Hard Knocks Detroit Lions: Episode 5 Recap

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Speaker 1: Training camps. It's kind of like, it's kind of a tough question. Training camp is hard work, Training camp is tough. Training camp gives the young guys an idea of west to come for their career. But training COUMP training camp is a blessing. It's the season finale of the Hard Knocks Podcast. Present to buy around the NFL, the Detroit Lions, another season in the books, Dan Hands is here the tiny box to my tug boat. Tug box, tug Box Tuesday, tug Box Tuesday, Clear the Road. Yes, that was the voice of Khalil Pimpleton. One of many compelling stories that we followed along over the five episodes. And what I thought was one of the better Hard Knocks seasons we've had. Um in uh for NFL Films and HBO, so great job by the whole production and and I think this is the episode and this is a in the tradition of Hard Knocks, Connie, Episode five is the payoff, and it's especially the payoff for all of these young players, these underdogs. Do they make the team. If they don't make the team, what happens next? And you hear that, like Khleil Pempleton, perfect example wide receiver. We talked about him on last week's show, the big drop in the preseason game and the die had been cast um and yet he catches on with the Giants on their practice squad, David Blow the quarterback. He gets cut in a surprise move, he catches on with the Vikings, who claim him on waivers. It to Mellen, like the like when you're in high school and you have your group of friends and this is really a credit to the show because you get close and you feel like you're part of the team in a way. When your friends go off to college and you're not all the pirates anymore. Now you're you're all these different other your gators, and you're you know, seminoles, and you're this and you're that, and you just be like, I wish we were all still together. But that's not I know, honestly, Hard Knocks. It's like we're dreams are realized and then also broken and crushed. And you know, you see that throughout the whole episode and throughout the whole series. And Dan, you're like a Hard Knocks historian, so you know the rhythms of and it's so proud of you at this point. But I think with this season specifically, there are I always fall in love with a few of the players because that's what Hard Knocks traditionally does. But I also have fallen so in love with the coaching staff, and it's been a theme and we talk about it every single week. UM. So I think that this episode, the cuts episode, it cuts different because you're seeing the coaches emotional about It's just a montage to start of breakups with the cuts at the top of the show, and you can see I think you can really tell a lot about people in general, but especially with the players, and I think for the coaches, this is important to see how the players react to being cut and some of the guys, I'm sure they're all heartbroken about it, but you can see, for instance, Dan Skipper, I didn't even know he was on the team, hardly knew you Dan want to talk about Skipper? Yeah, And he was so upset and he looked at them and he said, you know, is there anything else I could have done? And my heart just broke into a zillion pieces watching that. I want to I want to say about about that in particular, and some of this is kind of a conjecture because we don't know for sure, but Dan Skipper is not someone that we followed closely on this show. Might have been the first time he showed up on the show as far as I know in terms of getting the type of real camera time. He's an offensive tackle. And this came during a sequence where we're getting little bits and pieces of the conversations between the g M Brad Holmes coach Dan Campbell and the players that were being let go Tim Boyle, Devin Funch's skipper, Bruce Hector, defensive end Jared Davis Um. And Yes, that definitely resonated with me, the players and the things that they said, um, And it didn't feel like it was coming from a place like they needed to say it. It was more like, I really like what you guys are building here. You you have respect, I think, being as they said, you're building a culture where men can be themselves. That's all real. I got that vibe, and I thought the Skipper situation made me think about Hard Knocks and if you, if you follow the show long enough, there have been times in the past where Hard Knocks got some criticism for almost the voyeuristic look into this. These cutdowns and brutality to it. I am member who was the cornerback of the Dolphins years ago, the two thousand twelve season. I think it was when he got he learned he was being traded, I believe, and he says, oh, I need to call my grandma. And the GM I think it was Jeff Ireland at the time. It was just kind of like a deeply personal moment, and you really felt for it. We felt you felt for the player um and Dan Skipper looked like his lip was quivering when they first cut to him. Then they come back and all you get is him saying, anything I can do. And it made me think that this is like NFL films, purposely a softer touch here. And I respected it because I don't think I don't know, maybe ten years ago, you get Dan Skipper and in that moment crying to the coach and the GM, and I think they made a concerted