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Speaker 1: Hey, Vikings fans, Ben over here. I'm so excited to

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Speaker 1: be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.

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Speaker 1: They love the tennis, the pickaball, the basketball, and of

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Speaker 1: course the yummy cafe. Check him out at Lifetime dot

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Speaker 1: life to find a club nearest you.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to School Stories, presented by three M, the official

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Speaker 2: science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight, we're catching up

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Speaker 2: with one of my favorite people in the world, and

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Speaker 2: they're making.

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Speaker 3: Me say this, Robert Smith.

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Speaker 4: Welcome back to School Stories, presented by three M along

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Speaker 4: with Pete Versus. I'm Mark rosan It tonight. Yeah, we're

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Speaker 4: catching up with one of our absolute favorite guests on

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Speaker 4: the show. You may know him as a current college

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Speaker 4: football and NFL analyst for Fox Sports, but of course

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Speaker 4: we remember and Viking fans remember him as a smooth,

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Speaker 4: gliding running back who wore number twenty six. Please enjoy

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Speaker 4: tonight's conversation with Vikings legend Robert Smith. Well, Robert Smith,

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Speaker 4: Mark Rose in here, thanks again for joining the show.

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Speaker 4: Is always great to hear your voice and your insight.

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Speaker 4: You're always incredibly busy or at Fox Sports to see

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Speaker 4: all the time. How are things going? Number one, and uh,

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Speaker 4: you could probably spend a half hour answering this question,

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Speaker 4: but try to be as concise as possible. What off

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Speaker 4: the state of college football through the first quarter of

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Speaker 4: the season so much to wrap your arms and your

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Speaker 4: mind around right now these days?

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Speaker 5: Well, I mean it's it's insanity. I think you know.

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Speaker 5: The best story that I can think of telling you

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Speaker 5: is what Dave Randa told us a couple of weeks ago.

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Speaker 5: So Dave Randa, the head coach at Baylor, was talking

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Speaker 5: about nil and the portal, and he's kind of like, a.

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Speaker 3: Wait, how do his game against how does his game

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Speaker 3: against Colorado go very bad? At the end? At the end?

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Speaker 3: I watched you there one?

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Speaker 5: Is there a Colorado fan that no happened to time in?

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Speaker 2: No, I just happened to watch the game, And I'm

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Speaker 2: just like, are you kidding me?

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Speaker 6: That was a hail Mary and a hail Mary.

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Speaker 5: I was warned to be as concise as possible. And

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Speaker 5: then people start interrupting this. Wow, that's something I was

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Speaker 5: hoping it was for a good reason.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: No, here. So we spent time with David and Miranda's

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Speaker 5: like he's like a spacey version of Tony Dungee. It's unbelievable.

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Speaker 5: If you haven't seen him talk or listen to him talk,

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Speaker 5: please do. So he's telling the story of nil of

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Speaker 5: a negotiation with a player, and he's using literally a

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Speaker 5: marker and two water bottles to tell the story. And

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Speaker 5: he's like, look, this water bottle said, or this marker

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Speaker 5: says that this water bottle offered him two hundred and

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Speaker 5: fifty thousand, and that water bottle offered him two hundred thousand.

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Speaker 5: So the marker says to me, why don't you just

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Speaker 5: meet me in the middle and you know, give me

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Speaker 5: two hundred and twenty five thousand. But I don't know

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Speaker 5: if the marker is telling the truth about what water

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Speaker 5: bottle one and water bottle two said. And it's just

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Speaker 5: it's the wild wild West. It's amazing. It's incredibly to

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Speaker 5: me that some players, you know, the quarterbacks obviously are

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Speaker 5: making the most, are making you know, three million dollars

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Speaker 5: a year as a college player. It's unbelievable. And they're

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Speaker 5: gonna they're gonna have to be some changes. There needs

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Speaker 5: to be a salary cap, there's gonna be union activity,

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Speaker 5: there's gonna be some sort of commissioner there's gonna be

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Speaker 5: some rules that are gonna come around, but for now,

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Speaker 5: the stories are gonna be awesome and the twelve team

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Speaker 5: playoff is going to be incredible.

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Speaker 2: I mean, there are college payrolls that are in the

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Speaker 2: you know, teens of the millions of dollars.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's unbelievable.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, no question. And you know it's funny you and

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Speaker 5: a bunch of the other knuckleheads in the locker room

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Speaker 5: would make the check that didn't that didn't go to

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Speaker 5: Ohio State, like, oh, yeah, well Robert had to take

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Speaker 5: a pay cut to come to the league.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well, it's the truth.

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Speaker 5: So, yeah, here's the truth. The truth is I got

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Speaker 5: my very first car five months before I got drafted,

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Speaker 5: and it broke down three months before I got drafted.

