Welcome to the podcast to be named later, where we explore the world of
conversation at a time. Sit back and enjoy. Here are your hosts, Chris and Kelly.
Hello everyone and welcome to the podcast to be named later. A lot happening in
the world of sports and to talk about it I've got Chris out in California and I
am here back in Wisconsin. Chris how you doing?
Doing really good sir.
Excited to talk some sports my friend. You bet and there's a lot going on from
college football to NFL football and one player that I guess has got eventually
700 million reasons to play baseball although it sounds like 680 million
of them will come 10 years from now. A lot happening. Yeah it's pretty crazy so
we could dive into that you know at some point but you know not many guys in
today's age are gonna do what Shohei Otani is offering up to do so you know
good on them I mean hey I get it I mean you know I can't argue with the
rationale of wanting to win championships and I'm trying to you know
work out a deal that would put the team you're playing for in a better position
to be able to do that it's just not a lot of guys will do that man so pretty
interesting. Yeah speaking of not many people doing something we're down to four
teams in college football for the last time as far as a championship but we do
know the four what's your take on how that all ended I know it's a week ago
that we had the playoffs or the sub playoffs I guess the championship games
that settled things but what's your take? Yeah I guess I didn't realize we hadn't
spoken the you know we're a little bit behind it's not the front page story at
the time when we were recording this but the committee had their hands full this
year I mean there was there really was no way to hit it you know you had
probably six deserving teams for four spots so you know no one's arguing with
the Georgia being left out part reality is if Georgia faced probably any team in
the country on a neutral field I think Georgia would be favored in that
football game including Alabama who they just lost to in the SEC championship
game so you know Vegas doesn't determine who gets to play but you know if they
did Georgia would definitely be in the top four in terms of likelihood they
would probably be co-favorites with Michigan and yet they're out Florida
State goes undefeated in the ACC you know it's really just I feel really bad
for them just because you know when you go through a football season man and I
mean you know when you go through a lot of things you know you face adversity
there's challenges and you know the goal is in football at least is to win
the football games right to win every game you play in and you know very few
teams can be successful in all of them over the course of the season and you
know Florida State I mean you know they they had a Heisman candidate and one of
the best quarterbacks in college football leading their team they were
rolling right along pretty much boat racing most people and then you know he
goes down and it's like okay well they still have a really talented roster but
you know obviously a significant hit you could see in their offensive output
over the last couple games I mean they just were not the same team but you know
defense special teams and the guys they did have an offense still there they
were scrappy and they gutted out some really hard fought wins to remain
undefeated and you know you'd like to I'll be excited when it's next year you'd
like for them to have a chance you know what I mean for them to go through what
they went through and still come out you know they played everyone on their
schedule and you know they played a couple of tough out-of-conference games
I played LSU they played Florida and Miami every year you know in that little
Florida trifecta thing that they do and you know they won all the games man and
you'd like to see a team like that have an opportunity but I do understand the
committee's point of view the reality is I mean Florida would be Florida state
would be the underdog against any of the other teams that were talking about you
know Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Washington, Georgia would all be a heavy
favorite over Florida states so you know without any any real offense I mean you
can see what that looks like from the New York Jets in the NFL it's it's it's hard
to win man and so I get why they were left out it's just unfortunate that's
all yeah I I know we talked about this before I don't I have I don't have a
problem with the choice the committee made if I was to say one thing that I
would have if the reasons they made it were what they said my question would be
why did you not if you will lower Florida state earlier in the process right
that might be the one thing I would say that if as soon as the quarterback went
down or definitely before the last week you know why didn't you change things
that said it's an imperfect system and there wasn't a right answer because it's
all well and I mean the fact is and we've seen what happened at other times I
think they don't want to have as much as they can predict what will happen an
absolute blowout and I think this is no knock on Florida state I wouldn't have
minded if they got in to give that chance for that underdog mentality one
for all all for one our quarterback went down we're gonna fight like that's a
story we won't get to see finish this year now so that's I'm one hand
disappointing but I'm not gonna go back on what I said a couple weeks ago where
I understand the choices they had to make I mean I put it this way if you're
gonna say that Ohio State minus the fact that they didn't get to play in a
championship game you know I could I could make a case while they they're
likely as good as some teams that made it across the finish line to this
championship run can make an argument for Georgia still so I think ultimately we
ended up with a good matchup it's really gonna be interesting Lexi
all the games will be the two games will be interesting but wow it's gonna I
guess the one I'm looking forward to more than anything is Michigan in
Alabama now to see like okay we've got the big ten team in at number one what
what are they gonna do right I mean and that that is the more powerful of the
two games you know Washington's been great they they had to beat Oregon twice
which is a really good football team the Pac-12 in his final season was way up
this year you know a lot of good teams Arizona Oregon State Oregon all good
competitive football teams and Washington made it through that gauntlet
undefeated and you know Texas they actually look like an SEC team I mean
they'll be there next year and you know they're built strong up front they could
run the football you know they look like an SEC team but you know and that's in
the sugar bowl of the of the two semis but Alabama Michigan sure look Alabama
partly is you know the history of Alabama you know we know what Saban is
as a coach we know what Alabama is as a program they have the history I mean you
know if you want to go back you can go back decades and say that Alabama has
the history so does Michigan but it sure feels like that is the stronger of the
two sides you know the Texas Washington whoever wins that game is gonna be an
underdog in that championship game and I don't have a problem with the way that
the way they ranked them and seeded them or anything you know what I mean that's
that's fine that's all it's all fair but eventually you have to beat two really
good teams no matter what in whatever order but it does feel like the Alabama
Michigan whoever comes out of that game is going to be the favorite in in the
championship game I think it seems like it I do think we'll end up with you know
three good games really gonna be curious to see how does Washington handle
Texas you know I would say this about Texas and maybe maybe it's my own lack of
awareness but of all the teams that had their great runs they were kind of one
of the I mean I don't know they kind of a relatively speaking were more of a the
quieter team if you will throughout the season they were always there but
