The Dave Pasch Podcast - Mina Kimes

and Hila River Hotels and Casinos. You can follow along on Twitter at pash pod for information on future guests. Today we talk with a groundbreaking broadcaster, Mina Kimes, full time NFL analyst at ESPN. Mina has had a really interesting and unique path to ESPN. Her background includes playing soccer at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, Arizona. There are also parts of her life that have nothing to do with sports, particularly in her profession, and we'll get into that.

We will, of course get into Mina's thoughts on the NFL, the NFC West, and the Arizona Cardinals. Plus a tweet from Mina about Kyler Murray and Rondale Moore that went viral. So here she is ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes. So, Mina, First of all, you have ties to Arizona. I'm curious about your journey here. You moved around a lot when you were young. How did you get to Arizona? What did you think of it? When you lived here? You went to high school in Gilbert, and then why'd you leave?

So I moved to Arizona right before high school from Virginia. Had not lived here, and it was because my dad had retired from the military and got a job working for Lucky Martin in Arizona, so we moved here. I'd lived in a sillion places on account of the military thing, but I had never lived in the Southwest, and as a kid, I think I I liked it. It was very different from Virginia, Michigan, Washington, Nebraska where I was born. You know, the desert isn't really unlike anywhere else. But

but but I love it. And like you said, I lived in Gilbert, went to Mesquite High School, which at the time was very new ago Wildcast has now been around for a minute. I guess, however, a old I am. But yeah, So when people ask me where I'm from. I often tell them Arizona because m Davis where I lived the longest, and I only left to go to college, So I don't give away your age and say when you went there, were the Were the Cardinals good when

you were in high school? Uh? Yeah, yeah, we were talking. My brother and I were talking about that with the Sun's success, because um, it had been so long since. Uh we weren't Sweden grew up Suns fans, but we were thinking back to kind of a different Arizona sports teams. And there is also peaked Diamond back years while I was there. But yeah, you know, some ups and downs, I'll put that way. Were you a Cardinal fan? Because

I know now you're a Seahawk fan. Were you always a Seahawks fan or was there a time where you rooted for the Cardinals when you lived here? Yeah? I was always Seattle fan. So that's not just Seahawks, Mariners, University of Washington. My brother went to a sc by the way, but yeah, Sonics when I was very young and Seahawks from day one. Did you know when you

were young that you wanted a career in sports. We'll get into a little bit you know, the transition you made from a non sports field to a sports field, still in journalism, but totally different things you were covering. Were you a big sports fan, did you play sports? Did you want a career in sports when you're growing up? So? I played soccer growing up, and I played soccer at Mesquite High school actually, but now I never thought I would work in sports as an analyst or even a reporter.

I wanted to be a writer growing up, and that's why I do. Out of college. You know, worked as a business journalist, but I had I'd never planned on working in sports or even football. It was just a hobby and a passion of mine. And I knew about the business journalist background fortune in Bloomberg, right, that's where you work, that's right, prior to coming to ESPN. So

how did you like, How did that come about? Going from being a business journalist to not only being a journalist in the sports field, but now being an analyst, being an ESPN NFL analyst. Yeah, so ESPN the magazine, which I think is the same more. But they approached me and when I was at Bloomberg News an investigative reporter, and asked if i'd be interested in kind of doing the same thing, writing features and calm, but writing about sports.

They knew I had an interest in football because I had written a personal essay about football and all my social media was football football stuff, so I decided to make the leap after they hit me up. And then a couple of years into writing about football, I started doing podcasting and radio really about football, fantasy football, and that's sort of how I made the transition from writing to being also an opinionator at ESPN, panelists on Around

the Horn and shows like that. And then I guess it was just a year ago switched full time from doing a mixture of kind of everything to just doing NFL Live, which is our daily NFL show, and then doing my own football podcast, which is which has been around for a while, but you know, it's been a

focus of mine now since then. How was it received? Look, do I want to get in doors Burke in a second is a great frint of word with her forever, and in talking with her over the years, you know there's times where you know her success wasn't received well by a lot of people. I am curious because you're the first ESPN NFL analysts who happens to be a female. How was it received. I'm sure on social media you get a mix, but you know, in terms of players coaches,

like what kind of feedback did you get? You know, I would say this is a pretty big gap between players, coaches, and people in the industry, and then social media people are geting their opinions, often without names and faces that you know, I've for the most part, really had great relationships and feedback because I find, especially covering football, you know, most people in arnously are just excited to talk about

the sport. And if you're passionate about hues and o's and learning about the game and talking about it beyond just you know, the hot takes, but kind of digging into the game on a more granular level, I think people are really receptive to that, and that's always been my approach to it and why I love talking about it.

