SaltyDogsPodcast-MikeAlstott

tamp a day, Derek Books, Bubble spariable player. You're the national football like third as Tuck Daggers and where are you gonna wear the Super Bowl? We call them the Salty Dogs. Welcome again, Bucking your fans to the Salty Dog Podcast Number three. I'm excited. I really am, you know, excited, and you are I am, Jeffrey, Yes, and I'm I'm

excited about this. This is what's going well. It's it's interesting. Yeah, the comments that you get, especially from football people in the building, that it'll say stuff to you, so they're paying attention. I like it, or there at least pretending well. Either or they know what a salty dog is, because that's everybody keeps calling me. I'm Scott Smith. And in a little while, we're gonna have a third person on

for one of our segments. And you know, in these last couple of ones we've been we've been recording, I've been trying to decide whether or not to reveal who it was. But you know what, Jeff, they clicked on a link that says Salty Dogs with Randi Barr. Yeah, today they clicked on link that's the Salty Dogs with Mike. I saw. I saw that, and I'm a thinking, why are we holding out? So, yes, number forty, Mike all

Start's gonna trade whistles ready, Yeah, excited about talking with him. Yeah, Mike's a great friend of the franchise and of us very much. They always very much from So, Jeff, we finally have a game to talk about, uh in Miami, which has the worst radio boots in the league. And you were a witness to that because you joined our

pregame show. And probably the best line out of the whole broadcast is the U. They finally got to our end zone and Dave says, oh good, we can see the players that that is so frustrating, and you know what this is gonna come in for a question that's similar to at the end, But fans may not realize for for radio booth to be in the INDs on like that, there's a reason why they're there, and we

all know what it is. It's money because radio boosts and even press boxes with the written guys used to all be in the middle of the fifty yard line and spreading out from there. But that's premium real estate. That's where we are at Raymond James State. I know that's very good that they've kept those booths and if the Glazier family has kept us right there. But you know, from when we got in this league and everybody's press

boxes and radio boots were right around the fifty. Yet around the league they have spread out to the corners because that's mac that's great real estate for luxury suites, and it's understandable. I'm not even saying it's it's wrong, It's just is what it is. I don't have an argument with it other than just trying to do the job, because if you're looking at you can't do it down a distance. Looking down the field you can't tell if it's a two yard run or a seven yard run.

You can't tell until they until they announce it. And so it's hard to get a real ques. Especially must be hard for you guys trying to call into an immediate field for what the plague? Yeah, what what happens there is? It's it becomes more of all hands on deck. Spotters are on more. I'm talking a lot. Uh t J on the sideline, who was actually on this side can feed us how many yards? So everybody takes another role other than just what they're doing. So we did

get to see some pretty good football. We did, okay. We we liked what the quarterbacks did. Loved with the quarterbacks, every single one of them. I mean, Ryan Fitzpatrick should have been eight for eight, he was six or six. That great play to Chris Godwin. Chris Godwin like never drops the pass. He didn't really drop it. He dived and when he hit the ground, that's gonna have it popped out. Unfortunate. And then I think the last past Ronald Jones failed hold on so fits easily could have

been for eight. And I thought, I thought Jamess Winston looked really good. I thought that to me, he just seemed like he wasn't pressing. To me, he just seemed like, I'm playing football and here we go. And you all last week we talked sed about him playing with the second and third string, and I don't like to say second and third string. If you're on a football team, you're on the football team. But for now, for now, But he elevated I personally believe he elevated their play

because of the way he was thrown. You know, Fitzpatrick was very sharp and lead to scoring drives. Um I thought. The thing is so about Jamis was he made some throws that I don't think the other guys on this roster can make. I would totally agree with that, and that's that's why he's the quarterback when he comes back, I believe, because the potential for some of the stuff

that he can do. He made some I don't want you to what called stick throws or something where it's a fifteen yard past the sideline, travels in the air like thirty five yards or something like that, and he's putting it on a dime between three defenders. There was one on the right sideline. I think it might have been to a tight end. I can't remember for sure, it was just a beautiful pass. And then Ryan Griffin the game. You know that by that point it was

all reserves in the games. You have to take that with a grain of salt. But the game was not too big for him. He really managed it very well. And then he ran that two minute drill that you had to have to win the game. His reserves played better than their reserves, so you have to measure it somehow, and he did. It was less than a minute on the clock, and he ran it about a minute or saw on the half. I think moved him down was

making the calls. Didn't waste time outs, didn't waste time, got it set up for a field goal, That's all you asked. In fact, he got down there so fast that we kind of wished he had wasted more time because we had to try to run out the time so they didn't have any. So you said something just there. You said our reserves were better than their reserves, and and you meant it. And I think it's a good point,

as he made them, he elevated them. But I also think this speaks to something I wanted to bring up. I think it's fair to say, let me see if you agree. Has a buccaneer quarterback or group of quarterbacks ever had as good and as deep of a group of past catchers. I'm not talking about the back shows receivers and tit ends as we have right now. No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think so. When you go, we know what Mike ems is, we know what to Sean Jackson can do if we

can unlock that this year. And I'm Humphrey's is one of the better slot receivers in the NFL. Everybody's in love with Chris. Guy went in his potential and you still and then you've got that depth you're talking about Justin Justin Watson, Bernard ready to some extent um, Bobo Wilson, Freddie Martinea and even even the young guys like they probably won't make the team, but they played well and everybody who was called on did their job. Yeah, that's true.

