1 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Ozone Podcast featuring Jack Wars dot Com 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: senior writer John Osher and Jack Barres executive producer Dave 3 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: the Chemist Dave, when we start here, you know, I've 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: gotten some ozone emails with feedback about the podcast. I 5 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: had a guy this week tell me, hey, John loved 6 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: the podcast, which I said, well, of course you do, 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: but I'm tired of talking about the pandemic. Can you 8 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: get out of the pandemic talk? And I'm thinking, what 9 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: else is there to talk about? I thought you were 10 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: gonna say, hey, John loved the podcast, but get that 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: other guy off it. I'm I'm too nice to tell 12 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: you about that. But I think what people don't realize, 13 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: or maybe they do if they know me, is even 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: in a normal situation, I have very little going on. 15 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: Like I go to work, I come home, I have 16 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: a few beers. I I pet rat. I'm like, I'm 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: like Myron So during the pandemic, my interests whittled down 18 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: to a frightening, frightening few. I'm I'm right there with you. 19 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: With two little kids, all I do all day is 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: trying to think of games and coloring sheets and and 21 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: chasing them around. Um. Yeah, the same things that I 22 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: don't have kids. Yeah, coloring is fun, it's ah and 23 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: I uh, we're going on what ten weeks of this now. 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: I've probably driven except out to see my mother lives 25 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: in Mandarin. I've probably driven five or six times the 26 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: grocery store. I have gotten to be a better shopper. 27 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: I now have a vague idea when I walk into 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: public or Walmart of sort of where the things are, 29 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: Like I can vaguely get to where the wheat finds are. 30 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: I have a little bit of an idea that vegetables 31 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: are in a certain aisle, that the cookies aren't always 32 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: next to the crackers, which is always instinctively where I go. 33 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: But beyond that, I mean, it's a bare minimum of 34 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: what I've actually done, and most of it's been dealing 35 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: with stuff around the house, like life stuff like my 36 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: son will come home. He's twenty four and he lives 37 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: out back in an apartment, not in the backyard, but 38 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: he he lives in a TP in your backyard. Well, 39 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: if you know the apartment, he probably live out back. 40 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: But he'll kind of say, oh, I've got I've got 41 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: to go do something with my car. I guess I'm 42 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: like Jake, that's life stuff. Welcome to life. But the 43 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: pandemic has been all life stuff. And I know you've 44 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: got a laundry list. I think I've finally I've had 45 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: this weird small week in the roof that I've been 46 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: dealing with. I think, knock on wood, that's would. I 47 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: think I finally got it figured out. It's rain last 48 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: couple of days, and the last fix seems to have worked. 49 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: But it's just I think when you're not doing anything else, 50 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: those get magnified. Oh it just work at home, Those 51 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: stresses get magnified because all you're doing all day is 52 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: looking at all the stuff that's wrong with your house. Yeah, 53 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: and we just moved, as you know, we moved to 54 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: a Springfield a few miles from the state or about 55 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: a mile from the stadium. So September, October, and November 56 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: I was working during the day, coming home, just sort 57 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: of dealing with that stuff you do when you get 58 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: into a new house, and I kind of thought it 59 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: was over. But then when the pandemic kid all of 60 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: a sudden, I said, Okay, well the porch that I 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: was gonna put off painting, maybe I'll go ahead and 62 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: paint it. Won't be that hard. Maybe I'll do the 63 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: upstairs porch too, because this place we've got it's kind 64 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: of cool. We've got four porches upstairs, downstairs, on back 65 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: and it's all wood. It's all one of these old houses. 66 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: And I I did off the the porch painting thing, 67 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: which is a lot of spindles and a lot of 68 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: small It was not a weekend job, Dave, it was. 69 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: It was more than that. But you got done to 70 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: that's good. That's good. Yeah, my stuff is oh yeah, 71 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: like my stuff isn't like like nice like home maintenancy 72 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. I'm getting. Like, so we our house, 73 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: but our house three years ago, four years ago, and 74 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: you know the house was built like a two thousand. 