WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - Mike Tirico 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:06.960 Welcome to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. The 0:00:07.000 --> 0:00:09.840 Arizona Cardinals are coming off their first loss of the season, 0:00:10.560 --> 0:00:13.280 but I've seen the Cowboys now in person after calling 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:16.960 their game on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. I've seen 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:19.840 the Rams twice, obviously against the Cardinals and then a 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:23.400 Thursday night game against the Seahawks. I've seen the Packers 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.720 in person against the Cardinals. Of the four teams with 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:30.080 one loss in the NFL, I still feel that if 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:33.080 the Cardinals are whole, they're the best team. Doesn't mean 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:36.040 they're going to win the Super Bowl, but watching these 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:40.000 teams in person just gives me the perspective of the 0:00:40.080 --> 0:00:44.160 Cardinals are better, They're deeper, they're better on both sides 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:47.640 of the ball, and Kyler Murray is still deep in 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:51.519 the MVP conversation. The Dave Pash Podcast is presented by 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:54.880 bet MGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:58.760 and by Hila River Hotels and Casinos. Today's guest on 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:03.600 the Dave Pash Podcast is NBC Sports Mike Tarco, longtime 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:07.040 ESPN and ABC announcer. He's been at NBC now for 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:09.759 a while doing a number of things, play by play 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:13.080 on Notre Dame, NFL play by play, hosting Football Night 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:16.640 in America, the Olympics, hockey, you name it, Mike tarco 0:01:16.760 --> 0:01:19.399 has done it. We have a great conversation about his 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:24.200 broadcasting background, his mentors, and also why he's been a 0:01:24.240 --> 0:01:27.319 mentor to me and helping me in my broadcast career. 0:01:27.760 --> 0:01:30.679 Mich will also give his thoughts on the Arizona Cardinals 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:32.880 and Kyler Murray and if he's a believer in the 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:36.080 Cardinals for being a potential Super Bowl team this year, 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:40.080 and Mike reveals his top broadcasting moments from his career. 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:46.720 So here he is NBC Sports Mike Tarrico. So Mike, 0:01:46.840 --> 0:01:49.120 let's start first of all by just tell everybody what 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:51.040 this week is like, because I know every week for 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:53.280 you is different. You're doing so many different things. What's 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:57.040 this week looking like for you? It's about twenty percent 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.880 of your week. So that's okay. I'm not a dave 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:02.639 past schedule anymore. I'll leave it to you young guys. 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:08.200 This week we have Navy against Notre Dame in South Bend. 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:11.880 But I'm also a trustee at Syracuse and we have 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:13.400 a board of trustees meeting, so I'm going to be 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:15.959 heading up to Syracuse for a few days, spend time 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:19.040 on campus, then head to South Bend. Unfortunately, I've seen 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:20.760 the Irish back to back week, so we three in 0:02:20.800 --> 0:02:23.600 a Rosa will be easy. We'll take care of Davut 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:25.560 and then they get to town on Friday and then 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:30.360 after the game Saturday head to probably New York or 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:33.520 Connecticut for Football nine in America. At some point in there, 0:02:33.560 --> 0:02:35.520 I'm thinking about trying to squeeze in a quick run 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.720 to Chicago to my daughter's parents weekend cheese in college 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:42.480 in Chicago Land area. So as you live as we live, 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:46.560 these weeks are never the same. They're always hectic and 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:48.639 they're blast and then Sunday we'll do Football nine in 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:51.880 America with Dungee and Breeze and Chris Sims and Maria 0:02:51.919 --> 0:02:54.760 Taylor and that crew, and then then start the hampsto 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:57.200 reel back up again on Monday. So obviously you were 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.600 working last night and I ended up doing that game 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:02.639 for what Wood. So we both watched Cooper Rush and 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:07.520 what he accomplished. And look with Dak Prescott, my clearly 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:11.400 they are a great team, but it seems like with 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:13.720 Cooper Rush. Maybe they can hang on depending on how 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:16.359 long Deck's going to be out enough, certainly in the 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:18.560 NFC East, to stay atop that division. What are your 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:20.560 thoughts on kind of where the Cowboys are right now? 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:23.480 That's it. I think they can they can hang on enough. 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:26.960 I believe that what your number two quarterback needs to 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:31.960 do is be able to win two out of four games. 