1 00:00:05,496 --> 00:00:07,696 Speaker 1: Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is 2 00:00:07,736 --> 00:00:10,576 Speaker 1: a production of the NFL and iHeart podcasts. 3 00:00:12,096 --> 00:00:19,016 Speaker 2: We Got Lots just say, we got lots to say? 4 00:00:20,616 --> 00:00:21,736 Speaker 3: What is better here? 5 00:00:21,896 --> 00:00:24,896 Speaker 4: And we hope you say because we got lost. 6 00:00:24,976 --> 00:00:32,656 Speaker 2: Just said, yeah, we got lots just say. Here's Bobby that. 7 00:00:33,336 --> 00:00:36,976 Speaker 5: Hey, welcome to another episode of Lots to Say. Hey, 8 00:00:36,976 --> 00:00:39,295 Speaker 5: what a family picture of you guys at USC. How 9 00:00:39,336 --> 00:00:40,295 Speaker 5: cool is that is it? 10 00:00:40,296 --> 00:00:41,336 Speaker 1: Because it was your. 11 00:00:41,256 --> 00:00:43,455 Speaker 5: Alma water, your wife's alma water, and you were working, 12 00:00:43,495 --> 00:00:44,376 Speaker 5: so he took ahole family. 13 00:00:44,656 --> 00:00:45,616 Speaker 1: Yeah, well they went. 14 00:00:45,775 --> 00:00:49,455 Speaker 3: We went out there for Thanksgiving break family where it 15 00:00:49,535 --> 00:00:53,176 Speaker 3: was out there. And then obviously my wife is alumnus 16 00:00:53,256 --> 00:00:55,935 Speaker 3: as well, and so we brought all the kids and 17 00:00:56,056 --> 00:00:59,736 Speaker 3: my extended family, my brothers, my sister, all my nieces 18 00:00:59,776 --> 00:01:01,136 Speaker 3: and nephews, they all came as well. 19 00:01:01,216 --> 00:01:02,576 Speaker 1: So I brought the kids down. 20 00:01:03,056 --> 00:01:06,656 Speaker 3: And the funny part was we were doing the pregame 21 00:01:06,696 --> 00:01:08,816 Speaker 3: show and normally what we do is we look for 22 00:01:08,816 --> 00:01:10,736 Speaker 3: a big alumni to come bang the drum. It's like 23 00:01:10,776 --> 00:01:12,936 Speaker 3: the last segment before we go and push it to 24 00:01:13,016 --> 00:01:15,936 Speaker 3: the actual game. And we couldn't find anybody out on 25 00:01:15,976 --> 00:01:19,296 Speaker 3: the field, like no heavy hitters, so then the field 26 00:01:19,296 --> 00:01:22,816 Speaker 3: producer Wilkie comes up and goes, cas, we're just gonna 27 00:01:23,136 --> 00:01:24,136 Speaker 3: We're gonna use your family. 28 00:01:24,416 --> 00:01:26,576 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, was that idea? Yeah, So they 29 00:01:26,576 --> 00:01:27,376 Speaker 1: were on NBC. 30 00:01:27,656 --> 00:01:30,216 Speaker 3: And the funniest part was my oldest son, who's only 31 00:01:30,216 --> 00:01:32,136 Speaker 3: twelve years old. He's sitting there and he's got a 32 00:01:32,136 --> 00:01:34,456 Speaker 3: stoic personality and they go to bang the drum and 33 00:01:34,496 --> 00:01:36,656 Speaker 3: You're like, all my other kids are smiling stuff, and 34 00:01:36,376 --> 00:01:41,176 Speaker 3: he's stone cold, and the He's just stone cold, no 35 00:01:41,296 --> 00:01:44,336 Speaker 3: facial expression. And Wilkie's like, I think your oldest son 36 00:01:44,456 --> 00:01:46,576 Speaker 3: was upset. I was like, no, that's just him, dude. 37 00:01:46,616 --> 00:01:49,696 Speaker 3: He's he's gonna be here all the time. But it 38 00:01:49,736 --> 00:01:51,736 Speaker 3: was it was awesome experience for the kids. And to 39 00:01:51,856 --> 00:01:55,216 Speaker 3: have them there on the sideline and and be back 40 00:01:55,216 --> 00:01:57,416 Speaker 3: at the my alma mater for the last game of 41 00:01:57,416 --> 00:01:58,776 Speaker 3: the year was a good way to wrap it up. 42 00:01:58,856 --> 00:02:00,776 Speaker 1: It was a great picture. It was a lot of fun. 43 00:02:00,816 --> 00:02:04,056 Speaker 1: I know, I'm not comic guy, I'm not heart guy. 44 00:02:04,136 --> 00:02:07,616 Speaker 5: I wish I liked pictures on Instagram, because in my heart, 45 00:02:07,656 --> 00:02:09,296 Speaker 5: I do like a lot of pictures. I wish I 46 00:02:09,416 --> 00:02:13,656 Speaker 5: just got credit for liking pictures instead of liking them 47 00:02:13,656 --> 00:02:15,456 Speaker 5: with my thumb. Can I just scroll and I'm like, oh, 48 00:02:15,456 --> 00:02:18,296 Speaker 5: that's good, that's good. But I actually was so compelled 49 00:02:18,296 --> 00:02:19,656 Speaker 5: to write great picture on that. 50 00:02:19,896 --> 00:02:22,376 Speaker 1: Did you write it? Yeah? Oh thank you. I didn't 51 00:02:22,376 --> 00:02:22,896 Speaker 1: even read it. 52 00:02:23,136 --> 00:02:27,096 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't read my comments. Okay, I'm not liking 53 00:02:27,376 --> 00:02:34,576 Speaker 3: there comments probably two none. Look, I just don't click 54 00:02:34,616 --> 00:02:36,896 Speaker 3: on the picture to read through the comments. It's a 55 00:02:36,896 --> 00:02:38,416 Speaker 3: great picture. Oh well, I appreciate that. 56 00:02:38,496 --> 00:02:39,896 Speaker 1: Yeah. It was fun. It was fun. It was good 57 00:02:39,896 --> 00:02:40,576 Speaker 1: to see the family. 58 00:02:40,616 --> 00:02:43,976 Speaker 3: But it was a crazy week because on Thanksgiving I 59 00:02:44,016 --> 00:02:46,856 Speaker 3: had to fly back to the East Coast because I 60 00:02:46,896 --> 00:02:50,176 Speaker 3: was in studio. Friday, got on the plane from JFK 61 00:02:50,336 --> 00:02:52,615 Speaker 3: at six o'clock in the morning to fly back out 62 00:02:52,616 --> 00:02:55,496 Speaker 3: to the West Coast for the USC UCLA game. Then 63 00:02:55,536 --> 00:02:57,775 Speaker 3: I got on a flight Sunday morning at six point 64 00:02:57,776 --> 00:03:00,056 Speaker 3: thirty to fly back to Nashville. A lot of travel. 65 00:03:00,136 --> 00:03:04,376 Speaker 3: So you went California, New York, New York, California, and 66 00:03:04,416 --> 00:03:05,335 Speaker 3: then right back to Nashville. 67 00:03:05,416 --> 00:03:07,335 Speaker 1: That's long. Yeah. Did they at least put you in 68 00:03:07,416 --> 00:03:09,016 Speaker 1: a lay down seat? Did you have those ideas? 69 00:03:09,096 --> 00:03:11,736 Speaker 6: And I was so thankful for that because that's basically 70 00:03:11,776 --> 00:03:12,496 Speaker 6: a flight to Europe. 71 00:03:12,616 --> 00:03:15,056 Speaker 3: It's a game changer. I mean it was a game changer. 72 00:03:15,056 --> 00:03:18,416 Speaker 3: You could actually lay down and like nap a little bit. 73 00:03:18,456 --> 00:03:20,216 Speaker 3: I don't sleep while on planes. Can you pass down 74 00:03:20,216 --> 00:03:22,976 Speaker 3: on planes if I take the right pills? Yeah, Well 75 00:03:22,976 --> 00:03:24,536 Speaker 3: I need some of those pills then because I didn't 76 00:03:24,536 --> 00:03:25,016 Speaker 3: have them. 77 00:03:24,896 --> 00:03:28,176 Speaker 5: Well I don't take them anymore. I had some issues. 78 00:03:28,216 --> 00:03:29,616 Speaker 5: I think I've told you this before. I got like 79 00:03:29,736 --> 00:03:33,456 Speaker 5: jumped at work, got pistol whipped, another event, and had 80 00:03:33,576 --> 00:03:34,456 Speaker 5: my house broken into. 81 00:03:34,576 --> 00:03:36,456 Speaker 1: So I was struggling a little bit with sleep, obviously, 82 00:03:37,176 --> 00:03:39,536 Speaker 1: and so I tried that would do it to you? 83 00:03:39,656 --> 00:03:41,776 Speaker 1: Oh those are three hardcore? 84 00:03:42,616 --> 00:03:44,696 Speaker 5: Yeah, it was tough, and so I tried a lot 85 00:03:44,736 --> 00:03:47,656 Speaker 5: of different things because I don't like to take I 86 00:03:47,896 --> 00:03:49,736 Speaker 5: don't want to say medicine. I don't like to take 87 00:03:49,896 --> 00:03:53,136 Speaker 5: medication because I have fear of addiction because all my 88 00:03:53,136 --> 00:03:55,136 Speaker 5: family's been addicted and they're mostly all dead from it. 89 00:03:55,536 --> 00:03:58,896 Speaker 5: And so I wasn't sleeping at all after those instances, 90 00:03:59,256 --> 00:04:00,856 Speaker 5: like for months and months, and I was going to 91 00:04:00,856 --> 00:04:03,136 Speaker 5: my doctor who were trying all the natural remedies and 92 00:04:03,456 --> 00:04:11,656 Speaker 5: tai chi and anything that possibly would work, holistic, non holistic. 93 00:04:11,816 --> 00:04:15,456 Speaker 5: I was doing everything except taking sleeping pills. And so 94 00:04:15,496 --> 00:04:17,655 Speaker 5: I started taking sleeping pills because I was getting no 95 00:04:17,695 --> 00:04:19,376 Speaker 5: sleep and I was getting sick all the time because 96 00:04:19,376 --> 00:04:20,416 Speaker 5: I was getting no sleep. 97 00:04:20,856 --> 00:04:22,936 Speaker 1: And finally I was like, I'm taking sleeping pills. 98 00:04:22,936 --> 00:04:24,695 Speaker 5: A doctor was like, you got to do it, and 99 00:04:24,775 --> 00:04:26,856 Speaker 5: so it was our last option, and so I took them. 100 00:04:27,135 --> 00:04:30,336 Speaker 1: Do you ever take a sleeping pills? They're crazy? They're 101 00:04:30,416 --> 00:04:33,015 Speaker 1: crazy if you go to sleep, dude. 102 00:04:32,815 --> 00:04:35,736 Speaker 3: The trippiness behind that, and you're like in this other 103 00:04:35,936 --> 00:04:36,575 Speaker 3: zone and world. 104 00:04:36,616 --> 00:04:37,775 Speaker 1: It's like the Twilight Zone. 105 00:04:38,135 --> 00:04:40,216 Speaker 5: It was so wild to me because I've never had 106 00:04:40,255 --> 00:04:42,135 Speaker 5: a drink of alcohol, and so I don't know what 107 00:04:42,135 --> 00:04:43,015 Speaker 5: it's like to be drunk. 108 00:04:43,056 --> 00:04:44,735 Speaker 1: I'd like to be drunk a lot. I'd like to 109 00:04:44,856 --> 00:04:45,736 Speaker 1: I'd like to do drugs. 