Fires, Hires and Big Little Liars

surely getting better. And you know, thanks to you guys, I can testify that that money drop is totally untrue. I got a couple's massage on my honeymoon. Thanks to all of you. Appreciate it. And um, it was not a guy who gave me a massage, or so you thought, Oh no, it was not a guy. It was a woman, definitely a woman. Well, how how was the experience? Wonderful?

I it was my first massage I've ever had. I've never been to a spot or we figured that we we called it a coin flip eternally, I never had a massage, and afterwards I was like, why have I been denying myself this for you know, I mean, money obviously is not everybody can drop whatever it costs to get us a massage every time. Well, we're glad you enjoyed it and we're happy to have you back. And and you missed Friday show. Greg kind of went for

the chair a little bit. He went for your crown and with hey, Dan unavailable, Uh, Greg came in hard with a yo yo. I don't know was that it was, well, I think it was. I think it was yo yo yo. And he said he might try to overtake you at the top of the show with his new yo yo yo. Well, I mean yo, I welcome all challenges. I don't run from my opponent. But also, I mean Greg's Greg's big thing always was hey, now that's true, which I really

stole from lifted from a very successful yeah from Yeah. Um, you're having some issues with short Remember you want to tell us about your weekend a little bit. My weekend was the same as ever, a hazy weekend in Santa Monica. UM, welcome to the Around the NFL podcast. Like we said on Friday, this is our last UM week of three shows until training camp, So we're gonna have some fun um because quite frankly, not a ton of football news

to talk about today. There will be more in the coming days because we have a bunch of other teams um holding their mandatory mini camps. We have some O T A s as well that are voluntary going on. Uh. And then it's after this week where the NFL goes dark, right or is it You're right? Yeah, that's it. It's the dark period of the NFL calendar, the only one really um. So until that comes, are with you three times a week on today's show. This is fun um.

You know, Game of Thrones is over in age b oh, so they gotta figure out what's going to carry what a our what our tent pole programs. One of them, uh, is this nice little show starring Reese Witherspoon. Whose nicole kidman? Kidman of course, Shyleen Woodley. I believe Adam Scott. Adam Scott's in a Meryl streep this season. Zoe Kravitz, of course, is Brad Pitten not on this season? Maybe I believe

that was a possibility. Listen to us yet dying it up over here, but here it is big little lies of the NFL, A little say, coming up later, that's gonna be fun. But before that, let's get into some news, some firing, some hirings. Let's get to it right, of course, are Massachusetts? Are you from Massachusetts? New Hampshire, New Hampshire. Same thing David Ortiz shot in the Dominican Republic. Amount it is I would school up there. It's all the same thing, you guys up there in your little New

England hive center of your universe. They've got their they've got their own little accent and kill the charities in New Hampshire. Anyway, Dave Arti is unfortunately tragically shot yesterday's and hopefully um on the way to recovery. But the Red Sox are sending their team plane to pick them up as of right now. We hope that this legend of of sport it recovers quickly. Absolutely, um, let's get

to the news. Start with I mean, what what a time it was to be a baseball fan of of the Red Sox back in in two thousand and four through Really, you know, I would just predict that there will be other aspects to this story, other layers to investigate down the road as well. Greg so upset that we keep up bringing up the salastious aspects of the story, but yes, get well soon, big poppy and hanging America. UM, let's start with a firing in the NFL. Brian Gaine

stunning move. The Houston Texans, in a classic Friday evening news dump, announced that they had fired their general manager, who had only been there for about a year. UM. Here was the statement from Texans Chairman and chief executive officer Cal McNair. After a thorough evaluation of our football operations, we have decided to relieve Brian Gaine of his duties

as general manager. While the timing maybe unusual, this decision was made in the best interest of our organization in our quest to build a championship team for the city of Houston. Now we're hearing Greg that game. Who was not the first or maybe even second choice to replace um, the former general Smick sex Smith did not necessarily see eye to eye with Bill O'Brien or was not Don O'Brien, guy uh, and that led to the OUSTA. But you know,

we don't know the whole story. Your thoughts on the move, well, the timing, I mean, you never like it when you're releasing a press release. That said, while the timing is maybe unusual, like you just don't hear that in a in a press release very often and getting ahead of the story. Yeah you you Dan mentioned like how is

this gonna be? You know, just over a text um treated kind of in relation to the Jets general manager firing, which is also at a strange time of year, And to me, the differences you can just see the the guy who essentially okayed the hiring, Bill O'Brien is also the guy that I'm putting the responsibility on for firing

Brian Gaine. So it's just Bill O'Brien solidating power over the last couple of years, and I think there's at least an argument to be made that he's earned it that even though uh, they've had their ups and downs. I mean they've they've had a winning record and every one of his seasons except for one, uh, and that if he was not happy with that general manager, he did a bad job helping to hire Brian Game last

time around. But I have a feeling maybe he's a little more optimistic about getting Nick Kossario Csario from the Patriots, who was their number one choice to replace Brian Gain and they've requested an interview, and as we're taping this, we don't know if that's gonna be approved by the pain.

I think there's a there's a huge Pink Pony Patriots link to this, because pink Pony is what Pink Pony is, essentially our Twitter show concept that the Patriots send people out in Bill O'Brien being one of them, to other

teams to cause chaos on those teams. But in this case there is a real true Patriots link because Albert b Are, former co worker who writes for the MMQ, now pointed out that the New England's culture coach, Jack Easterby, who was beloved inside the building, he was culture coach, and he reported to Bill Belichick on how elements of the entire organization were functioning. Laugh as you will, but it's that was they will. They did not want to

see him go an off field guy. Religion, you know, family, everything, just kind of handling the you know, out of football

aspects of Evil's eyes. He went to Houston after the Robert Craft massage incident occurred very unlike yours West, and they basically the theory is that he after after spending some time inside the organization came to the conclusion that we're going to make a change at various places, GM being one of them, and Cassarrio is very tight with Jack Easterby, and Cassario is very tight with Bill O'Brien, and some believe more so than any link between say

Josh McDaniels and Cassario, where there is a if it works out for him to come to Houston, that that is the guy they want, and there are more people than one would believe inside the building with pull to bring him there. The way the league's by laws are written, if the Texans were to offer necessary of full GM power, the language specifically says high level employee is defined above, which is basically primary authority over day to day operations. You're the real GM. He's not the real GM, but

the Patriots. So if they were to give him the GM title in Houston, he could go without getting It's a little great just because the Patriots were able to reject the request to talk to him last time around with Gains, so maybe the job description was less clear

than I don't really know. The thing that annoyed me in the coverage of this quickly afterwards was people and there was a lot of this on Twitter going through the moves of the last eighteen months and either saying, hey, he didn't deserve it, like look at what he's done, or hey, he did deserve it. He did a poor Brian Gaine. You can't put any of it on Brian Gaine, obviously because it's Bill O'Brien. I mean Bill O'Brien. You can't.

