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Speaker 1: Let's get to a couple of texts first, and if

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Speaker 1: we have time, then we'll get to the more serious

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Speaker 1: subject that I wanted to try to explore between now

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Speaker 1: and our four to thirty guest.

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Speaker 2: I asked Guardie to.

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Speaker 1: Translate the text textor who'd write the President called the

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Speaker 1: skier who spoke out a loser, doesn't polite publicly congratulate

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Speaker 1: the women who won the gold and then made a

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Speaker 1: joke about them. The people who wanted politics out sports

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Speaker 1: don't mind the whole men's teamed involvement. Here's the only

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Speaker 1: exception I would take with that.

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Speaker 2: That presumes.

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Speaker 1: What I'm not willing to be as presumptuous about that presumes,

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Speaker 1: I think, if I'm reading that right after you've translated

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Speaker 1: it for me, is that that texture is saying that,

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Speaker 1: by definition, if you chose to visit the White House

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Speaker 1: or to go to be introduced to the State of

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Speaker 1: Union address, you are making a political statement.

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Speaker 2: That is, you might as well be holding up a

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Speaker 2: Trump placard.

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Speaker 1: And I would say that could be true, but I

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Speaker 1: don't believe it has to be. And I tend to

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Speaker 1: think if we want to rip, we want to assume

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Speaker 1: that's the statements being made. I know there's a lot

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Speaker 1: of the other ones n eve to think otherwise, well,

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Speaker 1: but that's your thinking. My whole point through all this

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Speaker 1: is other people do not have to be prisoners to

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Speaker 1: these purity tests.

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Speaker 2: And I'll say, beyond that, what if that's.

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Speaker 1: What they're doing the test even in these ridiculous times.

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Speaker 1: So I don't think anybody would suggest we're very pro

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Speaker 1: Trump on this show, But the test is always defending

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Speaker 1: the right for somebody to speak or to make whatever

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Speaker 1: political statement they want. Where you disagree with it, it's

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Speaker 1: easy when you agree with it. We've lost that in

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Speaker 1: this culture. It's the biggest single loss in my view,

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Speaker 1: that we have had, and and that's part of what

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Speaker 1: I'm arguing with. For example, there are people who want

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Speaker 1: to attach the assumption that for the players who didn't

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Speaker 1: show up, by god, they're.

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Speaker 2: Taking a stand. I knew it. I knew they had.

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Speaker 1: Some some some some some courageous individuals on that.

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Speaker 2: Team, and a lot of them are from Minnesota. That's true.

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Speaker 3: And what did Russo just tweet on?

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Speaker 4: Yes?

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Speaker 2: So again that's the game. That's but that's the stupid

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Speaker 2: game we're in. If you're prisoner to that everything's got

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Speaker 2: to fit into a mold regardless of what the facts are.

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Speaker 1: And I don't think it serves the the great middle

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Speaker 1: of the country. I don't think it's it it serves

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Speaker 1: us at all going down that particular road. I've also

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Speaker 1: got an argument with Uh, let's see if I can

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Speaker 1: find the the text. Uh, where did it go, your

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Speaker 1: snowflake guest? I guess he's referring to Adam Minter says, quote,

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Speaker 1: we should celebrate the players that didn't meet with Trump,

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Speaker 1: and then turns around said athletes should just be athletes.

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Speaker 1: So basically, athletes shouldn't talk politics unless they agree with you,

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Speaker 1: but lives huh haha, such hypocrites. And my response was,

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Speaker 1: I believe the point he was making. I think what

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Speaker 1: he wasn't necessarily saying we have to celebrate they were

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Speaker 1: anti Trump. He was celebrating that they had a choice.

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Speaker 1: Was his What was his sentence? What were his sentences?

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Speaker 2: Right before?

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Speaker 1: I used to correspond, I used to write out of China.

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Speaker 2: I used to live in China.

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Speaker 1: You have no choice there, correct, you got to show

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Speaker 1: up and you got to raise the flag. So to me,

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Speaker 1: what he was saying, well, when he said celebrate. I

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Speaker 1: believe he meant celebrate the fact that you have that option.

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Speaker 2: That's exactly what he meant.

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Speaker 1: I don't think this is difficult to what I said

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Speaker 1: A texture guy. It's like, well, no, no, it's not

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Speaker 1: what he meant at all. It's you know exactly what

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Speaker 1: he meant. You just want to acknowledge it. It's like, well,

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Speaker 1: I guess we can check with him. But if the

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Speaker 1: context was, man, here's what I'm used to I lived

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Speaker 1: there for years, and it's it's obviously all autocratic. There's

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Speaker 1: no there's no athlete that can at a podium say,

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Speaker 1: by the way, this regime is shaky to me, or

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Speaker 1: you know, I'd like to be where you want me

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Speaker 1: to be. But I I kind of got a stomach ache.

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Speaker 1: His point was there are no options either way. So

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Speaker 1: you can choose to go to the White House, or

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Speaker 1: you can choose to decline for political reasons, for practical reasons,

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Speaker 1: whatever the case may be. But meantime, we're taking like

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Speaker 1: I said, we're taking these these, these, these, these these,

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Speaker 1: we're checking these boxes like, Okay.

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Speaker 2: Now we know a lot more about you. To one end,

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Speaker 2: what are you gonna do?

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Speaker 1: I mean, so you got do you have this I

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Speaker 1: guess this ledger that you keep, and now those are

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Speaker 1: the bad guys and there's nothing else they can do

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Speaker 1: that will ever make me feel differently about how they

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Speaker 1: handle that particular situation. That just doesn't make a lot

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Speaker 1: of sense to me. I should probably leave it at that.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I got it. There's a million there's a

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Speaker 2: million texted or that are coming in.

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Speaker 1: But right wings, appalled, left wings, enthralled, centers, revived, wolves

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Speaker 1: and five hang on, the problem with your reasoning about

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Speaker 1: the politics is as soon as Garren invited in a

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Speaker 1: appointee of the administration, not an elected official, it became

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Speaker 1: an implied endorsement of the administration for everyone involved.

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Speaker 2: God speak to you, man.

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Speaker 1: If that's the way you think, if you think on

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Speaker 1: the basis of that decision, if it is as he's

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Speaker 1: laying out that, then everybody in that room is impugned.

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Speaker 1: You're not very open minded. But you know why you

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Speaker 1: believe that because you want to believe it because of

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Speaker 1: the boogeyman. And I said this on the show yesterday.

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Speaker 1: There's a million reasons to criticize and savage this administration.

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Speaker 1: I hear about it daily from people who notice on

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Speaker 1: the right, but I'm not going to put that in

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Speaker 1: on everybody who is on that particular team. And I'll

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Speaker 1: ask another question again, if a democratic administration was in

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Speaker 1: place and someone from that administration was invited to be

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Speaker 1: in there, just to answer, honestly, would you be every

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Speaker 1: bit as offended by that decision? If you would, God

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Speaker 1: speed to you. I respect you, and you'll never hear

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Speaker 1: from me again. I've already said what I think about

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Speaker 1: Patel being there. I couldn't have been more vicious or

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Speaker 1: more negative about it at all.