especially given how down they've been of late just for them to be back I just
feel that they were they're a little bit I don't want to say underdog but um they're
sneaking in a little bit if you will yeah a little bit I mean you know obviously
they got a lot of hype they went into Tuscaloosa and and and won a football
game in a place that not very many people can go and win that kind of got
them hey you know but then about a month later so they played what was a really
good football game against Oklahoma they lost in the meantime you know takes a
while to really believe in someone you know what I mean and they got to continue
to show it sometimes and you know Texas had some easier games mixed in there
that was just kind of like you I think you're spot on I think they stayed under
the radar like you said they were always there they had that one big win against
Alabama and then like I said they didn't really play anyone for a couple of weeks
or not real true challenging they played you know Wyoming and Baylor they played
Kansas which is a decent team but certainly not a powerhouse and then lost the
game to Oklahoma and that just kept them under the radar and then they just
proceeded to win and win and win and and as the season were on I will say this
so Michigan's been pretty steady Eddie all year I think I could say the same
thing about Washington they came out of the gates hot and then I think a lot of
people are waiting for the shoot a drop a little bit with Washington and they
were a nine-point underdog to Oregon who they had beaten previously and so
obviously there wasn't a ton of belief in Washington but they kind of who were
who they were all year really and high-powered offense I mean they're
fast they're receiving course ridiculous they might have three NFL
receivers on that team on Penex has been playing great and Michigan's been real
steady but but Alabama especially it did Georgia was like that too they you
know they didn't make the playoff but you know they ascended right so you know
Texas beat them when they needed to I if Texas in Alabama had played that game
again at Alabama like the final week of the season I don't know that Texas
wins then so Alabama was kind of figuring things out a little bit early in the
season Texas got them at a good time they won credit to them I mean and they
won the game handily and everything I mean just no can't take it away or
anything but all I'm saying is Alabama is a better football team now you know
once they you know committed to the young quarterback and you know kind of
settled into all their roles now they look like the Alabama you know that we're
used to I definitely would agree you know some teams like you said okay there
we know their identity more power to Washington we saw their identity early on
and that high-powered offense has been present all the time and you know they
really they came out and it was pretty big underdog to Oregon and they took
care of their business in a big way in that game but Alabama of all the teams
is the one that if you will if teams are rising and looking for when do they
crest and say they are the one you know they've got that upward momentum more
than the other teams yet not that the other teams are bad they're all they've
kind of been in their steady Eddie state if you will more so and Alabama has that
the trade-off of all of this is this is probably the one thing I don't like about
the way college football works there is so much time off before all these teams
play another meaningful game it's almost a month it's at least you know they all
played their games on whatever the dates were last weekend the first the second I
guess you know it's it's a long time off yeah well and I'm curious what is your
so I was just thinking about this today actually and I was gonna monkey around
like throw a couple like parlays together so I used to do this every single
year and it was it was a man it was you know it's such a fun like two week
period where you know I would run a college football bowl pick them you know
a lot of times you'd like rank the the games you know and get points I put all
kinds of like little parley cards together me and your brother Tim went to
Vegas a couple of times you know back in the day and put a bunch of bets in you
know a bunch of three teamers and four teamers and whatnot and we you know the
bowls used to be something that I didn't miss a single one I didn't care if it
was the you know backwoods lumber you know bowl and in you know
father and look over to the pop tart bowl dude you know what I mean but I don't
care it's football and I love it well now I find myself just disinterested you
know it's impossible I won't bet them because I have no way I'm not dialed in
enough to know who's playing and who's not playing so many of the star players
just don't even show they don't suit up they don't play at all anyone who's of
L of NFL caliber that plans on going to the draft isn't gonna play the only
exception would be in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl the two semifinals for
the championship I would expect everyone in those two games to play you know that
are fighting for a championship but so many of the other guys just aren't even
gonna get dressed and so it's hard for me to get up and be excited when you know
the guys who are playing the game aren't I'm mostly a similar opinion I put it
this way I know when the bowl games are starting I mean I know they start next
weekend I might turn one on as background but I can't think of any games
including even the Wisconsin Badgers you know I'm obviously a big fan of that I
would say I'm gonna go out of my way to watch I'm sure I'll end up seeing parts
of them but like I was actually thinking about the other thing because I was
thinking about I always liked that bull pick them thing we did but I'm like you
know what I don't even know who's gonna be in these games like the teams I knew
you know you already have half the drama of oh this team is being coached by a new
coach and all the rest will now you know and I'm not gonna fault the players at
all man if you got a chance to go to the NFL there is no upside for most of these
players to play in a meaningless bowl game you know unless you're trying to
improve your draft stock but at this point the likelihood that you're gonna
do that in a bowl game unless it's one of the championships is low and so you
have only downside of getting hurt and especially in the way that NFL contracts
work now that getting hurt or doing anything to lower your draft position
has huge financial consequences you know we've talked about it before but you
can go look just the slotted salary numbers even from the top of the first
round to the bottom let alone other rounds and now you live with that number
for four years yeah I don't blame anyone either Kelly I have no problem with
guys sitting out I have no I will never have a problem with any individual doing
what is right for them and their family provided you're not like stepping on
someone else's cranium to do it you know if you're not hurting somebody else in
the process I I'm all for everyone getting everything they can out of life
and doing the best that they can for themselves and you know my entertainment
of a college bowl game doesn't count you know what I mean you know my what I
want doesn't factor in and shouldn't factor in so I get it I don't fault them
at all you know I don't hate the transfer portal I don't hate the NIL
money I I'm okay with the some of the changes that have taken place I mean I
haven't gotten comfortable with all the realignment that's been taken place
yet I mean I think that's just a matter of you know getting used to it you know
all the movement that's taken place but eventually they'll still put a product
down on the field and you know I don't have a problem with with the state of
college football you know I think it's still in flux where it hasn't fully
settled in yet but you know it's just it's unfortunate because the bowls used
to be so much for more fun and they you know they used to be more more