It's such a completed sport, there's always room to grow and learn, and I, yeah, the reception has been great even and for me, you know, I've learned a lot on the fly, because not not just about the sport, but about doing analysis on television, getting to do commentary. I work with the Rams in the preseason. So I guess I really am going all around the West these days.

But yeah, for me, a lot, a lot of the last couple of years, a few years have been spent just learning those skills and not really learning the sport, but learning how to talk about it in different ways. What was it like on social media for you? You know, I look at it sometimes, but I also am pretty deliberate about not looking at it too much, which I think is something a lot of people are in industry

have kind of. It's a process for all of us and also people who play the sport and play any professional sport, but covering it is can be such a time stuck, right if you spend a lot of time looking at it and I guess listening to it. So, you know, as i've I think my job has grown, and I guess the number of people tchirving has grown. I think I actually can weirdly look at it less and less. The only times my social media blows up two times working with Bill Walton for whatever reason, it

just blows up. And then doing a college football game either in the SEC or at Ohio State, Michigan or Clemson, like you get, I'm so much hate, I just try to ignore it. So I can only imagine, like what it's like when you're talking about the NFL, and you're talking about it every day, how many people on Twitter that you know just realize, Hey, I've got a free shot here at me. At times, I'm gonna take it

because there's, you know, no repercussions. I think college football fans are actually way more on the Internet and NFL I'll say that. That's the impression I get, but that of every sport, every and in a certain fan bases, you just mentioned a couple of them where they are very I think active would be the nicest way to put it online. So I mentioned Doris earlier. So I've been with the Cardinals. Is my twentieth year and a ESPN for well two thousand and three. This will be

my eighteenth college football season coming up. Just finished my fifteenth year on the NBA and a lot of those years doing NBA. Doris has been an analyst with me. I've done games with her college basketball. We did WNBA together, not just at ESPN, but I remember when I was doing games at Syracuse, I would drive down to New York City and do Liberty games on the radio for MSG Radio and Doris was the analyst. And this was in the late nineties. So I've known Doris for twenty

five years. I've kind of watched her ascension. We're really good friends. I have so much respect for her. I've always said this, and I said this, you know, fifteen twenty years ago, that I felt Doris is as good an analyst as anybody on any sport in our business. What kind of an impact And I don't know if you know Doris or have talked Doris at all, but I'm just curious, you know, what kind of an impact

has she had on your career? Yeah, well, I think Doris has impacted a lot of women in our field no matter what you do, whether you know, because she's also held a lot of different roles. But for me personally, the work she's done as an analyst has been not only really inspiring and fun to watch and educational. I just absolutely love when whenever I tune into a game and hear her, I love I love it because I know I'm gonna I'm gonna learn something, and she's such

a good communicator. But you know, just kind of normalizing that role, I think for me. You asked a little bit about the feedback I get, and a lot of it. I think sometimes it's just surprised and people say, thinking you know something. I hear a lot as people say, well who wrote that or where are you reading it? It's like, no, I'm not a I'm not reading a proptor to. But I think it's just an assumption people make about especially in football, because, um, you know, Doris

covers a sport where I included. There's increasingly more than ever female analysts in basketball, which is fantastic, especially at ESPN on the shows I'm on, We're we have so many wonderful women covering basketball in up and comers like Cheney or blukay Monica mcnah. I mean, just it's wonderful where in football, you know, I think we're still kind of having women in roles other than being a reporter

or host is still pretty new. And yeah, you can obviously I see the impact that Doris has had on basketball, and hopefully we'll see that in football too soon. Yeah, it's a great point because you've got a lot of different basketball analysts. You mentioned she came on an NBA

broadcast with us for a couple of segments during the season. Uh, you know, I've done games with La China Robinson, Malika did some games with Malika during the during the playoffs, and obviously you know she did a great job on the finals when you know she was reporting, Uh in the finals, I thought she just did a phenomenal job. But you're right, Football, you're the You're among the first, if not the first, but hopefully, hopefully there'll be more.