effort to kind of protect that guy and what was a really vulnerable moment. It completely pulled at my heart strings. And I was also thinking to myself, if you are Dan Campbell, if you are Brad Holmes, what do you do when you get home from work that night or those two. However, many days that they're having those conversations because you can see how much it wears on Dan Campbell. Even when the director of player engagement walked up to him on the field and asked him, how you doing, and he responded, you know, if it doesn't hurt, then you got to get out of this business. And I'm doing better than yesterday or two days ago. But there's so much emotion involved, and specifically for a guy like I think Dan Campbell. I'm sure everybody feels this way, but he really became attached, I think, and you could see how he would become so attached to the players that he has to say goodbye to, So that is it's definitely an emotional roller coaster football, Dan, you know I did. Yeah, And it was by the way, Vante Davis, I just want to get that right. When Joe Philbin told him he was traded, he said, I want to call my grandma. That it is so it's so human these moments, and like you're saying, like Campbell and the staff have you know, the players trust them, and you could you could see that and even if they make a decision that they're not going to be part of the future. Um, they respect that they got this opportunity. So I thought that was you know, it's not easy to watch in Campbell. At one point I wish I knew who the woman's name was. No, I didn't write it down right away, right that that is That shows again that this isn't just you know whatever, you don't even think about it anymore. It's it sticks with him and it and it hurts. I was also thinking too, just how difficult it must be to be a bubble player and a journeyman in general, because watching Pimpleton take the news, and he took the news so well, so it made me wonder was he just like burying his disappointment did he expected? Is he that just his natural disposition? He was almost like buoyant, he was happy, and I was like, that was to me, I would be way closer to where Dan Skipper was or and you've seen it in past years and again notable. You did not see it at least in anything. We saw guys that would be pissed. Yeah, and you could tell there was some bad blood and bad energy over feeling like they were not getting UM recognized in the way they should. Add you don't sense that at all. Even there, there was no contentious moments when they were having these conversations. It was kind of a loving, like you said, like a softer touch, you could you could sense that for sure. But you know, one of the other things that I was thinking about, not just with Pimpleton, but also with David blow when we saw him at the end of the episode warming up with the Vikings, and it just looked so lonely because we had seen him mixing it up with all the other players in Detroit, and he's been there for a minute and he's had some moments, and then all of a sudden, he was like a total stranger on the field to all of these new teammates. And imagine then just starting over, trying to fit in, trying to prove yourself when you're a guy that is on the bubble like that has to take so much confidence and so much perseverance to just continue forward. Nate Sudfeld and they show him sitting in that after the surprise cut and Blowhard nation, we're all together in this and and the best of luck to him. He made I think, what was a wise decision for a fresh start and being behind Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. Um, but you see him, you see Sudfeld and he doesn't even have the license gear right, and then you think, like, men, these guys have gotten clearly so close through spring through training camp. Uh and Sudfields like playing from behind in terms of like being a part of the team. But hopefully you know, it's a long season. We we never played the game. We don't know what it's like in the locker room during the regular season, but I feel like any other places, you're like, who's the new guy, what's this guy? Exactly exactly? So yeah, that was that to me, is what this episode was about, kind of this full circle of what we've been tracking all season long, um, which is this is a close team that has a lot of respect for the coaching staff. And I'm gonna save some some of the that conversation for our m v P voting, which, by the way, let's not forget what's going on today, Grave Digger behind the glass justin Graver, the vector voting system. It's all been building to this. I'm so nervous. So we're gonna cast our episode five m v P votes first, second, and third place votes and then we're going to find out definitively the Hard Knocks m v P. Give me a little horn there, Ah was it? Let's get the lady scream. It's good. It's really it's good. It feels good. I like it a lot. What else did we like? Should we talk about Eminem? Is it time to talk about Eminem? I mean I never thought I never really knew that this was going to come up. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for the at the Eminem episode, and here we are, so I guess we have to talk about it. Let me start by I'm gonna take an l on this because we can't like pump Dana pump up Zuser is the historian hard knocks when we haven't been kind of banging the drum about what we haven't seen yet. It's become like a tradition to have some type of celebrity show up at camp. Kendrick Lamar famously, I think, showed up at Rams camp a couple of years ago, not the first time either, And so now Marshall Mathers, he of eight Mile Road. And you know, like it's crazy because I'm a little older than you, Colleen, but I when Eminem came out like in the late nineties. That was it, Like he was he was a force, was like a ton of credit to just like street credit. Yeah, he was at the center of the universe, not just in hip hop, but like in the world, Like he was like the biggest star in the world. And then I was wonder if some of these guys, like the younger guys. I guess he's more just he's kind of a legend, hip hop legend. And I know the super Bowl probably went a long way in terms of exposing him the super Bowl halftime show to an audience and a younger audience. Um, But to see him on the field, it was just kind of surreal because we you know where and Colin, you're a big hip hop fan. I don't know where you stand on Eminem. Maybe that will be I've loved him when I was younger, and then I kind of started to face. The first two albums were yeah, pretty special, and then I was kind of out. Um, but to see him, like talking to Dan Campbell was weird. How about that? Jared Goff Jared Jared Goff our friend the man with the clothing line Now in a conversation with Eminem, let's listen in. You're not taller than I thought you'd beat. I got that quite a bite. You can make it out here. It's fun to see you absolutely appreciate it. Absolutely Likewise, I get that quite a bit. Oh that's rough. People think he's a lot smaller than he is. Jared Goff, that electric golf charisma. I have to say, like, is this the last time? You know, as we're closing the door on another season and on the first season of the Hard Knocks podcast, will NFL Films get another crack at Jared Goff? I mean the fourth time? Was it the charm? Or are we going for five? I wouldn't I wouldn't doubt it. At this point, we've got way more golf than I ever thought we would have. So one of my favorite moments with Eminem was when Aubrey Pleasant, who is the DV coach for the Lions, walked over shook his hand. It's like I'm from Flint, Michigan. The handshake hardcore Dappa. We had to rewind and count a twelve second hand shank. All right, let's let's count it out. Coachs coordinator man, where thank you for being shake ever and it was like also just kind of a strange, strange handshake too, to be that long. It was going up and down. It was. It was a weird thing. But you know, I thought it was cool because Marshall Mathers is and Eminem that's that's a big star. And I think it was a nice little thing probably for the players to see somebody. Yeah, I loved it. They were geeking out. I think even Golf said he was like, he's like one of those guys. He might be on my list of likely ship. Who's on your list of holy ship. There's a lot of people. There's somebody that stands out. Brett Goldstein from he plays Roy Kent on Ted Lasso. That's I mean, you just anybody in the world. He's on the list. Goldstein is on. I love him. I love him. Yeah. John knows all about it. I mean, I'm not overly familiar with the show, but I was not. I was not. Um you asked, delivered interesting? Alright, Brett Goldsteins, Um, alright, So Eminem he makes his appearance. Uh. And you know one thing another thing that we talked about. We were waiting. We're waiting for the segment when the players go to visit Detroit, and you know what are we what were we asking for? All season? I haven't written down a visit downtown that pays homage to the Detroit music scene soul, blues, hip hop, garage, rock, and then here in big caps because it was a big deal to you. Cars need cars, I needed more cars. Didn't get any. I got a couple of guys like throwing tires around. That's it. But we got we got a trip to the Art Museum for um U mon st Brown. We also got this was wild uh Rodrigo, who by the way, is going to be the starting linebacker for the lines. I believe he is at a cowboys store. Um, I don't know what. I didn't know Detroit has Cowboys stores. I guess they're everywhere. They called the Cowboys Store, Western shop called the Cowboys Store. I have no idea. I am from New York. Um. But anyway, his quads in those jeans um and the hat and the boots, it looked like he was wearing a Halloween costume. It was really really funny that entire scene. Also the fact that Rodrigo is the second most requested jersey is that what we heard talk about that again. The when we try to figure out how the lines are gonna do this season, and whenever you watch Hard Knocks you're trying to you always get talked into that team being way better when you hear something like that, and and I loved it. I even liked the trip to the Cowboys store because I thought it was a nice button on the Rodrigo story. I learned about boots, Ostrich boots, no idea like that was Ostrich boots. Do you know you don't I have Ostrich boots I bought my freshman year of college at the University of Texasy. Do you have multiple pairs of boots? I have two pairs of boots, but the other one just regularly. You don't want to know about the other leather. I don't know regular. Yeah, the Cowboys stores in Texas, got it. You