limited and then it kind of went sideways with you know so all the bowls you
know they were everyone made it there was there was nothing a lead about the
teams that made the bull you basically just had to be 500 to get a spot and not
even 500 this year so you know I didn't dig that you know I mean it felt a
little watered down at some point but at least we were getting you know around
New Year's Day ish you know tail end of December into like New Year's we were
getting some really high quality stuff then so you could take or leave some of
the earlier games you don't have to watch them if you don't want to you know
some of the lesser games lower ranked teams and stuff and then now with what
with the transition we've made into this you know you don't know who's playing
you know I mean if a team starting quarterback decides not to play I mean
that's just not the same football team dude you know and if they're all
American linebacker they're all American wide receiver running back doesn't
play that significantly changes like the quality of the team that they are and
it's just it's too much for me to track you know if I got paid to do it and and
you know if I could keep a better eye on things then maybe you know my opinion
would change but for just a sports fan you know who's pretty novice and I know
you know what sports center and the internet feed to me in terms of
information I recognize that I just don't know much about who's deciding to
play and not play well yeah I mean I can again just use my own example right so
Wisconsin Badgers right I mean a they got a New Year's Day Bowl still I think in
part because the team travels well going from cold weather Wisconsin down to
Florida but you know they're all everything running back Braylon Allen
you know finish in his junior year he's not gonna play in the bowl game because
you know he is going pro so you can't tell me that's not gonna change the
dynamics of the game significantly and what the team has been able to do I I'm
really curious though about one other thing that the transfer portal I had
this random thought lately the way it is now I don't have a problem I mean hey
you know coaches can do it so the players would be able to as well but I
wonder an interesting wrinkle and maybe colleges missed this opportunity you
know if they had if they paid the players not just with a scholarship but
what if they were truly employees and they had then they signed contracts like
hey you know you're gonna come to our school for four years or whatever you
know it'd be an interesting wrinkle like that contract stipulates you're gonna be
here all the time you can't leave after two years or one year right and yeah I
don't know I mean that's kind of alludes to what I was talking about a minute ago
that it's not done you know I mean this the state of the college football and you
know it's affiliation to the NCAA and you know it's pretty wild wild west out
there right now man I mean you know it's not it's not over so I don't know at
what point Congress might get involved I don't know what at what point you know
you know I think I might even sit on this podcast before that I don't know
that NCAA is even gonna be the governing body you know of college football ten
years from now so I'm just I'm standing by you know take what they give me for
now I mean as it stands right now I'm happy with the two really nice semi
final games that we have and I'm sure the national championship will be
intriguing and I'll be all about it and watch that as well and I'll just take
what I could get I do wish Florida State had an opportunity I do wish Georgia was
in the fire in the fight there's a couple other teams you mentioned Ohio State
they lost one game and that's it you're out and it's like hey Ohio State's pretty
damn good football team man I bet they'd like another crack at things on a neutral
field not having to play at Michigan you know and so you know next year we'll
get some more I'm sure they'll still be controversy next year but in my opinion
you know this was a perfect storm this year I mean generally it works itself
out and historically we always feel pretty good since we moved to this four
teams you know there's been a little bit of controversy in the past but for the
most part we always felt like yeah we got the four best this is the first year
that I'm not sure that 100% that we did and you know was but whoever wins these
two games I will feel good like they're deserving of the national championship
but you know the George's and the Ohio State's of the world probably could have
competed with these guys they're right on the same plane with them yeah I think I
definitely think the dust hasn't settled on the NCAA and players and payment I
think that it really is the Wild West you know now we got all kinds of crazy
proposals some saying hey team you know now they're saying colleges should be
able to pay their players and a bunch of other stuff I can't help but thinking
I his name is escaping me boy the young man from Ohio State several years ago
who got in all his trouble for Maurice Claret selling his pants man is that
Maurice Claret or who I mean so yeah he yeah he tried to put up a fight a
little premature he wasn't wrong but you know he was just a bit ahead of the
time and he ended up getting essentially like blackballed and like he didn't
worry out so hot for him so yeah but and now you know I mean fast forward you
know ten years or whatever I forget that was a while ago if that's who you're
talking about yeah and you know now he'd be you know he'd be perfectly in the
right and everything so times change and we'll see alright Chris it's time to put
you on the spot and then me Michigan Alabama I'm taking Michigan I just feel
like they've been complete all year I believe they've been on a mission since
you know three years ago at least maybe longer since Harbaugh got there you know
what I mean and and this is the best team they've had now while they have
stayed you know we caught we talked to him about them being like steady Eddie a
little bit and they have I do believe they've been really solid they got
Corum and Edwards they got a monster of an offensive line they have I think the
number one defense in the country statistically and then he hasn't been
asked to do much but JJ McCarthy has improved you know week after week after
week and you know he's just he just hasn't had to do a whole lot is also but
I think he's capable of it and you know I agree Alabama's ascending I wouldn't
surprise me one bit if Alabama moves on a national championship they've done it
so many times it'd be like you know betting against the Patriots in the
Super Bowl it's just silly sometimes you know I mean to think that they don't
have a chance but it's gonna be a really really good football game but I think
Michigan finds a way to pull it out man I just I feel like they're you know
whatever man all the crap about the sign stealing and you know the the stuff
they've gone through and you know I on their side I think it's gonna galvanize
them you know I wish it hadn't happened you know I mean it's a black eye on the
whole thing on all of college football and sports in general but I think inside
that locker room they don't get they don't care and I yeah I think they'll
find a way to get it done who you taking I'm gonna take this one Michigan too I
think that two things they just got one heck of a defense and I think that it is
I think they're gonna be strong enough to shut down an Alabama offense and that
all of those high-powered SEC kind of plays that we see all the time I think
they're they're their defense is strong enough this year from what I've seen that
they can do that and I think you're right McCarthy hasn't been asked to do a lot
but and I don't know if you'll have to in this game or not and we'll see how it
goes but what they are great at and doesn't bother them that's there is hey
man they get up by seven points they'll go run the ball 20 times yeah and they
won't be bothered by it those do it and that's you know that's how they play
football right and and I mean you know that game could go either way I mean you
