Choose Your Own Adventure & Gene Deckerhoff Joins the Show

all right. And and on the on the subject of trying harder, Um, we all wish West was with us right now, and we've talked about this over the course of the season. He brings in the hay Dan off the top. Until West is back, somebody else has to step up. This is a leadership move. And Patrick, you're a frequent guest, but I don't expect you to be that guy. It's got to come from gregor Markel. Wait, hold on, usually me. But when we have a guest, I kind of let's see if they want to jump

in it is. It feels, it feels odd, it feels difficult to do as as the guest at this point. And so I was just as you said, I was going to leave. Is not a guest though at this point, Claibron is not a guest. He's you know, he's an honorary hero. But be expected. He can't be expected. I mean, I just know that if you're one of these people on NFL dot com who logged onto like a gigantic motherboard computer in your house to watch this, you're thinking this show is off to a roaring, roaring start here.

I do. I do think about that sometimes because I don't know how many podcasts you guys listen to. But I do find myself fast forwarding, like the first three or four minutes of a lot of podcasts where they're just kind of like screwing around before they really get

to it. And I do wonder, you know, I would think I would like our first three or four minutes, But I do wonder how many people are like, yeah, maybe not these, but how many people are like that, like me, just asked for it until they get to the real stuff. I don't know. I don't know. I always listened to every second of a podcast. I even

listened to the ads. I actually slow down the playback on the ads so I could really soak in we don't do ads for for some reason on our show with the NFL, but for most people that that's a part a component of doing a podcast. Anyway, Mark, I looked to you. I've worked with you for over a decade. Now I would like you to step into that boid until West returns. I'm just now we're just gonna ask for it. You don't have to help me, but I will.

I will. But it's a it's a sharp right turn from the semi tradition we had established over the past couple of months. And I thought, you know, Greggy's he's been a management figure before. He understands um adult responsibility. And today he just went totally silent. So it's like quick now now it's Mark's issue to deal with. Well, not thankful for that, alright. So we are a well oiled machine, obviously as we hit Super Bowl weekend. Yes, this,

this is it. There's a big game coming up on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Patrick Mahomes against Tom Brady. Incredible stuff and um, you know, on that subject, and we got a great show coming up, very excited, a special guests, a guest that you know what it's a It's one of those moments. It's when like, Okay, we're we're doing something right because we've got Jeene Decker hoof coming up later on the show, the voice of

the Bucks. But before we get the Gene, before we get to the news including one of the biggest quarterback trades in the history of our league, let's share some opening Super Bowl thoughts get us going, Yeah, this was the same show a year ago, um that we were on a boat. Um, there's a controversial show. I don't know if we're gonna have as much excitement in this show as much controversy, especially when when my opening thought, it's just about Patrick Mahomes and this feels like the

most obvious hill to be on. Um. But I just want to like appreciate this moment with Mahomes now in his second Super Bowl, uh, in his third season, because we we kind of assume, Okay, this is just what it's gonna be from now on. We don't know that. I mean you, we kind of thought that with Brett Farve when he won three straight m vps, he'd be

in the Super Bowl a lot. We thought with Dan Marino, you know, not that I was around back then, but maybe the only quarterback um that has started his career as fast as Patrick Mahomes uh when he got to the Super Bowl in his second season, Like, Okay, this guy, I'll be back in Like we don't know, but this is the greatest player I've ever seen. It's the player just in terms of pure talent that's given me like the most joy of just like I can't believe I

get to watch this guy play football. Of course, getting to see him do it against Brady is like amazing, But I'm just not assuming it's always gonna happen, Like this is his third season and it's the third time he's gotten into a monster game, the second Super Bowl, but against this awesome Todd Bowls defense where it's boom er bus. Like I'm just gonna like enjoy the mahomes of it all, soak it in. That's what I'm looking

forward to. There. You, in fairness, there is a lot of assumption on your part with that particular player you said about two years ago he's the greatest quarterback of all time, So I would think you're already spinning forward to another player I've seen. But sometimes it's not all about the quarterback. Things things can happen, and who knows what could happen uh in his future, But we got him right now. We got him right now in an amazing game with him at his peaks. I'm looking forward.

I do find it like slightly shade throwing that Greg just went on like a four minute speech about Patrick Mahomes when the quarterback he's playing, Tom Brady from his team essentially made his young adulthood into adulthood a football paradise. I don't know how Tom Brady would respond to that, but the way you phrase that, Mark makes it sound like Tom Brady is Greg's dad. Well, I do think about Brady and his third Super Bowl and kind of

what the difference were then. It is crazy to think about, Like no one thought Tom Brady was one of the five best Super Bowl, one of the best quarterbacks in the league entering two thousand four in that playoff run, which is where I think Brady started to go to another level. Was that playoffs and then basically every spot onward.

But like no one even thought he was a top five quarterback back then, like in the in the entire NFL, like at the time, not just accomplishments but like that year and now to think where Mahomes is in his fourth seed, and it's just crazy. Yeah, Mahomes hit the ground running, is the best quarterback in football in the second year. If you really listen, we're not gonna we're not gonna have issues with Andy Reid. Everything's played out pretty well. But he kept Alex Smith as the quarterback

for the entirety of mahomes rookie year. You you got a feeling he probably would have pulled to Justin Herbert if he got that opportunity in year one, But I guess, uh, we'll never really know. Um alright, mark your opening thoughts of super Bowl week or letting Okay, well fitting that I follow Greg and and it's no surprise that we're kind of on the same wave length here and and my thoughts kind of the same as it always is

coming into super Bowl Week. And it's wonderful, right that we get to invest so much energy and intensity into this game and the winner deserves all the praise. Right. You dream about winning a super Bowl when you're a child, you dream about playing in a super Bowl. But once it's over, especially if it's close like last year, we need to remember that the winners aren't like selected by destiny or you know, picked by some deity itself. We played the game and we remember the game for a reason.

And I know after the fact that you can look at a team like the Forts from two thousand and nineteen and saying, oh, you know, they had holes, X, Y, and Z, and they didn't do this, and they didn't, but they were still a really good team and they deserve to be remembered as a good team. And I don't think it's gonna be that much of a problem now that we have a Super Bowl winning quarterback with a Super Bowl m v P, and we have, of course the greatest Super Bowl winning quarterback of all time

on the other side. But my thing is, if you take all those things away, Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes, and Tom Brady is still Tom Brady, and Bruce are and a last week that he needs a Super Bowl win to validate his career, and it's just such a to me. It's a defeated way of looking at sports. And I think sometimes we look at the tease teams

that have won a conference championship. They've accomplished so much, and they remembered as losers, and the guys who wind up on the other side of the scoreboard get to have chicken banquets for the rest of their lives and talk about all these memories they shared with their teammates, and the other guys don't get to do that. And I just think that that's an unfair level of importance that we place on winning this game, even though it's great.

