We proved last year that we're a seven and ten football team with a really good defense and a mediocre Offense's that's about what we proved. Flip that we don't get any more second chances.
From the Chris Westling podcast studio. It is The Hard Knocks Podcast, Episode two recap. I am Dan hansis joined by and happy to have you in studios, Colleen Wolf. What's up?
Hey, Oh my gosh, this is wonderful.
We're both wearing our cruise shirts are Hard Knocks Jets official NFL Films cruise shirts. We had nothing to do with the actual making of the episode, but we like to think that we are part of the crew.
I mean, there are some questions that need to be asked. Does it make us look like shills? Are we too close to the operation? We already work for the NFL. But I'm just gonna blow through the those morning signs and hope the audience understands that when we go into watching these episodes, we do it with an open mind and a critical mind.
Yeah, it's a clean slate and we're here to judge and let you know all of our takes from this episode. I'm also just so impressed that this shirt was in my size. It's usually I get these shirts and they kind of fit like a dress, right, but.
It actually fits like a shirt. It's wonderful. I love it.
Unbelievable, So shout out, reallyfl films are hooking us up with the swag. Yes episode two. I think Episode two Connie. My overall thoughts on the theme. Episode one was about Aaron Rodgers first and foremost, and it had to be. If it wasn't about Aaron Rodgers, then the producers of that show would have been trying too hard, because that's what this is. It's going on around the Jets. I
thought it was a good job. While Rogers remains a major part of episode two, as he should, the focus was on the defense in a lot of ways in episode two, which I think is so important because as good as the Jets offense could be, if Rogers is the Rogers of old and not Old Rogers, it's the defense that was special last year and kind of got screwed over by Zach Wilson and an offense that totally imploded.
And what you heard there at the top of the show was after Connie, the first joint practice that they had it turned out to be the only joint practice with the Panthers because of weather. In day two, sala Is annoyed and he the offense got kind of pushed around. First time Aaron Rodgers and the offense had been against some actual opponents. And here's a little sound from Aaron Rodgers who was even annoyed about a play that had
gone awry. But we'll learn that plays that play sucks from that formation.
Maybe we're gonna learn that after that rep.
And you know that that led to you. You saw news stories middle of last week about Aaron Rodgers upset for the first time, and there it is.
And that's one of the great things about hard knocks.
But they figured it out and it culminated with a look at what happened in the preseason game where the Jets defense kick butt right.
Aaron Rodgers was not happy with his offensive line that day, and we saw the Jets defense really shine in this. I think at one point in the episode, Dan you said that this is like defensive porn watching, Like the montages that they put together were really, really special. I absolutely love their defensive coordinator, Jeff Olbrick.
He's so fun to listen to.
Like I wish that I could pay him for a pep talk, Like maybe there's like maybe he should get on cameo pull like a Scott Hansen and just start doing all sorts of pep talks for everyone because he has a gift. And it's like even when he's telling Zach Wilson to smile at one point and he's fawning all over Rogers and I love that he had some really great quotes in this entire episode, but he just has this like swag about him, and so does this
entire defensive line. You saw Quentnin Williams be a star in this episode, and we obviously watched it in that game against the Panthers because Bryce Young had no time that entire game.
So this defense is very special.
Yeah, we were trying to like clock it as and it was fun to be able to watch it with you.
Connie and our pretty had a little watch party behind the glass.
Randy Chavez in for Eric Roberts this week. We're trying to like place Olbrick. He's kind of got this vibe the way he was rolling certain words.
He kind of had a little white boy swag thing going on.
It's like, who does he remind me of who does he sound like, and it was Travis Kelseyah the way, if you know how Travis Kelcey enunciates and speaks, you know what Olbricks sounds like. And I thought it was
a big focus of the episode of his defense. Quinn Williams got a lot of screen time, and I thought it was telling to hear Olbrick speaking hushed tones about Williams almost in the same way he kind of was losing it over the greatness of an Aaron Rodgers throw the previous week on Hard Knocks, which I thought was a really interesting moment in that episode. Here is Olbrick's to the team and a defensive meeting about Williams getting to the quarterback. Q.
You dumped up because every damn rep today was unbelievable.
Damn, that's a big man running.
That is awesome.
Damn, that is awesome.
That was the exact words.
What was that, Jeff, Damn? I love it. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it.
That was all. That's what he said about Rogers last week. Anyway, But Quentin Williams is an unsung hero of that defense in a lot of ways, even though he just got the big new contract. I think he's been off the radar a little bit in terms of national coverage, so this is a good show for him. You also got a lot of love from Will McDonald's got a lot
of screen time. The rookie uh taken in the first round in the most recent draft, and it's like you watch this, Connie, and you're watching spin move and you're saying, is this the defensive rookie of the year potentially?
