Happy Half Hour Episode 9: Hot dogs, Mustaches, and Mayhem

invite Miles. So does this mean that I get sent home next week? Because no one? No one wants that. I've seen on Twitter that people say that I'm recording from my bathroom and it just really doesn't sound good. So I'm gonna I'll just there's another room over there that I'll go hide in and record from over there because no one wants to hear me from home. Is it a bathroom? It's not a bathroom. I promise producer Matt knows where it is. He's gonna hoop me up. Okay,

it will be a bathroom. And we are just kidding, of course, we wish Miles was here, but I was already here in the stadium. Today. Will had been recording from his bathroom and it just wasn't cutting it. So Miles took win for the team, uh, and just staying home until we can figure this all out, how to do it all safely? Miles, we miss you, buddy, do you really? I mean, you don't have to say that. That's okay. I bet Will doesn't actually miss me because

we're not really friends. It's been weeks. It's been weeks since that one. Apparently we're we we've lost our friendship again. It's so easy to just start the show that way. I don't know, it's just kind of rolled off the tongue. I don't even know, like if that's a real thing or not. Now I probably shouldn't just let it go. I can let it go, Will, whatever you say, it's okay,

all right, I'll survive. Well, one thing that I cannot let go, and look, I know this isn't an audio medium, but I can't not reference the fact that Will is rocking an incredible mustache. I mean it's I know that that doesn't do much on a podcast, but well, it's you can't not talk about I'm sitting across from you, and this thing is it's majestic. Majestic. Yes, I I

like that. It was it was time for a little, a little trim on Monday, and you know, started on the outside, went to the bottom and then got to the mustache last, and it was like, nope, I'm gonna keep it. I'm gonna I'm gonna leave it and see what happens. So it's there for now, Miles. Can you ever imagine going mustache for yourself? You know, I've done it for a Halloween costume, but I just feel like I'm mustache. Will a question about facial hair, like, what

is the worst facial hair you've ever had? Oh? Um, I think I tried whatever this is? You try a soul again. No one doesn't help anybody. Yeah, it doesn't even help me because I'm not pointed to. He pointed to right up underneath his bottom lemp. So that's the soul patch, right, I think, right, I can beat that. I went chin only goatee for about a year and a half. It was roughly, but you committed to it, Matt, Yeah, for a long time. And now Matt, now that I'm

looking to Matt you still have your mustache. Yeah, I went with a mustache as well. I got bored and guys, me too. By the way, no one can say now, I'm just kidding. I'm the only person in this room without a without a mustache, So I'm feeling a little left out or you can change that. I can't, Thank goodness, I can't. Um, I don't even know what to say now. I'm just thinking about the fact that if I had grown a mustache and just walked in, what if I

just do that next week? Guys, It's like, hey, what's up anyway, Miles, we miss you. Um, you may have to have a mustache upon entry next week if if we're all in here together, we'll see. But more importantly, it's not just Will and Matt and I that are back in the building. Of course, the team is here. Training camp is under way, and we've heard a lot

from players this weeks. So we're going to share some of the best or most interesting things that we have heard this week in a new segment we are calling Overheard Overheard Alright. First up, we have got Stephen Weatherley, who was just a quotes machine. Everything he says is gold. But we really liked this one, um, where he is talking about the d line, and he begins this by comparing Brian Burns to his former Vikings teammate Daniel Hunter.

So take a listen, Um, I see very similar freakish style abilities in regards to body awareness and body control that d has um back in Minnesota. Regards to speaking of Burns right, and so he very much knows how to use his body, how to position his body to get past the tackle for pass rush and the Ryan game. Uh, he may not look overly big, but he's very strong and very confident in places behind his hand, so he

he sets good edges. And then uh, dv Derek Brown, he's a he's big like I'm big, But he's big and he does not move like he's big, Um, which is always a great thing. So once again, learning how one another plays, that's what's going to determine how well we play as a defense, because we definitely have pieces. Believe that, because I really like that, and and Will we were listening to these a little bit earlier just to pick out our favorites, and you made such a