Well the loser, the loser gets the chicken banquet, the winner gets a steak banquets going forward. But you know, there's a there's an old thing I think. Uh Francessa back in the old days used to say, you know, it's much worse to get to the super Bowl lose it than to just lose in the conference title game, which I don't know it I think because you you have to stick with that being on that stage. I think that's one thing clay Bon like, Um, it's so amplified.

This is the center of like American culture around this game. Uh so the steaks are so high to lose that game, um, and conversely to win it just changes your life. Because football in this country and the Super Bowl is such a big thing. It's not just like any other game well, and it is what arians has coached. You know, he he does have a super Bowl as an assistant, I believe,

but you know you believe him too. This is this is what you want and and it it's unfortunate, but it's one of the great things about sports too, is that there's no ambiguity listening to players and coaches talk about it that I've lost like one super Bowl, like you believe them, that that that never leaves them, and that that is that's unfortunate, but it like it. It is part of the deal. That this why he's been coaching all this time. It's is to win a game

like this. Mark, I want to tee you up by letting the audience know what we learned right before we started that. Mark watched two hours of the NFL's opening night press conferences on Monday, two hour coverage. He was plugged in. So no one is going to have a better insight on this week than Mr Sessler. Mark, Well, I mean number one, I thought that we were all

doing that. I you know, signals crossed. Um, I guess I took the bullet on that front, but I quite and I would say, alright, So Greg watched part of it, but I I right. I mean it's just like passing by and locked one in Greg's house. So I And here's the thing, like, this whole season, um, I think has brought forth some really good things. I don't think less we get, the less access for reporters is a nightmare. And there are a lot of things about Media Night.

If you've ever been there, and we've we've been there to ten in a row, it's an absolute circus. You can't hear yourself think. But there are quiet conversations with players and and co especially the coaches that I always thought were great, a great set up for the week and for me, I know that you can go find some of that stuff, but that's what I missed. But what I liked was the compact nature of how they did it in two hours and party was like, this was so much um, this was so far more painless

than the ones that we've been to. And I'm not trying to complain about them. And just I wonder if they would ever think about tweaking in general some of the media approach to the NFL season, Uh, And it would for me media Night, it would start right there. But I will say one of the things I love the coaching matchup of Andy Reid Bruce First Bruce arians and they spoke last night, and I love what they had to say and just be able to concentrate on

the two of them. I remember when West and I once went to cover the Harbord Brothers right the press conference for that, and it was like we were watching like two inaugurations at the same time. It was so overdone, you know, West and I were thinking, what are we possibly supposed to write about this event? It's so overblown. I just like taking some of this and putting it a little bit, a little bit more perspective. It's it's a game. It's a few days from now. These people

can speak and we do the game. I don't know if I need to have, you know, Lady Gaga like shouting from the rooftops while I'm trying to hear eight other people talk. Anyways, um listen, I I you are more of the minimalist by nature in a lot of ways. I love that the Super Bowl is big and gaudy and overblown. That's one of the things I love about the entire operations. So I disagree even the media night, I'm not I actually haven't been to the last couple.

I kind of got out of that assignment. But when I first when I first started covering it, though I thought it was like a thrill, I felt like I was in the middle of everything. Uh and I do you mentioned that, Like, it's not so much the guys on the risers at media night, um that matter, because that's when it gets stinky and the body odors, and

it's really compact. In a pandemic world, you wonder if that's something that needs to exist, But it is those finding the defensive coordinator sitting off on his own on the bottom level of the arena and you can get up to him and get ten minutes with them on your own, Like all that stuff that that melts away. If you turn this into a big zoom call every year, well that would be my bigger point. Like I'm not

trying to like take a shot at the event. I think they could tone it down, but the reporting opportunities are pretty special at that kind of an event. One one less little thing and then I will shut up if I blinding lights we get at the weekend sings it and he's gonna be singing it this Sunday. They played it for I'm not kidding, I think thirty five minutes during that that presentation. I don't know what the

strategy is. If I'm the weekend, I don't play that song during the Super Bowl just to throw everyone for a massive loop, because it's like I've heard the song four hundred and sixty times now I really like it. But I mean it's like Hotel California. I've heard the song, I really liked it, and now I'm like, I don't need to hear it for the next three years. Now

I'm doing well exactly. My takeaway from this is Mark will Will would enjoy I think Opening Night in any year, even if it was pretty pandemic post pandemic, if you were just watching it home on your TV. I think I was gonna say it almost sounds like Mark's all set with going to Super Bowls going forward. I don't know if that's in player right now. No, I like a nice, quiet hotel room. I mean I can that's I'm missing that right now. We've got kids running up

and down the hallway. Okay, so uh, things I didn't see coming in the last ten months, other than the global pandemic and everything that's come with that, UM and at certain political events that have unfolded in Ah, it's been a weird ten months, let's put it that way. One thing I haven't seen coming. I have a whole new appreciation of Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. I never thought that would happen, never in a million years as

a Jets fan tortured by the Patriots. UM. But I find myself rooting for him uh this season, especially during this playoff run. To me, he's the biggest story of the Super Bowl by far, and I think it's truly incredible. You could play for one team for twenty years and have all the success he had in New England. UM leave in free agency, do the Joe Montana to the

Chiefs move. And if he did that, then he went to the Chiefs, and he went to the Bucks and they went nine and seven, and he played pretty good football and they maybe won a playoff game, and that would have been a really big story about him winning a playoff game and then getting he got dispatched in the divisional playoffs or even the conference title game. That to me would have felt like a success at this stage for a forty three year old quarterback and that

would have been an acceptable outcome. But instead he plays at a level this season that has approximated his peak, and he takes this new team to the super Bowl. And I just think, and you guys, I know, are all on the same page out this. I think that this is a remarkable sports story. Uh. And I think it's building potentially to a storybook finish. Uh. Maybe not, and maybe none of these things, but the way the story is being painted, that won't have an outcome on

the how the game has played. But imagine if Tom Brady does win another Super Bowl, how incredible that would be. It kind of goes to Claibon's point to about remembering the winners. And in the comparison of Montana going to to the Chiefs is different in terms of age um, but they went I think seventeen and eight. I just checked quickly when Montana started games. They went to an

a f C championship game. And yet I think in the history books you think like like he led the league in like interception percentage and played really well in the Chiefs. It does go to show like sort of what you remember. And I think the fact that they won this last game and so much of it is the offensive line and the defense and everything else, and Brady playing extremely well. It's like history. You do end up remembering the guys who get to this game, and

especially you're right, Dan, if they won this game. Man, I just wanted like a lot of points. Just give me the points in the thirties, back and forth, just like the a f C Championship when it was Patriots Chiefs and last guy with the ball wins. That's the game. I On the subject of Tom Brady and his continuing greatness at age forty three, once upon a time he said forty five was the goal. He was ask during media day if now he could under he could see

a scenario where he plays beyond his forty birthday. Here's what Brady had to say. Yeah, definitely. Again, it's a physical sport, and just the perspective I have on that is, you know, you never know kind of when, uh, you know, that moment is um just because it's a contact sport and there's a lot of training that goes into it. And again it has to be a hundred percent commitment from myself to keep doing it. It's just a mark. You're right around that age. So I'm a little older.

