1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up 2 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: straight Fire, Fami, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire for Friday, 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: August thirteen. To remember as a kid in school, Friday 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: the thirteenth was like a big deal. I don't know 5 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,639 Speaker 1: anyone who even discusses it remotely at this stage in 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: my life, and nobody cares. The Friday thirteenth is not 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: a big deal. We have a phenomenal podcast. I don't 8 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: use the word phenomenal often great, outstanding, amazing, incredible, but 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: this is phenomenal. You're gonna love today's interview with Greg Bishop. 10 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: It's not the normal stuff we do on here. There 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: are no xs and ohs. There is not a lot 12 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: of gambling. There is not a lot of like intricate 13 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: breakdowns of teams. This is different. Greg Bishop is a 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: dude who I've known for a while. He wrote for 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: The New York Times forever. Now he's at s I. 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: He does like think pieces on sports, and he was 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: at the Olympics. He's got some interesting feedback from his 18 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: time there. He spent time in June with Dak Prescott. 19 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: The story has not come out yet, but he's giving 20 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: us a tease as to what is in it. It 21 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: sounds heavy, heavy but interesting. Um, you know, it just 22 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: seems like an overall good dude. Like if you were 23 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: your neighbor, you'd probably hang with him. It seems like 24 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: a nice guy. You're gonna love it. Um. Not a 25 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: ton going on in sports, uh yesterday that that is 26 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: worthy of discussion. I personally don't care about the Kauai 27 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: deal for for your deal, uh fourth year opt out, 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: there's nothing there. Who cares? Um. A lot of people 29 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: were upset about yesterday's podcast and the way I I 30 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: didn't even realize this as it happened, but a lot 31 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: of people were unhappy that I just let Shaun King 32 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: come on here and just slander my jet skuy Zach 33 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: Wilson by saying that um Kellen Mond or Kyle Trask 34 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: will be a better NFL quarterback than Zack Wilson. Um. 35 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: He got lit up on social media and listen, hey, 36 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: this is what Shaun King he said. What a lot 37 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: of these guys in sports do myself included, you say 38 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: things uh, um, summertimes are inflammatory. I don't think there's 39 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: any anything to back up mind and or Trask over 40 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: Zack Wilson. I'll just say this, Trask is in the 41 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: best spot. Um. He's got Bruce arians and should Brady 42 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: go down, he's got probably the you know best or 43 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: second best group of wide receivers in the league, really 44 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: really good group of tight ends. The running back room 45 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: is stacked, so contrast could come in and do really 46 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: well next year. Kelly Mont no shot. Um. But anyways, Uh, 47 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: Shaun King's fun. If you missed the pod, you should, 48 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: you should check it out. The one thing that damn it, 49 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: I hate to bring this up. Uh well, well, actually, 50 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: before I bring it up, I just want to give 51 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: a shout out to Fox. How cool was the Field 52 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: of Dreams? Uh Yankees game they had on Thursday night? 53 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: Pretty awesome field of Dreams, iconic movie. The stage of 54 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: baseball game there that feels like it should be like 55 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: a yearly thing. It was just incredible. It looked awesome, 56 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: It really jumped off the TV. Super cool. Um. But 57 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: before we get the Greg Bishop, I'll just say this, 58 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: I've been raving about the Jacksonville jag ours on this 59 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: podcast for months now. I have you know, you spread 60 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: your seed on futures bets in the NFL, and I 61 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: have more on the Jags, more numbers of bets not 62 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: money than any other team in the league. And I 63 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: just don't like what I've heard in the last week. 64 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 1: So first of all, C J. Henderson, who was maybe 65 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: your third best defensive player maybe fourth last year, is 66 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: all of a sudden up for trade. And he you know, 67 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: he's I think he's a rookie and this is gonna 68 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: be a second year in Urban Meyer, I guess, and 69 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: the defensive coordinator see him and they're like, oh, we're 70 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: ready to move on. And then Thursday night, all of 71 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: a sudden, they trade Joe Schobert, who I think was 72 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: their leading tackler last year. Middle linebackers of the Steelers, 73 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: who are needy at linebacker, they had a retirement um 74 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: and they don't have a ton of depth at linebacker, 75 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: and they trade for Joe Schobert. And it's unclear as 76 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: of right now what exactly the Steelers gave up. So 77 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: a year ago in March, the Jags gave Showbert five 78 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: years and fifty three mill with five mile guaranteed. They 79 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: liked him a lot, and I knew there's I know 80 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: there's a new regime, and Showbert's not particularly good against 81 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: the run, but he's he's very good in coverage. I 82 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: don't know, man, So what has Urban doing? I don't 83 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: really care about the strength coach or past that that 84 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: thing happened whatever. You know, if your best cornerback, at 85 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: least on paper coming into this season is all of 86 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: a sudden up for trade and then you're leading tackler 87 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: is up for trade, Like, what are we doing? Is 88 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: this a locker room thing? What's going on in Jacksonville? 89 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: Something is a miss there. I can't quite put my 90 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: finger on it yet. I'm gonna do my best to 91 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: ask around um. But like the Jags brought in some 92 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: guy from Casey Damien Wilson, and all of a sudden 93 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,559 Speaker 1: he was splitting first team wreath with Showbert and it's like, wait, 94 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: how either did Schobert get overpaid last year? He was 95 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: He's really good coverage linebacker, not as good against the run. 96 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: And it's just like, what the hell is going on 97 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: in Jacksonville? Two of your four best defenders from a 98 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,799 Speaker 1: year ago are suddenly either trade bait or traded. Uh 99 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: with three weeks to go, four weeks ago intill the season, Listen, 100 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: I'm not off to Jacksonville train. Maybe this is a 101 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 1: good thing. I just don't know at this juncture. I 102 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: just want to put that on your radar. All right, 103 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: without further ado, let's get to Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated. 104 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: Jason likes to think he knows everything when it comes 105 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: to sports. I know what sports dance want, But for 106 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: everything he doesn't. He knows a guy who does. Let's 107 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: just say I know a guy who knows a guy 108 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: another guy. All right, let's welcome into straight fire. One 109 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: of the pretty much the foremost take out guys in 110 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: the country. He wrote for The New York Times forever. 