The SauceDog Spectacular

Around the NFL Podcast asn't lost Mark to the desert yet.

Hello, and welcome to day two from Radio Row in Las Vegas of the Around the NFL Podcast presented by Draft Kings. Dan hansis here, of course, with the heroes Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler.

I think we should start here.

GREGI Mark, how you feeling, dog, because there were it was a little touch and go yesterday looking at.

You, and I feel, you know, I typically feel terrible when that's happening, because it's like people are having to listen to someone's voice that is not Radio Row ready, and Greg is looking at me, and I understand, like, is this person gonna fall? So no, I would say I was at twelve percent yesterday. I'm in about forty thirty eight percent.

Okay, that's great, that's great.

In fact, we we took a car to get to Radio Row, and leads with the fact that he thinks that he might be on the way out and his illness is raging, and I could see the driver getting very uncomfortable in like a March twenty twenty kind of way.

I like, you know, in this huge, vast Radio Row, like a lot of people were huddling together and talking and catching up.

There's a seat over by the wall over there.

I was just sitting over there, trying to respect everyone else.

Is one does as one does.

It wouldn't be your normal antisocial proclivities that are contributing.

To I don't think you're sitting against that wall. No matter what.

Well, in this case, it benefited multiple.

I hope you remember this.

You say you have no recollection of what happened yesterday.

No, we we had to.

That sounds like more than a.

Out of there. And uh, it's got to be a big.

Show, you know.

So excited because this is this is the episode.

Of the year for me.

Guest wise and reviews are in the premiere, the pilot episode of Mark's Man Cave.

People love it.

They love the energy, they love the tone, they love the conversation. Coming up today, it's the Sauce Dog Spectacular.

Sauce Dog.

We have Sauce Gardner, New York Jets Superstar. We have Chris mad Dog Russo, icon of sports media, both on the show today.

And if that's not if that's not enough, we got a pipe here.

We got a pipe in person, which was an incredible surprise to me because it was off my radar. Nick Shook, who is so important to our show during the season, is here covering the forty nine ers, and he had an interesting bar experience that we're gonna get to later yesterday that really tied it to our show in a really neat way.

So here we are. What a show again?

This is the Sauce Dog Spectacular.

With a little side of pipe.

Well, I love anything with the side of pipe. And it's our previous show too. You know, we're we're diving in. No One I'd rather do it with than Shook and uh, no one I'd rather fawn over and tell the same sort of stories as we introduce how we grew up listening to him than Mad Dogs.

But we can skip that part this time.

Greg maybe is less into that aspect of it.

I love Mad Dog. I don't want to hear that. You know.

It's like you could say some you know, someone who's a pessimist could say that we cater some of our guest appearances to our own personal interest. We've had two Browns, We're gonna have a jet, We're gonna have a Shook is everyone's interest, but Mad Dog our childhood hero. But you know what, you go do a podcast for twelve years and bring a guest on that you want to bring on?

Is it whose show?

Is it?

It's our show?

A bit?

Well, can I get like a pro woman's tennis player on the show or something?

Let's get I would say stephie Graff.

He has been getting out in the mix more lately.

See if we get Steph a little uh now already I'm in the whole little bit with the tennis corn of Coba.

Can see if sell us in a big spot. Yes, let's go with the.

Little Chrissy Evert Martina. And by the way, mad Dog he loves talking tennis too, So if you were to get a tennis question in there, why don't you do that, Craig.

I'm sure that would be of interest to our listeners.

When he died solo shows, he talked tennis for an hour on a ripley.

He would love it, Craig.

I think what what Greg was indirectly saying is he doesn't want you to tell the story about driving with your dad in the car listening to Mad Dog on Saturdays again.

I think we've covered.

But I would love it because mad Dog's in here like he's never heard it before, so right, all right, so let's get into it. I mean enough enough, because right now, as has been mentioned, it's time for the Sauce Dog Spectacular Part one. Toss Gardner of the New York Jets, All Pro, former Defensive Rookie of the Year, the best player on my favorite team in the world.

This is cool. This is what it's cool to be here. What's up, Sauce? How are you?

I'm great, man. I appreciate you all for having me. You know, it's a blessing to be here.

And tell us, yeah, tell us what you're doing with Verizon now, it's.

Always great to you know how my name of Verizon ain't mentioned in the same sentence. I'm a huge fan of them and I'll just enjoy working with them. Like I said, I'm here on behalf of Verizon, you know, the official Viagey Network go to the NFL, a network that the majority, if not all, of the NFL players, fans and coaches rely on. So, you know, it's a blessing to be here.

How do you feel about this is the Sauce Dog Spectacular kind of being the opening act here for Mad Doc Russo coming on later in.

The show's fire right there. I like that.

Okay, I like that. I'm glad you're with it.

You got a sound effect and everything.

I think that I saw them looking in your eye with hit it sauce.

Here's a theory to get into things. You know, this Chiefs team, your Jets, our Jets. We kind of beat them in Week four. If the officials didn't shenanigans.

Let's be real.

I don't know if you could say it, but I could say shenanigans by the transit of property. If the Chiefs went on Sunday, the Jets are the super Bowl champions.

Yeah, your name.

I guess Jets fans can possibly say that. But you know, reality is everything. So if it's not actually saying Jets super Bowl, then we ain't win it.

What was it like going up against them at that point in the season and everything and what they kind of presented to you, Like, how is it different?

It was great, you know, a competitive, a whole bunch of elite players on that team. You know, I still feel like we should have won that game. No, come on, you know what I'm saying.

Did they get you on one of those penalties?

Oh?

Yeah they did?

Oh come on, you're gonna analyze sauce in the fourth quarter of crunch Time, it.

Was it makes me sick, it does What did you What did you learn about Patrick Mahomes in that game?

Oh?

You got lucky.

Now I learned that he you know how to how do I put this when this crunch time? You know exactly what to do? You know the guys to rely on, you know, win and went not to do certain things. He's just a smart player.

He made those big plays with his legs I remember in the game, and always an underrated part of his game. And we're gonna, I'm sure see more of that. So it's interesting two years ago and you talked to a million people and so probably don't remember, but like an hour after you were drafted, we had you on the show right here in Vegas, and I was giving you the sad sack Jet fan routine of like when's things

Of course, still.

There's been disappointment in the two years for the team, and the Rogers injury it was an all time blow for the franchise in terms of gut punch. Like I'm I'm usually an optimistic fan, but I'm worried about where things are and how things go moving forward. Could you do me the favor of spinning things and making me and Jets fans feel good about what's gonna happen this year and maybe this is the year things change.

Make Dan happy, make him feel better or try.

I don't know if you could.

I mean, Aaron be Back defense, we're gonna do what we do, special teams, We're gonna do what we do. Like I said Aaron to b Back, would it be bring us new pieces in for the offense, and those new pieces gonna be great for the offense, great additions. We're gonna dominate.