know we've we've we both know who Alabama is so I'm sure they'll be ready and
they're a really really good football team so but you know you're asking me to
pick one I'm I just got a feeling it might be Michigan in that game yeah I
picked first in the next one dude who you like Texas or Washington I'm gonna go
with Washington I'm going with Washington too bad I just think they got
something special I you know there I think four and a half point underdogs or
something like that Texas is really good I've watched a bunch of the Texas
football games this year and like I said they kind of look like an SEC team
their defense also is really stout but I don't think Washington really cares you
know I mean what they do is a little more free-flowing I think Washington gets
to ride that no one believes in us you know what I mean it's just it's us
against the world you know I think they just get to keep riding it man and
they're gonna get to ride it the whole way because they'll be an underdog
against either Michigan or Alabama too so you know they're showing up as an
undefeated champion and an underdog just you know once again no one believes in us
and I think that can be really powerful sometimes and an excellent motivating
factor for for a team to constantly be overlooked and feel like they're
getting slided I think sometimes teams will will manufacture that you know
they'll have a narrative inside their locker room or clubhouse or whatever
that yeah is all you guys doubted us and in its in reality like not man we all
thought you were pretty good no no you didn't believe in us you know and so I
think sometimes it's it's make-believe you know in their own head but in this
case I think Washington has been you know overlooked and just like no one
no one's really believed in them like I said they were nine nine and a half point
underdogs against Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game and then they went out
and handled business again and it's like I don't know what we got to do and then
they show up for this game as an underdog so I just I feel like they're gonna play
loose and and be motivated and and I don't know man I just feel like they
have something cooking I just see Washington in the championship game
some somehow I feel like they're gonna be the story of this year and you know
Texas is like I said really good football team again I mean neither one
any one of these fours went wins it wouldn't shock me but I just feel like
as Washington says something cooking man I think that yeah like you just said
any one of the anybody who wins won't surprise me but the thing about
Washington is they've just keep doing it and their offense is just amazingly high
powered and they they've stood every test that they were asked to take so far
and I think that they've got a mentality about them right kind of the hey
we're the last of the Pac-12 and this other thing and still something to prove
because maybe you know they've been up there in the Pacific Northwest maybe not
getting as much press because of you know late night games and other stuff but
I don't know man like they seem like the Washington Huskies teams of old the
Don James era when they're truly one of the elites of college football and they
they you know it's funny I lived out in Seattle for so long and they were
struggling through different coaches and trying to find themselves and a bunch
of other stuff but it like it seems to me that they've put together a heck of a
team have a program that's built now for some long-term success and I think this
is gonna be the first game of many in which we're gonna see Washington on the
national stage yeah I agree I think I think what they have is sustainable I
don't think this is a fluke you know you have those teams that rise up every four
to five years or something like that and and kind of you know the Northwesterns
or the Washington States or you know whatever they they play a bunch of
freshmen and and then you know four years later they're a really good team
and maybe go play in the Rose Bowl or something and then they go back to
starting over again whereas Washington I think is gonna be you know read you know
just retooling year after year so I mean they have the facilities they have the
money they have the history you know there's no reason that they can't
continue to be a perennial power the only you know if there is a fly in the
ointment but I think it's not one that they can't overcome right with them
coming into the Big Ten I mean so now they're gonna play good competition as
well but again let me put it this way I'm a Big Ten fan and they concern me by
being in the same conference as Wisconsin I think that you know they're
definitely coming in as a top five I'd put them right now in the probably the
top four teams in the Big Ten if we took all the teams from that are coming to
the Big Ten next year they'd be in the top four right I don't I don't disagree
with you at all probably one dynamic I kind of thought on on this subject you
know with the travel and you know some of the distance that schools gonna have
to play with this realignment you know and you know one thing that kind of
occurred to me Kelly was that you know it's fair for everybody right so not
only does Washington have to you know go to the big house that next year you
know Michigan's gonna have to go to Washington right so the travel is all
fair and all that and but it's a little harder on the West Coast teams because
they got to do it more times you know each of the Big Ten teams will like
you only have to do it once maybe twice right whereas like Wisconsin might have
to do it you know five four times in a year but you know what occurred to me
was you know that's all fair and balanced and everything and you know
everyone has to travel is what it is you know but it's definitely harder to go
east than it is to go west and the Wake College football set up right now it's
it's more about it kind of reminds me a little bit of like a poker tournament
where it's not so much about how well you do is do you avoid the landmines you
know what I mean do you you can't lay eggs and with the going to 12 I mean
maybe you can lay one if you're a really good teammate you know maybe you could
suffer a loss and overcome it but then your nets gone right you can't lose
twice and with the way you know some of this realignments taking place it you
know it kind of puts those teams at a disadvantage where like man you're you
know you're setting yourself up for some more troublesome games and the land
neat and all of a sudden there's a lot more landmines out there I think this is
going to be something that it's going to be interesting to see how it shakes on
and what they do because with some of these conferences getting so big right
I mean I don't even know what they're gonna do well the last thing I heard was
that Washington State and Oregon State had scheduled for football only I think
they're gonna play six games against Mountain West teams but so the way that
whole 12 teams were supposed to be determined I mean well one of the
conferences that was supposed to get an automatic bid is gone so I think that
we'll still have to see like how many times does a team get to have a toast up
if you will I think ultimately there's gonna be more you can't be horrible but
I do think that obviously just the math will show you that you're gonna get more
one-loss teams potentially even a two-loss team into the tournament of 12
and I guess to carry on your analogy Chris I think you're right but I would say
this if it's like poker right as long as you can get to the final table you got a
shot and you know you might not have the most getting over there you might have
some stuff happening along the way but as long as you make it to that final
table you've got a shot and so I think that you know and we've just boosted
that final table from four seats to 12 so all the travel stuff will sort itself
out I mean it is harder maybe who knows what they'll do I mean I don't know but
and we see it in the NFL as well but we'll see how it shakes out for a couple
