Opening Night; Super Bowl Narratives Sink or Swim (#Yachtcast)

in Miami. We got nothing else to do. We are on beautiful Miami Canal. You do not know if that is the Miami River Canal. It is my beautiful Miami River. Uh taping our first show from Miami, super Bowl fifty four coming up in a few days. And uh and and Erica, our wonderful producer who put this together. Wow, you know, you're a marvel. Yeah you know. Shout out to Jane Slater. Her brother Tom works for port to Stella, which is helping putting on this whole event all Super

Bowl week and they hooked it up and it's so sick. Wow, that's collect seems like it would have been an opportune time to have Jane on as a guest, considering that her family member got us this speed book. Yeah, she wasn't available. A little bit of a missed op potentially. But uh, anyway, did I mentioned that this podcast is stocked up pizza for the big Game? Uh? There we go. That's what super Bowl is about in a lot of ways.

It's America. It's about corporate, corporate structure, it's about ad reads. But it's also west about football, isn't it? Family friends? Football? And did your very good? Very good? So today's show this is our second boat show. Actually we did one on Teams a couple of years ago in London and that was nice. But now this is way better. I gotta be honest. The vibe is is decidedly different here Mark, where in Miami. We're in Miami. We have like high rise,

like sleek high rise buildings around us. Um, A bunch of like nines and tens have been rolled in from various countries. Standard our hotel beautiful And you've been very clear to point out that both the men and the women are nine. Oh it's not a it's a It is extremely attractive people being piped into our I meant with some you know, great sort of Miami inflected music. I think this should be our thing, doing my audio podcasts in far flung locales, where we just describe where

we are for the audio listeners. I can't even begin to understand going under a fruay At the moment, a boat just crashed into the side of our boat and we're sinking no ums the singing bridge. This is a fun experience and we love to mix things up. We just passed a sign that says caution manate area. So if a manatee jumps up and kills Mark, it's just ultimately the way we all expect. I don't think that's an incredible way to go. How are you doing Mark in Miami? I know the city with all its glitz

and glamour and and beauty. Um, some of the texts I've been getting for you. You've been a little up and down. Are you excited about being That's always the case, But I mean I would say that it's growing on me at a rapid pace. You know, yesterday was sort of overcast and you're wandering around kind of trying to figure out what the city is about. Now we're on this boat and it looks like you know, the cut scenes from like Miami Vice. I'm all in feels like freedom.

It's a panoply of the census. It's a feast for the eyes. I've this is already two days into my favorite super Bowl city. It's just shots fired at New Orleans. I haven't been to New Orleans, and New York was holding the number one spot, and I do love New York City, but this is where you want to have a sup. I still I still stand for the uh best Western in Minneapolis that had a t G I Friday's connected to al Right, so what are we doing? Essentially, it's all about the big game. Of course the San

Francisco forty Niners in Kansas City Chiefs. On Thursday, you're gonna hear our proper Super Bowl fifty four preview. But of course we're gonna hit on the game pretty hard today. Uh. In fact, uh using our our deep well of knowledge when it comes to this event. Um, Mark, this is you and I. This is our ninth super Bowl with NFL media. Um, Greg, how many super Bowls have you covered? This is the I've been to thirteen for Greg West,

You're I believe this is my seventh. So we you know you you start to learn, uh that the two week break from the NFC and AFC title game to the Super Bowl it's a breeding ground for just soggy narratives, sometimes narratives that don't always really check out when the game actually begins, or sometimes conversely they're they're spot on. So since we're on a boat, sink or swim narratives of Super Bowl fifty four, see how I that I love it? I love it. Great job, maybe the worst.

The person who throws out the worst narrative gets thrown overboard and we that's great. But before we do that, let's uh oh. I just wanted a shout out to the whole crew of the event Dutch, who are keeping us alive right now, and especially Captain Spiro's, because without Captain Spiros, without the man at the wheel, it's lights down for the podcast here at the bottom of the river.

I also want to send a shout out to all the people who have been buying our concert tickets or our show tickets on Thursday this week at the Miami Improv. It's bumping up the forty Niners and Chiefs fans are coming correct, but we still have tickets available Thursday night at the Miami Improv. I just will not be appearing

depending on who drops the laziest narrative. Well, I was, I was thinking to going the other way, which was West Dan Mark, I'll get the night off, Greg Roseathal one Man one Spotlight one, Mike Rosenthal Coal in my stories. I'll jump in with me. She loves a live micro fun. Well, we'll do it together. It'll be fun. He's going in the river, I swear to God. Alright, Greig sitting on a still spinning yards. Let's uh, let's do some news. I wore the number twenty four in high school like

my freshman sophomore year because of him. And I wore Kobe Bryant basketball shoes because of Kobe Bryant. Every time I laced up my basketball shoes, I felt like I had Kobe Bryant with me, had a little part of him. I had his jumper, had his fade away. The amount of hours I spent practicing that fade away from the corner and I never made it, but I tried, and I always thought I was Kobe so like I mean, he's an icon. Uh, he was a hero. Of mine

and the world's not a better place without him. Well, there it is George Kittle, the Niners tight end from Media Night last night, talking about Kobe Bryant, and yes, this is obviously it was a unique opening night because this is a unique time on the American sports spectrum with Kobe Bryant's tragic death in that helicopter crash in l A. Um I was. I came in into the city a day after you guys, by the way, uh for the listeners, and so I was in l A

when all the Kobe fallout was happening. It was such a surreal day in Los Angeles, and I was in a tech chain with my buddies from back East and we were what are the guys asked, is this like the biggest l A sports story ever? And it's it's almost it's but you can't really look at it that way because Kobe's death and then you have you can't say, like, oh, Kirk Gibson's home run or magic skyhook. This this feels like a like a tragedy that that just is bigger

than obviously sports. And you could feel that throughout Media night, because that's all anybody wanted to talk about. Yeah, I noticed when I got in, just talking to NFL Network people who were raised in l A and grew up with the Lakers as their favorite team, and they were visibly shaken up to the point where you could see that several of them have been crying, probably for hours. I just not being from l A myself, it kind of I was a little surprised at how much of

