Super Bowl 55 Preview with Baldy, Chris Mad Dog Russo & Kyle Brandt

neither one of us spoke and UM, I do. I don't think this would be the right um juncture to take bath salts. We have a lot to do over the next couple of days. You don't want to wake up under a bridge with like four people next tea, none of them. We don't want to pull the pod quest the super Bowl podcast equivalent of Barrett Robbins The Raider Center. Sorry, sorry, Greg, I'm clutching those pearls. YEA tough. It was a tough spot for tough spot for Will

br there. We don't want to do that, so we are going to keep it on the straight and narrow, and you know it is the Super Bowl. Uh, and yet we're not there, and it's just it's obviously so different with the Chiefs and Bucks setting up in Tampa. Ricky like, give me some NFL films music, Let's let's let's try to figure Let's try to let's try to find a different pathway to get into this. I believe this is the song The Final Quest by the Great Sam Tom Brady, two legends of the sports. Pretty good.

That is not a bad faced right, Yes, this is it. This is the game, and I'm not spiking the football at the two yard line to say, I can't believe we've pulled this thing off. Because there's a COVID laced barber on the campus of the Kansas City Chiefs that has let us know that at all times, the coronavirus remains in the picture of We're almost there. We're almost to the finish line of the NFL season, and we have a big show uh coming up today, filled with

great guests. We're going to have Kyle Brandt, who's gonna join us when we do our goal gets my uh sandwiches uh super Bowl predictions segment. We also have a favorite of ours going back to our youth and guys has plugged into Super Bowl history as anyone because he's always at the game and has been for thirty plus years. Chris mad Dog Russo of w f A, N Fame and now Serious XM. And justin a couple of minutes,

Baldi's gonna talk football and the Big Game. Any kind of a big picture thoughts, Greg as we get ready to talk Super Bowl fifty five between the Chiefs and Bucks and a very different super Bowl set up for you personally, Greg, with Tom Brady doing it for a different team. It is weird. I am gonna enjoy getting because we might never or gonna not get to do it again with our kids. It's certainly not at this

stage to watch some of the game with them. I thought you said it well, how it doesn't feel the same. And maybe it is the football gods hooking us up here, because you're you're right, it doesn't feel the same. It's everything is different about the world we live in, certainly about our jobs. But okay, if if the Super Bowl is not gonna be the same and you're not like you know, it doesn't feel as the same, you know,

similar to the hype. How about the football gods give you two football gods to go watch because you know, the matchup is about as good as as it possibly could be. And it's like these two guys who have sort of stolen each other's superpower. It's like we thought about if if Brady had a superpower when he was young, it was his pocket presence. And to me that that really sets the Homes apart right now. And if Mahomes

has a superpower, it's his deep ball. And who's throwing the deep ball better than Tom Brady when people said, you know, his arm was kind of shot and not the same anymore. So like that, the gods are delivering, if nothing else, like a game we we should be

as hyped as possible about. I also think that you know, we each have children that are that are into football enough to understand what's happening and and and some of them very plugged in and to show them this game because they get to see Tom Brady near the end um. And I'm not saying that that's happening, you know, in the next year or two, who knows, but and Homes at the beginning that that is that that has been a trenchant Um prediction, the gradual decline. There's I would

clearly say, Danny, you've half nailed it. I didn't happen it, right, I mean, he you never don't know when you're like riding a bike and you're like, oh, this is a little bit harder than I was expected, and it turns out that the decline or the incline is so gradual that you didn't even notice it. But then when you're going back the other way, he's like, oh, this is kind of fun going down this. This didn't feel like a hill. I didn't look like a hill, but it

kind of is. That's what this is. And I'll buy that, But I think I've been did a bad job specifying what I meant by it. It's one of those like tricky hills. Okay, I will attempt to buy that. I mean, if anything, I think he's having more fun under Bruce Arians and outside of you know, Patriots Empire than ever before. But the one of the things, yeah, the one other thing I love to see. And I mean, I guess it's hard to like get a tangible idea of how

this means. But we we've been watching these super Bowls forever and there's never been a case study of two teams having two weeks off with no media, um, nonsense, the same way it normally is. Um, you know that the Chiefs are flying into the game on Saturday beforehand. I mean, it's just a completely different experience. And for me, I think if you're Tampa Bay, Um, yeah, the Chiefs have this big game experience from a year ago, almost their whole roster, but Tampa Bay has is in a

home game situation. I just wonder what that will mean in terms of a quick start. Um, you know, the way that they've operated there maybe is less distraction. Tom Brady's alone for twelve days. We'll see. I will never have a super Bowl like this ever again, unless the world has not changed the year from Yeah, I hate everything about the Super Bowl and the way things are

right now. And hopefully this never happens again. And next year, when the game's right in our backyard here in l A, they will be blown out with all the pomp and circuits and bring it all back from me. I want it. I want it all. But like Greg said, maybe what comes out of this the silver lining is yes, we get to watch it at home with our families and and it's an awesome game, because I think that we seem to be heading toward one of those Super Bowls

where it just makes sense. It would be very surprising to me if this is a blowout. Um, I guess you could say that a lot of Super Bowl years where there's it's turned out lopsided, But this one, to me feels like both teams are well suited, uh to go toe to toe, and I don't sense Tampa Bay in anyway is going to shrink in the moment because while the Chiefs have the Super Bowl experience of last year, the Bucks have a lot of guys that have been

around before, including of course the quarterback. The fact that they can't shoot the cannons off though like that that you gotta let the cannon shoot, you gotta If they win, they said they can shoot it off after the game. So but what, there's a motivation. There's a motivation in case they they weren't. Probably some unnecessary, unfun nitpicking here, why not? It's it is, this may not happen again

for another fifty five years. Home team in their own stadium and a home team that has a boat in their home stadium and giant pirate ship on the seas. You're not letting them fire up the games. I mean, how crazy is it that we've taught you know, for years and years when there's been a team that is a Super Bowl favorite, that happens to be the year that their home stadium is hosting, you talk about it.

Could they be playing in their own stadium? And then when it finally happens after half a century, it's during a pandemic where thousand people will be in the building and everybody will be wearing masks in in giant bubbles. Although it's Florida, so who knows what's actually going on down there? Um? All right, now, all right, we set the table. See I'm already starting to feel better now. But you know it's Super Bowl Good Sunday coming up

in in just a few days. Let's get going and let's dive deep on football with someone who knows the game as well as anyone out there. All right, Yes, promised amazing guests in the Super Bowl preview, And who better to talk about the xs and ohs of Super Bowl fifty five than with the great, the iconic Brian Balding are known as Baldy and Baldi. Welcome to the Round. The NFL podcast Welcome back. Where are you right now? Because it looks I'm gonna guess cave in Peru. I've

been the caves in Peru. I'm not there now a little more plugged into that, but I am in Hawaii. Um, so we have the Hula Bowl on Sunday. So I announced the Hula Bowl. Rex Rhymes a coach on one side, Mike Singletary the other side. We had a great time, a lot of good players. But I mean, you can't come to lie and just come and do a game. I mean, what's the point. You gotta stay and take in you know, some of uh, you know, just some of the sunshine, the waves and the surf for the

whole thing. So I'm trying to squeeze. There's much too side of you know, the pineapples I possibly keep. I'm kind of figure it out that, like when I become an adult at some point, I kind of just want to do what you're doing. You're every time I turn around, you're in a different, um exotic location. A man of of mystery to some degree. Well it's not a lot of mystery, Mark, I mean, but I mean, why would you want to leave adolescens you know. I mean it's

just that's fair. Sometimes I feel, um, we we find time to get all the work done, study all the tape. Grind is as much of anybody, but to me, it's just got to enjoy every moment. Possibly, So that's kind of my approach to everything here. And and I feel almost bad because I feel like we always go down this avenue with Baldi where we marvel at where he is and what he's doing. But you have to understand Baldin.

I think you do because I think other people marvel in the same way that that's other you know, it's middle aged guys doing this podcast that have the kids and the wives and stuck inside. I think we kind of live vicariously through you and your adventures. You you said you're fighting a shark to like, like, so you know, we were supposed to fly the ConA yesterday and to go swim with these Pacific mantis. I don't know if you've diven you know, if you've been around pacific mantis.

But they're not okay, But like, these creatures are unbelievable. Like just the wingspan on them is twenty you know, it's just one one little smooth and they're they're gone, and they're just amazing. So they had this this, uh they had this night dive, which is a little scary, but they had this night dive with these specific mantis and they literally come right up to you and they

they give you like a little smooth you know. And so I just want to go down my goat pro and go dive with these spacific mantags because I've seen them, but I can't really They're too fast for me to just swim with them. So I thought, okay, So we had this thing booked, but yesterday, for some reason, the weather in Hawaii was just atrocious. It was just windy and rainy, and you know, it was just like they called it off and so I was bumped. I'm like,

we gotta do something. I gotta fly out of here today. They're like, oh, we got it, we got it. We got this shark dive. It's just an our boat ride. You you dive in. There's these tiger sharks and these nurses and all these sharks and you're just gonna they're gonna jumble, waters are gonna come. I'm like, I mean, you're like, don't don't worry, You'll be fine, I'm like, okay, so here we are, like we're up against it right here. We can't back out now we signed up and we're

going this. Canna put a whole new meeting into bald These breakdowns, though, if they what I'd like to do do Greg is I'd like to be able to do the breakdown underwater, like I need under underwater apparatus where I can like do it in real time, not post production, like I want to do it as the tigers coming at me to give you a sense of the size and fear and all of that. So in case you're just tuning in, we're here. It is the final interview

with Brian Baldinger. Balding, Um, Baldi, Here we go super boifty five. Uh. You know, I saw Graphic did some sky Sports stuff as you do as well, Baldi Um, and they flashed up a matchup of the two offenses. I just want to start here with you because they showed that both teams average thirty points a game, both teams average you know, four yards a game, Both quarterbacks have a pass rading over on one d It it looked like and it kind of I had I took a step back. It was like arena football, the way

these offenses put up numbers. And you played in the league, um for a long time, can you even recognize, uh, the way the game is played now compared to what it was even ten fifteen years ago. Well, you know, it's played basically on basketball court. I mean it's fast break football. And if you're not playing that style, or if you don't have that ability to play that style, then you're just not gonna win a lot of games.

