WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - Marcus Spears 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:05.800 Hey everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Dave 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:09.320 Pash Podcast. I'm your host, ESPN and Arizona Cardinals, played 0:00:09.320 --> 0:00:13.760 by play announcer Dave Pash. Like our previous guest Charles 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:17.080 Davis from CBS, we're gonna keep it national, talking about 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:21.880 the upcoming NFL season with ESPN's Marcus Spears. You can 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:25.040 see Marcus on so many different platforms, whether it's a 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:28.600 podcast with Kendrick Perkins, going head to head with Steven A. 0:00:28.760 --> 0:00:34.320 Smith on First Take SportsCenter, NFL Live. Marcus is everywhere 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:39.520 now on ESPN, and he's outstanding. He's fun, he's likable, 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:43.400 he's engaging, and hopefully you'll enjoy our conversation with a 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:46.960 guy nicknamed the Big Swagoo, who was an excellent college 0:00:46.960 --> 0:00:49.920 football player at LSU, first round draft pick of the 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:54.640 Dallas Cowboys, and now a very accomplished broadcaster for ESPN. 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:57.560 That really comes across on the air, and I think 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.880 it comes across during our conversation here about the Cardinals, 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:04.200 about the NFL, and also how Marcus got into this 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:07.560 business to begin with. I thought, getting too what the 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:10.280 end of my career stor realizing, like man, I wanted 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:13.000 to ready. I have opinion, that was my frain. I 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:15.040 thought that. Then my wife was like, no, it's the 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:18.960 prior to televison. You got a big personality. People like you. 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:22.120 They gravitated you. You really don't hold back. We are 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:24.920 presented by bet MGM, the official sports betting partner of 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:28.360 the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River Hotels and Casinos. 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.160 Get ready for a football season like never before with 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:34.920 bet MGM, an official partner of the Arizona Cardinals. Sign 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:38.360 up today using code cards one thousand and get your 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:41.120 first bet risk free up to one thousand dollars. Visit 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.960 betmgm dot Comference terms and conditions twenty one and over 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:48.520 Arizona only. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem called one eight hundred. 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:52.560 Next step, All right, let's talk about the upcoming Cardinals 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:55.800 game with Kansas City as well as the twenty twenty 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:59.360 two NFL regular season. Get some playoff predictions as well. 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:05.600 For me, ESPNS Marcus Spears. So, first of all, I 0:02:05.640 --> 0:02:09.600 don't even know if I call you Marcus Spears, big Swago. 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:13.480 I get confused with all the names that everybody calls 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:16.839 you by. Marcus. But your your weekly schedule right now 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:20.280 is just as crazy. What's it like A day in 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:22.840 the life a week in the life of Marcus Spears 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:27.120 at ESPN now that football season's about to get going here, man, 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:31.360 First of all, thanks for having me, brother. It's crazy, um. 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:35.520 And and and call me whatever you comfortable with DP 0:02:35.760 --> 0:02:38.200 you you know you've been around your burnday, you got 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:40.320 you got a lot of stink in the game, brother boy, 0:02:40.360 --> 0:02:45.679 than be so whatever you doing fit um. But it's 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:49.320 just like I got my schedule, um, actually my actual 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:54.600 schedule a couple of days ago, and it was a 0:02:54.720 --> 0:03:01.200 reminder of how much football is about to happen. Um. 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:07.120 But Monday through Friday, I have no time at all anymore. 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:11.200 It's football season, and it's exactly how I would like it, 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:14.880 to be honest with you, m I still get a 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:18.440 chance to see my kids play. The schedule works out 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:21.480 that way without being you know, being too crazy. I'm 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:24.160 able to be home two days a week during the week, 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.840 um to catch what they do on the weekend as well. 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:31.200 So but but now it's time, man. I mean I 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:33.640 sit around in the off season and I do bolletball, 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:38.000 I do travel basketball. Both my girls play volleyball, my 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:42.320 son plays travel basketball. But when football season starts, everybody 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:45.960 kind of starts position in themselves because they know I'm 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:49.400 going to go into into that mode. My wife already 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:54.880 is ready. She got everything severed, UM and and VP. Honestly, man, 0:03:54.920 --> 0:03:58.640 we've been doing that since I've been playing, since I 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:01.240 was playing, Like every I didn't know that this time 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.360 for the year, which I call a six month holiday 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:07.200 for me, it's time for me to lock in and 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.880 get it going. But you're still busy doing NFL Live. 