That's what I like. I was looking at some of the seasons, like the best scoring season in in in Buck's history, so a good offense, right was two thousand twelve. That team had v Jacks at his height. We just got him so that's a Pro Bowl v Jacks and Mike Williams, and that's a really good start. But after that, it's like Dallas Clark Tae Kwon Underwood not ripping those guys with that's Dallas Clark at the end of his career. Two thousand was next, and that was Keyshn Johnson. Okay,

that's a good start. A lot of volume catches that year, no touch showns Jacques has Green, Rita Anthony, our friend Dave Moore. I mean, we love Dave Moore, but Jack hasn't. Ridel did not hold up to those the guys we have now. Two thousand and eight is next, and that was kind of a funky season because that was Antonio Bryant's one giant season here. But otherwise it was I Killiared at the end of his career. Michael Clayton really not at the top of his career. No, no, he

Jeremicha Stevens. Michael Clayton did well his rookie year and then kind of film never never, never went back. And Joey Gallery was on that team, but it was at the very end. He only like twelve catches. Yeah, so none of these are are matching not even you know when I think comes the closest. And this team was not known for its offense. He was known for its defense. But the Super Bowl year of two thousand two, you

had Keshan Johnson, you had Keenan McCardell. He was still very good at that point, Joe Jovisious, I was about to bring all this up, and you had decent tight ends, although somewhat later in their career, and Ken Dilger and Ricky Dudley. That's getting closer, but I don't think it stands up to what we got right now. And you had you still had Michael start in there, so it gave you well, yeah, I specifically said three but receivers,

but I mean a running game helps your passing. And Michael Pittman was a great pass catching back and he was on this team. So that's the one part the reason I was kind of cherry picking there, because you are running backs right now are pretty much a unproven group, especially in the passing game. So yeah, there's some of these teams had better pass catching backs for sure, like two thousand two with Michael Pittman. And I'd like to say last week I was spot on about our our

corners are don't worry about our cornerbacks at all. You don't need to worry about it. And who goes out on the first series, Yes, and that's a shame because because he's been practicing and he looked good. Yeah, and then it was a rough go of it for Ryan Smith who came in to replace him. But the rookies got in after that and they looked good again. Carlton Davis and m J. Stewart and even Jordan White had m Jay's Stewart is he's that's your guy. Yeah. I think he's gonna be my guy. He kind of like

Godwin on the other side. Just yeah, just uh, I saw Okay. So we've been raving and raving and raving for good reason about Carlton Davis. But there was a playing practice yes Monday, I was in jury duty Monday, continue I was watching and they did um they did Skelly, which is basically like seven on seven red zone, so there's no pass rush, and they were only doing half lines, so you're only using half the field. You had three receivers or three pass catchers sometimes tight ends or whatever,

and it's a half field thing. So it's pretty tighten. There these drills without defensive linemen favor of the offense because there's no pressure on the quarterback. But in this case, it's kind of compacted and it's it's running kind of combination routes and quick stuff. The first one, I don't remember who was in the slot or closest to the quarterback, but on the outset was was Mike Evans and he was matched up against Carlton Davis and just a good

matchup because there's a size there. And I was standing with some of our fine communications slash PR guys and I don't remember which Jack group, and uh, I don't don't remember which one, so I can't give him credit for it. But he's like, well, Mike Evans. It's like, that's gonna be Mike Evans because we' guessing where they're gonna throw it. And yeah, I mean, Mike, listen, Carlton Davis has been great, but the rookie is not gonna be great on every play. And Mike beat him very

thoroughly and was back in the end zone. It wasn't even like a contested one that he usually has to do. But see, I think that's good because that gets him to learn more. But it also was nice to see Mike Evans and know what kind of weapon you have there, So I think we know what kind of weapon we have. Here's another thing from the game that wasn't great. The kicker are new kicker missed an extra point and missed a fifty three yard field goal. But here's the difference.

We can have a kicker have a bad not bad just so so Dame. I mean, you don't necessarily a fifty three yard or isn't a hugely high percentage one. And he made the game winner, and he made another one his kickoffs. Kickoffs were pretty good. Um, but it wasn't an awesome debut. But we can watch that happen and not get this impending sense of doom that's it's going to employ immediately. I mean, I'm not worried about Chandler Katon's are in the next game, isn't my point.

