Cam Newton and Hard Knocks Preview. PLUS ESTONIA

the world has ever seen. HBO is raising the bar yet again by going behind the scenes with not one, but two NFL teams from the first time ever in Hard Knocks Los Angeles, HBO's unparalleled access to training camp where weaking new heights with the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. I'm Peter Schrager, host of the NFL Networks Good Morning Football Show, and I'm back as your host of the official Hard Knocks podcast, the joint

production from HBO Sports and NFL Media. Every week, I'm gonna provide you with the recap show you want with an added layer of behind the scenes access and information. Typically, you go to a water cooler at work and discuss what happened on last night's episode. Loose flash, probably not

happening in this August. Subscribe to this podcast because I will be breaking down the most intriguing storylines with people in the no decision makers at both teams and the actual producers at NFL Films and HBO who have boots

on the ground in Los Angeles. We'll be discussing the team's highly anticipated moves to their brand new stadium, the Chargers quarterback battle between to Rod Taylor and Justin Herbert, Sean mcveigh's plan to get the Rams back on top, and of course we'll talk about all the challenges that will be coming from navigating a season amidst a global pandemic.

So go ahead right now and sub drive to the Hard Knocks Podcast on Apple podcast wherever you get your podcast to make sure to watch Hard Knocks on HBO and streaming on HBO Max on Tuesday nights beginning August eleven. It's the Hard Knocks Podcast. We are here, que the water sprinkler noise and let's go be Around the NFL Podcast, will beat the Medium See Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hansas and I am enjoying like heroes in a virtual sense.

Mark Sessler, Greg Roseal, What is up boy saying? Greg I'm not Greg, I'm leaning on you too. Wanted to ride out the silence, like be then in the silence and see see what happened. That's the kind of stuff makes me very anxious when suddenly I'm not talking, Greg's not talking, Dan starting to raise an eyebrow. You gotta be comfortable, you know, we had You know, if you wait for the music to write so you don't talk when you're supposed to talk, and then when somebody else

starts talking, you start yelling. We did a really good um zoom type chat with Neil Reynolds and Kurt Warner and Baldy and all sorts of personalities yesterday Thursday for the nfl UK audience went really well. Chris Westling was even part of it. And yes, this reminds me again of how much we miss west both for his great insight and personality and also for the very simple fact that he fills that gap after I throw it to you, guys, Hey, Dan, that's just sort of a throw back to you. Then

you can and you can. We we just I just saw by the way that uh, that show that we did yesterday, Cliff Avriel jumped in, Rob Ryan um Is on NFL game Pass, which I think is still free for people out there. That's cool for all for on both sides of the Atlantic. You're saying, I don't know, Neil Reynolds must must be right. It was fun, It was fun. It was great to see Weston and west

quick update doing well. He's going through it and we hope that he'll be joining us on the show very soon if things line up the way we hope they do. But for now, you're stuck with the three of us, and we have a nice show, UH lined up for you. Get you caught up to date where we are. The window is closed for the COVID nineteen opt outs. The final number mark sixty nine, maybe sixty seven sixty nine? All right, Well, should have gone with my first answer

and nice bro Gronk's favorite number. So we'll get into that. And also coming up next week, I like any slice of normalcy we could find. Hard Knocks returns next week. I have a preview piece going up on the dot com on Monday, and Uh, I got to speak with the show runner of Hard Knocks. Um great guy. So well, I'll share some of that conversation I had as well. But before that, let's do some news. You know that that's where you're rubbing up against another body for hours

on and in that definition of football. That's how you define football on Wednesday show M. Well, that's true. I

stand by that. It's just a lot of ugging up on people's body ultimately another body for hours on and in I think you can find that in Steve Belichick's scouting methods on page twelve, if you ah, if that's where you pulled that from Greg, I mean it's true, like when Tyrone Smith is matching up again, like Tyrone Smith and Ryan Carrigan have spent more time rubbing their bodies against each other than like many couples in their seventies and eighties have for for decades. I mean, that's

just what they do three hours at a time. Will you allowed? Maybe there's another way to put it, But would it be as evocative? Is uh? Really it would not? Certainly not. You. You are on the right track in terms of winning listeners, and I like it. Let's start with Greg's favorite team, the New England Patriots. The throne of ease Tom Brady gone, no problem because now they have Cam Newton as their new quarterback. Perhaps Jared's did

