1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: The volume Collin Coward Podcast presented by FanDuel Sports Book. 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: No better place to bet the action than on FanDuel 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: Sports Book during the football season. There's a lot of reasons. 4 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: It's America's number one sports book. Incredibly easy to use, 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: super safe, totally secure, super fast payouts in as quick 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: as two hours. You're not going to get that anywhere. Also, 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: same game parlay bets, live betting. It's the best. Hey, 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: if you're new, just download the FanDuel Sports Book app. 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: I did it in fifteen seconds. Get started now sign up. 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: Please use the promo code Colin so they know we 11 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: sent you. Please use the promo code Collins c O 12 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: l I N FanDuel Sports Book App sign up. This 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: is Prime Cuts, the best of the Colin Coward Podcast, 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: still bringing it during a short holiday week. Matt Moseley 15 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: reacted Das bounced back against Washington look ahead of the 16 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: potential Cowboy playoff matchups. Tom Curran, great reporter in Boston, 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: inside look on Mac Jones slamming into a rookie quarterback Wall, 18 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: Sam Farmer, great NFL reporter sharing his most memorable John 19 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: Madden stories, and as all was Chad Millman Sharps versus 20 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: Me A square week, seventeen lines. First of all my 21 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: top takes of the week. I was thinking about the 22 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: John Madden stuff. And years ago, I was a minor 23 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: league baseball announcer. And this is the kind of story 24 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: I can't really tell on any other platform than this. 25 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: So I got a job out of college as a 26 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: minor league baseball announcer, a Triple A job with the 27 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: Las Vegas Stars, and I had to sell for about 28 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: seventy five percent of the year, and then for about 29 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: twenty five percent of my job was broadcasting a one 30 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: inning a game. And it was worth it because I 31 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: was going from college broadcasting into Triple A baseball, which 32 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: was one step away from Major League baseball, and that 33 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: was my dream when I was like twenty two years old. 34 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: I wanted to be the voice of the Seattle Mariners 35 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, as many 36 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: of you know. And so the first year with the team, 37 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: I just did sales and they gave me one or 38 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: two innings all year, like less than half a dozen 39 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: innings all years. Second year, I got more innings because 40 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: I was doing really well in sales, and they almost 41 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: that first year, gave up the broadcasting dream because I 42 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: thought nobody believes in me. And then finally a guy 43 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: named Don Logan was convincing enough to the guy who 44 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: owned the team, Larry Kentop, Give this kid, he's a 45 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: good salesman, give him some innings. And I did, and 46 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: I worked really hard, and I wasn't great, but I 47 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: was good enough to get noticed, and the rest is history. 48 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: Local TV station hired me KVBC Channel three, and you know, 49 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: again a series of breaks, blah blah blah. You don't 50 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: want to hear about my career. But during the time 51 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: I was a triple A baseball announcer, I was like 52 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: the number two guy or the number three guy. Right. 53 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,839 Speaker 1: They gave me like three road trips that one year, 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: and I never forget. One of them was Phoenix and 55 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: the manager, who was a guy named Wendell Kim, nice guy. 56 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: And I went into the clubhouse because I wanted to 57 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: do some pregame stuff and on the wall of the 58 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: clubhouse he had like twenty five rules, and I remember thinking, 59 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: who could remember all these rules? And it just all 60 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: these years later, it's thirty years later, I remember it, 61 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: and I'm like, that's too many rules. And when I 62 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: became a parent, one of the things I quickly realized 63 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: is that if you tell your kids when they're young 64 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: more than two things, if you give them three, they'll 65 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: forget all of them. So you have to say, like 66 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: put your plate away after dinner and brush your teeth. 67 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: You can only go too if you go to a 68 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: third and say eat your vegetables, put your plate away, 69 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: and brush your teeth, they get discombobulated and forget all 70 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: of them. You can give your kids two assignments, brush 71 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: your teeth and put your bajamazon and that's it. You 72 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: go to a third, it wipes everything out. Simplicity is 73 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: the key. And I always loved John Madden because he 74 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: had three rules. Show up on time, listen when you're here, 75 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: and play hard on Sunday. And I remember Pete Carroll 76 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: telling me this one time when he was at USC. 77 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: He said, you know, the fewer rules and the less 78 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: you make guys think, the faster they get. You don't 79 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: want guys thinking on a football field too much. Maybe 80 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: your center, maybe your quarterback audible ing, but you want 81 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: your best athletes reacting instinctively, pursuing, chasing, catching, running, avoiding, tackling, 82 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: and I think that's one of the things about Madden 83 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: that always impressed me is that there's a brilliance in simplicity. 