1 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Favorites, the podcast from the Action Networking Today, 2 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: a very special NFL combine betting episode with a superstar guest. 3 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: Let's get right to it. Let's get to the main thing. 4 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: The main thing to as the weight. We got a 5 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: live one knock it out Alvin Kamara. I didn't know 6 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: much about it and I put his tape in and 7 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: I almost fell over. Okay, here's Barkley Pound Vertical twenty 8 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: nine on the bench breast. That's a creative player on 9 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: Matt Wow. I mean that is just nutty. No webs 10 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: a new record older it is John Ross. I saw 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: two or three scouts look at their stop watch and 12 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: show other scouts as if, hey, did you get that? 13 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: Am I reading this right? You know, many many years ago, 14 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: when I first got out of college, my first job 15 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: was as a fact checker at Sports Illustrated. My assignment 16 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: was to fact check everything Peter King, the legendary NFL writer, 17 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 1: wrote for the magazine. And over the course of the 18 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: first couple of years I was working at Sports Illustrated, 19 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: Peter and I became close and he would send me 20 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: out on assignments, and one year he was unable to 21 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: go to the NFL Combine, And at this time, the 22 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: Combine was not a promptime event televised over multiple days 23 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: by the NFL network. It was a rinky dink operation 24 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: run out of the Holiday Inn in Indianapolis where they 25 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: bring players out and you could maybe talked to him 26 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: for ten minutes and there were maybe thirty people covering it. 27 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: But Peter would go over a year. It's how he 28 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: became so good at what he's done. And he couldn't 29 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: go one year. So he told me, you got to 30 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,919 Speaker 1: go to the NFL Combine. You're gonna talk to agents, 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: You're gonna talk to players, are gonna get as much 32 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: as you can. You're gonna tell me everything you hear. 33 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: You're gonna go to St. Almo Steakhouse, You're gonna sit 34 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: at the bar, you're gonna cozy up the GMS. They're 35 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: gonna whisper sweet nothings in your ear, and it's gonna 36 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: be the greatest thing you've ever experienced. And I gotta 37 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: tell you, he was totally, incompletely right. And since then, 38 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: the NFL Combine has become everything I said it was. 39 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: It is an NFL prime time extravaganza and more than 40 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: anybody else over the past thirty five years, there is 41 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: one person who is more responsible for turning the NFL 42 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: draft into something that people care about. It has become 43 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: something that five people are showing up in Nashville to 44 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: see live. It is something that people are betting on 45 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: the NFL Combine. There is one man who had the 46 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: foresight to see this can be content that people are 47 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: interested all year round. He is my guest today from 48 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:52,519 Speaker 1: ESPN legendary draft analyst, Mr mel Kuyper Jr. And tell 49 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: me about your experiences with the combine in the early days. 50 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: Never went, Never went to the combine chat, which would 51 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: shock a lot of people because you couldn't get in. 52 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: And there was no way I was gonna waste my 53 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: time being at an event where you couldn't get in 54 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: because there's too many juniors to evaluate, and I was 55 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: back home. I'd get all the numbers and all the 56 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: official measurements and three tones and broad jumps and verticals 57 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: and ten yards splits and everything. You get all those numbers, 58 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: So why be there if you can't get in to 59 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: even see the event? So I stayed here and evaluated 60 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: all the juniors. Got a head start on that and 61 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: was really ahead of the game, and I'd get the 62 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 1: print out and be moved forward with it. So last 63 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: year we were at the combine. This year will be 64 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: there again. But up until then, chet, I had never 65 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: attended a combine in my life, going back when I 66 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: started this thing in ninety eight. By the way, that 67 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: is such a great lesson for people because it tells you, 68 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: tells every It tells people everything they need to know 69 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: about how to approach content, how to approach something you love, 70 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: and that you don't have to be on the scene 71 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: if you think you can find an advantage of doing 72 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: it differently. You just said you got into this in 73 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy eight. Why did you even decide to start 74 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: doing it in well? As I finished, you know, high school, 75 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: I was doing all the things that the kids do 76 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: back in those days, but unlike a lot of high 77 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: school kids, I was sending reports to the NFL, and 78 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: I was giving my reports to Ernie of Coursie was 79 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: the gym of the Baltimore Colts and had worked in 80 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: the Cold organization, so I was able to do that. 81 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: Got a head start on everything. Thought there would be 82 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: a market for this type of thing because there was 83 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: no way to improve your football team chat from year 84 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: to year, and the only way there was hardly any trades. 85 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: There was no free agency. If your team was going 86 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: to improve from seventy nine or Night one, the only 87 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: way was via the NFL draft. There was no other 88 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: way to do it. So you knew how critical this was. 89 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: Was twelve rounds, it was seventeen rounds and it became 90 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: twelve rounds. Think about that. So people who were home 91 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: didn't have a chance to know anything about these players, 92 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: couldn't see any of these players. Very few games were televised. 93 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: So if you could provide this type of information to 94 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: the college fans, the NFL fans, then I thought there 95 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: could be a business here, a good opportunity. Ernie encouraged 96 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: me to do it. I had the support of my family. 97 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: My father helped me immensely get the business started. Yet 98 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: all the business acumen, I had the football acumen. So 99 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: we put it all together and we got it going. 100 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: And like I said, Ernie was want to encourage me 101 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: to make an available to public. Said the public craves 102 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: this type of information. So through Ernie is a push 103 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: and his support. What I said, the sport of my 104 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: family I was able to come to fruition in ninety 105 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,239 Speaker 1: one when we've made it public and we started putting 106 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: out the draft reports and setting them out to everybody, 107 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: and it grew from there. In the eight three eighty 108 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: four is when I started with the ESPN. But why 109 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: was Ernie of Coursie, who was a legendary GM and 110 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: then went on to do the GM of the Giants 111 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: and helped build what eventually be kidding those Super Bowl teams. 