The funniest line of the broadcast was at the half when t J was talking to Dirt Cutter and going through how everybody played, and as the interview ended, Dirt said, well, we got the missed extra point out of the way, that's right, and walked were just boomed, Mike drop and walked away, and I was like, Okay, right now, we don't have to worry about it because we already had it and they'll make all the rest of him. We certainly could happen. One other thing that happened in a

game that I want to call back to our last episode. Um, we talked about some of the new rules and the diving rule, and I was kind of complaining about it. It was called in that game on a second in something near the goal line. Uh, Fitzpatrick scrambled and uh he the first time. I would have been at the one, and he dived and appeared to get to the two, and in the old rules he would have been credited

for the two. But they actually spotted the ball back at the four because that's where he began his dive. I know this is yet another rule based on player safety. So I get that, and if that's what the league of the players want to do, fine, but I don't like it. I think a guy should have the option to dive for yardage as maybe not so much during a preseason game, but most definitely during a game and

the playoffs. I mean he should have he said, the option, which means if you can't have the rule because you can't go, well, this time I'm diving for yards, but this time I'm diving to give myself up. They have to call everyone like they're diving to give themselves up. But if you're a quarterback and you know the first downs of the one, you're diving to try to get there, a lot of guys will do that. Now Fitz says, he dies because he can't slide. He's terrible sliding, so

he would have been diving anyway. And of course then they take the risk of getting hit. But that's the risk you take if you are desperate for those two yards. What if this two yards? What if it was fourth down and he had to get there and he dives, They're gonna take it back. There's gonna be an ugly situation like that, and I'm not gonna I'm raising myself for it already and I don't like it, and it's not gonna take long. I agree. All right, Well, alright,

we cover everything I think we did. We go to Nashville, so uh, as you're listening to this, we're probably already in nash right because we should yesterday. Yeah, we'll practice with the team. Um and uh, well not us, but practicing with the Titans. So that's exciting. That's that's a good, good experience. I like when we do stuff like that. Yeah, I mean, as Brent Grimes said today, is like, no, I don't really like it because I don't like living in a hotel for a week. But I mean it's

still small. It's like, wait, I always like what Brett Grimes was talking about where he can't sit still, and you know that's true, right, I proved he proved me right from another podcast. Go back to the first podcast. I didn't remember that. Yes, good job. Yeah, he's the guy who's on the sideline kicking a football up in there like it's a soccer ball. Always find very good

at by the way, always find time to play. As he says, yes, yeah, he deales say that he should be the play sixty spokesman for the NFL because he says it on his own. All right, that's enough about what's going on. Now. We're gonna come back here in a second and talk about since we're playing Tennessee, maybe

a few Tennessee memories. There's not a lot because I'm playing with a ton uh and then we're gonna get to Mike all Style, which is probably what a lot of people who were waiting for to finish up with your questions. So we'll be back in just a minute the Salty Dogs. All right, welcome in once again to These Salty Dogs Podcast. This is the part of the show where we hey, you remember that when that happened? And since we're gonna be talking about the Tennessee Titans,

this is gonna be a very short segment. We've only played them eleven times and we've only beat him twice, and one was before we got here. I think, well you might have seen it. I think it was in the eighties. Well, now I I my memory of of that was it wasn't at that game, but it was in the nineties. Uh, with Sam White's the head coach. We played at the um Astro Dome. We did. That must have been because I didn't think is before then? Well you said the nineties? What it was the nineties?

I got here two, okay, so it had to be. When did when did they go to Tennessee? They didn't go until n start bring. They didn't go until later. This was this was under trust me, I do trust you this is one of these. This is one of these check marks. I mean, I trust you in regards to this. I don't want to make a blanket statement. Trust I understand the astrodome. Check did a game in the aster I wouldn't remember if I went to the Astrodome, you don't, you know? I dope? So maybe well ninety

one was Richard Williamson. Yeah, Sam, you said, Sam White and I got here sandwich. I don't know either one of our failing not mine. I don't know. I remember stadium, remember, I remember Statius, but we lost that game. No, I think we won that game. I can't remember, but I just I just remember how cool looking it was. Earl Campbell there, No like I was trying to catch you. I know I figured you did. But what's funny in Pastorini? Uh no, no, but you know Dan Pastorini quit playing

football and then he became a drag racer. Did you know that? There? You and that's a driver drag racing. I just want to make sure cars things like it's a new day and age. I don't know. I want to be um. But my story is as big as the astro Dome is, because it's still there. Next to the new stadium. I don't know what it's called now, because it was Reliant before and now it's something else in Houston g Year centergy or something. It's like a it looks like it's the shed for for that new stadium.

That's the only thing, and the only other thing I remember about playing Tennessee is we were ahead and we lost in the fourth quarter, and I was miserable in the rain. Sorry to make you relive that in the rain, he said in the Astra Dome. No, this was This was the only other memory I have a playing tennant being. Okay, maybe it's the same game. No it's not. No, no, I'm saying, is the one I'm about to talk Yeah, in Tennessee. Oh no it's not. Then remember that one.

