1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: This is Unbreakable with Jay Glacier, a mental wealth podcast 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: build you from the inside out. 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: Now here's Jay Glacier. 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: Welcome into Unbreakable Mental Wealth podcast with Jay Glazer. 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 3: I'm Jay Glazer and a lot of you guys know 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 3: this man as well. Pretty much. Man, anytime you want 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 3: to know what's going on. 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: In the NFL, on the spot, on the moment, but 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: immediately you go to his site. He is the owner 10 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: and creator of Pro Football Talk. My good friend Mike Florio, 11 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: who man. Mike and I have both come from a 12 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: very different background in how we got to covering the NFL, 13 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: and we both got murdered for it for years, and 14 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: I think that's why you and I have a certain 15 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: respect for each other. 16 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 3: Welcome in, Mike, Gloria. 17 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 4: How you doing, buddy, Door great, door great. 18 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 2: I appreciate you having me and we've always had that connection. 19 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 2: Most people would be surprised by that, and I think 20 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: a lot of people in the business aren't even wear 21 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 2: of it. It's not something that we wear on our 22 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: chests or anything. But we did get in differently. We 23 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 2: both kind of slipped in through either an unlocked window 24 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: or a back door. Well, but the people But the 25 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 2: people who I think I just showed up and slept 26 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 2: on the couch and then they paid no attention to me, 27 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 2: and they realized they had to. But the people who 28 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 2: have the actual journalism training paid their dues, so to speak, 29 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 2: check the boxes, work different beats. They resent anyone who 30 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: comes in. I don't take issue with that. It's a 31 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: natural response. It just makes our experience different because we 32 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 2: become the target of derision and resentment and just animosity 33 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 2: because we found a way in that was unconventional and 34 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: it wasn't easier. That's the thing. There's always this belief, Oh, 35 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 2: you you like it was in some way. No, it 36 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: wasn't easier. It's just different. 37 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 4: You're just different in some respects harder. 38 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: Look, I want to kind of compare it here. So 39 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: for my journey, I started in ninety three, and I 40 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: was the first guy to start relationships when it was 41 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: it was not allowed because you were supposedly you're not 42 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: objective if you start relationships with players and coaches and 43 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: front office. And I'm like, no, I think you guys 44 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: are an objective. If a player doesn't talk to you, 45 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: you kill them. I think the other way around. And 46 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: obviously I did it differently by starting an MMA training 47 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: program to. 48 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 3: Train these guys. Then I got chilled for that. 49 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: Even though I gave the money to the coaches, the 50 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,119 Speaker 1: fighters who were doing it, never took it for myself. 51 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 3: But where it hurt was, you know, it took me. 52 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: I really started in turning in ninety at fan and 53 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: worked in ninety one NFL Draft, and I got my 54 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 1: first job covering the Giants in ninety three. It took 55 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: me till ninety nine to get my first full time 56 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: job because every time I was up for a job, 57 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: they go ask the other media guys and they killed me, 58 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 1: so I wouldn't get a job, right. 59 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 3: So that was a long, long, long journey. So that's 60 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: where my resentment kind of comes from. You said it earlier. 61 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 1: I think Well said you kind of slept on the 62 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: couch for while, no one notices you until. 63 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 3: They're forced to notice. You. Tell me about those. 64 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: Early days where you were trying to get people to 65 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: take you seriously as a force to be reckoned with. 66 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 2: Well, And I don't remember much about how I felt 67 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 2: at the time, other than I really enjoyed what I 68 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 2: was doing and I didn't care what anybody else thought. 69 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: Because I had found a way to create a platform 70 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 2: out of nothing in one of the smallest states in 71 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 2: the country, just proving the fact that the energy, by 72 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 2: the way, yeah, completely balances the playing field. You don't 73 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 2: have to if there's something else you'd like to do 74 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: that allows you to do it via the internet. You 75 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: don't have to uproot your life and move to New York, 76 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: move to La move to wherever the center of the 77 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: universe is for that industry. If you can find a 78 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: way to slip in from wherever you are, you can 79 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: keep the life you have and work on a life 80 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: that maybe you'd want and work really hard because you 81 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 2: got to keep both going, and as one grows, the 82 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 2: other one's still there, and it takes up a lot 83 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 2: of your time and you end up working a. 84 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 4: Lot if you really care about it and like it. 85 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: But I just remember a great feeling of fun and enjoyment, 86 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 2: relaxation in a weird sort of way, because it was 87 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 2: my refuge from my regular job of practicing along fighting 88 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: with people all the time, and it just wears it out. 89 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: So this is way I could express myself without being 90 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: in fights all the time, at least not those kind 91 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: of fights. I still got in fights, but I just 92 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: had this sense of fascination and anticipation that this was 93 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: all leading somewhere, and I had no idea where. 94 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 4: And that was a great feeling when it came to fruition. 95 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: It's a great feeling when you have it, but you 96 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: don't know that it's going to be right. But man, 97 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 2: when it pays off, it's like I was right all along, 98 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: and I had no idea I was right, But I 99 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 2: just had something deep inside me that told me just 100 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: keep doing what you're doing, just keep going. I mean, 101 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 2: we went years without making a penny. I'm sure you 102 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 2: went years without making a penny, nine constantly. 103 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 4: I paid to do it. 104 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: I had to tell my wife, look, I need a hobby, 105 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: and if I golf, it's going to be a lot 106 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: more expensive. And I'm gonna be gone for six hours 107 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: on Saturday and gone for six hours on Sunday. I'm 108 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 2: gonna be pissed off when I get home. This is 109 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 2: something I can do that It literally costs five hundred 110 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 2: bucks to set up in fifty bucks a month, and 111 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 2: we went multiple years without making a penny. But I 112 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 2: enjoyed it, and I just had this sense, if we 113 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: keep doing it. 114 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 4: If we keep doing it, if we. 115 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: Keep doing it, then it's gonna eventually take off and 116 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 2: it'll be the only thing I do and I can 117 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 2: get away from the thing that was causing me a 118 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 2: bunch of stress and would have either put me in 119 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 2: an early grade. I want to hit that, yeah, or 120 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 2: forced me to just get out of it all together 121 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 2: and just do something else. 122 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 3: I want to hit them before though. Look, we're both 123 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 3: disruptors to this business. 