111 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: Now he's writing for Sports Illustrated. Just got back from 112 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: the Olympics. He's done books with athletes. Uh, and he's 113 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: got a profile coming out of one of the biggest 114 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: quarter back in the NFL. It's coming out soon. I 115 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: think we're gonna talk about it. He is Greg Bishop, Greg, 116 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: how are you man? Doing well? Too? Kind of an introduction, 117 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: but I'll take it, thank you. I mean, come on, jeeze, 118 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: your resume is incredible. But let's start with the Olympics 119 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: before we get to current NFL stuff. So it's because 120 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: of the time difference and the whole streaming and the life. 121 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: We didn't watch a ton of it in our house. 122 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: We kind of wanted to, but it just didn't take. 123 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: I am curious. What did you hear from people while 124 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: you were over there about the Olympics. Yeah, it's interesting 125 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: you said that, because I had kind of wondered, like 126 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: how much. I mean, obviously you see the stories about 127 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: the numbers being down right, and you know, our traffic 128 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: I think was was pretty good, but like it, it 129 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: also reflected that, and I just kind of wondered how 130 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 1: much people were watching, because for me, this was a 131 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: very interesting Olympic experience. It's the fifth one I've done. 132 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: I did Turn all the way to London, and then 133 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: I didn't do the next couple of cycles. So for me, 134 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,840 Speaker 1: it was going back to this place as a writer 135 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: who hopefully had improved of his craft and all that 136 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. And so I went into this with 137 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: low expectations. I thought, this isn't gonna be fun. We're 138 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: in quarantine for fourteen days, this is gonna be the 139 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: worst thing ever. My wife's pregnant, my son's almost four. Like, 140 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: I just didn't want to be away from home, and 141 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: yet I had an absolute blast out there and it 142 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: was probably because I covered so many things that reminded 143 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: me why I wanted to cover the Olympics in the 144 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: first place. You know, I did a lot of track, 145 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: you know, the four by four relays for hurdles, I mean, 146 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: individual races for hurdles were both incredible, the tie and 147 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: high jump Alison Felix's last stand. I mean that the 148 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: shot putter whose grandfather had died, who won and held 149 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: up as signs for you, grand pap. And like, I mean, 150 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: I don't think it was a good idea to hold 151 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: the Olympics right now, not in the country with low 152 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: vaccination rates and in a world that's that's still dealing 153 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: in a very significant way with the pandemic. But I 154 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: just gotta tell you, like being there it felt like 155 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: restorative for me, Like it was why why we do 156 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: this in the first place. And I did sport climbing, 157 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: I did skateboarding, I did sailing. I participated in none 158 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,119 Speaker 1: of those things, to be clear, but I wrote about 159 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: and I think that to me, like that's like why 160 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: I want to write stories, and especially the kind of 161 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: stories that get to write. It's just it reminds you 162 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: of you know, click Charissa Moore is a perfect example 163 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: of gold medals and surfing. You know, all this history 164 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: in Hawaii, couldn't compete under the state flag and this 165 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: rainbow comes out right before she wins, and in their 166 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: culture they believe that that is a manifestation of ancestors. 167 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: And there's this guy do that started surfing their statutes 168 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: by the beach where she grew up, and people thought 169 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: it was dude looking down on her winning, Like I mean, 170 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: you did. I couldn't invent a story. That's that And 171 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: to me, that speaks to the Olympics and it's a shame. 172 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 1: Misgivings aside because those are fair. It's a shame more 173 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: people didn't get to see it. Yeah, I mean their 174 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: story sound incredible. I am curious. You've covered many this one, 175 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: you know, I know some of the events had no fans? 176 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: Was it all the events? I I were outside? Do 177 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: they have some fans? Like? What was that? Like? Yeah, 178 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: you know there were crowds, but they had to be 179 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: the worst crowds in the history of sports, right, So 180 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: like it's usually mostly journalists who are jaded, and you know, 181 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: not not the Europeans, and that's that's a good crowd. 182 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: But like you get people like me and jaded hate cheering. 183 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: I think that everything sucks, you know, And so you know, 184 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: there were officials there and then there would be volunteers 185 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: and they could kind of move a little bit more freely. 186 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: It seemed like, you know, we were the sort of bubble, 187 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: but it didn't feel very bubbly, and there were a 188 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 1: lot of people who took liberty with parts of it, 189 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: you know, like we were only supposed to go to 190 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: seven eleven if we left our hotel, and only then 191 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: for fifteen minutes at a time, and you had to 192 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: like sign in and sign out and they said they 193 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: were tracking you and all this kinds of stuff. But 194 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: it seemed to relax a little bit. There were a 195 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: couple of venues I think that felt more like a game, 196 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: you know. I covered women's soccer, the tie against Australia 197 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: in Kashima. They had like school children and they were 198 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: all like packed together. That felt like a crowd, and 199 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 1: it was cool because it's like the least jaded crowd possible. 200 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: And then like I got a lot of arguments for 201 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: people over this, but I loved the scene at three 202 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: x three hoops. It was fantastic. There was hip hop dancers. 