1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: Do you. Around the NFL Podcast features Chris Wesleyan's time machine. 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: I'm Greg Rosenthal sitting in. There's no calling Wolf, there's 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,240 Speaker 1: no Dan hand this, but I do have a couple 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: of heroes here in the studio, Mark Sessler, Chris wesley 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: What's going on? Greg? What is? What is Chris Wesleyan's 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: time machine? Another drop that I haven't I don't even 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: know the reference at this point. I'm guessing the reference 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: is the key word. All of my references are from 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: the seventies and eight. That's true. I'm getting his television 11 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: shows that part. I am well aware uncle humor. I 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: don't have Uncle humored Greg, just because you trample all 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: over my jokes every time I Greg about Greg about 14 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: to step over West is Sanford and Sun reference. Yeah, 15 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: we've we've done a better job appreciating West's pristine jokes. 16 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: But someone came at me the other day for not 17 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: noticing some some punty had and I'm not I don't 18 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: mind if I step on his puns. I don't mind 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: if you step on puns either. On the bottom of 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: the shoe. We had to go deep into the reserves, 21 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: by the way, for me to be hosting this show. 22 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: Dan hansis, of course, uh, the old zeuser on the 23 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: East coast right now enjoying the Jersey Shore with his 24 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 1: lovely family and Colleen Wolfe, who has evolved developed really 25 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: into the host when whenever Dan's not around is on 26 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: some strange island I've never heard of, like. I asked 27 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: her what's going on and she said she's in more Riha, 28 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: And I said, you don't need to make up like 29 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: pretend places just to avoid hosting. Did she any more 30 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: detail on where it is? What part of the country. 31 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: I did Google it, it exists, it's it's not it's 32 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: not in this country. I'll tell you that much. But 33 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: what's going on. We haven't done a show in a 34 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: week ever. You know a lot's happened in this uh 35 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: week that we've been off July four, of course, Uh, 36 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: we had a best of show that went up. Now 37 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: we're back. I mean, I don't I did a lot happen. 38 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: We played some soft I made my debut on the 39 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: softball team. Our opponent, which was the other NFL media team, 40 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: got kicked out of the league for four fitting three 41 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: weeks in a row. So he basically had an intrasquad scrimmage, 42 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: and we needed guys like Greg and the d P 43 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: Henry Hodgson to show up for this event. Greg acquitted 44 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: himself quite well. Yeah, maybe I've been calling him a 45 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: sneaky good athlete for a couple of years. I I 46 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: gotta take out the qualifier. He's just a good athlete. 47 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,839 Speaker 1: What did you What did you do? I just ran 48 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: all around the field. I used my hustle. You're getting 49 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: hits were I was getting hits. These are the things 50 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: that I noticed about Greg. He learns throughout the game. 51 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: And you know he's a he's a pull hitter. His 52 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: first two times up, hits one right and it's a 53 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: screaming line drive right. And Nick shifts shift's glove at 54 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: third base. He learns, oh, the holes between first base 55 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: and shortstop. I'm just gonna hit that second base hole 56 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: every time. He said, he's a smart athlete. Next year, 57 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: I'm joining this team. I decided I had a lot 58 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: of fun, but you didn't this year because you claimed. 59 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: I heard you ever say in the office yesterday that 60 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: you were sure you could not. You didn't want to 61 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: be flaky, you didn't want to join join and be all, 62 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: you know, excited about yourself, and then you can't go 63 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: to Multira because people don't like the guys that show 64 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: up half the time. That's not being a good teammate. 65 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: But if I'm gonna make the commitment, I'm gonna make 66 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: the commitment. I'm gonna be like the irishman behind the 67 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: glass who I mean, he was very pleased with himself 68 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: last Thursday that there was some extra motivation that was 69 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: thrown my way. So I feel like I did well us, 70 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: which is what Uh. The old Zeuzer had the chance 71 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: to pick myself and you, and he did not pick us. 72 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: So that but Dan and I were the captain's charged 73 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: with picking the two teams, and he did. He left Greg, 74 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: Henry and and the irishman out there for me. I 75 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: was happy to pluck them up and they started out, 76 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: I believe, what was it fourteen to five, fourteen to 77 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: five at one point. Then we went on a fifteen 78 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: to nothing to close out the game. Irish has always 79 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: been a good hitter. You've you've every game I've been to, 80 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: You've you've connected. We won't talk about his performance in 81 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: center field, yeah that I think, But the two home 82 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: runs you hit off Dan makeup for you tripping and 83 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: falling while running. That's very true. But the fourteen to 84 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: five deficit, I came in when it was fourteen to 85 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: five shut him down pitching after that. That's true. Boom. 86 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: I liked that this team, not unlike you know with 87 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: with Greg's Johnny Manziel like two thousand and seventeen returned 88 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: to the field. That that's what you guys have to 89 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: look forward to. Greg. I'm gonna help you win. I'm 90 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: not gonna be the top of the order, you know, 91 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: the best player in the team. But I'm I'm I'm 92 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: a glue guy. That's all I want. Glue guy. Glue 93 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: guy who learns as the game goes along and knows 94 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,119 Speaker 1: where to hit the ball in the whole lot. Also 95 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: the only first basement I've ever seen to go out 96 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: for the cutoff. Yeah, I'm running out into center field. 97 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: There wasn't not a hustle among these people. I think 98 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: I specialized because there was only seven people per team. 99 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: That gave me more space to run around. He was 100 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: first baseman slash rover. Alright, we've we've clearly exhausted all 101 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: the softball talk to her today. There's not a lot 102 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: of news here, irishman. But let's do some news. God 103 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: cog somebody, Oh call nine one, call nine one one. 104 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: That of course is the great Will Forte from mcgruber. 105 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: That yeah, that's in honor of me stepping in as 106 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: the old host today. An all time classic. Uh. Another 107 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: all time classic is the fact that we don't have 108 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: to talk about the top one players of two thousand 109 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: sixteen anymore. It's over no more NFL now hits. Uh. 110 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: We are going to talk though, because you know, they 111 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: unveiled the top ten on Wednesday night, so we should 112 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: at least quickly discuss the top ten that was unveiled. 113 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: Chris and I did our own list, which you can 114 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: check out on NFL dot com, but the official list 115 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: had Cam Newton number one, Tom Brady to J J. 116 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: Watt three, Antonio Brown four, and then after that Adrian Peterson, 117 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers, Luke Kickley getting a Lot of Love at seven, 118 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: Julio Jones, Gronk and Odell Beckham. Any issues there with 119 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: the top three or four, Let's say cam Brady Watt, 120 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: I mean it's I don't want to take this exercise 121 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: too seriously. They did a pretty good job of getting 122 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: ten of the top fifteen players in the top ten, 123 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 1: So I mean, you can you can trifle with some 124 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: of them, but they did a pretty good job. I 125 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: still think Aaron Rodgers has been the best player in 126 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: the NFL for the past half decade. But it's hard 127 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: to quibble with this list. I agree, and I know 128 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: yesterday we during the network the NFL Now hit, we 129 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: had some squabbles about it, but in general, I don't 130 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: have a problem with Cam Newton, uh getting number one 131 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 1: after what he did last season, the one thing that 132 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: was three the year before. Well, but but this list, 133 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: if you want to get into it, it's gonna be 134 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: a whole lot of recency bias. It's gonna be a 135 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: whole lot of what you did in the last two 136 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: months before, two or three months before we voted this 137 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: what it votes in January, right as their exiting teams. 