an impact that made. I think l A, like the rep is, that nothing brings l A together. It's just kind of this far flung place with no center holding it. But the Lakers are kind of what what holds it. I mean, the Lakers are what holds it in Kobe, even people that you know aren't from l A. NBA superstars have a level of fame and attachment I think from their fans and people worldwide that NFL fans never will. Like Kobe is at a level that no NFL player

has ever been at. I just think it's just different. And you know, in the Rams and Chargers are both finding out firsthand in need that l A remains a Lakers town in a Dodgers town first and foremost. And I remember being downtown the last time the Lakers, uh won a championship, but I didn't know what was going to happen that night. It was not the smartest move,

but it was incredible to witness the scene down there. UH. And just what the Lakers effect is on Los Angeles and Kobe's I think is what we saw like last night on media night too. The entire aura of that event, which is typically sort of um, you know, open to clownishness and uh and in funding games, had a completely different field because of the immense effect he's had on

so many NFL players. I mean, this is supposed to be the NFL's week, and I was in our hotel uh last night, and I turned down Sports Center and they they never talked about the Super Bowl once the entire episode. So this, obviously, you know, the whole week is is um was changed by that tragic event in Calabasas. Uh. And we'll hear from Richard Sherman a little bit later

than l a Native. But let's get to the NFL news now and we'll start mark you know what actually before we do this, can we do some breaking news, breaking news? Yes, let's hear it um magnitude seven point seven earthquake hits near Cuba. Miami office is evacuated as of fifteen minutes ago, and we're out on it ya right now? Um, are we in great danger? I mean we're or I'm not sure. I mean, this might be the place to be. But it does explain the helicopters

flying overhead. Perhaps there's been a number of them, a potential tsunami heading our ways. So there's a potential tsunami and we're on the water. Okay, so we should look into it. Yeah, I'm I'm on Twitter, So on Twitter, so we're fine. Yeah, okay, Well that's interesting. So we just keep going. Now to the Cleveland brown Hey, Ricky, honestly, they'll keep us updated. Tsunami situation. Apparently, buildings, you know, we're shaking in Miami, but we we did not feel

we didn't visibly see them shaking. Cat Is blowing Dan's notes all over the place, having in one place, having a whole system, and this is all my system has been torn asunder and now Erica has collapsed on the deck of the Dutch What tragic. Alright, let's get into it. The Browns um have hired Andrew Berry as that you know, I'm thinking about the tsunami. I know I can tell them.

Let's battle through pros. The Browns have hired former team executive Andrew Berry to be general manager and executive VP. The team announced this on Tuesday, made it official. He has fifty three man roster control. He's just thirty two years old. He's the youngest GM in the league. Uh Mark the Browns have been the latest iteration of the Browns reboot has Jimmy has them the owner saying we need to be in lockstep with the head coach and

the GM. I imagine this is a step toward that. Well, I think if you want to spend hopeful and positive about the Browns, and what happened since Freddy Kitchens was fired was that they methodically, uh went through this process and didn't matter how long it took, and didn't rush to hire someone because they want a unified front office and coaching staff with Stefanski, John D. Podesta and Paul Paul Depesta sorry, and with how with Andrew Berry, who

was with Cleveland during the Saucy Brown regime and massively impressed the Haslems. They were they wanted him back. He was with the Eagles last year. I I think This is essentially looking at um die Podesta's from Harvard, berries from Harvard, Stefanski's from Penn. This is Mark guys. Well, that's that's I think they are looking for people that can coexist and keep this thing together for more than

one year. We will see. If you're a Browns fan who might have been a little worried that it's going to be too analytically driven like baseball and the Wall Street influence, and it's not going to be enough football influence. This is a guy you love as a hire because he was a three time Ivy League cornerback at Harvard when he graduated, potentially when he graduated, his coach, his coach said, within fifteen years, by the time this guy's thirty seven years old, he'll be running an NFL franchise.

He's that specially's that whip smart. And you combine that with his football experience. He coached for seven or he scouted for seven years with the Colts. To me, he combines both of those, the scouting background and the analytics background. If you wanted to take a you know, more negative slant, you could point out that what seemed like their first choice is turned down the jobs, or at least some

of their top choices. George Patton, who had worked with Stefanskin Minnesota, didn't like the structure that was set up, and he might have been the GM otherwise. Josh McDaniels, it was kind of a similar case. I am hoping for the best, but at this point I feel like we are all. I want to become a Browns fan because the Brown's a successful Brown's team. It makes a better podcast. I don't think I've ever seen that. I want it. Well, maybe not a better vide yet, but

makes my life. Here's my here's my situation right now with Captain Spiro's and the crew of the Van Dutch. If we see them getting nervous, and you see Captain Spiros like on his radio a lot and stuff, that's when I'll get nervous. So I'm just judging right now. Captain Sparrows, gott a smile? Are we safe? Captain? Of course, that's what you would say if you're the captain, because number one, you want to keep everyone on board calm. So he's not gonna be honest, is he. Yeah, there's

no way they could have actually heard that. He just started screaming and like running his hands through his hair. Captain Spiros has jumped off the ship and as anyone else able to know this season to Mariner, he has everything under control. You know, the kinds of situations he's been in, the pickles he's pulled out of. Come on, man, alright, good luck to that Google. Can you survive a tsunami on a boat? Yes, and it says the safest place for a vessel in the event of a tsunami is

offshore in deep water. So to the ocean captain just out on the Mighty Atlantic. No one has ever tried to order the captain around before. Alright, moving at good luck Mark with this latest regie. Thank you, Drew Brees as uh speaking of Jane Slater, are good, buddy. Drew Brees,

the Saints quarterback is a free agent. He's landed at I believe number thirty seven on Greg Rosenthal's Okay, anyway, he's he's nineteen years into a career and he's not ready to announce yet whether or not he's coming back, but if he does, it will be with the Saints. Here's what he was Here's what he told Jane at the Pro Bowl I've never been in a situation where I said I was mowing over the thought that then

it's to me. It's it's been each each one of these contracts, which I don't know how many it has been, you know with the Saints, Um, I've played with him fourteen years. Um, but each one it's just it's not a matter of if it gets done, it's when. And you know, obviously at this stage in my career, it's it's you know, not a given that I'm that I'm coming back every year. It's just, uh, but but when when that time comes, then uh, you know, I'll always

be a Saints fans are taking this pretty seriously. They think he might genuinely retire. This is different than he's uh talked about before. I think it's negotiations. I think Sean Payton and the Saints have not so subtly put out some reports and even talked about, you know, in the last couple of days that well, if we had to move forward, you know with Taysom Hill, you know, we of course they want Drew Brees back, but they have other franchise quarterbacks in Taysom Hill and Drew Brees.