124 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: Like you said, you went to the University of Michigan, 125 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: if you went to Syracuse, you went to afford them, 126 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: and you've got a job covering something for you know, 127 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: newspaper or TV station or radio show. And that was 128 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: not the route that either one of us had. But 129 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: we also both I think, and I want people to 130 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: hear this. We both never wavered from like we're doing 131 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: it different. We're disrupting, and eventually people are going to 132 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: see that's the way to do it. 133 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 3: And again, it took me my first eleven years. 134 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: I was making nine four hundred and fifty bucks a year, 135 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: and thank God Almighty in Heaven that my baby sister, 136 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: Michael Strahan drove me back into New York City every 137 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: day for seven years because I couldn't afford somebody to 138 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: bust to Giant Stadium and back every day. And you know, 139 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: but back then, I was like, you know what, when 140 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: I first walked into the Giant locker room, I'm like, Man, 141 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: I can't. 142 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 3: Beat these guys at their own job. I didn't. 143 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: I don't have their education, I don't have their experience. 144 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: But how the fuck can I be different? Well, if 145 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: these fuckers work forty hours a week thirty four, I'm 146 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: now working by a lot, not a little a lot, 147 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: how about hundred hours a week? 148 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 3: And I'll do it different, Like I'm gonna start relationships. 149 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 3: And I knew eventually it would fucking pay off. I 150 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 3: didn't care what. 151 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: I'll never forget standing on a driving arrangement with Tiki 152 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 1: Barber and I'd gotten turned down by every agent. I 153 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: finally got an age at once More gotsfriend. So this 154 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: is a ten eleven years in. He says, Hey, we 155 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: finally got your full time job. You could excel, he said, 156 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: with the fuck, He said, got your full time job 157 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: with CBS. They got football back. You're gonna be there, 158 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: nfil insider and said, I'll take it. He said, don't 159 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: you want how much it's for it, I said, I 160 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: don't give a fuck, because it validated when I said 161 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: years earlier, I'll be the last motherfucker in this locker room. 162 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 3: I'll do it. 163 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: Different validated me being different and people are afraid to 164 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: be different. 165 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 3: Different is good. Different leads to success. And by the way, 166 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 3: for fifty. 167 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: Grand, fifty is a lot more than nine thousand, four 168 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: unto and fifty bucks a year. 169 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 3: What was your kind of and that was my moment? 170 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 3: I sometimes get emotional talking about that. 171 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: What was your moment when you're like, man, I put 172 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: in so much work, it costs me so much. 173 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 3: Money, But oh man, this is real. I can exhale. 174 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 3: It's a real thing for me. 175 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: Well, I think it was when Sprint came along, which 176 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 2: is now defunct. It got gobbled up by T Mobile. 177 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 2: But in early two thousand and six there is no 178 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 2: more Sprint. I don't think there's any more Sprint. I 179 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: think it's Team Mobile. I kept Sprint as long as 180 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: I could. I kept Sprint fifteen years after our partnership ended, 181 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 2: because that's how loyal I am, even though we have 182 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 2: no financial relationship with them. In deference to the fact 183 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 2: that they were the thing that helped me understand that 184 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 2: this was going to become and I still didn't know 185 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 2: when or how. But it was early two thousand and six. 186 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 2: Wait wait, wait, real. 187 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 3: Quick, real quick. 188 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 1: Well, Prick, I was a Sprint spokesman and one of 189 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: the things that I wanted from them was a burner phone. 190 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: So the Patriots in the league, because I was convinced 191 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: they were tapping phones, wow, especially after Spygate. So I 192 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: got a burner phone and it went to some poor 193 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: lady in like Nebraska or. 194 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 3: Oklahoma or something. I got a burner phone from them. 195 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: It's part of my deal to be the Sprint just 196 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: in case they and people were people were definitely uh, 197 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: they had called her. There was They were definitely tapping 198 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: the phones or or at least found numbers and were 199 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: calling this poor lady. 200 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 3: But there's there was no way to get back to me. 201 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 3: But go ahead. I've never told that story before. Good. 202 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that sounds pretty good. There's a lot there. 203 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 2: Who was it that was calling How do you know 204 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 2: that it was? 205 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 3: We called the lady. We called the lady. 206 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, people call me constantly and yeah, so 207 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: people call trying to see. 208 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 2: So wait, who put the number out there that she 209 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 2: would even have it, How would they even know to 210 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 2: call her? 211 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 3: Great point, I don't know. 212 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 2: Interesting all right, Uh, the late Great Ornie was probably 213 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 2: involved in this at some level because he was involved 214 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 2: in everything. It just made me think, and that was 215 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: that's the kind of story you would hear from Mike 216 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 2: Hornstein who passed what eight nine weeks ago. Yeah, anyway, 217 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 2: go back to yours. Stry email comes out of the 218 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 2: blue from Ted Moon Guide Sprint, who was responsible for 219 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 2: doing the ad buying, invited me and my partner at 220 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 2: the time over to meet with him. 221 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 4: And I didn't think it's a waste of time. 222 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 2: They're not They're not gonna do anything. They don't. 223 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 4: Everyone had the meeting. 224 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 2: Nice guy, big Dolphins fan, big Michigan guy. Nice guy. 225 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:12,719 Speaker 2: It's like I remember telling my partner out in the 226 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 2: lot this this, they're not gonna do anything. It's you know, 227 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 2: it's fine. We came over and did it. Maybe it 228 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: gets us ready for a meeting someday that leads to something. 