75 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: So we're around that twenty year threshold where everything starts 76 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: to go wrong. So literally the day of the when 77 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: the pandemic or the day when our office closed down 78 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: and we're gonna be home. Water here breaks new water here. 79 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: Then a week later, our refrigerator breaks, have to come 80 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: in get a guy into fix our refrigerator, which also 81 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: refrigerator was a whole another thing with because then you 82 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: got put stuff in coolers and then you gotta then 83 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: you got the frost of the refrigerator for them to 84 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: work on it. Then after that, oh minor thing, but 85 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: still our toaster oven dies randomly. Whoever had a toaster 86 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: oven that just stopped working? I don't sure. I don't know. 87 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: I'm not sure a toast ving. But do you ever 88 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: do the what do you have the traditional like pop 89 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: up toaster? Yeah, toaster, I got you, all right? Uh? 90 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: Then after the toaster oven, uh? Are so like my 91 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: house has been really humid for a little while, and 92 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: we have one of those deals with air conditioning company 93 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: where they do like, you know, twice a year maintenance 94 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: and they're like, hey, your fans like running constantly. I 95 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: was like, oh, that's not good. So then they had 96 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: to replace some kind of thing in the air conditioner. 97 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: It's another another expense. And then our neighbors were getting 98 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: a new roof, and you know how the roofers come 99 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: around and say, hey, I'll expect your house stops on 100 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: on there. It's like, you got a ton of storm damage. 101 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: You need a new roof for hurricane seasons. Now we're 102 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: dealing with the roof, so it with insurance, you're not 103 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 1: paying yeah, but still something. Yeah, you gotta deal with it. 104 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: And so that's been like my ten weeks. So enough 105 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: about the grocery shopping, which I'm sure we'll get into 106 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: because I don't think we're out of the wood yet 107 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: in terms of a little bit of a stay at 108 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: home thing. But this week's guests, I'm excited about a 109 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: long time friend of mine, long term NFL writer, the 110 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: guy who knows the current NFL along with the history 111 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: of the NFL, maybe as well as anybody out there. 112 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: People know him as Hall of Fame vote or a 113 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: long time sports illustrated writer. Uh. An incredible resume, incredible knowledge, 114 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: guy with football Peter King. Peter, thank you for doing that. John, 115 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: my pleasure. Thanks a left for talking to me. Tell 116 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: me quickly what your job has been like during this coronavirus. 117 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: We're getting a little bit of what you feel about 118 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: this and where it's headed. But how is your job change? Um? Well, 119 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: you know, John, I've been a sports writer for forty years. 120 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: Um and uh, people are gonna think this is crazy 121 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: when I say it, but uh, I've really never had 122 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: as much interesting material to write about and to talk 123 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: about in that forty years, because I mean, you know, 124 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: just to pick out two things. Um. One of the 125 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: things I've done over the years, now ten or eleven times, 126 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: is I've been inside a team's draft room on draft 127 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: weekend or on Draft Day, and so I really wanted 128 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: to do that this year with this virtual draft, and 129 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: so I tried hard, but most teams I didn't want 130 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: to have anything to do with me being involved because, honestly, John, 131 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: this could have been a pretty big mess up, you know. So, UM, 132 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: I got Jason Light of the Bucks to agree, and basically, 133 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: I'm sitting on the seventh floor of an apartment building 134 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn, New York right now. This is where I've 135 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: done my job for the last ten weeks. And Uh, 136 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: I was inside the Tampa Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft, uh 137 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: maneuvering's draft room, even though it was the toy room 138 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: in Jason Light's children's house, you know, his his kid's 139 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: toy room. But UH and and I covered it, and 140 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: I and I heard it, and I saw it all 141 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: the way down to one child with a blood curdling 142 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: mommy scream in the middle of him trying to make 143 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 1: a trade with Mike Mayock in the middle of the 144 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 1: first round, you know, in Las Vegas. So I mean, 145 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: that was really really different obvious, it's it's stunning, it's 146 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: really stunning. And you know, and then every single week 147 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,839 Speaker 1: I have been able to come up with something since 148 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: the middle of March, I've been able to come up 149 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: with something that, in my opinion anyway, uh is just different. 150 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 1: And and you know, I think our job as reporters 151 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: is to sort of kind of mirror the society we're 152 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: in at the time, mirror the place where we are. 153 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: And we are in an incredible situation right now. And 154 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: you know, this week in my column, I'm writing something 155 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:34,839 Speaker 1: on the Detroit Lions receiver room. Okay, receiver room. Okay, 156 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: there the coach, a guy named Robert Prince. Receiver's coach 157 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: is in his house in Jacksonville right now. That's where 158 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: he's running his zoom meetings from. Okay, He's got receivers 159 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: stretching from uh Long Island, New York, to San Diego, California, 160 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: at all spots in between. He's got a Louisiana, he's 161 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: got a Bradenton, Florida. He's on Austin, he's got a Dallas. 