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:34.680 You know, just have somebody there who can get you 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:37.480 maybe three and one. Like when Breeze was heard the 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:39.320 last couple of years with the Saint Scott out of 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.920 Teddy Bridgewater and then James Winston, you just said, need 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:46.200 to have somebody who can do that for you, because 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:50.640 especially Nowaday, given how much quarterbacks are running. But you've 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:53.600 watched this evolution doing college games and then get into 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:57.120 NFL games. Right, the college stuff, the Thursday and Saturday 0:03:57.200 --> 0:04:00.640 stuff is showing up on Sundays. They are big, growing, faster, 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:03.400 defensive players who hurt guys a lot quicker. There are 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:07.520 more hits, more contact, more injuries in the NFL. Because 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:11.480 of that, and because quarterbacks are running far higher percentage 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:13.240 than they used to. I think you need a guy 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:14.960 who can save you a couple of games. That Cooper 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:18.000 Rush helped save the Cowboys the game on Sunday night. 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:20.760 He threw for over three hundred yards. He looked like 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:22.880 he'd been in the system for three or four years, 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:26.240 and he executed the system and when it came down 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:29.920 to gotta have it drive, as Chris collins Worth said, 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.320 like one of those lifetime moments or Cooper Rush. He 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:35.240 came through just like Mike White did for the Jets 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:37.960 with over four hundred yards. I think Dave one of 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:40.080 the biggest mistakes the NFL has made in the last 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:43.920 couple of years. He's not mandating that the third quarterback 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:47.560 to be active for every game. And more importantly of 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:51.040 that third quarterback is a young developmental guys, second year, 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:53.880 third year guy you are going to allow to develop 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:56.320 because five or six teams a year of loose third 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:59.320 quarterback for significant stretches. So you want to have continuity 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:01.560 of play. When but he's in the system, they can 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:04.440 step in and perform and play. Not the level of starter. 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:06.599 Hoop Rush has been there a while. If you watched 0:05:06.600 --> 0:05:10.440 Hard Knot and his knowledge of the systems comforted with 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:13.000 what was going on. Is the reason that they're still 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:15.719 sitting on one loss as we turn the calendar to November, 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:17.919 and when you look at the injury situation here with 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:20.360 the Cardinals, we don't know yet about Kyler and whether 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:22.240 he's going to be able to go Sunday. If he 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.240 weren't able to play, obviously, you'd be Cole McCoy. And 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:28.520 then Chris Travelers your backup. I know you're dialed in 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:30.000 on everything. I don't know how much though you've got 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:32.800 a chance to really watch the Cardinals. But based on 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:37.599 what you've seen, are you a believer? Yes? Absolutely, the 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:41.839 Cardinals get your attention. So we'll sit in a room 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:45.680 on Sundays and watch the NFL games and the Cardinals. Obviously, 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.359 because the time zonner usually in the late window, we 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:51.760 watched all the early games. So there are nine screens 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:55.279 up and there are maybe twelve of us in a 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.080 pretty large room. But I'm sitting with Drew Brees to 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.880 my right, Tony Dungee to my left, to myself because 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:03.760 you're sitting by one Hall of famer and a future 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:07.080 Hall of famer. A coaching question, defense question, question about 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:09.960 quarterback play offenses, you get an answered, just do by 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.600 going like this, And then Chris Sims is in the 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:14.440 room and Sims is into the film every day and 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:16.920 all that stuff. So with all of us in the room, 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:20.320 we pretty much have an eye on every game. And 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.800 there's more, Hey, look at the Cardinals. Hey Kyler, Kyler's 0:06:23.839 --> 0:06:27.720 doing this. Kyler's doing that. And I think the less 0:06:27.760 --> 0:06:31.839 circus plays and the more picking out those moments that 0:06:31.920 --> 0:06:34.000 he's gonna do, it's going to keep him healthier and 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:36.720 keep him around for when you need him to make 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:40.080 those circus plays in December and January. I think Russell 0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:44.400 Wilson and Aaron Rodgers are the two mobile quarterbacks different 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.760 levels of mobility, who have shown these young quarterbacks like 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:51.160 Kyler Murray, there's a template out there to use your speed, 0:06:51.240 --> 0:06:54.040 your elusiveness, your ability to throw on the run. You 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:57.120 use those sidelines to use that slide, use those rules, man, 0:06:57.200 --> 0:06:59.280 and Kyler has done a pretty good job to this 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:01.160 point of it, and that's going to be important to 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:03.279 keep it going. But I love that this team has. 