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Speaker 2: But again, we're we're not we're not playing.

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Speaker 1: We're not in these games in which where there's any

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Speaker 1: sort of I don't think there's any there's much consistency

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Speaker 1: to exactly how you how we feel, or when we're

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Speaker 1: going to get offended in organizing. You know, all these

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Speaker 1: politicians in vos, somebody's in the room.

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Speaker 2: Big deal.

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Speaker 1: But now now Quinnesota has to be held accountable and

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Speaker 1: responsible for what might have been a decision to get

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Speaker 1: get Bill Gharon said, you can come into the room

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Speaker 1: and celebrate.

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Speaker 2: Okay, that's fine. Again, you know you're.

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Speaker 1: You're I I think I know why you've come to

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Speaker 1: that conclusion. But I just don't happen to necessarily share it.

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Speaker 1: I guess we're gonna have to wait on where else

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Speaker 1: we want to get to, because it's already twelve after

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Speaker 1: rash on Brian Kafean text line is it's six four

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Speaker 1: six eight six. I was hoping that, quite frankly, we're

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Speaker 1: going to talk mainly to our last guest about the

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Speaker 1: Olympic part of it. But the point he made is,

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Speaker 1: I think the reality of where we are, politics has

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Speaker 1: always had a place in it. And like we say,

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Speaker 1: we believe in the shut up and dribble when we

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Speaker 1: disagree with the assessment or the opinion being offered, or

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Speaker 1: quite frankly we say or we say, you're shutting up

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Speaker 1: too much, and we're going to judge you on that

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Speaker 1: basis too. That's what happened to Anthony Edwards. That's not

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Speaker 1: that many weeks ago. That makes sense to people, makes

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Speaker 1: absolutely zero sense to me. But that's when that's the

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Speaker 1: world you live in, where there is no nuance, then

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Speaker 1: that's it's it's us or them man. Everything, everything, even stuff.

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Speaker 2: That is just.

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Speaker 1: Pathetically unimportant, The idea that whatever balance whatever, like high

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Speaker 1: wire we're teetering on, like Carl Wellenda will regain our

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Speaker 1: balance on the basis of which way Anthony Edwards speaks.

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Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards speaks on this issue. You want to wonder

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Speaker 1: why we're in trouble. That's as good a reason as all.

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Speaker 3: Speaking of Meat Sauce, you can join Meat Sauce and

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Speaker 3: Miller Light at Dave's Town Club in Delano tomorrow from

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Speaker 3: five to seven. Stop by for drink specials games, register

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Speaker 3: for your chance to win a spot in the Vikings

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Speaker 3: Foundation Golf Tournament.

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Speaker 2: All the details of KFA dot com. Keyword off.

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Speaker 1: We'll get back to the football conversation at the At

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Speaker 1: the bottom of the hour, Alex Lewis will join from Indianapolis, Indiana,

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Speaker 1: where the combine continues, and uh, look at his view

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Speaker 1: on what he's hearing. Certainly we'll probably start with the

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Speaker 1: quarterback position, but go in a different direction as well.

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Speaker 1: I'm I'm left gobsmack by the degree to which people

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Speaker 1: try to transfer stories that are so much more serious

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Speaker 1: and dangerous then how and why hockey team celebrates after

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Speaker 1: winning the gold medal.

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Speaker 2: It astounds me.

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Speaker 1: We transfer these things again, I guess because it makes

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Speaker 1: us feel good in the moment.

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Speaker 2: When they have zero to do.

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Speaker 1: With the more significant issues and serious issues at hand

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Speaker 1: that we are.

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Speaker 2: Talking about.

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Speaker 1: And it's the great irony of it, because many of

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Speaker 1: these same people will tell you in other contexts just

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Speaker 1: sports gives a bleep. What difference does it make who

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Speaker 1: wins or who loses? I mean, what's any of these

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Speaker 1: individuals elected?

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Speaker 2: They're not, are they? But suddenly.

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Speaker 1: They gain something and we treat them as if they're

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Speaker 1: elected officials who have to that extent a certain accountability.

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Speaker 1: And you know what the accountability is, it's the accountability

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Speaker 1: to me. They're accountable to my opinion on a given subject.

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Speaker 1: That's what they are obligated to do. And if they

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Speaker 1: don't do it, I get to decide why they didn't.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's ironic because I've been accused of being

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Speaker 1: rather presumptuous, and there's nothing more presumptuous than then going

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Speaker 1: down this particular road. As far as I'm concerned, where's

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Speaker 1: the uh, where's the other one? I wanted to get

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Speaker 1: to here? Oh, I don't know if this is true,

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Speaker 1: if this has been vetted. A couple of people have

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Speaker 1: texted to say that Rosen had mentioned on Common Show

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Speaker 1: that Walter Mondale was in the US locker room in

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Speaker 1: nineteen eighty for the you know, after the mirror, either

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Speaker 1: the miracle or the gold medal. I don't know which

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Speaker 1: game it would have been. That may well be true,

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Speaker 1: you know, for for whatever that's worth. Now you could say, well,

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Speaker 1: those are different times politically, or whatever the case may be.

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Speaker 1: But that that apparent apparently maybe beers well I don't

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Speaker 1: know if he if.

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Speaker 2: It's a good question.

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure if he was chugging beers or screaming

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Speaker 1: at the top of his lungs or whatever ever the

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Speaker 1: case may be.

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Speaker 2: I'm not exactly sure.

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Speaker 1: I had one other point on on the decision making,

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Speaker 1: as I said, because we don't we may never know

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Speaker 1: in every case why people did what they did, whether

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Speaker 1: it was you know, and and And you could argue, well,

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Speaker 1: that would be better just just you know, get on

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Speaker 1: the record exactly why you did what you did. But

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Speaker 1: I've said all along that there are many athletes who

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Speaker 1: for one or other, one reason or another, aren't interested

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Speaker 1: in going down that road. And you could say, well,

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Speaker 1: then they're not good citizens, and I'd say, okay, they

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Speaker 1: might not be. But I'll also add when we get

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Speaker 1: stories from people in my business? Who say, where are

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Speaker 1: the voices to speak up? Read what they write? And

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Speaker 1: the question that they're really asking is where are the

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Speaker 1: voices to say what I think is the right thing

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Speaker 1: to say at a time like this, to take the

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Speaker 1: right position at a time like this. And that's why

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Speaker 1: I don't trust those lectures.

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Speaker 2: That's that's for me.

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Speaker 1: That's almost all of it is goes back to consistency

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Speaker 1: in the unsay, that's both sides of it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's the complain about both.

