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Speaker 1: Hello Texans, and welcome to the program. Coming your way

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Speaker 1: from Palm Beach, Florida, where it is utterly gorgeous. I'm

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Speaker 1: not gonna belabor the point of beautiful weather. I know

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Speaker 1: Houston has beautiful weather too. We are on the Atlantic Ocean,

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Speaker 1: but nobody's really getting to enjoy it here because everyone's

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Speaker 1: been in meetings all day, but no one's complaining. So

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Speaker 1: I'm not going to start with that, but i will

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Speaker 1: start with this. We're gonna have Lovey Smith on in

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Speaker 1: just a second here right after Coach Smith a visit

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Speaker 1: with Robert Sala, head coach of the New York Jets,

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Speaker 1: on his days with the Texans and the NRG coaches

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Speaker 1: cradle that existed in the mid ohs with Dom Caper's

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Speaker 1: bringing in coach Salo and then the Gary Kubiak clan

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Speaker 1: with Kyle Shanahan and Mike lafloor No, it was Matt Laflora,

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Speaker 1: not Mike, and it was also Mike McDaniel, who's now

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Speaker 1: the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. We'll talk to

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Speaker 1: Robert about that after that. Sharene Williams, you've heard of

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Speaker 1: her pro football talk. She used to be with the

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Speaker 1: fort Worth Star Telegram, a John McLean protege sort of.

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Speaker 1: She's a Texan from Beaumont and and Aggie will talk

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Speaker 1: to her about these meetings and some other relevant stuff.

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Speaker 1: And later on in the show, Buffalo is getting a

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Speaker 1: new stadium, Buffalo is still in contention for a Super Bowl.

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Speaker 1: Texans played Buffalo last year. Sal Carpaccio, the sideline reporter,

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Speaker 1: a friend of John Harris, and I'm stealing a visit

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Speaker 1: with him later on in the program. First, let's start

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Speaker 1: with the head coach of your Texans, Lovey Smith, on

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Speaker 1: what he gets out of this experience at the NFL

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Speaker 1: annual meeting. Well, a lot of things. You know. First off,

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Speaker 1: you know, we as coaches, you don't get a lot

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Speaker 1: of time to really socialize where it's just not you know,

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Speaker 1: by winning that game that day and through the years,

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Speaker 1: you kind of build up relationships. You and your family

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Speaker 1: build up relationships, so they get a chance to see

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Speaker 1: people in that light. Helps. But thus it's about you know,

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Speaker 1: the new years started, a new rules that might come

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Speaker 1: into play. Just listen to the NFL going over all.

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Speaker 1: The dudes and dawn't a little bit on our job

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Speaker 1: that helped an awful lot and then just start to

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Speaker 1: you know, talk about you know, our team. There's of

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Speaker 1: course there's media sessions too to get the message out

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Speaker 1: to our fans on on how we're gonna change this

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Speaker 1: program around and how we're gonna how we're working to

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Speaker 1: get back on top. Well, we were in the kickoff

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Speaker 1: meeting and they were talking about the fans, and I

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Speaker 1: wanted to say, say, fourth phase, fourth phase, that's your thing. Well,

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Speaker 1: uh that is, and uh, thank everybody. You know, from

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Speaker 1: going through all those meetings, you see how important the

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Speaker 1: fans really are. They really do make the game. And uh,

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Speaker 1: I'm a coach, but I'm a fan too. I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: be involved in football all my life, and so I

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Speaker 1: understand exactly what you know when you can't be inside

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Speaker 1: like we are on being on the outside and wanting

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Speaker 1: to get to know as much as you possibly can

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Speaker 1: about your favorite team. I felt that throughout from the

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Speaker 1: time I've been I've been named I was named the

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Speaker 1: head football coach for the Houston Texans. The fans will

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Speaker 1: let me know that advice. You know, people that really

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Speaker 1: know the game, and a lot of people that really

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Speaker 1: know our our Texan football team, and a lot of times.

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Speaker 1: You know, what we're trying to do is kind of

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Speaker 1: line with what they know that we need to do. Also,

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Speaker 1: all right, at the Combine a few weeks ago you

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Speaker 1: talked about that's where you got your job interview to

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Speaker 1: get into the league with Monty Kiffin. Yes, what are

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Speaker 1: your memories of this meeting? Because this is for head

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Speaker 1: coaches and gms, and I know you've been to many

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Speaker 1: of these, So do you have any memories from the

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Speaker 1: o's or any other time? Yes, I mean on a

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Speaker 1: personal front, and how times have changed. I remember my

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Speaker 1: first one down. A matter of fact, the first one

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Speaker 1: was actually here at this same facility. So you know,

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Speaker 1: you bring your families down, and I know one thing

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Speaker 1: from a personal point, my kids, we forced them to

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Speaker 1: come and they wanted to be off with their friends

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Speaker 1: on spring break. But now, what I remember, as much

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Speaker 1: as anything, is just starting the process being in the

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Speaker 1: room with all with you know, with thirty one other

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Speaker 1: you know, thirty two owners, really counting hours and seeing

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Speaker 1: exactly how the inner workings go in the NFL and

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Speaker 1: realizing two of how much of a you know, threell

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Speaker 1: but blessing it was to be amongst this elite group

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Speaker 1: of guys. I know you're putting together the twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: two Texans with Nick as Sario, and you've resigned some

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Speaker 1: players that you had last year and who did a

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Speaker 1: good job for you. What is that like for you

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Speaker 1: to be able to bring some guys back who contributed,

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Speaker 1: especially on the defensive side of the ball, and they're

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Speaker 1: back for you. Well, you know, last year when we

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Speaker 1: came in, it was about hey, watching a little bit

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Speaker 1: of video and making some decisions. I think it's really

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Speaker 1: neat when you get a chance to work with somebody,

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Speaker 1: you know, in our case for a year, and a

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Speaker 1: lot of guys when they signed one of your contracts.

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Speaker 1: I mean, we all were interviewing for you, So I

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Speaker 1: guess I was interviewed. I didn't know it, but our

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Speaker 1: players were also, And it's always good when you're making

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Speaker 1: decisions to see guys perform, and that's what we're able

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Speaker 1: to do. So we got a chance to see them

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Speaker 1: in every situation in the meeting room, how they respond

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Speaker 1: unfortunately or fortunately maybe after loss, how they helm wins,

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Speaker 1: but just a day to day operation that we got

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Speaker 1: a chance and as we lay our foundation, there's a

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Speaker 1: certain look, certain type of athletes we wanted in our system,

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Speaker 1: and if we brought a player back this year, we

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Speaker 1: liked an awful lot that they did last year. I

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Speaker 1: know you've been going to a bunch of pro days.

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Speaker 1: So when you go to a pro day and you're

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Speaker 1: observing somebody up close, are you looking at what they're

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Speaker 1: doing unto themselves or how they fit in with what

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Speaker 1: the Texans do? How do you go about that process?

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Speaker 1: Coach a combination of both. There's an awful lot you

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Speaker 1: can get from video. I mean it comes down to

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Speaker 1: how they play the game, yes, but you know the

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Speaker 1: game stops, you know, and how they interactions that they

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Speaker 1: have in between. When you go to a pro workout,

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Speaker 1: just you know and are luckily in my case, I've

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Speaker 1: been around a game a little bit. Most places we go,

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Speaker 1: I know someone that I really trust. I trust their

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Speaker 1: opinion for them to be able to give it to

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Speaker 1: me in detail. And again, when you go through a game.

