Let's Talk Ball with Jerome Bettis, Spice Adams and Mike Golic

We've got Jerome the Bus. Vettis induct into the Hall of Fame and he won a Super Bowl with the Steelers. Drafted by the Rams, one of the all time best running backs in the NFL history. Jerome bettis on the Cut to It podcast. How do you think the game

of football in the NFL has changed good and bad? Well, it's it's good and bad in one way, and that obviously they're conscious of of, you know, contact to the head, which has in turn, uh forced a lot of rules and regulations on the game that has softened the game and made it more um of a passing game because if you don't have if if the wide receiver don't have to really have a fear of getting getting knocked out going across the middle of the field. Uh, then

it creates a huge advantage for an offensive player. So from that standpoint, the game has evolved two more of a passing game, which makes total sense. I get it that that that's the positive, and that these guys are are not getting that that beating that they were taking physically anymore. But the negative is that it's not your grandmother's nfl UM. It's a much watered down version of

a game that we grew up playing loving. Um. So you know that's the plus enough minus if you will let me ask you, though, do you think going across the middle? The only thing I dislike about that them changing that is the head Why is the dislike that I dislike? I dislike them changing you know, the head hits because it gives the excuse for the defenders to hit guys load now, like you see guys hitting low like I mean, I obviously I'm not a good example,

but some of these wide receivers are six four. You're telling me, out of six four you only can manage to hit the dude in his knee. Yeah, no, no, no, I see it. Especially tight ends tight ends are taking a run of it because they're just not even trying

to even go anywhere close. They're saying, we're going low, and we're telling you that, and and that is that's the unfortant, unfortunate byproduct of what's all happening now is that you're you're gonna see more injuries, more leg injuries, more knees getting tore up, getting ripped up, um, more injuries to the abdomen, more injuries to the lower leg. It's just part of the the evolution of now. Instead of the head shots, you know, you're gonna get knee shots.

And that's the problem that is that in your career um pretty quickly, so most offenders don't even want to engage. That's the part that that's the part I'm struggling with is yes, you don't have to hit the player in the head, but that there's times I haven't got a rib separated, like most of the time when you know, obviously I'm not um in the range with Bettus, but I remember playing and Troy and all these guys will

hit you. Man, you go across the middle for the most time, guys wouldn't aim't for your head, but they're not. They're not the win out of you. They hit you in between the numbers. For sure. The guys don't want to take the risk anymore. It's not worth it, you know, because that's what that's the way I see these guys look at it. Now, they're saying, Hey, you know what, I'm just gonna I'm just gonna take the shot low.

I'm not gonna worry about you know that mid area under you know, underneath your chin and and you know kind of in that No, they're not even they're not even trying to anymore, because what's happening now is if the receiver even kind of pitches down now, they still get defined. So now they're like, Okay, screw it, We're not even gonna try. We're gonna take the shot low. And I just think it's so bad because every hit is a potential injury for for a receiver or tight

end is really really dangerous. Um. Uh. Now as opposed to the fear of you taking uh, you know, getting your clock clean going across the middle. Um. You know you you you say yourself, you know what, I'll take that one time, um because you most most you know, in the game, there may be one or two plays where you're running the risk of taking that kind of shot. But there's gonna be ten plays where you take the risk of a guy going low, because that's every time

you catch it, take going low. So you got ten times versus that one or two times in a game. So that's a scary pirst. I also think they don't know how to tackle anymore the same way. No, it's not taught. Man. I'm watching some of these new tackle Like I saw a guy tackle the other day and I'm like, if I was playing the next play I'm talking about the next play, I would go hit that dude on his knee. Wow. And here's why, yes, because

he doesn't even attempt like you're gonna try to. Because if you hit me on my knees and you in my career, so I take it as you have no regard for my career. And so if you have no regard for my career, that means you don't respect me. So I would tell a guy, hey, the next time I see you, meaning in play, expect the bouquet. We're trying to cut down. It's not is it really making the game? Say? I literally asked, got one time I say what color roses you want? He was like, what's

that to me? Because I'm gonna hit you on your knee, and when they do your surgery, I'll send you some roses. I'm not gonna say sorry, because that's because when you start to hit people low and you oh, I don't want to I don't want you to get I don't want to get fine. I don't know about you, Jerome, but I know for myself and my wife used to getting mad at me. I would have a certain amount

of money set aside. And I know because it would it would be fine like socks, you know how you looked or had no control over, or it would be something that happened again, that would happen in the game, and you go at some point in the game, you're gonna lose your cool and you're gonna take a ten thousand dollar fun. That's just that's just the way that he gives. So just be prepared for it. Yeah, yeah,

I say that. Um what I remember for myself, just like you're going to Hawaii getting voted to the Pro Bowl with such an honor, why do you need players today now see it almost as a nuisance, as like I gotta get on this flight. I gotta go across the world. Like I remember, it was like a family vent,

like when you got to the Pro Bowl. I remember going to the Pro Bowl and seeing other players, and you'll be at the pool and you're like, you know, like Shannon Sharp, you know, seeing him do push ups at the pool, right, or guys you're you know, you're the rookie, or you the first year even though you may be in your fourth year, year first time and this first time program, are you still a rookie? Yeah?