I mean, you're gonna win some because defenses can keep the score down and takeaways and things like that, but you've got to be able to explode. I mean some of these games. Now, it's interesting, Mark because I always looked at the number of possessions that a team gets. So if you look at this last matchup between these two teams in week twelve, I mean the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went through and out the first four possessions. Now they got back into the game, that made it close,

but really the game was over at halftime. So some of these games that we're watching, there's there's eight possessions, and so you've got to maximize the possessions right now, especially when teams are going you know, not this happens.

It doesn't happen a lot, but you know, when you get to this level, you get to the final game, teams can go twelve plays in eighty five yards and take eight minutes all to clock, and all of a sudden, you're like, you're in the second quarter, You've had one possession. So you know, if you if you're in that type of game where you're only gonna get seven or eight possessions,

you better maximize it. And if you're thinking you're just gonna be able to run the ball and you know, and not take these chances and not throw the ball down the field and get these big chunk plays, then you're just not gonna score enough points. And so both these teams have that ability to score points in bunches,

and we we we've seen it. We saw you know, the first time we really saw this from the from the chief from the Chiefs was in the NFC Championship game when they were down twenty fourteen nothing, twenty one nothing against the Patriots. You know, they took the lead and there's nothing that Bill Belichick in and that defense could do to really stop them. And so that's when you said, okay, because no lead is safe with the

Chiefs right now. No lead nine nothing, twenty four, nothing to pick a score, no lead in any quarters safe

the way that they're capable of playing. Yeah, I look at them like right now at such a great point about patients, uh, because I think of that moment when it was nine nothing uh in the a f C Championship game this year and they go on, they go on a very calm like slow drive at a point where they really had the score and Mahomes makes a couple of great third down place But it kind of showed me the evolution of Mahomes and maybe the Chief's

offense because to me, that's maybe one difference between right now and that great teen Chiefs team, which its offense was just as good, but this one is different that now do you see Mahomes like just mentally from where he was two years ago, um, more on top of it, more willing to take that seven yard throw to Kelsey which feels like the most unstoppable play in football right now and just kind of beat you slowly to death. If if that's how you're gonna play it, I think

that's right. I mean, I think that's a good observation, and I do think it's more more into that they don't have as many explosive plays at the end of the season as they did in two thousand and eighteen. Um, they're not the number one offensive football like they were, and so I do think that there's more of that going on right now, a little bit more patients. Um, he still has the desire and the eyes. I mean,

I think his greatest strength as his eyes. I mean he sees everything and that you know, a lot of guys can see things, and he's not the arm to get the ball anywhere, and so I think it used to be his eyes would just get big when he would see you know, DeMarcus Robinson thirty yards down the field on the other side of the field and he takes a shot, and well, that would still work at times.

I think right now he's more than more than satisfied taking that seven yard game and just chipping away out it and just waiting for, you know, the moment to

go big or to just finish the drive. You know, we are We're sixty seven days out from when they last played each other, And I know it's sometimes chic to say, well, it doesn't matter what happened, you know, during the season, But I thought you had a great um Baldy's breakdown on showing how the Bucks defense did not really do a great job tracking Tyreek Hill in motion. They let him get open um and and it wasn't him, it was when it wasn't him, it was Travis Kelsey.

And one of my favorite Super Bowl UM deep dives is how Belichick dealt with Marshall Falk in that first Rams Super Bowl. He said all week long, We're gonna remove Marshall Falk from the game plan and then just deal with whatever Kurt Warner and friends, um have left over. I mean with the Chiefs. This is that's a different era at this point. Can you even attack the Chiefs with that kind of a plan at all? Is there any way to do if you're Todd Bowls, How is

your head not exploding at this point? Well, I'm think you have to, like in the you know, on some of these breakdowns, and I went back to, you know, the NFC Championship game and what Belichick did to Tyreek Hill because he recognized his speed and you know how he could just ruin you in one play from anywhere on the field and so really I thought the m v P of that game was Devil mccordy because Devin McCarty, I don't know that he had a tackle in the game,

but I mean he literally clouded played over the top of wherever Tyreek Hill went. He had one catch for forty yards, didn't score touchdown, The only threw to him three times. He just dissuaded Patrick Mahomes from going to him, and he did go to other guys in that game. But I thought that that was an approach that maybe Todd Bowls can look at and say, look, Antoine Winfield Jr.

Can do a lot of different things. Um, you know, let's but maybe we should remove him from doing a lot of things and put him over the top and free safety and Tyree Hill because what and He's gonna do any read and and Eric Banniman are gonna do is like we've seen. I mean, the priest out motion is as much as anybody in the in the business, but it's with a purpose, um, and he always does

things with the purpose. And so some of that movement of Tyreek Kill is so that you can't just say, Okay, my free safety is gonna be able to the top of them because you don't know where he's gonna end up. He couldn't end up in the backfield, slot outside, and so it's a little bit difficult. And then the same thing with Travis Kelsey. He does a lot of motion

one side the field the other. So if you want to do what like Belichick did to Marshall fall and say take Kelsey out, Let's say, well, you don't know where he's gonna be. And then is that gonna mess up the assignment within the framework of the defense if you try to take Kelsey out and go punch him or knock him off or not let him go off the line of scrimmin So I mean, Andy knows what you want to do, and so they scheme around that

a lot. So it's part of the chess match that makes this game so fascinating On Sunday, Um, you know, I think it's a it's a tough it's a great conversation. But Aaron Rodgers to Devant Adams, Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelsey, what's the most unstoppable one to punch on the receiving game? Right now? I think you have to give it to the Chiefs or at least I do by hair and then I know you talked about this this week, but love to hear some more of your thoughts on it.

Gronk at his peak, of course, now he's in tampaon he has a different role, But Gronk at his peak with Tom Brady, that's another one of those unstoppable pairings of all time. Like who would you take in a cage match? Peak Kelsey, which is right now against peak Gronk earlier last decade. Well, you know when I when I did that breakdown, I mean I really thought about it long and hard, because they really are different players.

I mean Travis Kelsey, although he does block and he will kind of interfere with the defender every once in a while, I mean basically a giant receiver. And if you ever, if you ever just watch the Chiefs warm up, I mean they're warm ups. Their warm ups are over an hour and Kelsey runs every single route in the tree and he runs it and you look at him, you go, you see his speed and his size, but then his agility, and so he's I think more agile than Gronk. I think he's probably faster over a period

of time. I think Gronk early on like two thousand, eleven and seventeen touchdowns. I mean he might have been able to run with Kelsey, but he he couldn't run routes like that. He I mean he just drunk people and so and carried people and so it was a little bit different. But no, Gronk is one of the great, if not the best blocking tight end I've ever seen. And we've seen it in the playoffs this year. We've seen him past block you know, uh, Chase Young. We've

seen him block on Camp Jordan. I means some really talented players Montest Sweat he's handled one on one. Um. You know, he's really valuable as an inline blocker, and he's while he he has throughout his career going out wide to wide receiver, in the slot, in motion, I mean, done all these different things. But I still think of Gronk as a true why a guy that can really

anchor the hand a scrimmage, strong side runs. He can handle defensive vans outside linebackers, and he still can't and he and he looks like, well, you know, it's probably not his favorite thing to do. He's still good at it, and that's just something that Kelsey doesn't do. But to answer your I think the first question, Davanta Adams right now Mahomes or um, you know which one would you take.

I said the same thing when I watched Kelsey. He looks unstoppable in part because, um, the offense goes through him. I mean, he's gonna get tent targets. You know, mentalm and so does Davante. But I think that where the difference is is that when Patrick Mahomes breaks the pocket, I mean his first look is at Kelsey, and Kelsey almost always uncovers. I mean, I don't care who you put on him. I mean, he's just gonna shake him loose in that moment to just be free for a second.

And Mahomes instinctively just keeps finding. It's a crazy I mean, you put your number one corner back on him, like and he and he beats your number one cornerback. What do you do at that point? But before we you know, let you go and everything boll the I feel like, yeah, you're a guy in the trenches and you're talking about this fast break football and you're talking about passing game.