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:13.240 And then I see on First Take and Sports Center 0:04:13.920 --> 0:04:18.800 what the relationship with stephen A? Tell me, like how 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:22.120 that has evolved into what it is because you can 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:23.800 go toe to toe with him now. He may not 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:26.360 want to admit that, especially when it comes to Dallas 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:31.440 Cowboys talk. Yeah, man, Um, you know stephen A first 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:33.640 of all, a ton of respect for him. It's a 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.880 huge platform. We all know that First Take is a 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:39.840 not only a very higher rated show, but a lot 0:04:39.839 --> 0:04:45.360 of people watch it from the standpoint of different demographic dynamics. UM. 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:49.200 And just to have the opportunity a couple of years 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:53.919 ago to be on that platform, UM was was phenomenal. 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:58.640 But honestly, past like it's it reminds me a lot 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:01.039 of what I did growing up. Man, I do TV 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:04.000 just like I did when I was talking about Dad 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:07.000 and my uncle's about football, basketball. And I think that's 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.680 the one thing that First Take and also Get Up 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:13.280 allowed me to do was to talk more than just football. 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:18.040 I never wanted to be pigeonholed into not, you know, 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:20.560 thinking that this is just a football guy and that's 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.480 the only thing he does. Football is my passion, is 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:27.400 what I love. It's something that I have my ten 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.400 thousand hours in. I understand the game. I have a 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:32.120 ton of respect for the game. I have a lot 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:35.159 of relationships in the game. But the NBA as well, 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:40.440 I played basketball growing up, was very holly recruited, so 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:44.200 I've understand that game at some very high levels as well. 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:47.719 But being on First Take with stephen A just reminds 0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:50.240 me of what I did with my dad and my 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:54.359 uncles and my family members and my best friends. You know, 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:56.600 it's a debate show, like we like to call it 0:05:56.680 --> 0:05:59.880 because we politically correct, but it's really just an argument show, 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:04.839 um and and to get your opinion across and you 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.839 argue like when I was arguing or debating. Actually like 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:11.560 to call up with my uncles and with my dad. 0:06:11.920 --> 0:06:16.320 Obviously they didn't think I knew anything about what I 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.480 was talking about, but it got me ready for that arena. 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:21.839 But I think it I think it really starts to 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:25.800 respect knowing that you're entering it into hit domain. But 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:29.200 see when they knows, um, that I'm not afraid to 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:32.920 go toe to toe. I'm not afraid to touch every topic. 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.160 And when we agree, we agree. Um, when we disagree, 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:39.160 we disagree. And when it comes to the Cowboys, you know, 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:41.440 I tell them all the time, one team out of 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:44.119 all thirty two is gonna win a Super Bowl. Now 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:47.800 I have no defense for how long it's been since 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:51.080 the Cowboys has at least been back to the Super Bowl. 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:53.479 And I have eight years in there where I wasn't 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:57.400 able to As a team, we weren't able to get there. 0:06:57.680 --> 0:06:59.680 So that's hard. That's a hard one for me. And 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:02.720 then when they make the mistakes that he predicts, it 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:06.039 puts me in a terrible situation. But more than anything, 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:10.559 the hospitality that they show him when he gets here 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:13.360 is what rubs me the wrong way more than anything, 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:19.840 because of the disrespect that he gives the Cowboys every season. 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.880 And then when he comes here, Jared rolls out the 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:26.160 red carpet boy, he was only helicopter. He gets invited 0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:28.720 to lunch and all of this. I think that's the 0:07:28.840 --> 0:07:31.840 ultimate level of disrespect. And I'm actually man than the 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:36.720 Cowboys for that. You know, stephen A has. This is 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:40.320 why I think he's different from somebody like Skip Bayliss, 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.920 where stephen A can say something, he can rip your team, 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:48.040 but the way he does it, you take it seriously, 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.400 but you don't take it personally. And maybe that's why, 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:55.440 like it's different with him when it's coming from him. 