him is in the mix? Of course? Maybe Brian Hoyer starting sixteen games for Rosie's team this year, We don't know. But Newton I spoke with the media in a very fashion via video conference, and he had this to say about life with the Patriots. I brought the fresh air to be honest with you, and uh challenge that you know I had to expect each and every day. But no challenge is ever gonna be greater than the challenge

a personal challenge that I challenged myself personally. Um, yeah, we all know what that was and what that is and it needs no mentions. Newton also added that he understands the challenges that lie ahead, but yeah, that's the same for me. I think I got my hands full with trying to language much as people in short period of time, and that's what I'm trying to do coaches day to day. Getting the assistance you know, from from Oyster as well as Stitty. You know, those guys have

been on the leievable throughout this process. Greg, you gotta love what you're hearing. Maybe we don't love his hair, Maybe the hair is a little crazy, Okay, are you kidding me? I love the whole thing. I mean, the hair is crazy. I like the outfit, the crazy glasses, the Babushka. I mean, he's still going with the bab He's got the Babushka with the map and I don't know what's going on, but it just makes it all like reminds me, Oh, this is gonna be wild and fun.

And he's calling you. He's got he's calling uh, Brian. He referred to the other qbs on the roster as Oyster and stitty. You know he's uh, he's Oyster, that's Hoyer. I guess that he comes out of names for his quarterback. Was that a nickname? Is that he actually not? No, he cam I guess I didn't know this, but it was from a tweet from Jonathan Jones Um at CBS, who says he always nicknames all his quarterbacks that he

plays with, and so that their Oyster and Stitty. Um, he's like fired up, but he's also he said, waking up mad every morning. That his family is in Carolina where he would have ultimately liked still be and uh, you know, play, and so it gives him a little extra motivation that he's all by himself up there in Foxboro. It's just gonna it's gonna be a wild ride on the field and off. It is the perfect, I think way to just like get over the Tom Brady departure

is just go totally opposite and totally crazy. Yeah. I mean it's you know, you kind of it's almost easier to forget about Tom Brady because instead of a personality free Jarreeds did him, just that we don't know jareds

did him? We know Cam And suddenly Cam's in the most intriguing landing spot and you know, you just have to ask what happened to guys like Matt Castle and Frankly Brian Hoyer, you know when when he went out on his sojourn to start around the league and you know, flittered back to New England in the end, Guys like Jimmy g it's great to be a quarterback other than Tom Brady New England. You you find out that you're gonna get paid on the other end of that, and

I think it's one of the best. Um it's not a rehab assignment. I mean everyone's concerned about his body. It's a great match and I'm sure this line annoyed um Da and highly uh, when he said that he was blown away by the professionalism that he's encountered in Foxboro. You know, frankly, he was in Carolina under Ron Rivera probably considered to be one of the more professional oriented programs out there, but New England just takes it to

another level. Dan, and I would imagine that's not what you were aching to hear on August seven, I could not care less about that quote that of all the things I get angry about with the Patriots, the fact that they're well running professional that's just a fact of life. There's nothing again. But what if he looks like a like a muscle bound front door ready to run over the rest of the a f C. East does that

annoy you? Well, yeah, then if he was great, But like I said, when when the side, we'll see what happens. We'll see if he's still anything close to Cam Newton.

But really, the perfect way, since you guys brought it up, for the Patriots have handled this quarterback situation was to actually foster a positive relationship with the greatest quarterback in the history of the sport, Tom Brady, and he got to finish his career where he started it and just have some class as an organization, but they went in a different path and best of luck to him. I hope it goes great, no doubt, use you know, I would believe. I think you probably have the best hopes

for New England. You know, you know it's great. Right now, you can't see it. I'm going to do a screen grab for the listeners. Greg is staring with a demented, angry look at us, and I thought it was just in silence, and I thought it's because he was unhappy with my Cam Newton Patriots takedown, which I thought was stellar. It turned out that Greg's screen had frozen and he had gotten booted off, and now he's back. I just I was hoping you would have just keep talking until

I was back. This really ay. I have the screen grab. I'll send it to you after the show. Particularly upset with me for my comments taking down the Patriots enterprise, that was the moment where I realized I didn't I was not plugged in like I normally, and and things were going haywire on my internet and it was all on me, unprofessional, unlike that Patriots building. All right, let's let's move on. Bad news for the This is actually serious.