But you're a former offensive lineman and I'm sure you you gotta look at this game and think, what what a mismatch that the Bucks have this underrated, I think awesome offensive line, maybe one of the very best in the league, not getting like a ton of pub and the Chiefs weren't really a great offensive line out lear and they just lost their left tackle. And to me, that is a big thing to overcome. And and do you think like that that could be the difference in

this game. I do, and I do, and I've looked at it hard. And they played seventeen snaps with this reconstituted offensive line you know of members and Aligratti and writer and you know, now ww Ski back in there and going fort the Super Bowl title. Every team needs a Wis new Ski, uh, you know, and then you put what you take Andrew Wyley put about it right tackle. They were fine for seventeen plays against Buffalo, But I mean, this is a different front that they're going against, and

I do think it's gonna be a factor. But I remember I was at this offensive line um seminar this year in Dallas, and and Ryan Jensen was there and so I was kind of I was there sort of doing some instruction, been doing some film work, and it was a good group of Taron Armstead, Lane Johnson. It was kind of the who's who in the NFL in the COVID world. So you know, it wasn't the biggest turnout, but we we had a number of guys. I remember we we I sat down with a lot of these guys,

and I sat down with Ryan Jensen. He's you know, I'm sure you guys have interviewed him or whatever, and he's a great character of the game and he's an underrated player. But I remember, you know, getting to asking him about Tom Brady and he goes, he just sort of like Chasa said, he goes ball and he goes, I've been playing center my whole life. I've never had a quarterback give me dissertations and how to snap the ball.

He goes, I wouldn't. He's asking about the laces a wet ball, rain wet field, where I wear my towel, Like I'm getting thirty minutes on the snap. I thought, I just gonna, you know, don't snapper to him. But you know where I wanted, right side hip pocket. Um, like that's you know, I kind of just knew the depth that Brady goes to in every detail of the game. But I never thought it would come down to the center.

But get back, I just thought, in watching all the rookie offensive line in this year that I held my vote until the very end because the playoffs matter and they should matter. And Tristan worse when he pitched the shutout against Cam Jordan's and Jordan gave him everything he had. He gave him power, speed to power, he gave him every movie had and he couldn't beat him. And and that guy is just an amazing player and he's a

good run baker. And so I just look at you know, what Tampa is doing up front, and I just think they got a big advantage up front with the way their offensive line is playing. Let's so it's the super Bowl and its what's different about this than back in week twelves. You've got you know, grandmother's and uncles and baby people that are casual fans that are watching this

is the one game they watch. Give me if you can think of our listeners who me with these people, give me like a cool line that they can tell their casual fan relatives on how to watch a game. What do you what's the number? Thing? You the ball? You got the offense and defense, everyone's hanging out. What do you instead of just watching Mahomes? What would you say to sound cool to someone very educated on how to you know, process each place as it's a big

ask to make Mark let cool. Well, I have answers, but I'm talking about you know, you know, help our audience here. Stuff. Well, I would say, just like when the Chiefs have the ball, instead of just watching Mahomes, which it's hard not to do. Let's face it, he's mesmrized because you know, you might just hit see you know, some out of the park home run on any given play.

But I would say just key one because if you look at vite a number fifty for the bucks, I mean I'm in Polynesia here, right, so I mean is like the definition of Polynesian power. But you know one guy can't block him, all right, so it's gonna take two.

So just if you concentrate on fifty, you're gonna see a whole bunch of other guys sort of bunched up in the middle there, and either he's gonna push the pocket and forced Mahomes to step aside or get out of the pocket, and that's where the play is gonna start. So that would be a cool thing to kind of look at, look at and Dominan Sue and Vitavera inside and just start to play from the inside out. And so, um, you know that that's kind of how I would do it.

I like that, and we'll start to play from the inside out. And I also like Polynesian power. There's just something about that. Uh, those two words together that I enjoyed. Baldi, Um, you're the man. Please be safe. I know you will. And if a shark ever mess with you, I know what you would do. You would punch it in the nose and it would sink anyway. So take my goat pro and just hit it in the nose. And I'm gonna keep going. Now, what's the file score balday? Before

we think about I'm gonna go Baldi prediction. Thank you guy. There he goes Brian Baldinger, the Great Baldi following on Twitter NFL Network And as you know, he is a great adventurer. We are we listen. We like I said to him, I feel like we do hit that well often when whenever we talked to Baldi. But how could you not how could you not there? How could you not literally diving with sharks today. It's not like, hey, remember that story or you know whatever. It's like, no,

that's that's his life. That's right. We're not looking back on, you know, the one adventure he had. The man is just constantly, um, challenging the world in every way that you can. I I liked what you said, Dan. I look up to uh, the way he lives his life and realize that's not the way I'll be living mine anytime soon. I wonder how, because I don't think he lives his life. Um, we're obsessed with Brian Baldinger. I don't think he lives his life in a self conscious

way in any way. But at the same time, I know he knows that people expect him to have stories about his adventures. Do you think that's maybe part of his motivation? Um? Okay, I know I'm gonna be doing the rounds for Super Bowl. Let me go dive with the sharks, So I got this story locked and loaded. Do you think he thinks like that way at all?

That's very cynical. I did not think he thinks like I think I think he knows well to even consider that would even I think he knows he'll have some good stories, but that's that's not generating it at all. I don't know that would have been a next level question to ask him four minutes ago when he was here. I think it would have, um, you guys would have

gotten more honest. I think I know the answer. I guess that's why I didn't ask him, because I think Baldi lives his life by his own principles and everything else falls the way it does, often to his benefit. One of the many interesting things that that Baldi said there in a football capacity, you know, he mentioned Vita Vea, who came back from the fractured ankle kind of out of nowhere. We we had talked that earlier in the season. What a dominant force he was in the middle of

that defensive line for Tampa Bay. He breaks his ankle, you figure, okay, see in one all of a sudden, he's activated and he plays some snaps in the NFC title game. Now he gets two more weeks um of rest, and there are reports out there that he's feeling he's feeling good. Patrick Mahomes made a point to say that you need to be aware where this guy is at all times. And I just think that's potentially a major factor. Like you were talking about Mark, how can you look cool?

And I think uh Baldi hit on it because if you what we were learned about Vita Lea when there was a lot of heat around him, was that he can take up blockers in the middle, he could free up the outside rush. And if he is two weeks healthier, look out that could be a major issue from a homes who we were told his toe is healthy now, but you never know what where he's actually at from a mobility standpoint. Well, I think the two weeks helped both of these teams. I mean, the injury reports are

very light. I mean, I think it's huge. I think we can forget that. In the Packers game, the Bucks got to a point where they had like no starting safeties in the lineup, and you know that impacted that. You got Antoine Winfield Junior. This time he said he's percent plane and he feels good. Um, Jordan's whitehead was hurting that Packers game. He's back in theory. I mean Antonio Brown, So I mean, if anything, uh, you know,

the Bucks have added a lot of weapons. But you're right, Veya, I mean to get him back when they did made a big difference. And I mean, if Baldi's telling me that I will look cool by saying that that's the centerpiece to keep an eye on, I'm gonna use that

information to my advantage. Well, he's their best player via You're right, I guess I think it was a little overlooked because you also didn't know what their best defensive player, best defensive player, sorry, um, their best defensive lineman even just to be specific, um and I would say best defensive player. If if you watch a game, you know he was still mostly just a third down guy and so now you might even get him a little more.

Reminds me a little bit of like a souped up Vince Wilfork at his peak, who made a huge difference in some Super Bowls. And when you watched that game, I think he was a huge reason why, you know, Shack Barrett went off because he was getting one on ones. There was one play where JPP had the sack where just because of the confusion because of Ya and the way that they did some stunts, It's like they they double teamed William Golston by mistake and and suddenly you

got ya. JPP and Shack beartt all with one on one is on the same play and all three of them win, and it's like that's where you might be Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers, you know, I know Rogers and quite as mobile as moments Like no quarterbacks getting out of that, and I think that is like the Bucks's best hope is those three guys just going off

with ya in the middle. Have I ever been more wrong, um about a player on this podcast than suggesting last season that Shack Barretts, you know, early surge in takedown was was he didn't have a great year this year. He didn't have a great year. He did not play that well this year, but he cranked it up in the playoffs. He didn't prove me right or either fact. He kind of needed that big playoff game to kind of stick it to you and say that I wasn't a fluke. Um personal he need did that? Yeah, it

does feel personal. Um. Speaking of personal, our next guest, it's a very personal guest for all the fellas here at the Round the NFL podcast. Yes he is a legend uh in the industry. And Chris Russo headlines the mad Dog Sports radio channel on Sirius XM, and he recently launched his own serious XM podcast called Digging Up the Past with Christopher Russo. Yes for the second straight year and if we could do it next year in

l A, we will have a full on tradition. Chris mad Dog Russo joins the Around the NFL podcast to talk Super Bowl. What's up? Mr Russo? Pleasure good year, two year in a row. Hopefully it's so fine. Next year will be flying. I can't be worse. We have things gotta bowl over eventually, so hope the next year in person out there in southern California. Yeah, we we for the first time had Chris on the show in Miami, UM last year and we look about it then. I'm

from Rockland County and New York. Mark grew up in Connecticut. Uh. Greg was more fan during the Yes year as I think of Mike and the Mad Dog where you watched a lot. So we're all huge, huge fans of you and always have been. And our colleague, uh Chris Steve Wise posted a photo on social media from Radio Row in Tampa and it was a completely empty Convention Center floor, with the exception of one show well off in the distance. I have to ask, because you're renowned to work aholic,

was that you in the deep distance? I gotta I gotta see. Let me see the picture. You got a picture there? I wish I did, and that shows our lack of preparation. Oh, you know, we were in Tampa for that. The first one it us in Tampa from the and the old days for Mike and I was the Buffalo Giant one. Uh game? That was the super Bowl.

