Eli Manning Retires ; Active Hall of Famers with Mina Kimes

I don't know about that. Her majesty na kind Welcome to be Around the NFL podcast. Thank you. Um, I don't know how I'm gonna live up to the designation you. Besides, this his first lady music, That's what I asked. He doesn't really do much so majestic, very royal tea settings. Yeah, you know what, lose first lady. Let's let's go with the Queen. I don't think they let her out of the house in this administration. How are you men? Is

that kind of podcast? I'm good, I'm pumped. I have changed my mind about who's gonna win the Super Bowl. Literally every day I don't know where you guys are with that, but it does not. I I was wondering how a favorite was installed in this game because I've been the same way. You can talk to yourself like I think the forty are the better team. But how

do you pick against Patrick Mahomes right now? I mean the since you don't know anything, pick with what you want to happen camp and just in general, I have a fondness for Andy Reid. I feel like he I would argue that you've all put more work into this than I have. I have not thought about it once since Sunday. So I'm with you. I'm Patrick Mahomes. This is his moment, this is his take the Torch game. But that might be again more I'd like to see.

We don't want to spoil the big reveal from our super Bowl with yeah okay because people are on the edge of the seat. And also Simone Sessler, your lovely wife Mark. By the way, Greg any apologies yet hat in hand. Well, two shows in a row, Greg with extremely offensive commentary about actually comments about this, and I think it's it's beyond her at this point, everyone a favor. It was you're doing everyone a favor in your world.

That's how you was getting you. I don't know. I can't name one person who you granted a favor too. I was Simon's Niners fan, and I was trying to get what was would be an exciting romantic potential. Night's Well, Greg, you are a You are a cupid if there is ever been one. So I'm gonna listen. She listens to. Yeah, well, you know that is a curious affiliated with me. Listens to my wife. My wife has never listened to two minutes of this podcast in the entire run of it.

Not one. In fact, we had a TV show for the first time ever around the NFL broadcast that aired the last three weeks, My wife, thank you did you like? I was on the plane. I liked it very much. O good, thank you? Um My wife she watched the first one, but then she trailed off. She watched Our Enthusiasm waynes. Yeah, but I guess she doesn't care about

football either, So what do we talk about? My family is actually listening to everything I put out over the next two weeks because we're in a very competitive pick him what's been going. There's a plaque in my family's house I'm talking family, parents, brother, and it's gone down to the wire. Basically, whoever's right in the super Bowl wins it all of this year gets their name on the Kimes family plaque. They have an advantage because they're going to know who I'll pick based on my my

public profile, so they're watching everything I do. Like Hucks, this is cutthroat. I've had this issue with fantasy football. My good friend Bob, he has told me outright he knows who like my quote unquote sleeper picks are who I like because of he's a listener to our podcast. Well like Greg and I worked for Rhoda World Like. I was running our draft kit one year and all my high school buddy bought the draft and I was like,

I don't even want to do this. Yeah, well, I mean, Mina, is it not concerning that you are not dominating your family and this you are, This is your career and this is your expertise. You should just be devastating them. It's hard, so we do. I'm part of the ESPN. There's like an expert picks page and you can see the records. My mother sun Man Climes, who I think is seventy four now, has shredded every news Reddick Trey Wingo, my golic destroyed by sun Man climes year after year.

But this is the year I could take her. If I get the Super Bowl, right, I win? All right, A lot happening, alright, so I mean this here, we're excited her majesty forge about the first lady. You're right, because it's the first lady really varies. Some first lady super plugged in, super influential helenor Roosevelt come the mind immediately got a lot. Uh you know, of course Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, she was Why do you refer to

her as Barack Obama's the queen though in charge? I don't know these days queens queens are struggling right now save for the news. You know that news outside of the states. But it's there's something she's happening there. Um who said I don't pay attention to news outside the state, I did write a few seconds ago. Because it's true, you're incorrect. All right, here we go, coming up on today's show, Eli Manning retired. We're gonna get to that. Obviously,

we've been building up to this moment. It's funny, mean that you're here for this show because this Eli retires and what's next. Conversation has been really West has been He's been primed for this for years to take his shots at Eli in a big feel like I feel like they've said it off, but it's all building. This

is when Chernobyl blows. Uh. We'll talk about Eli, and also since Eli, it's the big talk about the Hall of Fame, we'll talk about players who are active right now, who are already in the Hall of Fame in our minds, and perhaps we will disagree. Hopefully we will because that's fun. If we have some time, we'll do a mail bag. But yes, let's start with the news. What tuck down just what every quarterback lives for. And it takes a sack back to brawl under pressure aboard the watch and

he's gotta fight out of it. Don't fight out of it now, froll good deep downfield takes it back. Got a play by man Eli Man. I don't know how he got out of there. I thought he was on the ground and and then he came out of the pile and just slays it. You know, people get on Joe Buck for the Randy Moss mooning call. But the fact that when NFL Films puts together a highlight package of the Eli to Tyree pass, the helmet catch, and Buck doesn't even show up and do a good job

on that. Yeah, he tased. He treated it like it was like a third and ten out, just in like a week four preseason games. Eli Manning announced his retirement on Wednesday, retiring after sixteen seasons. He's thirty nine years old. Um, the Giants quarterback who was of course supplanted by Danny Dimes this year but was a rock for German for many years now heads into retirement and it makes sense mina uh. In fact, as a New York I all

my friends are Giants fans. I was on a text chain just the day before this news broke and we're talking about that Eli is gonna retire probably soon, because when you looked at the landscape with all these older quarterbacks on the market and what Eli has been doing the last couple of years, it never made sense that he was going to find a place to start games or perhaps you know, he didn't want to be a backup,

so this all made sense. But still it is the end of an era in New York I. Would love nothing more to come in here and defy I think what you all know I'm about to say about Eli Manning. I did not be what Damnachet calls us football cools, right, I would love to say, you know what, guys, you can't tell the story of football without Eli Manning, which, by the way, why is he the only person who gets that benefit? Do you ever people say that about anyone else other than Eli. There's a lot of guys.

You can't tell the story of football without Hernandez one of them. It doesn't mean you put them in the Hall of Fame. Or if you want to look at Pat super Bowls, I mean they don't want any of them without Dante Hi Tower. That's the whole other thing, Um, Greg is compared Eli Manning too? Is it could be just one thing you consider about a candidate, right, Well, if you want Eli in the Hall, it's either two cases.

One is longevity, which is I think a lot of people throw out because there's just too many guys who would get in by that. And then the other is the two super Bowls in the story thing. Um, that's just not how I would define it. Uh, it just becomes an argument about how do you define the Hall of Fame. I think my case against him has always been and I've been making this case for probably eight or nine years. So this is how long he's been average.