I was always told do not give your room number to any veterans because they ordered everything running up, running running up, and they asked you, Hey, what room you're at? You you don't know? Okay, you get the bill, You're like what they or at the bar, at the bar, at the bar, the pool, who got you? If you were a rookie, if you stay out by the pool, you're gonna get hamburged. So you better keep away from the pool. Uh. When you're a rookie, it was like,

but but guess what you know what that is? I'll tell you the problem. Tell me the problem. It came from the quarterbacks. Okay, So the quarterbacks started this, I'm not gonna go. Let this other guy go. And then it then it went from the quarterbacks to the diva's you guys, and the diva's y'all receivers um. Then y'all started to y'all started to to to say I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. And so it ended up the cool thing to do was to was to

to get the nod and not go. It has to be a sense of urgency from the vetteran guys, right, So because you know Tom Brady, he you know, his first couple of years, he was going to all of them, and a lot of parties stopped going. It's like, when the veteran guys are there, then the younger guys get inlivee. When the veteran guys don't go, then then now the other the younger, the young guy who's who's the superstar? The young stars, like, man, why am I on when

these guys not there? I don't want to be there. I don't want to be the only one they're right, And so it just kind of watered it down, and I just think it has to be it has to start from the top. When the veteran guys are there, then the younger guys getting love like anything else that's crazy? Was that are my last Pro Bowl I went to I think, I mean seven we had two people with us. We had I literally brought like thirty two people like I brought up. It was it was important to everybody.

Josh McCown his family. I brought friends. I brought my uncle, my mom, yeah, I mean my my wife's family. Like it was a huge events. And just lost his luster. I just you know, but then you also, I also think like you shouldn't celebrate the dude, he's the four team alternative, like you know, and and that's what and that's what happened. When when those guys when you started, when you started to to hey, don't worry about it.

We'll get to get the next guy, and we'll get the next guy, the next guy and then the fourth team alternate. He can now stay he's a problem. Yes, when when you really didn't get voted in. Yeah, yeah, I didn't like that. I thought it was the same to him. I wanted to ask an old head of

old gidn't like it? Man, I hate that. I hate that when guys don't when guys don't go because it waters down the product um and it hurts ultimately the game itself because now the stars, you're not gonna see the stars there, right, So what what good is it if if the star is not going? And and it started with the quarterbacks starting to starting to pass on it obviously me playing and being a Baltimore Raven and you being a Pittsburgh Steeler. Man, take us through that

rival that rivalry. You can watch it on you can watch it. And when I first got to Baltimore, they asked me to talk to you know, talk to I think the Pittsburgh is at and talked, talked to the to the newspaper and tell me what it is. And then once I experienced it, man, it's nothing like it, you know, just I mean you you go look back how Hines knocked out Ed Reid, right, just all of that stuff. What what you described the Baltimore Raven and Pittsburg blood bath rivalry as they call it, the a

f C, the NFC North Black and Blue Division. Yeah. So so that that one was. That was the game. Because in years I'll started because early on I had a unique perspective in that you know, we we were beating up on them before when Ray got there. So Ray was a rookie, uh you know, all the way through. I got a chance to see his progression, right, and early on we were we We beat him, no problem. And then they they they made a big jump, right,

and then they became good. And so what happened was we were all we were beating them and it wasn't a robbery. And then they got really good, really quick. Defensively, they they found that Marvin Lewis I think was the defensive coordinator. He kind of got them going and boomed all of a sudden they ready to go. And so year in and year out, they they built the team to beat us because at the time we were we

were the big dog in the division. It was US, it was US, Tennessee Jacksonville, Okay, And so Baltimore was was the low man on the totlem poe And so it was between US and Tennessee really who were the the the top dogs. And so they were coming and once they arrived, they put everybody on notice. Right, It's

like no, no, no, we were for real. And so when we started to play them, it became like it was already tough because they were the Cleveland you know, Browns, and then they came over, so there was always still that disdain because they were the Cleveland Browns and we that was our biggest ride. We hated the Browns. So when they moved, it's still we you know, the hatred moved with them, right. So so that's kind of how it. It was already there the dislike, and then when they

got good, then it was like, oh okay. So so then then they had the swag. They came with the swag, right, and that was that was Ray and bringing that that Florida uh u m swag right, And then they started talking ship and we were like, okay, little the little little stuff, I want to talk shit, okay. And then all of a sudden, then they started pounding us. We

were like whoa. And then then that's when it hit another level in terms of when they could beat us consistently and then we could beat them, uh consistently uh and and each game you didn't know who was gonna win, right uh. And so for instance, the year the year they won their first Super Bowl, we were the last team to beat them, you know what I'm saying, And it was like nobody else could beat them. We know how to beat them because you know we they they were built to beat us, and we were built to

beat them. And so every year going forward it was always a I mean a drag out, a blood bath. It was a war. We knew you you playing Baltimore. All right, just put the big paths on. Let's get ready. It's gonna be physical. It's gonna be sixty minutes. And it don't matter who if somebody is tending tending old or four and eight, it don't matter, right, you don't get their best shot and and and they don't get your best shot. And and that's just kind of how

it was, how it developed. And it has not changed a bit since that day, um when when they stood up and said no more, no more guys, uh, and they start punching back. And it's been it's been Haymakers ever since. So it's the it's the hell of a rivalry. And I think I tell people all the time, it's the most heated rivalry, but it's the most um from a from a football perspective, it's the best of all

of them, because you're gonna see great football. Uh. It's gonna be a defensive battle it's gonna be offenses scrapping to big plays. I mean and and and it's it's just gonna be those individual moments where God make a just a collective break play. It's gonna take those kind of plays to win the game. Whoever were? I love cut to It and I love it even more when you download us and subscribe and you can follow us on social media too, Smithie, Where where at? That's at?