I believe it was. You were in h We did the show at a third floor at Downtown High and a lot of the Giant fans came to vision it because you know, the Giants and the Super Bowl is a big story. They had beaten San Francisco the week before. There's no week go off that year, and we did this show there. We did not do it at a

convention at a conference center or the convention center. We did it in the third floor of the High and had a band and the band the hotel hired every day to play at five o'clock, and by Thursday or Friday, there were so many New York fans who were wrapped up on the Giants in the bills and take over

the dance floor, so the band could not play. Now that about what Mike and I had to play about the game The Buffalo and the Giants played Great Game twin of the nineteen I was also during the war, so it's a weird scenario at the old Sombrero there, the old stadium in Tampa, getting into the stadium, getting out of the stadium, you know, a lot of security

and everything else. In the Giants, of course, with the wide right by Norwood won that great game super Bowl no turnovers, which was also something they may have been won since with no turnovers, but one of the few Super Bowls and no turnovers Giants point. I gotta tell you it's you know, I text my dad. He's on

the East coast. We're out here in l A. Haven't been able to see each other, but I you know, I'll tell him like we interviewed you know, Bruce arians we interviewed uh, you know player X, Y and Z. It's always oh nice, that's cool. But when I say we have you know, mad Dog on the show, he gets it's a visceral reaction. He's very The text comes way because we used to drive around um our town together.

Listen to you so it's it's awesome to have you, and I want to ask you something that I would imagine, maybe you know back in the day on the Fan, that you would that you would discuss we because we've debated this on this show. Do you think that Bill Belichick is rooting for Tom Brady or is there this phantom um angst and dislike between the two that prevents Belichick from being I guess honorable in that sense. I think it's a very good question, and I asked Phil

Simps that very thing today. I just think, based on the idea that if Brandy wins the super bowl's gotta he's gotta answer another question. During trying of Camp, I got a sense that probably, down deep, I don't think he hates Brandy. I think they get a they respect each other to no end. But I do think probably

he's rooting for Andy Reid and the Chiefs. I only because does he want to be dealing with the fact for the rest of his life that Brady won a Super Bowl without Belichick and Belichick and not won the Super Bowl without Brady. I mean, the two of them are joined at they nip. So I would think if he's being honest with himself, and you know he's not

gonna ever admit it. But if he's being honest with himself down deep, you gotta figure that Belichick is win the game, I would think, and I don't think that means he hates Brady. I just think it. You know, a professional, he you know, he doesn't want to be a situation where the guy that leads him ends up

winning and he ends up seven and nine. So as a result of that, I have to believe that the end of the day, he's gonna root with the Chiefs on Sunday, if you know to that point, because I agree with you, Mad Dog and Greg Rosenthal here, he's he's a Patriots homer, so he he doesn't he doesn't like that. But if if Tom Brady even just getting to the super Bowl with the new team is a big deal, if he does win on Sunday, the Chicken and the Egg thing with with Brady and Belichick is

an interesting conversation. I almost feel like Belichick needs to build another winner before he goes out, or else it's going to be seen as the Brady was the real driver. On some level, I think there is I think you're right on a button with that I do think, and that's another reason why Belichick is gonna root for the roof for the UH city. You remember the Super Bowl losers? Is what aren't you remember the Super Bowl winners? Well, if I don't think, you know, he's got a ton

of offense there. He got a big break with the Jared Cook fumble there against the Saints when he fumbled at midfield, but the Saints up by a touchdown. And he's got Evans and he's got good one. He's done Antonio Brown, and he's got Glenkowski, He's got Cameron, Brady's got a lot of guys. So he's got a very good offensive team and he's had a very good year. Um and yeah, you know, I think it does put

an explanation, explanation point in his career. If he needs it UH to win another super Bowl and goes seven and three and the ten that he's been an bobbed in, I think the Chiefs will probably win. I think a very you know, close game. I wouldn't move out the Bucks, but I think the Chiefs will probably win because I just think he's so good. Mahomes, but it would really

is separate Brady from Belichick. If he hasn't already separated himself a little bit or as it is, by getting the game, if in fact he wanted so the opportunity for Brady in this game. He's gonna play a couple more years. As you all know, Belichick's gotta find a quarterback, has to find some weapons. That's gonna take some time too. So for the immediate future, Brady is gonna have more success than his old coach is gonna have. Well, you know, but he Belichick also had like a little head start.

They're winning a couple of super Bowls with the Giants. I guess I'm I like to think that that Belichick um is rooting for Brady number one. He knows he's gonna be spending the rest of his life with Brady. They're gonna be together pretty you know, on a relatively short order, Brady will be retired and they will be attending every banquet and every celebration, uh for the rest

of their life. And it also if he is rooting against him, it would be proof that there's never enough winning that there would be There would never be enough winning to satisfy you, to make you feel whole enough that you're a big enough person to just enjoy it, which it does feel like Belichick at this point has reached that stage on some level where he's kind of not laid back in any way, but he he's just an enjoy it. And you could also flip it and

I'm curious what you think about this mad dog. Hey, Andy Reid goes and wins the Super Bowl. Here, I'm not saying, you know, you're gonna put him up there with Belichick, but but it's been my opinion that before Andy Reid even won this last Super Bowl that he is the most influential coach of the last two decades.

Him and Belichick, you know, you you're they're different, but in terms of changing the game and what he's meant, the people that have been under him, the way he coaches offense, all the coaches, everything that Andy Reid believes in. Now that is the NFL. If he's you know, goes back to back like Belichick once to back and then he starts stacking up wins, Like where do you see Andy Reid in the coaching kind of hierarchy. He's got

the great quarterback there, Mahomes. Everybody knows. Unless he gets hurt, it's gonna be at many more of these games. I think the Belichick thing and Brady is just about competitiveness. I mean, you can't act great and not be competitive. And you know, I I have to believe that down TV is probably rooting for the Chiefs as far as the read goes, you know, read out a bad reputation, not a bad reputation, but a big game. Couldn't get

it done reputation for a long time. You know, he lost three championship games in a row at home with the Eagles. Um, you know it was time to go for Philadelphia. He got off to lost that terrible game the Indianapolis that one year a few years ago, and he had that huge lead. Uh. You know, he's always a good coach, but he always wondered about time management and if he can get over the hump with you know and win a super Bowl. And obviously he's got my home sitting there. Who was so good and by

faring away the best quarterback he drafted him. He was the middle of the first round. You know. Uh, Clark Hunt told me the store didn't tell me each and everybody the story that when he was wondering when Red was about the draft, Mahomes. He called Hunt and said, you gotta come down to this. You gotta come down and look at this. You gotta come down from your office and take a look at this. So he called on from his office to go down to the film room to watch Mahomes in Texas Tech. This is the

guy we're gonna draft for. So then you go so and Hunt set draft him. So and as it turns out, in my Homes, I mean he Ma Homes is gonna win. You know, who knows how many is gonna win. I think he might win tomorrow. He's gonna be more. Bet went on Sunday. Is the way he's gonna be in my five six super Bowls minimum. It means anybody think that Mahomes, who's in his you know what load of early to mid twenties, is not gonna be at this game six seven times in his career? How mean, how

would he not be? Alright? I mean you would think he's you know, Kelsey is going nowhere. Read's going nowhere. He was going nowhere. They know what they're doing with their I mean, they got something good going here for a period of time. And you know he's gonna win something. I don't think he's gonna necessarily win six or seven

like Brady, but Mahomes is gonna win. I would say, you know, it's goin four, five and if read sticks from half for that long and wins them as it is, he's gonna be right up there with the Lombardies in the betto checks. Because how many can you say that Belichick's six sixty nine years of age. He's not gonna win at next year. I mean it's like beltercheck a long long time to get back to this level, and he's won six now and reads out he won one, and he's got the quarterback for the next ten years.

He might win three or four more. So at the end of the day, we might be as close to Belichick as you would as we would be would be surprised to think how close you might be the Belichick at the end. Chris, this this speaks to how influential you are on on on this podcast. That when Greg made the point earlier that Belichick had a head start uh in winning titles, I said to myself, that's fair, which is one on one, I'm one. I'm one. That's a good job by you. Mikey away from getting a

copyright lawsuit. Um. From my last question for you, Chris is one of my favorite uh kind of Mike and the Beddog tropes was when you guys would talk non sports and I'll go down wormholes. And I'm curious, as someone who's followed you for years during this quarantine, during the lockdown, like, what is Chris Russo been binge watching? What? What do you how you staying like your tennis game, how's that going? Like? What have you been doing? Let's let's steer it, let's stay on the pop culture end

of things. What TV shows or movies have you been into exactly? I did you know? The radio? I moved it all over the place. I did a lot of music to uh, something that I wouldn't normally have done. Uh. Here are the shows that I've watched in conclusion since the pandemic and something I had given I hadn't followed two with and I did. I made sure I watched the whole three seasons of oz Ark. I made sure

I watched the whole three seasons of The Crown. I made sure I went back and watched sixties six shows of the Americans, which I did not see originally. I made sure I didn't see see in six and seven of Homeland, and I didn't even see season eight yet, so I may try to watch that. I watched three seasons of Yellowstone, which I hadn't at thirty one thirty two shows. Um. I have just started watching Your Honor five shows into that with Cranston. I just started watching

yesterday the Morning Show on Apple TV. I was in there. So the Americans Yellowstone, caught up on ooz Arks, caught up on the Crown, and caught up on uh, the Homeland. So those are the five. I'm trying to think it was anything else. That's a pretty good. That's pretty good. Rank them though, what's number one? At least that music is concerned. I saw I saw Laurel Canyon about thirty times. I watched the biography on Bob Dylan. I watched Remember

My Name By with Crosby. I've gone back and watched All the Birds and Roger mcguen and Joni Mitchell Things that can possibly mind. I watched the Jim Morrison movie with Val Kilmer and that night. I've been all over from a music I've been all the music and the TV shows. I've been completely all over I have not watched the movies. I haven't gone back and watched all the Oscar winners. But if you think about it, those the sixties six American shows. I watched Crowns Is eighties six.