It increases my um total respect for him. And I like what you said about Tom Brady, and we're on the same party line there, and I have to wonder in general. I mean, Greg, I I get your fascination with Mahomes, and I think I get the nation's fascination with Mahomes and it shouldn't be taken for granted or normalized what he and the Chiefs are doing. But if you're in your forties, how are you not rooting for

Tom Brady to pull this thing off? I just find him to be This is one of the most remarkable sports stories of any sport around UM. This is when the body breaks down for masked chunks of the population. We saw what happened with Brett Farve in year two with the Vikings. It was tough on the eyes. Um Brady at forty five, could he played at forty six

or forty seven. He's the one athlete where I would say I will not doubt this guy until he literally like locks himself in a storage cabinet away from the NFL because it's like he's gonna keep playing, and he goes to Tampa Bay and Bruce Arians it's not hyperbole. The belief he instilled in his teammates and everyone around him triggered this. That's a huge part of this. You don't just plug in any quarterback who's good. This is a Tom Brady effect in Tampa Bay. It's just as

powerful as his play itself. I almost feel uncomfortable because I'm rooting for both teams. It's it's like no fun to root for both teams. Men. A major trade went down, uh in the NFL in the last couple of days. Detroit Lions send Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared goth and multiple draft picks. The Lions will receive a third round pick in a first round pick in two and a first round pick in Tree.

It is the first exchange Patrick Clayboy on a former number one overall picks ever since then of the common draft era. It all becomes official, uh, when the new league year clicks in on March. When you heard the news, Patrick, it was your first takeaway on the deal. My first takeaway when I heard the news is, oh God, I have to go turn the camera on and do work. As that called Montgomery was actually working on Saturday night.

We eventually came in on Sunday to do a special edition of NFL Now, but that's that's all kimono open stuff. But my thought was, oh my gosh, they did it. Less Need was we were running sound of less Need all week last week where he's alluding to this beautiful

mystery of what happens with Jared Goff. And we knew through John Wolford starting in the playoff game and potentially starting in a second playoff game if he was healthy, that the relationship between McVeigh and golf the football player, uh, seemed like it was coming to an end. And so they did it. They went and got a quarterback who could perhaps do those things that Jared Goff hasn't done. We'll say, uh, and we don't know what it's ultimately

gonna gonna look like, but they did it. They're trying, and that's really the dichotomy of the discussion is win now or a crew picks to try to win later. And as a football fan, I'm always gonna side with the teams that want to win now because these hypothetical picks, I don't know who these nineteen year olds are or these eighteen year olds that are gonna play in. But I know who Matt Stafford is, and I'm excited to watch him play in so far next year. Yeah, I

am too. It's just such an interesting trade for so many reasons that they thought Stafford was that much better and and and I tend to agree that that they had to do something they couldn't They couldn't continue along this path with Golf, And so the trade terms are so outrageous that you know you're you're taking it back.

At first, I look at it like Stafford and especially if you look at all the other offers around the league was maybe worth a first and a third, and then getting rid of Golf's contract was worth a first, and so you know, it sounds like a lot together. And I know Golf, Um, you know, he's spoken with Michael Silver and he's obviously got to be hurt by this. And there's a lot of people who are saying, no, the Lions really wanted Golf, like they really view him as a as a big part of it. That's fine.

The entire NFL evaluated Stafford and Golf that was involved in this trade basically like the Rams. Did you know that like that? No one wanted Golf. That's why you had to pay that much to get rid of him, and the Rams didn't want to get stuck having him when he had forty five million dollars guarantee the next

two years. And a lot of people wanted Stafford partly because of the contract because he's not doing much money at all over the next two years and reportedly doesn't want more money, so he's just gonna stay on that contract. So that that was part of it. And uh, everyone's critical of the Rams for trading away the picks. I'm somewhere in the middle, but just recognizing that they've done this now for five years and they've been one of

the best five or six teams in the NFL. So we we always say like we want teams to think differently. They think differently. They have not cared about first round picks and it's worked. You can't really argue with the fact that they've been, you know, a top team with this approach and this gives him a chance to compete

next year. I'm with you because you know, I've had my issues with the Rams um since they moved to Los Angeles, but this, Uh, this changed that because I I like less sneed and Sean McVeigh a being on the same page and rolling the dice and being gamblers to get what they want had The mistake would have been to go through another season with this semi divorce with Jared goff Um happening while they have John Wolford and others on the roster. It was too It was

becoming too big of a talking point. Let's need though. I will say this because his name is on this thing, and there will be people tracking this for a while depending on how Stafford does. They gave up a first, a second, and a third to go up and get Golf in the draft. They've given up a third and the first and the first to get rid of him. I mean, by all take away the Super Bowl year. By all accounts, that's a costly that's a player that

cost a lot of draft capital and mistakes. Um. But the same time, from a football watching side of it, and this is just me, two of the most annoying quarterback situations in the league have been fixed. Um. Golf in l A was driving me crazy. Matthew Stafford in Detroit felt like the same thing forty five years in a row. I love shaking it up. I have Jared Goff to me fits the Detroit Lions perfectly. Go enjoy yourself for as a bridge quarterback, you're in the right city.

But that Stafford and the Rams makes them intriguing. There's so much pressure on this team. This is a super Bowl or bus team. If this goes south, it's gonna be very interesting in Los Angeles next season. I do think I think you get half of what you want because I don't think Jared Goff in Detroit is gonna necessarily been be a fun even if he's a bridge.

We'll see how it goes. And and well, it takes them out of l A. I mean, but yeah, it takes it takes them out of l A. And I also I'm not giving out any lollipops um to less Need because less Need was behind and Shaw McVeigh was a huge voice in that organization and ownership. Of course, we're behind giving Jared Goff a huge contract extension. And in September two thousand nineteen, that was not very long ago, even if it if it feels like a long ago.