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Speaker 1: Most of the pro days, you know there's multi you know,

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Speaker 1: multiple hours you're going to be there, so you really

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Speaker 1: do get a chance to observe how he hounds it

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Speaker 1: in a comfortable position for him and just and then

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Speaker 1: end to video. You don't get a chance to see

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Speaker 1: every little movement that you would like to see a

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Speaker 1: player mate, And when you're in charge of the workouts,

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Speaker 1: you get a chance to see that and the way

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Speaker 1: they conduct themselves in their natural habitat right where they've

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Speaker 1: been living for the last three or four years. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I don't think most people lose jobs. When you come in,

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Speaker 1: you're the best of you. You're going to see right then,

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Speaker 1: and people kind of let their hair down a little bit,

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Speaker 1: you know, after they get get away from there. That's

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Speaker 1: what you get a chance to see when I feel

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Speaker 1: like when you go to different pro workouts, and that's

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Speaker 1: based on history of different workouts I've been to, been too,

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Speaker 1: and then how players actually end up panning out. How

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Speaker 1: do you feel about getting all these extra picks now

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Speaker 1: that the Watson deals in the rear view mirror, you

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Speaker 1: get all these draft selections this year and in the

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Speaker 1: coming years, Well, feel real good about them and what

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Speaker 1: we wanted to do. And I'm talking Nick and I

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Speaker 1: and everyone I think that loves the Houston Texans. We

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Speaker 1: just wanted to be able to really go forward. And

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Speaker 1: that's what you know, finality to it. I mean, now

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Speaker 1: you know exactly what we're going forward with. Who we're

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Speaker 1: going forward with. Good for the Sean, of course, good

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Speaker 1: for us. Sometime divorce is a good thing. Divorce is

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Speaker 1: official now and we can both go our ways. And

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Speaker 1: in our case, we won four games. That's not enough.

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Speaker 1: We're not good enough. So how do you How do

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Speaker 1: we get better? One way to get better, of course,

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Speaker 1: has improved the talent level and getting another you know,

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Speaker 1: more picks this year will help a loup when you

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Speaker 1: bring all those young players in and way more than

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Speaker 1: you did last year. We don't know what the final

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Speaker 1: number is going to be undrafted free agents or if

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Speaker 1: they're gonna be trades during the draft or whatever, but

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Speaker 1: it'll be more than last year. What does it like

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Speaker 1: to coach young players and get them assimilated quickly too?

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Speaker 1: What you like to do? We just talked about the

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Speaker 1: guys you've had around here. Now you have to have

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Speaker 1: new players come in, young players. I think it's a

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Speaker 1: general rule you say when you bring in young players,

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Speaker 1: especially players that don't know anything about the league, they're eager.

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Speaker 1: I mean, what do I need to do coach? Everybody

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Speaker 1: wants to get into the NFL. What do I need

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Speaker 1: to do. I think they're more open in my dealings.

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Speaker 1: In time, you can have more of an influence on

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Speaker 1: the player this younger, So that would be the case.

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Speaker 1: You need that veteran leadership, and we have it established

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Speaker 1: right now. Now. It is about bringing in as much

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Speaker 1: young talent as we possibly can. Every pig allows us

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Speaker 1: an opportunity to do that. We're almost in April. What

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Speaker 1: can you tell us about when players get back and

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Speaker 1: what you can do with them, what your plan and

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Speaker 1: czar to bring the veterans back and start coaching them. Well,

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Speaker 1: I mean that's exciting for it. You know, it was

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Speaker 1: about you know, for me, getting on the job is

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Speaker 1: about the staff, getting the staff in plays, then free agency,

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Speaker 1: you know, evaluating our roster and in free agency combine.

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Speaker 1: Of course you mentioned the draft. We're still preparing for it,

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Speaker 1: but it's still about our players. So that's what excitement.

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Speaker 1: To answer your question, April eleventh is the first day,

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Speaker 1: for our first day that we start off season program

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Speaker 1: four days a week. There are three different phases. You know,

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Speaker 1: the first phase will be a couple of weeks and

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Speaker 1: it's just them coming in, seeing what type of shape

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Speaker 1: they're in, strength and conditioning and meetings. Second phase, Now

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Speaker 1: the coaches get a chance to work on the football field,

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Speaker 1: So we'll have two weeks Phase one. We'll have a

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Speaker 1: voluntary mini camp the third week, the next the following

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Speaker 1: three weeks after that, we'll be able to go out

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Speaker 1: on the football field and actually coach them with different techniques.

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Speaker 1: That's when the football parts start, and then the last

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Speaker 1: three weeks will be our version of college spring ball.

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Speaker 1: No hitting anything like that, but now you can have

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Speaker 1: some offense versus defense, and that's the way we'll finish

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Speaker 1: up our off season workouts. Coach, thanks a lot for

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Speaker 1: joining us, Good luck. Thanks ham On. There's coach Levey Smith,

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Speaker 1: and we're gonna have Nick Kissio on tomorrow. President Greg

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Speaker 1: Grisso of the Texans on this week, a whole bunch

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Speaker 1: of other stuff as well. All right, let's get to

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Speaker 1: this Robert Sala, who coached with the Texans as an

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Speaker 1: assistant a long time ago. Let's visit with him on

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Speaker 1: how this all went down and how the coaches cradle

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Speaker 1: it and RG got started a long time ago in

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Speaker 1: a faraway place in Houston. You were in one room,

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Speaker 1: and who is the list of coaches? All right, so

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Speaker 1: we were in the boardroom in the stadium was the

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Speaker 1: staff room, and in one corner, I was the first

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Speaker 1: one in the building with Dom Capers was uh in

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Speaker 1: one corner. And then when coach Kubiak came and retained me,

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Speaker 1: across from me was Mike McDaniel. And then the year

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Speaker 1: after comes Matt Lafleur, and the year uh, and uh,

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Speaker 1: Kyle Shanahan was there. Kyle Shanahan was a receiver's coach. UM.

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Speaker 1: But in that room, Richard high Tower joined along. He's

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Speaker 1: a special team's coordinator at Chicago. So, um, you know,

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Speaker 1: I know the Washington you know was it was a

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Speaker 1: heck of a crew, of a crew, heck of a crew,

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Speaker 1: no doubt. And back then it's easy to ask, well,

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Speaker 1: did you know you'd all become head coaches? But what

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Speaker 1: are you thinking at that point in your career. You're

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Speaker 1: trying to survive the nights, the long nights, the all

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Speaker 1: the all the paperwork, the computer work, all the different

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Speaker 1: things that you're asked to do at that age, and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, you never know where it's going to come.

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Speaker 1: And you know, there's so many great football coaches in

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Speaker 1: this league, and there's that that just haven't had the

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Speaker 1: opportunity because of for one reason or another, Um caught

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Speaker 1: lightning in a bottle myself, and and just being with

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Speaker 1: Coach Carroll at Seattle, and and all the things that

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Speaker 1: I learned from him and Gus Bradley and uh uh

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Speaker 1: and got we got hot. We want to won a

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Speaker 1: world championship and the rest is history. So do you

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Speaker 1: and Matt Lafleur go back to Central Michigan? Do we do? Yeah?

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Speaker 1: So we're at Centralman. We were roommates. Uh um groomsmen

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Speaker 1: at each other's weddings. And uh so he's he's like

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Speaker 1: he's he's family, not fan. He's not like fan. He

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Speaker 1: is family. So all right, you and Mississala, how many children?

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Speaker 1: We're at seven? Seven? Only seven? Only she gets me

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Speaker 1: when I'm sleeping. All right, So this is intel. She

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Speaker 1: said your oldest is still a Texans fan. Is that true? Yeah?

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Speaker 1: He so he identified because he was born. He was

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Speaker 1: born when we're at Houston. Uh he was three months

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Speaker 1: when we when we went to Seattle. But he identified.