I'm curious about your your NFL Live crew because I've known Laura for a long time, worked with Laura. She's such a great talent. Orlovsky spears. You guys have great chemistry. It's funny because I see you and Dan like you're on the air together, and then you guys just tweeted each other all the time. What's the what's the dynamic like? Because it seems like you guys have great chemistry together all of you. Thank you so much. I truly love

them all. And it's funny you mentioned that's tweeting each other because that's like one twentieth of the actual dialogue we have off air, which is you know, all of us and then Ryan Clark as well, who's the regular show. We just are constantly texting our thoughts and opinions about things happening in football, and obviously goes crazy during the season. We actually have football to talk about and not just storylines.

But I joke every morning during the season, I wake up and I have like twenty clips from Dan and I try to watch some of them, just of tape that he's clipped off for me, and then I'll clip something and send it to him. Just the other day, I sent him something. It was a clip with Justin Herbert making a play and he gets the Raiders and he said, well, I already sent this to you. You didn't see it. I'm like, no, I don't. One of your twenty clips that you sent me at six am,

now I missed it. But it's really just part of an ongoing conversation, like we're all really love the sport and love talking to each other about it. Frankly, and for me personally, the opportunity to talk to, you know, these guys who are not only played the game, but are specialists at you know, the position, like Dan asking him questions about quarterback play is such a privilege for me. Or if I have a question about like I don't

know a certain coverage shell. I can text Ryan or Dominique Fox for his and say what is this here? And how you know what's going on? And have you ever seen this team do this? And yeah, it's really just wonderful. I feel like it is really just like talking to your friends every day, but having people watch it live on television. It's a lot of fun. The only thing I could think of when you mentioned the clips,

sending the clips is Mike Tariko. He would show me clips that Gruden would send him, like Gruden would send him like multiple texts every day with all these clips and Gruden narrating the clips, and you can imagine what that sounds like, right, not for air, not for air clips And he just said it was hilarious, so that I could I could imagine. That's That's the thing that

was going through my mind. You mentioned earlier about doing the RAMS games, doing games in the booth for the RAMS, and I work with on multiple sports people that do games and studio. So you're doing studio for ESPN games for the RAMS. How do you like doing the game broadcast first? And then tell me about the differences for you like studio and games. Well, you know, covering preseason.

It's doing the preseason is very unique because it's just a very different animal from regular season commentary in terms of not only the players, but what you're watching, the stakes, what you talk about during the game. You know, we're not going to get as dialed in. Perhaps it is actually a little bit more almost like studios than in the regular game. Especially coach McBay doesn't play any of the starters, so it is kind of it gives us room to have fun. And Andrew Ciciliana, who does play

by play for the Rams, was just wonderful. But I've really enjoyed just kind of learning how to do it. The mechanics of it, as you know, are so different, the timing of it. Being on a studio show, it's a mixture of a conversation but also having kind of an internal clock of giving opinions, and the way you get opinions, the length of time you talk, the nature of those opinions, whereas doing the games, it's so different the kind of commentary that's relevant, how long you talk what.

So for me, it's really just been an educational process because I've been doing studio shows for a while now and I'm pretty accustomed to it in different formats on ESPN, but I'm very new to working games. I went to school with Andrew Siciliano. So oh okay, yeah, I mean that whole Syracuse thing, right, I mean, everybody seems like, you know what's Syracuse. So it's probably though for an analyst, because you know, we're all kind of trained the same way.

It's good because really, you know, the analyst, our job is to set you guys up and to kind of lead you certain places or follow up on something you might say. So I'm sure Andrew's a great partner for you. Yeah, he's the best. Um, So, would you want to call more games? Like? You're right? Pre season is different. It's more like a studio show, more of a talk show.