Maybe the most calculated um player in the NFL over the last ten years, is not making these comments. The NFL network, by mistake. The only leverage that he has his retirement in terms of his contract talks. And if he does retire, that's not a good outcome for the Saints because they have twenty million dollars in capit and they still don't have Drew Brees. Greg just put that issue to sleep. Nothing. People aren't buying this. This is a This is more of a theory than you know fact.

What was the report out there that the Saints view Taysom Hill is a potential franchise quarter Payon Sean Payton said that very strongly, and like he you know, he had high praise for Taysom Hill before the season, of course, linking him to the skills of Steve Young. But I think it would be fascinating to at some point in time watch Taysom Hill attempt that role. I really think it would be super exciting a chance at some point.

Do you think on one level, the Saints would be a more interesting team to follow with Taysom Hill as their starting quarter out of the gates. I mean, it's taller to follow, but I I don't understand, and this maybe is directed at us. I don't understand this like subtle Drew Brees shade that's popping up every time he comes up. This guy could still play, of course he can. So what are we doing? Why would I think is one of the most interesting quarterbacks in the NFL. Whenever

I see him play. He made clear The Saints have made it clear they want him back. Um, so I don't think they are entertaining. Is this a Steve Steve Young Joe Montana situation. If that was the case, I could understand the the urge to maybe make the move. Do they really think that Hill has that time? I think there is a parallel there because of the fascination in house to Taysom Hill. And if you're if you're sean for the background as a great quarterback, which Steve

Young had and Taysom Hill just doesn't. That's fine, But I like that he wouldn't be in the role he's in if he had had record quarterback. Whatever he takes the field, exciting things happen. I think if you yeah, but I think if there's a part of you that would find it an incredible interest, an engaging challenge to

try to see what you have with Taysom Hill. It's also telling that Teddy Bridgewater is not mentioned in any of this talk, and he's a free agent too and feels like it's more possible this year that he'll leave, just because I don't he I don't know if he could see being now played by the quarterback behind them too. So I'm not saying the Saints would be better with Taysom Hill. I'm saying, for me who's watched this show,

the Drew Brees Show for how many years? Twelve years in New Orleans, it would be more exciting to watch Taysom Hill. They feel like they need to run it back one more time. They have so many free agents, so it's gonna be a little tricky. I think they have eight starters. But with Breeze at this age, it's like, let's try one more time. We've had a super Bowl worthy or ready team the last two years, and then

after that you get wild. And I guess my counter to that West is I I hear that, but what if he does get the job and after four weeks it's like, oh, this guy was perfect in the role he had, and we kind of pushed Drew Brees out the door when he was coming off. I think that's absolutely I think I've just like I'm oversaturated with the Drew Brees Saints, especially when you see a playoff game where his lack of arm strength was a huge factor and the only place they made but when Taysom Hill

was making them. All right, let's move on. Speaking of veteran quarterbacks, Philip River wait, boat check. Is he on the radio? Captain Spears is not on the radio. So at the moment, it seems to be, you know, when another boat passes us, then we get a little, right, little tsunami. That's a week um the then Dutch. The entire crew is actually very cool right now, which, yeah, they're walking around and all right, so Philip rivers his future. The Charges remains up in the air. There was a

report that floated around a couple of days ago. It was that was attributed to Jay Glazer that the Chargers were moving on, but that maybe is not exactly the case and wasn't even Glazers reporting. And Ian Rappaport our own Ian rapp report uh said the French Eyes is still weighing its options on their eight time Pro Bowl quarterback.

We know the whole background by now thirty eight years old, coming off an interception, uh frenzy season, and he just picked up his family and left California for Florida, closer to his hometown. Uh what do you think, Mark is this Do you think there's any chance he's that charged in I just would like to hear more dating back to even the middle of last season, where the team

is saying this is what we want to me. Philip Rivers seemed to be kind of quietly at odds with that coaching staff by the end of the campaign, where you know, there were whispers of him potentially being benched. At this point, he's just moved his family across the entire country, and we we've brought up the scenario where he could be one of these guys that you know, goes home for a day or two a week and spends the rest of the time on the other side

of the country. It just feels to me, if from a family planning issue, which is the super important to Philip Rivers and odd departure from California, if you're gonna go back to the and from Anthony Lynn's perspective, I imagine it was incredibly frustrating when Philip Rivers was your quarterback last season, there were so many if you watch those Chargers games, so many mistakes that just would kill them, and Rivers every once in a while would look like

Phil Rivers as well. He had his moments. He wasn't a complete wash out, but the West, those mistakes they add up, and you could tell Lynn you understand his frustration and maybe his thought, like maybe Sean Payne, like what if I had a fresh start with a younger player. Right, it feels like the relationship may have run its course

and both teams are looking to get separated. And I think if the Charges detect even a whisper of of the fact that somebody's gonna give Philip Rivers a pretty good contract and install him as their face of the franchise, they're just gonna franchise tag him themselves and try to trade him, because that would be the most Chargers thing possible. A guy who has started two straight games, the second

most in NFL history, behind only Brad five. I mean, everyone sinks c poems about Eli Manning's durability, as they should. Philip Rivers has never missed the game in his entire career is even longer than either of the Mannings streaks.