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:59.360 And also if you if you I see you he 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:04.240 did is a lot to your expertise, whether you are 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:08.400 a former NBA player or a former NFL player. And 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:12.200 I think he never tried to go told as told 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:16.160 in football acting and when he comes from actual experience, 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:20.640 he goes at it from a reporter standpoint, from from 0:08:20.800 --> 0:08:23.480 you know, and I say a lot of times even 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.280 from a fan standpoint, because even as you whether you 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:28.840 hate him or you love him, he does give a 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:33.040 perspective of a sportswriter and also a fan. Right Like 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:35.600 we could grill him about how bad the Knicks have been. 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:38.440 We can talk about the things that have happened in 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:40.920 Pittsburgh with holding on to being too long and they 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:43.560 haven't wanted to think because those are the teams that 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:47.960 he roots for and loves. But ultimately he never like 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:50.160 like if you watch when we're on and I'm on 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:54.079 Ryan park is All or Damian Woody or Floxworth or 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:56.959 Dan or a live speak like he defers to your 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:02.160 football knowledge information as a former player. He never tries 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:06.240 to enter into, you know, the nuances of the game 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:08.719 that we wouldn't know that somebody that didn't play with 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:11.960 another um and that's not a knot, but that's just 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:14.320 you know, we respect him for that guy. I know 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:17.360 a lot of guys have mentioned that comedy that actually 0:09:17.400 --> 0:09:19.720 that work in the businesses that you know, he doesn't 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.840 try to put himself um kind of act like he 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:26.920 knows more about the actual plane of the game, right, 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:29.360 like you could speak to the game without ever playing 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:32.680 the game. You can give opinions about plays or the 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.000 game that if you if you've never stepped foot on 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.240 the field, I'm I'm all for it and you can 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:40.280 do that. That shouldn't be opening anybody with all and 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.880 willing to study is enough to understand what's happening. But 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:46.480 sometimes it's like you get told and told of a 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:48.920 guy that's visited the trenches in the fourth quarter when 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:52.400 your legs feeling like a thous of pounds, and you 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:55.640 can have someone act like they know what that feels like. 0:09:55.800 --> 0:10:01.240 That's the difference with me of how he comes about it. Well, 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:03.400 you certainly know what it feels like. Marcus. You were 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:07.720 a great player at LSU, first round draft pick, and 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:11.120 I know injuries you still had a good at NFL career. 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:13.120 You mentioned the eight years with Dallas and then finished 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:17.880 up with Baltimore. I know injuries hurt you. And we've 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:20.600 seen so many guys that have such promising careers. And 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:24.560 now I worked with Dusty Dvorchek in college football, and yeah, 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:29.079 injuries killed his career, you know, killed his career. Did 0:10:29.160 --> 0:10:31.319 you think when you were playing for the Cowboys or 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:33.320 maybe even at LSU, did you think that you would 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:36.760 get into TV and be talking about sports when you 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:40.760 were done? Plan man, You know, Dave, I wanted to 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:45.520 do radio. TV came about because of my wife and 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:50.400 my sister. Actually, I did a radio show on our 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:53.520 old days on two days with a guy in Dallas 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:57.760 name Brady Thinker, who helped me tremendously. Ed Werder was 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:00.640 obviously the Cowboys reporter. I would ask ask him about 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:05.079 how they worked, how they working for ESPN all the time. Um, 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:07.640 and not to mention, you know, playing for the Cowboys 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:12.080 you got access to every medium medium in the in 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:16.320 the world, not just in America. So I had a 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:18.840 lot of that around me. I had the brass shams 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:23.880 and the babe offing birds, um, Clarence Hills, the writers 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:27.040 and people that want the television side. And as I 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.240 got started getting towards the end of my career, I 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:31.880 started realizing, like man, I wanted to I wanted to 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:34.480 