84 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: And I go back to that minor league clubhouse where 85 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: somebody had twenty rules in the clubhouse, and I remember 86 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: staring at it and thinking, even if you were somebody 87 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: who liked rules, wouldn't you have the self awareness to 88 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: acknowledge nobody could remember twenty rules. You're paralyzing players. Madden 89 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: had a saying, the fewer rules you have, the fewer 90 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: rules you can break. And my wife always says this. 91 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: She has one rule in marriage, and Anne is my wife. 92 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: Her one rule is don't go or you shouldn't go, 93 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: and don't do what you shouldn't do, and that's it. 94 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: So strip clubs, I have checked those off. No strip 95 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: clubs for daddy, Not that I was ever hanging at them, 96 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 1: but I always thought, what a simple rule. Don't go 97 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: where you shouldn't go. As a husband, don't do you 98 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: shouldn't do. Wraps it all in a nice, memorable little package. 99 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: You know. Obviously people are linked to me because I'm 100 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,239 Speaker 1: in the business of having strong opinions. I don't hold 101 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: back and I'm not ever terribly concerned how my opinions 102 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: land for you. I have a right to an opinion. 103 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: You haven't a right to an opinion on my opinion. 104 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: And that's where it ends. Baker Mayfield had his worst 105 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: professional game, standalone national TV game over the weekend, and 106 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: I do believe that Andrew Barry, the GM, a really smart, 107 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: respected guy, has already made his decision on Baker Mayfield. 108 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: I think they're going to go after Derek Carr, Deshaun Watson, 109 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 1: They'll make a run on Russell Wilson. But I just 110 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: don't think they think Baker is face of the franchise 111 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: material beyond playing. And I'll give you a great example. 112 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: Dak Prescott of the Cowboys and Baker Mayfield of the 113 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: Browns have a lot in common because the Cowboys and 114 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: Browns are essentially the same team. One is on fire 115 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: and pulling away with a chance to be a Number 116 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: one seed, and one is circling the drain. I think 117 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 1: about this. Dallas has five Pro Bowlers, Tyron Smith, Zach Martin, 118 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: Micah Parsons, Trayvon Diggs, and Brian Andre A. Hunter. Cleveland 119 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: has five Pro Bowlers, two on the offensive line, Wyatt 120 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: Teller and Joel Betonio, a pass rusher Miles Garrett, a 121 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: corner Denzel Ward, just like the Cowboys have Treyvon Diggs 122 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: and a running back Nick Chubb. Both are really built 123 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: around the run game. Zeke and Tony Pollard. Nick Chobb 124 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: and Kareem Hunt both have star volume veteran receivers, great 125 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: route runners. Amari Cooper and Jarvis Landry both as aforementioned 126 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: elite corners. Treyvon Diggs Denzel A Ward both have standouts 127 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: at left tackle who have missed games this year, Tyron 128 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: Smith and Jedrick Wills. Jeremiah Ousue Coromoa for the Browns 129 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: is not as lively athletically as Micah Parsons for Dallas, 130 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: but both serve the same purpose a hyper athletic rookie linebacker. 131 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: Both have above average defenses, offensive minded head coaches, charismatic 132 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: billionaire owners. They're on high profile, often discussed teams. The 133 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: difference is Dak Prescott has much better judgment. There is 134 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: no constant agitation calling out his medical staff, talking about 135 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: turmoil between he and the coaches, which doesn't exist. Baker 136 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:51,839 Speaker 1: did that two weeks ago. Just look at their off 137 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: field judgment and look at their podium judgment and look 138 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: at their playing judgment. They're essentially both playing for the 139 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: exact same team. The difference is Dak's judgment is better. 140 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 1: He's completing this year sixty nine percent of his throws, 141 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: Baker sixty two. That's judgment. One has twenty nine touchdowns, 142 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: ten picks. That's Dak. Baker has fifteen touchdowns, eleven picks. 143 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: One is a passer rating over one hundred. That's DAC. 144 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 1: One is a passer rating mid eighties. Both have essentially 145 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: the same personnel. I think Nick Chubb is better than 146 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: both the Cowboys running backs, but I do feel Micah 147 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: Parsons is better than the Browns rookie linebacker. But if 148 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: you look at the construct of the Browns and the Cowboys, 149 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: both quarterbacks essentially are given the same opportunity. The more 150 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: mature quarterback, the smarter quarterback, the quarterback with the better 151 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: self awareness. Since college is flourishing and the other is floundering, 152 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,719 Speaker 1: Baker is constantly looking to prove everybody wrong. He is 153 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: a risk taker in his private life. I'll leave some 154 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,079 Speaker 1: of those details out, although I know them. The police 155 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: video is what we've both seen Baker is a risk 156 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: taker at the podium, saying things that are not necessary. 