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Speaker 1: All my kids identify with where they were born. So

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Speaker 1: he's a Rockets fan. Astro's uh Texans fan. Although it's

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Speaker 1: he's We're still first. Texans are always second. But but

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Speaker 1: you get the point. He's he is uh he identifies

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Speaker 1: with Houston. All Right, one more for you. Your best

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Speaker 1: could be a great memory or two from being in

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Speaker 1: the Texans organization. What stands out to you? And you know,

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Speaker 1: what's the people? And I mean that like uh um,

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Speaker 1: you know, God rest his soul with UH with Papua

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Speaker 1: McNair and and seeing cal from the beginning, and um,

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Speaker 1: the city, the diversity, the uh the food that the rodeo, uh,

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Speaker 1: just just all of it. It was My wife still

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Speaker 1: to this day says that was her favorite place she's

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Speaker 1: ever lived and really wants to to make that home

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Speaker 1: one day. But uh um, although Jersey's catching up here.

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie to you, of course, but but

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Speaker 1: she um, But Houston it was such a yea a

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Speaker 1: family oriented UH city and the organization in it itself

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Speaker 1: with all the great people. It was a tremendous experience,

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Speaker 1: especially for a first time UH coach in the NFL,

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Speaker 1: being with Gary Kubiak and his staff and the things

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Speaker 1: that he developed and even Dom and Vic Fangio. But um,

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Speaker 1: the people for sure outstanding. And then you came back

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Speaker 1: and beat the Texans with the Jets. So congratulations, Yeah, well,

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Speaker 1: best of luck in year two. Yes, sir, thank you. Thanks.

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Speaker 1: Coach got it. Robert Sala, head coach, New York Jets.

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Speaker 1: Former Texans assistant Coming out Sharine Williams. What she has

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Speaker 1: to say about the Houston Texans, her experience with Lovey

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Speaker 1: Smith in Tampa, what she thinks is going on with

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Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys, these NFL meetings, and a whole lot

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Speaker 1: more here on Texans Radio. Great to have you listening

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Speaker 1: to Texans All Access coming your way from Palm Beach, Florida.

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Speaker 1: NFL annual meeting. They call it the Owners Meetings, they

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Speaker 1: meaning media and outsiders, but it's really the NFL Annual

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Speaker 1: Meeting with lots of little meetings inside there, but they're

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Speaker 1: not so little because they are deciding on big things,

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Speaker 1: including but not limited to this week. Over time, let's

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Speaker 1: get to our next guest, Sharine Williams. She works for

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Speaker 1: Pro Football Talk. She used to be with the Fort

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Speaker 1: Worth Star Telegram. John McClain has talked about her and

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Speaker 1: awful lot former president of the Pro Football Writers Association

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Speaker 1: of America, and I started asking her the difference between

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Speaker 1: working for PFT, which we all follow face It and

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Speaker 1: the newspaper business fort Worth Star Telegram. Well, you know,

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Speaker 1: working with newspapers, you have a little different deadlines than

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Speaker 1: you do working for a website where it's pretty much

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Speaker 1: twenty four seven. So we're going all the time at

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Speaker 1: Pro Football Talk and that's the only thing we do

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Speaker 1: where you know, if you're in a newspaper, you're covering

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Speaker 1: obviously the thing. I covered seven Olympics and was a

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Speaker 1: great experience. But now I'm all football the time, which

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Speaker 1: I love. It's my first love. And you're a past

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Speaker 1: president of the Pro Football Writers Association too, right, that's right.

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Speaker 1: Does the popularity of the game, Well, let me get

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Speaker 1: your reaction to it, because the game is more popular

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Speaker 1: than ever. In an age where TV viewership is going

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Speaker 1: down with virtually everything and it's getting more fragmented, the

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Speaker 1: NFL continues to grow or at least hold steady in

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Speaker 1: all the major categories. Yeah. You remember Mark Cuban a

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Speaker 1: few years ago said they're the fat hog, and fat

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Speaker 1: hogs get slaughtered eventually, right, and they haven't found that that.

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Speaker 1: It hasn't happened to the NFL no matter what they've

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Speaker 1: gone through, whether it's the Seaun Watson scandor. I mean,

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Speaker 1: there's so many things that Brian Flores lawsuit and everything

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Speaker 1: else that we've seen. Just nothing can seem to deter

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Speaker 1: the NFL from its popularity. It just gets more popular

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Speaker 1: popular by the year. I've done this this nineteen ninety four,

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Speaker 1: and you know, this is the craziest off season I've

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Speaker 1: ever seen in my entire career. Ninety four was the

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Speaker 1: first year of unfettered free agency, so I've seen every

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Speaker 1: one of them, and there's nothing that compares to this.

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Speaker 1: So it's become really a three hundred and sixty five

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Speaker 1: day a year event, and they can outdraw with their

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Speaker 1: free agency or trades and all everything that happens in

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Speaker 1: the off season other sports. I mean, what are people

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Speaker 1: talking about now. They're talking about all the quarterback trades

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Speaker 1: and the receiver trades and the signings and just everything

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Speaker 1: else we've seen this off season, more than they're talking

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Speaker 1: about the NBA or the baseball starting up, or hockey

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Speaker 1: getting towards the playoffs or whatever it is, even college basketball.

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Speaker 1: Right now, the NFL's bicker more people were talking about

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Speaker 1: what's gone on in this offseason. Why do you think

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Speaker 1: it is with the craziness of the new league year,

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Speaker 1: free agency and all the trades. You know, I think it.

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Speaker 1: Tom Brady started it two years ago, and I know

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Speaker 1: it wasn't a trade, but he changed teams and he

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Speaker 1: won immediately with the new team. And I think teams

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Speaker 1: who had quarterbacks they thought they could win with and

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Speaker 1: weren't winning with those quarterbacks said, okay, it's time for us.

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Speaker 1: The Rams being the perfect example. Last year, we've had

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Speaker 1: a quarterback who's taken us to the Super Bowl. Now

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Speaker 1: we need to find one who can win us a

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Speaker 1: super Bowl. And I think that changed everything what's happened

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Speaker 1: over the last two years. And then with the Rams

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Speaker 1: just giving up all those picks to get all the

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Speaker 1: players they got at you know, the Mike Florio, my boss,

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Speaker 1: calls it the ramsification of the NFL. And I do

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Speaker 1: think we've seen some of that with teams who think

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Speaker 1: they're close just kind of pushing the chips to the

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Speaker 1: middle of the table and go, We're willing to give

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Speaker 1: up whatever it takes to win a championships. So I

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Speaker 1: think those things probably changed how business was done. Because

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Speaker 1: you and I grew up in eras. When you know,

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Speaker 1: players generally, especially quarterbacks stayed with the team they started with.

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Speaker 1: Teams drafted them, they stayed there, They finished their career there,

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Speaker 1: and they were heroes, you know, Roger Staubach being the

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Speaker 1: perfect example. I grew up in Beaumont, but I grew

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Speaker 1: up a Cowboys fan, rudue for Roger Staubach, and he

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Speaker 1: was the reason why. And he retired a Cowboy and

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Speaker 1: I couldn't imagine him playing for a different team. But

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Speaker 1: in the era we are in today, he would have

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Speaker 1: finished his career somewhere else. There's no question. Does Danny

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Speaker 1: White not get enough credit? That just came to my mind. No,

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Speaker 1: You're absolutely right, he doesn't get enough credit. I think

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Speaker 1: he's probably the third or fourth best quarterback in team history.

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Speaker 1: You put him right there with Romo. I think they

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Speaker 1: compare favorably, and Danny White accomplished more in the postseason. Absolutely,

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Speaker 1: I'm with you on that. It's interesting. I didn't mean

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Speaker 1: to get off in this tangent Sharene Williams with us

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Speaker 1: on Texans Radio from Pro Football Talk. But White went

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Speaker 1: to what three NFC championship games? Romo went to none?

