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Goal Line: Championship Sunday
5 Plays11 months ago
The Pod Warriors cover the different but equally stunning collapses of the Ravens and Lions, Jordan finally shows some love to Brock Purdy, and the boys give a preview of what the off-season edition of The Goal Line will sound like. Plus Listener Mail!
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Transcript
End of NFL Season Reflections
00:00:13
Speaker
What is up, goal line listeners? We are down to the final game left of the NFL season, man. It's bittersweet, like we've been talking about the past few weeks. We had a pretty damn good weekend of conference championship action, and we're going to dive into all that. But first, I got to ask Jordan, what's going on, man? How you doing?
00:00:30
Speaker
I'm doing good. Um, the weather's turned a little bit here, so it's been warmer this week. So that's nice. Uh, nice to get outside for a little bit this last two days.
Ravens vs. Chiefs Analysis
00:00:40
Speaker
Um, yeah, this is a, this is sad times though, man. We got one football game left. We got the weekend of a flag football, pro bowl, whatever they call it now, but
00:00:52
Speaker
like there's no like higher sports moment than Championship Sunday because you usually know you're gonna get two pretty good games and then just like the doldrums set into you it's like well got one more game and then we're just on to everything that no one really wants to watch but it's forced to if you like sports so yeah fucking sucks
00:01:15
Speaker
Yeah, definitely, man. We're going to give you guys a little sneak peek this episode, just a little nibble of what the off season goal line is going to be like. We're going to go through all the news and notes from the NFL this past weekend with the overwhelming focus being on the two games. Um, and then talk a little bit around the rest of the sports world before we hit the mailbag. Uh, Jordan, you got anything else for, for housekeeping before you get into it? No, let's just, uh, let's dive into some football action and then yeah, we'll, uh, we'll hit on some, some other sports. So yeah.
00:01:53
Speaker
All right. Let's kick it off Sunday afternoon. Ravens chiefs chiefs win and go onto the super bowl. Um, Seth, I'll let you go first with kind of your thoughts on this game. We won't talk, let's not talk about super bowl yet, but let's just talk about your actual thoughts on what you thought of this game. Like way both teams executed and everything like that.
00:02:14
Speaker
Yeah, we kind of formatted it out. We know next week we're not going to have any actual games to talk about from the prior weekend. I don't anticipate us doing a deep dive on the Pro Bowl flag football or skills competition. So we'll lightly talk around the Super Bowl, but that's going to be next week where we do our big preview and predictions for that.
00:02:33
Speaker
You know, I picked the Chiefs to win but this was not at all how I saw the game going, you know after that first Those first couple drives where the Chiefs just look surgical going down for the touchdown and Lamar answered back with that spectacular play You're starting to think like, okay, this is it day. We're gonna get my homes Lamar Jackson in a duel This is gonna be awesome And then it really just turned into a defensive slog man Like I I thought they were gonna win with some of my homes magic going down the stretch being just enough but
00:03:02
Speaker
Really, dude, they put the clamps down on Baltimore's offense, man. They had those boys frustrated, man. It felt like Baltimore was hanging on by a thread from just complete and utter collapse there. One score game, but it really never felt in doubt. Even when the Ravens had the ball in the fourth quarter down seven,
00:03:21
Speaker
It you were just confident, man, that the Chiefs were going to win this game. They just they played poise. You know, they played like a team that was in their six consecutive AFC championship game and the Ravens just, you know, once again, when the lights got the brightest, they crumbled a little bit.
00:03:35
Speaker
I'm gonna put a lot of this loss on the Ravens coaching staff. Dude, I didn't realize it till after the game. Their running backs carried the ball six times in that game. I mean, yeah, that's... And where was Dalvin Cook, man? I thought Dalvin Cook looked excellent in the second half against the Texans, dude. I was bracing for a heavy dose of him against the Chiefs. I barely remember him being on the field. I don't think he got a snap in that game, honestly, dude.
00:03:58
Speaker
Yeah, which is weird. Cause I mean, am I crazy? Didn't he look good against the, he looked like the best running back they've had all season against the Texans that second half. Yeah. But dude, I guess that's not even one of like I'm Gus Edwards had three carries for 20 yards and one of them was a 15 yard run. Like, yeah. And that was all in the first half.
00:04:17
Speaker
I don't know, man, it just baffled me like the Ravens like offensive strategy. They got there by running read option with Lamar and it's like they just, they were determined to just show everyone that Lamar could just beat you by throwing which dude, we all know he can't like
00:04:34
Speaker
That's not a point you need to prove. That's not going to weaken your win. If Lamar only throws for 150 yards, like, dude, all that matters is getting the win. And it's like Jim Harbaugh or John Harbaugh went out there and like his entire strategy was let's just prove to everybody how great Lamar is. And I don't think he played bad necessarily. There was a lot of times.
00:04:55
Speaker
I just think there's so many times where he got caught looking at the line of scrimmage rather than downfield because he took a couple sacks and then they like panned out and he had guys running across the middle and they had a guy trailing them by five yards. It's just that the thing that got the Ravens to where they were was like their wide receiver team speed. Like it was just hard to keep up with them. And I don't remember seeing much of Mark Andrews after that first quarter either. That was kind of odd to me.
00:05:22
Speaker
Don't think he I think you know he was well enough to play I still don't think he was anything close to a hundred percent so I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that you know he tweaked something those first couple drives because He wasn't really a factor man. I yeah did something I don't know if there's just a pass rush or what man, but yeah Lamar He looked indecisive you know like you said he took some sacks And then it felt like there's a handful of other plays where he just kept dropping back and scrambling You know he ended up 15 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage And you know he'd throw it away, but those were just momentum killing plays for the drives
00:05:53
Speaker
I thought the chiefs played really, really well in the first half. Um, I was texting back and forth with quite a few people and they're like, do you think this game's over? And I was like, no, cause the Ravens usually adjust in the second half. Like they're one of the best teams at adjusting at halftime and they did adjust on defense. Chiefs could not get the ball past midfield the entire second half.
00:06:12
Speaker
So I give props to Mike McDonald or whatever the hell his name is. He's probably going to get a hug head coaching job. I guess he takes a Seahawks job, but he adjusted really well. I didn't feel like their offense didn't adjust though. Like they moved the ball down field. I mean, say flowers fumbled going into the end zone. Lamar through an absolutely miserable past Isaiah likely when he was triple covered. I mean, dude, the Ravens could have easily won this game the way they played the second half. They just gave it away. It was like, they just stopped.
00:06:41
Speaker
I don't know, man. They just made some weird decisions. They flowers had that 50 yard catch and then he proceeded to get a 15 yard penalty. Then he caught one more ball and then he caught the touchdown. Well, that would have been touched on that. He found one in the goal line and then cut this hand on the bitch at punching it out of frustration, man.
00:07:00
Speaker
Oh, that was just a brutal, brutal stretch there for him. So the problem for the Ravens and this is the only time that it peaked its head out the entire season. Like their wide receiver group is so young outside of Odell and I'm not counting on Odell to keep the guys together. Like that's the problem is but they never had to deal with this in the season because again,
00:07:21
Speaker
Why the fuck are you handing the ball off to your running back six times in a must win game? It's a dog fight. It was raining. That's the other thing. Dude, the announcers didn't even say a word about the rain until it was like almost the fourth quarter. And we can see it was raining the entire game. I just
00:07:38
Speaker
It was clearly affecting the game. Like, dude, after the second quarter, the Chiefs did not look like the same offense. Like, couldn't run the same plays and stuff like that, that they were running at the beginning. Because, I mean, early, they were just picking them apart with dink and dunks and just taking everything the Ravens were giving them, which I guess that's kind of what the Ravens defense has set up to do, is make tackles in the open field. So, I mean, the Chiefs just did exactly what the Ravens wanted them to do. They just did it too well. So, I don't know, man. Weird game. I just...
00:08:08
Speaker
That's a missed opportunity for the Ravens. I think I still feel like if they, if they play that game a hundred times, you feel like probably 60 of them, the Ravens win. You know what I mean? And they just, they, they couldn't, they really didn't get any, any good bounces. You know, things just went, it felt like the football gods were kind of just against them all day. I mean, even the play that they're, they're, they're big touchdown. They had in the first half that was on a busted play. You know, that was off of Lamar Jackson, just going into superhero mode and breaking that sack and then throwing it deep.
00:08:38
Speaker
Yeah, it just was not their day, man. And like I said, the Chiefs, I thought the Chiefs just played a steady, mistake-free game. Outside of those first couple drives, the offense really just went in. It felt like, I don't know if they were in protect mode or if the Ravens were able to just put the clamps on them. But it didn't seem like they were pushing the pace. It seemed like they were content to just
00:08:56
Speaker
you know, run clock and let their defense go to work, man. Going back to Z-Flowers, dude, I'll go back to something I heard Bill Belichick say when he was, it was when he was doing the NFL 100 show with those guys. I can't remember if that was last off season or season before, but they were showing some highlights to somebody and Belichick reiterated that something he always stresses to his players is you do not extend the football out unless it's a fourth down situation, right? Like, unless it's going to, unless, you know, we're going to lose the ball if we don't get the first down, you do not do that.