I feel it. I feel the confidence, all right, I felt it from day one and get there.

Now you're working on a one game winning streak against the Patriots. I'm a Patriots fan, and so I remember the Jets Patriots game at the end of the season more than probably the average NFL fan who was not paying that close attention to that game, But at that point in the season, he kind of figured it was the end of Bill Belichick and so many things that happened for the first time in the Belichick era or

How do you feel about doing that on his way out?

Nice setup, Greg, Yeah, it feels great.

You know what I'm saying, I'll be lying if I said that's not what we wanted to do, and that's not what our thought process was going into that game. We knew it could be the end of that Patriots era or whatever, so he had to make sure we sent them on his way the right way.

But he's like a future Hall of Famer. Couldn't you have just like given him that much, that one little bit?

I mean, he already a future Hall of Famer. You're a great coach, you know, he's always he's done great things. He won multiple Super Bowls. He knows so much about the game of football. So it's like doing that would have just been an extra little cherry on the top. It was no point of.

I'm the Belichick point. So this is I think before you were even born. But when Belichick spurned the Jets and went to the Pats in two thousand and then went on, you know, the greatest run ever for a head coach and a quarterback with Brady. I've been scratched my head and yelling on microphone in the past couple weeks. I cannot believe all these head coach openings, nobody went and got Belichick and gave him a second bite of the apple like Brady got in Tampa. Are you surprised

I don't really know because I don't know what going to all of that. You know, when it come to job openings, you know what they talk about with the other teams. You know, I'm sure those teams know that he's a great coach. He's a Hall of Fame caliber coach, you know what I'm saying. So I don't know why he wasn't selected. You know, that's not my place. I don't really know. I just know he's he's a great coach and wos the best in the future then get a job.

Well, maybe he will down the road on the Jets front, because I feel like he probably have learned a lot in your first two seasons. And you know, in college, everything's going great, but you hit a team that's hit you know, Aaron Rodgers goes down right away. It seemed like two years in a row, you've got this glowing Jets defense and an offense that just was struggling.

There.

You don't you don't know if you're number one quarterback two times in a row, and it's like, how do how do you because there are a lot of reports come on in York. How does the locker room stay unified when the defense is doing one thing and the offense can't find their way? What have you learned about how to like not have the team completely be a sinking ship.

I mean, we brothers before anything. What I'm saying the football, that's that's the game. That's what we love to do. But you know, the bards and the relationships that you make when you're going when you're coming into this game, when you're leaving the game. That's that's what matters the most. So it's easy to maintain that bond. You know, you get guys that's on defense that's closer with guys on offense.

So you were named first team All Pro this year, again doing that back to years to start your career. That's only been happened, you know, that's only happened a handful of times at that position, like in the history of the NFL. Usually it's team players from winning teams too that get recognized.

So I think I think I was the first one.

You're the first corner corner you're on it.

I'm like one or three. I just found that out. Uh, Michael, Michael Parsons, Laura Taylor and me.

An incredible uh achievement to start your career. Also incredible dexterity to keep giving guys like you know, dap them up as they're walking while you're doing the interview.

You're also the first person ever do that on.

This is the certain places I don't I don't really get to see too much so when I see him.

Yeah, one of my all time favorite bikes. I didn want to ask you about the All Press, Like, what do you think you did this year specifically, maybe different than your rookie year and that set you apart where you got the nod over some great players like well Jerry Steve didn't get it. He's in this game, Charvaris.

We didn't get it.

Daily Scops didn't get it. What did you do that put you?

You ahead?

Just dominating? You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, Greg, different, No, that's simple.

Different when you dominated, you know what I mean.

But you gotta added things to your game from your first.

No, it does I do. I'm still finding ways to get better, you know, still find ways to get better for sure.

Hey, before we say goodbye.

One of our favorite segments with guests, we really get to know them as a little game. We call eight o'clock to Delight. It's a speed round, first thing that comes to your mind, and then we'll say goodbye.

Hit it.

Eric the producer, Spring or Fall, m Fall, Jersey Shore or the Hamptons, Jersey, Tarantino or Sor I don't know who that is, jay z or Nas jay Z Capel or Kevin.

Hart friend.

Friends?

Are we alone in the universe?

Are we hello? Are we alone?

Like?

Are there alien in this?

I don't know? No? No, yes, let me say yes, because I don't want an alien to pop up, you know what I mean? Sometimes you gotta believe in stuff so they don't, you know, come and chill the taser believe The Jets switch to the throwback jerseys full time.

I mean, come on right.

I like that, but I do think we should have got some new ones and never line.

I like that.

Where's your defensive Brookie of the Year award? Right now at home in my game room?

Favorite ice cream flavor Strawberry. What's the movie or TV series you've reword watch the most? I don't rewatch TV series interesting?

Have you ever seen a ghost? Yes, we'll get back to that.

Minigoal for play a team. Do the Yankees have enough starting pitcher depth? I have my doubts.

I haven't got to watch the Yankees, but I'm huge fans of them.

All right.

Pineapp pineapples are pizza on pizza. Yeah your nag I had it before it and is good. But no, are people inherently decent?

People? Inherent me?

Yeah?

There are people good at their heart?

Yes?

Okay?

And the final oh would you try? And would your time.

Travel if you could? Is it backwards or.

All?

Right?

And finally, this one's from my dad, Keith, who's been a jet spent since the name of days.

Who is the toughest receiver to cover in the NFL?

Right, I don't know.

I can't have some. I can't. It's not just one because you got them all down. I can't just quote one. I had the name multiple?

Do I name one name?

Multiple?

You got tyree? The farm there a lot, Okay, you know what I'm saying.

They don't have a chance that the great Sauce Gardner saus.

I can't wait.

Next year, We're not going to be able to do this because you're gonna be playing in the Super Bowl. But the year after that, or maybe a couple of years down the line, we'll do this again. Thank you very much for having us, and have a great super Bowl weekend.

Thank you.

All Right, there here goes a Sauce Gardner.

I'll tell you what I already do use that particular carrier, phone carrier.

But you would have been convinced I might sign up again after Yeah, I think well, he's made it clear that the vast majority of NFL players, coaches, and fans use it, so.

Well, he's only he's not wrong. I do not have a second phone. I have my NFL official phones that we have no choice. He doesn't have a burner, A beautiful it's a beautiful thing.

Hey, you don't got no burner? No, that's good.

It always makes me suspicious to the peoples, like you don't have a second was like, what's going on in your second film?

I think the same thing, but people look at us like we're crazy. Anyway, that was good with Sauce. I wouldn't say that I now feel better. The cell about why things are going to be okay really boiled down to really what the Jets party line is, which is, well, Aaron's back and maybe that will be enough.

Maybe I don't know.

I think Sauce is like what more do I need to do? I don't think he's the one going to be making the like huge speech before.

It's not his spot.