229 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 2: But they're not going to do anything. And then like 230 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 2: the next day, they wanted to make a major financial 231 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 2: investment have prominent placement. It created stress because we had 232 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 2: to have a certain amount of traffic every month to 233 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 2: hit so we would get all the money without some 234 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 2: of it being rebated back to them. But that was 235 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 2: the moment that I knew I was going to get 236 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 2: over the wall and escape the penitentiary that is practicing law, 237 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 2: and everybody who practices law, especially in litigation, where it 238 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 2: really can be nasty. Now, some people are just wired 239 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 2: to fight all the time and they love it. Others 240 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 2: don't like the fight, and it's stressful and it's hard, 241 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 2: and they can't to get out if they can find 242 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 2: a way out, and it pisses them off when they 243 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 2: see somebody else escape. But for the most part, I 244 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 2: think the attitude is run while you can because you 245 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 2: got out. And I knew at that moment, I'm going 246 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 2: to get out of this stressful mess that I'm in 247 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 2: at some point. I still didn't know when, but I 248 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 2: knew that that was the moment that I could start 249 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 2: putting even more time because one thing I was learning. 250 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 2: Once we started making a little money, I put more 251 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 2: time into PFT. We make a little more money, we 252 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 2: get a little more traffic. I'm more selective in the 253 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 2: cases I take on, so I spend less time practicing law, 254 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 2: and the Sprint deal was the moment the balance went 255 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 2: this way. It was going you know, slowly, slowly, and 256 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 2: then boom, and it just became a matter of time. 257 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 2: And it was three years before it was done, which 258 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 2: seems like a long time, but it's really like that 259 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 2: that NBC came along. But I knew something was going 260 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 2: to happen. Once we had real money from Sprint, I 261 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: could put more time into it. I could put more 262 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 2: sources into it and keep building it towards something that 263 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 2: it that it became so that that was the moment 264 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: that it's like shit, this gut feeling I carried around 265 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 2: for five years it finally happened. I waited, I waited, 266 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 2: I waited. I wasn't impatient about it. I just knew 267 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 2: it would happen. I didn't know when, how, where and how. 268 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 2: I'm glad I noticed the email. It was just a 269 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 2: random email that came through them. When I first looked 270 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 2: at it, it's like, you know, what is this a 271 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 2: like is it a phishing thing? What is this? So 272 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 2: it was the moment that everything changed. 273 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: So the other thing when I say, you know, be different, 274 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: I was very, very very strongly and sternly told by 275 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: the other reporters back then you do either you're either 276 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: a writer, or you do radio or you do TV. 277 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 3: We do not mix. And I said, you guys don't 278 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 3: decide how to put food on my table. 279 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 1: Make a fucking nine grand a year, right, And then 280 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: the Internet came out and I changed everything. That's man, 281 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you know, it was me, Len 282 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: Pasquarelli and more and a little bit of Clayton. Really 283 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: the first minute by minute breaking news guys. And if 284 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: we didn't have PFT, people probably wouldn't have known what 285 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: we're all breaking and how we were doing it. I 286 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: guess the question to you is, and again I took 287 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: some shit from it, and I really took some shit 288 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: from the older guys because then, like if something you look, 289 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: I broke that Joe Gibbs was suddenly hired to be 290 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: head coach of the of Washington, right, and there's a 291 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: reporter there watching the post. It was all pissed off 292 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: because he sent it in, but it was you know, 293 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: he had to wait till the next morning for his 294 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: newspaper to come out. And I broke into seven o'clock 295 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: that night and it was curious claim when he had 296 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: it first. I'm like, you didn't have first wee shit 297 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: don't come out till the next day. I had it 298 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: right then and there right. Tell me about the early 299 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: shit you took from guys and how it affected you, 300 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: and how you also kind of made a decision and go, 301 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,599 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna this is what I think is the 302 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: right thing to do, and I'm gonna keep, you know, 303 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: being strict to it. 304 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 2: Well, let me put a pin in that, because you 305 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,439 Speaker 2: made me remember something that was one of the epiphanies 306 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 2: I had along the way I got started, And I'll 307 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 2: keep this as brief as I can. I got started 308 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 2: because I discovered the website that was called NFL talk 309 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 2: dot com. Reading USA Today at lunch in April of 310 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 2: two thousand, there was an article in their sports section 311 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 2: about this website called NFL talk dot com that everybody 312 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 2: was reading and visiting. It's rumors, it's news, et cetera. 313 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 2: And I never ventured beyond the walls of whatever shit 314 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 2: was on that AOL disc that they would send that 315 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 2: DVD that you'd put in or whatever it was. And 316 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 2: you go to AOL, and I knew you could go 317 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 2: www dot whatever, and I just never did because I 318 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 2: would go onto the AOL site and I'd get NFL news. 319 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 2: You couldn't get that shit in your newspaper. I grew 320 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 2: up a Vikings fan. You never like I would. I 321 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 2: used to wait for Morts inside the huddle once a week, 322 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 2: twice a week, just to get a snit what's going 323 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 2: on in the NFL beyond the local team. So anyway, 324 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 2: and Will McDonough yeah, yeah, So I was there for 325 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 2: a while. They went out of business. This weird, crazy 326 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 2: story of how I ended up working for ESPN dot 327 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 2: com for six months. But while I was working there, 328 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 2: that's when, and they didn't know I was practicing lawful time. 329 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 2: It was like a weird sitcom premise. 330 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 3: I didn't know you worked at ESPN dot com. 331 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 2: I did for six months when I basically did like 332 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 2: a reduced version of what I do now every morning 333 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 2: five am to eight or nine am, and then I 334 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 2: go practice law the rest of the day. But that 335 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 2: was stressful, sleep deprived, et cetera. But what would happen 336 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 2: is Jay, I'd send in what I did, like, I'd 337 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 2: do three four stories, I'd do a link round up. 338 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 2: I'd send it in and it wouldn't show up for 339 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 2: three or four hours because it went through layers and 340 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 2: levels of approval. And it was frustrating because we were 341 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 2: trying to because I had cultivated some sources and we 342 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: were trying to break some news. It's like, you know, 343 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 2: like like what happened to the gout at the Washington 344 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 2: Post with the Gibbs story. 345 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 4: Somebody else is gonna have this before we do. 346 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 2: And that's when I realized, there's got to be a 347 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 2: way to do this where you can write the story 348 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 2: and you can get it out there without layers and levels. 349 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 2: And I had this. I still have the contract up 350 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 2: in my office, a one year contract that would have 351 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 2: extended with ESPN from November one of two thousand and 352 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 2: one October thirty one of two thousand and two for 353 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 2: thirty six thousand dollars for a year. And I said, 354 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 2: you know what, I just want to do this my 355 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 2: own way. And that was like, when we have to 356 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 2: listen to that little voice, even though that little voice 357 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: may be leading us down a path of frustration. 