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Speaker 1: An award winning family owned business with exceptional diamonds, engagement rings, jewelry,

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Speaker 1: and time pieces. Continental Diamond is the jeweler Minnesota Adores

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Speaker 1: in Saint Louis Park or online at Continentaldiamond dot com. Hey, guys,

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Speaker 1: huge game this week, and we have one of our favorites.

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Speaker 1: I would go so far as to say our favorite guest,

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Speaker 1: the incredible Zach Martine, lifelong Lions fan, did the show

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Speaker 1: last year. They were really great episodes. This one is

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Speaker 1: no different. I think you guys are gonna love it.

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Speaker 1: And hey, he is coming to ACME in Minneapolis May

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Speaker 1: fifteenth through the eighteenth, so listen to this episode. Hopefully

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Speaker 1: the Vikings go get a win so you don't have

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Speaker 1: to dislike him and then go see him do stand

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Speaker 1: up at one of the best clubs in the country.

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Speaker 1: Enjoy the show. Everybody Ida what Tom is?

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Speaker 2: Hey, we gotta go here, we gotta go.

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Speaker 1: Let's go So Tom, Well, it's not a must win

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Speaker 1: week for your Minnesota Vikings, but it's at least a

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Speaker 1: probably need to win or definitely should win if we

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Speaker 1: want things to keep going. I don't know how to

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Speaker 1: quantify it, but we need to win the vikings need

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Speaker 1: to win and joining me to discuss the team that

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Speaker 1: we need to defeat. This program's favorite guest. Oh, ladies

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Speaker 1: and gentlemen, the wonderful y'are a Zach. Everybody likes you.

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Speaker 1: And here's the thing, here's the problem, Zach Martina. I

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Speaker 1: think I can't promise you you will be this week

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Speaker 1: this show's favorite guest after this episode. That's fair because

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Speaker 1: it was so You were so funny last year, you know,

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Speaker 1: lifelong Lions fan, great comedian. You were so funny, so

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Speaker 1: fun and we just were like, oh, look at him.

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Speaker 1: Isn't that nice? Isn't it fun to have him? He's

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Speaker 1: a little feisty, it's a good time. But now you're

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Speaker 1: at our doorstep and you're standing on a ladder looking

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Speaker 1: down at us, And so I can promise you that

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Speaker 1: that feeling from our fans will continue after this week.

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Speaker 1: But hello, it's nice to see you. I love you,

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Speaker 1: I hate you.

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Speaker 2: Hello, It's it's great to be back. And I'll be

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Speaker 2: honest with you. It feels pretty good to have that

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Speaker 2: hatred coming at me because I'm not used to it.

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Speaker 2: I'm not used to people being like, oh, you're a threat,

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Speaker 2: You're coming I mean, it's gonna be Christmas Eve, and

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Speaker 2: it will be the first time potentially that the Lions

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Speaker 2: win the NFC North. We haven't won the division since

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Speaker 2: it was the Central. We've never won it well as

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Speaker 2: the North.

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Speaker 1: Back when all these centrally located teams and Tampa Bay

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Speaker 1: were in the same division.

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Speaker 2: Yes, sir, what is the temperature?

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Speaker 1: Is it? Is it more? Oh? I hope we don't

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Speaker 1: screw it up? Or is it more? Holy shit? We're

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Speaker 1: gonna do, like what is the temperature amongst the Lions fans?

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Speaker 1: Because I remember last year when we went to Detroit.

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Speaker 1: You warned me. You were like, Dan Campbell is hyping

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Speaker 1: this game up like it's the Detroit super Bowl. And

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Speaker 1: then I remember listening on like on game day during

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Speaker 1: that during the broadcast, I was like, it sounds wild

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Speaker 1: in there. So what is your like, what is the

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Speaker 1: vibe right now amongst the fan base?

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Speaker 2: It's really it's pretty interesting because it in a sense

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Speaker 2: is same old, same old. We just had that little

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Speaker 2: two game skid where we lost to Green Bay and

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Speaker 2: Chicago and that that was difficult. Golf was not playing well.

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Speaker 2: But then we kind of found a way to justify

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Speaker 2: it in that. You know, San Francisco went through a lull,

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Speaker 2: Philadelphia went through a lull. Everyone in the NFC seems

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Speaker 2: to be going through a lull. But a lot of

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Speaker 2: people were going, Oh, same old Lions, this is exactly

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Speaker 2: what's gonna happen. We're gonna get We're gonna get there,

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Speaker 2: we're gonna get into the first round. We don't have

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Speaker 2: anyone that's gonna be able to win. And then you

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Speaker 2: come out on Saturday night and everybody's right back on

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Speaker 2: the bandwagon. Lions fans don't know what to do. We've

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Speaker 2: been hurt so much, SI, We've been hurt so many

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Speaker 2: times before that we're very very careful. We're very cautious people.

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Speaker 2: But you know what we are. I think we're drinking

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Speaker 2: this cool man. It's it's it's no joke.