00:09:25
Speaker
I kind of agree, man. You can't fall as a flowers. He was just playing hard, trying, trying to make a game change and play. But looking back, it's like, dude, if you just, if you just keep it tucked in, you, you still might score. And you know, worst case scenario, we're going to get the ball in about the half, you know, first Nicole at the half yard line. Yeah. I don't know. It's just weird. Cause that entire, that play changed the entire game. Like, dude, they score there. They have all the momentum at that point in that game.
00:09:51
Speaker
Just yeah, just a weird game from the Ravens. Like I said, I'll own up to it. I thought the Ravens were the best team in the NFL and I thought they were going to win this game. Honestly, I thought it wouldn't even, I thought it would be like about a seven point game at the end. Um, cause just cause I thought they're, I don't think anything to own up to, dude. I think the Ravens were the best game. I mean, that's the, that's the unique thing about football, you know, basically.
00:10:15
Speaker
basketball, the best team almost always wins just because of the seven game format. Baseball, the best team usually wins, but sometimes you could have a pitch and staff get hot and the, you know, or, you know, some bats get hot in the playoffs and carry a team. Football, dude, it's, you know, sometimes the best team wins, sometimes they don't, man. I think the Ravens were definitely the best team, you know, overall. If you look from week one to last Sunday,
00:10:37
Speaker
They definitely put in the best overall product, but just did Sunday afternoon was not
Ravens' Offseason and Team Comparisons
00:10:41
Speaker
their day, man. And, and, you know, against the team is battle tested as the chiefs. You got to bring your a game. If you're going to send those guys packing in the playoffs. Yeah. It's a, there's definitely something to be said for that team. They just
00:10:54
Speaker
The chiefs just never panic, man. They just, they know exactly what they want to do. Every possession, every play. There is one thing though, dude, me and you texted about this a little bit on Sunday, the amount of calls that do not go against the chiefs and I get it. It's the exact same thing that they do with the Patriots.
00:11:12
Speaker
But dude, there was numerous plays where me and you were texting back and forth and the Chiefs left tackle was literally grabbing Van Ooy and throwing into the ground. He was tackling Kyle Van Ooy, man. Yeah. That touchdown that, uh, the big touchdown Travis Kelce had, you know, it was an awesome throw, a spectacular catch, but you can see it clear as day, dude. The right tackle's got a bear paw, like halfway down the back of the, uh, I forget who it was, the, the pass was coming in, but yeah.
00:11:36
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, they got a couple holding calls, but still, dude, they were holding damn near every play. I think they were taking the Seahawks old.
00:11:45
Speaker
old philosophy. Remember back in the glory days of the Legion of Boom, those guys were pretty much, you know, defensive holding and pass interference damn near every play and just betting that the refs won't have the, you know, won't have the stomach to throw the flag every single time. And you know, it ends up working out to their advantage, man. I think that's what the chief said with holding like, fuck it, we're gonna hold and we'll challenge the refs to fucking call a penalty every single play. The other thing, like,
00:12:09
Speaker
And it's just it's just another one of those things like they called Z flowers for taunting, which it was 100% taunting. I'm not saying it wasn't. But Travis Kelsey after every damn catch is open like a like a defender's face flexing his baby man.
00:12:28
Speaker
And I just, dude, and he did bait him into a personal file. At some point you have to call the dude that's doing the baiting. Like you just can't continue to reward that over a game stretch. I just, I don't get it, man. And then the other thing, this is like one of my biggest gripes for the chiefs. They get so many goddamn calls and they whine about every single one they don't get like,
00:12:49
Speaker
I get it, but dude, it just as like a football fan, like if your team is not playing that game, it just, it's not a good watch to me. Like I just, I don't enjoy watching that type. And we'll talk about it too. When we get to the NBA, it's just made its way into sports, dude. You just complain about every call you don't get. It's just, it's part of sports now. And I hate that it's part of sports. Cause like, dude, that's what you're teaching the kids of America is like, Hey, if something doesn't go your way, just complain about it. Eventually you'll get it figured out. Like,
00:13:17
Speaker
I hate that shit like the complaining and all that stuff is just too much for me, man. It sucks to watch.
00:13:24
Speaker
Yeah, especially with like the Mahomes roughing the passers, like he's definitely gotten like all the protection Brady used to have. He's had like, I know there was one time in the Niners Lions game, it's going to get to you where Brock Purdy got slammed, you know, a half second after the ball went out. And I'm just thinking like that, you know, I texted you about it. Like, dude, if they, if that was Mahomes, there's no doubt about it, dude. You probably, every ref on the field is probably throwing a flag on it, man. So, you know, to the victors go the spoils, man. The winners tend to get the calls in the NFL and there's nobody that's been winning more than the Chiefs over the last half decade.
00:13:53
Speaker
Yeah. So, I mean, I guess we'll just end off this with, uh, for the chiefs. Um, I mean, dude, they, they played the best game against the best team. So, I mean, it's tough to argue with, with how they've played the last three weeks that they're, they shouldn't be the favorite going into the Superbowl, but
00:14:13
Speaker
I mean, again, the team on the other side is not a slouch either. So we'll get into that game, but yeah. Real quick before we move on, man, I know we're going to do, we're going to go team by team off season. So I don't want you to go in depth here, but just, you know, paint the broad strokes, dude. If you're the Ravens, are you just running it back and hoping that, you know, another year of experience, man, is enough to get you over the hump or are you making any kind of, you know, major or, you know, semi-major moves this off season?
00:14:43
Speaker
I think the major move they should make is one that they better be in on. Derek Henry needs to be at the top of their list, man. Having him in that game would have just been a game changer. They need to have a running back that just strikes fear into the opponent, whether that be Derek Henry or just drafting one, whatever it may be. But JK
Lions vs. 49ers Playoff Breakdown
00:15:02
Speaker
Dobbins is clearly never going to stay healthy. Gus Edwards isn't a guy that's moving the needle. You can't just keep doing the plug and play thing with running backs. Eventually, you have to get a...
00:15:12
Speaker
stole where the number one back and just and just feed him the ball because that's the other thing dude Lamar takes so many damn hits man that they gotta stop having him get hit so much I know it's his game but dude that dude's not gonna last another 10 years playing the game he plays
00:15:29
Speaker
Um, yeah, but I think that's what they need to do. I think they need one more corner back to like Marlon Humphrey's awesome. And he was just coming back fresh off injury. I didn't expect a whole ton out of him. I thought he played fine, but I think they need one more corner, but dude, the rest of this team, I mean, it's built to win. Like they have the best safety in the NFL nasty, bro. Yeah. I mean, dude, they have, they have two of the best superstars.
00:15:52
Speaker
Yeah, they have all pros at every level on the defense, man. Yeah, they're like the defense you put together on Madden if you turn salary cap off. Yeah, I mean, do you think they need anything major? Do you think I'm off base with the running back thing? No, I think you're right, man. I think maybe if you can get Derek Henry in there, that would definitely be a game changer, dude, especially if you can make him the closer, right?
00:16:16
Speaker
He's you know getting him a little little action in the first half, dude But second half that dudes, you know, you pencil him in for 12 to 15 carries second half Every game dude, I just think that would be wicked man after defenses are getting you think about the old The old DVD backfield in Atlanta with Vic Warrick Dunn and TJ Duckett where you know You usually wouldn't see TJ duck until about midway through the second quarter and defenses retired from chasing Vic and done around the field He would come in and just do work man Like if you could get something like that going with what Derek Henry, that'd be pretty badass
00:16:46
Speaker
Yeah, it's kind of like Lindell white and Reggie Bush at USC to just the thunder and lightning backfield. Like you just do that. We'll, we'll talk about it in the next game, but I'm just going to use the lines as an example. They did such a good job constructing that team, having Montgomery to hammer the ball and then bringing in Gibbs to catch passes out of the backfield, run the sweeps and everything like that. Like, dude, that's what the Ravens need to do. Like,
00:17:13
Speaker
This whole thing that we need to be impressed by Lamar throwing the ball is, is that's just a farce dude. I don't care about that at all. Lamar can throw for 200 yards a game and it's not going to change my opinion on him. The dude is a superstar. He just is not a pocket quarterback. And for some reason they tried to make him that on Sunday and they lost because of it. So, um, yeah, you got anything else on that game?
00:17:41
Speaker
No, it's just crazy, man. As rough as they look, dude, the freaking Chiefs are here playing in the Super Bowl once again. Yeah, it's wild. All right, let's go into the other game. Lions, 49ers.
00:17:54
Speaker
This is, uh, probably one of the more wild games I've ever seen in my life. Like, okay. So before we get into the game, I'm just going to, this is directed straight Alliance fans. Like due to someone who has been in this exact position, Seth has as well. Like literally 17 point lead in the NFC championship.
