WEBVTT - The Best of The Dan Patrick Show 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:03.560 You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:04.800 Sports Radio. 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:07.640 And we're about to unpack the jade and Daniels story 0:00:07.720 --> 0:00:11.760 as well. It's a day two Jaden Daniels story with 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:13.840 our guests, and he's right there right now, So let's 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:17.599 bring him in. Why not, John Blow here, sit down, 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:21.040 LSU football reporter for The Advocate in Times. Pick aywn John. 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:23.759 My name is Anthony Joseph Paul really, and it's great 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:24.200 to meet you. 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:26.720 It's great to meet here too, Tony John. 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:30.240 Please talk to me like I am a ten year 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:34.440 old or a golden retriever. Okay, like I don't know anything. 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:39.000 Take me back to how this started, this kerfuffle over 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:42.960 the number five and this relationship Jadeen Daniels and LSU 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:43.720 going sour. 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:48.920 Yeah, So DJ Pickett, who's a sophomore cornerback as Warren 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:51.279 number five his entire life, going back to being four 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:55.360 years old, and supposedly Brian Kelly promised him while he 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:57.800 was being recruited that he could have number five. Obviously, 0:00:57.880 --> 0:01:01.400 number five very important LSU because Jayden Dandaniels wore that 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:03.680 number in twenty twenty three when he won the Heisman. 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:07.920 Daniels apparently found out and his team found out the 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:10.840 DJ Pickett wanted this number. I think Lane Kiffet had 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:13.680 made contact with all the representatives to let them know, 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:18.759 and Jayden was not happy about that. And obviously there 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:22.120 now has been the cease and desist letter that Jayden's 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:25.240 attorney sent to LSU saying, no longer use my name. 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:29.800 Imagine likeness please, And so DJ Piickett, I mean he's 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.640 still wearing the number. Lane's not saying a whole lot 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:34.840 other than again, it was a promise made by the 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:38.000 previous staff and so we're gonna let the kid wear 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:38.440 the number. 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:43.200 So Kiffin did reach out to Daniels beforehand. 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:46.560 That's what That's the impression I'm under, yes, is that 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:49.760 there was contact, and so Jayden was aware this was happening, 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:52.600 has been bruined for a little bit, and then obviously 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:55.080 it led to the letter from his lawyer. 0:01:55.400 --> 0:02:00.960 How does it go from bother to cease and desist 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:05.240 letter and the sprinkling of lawsuit in here. 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.040 I don't know, that's an interesting question. I mean, obviously 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.960 all of us are watching this as observers and saying 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:15.720 this seems a little drastic. Maybe this isn't you know, 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:19.320 a great look for a former Heisman winner to kind 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.040 of have be in a dispute with their with their school, 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:24.840 and and that's at the school couldn't resolve this without 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:28.320 it getting to this point. It's kind of on a 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:30.040 lot of people's faces right now. So that is a 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:32.680 good question. I don't know how we get from. You know, 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:36.200 obviously there's upset and the camp, the Jane Daniels camp 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:40.400 is upset to obviously this this letter being made public, 0:02:40.400 --> 0:02:42.880 and obviously there was a statement from the ESPN report 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:45.240 that kind of came along with it that hey, we're 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:49.359 extremely disappointed and feel disrespected and all that stuff. So yeah, 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.040 it's uh, it's a little confounding how we got to 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:52.440 this point. 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:56.280 I would say, how did Lane Kiffin respond yesterday? 0:02:57.280 --> 0:02:59.040 So we asked him if you had any comment. All 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:02.120 he did was referred to his previous statement, which is 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:05.720 that again Brian Kelly, previous staff promised it to him 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:08.760 that he was just going to follow through with that promise, 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:10.120 and they wasn't adding anything more. 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:10.880 We're moving on. 