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:06.159 I love the talent that's been built on both sides. Obviously, 0:07:06.240 --> 0:07:08.960 the jj W want injuries a bummer, but there are 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:10.560 people they are on both sides of the ball, and 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:13.600 they've restopped this Steve Time has restocked this thing really 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:16.640 well in a short period of time, and I think 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:18.760 they're staying power to stay with the Rams in the 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:22.400 NFC West, no doubt. I agree, And I'm I know 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.680 people probably think, well, you have to say that, but 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:26.840 I think most people know twenty years are doing this. 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:29.360 I'm pretty fair like I'm a fan when things aren't 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:31.520 going well, I wear it on my sleeves that the 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:36.360 listeners can certainly sense that. But I feel Mike, you know, 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.800 I've seen Dallas now in person. I've seen the Rams 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.840 twice in person, and obviously saw Green Bay Thursday against 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:45.600 the Cardinals. I still feel like when the Cardinals are whole, 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:48.040 they're the best team. It doesn't mean they're gonna win it, 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.920 but I feel like their roster is the best in 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:53.239 the NFL. And part of that has to do with Kyler. 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:54.720 If he keeps playing the way he is, he's going 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:57.920 to be. In the MVP conversation, you're right when you 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.280 get to see the other really good teams in and 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:03.600 you walk away with a good feel for if your 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:06.640 team can hang there week in week out. And I'm 0:08:06.640 --> 0:08:08.320 glad you said it the way you said it, because 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:12.640 yes you can. We can I don't know what you think. 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:15.120 If you've done a bunch of Syracuse games, you obviously 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:17.559 if you've got twenty years of Cardinal Syracuse as your school, 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:21.560 it's my school. Um, there's a there's a different feel 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:24.360 when you're calling a game for a team that you 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:27.560 will root for when you're not doing their games. And 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:30.720 we can do that. We can stop if if somebody 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:33.760 can play football against their brother and tackle their brother 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:37.600 and hit them right physically, do harm to your you know, 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:40.880 your same DNA essentially right. If you can do that, 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:44.600 we can put aside our loyalty or our fandom for 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:46.840 three and a half hours in calling down the road 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:50.880 or down the middle and be even. Um. I think 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.720 when we do that, we see the flaws of the 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.360 team that we care about the most. I used to 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:58.440 remember doing Syracuse games back in the old Big East 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:02.360 days of basketball. I could see syraciss flaws which helped 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:05.440 me know when they had a good team. And you 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:07.520 are in that same boat, I think with the Cardinals, 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:10.560 because you want to know if the Cardinals really good, 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:14.200 you can be honest with your listeners, and I think 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:16.720 you're right on. I think they're good. I like what 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:19.800 Dallas has. I really do like what Green Bay has. 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:22.520 Remember the Green Bay has been to the lip of 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:25.760 the Cup, They've been to the championship game twice in 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.439 a row. And the pieces may not be as talented, 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:31.360 but they've come a little bit of something about them 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:33.760 when Aaron brings that group together. You all saw that 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:37.079 in person on Thursday nights. So I think I think 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:40.160 they and the Rams and Dallas are going to be 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:43.080 the top of the list of tough outs. But certainly 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:45.360 this is a team that belongs in the conversation, is 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:47.840 going to stay in that conversation with them the entire way. 0:09:47.840 --> 0:09:50.480 And they're not for good Tampa obviously the simple chance, 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:53.320 So let's not forget those guys. I think their roster 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:56.440 is talented too. But you see when Gronk is hurt, 0:09:56.720 --> 0:09:59.920 right and they're hurting on the back end, their vulner 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:03.400 their roster compared to the New Orleans roster, it doesn't 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.560 match up right now. But New Orleans defensively got after them, 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:10.040 and they couldn't stay with New Orleans on the edges 