Cornerback DeAndre Baker has been charged with four counts of armed robbery. That became official on Friday when the Broward State Attorney in Florida UM made that announcement. It was up obtained by network insider Ian Rappaport. And if Baker is convicted, this is serious stuff. The punishment comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison with a maximum life sentence. The charges stem from a May thirteenth incident and Miramar, Florida and Baker twenty who's twenty

two years old, I was formally charged. He was accused of stealing money and watches from four men at a house party and he this went down. Quentin done are the Seahawks. The cornerback was also initially charged, but the States Attorney announced Friday they declined the prosecutor to file criminal charges against Dunbar. So we'll see where that goes. But both players still on the Commissioner exemple list, Mark and Dunbar and Baker a first round pick last year.

He might be done with the Giants at least. Yeah, I don't see him joining if he were to have a ten year sentence per se probably not gonna be hopping onto the one New York Giants defense at that point if they still owned his rights. I mean, for you, you can look at what they've done on offense in in s Quan and Daniel Jones, there's no reason not to like them and other pieces they've added on that

side of the ball. But on defense, I don't I can't remember the last Giants defense outside of some of those like the latter Super Bowl year, where you really thought the defense had any identity. They struggled to with some of their draft picks get any sort of momentum going here. And this is another example, first round pick

totally wayward. And can you you know, can anyone out there like name the the Giants defensive coordinator who, by the way, he was coaching the defense you know under a special teams coach Joe Judge, not a guy with a defensive but it's Patrick Graham. Patrick Graham who last year pilot like the thirty second uh thirty second ranked Dolphins defense. And maybe he'll be great, he'll be fine,

but he's very inexperience too. So you're right, that's a fiasco and he's gone because Ian is on our air saying the Giants are gonna start going after his money, and it seems pretty clear they're just ready to watch their their hands of him. Dunbar. The news there that they're dropping the charters, and you would think that the NFL he's not gonna punish him, or wouldn't punish him severely,

is significant. Dunbar played awesome in Washington last year and now with Jamal Adams, Seattle's got a case for one of the best secondaries in the entire NFL, and I think Dunbar is a key part of that. And their defense, which I'm I'm not in love with overall, at least not upfront there as bad as they've ever been. Suddenly with that secondary, and then maybe they sign Everson Griffin

Michael Silver mentioned earlier this week could happen. Then you're cooking with Gas a little bit and you feel like they could be right right back in the mix. Looking at Clay Matthews to potentially so what happened with that thing? You would claim Matthews something he wrote or said on our show like a love letter. No, I it would be poetic and something like an inexpensive late you know, latter career and his sister. His sister responded to you

on Twitter, you put that up. That was on NFL network to Mathew and neither from NFL network executives who probably thought that that landed like adult thought as well. But I mean it made some sense. Um. I think the Brown's front office basically is just not into these veterans like this. That's something the kind of player they want where the Seahawks definitely are right. It's I think it's would be a great fit or why not try

it in Seattle. I'm not gonna tell you that I'm deeply nuanced on how well claim Matthews played in his lone season with the Rams last year, but I would not be as surprised if an evaluator called him more name than game at the stage. But it wasn't great, but he produced, did not have a lot of hurries and hits. It's one of the things that's weird with Griffin, although I guess you have to understand this is a guy who's openly battled mental illness and you know that

interrupted his career. Everson Griffin was one of the best ten or twelve pass rushers in the NFL last year. If you're just looking at Hits, Harries and sacks. He was productive. He's thirty two thirty three. But man, the Seahawks, I think about the I mean, the Patriots have so much cap space and no pass rushers they could use a guy like him. And Clowney is still out there as well. We'll see what happens with that. Uh COVID talk, it's COVID talk. Six offense players have been benched over

COVID nineteen concerns. They land did on the list on Thursday. We'll see what that means. Though we just talked about this the other the other day. These guys go on the COVID list and the assumption is, oh, they have the coronavirus, and then a few days later they're they're back in the building because it's a false positive test and all that. So we'll see where this where this

goes for these players. But uh Shack Lawson, Rae Kwon Davis, Benito Jones, Brandon Jones, Solomon kid Kinley, and Kirk Merritt all landed on the COVID nineteen list. Um, so we'll keep tracking mat and on the on the subject of opt outs and COVID nineteen, we talked about it on Wednesday show TREDDA. Treddavious White, the star cornerback of the Bills, has decided not to opt out of the season. So when the Thursday four pm Easter Denloe came and went,