Oh my gosh, Like that's exactly what I said. I turned to you and we were watching it. It's like back to back years, will they end up having the defensive rookie of the year. And like just watching Robert Sala his the smile on his face when they were leaving that game because of the way that his defense played, he was beaming ear to ear smile like that was I don't know. I think it's really funny that Robert Sala talks about the silent tape in this episode a lot.
I didn't really I wasn't keening on that before.
He just like is in a room and there's no other that's what he said audio to it. It just him in a dark room.
The dark room silent and he watches it to see how the players represent themselves and the units that they play on, and that he had said that the defense obviously was great in the silent tape that he had watched, but the offense just wasn't there.
There was nothing great about what was happening.
Yeah, and that's part of the story of the Jets. If your following the team is them figure out with a new offensive coordinator, new quarterback, trying to get this offensive line healthy and cohesive. You're seeing some bumps along the way, but it's it's the defense that if this team is gonna finally get back to the super Bowl for the first time in fifty five years, that's that's
gonna lead it. During that joint practice with the Panthers, we see Frank Reich and Sala together, you know, making that small talk that all head coaches do when you watch these NFL films productions.
And I love to see what the dynamic.
Yeah, it's always fun. And Sala says to Reich the d line, they're our baby, and then Reich says, it's always your baby, and Reich is alluding to Sala's previous tenure with the Niners when he built up a murderer's row up front when he was there their d C. And uh yeah, when there's so much there's so much promise there and and the we and we talk about the defense of this episode, you barrow see Sauce Gardner, Who's right, who's arguably the best player on their defense.
He's a cornerback obviously. And and this is the week when Dalvin Book joins the Fray. We don't see him in this episode, but he signed with the team officially this week. It reinforces the reality that this team has so much talent on it and as a Jets fan, it excites me.
But it's scary.
At what could go wrong. Let's tell about some fun stuff. Okay, So that was kind of like the big picture I thought, in terms of what what what Hard Knocks is going for in this episode, showing both sides of the ball after Rogers got so much pub in episode one.
But we got to start at the beginning of the episode. It was so good, It was so funny.
Ladies and gentlemen. Oz Pearlman, mentalist, I looked him up. Okay, let me just read a little bit because everybody needs to know about Oz Pearlin. Oz is a world class entertainer damn right me, hit me with it yeah, and one of the busiest mentalists in the country. But having dazzled audiences with his unique mind reading ability for over a decade, Oz's client list reads like a who's who of politicians, professional athletes, a list celebrities, and fortune five hundred companies.
His natural charisma, hit it damn.
And charm d damn make him the perfect choice for corporate events and private parties alike. Oz's unique blend of mentalism and mind reading create an interactive experience that is redefining the very nature of a magic show, one that truly needs to be seen to be believed. Colleen, Oh, all the players are losing it.
Okay, I was losing it too, because as soon as I see this guy come out, I'm like, Okay, what is this going to be? What kind of shtick does this guy do? And at one point he says while he's doing some type of card trick, he says, I don't deal with cards, I deal with thoughts.
I was like, in my mind, was like, yo, yo, Oz, my wife watches this show.
Can you just relax? Oh my god, this guy has a gift.
Like when I saw Mentalist, I wasn't really sure what to expect.
Is he going to be a magician? Is he going to be a motivational speaker? What is he? Is?
A CBS program called The Mentalist. I thought it was boring, just by the nature of all CBS programming.
Not Oz Pearlman.
No, he should have been starring in that because this was anything but boring. Michael Carter his reaction at one point too. I guess it was like number ten was predicted. He had picked out of any number what his like jersey number would be, and they got They finally got around to it, and Oz Pearlman was like you were thinking of?
What were you thinking of?
And had ten written down already. Michael Carter's reaction is the perfect GIF, Like I need it, I will use it. It was watching mccol hardman watching all of the pars.
I wish I knew who it was. It was a defensive lineman or maybe an old lineman.
Wearing a black Champion sweatshirt.
Black Champion sweatshirt and he jumped up. You saw two reactions from it. He jumped up like he had just seen a witch perform a spell. Yeah, and he just really he realized that monsters are real and magic is real, and I I gotta say the Aaron. When he does the trick with Aaron Rodgers, uh huh, Rogers has a look on his face. He's always got that resting Rogers face where he's like, I'm the smartest guy in the room. If there's one person who's not gonna get.