358 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 4: And misery and expenses and. 359 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 2: You might just end up at a door you don't like. 360 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 2: But I just knew that if there was a way 361 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 2: to be instantaneous. Write it, post it, eight years before 362 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 2: Twitter showed up. Write it, post it. No one has 363 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 2: to read it, and no one has to reprove it. 364 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 2: There's no delay. Write it, post it. And that's what 365 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 2: That was one of the things that caused me to say, 366 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 2: I'm just gonna do my own thing. Let me go 367 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: find a domain name. How about? And I started trying 368 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 2: different names because the site that I'd been with before 369 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 2: was NFL talk dot com. I tried ProFootball talk dot com. Hey, 370 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 2: this domain is available. All right, I got it, and 371 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 2: off we went. 372 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 3: Wow. 373 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: When was your moment where You're like, all right, I 374 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: am now a big boy, I am legitimized. 375 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 3: People have to read this now. 376 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: People now know I'm here to stay, and I'm not 377 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 1: some fly by night, you know, just a little flash 378 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: in the pan. 379 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 2: There were a lot of little things along the way, 380 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 2: and I had executives that I knew that would say 381 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 2: everybody is reading PFT in the business, and that's been 382 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 2: the case for twenty years. All I have to owners owners. 383 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 2: I had people say, hey, I go to the room 384 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:41,360 Speaker 2: in the owner's meeting and they'll got their laptops open, 385 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 2: they're all reading PFT. And one of the reasons the 386 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 2: league officer it is one of the reasons the League 387 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: office isn't very enamored with me is because I put 388 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,640 Speaker 2: stuff out there that the owners see and then they 389 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 2: call three forty five Park Avenue and give them shit 390 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 2: for whatever it is that I wrote about, and then 391 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 2: the ship flows downhill, as it always does, and I 392 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 2: up having it come my way. But it's a reminder 393 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,679 Speaker 2: that they still read everything I write. But the moment 394 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 2: that I think I knew we really had juice when 395 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 2: Nick Saban got hired by the Dolphins, and what happened 396 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 2: was Nick Saban was being a complete and total pain 397 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 2: in the ass to the people in the building. He 398 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:18,719 Speaker 2: was being a pain in the ass to the reporters, 399 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 2: and the reporters had a bunch of shit that they 400 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 2: knew that they weren't able to use, so they'd give 401 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 2: it to me. I'd polish it up, I'd go with it. 402 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 2: And it was driving Saban nuts. So so you know, 403 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 2: it's the old Michael Clayton line, George Clooney, I'm not 404 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 2: the guy you kill, I'm the guy you buy. Not 405 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 2: that I've sold my soul, but when you get a 406 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 2: phone call from Nick Saban trying to be nice to 407 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 2: you so you'll stop killing him, and the thing ends 408 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 2: up being a sit down, face to face interview that 409 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 2: fucking infuriated every member of the press corps covering the 410 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 2: Dolphins that this guy got an exclusive. I dropped to 411 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 2: Pittsburgh they had a three season game there two thousandand 412 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,639 Speaker 2: and five, and that that was the time. It's like, 413 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 2: you know, yeah, we are onto something here. This is 414 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 2: something that you know, we finagled this. It's the hottest 415 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 2: big name coming from college football to the NFL his 416 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 2: first preseason. That was a big deal. And that was 417 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 2: something that told me that you know, it's working. You're 418 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,440 Speaker 2: still not making much money, but it's working. Just keep going. 419 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 2: And frankly, the fact that the guy from Sprint was 420 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,400 Speaker 2: a Dolphins fan. Shit, I mean it's been eighteen years 421 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 2: and I've never made this connection. That probably had something 422 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 2: to do with him deciding let's put some Sprint money 423 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 2: in this place. Because this guy managed to get a 424 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 2: sit down interview, face to face with Nick Saban of 425 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 2: all people. 426 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: Wow, tell you know you talk before you started an attorney, 427 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: So what made you all of a sudden say you know, 428 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: I want to decide I'll be covering the NFL, of 429 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: all things, thinking you could do it, like there's a 430 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: million jobs out there. 431 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 3: Why this. 432 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 2: I've been a fan of the NFL since December twenty three, 433 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy two. In the Amats. 434 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 3: By the way, what law were you practicing? 435 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 2: I did several differ different things in the eighteen years 436 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 2: I practiced. I was an environmental litigator early with a 437 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 2: major firm in Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, jones Day Reversent Poke. 438 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 2: I don't know if they still go by that name. 439 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 2: They probably do. Maybe it's just jones Day. Now they're massive, 440 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 2: They're all over the world. It was tough, it was rough, 441 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 2: it was challenging, and I learned a lot. 442 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 3: A lot of environmental attorney. 443 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:20,719 Speaker 2: I did that for a while. I was like, you know, 444 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 2: learning the ropes. I was and it was getting me 445 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 2: real experience. See, at these big firms, what happens is 446 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 2: they pay a lot of money and they send you 447 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 2: to the library or they send you to the warehouse, 448 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 2: and you got to review documents. It's a bunch of 449 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 2: grunt work and you develop no skills. I stumbled into 450 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 2: a situation where I was able to go and attend 451 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,919 Speaker 2: shit and like go to depositions and learn how to 452 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 2: ask questions and understand how the sausage was made. So 453 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 2: I did that for a few years. Moved down here 454 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 2: to West Virginia. My wife is from here, worked for 455 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 2: a firm here and got into labor and employment work 456 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 2: from the employer side. And I never really liked it 457 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 2: because you didn't get to choose your case. The firm 458 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 2: has a bunch of clients and when they get sued, 459 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 2: they call us up, we need your help. Well, I 460 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 2: read the complaint. I don't like this case. I don't 461 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 2: want to handle this case. Tough shit, and you got 462 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 2: to handle the case because you got a mortgage to pay. 463 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 2: And so I had always had this nagging feeling I 464 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,640 Speaker 2: wanted to do it on my own, and March one 465 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 2: of two thousand, I started my own thing. And at 466 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 2: that point I was representing individuals who had been fired 467 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: because I learned the playbook working at the firm that 468 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,119 Speaker 2: represents the companies who do the firing and having to 469 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 2: try to make chicken salad out of their chicken shit 470 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 2: business decisions. Now I knew how to get inside improve 471 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,239 Speaker 2: when they because Those are the hardest cases. Those are 472 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 2: the hardest cases to prove because nobody ever admits to anything. 