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Speaker 5: So there you go, miss, Well that's what happens.

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Speaker 2: That's what happens when you buy those fancy Italian cars.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, the fancy nineteen eighty five cutlass.

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Speaker 2: But fortunately, but fortunately for Robert, the four Ducatis he

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Speaker 2: had in the garage still worked. Yeah, right, hey, Robert,

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Speaker 2: real quick. The first The first thing is it was

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Speaker 2: Legends weekend. Bobby Bryant went into the ring of honor

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Speaker 2: and got to see Harold Morrow again for the first

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Speaker 2: time in a very very long time. So Toody says,

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Speaker 2: Tooty says hello. And I asked him if he still

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Speaker 2: had his I asked him if he still had his boat.

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Speaker 3: He goes, oh yeah, oh yeah, I shood on my boat.

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Speaker 3: Oh yeah. I'm like, just don't take it to the Bahamas.

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Speaker 5: You know, you know what it is like, you're always

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Speaker 5: working on a boat. Like his favorite two days with

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Speaker 5: the boat is the day.

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Speaker 2: You buy it and the day you saw exactly break

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Speaker 2: out another thousand and so I saw Griff, all right.

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Speaker 2: And so Griff had the opportunity to sit down with

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Speaker 2: one of Denny Green's grandsons.

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Speaker 3: Oh wow, hold on now. He showed me a picture.

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Speaker 2: All right, This young man is almost three years old,

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Speaker 2: and he looks exactly like Denny. And Robert's showing me pictures, right,

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Speaker 2: He's holding them like it's a little mini Denny. And

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Speaker 2: he's and he says, I'm holding his kid, and he

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Speaker 2: looks just like Denny. And he looks me right in

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Speaker 2: the eye and he's like, I swore, he said, you know,

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Speaker 2: if I expected better of you. But he's like he

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Speaker 2: was intimidated by this little three year old kid because

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Speaker 2: he's like you thought it was a little Denny running

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Speaker 2: around the place.

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Speaker 5: Well, you know, you know what's funny when when Denny

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Speaker 5: did the you know they are who we thought they

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Speaker 5: were a speech? Yes, you know I was probably that

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Speaker 5: was probably what two thousand and two. I mean I

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Speaker 5: was five six years I was six years out of

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Speaker 5: the league, I guess at that point. And like I'm

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Speaker 5: not kidding, like it seriously made the hair on my

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Speaker 5: next stand up, Like I was like, like, damn he mad?

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Speaker 5: Is he mad about? Is he mad at me about? Right?

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Speaker 5: But that was that was the effect that Denny had

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Speaker 5: on us. I mean, you know the people that respected him,

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Speaker 5: which was everybody, right, It's like everybody was like you

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Speaker 5: had a healthy balance of respect for Denny. You just

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Speaker 5: like you just didn't want to make the guy mad.

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Speaker 2: But and the thing is he didn't yell every day,

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Speaker 2: like you know, like the guy I went to college

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Speaker 2: and played for a little Woltz because if they yell

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Speaker 2: all the time, you just tune it out. You mentioned

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Speaker 2: Tony Dungee. I heard Tony Dungee yell one time in

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Speaker 2: two years and it was during well hold on. But

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Speaker 2: he yelled at He yelled at a guy, uh doing

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Speaker 2: look team for the defense in training camp, and the

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Speaker 2: guy was cut the neck and he was gone that night.

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Speaker 2: So you don't have to yell. It's just when you

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Speaker 2: do yell and something like that happens, then you know.

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Speaker 2: Next thing in like Denny, you know, if you're late,

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Speaker 2: I'm not going to find you, but I will cut you.

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Speaker 3: And he did right. He's stuck to his word and

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Speaker 3: he did.

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Speaker 2: And I appreciated playing for those guys because he treated

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Speaker 2: you like men. And you know, if you screwed around

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Speaker 2: like a kid, or you were later you had a

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Speaker 2: flat tire and you just prayed to God you.

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Speaker 3: Were going to get cut, you know what I mean.

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Speaker 2: At least I'm not gonna get fine, but I could

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Speaker 2: get cut. March all night, fight all day. I mean,

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Speaker 2: the sayings, they just they stick in your head.

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Speaker 4: It's like we're speaking of legends weekend again, we're speaking

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Speaker 4: with Vikings legend Robert Smith and I speaking of photos.

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Speaker 4: I saw a photo over the weekend on social old

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Speaker 4: media with you and former Viking running back Scotty Graham,

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Speaker 4: and you were talking about the size of his Calfs still.

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Speaker 6: And how is Scotty doing?

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Speaker 3: What's he up to these days?

