November 22, 2023 • 39 mins
Will Selva and MJ Acosta-Ruiz are back for another episode of El Huddle! Thanksgiving is here and so is a weekend full of football. But, before we get to the football chat, we share some Thanksgiving memories, traditions and what we're looking forward to this year. Next, we talk about Miss Nicaragua and her historic Miss Universe victory, as MJ shares some details about what goes into the event.
Finally, Will and MJ take a look at the Thanksgiving games and the first ever Black Friday game! Give some predictions and answer some lingering questions.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
In Huddle is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Jacoby Myers, laoconell oh Loo, get Out. What's good everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there who celebrates.
I will Sava alongside my Primamanda, my Rima, Ermana Ruiz
And this is the l Huddle podcast. What's Up Premier Mana.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh Man, Happy Songs, givy.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Hay thanks Giving? Is that so great? It was Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, Happy songs. Giving is here. I love Thanksgiving obviously
for us, it's a worthday. I was able to sneak
out for a bit and come to my sister in
law's house. Good And I'm so distracted right now because
she is in the middle of prepping the food. She's
(01:16):
prepping the seasoning, which, as you know, is the most
important part.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Absolutely, it's complicated. It's a lot. But is it something
that you want to take part in? Pay? Hey, you
take care of this?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
No? No, no, no, like we're in it. She does.
I'm doing this, but she's like saving a couple of
things just because I woke up. She's making the sofrito.
So if you guys don't know what sofrito is. I
know that you do, but it's like a tomato based
There's onions there, cilantro. There's a ton of garlic bulantro
as well, So like all of these different just vesticles
and herbs and spices, but it's like the base of
(01:52):
all of the seasoning she is making. We're gonna have
the jurkey, yes, but I'm currently in a very new
Eurekan household. They're all for me, my husband'side of the family.
I love it here. And so they're making benin and
like different cultures will call it different. It's roasted pork
shoulder is what it is. But it's benin. I'm way
(02:13):
more excited about that than the turkey, to be completely honest.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So you guys have so you guys have double the meats, so.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
You have so instead of like the honey ham, we're
making benini.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
We never had. We never had double meats. It was
just the turkey when we grew up.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And it was always such a fun tradition with my
dad where he would say, hey, inject the babble, you know,
with vinita, and we would put the wine in there.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And that was great and yeah, and that definitely added
the flavor.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Now, I don't know how much flavor I really got
at such a young age, but certainly I.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Probably got a little bit of a buzz. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
It cooks down, the alcohol content of it cooks down
once it's in the oven, for sure. But yeah, I
was like prepping and like going through our notes. But
all I can smell is like all of these flavors
and all this, and I'm like, oh my god, all right,
a podcast. I'm gonna go right back out here with
you because it smells like my mom's house and like
my avoid house house and all my thea's houses, right,
like this is like the traditional stuff. And now, like
(03:15):
she and I were talking about this, it's on us
to keep this going right that our nieces and nephews
and her kids know, Like no, this is how we
throw down, not just once a year either, like you know,
more often than not, for sure, but like it takes
you right back right like those smells immediately, Oh absolutely,
to like a place and a time.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It's like that nostalgia. I'm so ready to eat Ooh.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
My mom would say.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Leando's requerdos is what my mom would say, And it's true,
because I think about Thanksgiving, I think about the turkey
and injecting it with the wine, but also remembering that
one of the sides we'd always have is gayo pinto,
which was I probably talked about it several times in
this podcast, our version of beans and rice, okay, And
(04:05):
so for us, that was always a staple in there. Now,
there was always also this stuffing or dressing depending.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
On on where you're from or where you live or
what it means to you.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And it wasn't really great. I have to say, I
didn't like it. There was all of the things in
there that just made me not like stuffing or dressing
at all.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, I don't know, it scarred.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Me cornbread stuffing type of girl, right, Like I like
a sweet and savory situation. But yeah, every here's what
I remember on s Giving though, because of course Latinos
put their own spin on we like adopted it right
once you like immigrant to the United States, because it's
so it's it's everything here. But every time I have Thanksgiving,
(04:53):
I barely eat turkey, to be honest with you, And like,
the turkey is good, it's delicious, but I'm like, I'm
going to have the benin or I'm going to have, right,
I don't know. I always go for like the Latino
Latino food. I'm like, do we have I have the
rice and beans.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, it's the the hamong.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
The ham is just something that we would have for
basquas or for nabe that right, that would be for us.