00:18:11
Speaker
it. Dude, if it doesn't fucking hurt you for a while, like you probably shouldn't watch sports like dude, that game hurt me for for quite a while. It sucks, man. It sucks to lose like that. The upside for you guys, though, is when we blew a 17 point lead, I felt like
00:18:30
Speaker
we were probably not supposed to be in that exact moment at that time. It just, it felt like we were there a little too early. The Lions don't feel early, dude. Dan Campbell's an excellent head coach. They got a great offensive coordinator who said he was coming back today. He's not, he's not leaving. That was big, man. Huge. Yeah. They're going to run it back again. The, the only
00:18:53
Speaker
we'll get into the game now, but the, um, I'm just, I just wanted to tell Alliance fans like, dude, it's going to suck for a while and you should feel bad about losing that game. Like the ones that keep saying like, Oh, there's always next year, dude, you don't know when the next time you're getting back to that game there. I mean, they can have a catastrophic injury next year. You just don't know. You got to let that game eat at you for a while. If you're a true sports fan, like
00:19:16
Speaker
Fuck, I still think about that 2012 NFC championship game. Like dude, it still eats at me every day that I think about it because they had the better team. They just, they blew it. And you know, they would have crushed the Ravens in the Superbowl that year, man. Like we matched up so well with that, with that Ravens team. Um, yeah. Yeah. I'm with you, dude. That was a truly, truly brutal loss, man. And dude, like you said, there's no guarantee of getting back there, man. Football is a, it's a game, you know, there's so much chance and randomness built into football. Look at the bills, man. Like after.
00:19:46
Speaker
After that, you know, after that 2021 classic they had against the Chiefs, you know, one of the best playoff games of all time, you're thinking, sky's the limit, dude. These guys are going to get a Super Bowl next couple of years. They haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs, man. Like, nothing at all is guaranteed. And, you know, when you get that opportunity, when the stars align, you got to take advantage. So, I don't know, man. It's rough. The arrow's still pointing up in Detroit, but, man, what a freaking catastrophic collapse.
00:20:14
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's a tough loss and it's gonna stick with you for a while. Let's get in the game a little bit. Lions just looked like
00:20:22
Speaker
Dude, they looked like a team that wasn't losing to anybody in that first half. I swear you could have put anybody on the other side of that field and it wouldn't have mattered. Dude, the Niners literally looked like they had no idea what just hit them. That was like the most puzzle I've ever seen that team look. Yeah, they were shell-shocked, man. Lions were playing like they had their hair on fire. Dude, it sounded like it was a shitload of Detroit fans at the game too, man. Sometimes you hear a little pocket of road fans when the road team's getting up.
00:20:52
Speaker
I mean, it sounded like they were in Detroit, dude. The crowd was going absolutely nuts that first half.
00:20:57
Speaker
Yeah, there was probably 30% fans in Honolulu blue there. So yeah, it was a, that first half was, um, that was unlike anything I think I've seen in a while, dude. That was just, they just took it to him. And so they scored that first touchdown and then, um, the Niners got a touchdown and I was like, okay, this is just going to be kind of a back and forth game. And then the lions just went off, like scored 17 straight points, going to the locker room up 24 to seven.
00:21:27
Speaker
I did text you, you texted me at halftime though. And you're like, man, who would ever thought Detroit. And I was like, dude, this game is not over. And it's still Detroit. Jordan gave him the kiss of death, dude. I was already starting to give him the kiss test. Seth was about to go play video games. And I'm like, dude, this game ain't over. I'm telling you, like with the 49ers getting the ball to start the second half, I was like, there's, I just, I find it really hard to believe that the 49ers ain't going to march down field and score.
00:21:55
Speaker
And they didn't even score right away either, though. They pointed it back to the Lions. Lions went three and out immediately, and then the Nires just took over.
00:22:02
Speaker
Well, they didn't really take over. They got a field goal, you know, so it's still still 24 to 10 lines still in control. And that's when the Lions drove back down. They went for it, you know, somewhere somewhere around the 30 yard line. They went for it on that fourth and two. And Josh Reynolds dropped the pass. And that's I felt like that is when the energy changed in the building, because then it's like, you know, it was like a New England man when they got that ball back.
00:22:27
Speaker
You know when they were in that Super Bowl when they were down 16 somebody they get the ball back you're like, okay It's two score game we can do this it felt like that's when the Niners believed and then yeah, dude It was just they were kicking in the deep the the freaking Lions teat the rest of the game from that point
00:22:41
Speaker
Okay. So we're both miss miss remembering this. So the Niners did kick a field goal on the first drive. They, they didn't go three and out. I was wrong on that. And then the lions went three and out and then the Niner scored another touchdown and then Gibbs fumble and the Niners tied it up. So no, it was when I'm literally looking at the chart right now, dude, the guy I'm literally looking at the drive chart right now, the Niners kicked a field.
00:23:04
Speaker
I'm telling you what happened on the Lions drive that ended with about seven minutes to go and they went for it. I remember thinking like, yeah, they went for it on fourth. Okay. And get it. It wasn't, it wasn't a fumble. The fumble happened after the Niner scored that touchdown.
00:23:18
Speaker
Yeah, this was the drop. Like I said, I think it was that drop pass when they had the opportunity to go up 27 to 10, you know, like I said, I indeed I respect Dan Campbell, you know, the majority time I prefer a coach that's going to be aggressive and go for it. But I'll say this about the analytic stuff, man, you know,
00:23:37
Speaker
This game wasn't, this wasn't week seven against the Vikings. This was the NFC championship on the road against, you know, against the, you know, the top two or three defense in the league. And you're about 20 minutes away from punching your ticket for the Superbowl. Sometimes you just got to lay up and make the safe play, man. I think if you keep it at a three score lead, it still feels, you know, not that the game would have been over, but it still felt like, you know, almost out of reach for the Niners dude. But the moment they gave it back to him down 14,
00:24:04
Speaker
It seemed like this, that's when all the chips really started to fall. Hey man, why didn't you tell me that you had Dan Campbell's number? Because I'm sure you texted him 30 minutes till Vegas, like you texted me 30 minutes to New Orleans. Nah, nah, not this time, dude. I did think it was over for the Niners, you know. We had the big, greedy interest in the Niners for this playoffs, man. I was like, well, this sucks, dude. You know, freaking Detroit and Kansas City.
00:24:28
Speaker
And I was just thinking like, you know, I don't think the NFL is fixed, man. But you know, they like to say the script writers. I was like, how poetic, man, that the Super Bowl is going to be a rematch of that game from opening night. So I was already kind of starting to see all the storylines coming into place that we're going to be hearing about for the next two weeks. But it just wasn't meant to be, man. Hell of a freaking game from the Niners, man, to keep fighting like that. Just kind of talking a little more about Dan Campbell. I agree with you, dude.
00:24:56
Speaker
There are certain games you have to change who you are a little bit like, and in scenario, like I'm all for going to Ford on fourth down. Like if you're not in field goal range, shit like that, like you feel the game slipping away, I get it. Dude, you gave up two probably pretty safe field goal attempts. I mean, one was from the 28 and the other one was from the 30. I mean, talking to 47 and a 45 yarder, like dude, if you're an NFL kicker, those are kicks you have to make.
00:25:22
Speaker
And people like to say that he coaches like he's playing Madden, dude. Every Madden player knows how crucial it is going from that 14 point lead to a 17 point lead, man. That's a game changer, dude. That's three scores, man. And especially with the clock already draining how it was, man.
00:25:39
Speaker
Yeah, it just felt like if they were to win for that field goal there, dude, I feel like we're talking about Detroit versus KC. The worst part is, dude, is he cooked up a perfect play. Well, Ben Johnson cooked up a perfect play on that fourth down. And Josh Reynolds just literally drops it. It hits him right in his hands, just dropped it. And then the very next drive, I felt like it was the second play of the drive. Golf hit Josh Reynolds in the chest again, and he dropped it again.
00:26:09
Speaker
He's normally been sure-handed, dude. Not that he's the most explosive receiver in the league, but he's a good, steady, like an Adam Thielen type dude. He'll get you a first down. I feel for him, man, because he was definitely the goat of this game for Detroit, but not the good kind of goat, the bad kind of goat. But yeah, that was even unlike him, man. So I don't know what the deal was. Like I said, football's a funny game, man. Sometimes it just doesn't go your way. And yeah, definitely those drops were critical.