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Speaker 1: And I know the numbers are better for Tony Romo.

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Speaker 1: I get that and the talent and everything, but three

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Speaker 1: NFC championship games, if they were doing that today, they'd

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Speaker 1: put Romo in the Hall of Fame probably, Yeah, Danny

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Speaker 1: White and the Hall of Fame, yes, right, Well, but

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Speaker 1: I'm saying if Romo had done that three championship games,

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Speaker 1: absolutely and had the stats he had, Yeah, and people

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Speaker 1: forget what a great punter Danny White was, too right,

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Speaker 1: it was fantastic punter. And then you combine what he

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Speaker 1: did in the other league. Was the USFL that he

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Speaker 1: played in initially? M Yeah, he had a great career.

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Speaker 1: Or was that the WUFL he played in? You could

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Speaker 1: be right. Okay, they'll test me on that, all right.

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Speaker 1: Tell me when was the first time you got introduced

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Speaker 1: to John McLean and what was your first impression. Well,

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Speaker 1: I grew up reading John McClean, So I grew up

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Speaker 1: reading The Chronicle and Beaumont and so I was a

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Speaker 1: big fan of his growing up. And we were at

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Speaker 1: a championship game and he says it was Buffalo, But

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Speaker 1: I never covered a cheap ship game of Buffalo, so

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure which one it was. So whatever the

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Speaker 1: story is, we were at a championship game, though, and

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Speaker 1: They used to have these parties the night before the game,

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Speaker 1: and I went up and introduced myself to John and

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Speaker 1: told him who I was, and I'd grown up, you know,

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Speaker 1: reading him and was a big fan of his, and

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Speaker 1: he kind of took me under the wing, as he's

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Speaker 1: done so many others in this business and kind of

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Speaker 1: led me in my career. So I owe a lot

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Speaker 1: to John and where I am today, and I wouldn't

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Speaker 1: be where I am today without John. For Pro Football Talk,

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Speaker 1: you write stories for them, Do you ever tweet for them?

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Speaker 1: Because some tweets I can tell are clearly from Florio.

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Speaker 1: Others are just a little bit more straightforward and promoting

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Speaker 1: stories and that kind of thing. You're very intuitive there, Yes,

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Speaker 1: So we tweet out our stories, and we might get

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Speaker 1: in trouble for something we put. So we all put

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Speaker 1: just general headlines, usually cut and paste the headline over

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Speaker 1: and then whatever the story read, you add that to it. So, yes,

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Speaker 1: you're exactly right. You can tell which tweets are his

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Speaker 1: and which tweets are ours. Isn't had a phenomena of

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Speaker 1: new media, really, because I really respect him for being

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Speaker 1: able to create that out of thin air basically and

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Speaker 1: it's become this empire. And you mentioned you worked in

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Speaker 1: the newspaper industry, and that is where it is right now.

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Speaker 1: But this is really incredible with Pro Football Talk and

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Speaker 1: many other websites. So he started in his basement. He

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Speaker 1: was an attorney, and I actually did before I even

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Speaker 1: worked for him. I was getting my couple of years

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Speaker 1: before I started with him, I was getting my master's

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Speaker 1: degree from South Dakota State Online and I had to

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Speaker 1: do a story on new media and I featured him

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Speaker 1: and it wasn't a story, it was a background on him. Well,

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Speaker 1: I guess it was kind of a future story. But anyway,

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Speaker 1: so I learned a lot about how he got started

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Speaker 1: and this is just something he wanted to do and

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Speaker 1: how it developed. And he's very good at it. Especially

427
00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,320
Speaker 1: what he's good at is the law stuff because he

428
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,439
Speaker 1: is an attorney and he can see it from an

429
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,119
Speaker 1: attorney's eze things that I certainly don't see. And so

430
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,520
Speaker 1: when we go on air and there's something that is

431
00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:01,239
Speaker 1: related to law, I generally just ask questions and let

432
00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:04,399
Speaker 1: him run with those things because he's so good at

433
00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,800
Speaker 1: the law side of stuff. But yeah, I just think

434
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,160
Speaker 1: he brought something different that wasn't there. That was kind

435
00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,879
Speaker 1: of needed. And you know, he's one of those guys.

436
00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:14,879
Speaker 1: Some people love him and some people hate him. And

437
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:17,960
Speaker 1: that's probably kind of how you want to be in

438
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,560
Speaker 1: this business. You know that they're gonna read you no

439
00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,320
Speaker 1: matter what, whether they love you or hate you. It's

440
00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,720
Speaker 1: kind of like Cowboy's being an America's team. They're gonna

441
00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,359
Speaker 1: watch right, whether they love you or hate you, whatever

442
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,680
Speaker 1: the reason is. You don't really care, just so they're reading.

443
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:31,680
Speaker 1: I always want to be loved no matter what. That's

444
00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,479
Speaker 1: my problem. Shline Williams joining us on Texas Radio. All right,

445
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,040
Speaker 1: so you're an Aggie, right, yeah, and where'd you grow up?

446
00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,359
Speaker 1: In Beaumont? You said? All right? So when people ask like,

447
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,520
Speaker 1: why is high school football so popular in Texas? Why

448
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,320
Speaker 1: is it a Texas thing? What do you tell them?

449
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,040
Speaker 1: You know, it's just kind of how we grew up.

450
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 1: I mean, you grew up going to high school football

451
00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,040
Speaker 1: games on Friday nights. Even before I was in high school.

452
00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:58,920
Speaker 1: I was in elementary school. The first time I went

453
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,520
Speaker 1: to a high schoolball game. You know, we went all

454
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,639
Speaker 1: the time. Now, my mom was a teacher, so we

455
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,119
Speaker 1: went to some of their games. But you know, I

456
00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,760
Speaker 1: just remember always going on Friday nights to watch Friday

457
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,040
Speaker 1: night football. It's just what you did. It's it was

458
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:17,719
Speaker 1: just part of culture in Texas and still is, and

459
00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,120
Speaker 1: it's just different. You know. I worked in Florida for

460
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:25,320
Speaker 1: six years, and so my job in Florida, the first

461
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,199
Speaker 1: job I had was I lived in Daytona Beach and

462
00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,720
Speaker 1: Nascar was my primary beat, but I also covered some

463
00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,199
Speaker 1: high schools in Daytona, Daytona and anything else that was

464
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,919
Speaker 1: really going on in Daytona. And so they assigned me

465
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:40,399
Speaker 1: to go to a football game. So I get there early,

466
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,199
Speaker 1: like because I'm like, I gotta beat traffic, gotta get

467
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,040
Speaker 1: up to the press box. And I drive up in

468
00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,840
Speaker 1: like there's no cars, there's no traffic. I'm the first

469
00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,280
Speaker 1: car in the parking lot. And it was probably two

470
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,760
Speaker 1: hours before the game, and I'm like looking around, going

471
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,920
Speaker 1: what am I or in the right place? Like I checked,

472
00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,119
Speaker 1: and I'm like, okay, I'm in the right place. Like

473
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,000
Speaker 1: but it's it's just even as good as the football

474
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:05,760
Speaker 1: is in Florida, high school football, it's not the same,

475
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,480
Speaker 1: Like it doesn't compare. Like people don't go to Friday

476
00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,080
Speaker 1: night football. I still go to Friday night football games.

477
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,200
Speaker 1: You know, I don't have any attachment to them or anything,

478
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,800
Speaker 1: but I go quite a bit just to watch football

479
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 1: because so it's just so good in Texas, and it's

480
00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:22,560
Speaker 1: so fun to watch, and it's just a fabric. I

481
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,240
Speaker 1: think of our lives. The Cowboys. You covered them for

482
00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,639
Speaker 1: so many years. Why is it, in your opinion that

483
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,760
Speaker 1: they just haven't been able to get over the hump.