Taken here, you will not out smart me me.
I'm I'm Aaron Rodgers. Part of the reason, like people don't like him, but like I like him.
I'm back. I am so back on well it's I feel like we're in a lot of trouble. We're in a lot of trouble this season.
But anyway, Rogers has this look on my face like you're not getting me, pearlman mentalist. And he gets him, He gets him, He got he gets the card right, he gets the the goldfish in the hand.
Oh my god.
And I'm just like, is magic real? Like, what's to get down for me?
Did you see the looks on everyone's faces in that room watching the players watch Aaron Rodgers during that trick, When Rogers was like, yeah, okay, mm hmm, go ahead, what's next?
What what do you got for me?
And then seeing his expression change to like absolute like just disbelief.
Really, I don't know how he does it? How intuitive do you have to be?
He nailed all three different I don't even know if you would call them tricks. But whatever he's doing, it's working.
He's a world class entertainer and one of the busiest mentalists in the country. Yeah, Like, if there's a better mentalist than.
Oz Pearlman, then what are we doing?
We get Oz Peerlman on the show? What can we do? I need to be closer in his orbit because like I am the guy in the champion sweatshirt, Like I'm I'm wondering now, like if this is something that's another human being can do, Hu, how are you not using this to secure world peace?
Exactly? Why aren't we leveraging Oz's or.
You know, like not to go full Oppenheimer here or to win wars? Like if we have this sky in our back pocket?
What a tool?
It's a secret weapon? Is Oz Pearlman? You guys gotta look him up. This was the most riveting part of the show. I still am shook from it.
I just I can't I can't do Michael.
Hartman predicting that the Jets would beat the Niners thirty one twenty one in the Super Bowl, and Oz already.
Had it written on a.
Board it might how like, how is that not what's gonna happen?
Now? Oh? If that happens, and if it does happen, what does that mean for society and the world.
I'll tell you what it means that we need Oz, Perlman and Mark Sessler in a room together.
Oh my god, can you imagine.
A lot of energy, a lot of dark energy?
Dame damn damn.
Speaking of Aaron Rodgers. While that trick's being done, he's wearing a hat that says Cherish the Little Things. It's like the most Colleen hat.
I want. I want it so bad, I'm already googling it. I need it. I'm a baseball hat girl. Let's look into that.
Okay, let's see where one could find a Cherish the Little Things hat.
Yeah, I'll wear it all season long, through airports, through shows. Whatever I got you. I will credit whoever needs to be credited. I will pay whatever I need to pay.
All right, jeez, we're just getting warmed up here. Yeah, you want to do some.
M v P talk. I love MVP talk. Yeah, all right, let's.
Take a break and when we're back we will hit m vps and then straight thoughts from episode two of Hard Knocks. H m hmm, all right, we're back. Let's keep rolling here, all right, TONI, because we hit on the Mentalist and I have to.
Say, I don't have Oz Perlan in in my I wish I did.
I just where I don't. But uh but I would if if I could, if you could promise me that he would have shown up again. But I would imagine they can't make this the Oz Pearlman Show. But HBO Paige riction he needs a show.
I did think about putting him in the MVP rankings, but we can't do it. Yeah, won't do it.
We do a vector scoring system. Longtime listeners know what that means. We were not entirely, We don't really, but it's a point system. It's cumulative. At the end of the season, we will share with you the Hard Knocks MVP. Basically who gets the most points kind of will start with your third place vote. Episode two, MVP.
Third place goes to c Ball Quinn Williams. He was all over this episode, smiling chirping. At one point, he's talking about we don't hope or believe, we know love that feel like you could slap that on a hat as well, talking about how he had ten sacks today alone against the Panthers.
On My Life, I got ten sacks today, Oh.
By myself, telling Rogers, telling Sala and then I loved that Rogers was keeping score of them too.
When he got eleven, He's like, eleve it eleven, So it's just he was.
He was so genuine in his press conference too, after getting paid, talking about how money just makes you more of the person that you actually are. If you're a good person, it will amplify it. If you're a bad person, even worse.
I like that take out that's heard that one.
I firmly believe in that take and he's totally right. And you can just tell what a great person he is based on the reaction from all of his teammates, how much everyone loves him, how confident he is, and how much he's really grown into this team, because even though he's young and he has his baby face, it almost seems like he's one of the.
Leaders in the room.
He's want to thelloud his voices and everyone sort of is drawn to him as well. I loved at one point Nathaniel Hackett yelling for him across the field like q Q and then he just flips them off, like you could just tell that this team has such a fun vibe around that.