White decided he was gonna stick with the Bills. In very good news for Buffalo in Miami. Some concern, Yeah, the six players all happening on the same day, and it being in Florida where not only the Marlins, you know, the baseball teams run into trouble, but obviously that the state is in trouble. It's just it's just eye opening um to watch and you wonder what would be like during the season. But the opt outs, I think people around the NFL that work in the NFL are almost

heartened that there wasn't more. That sixty players wasn't too bad. It is important to note that they still can opt out if things change, like someone in their family gets sick or if they have an underlying condition, they could still opt out. And I feel like that was the deadline, but it was the deadline basically for the voluntary opt out. So I think if you have a medical reason, you still could and wouldn't everyone over like three pounds they have a medical reason. I don't get that part. I

don't know you have. There are a couple of teams down to like two offensive guards right now. I mean it is impacting that those alignment especially is impacting certain teams. Jamie Collins, I thought, you know, he had some interesting comments. He basically and you know, we argued this as a group. I think on our last show that the deadline for an opt out, if anything, should have pushed been pushed

down the line. I get, you got it. Front offices and coaches have to organize what players are going to go into the season with. But Jamie Collins basically said that a lot of players just don't feel comfortable with the time frame and knowing enough at this point and said, look, forget the deadline. The NFL is deadline to a certain type of player means nothing. And you're gonna still get people that say, you know, you're not right. You might

not get the hundred and fifty thousand dollar loan. But to someone like Jamie Collins or or Russell King, for instance, who's reportedly considering retirement because he's sold if he sat out the season, it would probably be it. Um, the deadline means less because they don't they don't necessarily need that that hundred and fifty thousand dollar a lot. Right. In other news, it's kind of a weird one um this.

According to Mike Arefolo of NFL Network, the Raiders logged onto a zoom team meeting, expecting to be addressed by their head coach John Gruden, but instead it was an assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich and He informed the team that Gruden had been hospitalized because of COVID nineteen. But guess what, waca waca, That wasn't true. Trudon and the Raider's staff wanted to test how the players would react and prepare them for this most unpredictable

NFL seasons. And let me just say this, boys, this is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. That's really what this is. That what I don't even believe it. By the way, what it really was was Gruden just wanted to mess with the guys. That's all it was. It wasn't like and I guess it gives you a little bit of cover. It gives you a little bit of Ever, when it leaks to the media and he's like, oh, this was a test, but really he was just right,

And um, I think we should bring back WACA. WACA by the way, I think even if you don't know where it came from, like that's it's awesome and then and everyone knows, everyone knows what it means. I I wish Hard Knox was there for this one because we you know, we were on that zoom call and and Neil Reynolds did a great job integrating like the nine different people on at some point it was like Cliff April and and Warner and us and Ricky's on it.

But you know, the zoom call can be awkward, and like they announced that Gruden as COVID, Like I doubt it went over as some like super great joke. They maybe are trying to like snuff out who's like secretly excited, Like they're looking like they're gonna look back at the tape and see who they pumped their they kicked them off the team. I don't know what the point of Yeah,

I don't know. At one point they kind of hatched it as hey, here's the punchline, look at me on Gallagher, This was a really funny stage move here to suggest I have Corona. I mean, what point does that like? I don't I'd like to see the reaction. I think it's kind of like playing a trick on your children, like, oh, you know, Grandma's no longer around, and then an hour later like, actually she is. You're you know what. It

was just a good joke on Dad's part. It reminds me of one of the Great Office episodes when Michael tells Dwight that jan had called him and said that he has been demoted and Dwight was now the branch manager and it was not true, but he just wanted to see what Dwight would do and let Dwight go down in flames, which is what happened. I guess that's maybe he's an Office fan. Maybe Gruden's a guy that just like he streams that he loves it. Yeah, he's

a master motivator and a master comedian. Yeah. I I mean I would imagine human resources, might you know at some point say that this isn't the tactics were trying to approach Corona with. But that's their issues and only in the news. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the NFL is considering using virtual fans and stadiums. They see it as a viable option for game days. This has popped up with the n B a major league soccer. We've seen it. Fox is using it for MLB in their

Games of the Week on the weekends. Uh. You know, I used to have a take on this a couple of weeks ago, and I was all fired up about it. But now it's just like, whatever makes people happier, and as long as it's not too distracting, fine, I have fun with it, and like I'm super I you know, have only been on the baseball thing for a couple of weeks. You guys are the experts, But I don't miss well, the cardboard cutouts to me, Um, I'm not getting either fine to you. I'm I'm in your camp, dwan.