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Speaker 1: There's a lot of organizations in professional sports that have

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Speaker 1: a tortured history. I would say the Vikings have a

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Speaker 1: tortured history. You know, everybody says the Cleveland Browns have

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Speaker 1: a tortured history. But within that there are these sub sects,

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Speaker 1: and one of them is the type of organization that

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Speaker 1: just has never really had anything. They're pretty rare, but

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Speaker 1: that's you, guys, it's not that. Like you've been heartbroken

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Speaker 1: time and time again. You are Charlie Brown. Like everybody

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Speaker 1: jokes that Minnesota is Charlie Brown kicking the football. You're

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Speaker 1: actually what's the name of the bird that hangs out

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Speaker 1: with Snoopy? You're not even Snoopy. Yeah, you're You're your

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Speaker 1: Woodstock watching Snoopy, watching Charlie Brown miss the kick. So

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Speaker 1: is there does that distort what a meaningful moment means

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Speaker 1: to you? Like, for example, if you guys go on

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Speaker 1: a run and you get to an NFC championship game,

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Speaker 1: is that an iconic moment in franchise history? Does if

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Speaker 1: you guys run all the way to an NFC title

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Speaker 1: game and are competitive, does Dan Campbell becomes statue level impressive?

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Speaker 2: I think he becomes statue level impressive. I think he

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Speaker 2: becomes a Mike Tomlin, Bill Belichick type of coach where

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Speaker 2: he's just here for decades. I mean, you talk about

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Speaker 2: NFC Championship. All we want is to win one playoff game.

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Speaker 2: We just want to win a game. That's all we want. Ultimately, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: we want the NFC title. We want to go to

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Speaker 2: the Super Bowl, But to even make it in the

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Speaker 2: playoffs and be in contention right now for the number

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Speaker 2: one seed. I mean, San Francisco's gotta stumble a little bit,

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Speaker 2: but to be able to potentially have a bye week

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Speaker 2: to have a home playoff game, I mean, I'm so

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Speaker 2: confident in the Lions that if this were last year,

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Speaker 2: I had have said we won a playoff game, I'll

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Speaker 2: shave my head. But I'm so confident right now that

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Speaker 2: we're gonna win a playoff game. I can't say that.

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Speaker 2: I can't say that I won't.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, I thought you were gonna do it live

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Speaker 1: on this show, because for those for those listening, which

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Speaker 1: is all of you, this is not a video product.

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Speaker 1: Zach has if they were doing a hip Wizard of

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Speaker 1: Oz called like Ozzy and the Whiz right or something

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Speaker 1: like that, and they're like, we need a lion. That's

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Speaker 1: what your hair is. Your hair is young hip lion.

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Speaker 1: And I thought you were gonna say you'd be willing

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Speaker 1: to shave it off. But I can't. I can't let

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Speaker 1: that happen. I think, would that man that you have

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Speaker 1: no pun intended? I actually don't know if that's even

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Speaker 1: a pun. I'm not great at sourcing my way through

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Speaker 1: the definitions of words.

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Speaker 2: The point is you nailed it that it was a

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Speaker 2: nice bun.

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Speaker 1: Like you have put this guy on camera after his

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Speaker 1: team wins the biggest game of their year. If you're

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Speaker 1: in the stadium, if I'm a camera operator, I'm finding

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Speaker 1: you and I'm like, well, this guy's gonna do something insane.

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Speaker 1: Look at his hair. Let's just wait and see what happens.

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Speaker 1: At some point, he's gonna whip his chain wallet around it.

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Speaker 2: Actually, it wouldn't have been the chain wall. I mean

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Speaker 2: I remember when the Pistons just won one game and

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Speaker 2: I was there and it was super close. I mean

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Speaker 2: I took off my shirt with that around and did

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Speaker 2: the old Chris Farley Chippendale's dance, Like I was Chris

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Speaker 2: Farley Chippendale's dance with this hair. It's an added element, dude,

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Speaker 2: It's it's a game stopper.

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Speaker 1: So let's say last last year, the Vikings experiences, they

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Speaker 1: had this epic season, you know, thirteen and four, go

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Speaker 1: to the playoffs, and it was such an unsatisfying end.

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Speaker 1: I think it was still a fun year, but you

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Speaker 1: have a big parts of the fan base who go, well,

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Speaker 1: what the hell was the point like you can really

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Speaker 1: sour something for some people. At the end of a season. Sure,

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Speaker 1: let's say down the stretch here, you win a game

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Speaker 1: or two. You don't necessarily power your way in, but

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Speaker 1: you're in. You're the division champion, and you'd be the

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Speaker 1: three right, yeah, and you get the three probably, and

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Speaker 1: you'd be the home the home playoff team.

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Speaker 2: Which right now we would be scheduled to face, you guys,

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Speaker 2: right now, it would be a.

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Speaker 1: Viking three times in four weeks.

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Speaker 2: Three times in four weeks.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And that's that's the sort of playing a team

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Speaker 1: three times in a season. And we've seen as a

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Speaker 1: wild card. That's the story of the Packers beat the Packers,

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Speaker 1: beating the Vikings twice and then Randy Moss comes in,

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Speaker 1: thumbshim and moons the crowd yep, that was that year.

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Speaker 1: What let's let's hop in the what if machine?

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Speaker 2: Okay, it's my favorite machine.

