PMS 2.0 1400 - Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal, Scott Hanson, JJ Watt, Darius Butler, & AJ Hawk

Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome.

On this NFL Eve, Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025, this program begins now.

Football!

It's magical.

Obviously, college football is already into its season, and there's already storylines developing that we're gonna have to talk about and get to talk about for the next 20 weeks.

On that note, Miami University, the you,

University of Miami,

Miami University is in Ohio.

The University of Miami, Hurricanes, football coach Mario Cristobal will be joining us in about 15 minutes or so.

Obviously, this Miami team, what they did last year, was awesome to watch with Cam Ward.

It catapulted him into being the number one overall pick and a generational player, described by the Tennessee Titans general manager.

His leadership was obviously phenomenal.

That team, one-on-one that we all got to experience in a glorious fashion, had Hurricanes fans believe in the you was all the way back.

Well, after a big win over Notre Dame to to kick off their college football season with Carson Beck, a highly paid and highly touted quarterback leading the way, they look like they're once again back in relevance and back in

big conversations.

Carson Beck, obviously a veteran of college football, able to kind of maneuver in the pocket, able to put him in bad plays or in good plays, able to get the ball to his wide receivers, able to execute just college football at a very high level and then all the weapons that they have, all the athletes down in South Florida.

And I guess the recruiting processes by Coach Cristobal are relentless and never-ending.

Is the U all the way back?

We shall see.

I cannot wait to talk to Coach in about 15 minutes or so.

College Ball already has magical storylines developing.

Like, is Alabama dead?

There's reports coming out of On3 now that boosters are saying, wait a minute, hold on.

They're saying what we're thinking.

That's college football to a T.

We'll certainly chat about that.

Then also, the NFL kicks off tomorrow.

Philadelphia Eagles having their banner night.

Somebody needs to tell Coach Siriani.

He was asked about it being banner night and expectations.

And this is how that entire thing went.

How locked in is the Super Bowl winning coach?

Well, find out now.

You guys have emphasized, you're moving on from last year.

The last banner night in 2018, it's famous that the fans booed the Eagles at halftime because they weren't happy with the way things were going, albeit it was banner night.

How do you feel about the fact that even though it is banner night for you guys, the fans will still have the standard of performing and winning at a high level.

Yeah, I didn't know it was banner night.

We won't be out for that.

End of answer.

I'm excited for this Sirianni.

If he's super locked in all season, what can they do?

Can they go back to back?

Well, they got the Dallas Cowboys trying to figure it out after a 29-year championship drought.

Can they kick off this season in a much better fashion than all the drama that was off the field?

That's what the NFL brings.

And then we got Chiefs and Chargers on Friday, and then a huge college football slate on Saturday.

And then on Sunday, ladies and gentlemen, it's back to Red Zone 2.

Wow.

Yeah.

Wow.

Scott Hanson will be joining us at about 1240, 12:45.

I can't wait to hear how he prepared for what's about to be, you know,

hours of NFL football.

Remember, we made that change.

Yeah,

it wasn't commercial-free anymore.

Oh, who was it?

They added a couple L reps.

We're dropping some commercials.

Yeah, we're in 50 million households.

Okay, you paid a subscription fee.

You're welcome that you get to have this.

We're also going to maybe

drop a Verizon ad in there.

Scott,

we're maybe going to go ahead and slide DoorDash.

Hey, you're kind of hungry right now, aren't you?

Even listening to Scott Hanson talk for about, what, three straight hours here?

You haven't really taken a break or a munch on anything.

DoorDash will get you whatever you need.

Are you feeling a little sick too?

We got some medicine we could deliver DoorDash.

You want a little water?

You should hydrate.

Maybe a little bit of that.

You want a little THC drink?

Yep, DoorDash will get you that.

I mean, anything you need while you're watching Scott Hanson somehow not pee all day, while breakdown everything everything happening around the NFL, DoorDash has you, we're going to sell those commercials.

So this is no longer commercial-free football.

This is NFL football.

That's right.

And you need to know with NFL football, there's going to be a little bit of advertising because everybody wants a piece of our shit.

And the reason is because everything is electrifying.

The red zone channel is such an incredible invention.

I mean, it is outrageous how great it is.

It doesn't matter if you're a die-hard fan of one particular team with the way YouTube TV now has the quad box, you just have that red zone channel on there.

You're keeping up with all the games that you can't keep up with.

Everything that matters that's happening in games that maybe you can't get for whatever reason or don't have enough attention to pay attention to, Scott Hanson's got your back.

I can't wait to chit-chat with Scott Hanson because he has to do the research for every team.

He's calling every teams, every game, every week.

So he's got to know everything.

This guy's a Rolodex of information.

I'm excited to hear his thoughts.

And maybe he'll be playing with a football like he was.

I hope so.

I hope so.

Super zany.

He was in a car.

Yeah, he was.

He was in a car with the football.

I believe he was a cat.

So it always was a very cool team.

Is it always with him?

Football?

Nine-year NFL vet Darius J.

Butler asking the right questions.

I would assume Scott Hanson always has the football.

When his contract was up, though, I think he put the football down.

Yep, had to.

Okay, and he said, I can go do other stuff if you need to go.

Picks up a hockey puck.

Yeah.

He said, boom, park zone.

Exactly.

Now he's got that football.

He's got that thing on him, though.

Always.

Always will, yeah.

That's a toxic table that knows everything.

At Boss Conner and Atai Schmidten.

Sweet elephant t-shirt.

That's my favorite animal.

Really?

Is that right?

Wow.

As I've grown older and learned more about animals, the elephant is my favorite.

In between those massive ears, there is a brain.

Don't forget shit.

No, it doesn't.

And it's petty.

Yeah.

I'm a big fan of the elephant.

I like the way the elephant operates.

Yeah, you ever seen the video of the elephant who goes back to the old lady's funeral in India and stomps on her grave because she screwed with him when he was a baby elephant?

See,

that's one of those things where because of how smart and petty the elephant is, people would believe it's true.

So maybe the elephant's getting a little slanderous here, stories about it.

Got videos.

There is videos.

It's true.

This thing comes in and raises hell in the entire video.

How about the elephant looking at the photo?

Who's dead?

Yep, that's who I thought it was.

Where's this at?

Like, he saw a photo.

I think he got wind of it.

You know, I'm sure these things talk because of how big their brains are.

And somehow it got back to the first one.

And then, boy, oh, boy, it ravages this family's funeral.

It's crazy.

Well, let's talk about the elephant in the room and what people aren't forgetting.

They aren't forgetting what happened down there with the elephants of Alabama and the Roll Todd World, what happened when Sabin was a coach, and now Kalen DeBoer is being judged directly against Peak Nick Sabin.

Yeah, tough.

What are we doing?

Yeah, it doesn't work out well.

We're loafing.

21, Dan Orlofsky.

Dan does no shit.

Alabama fans, just down there in it.

It's like, well, if you move on from Caitlin DeBoer, which people are already talking about, which is college football, especially one of these big programs, if you don't win every single game, why are you here?

You're getting overpaid.

These players you think are getting overpaid, you're getting overpaid.

You need to get the hell out of here.

We need to win.

Nick Sabin was able to do it.

That was just a couple years ago.

How come you're not able to do it?

What's going on with us?

You can go all the way back to Bear Bryant when he was playing 152 players each game.

That's right.

When we were 12 deep at the running back position, which I learned there was some scholarship situations going on there.

I guess Barre Bryant was really good at giving scholarships to every person that he thought could play football.

And then there were some scholarship limits, I guess, that came into play.

But whatever the case, the Alabama fans, we're expecting to be in the conversation.

Hey, we are in the conversation all the time.

The conversation that we're in is championships.

We're not in the conversation of loafing and

dancing and playing like ass and getting beaten in the trenches.

That is not what Alabama football is.

We, as Alabama fans, have been able to go into any restaurant in any town, in the SEC, in any college football place, and say, We are the Kings.

How are you doing?

Alabama's here.

You're welcome.

Roll tad.

And we were able to get any seat we wanted.

We were able to talk shit to any team we wanted.

Kirby Smart even got a little popped off.

Those Georgia fans.

They started

saying, Well, we're Alabama.

Now we can't do that anymore.

You know why?

Because we got 21 loads, It says Dan Orlovsky against Florida State.

So that is

a fascinating thing happening down there in Alabama.

And a lot of people have been pointing out to Calen DeBoer could have been a king at the University of Washington.

Could have.

He had success up there.

We put you right up there next to that mountain.

What's the mountain over there?

Yeah, Mount Rainier.

Beautiful mountain.

Yeah, right off Puget Sound.

I'm telling you, you walk.

So nice.

You're downtown.

You're walking.

There's buildings here.

It's not bad here.

A little mist, you know, early morning.

And then you you turn right.

As soon as that building ends and you look, there's just the most beautiful mountain of all time just sitting there

like it's a postcard.

Got the snow right on top of it.

They said they were going to put Kalen DeVoer's face on that mountain if he was able to turn around the University of Washington and keep it going.

And he certainly did there for a while.

Oh, yeah.

That panic year.

Remember the Roman Empire?

How often do you think about Roman Dunes?

The whole everything they had going on.

It was.

Up, playing hard, good recruiting process.

We were all the way out there celebrating it.

And then he says, you know, I need to get to Alabama and go change this entire thing.

People are like, it could have been a king, but he wanted to chase what?

Significance?

Forever?

Is that one half of the hammer?

Cowboys AP Tone, your thoughts?

Like, what do you think it is?

Because this kind of thing happened with Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia as well.

Now, granted, at that time, Rich Rodd was getting into a lot of bickering, I believe, about like what our football team had earned whenever it comes to a little bit of assistance, paying coaches, other things happening.

Because if you compare what we have now versus what we had then, I mean, we had some really low quality shit, and then everything got got built up through our football team.

Allegedly, Coach Rod was looking for a little bit more assistance from the program.

Program didn't want to give him any, so there was a little bit of bickering there, and then he felt like obligated he had to leave because he was never going to get really what was needed like everybody else was getting.

But him going to Michigan, I assume he would look back and say, like.

Could have been king.

Now he's getting a chance to kind of write that ship, which I'm very pumped for him to get to do that.

But I do wonder how much Calen DeBoer thinks about that in that brand new office of his over there.

Yeah, I agree because, I mean, he was a guy who was

leveling up.

I mean, he started at the lowest levels and won there and came through and was all the way up to Washington.

I think there's a handful of schools, and I'm sure Richrod would say this still, there's a handful of schools that you don't say no to, Michigan being one of them, Alabama being one of them.

You know, those blue-blood, blue-collar schools

that you just like, Washington is a great football school.

They're in the Big Ten.

They can probably pay their coaches almost as much as Alabama.

I'm not sure if it as much as Alabama, but they're up there.

But there's some schools that you do not say no no to, and Alabama is one of them.

So $70 million is allegedly what the buyout is, Kalen DeBoer.

It's a lot of money.

Yeah, but...

I believe in Kalen.

I do, too.

I believe in Kalin.

He's always won.

Like, he's always won.

That did not look like a Kalen DeBoer titanium.

It did not either.

Recruiting class, though, you mentioned Bama.

Most five stars.

That's coming in eventually.

That might help.

They got to run, though.

They got to try.

If you're Bama, you got to look up at New England and see what happened up there.

It's the only real comparison you can do with a legendary coach leaving.

And I'm not saying Garrett DeBoer because I still believe in him.

I almost bet Ty Simpson to win the Heisman after that first drive.

And that's for shoot, brother.

But, you know, the Patriots, their brand of football last year completely changed, and it wasn't what it was when Belichick was there.

Not even like the win-loss record, just brand on the field like you're talking about when it comes to loafs.

And I'm not saying get rid of Kalen now.

But if that doesn't flip around quick, like you are better off going with somebody that can, you know what I mean?

Maybe.

We'll see.

We don't know what Coach Rabel has done with the New England Patriots.

We have no idea.

We assume it's going to be good.

We know it wasn't great there for a one-year coaching stint to get fired.

I don't think anybody.

Understands, though.

Like, at least Raybel understands what the product of a New England team is that people are.

Yeah, what the fans expect.

Yes.

Yeah, all those things.

I mean, it happened with Pittsburgh a little bit.

So Pittsburgh, obviously, Steelers, running defense, running defense.

Then they got like

five wide with like Todd Haley and Bruce Arians and everything.

And they had success, and it was great.

Everybody was happy when they had success.

When you stop having just the most amount of success, though, they immediately go, this ain't Pittsburgh Steeler football.

Like, this ain't what it is.

I think that's why a couple coaches got ran out of town.

I think that's why Todd ended up getting run out of town.

I think Bruce Arians in a similar fashion.

I think that type of offense doesn't fit the city.

So I understand what you're saying.

And Alabama might be the same way.

CalenBoer needs to win games immediately, though.

He knows that.

Yeah, and that was what, I mean, he knew going in that if it wasn't unbelievable from the start, like this would be the reception.

Like people, no matter what, were going to react like this if they weren't, you know, going to the playoff or going to the national championship or whatever the case may be.

But he also, it's not like he forgot how to coach.

I'm sure he is still supremely confident in himself.

So yeah, now it's just, hey, we got to get going.

We can't lay an egg next week, can't lay an egg in the SEC.

We know the talent we have, and let's stay to the course here and not completely fall apart after week one.

I think the thing with Deborah is too that is tough is Sabin, what, lost four or lost four times to as a double-digit favorite his entire time there, 20 years or whatever it is.

And Deborah's done it four times now in his

whatever

that's what every every alabama fan's saying yeah they know that's it yeah you can't lose the ones you're supposed to win there that's why he came there that is i guess that is what he signed up for yeah um

did he though because that sucks yeah i mean that's that's why he left washington you know you have washington national championship you come to alabama because just like the same conversation we had with bill after week one you could be a great coach your guys can be prepared you can have all these different things but if you're not getting the best players in the country year in and year out you don't have a chance to be in the national championship conversation year in and year out.

And now with him being down there, we talked about leading the nation in five-star recruits next year.

He retained a bunch of guys on that roster.

So you have the pieces, and now it's on you as a coach.

B.A.

talked about it yesterday.

Like, coaches lose more games than they actually win.

So now the effort, the energy, the intensity, the attention to details, those are the things that Kalen DeBoer, which he's always done, has to be great at, but now at the highest level.

So

like I said, I got faith in him to turn around.

Hopefully it was just a one-off.

We'll see.

We like Kalen DeBoer.

We do.

That's why watching that game the other night was like, oh,

he's going to get crushed.

He's very nice to us.

He's been very nice to us.

No, no, no.

If

we start doing that, he's a nice guy.

That nice guy shit.

He is nice.

No, just saying, nice.

He's a nice guy.

And he wins.

He does win.

He wins.

I personally think, as we're talking about it, should have thought in his head like, hey, Bear Bryant of Washington will be cool.

But yeah, I guess going to Alabama.

Because you mentioned it, you know, you got to go to Bama to be in the conversation for a national championship.

Like, now you don't, because there's 12 teams and it might suck.