Just why don't you guys be as excellent as me and then we can be somewhere right.

Like, yeah, you go get a couple of right tackles, get another receiver and then let's see if we can not fall apart in horrific fashion. All right, we are just getting warmed up. We're going to take a break and when we come back, friend of the show Extraordinariy will join us. Welcome back, so scheduled guest Nick Shook. But Nick has run into some issues with getting through the masses and into radio row, so we do have a fallback plan.

Sitting to my right is Dave.

Ealy, news Editor, Chief news Editor NFL Media. Luckless in love, but a good man with a good heart. Dave, Welcome back to around the.

NFL and also bald. So I feel like I'm covering for Shock as well. I noticed you push the mic.

Up higher I got here, so I appreciate that. So not quite Nick, but I feel like you can fill in.

I was approaching from a distance in saw a bald and white and I thought, well, that must be Shook, and then I realized just seeing the dimensions, and I'm not a tall person, so it's no knock on you. That is absolutely not Nick Shook. But what is happening in your in your love life?

Really?

I I want an update.

We've only got a couple of minutes here. Wow, so we're just diving right to do it. I know, I knew we were not going to taugh football. Well, ka, before we get to that, I just want to give a little background. So I ran into Ely yesterday last night. That's called the NFL House.

They invite all NFL Network and NFL media and NFL New York Office employees and uk UH to a venue and it's it's a nice scene. There was there was bowling, there were there was booze food, all that good stuff.

You know, zuzzer.

We had We had a meeting with some iHeart people. I had a couple of Tito's. Then we go to this event. I meet up with Handsome Hank and you know, I have a couple more. Then Dave rolls over with his posse, Dave and the Dave posse, and you know, you know how Dave does. Dave starts going to Dave. Dave's gonna Dave. Dave's one hundred percent Dave. And that's what we love about Ely.

Got to be Dave.

You know, all of a sudden, we have a conversation that I didn't recall until this morning, and I get a text about all right, So when am I coming on the show, and I had I had.

I had apparently agreed to have Dave.

On today's show, and then I had to let him know the bad news that Nick Shook who just walked by. So you're about to get bumped again, uh la. Later in the night, I contacted chuk Or Shook contacted me and he took your spot. But because Nick was late, you are now here to talk about anything you want.

I mean, I thank you for letting me talk after what felt like a two minute introduction to go back to what was just to let you know. But yeah, Dan did agree around ten o'clock last night to have me on. Had no idea what he was talking about. When I texted him this morning and it was great. I did say, like, I guess, promises from ten pm at open bars don't mean anything.

Wow.

Yeah, I kind of apologized. I wasn't blackout drunk. I just didn't remember the conversation very well. It kind of came and went and didn't stick around.

And it's like any scheduling with talk Talk with Dan just assume he'll never remember it.

Yeah, I guess, so whatever.

Yeah, the floor's mind.

The floor was yours because Shook's here now.

But I just want to say we've been kicking around some ideas for off season shows, and the idea of you know, finding ilia Mate would be I'll be near the top of the list for like a spinoff summer show.

Yeah, I think we'll wait till then for that update.

I don't love finding ilia Mate as like the name of the show, but I think maybe we could workshop that.

But yeah, how are things going? Because you're going full full Dave that the shirt you guys have said.

You guys have said full Dave so much, I'm not just quite sure what that means. Maybe i'll take that answer off the air mark. Things are going fine in the love life department. I'm still single, but you know what, it's a jury.

Those are two different things, right, So there's the options. You could go like half day, you go three quarters Dave. You've chosen to go full.

Day to.

Love that.

I think we've reached.

The Yeah, so we Dave, we have we have to bump you, not unlike how your college sweetheart had to bump you from her long term life plans and can didn't dive on that fumble and fifty Yeah, so thank you for joining us a.

Super Bowl prediction really fast.

No, I don't think so.

All right, thanks, thank you Dave for there he goes Dave Elee.

That was a good appearance.

I thought, by Dave, we're just gonna keep rolling.

I love that feel. One of his best was that? Was that the best Eely performance?

I don't know, it was pristine, it was, you know, concise.

Come on, Nick, and now another bal Dwhite rolls over, this one different than the last.

Also bearded, different stature.

Here you go sitting down.

With us now is none other than man, you're trying to get this pipe. Oh we got this pipe? Nick Shook now sits down with us. Yeah, and apparently Eli's short. He gause, this thing's way down here.

EALI taking some fire here. We love Dave.

He's one hundred percent Dave Shooky. So here's a great story.

Was Shook.

So last night I'm coming back from the hotel after I had agreed to have Dave on the show, and Shook hits me up and says, I'm at the hotel bar and you're not gonna believe this, but what.

The pipe was within five to ten feet? Yeah, we're a little wobbly here. Of the pipe God, the namesake himself was right there, and I was frozen in time.

I was actually gonna go somewhere else. I saw him.

I was like, I can't leave, and then I was trying to muster up the courage. Wait, who is this Jr.

Smith?

Jr.

Smith, the former Calves Nicks enter, probably five other teams.

Great, who you know?

He is the He is the original pipe And to see so two pipes in the same bar, right next to each other, feels dangerous.

I never talked to him. I chickened out. I blew it.

Why Nick, I don't want to be that guy who's like, hey, can I get a picture?

You might need to do that, but you can just strike up a conversation.

Well, the problem is I would have walked up and been like I was in downtown Cleveland for Game seven and twenty sixteen.

You're my second.

Favorite Cavaliet, like I would have just exploded with adoration.

Would have been bad. It's like, how come you to know what the score was the year after that? Yeah?

No, that would have been a bad one. That's George Hill's fault anyway, So Chooky, you are our boots on the ground, and thank you, because it's great to have someone here that is covering the teams. You're covering the Niners for NFL dot Com. Check out everything that Chook's writing up over there. What is your like overall vibe about what's.

Going on around the NFC champions Well, everybody likes to talk about the rematch, but that was four years ago, and the Niners have been pretty quick to point out that was four years ago.

A lot of things are different.

But one thing that those returning players who were on that team have repeatedly said, there's two One is talent won't win this game, and whoever executes will win this game, who plays better. And the other one is they're all bent on washing away that feeling of losing. And you even had a guy like Javon Hargrave, who lost the Super Bowl last year to the Chiefs, same thing.

We don't want to feel the same way we did the last time we got to the end of this game.

I mean.

So, the one feeling I get from the Chiefs is that you know, they've been here so many times, so many of the same players, Like there's this calm and ease and a sense of like we're just gonna do this and we're not concerned or isn't fear like do the Niners have because they I'd been up the upper echelon too. Do you sense that they also go in with that kind of calmness and serenity or do they Is there a little more pressure on them?

No?