This one was from This is really my only vivid memory of playing against Tennessee. I mean, we beat him in in two thousand seven. I vaguely remember that with Jeff Garcia, and I think we had I think Joey Galloway had a long touchdown. Okay, but in the season, was you remember that it kind of went off the rails a little bit in the middle, and we ended

up eight and eight. Playoffs, UM three game losing streak, all close games in the middle of the first one was Tennessee and John Lynch was out for the game, and it made all the difference in the world because they ran the ball up and down the field on us for like two or fifty yards, but seventy one of those yards I remember the number. Seventy one came on a Steve McNair the quarterback. The quarterback scrambled for seventy one yards for a touchdown. Do you remember that, Yes,

it wasn't. It was like third and eight and we had a chance to get the ball back, only down by two, and he play action, which is not really believable on third and eight in the first place. In turns was right and one of our alignement is there, I don't remember who, and so he cuts up and now always off and we've got we must have eight guys dive at him, and everybody just misses or they're diving and hitting each other, and he runs seventy one yards for the quarterback in the ice the game. I

do remember. That wasn't a good minute. That was a crazy season two because coming off the nineties seven season, finally making into the playoffs have winning a playoffs right, going to Green a lot of expectations, and we were in the thick of things, back and back and back, and then um, last game of the year was Cincinnati. We beat him like touchdowns and we were flying home and uh, this is when we would have little TVs and you would have to change the channel depending on

what's what state you're flying over. The game that everybody's trying to get. Yeah, it was the Arizona game. Jake Snake uh okay, and Jake the Snake drove him down and a winning field goal took us out of the playoffs. It went from cheers and cheers in the airplane to dead silent, right because even in eight and eight Affarizona last we would have made the playoffs on a tiebreaker over them, and then I think they went on to beat Dallas. So that was that was weird. But these

are a very good memory. So let's quit this. Remember the wind segment, Well we can, I mean, but the problem is it depends on what team we're p right. No, I mean today, I don't mean get rid of it total, Oh you'll made it, you made it. Just let's just move on from no, don't get rid of it. Okay, No, we gotta give the fan. We gotta show them. We don't know anything about this one there, we have no memories of them. We're making well, we made some memories

every decent. We'll make some now, all right, So let's end this and let's get to Michael Stale. Let's get right to my the Salty Dogs. All right, Bucking your fans, welcome back into the Salty Dog Podcast. Here. I'm Scott Smith and I'm Jeff Ryan, and we have a guest with us now. Um, you know, it's a short history of the Saltydogs Podcast, but this is maybe our most exciting guests yet, right, and I haven't talked to this

guy in a long time. Get out your train whistles and and make your bouncing off tackles sound effects, because joining me now is the a train Mike call stop. Mike's thanks so much for being with us. How are you doing, guys, great? Great, thanks for having me. First of all, oh, well, you know, Buck fans are gonna love it, so we'll talk to you about training camp stuff like that. But first, you know, Buck fans, no, Mike all said, is, as you know, a train and

all that. But right now, Michael Start is a head coach at Northside Christian. You've been doing that for I guess seven years, and now how much do you actually like being a head coach? At this point? I enjoy it, I really did. Um I do. And it all started just coaching, be an assistant coach and in Breck football, and then I tried one year of being assistant and uh, you know, becoming the head coach at north Side fell

in my lap, and uh, I've enjoyed it. You know, my kids go to school there, My girls go to school there, so I get to see them, be around them, and you know, I got to coach my son, and I got to coach a whole bunch of kids that became sons, and you know, it's just, uh, it's great and uh and in every way, you know, it's just not about football. It's more about you know, life and you know, and trying to help them make decisions and have them grow up, to help them mature and be young,

be young adults. Getting involved was it part because Griffin wanted to play some football and it gave you an opportunity to to get closer with your with your oldest son. Yeah. You know, it's funny. He didn't want to play at first, and we weren't making him, and uh, when he's a sixth grade he's like his best friend was playing. So he's like, hey, Dad, I want to play. I want to play football. And I'm like, well, and he was. He was playing baseball, baseball, baseball, And you know how

that goes. You know, once you get in a baseball season, you really practice, you play more games and practice, and I'm like, well, it's totally different. You know, you're gonna practice you know, nine percent of time and you're gonna play, you know, on the field one percent, especially in wreck football. Right. So, um, you know he liked it. And now he's at Western Michigan being the quarterback over there and uh doing well. Yeah,

that's exciting, very exciting. Well, Mike, if you if you were if we were to rewind about fifteen years at this time of year, you'd be right in the middle of training camp. Instead of running the guys through the paces, somebody be running you through the paces. What are your memories of training camp? Do you look back finally at that part of the year in any given season, or was it just getting through it. No, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed training camp. Um, yeah, it was a grind,