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Speaker 1: Sides of it generally comes from people who are incapable

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Speaker 1: of examining the possibility that their own position or their

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Speaker 1: own quote unquote side might occasionally have a weakness. Oh

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Speaker 1: you're just what about is them? You're just doing the

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Speaker 1: both sides thing. I can play that game too, we

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Speaker 1: can all play it. You can call it both sides

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Speaker 1: as I could say, I'm looking for consistency. Does that

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Speaker 1: mean everybody's equally guilty of whatever at any point?

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Speaker 2: No, absolutely not.

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Speaker 1: But the pieces that we get occasionally regarding you know,

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Speaker 1: where are the voices, the need that they're supposed to

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Speaker 1: stand up and speak out what they really mean is

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Speaker 1: because I believe me, if it was a voice that

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Speaker 1: said something that was contrary to that particular political line

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Speaker 1: of thinking. They aren't going to applaud, they're gonna say, well,

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Speaker 1: that person's doing illusional. That person should keep their mouths shut.

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Speaker 1: That person has no idea how much damage they're doing

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Speaker 1: by taking the place that they are or the position

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Speaker 1: that I that they are taking. As I said with

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Speaker 1: with Adam, we've had politicians.

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Speaker 2: I mean, politicians aren't stupid.

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Speaker 1: Historically, they want to be associated with winning athletes and

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Speaker 1: teams because it's good for business. Politically speaking, there's always

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Speaker 1: been a measure of manipulation to that.

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Speaker 2: Believe me.

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Speaker 1: Now you could say it's now the the the Antes

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Speaker 1: upt in twenty twenty five or twenty six, or whatever

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Speaker 1: the case may be. But that's always been a part

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Speaker 1: of a part of it that I've always kind of

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Speaker 1: rolled my eyes at because it's it's it's just too easy.

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Speaker 1: Are you really that excited about the team? You might be,

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Speaker 1: but more importantly you're probably excited about well, this is

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Speaker 1: good association for me.

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Speaker 2: It's good to have them in the Rose Garden right now. Exactly.

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Speaker 3: It's good to have the speech and have you know,

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Speaker 3: the Twins Jersey with Reagan on the back of it, right,

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Speaker 3: it's good to have it.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I mentioned you before the show.

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Speaker 1: There's a couple guys going back and forth taking apart

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Speaker 1: what we talked about yesterday and suggesting that everything that

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Speaker 1: took place this time around, they're mad at me for

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Speaker 1: ripping Patel, and they're pretending on that basis that I

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Speaker 1: was savaging everybody involved with the team, including the players,

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Speaker 1: which is contrary to it's one hundred percent contrary to

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Speaker 1: what I was attempting to say yesterday. But again, in

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Speaker 1: that world, it's well, if I don't like one thing

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Speaker 1: you say that I must, then I don't have to

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Speaker 1: really pay attention to fact that you actually were a

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Speaker 1: little bit more precise in what you were criticizing and

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Speaker 1: who you were criticizing. I just want it to be

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Speaker 1: there goes another one of those smug lefties who is

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Speaker 1: excoriating everybody associated with American hockey US Hockey after that

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Speaker 1: particular game. So there you have it. All, right, let's

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Speaker 1: do this. Let's get back to the toy department I had.

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Speaker 1: I lost track of my had one other, big, big

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Speaker 1: meaty thought which I'll try to save and maybe get

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Speaker 1: to between five and five thirty. Kessler's coming up in

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Speaker 1: about an hour. Let's check in with their old buddy,

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Speaker 1: Alec Lewis. He is at the Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure he's already gone to restaurant St.

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Speaker 2: Elmos.

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Speaker 1: It's almost it's beyond cliche at this point. How poetic

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Speaker 1: was Seaffert though yesterday? Yeah, somebody tweeted that at us

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Speaker 1: as well. Oh remember when he talked about how he

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Speaker 1: had already when you asked him if he was going

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Speaker 1: to Elmos?

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Speaker 2: Right, one of these says, someone quoted it.

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Speaker 3: I'm free to the world now, I can do whatever

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Speaker 3: I choose, to the extent that it was an obligation,

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Speaker 3: I've served it, to the extent that it was a desire.

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Speaker 2: I've met it. I'm having the shrimp cocktail. That said,

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Speaker 2: he feels.

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Speaker 3: Like he was reading it from a column or some

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Speaker 3: food blog or something.

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Speaker 2: Sounds scripted. It's so effective.

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Speaker 1: We'll come back. We'll see if Alec Lewis can be

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Speaker 1: that effective. He's going to join us now. Another big

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Speaker 1: day at the Combine in the greatest city in America, Indiana,

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Speaker 1: at least certainly the greatest oast city in America. Indianapolis.

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Speaker 1: Have they not gotten an Olympics Indiana? Well, let me

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Speaker 1: ask maybe that's our first question for alec Lewis, joining

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Speaker 1: via the Connectico Water Systems Hotline. You've covered a lot

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Speaker 1: of events. You're still relatively young, but we've already covered

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Speaker 1: a lot of stuff. Have you ever been in a

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Speaker 1: city better prepared to handle big events? In Indianapolis, Indiana?

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Speaker 4: It is first Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. It

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Speaker 4: is exceptional in every respect. You know, every restaurant has

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Speaker 4: the same menu, every hotel is essentially the same. And

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Speaker 4: the convention center, I mean I talked to Brian Floryds

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Speaker 4: yesterday next to the fire and health and safety of

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Speaker 4: Indianapolis Convention. I mean it is. It is as absurd

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Speaker 4: and ridiculous as you could possibly imagine. But it's not

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Speaker 4: my favorite place in the world. I'm not gonna lie

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Speaker 4: about it.

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Speaker 2: That's not very kind. The truth comes out that are

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Speaker 2: you trying.

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Speaker 3: To suck the shows?

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Speaker 4: It's just it's it's just I don't know, like I mean,

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Speaker 4: I got here. The weather, you're hoping it's better than

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Speaker 4: what we've experienced in Minneapolis.

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Speaker 2: I still at Midwest, you know, So.

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Speaker 4: You're right I mean absolutely, geography definitely isn't my that's

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Speaker 4: for sure. We've established that. But no, it's it's just

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Speaker 4: not I'll play the part, but it's it's just okay,

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Speaker 4: it's Indianapolis. It's okay, all.

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Speaker 2: Right, So proud of you, Alec.

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Speaker 1: What have we learned, if anything, that has advanced your

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Speaker 1: understanding of the Vikings master plan at the quarterback position.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know as of right now as I'm

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Speaker 4: talking to you, if we've learned a heck of a

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Speaker 4: lot more than when Kevin O'Connell after the season stood

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Speaker 4: up at the podium and said that the team was

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Speaker 4: seeking competition. I would say, if anything, it's pretty clear

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Speaker 4: that this week is being used very much as the

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Speaker 4: exploratory stage of okay, like grass tax, who is available,

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Speaker 4: what do they want? Who is gettable? And let's line

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Speaker 4: up all the possibilities and make our assessment.