So this trade was paying for the sins of that contract. I think a lot of people were missing that when when it went down, it's like, oh, you're giving up all those draft picks in addition to god, while they had to it was the Gossweiler trade from a few years back on steroids and who knows. This does feel like a great experiment for the Rams. Also feels to me desperate ultimately that that they're gonna do this and get Stafford and be like, now we'll win a super Bowl,

will you you? I hope you take the next step because we patrick you mentioned you never know what first round picks, but many of titles are built on teams that used the draft wisely, especially their first round picks. Uh. And they drafted Jared got first overall in two thousand and sixteen, as we've noted, no first round pick in

two and now twenty three. Matthew Stafford better stay healthy, uh, or this is gonna get This is gonna turn into a trade that potentially gets everybody fired, maybe even on both sides. Well, you mentioned the draft um in terms of getting the picks. They used their pick on Jared golf right, and that didn't work out. So you get it here and didn't work out or did it not work out because he had some big seasons stuck to a Super Bowl. What's I feel like acting like he

was Mark Sanchez or Something's not quite fair either. No, I don't think, but they that that's what they did on the way out, and maybe perhaps they could have uh saved the pick in terms of making the trade if they were a little more. Hey, yeah, we signed Jared for a reason. We like Jared. Jared's our quarterback. But that's that's how the Rams didn't feel that way. Bottom Is Greg said other people in the league didn't

feel that way about them. So maybe unless needs eyes, you prefer to have a known quantity than another shot at another quarterback, right, I mean Stafford's young, though, I mean we don't know how good Stafford's gonna be with McVeigh. Would be interesting. I would love to know what Anthony Lynn, who was the who was coaching Justin Herbert a couple of months ago, went to Detroit to coach Matthew Stafford and now is coaching Jared Goff, what does Anthony Lynn

think about these turn of events. It feels like a step down in terms of your quarterbacks to work with. In my book, he didn't get any credit for Justin Herbert, so why is he going to get any credit? You well, yeah, I think Detroit. Detroit taking on golf is is crazy, isn't it. I mean it's a It's a really fascinating move for them to take on golf as as part

of it. That they wanted him, that's fascinating. There's the money involved is interesting, But I guess a team that is rebuilding is not going to be high in, you know, going nuts to the free agent market, so I guess they felt they could take it, take it on it all. Also is interesting a team that is so focused on

blowing up the machine. In addition to having golf in that contract, they only got in two thousand twenty one, just the third round pick out of it, so the true like marquee draft picks don't come until next year. I guess if I'm a Lions fan, UM, I don't know. I guess I feel okay about the trade. You got. You got the draft assets out of it, and golf is not anyone's the idea of an exciting quarterback. But certainly you could do worse as a bridge guy. Um

I would give. I would give the Lines the edge on the trade, but I also see how it could potentially backfire. If Goff continues to regress, everyone's gonna look pretty bad. I think in that building, you're Alliance fan, though you've spent your entire fandom of a certain age watching you know, Megatron play a long career in Detroit and nothing came of it. Barry Sanders long career in Detroit, retired earlier than he needed to, nothing came from it.

Matthew Stafford another another piece like that. So Jared Goff is a bridge. I love what Brad Holmes did to get the draft picks. I think he learned a lot from less sneed and got a lot of value from less sneed and they honestly, I know this won't happen. But if you look at the hole Deshaun Watson thing Detroit is, I'm not I don't think this whatever, this would be the case. But you've got the draft picks to make a play for anything else in the league, to move up to go for to Shaun Watson, to

get the quarterback you want in the draft. I mean, I think Golf was I do agree with the brock ouspars Oswilder side of this to some degree, except that it might be a little bit more elongated, where you get golf for a year, but this is not their final destination under center, right, they think golf is most likely gonna struggle. I mean I I think he's set

up to totally fail. And Dan Campbell is talking about you're not gonna be able to evaluate this team for a couple of years, like that's the long game, and this is like, I don't think that works in the NFL. Like we've seen teams with multiple draft picks, and you know that if you have a great coach and a great front office that can put together a huge team, like that's great. But it's not like the Dolphins are are hitting on all these drafts. They've had a ton

of draft picks. Some are working, some aren't. But you have to have like a great organization and build that up. And that's just whether Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes ultimately have the goods. Golf is set up for failure. And and then and the last thing I just wanted to say on like the golf, the golf contract was such a mistake. And I've seen a lot of people say like, well,

you know, the Rams shouldn't escape being blamed. Well, no, of course, they're admitting that they made him a huge mistake of like they made a man some mistake and giving Girley that contract and goth that contract, and they're doing the Patriots like thing, which is like, we're just gonna get out of it, but like this trade is admitting that we made a horrible mistake with that contract and this is the best way that we think we can get out of it and still compete next year,

and they probably will. They have to really prepare for their defense to regress. I think that's part of it too. They're not expecting to be a dominant number one defense. The offense is gonna have to be like a lot better. It's amazing how quickly things changed with the Rams and their quarterback. Gentlemen, let's continue talking quarterbacks. Um. There was

an old book series, Choose your Own Adventure. This was kind of like an eighties and nineties kids um theme book where Mark, I know you were a big FANOM I used to read them all the time. They actually do they basically you you read the book that and then you have a fork in the road and you actually get to choose where the story goes by now you know, navigating to the page that tells you to go. They have it now with my kids. I watch it

on like Netflix shows and stuff. They have these similar interactive type shows where you could choose to go one way or another, which is, you know, a sign of the times. We are going to do our own choose your own adventure QB style Mark. Uh, We're gonna kind of go around, uh take turns, but you get us going. Like as we try to figure out what happens, we know Matt Stafford's in l A. He's not going anywhere.

Golf is in Detroit, He's unlikely to move. What's what's next in our adventure of of quarterbacks in this very interesting offseason. Well, it's my portion of the adventure, so I can started as I wish. Um, I think an adventure should be you know, it can have some contrast and some issues, but it should be pleasant in the end. And um, I'm thinking what makes me enjoy football? It's this show doing this show, And so what would make

this show more intriguing? How about this the Shaun Watson and I had to think about this real herd because I think this is the next this is the next big piece to fall. It can happen two months after free agency. It's happening. At some point the Texans say no, I don't believe anything. The tech and say, so, here's the thing. Deshaun Watson, not to the Niners, not to some other team. He's going to the New York Football Jets. All right, the Jets for so long? There we go.

They I don't think this fit a month ago. Well, it's funny because we talked about this when these started up. These reports started to bubble up, and I thought the Jets with no coach, um and questions and ownership in a roster that needs help, I just don't see it. You can't wish casting to New York. But Robert Sala changes everything. Their draft capital makes them an ideal trade partner. And I and I, you know, we don't need to

go through the trade terms for all these things. But I would say that you've gotta move um three first, and I think maybe one other little additional pick you get de Shaun Watson, maybe they throw in like a nice seven seventh rounder is just a little tiny order for you down the road the Jets, and maybe an autographed headshot of Jack Easterby. And there we go. The Deshaun Watson goes to New York and bang, the adventure is off and running in Flora Park. Might love it.