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Speaker 4: I think I know a lot of longtime Viking fans

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Speaker 4: remember the impact that Scotty made.

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Speaker 5: Yeah. So Scotty is a running back coach at the

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Speaker 5: University of Washington, Okay, and he followed Jed Fish from

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Speaker 5: Arizona to Washington. So he was the running back coach

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Speaker 5: at Arizona the last two years with Jed And previous

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Speaker 5: to that he had been on the administrative staff at

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Speaker 5: Arizona State under Ray Anderson, and before that had been

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Speaker 5: with the NFLPA. So I've got Scotty's whole resume. I've

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Speaker 5: known him since he was since I was sixteen in

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Speaker 5: college and it's and it's so funny. Coach Ron Hudson,

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Speaker 5: he was. He was a guy that recruited me at

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Speaker 5: Ohio State, and I remember when I first went down

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Speaker 5: to Ohio State, He's like pointing at Scotty's Calves and

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Speaker 5: he's like, Hey, that's the guy you want blocking from.

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Speaker 3: I was like, Calves, Zilla, the Calves.

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Speaker 5: Sold me and Scotty's Scotty's still got him. Man, Scotty

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Speaker 5: just uh And the funniest thing about Scotty is you

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Speaker 5: always knew if he was in the locker room before

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Speaker 5: you got there, because you could hear him talking before

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Speaker 5: he got before you got in the locker room. And

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Speaker 5: Scotty was undefeated in the realm of talking until he

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Speaker 5: met Leroy Horde.

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Speaker 2: I just have I have names written down your meeting

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Speaker 2: room with Harold Marrow right, Scotty Graham, Leroy Horde, and

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Speaker 2: then Chuck Evans who didn't say boo, but I mean.

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Speaker 5: That Williams and Williams.

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Speaker 2: That meeting room had to have been like romper room.

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Speaker 2: I mean absolutely. I would have paid money to be

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Speaker 2: a fly on a wall in that one.

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Speaker 5: Well, you wouldn't have paid to be a mouse in there,

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Speaker 5: because I want to at a mouse in the meeting

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Speaker 5: room and we were trying to move objects and somebody

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Speaker 5: moved a big one of those big plastic garbage cans

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Speaker 5: and actually hit the mouse. And you know enough damage

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Speaker 5: was done to the mouse that a mercy killing was done. Yes,

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Speaker 5: pay to be a fly on the wall, but not

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Speaker 5: a mouse on the floor.

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Speaker 3: I have to ask you.

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Speaker 2: You're going to be attending a summit this week, could

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Speaker 2: you tell us about that real quick?

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Speaker 5: Oh? Yeah, man, I'm excited. It's called the Ascend Rural Summit,

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Speaker 5: and this has come about here in the last about

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Speaker 5: the last month or so, and you know the focus

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Speaker 5: of the summit, by the way, it's going to be

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Speaker 5: at the Grand eighteen fifty eight, and it's a group

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Speaker 5: of thought loader, thought leaders and entrepreneurs and tech providers.

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Speaker 5: And there's a tech company called Wellnifi dot Ai that

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Speaker 5: my company is going to be partnering with and we're

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Speaker 5: going to be making a presentation there. And really the

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Speaker 5: goal of the conference is to address some of the

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Speaker 5: issues in rural communities that are dealing as all communities are,

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Speaker 5: with mental health issues, but dealing with some of the

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Speaker 5: particular challenges of the isolation that occurs not just geographically

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Speaker 5: but from a technology standpoint and the delivery of solutions

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Speaker 5: into the rural community. So I'm really excited about it.

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Speaker 5: The first time that I'm going to meet these guys

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Speaker 5: in person. They actually went to the Vikings game, the

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Speaker 5: Well and Fie guys. They were down on the field

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Speaker 5: before the game. So really excited about that. But yeah,

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Speaker 5: it's going to be a really really interesting meeting with

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Speaker 5: a lot of different sessions that are going to discuss

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Speaker 5: topics related to rural communities and mental health.

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Speaker 4: Stick around for more from Robert Smith right here on

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Speaker 4: school Stories presented by three M, the official science partner

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Speaker 4: of the Minnesota Vikings. We'll be right back after the break,

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Speaker 4: but first Unreal is back with their limited edition Vikings

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Speaker 4: drop head over to you and RL dot com for

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Speaker 4: more details.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back to tonight's edition of School Stories presented by

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Speaker 2: three M, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.

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Speaker 2: From the field to the roof and everywhere in between.

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Speaker 2: Three M, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings,

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Speaker 2: is here vis a Vikings dot com slash skull Science

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Speaker 2: to learn more. Now, let's get back into our conversation

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Speaker 2: with Vikings legend Robert Smith.

