WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - Mina Kimes 0:00:04.880 --> 0:00:08.240 It's time for episode four of the Dave Pash Podcast. 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:11.520 Hi everybody, I'm your host, Dave Pash, ESPN announcer and 0:00:11.600 --> 0:00:15.080 Arizona Cardinals play by play voice. If you've missed the 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:20.160 three previous episodes, check out entertaining conversations with Pro Football 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.640 Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, All Pro safety Buddha Baker, 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:27.760 and Cardinals head coach Cliff Kingsbury. We are presented by 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:31.960 bet MGM, official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:36.360 and Hila River Hotels and Casinos. You can follow along 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:41.040 on Twitter at pash pod for information on future guests. 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:46.280 Today we talk with a groundbreaking broadcaster, Mina Kimes, full 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:50.320 time NFL analyst at ESPN. Mina has had a really 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:55.640 interesting and unique path to ESPN. Her background includes playing 0:00:55.720 --> 0:00:59.320 soccer at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, Arizona. There are 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:01.720 also parts of her life that have nothing to do 0:01:01.800 --> 0:01:05.240 with sports, particularly in her profession, and we'll get into that. 0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:08.679 We will, of course get into Mina's thoughts on the NFL, 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:13.240 the NFC West, and the Arizona Cardinals. Plus a tweet 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:17.440 from Mina about Kyler Murray and Rondale Moore that went viral. 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:27.360 So here she is ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes. So, Mina, 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:29.520 First of all, you have ties to Arizona. I'm curious 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:33.200 about your journey here. You moved around a lot when 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:38.200 you were young. How did you get to Arizona? What 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:40.319 did you think of it? When you lived here? You 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.080 went to high school in Gilbert, and then why'd you leave? 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:48.200 So I moved to Arizona right before high school from Virginia. 0:01:48.240 --> 0:01:50.880 Had not lived here, and it was because my dad 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:54.360 had retired from the military and got a job working 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:57.200 for Lucky Martin in Arizona, so we moved here. I'd 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.560 lived in a sillion places on account of the military thing, 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:02.880 but I had never lived in the Southwest, and as 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:05.960 a kid, I think I I liked it. It was 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:12.840 very different from Virginia, Michigan, Washington, Nebraska where I was born. 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.440 You know, the desert isn't really unlike anywhere else. But 0:02:16.440 --> 0:02:18.440 but but I love it. And like you said, I 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:20.919 lived in Gilbert, went to Mesquite High School, which at 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:24.160 the time was very new ago Wildcast has now been 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.959 around for a minute. I guess, however, a old I am. 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:31.680 But yeah, So when people ask me where I'm from. 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:34.840 I often tell them Arizona because m Davis where I 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:38.160 lived the longest, and I only left to go to college, 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:41.160 So I don't give away your age and say when 0:02:41.200 --> 0:02:44.359 you went there, were the Were the Cardinals good when 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:50.680 you were in high school? Uh? Yeah, yeah, we were talking. 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:52.200 My brother and I were talking about that with the 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:56.400 Sun's success, because um, it had been so long since. 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.960 Uh we weren't Sweden grew up Suns fans, but we 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.520 were thinking back to kind of a different Arizona sports teams. 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:08.160 And there is also peaked Diamond back years while I 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:10.680 was there. But yeah, you know, some ups and downs, 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:13.320 I'll put that way. Were you a Cardinal fan? Because 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:15.440 I know now you're a Seahawk fan. Were you always 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:17.239 a Seahawks fan or was there a time where you 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:19.480 rooted for the Cardinals when you lived here? Yeah? I 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:24.480 was always Seattle fan. So that's not just Seahawks, Mariners, 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.400 University of Washington. My brother went to a sc by 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:31.959 the way, but yeah, Sonics when I was very young 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:37.880 and Seahawks from day one. Did you know when you 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:39.960 were young that you wanted a career in sports. We'll 0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:42.440 get into a little bit you know, the transition you 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:46.160 made from a non sports field to a sports field, 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:49.600 still in journalism, but totally different things you were covering. 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:52.880 Were you a big sports fan, did you play sports? 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:55.960 Did you want a career in sports when you're growing up? So? 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:58.880 I played soccer growing up, and I played soccer at 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:04.160 Mesquite High school actually, but now I never thought I 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:07.440 would work in sports as an analyst or even a reporter. 