You're talking more about the players. I mean, Ron Wolfley and I do the radio in the regular season, but we do you know TV in the preseason, and you know, so we're not just breaking down plays. You're doing more storytelling, talking about you know, player. So would you want to call more games where you are breaking down more plays? Regular season games, playoff games? You know, I'd like to get good at it from Yeah, let's lee out his

free season guys, but it's a great learning experience. All right. So let's talk NFC West because we talked about your time with the Rams and you know, obviously being a big Seahawk fan in your connection to Arizona. So have you, guys made predictions yet? Have you made your predictions on what you think the NFC West will look like in twenty twenty one? Well, I did do an NFC West preview pod on my football show, and I have the Rams taking the division. But you know, I joke all

the time, this division is like a healthscape. I mean, I think that it is unanimously viewed nationally as the best division in football. And you look at a team like the Cardinals that you know, I think would be a surefire playoff team and other divisions, and because they're in the NFC West, it's going to be challenging, you know, And you have to really it's a challenging schedule, the level of competition, some of the even a team that

has mate had some exciting offseason additions like Arizona. Hey, you know that it's an uphill climb. So it's hard for me. I feel like it's a division where like the four teams really could finish into any order, and I wouldn't be shocked. Like I said, I do have the Rams winning it, but I would not be surprised if they're on if another team comes out on top. Personally, I feel the Rams are better suited to win the whole thing than they were last year. And obviously, you know,

golf got hurt. But to me, Matthew staff Effort is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. And Sean McVay, the guy is brilliant. He is you know, being around him, he knows everything that's going on with the team, but when it comes to quarterbacks, he's the man. Is that one of the reasons why you think the Rams are going to win the division because of the addition of Stafford or is it something else in your mind? Yeah, I do. I think you know, that was sort of

the single biggest issue with the team. I'm a little bit wary of defensive regression with some of the losses that they've had, not just a defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, you know, a cross town but losing John Johnson and Troy Hill, two of the more underrated dvs in particularly

Johnson in the NFL Brockers have become. These guys aren't really big names, but when you've got a roster like that, that's pretty top heavy, even though you have you know, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, who are the best in the NFL with their respective positions. When you lose depths suddenly, when you pay those guys a lot of money and you start losing depths like they have, that can cause problems.

But I think the addition of Stafford, you know, it probably will make enough a big enough of the difference on offense to offset that. And it's no mystery why McVay and less need went out and got him, which is they wanted a quarterback who was not only going to air the ball out downfield, which was I think

you saw Jared Goss. The offense their area is kind of declining every year since the Super Bowl, but also his second reaction ability, the fact that he can extend plays and just work outside a structure is really you know, they're hoping we'll take the offense to another level. So let's move to Seattle. I want to hit Seattle and San Francisco before we get to the Cardinals. The Russell Wilson Drama What are your thoughts on that. Do you think it impacts the Seahawks once we kick the ball

off in September. No, I think it's pretty much resolved this year. You know, we'll see what happened next season.

But it has an interesting contrast with this Roger's story because with Wilson, I think the particular grievances, if you will, we're actually are maybe not articulated by him, but we knew what the source of the problem was back in the spring, and then Seattle went out and dressed it in terms of augmenting the offensive line trade for Gabe Jackson, signing Gerald Everett was a free agent tight end was left with the Rams, and then they drafted another wide

receiver to place David Moore as the third and then signed or hired Shane Waldron to be their offensive coordinator from the Rams. So I think, you know that's this is an offense that really struggled in the second half of last season for a multitude of reasons, some of which had to do with Wilson, some schematics, some personnel, and I think the changes they've made should hopefully address some of those issues. And you know, Wilson can get back to playing at the high levels that he did

in the first half of the year. I don't know. In the second half with him, it was hard to tell if it was all the hits that just were taking a toll on him. What did you see because he just didn't seem at times in the second half of the year to be anywhere near as sharp as he was early on, when he looked like the MVP through the first couple months of the season. Yeah, it's fine.