Like, at the end of the year, you might say, like, well, Notre Dame didn't play anyone.

Well, Washington or one of these teams, Pac-12, you know, they didn't play anyone, but they're in the conversation because they made it.

So, like, is it worth the.

Well, when you're starting with 12 and you're kind of back to one.

Exactly.

You know, if you get into dance, that's really all that matters.

More teams are a lot more fun.

Yeah, well, it's supposed to be, but that first round was not a lot done by the bad teams.

That's a good point.

That was pretty big.

Yeah, but that's the thing about it, is that more schools get a shot to shine.

Yeah, and

you know,

when you put it that way, you can't help but this is the right way to crown

a CFP national

champion.

But when you're watching some of those games, it's like, oh, it feels like we're just going to have more

blowouts.

Yeah, this game's shite.

And boy, we got a lot of off time for the higher seeds.

Did they get rusty?

They just had a month off.

Yeah.

Congratulations.

You did the best out of everybody.

Well, and that's the quarterfinals New Year six.

Yeah.

You know, that's kind of a good idea.

That rotating bases.

Rotating bases.

Yeah.

It was a great song.

It was.

Okay, let's talk a little bit NFL before Coach Cristobal joins us.

Travis Hunter is listed as a starting wide receiver, and then I believe he's second string left corner or something like that.

So the mindset here is he's majoring in wide receiver and he's getting a minor in cornerback.

And we probably assume that this is the right way to go about doing this.

Once again, this is not a normal situation for anybody to handle, let alone brand new head coach, brand new GM in a city and a program and organization that's trying to make a huge jump here.

Huge jump.

Stoner,

who's the general manager, actually came out the day after drafting Travis Hunter and saying, the game of football is supposed to be tested.

The boundaries are supposed to be touched.

You're supposed to try to change the game.

That is football.

That is Travis Hunter.

Like gave a full speech about how, holy shit, football was once like this.

Now it's completely different because Travis Hunter is here.

Now we're getting a chance to see how they're going to unroll it.

What are your thoughts on this debut and what does this say to you whenever it's a major and wide receiver, kind of a minor and cornerback at this moment?

Kind of expected on this level in Stoner and Liam Cohen, they're dealing with something that nobody's really dealt with before at this level.

You made the big trade to draft him at number two.

He dealt with a little injury preseason with the shoulder, so I don't know how that affected or impacted their plans going forward.

But you start with a major and wide receiver, it's a lot more moving parts on the offensive side of the ball between the ears when it comes to game planning, adjustments, and all those things, being on the same page with Trevor Lawrence and all those things on the offensive side of the ball than there are on the defensive side of the ball.

If you're looking at the schedule here, these different weeks, you see the different weapons.

When you come across these different teams where you have matchup problems on the defensive side of the ball, if you are the Jacksonville Jaguars, That's when I think they'll implement that chess piece, Travis Hunter.

Maybe it's a cat defense.

Hey, we're going to play this third down red area.

Hey, you got that cat.

You got Jamar Chase this week on these critical situations.

You got Nico College.

You have whoever that opposing number one threat is.

And you put your best cover guy on him.

That may be just 15, 16 snaps that game.

But we'll see.

I can't wait to see how it actually unfolds.

He's a great, great player.

We know who he is, not only physically, but between the ears, what he showed in college football to be able to kind of...

attain all that information and be in the right places.

And we talk about loafing.

This guy rarely loafed.

I never really saw him loaf on the college level.

We know how tough it is to play on the National Football League physically, week in and week out.

So that's the number one thing to watch out for.

But I'm excited to see this Travis Hunter experience and see it starting majoring on offense, minoring on defense.

I think that's the right way to start it out.

I like the thoughts and everything you laid out.

We're not saying that's definitely what they're thinking.

We are just saying this is a possible mindset for them.

Like whenever they face a team, I think it's 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11, whatever it is.

Yeah.

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11.

Got it.

Okay.

sir.

And so all those weeks, they have a plethora of weapons on the other side.

So why not add in one of the greatest athletes?

You're just saying this could be the mindset that the Jacksonville Jaguars are having.

This could be just because of how tough it is.

And I'm coming kind of from personal experience.

I played both ways in college my senior year.

So there were certain matchups where we went to, we're playing Virginia, we're playing Rutgers or West Virginia.

Hey, you got a 15-play script on offense.

So I'll go and practice with the offense, seven-on-seven, practice with the offense in a rare area.

And I knew my plays.

I knew my position, but I majored on the defensive side of the ball.

But I knew exactly what situations I was going to be going into on the offensive side of the ball.

So I think that's a great way to start it out

on this next level, which, like I said, nobody, we haven't really seen anybody do it yet.

And if he's able to do it full-time on both sides, that'd be great.

That'll be great.

That'll be exciting.

That would be unbelievable.

That'll be so much fun to watch.

We can't wait to follow his journey in a tough AFC South.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, tough AFC South.

To the Gills.

Yeah.

Obviously, Houston's got a lot to say in that conversation.

Sure.

For good reason.

They've won it a few times.

Tennessee, they got a guy.

They got a guy.

New stadium coming.

And then obviously, we got Trevor Lawrence in a new Adidas commercial with a guy who's going to be playing both ways.

Feels like vibes are high down there.

Stoner feels great.

Liam Cohen is beloved.

I mean, they got it for the next couple of years.

Building a new stadium, I think.

Yeah.

I don't know how they're going to, do they put three pools in there?

I don't know.

Probably have to.

AMC South Stack.

Nobody wants to come down.

100-yard pool.

Oh, my God.

Somebody swim.

Yeah, everyone's got it.

I'm the length of the field.

With Travis Honer running in a touchdown.

Yeah, that'd be.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, joining us now is a guy who had to watch the end of that conversation.

We do apologize to him for that.

He is the head coach of the undefeated Miami Hurricanes football team.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mario Cristobal.

Coach, what do you think about putting a

100-yard pool so we can swim down the side as your boys Coursing Beck's throwing a deep ball to Tony down there?

What do you think about that, Coach?

Pretty good?

We're going to this pool again.

100 yards right down the sideline.

I'm on the sideline.

Sounds like you're kind of stadium, man.

I don't know if I can make that happen.

Well, you're walking on top of the pool with me, Coach.

Yeah, like you're on top of the pool, and you got people swimming underneath.

Nonetheless, Coach, congratulations.

Okay, Cam Ward comes in last year.

You guys become a viral sensation with how the games go.

Obviously, massive plays happening, magical run throughout the entire season.

We have a Miami fan with us, and he was obviously each week living and dying with you guys, as I assume you were.

Now you have to reload.

You lose the number one pick in the draft, Cam Ward.

Why Carson Beck the guy for you guys this year?

And what has he shown since getting there that makes you believe like, yeah, we might have lost an incredible leader and incredible quarterback, but we were able to find another guy that'll be able to do that for us.

Well, you know, he was at Georgia while Monkin was over there.

He was now with the Ravens.

And, you know, Monken and our offensive coordinator, Shannon Dawson, they're really tight.

You know, he's an air raid disciple, but, Monkin successfully blended the power run game, the RPO, the air raid with an unbelievable run game, really diverse.

And we felt that we could do the same thing with Shannon Dawson.

And just discussing Carson and watching him on tape, he had all the tools, man.

And when he had good protection, he lit it up really well in 23.

Last year, they got beat up a little bit.

It wasn't maybe the same system.

It just fit us.

And the guy is, he's a great human being.

Like, he's a legitimate dude.

Like, people love being around him.

He gets after it, relentless worker, and he just fits.

And you got wide receivers making catches like that.

I mean, I mean, absolutely absurd catch there by CJ.

Obviously, Tony went crazy.

And are we thinking about maybe putting Bain on offense?

Are we thinking about maybe getting for the ball a little bit?

We'll see how Heisman voting goes down the stretch, man.

If we need to, we might do that.

But you saw him with the ball in his hands.

He's been playing football since he's been knee-high, and he does it all, man.

And if you have a chance, watch him

and watch Mezador, our other defensive end, against Notre Dame's tackle and see what a great job they did controlling the line of scrimmage.

Yeah, we watched.

We saw it.

Yeah, it was, that was the thing I think I noticed with these college teams now that I've been baptized kind of into the world through College Game Day.

It's like, you got to be big and you got to be fast.

Like that, you have to be big and fast.

Now, granted, everything else in between the years have to have that as well.

But the body types of college ball are at the highest level.

You got to be big and fast.

They talk about you being like a relentless recruiter.

What are you looking for for guys that you're trying to make hurricanes?

And what do they mean by saying that you are a recruiter 25 hours?

Because we're wasting now seemingly seven, eight minutes of you potential recruiting time by the way they describe it.

You're killing me.

You're killing me.

Hopefully this will help out too.

No, I mean I'm recruiting right now actually.

Always.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I got it.

I got it.

I played here on some badass team.

I was a nobody, but the guys I played with, they were like legitimate real deal dudes, Hall of Famers, gold jacket type guys.

And I learned quickly, like, I like playing with those guys because you know what?

They're going to stop on Saturdays.

they're gonna kick ass and take over games and and I came back to Miami as the GA in 98 97 98 when they were coming off of you know some really bad years and trying to put it together and going man that does not look like Miami and then guys like Chuck Pagano right he was a DB coach here Greg Chiano Butch Davis

Larry Coker, a lot of guys that were, you know, showing me the road, hey, this is a way we got to build this team.

We got to recruit really good players.

I'm like, yeah, because those guys aren't very good.

So we hit a slew of home runs, man, in a very short short amount of time and flipped the program.

And I just became,

I've always been a big believer in the right kind of people and in football, the right kind of people that are legitimate, like elite competitors.

I think Florida and South Florida, more specifically, getting good at college football again is great for college football as a whole.

But boy, Florida was looking dry for a while.

A lot of flights out of town.

South Florida native D-Bud has a question for me.

Too many.

South Florida kid grew up a Hurricane fan.

Obviously went to UConn, so a Husky for life.

But how important is it, and we pat talked about your recruiting recruiting south florida specifically and keeping those guys down there uh looking up and down the roster see a lot of south florida boys and then looking on the sideline with all those ledges michael irving ray lewis willis mcgahey andre johnson edge a lot of south florida guys themselves so how important is that is that for you uh coach man i was about to plug those guys in the game

They're about to kick off to us.

I'm like, all right, let's get Devin Hester in there, see what he can do, too, right?

No, it's always been important, you know, and, you know, I was away for a long time.

I've been away for 20 plus years before finally leaving Oregon and coming back this way.

And from afar, you would see a lot of misses, a lot of local misses, and then some national misses, because Miami is made up from, you know, a national aspect as well, the big bodies up in the Northeast, the Midwest, and sometimes even the West Coast.

But to get guys like Ruben Bain, think about it.

Ruben Bain is part of our first full class.

So he's a true junior now, right?

And like all the fruits of all that hard work, all the labor, man, it's paying paying off.

So yeah, when those guys are there, it makes a difference.

When I came to school here and why I came to Miami was because I always saw those dudes coming back to the games.

If we were playing in a big-time game, before our coach could come over and rip our ass, we had Michael Irvin, Jerome Brown, may he rest in peace, Winston Moss, Melvin Bratton, all these guys right in your face, right in your grill, making sure you hold up the standard.

So it's always been a natural thing and it's good to see that coming back.

It's been talked about for years and years, though, just to hear the use back, the use back, the use back, the ewes back.

Last year, felt it.

The whole world experienced it.

You know, you go out to Cal for Game Day there, the Miami fans traveled out there, like a lot of them.

And it was like they were feeling as if we're all the way back.

And now after beating Notre Dame early, you got some games here early, brother.

Like Boston College, obviously a big one for, you know, them and for the ACC here as a whole.

USF, Florida, Florida State, then Brahms, Louisville.

You got Pitt after Thanksgiving up there.

So, I mean, you're going to have some cold.

It feels like you have a...

Bethune.

Bethune Cook.

Oh, sorry, not BC.

I'm so sorry.

Bethune Cook, man.

That's 100% on me.

That was Coach.

I was wondering what the hell you were talking about.

Coach Reed, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

For us.

But we're talking about South Florida.

Those athletes, Coach, how important?

I know it's one game at a time, but you look at that schedule.

You see Florida State.

You played.

You see Florida State.

You see Florida.

All you guys are in the top 15.

I I know it's early right now, but even surrounding that, how much do you hear about that with all these Florida teams kind of being back at their standard, what it used to be?

Well, think about it.

Today was probably,

maybe yesterday was the toughest day because for the first time in a while, Miami's now learning how to handle success again.

So we had to be all over their butts about, look, when everybody tries to kick, kiss the crack of your butt on the way to class and tell you how great you are and you see all this stuff, you got to stay clear of that and get you over here so we could be all over your butts and push you and grind on you so you could focus on what gave us this opportunity to begin with.

So it's all learning process, but I mean, for us, like you mentioned, it's Beth June Cookman right now.

You know, it's tomorrow's practice.

We got to get after it.

Like today, Francis Mayno against Ruben Bain in a one-on-one.

It looks like Jurassic Park.

That's the way Miami should look, right?

Yes.

So that's our focus, man.

Just like right here, right now, not get ahead of anything.

Not skip steps, man.

We got a lot of work to do, but we're doing it and we're making a ton of progress.

You talk about Jurassic Park.

AP Tonis, question for you.

Yeah, coach, obviously, we know you are a trenches guy.

You were born and raised in the trenches, and you talk about Bain and Francis going up against each other in practice.

Everyone said preseason, you guys have a top five, O line, D line.

And you talked about marrying the air raid with a power running game.

And we talk about it all the time in the NFL how, you know, the Eagles just won the Super Bowl.

It feels like we're coming back to having to play defense and run the football.

Are you seeing that in college football as well?

Because I mean, last year, all final four teams, they played incredible defense and they ran the football.

So are you seeing that as well in college?

I think so.

I think everything is morphing and evolving and blending.

I mean, I mean, you think about it.

I was at Alabama with Coach Saban when it was...

We were almost like a BOA, man.

We like, you kick your butt up front and just strangle you on defense and win 17-3.

But you have to start scoring points, right?

And then the spread and tempo.

Remember, as Coach Saban used to call us Al-Qaeda because we would like go fast at practice.

So it just kept going from people.

So I'm saying, you know what?

If we could just combine that almost like that basketball, like spacing mentality in the passing game and blend it in with the right type of play, action protection concepts, great screen games, a power run game, you could, and varied temples, right?

Like a good pitcher, mixes up your pictures all the time.

If you could make that a reality, then you're going to have something special.

And we've become that.

And last year, for us, that was a generational offense.

And we feel like we can be even better here in the coming years.

Enemy of the state, Coach Shabin's calling you at practice.

These guys are enemies of the state here.

Al-Qaeda was.

That's coaching.

That's coaching.

What are you trying to do here?

What are you trying to do here?

Carson Beck

had a handshake with a DB, I think.

You feel like your team's tight?

I feel like that is the X factor that really separates the great teams from the good teams.

I think your teams have to like each other.