473 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 2: You have to show they're full of shit through circumstantial evidence, 474 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 2: aggressive questioning, common sense. 475 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 4: Because they never. 476 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,400 Speaker 2: Get up there and say, yeah, I fired that guy 477 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 2: because he's black, or yet we let that person go 478 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 2: because she's over. 479 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 4: The age of fifty. They're never going to admit it. 480 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 3: They're never so fascinating. This is faun I'm knowing you 481 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 3: for a long time. This is fast. I would thought 482 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 3: you were just the ugly guy in NBC. This is fascinating. 483 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: Thanks. 484 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 2: Now that's Chris Simms. But I tell you Jay's and 485 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 2: what would happen is because I would bust my ass. 486 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 2: Like there was one specific large retailer that I won't 487 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,439 Speaker 2: mention because I think they've sponsored PFT Live in the past, 488 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 2: but I would go after them all the time because 489 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 2: I knew they weren't doing things the way they should. 490 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 2: They didn't have the apparatus in place to properly comply 491 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 2: with the law, and they were running people off that 492 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,719 Speaker 2: were costing them too much money or whatever the thing retaliating. 493 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 4: Doing just bad business practices. 494 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 2: But I'd go after them and it was just me 495 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: by myself with my legal assistant, and I'd go after 496 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 2: them and they put like four freaking lawyers on a 497 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 2: case and it would be a constant fight, and I'd 498 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 2: have like twenty of those cases going on at any 499 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 2: one time. So it was a hell of a fight. 500 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 2: And it's so hard to prove because you know, the 501 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: lie isn't concocted on the witness stand. It becomes an 502 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 2: institutional lie. When they fire the person. They have a 503 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 2: story and they just stick to it. So by the 504 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 2: time you're committing perjury on the stand, you're well past 505 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,439 Speaker 2: the moral exercise. 506 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:13,160 Speaker 4: That you have to go through to tell a big lie. 507 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 2: The big lie is already part of your paycheck that 508 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 2: you've been getting for months before the case comes to trial. 509 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 4: So that was a tough, tough life. 510 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 2: And anyway, once I started my own farm, I had 511 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 2: time I and I'm trying to be as succinct as 512 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 2: I can. I found that NFL talk dot com website. 513 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 2: I got hooked on it, and in June of two thousand, 514 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 2: they put out a call for writers. So I threw 515 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 2: something together and sent it in and they hired me 516 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 2: for the salary. Envy inducing brag to your parents, show 517 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 2: it off to all the people out there that you 518 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 2: want to make jealous. Zero dollars and zero cents. So 519 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 2: that was it, and that was how I got into it. 520 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 2: And then once you got into it, and I enjoyed it, 521 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 2: and I've always loved the NFL, and I kept going 522 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 2: and I kept going, and I kept going. But you know, 523 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 2: I'd be spending a certain amount of time paying attention 524 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 2: to this shit anyway, and I probably would have found 525 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 2: a way into this business one way or the other 526 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 2: because I was so passionate about following the NFL and 527 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 2: enjoying the NFL throughout football season and beyond, because it 528 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 2: cooked up this industry that carried everyone through the off 529 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 2: season with free agency and the salary cap became a 530 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 2: twelve month year thing. So that's how it all happened. 531 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 2: But I had the time to do it because I 532 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 2: was early in my practice on my own, I didn't 533 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 2: have a whole lot of work to keep me occupied. 534 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 2: I could start down that path. Man twenty four years ago, 535 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 2: It's unreal. 536 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 3: What's the coolest? 537 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: I always try and to I'll say to how we 538 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: long shit all the time, Like like we've done things 539 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: like like we hosted the Emmys once the pre show 540 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: and we did the We're on the red carpet. It 541 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: was like we're less stop and then we threw it 542 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: inside to the hosts of the Emmys, like. 543 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 2: Oh what happened to the plane crash with the real 544 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 2: TV people on it? 545 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: So there we are, I say to how I said, Hey, man, 546 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: I know we're supposed to act like we've been there before, 547 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: but fuck that I haven't. The shit is cool, like 548 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: a fucking kid me, are we getting ducked to the 549 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:10,120 Speaker 1: TV Hall of Fame? 550 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 3: And man, that's the first time I've ever gotten award 551 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 3: without having to beat the shit out of somebody fo 552 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 3: to get my ass kicked, Like this shit is cool 553 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 3: And I always try and remember that every day. 554 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: What's kind of like your moment of like oh my god, 555 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,400 Speaker 1: like that, God, mom, how did I get here? 556 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 2: Well, see, you're gonna fucking make me emotional at some point. 557 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 2: I'm gonna fight it as best I can. But don't no, 558 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 2: but I mean I don't. I'm not in the mood 559 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 2: for it today. I'm too tired. I'm too tired. Have 560 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 2: to dry my face. But uh, Super Bowl forty nine Arizona. Now, look, 561 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 2: both my parents died before I ever stumbled into this business. 562 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 3: I got you, homie. 563 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 2: Anyway, if flake gated happened, the shit hit the fan, 564 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 2: biggest story in the world. Tom Brady with that goofy 565 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 2: ass press conference, Are you a cheater? I don't think 566 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 2: I am. Remember all that and Bill Belichick talking about 567 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 2: Mona Lisa vie to from my cousin Vinnie. 568 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 4: I mean, that was the biggest shit around. 569 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 2: So here I am standing outside the referees locker room 570 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 2: at Super Bowl forty nine because the referees locker room 571 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 2: was where the balls came from for deflate dates. So 572 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 2: that was the spot where I was going to be 573 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 2: doing my report, and I downloaded all the shit that 574 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 2: I was able to get, and I can't remember any 575 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 2: of the specifics, but I remember getting ready to go 576 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 2: on air and that was the moment. And fuck you 577 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 2: for doing that to me. 578 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:34,680 Speaker 1: That's pretty fucking cool, dude, That's really cool, right. That's like, man, 579 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 1: we signed up to cover sports. 580 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:38,159 Speaker 3: That's it. 581 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 1: It's escape, isn't There's nothing else, but it gives us 582 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: moments like these, man, and it gives us brotherhoods and 583 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 1: bombs like these. 584 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 3: It's fucking awesome. 