Cut to It on Instagram? What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you can follow us at cut to It podcast dot Com where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my answers, questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here for. A brother cut to a podcast dot Com Coming up on

the cut to It Podcast. We've got Spice Adams, a social media star, are comedian, actor, and TV host, But not many people even though he was an eight year veteran in the NFL for the forty Honors and the Bears dead Man Walking? Did you it was the context and dead Man Walking? We all got sprints. We all got these runs. We gotta do. Everybody damn man walking, it's like this. He literally looks like a dead man walking. So the coach like Yoda walking. You might want to

move out the way we run the sprints. Oh, you always gotta do this out of shape. I'm not always lying no or d lin I ain't really experienced. Listen, don't don't do that. He took offense to see. I felt like how you felt when Mike then it was alignment. I didn't say which. I said, either you can put defense or I've been filling the plank. I felt the tact. I'm I apologize because some of y'alls, it would be some running backs who just can't do it, especially like

when it come to long distance. Yeah, yeah, y'all WI receievers, y'all spreads man, Yeah, some of us. I ain't even gonna ask you following a question on that because I don't want you. It's not not every not every fast guy can sprint like consistently, So you know, you have to have gassers. Like there's some guys that they can run. They're like a they're like a cheap piece of gum. Like we're gone ten seconds. Yeah, you know it just

don't have yes bigly to you. But one of those garbage pale kids with the chalk, the chalk, the chocolatey gum. You're chalking, and I'm like, what did you just around high school? Dude? I ran um, I ran uh hunter meter hurdles, three thirty hurdles And he was gonna say hurdles dog. Just from the way he played, I knew he was gonna say her. Really tell me what like the way you got him and get the rock. It is either I had to be like long jump or I mean I jump, or like some type of hurdles

or something, some type of bounding. Yes, look at you and Bunny. I don't really into like skilled positions, bro, especially running back, because running backs are the most disrespected athlete as far as when it comes to like money and contracts and stuff like that, and how it's like a revolving door with them, Like there's no reason why Adrian Peterson should have played for five six teams. He

should not be a journeyman. Like you gotta get that man in respect he deserved, like for real, like that man could still go what does the mort like I think the market gets like that because you have a guy like DeMarco Murray who was fantastic and then went to a different system and it wasn't as effective in that system and then later pretty much didn't play after that. That only made you garbage. Though I didn't say it was Garden, I'm not saying you, but yeah, no, no,

he was a beast. But circumstances and play calling and offensive coordinators and schemes can enhance what a player already has, and then a bad system can expose a player and what he may not do well. Like you noticed some some running backs, like the whole plethora running backs in San Francisco for nineers, how that running scheme has made

all of those running backs really good. But yet in those running backs have moved on to other teams who don't have that same um um, that same of running style. And that's in that offense that you know that edge get out on the edge throw, well they don't they're not as they're not as effective, they don't have the same kind of impact. To see it, I hate to see it. Yeah, I mean it happens all the time. That's just like I'm a four three guy, Like I'm

skinning and grinning. I'm shooting the gap. No responsibility, just penetrate, go go, don't think, just go. I love not to think like I got a gap boom, let's do it. But I know what I'm supposed to do. Yeah, came over the Sacisco with that three four. I'm like, I gotta I gotta get it all the way to three thirty. I don't want to be I can't move three thirty. Oh man, they want me to be too gaping and go let the linebacker gonna make the play. I could go make it. Let me go do it like oh man,

that's it is different, bro, It's different. And then a lot of times and they've got nothing to do with your ability, to do with your knowledge of the game, nothing to do with your effort, none of that. It's just like sometimes coaches come in, they like what they like. And what that also happens to is they you have coaches who believe their system it's more valuable than the players. Yes, that that's funny. You brought up Mike Nolan, because Mike Nolan, when he has the right when he has all the

right players, Mike Nolan's defense is rocking and rolling. But when he doesn't have the right players allied Dallas Cowboys. That's why he gotta let go because his his system, there's not enhanced all eleven men in the defense. It only really enhances a few guys, the linebackers. If you have the right type of front front three or front four that can neutralize and allow the back um to allow the linebacker to be hitting the the running back.

But when you don't have that, you got the guard chipping hitting that that a gap player going up to the second level. Now that that linebacker has to fend off the guard and also make the tackle. And so that's why that defense didn't work for for him. And then you have some of the older players in Dallas that just older players, and some of the bargain guys

in free agency. Well, if you're if you have a bargain player and free agency, there's a reason why, especially defensively, if you if you're getting a third and fourth tier guys at minimum or a little bit above minimum, there aren't impact players. They just aren't there. The tears are now you see why, Like if you got a guy this third tier that should be playing special teams and contributing on on defense, and he's starting on defense. Hmm.

There's a big misconception then, because I think most fans probably think it's plug and play, like, oh, this guy was writing down this why I need graded with Philadelphia. It's a different system, different I think that that's such a big misconception. It's it's two things, bro. You gotta understand what you're doing, also understand why you're doing it.