I saw especially like, well they haven't fixed the offensive line. Well, who's the commonality over the last five or six years in Houston and ever since Rick Smith stepped away from the team when his wife got sick. I think it's pretty clear that Bill O'Brien is the one that is ultimately in charge and all the picks, all the moves ultimately have to go with him. If he has the ability to essentially fire and fire at GM, he's the

one that should get the blame and gain. I don't know what he's responsible for, but he got in a bad spot, is what. Yeah, that's what I'm asking because if it is O'Brien ship and that all makes sense, what did he do wrong with the fired after only one year? I don't think he did. They the reporting right away was that it wasn't linked to one thing

that he did. I think that there's the more we learn if this Jack Easterby edition is part of it, that they've come to a conclusion that Bill O'Brien, in this culture guy they hired, are see someone else else else out there that fits the Texans system better well and gain old friendships. That's what the NFL is, right, gain came from another you know, from the bills. And how much of this is just everybody wants to work with their friends, right I think, and is more comfortable

with with them. I mean, I think Gaine probably entered a spot which was very difficult, and I do wonder with O'Brien. I think this should be said. Kel McNair is the acting owner, you know, so it was it was Bob McNair you know, for a long time. So there's a little bit of a vacuum Trani in this organization, a little bit of a power vacuum. And I think you know, Brian's done everything possible to try to fill it. Well, we know where else Brian game came from. Right now,

this is tough on you, Dan, How are you handling it? Well? The town of friendly People Proever we lost. You know, that was a big deal because to come from pr and work your way up as a player, you know, the bottom of the roster. Guy played on some practice squads, as I've said before, while he was trying to make it with the Giants and Jets as a player. He was a substitute teacher when I was a senior in

high school. Uh, and to work his way all the way up the ladder to become the general manager for it to be just cruelly ripped away from him after one year as a Pearl River resident. I'm very upset with Bill O'Brien, but I will reserve judgment. I don't know the whole story, but Prover's still proud of you. Do not go back to the coal mine. Keep it up, Ryan Gaine, You'll get another shot at this. Let me

throw it out from this angle. Someone from Pearl Pearl River is not gonna, let you know, one little stroke of bad luck knock you down. You're gonna come back somewhere better. So it's not the last we've heard of him. Will it be in the NFL? Who knows? He could be working in one of a variety of strict Pearl Rivers, Moonlight Graham. You know he had his you know one at bat and the majors, and now he was meant to do something much bigger for the community. Yeah, we're

with you, We support you, Brian Gaine. Uh, let's move on. Hey, speaking of general managers and um, the Jets they got their guy, Joe Douglas hired as the replacement for Mike mccagnan, the former Eagles vice president of player personnel. Uh. The move came down shortly after the game firing, which makes you think that perhaps the Jets, who were haggling with Douglas about a contract, um saw that another GM job open up and said, wait a second, let's let's lock

this down. And they did. And if that's how it played out, smart by them to get it done. So. Uh. Douglas who has ties to Adam Gaze from their days in Chicago. UM, we talked about it that Gaze. It was certainly a power play when he um got mcagnet fired a month ago. Well, we'll see how this all

plays out, um. Um. Now we have a situation where Douglas, the power structure is set up to Douglas answers to the owner or the acting owner Christopher Johnson SODA's gaze and from what we understand, Douglas has a great pedigree and he helped to build the Eagles into a champion. Uh So you would think he's gonna have some sway in this organization. It's fair to wonder how big a voice Gaze has right now. But I think this is a smart hire by the Jets, and I'm glad that

they got it done. And uh, I have some other thoughts, but I want to throw it to you guys first. Like Daniel Jeremiah, he's a member of the Ozzie knew some front office tree and he spent a lot of time and two of the most successful, smartest organizations in the NFL, the Ravens and Eagles. To me that you have to love that as a Jets fan, that that's where he grew up. That's where he got his chops in Baltimore and Philadelphia and excelled in both of those places.

I love the higher I mean everything you hear and and we love maybe not the podcast, but move the sticks. Daniel Jeremiah, who sent out some tweets this morning, and I actually I did a little chatting as the a t N Media insider with DJ about this that this guy is a stud on the way up. Now, he's untested, he's never been a GM before, and that needs to be taken into under under account. But the idea of

getting a young um super um. You have a super optimistic feeling that this is a guy that you could build a young team around. I like, I like this higher a lot there is like there's a sentiment that he works really really well with coaches, that he gets that he's able to communicate well. And I think a lotsimes in this division because the front office and the coaching staff see each other as like two ecosystems and they don't get along. I think it's interesting they signed

him to a six year deal. One case, four year deal. Six years is uh? It is? He kept They kept on going back and trying to get the deal done, and to Douglas credit, he knew the Jets really wanted him and said, no, give me this, give me this, give me this, and the Jets gave him whatever he wanted. Reported that they doubled his offer to three million dollars a year from where they started out. Joey done initially,

So that's a good sign for his negotiating skills. You know, he was only with the Eagles for three years, uh, and you know he really made his bones as he mentioned with the Ravens. I think it's interesting, you know, in terms of the Eagles structure, they have a pretty clear division between the scouting side, of which Joe Douglas was the head, and then kind of the analytics side, which really Howie Roseman is the head, but Alec Hallibey's also the head, and there was I don't think there's

any division there, but there are two different sides. And I think people when they think Eagles, they think analytics and kind of this you know, advanced, you know, next level thinking and just how how it's done. And from everything we've heard with Joe Douglas, he's about his traditional a scouting background, scout scout, yeah, as you can get.