but you know it was. It was especially when we we're in um Disney World over at the White and Rold Sports that there was you know, there was some bonding, a lot of bonding, camaraderie, building and stuff like that, and and it was I guess when his training camp is real when you had practices and full pads every day, right twice a day, I have to agree with you, Mike. I thought to being at UT was was unique. Being

at Disney was a great bonding experience. And now doing what ten well, we've been in the building ten years, so we started hearing to the okay, so almost yeah, almost a decade, yeah almost, it's yeah, and the new one yeah, and each one has its own unique experience. But my favorite is when we were at Wide World

of Sports. And you're right. What I liked about it is that we were there for so long and it gave an opportunity, like a guy like me to be able to make relationship with players, mainly because we all ate in the same place breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And after about a week you were looking for someone new to talk to. Everybody got to know everyone, and you didn't have somewhere just to get up and go and

go somewhere else, you know what I mean. You're always at each other and um, you have time to study harder, watch more film, do all that stuff. I don't know what they do now, do they They're still sending hotels? Yeah, yeah they do. But you know, obviously they just had the one practice in the morning and then they get breaks and they have meetings. But it's and it's probably for the best in terms of player safety, but it's

definitely a lot less grueling. No, No, I get it, you know at times of change and life changes and stuff like that. But you know, it was just just being a way, I guess, being a way of and nobody wants to be away from their family for four weeks and stuff like that. But you know it's for you to focus and concentrate and build a championship team that you know, that's what That's what we did, you know what I mean. Yeah, we use use the word camaraderie and um, and not just in camp, but I'm

sure that was existence all throughout the season. A subset of that maybe a little bit of um when you sort of messed around with your teammates and little pranks. We had Dave Moron last week, and I have a feeling that some of your stories might overlap with him because you guys are partners in crime at time there an you have those old behind the scenes pranks that fans wouldn't know about it. You remember, finally geez that you can share. Uh, there's a lot of stuff. There's

a lot of stuff about cars. He did the one about Jeb Terry taking the hood off the truck. He did that one. Yeah, that's that's a pretty good one. So Paul Paul Kelly, yes, right hand man two Gruden. They were messing with me and they put a stick around my light and plate and stuff like that, and there remember that we would always do that, do pranks

and stuff like that. And uh. But anyway, so for me to get him back, so meat and they came in at like four o'clock in the morning, five o'clock in the morning something like that, and um sitting on Ana Paul Kelly's range rover, jacking it up and boutill Paul the tires and uh, he comes out the back door of the weight room and says that I got you guys put it back. Huh Franks, and you guys you got woke up, you guys woke up so early,

and blah blah. So every day he used to park his car in a different spot and at around the facility and all that's the new Buccaneers facility. And so one day he pulled it into them the owner's lot. When we got into the owner's lot, right, and then we put that thing. No excuse me, he parked it one time. We couldn't get in there, but he parked on the other side of the owner's lot and we

found it. So long story, sure, we put it on blocks, and we hang his tires from the goal post, and then I guess, uh, um, the GM says, hey, look out the window. That's pretty hilarious. And he realized this his tires and stuff like that. But just stuff like that. You know, we always kept it, you know, for real around there, and uh, everybody's head on this level. I don't think I would have messed with you guys, you and Dave, because I would have expected it to come

back twice as hard. The my personal experience, I'm sure you'll remember this Mike, when we were in Philadelphia the first go round and we were on the field and you and I had a discussion about my beard. Yes, oh yeah, you've been waiting to tell this. I was saving this story for while it's actually guest. You're the guest, so you tell your version of the story, and then

I'm gonna tell mine. Okay, he wants, all right, my My version of the story was we were in Philadelphia and I think we were five and one was our record. We were playing really really well. And this was before social media, this was before uh NFL network would be on the field early. Mike used to go to the go to the stadium really early, like like US broadcasters did the set up. But then we would all meet on the field and we would goof around on the field, try to you know, snap a ball and hit the

goal put. Yeah, just just bonding and entertaining, just having a conversation. And and Mike was talking and he looked at me and he goes, hey, how long have you had your beard? And I said, oh, gosh, long time. Mike. He goes everything about shaving it off. Nah, no, I don't, I don't think about that, and he goes, uh, how about if the Bucks go to the super Bowl And I said, oh, well, I'll go to a goatee. And Mike goes, Okay, well when we go to the super Bowl,

you're you're your your beard's coming off. You're gonna be wearing a goatee, and uh I said yeah. And I didn't think anything of it until the Philadelphia game and when Ronde Barber is running down probably the best moment in buccaneer hisstor me, I'm thinking, oh jeez, I gotta shave my beard, and uhum. On the flight back. On the flight back, Jeff Christie and Mike wanted to hold me down and shave my beard on the airplane, and I said, Mike, Mike, I promise, I'll do it. I'll