112 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 1: Why was he even listening to you, like some high 113 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: school punk like in Baltimore who left the dast well. 114 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: I think, you know, the information has to be something 115 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: that he feels is something that shows that you took 116 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: time to do it. You obviously looked at the players, 117 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: you studied the players. You had information he felt was 118 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,119 Speaker 1: something that could be important to him, and he offered 119 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 1: me a job with the Baltimore Colts. It led to 120 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: before I started the ESPN. It's a crazy story how 121 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: this all went in the timetable of a Chad because 122 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: it all tied into the Baltimore Colts moving to in in 123 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: the Annapolis. Ernie was the GM. He called me in 124 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: ninety three, said this was in like February of eight three, 125 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: said I'd like you to come to work for me 126 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: the Baltimore Colts, you know, got approved by the NFL. 127 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: Ready to go, He said, well, i'll announce you in 128 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: late July when camp open. Just go through the draft, 129 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: do what you're doing, go down the convention center and 130 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: do your thing with the Bottomware Colts a sponsor of 131 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: the thing at the convention Center with Bob Leffler, and 132 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 1: he said, just go down there and talk to the 133 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: fans and promote your books and do what you do. 134 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: So I did that, went through and then were remember 135 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: John Elway was traded without Ernie's knowledge. There was talk 136 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: to the team possibly moving. And he called me that 137 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: June and said, I'm not cannot bring you in with 138 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: the circumstances the way they are. Just continue doing what 139 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: you're doing. No harm, no found, nobody even knew you 140 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: were even gonna be coming to work for the Cults. 141 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: I may be leaving soon. And six months later I 142 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: got a call from the ESPN. The company interviewed for 143 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: the job and started with the ESPN that draft in 144 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: nine four. So I had Ernie not cared enough to 145 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: say don't come here, and I had gone there I 146 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 1: had never had the ESPN job, I wouldn't have been 147 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: in the NFL much longer because the Coults ended up 148 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: moving and things change. And if you're not that guy's person, 149 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: like Ernie was the one that Brewed have brought me in, 150 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: then I'd probably would have been out doing something else 151 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: right now, and the history of draft coverage would be 152 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: entirely different, no joke, you know. I I think somebody 153 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: else would have stepped into that role, And that was 154 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: when Bud Wilkinson retired with the legendary coach. I feeled 155 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: that position that somebody else would have jumped in there 156 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: to give those with an opportunity to know these players. 157 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: So when they were drafted, they had an idea of 158 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: what was who you know, who could play, who couldn't, 159 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: whether they could help their team, whether they were steels, 160 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: where they were reaches. All those things were not known 161 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: because people couldn't see these players. Though I had any 162 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: idea around a country about who some of these players weren't, 163 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: what they could or couldn't do. Remember, you weren't getting 164 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: one to two James on television every Saturday in those days, Chad. 165 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: But this way when I needed to stat when a 166 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: player I had to call that school. I got to 167 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: know all the sports information directors, the football contacts very well. 168 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: I spent three to five hours a day just calling 169 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: schools just to get basic statistical information. That that was 170 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: the only way you could get it. But that allowed 171 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: me to get relationships going get to know these people, 172 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: that a lot of them. I still talk to you today. 173 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: If you can believe that, your long distance bill must 174 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: have been massive, like a phone book. But hey, that 175 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: was what we had to do. By the way, the 176 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: way you describe having to call around sports information directors 177 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: to get stats, that's what old school gamblers used to do. 178 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: Like I know so many guys, honestly, you know, they 179 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: would raid around the airport to see when travelers came 180 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: into Vegas early in the morning from East coast cities, 181 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: and they discard their newspapers to see what the box 182 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: scorers were saying, and they would call, Like I know 183 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: a guy who used to call the scores table to 184 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: get lineups in real time before the game started so 185 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: he could know how to make That's like all that 186 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 1: old school investigative shoe leather. That's exactly what gamblers used 187 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: to do. You did things. Then, in a way, chad 188 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: word allows you to find out things that I wouldn't 189 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: say people get lazy because of technology. But I just 190 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: think when you're talking to somebody on the phone, I 191 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: might have been calling about a basic stat that I 192 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: needed and all of a sudden something would come to 193 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 1: light that I didn't even know. Well, also, I'll remember 194 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: this player might have this. He might have last month 195 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: his numbers weren't that good, but he was bothered by 196 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: his high ankle spring, or he had a little bit 197 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: of a shoulder, or he did this, or he was 198 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: battling the flu, or you think that you would have 199 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: never known. So those phone calls, while they were tedious 200 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: and they were sometimes called, I didn't necessarily feel like 201 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: making one a daily basis you had to make, and 202 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: it really helped you get to know a lot about 203 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: these players. You know what I've always loved about you, 204 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 1: mal Is. And I don't say this to like stroke 205 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: your ego, but I remember when McShay was coming up 206 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: and he was writing for ESPN, the magazine I was 207 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: editing Mick Shay, and slowly he started to appear on 208 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: television more and more. It was getting harder and harder 209 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 1: to get him in the magazine. I used to call 210 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: the TV Todd because he'd call up the magazine and 211 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: be like, I got a story for you, and like, oh, 212 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: look who it is. It's TV Todd wag and in 213 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: with something to do, And like, in all these years, 214 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: you have never once acted competitively with him, And like 215 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: you owned this space and could have gone out there 216 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: and just tried to take this guy's knees out. Instead, 217 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: he's become like an important partner to you in this 218 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,079 Speaker 1: whole thing. Were you ever concerned that this guy is 219 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: gonna come in and take your job? Well, first of all, 220 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: you applaud anybody that works hard at what they do, 221 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 1: and he did, and you want people like that's the basic. 