By the way, that's officially a thing because Hackett was flipping off Aaron Rodgers. I believe for a play working.
Last week, so I can't wait to do that to you guys.
I always welcome. I also had q Q ball as my third place vote. I just I dig his vibe. Like you said, he's kind of happy, go lucky, and then he's this dominant force on the defensive line. He didn't realize when he's telling Rogers, I got ten sacks today is against the Panthers in the joint practice, not realizing and he should have known. I mean, geez, it's Aaron Rodgers that he was miked up, and he gets
a little like sheep. It's like, oh, it's gonna make me look like but it's like something my over excited nine year old would say to me, like I got I got ten practice, I got ten sacks today on my life, I got ten sacks today, It's like, all right, he's like a kid.
He's like a big kid exactly.
So I really I really enjoyed him, and like we played earlier Olbrick reminding us, wow, that's a special talent on that line. Uh, leading into number my second plays. Vote okay Aaron Rodgers. Oh, I thought like in an episode where he wasn't truly the focal he kind of still is. I mean like that's just the nature of the Jets. He is the son that everything orbits around.
And I just even with less of him, which I think is a good idea because I think if if NFL films A Hard Knocks just said, you know what, everyone knows what this is, this right, Aaron Rodgers's show, So this is gonna be Hard Knocks Aaron Rodgers, I think everybody would have gotten a little burned out on it. So I think it's smart to have him a little bit in the background. But again, like this is a guy that's a polarizing individual, you know, like, and I.
Feel like he's becoming less polarizing though. Well that's like this is this is great for him. This show has been awesome for his whole image.
I feel like I'm too close to it with the Rogers stuff he goes on around the NFL. I've gotten after Rogers for stuff he's done off the field, things he's said, whether it's comments about COVID or you know, various things were you know, the whole thing with a darkness retreat. And sometimes it was just like, why doesn't this guy just keep something to himself?
Well that would be bad for business for us too to day.
Right, Well that's fair, damn fair and damn And now I can't now come to you and say Aaron Rodgers is amazing just because he's on the Jets, because again, I'd feel like a big fat hypocrite. But at the same time, it's hard not to see him as a likable, like elder statesman guy who loves the game and loves being part of a team. And you see that throughout
this episode. I mean the way he kind of interacts not just with his own team but with the Panthers, whether he's a former coach that he's busting his chops about being over two hundred and seventy pounds to going up to you know, Bryce Young and giving him encouragement.
I was thinking about that just being the calm voice of reason too. He's kind of grown into that role even with the chippy practices. You saw him talking to defensive lineman Al Woods and he's like, have you been in those fights before? Like it kind of fell almost like a therapist a little bit like how do you feel when you when these things happen?
Like have you done this in the past?
Like, and then when he was talking to one of the other guys that was in the middle of the scrum, he's like.
You didn't worry about your hand at all, right, like punching out, like, dude, be smart, come on.
But the way that he approached it, the calmness that he had, and then kind of wapping up all of the Panthers talking to Brian Burns, congratulating him on the deal that he got in the way that he was with Bryce Young talking about Andy Dalton, like, hey, has this guy been helping you?
Like it just seems like he's now.
In this part of his life where he's like becoming a coach almost.
You could tell that he knows how much it means to all these people for him to give them those little moments. Yeah, because he's viewed as like this living legend, and I thought the interaction from a Jets fan perspective that was the most interesting and the one I imagine the beat reporters will kind of dig into a little bit.
Is Makai Beckton, the twenty one twenty first pick tackle who's had a very up and down, mostly down in the last two years career with the Jets, and they really need Becton to be a thing on either left or right tackle to give them some upside on the
only position group that's a red flag. And late in that game, a game in which Beckton played the most snaps he's played in a couple of years, even though his knee is still not right, you see him kind of come up next to Becton, and Becton's huge, one of the biggest football players on earth, and kind of put his arm around him and congratulate him on working through and say let's get together and have some lunch
this week and talk. And it's just like, oh wow, So, I mean this is you see the way he still looks great on the field, but when he's this invested, yeah, I mean, he's transformed, transformed everything. And that's why he gets my second place for it.
He knows how important it is to foster those relationships and to be a people person and to have that chemistry on the team, because we saw it last week when he was talking about Hackett and Hackett's involvement with the players in Green Bay when the offensive lineman wasn't taking part in like the celebrations after a touchdown. He sees how important that is for a team's success. Also, I loved that we learned a little bit more about that relationship between the quarterback and the center.