I think they have to hang out with each other.

I think they have to want to fight with each other.

Like, I think that is a huge piece.

Do you feel that in your locker room?

Cause it looked like it from watching the game.

Yeah, it feels like that.

You know, your biggest concern is when you're getting all this talent, are you getting independent contracts?

Are you getting legitimate dudes that want to win while pursuing their goals, right?

Their dreams.

And like, we do a good job just doing a lot of stuff together.

I mean, it's, we're lucky.

We're in Miami, right?

We're, we're in the middle of Coral Gables and then we're at, you know, Prime 112 and Smith ⁇ Walinski.

Then we're, we want to get the team together.

we'll go on a speed boat and go to the beach for a little while but then right be back here in this prime recruiting recruiting we're recruiting right now we're recruiting we got palm trees everywhere on speed boats we got good sun here players more players anyway but

without a doubt i think uh it showed it showed up because i don't think it's hard to win games like that unless you're tight and you're you're slugging it out for each other and that was a muddy bloody game up front i mean that was like rock'em sock'em robots for four quarters and i um i think our guys just found a way to just dig a little bit deeper it was a great game We appreciate you guys doing that for us, especially opening week.

It was beautiful.

I think you're both teams A-okay going forward.

Now, your team in this modern era, especially more players, more players, you're going to need assistance.

Connor has a question for you.

Yeah, Coach, you're a 10 out of 10 recruiter.

Obviously, you were the recruiting coordinator at Alabama, and now it's changed a lot with NIL.

I believe Jeff Bezos was in the building in a suite at your game, and also Dana White now has a daughter going to Miami.

Have you reached out yet for maybe half a billion, maybe $1 billion?

Jeff Bezos, I think, pisses that in the morning for maybe a couple more players.

We're talking about all these great Florida schools.

You know, a couple extra dollars might help.

Well, you know, soon, I think our next lineup will have The Rock and Pat McAfee, and we'll go from there.

We'll line them all up, man.

Hit them up for some dough.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I'm already giving enough money to West Virginia.

You need to call Dwayne Johnson.

He just got a 15-minute standing ovation for his acting role in the smashing machine.

It's like, I think he's about to crack into it.

They're talking Oscars and shit.

Hey, The Rock somehow.

Papatouille.

Yep.

Zoa Energy Drink.

Yep.

TKO chairman.

Yep.

Production company.

Great forward to him.

Seven bucks, the final boss.

What'd you say, coach?

He was my teammate here at Miami.

What a stud, dude.

What was he like at college?

Incredible work ethic, I assume.

You guys all saw that from a very young age?

He's the guy that walked in like doing 315 for 20 on the bench press, you know, just kind of like a walking bicep, just a monster, monster physique.

But really quiet, really reserved, and a great player.

A great, great player.

We were loaded, man.

Even back then, great players had to take their, you know, wait their turn and whatnot, but he was always a great teammate, great players.

Yeah, he gave back to you guys right in there.

Dwayne Johnson, locker room or something.

I think he ties back to his times at the U for a lot of things and a lot of inspiration for what he does.

A great success story, especially if you're all the way back.

We can't wait to watch you.

Bethune Cookman this weekend.

Then we got the Florida lineup.

Don't look ahead, Coach, but USF.

Florida.

Florida State.

Everybody's good.

First time all Florida teams have been ranked, right?

2015.

Oh, whoa.

I think it was 2006.

Yeah, 06.

And it's early.

It's early.

It's early.

One week.

Let's keep it going.

Don't be taking those kisses to the ass, Craig.

We don't need any smooches on the butt.

We need to get back to work.

Coach, we appreciate the hell out of you.

And thank you for stopping by.

Appreciate it, too, guys.

Thanks for having me.

Ladies and gentlemen, Coach Mario Cristobal.

Hey, wait, wait, coach, coach, coach, coach.

You still there?

I'm still here.

You speak Spanish?

Is that what I remember?

Paulo, puño perfectamente yen que tú quiere.

Si.

All right.

Ciao.

Grazi.

All right.

I have a power, ladies and gentlemen, Coach Mario Cristobal.

That was a little Italian for you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, all right, sweet.

Makes it in there.

So I guess Coach Sabin.

Coach Sabin used to have Mario Cristobal.

If there was like a recruit or a coach or an area he was trying to get to where, you know, Spanish speaking, it was like, Coach Cristobal, I need you to come.

Please, need you.

Need you here, Coach.

Need you here.

And I guess it's just fluid.

Oh, yeah.

Whenever you need it.

Down in Miami, that's probably an incredible thing to have.

Yes.

What a beast.

You guys like him down there?

Love him.

Gumpy, let's talk about it.

What were your thoughts on Mario Crispal?

Because I remember a couple years ago, remember you guys had the lead.

Hand the ball off.

Fumble happens, goes back the other way.

We all feel obligated to say, That can't happen.

Coach.

Coach, that can't happen.

Obviously, hang on to the damn ball.

Obviously, hang on to the ball, but that can't happen.

Feel like he got judged harshly because, and I'm just saying that strictly from how we even had to feel

had to talk about it.

Everybody had to talk about it.

What he's done since then is really turned the entire program around.

Number one, overall, picking Cam Ward, obviously, perfect marriage.

And it feels like Carson's the exact same way.

And he's recruiting 25 hours a day.

They're saying, Gumpy, you got to be excited as a you fan.

Yeah, it's awesome because I used to watch him a lot when I lived on the west coast when he was coaching Oregon, and I liked him there.

But this Corey Weatherman guy, the new DC they got, you see his passion, the fire he has on the sidelines.

sidelines.

That was the problem last year.

Cam Ward knew the defense couldn't get a stop.

If you didn't score in one possession, there was a good chance you were going to lose that game.

Congrats to Miami being back.

And congrats to all of us getting a chance to see Michael Irvin and Ray.

Damn.

I forgot Donson.

What's Michael Irvin's title?

Yes.

You got to have some.

I think he's leader of the pack.

He's the minister of culture.

Yeah.

Oh, he's McConaughey.

Yeah.

Right.

Leader of the pack might be Michael Irvin.

Sure.

Yeah.

Minister maybe of Drake.

Drake was technically like Toronto Rap Minister's ambassador.

Granted, that was a pro team.

Yeah, because I asked McConaughey's title.

I said, what are you, like, chief of culture or something?

He said, I'm not an executive.

No.

Minister of Culture.

Legend.

Of course.

You see his golf swing by any chance?

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

He's McConaughey.

So smooth.

Of course.

Somebody said, you need to act like a golfer.

And he was like, all right, let me watch that.

No problem.

I got it.

What do I got to do?

These hands got to get real loose up here, right?

It looks like.

And I'm just trying to pinch that thing, right?

He's awesome.

Yeah, everything about him, his vibe, whenever he walks, it looks like he's floating.

And his hair is just always so perfectly pretty.

I looked it up.

He has another title.

He is a minister of culture, but he's also the professor of practice at the university.

Is that Michael?

No, that would be

we're trying to build for Irvin's professor.

We have some great news coming out of Pittsburgh.

Cam Hayward's going to play football this year.

Wow.

For the Steelers?

Never would have guessed that.

Yeah, the hold-in, I guess, is not gonna be an issue.

Mike Tomlin says this.

I'm certainly expecting Cam to play.

Cam doesn't play a lot in team development over the last several years.

My job is to get him in and out of the throw.

And I've done my job.

And so

there are no reservations about his participation or his readiness.

I'm sure he's chopping it to bed.

Okay, hold in over.

He's playing football for the Pittsburgh Steelers is what Coach Tomlin is saying, expecting.

That's a big deal.

Obviously, last year it was all pro.

Now he was seeking a little bit more money because they redid his contract last year.

Takeaway money, I assume, from this year.

So now he's at a lower level.

And all anybody was saying is, okay, Cam, come on, come on.

That's basically the way everybody had treated this.

We thought maybe he'd get a little bit more money before the season.

Doesn't seem like that's going to be the case.

And now Cam Hayward's playing for a fully stacked Pittsburgh Steeler team.

Yeah, it's huge, especially week one against the Jets who are going to have a good running game.

And Derek Carmen, who they drafted in the first round out of Oregon, is going to be banged up for the first couple weeks.

So that's huge.

Obviously, Need came in the middle.

I mean, he's been the best player on the Steelers defense for a long time with TJ Watt.

Did Tomlin, did I hear him say him call practice team development?

He goes, Cam doesn't participate a lot in team development.

He just called him practice.

Yeah, and then he said it's my job to get him in and out of Latrobe.

I did that.

And I dare say, Vince or whatever he said.

Yeah, it was a great way to word things, which is Mike Tomlin football to a T there.

So basically, we were all getting a little bit overzealous about this hold in.

Cam probably not practicing those days anyways.

What years is for him?

15.

15, 16, 15, 16.

17, 18?

In the middle of a defensive line.

Take it on body.

So much worse.

Captain, obviously, voted Aaron Rodgers, TJ Watt, and Miles Kilbert.

Dog.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Oh, okay.

Well, I guess if I'm a Steelers rookie, I know how to get my paycheck.

I guess I'll just hold out like Cam Hayward, and I'll be a captain.

Oh, Aaron Rodgers, he's up there.

He didn't work very hard this offseason.

Well, you mean he didn't work very hard.

He doesn't know that.

That's what people are saying.

He just said.

He said Aaron didn't work hard this offseason.

You see that ball coming in?

You think he just woke up doing that?

Oh, well, Aaron wakes up doing that.

Yes, every day, actually.

I do think he does wake up and does that.

Exactly.

That's because he's working.

How many quarterbacks were playing with those squirty guns on stage this offseason while everybody else was working?

He's working on his aim.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, he ain't shooting in football.

Oh, that's where you're wrong, my friend, because he throws that thing like he's pulling a bow.

He's throwing darts, exactly.

I thought you've never seen the longer short.

If he was throwing water balloons or maybe, maybe some sort of water contraption instead of a squirt gun, I'd feel a little better.

I'm just saying, two of those four captains for the Pittsburgh Steelers are essential.

Oh, excuse me, three.

I forgot TJ Watts up there.

He held out too.

Hey, look, if you want to be a captain,

I don't like what Connor said.

You just got to hold out.

I just want to let everybody know, I did not know Connor was going to take that.

Nope, me neither.

Tell us all.

Yeah, I mean, Connor got real excited, I think, whenever his brain started piecing that whole thing together.

He could attack attack Pittsburgh a little bit, but that's how Pittsburgh knows people from Boston are going to react.

If he doesn't realize that it rains in Pittsburgh and you got to play with a wet ball, and that's what Aaron was doing with squirt guns, was just squirting his balls down so he could participate in practice.

As long as he was squirting his own balls.

I just want to say that

he was.

On his own.

He certainly was because he needed to get a good grip on that thing.

But with all that being said, Cam Hayward in year whatever.

Aaron in year 400, 201.

TJ Watts still there.

It feels like now is the time where they're all going gonna walk in and play the ball yeah Chris Boswell kicker is that still a thing going on he'll be out there kicking too I assume I didn't I assume he says I would have heard I would I believe we would have heard some

captain think slay's in his 13th year right 14th yeah he's a OG so many vets on that team yeah they're going they're going for it

Ramsey yeah

Jensers I think by and large grizzled team guaranteed Super Bowl yeah well I mean

grizzled vet some people have been saying a little longer than two you know other leaders

want money that's what I've heard.

I will tell you this:

I think there's Jensers that are very worried about how this is all going.

I wouldn't call them Yinsers, then.

I think there's a lot of, oh, real nice.

We got all the toys, huh?

We got everything that's supposed to be.

We're supposed to win the Super Bowl.

Feels like you're listening to one person.

Yeah, I think he represents a lot of people, though.

I don't think so.

Not my people.

I want all the teams up here to go to the Super Bowl or do the play

D-Bus team.

Thank you.

By far, the team that goes 9-8, that's the most entertaining would be the Steelers.

If the Steelers go 9-8, it will be comedy.

Watching

that place will explode.

Yeah, just imagining like a 7-2 start and then a 9-8 finish.

You know what it kind of feels like?

When Kenny Pickett was slicing and dicing that preseason.

Do you remember that?

Atlanta?

Oh, my God.

He thinks that would be...

I was born in 9-8.

Yeah, we know.

We know.

But we're saying

there hasn't been a lot of really ridiculous expectations out of the Pittsburgh Steelers fans, I think, for a bit.

Not since 2017.

I think there hasn't been.

This one and the Kenny Pickett preseason one feel like the biggest.

Like the Kenny Pickett preseason was like two, three years ago.

I think we all knew that was a joke, though.

So that, so this year, I mean, imagine how excited they were when Kenny Pickett was 7-7 in the preseason.

You got fucking Aaron Rodgers now, and things are changed a little bit.

Here we go.

Steelers.

Here we go.

Pittsburgh's going to the Super Bowl.

Here we go.

If they don't fire everyone.

Here we go.

Moving on.

Nope.

Get your shit.

Nope.

Here we go.

Everyone just got extensions.

And by the way, if I remember correctly, that guy from Pittsburgh that you keep listening to wanted Aaron to play in the preseason, too?

Yes, I do.

Okay.

He said,

I want to see two, three snaps him in that Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

Don't we think he should take a couple snaps so we can see it?

I'll tell that guy to come see me next time.

He actually's coming today.

Oh, good.

I just hope.

You'll see him.

I really just hope the con artist is conning the other teams and not his own city.

Whoa, whoa.

That's what I hope.

That's what I hope.

It's going to be a fun year, isn't it?

It's going to be a long one.

Joining us now, ladies and gentlemen, is a man who's going to be spending a lot of time with us.

Okay?

He's going to be in all of our lives.

And we're excited for that.

We still have no idea how he does it.

His bladder control is one that they should tell stories about.

His ability to navigate throughout an entire league's actions and storylines is second to none.

His contract was up.

I think he had more leverage than anybody in the history of on-air talent.

I hope he utilized it.

Even if he didn't, we're thankful he's back.

The host of the Red Zone channel, ladies and gentlemen, Scott Hanson.

How you doing, brother?

Gentlemen, welcome to our humble abode.

I asked to do this interview from the Red Zone Studio.

This is the first ever interview I've done from the actual Red Zone studio.

You welcome us into your place all the time.

So if you want a tour, we can do that, or we can just talk how the Steelers can get to the Super Bowl starting on Sunday in the early window of NFL Red Zone.

Well, we will certainly talk about that again with somebody that isn't you.

What we can do with you is see your studio.

Yeah, I had no idea we had potential access.

Thank you for allowing us to be the first Red Zone studio interview.

Okay, so it's a massive green screen.

All right, and we're standing behind that podium the entire time.

Is that what we're doing?

Yeah, now I know you're going to make fun of me because, like, look over here.

Right here, let me go.

Go full screen on this.

Here we go.

Step back.

Here we go.

Got it.

Yeah, that's a standing.

It looks like the COVID unit.

It looks like the COVID unit.

This is not some ego play by me.

You know this, Pat.