years and then you know what maybe there's be even more conference realignment
maybe they'll say hey all these conferences are too big or who knows
what yeah again man I mean you know NFL has two conferences with four
divisions and four teams in each division and you know it's it's very clean
and you know I just I don't know what I don't know man it's one of those things
that all I know is is it's not finished I just don't know what it's what
direction it might go you know it could be broken down a whole lot of ways man so
I know historically that you know there's been conferences you know ACC
SEC you know big 10 big 12 blah blah blah blah on and on and on and then you
know over time some of the conferences you know are clearly stronger than the
other ones right like the big 10 clearly plays you know a little better brand of
football than the Mountain West does and so on and so forth but who's to say
that down the road you know there's not a series of you know four super
conferences with 32 teams in each and they have you know divisions and you know
things like that so it's just standby man I don't know what this is going to
evolve into all I know is it's not over yet that's that I know for sure well
speaking of the NFL having a cleaner process for scheduling that's true but
I'll tell you what is the injury report for the NFL quarterbacks in particular
is pretty blotted up with ink this year I never seen anything like this year in
terms of the quarterback position so I as you know I do a ton of fantasy
football hey well I don't want to congratulate you so you know it's not
it's not a it's not a lock lock but you sure feel like a like a high 90s
percent chance of making it so if it should you make it in and all goes
according to plan then congratulations to you sir I'm coming for you buddy yeah
yeah not with my own guy so you know we made a trade in the season and you know
my guys been kind of the guy you traded for DJ more been a little up and down but
that's kind of the position you know wide receiver position is pretty up and
down you know you started out like a house of fire with a 50 plus point game
right right from go as soon as we made the trade and then I believe sir yeah
it was a big number dude and so you know but then it was pretty balanced man
Pacheco was the guy I got in the deal and and he's been very steady now right
now Pacheco's hurt so I'm not getting much out of my half of the bargain at the
moment but you know both of our teams look like they're gonna make the playoffs
and you know I'm happy that you know we've been if we both benefited from
the trade that we made it looks like so at a minimum DJ Moore has done a good
job of getting you into a good tiebreak situation so he's accumulated a lot of
like just gross points which you know is a factor sometimes in breaking ties and
so feels like a win-win man and if you make it man which I certainly think you
will good luck to you we shouldn't most likely we could play each other I don't
know right now I think I'm the one seeing you're the four seeds so it's
possible we play but there's still another week before we see how it shakes
up man so yeah you want to transition the NFL man because I got you know I got
tons of stuff to talk about the quarterbacks state in the in the league
is you know like as I said a minute ago just nothing I've never ever seen before
it's just never been like this we've never had this many injuries at the
quarterback position and and some of it's not even just injuries some of it is
just poor play and and you know guys that we had expectations for didn't meet
them a lot of it is injuries for sure I mean there's more backup quarterbacks
starting a week this week than they have ever started in the history of the league
I believe so that kind of tells you where we're at you can tell just by looking
at the over-unders on games I mean it's it's definitely affected the product on
the field I mean you know teams are scratching and clawing and I'll tell you
the teams that somehow managed to avoid that that you know season-wrecking
quarterback injury are you know much much better and what's kind of funny man
heading into the year so you look at the Ravens right now are sitting as the one
seed in the AFC and I always kind of discounted the raider Ravens I think a
lot of us did just because I just counted on Lamar Jackson getting hurt as we
does every year so he looks amazing plays great football everything's awesome
and then he gets hurt and you know doesn't play in December and you know
the team just falls off well this year of all the injuries that have taken place
Lamar Jackson isn't one of them and then heading into the season to a tongue by
low after what he went through last year was a definite injury risk man I mean
look like he was a strong wind away from being out of the league forever you
know all the concussion problems he had last year and everything and then again
you know we've lost you know 16 quarterbacks or whatever it is and to a
tongue by low is not one of them either so the guys you would think you know
would be the more the higher injury risks have actually stayed upright and
then some of the other guys who you thought were you know strong and steady
are the ones getting banged up yeah it's definitely been injury and prone and you
know not elite play for the dollars being spent that's for sure I don't know
the exact thing but I think I saw a headline today that may be said as far
as quarterback ratings this is like the lowest year in 14 years or some crazy
number it is definitely if this isn't so far it seems like an aberration but if
this continues I mean we're gonna have to see I think you'll see teams evolve in
some way you know back before the salary cap era you found ways to have I mean
Steve Young was Joe Montana's backup right that doesn't happen in the salary
cap era but for as much money as being spent on the NFL in the way the games
geared towards you know quarterbacks if the play is this bad for a couple years
I guarantee you'll see something being done I don't know what but as a product
they won't want that to continue yeah I mean I think that there's limited options
on what you can do so they the real issue is there's two there's two big
problems one there's not enough talented people to play the position there's
there's just only a handful of people on the planet who can do that job so that's
one problem right so there's just you know there's 32 teams 32 starters but
generally you're gonna have about three quarterbacks per team and there are
enough guys to quality guys to fill that spot and the other problem which is
kind of you know sort of sort of tied to the first is that there's not enough
practice time to go around so they can't get better so some of these guys like you
look like Jake Browning stepped in he looks great man he's playing good
football who knew right and you know even old man flakos come back and he's
sure you look pretty good man and so but the issue is with practice and reps and
ability so some of these guys might be able to play football but they're not
given the opportunity to practice and develop and and turn in themselves into
their best version of themselves right and so the lack of practice time and then
the lack of quality you know just quarterbacks period as a blanket statement
is you know translates into what we're seeing on the field now you know the
low over under totals the suppressed you know yardage and and completions and
average depths of target and all the rest of it man I mean you know quarterbacks
drive the league everybody knows that man I mean they eat the NFL's want wants
it that way they've set the rules up that way they pay that way and you know
when you lose them it's like man you're you put all your eggs into that
quarterback basket you know apparently running backs don't matter at all they're
a dime a dozen they don't get paid nothing and you know there's there's no
such thing really as a workhorse back anymore I mean even Derek Henry splitting
carries with you know Tajie Spears in Tennessee a little bit you know and the