0:04:07.920 --> 0:04:10.440 I wanted to be a writer growing up, and that's 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.120 why I do. Out of college. You know, worked as 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:17.880 a business journalist, but I had I'd never planned on 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:20.279 working in sports or even football. It was just a 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.279 hobby and a passion of mine. And I knew about 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:27.039 the business journalist background fortune in Bloomberg, right, that's where 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:29.800 you work, that's right, prior to coming to ESPN. So 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:32.360 how did you like, How did that come about? Going 0:04:32.400 --> 0:04:36.360 from being a business journalist to not only being a 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:39.440 journalist in the sports field, but now being an analyst, 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:45.320 being an ESPN NFL analyst. Yeah, so ESPN the magazine, 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:48.440 which I think is the same more. But they approached 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:52.320 me and when I was at Bloomberg News an investigative reporter, 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:54.960 and asked if i'd be interested in kind of doing 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:57.839 the same thing, writing features and calm, but writing about sports. 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:00.479 They knew I had an interest in football because I 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:04.039 had written a personal essay about football and all my 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:09.000 social media was football football stuff, so I decided to 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.640 make the leap after they hit me up. And then 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:14.720 a couple of years into writing about football, I started 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:20.520 doing podcasting and radio really about football, fantasy football, and 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:23.599 that's sort of how I made the transition from writing 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:27.000 to being also an opinionator at ESPN, panelists on Around 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:30.240 the Horn and shows like that. And then I guess 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:32.760 it was just a year ago switched full time from 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:35.400 doing a mixture of kind of everything to just doing 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:38.960 NFL Live, which is our daily NFL show, and then 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:41.320 doing my own football podcast, which is which has been 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.039 around for a while, but you know, it's been a 0:05:43.040 --> 0:05:47.880 focus of mine now since then. How was it received? Look, 0:05:47.920 --> 0:05:49.359 do I want to get in doors Burke in a 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:51.920 second is a great frint of word with her forever, 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:55.760 and in talking with her over the years, you know 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:59.160 there's times where you know her success wasn't received well 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:03.479 by a lot of people. I am curious because you're 0:06:03.520 --> 0:06:07.479 the first ESPN NFL analysts who happens to be a female. 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:11.000 How was it received. I'm sure on social media you 0:06:11.000 --> 0:06:15.240 get a mix, but you know, in terms of players coaches, 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:17.720 like what kind of feedback did you get? You know, 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.359 I would say this is a pretty big gap between players, coaches, 0:06:21.360 --> 0:06:25.120 and people in the industry, and then social media people 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:27.800 are geting their opinions, often without names and faces that 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:32.119 you know, I've for the most part, really had great 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.520 relationships and feedback because I find, especially covering football, you know, 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:39.320 most people in arnously are just excited to talk about 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:42.679 the sport. And if you're passionate about hues and o's 0:06:42.760 --> 0:06:46.480 and learning about the game and talking about it beyond 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:49.320 just you know, the hot takes, but kind of digging 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:52.520 into the game on a more granular level, I think 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:55.800 people are really receptive to that, and that's always been 0:06:56.680 --> 0:06:59.240 my approach to it and why I love talking about it. 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:02.040 It's such a completed sport, there's always room to grow 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:07.960 and learn, and I, yeah, the reception has been great 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.080 even and for me, you know, I've learned a lot 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.200 on the fly, because not not just about the sport, 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:19.080 but about doing analysis on television, getting to do commentary. 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:21.960 I work with the Rams in the preseason. So I 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.360 guess I really am going all around the West these days. 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:29.000 But yeah, for me, a lot, a lot of the 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.040 last couple of years, a few years have been spent 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:33.400 just learning those skills and not really learning the sport, 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.280 but learning how to talk about it in different ways. 