The crew uses this to balance the green screen here, like a Marvel movie and whatnot.

The desk is real.

The host's enthusiasm is real.

And most importantly, the touchdowns are real, but the background is completely fake.

Okay, so how many hours are you in there?

What time is day start?

So I'm in Los Angeles.

This is right next to Inglewood, right next to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Literally

300 feet this way is SoFi Stadium.

I like to be the first one in the studio.

I get in at a little after 5 a.m.

on Sunday.

Kickoff is 10 a.m.

Pacific on Sunday.

So five hours of ramping up.

I eat my food.

I eat my breakfast at the desk right here.

That's awesome.

Okay, I know you want to know this.

No, there's no toilet back here or anything.

Scroll down.

Scroll down.

Scroll down.

There's no Gatorade jug back there.

Just like I stand right here.

There's a little hose in there.

Was there a hose in there?

Was that a wire?

What was that wire?

It was sort of catheter.

What was it?

Yeah, okay.

Okay, here.

Do you really want to get into it?

Yeah,

go down a little bit down.

What is that down there?

What's that down there?

That's a little catheter there or no?

Wait, it does.

It does sort of look like a tube.

That's some kind of electrical cord.

Sure.

That's the bottom of that.

So, anyway, looking into the camera here, here's what you guys find fun because

I only stand here for the first 90 seconds of the show.

As soon as we go to the OctoBox when the kickoffs are all beginning, I come around here and I stand right here and watch this wall of monitors.

They've got a camera light up here for the Pat McAfee show today.

That's not usually here, but we have

every game on all these big monitors go into quadrants.

I'll put all eight games on over here.

I've got a massive monitor that's tapped into the scoreboards of every stadium in the NFL, and I got all the scores live with the clock exactly synchronized to the game clock.

So the action could be a little two seconds off, but that is the game clock.

Down here, I've got what you got at home.

We call it our program monitor that I know what you're watching at any given moment, and then I can say, all right, we just had, you know, whatever.

The Patriots did just this, the Cowboys, the Eagles, whatever.

Let's get it over here.

But yeah, we rock and roll.

My right-hand men, my version of Boston Conner, Ty Schmidt, Tone Diggs, they sit right here.

Tim Galanians, Brian Larravey, they have their laptops popped open to give me any type of stat, fact, player identification.

And we rock and roll for seven hours with no commercial breaks.

So you got two spots.

That's awesome.

Thank you for the tour there, by the way.

That's fantastic stuff.

Thank you for showing us how the sausage is made.

And that sausage, by the way, is a must for any NFL fan every single Sunday.

You've become just an institution in of yourself on one of the quad boxes for everybody's YouTube TV run.

You got two spotters there.

Who's deciding?

Like, are you cutting to these games in real time?

Who are you talking to?

Is there a truck?

Is there a room?

How many people are in there?

I assume that's a good idea.

Yeah, control room.

It is.

It is.

Controlled chaos, but chaos indeed.

The control room is right above us over here, and it has about 15 to 20 people in it at any given time.

Our producers, our coordinating producers, Alan Flowers and Andy Gregg, our line producers, Todd Mossberg and Brian Nettles, they're in my ear constantly saying, all right, we're on the Falcons game right now.

It's third and eight from midfield.

If they go incomplete, they're going to bring out the punt team.

So let's go to Green Bay.

But keep in mind, Seattle's coming out of the two-minute warning timeout, and they're first and goal from the sixth.

So if they come out of commercial break, let's go to Seattle.

Otherwise, go to Lambeau Field.

However, if the Falcons get this first down, we'll stay with this drive.

So it's like calling plays in my ear, like if coach to quarterback communication system, and then I get to the line of scrimmage and execute whatever the football demands.

The people that I've met that come to mind that could potentially pull off what you're doing, Michael Cole, period.

That's it.

I think what you're doing is like very difficult and you make it look very easy.

And that's why I hope whenever we saw your contract was up, it was like, oh, buddy, now is a good time to be Scott Hanson.

So we want to say congratulations to you and also thank you for getting that done because you're a massive piece of our NFL season, brother.

Massive piece of the entire thing.

Pat, I appreciate it, fellas.

I appreciate it.

I've been on the show like once or twice before, and I say this every time.

It is a massive responsibility.

I mean, I love doing what I do, and I hope the enthusiasm comes across your televisions.

I love football.

I love serving the audience, but it's a massive responsibility when everyone in the sports broadcasting industry who's not working on an NFL Sunday is most likely watching Red Zone to get the 10,000-foot view.

Players tell me all the time when they're not playing on Sunday, they're watching Red Zone.

Coaches tell me when they're not playing on Sunday, they're watching Red Zone.

So

it's a heck of a responsibility, and I try and respect the game, respect the players, respect the coaches, and honor our audience who joins us, millions of them for every single Sunday that make Red Zone their ritual and their routine.

So I appreciate you, boys.

I'm going to give everything I got here.

Season 17 kicking off on Sunday.

Let's go.

You've earned it all, Scott.

Yeah, we appreciate you.

On that note, D-Bud has a question for you.

Just mention season 17.

How many, I guess, weeks or years did it take you to get actually comfortable with all of that chaos that you just mentioned that goes on behind the scenes.

And now you're going into a game, assuming you're going in pretty comfortable every Sunday afternoon.

Well, Sunday morning for you now.

Yeah, so Debut, good to see you, sir.

Happy New Year to you.

Happy New Year.

You know,

football.

Before,

let's go.

Let's Let's go.

Before I was the host of Red Zone, I was a roving reporter.

So I used to go to Lucas Oil Stadium and cover the Colts game, right?

And I would do some pregame reports.

And then during the game, I would sit up in the press box with all the rest of the talking heads and just watch the game, log stuff.

But I'd be the guy up in the press box that would have my laptop open.

And as Peyton Manning was doing something on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, I'd be elbowing the guy and the gal next to me on Meteor Row saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know Peyton's doing this, but Tony Romo just hit Terrell Owens on a 50-yard touchdown in Dallas.

And, oh, oh, oh, Adrian Peterson's got 100 yards at the half in Minnesota.

Like, so I have always wanted to get the overarching view of the NFL, even when I had a live game going on in front of me.

So, to answer your question specifically, I was not entirely comfortable, but reasonably comfortable because I always want to watch more than one thing at a time.

My My brain is wired that way, and I love multitasking and just saying, oh man, I want to tell this person about this going on.

I know you're watching this, but check out this right here.

And that's what red zone is for seven straight hours.

It's the NFL doing something and then me tapping America on the shoulder saying, hey, hey, hey, look at this in Dallas, in Houston, in Detroit, whatever.

Yeah, and the only people you really attacked were normally punters.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's all super positive.

It's all super positive.

Everything's positive, which is why I like you.

Touchdowns, good things happening.

Boom, boom.

I shouted you out.

When a dude bangs a 70-yarder, I've shouted you out on the

kicker, and I do appreciate that.

Punters only appear on the red zone channel when one's going to be.

I meant a 70-yard punt.

That's what I'm talking about.

Okay, I like you doing that, but you.

Ask the fellas.

Ask that.

They know that I have before.

Okay.

I've said for the brand, man.

I saw it.

Okay.

The first 10 years of a murder scene of the punters, though.

Okay, there's a lot.

We're talking very recent history here.

Yeah.

First 10 years.

If we see a punt, we know why.

The only time a punter would go on red zone channel is because it's going the other way.

So I hated the red zone channel as somebody that was

playing at the time.

I'm like, red zone channel, everybody loves it, huh?

It's great.

Yeah.

Only time I'm getting on there is somebody running right by my ass.

But now that I am just a sports watcher and no longer a punter, it might be the greatest invention that any sport has ever had.

Like whenever it comes to a media thing.

Like college football is going to try to do it.

I hope.

I think there's always been a

last year you dabbled in it.

Are you guys going to do it?

There's so many commercials.

We were still doing the commercials of the regular, you know what I mean?

Like you got the 30-second ad thing is still a thing, I guess, with that.

You would have to sell that as an L-Rap digital.

Like you guys.

NFL.

Oh boy, here it comes.

Yeah.

What is it?

How many hours of

full commercial football?

Pat said commercial free.

I heard you say command free.

What did you say?

Maybe we can run it back.

Can you give us a preview of what it's going to sound like on Sunday there?

Yeah.

I'm going to close my eyes.

Oh, man.

Before I do it, can I just say one thing?

When it comes, I'm the host of the show.

What if I said no?

What if I would have said no right there?

You said, can I say one thing?

I'd run through the stop signs.

The business folks handle the business.

Of course.

And I have no say over

different elements that could or could not be in the show.

Okay, and so

I'll just tell you right now: when you see me come on the air here, we're going to hit the octo box.

We've got eight games in the early window taking you around all the different cities.

And then, when we get into it, ladies and gentlemen, it's been more than 250 days since the first full NFL Sunday, but we are back.

And seven hours of red zone football starts now.

Well said.

I realize that might be a slight change to some of you, but

that's what the catchphrase will be going forward.

We all understand what the NFL is, okay?

We all understand what the NFL is.

As soon as we heard it's in 50 million homes and everybody's watching it, we knew immediately that there's going to be commercials dropped in there.

Now, they already started doing commercials with the L Reps.

You know, they already started sliding those in.

True.

You guys were saying commercial-free football, and I saw a fucking Lowe's ad on my screen as you were doing that.

I'm like, we're certainly getting money from commercial stuff though.

Bang!

Yeah.

Shout out to you.

That's exactly what it would do, you know?

And then now actual commercials.

Are you going to maybe go to the bathroom now?

If there is like a little

bathroom, you still stay in solidarity.

Yeah,

17.

Yeah.

But I don't think anybody's upset about the commercials.

I mean, it's an easy thing to kind of tweet about.

and post about, but I don't think anybody's turning it off because of commercials.

And the NFL knows that.

Yes.

And it's like, yeah, we can certainly.

I'll tell you this.

We've had meetings all offseason.

We had our rehearsal.

We had our dress rehearsal in week three of the preseason.

And we are not going to sacrifice any great football for any of the business side of things, right?

The business folks are going to handle the business and we play the hand that's dealt us, but we will not miss a touchdown.

We will not say, oh, okay, this is first and goal from the five, but let's, you know, sell some pizza or pick up trucks.

But

do it, yeah.

Yeah, unless it's like, like you pick and choose your spots, like anything.

Well, if the business people are content creating people, that's when you're in a good spot.

I assume over at the NFL, you guys have it figured out.

We can't wait for Sunday, and you just saying that right there, 250 plus days, getting right into those seven hours of red zone football.

I mean, we got the GBs over here, brother.

We got two sponsors.

We appreciate the hell out of you.

Have a great season.

You're the man.

Bat, guys.

Great to see you.

Thanks.

Have a great year.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is the Red Zone Channel.

Scott Anson.

Yes, Scotty!

Tour was cool.

Tour was sweet.

Yeah.

Got two guys, two spotters down here.

Got some people in truck.

Yep.

We got these TVs here.

Every stadium scoreboard is big for him.

Yeah, it was huge.

Because he can just go in there and say, hey, bye-bye, bye-bye, and it's like on TVs 30 seconds off.

He's like, I know.

Know where I'm going now.

That's why I'm right there.

Would love to meet his other guys.

Maybe we get a chance to get over there somewhere.

We'll love it.

Great other guys.

This is Joe Button.

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Football is majestic and the NFL kicks off its season tomorrow night in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, the city of the reigning defending world champion Philadelphia Eagles as they play host to the NFCE's rival, the Dallas Dallas Cowboys.

Now, how will the game go?

We shall see.

How will the night go?

Should be epic.

And will Jerry Jones speak before, during, and after this game?

Absolutely.

It is going to be a kickoff to the NFL that we will celebrate in magnificent fashion.

And then Friday night, we got the Chiefs in Chargers.

Saturday, full college football slate of kick-ass games.

And then Sunday, we got seven hours of red zone football coming right up as the Indianapolis Colts host the Miami Dolphins here in Indianapolis, which we will certainly be

maybe boots on the ground there.

I think we'll probably boots on the ground there.

And then Sunday Night Football, Ravens, Bills.

Are you kidding me?

We get Josh Allen Lamar Jackson on Sunday night.

Yes, please.

Gonna be waiting all day.

That is just a few sleeps.

You will be waiting all day.

Yes, you will.

New version of that song is going to hit like

always like crack so hard.

I mean, gonna hit

huge.

I mean, it's all coming.

Josh Allen Lamar Jackson is just a few sleeps away.

Yeah.

And tomorrow, we're forgetting his Sunday night football conduct.

Next, so we're getting a kickoff of Torico Collinsworth and Carrie Underwood's probably new.

Oh, yeah.

Exactly.

Yeah, we're probably getting that tomorrow night.

Waiting all day for Thursday night.

Oh, my God.

We've been waiting all offseason

for this whole night.

Sirianni doesn't know it's Banner Night.

You believe him?

Awesome.

Do you believe him?

Absolutely not.

That's his gimmick.

I respect that.

He said, we're not even thinking about that.

And then asked the question about it.

Didn't even know that.

Yeah, we just keep him moving.

He has to sell that gimmick and live that gimmick to the team.

But also, he understands that they will boo his ass if they don't play great early.

I think he wants to defend.

I think he likes his team.

I think you should if you're the Philadelphia Eagles.

And Saquon Barkley's back.

Landon Dickerson.

Offensive lineman who was injured during training camp, was full participant at practice today.

So that's good news.

He was drinking beers on the field with the Cleveland Browns, offensive lineman during training camp practice.

That was an indicator to me that he's probably going to be back.

I don't think you're just going out publicly having some beers while you're rehabbing an injury that you're not going to be back for.

Wild movies.

That was just kind of my

reading the human thing.

Like he's having beers.

He thinks he's coming back.

If he's back, that's a huge deal, obviously, for an offensive line that was number one in the league last year.

Are they going to be able to do the same thing they were able to do last year, which is rush more often than they passed, and they dominated the offensive line basically in every single game?

I can't wait for this season to start.

Then Friday, you got Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and then we're right into it.

Let's go.

We've made it.

Happy NFL Eve to you.

Thank you for allowing us to do this for a living.

That's Darius J.

Butler.

That's one half of the hammer.

Got Cowboys AP Tone.

And then the Toxic Table is here at Boston Connor and at Ty Schmidt.

Joining us live from an attic in Ohio is a college football national champion, a Super Bowl champion, a Ryder Cup winner, and a father of 10.

Ladies and gentlemen, A.J.

Hawk.

Hawker, how you doing, brother?

Good to see you, man.

Yeah,

I'm doing great.

Crystal Ball was very impressive to me.

No joke.

I've seen him in in interviews and talk, but he just, that dude has a presence about him.

I was very impressed.

I like him.

So we didn't even get into, I guess he was going to be a Secret Service agent.

Yeah, as the story goes, yeah, he was ready to do it.

It was like a two-year process, got offered a job, and then the morning he was supposed to leave to go to like do his training in Quantico or wherever, he said, you know what?

I don't really want to do this anymore.