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Speaker 4: From a football standpoint, Robert and fast forward to this

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Speaker 4: year's team and understanding the position as well as anyone.

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Speaker 4: The Vikings signed former packer Aaron Jones's passed off seasons

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Speaker 4: we all know and he's been had a big impact

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Speaker 4: on this team and you as a versatle running back,

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Speaker 4: catching the ball, blocking, obviously carrying the ball, it seems

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Speaker 4: like he was a real missing link to what the

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Speaker 4: Vikings needed to bolster their running game. What are your

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Speaker 4: impressions so far?

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Speaker 5: Man? And that's you know, and I you know, I listen.

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Speaker 5: I listen obviously to Pete and Pa whenever I can.

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Speaker 5: Might might prefer listen when I'm listening to the games.

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Speaker 5: And you know, Pete, you were talking about this yesterday.

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Speaker 5: It's it's such a such a difference with with Aaron,

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Speaker 5: like you know, those it could be a negative two

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Speaker 5: yard it might have been a negative two yard player

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Speaker 5: or a zero yard game. You know, they're getting five six.

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Speaker 3: Yards the same runs, right, They're the same runs.

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Speaker 5: I mean, it's amazing. It's been fun to watch. And

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Speaker 5: you know his his past catching ability as well. I mean,

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Speaker 5: that's it's it's a huge difference. And as Pete knows

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Speaker 5: extremely well, and you know his had probably had some

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Speaker 5: fun stories, whether it's Ample or David Paul cover those

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Speaker 5: guys like it's it's it's a real challenge, you know,

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Speaker 5: when you get a guy that can really run routes,

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Speaker 5: you know, like an Aaron, you know, like an Aaron Jones.

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Speaker 5: I mean that's it makes it really difficult from a

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Speaker 5: matchup standpoint. So it's been fun to watch, but the

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Speaker 5: whole thing's been fun to watch. I worked on the

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Speaker 5: desk at Fox when Sam Darnold was at USC and

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Speaker 5: we're on the field when they beat Notre Dame thankfully

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Speaker 5: at the at the.

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Speaker 3: How many times did you guys beat us zero? Thank you?

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Speaker 5: When I was there? But who won the last game

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Speaker 5: between the two?

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Speaker 3: I don't know? All right, boys, all right, boys?

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Speaker 5: But anyhow so I've known Sam Donald, you know, met

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Speaker 5: him a long time ago, and we had a chance

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Speaker 5: to interview him. So fun to see his progression, and

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Speaker 5: I know Pete loves you know what Flow's done with

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Speaker 5: the defense. It's just the whole story has been really

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Speaker 5: fun to watch and just come together, especially since so

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Speaker 5: many people were excited about JJ McCarthy and wanted to

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Speaker 5: see what he would do, and some people were thinking,

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Speaker 5: oh not Sam Donald. And you know, I had a

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Speaker 5: pretty good feeling just based on the limited time that

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Speaker 5: I saw him in San Francisco and kind of knowing

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Speaker 5: about his maturity, and of course with coach O'Connell's ability

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Speaker 5: to develop quarterbacks, I just you know, I've been it's

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Speaker 5: been a blast watching the whole thing.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you were part of this league when the running

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Speaker 2: backs became kind of ride receivers. You mentioned Amply and

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Speaker 2: David Palmer and the touchdown that Aaron Jones caught that

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Speaker 2: was a you know, like a clear route on the

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Speaker 2: nearer side and then they drug him all the way

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Speaker 2: across the field. It's it's you guys are running wide

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Speaker 2: receiver routes now. It's crazy.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, you know. And and Pete, you know people ask

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Speaker 5: me about that and you talk about, you know, the

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Speaker 5: value of running backs. Like if I was a running

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Speaker 5: back today, I would be practicing with the wide receivers,

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Speaker 5: you know, running routes. It's that different. And you know,

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Speaker 5: that's a great illustration of it, Pete, because the best

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Speaker 5: running backs, you know, whether whether you're talking about Alvin Kamara,

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Speaker 5: Christian McCaffrey, or you know, Bijon Robinson. You know, these

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Speaker 5: young guys like Jamiir Gibbs, like they run every route

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Speaker 5: on the route three and it's a headache. It's a

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Speaker 5: headache for the defense, and it's it's such a benefit

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Speaker 5: for the offense because you know you can split those

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Speaker 5: you can line them up in the backfield and you

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Speaker 5: split those guys out, even though you know they're doing

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Speaker 5: some of the opposite too, right, Pete, you know, yeah,

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Speaker 5: moving wide receivers and they're moving them into the backfield.