It would be fitting for the Chargers, who have botched basically their goodbye to every great player they've ever had, for his last days to be protracted struggle where they franchise tag him and then trade him for like a sixth round pick to the Colts and alien a player who has been far better than the offensive lines or the running games are basically anything that Tom Talsco has

surrounded him. But I think it's telling too, and it's concerning for the entire Chargers organization the lack of Philip Rivers buzz compared to Eli Manning because the fan base does not exist right. But Ian made it clear they're considering franchise tagging him, and his wording was he made it sound like they're they're probably ready to move on, but they want to make sure they can do better,

and they're not really sure what they are. They could get behind door number two, so they're not totally closing the books on Rivers. They have the number six pick, though that is not too far away from either moving up for Tua or just drafting a quarterback of their own. Speaking of fading borderline Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Tom Brady is also a free agent. Uh to be Where is he right on your list? Uh? He is first, No, he's nine, He's right behind Breeze, He's right behind Breeze.

Joe Montana did uh an interview sit down with our own Mike Silver, and of course Montana is, well, he's always at the forefront of you know, this week because he's Joe freaking Montana, but this this week, and he'll make the media rounds, and you always see Joe around uh this time of year and Super Bowl week and Joe tell us a little bit more about flowers. Well, let me tell you he's also he's got his own

brand of sketchers, I believe. But these are his two former teams, of the forty Niners where he had all of his glory and the Chiefs, of course, where he played his final two seasons. And Uh, Mike Silver asked Montana about that process of going from a place the only place you've ever known, to kind of starting fresh, and Montana was very honest talking about how difficult it was.

Asked specifically what advice he'd give to Brady. Um Montana about the possibility of leaving the Patriots and signing with another team. Montana smiled and said, don't if you don't have to. It's a process to go through and it takes time to get used to the team. Um. He also said he has fond memories of his times with

the Chiefs and his offensive coordinator. Uh, Paul Hackett was the quarterbacks coach in San Francisco, which helped the process and and and made it an easier process for him in terms of, uh, you know, a new play book and all that. But it is a reminder that we throw on the cell, where's Tom Brady playing? Oh, I'll go to the Chargers, or I'll go to the Cols or go here. What a gargantuan challenge that would be for Brady. And uh, I'm not gonna change his legacy,

but it puts a different ending to his story. And you you can understand even Greg, a guy like Brady who is long professed his wish to play until he's in his mid forties, he would have to probably swallow hard before actually deciding to leave New England. I think hearing Joe Montana, his childhood heroes opinion on it actually could hold some weight because whoever is He's one of the only guys who's ever been in that sort of situation.

I thought, if you really listen to what Brady said the last time he spoke, and it's not a surprise he wants I think he wants to stay in New England. I think the question is he's not sure if they want to keep him. It's that's that's the bigger question to me. It's not whether he wants to leave. I think he would leave if he has to. It's really if they want to keep him when they meaning Bill Belichick. Because Robert Craft has made it clear the plan is

that Tom Brady is wanted. Doesn't make you, It makes me wonder. The worst case scenario here is that it causes friction and um schism between Craft and Belichick. That's like the worst case in area for a Patriots fan and the best case scenario for basically every other human that is interested. It's one reminder that like we're heading into this free agency period that is going to receive more hoop lah than ever before unless this stuff is

sewn up quickly. Because of these quarterbacks we're talking about. I I don't really think that it's a great idea for any one of them to suddenly start over in their late thirties and forties in and with another team. It just seems like you're getting the final year or two of Tom Brady on the Chargers. What's how is

that going to play out? Right? And I know we'll talk about it, but it really struck me that no quarterback in NFL history had thrown for more than yards in their age forty two season before BA. There basically had never been a quarterback that was a starter for an entire year until Brady last season. So he was by far the greatest forty two year old quarterback of all time. And it's just like, it's just kind of like why, why would you expect him to keep breaking

these boundaries at the highest levels. It's just a lot to expect. And you know, speaking of Kobe Bryant, you know everybody you know, certainly I am, and I know you guys probably are too. Are reading a lot about his career in retrospectives and all that, and uh, what's his name, wobomb the ESPN Adrian Wojanowski. Uh, he wrote a piece he he knew Brian quite well, and he reflected on his encounters with him through the years and

including near the end of Bryant's career. He like Tom Brady, spent you know, twenty years with one team, and he remembers a conversation uh with Brian where he was saying he was certain that Lakers management was looking to buy him out of his contract and use that amnesty clause that the NBA teams can use to get out from under uh ugly veteran contracts. And it never came to fruition.

But it just reminds me, as you're talking about this, Greg, how you know these things that they get tricky at the end when the player is this veteran and he's a legend and he's getting paid a lot of money, but he's no longer helping a team like he once did. It just becomes a tricky suit are ration for all parties. Alright now, media night opening that we talked about it with Kobe and how that was a major topic. Any other kind of takeaways from Media night, Greg, I'll start

with you on this. Well, let's think I like the little bit that Kyle Shanahan talked about where they asked him when he puts in the first fifteen play script that has sort of become famous, you know, from Bill Walsh, and Kyle Sanahan's a fairly direct descendant through his father, Mike Shanahan from Bill Walsh. You know, the Fame fifteen play script of what they're gonna do at the start of the game, and they asked in Um, I think

it was one of our guys. It might have been Don that asked him about it, and he said, well, I'll probably put it in like either late Friday night or Saturday morning. And that was you know too, Dn. That was a surprising answer. And I think it's fascinating. They put in the entire game plan last week. You know, they they have all the plays that they possibly could run in the game. But Shanahan kind of like, I don't know what we would do as students or we

do for our podcast. He waits a little bit till the last minute, and then what wants to see what he's feeling is the right moment to do it, and then he puts it in. And and there are many good reasons I think for that. Now I'm not saying he thinks it's the best way to do it to wait until the end. And so maybe it's not getting stale, that he doesn't get stuck too much, you know, and that I have to do this, or that he sees

how the plays go during the weekend. It keeps like the whole thing a little fresh going into the super Bowl, and coaches are creatures of a routine. He's used to join that every Friday night during the season. When Bill Walsh first started this, wrote about this in Ohio River Offense, he met with Paul Brown on Saturday mornings to go over the openers because he was working on them on Friday nights. That's I think that comes from the Bill