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:39.960 What was it like on social media for you? You know, 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:44.840 I look at it sometimes, but I also am pretty 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:49.400 deliberate about not looking at it too much, which I 0:07:49.440 --> 0:07:51.480 think is something a lot of people are in industry 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:54.680 have kind of. It's a process for all of us 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:57.360 and also people who play the sport and play any 0:07:57.480 --> 0:08:01.360 professional sport, but covering it is can be such a 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:03.920 time stuck, right if you spend a lot of time 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:07.080 looking at it and I guess listening to it. So, 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:10.400 you know, as i've I think my job has grown, 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:15.400 and I guess the number of people tchirving has grown. 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:18.680 I think I actually can weirdly look at it less 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:23.120 and less. The only times my social media blows up 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:28.280 two times working with Bill Walton for whatever reason, it 0:08:28.360 --> 0:08:32.000 just blows up. And then doing a college football game 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:35.600 either in the SEC or at Ohio State, Michigan or Clemson, 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:39.000 like you get, I'm so much hate, I just try 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:41.200 to ignore it. So I can only imagine, like what 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:43.400 it's like when you're talking about the NFL, and you're 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:48.440 talking about it every day, how many people on Twitter 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:51.680 that you know just realize, Hey, I've got a free 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:53.480 shot here at me. At times, I'm gonna take it 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:57.960 because there's, you know, no repercussions. I think college football 0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:02.080 fans are actually way more on the Internet and NFL 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:07.120 I'll say that. That's the impression I get, but that 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.120 of every sport, every and in a certain fan bases, 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:14.000 you just mentioned a couple of them where they are 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:17.400 very I think active would be the nicest way to 0:09:17.400 --> 0:09:21.920 put it online. So I mentioned Doris earlier. So I've 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:25.400 been with the Cardinals. Is my twentieth year and a 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:28.560 ESPN for well two thousand and three. This will be 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.840 my eighteenth college football season coming up. Just finished my 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:35.200 fifteenth year on the NBA and a lot of those 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:39.560 years doing NBA. Doris has been an analyst with me. 0:09:40.160 --> 0:09:44.280 I've done games with her college basketball. We did WNBA together, 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.200 not just at ESPN, but I remember when I was 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.440 doing games at Syracuse, I would drive down to New 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:52.560 York City and do Liberty games on the radio for 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:55.920 MSG Radio and Doris was the analyst. And this was 0:09:55.960 --> 0:09:58.720 in the late nineties. So I've known Doris for twenty 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:01.079 five years. I've kind of watched her ascension. We're really 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:03.520 good friends. I have so much respect for her. I've 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:06.199 always said this, and I said this, you know, fifteen 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.679 twenty years ago, that I felt Doris is as good 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:11.920 an analyst as anybody on any sport in our business. 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:14.520 What kind of an impact And I don't know if 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:16.559 you know Doris or have talked Doris at all, but 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:19.040 I'm just curious, you know, what kind of an impact 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:24.000 has she had on your career? Yeah, well, I think 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.520 Doris has impacted a lot of women in our field 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:29.600 no matter what you do, whether you know, because she's 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:32.199 also held a lot of different roles. But for me personally, 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:36.920 the work she's done as an analyst has been not 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:40.560 only really inspiring and fun to watch and educational. I 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:42.679 just absolutely love when whenever I tune into a game 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:44.760 and hear her, I love I love it because I 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:47.559 know I'm gonna I'm gonna learn something, and she's such 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:50.240 a good communicator. But you know, just kind of normalizing 0:10:50.280 --> 0:10:54.320 that role, I think for me. You asked a little 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:56.160 bit about the feedback I get, and a lot of it. 0:10:56.200 --> 0:11:00.400 I think sometimes it's just surprised and people say, thinking 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:02.400 you know something. I hear a lot as people say, 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:05.960 well who wrote that or where are you reading it? 