222 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:09,959 Speaker 1: Anything you can do to help people like that or 223 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: give them any encouragement or any advice, now something, just 224 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: don't continue on with it. There's side there's some kids 225 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: I thought would be able to move on and continue, 226 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: but you know, things happen in the life of lives 227 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: change and they get a job and gotta pay your dues. 228 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: And when I started out, we were losing money. We 229 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: lost money for the first four years in this business. Okay, 230 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: in terms of putting out draft reports. My father lost money. 231 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: We did ever knew if we make a dollar, but 232 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: you keep going. I always tell kids three words should 233 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: be on your chest. Pay your dues. When I started 234 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: the ESPN, I made four hundred dollars for the whole year, 235 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: four hundred dollars. But don't give up one any of 236 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: this stuff. If you think you have something that's gonna 237 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: be a positive and it's gonna work, you keep in 238 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: with Todd. In terms of myself, I always wanted somebody 239 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: to give me a different opinion. If you disagree, tell me. 240 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: All those years I was on there and it was okay, 241 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: hyper's the last word whatever. I didn't want that. I 242 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: just wanted somebody else that to take a different approach 243 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: and have a different viewpoint. And Todd came in. He's 244 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: a lot younger, all fired up about what his opinions, 245 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: and he brought it. He brought the enthusiasm, he brought 246 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 1: the knowledge, and I encouraged that and we became very 247 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: good friends. Like doing I can to help him, and 248 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: I have a long the way I've ends up been 249 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: pushing and pushing for Todd to keep moving up and 250 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: be there on the desk with me, on the set 251 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: with me, and uh, he's done a great job. Daaniel 252 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: Jeremiah is a good friend. Mike Mayock was a good 253 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: friend or is a good friend out he's with the team. 254 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: Now you don't say he was. He's out the NFL 255 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: network anymore. But Mike is gonna be a lifelong friend. 256 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,199 Speaker 1: I was ripped and criticized for even doing this. Every 257 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,199 Speaker 1: article was written was why is this idiot from Baltimore 258 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: putting this stuff out? Who cares about anything? He says? 259 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: Are rights? And some of these guys that wrote these 260 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: articles are good friends of mine now. So that's the 261 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: way it was back in those days. And I noticed 262 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: in the nineties things started to change. Everybody's be a 263 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: little more positive. And I kept saying, what's going on here? 264 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: And he just noticed the tide turn, because guess what, 265 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: when everybody was now interested, all the critics had to 266 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: shut up. Howet everybody's loving the draft and loving everything 267 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: about and everybody's participating that even the naysayers had an 268 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: out buy in. That attitude of people is a little 269 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: bit like the difference between doing Gambly coverage in two 270 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:11,839 Speaker 1: thousand ten and doing Gambly coverage in two ex I 271 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: want to get out of the next segment. I'm gonna 272 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: want to talk about betting on the NFL combine. Before 273 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: we get to that, Michael Calla Bracy, one of our contributors, 274 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: is going to share a heartwarming story about a funeral, 275 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: a bar, a million dollar bet, and a thirteen year old. 276 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: So I go to a funeral with my father and 277 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: I'm thirteen years old, and afterwards we end up at 278 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: the bar. Let me sit at the bar. Everyone's smoking 279 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: inside of the bar. On the TV. St John's is 280 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: making a run there in the Elite eight led by 281 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: ron Or Test coached by Mike Jarvis, as well as 282 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: a Temple team coach by John Cheney. So that just 283 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: sets the stage for how long ago this was. On 284 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: top of this, not only is our party from the 285 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: funeral there, but also there's another group that just finished 286 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: a week and there's a gentleman at the end of 287 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,319 Speaker 1: the bar and he looks and credibly distraught. So I 288 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: kind of whispered my father, you know, did he lose 289 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: his wife? You know, was you know what happened? And 290 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: the bardsender, you know, very Long Island ask kind of 291 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: nonchalantly goes by, Oh no, he's he's fine. He just 292 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,959 Speaker 1: has Gonzaga in his final four entry. So I get 293 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: read in on this situation. And there was a ten 294 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: dollar pool run out of a little bar in Staten Island, 295 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: and you only picked the final four teams, the champion, 296 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: and the total score of the championship game. The special 297 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: thing about this was they had such an incredible volume 298 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: that if you won, you were set to walk away 299 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: with over a million dollars in cash. Two years previous 300 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: they hit a record one point five million cash money. 301 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: So this guy, you know, he's we're being told if 302 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,599 Speaker 1: Gonzaga wins, he will have all final four teams. It 303 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: won't even matter who wins the championship game. He's already 304 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: got locked up. So this poor zone of a bitch 305 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: is pacing back and forth. He looks like Jerry Tarkanian. 306 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: He's got the towel in his mouth, he's rubbing his eyes. He's, 307 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: you know, living and dying with every possession. Final minute. 308 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: It's sixty three sixty two, Yukon, they foul collit. El 309 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,839 Speaker 1: Amine goes the line, hit both all shots and Gonzaga's 310 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: got the ball, chance to tie it up. Matt Santangelo, 311 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 1: who had an incredible run right up there on the 312 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: level of Wally Zerbiac in that tournament. He misses a 313 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: leaner with ten seconds ago, they tap it out, Ukon 314 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: gets fouled. They went buy five, but very quickly the 315 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: conversation goes, well, you know that that's a real shame. 