110 00:04:45,936 --> 00:04:47,336 Speaker 3: Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I've 111 00:04:47,335 --> 00:04:51,855 Speaker 3: been there before, my reference and reference, So where do 112 00:04:51,856 --> 00:04:52,695 Speaker 3: you want to go right now? 113 00:04:53,015 --> 00:04:55,296 Speaker 5: I would take these pills and then I would be like, 114 00:04:55,496 --> 00:04:57,255 Speaker 5: you know what, I don't need to go to sleep 115 00:04:57,296 --> 00:04:57,656 Speaker 5: quite yet. 116 00:04:57,775 --> 00:05:00,616 Speaker 1: I need to do some more work. That's the worst 117 00:05:00,616 --> 00:05:01,616 Speaker 1: thing you could possibly do. 118 00:05:01,815 --> 00:05:05,056 Speaker 5: And there I would black out and I would wake 119 00:05:05,176 --> 00:05:08,335 Speaker 5: up and see that I had facetimed people. 120 00:05:09,056 --> 00:05:13,695 Speaker 1: And don't remember it isn't that wild. Once I drove, No, 121 00:05:13,736 --> 00:05:14,215 Speaker 1: you did not. 122 00:05:14,496 --> 00:05:17,255 Speaker 5: I don't remember it, but I drove, and I drove 123 00:05:17,296 --> 00:05:18,655 Speaker 5: off with the gas pump in my car. 124 00:05:19,015 --> 00:05:21,056 Speaker 1: You're like Wolf of Wall Street. You know that scenery 125 00:05:21,135 --> 00:05:21,376 Speaker 1: is going. 126 00:05:22,215 --> 00:05:23,936 Speaker 3: I was like, dude, I got home safely, and then 127 00:05:23,976 --> 00:05:26,135 Speaker 3: the next morning they do the recap and it's like, 128 00:05:26,976 --> 00:05:29,695 Speaker 3: full on not not a good situation. 129 00:05:29,815 --> 00:05:33,936 Speaker 5: It was so unsafe for me, and so I was like, 130 00:05:33,976 --> 00:05:34,815 Speaker 5: I gotta stop taking them. 131 00:05:34,856 --> 00:05:36,255 Speaker 1: But I would take them on long flights. 132 00:05:36,255 --> 00:05:39,056 Speaker 5: I'd never been anywhere like overseas or even on a 133 00:05:39,135 --> 00:05:40,895 Speaker 5: vacation until I got older. So I started to go 134 00:05:40,936 --> 00:05:42,975 Speaker 5: places by myself and I would get the lay down seat. 135 00:05:43,015 --> 00:05:44,536 Speaker 5: I started to make money and I was single, so 136 00:05:44,575 --> 00:05:46,096 Speaker 5: I was like, I'm buying the freaking lay down seat. 137 00:05:46,496 --> 00:05:48,455 Speaker 5: You're gonna this is all coming to a point about 138 00:05:48,455 --> 00:05:50,775 Speaker 5: the lay down seats. And so I went to Ireland 139 00:05:50,815 --> 00:05:52,376 Speaker 5: by myself, went to Hawaii by myself. 140 00:05:52,376 --> 00:05:55,456 Speaker 1: I want by yourself? Yeah, And mostly because I would go. 141 00:05:55,655 --> 00:05:58,895 Speaker 5: I went to Ireland to finish my second book because 142 00:05:58,936 --> 00:06:01,255 Speaker 5: it was the closest far away place that would get 143 00:06:01,296 --> 00:06:03,056 Speaker 5: me off the time zone. So I wouldn't get into 144 00:06:03,096 --> 00:06:05,176 Speaker 5: my cycle of working because even though I'm like, I'm 145 00:06:05,176 --> 00:06:07,255 Speaker 5: gonna check out for a few days from like the 146 00:06:07,335 --> 00:06:09,895 Speaker 5: radio show on a podcast, it was still three o'clock. 147 00:06:09,936 --> 00:06:12,015 Speaker 5: Here at three o'clock, everybody around me and they were 148 00:06:12,015 --> 00:06:13,136 Speaker 5: still reaching out to get stuff done. 149 00:06:13,215 --> 00:06:13,335 Speaker 1: Right. 150 00:06:13,575 --> 00:06:15,856 Speaker 5: If I go to Ireland seven hours eight hours ahead, 151 00:06:17,135 --> 00:06:19,255 Speaker 5: I'm working and people are like six in the morning, 152 00:06:19,296 --> 00:06:20,056 Speaker 5: but it's three pm. 153 00:06:20,215 --> 00:06:20,976 Speaker 1: It's just the cycle. 154 00:06:21,255 --> 00:06:23,815 Speaker 5: So I went to Ireland, same thing with Hawaii, and 155 00:06:25,096 --> 00:06:27,536 Speaker 5: I just thought I'm there working. And I took a 156 00:06:27,536 --> 00:06:31,376 Speaker 5: sleeping pill on the flight back, and I don't remember 157 00:06:31,416 --> 00:06:35,095 Speaker 5: a lot of the flight, and it scared me because 158 00:06:35,096 --> 00:06:36,016 Speaker 5: I thought, what did I say? 159 00:06:36,056 --> 00:06:38,376 Speaker 1: Who today? This is the moment? And I thought what if? 160 00:06:39,376 --> 00:06:41,255 Speaker 5: Because I could have easily been one of those dudes 161 00:06:41,296 --> 00:06:43,656 Speaker 5: that gets arrested for like laying in the aisle for 162 00:06:43,736 --> 00:06:45,736 Speaker 5: something and not knowing I. 163 00:06:45,736 --> 00:06:49,216 Speaker 1: Was so out of control. Yeah, I wouldn't have known it. 164 00:06:49,775 --> 00:06:51,456 Speaker 1: And that was so scary to me. It wasn't the 165 00:06:51,496 --> 00:06:53,736 Speaker 1: gas pump in the car. It wasn't it was the 166 00:06:53,815 --> 00:06:56,535 Speaker 1: judge would have understood. I don't think he would have. 167 00:06:56,895 --> 00:06:59,335 Speaker 5: You've taken a sleeping pill before, judge, So that's why 168 00:06:59,335 --> 00:07:02,496 Speaker 5: I stopped taking them. But if I take the right pills, 169 00:07:03,176 --> 00:07:05,496 Speaker 5: you're out. I can sleep like crazy. One of the 170 00:07:05,496 --> 00:07:10,376 Speaker 5: funniest stories about traveling internationally. It's not my story, and 171 00:07:10,416 --> 00:07:14,296 Speaker 5: I'm gonna paraphrase it a bit only because and I'm 172 00:07:14,296 --> 00:07:16,256 Speaker 5: gonna name drop. But I like name dropping because I 173 00:07:16,296 --> 00:07:18,816 Speaker 5: think it's more fun for listeners. Yeah, so people, oh 174 00:07:18,896 --> 00:07:19,336 Speaker 5: name drop? 175 00:07:19,376 --> 00:07:19,536 Speaker 1: No. 176 00:07:19,536 --> 00:07:21,376 Speaker 5: No, When I listen to somebody talking about stuff, I 177 00:07:21,376 --> 00:07:23,735 Speaker 5: want to hear name drops because it's it's interesting. I 178 00:07:23,816 --> 00:07:25,975 Speaker 5: was at dinner with Lionel Richie once and it was 179 00:07:26,056 --> 00:07:28,376 Speaker 5: me and Lionel and Luke and this is we were 180 00:07:28,376 --> 00:07:28,776 Speaker 5: in Syney. 181 00:07:29,256 --> 00:07:32,856 Speaker 1: Luke Bryan, I don't know why did you just said? Luke, 182 00:07:33,215 --> 00:07:36,216 Speaker 1: said Lionel Richie. Of course, we're doing American Idols. Okay. 183 00:07:36,256 --> 00:07:38,536 Speaker 5: We were in Savannah, Georgia before we started to shoot 184 00:07:39,616 --> 00:07:44,975 Speaker 5: the on location in city parts of the show where 185 00:07:44,976 --> 00:07:45,656 Speaker 5: you go in the auditions. 186 00:07:45,655 --> 00:07:47,336 Speaker 1: What happened? Oh yeah, I love those auditions. 187 00:07:47,576 --> 00:07:49,816 Speaker 5: And so it was the night before and we're having 188 00:07:49,816 --> 00:07:52,776 Speaker 5: dinner and Lionel Richie has been so famous for so 189 00:07:52,976 --> 00:07:57,256 Speaker 5: long he's forgotten what it's like to be normal, for sure, 190 00:07:57,376 --> 00:08:00,855 Speaker 5: because he's been famous for forty fifty years, like internationally 191 00:08:00,976 --> 00:08:02,736 Speaker 5: multi millionaire, famous. 192 00:08:02,336 --> 00:08:05,496 Speaker 6: And he has never taken a step backwards. Yeah, we's 193 00:08:05,496 --> 00:08:07,056 Speaker 6: been at the top of his game. And I say again, 194 00:08:07,056 --> 00:08:09,016 Speaker 6: he is the greatest. The only negative thing I would 195 00:08:09,016 --> 00:08:12,576 Speaker 6: ever say about Lionel Richie, because he was the absolute nicest, sweetest, 196 00:08:12,936 --> 00:08:15,616 Speaker 6: most humble, giving generous guy ever, is that he was 197 00:08:15,616 --> 00:08:16,096 Speaker 6: a little late. 198 00:08:16,215 --> 00:08:20,456 Speaker 1: He's kind of a little late. Hey, it's it's you're 199 00:08:20,496 --> 00:08:22,496 Speaker 1: on his time, bab Listen. It was kind of on 200 00:08:22,576 --> 00:08:22,936 Speaker 1: his time. 201 00:08:23,016 --> 00:08:25,376 Speaker 3: You want this superstar, it's when I want to show 202 00:08:25,456 --> 00:08:26,376 Speaker 3: up after my nap. 203 00:08:26,496 --> 00:08:28,095 Speaker 1: And of all the things, that's the only thing. 204 00:08:28,136 --> 00:08:30,496 Speaker 5: Because he was the greatest guy, and we would sit 205 00:08:30,536 --> 00:08:32,576 Speaker 5: at dinner and he would tell great stories. We tell 206 00:08:32,576 --> 00:08:35,816 Speaker 5: stories about Rita Franklin, like voicemails from her before she died, 207 00:08:35,856 --> 00:08:37,576 Speaker 5: and he kept on his phone. He's just generous, right 208 00:08:37,616 --> 00:08:40,215 Speaker 5: generous with the stories. And he was talking about he 209 00:08:40,376 --> 00:08:43,616 Speaker 5: was like, we're flying to Europe and we couldn't get 210 00:08:43,616 --> 00:08:46,055 Speaker 5: a jet, a private jet to take us. 211 00:08:46,175 --> 00:08:49,976 Speaker 1: That's really tough. So we flew commercial first class. 212 00:08:49,736 --> 00:08:53,616 Speaker 3: And he called that rat class. He didn't but I've 213 00:08:53,655 --> 00:08:55,856 Speaker 3: never actually heard that. That's funny. Rat class so he 214 00:08:55,935 --> 00:08:59,936 Speaker 3: called that rat class. You haven't heard that before, Well 215 00:09:00,016 --> 00:09:03,616 Speaker 3: he must not, you know, fly commercial. I mean I've 216 00:09:03,655 --> 00:09:06,376 Speaker 3: never had I got five kids. I mean, I have 217 00:09:06,415 --> 00:09:08,136 Speaker 3: to sit in the back of playing with seven. 218 00:09:07,935 --> 00:09:11,096 Speaker 5: Seats west if we're going to California, can no chance. 219 00:09:11,456 --> 00:09:13,376 Speaker 5: If we're going to California, that is all I will 220 00:09:13,376 --> 00:09:15,976 Speaker 5: fly because on the plane's not working. 221 00:09:16,016 --> 00:09:18,856 Speaker 1: It'scause I'm not paying that bill. Yeah, exactly, that bill's brutal, 222 00:09:19,136 --> 00:09:19,575 Speaker 1: the bill. 223 00:09:19,736 --> 00:09:21,976 Speaker 5: I'm not plying private to California from here. I'll use 224 00:09:22,016 --> 00:09:24,535 Speaker 5: a company plane at times. Yeah, but I'm not. No, 225 00:09:24,616 --> 00:09:30,696 Speaker 5: I'm still southwest at the time. Okay, southwest thirty percent, 226 00:09:32,295 --> 00:09:34,256 Speaker 5: now southwest twenty percent Southwest. 