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Speaker 1: Let's say you guys run into the playoffs, the Vikings

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Speaker 1: find their way in, they find their way to Ford Field,

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Speaker 1: and they put it on you like you guys walk

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Speaker 1: out and it's not even like a tragic loss. It's just, ah,

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Speaker 1: you lose by like nine or ten.

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Speaker 2: What is that.

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Speaker 1: Is there anything that can ruin it? Does that ruin

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Speaker 1: this year for you?

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Speaker 2: That hurts? That definitely does not. I don't like to

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Speaker 2: think about it. And I mean, I'm it's the holiday

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Speaker 2: season and it's a time of joy and I don't

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Speaker 2: know why you would do that to me. That was cruel.

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Speaker 2: But yeah, it would hurt. It wouldn't ruin the season

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Speaker 2: because we have more wins this year than last year.

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Speaker 2: And for a team that is historically what we are

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Speaker 2: and have been, this would be. It would hurt. It

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Speaker 2: would hurt a lot if it were to the Vikings

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Speaker 2: or to the Packers. It would hurt if it were

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Speaker 2: to a division opponent. But one thing I will say

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Speaker 2: is ford Fields is maybe the loudest stadium in the

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Speaker 2: league this year. It's crazy there. Whoever designed ford Field,

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Speaker 2: I don't know if they were like eternal optimists or

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Speaker 2: something like. No. One day this team is going to

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Speaker 2: be good, and when they do, the acoustics are going

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Speaker 2: to hit in such a way where you're not going

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Speaker 2: to be able to hear a thing like Fordfield has

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Speaker 2: a rocking dude.

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Speaker 1: They just had to wait all this time until week

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Speaker 1: about week fifteen of twenty twenty three or whatever. At

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Speaker 1: week sixteen.

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Speaker 2: Ye yeah, like fifteen twenty years later, they've.

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Speaker 1: Got an interesting They've kind of got a cowboys vibe,

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Speaker 1: a little bit of a Jacky and Hide vibe. Where

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Speaker 1: don't you dare you do? Though you do? I would say,

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Speaker 1: but it's your which one's the uh? It was? It

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Speaker 1: was doctor Jekyl and mister Hide the lunatic. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: and Jeckel is Jeckyl's the upstanding one, even though those

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Speaker 1: don't feel right, they feel like they should be the other's.

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Speaker 1: Jeckyl is a far more nefarious name. But I would say,

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Speaker 1: on the Jeckel and hides, on the Jeckel and Hyde's

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Speaker 1: scale or spectrum or whatever you want to call it,

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Speaker 1: the graph. I don't know why I keep looking for

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Speaker 1: stuff here. The point is, Zach, I believe you guys

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Speaker 1: to be, you know, seventy percent jackal, thirty percent hide.

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Speaker 1: You're definitely way more Jeckyl than you are Hide. But

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Speaker 1: there is hide there. In the same way there is

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Speaker 1: where I think the Niners can lose. I think the

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Speaker 1: Eagles can lose, but I think they they have just

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Speaker 1: a few flaws that every once in a while to

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Speaker 1: pop up you guys, and the Cowboys seem like a

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Speaker 1: team where you would walk into a game and go, well,

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Speaker 1: this is a game. They should put it on somebody.

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Speaker 1: You go, yeah, what the hell just happened?

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Speaker 2: Then, yeah, I can see that that makes sense. I

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Speaker 2: can live with that comparison as far as the Cowboys go.

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Speaker 2: Like what it comes down to for us, our offensive

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Speaker 2: line is the most important thing on our team, beyond

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Speaker 2: the shadow of a doubt. When our offensive line, our

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Speaker 2: starting offensive line plays together, goff looks like an MVP.

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Speaker 2: Both of our running backs go for over one hundred

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Speaker 2: scrimmage yards on the regular and it's lights out. But

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Speaker 2: if even one of them goes down, particularly you know,

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Speaker 2: if Sewell went down, Ragno is down for a minute,

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Speaker 2: it hurts a lot. It makes a huge difference. The

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Speaker 2: continuity team of that unit is by far the most

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Speaker 2: important thing we have, and I would say that anytime

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Speaker 2: we should have put it on somebody and didn't, it

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Speaker 2: was because there was an issue with our offensive line,

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Speaker 2: and as a result, the defense couldn't feed off of

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Speaker 2: the offense's energy. Because our defense, while it is improved

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Speaker 2: from last year, it certainly feeds on the success of

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Speaker 2: the offense. This is no doubt an offensive team.

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Speaker 1: So for the last few years it has definitely felt

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Speaker 1: like the the Lions are not a great matchup for

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Speaker 1: the Vikings. Right. We skated by with some wins a

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Speaker 1: couple of years ago, but it's just year in and

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Speaker 1: year out. Forever it was just Okay, let's write two

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Speaker 1: wins down and let's move on. But the last five

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Speaker 1: or so years, it's like, oh, here come the Lions.

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Speaker 1: Even when you weren't good record wise, it was always

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Speaker 1: a pain in the ass. We'd always lose one of

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Speaker 1: the two in a way that sucked really bad. And

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Speaker 1: I just felt like, especially as the Dan Campbell thing

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Speaker 1: has been started, it's just it wasn't a good matchup.