Michael Lombardi spoke a little bit about this that actually he might have been looking to get out at some point just because not that he there was any division or anything within the Eagles, but ultimately that was Howie Roseman's show, and he runs things a little different, whereas Joe Douglas is more of the traditional kind of Scout and also along the the DJ lines, the Daniel Jeremiah front they are now they were there was rumors that

maybe they were interested in Daniel Jeremiah himself. Now the whisper surrounds ESPN is Todd McShay, So they've gone from one draft to another. It's interesting through to Guru B. It's a tough spot for Mick Shade because you're from B to A. Well, I I I'm gonna hoist up d J as my someone. Maybe the was maybe the first pick to be his right hand man, and he was very close with Douglas I think in their days

in Baltimore and have remained close. But Mick Shaye I believe it was on the same college football team as Joe Douglas. So they go. They go way back as well. And uh, you know, I I hope mc shade, just for your sake, Dan doesn't get hired, because then somehow that's gonna be it's gonna be just like a running little thing. I don't care. I mean, that's for you guys, that's for like the people in the media. And let me just say something just like, hey, well you come

get Jeremiah. Us guys, you are also in the media as much as we are. You know, you guys out there, you don't get to be on this, on this subject in particular, you don't get to be right twice. You don't get to have it both ways. You don't get to three or four weeks ago, go all fun. The Jets is the biggest joke in football, and how could they do this? We read the internet? Not here though, not here for that, No, read the Internet. I'm talking

about the Internet. And it's like, and you can't say, oh, this team will never get it right, and how clueless to make this decision now and the timing was and all that you can say is true. But now you don't get to come back and say, wow, the Jets really nailed this one. Great higher by the Jets. The Jets are in better position now than they were a month ago. No, you dumb farts, you can't get to have it? Are you saying? Over a reaction in hyperbole

on Twitter? Not just Twitter football cogniscenti. There's a lot of know it alls in this industry and a lot of the same no at alls that were absolutely slaughtering the Jet as a clues clueless organization that could not get anything right are now writing little gentle think pieces. Who Wow, the Jets actually came out of this in good shape. Good move by the Jets. You know what, eat it? Just at this is there's definitely some passive aggressive aspects to this diet tribe. Listen back to the

show when this originally went down. You let me know if you're in that crowd as well. No, no, I mean basically every other piece of analysis that we do throughout the year, don't we do the same thing. I'm on a certain track right now. Greg, let's even get a fourth sound bite for this speech. I find my final point is this for social I'm sorry I did. My final point is the final point is that football,

like anything else, is not always a cookie cutter operation. Yes, it would be great if the coach and the GM were hired at the same time, or or the current GM now had been a part of the free agents signing class. But it just because things don't follow the path of what you're used to seeing in this sport or in anything, it doesn't mean it's wrong. And I think the way it's actually worked out for the Jets

is better. I don't know if they end up getting Joe Douglas, who was a hot name on the market if they were going against seven other teams in January for it. I think everything happens for a reason, and the Jets are in a better place now, and just reserve your judgment and your slings in your arrows. Because I didn't see wall to wak wall to wall coverage on the Texans on NFL Network or in all the tablets have more winning seasons, you know what. They don't

want anything, they haven't won anything. I'm sorry, they've won a couple of titles. Whatever as also happened Friday afternoon and no one cares about it. Yeah, I just don't really care about the Texas. It was wall to wall coverage of what a joke the Jets were a lot of it was because Adam Gaze didn't like the you know, the report. I think the biggest thing that came from all that was Adam Gaze not liking or the contracts

of CJ. Mosley and Levy on Bell that Ye get that number one thing separate and you have to realize, do you have to say they could have hired some of them in January to make the point, no one else hired him. He wasn't that highly want and some of the stuff coming out of the Jets organization was a little messy. And if you're going to root for exclusively New York teams, you're going to have to deal with more media coverage. And if you root for a

football I have no problem with that. I'm just saying, if you are going to be a know it all and you know everything about how football works and the inside of organizations and the way things should be done, and you want to kill the team one month ago, you can't now be like, oh, well, they got it right. They were on the right path all along. Forget it. I'm done with this. Cam Newton's cleared for minicamp. We're just on Dan Show at this point. Let's just I

just had to get that off my chest. Cam Newton has been cleared for minicamp. This is great news, Mark Sessler. Because Newton's shoulder surgery, there was concerns about whether it be available this season. Not only is it gonna be available for training camp barring a setback, he's gonna be able to be involved uh this month and going forward. So it's gonna be a different and we talked about this on our NFL network hit Uh today. Um, this is going to be a different year potentially for the

Panthers offense. But at least you know that Cam's right shoulder seems to be in a good place, and that is a major, major addition or a good, major good news for the Panthers. If not in the right place, you're staring at just a lost season and a lot of fallout from that. And I'm glad any story that we don't have to if it's truly healthy and he comes back and just makes constant progress, we don't have to track this, you know, diligently every single show for

the next three months. We hope it sticks. Though he came back very quickly from his last so and then and then everyone was very positive about it, and then you hear afterwards, well, actually it was never quite right and I was fighting through pain and it was not reported. Something very different about this one. And this story has taken on an added layer of fascination thanks to our

man rap sheet Speak West Speak. He said, this is more of an unveiling that Cam Newton has really revamped and we'll have entirely new mechanics at a new way of throwing the football is what rap sheet was told, it's gonna be very different. I don't think that's all. You're talking about a quarterback who had screwy mechanics. He looked like a corkscrew throw in the ball because he doesn't move his legs, he only moves his upper body.