be ready. Though I have opinions, I was one of 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:38.479 the guys that you know, I wasn't quote unquote a superstar, 0:11:38.720 --> 0:11:41.000 but I would always get a lot of media in 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:42.960 my locker because they knew it was gonna be some 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:48.640 honest assessment of what we were doing while we lost, 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:52.640 while we won. Um guys played, how we played, how 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:56.480 I played, UM and just finding that fine lad. But 0:11:56.880 --> 0:11:59.080 it started to become a thing for me in radio 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:02.520 because I thought Ready obviously in all form you get 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:04.840 you get to talk about a lot. But ultimately it 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:06.800 goes back to what I told you about first SAPE. 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:09.640 I knew that I would hate on radio. I would 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:12.640 be able to talk about all sports. I knew I 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:14.960 would be able to talk about more than just football, 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:18.520 even though that would have been my expertise. So that 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:21.080 was my friend and thought. And then my wife was like, Nah, 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:24.000 it should try to do television. She was like, you 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:26.960 need to be on TV. You got a big personality. 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:30.040 People like you. They gravitated you, and you really don't 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:32.600 hold back. That was what my wife told me, and 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.800 then my sister, and it was divine. Man. My sister 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:38.240 called me and was like, hey, have you seen that 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.880 they started up the new SEC network? And I was like, yeah, 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:43.640 I've been following it because you know, when you play, 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:46.360 you always arguing with guys from other conferences, who the 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:51.160 best conference, who the best schools or whatever? And they 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:54.040 need my Really, I was literally man, was like, okay, 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:56.360 well let me let me just try it. So I 0:12:57.000 --> 0:13:03.679 b m Seconi Drooly on Twitter and I was like, um, 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.880 I see you know she. I went through the the 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:09.640 Google and whatever, and I saw that she was one 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:12.559 of the executives that was responsible for getting it started 0:13:12.760 --> 0:13:15.200 up and running and I d M her and I 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:17.800 was like, hey, I want I'm interested in doing TV 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:21.440 UM with the NCC network, you know, coming from LSU, 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.839 just finishing my career and bro, she sent me a 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:28.120 DM back and it was like, um, good to good 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:31.880 to see that she interested send me some reals. And 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:34.200 I was like, man, I'm fishing hunting all the time. 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:38.680 What she wants reals for? Like um? And and had 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:43.480 no no clue, bro um, and then I take the back. 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:45.160 I mean I d M the back. I was like real. 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:47.360 I was like, I don't know. She was like, yeah, 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:49.679 send me some TV stuff that you've done, because if 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:52.880 anybody knows Stephanie, you don't play around the last. She's like, 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:56.439 just if you got them off you're doing TV, just 0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:58.640 send it to me. So I sent them stuff to 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:02.480 you man and and um. I received a call um 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:06.400 to come up in audition in the Austin, Texas at 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:09.800 the Long One network because not for a long one 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:12.240 that worked. But well actually I went up to Bristol 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:14.959 first and when I got that VP, it was six 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:18.560 degrees bro, and I was like, well, if I got 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:20.600 to work up here, I'm probably not gonna go forward. 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:24.040 With this UM. And then when I got in and 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:27.360 I did my UM, I did my interview, my my 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:31.160 audition UM with brock Hewer, and we went through some 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:35.280 you know, highlight films and broke some stuff down and 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:38.880 I felt myself kind of like uptight, and it was 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.960 like trying to be UM. I guess quote unquote professional 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:49.200 or professional sportscaster or whatever. UM. So it went dark. 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:51.440 I didn't hear anything for two weeks and then I 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.280 got another call and was like, hey, we want you 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:56.880 to come the Long one Network in Austin and audition 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:01.560 again for SEC Network and I went up man and 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:03.560 then the audition was a little bit a lot more 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.120 possible UM. And two weeks later I got a call 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:09.680 and said he was gonna hire you at SEC Network. 