00:26:38
Speaker
Yeah, it was uh, it was weird. Because again, dude, why did the lions go away from pounding the rock like the first half? They were averaging 10 yards a carry and then they gives in Montgomery were tearing their shit up. Yeah. And then it was like, Dan Campbell was like, Oh, fuck it, dude. We got to get Josh or Jared Goff some reps. Like, no, who cares, dude. Again,
00:27:00
Speaker
I feel like it, maybe that's not how it went, but it just feels like that's the way it went. Like, dude, if you're running backs, averaging nine yards a carry, just keep giving him a ball. You don't need to overthink it. Like make the Niners adjust their defense to that and then throw the ball Jared golf. Like it just seems like they just let the Niners back into the game by doing that. Cause they came out in the second half and it was like, now we're just going to throw the ball the entire half. It's just, I don't know, dude, it's so weird, man.
00:27:27
Speaker
But you got to give it up to the 49ers, man. They made the comeback. They came back from 17 down to win to go to the Super Bowl. They were the best team in the NFC all year. And they deserve to go to the Super Bowl. And yeah, it's interesting, man. Mahomes. Are you going to make me? Are you going to make me bring it up? I can guarantee you all of our faith. Hold on. Hold on. The goal on faithful are waiting for it, dude. Don't make me bring it up, man. No, let's hear it. Hold on. Give that man his flowers.
00:27:57
Speaker
Dude, here's, here's what I'm going to say. I know you want to love him, dude. Let me talk. Here's what I'm going to say. Like I was about to say my homes is already in his fourth Superbowl in his seventh year of starting and Brock birdies in his first Superbowl in his second year of starting and probably would be a second one if he didn't get hurt last year and then if see championship game.
00:28:19
Speaker
Um, just impressive kid, man. It's, it's absolutely incredible that a kid that went to our Iowa state, um, last pick in the draft, obviously is going to the Superbowl. So everybody always asks me like, what my problem with Brock party is. I don't have a problem with Brock party. I just think it gets overinflated how great this dude is. And I sent Seth an exact example of it. Like the other day.
00:28:46
Speaker
Pat McAfee was talking about Brock party on his show and he's like, Brock pretty ran this offense better than Matt Ryan ever did. And it's like, dude, Matt Ryan threw for 5,000 yards, 40 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and won the MVP in 2016. Like,
00:29:04
Speaker
in those 2016 Falcons, depending on the metrics you look at, they're either like the number six or number seven offense and NFL history across every year. Yeah. Like I think that's where my problem is. Like I think it gets, okay. So I think there's too many people that say Brock parties, a game manager. And I also think there's too many people that are like, this dude's the best player in the league. Like I just, I feel like there needs to be like,
00:29:27
Speaker
a middle ground, you know, like, I feel that today I heard like, people talking about like Brock pretty's already better than Tom Brady was at this point in his career. It's like, dude, this is why I hate this shit is because this is what people do. Like, they have to like, that's the only way they can make their point. Like, dude, why can't he just be something in between like a superstar and a game manager? Like, because that's what he is in the end. Like,
00:29:51
Speaker
dude, you can't tell me that this offense would churn the way it does without any one of the star players. Like I just like kiddo is so vital to that team. Like I, this is, I talked about this last week too, the way they use him. That dude is such an intricate part of that team, just cause of how he blocks, um, the routes he runs, everything like that. Like physicality.
00:30:13
Speaker
He opens everything for everyone else. That's why their offense works so well. Dude, the pieces just come together as a whole. It literally is like a wheel. Those five stars come together and that's what makes the wheel churn. Their offensive line outside of Trent Williams is nothing special. They're just kind of there.
00:30:32
Speaker
But in Shanahan's scheme, in addition to being quarterback friendly, it's also really O-line friendly too. That's been, that's another thing that, you know, because his scheme is just the evolution of, of Mike Shanahan and Bill Walsh's scheme from back in the, you know, the classic Niner scheme. And it's really based on a lot of misdirection, a lot of lateral movement in the offense, and all that stuff helps out the O-line also, because it doesn't let the D-line just pin their ears back and get rushing upfield every single play.
00:30:57
Speaker
Yeah, I think Shanahan scheme contributes to how how well regarded that offensive line is also man, but now I'm with you, dude. Like I said, I know Brock. Yeah, I don't think Brock Purdy is like, you know, the second coming to John Elway or anything. I don't think
00:31:10
Speaker
Yeah, I think you're right, dude. He's kind of somewhere in between, man. The people that hate on him don't really realize how well he really is executing that offense. But he has definitely been set up for success better than just about any young quarterback could be. You couldn't ask for a better situation for somebody to step into like that. No, dude. It is impressive. His second half was nearly perfect. I mean, there's nothing I can say about it. Those runs were crazy, man.
00:31:36
Speaker
You look like Lamar Jackson should have played, man. If Lamar Jackson would have played like Brock Purdy did that second half, they probably would have beat the Chiefs, man. Like he was just being decisive and aggressive, but still staying under control. Well, to be fair, Lamar Jackson also didn't throw a pick into a defender's helmet that bounced up and fucking right into
00:31:54
Speaker
I use hands like hey man that lady luck favors the ball definitely does like that was the play I was like are you kidding me like dude it's such a bad throw and it's just that's what happens like that that's the kind of shit that like some of it is luck and some of it is skill obviously like I get it like it's just that play goes the other way and who knows what that game turns into it's just
00:32:19
Speaker
That's one play that just flips the game, man. But yeah, he balled out in the second half. I have nothing but good things to say about him.
00:32:25
Speaker
It gave me warm and fuzzy feelings all over and actually made me a little emotional here. And you finally show the love. I felt like when the Grinch finally grew his heart around the Hoos man here. So when he finally prayed, I've been saying the same thing all season though. It's like people just don't listen. Like I'm not saying the dude is bad, but I'm, I also don't think he's a superstar. It's just like, dude, can we like narrow the gap to he's somewhere in between those two things? Like,
00:32:49
Speaker
today when I'm when I hear people talking about about Tom Brady, I'm like, dude, this is why this is exactly fucking why I cannot fucking stand this because it's just it gets so out of control so fast. And people just look at the numbers, dude, the NFL was dude.
00:33:05
Speaker
light years different even in 2002 when Tom Brady came in and Tom Brady was asked to play a totally different game man like he Tom Brady legit was a game manager dude even though he was really fucking good that was just a style of play Belichick wanted you know I mean that's what his coach had him going out and do it be it you know be a game manager don't make the big mistakes but when it was time to strap up and lead him down the field for a big drive Brady could do it even as a youngster man so
00:33:30
Speaker
He's got a long ways to go if he's really going to be the second coming to Tom Brady, but hell of a start. He brought up last week, man. I'm really interested to see what happens when he's due for that contract extension next year.
00:33:45
Speaker
It feels like he seems like a smart kid. Everything we've seen from him, he seems like the most humble, wholesome guy out there, dude. In a perfect dream scenario, he doesn't take every last dollar that's out there, dude. It gets compensated fairly, but takes a little bit of a team-friendly deal, so they keep this thing rolling in San Francisco. I don't think that's out of the question, man, because that's just the guy he strikes me at. You got to imagine he knows if he got traded for
00:34:13
Speaker
a couple of second round draft picks to fucking Cleveland or Tampa Bay or something. He's not going to have the same success. Yeah. It's, uh, it's always interesting when you're on a loaded team, because like at some point it's going to have to end, you know? Um, yeah. And McCaffrey's contract runs out at the end of next year too. So it'll be interesting to see what they do with him. Like
00:34:36
Speaker
Dude, Ayuk is quietly, dude, he might be worth more than freaking Deebo Samuel, man. Ayuk is coming on, dude. I still think Deebo's a little bit more important, man, but the production that Ayuk's had, dude, cannot be ignored.
00:34:48
Speaker
they've got to win this year too. Cause like next year is when they start running into cat problems. Cause I mean, dude, you have to win in Brock Purdy's first three years, obviously.
Lions' Future and Offseason Moves
00:34:59
Speaker
Cause whenever you got to make a decision on him, that's where you're going to have some sacrifices everywhere else. Yeah. It's going to be interesting to see what they do. But, um,
00:35:08
Speaker
Yeah. So I'm going to ask you the same question you asked me. What do you think the Lions do? Like, I mean, obviously getting Ben Johnson to recommit today is a huge deal for them. But I mean, what do you think as far as like what they should do to the team? Like, obviously they need defensive help more than anything.
00:35:24
Speaker
Yeah, I don't, I don't think you need to go out and you know sign the top defensive free agent. I think you just fortified through the draft and a couple strategic like you know mid level free agent signings like look at the safety the bit you know baits that the Falcons got from the Bengals last year that wasn't any kind of like break the bank signing.
00:35:42
Speaker
dude balled out man like had a borderline all pro year was excellent man I think making a couple moves like that and I don't want to sound like insulting but you know Dan Campbell maybe just reassess his coaching doctrine you know I mean I've heard some people say he actually isn't an analytics guy even though you know most of the people going for our fourth a lot or analytics they said he just goes off his gut
00:36:05
Speaker
maybe just, you know, do some studying, go back, look at every fourth down call you went for this year, dude, or didn't go and kind of reassess and just kind of refine what his his judgment is on that because
00:36:17
Speaker
I mean, yeah, like, you know, I get that the play was set up, especially on that first one that they went for in the second half. You know, if the guy just catches it, we're probably not talking about any of this right now, but it's still results based league. And those decisions limited his team's ability to win. Those were crucial almost almost as bad as the fourth downs was when they elected to run the ball at the goal line with a minute left.