Walls Street. I think it's also a communication with your star quarterback, with your team in general that if you put out like if we when we plan our show, if it's a Thursday show and we try to hammer it on a Wednesday morning, we're gonna have to do forty text messages about changes. We have new information right and it's like, why not almost wait till the last minute. If you're the Niners the most as much information as you have, and when you give those plays and you

share it, it's as clear and it doesn't change. Maybe everyone note knew this kind of thing already, but it was it was a rare thing from Opening night that seemed like new and different. I don't know my one thing I thought Andy Reid talking about players saying that he's still coming up right now hand drawing up new plays that they've never even used to take into the Super Bowl. We've got so much extra time. We're going back fifteen games with the forty Niners and we're we're

doing all this crazy like using all that time. And I always, like, you always worry about the teams that they start to do too much. You know, just do what you normally do. George Kittle got a riser and he acknowledged I thought this was not so subtle. Flex he waited to share this until he was on the riser at Opening night at the Super Bowl. He's played with a torn labor ham since two thousand eighteen. Now

that's a man. Well yeah, I mean it's impressive, but also obviously has not been a major factor in his play because he's playing with more physicality after the catch than any tight end in the NFL. He's blocking as well as any tight end in the NFL. He was the first team All Pro by war. I think PFF had him graded as like one of the highest. He was their best player in the NFL this season. Was was George, were you questioning Dan his manhood? Like before this?

This is what it took to certainly not. But it's just next level stuff. And you have to go to the Shield softball team. And when you see Chris westling, you know, playing seventeen games on a bad shoulder, uh, it reminds me of uh Joe Namath having a tape his leg from his ankle to his hip just to get on the field. That's West slinging the ball over

to skip at first base. Had a cold. At one point during that season, I delt was some yeah, some issues, Yeah yeah, and of head called I'll never forget West taking himself out of the championship game to give me a little more plain time, because because he thought that was what was best for the little bit of a sneaky hero boy move though I want to play, but for his made for TV movie, well, I appreciated a few extra innings. It was like I got on base.

Every bad joke had to come in. Shook needed some plain time, and it was coming in for Greg, and I just said, we need Greg's defense out there in right field, take me out attention for got on base every single time if you want to us right, you know, I was, I was a waiting for the humble on the phone was the legit one? We got breaking news here? Okay, he's on the phone. He's turning. I almost looks he's

turning the boat around while he's talking. You know, it's like talking, but I shuddered to it's a really say. I mean this my good friend Mike father's fouley. His family came from Cuba. So many of so many people in a city came from Cuba and are probably thinking of their families, like at the seven point seven earthquake, is in an insane number that I don't want to find out. What's what we're gonna find out when we

get back Dan. Dan is very concerned about this phone called wait, can you hand Captain Spiros of the microseconds? Captain Spiros, can we get your comment? I saw you were just on the phone. Is everything okay? Nothing to be worried about? Was about the captain Captain's bres of the Van Dutch a hero talk about a real man? All right? How to turn the boat on that? Oh? Also, Katie sours. The woman who's the Niners coach chief's tattoo scandal.

She's from Kansas and it was I read that it was a tattoo of the of the Kansas City skyline. And she actually played, unlike some people on this show, played foot all herself at a professional level in hero ball. Don't you don't need to tell us why she should be a coach. She's certainly qualified. But I'm just talking about the skin or just simply uh. She she said, you know, she's she's a proud Kansas City and all right, well, if the Niners lose, you'll know she got more, you know,

from the people there. She got more people around here probably than just about anyone at at opening night. It is pretty cool. Kyle say Inahan brought her from Atlanta, where she was also. I also liked hearing that my guy Tom Brady. You know, it was congratulating Jimmy g People forget Jimmy. She's got two Super Bowl rings to the Bowl and ming. He just wanted to be in the news cycle this week. He's probably annoyed that that became.

Dante Scarnecki is out as offensive coordinator. They say he's retired, but I think he was quietly fired by Bill Bill. Why would he Why would this future Hall of Fame, first assistant coach to make the Hall of Fame ever get thrown out? Disasters? Right now, you lose scar Neck.

You understand a pure mendacity to feel little panics. Greig and the in the in the ride over here towards the boat, you were claiming that it just doesn't matter, and you're fine with the Patriots has covered more Super Bowls than the Jets and Browns have ever been in by a factor of five. Do you need to go in that beautiful time? It's a great time. I'm fine with twenty years total darkness. Right, it's been. It's just we've been to one combined. You've been to one combined.

While I was trying to do the math, how many have we covered for the Patriots? Five? I think five reals and live of six. Yeah, not anymore though, it's over all right, And finally, let's give the last word from Media Night. I'm sorry Opening Night they rebranded in a few years back. I struggled with that Richard Irman, who's obviously one of the more thoughtful um NFL players, and he's a Los Angeles native, so of course he was gonna be asked about Kobe. Let's let's hear what

Sherman had to say. Well, he meant a lot. He meant a lot to everyone, you know. He he meant a lot to the city of l a And he's he's a tremendous idol. Like I said, there's not enough praise I can give him. There's not enough words in my vernacular, in my vocabulary to give him the praise and the respect that he deserves. Um. But but he deserves every inch, every every ounce of respect, every ounce of gratitude. And and he gave me a ton of inspiration.