I think actually I feel like they're not operating with very much pressure. There is a professionalism, a bit of it. We've been here before. What it is is there's less of a circus. You're still getting those you know, off the wall questions and everything else, but it's not it like it was if you followed a team that had been there for the first time in many years, and

I hesitate to get too deep into the psychology of the team, because, look, it's it's fifty three players. It's forty five players on game day, and it's just a.

Couple you don't believe in momentum things like I'm just saying.

Like, it's very hard We've found this over the years to figure out which team is gonna play well based on.

How they act during the week.

But I do think there is something the forty nine ers potentially that they got over the hump in the NFC and games they were expected to win in games they didn't play well. I don't know whether to take that as like, Okay, they got past that, and you're right now they're in the biggest.

Moment of their life.

They got to it, and it's somehow almost a release to get past it, or to be more focused on the fact but to keep hitting, which is that their last three big games, yeah, they played not They didn't play to their best abilities, certainly on defense but even offensively in two or parts of all three of those games, they weren't at their very best.

Yeah, that could go two ways. You could either say, look, we haven't even played well. We're playing with house money. You know, imagine if we actually put together a good game and do what we're supposed to do for four quarters, we should be able to win against anybody. But on the flip side, you also have that fear in the back of your mind of what if we lay out another clunker and this time we can't come back, we can't overcome the hole that we've dug ourselves in the

And if you think about.

The psychology all the way back to Super Bowl fifty four, they were in a great spot to win that game before it all fell apart.

Sure, so they have to avoid that as well.

It didn't used to be a thing that there was a ten point come back in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl. The Patriots against the c X were actually the very first, and then it happened a ton since.

I mean, if he h's Manny Sanders Jimmy g it's a whole different story in that game. And the question for me part of this matchup is we've all been impressed by the Chief's ability to just kind of turn it on and get to this point. But even you know, when you look at the game by game here, there's still not the old Chiefs in terms of offense. And I'm wondering San Francisco's defense has been pretty disappointing down the stretch. I've been able to get by even with

Yeah, I think it's really important that you point out, which you just did, that this is not the Chiefs team that we came to know a few years ago. They're not the super explosive team that they used to be. I think about that one hallmark play from fifty four Jet Chip Wasp where Tyreek gets open and Mahomes has enough time to run that play and it's a game changer.

That's not this team anymore. They don't do that anymore.

Mahomes is best in zero to ten air yards and the short pass is getting the ball out. So it's gonna be hard to kind of compare the two different situations. But if I assign confidence points because you look at it. I mean, nobody really knows which way this game is going to go. It's not like there's a heavy favorite in either way. But if I assigned confidence points of it and try to make sense of it, I feel the best about the Chiefs defense. I feel okay at

Yeah, we talked about that the thing and how that just that word, it's a it's an ugly little word is being thrown around. And is there a reality here where that their defense collapses here and with Mahomes leveling up and all of a sudden, Kelsey goes eleven for one seventy four and two touchdowns and it's another red and yellow confetti day. I think that's certainly possibility if you just look at the trending nature of the two teams.

There's another world where like that being told about your players, like maybe writes the ship and like, but again we don't know how that actually works behind the scenes. But I do like the fact that, like the Chiefs are a defense that has been consistent. They're playing their best, Like they've allowed the fewest yards after the catch of any team in the league. That matters with against the Niners, that matters against Deebo Samuel.

And it's a team that has gotten to the quarterback.

And if you can get it, you know, Carloftis and Jones into brock Perty's.

Bee house, I think you've got a bee high b house whatever.

It'd be like, No, you had it right the first time. It's a bee house.

It's one of those things you make doesn't really make sense ether if you make him uncomfortable. I mean, like, I think that when brock Perty's made mistakes, that's that's been a big factory mahomes is when he's thrown multiple interceptions, he's overcome that, Yeah, and they still won the game. It's like that who is party is in a different world when the mistakes start to occur.

Yeah, I hate Keisha just called me live on the show, and I just thought this could be a chance for Lakeisha Westling to just like join the program. Now you're live on the NFL. Uh the Around the NFL podcast, Keisha?

Right now?

Okay, okay, love you talk later.

Who's winning the game? Al Keisha, give us a score.

And you gotta get over that.

I would say, I'm gonna.

Okay, that's all the analysis we need.

Jeeves, Man, there it is, See you next week.

Doctor later.

Was nice.

I just just felt like that would be nice to get her out.

Yeah, set back to the cess dog point sess what you're saying, good year, No, it's.

What we're saying, if you can.

Just because I found it interesting that you had brock Purty at number seven in your QB Index and down at number nine was Mahomes And that flips the script from what some people think how this will play.

Out who these quarterbacks are.

But really, I got one more season, I got one more shot comes out next one.

Well here's the thing, though, like you said, you're only so confident in the in the chiefs offense, Like I'm really impressed with what they've done throughout the playoffs. I mean they were fantastic, and that's all that matters to me at this point. They were fantastic against the Bills, they were excellent I think overall against the Dolphins, and they did show some vulnerability against the Ravens in the back half of that game where the blitz really affected

Yeah, I think that's the only way that you get an early control of this game, because you cannot afford to do what the Ravens allowed themselves the position that they got into in that game, which is Andy Reid's opening script basically worked to near perfection. The Chiefs dominated time of possession, they got the stops on defense, they had control of that game before the Ravens were able to adjust and shut down that offense.

So the fort Ninders have to take it to them.

They have to do what the Ravens do in the second half early and then playoff the adjustments from there. But I think, you know, even back to your point, Mark, what you said about brock Perdy is incredibly important to the value of Christian McCaffrey to this game, and I think Isaiah Pacheco as well. I think the running game is gonna factor way more into this than we're probably talking about, because.

Of course it's a quarterback driven league.

But I think if McCaffrey ends up making the impact on the groundbreaking tackles, you know, picking up extra yards and that sort of thing, that'll keep this offensive float against the Chiefs defense. It's done a really good job of womiting opposing quarterbacks. So even if perty's not on, if you can rely on McCaffrey heavily, then they'll have a fighting chance or even more than a fighting chance.

And the side, I mean, the idea of McCaffrey getting what twenty five, twenty seven, thirty touches, it's all it's in play because they you know, he's so incredible, and.

I just I love watching that guy play.

You know, no one hearns just a zero to three yard gain or a seven to twelve yard gain like him. And he's I think almost it's a little under the radar like hit. His ability to maybe just go off and have you know, like that Marcus Allen type Super Bowl game, like that's certainly something I'm thinking about when I'm trying to decide who's gonna win this game.

Now.

One other thing, like kind of circling back to Mahomes, who's been so good as a scrambler, and he's healthy this year. There's another bad ankle that he had in the playoffs last year. You know, Ken the Niners this you know the last time these teams played, which again is ancient history, but they did a nice job for most of that game messing with Mahomes and then he got loose and they had that nice comeback obviously to win. That are they gonna be able to keep Mahomes in

Keep them chan It's the runs, it's the extension of the plays.