227 00:09:34,295 --> 00:09:37,455 Speaker 3: Let's be honest, you're just throughout like a larger percentage, 228 00:09:37,616 --> 00:09:41,535 Speaker 3: maybe ten percent. You're they have Delta, they have Delta 229 00:09:41,535 --> 00:09:42,976 Speaker 3: flights that go out there first class. 230 00:09:42,976 --> 00:09:45,215 Speaker 1: You're for sure taking that if it's there. But I'm 231 00:09:45,216 --> 00:09:47,656 Speaker 1: telling you Vegas they don't. They don't have. There's not 232 00:09:47,816 --> 00:09:49,536 Speaker 1: a lot. Yeah, if I had a natural so it's. 233 00:09:49,376 --> 00:09:52,496 Speaker 5: Southwest of Vegas every time, and to if I'm flying 234 00:09:52,535 --> 00:09:54,976 Speaker 5: into California, I'm gonna fly into I think it uhould 235 00:09:54,976 --> 00:09:58,415 Speaker 5: be called Bob hope, but yeah, it's down in Orange County. Yeah, 236 00:09:59,216 --> 00:10:02,856 Speaker 5: or the other one. So the one Southwest flies into 237 00:10:02,935 --> 00:10:07,256 Speaker 5: that that's non John John Wayne that one. Yeah, yeah, 238 00:10:07,336 --> 00:10:09,736 Speaker 5: I like that with much smaller the best Southwest. 239 00:10:09,896 --> 00:10:12,096 Speaker 1: I don't think there is hope, is there? Maybe not anymore? 240 00:10:12,535 --> 00:10:17,096 Speaker 1: John Burbank's it. That's yeah, Burbank's tiny, tiny Burbanks what 241 00:10:17,096 --> 00:10:17,736 Speaker 1: it is because. 242 00:10:17,496 --> 00:10:19,816 Speaker 5: They fly Southwest flies in it's a plus anyway, I 243 00:10:19,816 --> 00:10:23,776 Speaker 5: know how it was so uh. Line was like I 244 00:10:23,816 --> 00:10:27,256 Speaker 5: flew first class and I woke up and I just 245 00:10:27,256 --> 00:10:30,856 Speaker 5: wanted like a sorbet and he goes, I woke up 246 00:10:30,856 --> 00:10:32,415 Speaker 5: in the middle of the night and I was like, 247 00:10:32,576 --> 00:10:36,535 Speaker 5: excuse me, can I get like a sorbet with a 248 00:10:36,535 --> 00:10:40,096 Speaker 5: a little bit of almond milk and some caramel nuggets? 249 00:10:40,136 --> 00:10:43,896 Speaker 5: And she's like, Sarah'm sorry this first class, but we can't. 250 00:10:44,136 --> 00:10:46,496 Speaker 5: We can't make whatever you want. 251 00:10:46,616 --> 00:10:48,095 Speaker 1: We might be able to get your warm cookie. And 252 00:10:48,175 --> 00:10:50,856 Speaker 1: he was like, I was in shock. They couldn't make 253 00:10:50,896 --> 00:10:52,496 Speaker 1: a sorbet with nuggets. 254 00:10:52,535 --> 00:10:55,055 Speaker 5: And I thought it was so funny because even he 255 00:10:55,136 --> 00:10:57,616 Speaker 5: knew he was a bit out of touch, but but 256 00:10:57,655 --> 00:10:59,096 Speaker 5: that's he was, like I was in a bed. 257 00:10:59,216 --> 00:11:00,856 Speaker 1: He also people kept walking by when he was in 258 00:11:00,856 --> 00:11:02,256 Speaker 1: his bed, taking pictures of him. I thought that. 259 00:11:02,576 --> 00:11:05,736 Speaker 3: That would be uh yeah, you can't do that. Come on, 260 00:11:05,776 --> 00:11:07,896 Speaker 3: you should know better if somebody's sleeping. 261 00:11:08,336 --> 00:11:09,055 Speaker 1: I agree. 262 00:11:09,256 --> 00:11:11,376 Speaker 5: Who's the coolest person you've ever seen? In first class? 263 00:11:12,976 --> 00:11:18,655 Speaker 5: Coolest person I've ever seen? You're a Google away, Your 264 00:11:18,696 --> 00:11:19,736 Speaker 5: money's a Google away. 265 00:11:20,175 --> 00:11:22,776 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know. Don't act like rat classes. You're 266 00:11:22,856 --> 00:11:27,256 Speaker 1: common No, But I don't know. It's funny how he's 267 00:11:27,256 --> 00:11:30,496 Speaker 1: inserting himself as a common man here, Kevin. I think, Oh. 268 00:11:30,376 --> 00:11:32,256 Speaker 3: My wife said. Somebody was in front of me the 269 00:11:32,295 --> 00:11:35,456 Speaker 3: other day. My wife said, hold on, this is a 270 00:11:35,456 --> 00:11:38,856 Speaker 3: funny story. She texts me, I'll tell you the name 271 00:11:38,935 --> 00:11:42,695 Speaker 3: right now. Hold on, everybody. So this is the part 272 00:11:42,696 --> 00:11:45,096 Speaker 3: of the story. So I didn't know that I was 273 00:11:45,096 --> 00:11:47,336 Speaker 3: doing the us UCLA game until that week. I had 274 00:11:47,336 --> 00:11:49,856 Speaker 3: already booked the flights for my family back home on Sunday, 275 00:11:50,336 --> 00:11:53,016 Speaker 3: so the company booked me. I said, can you get 276 00:11:53,055 --> 00:11:55,655 Speaker 3: me on that same flight? Well, they booked me first class. 277 00:11:55,976 --> 00:11:58,856 Speaker 3: The rest of my family was in business class behind me. 278 00:11:59,415 --> 00:12:02,176 Speaker 3: So I get on the plane. I get on the 279 00:12:02,216 --> 00:12:05,215 Speaker 3: plane and I'm sitting there and then my family starts 280 00:12:05,616 --> 00:12:08,176 Speaker 3: on and everybody's sitting down in like the first class 281 00:12:08,175 --> 00:12:10,616 Speaker 3: at this point, and I'm sitting here and I feel terrible, 282 00:12:10,976 --> 00:12:15,215 Speaker 3: and they're like, okay, dad, and I'm literally turning these people. 283 00:12:15,376 --> 00:12:17,456 Speaker 3: I was like, I am not the worst father you've 284 00:12:17,496 --> 00:12:19,935 Speaker 3: ever seen. To be honest with you, I didn't know 285 00:12:19,976 --> 00:12:21,816 Speaker 3: I was even going to be on this flight. My 286 00:12:21,896 --> 00:12:24,896 Speaker 3: company booked me. I would rather sit with my family, 287 00:12:24,935 --> 00:12:27,575 Speaker 3: and they're like, okay, guy, Like, my wife goes back 288 00:12:27,856 --> 00:12:31,256 Speaker 3: my five kids. So then my wife texts me and says, 289 00:12:31,976 --> 00:12:34,616 Speaker 3: let's see who was sitting in front of me. It 290 00:12:34,736 --> 00:12:37,256 Speaker 3: might take me a second. Guys, I know you're a 291 00:12:37,256 --> 00:12:40,856 Speaker 3: big question as you like Kevin. Can you the members vodcast? 292 00:12:41,175 --> 00:12:44,256 Speaker 1: Andre three thousand? Yes? Andre? What three thousand? Okay? 293 00:12:46,415 --> 00:12:47,016 Speaker 2: Oh what is it? 294 00:12:47,096 --> 00:12:47,776 Speaker 1: Narls Barkley. 295 00:12:47,935 --> 00:12:51,055 Speaker 5: No, No, that's see low Green? 296 00:12:51,136 --> 00:12:53,055 Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no, se low Green is one 297 00:12:53,055 --> 00:12:54,695 Speaker 1: of Narls Barklay. Okay. 298 00:12:54,896 --> 00:12:59,096 Speaker 5: So you're so you picked another group, but not no 299 00:12:59,256 --> 00:13:02,776 Speaker 5: but a member. No, So you got Andre three thousand, Andre, 300 00:13:03,256 --> 00:13:04,256 Speaker 5: can you name the other one? 301 00:13:07,616 --> 00:13:12,976 Speaker 1: No? Can you name me the one? For some reason, 302 00:13:13,016 --> 00:13:16,976 Speaker 1: I want to go like it. No, I'm not even 303 00:13:17,016 --> 00:13:18,456 Speaker 1: gonna a big boy. 304 00:13:18,856 --> 00:13:20,935 Speaker 3: Oh my god, that's exactly what I was gonna say, 305 00:13:20,935 --> 00:13:22,416 Speaker 3: but I didn't want to say it's so wrong. I 306 00:13:22,456 --> 00:13:25,136 Speaker 3: swear to you that I said, big boy, and I 307 00:13:25,175 --> 00:13:26,936 Speaker 3: was like, but I really don't know if. 308 00:13:26,856 --> 00:13:27,376 Speaker 1: This is right. 309 00:13:28,496 --> 00:13:30,936 Speaker 3: Finish away, finish your story. My wife text me and says, 310 00:13:30,935 --> 00:13:32,175 Speaker 3: you know, Leanne Rymes is sitting. 311 00:13:32,376 --> 00:13:35,496 Speaker 1: Oh that's cool. So there you go, Leanne Rhymes. There's 312 00:13:35,856 --> 00:13:38,215 Speaker 1: one that I can remember that your wife could remember. 313 00:13:38,216 --> 00:13:40,776 Speaker 1: I tried, yeah, your wife texted, I saw. 314 00:13:40,696 --> 00:13:42,016 Speaker 3: A black hat in front of me and I wasn't 315 00:13:42,016 --> 00:13:44,416 Speaker 3: gonna tap people on. Are any of you guys relevant 316 00:13:44,415 --> 00:13:45,296 Speaker 3: and verre important? 317 00:13:45,496 --> 00:13:46,776 Speaker 1: Anybody you're famous? 318 00:13:47,175 --> 00:13:48,496 Speaker 2: Talking about you guys when we. 319 00:13:48,415 --> 00:13:53,456 Speaker 7: Are on our podcast on Tuesday, I was on a flight, 320 00:13:55,136 --> 00:13:57,776 Speaker 7: my wife and I were going to Europe, and one 321 00:13:57,816 --> 00:14:00,016 Speaker 7: hundred three thousand that's cool. 322 00:14:00,016 --> 00:14:03,455 Speaker 5: Was sitting like a to the right of us because 323 00:14:03,456 --> 00:14:07,055 Speaker 5: those seats it's like to to two and so he 324 00:14:07,175 --> 00:14:08,655 Speaker 5: was over to the right of us. 325 00:14:09,175 --> 00:14:11,456 Speaker 1: And you can absolutely tell it's him. 326 00:14:11,496 --> 00:14:13,896 Speaker 5: The only difference is he's a little grayer and he 327 00:14:13,935 --> 00:14:15,816 Speaker 5: walks around because he doesn't really rap anymore. He just 328 00:14:15,816 --> 00:14:18,136 Speaker 5: plays the flute. He puts out flut out. Really, he's 329 00:14:18,175 --> 00:14:18,815 Speaker 5: a flout. 330 00:14:18,535 --> 00:14:23,776 Speaker 3: Tist wow, and so say it again a flout test. 331 00:14:23,896 --> 00:14:24,736 Speaker 1: Yeah. 332 00:14:24,816 --> 00:14:27,776 Speaker 5: I didn't want to bother him, but you had to 333 00:14:27,776 --> 00:14:30,576 Speaker 5: get a picture of him. I didn't know the only 334 00:14:30,696 --> 00:14:32,976 Speaker 5: thing that I did. I have two stories like this, 335 00:14:33,096 --> 00:14:34,536 Speaker 5: Is there anybody that you'd go up to? 336 00:14:34,856 --> 00:14:35,056 Speaker 2: Yes? 337 00:14:35,096 --> 00:14:35,856 Speaker 1: There are people, yes. 338 00:14:36,096 --> 00:14:36,616 Speaker 2: Yeah. 339 00:14:36,696 --> 00:14:38,095 Speaker 5: It just depends a lot of it too, is like 340 00:14:38,136 --> 00:14:40,536 Speaker 5: their body language are dynamic? Are they by themselves? Are 341 00:14:40,536 --> 00:14:43,976 Speaker 5: they sleepy? Like I'm paying attention because on a much, much, 342 00:14:44,056 --> 00:14:46,296 Speaker 5: much smaller level, I'm grateful when people do that to me. 343 00:14:46,456 --> 00:14:46,696 Speaker 2: Yes. 344 00:14:47,056 --> 00:14:49,936 Speaker 5: And she also wasn't with his kids. It wasn't eating. 