Anger.
Okay, yeah, I'm in there.
I'm in there a little bit.
Guys, so they are. They're just they're really close.
I'm in there deeper.
Than some of the other guys. Yeah, guy, he did. He did say that.
So it makes him different than previous uh partners at the centers have had.
That's interesting, right.
But to that point though, I think that this episode, as you mentioned, it was largely about the defense, but specifically I think about the defensive line and also the offensive line when you take a step back, because the offensive line their struggles were weaved kind of subtly throughout it too, So just both those lines up front kind of for me took center stage. So okay that that was your number two second.
Place for MVP.
Mine goes to Will McDonald. He gets my second place here.
He really captured my heart when he went on this excursion.
So I wanted to get like a pis had here. But yeah, fellow, so I want to get my eyebrows and then whatever else I decid I want, I'm gonna just.
Get whatever else I decide I want, I'm gonna get.
Okay, So he is a man after my own heart.
Because, as you know, Dan, I all last season just like kept getting different piercings in my ear.
I've always wanted to get serned.
About you at a certain point whether you'd be able to hear, Like what point does it affect your ability to.
It's called a constellation piercing, Dan, you should look into it.
And it is too late for the old zeuser to get an earing. It was maybe not a midlife crisis of the highest lie.
Is that what it's signaling for me?
No, it's different. You're you're a stylish young woman. But if I showed up with like a hoop earring, you know that I'm living like in Recita by myself and have a red sports car.
You know my dad when he turned fifty, he bought a red Corvette.
I'm sure your mom was thrilled about that.
Oh yeah, yeah, that was That was a really interesting drawing up the divorce papers. Pretty much, yeah, pretty much. There were a lot of other things that needed money at that point. Not that.
But Will McDonald, he just like he was wearing this fun blue earring when we saw him on the side of the field. He was talking about how he doesn't want to be normal and that you only get one life. Don't think too much about it, do what you want. Also like a low key gymnast, maybe because he was super acrobatic. The way that he got up it was a little extra, But I kind of like that from him. He's got personality and he seems to absolutely not care at all what anyone thinks about him.
He just kind of like does does his own thing.
This is why Hard Knocks is great, because I'm a diehard Jets fan. I didn't realize he was such a character and a personality and someone that kind of stands out from the crowd. It's funny. There's our old buddy. Dave Damashek had a great take that whenever someone is described as it might have been a Corolla take, but Dave used to share it. If someone destroys like oh Will McDonald, Oh Will's will?
You know?
Oh yeah, Will's Will, it's usually code for like he sucks or like he's you know, a guy that's kind
of annoying to deal with. I'm not saying people were saying Will's Will in this episode, but when he did say, I always thought another one, like an addendum to that, someone is like a little bit problematic and some other behavior, a little bit borish, and like, yeah, but you know what, Will, if he'd give you the shirt off of his back, if it's the last one he had, it was like, why are you trying so hard to make it seem like he's actually a good guy?
Right?
His life motto that he shared in this you only get one life, Uh huh, don't think about it too much. Do whatever you want to do. Yeah. Every person I've ever known in my life that goes by that kind of motto usually is terrible, and I'm hoping that Will is an outlier. Usually as like a selfish person who's kind of in their own world and planing I'm not gonna.
Lie, that's kind of the motto of Summer of Connie a bit, but.
You can get away from it for a season, right, yeah, right, And the off season of the NFL is different. But if you were in Summer of Connie mode three sixty five, including the football season, some people would start.
To be like, you know, is she okay?
How about not just is she okay? How about you work with this Connie? We were trying to be professional over here.
Yeah, I'm like bringing in six packs, like doing whatever. You can't do that all the time. I also like that he said he doesn't really have a style. His style is just unpredictable.
Right, I'm just saying. I'm just saying I'm a little concerned. There's some red flags no way that I want see. Listen, the NFL they want can formity. So I am in no way saying I don't want Will to be on his own little island. I like Will Island. I just hope this we're not talking in a couple of years about like, oh you kind of nailed this.
No no, no, no no.
For me, it's all green flags, no red flags. I love Will McDonald. I don't want him to change, And I mean I almost feel like I should move him up to number one in my rankings for MVP, but I won't.
I won't do that, all right, Who is number one for you? For me? It's Aaron Rodgers?
And we covered him a little bit a lot of bit because it's Aaron Rodgers. But I did enjoy the whole thing about him picking up the grass, like why like why is he always picking up the grass?
What's the deal with that?