I'm going to be a football coach.

I guess he rolls jiu-jitsu.

I guess he does jiu-jitsu.

He's fluent in Spanish.

You know, he played football at the U, obviously.

He feels like the perfect guy guy to maybe lead the hurricanes all the way back.

Debuts, you're down there.

Yep.

Do a lot of people feel the same way AJ feels about him?

It's buzzing.

You saw the attendance at Hard Rock Stadium last week in shitty weather, but it's definitely a buzz down there.

Football is different.

College football is different when the U is good, when the Florida teams are good.

But when you watch the University of Mountain play football, it's like a certain attitude, a certain swagger that you expect to see.

And Cam Ward leading that ship fell short of the end, didn't make a playoff run, but now we got Carson Beck and he's hit the ground running.

And Gump mentioned earlier, that defense, and that defense is flying around, can actually get stops.

That'll be exciting.

But Mario got the town abuzz right now for sure.

Yeah, I love to hear that.

And how far is the stadium from campus?

21 miles.

Oh,

Coral Games.

Miami Gardens.

Do any students go?

Do any students go?

Oh, you go to the game?

They did this past one.

It was packed.

It looked awesome.

I know.

Well, you know, kickoff big game.

I'm saying like the middle of the road games, maybe.

This week.

Based on Cook.

That's a commitment, though.

If you're a college kid, you drive 21 miles.

21 miles in in Miami.

Yeah, it's an hour and a half.

That's three hours.

Everybody says LA's traffic is slow.

At least LA has like multiple lanes.

True.

Miami, I always feel like I'm on a really small road with nowhere to go.

And there's a lot of people around me doing the same exact thing.

That's how I always feel like when I'm in Miami traffic.

Wherever you get to, awesome.

It's like, it's worth it.

Yeah.

The traffic is better going from Coral Gables north to Miami Gardens as opposed to coming from like Fort Lauderdale or anywhere going south to because when you go into Miami it kind of gets bottlenecked where like it

yeah it becomes like five highways merging no matter yeah no matter what time of the day it is so it does flow better but I'm sure going back is a shit show but it's definitely a commitment either way to go 21 miles you assume you know having some beverages and things like that it's a commitment Yeah, hey, those hills of North Carolina commitment to drive through.

Yep.

Yep.

We were driving over there.

It's a lot of...

A little bit of a hike.

Not a lot of places are like here where it's just flat and you got a big circle that takes you wherever you want gotta love it it is very flat out here it is very nice um

speaking of you know things that are very nice it'd be cool to have a job i don't have to do and i get paid for

yeah so that would be really cool wouldn't it we've heard about these no-show jobs uh in the sports world through colleges like back in the day i believe there was a quarterback whenever d-butt and i were in college he at ucon i was at west virginia I think we've mentioned this.

In the summer, a guy was working at a car dealership.

He never went there, but he was making a shit ton of money, like a lot of money.

And obviously the NCAA somehow snooped it out.

It became a big story.

And it was at that moment we all started thinking like, holy hell, well, that's a genius idea.

We got to find a place.

Like, we didn't even, I don't, I don't, the people I was talking with, which was a lot of members of the team, hadn't even thought of that potentially being a thing.

So I think for us, it was a little bit of an eye-opener of what people might be doing.

But also, it was a little intriguing thought like, like, oh, that's a good idea.

Like, that is a good way to kind of sneak in the back door around rules a little bit.

The NCAA isn't saying it's around rules, but that's not a bad.

Now, we're hearing about it in a huge way.

Pablo Torrey, investigative sports journalist, who has done a lot of great work.

Yeah, I mean, he is like fully committed to this, and I think it's going to be good for the sports world and even the whole world.

Because I think he was digging into a tree company first and then kind of unfolded all of this.

If I have the investigative process proper, he was looking into this tree growing company that isn't real, I guess is what they're saying.

What?

And then Ballmer was allegedly,

this is all via Pablo Torres investigative journalism.

So we are not saying we created this.

This is Pablo Torres doing.

It's a lot of money and a lot of huge names and also the league.

This has massive implications, I think, everything that Pablo Torre said.

I looked at his tweet where he put the video out from his podcast, had 12 million views on it.

Okay, this is going to be a big ordeal.

I assume assume the NBA is already trying to look into all this.

I wonder how prevalent this is around the NBA and in professional sports as a whole, as an owner is sneaking or circumventing the salary cap by providing funds through another company.

How long has this been going on?

Who all does this?

Obviously, we heard about it from the college ranks.

Have professional teams been doing this with their biggest stars?

If they have, how long has it been taking place since like the beginning of time?

I wonder all those things just learning about this.

But allegedly, Kawhi was getting paid a lot of money through a tree seeding company.

Yeah, good company idea.

Very kind of them.

Not making the world better?

So I think they were saying they were.

Allegedly.

But who knows about actually, because oxygen comes through those trees.

Exactly.

It does.

Yeah, they generate oxygen, which we all need oxygen.

I love oxygen.

Yeah, I do too, because there's osmosis in there where molecules do their thing, and then they do seed dough, and then all of a sudden we got.

You're breathing.

Yeah, we're breathing.

Here we are.

We need those, but being able to just say, Yeah, yeah, this is what his salary is.

And then, on the other thing, got a couple advertising moves.

Nobody knows.

Here's 28 million bucks.

That's an interesting dynamic.

Yeah, very, and if, like, if what Pablo Torrey is saying is true, then you don't stop at basketball.

You just think of every big

star deal that you have heard of over the past five to ten years in your head.

Like, immediately, I go, and again, this is strictly based off what Pablo Astori is reporting.

If it's true, then this is where I go.

Like, okay, you know, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, these guys who are getting a ton of money, and I don't think it's happening with the NFL.

But people will naturally, because of a story like this, would assume, you know, oh, if the NFL is scripted, you don't think the NFL is going to be paying guys in advertising deals that are worked into

contracts?

Yeah.

Yeah, you shouldn't say it, but we're on the same thing.

We're probably thinking the same thing.

A lot of hometown discounts out there when they went on their

bigger, yeah, allegedly.

I mean, if that's Pablo Torrey, you just start to think.

The mind starts to think.

Pay him in crypto.

Why are we paying in crypto?

You can't trace it, can you?

You can't figure it out.

Why are we doing all these LLCs?

There's a couple athletes that were actually invested in crypto, pretty big, that you know, might have thought they were going to get arrested by the FBI.

Again, something that might come back up.

Hey, wait, was this deal that Pablo Torrey is reporting about with the company like this?

Is this something that a crypto could do?

Because then you think of some of the stars that were playing at the time, you know, that were invested in some of those things.

I mean, it's hard.

You can't help but just think.

Can't.

And it's all based on Pablo Torrey saying this.

Pablo Torre, by the way, we'd like to say, I appreciate his.

He's going to find out.

He's going to get the bottom.

There's a lot of bang.

He's getting a lot of shins.

Oh, yeah.

Like from very, very powerful people.

And he's just like, yep, that's what I thought.

Yep.

That's what, just kind of doing this.

I'm going to keep digging.

Insane it.

This one's gigantic.

Huge.

Huge.

I mean, this is impossible.

The tree company went out of business.

The tree company had to file bankruptcy.

Is that why he figured it out?

Because then their creditor, the creditor was Kawhi's LLC or whatever?

What is it?

What was it?

Yeah, I don't know.

How do you get the books?

How do you get through it?

How do you find out?

And how is it not?

I assume it's an actual investigation now that you know that it's been cracked open.

And it's, you know, for us as sports fans, you want to think to yourself, like, ah, business, business.

Let's just talk about the teams.

Because if they were able to do it, you'd assume other teams have done it.

Like, that's just how I naturally think.

It's like, if they are doing, if Ballmer's doing this, he happens to have a lot of money.

Like, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of money.

Yeah, or that could be the other part.

Maybe it is something.

I mean, what's the point of being the richest owner in team sports if you can't do some shit that everybody else isn't doing?

Yeah.

I slide to 28.

So we talk about this with the Denver Broncos about how there's no salary cap on the coaches' salaries.

So like they have a definite advantage over the teams that don't have as much cash because they can pay sean payton vance who's our special teams coordinator over there oh look

i assume he's really good and if i know him i apologize for forgetting it's you

it's not moving parts oh no bones with the tennessee yeah it is uh we do know who is it it's riz it's darren rizzy oh okay okay

we apologize first year there though yeah exactly because it's his first year there but they can pay he's the guy that created the new kickoff rule basically he was the one tasked with the entire thing very good at his job but they have the advantage of being able to overpay the coaches so and even thinking anybody else officers are able to do that i didn't even think the advantage to overpay the players like hey yeah your salary will definitely do the whole you broke the record yeah okay we'll do that whole thing see also i'm not saying denver's doing this but i'm just saying this would be something that the richest owners in all the leagues would be able to take advantage of and all these people are so uber competitive they're definitely thinking about ways to take advantage of other there's no way that ballmer's the only owner that's doing this no i mean maybe maybe maybe he's no way.

But there's no way.

Especially in Cali.

Just think about how many

pro teams are in Cali and then the taxes in Cali.

Like, hey, sure, it's paying the ass for the taxes, but...

Well, you got to combat the taxes almost.

Well, this is also going to be the college football model, by the way, when the whole revenue sharing comes in.

The players are getting their salary and then they're getting all the NIL on the side.

Yeah, this is going to be the whole model for that.

But the NIL things have to be paid by the commission.

That's why, yeah.

Hey, Jay, is this what Ohio State's been doing?

Is this how you guys have been able to have such good teams for so long what was your job i don't i did not what was your job you didn't show up at were you making sandwiches

are you okay so let's say kawaii showed up a couple of the old guy he worked for oh yeah oh yeah yeah

yeah

p Terry yes recipe Terry taught you a lot of good life lessons but Ohio State's been doing this no-show job thing for a long time or

how do we know everybody isn't doing I mean it's hard not to I'm naive I've been naive to it I don't think i didn't think it was that rampant i really don't i still don't well i didn't either until i read this and then you immediately just go

yeah

and it's in the contract too according to pablotori as soon as he's done with the team it's done which you would obviously expect but if he retires if he's traded deal's done and the names like we're talking about kawai leonard of course big name but like then some of the names on there are much bigger yeah than kawhai leonard and that's why you really start to wonder and you go down that route and all the aliens.

Yeah, according to Pablo Tori.

According to Pablo Tori.

Pablo Tori's investigative journalism.

All right, Pablo.

Sit in that pocket, brother.

I'm telling you, those are some big names.

Into the whole political world.

Pablo want to get in there?

I think Pablo wants to get into whatever needs to be getting into.

I think from what we are gathering.

It's got that little rabbit hole right next to you.

I mean, when you do this kind of stuff and you take it on the shins like that, it's like, okay, well, there's something there.

Like, people just dismiss this and be like, all right, whatever.

We're not even.

But if people start attacking me, it's like, okay, well, maybe I'll keep digging a little bit.

Good luck, Pablo.

Good luck, Pablo.

It's a wildlife to live.

Wild.

Hey, better you than us, Pablo, but we appreciate what you're doing, Pablo.

But as I read, amen.

Amen.

As I read that,

all I thought to myself is like,

what Connor was saying, it was just like, if they're doing this, did he think of this idea?

I don't think he thought of this idea.

The first thing I thought of, Micah Parsons, I was like, oh, I wonder if the Packers gave him like 5,000 acres of dairy land or something, dairy farm.

You get half the tickets to this sled tubing mountain next to the thing.

We'll have a Micah tube.

I mean, Green Bay, especially more than any other team, like, you know, they have land and investments and they don't have an owner.

So you're assuming any of those land and investments.

Every deal now.

Can't do that.

Yeah, yeah.

Can't do that.

My Papa Door room.

His whole room with slots at the United Casino.

Those profits go to you now.

See, we can't do that.

We're going to call this the Parsons Parlay up here.

It's going to be beautiful.

It's going to be beautiful, Mike.

Pablo Torrey, getting to the ball.

But joining us now is a man who probably has thoughts on this, if I had to guess.

This is very much in his world.

And what's he doing?

Yeah.

Exactly.

Hey, why is he not doing this?

Burnley better win the Premier League this year.

Exactly.

Hey, JJ, we got some negotiating tactics we'd like to drop on your head that maybe you could utilize to get a

Leo Messi, maybe?

Ladies and gentlemen, the owner of Burnley and the owner of Espanol in La Liga, currently ranked fifth in La Liga.

He's a future NFL Hall of Famer.

He's calling games this season

for

CBS.

He's going to be great.

Ladies and gentlemen, JJ Watts.

He's going to be great.

I knew a CBS.

I am fired up to be back.

I'm excited to be here.

You're an owner of a new soccer team, JJ.

Are you cheating?

Is it considered cheating?

Do you know the rules?

Are you allowed to do the Steve Ballmer thing?

Are you allowed to funnel allegedly, allegedly, via Pablitore's investigative journalism?

Are you allowed to just create shell companies to potentially funnel money to people to circumvent whatever salary cap there is for your teams?

Hypothetically, if this was happening via Pablo Torres Investigative Journalism with Steve Ballmer, our immediate thoughts is every owner should be doing this.

Do you have the companies in Spain that are willing to help Espanol maybe put some money through the back door?

Are you thinking about this?

No, Transfer Window just closed two days ago, so we are good to go.

All business is done.

Everything is good.

There is no more, screwed it up, no more movement on our end.

All is well.

What is the food over there in Spain?

Malleans and mashed.

Maella.

Yeah, okay.

Paella.

Paella, yeah, paella.

Oh, my orca, paella.

So far.

Play Mallorca next Monday.

Tough sign.

Watch out for the pirate now.

Pirate can put him in.

What's our team?

We're the Espanol

Paricos Parakeets.

Oh, the Parakeets.

Yeah.

Okay.

Better watch out.

We got a Cauldron of Chaos.

RCDE Stadium.

Play some.

A Cauldron of Chaos with the Parakeets.

Let's go, Keats.

Okay, yeah.

What do we do?

Do we fly, parakeets, fly?

What's the chant?

What do we say?

We got a great one that I just learned.

Obviously, I'm still learning some of the new ones.

I believe it's in the morning we drink coffee, in the afternoon we drink rum, and at night we are

Magico Español.

You have to sing it in Spanish.

You have to sing.

You can't sing it in English.

In the morning, oh, we drink coffee.

Morning, oh.

But anyway,

I went over there.

First match.

Unbelievable.

We're playing Atletico Madrid.

Massive match.

Opener.

Our first match there.

My first time in Barcelona.

Down 1-0.

Come back to one win.

Let's go on bananas.

Just crazy.

Did I see you tweeting about a ref, a ref got you guys at one time, right?

There was an offside, maybe a goal call back.

That was Burnley.

That was with Burnley.

And yes, it was absolute

shite.

It was shite.

It was shite.

I got to watch myself a little bit here, but

questionable at best and have yet to hear.

yet to hear an acceptable reasoning.

So hold on.

Love to hear that.

Are you putting pressure on this?