585 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 1: Like, who would have thought when you and I were 586 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: getting our asses chipped all those years ago by every 587 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: one of our peers, then we'd be up here and 588 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: can have vulnerable ass moments like this. That just brings 589 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: us to a different level football. It brings us to. 590 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,640 Speaker 3: Something else and for me, fucking cool man, I'm proud 591 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 3: of you. 592 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 2: Also tied up in that moment was a shift from 593 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 2: I don't belong here to fucking I'm here, and it 594 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 2: kind of changed my outlook from that point forward. Instead 595 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 2: of feeling like they're going to figure me out, I'm 596 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 2: a fraud. I don't belong here. 597 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 3: You know. 598 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 2: You kind of morphed into a different character at that point. 599 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 2: And maybe it was the strength of my parents because 600 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 2: I was thinking about them in that moment, But anyway, 601 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 2: that was it. I love that asshole. 602 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 3: I love that. Hey. 603 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: Look, you know, people don't know the Mike and I 604 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 1: have a real, a true vulnerable relationship. 605 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,719 Speaker 3: We've into each other some shit over the years. 606 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: That that's what's great about football, man, You get these 607 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,479 Speaker 1: bonds that that I don't think fortune five hundred companies have, 608 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, I think it's different. I think football is 609 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: different than every other I think the bonds and football 610 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: are different. Look, you know our relationship with these coaches 611 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 1: and Rosie's seeing it now. 612 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 3: There's no other job where your job is on the 613 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 3: line every single day. 614 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: And then your kids read about it every freaking week, 615 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: you know, and your wife doesn't know if she's moving 616 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 1: every freaking week. So you get really, really really close. 617 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: You know, you may fuck up if you're the head 618 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: of sprint and nobody's reading about it every week. 619 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 3: Your kids aren't reading about it. It's fucking different. There's 620 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:24,880 Speaker 3: a different human side of football. 621 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:27,360 Speaker 2: Then, oh, you're right, you're right. Think of it. How 622 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 2: many jobs out there have wins and losses attached to 623 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 2: what you do? You have a final exam every week 624 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 2: with every men or a loss, and that's all that matters. 625 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 2: None of the other stuff matters. How it happened, what 626 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 2: the weather was. 627 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, all your all your kids, your kids and their 628 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: friends read about it and. 629 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 2: Agree weeks like you get like the bozo up in 630 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 2: Detroit who's in high school who docs Dan Campbell. So 631 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 2: the family's got to deal with that. 632 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's like it's it's unbelievable. There was 633 00:28:57,640 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 3: there was a there's a coach last. 634 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 4: Year, stupid kid being stupid kid. 635 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 2: But that's part of the territory that you wrote, and 636 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 2: it's what they sign up for. They know it. But 637 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 2: still that doesn't mean it makes. 638 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 3: It for this shit though. 639 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 1: Like there's a wife last year, somebody death threats to 640 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: her and her husband, and husband's like, go tell up, 641 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 1: let's tell her security. 642 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 3: In the FEDS that they did, and they raid the 643 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 3: guy's house. It was like some fifty year guy who 644 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 3: live with his mom, like, what are we doing here? 645 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 3: It's just different. 646 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: But as a result, all these relationships, Mike, like, including 647 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: yours of mine, right, we're all I do feel like 648 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: we're all part of the same team I talk about 649 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: for my mental health, I need a team. And that's 650 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: one of the things I used to get upset about 651 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: when people say, oh, glazers not objective. 652 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 3: He's friends with these guys. 653 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm friends with these guys because I need it 654 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: and they just never knew I needed it for between 655 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: my ears, I needed it. 656 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 3: So I want to throw myself off a bridge. You know. 657 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 3: I need this. I need these these bonds. 658 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: This team, team, team, team is everything. I still fight 659 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: because I need a team. I'm fifty four, get my 660 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: ass Kip wrest some fucking Max Crosby and third and James. 661 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: I have no business, but I need that team. I 662 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: still spart Randy Coutour. I need these teams. Football has 663 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: been the biggest life saving. 664 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 3: Team for me. I need it. 665 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: And we're all part of it, whether you're media or 666 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: on a coach or a player, or a producer or 667 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: a ball but whatever it is, we're all part of it. 668 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 3: I think we're all in it together. We've all gotten 669 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 3: our dreams have come true more than we ever dreamed 670 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 3: they could have. 671 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 2: And let me tell you, I've got a twist on that. 672 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 2: And I do things differently than you do. You've got 673 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 2: your platform on Fox and you bring it and you 674 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 2: do it on Sundays and you break news the rest 675 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 2: of the time. But that's your big moment every Sunday morning, afternoon, 676 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 2: whatever it is, it's morning. 677 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 3: A different than everything else. 678 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 2: Yep, right. And as you told me years ago, the 679 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 2: only true journalism in this space is finding out stuff 680 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 2: that we're not supposed to know, like your stuff from 681 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 2: Mercedes Lewis. I don't know how the hell you got 682 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 2: him on the record to tell you that he and 683 00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 2: Cole Commet and Caleb Williams. 684 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 4: I trained the motherfucker for seven years, right, so he 685 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 4: trusts you with it. 686 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 2: He trusts you with it. 687 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: That were trade of Brandon Ayuk to the Steelers, right right? 688 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 3: No one knows. 689 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 2: Nobody knows that. 690 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:12,240 Speaker 3: And I'm trying to do. 691 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, the people who are in the 692 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 2: news breaking business get mad me when I say this business. 693 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 3: I love when you say let's go ahead. 694 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 2: But what value is there in a tweet five minutes 695 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 2: before the team announces the move anyway? 696 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 4: And people get so impressed with that. 697 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 2: It's like, look, the guy's got a mechanism in place, 698 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 2: he's done a quid pro quo with the team, and 699 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 2: so and here's the moment. And I can't name the 700 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 2: general manager, even though it wasn't off the record. I 701 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 2: don't want to burn the guy. But six seven years ago, 702 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 2: there was some story that I kept harping on that 703 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 2: I kept pointing at, and I kept writing about it, 704 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 2: and I kept needling the team about this situation that 705 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 2: it emerged. The GM calls me up and he says, hey, 706 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 2: can you stop with that thing you keep writing about. 