don't have to tell me that there's Cowboys stores in Texas. Nashville. One of the biggest ones is called Justin's Boot Company. So well, you know, you're bringing everything back to the Justin Cowboy things. But up in Detroit didn't know that that was gonna be the way. But no, what my point being that Rodrigo having the number two selling jersey. One. I love it. I love it's such a great um tribute to Lions fans. You're a way into hard knocks and I hope you guys are listening to the show. That'd be a nice little connection. And two that you know the line stf a long way to go up. Rodrigo has the number two selling jersey. Well, he's very popular right now, and he's like the franchise as we hit on though, he has this like great genial like he's easy to root. They always say, it's like you have an open face like you you are someone who looks like a good person, endearing, charming like and he has this like lightness, this brightness about him. Yes, so um, you know someone that goes you know, we'll go nameless. That was watching the show with us today. It wasn't me, it was not you. You're a married woman, but was charmed by the man on a different level. And I said, listen, that's not about me. That's a professional environment. It's a professional environment. Okay, it doesn't unless it involves Mike McCarthy, z addie, I don't talk about that stuff. All right, Let's take a break and when we come back. We are going to hear the leaf Schreber quote in the week. Yes, uh, that's not from Leave Schreiber. We're going to do our episode m VP voting. We are going to get our final m v P results for who is the Hard Knocks m v P and then maybe a little surprise is at the end. We'll be right back. All right, welcome back. We are in the home stretch now the Hard Knocks Podcast, and what a ride it's been, Connie. One of our favorite aspects of the show has been the Leev Schreiber, the narrator of course of Hard Knocks Quote of the Week. And we don't have access to Leev Schreiber's vocals, he's busy. But what do we do have access to is Jason Zumwalt, new voice of the Around the NFL podcast. Uh. Long time close friend of mine, one time roommate in the Hollywood Hills. There's a lot of stories, man Zumwalt. Uh, but he has done great work all season. We thank j for it. Now we gave him. We're going out with a real challenge with the Schreiber quote in the week, because the one that we're giving him this week includes um Uh, I don't know how to put this automnopia atamnopeia, thank you that you do not typically here in the history of Hard Knocks from sh Eira. So again, Jason isn't hearing this and then doing an impersonation. He's just getting the text. So I told him to work shopping, feel the room, feel out the vibe. And here's what he came back with. Today, Eminem is going for. He's providing lunch for the lions. Today. Eminem is going for He's providing lunch for the lions. Today. Eminem is going for He's providing lunch for the lions. Then I said, I said, Jay, you know he said the first batch, And I said, Jay, I want you to really explore the space, and um, don't this is a trust tree. You just like let it all out, whatever is left, whatever, whatever autom epi autamanopee has left inside your body, release it. On this last episode, the finale of the Hard Knocks podcast, let's listen in. Today, Eminem is going for. God no, he's providing lunch for the lions. It's definitely not about food. Today. Eminem is going for. He's providing lunch for the lions today, eminem is going for he's providing lunch for the Lions. Oh my god, I hold on a second. The last two it was like a dragon. Okay, um, wow, he is an incredible voice talent. You know what's gonna happen next year? We're doing this podcast next year, and I hope we are. It's gonna be j that's on HBO's Hard Knocks, and we're gonna have Live Shriver or doing the voice here right at this rate, we know people are listening. Wow. I love that he really like he went in pretty hard on the but then like really just brought it right back light And I don't even want it. I don't think I can say it anymore. I think that we just killed it for me forever. So anyway, all right, let's get to it. Let's do it, Okay, anything else that we wanted to get in there before we get to the m v P voting for episode five. The only thing is I thought the Van Go room was really cool. I know you mentioned it with the AmAm ross At Brown and his family and his mom is German, so she was, yeah, let's listen to some German that's language. Is wild boy from Boston, Come on Translate the good, great job man. He thinks on his feet. He's an improv man. Um. Yes, German is um not necessarily one of the love languages. I would say it's a little bit more abrasive to a little Yeah, like any time I've been in a German airport, if I'm like flying through like the German, the German police always like frightened me. Yeah, okay, I guess all right. Now I want to get out Craig. Craig Reynolds, by the way, making the team. Is he in your Okay? Good? So I want to talk about Craig Reynolds. What a great story Reynolds. We we talked about it. His older brother in prison has never seen him play. He makes the team as the final running back, and I thought that was really cool, and I thought that, you know, he's a dude that you could tell that's not an act. With