Lad the major accuracy issues for his entire career, consistency issues, and if he's changed his mechanics different. If I put um, that's too violence to put a gun to your head. But if I put you on the spot right now and said, in week five, you're watching a Panther's game, Uh, with Cam Newton the quarterback, do you think that he'll be throwing differently? I think most like the same old camp with that like slingshot, the very rigid upright boom

dart throw. The most quarterbacks revert to what's comfortable. I don't. I think in this situation, maybe he can't physically throw like that anymore. Maybe he's had to. Maybe there's an impingement or something in his shoulder that makes him throw it differently. Now, that would be a beautiful thing, because I'm excited about year two of North Turner I think their offense made sense and was more consistent than than

it really was for the five years previous. But I'm not too excited about a wide receiver crew led by d J. Moore Curtis Samuel. Maybe maybe those to both take a big step up. I like both of those two young guys after the catch, for for for a number, for them to be their number one and number two receiver, that's pretty big question left somebody out though. An answer to the questions Christmas always open. I don't know about this, a third year old changing mechanics from the ground up

while recovering from shoulder surgery. But I remain an optimist on this front. Well, one source described, um, wait until you see this and they rap. She said, downright giddy. That's exciting. You know what. I've really come over the years to appreciate Newton. I like him as a player a lot, and I think he gets slept on a little bit. And you got what's the smart mark, No,

it's for you. I find that to be a nugget of personal growth because in the past you've been dinged by various uh media types, which you disdain in Charlotte for some of your cam Newton Online. It's kind of like the Jets bashers who have now come around. It's very much into that. I won't admit that I was wrong, though I can't because I down that road. I won't do it because Cam definitely did annoy me early in his career. I mean, it's right that he annoyed you.

And Super Bowl fifty remains could argue that superbo fifty remains, you know, a touchy topic for anybody, any of the Cam defender. Maybe all this humanized him a little bit, and you kind of like the way he's come out of it. Who knows, Wait, why is it? Oh, it was a tough game, you're saying both you know, the play behavior in Prescott afterwards. Fumble, Oh yeah, that was not a good look. It was not a great It was not even a great night. But it wasn't It

was worse than a bad look. But that Broncos defense made every quarterback look look bad. But that's not what I'm talking about that you're talking about the interview. I don't care about the phone talking. The phone thing is ridiculous to get on him for it in the moment, not ridiculous. West the fumble, Oh it was ridiculous. I mean, I mean, come on, he looked. I'll that's for another day. Save it for that. Why didn't Cam jump on the fumble podcast? Well, I didn't Cam try to win the

Super Bowl podcast? I mean, it was all happened very quickly. I'm just saying that it's micro man. I don't know who knows well that sports man finally in the news. Uh the Meanwhile, on the throne of sleeves, the New England Patriots canceled the final two days of the offseason

organized team activities that were scheduled for Monday Tuesday. Mike Girardi reports and Greg I just thought this was terating to note Jardi um because once upon a time the head coach, maybe in a more motivated time in his life,

had this to say. And now with the team completely you know, trying to reconstruct the offense and figure out what the what direction the Patriots going in two thousand nineteen with their forty two year old quarterback and no grounk so no days off about we're taking a week off. I just wonder what that's about. I think he hasn't appreciated for the guys, his veterans is there is the fire still in the belly. He also did the exacting

it's up in the air. He did the exact same thing last year, and I feel like there's at least a chance that we did this And how did that turn out the same sort of thing? All right, that's what's happening in the news. Did that the Ortiz thing that hits you harder? I mean, he's just like response because kind of grew up with him. Yeah, he was four four, Um, I think I was in middle school when we broke the curse. Yeah, that was a tough upbringing for you to wait through. Yeah, it was. I'm

saying he timed it beautifully. It was great. I mean, the Ortiz is responsible for a lot of heartache as a Yankee fan, but he's like one of the one red Sox that I have respect for. Um got away with some stuff during his playing days, Greg, but he's such an easy guy to like. The whole Boston Marathon bombing thing that was when he gave that speech at Fenway. Also for all the people who say there's no such thing as clutch stick that in your pipe, smoke it up,

all right? Oh, I gotta add treat Oh this is perfect this Father's Day. Father's Day is coming up on Sunday. By the way, heads up, everybody. Go to Omaha Steaks dot com. Enter the code around in the search bar for seventy off the Father's Day Steak Fix Gift Package two thirty five dollar value now only. Now, this is how you do. We do these mid roll ads with Stitcher and and it's always better when we have the product. We've tried the product. And what is Omaha? Do they

do a nice job? They sent They sent us the Father's Day Steaks uh fixed gift package. It's a mouthful. Maybe rework the title, but everything else, everything within the box was tremendous. Last night, it was my last night. I was watching the Boys on my own. I had some chicken fried steaks in the free kidding. I had some spicy of meat ball and I made I made some spaghetti, and I made a whole meal. Uh and it was excellent. And Greg, how did it go with

you and your dad? Your father? He he grilled up those filet mignons, which were delicious, the top sirloins, and then I think the underrated part of the whole meal was the gourmet jumbo Francs. You know, people sleep on some massive jumbo francs. But they were totally right. They were tasty. They've they've made a lot of up your brother Frank's, I mean, I mean, we would also love to be able to tell you about the steak burgers and uh, you know some of the other we had.

I had the second breast, didn't see him there, the signature seasoning. Those those were Pilfred off the top. There's a little bit of tacks that happens when it goes through uh our podcast department before getting to us. But from what we had, it was like in the in the Mob movies where you start out stealing the boxes of the sig rats off the top of the truck. You grab two cartons for yourself before you well, I think it was the gentleman that carried over like a

fifty pound refrigerated box to your desk. Is maybe who took I would have got it. I would have gotta picked it up to keep the chicken well. And it is quite a value valued at two thirty five dollars said, that's a lot of food. It's a lot, so I'm getting you gotta type in the code though you gotta go to Omaha Steaks dot com and type the code around. I'm doing it tonight, going to around. That's Omaha Steaks dot com and type around in the search bar to

get that fixed package. West, Maybe hold off, Maybe we can get another free box for you, though, I want a post ability. The way you describe this company sounds tasty enough. I'm gonna give him my money. We're on fire. I mean, who wouldn't want to advertise with this podcast on the big green egg? There? There you go. All right, let's get to it, big little lies of the NFL. Now, West, do you want to explain? And not everyone has premium cable? Sorry there or their parents password for HBO go? So,