157 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: He is a risk taker more than Dak on the field. 158 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 1: And the truth is in both Baker and Dak Prescott's 159 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: situations very similar. Neither needs to be a risk taker. 160 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: This is a run first operation in both Cleveland and Dallas. 161 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: The differences. Dak understands it, Dak Audible's out of trouble. 162 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 1: Dak puts out fires, Baker starts them. And so we 163 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: have a comp for Baker, it's Dak. Look at the 164 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: pro bowlers, look at the basis, the foundation, the strength 165 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: of the team. I don't think I'm tough on Baker Mayfield. 166 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: I think I'm rudely honest. I think Dallas waited and 167 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: waited on Deck because he was not a spectacular arm talent, 168 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: but ultimately made the decision to sign him up long 169 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: term for the big bag because of his intangibles. I 170 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: think Cleveland is waiting and waiting on Baker because he 171 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: isn't a big time arm or athletic talent. He won't 172 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: get any bag due to his lack of intangibles. All right, 173 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: let's bring in Sam Farmer, who for years and years 174 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: before I lived in Los Angeles. I read Sam and 175 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: he's incredibly well connected and is active because he's always 176 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: posting pictures hiking around Pasadena and that's why I look 177 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: so young, and he keeps his mind fresh. So I 178 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: only interviewed Madden one time. And I'm from a very dark, bleak, 179 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: gray place in America called Gray's Harbor County on the 180 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: coast of Washington, and he coached at Gray's Harbor the Chokers. 181 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: That was their name, not because they lost leads in games. 182 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: It was a wrestling term, choking out chokers. And I 183 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: asked him about it once in my one interview, and 184 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: he had a steel trap for a memory. He could 185 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 1: remember anything. Do you remember the first time you either 186 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: met John Madden. I'm sure there were several times, and 187 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: what your impression was of him in person, not on TV. 188 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: Trying to think of our first meeting, because I would 189 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: have seen him at d I was a Raiders beat 190 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: writer from ninety five to two thousand, so I would 191 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: have seen him at practice, you know. Probably my first 192 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: extended period one on one with John was the first 193 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: season of Sunday Night Football in two thousand five or six. 194 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: I was in the booth with John and al and 195 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: sat with him in Carolina for a whole game. I 196 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:10,719 Speaker 1: almost walked in front of the camera once, coming out 197 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: of a time out ahead of a commercial, and you know, 198 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: I kind of feel the way, you know, I thinking 199 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: about my son meeting him for the first time. My son, 200 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: who was a young boy, played a lot of Madden. 201 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: He didn't even realize he was a real person. He 202 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: thought he was a virtual creation or a hologram. So 203 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,839 Speaker 1: I saw John and I said, will you go say 204 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: hello to Thomas, my son. He tapped him on the 205 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: shoulder and Thomas turned around and his jaw just dropped. 206 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think of what my first impressions of 207 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: John were. I guess just that he was such an approachable, 208 00:13:54,679 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: regular guy, and that's what I wrote about today. He 209 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: he really made an effort to I'm probably not putting 210 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: it the right way, but put himself on your level 211 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: and not put himself above you, and make you feel 212 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: like you were at the feet of John Madden or 213 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: at the feet of this NFL icon. He tried to 214 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: relate to you and staid relatable things. I remember him 215 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: telling me one time I was with John and Virginia. 216 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: His wife, and Virginia was kind of haranguing him a 217 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: little bit, and you know, I was just gently nudging 218 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: him about his habit of feeding the dogs the freshly 219 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: cut deli meat out of the fridge. And I just 220 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: felt that's so relatable because I've gotten my wife has 221 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: gotten pissed at me about that about you know, wait, 222 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: we spent off it's salty, it's not good for the dogs. 223 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: We spent a lot of money, you know, buying this stuff. 