162 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: And so this is how teams are working and how 163 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: teams are are coaching right now, and I just find 164 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: it absolutely totally fascinating, and it seems like it's only 165 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: going to get more fascinating as they try to get 166 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: this thing together and actually had a season. Well, you know, 167 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: we'll see, um, you know, John, I mean as we 168 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: record this, I just read an item on Twitter where 169 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh Steelers, who you know, are one of the 170 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: most you have, one of the most intense fan bases 171 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: in the NFL, are only putting fifty of their tickets 172 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: on sale this year. Um, because because they think that 173 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: that's at max that's probably the most they'll be able 174 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: to fit in hyfield with social distancing. So, John, there's 175 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: this story. How in the world did the Steelers figure 176 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: out which fifty percent sell to and which fifty were 177 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: sent to say sorry, see you next year. There's probably 178 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,319 Speaker 1: people who are turning down who have been doing it 179 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: for thirty five years. Yeah, And and also what about 180 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: the people who have been going to Steelers games for 181 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: thirty years and who were this year they're told we 182 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: can't go. How do they feel? Let's find a few 183 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: of those. So that's what I'm talking about. These stories 184 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: are incredible and and only about half of them have 185 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: to do with the game on the field. It's all 186 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: this other stuff. And then you add in the normal 187 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: stuff with uh, you know, the normal every year stuff 188 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: in the NFL. You know where they're uh you know 189 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: talking now about the possibility of uh changing the on 190 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 1: side kick to a fourth and fifteen play where they're 191 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: having a monstrous amount of trouble with the Rooney rule 192 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: and with minority hiring. So you add you add all 193 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 1: the other stuff into that, and this is this is 194 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: as crazy and interesting and offseason as we've had. It 195 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: was now what like three weeks ago. I've been trying 196 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: to get Dr Frauci, you know, and talked to him 197 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: for for my column about what's ahead for football and everything. 198 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: So one uh Saturday evening at five thirty, I get 199 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: I got about a half hour notice, Hey, Dr Frauci 200 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: is gonna call you. So all of a sudden, my 201 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 1: column gets ripped up and you're leading with Foucci. So 202 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: it's just that's the kind of thing that it's it's been. 203 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 1: It's been so much fun and I don't hey, look, 204 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: fun is a relative term because I wish none of 205 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: this was happening, obviously, but it's a fascinating time. I 206 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: remember talking to you. I think it was on the 207 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: practice field last year here in Jacksonville, and I almost 208 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: got the impression from you then and that you weren't 209 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 1: sure how much longer you're gonna do you you've been 210 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: doing this right, but hearing you're right now, I don't 211 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: see you hanging it up anytime soon. I mean, you know, 212 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: I I love this. I love this whole thing, John 213 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: And and honestly, I don't anticipate not doing this for 214 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: a while. I mean, who knows I got. I got 215 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: I think three years left on my current deal with NBC, 216 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: and you know, we'll see what happens. How does anybody 217 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: know what happens in the future. I mean, I turned 218 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: sixty three in a couple of weeks, so we'll see 219 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: what I feel like doing. You don't get into this 220 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: unless you have a love for it, and you've been 221 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: doing it now clearly at the highest level for four decades. 222 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: But there's still a passion in you about it. What 223 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: do you love about this? What did what got you 224 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: into it in the beginning, and what do you still 225 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: love most about at the beginning. What really happened was 226 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: that I was going to be a news reporter when 227 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 1: I was at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, graduated in 228 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: seventy nine. If you know, on my first job after 229 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: internships was working for the Associated Press in Columbus, Ohio, 230 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: and I just covered whatever I had to cover, um, 231 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: and and and I if the sports editor of the 232 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: Cincinnati Enquirer had not called me and the politics editor 233 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: of the Columbus Dispatch had called me instead, because I 234 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: was managing editor in my school paper in Ohio, I 235 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: wasn't the sports editor. I would have written news and 236 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: I would have covered politics or something. I don't know 237 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: what I would have done, but um, you know, at 238 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: the time, you just you want a job, and you 239 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: want a job that's gonna be fun. And this has 240 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: been a tremendous amount of fund for me lately and 241 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: for all of the forty years I've done it, and 242 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: you chronicled maybe the most fascinating time. The whole NFL 243 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: history is fascinating. We both, I'm sure, have followed it 244 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: and read about it the time that you covered it. 245 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: The growth of this sport. People forget it was not 246 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: the dominant sport maybe in the eighties that it is 247 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: now not at all. In fact, it wasn't even the 248 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: biggest sport. You know, remember, you know, baseball was still 249 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: king when I, you know, in the early eighties when 250 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: I started doing this. But I think I and I 251 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: love baseball, and I still do love baseball. But I 252 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: think the thing I really wanted to do was I 253 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: wanted to be able to have a family life also, 254 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: And I think it's easy and when we cover football 255 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: to have a family life. The the four previous people 256 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: on the beat at the Cincinnati Enquirer covering bit covering baseball, 257 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: um all were divorced men. Life of a baseball beat guys. 258 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: Rough Yeah, well in those days too, especially because there 259 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: was almost it was almost a cal Ripken type the job. 260 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: You know, it was you. It was frowned upon for 261 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: you to take days off. And so even though I 262 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: did cover some baseball and I had a good time, 263 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: that was right at the end of the big Red 264 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: machine in Cincinnati. UM. So there were some great characters 265 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: and it was fun. But I I never saw myself 266 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: doing that for a living because I just think it's 267 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: I just think it's really too hard on your family outside. 268 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: You know, I can talk to you about the career forever. 269 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: But in terms of the NFL, you probably a better 270 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: gauge over the big picture of where the league is, 271 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: where it's headed outside of COVID, which is obviously a 272 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: different deal. What are the biggest issues you see facing it? 273 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: And if it's not your general question, where is it headed? 274 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: If the dominant sport, they've got to hang onto that. 275 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: But you know, again, what are some of those issues 276 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: that you're fascinated with how this league is gonna handle. 277 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: You know, the NFL has to make sure that it 278 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: is um, that it is consistently and absolutely on top 279 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: of UM head trauma. That's the biggest issue. There are 280 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: other simmering issues, you know, the Rooney rule and things 281 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: like that. But you know the dumb pass interference rule 282 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: they put in last year that you also done what 283 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: they put in, but it was dumb. If you're gonna 284 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 1: put in a rule, you got officiated correctly, and they 285 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: never did. UM. But I think, I think, I think 286 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: those things are important. UM. I think the overwriting thing 287 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: is the health of players and the health of the game. UM. 288 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: I think that they've been incredibly fortunate. Think about it. 289 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: They they have a labor agreement now that stretches basically 290 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: for the next eleven years. It's unbelievable in modern sports 291 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: that you can get that done with your union. And 292 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: so I think it will continue to be I think 293 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: it will continue to be the dominant sport in America. 294 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: But I think you have to make absolutely sure that 295 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: you're still gonna have great pools of talent to choose from. 296 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: And you don't want to get every you know, Uh, 297 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: you want to have every sector of society to draw from, 298 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: you know, when you want to get your players. And 299 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: that's the thing I would be most concerned about if 300 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 1: I was the NFL. You've been again doing it probably 301 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: for as long as I've been a fan. Uh is 302 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: it a better game now or just different? Or I 303 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: guess what's the biggest change you've seen in forty years 304 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: that there's a way to define that. Well, I think 305 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 1: the owners in the NFL have basically been forced two. Uh, 306 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: they've been forced to treat the players a lot better 307 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 1: than they did when I first started covering the game. 308 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: And look, I I covered the game when half the 309 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: teams were playing on essentially they're playing on concrete with 310 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 1: a rogue on it. And uh, now, um, no team 311 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: does that, and so that that I think is a 312 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: really good thing. I think the other thing that has 313 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 1: been really good, and the NFL had to basically be 314 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 1: drag kicking and screaming to do it, is too not 315 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,360 Speaker 1: only to care a lot more about health and safety, 316 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: but to also care about sort of the mental well 317 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: being of players. And that includes making sure that in 318 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: the off season. You know, I remember after two thousand 319 00:19:55,320 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: eleven when the NFL basically gave uh, you know, pushed 320 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: back the offseason programs to like the middle of April. 