484
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,159
Speaker 1: It's been a quarter century now, Boy, that makes it

485
00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:35,000
Speaker 1: sound long when I put it like that, A really

486
00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,320
Speaker 1: long time nineteen ninety five. I don't know. I don't

487
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:43,560
Speaker 1: know why. Sometimes it boils down to luck, you know,

488
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,320
Speaker 1: sometimes it boils down to coaching. I don't know they've

489
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,639
Speaker 1: always had the right coaches in there, with some of

490
00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,119
Speaker 1: the coaches they've had, and of course you got to

491
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,000
Speaker 1: have the quarterback. And I don't know that they've had

492
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,680
Speaker 1: the right quarterback. I mean, Romo was good, but he

493
00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 1: wasn't at that level to get him over the top.

494
00:24:57,840 --> 00:24:59,960
Speaker 1: And Frank La I'm not certain that Dak Prescott is

495
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:02,240
Speaker 1: that guy to get him over the hump either. And

496
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,680
Speaker 1: if he's not, then the Cowboys have to have that mentality.

497
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,120
Speaker 1: In a couple of years to say, yeah, we've given

498
00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,600
Speaker 1: this guy plenty of time here to get us over

499
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:13,760
Speaker 1: the hump. We feel like we've put the team around him.

500
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,720
Speaker 1: We haven't gotten it done. Let's go try to get

501
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,320
Speaker 1: better at that position. And maybe they eventually have to

502
00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,719
Speaker 1: do that. But it's a great question of why. And

503
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,280
Speaker 1: I don't know that it's just one thing, one answer

504
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,640
Speaker 1: for why they haven't been there, But to not even

505
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:30,920
Speaker 1: get back to the teamship game is really saying something

506
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,080
Speaker 1: since nineteen ninety five, we have a whole generation. There

507
00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,240
Speaker 1: are tons of Cowboys fans, of course, but we have

508
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:40,880
Speaker 1: this whole generation, maybe two generations of fans now who

509
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:43,040
Speaker 1: haven't seen their team won a Super Bowl. They have

510
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,360
Speaker 1: no idea that this team used to be good. You're

511
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,199
Speaker 1: in a year out, Sharine, from the outside looking in.

512
00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,440
Speaker 1: Your thoughts on the Texans situation with Lovey Smith taking

513
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,640
Speaker 1: over at coach and the trade now finalize, with DeShawn

514
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,560
Speaker 1: going to Cleveland and everything they've got set up to

515
00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,440
Speaker 1: this year and beyond with draft choices and everything else. Yeah, well,

516
00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,680
Speaker 1: you know, I, as I said, I my first NFL

517
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,600
Speaker 1: job was working at Tampa and I had David Culley

518
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:08,399
Speaker 1: on my first staff, and I had him at A

519
00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:11,800
Speaker 1: and M as well, and then we followed I followed him,

520
00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:13,879
Speaker 1: I guess to Tampa, so we were we were in

521
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,600
Speaker 1: Tampa together and then Lovey came into Tampa after David Culley,

522
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,879
Speaker 1: and so I had him for a few years. And

523
00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,120
Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of both of those guys, and

524
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,560
Speaker 1: I think Lovey has proved that he can do a

525
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,960
Speaker 1: good job in the NFL. Coaching. Chris's last job at

526
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,560
Speaker 1: Illinois wasn't that great, but I think in the NFL,

527
00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,120
Speaker 1: getting to a super Bowl and having your team there

528
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,240
Speaker 1: just what we talked about. I mean, I gotta have

529
00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:39,800
Speaker 1: the right coach, the right quarterback, the right time, things

530
00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,040
Speaker 1: go right for your injury rise and everything else. But

531
00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,000
Speaker 1: I think this is a team. If they draft well

532
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,439
Speaker 1: and used these draft picks, they can get good in

533
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,280
Speaker 1: a hurry. I mean, I like what I saw. I

534
00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:52,359
Speaker 1: was assigned a lot of Texans games last year, and

535
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,800
Speaker 1: I really liked what I saw at Davis Mills, especially

536
00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,200
Speaker 1: late in the season. I think they have a quarterback

537
00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:59,600
Speaker 1: to build around. I think he could be the guy again.

538
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:01,720
Speaker 1: If he's the guy, you give him a couple of

539
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,840
Speaker 1: years and you find out that he's not the guy.

540
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,199
Speaker 1: You can go get a different guy. But they have

541
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,119
Speaker 1: something they think they can build with there. And if

542
00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:09,800
Speaker 1: they use those picks right, this is going to be

543
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,840
Speaker 1: a team that could get good in a hurry. And

544
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,040
Speaker 1: I wouldn't have said that a year ago, you know,

545
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,159
Speaker 1: I would have had a lot of questions about how

546
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,159
Speaker 1: long it was going to take for this rebuild. But

547
00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,240
Speaker 1: I think just with the picks that they have now

548
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,200
Speaker 1: and starting over, getting rid of it. And I asked

549
00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:27,080
Speaker 1: Lovey about this today, just the Deshaun situation hanging over

550
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:30,560
Speaker 1: them last year, I know it played a role, whether

551
00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,360
Speaker 1: they want to believe it or not, and Lovey agreed

552
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:37,720
Speaker 1: that it played a role in their team last year. Now,

553
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 1: I don't think they would have won that many more

554
00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,240
Speaker 1: games anyway. I think they did an amazing job winning

555
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,280
Speaker 1: four games. Having said all that, but just to get

556
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,600
Speaker 1: that shadow out of there, out of Houston, I think

557
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,800
Speaker 1: will really help this team moving forward and use the

558
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,040
Speaker 1: picks wisely. And you're a couple of years though, they

559
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,119
Speaker 1: could be right on the back or right track back.

560
00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,239
Speaker 1: All right, Well, we hope to see a plenty at

561
00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:01,720
Speaker 1: NRG Stadium this year, So all right, thanks Sharie, Thank

562
00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,600
Speaker 1: you Sharine Williams of PFT Pro Football Talk. You follow

563
00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,760
Speaker 1: them on Twitter among other places. Great to visit with her.

564
00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:13,080
Speaker 1: Now let's get to Sal Cappaccio of the Buffalo Bills.

565
00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:16,400
Speaker 1: He does sideline for them WGR radio host a lot

566
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,800
Speaker 1: of thoughts on the AFC's the AFC, the Bills a

567
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,800
Speaker 1: super contender, and the Bills are getting a new house

568
00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,560
Speaker 1: to play in. We'll talk to him next on Texans

569
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:29,479
Speaker 1: All Access. Final segment on the show tonight. Here from

570
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,080
Speaker 1: Palm Beach, Florida, NFL Annual Meeting, Sal Cappaccio, Buffalo Bills

571
00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:37,400
Speaker 1: sideline reporter and WGR radio host talks about the stadium

572
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,240
Speaker 1: situation in Western New York and overtime. It's a big

573
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,600
Speaker 1: part of the conversation here at the NFL Annual Meeting.

574
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,880
Speaker 1: What's the Bills vote? Do we even need to ask?

575
00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,960
Speaker 1: People in Buffalo want boll teams have possessed the ball

576
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,880
Speaker 1: as long as the Bills are the second team. I

577
00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,000
Speaker 1: think if I think if it's the Bills getting the

578
00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,280
Speaker 1: ball first, you wouldn't care as much. It is interesting

579
00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,080
Speaker 1: that even this morning at the AFC Coaches Breakfast, we

580
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,360
Speaker 1: talked to Sean McDermott and Sean basically said, when the

581
00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,520
Speaker 1: game is speaking to us, we have to make a change.