707 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 4: If you do, I'll give you. 708 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 2: Our next big story. And I said, whoa, whoa, thank 709 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 2: you for confirming everything I believe about. 710 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 4: How this business gets done. 711 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: No thank you, No thank you because you ask nicely 712 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 2: and because I'm kind of getting bored with the story anyway, 713 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 2: I'll leave it alone. 714 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 4: I don't want anything in return. 715 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 2: And you know you talk about having friends in the 716 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 2: business for me because I criticize and I say what 717 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 2: needs to be said, and I'll always be that way 718 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 2: no matter what relationships I have. I can only be 719 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 2: friends with people who can take it right. And I 720 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 2: have people I appreciate that and they take it. When 721 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 2: I have to do it, they take it. And those 722 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:57,280 Speaker 2: are the people you can Those are the people who 723 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 2: aren't using you. When you're in a position like I am, 724 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 2: we're gonna shine a light where a light needs to 725 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 2: be shown. The ones who can take it are the 726 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 2: ones you can be friends with the ones who can't. 727 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 2: And I can give you the name of an owner, owner, 728 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 2: a prominent team in the NFC. 729 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 4: You just hear from them all the time. Talk to 730 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 4: him all the time, reported the story. 731 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 2: He didn't like. I've heard from him once in eleven years, 732 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 2: and it was when he wanted to call me up 733 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 2: and mother fucked me for fifteen minutes about some stupid 734 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 2: little thing that showed up on PFT. That's it. Yep, 735 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 2: you're not my friend. If you can't take it when 736 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 2: I need to do my job, then why are you 737 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 2: my Why? 738 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 4: How can you even begin to want to be. 739 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 2: My friend If you don't understand how I do the job. 740 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:40,240 Speaker 2: You're just trying to manipulate. 741 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: So I would tell my guys to like, I've written 742 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: stories on my friends who've gotten popped for steroids, and 743 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: I was like, hey, guys, you'd rather have me do 744 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: it to someone else? And they're like, you know what, 745 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: we appreciate it, glazier excess. I'm not gonna take shots 746 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,479 Speaker 1: to you. I'm just gonna write the facts. 747 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not gonna throw my peg. 748 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna write the facts for who would you rather have? Yeah, 749 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: you write glaze. It's gonna suck. It sucks, it comes out, 750 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: but it's gonna come out anyway. Might as well have 751 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: come out through you, right instead of No, don't put 752 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: that out. You're my friend, No brag, I got you. 753 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: I have to you know, those are those situations, Hey, 754 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: tell me about your your book that you just came out. 755 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:19,439 Speaker 4: Well, I've got and this is twenty four years later. 756 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 2: This feels like where I was when I started PFT, 757 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:29,280 Speaker 2: where I've found something that is my it's my balance 758 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,280 Speaker 2: from what I do all day long. And think about 759 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 2: the way I've run PFT over the years. You've been 760 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 2: coming to the site for a long time, probably since 761 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 2: the beginning or close to it. I did the math 762 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:43,280 Speaker 2: at one point last year, and I have to adjust 763 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 2: it because another year has gone by. I've probably written 764 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 2: since November one of two thousand and one. Forgetting about 765 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 2: the stuff I did before I started PFT. Just from 766 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 2: then forward, twenty two to twenty three million works, okay, 767 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 2: And it happens in the course of every day. I 768 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:06,360 Speaker 2: write stuff Today, people read it or they don't. By tomorrow, 769 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:08,279 Speaker 2: you know what it's worth. It ain't worth shit. You 770 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,600 Speaker 2: got to do it again, and then by the next 771 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,319 Speaker 2: day you got to do it again. And everything you've written, 772 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:15,879 Speaker 2: no matter how good it is, gets forgotten because all 773 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 2: that matters is what you've written today. 774 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 4: So during the pandemic, when we were all isolated. 775 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 2: And the world was different and there was so much 776 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 2: stuff to worry about, how many people are gonna die, 777 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 2: You're gonna keep your family safe. What happens if your 778 00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 2: father in law, your mother in law get it. What 779 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 2: happens if your family member with diabetes gets it? Like 780 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:38,160 Speaker 2: life was crazy, football kept going. But once we got 781 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 2: through the draft, I wasn't as busy. We weren't having 782 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 2: people over. And that's when I just decided, you know what, 783 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 2: I had a weird dream one night, and when I 784 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 2: woke up the next day, It's like, Hey, that would 785 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,920 Speaker 2: be a decent story. I'm just gonna sit down and 786 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 2: start writing. And I realized early on that, man, it's 787 00:35:58,360 --> 00:35:59,959 Speaker 2: powerful to write. 788 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 4: It's something that isn't irrelevant tomorrow. Now. 789 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 2: It may not be about all that relevant when you 790 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 2: write it because it's just fiction. It's made up, but 791 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 2: it doesn't completely lose all of its value in a day. 792 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 2: And I've learned over the years I can write really fast. 793 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 2: I never have writer's block. When I steal an hour 794 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 2: to work on a book, I can crank out two 795 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:26,799 Speaker 2: thousand to twenty five hundred words in an hour, and 796 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 2: then I'll know I'll rewrite and edit and clean it 797 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 2: all up. But when the words flow, they flow. So 798 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 2: what happened was I had to deal with his shit 799 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:38,799 Speaker 2: to do Playmakers, which wasn't a novel. It was like 800 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:40,879 Speaker 2: one hundred plus essays of just all the shit I've 801 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:42,759 Speaker 2: learned over the last twenty years in the NFL, and 802 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 2: that wasn't as much fun because it was the same 803 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,720 Speaker 2: as what I do every day. But man, I tapped 804 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 2: into this capacity that I didn't know I had, that 805 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have had if I hadn't been doing PFT 806 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 2: all these years, to crank out a lot of content. 807 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 2: And even though I've written and it's quality content, I 808 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 2: think that's the thing people are having a hard time accepting, 809 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 2: because you get known for one thing and that's all 810 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 2: you're ever known for, and that's all you can do. 811 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:13,840 Speaker 2: It's like the skills that brought me here are somewhat transferable, 812 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:16,319 Speaker 2: the things that I figured out how to do, how 813 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,399 Speaker 2: to communicate, how to communicate in a compelling way, how 814 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,080 Speaker 2: to observe and translate the things that we see into 815 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 2: words that can connote those emotions and thoughts and ideas. 816 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 4: So anyway, long story bearable. 