So we were definitely a one meat, one family. And
I don't know if that was just the Nicaraguan tradition
or it's just maybe my parents said, hey, this is enough.
You fool is going to have your white meat, dark meat,
(05:35):
whatever it is. But that's where accessible we're having.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
There's like no limits for Christmas. Traditionally, of course Christmas
big party for the family. We did it. It was
always before COVID at my Madarina's house. Everybody would fly
in from New York, from Dominican Republic, from Puerto Rico,
US from Los Angeles when I could, and it was
(06:00):
a huge bash and there was a whole page we
were to roast a whole pig.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
So, especially in South Florida in Miami, very traditional because
in the Cubans, the Cuban culture, they like roast it
like underground almost like how they do it in Hawaii,
like very interesting. They call it akahachina. They put it
in there, they smoke it and it's a hole. They
roast the whole pig. It's crazy. So you have like
that's the centerpiece and then there's a bajillion other things
(06:29):
that you can eat. There's something for everybody. Man, I'm
hungry now just thinking about it. Are you like a
Christmas tree up already for Thanksgiving dinner situation?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Honestly?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Like we would take out the decorations on Thanksgiving. Yeah, yeah,
that's when we would do it, and then we go
all out putting up the ornaments and all that, because
you want to have those extra days, right to really
soak it in and exactly you know the Christmas trees
(07:02):
in western Kouda, right, you would always have those Christmas
trees up.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Past January first, like at least to January.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Sixth until three kings.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, right, right, right, exactly so, but but that's that's
obviously a different tradition. You know, we talked about Notchebuena
with Commander's head coach Ron rivera friend of the and
what it meant to him and what it really means
Bidan right, like how important. It is, but it is
funny like how you know, we are the kids of
(07:33):
immigrants and they came here and Thanksgiving was obviously not
something that they celebrated in Catagua or.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And you know the DR. I mean, this is something
that you know is exclusive to here in this country.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And who knows, maybe it took on a different meaning
for our parents more than what we realized or what
they let on, no question.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
But the funny thing is I was talking to my
mom about it the other day and she says that
because there's so much crossover in DR and folks fly
back and forth between the Minigran Republic and the States,
that now people have started doing Thanksgiving their only sons
Giving in Dominican Republic. It has no like real historical
contextual meaning to it. But it's an event and we
(08:18):
can cook and if it's one thing about us Latinos,
any excuse to throw down and have a party and
cook and we don't need an excuse truly, but they'll
take it. And I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Another big gathering point for us was, and this is
like heavy on the Latina side, was gathering around and
watching the Miss Universe pageant. Every single year.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, well, so let me ask you about that because.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I think congratulations to you will.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yes, well, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I mean because the new Miss Universe, that's huge.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
It's Grangouo, the first time Nicaragua has been recognized as
this honor.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Uh yeah, Miss Universe. Right, this is a big deal.
You talked to my mom about it. I want to
do a deep dive, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And it's something because right now with with Nicaragua and
everything that's happening from a political standpoint, won't get into that.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
But this is this, This is a big deal. This
is something that I know, you know, in Latin America.
It is such a big deal.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I remember being in Colombia and and I might have
said this before, how they take that beauty pageant so
god so seriously and it's front page news and they
critique all these these candidates and these women, where you think,
my god, how could they get away with this? But
(09:45):
it is something to your point, it's it's the super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
It is my mother super Bowl. Well, like you, I
can't even explain it to you. If any of you
are following me on Instagram, If you're not, what are
you doing? Go over there?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Right now, your collection.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I've posting it as we go. I have my brackets,
I've study the candidates. I know the history and who
had what country has won? Watch. But yes, especially in
Dominican Republic, Like there were three things the Olympics, she
only had a few different you know categories there, the
World Baseball Classic and this universe. Okay, and this was
like our chance to put nostra, to put our country
(10:25):
on the global scene. It is such a big deal.
And all of my theas, all of my bedmas were
just sitting there. Yes, discount is it Okay, she's going
to answer the question. She's going to kill it. Ooh,
I remember a contestant from three years ago. This is
what she said, Like it is serious business. It is
very intense. Actually, Miss Usa is a Latina as well.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
She's best rightling l Yeah, I thought she was.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Going to get much further. Look, I could go on
and on about this, but I was so excited for Nicaragua.
She was a favorite the entire week and we saw
why when she got on the stage. She crushed it.