You gotta gotta be both. Like you can't like know why you're doing it, but don't understand it, or you can't understand it and then don't know why you're doing it. Both of them work hand to hand. You gotta understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. And you're moved so much faster. How to eliminate the thinking you can just go? So why do you from you? Or you're in the media now and and you work with one of my old neighbors and good friend, London Fletcher. Yeah, London,

that's a good dude. And we talking. You know, you see football in and I get that as well. I get it a lot on on theirs. Oh you're stupid, you just bitter, and you don't know what you're talking about and he's just mad. I got all of all of Bucks fans right now. They think they all Steve, you're a moron. You're just bitter, Like, um hey, numb nuts. When I get up, I don't think about the Bucks. I'm only thinking about it. When you gotta be mad about this team I got, you gotta be pissed about it.

You got got you a hater, you got no, I just have to talk about him whenever you have an opinion, yes, like or as if you couldn't win the other one. Yeah, they're like oh, and then they're like, why are you jumping on? You got to pick one team? Stupid? So I'm nicking this team and I just can't say because when I first started, I'd be like, they would say, Steve, who you got my I'm picking this team. They were

like wow, because I want to. And then they said can you he's explained, like my producers like, Steve, you gotta kind of explain why you're picking and that's why we're paying you. Oh okay, So then I started, oh, you're a hater, you're bitter, and here's the best one. No, no, no, here's the best one I have. You don't have any rings? What is your opinion? Count Here's what now, Look, here's all I know about your opinion about my rings. I

have none. It's not necessarily my fault. However, the fourteen thousand yards that I've accumulated, the one thousand and fourteen receptions I've had in the sixteen year career, I know for a fact, just a smidgen, that there are people on the fifty three man roster at forty two years sooner be forty two years old, I can beat that mothersucker black a drunk and then some guys there's another word, mother's But there's another guy or two on the fifty

three man roster at forty two. Now I'm retired. But what has not changed? Correct? It is my repeat All Star. That's the guy that's stealing money. Put the money in the bad you know what the skip math All Star? Every team, every team got one or two. You know. So it's a shame, man, I feel like it's such a you know, this's the barbershop culture. We reduce it downt but how many rings do you win? Like we discontinued the whole question. So here's about to have a jacket, bro,

But you say it again, spice. Say it again. Steve is about to have a jacket first ballot. If you ask me, I appreciate that. Thank you. Look if you ask me, a guy's backstage. He's making here. I've seen the man play. I menna give me Steve Smith story spice. Oh, I'd rather not. No, no, no, no, let me get I'm gonna get upset all over again. Man, don't be, don't be, don't be triggered, Like, go ahead and give

us already. Listen, man, it's you can't do nothing to Steve unless he wants you to, Okay, Like you can't touch the dude. Man, And I can't talk to my dvs bro because I can't do what they do. But there's a lot of times when we're playing Steve and you're like, somebody needs to stop Steve Smith at least stop him from talking. Stop him stop him period from talking, catching the ball, running a route, Just stop him, bro,

Like it is so frustrating. It's like a trying to it's like a like a chicken or something like that. He's just going every witch away man and uk It's like by the time you catch him, it's already first down and the chicken coop. Oh man. I mean it's just like every time you play them, bro, you already know what to expect. And I'm like, I played defensive line and I know about like the impact of Steve Smith.

So it's like, man, I got to get to the quarterback so then we won't have to hear about Steve Smith. But I only played first a second down stopper. It's like, oh, man, I hope this is passed, but I know I'm gonna get double the trip of teams game. So it's like I really have no impact on the game. But playing with Steve, playing against Steve is a is a headache, bro. And it's it's like every time. So that's every story

when it comes to Steve Smith. Every every story, people get a twisted They think, like, you know, the social media that here all Steve's a punk, all the ease, a thug. All he does is talk. Everybody talks on the foot ball field. That's the part that people don't get. There's so many conversations. There's like, well there's literally twenty eleven different conversations going on. How many times have you talked?

Or whether it's good or bad or and different against old lineman that you you may say something just in the heat of battle that like you may not intend for it to be harsh, but you will say something to somebody, say like old Lineman is holding you, and you say something to ref like ref, this guy's hold me, can you please stop him? And old Lineman says something that just triggers you. M hmm, yeah, yeah, every every every game though everything, and sometimes it comes from from

your linebackers or like somebody on your team. Like I remember my rookie year we played and we were playing I think the center name was Winter or something like the Frank Winters I think it was, and uh, I was like I wasn't making no plays, dog, and it seemed like the center would get up on a linebacker like so fast. And you know, you get to the fourth quarter where you're in the huddle and not the linebackers are talking about he man, let's play for some pride.