138 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: I mean, I would put Tom Brady at number one 139 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: year after year, And that's my bias because he's the 140 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: best football player that I've ever watched, and you kind 141 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: of he want to keep floating people ahead of him 142 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: here and there. That's fine. I'm not a voter in it. 143 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: But whoever wins the m v P, by the way, 144 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: is the number one player the next year, which is 145 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: kind of silly. The only time that ever didn't happen 146 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: was j J. Watt last year in six years of 147 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: doing this, So it's not a it's not a huge 148 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: surprise that Cam is one. I put what number one 149 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: on my list. I just think he's so far and away, 150 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: and Aaron Donald was right there. It was a bad 151 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: job that they didn't have Aaron Donald on the top ten. 152 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: I think I had him number five. He should have 153 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: been in Adrian Peterson spot because Adrian Peterson I don't 154 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: think was even the best running back in the NFL 155 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: last year. I thought Doug Martin was, and j J 156 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: watched the best defensive player. Aaron Donald's right behind him, 157 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: and then Gronk is far and away the best tight end. 158 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: But you can't say that about Adrian Peterson that running 159 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: back anymore. Yeah, I agree. I mean, although right now, 160 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: who who really had a much better year than him? 161 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: Levy On Bell was hurt, so you got to see 162 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: if he's going to be healthy. I think Todd Gurley 163 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: has got a complete game, but but that's veteran respect 164 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: for Adrian Peterson more than maybe an accurate assessment of 165 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: where he is where I mean, why is von Miller 166 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: not higher in this list. There's a lot of because 167 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: they voted before the Super Bowl and probably before the FC. 168 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: But he's been, if not the best pure pass rusher 169 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: in the league, then close every year he's been in 170 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: the league, so he deserves a little more love. Donald 171 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: is one of the guys that that season is now 172 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: forever gonna be I don't know forgotten is the right word, 173 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: but undervalued because of the year that had happened. I 174 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,719 Speaker 1: think it's one of the five or six best defensive 175 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: seasons by any defensive player you know this century, in 176 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: the last fifteen years or so. I mean, there are 177 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: years where Terrell Suggs snuck getting one a Defensive Player 178 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: of the Year in in kind of a weird year, 179 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: Troy Palamalo, the year he won was not necessarily his 180 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: best year, and Donald doesn't make the top ten. He 181 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: doesn't get a Defensive Player of the Year, even though 182 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: I think his his play was better than just about 183 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: any other season we've seen from any defensive player not 184 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: named J. J. Watt in the last five or six years. 185 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: To even the players struggle to latch onto a defensive 186 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: lineman as a top ten type force are because he's 187 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 1: on the rams, he's a dead giveaway for who's watching 188 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: the games and who's not. Because he's on the rams, 189 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: he's not. He's not in prime he's not in prime time. 190 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: He's not in big games. If you watch Aaron Donald, 191 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: whether you know football or not, he jumps off the 192 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: screen as the guy wreaking havoc in the middle of 193 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: the field. And I think football players during the season, 194 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: when do they have time to watch other teams own 195 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: that's right? Well, yeah, and when you listen when you 196 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: watch the show, and I know we've made fun of 197 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: the rankings at some point or get tired of talking about. 198 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: The show is very well produced and is interesting because 199 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: the thing I like about it is that no, I 200 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: really believe it because the offensive lineman, they'll get to 201 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: talk about Aaron Donald. And those are the guys ranking 202 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: Aaron Donald high, the guys that have got had to 203 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: play against them, and they're describing or the guys that 204 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: play with him, why he's so much better than anyone 205 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: else that they play all year and that stuff. That 206 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: stuff is interesting. Big surprise. I thought not a Jacksonville 207 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: Jaguar in the top team. Wow. I thought Gus Bradley 208 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: would just be number two just for fun. Uh. Moving on, 209 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: not a ton of NFL news out there. It's amazing 210 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: that the next biggest news item we could find over 211 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: the last seven days is my man Tom Brady being 212 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: involved in the Kevin Durant sales pitch in the Hampton's 213 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: part of the Celtics group that was trying to tell 214 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant why it would be great to come to Boston. 215 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: You know, reportedly he you know, you impressed Durant whatever. 216 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: I guess he's trying to say, Oh, it obviously worked. Well, 217 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: here's what it's like to be a legend in the 218 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: city of Boston, a sports legend. I have never heard 219 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: of such a thing, an all time great player being 220 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: part of a pitch to try to sign another superstar. 221 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: Of course, Kevin Durant winds up going to Golden State, 222 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: but supposedly the Celtics were probably the third in that 223 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: running a distant third, but they were kind of the 224 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: dark horse, which is amazing for a team that you know, 225 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: hasn't won a ton of games over the last four 226 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: or five years. What's in that for Tom Brady? He 227 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: loves sports. I guess well, we'll hold on that. That's 228 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: what I thought. That's why that was worth mentioning. It's cool. 229 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:42,439 Speaker 1: It's cool that he would do it. It It shows he's 230 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: kind of a fan. There's also a lot in it 231 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: for him. Had it gone differently and had Durant wound 232 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: up choosing Boston, then Brady's legend only grows. It's like 233 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: you're actually making other sports teams excellent. But does he 234 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: seem like a guy who cares about growing his legend 235 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: in Boston? He I don't know how a sneaky degree 236 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,199 Speaker 1: really gotta make up for the whole deflate gate scandal. Now, 237 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: I don't think so. I bet he has a and 238 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's been reporting on this that I just 239 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: didn't read because I wasn't, you know, breaking down this story. 240 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 1: But he probably has a relationship with someone in the 241 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: you know, Celtics front office or ownership doing them a solid. 242 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: But I don't think you do that unless you're a 243 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: big time sports fan and you just think it's cool, 244 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: let's bring Kevin Durant to Boston. I think it's would 245 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: have been it's cool that he's going to Golden State. 246 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: I think that team whether people say, you don't even 247 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: need to watch the season, now, it's gonna be fascinating 248 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: to see what they do. I actually am a little 249 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: bit more of an NBA fan now, West don't think 250 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: it's cool at all. Well, what, guys, you shouldn't that 251 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: Maybe the sport itself should step in and say, hey, 252 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: you can't just build dream teams and the other twenty 253 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: eight teams don't matter. Why do why do you root 254 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: for the teams so much like the for the sport. 255 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,719 Speaker 1: The players have no choice of where they can go 256 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: when they get drafted, no other job. And that's that's 257 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 1: how do I root for the teams? I root for 258 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: the sport. And it doesn't make the sports good when 259 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: the thirty teams are irrelevant. Here, I'll bet you the 260 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: ratings for those Warriors games are already And say, I 261 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: don't ratings. I'm talking about the health of the sport. 262 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: And when when the sport, Yeah, asked the other asked 263 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: the other fans in the twenty eight other cities whether 264 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: it's good. Well, the Warriors didn't win, they barely beat 265 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: they barely beat the Thunder. They really probably shouldn't have 266 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: beat the Thunder after being the best team. That's the 267 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: that's the great thing about sports. There's no guarantee that 268 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: they're gonna win. That's why we're gonna watch. You're not 269 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: you're not addressing the point that for in the league, 270 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: the entire season is irrelevant. Why even suit up? But 271 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: he has no chance? This was the Portland Trail Lasers, 272 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: or the Houston Rockets or now the Oklahoma City Thunder. 273 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: You you do know that this was an issue with 274 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: baseball for years it was, and so football has been 275 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: the sport that said we're going to bring parody in 276 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 1: a salary cap. And I still think there's a and 277 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: full of football teams to go into the season the 278 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: same way, but it's much less and there's latest season 279 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: entirely their own fault. It's but football football brings parody. 