uh you care to explain the big little lies? The segment of the show. Just take us, take us for a walk. Well, it's a show on HBO. It was originally supposed to be a mini series, just one season, and it was so successful, won so many awards. People are so invested that they brought it back for a second season, which started Sunday night last night. Um, they're

off the book. It was just one book that was based off one book, and Keisha got me into this show and I thought immediately, well, for Game of Thrones,

why not try it here? I watched the first episode and said, how am I gonna watch less ambitious television If they're seeing this masterpiece and it's visually stunning, it's well written, it's extremely well execute It puts off sometimes some of the best actors we have ever seen, perfect music score, Everything about it to me is delightful, but so big little lies the title little All of our lives are built around these little lies we tell ourselves

and our loved ones in order to keep up appearances, maintain relationships, just to fire behavior, and generally keep ins insanity at bay for another day. If you read the book Sapiens, which I've promoted on this show a few times, you have promoted it was, well, the difference between us and the great Apes, the difference between civilizations and tribes, is the ability to gossip, the ability to form relationships, maintain these complex dynamics, this interwoven nature between humans and

this show. That's what it's about. It's that we do. We do all tell these little lies, but then you start with the big lies, the big part of it. Political theorists um John Locke and Thomas Hobbes said, where atoms of self interest? So we're like these rings around trees our lives are. We accumulate all these layers of richness and depth and complexity, and we double down on this character that we play, this mass that we wear throughout life based on these lies we have to keep

telling each other and ourselves. But it gets big and then it crumbles under the weight of that facilit hod you have every day. And the big lies are the pots and the politics. Wow, but the big lives don't put that on social till the little lives pile up, right, it just still the little lives pile up, and you

know what I mean, you get write that down. Every one of us lives these novel existences, right, we all have these rich, concentric, interwoven, complex, dynamic relationships with each other. And the most brilliant writers and artists are able to play goud by conjuring up new novel existences and characters that are that woven, that complex. This show does that through how great the actors aren't, and it really it really takes you to say, hey, we gotta tape a step.

I could say, look at look at the art that these people are putting out and now we're gonna talk about the Packers wide receiver. So I mean, if that's out, I'm watching this show now, I've never seen it. And anyway, which little lies are told in the NFL that could snowball into big lies? What an intro? By the way I told Brad Pitt is not on this show. That was a lie that could balloon and snowball larger. I think that one's gonna stay little, all right, So there

you go. That's the setup, and Greg, I will now throw it to you. Now, let's start with someone else. Please, Why I don't after that intro, I don't want to go next. I don't know if I under I want to hear it. Hear you guys, Let let someone else get buried West. Since you did the set up there, why don't you explain a big little lie in the NFL? Okay, so the little lie is so, and so quarterback can

still make all the throws? Could be Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, Case Keenum Hell, Josh Allen can't make all the throws. He might have the strongest arm in the NFL, but he ain't making all the touch throws. The it's a little lie. Because our lives are filled with these little lives. Dave Gettleman has to go to a podium and say that Eli Manning can can make all these throws, still make all these strows.

It's not nefarious. Very few quarterbacks can make all the throws. But Gettleman has to justify his decisions, maintain order in hierarchy and in the organization. Protect Eli Manning's pride bolster is confidence, given the best chance possible to exceed expectations this year, make sure that his legacy and statue were intact with the Giants. But it becomes a big little lie through the butterfly effect. What if it sets the

Giants organization back for a decade or more. We won't know until a few years in the future how big this little lie is. But anytime you hear the words still in front of Kim make all the throws, it's a lie. It's just this. Well, it's interesting because this is one that the Giants aren't the only one saying. I watched on our air last week, Mike Gara, Folo and Shaan O'Hara make the case that they watch in practice and that Eli Manning can still spin it as

well or better than he ever can't. That's what they say though, and I and I saw that, and it was just a moment of dissonance for me, and I'm like, Okay, maybe I should trust them. They're watching him in practice. Maybe his arm is that strong this June, or at least at this point in the videos from practice, he can't make the sideline. And then and then you saw and then I saw some other reporters who said the total opposite. They were talking about Eli as a drop down.

He was continuing to drop down was set on our air. So it almost it kind of proves your point that these these little eyes, uh just you know, people that have something invested or they're attached or whatever. They just just how many NFL quarterbacks you think can make all the throws? Well, that's an interesting question, all the throws. And it's sort of a logical fallacy because only only like one or two people in theory could make all the throws, you know what I mean, Because at some

point there's people that can make even more throws. It's like Rogers Stafford. Uh, it's more like what he could do before. Honestly, the amount of handwringing still about the Giants quarterback puisition, I would understand that we'd be talking about the still if they passed on a quarterback in the first round and all the handring about. I can't believe they're still going to Eli and they're paying Eli

and he's still the guy in the future. They took a quarterback with the sixth overall pick, he's gonna be this This kid is probably gonna be playing by week six. What does that have to do with their little lie? I'm just saying, like, what, who cares? Like? He lies the past of this organization and there's nothing that I'm seeing. I think they they're always going to say the right things. They're gonna say the right things and try to prop you all up because yes he is. That was my

whole point. I know he's an important member of the organization and the legacy and the franchise history. But the end of the what does it all mean, because he's really the book is kind of closed on him, like it closed the second they announced he has an opportunity, But then why is he still being propped up as the Week one start? He has an opportunity to make the playoffs. If we're having this conversation next year, I'm with you. But the book it's not closed. He's still starting.

They're not even opening it to competition. I think it's because the giants from top down have messaged this as poorly as you can. And he's still the starting quarterback on the field right now. But that's okay, okay here. But by week one, everyone was killing Cleveland for putting Tyrod Taylor in there because it wasn't really a comb competition, and they were right this if this is not really a competition, And what did I have a problem with it?