The second she answered the question.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Once she was in part of the top.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Five, I was like, that's a wrap. She got give
her the crown.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
It's very articulate, very articulate, had something to say, and
she said it well and.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Very graceful.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's funny because Nicaragua obviously is like the size of
a dime, right, And I think now, as we're talking
about it and I'm closing my eyes, I think my
mom would say, Okay, yeah, I guess what I said, okay,
because eventually like Balacios. But I wonder, but I wonder
if Balacios is like a last name that somehow my
(11:42):
mom would know a Balacios in Nicaragua, Like it's sure,
It's like that's small of a place where people know each.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Other's names their last names.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Yes, very much so, so I could picture of my
mom being ultra judgmental and saying, no matter what those
Blasios bandidos or or Sierra mu marvels, those Bilascio's mad requero,
there's the no sequando h there's.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Elo is always like a long time ago.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So I think my mom will probably be talking more
about that to see if she was the lineage of
Bilazios in the last name there.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
She for sure does, but Bilazios means castles, royalty. She
was met for the crown. I just want to give people,
and I can put this in football terms, right, a
little background because they're like, oh, come on, it's so archaic.
The beauty pageants. I am a former beauty queen, and
I wear that proudly because competing and just being part
(12:47):
of that world. I attribute so much of my success
to that, and so much of my confidence and just
being poised and well rounded, well read and well spoken
and being able to conduct myself the way that I
do now came from that background, and I've made some
of my very best friends or women that I met
through there. But when it comes to miss you, there's
layers to this, Okay, there is layers. Think up like
(13:09):
the regular season, you're preparing, Okay, these women are preparing,
they're getting ready, they're doing the research, they're physically getting
ready for this competition. When they go to the host country,
which was this year, they're there for three weeks. Three weeks.
There's preliminary Yes, there's preliminary competition. So let's just call
that the playoffs. Yeah, let's call that the postseason. They
(13:32):
have to go through the whole thing for multiple weeks.
They have to do a whole panel interview with the
selection committee, with the judges, and then finally they get
to the universe stage and that's where now they It's
if we're talking about soccer right, right of relegation, if
you will, who has scored the highest in all of
these different categories and now the Titans go up head
(13:54):
to head. Who were the top top ones? And the
interview with my friends is what wins you the crown? Right,
because they're all stunning, They're all gorgeous. This is very
say when I tell you this universe is my other
Super Bowl, I'm not playing with all. I had brackets,
I had research notes. It was going down. But I
(14:15):
watched the Spanish version of the broadcast.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Now how how was that? Now?
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Now, I now you're saying because we watched obviously novelas.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like I said, I'm a guy.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
We would watch novelas and we would watch the Beauty
pageant as well. So there was a bested interest, not
to the state of your interest in it, in true
connection with it, but we had it for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah yeah, yeah, But the best part of watching it
on is that no matter what, they unapologetically are rooting
for the for the Latin countries.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
So they're like, oh, okay, love it, Philippines, Thailand. Great,
It's not even I love it. But that's that's the
audience that's watching, right, It's for this audience. And I
I'm of course eighty seven percent of my followers on
Instagram are men because I cover sports and I have dudes,
(15:11):
like especially my Nicaragua contingent, where like they can't tell
me nothing, Miss Nikaagua one the crown is ours, Like,
dudes really into it.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
And I love this for us. I love that we
can have the cross because it's composition. At the end
of the day, right, you want your team to win,
and that's what it comes down to. I had a blast.
My husband was watching with me. Our buddy, our colleague,
Omar Ruiz, popped in to say hello, now he's now
he is. He's asking me the background of like, what's happening.
Did Mexico place? Sorry, Omar, Mexico did not place, which
(15:41):
was a travesty. She was fantastic, But yeah, it's just
it's awesome. So if you've never watched before, tune in
next year.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Well, so, so what did you make of Spain not
hugging Nicaragua? Like for me, we're talking about what it was.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, there was conversation about that after she was announced
as the winner. Now it's fine, this is this is
a conflicting for me because he sent it by Sallos,
my ancestors. They're from Spain and then of course being Nicaraguan.
So I wonder what, like my mind is that you
think about this. I see, this is what I'm going
to see my mom in Thanksgiving. I'm going to ask
(16:18):
her and get her opinion on that.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
It was probably it was probably nothing, I would say,
but I will say I was very happy to see
the delegate from Spain because she was a black Spaniard
and I don't think I've ever seen representation like that
from the atmosphere, specifically from Spain, and I was living
for it. You know how I feel about my after
Latinos after hispatics is so like that was a big deal.