00:36:42
Speaker
They still had all three timeouts, man. So they run the ball there and had to burn a timeout, which basically put them in desperation mode on defense. Whereas if you can score the touchdown and keep all three timeouts, you at least got the chance to get the three and out and get the ball back with 36, 37 seconds left. That was just a critical error, man. Like I said, just some really, really bad game management in the second half that kept carving away at their chances to win, in addition to the Niners just coming on like a house of fire. Okay, so two things.
00:37:10
Speaker
The contract the Falcons gave Bates was not small. They gave him four years, $64 million. So it wasn't like it was. Damn, it was that much. Okay. Yeah. That's my mistake, man. I don't, I don't remember it being that big a deal in the off season when he got signed, man. So he got, okay. He got paid. Um, okay. Two, the lions have $58 million in cap space this coming off season. Like I think they have one or two splashes. Yeah. So.
00:37:35
Speaker
They got to get a corner, dude. They have to get a like lockdown corner. That's I felt like that was the biggest thing in that game the second half. Like once the the snowball sort started to roll downhill and the Lions couldn't get to Brock party, their corners on an island were just getting cooked by whoever was out there. And look at the week prior, did you know, Mike Evans absolutely manhandled them.
00:37:58
Speaker
Yeah. So I feel like that should be, um, number one is get a, another corner. They need to get a pass rusher opposite of Aiden Hutchinson too. Like he gets doubled so much because they don't have anybody else that can really get after it. But they have such a good base team. Like they built a great offensive line is incredible. Just
00:38:21
Speaker
Yeah, it's going to be going to be interesting, but I agree with you. Maybe adjust a little bit of your coaching philosophy there. Dan Campbell, like sometimes you got to look in the mirror a little bit, but.
00:38:31
Speaker
Great season should be, you know, NFC North next year, I think it's 50 50. Kirk Cousins could end up being the most interesting story of the offseason. What ends up happening with him? And then you got the Packers coming on strong, but I still think the Lions are, you know, a step ahead of the Packers. They should be able to cruise to another division title next season. I agree. Yeah, they got a good team, so.
NBA Talk: Heat, Warriors, LeBron
00:38:54
Speaker
Alright, well, let's uh, let's give these folks a little preview and let's take it off the football field and around the rest of the sporting world
00:39:05
Speaker
So we're just going to do a little bit of quick hitting here on some NBA. We're not going to really talk about anything else right now, but I at least wanted to kind of see, get it, get a temperature gauge of where Seth is at as far as if he's watched any NBA yet this year or if he's kept on it up on it.
00:39:24
Speaker
I've watched a little bit. I listened to the Ringer NBA show. That's my basketball podcast of choice. I listen to it every week when it comes out. So I still been keeping close to having everything going on, man. I'm kind of interested to see how bad this heat slide is going to be, man. I know they just lost their seventh straight game. They clearly don't give a fuck about what off seed they get. They basically just turn into a team of honey badgers as soon as the playoff starts every year. But I'm wondering if maybe we see a big move from them for a trade deadline with this big slump that they're in right now.
00:39:53
Speaker
Dude, the East is a dog fight too. Like the Cavs, the Knicks, the Cavs and the Knicks are absolutely on fire right now. Like they're both nine and one in their last 10. I think the Knicks have won eight in a row and the Cavs have won, um, 10 of their last 11 games. They've lost twice this entire month. So yeah, they've, uh, they've really come on strong and they finally got two of their biggest players back this week. So, um, I really look tough. Yeah, it's going to be fun. Cause then you, you know, and then you still got the Celtics and,
00:40:22
Speaker
and the bucks at the top of it do like yeah that that's one good thing about it feels like ever since Kevin Durant left the Warriors that it's really been like more wide open than really for my entire sports fan life in the NBA man there's almost always been
00:40:38
Speaker
You know, it seems like one, maybe two teams that can win the championship every season. It's almost preordained from the start of the year. And like we talked about earlier with the playoff format, you just rarely get those upsets in basketball, like you do in the other sports. So it's one thing that's definitely been refreshing over the last, last four or five years is how it feels like you don't, it's, you know, you don't necessarily know who's going to make the finals when the playoffs kick off.
00:40:59
Speaker
I feel like the trade deadline is going to determine a lot this year like more than ever because there's a couple teams that are like one piece away from being really good. I still think the Celtics are going to try to make a move at the deadline like as good as their starting five is. I don't think they completely trust their bench and I feel like they need somebody to run that second unit because the Celtics are really good like obviously I'm not telling anyone anything they don't know.
00:41:22
Speaker
The other thing is, uh, I wanted to go over this just cause I was looking at this and I'm like, dude, imagine someone told you this five years ago, the Western conference from one to 10, I'm going to run through it. So you got Minnesota as the one seed. Shocking enough. I really don't even need to go further than that. Denver's the two, which now we obviously know Denver's really good. Oklahoma city is the three.
00:41:42
Speaker
with the youngest team in the NBA. Clippers at four, Kings at five, Suns at six, Dallas at seven, Pelicans at eight, Lakers at nine, and the Jazz at 10. Notice there was no Golden State in any of that that I just said, like just absolutely insane how quick they fell off. Yeah, we're hearing, you know, Clay Thompson's potentially in trade talks at the deadline. I think
00:42:07
Speaker
You know, as long as Steph Curry's there, man, you can't totally write him off, but it definitely feels like the dynasty is officially over, man. I think they really submitted their legacy when they got that one last championship in 2022. It was kind of like a stinger. You know, they got it post Kevin Durant leaving. I think that really helps cement their place in NBA history. But yeah, it feels like the window might finally be closed on Golden State.
00:42:29
Speaker
So whether or not this is just a rumor or this is actually true, um, Bob Myers, who was the executive for the, the lawyers did not want them to re-sign Clay Thompson. And that ultimately was the reason he left the organization. So whether or not that's true to be seen, but I mean, if that's truly what he said, it looks like he was right. Cause Clay is a shell of himself at this point. So the,
00:42:54
Speaker
Football or even baseball man, I would 100% agree with them It's definitely the right choice like if you straight up, you know in a boardroom just looking at results the NBA is such a star driven league though and You got you know You really want to be able to put your best foot forward when one of those absolute, you know 10-12 players is available and you got a chance to get them I feel like doing something like resigning clay Thompson even after all the injuries and
00:43:18
Speaker
I think that buys you a lot of equity with the star players in the league because they see that they take care of their own. I equate it to like when the Lakers re-signed Kobe to a monster deal at the end of his career. That was a little bit different because the Lakers TV rights, the local TV rights there in LA were worth so much that Kobe was still generating a ton of money for the team, even if he wasn't generating wins on the court. But I do think there's some value in taking care of your stars. That being said, yeah, I think if the Warriors would have moved on from Clay and Draymond a couple of years ago, I think they probably could have
00:43:47
Speaker
Extended the championship window with Steph, but they had Steph snow spring chicken, man You got to wonder dude if he's gonna get another have a chance to not get one But even have a chance to contend for another championship with Golden State at this point Yeah, it's gonna be interesting to see how his career winds down because I mean as much as people don't want to believe it we are definitely on the the downturn of oh, yeah Steph Curry's career like
00:44:09
Speaker
He's got more miles in the rearview than he does in the windshield that's for damn You know what the most wild thing is is like we're saying that and like here LeBron is in year 21 and Still playing the way he's playing like he's a freak though, dude He's LeBron and Tom Brady there at a different level with the longevity I mean steps had a ton more injuries than LeBron has to like nothing that never any like
00:44:30
Speaker
you know, absolutely, you know, career altering ones, but he's had, you know, ankle injuries on and off. Remember his first couple years in the week, he was like, he might end up being a bus because he can stay healthy with all the ankle injuries he was having. Yeah, his ankles were basically hot Cheetos.
00:44:48
Speaker
So I wanted to say something about the LeBron thing. Cause like, I don't think people put enough stock into like how long he has been as good as he has. And one of the things is like, whatever you read anything about him, like how much money he puts into his body every year, like diet training, like dude, he doesn't have an off season. And I think like, that's where a lot of like the young players go wrong. I think that's where a lot of people get injured and things like that.
00:45:14
Speaker
Like he trains like he's in season the entire off season like that there is no off season for him cuz he famously said when they when he first did the olympics like. The second time we did the olympics to the first time he was really young but the same time we did it.
00:45:30
Speaker
Everybody was bitching like, Oh man, we're missing our off season and Southern LeBron's like, I'm not doing anything different than I would have been doing anyway. Like this is just how I do my entire career. And I mean, can't argue with it. Like dude, dude's in year 21 and still playing like a top 20 NBA player. Like absolutely insane.