316 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: But like, how much did he hedge? Of course, see 317 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: how to hedge this. He had zero dollars on a 318 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: ten dollar bet to win one point five in cash. 319 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: He didn't hetge, So the lesson was learned. It's been 320 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: baked into me. My closest friends and family know me 321 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: as Mikey hedges. You don't go through a passion play 322 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: like that and not come out at it with a 323 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: learned lesson. Always heads you pour soun of a bitch, Michael, 324 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: thank you for that very tender moment. Okay, let's move 325 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: on to the next thing. The next thing, all right, 326 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: I want to bring in Matthew Freedman, who's our own 327 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: NFL draft expert. He's been dispensing expert advice about fantasy 328 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: and rookies for the Action Network for the past couple 329 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: of years. Now, I'm going to make a very inside 330 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: reference here from our ESPN days. Think of him as 331 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: our very own Chris s brow your ESPN editor, your 332 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: first draft podcast co host. He knows everything there is 333 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: to know. Freedman, say hello to Mel, one of your idols. 334 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: It is awesome to be on the show, and Mel, 335 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: I assure you you have no need to feel intimidated 336 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 1: by me, matt And he mentioned of Chris Sprowl that 337 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: you should be as a compliment, a huge compliment, Matthew. 338 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: So I've heard a lot. I know a lot of 339 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: you do a great job, but your interest and everybody's 340 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: interest in this whole draft process is pretty amazing. Freeman, 341 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: What kind of opportunities do you think they are going 342 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: to be when markets start getting posted for the combine? 343 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: So people tend to want to bet on something to happen, 344 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: especially if they can do it at long odds. So 345 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: if you're willing to lay some big juice, there's value 346 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: in betting, specifically on betting for records not to be broken, 347 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: whether that's the forty or dash, the bench press, the 348 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: vertical jump. And then people also want to bet on 349 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: their favorite college players to have big combined numbers. That 350 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: generally means there's value if you bet on some of 351 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: the big names to underperform. And that's really true for 352 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: the forty time. For a lot of these prospects. You 353 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: can find their forty times as recruits or what they 354 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: did at spring pro days, and bookmakers and betters tend 355 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: to rely on those times. But the thing is a 356 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: lot of those are hand timed, whereas the combine has 357 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: an electronic time, and so that means a pro day 358 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: forty is about point oh five seconds faster than a 359 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: combine forty. And we're gonna talk about this with rugs. 360 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: If a guy runs a four point to five at 361 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: a pro day, that equates roughly to a four point 362 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: three at the combine. So there's a difference between the 363 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: hand times and electronic forties, and that tends to create 364 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: value on the over for the forty combine times. Now, 365 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: listen to that breakdown about betting on the NFL combine. 366 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: It was a great rundown, Matthew. I had never thought 367 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: it would come to that, but hey, it's interesting stuff. 368 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: And so we're there and you get the times. And 369 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: remember last year when Devin Bush and Devin White ran 370 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: you know, right, four four two four four three whatever 371 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: was almost identical forties and you like both those players, 372 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: and that's that validation you want. Uh. The thing is 373 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: when you don't really have a high opinion of a 374 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: player and he runs great ory test grate, that's almost said, 375 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: well I missed something. Remember last year that I keep 376 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: bringing up Devin Singletary running that was like a four 377 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: six six and everybody, oh boy, what happened? I can't 378 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: go as high as we thought. I mean, I must 379 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: have overrated him. What did imit? And I'm having a 380 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 1: great rookie year with Buffalo? Uh, you know, so forty 381 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: times albe can Comarra didn't have a great forty time 382 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: when he came out, but he had a great vertical 383 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: and a great broad jump, so his explosive skills were there. 384 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: He didn't have the big time forty round four or 385 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: five six ju Smith Schuster the year to John Ross 386 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: round four to two, Smith Schuster round four, five four 387 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: and at a thirty two and a half vertical, Ross 388 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,479 Speaker 1: had a thirty seven vertical. So forty times, while they 389 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 1: are critical, you just have to be careful. You just 390 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: had to be really careful of over adjusting negatively or 391 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,479 Speaker 1: positively based on these numbers alright, TV Todd McShay, he 392 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: has rated twenty wide receivers for rounds one through three. 393 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: I think Daniel Jeremiah he put that number at twenty seven. 394 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: The number of wide receivers that thoughts Bet has said 395 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: would be drafted in round one, they put it at 396 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: four and a half live receivers. They put that total 397 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: of four and a half over under four and a half. Now, yeah, 398 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: four Again, these numbers are right there from all the 399 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: deal what they look at. They look at all these 400 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: different mock drafts, and they see that you have Jerry 401 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: Judy and Ceedee Lamb and Henry Ruggs the third and 402 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: Tee Higgins on most his guarantees. So they put into 403 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: four and a half. Okay, you want to go under, 404 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: you wanna go over, you gotta get Leaviska Chennault Jr. 405 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: You're in there from Colorado. You'd have to get you know, 406 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: a kJ Hamdler in there, a Justin Jefferson from l 407 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: s U Handler, Penn State, Jalen reagor TCU all borderline. 