And him talking about it started in Green Bay kind of get a better grip on the ball, checking the wind. But really essentially it's just a tick that he has at this point that now I don't think he can stop. He says that it's his way of meditating with the field, maybe being one with everything that's out there, and the receivers are kind of like, yeah, like knock yourself out, do whatever you gotta do, as long as you're throwing me the ball.
Yeah. No, I think that's well said, and I think he's some type of It was to test the wind, but also what was.
The grip like he said to what he used.
The interesting way I don't remember anymore, but it was like dexterity or something like that was very it was very Aaron Rodgers. I think, yeah, any you could obviously say Rogers is the MP of this episode two he placed for me, but I went with somebody that I should have. I was mad at myself last week for not giving him, not placing him.
Oh this is a good one. I know where you're going.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Albrick, And I should have brought it up last week. That I loved last week obviously his Aaron Rodgers conversation he had. And then I loved one thing I didn't mention when he got after the do your Job complex, which started in Green in New England, of course, and it's a it's a patriot thing, and he said, uh, do my job? Is that good enough? No, that's the rest of the NFL. Isn't it do your job? That do your job? Then? Now what if we all
do our job a little bit more. That's twenty two players playing, you guys feel it. Think about this. That's twenty twos on the field. So then the question goes to the offense. Now what he was just kind of going off and and as Greg Rosenthal pointed out on atn the I don't know why I said his last name. That's definitely gonna be on Belichick's radar, and I just like it kind of go after the Patriots who are still maybe not bullies for the rest of the league, but still to the Jets.
Uh.
And then and then he has this great line, uh to Quinn Williams before the joint practice with the Panthers.
Hey hew, Hey, sometimes you just gotta lift your leg and mark your territory.
You know what I'm saying. Yep, we're in there. We're in their.
Backyard, going to piss on the corner, on the on the on the tree, on the poor, on the kids toys.
No, not the keys, toys, not the keys.
You can piss on the toys.
It's not the Jeff, Jeff walking back a little, where are we going with this, Jeff? And again Quinn Williams shout out he's too much of a nice.
Guy, like he'll sack you eleven times.
But yeah, I'm not gonna urinate on the children's outdoor like playthings. I mean, let's let's not the kids so good. He like he walked all the way up with Jeff to that point, and then he's like, I gotta I gotta leave you there, Jeff. At that point, but.
Ulrick and Hackett are the two coordinators in the league that I would like to have a beer with. Yes, that seems like the most fun coaching staff.
And we talked about leading into the season. Is it Hackett who's going to be the coach on the staff that really jumps out the way like Doce Staley last year with the Lion's hard knock season. Right now, Olbrick to me is the clear leader and a real dark horse to take this whole thing, this MVP.
Do you think we like Kim because we're from the Northeast and that he kind of just reminds us of our family and our friends and everyone that we grew up around. Because when I hear him talk, it just makes me feel like I'm home, Which.
Is funny because he was born in San Jose. What. Yeah, he's a California guy. That's that's not on brand. I feel like he is born and bred North.
You'll get him in two thousand and two. According to his Wikipedia.
Page, Well, you guys could look this up. He looks much different.
We're all getting older. He played for ten years in the league. Wow. San Jose kid who played nine years for the Niners. Ten years of the Niners.
Really and now what position did he play?
Jeff Oldbrick was real deep dive on Olbrich. I know, third round pick in the two thousand draft, former linebacker.
Okay, huh, play more you know.
Hawaii and like I said, ten year career anyway, Okay, Seattle. Here Salo was. Then they hooked up again. I would assume, say, San Francisco, you know how this goes.
I know it. I know it well.
So there you go. Vector voting system. Randy Chavez, the funk Master himself, will tabulate that and connect with Eric Roberts. At the end of the season of Hard Knocks, we will crown the MVP.
Big reveal. Should we send them something? Whoever wins. That's a great idea, all right, we'll figure out what it is. It's a great idea. Quote of the Week we hit the quote a week has to be. I think Rogers talking to his center. We could have got in a lot of directions, but that's right.
Let's give it quote of the week. Let's hit some straight thoughts. We are in the credits. We did it.
We did it. We made it. Mom, Dad, I know you're proud.
What a moment for the Hard Knocks Podcast. What a moment for around the NFL. What a moment for Connie and Dan tugboat like we are at the last. The last credit at the end of the episode says, listen to the Hard Knocks podcast from around the NFA.
Very exciting, very cool.
The the next the next goal is to get Leev Schreiber, saying that speaking of Leah Schreiber, he has scored some here's the industry term that I want to share with Chiron love.
Oh you want to hear your big Chiron guy now?