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Speaker 2: I think that has.

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Speaker 4: Become fairly clear at this point that this week will

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Speaker 4: set the foundation of who ends up making six making sense.

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Speaker 4: I didn't think anything that Robert Zenski or Kevin O'Connell

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Speaker 4: said yesterday about JJ McCarthy was vastly different or a

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Speaker 4: vast departure from anything in the way they've described him

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Speaker 4: since the season ended. I mean it was reiterating confidence.

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Speaker 4: It was you know, establishing that this is a big offseason,

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Speaker 4: but being very clear that the level of quarterback play

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Speaker 4: they got was not at the level they need for

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Speaker 4: twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 1: Is there any way to examine or calculate what Brazinski

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Speaker 1: being in the mix might change, if anything, regarding the

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Speaker 1: approach at the quarterback position that the Vikings might take.

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Speaker 4: I don't think it changes much because as I've told

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Speaker 4: a lot of people and conversations this week have just

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Speaker 4: reiterated this, Like Rob Brazinski has been the primary negotiator

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Speaker 4: for the Vikings with agents, I mean for for decades now,

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Speaker 4: and so his ability to I would say, draw out

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Speaker 4: the the numbers that these players are seeking representation, is

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Speaker 4: thinking is seeking like that has not been a shift

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Speaker 4: from the past. If anything, I would say that that

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Speaker 4: that his understanding of the circumstance and of what these

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Speaker 4: these agents and players will be seeking will just add

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Speaker 4: more clarity in direct conversation with Kevin O'Connell. But I

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Speaker 4: don't like I've heard some of the conversation narrative that

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Speaker 4: you know, Rob's and interim, so he'll be acting in

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Speaker 4: the short term. I really don't believe that this this

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Speaker 4: Vikings organization is prepared to make some drastic short term move,

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Speaker 4: even with the structure being where it is.

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Speaker 2: Okay, well that.

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Speaker 1: Maybe you just answered my next question, because I did

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Speaker 1: try to get the populace going early again, playing a

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Speaker 1: chefty SoundBite from a blog or from a whatever it

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Speaker 1: was podcast that he was on either yesterday or earlier today,

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Speaker 1: in which he reintroduces the name Aaron Rodgers to the conversation, saying, yeah,

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Speaker 1: chances are.

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Speaker 2: If he is going to come back, it's gonna be

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Speaker 2: with Pittsburgh.

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Speaker 1: But maybe the Vikings are in a different place, maybe Rogers.

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Speaker 1: That's the place he really wanted to go last year.

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Speaker 1: So with a Rodger, anything's possible. He could announce his

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Speaker 1: retirement tomorrow he go to Pittsburgh. I was so wouldn't

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Speaker 1: be shocked if somehow he ended up with Minnesota. Now,

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Speaker 1: do you believe there's any reason to think that Koc

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Speaker 1: if Koc was hesitant ultimately last year to do it.

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Speaker 1: Do you think the change in atmosphere that seems to

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Speaker 1: indicate everybody's more on the clock now including him that

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Speaker 1: he might be more willing to revisit it, or do

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Speaker 1: you think that is one a ship that has sailed?

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Speaker 1: And when the particular say were all options are open

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Speaker 1: or we're considering everything, the truth is Rogers is not

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Speaker 1: one of the options they're considering.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I would.

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Speaker 4: Definitely say I definitely wouldn't say it's one hundred percent

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Speaker 4: sailed and it's completely ruled out. I would say, of

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Speaker 4: the available options, and to name a few, like the

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Speaker 4: Kirk Cousins, Tyler Murray, Derreck Carr, I would say, I,

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Speaker 4: if I was ball parking it at this point, those

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Speaker 4: guys would have a higher probability to end up being

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Speaker 4: the name that is arriving than in Aaron Rodgers. But

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Speaker 4: I do think Adam Schefter's pointing that out was in

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Speaker 4: many ways just kind of a reminder or a declaration

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Speaker 4: that there was those conversations existed, there was a lot

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Speaker 4: of mutual interest, and eventually it didn't occur. And so

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Speaker 4: to just assume that it's either Pittsburg or Buss probably

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Speaker 4: is inaccurate. But it is hard to imagine you would

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Speaker 4: say no to a forty two year old and then

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Speaker 4: after watching him have the season that he had, you

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Speaker 4: would decide that that is then the best path. It's

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Speaker 4: just that would be a really difficult one to I mean,

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Speaker 4: probably explain, but definitely to analyze for my season.

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Speaker 1: Do you believe that if you could get them for

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Speaker 1: about the same money, for example, that the truth is,

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Speaker 1: regardless of reputation, regardless of you know, the breadth of

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Speaker 1: their careers, that at this moment Kirk Cousins is a

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Speaker 1: better option for the Purple in the short term than

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Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers is.

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Speaker 4: I would say, I mean, it's extremely difficult in the

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Speaker 4: sense that you can rewatch the tape of Aaron Rodgers

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Speaker 4: and the flash plays do exist, and you can rewatch

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Speaker 4: the tape of Kirk Cousins, then you know, into lack

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Speaker 4: of mobility exists as well, so you you know, for me,

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Speaker 4: it's a pretty The way I've described it to people,

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Speaker 4: and the way it's been described to me is the

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Speaker 4: buckets that they want to talk about. The tiers. You

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Speaker 4: have the younger player who has starting experience of a

439
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,080
Speaker 4: Kyler Murray type ILK, and then on that next tier

440
00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:24,280
Speaker 4: you can probably have Kirk, Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr and

441
00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,960
Speaker 4: they're all kind of living on that same plane, and

442
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,720
Speaker 4: so I I you know, you could talk argue back

443
00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,560
Speaker 4: and forth and contrast the styles of if Aaron Toms

444
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,159
Speaker 4: does he bring his own system and how do the

445
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:41,199
Speaker 4: systems mash versus Kirk Cousins would obviously run the system

446
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:42,920
Speaker 4: and know how to run it, and so you could

447
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,160
Speaker 4: probably convince yourself that Kirk would be a better fit.

448
00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,800
Speaker 4: But I really view those guys and even Derek Carr

449
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,000
Speaker 4: within that conversation as just a similar tier and the

450
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:54,680
Speaker 4: type of player that you're acquiring.

451
00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,080
Speaker 2: So what else anything?

452
00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:02,120
Speaker 1: Do you get any good nuggets beyond the quarterback position?

453
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:07,240
Speaker 1: In other words, in a short run with Prazinsky at

454
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:13,359
Speaker 1: the top of the food chain, right philosophically speaking, do

455
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:18,639
Speaker 1: you think anything changes? Does he break ties among you know,

456
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,720
Speaker 1: the coaches who've been given a lot of power, including

457
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,480
Speaker 1: the head coach and including b Flaw? What do we

458
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:28,080
Speaker 1: what do we think the managerial style in the short

459
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:31,560
Speaker 1: run here, this audition, one could say for Rob Razensky

460
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:32,240
Speaker 1: is going to look like.