Dan Campbell, they're looking for a certain type of player because when they're doing the final evaluation and they're trying to decide between him and the other running back, and they're they're looking for a certain type of player. And I thought that was just interesting. So good for Craig Reynolds making the team. Um Chase Lucas the other one, rookie seventh rounder out of a s U. He famously, at least in our world here dropped an interception in the preseason opener, and I just got speaking of like hip hop giants. I kept on getting a vibe of like the young college dropout Kanye, where he's young, but he's sprashed in competent but also doubts himself a lot, keeps on going up to the coach and asking do you think you do? How do you think I'm doing? And then they they'll come up to the coach later in the day and says, hey, I think I'm gonna be great. Like that's very like he's trying very hard, and maybe he can say less and that would probably help him a little bit. But I did find it, like so endearing when they showed the shots of him sitting on the field reflecting after their scrimmage, and you could see him kind of taking it all in and really just like he was crying at one point just because he was so happy to be there. And that's when you can see just how how much this means. These opportunities mean. Two players like Chase Lucas. Very cool, very cool. All right, let's now get into our episode MVP voting. Uh do you want to get going this time? So third place? We've already talked about him. UM can an honorable mention first? Yeah, and again this is the vector voting system, so it's a weighted system, and the votes today for this episode could determine who is. And there's no first second in place for Hard Knocks MVP. It's just one. It's just the one. But I do want to give a shout out, great job always NFL Films with the music that they choose for this show, and they did an excellent job with some of the Motown classics, and you definitely got that vibe of the city through the music. And you and I were vibing out hard to someday we'll be together. Ross and the Supremes listening to in the studio before we start, it starts like that's If by Janet Jackson the sample, So we're music, We're into the music. Honorable mention NFL Films Music Department. Yeah, I mean really, they are the true m v p s and NFL Films is the m v P of all of this. UM but my third place vote goes to Khalil Pimpleton, and you know what, like it kind of tracks because so many of my votes are for people that are no longer with the or never have been with the Lions. Are you tabulating back there? Justin I hope he is so Pempleton just following him, uh, you know, he gets cut and then he goes to the Giants and he talks about he kind of showed a little bit more emotion and realness when he was doing his workout with the with the Giants, and you could tell like he he really really knew that that could be the end, and so it was like a little bit of a different side of him. I felt like I got pimp to the place vote. You know, he kind of won me over when we first met him, and he was just the juggler and he was and his his personality didn't quite connect with me right away. But the more we learned about him, especially the way he carried himself after he got cut, um really just you know, just a guy that was still upbeat despite this, you know, terrible setback in his career. And then by the time they show him at the Giants training camp, which I love that it takes us there as well, training camp and a private workout, and he drops the first couple of balls and it's like, come on, dude, we're rooting for you. So then when he turns it on and then gets the contract to be on the practice squad, you know him reaching out and calling his family and you see that, um uh, just nice. It was nice. It was happy for him, It really was. He clearly has a strong support group and that's what these bubble players really neat when he calls his family, calls his former coaches and you can hear yeah, and like you, it kind of backs up what you think about him. Like you, you think that you kind of have this guy figured out, like his character, and then when you see the people that are there for him in his low moments, then you kind of know that he is a good person. That's also, um something in Hard Knocks that wasn't really a part of the show ten years ago that now is a big part of the show. Face timing, Yeah, and you get to see not just you. You don't hear the mother, the loved one on the other end of the line. You actually see them, and it's just cool. It's like a nice little personal touch. It feels real because it is alright, second place, your second place, m v P episode five, second place, going to forty four starting linebacker. Now we got rodfre you go. I mean, I am. I will say I'm a little worried about him walking into the stadium with those genes and his squads, like he might not make it. I hope there's like a good amount of spandex in there. But he definitely won me over, and I feel like he is just such a fun, positive storyline and vibe in this whole season. He was deserving to get the leaves the facility and go somewhere fun and does to the Cowboys. Goes to the Cowboys Store, which is in Detroit, because there are a ton of cowboys there probably are, and there's a lot of rural areas in Michigan. I'm sure cowboys are rampant there. So we're just gonna back off. Let us know, don't how about this. We already took the l I'm sure there are a ton of cowboys in Michigan. Okay, Honestly, everyone's like, how do we? God? I really like him and I loved your comment about him having an open face and and uh, good dude, not my vote though, I want to get my second place vote to Aaron Glenn. Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator is going to be a head coach in our league. I am certain of it. In fact, last time I felt this way. It seems crazy now, but it was the Marvin Lewis Um Bengals and their coordinator was a man uh that later you know, didn't have such great luck Hugh Jackson with the Cleveland Browns, But I remember in that season being like, Wow, he connects with the players, the way he carries himself. It just seems I could do that that that's in his plans. And maybe in Hugh Jackson's case, maybe he had already been with the Raiders. I can't. I can't remember for sure. But here we are now, and I think Glenn is one big step up from this defense away from getting interviews in January, and I thought it was interesting when he's the d C right and that moment when Dan Campbell is trying to figure out what to do with the last running back spot, he confers we Glenn and they talk and it's a collaborative effort between the two, and Glenn says that I'm a Reynolds fan, Craig Reynolds. Craig Reynolds makes the team. So it's like kind of like a JFK and RFK talking at the Oval office type. And Glenn, I think, just the way he's carried himself, he just seems like a guy that you want as the leader of men and a great coach. I thought it was really fascinating to watch the coaches try and figure out how they were going to cut down their own personal lists to kind of present to Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, because we've got a couple we got a couple of little glimpses of that of the coaches alone without like the big guns in there, and the guys telling Deuce like, come on, you're in front of Dan and Brad, what are you gonna do? Like So that that I thought was interesting. But Aaron Glenn, just in general, you can tell that he's not trying too hard. He's not putting on any type of act like that is just exactly who he is and his players love him. And you know, the NFL does not have a great record with hiring black head coaches. Aaron Glenn is a guy that absolutely feels like he should be taken seriously when those interview processes begin. But they first have to deliver that season that we hope they're going to have, which is improvement and the defense getting better. Uh, And then I think Glenn definitely deserves consideration for the big chair your first place vote. And now now it's getting down to the nitty gritty. This carries a lot of weight. It does, And that's why I actually switched my my votes around a little bit right before this, because this is the final one and it could really just like over the edge, just like when it says, all right, who's who from your position group is getting cut? You can't do this willy nilly. There are people's lives on the line right now. Who is the most valuable person in this entire series? Who could this series? Who would sink this series if they weren't on it? Jared Goff, I thought you said who sinks the series on it? Well, yeah, that could work too. This series does not work nearly as well. I know where you're going with this. Go ahead without this one man. I like it his man, his name not his Man. Third podcast together Today, My God, oh you were. You were building up so well, it's not too late. I was ahead. Okay, here we go, and this man, this all stays in the show. His name is Dan name, and let me tell you why, because he really, really, really he got me with the final line of the episode. And I'm scribbling right now because I had Colleen wolf his first place. Yeah, you gotta take that out now, the last line in the entire episode. This is one of my favorite Hard Knocks moments ever. And before we play it, I want everyone to know I asked just into leave everything in because just the emotion on this man's face. And I know this is an audio medium, but you need to understand. He gets asked the pretty simple what you expect a documentary filmmaker to ask at the end of a training camp, and instead of just saying the first thing comes to his mind, you could see the world, like the universe flashed before his face and he gets emotional. Let's listen and the last one Detroit Lions will um and they do a great job here. They get tight on his face and you could see he's searching for the world. Oh deep size. This man cares and he looks like he's getting choked up while he's sitting there because I think he's thinking of the options and maybe he doesn't like any of them. It's all overwhelming, but he still hasn't answered. But yet, this is all how it happened. Danny, you're there. I think he's breathing. Still. Oh that's good, but still nothing. This is where I would kick his chair, like, hey, um, we gotta get out of here. We have a heart out with that. Okay, all right, so now, okay, there's more Detroit lines. Will be the team that can? And will the team that can? And you could say, after getting a sixty second window to think of what to say, that you