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:12.160 with the corners. And it's in the run game and 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:15.600 the past game. So five terrific teams in the NFC 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:17.640 pretty much I've only lost to each other, so I 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:19.160 think it's gonna make it a really good second half 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:21.000 of the season. Well, look, Mike, one of the reasons 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:22.880 I wanted to get you on was to talk football, 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.480 but I also want to talk about you. I want 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:27.800 to talk about broadcasting. I want to talk about our 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:31.840 friendship because I've known you since I was a freshman 0:10:31.840 --> 0:10:35.000 at Syracuse. You were doing at the time local television 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:39.000 at Syracuse and like the next year you got to ESPN. 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:42.280 I remember one year I'm talking to you and you're 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.839 a reporter at a local TV station. The next year 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.520 I'm watching you hosting Sports Center, and then obviously you 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:49.520 took off and it become, you know, one of the 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:53.319 greatest broadcasters of all time. And one thing that's always 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:55.360 stood out to me because man, you you have been 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:58.040 so impactful. You're one of my mentors, and you've always 0:10:58.040 --> 0:11:03.040 been there for me. You've always been supportive of young broadcasters, 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:07.560 and I'm curious, was there somebody particular that mentored you, 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:12.440 that gave back and put into you that you said, 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.760 you know, I want to do the same thing for 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:17.520 guys like me. Well, it's nice you to say thank you. 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:20.000 I appreciate. I appreciate all of that. You know. I 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:22.400 think the world that you two pounds. So proud of you. 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.040 Every time I hear you're doing a game, I'm just like, man, 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:26.880 it's one of our one of our guys. It's part 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:30.960 of the family. You know. There were some people like 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:34.400 Dick Stockton and Bob Costas and Marv Albert who came 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:39.200 back to Syracuse and shared a little bit of insight 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:41.000 of what the industry was like for all of us 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:43.439 as students. I always wanted to be the guy who 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:45.720 came back was able to do that at some point 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:48.640 down the road. Just a little bit of that. But 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:51.360 it's also a little bit of the college radio station 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:55.480 that we worked at, WAER Radio, where all the names 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:59.000 I just mentioned and hundreds, I mean hundreds of others, 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.760 including people outside of the sports realm like Ted Copple 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:05.720 and Dick Clark, Dave's now part of the Hall of 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:10.200 Fame and Waar for his great career. You know, that 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.640 sports department. We had a bunch of people who went 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:16.240 on to be successful in the business. And Sean McDonough 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.720 and great Papa who has been a long time voice 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:21.640 in the Bay Area with the Raiders and now the Niners. 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:23.920 Those guys when they would come back to town, they 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:26.839 would share with us, and I always wanted to be 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:29.520 that person to be able to do that, and that 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:33.400 kind of grew into a love of our industry and 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:36.120 seeing an industry where we can root for each other, 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:38.679 you know. And we've been lucky because all of us 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:42.600 jumped into the radio TV world covering sports at a 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:47.240 time when ESPN Crew and regional sports grew and now 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:51.480 digital platforms, so turkeys field hockey games are on TV 0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:55.880 right Arizona State as a great communication school. The kids 0:12:55.880 --> 0:13:00.760 to Cronkite School are broadcasting sporting event today. You know, 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:04.600 Big Big ten Network, PAC twelve network, there's Student Involvement 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:08.200 ACC Network. So the think continues to grow so we 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:11.600 don't have to be fighting over the same jobs. There 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:13.560 are a lot more jobs out there than there used 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.480 to be. And I just enjoy being able to share 0:13:16.480 --> 0:13:18.560 a little bit of my experience with folks and kind 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:20.560 of give back because I felt like along the way 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:23.080 people were really kind to a kid in his twenties 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:25.320 to know what the heck he was doing to help 0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:27.640 me out. So that's what I love to do. Why 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.280 I love to do it, and I enjoy seeing the 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:33.360 next generation come on and come through and just not 