And is there like a a British guy that's in charge of calling back and being like, hey, Mr.

Walt, guess, like, is there like a full, do you have a British accent that you are going?

Do you pick up a British accent?

I don't use a British accent, but we don't take this bullshit anymore.

We're not like a little team at the bottom of the table.

That's just going to take this layer.

Yeah.

We are going to speak up about it.

I'm going to tweet about it.

They're going to hear about it.

We'll get a letter back saying, yes, we screwed up.

We're sorry.

Nothing's going to change, but we're not taking this shit laying down anymore.

It pisses me off.

I like that.

Hey, Burnley, up the clerk.

Get on the the horn.

Tell Howard Webb you want a conversation, JJ.

Who's Howard Webb now?

I'd like to have a lot of conversations.

I'd like to have a lot of conversations.

Send the dudes, brother.

You want to get their attention?

Have them talk.

How about

a lettuce?

Yeah, it looks good.

Look at that head on lettuce.

Thanks for following the program.

Yeah, he's been drawing you for a little bit.

Big offseason.

You got bought another team.

Yeah, that's fair.

That's fair.

And their chance sucks.

No, it doesn't.

That's fantastic.

In the morning,

in the morning, we drink coffee.

In the afternoon, we draw.

You're a drink in the night.

You just worry about Pablo Torre taking a look in your team over there.

All right.

That's fine.

That's why it's Adrian's from, yeah, exactly.

2000 to 2020.

Go on.

Hey, now, I will say this.

That move by Ballmer, okay, allegedly, via Pablo Torrey's investigative journalism.

Get that out there.

Allegedly.

Allegedly.

Put that out there, please.

That's what he's doing.

By the owner, I assume Steve Ballmer's going, so what?

And then he's, he's probably, without a doubt, he's probably saying through somebody else, like, hey, we didn't talk about when blah, blah, blah, but this is just a part of the whole thing.

It was, I feel like a naive doofus living in this world and being in this world so often that I didn't just think that this was how this goes.

You know, now that I know this, though, every single deal that's done, every single move that's made, it's going to be hard not to be like, And what are the local, is there any businesses?

Yeah.

What other, it's hard not to just think like that now, JJ, legitimately i i don't well i mean like now that you say that it's actually pretty interesting i think aj was kind of pointing to this before like what at what level of involvement did he have to do to justify being paid for it because like in an endorsement you show up you film a commercial or something and you get paid obviously money for that but that's that's okay so like if he showed up for 10 days out of the year and but his endorsement rate is 2.8 million per day and he showed up for 10 days that comes out to 28 million so like, what, at what point is it again?

He might have a $20 million daily rate in the offseason.

Might have a $20 million daily rate in the off-season.

Two days he went out there and tapped on some trees.

These ones look good.

These ones look good.

That's all.

He doesn't like doing it.

Probably one shovel, at least.

Yeah.

There's got to be a picture of him planting a tree somewhere that justifies that.

That's all you need.

One picture.

Hard hat show.

Yeah, I will do it.

They put it on billboards.

How much value?

You know how many eyeballs see that individual eyeballs on that billboard, the value of it?

Yeah, that's why i think like this nil thing is going to be a problem they got this commission that's supposed to approve things it's like if you turn one down they can easily just say who says so they're they can't pay me 250 000 for one commercial why because other people aren't able to do that well i found a company that's willing to do it like how could you ever say no to that i i don't know how you can turn down anything in america in a capitalist society that we live in i don't know how you can say no to any deal that is being offered to you via money honestly i don't understand how they're going to be able to say that no i don't i don't get how they i don't i don't don't understand how they're going to wrangle that in in college and how they're going to do it all unless you literally take the whole system, put it on a salary cap system, and you have a reporting and everything.

That's a very, very tough system to reel in.

And then each school can just get, you know, a tree.

According to Pablo Terrace.

Yep, yep, man.

You guys can get a tree.

All right, let's move to football.

TJ is the captain for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Congrats to the Watt family.

Cam Hayward, Mike Tomlinson say he has no reservations about thinking about whether or not Cam Hayward's going to play.

Aaron Rodgers, obviously leading the boys.

Killabrew on the special team side as captain there.

All vibes seemingly high with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I feel like training camp was a good one for them.

Feels like everybody has expectations that they're going to go on a run this year.

What are your thoughts as we near kickoff of this NFL season for your brothers Pittsburgh Steelers?

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this team performs.

I think there's a lot of anticipation because you have Aaron Rodgers, you have DK Metcalf.

You want to see what this offense looks like, what Arthur Smith can do.

How's that going to match up?

Is Aaron Rodgers going to be under center a bunch, running the play action game and the run game that Arthur Smith likes?

Are they going to shift it more towards that shotgun drop back game?

Really excited to see that.

We literally don't know besides the little practice clips that we have.

And then that defense.

I mean, you got Jalen Ramsey back there.

You have TJ.

Obviously, I mean, who knows, but you assume Cam's going to be out there on game day.

So

it's a really, really strong defense when you look at it.

And I'm really, I think it's the offense that's the most exciting to see what that looks like because we really don't know yet.

Yeah, DK Metcalf and John are just getting dropped in there is pretty wild.

Fryer Mooth is about to have the biggest year of his career, we all think.

Jalen Warren just signed a deal, I think.

So

whenever you think about that offense and all the pieces that they have, the only question is, will they be able to block and move any bodies?

We shall see.

Four captains for the Pittsburgh Steve.

Let's go ahead, D-Bud.

Yeah, I assume you were a long time.

Actually, I know you were a long-time captain in Houston, Arizona.

What's like the sweet spot for you, now that you're an owner, for team captains?

I mean, some teams I see you got seven, eight guys.

Other teams, I think the Bills maybe only have two, if I'm not mistaken.

What's like the sweet spot for you when it comes to team captains?

Yeah, it's a great question.

And I mean,

I personally like the one offense, one defense, one special teams.

I understand where it started to get a little, you know, you have guys that it's like, well, that guy's definitely a captain, but we already have one who's a for sure captain.

So it gets tricky.

I mean, you see some of these tweets where it's like, these are our captains for this year.

And you're like, wait a second, is that your roster?

Is that the captains list?

So it gets, I think, I think I saw literally like 10 on one team.

And you're like, okay, 46 guys play on game day.

That's, I'm not a mathematician, but that's like 20% of your roster.

A lot of leadership.

A lot of leaders.

A lot of leaders.

A lot of leaders.

You know.

But I like three.

I like offense, defense, special teams.

I don't know what you guys have experienced.

What do you like?

Yeah, we,

you know, when it got sent into the group, I think it was the Titans who had seven of them or something like that.

The Eagles.

Another team had eight or whatever.

And it's like the old adage about if you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.

I think if you have eight captains, do you have any captains?

Like, you know, like that is the, but I think they're also trying to promote people to become leaders.

And the team has a mission here with the C that they're giving out.

I think it was the Raiders who had Max Crosby and Geno Smith and then AJ Cole

who's the punter.

It's like, that's the right, like, Geno, we assume from everything we know, he's going to be the guy on the offensive side, Max Crosby on the defensive side.

And AJ is the best punter in the league at the moment.

So he should be the guy.

It's like when you have that effect.

I grew up in a hockey atmosphere.

I was played hockey all growing up.

And like in hockey, that C and that A on the jersey means a massive, massive amount.

Like there is such a heavy weight that comes with that and responsibility.

And I think that's so cool.

And I do think when you have 10, 12 guys, it takes some of that weight away.

But also the thing I've noticed is there's some of these teams that don't put C's on the jerseys, which is fine.

I mean, you can do whatever you want.

But I always think back to hockey and like that moment when you press the C on the captain's jersey for the first time.

That's such a special moment.

I think that's a really cool thing for guys.

And so when I see the teams that don't do it, I just, for those guys, I'm like, dang, they missed out on a pretty cool moment there shout out Sidney Crosby by the way for City of Pittsburgh for so long having that C on his chest

shout out to Barkey

yeah shout out to the C's on the boys chest

and the apples you know a couple apples on the boys

I saw you guys are getting a nice new soccer stadium down there really nice yeah absolutely Riverhounds are putting like a second level in that

it's gonna be so hey the Hallmark stadium down there yeah it's gonna be great for colour it's already very nice they're making it bigger yes they're big oh this is good good.

Riverhounds.

By the way.

It looks nice.

Espanol and Burnley.

Put your little all-starter team together.

It'll be J.J.

Watts teams versus Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Pink slips.

Down in that stadium.

Yeah, for pink slips.

Let the Riverhounds potentially own Espanol and Burnley.

Have Tyler playing if he wants to keep the team.

Yeah.

Take on a Riverhounds on the river, and there's going to be problems, I assume, especially with a bigger...

Bigger stadium.

I didn't know they were adding to that.

It looks really nice.

They're doing some nice things.

may put starlake out of business because they're gonna do a lot of concerts there no one wants to drive all the way starlake is a long drive for everybody in the east hills i will say that uh so shout out to the riverhounds making some magic happen okay speaking of magic jerry jones is filled with it absolutely wheeling dealing literally since he was just a wee little lad won oil rig that cost him 800 000 generated a hundred million dollars in wealth which is what he bought the dallas cowboys with and now he's known for one move and that is trading away his megastar Go ahead, AJ Hawk.

Yeah, Jay, let's say you're the decoordinator for the Green Bay Packers here, the first four games of the season.

How do you use Michael Parsons?

Like, how much do you play him?

And also, like, how much do you move this guy around?

It's a beautiful thing about being a defensive lineman.

You really don't need to know that much.

You don't need to be that smart.

You don't need to learn a whole lot of plays or terminology because we have basically two jobs.

One is set the edge, stop the run, and two is get the quarterback.

And you're going to tell me where to line up, and my job is to go get him.

And so it doesn't take that long to onboard a new guy when it comes to a pass rusher, especially one of talent level of Micah Parsons.

So I'm using him to the fullest as long as he feels good, which I mean, we've read about his back, we've seen about his back, but I saw that clip from practice the other day where he's absolutely smoking the blocking sled.

And as a guy who's had epidurals in my back and who's had back surgery, I know that you're not looking that explosive knocking that sled all the way back did you have mid-season uh jage yeah yeah i had i had epidural in mid-season one time uh really really shitty how was it you're saying it helped a lot

i was squatting on monday uh my monday ritual was to squat 405 for three sets of five every monday after games and i was on my way up i wasn't even at 405 i was at 275 and i got to the third rep back boom gone disc out

fell to the floor literally crawled on my hands and knees to the training room.

It was, I could not stand up.

I went in.

They were like, Yeah, you're in a really, really bad spot.

The next morning, I had to go and get an epidural in my back.

Basically, kind of helps take that disc, put it back in for the moment, and played the rest of this evening.

And it was, that was truly one of the most insane situations I've ever been a part of.

When was this?

When was this?

What time of year?

This was

like week four or five.

Oh,

God.

275 takes them out.

Mentally, you feel so weak because it was 275.

You squad anymore that year?

No, no, I changed, obviously, everything.

Thank goodness.

It's one of those things where you look back on it, like later.

Let me be candid here.

You look back on it and you're like,

Man,

I probably should have like asked a few more questions.

I probably should have done a little more research, but you know how it is, man.

When you're in it and A, you're getting paid a lot of money.

B, you got all these fans.

C, you got your teammates.

You're in the middle of the season.

You're like, I don't care, man.

Get me to Sunday.

I don't care.

Just get me back on that practice field.

Get me out on the field.

So yeah, even just telling that story,

it does sound pretty, pretty dumb.

Outrageous, yeah.

405 working Monday.

Day after game, I need to be dope going through a 405 on my back, on my spine.

I need to do it.

It did work out, Jake.

You'll be the first Ballot Hall of Famer.

It did work out.

You being a psycho machine certainly ended up as a good thing for your football career.

But I do appreciate the fact that those epidurals, they can do some pretty good stuff.

They can do some pretty good stuff.

How big's that needle, right?

That needle is gigantic, right?

This is the craziest part about it.

So I go in for the epidural.

They take me back.

They put the stuff in and the anesthesia and everything.

I go back.

I come out.

And they're like, hey, how'd it go?

And I was like, I don't know what do you mean?

They're like, yo, you were telling us all sorts of stuff back there.

And I was like, oh no, what do you mean?

I was telling you stuff.

I was under anesthesia.

And they're like, no, we had to give you the stuff that you don't feel it, but you're still awake because you have to tell us where the pain is.

And I was like, wait a second.

I was up back there?

You're blacked out back there.

They're like, yeah.

You were talking to us the whole time.

I had no idea what the hell.

Real loose lips back there.

Yeah, real loose lips back there.

I would love to hear the thoughts.

Man, talk to me about Bill O'Brien.

Yeah, our coach.

So I'm like, wait, I'm going to smack like this guy.

Wait, JJ, you said that people don't look like that hitting sleds when after getting an epidural.

Are you saying that this whole back thing

is made up of?

No, I'm saying you can't.

I'm saying you're not doing that if your back doesn't feel good.

Like he feels good enough.

Like if you're bending in that way with your back arching and lifting that thing, like you're feeling decent.

Like your back is not at a point where you might not play, at least in my opinion.

I'm not going to,

I may have to eat these words, but that's a tough movement on your back right there to lift that sled up in the arch position.

He looks explosive.

He looks strong.

He looks pretty damn good.

I can't wait to watch him.

And everything he's saying out of Green Bay is like, so folks, I'm balls, so happy to be there.

Once again, we are very much in a honeymoon phase of $47 million a year.

We are still potentially hovering around like he was at that house when he learned how much money he's getting.

I love that, and it might be more.

What do you mean?

If Paul O'Torre, if what Paul O'Torre is telling us is

that's the first deal I'm doing.

Do you think you need more than 47, dude?

He got six per year.

How much money is enough, enough, buddy?

Yeah, but not enough money.

More than that.

So too much money ain't enough money, I believe, is what a poet once said, Weezy F Baby.

The inner tubes that they ride down there.

Yeah, Noah's Ark.

Yeah.

Wisconsin Dells.

Out there, outside of Green Bay Park.

Yeah, the Kalahari.

Yeah, they could be giving Micah half the ticket sales throughout the entire football season.

We have no idea now.

That is a part of the whole thing.

We don't know.

But what we do know, he earned it.

Congratulations.

And he's saying all the right things up there.

And Green Bay Packers fans are steadfast on we're winning the Super Bowl.

Yeah.

This is an amazing time.

We love the NFL.

Now, there's a Steeler fan in here, obviously, that's excited for you getting to call the game this weekend.

Go ahead, Tom.

Yeah, JJ, obviously, there's a lot of first-time head coaches this year.

Kellen Moore, Shoddy, Liam Cohen, and Aaron Glenn.

You call Aaron Glenn's game this weekend.

Have you got a chance to talk to him at all?

Because he's been a little testy with the media so far.

I didn't know if that was going to carry over into those pregame meetings with you guys.

And which of those coaches do you think is going to be best this year?

Yeah, yeah, I actually did the Jets Eagles preseason game.