There's some parallels, and I think Arizona not in terms of why, but there I think there are questions about sort of, okay, well what happened at this offense with Arizona later on in the season, but a far Seattle goes. You know, defenses started playing two eye safety coverage against them a lot more, and watching Seattle, Wilson and the offense in general, they were still kind of forcing the

ball downfield. This is an obviously deep passing game that was super explosive and efficient the first half of the season, and when defenses took that away from them, you kind of felt like Wilson was forcing it, not really taking the layups that were available to him. The team really was not running the ball super efficiently as well. I think the absence of a reliable tight end option. You know,

Greg Wilson was injured and not super effective. Will Disley was coming back from injury, was a problem down the stretch as well, so and then the offensive line and the interior in particular, there were some issues. Dwayne Brown left tackle is still effective as ever, so I think it's really hard to pin the blame on any one thing schematic, Wilson or the personnelit. I think it was

kind of a mixture of those things. But I think they are really hoping that with Waldron bringing an offense that, similar to the Ramps, has a more integrated run pass approach, a little more tempo, they can address some of the issues and be a little bit more I guess, responsive to what defenses are giving them. With San Francisco, I always felt I was never sold that they were going to take mac Jones. I just felt they were gonna roll. They're gonna go with Trey Lance or maybe even Kyle

Pitts and roll with Jimmy g for this year. I don't know where you stood on that, but as you look at the forty nine ers, now can they win with Jimmy G or do they need to go to Tray Lance. I mean, I think they can win with Jimmy. I mean deemed that did win with Jimmy and not a totally dissimilar roster, you know, during that Super Bowl run season. But there's a reason why they traded the

world for Lance, and it's not just me. It's largely because Jimmy G's been so injury he has battled these injuries in the last couple of years, but also I think some of the limitations he brings in terms of his inability to again make plays outside It really sounds like I'm talking about golf again, but plays outside a structure, and sometimes the problems he had reading and particularly the

middle of the field, some of the turnovers. Um you know, you could sense at times coach Shanahan wanted to move on and I think have a quarterback in that offense that could not only execute it, but elevated I think that's they're hoping for the Lance, who obviously in experience, not a lot of passing restaurants in order to go to State, certainly not the highest level of competition, but really had all of the tools you see not all the tools, but the physical tools and mental ones that

you see I think in the elite quarterbacks right now, where they're able to go above and beyond what they're what's it's not just about scheme with them like Kyler for example, and I think kash Hanahan really wanted that as well. I was going to ask you when you when you started talking about the attributes the Trey Lance possesses, if you see those same things in Kyler, what do you think is the ceiling for Kyler Murray and how much does that impact whether the Cardinals or a playoff

team this season? What ceiling is a great way to put it, because I think his ceiling is guy high Kyler's. Actually, I would say it's really closer to him and Lamar for Who's He's one of the deadliest run threats I've ever seen in the league. And he has a beautiful deep ball, beautiful arm. You know, his problems are or when the offense is struggled, it's been you know, some

of the issues in the intermediate passing game. I think at times the run game, which took a big leap forward the prior year, sort of stagnated last season for various reasons. Some of it has to do with the run blocking um, which obviously the team went out and addressed a bit. And then you know, I think skill players and scheme, but the tools are just phenomenal. With Kyler. I think it's so to me, it's it's he. He

has it all. Like again, when you talk about the guys, the Allens, the mahomes Is, I think Kyler has those tools. It's just a question of whether him and coach Kingsbury can harness them in a more efficient fashion. The addition that the Cardinals made the players as Steve Kind brought in, do you think that that's enough for them to take the next step offensively where they're not doing it for seven or eight games, but they're doing it for seventeen games.

You know, I think it's going to be a combination of those editions and then also the play calling. But I loved the Ronnie Hudson trade was probably one of my I think the best moves of the entire offseason. I mean, he's one of the best centers in the NFL. And when I look at the Arizona offense last year and some of the struggles down to stretch, you know, I think you saw Kyler's efficiency as a runner decline

a bit. Some of that was health related, but I think a lot of it has to do with what how defenses were playing Arizona in the second half of the season, sort of anticipating that, and the absence of a power running game is kind of a CounterPunch was pretty I think telling. And to have again a center like Hudson in there is going to make a remarkable difference. I'll be curious to see. Also, um, how like a James Connor fits into that. I loved the drafting of

ron Dale. Moore is one of my favorite players in the draft, and um, he's another one where I think, like, okay, incredible. I mean it does like a little lightning ball, you know, But again, it really comes down to utilization because incredible physical skill set obviously hasn't played in a minute, not your prototypical NFL wide receiver. But if they can figure out how to use him and get him into space,