I'm sure he inspired millions and billions and trillions other kids. You know, there's there's no limited impact he's had on my city and and on cities around the world. Extremely well put, all right, that's what's happening in the news. Now let's get to it. The sinkers. We're on the boat, so sinker swim narratives nailed it of Super Bowl fifty four. Um, I asked you guys to kind of throw out some storylines that you've seen pop thing up over the last

week or so. And I don't know whether you agree with the narrative or you're here to debunk it, But they are narratives. You seem like the narrative guy. I have a couple, but I want I want to just see you guys up Mark. You seem like the type of guy. In fact, I know you to be the type of guy who you exist mostly to just shoot down things. So I'm gonna assume you're not going to

agree with either of these. Here's the first one. Everyone assumes a shootout is on tap and super Bowl fu Well, I know, so what even my own prediction for somewhere on our website. Try to go find that somewhere. It was like forty because it's just like the first thing that came to mind. Like, of course you're not gonna say now, are you know? So? I mean, are you trying to say that they don't promote the super Bowl predictions piece because that probably gets promoted just because you

haven't checked that NFL dot com. It's not the main point of this and this is not the day. Would you like me to answer this question? We just gonna go off into forty two different verbal rivulets before I give you my answer. This is this is not the day,

re rivulet I love it. I would. I would point to this number one that last year, at this time, we were coming out of an a f C championship that was a shootout between the Chiefs and Patriots, and with a Rams team that everyone just assumed would score. Not everyone, but that was sort of this this who knows what could happen in this thing? That's that's my case. Number eight, This game could be seven, This game could

be twenty three. That I don't I just don't assume you could be a blowout, but I think it could be a blowout. Number one, I don't assume that both teams are gonna drop fifty points on each other. That's a good point that Mark raises a good point. The two quarterbacks with the highest points per game in NFL history probably are gonna have a low scoring game. I'm just kidding the scientists turing on another listen. I'm not

saying this it's a narrative because it's partially logical. But last year, not not a single person was talking about are you supporting that this will be a high scool game. It's it's it's de funking in process. Because I am I am upset with myself for picking for forty. It

seems too boring and predictable. And this Mark is the wrong day to get on NFL dot com promotionally because I went to their homepage just today and right there on the headline stack as they call it, Cessler Cole and why I want Jamis Kama Lamar to win a title? You know, listen, I believe that with all my heart. With all my heart, I believe that column I read time.

I mean when I when I think of Mark's attachment and support of Tamos Winston over the years, just like the the energy that he's invested finally wanting him to get over the top. It's nice to see that getting promoted as one of the biggest, very natural storyline country. They asked me to pick. It was people that I like to see make the super off that in there, and tell me it would not be intriguing to see

Jamis Winston with some other team get into this. I like, why I want Jamis Kama Lamar to win a title. I can't. I don't, I don't, I don't believe. I feel like I've been honking about Jamison this podcast for four years and all you do is dismiss him. I can change my mind occasionally. West. Here's a narrative that you threw out there, Jimmy G equals Bob Greasy, debunk or support. Give me a break with this one. We're

debunking it. What are you talking about? First of all, there was only one quarterback this year to finish in the top five of completion percentage, yards per yards per attempt, and touchdown passes, and that was Jimmy G. This was not all running. He's twenty three and five as a starter under Kyle Shanahan. The other forty quarterbacks under Kyle Shanahan are three and twenty, so he has an eight

twenty winning percentage, the highest in NFL history. All other San Francisco forty Niners quarterbacks have a one sixty seven winning percentage under Kyle Shanahan. What happened when Bob Greazy got injured in nineteen two is back up Earl Morrow at nine and oh and one, first team All Pro because he could do the same job Bob Greasy could do. The Forts quarterbacks can't do the same job. Jimmy G's

do one. Give me a break with this narrage. Nothing about Jimmy G's skill sets suggest the team doesn't totally

trust him. They totally trust him, And I do think that it was interesting to hear Kurt Warner talk about it on NFL Number Today that if you know, you look at these game plans in these scripts, that if Kurt Warner back in the day with the Rams as a young starter, was told you're gonna be throwing the ball probably eight or nine times and a half in the Super Bowl, that he would totally revolt that that

quarterbacks he want. If you're Jimmy G, you want to throw the ball times, no matter what you tell anyone else. And he's had money on third downs too, He's been a great third These two games are pretty random. There are almost no other games they had I'll see is in that were quite like this. With that said, I do think, for instance, in the wasn't the Vikings game after he made the interception and then they you know,

went pretty run heavy. I think they totally trust Jimmy G. But I think Kyle Shanahan knows how good his defense is, how good his running game is, and that Jimmy G. Mistakes is the riskiest thing they have because he makes a lot of mistakes, He takes a lot of sacks, he fumbles the ball lot, right, I'm just saying that that he is the highest variants of of really great team and he's facing a quarterback who's not only makes way more big plays and is more talented, but makes

way way fewer mistakes. So if he can keep a lid under Jimmy g like you could, you could trust your quarterback, which Kyle Shanahan I believe does, but also know that you're running game should be the motor against certain teams depending on the game plan, as they were in the two points. This sets up that way. I mean, the Chiefs defense is about as imbalanced, you know, when you look at the efficiency pass versus run as almost

any defense in the league. They're a really good past defense, pretty deep secondary, you know, solid pass rush, good scheme against the past, and a terrible run defense. Like it's very similar to the last couple of ones. Chiefs defense is better or even above average. Debunk a confirmed lad yourself into that trap. I did. I don't think they're that much better, and I've been last year then last year they're they're a little better, but I watched them and I guess I'm putting a lot of stock in

the two playoff games versus the entire season. They haven't played well in the postseason. Everyone looks concerned. Everyone in this boat right now is looking very a look at a nearby yacht? Is that what we're looking at? What is the what? It was just a really beautiful boat, and I thought you would like to look at it. It was like, I mean, there are people sunning on the You used to used to own a boat. You're a yacht er, You're but I do I've been driving

for a word. I don't think so. But I've been driving boats since I was twelve. I love them. We're in a beautiful and Greg's like, you think I know anything about boats? I was like, number, have any context? You know, you're telling me you've been in a more beautiful Super Bowl local than this. Come on this what we've had for the last half an hour? Everything, I mean, the Chief's defense seems point. My point is, are they

seem entirely beat a ball? And they might be a little bit better than they were a year ago, But are they above average? I don't think so. They've got three good players. Frank Clark Chris Jones, Tyrone Matthew just about every every other part of their defense feels like a weakness in recent weeks. You go down twenty four nothing, you go down seventeen seven. I mean, you are vulnerable. But they have the offense that almost makes it non issue.