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:13.960 It's what he said. I even specifically asked them because 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.080 there's a lot of wonderment out there. The number nine 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:20.200 is not officially retired, but he's more number nine since 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.520 show Burrow like, if you, as the coach, were to 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:25.200 have a player come to you and say, can I 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:27.400 have number nine? What would your thought process being? Obviously, 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.640 because he's referring back to the previous staff on this issue, 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:33.000 So then he didn't. He said, hey, there's a lot 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:36.040 of hypotheticals. I'm not going to get into that, and 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:38.400 that's it. So he really didn't want to address the 0:03:38.480 --> 0:03:39.520 issue much at all. 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:43.800 Any Further, every team has its standard practice, the letter 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:46.200 of the law, if it is in fact a law 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:51.920 for this is jerseys can be retired or current jerseys 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:55.040 cannot be retired. This is where I'm a little bit perplexed. 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:57.280 Yeah, and this is probably where the issue is with 0:03:57.440 --> 0:03:59.680 LSU is they don't really don't. I mean, they have 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:03.040 their their practice, which is that, yeah, after five years, 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:05.280 your jersey can be retired, but that doesn't take the 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:08.440 number out of circulation. The only number at LSU that 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:12.200 is truly retired is Billy Cannon's number twenty, for he 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:16.000 won the Heisman in nineteen fifty nine. Joe Burrow's not 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:19.000 officially retired. Jane Daniels is not officially retired. Nobody else 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:23.360 is officially retired, and so it's really more of an unofficial, 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:27.000 unwritten rule out of respect. And I think Joe Burrow 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:29.080 even made a comment that he's been told by people 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:31.160 at LSU that you know, they're not going to use 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:33.960 his number, and I think Jane was under the same impression. 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:38.400 But there is no you know, this is retired done, 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:41.880 that's it, So that that kind of creates the situation. 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:46.280 I think John Blow, LSU reporter, the advocate of times picking, 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:51.400 you please tell me how LSU fans are feeling at 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:55.320 this moment and perhaps if you can gauge which side 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:55.800 they are on. 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.640 Oh yeah, I don't think this was good for Jane Daniels. 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.320 You know, we even went back and talked to DJ 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:05.120 Pickett's family and talked to his dad because we were 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:07.360 actually working on a story just about why the number 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:09.920 five was important to DJ Pickett, and he said, hey, man, 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:12.240 this the whole situation makes us want to wear the 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:15.880 number even more. And when we posted that story, all 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:18.360 kinds of LSU fans are saying, man, we love DJ 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:21.560 Pickett even more, like go DJ, you know very much. 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:25.840 I think a lot of LSU fans are upset that 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:29.840 again this became this public, this this kind of you know, 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:34.039 nasty that this whole thing happened. I don't think that 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.279 LSU fans are really on board with Jade Daniels with this. 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:40.960 Getting back to my request, respectfully to talk to me 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:43.120 like I'm a five year old or a golden retriever, 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.160 explained to me the name image and like this part 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:48.040 of this, like what was really the claim? 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:51.880 We don't know. I mean, it really doesn't make a 0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:54.800 whole lot of sense because I guess the only thing 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.600 that maybe they could say is, hey, take you know, 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.719 Jaden's image out of these you know highlights or something 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.080 like that, if you're showing you know, past highlight reels, 0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:05.080 take Jayden out. But then is that good for Jayden 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.240 that he's no longer being recognized or seen for what 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.600 he did at LSU. I know there was a request 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:15.360 for maybe the Heisman trophy. LSU's copy of the Heisman 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:18.760 trophy be returned, and maybe Jayden could put it where 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.279 he wants to put it, maybe his old high school 0:06:21.360 --> 0:06:23.200 or something like that. But at the same time, it's 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.479 LSU's copy, so I don't think he really has any 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:28.320 right to that either we're actually trying to get IP 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:31.880 attorneys on the phone, because yeah, yeah, who knows. 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:36.159 Is there a way out of this? I mean, it 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:41.440 seems like there's two sides ten toes down and we 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:43.600 did a poll here on Dan Patrick showed it was 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:48.440 in favor of LSU side of it eighty twenty. And 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.160 you're telling me you're hearing very similar things and it 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:54.359 does make sense. Is there a way? Can you imagine 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:56.040 a way out of this for Jade and Daniels? 