You hit a pride talk. It's like, man, I don't want to hear that jump so that I hate that. Man, let's play, let's have some pride. Guys that that automatically like the quarters didn't mean nothing. You already lost. So my my linebacker looked at me, Jeff Pulbrick, he said, hey, man, that's it. It's pretty good. Huh. I'm like, yeah, yeah, pretty good. Watch when you see this film and you're not gonna like what you what you see? Man? He was giving me the is my Rickie year man, nothing

not gonna do. I just gotta take that l Yeah, but I knew exactly what he was talking about, like, yeah, he is pretty good. The way he was looking at me in my eye, it's like he wanted to say something else, like looked me dead in my eyes and that senter is pretty good. Huh. Oh, what let's see the last time we went against each other? Who were you with? Who I wear? Baltimore? Then? Right? Who who are you? My? My last year with the Bears was

two thousand and eleven. I was still in Carolina, using Carolina, still in Carolina. Who don't think I don't think we saw y'all play with the Niners. Y'all plays when he was with Baltimore. No, no, no, when he was in Carolina, Carolina. But then when he was with the Niners that I don't even count that because we already knew he was gonna lose so listen, we went seven and nine. Who went fourteen? Uh, then we went four and twelve, and then we went seven and nine again my four years there,

two thousand three to two thousand six. So if ever a team got up on that, we was just like I was looking at the crowd, like, hey, make sure, like y'all get ready because I'm leaving right after. I'm talking to my wife like, hey, make sure you get everybody together because I'm We're gone right after this. This is this a second quarter? Wow? Yeah, Like hey you y'all,

y'all make your way right now. That's that's one of the most disturbing things is to come into a game and you've seen the weekend and week out and it's not it's not that will we lose? When will we start to lose? Is it? Check your quarter so you know it's coming. Oh man, that's some teams. Were you lying? You know? The as is on his way, on his

way to dude is at the door knock. It's like when you get in trouble with your us and to get that yeah, it's it's it's so defeating and it and it takes and it makes you and the part that sucks more than anything, because you know you're having a bad year organ or with the organization, the team isn't very good. And then you got a fan. You got a fan who just isn't You got a fan who just isn't um Like, they just kind of come

at you. Oh, you guys suck and it's like, really, I didn't know that really, And then so then you fast forward and then when you're winning and you're doing good. Now those fans who who's dog cussed you through social media and on the radio, now they want your autograph. Now they want you to be your friend. Oh this is this is the funniest jump in the world. Steam say, save me and you on the same team, right, And

they're a fan who like hasn't beginning any autographs. So they see me, they're like, hey man, let me get your autograph. They're like, yes, it's my first one to day. And then you walk by and they're like they're like taking the magazine that I'm signing, like away from me, like as I'm signing it, because now they see you.

That is the funniest jump in the world when you're signing an autograph, but they see somebody who's like more famous, and they start taking with your autographing away from you to get the autograph for the person that's hold on, hold on, And then when I say no, they go back to him. They go back to him. So do you finish? Do you finish? China? You passed me over. You gotta spot you got. I'm not about to play Adams right, passed me over like Auntie's potato salad. So okay.

So the last time when you were with the Bears, what year was it? I think we played Carolina and like Pep was like going back to Carolina and it was like it was like a big deal. Yeah. No, No, we went to I think we went to you guys. Yes, we went to you guys because y'all had um merryweather and safety, you remember, and y'all was y'all were dinging me. He never went for the ball, he never I ever. He hit me so hard he bat my face mask. Dagn Molly, watch you watch watch yours. I was about

your flowers, our flowers. You went eight for. Here's here's what I do remember. Uh, the kid from South Carolina, he went to Clempson, I believe, or South Carolina, um game cocks he was covering me, and I remember, uh, I remember going against We lost the game, but I think I have like eight And that's when y'all had I don't want to sound racil, but y'all had a a non brother playing safety uh Berman Chris uh Cody No.

He ended up playing for Tampa Bay Chris consin. Yes, Chris Conto and I and and Merryweather hit me, Ryan Marywather hit me, and then Christ tried to hit me, and I said, hey, like come on on, and we we kind of locked up. Boom. He goes, hey, we we come from the same cloth. Light switch one off. That's all you needed. I said, excuse me. And I took that personally, very personally took a person. I took we come from the same cloth, my me and you. Then almost two h this is this seven because then

like this was like three. This was like three catches in everybody. He hidn't bang bang. He said we come from because he hit and I said, yo, you're trying to do He said, hey, bro we cloth, we come from the same cloth. I said, Now, I'm not trying to be racist. It had nothing to do with his color, his that he had to do this I was like, first of all, when God made me, he did not make you out of the same material. No, what kind of material was he? Like polyester? He wasn't agent ating

our material. That's all I do know. He would the respect. I respect every opponent I go to. Now, wait, every time you lie. I respect every guy go go against. However, the conversation dictates how much respect do I lower the respect because I do respect him. But there are some things I've had some guys say some stuff. I'm like, bro, if we were just out and about in the real world,

like we will fight mhm, like literally fistfight. Oh my gosh, he got he got the and so like, there were guys I would go against and they were like, you know they after the game, Ah, Stevens, he's a punkies this bro. You said some stuff that was nonsense, and then I just kept going. But a lot of times you initiated a lot of times I disagree. I disagree. I raised you. I raised your reverse card because here's what I mean. There be times I'll catch a pass

and I'll spend it. I'm going they think it can cover you. Today, I'm really not talking to the dB. I'm talking out loud. You just happened to hear me. But here you don't think he took it that way. I don't care. I wasn't trying. I wasn't really going, Oh this guy numbered number thirty seven from this school. I don't. I'm like, today, we're balling today, let's go right. I would have that dollargue because when I was, when I trained the workout, I still have that open dialogue.