good point that this is really where it all starts. Yeah, I mean last year it was almost like being a dead horse of like the defensive line, the run game, stopping the run every week, week over week, and it was obvious this is where they you know, address this in the draft. You know, the very first first round pick. Uh, Derrek Brown d b as as Stephen calls him. You know,

he's he's a big guy. He is big, and so you know, like seeing him and seeing what he's going to be able to do next to KK Short on that line, getting Brian Burns back health. You know when when Burns was in there, you know, he was just wrecking offensive tackles, you know, being able to he had so many different moves, He's able to set the edge. Um,

he's bendy as people say. So you know, I think that there will be some people that are surprised by this Panther's defensive line, including having Weatherley on it as well. I just want to give um some numbers because you mentioned how big Derek Brown is, and of course even Weatherly mentioned how big he is. I love that part in the quote where he's like, I'm big, but he's big. So Dirk Brown is six five three, and you think about Stephen Weatherley six five two sixty five, So I

can't wait to get there. We're gonna be able to see practice from our safe bandage point next week and just see kind of the two of them standing beside each other but six five at three and can move. It's it's so exciting. I'm so excited to see what Derek Brown does at this next level for the Panthers. Uh, Miles, I gotta say, I really like it feels like this d line is jelling from everything we've heard. And I know you have been locked in on all the things

that these players have said, have been saying. You agree, right, the rookies, the new guys, the old pros. It feels like it's really coming together. Yeah, it does. And I think what's good about it right now is at least what Weatherly said is that because they have this longer ramping up period, they have more time to communicate together and to start to get the develop those relationships that are going to be so important on the field once

they really start getting going. And it's interesting because when you have so many different pieces that are going to be able to cut, that that have to come in and that have to contribute, and you know, everybody knows what k Short's done throughout the course of his career. But somebody like a Derrek Brown, you know, he helping him get integrated and making sure that he is on

the p's and cues from jump. That's gonna be really important because what I've always liked about defensive linement, and they say this cliche throughout the league, you have to stop the run in order to earn the right to rush the passers. So that means first down, second down, You've got to keep opposing offenses in uh an unenviable positions, right you don't you want to keep them in second and long and then third and seven or longer, so that means you get a chance to pin your ears

back and rush the passer. And is what was just saying. You know, last year with Panthers was like beating a dead horse, right. The run defense just was not good. So if those guys can gel upfront well enough so that they can stop the run, well, well that's gonna mean good things for guys like Brian Burns who can

get around those edges so well. And then you have somebody like shortened Derrick Brown who can push the pocket up the middle, and then we'll see on the opposite end, whether it's Gross Mattos, whether it's Weatherly, somebody else can then rush on the other side too. So those how those guys up front play on the early downs is going to determine a lot about then how they're going

to be able to get after the passer. And mom As, while I got you here talking about Weatherly, you talk to him earlier this offseason right for a piece, and I think he's gotta be like, he's gotta be up there in contention for the team's renaissance. Man. I know there's quite a few, but he is just I think the most interesting guy. What was the most interesting thing

that you learned about him? When it's you know, not relating to football interesting because there are a lot I know I put you on this thing now, but it's it's it's it's fun to talk to somebody like that because he has so many different interests and I could point to him playing I think eleven different instruments. He did a glass blowing class last year when he was

with the Vikings that I thought was very interesting. Um, he's also really into social justice causes and so like even a couple of days ago when he was talking. He said that, you know, the decal he wants to wear on his helmet is all black lives matter, not just black lives matter, because of the way that people might see him one way because he's a professional athlete, but you know the other his the other members of

his family, those black lives matter too. So what he said was all black lives matter, not just the ones you root for, right, So I think those things come to mind. I guess when you ask what else is interesting about him? And that's a cop out because I

just said three things instead of one thing. But I think that's so kind of indicative of who he is because literally we picked we could have picked any quote from his press conference because he is so interesting, so eloquent, you just want to be around I just want to be around him. I want to ask him a million questions. So Miles will give you that one. You know, I said one thing, but he's just such an interesting guy. We'll we'll give you three or four. Another very interesting

guy is Robby Anderson. So we heard from him and we picked out one of his quotes that we liked a lot. He spoke about the culture of this Panthers team, it's just it's it's just the standards in you know, he's planning to win, and you know, the process, like it's literally like the saying like listening to cold snow defensive coordinate that he spoke last night and I didn't remember like the exact things that he was gonna say, but it wasn't nothing like, it's nothing new to me.