Johnny Man's excuse me? Baker Madfield was in by week three? So what did it mean? Ultimately, because because it to the point of what West is saying, it's a lie. Ultimately the talent's going to win out. And why is why are they putting Eli Manning in a situation unless it's a competition. He should at least be in a fair competition and he should have the opportunity to lose the job if he's not the better quarterback. I regret that I chose Eli as my example, right, you had

other example? Really it was saying that I cannot still make all the throw That's fine. I mean Tom Brady doesn't make every all the throw is Drew Brees can make all the throws. The big lie is Drew Brees kept the Saints from reaching the Super Bowl last year. Oh you said something, Saucy West on NFL Network today he was one of the worst quarter you know they

had film wise he was. They called it the breakfast Table, the good Morning Football Folk, and they had Cam Jordan's in their studio in New York, and Jordan was saying that Breeze is the top quarterback in the league and that Tom Brady, you know, people take him away from Bill Belichick. Would you still be saying that Breeze, who doesn't have a bad coach himself, by the way, he's the guy year after he puts up the numbers and

he's a Hall of Famer. And then West dropped the bomb in the network that you found him to be one of the worst quarterbacks in football. And I know, and I know why you say that, because he had two awful games right after Thanksgiving. But he played quite well against the Steelers. He played fine in the playoffs. He wasn't great, but he certainly wasn't. Look at his look at his rate stats from Thanksgiving to you went down, yeah, and that they were some of the worst in the NFL.

And then look at the film of him not being able to throw a beyond thirty yards. Argue with that, Um, I have something that should not be argued with. It's a big little lie. The big little eye is that anyone in the NFC should be as a viewed as a favorite besides the Eagles right now. So the Eagles are the favorite. Eagles should be the clear cut favorite in the NFC based on where they are as an organization.

And again, smart organizations. And I was defending the Jets earlier because the Jets fan but that's not traditionally a well run organization. The Eagles have shown a time and time again since Chip Kelly got out of the building that they know exactly what they're doing. And they paid Carson Wentz. He's paid, he's happy, and he's healthy most importantly, and you just look at what they what they've been been able to build. Now. Last year was a tricky year.

From they win the Super Bowl, they come back, the win situation was just cloudy all year with the injury is they still went nine and seven, They still still want a playoff game. But now this is the year where I think they are going to be really difficult to deal with because not only have a fully healthy wins. Hopefully they go and they get to Sean Jackson. So you add a major burner, one of the top deep threats of the generation to pair with Wentz. You go

and you got you. We talked about Brian Gaine getting fired. Did Howie Roseman get Brian gain fired? I'm sure Bill O'Brien was furious that the Eagles traded up three spots. They get in front of the Texans and take Andre Dillard, so they start to fill up that pipeline because smart organizations do that. They get the best offensive lineman in the draft. And then there's a tweet from Field Yates right around the time of the Wentz extension. Eagles veteran

players now signed for at least three more seasons. Wentz Earth's Fletcher zach Er, It's Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelsey, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, Alshon, Jeffrey Malik Jackson to Sean Jackson, Nigel Bradham, uh Isaac Samula, these guys are all uh, impact players. They have the core signed. It's a young, dynamic team that's one not so far in the distant past, and there I think are going to kick some ass this year in the NFC. And I feel like we're not

hearing that right now. A lot we're hearing about the same old culprits, uh like the Saints and the Rams. A lot of people who's who's the you know favorite? I think the Eagles should be the clear favorite in the NFC. I think one reason we're not hearing that, you know through trumpets, is because as recently as a week ago, people were still asking fresh questions to Carson Wentz about how he feels. And it's not just been

one injury two years ago. It's been a second injury, and they have no one behind him at quarterback at this point if anything happens. But I would also just say, looking up and down the other fifteen teams in that conference, it is as stacked as the NFC has ever been in the time we've done this show. And I struggle to take any one of them and just say heads and tails. On June tenth or whatever, it is that the Eagles are the team that's clearly above everyone. Are

they really well run? Everything you said rings true, but that's true aspects of that are true of three or four other teams. You feel that way about the Rams, who have become one of the best run teams in the league with one of the best coaches and a ton of young talent. Saints. I mean, I don't love the Bears as much as those two teams, but they're a team on the rise. And the Eagles in the NFC East have to get out of their own division. I don't think that's gonna be a lot to ask.

But the Cowboys are not a bad team either. The Saints are the team that usually fill the spot of the preseason favor and I think they probably will be, you know, like number one in power rankings and stuff like that, because they're the team that was the best the year ago, that returned the exact, that returned almost

all the same team, like they didn't lose anyone the Saints. There, there's no reason to believe that the Saints will be worth Logically, now, that's not usually how it pans out, but I do I I agree with you Mark that if you look at the Rams, the Vikings and the Saints roster, I mean, those are really good rosters. Well they're they're really strong top to bottom, and they should

be playoff teams. And I'm with I mean, no one I love the Eagles, so I don't really I just feel like they're in a really good spot this year, and I'm even in a very difficult year last year, they still ended up being in the final eight teams. They had a chance in that game. I mean, they had their chances against the Saints to win that game and then they would have been headed to Los Angeles. But by the way, where the Eagles are right now

in terms of Super Bowl, I don't know. Can I just point out that there's a team that knocked the Saints off their pedestal and won the division that the Eagles are in, and this team got better in the off season, the Dallas Cowboys. You think Cowboys a better team than Eagles, and then that's a that's a coin flip. I have fewer questions about the Eagles because of their quarterback is clearly to me better than Dak Prescott. Right to answer your question, Dan, the Rams and the Saints

are co favorites. Bears a little bit behind, and then the Eagles uh in a solid fourth. Those four are are fairly far ahead of the pack. Um. You feel like the desert people are lying, but the Rams and Saints are as a pretty little lie in the desert. If you like that, then it's time to get in. But I wouldn't do that. That's not something I would ever do. Yeah, we can't do that. We're not allowed,

all right, Mark, give us a big little lie. I think we tell lies because the truth is uncomfortable, that the lies prevent us from having to deal with something that might not fit even the narrative that makes us feel good. And one of the people that's made me feel really good about football the last couple of years is Nick Foles, and there's no reason not to love what he did in that very well run, perfectly executed Eagles organization with an offense perfectly suited to his strengths.