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:35.240 ready to kick us out the door just yet, but 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:37.160 pretty soon they will, and they'll be doing it better 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:40.840 than we are for sure. When I got the Syracuse 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:43.959 radio job, you and Sean mcdonneh were part of the 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:47.160 group that got me hired. There were several other Syracuse 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:49.000 people in the mix, and you know, eventually got the 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:51.199 job and I got to work with you and Sean 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.560 and Marv Albert and cost Us and call a game 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:56.120 with you guys, which was an incredible experience. And I 0:13:56.160 --> 0:14:00.320 get to ESPN and again you and McDonough were the 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:02.719 two guys who were always kind of you'd see me 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:05.480 doing the great outdoor games or a softball game, you'd 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:07.439 hit me, hey, keep it up, man. You guys were 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:09.280 best my chops a little bit, but for the most 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:13.720 part it was encouraging. But the phone call that I 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:17.160 will never forget because it probably in a lot of 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:21.760 ways shaped my broadcast career was the phone call that 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:25.120 I got in two thousand and six after the first 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:28.600 game that I did with Bill Walton. You were Bill's 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:32.080 partner on NBA. Was you Bill and John Barry, and 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:35.840 you were doing Monday night football, so you couldn't do 0:14:35.880 --> 0:14:38.320 all the games, all the Wednesday games in November. So 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:40.320 they needed somebody to do a handful of games or 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:42.840 ten games. And so it was my first year and 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:45.720 the first time I worked with John and Bill. JB 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:47.880 pulls me a sign and says, hey, you have to 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:50.840 ask me questions because if you don't, I'll never get in. 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:53.280 So that was the first thing. I was like, okay, 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:55.520 and I remembered Bill growing up watching them on NBC. 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:57.560 But then I did a game with Bill a few 0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:01.280 months later and Lebron took his head band off and 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.240 threw it towards the bench and he started going off 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.000 that it's a technical foul, and I just let him go. 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:07.480 And I don't know if you remember this. You called 0:15:07.520 --> 0:15:10.120 me like the next day and said, man, you have 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:12.200 to stop him. That's what you told me. You have 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:15.640 to stop him. That's your job. I never forgot that 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:17.760 because when they paired us back together doing the pack 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:20.800 twelve games, I always remembered Mike, which you said, you 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:23.920 have to stop him, and look, you can do any sport. 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:26.680 You're great. The thing that has always stood out to 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:30.840 me Mike, about you is how you work with various analysts. 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:32.400 What do you think is the key to that? Because 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:34.400 you've worked with Bill Wall and you're working now with 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.200 Drew Brees, who's a rookie broadcaster, hasn't done this before. 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.680 What's the key to that, Dave? I think we have 0:15:42.240 --> 0:15:46.800 a job, and it's our profession to be announcers, journalists, hosts, 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:48.160 who ever you want to call us, depending on the 0:15:48.200 --> 0:15:51.840 moment in the role. I think the analysts this is 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:55.840 their really third profession because they were either players or coaches, 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:58.880 and then they decided to get into the media, and 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:01.080 now they're in the TV side of the media, and 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:04.040 they don't certainly have the area of expertise that we 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:06.720 should have. We should have more than Malcolm Gladwell ten 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.200 thousand hours of experience on the air than they did. 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.160 That doesn't mean that they don't have that, but that's 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:15.960 maybe the core answer to your question of trying to 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.160 connect with different analysts. I feel like I've got a 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:22.240 moreph what I do to the person who is sitting 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:27.840 next to me. Man woman, first year, twentieth year. You know, 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:31.040 grew up in an IVY League, Ivy League educated house, 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:32.880 grew up in a house where they were the first 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:34.840 gend to go to college, didn't go to college. Whatever 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:37.280 it is, we've got to sit next to that person 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:41.440 and make them the best version of an expert that 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:45.280 they can be given the night the game, What experiences 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:48.680 in their lives are germane to the audience, and I 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:50.440 just feel like we have to change our game. I 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:54.560 think it's been a little bit different than NBC. But 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.680 I'll give you this. I'll do some games with Chris 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:01.640 Collinsworth and have the last couple of years. I probably 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:03.360 approached the game a little bit differently when I'm with 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:06.560 Chris than when I'm Withdrew or with Tony Dungee, who 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:08.760 did the nerd name games last year but hadn't done 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.600 games in the booth. But Tony knows eight thousand times 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:16.960 more football than I've ever imagine knowing. But Tony's different personality. 