He's just been average his entire career. Average in completion percentage, George per attempt, he's actually way below average, and all of the interception categories, passer rating, he's average. He's just for the time he entered the league to the time he left the league, he was an average quarterback over

that span. I still don't like that being the conversation, though, when he retired, I almost I we've had this argument so many times that I think we're just tired of it, Like we've said everything that there is to say about Eli Manning in the Hall of Fame or Eli Manning in general. That I actually was annoyed almost yesterday that that's the conversation when a really great player who was a big part of the league, and you know, no matter whether he was a you know, a top five quarterback,

now he never was. Maybe in two thousand and eleven I went through it once. I think I had him at a top five quarterback one year, a top ten quarterback only one other year. Yeah, that's not the Hall of Fame. But like immediately the second he retires, the entire conversation is like the start of the public Hall of Fame talk, which is I feel like gonna being never ending. People are so confident about what's gonna happen. You don't know what's gonna happen. I don't even be confident.

We were like, well, you know he will be in. It's like you don't know that. You don't know that at all. I think the Manning name, like this is not a new thought, but just that we've talked about, you know, royalty and stuff, that he's sort of this NFL family fixture that the people voting for this, I think they're gonna push Eli Manning right in. Not it maybe voters down the conversation. It depends on who he's against, though it really does. Conversation will be never ending for

five years. Then he's going in. I'm sorry, and I don't listen. You said everybody discounts counting stats and of people get too caught up or will only point at the two rings and the two Super Bowl m vps. But I just think there's to be said if he didn't win those Super Bowls. He's he's not going to the Super he's not going to the Hall of Fame. I get that, but there's something to be said, and it's always been I feel overlooked um, both on this podcast but in general because Eli can be a target.

I feel like on Twitter that the Giants drafted him or the Chargers technically, but the Giants uh brought him into the team in two thousand four. They put him in the lineup in around October that year, and then they never had to think about the quarterback position again for the next ten, eleven, twelve years. And I know things didn't end very well, but they should have been thinking about it when you're when you're talking about alright,

ten years, Okay, I'm gonna say ten years. When you think about other teams, think about your Browns, Mark my Jets, so many other teams in the league, UH that go through a constant search at churn looking for a guy, and you end up with a stop gap and a rookie you stinks, and then a stop gap and then another rookie and maybe you hit on something like the Seahawks got Russell Wilson. They don't have to think about anything. Russell Wilson's a better player than Eli, but Eli for

ten twelve years they put him in there. He did his job. He was not spectacular, but he was steady. You never had to worry about him getting hurt because he never did. He's the most durable player ever. You never had to worry about him saying stupid something stupid to the media. He always handled that very well. You never had to worry about him getting into like a behind the scenes drawn with a coach and and something exploding and him being at odds and using the media

to get a point across and all that stuff. He was a Walter Payton Man of the Year guy. He was a total good dude. And in those two playoff runs, then you factor that in for me, he rose up in a historic way. And that didn't just beat anybody. Didn't beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, you know, didn't beat uh Pittsburghs. There's he beat the Patriots, and he'd beat Bill Belichick and he beat uh Tom Brady. And if to me, if that's not something that should be given added points.

Knowing who the Patriots are and what they represent in this era of NFL football, I'm sorry, I disagreed to just kind of just view the out is, Oh, yeah, he beat the Patriots. No, he beat the greatest team of all time, the bettest, greatest quarterback in the greatest head coach. I think that means a lot, right playing Okay, in that Super Bowl, I don't think he would say he had the best game. Even the play he's known for, you know, it is a is a crazy play that

could never be replicated. The run is what I remember most fondly of L. A. Manning. I think people kind of forget that one that the last game of the regular season that they played, I think it was against the Cowboys, and then the three games in the NFC playoffs and that Super Bowl. He had a collection of some of the most improbable, low percentage, awesome throws for

a five week stretch that you'll ever see. Joe Flacco kind of had a somewhat similar run, and he had little moments like that the year after they won the Super Bowl two thousand and eight. He was really good throughout the year. But they didn't win the Super Bowl because of the L. A. Man And they want it because of their defense. I mean they want it because of justin Tuck, and it's equally reductive to me to say, oh, they one because of he was he was he was

a part of it. Tuck to get into the I mean to kind of connected back to the High Tower. No one's out here making a case for High Tower. You kind of do you like to throw this one? I I think he is the single most important, like outside of Brady and Gronk, Like the Patriots don't have this run of Super Bowls without Dante. High Tower, I think, and I don't think Dante belongs in the Hall of Fame.

But you could every all the cases we're making for Eli, you could just as easily make for like twenty other random players are not quarterbacks. The case you've made for you, I think it's a case why he's a great, memorable NFL figure. It's just that's different than an archist. Whether he've also talked about it. Forever didn't excel his position. He was not a top ten quarterback, I would say, for every year but two of his career, and there was no one in the Hall of Fame. You can

say that. They've also said Forever and West. You've quoted Vince Lombardi on this that the quarterback, it's just the most important for position position. It's where the spotlight is and that comes with way more pressure to it in Dante Hio Tower, where his position is. I just think what Eli was able to do in that spot in those two years is something you can't take away from him and and say, oh, he was carried to those titles because I don't. I just don't see it that way.

I think you've you stated the case very well. I just think it falls shy of the Hall of Fame. I think if you're a Jets fan like Dan, or you're a Browns fan and you've seen nothing but uh, you know, ship wrecked chaos at the quarterback position, that the idea that you would draft someone who would play as Eli did before a PR stunt got him benched.

You know, a couple of years and you've never missed the game to injury, right, twelve straight years of sixteen starts, and by the way they stunt got him benched, he got himself. Well that's fine, but I'm saying but also, I just think if you were a Giants fan in you in you draft, you draft Philip Rivers and he did what he did, But you get Eli Manning out of it, and you know he's gonna win two Super Bowls and essentially be a total iron man at the position.

He's a Hall of Fame to a lot of Giants fans. I get that, Um I don't think he belongs in eating either. Reading a story, just reading up on Eli's career, I completely forgot the whole two thousand seventeen. Ben McAdoo, I don't even where is Ben these days, but Jacksonville Jack Ben mcadov all, he's resurfaced. Bec his plan when Eli was I admit that he was in the tank

at this point in his career. Ben mcdow's plan was to have Eli play the first half to keep his starting streak of life, and then bring in Greg's boy, Gino Smith. He was he wanted to do the play the halves thing. We'll always say that starting that Gino had against the Raiders is underrated. He played pretty well

in the game. Will always say that Eli durability thing is underrated, Like, we cannot talk about that enough because you're Greg said, he doesn't want to get to the all Fame debate right away, So let's that that would be where I would focus on him because it's truly remarkable. I mean, they asked us to I do this daily show ESPN Daily Check it Out, and at the end of the show would do like a monologue, and you know, they're saying, well, what do you you want to say about

Eli Manning. I was like, well, I kind of just want to talk about how durable he was in the game that to me, it's not the Super Bowls, but it was the the NFC Championship against the Niners. I'll never forget that his best watching him. I mean every picture from that game, his helmet is slightly skew because I think he was hit like, you know, five hundred times or some twenty knockdowns or something. I don't know

if I've ever seen anything like that. So it's pretty remarkable. Um, all right, well we'll have this conversation again and uh in five years when the All of Fame vote occurs. So let's stick a pin in this. Are we still doing be doing this in five years? I mean we were looking through uh you know, here's a peek behind the curtain in our you know, database, to see if we had had this conversation or whatever you want to say.