817 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 2: The first one was father of mine, and this is 818 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 2: inspired by true events in the town I grow up 819 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,360 Speaker 2: in because my dad was a bookie tied to the 820 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:39,880 Speaker 2: mob there. So I know a lot of things that 821 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 2: I saw when I was a kid. I was nine 822 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 2: ten years old when I first kind of figured out 823 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,799 Speaker 2: what was going on. Kept my eyes open, my ears open, 824 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 2: and my mouth shut. And none of what happened in 825 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 2: here is true. There's some things that they actually did 826 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 2: that I became aware of later that inspire some of 827 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 2: the crimes that are committed. So that was the first 828 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 2: one that one's been out for about a year and 829 00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 2: a half and it's actually still doing pretty well. Got 830 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 2: a great review from Kirkus, which is like the like 831 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:11,240 Speaker 2: the industry leader in giving tough reviews and calling something 832 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 2: shit when it's shit. They very much like this. The 833 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,839 Speaker 2: sequel out recently, Son of Mine, picks up exactly where 834 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 2: Father of Mine left off, or it's a standalone. You 835 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:24,919 Speaker 2: don't need to read Father of Mine. It'll spoil Father 836 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 2: of Mine on page one. But it's a very compelling 837 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 2: story in its own right. And then since we're on 838 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 2: the topic for the holiday season, which is launching November one, 839 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,080 Speaker 2: this may be the best thing. I hope this isn't 840 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 2: the best thing I ever write, because I hope I 841 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 2: have something else send me. I'm gonna get your reflection 842 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 2: in the book. But on Our Way Home is a 843 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 2: and Jay, I. 844 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:46,880 Speaker 3: Mine is not a rob yet, you fuck, but that 845 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:49,280 Speaker 3: is not a rob yet? You know it's something called FedEx. 846 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,839 Speaker 2: Well that's all right. I'm too cheap for it. When 847 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 2: you send books. One thing you can do is you 848 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,959 Speaker 2: can send it media mail, which makes it really cheap 849 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 2: to send books. And I'm really cheap. So it'll show 850 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 2: up by Christmas that you father of mine, I need 851 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 2: to send you On our Way Home. 852 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 5: It is a holiday ghost story that I think you 853 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:12,160 Speaker 5: will love if you can ever muster the discipline to 854 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 5: sit down and read, which I don't think you can 855 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 5: do this. 856 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 2: Thanks it is but but but you know. 857 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 3: What I try now, I can read it. 858 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 2: Listen, I do. I'm the same way. One of the 859 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 2: things one of the reasons I don't like reading, Jay, 860 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 2: I don't want to sit there and just like God, 861 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 2: is this chapter ever going to end? 862 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:31,719 Speaker 4: So I just write short chapters. 863 00:39:32,239 --> 00:39:35,760 Speaker 2: Like when I got into PFT, I decided to create 864 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 2: the destination there where I would want to spend my time. 865 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:42,240 Speaker 2: When I started writing books, I decided to write books 866 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,760 Speaker 2: I would want to read. If you're going to provide 867 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:50,480 Speaker 2: any service, you're the ultimate customer of yourself. Give people 868 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 2: something you would want, and unless your tastes are completely 869 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 2: fucked up, you're onto something if you fashion what you 870 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:01,799 Speaker 2: provide based on what you would want. 871 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:04,280 Speaker 4: I don't want long chapters. I don't want. 872 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:07,000 Speaker 2: Books that go into all this nuance about what the 873 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:09,319 Speaker 2: room looked like and how many rocks were across, you know, 874 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:11,840 Speaker 2: and all this dumb shit that doesn't advance the story. 875 00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 2: Let's get to it. We're in an impatient society, and 876 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 2: I always tell people just give it a try. If 877 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 2: you lose interest, it's my fall. All I wanting to 878 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 2: do is start, Just start Jay, when father of mine 879 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:27,760 Speaker 2: shows up, just start. If you lose interest, I've failed 880 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:30,800 Speaker 2: as to you, succeeded as to others, but I've failed 881 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 2: as to you. It's on me to make sure everybody 882 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 2: finds it accessible, enjoyable, and just keeps flipping page after 883 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:38,920 Speaker 2: page after page. And there's a great feeling getting caught 884 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:40,560 Speaker 2: up in a good book. I love having that. I 885 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 2: love having and I've read a lot on my phone. 886 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 2: I love having that to look forward to when I 887 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,080 Speaker 2: have a quiet moment. You know, at night, or if 888 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:49,560 Speaker 2: I'm standing in the line at the grocery store or 889 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,439 Speaker 2: waiting to get on a plane. You look forward today. 890 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:53,279 Speaker 2: Give you something in life. 891 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:54,359 Speaker 4: You know, we all need things to. 892 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 2: Look forward to to carry us through our existence. It's 893 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:00,600 Speaker 2: part of the mental health balance. We look for little 894 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:02,320 Speaker 2: things to look forward to. We have big things to 895 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:04,040 Speaker 2: look forward to. We need little things to look forward to. 896 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 2: When am I going to get a few minutes to 897 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:06,880 Speaker 2: get back and read that book? When am I going 898 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:08,400 Speaker 2: to get a few minutes to watch that show I 899 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 2: really like? And that's how I justify our role in 900 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,360 Speaker 2: all of this, whether it's through. 901 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:15,000 Speaker 4: Football, fiction or whatever. We give people the. 902 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,360 Speaker 2: Little things they can look forward to in life that 903 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 2: balance out the shit that we all have to deal with. 904 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,239 Speaker 1: Promise you, when that book finally arrives in twenty twenty six, 905 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:24,080 Speaker 1: I will read it. 906 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:27,759 Speaker 2: Okay, good Now, Before me, I do have to say, 907 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:29,799 Speaker 2: I will send you on our way home, though, because I. 908 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 4: Think it's perfect holiday seasons. 909 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:34,040 Speaker 2: Coming up, and I think you'll like it. 910 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 1: I appreciate you, man, You are the best dude. Hey, 911 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 1: you know, I know this about told you that I'm 912 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,640 Speaker 1: proud of you. Man, Like starting something out of nothing 913 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 1: and just knowing. 914 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 3: Hey, I'm going to commit to this because I know 915 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:47,520 Speaker 3: I got something. 916 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:51,360 Speaker 1: Takes a lot of courage because most people they just 917 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:52,839 Speaker 1: want to be a face in the crowd. I always 918 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 1: tell people be the crowd, be your own damn crowd. 919 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:57,560 Speaker 1: I'm proud of you for starting your own damn crowd 920 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,719 Speaker 1: and U man, it's been great and prod to call 921 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:01,160 Speaker 1: you brother. 922 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 2: Well. I appreciate it, and you've been a great part 923 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 2: of what we've managed to accomplish over the last twenty 924 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:09,319 Speaker 2: three years. There aren't many other names that would join 925 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:12,080 Speaker 2: the list of people who have actually been truly friends 926 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:15,719 Speaker 2: and truly out for my best interests, not out for 927 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 2: how can I make this guy help me with my 928 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 2: own best interest. You're one of one in that regard 929 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:22,080 Speaker 2: and I always appreciate you for that. 930 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,400 Speaker 3: Thank you, brother, Mike Florio PFG, love you body. 931 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:26,240 Speaker 2: Thank you, buddy.