I watched thirty three UM Yellow Stones, so that's a hundred twenty two. I watched seven more of The UH Morning Show and the Your Honor, that's a hundred thirty I have watched. I then have to have two seasons of Home. I have probably watched a hundred and fifty Oh my god, I got I have read Mayon's of books, but I have probably watched a hunder series shows since March thirteen. That's ridiculous. I don't know. If I don't know, like when you when you sleep or if you're sleeping.

I'm quite impressed. I have one quick W F, A and S question for you, our producer Eric, if she can play this soundclip real fast, good afternoon, everybody? All right? By the way, hard to find that on YouTube. A good a good version of that because having to hurt a hundred times, you're you're the math, How did how did that come about? We're like, how did you even dream that? Up? In point the exact day or the period. I really can't. I think it probably just evolved. I

don't remember when that became such a big deal. Now now I do it constantly, I do what I'm a TV I do it radio Now I can't get but I don't obvious. I probably did it two or three years in with Mike, so I would say probably in the early nineties. I'd have to go back and listen to those first few shows to see how I began the show, because I always used to begin to show with Mike. You know, I began it and I usually

close it adios or see tomorrow or whatever. So I usually began it and ended it and got Mike and and we got on. Then we got moving together as the show goes. But I don't know when I actually began with the ant now. I actually did it a Radio City Music Hall in two thousand and sixteen. Whenever we did that show Radio City Musical, I came up

the elevator. They got an elevator behind Radio City which takes you from the ground floor to the first floor Radio City, and it's a closed thing in the backup to an elevator, and it's an outdoor big elevator, and I actually practiced it before then, and then they that I did the ants, so they actually done at a radio city musical. But I have done that and for

help of a long time, many many many years. Chris Russo once again headlines the Madduck Sports radio channel on Sirius XM's new podcast, Digging Up the Pass with Christopher Russo and and before we say goodbye, I want everyone to understand, Chris noted that he thinks the Chiefs win again last year on this very show, listen to what Russo's prediction was of Super Bowl fifty four. So, I think get a dead even game. Um, I think first of thirty one will win. I'll probably lean Mahomes plus victory.

Final score Chiefs thirty one forty not just did I really? I said the Chiefs will get the thirty one. That is, I did not know I had done that. Wow, God, that's fair. And the first thirty one and they got thirty one. That's how come I don't get that right in Vegas for CRN outline, I don't know. Oh my god. Yeah, yeah, thank you for joining us, and I hope to you know, see you at Sophi Stadium or some convention center in l A next year months. Thank you. Okay, there he

goes the legend. You know, if there are listeners who didn't grow up in Northeast, aren't in the same age range as us, don't he been living in America potentially you have to, um, um, forgive us for seeking out when Russo is on, because it is, Uh, it really is. It's an honor in a way, because I don't think I'm doing this if his show didn't exist, So that that's geeking out and to get a reaction out of him. I out of the end. Actually that's a bit of

a thrill. I have to be honest. I I had the same thought, like just for what we do and the way that we you know, cover sports on this show. Um, it's most thrilling to me when it's when it kind of feels like w F a N. And if you take the twenty five thousand hours I spent listening to w w f N. When you know, I have no car, you got no girlfriend, You've got nothing going on except w F a N in your life. UM, I don't think i'd be here, I'd beat somewhere completely different. So

I'm with you. When you played the the intro good Afternoon, everybody, I knew that was not the one from the day after the Yankees blew a three nothing series in the Alcs, which personally was one was my favorite um intro. Ever, it lasted about a minute. He lost in his voice, he just screaming, and then the next three hours after that, we're just some of the most fun I've ever had

as a fan, like Relishy to victory. The closest we maybe ever got was was the Patriots losing last year and Dan Dan's glee in that because mad Dog was ultimately just sticking it to francessa to and just the a massive Yankee fan and Russo a Giants fan San Francisco Giants fan in baseball, but a Yankee hater. So it's perfect Ricky jump in a second, because Erica like when when Russo was like, I teat him up on what he's been watching, and not only does he give

the answer, he actually adds up the hours and all that. Erica, as someone who has no knowledge of Russo, her head was spinning. She can understand what was even happening. I have no idea what I'm like sitting here watching and he's just like counting. But what what was more? Upset?

Not upsetting? It was just crazy to watch was the three of your faces, Like all three of you were so happy to watch this guy count to like a hundred and fifty and it's like three little boys just watching their hero count to a hundred and fifty Like it was unbelievable and it is. It would be like an equivalent of Erica meeting who, I don't know who you could you think that that that guy counting to a hundred fifty is the same as Taylor. It's more, it's more and Erica is also like I bang out

a hundred and fifty shows in like two months. That is nothing for me in ten months. That's more of an age thing. Yeah, um, all right, but do you know it? Like he didn't have that written down like he was just like oh, actually thirty three episodes of season two about twenty eight episodes a home, Like, like, how did he that's thinks a little differently than than some of us. He's wired differently. I think mad Dog is a accurate description of who he is as a

person and as a personality. All right, good stuff, And he did he did predict the Chiefs winning this year, and um, as you heard he had him. He had the number spot on UH points for the Chiefs and will win over the forty nine or so. You know,

I mean, you're going the desert. I don't know. Maybe think about that, Dan you have I don't know if you've ever struck um a victory with more emotional weight than mad Dog Russo essentially aligning in a green With everything that you said about Belichick and Tom Brady, I had a feeling he was going to be on my side of that ledger. But it was good to see it all play out that way. Um, all right, we

keep on rolling in the Super Bowl special. Up next, another very special guest and a good friend of the show. Let's welcome him in. The man who needs no introduction, but I'll give it to him anyway. He is one of the fine hosts of Good Morning Football, and he also hosts Ten Questions, a great program on Spotify. And the Ringer. Yeah you know who it is. It's Kyle brand what I'm doing super Bowl Week, Let's go. It's our Marty Bras. It doesn't feel like Marty Gras this year.

It just obviously everything feels different. But the fact that you're right now sleeveless in your Angry Runs T shirt, your tank, it does bring a little normalcy to the proceedings. Thank you. I'm going sleeveless. There's a new show that I'm trying to get on. I don't know if you guys have ever seen it. It's called The Real World Road Rules Challenge. And then that's gonna my new goal for so I'm trying to You're gonna they're gonna want you on that. They've asked Kyle many times. Alright, they

stopped asking me around oh five. They asked and asked, and you know, at the time, I was a very very serious thespian in Los Angeles, so I would never never drop down to do that. But I'm on record that if the cash and the first class travel is there, I am now open to and some guys, if you're there, Uh, Johnny Bananas and CT, I'm coming for you, mean a

Nissa are gonna take you out. You're and you documented I believe on a New Year's Eve Instagram post you're in the best shape of your life right now, like cts like forty seven at this point, and he's still doing the show. I think, so I think you at

what are you forty three? You can just there you go. Yeah, I am normally when I when I get the itch to do the Challenge, all it takes is just seeing one promo that says like this season on the Challenge and it's just like triple kissing and Jacuzzi isn't like guys on HGS sucker punching people in bandannas. And I was like, no, now I'm out. I don't think I can hang with that crowd. I'm more comfortable with you guys. Yeah,

you're you're a suburban dad. Uh. And you know it's like we just had Baldy on and Baldy was saying, oh yeah, I was gonna swim with the Manta rays later today, but that fell through. So now I'm actually gonna swim with sharks. We're gonna chum the waters and jump in like some guy. Baldy again a unique case where a man of his age, it doesn't matter, he's

on his own life adventure. For the rest of us that you you kind of each a point where you slip away from the place where a sucker punch and a jacuzzi and all that lifestyle is acceptable quite frankly, yeah, aren't guys. Aren't we supposed to be reaching our like Run with the Bulls and Pamplona partion of our lives and like Polar Bear Club and all that. I just I don't. I don't. I just want to sit down and drink gin and watch the Queen, Like that's that's

what I want to do. I'm cool, but also get Jack to a point where you know, I don't know if you if you fit into the Dad's school. I mean when I think of Dad's they're like they're a little pudgy. Um, they got some work to do. I mean, I mean, you know, you're moving out of that realm to some degree. And I am a little concerned about that. I am too. I am too. But listen, what goes down must go up. The only fun and losing thirty

pounds is then gaining it back. You know. It's like, you know, Vigo Mortenson lost like fifty pounds to be in the Road, that like very serious Cormac mccarthney novel that he did, and then he was in Green Book and he ate nothing but sausage for like six months and it was way more fun, believe me. Yeah, all of us, I guess are technically could be square in our midlife crises, all four of us in our forties.