345 00:14:50,016 --> 00:14:52,296 Speaker 5: There are certain rules that I have about going up 346 00:14:52,336 --> 00:14:54,936 Speaker 5: to people. But I see him and I told my 347 00:14:54,976 --> 00:14:57,136 Speaker 5: wife that's on twenty thousand, and my wife is twelve 348 00:14:57,176 --> 00:14:59,016 Speaker 5: years younger than I am. And she's like, is he 349 00:14:59,056 --> 00:15:02,536 Speaker 5: a wrestler? Because we talked the giant. We told me 350 00:15:02,576 --> 00:15:05,096 Speaker 5: Andrew the giant I was teaching. And I was like, no, no, no, 351 00:15:05,096 --> 00:15:06,776 Speaker 5: He's part of outcast. 352 00:15:06,336 --> 00:15:08,976 Speaker 1: And she was like, which she still doesn't know what 353 00:15:08,976 --> 00:15:09,416 Speaker 1: out cast? 354 00:15:09,496 --> 00:15:12,016 Speaker 5: Well, there are versions of outcast, like I was a 355 00:15:12,016 --> 00:15:14,616 Speaker 5: fan of outcast, like bombs over bag Dad, like the early. 356 00:15:15,416 --> 00:15:16,896 Speaker 1: Yes and even the newer stuff. 357 00:15:16,936 --> 00:15:18,656 Speaker 5: Once it was real popular, and I was like, shake it, 358 00:15:18,736 --> 00:15:21,256 Speaker 5: shake shake, shake it, shake it like a Paula Roi. 359 00:15:21,496 --> 00:15:24,376 Speaker 1: She goes, oh, that's him. I was like, yeah, that's it. 360 00:15:24,896 --> 00:15:26,376 Speaker 1: She was like, oh cool. Then she doesn't care. She 361 00:15:26,456 --> 00:15:27,696 Speaker 1: gets no crap about celebrities. 362 00:15:28,216 --> 00:15:33,496 Speaker 5: And so we're getting off into the airport and occasionally 363 00:15:33,496 --> 00:15:35,215 Speaker 5: someone will go up and be like, hey, can I 364 00:15:35,256 --> 00:15:37,576 Speaker 5: get a picture. I don't think he was annoyed, but 365 00:15:37,616 --> 00:15:40,416 Speaker 5: he definitely wasn't over the top about just like. 366 00:15:40,616 --> 00:15:42,936 Speaker 1: Hey, love it, let's give me, give me more. 367 00:15:43,056 --> 00:15:43,256 Speaker 5: Yeah. 368 00:15:43,296 --> 00:15:43,455 Speaker 3: I know. 369 00:15:43,496 --> 00:15:45,896 Speaker 5: Also, it's like we've been flying for twelve hours. He's tired, 370 00:15:46,576 --> 00:15:49,376 Speaker 5: and so he was standing by the baggage gate. His 371 00:15:49,376 --> 00:15:52,416 Speaker 5: body language was kind of open to me, and I say, hey, 372 00:15:53,256 --> 00:15:55,136 Speaker 5: big fan, be listening to music for like twenty years. 373 00:15:55,296 --> 00:15:57,736 Speaker 1: He said thanks, man walked on. I got my interaction 374 00:15:58,136 --> 00:16:00,136 Speaker 1: that I was it. He didn't like bust out. 375 00:16:00,176 --> 00:16:02,816 Speaker 3: Hey dude in the Country Hall of Fame for Youngest 376 00:16:02,936 --> 00:16:05,016 Speaker 3: radio radio Hosts of all time. 377 00:16:04,856 --> 00:16:07,616 Speaker 1: And like, nobody cares. I sent back my Dancing with 378 00:16:07,656 --> 00:16:10,336 Speaker 1: the Stars thing, but none of that. Nobody cares, Like 379 00:16:10,376 --> 00:16:12,136 Speaker 1: there's common thread there, there's not. 380 00:16:12,216 --> 00:16:15,616 Speaker 5: Because he I believe they might be I did have 381 00:16:15,616 --> 00:16:18,256 Speaker 5: a hip hop deal for a Captain Caucasian. 382 00:16:18,576 --> 00:16:20,136 Speaker 1: What if you'd have been like, I'm the biggest Captain 383 00:16:20,136 --> 00:16:21,016 Speaker 1: Caucasian fan ever. 384 00:16:21,136 --> 00:16:23,536 Speaker 3: Yeah, how coolose it you want to collab now that 385 00:16:23,656 --> 00:16:25,616 Speaker 3: we got a little bit older, He'll play flute on 386 00:16:25,616 --> 00:16:26,536 Speaker 3: my next track. 387 00:16:27,496 --> 00:16:30,096 Speaker 5: The only other one was I was in a restaurant 388 00:16:30,136 --> 00:16:34,056 Speaker 5: in California and was having dinner with a friend and 389 00:16:34,096 --> 00:16:35,496 Speaker 5: I was walking to the bathroom and I look over 390 00:16:35,496 --> 00:16:37,016 Speaker 5: and like, oh, I know that person sitting at the table. 391 00:16:37,776 --> 00:16:39,336 Speaker 5: They did not have food in front of them yet. 392 00:16:39,776 --> 00:16:42,456 Speaker 5: And I was like, on the way back, I'm going 393 00:16:42,496 --> 00:16:44,336 Speaker 5: to say something. I'll go to the bathroom wash my 394 00:16:44,376 --> 00:16:47,456 Speaker 5: hands just in case he wanted to shake hands and washed. 395 00:16:47,456 --> 00:16:48,576 Speaker 5: Man to sent down. And I walked by and it 396 00:16:48,616 --> 00:16:51,056 Speaker 5: was David Spade. I said, Hey, David Spade, super funny, 397 00:16:51,136 --> 00:16:51,536 Speaker 5: big fan. 398 00:16:51,576 --> 00:16:54,136 Speaker 1: Man. He goes, thanks, Man, kept walking right. Have my interaction. 399 00:16:55,176 --> 00:16:56,736 Speaker 5: I was talking about that because I think there are 400 00:16:56,736 --> 00:17:01,176 Speaker 5: general rules where it's if you see somebody that's famous 401 00:17:01,616 --> 00:17:04,336 Speaker 5: or known, if they're with their kids, do not approach, 402 00:17:04,416 --> 00:17:06,136 Speaker 5: if they have food in front of them, do not 403 00:17:06,256 --> 00:17:08,735 Speaker 5: approach any other time they know who they are. They 404 00:17:08,736 --> 00:17:11,096 Speaker 5: also have the right to say no, the record for sure, 405 00:17:11,336 --> 00:17:14,535 Speaker 5: but if no kids and no food, you can go 406 00:17:14,616 --> 00:17:16,696 Speaker 5: up and say, hey, I'm a fan. I've also found 407 00:17:16,696 --> 00:17:20,215 Speaker 5: the most celebrities, if they're not with their family or eating, 408 00:17:21,215 --> 00:17:22,975 Speaker 5: they like people to say they're a. 409 00:17:22,856 --> 00:17:25,736 Speaker 3: Fan, right because you're doing your job well, yeah, and 410 00:17:25,776 --> 00:17:26,616 Speaker 3: you're appreciated. 411 00:17:26,975 --> 00:17:28,736 Speaker 1: And so I was talking about that on the show 412 00:17:28,816 --> 00:17:30,616 Speaker 1: and he messaged me on Instagram and I was like, hey, man, 413 00:17:30,616 --> 00:17:32,295 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you not stopping me. And I'm like, 414 00:17:32,296 --> 00:17:33,896 Speaker 1: you're walking by, you know. 415 00:17:33,975 --> 00:17:37,255 Speaker 3: The one of these memorable moments for me, I was 416 00:17:37,576 --> 00:17:39,056 Speaker 3: the year that I took over for Brady. 417 00:17:39,176 --> 00:17:39,975 Speaker 1: We got done with season. 418 00:17:40,016 --> 00:17:42,136 Speaker 3: I was back in LA where I'm from, and we 419 00:17:42,176 --> 00:17:44,696 Speaker 3: went out to this nice steak restaurant and normally. 420 00:17:44,416 --> 00:17:46,976 Speaker 1: Hey Brady, what do you mean, bro? 421 00:17:47,616 --> 00:17:51,736 Speaker 3: You just through lookout there, Tom Brady, drop a name, 422 00:17:51,856 --> 00:17:53,975 Speaker 3: But I'm saying the year, So the year I played 423 00:17:54,016 --> 00:17:57,376 Speaker 3: for the Patriots, I'm done with season, get back to LA. 424 00:17:57,495 --> 00:18:00,576 Speaker 3: We're out at a steak restaurant and normally people would 425 00:18:00,656 --> 00:18:02,536 Speaker 3: just cut like a Patriot fan every now and then, 426 00:18:02,576 --> 00:18:06,535 Speaker 3: but I'm going to the bathroom here, hey, And I 427 00:18:06,576 --> 00:18:10,095 Speaker 3: was like, I look over and it's Mark Woolburg and 428 00:18:10,455 --> 00:18:11,736 Speaker 3: he's a huge Patriots fan. 429 00:18:11,936 --> 00:18:12,536 Speaker 1: Boston guy. 430 00:18:12,616 --> 00:18:15,376 Speaker 3: Yeah, Boston guy. And of all people, I never thought 431 00:18:15,416 --> 00:18:17,256 Speaker 3: I was going to see this guy. But he he 432 00:18:17,376 --> 00:18:20,336 Speaker 3: invites me over, he shakes my hand, tells me, you know, 433 00:18:20,455 --> 00:18:22,656 Speaker 3: great season this, and I'm a big Patriot fan. And 434 00:18:22,696 --> 00:18:25,376 Speaker 3: I was like, that was the coolest interaction ever. Normally 435 00:18:25,416 --> 00:18:27,696 Speaker 3: it's something like, hey, well you sign something or do that, this, 436 00:18:27,735 --> 00:18:30,656 Speaker 3: that and the other. But for me, that was like, Wow, 437 00:18:30,936 --> 00:18:37,495 Speaker 3: that's rad. This guy's a mega superstar megas superstar. Markey. 438 00:18:37,656 --> 00:18:40,656 Speaker 3: Did I jammed that back in the day. Hell yeah. 439 00:18:40,936 --> 00:18:43,576 Speaker 3: I mean so that was a cool interaction right there. 440 00:18:43,576 --> 00:18:45,295 Speaker 3: But that was a few and far between where you 441 00:18:45,296 --> 00:18:48,696 Speaker 3: get like a mega superstar fan that's a sports fan. 442 00:18:49,176 --> 00:18:51,015 Speaker 3: And that's the only reason he talked to me. Otherwise 443 00:18:51,056 --> 00:18:53,416 Speaker 3: you wouldn't even know anything about it. But it just 444 00:18:53,416 --> 00:18:55,215 Speaker 3: just so happened that I aligned with that. 445 00:18:55,215 --> 00:18:59,495 Speaker 1: That's also like Boston loving their athletes. Oh that city's wild. 446 00:19:00,016 --> 00:19:04,216 Speaker 3: Yeah, Like they're such fanatical, passionate sports fan. 447 00:19:04,296 --> 00:19:06,856 Speaker 1: If you're winning the pedestal, you guys like crazy. 448 00:19:07,136 --> 00:19:08,936 Speaker 3: And it was incredible to be in Boston at the 449 00:19:08,936 --> 00:19:11,255 Speaker 3: time that I was too, because the Celtics won a championship. 