I couldn't know. I could. I looked in the little you know whatever you called the art nineteen thing, and the idea that we have curtains is strong. We don't. And we searched to see have we had the what earned players are Hall of Famer's conversation before and it was like yes, But in two thousand and fourteen, it's like, gosh, you've been doing this. Where's the love that we get for being durable? Where's that monologue on ESPN down specifically

from the employer? Very little love? Never miss a start? Alright, Mark did miss the show for what was it last week? Your I couldn't close. I had an eye issue. That is not how I would describe That is not how I describe it. All right, Boomerang, I are from Mark. Here we go. Other news in the league, Gary Kubiak's back in a chair. The o C Chair rap Sheet reported Thursday the Vikings will make Kubiak the new OC.

He spent the twenty nineteen season as the Vikings assistant head coach and offensive advisor, and uh he got a lot of the credit for the run scheme um that he used as a head coach in Houston and Denver. He's a big play action guy. So now Kevin Stefanski goes to Cleveland, and I always felt like Gary was maybe looking over Kev's shoulder the whole time West and now Kubiaks in the chair feels like a good match with Kirk, right, Yeah, I don't. I wonder how much

this will change things. I guess he'll be actually calling the plays, whereas last year it was more like he installed the offense and then Stefanski called the plays. But Greg likes to say all the time Andy Reid is the best offensive mind of his generation or this century.

And I think the guy who's often lost in that conversation is Gary Kubiak, who's been highly successful everywhere he's gone, who basically, you know, Mike Shanahan gets a ton of credit for Kyle, but I think Kyle spent more time in the NFL around Gary Kubiak than father. You're a great shin. I mean that that combination there, Kubiak and Stefanski together a couple and some men, didn't you have some of Stefanski? He maybe this is the time for him. I forgot about this. It was teased before we came

on that me and had a Kevin Stefanski scoop. Yeah, well, I know we got you know, and Brown's interest here. Yes, I'm just hoping it's not disastrous news that you're about to break. So this kind of brings it back to the family. We've been talking about our family members and their interests or lack of interest in our careers. Um So, my husband Nick uh does not watch football, does not

it's not a sports guy at all. But one day he comes home and he's like, hey, He's like, you know, it's like Kevin Stefanski seemed like he didn't put it away and let me first. He said, it is Kevin Stefanski like a big deal, And I said yeah, he just pretty big deal. And he's like, what about Joe Judge Is he also a big deal? I was like, yeah, yeah, this is recently. He's like yeah, He's like I know them both from high school. So he's so excited to tell me this guy. I got the scoop for you,

the scoop of the century. Joe Judge st Joe's prep Philadelphia. Joe they were both quarterbacks, and he said, Joe Judge, Kevin Stefanski took his job. Joe Judge had a transfer out of Saint Joe's Prep because Stefanski was the better quarter You have no idea how excited Mark is going to go back and well and according to my husband, the better dude, great classmate, good friend, nice guy, excellent

at calculus, giving you all the inside analytics. And I'm like, this is kind of a fun story, like quarterback transfer or whatever. And you know, I'm gonna just double check no one's written this. Adam Schefter had it four days before me went to high school. Guys, I was thinking it could have been you're like your summer splash piece, like the time when Stefanski stole Judge's job and I had the most inside of sources. Jeff there does a

great work. But you know what, the one thing you still have to me the top You know how they teach in journalism school the inverted triangle. To me, the top headline or the top part of the story. Though, is that one of these guys as a jerk. I didn't say that. I just said one is a lesser man than the other, according to high school. According to my husband, who also, by the way, interviewed Kevin Stefanski

for the St. Joe's Prep hoklet and is available. He tells me for any interviews to talk about the experience. Probably the first interview of Stefanski Um. He was very high on Kevin. Well, I'm just taking the rest of the show off because you know, when things start to go well, check out and just enjoy. That was a close If if it was the fancy get lost the job, we would have lost Mark. Yeah, that would have been it. I don't need it. I don't need any more negative

type news. This is the opposite. Thank you, Um, just really Cooklean Kubiak though cubes Um wasn't he supposed to retire because of his health like this is I mean, the dude can't quit football. And I agree with you. He's been immensely successful everywhere he's gone. His fingerprints are all are all over the Shanahan run game, every offense he's touched. But is a dispassionate life worth living well?

There was not trying to survive. That's post cancer. Well, of course, I mean you have to go through all that when you suffer a big health scare. What's worth what makes it worth living well? The thing I found weird last year at this time was Ian Rappaport would say that Kubiak didn't want the head coaching jobs because of his health, because yeah, the stress, but but the coordinator thing seemed fine, which is one of the more underrated John Elway um mistakes. I think of the last

few years, you you love killing your boy. He somehow let Kubiak get out of the get out of the building last I mean, Kubyak wanted that job, and it seemed like he wanted to have his whole, the whole Kubyak Click crew. He's got Clint Kubiak, He's got a

couple others. I think, what is his name, Donald's you know, he's got the same assistance and they couldn't come to as he didn't And it's always laughed by the way, according to Dan if you're wondering if we're and instead he got Scangarrello who last year and now he's he's weird and don't forget he also had Kyle Shandan in the building. And then he looked advanced Joseph and went, this one's r that's true. What is that? Boys don't ask? No,

it's not my eloy that is um. I just I like it because I feel like this whole year in Minnesota, you never knew who was calling the shots, not just between um Cubes and Kevin, but also between Zimmer and then when they were like running the ball way too much early on, everybody was questioning who's really making these decisions. I think that's a huge question mark. And Stefanski is wait, one of the best play callers in the NFL is sitting next to you in meetings potentially doing all the work,

and you're getting hired for the head coaching. Great good looking man, though another of a problem with the way he looks. Another family tie into the show, um My brother Kevin danger hands is It's good to have a prominent Kevin pop up on the scene because I feel like we'd been in a slump, like Kevin in a big spot Pat Kevin Well Bacon has been around forever, though, I mean a fresh Kevin on the scene is the l Kevin James was getting a little stale. We need

to do it all right, Let's move on. Speaking of Flower, Matt Lafleur, this was interesting. A couple of things, A couple of nugs around the packers. First of all, Mike Patton, he will remain the defensive coordinator. Although la fleur kind of said he had to think about some things before making a decision, he decides that la fleur Um will return to the staff, even after a very grizzly, uh downfall for the Green Bay defense in the NFC title game.

And then I just wanted to play a quote from Matt from his press conference on Wednesday that jumped out to me a little bit. I'm curious if you guys agree. That's something that I'm still trying to figure out right now as we speak. I mean, I don't understand that because you're there, you have an opportunity to go to playing a Super Bowl, and for that to happen, it's it's extremely it's bothersome, and we gotta look at ourselves, everybody.