it's just it's much like Kyler. The tools are there, it's just how are we going to use them and how are you gonna get them open? What did you tweet? I don't know, maybe you don't remember undraft Day about ron Dale Moore and Kyler Murray. Wasn't there something just I was like, it's there, they go well together side. I think it was something to that. I think it was something like they're they're adorable. And then I think af as Well said I then it as a positive

this as an NFL show, I can't. I just can only say, oh my god. Yeah, Frandell's like what five seven? I think, pop my head. He's little man, he is, He's gonna look interesting out there and when he's not doing that, pads on. But he's incredible guy. What his talent? All right? So, speaking of players maybe in stature that aren't the biggest you with ties to Seattle, I'm sure appreciate Buddha Baker, how much do you think that we'll be talking about Buddha at all and the defensive Player

of the Year discussion here this season? You know, I unfortunately don't think so. And that's not Buddha's fault. I think these kinds of awards tend to they tend to reward units where the whole unit is elite, and then you're just kind of taking the best player, right or especially if you're looking at a secondary versus like a edge rusher, where like you know Chandler Gubbins in the bath, where you're up huge numbers and they kind of speak

to themselves, but with secondary play. Even though I think Buddha is by far the most talented player in that group and does the omens work and frankly plays he I loved him in college, but he's better than I thought he would be in the NFL. I think because of how those awards are given out, he might be overlooked. But but he's just been so much. I mean, his versatility. You know, we knew he's a thumper, but the coverage. I think his coverage abilities have really surpassed my expectations.

And he is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the defense. Now, all right, couple more and I know you get a role. Do you see Brady ba and the Buccaneers repeating? Now I'm rolling with Kansas City, and I think they would have won if their entire offensive line wasn't Nash Unit. Yeah. Does the Shaun Watson play at all in twenty twenty one? And if he does? Where? First question? I have no IDEA Second question, not Houston? Yeah, well, listen. I really

appreciate it. Mean, it was great talking to you. Um your show, NFL Love and ESPN is one of my favorites. I love the crew. I have to start getting in more to the Mina Kimes show featuring Lenny. How did Lenny get the job? Because Lenny's a dog, right? You know he worked for free? Okay, all right, that goes a long way. Yeah. Does he have an opinion on the Cardinals in twenty twenty one? Have you had a chance to ask him? I have not. I have not, but I think he would be crow Kyler. I don't

know why. He kind of runs like Kylie. I'll assume that's a compliment. Mina, thanks so much, great talking to you. I really appreciate the time by Dave. So great to catch up with Mina. Full disclosure, that's the first time I've ever spoken to Mina Kimes people. Thank you. Both work at ESPN. You must know each other, No, we follow each other on social media. Reached out to Mina as I've been a long admirer of her work, really wanted to get her as one of the first guests

on this podcast. That's the first time we've actually met in person, and it wasn't even in person, it was over the phone. But man, did she deliver great stuff for Mina on the Cardinals, on her beloved Seahawks on the Rams. She like us pretty high on Los Angeles and she has close ties to that organization as a

member of their preseason television broadcast team. Also her time in Arizona, spent several years here at Mesquite High School and Gilbert playing soccer, and then her very unique path to covering the National Football League for ESPN a big part of her professional life not covering sports at all. If you want more of Mina Kimes outside of what you get on ESPN, you can check out her very entertaining podcast, The Meta Chimes Show featuring Lenny, which, as

we found out, is Mina's dog all right. Some upcoming guests that we have include Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill. Also two members of the ESPN Monday Night Football crew, Brian Greasy and Steve Levy. Got a chance to catch up

with them in person recently. You'll hear that podcast coming up. Also, actor James road Day, we'll talk about his beloved Tennessee Titans preview the upcoming season of A Million Little Things, which airs on ABC, and we will of course relive some of the great moments in the hit TV show psych where road Day starred as Sean Spencer. We are presented by bet MGM, official sports betting partner of the

Arizona Cardinals and Hila River Hotels and Casinos. You can check us out on Twitter at Pash pod and don't forget if you haven't had a chance to listen to the previous three podcasts, great stuff from Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, Hardinal safety Buddha Baker, and Cliff Kingsbury. That'll do it for episode four of the Dave Pash Podcast. We'll talk to you next time.