450 00:19:11,296 --> 00:19:13,696 Speaker 3: The Boston Red Sox won a championship. The city was 451 00:19:13,735 --> 00:19:14,255 Speaker 3: on fire. 452 00:19:14,455 --> 00:19:17,215 Speaker 1: See, I think I'd want to be the only team winning. Yeah, selfishly, 453 00:19:17,256 --> 00:19:19,336 Speaker 1: that was yeah. I think they had right. They'd won 454 00:19:19,376 --> 00:19:21,975 Speaker 1: three Super Bowls the year before I got there. 455 00:19:22,016 --> 00:19:24,576 Speaker 3: They just accomplished their third Super Bowl, so we were 456 00:19:25,096 --> 00:19:25,736 Speaker 3: in the heyday. 457 00:19:26,376 --> 00:19:30,056 Speaker 5: Ken Belson is coming up next. This guy is veteran 458 00:19:30,136 --> 00:19:33,015 Speaker 5: New York Times reporter. He's got a book called Every 459 00:19:33,096 --> 00:19:35,816 Speaker 5: Day of Sunday. It's basically Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and 460 00:19:35,896 --> 00:19:37,975 Speaker 5: Roger Goodell and how they've made the NFL so big. 461 00:19:38,735 --> 00:19:41,015 Speaker 1: I'm excited about this interview. We will do that next. 462 00:19:56,536 --> 00:19:57,855 Speaker 1: We're gonna bring on Ken Belson. 463 00:19:57,896 --> 00:19:59,896 Speaker 5: Now we're gonna talk about every Day of Sunday and 464 00:19:59,936 --> 00:20:03,376 Speaker 5: I'm gonna read the what do you call this th 465 00:20:04,215 --> 00:20:07,296 Speaker 5: Because I wrote books and it it was like the title, Hey, Ken, 466 00:20:07,336 --> 00:20:08,696 Speaker 5: what do you call the thing? I'm about to read 467 00:20:08,735 --> 00:20:11,656 Speaker 5: how Jerry Jones, Robert Craft, Roger Goodell turned the NFL 468 00:20:11,816 --> 00:20:13,775 Speaker 5: into a cultural and economic juggernaut. 469 00:20:13,816 --> 00:20:16,775 Speaker 1: What's the official titles? What is that called a subheader? 470 00:20:16,856 --> 00:20:19,016 Speaker 2: Yeah? Sub subtitle or a subhead? 471 00:20:19,096 --> 00:20:21,576 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Anyway, the book's called every Day a Sunday, 472 00:20:21,776 --> 00:20:23,416 Speaker 5: and if you were to do the whole thing, it 473 00:20:23,455 --> 00:20:25,816 Speaker 5: would take you like an hour. But that's awesome, because 474 00:20:25,936 --> 00:20:28,336 Speaker 5: I mean these are as far as like sports culture, 475 00:20:28,576 --> 00:20:31,256 Speaker 5: you really get no bigger than these three. 476 00:20:31,495 --> 00:20:33,855 Speaker 1: I want to ask first about Roger Goodell. 477 00:20:33,896 --> 00:20:36,856 Speaker 5: I met Roger Goodell once and he had the absolute 478 00:20:37,176 --> 00:20:40,376 Speaker 5: strongest handshake of any man that I have ever shaken 479 00:20:40,416 --> 00:20:43,296 Speaker 5: hands with. Have you ever shaken Roger Goodell's hand? 480 00:20:44,336 --> 00:20:44,536 Speaker 2: Yeah? 481 00:20:44,656 --> 00:20:47,215 Speaker 8: Not only have I done that, but he like like 482 00:20:47,296 --> 00:20:51,015 Speaker 8: did a chest pump thing that he wants that. It 483 00:20:51,056 --> 00:20:53,256 Speaker 8: felt like I was back in the high school football 484 00:20:54,256 --> 00:20:56,896 Speaker 8: locker room thing. And this is the weird thing is 485 00:20:56,936 --> 00:21:00,255 Speaker 8: it was in federal court. I was covering the Sunday 486 00:21:00,256 --> 00:21:03,896 Speaker 8: ticket trial, which is in LA in twenty twenty four, 487 00:21:04,176 --> 00:21:06,656 Speaker 8: and he the reason that I went that particular day 488 00:21:06,856 --> 00:21:09,936 Speaker 8: was that Roger was on the stand, which is very 489 00:21:09,975 --> 00:21:12,775 Speaker 8: unusual to see a commissioner in a federal trial on 490 00:21:12,816 --> 00:21:15,615 Speaker 8: the court on the in the jury, on the on 491 00:21:15,656 --> 00:21:18,696 Speaker 8: the stand. And so he had he had finished the 492 00:21:18,735 --> 00:21:21,816 Speaker 8: morning session, and he knew I was there because I 493 00:21:21,816 --> 00:21:23,376 Speaker 8: had said a lot to him at the beginning, and 494 00:21:23,416 --> 00:21:25,416 Speaker 8: when he walked out. You know, he walked through the aisle, 495 00:21:25,455 --> 00:21:27,656 Speaker 8: the middle aisle, and you know, the reporters and the 496 00:21:27,735 --> 00:21:29,616 Speaker 8: lawyers were all standing up to stretch because it was 497 00:21:29,656 --> 00:21:31,376 Speaker 8: a lunch break, and he went past me and he 498 00:21:31,416 --> 00:21:35,376 Speaker 8: like took his fist and he like pounded my chest 499 00:21:35,576 --> 00:21:38,096 Speaker 8: like hey bro, and it was it was kind of 500 00:21:38,096 --> 00:21:41,816 Speaker 8: startling strong man. But yeah, so he's a strong guy, 501 00:21:42,176 --> 00:21:44,056 Speaker 8: very big, relatively big. 502 00:21:44,296 --> 00:21:48,696 Speaker 5: You had talked about mister Goodell and kind of compared 503 00:21:48,776 --> 00:21:52,656 Speaker 5: him to like a whip, a Senate majority leader, like uh, 504 00:21:52,696 --> 00:21:56,136 Speaker 5: and I because what we know of him is the face. 505 00:21:57,056 --> 00:21:59,416 Speaker 5: We know he's making decisions, but we don't really get 506 00:21:59,416 --> 00:22:01,975 Speaker 5: to see how that sausage is made. Like what do 507 00:22:02,016 --> 00:22:03,295 Speaker 5: you think his superpower is? 508 00:22:03,856 --> 00:22:06,176 Speaker 8: Yeah, so that's that's a great operation. I'm glad you 509 00:22:06,256 --> 00:22:09,376 Speaker 8: brought it up because I think the average fan looks 510 00:22:09,376 --> 00:22:11,576 Speaker 8: at him and says, Okay, he's the guy I boo 511 00:22:12,256 --> 00:22:16,656 Speaker 8: on draft day. He's the guy responsible for my team's 512 00:22:16,776 --> 00:22:20,296 Speaker 8: favorite running back for being suspended or whatever it is 513 00:22:19,776 --> 00:22:22,936 Speaker 8: he takes. That's part of his job, which is to 514 00:22:23,016 --> 00:22:26,775 Speaker 8: police the league itself, the players, But in reality, the 515 00:22:26,776 --> 00:22:30,376 Speaker 8: people who hire him are the owners, the NFL unlike 516 00:22:30,455 --> 00:22:32,176 Speaker 8: most of the other leagues, or are compared to the 517 00:22:32,256 --> 00:22:36,416 Speaker 8: other leagues, is much more owner driven. Everything has to 518 00:22:36,455 --> 00:22:39,735 Speaker 8: go to vote twenty four minimum of twenty four. So 519 00:22:40,696 --> 00:22:42,736 Speaker 8: I mean, Roger has his own ideas and his own 520 00:22:42,816 --> 00:22:45,896 Speaker 8: vision for the league, but he doesn't necessarily drive the bus. 521 00:22:46,376 --> 00:22:50,136 Speaker 8: He's kind of really good at synthesizing what the owners 522 00:22:50,256 --> 00:22:52,896 Speaker 8: want and what their visions are. And frankly, you know, 523 00:22:53,136 --> 00:22:56,815 Speaker 8: there's some prettiest student owners on the media front. What 524 00:22:56,816 --> 00:23:00,496 Speaker 8: do they do about gambling International? I'm sure AI will 525 00:23:00,495 --> 00:23:03,456 Speaker 8: come up a year or two. So these owners are 526 00:23:03,455 --> 00:23:06,656 Speaker 8: smart from their own businesses, and Er sort of channels them. 527 00:23:07,256 --> 00:23:09,656 Speaker 8: And so that's why I compared him to a Senate whip, 528 00:23:09,656 --> 00:23:11,495 Speaker 8: because he's always looking for how do I get to 529 00:23:11,536 --> 00:23:15,096 Speaker 8: twenty four votes? And you know, on rare occasions he 530 00:23:15,136 --> 00:23:18,616 Speaker 8: puts himself out there, one being like the Tush push 531 00:23:18,776 --> 00:23:21,776 Speaker 8: a couple of a year ago, and it actually failed. 532 00:23:22,056 --> 00:23:24,536 Speaker 8: That was a rare instance where Roger was kind of 533 00:23:25,455 --> 00:23:27,696 Speaker 8: was in front on that issue. But most of the 534 00:23:27,735 --> 00:23:31,015 Speaker 8: time he's just channeling what the owners want and what 535 00:23:31,056 --> 00:23:33,376 Speaker 8: he thinks, you know, will be better for the league 536 00:23:33,416 --> 00:23:34,896 Speaker 8: and frankly, to make them more money. 537 00:23:34,896 --> 00:23:36,176 Speaker 2: I think is the bottom line. 538 00:23:36,896 --> 00:23:39,255 Speaker 3: In the book, you talk about the powerbrokers being Jerry 539 00:23:39,336 --> 00:23:41,975 Speaker 3: Jones Robert Kraft, two guys. Actually I was part of 540 00:23:42,016 --> 00:23:45,176 Speaker 3: both of their organizations and two very different personalities. 541 00:23:45,576 --> 00:23:48,416 Speaker 1: But how in this. 542 00:23:48,136 --> 00:23:51,056 Speaker 3: Market that you're talking about, in the marketplace in the NFL, 543 00:23:51,256 --> 00:23:53,376 Speaker 3: how do they compliment each other and how do they 544 00:23:53,416 --> 00:23:54,856 Speaker 3: also compete against each other? 545 00:23:55,455 --> 00:24:00,856 Speaker 8: Yeah, great question. Obviously they compete on the field. They 546 00:24:01,056 --> 00:24:03,416 Speaker 8: totally compliment each other in the ways I didn't fully 547 00:24:03,455 --> 00:24:07,215 Speaker 8: appreciate when I started doing the reporting. Jerry is like 548 00:24:07,336 --> 00:24:11,896 Speaker 8: this bubbling idea guy. He's like the mad scientist. He's 549 00:24:11,936 --> 00:24:16,296 Speaker 8: constantly looking at ways where can we promote the NFL. 550 00:24:17,056 --> 00:24:20,896 Speaker 8: He is the absolute firms believer in the power of 551 00:24:20,975 --> 00:24:24,176 Speaker 8: the shield and has from the time he took over. 552 00:24:24,256 --> 00:24:26,816 Speaker 8: It's one of the reasons he bought the Cowboys, and 553 00:24:26,896 --> 00:24:29,455 Speaker 8: so he's constantly coming up ideas. But he is not 554 00:24:29,735 --> 00:24:34,295 Speaker 8: necessarily the closer, and sometimes he can just wear people 555 00:24:34,336 --> 00:24:37,176 Speaker 8: out with his ideas. There's a great quote from Robert 556 00:24:37,735 --> 00:24:40,495 Speaker 8: about Jerry. He could charm a dog off a meat truck. 557 00:24:41,455 --> 00:24:44,616 Speaker 8: You know, he's just he works the phones. He still 558 00:24:44,616 --> 00:24:48,296 Speaker 8: has a flip phone, I think, and He's constantly just selling. 