582
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,560
Speaker 1: The Bills want to see Bowl teams have a possession.

583
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,400
Speaker 1: I mean, this is something they're in on. And Sean said,

584
00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,880
Speaker 1: even going back before what happened in Kansas City when

585
00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,840
Speaker 1: the Bills never got a chance to touch the ball,

586
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,400
Speaker 1: he's felt this way that they have to have Bowl

587
00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,680
Speaker 1: teams touched the ball and get a possession. The Bills

588
00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:24,880
Speaker 1: were going to present a timed overtime situation with a clock,

589
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,840
Speaker 1: but with each team guaranteeing possession. However that worked out,

590
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,040
Speaker 1: they never got to it because they said there just

591
00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,880
Speaker 1: wasn't enough momentum for the actual proposal to be brought

592
00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,240
Speaker 1: to the table. Well, it's interesting because I always felt

593
00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:37,959
Speaker 1: like you got to increase to ten minute overtime period

594
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:39,640
Speaker 1: if you're going to have each team get a possession,

595
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,520
Speaker 1: because we've seen overtimes where and the Texans have been

596
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,600
Speaker 1: involved in some where you get into a you're running

597
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,320
Speaker 1: out of clock situation and the extra session. So yeah,

598
00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,000
Speaker 1: and look, there's a lot of great ideas. Mark, we

599
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,040
Speaker 1: all see if you say overtime on our radio station,

600
00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,000
Speaker 1: the phone lines's laid up like a Christmas street. Everyone's

601
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,400
Speaker 1: got there, and I think there's some wild, awesome ways

602
00:29:58,400 --> 00:29:59,960
Speaker 1: to do it. But one thing I always tell people,

603
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:02,000
Speaker 1: the NFL just doesn't want the game to keep going

604
00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:04,960
Speaker 1: because of injuries. They want less snaps. They will take you,

605
00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,320
Speaker 1: they want they want the game to be over. They

606
00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,960
Speaker 1: wanted to be over as quick as possible, but they

607
00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:14,920
Speaker 1: recognize I think maybe the unfairness, if you will, of

608
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:17,280
Speaker 1: not having the ball twice, or maybe, if you will,

609
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,600
Speaker 1: the entertainment value of Josh Allen not having the ball

610
00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 1: or Patrick Mahomes against the Patriots a few years ago

611
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:23,920
Speaker 1: not having the ball. Well, you just brought something up,

612
00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,600
Speaker 1: and now I have to know. WGR in Western New York,

613
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,120
Speaker 1: Salpaccio with us Sal, what is the go to topic?

614
00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,560
Speaker 1: Because in Houston you can always get calls if you

615
00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,160
Speaker 1: talk about the Astrodome and what should happened to it?

616
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:36,880
Speaker 1: When I was in Miami it was the Orange Bowl.

617
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:38,800
Speaker 1: I know these are facilities, and we'll get to your

618
00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,280
Speaker 1: facility in a moment, But there are others as well.

619
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 1: What is the hot go to topic on a slow

620
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,880
Speaker 1: day in Buffalo? Thirteen seconds? What happened with thirteen seconds?

621
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,600
Speaker 1: Left okay in the AFC Divisional round. That's really kind

622
00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 1: of haunting this team right now. And we've had a

623
00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:56,560
Speaker 1: lot of things haunt our team, including home run throwback

624
00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:00,360
Speaker 1: when you know against the Titans and wide right you know,

625
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:02,480
Speaker 1: I mean in Super Bowl twenty five. We've had a

626
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,400
Speaker 1: lot of these things, Sabers no goal against the Dallas Stars,

627
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,320
Speaker 1: and Brett Hall and fit foot in the crease. This

628
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,320
Speaker 1: is another in the long list of heartbreaks. This is

629
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:11,960
Speaker 1: literally has a name. It's called thirteen seconds, and it's

630
00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,680
Speaker 1: why didn't you squip kick? How did you not defend

631
00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,560
Speaker 1: Tyreek kill? How did you not just hold somebody on

632
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,560
Speaker 1: the play? How do you let Patrick Mahomes go in

633
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,880
Speaker 1: two plays to kick a field goal and losing overtime?

634
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:24,480
Speaker 1: Thirteen seconds? You say those words, they are what generate

635
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:28,760
Speaker 1: the buzz. So they kicked a touchback, right, Yeah, I

636
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,960
Speaker 1: remember that, and I was thinking at the time. I

637
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,680
Speaker 1: always think you got to force the return there because yes,

638
00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:35,680
Speaker 1: they might bring it past the twenty five could be

639
00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:38,520
Speaker 1: a disaster, but guess what, it was a disaster, right,

640
00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:40,840
Speaker 1: So you'd rather shave a few seconds off Now they

641
00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,960
Speaker 1: might win anyway, because Mahomes is Mahomes. So the issue

642
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,200
Speaker 1: that we've had in Buffalo is no one truly knows

643
00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,240
Speaker 1: what transpired or didn't transpire. Now I'm on the sidelines

644
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:51,920
Speaker 1: and I can't tell you for sure exactly what happened

645
00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:53,960
Speaker 1: because I'm not on in the headset with Sean McDermott.

646
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,440
Speaker 1: Sean is asked about it repeatedly, and Sean does not

647
00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:01,040
Speaker 1: give details. But to his I will always say, that's

648
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,960
Speaker 1: what makes him a good leader. He doesn't throw people

649
00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:04,960
Speaker 1: under the bus. He protects his people, right. He's not

650
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:06,680
Speaker 1: going to tell you who screwed up, who didn't screw up.

651
00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:08,600
Speaker 1: And that's why people low Sean McDermott, and that's why

652
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:10,680
Speaker 1: you see people wanting to stay in the organization come

653
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,000
Speaker 1: back to the organization and things like that. Yes, ultimately

654
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,240
Speaker 1: he's the head coach. Ultimately it's on him. I will

655
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:18,280
Speaker 1: tell you I was down on the sidelines when they

656
00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:21,800
Speaker 1: scored with thirteen seconds left. Jay Feeley was calling the

657
00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,880
Speaker 1: game for CBS, former kicker. Obviously, I said to him, Jay,

658
00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,320
Speaker 1: they gotta squib this, right, And even a former kicker said, no,

659
00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,320
Speaker 1: I think you just put it through the end zone

660
00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,000
Speaker 1: and play defense. You're fine with thirteen seconds. Obviously they weren't, right,

661
00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,240
Speaker 1: So Mark, I mean, you can see there are other

662
00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,760
Speaker 1: ways that you can go about it. And let's remember

663
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,440
Speaker 1: this is an organization that lost on that very same

664
00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,320
Speaker 1: play to the Tennessee Titans on home run throwback in

665
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:46,800
Speaker 1: a similar situation. Right, Oh my gosh, that's painful and

666
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,200
Speaker 1: right for the kickers, it's easier said than done to

667
00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,720
Speaker 1: kick it inside the five and forced the tough return.