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Speaker 1: There's a possibility I see this going one of two

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Speaker 1: ways this weekend. Either this impressive defensive thing that has

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Speaker 1: been built here crumbles for a week because as and

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Speaker 1: I think this like, you will not find a bigger

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Speaker 1: supporter of Brian Flores and what he's built. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: can't even comprehend it, given like the resources available where

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Speaker 1: we were before. It is nonsense.

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Speaker 2: There were so many question marks coming into this seat

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Speaker 2: about it, like so many new holes that were being filled.

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Speaker 1: Can he be coach of the year. Can we make

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Speaker 1: a defensive coordinator coach the year?

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Speaker 2: They should have an assistant coach of the year.

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Speaker 1: It is a it is a wild performance. Now that

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Speaker 1: being said, if you look at who we've played, it's

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Speaker 1: not like you're seeing the elite of the elite offensively.

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Speaker 1: Jake Browning with the with Cincinnati Denver, which is an

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Speaker 1: overly great aid. Aidan O'Connell with the Raiders, the Saints,

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Speaker 1: the Falcons. You know, no one in this stretch really

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Speaker 1: comes out. And we saw the Packers before they started

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Speaker 1: putting it together a little bit more offensively.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: So either I think you guys are going to come

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Speaker 1: in and there's a certain level of firepower offensively that

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Speaker 1: we can't overcome. Or and I'll let you pick which

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Speaker 1: is more likely. Your boy, it's not just your line.

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Speaker 1: Your boy can't handle pressure.

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Speaker 2: He doesn't like it.

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Speaker 1: We've never seen anything like the way Flores blitzes, the

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Speaker 1: high blitz rates against talented quarterbacks anytime we've seen a

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Speaker 1: good offense. Justin Herbert Patrick Mahomes, he's coming. Yeah. So

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Speaker 1: the other side is all of a sudden, this thing

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Speaker 1: is flipped and where you have been a tough matchup

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Speaker 1: for us for years. You might be the superior team

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Speaker 1: right now, but we might not be a great matchup

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Speaker 1: for you. This might be a tough one.

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Speaker 2: This is not gonna be just some walk in the park.

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Speaker 2: I mean, first of all, we're away, we're in Minnesota.

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Speaker 2: That's going to be wildly no say it.

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Speaker 1: Say you think it's gonna be a walk in the park.

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Speaker 1: I'm baiting you. Say it.

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Speaker 2: I'll do anything for you, Sia if you just say

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Speaker 2: please sor right never, I would say that it's not

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Speaker 2: gonna be It's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be

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Speaker 2: in Minnesota. That is certainly going to be difficult. And

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Speaker 2: no disrespect to Minnesota's defense. But in addition to our

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Speaker 2: full offensive line, we have two tight ends. Sam Laporta,

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Speaker 2: I mean, TJ. Hockinson has been so great for you

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Speaker 2: guys this ye, especially with Jefferson down. He has been

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Speaker 2: a very bright spot in your offense. But I'm taking

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Speaker 2: Laporta over him, especially in run blocking.

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Speaker 1: I hate even hearing the name. It was the thing

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Speaker 1: I was dreading most about. TJ. Hockinson has been amazing,

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Speaker 1: But yes, the NFL, I'm a broken record every week.

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Speaker 1: The NFL is a math equation. You know, how much

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Speaker 1: how much do you get paid versus how much is

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Speaker 1: your output? You know, take any players, take how much

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Speaker 1: you like him, any of it. So if you can

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Speaker 1: get a rookie on a rookie deal, especially a mid

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Speaker 1: round rookie deal, to second round rookie, Yeah, to produce

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Speaker 1: at a high level like that, the value in that

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Speaker 1: is outrageous. So I love that we have TJ. Hockinson.

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Speaker 1: It infuriates me that it led to you guys getting

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Speaker 1: Laporta and he's performing as well as he is. I

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Speaker 1: can't stand it.

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Speaker 2: He's performing at a record setting pace. He is I think,

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Speaker 2: like the best rookie tight end statistically since Mike Didka.

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Speaker 2: He is crushing it and he can run block. He

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Speaker 2: like he will get in your face and put you down.

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Speaker 2: And our second tight end, brock Right, doesn't have necessarily

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Speaker 2: the hands of Sam Laporta, and no one's saying he does,

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Speaker 2: but that dude can block too.

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Speaker 1: By the way, that's a tight end name brock Right. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: We've got this is the matchup of elite named. If

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Speaker 1: you were like, hey, I'd like to give birth to

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Speaker 1: a tight end. Well, you better name him brock Wright

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Speaker 1: or we have Johnny Munt. There's are fantastic tight end names.

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Speaker 2: With those tight end names, they gotta be able to block.

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Speaker 1: You would hope, so you'd hope. So they might as

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Speaker 1: well be named thick Man.

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Speaker 2: Or man Thixon.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, man Thixon. I don't want to talk about Laporta.

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Speaker 1: I have no interest in that conversation. If you need

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Speaker 1: to talk about him anymore, you can do that. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna take my headphone off and go grab something to drink.