workhorse back guy just doesn't exist any longer and you know you put all your
eggs in the in the quarterback basket and then then he dropped the basket and
now a bunch of them are broken yeah I think the practice time thing in
particular is relevant I mean we've talked several times about you know how
much all this takes repetition and you know going out and playing backyard ball
at the NFL level you might make the occasional flare flare play but it's
not it's not sustainable and I think that's one of the challenges the other
challenges you miss you mentioned two good ones but the third one and we see
it sometimes you know if you don't have an offensive line it often doesn't matter
how good your quarterback is right and I think most people see the New York Japs
yeah yeah or the or the Giants do both the New York teams are terrible the
you know I firmly believe this for for all my time since you know I've been an
adult you know following football doing football the most important position
group on on a football team is the offensive line I just firmly believe
that to be true and you know you you're seeing it actually you know a good
example is the Cleveland Browns so they have a really good defense you know
probably top 10 defense you know arguably maybe even in the top five
they're they're in the conversation for one of the better defenses in the league
and and then they have a great offensive line I mean they don't have a lot to hang
their hats on in terms of skill position players I mean Mario Cooper's fine you
know Joe Coos a really physical specimen at tight end and all that but you can go
through the league and find a lot of teams better talent-wise at skill
position and I mean they've been I mean Joe Flacco is playing quarterback for
right now man so and then they're just out there winning football games with
the good defense and a good offensive line and the rest are just kind of
figuring out on the fly and you know you've seen it man you know year after
year after year you know if you have a good offensive line you can do anything
you know and a good defense helps too but yeah I doesn't matter man how good a
quarterback you got if you can't give him some time or if he's injured because
he got knocked out of a game doesn't matter I think a good offensive line
one of the things that they can do hey you need a good defense too but the
elite offensive lines you know especially since they know what's coming and
what the play is they can dictate the course of action whether it's a run a
pass when they can impose their will on the defense and allow the offense to
flourish I think that you know that it's easier to start demoralizing the
defense because really they're like five guys acting as one if not six or seven
when you bring in some tight ends the defense they're a little more of a group
of individuals all working towards the same goal but still as individuals it's
just the nature of the two things now you don't see this that often because of
you know teams don't keep a good offense of lying together or guys get hurt or a
bunch of other things but you know when you can impose your will whether that's
giving your your elite quarterback enough time to throw the longer pass or you
know giving that running back the two extra yards on every carry and wearing
the defense out I think that that still matters I mean that's football still is
I mean you know that's these front my front guys they're gonna impose their
will and let the skilled players around and behind them then perform yeah I mean
it's you don't have to look very far I mean there's some there's some outliers
for sure you know so I'm looking at the playoff picture right now and you know
they have it ranked a little funny where I'm looking at NFL.com but but just the
numbers associated with things so in the AFC number one is the Ravens great
offensive line Miami Dolphins really good offensive line Chiefs really good
offensive line you go to the NFC 49ers you know maybe the best offensive line
football the Cowboys great offensive line Detroit Lions they're a little
banged up right now but when they're whole good offensive line Eagles are in
there you know great offensive line also in the conversation for best in
football you know there because the Browns are in here you know a couple
outliers the Jags don't have a very good offensive line the Buccaneers not a
great offensive line there's you know definitely a couple outliers but man you
go through the 14 teams that are in the playoffs 11 of them are in the top half
in terms of offensive line and the guys up at the top top are in the
conversation for you know top five and offensive lines and so you know dude
you want to make the playoffs you want to be a winning football team I mean
here you go so you know all the best offensive lines in football are
currently you know in the playoffs man so I don't know it doesn't seem
complicated to me but well you know so there's also skilled players want to
jump to some on-field action all right
forgetting about the off-sides aspect of it talk us through that you know the
play everyone talking about with Travis Kelsey and the Chiefs and his lateral if
you will yeah I mean I could kind of outline it for you a little bit man
trying and paint a picture for you you know you're familiar with at what point
in the game it was right so you know likely the final drive the Chiefs
are going to have based on the time that's left and timeout situations and
all of that so you know they're trailing in the football game you know my home
said a great man afterwards too that you know the play that Travis Kelsey made
was legendary I think is the word he used and he called him a legendary player
and you know so he completes the ball to Travis Kelsey Travis Kelsey is you
know not in the open field but he's running forward towards the goal line
and there's three defenders in his vicinity he still has some space as
he's running right so you know there was a guard guy guarding it after after he
caught the ball that guy's now in the trail position right so so Kelsey was
on a shaded towards the right hand side of the field and started kind of zigging
and zagging and slowly working his way forward kind of heading like north
northwest sort of if you will right and you know he's heading a little bit to
the left and kind of still making his way towards the goal line and in the
meantime obviously more defenders show up safety show up and people are going to
go try and trust attack Corral Kelsey tackle him and he recognizes it but he
has enough space between him and the other guys that you know he has some
time to think a little bit and you know he had three four or five yards of space
and at some point he recognizes like hey man like you know we need a play time's
running out and right now everything's all kind of discompobulated I have the
ball I get to do whatever I want with it now I absolutely can just like plow
forward and try and you know gain my three or four or five more yards that I
can get but there's three guys are gonna tackle me there's three dudes like all in
my vicinity right now I'm not gonna make it to the goal line I still got 35 yards
to go so you know ex quarterback Travis Kelsey throws a pretty good ball
actually and he just opted to take the chance right then and
Kaderius Tony it was in kind of a trail position off to Kelsey's even further to
the left than Kelsey was you Kelsey was at about the center of the field at this
point and Kaderius Tony's trailing he's maybe 10 12 yards behind Kelsey and but
but running towards him sort of and he's off to the left of him by another you
know 15 yards or so 10 12 15 yards something like that right but everything's
in motion so they're moving it's you know these numbers are changing as
as they're taking steps and stuff and Kelsey churns decides hey I'm gonna get
tackled I know that's gonna happen and as opposed to just taking his gain and
calling it quits he churned and fired a pass to Kaderius Tony I mean hit him
right in the chest there's nobody over there dude everyone's going to track