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:08.160 It's like, no, I'm not a I'm not reading a 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:12.680 proptor to. But I think it's just an assumption people 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:16.560 make about especially in football, because, um, you know, Doris 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:20.280 covers a sport where I included. There's increasingly more than 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:23.880 ever female analysts in basketball, which is fantastic, especially at 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.040 ESPN on the shows I'm on, We're we have so 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:33.160 many wonderful women covering basketball in up and comers like 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:36.960 Cheney or blukay Monica mcnah. I mean, just it's wonderful 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:40.040 where in football, you know, I think we're still kind 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:43.560 of having women in roles other than being a reporter 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:47.200 or host is still pretty new. And yeah, you can 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:49.840 obviously I see the impact that Doris has had on basketball, 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.719 and hopefully we'll see that in football too soon. Yeah, 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.640 it's a great point because you've got a lot of 0:11:55.679 --> 0:11:59.240 different basketball analysts. You mentioned she came on an NBA 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.480 broadcast with us for a couple of segments during the season. Uh, 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.040 you know, I've done games with La China Robinson, Malika 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:08.120 did some games with Malika during the during the playoffs, 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:10.280 and obviously you know she did a great job on 0:12:10.320 --> 0:12:13.559 the finals when you know she was reporting, Uh in 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.079 the finals, I thought she just did a phenomenal job. 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:20.160 But you're right, Football, you're the You're among the first, 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:22.760 if not the first, but hopefully, hopefully there'll be more. 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:26.200 I'm curious about your your NFL Live crew because I've 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:28.840 known Laura for a long time, worked with Laura. She's 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:33.520 such a great talent. Orlovsky spears. You guys have great chemistry. 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:37.160 It's funny because I see you and Dan like you're 0:12:37.200 --> 0:12:39.160 on the air together, and then you guys just tweeted 0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:42.520 each other all the time. What's the what's the dynamic like? 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:46.160 Because it seems like you guys have great chemistry together 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:48.760 all of you. Thank you so much. I truly love 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.439 them all. And it's funny you mentioned that's tweeting each 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.080 other because that's like one twentieth of the actual dialogue 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:58.360 we have off air, which is you know, all of 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:01.160 us and then Ryan Clark as well, who's the regular show. 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:05.160 We just are constantly texting our thoughts and opinions about 0:13:05.280 --> 0:13:08.559 things happening in football, and obviously goes crazy during the season. 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.920 We actually have football to talk about and not just storylines. 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:16.880 But I joke every morning during the season, I wake 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:19.760 up and I have like twenty clips from Dan and 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.680 I try to watch some of them, just of tape 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:25.600 that he's clipped off for me, and then I'll clip 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:27.320 something and send it to him. Just the other day, 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:28.720 I sent him something. It was a clip with Justin 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.120 Herbert making a play and he gets the Raiders and 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:33.840 he said, well, I already sent this to you. You 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:35.480 didn't see it. I'm like, no, I don't. One of 0:13:35.480 --> 0:13:37.480 your twenty clips that you sent me at six am, 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:40.280 now I missed it. But it's really just part of 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:42.760 an ongoing conversation, like we're all really love the sport 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:45.880 and love talking to each other about it. Frankly, and 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:49.320 for me personally, the opportunity to talk to, you know, 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:53.000 these guys who are not only played the game, but 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:57.360 are specialists at you know, the position, like Dan asking 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:00.400 him questions about quarterback play is such a privilege for me. 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:02.319 Or if I have a question about like I don't 0:14:02.320 --> 0:14:04.600 know a certain coverage shell. I can text Ryan or 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:07.640 Dominique Fox for his and say what is this here? 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.560 And how you know what's going on? And have you 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:14.520 ever seen this team do this? And yeah, it's really 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:17.679 just wonderful. I feel like it is really just like 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.560 talking to your friends every day, but having people watch 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:23.560 it live on television. It's a lot of fun. The 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:25.840 only thing I could think of when you mentioned the clips, 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:29.280 sending the clips is Mike Tariko. He would show me 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:31.920 clips that Gruden would send him, like Gruden would send 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:35.680 him like multiple texts every day with all these clips 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:39.040 and Gruden narrating the clips, and you can imagine what 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:42.080 that sounds like, right, not for air, not for air 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:44.560 clips And he just said it was hilarious, so that 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.080 I could I could imagine. That's That's the thing that 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:50.560 was going through my mind. You mentioned earlier about doing 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:54.720 the RAMS games, doing games in the booth for the RAMS, 0:14:55.160 --> 0:14:58.320 and I work with on multiple sports people that do 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:03.400 games and studio. So you're doing studio for ESPN games 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:05.760 for the RAMS. How do you like doing the game 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:10.240 broadcast first? And then tell me about the differences for 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:15.160 you like studio and games. Well, you know, covering preseason. 