280 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: You want the same thing the football that was strident, 281 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: le sane, especially after the first two games, even before 282 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: the series started. Warriors are gonna sweep the Thunder. The 283 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: Warriors are gonna the playoffs. They have nothing to do 284 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: with the point on me that for eight two games 285 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: across how many months is the NBA, it seems like 286 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: ten months. It's entirely useless. Well, I've always said, here's 287 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: my formula for the NBA, and I you know people 288 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: will disagree, but the regular season is interminably long. Have 289 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: four NBA playoffs, and the winner of each of them 290 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: plays each other in a giant final four. Nobody needs 291 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: eighty two regulars. Great ideas. Call me a dinosaur, call 292 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: me the old dude. I do think it means a 293 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: lot more to winning championship when you've earned it and 294 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: not when you went just went and joined the best 295 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: team because you wanted a dream. Tom maybe, but mean 296 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: you it doesn't. I don't necessarily think it means any 297 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: different to Kevin Durant. He can do it. He can 298 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: do what he wants. He might who knows what he 299 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: does in a couple of years. Sure, he's successful and 300 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: rich and won't worry about his legacy. But I'm free 301 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: to bash him for it, right, But we also bash 302 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: guys for taking more money. He's taking less money to 303 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: do this stuff. It doesn't matter. He's already made a 304 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: hundred I mean, give me a break with that. Who cares, 305 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: Oh he took less money, He's already made more money 306 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: than the eighteen people associated with the NFL media. Is 307 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: Mark and I are great. Mark and I are great 308 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: examples of the casual fan. I am more in on 309 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: the NBA right now than I have been in years 310 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: and years, and it's because of it's because of Durant 311 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: and the Warriors. Because you don't live in Oklahoma, and 312 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: you don't live in Portland, and don't live in Dallas, 313 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: you have the luxury of just rooting for these three 314 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: superstar teams. Alright, we're twenty five minutes into this show 315 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: and we've covered softball and basketball? What will be the 316 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: next sport that? Let's talk about Making the Leap. That's 317 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: it for new Is there what was even close to news? Uh, 318 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: let's talk Making the Leap. That's our big series each 319 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: and every year. And uh, if you're new to the 320 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: podcast or to the website, check it out at NFL 321 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: dot com slash Making the Leap. But we looked back. 322 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: We've been doing this since two thousand and twelve. So 323 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: even before I moved out here to California, I was 324 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: working in New York. We were doing this series before 325 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: Chris Wesley even was at NFL. But while he was 326 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: still constructing the final pieces of the Rhodor World Empire 327 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: that he built by himself. Brick by brick, Did you 328 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: read this we were doing two thousand twelve west. Did 329 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: you click in the NFL dot com and read our 330 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: hot takes? We had some good ones, by the way. 331 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: We had to marry Us Thomas before his breakout year. 332 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: We had Tory Smith before a nice year, had some 333 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: bad ones. We had some really bad ones. Kendall Hunter. 334 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: I think, well, we discovered that, uh well, we discovered 335 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: that a couple of players have been done twice. A 336 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: couple of players have been on twice. But the idea 337 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: is we're picking guys. They can either be under the 338 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,199 Speaker 1: radar and they're gonna make the leap to you know, 339 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 1: to a good starter, you know, a breakout type of season, 340 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: or they can be guys who are already good but 341 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: they're gonna make the leap two superstar so you don't 342 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: have to be totally under the radar. And the guy 343 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: kicking off the list and this year they're presented in 344 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 1: no order, no ranking is Jadevian Clowney and I wrote 345 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: the Clowney piece. And he's a guy who I think 346 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: is really misunderstood by a lot of people out there, 347 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: people breaking out the B word for bust, people talking 348 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: before he was drafted about his high motor. And I 349 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: think I wanted to do this because I think he 350 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: has a potential to be a Pro Bowler star this year. 351 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: And I think people don't realize he's already a good player. 352 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: He's a good starting player. He needs to stay on 353 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: the field. That's a major, major problem. And if he 354 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 1: doesn't get over that, his career is gonna be a disappointment. 355 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: But when he was on the field last year, he 356 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 1: showed a lot. He showed strength, he showed excellent run defense. 357 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: I mean, you're afraid to run right at him, You're 358 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 1: afraid to run left at what. That is a problem 359 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: for defenses because I think he is at that level 360 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: as a run defender, not what, but at a Pro Bowl, 361 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: one of the better run defenders at his position in 362 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 1: the league. He's just so strong that he can get 363 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: rid of double teams, and he's so quick he can 364 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: get around people if he needs to, and that all 365 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 1: shows up on tape. Not a great pass rusher, yet, 366 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: I have some, you know, things that I think he 367 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 1: could he could improve on. There but to me, he 368 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: is healthy this offseason for the first time, and I 369 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: think he's set up to to kind of show everyone 370 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,439 Speaker 1: why he was the number one pick. I thought. I 371 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: watched your appearance on an NFL h Q, and I 372 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: thought you really did a good job in the face 373 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: of skepticism from Jamie Dukes, who seemed to obsess over 374 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: Clowney being the number one overall draft pick. Yeah, and 375 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: that there's a different expectation he needs to meet, and 376 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: I think you have to throw that out the window. 377 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: After a microfracture surgery that ruined his first season, you 378 00:18:57,880 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: kind of have to throw that season out. And I 379 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: thought he was a good starter in his second season already. 380 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: And people seem to forget that he played thirteen games 381 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: last season, that it wasn't five or six, that he 382 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: isn't consistently. It wasn't an injury plague season the way 383 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,120 Speaker 1: the previous one was, right, although he had a lot 384 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: of different injuries. I mean, he had a knee and 385 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 1: an ankle, and then it uh injury and then he 386 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: ended up with a foot spring and that that's what 387 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: hurt was when they got to the playoffs, he wasn't 388 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: there and it really hurt the great momentum that he had, 389 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: because the best stretch of his career by far was 390 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: the five weeks before that. I mean, he dominated a 391 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: couple of games. He dominated the game against the Jets, 392 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: and he played outstanding against the Patriots. That was a 393 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: Sunday night game that we weren't watching live, so we 394 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: didn't see here Chris Collins were gushing over how dominant 395 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: he was. He had a couple of sacks that game. 396 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,679 Speaker 1: Was incredible in the running and if you throw a 397 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: tight end at him, I don't care if it's Gronk, 398 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: He's gonna make him look bad. He made Gronk look 399 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: bad a couple of times, especially in the run game, 400 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: pushing people back. And that's the thing about the micro 401 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: actress surgery that surprised me going and watching much more 402 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,360 Speaker 1: than I would have on a on a normal Sunday. 