It's not even that he has to cross the line of scrimmage, but just buy more time to throw. I mean, I looked at that third and five that they converted against Baltimore early in that game, where Travis Kelsey essentially ran a route that was equivalent to when you take your kid to a diner and you get the kids menu and it's a piece of paper and they give him crams and he just starts scribbling like that was the route that he ran, and they pulled it off with an incredible complete That's the.

Stuff you really have to worry about.

If you're worried about him actually getting out and running, you're in deep trouble. They do have the personnel for that, obviously. Fred Warner is a great linebacker all around, and he's good in coverage and he's fast enough, but he's not necessarily the eraser of a mobile quarterback that you might expect him to.

Be, or one You're not gonna put a spy on Mahomes, right, He's not that. Yeah, but if you can take away his scramble and you already know the personnel they don't really have that deep game, then maybe you're in business.

It's just it's an interesting see how combat it.

It seems like Mahomes also because it's it's plays breaking down, it's out of pocket stuff, and he knows exactly when to go and where to go, and he leads the league in first downs on the ground. And like you think of other quarterbacks that Josh Allens is being like more dangerous on Tara Firma, But it is Mahomes that, like in these huge moments last year and this year, have done it with his feet when in the most critical third down moments and big yardish moments.

I thought of it, by the way, not not beehive, it's kitchen.

It's the I'm using beehive because he's back in this area where all these like enemies and things that can sting you were.

Moving a horns nest and war the bolts are flying.

I mean, creating a new term.

I didn't know the kitchen.

It just came to me.

I mean obviously I went down a path that was you know, needed a little honeycomb.

I like that. That's a little workshop.

It feels like a sweet I do remember, you know when my cousin hit that beehive when we were back in the forest just looking looking back there when I was ten years old, and he didn't know he was swatting a beehive and it's not what you wanted to do.

And he got he got stung by He.

Don't give me a yeah.

I wanted to say that's yes.

But it really happened. And he got talking about twenty seven times. I got like two or three. My other cousin got three.

Can run outside the funeral home and dan ackro after you.

We just sprinted back.

I has no idea what we're talking about.

Escapes again, just two beast things. Twenty six for the cousin.

Well, he's the one that hit it.

So like you know, my running ability was a big factor that that game pushed back. And yeah, I do think the coach, the coaches with the willingness to stick with the run is a big deal. The most memorable, one of the most memorable moments of that AFC Championship game to me was when the Chiefs got to the six yard line in the second quarter and they just ran two inside runs in a row, a four yard run for Pacheco to the two and then a two

They did it.

And I think both of these teams, when you look at the opposing off defense, is that's the vulnerability. So Shanahan might have some regrets of how he handled his play calling in the Falcons Patriots Super Bowl. Reid's been knocked plenty for not sticking with it, and so I think that's just one issue, like who can just be comfortable and stay with it because we know these quarterbacks they just refuse to get sacked.

So it's tempting to just throw the ball all the time. But I think that's the way you attacked it.

I mean that even marks a change from last year's Super Bowl when the Chiefs got down on the goal line and they ran the same play in opposite directions and one of them was the wrong formation and still worked, and they scored two touchdowns that way. Like they didn't do that this time around. They trusted the run game. It's a bit of a throwback. That's them adjusting to the fact that they know they might not have the personnel to pull off what they were able to pull off.

In previous years.

One weird like they did play a year ago in the regular season and there's some connected tissue and some of it does not connect. But Chiefs forty four, forty nine Ers twenty three. The Chiefs ripped off six touchdowns on seven drives and it was close, but then the Chiefs went nuts at the end in the game. And that game, in the final three minutes is when brock perty entered to throw his first NFL passes are again.

I like that that was kind of peak.

Did you know it was also Christian McCaffrey's first game as a Niner.

And did you know that Damn Darnold is the first quarterback in the class of twenty eighteen to make the Super Bowl.

Okay, but now is that a backhanded shot at Baker Mayfield.

Well, I saw that yesterday.

Ye ain't here the probo MVP.

Sammy look confident? Does he look ready to go in if if h Brock fails? Sam he looks content? He was like Teddy Bridgewater on the sideline for the lines. He's like, don't put me and.

I'm good cool, I'm just happy to be here.

Chook. Here we go.

It's time for the Game of the Week, presented by DraftKings, and.

I you know what should we choose?

Well, I don't know. It's it's up.

There is no Pro Bowl game per se, but the kick Tac toe is pretty elite. Yeah, but we're gonna go with Super Bowl fifty eight.

What do you think? Give us your pick?

I thought I was Niners favored by two moneyline minus that.

Movement a little bit out of the tic tac zone as they say, Oh, look.

I talked about confidence points earlier, and that's really what I tried.

To use to come to a conclusion on this. And I don't like to be the guy who's like they'd been here a million times. So they're definitely gonna be better, and that.

Means you're gonna be But I'm kind of be that guy because look, the Chiefs offense was terrible for most of the season. They we had glimpses, and they weren't good until the playoffs. Like you said, Greg, that's all

Chiefs. Over the nights, they do it again.

They get it.

I'm struggling with my pick.

We're gonna make the rest of the heroes are gonna pick on Friday's program, And uh, you just gave me a lot.

To think about.

SHUCKI shoogy what you got going on the rest of this weekend?

Soup? You got friends coming in? Anybody, Yeah, we're gonna have.

Friends coming in, But we uh, we got some more coverage to finish up today.

We got some stuff is up Tomorrow.

We're gonna go head over to the Madden Bowl and watch the top two Madden competitors who are also best friends face off for the final championship game of their competitive series.

Baby best friends. Yeah, this is like when the Mega Powers exploded.

Macho ma.

They're not NFL players anymore, the Madden Ball.

Oh no, no, no, no, it's all like highly competitive esports kids. Greggie, come on, stupid good I've played them and they have destroyed me.

I mean, I you know you don't need to come after me for my Madden bona fides. I covered the Madden Bowl in two thousand and eight for Patriots Giants, and it's just like it was the other guy at a bar. Yeah, it wasn't that big of a party and you got to sat down and do segments with I did a segment with Marshall Lynch. Wally played Madden in the Madden Bowl. So don't come at me with my Madden Bowl bona fides.

Apparently you've you've put me in my place, and you're going to be at the Madden party as well.

Yeah, I'm to stop by there on Friday, stop by you know weapons.

If Killer Mike gets out of jail, we're gonna be able to Yeah.

He's not he's out, never was in jail, just arrested.

But the pr Greg Rosenthal, I'm just I like.

To be factual. I like to double the double source my facts.

Maybe you've gotten a little loose.

With your Was he in jail?

No, yes he was, he was the aimed.

That's actually jail.

Are you in jail in the back of the police car?

On prison, you're tangling with the law though he was a cow.

Words matter else, words matter, No, that's it. Words matter, And I'm happy to be here, happy to sit down.

This is great.