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:20.960 It's doing the preseason is very unique because it's just 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:24.440 a very different animal from regular season commentary in terms 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.640 of not only the players, but what you're watching, the stakes, 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:30.400 what you talk about during the game. You know, we're 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:34.360 not going to get as dialed in. Perhaps it is 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:37.640 actually a little bit more almost like studios than in 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.960 the regular game. Especially coach McBay doesn't play any of 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:45.240 the starters, so it is kind of it gives us 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:47.720 room to have fun. And Andrew Ciciliana, who does play 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.440 by play for the Rams, was just wonderful. But I've 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:52.960 really enjoyed just kind of learning how to do it. 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:55.960 The mechanics of it, as you know, are so different, 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:59.640 the timing of it. Being on a studio show, it's 0:15:59.640 --> 0:16:02.480 a mixture of a conversation but also having kind of 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:06.560 an internal clock of giving opinions, and the way you 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.000 get opinions, the length of time you talk, the nature 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:12.600 of those opinions, whereas doing the games, it's so different 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:18.320 the kind of commentary that's relevant, how long you talk what. 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:21.240 So for me, it's really just been an educational process 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.760 because I've been doing studio shows for a while now 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:27.400 and I'm pretty accustomed to it in different formats on ESPN, 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:29.960 but I'm very new to working games. I went to 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:33.440 school with Andrew Siciliano. So oh okay, yeah, I mean 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.200 that whole Syracuse thing, right, I mean, everybody seems like, 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:39.920 you know what's Syracuse. So it's probably though for an analyst, 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:42.480 because you know, we're all kind of trained the same way. 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:46.160 It's good because really, you know, the analyst, our job 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:49.280 is to set you guys up and to kind of 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:51.760 lead you certain places or follow up on something you 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:55.440 might say. So I'm sure Andrew's a great partner for you. Yeah, 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:58.320 he's the best. Um, So, would you want to call 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:01.160 more games? Like? You're right? Pre season is different. It's 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:03.200 more like a studio show, more of a talk show. 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:06.840 You're talking more about the players. I mean, Ron Wolfley 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:08.480 and I do the radio in the regular season, but 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:12.159 we do you know TV in the preseason, and you know, 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.800 so we're not just breaking down plays. You're doing more storytelling, 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:19.520 talking about you know, player. So would you want to 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:22.320 call more games where you are breaking down more plays? 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:25.840 Regular season games, playoff games? You know, I'd like to 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:28.800 get good at it from Yeah, let's lee out his 0:17:28.880 --> 0:17:31.879 free season guys, but it's a great learning experience. All right. 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:34.760 So let's talk NFC West because we talked about your 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:38.240 time with the Rams and you know, obviously being a 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:41.439 big Seahawk fan in your connection to Arizona. So have you, 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.960 guys made predictions yet? Have you made your predictions on 0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:46.040 what you think the NFC West will look like in 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:48.960 twenty twenty one? Well, I did do an NFC West 0:17:49.000 --> 0:17:52.960 preview pod on my football show, and I have the 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:56.080 Rams taking the division. But you know, I joke all 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:58.640 the time, this division is like a healthscape. I mean, 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:02.879 I think that it is unanimously viewed nationally as the 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:05.320 best division in football. And you look at a team 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:08.320 like the Cardinals that you know, I think would be 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:12.800 a surefire playoff team and other divisions, and because they're 0:18:12.800 --> 0:18:16.080 in the NFC West, it's going to be challenging, you know, 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:20.879 And you have to really it's a challenging schedule, the 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:24.760 level of competition, some of the even a team that 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:30.239 has mate had some exciting offseason additions like Arizona. Hey, 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:34.960 you know that it's an uphill climb. So it's hard 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:36.639 for me. I feel like it's a division where like 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:39.359 