403 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: He was explosive last year. I mean right off the gate. 404 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: I mean he didn't look like a guy. He still 405 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: looks like a guy when you watch him. That stands 406 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: out from the rest of the NFL. Play he does. 407 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: You can you can immediately identify which players do Debbian 408 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 1: clowney when you're watching the Texans, and he plays with 409 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 1: a power that you don't often see, and he plays 410 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: with hustle. That's the thing. I mean. He made so 411 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: many plays and sometimes the commentar uh the you know 412 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: on TV noticed it. So many plays running down from 413 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: the backside, running down to play. It could be fifteen 414 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: yards down the field. And he's so quick. If they 415 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: do those plays where you just leave the last guy 416 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: on the line unblocked and you just figure your running 417 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 1: back is gonna get you know, wide to the whole 418 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: two fact, he kills those plays because he is he 419 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: is hustling. So I didn't I did not see anything 420 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:50,439 Speaker 1: about his motor. And if you listen to his coaches, 421 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: I don't think they do either. I think they think 422 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: he is a difference maker, that their defense is totally 423 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: a different group when he's on the field. They talked 424 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: about this offseason being healthy offseason finally in that he 425 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 1: seems to have if there was any motivational issues or 426 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: he was a little bit in awe of the NFL 427 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: experience and not healthy out of the gate, like he 428 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: seems to be very plugged in this offseason, which, by 429 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: the way, everyone is Sason, it's a little bit of 430 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: a worry. But for Clowney at least it's noticeable because 431 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: it's coming from Mike Rabel, who's a hard nosed coach, 432 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: and they have gotten on Clowney in his rookie year 433 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,440 Speaker 1: through our NFL media insider Ian rappable about not loving 434 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: his attitude in terms of fighting through injuries and coming 435 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: back from injury. So it's not just it's not just 436 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: you know, Knox against him unfair knocks. This wasn't a 437 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: legitimate criticism. But he's a young he's a young guy. 438 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: He's twenty two years old. I think right now he 439 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: came out early and maybe he's maturing. He's taking it 440 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: a little more professional, and I think he's he's never 441 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,880 Speaker 1: gonna be DeMarcus Ware or von Miller coming off the edge. 442 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: I don't think that's him. But he reminds me of 443 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: a guy who could have a Terrell Suggs like career. 444 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: Suggs is an unbelievable run defender throughout his career. He's 445 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: maybe not the most natural old he's not gonna bend 446 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: the edge type of pass rusher, but he racked up 447 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: a lot of sacks over the years just because he's 448 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 1: stronger than everyone, and he works hard, and I think 449 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:10,879 Speaker 1: that's the kind of player. Clown He could be a 450 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: James Harrison or a Terrell Sugs type of guy. Now 451 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:17,360 Speaker 1: we're a week out from you doing your defensive line rankings, 452 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: and one thing that I noted from your tape watching 453 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: that you saw Clowney. You know, you call him an 454 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: outside linebacker, but it's up in the dirt. He's playing end, 455 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,440 Speaker 1: he's playing a little tackle. Does after this this making 456 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: the leap project that you've done, are you willing to 457 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: look at the Texans and there they had a pretty 458 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: They weren't even on the list of your top twelve. 459 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: I think defensive lines can they crack that top twelve. 460 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: So that's a good point. I counted that the way 461 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: that teams list players, they list them as an outside linebacker. 462 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 1: The more you watch, the more you realize these positions 463 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: are silly. I mean, I couldn't. I don't have the 464 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: breakdown of the snaps he took at end, and he 465 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,120 Speaker 1: took at least a handful it seemed like every game 466 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: at defensive tackle to how many outside linebackers. By the way, 467 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: you can play defensive ackle and play it well. And 468 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: that's what Clowney was doing. It seemed to me that 469 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: at least half the snaps he's on the defensive line 470 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 1: and his hands in the ground. So I don't know 471 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: what the difference is. I mean, you like never in coverage. 472 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: Khalil Mack as a rookie, run stopping was a premier 473 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: talent of his right away. And let's say that with 474 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: Clowney his first year as a Wash, it's gone. You 475 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: saw great runs stopping last year, but they they drafted 476 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 1: him where they drafted him to get to the quarterback too. 477 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 1: Could you see a similar type jump where he adds 478 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: that element to his game the way Mac did last year. Yeah, 479 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: because I think he's he's stronger, and he's gonna stay 480 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 1: on the field and he's gonna overpower people. But no, 481 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: he didn't show the the pass rush skills that Mac 482 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: did right off the show. I think one thing Mike 483 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 1: Mayock talked about which made a lot of sense, and 484 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: I knew to look for it after I saw I 485 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: was you know, he is so explosive right off the 486 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: snap and he's gonna push guys back, but he didn't 487 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,239 Speaker 1: have those finishing moves like Max. Seems like a more 488 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: natural pass rusher. I mean, Clowney had twenty two hurries 489 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: in pretty limited snaps last year, but I think he 490 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 1: can be a good pass rusher, a ten had eleven 491 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: sack type of guy. Maybe maybe not leading the league 492 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 1: but this year and then get better and better. So 493 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,720 Speaker 1: to actually make the leap, he needs to learn how 494 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: to set up blockers and polish up some of his 495 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:13,719 Speaker 1: pass rushing movie and stay on the field. He had 496 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: four and a half sacks his last seven full games. 497 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: I mean that's a pace for about ten sacks. I 498 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: think he can get eleven twelve sacks, be a great 499 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 1: run defender, make the Pro Bowl. That's Jadevian Clowney. He 500 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:25,640 Speaker 1: should give the Texans a lot of optimism. They are 501 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: They are quite loaded on that defense. Chris Westling, Let's 502 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: get to your guys on offense. Uh, the Colts are 503 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,439 Speaker 1: rather loaded, especially because of their young wide receivers that 504 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: you like. Yeah, I think you look at the Packers, 505 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: Colts and Cowboys. Is three offenses that set the NFL 506 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: on fire in two thousand and fourteen, and they all 507 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: took a major step back in two thousand fifteen, mostly 508 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 1: because of injuries. And if you're looking for a reason 509 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: that they all bounce back, because I believe all three will. 510 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: For the Colts, it's Andrew lux Health and then Dante 511 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 1: Moncrief and Philip Doors said emerging. You know, you get 512 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 1: Andrea Andre Johnson out of there, and who has a 513 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: faster trio of wide receivers than t Y Hilton, Philip 514 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 1: Dorset and Donte Moncrief. I don't think any team in 515 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,440 Speaker 1: the NFL does. This is going to be the speediest 516 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: wide receiver corps in the league. Trying to think of 517 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 1: one with the The Steelers could compete when Bryant's on 518 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 1: the field, but he's not going to be on the field. Yeah, 519 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: even then, Antonio Brown runs about a four or five five. 520 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,160 Speaker 1: You're talking four three three for Dorset, four three five 521 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: for t Y Hilton, in a four or four for Moncrief. 522 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: That is amazing about Nelson and John Smokey, but they 523 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,399 Speaker 1: don't have the third guy that can can match it. 524 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: You're right, what what about Dorset? I want to hear 525 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 1: more about him. Moncrief is a trendy fantasy pick. Will 526 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: get to him in a second, but I kind of 527 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: want to hear what you said about Dorset. There is 528 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: nothing in Dorsets rookie tape that would make you believe 529 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: he's going to make the leap there just isn't. He 530 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: played a couple of why is he making the labe, Well, 531 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: you have to take you have to take the leap, 532 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 1: you have to take. The coaching staffs effusive rays the teammates, 533 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: a fuse of praise last offseason and kind of project 534 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 1: what he did on the field. Towards the end of 535 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: the season week sixteen, weeks seventeen, you started to see 536 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: them using him a little bit like Brandon Cooks with 537 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: some Jets sweeps, some bubble screens, some slants, but they 538 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:16,719 Speaker 1: didn't do that early in the season. I think he 539 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: wasn't ready. And it's the same problem Donte Moncrief had 540 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: as a rookie. Pet Hamilton's offense, and this is the 541 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: offense that Philip Dorset was in early in his rookie 542 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: season before pet Hamilton's was fired, is one of the 543 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: few in the NFL where they don't have an X, 544 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: Y and Z receiver. You have to learn every wide 545 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: receiver position on the in the offense, and that's what 546 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: held these guys up. And you could see Dorset's first 547 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: game he wasn't ready. He had he had the yips. 548 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 1: You'd see him in as a punt returner. He fumbles 549 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: two punts and he you know, he's just not there yet. 550 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: And then the second game, they're playing the Jets and 551 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: he and Andrew Luck try to dial up five or 552 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: six deep balls and the ball is not within ten 553 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: yards of him because there's no rapport there. So I think, 554 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,959 Speaker 1: with Doors said, he just isn't ready, and you you 555 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: imagine that there's a Brandon Cooks like role for him 556 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 1: in his second season. But the more I watched these guys, 557 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: the more confident I was in Moncreef above Dorset that 558 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,360 Speaker 1: Moncreef is one of the best breakout candidates available Thursday. 