408 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: So you need one of those borderline guys to follow 409 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: in there. And it's gonna Jefferson is certainly gonna be 410 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 1: important to see what that forty time is. Channault Jr. 411 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: Has got real good versatility. Some though, think he's the 412 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: second round pick, not at first. So I had five, 413 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: so I would go over, but there's no guarantee freedom 414 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,879 Speaker 1: and what are you gonna land at? So Judy Lamb Higgins, 415 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 1: they're all locked in for me. I've surveyed a lot 416 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: of mock drafts out there from guys who historically have 417 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 1: been pretty predicted, pretty accurate, and Laviska Chenault is a 418 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: first rounder in all of them. And I gotta say, 419 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,880 Speaker 1: in all of these drafts, I've seen at least five 420 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: wide receivers go in all of the first round mocks 421 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: a lot of times six And so I think Channault 422 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: is locked in there. And then you have a question Jefferson, Ruggs, 423 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: reagor those three guys, does wanted them do well enough 424 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: at the combine to jettison himself to lock himself into 425 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 1: the first round. And I think so, I think Rugs 426 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: is the guy who's gonna do it, And honestly, Jefferson 427 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: could do it too. I think Ruggs more so Rugs 428 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: because of that speed. Round four to five Matthews. You know, 429 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: four to five in the spring. He wasn't happy with 430 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 1: the start. So anytime you've run four to two, four 431 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: to five and your Alabama and you've got some Prugs here, 432 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 1: you're gonna go. I mean, you're gonna go Chanel. I 433 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: need to talk about people in the league. That's who 434 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: you talked to this and some there are some that 435 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: think he's more of a two. So I know the 436 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: mocks have him and the once still very early for Macon. 437 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: You have my mock two point oaks On matt had 438 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: him in mock one. But we'll say about Chenal. I 439 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: think that's why I think with Jefferson's borderline. But if 440 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: you're gonna say Rugs is in which I think he is, 441 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,679 Speaker 1: that's four. I went with Jefferson. You could go Chanal, 442 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: so I would say five. So on over four and 443 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:03,680 Speaker 1: a like I can say, there's no guarantee because we're 444 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: only agreeing on four. We haven't agreed on five. So 445 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 1: that's why they put at four. And after there's no 446 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: free lunches in Vegas for anything they put out. All right, 447 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: So Ruggs is the key, like everyone thinks, if he 448 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: runs that four to five, then he's a fish under. 449 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: It's no guaranteed, no question. The projection on him is 450 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: four three oh five. That's the forty time, that's the 451 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 1: that's the total that the market has set right now. Now, Keiper, 452 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: do you see him running over or under the four 453 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,640 Speaker 1: three oh five. He's going under four three. I would 454 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: think if he ran four to five in the spring, 455 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: as we all know, and he said he didn't get 456 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 1: off to a good start, and he's expecting to run 457 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: four to two, he's expecting to run what Ross ran, 458 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: He's expecting to run a blistering forty. So I would say, 459 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: you know, as he runs four to nine, four to 460 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: eight for him, it would be disappointing. So if it's 461 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: four three, I would say under four three. Let's talk 462 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: about quarterbacks for one second, because Joe Burrow yesterday blew 463 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: up the world by tweeting about his nine inch hands 464 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: and that he's going to think about retirement and sort 465 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: of in a fun way, sort of mocking the conversation 466 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: that happens around the way that everybody sort of focuses 467 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: on these details at the NFL combine. Now, if you're 468 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: looking at this, and I remember we did this years 469 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: ago when used to in the magazine, there is a 470 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:25,479 Speaker 1: specific stat that is the best indicator of success at 471 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: the NFL level for a quarterback. What is the stat 472 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: you look at most that is the best indicator for success. Well, 473 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: I think it's it's not just one stat and it's 474 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: certainly not you know, now the arm obviously strength, we 475 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: know what we talked about that it gets better once 476 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: you're in the licks. You can't worry too much about that. 477 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: The obviously the height that's been destroyed, and that whole 478 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 1: talking to you gotta be a certain Russell Wilson opened 479 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:48,919 Speaker 1: that door. I said he was going to be the 480 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: test case once runtil Russell Wilson was successful at five 481 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: ten and and blow under five eleven. Then had opened 482 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 1: the door for Kyler Murray to be the number one 483 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: pick in the draft. So you needed that success. If 484 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: you talk about intelligent of a quarterback, I'm not gonna 485 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: just just intelligence in the classroom, but football intelligence and 486 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: also being a great leader. And I talked about I'd 487 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: say the single most importance competitiveness. If you said, what's 488 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: forgetting the competitiveness is everybody's a competitor. But are you 489 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: at ten plus are you a seven? So they're all competitive, 490 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 1: Josh Allen, I think silence skeptics and doubters who didn't 491 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: like him coming out of Wyoming because he's an incredible competitor, 492 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: best competitive, most competitive player at Craig Bowl ever coached 493 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: the coach Carson Wentz. So when you you see what 494 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,479 Speaker 1: he's doing in Buffalo, the players gravitate to him. That 495 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: competitiveness is huge. The's talking about the hand size, Well, 496 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,199 Speaker 1: you can't be under a nine, right, Well, Joe Burrows 497 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: and nine, Patrick Mons was nine in a quarter Jared 498 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: Golf was nine, so you know, not much bigger than 499 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: Burrow was. Was Sam Darnald and Aaron Rodgers and Tom 500 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: Brady and so you can go one, but you can't 501 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: be under nine. But be having a big hand doesn't 502 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: mean anything because there's a lot of busts of that 503 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,360 Speaker 1: huge hands. Okay, and give you a lot of names 504 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: of guys who did not pay out that Cody Kessler, 505 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: Mark Sanchez at a big hand. You sure are at 506 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: a big hand. Paxton Lynch had a huge hand. Christian 507 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: Ponder had a big hand. E j Manuel. You know 508 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: there's a lot of quarterbacks that big hands that did 509 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: not pan out. So again, competitiveness is huge, football intelligence 510 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: is huge. Forty time means nothing, Tom Brady. The slow 511 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: US forty time of any quarterback of written up in 512 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: in uh in forties five years or forty two years, 513 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: whatever it is. UH second slowis with Ryan Mallett. So Brady, 514 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: you and then and then send the worst vertical jump 515 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,880 Speaker 1: of any quarterback every rose and don't care about vertical 516 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,959 Speaker 1: jumps for quarterbacks. Don't care about forty times for quarterbacks. 517 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 1: In the end, a lot of it is the yet 518 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 1: factor and does a quarterback habit where he doesn't uh? So, 519 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: to answer the question, evaluating a quarterback is the toughest 520 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: thing organizations have to do. And I'll give you an example. 