Post Super Bowl Notebook Dump

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Speaker 1: Be around the NFL podcast He's Afraid of Sharks from the Chris wesley Podcast studio. It's around the NFL. I'm Dan Hands in the studio, filled with some heroes, Greg Rostal, Mark Sessler. Took a week off, Marky, we recharged the batteries. Now we're back. How you feel. I don't feel recharged in the classic sense, but um I I do appreciate what happened over the past week in many ways. WHOA I mean, tell us more? What did happen? A lot of it is not for air, but I mean it. I found it. I needed to kick off my off season in a way that it felt appropriate for me, and I feel like it's I can feel a different vibe already. Mark is leaning back, which I don't think he's done since ever. He's usually a little annoyed to the chair wide eyed. One thing, we're in the Chris Wesleyan podcast studio. We've got a large bay window here that overlooks the hallway, and in weeks previous or even earlier months, people would stop and watch what we do here because there's an element of fascination. Nobody cares now they're just walking right by. This is just that's fine. You want the attention, Yes, I do. Hey, listen, if you're talking to a microphone for a living, guess what you like attention. That's just the way it works. By the way, I have a guess. Aaron Rodgers was on his uh Pancha Karma twelve day cleanse? Did you do an intense cleanse? No? I did not do that particular one. I had just learned about that. Am I on the right track. It was not a cleanse in the way that UM health experts would suggest. Let's put it that way. Is it a conversation that you would have a Justin Graver about something I don't like? What is? No? I mean? I just like, it's just simply not fair. Greg, you are wearing a member's only jacket right now. We're on NFL Network today. Uh. And there were some jokes. Jason Kleman, one of our fine producers, pointed out that you look like the guy that killed Tony Soprano in the last episode of The Sopranos, and that's maybe killed him, maybe didn't. It's the nicest thing picturing like, don't stop believing playing and Eric is trying to parallel park and keeps failing at it, but a lot of people are giving you positive feedback as well. It's it's been quite a topic. Yeah, I'm going more like Corey freenberg Um in Goonies, you know, Corey Feldman, Yeah, not freberg Um. That who the story friend was an attempt to connect the dots there. I appreciate that that that was someone from my college life that I have a lot of stories in and I don't want to talk to him on it. I um, yeah, you know, g already came came at me hard. But you know, it just led to me having a great connection with a lot of my co workers. I haven't said in a long time. That's important. Beautiful and uh I was up in Big Bear this weekend really good. First, you know, first we went to Disneyland. I took the Locks Trophy there and you know, did the whole thing and all the media rounds. Then I went up to Big Bear Village and they threw me a parade. Wait what is that? Wait a second is it? Oh my gol, Oh it's Connie Fox's music. Oh, it's Connie Fox's music. Oh that's a professor right there. She knew her. The cameras where she knew her the marks well. Also, I worked out yesterday and I'm having trouble walking today that that was that was a stretch. I turn that up on I love the song. He got pretty contentious. I remember when we were choosing that song. I remember West did not want that song. There was there was a battle, There was a couple, there was a couple of options with this different size, and a couple of the other songs I thought showed maybe the more delightfully awkward versions like that when you get into those corners. One of the songs that I think I live in that corner, Mark didn't West like more like Calypso version. There was another great version, and ultimately he had to come around to the idea that I don't it's Colleen's song and that that vote should count a little extra. Greg. For the record, I think your jacket is very thankabul thank you listen. I haven't made a statement on it one way or the other. I'm just reporting as a journal It's a thing. It's a thing out there. It's part of the discourse both on the network end behind the scenes. I felt defensive. I don't think so. Did that seem defensive? I don't think so, Dan. I think you're being u as you mentioned before, like you're a showman and you have to have that kind of sense. I'm wearing a polo shirt from Target and a free NFL swag with a stain on it um from an event we did on the Friday before the Super I think you're fashionable, You're you're a host, You're You're like Aaron Rodgers. You just like to put things out there and see the people react. All right, Speaking of Aaron Rodgers, he's in the news as he always is a lot in the news. Is our first show, Connie since Super Bowl fifty six? Is your phone? Well, thank you, thank you? Penn. I never use it and never was a blue pen never, okay, God you and John. But John doesn't do a blue pen either. That's so weird to me, John, John, See Ricky. They threw her a surprise. An American sports writer was married NFL meda broadcaster College woolf John, who was a Pisces, resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two dogs. Do you have no blue pens in your house? No? I throw them out. Is this like a clown? You're you're like writing utensilo clown scenario, like you're not in Yeah, I don't like clowns either. But through jet, Erica's girlfriend through a surprise like weekend wine trip thing, and she got back over twenty four hours ago and she came into the studio. It sounded like she was on something like we're worried about her? Why are you whispering? I can still hear you the headphones on? How are you? How is your great? I'm wonderful. I had the best weekend of my entire life. Wow. Yeah, really did really did the pro step up? That was not the version of Erica we heard or even that last night we taped an episode of The Jesse, Nick and Rosenthal Vanity Project. I was like, this is the second straight podcast I've done where she's hungover, which is a record. Yeah, We're I'm not hungover anymore. I'm just like ill, you know what I mean. Just you'll be OK. Yeah. Anyway, So this is our first show since the Super Bowl. It's also today is kind of officially, unofficially the start of the off season, and I'll get to that in just a minute. But since Connie, you know you are a you're a journalist in a way, right. I always have a hard time whenever I'm like at a new doctor or something like that, it's what's your occupation, And I'm always like, um, I guess a broadcaster A host? I don't really know broadcaster. I think does it for like a for another audience? They understand that. And sports broad host is even like weird because it could be a rest. Even before you made it big, you were doing broadcasting from golf courses. That's sports. Um. But anyway, um, now that the offseason is kicking off in earnest and we haven't done a show in nine days, which is close to a record for us, we figured this would be a good time to do a notebook up. Now that's that's industry jargon. Uh, journals that cover team speeds. Right, I'm not man splanning. I'm more talking about audience and addressing you directly. It's just gets man splanning to the audience. But that's when they have all this information and sometimes it's time up, time for this column to be just here's my notebook dump. This is everything I got right under the guys that like, we're still walking around with notebooks if we're reporters, which is true of like two percent of reporters. Maybe we have the game a little bit. I'm not referring to I'm not referring to my tactics. Just in general. There aren't a lot of scribes roaming around with notebooks at this point. Maybe we should talk about your process after the pile. All right, Well that's fair. I mean there's a reason that the Simon Slim and Narrow will be in. We'll be into in Indianapolis next week for the combine where you get a real close up look at the journals in action, and it's like being at the zoo. We'll see how many have the notepads at with the pen I still think it's prevalent. I'm going, oh, I think that I would over under of that for show Interesting Minds for show. I don't even have paper to write on, but it's just like a pacifier. So Greg, this will be the note book dump episode of the Around the NFL podcast. Bridges will go around and around. Um. I would say, this is so much to to unpack here. Um, there's so much to break down that Ricky, why just put sixty minutes on the clock and maybe we won't need it. Maybe we'll need some of it. Greg's gotta he's gonna meet his plumber, which I found again. Greg, it's happening almost every week now, fairly masculine guys guy stuff. Check in with the plumber over here. It would be guys guy stuff if I was doing the fixing. I'm just meeting the person like that. My you know, like I'm picturing you or are you're wearing right now? No, I'm gonna do that, like the shameful thing of like should I hover near them? Should I sit on the couch one room away? Which the water offer comes right off the bat. Yeah, it's if anything, it's it's very unmascular. Here's what I picture. You gotta change and again I've not made a statement on the South. And it's fine to me. Um white T shirt with the V neck, okay, vicious V. Then you turn up the sleeves, put a pack of cigarettes in the sleeve. Blue jeans like like nineteen fifty eight James Dean jeans. Maybe coff them at the box and maybe you just go McAfee style with with the with a tank top and that way. I'm showing off both my tats. But Greg also like the ensemble that I think you nailed. Dan. You need to just go out and be like you're busy out in the backyard, like smashed two bricks together out of out of sight line. Another man out there to eat some and then you have to when you see the plum come to him with confident it's coming hard, with a handshake and say hey, let's talk pipes and that will that will break down the wall between you. I've been impressed by you since you've been a homeowner. You've done, You've done some masculine pool It helps a lot, Yeah, it helps roof work. I also grew up in a coal town, so you know, working hard still recently, honest days living U that wasn't easy. Here we go. You know my mom doesn't like the cold bit, Yeah, because it's such a nice now I made that are so beautiful. She's thinking, why is my child now as an adult reframing his childhood and classic classic suburbia town, I don't like. I did grow up in a nice town, but you had to roll up your sleeves in that town. It's got hot sometimes. Want to dog? How about that little yellow bird down the canary down in the coal there's your there's your pet. Hopefully it stays alive and you stay alive. Well, that's what's annoying your mom. I think that does the subtext. And we now have twenty eight minutes left of this power timers. All right, let's get going because Breig really does