do it. And and the next day when we were flying out to San Diego, as I was walking on the tarmac, Mike had a camera and he saw that I had taken it down to a goatee. And he probably still has video on what's your version. It's totally accurate. And I remember that start coming together now and every time you see me, you go, I've made you a much better looking boy, because you've you've kept a look everything I have. I'm staring you right now. I know

it's crazy. It's your signature looking, yeah it is, it is, but but all because of uh. And the hardest part was, um, you know, trying to get it done before we went to San Diego. But you know, I think, you know, it's like you tell that story and I tell the other stories and stuff like that, and I don't know how it is now, but you know, I enjoyed, you know,

the NFL. You know, obviously being inside the Grand Iron playing and doing all the things, but those little stories behind the scenes and hanging out not just with football players, but you know, the whole the whole organization. Everybody was great in my time, and uh, you know, I got stories for everyone and stuff like that. But you know that's uh never some good days. Yeah, yeah, well I'll never forget it. I still laugh every time I see you and I think about it, and every time we

play Philadelphia. That is my initial thought of not Rande barbera running back, but you're all, well, I was really excited he was running back, but I was thinking, oh, and then I honestly the only other thing with Mike that I totally enjoyed. Was flying back after the Super Bowl win, going over Raymond James Stadium and Mike and Jeff Christie were sitting on the other side of the plane and as the plane tilted they wanted to see the stadium, and he came up where I was sitting.

And when you have Mike Alstad and Jeff Christie smashing you to look out the window, you'll never forget that. I remember, I remember that, Jeff. I remember that that plane felted. We saw, we saw that the lights on. That was incredible. One more question, Mike before you go. Last week we had we're reading a question from a fan, that's what we do at the end of this podcast, and he want to know about a player that we

have right now named Alan Cross. And he said, do you think Alan Cross could be They could use him in a role like Michaels. No, I mean, he's not that type of player. But my question for you, Mike is if you were coming into this league right now with the exact same skill set that you came in the league in, do you think there's a team that would give you the same sort of role or has a game changed? You know, I'm not sure. Um, it's changed so much. Huh. I mean it's just uh play

with the fullback anymore. Yeah, and it's more it's more of an H back a little bit. Now. It's kind of like doing a whole little circle, isn't it. Yeah? Would they view you as an H back and not really give you the chance to prove that you're a tailback in the NFL? Essentially, I don't know. I don't know, And you know, I see you know the Bucks now, I mean all their running backs are pretty pretty um

you know, Nick, They're they're smaller. It's hard. They don't have the bigger back combinations time with me and work done, do they. Well, Peyton Barber's got a little thickness to him, Um, but he's the main one. But we don't have and we don't even have a fullback position on the rosterroom. Fact, if a guy like Austin Johnson, who played fullback in Orleans, comes here, they just call him a tight end and

make him run with the tight ends. Oh yeah, So if we're gonna do a late lead back, it's going to be a tight end servant is basically like an H back. Yeah, that's to go to linebacker. I guess, well that would be that that'd be fun to watch.

You know. It's just right before I even came in, I think it was you know, the warn Moon era where they just had to run and shoot right right, and they didn't have the they didn't have the fullback, and then the little trend went to the full back a little bit, and then um, now they're getting a little bit out into the tetel back type of things, more scantier baths and stuff. So you know that's kind

of went with with fruiting and stuff. But uh, you know, I don't follow that much as much as far as who's got what and stuff like that, but um, yes, it's it's different. It's just weird how it it all comes froll circle though. Yeah, I tend to think that they'd find a role for you. I mean, yeah, I was just gonna say he's hand the wall and say run and and you know the words of all start up to gut will live forever. Alright, that's a good way to end it, I think. Yeah. Well, best in

the cale, best of the family. Thanks for taking time out of your busy, busy day to to join us. Thanks guys, pret should save me. Are you talking to you guys? All right, Mike, thanks the Salty Dog. Alright, we're back here on the Salty Dogs Podcast. We just had Mike all stud on. That was fun. That's jeff Ryan's voice. I'm Scott Smith. Maybe we can give him a come on like every like four or five weeks. Yeah. Yeah, he's such down to earth. He's no airs. Yeah, he's

very very busy. But I mean even as a player, he was just he always I did a lot of different things with Mike uh, a lot of appearances and and he was always you know, just yeah, where you want me to get a good guy? That family stuff he was talking about, you know how he said that's what he remembers and cherishes. That's true. I remember him saying that when he retired, that that's what he was gonna miss. Dave said that. Dave Moore said that last week.