So I did go and talk to him and sit down with him.

He's great.

He's great with us.

I think the thing about him and what he's trying to set and maybe some of the stuff you're seeing in the media is he is trying to make a no-nonsense, all-football.

We are the New York Jets.

We are going to be tough, disciplined, physical, aggressive.

He wants to kind of change that entire culture, and and he's taking it to every single aspect whether it's the preseason games and not having guys do interviews on the sidelines even if they're not playing to how he handles the media and the stuff that he gives he is trying to set a precedent for his team and listen whether they're good or not he he said it the other day What he wants and what he's going to judge this season by is if Jets fans are proud of the team that they're watching every week.

And last year, they were number one in pre-stamp penalties.

They were number one in drops.

They were number one in missed tackles.

Like these are a lot of undisciplined things and he's trying to come in and correct that first obviously that will help translate to wins does that mean they're going to be unbelievable world beaters this year who knows somebody goes worse the first every year but i think that he is building a culture there that those guys are bought into how quickly will it take effect you know and will he be given enough time to maybe have it all take effect we shall see there's some jets news that chef has tweeted guard elijah vertucker suffered a season-ending torn tricep before it even gets started here.

He's giving a second opinion to confirm the injury and see if the surgery is necessary.

Okay, so Jets fans obviously go, of course.

Yeah, of course, that's kind of how it all goes.

Go ahead.

He tore his killers before, too.

He's been out for a long time.

That really sucks.

Yeah, Jeff.

He's a very good player.

Just named captain this week.

Like, he was really excited about being a captain.

Great player.

I believe it's the last year of his contract.

He's up for an extension after this year.

Like, such tough timing from that standpoint.

Really tough.

Sucks.

I mean, you go all the way back to, what, Justin Fields' first day, he got carted off.

Yeah,

a toe or something like that.

And it's like Jets fans just can never be like excited.

Yeah, you know,

there's always something that's going to pop in.

Oh, we're actually, everything's good.

He's saying everything real hard nose.

Oh, our guy, our captain guard now is out for a season.

We haven't even started a season.

Days out.

Jeez.

That four-play thing with Aaron.

Man.

What a bummer.

Even thinking about it, it's still like that.

That was a sad, sad time.

September.

He's just being a fan of the team so jacked up, like, we got him.

Yeah, we got him.

This is awesome.

The shot of the American flag running out there with that place going crazy.

Yeah, just a fan of NFL, period.

I wasn't even a Jets fan, but just to see, okay, they got Aaron.

They got defense, flag, everything, and then just boom.

And if you ask a Jets fan, they go, of course,

what are you talking about?

And it's like, that's crazy that that is their kind of mindset.

But maybe Aaron Glenn's the one that's able to flip it all.

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There's a lot of new faces in different places.

Go ahead, Conman.

Yeah, JJ, new coordinators for the Eagles and Lions.

Last time this happened with the Eagles on offense, they had that kind of lull year almost before going back and winning the Super Bowl.

And then, you know, Lions lose DC and OC, but, you know, most importantly, Ben Johnson with the OC.

Are you worried about them at all?

It feels like every year, one of these teams that is typically at the top of the league ends up dropping off a little.

Do you think it's either or them?

Do you have your eyes on another team that you're kind of curious about at all?

Listen, I think it's easy to sit there and say, like, oh, we have no worries.

We've got the same guys.

We got the same scheme.

It's just a different guy calling the plays or it's just a different guy.

But it is hard.

It's hard to change coordinators no matter who it is, especially one on both offense and defense.

It's a new guy.

It's a new voice in front of the room every single day delivering messages his way.

Could be better, could be worse, but also just getting that continuity with what the guys like, how they feel and everything.

So there's definitely no guarantee that it's going to be successful.

And there could certainly be a rocky point to get over, get past.

But I look at that whole NFC North, like you mentioned, the Lions.

The NFC North between the Vikings, Packers, and Lions last year had an unbelievable year.

Is that conference going to be able to repeat that type of dominance at that level?

And are the Bears, can Ben Johnson, get them up in that conversation?

That's a really, really, I can't wait for Green Bay Detroit week one.

That's incredible.

I'm very excited for you to call games now because you have to do meetings with all these teams.

So when you're talking about them, you know, you can't be, you know,

you can't be, because you're going to be walking in the room where it happens, brother, whenever you're commentating these games, you know.

Oh, yeah.

That's an interesting thing with game day.

Like, for instance, Bubble Cunningham, athletic director of North Carolina.

Whenever he was the chair of the March Madness Committee, and whenever North Carolina gets in, and West Virginia is the first team in the history of March Madness to be left out of the tournament, who have like five, six different criterias checked or whatever, I guess I said some really mean things to Bubba and about Bubba.

Kind of deserved.

And everything like that.

I completely forgot about it.

So do you go into that meeting and ignore it completely?

Or do you like, hey man, that was a little messed up, but we'll get through it.

I had no idea it happened.

I don't even know.

I completely forgot it.

He came up to Pat.

I completely forgot.

I went into that place skipping.

Michael Lombardi's the GM, friend of the program.

Basically, I'm walking in that place like we own the building.

Yeah, this is, we are, I mean, literally, Bill Belichick and Michael Lombardi are running this place.

This is our fucking house.

It's great to be here.

Literally, very comfortable.

Sit down, have a good time.

Boys get their passes, kind of mingle around, have a blast.

Place was beautiful.

Security people, Pat, welcome home.

You know, the whole thing, like very, everybody very kind.

and i'm sitting there and i'm just going through whatever the show is about to be kind of a couple different conversations in the production room which is normally just like uh one of the halls classrooms that we rent out for game day basically and bubba conningham walks in there is a little bit of emotion whenever he walks in some people like tighten up a little bit i'm like that must be somebody and he was talking to pete thamel and they go this is uh bubba cunningham and i'd heard his name and i'm like bubba how you doing i'm pat that's a great name or whatever you know they're just like classic that whole thing and uh somebody says it's the athletic director here i'm like oh congrats man feels like it's gonna be electric out there today and then i sit back down.

But he, he, as he was walking to me before that conversation there, he said, public enemy number one, I believe is what you said or something like that.

And I didn't even, and, and the interaction was pretty stiff.

So then I sat down.

And then as he walked away,

that was when I was like, oh, my God.

And I looked at him and I said, you fucked us.

That's what I said.

He was on, he was, and he said, yeah.

I was like, oh, you're the, yes, basketball.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Yeah, I probably said some stuff.

He goes, yeah, you did, or whatever.

I'm like, that's on me.

Should have put him in.

But that's 100% on me.

I do think, yeah, we should have made it.

I did do a little bit of a battle, but I did apologize.

And he said, you know, if you did know exactly how it went, I don't think I'm the enemy here.

And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, who don't be giving me any more new enemies.

I don't need any more new enemies here.

You know, so it was, but that's something you're going to have to experience.

You know?

Yeah, but as long as like, as long as you're saying something that, like, in that, like, as long as you can go back and be like, no, I believe we should have been in,

you're not having to defend yourself.

if i say something i hear about a team and like i actually believe it and then i have to go and talk to the guys face to face and they're like why'd you say that i can say well at the time i thought that your running game was trash that's why i said it's

yeah standing on business you got it stand on business that's right standing on ball that's right

gotta do it pat um i'm just telling you that this team has a bunch of loafs there's gonna be awkward encounters no no you're good i'm just saying there's gonna be a lot of awkward encounters go ahead aj no no i'm saying like dano what if you go you count 21 loafs for a team and you go into a production meeting and they're like hey i'm gonna show you there was only seven.

Are you going to sit there and argue with these coaches back and forth, the players?

Yeah, what are you going to do?

Bicker?

Are you going to defend your stance, your take?

I mean, if in a situation like that, if you can turn on the tape and show them, I'd be like, I mean, guys, if you want to sit down and go through it, we still go through it.

I mean, yeah, I'll show you all 21.

Dano's going to be embarrassing for you.

Oh, yeah.

That's his dream.

That's Dano's dream.

Oh, Woody, or would he just sit at the end of the table and keep his mouth shut?

I don't know.

Dano loves Dano business.

I'm excited for you to pop the tape.

Jeez, that's a lot of people in the back not thinking that's even a bad thing.

SOB back there.

What are you excited about for commentating?

Legit.

You did the Christmas one, right?

Yeah, I'm really, really enjoying this because A, during the week, my prep is very similar to like when I was playing.

I'm breaking down film.

I'm looking at the matchups and all the different stuff.

So I'm really enjoying that aspect of it.

And then the actual game, you get the adrenaline from being in the stadium, from not knowing what's going to happen next, from feeling the crowd and the emotion and the big moments and trying to make sure that you're properly articulating what's happening and teaching fans about the game, but not overdoing it and trying to watch it from a fan's perspective as well.

I really, really enjoy this.

And I have the best partner in I and Eagle.

He's so good.

And we have such a great team at CBS.

So for me, it just, it scratches that itch on a much deeper level because I'm talking football every Sunday on a deeper level.

Hell yeah, and you're going to be traveling a lot.

Have you prepared for that?

Yeah, yeah, I mean, that's obviously the most difficult part, hands down,

is when I have to say goodbye to my wife and sons every week.

And you can give me some advice on that.

I would appreciate it because vitamins, brother.

I don't see any easy way.

Yeah, you take the vitamins, brother.

We've already talked about the mode of transportation, what it should be.

Okay, I've already given you that whole thing.

Check that box.

We don't need to be feeling every single gust of wind.

No, no.

We we don't need to be feeling every gust of wind either yeah you know like matt berry the other night said

you were on a small bird the other day i saw i saw your poster you look like a small bird nope that ain't ever happening i'll tell you we are getting to 40 i'm only getting on planes that get to 40 000 feet brother that's where you need to get to the storms are all happening below that okay if it's happening up at 40 000 feet The whole world's feeling this front.

So that is the, I am scared of flying.

So with what I do, there's a lot of traveling involved.

And I am not like the greatest flyer.

It is always a full-on

need to hear.

Come on.

It's every single flight.

It is like that.

So, yeah, I think I've given enough advice in that whole thing.

You're allowed to ask for this.

You know, I wish Coach Corso would have asked.

You know what I mean?

What happened there, man?

What happened there?

That's literally what he does.

It's old school.

Yeah, that's literally what he does.

Like, I think.

Like, if you were to ask him, this would not be even a conversation.

I think I've offered up in the past for different games, and it's just kind of been like, hey, don't literally don't worry about it.

Too much money.

what are we talking about like that is literally how he like kind of views it all but i'm happy southwest dude you guys nailed that everything about it that was perfect it was so cool you guys cry it had to be awesome being there just seeing the spectacle and then him nailing every single pick i mean his team's winning like that was so cool it was literally a perfect send off i think personally and southwest and the uh airport giving him a round of applause for how many years he's been through those airports it's like that was even perfect you know it was like uh everything about it was just so monumental.

And as we're riding his coattails out in front of 107,000 people or whatever it was there, and you see the band layout, it's like, I hope you know, Coach, you did good, brother.

This doesn't happen just for anybody, you know?

And I think his last pick was his best, too, in the last couple of years.

I mean, he absolutely nailed the entire thing.

If he would have.

Had another Houston moment.

I was hoping.

With the band and the entire thing, that would have been one of the most legendary heel moves of all time.

But instead, he gets it right with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Of course.

And yeah, it was cool to be a part of.

I was lucky to be there.

They did a great job, though.

The people that set that up, the producers of Game Day, all the ideas, as soon as they were out, I was hearing them.

I'm like, genius.

That's genius.

Tux.

He's wearing a tux.

Nobody knew that.

I think he showed up just like that on Saturday morning.

Genius.

Yeah, I don't know if anybody knew that he was doing that.

Yeah, it was perfect, man.

College football is crushing right now.

Yeah.

It literally is.

Jage, do you know?

Because last time you were on the program program and I've seen a couple photos, hair was looking magnificent.

Do you know how you're going to wear it yet?

Dude,

I need opinions right now because it's been a hot topic in my household and my chat with my friends.

I got a haircut scheduled tomorrow morning.

Oh,

and I got to decide.

Is it staying long?

Or is it going back short?

You had a fantastic.

I don't know where the photo is, but you had a middle part either at an Espanol game or an Espanol.

hair you should not get rid of your hair it's very strong hair I think personally now does that mean I'm just trying to figure out how to style it that's my issue because on game day you're up you're like I'm at the stadium for like six hours so I got it's got to stay strong throughout the whole game and you're wearing a headset it's just the shorter is so much less maintenance but I enjoy it long I've never ever had it this long ever so it's really I'm uncharted waters here you can go kind of a mid-range jumper, though, right?

You don't have to go too small because you got good hair there.

And I think this is a barber you know, I assume.

Yeah, yeah, it's a barber I know.

I like Connor's flow.

I want the flip out the back.

I like the flip.

I just, I'm not long enough to do the flip out the back.

Yeah, but he had to do a lot of hat times to get to this time, you know, and you're not going to be able to do that.

Yeah, it's a summer of hats, really.

You could slick it back like Barry Melrose.

Legend, not going to be a good one.

Doesn't get enough credit.

My God.

Legend.

It's great for the sport of hockey.

You know, are you going to have the headset?

You're going to have a coif in front, probably, whatever the hell this is, in front of them.

So you should think of that, you know?

Yeah.

Like WWE headset goes here.

We don't do the pop star mic that you got.

On game day?

Yes.

Yeah, that's it.

What do you have on WWE?

You have a

headset.

Headset fully.

What do you like better?

I like this right here.

I like ears.

I don't like the thing going over my head or over my ears.

I like individual ears.

You know, I don't like feeling like I'm building cauliflower while I'm watching and doing a show.

You know what I mean?

I like get beat up, so I like this.

You guys headset old school, huh?

Old school.

Yep.

Kirk Herbstreet would say

that you should wear the mic thing

on the if you're standing to Ian's right on your left side of your face for when you look at him and talk to him, you see whole face, as opposed to

microphone covering.

It is a good tip.

Face.

It is a good tip.

You did a good job.

i didn't even know they made righty and lefty versions of that every one of them could be you could flip that thing right around every one of them yep you can that was uh that was

that was a defensive lineman moment no no because there is the ones that are just specifically

some of them stop when you flip and some of them do stop like here thank you thank you guys this is good teamwork right here

but we will assume the ones you use will be able to go left or right here you'll be able to do that entire thing i'm excited to hear you call a game brother legit we know you love it there's a couple storylines this season that are going to be different than any before.

Now, there's a guy that's majoring in one thing, minoring in another.

D-Butt has a question for you.

Travis Hunter, he'll be majoring at least early on in wide receiver minoring on the defensive side of the boss.

Rare air, you were one of the few that was able to do it in National Football League.

What was that week like prepping to play some tight end in the red area coming up weeks?

How was the practice like?

Did it change?

And how do you think Travis Hunter is going to handle this at least early on?

Yeah, I mean,

just like everybody else, man, I'm so excited to see what this looks like because

I did it as a goal-line tight end.