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:12.480 And I was thinking I was just going through the studio. 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:15.920 And then eventually I get a call again about a 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:17.640 week later. It was like, Hey, you're gonna put on 0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:22.240 SEC Nation. I'll traveling Rod Live Show and bro Literally 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:24.840 I take Stephanie. I was like you sure about this? 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.280 She was like, look, you be yourself. I know you 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:30.880 don't know nothing about CB. Be yourself and talk about 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.600 what you know and everything else will work out. That's 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:37.000 how my career started at esp and the rest they 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:39.040 say is history, man, because you're great at what you do. 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:42.320 You're so engaging. Your big personality off the year comes 0:15:42.320 --> 0:15:46.040 through on the air. You're very likable. And you know, 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:50.160 Stephanie now doesn't just run the SEC network, she runs ESPN. 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:54.240 He's one of the top executives. Yeah. Um, what would 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:58.480 be your advice her? Yeah? Absolutely? Uh, you know, so 0:15:58.600 --> 0:16:01.000 this podcasting mark this is new for me. I think 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.360 this is episode thirty eight or thirty nine, and I've 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:08.000 had you know, other broadcasters on play by play, announcers, analysts. 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:11.480 It's cardinal centric. So you know, cliffs come on a 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:14.240 couple of times, Steve Kim, had jj Watt and Zach 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:17.680 Ertz and James Connor and Buddha Baker and those guys, 0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:20.600 those players like we'll talk twenty five thirty minutes. There 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:22.960 are some players, some of the younger guys in particular, 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:25.800 that are a little bit more shy and they're afraid 0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:28.600 to say things. So what would your advice be to 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:37.360 a young player about giving the media enough information where 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:43.520 it's interesting and entertaining but obviously not damaging the organization 0:16:43.560 --> 0:16:46.720 In the process. Does that make sense? Yeah, man, I 0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:50.359 think I think the advice I would get those guys 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.480 every time you step in front of the camera, partake 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:59.120 your teammates more than anything. And when I think particular teammates, 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:01.920 you can feel the truth about what's happening within your 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:06.639 organization without being malicious and without naming names. You know, 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:09.600 one of those classes that you go through is always uplifts. 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:12.520 He may talk about a mental positive light, and I 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:15.080 think you should do that, But the reality is in 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:17.760 the NFL, you're not always getting along with your teammates. 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:21.240 You're not always feeling like you're playing well or your 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:26.040 teammates are playing well. And never I my cardinal rule 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.520 or never make it about me or them make it 0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:33.280 about us. So even if you say something that's considered 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:37.399 quote unquote negative, but if it's true, most of the time, 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:44.480 grown men, teammates organizations will be okay with that. You 0:17:44.560 --> 0:17:48.960 don't devote sensitive personal information. You don't talk about a 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:53.119 guy and what he does preparation wise or in particular 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:55.600 those other things that I was felled off players. And 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:58.880 then the next thing, man is and something that I've 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.280 been fortunate enough to be you know, with my mom 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.240 and Dad and my family. That always just be authentic, 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:07.119 like some people are gonna like you, some people not 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:09.639 gonna like you. And once you're okay with that, you 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:12.680 can move forward in your career. You could do Uh. 0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:14.960 It gives you a sense of freedom to be able 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:17.560 to speak on things that you want to speak about. 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:20.320 Some things you're just not interested in. I feel like 0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:24.560 you shouldn't speak about um. So that would be my advice, man. 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:29.119 And then when it comes to the organization, are um 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:33.360 trying not to say anything next? Look? Man, the reality 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:36.840 is this thing is already on display. Like we know 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:39.760 when the Cardinals are playing bad or the Cowboys or 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:42.920 the Rams, or we know what teammates have issues. We 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:46.119 thought Johns and nowl and at the run pain and 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:51.800 fight on the sideline. Um, obviously that wasn't good, Like 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:56.560 everything wasn't peachy and and and all. Well, but you also, 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.880 as a teammate or those guys can you were fun 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.800 of that situation? So what happened on the sideline? All right? 