Um very interesting. We talked about, well, we've talked about this a lot now because ever since the report down in Florida's Surface that the Jets were the preferred destination of Deshaun Watson Rich to me, any of ESPN dot com since said that that's not necessarily the case. So I don't know where where all this stands, but that doesn't matter because this has huge your own adventure and in this reality, he has been moved to the New

York Jets, changing everything. As I said, that would change everything, and it would be all because of the great Robert sale that had happened. Let me go next. Okay, so now the Domino's fall, the Jets have Deshaun Watson. The first thing they're gonna do. Um, Let's yeah, let's say maybe it cost them three first round picks. Maybe that's what the cost was. Now they have Sam Donald on the roster. The first thing that Joe Douglas is gonna

do is to recoup some lost draft assets. He moves uh, Sam Donald to the San Francisco forty Niners, Kyle Shanahan quietly was looking for a fresh start at her back, so he sends a second round pick back to the Jets for Sam Donald, and now the forty Niners have um a situation because Jimmy Garoppolo got a nice contract a couple of years back, but he's been banged up

and hurt a lot. I know he got to the Super Bowl last year, but apparently, like Sean McVeigh with the Rams, quietly unhappy with Garoppolo and thinks he can get the most out of Sam Donald, who would be potentially a great fit in that West Coast offense. So uh, Patrick Claiban, Uh, they now have two starting quarterbacks in

that building. What happens next, well, the the starting quarterback if they if they believe in the acquisition of Sam Donald, which of course happened, because these are the adventures that we have selected today, then that takes away my landing spot for Matt Ryan to be reunited with Kyle Shanahan the remainder of this contract with the Atlanta Falcons, So Matt Ryan needing a home, the Falcons looking for a new start with Justin fields U one of the two

quarterbacks from the outer Atlanta area in this draft along with Trumps. He is selected there and Matt Ryan is traded to the Chicago Bears, where we see how Matt Mage's offense will operate, uh in the future in the post Trubisky world where they have been looking for consistency, They've been looking for somebody who could perform. They tried to do that in Nick Foles, it did not work, and Matt Ryan era united with Julio Jones. Perhaps Julio could be on the move as well the new era

in Atlanta. But I would say Matt Ryan Chicago bound after we've seen a couple of these quarters in this adventure again that we have chosen that could potentially have been Bears at one time. Finally, Matt Ryan in Chicago. W A, okay, let me just where you get to, Greg, Let me just reset things here. Watson to the Jets, Donald to the Niners, Matt Ryan to the Bear. The now we have two quarterbacks in San Francisco and an

opening in Atlanta with a lot of draft capital. Greg, Yeah, I think, um, this would be a tough you know, uh, test of the Kyle Shanahan John Lynch to trust in San Francisco because, um, you know there's some thought they might want Kirk Cousins, their old buddy. You know, they don't get Matt Ryan, they do get Sam Donald, and then there's no point of having Jimmy G. So you just call up Bill Belichick, who, uh, who never really lost his love for Jimmy G. And you know, Bill

loves the deal. He just loves how it looks that he traded Jimmy G for a second round pick, and uh, he sends you know, he gets a third round pick to get him back. He sends a third round pick to get him back. They would be h third round. I mean, no one's given up that much for these guys. I don't. I don't think Garoppolo on this contract. Maybe a second or third round. Maybe it's that second round.

Either way, he returns to New England and um, they have some faith that he fits well in their system, did not in Kyle Shanahan's. But I think they'll evaluate him based on what they know about him, and they loved him, and I think I think that is the quarterback. If the Bill Belichick gets his choice of choosing all his adventures this offseason, that's just my suspicion is that's his number one choice is getting Jimmy g back for

a relatively affordable price, and that's how they move forward. Greg. You know, I have to say, Um, you know, I enjoyed the report that surface that Matthew Stafford said I will literally go to any team but the Patriots. And I know in the way that that that hurt you because you you're thinking of yourself. Man, things have changed the New England. It might not be a place people want to play anymore. Well, I think it's like a lot of Patriots stories. You've thought about it a lot

more than I have. Um, but yeah, this is what happens when you bring matt Patricia back. I mean, who needs Matt Patricia that, that's for sure. I mean I did not look for you know that the treasure would be nowhere near that quarterback room, right, But that's that was part of Matthew Stafford. Yeah, if you if you're Matthew Stafford, you want to stay away from him. I don't think that was It does sound like there was a lot of teams in on Stafford. We didn't get

into that. There was about six or seven teams. You know, if We're to trust Albert Brier's reporting, and why wouldn't I? Um, it's really interesting who went hard after him? The Patriots were pretty were very not in the ballpark. Um of the Panthers or the Rams who went super hard they were they were, they were, they were trying to get into the cheat right, they weren't even close, so it wouldn't have mattered. Um do do we want to keep going? Here? Mark?

Do you have I do? I think? Yeah? When when de Shaun Watson went to the Jets, if I had to guess who would be the most annoyed person out there, I would go Carol and a Panther's owner David Tepper. I think he um uh, they're gonna make a hard push for that. I think they wanted a quarterback that they can basically go right into the skies with. I mean, we saw the Teddy Bridgewater signing. I don't think it's about let's draft someone. So here's what I've cooked up here.

Tell me what you think the Dallas Cowboys um or have a have a Dak Prescott situation? Okay, And Dak Prescott in the shadows right now is annoyed? Okay? Like, hey, you signed everyone else on your offense two long term deals while leaving Dak Prescott out there. He gets hurt. Jerry Jones sends a bunch of nice things about, hey, we're gonna bring him back. We're gonna sign him. He's our quarterback forever. Huh. In this offseason, something stunning will occur.

All right, this is what I predict will happen. That the Carolina Panthers, they will number one, wiggle their way up in the draft from number eight to number three. The Dolphins picked, they will use some draft capital, and everyone's thinking, oh, they're gonna go after their guy at number three, whether that's justin Fields, whether that's you know, it could be anyone whoever. They like. It's going to

be a quarterback though, but instead Zack Wilson. Instead, they basically ship that pick, along with other draft picks to the Cowboys for Dak Prescott. They solved that situation for the Cowboys, who are in a bad like it's like a Deshaun Watson super Lights scenario. There's not it's not quite as nefarious. But Dak Dak Prescott, who has been franchised by the Cowboys, goes and signs a new deal with Carolina for five years. They've got their quarterback forever.

And the Dallas Cowboys used that number three pick. And we can get into the draft stuff later, but I would peg them as taking Justin Fields at number three, with the New York Jets out of the mix for a quarterback at number two. M all right, love that very interesting. Let's let's stay in the NFC East. Then the Philadelva Eagles. You know, there's a love affair obviously with Howie Roseman and management and Carson Wentz. We're so we're told, and they they chose Wentz over Doug Peterson

on some level. Well, that's all smoke screen. They gotta trade wins. They gotta get him out of there. They're trying to keep his value up. UM. I know is cost prohibitive with some of the certain things with the cap, but they'll figure out a way and and get the fresh start and move forward with Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni is the head coach. So they send Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, a cults team that just had

a one year experiment with Philip Rivers. And I read a report this week that the cults are not looking to bring in some rookie to groom. No, they believe they have a Super Bowl window that's open right now. They want a veteran quarterback and follow the follow the dots here. Of course, Frank Reich, the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Eagles, is the head coach of the cult. If Frank Wright can't fix fix Carson Wentz,

nobody can. So he gets that fresh start, and Indie and the Eagles also desperately get the fresh start they need and get that toxic business. Not necess really wins. Someone's saying he's toxic, but the entire situation is toxic. With a new head coach and these two quarterbacks get rid of that problem, and um, you gotta maybe a first round pick out of it. M M. First round man, I with that contract, it'll be tough, but it wouldn't

shock me. It really wouldn't. I think people. One thing people missed on the Nick Sirianni presser after they were done kind of making fun of him, you know, being a little nervous, was man and they were noncommittal about Carson Wentz. I have not bought this narrative that they're only hiring the head coach to rehabilitate Carson Wentz, the fact that they're putting him in Jalen Hurts on the same footing that they hired a QB coach with a

history with Jalen Hurts. I think if they can get the right offer, and that just might be any offer for Carson Wentz, I think they might move on for him. So I don't think that's a crazy one at all. It feels like, if anything, they've done whatever they can to pump up or you know, not allow his trade value to sink even further. If it's clear you're moving on, you get him for nothing. But if it's like, this is our dude. We've got his life size poster and