559 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: DeAndre Hopkins like uh Ac sideline acrobatics to his game 560 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 1: and in the end zone, he's a great leaper, knows 561 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: how to use his body. He's physical, and he's a 562 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,159 Speaker 1: guy who came into the league. He fell in the 563 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: draft because he had all the physical tools of a 564 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: number one receiver, but he was sloppy in college. He 565 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: you know, he did his route running was an issue. 566 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: He played with bad quarterbacks, his hands were questionable. All 567 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: that went out the window. Last year he played with 568 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: terrible quarterbacks with the Colts. Even luck was bad, hassleback 569 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: wasn't that good. And then the freeman you know, Linley, 570 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: I mean, that's just let's not talk about he's corralling 571 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 1: all these bad passes and showing great hands which you 572 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: don't expect to see, and good after the catchability. He 573 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: to me, he looks like a complete receiver. And Matt Harmon, 574 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: who does works on our fantasy team, really studies route running, 575 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 1: believes that he's the best example of a guy who 576 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: came from college, improved by leaps and bounds as a rookie, 577 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: and then improved by leaps and bounds again in the 578 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: second season. So he's a guy who really looks polished 579 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: to me. And Moncrief showed it at times the year 580 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: before too. I mean they there were games where he 581 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 1: put on tape what you're talking about him doing this season. 582 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: And it's not like he had a terrible second year 583 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 1: at all. Like you said, Uh, Matt Harmon, who does 584 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: a great job with his reception perception, Wow, he's getting 585 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: some love here today, you know, pointed out he thinks 586 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: he was much better as a second year at seven 587 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: thirty three yards even in six touchdowns, is not a 588 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: bad second season in the NFL, especially considering what was 589 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 1: around him. He wouldn't even be eligible for this list 590 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: if not for too lux injury. And then he's He's 591 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: already having a breakout season by the end of October. 592 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: Then they run into the Panthers and Broncos, who had 593 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: the two best secondaries in the NFL, kind of shut 594 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: him down. Luck gets hurt in that Broncos game, and 595 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: then all of the wide receiver production goes out the 596 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: window from the rest of the season. Well, he also 597 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: has you know, West and I don't always agree on players, 598 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: but but no, we do agree on players more than 599 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: not if if anything, we only argue you know about 600 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: the exceptions to the rule. But what I was gonna 601 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: say is one thing I know we both love and 602 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: and it is like a trait that is always in 603 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: some of our favorite receiver I mean, guys who can 604 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: win at the point of attack, that don't need to 605 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: be open to make catches. That fight for Bosi and 606 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: Kuan Bolden is just about my like, right when I 607 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: started doing you know, fantasy for a full time living 608 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: was my all time favorite player. For that and just 609 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: those types of player. Steve Smith is obviously another and 610 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 1: mon Creef. I don't know if he's as physical as 611 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: those guys, but he certainly he certainly has some of 612 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: that that traite. He he is physical. I mean, no 613 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: one's as physical as an Kwan bull that you just 614 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: don't get that. But mon Creef does have some of that. 615 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,719 Speaker 1: He's six two two twenty two. I mean that's a 616 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: good size for a wide receiver and he uses his body. Well, 617 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: brace yourself, Rish, We've moved to that point in the 618 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: show where Greg and West just starts slapping each other 619 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: on the back and haven't drink when we agree. Now 620 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: now it's just you know, I'm just gonna sit back 621 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 1: and drinking in at this point. No, that well, that's 622 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: what you do during the Fantasy Show, but that's not 623 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: coming up until later in the season. Are we gotta 624 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: do we gotta do Fantasy Week again, Well, we don't 625 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: have to know we should do. We gotta do Fantasy Week. 626 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: I think we should even stretch it out. I have 627 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: a little a little fantasy preview maybe before camp, and 628 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: then Fantasy Week during the season. I agree because I 629 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: want to go to Sessler's Fantasy Corners. Oh yeah, that 630 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: was one of the best places to be in the 631 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: country last year. Quite accurate, I think too, Sessor's Fantasy Corner. 632 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: All right, that's Making the Leap if you're listening to 633 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: this podcast because you know you haven't heard a fresh 634 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: one and you just want to listen right away. If 635 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: you happen to be listening to this on Thursday, Chris's 636 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: piece is not even up yet, so you're getting a preview, 637 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 1: but it will be up on Friday morning at NFL 638 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: dot com. Slash Making the Leap. The Clowney piece, uh 639 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: is up now out and we're gonna be rolling through 640 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: these all next week. Mark Sessler has a couple of bangers, 641 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: uh coming up, a couple of good offensive players that 642 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,719 Speaker 1: won't won't give him away. Yeah, let's keep it as well. 643 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: We'll keep it a secret. But that'll be all next week. 644 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: We probably won't talk Leap every show, but we'll we'll 645 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: try to catch up every few shows, uh and have 646 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: some discussion. I'm not gonna even be here next week. 647 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: By the way, we're all taking our turns. Neither of 648 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: us this is we gotta take our time because six 649 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: seven days a week after after camp started, Mark's already 650 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: saying all the off seasons over. It feels over to me. 651 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: I was like, I was gonna start to read a 652 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: book like that just interested me, and I thought, you know, no, 653 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: I gotta wait another ten months to what are you 654 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: talking about? This matter? Time to read? Bucks camp doesn't 655 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: start for two and a half. There was a sense 656 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: of chaos, and it's like just over a couple hills away, 657 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: heading right at us, I'm gonna bang out about I'm 658 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: gonna bang out a ton of books in the next 659 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: three weeks while I can. I mean, this is the 660 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: time to do it, to be motivated, which is a 661 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 1: great transition in here to our conversation coming up, we're 662 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: gonna I think your nightlife is a little bit compared 663 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: to mine. I've noticed is that you are you are 664 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 1: more organized in your and your activities in the evening. 665 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: What does that mean? I mean? I I would say 666 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: one of my issues when it comes to knocking out 667 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: banging out multiple books is beer would be one West 668 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: would be another one. West and beer. So you know, 669 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: West gotten to my reading as much as I needed to. 670 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: West and Beer are the are basically the same thing, 671 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: you know, the same thing. They're redundant. Look, you could 672 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 1: say west or beer. We have a job to go together. 