668
00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,120
Speaker 1: Sometimes it's a little shorter than you wanted, right, and

669
00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:55,520
Speaker 1: they kick it to the twelve and all of a

670
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:57,880
Speaker 1: sudden there at the thirty five, and then it's even worse,

671
00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,920
Speaker 1: but at least time comes off the clock. Sum capaccio

672
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:04,840
Speaker 1: wgr in Buffalo with us all right, AFC East landscape,

673
00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:09,040
Speaker 1: how is it changing in your opinion? Patriots do make

674
00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,320
Speaker 1: the playoffs, but you took care of that. Dolphins get

675
00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,000
Speaker 1: tyree Hill among other assets. Jets. Where are we at

676
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,960
Speaker 1: here the AFC East right now? Well, I think the

677
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:21,000
Speaker 1: Dolphins are better and there they've bridged the gap very

678
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,400
Speaker 1: very slightly with the Bills, but they're still a massive

679
00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:25,720
Speaker 1: gap at quarterback, right. I mean, we know who Josh

680
00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:27,480
Speaker 1: Allen is and we're still trying to figure out who

681
00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:29,640
Speaker 1: toa is, and it seems to me maybe they don't

682
00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,440
Speaker 1: even believe to us necessarily the guy, because why would

683
00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:33,720
Speaker 1: they then make sure they trade for a guy like

684
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,600
Speaker 1: Tyreek Hill and completely grab more speed on offense. I

685
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:38,760
Speaker 1: think they're trying to make sure that he's surrounded by

686
00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,320
Speaker 1: skill players because he's not a guy who necessarily can

687
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,920
Speaker 1: carry the franchise. But that said, I think they have

688
00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,120
Speaker 1: a lot of speed, a lot of skill players. We

689
00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:47,760
Speaker 1: know they did a good job on defense the last

690
00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,080
Speaker 1: couple of years. I think that right now the Miami

691
00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,160
Speaker 1: Dolphins are a better team than the New England Patriots,

692
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:54,600
Speaker 1: who seemed like they're letting everybody pass them by. Now.

693
00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,440
Speaker 1: Look on the radio, people think it's a hot take.

694
00:33:57,560 --> 00:33:59,480
Speaker 1: I don't. I'm not trying to needle Patriots fans, but

695
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,400
Speaker 1: I don't have any Patriot fan friends anymore. They're all

696
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,040
Speaker 1: coming at me on Twitter because I say this, Mark,

697
00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,000
Speaker 1: and I truly believe it. I think Bill Belichick for

698
00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,520
Speaker 1: a decade lived in such an isolated state of knowing you,

699
00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:11,480
Speaker 1: Tom Brady. They didn't have to go out and get

700
00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,160
Speaker 1: big name free agents. They didn't ever spend a lot

701
00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:16,640
Speaker 1: of money now two years later, I think they're still

702
00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:19,040
Speaker 1: not understanding they don't have Tom Brady and they have

703
00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:21,560
Speaker 1: to operate differently. And the New England Patriots are just

704
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:25,120
Speaker 1: operating as if there's still this team that basically everybody

705
00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,480
Speaker 1: wants to play for they have the goat quarterback. Well

706
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,759
Speaker 1: they don't, and now that's why you see players are

707
00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,120
Speaker 1: leaving them. Players aren't trying to just line up to

708
00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:33,640
Speaker 1: go into their door. And I think they've been passed

709
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,200
Speaker 1: by because of that, by the Miami Dolphins, the Jets.

710
00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:38,239
Speaker 1: Who knows what Zack Wilson's gonna be. They've a long

711
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,840
Speaker 1: way to go. I like the energy Robert Salo brings.

712
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:42,680
Speaker 1: I think that Joe Douglas has done a nice job.

713
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:44,880
Speaker 1: They got to hit on picks, and I think that

714
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,759
Speaker 1: Zack Wilson right, it reminds me a bit of Josh

715
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,160
Speaker 1: Allen his rookie year, that the big arm, the mistakes

716
00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,080
Speaker 1: that he makes, but he has to be in a

717
00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:54,120
Speaker 1: stable organization and traditionally they just haven't been all right.

718
00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:58,400
Speaker 1: With the AFC changing obviously, with Hill going to the Dolphins,

719
00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 1: that affects the Chiefs obvious, Lee Watson, the trade to

720
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,320
Speaker 1: Cleveland in your opinion. How does the balance of power

721
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,160
Speaker 1: change Russell Wilson coming to the Broncos that AFC West

722
00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,200
Speaker 1: is loaded, how do you see it working with the Bills?

723
00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,719
Speaker 1: A team that is right there ready to go to

724
00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,120
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. How's it going to be? The Bills

725
00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:18,720
Speaker 1: right now are the betting line favorite or co favorite

726
00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:20,880
Speaker 1: maybe second in some books to win the Super Bowl

727
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:22,840
Speaker 1: despite all these changes that are made, because they have

728
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,000
Speaker 1: Josh Allen, they have a great roster, they have a

729
00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:26,920
Speaker 1: very good front office and a coaching staff. We know

730
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,000
Speaker 1: that the problem is going to be, or the issue

731
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:30,440
Speaker 1: is going to be once you get to the playoffs.

732
00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:33,160
Speaker 1: And here's multiple now really good quarterbacks and teams to beat.

733
00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,040
Speaker 1: And one thing that's in the Bill's favorite here, Mark,

734
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,319
Speaker 1: is they only play one team from the West next year,

735
00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,840
Speaker 1: the Chiefs. In the regular season. They don't have to

736
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:41,640
Speaker 1: play the Broncos. They don't have to play the Chargers

737
00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,399
Speaker 1: with Bolsaid Mac, they don't have to play the Las

738
00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:48,040
Speaker 1: Vegas Raiders. So that division's going to cannibalize itself, and

739
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,160
Speaker 1: it's to the Bills benefit that now they're beating each

740
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:51,759
Speaker 1: other up. Well, maybe the Bills now have a better

741
00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:54,040
Speaker 1: chance believe it or not for the number one seed

742
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,680
Speaker 1: because the other teams are beating each other up. Now,

743
00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:58,320
Speaker 1: if you get the one seed, yeah, maybe you have

744
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,279
Speaker 1: to play two Western teams, two teams from the I

745
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,560
Speaker 1: don't know how it works out, we'll all see. But

746
00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:04,680
Speaker 1: I think it helps the Bills that the Chiefs have

747
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,799
Speaker 1: kind of voluntarily made themselves a little bit weaker here,

748
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:09,879
Speaker 1: if you will, and they're going to be beating up

749
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:11,799
Speaker 1: on each other in the West, while the Bills are

750
00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:15,680
Speaker 1: feasting on the Patriots, the Jets and the Dolphins six

751
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:19,120
Speaker 1: games like the Patriots used to when they had Tom Brady,

752
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,480
Speaker 1: and we're making those runs and tremendous runs they were.

753
00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:25,399
Speaker 1: And I don't know if their record is still well,

754
00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:27,400
Speaker 1: it's still so much better than the last couple of

755
00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:29,480
Speaker 1: decades than the rest of the AC. Yes, but for

756
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:34,000
Speaker 1: a while everybody else was under five hundred total those

757
00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:39,200
Speaker 1: two decades. Incredible stuff. Sum capaccio. Wgr in Buffalo. Okay,

758
00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,799
Speaker 1: you're here at the NFL meetings. You don't usually come

759
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,480
Speaker 1: to this one, right, I tried to. I missed it,

760
00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,200
Speaker 1: wasn't it. Well, we didn't have it last year or

761
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,080
Speaker 1: the year before, That's right. No, so I have been

762
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,239
Speaker 1: here to last several years. We just never talk. I

763
00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,080
Speaker 1: know it's John Harris who brought us together. Okay, but

764
00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:56,680
Speaker 1: the big story here for the Bills is the stadium. Yes,

765
00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,759
Speaker 1: so tell us what's going on in Western New York

766
00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:01,719
Speaker 1: with the stadium. So here today as we sit here

767
00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:04,040
Speaker 1: on a Monday and you're getting made a great time.

768
00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,000
Speaker 1: I literally just walked back over. There was a press conference.