It's crazy when I run on a treadman. My kids, my wife and kids make fun of me to this day. At some point, are you one of those types? Uh? What is that? I can't stand it? Which? What? Yes me that let's go? Yes? Yes I am. I am a self motivator because you know what I'm just saying inside of your head. No, I can't because keep it to yourself. What I'm saying. Here's here's why you know what I'm saying inside. I want to get off this treadmill.

I was gonna say, you can never get a membership with playing Fish and they don't kick your anser up. But that's why I don't go to public places. I am saying to myself, why do we sign up for a forty five minute run. Let's do it. I'm doing a forty five minute endurance run, and I'm asking myself, why do I need to do endurance? Like I'm having a whole dialogue with myself. So I'm like, no, we are not going to stop. So we're metricularly. You're saying, you're saying we, yes, we My right leg and my

left legs, both of them legs want to stop. My legs, my legs are, my calf, my achilles, my knees, and my handstrings are quiet, and my glues stop running. My left one says, uh, this one's tight. My right was going he's tight. He really is. So it's for me. It's how many surgeries you had? I didn't. Um you're like medical lists. My joint is eight pounds, eight pounds of paper. I know your job got to be like I had. So I did my uh line of duty. I didn't get mine. By the way of the NFL.

Look at this man's a torn tricept right here. Like all the time I didn't get my back. You know, it's like somebody else's dog. My back slip out of place every month. Who who's back doesn't year old seventy year old something it ain't mine, my my un my medical. I got my medical to do. It was like, I don't know how you still because I had all my injuries. I only had a few surgeries, but I had all my injuries. All my knee and sprains were all like second and third degrees. So I never really tore in

places where I need to repairs. I always had a lot of rehab, so a ton of carless stuff. So and and it didn't help um that when I drove up to I drove up to Raleigh in the car um and I wore ankle socks. And it's a three a half three and a half hour job drive. So when I sat on the chair, yeah, I had swollen ankles, had some cankles. I can relate to that. Yeah, exactly, cankles. Guess what I got that line to do that if you catch when i'm do you catch you slide? But

I mean you also played sixteen years. I mean, so come on now, like they just that's automatic, bro, there's something wrong with you to make sure to make it sixteen years worth For car accidents. Yes, that's that's basically what it is like you getting into many car accidents and especially if you're on the line, you're seeing action every place. It might be times when you run a rounte where you gonna make a contact with anybody, but if you're playing on the line, that is attack every play,

including the penalties, which people don't county. You bring seventy plays, but we're not counting the fifteen penalties. Can only take one for you to hurt something. Good do, good do. Let's getting down to do it. Hey, Gerard, why did you get that T shirt? Oh? Yes, I got it from Cut to a Podcast dot com, where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys at seven or four shot. But yeah, you can go on, buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us whereever you listen to podcasts.

Mike Golic former NFL player. He was also known for being a host from Mike and Mike. A former NFL analyst and all around great guy. Mike Golic on the Cut to a Podcast With being on Mike and Mike, you have the opportunity because of ESPN, they call it

the car wash you guys got. You guys have had the opportunity of having so many different personality, so many different point of views, and then also so many different stars that come through tell me, you know, obviously me being one of those people that had the opportunity to go through the car wash, you know, we've got to know each other and and to some degree, and I and I don't mean this as derogatory towards you or

you meant it towards me. But when I had the opportunity to go through the car washer, because of the way I played, and because of at times the way I gave off what kind of individual I was a lot of times I heard, either from Mike or a lot of different people, oh you are kind of different from what we expect or what we've seen from you

as a player. Talk about why and what you have experiences seeing those guys come through the car washer, what you've learned about the persona or the or or the mirage of different players have come through the car wash of ESPN through Mike and Mike in the morning, the the some of the interesting things is the best thing you can do, and it sounds and you did it

was just be who you are. Just be yourself, because whenever you get on air, if all of a sudden you have to change into a different persona and you can't sustain that. If if if the mike went on every morning at six am and for four hours, five days a week, twenty hours a week, I had to go into an act and that would have sucked. And you can figure out really so, but the best thing is just to be yourself. You need to get excepted

for it or not. And that was the one thing, the piece of advice I would have for athletes that would come through. I would say, don't try too hard. You know the game. You're You're not gonna get put out. You're not going to get thrown to the walls. If you're if you're here from the NBA on a car wash, you're gonna talk NBA. If you're here for NFL, you're gonna talk NFL. No one's gonna try and side swipe you,

make you look bad. We're here, we want you to come back, so we're gonna We're gonna put you in a position to win. So just be natural, be who you are, Be conversational because the producers and such will try and every time, every now and then will say, okay, when you talk, this camera will be on you. You look at that camera, and I'd be like, don't worry about that ship. Just talk to the person that's talking

to you. Just have the conversation with them, and be yourself because you're gonna talk to a lot of different people who talk to you in different ways. Just be yourself. Just be conversational. Don't try and put on an act for anybody. Don't try and to get too in depth, because you know, while a lot of people want to think they know all the ins and outs of the games, they don't. You don't have to dive into unbelievable breakdowns of offense or defense. Just do it enough so people

understand what you're saying. And have fun. Man, if you want to crack the joke, crack joke. If you want to laugh a little bit, laugh a little bit. But that was really the biggest thing I would say, because a lot of times we had them first because our show was in the morning before they would move on to the next radio show or the next you know, noon sports center, and then on to the NFL Live and then on to six o'clock Sports Center. So we get him first, And that's what I would always say.