So I would go down there on Friday and I would practice my two plays

for literally just two plays at the end of practice on Friday with the whole offense.

And that's fine.

It added an extra five minutes to my day where I would have been drinking water on the sidelines instead of practicing those two plays.

But him, like,

what's his package going to be when we say he minors as corner?

Is that going to be, you know, a third down package?

Is it going to be only in the red zone?

Or is it going to be quarter by quarter?

Like, I can't wait to see.

And none of us know what that's going to look like.

And

people have said it,

I think it might have been Devontae Adams.

I don't remember who said it.

Like, it's crazy.

I don't know how you could do it.

Truthfully, from a pure fatigue standpoint, I do not know how you could do it.

I forced, I always call it the greatest three minutes in my football career, forced a fumble, picked it up, ran it, went off to the sideline for one play, and then went in on offense the next play and score a touchdown.

Probably the most tired I have ever been on a football field.

Like, I don't know how you could possibly go run some routes at receiver, catch some balls, go over to the sideline, take a sip of water, and then go back out and try and cover the best receivers in the NFL.

Like,

that's incredible, man.

I know we give him a ton of respect and we give him a ton of credit, but if he truly pulls this off, I have utmost respect.

Well, he celebrates touchdowns touchdowns and stuff too, just like you, you know, because you, you know, scoop that fumble or whatever you did, run it back, go to the sideline, come back in, play tight end, score a touchdown.

For the fumble or interception, had to celebrate because the place is going crazy.

So we got whipping JJ.

Yep, damn.

And first thing,

and watch me, JJ.

Yeah, we saw that.

Turn down for what?

Then you go back out there.

Oh, no.

Now we score a touchdown.

Guess what happens again?

Hell yeah, brother.

It's supposed to be fun.

I agree want it.

I see the Eagles now, which I respect the hell out of, and maybe it's the reason they win Super Bowls and I didn't.

Fair enough to them.

Fair play.

When they're like, we don't talk about our Super Bowl, we don't want to, like, we don't smile with our rings.

I'm like, geez, guys.

Like, well, what's the point?

Like, at some point, we got to be happy we did it.

Like, holy shit.

Yeah, Tom Brady was like, I want to see the quarterback celebrate with everybody.

But what I'm saying for this, implying in this, is that's exhausting too.

Yep.

I mean, that's a lot.

That's full time, you know, and the hype and every adrenaline

and everything rolling.

Jacked up.

And then you got to sit down for a kickoff.

And now you're still on camera, though, in the stadium.

Okay.

So do something.

Don't just sit there and look like an asshole.

You know, so the whole place goes crazy.

Then a commercial runs of you on the jump boatron.

I'm JJ Watt here.

They're ciphering money through this car dealership

to pay me for my deal here in Houston.

You need to buy a car there.

Okay.

So then they show you again and you're like, yeah, buy a car there.

You're dead tired at at this point.

Kickoff happens.

Okay.

Touchback.

We go TV timeout, obviously.

All right.

You jog on the field.

Now, bang, you're right back in it.

That would be very exhausting.

I could see how that would be.

And that's mentally too.

Like, I consider myself a decently smart guy.

Offensive play calls are absurd.

Like, absurd.

And I had to know one.

I had to know one offensive play call for the game.

And I went on that huddle and Fitz was, he said the play call.

And I literally looked, which this is the craziest part.

I only had one play so why was I even asking him what to do because it's the only play I had but I said Fitz what do I do make sure I lined up behind him at fullback motion and went and caught it I love everything about what Travis Hunter could potentially do here

in theory

iconic it'd be insane insane and like like JJ said a lot more moving parts on offense defense especially as a corner I mean, it's quarters, it's cover three.

It's on cover two, like you only got probably four things that you're actually going to do.

So knowing it isn't isn't that hard.

Playing it is super tough, but I can't wait to see him actually do and how much of it he actually does.

But they moved mountains to get him, and Stoner seems pretty jacked up, so we'll see him out there.

They're going to change football, says Stoner.

They have to draft him.

Couple quick notes out of college ball that we need to talk about.

I think Tennessee has moved to Adidas from Nike, and Penn State has moved from Nike to Adidas.

So.

I love that.

Never going to win anything.

I do appreciate Adidas making a play, though.

Feels like they're coming back into the game.

Is Wisc going into Didas school still, too?

Currently under armor.

Currently under the army.

I mean, Miami, though, we just talked to Mario.

They got Adidas.

Adidas is making a big time play.

I feel like everybody just kind of rotates around every like five, ten years.

Does that feel like it?

We looked up what the deals were worth.

Much smaller than we could have imagined.

Yeah.

Shot.

Yeah,

it's very...

I don't know if the schools suck at negotiating or...

Well, Nike sponsors just the biggest athletes from every school.

Well, they're probably like, what are you gonna wear?

Russell?

Instead of the entire

point, there's not many options.

Well, at Penn State, they're gonna be Adidas options.

They get a lot of money for it.

And South Carolina,

they wear the same one all the time.

The South Carolina deal, interesting.

Yeah.

They're with Nike.

Should be fun.

We'll continue.

Be a friend.

Tell a friend something nice that might change their life.

JJ, that a baby.

See that right there at the zero?

We're buying time.

The Adidas move.

I don't like it.

Is Nike getting out of it?

What's going on?

I don't like what's going on.

I think Adidas is making a push.

I don't think Nike's trying to get out of it listen i got some shelf tops sure okay i'm not gonna act like i don't like adidasmith

we all know the best cleats yeah yes i i mean under armbar's aj you have

i wear air force ones basically every day of my life i mean there is you know it's just or jordans

And it's not right, but if I see, if, you know, I'm watching a game on Saturday and one team's wearing Adidas and one team's wearing Nike, I ain't ever fucking picking the team wearing Adidas ever.

And that's not

fair.

That's not fair.

That's just the way it is.

That's pretty real.

And that was

Jordan, too.

And recruits.

Boom.

That's the biggest thing.

Yeah, but Adidas, they got Travis Hunter.

They got.

They've done a good job with younger kids.

Younger generation definitely wears more Adidas than one.

I think they're trying to.

I think Adidas is trying to crack the market a little bit.

I think they're trying to get in there, personally.

It feels like.

And Nike.

They got Texas Tech with the Mahomes.

Pat Mahomes jerseys, Mahomes.

There we go.

Yeah, the

bunch of guys.

Leo Messi, right?

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Sure.

Oh, yeah.

Obviously massive in the soccer.

They got a huge Aaron Rodgers guy.

Yeah.

I forgot Aaron's a big Medidas guy.

He's going to be Super Bowl champion, too.

He already is.

Yeah, already is.

Another guy.

Seven.

And the only one that matters in Pittsburgh.

No, no, no.

I love Green Bay.

Green Bay's my NFC brother.

What are they doing to get those deals?

That was a good high five.

We missed it.

Heard?

That was a very clean high five.

That was one of the greatest high fives I've seen.

It was sometimes.

They both went back for it.

Like both aggressively meeting, both sitting down, both kind of locked in place.

The pureness of the hand to the hand though.

You saw it too.

Yeah, it's perfect.

Because they really went for it.

Perfect.

Cockstep.

We're on the same page.

That's tough with the cock back.

If you cock it all the way back, get those to line up.

A couple old school teams that used to build through the draft, but now we're making moves.

Well said.

Watch out.

Well,

for you guys going side to side, so you're right-handed hit the ball.

I don't know if now's the time.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Hold on.

I was waiting for the camera.

We're just kind of showing you what happened.

I don't think we should.

No, no, do not.

You can't run it now.

Let's run it back.

Holy shit.

Pretty good.

Pretty fucking good.

I'm watching it.

Yeah,

that was really good.

Holy shit.

I don't know if you guys should do that again.

Super Bowl preview?

Could be.

Maybe.

I kind of felt something right there.

We felt it.

Yeah.

We all felt it.

We'll see.

Colts are going to have something to say about that.

Yeah, they are.

I like the Colts.

What's everybody quiet about?

Why is everybody in it?

I think Colts are going to win the South.

I'll say it.

Sleeper team.

Wow.

Kings, Kings of the South.

Boom.

Sweet potato pie.

And we'll smack it down in the mouth.

Dimes.

Running wild.

Yeah, we got to get it.

Two Super Bowls by 20, 30.

Five.

Yeah, we can add it a little bit.

I know the Texans are scared.

We know it.

They're not saying it, but we understand the vibes down there.

And Houston is, oh, no, the Colts got Danny Downs.

We know that.

We understand that.

Houston, we are not necessarily thrilled that they are in our conference right or our division right now.

Yeah, they're going to bang in week one, though.

Yeah, I mean, they're going to have problems all season.

Okay.

Rams, Texans.

Matthew Stafford, brand new.

Pato Devonte.

Huh?

Big day.

That's going to be a good one.

I've got the Titans week two, so I'll get some AFC South action week two.

I'll see what Cam Ward's about.

I'm really looking forward to that.

I cannot believe how little hype and discussion Cam Ward gets.

It's the craziest thing for a number one overall quarterback pick.

Very much looking forward to watching him play week two against the Rams.

All right, JJ.

Hey,

we got a couple of people here that won raffles at charity events here.

This one, I believe, was for MS, where we raffled off a chance to be live in the Thunderdome to watch the show and the program.

We don't do this often, so we're probably terrible hosts if I had to guess.

Sure, definitely.

Yeah, it's probably nowhere near what they thought it was going to be or anywhere near as good as they thought it was.

Yeah, we had Debone give them a tour of the place.

I mean, it was, we tried our best.

We did.

It waters the whole thing.

Food, snacks, good chairs.

Good chair.

Good water.

We took photos.

We got basic human necessities nice boom took photos did a tour debone gave a tour

this is where i eat snacks this is where our friend mitt lives he's just hanging out show him the locker room yep

yep saw everything yeah we we we we did the tour we did the thing you know we tried our best because this is for a great cause and obviously these people overpaid for this uh but it was for a good cause so we're very thankful there's carly ted owen and claire okay owen is a 13 year old and uh he's tall i believe for his age.

He is staring, he's 13, staring at like my

temple.

Bottom of your antelope.

Yeah, like my temple, like right here.

He's very tall, athletic.

He's from Indiana, so he definitely has a shot.

Of course.

So I think on the way out here,

we were wondering, Owen, will you try to shoot a hope to win 30 people $500 that are watching the show?

Will you do that?

All right, Owen.

All right, Owen's got the balls.

Owen's got the balls.

Now's your time.

Now's the time, Owen.

Owen, here's the deal.

JJ, can you hear what we're saying through those speakers?

Yeah, okay, no, you can't.

All right, JJ, speak loud.

Will you give Owen a little bit of a motivational message here as he tries to make a shot for 30 people to win $500?

All right, Owen, here we go.

There are 30 random strangers on the internet.

You've never met him.

You never will meet him.

They'll never thank you in person, but this is extremely, extremely important to them.

So I want you to step up to that line,

pretend it's you in the middle of that gym like Hoosiers and drain that ball right through the neck.

Whatever you want to do, Owen, if you want it to be a free throw, you want it to be an NBA three, whatever shot you want to take, if you make it, 30 people will win $500.

Now,

Owen's been sitting over there.

Yeah, he's cold, cold.

Like an absolute gentleman.

Okay, just sitting, hanging out with Claire, his mom, I do believe.

There was not enough of introductions.

I do apologize.

Could be older sister, too.

Okay, that mom, got it.

He's with mom Claire.

He has been nothing but a gentleman over there.

Yeah.

Not a peep.

Sweet boy.

Good boy.

Sweet boy.

Good boy.

Sweet boy.

Ted and Carly also, nothing but positive vibes here.

Uh-huh.

This has been incredible.

We should think about doing this more often, maybe.

Yeah.

To be honest.

It's very rare.

Your microphone's off.

Yeah.

Your microphone is definitely off.

Hello.

And you are back.

All right.

All right, Owen.

30 people, $500.

All you got to do is make a shot.

You pick from wherever you want to go, and we appreciate you in advance for being an awesome lad.

Is this the Owen?

No, it's not, you did not call into the show a couple years ago, right, Owen?

No, okay.

That guy's long gone, Donnie.

He did not appreciate Boston Conner.

He's going to go with an NBA three.

I like him.

This is very far for a 13-year-old.

I think anybody walks into an office, everybody walks into our office and they try to huck a three, and they have no idea it's an NBA three, and it's always short, and it's always an airplane.

Hey, Dane, Jeremiah, I'm talking to you.

Yeah, and also AQ Shipley.

You can just go through basically anybody that isn't a professional basketball player that comes in here.

Owen, NBA 3, 30 people, $500.

Good luck, pal.

Hair looks phenomenal.

Yep.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Yes.

Let's go.

Wow.

Come on.

Fuck it.

You fucking know,

step by doing.

Wow.

Yes, dude.

He just got an offer.

Yes, dude.

Wow.

Some college coaches call him.

Hell yeah, dude.

Coach DeBrie.

That was awesome.

All right, all you got to do is repost this video, say something nice to somebody, and put the easiest way to pay you.

And you might be one of random Lee selected 30 people to win $500 because Owen just stepped...

My dad is foot on the line.

My dad?

No.

No.

That's not matter.

He's allowed to shoot from wherever the hell he wants.

His league and the league he'll be playing in next year, in the the next 10 years.

That is good.

Splash.

Owen, unbelievable stuff.

Owen, Claire, Ted, Carly, thank you for coming in here and enjoying the day.

Thank you for donating to a great cause.

And we apologize that this all it was.

Sorry.

Yeah, we do apologize for that.

JJ, that was awesome.

Thank you.

My day is made.

That was the coolest.

That was unbelievable.

Fuck you.

Yeah, never a doubt.

Never a doubt.

Confident.

Just stepped up to the line.

He was so confident.

Oh.

dude, always focused.

Have you started school yet, Owen?

Owen.

Have you started school yet?

Have you started school?

Yeah.

Yeah, he skipped school for this.

All right.

Tomorrow's going to be a good day.

Tomorrow's going to be a good day.

Hey, you walk into that cafeteria, brother.

Yeah.

How long are you moving?

There's 30 people that are never going to say thank you, like JJ told you, but just know you made their lives infinitely better.

And you made us.

Made you that.

I'm hopping out of here today.

Mama did that.

Yeah, me too.

All right, be a friend.

Tell a friend something nice.

It might change your life.

We're in this thing together.

Shout out to you, Owen.

Team on me.

Wow.

Shout out to the chat, too.

I'll be in there tomorrow.

There it is.

Team on three.

One, two, three.

Team.

Goodbye.

Yo, this is important, man.

Uh, my favorite Lululemon shorts, the ones you got me back in the day, I think they're called pacebreakers.

The ones with all the pockets.

I just got back from vacation and I left them in my hotel room.

And dude, I need to replace these shorts.

I wear them like three times a week.

Could you send me the link to where you got them?

Oh, also, my birthday is coming up soon.

So, anyways, thanks, bro.

Talk soon.

Looking for your newest go-to's?

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Head to Lululemon.com to shop What's New Gear?

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