You know, I just watched the Crown, uh episode with Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband where he watches the moon landing and it triggers something in him and shows that, you know, when he's giving speeches to the Concrete Union while man is on the moon, like where where am I? And it actually did? It was affecting to the old zuser where I actually started to think about things. Uh, you know, it does. It does hit you. It hits

you at this time in life. It's it hits you so much that earlier when I said I want to just drink gin and watch the Queen, I mean the Crown. The problem is I drink the gin. I pass out during the opening credits. I don't even get past the associate producer, which is another part of getting older. Like I'm I'm ready on Friday night at like eight o'clock to go to sleeping rough like I've skipped the midlife crisis. I just have a crisis. Um. Alright, so good discussion

on mortality. Let's start edging towards the Super Bowl and football talk, and I want to um, Kyle as you know, and very lucky and happy to be a part of Good Morning Football during the season. Kyle does it every day, Um, hours and hours of contents. So you do that, but you also have this ten Questions interview show and I really enjoy it. And you had Brett Farbon uh this week. And if you're a listener of this podcast, you know that I'm very edgy when it comes to the Sack record.

Jets fans, we don't have much we had Mark asked to know with that record, and and Kyle, right on the nose, right on the money, made sure to make that an aspect of the conversation with Farv. Let's listen to a little bit of that. So you're saying that there's no part of you that was aware of the record and wanted to give him this. Yeah, I could care less if we got it or not. Oh it's Michael Strayan and many of times, one in particularly that

propelled them into the championship game. It's the Super Bowl, and he was he tell on wheels, well, he wanted to rush, he was he almost unblockable. Oh, so I was heard of it, but there was no advantage on my end to Yeah. Again, the only advantage would be is if he paid me fifty dollars to getting a sack, which he didn't paid me a dollar. Ye, Kyle, you and you do a great job with these questions and you do the work. But the one question I would have asked there as a follow up, why are you

lying to me? Listen, um, I'm born and raised in Chicago. Uh, it's far. It's very difficult to look at your your heroes or your nemesis is or all that and be like, dude, you are so full of crap. What are you talking about? Stop it? When that goes to the well, you know I had the bootleg option on that as Brett who you Lamar Jackson, There was no naked bootleg options for Brett late late career, Brett Farve to bootleg into the

Straighthand side of the field. Stop it. You like Straighthand on the record, you have clearly taken a vow of silence for the rest of your life because you know what will cheapen and even further, even though it's already dollar store. Then you don't want to admit it and save me the song and dance about, well, what the real crime would have been if I lost the ball? I mean he he was singing about that he has detector needle was buried. Wow, Like let it go. You'll

feel better bred farms like carrying that weight. At some point you just gotta you gotta let it go. You mentioned you're you're a Bears fan. I just was thinking about this fan uh interaction we had yesterday with some fancy we got to do like a question and answer, and I I was on the other side of thing of one fan who said you shouldn't be rooting for multiple teams. These two guys kind of don't don't understand that, and it made me think of your your Bills mafia

kind of allegiance this year. And I get it. I wasn't a Bills guy this year, but I get it. Like we're we're talking football day, whether your team is doing well or not. Like the point of sports for me is like, if you're watching two teams, you root for one of them. I just naturally. If I'm watching two tennis players, I root for one of them, and like you end up like falling for the I don't know why I love the Carson Palmer Bengals like throughout

the time. So what is your thoughts I'm curious about like sports bigamy or just like rooting for multiple teams. You have your main team, but what's your thought about multiple teams? Oh yeah, and it's it's you're selling its short of bigamy. It is full on polygamy. Like this is Bill Paxton and with collecting lives on HBO. Here's

what it is. If you guys you cover NFL like everybody does it now, but I know you guys are in the trenches, you know when it's like O T A s and rookie camp and if you're really into all of it. It's like I get sick of the same cereal all the time, like the Chief Cereal and the Packers Cereal. It's like it's just frosted flakes every day and it's delicious and that's great. But then someday, like your wife's like, you know what I thought about

bringing home some damn Golden grams you have? Wow, that's a different thing. The Buffalo Bills and the Browns were golden Grams or at least fruity pebbles this year and so I tend to gravitate towards the the anomalies, the newcomers, the new thing, and it's that was the Bills this year, and that was the Browns. The problem right now that we're all facing is that the frusted flakes of my homes like they're gonna be We bought fifty thousand boxes

of those. They're not going anywhere. We have to eat these, and we've got palladi of them in our garage. So good, I mean, they're really really good. But even the greatest thing ever, you're like, oh my god, another ball of frost and flakes and another my homes The Kelsey play like it's great, and I respect that. I just like that new injection of something nuts, like, oh my god, Stefun Diggs is on the Bills and he's unstoppable. Well

this is kind of fun. I think Greg is selling us just a tad short, because I I, you know, we even m a bit and I was telling you that you're a mission to raise awareness of the Bills and celebrate what they were doing. I'm totally with you on that. I think there are a good guy teams where I just feel a good energy around them and the Chiefs. They're not boring to me, but it's like, I don't know if I need to watch like a like a tech Mobile on Acid every Sunday. So this

is like me though, rooting against Michael Jordan's. When I look back on it, I was like, why why did I expend that much energy rooting against them and not enjoying like the greatness? Now it's like I just want

to enjoy at least in this. I mean, they were pretty out of it, but it's like, you know, but you know what something you and I talked about when I come on here before is that there This also have something to do with the fan base when you start rooting from like there's some fan bases that are just snobby as hell, and there's some that are like thirsty, and there's some that are a little scared, and there's some that are kind of horny. Like they all have

their different characteristics. So like some of them, if you were to give a hype speech to be like we can do it, they'd be like, shut up, poser, like you don't know our teams, screw you. But they're so teems like Buffalo certainly like Cleveland if you tell them like, hey man, no one believes in you like they they they love it, they want to hear it. They drink too. Who's horny? What what fan base is horny? Um? Well,

I think would be the Las Vegas Raiders. Just when you when you look around the great artist they see and I think you know, they're they're coach, they're they're they're late owner. There there's a thread of horny nous through the Raiders that I think we can we can't deny highly arousing um in silver black Land. All right, let's now this is a tradition on the Around the NFL podcast super Bowl preview show, and really this speaks to how high we hold uh Kyle Brett and the

highest team that we hold for him. We want him to be a part of our go get my lunch third um super Bowl propositions where we make one bold prediction about the game, hang your onion, sirs, and we see if it plays out. Um, I'm having a really good season in the prediction game, and if I could, if I can land, if I can land this super Bowl prediction, I'm going to. I think Greg and I know you and I are closest than the all time standings, I will jump out I think potentially to a significant lead.

So a lot on the line here, Um, Kyle, this will be his first sandwich prop of all time. UM, so I'll let you um hang back for for the first UH set up so you know how we all do it. And I would like Greg to get us going with the sandwich by the wait, Dan, I mean if if if Kyle goes one and oh your business about jumping out ahead and it doesn't matter, he'd just be leading the standings and just so, so if you're a new listener or for Kyle's purposes, Greg will now

make a prediction about the game. You could either agree with Greg and say yep, I see that, or you could say no, no, no, no, I challenge the UH and put a sandwich on the line and then we see how it plays out. M Greg, I do think like Connor or went to and oh, you know, predicting something about Ryan Tannehill in so it's yeah, he might be the all time guy. Looks like the batting title in baseball. It's like you have to have at least like one or something like to uify. But that's fair,

you know, get caught up. So we talked about the past thresh of the Bucks earlier with Baldi, and you know, I wanted to make sure we got this into part of the show, that Jason Pierre Paul had one of the best seasons and one of the best playoff runs of any defensive player I've ever seen. It's sort of been forgotten to history. Had a good Super Bowl, not a great one, but an unbelievable run before that. I have loved watching this guy. I thought he was gonna

be an all time great. He's had his moments ups, He's obviously had his obstacles, but the way he's been rushing the pastor in this playoffs, he seems like a man possessed. He dominated against Eric Fisher last time out. Now you've got Eric Fisher's back up in the game. I think Jay Sin Pierre Paul shows up on the

biggest stage has another monster, memorable performance. I'm gonna say two sacks in the super Bowl is my proposition, and it will shine some light on on a one of the most fascinating characters I believe in the NFL over the last decade. You know, a lot of feature stories. Obviously Kyle this week, because he's in the Super Bowl, he blew off a part of his hand. Uh six years ago. I remember. I think I was working in

the newsroom that day when it happened. It was like, Oh, I guess I'm not going to the fourth of July party or whatever I'm happening. But to come back the way he has, uh, Kyle, pretty amazing JPP. Yeah, that's a very nuanced joke you made to their dawn about the fourth July party US high brow. I like it. Um, listen, is this when I is this? When I say go get someone's gonna take me up on me? So I

say he's getting two sacks, that's hanging some onions. And if you don't think that's gonna happen, yeah, you take you take me up on it. I will take you up on it. Personally, I will too. You know that's a smart plot all I actually I hate to make it a clean sweep here, but I also am going to for only for the reason why. During the Mahomes media session this week, he fielded this question from a

reporter who was clearly English as a second language. I think it was from Mexico, and it was very endearing. I thought. He asked that this the most basic question of all time. And it was like he's basically said, Patrick, what are the things you need to do to win this game? Like you could have gone anywhere? And Mahomes actually handled it really earnestly, and the first thing out of his mouth was, I gotta get rid of the ball quickly. I know that going to this game. I

got it rid of the ball quickly. And I thought like, wow, that's actually really interesting answer, because I always come away from these games if there's one storyline that keeps coming up and being at the Chiefs, the offensive line, injuries and COVID and the Bucks pass rush, if we're talking about it, they're talking about it a lot. And so I thought that moment from Homes tells me, I don't know if it's gonna be the Sacks. We all think