My I gotta look inside it myself and see why why weren't our players playing with their hair on fire? I think every everybody in our organization has to do that, you know. I thought it was interesting to hear a coach talk about that and talk about his team's lack of passion and fire when it's connected to the conference championship game. Now, you sometimes you hear a coach talk like this, in Week six after a game where a

team just has a no show. But that was a little bit of, I don't know, a little bit of red flag that he's admitting it and talking in the media that his team didn't show up for the NFC title game kind of sounded like his quarterback there just you know, some of those spicy quotes that you can um. I mean, he's right, he is right. I guess I'm surprised that he spoke on it publicly because it's kind of isn't it a on some level when the team doesn't show up something you could see it as a

direct reflection of the head coach. Well, he tried to say that. I mean, I think he was just recognizing the obvious that the defense and Aaron Rodgers, but I would say that those the defense as a whole, was just blown off the ball and was blown away. And I think if you watch them, you have to come to that conclusion. Like the two Smith brothers, you know, Darius and Preston Smith we talked about all year and Kenny Clark, they got railroaded. I mean, they they got

they got crushed. But I read this the Bob McGain Weekly Grades that he gives the Packers, which is always he goes on the athletic and this one was like from a crime scene. I mean, he went in on these guys and Rogers he basically the entire defense and Rogers is having, you know, the worst games of their careers, and the defense especially just kind of getting physically manhandled and mentally just out of it. Let me ask you

guys this because I would. I was just thinking through this as I look ahead to how do you stop this San Francisco offense from humiliating you with the run game the way they did? How much of that would you put on effort, execution, broken tackles, that kind of thing, some of the secondary being out, Um, the Smith's not showing up, and how much would you put on scheme and Petton not making adjustments, not putting some of his defensive players in the right position to succeed. I felt

like I saw both happening at the same time. Um, which is the very first lady esque answer, what do you think? Well, after reading about this, the specific game plan from the forty Niners was We're going to attack the Smith brothers in the running game, so they're not pass rushing us. Basically, we're going to go to the edges and take them out, and it worked. So I think when you're talking scheme like that has to be a big credit to Kyle Shanahan there, and I tend

to credit him more than I blame Petton. I think. I mean, Kyle Shanahan there are we're hearing now, and we talked about it before the game. Kyle Shanahan had a year plus to scout Mike Petton and did a better job of scouting Mike Petton than Mike Petton did. I mean forget a year. I mean, I think was a bit of a controversial relationship to what they were.

There was definitely not the coziest of friendships there, and I didn't just I just give it to Kyle Shanahan for understanding how to attack pett And they crossed two hundred yards on the ground four times this season, so it's not out of their DNA the Niners to do this. They had, Yeah, and they had some The Packers had some no shows. I mean, for a for a team that only lost four games. The four that they lost, none of them were competitive, three were just blowout. Yeah.

The most concerning thing for me is if you're a Packers fan, it shares a lot of connective tissue with the meltdowns you saw with Don Caper sitting up in the booth and his little hair flying around and the Packers no showing and in January game on defense, I put him on the coaching being one step ahead of

the other team. And then the fact that you've already gotten blown out by this team one time, and maybe you know they they had to have the forty Niners had to have felt that they had the Packers numbers and everything proved them right. I'm sorry just saying that was the Kaepernick was this last time they got ran on that like that, and everyone put it on Capers

as well. I just think it's personnel too. At the end of the day, that just didn't have good linebackers and you just can't beat And this this is a real concern for me with Kansas City is again go back and forth, go back and forth. In this game. It's real hard to stop this Niner's offense if you don't have linebackers. If you played that La Fleur good Ones, for a non sports fan, the reaction would be, why is this person with a monotone talking about not playing

with your hair on fire. It comes from the person with the monotone. What was that take about Dom capers hair, little hair flying around? I mean that just I feel like Dom's hair doesn't move. It's the cutaways to him looking out completely died, amused and befuddled in the booth. Is that got like tamped down? Well? I think the whole thing that, Yeah, Dom was it. It looked like it had you know, perished fifteen years before, and he had purchased it. I don't mean to speak too much

on it, but yeah. Uh. In other coaching news, the Jacksonville Jaguars are hiring former Redskins head coach Jake Gruden Fox and he is there exactly next offensive coordinator. Uh. This quote from Doug Moron, who obviously does not see the meteor heading towards come on, coach Dog is one of the brightest offensive minds in football, and I'm pleased to welcome him to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, he didn't say this, but he could say it and it wouldn't

make sense. And he is also a perfect choices in term coach. When I'm fired on Holliday, I will sandwich prop right here. Yeah, Jay Gruden is in and Doug Moron is out by this time in two thousand twenty two, So within the next two calendar years, Gruden is in, is the head coach, and Maron You're not bold enough. Basically, at some point Jay Gruden will be the Jagguars head coach, head coach this year al right before that, this time next year Bruden Gruden is in and Maron it would

be ten months from now, right. I still think it was a great move because their offense is and Jake Gruden is is underrated and as I still believe he's a great play caller and has done a very good job almost everywhere it's in Washington. So I don't know you're gonna get for Maron. No, it's a terrible why because they need they need something, they need something to

fix the offense. It's just going to happen with an all serious and other ready made inside choice for a coke in it but is on fire, he's no matter what, so they have to win. Well, that's true too. I like it for Minshew. I mean, just set aside the our concerns about Maroon first, assuming the man as could be real bad next year. But um, you know Cruden's a West Coast guy. Yeah, I'm not You're right, they could go in a lot of different directions with corporate.

But if they is Minshew, I'm saying, you know, like a quick passing game, a little more play action for Gardener seems what about nick falls? What is going to happen? That's an interesting subplot. I don't think he is because of the money, and he's not a terrible quartback to have and maybe Minshew is the starter, Like you just

eat so much money to get rid of him. It it doesn't make sense if you found a trade partner that takes off a little bit of the money, but it's still you're eating all this money to not have him on your oster. Counterpoint, can you tell the story of football without Nickles? But he's also not going to be heading to Canton twice? Oh yeah, I'm sorry. That's that's the bar, and you really can story in all seriousness,

that's a high bar if you do it twice. Yes, I can't take you on your sandwich prop because it was the first thing I came to my mind. So if I were to, I don't want to root against it, and I also know I can't get sandwiches by you know, going with you so well, I already knew it was the first thing that came to your mind, because I know you. Okay, alright, real quick, let's jump into the fish tank. Um. The Dolphins and their general manager Um

are Chris Career. They quote fully expect Ryan Fitzpatrick to be back with the team next year, the thirty seven year old who had a really nice season UH for the Dolphins under very difficult circumstances. Um is obviously a guy who works as a stop gap. But the whole idea, I mean of the build up and the tanking was to start over and start over at quarterback. Doesn't make sense to be paying Ryan Fitzpatrick pretty good money when you're probably gonna go get a quarterback in the first round.

The only the thing I don't like about it is that, Okay, they're going to get a quarterback. ST. Two is probably right the leader in clubhouse, assuming the fifth overall you can get him there, they might have to trade up. He expected four quarterbacks to go in the top fifteen, so get one. Oh my god, Jacob Eason, it's gonna happen. Um. Huskies fan so anyways, I don't love the idea of fits being the veteran backup behind the rookie, ready to pounce and out play him at every turn. I don't know.