(16:46):
This here became way more inclusive. I don't know if
you know this, guys, but traditionally, up until a few
years ago, you could only be an unmarried, never had
had a child, you could. I think the age limit
was twenty six. They bumped it up to twenty eight.
Like it was very, very restrictive. It really was to
be completely transparent, but now they have completely eliminated any
(17:08):
age limits, so now any woman trans women as well.
There was a trans contestant this year. There was a
trans contestant a couple of years ago as well for
Columbia who competed this year. Minutes of the top five
is a mom you couldn't be married before she's married,
Like it's really does, isn't it ridiculous?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
But but but hey, listen, though part of the Lucal
Do that we talked about, like growing up, that's how
it was viewed though, right, I mean it had to
be a.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Certain age they couldn't be married. I mean it was candy,
it was.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
It was seen differently, right because obviously my chiesmo is
a is a big thing. And to see this uh
change and evolve and again it's it's you know, in
a in a Central American country.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Two this is this is quite the departure, quite the change.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I'm happy for. It have me thinking if I should
dust off the pageant shoes now that there's no age limits.
I will not spoil it. I know too much.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
I'm talking.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I don't have it any but I did think about
it for like ten minutes. I was like, should I should?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I not?
Speaker 1 (18:21):
So? Yeah? I love watching it. I am a sucker
for the you know, I'm a more is more type
of girl. So big hair, big makeup, everybody looks flawless.
On the other end of the spectrum, though, my beautiful
baby boy, Gunnyny, not looking great these days. To count
her days, I'd like to report a crime. Look at
(18:42):
my baby. He looks like more far quad a gold
cut holiday pictures. Very he has bangs? What am I
supposed to do justice for Gunny? This is egregious?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Why can't you do his hair?
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Then? You are not doing that?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Why?
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Why not? Why not to your hair?
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Like this?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Fantastic to try and fix this, but I'm scared I'm
gonna make it worse. I'm scared I'm gonna make it worse. Look,
we've all had a bad haircut before, so I think
this is just a right of past.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Some curls though, Just just get some curls in there, more,
just try it. Just supposed to do with this?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Why didn't look like that I picked him up. I
thought it was a different dog, Like, what is going on?
I have you ever like have you had a bad
haircut before?
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Will how about?
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, I think it was bad just
because like like because my hair dough just like poofs out.
So I feel like when I had it like cut
really really short, people had always asked me, hey, you
know where were you deployed? And so I've had some
haircuts that didn't look Yeah, that wasn't good. And then
I remember at one station that I worked worked at,
(19:57):
we had a consultant, which which I called her the
insultant right because she had to be there to change
things up. And so she said, you know, your hair
would look better with a slight tint of red in
the orange.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Wish you what British? No, she was no love to
be a consultant for TV stations.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, well, I mean I don't even know if there
was a budget for that, but she wanted you to
be on Ginger. Yeah, because she said that the that the.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Studio lights would would make my hair pop out, make
me pop out a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Consider it.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
I did it. I actually did, because.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
At that point time I didn't I didn't know, I
don't know that I couldn't do it. It felt like
I was kind of forced to in a way. And
I remember my my wife saying, what the bleep?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Man?
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Like, you know, and my brothers everybody say, I guess
this though down, get your bus day.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
You know, it's like, what what was that? And I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
I need to try to dig up a photo of it.
It was so ridiculous in bonkers. But to have somebody
change my hair color, yikes. I felt like Gunny when
I first saw myself in that and that year, you know,
all bummed out going for my shoulders drooped and my
head down. Yeah, I know, Gunny, I feel your pain, buddy.
(21:25):
Just several years after the fact, We've talked about so
much already, and we still need to talk football.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
We still need to talk about looking ahead.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
We need to talk about the Thanksgiving games, Black Friday games,
some other key matchups.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Uh, that is coming up on the other side. This
is the l Huddle Podcast. Stay with us.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Oh, I must have his ham.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I'm a big ham guy.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Okay, I'm not a turkey guy unless it's unless it's
fried turkey, then I'm all for It's man.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
I Uh, that's a tough one.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
There's there's you know what. I am not a dressing fan.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I'm not a dressing fan, not a Cranberry fan.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Okay, I got that right out to the dogs and.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Went straight off the plate, right on the floor.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Yes, absolutely so, I think that's everything else is fair game.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
I'm all good. If it can, I'll just load it
right on top of each other. It's a full stack,
said coach Dan Campbell, talking about Thanksgiving and how he
eats and what he's into. Listen, the fried turkey is delicious.