Howie Roseman's office. Everyone loves them. Oh, we wouldn't think of trading them. But you blew us away with an offer, well there you go. Um alright, claybron you are up. The Denver Bronco fans are like, please talk about us. We don't believe in Drew Lock anymore. Please give us something new. And that's the problem, damn, Because I think they do believe in Drew Lock, and so they stick with Drew Lock. Going into another of all of this

chaos is going on. Everybody's moving around. The Denver Broncos are are sticking and they are true to Drew Lock. They are locked onto him, if you will. But all the turmoil going on in the South. The Dallas Cowboys, as Mark said, have have their eyes on a quarterback, but they also need they need a bridge. They need a bridge to get to Justin Fields. They would like to wait, uh in this circumstances adventure that we are chosen,

that we have lived in. And it just so turns out that there's another quarterback that's been maligned in this very trade situation with the Carolina Panthers, and that is Teddy Bridgewater finding another team, another team in another year, in another oddly enough for him bridge situation. Teddy Bridgewater back in the South, in the Dallas Cowboys, in a loaded offense with so much talent around him, trying to

fend off the rookie at Justin Fields. It's it's going to be something for them to talk about in the in the metropolitan area down there, there is a there is a irony too Teddy Bridgewater's career becoming the ultimate bridge quarterback. I love that the bridge over the water. Here's my my one thing on that. Don't they already have like one of the top bridge quarterbacks in the league, Andy Dalton. I know he's entering free, he knows the he knows the offense. He did something that Bridgewater is

a big upgrade on Andy Dalton. I don't know. I don't. Well, he's gonna start for the Broncos, so you know, get excited Denver. Now I've never really do that. Who knows, right, Yeah, there might be a market. There might be a market for Andy Dalton services. But I'm gonna throw in one last one while we're talking bridge quarterback. One of my one of my favorite um little subplots, just following Saints

Twitter talk about you know things change fast. They change fast in New England after Brady died, I mean after Brady left. Yeah, I'm saying career much. Yes, it's everything makes more sense now everything makes up there. Let's like bye bye after that. After that, all one the way the new trend like people people are worried that they're gonna lose Jamis Winston. They're like, I don't know, there might be competition for Jamis Winston. And I say, no, I say you live on Jamis Free signs with Saints

and put Tayson Hill on the bench and Javis witson. Hey, that's what that's what. Um, that's what Tom Brady Sr. Said right, that these careers they always they never end well, I mean, or there are like it's like, oh Brady, you can split his his career into three parts and

he's a Hall of Famer. It's like maybe there are just like the real Tom Brady who his human body ran out like in two thousand and seven, and we've got, you know, multiple sort of synthetic robe half robot versions of Tom Brady being opened up and released every four or five years. Greggy, you did Noble Worker soldiering on there after that incredible revelation about like what goes on

in your mind? Uh? Can you say it again though, because I wasn't able to process and the but he's he's on the Mass, he's on the the Mass turn, he's under the Mass curtain pike with those mes and Peter McNally, the deflate gig guy. You know you said something about Jameis Winston. Oh yeah, he's kind of return to New Orleans. They're they they're a little worried that

they might lose them. But I say, now, I want to see Jamis Winston in this scenario and that he ends up being there their qby That's all I need. And um, I will put a cap on it by saying that the Bronco will give Drew Lock the same four year, one and thirty four million dollar extension with a ten million guaranteed that the Rams gave to Jared Goffins. That's perfect, So you don't have any issues that's gonna happen. One little, one little note that the listeners should pay

attention to. While we were doing this segment, tom Pellicero reported that the Falcons intend to trade Matt Ryan during the season or year leading up to it. So I'm just telling you that, you know, you maybe just can take a nap during the entire off season. We might have mapped out everything that will occur. It was the It was the total opposite. Before we move on that, the report from Tommy p was the Falcons do not intend to trade Matt Ryan. Was attempting to spend it. Patrick,

this is when we say goodbye to you. You are a busy man. You have to be on the network and be Now you have to put on your you know, Tom Brokaw hat, and you have to be the face of the news operation. We thank you, though for your opinions, uh, your levity, and your general disposition which is always pleasant. Oh thanks us all the same to you, and I look forward to a fine Super Bowl week of watching

y'all's coverage as very good. All right. Coming up next, we have Jean decker hoffstop goes towards the ends of the clock ball top stop Tampa Bay by Kevin want a way to start in the football game, but Green Bay wis consciously gets the block on the right side. Tell another block color by Freaker one, top stop Tampa Bay tot stop sucking there for that refuse to go down. Scotty Beller only but takes the cuts to stop tamp my page. Scotty Scooter Bellar and Brady puts it right

on the spot. God when running to the Threak's got the first round box. We're gonna win this football game, bocks win. Tampa Bay is heading to the Super Bowl. Oh my goodness, I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are to have this man on the show. Right now, Every Sunday Night, the flagship program when we play the highlights. He was the unquestioned play by play m v P of the season. You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's Jean Ducker off wf US. Welcome

to the Around the NFL Podcast. Seriously, June, we're pumped up right now. Yeah, be pumped up about this. You have bitch hole types Canon City. We can't fire the cannons of Super Bowl. I wish we could those calls a week ago. The cannon powder wouldn't fire in twenty eight degree weather. No, we didn't have Jean so um. We're good friends of Matt money Smith, who is the voice of the Chargers. You mentioned, you mentioned Mitch holtis um over with the Chiefs. It feels like a fraternity

with the ani O guys. Are their rivalries? Are there some played by play guys that don't get along or you all buddy buddy? Are their meetups and non pandemic times take us inside the world. Well, I know this that during the pandemic we have remote broadcast, so I haven't had a chance to visit with some of my

colleagues that broadcast. But Mitch. I first met Mitch would he broadcast Kansas State football and basketball, and UH, a coach by the name of Lan Krueger had been at Kansas State and had taken the job at Florida And I was working television at the time Channel six of CBS affiliate in Tallahassee, and so I called and Mitch was. I did an interview with Mitch via the phone, talking about you know, Lan Krueger and what kind of code it mentioned that time. I never thought Long would leave