461
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,480
Speaker 4: Yeah. So the biggest thing I would say is it

462
00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,800
Speaker 4: is pretty clear from conversations that there is a ton

463
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,360
Speaker 4: of respects for Rob Razinski, especially among the coaching staff,

464
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,560
Speaker 4: and like An example of where I think they want

465
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,080
Speaker 4: this thing to get to is that the personnel side

466
00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:52,000
Speaker 4: and the coaching side tonight that all of them are

467
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,400
Speaker 4: going out to dinner. I mean, and that includes everybody,

468
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:56,800
Speaker 4: and it's not something they've done in the past. And

469
00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:01,240
Speaker 4: so the way just my discernment of how they want

470
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,640
Speaker 4: to take this thing the next two months is Rob,

471
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,400
Speaker 4: you're in charge of the person all side. There's a

472
00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,640
Speaker 4: healthy level of respect and trust in what you do

473
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,040
Speaker 4: and how you approach things. Kevin and the coaching side

474
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,760
Speaker 4: has a similar level of trust and respect, and it's

475
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,480
Speaker 4: going to be about trying to bridge those two worlds

476
00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 4: in a way that had not been done in previous seasons.

477
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,840
Speaker 4: And we've obviously talked about and I've written about just

478
00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,000
Speaker 4: the level of I don't know whether you want to

479
00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:31,800
Speaker 4: call attention or conflict or disagreements between the two sides.

480
00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,640
Speaker 4: So that's first and foremost, Like I think they are

481
00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:38,320
Speaker 4: in these process of trying to repair and mend, like

482
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,000
Speaker 4: those two sides rowing on the same team. So that's

483
00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:46,840
Speaker 4: pretty clear. From the outset. It does sound like Rob

484
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:50,680
Speaker 4: will have final authority, but I would imagine in every

485
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:56,120
Speaker 4: possible circumstance he will defer to Kevin O'Connell and then defensively,

486
00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:58,400
Speaker 4: Brian Flora's voice will carry a lot of weight. The

487
00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,200
Speaker 4: other thing that I've heard a lot here that I

488
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,320
Speaker 4: do think is important to mention, and Rob kind of

489
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,280
Speaker 4: went there a little bit yesterday was this team has

490
00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,360
Speaker 4: spent a lot of cash over the last couple of years,

491
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,040
Speaker 4: and you have people from other teams looking at the

492
00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:19,800
Speaker 4: biking situation going like, at some point like that that

493
00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,840
Speaker 4: bill is coming due, and to think that you continue

494
00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,280
Speaker 4: to spend fifty million dollars cash over cap year after

495
00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,280
Speaker 4: year is just not It's just not a realistic path.

496
00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,800
Speaker 4: And so there is definitely a sense and a view

497
00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:38,000
Speaker 4: from people around the League of the biking situation to

498
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,240
Speaker 4: try to assess, like, how are they going to approach

499
00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,720
Speaker 4: this because they are forty three million dollars over the

500
00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,920
Speaker 4: cap and what type of avenues are that they going

501
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,240
Speaker 4: to try to take and mechanisms that they're going to

502
00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,360
Speaker 4: try to pull to get it to a place at

503
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,600
Speaker 4: which it is palatable for ownership. And that leads me

504
00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,560
Speaker 4: to last point. Mark Wilf is here in Indianapolis. I

505
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,560
Speaker 4: can't say that I have seen him here and covering

506
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,120
Speaker 4: combines in the past, and so whether that's as part

507
00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:07,440
Speaker 4: of the GM situation, whether that's his involvement that has

508
00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,560
Speaker 4: stuck out to me that he is here in present

509
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:13,360
Speaker 4: and I saw him around the hotels earlier this morning.

510
00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:17,600
Speaker 1: Alec Lewis covers the vikings for the Athletic. Kessler will

511
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,840
Speaker 1: join us at probably about five point thirty this evening

512
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,480
Speaker 1: as well. I'm glad you brought up the money because

513
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,600
Speaker 1: one of the quotes that did get my attention today

514
00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,480
Speaker 1: the Rob Brazinski was on with PA and two things

515
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,040
Speaker 1: struck me. One is that he shattered the combined record

516
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:42,760
Speaker 1: held by Koc and Adolpho. To Quacy, I should say

517
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,800
Speaker 1: ophamensa for the use of the word alignment. He shattered

518
00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,880
Speaker 1: the mark it was. I think it was easily double digits.

519
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:53,680
Speaker 1: It might have been triple digits. But one thing that

520
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,960
Speaker 1: did I think I liked a little better than that

521
00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:00,000
Speaker 1: was a belief that you build teams to the draft,

522
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:01,840
Speaker 1: which I think was his way of saying exactly what

523
00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:06,040
Speaker 1: you're talking about, that the bill ultimately and inevitably comes due.

524
00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:11,000
Speaker 1: If you are every year constantly, very ambitiously trying to

525
00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:14,920
Speaker 1: sort of paper over your draft mistakes by spending big

526
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,520
Speaker 1: money and it isn't sustainable.

527
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:17,840
Speaker 2: It's not going to work.

528
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:21,440
Speaker 1: So in the short run, given how much we're over

529
00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,680
Speaker 1: the cap, does that pretty much preclude in your mind

530
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:28,200
Speaker 1: the chances that we might make even one significant splash

531
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,560
Speaker 1: in free agency or not necessarily Yeah, I would.

532
00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,480
Speaker 4: Say not necessarily. But you're really living in these two worlds.

533
00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:36,680
Speaker 4: It's like you want to get the train back on

534
00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,200
Speaker 4: the tracks for twenty twenty six, but not do it

535
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,080
Speaker 4: to where you're at the expense of your entire future.

536
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,160
Speaker 4: And it's like, you know, it's like the quarterback situation.

537
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,320
Speaker 4: It's like where they're at with rob z interim GM,

538
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,280
Speaker 4: like they're trying to thread all of these different needles

539
00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:55,360
Speaker 4: at the same time, which is why when you talk

540
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,680
Speaker 4: to people here like they a lot of people are

541
00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:00,520
Speaker 4: in the lead you the Vikings as and it's almost

542
00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,800
Speaker 4: as interesting as it gets because of the juggling at

543
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:07,080
Speaker 4: at that they're undertaking. But I would say there are

544
00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,920
Speaker 4: a lot of levers that they can pull, one of

545
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,640
Speaker 4: them even being extensions, like for a guy like Brian O'Neil,

546
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:17,280
Speaker 4: that is a possibility, And I would expect the Vikings

547
00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:19,120
Speaker 4: to try to get something done with him that would

548
00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:23,480
Speaker 4: lessen his cap for twenty twenty six to provide some flexibility.