may say that's underwhelming, But no, that's real because he believes it. And that's why he's also my first place vote for this episode. Yes, and I think that might take some of the drama out, because god, what would we be doing wrong? But let's see where the vector voting comes down? Third, second, first place? Where did we come down? It is time to announce the hard Knocks m v P for justin you've done the tabulations, it is time. There was also a medieval jousting in Detroit. It's still going on. That's really true, alright. In third place with thirty points in the vector voting, Deuce Staley what deserves it. I mean, he backed it up. He was so good and so many of these episodes. I'm very happy he placed. He's on the metal stand because another guy. If I'm gonna throw roses a the feet of Aaron Glenn do Staley also opened some eyes, I hope in the league because he's another guy that has passion, He's fun to be around, and he knows how to coach ball and connect with people. So second place with thirty seven points, Rodrigo look at him and again, you know, I think Rodrigo absolutely the cornerstone of this show, this very special series Hard Knocks going back to two thousand one, is the stories of these underdogs, and Rodrigo is absolutely one of them. And we've learned so much about him and his family and his journey and how great he played. Uh yeah, So the trips to the Cowboys Store, I feel like was in a way earned. And I'm not saying it's as high in honor as being second place in the hard MPP voting, but it's a pretty nice one too. Yeah. I think that he endeared himself to not only his teammates, but too clearly all of the fans who won his jersey. And I just remember that episode. Where was it Kelvin Shepherd, who's the linebackers coach? I think so who was kind of laying into all of the other linebackers and being like, this guy is beating you. Who even is this guy? And it was like, oh my god, lay all Frederigo. He's he's a he's an urban cowboy, and he's the starting linebacker for the Detroit Lions and he is our second place m v P. That is awesome, alright, So that leaves us with just one more name. Well, I think we did it. I think we did it. Is now time, ladies and gentlemen. The two thousand Hard Knocks m v P and a runaway landslide is Dan Campbell with three points. It was actually mathematically impossible for Dan Campbell to not win going into this. Absolutely that again, we nailed this. And I think it's a credit to the vector voting system that this all played out. I think the way it should have played out. I'm happy with it. Obviously, Campbell was the star, is one of the great stars in the history of this show well earned. And I think even though this is the first year of the vector voting system, ninety three points is gonna be it's gonna be like Wilt. I think it's gonna be very difficult for anyone to be that biggest star um the way he was in this show. I don't know how anyone could even touch that. You can't, no one will even come close. Dan Campbell is a character. He is like just a fountain of youth in terms of quotes. They just like keep coming and I love it. I love all of it. I'm buying everything that Dan Campbell is selling. And a special thank you to Graver who tracked this and probably did the math right. We're not gonna double check. I just zoom. You nailed it. So thanks. Appreciate your help, not just uh, not just today, but the entire run of the Hard Knocks podcast, because I think we're coming to the end though. I think any final thoughts you want to share, you know, I would like a grit hat um because we got the Hard Knocks shirts and those are lovely shirts, thank you, But I think there was one other thing. Sure, we got the merch, we got the tabulations, but there was one more thing. I can't was it? It was something? It wasn't a car, was it? Wait a second, Sean Kelly, our producer, walking Yeah, pizza. Oh my god, look at that beautiful. Get a shot of that pizza and we got we got the There you go, you got that. We look at this looks delightful, believable. I've never had Detroit style pizza. What I'm a pizza snob, I I don't know. But it looks good. It's not like deep it's not quite deep dish, but it looks like it's got some sauce um on top of the cheese, which is different. It's got it. It's got. It's a little thicker, but it's not casserole Chicago deep dis style. Alright, so we're gonna enjoy Colleen myself, Sean Kelly, Justin Graver, our producer. Thank you again to everyone for following along with this um show and this podcast. And remember if you like Colleen and I doing podcast together, there's more. There's more. The Power Rankings podcast is going all season. Uh wherever you get your podcasts, please subscribe, star leave comments. Shout out to Buddy's Pizza in Detroit. Detroit is shipped from Detroit. What, oh my god, heat it up in the cafe here upstairs. John Kelly's about to drop it on the floor. All right again, We're going to now eat Detroit style pizza. Thank you to the Droit by an m v P. Dan Campbell for a memorable season. Can't wait for next summer and another season of the greatest sports documentary that has ever existed. Until then, we love the NFL films. It doesn't matter if you have one butt, cheek and three toes. We're with you. We'll take you later. Give me this all the pizza.