Kanda State, but he did so then. Uh, probably about five six years after that conversation, Mitch became the voice of the Kansas City Chiefs and he's been doing a great job ever since. And he's he's uh. I he did a Super Bowl last year. He's got a chance to do back to back Super Bowls and uh, I go eighteen years in between Super Bowls. I don't know if I'll be a on another region years. Jean's been doing it boys, UH and listeners out there since nine

nine for the Bucks. And he also double dips with Florida State, where he's the voice of s s F s U. So Jean is a is a legend down there. And oh yeah, I learned all this on Gene Deckerhoff dot com. People should check out this website. It's hot. I mean, poor Jeane, they got him work in Florida State BC Eagles Tuesday night. Feels like that's gonna be a letdown. I Uh, I am curious, Jean, like, because

you you know Tampa more than anyone. Like, I don't think people are from the outside knows what the Tampa sports scene is like, Like what would another Bucks championship look like? Because you guys are kind of the the city of champions right now, or at least making the championship. This is this is three in the last year that you've made the finals. Yeah, the uh Tampa Bay Lightning, you know, won the championship in the National Hockey League.

The Stanley Cup was held high over Champa Bay. And uh, I'll tell you what, them from Bay Rays came oh so close, oh so close to winning a World Series. So they finished second, I guess to the Dodgers. And and here we are, the Tampa Bay Buccaneer football team. We're playing for the Super Bowl Championship and trying to add one more Lombartie Trophy. I heard Mark Castor on NFL Super Bowl Channel on Sirius Adell that radio last night, and she was talking about, you know, this is the

city of champions. This is title Town, Tampa, Florida, and uh, it's you know, the Toronto Raptors are playing out of Tampa because of the COVID pandemic in Canada, and she said they're gonna try to learn them down to Tampa after the pandemic is over. Right, Hey, title town sounds appropriate. We just played a title town Green Bay, just north of the Florida border where I lived in Tallahassee, which

is about twenty eight miles to the Georgia border. But Baldosta is known as Winnersville, USA for their high school football program over there. So yeah, a lot of titles being thrown around. That's salt in the wound, Jeane two Packers fans that are listening to our national broadcast, what they about eighteen championships? How many more do they need? You know that, Sir, I think you just reading about some of the stuff you've done. We mentioned Florida State.

You had a show with Bobby Bowden, who I grew up. You know, that's sort of the earliest inroads I had with college football. And that you worked with Burt Reynolds of all people, and now you're announcing games with Tom Brady. Um, do you still love football as much as you did when you started? All this is is it still is a much of a joy to you to to cover it. You know, my wife keeps selby, you worked too hard. You worked too hard. I'm always in my office, which

is in my home and so and she's retired. She's been retired ten years. As you worked too hard? Why are you work all the time? Can't you spend time with me? And I said, you know, honey, if I was hammer and nails or growing rivets, I followed retired ten years ago. But I'm doing something but I really love to do, and that is broadcast sports events, particularly football. And uh oh, by the way, I'm a basketball jones.

I played basketball. I never played football, but uh yeah, I enjoyed broadcasting sports events and I hope to keep doing it for a while. The Lord will tell me when I have to stop. And he hasn't told me yet, you know, Jean, I mean Mark mentioned it. I have to ask, and unfortunately he passed away in two thousand and eighteen. But Burt Reynolds one of the all time legends. Um. He used to appear on the Bobby Bouton Show with you as the host. And do you have any birds stories?

You ever hang out socially with Reynolds. I've not a lot of bird stories. Rest in peace, Buddy. Buddy Reynolds eighty two. And uh his his college teammate it at Florida State University back in the fifties, was a fellow by the name of Vick Premsy and they were best friends,

state friends. After Burt went off to starring movies whatever they like, stayed and Vic and I broadcast Florida State football and and then when the USFL came into being, the Tampa Bay bandits the franchise and Tampa was part part owner was Burt Reynolds, and uh, Vic and I did their games because of the relationship Vic head with Burt and uh, we're broadcasting at game in Phoenix, Arizona.

Had just taken the job to produce Coach Bowden's TV show and also act as talent and continue to play by play announcing, and uh he would always come up and do a halftime interview. And we're in Arizona. Never forget uh Sun Double Stadium and Temples where the Arizona franchise played, and Uh, Burt comes up to the booth and everybody in that stadium they weren't watching the halftime show. They were waiving the Burt Reynolds in the body and

he was. When I got back to Tallahassee, I dropped a note in the mess of thanks you know so much for coming on a halftime I was always great seeing you. And I've got an idea about Bobby Bowden's television show that I'm now producing, and UH, would would you be interested in doing a few things for Bobby? And he said a letter back. I wished I had that letter today, I don't. I don't know what happened to it, but he said, anything Bobby needs you just

let me know. And I came up with great moments in Florida State football and wrote the scripts and did the research, and UH we recorded in Jupiter, Florida, were recorded in Beverly Hills. UH three or four times. We had a place in bell Air. We recorded there once just in the l A area, and UH one time we did it in Atlanta on a location when he was doing a cop and a half we did in Tampa. He was doing another movie in UH in the Miami area, and we went down there and met all the stars

that were in the movie and everything. But it was a great relationship. He did that for twenty six consecutive years. Now you end up he was If he was getting sad fees, we'd have been paying a fortune. Wow. The Cop and a half reference that I remember that it was a cop, yes, and a young precocious kid as his partner in crime. About I don't ever start in a movie with a youngster because they steal the seeds? True?

Do you? Uh? Do you have a favorite call from this year's even like you know, either a favorite cause it's a favorite moment from these bucks, or like a moment you realize, wow, this team actually might be as good as as we thought, as we hoped going into

the year, or they might even be better. In thirty two years of traveling from Tallahessee to Tampa, it's a four and a half hour drive, and my wife and I make it uh every Sunday for home games obviously this year, but back on November the fifte the one and only time I've had an accident driving too a Tampa Bay buceteers, and I ran over a mud buddle to drop off about a foot and a half and I'm dragon metal for the next seventy seven miles to

Raymond J Stadium, and I'm glad I got there. They didn't sparkle on the turnpike, didn't explode the vehicle, but we got to the stadium and uh I got there and was fortunate to broadcast the only ninety eight yard

touchdown run in the history of bucketeers. Fringe Brady hard count hands the ball up Rocho pops at free crossed the fat hands on the fifty twenty Brojoe to the thirty rochoe to the forty bro tone to the fifty brochoe to the forty brochoe to the thirty high seven of the twenty and it'll be a ninety eight yard

touchdown run by Ronald Jones. List I could touchdown Tampa Bay run Road Road Joe, Rod Alert Rojo to the twenty rojoe touchdown, Tamba Bay, ninety eight yard touchdown, but we broadcast from where we broadcast from Tamba But that has to be the highlight. Now, Almost every one of the touchdowns in the postseason this year have been really really outstanding plays by outstanding players. But you know it's

not just the touchdowns. I know, the highlights package that you had was was touchdown Tampa Bay touchdown tabby Bucks are going to the super Bowl. But there were two or three third down players in the New Orleans game and also in the Green Bay game where the players converted. You had guys answered that we had a rookie by Tyler Concert. I ain't goodness. Two games in the row. He's made huge third down catches from Tom Brady and the scooty Scooter Miller. It's Tom. Tom gave him the nick.