203 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: There was a DJ the volunteers went there, which to 204 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: me spoke to a level of interest in a sport 205 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: that got panned a lot, you know, back home, and 206 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: that to me felt like a very Olympic experience too. 207 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: And then the the other thing I would say in 208 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: terms of crowds, like when Alison Felix won that four 209 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: by four relay and they put together like essentially a 210 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 1: dream team. This was like Jordan's bird Magic, and you know, 211 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: I mean it was, you know, the four fastest people 212 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 1: they could have put out there, and they won by 213 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: so much. I took a picture. I put it on 214 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: my Instagram. You can see, I think, mo and she's 215 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: so far ahead of her next competitor on the straight 216 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: away that they haven't even turned the curve. And like 217 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: the every coach in that building was sitting in the 218 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 1: grand stand near the end of the finish, and they 219 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: went crazy, like they were up on their feet and yelling, 220 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: and like, here's a woman who want to eleven medals, 221 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,439 Speaker 1: you know, Like I mean, I I don't know how 222 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: long it took me to get eleven of anything, you know, 223 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: And so there were these like little moments and you know, 224 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: they're juxtaposed against like people definitely got sick, you know, 225 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: like there was definitely virus fread like. I mean, I'm 226 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: not excusing any of that, but I would say that 227 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: in the process, like, I've really really enjoyed covering it 228 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: in a way I totally did not expect to. Yeah, 229 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: I mean that you make it sound amazing. Frankly, that's 230 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: honestly think I liked it more than any Olympics I've covered. 231 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: And I've covered every Tennis Grand Slam, I've covered the 232 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: Tour de France. I'm covered at millions Super Bowls. Like 233 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: maybe it's just because I'm older and I'm having kids 234 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: and I'm soft now, but yeah, yeah, definitely getting soft. 235 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: But there's also the aspect of for the last year, 236 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: you really couldn't do Jack Squat and you yeah, and 237 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: now you're like out there at an Olympics with great 238 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: stories everywhere. Absolutely, and I tried to frame it in 239 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: my own brain is like an opportunity rather than you know, 240 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: I left most days for track at seven. I got 241 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: back between two and four and I walked to a right. Yeah, 242 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: I walked. I walked a woman back every day I could, 243 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: And that's a forty minute walk and really really strong heat, 244 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: and I just, you know, I just looked at it 245 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: like this was such a cool opportunity and I wouldn't 246 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: have been able to do that when I was twenty five. 247 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: Wait wait, why were you having to walk forty minutes 248 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: in the heat? I just liked it. It was like, what, 249 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: you got the choice to take a bus or whatever 250 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: it is that no, you know, the bus would be 251 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: like two hours. So I'm like an efficiency guy, but 252 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: I also like I wanted to lose a little weight, 253 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: and like, this is like Las Vegas married Miami. So 254 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: you have the heat of Vegas and the humidity of Miami, 255 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,199 Speaker 1: and the second you step outside, it's just like instant sweat. 256 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: And then we got to go sit on these buses 257 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 1: with people from all over the world who may or 258 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:53,839 Speaker 1: may not have COVID. Yeah, they're just as sweaty as 259 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: I am. So it actually ended up writing at the 260 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: end about my empty walks through Tokyo at the end 261 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: of the night. You know they're they're are these I 262 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: would just walk through Shinjuku, which is like the biggest, 263 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: most vibrant part of the city they called the City 264 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: of Lights, I'd highly recommend going. There was so much fun. 265 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 1: Walking through it when it's totally empty was amazing. If 266 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 1: a quick story, if you have time. I uh, the third, 267 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: the last day I covered track, Felix had had one 268 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 1: the four by four. I was like sad I had 269 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: to write again. I was feeling tired and you know, 270 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: I'd hit my own non exercise wall. And I started 271 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,839 Speaker 1: walking back my usual walk, which my favorite part of 272 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: the day, and the heavens just opened and like water soaked. 273 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I could have got a cab. I'm thinking about, 274 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: like you know, walking back to the bus, and instead 275 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: I just like I decide I was gonna keep walking. 276 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: I was cranking some jay Z on my air pods 277 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: and just like barreling down the streets of Tokyo, and 278 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, this older woman ran up to me, 279 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: which is really unusual, right, Like the Japanese people don't 280 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: really mess with you, like they they're very respectful, you know, 281 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: like they're very helpful, but they're not going to run 282 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: up to you like that. And so I whom she 283 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: wanted money and they have a million different coins, so 284 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: I'm like reaching my pocket to get the coins, which 285 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get rid of anyway. And instead she 286 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: took her umbrella and she handed it to me, and 287 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: I like, I tried to give it back to her 288 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 1: because obviously the metrics and optics on that aren't very good, 289 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, but she wouldn't take it. And so I 290 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: have this umbrella at my house now. And that's just 291 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: why do you have any idea? Why? So you tell 292 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: me there's nobody in the streets when you're walking, like 293 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: you'd see like a person every two blocks, and then 294 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: during the day it would be like times Square pact. Wow. 295 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: So and if did it feel safe or not? Really? Yeah, 296 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: totally safe, but for that reason, you know, like because 297 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: it's they're just weren't a lot of people out now. 298 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: Japan is pretty safe in general, so I think it 299 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been an into either way. But it was also, 300 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I'll send you a couple of pictures. It 301 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: was incredibly empty. It was so jarring. And I imagine 302 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: if New York was like that, a place I lived 303 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: for a long time, it would feel even more jarring. 304 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: But you know, the last couple of nights were able 305 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: to go out like Shinjuku and like to go to 306 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: Japanese barbecue and to see these alleyways with all these bars, 307 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: and I mean it felt like the way the Olympics 308 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: would have been, which would have just spied my productivity. 