321 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. There's a linebacker. At the time, I 322 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: think he was playing with Cleveland. He played for several 323 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: teams to Quell Jackson, and di Quell Jackson was telling 324 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: me that what he really wanted was excited about with 325 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: this new labor agreement is he now could finish his 326 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: degree on campus at Maryland. He was all excited about 327 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: that in the in the in the winter spring term 328 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: of two thousand twelve, he was going to be able 329 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 1: to enroll go to college in College Park, Maryland, and 330 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: and stay there for the whole term and actually be 331 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 1: a student, be a real student, rather than you know, 332 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: maybe go to a few weeks of classes and then 333 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: you know, have the professor work out some deal so 334 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 1: that you know, you could monitor the classes online or 335 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: something like that. And I think things like that, even 336 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: though NFL teams and coaches probably still chafe at that, 337 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: that's been wonderful. Players get to be real people for 338 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: a lot longer than in the off season than they 339 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: used to. Let me ask you three quick questions, and 340 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: I just kind of give me your first impression of 341 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:23,160 Speaker 1: my ask best interview stories you've had in forty years? 342 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: Who's who's the guy you look forward most to covering 343 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,159 Speaker 1: during that time. I'd say it was probably Brett Farve 344 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: because I had the kind of relationship with him for 345 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: six or eight years where, uh, you know when I 346 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: when I would go into Green Bay to cover a game. 347 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: This was in the days of long game stories for 348 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated. So I'd go in on Friday to Green 349 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:52,439 Speaker 1: Bay and I would ignore him during the day working 350 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: with the packers, and then that evening, I'd like go 351 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: over to his house and then we go out to 352 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: dinner with his family somewhere. And you know, whenever I 353 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 1: told him, Hey, I need to ask you these questions, 354 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:06,879 Speaker 1: that's when it would be on the record other than 355 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: that we're just talking and so. And he was the 356 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: best character. He was the most fun. I did a 357 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: week in the Life of the Packers in when he 358 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: was just emerging, and you know, to to sit in 359 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:27,679 Speaker 1: the Green Bay quarterback room with at that time it 360 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: was Steve Maryuchi is the quarterback coach, Brett farve Ty, 361 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: Dett Murray and t J. Rubili and have Far fall 362 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 1: asleep and wake himself up with one of his own farts. 363 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: Was just like, you know that, and he didn't care. 364 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: He just didn't care. And then at the end of 365 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 1: the week they'd take a test and Far kill everybody 366 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: on the test because he just knew it, you know. 367 00:22:54,480 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: And I I really enjoyed covering him and being around him. 368 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: Is there a super boy? I know you guys were 369 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: covering the Super Bowl or covering a game. It was 370 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 1: an event the way you covered it, meaning you would 371 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: go in, you'd research it all weeks. It was a 372 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: different sort of journalism that I could do. Was a 373 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 1: was it a daily newspaper? Was there an event like that? 374 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 1: Outside the far stories you just talked about, they kind 375 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: of stood out where you researched it. You knew you 376 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 1: had a great story, because did it. You have to 377 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: really report those to keep other people from getting it. 378 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: It was a different dynamic. Well in getting it is 379 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 1: when it stands out in we Uh. We had four 380 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,400 Speaker 1: people on the team covering the Super Bowl that year, 381 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:40,679 Speaker 1: and Rick Tellander was going to write the game story. 382 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: So our job during the week was to gather and 383 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: to make sure that after the game, depending on who one, 384 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 1: we would get something really good. And that was the 385 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: Steve Young six touchdown pass game where he got the 386 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: monkey off his back and beat the Chargers. So I 387 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 1: remember I followed him around for two hours at the 388 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 1: stadium after the game. He did every live shot there 389 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: was from Chris Vermin to Sacramento, you know, and so 390 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 1: uh and I'll never forget he was totally dehydrated. The 391 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: game was in Miami, and at one point he looked 392 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: to me and he said, Peter, can you find me 393 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: anything to eat or drink? I'm I'm dying here. So 394 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: I went and found him three large gatorades, some cookies 395 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: and an apple. And those three large gatorades, I'm guessing 396 