And what I feel borders on potentially a burgeoning lie is when a team desperate to erase the mistakes and the lies they told previously about their former quarterback Blake Bortles, you have to get involved into maybe even a more dangerous lie, a lie tied to fifty million dollars in guaranteed money and hoping that you get the same version of Nick Foles that he produced inside of a very beautifully run two seasons with the Eagles, but two seasons in which he fumbled the ball more than any other

quarterback than Lamar Jackson in terms of percentage for quarterbacks, with over three hundred touches, and a quarterback that before his two playoff year runs in Philadelphia never started more than eleven games in a season, and the one year that he did was in St. Louis when he was benched for case keenum, and a lot of that had

to do with durability. He's also in the past had spotty play, and again it hurts to to view this as a lie, the idea that he can't go be a four or five year successful startup for them, because what's not a lie is he's an awesome teammate, He's an awesome leader. He's someone that walked away from football, gained perspective, came back, grew as a person, grew as a player, and fit into the perfect moment to become one of the biggest sports stories of our life in football.

But the second little lie tied around him for this season. That has me concerned is the fact that we're not really looking close enough at what's around him, and that is a bunch of wide receivers who look good when you look at the whole roster because they're young and maybe they'll pan out. But you can't point to really any one of them in my book and say you have got one or two dudes that are gonna help

this offense fly. And it's gonna have to be completely opposite from the Tom Coughlin Doug Marone approach of the past few years, where you get lineman, you get players around them to run a run heavy Leonard four net

based attack. Now everything needs to shift to become a pass happy attack, and it's run by an offensive coordinator against Coughlin and Doug Maron sort of nature in terms of someone who's running the offense, John Philippo, who at the is a skilled play car, but who got fired a year ago for clashing by running a different scheme

than what the building wanted to run. And so you've got all these little promises and lies and have truth mixed together, and everyone wants to just put the Jacksonville Jaguars back into contention when I look at two other teams in that division that have much more orchestrated, powerful offenses to begin with, So did Jaguars have a lot of work to do, And I'm not convinced that I can believe in Nick Foles as a six team game starter, much less doing that over the course of five years.

As much as it pains me that the Colts and who is the second one, I think the Texans are a better run offense with a quarterback that I know I can trust more than Nick Foles. You you spoke about Nick Foles in what he's done in the past, and I have a sort of a theory about that.

He is more conscientious, introspective, and in touch with his feelings than just about any football player I've heard, and I think that affects his confidence level more than at a normal quarterback that play that plays into insecurities more and when he's not surrounded by the coaching and the surrounding talent, he probably tends to slump a little bit more than another quarterback would. But when he's playing well

and feeling himself, his confidence is sky hill. Yes, it's a great it's a great point to of the of the lie, maybe that de Filippo is a natural fit with Maron and Coughlin and you haven't haven't really heard that, you know, this offseason. But it's a really interesting point because there are a lot of parallels to to the

Viking situation. I saw a report last week. I don't know who said it, it it was someone on the Jaguars made a comment like it's going to be all about Nick Foles this year in the last Campbell Campbell It's like that that doesn't ring. That rings to me is a liable because it's not all on Nick Foles either.

You can kind of look at the Jaguars a couple of different angles and wonder if there's a big little lie, a big lie around this whole team, because Folds could be essentially what you expect him to be, not a superstar, but like a good just on the right side of the Dalton scale type guy. Even and that doesn't mean that they're gonna be back in the NFC Championship game. This defense has to be a lot better than it

was last year. They talked about it last Friday that they they half as many turnovers, They didn't make the big plays, the whole team. The coaching has to be better. The defense has to be better, the offense has to be better. The running game has to be better. The quarterback, yes, and it's hard not to be better than Blake Bortles. The front office has to be better. A lot has to go right for this team to get back on track.

It's not just we plug in Nick Foles and we'll see you in January, right, And I'm hopefully that's not all what they thought, but they have not addressed enough. I also look at a team in the Eagles that had Zach Ertz and Dallas Goddard at tight end, and now you are going to a team with Jeff Swam and Ben Koyak, who I liked a couple of years ago.

But it's like, you don't have that either so well that during their whole like playoff, we're using like five different height ends at the same time going up the leg. There's the offense of guy that he can look to week after week and say he's gonna bail Nick Foles in the playoffs. K was cool in the playoffs. Josh Oliver they drafted in third round. That guy is gonna be their pass catching two close us out with a

big little eye. All right, the the big lie, big little eye, the big little eyes in Kansas City are all the analysis from people like us and really around the country talking about the Chiefs as if Tyreek Hill is not there, because because to me it he is there. He's on the roster. And until we hear more. The longer this goes, I start thinking that he's going to

continue to be part of their organization. And so the big lie is sort of like looking at this a f C field and marking that down with the Chiefs that they don't have him. And this is it's a very tricky topic to talk about, but just in terms of his status, it's totally unknown right now. And I think there's been a lot of assumptions, including you know, from me and and anyone talking about that initially, that he's just gonna be suspended and definitely, or that they're

gonna cut him or something like that. I just feel like if they could have cut him, they have not cut him. He's part of the organization. Uh. The NFL said last week as an update to the news that the district fraternity at this point is no longer investigating Tyreek Hill, that it will have no effect on their investigation. So the NFL is still investigating uh and there's still very strong possibility for a suspension, but we don't really

know it. This is a different case than than ones that we've seen before, and we don't know what the NFL is gonna do. We don't know how long that suspension is gonna be, and it's kind of silly to even speculate. But but the big lie to me is that that he's that Tyreek Hills just kind of put

to the side. We've put it to the side because it's not fun to talk about and it's and it's a horrible situation that he's put himself UH in, but he it's very much hanging over this season and hanging over the Chiefs and the NFL in general, and I, you know, I think there's a lot more to come. The NFL is in a tough spot because I know how I feel I've seen enough of Tyreek Hill. I need to see him play football ever again. And I think a lot of football fans feel the same way.