And I know those things that they that they closed behind, what they live by, and I've seen it firsthand that it worked. So it's just I feel like the thing is with where I'm at, I can feel everybody here, like the energy. Everybody's bought in. You know, I've been places where some people are some people aren't, some people are established, they don't you know what I'm saying. I just feel like it's a collective. It's a collective. Everybody's bought in and on like pretty much on the same

page and trying to win. We're not. I don't feel like the you know, sometimes you get a new coach transition, it's let's focus on the futures for the future. I don't feel like that's the like that. I don't think anybody is trying to wait. So yeah, Robbie. You know, he spoke today about Coach Rule, his relationship with Coach Rule from Temple and what he sees. You know, this was a guy that was with the Jets. You know, he's been around um, he's been around this league a

little bit, and he's something different going on here. And I think that is really worth pointing out that these guys, there's a culture, there's a hunger, there's there's some chips on some shoulders here. You know, people feel like they're underdogs. And I think that that's a little bit by design and the way that this roster was kind of created the spring and summer of Rule knows what types of guys he wants in this locker room and the way

they're all going to feed off each other. And I think Robbie is a big example of that and is really kind of speaking to that right now. Well, I think it's interesting what you said about this underdog almost by design. We heard Christian McCaffrey last week and in his press conference says something to the effect of there's a lot of guys on this team with something to prove, mostly to themselves versus anyone else. And you think about a guy like that. Saying, Hey, we're kind of underdogs.

You know, I'm kind of kind of kind of see myself as an underdog is just interesting. Um, considering all that he's accomplished and where he is in his career, Uh, Miles being around football so much, do you like that kind of mentality from rule of Look, we got something to prove to ourselves. Um, let's go out there and do it every single day. And that's the kind of mentality that we're gonna adopt this year. Yeah, everybody's everybody's

got to get an edge somehow. You have to create that sort of mental edge for yourself, and I think Tom Brady does it by, you know, saying that everybody thinks we suck and can't win any games, right, And like I remember, like he said something to that effect over the last couple of years when he was with the Patriots, and I bet he'll say the same thing

now that he's down in Tampa Bay. And it's just like that, whatever that internal motivating factor is for him, it works because it's strange because literally nobody was saying that the Patriots sucking can win in the games. I don't think anybody said that over the last twenty years or even now as they're going through a lot of

changes up there because they still have pill Belichick. But I think when it comes to having a new coaching staff and a young roster, you have to instill some sort of edge, some sort of mentality, and I think that that's kind of tough just considering that these guys didn't even get into the building together until a weeker too ago, right, so you had you didn't even have an off season where you could really start to get to know people um on a on a face to

face basis as opposed to just over the internet with Zoom calls and Microsoft team calls. So now that they're in the building and this culture is starting to get established, it's going to be how do we make sure that this team is connected enough so that we can go out and accomplish what we need to accomplish on a week to week basis. That's hard to do, you know,

with with a new coaching staff. It's hard to do because a lot of times new steps don't exactly know what their personnel is and how to best utilize that personal into a few weeks into the season, we'll see how that you know, turns out this year with the Panthers. But I think if everybody's on the same page in terms of what the culture need is and what the culture needs to be, that's the first step. So as long as the Panthers are taking that first step right now,

that's a good sign. All I can think about was when you talked about Tom Brady inventing slights, I thought about Michael Jordan's yes, Will Will nodding to that poor guy, the poor was it a rookie that he said said something to him and then it turned out it never happened. I'm trying to think of his name off the top of my head, and it wasn't there someone on the

hornets to think he did it too as well. But there was that one poor guy that was the focus of one of the episodes of The Last Dance UM that he said, oh yeah, he insulted me at halftime so I had to go out and score, and he's like, yeah, twenty years later, like it never happened. But Miles, you're right. You got to get the edge wherever you can. UM. And of course coach Rule is trying to instill that mentality and that culture UM. And one of the things we have heard him talk about so much is is