It's amazing I missed the guys. I don't miss all this other stuff. Right, all right, um, let's get to your questions. That's what we do here on the last segments. This is always hard. Well, this is tough for you, Jeffy, because I I I get these questions. Cheating I mean I have to read them. I have to vet them. Okay, we've been talking for about twenty five minutes. Not one time have you slid that piece of paper over here and said, oh, by the way, we questions. I understand,

but go ahead. I'm good, I'm good on my feet. I am like it. You're gonna have to prove that now, all right, So we have three of them. Do you think we have questions? We get questions this week? I think we did. Yes, we did. We got three of them. I'm hoping that number goes up every week, so you can send us questions. Salty Dogs s A L T Y D O G s at Buccaneers dot NFL dot com. We love them. We want to read your questions in the year. Um, you can have fun with it. You can.

You can. You can make fun fun of Jeff and his goatee if you want you to participate. This is this is a two ways these are good here, okay, Um, salty dogs great espect These are good too. Because they compliment means the question is going to be there's a butt coming. No. No, I'm saying they compliment us, and so I understand. But after they compliment you they go, but no great podcast so far. Thank you. My question is who would you say is the strongest guy on

the team this year? Or thank you Matt Jaspin go bucks and wait before you answer that. He also has some advice for you, specifically because you're the technical guy. Here. Quick suggestion. I like hearing you in the podcast with music on episode two. I think you should continue with that. That was your addition last time, but have the music play and have it gradually fade out to silence. He wants he wants he wants a tail out. Yeah, I didn't know he wants a tail out. That means something

different to me. There was one. The tail out was sufficient tail It's about two seconds, So we will, we will. Let's get these tail out tail outs, right. It's basically a personal preference. My preference was the ended soon. But I am a team players. Well, I mean Matt, Matt has spoken alright. You know, Matt does have to understand that. You know, when I say the key word, it's over. So whether there's a music or that was your alright, So you got any answers here? The strongest, wrongest guy

on the team right now? Wow needs help. I think it DeMar Dotson as being a strong guy just because he's big. Yeah, I don't know if this question means overall or pound per pound. I think I've got an answer for both. I did a little asking around in the building. I'm gonna answer the questions longest around the building. Then this is the poll I took. As long as the fans are getting the information, appreciate Evan Smith. Evan Smith heard that repeatedly. He is a big dude. I mean, no, no,

but but yes, I can. I can see that he drives a really cool car too. I didn't know that he drives a fifty seven Chevy that's been customer. I know when he leaves. I can hear it from my office. I know the sound of that car. You probably had one at one point. Wow, you're just really it's just alright. I could swear on this podcast so because you well that's true too, but I would I think since you didn't have an answer on your own, and you went with with with Evans, I'd go with the same thing.

I would. Okay, well, then maybe pound for pound, And I didn't know this. I know he's a great player. Lavante David d is apparently well yeah, but I'm just saying, you're comparing these guys. How do you know a guy is strong? Well, it's in the weight room. Okay, let's see that. I mean, I don't hang out. Yeah, we don't hang it. That's why I asked. Yeah, but I thought it'd be kind of creepy to stay there in the weight room. We didn't work out. Perhaps tomorrow I

will be doing that to check that. All right, next week, I'll give you a little advanced warning that question. But that's good. Right. But but because you're especially salty Salty Dog, no I I I can appreciate not knowing the questions. It makes it a little more fun for me. But

I do like what you're saying. I would say, I would say that, so those two guys are all right, You're you're not gonna have any problem with this, okay, ahoy, Scott and Jeff getting the nautical theme in there first and foremost go Bucks with with the regular season right around the corner, I always have a hard time quenching my Bucks thirst. So I just binged too, Salty Dog episode. Cool, Thanks,

it helps, You're welcome. I started going to Bucks games fortunately to catch some games at the big Sombrero, which was what everybody used to call it tamp Stadium, and that was the last year of tamp Stadium. Can you guys talk about what you remember from that time if you remember, sorry, bad age joke. Yeah that is a bad age joke. Yeah, I'm not gonna read this question anymore. So was he a memory out of when the Glaciers bought the team in Hillsroe County built a new stadium.

What effect did that have on the culture? If any cheers Bobby Munster, who I happened to email back and he apparently lives in California, but it still season taken care What effect it had on me personally or what I think? You can answer both ways? What was the culture? How the culture change? I think the culture was changing even before the stadium was right because the Glaciers bought. Because the Glaziers bought the team, they had a plan, they had an agenda. They bought the team. It went

one year, um, and that was under Sam. After that year was over with, they decided to make changes, UM, so they bought it seven uniforms Stadium Champion actually actually was the new stage. Yeah, UM, But ninety seven was fun because you could after the ninety six season, you could see the team coming together and you and as a fan, you had to say, wow, you know this, this is something we haven't seen before since the late seventies.

And a lot of fans don't remember the great defenses in the lates because they were well that's true, but that that was something that the organization, as a Buck fan would hang their hats on from worse the first and seventy nine. So you take seventy nine and ninety seven, you flip the numbers. Now you start there you go. So now you started thinking that this could be pretty good.