559 00:24:49,176 --> 00:24:51,735 Speaker 8: It's not about the money, It's about the deal and 560 00:24:51,776 --> 00:24:52,295 Speaker 8: the chase. 561 00:24:52,576 --> 00:24:52,976 Speaker 2: And so. 562 00:24:54,455 --> 00:24:56,255 Speaker 8: Where is Robert, I think is a little more in 563 00:24:56,296 --> 00:24:58,856 Speaker 8: the shadows, in the sense that he is more the closer, 564 00:24:59,735 --> 00:25:01,576 Speaker 8: the guy who tries to get to a win win 565 00:25:01,856 --> 00:25:05,296 Speaker 8: for say the networks in the league or a sponsor 566 00:25:05,455 --> 00:25:07,776 Speaker 8: in the league. And I think that is Robert's skill. 567 00:25:07,856 --> 00:25:10,856 Speaker 8: He's a bit more diplomatic. He's not necessarily the ideas guy, 568 00:25:11,296 --> 00:25:12,936 Speaker 8: but he's the guy that can get it over the 569 00:25:12,936 --> 00:25:13,736 Speaker 8: finish line. 570 00:25:13,856 --> 00:25:19,176 Speaker 5: I'm curious your perception and experience with Jerry Jones. Both 571 00:25:19,416 --> 00:25:21,936 Speaker 5: Matt and I have a different relationship with him, but 572 00:25:22,016 --> 00:25:25,176 Speaker 5: both were so good in that Matt has told the 573 00:25:25,215 --> 00:25:26,856 Speaker 5: story here where Jerry Jones is like we want you. 574 00:25:26,896 --> 00:25:28,416 Speaker 5: We're going to send the plane to get your family, 575 00:25:28,536 --> 00:25:32,736 Speaker 5: like glowing reviews. I emailed the random Dallas Cowboy website 576 00:25:32,735 --> 00:25:34,616 Speaker 5: once because I didn't know how to get hold of Jerry. 577 00:25:34,776 --> 00:25:36,776 Speaker 5: Next thing you know, I'm in the chopper with Jerry 578 00:25:36,816 --> 00:25:39,455 Speaker 5: and his family. It's literally five of us. It's him, 579 00:25:39,495 --> 00:25:42,056 Speaker 5: his son, me and my wife and like my friends 580 00:25:42,296 --> 00:25:45,096 Speaker 5: and Jerry's taken us in the chopper where Landing's walking 581 00:25:45,136 --> 00:25:47,056 Speaker 5: us around. He's like, these people don't want to see 582 00:25:47,056 --> 00:25:49,015 Speaker 5: me there, And like I was so used to use 583 00:25:49,056 --> 00:25:49,616 Speaker 5: the word charms. 584 00:25:49,656 --> 00:25:50,736 Speaker 1: I was so charmed. 585 00:25:51,056 --> 00:25:54,336 Speaker 5: Like is that generally what he does to people is 586 00:25:54,376 --> 00:25:56,896 Speaker 5: make them love him because both of us had such 587 00:25:56,896 --> 00:25:58,296 Speaker 5: a wonderful relationship. 588 00:25:58,536 --> 00:26:02,656 Speaker 8: Yeah, Jerry is a natural. It's just in his blood. 589 00:26:02,696 --> 00:26:04,815 Speaker 8: You could tell a part of his story. I was 590 00:26:04,856 --> 00:26:06,975 Speaker 8: not the first reported he tells it all the time. 591 00:26:07,376 --> 00:26:09,255 Speaker 8: Was when he was a kid and growing up in 592 00:26:09,696 --> 00:26:12,456 Speaker 8: Little Rock, North Little Rock, his dad had a grocery 593 00:26:12,495 --> 00:26:16,176 Speaker 8: store and to bring in customers, they basically put little 594 00:26:16,256 --> 00:26:19,255 Speaker 8: Jerry up there in cowboy outfits to kind of charm 595 00:26:19,336 --> 00:26:22,896 Speaker 8: the moms coming in to do grocery shopping. So he's 596 00:26:22,936 --> 00:26:25,735 Speaker 8: been kind of a showman from a very young age, 597 00:26:25,776 --> 00:26:29,255 Speaker 8: and he understood the connection between being a good showman 598 00:26:29,376 --> 00:26:33,215 Speaker 8: and making money literally helping his dad sell groceries by 599 00:26:33,495 --> 00:26:37,616 Speaker 8: by presenting entertainment, cute entertainment. And it's just in his 600 00:26:37,656 --> 00:26:40,055 Speaker 8: bloody he has that kind of twinkle. I'll tell you 601 00:26:40,096 --> 00:26:42,256 Speaker 8: one other story. I've been up in a helicopter too, 602 00:26:42,296 --> 00:26:45,575 Speaker 8: and with him and he doesn't know how to use 603 00:26:45,616 --> 00:26:50,936 Speaker 8: the headset and he was yeah, exactly you got to 604 00:26:50,975 --> 00:26:52,896 Speaker 8: hit the button the talk and whatever. It was a 605 00:26:52,936 --> 00:26:56,176 Speaker 8: total fiasco, totally. I couldn't hear a word he's saying. 606 00:26:56,176 --> 00:26:59,136 Speaker 8: It was so noisy. And so we take we're in 607 00:26:59,215 --> 00:27:03,096 Speaker 8: we're going around the Star in Frisco, and the photographer 608 00:27:03,136 --> 00:27:03,416 Speaker 8: loved it. 609 00:27:03,495 --> 00:27:05,336 Speaker 2: Right, we're getting in these aerial photos. We get back 610 00:27:05,576 --> 00:27:07,295 Speaker 2: love Field and. 611 00:27:07,176 --> 00:27:11,376 Speaker 8: He he has that kind of charm and he's like, yeah, 612 00:27:11,495 --> 00:27:14,256 Speaker 8: I think we should talk some more because I had 613 00:27:14,296 --> 00:27:16,936 Speaker 8: like nothing in my notebook And we sat in the 614 00:27:16,975 --> 00:27:19,696 Speaker 8: hangar at a table for another hour and a half. 615 00:27:20,176 --> 00:27:22,975 Speaker 8: Like I'm sure he was booked and had to go somewhere, 616 00:27:23,016 --> 00:27:25,416 Speaker 8: but Jerry was going to finish that and I had come, 617 00:27:25,576 --> 00:27:28,376 Speaker 8: you know, down in Dallas to do that interview. So like, 618 00:27:28,455 --> 00:27:30,576 Speaker 8: that's the guy who's committed a lot of other people. 619 00:27:30,816 --> 00:27:32,776 Speaker 8: First all, they wouldn't have taken me up in a helicopter, 620 00:27:32,856 --> 00:27:35,616 Speaker 8: and number two wouldn't have spent twice as much time 621 00:27:35,656 --> 00:27:37,775 Speaker 8: with me just to make sure I had what I needed. 622 00:27:38,056 --> 00:27:40,775 Speaker 3: Do you think this the NFL would have the same 623 00:27:40,856 --> 00:27:45,936 Speaker 3: success without a Jerry Jones, without Robert Kraft or Roger Goodell, 624 00:27:46,056 --> 00:27:49,056 Speaker 3: Like how much of an impact have they had that 625 00:27:49,136 --> 00:27:52,056 Speaker 3: maybe otherwise the NFL wouldn't have the same success. 626 00:27:52,215 --> 00:27:54,416 Speaker 8: Yeah, I think about that a lot. You know, the 627 00:27:54,656 --> 00:27:58,136 Speaker 8: what ifs. You know, Jerry and Robert this is in 628 00:27:58,215 --> 00:28:01,576 Speaker 8: the Jerry came in eighty nine and Robert in ninety four. 629 00:28:02,016 --> 00:28:05,216 Speaker 8: At that time, paid record amounts for their team teams, 630 00:28:05,416 --> 00:28:07,656 Speaker 8: and I mean it's hard to believe Jerry paid one 631 00:28:07,735 --> 00:28:10,455 Speaker 8: hundred and fifteen million for the Cowboys. They were like 632 00:28:10,616 --> 00:28:14,896 Speaker 8: twelve billion now, but that was big money when it 633 00:28:14,936 --> 00:28:17,536 Speaker 8: went to nine figures, when it passed one hundred million. 634 00:28:17,656 --> 00:28:20,416 Speaker 8: Now you're kind of talking about a slimmer group of 635 00:28:20,416 --> 00:28:23,376 Speaker 8: people able to get into the NFL. And they were 636 00:28:23,416 --> 00:28:26,736 Speaker 8: part of a wave in the nineties of like wealthy 637 00:28:26,816 --> 00:28:29,495 Speaker 8: business people, smart business people were coming in, not just 638 00:28:29,536 --> 00:28:33,495 Speaker 8: football people and not people just interested in dabbling. And 639 00:28:33,576 --> 00:28:37,295 Speaker 8: so you had Wayne Heisinger in Miami, he owned Blockbuster 640 00:28:37,376 --> 00:28:40,616 Speaker 8: and a bunch of other things. Jeffrey Lourie from the 641 00:28:40,696 --> 00:28:44,815 Speaker 8: Loew's hotel chain. So you have like bigger money people 642 00:28:44,856 --> 00:28:47,536 Speaker 8: coming in. So they were not alone, and I think 643 00:28:47,576 --> 00:28:51,216 Speaker 8: that changed the thinking in the league from hey, football 644 00:28:51,376 --> 00:28:53,536 Speaker 8: is played. You know, you go to mass then you 645 00:28:53,576 --> 00:28:55,696 Speaker 8: come to the stadium, then you play at one o'clock 646 00:28:55,696 --> 00:28:57,976 Speaker 8: and you go home. And then you got people like 647 00:28:58,056 --> 00:29:00,696 Speaker 8: Jerry and Robert who went into debt to buy their 648 00:29:00,736 --> 00:29:03,896 Speaker 8: teams and they really needed new ideas to make back 649 00:29:03,936 --> 00:29:07,296 Speaker 8: their money, so that really fueled it. I think Jerry 650 00:29:07,296 --> 00:29:11,176 Speaker 8: and Robert were probably the best equipped. I think Heisinger 651 00:29:11,216 --> 00:29:13,976 Speaker 8: had lots of other businesses and he was partly distracted 652 00:29:14,696 --> 00:29:17,416 Speaker 8: Jeffrey Lorie just you know, doesn't want to necessarily lead 653 00:29:17,456 --> 00:29:21,136 Speaker 8: from the front. But Jerry and Robert definitely were part 654 00:29:21,136 --> 00:29:24,576 Speaker 8: of that wave. But they were very much more willing 655 00:29:24,656 --> 00:29:27,376 Speaker 8: to put in the extra hours on behalf of the league, 656 00:29:27,496 --> 00:29:30,616 Speaker 8: not just their teams. So I'd say that's why it 657 00:29:30,656 --> 00:29:32,216 Speaker 8: would have been a very different league. I don't think 658 00:29:32,216 --> 00:29:34,176 Speaker 8: they would have grown as quickly. They would have grown, 659 00:29:34,176 --> 00:29:35,456 Speaker 8: but not nearly as quickly. 