Just do your thing, Just be yourself, just be your personality. But I've also had guys and they're great players. A great player who shall her name remain nameless, and unfortunately has passed away. He came in and I was talking to him before his audition for for one of the shows, and he said, man, just tell me how to get through this. I don't really want to work too hard. I just want to kind of get through it and skate and just you know, have this as an easy

second way to make some money. And I'm like, dude, that ain't gonna happen. I said, if you're gonna come here, be specific to a show, you gotta put your time in. You know. When I first started working NFL Live, know, I called coaches and I called talk to players, you know, and I made sure because the one thing Stephen, I know, as you find out when you get out of the game and you start criticizing guys you just played with,

and you know, you damn well better be right. Because I would do that, and then I'd be out on the road for Sunday Countdown and a player would come up and be all pissed at me, and I'd say, what did you hear? And of course you'd say, you know, my brother's friends cousin Dad heard you say this, and I'm like, come on, did you hear me say it? What did they hear you say? You know? And they would say and I said, no, I didn't say that.

This is what I said, you know, because you get some sensitive guys out there, so you had to know what you were saying. If you were going to criticize him, you had to you had to know that or just say, hey, I'm not sure the coverage here or I'm not sure what the blocking scheme was, but it looks like this or it looks like that. But that was the biggest thing I think I would would tell the people is man, just just do your thing. And the best one of

all that that I have ever been around. I knew him when he was at the Sixer and I was with the Eagles. I mean, he's been on my show a ton as Charles Park. I mean, you know, Chuck being Chuck is about as as as good as you can get. And some people like him, some people don't.

But he's just himself. And I know Steve, that's something that I know to started you right away as you just you're just were yourself, you know, and that's what is going to carry somebody so you don't have to put on an act as you move up in the business. Was it difficult at first for you, though, to to just be yourself as you were going through Mike and Mike, and as you talked about in the car watching early on, as you were transitioning from playing to be analyous like

you are now. I don't know. At the time I was. I was always I'm still nervous. I was always nervous, but I had the blessing of talking beforehand. And what I did. What was what was the blessing before is I got some great um, some great advice about people, and they told me, don't just do a segment, stay for the show. And when I did, when I participated

in the whole show. In the whole show, I mean, at least you know, I didn't do the whole four hours of Mike and Mike, but I did the last two or an hour, an hour or long enough that they got a sense of who I was to where When I started doing the show with them and I signed a contract with ESPN, I was scheduled to do

six to eight shows. So we got a report where there was a show on there what we just talked about being an athlete and finances to to the where we had the opportunity to talk in depth of they gave an opportunity by by accident, to show that I was just more than a guy with a personality or a guy with a you know, a chip on the shoulder, a guy with and an opinion, but more of a sound opinion or a little bit of a little bit of education to where there are times because we are

an athlete eats you kind of just shortcut and sometimes the shortcuting, the shortcut version for a former player is the dude can't play, He's not very good. They're gonna get blown out. Because as as athletes as former players, we hear the fans who live they see their team through rose colored glasses. They really do, Oh, our team's

going to Super Bowl. Or a great example is I've gotten a lot of flaking and I've gotten in my head on head, Like when you think about the Cleveland Browns and you think about well, when I think about Baker Mayfield, I see the US against the world, there's a part of me where I go Bro. You play for a team that has not made it to a playoff, game in twenty five years. It's not you against the world. Your team sucks. You haven't been to the playoffs for

twenty five years. It isn't biased. It's just a calcul lation. Twenty five years. You haven't been in There's so many other teams that have been there so many other times. And you guys have had twenty one different quarterbacks. You've had seventeen eighteen different head coaches. The football in me an analysts in me is going, well, I'm you know, I gotta take off my shoes to get a calculator to calculate how many different moving parts have been before

this epic season. So no, we're not buying it. We're not drinking the Cleveland Brown kool, even though Cleveland is. And so there are times where people get in their feelings. But it's also the lazy former player in me is do you can't play? And so I have to challenge myself, and I'm challenging myself this year's how do I find the ability to say why I don't agree with this player and why don't think he's successful or I think

he can be successful. Great example is I'll have to talk about Juju Smith Schust and I've been very critical of him because I know how much time, how much social media presence he has. He has a huge social media presidence, but your social media presence can't be better than your actual statistics. But he also because of his social media presence, he and he's on a legendary, historical team. And then the absence of a b has really put him in a situation where he's been thrust it into

a role that his game cannot sustain. But if he goes to a different team and has a bona fide number one wide receiver, Juju Smith Schuster will be a great player as a number two because he gets to play in the slot. He gets to utilize and go against a Will or Sam linebacker who can't cover him his lower body stick. He knows how to get in and out of his breaks. But the lazy football player of me, he's not a legitimate number one. He's not.

But he's a hell of a number two. But you gotta have an alpha male out there that allows him to be to eat up the double teams and let him do his job at one on one and the mismatches that he can bring to the table. That's what I miss and I have lacked and I'm gonna improve on so it doesn't come across where I'm just this angry sixteen year vet who's jealous. B I'm not jealous that you get to get knocked, you get to get wallowed like I used to get wolloped, But anymore I'm not.