549
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:28,320
Speaker 4: There's restructure potential, So I am not ruling out the

550
00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:33,640
Speaker 4: possibility that this team finds a way to create enough

551
00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,160
Speaker 4: space to supplement their roster. But your point, and you're

552
00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,440
Speaker 4: I would say, you know, listening to Rob and hearing

553
00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:42,280
Speaker 4: him say what he wants to build through the draft,

554
00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:44,120
Speaker 4: and that's the only way this team is going to

555
00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,960
Speaker 4: get to the mountaintop is if that record improves. And

556
00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:51,200
Speaker 4: as you know, you can beat that. He beat that

557
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,640
Speaker 4: that line like a dead horse. But it is really true.

558
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,480
Speaker 4: If you don't build through the draft, it's just not

559
00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:00,479
Speaker 4: going to be possible to be a sustainable, consistent winner.

560
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,840
Speaker 4: And every team that has won in the recent years

561
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:03,640
Speaker 4: has proven well.

562
00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:08,640
Speaker 1: The sticky wicket is in the short run, because they

563
00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:12,040
Speaker 1: have done so poorly drafts the last largely the last

564
00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,640
Speaker 1: four years, is they need probably to do both because

565
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,920
Speaker 1: you're not going to be able to fix everything via

566
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,080
Speaker 1: the draft unless you literally hit on every choice in

567
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,200
Speaker 1: one season. Anyway, that's the that's the sad reality is there.

568
00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,400
Speaker 1: They are kind of stuck in both worlds, and I

569
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,320
Speaker 1: guess in the end. It will depend on his ability

570
00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:33,000
Speaker 1: to move money around and to be creative with.

571
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,799
Speaker 2: What you might be. You know what, at one point

572
00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:35,600
Speaker 2: you might be able to do.

573
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,440
Speaker 1: A couple of texters are asking and by the way,

574
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,359
Speaker 1: if you have questions for Alec, a hit the branch

575
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:42,400
Speaker 1: on Brian Kafean text line six four six eighty six.

576
00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 1: You know, we've we've talked so much about the quarterback situation.

577
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,960
Speaker 1: They want to know a timetable, like how quickly do

578
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,920
Speaker 1: we think we're going to get this answered in terms

579
00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,640
Speaker 1: of who the free agent might be, the veteran free

580
00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:57,360
Speaker 1: agent might be.

581
00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,120
Speaker 2: Are we talking about a couple of weeks?

582
00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,319
Speaker 1: Are we talking about well after the draft or how

583
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:06,640
Speaker 1: fast do you think we're gonna get the number one

584
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:07,640
Speaker 1: question answered?

585
00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:10,800
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I mean March ninth is when the

586
00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,600
Speaker 4: legal tampering period opens, and that is I think a

587
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,520
Speaker 4: week and a half from now, And I would be

588
00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:20,960
Speaker 4: pretty surprised if I mean around that date, whether it's

589
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:24,360
Speaker 4: ninth or the tenth, or before that date, you don't

590
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:28,520
Speaker 4: have a pretty clear understanding because the worst and we've

591
00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,760
Speaker 4: talked about this too, the worst thing that can happen

592
00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,400
Speaker 4: is you extend past that date. You know, other player

593
00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:38,359
Speaker 4: players shoot certain spots and then you're left kind of

594
00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:41,520
Speaker 4: and the musical shares is out of chair. That's essentially

595
00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:46,080
Speaker 4: the circumstance. So the legal tamper period again, it's March ninth.

596
00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,239
Speaker 4: It's a week and a half away. That is when

597
00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,440
Speaker 4: the flurry of activity tends to happen. So I mean,

598
00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,480
Speaker 4: this next ten days is gonna be busy. There's I mean,

599
00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,719
Speaker 4: this is where you could see trades of guys who

600
00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:59,120
Speaker 4: are gonna get released. Is where you're gonna see a

601
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:02,080
Speaker 4: lot of guys getting least because of the accelerators in

602
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:06,360
Speaker 4: their contract. I don't believe the weight is going to

603
00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,200
Speaker 4: last much longer uh into March than that.

604
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:12,160
Speaker 1: Well that's good, right, because I don't think anybody wants

605
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,200
Speaker 1: to wait uh much longer than that.

606
00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:17,319
Speaker 2: And and because that's getting it feels like it's getting old.

607
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:21,920
Speaker 1: I do think it seems fairly clear that, I mean,

608
00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:27,400
Speaker 1: we have not had yet a declaration that JJ McCarthy

609
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,960
Speaker 1: is the incumbent or is the number one quarterback? Correct

610
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,040
Speaker 1: that you know, words are important and and and it

611
00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,279
Speaker 1: seems fairly what's the term intentional that's another one of

612
00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,880
Speaker 1: the with it in wow terms of the day that

613
00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:44,720
Speaker 1: that that the Vikings brain wizards have taken this approach.

614
00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:48,080
Speaker 4: Correct at absolutely correct. Yeah, I mean the way they

615
00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:50,480
Speaker 4: have phrased it now for a month and a half

616
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:53,920
Speaker 4: is that they want serious competition for JJ McCarthy. I

617
00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,839
Speaker 4: mean the Kevin O'Connell quote from yesterday that was the

618
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:00,920
Speaker 4: timetable now is not what it was when I declared

619
00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:05,040
Speaker 4: JJ the franchise quarterback of the future the day they

620
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,360
Speaker 4: announced his tormentiscus. And I do think that was his

621
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:14,600
Speaker 4: way of insinuating that, you know, you can feel a

622
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:18,360
Speaker 4: certain way about a player, specifically quarterback at a certain time,

623
00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,480
Speaker 4: but the more you spend time, the more you observe,

624
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:24,880
Speaker 4: the more you watch, the more you know, like opinions

625
00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,279
Speaker 4: can evolve, they can move, they can shift. And so

626
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:32,280
Speaker 4: for me that quote was I mean, in many ways

627
00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,120
Speaker 4: informative in the sense that like, look, they know they

628
00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:40,080
Speaker 4: need a certain level of quarterback play, and I mean

629
00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,920
Speaker 4: there's only so many paths to acquiring it, and if

630
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:48,840
Speaker 4: they don't acquire it, then they risk reproducing what was

631
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:52,640
Speaker 4: twenty twenty five. And if you do that, beyond their

632
00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:56,880
Speaker 4: own self preservation, you have a superstar receiver in the

633
00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:01,560
Speaker 4: heart of his prime who has a distinct competitive playoff

634
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:07,560
Speaker 4: expectation and an ownership with that expectation. So yeah, no question,

635
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,880
Speaker 4: it has been intentional to use that word, and I

636
00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,000
Speaker 4: think it's also intentional in terms of how they message

637
00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:19,440
Speaker 4: it to represent representatives and players who will be assessing

638
00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:20,520
Speaker 4: this as an opportunity.