769
00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,040
Speaker 1: There was a press release, I should say, from New

770
00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,640
Speaker 1: York Governor Kathy Hockle's office, and a press conference, a

771
00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,319
Speaker 1: little miniscrum, if you will, with Executive vice president of

772
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,319
Speaker 1: BUGLA Sports and Entertainment, Ron Ricullia. There's an agreement in

773
00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:22,000
Speaker 1: place for new Bill Stadium from the state Erie County,

774
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,120
Speaker 1: the Buffalo Bills, and the NFL. All parties have basically

775
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:29,719
Speaker 1: signed off. There's still some legal in legislative hurdles. I

776
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,439
Speaker 1: guess you'd say, because people Downstay are gonna to vote

777
00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:34,440
Speaker 1: and say why are you giving a eight hundred and

778
00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,399
Speaker 1: fifty million dollars of public financing to Western New York.

779
00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,960
Speaker 1: We know all that's going to happen, but basically here

780
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,080
Speaker 1: the bottom line is this Mark. There's going to be

781
00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,759
Speaker 1: a new Buffalo Bill Stadium across the street in Orchard

782
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,000
Speaker 1: Park from where the stadium sits. Right now, they're signing

783
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,279
Speaker 1: a thirty year lease. We don't ever have to hear about,

784
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,480
Speaker 1: or at least probably in my lifetime anymore relocation, the

785
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,000
Speaker 1: threat of relocation, and it just it gives me chills.

786
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,680
Speaker 1: I grew up in Buffalo. I know how much this

787
00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:00,719
Speaker 1: team means the fabric of our city. If you lost

788
00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:02,480
Speaker 1: your team in Houston, you know what it's like. But

789
00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:04,120
Speaker 1: you also have the Rockets there, and you also have

790
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:05,840
Speaker 1: a lot of other things going on, and there's the

791
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,720
Speaker 1: Houston Astros. Buffalo we have the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabers,

792
00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:10,920
Speaker 1: we have Chicken Wings and Niagara Falls. That's what That's

793
00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,000
Speaker 1: what we thrive on. And if this team ever left,

794
00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,439
Speaker 1: it would really tear apart one of the smaller, most

795
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,160
Speaker 1: passionate places in America when it comes to football. And

796
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,120
Speaker 1: it's not gonna happen now, which we're really thankful for.

797
00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:23,200
Speaker 1: What kind of attendance do you get from across the

798
00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:25,920
Speaker 1: border in Canada, And I know during COVID that's a

799
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:29,160
Speaker 1: little more challenging obviously, but what is that typically like?

800
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,239
Speaker 1: It's a great question, because the only time that I

801
00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,440
Speaker 1: really believe the Bills were ever a threat to relocate

802
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,960
Speaker 1: was in the late nineties. They had a big renovation

803
00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,680
Speaker 1: that they wanted to do at the stadium, and the

804
00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:44,759
Speaker 1: reason why they got it done was because the Bills

805
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,040
Speaker 1: signed Doug Flutie from the CFL, and all the Canadian

806
00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,840
Speaker 1: people who saw started buying season tickets in massive droves,

807
00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:54,560
Speaker 1: and they became a big part of the season ticket base.

808
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:58,240
Speaker 1: And now there's a I think I can't be quoted

809
00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:00,280
Speaker 1: on this, but I think I've read estimates of fifeen

810
00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,480
Speaker 1: percent of the Bill season ticket base is from Canada,

811
00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,719
Speaker 1: which is amazing. That is a huge swath of a

812
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:09,759
Speaker 1: seventy thousand seat stadium, sixty thousand fan base. Unfortunately, we

813
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,160
Speaker 1: hear from it all the time because of the border,

814
00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,160
Speaker 1: because of not being able to go back and forth,

815
00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:16,120
Speaker 1: having PCR test, people having to pay if you're in

816
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:17,400
Speaker 1: Canada you want to come down to a game, you

817
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:18,839
Speaker 1: gotta pay a lot of money just to go back

818
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,719
Speaker 1: home because you're testing and things like that. It's killing

819
00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:25,319
Speaker 1: Buffalo Sabers attendance. It hurt Buffalo Bills attendance last year

820
00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:27,120
Speaker 1: in a lot of ways people still went to the games,

821
00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:31,120
Speaker 1: but it's made it so much easier. Hopefully everything's back

822
00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:33,680
Speaker 1: to normal soon. But man, that Canadian fan base is

823
00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:35,480
Speaker 1: a very very big part. And that's why the all

824
00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:37,400
Speaker 1: that when the Bills played in Toronto and they're all

825
00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,799
Speaker 1: the rumors that Toronto started. Toronto wanted the team. They

826
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:41,600
Speaker 1: wanted to take the team. When Ralph Wilson owned it,

827
00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:43,520
Speaker 1: they knew that someday was going to pass away. When

828
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:45,440
Speaker 1: it went up to a state bon Jovi was involved,

829
00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,080
Speaker 1: that never happened. Terry and Kim Bugula bought the team

830
00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,759
Speaker 1: in twenty fourteen. They ended the Toronto series. This team

831
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:52,880
Speaker 1: isn't going anywhere. We're gonna do this and now we

832
00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,080
Speaker 1: are here eight years later and we'll have a thirty

833
00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,759
Speaker 1: year lease. Sow you brought up Fluty. How's he looked

834
00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:00,239
Speaker 1: at in Buffalo? I had to go there. I hope

835
00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:01,759
Speaker 1: you have another half hour because that's what it's going

836
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:06,000
Speaker 1: to take to talk about this. Doug Flutie is very

837
00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:08,400
Speaker 1: revered in Buffalo, Okay. I think a lot of it

838
00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,239
Speaker 1: has come post career here where he's he's kind of

839
00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:13,440
Speaker 1: gone back and you know, Doug's done some media stuff.

840
00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:16,000
Speaker 1: You know he's got a personality. He's in a band.

841
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:18,400
Speaker 1: He plays the drums, right, they do that, And I

842
00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:20,600
Speaker 1: think he's done more stuff lately. I would give this

843
00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,520
Speaker 1: Buffalo's organization. The last several years under Sean mc brandon,

844
00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:27,200
Speaker 1: Bean have really brought back the legends. Bruce Smith is

845
00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:29,520
Speaker 1: there all the time, Andre Reid, Thurman Thomas, look, Thurman

846
00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:32,000
Speaker 1: Thomas lives Thereman Thomas lives in Western New York. Seef

847
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,239
Speaker 1: Tasker lives in Western New York. Does radio like you

848
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,440
Speaker 1: do here. He's he's on one Bills Live on our

849
00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:39,359
Speaker 1: w j flagship station. Bruce is there all the time.

850
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:41,359
Speaker 1: Andre's there all the time. Darryl Talley's there all the time.

851
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:43,200
Speaker 1: These people not only make their home in Western New York,

852
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:45,040
Speaker 1: they come back all the time. But Doug Flute has

853
00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:46,560
Speaker 1: been one of these guys now that's been coming back

854
00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,440
Speaker 1: a little bit more lately. They're being brought into it.

855
00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,280
Speaker 1: It's a family, it really is. And I think because

856
00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:53,960
Speaker 1: of that that's really kind of amplified. You know what

857
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,279
Speaker 1: people think about him. But I will tell you the

858
00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:58,759
Speaker 1: most contentious time ever as a Bills fan when it

859
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 1: came to on the field was Johnson versus Flutie, and

860
00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:04,319
Speaker 1: when it came down to and people still, I think

861
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:06,560
Speaker 1: there's still families that don't speak to each other over

862
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:10,080
Speaker 1: that mark. There's Sal Capaccio, Flutie Flakes, right, Who could

863
00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:14,440
Speaker 1: forget Sal Capaccio? Buffalo Bill's sideline reporter WGR Radio in

864
00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:17,760
Speaker 1: Western New York. Tomorrow night, Nick Casserio at six o'clock

865
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:20,920
Speaker 1: from here, President Greg Grissom of the Houston Texans, and

866
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,280
Speaker 1: a whole lot more. Thanks for listening to the show,

867
00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:25,960
Speaker 1: Have a great evening, and go Texans.