There was Scottie Miller, but he calls Scooter. But he made a big play at every going. These are guys you don't hear about a lot, but they have been very, very instrumental in the buccaneer is advancing the Super Bowl fifty five. Do you ever just sort of walk around your house and maybe you know, the wife is taking out a can of peace, she's opening it and putting it in a ball. I mean, do you get floored into that kind of chatter around the householder you keep

the announcer stuff to the booth. Not too good, not too good play by play of the household chores. But I do find my stuff. I have to convest I talked to myself. I said, gee, you're talking to yourself. Come on, well, you know that's what I get paid to do. Is But no, I don't do play by my life. But basically you're talking to the guy that carries out the trash, does the dishes, doesn't No hand does a little bit of that, but no, no play

by play at home. That's when there's a there's a story out there right now, kind of a scary story in fact, that because of the pandemic and um the far fewer flights that pilots are falling out of practice because they're not getting enough air hours. That will never happen with Gene uh and his play by play. Call one last question, because now you're a busy man, Gene. November twenty nine, the Bucks fall to the Chiefs, second consecutive four loss. They entered there by at seven and five.

They obviously haven't lost since background Thanksgiving time, which I'm sure you were in the house and handling the bird and doing all this stuff because you're a man. Did you still see this as a possible outcome as a super Bowl team. The Bucks, well, you know this pandemic season. We have a large family, have six grandchildren and have

three sons with their wives. But this was the first Thanksgiving and the first Christmas that we have not gotten together as a family, social distancing, no big crowds, and so you had that as a downer. And then you drive to Tampa in Kansas City lays one of those twenty seven twenty four things on you. And and that first quarter I was about ready to wait wave the white flag. Tyreek Hill had two hundred and three, it scored two touchdowns and the first quarter was still going on.

So it was it was a down event, family out event for the announcer. And uh, but then you know that you mentioned the following week it was the bye week. For the latest bye week that I can It's got to be the latest bye week the Bucks I've ever had.

And I don't know what happened during that bye week if it's uh, you know, the NFL is a grind on, not so much on announcers, but on the players themselves and the coaches, and I think getting away from football for a couple of days, maybe getting fresh legs for a couple of days before getting back into the grind. It's certainly benefit of the Bucceteers. As you mentioned, we have not lost since then, seven straight wins going for

our eighth row. And you know, if you go into the Bucketeer media guide, you can't find seven wins in a row anywhere. Go all the way back to seventy six, we got six in a row, ones under totally dungee, but counting post season, we won the month of December undefeated and December for the first time in franchise history. We only played three games, but I'll take it. But uh happened during that by that has made this a more complete football team, and we felt we we beat

the Minesota out of the bine. We went to Atlanta and fell behind seventeen to nothing. Now take the bye week, okay, refreshed to get out of the grind, go on the road to a rival team in the NFC South, to get behind seven teen to nothing, and then come back and win that football game. The comblination of those two I think has elevated the Bucketeer is the most confident I've seen the Bucks played, and most complimentary office defense

special teams. Since I've been broadcasting Tampa Bay bucket football, and it's it's it's it's a thing of beauty. When a team gets hot and the team gets confident. I mean, there's no better thing in the world. And to play that game or broadcast that game and sound Tampa Bay, I'd like to say that about five times awesome. It's a very exciting gene and and best of luck, of course in the game. It's not your first super Bowl, as you noted, but I'm sure there's butterflies and excitement

building up to it, and we wish you well. When one let one final factoried about Jeane Jane decker Off that people need to know why this man's a legend. He was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in two thousand. That was twenty one years ago, and then then it's still on top of his game. I'm gonna have to dust that little I'm gonna have to dust that little plaque off. It's over here in my office and now I'm gonna have to justice it's twenty

one years old. I about to dust that. It's always great talking bucket your football it's uh, it's been, you know, a big part of my life for thirty two years and hopefully a little while longer. And I called one super Bowl and here's here's what broadcasters should never do. Fellas. It's late in the third quarter, we're wearing out the Oakland Raiders. We finally went for twenty one, but we've got like a thirty one to three lead, and DWIGHTE.

Smith picks off a pass from Rich Gannon, runs it right down the gut of the field and scores a ton. And while he's running to the end zone, I said, Smith's got the interception. He's gonna score a touchdown. The Bucks are gonna win the Super Bowl. And it's only the third quarter. It's gin and then through three touchdown actually, and all of a sudden, that barge that's I'm not eleven. I'm saying, why how could you say such a thing?

And then Dwight pick off another another in the Bucks one sound before you get but don't ever say Box are gonna one of the simple. I will say that there again, another Gene learns from his past to be great in his future. Gene, thank you very much, and uh again, good luck can't wait for the game. Were a mask of social distances? All right, thank you, that's

a touchdown, Tampa Bay. Gene Decker half what performance and we can't we can't lose when it comes to the Sunday Night flagship program the next time, um, the end of this season, you will hear us either come into the game and the show with Mitch Holtis or Geane decker Off. Either way you can't lose, or maybe your impersonation of Mitch Holtis their Geene decker Off which is

which have been spot on, especially on the cake. Yes here, here is our week to come before we say goodbye, um for Tuesday Tomorrow, Wednesday, we have a very special Q and A with fans of the Around the NFL podcast. Unfortunately, if you're not in on the guest list, you can't get in. But if you are, we can't wait to see you and to talk to you and to have a grand old time on Wednesday. I don't know what we're calling it, the a t n Fan Hero Summit. I don't know. It's a little late in the game

to brand it, but that's what we'll call it. Thursday is gonna be our official preview of super Bowl fifty five. We have a bunch of great guests lined up uh for that show, so we're gonna blow that out and make our official predictions for the Big Game. And then yes Sunday night, UM, we will be back the final show of the season season super Bowl Recap and can't wait for it. And also Sky Sports. We're doing a bunch of stuff with sky this week. So it's all

looking good. And what did we learn here uh today? Tom Brady dead? Maybe to one man, tom Brady is dead. To everyone else, still alive. I've been from this whole season. I was on the bandwagon, I put, I picked. I don't know yourself a little bit there? Who is you know who I was? I was? What did we used to call it when we were on an island here? I'll pick with the bucks the last two weeks, I give me up. You just said the guy was dead, so I don't know. Kind of undercut some of her

UM rooting interested in the season. Matt Ryan will not be traded that we also have out there. Thank you to everyone uh for watching, and just dand Hanson signing off for a quiet storm. The Old Boss, Patrick clay Ban, Ricky Hollywood and the whole gang until Thursday,