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Speaker 5: It just you know, it can give you so many

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Speaker 5: tell on the defense and then create matchup problems. So

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Speaker 5: it's just it's it's a huge benefit to have those

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Speaker 5: guys be able to do just about anything from that position.

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Speaker 3: Robert Smith.

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Speaker 4: Obviously things are clicking for the Vikings right now at

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Speaker 4: three and oh, but we are just three weeks into it.

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Speaker 4: You know what it's like to be part of a successful,

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Speaker 4: high flying team. At the same time, how do you

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Speaker 4: block out the noise when you are going through this

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Speaker 4: process that's grind that you go through week in, day

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Speaker 4: and day out to try to stay focused and just

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Speaker 4: try to get better. And we've heard from from the

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Speaker 4: Harrison Smiths who've been around here forever, uh to to

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Speaker 4: rookiest of new free agents they have, But as collectively,

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Speaker 4: how do you do it?

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Speaker 5: You know, it's it's really not as hard as you

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Speaker 5: would think.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, remember you don't turn on the radio and the

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Speaker 2: Lamborghini that's how you do it right, and.

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Speaker 6: Have social media back then you're playing.

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Speaker 5: Sorry, go ahead, But it's just it's just different. I

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Speaker 5: think when when you're a player and you kind of

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Speaker 5: have a you know, a locker room mentality. You know

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Speaker 5: you're going to hear people talk about it. It's fun

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Speaker 5: and sing outside of the locker room. You just really

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Speaker 5: focused on your job and doing your job better. And

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Speaker 5: I think, you know, the best teams have leaders that

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Speaker 5: reminds you of that. It doesn't always just come and

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Speaker 5: it shouldn't just come from the coaching staff. You know,

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Speaker 5: you have players that will tell you what have we

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Speaker 5: done what? And you know, what's the most important play

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Speaker 5: in a game? It's always the next one. What's the

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Speaker 5: most important game, either the one you're playing or the

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Speaker 5: one that you played next. You can't you can't get

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Speaker 5: to the end of the season without getting through the

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Speaker 5: games that you have next. And so it's it's really

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Speaker 5: not for me, and I think for a lot of

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Speaker 5: the teams that I was around and the best teams

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Speaker 5: that I was around, it just never became an issue

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Speaker 5: because guys were more focused on doing their job the

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Speaker 5: best they could at the next opportunity and not thinking

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Speaker 5: about what that might mean long term.

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Speaker 2: So Robert, you know, coming into the facility this morning,

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Speaker 2: and the first thing you see on the they have

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Speaker 2: the schedule up and the first thing you see is

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Speaker 2: that one you know, that big one hour that you

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Speaker 2: have the day after the game. And then you just

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Speaker 2: got me thinking, you know, talking to you, it's just

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Speaker 2: can you, in words, possibly let the listeners know what

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Speaker 2: the physical toll of life is for a running back

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Speaker 2: because you mentioned we mentioned running routes. What about past protection,

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Speaker 2: what about you know, all these hits that you take.

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Speaker 5: You know, it's it's funny, Pete like it. I think

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Speaker 5: once once you kind of get through training camp, unless

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Speaker 5: you have something significant like an injury, you know, the

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Speaker 5: soreness and all that, it kind of falls like into

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Speaker 5: like a background noise almost, you know what I mean.

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Speaker 5: It's like, yeah, I'm sore today, but you know, hopefully

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Speaker 5: a good sowred because after a win, it's just like,

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Speaker 5: oh man, I love this. I feel sore today. I

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Speaker 5: was a big part of the game right yesterday, and

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Speaker 5: you know I have these marks on my back and

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Speaker 5: everything like that. You know, even with even with the

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Speaker 5: you know, the rip protectors and all the things, all

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Speaker 5: the padding that you have, you know, these these marks

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Speaker 5: are all over. You get in the shower and you know,

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Speaker 5: all this stuff is stinging, and it's just the best

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Speaker 5: it's the best kind of pain, man like it just

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Speaker 5: it always felt so good to have that kind of soreness,

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Speaker 5: and guys are so much better at it now. But

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Speaker 5: even then, like as as a week would go on,

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Speaker 5: you you really take care of your body and practice,

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Speaker 5: you know, as Pete would say, because I was Denny's son,

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Speaker 5: got treated like his son, and I didn't have to

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Speaker 5: practice anyway, no, never, but on but on Friday, I

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Speaker 5: would just I would never go out or anything like that.

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Speaker 5: I would just get a massage and just relax and

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Speaker 5: kind of get your body. You kind of get on

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Speaker 5: a routine of really taking care of your body the

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Speaker 5: right way, and the soreness that you dealt with it

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Speaker 5: it really just kind of never really impacted anything unless

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Speaker 5: unless it was, you know, some major issue that you

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Speaker 5: were having.