224 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: So I'm not really not giving you a good answer here, 225 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: because I do feel like this sort of collage of 226 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: memories of John and which really picked up in the 227 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: last couple of years, mostly texting back and forth, and 228 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: that happened probably oh once or twice a month for 229 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: the last two years that we've sort of gotten to 230 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: text exchanges about various players. But I don't know that 231 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: I can put my finger on exactly how I felt. 232 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 1: The first time I met him. Eric Shanks, my boss 233 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: at Fox CEO, he called him to the very end, 234 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: he said, Eric said, you know, he taught me about 235 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: TV a lot. John was a good idea guy. Eric said, 236 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: he was very observational about stuff, very observational, incredibly yeah, 237 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: I mean that's that was sort of the thing I 238 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: mean talking and Eric obviously was his assistant for a 239 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: long time, at least Sandy Montag his agent also this assistant. Yes, 240 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: John had these it was he signed feld I in 241 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: that's a word, I mean his ability to and I 242 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: talked about a couple of those things today. How you 243 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: know Vinny Rao, who was a production assistant in on 244 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: Monday Night Football, they were a production meeting in Philadelphia 245 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: and they sent out Vinny raw to get sandwiches, and 246 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: he brought back twenty of these anemic, pathetic looking cheese steaks. 247 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: And the whole thing was like, how could you find 248 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: a bad cheese steak in Philadelphia? But he did it, 249 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: and he brought back twenty of them. And John immediately 250 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: turned to Fred Goodelli and said, don't ever send a 251 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: skinny guy out for food, because skinny guys don't appreciate food. 252 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: They don't know about food. And the other thing I 253 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: was talking to Troy and this was it just so 254 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: happened that this was a couple of weeks ago. We 255 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: were talking and we were laughing about John. One of 256 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: the things that always struck me about John was he 257 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: said you know, fat guys will tie their shoes on 258 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: the outside of the knot on the outside of their 259 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: foot because they can't reach down and center the knot. 260 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: And so the heavier you get, the more you're not, 261 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: your bow not migrates out to the side of your foot. 262 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 1: And Troy said, that is so funny you'd say that 263 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: because we were in a production meeting and John, you know, 264 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: has his spyglass hat on, and he's kind of hunkered down. 265 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: He looks down a lot, and the production meeting was 266 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 1: a lot of Troy and John, I've been in one 267 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,959 Speaker 1: of these things, asking the questions, and Bob Stenner, who 268 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: was a producer John's producer for a long time, mentioned 269 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: that and that human observation, and Troy said, I, out 270 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:51,959 Speaker 1: of my side of my eye, I look over at 271 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: John and I noticed the shoes are tied on the 272 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: outside of her sipt, he said, John. John is looking 273 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: down looking at his feet as Bob Stenner is saying this, 274 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: and then kind of looks up and he and Troy 275 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: meat eyes. And then Troy just bust up, lad, he said. 276 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: He said, John, you could tell just hoovered up that observation. 277 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: And then John used it all the time he talked 278 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: about so he was a collector two of those things. 279 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 1: He would make incredible observations about people and ask these questions. 280 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: I remember it that Monday night game him going around. 281 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,360 Speaker 1: It was a Packers playing the Panthers, and John had 282 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 1: gone down to the field and his mission was his 283 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: self appointed mission was to find out what different players 284 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: had on their iPods that they were listening to. And 285 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: that's just sort of like the weird quirkiness of John 286 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: and the things that he liked. I'll tell I gotta 287 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: tell you one of the really cool things that I've 288 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 1: ever done. The Monday night football thing was cool. But 289 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: in two thousand and nine, I think it was eight 290 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: or nine, I went up to Pleasanton as part of 291 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: a direct TV thing. Yeah, I got to be a 292 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: fly on the wall. Had dinner with six quarterback dads 293 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: and some of the guys had two kids in the league. 294 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: So it was like Archie Manning obviously, two guys two 295 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: quarterbacks in the league, Matthew Stafford's dad, Drew Brees's dad, 296 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: Don Hasselbeck, Bill Palmer, Carson Palmer's dad. Anyway, great group 297 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 1: of dads and I got to be the fly on 298 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: the Wall and John sent us to a steakhouse in 299 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: Pleasanton that night and we just sat around and I 300 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: just absorbed everything in this conversation of these dads talking. 301 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: And then in the morning, John brought the Madden Cruiser 302 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: around and picked us up at our hotel and took 303 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: us to his studio, which is like a big airplane hanger. 