tackle Kelsey like no one's thinking about the guy who doesn't have the ball
right that this kind of thing just doesn't happen much in the NFL so now if
you're playing your intramural college team maybe yeah maybe there's some
pitching going on and maybe you know maybe there's some laterally happening
happening but in the NFL doesn't happen much he throws a beautiful pass Tony
catches it and runs in for what appeared to be a touchdown at the time and you
know obviously you know Arrowhead goes nuts and it's an amazing play and you
know like Patrick Mahomes says you know legendary I mean it was it was amazing
man I mean it was just a spur of the moment a dude who has all the football
sense you know as someone who understands how much time is left in the game
someone who understands you know just all the pieces that go into the puzzle of
being an NFL player and what an NFL game is and what it takes to win and you know
Kelsey just you know the great ones man talk about the game slows down and it's
almost like time slows down and they have time to process and think and
everything else and you know Kelsey's just one of those dudes man I mean all
time great football player and you know he made it about an awesome play and it
was exciting and then you know as you alluded to it was for not just the the
acumen you know to do all that in in real time and just to understand all that
I mean you know again I never played football other than backyard ball and
running around you played at a higher level but just a awareness I mean
obviously that's that's what a pro athletes about and then there's athletes
you know that are pros pros and just have that innate sense of everything
that's happening on the football field it is unfortunate as a guy was off sides
you know I don't know everything I read says it was clearly offside so you know
it means the play went for nothing but still the elite athleticism is kind of
great to see what what's your take overall Chris you ever thought on what's
going on in the NFL a lot of I mean every year we hear about complaining
officials and bad officiating what's your sense yeah it hasn't been a great
year for the officials is my sense so just the week prior also in the chiefs
game you know there was there was there was a call where there was a late hit
called on my homes that really wasn't a late hit the guy met him right at the
first down marker and my homes you know he's skirting down the skyline
sidelines and he's trying to you know gain yardage the defensive guy has a
right to stop him man like dude if you don't want to get hit get out of bounds
and the guy started the contact in bounds it was it was a perfectly legal hit but
they call you know it's on Patrick my home so you got hit with the a late hit
out of bounds call and then they proceeded to not call one of the most
egregious pass interference is that I've ever seen in the middle of the field
there's two dudes you know and I think that was Valda scantling you know they
try to go back to the well and complete a long ball to scantling and that defender
I mean it was just the most obvious pass interference like ever man I mean the guy
just mauled him if it's playing his day in front of everybody and there's no
flag on that one and then you know I understand on the Hell Mary plays like
that they never throw a flag even though that's probably passing interference
every single time a Hell Mary passes thrown there's all kinds of contact that
takes place but you know it's just let go it's one of those things that it's so
many bodies down there like where everyone's converging on the football
wherever the football is gonna land there's usually six six guys all going
after the ball and so of course they're bumping into each other and everything
so they never call anything but Kelsey got pretty blatantly shoved to and or in
the back and you know like I said that they never call it or anything so they
just let it go but on and on man as I'm watching these games like I am this has
always been a struggle for me and it's what makes it makes it's what makes
watching hockey so much fun so hockey they just never stop the action man until
like a pup goes out of the ring or you know there's icing or you know there
are there are some penalties that are called you know and then there's you
know guys will spend time some time in the box I mean there's slashing and
tripping and various other penalties that are called but you know in hockey
when you're watching it as a sport soccer's a little bit like this you know
they they historically will do a lot of falling down and stuff and and and do a
little clock milking and things but it's a free-flowing game you know in
hockey's amazing that way man where it's just a free-flowing game like when they
stop the action there's a reason for it when they call a penalty there's a
reason like you know there's a lot of stuff that doesn't get called in a
hockey game that by the letter of the law probably could be called and in the
NFL it's so random when they choose to call these things you know there's
holding on every single play every single play and there's illegal contact on
almost every single play there's guys lined up in the neutral zone all the
time you know what I mean and so there's all these things that are in the rule
book you know take like the sideline for instance you know you know the coaches
aren't supposed to impede they're supposed to stay off the white or there's
like a little box they got to stay in it runs I think it's like 60 yards or
something long on a football field and then you know you got to be behind this
line at all times they don't they don't do that they they they walk onto the
field all the time and but all these things are in fractions and they're
never called you know what I mean and and some of the things depending on what
it is especially like the sideline you'll get a warning sometimes even to
like amen you got to stand back you know you guys got to get back a little bit
but they're not gonna actually throw a flag and this year it just feels like
more than ever and the officials are sticking their nose in into deciding
games and you know it's it's always gonna be a tough thing Kelly right in all
sports anytime you have officials there's gonna be a lot of subjective calls
basketball is brutal that way you know where like every play could be a foul
right there's contact all the time so when you choose to call it and when you
don't it just seems real random to the fan but this year in the NFL there have
just been some just terrible misses terrible calls and it's amplified when
based on when the call is made so six minutes you know the clock's running in
the first quarter and there's six minutes to go in the first quarter and
the scores three to nothing and the game's just kind of getting rolling you
know that call you call there doesn't really feel like as big even though it's
just even though it's a pass interference you know 37 yard pass interference
call same as it would be in the fourth quarter still 37 yard still pass interference
still automatic first down it feels a lot bigger in the fourth quarter and what
it seems like more more this year than ever they're choosing to make those
calls when it's third down when when it's third and 20 now so now you want to
call pass interference like come on man this is a game-changing play now you
know what I mean it's different than when it's on first down in the second
quarter you know calling it when there's two minutes to go in the game of a one
score game this is this is a game-changing call that you're making
and if you're gonna make this and you got to make it every time you don't just get
to pick and choose and if you are gonna pick and choose then then this can't be
the one you pick and that's the part that's been frustrating for me this
year you know the officials have had just too big a hand in the outcome of
games and they haven't been right very much a couple things that I would like
to see more of I think your hockey comparison is great because man you can
you can watch a period of hockey you know it's 20 minutes and like there's not a