toughness and competitiveness. He wants guys who are going to be tough and go out there every single day and compete, and that's not just on the field, that can relate to anything and eat our Rosmatos proved that earlier this week when he was talking about the hot dog eating contests that they had. I knew, I know, coach role was,

you know, big on competing this stuff. So there's no rate I was really gonna get out of it because went out there and competed um eight nine nine hot dogs and in the three minutes, and I don't anticipate in any hot dogs anytime soon. So the rookie d line came out took the dub in this hot dog eating contest first of all, each eight nine hot dogs. That feels like a lot to me, Miles, what are your thoughts on that? It sounds gross man, I couldn't

eat that many hot dogs in one sitting. More gross smatoes say to us face, well, work, I feel like to do a fail horn for that pun there. You used to just mute his mic when he said stuff like that. Yeah, go go back to that we're in the studio. Now anything's possible. Oh goodness. Eats a lot of hot dogs, and I loved He was like, look, I'm not eating any Morgan, but I did when he he got asked the question about the hot dog eating contest, and he was so serious as you hear, He's like,

what coach rule likes competition. I went out there and I tried to have that competitive mindset and I I loved it. I absolutely love that kind of stuff. Will what's the most Like, have you ever done anything? And I've I've won a competitive eating contest at a minor league baseball game. No you haven't, tell us tell us the story right now. Yeah, So, like there was it was like the end of a doubleheader, so no one

was around for the second one. And I was friends with like the marketing assistant for like the single a team in Charleston, and she's like, hey, we have to do this. You know, Buffalo Wild Wings or whatever whoever. The sponsor was like a chicken wing eating contest, So can you and your friend just do it? And yeah, so it was like hot wings. You know, I had I Yeah, what were your stats? Come on? What's I think it was at least like fifteen in in like a minute, and hot that's a lot in a minute.

I don't know how much it would have counted because I kind of left someone the bone, you know, I was able to kind of what's going to inspect? Yeah, you screwed through and you cannot get the big chunks, and you just keep going, you know, you keep going, Yeah, who's going to go in there afterwards? And and really just you know, so, oh this one's got too much meat on, but let me pick it up and inspect it. No one's Yeah, so obviously this is something that Miles

would a poor competitive eating, right, Yes, it absolutely is. Yeah, that's that's really gross. I mean, like I love chicken wings. I love hot dogs, but I want to enjoy them, you know, like I might have chicken wings for dinner now keep talking about them. And I got some frozen ones from Costco in my freezer. Like that sounds delicious, but I'm going to sit down and I'm gonna enjoy them, uh, non competitively. Um do you guys, what do you guys put on your hot dog? For topics? Because this is

actually a big thing for me. Catch up, that's it? And I lived in Chicago for two years, Chris, and uh, what's happening over there? Just drop his phone in protest, I dropped my pen that I was holding. Sell you that much, listen. Okay, so this is obviously something you guys don't necessarily know about me. But I'm a big team mustard guy for for hot dogs. Did you just did you just adopt a Midwestern accent on a mustard

guy in the Midwest like our mustard? Yes, because mustard is the You don't put ketchup on a hot dog. You're not a child. You gotta stop doing that. That's That's probably one of the more grown up foods I eat sometimes. So I don't have a strong opinion of hot dogs and just us. It's a thing though, No, okay, it is in the In Chicago, you cannot say and like I said, I lived there for two years, you cannot say that you put ketchup on a hot dog. I guess when it tastes better, I don't care. No,

it absolutely does not. It's a bit of bolting to do something like that. That's terrible. I can't believe that you live there and you would tell people you do that. But so usually in you know, situations where there is a press box and there's press box food. A lot of times at halftime there will be hot dogs, right, So I will go and get a hot dog and put mustard on it, and I take a picture of it, and then I tweeted with the hashtag team mustard. I

would be doing this this year. But I don't think that there's going to be a situation where we have hot dogs in a press box anyway. But that's it's like, it's I could, it's but that's my thing. So you know the fact that you have sat here and said that you only put catch up on your hot dog, it's it's it's a little bit of a problem. Well what do you put on your hot dogs? I'm going to judge you for this, aren't I I think it depends on the venue. So I will go, well, so

like dog. Yeah, I mean, I like I like some relish, Like I like relish, but I also don't want to be in a situation where, you know, at halftime, this relish can get on my nice shirt, you know, at a football game. Like if I'm you know, if I don't really care, like i'd like to, I'd like to kind of fill it up and put a lot of things on it. But yeah, I will say I'm team catchup. Thank you. And this pains me to say because I feel like we're both on Miles bad side now. But