We've done it remotely all year. I love being in person.

Yes, I was texting with the boys earlier that you're such an important part of our show every season on the Flagship Sunday program. So to be able to reunite in person and see the pipe up close by the way, you don't have.

To cover Falcons bucks this time. You got a real game.

The game of the week, not the f tier game. Eightier eightier baby, because there's only one left.

Chokie back into the the huddled masses.

You go, I'm gonna go fight my way out here. It took me allow to get down here.

All right.

And uh and don't you know, don't let Eely because Eely was throwing you under the bus a little bit. He said, oh he turned the wrong way, and let him know that.

Lost.

I was right outside.

Had to walk all it down and around and upstairs.

So just so you know next time you see him that sometimes you know he's he's not looking out for your best interest. So maybe if you have to say something face to face, this is the time for that.

Is you know that that's a bald on bald betrayal. And I'm gonna have a long that's a hard thought think about that. Yeah, all right, very nice, Thank you, Nick Schuck. We'll take a break and we'll be back.

With the Mad Dog.

Download the Draft King Sports Book CAUP now and use code A t N. New customers can bet five bucks to get two hundred instantly in bonus bets only on Draft Kings Sports Book and official sports betting partner of Super Bowl fifty eight. With code A t N, the crown is yours time.

Wow. Wow, wow, you saw that at me? There's thirty years ago. Oh my, I think that's a deep cut.

Yes, and of course that is the voice of the great Chris mad Dog Russo. I stumbled upon on YouTube a clip of all the different stings from the old place of work, and I was looking for the one specific one that starts with Beware of the Dog, which didn't get as much run.

You're right, it was a little bit like probably didn't like that one.

We were were yeah, of.

Course, we were just talking about you went to see you two, and I was talking about I'm a big fan, and they're playing some deep cuts. That would be the deep cut of the w FA.

You have to be a pretty big fan to know the Beware the Dog was brought it out jingle that is again that has to be at least twenty twenty five years old.

Oh that you found And I haven't seen Mark's face glow like that all week. You really cured mark sickness just by playing yea, yeah, i'ven't been feeling well Mark Mark line, but I.

Would say that you know, it brings me the max to a childhood innocence.

It's wonderful. So thank you, very good. Good to be with you guys again. So good and I'm.

Doing We're doing great, Chris, because like and everyone now was talking about the Russo third act and everything we've been even the there was the first act better well, no, well, the there is a nostalgia factor. But I think we're all, as fans of yours, just so pumped up to see this. And I'm curious. I'm curious from a like a fame standpoint, because you know the you know the business better than anyone,

I know, I yes, I try not to make too big a deal about it, but you do notice it. From a first take standpoint, there's much more notoriety. I do a lot of things on first take that have been doing forever on the radio, and nobody's say anything forever on the radio, And I'm as an example, you know, the example would be play a shut up and play the game shut up and play. I said that a million times, really Steve really my and then I've said that a thousand times. There is a lot of them.

Chris mad Dog rus So headlines the Mad Dog Sports Radio channel and Sirius XM, and hosts the channel's anchor program, Mad Dog Unleashed weekdays three pm Eastern, two pm Central noon Pacific. You can also see him on an MLB network's High Heat. And of course, as you just said ESPN's first take, I think when I kind of watched the arc of the Russo career, which is now like, let's be honest, you want to talk about like Mount rushmore like in terms of longevity and you are at

You're so real. That is who you are people people are.

It's authentic, and the authenticity especially in not to take any shots, it's like that genre. There's so much of it is at play acting and you're saying things you maybe don't believe. But I know when when you're you're faced up on the camera like Bono on the Zoo TV tour, like you are being yourself, I think that really matters. And like when we talk about the announcers like Romo when he had his big rise and Olsen who gets a lot of pop outs because they authentically

Stuff now one hundred percent. The gummies is a perfect example. I say that gummies and that's not embellishing it. The gummies are real and you say that people. It's relatable to people. And I think that is probably the key to this little run here is the fact that I say things that the average person wishes he could say or do, and I say it for them, and I say things that they're uncharacteristically they don't then necessarily listen to.

Now.

I said that on F A N and I said that on Sirius for one hundred years now, I say eight on the TV. It gets virus viral, it gets the clips and if you get involved with ESPN, you get in that machine and they churn it out so they you can't miss it. But not Gummys before first day, No, no, definitely not. You have to be contract I don't care any you have to be sharp to be you can't.

Work at NFL network. And I love he's a great kid. The Mali expression or whoever else you're with us, whether Steven a Smith are just.

Like they look at me really Christmas. But you're gonna say, now, I've gotten in jubble a couple of times. But they for the most part allow you to do what you want to do. And you know, the other key to the whole thing relatedbile relatability is one passions the other thing, you know, I still enjoy it. You know, I still love watching the game, and I watched the games regardless of working or not. I would still watch the games. That's a big factory.

Like before we get into this game, there was an incredible rant that you had a couple of weeks ago coming out of the Chiefs RAVENSFC title lost for Baltimore, where you know, like Greg is part of what you'd call the Lamar me and a lot of people see him as like the MVP, and I see that. I grew up a Browns fan, so I have some issues

Let's go that's funny too. I thought you were gonna say Campbell because I did that thing with the field goals with him, which got a lot.

Of you're right.

See.

The thing that bother me about Lamar is, remember I work. When you work on an ESPN, they oh love Lamar. He's the greatest thing in the world. And he had won two playoff games. So I will go the exact contrast to that, because I want to say, oh no, no, let's not put him in. When Shannon Sharp said, you know, he wins this Super Bowl, he's going to be one of the all time greats. Shannon take it easy. First off, he hasn't won the two games yet. And you know he has one Super Bowl? Does it make it one

This is a tough one because I love me some Stafford and thought he was a top three m VP pick this year and wasn't getting a lot of love. When I rewatched that Lamar game, I realized just how poorly he played, Like watching the coaches film and seeing it again and taking the emotion out of it. That my reaction to the game was partly what what you guys just said, which is there was a lot going on, and there was, of course that was true, but it was also his worst game of the year. He was

No longer that guy. If he was that guy still, he would have.

Scored on that on that play in the divisional round where he got free a little bit, you might have had a bigger run when he caught his own catch. Like, he doesn't have the exposit, so he's gonna have to just But he's twenty six years old, and I just get sick of these great players in the middle of their career having this same art like conversation over and over, and then they inevitably do win the title and they do play better until because it's not inevitable, but it's.

The same players over.

Like we had it with Lebron, we have it with Dirk Nowitzki, we have it with a million You had it with pulpri like you have it with a billion different people who eventually get over. People thought Matthew Stafford was one of the most overrated quarterbacks. And it's like and it's like they don't talk about him like that so much when it's actually happening.

And understand there is an arc to his career.

And he's a twenty six year old who I believe, because he's in that organization, is going to get chance after chance after chance, and one of those it's gonna.