521 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Dak Prescott, they tried to 522 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 1: get Paxton Lynch, They tried to get Connor Cook, then 523 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 1: they settled for Dak Prescott. When the Kansas City Treats 524 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: drafted Patrick Mahomes the year prior to that, they tried 525 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: to get Paxton Lynch. Had they've been successful in getting Lynch, 526 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: Patrick Holmes is not a Kansas City chief the next year. 527 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 1: So that's how fragile and how crazy and how tough 528 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 1: it is, what a guessing game it is in terms 529 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: of evaluating quarterbacks. Guys look like their geniuses, but they 530 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: also considered some major bus that had things worked out differently, 531 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: what would what would Andy Reid's status in Jansas City 532 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: be a Paxton Lynch was there and not Patrick Mahomes. 533 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: So again, sometimes you know, good luck, good fortune overrides 534 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,439 Speaker 1: great analysis. All right, So the guys that everyone was 535 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: talking about now, the potential Paxton Lynches of this draft, 536 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: Joe Burrow to uh Justin Herbert. Right, there's a line 537 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: out there that says four and a half is the 538 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: total number of quarterbacks that will be taken. Other guys 539 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 1: that people are talking about, Jordan's Love from Utah State, 540 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: Jacobieson from Washington, Jake from from Georgia. Do you see 541 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: any of those guys, two of those guys sneaking into 542 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: the first round to put that number over five? I 543 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: would say no, Matthew can take your shot at I 544 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: think three. Obviously three or guarantee the fourth I think 545 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: could beat. Jacobieson thought it was Jordan Love talked to 546 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 1: a lot of people about it. Jacobison is getting Sammy 547 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: that cannon arm and size as either loveries and not both. 548 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,239 Speaker 1: I don't think both. And that's gonna be in that 549 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: late first round area where you have New England possibly. 550 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: I don't think the Saints will would take some hill. 551 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: We'll see what happens there and it will team trade 552 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: in there. That happens, We've seen that before. So if 553 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,360 Speaker 1: you think they trade in for one, not two, So 554 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,439 Speaker 1: I would say four quarterbacks max, not five in the 555 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 1: first round. Absolutely agree. This is an egregious line. It 556 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 1: should be three and a half. If you look at 557 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: the number of quarterbacks taken in the first round over 558 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: the past twenty five years, let's say even the past 559 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: thirty five years, only twice has it gotten over four 560 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: and a half. Happened two years ago when Lamar Jackson 561 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,160 Speaker 1: had to sneak into the first round. Is the number 562 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 1: thirty to pick for us to get five? And then 563 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: it happened in when we had that loaded quarterback class 564 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: with three guys going in the first three picks, Tim Couch, 565 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: Donovan McNabb at Killy Smith. You had Dante Colepepper in there. 566 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: But other than that, and then that class we just 567 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: talked about. Other than that, it just doesn't happen. Five 568 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: is an extremely high number. I think we're closer to 569 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 1: three than we are to or even if you were 570 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: to set this line, I think this is really bad. 571 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,360 Speaker 1: I think out of all the combined props, you could 572 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: bet this is the one that offers the most value. Yeah, 573 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: and other than this echo what Matthew was saying a chat. 574 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: As far as Jacob Eison, there is mixed opinion. And 575 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: like I said, you talked some teams don't happen in 576 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: the first there was that you talked something to do 577 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: so again. But Jordan loved the same thing. And Jordan 578 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: Love didn't had a great Senior Bowl game. He you know, 579 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: he didn't have a great year because of all the 580 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: personnel was taken from him. In terms of the offensive line, 581 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,679 Speaker 1: top five receivers which included Darwin Thompson are running back 582 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 1: and and uh the tight end as well. So I 583 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,120 Speaker 1: don't think you, like I said, at this stage, neither 584 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: Love nor Eastern or guaranteed ones their borderline. So to 585 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 1: get to borderline first into the first is going to 586 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: be very difficult. It's not impossible. So three are guaranteed. Uh, 587 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: the fourth may happen, but not to get the four 588 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: to five, which would put obviously the under four and 589 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: a half very much in play. So much of the 590 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: draft and the process, And I think this is what 591 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: Joe Burrow was talking about a little bit with his 592 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,360 Speaker 1: comments about the hand size has been fetishized, right, like 593 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: every measurements so uh, microscopically examined. Looking back, like Mel 594 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: you were so in on Isaac Bruce, you were so 595 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 1: in on Curtis Martin, famously not in on trev Albert's. 596 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: Like thinking about guys who have come out of the 597 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: combine and shot up draft boards because of the combine. 598 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: Who are people that you look back on and think, yeah, 599 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: that was worth it. These guys were amazing because of 600 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: what they were able to do with the combine. Well, 601 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 1: I think if you look positionally and I go back 602 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: to you know, the various spots, going to go back 603 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: even the two thousand and thirteen DeAndre Hopkins didn't have 604 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: a great forty times there was two pounds. I remember 605 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: talking to Clemson and they raided the bat. Two kids 606 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 1: work ethic. His hands never dropped the pass. Uh, you know, 607 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: had a good vertical thirty six, but enormous hands and 608 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: so consistent catching the ball. And I think you know, 609 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: I've made mistakes on taking chances on guys that weren't 610 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 1: consistent catching the ball, thinking well, you know more better 611 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: constant creation. Okay, you know they make the spectacular catch, 612 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: they dropped the ease when it's like the short stop 613 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: that boots the routine groundball. But he goes in the 614 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: hole when he makes the play if he's not consistent. 615 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: I'm not making any more excuses. I learned on my 616 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,880 Speaker 1: lesson on that one. So guys like Hopkins and may 617 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 1: not have that didn't have the elite forty times Tabon 618 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: Austin went high. Remember that dread went much higher than 619 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: the DeAndre Hopkins. Austin ran four three four, you know 620 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: at five eight and have one seventy five. So again speed, 621 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: I would say it's overrated in terms of running backs. 