On something part of my thought, I mean, when you really just like lining up the matchups, I think Kyle Shanahan is looking at this Chief defense and he's loving its slicking his chops. He's looking at his chot Like, if you just look at the matchups, the forty Niners seemed like the better team. Mark Sessler confirm debunk anyone on either team talking about not getting enough respect from football. What happened to sink or swim anyway? Sink that one?

That one needs to sen the Miami River because it's it's happened a little bit with Richard Sherman. And that's not a surprising person to utter these these kinds of comments necessarily, but you hear it for a little bit on both teams, so you know we're not we're not getting the respect we deserve, We're not getting the attention. It's like I would just say, though the Niners have been glowed over all season and the chiefs of the team. Everyone kind of wanted in this position, but from before

the season. So where is this lack of respect, lack of interesting? Maybe Adam Rank picks to go three and thirteen people have been really holding Why do you need to a co worker and then just drag them off? Now he's he talks about it more than he loves it. He loves it. He talks about it. But when an us all right, um West, I thought I did a good job there by the way, nicely all right, I'm

proud of you, uh West swim. Patrick Mahomes is off to the very uncomfortable right now, shadowy league figure with all the nice boats around us, it's not our fault.

Nice boats everywhere in Miami. Well, if we're saying worst take gets thrown overboard, Greg goes overboard because he's been spelling this off for the last few weeks with no regard for no regard for perspective, no no regard for a wide view of history, no regard for actually the truth, which is Patrick Mahomes in his breakout year is great year.

Fifty touchdowns, five thousand yards a marina did that four decades ago in his second season, try buying, Try paying prices for a house to You've had six passing revolutions since Dan Marino did this for him. That's about the equipment of going for sixty five touchdowns in six thousand yards. Now, it would blow everyone's mind. It would blow Greg's mind. That was the best. Here's my thing that they are

the only two I think in the conversation. Is not far away my homes right, yeah, Kurt Warner, it's tricky, he's all he's older, but you're right, is right there. But here's the thing. Mahomes in his first year was the m v P was the best player in the league. His second year in the NFL, Right, I'm saying first two years a starter. I'm not. I'm not. I would have counted Aaron Rodgers first two years, which a Marina was busy playing and win rookie the year. His second

year he's the number three quarterback in the league. I would put him at So what quarterbacks in their first two years would be a top three quarterback those two years. Now, another part of it is absolutely that I watched every game, like do we respect the football heads opinions? Who just watched guys on weekends, you know, or watch players when they're in primetime games and in playoff games and makes

big opinions. I'm not going to have that strong to take off of Dan Marino when I really didn't see him play. But you're just gonna ignore that he ever happened, because now I'm gonna look at the I'm gonna look at his second year in terms of he had a little less of a year, they would be They would be at the league and everything even the next year after that. My, you want him to go away because it's convenient for your argument, but Dan Marino exists and

you can't throw him overboard. I'm not, but they would be similar. And it also goes to my that quarterbacks are better now than they were, like athletes, Like you didn't watch Dan Marino that year, so it's like very hard to like know how good he really was. Isn't this all kind of pointless because haven't we talked on this podcast? Its pointless to argue over players in different generations.

I'm just correcting Greg for refusing any respect to anyone who came before Pat I said, all right, he's one of At worst, he's one of the top two quarterbacks ever in terms of his first two years as starter and the physical skill set and the athleticism and every else that he has. It's obviously better because athletes are better and he's like the next generation like that. This is not a hot take, like half a year without getting sacked. You're you're bad mouthing his skill set because

you never really watched him. All right, everybody calmed down. Scientists, there's no time for scientists. Shenanigans in the lab. On a boat just doesn't make sense. Logically, you can't have a I want to throw out a narrative that connects to what we just talked about though, which I'm hearing a lot of. But people, what is the old line? Those who ignore history or doomed to repeat it. You know, back in everyone said, oh Dan Reno, you know, he

got wiped out by the Niners. Coincidentally, he'll be back. You know, everyone seems that, you know, Patrick Mahomes is on the scene of the Super Bowl, and something tells me this isn't gonna be his first bite of the apple if you don't know, And it actually speaks to a larger point that goes beyond Mahomes or anything. Uh. And it's something that's popped up time after time in the years covering this sport is that when you get to this point, you need to win because the future

promises nothing. And the history of the NFL is littered with teams that thought they were just at the verge of getting to the mountaintop and even though they didn't get there, we'll get there next year. The Atlanta Falcons come to mind, the Jacksonville Jaguars come to mind. That's just recently. And Cam Newton. Cam Newton, I mean, he did win, but he has not been back in the

decades since. And Mahomes is in a great situation to have a long successful run because, like Tom Brady, he is on a team that is well run from the top down, and you get the feeling that they will not let that roster go to rot. And because he's so good, he could then feel uh fill in the gaps the way Brady once said, However, nothing is promised, and you got it's so important that these teams and we know that as the famous Damas check ism, is just a must win game. Yes, obviously, both teams are

doing everything in their power to win. The Super Bowl. But the team that loses, an old frances is, um, we're gonna have Chris mad Dog Russo show on Thursday. The old frances Lin was. It's there's nothing worse than losing in the Super Bowl. You'd rather losing the title game and losing the Super Bowl because there are scars that come with it. Now, whether you believe in that or not is another conversation, but just in general, there are no promises win the game. You got here, Oh

that is true. But if you're in the a f C West, don't you have to look at it from now on? Is I've got to build my team specifically to stop Patrick Mahomes in the division, and they have an edge. But Andy Reid. Andy Reid is a great example. I mean, I keep talking about how he's, you know, maybe the most influential coach at last twenty years. He hasn't been in a Super Bowl since fifteen years ago. They weren't you know, they lost that one. He has