I'm gonna take you up on a rosie. All right, there you go, So Sanguages already on the line, three of them. I'll go next. Um, all right, Grunk, let's stock Runk and Mark I hope on, let's step it on your toes of this because I know you've been referencing Grock a lot this season, and I had called it out no, No, you're not with eight different bets, so I can do whatever whatever. They're not bet sandwich sandwiches, and we don't use the B word proposition. We don't

do that. Um. Gronk is obviously a different player at the stage we talked about a little bit with Baldy earlier today. Um, he's not a focal point of the Tampa Bay offense. However, Gronk always makes a big play. The last time he was in the Super Bowl against the Rams, as Greg knows, an otherwise completely forgettable Super Bowl, made a big play downfield that really locked things up for New England. And I think even though he has minimized in this offense at least as a pass catcher,

something's gonna happen in this game. I think he's gonna have a touchdown catch and a big one. I'm gonna hang on you in here. I think it's a touchdown kick catch that allows the Bucks to either pull even uh you know, with a p a t or even go ahead of the Chiefs in the fourth quarter or a game winner in overtime. Gronk with a huge touchdown in this Super Bowl. Well, this is a classic Mark move in the Sandwich game, which is go ultra specific

and make it almost impossible to win. And so I don't know if I would have taken the ground scores a touchdown, because it's like, yeah, that's what I'm rooting for. I want that to happen. I could see it. I bet it actually would mean something to Brady. He's gonna want to get Gronka touchdown. But as as like, yeah, thread of threading that needles too tough, I'm taking you on that. I mean, you need a hundred yards when

they met in week twelve. And so this is one way I think you can um put the Chiefs on their heels on defense is with with the tight end that can catch the ball. And I'm totally with you that if Brady has one goal. I mean, you know you're a Bears fan. Call remember when when Walter Payton did not score a touchdown and that's Super Bowl and everyone else is carrying Buddy Ryan off the field, and well, I'll never forget. I was really young, but Walter Payton

had a whole different look on his face. So I think getting Gronka touchdown matters to Tom Brady. Um Dica has said for years that he regrets giving the touchdown to refrigerator Perry. Although Dan, I'm new to this game, I can already tell maybe it's the Jets fan and you there's there's an aspect of sentimentality that you're putting out there rather than realism. We all want the Disney

story to ground and he does the spike. The reality is I think the Cameron Brad is far more likely to score that touch talking about so I'm gonna take you on this the sandwich and I want a hot sandwich. I don't think rock scores. Yeah, that that's the did you mark? Where did you come down on it? I will take you because I think the only way I win any of these despite you guys getting them wrong. You know, last year part of this is I played

it a little safe. Last year. Everyone was really hot on this podcast on the Niners, so I got behind the Chiefs and I and my prediction last year was Mahomes with Super Bowl m v P, and I got that, which you know, in retrospect maybe a little overly safe. So this year I'm ramping it up and if I if this one checks out like I said, this would be at all time. Go get my lunch season. Now.

I also Kyle in your behalf, that shows you, you know, you could do something very safe, um, not that Gregg's was safe, or you can do something really risky like I just did. What is your sandwich prop for Super Bowl fifty five? Mine is not safe. Mine is not

safe at all. Um. I just think it's incredible to think that, Um, with a game that if you count the coaches years from now, we could be looking back at this Super Bowl is having as many as six, seven, eight Hall of Famers that played in this game or coach in this game. It's a lot. And yet, imagine if the biggest play of the game was made by a five ft nine wide receiver from Bowling Green, Scotty

Miller Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The scooter will have a touchdown of over forty yards and as he's scoring it, he will throw up the deuce. Is like Tyreek Hill. If if that happens, I think that would top It'd be close, it might top Mark uh predicting that Baker Mayfield would enter a game in Week three and bring the Browns to glory and somehow nearly I might not even remember your prediction exactly right, but he did that yeah he didn't one, but yeah, yeah he did also for this season.

But yeah, that was excellent. I will take you. But I love I love what you what you came up with that. Now, do you have to understand this is not a horseshoes or hand Garnaides situation from a mark about this because he'll get some of the prediction right but not others. If there is a forty fifty yard touchdown, he doesn't throw up the deuces. You owe me a chicken parm sangwich. I like it that way. I think Scott as we got a little bit of wise in him.

I think he's got it already planned and I think he will I'm fine with it. Wow, little bas Cities, I wonder if you have any inside now. It's good to see you rooting for like, um, you know, a nice long touchdown from Brady. I know you and Brady had some differences this season, you know, getting on him a little bit for the post games. There was a great moment that just happened this past week we cover

on Good Morning Football. It was where Nate was interviewing Brady over Skype and he comes up and he goes, oh, this is Brady what's up, Nate. I love your show. I love you and Peter and Kay great man Brady said that, Yeah, it was incredibly That can't possibly be an accident. And now I know what it's like to be Nick Foles and to be left hanging when you all you want to sport. You've gotten on Brady for not shaking hands with with the quarterbacks and things of

that nature. Did you and you could tell us we're in the trust tree here. Did you ever hear from Bucks PR or the Bradies people reach out to anyone higher up in our building about you know, your behavior on the show. Yeah, you wonder you hear the Brady is so powerful, like you look out your window at night. You know if you say anything now? And the irony is is that I am. I love the Bucks, and I love Jason Light and all the people in their

PR departments and even listen, let's be honest here. We all work for the NFL to come and say Tom Brady is a poor sport is maybe not the best business choice. But no, never heard anything, and it's maybe because they know I was right. Yeah, that was a fair It was a fair point. It was hard. I love that you now have evidence and perhaps very strong evidence though, that Tom Brady is well aware of what

you were saying and didn't like it one bit. All right, so we all we all take the sandwiches with Kyle right, and so far we've taken everything, which that's how we did. That's a good sign. Finally, Mark cecil, I have two that are absolute locks. So I'm I've really struggled um with which one to pick, but I'm gonna go with this. Uh, this individual is on my radar and it's a very talented person. But the over promotion of UM one of his productions, The Weekend, I've heard enough of this song,

but I'm gonna say something for you here. The Weekend does something speaking of things you're not allowed to say on NFL media airwaves. We'll be taken out back by the end of the show. This will be my final appearance on this podcast. But The Weekend will do something very controversial during his performance. Now, I want to tear it because I'm not saying that it's gonna be UM justin Timberlake Janet Jackson. Um, it's not gonna be like sand O'Connor ripping up a picture of the Pope, but

let's go down just a little bit. It's gonna be at the level where it's a major um it's a giant subplot to the game, to the point where here's what I here's the bar. It will be a it will be it will get a block of news on CNN and be discussed on like PBS, like non like they're not gonna discussed They're going weekend and what the weekend did during his halftime performance, Wow, okay, I'm in rest.

Does it have to be on PBS? Just CNN? He said, we gotta have Ricky you know, CNN, DV start, dvring, you know, the postgame news coverage, just to confirm this. But I will gladly, uh take this sandwich. I kind of want to live in a world where this happens, though, And usually I just pick what I want to root for, and uh, it would be delightful off for the weekend to to maybe have his Janet Jackson moment. I don't

know how you would do it. Maybe like a piano on fire that like ruins the forty yard line or something like that would work. Because I want to make sure we're all on the same page, because sometimes we get into trouble with that. Now, if like Beyonce came out or something and did a duet and everyone loves Beyonce, or if like Beyonce and Taylor Swift came out and there was some type of like stunt in terms of

a special guest. No, no, no, no no, they're talking about something going off script, off script the NFL there, and and also like I just expect like Taylor Swift to come out at these shows at this point, like they are always going to ramp these things up a controversial meaning. Um, the NFL is not thrilled. Okay, okay, Um, you know

there is a mystery about the Weekend, isn't there? Like you know, we know everything about Madonna when Beyonce Lady Gaga, I feel like the Weekend is much more up and coming, and maybe we don't know much of how he works. Um can I press you for this? Do you imagine like it's maybe something pertaining to social justice or politics?