00:45:49
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'm a self-avowed MJ worshipper and I've never been a LeBron fan at all. And even I at this point say that there's definitely a very, very fair argument that he's the greatest of all time, just based off the longevity, man.
00:46:07
Speaker
I feel like Jordan's peak was still better because at his peak, Jordan was absolutely unbeatable. And as great as those Bulls teams were, they weren't loaded with the absolute top level superstars that some of LeBron's championship teams were.
00:46:23
Speaker
But yeah, dude, like freaking 20 years in. Dude, I mean, what would you say? He's lost maybe a half step from his peak. Maybe a whole step, dude. But he's still damn good, man. On any night he could bring it. If you're in the playoffs, you're definitely not looking forward to having to knock out LeBron in a seven game series.
00:46:40
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I would say half step. And honestly, when he said he was going to play whatever it was four years ago, he said he had another five years and I was like, there's no way dude, that dude's body is going to start breaking down. I mean, you're he's 40 now or 39 whatever he is, like,
00:46:58
Speaker
Yeah 39 same age as us. Doesn't that make you feel like shit? Dude 39 and still in top physical peak and still at the peak of his career at 39 years old absolutely insane. I mean dude just think about think about how long ago
00:47:17
Speaker
It was, I mean, not that we're like ancient dude, but I mean, we're grown ass adults at this point, dude. Think about how long ago it feels like when we graduated high school, LeBron got drafted to the NBA right after that, man. That's how long he has been doing it, dude. And really from day one, dude, he's been LeBron, dude. I mean, it's so rare in sports, somebody actually lives up to the hype, but he really did, man. You always go back to that Sports Illustrated cover from his junior year in high school, the chosen one.
00:47:44
Speaker
And he actually did it, man. So yeah, I'll always give LeBron respect now, dude, even though I'm still not, I'm not a fan of his dude. He's definitely got my respect just off the longevity, man. And if somebody wants to make the case that he's better than MJ, I think it's definitely argument to be made. I do wonder about this, man. I feel like in
00:48:07
Speaker
You know in another maybe thirty forty years it would kinda our generation is. Is no longer that the loudest talking about it man i feel like those memories of mj are gonna start to fade it when people are starting to just look at the you know that the NBA sports almanac and stuff and looking at the stats dude i think.
00:48:25
Speaker
I think LeBron's stature is really going to grow because numbers wise, it's, it's, you can't even argue it, man. Just looking at the longevity and the stats and everything and how many trips to the finals he's, he's put up. You know, he's got four rings, right? Two with the, two with the heat, one with the casual, the Lakers.
00:48:42
Speaker
four rings, but a ton of trips to the finals, man. I feel like people are going to look at it and you know, that six and O is not going to look quite as shiny for the people that weren't there to see it talking about Jordan's record in the finals. So yeah, I think 50 years from now, man, I think Pete Lebron will be regarded as the best of all time. So
00:48:57
Speaker
When, when everybody talks about like him going to the finals as many times as he did, you got to remember, dude, the first time you went to the finals, that team was so outmatched by that Spurs team. Like they had, was it Booby Gibson was like the third best player on the team. They had zero, dude, me and Ari watched. That was like one of the, I think that might've been the first year of me and Ari dated was that year.
00:49:19
Speaker
And she was Mo Williams, Ben Wall. It was not Mo Williams, dude. Mo Williams was not on that team. He wasn't there yet. No. Boobie Gibson, Zadrunas Elgauskas, maybe Eric Snow still. It was a bad team. It was not a good team. Just going to show you how awful the East was in the mid 2000s, also, that that team even made it out of the mud like that.
00:49:42
Speaker
Yeah, but dude, they wrecked the Pistons and the playoffs who were arguably the best team in the league that year. Like.
00:49:50
Speaker
It's, it's insane. Like I get what you're saying, but it's absolutely insane. Remember that playoff game where he dropped like 25 straight points. Yeah. I'm like, so I had to explain Ari. I'm like, just so you know, this is not normal. Like this is not how my team's normally play. So don't get too excited. And he was just like fucking did he, it wasn't even like basketball, that game where he dropped those points. He was just like fucking Lydane and Thomas and taking it off tackle, dude, just fucking bullying into the paint and yamming it on the Pistons over and over.
00:50:20
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, he was a third year player at that point. Like just as very little outside game, it was just just bulling a China shot, getting in the paint and going to work, man. Yeah. So, yeah, it was a, that's just one of those things. Like people always like harp on his record and stuff. And I'm like, well, the first one he was outmatched severely. I mean, he was playing against David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manny Ginoble. And his sidekick was the adrenus Algauskas and Booby Gibson. So.
00:50:50
Speaker
I feel like the real legacy changer was that one he lost against the Mavericks date. I feel like if they get that ring in 2011, and then everything else happens the same, because that would have meant that they ended up having the three P with Miami, which is, you know, I think they would have fulfilled the prophecy if they get they got three rings to feels like they kind of came up short with
00:51:08
Speaker
with the level that they were at were him and him and Wade and Bosch teamed up man I think if and he came up so short in that that Mavericks finals also man we still like we still need to get like the the you know 30 for 30 on that exactly what was going on behind the scenes I remember I think it was game four game five it seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world then then you know getting the ball and crunch time that game
00:51:30
Speaker
I think that 11 did the most damage to his stature and legacy. But the thing is, that's going to fade, man. As the years go by, people are just reading about these guys, looking at the Wikipedia pages. I think stuff like that, the stuff that's more just like perception-based is going to fade. And people are just going to be like, dude, this guy was a freak. How was he able to do it that good for that long? And it's just going to be the old timers like us saying, you had to see Jordan play. You didn't see Jordan play. You don't know what you're talking about.
00:51:58
Speaker
Like, I think like the the thing that kind of hit me this week, or it was last week when Shaq announced LeBron was the 20 time all star like holy fuck times dude, he made 10 times is amazing. 20 times he has made the all star game like, dude, that's that's twice as long as the majority of people's career.
00:52:21
Speaker
Like just playing in the NBA 10 years is like an achievement. The dude's made the all-star game 20 times. Like it just, it's incredible. Um, I didn't intend for another thing that hurts LeBron. Yeah. I think you're about to say we didn't really plan on going deep on LeBron, but he's so fascinating. Right? Like he can't help. I think another thing that kind of hurts his.
00:52:43
Speaker
the love he gets from kind of our generation and folks a little bit older is the bouncing around. In a lot of ways, he's kind of revolutionary. He kicked off the quote unquote player empowerment era. And as much as the decision was hated on, like I said, I think he really kick started something that's made the NBA more interesting and more fun since it started with all the player movement.
00:53:04
Speaker
Um, but I don't think he's got one fan base that's just ride or die for him. You know, I think that he's all the moving around. I don't, I don't know who really claims him, man. Like, uh, you know, MJ, he was with the bull so long that obviously he got the huge Chicago audience and really kind of the whole Midwest, uh,
00:53:22
Speaker
got behind the Bulls and they almost became America's team there in the 90s, right? They were like the Patriots. You had a ton of people that loved him and a ton of people that want to see him get knocked off. And there just was such an interest around him. It feels like LeBron's never really had that piece of it, man. Like the Cavs fans, do you think when he retires, are Cavs fans going to claim like LeBron's ours or is he just going to be just LeBron, his own entity? I mean, so...
00:53:46
Speaker
That's going to be an interesting thing when it happens. Um, there's no Cavs fan that I personally know that hates LeBron. Like dude, right? The dude brought Cleveland. Yeah. Like there's, there's no way you could possibly ever hate him. Um, that was one of the most impressive championships ever. Yeah. Um,
00:54:04
Speaker
I think like the stuff that he's done in Ohio is like, even off the basketball court, I think that that's just going to forever endear him to Ohio, Northeast Ohio. Um, so I feel like the Cavs are going to claim him. It definitely won't be the Lakers. And I don't think he was with the heat long enough to like kind of cement that. So, and he's forever going to be known as the greatest player in Cavs history. Like there's not even a debate about that. So.
00:54:30
Speaker
Oh, shout out to where, where, where are the Mark price supporters? I love more. I want to brighten in next week. No, no, no, no. I love Mark Christ to you. I'm saying that I'm being tongue in cheek, dude. Like I, I love Mark price, dude. I became a cash fan in early nineties. Like, dude, I love Mark price, but Brad Daugherty there's Xavier McDaniel. Yeah. There was nobody even Craig Elo. There's nobody even holding the candle till LeBron. Like it's John hot rod Williams, Brad Daugherty, the fucking NASCAR announcer.
00:54:59
Speaker
Oh God. Terrell Brandon. Dude, you know what the worst, like I'm not even joking. Like everybody's like talks to me about LeBron leaving. Was I like the worst moment for you as a Cavs fan? No, the worst moment for me as a Cavs fan. And this is not a lie either. Like my favorite player growing up with Sean Kemp, watching the ghost of Sean Kemp come to the Cavs. It was like, I was excited that he was going to play for my favorite team, but I was also like terrified because I just kind of knew what kind of player he was at that point.