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: they were thirty two ounces apiece. Uh. He drank those 397 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: in five minutes. He drank nineties six ounces of gatorade 398 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: in five minutes, and then he just went on. And 399 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: so we were leaving the stadium and we get into 400 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: the back of a car at LEAs Steinberg's agent is there, 401 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: and I'm sitting in the back seat and young is 402 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 1: not looking very good. I'm going to his hotel, you know, 403 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 1: to see what goes on with his family celebration. And 404 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,120 Speaker 1: we're in the back seat of his car, and all 405 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: of a sudden, an absolute torrent of bright red vomit 406 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 1: comes out of his mouth and it goes lands all 407 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:12,199 Speaker 1: over Lee Steinberg's pants and shoes, and uh he what 408 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: else could he say? Said? Well, I guess I'll never 409 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 1: wash the shoes again. And so you know what, those 410 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: those were the kind of stories when you don't have 411 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,880 Speaker 1: to be consumed, as you said, was sitting there and 412 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: banging out a game story right after the game. You 413 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: could actually make sure you hang out with somebody until 414 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,719 Speaker 1: two o'clock in the morning and then go, you know, 415 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: write your file to Rick talland er get it to 416 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: him by like four thirty in the morning so that 417 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 1: he can have his game story in by nine o'clock Eastern. 418 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: So those were those are fun days. They were frustrating 419 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: days because you would always think you'd always think, man, 420 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: more of my stuff should have gotten in. But everybody 421 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,679 Speaker 1: thought that. And this is a very inside baseball question, 422 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,440 Speaker 1: but I always been fascinated by Were there ever a 423 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 1: time I know you guys would right all night because 424 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: it was a different sort of deadline. You have to 425 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,199 Speaker 1: cover a game Sunday, and I think your deadline was 426 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: early Monday morning, like six am. Did you ever come 427 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: close to missing it? Were you ever panicking on it? 428 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: Was that every week? You know what I'm getting at 429 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: because I'd be stressing at eleven thirty at night, but 430 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 1: you guys are doing at five thirty in the morning 431 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: after a week's worth of work. Is there a story 432 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: where you just thought this is gonna be awful? I'm 433 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 1: not getting it at Um. You know, I have a 434 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 1: vivid memory of the first story I ever wrote for 435 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated was about Boomers Sias and coming off an 436 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,640 Speaker 1: arm injury. I got to the magazine, Uh, first week 437 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 1: of June, and um, so you go through all the 438 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 1: indoctrination and everything like that, and uh, and so Boomer 439 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: they were gonna have me right a training camp story, 440 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: but the lead was gonna be on boomers yas and 441 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,919 Speaker 1: he was coming off an m v P year uh 442 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: and losing the Super Bowl, and and they wanted to 443 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: know what was going on with Boomers. So I went 444 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: and hung out with him and his wife for a 445 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: couple of days in July before they went to training camp. 446 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: And um. I flew home on a on a on 447 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: a Northwest Airlines plane to New Jersey and I was 448 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: in the terminal and I realized, holy crap, I just 449 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: left my notebook on the plane. I had not I 450 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: had not taped it, and I left the notebook on 451 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,480 Speaker 1: the plane. And it was Saturday, late afternoon. My story 452 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: was due the next morning, my first story for s I, 453 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: and I was gonna go home and write it like 454 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: all night and so uh. I spent about three hours 455 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: at the airport, having six heart attacks and realizing that 456 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: the airport had just the airplane had turned around and left. 457 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: It went out. It must have got stuck between the seats, 458 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 1: who knows, but nobody ever found it. So I got 459 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 1: home maybe about ten o'clock that night, and I have 460 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: to pick up the phone and call Boomer and tell 461 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: him what happened. So at the time, Boomer is on 462 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: one phone and his wife Cheryl is on the other phone, 463 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: and there wherever they are, I don't remember. And we 464 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: recreated about two days worth of conversation in an hour 465 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: or so. And I sat down and over seven hours 466 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,880 Speaker 1: just wrote the story, and that I have vivid memories 467 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: of because I know that that the story I'm positive of. 468 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 1: The story would have been better had I had all 469 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: of my original notes. But what are you gonna do? 470 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: Cry about it? You can't call up and say, oh, 471 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: by the way, my dog ate my homework. You know, 472 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: you just got to kind of move on and and 473 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: try to recreate it the best way you can. That's fantastic. 