639
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:22,120
Speaker 1: So that's exactly where I want to go next. And

640
00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:23,799
Speaker 1: I don't know if we've covered this before. I know

641
00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:26,359
Speaker 1: I've covered it with Seaffert from time to time, so

642
00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:29,000
Speaker 1: forgive me. If we have, it's still I think relevant.

643
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:33,720
Speaker 1: And that's the question of whether there's a notion of levels.

644
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:37,279
Speaker 1: In other words, this QB we have identified as a

645
00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:40,880
Speaker 1: possibility for us it might be attainable, is of a

646
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,640
Speaker 1: level that if we go after him, we are telling

647
00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:48,680
Speaker 1: him you are the starter. Here's another level where we say,

648
00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:51,640
Speaker 1: well you can come in, you can compete for the job.

649
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,200
Speaker 1: We still have hyeh homes for JJ McCarthy, but no

650
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,160
Speaker 1: guarantees on anything.

651
00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:58,640
Speaker 2: How is that going to play out? I mean, is

652
00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:00,520
Speaker 2: that a crucial distinction?

653
00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:05,239
Speaker 1: And you know, are there quarterbacks in each level including

654
00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:07,759
Speaker 1: the level that says you pretty much if you're going

655
00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:09,960
Speaker 1: after him and you think you want to get them.

656
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:12,920
Speaker 1: To get them, especially if he has other options, you

657
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:15,680
Speaker 1: have to pretty much say to him, you are our

658
00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:19,000
Speaker 1: starting quarterback when the twenty twenty six season begins.

659
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:25,239
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean those conversations definitely emerge between teams and

660
00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:30,960
Speaker 4: agents and players. The fascinating kind of road to go

661
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:35,040
Speaker 4: down would be in the event that you have let's say,

662
00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:39,560
Speaker 4: three available quarterbacks at similar costs and similar level, who

663
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:41,759
Speaker 4: you would you would think they would want to be

664
00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:45,400
Speaker 4: the starter. But if they're all buying for the Vikings opportunity.

665
00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,759
Speaker 5: Would they then almost like you have the leverage of

666
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,360
Speaker 5: would they be more willing to be Like, you know,

667
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,080
Speaker 5: I'll go in there and I have the confidence in

668
00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:56,759
Speaker 5: myself that they'll take the opportunity regardless.

669
00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:00,640
Speaker 4: Like, that's where this potentially could get because, and I

670
00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:03,280
Speaker 4: don't know if it's surprising to me, but with every

671
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,120
Speaker 4: conversation I've had, it's pretty clear that the Vikings opportunity

672
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:12,000
Speaker 4: is still incredibly coveted. So, like, what I would say is,

673
00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,520
Speaker 4: if Tyler Murray ends up being the player, it's pretty

674
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,319
Speaker 4: obvious that he would be the starting quarterback. I mean,

675
00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:22,000
Speaker 4: that's just abundantly clear. But when you're talking about like

676
00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:28,399
Speaker 4: a Kirk Cousins. Would he be malleable believing in what

677
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,440
Speaker 4: he what he would bring, and what he is to

678
00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,960
Speaker 4: not needing that verbiage completely spelled out. I mean, it's

679
00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,440
Speaker 4: it becomes a little bit of rare murky there. But

680
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:44,520
Speaker 4: there is no question that player agents and these players

681
00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,719
Speaker 4: and quarterbacks will be very aware and mindful and want

682
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,319
Speaker 4: to be very aware and mindful of the circumstance that

683
00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:52,319
Speaker 4: they are walking into.

684
00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:56,640
Speaker 1: So who's the former or Saints Raiders QB that allegedly

685
00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:58,400
Speaker 1: is coming out of retirement or might for the right

686
00:40:59,440 --> 00:40:59,879
Speaker 1: right deal.

687
00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:00,920
Speaker 4: Is Derek Carr?

688
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, So which level do you put him at? Is

689
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:07,759
Speaker 1: he a guy you'd say you can come in or

690
00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,520
Speaker 1: is that a guy that if you really are interested

691
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:14,040
Speaker 1: in him, you're pretty much the same things as you're suggesting

692
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,000
Speaker 1: In at least one of these cases, the Kyler Murray case,

693
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:18,400
Speaker 1: you're saying you're going to be our starter.

694
00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:22,120
Speaker 4: Yeah, you would imagine if Derek Carr's coming out of

695
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:25,520
Speaker 4: retirement to then be traded to the Minnesota Vikings, he

696
00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:28,040
Speaker 4: wouldn't be doing that with the potential that he'd be

697
00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,480
Speaker 4: sitting on the bench. I mean that that is really

698
00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:35,240
Speaker 4: hard to envision. And imagine from a player standpoint again,

699
00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:39,239
Speaker 4: I view him on the Kirk Cousins type tier, the

700
00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:43,920
Speaker 4: Geno Smith type tier, the Aaron Rodgers type tier, because

701
00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:48,080
Speaker 4: he literally has been on the couch and was recently

702
00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:51,680
Speaker 4: recovering from a serious shoulder injury. But you could also

703
00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:55,040
Speaker 4: convince yourself with Derek Carr. I mean, he had really

704
00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:58,200
Speaker 4: produced in Click Kubiak's offense in twenty twenty four. He

705
00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:00,880
Speaker 4: was viable. He can't throw the upout down the field.

706
00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:05,880
Speaker 4: He is smart, he is professional, so like you would understand,

707
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,959
Speaker 4: if that is the route that they go, it would

708
00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,759
Speaker 4: would raise the question of what is the ceiling with

709
00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,400
Speaker 4: a player like that. But as we've discussed right now,

710
00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:20,719
Speaker 4: as long as the floor is a baseline level, then

711
00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:22,160
Speaker 4: I think the Vikings are going to be okay.

712
00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:27,759
Speaker 1: With that sneaky observation from Clayton out of Rochester, A

713
00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:32,680
Speaker 1: Roger played all but one game outdoors last year. Next

714
00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:37,680
Speaker 1: year with the Purple he would have ten indoors. Real questions,

715
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:40,919
Speaker 1: how fast does Alec think he'll be wearing number eight

716
00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:44,680
Speaker 1: next year? He's pushing him, he is.

717
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:46,239
Speaker 2: I think he's at a point.

718
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:49,160
Speaker 1: Now where yeah, he probably he probably likes not having

719
00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:51,040
Speaker 1: a mess with the weather. He used to be good

720
00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:53,280
Speaker 1: in weather, but you know he's almost fifty.