00:55:28
Speaker
And that was before like everything came out, like to the shit he was into outside off the basketball court. And I just, I'll never forget like watching him play out his career as a cab and then a blazer and then a magic. It was just like, what the fuck just happened? That dude was the most exciting player in the NBA in an era when Michael Jordan was playing like, he was the rain man was awesome, dude. Chanel camping, Gary Payton. I love those Sonic's teams, man. Sam, his debt lift shrimp. Yeah.
00:55:56
Speaker
I could go 90s NBA all day man up until I started playing tackle football in like I think 95 dude I was hardcore NBA head man like I was I was like NFL was my dad's like football was my dad's thing man I would kind of I'd sit down watch games sometimes but I was all about NBA dude like I had all the cards and
00:56:15
Speaker
all the NBA live video games. I have the entire mid-90s NBA roster memorized. We'll do some historical pods maybe this offseason. This is one thing I'll say about 90s NBA, and I don't care what anyone says. 90s NBA was the best sport of all time. Having an NBA on NBC, a Madra shot, doing inside stuff.
00:56:41
Speaker
Dude, the 90s MBA was just like unheard of like, it was like must see TV. Anytime there was a game on NBC, like you had to watch it and MBA finals coverage at that point was just absolutely incredible. I mean, it was just awesome, man. It just is so much, so much different. And
00:57:00
Speaker
And as cool as the player empowerment stuff is and as interesting as all the drama and player movement is, back then, teams would really get established, man. You'd have a core group of guys and they'd be together five, six, seven years. That's how we remember all these random rotational players from these teams on the 90s, dude, just because they became part of these teams' identities, man. It definitely made it a lot more fun.
00:57:24
Speaker
Yeah, it was a great era of sports. I love the 90s. Yeah, let's move on from the NBA because we were in town and it's not being a long episode and we're already staring at an hour. So let's go ahead and move into the real thing. As much as we love football, we've been talking football for four months, Daysa. And we really didn't even, I think we brushed a little bit on the current NBA and then we just got going down the freaking nostalgia blast. Well, I mean, at least everybody got a taste of it. We did almost 30 minutes of NBA talk right there.
00:57:53
Speaker
Yeah. So let us know what you guys think. If there's some other sports you wants to touch on, man, if it's something I don't even watch, I'll get brushed up on it in a week, dude. We're all about the list, you know, making the listeners happy. So just let us know what, you know, what sports you want us to go heavy on, what sports you want us to touch on, all that. And we'll, we're definitely going to be a little bit more, you know, loose running, going, going no huddle offense, calling it the line of scrimmage and be a little bit more free about the different stuff that we do this
NFL Team Dynamics and Personal Fandom
00:58:17
Speaker
offseason. You know, here's some, some, you know, kind of like themed episodes and stuff like that. It's going to be a lot of fun.
00:58:22
Speaker
Yeah, let's get to the mailbag. So first off, James Maudsley texted this in. He says, I know you guys are going to break down all the teams this offseason. My question is, what is the team that a free agent would most want to go to?
00:58:42
Speaker
I got two in mind, man. I'm looking at, and it's not even necessarily about the on-field stuff. A little bit about the on-field, but more about just the lifestyle. I'm thinking Miami and Dallas, man. Florida and Texas, no state tax. Miami, there's a ton of good reasons to live in Miami and Dallas. It just feels like you're going to be a rockstar to play for the Cowboys, man. They're larger than life, got a ton of fan support, and you're always playing in prime time.
00:59:07
Speaker
I'm going to go with the Texans. Like just, it just seems like that team has fun. They're young. Um, they're hungry to win. They got a really good head coach. He got a great quarterback. Like I feel like if you're a free agent and I think they have like $75 million in calf space, like if you're definitely a free agent on offense, I don't know why you wouldn't want to go play in that offense. Catching them on the upswing. Yeah. So like that would probably be my choice, honestly.
00:59:33
Speaker
No, I feel it. I think that's good, man. So that you guys got your exes, the football-based answer, and you guys got the lifestyle one. But yeah, I think so. And they're going to think about Houston again, dude. Well, those big money contracts that NFL players are getting, no state income tax is a big fucking difference, man. That can end up being like hundreds of thousands of dollars you're saving right there. 100%. All right, let's go to the Facebook listener mail.
01:00:00
Speaker
Just so everyone knows, I hardly ever look at these and I did not look today. So I have no idea what Seth's about to ask me. All right. This is a good one, man. So Matt Carpation wants to know who is your new listener to? Glad to have you aboard. He wants to know who is your football team that you root for and why are they your team?
01:00:23
Speaker
Um, so I'm a Falcons fan and, uh, it's cause of Dion Sanders, man, when I was a little kid, like, dude, just everything about him drew me to the Falcons. Like, um, just like his swag, man, he was, it was early nineties and like, that wasn't even like a thing in sports at that time. And he just brought it and just, there was so much excitement around him and man, he packed that crowd out and everything for one player. Like it was, it was incredible to watch. So yeah, that's why I became a Falcons fan.
01:00:54
Speaker
So a little bit of a similar origin story for me, man. It was player-based. So my dad was in the Navy, so we moved around a lot as a kid. So I didn't have a home-based team or anything. Kept up with the NFL. Like I mentioned earlier, I was really more of a basketball fan for the most part growing up.
01:01:11
Speaker
Um, but my freshman year, uh, a player came up in college football named, it was actually my eighth grade year, man. Uh, and going into my freshman year, Michael Vick, Virginia Tech Hokies, man, just an absolutely, uh, phenomenal player. Like, you know, I was a left-handed quarterback in high school, so seeing this other left-handed quarterback that can run like that and make these throws.
01:01:32
Speaker
Which is absolutely, you know, intoxicating, man. Like he's the kind of guy, you know, you would create on a video game or something. Didn't seem like it should be possible in real life. And I just, I walked in on him those two years with Virginia Tech. And I just said, whatever team he gets drafted to, that's going to be my team. And it looked like it was going to be the Chargers, man. I was already, you know, it's going to deck out my room and the powder blue and gold. And then I think it was a couple of days before the draft, man, the Falcons made the trade, did the number one spot. He went to the Falcons.
01:02:00
Speaker
And I latched on man. I became a Falcons diehard. Obviously the, the Vic run was very bittersweet, ended after six up and down seasons. But in that time, uh, I fell in love with the Falcons even beyond just Michael Vick. And I stuck with a man. Luckily, you know, after a one year nightmare with Bobby Patrino, we drafted Matt Ryan, who
01:02:17
Speaker
one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. And even more than that, dude, he was just a dude that you could root for, man. After all the debacle with Vic, it was great having this guy who just seemed like, in addition to being an awesome football player, was just a guy that you could admire. And you never had to question yourself if you're doing the right thing by rooting for this guy, man.
01:02:39
Speaker
I, you know, the Super Bowl that they blew against Patriots was very scarring. I still came back to him, stuck around for another couple of years. But dude, it was only so many times I could see him blow these just completely winnable games. And it just sucked the life out of me. And I, you know, I kind of disavowed, man. I pretty much went football agnostic for a couple of years. My dad had always had adopted the Titans as his team when they moved to Nashville in in 99 because we live about an hour north of Nashville or just across state line in Kentucky.
01:03:08
Speaker
Uh, so I kind of just rooted for them along with my dad. I, I still kind of, you know, I root Titans. If you've listened to the show, you know, I, I, I say I board, just keep up with them more than root for them. I'm not any kind of diehard whatsoever. Like I'll still get excited because I love football, but I'll never have a team like I had with the Falcons, man. It's just, you know, I was just got too close to the flame, man. I got burned so much and it just sucked the life out of me and I can't do it anymore, dude. So I don't, you know, maybe if Brett gets really into it where he's a diehard for a team, maybe I'll get the,
01:03:37
Speaker
I'll get that itch back to go that go that deep, but I don't see myself ever getting that wrapped up with a team again, man.
Super Bowl Speculations and Commentary Critiques
01:03:43
Speaker
Yeah, I wish I wasn't. All right, Johnny JB says how many shots of Taylor Swift will we get in the Super Bowl? Honestly, man, I thought they've cut down a lot, dude, since that first two weeks she was there. I feel like you see her, you know, I maybe like how many times did they show her on Sunday? It was I feel like it was less than five times prior to four or five. Yeah.
01:04:05
Speaker
Yeah, I honestly did I think they've kind of conditioned me at this point, like if the Chiefs make a big play especially if Kelsey makes a big play like I'm already looking like waiting for like okay, we got to see Taylor's reaction now. I don't think it's as big a deal as people made it out to be man I feel like the people
01:04:21
Speaker
I feel like I get more distracted from people complaining about Taylor Swift than I do from them actually showing Taylor Swift on the games, man. I think to me it's fun, dude. I am a Taylor Swift fan, so obviously I'm biased, but I think it's added to the NFL experience this year more than it's taken away from it. You know what my bigger issue is, is how bad Tony Romo has got at commentating.