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:06.359 If somebody interviewing me Morgans the run playing Johnson Ala 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:09.080 had to fight, what happened on the sidelines? Look? Man, 0:19:09.160 --> 0:19:13.520 this game is, this game is it's very important to us. 0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:16.639 This game is critical. We're in the heat of the moment. 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:20.360 Our guys are had a disagreement, and sometimes those disagreements 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:23.680 go to that point. Now, obviously we wouldn't have liked 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:25.680 it to get to that point, but we're gonna sit 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:27.840 down on the week, teammates, we've been around each other, 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:30.640 we grown men. We'll figure out how to get it. 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:34.640 Get it picked. These guys will be okay. And that's 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:36.680 pretty much all I have to say about that, because 0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:39.920 anything else that you guys are gonna ask you trying 0:19:39.960 --> 0:19:43.159 to be deeper into relationships and I'm not willing to 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:45.600 devose that to you because this is personal to us. 0:19:46.080 --> 0:19:48.280 That's how I would have those guys answer that question. 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.280 I've told you that, yeah, there's an issue, but the 0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:55.960 issue won't linger because leadership of make it happen. We'll talk. 0:19:56.400 --> 0:19:58.919 These guys don't hate each other, They had a moment, 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:01.200 and we're gonna move all with as a football team. 0:20:01.520 --> 0:20:05.159 I think that's how you know you can handle things 0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:09.800 and say the truth without telling people of everything, because 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:13.199 everything doesn't need to be known, either within the organization 0:20:13.320 --> 0:20:16.000 or within the team. But if there is an issue, 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:18.479 you can touch on that issue and let them know 0:20:18.520 --> 0:20:21.280 that it is an issue, but you always can be 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:24.960 working towards fixing it because ultimately working towards fixing it 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:27.480 makes you a better team. And that would be the 0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:30.800 advice I would get those guys ahead. Well, as you're talking, 0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:33.840 I can't help but think of Kyler Murray, who has 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:38.119 embraced exactly what you're saying. You listen to Kyler talk 0:20:38.280 --> 0:20:41.720 now and how he We had him on our preseason 0:20:41.800 --> 0:20:46.399 telecast the other night, and he very engaging. The answers 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:50.080 were lengthy, they were detailed, as opposed to early on. 0:20:50.160 --> 0:20:53.600 I think, as any rookie is, you're you're unsure of 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.280 where the media is coming from. You don't want to 0:20:56.320 --> 0:20:58.439 say something it's going to make yourself look bad or 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:02.760 your teammates look bad. I just watching that and Kyler 0:21:03.040 --> 0:21:05.879 and how he's talking to people inside the organization and 0:21:05.960 --> 0:21:09.720 with the media, and maybe it's wishful thinking you're twenty 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:12.480 one with this organization, but I feel like he is poised, 0:21:12.480 --> 0:21:15.760 along with his ability of course, poised to have a 0:21:15.920 --> 0:21:18.000 huge year, and that the team's poised to have a 0:21:18.080 --> 0:21:21.000 huge year. What are your thoughts on Kyler and the Cardinals. 0:21:21.760 --> 0:21:25.600 I believe so too. I think obviously we've had a 0:21:25.640 --> 0:21:29.400 ton of conversations about college maturity, and I've always been 0:21:29.440 --> 0:21:32.760 one to talk about a young but being young now 0:21:32.880 --> 0:21:35.240 in twenty twenty two doesn't mean the same thing as 0:21:35.240 --> 0:21:38.000 a deal when we were young bad like people expect 0:21:38.000 --> 0:21:40.119 you to be a wrong man. They want you to 0:21:40.160 --> 0:21:42.320 know how to answer every question, they want you to 0:21:42.480 --> 0:21:45.360 do things the right way. And obviously the contract situation 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:48.600 with the clause didn't help improve it to the general 0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:52.399 public that that maturity had already said in. But beyond that, 0:21:52.680 --> 0:21:56.280 I think sometimes adversity for guys like Kyler Murray is 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:59.480 the best thing because if you think that, like I 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:02.159 was in Exis when Kyler played at out in high school, 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:06.359 I have never heard anyone say anything bad about Kyler Murray. 0:22:07.000 --> 0:22:09.960 And maybe as a young guy, you start to kind 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:12.920 of get in the rule and you start to think that, hey, 0:22:13.000 --> 0:22:15.280 it's the way things are going. He was drafted to 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.719 ten in the major leagues. He got drafted number one 0:22:18.760 --> 0:22:22.520 overall in the NFL, and maybe that situation was a 0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:26.000 humbling experience for them, and it did make him dive 0:22:26.119 --> 0:22:29.720 deeper into like, Okay, how am I managing all of 0:22:29.760 --> 0:22:32.520 this as opposed to what the media is saying or 0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:35.119 people around me telling me how good I am. I 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:39.600 just got a new contract. Like handling success, it's harder 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:43.160 than handling adversity when you young man, and I tell 0:22:43.200 --> 0:22:47.040 people that all the time, Like the success part almost 0:22:47.080 --> 0:22:50.200 put us into a mindset that hey, this is how 0:22:50.200 --> 0:22:53.520