone

733
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:27,080
Speaker 8: starts against maybe some bigger, stronger, harder lines. So it's

734
00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,200
Speaker 8: it's nice to have the healthy guys the way that

735
00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:30,800
Speaker 8: they are right now and certainly the way.

736
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:31,200
Speaker 5: That they're playing.

737
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,239
Speaker 4: Last one coach, and the reason I bring it up,

738
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,960
Speaker 4: it's such an anomaly. I mean, the penalty kill was

739
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:40,320
Speaker 4: excellent last night, number one on the road in the NHL,

740
00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,560
Speaker 4: last at home. Honestly, how does one unpack that anomaly?

741
00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,120
Speaker 5: Yeah, still trying to unpack that one.

742
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:50,959
Speaker 8: I know it's been Pkasan great on the road, and

743
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,480
Speaker 8: it's it's obviously we've got to be a little bit

744
00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,600
Speaker 8: better at home. But it's, you know, it's one of

745
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,920
Speaker 8: those things that you know sometimes you you know, even

746
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,160
Speaker 8: for a team, right team, sometimes you win more on

747
00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:02,920
Speaker 8: the road than you do at home, and you're not

748
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,440
Speaker 8: like you're doing different tactics or systems or things like that.

749
00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:08,120
Speaker 5: I just think it's something that's we got to iron

750
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,280
Speaker 5: out a little bit as we as we move forward.

751
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,759
Speaker 4: Happy new Year, coach, thanks for everything. We'll chat with

752
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:15,960
Speaker 4: you next next year and next week.

753
00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:19,960
Speaker 5: Okay, all right, sounds good, Thanks man, Happy new Year.

754
00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,560
Speaker 4: Happy New Year. Tear it up against San Jose. Bye bye,

755
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,520
Speaker 4: John Heinz, coach of the Minnesota Wild. Final segment from

756
00:38:25,520 --> 00:39:03,880
Speaker 4: the t CEO Radio Studio. Next Gophers Weekly with Nico

757
00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,400
Speaker 4: Medved coming up around the corner. Hey, don't forget this.

758
00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:11,759
Speaker 4: Not only is the swan song for our Tuesdays with

759
00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:15,840
Speaker 4: Kevin O'Connell with x's and o's at Twin Cities Orthopedics

760
00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:24,719
Speaker 4: Performance Center. But our final Friday football takes place at

761
00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:29,160
Speaker 4: Buffalo Wild Wings Egan this Friday. We expect to have

762
00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:32,120
Speaker 4: the game changing linebacker from back in the day, Jack Greenway,

763
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,359
Speaker 4: with us if he's able to make it. That would

764
00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:40,800
Speaker 4: be about nine to fifteen, and ladies and gentlemen welcome

765
00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:45,000
Speaker 4: to Buffalo Wild Wings Egan. The vox of all voxes

766
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,919
Speaker 4: ever to Vox, Alan Roach will be there with us

767
00:39:48,280 --> 00:39:52,759
Speaker 4: at about eleven am. Doesn't make many public appearances, but

768
00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:56,160
Speaker 4: we got him that Friday at Buffalo Wild Wings Egan.

769
00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,319
Speaker 2: Though, yeah, I'm excited for I mean, I'm sad it's

770
00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,600
Speaker 2: the finale, but it's still a border battle, it's still

771
00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,560
Speaker 2: a feast, and it's still the chance to dunk on

772
00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,560
Speaker 2: the pack and send them into the postseason on the

773
00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,440
Speaker 2: worst possible foot and party with the fans again. My

774
00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:15,480
Speaker 2: first full season doing these Friday feasts, just really impressed

775
00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:19,520
Speaker 2: by how full these buildings have been week after week

776
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:22,560
Speaker 2: after week, and especially you think about the back half

777
00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:25,520
Speaker 2: of this season. The way, you know, we're having conversations

778
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:29,719
Speaker 2: about injuries and position related l's and just the situations

779
00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:30,880
Speaker 2: of being an eight and eight team.

780
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:32,560
Speaker 3: But the rooms still show up.

781
00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:35,279
Speaker 2: Now, maybe that's related to Hey, I got a ton

782
00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:37,040
Speaker 2: of pto and I just want to drink beers at

783
00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,360
Speaker 2: eight am on a Friday. That's all good. Just happy

784
00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:42,040
Speaker 2: you're doing it with us, and happy that we get

785
00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:44,680
Speaker 2: to do it at beatubs. Now it's a two game

786
00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,680
Speaker 2: to put a cap on the twenty twenty five feast schedule.

787
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,400
Speaker 4: And thank you for the good times today. Gophers Weekly

788
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,040
Speaker 4: is next. Devin Ward, thank you very much, Nordo, thank

789
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:57,520
Speaker 4: you very much, and I'm Paul Allen. Most importantly, thanks

790
00:40:57,560 --> 00:40:59,640
Speaker 4: to all of you for listening to nine to Noon

791
00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:02,239
Speaker 4: and a K F A N. When you do, have

792
00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:05,239
Speaker 4: a wonderful day. God bless all of your families, and

793
00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:06,480
Speaker 4: thank you very much.

794
00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:19,319
Speaker 3: Bye bye, good time. Expecting that some bad.

795
00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:19,080
Speaker 1: Lucky we got.

796
00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:30,720
Speaker 3: Good podcast Today's Paul Allen Show.

797
00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:32,920
Speaker 5: We're listening back to previous show and interview.

798
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,479
Speaker 1: So I joined the iHeartRadio app or kis