I've had it before, but it is a massive, massive
(22:45):
fire hazard if you don't do it correctly.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I have not been the one to cook it.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
My brother did it, and honestly, it's it's so good,
so tasty, but so dangerous with I mean cause it's
like you see online the firefighters were there who are
trying to literally like extinguish, you know, these these fires.
So a fried bird is fantastic. Not a cranberry guy either.
(23:14):
I don't know whether it's homemade or whether there's ridges on.
It's fresh out of a can, not into it.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Not my thing, but you know, to each their own,
Dan Campbell, teach their own.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I'm visualizing this plate like he for sure has, like
this mountain of food, like they got to get those
heavy if they use disposable, place those like heavy duty
like Hefty one because it's just stack back stack. But
you see back to our early conversation, like he's not
a turkey guy either.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Yeah, I don't like he would like.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
The poor shoulder.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I can't this is but you look forward to it
once a year. You look forward to turkey. That's why
you have it. I feel like like if you have
turkey on another holiday, it kind of waters it down.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
To Christmas or a lot of people do turkey on Christmas.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Yeah, I get that, and I've had that before. Is
just though it feels more right on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Traditions.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
But but either way, in terms of this game, the
lines are synonymous with Thanksgiving that the Lions have been
bad for so many years. But I do have such
great memories of seeing Barry Sanders out there running the ball,
being elusive, seeing John Medden be this Santa Claus of Thanksgiving,
and that's essentially has he's viewed for a lot of
(24:35):
us who grew up watching football, like them having the
turkey on the field, Like that's what it's all about.
And you're going to see the Lions they're going to have, yeah,
that you're ducking, and they're going to have like the
patches of you know, John Madden's face on there, and
it's it's so cool. And and for years, you know,
(24:55):
the lines were just terrible. But but now here they
are coming into this one with with the momentum of
that when they you.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Know, they have the division, they have the division. Yes,
they're they're the bullies. I think of this division question.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
I think I totally love it for them, long overdue.
And yes, the Packers had a chance to beat the Chargers,
but it's not enough to convince me that they're going
to beat the Lions. Even though Golf did not play
particularly well, he threw he threw three picks, I believe. Yeah,
But but at the at the very end when it counted,
(25:33):
he performed and he got the win for them.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I think it's incredible that this is the eighty fourth
game the Lions are playing on Thanksgiving, most all time
of any other team, but certainly the first where they
have been in this type of position where the eyes
of the league are on them, where everyone is really
looking at this Lions team as a true playoff contender.
(25:57):
As they should be, as they should be. I think
the position there no question we saw the potential last year,
regardless of what their record displayed. All of those games
were incredibly close, and they were a team that was
very hard to beat. They really were. So I'm glad
that they cross over that threshold this season that we're
in late November and there's still very much in the
(26:19):
conversation at the top of their division where teams are like,
oh damn, we got to play the Alliance now, that's huge,
that's huge, and it speaks to the culture of what
they've created in Detroit. Obviously, this matchup in particular is
also very synonymous with Thanksgiving, and I don't think it's
going to be as easy as people think because it
(26:40):
is a Thanksgiving game, because it's so historic. But I'm
really looking forward to both of these teams just going
at it. If I had to make a prediction, I
do think that the Lions will come away with a big,
big dub. Yeah Thanksgiving. I want to see Dan Campbell
with a turn ducket.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I need it.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Ah, Yeah, I think we all need it. I mean
that's an image like you can picture right, you can
see him. Yes, that with that with that big old
drumstick in his in his hand.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
The other the other exactly, you know, the other.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
The other team that we've often seen, you know on
Thanksgiving are the Cowboys, and they are Cowboys. You know
they're going to be facing the you know, the the Commanders,
and you know this is going to be a game
where the Cowboys are going to be judged by the opponent.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
We love Ron Rivera.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
We mentioned Rivera earlier in this podcast, but it's been
a tough go. I liked what I've seen from Sam Howell.
Uh but but he's been sacked fifty one times. He
throws a lot of touchdows. We also there's a lot
of interceptions. It's just been a a long year for Ron.