And I wasn't sure. I was like, what is it? Because for the first time ever this season you see narrated by Leev Schreiber in the opening theme for the show. And I touch base with NFL Films puba Ken Rogers, Ye, who you know is leading the charge for Hard Knocks forever and we love Ken Love Ken. Shout out to Ken and he confirmed that that was the first time
Liv's been in the opening credits. In terms of really next on the screen, they added some minor flourishes to help build the cinematic flavor of the show, and I say well done. And speaking of Liev Schreiber, we would love. We have a thing here. We always share the Leev Schreiber line of the week. But according to.
Law ye like federal love the land.
We are unable to actually use Leev Shreiber his voice.
So we have a work around.
We have a work around. It is our good friend, voice artist, voice of God for around the NFL, Jason Zumwalt, who will now share with you the Leev Schreiber line of the week.
The man they call cueball has a habit of keeping offense on the eight ball, even his own.
I think he got that wrong.
That's definitely not it behind the eight ball. It's like, wait's what is he doing talking about an eight ball?
See if I got that wrong? Or if he got that wrong?
Okay, does it stay in? He got it wrong?
Ooh, And I was just about to pay him such a compliment about his rich voice.
There was three takes.
Let me see, the man they call cueball has a habit of keeping offense on the eight ball.
Is that.
Okay? Okay, what happened?
Wait a few more takes?
Okay, the man they call c ball has a habit of keeping offense on the eight ball, even his own.
And the take after that's the one that I chose because I thought it's not the best, right, but.
It's not the quote and the quote the quote is the.
Man they call Cuball has a habit of putting offense behind the eight ball, even his own.
Yeah, well there's some some keywords there, all right, next week, Joe, it's like he's behind the eight ball, Cuball.
Of course, being Quentnin Williams correct, Hey, what else you gotta?
The Rookie Show couldn't have been more of a mess, a spectacular disaster.
They should have brought back Oz Pearlman.
Like the I don't know, they needed him in a big spot there he did not deliver. Nicole Hartman was hilarious first of all, wearing these mirror shades inside in the dark watching the Rookie Show, heckling them, saying, I thought I.
Was gonna be laughing. Is this a dance off? What is this?
And you hear everyone booing, everyone throwing stuff at these poor guys, like what is it supposed to be? And it was like a test of some sort where I got they were trying to rag on guys on the team, but like all the players had to be on their phones and submitting answers and there was no multiple choice.
It was great.
It was, by far, as someone who's watched every season of Hard Knocks since two thousand and one, the most disastrous rookie show all time. But I have to say in defense of the Jets' rookies, it's not for lack of effort, like it was just overly ambitious.
Yeah, and they had big concepts.
I mean, Christ, they had interactive elements that they were trying to get the veterans to like use their phones to like key in choices, you.
Can make the veterans work. It's like, no, like that's just the number one.
And I think it was the tight end who went on to make a touchdown cat against the Panthers even though he ran the wrong I think I think Koons might have been the ring leader on it. And it's so bad that CJ. Moseley, the veteran linebacker, sent him to summer school and said, this is not the rookie show. You guys have to redo this and do it right. And can you imagine how stressful it must have for rookies in the NFL And now they have.
This hanging over them when Hard.
Knocks is there.
No, I hate it for them. My heart was breaking for them.
They looked so devastated because I think they thought that it would be a hit, and they clearly had put so much work into it. So now we get to see what they'll well, do you know what, Just keep it simple, play the hits, sing some songs, show your talents.
It's the rookie talent show.
Yeah, that was a tough one. Let's see, let's see.
The fun game with the quarterbacks.
I like that when they were in the meeting room and they had all the quarterbacks in there and they were showing up on the screen a freeze frame and asking is run play or a pass play? And everyone was going around guessing, and then like Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson were giving each other heat about it.
That was awesome.
I love that was good, and I love this journey that we're on with Zach Wilson. Everyone including old Brick is say hey, man, just have fun now there's no pressure on you. There was that nice moment on the field with Adam Thielen. Yeah, Wilson aside and said, you know, basically saying, hey, this is a fresh start, and make the most of it and be ready. It's it's again.
We taught.
We don't know if they hit it hearts we hit in episode one. But it's very unique Wilson being on this show and his backstory and the fact that he is the number two quarterback and he's getting all this time in the preseason games. It's pretty wild.
I was sweet.
I thought that thelan being like, don't let anyone tell you who you are.
You dictate that.