0:06:57.720 --> 0:06:59.840 Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, again, you already put it 0:06:59.839 --> 0:07:03.280 out there. They're upset, so everybody knows that. I don't know. 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:05.680 If DJ Pikett's gonna stop wearing the number, I mean, 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:08.000 I don't that's a way out of it. If DJ 0:07:08.040 --> 0:07:10.320 wanted to change numbers and go back and say sorry, 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:11.480 I didn't know it was gonna be this big of 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:14.520 a problem. But that doesn't sound like that's happening. And 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:16.760 so yeah, I don't know. I mean, build a statue 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:19.520 for Jayden, try to get the two sides together to 0:07:20.160 --> 0:07:22.240 you know, say hey, we have respect for you. This 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.640 is how we're respecting you. Put a jersey. I don't know, 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:26.360 patch on DJ Pickett's jersey. 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.680 There you go, John Solutions oriented John blow here. Yes, 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:32.920 the patches, the statues, I can I can see where 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:35.320 that is real quick on the statue the Heisman trophy 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:40.440 again factor fiction asking for the high the LSU version 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:43.440 of the heisman, where he already has his own version 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:45.440 of the heisman, but asking for the LSU version of 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:47.680 the heisman? Is that true? Is that? Is that what 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:48.760 you've been able to surmise? 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:53.760 Yeah, I think that has come up. I don't know, 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:57.520 you know how you know stringent that demand was. It 0:07:57.600 --> 0:08:01.040 wasn't in the actual cease and assist better part. So 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:03.160 I don't know if they're going to take him to 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:06.840 court over it, but it's but from what I've heard, yeah, 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:08.320 I mean that that was something. 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:08.720 That was asked. 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:11.800 Again, it's LSU's so. 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:14.000 I'm my understanding as ls you buys that right. 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:18.680 Yes, I don't think he can demand. He can ask, 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:20.040 but I don't think he can demand. 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:24.080 Still searching for a way to get onto Daniel's head 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:26.760 here and and his side of it, I'm not there 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:29.400 quite yet. One last question here, what would you consider 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:30.960 a successful season for Link if in. 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:36.000 This year the playoff? I think you know obviously BUS. Yes, 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:37.640 I would say playoff or BUS. I know some people 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:40.440 are saying National championship or BUS obviously because they invested 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:42.920 like forty plus million dollars in this roster. And obviously 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:45.680 you paid fifty four million for Brian Kelly to leave, 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.280 and so there's a lot invested, a lot riding on this. 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:50.160 But I think as long as you make the playoff 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:53.720 and or you're at least very much on the borderline, 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:55.160 I mean, I think if you missed it near the 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:57.440 border line, it's gonna be allowed disappointment. But I just 0:08:57.520 --> 0:08:59.719 think you got to get to the playoffs show you're 0:08:59.800 --> 0:09:04.160 in contention, you know, for bigger things, whether it had 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:06.800 again winning a Natty, like Urban Meyer said, they have 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:08.200 to be within a swig of it. I don't know 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:10.480 if that's it, but I think getting to the playoff 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:12.160 I think is kind of the benchmark for those guys. 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:16.040 He's John Blau unless you football reporter for The Advocate 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:19.160 Times picking you so thankful for your time today being 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:20.400 here with us, John. 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:21.920 I appreciate it. Thanks for having me. 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:24.440 Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:28.160 Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:31.640 on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio wapp. 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:34.360 So that gots here. 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:36.520 I have a podcast empire. 0:09:36.800 --> 0:09:38.839 It continues to grow, and I. 0:09:38.800 --> 0:09:41.640 Have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing a 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:45.000 live radio show from three to five pm Eastern because 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:46.600 my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:50.360 It's called Stegatzi Company Live, which is available in podcast 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:54.760 form right when the show finishes every single day. 