need to talk to the plumber. It's on Emica's radar. She wants him there. Well, she's just not gonna be there. Someone's got to be there. That's that's the thing. Yeah, you don't want to strangers roaming the house going through the pipes. Put sixty minutes on the clock. We're gonna go around the NFL in earnest. Let's go, Ricky, all right, let me get things going. And I want to I want to frame it, uh because I wanna make sure we hit all all sorts of things. You can hit anything you want, by the way, including uh, anything from the Super Bowl. We haven't talked since that game, if you care to revisit that game in any capacity. But I will start like I said, this is the first real day of the off season because the NFL, and not in a post COVID world, but a world where in the NFL things are kind of coming back uh to normal. So the franchise UH free agency begins with legal negotiating period on March fourteenth, but teams have a two week window beginning today Tuesday ending March eighth, to designate the franchise or a transition tag on a player from their roster. And here a couple of things UH interesting here as I dumped the notebook, the salary cap was at one two point five million in one because of everything with COVID and there being no fans at the games in twenty there was just a freeze on everything. Now it's expected to jump to two eight million in twenty two thousand, twenty two. This is coming from our good, great reporter, true journal, Judy Batista. UM two eight million in two, improvement of nearly twenty six million per team. There will be spending. I want to set it up this way, Greggy, because you next week will roll out your free agency one O one. That's right. People are counting on it, people are looking forward to it. And last year there weren't a lot of players that got tagged. Just nine players received the franchise tag last year. UM. Who is most likely to not get tagged or tag take out wherever you want. But I'm trying to think when you do your free one on one, who actually makes it to free agency that's a big name, Like I'll throw out a couple like Davante Adams. Uh, he'll be tagged. You know, I'm gonna go down Jesse's I'm gonna go down Judy's list here and you tell me Jesse Bates Bengals free safety, was tag but yeah, will be tagged if he has to be. Harold Landry, j C. Jackson, Tagg, Mike Williams tag, Orlando Brown tag Carlton Davis Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarters, Chris go there too. So you get a Dalton Schultz tight end Cowboys, Marcus Williams safety Saints, Mike Jessecki tight end Dolphins. Those are some bigger names that can be tagged. Anything jump out to you with those names or any others. Yeah, that the majority of them will be attually, now that I think of its, sults kind of makes sense because the tight end number wouldn't be that high. Marcus Williams, for instance, not a big name, but was tagged a year ago. That's why that first list that I end up putting out everyone gets all excited. I've seen a lot of Mike Williams articles, by the way, and it's like, why would the Chargers not just tag them? They've got a ton of cap number this year, and they specifically have a ton of cap space and then you can work out the deal later. Some guys I think that God, when I think will be tag some guys that are great, it'll be near the top of list that. I don't think he'll be tag. Toron Armstead of the Saints. You know multiple time All Pro player Von Miller and O b j. They both can't be tagged. I don't know if either one will be. With the way the Rams are set up. Chandler Jones, I don't think will be. So there will be some good names, but I wouldn't get all excited. Allen Robinson, I think your Jets might be in on him. Those are some good out he's he's I think the Jesse Bates thing is interesting with the Bengals, just because if they a tag Jesse Bates, then what's going to happen with c j Uzama? Because I think that he's a huge part of that offense and to have him with Joe Burrow there that's huge for Burrows. So they're they're kind of in a little bit of a bind there because obviously they're going to have to address a ton of resources to the offensive line and they don't have a high draft pick, so they're going to have to do that in free agency too. I misspoke. He was not tagged the year ago. That was that was a mistake, and we want to get everything right here. So he's an even bigger no brainer. No uh, No one made more money I feel like long term in the playoffs than Jesse Bates and von Miller because von Miller three months ago people were thinking we're on the downside, and he just looked like it was and he's going to free agency's he's gonna he made himself a lot of money. And Jesse Bates had a monster playoffs, so an he thought that they're not going to give him a great contract after kind of a down year. He had the worst down season I think regular season of his career. That that's generally the thought that he he was struggling. Maybe the contract was on his mind, who knows, but the way he's going to depaid. All right, let's move on Connie Well pivots to you anywhere you want to go, anywhere you want. There's nothing cryptic about gratitude. We have to start stare, I have to start as l there. I thought so too. I have so many questions about this, And I know you guys talked about the p K detox or whatever it is. Are you dialed in on what he did? On what this karma it involves. From what my quick reading of it, which was not quite pleasant, I would say lubricating your body from both ends and completely hollowing yourself out pretty much twelve days. I think it is a lot of vomiting, a lot of laxatives. Some animals I think are in many many animals don't even like saying that word. So I don't even know. It's it's a lot with friends like these, you know what I'm saying. Um, okay, so there. I had a lot of questions before he went on, Pat McAfee. Uh, And I'm not sure that you said Aaron Rodgers name Aaron Rodgers, right? Did I not say it? I don't know if you did. Oh. I just thought that everyone would know and I said nothing about gratitude. So let's rewind a little bit back and after the Super Bowl we heard the Rogers and Shaley Woodley broke up, and that obviously after NFL Honors when he won m v P, he said that he was going to take some time before he made a decision on his future because of Davante Adams being a free agent, all of that situation with the whole team. But then he puts this whole post on Instagram, and that's why we were talking about the Pancha Karma thing. What is it therapy detox? I don't know. That's why we're talking about Pancho Karma because he said that he was feeling very um, just renewed and refreshed and just could see very clearly. And so he posted about gratitude and this big long thing thanking Shaley Woodley and his teams and his family and blah blah blah, blah blah blah. Then he went on Pat McAfee and he said that he still loves the game. It's given me a lot I can still play. He also said that he had some meetings that have been different than they were in the past in a positive way with Matt Lafleur and the higher ups as well. So there he didn't make any type of announcement. He didn't give any more clarity to his situation. But it sounds like maybe he's back with Shaleene Woodley. I don't know. It definitely did sound like that. That seems to be one of the more tangible news items where it's put back into a place where we can we can undo the previous announcement. Thank god. Okay, I'm just saying I'm with her on that. On that bright a reporter, by the way, he said that they could hear someone who sounded exactly like people thought it was the view during the television I could not care less about that whole situation, But go ahead, that's fair. I'm not that's the journal and you might not find that topic um relevant. I mean, I think number one him people were making the huge deal out of on that post the photo of Randall Cobb and Davante Adams with the space in between where he wasn't there, And I think the initial response was, is he like removing himself like a ghost from the packer's sideline. It's no, they he was. They actually did that when he missed the COVID game to say you would always be standing here so I do like the one thing is, I don't know if there are too many people that have been more annoyed with Aaron Rodgers over the past calendar year than myself. But this was like watching the whole Pat McAfee thing. I kind of take him at his word on most of what he was saying, because I do think it was not football like cryptology there. I think he was genuinely in this place where he had done this like physical cleanse and he was in a different state of mind. And the Davante Adams thing, he went out of his way to talk about how it was so important. That's the huge obvious like if they tag him, I think and they also he went on about Tom Clements, his old the coach who's coming back, who he's been aligned within the past, that if those two things happened, the overall vibe between him and the Packers leadership has been really positive. I mean he even talked about I think Delane or making them wait if I have this right, because he went out to dinner with like a flock of Buddhists and said that like it's things are so good that like he was, he was able to have the conversation when he came back with coach GM and everyone else he was talking about last offseason. Yeah, well that part through was like they were pounding beers in the in the driveway when he got back La Fleur and in another coach we're drinking I p a s in the in Rogers's driveway, waiting for him to get back from the Buddhist dinner. This this current conversation, those sounds positive. I just don't know why you'd go. I know you've got Nathaniel Hacket in Denver, but like, what what is better than greenback for one more year? What happened Greg to the report last month? I won't draw this out. I won't leave the Packers hanging. He said that today too. He can we all right? Can we do it? Then? Because I can't. I can't. I can't do this. He's probably coming back, right, I don't know, Yeah, spoiler alert, he's coming. Yeah. But we just and he I take what I believe that he was feeling gratitude and he sent it out. But he also is on the record saying he likes to throw things out there and see if they're getting reaction. So he also knows a that he's gonna be on McAfee the next day. He had already set that up when he sent it out, so it's all calculated like for maximum impact. And and he also knows that it's gonna lead the a block of ESPN and and NFL Network and and that's fine that he just it's okay that it's vague. He's having a little fun. But the spoiler alert, he's gonna be on the Packers. He he doesn't have much leverage anyways. He wants to be on the Packers. I think it is pretty clear. He wants to keep playing football is pretty clear. And maybe the leverage in terms of his contract and they're gonna have to figure out a new contract that he does have. Is not saying