not been back since. He's had a lot of good teams since then, and he hasn't been able to get back. Kyle Shanahan, who's coming off you know, when he was in the Super Bowl as a coordinator, one of the toughest moments, like you can possibly imagine. He he knows it, he said, watching those Mike Shanahan teams for a while. You know, as a kid, he didn't think the FC was even allowed to win a Super Bowl. He knows how precious it is, how brutal it is. That was

an insane run of dominance by the NFC. I mean, I think if you want to look at a group of people that faithfully returned to the Super Bowl every year, it seems to be us. We're the one guaranteed. Yeah, we do make it every every year. Why until this year? Because you're still there some events that have transpored. I mean, the waters are relatively calm underneath the boat at the moment. Famous last words, my friends, although, like I said, God

is under control. That was for the listening. I have streamed out the whole The captain looked back at me with every anybody else want to throw one out there that I haven't touched ont but you definitely want to hit Mark you had. I know. Oh, I'm like a little annoyed that people have dismissed my sandwich proposition from much earlier on in the Mark's holding the microphone handle really tight again. Sorry, but you can see the veins bulging out of your hand. Just how my hands work

that it puts everybody on it. I don't do it, Yeah, I knew what I do it this way? Doesn't that put me on it? Do not try to blow up Another of my narratives, this was the one that a player will because are literally throbbing, will miss playing time due to be by an animal. Will a player will be miss playing time at least part of the game due to being attacked by an animal, and there is still an opportunity for that. Miami is a rough and

tumble environment. A lot can happen to me, and the out of trees lesson like a like a twenty pound of guana sitting around. It was huge that it was. It was a big guy, and we saw some turkey vultures on the animals. You're right, if this is the city where an animal could take a player out? Is how I'm holding this? Count? Mike Mark brother uh thousand shows together. I guess no idea who we were. Does it count if an animal hurts a player during the week and then they missed the game? Next it was.

It was not just in game. I don't believe it was in on the boat next door. Um, how about how about the narrative that liked the forty Niners are old school, Like, give me a break. They're like the most the most modern sort of creative inventive with their running game. That of any team in the league, if any other team could imitate what Kyle Shanahan does, they would do it. No one can do it. He's ahead of the game. It's like, oh, they're old school. This

proves that running the football still has a place. Yeah, if you've got Kyle Shanahan, because he's often like people are gonna be doing it's stupid. Yeah, I I hear what you're saying. Although it is interesting that the quarterback there with sixteen times or whatever, it's definitely interesting. It's just not old school. I think it bubbled up along

with the Titans. You know that this was not the playoff approach we thought we'd get back in last you know, last January or February, when everyone was hiring Kurus to set passing games of fire. Oh, he just was the Mohito bar I like that. That was their plan against the Vikings. Running down their throat, but they fell into the Packers game plan like they were gonna pass, and then they thought, why are we even passing on these guys?

They're not even close? Didn't need to did I mention, by the way, and I'm all mention it again that this wonderful podcast, um aboard Captain Spiros's Ship Around the NFL podcast is presented by did you on the stock up on Dijon no pizza for the big game? Uh? And um we are now I think about too soon head back toward Port and it's time to get ready

to say goodbye. A reminder once again if you are in the Miami area and you want to see us uh live in person talking a little ball and then afterwards were of course uh meet and talk with the fans. Come come on down to the Miami Improv get tickets and um and we'll have a great old time together on Thursday night, eight o'clock showtime correct, yep, eight o'clock

tourn Uh any other thoughts. Thursday again will be our proper Super Bowl fifty four preview with our game picks and all that russo as you as you mentioned and the great Mad Dog, Well I was saying a Dan, because I mean, you know, we all I grew up listening with my dad in the car to Mike and the mad Dog hundreds and hundreds of hours, and you know, I told him a couple of times, Hey, we have this guest on or this guest on, and it's it's all a nice experience. I think in his mind he's

happy that it's happening. But when I mentioned mad Dog Russo, it's like, oh wow, because that goes back, that's deep respects on your podcast. I wonder how many people at NFL Network would not be there if it were not for Mike and the mad Dog. Well they certainly left a huge imprint. And one of their sneered at that. But like I am saying that there are maybe maybe the number is four or five, but it was the engine. But I'll say, yes, Mike and mad Dog were not influential.

Greg you Now this time, I'm not saying that I had ever seen. I'm rolling through all the people on our air in my mind. Give me one, gi me. It's like, oh my ease. Yeah, that he wouldn't have made it without old mad Dog. You got two of them on this book. Omaris is the one guy in our company that made it without ever tracking Chris Russo,

so he he beat the odds. Um any, we're excited for mad Dog and talking more ball and thank you again, uh to this wonderful crew about aboard the Van Dutch led by Captain Spiro's who, despite the threat of a looming natural disaster, never blinked and we thank you for that. Captain, I thank you so much. He's a he's a good man.

Thank you everybody for having us. Uh. This is part of the Stella fleet, by the way, and if you want to, if you're again in the area Thursday, Friday, Saturday, you could come on down to the Port de Stella and get loose, right, I guess yeah. But they got these boats. We've got some celebrities coming down. I heard Prianka Chopra is gonna be here, Jane Slater is gonna be here. Wait cho We once had a producer who kept promising we were gonna get Prianka on the show,

and it never it never happened. It felt a grand failure by that one producer. It fell through. But I did enjoy her song Welcome to My City, Uh, the original intro to Thursday night football people forget. But yeah, so check out Port to Selah and you two can be on this awesome. Yeah, this is the best podcast we've ever done. Right, I don't know content wise, I've been like sightseeing and you know, doing my thing on It's It's It's gonna be great and following b a

t N podcast on Instagram for all our exploits. Uh. And the sun's out and the skies are blue and there's a gentle breason. I'm on the water. I need a drink. So let us begin that process of getting the old Zeuser a little loose himself, Little Dan Handler a little looser signing off for a quiet storm, the Mailman, the old Boss, Ricky Hollywood, Captain Spiro's and the whole crew of the Von Dutch thank you till Thursday.