If people like to cutouts, have a nice time with you. Those are a little distracting to me, actually, but well they're too big that like, you don't need humans that are like weirdly sized. But I don't miss fans from a t the angle at all. In fact, I mean, like I'm not even seen what the plus is to be honest, I mean, if it's on the radio, though down to baseball fans in the sound of baseball, especially

on radio. To me, I think it's great. Football stadiums also at like radio football, I think is great when you can hear the fans. I could care less. On the TV side, it isn't I've watched more NBA in the last week, and my family has been probably the last three years combined, and there is something to the intimate feel of it that I think it's cool. I mean,

fans would be better. It's fans are important in an indoor basketball game, but there is sort of this intimate field where the players are going crazy, but you know there's no one there, and it's kind of I don't know, there's something cool about it. That said my son, we watched a lot. Every time they focus on the fans, he caused them. It's like, oh no, those creepy fans. So they're losing the five year old boy demo, at least in my house a little a little creepy. I

think no fans is crushing. I think it's kind of heartbreaking. There are small positives when I'm watching Yankee games, like the the sound of Aaron Judges bat when it makes contact with the ball the way it echoes through the stadium, or when an umpire is getting just absolutely destroyed by a manager over a strike zone. You can hear that stuff now, but the absence of a crowd is really to me, like it cuts deep because it's part of the whole experience to me as a fan, is that

crowd at the game. And and I just hope this is a one and done deal in two thousand twenty, right, especially these stadiums, and like you're used to like eight people the in NFL game without without fans, is it's gonna be weird. We're gonna hear the football games because I think it's gonna end up being empty stands across the country, even though I know the states, some of

the states are hoping to use fans. I think it's gonna be very odd, especially with football, and you're gonna hear just that clatter of the pads and then a lot of hooting and hollering on the sidelines and otherwise. Is I feel like it's just gonna be strange, very strange. That's this year, all right, That's what's happening in the news. Before we go on, gentlemen, I just want to talk about voting. Only six of eligible Americans voted in two thousand and sixteen on the field or at the poll.

SI is not good enough. NFL Votes as a league wide initiative to support and encourage voter education, registration, and activation efforts of players, clubs, and fans from now up until election day. Inspired by ongoing conversations with players, NFL Votes will leverage the NFL platform to empower and improve our communities through exercising the right to vote. Join the NFL family by Red jerk Stirring to vote today and make your voice heard this November. Visit NFL dot com

slash votes to learn more. That's important. You can get your mail in ballot in eighteen different languages here in l A County. What it's amazing. That's a positive. Yeah, And many people upset about the direction of the country. Well, you don't get to complain if you don't vote, So do what you gotta do. That. See, that was just editorializing that. Now, that was that was a fresh um.

Unless you're like fifteen, you can complain if you're politically active and you're not allowed to vote, you can you can still complain if you politically active in your fifteen go, you know, try to get a girlfriend. You don't, go play with friends, have some fun, don't worry about there's so much time in your life to worry about geopolitics in the state of the nation. When you're fifteen, be

a kid. That's that's another right. If anything right out And when you're eighteen, I mean it might be you might just you know, get to that point. Um, enjoy your youth. Greg was on the Big Club, so I imagine as a teenager, Greg all the way plugged in. Um, I was more into it. I was more into it that I was warranted. Some people don't have the luxury to ignore it until they're eighteen. You know, they gotta they gotta get involved. With a very woke comment there, Dad,

that's what a great comment from Greg. Hey, children change history. Alright, um, all right, let's talk some hard knocks. I'm so happy that Greg brought us down there. We got a little too flipped. Thank you. Greg. Oh yeah, you know it. You know what that is. And if you don't, well he's probably gonna have premium cable. That's a problem too. Greg. I know it's disappointed that so many of our listeners might not know Hard Knocks because it's such a great show,

all right, So Hard Knocks. Hard Knocks is coming back on Tuesday on HBO and it is titled Hard Knocks Los Angeles and it will cover for the first time ever two teams, the Rams and the Chargers. Like I said, I have a primer preview type piece going up on the dot com on Monday, and I'll set it up this way in terms of a conversation. So, and I know this is something you've said many times before, Mark that, and I think West as well, although I think West

just isn't much of a Hard Knocks guy period. But one thing that you kind of can get a little down on with Hard Knocks sometimes is if you've watched so many of these seasons, and this is that the show can sometimes feel predictable after a while. And the world decided that Hard Knocks would have no chance to be predictable this year. And the way these training camps are set up, the fact that there's no preseason, it completely changes and up ends what Hard knoxes. And I

had a conversation two days ago with Ken Rogers. He's a vice president with the NFL and he has run the show at Hard Knocks for years now, and he said, yes, like it was kind of maddening to try to scramble to get this show going in but also in his words, creatively inspiring. And I really like this quote that he had that I'm that I have in the piece and