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:57.720 Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of 0:09:57.800 --> 0:10:00.600 phone calls I love you on the show, my favorite, a. 0:10:00.600 --> 0:10:04.280 Lot of interact shit guys not taking themselves too seriously. 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:06.800 Those are just some of the things that you can 0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:10.280 expect from Stu Gottson Company and Steve Gotson Company Live. 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:15.000 So listen to stew Godson Company Live and our original podcast. 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:19.400 Please subscribe, rate and review Stu Gotson Company and God 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:22.800 Bless Football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. You do it 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:25.280 today and you can check all of those out on 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:30.280 the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.320 Now, I turn to my friend Courtney Cronin, who I 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:39.800 am just so happy to see Courtney. How are you? 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.120 How's the family? It's been so long? 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:44.240 Oh look at that I know that's. 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:46.040 The smiling face of Corney Cronin. 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:48.680 I've missed you, I've missed you a lot. I'm so 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:51.400 glad I missed you more in the seat, and I'm 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:53.720 glad that we have a chance to talk about the 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:59.080 non Indiana. Yes, I think it's what they were rumored 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:02.439 to have a maybe been thinking about changing their name too, 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:04.440 But that's not going to happen. We heard from George 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:07.880 McCaskey yesterday. They go to Hammond. If they stay in 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:10.920 Arlington Heights, day in Illinois and build in Arlington Heights, 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:12.679 they are still the Chicago Bears. 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.600 It's a saga though, all right, we're going on four years, 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:19.600 five years? How real is Hammond now? Is Illinois actually 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:23.280 losing the Bears should it happen? Can can a team 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:26.400 feel it's still their state team even if it's over 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.640 a state line? How do I live in New York 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:31.760 and the New York teams play in New Jersey? But 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:34.880 how does a Midwesterner feel about that? 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:40.600 So for me, I try to think geographically, what is 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:44.560 going to be the biggest burden for fans and the 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:46.760 people who are going to games at Soldier Field right 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:50.480 now won't have to travel that much further if they 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:53.760 move to Hammond, because it's right around the bend in 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:58.000 the Lake. It's twenty something miles away. It's not that far. 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:02.080 But there are people who look at this and say, 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:04.920 how could you move a charter franchise, a team that's 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:10.040 going into its one hundredth and seventh season across state 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:13.360 lines into Indiana. How can the state of Illinois allow 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:15.960 this to happen? How can they not throw a hail Mary. Well, 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:17.760 they've had four years to try to figure it out, 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:22.960 and we are still at this conundrum that the Bears 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:25.680 clearly don't want to go to Indiana because they could 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:30.160 have been gone by now. But now Illinois, since they 0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:33.120 haven't done anything in a while, they did not pass 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.760 legislation at the Bears say they need to build this stadium, 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:39.280 which is that tax certainty in the form of the 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:41.960 pilot bill, which is payment in lieu of taxes. I've 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:43.719 become like an expert on this stuff, you know, the 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.360 antilayer stuff. I love the exes and OSA football, but 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:48.920 I really really love like talking about, like you know, 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:53.440 the cost of steel rides, roads widening, and how that 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:54.440 whole thing's going to work. 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:55.360 But yeah, no. 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:57.199 I mean there's a lot of fans that look at 0:12:57.200 --> 0:12:59.160 this and say, I'll still be a fan, but I'm 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:00.959 not going to want to go to game, which I 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:03.560 don't know if I entirely buy that the team can 0:13:03.679 --> 0:13:07.440 exist in this region, whether it's in Illinois or Indiana 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:14.280 and still maintain the same identity. But it's definitely become 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:18.319 this revolving door of information where you're not really getting 0:13:18.320 --> 0:13:21.640 any new information, just things moved around that leads you 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:23.960 to the same place, right, but also not have a 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:26.199 new stadium and they've been trying to do this now 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:26.880 for four years. 