I gotta be honest. I think Relish is gross. I'm well, that's tough. Yeah, just catch up. You know, if I can pick on this podcast anymore, I think we'll we'll looking daggers at me that I just insulted Relish. But I don't know. I'm a simple relish. Relish isn't acquired. It's because you know you have good at It's good at a game too. Yeah, it's a little bit texture weird, but I mean I didn't like relish forever and then I kind of started trying it and I'm like, this

is actually pretty good. I agree with what you're saying about. I mean, I still wouldn't order one. But it's different if you're going to like a baseball game and you know they've got the it's there's it's venue specific. It looks a lot more appetizing, I would say then than any other time. So um, but you know what doesn't is mustard just playing mustard on a hot dog. Never it's mustard and something usually right, so it's it could

be mustard and onion, mustard, relish mustard, sour crowd. If you get a with all that mustard and there's a there's a reason why I'm single, right, I feel like I was not. I mean, looking from the apparently once a week during NFL season, that's a significant amount. I think that I felt. I sort of felt like I was describing like the SpongeBob Wombo as I just went through bombology, the study of Wombo first rate SpongeBob. You can turn my mic off now you we don't know

what happened. We lost you halfway through that, and then you just came back and started Wombo and spun Bob. You were still going. It was amazing, My god, it was. We're leaving it, leave it all all right? Yeah, that's even weirder. Now, Okay, I've open. I felt Miles took one for the team. Will how to get out of his bathroom. I was already here, and now Miles is at home and we're teasing him about us hot dogs. We'll make up for this. There's also some weird stuff

going around on my part. I don't know if you guys can hear it through like the microphone. But there's like some crashing stuff going on outside my walls. I don't really know what's happening out there. It seems like people are moving furniture around. I don't I don't know. I'm confused by it. Oh that was amazing. This was just I did not know that we were going to get so passionate about hot dogs. Um, but I'm glad that we did. Absolutely that we did. Absolutely. I definitely

feel like I know you guys better. Yeah, and you don't like us anymore. I think I think you like us, you know us better and like us less. That's a trend to each Yeah, every week. I don't know how how low the bottom is, because we keep going lower. I was actually I was pretty good. Well, we all know that you you know, are are down there in miles estimation. You know, guys are not quite friends. But I think I'm going now with my hot dog takes.

I think I'm I'm scooting pretty far down there with you, so we'll see. Look, Mile is gonna Mile is going to be here in person. He can't you know, he can't deny us. You can't make fun of us for our hot dog takes right in person, Miles, We'll climb back up. We'll climb back up the list when you get here with us, fair enough, and I have faith. Um, all right, I'm gonna hand the mic over right now because it is time for something, the debut of something

that I'm very excited about. We are calling it the Minute of Mayhem. And uh Will texted me, gosh, this was a while. This might have been after we recorded our last episode, and you said, I have a surprise. I'm going to do something on the podcast. I have an impression. Do you want me to say what the impression is or do you want to say what it is? No? I think you you have more experience with this world, so definitely, and you need to set it up all right.

So for this week's Minute of Mayhem, Will is going to do an impression of something that is very near and dear to my heart. Um, and that is a solo radio host. You know. I think it is truly a gift to be able to talk to yourself for four hours straight and in some instances right, Um, I could never do it. I it is insane to me that anyone can can pull that off every single day, and I think it really takes a special breed a person. So well, when you texted me about this, I've been

excited for this for a week. For a week. Oh my gosh, the pressure now. So without further ado, Panthers rebuild or reset. You tell me they're young, but it sounds like they're hungry. You don't want to mess around with a young, hungry team with a chip on their shoulder, especially when you have no idea what their playbook is going to be. You don't know who's lining up where, you don't know where the blitzes are coming from. You don't know who's going to be in the backfield touching