304 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if you were been too that, but 305 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: and then had setups for us lazy boys for each 306 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: of us with John sort of had like kind of 307 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: a wooden throne in the middle of these things, and 308 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: it was a giant if you could imagine. I called 309 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 1: it in the story Duckingham Palace because it was like 310 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 1: this huge movie screen, cinematic movie screen, surrounded by smaller 311 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: like sixty inch TVs. And then he had a DJ 312 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: there and John would just say, put the Raiders on 313 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: screen one. He had a chart like a little menu, 314 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: laminated menu. He'd say screen one Raiders and the guy 315 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: would switch it over. And anytime the operative was never 316 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: a commercial, which I always thought was funny because he 317 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: made it such a fortune on being a pitchman, but 318 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: he never wanted to watch a commercial. But just watching 319 00:20:54,720 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: with these quarterback dads, These guys who wouldn't ordinarily, it 320 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: wouldn't ordinarily do anything but watch the kid on Sunday. 321 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 1: They would never leave the house, they wouldn't have friends 322 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: around or whatever, but just to be in the presence 323 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: of John Madden and to be with each other watching 324 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: their kids play and rooting their kids on. And in 325 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: this particular weekend, strangely, nobody was playing each other. I 326 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,959 Speaker 1: did this another year when Archie was playing, when Peyton 327 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 1: was playing Doug Smith Alex Smith. So we had Doug 328 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: Smith and Archie sitting next to each other and the 329 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: kids are playing each other. But anyway, it was just 330 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: so cool and to be around John and his enthusiasm football. 331 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: And I'm rambling here, but I just I feel sort 332 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: of flooded with memories. He's one of my absolute favorite people. 333 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 1: I rely on about a half dozen NFL reporters, And 334 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 1: when I used to live in the Northeast, I thought 335 00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: Tom Curran NBC Sports Boston was this accurate, as smart, 336 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: as connected as anybody there, and so I never like 337 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: to bother him, but I gotta bring him on about 338 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: twice during the football season. So your column after the 339 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: Patriots lost to the bills was Josh Allen's bills exposed 340 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: a hard truth and stomping the Patriots. So I'm not 341 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: going to give it away, tell everybody what the hard 342 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: truth is. The hard truth is that as nicely as 343 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: Mac Jones has fit into the Patriots system and into 344 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: the NFL, the Patriots got beat by a team that 345 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: has better players, and it's best player took over and 346 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: the Patriots had no answer. And I don't know if 347 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: a lot of teams would have had an answer for 348 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: what Josh Allen was doing yesterday. I mean that was 349 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: a jordan Esque, a couriesque. Look, we got our hand 350 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: in his face and he's still making the shots. What 351 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: else do you want to do? And people don't really 352 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: talk about that column with the NFL, but this was 353 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: kind of a tip your cap performance by him. You know, Listen, 354 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: I'll say again what I about Mac Jones low ceiling, 355 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: But because of the infrastructure in New England, we would 356 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: see his best game quicker than justin fields Trevor Lawrence, 357 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: Trey Lance. We'd know very early what he is and 358 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,120 Speaker 1: what he isn't. So in the last three games he's 359 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: won in two. In the last two games where he's trailed. 360 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,719 Speaker 1: On the second half, he's completing fifty percent of his throws. 361 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: And you know, Tom I was saying this on my 362 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: show that by the time you get to week fifteen sixteen, fourteen, 363 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: fifteen sixteen, everybody's senior. Shit, you're not fooling anybody on schemes. 364 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: And the teams that are now flourishing have guys that 365 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 1: can make plays off the script. It's that simple. And 366 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 1: I look at this New England offense and I'm like, listen, 367 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: you can fool people and you can out scheme him. 368 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,199 Speaker 1: But those days kind of feel like we're done with 369 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: that now. Now it's the playmakers. And I have real 370 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: questions about New England going forward, do you. I don't 371 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: think that mac Jones is necessarily the root, cause I 372 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: think he will end up being the answer to the 373 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: question as to how did you capably replace Brady? But 374 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 1: you know, on a daylike yesterday, and that's why the 375 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: Patriots when they elevated to the number one seed, and 376 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 1: I said they were the most consistent and trustworthy team 377 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,640 Speaker 1: in the AFC, was because they were playing so well 378 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: on all three fronts. But if the defense is not 379 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 1: returning the ball to the offense frequently enough and you're 380 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: get in this panic mode, and that's what you're going 381 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: to be looking at. Because Kendrick Bourne was only out 382 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: there for thirty plays the COVID all week. But regardless, 383 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: the Bills were overwhelming the Patriots, and it just look, 384 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: here's the interesting thing calling about Matt Jones. He wins 385 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,640 Speaker 1: the National Championship in Alabama after a you know, I guess, 386 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: an arduous twenty twenty season. Then he competes to rise 387 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: in the draft for the next three or four months. 