I just know it takes a lot more than social media presence to be a great player. And he has all the twols in his tool box and shed to be that player if he's put in the right position and has that number one wide receiver to play. So that see, that's what you did right there is what I tell I certainly told my son and have told others as well. When you or a former athlete and you're trying to explain something, don't tell me why, tell me why and you just did why you would be

a better slot? Why why? Because of them? You could don't just say Like It's like when I when I am in the booth analyzing the game, I tell my son the same thing. Don't don't tell the audience what happened, Tell them why it happened? Why? Why did that play work? What happened during it? Because people at home watch the ball. Okay, Well we as like when I watch a game. When I do a game, I start from the outside, d

I see where the damn ball is. I start from the outside and I try and get the coverage, see what the formation is. And after the ball snap, I worked my way in because I know what I'm seeing on defensive offensively, that's gonna take me to the ball. But I can see the big picture. So when the play happens, it's like, Okay, we saw this happen. What just happened? Well, y'all saw what happened. Now I'm gonna

tell you why it happened. I'm gonna tell You're gonna see something that you weren't looking at because you were watching the ball, and this is why it happened. So what you just it? There is the way to do it. It's why did that happen? Not just yeah, you're lazy or he can't do this or why can't he? Or why can he? And then the difference you get hamstrong a little bit by TV shows I did on NFL Live.

When you're on set, isn't it so great to have this expanded way, whether it's a podcast, right, a four hour show when all of a sudden, the cameras on you, and you got thirty seconds, thirty five seconds to make five points, and you know you can only make three of them. Or you have a four minute segment with five people on set. Yes, and oh he gets better? Is better? So you got a four minute segment. Okay,

five people talking. Each person is supposed to have forty five seconds, and that forty five seconds is also your host, so that tu up. Now, don't get an old toast. Now I don't have this problem. Colleen is awesome, but don't get a host who wants to show that they can get analysts. So they take their seconds. Oh they're going to fifty five, and then your next behind them or second? No, no, no, no, stay with me, Stay with me. Host. See he's going over. I don't have

allocated time here, So you gotta four minutes. Five people. The host has forty five seconds, he goes fifty five. Then the second person has his forty five and he or she gone, man, but jam ain't taking my time. I'm gonna make my points. Then they go forty five. So what is that? Somebody went five? Somebody went ten

seconds over and say I'm the last person. So then the next person goes, oh, I'm gonna go fifty two by the time you get if you're the last man, if you get your turn, you got thirty second and they and a producer before you get, a producer goes, make it quick, Make it quick. This was supposed to be my best fight. You are a thousand percent right there. Get your ear and they say you got twenty and then you get then you get the wrap, Wrap it rap. I got a producer told me rap one time I

looked at him in a camera. Or if it's not a point that I want to make. And you have a what they call a hard rap, which is they got a big time commercial coming and they pay some good money, right, And what do I mean by good money? McDonald's. McDonald gave a whole bunch of money or week on a commercial whether you're talking or not. And so you don't and then or you don't want to interrupt your host or counter analysts and be perceived as rude, right, or you have a host, or you have an analyst,

which has happened to me before. You have an analyst who steals your line because you have a production meeting, yep, so there's a lot of things go on that people don't realize. Talking trying to make a minute point in thirty five seconds. It's tough. Ye. It is my first time ever being on air on Thursday night. I was supposed to go first red button hit Steve you go.

I didn't go. I just looked. Then I came back and luckily Marshall took it scared scared when you have When I was interviewing, it was some of my best TV because I don't have anything loose of me. I don't have anything now all of a sudden, I got a four year deal. Man, I'm trying. You're trying to impact the first year to make it to the fourth year. Now, I mean my fourth year and going I'm like, they say they like me, are they gonna you know? Am

I getting a salary reductions? The pandemic you know kind of more? Man, this is nice? You know, so all of that stuff. TV is not for the fainting art. It's not easy. It's it's extremely difficult in time consuming, and you have an hour show. It's only really forty four men. You've got commercials, you got scenics, you got music. Don't have an interview that's taken away from the content. Oh man, that's a minute and fifteen seconds on the on the show. That's that's showing that. So it's it's

it's pretty interesting. TV is a it is a living, breathing organism in which when the when the camera stops rolling or when you're in commercial, it's still going. There's dogs and and and conversations and good things, bad things. It's a lot of stuff going on. And then you just gotta you gotta do it every week. You gotta find something unique. What is my unique perspective about this

boring ass event? Sometimes especially super Bowl, super Bowl, super Bowl because of the pandemic this year, sixty one hours. You know what it really you know what it normally is in the non pandemic, A hundred and twenty five hours of coverage that in you're talking you only can talk about Tom Brady and the football and the and the running backs, and and if you're not on every show at the exact same time, other people are gonna have points about the same football game that you have,

So it gets pretty unique. You are a unique person. You are well worth it, You are competent, and most of all, your Lovable. I'm Steve Smith, singer John and this has cut to It. Cut to It with Steve Smith Senior. That Is Me is a production of Cut to It LLC, Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows from Cut to It.

Executive producer Steve Smith, singer co host Gerard Little John, talent and booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John Show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is produced by Brian Baltaschevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by Alex Lebrek. Production coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, Lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard about it, then we're about to let you know. It's all right. There's no with