474 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: Very quickly, we've talked about everything else, accepted, Jags. Your 475 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: final thoughts leave me with something in terms of how 476 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: you feel about this team going forward. I mean, you 477 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: know they've put an incredible amount of pressure on Gardner 478 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: Minshew and uh. I think that particularly because you've got 479 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: two picks in the top twenty you get rid of Marquisley, 480 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: you don't use either of those on an on an 481 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: offensive player, and so there is tremendous pressure on him 482 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: to come in and to be the guy who they 483 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: believe that he should be and he and he can be. 484 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: And I did an event with him at the Super 485 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: Bowl this year. I did not I didn't know Gardner Minshew, 486 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: and as everyone is, I was charmed by him. How 487 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: are you not charmed by Gardner Minshew? How do you 488 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: not root for Gardner Minshew? He's just this average guy 489 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: who is so grateful for where he is, and he 490 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: works hard, and you know, he understands he's got He 491 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: has an appreciation for the if he has and I 492 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: have great I've got great appreciation for people who are 493 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: like that. But you know, it's got to he has 494 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: to know that he has the fate of a coach, 495 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: the fate of a general manager, the fate of maybe 496 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: the long term future. He's going to be one of 497 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: the people who decide whatever the long term future the 498 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: Jags are wherever they are. It's it's uh, you know, 499 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: I I really hope that deep down he has the 500 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: ability to be that don't worry, be happy guy that 501 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: he sure looks like he is on the outside. And 502 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: I don't pull for a lot of people, but I'll 503 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: be pulling for him. And and look, you know, there's 504 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: so many good people in that organization. Um, and it's 505 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,480 Speaker 1: it's tough because right now to me, as I look 506 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: at the division, they're in their number four entering the season, 507 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: and if Annuary one their number four, there's gonna be 508 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: an earthquake in that organization. Everybody knows that. So there's 509 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: a lot of pressure to be good from day one. 510 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: Plus you've got to be good from day one in 511 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: this totally, absolutely bizarre year. So I don't envy Doug 512 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: Moron and Dave called well and the cons uh and 513 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 1: men shoot quite honestly, because there's no there's no excuses, 514 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: there's no there's no well, you know we had a 515 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: tough year. You know, there's no more we had a 516 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: tough year. You just gotta get it done. And now 517 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 1: the ozone five with Peter King here your last binge. 518 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: Watched The Crown on Netflix. Jordan or Lebron, Lebron, But 519 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: for many reasons, I like my superstars to have a 520 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: conscience and to be great, but also to care a 521 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 1: little bit about life. That's why I'd take Lebron. Last 522 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: song you listened to in your car or last station 523 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: in your car probably w F A N in New York, 524 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: even though I have not been in a car for 525 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: quite a while because I don't own a car, and 526 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: whenever I have to drive, um, I rent a car 527 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: and I haven't read it one in a while. So 528 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm talking to somebody from a different culture. I like that. Yeah, 529 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: last Shore down around your house. Every morning, I do 530 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: the breakfast dishes at our house, and every evening I 531 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 1: do the dinner dishes at our house. So because we're 532 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: recording this in mid afternoon, I would have to say 533 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: the last Shore happily was doing the breakfast dishes. I 534 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: love the sense of the little tiny sense of accomplishment 535 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 1: you get from doing dishes. I like it. And your 536 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: go to take out, which will be different for somebody 537 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: in Jacksonville, but your go to take out when you 538 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: guys do take out, it would be pizza at a 539 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: place called Oleostro's in Brooklyn, New York. That would be 540 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: I change a lot with my takeout. I might get 541 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: into different kinds of takeout at times, but man, I'm 542 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: Jones and for an Oleostros pizza right now, Peter, I 543 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: could talk to you all day. I know you have 544 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 1: to go, and uh, I can't thank you enough for 545 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: doing this and I look forward when we can do 546 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: it again. Hey, thanks a lot, John, it was a 547 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: lot of fun. I'd like first to thank Peter for 548 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: giving it some time. And that's never taken for granted 549 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: because people are busy and even to hop on for 550 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: forty five minutes or an hour, it's a lot, even 551 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: during this time. And I I always liked talking the 552 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: Peter I'll be honest. Day when I was first got 553 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 1: it in business, Peter King was already a big, big name, 554 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: maybe not quite as big as he is now, but 555 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: he was with Sports Illustrated. He would come into town 556 00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 1: and I'm, you know, wet behind the years, twenty eight 557 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: year old like Florida for a couple of years, but 558 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: I didn't know people within the league. And the thing 559 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 1: that I think people or or the people like when 560 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: they listen to Peter is he really is a good 561 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: guy and very Uh what I'm looking forward, I would 562 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: think if a fan who's never met him walks up 563 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: and wants to talk about the NFL, Peter is going 564 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 1: to give that person the same amount of time as 565 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 1: he with the commissioner, so to speak. And that probably exaggeration. 