622 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: That really is EMMTT Smith didn't have a good forty 623 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: around four second lady on Bell was four six. Okay, 624 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: go back to Camara talked about what he ran, but 625 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: his vertical and his Broadway good. Uh yeah again, running backs, 626 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: you're really gonna worry about, like said Curtis Smart and 627 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: you're really gonna worry about what a running backs for 628 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: Devin Singletary with at four six six, Are you kidding me? 629 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: Be like, oh is that kind of how many times 630 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: as a running back round in a straight line? Anyway? 631 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: So to me, that's a very overrated. Part of the 632 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 1: running back evaluation is forty yard dash time. So you'll 633 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: learn from that wide receivers. I mentioned to Juice Smith 634 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: Schuster at four or five four other guys were running 635 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: a lot faster. I don't care about an offensive lineman's 636 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: forty times now if it's phenomenal or Toronto Arms that 637 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: had that Matt you remember Arms that coming out of 638 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: Arkansas Pine Bluff had an incredible combine if you like them, 639 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: and then you saw him go there and while everybody 640 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: and do better than all these major college stars, and 641 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: you put you liked them in the way it dominated 642 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: the small college level. Sure you know you can would 643 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: that that validated it. But you don't take a player 644 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: your giffe on and all of a sudden jump is 645 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: great way up just because of a great combine. And 646 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: you certainly don't, you know, downgrade a guy on the 647 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: offensive line if he runs a bad four. I can 648 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 1: give you so many examples of offensive tackles around slow 649 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: forties that turned out to be great players. It's the 650 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: laundry list of names. So I think if you study 651 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: the positions, you realize what you place importance on and 652 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: which you don't. Who do you think is the biggest 653 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: combine bust the last decade. That's a great question. I 654 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: don't have to really go back. Everybody brings up like 655 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: Momola going way back, coming out of Boston College, whatever 656 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: year that was, who had production and it had the 657 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: great combine and all of a sudden you saw what 658 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: happened there. I try to kind of focus one of the 659 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 1: the guys who were really good rather than the ones 660 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: who were disappointments. I'll go to Darius Heyward Bay from Maryland, 661 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,960 Speaker 1: great speed and but was inconsistent feeling the theme of 662 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: being inconsistent with hands and not natural catching the football. 663 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: Watched them a lot here being in the backyard here 664 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: of College Park, and he went in the top ten 665 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: to the Raiders. He had a very disappointing career. Alexander Wright, 666 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: wide receiver out of Auburn, tracted by the Dallas, was 667 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 1: a speed burner, had incredible forty times, don't remember what 668 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: it was, but it was blazing in the four three range, 669 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: but Auburn limited receptions were inconsistent, disappointing player. So I 670 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: think those are guys that I just remember, you know, 671 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: just to say names that just come to mind immediately. Matthews, 672 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure you have names over the last ten fifteen 673 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: years of have been bus from the combine. Yeah, Darius 674 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: Heyward Bay was the clear one that I was thinking 675 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: of for all the reasons you mentioned. I mean, I 676 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: think his combined performance edisoned him into the top ten, 677 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,959 Speaker 1: going ahead of Michael Crabtree, who seemed destined to be 678 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: a Raider and eventually happened, but I didn't work out 679 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: right away. And then another guy who comes to mind, 680 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: linebacker a J Hawk who was just explosive at the 681 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: combine and people assumed that would translate to production on 682 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: the field for the Packers and that just never happened. Yeah. 683 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: Like Tim McShann and I were talking about with about 684 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: Richard Sherman, you had a thirty eight vertical that had 685 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: the great forty time. He's a former wide receiver and 686 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: you see what he's been able to develop into you 687 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: look at at they say that the guys who were 688 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: the disappointing guys that that just didn't perform to the 689 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 1: level of their talent. But again, what's gonna prevent you 690 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: from having players that don't live up to it? Did 691 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: they perform well in the field. That's why Mamula was 692 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: a very very tough evaluation because he had production at 693 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: Boston College, but he had a late first round grade 694 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: that became an early first round situation when the Eagles 695 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: drafted and based on the combine working in conjunction with 696 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: the productivity. And let me just say the Matthew know 697 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: this and Chad, there's no perfect formula. You can say 698 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:57,959 Speaker 1: you have a system in place, even for for gambling, 699 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: you might have a system, right, it's not a d percent. 700 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: You can't deviate best based on outliers. Outliers can't change 701 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: your system or change your formula. Is nothing as perfect. 702 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 1: So you can always go to a quarterback that I 703 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: liked or receiver that I missed on it. You missed 704 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: your miss You can't let that bother you, and you 705 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,719 Speaker 1: can't let that change the value of that. Now, if 706 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: you can learn something from it, maybe you put too 707 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:19,880 Speaker 1: much stock in a combine or a pro day. But 708 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: sometimes he checked all the boxes and he was still 709 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: not good. That just happens, that that will happen. You're 710 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: going from college to pro you can't beat yourself up 711 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: for mistakes like that. Coming up next, we've got a 712 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: very special NFL combined edition of Listener Trivia. But first, 713 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: Matthew Mitchell, our intrepid producer, has a little story to 714 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: tell about his favorite pastime, daytime betting. Afternoon. Thanks Chant. 