309 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: So we're yeah, yeah, wow, that's a good experience. So 310 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: now you know how much time off will you get 311 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: after the Olympics before you dive into I'm assuming you're 312 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: gonna have you cover college in the NFL for s 313 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: I yeah, for sure. Um, you know, we're doing October again, 314 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: so I'll only do it like part of the season, uh, 315 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: you know, because I'll be at home on paternity leave. 316 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: But um oh sweet, Yeah, but like a month off 317 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: yeah yeah, maybe even like six weeks of hopefully hopefully 318 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: they're listening. Definitely maybe in my arm Um. So let 319 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: me ask, did you when you were when your first 320 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: kid was born? Did you get any time off? I 321 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: got two weeks? Yeah. Yeah. Things are changing for sure. Yeah. 322 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: I still remember my first I mean ten years ago. 323 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: No time. Yeah yeah, And you know, a lot of 324 00:15:57,840 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: things have been said about our new ownership group, but 325 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: they do have a twelve week policy, so I'll be 326 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: able to take some during the season and some after 327 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: which I'm very grateful for Yeah, as I really stirring 328 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: the pot. We we don't need to go there because 329 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: I mean, frankly, there's I don't think the audience really 330 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: knows or cares. Um, but s I has been changing, 331 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: that's obvious, but not really your role, right, Like you 332 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: you're pretty much doing the same thing, big take out pieces, 333 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: interesting stuff. Um, you're not doing cookie cutter kind of 334 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: the Chiefs get back to the super Bowl. That's like 335 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: just not You're that's not on brand for I hope not. 336 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: That's another thing. Very I'm very grateful for, you know, 337 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: the ablity to think through and hopefully um, you know, 338 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: do pieces that make people think through them. And so 339 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: you talk about time off, I mean they're they'ld being nice. 340 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: I'm not supposed to work till the pack Help Fight, 341 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: which is next weekend. Um, but I've been closing a 342 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: cover story the last two days, right after I got back. 343 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: This is just the life we have chosen. No rest 344 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: for the way. Wow, So I'm curious. I'm like, I 345 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: think you've been covering packing out for a while, right, 346 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: going way back to what New York Times back thousand 347 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: and nine, was the first time I wrote him and 348 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: actually I feel part in a quick digression um. The 349 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: first time I wrote a Red Sternberg and I went 350 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: to his apartment. This is back when he was living 351 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: in multiple places in Los Angeles, and he chose to 352 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: live there because he liked being crowded like people and 353 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: having everybody on top of him. And he didn't come 354 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,919 Speaker 1: downstairs for seven hours. So I ended up writing my 355 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: first story in pack YEA was just about his entourage 356 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: and how it functions, because this is what I watched 357 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: all day. It's like five guys having a debate on 358 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: what kind of gatorade to give him, and then it's like, 359 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: you know, somebody's like arranging the dark board, so it's 360 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: just like freaking perfect. And then it's like somebody else 361 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: is like cutting up the leftover food and portioning it 362 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: out for everybody. Somebody else was like setting up the 363 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: karaoke because I guess that was the plan for the night. 364 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: And the craziest detail from that whole story is that 365 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: whoever he is happiest with, at least then I'm not 366 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: positive that it's now, would sleep at the foot of 367 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: his bed, like even if his wife was in the bed, 368 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,719 Speaker 1: somebody would sleep and they were all angling for it 369 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: and this is why you gotta love covering boxing, Like 370 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: I got that on the record and yeah, that sounds 371 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: like I was gonna say Diva, but maybe it's a 372 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: little more of a cultural thing. Yeah. Well, I think 373 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: part of it is like he grew up really poor, 374 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: surrounded by family, and I think that, you know, in 375 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: some ways that was comforting to him, especially as his 376 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: world at that point. You know, this is the Ricky Hatton, 377 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: you know, Miguel Coto, these are like this is prime pack. Yeah, 378 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: when if he thought Floyda would have been amazing and uh, 379 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: you know, it was really like I think everything was 380 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: changing rapidly for him. He was trying to hold onto it. 381 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's interesting to still be writing about him 382 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: this this much. I mean, is he I know, he's 383 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 1: super world famous and but does he kind of remember 384 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: you from back in the day. Are you guys texting 385 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: and stuff? Well, he at least pretends to, but I 386 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: don't know. You know, the other day I saw him 387 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: in l A. I got a piece out on him 388 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: next week. That's sort of political nature. You know, what 389 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: he's trying to do and what the hurdles are and 390 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: his beef with the current president. Um, and why that happened? 391 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: And so I saw him, You're like this, that's something 392 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: in l A. I was only there for the day, 393 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: you know, and I went to see the McKee family 394 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: first that I go to see Manny. He points at 395 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: my hair and he says, we are both no longer 396 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: young men, you know, because it's like gray and my tent. 397 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: So he does remember, and so I think, so, I 398 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: mean either that he's just like, why does that gray 399 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,199 Speaker 1: hair dude keep coming back? I mean, well, you know, 400 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 1: it's funny you mentioned political. Um. You know, Greg, I said, 401 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: I hate talking about politics now, absolutely hate it. It's 402 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,479 Speaker 1: insufferable for me. Um. But the you know, the business 403 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 1: of sports, unfortunately is getting a little political. Are you 404 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,400 Speaker 1: How are you navigating that minefield? You know, I try 405 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: not to write a ton about it, mostly because like 406 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: I don't love to deal with the reaction, Like I don't. 407 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,360 Speaker 1: Even it doesn't bother me. People say they hate something 408 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: I wrote, or that I did something wrong, or like 409 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: you know, you get that every day. Yeah that's even 410 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,400 Speaker 1: from at home, you know, watching the next room over 411 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: probably left and uh, you know, it's more like the 412 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: hateful stepth that's hard, you know, start getting into the 413 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: Trump stuff was pretty divisive, so a lot I had 414 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: a lot of those are just mutant and blocking. You're 415 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,880 Speaker 1: wasting brain power by doing that, you know, And so 416 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: you know, to me, it's relevant more when it relates 417 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: to the sporting event just from my job, you know, 418 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: not saying it's not relevant in general. Like people that 419 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 1: cover that do an amazing job of it. They do 420 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: a better job than I ever could. But to me, 421 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 1: what's interesting about this pack he'll fight. I don't want 422 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: to give too much of my story away, but I 423 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: think it's safe to say that he would not be 424 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: fighting again if he did not want to win President 425 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: of the Philippines next night. This fight is about a 426 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: lot more than his legacy. I mean, my understanding is 427 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: he's trying to fight twice before next May in order 428 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: to try to win, and if he doesn't do well 429 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: in those fights, and he picked really hard ones to 430 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: max the relevancy. I mean, obviously E. E E. Spence got hurt, 431 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: but you know, there was no no, there's not a coincidence. 432 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: He picks fence like he thought that was the best 433 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,239 Speaker 1: way to give him the best chance to win. And 434 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: so my story is about why he is a long 435 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 1: shot in that regard and why he's still fighting is 436 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: not as much for the love of the sport or 437 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: for legacy, which is I mean, come on, already as 438 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: good as a legacy eight divisions so many years, never 439 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: ducked anybody, took on all opponents, Like, there's nothing left 440 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: for him to fight for except for the thing he 441 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 1: wants that he may not be able to get anyway. 442 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: So that's when my piece that's out next week is 443 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: about just hearing that. Greg, you clearly go for the 444 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:26,239 Speaker 1: big picture stuff, you know, like as much as we 445 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: do on this podcast with like you know, gambling, tiny 446 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: stuff and fantasy, Like you're doing the big picture stuff 447 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: this piece on Dak Presscott. And again I'm not asking 448 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 1: to give away everything, but you hung out with him 449 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: at his house for I don't know what forty eight 450 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,639 Speaker 1: hours or something. Yeah, it's kind of interesting, right. I 451 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: went in June, so they were still pretty locked down, 452 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: so I could not go see him in anything that 453 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: was like team related. That's like an NFL rule, which 454 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 1: is good for me, right, Like wull be offside anyway, 455 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,119 Speaker 1: you know, And so I think I had sort of 456 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 1: a tryout the first day. I never asked him, but 457 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: we've met at as cigar bar in Frisco, te Exus, 458 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: and we got the back room to ourselves. Nobody else 459 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: was in there except the waitstaff, and we talked for 460 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: a long time. And then at the end of that 461 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: I basically said, hey, like, I'd love to get some 462 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: scene tomorrow with whatever you want to do, And he said, 463 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: what are you thinking. I said, well, I'd love to 464 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: come by your house, like it looks pretty awesome, and 465 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: so yeah, yeah, yeah, And like, you know, he was 466 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: just so normal. I've done a million of those, and 467 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: in general, famous people are more normal than you think. 468 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 1: But he was like relatable in a way. We're like 469 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: he asked me about other writers that we that I 470 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 1: know that we had in common. He ordered us door 471 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: dash for lunch at his house one day, you know, 472 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: just like on his phone, you know, I mean, he 473 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: was remarkably grounded. You know, even while we're walking around 474 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: this backyard, big pond, half a football field with the 475 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: goal post and like speakers lining the whole thing. He 476 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 1: has a golf green that's like, you know, three different 477 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 1: aiming points to the same spot. You know, I won't 478 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: say how I hit out there. Uh, then you know 479 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 1: there's a pool set up. I mean it was. It 480 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: was really cool. And part of the story I think 481 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: is like how he shaped himself in childhood to be 482 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: able to deal with all the difficult things that have 483 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 1: happened to him. And one thing that I thought was 484 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: cool was sort of connecting this palace that he made 485 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: on seven acres to what it was like for him 486 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,879 Speaker 1: growing up in a trailer park. And you know, I 487 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 1: think the part of that is like, for this guy, 488 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: everything has changed, and yet in some ways nothing has. 489 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in 490 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports 491 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app 492 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: search f s R to listen live. Do you find 493 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:44,199 Speaker 1: athletes now reluctant to come out and reveal all this 494 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: stuff to you? Or are they more willing to say 495 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: it to you because of your history and a lot 496 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: of the stuff you've covered. Yeah. You know what I 497 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,199 Speaker 1: try to do now that I never did when I 498 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:54,919 Speaker 1: was younger. I would go into these things when I 499 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: was younger, just sort of hoping that that serendipity would 500 00:23:57,720 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 1: strike and that I'd get some good stuff, and i'd 501 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: be able to fashion it into a story. I don't. 502 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: I'm not in the mind that you go into a 503 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: story knowing what you plan to write. I hate it 504 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: when my editors tell me what I should be looking 505 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: for to me this this the reporting should be more 506 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: organic than that. I should have kind of an idea 507 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: of what I think the story is. But that's that 508 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:17,719 Speaker 1: that line of thinking should go through the people I'm 509 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: writing about. So this is the best thing I ever learned. 