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Speaker 1: But I'm not I can't handle it. I'm not interested.

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Speaker 2: All I'm saying is that when you're talking about the

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Speaker 2: pressure coming, we are suited to pick up pressures. I

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Speaker 2: think with Donovan's people's jones that pick up. He's been

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Speaker 2: getting more and more looks as like a third or

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Speaker 2: fourth target. Josh Reynolds has been incredible for us, Jamison

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Speaker 2: Williams is finally getting involved in getting the looks he deserves.

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Speaker 2: And I'm on Ross Brown, a fourth round pick, is

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Speaker 2: one of the best receivers in the league. I mean,

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Speaker 2: if we have to keep our tight ends home and

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Speaker 2: have one running back be it Montgomery or Gibbs, and

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Speaker 2: then three receivers out. You do max protect, you still

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Speaker 2: can pick a part with our skill our skill positions.

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Speaker 2: So I'm I'm very confident in our offense. If in fact,

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Speaker 2: the offensive line is healthy.

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Speaker 1: Let's hop back in the what if machine?

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Speaker 2: Love it? Buckle up?

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Speaker 1: So the game is a It is a noon Central kickoff.

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Speaker 2: New and Central YEP.

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Speaker 1: So let's say it's about three o'clock Central, Lions are

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Speaker 1: up twelve, Papa bears watching his because how old are you?

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Speaker 2: Thirty seven?

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Speaker 1: So you're thirty seven, we're talking thirty two years ago.

353
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Speaker 1: You were five the last time they won a division.

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Speaker 1: There's no way you have any meaningful memory of that.

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Speaker 1: If you see that clock ticking and it's like, oh

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Speaker 1: my gosh, it's gonna happen. What happens in Zach Martina's head?

357
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Speaker 1: And what happens in Zach Martinez? Are you? Because it's

358
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Speaker 1: a way so you you know, it'd be fun to

359
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Speaker 1: get it at home, but what happens in that household?

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Speaker 1: What's going to go down? If this thing comes to fruition.

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Speaker 2: Well, it will be Christmas Eve, so we will be

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Speaker 2: at my mom's house, which is what the situation was

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Speaker 2: last year.

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Speaker 1: I didn't even think it's Chrism, it's Christmas Eve.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's I said to you last year that

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Speaker 2: Dan Campbell was hyping it up like this was our

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Speaker 2: super Bowl, And in a way, this is our super

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Speaker 2: Bowl to be able to get a division title. We

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Speaker 2: haven't won a title in thirty thirty however many years,

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Speaker 2: so this is a huge game that they will be

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Speaker 2: prepared for. If we win the division title on Christmas Eve,

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Speaker 2: I will be losing my mind. My daughters will be

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Speaker 2: joyfully screaming obscenities, and I won't be mad. I won't

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Speaker 2: be mad, Si I'll be. I'll be. I'll be teaching

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Speaker 2: them new words for celebrations, for celebration, and then I

376
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Speaker 2: will to my relatives, I will tell them to kiss

377
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Speaker 2: my ass because they're like, they're never gonna win. They're

378
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Speaker 2: never gonna win, They're never gonna do it, They're never

379
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Speaker 2: gonna be good. So many people are on the Lions

380
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Speaker 2: bandwagon this year and toward the tail end of last year.

381
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Speaker 2: To be someone that like proudly repped the Lions when

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Speaker 2: they were bad for my entire life. These people that

383
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Speaker 2: are coming out like oh I knew it, oh man,

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Speaker 2: they're the I can't stand them. I want them, I want.

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Speaker 1: Them out now. I obviously I want my team to win,

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Speaker 1: and I think the better scenario here regardless of that scene,

387
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Speaker 1: because that is a fantastic scene. And I don't think

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Speaker 1: it would be too much to ask, if you guys

389
00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,960
Speaker 1: are up by twelve, for you to stick a camera

390
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,399
Speaker 1: in the corner, okay, and just stick your phone prop

391
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Speaker 1: your phone up somewhere. And it doesn't have to be

392
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Speaker 1: for the people. If I have to watch my team lose,

393
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Speaker 1: I want to watch the stability dynamics of your family's

394
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Speaker 1: holiday get jolted by your emotional outbursts.

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Speaker 2: Oh, and I won't be a low man. My My

396
00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:28,400
Speaker 2: daughters are good kids. They will they will, they will

397
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Speaker 2: ride this train with me, and God bless it, my

398
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Speaker 2: wife will too. It'll be us against them.

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Speaker 1: If we win on Sunday. The Cowboys are that is

400
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Speaker 1: not especially because they just they just had the bills.

401
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Speaker 1: Things happens. You got to expect them to reel off

402
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Speaker 1: a couple two and have everybody go, oh, they're a

403
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Speaker 1: super Bowl team.

404
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Speaker 2: I agree same with Philly, and I don't want.

405
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Speaker 1: To put anything past Green Bay with how they're playing

406
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,840
Speaker 1: right now. But if we get this game, that puts

407
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Speaker 1: us on a very likely path for an end of

408
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Speaker 1: the year Sunday night Football Division on the line, home

409
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Speaker 1: field on the line. And I will say, as much

410
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Speaker 1: as that's not what you want. Last year you got

411
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Speaker 1: robbed of it. Last year you got robbed of that

412
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Speaker 1: ultimate season ending moment.