673 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: We have two months to live. Yeah, in June, so 674 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 1: that's when I get it done. Yep, that's fine. I'm 675 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: a bad influence. I'm marked during those two much. Well, 676 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: I don't. I'm not sure it doesn't go both ways, 677 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: but oh, it definitely goes both ways. If any If 678 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: I'm ranking it, who has the worst influence on the 679 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: other don't need to get an upset. I'm giving it 680 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: to Mark the worst influence and we'll need to rank it. 681 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 1: Why rank? That's why would you need to rank that 682 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: type of thing? I rank everything. That's what I do. 683 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: That's basically my job description. Uh for debate. Yeah, my 684 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: kids don't like it, that's for sure. Rank some books, 685 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: that's right. The summer reading list. And we mentioned this 686 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: earlier in the off season that Chris Wesseling dropped a 687 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: hammer NFL dot Com slash books for the rest of the 688 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: the time is gonna be there and people could check 689 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: out Chris Westley's great top ten list of his favorite 690 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: football books. And there's some other honorable vengeance and we 691 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: wanted to break it out and really have a longer 692 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 1: discussion about books because all of us, uh, we love books, 693 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: and we know a lot of people listening, maybe not everyone, 694 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 1: but a lot of people listening, UH, would would love 695 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: to hear some about these football books because one thing 696 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 1: that I was frustrated by when I got into this 697 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: uh industry. You know, you go to the bookstore baseball, 698 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: you go to the baseball section, Oh, and there's there's 699 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: three bookshelves of oh every single baseball book about the 700 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: forty five Yankees or whatever, and then you go to 701 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: the football section and it's just like a handful of 702 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: leaflets that's the same size of the same size of 703 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 1: card games or whatever, like an NFL yearbook from two 704 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,280 Speaker 1: years ago. Terrible. So it couldn't agree more has more books. 705 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: And I always thought this is crazy because football. One 706 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: reason I like it is there's the biggest gap in 707 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 1: understanding and I believe when it comes to football between 708 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 1: the players and coaches and the fans, So that means 709 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,399 Speaker 1: there should be than any sport. I think there should 710 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: be more books to help help the fans love it. 711 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 1: And you have a lot of bangers, Chris, Let's start 712 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,920 Speaker 1: with your your all time favorite football book, is that 713 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,320 Speaker 1: okay way to start? Is there a way to even 714 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: call a favorite? Yeah, it's hard to categorize these books. 715 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: That's one of the main takeaways from this project that 716 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: depending on who your audience is and what bias they're 717 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: taking into the exercise, it's hard to make recommendations. If 718 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: you're just getting into football, you probably want something that 719 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 1: explains the nuts and bolts of the game. Uh, if 720 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:58,879 Speaker 1: you appreciate fiction, My favorite book is A Fan's Notes, 721 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: and right up there is Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walks, 722 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: which to me are are two of the top five 723 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: books ever written on uh, fiction, literature and American sports. 724 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 1: I mean, A Fans Notes captures football better than any 725 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: I think any book, or why fame and football go together, 726 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,960 Speaker 1: it's right up there with a natural as far as 727 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:24,720 Speaker 1: I'm concerned in fiction, literature and in American sports. Frederick Exuley, 728 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: this is number one on your list, and I know 729 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:30,439 Speaker 1: you're a fan too. I would put it number one 730 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,799 Speaker 1: on my list. Two And I've not read every book 731 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: in this top ten, and I'll get to that at 732 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:38,280 Speaker 1: some point over the next decade. But I will say clearly, 733 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:40,840 Speaker 1: this is not just my favorite football book. It's a 734 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 1: top two or three book in general for me and 735 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,959 Speaker 1: West and I before West was even hired. This must 736 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: have been six seven months before you were even on 737 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,319 Speaker 1: NFL dot COM's radar. We were tweeting at each other 738 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: late night about this book. I think it's how we 739 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,359 Speaker 1: first probably interacted. And I came to it in a 740 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:01,440 Speaker 1: very weird way because I was trying to remember when 741 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,479 Speaker 1: I first heard about fans Notes, and it was way 742 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 1: back in I was living in the Denver Y m 743 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 1: c A for a couple of months, long story, but 744 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,720 Speaker 1: would spend days of the library and ended up reading, 745 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: taking his head with his hand over it. It's true. 746 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: But Hunter Thompson's and collection of letters, you and I 747 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: found this book being the exact same way. I was 748 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,800 Speaker 1: reading The Proud Highway, which is Hunter S. Thompson's first 749 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: collection of correspondence over a ten or fifteen year period, 750 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: and he mentions he's sort of like taken with the 751 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: book he was. He was writing to a publisher saying 752 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:37,719 Speaker 1: how it was an unknown He called it a demented 753 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 1: kind of honesty. Yes, yeah, and it is. It is demented. 754 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: And when you read it to me, this is the 755 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 1: first book I ever read where it just spoke to 756 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: me like, Okay, I totally get this guy and everything 757 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: he's going through. I totally understand it. He it is. 758 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: It's in that sort of I don't know if it's 759 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: a category or genre or that there is like a 760 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: type of book of like the book as Salvation. And 761 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 1: I don't want to get too deep into this, but 762 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,760 Speaker 1: this book is almost the reason why he went through 763 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: all that is to create this one book. And the 764 00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 1: evidence that's in your hand is the evidence, like it 765 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: makes it all worth it. It's sort of the evidence 766 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 1: of his greatness. And he didn't go on to write 767 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:26,280 Speaker 1: a bunch of other great books, but he managed, despite 768 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: all the things going against them, to create this thing 769 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: that here, almost fifty years later, two guys that have 770 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 1: nothing to do with them are connecting with Which is 771 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 1: I mean that that's the best thing. I thought, he yeah, 772 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: And I thought he his ability to kind of describe 773 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: his obsession with the New York Giants in a certain 774 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: era of the Giants, specifically Frank and Gifford, and to 775 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,399 Speaker 1: the point where, like I think anyone that grew up 776 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: loving football from an early age, there was a certain 777 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: ritual to Sundays that you know, I grew up in 778 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:56,320 Speaker 1: the East Coast. Football games would be at one o'clock, 779 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,759 Speaker 1: but you would make sure that your old morning and 780 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 1: even the night before, in and around preparing for watching 781 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,439 Speaker 1: football that day. And he has a long passage about 782 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:06,839 Speaker 1: how he would take the Sunday New York Times and 783 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 1: what sections he would read in certain orders, and he'd 784 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:11,840 Speaker 1: be at a certain tavern at ten or eleven am 785 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:13,759 Speaker 1: to prepare for the game. I mean, it's not just 786 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 1: well written. It really if you're a football fan, there's 787 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 1: a lot to take from it. And it's one of 788 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,399 Speaker 1: those types of books. And I think you guys really 789 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: like these types of writers, guys that it's like they 790 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 1: had he had to write that he had no choice, 791 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: that he's just writing with like in in Thane Urgency, 792 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: like Hunter s. Thompson is is like that, you like 793 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: karro wac Sessler's like they just have to get it out. 794 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: Let's go to where were you gonna say? Well, part 795 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: of that part of the Urgency comes from being an 796 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:44,760 Speaker 1: outsider in America. To me, it's one of the best 797 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 1: books about America, like Gatsby is about America and its 798 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,760 Speaker 1: potential and actually takes a lot from that, I think, 799 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: and that's where the urgency comes from that he has 800 00:38:56,239 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 1: no place in this country. He feels like an outsider. 