388 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: That whole process is exhausting. Gets here, gets waterboarded with 389 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: their entire system, retains it, stares down a former MVP 390 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: with a huge personality in Cam Newton, goes through the 391 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: Brady game, goes to the Dallas game, goes through a 392 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: seven game winning streak. This kid has been I kept saying, 393 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: he's so resilient, he's found him back. Is he going 394 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: to hit a wall or is this kid just a robot? 395 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: I think he's starting to hit a wall. It's not 396 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: making an excuse too bad, so sad that's the way 397 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: it is. But he's making some mistakes that are inexcusable. 398 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: In some of the throws. You know, we had to 399 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: delay a game on the first drive last week and 400 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: some of the throws Colin are just so scattershot that 401 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,199 Speaker 1: you're like, this isn't the same guy. But last thing, 402 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 1: I'll say, mixed in you see some very capable plays 403 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 1: what you would like to see from a guy in 404 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: his third with their fifth year understanding where you guys 405 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: are stepping up in the pocket, throwing with accuracy. It's 406 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: just that some of those ass plays that we didn't 407 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: see before to showing up. How long do you think 408 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: Belichick coaches? Do you see a guy that is still 409 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: completely absolutely emotionally embedded and enjoying the work. Do you 410 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: see that? Do you send that on a press conference? 411 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: The press conference basis, Yeah, he amazes me. I mean 412 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: he's got fifteen years on me and the energy level 413 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: to do. You know, he coaches the game yesterday, he 414 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: gets up, he does six thirty WI up here, and 415 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: he does an eight thirty conference call with us. Not 416 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: that those are the most engaged portions of the day, 417 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 1: but he's already probably been there since five thirty after 418 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: a one o'clock game that he probably got home at 419 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: nine o'clock. For him and he's sixty nine years old, 420 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: pushing seventy, and he's going to be out there in 421 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: the field in the cold, twirl and his whistle. He's remarkable, 422 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: he really is, you know, it's amazing. So I would 423 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: say three more years just to be reasonable. But he's 424 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: got control of Mac Jones for three more years. The 425 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: team has drafted well in the last two years. They've 426 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 1: signed some free agents who are going to be good 427 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: for a couple of years. I think he'd probably like 428 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,479 Speaker 1: to see at least close to not the fruition of 429 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: where Mac Jones is in five years. But I don't 430 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: think he's interested in going someplace else. He doesn't. He's 431 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: a good golfer, but he doesn't play. I just don't 432 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: think he's anxious to go someplace else for the next thing. 433 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 1: You know, I was saying this today. If you look 434 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: at the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys, it's a 435 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: lot of the same stuff. Two Pro bowlers in the 436 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 1: old line, veteran high volume receiver, quality tight ends, two 437 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:36,199 Speaker 1: excellent running backs, a star corner, an elite pass rusher, 438 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: a rookie linebacker who is outperforming Mike has better outperforming 439 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: expectations The difference is one quarterback is pulling down his franchise. 440 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: Dak is distributing, doing a Chris Paul and elevating it. 441 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: And I was thinking about the criticisms of Dak this 442 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: year that he won't go downtown, he won't throw it deep, 443 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,959 Speaker 1: and I thought, I'm watching this game, he and I 444 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: can't compare to Chris Paul. I got Devin Booker to 445 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: the right, I've got bridges on the outside, I've got 446 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 1: a deep bench, I've got DeAndre Eton inside for the lobs. 447 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: I can give you fourteen and we win by eleven. 448 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: I don't need to give you twenty nine. I don't 449 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 1: need to shoot threes. And I watched Dak yesterday and 450 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: I thought, you know, he's really figured out. He knows 451 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: exactly where to go to the ball. If you look 452 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: at his home and road splits, he makes virtually no 453 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: mistakes at home. He makes no bad throws at home. 454 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: And it was just I just not just because they won, 455 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 1: but I just kind of appreciated Dak's self awareness. He's 456 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: looking at this talent, going, I don't have to score 457 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: twenty nine a night. I can go fourteen points and 458 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: thirteen assists and we win easily. And I think that's 459 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: why when he went into that funk, it seems so 460 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: weird to us that he was like making poor decisions. 