510 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 1: That I tell the younger writers because you just don't 511 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 1: think that you're worth worthy of saying something like this. 512 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 1: But I tell people exactly what I'm looking for, you know, 513 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 1: in terms of parameters for the reporting trip, in terms 514 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: of what I think the premises, in terms of who 515 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: I think I need to talk to. And none of 516 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: that is to say that I go with everything they 517 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: say or that dec and I didn't even he disagreed 518 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,199 Speaker 1: a little bit with what I think the premise of 519 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: the story is. But that tension in the back and 520 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: forth there is organic and usable, you know, because then 521 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 1: I get to what he thinks it is versus what 522 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 1: it looks like. And so I spend a lot of 523 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: time like telling my own story when it's relevant, you know. 524 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,440 Speaker 1: In terms of talking to them, I discussed my own 525 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,439 Speaker 1: mental health and things I've gone through. I discussed my 526 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: reporting with the Lynskey family and things I've done there. 527 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: And I just think it's less that I'm like trying 528 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: to tell him about me, because obviously nobody would find 529 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: me interesting. But it's more like I want to show 530 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: him that I understand this world, that I'm not coming 531 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: out to write the same story. You know. One of 532 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: his concerns going in was he felt like his story 533 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:22,959 Speaker 1: has been told, and to me, his story had been 534 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: told a lot in one way. But that's actually an opportunity. 535 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,399 Speaker 1: That is me saying I can do this differently, Like 536 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: your life is more than these three events. Let's go 537 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: tie it all together, let's really sit down and talk. 538 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 1: And I think once you set that expectation level, it 539 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: doesn't always work, you know, but it tends to work 540 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: more than it used to. And I wish I feel 541 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: bad for everyone. I wrote long stories about when I 542 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 1: was like in my twenties and just terrible, you know, 543 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,159 Speaker 1: and you've changed, you've matured, right, yeah, But like I 544 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: didn't know what I didn't know, and now now, I 545 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: wish they all deserved better. But like I tried hard 546 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: on this story, and that's half the battle. You know, 547 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: get get in front of the guy, have a good plan, 548 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: and see if you'll buy into it. And in this case, 549 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 1: I don't think I've ever profiled the famous person who 550 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: was this open with me as that was wow. And 551 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: and the events of course, his you know, his brother's death, 552 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: his mom uh and um, his own issues that he's 553 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: been dealing with. I'm just curious, go ahead, Well he's 554 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: started with his own mental health. You know, mom died 555 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: of cancer when he was in college. Brother committed died 556 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: by suicide in ah in April. And then you had 557 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: the injury, which was freakish. And yeah, you know, then 558 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: you had the contract and obviously that's been resolved, but 559 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: it wasn't for a lot of this, and it wasn't. Yeah, 560 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: I am curious. You know, the mental health stuff, Simone 561 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: Biles at the Olympics. It's like a big flashpoint now. 562 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: And then of course because people want to politicize it. 563 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 1: You know, the right is saying, wow, this is an convenient, 564 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: easy way out. And I don't know, you've been writing 565 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: about it longer than a lot of people. Greg, you're 566 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: going back to the Halinski family, um in that awful story. 567 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: Uh in college football? I don't know where. Where do 568 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 1: you think we are is sports fans when it comes 569 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: to mental health and anxiety and listen, I'll keep it 570 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: a hundred as I always do. I have my own 571 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: issues more I'm you know, I have some anxiety. My 572 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: wife thinks it's like full blown, but I of course 573 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, it's not that big of a deal. 574 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: But in inside, I know I have mine. I think 575 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: we all to some level have something right. Absolutely, I 576 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: deal able to tell myself anxiety, you know, none now 577 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:31,159 Speaker 1: but depression into my past and I've had family members 578 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: and situations like that. So here's what I think is 579 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: cool about it. I think that it's changing, but it's 580 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: not going to change as fast as you know, maybe 581 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: people that really love the concept wanted to. And that's 582 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: because there are going to be people out there that 583 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: think itself, that think it's um sort of a cop out. 584 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: And I'm sure there will even be instances where people 585 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,439 Speaker 1: you know, sort of say this is dealing with my 586 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: mental health when they don't really have the wake up 587 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 1: the way that I wake up, which is like my 588 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: brain going like this, trying to make sense of what's 589 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: going happened in the day, you know, and like that's 590 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: a real thing, but it's by biological you know, and 591 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: we're starting to figure that out. Here's what's cool about it. Um. 592 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: I think Naomi Asaka took a lot of sort of heat, 593 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: you know, when she went threw from the French Open. 594 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 1: She had a lot of support, but you saw a 595 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: lot of it. I talked with this with Colton Brown 596 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: at Judoka about this in Tokyo, and I think when 597 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: Biles withdrew for the same reasons, I think she got 598 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: a lot less of the other stuff you're talking about now. 599 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: She still got some of it, but some of this 600 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: is like outraged cycle. To me, it's like, you know, 601 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: three people of three thousands says something terrible, and then 602 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: it becomes the world didn't support her, you know, because 603 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: we're looking for the non support. That's the other problem 604 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: is when I saw with Biles was a ton of 605 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: support from famous people, from regular people, from athletes, from 606 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: gymnasts in the stories. It was overwhelming, and that took 607 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: me your progress, Wait, how Greg hold on? How do 608 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 1: we fix that? How do we avoid reporting what these 609 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: jackasses say on on social media because they don't matter. 