huge amount of stop time and you know it's just you get into the back and
forth and I mean all kinds of things the problem I I mean I like the NFL and
football in general but the thing is you're lucky if you even get four plays
run in sequence without some stop either a penalty or who knows what but there's
not a lot of flow I mean I'd like to see it where you know like I don't know how
you get to this but just show me 11 plays in a row without all those crazy
stoppage right and so you know there's injuries in the NFL and you know of
course we're gonna stop play for someone who's injured and but there again even
a hockey man they find their way off the ice dude like it's just you know in
terms of watchability no I like and I like football better I like the game I
like the way I just like all the components to football and you know so
it's my favorite sport even with all the both the stoppages and various things
you know but it's far in terms of flow yeah it's terrible man like you said
dude either someone's getting hurt or there's a timeout or there's a
commercial timeout or there's you know a penalty and it's just alright man it
just feels like it's really hard to like you said have any type of flow to the
game the other thing and I don't know what's right but given the way the league
is oriented towards passing in quarterbacks I don't want to make it open
season on a wide receiver but because I get it I mean but I think the penalty
for pass interference should be changed oh I've always believed that college
right sorry far too often right now all you do is you throw it up and hope for a
PI versus you know I wouldn't have more of a problem like the college rule 15
yards and automatic first down but throwing the ball 40 yards and getting a
PI call when it wasn't a certainty the guy was gonna catch the pass in the first
place it just has to but I I don't want to have it be open season on wide
receivers either where you get to knock them down just willy-nilly but there's
gotta be some change in my mind that probably won't be but I think there
should be well 15 yards and an automatic first down is a hefty fine dude
that's I mean penalty man so that's good enough the idea that you can have a
58 yard penalty and the other thing that drives me crazy is how come you know if
there's a defensive holding if there's a personal foul roughing the passer if
there's a illegal contact blah blah blah I don't care what you call it every
other penalty with the exception of pass interference is a half the distance to
the goal if you're if you're down close to the goal line every single other
penalty that I'm aware of is is a half the distance penalty why is pass
interference of first and goal at the one why why is that not a half the
distance penalty like dude he caught you know he cheated whatever he grabbed him
he you know there's especially when you consider how subjective it is and you
know it seems pretty random when they call it and when they don't and a lot of
it you know is really inconsistent you can't have like you know if it's the
Eagles it's an automatic touchdown you know to give a team first and goal at
the one I don't know what the success rate is overall but it's got to be above
80 that teams you're giving them a touchdown when like you said I mean some
dude some of the times the balls clearly not even catchable there was no way that
guy was catching the ball based on where it was thrown and where the guy was
standing and stuff and then it's like okay he had some illegal contact okay
we're gonna put the ball first and goal at the one so I'm with you buddy I you
know that those pass interference penalties should be 15 yards in an
automatic first down that's plenty punitive enough and a pass interference
in the end zone should be either 15 yards or if they are you know inside the
30 where that 15 would would you know bring you like you know more than half
so if you're at the 25 then it should be a half the distance penalty just like
all the rest are dude like all the rest are half the distance to the goal
penalties I'd like to see them get rid of the first and goal at the one and get
rid of a spot foul yeah I just think that the game has already got enough geared
towards the offense and I mean you can do something like if it's you know I'm
sure they could come up with something where if the if the I get it why is
sometimes people do it right hey because if you don't do it you know the guy is
gonna score if there's something super egregious maybe there is I don't know
what but something else but I feel that right now too many games are changed by
pass interference calls that again it's just become another offense of weapon
well and they and they officiate intention all the time there's intentional
grounding you know they they look at a play and and say hey we think you
intended to throw that ball away and you did it on purpose or targeting hey we
think you went hide hunting for this guy you you led with your shoulder you led
with the crown of your helmet and you went after his head and we can tell your
intent based on you know replay or based on you know what we saw on the field I
don't know why you couldn't officiate intent on pass interference if the guy
grabs him by the back of the jersey and yanks him to the ground you know that's
in a more a more egregious penalty obviously that you know there's intent
there and so they officiate intent all the time already targeting and intentional
grounding are both subjective intent penalties and I don't you can absolutely
do that with pass interference just as easily you're gonna be able to see if
you were kind of going for the ball or if the contact was like okay you know
you're kind of grabbing on his arm but you're you know you're fighting for
position or hey that guy was gonna beat you and you grabbed him by the legs and
tackled him like though you know you'll be able to tell that just by looking at
it and I don't know why you couldn't officiate it so one's a 25-yard penalty
or something an automatic first down and the other ones a 15-yard penalty you
know or you make that one with intent a spotfall penalty like the old times
used to be or something but there's room for improvement and but
philosophically I mean can you imagine being in the winter meetings and they're
like hey we're thinking about changing pass interference and you know we're
gonna have less scoring in the league and you know there's never gonna bow for
that man they've been for 20 years injecting offense into the NFL because
that's what the people want they want scoring touchdown scoring touchdowns
they're not gonna make a change that suppresses it and you know from a
competitive standpoint I would like to see it I agree with you wholeheartedly
from from a gameplay standpoint I think it would be more fair but NFL wants
scoring and they're gonna they're gonna artificially manufactured any way they
can and you know the pass interference is an easy way to inject cheap offense
into a game that maybe shouldn't have been there yeah and you can say hey
everybody's playing by the same rules but I think that the level of randomness
with the impact that I've seen on games like it's too much at least for me I
think I'm you know I get where they're coming from and things like that I also
get where we're coming from Chris and we're coming from the start of our
podcast to the end so there's always another great conversation with you
looking forward to I'm sure we'll catch up again before the college
championship probably so yeah I'm sure we will man we'll have some you know you
know I maybe might be playing we got to get through this week but yeah you and
I might be playing a fantasy football game semi-final game in a couple of
weeks potentially and then some of the games will have have started you know
some we you know we'll have some bold games to cover but yeah my hope is we
could definitely get together before the semifinals kickoff and and maybe you
know look at it then all right Chris thanks again and thanks to all of our
listeners for tuning into another episode of the podcast to be named later