I'll read it to you guys here. Uh. And it's in relation to the premier, but the show in general this year, this first episode to us is starting to become a look into an American workplace, going back to productivity in the midst of the biggest story in the last one hundred years in American culture. It just so happens to be the industry is football. But anyone who watches this is going to recognize what people are going through. And he and Ken told me that don't back to

see a lot of football. Obviously in this premiere, it's more about what's gonna happen, the strangest things. We're gonna see first overall picks and first round picks meet their head coach for the first time, put on their uniform for the first time. This has been everything has been so mangled by Corona that all this is happening in a very different way. So if you're looking for a

different type of Hard Knocks, this is the year. I. You know, I've come around on this because initially, before everything happened, I was a little bit down on the idea that we were revisiting the rams um just because something that really got that. I before the RAMS episode even happened that season, I already in my head pictured these like very sort of cliche l a um backdrop, you know, establishing shots before you go into more predictable stuff.

Forget all that. I think this is actually we are kind of lucky to have two teams because we've been hearing, you know, covering football for weeks. Teams are doing to

deal with Corona and it. You know that the team facilities look different than they ever have and ever will again that it's completely alien to everyone involved, and it's cool to see one team handle that and we learn a lot more than we normally would from a Hard Knocks in general, but to see how two teams do and how they do it differently, um right there in the same city. I I go into this um pretty excited to see it, because it is impossible to hit

those normal beats. You're not gonna get bored by the normal beats. There are no normal beats right I. I think it's a look into a world we're not getting into anymore as a media. Makes me wonder if if they will you know what training camps are going to be like when this is all over, because it wouldn't surprise me if media has cut back a little bit. But you know, one of the reasons the news is

weird this week, like the road to World news. I mean, nothing, nothing's been going on because there's no reporters in the building. You know, things are happening behind the scenes. I have a feeling that our news worthy in terms of ease or different things in terms of making plans for the season and players. For the most part, right now, we're just working out, but we don't really know about that because right now the media access is just you know,

a couple of zooms a week. No one's in the building. No one really has any clue of what's going on. And this should be granted, a sanitized version of it, and you know, a team approved version of it on some level. But I still think it's going to be interesting based on all the hard knocks has gotten in the past. These teams have to be loving the The access has been going this way um slowly, year by year, but the limited access now it's like they probably never

wanna going from daily daily. I was thinking about that that he went from daily press conferences. Not to mention he got to skip about ten between April and now he's gone from daily morning press conferences two once a week, you know, and it's on zoom. He doesn't even have to be in the same you know room as uh low lifes like like Tom Current, you know, ouch Current takes a shot kidding an amazing an amazing reporter and

an arrow to the breast. Uh Ken also gave me a little bit of an insight into what the vibe is there. So these guys and they're all already locked into the routine where they show up, they get tested, uh they go through that process and there you know, as the weeks go on, it will become more and more like football. But that wasn't what the first week

and their coverage was. And he also said that the building is not used in the way it has in past years, so a lot of things are outside even I believe, I believe he said with the Rams team meetings are under a big overhang outside and they're using zoom a lot more. So you'll see Hard Knocks using zoom calls themselves. You'll see they have to use a longer lens to try to capture things because everything is

more at a distance. But I thought that maybe they'd be working with skeleton crew as well NFL films, but that's not the case. They're at capacity compared to past years, and that still means thirty personnel at each site logging, and then once they collect what they have, it is then the editor's job to go through four hours of footage for one episode. So it's really cool conversation and you could read about it more on Monday when my

piece goes live. But you know, I just I think, I think the thing that I when I was thinking, all right, what else will be different now that the structure has been upended. One thing that I think they'll lose, which they probably will struggle to get back, is I always thought the heartbeat of the show is studying some of the long shots, some of the guys that are bottom of the roster, undrafted or seventh round underdogs, and that has always been where Hard Knocks is really thrived

telling those human stories. I think it's like the only reason my wife watches Hard Knockses. She loves that human element of it. I don't know how they're even gonna find those guys when part of like the narrative process and the storytelling process of Hard Knoxes, you meet these

guys early in camp. You get to know them their families and then their chance to shine as the preseason which doesn't exist, and the rosters were cut down from eight, so it's it's it makes it takes it from a long shot to almost no shot to make the team. I wonder if we just lose that element and you