660 00:29:35,816 --> 00:29:38,936 Speaker 5: The book definitely covers economic growth and just growth in 661 00:29:38,976 --> 00:29:41,416 Speaker 5: general of the sport, because in our life we have 662 00:29:41,496 --> 00:29:44,856 Speaker 5: seen an NFL boom. Any chance, this is just your 663 00:29:44,896 --> 00:29:48,216 Speaker 5: opinion here, did the NFL at times grow too fast 664 00:29:48,336 --> 00:29:49,256 Speaker 5: they couldn't keep up. 665 00:29:49,576 --> 00:29:52,296 Speaker 8: It's a great question, and frankly you're the first person 666 00:29:52,296 --> 00:29:55,776 Speaker 8: to ask it that way. So yeah, there's a question 667 00:29:55,816 --> 00:29:59,896 Speaker 8: of like how much is too much the NFL and 668 00:30:00,216 --> 00:30:05,056 Speaker 8: Paul Tagibow's period is really where it most took hold. 669 00:30:06,376 --> 00:30:08,696 Speaker 8: But there was you know, there's NFL Properties, which is 670 00:30:08,776 --> 00:30:12,736 Speaker 8: the for profit arm of the NFL. The NFL league 671 00:30:12,736 --> 00:30:17,176 Speaker 8: itself is just you know, governs the sport. And those 672 00:30:17,176 --> 00:30:19,496 Speaker 8: were the wild West days in the eighties and the 673 00:30:19,536 --> 00:30:22,656 Speaker 8: early nineties where they were signing deals all over the place, 674 00:30:23,296 --> 00:30:28,216 Speaker 8: different sponsorships. You know, you didn't have necessarily exclusivity, so 675 00:30:28,256 --> 00:30:31,296 Speaker 8: you didn't have like Nike as the official parel company. 676 00:30:31,536 --> 00:30:34,376 Speaker 8: So you have like six companies, and at that point 677 00:30:34,576 --> 00:30:37,576 Speaker 8: it gets kind of chaotic because everybody's kind of grabbing 678 00:30:37,616 --> 00:30:40,096 Speaker 8: it the same. There's you can you can saturate the 679 00:30:40,136 --> 00:30:43,696 Speaker 8: market if it's not done carefully, and so yes, there 680 00:30:43,736 --> 00:30:46,976 Speaker 8: was in some ways it was a hungry period and 681 00:30:47,016 --> 00:30:48,976 Speaker 8: there was money to be made, but it was it 682 00:30:49,016 --> 00:30:52,056 Speaker 8: was the sales team was kind of running the show 683 00:30:52,216 --> 00:30:54,856 Speaker 8: and without the same kind of game plan. I think 684 00:30:54,896 --> 00:30:57,976 Speaker 8: when Paul Tagubu comes in in nineteen eighty nine, one 685 00:30:57,976 --> 00:31:00,296 Speaker 8: of the first things he does, or a year or 686 00:31:00,336 --> 00:31:03,336 Speaker 8: two into it, he settles the labor problem. Players get 687 00:31:03,336 --> 00:31:04,096 Speaker 8: free agency. 688 00:31:04,576 --> 00:31:05,136 Speaker 2: That was like a. 689 00:31:05,056 --> 00:31:08,616 Speaker 8: Big, big deal obviously, and then there's revenue sharing. But 690 00:31:08,696 --> 00:31:11,575 Speaker 8: then he hires a guy named Neil Austrian who is 691 00:31:11,616 --> 00:31:13,896 Speaker 8: in the early part of the book. And Neil is 692 00:31:13,936 --> 00:31:17,136 Speaker 8: a very experienced business person, not a sports guy. He 693 00:31:17,176 --> 00:31:20,416 Speaker 8: worked at Warner Brothers, he worked in IBM, lots of 694 00:31:20,416 --> 00:31:23,136 Speaker 8: corporate experience, and he basically said, you run the business. 695 00:31:23,656 --> 00:31:26,856 Speaker 8: And at that point the NFL said, okay, let's rationalize this. 696 00:31:27,376 --> 00:31:30,896 Speaker 8: So you had Sunday ticket came in in ninety four, 697 00:31:31,336 --> 00:31:35,416 Speaker 8: and then the league starts signing exclusivity, the exclusive deals. 698 00:31:35,416 --> 00:31:38,016 Speaker 8: So instead of having five apparel makers, they say, let's 699 00:31:38,016 --> 00:31:40,656 Speaker 8: just go with Reebok. Instead of having a bunch of 700 00:31:40,696 --> 00:31:43,856 Speaker 8: different soda companies, let's just do coke. And so you 701 00:31:43,896 --> 00:31:46,856 Speaker 8: could charge a premium for that exclusivity. And so I 702 00:31:46,856 --> 00:31:49,976 Speaker 8: think that kind of streamlined the business, and that those 703 00:31:50,016 --> 00:31:53,256 Speaker 8: wild West days of you know, sales guys just signing 704 00:31:53,296 --> 00:31:56,216 Speaker 8: deals left and right kind of dissolved a little bit 705 00:31:56,336 --> 00:31:58,176 Speaker 8: and the NFL. 706 00:31:57,856 --> 00:31:58,976 Speaker 2: Became a little more efficient. 707 00:31:59,016 --> 00:32:15,616 Speaker 9: I guess it was a better way of looking at it. 708 00:32:15,696 --> 00:32:16,896 Speaker 1: In the foreseeable future. 709 00:32:16,936 --> 00:32:19,976 Speaker 3: Do you see anything that could hinder the growth of 710 00:32:20,016 --> 00:32:22,056 Speaker 3: the NFL? I mean, the one thing that I can 711 00:32:22,136 --> 00:32:24,696 Speaker 3: only think of as a collective bargaining agreement that they 712 00:32:24,696 --> 00:32:25,216 Speaker 3: can't come to. 713 00:32:25,176 --> 00:32:26,176 Speaker 1: The table on both sides. 714 00:32:26,216 --> 00:32:29,936 Speaker 3: Because I was part of the lockout in twenty eleven, 715 00:32:29,976 --> 00:32:32,575 Speaker 3: I believe it was, and it was back and forth, 716 00:32:32,776 --> 00:32:34,776 Speaker 3: and that's the only thing that I could see in 717 00:32:34,816 --> 00:32:36,976 Speaker 3: the foreseeable future that would slow down the growth. 718 00:32:36,976 --> 00:32:39,056 Speaker 1: But I would love to hear your opinion on that, sure. 719 00:32:39,096 --> 00:32:42,736 Speaker 8: I mean, obviously, labor is huge in the union right now, 720 00:32:42,816 --> 00:32:46,176 Speaker 8: doesn't just have an interim leader. So there's issues on 721 00:32:46,216 --> 00:32:49,096 Speaker 8: the player side as well, and that's always out there, 722 00:32:49,096 --> 00:32:52,016 Speaker 8: although I think there's still several years away, another half 723 00:32:52,056 --> 00:32:55,136 Speaker 8: decade ago on the current deal, but there's a lot 724 00:32:55,136 --> 00:32:57,576 Speaker 8: of stuff out there. Just think of let's talk really 725 00:32:57,616 --> 00:33:01,136 Speaker 8: broadly about the demographics of America. There's just essentially a 726 00:33:01,176 --> 00:33:04,816 Speaker 8: slowing birth rate, which means fewer kids, which means fewer 727 00:33:04,856 --> 00:33:08,936 Speaker 8: young athlete, which potentially means fewer young football players, and 728 00:33:08,976 --> 00:33:12,936 Speaker 8: potentially fewer NFL fans. And that is what's driving part 729 00:33:12,976 --> 00:33:16,376 Speaker 8: of what's driving the NFL to play overseas to find 730 00:33:16,416 --> 00:33:18,776 Speaker 8: new fans. I mean, you know, ninety three out of 731 00:33:18,816 --> 00:33:21,896 Speaker 8: the top one hundred broadcasts a few years ago were 732 00:33:21,976 --> 00:33:25,536 Speaker 8: NFL games, Like how much more can you saturate American 733 00:33:25,696 --> 00:33:29,056 Speaker 8: audiences with football? And they're not even at the eighteenth 734 00:33:29,136 --> 00:33:33,336 Speaker 8: game yet. So that's one is just the demographics of America. 735 00:33:33,376 --> 00:33:36,056 Speaker 8: And by the way, you know, baseball and other sports 736 00:33:36,096 --> 00:33:38,336 Speaker 8: deal with this too. And then you get gambling, which 737 00:33:38,336 --> 00:33:41,815 Speaker 8: we haven't discussed yet, and that is already changing the 738 00:33:41,856 --> 00:33:46,536 Speaker 8: contours the relationship with the fans. It's really fracturing, frankly, 739 00:33:46,736 --> 00:33:50,136 Speaker 8: the way people watch sports in general, but particularly the NFL. 740 00:33:50,376 --> 00:33:53,296 Speaker 8: Now you're literally betting on your phone in real time, 741 00:33:53,936 --> 00:33:57,776 Speaker 8: and so the whole viewing experience is completely distorted. Instead 742 00:33:57,776 --> 00:33:59,576 Speaker 8: of waiting until the end of the game to find 743 00:33:59,576 --> 00:34:01,456 Speaker 8: the score, you're betting on plays in the middle of 744 00:34:01,456 --> 00:34:04,776 Speaker 8: the game. And I just think that like this, it 745 00:34:04,816 --> 00:34:08,016 Speaker 8: has fracked sure the sports viewing experience, and I think 746 00:34:08,016 --> 00:34:10,895 Speaker 8: the league's plural are going to have a challenge. There's 747 00:34:10,896 --> 00:34:13,776 Speaker 8: a great book called Dopamine Nation, and this is just 748 00:34:13,856 --> 00:34:17,696 Speaker 8: part of a larger trend of you know, fantasy football 749 00:34:17,736 --> 00:34:20,936 Speaker 8: being one but smartphones, you know, and when I started 750 00:34:20,936 --> 00:34:23,776 Speaker 8: playing fantasy football twenty five years ago, I had to 751 00:34:23,776 --> 00:34:27,496 Speaker 8: go to a desktop computer and refresh eighteen times to 752 00:34:27,536 --> 00:34:30,296 Speaker 8: get my score. You know, these days, it's on my 753 00:34:30,376 --> 00:34:34,976 Speaker 8: phone automatically. So yeah, it's not just an NFL problem, 754 00:34:34,976 --> 00:34:37,056 Speaker 8: but it is an acute problem. 755 00:34:37,256 --> 00:34:39,016 Speaker 3: Yeah, I want to go back to Roger Goodell for 756 00:34:39,056 --> 00:34:42,736 Speaker 3: a second, and he's had to navigate through a lot, 757 00:34:44,016 --> 00:34:47,616 Speaker 3: and I'm talking about concussions. I'm talking about social injustice 758 00:34:48,696 --> 00:34:53,456 Speaker 3: and what would you say was his biggest accomplishment while 759 00:34:53,496 --> 00:34:56,136 Speaker 3: he has been a leader of the NFL. 760 00:34:56,056 --> 00:35:00,056 Speaker 8: So, you know, credit where it's due, the whole concussion protocol, 761 00:35:00,376 --> 00:35:02,616 Speaker 8: just as an example, taking a player out of a game, 762 00:35:02,736 --> 00:35:08,976 Speaker 8: having spotters and neurologists on the sidelines, players themselves self diagnosing, 763 00:35:10,096 --> 00:35:10,936 Speaker 8: you know, the blue tent. 764 00:35:11,656 --> 00:35:14,216 Speaker 2: All these things didn't exist, you know, until. 