He isn't and this was new since our last podcast. They came out and said he isn't the subject of an active criminal investigation local law enforcement where this incident involving his girlfriend and the son occurred. But the personal conduct policy, that's that's different, and you don't have to

have even you don't need proof of a violence. And and there was a report in Pro Football Talk that noted Ravens quarterback Jimmy Smith he got a four game band for threats and emotional abuse of the mother of his three year old child. So I'm just looking at this where the black and white of how this all ends up if the Chiefs decided to keep him on the roster, and it seems that's where we're heading right now. The NFL at some point is going to come in

and deliver a penalty. You would think there will be some type of band, whether it's four games like Smith gott or eight games, which is what Kareem Hunt is uh facing the seas someone they got rid of very quickly, unlike Tyreek Hill, perhaps perhaps more than eight games. So it seems to me that unless something changes, that the chief are gonna have Tyreek Hill on the field, barring some new developments later at the midpoint or later in

this season. And that is surprising and frankly a little disappointing, yeah, and or not, Like I don't even even by bringing this up. I don't know. Maybe it will be a year that he's gone. I mean, I think this whole thing is uncertain. But Tom Belisara was on our air. He came out a little stronger than I would have expected, saying that there's every reason to believe he'll be in

training camp Tyreek Hill. At this point. I think what Tom is is trying to say is that there's been no actual official action taken, and that that no, no one knows what action like people would lose a lot of money trying to guess what the NFL would do with a lot of these cases over the years, and we really don't know. But the Chiefs don't seem in a hurry to get rid of And the biggest action not taken is that the Chiefs have clung on to him this entire time, where if he were roster fringe

player that would not be the case. I would imagine Chiefs need to do some thinking about who the Chiefs are. Alright, big little lies in the NFL and twenty nineteen two more shows coming up this week. As I said, we'll be back on Wednesday. One more bonus news item, Wow Bieber versus Cruise Justin Bieber on Twitter over the weekend challenge Tom Cruise the famous actor to a fight in the octagon. Uh, cruises fifty six. He's older now than Wilford Brimley was when he made Cocoon. Yes, yeah, but

he looks he looks years. He's younger than is extremely fit, age defying fifty six. I take Cruise over Brimley especially now. Hey, you don't want to mess with brim suspicious age defying Tom Cruise at fifty six. Bib Ty body in a little bit better shape than maybe you would think. He's not the same scrowning kid that he was when he came out of Canada, as Ricky will test um, So he has some mass to him. I believe he trains. Yeah, he trains with a guy, you know, physical trainer that

does a lot of boxing things of that nature. I don't know what was behind it, and I didn't do enough research to find out why he challenged Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise to a octagon battle. But I'm just curious who you think wins, and Ricky, I want to hear your thoughts as well. We'll start with you. You want to start with me. Yeah. I don't know why he challenged him either. I was like trying to look at

that at the articles today and stuff. But let's not worry about um why and just let's just put ourselves in the octagon Saturday. You know, in October, Biber is gonna damage Cruise and his legacy. Mark I'll counter that because I think that people just will quickly, um dismiss Tom Cruise because of his uh you know, scientology, and he's a little bit of an odd guy. But he also to me seems like hardcore driven and I think he's got like a will of steel and I and

I just simply don't know that about Bieber. Biber's talented in his own ways. But who's gonna break first and after brutal physical punishments insane, That's what I mean. I think I think he I Tom Cruise will die out. And again sometimes you know there's an official there and if you've got like a finishing move and you know Bieber can just get him to go lights out, There's only so much a will to win is going to help you in that. But lots on the line for

for Tom Cruise. If Tom Cruise lights go out there out, If ru'se loses to Justin Bieber, that's all that a certain age group of people are ever going to know about him for the rest of time. He can't let it happen. You cite selling scientology in his weirdness. I'd just saying that's packed into the public perception. Well, here are some bigger factors. Again, older than Brimley in Cocoon, that's a big factor. Don't care about also legit like

what five ft four not a big guy six? Yeah, Bruise is gonna get pummeled by by Justin bie Bieber is not much taller. I gotta be honest, right, Yeah, but he's it's not an issue in the ag. That's one sport where the short guys in a nice little set from third base to first base. And I'm forty five years you you think Tom Cruise doesn't have built in injuries from all his life? That could also mean

five eight and a half. We don't know. No, it's exactly right, five five seven, five nine, that's I'm not But also Cruise, when you when you I I think it's hilarious that you compare him to Wilford Brimley, but they are not physically on any anything close was physically remains undefeated. Well, it's a YouTube video that says Justin Bieber's real height is five six proof. Oh well, I'm with you. I think this is this is kind of like like the maybe like the heavyweight fight the other night.

You know, Uh, Bieber needs a quick knockout because if as the rounds go on and this just becomes more about the will to win in the in the grappling, then I like Cruises chances because I think this man, he's not going to be denied. He has the heart of a champion. Why from his movies absolutely, he just just seems like think Bieber twenty four year old. I think mentally, kid, first I think I'm going neck up

because neither going to be that table to physic right. Meant, first of all, he's gonna train like crazy, He's gonna get some a ton of p DS. He'll be Cruise will be ready. And then mentally I think he would embrace the pain. Is like he's gonna want to be punished. He's gonna want to outlast that. Cruise will look at it some sort of like life challenge where Bieber will suddenly be there and just be like, what am I doing? You've just painted Tom Cruise is some like unbeatable Yoda

slash Darth Vader is correctly, he is adequately. He does all his own stunts. He's an absolutely like jumped off a building for the least for analysis, we just had to jump in and say it. I mean the cruise and a walk and to get in some some pummeling. But crew, like I said, would rather die than come out of that octagon. A loser like he is, that intensive person. I could not agree more. West you are. You have shown ageless aspects to yourself. Same with Tom Cruise.

Bieber would pummel me right now. So a cruise I don't know about the um let's go, that's it. Stan Hands is signing off. Four quiet storm, the mailman, the old boss Ricky Hollywood behind the glass. I would pay in a second till Wednesday. M okay podcast, huh still doing this? Let's make it nice? Tighten right? Okay? Yeah, there's only three newsisum item so you guys should be done in about four hours