461 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: To the point, like every certain another quarterbacks, Baker or whoever, 462 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: we don't immediately go he must be hurt. He must 463 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: be hurt. I think you're right to your point. Dak 464 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: can be so on point usually that when he's not, 465 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: we're like took drang okay is in Even last night, 466 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: you could tell NBC was ready to show all these 467 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: shots they had of look at his foot, look at 468 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: his weight transfer, look at his back foot, and and 469 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: it was like, well, we've got all these things, we 470 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: might as well show them. Well, the guy's twenty for 471 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 1: twenty two. Something's going something's going right. Um, But I 472 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: think I think it's a good I think it's I 473 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: think it's a really fair point to say, yeah, he 474 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: sometimes now where he gave you last night that you 475 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: haven't seen in a while, And what makes you think 476 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: he is feeling better is and we've always sort of 477 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: known he might, even though he doesn't admit it. We've 478 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: sort of thought he wasn't physically right. He took off 479 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: a couple of times Now, it wasn't as beautiful as 480 00:29:56,320 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: watching Kyler, even as Josh Allan, who on fourth down 481 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: is joking people running over people. It wasn't that. But 482 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: it's enough. It's enough to make him a threat. And 483 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: then how about when he extended that one play and 484 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: he pointed, it's like, you know, schoolyard football, head on 485 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: down the field, gallop, and he made that play. That's 486 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: sort of the old deck. And that's why, man, this 487 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: is why it's so exciting. The NFL is so great 488 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 1: right now. I only can think of one team that 489 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: I would say I would think the Cowboys. I just 490 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: wouldn't give them much of a chance against. And part 491 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: of part of it because of that environment going into Lambeau. 492 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: But everybody else, I mean I Cowboys are as good 493 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: as anybody. You know. It's really interesting. Matt I was 494 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: talking about the Packers on the show a couple days ago. 495 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: So something that Vegas cares about is it's much more 496 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 1: fun to watch a boxer with a knockout punch, whether 497 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: you love Tyson or George Foreman or Ali in his prime, 498 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: they were much more dynamic than Larry Holmes, who was 499 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 1: the king of the jab. Is that Dallas take out 500 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: the Denver game. Dallas either wins, but they often win 501 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: like a Buffalo or a Tampa or a Kansas City. 502 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: They can blow you out, they can embarrass you. Green 503 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: Bay's point differential is plus fifty nine this year. It's 504 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: eleventh in the league. Forty three of the fifty nine 505 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: is two wins over the Bears and one over the Lions. 506 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: Is that green Bay is not finishing off teams. The 507 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: fact that Cleveland through four picks in Lambeaux two twenty 508 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:46,400 Speaker 1: left Cleveland's going for the win's. I watched, I went, 509 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: and I went and did some digging. The Packers are 510 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: thirty first against the run yards per carry. You can attack. 511 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: I honestly believe Dallas. The Rams now with cam Akers, 512 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: Sony Michelle, San Francisco. If Leonard Fournette comes back, green 513 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: Bay has got to me, Matt a hole you can 514 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: own time of control. They Cleveland is a great Cleveland 515 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: is Dallas. If you look at their Pro bowlers on offense, 516 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: an offensive coach, interior Pro Bowl lineman, left tackle, struggle 517 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: to stay healthy, two good backs, volume receiver, capable tight ends. 518 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: I think Dallas matches up okay with green Bay I 519 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: really do a much more athletic defensive front. The only 520 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:41,959 Speaker 1: thing I always say to that is something you let 521 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: off with the splits at home. The Cowboys are unbelievable 522 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: and it's just not the offense is not traveling now 523 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 1: the defense is capable of traveling. Well, what I'm saying 524 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: is Dak has to show that he can do it 525 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: in those sorts of elements. And what he's shown is 526 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: that in the seventy two degrees of Jerry world that 527 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: he's extremely comfortable. I don't. I mean, we can look 528 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: at Josh Allen, we can look at Tom Brady, we 529 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: can look at Aaron Rodgers. We know they are all 530 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: built to win in the cold. Mahomes can do it 531 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: because Kansas City is actually a cold weather place. You know, 532 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: it gets crazy, it gets crazy colder. I don't think 533 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: we have a great feel for Dak in that environment. Now, 534 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: to your point, could you lean on Zeke and Poward? 535 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 1: Maybe so? And that's why it's you're right and Blue 536 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: Jarman's coming back, Jarwin's about ready to come back. And 537 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: Schultz can take a hit, and he's a really good weapon. 