413
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Speaker 2: It's y Seattle's my least favorite team in the league.

414
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Speaker 2: Here's what I want to happen in Week seventeen. I

415
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,160
Speaker 2: want the division this weekend. I don't want to worry

416
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Speaker 2: about it. I want to be happy for the final

417
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Speaker 2: few weeks of the season, but I do want to

418
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Speaker 2: be playing for the number one seed in Week seventeen

419
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:38,280
Speaker 2: while you guys are playing for playoff seeding positioning, birth

420
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Speaker 2: what have you. I want it to mean something to

421
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Speaker 2: both of us, but I don't want to lose anything.

422
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Speaker 1: Something is unfortunately going to give. Where is the Dan

423
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Speaker 1: Campbell experience? How And I know I mentioned this early

424
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Speaker 1: in the show, Yeah right, but he went from silly

425
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Speaker 1: funny to oh my gosh, this guy may be good

426
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,160
Speaker 1: but still a little corny to can't quite Maybe he's

427
00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,399
Speaker 1: got the culture, maybe he can do some things, but

428
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,480
Speaker 1: he does some wacky stuff when he takes over the offense,

429
00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,760
Speaker 1: and like now all of a sudden, you're like, oh, okay,

430
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Speaker 1: this year, they've really looked like an upper echelon football

431
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,000
Speaker 1: team for most of Like, are you sitting there? Do

432
00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,120
Speaker 1: you need to see playoff success to go? Dan Campbell's

433
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,440
Speaker 1: the guy for a really long time. Where are you

434
00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:25,680
Speaker 1: at on Dan Campbell?

435
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,520
Speaker 2: I'm all in on Dan Campbell. I don't think I

436
00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:31,720
Speaker 2: need to see playoff success to think he is the

437
00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,080
Speaker 2: guy for a long time. I think he is the guy.

438
00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,760
Speaker 2: I think he is going to most certainly finish out

439
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,560
Speaker 2: his contract, which is another three years, and I firmly

440
00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:42,919
Speaker 2: believe that he is going to get an extension and

441
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,560
Speaker 2: be here for a very long time. You mentioned the

442
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,520
Speaker 2: offense kind of going up and down when he took over. Well,

443
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:50,600
Speaker 2: we'll see what happens next year, because I do not

444
00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,760
Speaker 2: see our offensive coordinator sticking around. Ben Johnson is a

445
00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:55,160
Speaker 2: real hot candidate.

446
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think he's going to turn down jobs

447
00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:58,120
Speaker 1: twice in a row.

448
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,840
Speaker 2: Not in a row. But what I will say is

449
00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:05,000
Speaker 2: someone that doesn't get enough credit is our GM Brad Holmes.

450
00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,480
Speaker 2: What he does as far as drafting goes and the

451
00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,040
Speaker 2: types of players that they even bring in for visits

452
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,520
Speaker 2: on free agency. I mean, culture is the number one thing,

453
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,240
Speaker 2: and it seems like him and Dan Campbell are locked

454
00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:20,600
Speaker 2: up every step of the way. I mean, we picked

455
00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,520
Speaker 2: up I'm and Ross Saint Brown in the fourth round.

456
00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,040
Speaker 2: We got Brian Branch somehow late in the second round.

457
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:31,120
Speaker 2: He's been a stud, Sam Laporta in the second round.

458
00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,560
Speaker 2: I mean where he finds these late talents. Dan Campbell,

459
00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,439
Speaker 2: He's given Dan Tamble, He's given Dan Campbell the tools.

460
00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,080
Speaker 2: All right, it's like enterprise, rent a car. We give

461
00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:43,000
Speaker 2: you the corporate structure to be your own boss.

462
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,560
Speaker 1: I haven't disliked anything anyone said on this show as

463
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,399
Speaker 1: much as that, and I think it's because you don't remember.

464
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 1: I know I remember it. I just hate that it's

465
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,080
Speaker 1: about you and your success and your team success. My

466
00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,399
Speaker 1: problem is this This season has been such an odd

467
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:10,119
Speaker 1: combination of exhilarating, infuriating, you know, devastating, and hope based

468
00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:14,720
Speaker 1: all rolled into one. The roller coaster has been absurd.