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Speaker 6: Roberts, let's take a quick trip down memory lane. Sunday.

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Speaker 4: All I have to say the Vikings were playing the

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Speaker 4: Packers at Lambeau and what circles in your brain when

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Speaker 4: you hear lambeau Field and some of the incredible experiences

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Speaker 4: you've had, both pro and con when you go to

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Speaker 4: lambeou Field.

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Speaker 5: For me, well, the favorite game is probably one of

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Speaker 5: the favorite games of Viking fans, yeah, that were around

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Speaker 5: in that era, and that was the Monday night game

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Speaker 5: in ninety eight when we ended their home winning streak

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Speaker 5: and in the rain. I remember you remember the night, Yeah,

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Speaker 5: like the rain. Everything was glistening with the lights and

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Speaker 5: it was just it was so much fun and it

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Speaker 5: was It was a week after I got my front

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Speaker 5: teeth knocked out by Dave Dixon O lovely, and Dave

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Speaker 5: came over. I scored a touchdown almost identical, much shorter

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Speaker 5: screen but I scored on a screenplay and Dave comes over.

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Speaker 5: He's going to celebrate with me, and I'm like pointing

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Speaker 5: at him, like no, no.

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Speaker 6: No, no, no, no you.

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Speaker 5: It's great because there's full video of the of the

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Speaker 5: interaction and everybody's like, why did you keep Dave boys

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Speaker 5: because he knocked out my teeth the week before. But seriously,

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Speaker 5: Lamba Lambeau was just incredible to me and Pete to me,

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Speaker 5: it reminded me of Notre Dame. I never played at

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Speaker 5: Notre Dame, but just the way that the fans were

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Speaker 5: just kind of on top of you. I thought that

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Speaker 5: there were some similarities there, and I just loved it.

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Speaker 5: I loved the hostility of the fans. Of course, couldn't

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Speaker 5: get away with this today. But it was the first

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Speaker 5: place that I saw myself hung in effigy. So I

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Speaker 5: was like, man, if the fans hate you enough to

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Speaker 5: hang you in the stands, like, that's pretty cool. So

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Speaker 5: it was the first time that I saw that, first

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Speaker 5: time that I met Terry Bradshaw when he was with

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Speaker 5: the with the Fox crew. Some good memories there, and

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Speaker 5: you know, bad memories too. We had some bad wins,

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Speaker 5: you know, most notably my last season when we lost

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Speaker 5: I think that was a Monday night game as well,

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Speaker 5: late in the season. We had won that game. It

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Speaker 5: was a fumbled snap or a bumbled snap by Mitch

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Speaker 5: I think on the field goal attempt. If we had

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Speaker 5: made that kick and won that game, it went to

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Speaker 5: overtime and we lost, we would have a home field

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Speaker 5: advantage in the playoffs, and we had to go on

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Speaker 5: the road to the Metal Lands and lost forty forty

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Speaker 5: one nothing in that what ended up being my last game.

435
00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,240
Speaker 2: Now, So hey, Robert, before we go, where can everyone

436
00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:15,840
Speaker 2: find you for your next broadcast? Or and where can

437
00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,320
Speaker 2: people find you on social media?

438
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,000
Speaker 5: I don't know, they just thinking look and then no

439
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:22,480
Speaker 5: way to sell it.

440
00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:26,879
Speaker 2: Because when you type Robert Smith into the of the

441
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,439
Speaker 2: Google machine, there's no you know, you're the only one, right,

442
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:30,560
Speaker 2: show me.

443
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:37,320
Speaker 5: Show me, show do that. So yeah, this weekend, we're

444
00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,560
Speaker 5: gonna have Baylor again. Baylor is gonna be upset from

445
00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,160
Speaker 5: that Colorados. We're we're gonna have Baylor versus b Yu

446
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,040
Speaker 5: and b Yu. Man, they put a hurting on Kansas State.

447
00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,720
Speaker 2: Well that was, by the way, that was the best

448
00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,399
Speaker 2: because I saw Lieber this on Sunday morning and I'm like,

449
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:53,880
Speaker 2: how's your punk coverage team doing?

450
00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:57,000
Speaker 3: Ouch?

451
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:02,240
Speaker 5: Oh man, that's brutal. That is brutal. Yeah, but we

452
00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,960
Speaker 5: have that game this weekend. That's going to be a noonkick,

453
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,600
Speaker 5: noonkick on Saturday.

454
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,640
Speaker 4: All right, well, enjoy well, thanks again for joining the show,

455
00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:15,160
Speaker 4: Robert Man to kick the channel this one.