Turn out different.

Maybe he won't even play that well in it, like Peyton Manning didn't play that well in his when in Super Bowl in two thousand.

Never brings that up. They're going to take it to me.

You you measure quarterbacks by sixteen game samples. I think that's the best way.

Yeah, you know, I got to measure them in what they're do in a big game. That's all. Now the problem that Lamar has. You know, Mahomes is not going anywhere, nor is Josh Allen nors Burrow, Yes, and he's not as good as those speak guys. Stroud too is now, Rodge another one, good job, Strouds another one, and Herbert you know with hardball there he's gonna he's good.

Say Aaron Rodgers to make the Jets go, I will say that good for you.

I'll put the Jets.

So you can make an argument that the beginning of next year in the AFC, you could take five or six quarterbacks ahead of them. You could take the Big three Big three, no issues, and then Rogers is four. And what's the well Alan Burrow and Mahomes. He's not as good as Josh.

Allen, No way, Burrow's got to stay on the field if Lamar Jackson missed half of his career.

So here's the thing about Borrow four seasons Burrow, Burrow beat Mahome on the road.

Yep, that to me.

But Burrow was another example like people like that first playoff run Burrow had, he didn't play that well.

He actually struck.

That was his worst three game stretch of the year was the AFC playoffs, and he made the Super Bowl.

So it's it's a team got a little unfair.

You're right, because we Burrow doesn't carry that around because the team the field goal kicker went nuts and they had the Super Bowl.

Like he played so won a championship game, a championship in college too.

I think that.

Carries into it a little bit as well. And I know he had an l SHU. He had a great team, but he was great in college and hey, dony Be, any one against Saban and Tua in Alabama scored forty five points. I think that comes into the you know, the feeling when you think of Burrow is maybe he is played quite as well and you look at it down deep as the record with Deicate, but you think he's played great because he's had big games.

You know.

It's kind of funny.

It's like that thing where you're watching the TV inside the TV, inside the TV. It's when Greg and I both in during that conversation, go that's fair, that's fair, and it's.

Like, Chris, that's I say that. I say a lot of those wacky things.

So we listened to you so many years that that's just ingrained in my head.

Oh that's fair, that's fair.

I do say that. Oh, let's be honest. Mike used to say let's be honest all the time. I say that too, too, But I do like, uh, I'm going to take Kansas City in this game because I'm going to take my homes and read over Shanahan and Purty. I'm the kicker. That kicker is a good kicker. Talk we were talking about yesterday stinks and I close game. Berk. He know miskicks this, but is it? He's incredible and bad weather two and fifteen minus fifty degree weather. He

Close game, all right.

Before we let you go, Chris, we always need to dig in on what what's Chris washing?

What?

There's more the rue so especially you know the gumpanies get popped? Uh, Mark, you had you had heard something around Chris. You guys share a passion for something.

Well, Dan and I along had a you know, debate and ongoing debate about.

The JFK assassination.

Oh geezu all right, and you know we're with our heart radio and we know that Rob Reiner.

Did at the JF I had and I had him on.

Well, that's just kind of wondering.

There's also this thing floating out there where they have duo pictures of Rock Party with various pictures of Lee Harvey Oswald, like there are places where they do so.

I was just sort of wondering with the whole Some.

People think Rock Party is a patsy, so you know there, well, there you go, where are you with the whole.

JFK and Oswald's.

Birthday is the same as mine ten eighteen.

Really, yes, but where are you with the whole?

Where are you on the I mean the Rhiner podcast is excellent. I haven't heard the last two yet. There is no doubt in my mind if anybody thinks for one second that that Lee Harvey Oswood, there is evidence that he may have not even killed that cop. I tip it outside that that movie theater, there's evidence you did you know that they found two wallets and the police both said they were Lee Hovey Oswold's who you

Well, there's a picture of him so called in a CIA file down in like Well, there's another one overseas and it's basically like the double of Mike Ditka that they're trying to tell us a Lee Harmis was a mustachioed, heavy set man, and that they're passing.

It off as Lee Harvey's dad.

I need to remember again, if anybody says, I don't believe Oswald did it by himself, if you have to answer me, this was one question. Okay, why did Jack Ruby kill him? Doctor? We didn't kill him because he was trying to prevent dismay for the Jacqueline Kennedy and the Kennedy's. I feel bad for him.

The Ruby situation is that that's fair. That's fair.

I have to say my stance has been and Mark hates it, and you do as well. I'm sure now that someone and I don't know where Greg stands on this, but we're gonna hear from Greg on the two. But there's something destabilizing to us as Americans, to society to think someone so inconsequential as Oswald can change the world with it with a shot from the depository. So in your nature is to say, well, no, that couldn't be it. It has to be a larger conspiracy because the president's

I named my son after John Kennedy.

Jack.

But I understand there's there's like this, is.

There someone in the GRESSI hall, I think there were you know Ryaner thinks there's about three or four shooters. You know the Warren Commission nineteen seventy six. You know who ran that Warren Commission, Alan Dulles. He was in charge of all the information they received. You know, Alan Dallas is the guy that Kennedy fired for the Bay of Pigs. Now, how the hell is Alan Donald of war? I mean, how is he the guy that is doing the Warren Commission who in nineteen sixty four said that

I thinks Lamar Jackson did not do in Yeah.

I don't have a take on this because I'm uninformed regrettably in general about this topic. But I do have a It's not a conspiracy. It's something that I've done some reporting on myself. Dan likes to think of himself as the ATN media insider. If I am, and I have sources in this very building that tells me Chris mad Dog Russo was involved in what we'll call an incident yesterday.

Coming into the building. I was where he was very upset.

I was that they were trying to take the tags off of his job backpack.

Did you hear about this? And I want to hear what happened here?

Was?

Can you confirm this? What red that brown bag right dare that you see is a bag that I've had for a long time. The little those little tags there at the top, there's yellow and green tags. I've had that bag for twenty five years, and so a lot maybe twenty years. A lot of the tags I had on that bag were from events that I had been that why the World Series, super Bowl, so they had a little sentimental value. Yeah, I bought the bag Monday.

Shot.

So I was upset and I gave them and I never do this. I gave them one of those don't you watch first take deals? Who gave I.

Hate that you had them on a don't you know who I am?

And answer was not thoughts. Result, I got my bag. I got my bag, TEGs cut matter ifact have all the tags and the compartment there. I was gonna use it yesterday as a what I'm mad about segment, but I didn't get around to it. But I was annoyed, and I noticed in the last two days they didn't have anybody cutting with the scissor. There was nobody there doing that on Wednesday and Thursday. Yet there were Tuesday,

I got scooped on that one. I didn't want to tell them that's good, good job. Well, and that guy has been fired now, so I wonder what he does next.

I hope he wasn't. And that's somebody said, Chris, really, you're making a big deal about your stupid tags. And it only was five minutes. Greg caught the bad five minutes. I deserve it. I have to give him the credit.