I know we think of him, you know, he's a great guy, good mentor, But I just I don't know. That kind of makes me nerve. I just feel like there's so many we have so many examples now of him coming in and out playing these young guys in Spurts and to Chicago and get on the backup to Trabinsky. I don't want to back up. Yeah, I don't want to see I don't start him over Trabinsky. I don't want to see Fitzpatrick. Also, just what will be his

final season just sitting on the bench. Well, if it's if it's too to him, might not be Probably wouldn't be ready and maive million. It's the opposite. The contract is a huge bonus. He's making eight million next year, which is for a backup. Uh, not bad, Like I would love to see the for a guy who is the best quarterback in the a f C East last year and can start games for you. Yeah, I think that I wish to was a Fitzpatrick for every team

in the league. Fitzpatrick. I just I thought it was noteworthy, just that he said that, because you know, Derek Carr's out here on Wednesday all upset with these quotes that why is everyone bringing up you know that other quarterbacks

might be coming here? Because I forget what there was something this week that people were connecting Jamis to the Raiders like you would think, and he went through all Brady and here's why, because your coach made it very clear that they're evaluating the quarterback position and went out of his way to not promise you the job, whereas in Miami, I think they're basically promising it's Fitzpatrick in a rookie like they're making it pretty Do you think

that sets up a nice transition? So you're right to a could come in, not play, fitz comes in, they mess around and win a few games. You can evaluate some of the guys. You know, you're williams Is whatever receiver they'd writ Do you think that could be like a nice Why not? I think as much as coaches seem to dislike Josh rosen Uh, they seem to love Ryan Fitzpatrick. And if from a coaching staff angle, there

it would be the perfect veteran. To West's point, every team would like to have a Bryan Fitzpatrick in that quarterback. It also kind of says they're out of the veteran quarterback market if they're being honest, which is a little bit of information. That's what's happening in the news. Ricky Hollywood plug our live show. Please, what's up? Guys? You feel that Caribbean Caribbean, I don't care how you say it. Vibes. That's still not Miami. But that's where we're going to be.

Oh yeah, you heard it. Miami Improv. Last chance to get your tickets. If you're a forty Niners fan, if you're a Chiefs fan, if you're anywhere in between, if you're not a fan at all and you just like live podcasts, you know, regarding football, then then this is the place for you. Miami Improv Slash Events. Check it out. Let's go, y Miami. Yeah, come get your tickets there, go and quick. You've done some live at Kimes podcast Miami money shows. How have those gone? You know? I

do want in Seattle. So that was you know, homecoming like the rat King and the Sewer. Wow. Weird analogy I don't know why I was there. I was thinking, well, you know, I'm surrounded by like enablers, and well, isn't a rat king When a bunch of rats tails get caught together technically, then they become a giant giant. That's cool, That's what that was like. Um, Bill Barnwell and I have done a few. We did one in I know in Chicago. That was that was fun. Are you doing

any live ESPN Daily podcast? Not the super Bowl? Just doing some we got a studio. Ami, you think you're saying that you know whose voice that is? And I'm amazed, But is that not Erica Miami, the Great, Connie Fox, Colleen Wolf? I hear it now. By the way, the super Bowl forty fifty four research and notes are out and Mina's competitor, she was the ESPN so she doesn't get to look at this. She probably gets her own packet.

But um, the city of Miami has its own chapter Miami and I just want to share a couple of fun facts about the city of Now would be the natural time for there we go. It is the second time people chirping at me back on her on her timeline. The second most populous city in Florida. The mayor is New York connections to Miami with the lebatar. Yeah no, I've basically lived in Miami for two years. It's Francis Suarez. He's it's the third year in office, of course, Francis

X Suarez. By the way, what city in Florida has more population than Miami? Miami. Famous Miami Miamians include Stephen Ross, Well, the Rock Pit Bull, Glorious stuff on. These are also owners of the Dolphins, Enrique Iglesias, Ava Mendez, and a Rod Miami. So there you go. All right, let's get into it. Yeah, hey, why does he go to all of fame? We don't know. I think he does. Some other people in here don't think he does. And that's that's why sports are fun, because you get to talk

about these things. But let's now get into players that are active in the NFL right now, Players that are in if their careers ended tomorrow. Okay, um, I have a list here. I think you guys have lists as well, potentially, and I'm gonna go through some names. Uh, we'll put it in categories and then you know, chime in with your own thoughts. Anybody I miss anyone you disagree with here to me are absolute no brainers. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, J. J. Watt,

Adrian Peterson, Aaron Donald, Larry Fitzgerald. Anybody disagree that those guys are the career ends tomorrow. They're in five years anyway, and I would disagree if their career ends tomorrow, they're done. Their their body of work is already complete. I think nailed that. Okay, I would put some more in that list, But okay, let me go to the next here, and then you guys tell me if they belong in the first here. I put these guys in the candy. There's

no doubters to me. But they're not at the cinch that those other guys are Russell Wilson, your boy, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, Von Miller, Earl Thomas, and Justin Tucker. A lot of names. Tony dunge up in here like that. Um well, I think never forget. First of all, Aaron Rodgers should be in that first left. That's an over that's a classic oversight. You might get some heat on Matt Ryan from some people. I think

I loved the Matt Ryan. I do too, but he's not a no doubter to me, And if and if his career ended tomorrow, he's definitely not a no doubter. I assume that we're in the section now where they have to keep playing a little bit. But he's saying if they think, oh you think, and you've not mentioned Ben Roethlisberger at this point, oversight, but I'll put him

in the tail end of no doubt. To me, Roethlisberger would be in the in the total fight me essentially, he would be in There's no way Ben roth I mean Ben Roethlisberger, you know, comparing him to Eli, I would say it was the top five quarterback seven or eight times, and Eli has been at twice. Thought experiment. Pat Mahomes wins the Super Bowl this year, retires the

next day. How could you, in good like face, how could you make a case for Eli over Pat Mahomes, who was the best quarterback in football two years and bowl. I want to know what Patrick Mahomes is retiring to do, because if he's going to build houses somewhere for developed country, the narrative, there's a there's a hook to it. Yeah, if it's just like I fell out of love with the game. I'm like, you know what, you know, sit on the couch and enjoy whatever you're doing. But but

if he's got a hook. Interesting the Seahawks on this matter, I thought we're interesting, Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner. I'm counting Richard Sherman as a Seahawk. Russell Wilson I think probably needs to he needs to play more, but he'll be He'll be all Wow. I would put Russell Wilson, Russell sure here whatever he's in the other three are I'm saying. I'm saying the defeated voting session here. Defensive players, it's hard for Earl because I mean, safeties already have a

hard time getting it. I wonder when I made like a you know, I did a search on Pro Football Reference for the most first team All Pro since OH three. I just picked and Bobby Wagner was tied for first. That's what I was kind of going on. I built this list off all going into but I guess a couple of years he doesn't count as active anymore. I don't Richard Sherman, Is he definitely a Hall of Famer? I think I think what he's been able to do the last couple of years, especially this year and being

on all again. I would like I would like it if Matt Ryan makes it, but I can't even even as a huge fan, I don't know about no doubt right now. Okay, here's what he needs to play a little. I agree with Greg he's I think he's going to get in eventually because his numbers by the time he retires are going to rank with anyone's in the history of the game. And a lot of people judge this