Like what do you have in mind? You know, I think the word obviously a less hot place than we would have been a year ago, so, but I do think it will be along the lines of Um, to your point, A lot of people don't know who the weekend? What what's going on there? It's like, how do we how does he become thrust into the zeitgeist forever? Um? It will be a statement probably something like that. This is just my sense. This is not part of the official line, but I think it will be um politically

charged to some degree. Again, the NFL be like, oh well, that's not what we were hoping for. Al Right, Okay, I'll take you on that. I hope it happens. I hope I lose these sandwiches. Yeah, that's fascinating, man. I don't think it will happen either. I think he's gonna blow our minds by somehow involving the Tampa Bay Pirate ship in his act, which would be great but not controversial. But um, I listen, I know where I was during that Panther's Patriots Super Bowl at the halftime thing, and

when everybody does, if it happens, I'll be there. But I will take you with sandwiches as well. Alright, this is the first Super Bowl prop. I feel like that didn't include you know, space aliens or a natural disaster from Mark. So actually this has been this is pretty tame for him, kind of well, the only thing one I did not take was the skycam falling from ceiling and you know that feels like it'd be a little too ominous, but I have I had a dream about that,

just to put ceiling there. Now that you got me thinking, and you've got me thinking about the where we are and what's happened in the past year, and the fact that the weekend um an R and B pop star is performing. This might be the year where Janet shows up. That would be my guess. And then she does like one of her big hits or some type of duet and that that wouldn't count though, because that would be on you would not I think that that would be planned.

So Kyle, we did everybody right. Yeah, um, you've you've done it again. What else can be said? You've You've said it all. You've done it all, and there's so much more to come in the Kyle Brand's story. We're just happy to be just like a small part of it this week. Part of the story right now is like Mark just made me nervous. I don't know, I'm like a little bit scared of the half that I thought it was just gonna be blinding lights and I can't feel my face. Now, I'm gonna be like, it's

gonna be more exciting than the game. Mark, You're freaking out, man, It's it will get me to watch the halftime show. So you know, maybe you've certainly done something that's almost impossible. With the production is coordinated as a super Bowl for the NFL. It feels dangerous now potential. Mark's been right just enough on these things that I think make all of us nervous when he when he makes them, because usually it doesn't end well. Usually these ones don't well.

It's a quote a weekend song, Mark, I see it coming, or I feel like, what the hell it is? That song will be playing for you. Man, Man, I hope you're wrong. But guys, always fun, always a pleasure. I would do this anytime. I love you guys. Thanks, thank you the great brandt Um always delivers. And hey, Ricky, why don't you jump in? I wanted to see if if you had a sandwich prop too throw in before we sign off? I think, and this is this is a little crazy here. Chad Henny will throw one pass.

It could be Mahomes is sidelined for anything. It could be a trick play but Chad Henny will throw a pass in the Super Bowl. I love that. That's creative because it could come through disaster. It could come through Um, like you're saying a quick break from Mahomes or Andy Reid because we were asking. I think on another show, is Andy Reid still coming up with new plays and

new wrinkles? Um, this would be one. Marche loves it because no one predicts injuries in this exercise more than Mark and it would be an amazing call of Chad Henny did it with a healthy Patrick Mahomes there. Chad Henny has never done that before, and I would. I think it's basically predicting injury. So there's no I'm definitely taking up on this. I'm not rooting for Patrick Mahomes

to get hurt. Coming. Yeah, I'll take you up on it because I think there is enough wiggle room where morally, Mark I feel okay with taking this because there is this idea that Andy Reid has a wrinkle. It was playbook that has Chad Henny passing on purpose with Patrick Mahomes available. That look good. I don't believe it. I don't believe that in the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes will be completely shut out of any passes if he's healthy enough to do so. So I'll take you on it.

Their game planning for Mahomes. You want to throw a little anything can happen out there. It's fun. It's fun. It could it could be a goal line thing. All right, good stuff. Um, that was a fun show. We had a lot of really um quality guests. I would say, pound for pound, the best show ever in terms of guests when you get Baldy mad Dog and Kyle Brant altogether. And we did some good football talk. But before where we sign off, it's time to predict the game, and um,

I will start. I think, Uh, there's something obviously very special about the Chiefs and what they're doing, uh these last three years with Mahomes as a starter. And if you told me that they do that thing that they tend to do this time of year and never punt in a game, and the opposing team tries to keep up and maybe even does for a little bit, but ultimately they can't do it anymore, I would say, Okay, that's that's that's well within the range of the um

potential outcomes here. But I'm gonna get behind the story here the Tom Brady story, and I just think it's such a fun story and it's something that, um if he wins another super Bowl with a different team, how amazing that would be. And I just think they're stacked up well from a uh strategics that standpoint. With their skill players and their ability to score points, that's obviously

something they can do. And they can attack certain weaknesses in Kansas City's uh secondary, maybe go after Daniel Sorenson a little bit. Uh. You have uh this ability to attack and score points, and then you have the defense, which we've seen that pass rush, and we talked about Vita Vea now having two weeks and I think they can maybe heat things up um on Patrick Mahomes, who, even though he tells us he's healthy, maybe he's not quite with his mobility. We'll find out very soon. So

I think it's a close game. I've already kind of hinted or set out right that I think Rock is gonna score big touchdown here. Uh that will So that's a close game. I think it will be a thirty four thirty one bucks win and Tom Brady gets his seventh Super Bowl title and ten bites at the Apple mhm's and I'll lock it all. You're gonna lock it up? Well, what else are you gonna do? You know? I guess I guess super Bowl picks there like she must to lock it up? Yes, what about you guys? How about

I go second? Because Gregeach the lock champions, So we let's keep the headliner for the end. UM. I have the Bucks winning a very close game, and everything you said, Dan, Um, I will I will echo without echoing it verbally. UM. The thing for me that I really was impressed with the Bucks against the Packers. If someone told me that

Tom Brady would essentially melt down and throw three straight interceptions. Um, and yet they would come back and find a way to win that not just with their offense, but the red zone defense and Bruce Arians being hyper aggressive before halftime on that touchdown to Scottie Miller, and and really turning the Packers into on off season of chaotic having to answer questions about UM the floor's strategy. I think that's what happens when you lose these games. UM. I

don't see this one going that way though. I think this is for me. I sometimes struggled like analyzed games where I don't really trust either defense to hold anyone under thirty points. I've got the Bucks winning this thing thirty seven. Um, I think what they'll do the best they can to hang on. But I don't expect Pat Mahomes to make a lot of mistakes. I don't expect Tom Brady to, you know, to repeat a multiple interception game.

I think you're gonna get the best of both in the best story in sports, with Tom Brady winning another super Bowl at this age, it's incredible. Wow, you guys jump in on the Bucks spanwagon right at the end. I wanted to do it. It's where my heart is, my kids, and I will be rooting for him. I'm taking the Chiefs to win thirty five thirty three. We do game debut on Friday's. You should check that out

and check our out. Check out the Around the NFL broadcast because we're gonna have some different elements in there and talk about the game there. That's what we call a thread the needle game because this the points here are three. So I'm taking the Bucks to somehow keep

it closer than that. But I can't pick against Mahomes. Actually, I don't think I've ever picked against Mahomes at all except for that a f C Championship game against the Patriots, and that was only because they were playing the Patriots in a big spot. And what's the fun and that. I look at the Chiefs in the playoffs and the whole thing we talked about, like, are they just gonna crank it up when we get to January. Yeah, that's happened on offense, but it's happened more on defense. Their

defense has been awesome. You know, if Josh Allen doesn't hit one of the best or luckiest or craziest throws ever with about four minutes left, Like they finished that game with fifteen points the Buffalo Bills, and they're getting there, getting to the pass rush. It's mostly the guys in the back end being able to cover. I've seen this

Bucks team and I really loved watching them. But there they go through like quarters where they just go away and they they've even done that in the playoffs, and I think that's really hard to beat the Chiefs and do that. You you Baldi talked about it happened in the first quarter and it's just like so little separating

these two teams. I can absolutely see Tampa winning Um, but Mahomes mentally right now is there and if I'm gonna take uh, just looking at the you know, body of work Spags in the playoffs, what he's done getting free rushers and what he did Week twelve where it wasn't Patrick Mahomes who was scrambled, it was Tom Rady who was a little scrambled with all the free rushers

and them not knowing where to block and everything. I do think maybe Spags uh, and the defense is just a little bit better in the end, and Uh, I just can't pick against my home So I'm taking them thirty five thirty three, give us a lot of points. I think what we all agree on here is, you know, if you're into the desert, we all feel maybe even stronger about a lot of Yeah, exactly a lot of points in this game more than anything. Yeah, and now

watch it be thirteen to ten, but probably not. It's probably gonna be a game where there's we all have it in the thirties. So that is that that would be a lot of fun. It seems like where that's where the NFL is right now. And these are two teams of offenses that nobody really has been able to stop.

So it sounds like a lot of fun. So while it would be great for us to be in Tampa right now under normal circumstances and watching the game, we get to watch it at home with our families and and then talk about it on Sunday Night, So make sure you're back for that. And before the Sunday Night Show, remember, we have another entirely original program on Friday on NFL Network. It is our Super Bowl Special for the around the NFL broadcast. So check that out at I believe six

pm Eastern, three pm Pacific. Um, we've got a big guest there, Ryan Fitzpatrick. I'm fits Magic, and I am going to ask him, how about this for a tease? Um, when did he achieve in his mind peak fits Magic? So I'm gonna give him the options and we'll get his answer, uh, and talk to him about a couple of other things because he's in an interesting situation in his career and with a very interesting team. So we

got we have that great stuff. Uh. And again the Flagship Show Sunday Night super Bowl, our eighth Super Bowl recap program. Alright, that's it. Anything else covered everything? Right? Good? Alright, this is Dan hands as signing off for the Quiet Storm, the Old Boss, Baldy Pyle, Brand, Chris Matt dog Rousso are you kidding Me? And Ricky Hollywood behind a person's until superbout some dre