0:13:26.960 --> 0:13:30.640 But also misinformation. It's almost like you feel the Indiana 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:33.960 Bears came out that report, the rumor came out, you know, 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:37.240 purposefully as a cudgel to throw out and some of 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:39.880 this also is in a negotiating strategy on the other side. 0:13:39.920 --> 0:13:42.480 From Illinois perspective too, that's what it feels like for me. 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:44.120 From Afar, Well, let. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:47.800 Me address that report that what came out, whatever was 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:51.520 floating out there the other day. Respectfully, I don't give 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:55.320 that report much credence. Someone's claiming they are an analyst, 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:57.760 you're usually an analyst. If you're an expert in a 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:00.920 certain subject matter. No one credible on the beat, no 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:03.480 incredible who covers the team is around the team was 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:06.360 reporting anything about this, and from what you know, I 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.120 talked to a very high level source on Wednesday night. 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:10.520 I was told it was not going to be a 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:13.760 major stadium announcement, and it really wasn't. The only new 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:18.040 thing we learned yesterday was that there's now an additional site, 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:21.720 so the wolf Lake Terminal the Lost Marsh site, two 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:24.760 areas that Tony, you have no clue. I would like 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:26.320 to pull up a map right now and make you 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:30.480 pick out him in Indiana, just like you'll probably get 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:32.520 the general region. But like they're they're going to maybe 0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:34.600 merge these two sites because they've been doing all of 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.240 this due diligence and testing to make sure that it's safe. 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:39.360 And we're not going to walk away with you know, 0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:42.040 some sort of you know, a third leg growing out 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:44.320 of our body because it isn't an area where there's 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:45.080 steel mills. 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:48.480 Oh, exactly a lot of environmental but just imagine a 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:50.840 running back with three legs. Though, I mean, honestly, what 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:51.840 are we talking about here? 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:54.920 You know, unfair advantage for thirty one other teams. 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.760 Wow, you know what, Corny, thank you so much. And 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:00.480 of course that's why I'm happy I have here to 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:04.720 tell me what's so unfounded and lacking founding. Let's get 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:08.120 on the field please here. You've talked to Ben Johnson 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:12.280 all summer. Ben Johnson this week made a little bit 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:14.760 of news talking about his goal and the goal was 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:17.560 for the greatest offense in the history of the NFL. 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:22.160 How serious is he and that type of ambition? Is 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:23.960 that a good thing or maybe not so good thing. 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:27.240 I think he is as serious as a heart attack. 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:30.720 That is who Ben Johnson is. It's not to him 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:35.280 that is not an unreasonable goal. That's how he views 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:37.640 this team. He came in and took a team that 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:40.880 was awful from a year before it won five games 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.320 in twenty twenty four and turned them into the NFC 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:47.560 North champion and an organization that won its first franchise 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:51.360 on its first playoff game in fifteen years. You do 0:15:51.440 --> 0:15:53.840 that in year one, you're not going to be trying 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.320 to set anything other than shoot for the moon level 0:15:56.400 --> 0:16:00.520 goals for the rest of your tenure as the Bear coach, 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:04.960 which he's brought something to this group that they didn't have, 0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:09.840 which is tangible hope based on actual results. At this 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:12.920 time last year, we weren't exactly sure how Caleb Williams 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:14.760 was going to look in this offense, whether it would 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.000 be explosive. We knew it worked in Detroit, but you 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:21.400 had Jared Goff and a quarterback in a quarterback who 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:24.440 had done so much throughout his career that he'd already 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:29.080 proven himself, and you wondered how that would translate to Chicago. 