stuff by numbers. You know who told me that Earl Thomas was a no doubt or for the Hall of Fame And this is timely before me drell revs did not mention Richard Sherman to me. This is before you know the beef. But I think if you did the three Seahawks defensive players against each other, it would go Earl first and then Wagner or Sherman. Well, I think maybe I'm crazy, like you're the Seahawks fan. What what order is? There doesn't need to be an order. I

think he's the more valuable dominant player. But the way we look at Hall of Fame and the accolades, I think he'll have a harder time getting in. You know, there is an as a woman who has a Super Bowl forty t too. So you're as die hard as they come. Um, these guys are all on the similar age range. There is a possibility that they could all go in the same year. You're in Canton for that, right, like you're there for the speeches of that happened, being

emotional just thinking about it. Well, and Russell's pretty longer than any of them. Well, Russell could leave Russell out, but I mean that's a guy. Yeah, that could happen. Could happen. That would be fun. Anybody I've mentioned Justin Tucker, did that just go into the radar or him? I'm with you, and I think Johnny Hecker has probably headed to the Hall of Fame. Tak, I think Johnny Hecker is the best punter in history. I like what about Adam Vinitary You're not You're you're on the fence with

him shot. But I feel like, to be complete, I like that you put von Miller in that category, and I would agree with you. Okay, good, here's the maybe list. Now it gets a little dicey and Dominican Sue Tyron Smith. I'm even I don't even know how he out in here. I'm taking Khalil mack out. I don't know why I put him there. That was stupid. He's on the night yet, for he's on my night yet. Patrick Peterson I think probably ends up getting in. I think he's on that.

And Andrew Whitworth. He'll be a fascinating case for how powerful PFF is because I would say, no under any normal um, how they've done Hall of Fame in the past. I think even that Andrew Worth that we're talking about it right now kind of Bengals probritically due to p F, which is interesting. I don't think it's a bad thing. When you play for the Brangles, your career doesn't matter to the rest of the league. So that's a problem he's got, right, which did you do know, Watkinsia, No,

he's on my borderline perpetually on this dack. Martin should be on that. That's what when. That's why I went when he said, Tyrant, because Martin and Frederick are probably have better case to me, might have better cases. And obviously Frederick had the illness and Smith has just been so banged. Yeah, Tyrann Smith is still young. He needs he probably needs to have like a little resurgence Marshall yonda falling off a little quicker. It's tough to talk.

Witten is also getting you haven't said Witten. Witten and Jason Peters are like on the ancient list. But we'll probably but he'll probably get in. I have one more, maybe, guy Greg, your boy Frank Gore. I thought I would put Frank Gore in. I don't know. I mean, but if we dismiss Eli Manning's counting stats and then we count Frank Gore's counting stats, like, well, what are we

doing here? Well, first of all, the counting stats for running backs have declined over the year, so that makes Frank gore stats more impressive and Eli Manning is less impressive. I mean, I also would say the last yeah, the last few years of Gore have certainly helped a lot, But he had a lot of years as a top five, top six. I don't know about that. I think so, I think if you're years, would you say he was yeah? Yeah, the club I love Frank, are right? I like Frank Bore.

I would say, first of all, his second year where he had yards, don't have my computer, granted, but I would say after that, I know, I know the numbers aren't there. The numbers like yards from scrimmage would probably put him more like eight nine ten. But in terms of like the quality of his actual play and what general managers and coaches would want, I think he wasn't. I'm with but it's it's it's an interesting player to make a case against. I guess as well, but I'm

with you. I mean, this is where I'm expected probably a total hypocrite because I lobby it against Eli and I love Frank Gore, and it is I think you're it's the same case basically or very similar. Like you said, the last few years of really helped him. But like,

is it because he had five six hundred yards? I think it is forgettable team he gets credit for playing late to First of all, he had he had a thousand until he was thirty four, so he was the oldest guy to have over a thousand since the seventies. So it's not like he was playing poorly all those years after his eight yards season, where he goes fifteen fourteen, fifteen thirteen fourteen, The numbers aren't like astronomical, and those

are yards from scrimmage I'm talking about. But I think in terms of like the quality per snap and what coaches and gms would want, they would have put him top five. I get that five. And also it's not just about stuff like this, but yards per attempted his last five seasons three point seven, three point nine, three point seven, four point six and three point six the last five years. The two thousand six season his second in the league, when he was like twenty three, and um,

he was third in rushing yards that year. It was one of the best running back seasons I've ever seen. It just was I think the same year Ladanian Tomlinson. When you watch Frank Gore that year, I don't know, not cynically, actually something special. That was the last time he was explosive, brings something that out of Greg every time. All right, and here's a list. These are not yet and and Mark, this is where you could jump in help me out. You're saying that's I've had some omissions here.

Let me know if I've missed any to this point. That should be in the first three tiers. And now throw by the way, that really interesting one that should be a Hall of Famer. The last four years have been ever since he left. Chance has a chance. I'd rather put Geno Atkins in myself. What about Gina Smith? Where are we at Smith with me? To see a little bit more? Did you see that coin toss he had this year? Now about Terrell Sucks? I have him

written down. Yeah, I think he's on that borderline. Yeah, alright, Charles sucks. Not yet? Uh? I just this again, Cam Newton, I don't even know if he's that close, but this is gonna be a big stretch ram coming back, But he has an m v P. He was a very special, different important quarterback for most of this decade. Mike Evans, Khalil Mack, DeAndre Hopkins, Travis Kelsey, Stefan Gilmore, and Sam Donald. Anybody disagree with any of those? Sam Donald, well, I

mean he could retire today as your mentioned. You know, Patrick Mahomes, same situation. Can we get seam there might have have a slightly average season first? Kelsey's a good one. Yeah, just receivers you left out? Just Mike Evans is an interesting choice. I don't know if I would have gone there.

I mean, what about Julian edel uh Antonio Brown? Yeah, that was I think you know, to Antonio, Brown is a no doubter um and I know you'll get there will be some conversation about how he's affected his team, which is fine the last year or two in league. I don't care. He's the best wide receiver. I would say he's the best wide receiver I've ever seen. Like he would he would be my number my number one. It depends what you like sort of, but I think at the very worst, he's in the mix of you know,

Megatron or Julio Jones. He's at that level Randy Moss like, that's that's the level he's that. I mean, he blows Larry Fitzgerald out of the water in terms of Larry Fitzgerald has two first team all they never did anything as great as Larry Fitzgerald's playoff runt. No, he does not blow him out of that. We don't really factor in playoffs too much room, I think accounts. I mean, they're both no doubts. It's just they're both no doubters.