01:04:41
Speaker
horrible, man. And he's calling the Super Bowl. And when he talks about Taylor Swift, it's like nausea inducing, like, he's so bad now. Like, I don't understand what happened from the first two years because he was awesome the first two years. And it's like he heard so much like, he heard so much good talk about him that he like,
01:05:02
Speaker
He upped his doucheiness to like a hundred. To me, man, you know, they said they had to do like an intervention with him to get him to start putting like more hours of prep time and stuff in last offseason. Dude, I think he was so good that first two years because he was still had all the knowledge from being on the field, man. He had still been doing tape study of all those teams and knew the ins and outs of what's going on in the league. And I feel like just as that's faded, I don't think he's ever done any any of that kind of hardcore prep work.
01:05:29
Speaker
since, since he's been in the booth since then, dude, I think he was, I think he was living off all of his tape study from being an active quarterback in the NFL those first couple of years. But yeah, I agree, man. He just, he gets on my nerves almost as bad as Collins were. It wouldn't make sense. Cause I think Greg Olson is absolutely phenomenal as a sportscaster. Like dude, he, he calls the game the right way. He does really good. Um, I thought Fox was screwed when Buck and Aikman left, but dude,
01:05:53
Speaker
him and Kevin Burkhardt have filled in really well and they've been really good together. I also thought Matt Ryan did a really good job in the booth this year. Like I like Matt Ryan. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe there is something to that. Maybe like after a couple of years of being off the field, maybe it just kind of wears off. So I guess we'll see. All right. Zach Hertzler says, do you think we will see Jason Kelsey at the full during or after the Superbowl? Yes. Yes. Yeah. It's guaranteed, man. I think that's just his personality. Yeah. It's not that he's faking it at all, but
01:06:23
Speaker
He knows the cameras are on him, dude. And they got a very lucrative podcast that him and Travis Kelsey do now, dude. And it's just good marketing, man, to be seen acting a fool, dude. If they win, watch out, man. There's no telling what they'll do if the Chiefs end up winning.
Disappointing NFL Teams and Predictions
01:06:38
Speaker
The lovely Ari, the Fig Wife, she says, which team was the biggest disappointment of the season?
01:06:47
Speaker
I would probably honestly go the Chargers. I know that's an easy pick, but doing five games with the roster they have is, I really don't even know what to say about it. I mean, we'll see how the Jim Harbaugh thing works out, but five and 12 with that roster is abysmal.
01:07:06
Speaker
I got to go Jets, man. Obviously they got the big excuse with Aaron Rodgers going down literally four plays into the season, but it seemed like the hype and the expectations were just off the charts for them, man, and it was just an absolute train wreck of the year for the Jets. Yeah.
01:07:21
Speaker
All right. Now that she's got some, uh, she's got a question for each of us. She says, uh, Jordan, we need your Falcons predictions for next season. No, we don't know. We fucking know. Give us a record. Give us a record. You don't got to take us through the whole part of us. Give us their re what is their 17 game regular season record next year? Six and 11.
01:07:40
Speaker
I think they're going 10 and seven, man. I think you're off on the Raheem Morris, dude. I think he's going to be good for them, man. I think I don't know who's going to be the quarterback. I got to get a quarterback first. So until the draft is over, I really don't want to make predictions for that team because I got to see what they put it together first. Zach Wilson, that's my dream for the NFL offseason, for the Falcons to get Zach Wilson, dude, and let him cook.
01:08:02
Speaker
All right, and then she asked me, Seth, what's it going to take you to come back to the Falcons' fandom? I still kept an eye on the Falcons, man. I tell Jordan, I always keep an eye on what's going on with the Falcons week to week. There's still a little glimmer of that just in my DNA. But like I said earlier, man, unless it was something I was doing along with the kids, I'm just never getting as emotionally involved with the team as I was with the Falcons for that basically 20 years.
01:08:25
Speaker
Sam Rosenthal, how on earth did the Steelers hire Arthur Smith to be offensive coordinator next season? Did they not see his work with the Falcons? I think there's a big difference between being an offensive coordinator and a head coach, man. Last time he was offensive coordinator, he was kicking ass on a team with Ryan Tannehill as the quarterback.
01:08:40
Speaker
I don't think it's the most inspired thing, because he's definitely more of an old school offensive coordinator. I feel like right now, a lot of the best teams are doing it with the really innovative offensive coordinators. And I think he's a good play caller, and I do like his scheme. I like it with the Falcons. It just seemed like they kept shooting themselves in the foot with some of the players that they were giving the ball to. On paper, though, his scheme with the Falcons roster seemed like it should have worked.
01:09:06
Speaker
But yeah, I think he'll be fine, man. I think, you know, it's the Steelers, dude. They're going to be fine. They always are. My favorite meme from today was it was George Pickens. He's like, God, you guys couldn't possibly throw me the ball less. And then right underneath there was a picture, Arthur Smith. And he's like, game on, fucker.
01:09:27
Speaker
Yeah, I saw a picture. It was George Pickens getting into a fight with somebody in college. And it was like George Pickens to Arthur Smith after he has three targets after two weeks of next NFL season. Yeah. Don't draft any Steelers on your fancy team.
01:09:41
Speaker
We already touched on this one earlier, but Sheena, my lovely wife, she had asked you, she said, why does Jordan despise Brock Purdy so much? So Jordan already addressed that. It turns out that he does not actually despise, you know, the most wholesome player in the NFL. Zach Hertz who hits us with another one. Who would you want as a QB, Brock Purdy or Tony Romo?
01:10:02
Speaker
I got to go RoMo, dude. I feel like RoMo, even though he has some gigantic playoff blunders, I feel like he's almost criminal how underrated he was as a quarterback. He was really, really good. Those last couple of years, the health was a real issue. But when he was at his peak, man, he could ball, dude. And I still say that 2014 team, they got absolutely robbed against the Packers in the playoffs, man. That was probably his best shot at getting a ring. Yeah.
01:10:27
Speaker
I would go Roma as well. Again, not because I hate Brock Purdy, but just because. Roma could ball, bro. Yeah, dude. I think the longer you get away from his career, the more people hate on him. And I'm like, dude, that fucking dude was good.
01:10:42
Speaker
Dude even though that came in and was awesome that rookie year. I still not convinced. That was a great dude If you put in a fresh Romo with that team with the one seed There's no telling what the Cowboys could have done the Cowboys were badass that 2016 season when Romo got hurt and deck took over You know, they barely got beat by the Packers in the second round But if they beat the Packers their host in the Falcons in the NFC Championship in Dallas I feel like that would have been a coin flip game. Yeah, yeah
01:11:10
Speaker
But yeah, man love for Roma do Roma was good man. Don't you know, don't let a handful of playoff games Distract you man like Roma could freakin ball and last question Chad Smith from the turnbuckle tavern He says thoughts on the Taylor Swift government sigh-op conspiracy in the game being rigged
01:11:29
Speaker
I don't want to go into too much detail on that, being a government employee myself, but I will say this dude, after working for the government for 20 years, people give way too much credit to their ability to actually pull off something that intricate. Use Taylor Swift for brainwashing or whatever.
Coaching Styles and Next Episode Tease
01:11:50
Speaker
And then he also says, Dan Campbell, too much riverboat gambling in his jeans, or do you like the fire and go for broke mentality? I think we kind of already touched on it, man. He, you know, in general, you like it. Maybe you just got to, you know, everyone, you know, Kenny Rogers told us that sometimes you got to know when to fold them. You know, he does not.
01:12:07
Speaker
He's rolling that dice. Like we, we said after that Dallas game, dude, he's definitely made the walk of shame to the Las Vegas ATM at five in the morning, a couple of times before guaranteed. Somebody put a family guy cliff and it was Peter at the casino and he's playing blackjack and he's like 20 and he's like, hit me. He's like, sir, you have 20. He's like, Oh, I'm showing you three up. He's like, hit me. God damn it. That's that's Dan Campbell. Got to get the blackjack.
01:12:35
Speaker
All right, that's a wrap. So we're going to be back next week. We'll be hitting you guys with our bets for the Super Bowl, our picks and our year in awards. So going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be a great episode. Jordan hit us with some closing thoughts and we'll get out of here. Well, I hope you guys all enjoy your Pro Bowl weekend and enjoy the flag football. We're going to get to watch this weekend. Just always remember, it's just such a treat that we get to watch flag football the week before the Super Bowl. Guys, have a good weekend.
01:13:09
Speaker
Through all these earthly trials of sorrow Through all these days of doubt and sin Through all these eternal nights I know tomorrow Gotta stay on straight and narrow and find a little out of it Gotta walk that road, gotta walk that road on with heaven
01:13:35
Speaker
That road all night, all you need is a little life And closer you get low, brighter it turns on