469
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,440
Speaker 1: So and I think this other thing happened when Kirk

470
00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,840
Speaker 1: went down. I think a lot of the team what

471
00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:23,959
Speaker 1: there's something that happened before that that I don't think

472
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:29,200
Speaker 1: it's discussed enough. When Jefferson went down, we saw Kevin

473
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,320
Speaker 1: O'Connell have to coach for the first time without a

474
00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:37,639
Speaker 1: stud in the Cooper Cup role. Sure, and we saw

475
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:42,240
Speaker 1: the elevation of Osbourne. We saw this offense play two

476
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,040
Speaker 1: of its best games of the season against the forty

477
00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,480
Speaker 1: nine Ers, which, although they were missing Deebo Samuel, that

478
00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,600
Speaker 1: is an elite defense. And then we saw them play

479
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,120
Speaker 1: really well against the Packers, and I think everybody went,

480
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,239
Speaker 1: oh my god, we're gonna get JJ back and this

481
00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,680
Speaker 1: thing is gonna be firing. And so then you lose

482
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:05,560
Speaker 1: kerk and just the emotion of that through the Dobbs thing,

483
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,760
Speaker 1: had you lost Kirk and had you not had that

484
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,760
Speaker 1: impressive couple games and had the crazy Dobbs thing that, like,

485
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,720
Speaker 1: I think there was a real possibility that for a

486
00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:19,960
Speaker 1: lot of teams, a season like that could go down

487
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,399
Speaker 1: the well, this is probably gonna be a team that

488
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,400
Speaker 1: picks in the top ten now for sure, that that

489
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,240
Speaker 1: makes their without their best wide receiver for a majority

490
00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:33,080
Speaker 1: and arguably, if not the league, obviously their best football

491
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,040
Speaker 1: player for a majority of the season and their star quarterback.

492
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,040
Speaker 1: And so I think when that didn't happen, when the

493
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:43,920
Speaker 1: Dobbs thing, when they won a couple of games and

494
00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,240
Speaker 1: they've been competitive, and then and then Jefferson was coming back.

495
00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,200
Speaker 1: I think you have so many people who are like, well,

496
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,800
Speaker 1: we can't wind up with a great pick. Now you've

497
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,560
Speaker 1: gotta I think we're all clinging to hope so hard

498
00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,040
Speaker 1: because otherwise it means you're in football no man's land.

499
00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:02,600
Speaker 1: You're in that whole horrible place where you don't make

500
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,919
Speaker 1: the playoffs and you don't get a top pick, and

501
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,639
Speaker 1: it just feels black. Yeah, And I think with and

502
00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,679
Speaker 1: maybe you're feeling this with Ben Johnson. I think with

503
00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,200
Speaker 1: the pending loss of Flores, who I think also will

504
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,720
Speaker 1: likely have some opportunities if he'd like them, there's just

505
00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,960
Speaker 1: kind of this moment that you don't think they're gonna

506
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:23,879
Speaker 1: win the super Bowl, but you want them to grab it.

507
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,359
Speaker 1: So I think that's what I'm gonna be feeling on

508
00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:31,120
Speaker 1: Christmas Eve if it's looking well as just this increased

509
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,040
Speaker 1: moment of hope, and if they could have grabbed one

510
00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:35,840
Speaker 1: of those last few games, if they could grab this

511
00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,520
Speaker 1: first one. I don't think anyone here in Minnesota is

512
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,680
Speaker 1: going well This is obviously a team that's gonna march

513
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,719
Speaker 1: through Detroit, sure, through Philadelphia, through San Francisco, and then

514
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:49,000
Speaker 1: we're gonna thump the Chiefs or Bills or Ravens. But

515
00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:52,800
Speaker 1: if you can play your best football in the last

516
00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 1: three games of the year, and you can set yourself

517
00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,720
Speaker 1: up for like, holy shit, we have Sunday night football

518
00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,080
Speaker 1: at the end of the year for the division, that

519
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:08,560
Speaker 1: makes all of this very worthwhile. And that's that's what

520
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,840
Speaker 1: I need. I'm i feel like a Lions fan, like

521
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,879
Speaker 1: I'm rooting for hope. Is this what it feels like.

522
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,439
Speaker 1: I'm not rooting for wins, I'm rooting for hope.

523
00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot of what it

524
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,360
Speaker 2: felt like. And while we are rooting for wins this year,

525
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,840
Speaker 2: we are certainly still in that hope thing because we

526
00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:31,480
Speaker 2: feel I think I think Detroit feels like we have

527
00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:35,560
Speaker 2: the best team we've ever had. So you hope that

528
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,320
Speaker 2: it's gonna you hope that it's gonna work out. However,

529
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,080
Speaker 2: I am excited about this game because of what you

530
00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:45,640
Speaker 2: said earlier. Brian Flores and his defense versus Ben Johnson

531
00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:51,800
Speaker 2: and his offense against Nick Mullins and your offense versus

532
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:56,320
Speaker 2: are not stellar defense. Like, I think the matchups look great.

533
00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:59,480
Speaker 2: I think this is all the makings of just a real,

534
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,800
Speaker 2: real fun football game that ultimately the Lions come on

535
00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:03,159
Speaker 2: the top of.