538 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: He's a nice weapon. Um. I just I worry a 539 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 1: little bit about Dak in those types of environments, and 540 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: you have to trust what you're seeing. And this year, 541 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 1: what we're seeing is a team that functions unbelievably better 542 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: at home than they do on the road. Yeah, so 543 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: if they are able to grab that number two seed, 544 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 1: then you can stay at home until you get to 545 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 1: the NFC title game. All right, Chad Millman, CCO Action Network. 546 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: All right, Brown Steelers interesting, Big Ben's last game. So 547 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: I expect an elevated emotional performance. Steelers were embarrassed, elevated 548 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: emotional performance. Steelers are home dogs, Mike Tomlin's history as dogs. 549 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: So Pittsburgh plus three feels like the side. I do 550 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 1: wonder Chad if I should wait and it goes up. 551 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: But sharper square. First, let's start with that definitely sharp 552 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: betting the Steelers. You can get the Steelers right now 553 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:59,320 Speaker 1: at three and a half. And this is a massive 554 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: mass of pros. Joe's game on. What I mean when 555 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 1: I say that every single week is you've got the 556 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: professional betters on one side. So the majority of the money, 557 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: about sixty nine percent of the money is coming in 558 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: on the Steelers, and you've got majority of the bets 559 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 1: coming in on the Browns. So that's the discrepancy when 560 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: you have bets, that's what the public is doing. When 561 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: you have money, that's what the pros are doing. This 562 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: has been a Pros game all week. It did get 563 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 1: bet down to three for about twenty four hours. It's 564 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:33,360 Speaker 1: come back up to three and a half because of 565 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: the public money coming in on the Browns. But you're right. 566 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: I mean people are betting on the emotion of Ben 567 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 1: Roethlisberger's last game at home, of Mike Tomlin being a 568 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: coach who can rally his troops and put them in 569 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: the rah rah Mike Tomlin's spot, the fact that these 570 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 1: games in the division tend to end up being around 571 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: a field goal, a lot of sort of signals playing 572 00:35:55,920 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: in your favorite here. So the Cowboys are swallowing four 573 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,479 Speaker 1: and a half against Arizona. Arizona's problems, according to Greg 574 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: co Sell, are that they're not handling pressure and man 575 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:12,799 Speaker 1: to man coverage particularly well. The Cowboys create pressure and 576 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,400 Speaker 1: play the most man to man coverage in the NFL. 577 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,760 Speaker 1: So I think Dallas at home wins. I do worry 578 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: about teams that win easily games over by half can 579 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 1: lack the intensity and urgency the following week. So my 580 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: guess is the sharp play as Arizona. My play is 581 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 1: Dallas minus four and a half. Sharper square. You're playing 582 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: both sides of it, and the wise guys are kind 583 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 1: of playing both sides of it too. I can't give 584 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 1: you a definitive sharper square on this. The game was 585 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,160 Speaker 1: at six, and it got that down to four and 586 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:46,800 Speaker 1: a half, and then when it got to four and 587 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: a half with the Cowboys favored by four and a 588 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 1: half points, it got that up to six. And I 589 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,279 Speaker 1: think a lot of people, a lot of wise guys 590 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:55,920 Speaker 1: as they've done the research this week, similar to what 591 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: Greg talked to you about. And Greg's amazing and I 592 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: always love when he's on your show. Is Kyler, especially 593 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: Kyler Murray on third down is just struggling without DeAndre Hopkins. 594 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: And I think Cliff Kingsbury professional betters have always thought 595 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 1: Cliff Kingsbury once it gets to the second half of 596 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: the season is a terrible coach. And you can go 597 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 1: back to his record at teas can playing with Patrick 598 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:19,800 Speaker 1: Mahomes awful, awful once you get out of September October, 599 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: and it's proving to be true again, what he did 600 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,719 Speaker 1: in that game last weekend, The decision making he had 601 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 1: on that Saturday night was just dreadful, not even against 602 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: like the new sort of looks at analytics and how 603 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:35,240 Speaker 1: people are thinking about going forward in various spots, just terrible. 604 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,360 Speaker 1: So you've got Cliff making bad decisions. You've got Kyler 605 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 1: Murray struggling on third downs without Hopkins. It's kind of 606 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 1: a game like, if you can get the Cowboys at six, 607 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,439 Speaker 1: I think it's still the right side. If it gets 608 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: the six and a half or seven, you probably want 609 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 1: to skip it. Check us out YouTube page. Put that 610 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 1: little red button click it. Subscribe to us at the 611 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:04,840 Speaker 1: Volume Sports Plus, Instagram, rate reviews, subscribe talk soon h 612 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: the Volume