And as the team, as the team played better and better, the stadium filled up more and more, and then you had that electricity and then you could see where the new stadium was going in. Also, that was the first year of the new uniforms. Yes, so my answer to this question would be in terms of what remembered and

how the culture. It was a sense of relief once once the Community Investment Tax passed and we knew they were going to build stadium, we knew for sure that the team was going to stay here, and that was a big relief because there was concerns that they could be moved out of our Lando or something like. I was involved in a I don't know if I don't know if you remember this, but all TV stations in Tampa Bay we did a rally at at the stadium.

It was live on TV and UM. It was to help promote the have sent sales tax, to bring the fans together to and and this is I know you're gonna you're gonna go b s on me on this, but this a true story. When Hillsborough County voted to do the half sent sales tax, we moved to Hillsboro County. You, yes, just to help the clause. Well, because I wanted to keep my job. I do whatever I had to. And

then I was working for a radio station. But but yeah, well we we were looking to build somewhere, and we in Hillsborough County and and we eventually we moved in. Actually we uh built the house in a very small way, so I was hoping. So but yes, I think that I think people forget how how much had to change and and everybody has to remember that there are other cities wanting a team. And that was the beginning of stadiums being built in UM Baltimore and they got a team.

But but they were all yeah, but they had the plans for those new stadiums, all of that new stadium So that was a pretty electrifying time. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, and I'm gonna check it out, hopefully, uh, we'll tease a little bit. Hopefully we'll we'll of Tony Dungee next week. Um, it might be a couple of weeks or a few weeks, So I ring a honor. I'm sorry to ring a honor, but I think I read somewhere and in my discussions with him, I think

he said the nineties seven season was his most fun season. Really, Yeah, right this down because I'm gonna gonna make sure we get that. I understand. Don't worry. The people who listen to this podcast have no problem calling me out. So yeah, you know that was fun. It was a five and old start to the season and return the playoffs on that. So, UM, one more question, let's just get to it. We could go on and on about a couple of years. Am

I answering too long? Should? No? No, I'm staying. I want to make sure we get this last one by a guy who actually got a question in the first podcast, David Harrison, so thanks for sending in another one. Scott and Jeff no old jokes appreciate that. Thank you guys are killing it though on this new podcast. My question is this, what's the best part of your jobs? And wanted something about your jobs, good or bad that people

outside your field would be surprised to learn. Asking for a friend, hopefully let you guys keep this up, go bucks. The best part of my job is I don't feel like I go to work I am doing I am doing something that I've always wanted to do, and not necessarily sports, because I started my career off as a disc jockey. From being a disc jockey, I went to

an air personality because that's what you called them. From that, I launched a sports station and well from that, I um got involved running the Bucaneer Radio network, and then I launched a sports station. So I'm able to do my love of being on the radio and having a

good time and then my love for sports. And it's extra special for me because that's how my father and I connected was because of sports, and we went to many many different sporting goods and um, I always appreciated the time, my dad was in the broadcast booth and got to see what I did, and so so I would say that that, um, nobody in my family cares about sports, so they don't care about my well, my family people don't care about my My brother still asked me,

sore you're coming for Christmas dinner. I mean, he just they don't They just don't understand. But I got one more bit. I like, I enjoy the relationships with the players, not because they're players, but as people. Yeah, yeah, it's good when you get those you don't get those relations one of them, but um, mind is really it's kind of dumb. But I just it's so much fun when we win. Yes, you know, so that's and then the locker room afterwards and everybody's having such a good time.

But I will say this, uh, after a win, after a win. But but I will say doing a game, a broadcast game when the team isn't winning, makes you a better broadcaster because you're working harder to bring entertainment value to everybody because when you win, the stories fall in your lap. But still it's more fun when we win. The question is what you like about it? And then

the last part, what would surprise people out our job. Uh, when we fly on these team planes, if you wanted to, you could gain five hundred pounds because they I don't think we'll have any idea. They are constantly bringing food up and down the meals and ice cream and backs and candy. You don't get candy going up, so that's right,

trying to keep it healthy on the way up. Yeah, before the game, but coming back it's an unbelievable smart sport of food you kind of have to pass on like s yes, because they have they have food at the stadium for the team. You could grab a box. You could grab because you need to eat on the bus as you're driving to the air. This is probably very important for players because they need to refuel a

lot and immediately, but it's not important for us. And then walking up the plane, you have a sandle you can grab. You sit down and filet on the way out and then they ask you if you need But yes, you do have to watch your you do have to. I'm good for a fifteen pound games this season. I have to fight to get it off. But I will say this, Yeah, I'm with you, I'm with you. I will say this it's a cool job. It's fun and um, I'm not gonna say i'd do it for free, but

you know what I'm saying. It's a good job, all right. This part's fun too. I like this. I'm enjoying this. Well, I'm kind of I'm doing full circle because as long as you're going full circle, want to take us off. We'll see you next week. And since you did, thanks for listening.