can still fashion a story around it. You're right, you're not gonna get the like assistant coaches pumping their fist after like excusees me Week three, like huge like wide receiver eight yard touchdown that somehow he makes the team on But like their story is I think is gripping as ever, because you've got like legitimately good athletes that have no chance um that are on the outside, and like, can one of them penetrate that like force Field and

still get on the team. That would be cool. It's just a while till there is competition, that's the trick. I mean they you know, they're gonna have their first show on Tuesday. I guess practices will start. Lighter practices they're starting I think next week on some level, and then the padded practice August seventeen. So there's that, there's

a pretty long build up towards there's any competition. But in the meantime, you just gotta lean on the personality of Jared Goff, you know, plug in what is the

personality of Justin Herbert? Like I do think like there's a couple of players here where it's like I have no idea what Justin Herbert who he is at this point we've been given no access, and it's like I'd like to I want to see because it happened three years ago with your Brown's marker, two years ago, Anthony Lynn and the coaches breathlessly talking up Tyrod Taylor only to Bencham for the first round pick in week three. I mean, it's happening, will happen to think has got

a longer, a longer chance this time. We always do, we always do. He'll yeah, he'll be He'll be spoken of and hushed tones by the coaching staff on this show though, as one of the great quarterbacks we've ever seen. That's just the way it is with this, all right, So check it out. And of course I write the recaps Tuesday nights on NFL dot Com. I've been doing it since two thousand twelve, which is insane. So check that out as well. Our knocks love it. That was good.

Oh and don't forget one other thing. Schreg Bomb Peter Schregor a buddy Good Morning Football. He does a hard Knocks podcast and he has good access himself. You heard that at the top of the show, Um, the trailer for that, So I would say go check that out. That would be what I would do. But check it out because Shreig Bomb is great as he is on

every Timeay he's on the show. All right. So before we go, Mark, you promised us a top ten list of why you love Estonia, and before you do that, I just want to touch on something um from Wednesday's show, because I thought that your aggression about my Canada top ten list and your aggression towards Greg was a little unfair and it was aggression that I don't think should go unchecked. So I just want to tell you that

I am going to enjoy your Estonia list. But I also was heard a little bit by your behavior at the end of the show, because when Greg rightfully pointed out that the reason you were so mad was because you would claim the Blue Jays, the Toronto baseball team, as your own, that did get me thinking that, you know, you've been killing baseball for many years and then you become a baseball fan. I had no problem that. I was happy for you, and then when I mentioned Canada,

all of a sudden, it's it's an attack moment. I mean, number one message received. And you know, like we've been doing these for hundreds of pond hundreds of hours of these shows, and there are moments when I'll sign off and think, huh, I maybe could have handled that a bit better, and I'll think about it for like the next eighteen to nineteen hours, And that might have been one of those cases. I adore everyone. There was some

character attacks. There was some character attacks during that. Well, you know, when you get into it on the show, you gotta you gotta bring the heat right. So it's like I did that and I maybe brought too much to an issue that didn't require it. Well, Dan is like very forgiving and open hearted. You know I'm a smaller person. Well, I lost greg friend emotionally and and you know as part of that, you have your top

ten you know list about Estonia. I guess coming up. Well, I've got my top ten, uh favorite things about lat Via. You know, Estonia's big time rival. I'm a big fan of lot. All right, well, I like this. There's some you know, let's see. I hope that's true. I don't know if it is. Let's start with mark, and I will give you the floor mark because I said my piece, I'm that piece of it. I liked your response, so

we're cool. Now. I will be supportive of your top ten. Okay, I'm a wildly imperfect person, so take my apology to be genuine. All right, here we go. Ten cool things about Estonia. Let's go. Number ten. Estonia owns the fifteen quickest internet speed in the world, faster than the United States, by the way to look at me United States. Number nine. The capital city of Taleen features a puppet theater, which recently staged their own version of Roman Polanski's Chinatown True Story.

Number eight. Astonia has a bar dedicated to depeche Mode. It's also the birthplace them Very Good Band. It's also the birthplace of West fetish Margus Hunt Little NFL Connection for you. Number seven. Estonia's young mothers are rich with nutrients. Number six, home to the Werner Sisters, is Estonia, who became famous for crossing into Rush on weekends to assassinate

naughty horses. Number five. You know what we don't need to do the rest of the list, Ricky, Take us to the real song, Take us to the rat Yo, turn my mic up a bit. We're all my Estonia is at He's so trean. Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice to Knowingia, Estonia. It's really nice knowing you. Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice knowing you.