715 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: As you know, before I enjoined our little sports gambling 716 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: fantasy factory here, I expect many years working a very 717 00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:00,479 Speaker 1: ordinary job, cubicles, water coolers, the whole deal. And like 718 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: many ordinary jobs, it was often very boring. Now, being 719 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: bored and having an unquenchable thirst for action not a 720 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: great combination. So I remember one afternoon looking out the 721 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: window to a dreary Wisconsin winter, and I was thinking 722 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 1: to myself, surely, somewhere in the world somebody is preparing 723 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: to sports it up against somebody else, and if that's true, 724 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: I can nay nay, I must gamble on it. And 725 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: it was true. But but if you think spending seven 726 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: years were of Tuesday afternoons sweating your ass off over 727 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: you know, White Sox Royals unders was a walk in 728 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: the Park. Yeah, you could think again. It may sound easy, 729 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: but it will test your head and your mind and 730 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: your brain too. And what I got promoted to management, 731 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 1: it only got harder. I don't know if you know this, Chad, 732 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: but a good manager leads his team. He doesn't monitor 733 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 1: free throws. In the Missouri Valley Conference tournament game, I 734 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: remember our head of HR. It looked like Laura Dern 735 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: that you called me into office and she broke it 736 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: all down for me. You will always be held to 737 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: a different, higher standard, and it's fucked up, but that 738 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: is the way it is. Yeah. She was worried some 739 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: harmless daytime gambling could become quote too distracting. But I 740 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: had an airtight response ready to go. What if the 741 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,720 Speaker 1: founding fathers found it too distracting to ride their horses 742 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 1: to Independence Hall and signed the Declaration of Independence? Huh, 743 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 1: well you know what about that? Unfortunately that response fell 744 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,840 Speaker 1: on deaf ears. But now I'm here in action, I 745 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 1: don't have these problems anymore. If I find something to 746 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: bet on while the price is right and still on TV, 747 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,439 Speaker 1: all the heads around me not in approval, which is nice. 748 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,279 Speaker 1: And for most of the year I have plenty to 749 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: choose from Oh but Oh, how swiftly the clouds of 750 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: glory pass Chad. This week, the landscape is especially barren, 751 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 1: and I've turned. I've been pretty desperate. And you know 752 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 1: what they say about that desperation is a stinky cologne. Yes, 753 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: I've turned to soccer. The deformed tutsie roll at the 754 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: bottom of the sports gambling Halloween bag. Every time I 755 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 1: do this, I think of my hero coach Pete Bell 756 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 1: from Blue Chips, who knows exactly how I feel about 757 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: betting soccer. Every time we get ready to play, I 758 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:17,839 Speaker 1: just want to throw up. So the press I don't 759 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: even want to talk about it sick. I'm wanting you 760 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:24,880 Speaker 1: guys play Just how bad can it get? But desperate 761 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: times desperate measures, and I'm betting a Champions League match. 762 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: They actually call it that because every team that plays 763 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: in it is a champion of boring your ass to 764 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: death all afternoon, I can calm down. Gets soccer. It's soccer. 765 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,840 Speaker 1: Juventus visits Leone on Wednesday afternoon and I'll be on 766 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: the visitors here. The only thing I know about Juventus 767 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: is they have Cristiano Ronaldo and we were born within 768 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 1: the same week of each other, and we've achieved about 769 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: the same level of professional and personal success. So the 770 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 1: next time I see him on the continent at some 771 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 1: sexy gala, I'm sure he'll be tickled that I bet 772 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,720 Speaker 1: on him here. But win or lose it definitely beats 773 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 1: working all afternoon because when you bet during the day, Chad, 774 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:08,120 Speaker 1: you're already a winner. Joining us now for our listener trivia, 775 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,240 Speaker 1: Let's see if they can stump our NFL Draft NFL 776 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:18,800 Speaker 1: Combine experts, producer of the Full Slate podcast, Alex Uplinger, Alex, 777 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 1: how are anybody? Hey? How's it good on guys? Alex 778 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: gonna be with you, Alex, share with us your trivia question. 779 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: All right, so we all know the Action Networks own 780 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: Dan Rouvel. His famous forty was ran at six point 781 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:37,879 Speaker 1: nine nine seconds. I was wondering if you could name 782 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: the player who ran the closest time to that in 783 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:47,919 Speaker 1: the combine T six point was that Orlando Brown's time 784 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 1: slow and that it was a nonfensive tackle from Cincinnati 785 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 1: back in the day. Jason Sobini had a very good career. 786 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: In his numbers at the combine, we're not good, but 787 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: beyond that, that's my best guesses. I honestly have no 788 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: guests on this, but I think it would have to 789 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 1: be an offensive lineman or Leano' brown sounds as good 790 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 1: of a guest as any. Alright, Alex, give us the answer. 791 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: Isaiah Thompson, offensive lineman from Houston in two thousand and 792 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: eleven ran a six. Oh wow, Okay, very good. It 793 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 1: is not every day you can get someone on the 794 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:26,240 Speaker 1: phone that can stump Melt both Melk Keeper and Matthew Freedman. 795 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:30,799 Speaker 1: That is fantastic, Alex, thanks for the trivia question. That's 796 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: gonna do it for this episode of the Favorites. My 797 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:36,320 Speaker 1: thanks to Matthew Friedman and the great Milk Kuiper for joining. 798 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: Before we go, let's check in with Action Network CEO 799 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: Patrick Keene. See what he thought of today's show. What gentlemen, 800 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 1: what I sham? What kind of a show are you 801 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: guys putting on here today? All right? Thank you for 802 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: that inspiration, Patrick Keen. And before the music plays us 803 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 1: out to all our listeners and followers, we would like 804 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 1: to take a moment to apologize to Joe West. Last year, 805 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: one of the Action Network's former employees, Paul Laduca, who 806 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: used to be a catcher in Major League Baseball made 807 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:14,480 Speaker 1: certain statements about Mr West during a podcast affiliated with 808 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:17,759 Speaker 1: the Action Network. First, Mr Lauduca stated that he had 809 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 1: been thrown out of fifteen games in his life and 810 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:23,520 Speaker 1: that eight or nine of them were by Mr West. Second, 811 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 1: Mr Laeduca asserted that at a game against the Philadelphia 812 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:29,879 Speaker 1: Phillies in two thousand six or two thousand seven where 813 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:32,319 Speaker 1: he was the catcher, Billy Wagner was one of the 814 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: pictures and Mr West was the home plate Umpire luduc 815 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: asserted Billy Wagner told him that Wagner lends his nineteen 816 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,960 Speaker 1: fifty seven Chevy to Mr West and Mr West opens 817 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: up the strike zone for him. The Action Network does 818 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 1: not have any evidence to support either of those statements. 819 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 1: The Action Network apologizes to Joe West for any harm 820 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:55,840 Speaker 1: caused by those statements. These statements are hereby retracted and 821 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: the podcast has been removed from our website. This has 822 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 1: been the Favorites from the Action Network downloaded from iTunes 823 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: and Apple podcasts, from Spotify from wherever you get your podcasts. 824 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:14,360 Speaker 1: Until next time, I Love You Yeah,