anything definitively at this moment, even if everyone kind of knows where it's going. He's keeping that card in his pocket because they're about to figure out his money for the next two to three years. He's definitely getting a contract extension if he's staying because they have to lower his cap it and that will help keep Davante Adams. And it's all connected. The p K Cleanse recently completed step one three days of g therapy, consume g a butter until you evacuate at both ends. Two one day of therapeutic vomiting, Oh my god. Three one day give me some like harps or something under this ky one day of laxative therapy, and four three days of herb drops in the nodes. It sounds like a very dehydrating explanation. Also, there's like a mental component number five many days of enemas man he number six yoga and meditation throughout. So this is what Mark did for the last of all days. And he looks like he he was doing this during NFL Honors, by the way, he talked about the fact that when he was up there he was talking to Taylor Basatti and others that he was in the middle of his well. I mean, I think that it was paused on that part. I would have watched it. I'm just like, how like his room mus stink uh. I don't think you're the target audience for is it a weird He breaks up with shy In Woodley during the evacuation of both ends for twelve straight days. There's an action potential, you know. It is interesting though, because you talk about how everything with him is calculated, and he's very intentful with the way that he posts things, and he knows that he's going on McAfee. It's like it's like Russell Wilson tries to do that stuff and Aaron Rodgers actually don't. He's good at it. Yeah, he's good at it. But since we probably are going to return to the Packers, I am really interested just in like what's going to happen these next three weeks. It's pretty complicated. They are fifty three million dollars over the cap, and you can figure it out with three structures. But that's kind of why they have to sign Rogers long term and I Adams that will lower that number mvs. Valda Scantling is a free agent, Rasul Douglas is a free agent. Devandre Campbell is a free agent. I think they make cut guys like Zadarius Smith, Preston Smith, and Mason Crosby. Like good Unst is going to be earning his money. He does have a lot to handle in the next month. And since you mentioned calculating, before we move on Bob McGinn, we all love Bob McGinn, a longtime Packers writer, Um wrote this week that Aaron Rodgers has for years played a careful, calculating game. This is on the field, understanding that the number of interceptions plays as disproportionate nonsensical role in the passer rating formula. Bad interceptions are well bad than there are interceptions that are cost of doing business for unselfish competitive stats immune quarterbacks battling to make plays and lead comebacks until the bitter end. When a quarterback, especially one with a powerful, usually accurate arm like Rogers, deliberately minimize his chances to deliver a big play for fear of an interception, that's pretty that's withering criticism right there from Bob McGinn. Uh. Also, that is the back to back reigning m v P. So well, Bob McGinn has a notebook and it's on fire. So he's a little different than the people I was critiqued. I think he's I think he's getting some of that idea though from people that Rogers plays with two not that I think it's an unfair criticism essentially, but I think it was a huge factor in the playoff game, and I think that's where that's kind he was. He was very careful to not take chances in that playoffs. All right up, all right, um, okay, let's let's stay with the quarterbacks. James Palmer had to report our guy, James Palmer, we all love him. I like it when he's breaking the news, and he broke the news last week while we were all in our bunkers that the Buccaneers have done a significant amount of homework into acquiring Russell Wilson, which is the type of offseason little nugget drop that I just love because there is something delicious here about Tampa who does not feel like they should be taking a step back, and you know, looking what they have with Kyle Trask, which has been a little bit of a story story as you draft pick they took last year, give up everything for Russell Wilson, and that makes the Buck season in NFL season a lot more exciting. So I just hope there's some real fire there to that smoke. They also, I mean, he was Ian and Tom Pellicero on Super Bowl Sunday talked about Russell Wilson but also Deshaun Watson that they're doing a ton of work on him as well. So I'm with you. They seem like hell bent on number one. If you're bringing Bruce arians back. You're not wheeling out like an unknown rookie or second year player or someone else. I think it's like they want, they feel like they still have they have cap issues. They're gonna have to look at a couple of contracts too, but they still are in that super Bowl window, and so it's like you simply take Russell or Tom Brady and replace them with Russell Wilson. I think the problem is is that during super Bowl Week, Russell Wilson, for his discontent a year ago, does not seem to be in that place personally. And like he said that his relationship and you have to buy this, it's probably nonsense, but that his relationship with with Pete Carroll's as good as it's ever been. And I think the Seahawks have zero interest in parting with Russell Wilson unless it was you know, we're gonna do this and completely restart the organization. They don't just have that. They don't have vibe to me right now. But maybe the Bucks are that team that just give up like three first round draft picks and some I don't have players too that the Seahawks could use, like a pass rusher. They have like a deep roster and a lot of different spots. They could give up one of their zillion tight ends as well. I think what Seattle actually wants to do is an X factor of the whole offseason, because I don't think Russell Wilson's public comments mean anything. I put a lot more into Ian Rappidport and other insiders report that behind the scenes they want to investigate what's out there this offseason and that would be fun. And they want Aaron Rodgers too. And since we're on the subject of the Bucks and Bruce Arians, I'll dump out of the notebook the story from former nfl A lineman Rich Ornberger, who has a deep connection with Tom Brady and others, and UH put it out there on Twitter that Burger there was heat between between Arians and Tom Brady d that perhaps fueled Brady's exit from that picture. UH and some of the UH and this is from Orneberger, Um, some of the heat came from Arians maybe not working all that hard and taking a red pen to the game plan that Brady would cook up with offensive coordinator Byron left Witch, and there were the two men felt undermined. There was tension, and then Arians came out and said the report was quote such a bolt it pisces me off and noted that left which could corroborate this too, and then p F T H called out online a Q. Shipley, who is you know, a former player and a Buck staff member, as the source of this without knowing it, I mean, without knowing it was or not. They basically said, if you connect the dots, it was probably a Q. Shipley, who is you know, close to Arians and all this other business that came out with us, but you know, simply could have been on Shipley is close to Arians, he's on the Bucks staff, and so it's like they they p f T did not say this is the source. They were trying to publicly figure out where who might have spoken this. Well, my guy Ornburger, what a great offensive line name that is, backed it up and said he's he's um, he stands behind it, per multiple impregnable. That's not the only thing that he had to back up this week too, because he's the one who came out with the report that Patrick Mahomes supposedly banned his wife or his fiance, Brittany Matthews and games but then not be true. So Ornberger kind of was setting up as a huge week for the Ornberger brand with this report on Brady, who's, by the way coming back. And I don't want to hear anything else from anyone about this when it happens, because I called it even before he retired. This man is not retiring from football. Maybe he's not playing this year, but he'll be on some one's team next year. Absolutely, has anybody disagree at this clip, I certainly am wavering, but I don't. I definitely don't have if and when he does, the fact that he decided to get out of Dodge after tweears of Tampa, you can start to connect some dots. I'm not saying rain Burger is correct, but impregnable? Is that what he said? I mean, that's pretty good to give. That is the adjective of your source. Yeah, I mean the Niners have been floated around as as a target or landing spot for Brady as well because it's his hometown, childhood team. I mean, we'll see, all right, let's take a break and we'll get to Mr Sessler's notebook next. Welcome back. Mark You're your notebook item is so important that it gets some corporal branding time for news and notes presented for by up work, where you can build a team that will build your business. Learn more at upwork dot com. To Mark celer, I mean when you're going forth, you're already operating. It's like the d block of the segments. So I I had my notebook resembled yours in many ways. You want you want some about this? Yeah, snakes to you. You get to do two in a row. So how do you feel like good about that? Well, now we're operating on equitable terrorist. Aaron Rodgers is on Pat mcavie show. Do they put him right off the top of the show or they wait an hour to build the audience. I don't think that's how this is this. I don't think the dynamic is the same here that the audience is waiting for me to go. I don't think that's the whole point. That thirty second button, where's Mark? Where rosenthought? Alright, it's zero evidence of that. Like you're on the PK cleanse Mark, I'll give you something that I find totally disingenuous. Unless this organization has decided to totally veer off a cliff. Uh. The is so cleansed right now, and I love no I'm so annoyed by this because who's buying this this wind coming from Kevin Colbert Steelers saying that, look at we are perfectly comfortable with the idea of Mason Rudolph at today, at the season started today in quotes shooting the head, uh that Mason Rudolph, who has been five four and one as a starter, would be we'd be comfortable with our is our week one guy that we're not necessarily going to sell the house for other explosive options. And it is the athletics Mark Coboli, who also has kind of been pounding this drum over and over saying that the Steelers do not intend to be one of these players, for Russell Wilson, for Deshaun Watson fill in the blank. So I don't I think number one, it could be that they're not going after one of those dudes, but the idea and he's you know, they said, well, we're gonna add quarterbacks, but not like