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:19.560 Chris and different personality. Drews a different personality. So I 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:22.280 think it's up to us. I'm sure you know with 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:26.680 Wolf you're different than maybe you are when when you're 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:30.280 doing an ESPN college football game with the various partners 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:32.600 you've done, just like you do a game with Walton 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:35.000 if you know you end up with Darris Burke during 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:37.359 a game, you do your job a very different way 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:40.080 because they're drastically different people. But we have to be 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:42.520 point guards. We have to give them the ball where 0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:45.600 they like it, get out of their way. And with Walton, 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:48.240 I learned that the hard way. I'd sit there and 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:50.879 Bill would just go and he just go, what are 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:53.840 we doing? The producers got to show the viewers and 0:17:53.960 --> 0:17:56.800 Bill is just he's in Bill world, and you've got 0:17:56.880 --> 0:18:00.159 a good grab him. And when you do it, and 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:03.199 you've you've become the best to do in this like 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:05.119 better than anybody I've seen do it when you just 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:08.400 got to do it in a loving way. Bill's grateful 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:11.080 that you do it. I mean, you kind of get 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:12.840 him back to the game every once in a while, 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:15.800 but you give him the space to have the canvas 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:19.760 to be so enjoyable. My son goes to school, to 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:23.239 pac twelfth school, and we're watching it and he's like, 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.240 oh my gosh, this is insane. Does he ever talk 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.960 about the game. And then like a year later, it's 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:34.399 like it's hysterical And I watch in UCLA play Oregon 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:38.320 State for no reason except Bill Walton. So that's the 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:40.960 thing that becomes our responsibility to make that happen. And 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:43.960 you've crushed that. It's been fun to listen to. You've 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:47.480 covered and called everything. So this is probably and I 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:50.840 get asked this too, I have not done the level 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:53.399 of events that you have because you've done so many. 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:55.919 You haven't done just the stick and ball sports. You've 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:58.639 done everything. But do you have a favorite moment or 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:01.560 a few favorite moments that stand out in your career 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:04.680 that you've been a part of. Absolutely, Like there's one 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:08.040 really parochial one that is no big deal, I think 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:13.280 to folks, but Syracuse two Syracuse games, doing a Syracuse 0:19:13.280 --> 0:19:16.800 basketball game at the Big East Tournament at Matsison Square Gardens, 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:18.600 sitting in center courts. You got a chance to do 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:21.920 some of those two swire school. I grew up in 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.959 New York City. Madison Square Gardens my building that's like 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:28.080 the mecca of basketball, and we got to sit for 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:32.120 multiple years right at mid court, the best possible seat 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:34.639 Madison Square Garden, a seat that I never dreamed of 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:37.720 sitting in. I got to sit there two times of 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:39.639 Bill Raftery, a bunch of times with Lenny Elmore, like 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:43.480 you did and call my alma mater in my favorite 0:19:43.480 --> 0:19:46.640 basketball arena in one of the great tournaments in college 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:49.040 basketball when it existed, the Big East Tournament. Like those 0:19:49.080 --> 0:19:51.320 those are cool? I do the Syracuse Notre Dame game 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.119 in Yankee Stadium, like seriously, Like it's Notre Dame in 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.679 Yankee Stadium. That was the thirties of the forties against 0:19:56.760 --> 0:19:59.160 Army and all these legends, and that was a Top 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:02.120 twenty matchup. Notre Dame kicked Syracuses button. I was calling 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:05.080 the Notre Dame on NBC game, but still it was 0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:10.359 a great experience. The two that stick out for really 0:20:10.359 --> 0:20:15.400 the same essential reason. One is September two thousand and six, 0:20:15.480 --> 0:20:19.840