They're red zone counts, and Larry Fitzgerald for his entire career, was a better red zone weapon. You know, you have something to speak to break the time Antonio Brown is significantly more dominant than larf Fitzgerald. But another one both of you and well, that's well, Greg has a recency biased thing that we can never get over. Everything that happened in the last year or two is better than everything that came before. You've already got Patrick Mahomes is

the greatest quarterback of all time. And then riddle me this because recently bias would you turn you against this guy? But if you consider his the records he shattered in his first few years in the league odahbuck Ham Jr. Now I know where we are with him, and he's certainly not a no doubter, but a couple year was the quickest, like a number of records, I'll put him in not not yet he could. I mean, yeah, he's in the middle of his career. And I don't think

the Brown thing is controversial. I mean, at his peak and in terms of first team All pros did there's very few receivers in the last three definitely can't tell the story of football. Now you can, and and it should be said Antonio Brown if you want to like make the case to keep him out because he's been a knucklehead and he's had issues off the field. Well, you know, I'm putting Turell Suggs in either well, and the voters are some other ones too explicitly told not

to factor in any of that, but they do. They seem like you do. Antonio Gates was tired, and you would think Antonio Gates he'll go, He'll go against Elie like that. Please don't forget any because we're gonna get killed in Twitter if we forget somebody's favorite place. But unless do you have Taysom Hill on. Taysom Hill has not made it yet. He's just bellow, Sam Donald, looking at your list right now. By the end of the Taystom Hill story, we will be looking at the Hall

of Him. Quarterback Harrison Smith is a really good choice. Harrison. That's interesting. Borderline cam Jordan too, But he's on your not yet list. He has to Las Campbell isn't interesting. I saw him, thought about him. Eric Weddle. I don't I think Eric Weddle's gonna end up in the Hall of VI. I think he'll he'll get discussed Eric Weddle. But if yeah, Rodnie Harrison's not in it. It's tricky.

There's so many of these positions Michael Thomas. Unless a major injury befalls him, that guy's definitely on the track. They're on their way. But I put him in like the Patrick Mahomes category. Right, Yeah, you had this whole list of young guys. He is interesting because Patrick Willis, for all the love we've given him, he was eligible this year. He wasn't even in the finalists. Well, that's because the voters do this whole waiting, wait your turn thing.

There's like a pecking order that's like far away from Wayne in turn. I think he will get in eventually, but that's like he wasn't even on the short list right off the bat, which was surprised. Are you guys interested in a quick cliffs notes? I don't people don't even know what cliffs notes are anymore, but a quick look at what we were talking about in two thousand fourteen in the same exercise, because I dug it up, all right, these were the definities back then. Tom Brady,

Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Drew Brees. Greg at the time wrote He's the only one that raises my eyebrows. You weren't in on them on him back then, Bill Bill Belichick I guess we mentioned a coach there, Troy Paul, Troy, Paul Balo, Big Ben, Larry fits So, Larry Fitz. We all agreed it as a no brainer in Reggie Wayne, which there was a little pushback on Champ Bailey, Oh I can't say that. And then guys who were very close Megatron, J J. Watt, Aaron Rodgers, Rivas, Shady McCoy.

Shady McCoy, you fell off. He's not even discussion. I think he is. I think he is still. He's gonna have a hard I'm making it, but there's a pretty strong argument that he was like the second best running back last decade. I completely forgot he was on the Chiefs conversation too. Would you put Pete Caroline No, I wouldn't. I don't. I don't know where the bar is with coaches. I just haven't thought it is. It is tough to but everyone's always hating on Pete Carroll I just think

he's he's reinventing himself times. Would you put him over guys like Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren. There's so many No, but I would. I would argue that more coaches should be put into the hall and the fact that we had to wait for Jimmy Johnson this long is absurd to me, totally absurd. All right, let's good conversation, guys, really fun before we get out of here, Let's hit the mail back. Let's do a few questions. Mina, I'm ready, sound good? Sounds good? All right? What is this from

Eric Jensen? What is the current music of choice on the Heroes is playlist? And we'll include me and at comes as well right now. And I made this very clear in a private text to some of our closest friends this morning that I'm very into the Madonna album Ray of Light, specifically the single The Power of Goodbye, and that's That's what I'm all about. Good album. Mhmm, you brought rap snacks, Well, I'll do a rapper um again.

Shout out to my husband who is a producer. A rapper that he produced is playing Blood Light concert in Miami this week's Channel Trace. Also he's in a commercial what's the name? His name is Channel Trace. And if you've been watching the playoff games, they've been doing these Apple commercials where they do like slow motion selfies. It's a song that they made. Oh the ladies face. That's Channel Trace. That's yeah, my husband produced that Channel Trace.

Check it out. If you get a residual every time that that commercial gets on, Let's just say Lenny's eating Well yeah, except for you. Greg. You like rap um I do, but you like like a lot of other things. I've been listening to a a lot of high Women lately, which is like a country is you know music women band women or women multiple women. It's like a supergroup sort of copy love there the Highwaymen, which was like a country music. Oh I love the Highwaymen. See there

you go West. How about you did anything? Uh that you're spinning? Like to um, have my favorite relaxant put on some jazz music and cook. But lately the Buena Vista Social Club album has been like that's getting a lot of run. Can't go wrong, Mark, I don't have a playlist. I know, I know that makes me absurd. I just I don't involved myself with it. Will Brinson asks who is on the Twitter council. This is It's good that Will ask us because this came up recently,

the idea that they're during the playoffs. There's too many people tweet being relentlessly about the same game, and we need a council to decide who gets to tweet in these you know, high profile spots. Will is on the council, Mina, I think is on the council. Yeah, and by the way, I thought the council. But forget about now, now that I'm thinking about it, forget about this first Lady of Sports Swayer. It's the president of Sports Twitter right here.

So of course the president is going to be her majesty the president maybe like a Jamal Adam since where I'm not really the president, but I call myself that. No further than that, Okay, but you are on the council. You have to be because we we all trust your judgment. How many people are on this council? For I think, well, what how many do we have? Three? Right? You've got three there. I think three is the perfect number. Brinson and c Yeah, diversity of views, that's what we're looking for.

And people that have for this role almost every minute. Yeh. Can't wait to see Brinson. Always it to see Brinson at the various tent pole events. UH This from Sing for the Day. Now back in Florida, as we head to UH, Will Mark and Gregg reunited jogging buddies and you can make you film it and put it to eighties montage music. Yessuh for people who don't know uh.

During one of the owner's meetings a few years back, Mark and Greg put on running shorts and sneakers and I assumed like a pull over of some kind and went jogging together and bumped into Anderson Cooper. Yeah we didn't. I mean it was kind of totally surreal and striking to be jogging down the path with Greg, that part feeling norm and then suddenly, Anderson Cooper, You've made it thing I made together. People have been jogging together, and it's kind of for years, have you ever had a buddy?