guys that are real competition, Like you cannot tell me that Mike Tomlin, who has been talking for months now about the need for a mobile quarterback, a multiple tool quarterback, is gonna sit back and say we're gonna spend a season after we just dealt with a zombie Ben Roethlisberger a year ago and hang around with Mason Rudolph and see how that gets us in a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. We've been doing this, man factured, Joe, thank you. We've been doing this for a long time, right Mark. I think if you want to kind of peel back a layer here is a kind of a kiss of death for a front office figure at this time of the year to say, like we feel comfortable with so and so, that almost always means that guy's cook. I just don't buy it at bubbling up. So it's like Kevin Colbert said, no plans to sell out to get Ben Roethlisberger's replacement. But at the same time, if you're falling the Senior Bowl and this pre draft process, which is already cooking, the Steelers are heavily involved right now and scouting the quarterback backs out there. So maybe they're not gonna go and try to trade their the farm to get some player out there, like a Deshaun Watson or whoever you want to throw in there, but they're probably gonna draft somebody, right Yeah, well, I mean they at this point they kind of have to like saying Rudolph. At this point, um would be the number one quarterback. The only option really is like what else? That's it? Like, don't have any other options? And Rudolf, I guess has the most experience there because it's like he's the only guy there right now. Right Like Washington could say that Taylor Heinach is their quarterback today, the Saints could say Taysom Hill is the only thing that told me was like they had a press conference, you know, and they had to answer the question, and I think it gets to their internal thinking that they probably will bring in Adalton or a Brissette or a cam or a Teddy if he gets cheap enough, Like what about Jimmy g Right, there's a million of these guys. Actually, when I was doing the free agent list, man, there's a lot of backup quarterbacks available, Tyrod Trabisky, you want to throw Mariota in there, There's there's a lot that are available, like of that one B level, and those guys are all probably a little bit better than Mason Rudolph. So they're kind of in this spot where it's like we're not gonna go big fish hunt team. Maybe we'll look for a rookie. If we get stuck with taking like a one B option that winds up beating out Rudolph, then fine, we're not gonna spend crazy this. First of all, get Dayne Haskins out of my building. Bye. They already they're picking up in is. You know, well, this is what I Then I would sign your boy Teddy Bridgewater, who's a free agent. And I would imagine if I'm saying, at this point, despite your longtime love, it's starting, he's starting to He's a rich man's gino Smith that I think at some point his price tag is gonna have to come down for If you want a guy throws eighteen touchdowns and seven interceptions in fourteen games, yeah he's your guy. But I'm saying, if you bring in a nice veteran option like Teddy as a bridge guy and then draft somebody in the first round, then I now we're talking. Okay, that's what I think. I just think based on the way they're talking, they might see Mason Rudolph as in a similar tier of Teddy Bridgewater and Teddy Bridgewater. If I had to get I hope they will still be making more than ten million dollars a year next year. The one issue if he's gonna make twenty anymore, but I think he will be near the top of this pile of the free agents, which kind of make an in between amount of money. Pittsburgh also sits at number twenty in the draft, and so if if they not, we're not going to swing for the fences, means you're going to trade up. Guys like Kenny Pickett, who went to pitt who would be a nice story for the Steelers won't be there. You've got the Panthers at number six, the Texans who have to find a new quarterback unless they're married to Davis Mills at number three. So I don't arter sit there. They'll sit there. They sat and waited for Roethlisberger, which was risky at the time. I remember that was a big conversation and they were rewarded there weren't. There aren't six quarterbacks in this draft. I could. I could definitely see them trading up from twenty to ten or so. I could totally. That's what I'm just saying. I think that they the whole like, we're sitting back and we're chill with Mason Rudolph, Like, like, go ahead and do what the Ravens, Bengals and Browns want you to do and see how that works out. Maybe dock Hodges is the future Ducks. I forgot about him. Remember Mason Rudolf, I mean, if nothing else, he averaged more quarters per start than any quarterback in the league last year. One start, five quarters of action. Pretty good, nice, nice looking sixteen sixteen tie against the Lions. What a time? That was? Like my least favorite game pass experience of the year. That was News and Notes presented by upwork, the world's work marketplace. Learn more at up work dot com. Mark now you're free from the corporate shackles for your next item. Get it all right? I like this one. Um, you know we're getting deeper into the notebook here. Some of these you know they're not all dumping baby, but this is notebook on notebook. Um. I like this because it's like, you know that this is the kind of thing where m rhoda world. What's it now called ESPN to recognize the new name, it's all right, well, well we don't recognize it, but because we like Josh Norris and the whole gang there. Josh Norris hasn't worked there in over a year. He's that underdog. Yeah, we gotta give him Josh some respect. Pat Dhardy, because we love Rhoto, Pat NBC Sports Edge, New World, Rhodo World, but we call it Rhodo World, alright. So so anyways, so this is the kind of thing that Rhodo World would be very clear to point out to the reader, like this reporter, just like Brain of Salt. Please but jud Zelgat, who did for a long time work for the Minneapolis Star Tribute, now works for Score. North Um reported Monday that the Panthers have called the Vikings about about a possible trade for Kirk Cousins. Then, well, I believe today though this happened on the Pat McAfee show that Rapp Reports said, I don't think there's any truth to that Panther's item. But I do wonder in general on the Kirk Cousins scenario, like a would a team come calling for a guy that's gonna cost thirty five million, has one more year on his contract when Kevin O'Connell's in Minnesota with no other answer if they gave him away. I don't see that happening. It's just I kind of thought that Cousins could be movable at one point, and they, maybe under Zimmer would want to move him like that thing was just getting ugly. But now he feels more cemented in for the next year, just because what other option is there? Yeah, Carolina, man, they are just so thirsty for a quarterback right now too. I mean, they're gonna they're gonna call everybody and anybody. But the fact that they botched the Donald deal so bad and everybody knew it when they paid him so much upfront without any type of evidence on the field, and they try to get Matthew Stafford and got rebut done that right, And there were the reports about the fact that they were trying to get to Shaun Watson at some point too, and then that didn't work out. They obviously tried out Teddy that didn't work out either. So I don't know what they're gonna do, but matt Rule needs a quarterback to save his job next season. Right. Ian made it clear in his mind that the Vikings aren't interested in trading him that he I don't know if he doubted that the Panthers actually did call. I'm wondering why that, Like, who is benefiting from that news getting out there? I don't know, Maybe Kirk Cousins. I suppose that if he wanted to sign a contract. Kevin O'Connell there, you know, their new head coach worked with him in Washington, so they are very familiar with each other. And he was pretty set during his press conference that Kirk Cousins was his guy. But he did live at live a little like, well he is on the roster with an answer, he said, he's anticipating that he would be like, that's an interesting word to They're open minded on it. Right, if someone really came for Kirk and that that contract and they could save that much, probably would help the Vikings a long term, unless you think Kirk Cousins has a Super Bowl running him, which I think. I don't know. I think we're pretty well established on the Kirk Cousins. Just this is Matthew Stafford like part two here, No, I don't know. I mean, I'm just what do we say about Matthew Stafford two months ago? Well, he said he was what he was in Detroit and he's that guy's I think most people would would agree that Matthew Stafford is a better option at quarterback than Kirk Cousins. I mean, Kirk Cousins gets lamb based it too much. I get that, and you look at the stats and the numbers, but there's something about the experience that's, you know, he's gonna his little cut out plexiglass thing all last season. It's just not, you know, not a bridge bild. I don't know if Kirk Cousins takes the Rams down the field in the last five minutes of that Super I don't think they're in the Super Bowl. I'm just saying, like, let's say he had to do that. I don't know if he really they melt Tampa in that scenario. I think that's the whole Cousins. I mean, their careers are similar be Cousins, if anything. You know, Cousins maybe individually you know, more Pro Bowls that that sort of thing, But I think league wide you would have always rated Stafford above Cousins were you replacing him, though, who's going to be for the first time coach? Exactly? Does does Kirk Cousins talk about having those dark spaces he needs to go to? No, he does not. Matt. The one thing you learn more about Matthew Stafford in l A. Was that the Matthew Stafford, the person, the fire inside of him, was a little different. I don't get that with Kirk Cousins on any levels and Matthew Stafford, because we're gonna come back to him. Uh, Greg, you're up next, all right, let's um, let's go to the Saints. I found it very interesting, uh as I was looking through my note notebook here that Pete Carmichael, who was widely reported to have turned down the Saints offensive coordinator job, was eventually convinced into taking it after Jay Gruden uh interviewed for the job. And it continues this theme with the Saints, which I find really interesting that they're just trying to bring everything back. They're they're almost bringing back the team and the coaching staff as if Sean Payton's gonna change his mind, and they wanted all set up for him when he gets back. Our friend Mark Adam uh At at the Saints Twitter podcast, you know, he they were reporting on this car Michael thing that like, look, he wanted to take a step back, and and that was widely reported out there. And yet they've they've basically brought back their entire coaching