801 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: What stands out to you, Sessler from your football box 802 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,400 Speaker 1: that could be on West's list doesn't have to be. 803 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:06,960 Speaker 1: Is there is there one that's that stands out for 804 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,280 Speaker 1: you other than the fans notes. I think that we uh, 805 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: we all liked Education of a Coach, which is a 806 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 1: great book. Um, and you said this so well, and 807 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 1: you're right up of it. That David Halberston, he's he's 808 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: a historian and a writer first and eventually got to 809 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,480 Speaker 1: football as a subject matter. And the mix of him 810 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,600 Speaker 1: and the study subject, which was Bill Belichick and not 811 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,400 Speaker 1: just Bill Belichick, and what you would think would just 812 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:35,319 Speaker 1: be kind of a tell all biography, but really at 813 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 1: a point in time where he was learning how to 814 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 1: turn the Patriots from yes, they want a super Bowl 815 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: into something much more than that, and the unpacking of 816 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: like Ernie, it's the first time I had really read 817 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:49,719 Speaker 1: about Ernie Adams Belichick's behind the scenes guru. He just 818 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:54,440 Speaker 1: he describes uh Belichick's obsession from an early age with 819 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,359 Speaker 1: football in a way that is it's an excellent read. 820 00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 1: You're suddenly two hundred and fifty pages into it, and 821 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 1: whether or not you like the Patriots, you gotta respect 822 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:05,279 Speaker 1: what the writings about here. David Halberston is probably my 823 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,560 Speaker 1: favorite sports writer of all time. I love Gary Smith 824 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: and Jim Murray and a couple other guys too, but 825 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 1: you're talking about a Pulitzer Prize winner for his reporting 826 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,120 Speaker 1: on the Vietnam War. And then he writes the best 827 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: and the brightest about the Kennedy White House, which is 828 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,640 Speaker 1: so acclaimed. I mean, he's one of these guys who 829 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 1: writes about sports. He called him his Little Entertainments because 830 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 1: it's basically a break from his real job. And he's 831 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,280 Speaker 1: so good as a writer that he can write sports 832 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 1: with anyone. But yeah, Everything they Had, which is a 833 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: collection of his sports writing the artist. I love that 834 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:37,400 Speaker 1: book is fantastic. Breaks of the Game. He's got some 835 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:39,279 Speaker 1: NFL stuff and yeah, Breaks of the Game is the 836 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 1: best basketball book ever. And Belichick was, you know, he's 837 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 1: canny and smart. And the only reason this happened is 838 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,440 Speaker 1: because they apparently are the neighbors on their vacation homes, 839 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: and so they became friends. Greg teaches tennis to their coin. 840 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 1: But it does show the other side of Belichick, which is, 841 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:57,080 Speaker 1: you know, one of the things that just stands out 842 00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:00,400 Speaker 1: when I think of this book is how he is 843 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: all he always throughout his life is sort of challenging 844 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 1: conventional wisdom and is that the right way to do things? 845 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:09,120 Speaker 1: And that is sort of the to me and you 846 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,239 Speaker 1: learned about his father of course, is a is a huge, 847 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 1: huge part of the book. I think that's why I 848 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,359 Speaker 1: agreed to do it, is it's almost a love letter 849 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,759 Speaker 1: to his father, but it's also a love letter to 850 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:20,839 Speaker 1: don't accept what everyone that's above you is telling you, 851 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:24,680 Speaker 1: because that's how he got ahead. Essentially. I love that 852 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:27,680 Speaker 1: as a bio. Let's let's break it into bios because 853 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:30,839 Speaker 1: I did, um, I did. Actually, let's go around. I'm 854 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,399 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you my first, my favorite book, which 855 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 1: is I think if you're gonna read one book on 856 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:38,279 Speaker 1: the NFL, if I'm just gonna pick one, I'm gonna 857 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:41,120 Speaker 1: go New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football by Paul 858 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 1: Zimmerman to me dr Z and it was cool. On 859 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:46,799 Speaker 1: mm QB last week they had a doctor Z Week, 860 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,760 Speaker 1: which I recommend uh you go check out. They also 861 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: had to go fund me um thing that they put 862 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:57,359 Speaker 1: together to help Dr z z Out who's struggling with 863 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 1: health issues. Man, this guy. All I thought when I 864 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: read these books was I wish someone could write these 865 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: books today, because they're incredible, And if they were writing 866 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:08,759 Speaker 1: about the players today in this sort of way, it 867 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,880 Speaker 1: would blow me away, just the how in depth it 868 00:42:12,040 --> 00:42:14,920 Speaker 1: was going through each position, and just this style that 869 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,840 Speaker 1: he has almost of reporting to an incredible degree, and 870 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,600 Speaker 1: it's almost just like a collection of the quotes from 871 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: the players all tied together in a way that really 872 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:26,920 Speaker 1: helps you, I think, understand the sport in a totally 873 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:29,520 Speaker 1: different way what goes into playing each different position. I 874 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:31,759 Speaker 1: would recommend you pick up The New Thinking Man's Guide 875 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:36,680 Speaker 1: to Pro Football, which is seven update of the one 876 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:38,799 Speaker 1: book which was his original. They're both great. They're not 877 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:42,239 Speaker 1: that that much different, but it is really it's he's 878 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 1: just an amazing writer. I love uh some of his 879 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 1: other football books, like the Last Season of We View 880 00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:49,439 Speaker 1: Bank is a really terrific season in the Life book 881 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:52,160 Speaker 1: with the Jets, and he just gets such honesty and 882 00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:55,120 Speaker 1: such inside sort of access that you don't see elsewhere. 883 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: I think a lot of writers today, including me try 884 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: to write like Dr Z. And it's the combination of 885 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 1: he knows he played in college, and he played some 886 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:11,319 Speaker 1: semi pro football after that. He knows the xs and 887 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:14,040 Speaker 1: ohs better than anyone who's ever written football. He knows 888 00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:17,360 Speaker 1: the game film. He also knows the history of football 889 00:43:17,719 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 1: and how to tie that into what's going on. While 890 00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:23,640 Speaker 1: he was still writing how to tie that in and 891 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:26,919 Speaker 1: hand he could report he had he had so many 892 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:29,680 Speaker 1: connections in the game, and he could spend spending yard 893 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 1: until great anecdotes. So it wasn't too dry, whereas if 894 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,120 Speaker 1: you read Finding the Winning Edge, which is another book 895 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:38,799 Speaker 1: that every coach has on their shelves, very dry, kind 896 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:42,880 Speaker 1: of like a textbook for football doctors. The stuff reads 897 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:46,200 Speaker 1: like fun. If he understands the nuance of every position 898 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 1: on the field, every coach on the field, every game 899 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:51,600 Speaker 1: plan going on. There just aren't writers who can do that. No, 900 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 1: and he and the fact I think last season A 901 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:55,799 Speaker 1: we View Bank is one of my favorite season in 902 00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: the life books, and there that's kind of a genre 903 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: of itself, and it's just him on the plane with 904 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,640 Speaker 1: we view Bank and it's in the middle of Joe 905 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:07,320 Speaker 1: Namath disappointing Uh, the part of his career that was 906 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:10,279 Speaker 1: disappointing and a kind of a coach at the end 907 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,840 Speaker 1: of his rope. I love those season in the life 908 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: books in general. Bringing the Heat by Mark Bowden about 909 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,239 Speaker 1: the Eagles in the early nineties is another one. Three 910 00:44:21,239 --> 00:44:24,279 Speaker 1: Bricks Shy of a Load by Roy Blunt about the 911 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:29,560 Speaker 1: seventies Steelers is insane writing. It's it's very seventies good 912 00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 1: writer Hunter S. Thompson types and just the characters. You 913 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:35,719 Speaker 1: would just loved it. Just never gonna happen again. You 914 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,480 Speaker 1: would love to see the character. Let's talk about Hunter S. 915 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:41,160 Speaker 1: Thompson for a second, because it's not a book necessarily, 916 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:42,920 Speaker 1: but it is included in some of his books. His 917 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:46,080 Speaker 1: super Bowl reporting is here in Loathing from the super Bowl, 918 00:44:46,120 --> 00:44:48,880 Speaker 1: which you can find The Great Shark Hunt, one of 919 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,480 Speaker 1: my favorite books of all time. That's the best compilation 920 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 1: of Hunter S. Thompson. And it's not the drug Head who. 921 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,360 Speaker 1: A lot of UH Trust Fund hippies really love Hunter S. 922 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:02,120 Speaker 1: Thompson now beca they've seen the movies. This is the 923 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:06,880 Speaker 1: nine early seventies journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who was the 924 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 1: best journalist of his era. Right. I think one takeaway 925 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:11,959 Speaker 1: is some of the best football writing comes from people 926 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:14,600 Speaker 1: that aren't writing football all the time. That's absolutely true. 927 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:21,319 Speaker 1: That that's true. Buzz Bissinger is another great example of that. 928 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 1: Friday Night Lights. People know of it now more as 929 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:27,920 Speaker 1: the show and the movie. That is the best piece 930 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:34,480 Speaker 1: of reporting and in social issues and complex like a 931 00:45:34,719 --> 00:45:37,439 Speaker 1: in a page turner, all in one. That is right there. 