765 00:35:13,976 --> 00:35:16,656 Speaker 8: What ten years ago, and now you know there's an 766 00:35:16,696 --> 00:35:20,336 Speaker 8: actual formal protocol. You of course still have examples like 767 00:35:20,456 --> 00:35:24,936 Speaker 8: to and players who seem to get back, you know, 768 00:35:25,016 --> 00:35:28,536 Speaker 8: before they're ready, but just as many players now sit 769 00:35:28,616 --> 00:35:31,816 Speaker 8: out and maybe more, and so you know, that's something 770 00:35:31,856 --> 00:35:34,696 Speaker 8: that he probably deserves some credit for and pushing the 771 00:35:34,776 --> 00:35:39,216 Speaker 8: league to try and address these pretty big and really 772 00:35:39,296 --> 00:35:43,696 Speaker 8: frankly fundamental problems. There's a lot of marketing and messaging around, 773 00:35:43,696 --> 00:35:49,536 Speaker 8: say for helmets and youth football and flag football and 774 00:35:49,616 --> 00:35:50,496 Speaker 8: some of them are good. 775 00:35:50,576 --> 00:35:50,736 Speaker 2: Some. 776 00:35:50,856 --> 00:35:52,936 Speaker 8: I mean, helmets are nice, but they're not going to 777 00:35:53,096 --> 00:35:56,976 Speaker 8: prevent a concussion. But I would say the concussion protocol 778 00:35:57,016 --> 00:35:59,616 Speaker 8: stuff has been a big game changer. 779 00:36:00,176 --> 00:36:04,296 Speaker 5: We are an NFL podcast. They pay us, we work 780 00:36:04,416 --> 00:36:08,056 Speaker 5: for the NFL, and we also know who the boss is. 781 00:36:08,136 --> 00:36:10,096 Speaker 5: Now we have never had a guest that we've booked 782 00:36:10,096 --> 00:36:12,256 Speaker 5: and they've said no. But they can say no because 783 00:36:12,296 --> 00:36:16,776 Speaker 5: they are inevitably our boss. This book, I feel like 784 00:36:16,776 --> 00:36:19,656 Speaker 5: it is so comprehensive that there is a lot of 785 00:36:19,696 --> 00:36:24,496 Speaker 5: great stuff. There's also some honesty hear that maybe makes 786 00:36:24,616 --> 00:36:27,256 Speaker 5: versions of the NFL go man. I wish we'd done 787 00:36:27,256 --> 00:36:29,736 Speaker 5: a better job at this point. Why would the NFL 788 00:36:29,816 --> 00:36:31,376 Speaker 5: let us have you on? Since this is not a 789 00:36:31,416 --> 00:36:33,656 Speaker 5: complete I love the NFL book. 790 00:36:33,816 --> 00:36:36,496 Speaker 8: I don't know whether they've intervened or they actually look 791 00:36:36,536 --> 00:36:37,656 Speaker 8: over your booking schedule. 792 00:36:37,816 --> 00:36:40,216 Speaker 1: They do, know, they do. Why do they love you? 793 00:36:40,296 --> 00:36:40,496 Speaker 2: They do? 794 00:36:40,736 --> 00:36:41,736 Speaker 1: Yeah? 795 00:36:41,816 --> 00:36:43,856 Speaker 2: I don't know if they love me, but I think 796 00:36:43,896 --> 00:36:45,696 Speaker 2: they I have to say, the NFL. 797 00:36:46,416 --> 00:36:49,336 Speaker 8: I think they know who I am, and you know, 798 00:36:49,576 --> 00:36:51,776 Speaker 8: I'd like to think the book is deeply reported. I've 799 00:36:51,816 --> 00:36:55,016 Speaker 8: spoken to at least a dozen owners for the book. 800 00:36:56,336 --> 00:37:02,256 Speaker 8: Union people, Network people, I think thoroughly researched the book, 801 00:37:02,296 --> 00:37:05,496 Speaker 8: and so from that perspective, you know, I think they 802 00:37:05,656 --> 00:37:09,096 Speaker 8: can appreciate the effort that went into it. It's not 803 00:37:09,176 --> 00:37:13,296 Speaker 8: a gotcha book in that sense. In one review of 804 00:37:13,336 --> 00:37:16,256 Speaker 8: the book, somebody said there are no heroes. I'd like 805 00:37:16,296 --> 00:37:19,336 Speaker 8: to think that's probably true. And I didn't write it 806 00:37:19,336 --> 00:37:22,976 Speaker 8: as a polemic. I wrote it as like a reported history, 807 00:37:22,976 --> 00:37:24,936 Speaker 8: if you want to call it that, or contemporary history. 808 00:37:25,336 --> 00:37:27,576 Speaker 8: So I think it's fair in that sense. And yeah, 809 00:37:27,576 --> 00:37:29,616 Speaker 8: there's stuff I'm sure they would like not to be 810 00:37:29,656 --> 00:37:32,416 Speaker 8: in the book, but that also gives it authenticity. I 811 00:37:32,416 --> 00:37:35,536 Speaker 8: hope it's not a cheerleading book. You know, there's a 812 00:37:35,576 --> 00:37:39,576 Speaker 8: fine line between giving Jerry Jones and Robert Craft and 813 00:37:39,696 --> 00:37:42,376 Speaker 8: Roger Goodell credit for making a lot of money. It's 814 00:37:42,416 --> 00:37:44,656 Speaker 8: a business book. On the other hand, you know, like 815 00:37:44,816 --> 00:37:46,896 Speaker 8: it's up to the reader to decide whether that's greed. 816 00:37:47,496 --> 00:37:50,496 Speaker 8: And maybe that's too much, right, but I'm not trying 817 00:37:50,496 --> 00:37:51,976 Speaker 8: to tilt the scales in that sense. 818 00:37:53,336 --> 00:37:55,816 Speaker 5: Final question, Ken, being the reporter you are that are 819 00:37:55,816 --> 00:37:58,936 Speaker 5: reported on so many things, different types of things. I 820 00:37:58,936 --> 00:38:02,176 Speaker 5: have a couple of friends that also do a job 821 00:38:02,376 --> 00:38:04,496 Speaker 5: similar to yours. And they just talk about how they 822 00:38:05,136 --> 00:38:07,616 Speaker 5: text and text and text, and so many texts are 823 00:38:07,656 --> 00:38:10,296 Speaker 5: just not returned. Is that a big part of your career, 824 00:38:10,416 --> 00:38:12,376 Speaker 5: just texting and being left on read all the time. 825 00:38:14,256 --> 00:38:16,815 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's part of the job. I will say. 826 00:38:17,016 --> 00:38:19,656 Speaker 8: You know, I've been asked a lot like how long 827 00:38:19,696 --> 00:38:21,376 Speaker 8: did it take you to write the book? And the 828 00:38:21,816 --> 00:38:24,256 Speaker 8: short answer is I started it in twenty twenty two 829 00:38:24,376 --> 00:38:27,736 Speaker 8: and got the contract in twenty three to start writing. 830 00:38:28,696 --> 00:38:31,216 Speaker 8: But the real answer is twenty thirteen when I started 831 00:38:31,216 --> 00:38:34,856 Speaker 8: covering the league full time, because the book didn't happen 832 00:38:35,216 --> 00:38:39,496 Speaker 8: without relationships I had already had with Pick the Owner, 833 00:38:39,576 --> 00:38:45,456 Speaker 8: Art Rooney, Shod Cohn, Arthur Blank, Robert Kraft, so forth. 834 00:38:45,896 --> 00:38:48,256 Speaker 8: So like you know, when I got the book, I 835 00:38:48,296 --> 00:38:50,696 Speaker 8: already knew that for nine or ten years. And they 836 00:38:50,776 --> 00:38:52,336 Speaker 8: do pick up your calls, or at least they take 837 00:38:52,376 --> 00:38:56,816 Speaker 8: you seriously. And I'll be honest, like they're busy people, right, 838 00:38:56,856 --> 00:39:00,096 Speaker 8: I get it. So just getting time in Arthur Blank's 839 00:39:00,136 --> 00:39:03,176 Speaker 8: schedule took like three months, you know, or two months. 840 00:39:03,216 --> 00:39:03,616 Speaker 2: I don't know. 841 00:39:04,576 --> 00:39:07,936 Speaker 8: Shod con I ended up speaking to him for four 842 00:39:07,976 --> 00:39:11,176 Speaker 8: hours on a Saturday before a day before a game. 843 00:39:12,576 --> 00:39:15,335 Speaker 8: But you know, that took months to sort out. They're 844 00:39:15,376 --> 00:39:17,896 Speaker 8: just busy people, So I get it, and I'm asking 845 00:39:17,976 --> 00:39:20,096 Speaker 8: them for a favor. I think the owners who sat 846 00:39:20,136 --> 00:39:23,496 Speaker 8: with me obviously we're interested in talking about, for instance, 847 00:39:23,536 --> 00:39:28,136 Speaker 8: the twenty eleven lockout TV deals, whatever. But you know, 848 00:39:28,216 --> 00:39:32,296 Speaker 8: you're just juggling a lot. Then you know the network 849 00:39:32,336 --> 00:39:34,576 Speaker 8: people all these things. Very few people'll just call you 850 00:39:34,656 --> 00:39:37,336 Speaker 8: right back, So I get that that's just part of the. 851 00:39:37,336 --> 00:39:40,136 Speaker 1: Job, Ken Belson. Every day is Sunday. 852 00:39:41,016 --> 00:39:43,456 Speaker 5: Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell turned the NFL 853 00:39:43,496 --> 00:39:46,416 Speaker 5: into a cultural and economic juggernaut. I know the book's 854 00:39:46,416 --> 00:39:49,536 Speaker 5: been out since October. I hope you sell a billion copies. 855 00:39:50,856 --> 00:39:54,496 Speaker 5: I'm it's so thorough. You can order the book on Amazon, 856 00:39:54,536 --> 00:39:56,056 Speaker 5: but you can order anything on Amazon. You can't order 857 00:39:56,096 --> 00:39:58,056 Speaker 5: pickle jar. You can order this book. You can order 858 00:39:58,056 --> 00:39:59,776 Speaker 5: whatever you want, but this book is there. 859 00:40:00,256 --> 00:40:00,536 Speaker 1: Ken. 860 00:40:00,576 --> 00:40:03,616 Speaker 5: We really appreciate the time spending with us today, and 861 00:40:03,656 --> 00:40:04,816 Speaker 5: congratulations in the book. 862 00:40:04,976 --> 00:40:06,976 Speaker 2: Thank you, great conversation, appreciate it. 863 00:40:06,976 --> 00:40:15,136 Speaker 5: Thanks, okay, thanks to Ken Belson. I didn't even get 864 00:40:15,136 --> 00:40:16,456 Speaker 5: to my Arkansas hiring a new coach. 865 00:40:16,976 --> 00:40:17,136 Speaker 2: Guy. 866 00:40:18,136 --> 00:40:20,335 Speaker 3: Yeah, I said, what we're gonna do? Uh, we're gonna 867 00:40:20,336 --> 00:40:23,136 Speaker 3: wrap this and so let's be part one. 868 00:40:23,376 --> 00:40:24,736 Speaker 5: We'll have part two coming up in a little bit 869 00:40:24,776 --> 00:40:26,136 Speaker 5: because we got to get to our topics too. 870 00:40:26,456 --> 00:40:28,176 Speaker 1: So, uh, this is lots to say. 871 00:40:28,216 --> 00:40:31,216 Speaker 5: I'm Bobby Bones, that's Matt Castle, that's kick Off Kevin, 872 00:40:31,416 --> 00:40:33,656 Speaker 5: and we got Morgan over the running cameras today because Brandon, 873 00:40:33,976 --> 00:40:38,816 Speaker 5: because Brandon's like onation or something. That's that's true. Okay, 874 00:40:39,016 --> 00:40:41,136 Speaker 5: this is part one. Part two will be up soon. 875 00:40:41,496 --> 00:40:42,376 Speaker 5: We've had lots to say. 876 00:40:42,376 --> 00:40:50,256 Speaker 4: Goodbye everybody, lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt 877 00:40:50,296 --> 00:40:54,056 Speaker 4: Castle is a production of the NFL and iHeart Podcasts. 878 00:40:54,176 --> 00:40:58,416 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 879 00:40:58,456 --> 00:40:59,816 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.