536
00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:07,400
Speaker 1: Ultimately that obviously makes sense that it wouldn't happen. I

537
00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,320
Speaker 1: care about you a great deal. We've got another episode

538
00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:13,719
Speaker 1: in a couple of weeks, and regardless if we have

539
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,720
Speaker 1: another guest or not, you will also be on that episode. Great,

540
00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,679
Speaker 1: even if it's for ten minutes. We're gonna rekindle what

541
00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,400
Speaker 1: started here. This is a to be continued sort of situation,

542
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:28,280
Speaker 1: zach It. I wish you the best, but I don't

543
00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,280
Speaker 1: wish you a win. It is interesting, This is the

544
00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:36,200
Speaker 1: last thing I'll say. It is interesting to be in

545
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:41,320
Speaker 1: this moment against a team that I don't have a

546
00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:47,040
Speaker 1: deep vested disdain for so like and and maybe give

547
00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:48,320
Speaker 1: it a couple of years and I'll be like, I

548
00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:53,320
Speaker 1: would rather spit like you know, I maybe we get there,

549
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,360
Speaker 1: but right now I am enjoying the fact that, like

550
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,400
Speaker 1: I can talk to one of my buddies. I absolutely

551
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,600
Speaker 1: want to win. But if somehow it doesn't turn out,

552
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,400
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna wanna drag him out to a lake

553
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,120
Speaker 1: in the middle of winter time and tip him off

554
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:06,480
Speaker 1: a boat.

555
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,080
Speaker 2: Dude, it's you hit the nail on the head. I

556
00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,880
Speaker 2: have been I've been on the road a lot, and

557
00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,120
Speaker 2: I'm very vocal and clear about being a Lions fan

558
00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,120
Speaker 2: and have always been in every single person from every

559
00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,440
Speaker 2: single NFL market says that exact thing. They're like, I mean, no, man,

560
00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,360
Speaker 2: We're we're rooting for you, Like we have been bad

561
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,719
Speaker 2: for so long that even when you're playing us, You're like,

562
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,000
Speaker 2: I mean, they kind of need this one, you know.

563
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,480
Speaker 2: And then next year, if we're the same thing, I

564
00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:36,239
Speaker 2: can see a lot of people starting to hate us.

565
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,440
Speaker 2: But this year, everyone's like, now, that's like my little

566
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:39,840
Speaker 2: brother who's finally hit puberty.

567
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,200
Speaker 1: Do you feel like a guy that's about to take

568
00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:44,720
Speaker 1: a test but has never been given a book in

569
00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,520
Speaker 1: his whole life? And everybody's like, we'll see what happens, Bud.

570
00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,920
Speaker 1: We're all hoping, We're all hoping you get a good grade.

571
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,200
Speaker 1: We can't imagine, you know what words are. I'm sure

572
00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,040
Speaker 1: this is I waited the whole episode to take one

573
00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,320
Speaker 1: serious shot, and I didn't even know it was coming

574
00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,160
Speaker 1: until it rolled into But I basically just called you

575
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,240
Speaker 1: the equivalent of someone who never learned to read or

576
00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,840
Speaker 1: write and whatever. The football version of that is.

577
00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,200
Speaker 2: In Green Bay. Come on, I'm from Detroit. That's a metropolis.

578
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:14,080
Speaker 2: This is in Green Bay.

579
00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:19,200
Speaker 1: What I thought we all couldn't read and rat We

580
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,400
Speaker 1: can end on mutual ground, Zach, I'm gonna need a

581
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,760
Speaker 1: score prediction. I know you're not gonna love it, but

582
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,520
Speaker 1: I am gonna need a score prediction from you.

583
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:31,000
Speaker 2: That's fine. I'm going to say that we maintain that.

584
00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:34,400
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say thirty three to twenty four, Lions.

585
00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:40,800
Speaker 1: Thirty three to twenty four. Woof. I think it's going

586
00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,959
Speaker 1: to be a little more defensive than that, you know.

587
00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:49,680
Speaker 1: I do think Flores is gonna come ready. I think

588
00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 1: our offense hasn't been able to completely find itself given

589
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:55,320
Speaker 1: the situation we're in. Sure, so I don't know how

590
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:59,920
Speaker 1: much we'll score, but I'm gonna go Lions thirteen, Vikings

591
00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:05,760
Speaker 1: and thirty eight. Zach. I care about you a great deal.

592
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,840
Speaker 1: If it has to be somebody, I hope it's you

593
00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,800
Speaker 1: meet it, but I hope it doesn't have to be somebody.

594
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,360
Speaker 2: Well, man, I care about you a great deal, and

595
00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:20,920
Speaker 2: I love being the unofficial Lions correspondent on this show.

596
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:22,760
Speaker 2: I always have so much fun talking to you about

597
00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:26,080
Speaker 2: this and just laughing, you know, across state Lions.

598
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,400
Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, we'll see if the job is still yours

599
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:29,600
Speaker 1: come the end of Sunday.

600
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:31,200
Speaker 2: Take it easy, buddy.

601
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,920
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Zach Martinez for joining the show tonight,

602
00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:36,480
Speaker 1: and thank you to our sponsor, Continent with Diamond. Be

603
00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:40,480
Speaker 1: sure to like, subscribe, download the podcast anywhere you listen

604
00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 1: to your favorite shows. We'll see you all again next week.

605
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,840
Speaker 1: Join Pa at the Apple Valley Buffalo Wild Wings this

606
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 1: Friday from nine to noon for Friday Football Feast presented

607
00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,000
Speaker 1: by Coors Light. Enjoy food and drink specials and a

608
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,280
Speaker 1: chance to win Viking tickets and more. Visit vikings dot

609
00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:00,680
Speaker 1: com slash bww for full schedule and details