721
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:58,640
Speaker 4: I mean, it's funny because the Rogers thing, you know,

722
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:02,359
Speaker 4: makes me revisit everything from last spring, and I've thought

723
00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:05,279
Speaker 4: about it so often. You know, at the time of

724
00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:08,000
Speaker 4: the reporting, a lot of people I think insinuated that,

725
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:10,680
Speaker 4: like Aaron Rodgers was pushing everything, But there was a

726
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:15,759
Speaker 4: healthy contingent of Viking's staff and I mean Elsy that

727
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:20,839
Speaker 4: were very interested in that happening. So again, that's part

728
00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:22,680
Speaker 4: of the reason why when you asked by one hundred

729
00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:24,520
Speaker 4: percent of roll it out, I'd say, no, it's just

730
00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,960
Speaker 4: I mean, it's it's difficult to imagine what would happen

731
00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:32,279
Speaker 4: if he's on the field producing hand signals to Justin

732
00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:36,400
Speaker 4: Jefferson and Kevin O'Connell isn't isn't sure what the play

733
00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:38,880
Speaker 4: is going to be. That would be a fascinating story

734
00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:40,840
Speaker 4: to cover. It would be interesting.

735
00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:46,279
Speaker 1: Now the most important question. We learned again yesterday that

736
00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:51,680
Speaker 1: the previous night, Seaffort had had the team dinner at

737
00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:55,279
Speaker 1: Saint Elmo's. You know, everybody from the ESPN Empire was there.

738
00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:58,440
Speaker 1: I know, you guys with the athletic are very competitive

739
00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:01,520
Speaker 1: about that, and you like this to establish your own traditions,

740
00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:03,680
Speaker 1: even if they're you know, haven't been around quite as long.

741
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:08,279
Speaker 1: So are you having a group athletic dinner or have

742
00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:13,040
Speaker 1: you already had a similar one at that landmark Indianapolis restaurant.

743
00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:17,040
Speaker 4: I think ESPN has us there. I'm not gonna lie.

744
00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:22,280
Speaker 4: We had we do come in all the athletic staff

745
00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:26,720
Speaker 4: flies in Sunday night, and then there's a little small

746
00:44:26,719 --> 00:44:30,040
Speaker 4: group dinners. Then Monday we do an entire athletic summit

747
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:33,880
Speaker 4: where they talk about all of our favorite things, including

748
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:38,960
Speaker 4: search engine optimization, video and the rest of it. But

749
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:41,120
Speaker 4: really what they do is just praise the work of

750
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:44,799
Speaker 4: John Krazinski and Michael Russo and and it makes me

751
00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,520
Speaker 4: feel bad, but yeah, we it's not as it's not

752
00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:50,399
Speaker 4: as relaxed as Saint Elmo's. I would say, all right.

753
00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:55,080
Speaker 1: By the way, if you talk to Russo anytime soon,

754
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:58,120
Speaker 1: would you tell him what we look forward to reaching him?

755
00:44:58,120 --> 00:44:58,680
Speaker 2: At some point?

756
00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:03,520
Speaker 1: Has he's he's gone, He's all but ghosted us last yesterday.

757
00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:07,200
Speaker 2: He texted us yesterday, and we're kind of ghosting him. Finally, Yeah,

758
00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:08,240
Speaker 2: after two weeks.

759
00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:10,680
Speaker 1: We I mean we we couldn't get near him when

760
00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:13,320
Speaker 1: he was Bill Garren was easier to get a hold

761
00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:15,840
Speaker 1: of in Italy than than than Russo Radio.

762
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,360
Speaker 4: Yeah, I haven't talked to Michael, but I would imagine

763
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:21,839
Speaker 4: he would just be still celebrating with Boldie. I mean,

764
00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:24,239
Speaker 4: I don't know why he would be in that circumstance.

765
00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:28,799
Speaker 4: So I'll let him know. I'll line. Yeah, that's I'm

766
00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:30,040
Speaker 4: not gonna lie for well.

767
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:31,640
Speaker 1: For us, it's we don't we do not need to

768
00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:35,520
Speaker 1: excuse him after all these decades with with Russo. So

769
00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:37,560
Speaker 1: in all seriousness, I think we're gonna try to get

770
00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:39,480
Speaker 1: him on tomorrow. But I don't know who knows he's

771
00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:41,879
Speaker 1: gonna be a He might still be partying. Maybe he's

772
00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:43,279
Speaker 1: still in Miami for all we know.

773
00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:45,960
Speaker 3: I do know he covered Frost practice today, so he's

774
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,000
Speaker 3: back in town. If he's heading out to Denver tomorrow, okay,

775
00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:49,879
Speaker 3: we'll find out.

776
00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:50,759
Speaker 2: Very good he could.

777
00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:53,600
Speaker 4: I mean, look, he spent time in Milan, but I

778
00:45:53,640 --> 00:45:57,120
Speaker 4: mean it's no Indianapolis, so maybe it's true.

779
00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:59,240
Speaker 3: It was to say he's probably jealous of your assignment

780
00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:01,640
Speaker 3: getting hang out in Indy. Do not sleep on the

781
00:46:01,640 --> 00:46:04,040
Speaker 3: Italian food in Indianapolis. I'm just telling you, do not

782
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:07,680
Speaker 3: sleep on it. There's a little car I can't name

783
00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:09,040
Speaker 3: them spot.

784
00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:15,000
Speaker 4: That's it. It's all. It's all yeah. I mean, I

785
00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,880
Speaker 4: don't know. I'm gonna come back and and and and

786
00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:19,799
Speaker 4: I mean I'm gonna need to hit the shoulders. I

787
00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:20,239
Speaker 4: really am.

788
00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:22,400
Speaker 1: It's a meat and potatoes kind of town. There's no

789
00:46:22,520 --> 00:46:24,880
Speaker 1: question about that. I mean, that's it's it's a you know,

790
00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:27,200
Speaker 1: it's not a street tough town like Chicago, but it

791
00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:29,000
Speaker 1: tries to be, you know. I think that's what I think.

792
00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,560
Speaker 1: That's why, that's why I think there's that much steak

793
00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:32,080
Speaker 1: on the menu.

794
00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:35,720
Speaker 4: I'm pretty sure have a lot of Absolutely.

795
00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:37,200
Speaker 1: Have a wonderful rest of your time in Indy and

796
00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:37,839
Speaker 1: thanks for the time.

797
00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:38,879
Speaker 2: As always, we'll talk soon.

798
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:41,800
Speaker 4: Always fun. Thank you, guys, talk.

799
00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:45,719
Speaker 1: Alec Lewis from the Athletic kind enough to join us.

800
00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:48,319
Speaker 1: Kessler's in the house. You can join probably about five

801
00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:51,399
Speaker 1: thirty ish or so. Top five and five is right

802
00:46:51,400 --> 00:46:53,800
Speaker 1: around the corner. Wolves win, Gophers lose.

803
00:46:54,440 --> 00:47:00,120
Speaker 3: And a Vikings quarterback projection from ESPN dot com, which

804
00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:02,880
Speaker 3: I can only believe means Kevin Seffert