456
00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,879
Speaker 5: Yeah, that would be Fox. That would be Fox Sports

457
00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,600
Speaker 5: on your dial or on the Fox Sports app.

458
00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,880
Speaker 4: You're good at this, really good. It's always great catching

459
00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:28,800
Speaker 4: up with the Robert. Be good to yourself, take care

460
00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:30,200
Speaker 4: and thanks for all the insights.

461
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,120
Speaker 5: As always, always great to talk to you guys. Man.

462
00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:38,359
Speaker 4: Well, thanks again to the one and early Robert Smither

463
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,840
Speaker 4: joining the show. It's always great catching up with him

464
00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,399
Speaker 4: and picking his brain in the state of today's football,

465
00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:45,840
Speaker 4: and I know one of your favorites, Pete, I don't

466
00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:46,520
Speaker 4: even know where to start.

467
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,919
Speaker 6: What an impressive win is an understatement.

468
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:50,960
Speaker 4: The thirty four to seven win over the Houston Texans,

469
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,560
Speaker 4: one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl, and

470
00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,120
Speaker 4: this is back to back weeks. Sam Darnold throwing four

471
00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,960
Speaker 4: touchdown passes, Aaron Jones one hundred and forty at all

472
00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:04,280
Speaker 4: purpose yards, the defense, which is your specialty, the X factor,

473
00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,399
Speaker 4: what they're doing. How do you wrap your head around

474
00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:10,080
Speaker 4: the dominations not just winning games. We're so used to

475
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,720
Speaker 4: the vikings going down to the way or win or lose.

476
00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:15,520
Speaker 4: I don't know how fans react in this.

477
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,119
Speaker 2: Especially with the with the Kevin O'Connell led team, right

478
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,440
Speaker 2: we had only a hand We had but two one

479
00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,440
Speaker 2: score games or non one score games in the first

480
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,800
Speaker 2: couple of years or three maybe, So yeah, we're not

481
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:29,960
Speaker 2: we're not used to this, and then we're especially not

482
00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:31,680
Speaker 2: used to it when you when you have a team

483
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,479
Speaker 2: like Houston who going in the season with the changes

484
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,920
Speaker 2: that they had made in the offseason, everyone's looking to

485
00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,960
Speaker 2: them to be maybe the team to challenge Kansas City,

486
00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,280
Speaker 2: you know, in the AFC Championship game. That's that's kind

487
00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,120
Speaker 2: of where expectations where C. J. Stroud is an excellent quarterback.

488
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,359
Speaker 2: He's one of the best young quarterbacks in the league.

489
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,000
Speaker 2: And so there are a lot of concerns at least,

490
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,320
Speaker 2: I mean, I know for me just watching it, saying,

491
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:00,560
Speaker 2: this kid's good.

492
00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,240
Speaker 3: You blitz him, he makes you pay.

493
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:04,120
Speaker 2: He doesn't want to scramble, He keeps his eyes down

494
00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,879
Speaker 2: the field, his receivers and he Nico Collins and they

495
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,479
Speaker 2: are all on the same page. This could be a problem.

496
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,880
Speaker 2: And the Vikings defense went out and played a great game.

497
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,959
Speaker 2: The offense played a great game, and I think offensively.

498
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,440
Speaker 2: And that's why I'm glad we talked to Robert is

499
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,560
Speaker 2: that I think Aaron Jones makes a huge difference. It's

500
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:28,879
Speaker 2: not as if the offense, you know, runs on Aaron Jones.

501
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,920
Speaker 2: It's just what he can do late in the game.

502
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,800
Speaker 2: You know, when the only enemy really is is the clock.

503
00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,240
Speaker 2: You have a two you know, two score type lead,

504
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,000
Speaker 2: things can still right you give one up. If you

505
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:42,720
Speaker 2: give the ball up, you know, the offense puts one on.

506
00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:44,520
Speaker 2: It's a one score game, and now it's a nail bier.

507
00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,720
Speaker 2: Everybody in the stadium knows the Vikings are going to

508
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,520
Speaker 2: try to run the football, and yet he's still able

509
00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,680
Speaker 2: to break a thirty forty yard run and almost get

510
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:58,720
Speaker 2: into the end zone. That's a backbreaker, right, despite the

511
00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,520
Speaker 2: seven penalties that Lermie Tunsel had and all the mistakes

512
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,240
Speaker 2: that the Texans had made. You make all those mistakes

513
00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:07,800
Speaker 2: and you're like, yeah, we could still turn around it,

514
00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:09,960
Speaker 2: and then they then when the other team goes out

515
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,200
Speaker 2: and runs puts up a forty yard run on you.