You guys have never run. I had a second base before the knee started barking. But it's just funny you guys running together and then we spoon it is I mean, it's I thought the whole thing was very one. It was one time. It was in Orlando, not in Miami. Um, but where I'm down, I'm definitely bringing some running clothes. Definitely bringing some running clothes. I'm gonna ask you a a

football question. Mina from Alex Finnis. Sorry, I saw the visual of them in their short short and on the way back we saw that was the more memorable sighting to me was we saw Bill Belichick and Linda Holiday holding hands kind of sweaty coming back from the tennis court. Yeah. I almost said Linda trip but it was definitely not Linda trip It was Linda Holiday. I forgot about that so political on this podcast, Come on trip Um. She wasn't a very good friend. Was rotten tomorrow? She was

not a very good friend. I've been listening to slow Burn, which is a good a good podcast about the Lewinsky skin. I'd recommend. Alex Flinnis asked which team do you think is most likely to do what the Niners have done and go from a losing record the season next year super Bowl? Not just get to the playoffs, go to the dance and it's very earlier stay because there's no draft and no free agency. But just for fun, Yeah, what was the Steeler's final record? Eight and eight? I

believe not eligible doesn't count. Shoot, okay, he's got we got the standings. What if the Colts get a quarterback? The Colts with Philip Rivers, do we think they're going to move on with the cult of Jamis Winston. Let's fly. I'm going to answer one. Will you answer first? Yeah? Alright, well, men go Lions because Stafford looks so good before we went out. But I hate the rest of that. I would say the fact I'm going to go foul. They're not changing anything. Yeah. What about the Bengals with Joe

Burrow going fourteen and two as they will? They don't wind playoff games. I've lost faith in the Chargers. Some weird stuff could happen with Miami. All right? How about this from uh Big Hicks A, how will the Sizzler get revenge on Greg for the wife oiled up? Comments? That's a fair question. I mean, why would I you know, what's this? What's this man's name or this person's name? That big hit, big hit? I mean, why would I

reveal my plans verbally on the show right now? When you plot like revenge, it must be a slow cook affair and it will happen at the perfect time. Eric Sabo asks, I wonder if he's related to Chris Sabo West when he was a jarring juxtaposition of names there, Eric and Sabe. Should the Broncos take a QB in this upcoming draft, or have you already seen enough from Drew Lock West Well, I don't like the binary nature

of the question. I haven't seen enough from Drew Lock, But I don't think that means they should take like a first round quarterback this year. They have other needs. The binary nature of this question is for I haven't seen enough from Drew Lock, I don't think they should draft the quarterback. So offensive coordinator. Now that's gone. Pat Shermer, get excited. Uh, Ricky this one. I want to tee you up because you did a nice job, Rick Hollywood.

Um on Instagram. You're very youth oriented. Thanks, you're our connection to the zeitgeist. And you did a Q and A on Instagram, um and did very well. And someone asked about the best Super Bowl snack of choice, and I could not have agreed more with your answer. Please Buffalo chicken dip. You gotta you gotta do it. You gotta do It's like buffalo wings with better. But it's like the cream cheese and and and the shredded cheese on top and the hot sauce and dip you dip

the tortilla chips in it. Oh many wins well in Cincinnati. We have Skyline Dip, which is similar Skyline Chili with cream, cheese and chips. Could you do a vegan option of buffalo? I bet you could. I bet you could create a similar flavor. Yeah, definitely, we're gonna do buffalo sauce and like chunks of tofu or some you a meat eater, you know I am a meat eater. Chunks of tofu?

Tell I don't eating, don't need chunks of to A couple more, Uh, this one, I'll open it up and Mina and your your big time in the podcast industries as well, So from Kier and Westbrook. Have any of you ever had a terrible nightmare slash romantic dream involving other members of the pod and did you tell them? So? I co hosted the Ridiculous Podcasts with my dog who I do about the Great Lenny, and I have had nightmares where he's in danger or so yeah, affirmative, Yeah

I have. I've definitely had dreams about um, this crew, the three gentlemen in the room, and uh, they've some have been very disturbing and I've decided not to share them in No, not at all. But we were told by HR not to share our dreams with people. Yeah, that was I've kept it, you know, I've kept kept it under wraps. That was a direct order not to discuss your dreams. That was getting us in trouble. Or I don't think that question. Put that four questions. You

gotta put that one on Kire in Westbrook. That was the hick. Mark. I'll close out with you from Sir Awesome of sauce Hey first time, long time. This question is for Mark. If you could go back and tell your younger self to be a fan of any other franchise, would you and for what team would you tell yourself to be a fan of? I'll hang up and take my answer on the air hashtag debate club. No, I wouldn't change I I know that seems absurd because it would be much more enjoyable had I naturally grown up

in Giants Terry. Just the Giants territory, Pick the Giants. But I don't think I would even be sitting here if I rooted for some team that just wanted NonStop. I think football is as a fan is about pain too, and I it's the only positive of being a fan of a terrible team. It is character building. I feel I mean to be somewhat that's not occurred, but that is the potential is there for them. That's what's happening

in the mail bag. Alright, Minah, listen, you came, you brought potato chips, You brought me Gooes barbecue and with my honey with a dab a ranch wrap snacks from way. This is some of the best gas station merch I've ever seen. The Cardi b Jerk barbecuere gonna save these for Colleen Chedder barbecue, which I didn't even know was a flavor. You take the Megoes you like rap and um, that was so nice for you to bring that. And

you also brought up some sour gummy bears. I'm gonna take one of us because my boys will love that same here. Um, all right, and how I played, You played hurt. You fought through some pain and you played hurt. Appreciate you know you're the best men and that's what you need to know about me. And she's the senior writer. She's one of the best football writers there is. Uh, so you gotta check out her stuff. Um. And also the great uh Daily ESPN Daily podcast, which going well,

you feel good about it. So far. Yeah, we got into fun stuff like super Bowl Week. Yeah, we've been. We have my um friend Bill Barnwell on a lot to talk about the games. We'll be doing stuff from Miami all week, and then I do a straight football I do a straight football podcast called The Men to Come Show featuring Lenny that Greg has been a guest on. Actually, yeah, he has a hat on Greg Let's go. Probably for

the same reasons I haven't been on Throwback. I told you have a standing in or way that you have a you have a baby on the way. I'm just kidding, but I did want to ask Mina a question. I saw your invited also to the Slowan Sports Conference. You are a person in high demand. There must be multiple times per week where you just think about going to the mountains and staying there for four months and just

leaving everyone in the dust for a while. No, I mean, I know, yeah, I'm like I'm the Kuby Act of sports podcasters. I can't stay away. I can't turn down and longtime listener to this show. Not every week. I'll be honest. Sometimes I fall behind, but I'm cognizant of some of the inside jokes. Can you put that on like our box set release the inside jokes. Yeah, I love this show, so thank you, and we love everything that you do. You're the best, and please come visit

us again sometime soon. See you in You were a football playable, you know. I thought I had a great out there. It was perfect. Good. Alright, let's start the whole show over and get it right. All right, let's go. Dan hands a signing off. Oh, by the way, stay tuned for after a little Easter egg, Walking with Giants is back, signing off for a quiet storm, the Mailman, Mina Kimes, the Old Boss, and Rick Hollie behind the glass till Tuesday. It's that time, the time you all know,

the time you've been waiting for. It's time for Walking with Giants. I'm your host, Chris Walking, Uber, New York football team fan, New Giants, New Jersey, more like, don't even play in New York. But nobody wants to associate any sport team with New Jersey, even the Nets moved to Brooklyn. They'd rather be associated with that Denna thieves. But I digress. We're here to talk about Eli Manning retiring,

some say the greatest football player of all time. First bout Hall of Famer beat Tom Brady beating his bridges right off. His cute little face makes Peyton look like little Off and Annie running around with his little curly hair and his tiny little dress, hanging out with the big blob man. Eli, You've done so much for me. You've made me feel so good at least twice in my life. Anyway, I just want to say, it'll be great to see you play again in for the New

York Giants. What does the word retire mean? By the way,