the ball. Who do you guard, especially when the ball is coming out fast, especially when you have the best, best, best running back in the game, especially when you have the fastest skill players on offense and a quarterback that knows the system. I'm not saying I'm just saying, hungry, hungry. I'm hungry. Do they won't have any snacks? I'm hungry. It was the dead air that did it for me. The dead air where you're like, is this a commercial break? Oh my god, Tennyson, I was trying to keep it

together over here, Miles, what did you think? How did he do? Could he host his own radio show by himself? I mean I had to mute my mike because I was laughing hysterically. Matt, please edit in some fake applause right here, because that was wow, wow, wow, wow, that was great. Um, but I do have a question, sir. Uh yeah, long time listener, first time caller. Uh, you don't know who's lining up in the backfield? Um? I think we do know that. Who? What do you have

to say? Who you know? Who? No? I'm serious? Who? Who are you? Like? Where can someone screen these calls? I don't know who this guy is calling in? But no, no, seriously, who is lining up in the backfield? Christian McCaffrey, Reggie Bonifon, Cartis, Samuel D. J. Moore, Teddy Bridgewater, Alex Arma, Chris Man, Hurts, Ian Thomas? Who where are you talking about? Tight ends lining up in the backfield? Back? Man? I'm I'm an h back guy. You really you really think that? Believe?

I believe in the H back. I don't. Maybe it's just because I watched Sean McVeigh run an eleven personal offense for you know, two plus years. Um, but you know, I think it. I don't know where I'm going to go with this, but I've thought that that was hysterical on on a solo radio show. He would have cut you off as soon as you started disagreeing, and then what would have just kept going on his point exactly.

It's like you hear the listener, you hear the caller, and then all of a sudden they're just not there anymore, and then another five minute tangent. Yes, that was wow. That was that was great. I'm chef's kiss for sure, it was. It was great. Um, can we get another one of those? At some point in the future, can we have will Brian radio hosts come back? I think was it actually a minute? Though? Because it felt like it could have been longer. I should have timed it.

That's a good point I didn't think about. I think it was Usually was pretty close. Usually we tied me on these. Thats true, we do put miles on the timer. Yeah, it was. Next time, it needs to be exactly sixty second. It was a lot harder to do in the studio because I was I'm looking at it. Kristen was literally falling out of her chair. I was trying to I was trying to not make eye contact, but I couldn't start, and then I was trying to not laugh. It was

too much. It exceeded my expectations. Thank you for that minute of mayhem. Oh my gosh. M all right, we're gonna wrap this up our weird question of the week, and this one is coming to us courtesy of Patrick T. Vogel, one of our amazing listeners. He tweeted us and asked, with Shark Week coming up, which type of shark would you be? And why? I love it? Because you know, on this podcast we get to all the hard hitting questions what do you like on your hot dog? And

what kind of shark would you be? So Miles, the floor is yours. What shark would you be? I would be a great white shark? Because okay, that's okay, real original. Yeah, I'm a great white shark gun Shark Week, So I think we should start eating Miles. The baton has been passed easily. It was just that joke. Um any specific because it's the it's the king of the sharks. That's true. That's reason enough. I like it. Well, what about you tiger shark? Okay, The tiger shark eats everything they find.

Tiger sharks with all sorts of things inside them. They not not hot dogs of ketchup. Surely if if a hot dog with ketchup slips in there, then who's to say? How dare that tiger shark? It's not a child. They eat everything. I like it. I like it. I'm gonna go hammer Head, uh, only because I could only think of two, and that was the Great White and I was like, wow, that's not you know, someone else is

gonna take it. I was right about that. Hammer hads the only one other one that came to mind, And uh, I kind of like what they got going on, you know, one eye on one side, one eye on the other checking everything out. I'm a fan. Also, the the blue shark jumps out of the water the whale. The whale shark is the whale shark is yes, yeah, in the ocean. Alright, so you're clearly a shark. Weak guy. I looked up.

I looked at Patrick. Thank you so much for that question. Um, all right, that is gonna do it for us first time in the studio for Will and I on this edition of The Happy Half Hour. Miles. Uh we hope that we get to see you in person next speek and everyone, thank you for listening. O