516
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,920
Speaker 2: It's a backbreaker. And that's why I'm glad we talked

517
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,720
Speaker 2: to Robert about it in the position and how important

518
00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,560
Speaker 2: it is. And I understand running backs are overlooked and

519
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,960
Speaker 2: it's a quarterback receiver league, but man, that running game

520
00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:27,480
Speaker 2: is still so important.

521
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,840
Speaker 4: In our final minute, looking ahead first divisional game for

522
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,360
Speaker 4: the Vikings, all you have to say is Sunday lambeau

523
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,760
Speaker 4: Field Doune kickoff, and you know what the kind of

524
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,280
Speaker 4: atmosphere it's going to be there. You like the timing

525
00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,639
Speaker 4: of this, this first opportunity to face the Green Bay Packers.

526
00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,000
Speaker 3: If the Vikings win one game a year, this is

527
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,040
Speaker 3: the game. This is the game to win.

528
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,120
Speaker 2: Winning in Lambeau, I would tell That's what I would

529
00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,200
Speaker 2: tell if I was ziggy, which I'm not, I would

530
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,560
Speaker 2: tell the whatever head coach I hired to say, you

531
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,280
Speaker 2: win one game a year in Lambeau, you're not going

532
00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:54,879
Speaker 2: to get fired.

533
00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,439
Speaker 3: Period. That's all I care about. Now. I love the Packers.

534
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,440
Speaker 2: That being said, I don't know if there's a bigger

535
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,040
Speaker 2: game four you could possibly have, because if you win

536
00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,240
Speaker 2: this game, you basically take a two game lead over

537
00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,320
Speaker 2: the Green Bay Packers until you face him again. If

538
00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 2: you lose this game, you are no longer in first

539
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:14,200
Speaker 2: place in the division. So it's as far as that goes,

540
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,359
Speaker 2: that's unbelievably important. Second of all, you're playing your rival.

541
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,680
Speaker 2: You're playing your rival. This is like you know, this

542
00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,439
Speaker 2: is Cincinnati Pittsburgh, this is this is a huge, huge

543
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:30,800
Speaker 2: rivalry game. These guys should need any any more motivation

544
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,159
Speaker 2: to get out of bed, to get here early, to

545
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,000
Speaker 2: spend a little extra time because the Packers, you know,

546
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,359
Speaker 2: they've they've changed some things. We don't know it's exactly.

547
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,680
Speaker 2: Maybe who's going to be quarterback this weekend. You know,

548
00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:45,560
Speaker 2: we'll find out, but they they should be adamant and

549
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,120
Speaker 2: just so fired up to be able to go into

550
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,399
Speaker 2: that place, into Lambo. It's a special place. It's an

551
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,640
Speaker 2: unbelievable place to play a game. It's it's so much fun.

552
00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,320
Speaker 2: And but the only thing that's fun about is when

553
00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,160
Speaker 2: you win there, and that I mean truly you. If

554
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:03,000
Speaker 2: you win in lambeau Field, you will remember that game, right,

555
00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,720
Speaker 2: That's something that you'll remember for the rest of your life.

556
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,240
Speaker 2: So motivation should not be a problem for this team,

557
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,600
Speaker 2: and iems so excited to see what happens.

558
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,000
Speaker 4: There'll be a lot of purple in the stands, a

559
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,479
Speaker 4: lot of tailgating going on. There's nothing like the lambeau

560
00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,800
Speaker 4: experience for the fans as well. So yes, the Vikings

561
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,479
Speaker 4: hit the road for the second time this season. Lambeau

562
00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,200
Speaker 4: Field's a place to face the Packers Sunday afternoon once again.

563
00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,760
Speaker 4: It's a noon Central Time kickoff, and the TV broadcast

564
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,440
Speaker 4: will be live in your local CBS affiliate, so check

565
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,760
Speaker 4: your local listings for details. Of course, you can also

566
00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:35,280
Speaker 4: catch Paul Allen, Ben Lieber, and yes, Pete Versus right

567
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,479
Speaker 4: here all across the Vikings Radio network. The Vikings Football

568
00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 4: Sunday pregame show starts at ten am on Kfan, so

569
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,879
Speaker 4: be sure to tune in with host Mike Mussman and

570
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,240
Speaker 4: the rest of the crew leading up to the boom

571
00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:48,800
Speaker 4: at noon. Pete, It's always a pleasure. Thanks again to

572
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,160
Speaker 4: Robert Smith for joining the show, and thank you fans

573
00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,399
Speaker 4: for tuning into another edition of Skull Stories presented by

574
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:59,000
Speaker 4: three M, the official science partner of the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

575
00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:00,400
Speaker 4: We'll see you all again next week.

576
00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:05,520
Speaker 2: Mm hmm.