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:32.560 It took a while, took the whole offseason, took the 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:34.360 first month of the season, and then they started to 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:37.480 figure it out. Now you build upon that, and for Ben, 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:41.560 who is one of the most relentless competitors I've ever 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.760 been around, I've ever covered. I mean, in the story 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:47.480 that was written on the Athletic, they talk about that 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:49.840 laser stare, and I've been on the receiving end of 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:52.280 that laser stare in some press conferences. That thing will 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:54.280 like see right through your soul. And that's just who 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:57.640 he is as someone who wants to put up a 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.880 ton of points, win games, and blowout fashion. And I 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:02.760 believe he called for shutouts too, so. 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:04.160 Oh he wants it all right. 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:06.680 Once it all I mean, the thing is he's writing 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:09.520 a lot of checks that he better hope his players 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:13.080 can cash because this is going to be bulletin board 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:16.040 material for all the teams that they face this year. 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:19.679 Defenses are going to say they're trying to embarrass you 0:17:19.840 --> 0:17:22.040 out there. They're trying to put up forty fifty on 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:24.560 you every single game, and there's going to be an 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:28.479 incentive to stop that. But realistically, they do have the 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.600 pieces around Caleb Williams, from Colston Lovelin to Luther Burton, 0:17:32.720 --> 0:17:36.560 roma Dunze, all these receivers. 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:39.920 Put so much greatest offense in NFL history. 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:42.080 Wow, Ok, yeah in the run the run game too, 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:45.440 I mean it's I can't blame Ben Johnson for shooting 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:48.280 for such a high goal. Although from where they were 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:50.720 a year ago to where they are now, you can 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:53.479 see it more clearly how they'll be able to get 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:54.880 there because they're going to have to score a lot 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:57.080 of points to win games given some of the injuries 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:58.040 they have on defense. 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:01.840 You mentioned bullets material, Well, that's what it was. And 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:03.920 the three teams in the division, this may be the 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:06.080 best division in football. Do you feel that. I think 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:08.920 the North is And now give me the pecking order 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:11.560 here as we approached the end of August. 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:15.360 So i'd probably I know the Bears and you talk 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:20.359 about those one score games, there's a place of regression 0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:24.040 that is a natural conversation landing point when you go 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:25.840 from one year to the next. Can you win all 0:18:25.840 --> 0:18:28.000 of these games in the fourth quarter when you're down 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:30.840 and there's two minutes left and you're go into overtime. 0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:34.159 We saw it with the Chiefs last year. That is 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:37.480 an area that quickly sees a drop off that you 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:39.600 don't just get to carry that year to year. But 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.600 I still put them as the second best team right 0:18:43.640 --> 0:18:48.520 now entering the twenty twenty sixth season because there's a 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:50.639 lot that has to be accounted for on defense. The 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:52.439 offense is going to have to score a lot of points, 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:56.359 and I think they can. But I'd go Green Bay Chicago. 0:18:56.960 --> 0:19:00.960 I moved Detroit to third because they have so some 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:06.359 significant injuries along the offensive line. Their center just has 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:09.200 a hand injury that's pretty significant. They've had a lot 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:12.720 of moving parts up there. It's not something that I 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:16.760 expect to make them a four or five six win team. 0:19:16.760 --> 0:19:18.920 I still think they're team that could end up being 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:21.480 a wild card team, but I am not convinced that 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:24.080 just because they bring in a new offensive coordinator and 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:26.639 they've got some of the same pieces, namely the quarterback 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.520 and the wide receivers there, that this is not going 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:32.440 to be an offense that deals with some more attrition. 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:35.840 But then behind them is Minnesota. I don't think JJ 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:39.080 McCarthy or Kyler Murray. There were not really any rave 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:41.879 reviews consistently about either of them. This to me felt 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:45.399 like the obvious answer in going with Murray. So until 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:49.800 we see if the reclamation project can work on another quarterback, 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:52.480 I've got my doubts about that Minnesota Vikings team. 0:19:52.840 --> 0:19:55.200 Which Bear is ready for the breakout? Who are we 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:56.400 not talking about enough? 0:19:56.920 --> 0:20:01.960 Luther Burden. He is a spark plug to this offense 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:04.400 and he's got the swagger. I guess what the kids 0:20:04.400 --> 0:20:08.159