staff, even guys like Doug Morone who were there before are now there again. And it's almost like everyone just wants to keep their jobs there and so they don't want to bring in anyone from the outside that could possibly disrupt them keeping their jobs and they want to keep this, you know, money trained essentially on the tracks, and that might include Michael Thomas, and that part makes sense to me. Catherine Terrell Uh noted that almost every statement out of the Saints UH is very positive about Mike Thomas, knowing that they're probably not gonna be able to trade him or anything like that, and that they fully expect him to be back, that their best chance to have a legitimate team this year is with Michael Thomas. And I just don't know if that's like the best way to run an organization. And then everyone is just trying to stay the exact same and retain their jobs, Like, isn't this a time where they should be changing a little bit? I don't know. So is that what they end up doing with the quarterback? Did they bring back Jamie? That's Jamie's coming back? I mean Carmichael. Maybe something was going on Carmichael's life where he didn't want this role or something. It was strange because Greg we talked about it before the Super Bowl, like, well, he's been there since like the Nixon administration, and he seemed like the obvious guy for the o C. The one year that he played that role, he didn't, I mean when exclusively when when Peyton wasn't there, they they were successful. So it's like he seemed like the perfect person for it. But then you're interviewing Jake Gruden and then naming him the guy who didn't really want the job the Giants. It's the seven snasher? What's going on there? Something I go back to Jamis Winston, that was a number one overall draft pick that did not work out across five years. Well this is the yeah, that would be wild? All right, who's up? I think you are? I think I'm up? Okay, I'm up? What you got left? Exciting? Brian Flor's got a job? How about that? How about that? Now? I think the ultimate test in this Flora situation, who, as we all know, has an active UH lawsuit against the NFL three teams um citing racial discrimination and faulty practices, and he gets a job as a senior defensive assistant with the Steelers. And that's cool. And he's gonna be working under Mike Tomlin, another black coach. That's cool. And the question to me though here Connie, is does he actually get a head coaching job? So this is good, This is I guess you could call progress because Colin Kaepernick never even got back into the league as a backup. I'm wondering and time will telling this if Flores gets another job as a head coach. But I think it was a nice olive branch um, not necessarily from the NFL, but from the coaches and the league in certain and another from another perspective that he is now back in football and won't be out of football entirely after that lawsuit was filed, right because I'm sure he was thinking that he might not have another shot to get another job at all in any capacity in the NFL. It's not surprising one bit that he landed in Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin. Um. I still have a lot of doubts though that he's going to land a head coaching gig in the NFL going forward. I think that it's a great fit there in Pittsburgh with him and Tomlin and Harrell Austin as well. I think it will be able to do really fun things with that defense. But going forward, I think that Brian Flores has a tough road to to get through to become a head coach. This is a huge step though, and it's like, I think you've got to get it's, you know, through the machinations of staff changes if he gets back in Pittsburgh to a coordinator level at some point, because I don't think anyone it's like we all kind of say, we all get that he's a really good coach. I mean, what he did with Miami was is extremely impressive. There's all this other stuff that was going on. It's like I see it a little differently than some of the Kaepernick stuff because I don't think it's like galvanizing um like a sector of the public that like is conflating it with political stuff. At the same time, this is very clearly a legitimate complaint by Brian Flores that I think the difference I would like to see there are more coaches that feel the way that he feels, but they're not putting their name on the line. He's sort of hanging out there by himself and the Steelers of all organizations said you've got a place with us, Like the Rooney rule is not working, but the Rooney's like in action, did something here to change that? Right? And if if this lawsuit didn't happen and Flora you have told me before the off season this is flores role for actually wouldn't been that surprising. You know, this is what happens sometimes to not get one of the nine open jobs, it wouldn't have been shocking. No. I mean, if maybe it's like fifty fifty would have gotten one, he wouldn't. Sometimes they don't get back right away that Peterson won a Super Bowl, didn't give and these are the types of jobs that they often take. The difference is this lawsuits ongoing, and so that that's the bigger story. He his attorney said that they are waiting for the NFL to essentially ask them for the evidence that he has against Dolphins owner Stephen Ross in terms of uh intentionally trying to lose games and the accusations that they put in the lawsuit that he was offered a hundred thousand dollars to do that. And you know, Roger Goodell pointedly at that press conference at the Super Bowl, said that, look, owners can vote other owners out, and to me, that is one thing I'm gonna be tracking this this season because he still has a chance, Brian Flores to be the first coach to ever fire an owner. Essentially. I mean he got fired by by Stephen Ross and that's part of the lawsuit going back and like that's that's not any anytime soon. That would be the ultimate vengeance, Oh, big time. The the vengeance scale would be off the charts. It's a twelve out of ten. Connie, you're okay, let me page through the notebook. Yeah, alright here Carson Wentz, what's the deal? So the Colts be writer? One of them, Zach Kiefer, who's awesome. You guys should follow him. He said that he thinks Wentz is obviously gonna get traded or straight cut before um or during free agency. He said that in light of some conversations over the last six or seven days, it's my full expectation that he's moved by the end of this free agency period. Whether that's a cut or a trade remains to be seen. I think this is a when situation, not an if situation. I think the decision has been made. So yesterday, which was Monday, since we're recording on Tuesday. Uh huh, marked the one year anniversary of the trade that the Eagles made with the Cults for Carson Wentz, and I get the sense that ownership is not thrilled with the Wentz experience and that this whole reunion between him and Frank Reich just did not go as they had planned. We know that Jim rcay tweeted back on January you can see clear as day in the final eight NFL team playoffs, you need a quarterback and offense who can score thirty or more in regulation and a defense that can hold an opponent under thirty exclamation point. So there was the epic collapse to close out the Sea, He's like, I'm going to throw in this defense line to really throw him off the side, right. But the way that they finished out the year was a massive disappointment. They started the season with Carson Wentz hurt and just this is a very quarterback friendly offense with the offensive line that they have and Jonathan Taylor there, so you would think that he was set up to really succeed. But I don't even know who the upgrade would be that is an excellent tease by the Tiny Box. For Thursday's podcast, uh, we will have zach Key for himself. Keifer will be on to discuss Carson Wentz and the Colts quarterback conundrum, because it's fascinating I think about this Guy's good to have different branding for the program. What if we kind of go through the shows the next six weeks or so, we call it the flash Point Figures of the NFL, and maybe flashpoint Figures colon Carson Wentz, we hit him and their situation this week, maybe hits something different every week. I told you Dan was a showman, and like he came up with that on the fly while we were doing the show. And last point figures, what do you think maybe that we can workshout the name flashy man. But anyway, let's let's stick a pin in that conversation. But it's very good that you brought that up. Plug All right now, I'm up. Next, we need to get one of the great women connected to be around the NFL podcast and we've been blessed in that department over the years. First it live appearance on the show. She is the great Alexandra Better known as Frags. She works. She's a key figure on the network side and also one of the great voice artists of our generation. What's up, Free Eggs? That was quite the intro. Now. I went up to Frags in the newsroom and I said, you are the voice famously of La Ravio magnifico, which, if you're not aware of what that is, that's when someone says or does something that without even realizing it, that person is telling you so much about them And um, Frags, this one that I'm about to share with with the group is such an on point example that we needed to get you in here live to do it, and I appreciate it. Kind of came up to you in the newsroom and you didn't come up to me. You ran into my chair and like slipped underneath me, thing it is the off season though, that's a good sign. Yeah, she would be free to come here. Yeah, right, I can't. Just to make it clear to the audience, I came and I sat in Frag's chair while her backward turn and then she turned around. I was there. That's a real he said, she said, because her description was markedly different. I'm not used to being live normally I get to rehearse these things. That's good though. But you know, we we talked about what the cadence would be, So let's let's let's try it, Ricky, since we're doing live, break out the harp and and you just lay give us one and not gonna call for it a couple of times maybe, but here's the first one. Wait for the harp. I feel magnifico. Frad Stafford at the Los Angeles Rams Victory Parade. He's on stage the photographer and listen. We can get into the photographer's backstory later if you want. Kelly Smiley, Um, she is on the stage. She takes a false step backwards. She falls off the stage. It turns out that she fractured a spine, broke her two cameras. Matt Stafford, who was feeling no pain, was right in front of the woman as she stepped back and fell. He does a one eight turn, walks away, arms up like I'm not dealing with this right now. Kelly Stafford rolls up real quick. How is this woman that just fell off the stage? I think that is a big time hit it. What do you think? Fred Stafford with a walk away in a big spot Mark the video was, I mean, the video was what the video was. It just did not look good. It's like he he saw what