And Felan and Rodgers are examples of veterans that do it the right way. That's how it's supposed it's supposed to be. They say, it's a brotherhood. That's what you're supposed to do when you're like a decorated guy that's been in the league for a while.
Acronym check yes, big deal, big deal in the.
Jets building acronym so I know. I think the number one is ag NB huh all gas No break. That's Sala's slogan. There was another one though that I could I did not know, DRL. That was I think on a wall maybe in the meeting room.
What is DRL do write longer? Apparently it was on a bunch of shirts. It's one of Sala's favorite mottos.
It was tied into do your job.
Oh, so do your job longer and better.
Well, that's kind of what he said. He said, don't just do your job, do your job and then more. Okay, almost another little zing. I like that Patriot way love it.
When do they first play each other? I'm pretty soon.
Actually, the Jets have a really tough opening schedule and the soft spot, the soft spot is Patriots, I believe in week three, Oh damn who they haven't beaten in years and years and years.
Well, and speaking of which, the Patriots you flagged this. Both of us looked at each other at the same time when we saw the Cairn on the viral the screen Scarnakia as an assistant coach, and we both were like, oh my god, is that Dante's son.
Dante Scarnakia, famed offensive line coach, forever offensive line coach, now retired of the Patriots, who has been often credited as being kind of a glue guy for that coaching staff during their glory run up in New England. And as is so often the case, like as soon as we saw Steve Scarnakia is like, oh is that his son? Yeah, just the way. This league is not his uncle, you know, not a distant nephew. No, it's his son, Steve Scarnakia. He's the chief of staff.
Of the Jets.
I don't know what that is, but it sounds like vital role.
Yeah, sounds like a good job if he can get it. Soundtrack check in Oh yeah, Shaggy, thought we heard Shaggy, right, yeah, you called that.
But then I always I always check the credits at the end, and there he was not credited. No, no, but that was unmistake unmistakably Shaggy.
Right, yeah, because I looked it up and the song is called Oh Carolina, and that was for them going down to the Panthers. So it sounded like him. It was like this nice, fun kind of like reggae.
Ye Shaggy, Yeah, Shaggy, that's that's the third good Shaggy song.
Shaggy still got it the trilogy. And then we got the I Can't Stand the Rain the og from the seventies.
Yes, that was nice.
Yep, missy Elliot turned it to a huge hit in the nineties, but it had its start I guess as a seventies song.
Let's see.
I also want to throw out there I gotta say, and this is my last one, okay, because it was It's important to me. A formative A formative film in my life is Naked Gun.
Oh Yeah.
From the files of Police Squad nineteen eighty eight, Leslie Nielsen George Kennedy, a movie that I've watched, honestly, and I'm not even joking a thousand times. It's it's probably whether you like my personality or not or my sense of humor.
Thirty one percent on the sense of humor and personality was based off watching that movie from age nine to present.
So to see and this is my special notice for MVP to see. Passing Game coordinator Todd Downing set up an entire quarterbacks room meeting around Leslie Nielsen and his works. Rest in peace, Leslie. Here's what he had to say. We've been trying our best to get you guys educated on everything football, right. The biggest problem I have, Aaron, is we have not done a good job about teaching them about movies. Welcome to Cinema Sunday, educating an underprivileged
generation in the art of moving pictures. You guys need to know who Leslie Nielsen is, and yes, and that's True Airplane, Naked Gut One, Naked Good two and a half, The Smell of Fear, and Making Gun thirty three and a third, The Final Insult.
Watch them All Airplane, Airplane. For me, that's like one of the top movies ever. I love it so much. And you know what, it's just like they're having all of these teaching moments for the Jets, and it's better for these players to be well rounded, and I love that this is part of the curriculum.
Isn't it weird when it happens like this where something you love in pop culture swerves even closer to you and you're like, it almost feels like it's talking to you.
Watching the Jets felt personal on Hard Knocks and then.
Having a coach going to a deep dive on Leslie Nielsen was like, what is happening here?
How are you doing right now? Are you still reeling?
I'm flying, Yeah you are. I'm happy about this team. I'm excited about this team, and I think season I don't know seventeen of Hard Knocks is off to a great start.
Two good episodes already. I can't wait for the third.
All right, we will be back a week from tonight. As we always are. As soon as the airing of Hard Knocks is complete on the West Coast, you will get this podcast dropped in your feed, so keep following along. Hit us up on social, let us know what you like.
What you don't like, what should you like? I mean, let us know if you can find that hat cherish the little things, that'd be great. Send me a link.
There you go, until next week.
Heed the call.
The man they call cue Ball has a habit of keeping offence behind the eight ball, even his own