610 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: Guys with seventeen followers that are using an anonymous handle 611 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: Dick Ryder seventy three, Like, these guys aren't They don't 612 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: really believe that. They're just saying that to piss people off. 613 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: The just saying that to get under people's skin. So 614 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: why does the media latch onto those clowns? Well, I 615 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: think part of it is like we expect to be outraged, 616 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: you know, we expect to have something we want to 617 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: latch onto that makes it, you know, essentially like, of 618 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: course somebody wouldn't support Simone bios because Trump was president 619 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: and the right sucks, you know, like that's the line 620 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 1: of logic that goes into it. And then like you're 621 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 1: like you don't support Simone in your maga and all 622 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: this other stuff. Like I think the best way to 623 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: deal with this to go right at it, And that 624 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: to me has been the coolest by product of this conversation. 625 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,479 Speaker 1: Like I've had conversations with my friends about my own 626 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: mental health that I never would have had before that 627 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: I certainly never would have had if I didn't meet 628 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: the Alinski family, and I certainly not being the place 629 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:02,959 Speaker 1: I'm at in my life if I hadn't you know, 630 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: gone after some of that stuff. And so I don't 631 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: think there's like a right answer, but I think it's 632 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: awesome that we're like talking about it, you know, and 633 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 1: that Osaka had more detractors than Biles did unsend scientific 634 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: survey there. Okay, I might be wrong, but like, no, no, 635 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: I mean I would probably agree with that. Again, you know, 636 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: there's no there's no scientific way to prove that, you know, 637 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 1: unless you go by social media reactions, which we just 638 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: said is asinine. Yeah, And I think that, you know, 639 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: if this happens enough times, then eventually we look at 640 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: this like, look, there are athletes that say their knee 641 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: hurts when it doesn't really hurt because they don't want 642 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: to play or they don't want to get hurt, right, 643 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: And so the whole idea that somebody could use mental 644 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: health is an excuse or whatever they would term it. 645 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:45,600 Speaker 1: You know, it's no different to me than an injury 646 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: in that regard either. You know, it's like there's a 647 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: whole body in play with athletes, and we've seen in 648 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: the last ten years, and I've written a lot about it, 649 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: that whole landscape has changed mental health but also physical recovery. 650 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: The tools that are used, the holistic nature of being 651 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: your best, which applies to you and me and Tom 652 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: Brady and people that are more talented than we are, 653 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: no offense to either of us. And I think that 654 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: you know, it should all be looked at in the 655 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 1: same called when it doesn't mean every time it needs 656 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: to be a massive thing, but it's no different thing. 657 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: Like you can tweak your ankle and address your ankle. 658 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: You can tweak your mental health and need a small fix. 659 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: You can break your leg and need a whole year off. 660 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: You can have a really bad time and mental health 661 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 1: and need a whole year off. Like to me, it's 662 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: all the same bucket. But the way that we fix 663 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: it to stop focusing on this thing that we're expecting, 664 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 1: which is people reacting in a way that doesn't make 665 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: sense to a rational person, and let's focus on everything else. 666 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: I've read it so much about process, about recovery, about 667 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: sports sikes to the point where I'm like being I 668 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: writing too much about mental health, you know, And to me, 669 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: that's good. That means the conversations moving forward now, it's 670 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 1: not gonna be overnight. I just wonder you said in 671 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: the last decade. And the only thing that I feel 672 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: that has changed efficantly the last decade is the impact 673 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: of phones and social media. And again, I'm small potatoes, 674 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: but I go on Undisputed and I ripped the Pelicans 675 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: and my phone doesn't stop buzzing all day, and I'm 676 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: I'm you know, I'm small a small time, Okay. I 677 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: can't imagine what it's like for Dak Prescott. I can't 678 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: even fathom quarterback of the Cowboys or anybody in the NFL, 679 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: or and Kevin Love or whoever they got the phone 680 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: in their pocket. They got millions of followers. I that 681 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: this has to have some significant impact. Would you not agree? 682 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,479 Speaker 1: And anybody that tells you that their social doesn't impact 683 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: them is lying, is my personal belief. You know. I 684 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 1: actually took Twitter off my phone just because I don't 685 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: want to be smart. I want to look at it 686 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: like twice a day for new stuff, but I don't 687 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: want to be caught up in caring about what some 688 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: guy at Des Moines thinks about the story. I wrote 689 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: that I didn't have time to do the right you know, 690 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: like it's just like not my best work or something, 691 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: or like maybe they have a good point and somebody 692 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: has made it thirty times. Do you need to look 693 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: at the other all the way up to hundred and forty? 694 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 1: You know, like yeah, not really, but like that stuff 695 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: doesn't impact you. It does. It's not like I sit 696 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 1: around thinking about the reaction all the time, like that 697 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: would be inaccurate to say, but to say to say 698 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: that you get all this hateful stuff sent your way 699 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: by total strangers when you're just trying to do your 700 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: job well and then it doesn't impact you at all, 701 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 1: Like I would never say that I've worked with people 702 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: greg that I've seen witnessed melt down under this the 703 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 1: burden of social media and just you know, you obviously 704 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: have a wife and kid at home and another one 705 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: on the way, but like I feel like that is 706 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: such a huge component to distancing yourself from social media. 707 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: You know, you're with your family, you have an outlet 708 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: all these Yahoo's screaming at you on social media? Who cares? 