For digging it up. There. You got job, Greg, You're a muckrakers? What you are?

I was not there?

Per journalism?

All right?

You guys have been doing this show a long time? How long?

This is season eleven?

This is you want what once a week during the season, or once have you had the game? Or five days a week?

We do what? Five shows a week?

Five shows a week during the season, five shows other digital Sunday nights, you know, after the games, we got a show Monday night after after the primetime games, we have a show and then a couple.

And if you want an NFL Plus subscription, we can get that to you. Two shows a week.

You'll work Sunday night and Monday night and then two other shows doing a week Tuesday Thursday. How about when it is a Saturday game at the end of the year, you work those ninety two Detroit Dallas on New Year's on New year's eve, did you me?

Those are those are tough and we got you got young kids and everything. These holidays. They keep on building out the schedule. A lot of mouths to feed for the NFL.

Season though, two four shows a week during the.

Office crank good for you? How many How long is each show getting longer?

Sixty to eighty minutes. That's a hell of a job.

That's a good effort.

Thank you, and it does sincerely mean a lot coming from you.

That's true. I mean the tag incident that that the button your reputation. We're now restoring it right now.

All right again, check out mad Dog on Serious and everywhere else where. He is blown up. He's a superstar and we're happy to have you every year. It's a great you guys do a great job. What do you like in the game.

We have to we have to announce it tomorrow.

Matter.

I can't say I picked I picked the.

Chiefs Niners before the year and picked the Niners to win off a pick six in the final two minutes.

And so that's where I'm going.

He's saying, I gotta forgetting it. I have the Chiefs twenty three to seventeen. All right, you Madcot. Thank you.

All right, welcome back, and I mean mad Dog is the best, also the best if you are a football fan, if you love the game, in the history of the game. Just looking over my right shoulder and there he is Doug Williams Super Bowl twenty two MVP, the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Unbelievable story to him. Just it's everywhere, it's all around us.

It's almost like if you lived in a land with only hot people, hot people aren't hot anymore because like everywhere you turn there's like an NFL icon walking by about and then then a second, then a third, and it's like it's almost over so insative oversensatory explosion.

I was almost nine years old for that Super Bowl, and that's the first one I really remember when it happened. And that actually is a good example. And I think I thought I thought it at the time too, like blowouts can be entertaining, because I remember when that was happening and thinking like this is crazy, this is great.

Touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, and it was just like this this fire show.

It's a good and surprise.

It's a good topic because I remember I was seven and I was not young enough to be plugged in. But I remember running through the living room with my cousin Matt, and my uncle Bob and my dad were watching the game and the Broncos were up ten nothing yeah, and then we and then we came back in from outside or whatever we were, and all of a sudden.

It was like thirty five to ten.

Well it was I think I saw at thirty five in the second order that broke back.

That's what it was. Where that blow that quarter was so exhibited.

In a room like Timmy Smith, the running back who had been a non factor coming over. But I will tell you one thing, I watched that game in horror because it was two weeks before that the Broncos in the drive, the drive, No, the fumble was the fumble, and so it was like I'm watching the Broncos get the doors blown off, thinking like, wait a minute, right, the Cleveland Browns could have taken this team.

So anyways, anyway, and then the first one I remember truly watching was Bengals Niners, and I'll always remember like thinking was really cool that I was watching.

With my dad.

And then the the start of the Bud Bowl. That was the first Bud Ball commercials, which I was, like as invested in the bud ball as I was him Crumbrise broken leg, which was right. They almost pulled it off Cincinnati. Anyway, mad Dog was an excellent guest. You knew he was going to be Greg. I got to say, that was incredible reporting, and it is on brand.

You took the risk to bring.

It up, you know know how it's gonna go because that was a moment and he was acknowledging Chris, So that was kind of diva behavior. He's fired up, but it was something that had to be uncovered. That's the that's the job of a true journal So I respect that.

He doesn't strike me as a guy who takes things like too personally, you know what I mean, Like he's gotta he's gotta fire back, he's gonna have.

Fun with it.

I was watching his you know, facial expression as Greg was telling that story and didn't seem to like too disturbed. It could be his last appearance on the show, and that would be I Greg.

We'll find out next year. This is an incredible sauce dog spectacular.

I mean, I wouldn't say they both had the same level of energy.

Between Sauce and Chris russeo.

But different vibes, different vibes, different people places in their lives, but both Titans and their respective genres.

All right, And by the way, what do you sstog? What are we doing? What are we doing this business? You picked.

The super Bowl before the season?

I picked it correctly.

Why are why are.

We hearing that as a comment made off the cuff in the middle of that interview. I would have loved to lead with that all week. That's that's that's branding, baby.

I mean two things. I was alerted to it.

I didn't even remember I picked that, And then people were saying, like, you know, use it as a explosive secret weapon at some point.

I could be wrong, but I think we did talk about this on the show last week.

So I don't know.

I don't believe.

Harry briefly that you mentioned perhaps, but I mean, that's a job, a job.

I also didn't know that I did.

And you know when you make those picks back in August, and so I don't cling onto them, I know, like I don't. I'm not on You're on a pic show, Greg, and like to me, it's like I made it in August.

It happened early in the morning.

So I'm still holding out hope for my Eagles Chargers banger I have.

I had Jets, which you know v nine ers.

And but again, by the transitive properties of the conversation with Sauce today, it really is kind of Jets Niners because Sauce.

Didn't even really buy into your theory.

But he said, you have to get Sauce to buy into a lot of theories.

What did we say.

He said, reality is like important or something like that. He's into reality.

That's like fair.

It was also notable that he didn't know who Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino were.

But uh, he's much younger than us, he is.

I think that's from the different world.

All right, So, so good job by you on the prediction, and we're going to have our You got to stick the landing though of course. Now now we need to know who you will pick to win the Super Bowl and we'll we'll share those picks on tomorrow's show. We're also going to have more fun guests, so just make sure you check out our Friday show, our last show before.

The super Bowl.

And and Mark, we've been concerned about your health. Of the last couple of days, it's come up in front of guests. They seem to be alarmed when they realized how close a sick person is to them. Greg and I are on some level alarmed. I know you's a big weekend. Yeah, but you are going and this is an amazing thing. You're going to NFL Honors tonight.

I do not believe I will be going to that.

I don't.

I think they're going to suit it in Buddha tonight.

Like the person I was planning to go with is also you know, in dire strait. So we will see how any of that. Well, I'll let you know. Maybe it's early in the.

Day, but if I go, if you go, I go on that early it starts in like two or three hours.

Yeah, it seems like a long shot. If I go, oh, I will file a report.

That's what we're looking for. All right, thank you everybody for listening. Like we said, we'll be back Friday, and then the weekend and then.

The big game.

We're getting closer day by day until then, you know what you gotta do.

Heat the call