My name is Mark Sessler. I'm Estonia's biggest fan. They got these frigid winners across the whole land, voted best Internet in two thousand twelves, Canada, UK and the US collecting dust on Ah. You know my favorite player. I can't even front the big BMF monster named Marcus, Hunts, Dan and Gregg. All they do is wine, my Estonia is. All they do is sha Stonia, Estonia. It's really Nicetonia, Estonia. It's really nice Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice Estonia, Estonia.

It's really weird day. Oh he's in Estonia. Was smooth goal with some girl. I just read the line girls, I read the lines that. You know, I have a writer who helped me with some of those lines. Um, someone attached closely to the show, and I thought that it was a supreme job by the writer. Did Yeah, this was like a long apology to when Mark got the Baltic States upset a couple of weeks ago. I

didn't even connect all of that that. It's all you know, you've been feeling well, you can bring you can try to bring your lot being heat. Let's see that was great. Well, I love to but I got really enjoyed on it. I'm already late to pick up Walker, so Lot the Latia will have well, good luck to you and I will see you all right. All right, Wow, Mark, that was I didn't expect that. I gotta say, well, it's a character for you. Yeah, I don't think I thought

it was good. I don't think it's a career path, but I had I haven't you know, we have a talented producer. So wait, was Ricky the ghostwriter on it too? You're saying, or is there somebody else involved? Ricky? Does? I mean? She can do it all? So she did do it all essentially, um on this production outside of me delivering you know, a C minus uh rap showmanship there. Yeah, Greg likes rap. But now the only documented rapper on the Around the NFL podcast is Sesslor Sessler dropping bars

and the biggest of all spots. Not who you would have been on. But take it seriously, you know, would you think Ricky? Be honest? Now you're you're close to the product obviously as the producer and co writer, But what did you think assessor's flow? I I was super impressed actually because like I wrote it to that beat and then I recorded, you know, like the first songwriter's track so he could or of copy mine, and yeah, he killed it. Well i'd say this, you know, not

I think there's a way to improve. But um, I was dedicated to do it. And if that was the first take, I could have re recorded it fifty times, you know, but I said, first take, bang, let's keep it raw, let's get That's what Estonia does. Awesome dude. Awesome, but a way to go into the weekend. Everybody. Mark Sessler drops a rap solo in the biggest of all spots. Um, do we actually have listeners from Estonia by the way, Oh, yes we do, Yes we do. We had someone send

in the video which we can share. What's up that I from odsdown Duden just wanted to say much loved Greg Ricky West special. Shout out to Mark as I like to call him, for his unwavering belief in the Estonian people, and shout out to Damn for being the fan Canada or whatever it's just want to say when he was staying in the show, keep up the good work, and uh and thank you. That is our listener Christian from Estonia. And there are others he believes there are others.

But it's a small nation, you know. It's not a gigantic listenership there, right, And I don't want one thing. I want to make clear the Christian kind of insinuated a little bit there. This is not Canada versus Estonia. We don't need that, No, we don't, because right, why lop off like our third largest audience in some sort of in house feud feels not productive. All right, good

good stuff. We'll be back on Monday. Hopefully we got West on the on deck for next week, but we could just cross our fingers on that one, and until then, everybody, have an excellent weekend. Bricky, you stay out of trouble. You're You're a house on fire behind the scenes right now. And I just want you to. I don't want to. I don't want to read you in the news. What's that home alone this weekend too? So if if, if I'm if something bad's gonna happen, it's probably gonna be

this weekend. Oh my god. Alright, well, I guess Mark and I are gonna have to come over and keep you company. You're gonna have to any minutes, all right, that's it. Turn my mic up a bit. We're all my Estonia alright, Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice to know you, Estonia. It's really nice to know in Estonia. Estonia. It's really nice to know Estonia. Estonia. It's really nice to knowing you. My name is Mark Sessler. I'm Estonia's biggest fan. They

got these frigid winners across the whole land. Voted best Internet in two thousand twelves, Canada, UK and the US collected dust on US. You know my favorite player I can't even front the big bm it monster named Marcus hunts Dan think Greg. All they do is wine my Estonia just all they do is shah Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice Estonia, Estonia. It's really nice in Estonia. Estonia. It's really nice to know. And Estonia, Estonia is really

nice nowing you wheresay? Oh he's in Estonia is small gold