709 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: You're playing connect for with your kid and your wife, 710 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 1: and you guys are going out and doing stuff, Like 711 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 1: I do feel bad for people who don't have that, 712 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: And some of these young kids man, like, I mean, 713 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: we're talking about us as adults. You deleted Twitter. It's 714 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: tough for me to wake up on a morning and 715 00:33:58,080 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: not make it the first app I look at because 716 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: I gotta put out my my podcast and I gotta 717 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: see what the reaction is. Do I need to reply 718 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,040 Speaker 1: like I've probably I swear a block like maybe five 719 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: thousand people. I just don't have the time. Again, if 720 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: you're anonymous and you're just gonna yell at me, I don't. 721 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 1: I don't need that. You know, you don't need to 722 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: look at your phone and people are mother effing you, 723 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: you know, four out of seven days a week. That 724 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 1: doesn't happen in real life. Has anyone ever come up 725 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: to you Greg in public about a story and got 726 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 1: in your faces said, man, you sucked. That was awful? 727 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: Anyone ever? Greg? Funny enough? Not often, but I didn't 728 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,400 Speaker 1: get heckled. Once in Madison Square Garden when I was 729 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: covering the biggest tournament and this guy was and he 730 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: was like, Bishop, your column sucked, you know, And I 731 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:41,320 Speaker 1: was like, there, it wasn't my favorite, so you're probably 732 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: one time in one screg he was like, you know, right, 733 00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 1: right right, And he's not gonna get in your face. Yeah. Yeah, alright, 734 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: So hey, I've taken I've kept you way too long. 735 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: I guess I do want to wrap up. You know, 736 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: you have one of th You have a book coming 737 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 1: out that I'm kind of interested in. Um, you know, 738 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,280 Speaker 1: without giving you too much credit, sounds like you've cornered 739 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: the market on foreign players coming into the NFL. Uh, 740 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 1: tell us about your your book with a certain offensive 741 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:13,319 Speaker 1: lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah. So I'm doing 742 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: a book with Laurentto bern A tardif he was the 743 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: starting right guard in the super Bowl that they won 744 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: and he did not play in because he's the only 745 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: active doctor in the NFL. And uh, you know, I 746 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 1: mean the book will essentially be about the year away, 747 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: which was a lot harder for him, I think than 748 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 1: people would expect for COVID reasons and for personal ones, 749 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 1: you know, being away from teammates, wanting to protect mahomes. 750 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 1: It certainly was not lost on him, Um how that 751 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: Super Bowl went and how they lost that game. Not 752 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,919 Speaker 1: to say that he would have magically fixed their line 753 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: with issues, but you know, he he was a top 754 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 1: tier lineman that didn't play and uh, you know, you 755 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,360 Speaker 1: confronted a lot of stuff that makes what it was, 756 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: you know, so that was you know, whether it was 757 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,920 Speaker 1: the actual pandemic, the humanity that he's saw in terms 758 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: of the people he worked with on the front lines, 759 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: or the patients that he cared for. Um. This it 760 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,320 Speaker 1: is like the things that have stayed with me about 761 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: writing it are just it's like equal parts heartbreaking and informative, 762 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:14,840 Speaker 1: and it ties to the world in a way I 763 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,720 Speaker 1: think is unique, Like this is a guy who explained 764 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: what we lived through from the best best, best parts 765 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: of this really terrible situation to everything that made it 766 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:26,400 Speaker 1: terrible in the first place. And I would just sort of, 767 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: I guess I would pose it that there's not a 768 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: person like him in the world that had that exact viewpoint. 769 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 1: That was a super Bowl champion who wanted more than 770 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:38,160 Speaker 1: anything to defend his title and couldn't because there was 771 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,799 Speaker 1: something else that was more important. Like, I mean, they 772 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,480 Speaker 1: have made movies about far less than than that, And 773 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: I'm I'm excited to put all that out into the world, 774 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 1: for sure. I guess you gotta wait for to get optioned, right, 775 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,359 Speaker 1: Uh And then no, no, we saw with Harbercalls. Yeah, 776 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: so yeah, it'll be out after the season. But what 777 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: about the movie rights? Do you think that here? Well, 778 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 1: I'd love to and who would play me? Is the question? 779 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, obviously the writer that matters so significant. Have 780 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:07,840 Speaker 1: you have you talked to him about Delta? Can I 781 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,120 Speaker 1: ask that? Uh? You know, I haven't spoken since I 782 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,279 Speaker 1: went to the Olympics. So we could have a little 783 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:16,760 Speaker 1: bit of conversations about the pandemic coming back again, because 784 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,600 Speaker 1: it does put him in sort of a situation. But 785 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,800 Speaker 1: he's already committed to trying to come back for the season. 786 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,880 Speaker 1: Only make the Chiefs a president. They obviously did a 787 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,279 Speaker 1: lot of work to their offensive line. Doesn't mean there's 788 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 1: not a spot for him, but doesn't guarantee one either. 789 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 1: That's the life of an NFL player, And so he 790 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: was just you know, he's been consistently telling me to 791 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: be careful. You know, all of all the people I've 792 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 1: written about for pandemic things said that a bad way 793 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 1: was coming. You know, I landed two days ago from 794 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 1: Tokyo and this is where they said we'd be great. 795 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: Come on, wait a minute, please tell me our kids 796 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,560 Speaker 1: are going to be in school this fall. God, I hope. 797 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 1: So you know one first, and I spoke with who's 798 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: on the Sports and Society work group for COVID nineteen 799 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: that meets with the White House in the CDC told 800 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:59,239 Speaker 1: me he thought this period would be as bad as 801 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: the initial one, and that's what we're seeing now. That's devastating. Well, 802 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:05,720 Speaker 1: I hate to end on a bad note, damn it, Greg, 803 00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:08,240 Speaker 1: because my wife and I are not gonna be throwed 804 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:09,960 Speaker 1: if our kids have to do homeschool again. Like that 805 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 1: was not fun, not fun for anybody, damn Moore us. 806 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 1: But anyways, height Greg, thanks for taking the time man. 807 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 1: Sound you've done some great stuff. You sounds like just 808 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 1: a really good dad and friend and father and all 809 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: that stuff. So keep up the good work man, and uh, 810 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,280 Speaker 1: you know, keep turning out the great journalism we're trying. 811 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 1: But thank you. Great opportunity here, and it was fun 812 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: to tell some stories