566 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 1: He's gonna give you that a lot of time, but 567 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: the point being, he truly loves his job. I think 568 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:50,880 Speaker 1: most people who are listening to us, they have probably 569 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: read the Monday Morning Quarterback over the years, if you're 570 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: an NFL fan. That's even in these days where not 571 00:34:56,280 --> 00:35:00,359 Speaker 1: everything that must read anymore, that is and I think 572 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: what comes across in the m MQB and it's not 573 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 1: that anymore. But what he does for NBC now is 574 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: he likes taking you behind the scenes. He likes the 575 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: reporting process. He doesn't try to put it on a pedestal, 576 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 1: and he really takes people inside, and he likes sharing 577 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: his life with people. And I think it comes across 578 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,839 Speaker 1: in the column. Yeah, the money Money Quarterback is it's 579 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: kind of appointment reading. I think if you're into the NFL, 580 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: or if you work in the NFL, or even if 581 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 1: you know you're you're a big fan. And now whatever 582 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: the new iteration of it is with NBC Sports, I 583 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: still at least scanned it every week. It feels when 584 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: you read it like he's just talking to you and 585 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 1: he just happens to Hey. I talked to the head 586 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 1: coaches of the Bills after his win last night, and 587 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 1: I talked to the commissioner last week and I talked 588 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 1: to this fan, talked to this fan, and there's never 589 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:59,919 Speaker 1: very much effort into reading it. It feels like it's 590 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: something that he just kind of threw together on a 591 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,880 Speaker 1: Sunday night after Watchington football. Well, let me tell you 592 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 1: that's hard. He rarely misses on what the best story 593 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:13,879 Speaker 1: to write that week is and that's, Uh, that ain't easy. 594 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: You can speak your background of TV the same deal, 595 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: knowing what's important that day, and Peter has a great 596 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: job at that. Yeah, he's almost turned into the Uh 597 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: there's probably some a better way to say this, but 598 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: the he's the go to guy on the reporting of news, 599 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 1: and we have the perspective because he's talked to Roger Goodell, 600 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: He's talked to the key players around the league enough 601 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,360 Speaker 1: that he can kind of speak to what they're probably thinking. 602 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:44,440 Speaker 1: And also is much much influence he has on the 603 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame and what he says and and how 604 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 1: he how he lifts up the Hall of Fame and 605 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: how he's pretty open about how the process works. I 606 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,399 Speaker 1: think that's really cool. And I think two is every 607 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,960 Speaker 1: time he's come to Jacksonville. You know, I've been in 608 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 1: around him a little bit, been in groups and have 609 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,960 Speaker 1: helped him shoot some stuff back when he was with 610 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,879 Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated. It was always very nice, very cordial, um 611 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: talk to you, we'll talk to you, and I appreciate that. 612 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,919 Speaker 1: Probably the TV and radio, the movies over the years 613 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,880 Speaker 1: have created this image of the grizzled reporter who's a 614 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 1: great reporter because he's kind of a jerk. My experiences, 615 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 1: most great reporters aren't jerks because most people don't like 616 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,359 Speaker 1: to talk to jerks. And I can remember way back 617 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: he would come into town s I and always asked 618 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 1: the reporters who were there closest to the team what 619 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: was going on with the team, because he knew they 620 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:45,279 Speaker 1: knew it better than he did. H But always a 621 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 1: feeling of caring about getting the story right, and Uh, 622 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 1: you can be as good a reporter as you want, 623 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: but if you're not taking the information that you receive 624 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: and striving to be as accurate it was possible with 625 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 1: that information, and not all of them do, then you're 626 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: not doing your job. And he does a great job 627 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:07,800 Speaker 1: with it, so it's a It was great to have 628 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: him on and it was great as always to have 629 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: the Ozone Podcast We appreciate Davey Channis, we appreciate the 630 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 1: job producer Joe Fortunato. We will be back again next 631 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 1: week and we will try not to stop