happened. I mean, he didn't probably comprehend the end result, but he saw the woman fall off the stage and he basically turned and bolted. It just it was it. It went viral for that reason. I would say, you know, in the end result, they are pain for all her medical bills and her cameras. It's like, that's all like pr I know, I understand, I understand if it played a role. Trust me, do you why why are you not supposed? Why you're not allowed? And why shouldn't you ever drive a car under the influence of alcohol because your decision making is impaired. So that is the only thing I have to No, not I'm not but here he actually, here's where I I totally disagree. Is that in that that's that thing happened. It was a very regrettable moment. It's good that she was kind of representing the two of them she got and that she covered. I think if this hadn't become a story, if there was no video of it, that they would have found out exactly what would have happened. And they would have taken care of it quietly, and they, the Rams and Stafford would have paid for all the medical events because that's what that's what good people do and that and that would have been the story. So so to me, that's like, you don't need to pile on. I'm sure he feels, hey, I'm not piling on to me, just like that would happen. That would have happened, whether there's a video or not, is my point. It's in that zone of the law reveal. I mean, it's just I think it brought out our minds initially. I like it that he was over the legal limit for sure and loose and you're not making the same decisions. Greg. What you're saying obviously makes sense, But ultimately the final decider has to be Frag's herself coming in with her own analysis on the frad Stafford walk away. Oh I was not told I had to give it. Oh. Um, listen, We've all we've all been feeling the way Matt Stafford felt, and I probably would have reacted the same exact way. It was very shocking, and I don't totally understand why it's his fault that someone fell off the stage. By the construction teams. It's not his fault. It's just not an ultimately, it is his fault though that he's even if if you're putting the drink on it, it's like, that's still your fault ultimately, because and you see the video of that, if you're a marat Stafford and you're like, oh my god. Because to be clear, I'm not giving him a pass at all. I know no matter how intoxicated I was, I would be running. You just wave security overway. I got arrested in high school because I was like helping the girl whose house it was who threw the party I was. She was throwing up and I was like holding her hair back and got arrested. I was helping her. That doesn't seem I got arrested from mail fraud in high school, and I also felt innocent of the of it. Was it enjoyable to argue with Greg and the rest of us freg's It was fantastic. Well, thank you, thank you for having me, Dan. Welcome to her to come sit at my desk anytime we can. I get break me off a piece of that brisket, Jake brisket, break me off a piece of that Jake Brisket Brisket, Yeah, can we just hand the whole show over to you? At this point, he's going to be like and say, right now, he's going to be a free agent, so we could definitely have some Jake Brisket continent crazy. Oh yeah, give us one of those. What was it? Mark? You're so crazy? Mark, You're so crazy? I'm good, what a talent. I'm out of here. Frag's Yeah, Sark's going to be about that legend. What a surprise. She's gonna be a little upset with me that I put her on the spot there, I could tell. But we've been working together for a long time, all of us. So, so do you get a pass? I hope, So, I hope I do. All right, let's move on. Oh let's I don't want to double dip here, but I've been told, for production reasons, we need to hit this one next, so I'm gonna go twice here. Apologies this situation. Check this out. I know you guys probably saw this, but I want to touch on it. A huge flock of birds that suddenly plunged to the ground in Mexico. It happened earlier this month. We want to warn you. The video you're about to see is graphic. The video is chilling too. It shows the yellow headed blackbirds suddenly fall from the sky. What many of them died, others did fly away, and the reason behind their rapid plunge remains unclear, but some experts say that blackbirds may have been trying to escape a predatory birds swooping in from above. Wow. Yeah, alright, well apparently you have not seen that. Connie, like the other person, heard of this really okay, well terrify, Yeah, that happened in Mexico, and just we don't need to, you know, dive deep here. But I have a I'll put a sandwich on it. Perhaps that this is the sign of the next huge thing for humanity that we're dealing with. That that uh like an m not Night's Shamalan type of way this is. There's gonna be other unexplained things. They're gonna start happening over the next six months, and it's going to become one of the major talking points. I won't I won't take you because I totally agree with you. It's like, Hey, we've tweated the earth like utter crap and garbage endlessly since we've arrived and suddenly nature is starting to rebel right the animals. They're gonna be getting some revenge they're coming from, well, the birds. I mean, it was a death dive for probably hundreds of them. So I don't know what revenge they're getting there. They got a bit of a raw deal. I mean, I'm gonna have to go down this rab a hole. I need to find out more. Like I'm gonna need like bird experts on this case because I've become I've been starting to watch birds. I'm eighty years old, and I don't on the branch my sunburst now include a cup of tea bird watching. Um. That is jarring all right anyway, So if you guys want to take me up on that. Wait, that's what is this? This is a sandwich. It's a sign of some type of global reckoning, humanity reckoning. Okay, So I don't like that at all, but I'm gonna leave it open ended for the next two years. So well, I'll take you again. I want to root for you. Know that not happening. Um, but I think you could put sandwiches separately on Connie becoming an ornithologist. Yeah, maybe it was maybe the birds were experiencing Havana syndrome. Um. I don't know if you guys are dialed in on this, but high level national security officers have been stricken with explained illnesses on the White House grounds also internationally a k a. Havanna syndrome. It's something Mark that you should dial in on it. I will, I mean stuff belting. I don't know why we just would continue just to drive around and like go to subway and eat all the food we want, have a nice time. Interesting. He always brings it back to food in no just like, well, no, if you don't think that the way that we produce food in general is quite disturbing to the earth and too many people and it could be better. I think Subway, which is an NFL sponsor. Here we go right with some of the best high quality is low low to vegetables. Do we still do they still have the r G three like roast beef touchdown. Walker made me made me go to something like this is how advertising actually works. Like he just is obsessed with the subway ads he loves and all the other thing and they made me go to subway. So that was the first time in about twenty years and it's pretty much the same. I would say, unbe elevitfl sandwiches over there, those sandwich artists, you just can't be there. Great operation strike everything I've said previously. Let's take a break and we'll be back. All right, we're back, We're past Where are we that? How much time do we have left, Ricky? We are at forty seven minutes, right, So it's time to truly now empty out the notebook. So let's speed things up a little bit and try to get around the horn a couple of times each. Greggy, all right, Uh, I'll do a quick one. Since we're talking rams in that parade in Stafford. Reason I went. I went with my kids. I took them out of you know, they didn't go to school until like afternoon. They were quite tardy that day. I figured this doesn't happen, uh too often. Ellis got to be at the game, and that was like amazing. She she gotta ti eyed when the rams one, So she's like really attached. And and the reason I bring it up here more it's like it was a delightful experience. And I saw after the fact l A was taking a lot of grief of like like shots of empty stre eats or something. It's like, I think, first of all, those are taken before the parade. I don't know, it's not it's I was a reporter, boots on the ground. I was in a packed train in public transportation going down full of a pretty young but diverse group of Rams fan and where we were it was like totally packed. Now, granted, is it going to be packed as much as almost any other NFL city. No, And it's obvious for why those reasons for that word, But I don't know. It's like, why at this point in human history do we have to reign on other people having a good time if it makes them happy. And all I'm saying is it was packed to the point where my kids were sort of freaked out and frightened by how packed it was, you know, like that was almost like an issue. There was too many people there, uh for for us, But it was really nice little afternoon. I worry what your kids would be like if you took him down the Canyon of Heroes. If the Knicks wanna, it's a lot there's people behind pushing up on you, you know, when you're trying to get a luck. Cooper Cups going by and whatnot. That's good experience parade. I went to one victory parade the nineties, six Yankees, and I was like, all right, how I did this right? I don't really I don't quite get the appeal. But it's like it's for kids, I think, right, Like the all they wanted was the confetti to be the confetti cannons, and those were happening and that that's all they needed. In Philadelphia, they put Chris Go on the poles. Yeah, grease poles. I was one of the things. I like that maneuver that was back on. They still climbed, Oh yeah, still up. There's a basically it's like a competition every year in the Italian market where people have to climb a grease pole in the Italian meets over here. Yeah, did you see the Hollywood sign? How they put Brand's house? So that didn't work? That does that does not work for me at any level. Just stay away. Well it would have worked if it looked good, but it was the city. The city put it up, and it looked like a bunch of amateurs in a windstorm putting it up. With what happens the city filled with like people that work on movie sets in prop departments. Right, how about the game like six? Technically, you know adequate set designers to do something that gets the old Bart SIPs and at least you tried birthday cake, Giff, the execution was off Alright. I would look at the Giants for one minute because you know, while we were all off on Super Bowl week GM, Joe Shane their new GM. You know they have Brian Dable there and it's like, do you want to hit the ground running and surround Daniel Jones with a ton of talent? But they have met Dave