the four teams really could finish into any order, and 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:41.399 I wouldn't be shocked. Like I said, I do have 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:44.360 the Rams winning it, but I would not be surprised 0:18:44.400 --> 0:18:48.880 if they're on if another team comes out on top. Personally, 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:52.399 I feel the Rams are better suited to win the 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:57.760 whole thing than they were last year. And obviously, you know, 0:18:57.840 --> 0:19:00.480 golf got hurt. But to me, Matthew staff Effort is 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:04.320 one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. And 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:07.439 Sean McVay, the guy is brilliant. He is you know, 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:11.800 being around him, he knows everything that's going on with 0:19:11.840 --> 0:19:15.560 the team, but when it comes to quarterbacks, he's the man. 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:18.320 Is that one of the reasons why you think the 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:20.159 Rams are going to win the division because of the 0:19:20.160 --> 0:19:23.760 addition of Stafford or is it something else in your mind? Yeah, 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:26.240 I do. I think you know, that was sort of 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:30.359 the single biggest issue with the team. I'm a little 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:34.240 bit wary of defensive regression with some of the losses 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:37.400 that they've had, not just a defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:40.560 you know, a cross town but losing John Johnson and 0:19:40.600 --> 0:19:43.720 Troy Hill, two of the more underrated dvs in particularly 0:19:43.760 --> 0:19:47.960 Johnson in the NFL Brockers have become. These guys aren't 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:50.399 really big names, but when you've got a roster like that, 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:53.240 that's pretty top heavy, even though you have you know, 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:55.040 Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, who are the best in the 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:58.800 NFL with their respective positions. When you lose depths suddenly, 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:00.919 when you pay those guys a lot of money and 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:05.240 you start losing depths like they have, that can cause problems. 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:09.280 But I think the addition of Stafford, you know, it 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:12.280 probably will make enough a big enough of the difference 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:15.560 on offense to offset that. And it's no mystery why 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:19.080 McVay and less need went out and got him, which 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:22.160 is they wanted a quarterback who was not only going 0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:25.000 to air the ball out downfield, which was I think 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:27.920 you saw Jared Goss. The offense their area is kind 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:30.640 of declining every year since the Super Bowl, but also 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:33.480 his second reaction ability, the fact that he can extend 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:36.480 plays and just work outside a structure is really you know, 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:39.359 they're hoping we'll take the offense to another level. So 0:20:39.480 --> 0:20:42.359 let's move to Seattle. I want to hit Seattle and 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:45.280 San Francisco before we get to the Cardinals. The Russell 0:20:45.320 --> 0:20:48.879 Wilson Drama What are your thoughts on that. Do you 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:52.520 think it impacts the Seahawks once we kick the ball 0:20:52.560 --> 0:20:56.560 off in September. No, I think it's pretty much resolved 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.960 this year. You know, we'll see what happened next season. 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:03.000 But it has an interesting contrast with this Roger's story 0:21:03.080 --> 0:21:08.920 because with Wilson, I think the particular grievances, if you will, 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:12.840 we're actually are maybe not articulated by him, but we 0:21:13.359 --> 0:21:17.639 knew what the source of the problem was back in 0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:19.600 the spring, and then Seattle went out and dressed it 0:21:19.640 --> 0:21:23.080 in terms of augmenting the offensive line trade for Gabe Jackson, 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:26.040 signing Gerald Everett was a free agent tight end was 0:21:26.119 --> 0:21:29.720 left with the Rams, and then they drafted another wide 0:21:29.720 --> 0:21:32.800 receiver to place David Moore as the third and then 0:21:32.920 --> 0:21:36.000 signed or hired Shane Waldron to be their offensive coordinator 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:38.520 from the Rams. So I think, you know that's this 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:41.840 is an offense that really struggled in the second half 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:44.440 of last season for a multitude of reasons, some of 0:21:44.480 --> 0:21:47.440 which had to do with Wilson, some schematics, some personnel, 0:21:47.800 --> 0:21:51.000 and I think the changes they've made should hopefully address 0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:54.359 some of those issues. And you know, Wilson can get 0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:55.760 back to playing at the high levels that he did 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:58.080 in the first half of the year. I don't know. 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:01.080 In the second half with him, it was hard to 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:03.320 tell if it was all the hits that just were 0:22:03.359 --> 0:22:06.520 taking a toll on him. What did you see because 0:22:06.560 --> 0:22:10.480 he just didn't seem at times in the second half 0:22:10.480 --> 0:22:13.440 of the year to be anywhere near as sharp as 0:22:13.440 --> 0:22:15.520 he was early on, when he looked like the MVP 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:18.840 through the first couple months of the season. Yeah, it's fine. 0:22:18.880 --> 0:22:22.600 There's some parallels, and I think Arizona not in terms 0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:24.880