932 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:40,640 Speaker 1: If I'm making amount Rushmore of football books, that is 933 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 1: definitely on it. And it's a fun read like it. 934 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 1: You'll read it in two or three days, Like if 935 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:46,919 Speaker 1: you know, it depends what you want. You know, maybe 936 00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:49,480 Speaker 1: you don't want to get the New Thinking Man's Guide 937 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:50,960 Speaker 1: and kind of have this broad luck and you want 938 00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:53,560 Speaker 1: a story. It's an incredible story, but it also it 939 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:56,200 Speaker 1: also is meaningful. It hurts to leave that off, but 940 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,319 Speaker 1: because I'm writing for NFL dot Com and it's it's 941 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:01,239 Speaker 1: not an NFL book, I kind of left it off. 942 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:03,440 Speaker 1: But you're right, it's it's on the Mount Rushmore of 943 00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 1: football books and the reporting is up there. If I 944 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:08,720 Speaker 1: for one last book to me, if you're starting out 945 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: and you want to start your football book collection, I 946 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:14,880 Speaker 1: would start with America's Game, which is the definitive history 947 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:18,239 Speaker 1: book of the NFL, and what separates it from other 948 00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:20,680 Speaker 1: books that attempt to do the same thing is that 949 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 1: he writes this story against the cultural and sociological backdrop 950 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:28,759 Speaker 1: of America as it's happening, and he weaves that all 951 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:30,920 Speaker 1: in so well. I think he does tremendously with a 952 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,960 Speaker 1: great what else? Is there anything we got a few 953 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:37,320 Speaker 1: more minutes left here? There any on your list that 954 00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:39,279 Speaker 1: that stand out to I feel like I again, just 955 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:41,480 Speaker 1: check out the list because we're gonna miss some of 956 00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,399 Speaker 1: our favorites. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is the best 957 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:47,000 Speaker 1: book I've read in the twenty one century football or not. 958 00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 1: I love it. I think it's so well written. And 959 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:52,520 Speaker 1: when you have a guy like, uh, who's the guy 960 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 1: who wrote the Kite Runner um Colde Hossani He basically 961 00:46:56,719 --> 00:46:59,359 Speaker 1: read the book and said his reaction was, oh my god, 962 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:02,719 Speaker 1: why continue writing the whole undertaking his pointless? Is that 963 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:06,920 Speaker 1: well written? He captures the twenty one century George W. 964 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:10,880 Speaker 1: Bush America, where we're in these wars and football is 965 00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:15,280 Speaker 1: this thing where it's it's it's a thing of super 966 00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:18,439 Speaker 1: abundance and excess, where we've got all the planes flying over. 967 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:22,880 Speaker 1: We've got all the pageantry, you've got Destiny's Child at halftime, gyrating, 968 00:47:22,920 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 1: and the whole thing, just the excess of football in 969 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:28,799 Speaker 1: the early twenty one century. And it's and it's got 970 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:32,680 Speaker 1: a great, uh Jerry Jones ish figure that is the 971 00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:36,080 Speaker 1: Cowboys owner in this which is great. I mean it's 972 00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:39,839 Speaker 1: not exactly Jerry Jones necessarily, but it's it's the Cowboys 973 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:41,480 Speaker 1: and it's the owner and the whole the whole thing 974 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:43,439 Speaker 1: is great. I'm really looking forward to the movie. See 975 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:45,920 Speaker 1: if we're gonna give recommendations here, read this book before 976 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:48,680 Speaker 1: the movie comes out in November December. It's gonna be 977 00:47:48,719 --> 00:47:50,640 Speaker 1: a tough movie to pull off, but it is ang 978 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:53,040 Speaker 1: Lee directing. It was a great director, and I think 979 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:55,680 Speaker 1: it'll be cool. I agree with you, it's one of it. 980 00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:57,919 Speaker 1: Would it would be in my top you know ten 981 00:47:58,120 --> 00:48:01,040 Speaker 1: books period that I've read, you know, this decade. It 982 00:48:01,239 --> 00:48:03,680 Speaker 1: was the star and it who what's what's bringing me 983 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:06,759 Speaker 1: into the theater? Um, that's a good question. Would not 984 00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: be brought into the theater. I don't know how you're 985 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:12,320 Speaker 1: gonna it's kindle the literature of this book on film. 986 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:15,120 Speaker 1: I don't know. You never it's it's the pros that 987 00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:18,440 Speaker 1: makes this book. He's an incredible writer. You were right 988 00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:21,040 Speaker 1: about Michael McCambridge too. I did it. But to me, 989 00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:23,839 Speaker 1: that's like, if you're teaching a class in football, that's 990 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:27,960 Speaker 1: should be your textbook. That's America's game. Is America's game. Um, 991 00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:29,480 Speaker 1: we got a few more minutes. I want to throw 992 00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:31,960 Speaker 1: out When Pride Still Mattered, which is one that certainly 993 00:48:31,960 --> 00:48:33,919 Speaker 1: has gotten love over the years, but that that would 994 00:48:33,920 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: be my number one bio of football bios. It's great 995 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:42,520 Speaker 1: because it punctures a lot of the little the myths 996 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:47,160 Speaker 1: that that we, as you know, football fans fifty years 997 00:48:47,239 --> 00:48:50,359 Speaker 1: later just assume is fact. One thing I didn't even 998 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: realize until I think I read the afterword of this 999 00:48:52,719 --> 00:48:57,440 Speaker 1: book is is the the title is sarcastic. It's not 1000 00:48:57,480 --> 00:48:59,640 Speaker 1: it's not too you know, people don't take it that way, 1001 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:02,839 Speaker 1: but the idol is sarcastic. When Pride Still Mattered. It's 1002 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:05,680 Speaker 1: a lot of It shows you how little things have 1003 00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:08,480 Speaker 1: changed that you don't need to put this guy on 1004 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:11,720 Speaker 1: a pedestal and make him some other worldly guy to 1005 00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:14,800 Speaker 1: to show his great Vince Lombardi, we're talking about Vince Lombardi. 1006 00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,360 Speaker 1: He has a phrase for that. David Marannis, the author, 1007 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:19,880 Speaker 1: has a phrase for that, which to me is the 1008 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:22,839 Speaker 1: key phrase in the entire book, the fallacy of the 1009 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:25,839 Speaker 1: innocent past, and we apply that to everything in life, 1010 00:49:25,920 --> 00:49:28,880 Speaker 1: that the past was so much more innocent and the 1011 00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:32,200 Speaker 1: past honestly was not innocent. Well, the best thing about 1012 00:49:32,239 --> 00:49:34,360 Speaker 1: that book, and it's one of the first football books 1013 00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:37,799 Speaker 1: I read, was the fact that it paints Lombardi as 1014 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:42,240 Speaker 1: very much a flawed human who drove certain people absolutely nuts. 1015 00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:45,160 Speaker 1: That he was great through hard work at what he did. 1016 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:47,359 Speaker 1: But you know, we've turned him into a myth when 1017 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:50,320 Speaker 1: he was very much a normal man. Well, like all humans, 1018 00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:53,120 Speaker 1: there's a duality in him, and I think Mirannis captured 1019 00:49:53,120 --> 00:49:56,399 Speaker 1: that really well. I another bio before we get out 1020 00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:59,239 Speaker 1: of here, Nameth by Mark Kriegel is a really good one. 1021 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:02,360 Speaker 1: I think some of the there's some fun Johnny You 1022 00:50:02,560 --> 00:50:05,120 Speaker 1: was a good bio. That's a good one. Training Camp one. 1023 00:50:05,239 --> 00:50:07,399 Speaker 1: I love the training Camp. That's sort of a genre. Two. 1024 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:10,279 Speaker 1: A Few Seconds of Panic, which if you're looking for 1025 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:12,640 Speaker 1: a book more about the modern NFL, it's with the 1026 00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:15,840 Speaker 1: two thousand six Broncos from a really good writer. Stephan 1027 00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:18,560 Speaker 1: Fatsis makes you love Jake Plumber by the way, like 1028 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:20,560 Speaker 1: and you really get to know these players on the 1029 00:50:20,560 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: Broncos really. Well, that's a good one. Paper Lion is 1030 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:25,480 Speaker 1: a classic. It's not your favorite West, but I think 1031 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:28,319 Speaker 1: it holds up well. I still love it. Yeah, I 1032 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:30,920 Speaker 1: know it's there's all these books that you're supposed to 1033 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:33,960 Speaker 1: love because their classics, and I couldn't get through a 1034 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,600 Speaker 1: Paper Lion. I I didn't think it held up well 1035 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:39,799 Speaker 1: at all. I love it. And I'm a George Plimpton fan, 1036 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:42,560 Speaker 1: like I've read the sequel to Mad Ducks and Bears 1037 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:45,000 Speaker 1: or something that one I liked better. One last one 1038 00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:48,520 Speaker 1: not so football oriented. But my little Pony apple Jack 1039 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:52,319 Speaker 1: the honest to goodness SWITCHERU by GM Barrow. Time to 1040 00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:57,160 Speaker 1: go show over. Um, you know what's the truth is. 1041 00:50:57,400 --> 00:51:01,719 Speaker 1: I recently purchased and my little a pony and my 1042 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:03,879 Speaker 1: little pony. But now the show is over. I am 1043 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:06,920 Speaker 1: not a brown don't don't allow any consom, not a brownie. 1044 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:10,520 Speaker 1: But um you know that my daughter wanted it. Now 1045 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:12,480 Speaker 1: you can trade stories with all. Made a made a 1046 00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:14,760 Speaker 1: trip to toys, r us, got a little my little pony. 1047 00:51:14,840 --> 00:51:18,399 Speaker 1: Nothing will you know, question your masculinity then walking through 1048 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:22,480 Speaker 1: a store with that. Let me tell you, all right, 1049 00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:25,880 Speaker 1: we've run out of time. We gotta get out of here. Uh. 1050 00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:29,319 Speaker 1: That was a fun chat about football Bucks little making 1051 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:33,480 Speaker 1: the leap. We are out of here, uh for the weekend. 1052 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:37,360 Speaker 1: Dan Hansis will be back on Monday with the show. 1053 00:51:37,480 --> 00:51:40,000 Speaker 1: Mark Sessler will be here for that. Wes and I 1054 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:42,239 Speaker 1: will be on vacation. But I think they'll try to 1055 00:51:42,280 --> 00:51:44,520 Speaker 1: get Colleen Wolf in here. We'll have some see if 1056 00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:47,840 Speaker 1: we can have some other special guests next week, and 1057 00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:55,240 Speaker 1: that'll about do it for the sizzler. Chris Westling, of course, 1058 00:51:55,760 --> 00:51:58,839 Speaker 1: Brandon and some shadowy League figures telling us to wrap 1059 00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:16,040 Speaker 1: up behind the glass. I'm gonna grows it off done Monday, 1060 00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:25,840 Speaker 1: twenty four hours from now, I will be on a 1061 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:29,560 Speaker 1: psychotic air voyage across the country with two insane toddlers.