Gettleman left them in cap hell and there are whispers now or just con you know, trying to figure out what they do to get out of the twelve million over? Is it possible you've trade Sae Kwon Barkley at this point? Who could save you seven point two? I know who. I don't know who's trading for him, but there could be someone out there. But James Bradberry is probably a cap hit. He's he's he's gonna be He's earns twenty one point nine million. Blake Martinez has a fourteen million dollar capit. That seems insane to me. Kenny Golladay. He makes twenty one million over the next three years. I just wonder if the Giants, even though you want to set day ball up as well as you can, is there like a raw uster gutting of some sort coming here, because I think a they totally envisioned a different team than Gettleman left behind, which was a failed team. And it might be a tough year or two for Dable. It's not just for hitting the ground with Josh Allen in year three. Well, I keep thinking about Mitch Drabinsky and this is I can't believe this the second time and bring him up, and I keep thinking about whether or not he's going to end up with Brian Dable and the Giants as like a competition piece for Daniel Jones, because he only signed that one year deal in Buffalo and he came out and said that I'm in a confidence space right now. He's ready to be a starting quarterback again. There are people in the league who know things who think Mitch Robinsky could still be a functional NFL player if he gets into the right setup and has an opportunity. Yeah, that would that would be the setup Dable who's been with him. I look at their roster, and I don't think they're like crazy far away. They're not the Texans. I think Daniel Jones will have a better spot if it's a good coaching staff. I don't see that many like logical cut candidates like Blake Martinez. You get rid of Blake Martinez if you wanted, you could get rid of Kyle Rudolph. Certainly seven point five million dollars. Otherwise, I kind of like that they have enough people around him. They just need to get an offense. I also think, I know he didn't look great last year, but that team was such garbage. Se Quon Barkley I think could be somebody who has a bounce back right Why I can't imagine it would be worth getting rid of, Like whatever you would get back for Sakewan Barkley couldn't be worth it. Just what would it be just a new look version of the team, because se Juan Barkley is also, let's be honest, entirely frustrating as a player for the past coup he's been. He's do seven million just a lot for running back, but it's not that much. Sterling Shepherd, maybe he is the guy that could They Also they have to create capram Son, Kyle Rudolph. That's I agree, he's got like he he is worth more than Sae Kwan Barkley right now, and so Sterling Shepherd Martinez is worth double. So that's a new coaching staff. You might just Sterling Shepherd. We've always liked him, but he can't stay healthy. Feels like a guy to move on from the Barkley. It's like, and if you're gonna stay, stay the course with Daniel Jones here and give him one more chance because he was in a bad set up, I think you should do the same with Barkley. And see what they mentioned him specifically to Dave that they wanted to see Jones and Barkley, and those were the two that they mentioned with the right support the coaching staff at least, I think there it's such an obvious new coach comment. But I just I don't know. I just I don't have to be all buy in that Daniel Jones and sa Kwan Barkley are gonna combine to play more than twenty games next. We're not saying that necessarily. UM. I thought it was interesting how the NFL handled two more you know, regrettable stories about how they mistreat women. Over the last week. It's crazy that the Washington football team is under investigation again, not just by Congress, which was a thing that happened right after UH the season, but by the NFL with an independent investigation Mary Joe Wright White, who the last time she was involved in an investigation, there was a change in ownership UH in Carolina, and so this Washington story, which if you weren't tracking it, kind of popped back up because there was new allegations that were part of that congressional hearing, and the NFL is taking a different tack than they did UH last time around when they weren't the ones in charge of the investigation Washington was, and that there was no public release of the report that came out of that. This time they say there will be, so that that is a difference. And I, as someone who just like watches the ownership situations like I, I find that interesting that they're taking a different tact here and they're definitely taking a different tech than they are with the Cowboys who um were accused by former cheerleaders there. They're head PR guy who is one of the most powerful and well known uh PR guys in the history of the NFL. I would say Rich Dalrymple over the last twenty six years of taping cheerleaders with his cell phone while they were changing. The crazy part is it was six years ago and that there was a pay to these women ultimately, and the NFL says they are not going to look into it at all. But it is a crazy story if you read the entire one by Don Vanada, because it goes to the very top of covering up, uh, some pretty brutal accusations and there is money that's already changed hands here, including you know, violating Jerry Jones's own daughter, who's uh, you know, vice president of the organization. Is some dark stuff. So if you want to feel cynical about the world, the fact that this was buried for six years and then Dalrymple retires three weeks ago, and it just spoke so loudly to me that they didn't recognize that at all. The Cowboys didn't make a statement, they didn't say a word. This is this is If you've ever seen Jerry Jones on camera, Rich Dalrympo is right next to him. If you've ever been to a Cowboys practice, he's right next to him when he left after twenty six years, he he is the cleaner though he is the Michael Clayton of that team, and they say a word when he left. They said, that has nothing to do with this incident that happens six years ago and millions of dollars change hands. And I don't know, it's disappointed some like dark NFL. But the NFL handled those two stories differently. That shows you a little change. Sorry, But like it is notable that ownership is under fire as an overall group right now. There's no question about that. It takes twenty four thirty one owners to vote someone out. And you wonder with Daniel Snyder if we could get be getting closer and closer. Don't hold your breath. I don't want to be cynical about it, but we'll see. Yeah, depressing state of affairs. Uh, not to change the tone too much, but it is to two two right now? WHOA we make a wish? What do we do? Make a wish? Everybody? Sorry, I have been looking into a lot of astrology stuff with this. I was in the middle of making my wish. It was bowing our heads in silence to make a wish. Except for Gregg. It's like I'm not no, my eyes were closed. There's a lot perculate about this day that they say to me to make sure your house is clean, because you don't because of all the cosmic which I don't necessarily believe in all that, like your proverbial house or you're you're like physical house, like space, have your space between today. They say, don't start any major arguments today because it's a mirror, because it's two two two to two, that if you start like an argument, it could come back to you this following year. And something about the mirrors, which I don't really know anything about it or believe, but some stuff people are saying. It's just like be just kind of be on your good behavior today. Don't start any arguments or making your life decisions. But positivity is going to be good because you wanted to reflect back. I'm gonna drive straight home and go to bed right. Definitely not gonna like talk back to this plumber whatever you say, go yeah, hey, what's up pipes over here? On the subject of the Washington football team, some teams just cannot get things right. I was thinking about this mark with your Browns. Remember the Browns used to be that team for like seven straight years when we did this show straight years. But yes, right, But in the our of the show, it was like whenever a team did something like that was stupid or messed up, was like, oh, yeah, the Browns doing the Browns. That's not really the Browns anymore. They might have been disappointing this year, but they're not the subject of these stories anymore. Washington football team puts out their new team Crest, and they mislabel at the bottom. They have the years their five titles since nine seven through one, but they actually put the year the title was one, not the season it was one. And so even though Mark Rippon led the Washington team to the one Super Bowl, they had nineteen ninety two on the crest. We can't make these mistakes, folks. We gotta you want to clean a house, clean your house? How does that get past the obvious focus groups? That also, by the way, is one of the talking about journals and notebooks. The thing that has always annoyed me about football is that you have to talk about team Max won the Super Bowl and so so and so year, but it's not the year you're thinking. Trying to explain that the kids or to other people that don't follow up. But it doesn't make anything. You know, I was annoyed by it as a kid, though, so it's even worse. And I'll say this, I know what you're saying that it could be frustrating the NBA season. They have no choice, really, they go, Okay, let's say I don't know who's who's the Sixers your team. Let's say the Sixers win the championship in June. They are the two thousand one hyphen NBA champions. That's too much, So just give me the year where the season began and the bulk of it took place. Anyway, you can't get this wrong. They got it wrong on the crest and got killed by their fan base. So they officially announced the correction to their logo and then redid the altar the logo that's the Washington But that before nobody in the building. I mean, did you see this Sean Taylor retirement Jersey? Uh? They Uh. The worst thing about this, though, I feel like, is in the in the correction. And yes, they listened to their fans and changed it. They said, we've now corrected it and put all the years in which all the scenes in which we won the super Bowl. Just clean it up here together. They've won three super Bowls two eight, seven, nine one. They won an NFL championship forty two. Why are we serving as a copy editor for you? Speaking a copy editor, I don't need the one thing, Aaron Rodgers Instagram post. I don't need him signing off telling me to read a book. I don't need it. That's where he goes to intellectual. Yeah, it's it's part attitude speaking of the NBI. Did get Blood in the Garden the new Nick's nineties book. I can't wait to Johnny about that. Maybe he'll have me on the SI weekly podcast. That would be great. You know what you should? Uh, you guys should listen to that. It's a great podcast. Yeah, make sure it's like natural is very not. You also didn't force it on it. You should do they consider it. Yeah, it's an option to say that I'm the one that actually surfaced it. So john Here's this will be like, well, Dan had to bring it up before you plugged it. No, no, Dan gets more credit. Danny's two things. You're you're already starting issues and arguments. It's going to come right back at you that's true. I listened to the post Super Bowl one. It was good with Greg Bishop talking about that there was a lot going It wasn't the whole Kabo story and yes, oh okay, great, so all right, let's speed it up here we go. All right, Uh, Jervis Landry would like to stay with the Browns, but he can help win a championship elsewhere if need be. So we also found out that he played through a significant injury last season. It was a career worst year for him. That would explain a lot. He sprained his knee back in Week two, but he's never missed a game before last season. So I feel like there were some narratives going around that like, oh, he's just like kind of hurt. Things are lingering. That's not the case at all. But also take into account that he didn't do any media avails through the team after Odell was released, and he just watched his really good friend O'Dell win a championship. So, um, just throwing that out there, I'd say it's like thirty five chance he stays. And that's if the you know, he doesn't want to do this is like taking a pay cut. He's well, that's what that report. I love when they have these things because he alluded to it enough that essentially they asked him to take a pay cut. I mean, you can read between the lines. They started that conversation and then he sort of was okay. But like that wide receiver room, if you take Jarvis out of there, Donovan, People's Jones, Anthony Schwartz, and Rashad Higgins, who's set to be an unrestricted free agent. He's due fourteen million dollar based salary. His cap numbers sixteen million, So it is a lot for Jarvis Landry. So I'm not surprised they are trying to figure it out in terms of a restructure. But I also wouldn't if I was Jarvis Landry, I wouldn't mind being a free agent next Thursdays around the NFL podcast Flashpoint figures, Cole and Jarvis Lander nailed it. That's it. Well, maybe Baker Smith on to talk about Baker will be in Indianapolis next Thursday. Don't know if will the flash the Flashpoint series be able to carry on in a remote setting. That's that's up for debate. But we're on the flash we'd be under the flash Point focus at that point. Can we pull that off. Flashpoint focus. That's better than figures. Let me write that down, Greg, what do you think about this seg idea? A little mom on it. You're so little quiet. Greg's good, it's good. I think figures. There was something about figures I didn't like. So he's already Focus is good? All right? Up next, This XFL thing is interesting to me. The NFL and the XFL have reached a partnership agreement that will focus on creating innovation programs and protecting the health of players. The XFL announced Monday. I thought it was a little even though I love it, because I do think he is a treasure. When the Rock came out before the Super Bowl started, uh last Sunday and did the hype speech and the crowd went bonkers, and you know, he's got charisma for days. But he's also one of the owners of the XFL. Now, after vinc cman h when declared bankruptcy or whatever happened with it, he sold it to a group that included the Rocks. Like, why would the NFL do this with a hypothetical guy that's competition. No, this is a joint partnership on some level. It's they're not gonna share players, but they're gonna do things that the NFL used to be able to do with the NFL europe League, which was test out various things, uh right, from playing service to different rule tweaks, uh to like they're saying with safety elements to try to make the game safer for the players. And this is going to serve as a way to help the NFL product as well as give the XFL some pop, I imagine. I don't know what the television deal is, but maybe they end up these games end up on NFL Network this spring. I don't know, we'll see. I like the whole idea of trying out new rules there. We could use some new r greg keep it wrong. Uh. The Rams have a new offensive coordinator, so it's just like a small item in the in the notebook. But considering that, but that guarantees that Liam Cohen will be a head coach in the NFL at some point. We should get to know Liam Cohen's name. He was a Kentucky offensive coordinator, but he was with the Rams before as a assistant, so McVeigh knows him well. And there were reports before the offseason even started that McVeigh wanted to bring him back to run the offense. So I don't know much about Liam Cohen, although Kentucky UH they scored a lot of points people. I do remember the spice rack was in love with the Kentucky UH college football program this year and I think made some I know who some good money. Iraq isn't in love with me around the NFL podcast because he sent a vaguely threatening text us right when the Bengals won the conference championship that he better be on the show to the super Bowl, and it happened. So that is a bit of a something to watch, uh like watch her back, Like literally, I'll monitor that heavily. Mark you, pepper Mill. I thought it was interesting that the combine, by the way, is coronavirus. Just essentially the NFL just said coronavirters doesn't exist anymore. We don't understand that. Like there were is this idea that you know, the combined players were gonna have to be bubbled. The players basically started saying, um uh, we might threaten to sit out workouts. We're not gonna do everything you want us to do. You're not paying us to go there. By the way, I mean eventually we get paid. But then they quickly turned around and said we're on bubbling you. Basically was like the NFL went to all the prospects and everybody connected to the event. Hey guys, hey guys, are still the coronavirus. We've got to make sure we bubble up, make safe. And that was like, no, we will literally not go to your combine. Alright, alright, you're right, there's no problem. According to Phil Wesseley in Indianapolis has been on that train for months. So you know, if the city at large is acting a certain way, I think we're we've we're seeing that right back to you, baby, I don't know if I have any other good ones. Um. I was interested to see that Daniel Hunter, who's a really good player, might not be back with the Vikings. It's very surprising to me. But they're changing defensive schemes. So that's that's a notable cut to possibly watch for because he would be in my top five of the free agents if he gets out there. Uh yeah. Deshaun Watson, by the way, still on the Texans. His proceeds, the legal proceedings, uh that those are moving forward, but again at a pace that's not necessarily lined up with the NFL, and we're now heading into a new league year and there's a there's a chance here that Deshaun Watson would not play again this year, and then it would be thirty five million dollars at the Texans are, oh guy who hasn't played in over a year, in two years. A lot of stuff going on right now with this uh And there was a report from the Athletic Jeff how the Texans don't plan to lesson they're asking price for Watson, which has been five to seven assets, including three first round picks. Uh. So keep your eye on the story. Obviously, I believe he's going to start being a part of these depositions where he's gonna have to speak on the conduct that led to the allegations of something. So that is all happening at a time when the Texans are desperate. You would imagine now to get out from under Watson and recoup assets in exchange for him, but that can't happen until the legal sites resolved. That continues to be a story. And as we approach March Connie, we're running out of time. Blah blah blah, A lot less than you think, So go ahead, Okay. DK Metcalf is training for the Olympics. He's currently in a boot though, but next offseason it's on what event track? So he wants to be a sprinter in the Olympics. And who doesn't want to be in the Olympics After watching the Olympics, like, I'm gonna go be for shooting and skiing in the biathlon. Zero, there we go. That's the old skeins spilled the old ski and shoot. Close out with Colleen Wolfe, who's said it all. Connie, what do you got going on? You're gonna be on the Around the broadcast on Friday. I'm excited. This is great because I've never done it in studio with you guys. The broadcast. How exciting. You'll be right here in the Chris Westling podcast studio. Greg, you will be out of town. We will We'll wear a rib been a black ribbon on our looks appropriate. Yeah, you could wear, Colleen, you can wear my members only jacket. I will be here for Thursday's podcast. We do have another one of those, course, because the flashback focus is that what we said? No last point, Yeah, we killed figures out of there. Last point Focus Colon Carson Wentz coming up this. I like the idea, but some it sounds like one of those you know how they've kind of run out of names for football articles and it just sounds like names sort of Yeah, well that's what happened when sportswriting dies, like the aren't a lot of new ideas? Can we Greg, Can we hang the members only jacket in the studio for the Friday television show? Yeah? I think that would be a funny bit. We don't anyone listening now will get the joke, and otherwise don't refer to it right, otherwise, don't mention it at all those shows that we would pitch to Jason Kleman and Jason brooksby the production team behind the TV show and they're like, uh yeah, let's circle back on that next week. Come back to then we'll come back and we forget that. Okay, you hate all right? Did um? So, Connie, you've said it all. Thank you again for joining us, Thank you, thanks for having me, Ricky, thank you for all your work and soldiering through what's been imagine a very difficult show. It's been great. You guys are great. Good Mark, you have a fire in your belly only can come from the evacuation from both ends. And I thank you, but I think that's well said. That's well said. There's nothing else in the belly, just the fire, empty, totally charred. All right, we'll be back Thursday. Uh flast Point Focus. Hit us up on Twitter or maybe on the reddit or whatever, and let us know if you have a better name for the series are offseasons. Don't bother me with it, but well, certainly at Mark Cesler on Twitter. He will be our point man here, So hit up Mark. That's amazing, disaster. Yeah, still doesn't understand how it works, how he's getting into a nightmare. Still crazy. All right, that's it. Let's go until Thursday. Um, get ready, Last Point Focus series Launchest TV show Friday, Saturday, combine and indies Monday. We're rolling. Keep the call.