You just we root for him personally because he's a
(27:55):
friend of the podcast, but the results I've not been there.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
They have a new owner.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
But in terms of the Cowboys, you know, this is
a game that they should win. This is a game
where they should prove themselves in prime time or in
a prime spot or for for the viewing audience to see.
But if they beat them, it's always going to be Yeah,
but this is another empty calories game because they're facing
(28:24):
the Commanders and they've already faced the giants wise, It's
like we talked about in the last podcast. So I'm
still expecting, like DAK and CD to have huge rolling
right now.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Absolutely Roland.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Despite how the season started for them, which was not ideal,
they've gone back on track and that speaks volumes I
think to what especially offensively to what they're doing there.
But we can't talk about this Cowboys game. Another teams
synonymous with Thanksgiving, and I'll talk about the fact that
they're going to have Dolly Parton performing.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yes, it's right, Dolly Parton kidding right, the legend.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Herself, Country Royalty, Music Royalty.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Yeah, yeah, of course, follow the.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Dolls, Cowboys cheerleaders. You know, I'm part of the selection
committee that picks the team now and so all over
their page for the past few weeks, it's been all
about the prep to perform with Dolly Partons, as it
should be because this is huge too too, So that's
that's a huge thing to look forward to. It's almost
like a little mini mini like super Bowl halftime show.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah. Yeah, I love that they have these entertainers at time,
and you know, the other treat that we're getting is
we're going to be seeing the forty nine Ers and
the Seahawks play, and this is a battle for first
place in the division. The Seahawks coming off a loss,
Gino Smith banged up, Kenneth Walker also hurt. This is
(29:46):
a game where you know, the forty nine Ers need
this win. It's going to be up in Seattle. And
brock Purty coming off that perfect passer rating of his
and and you know, I believe he's two to zero
in his career against the Seahawks, and so you know,
I think that the bad part for the forty nine
(30:07):
Ers is they will be without Hufanga. Unfortunately for the rest.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Of the Sea's used such a creaking part of that defense.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
That's secondary, right, it was really heartbreaking, But I will
be I'll be curious to see how either Deebo or
I you do against those corners. I mean, I think
that is where the battle within the battle is going
to be in this one, no question.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
And I think we're still waiting for Deebo to come
back to that full form that we saw him before
he got in right earlier. Right, it's been all McCaffrey
and I really stepping up as they should. And that's
the thing. They have a lot of mouths to feed
on this team, which is a good it's not even
a problem to have. It's just a fantastic option there.
So Depot hasn't they haven't had to rely on what
(30:50):
he does. But I think I think we're getting there
where it's like, all right, let's go. Not because I
have him on my fantasy team or anything, but it's
got so I still have Christian McCay, so like I'm
being greedy, I'm being greedy, but yes, I hear you,
I hear you.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
There, pretty mud.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
And then on Friday, Black Friday, to be Zach, we're
gonna have our first football game on that day and
that is going to be the Jets and your Dolphins playing.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
And this is one where the.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Dolphins are on the heels of starting off hard knocks
in season, so this game is going to be documented
in there. The Jets, they end up changing quarterbacks, where
now Zach Wilson is all the way down to three
on the depth chart, which at this point in time,
you're just going to have to release.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Some and let it go.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I mean, this is yeah, the whole situation there. But
Aaron Rodgers also saying, oh, I can come back by
what in a couple of weeks December.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Second, he ain't coming back. He ain't coming back if
they can't keep it together. I mean, part of the
problem is it's like the defense ends has it exactly,
He's not going to do.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
It not if not, if they like this would be
a tough.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
One, you know what I mean, Like, what's the point here?
You're not going to the super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (32:09):
No?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
No, But I think in his rest, like.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Why even risk it's.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Completely sure, but like, because it's just.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
For two years right at this point in your career,
the whole point is to have you there fully healthy.
Like my concern would be, like why push it when
realistically the season is not I understand his competitive side,
I get. I mean I want yes and being out
there with the table, like is the juice worth the squeeze?
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Yeah? I don't think back.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Next year and like really go full fource, continue to
build in the off season. You already have tremendous pieces.
They're like, you know what I mean, I don't know.
It's just and mind you, this is from a Dolphins fan.
It's not that I want this scene to but you know,
what I mean, but like if you're just thinking about
it pragmatically, come on.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Yeah, and you know, Sauce Garter did not have a
good game against the Bills. Uh, you know, I think
and I and I do think like going up against
either Tyreek I think that's probably who he's going to.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Be mostly on.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
I mean, that's going to be a tough one. Which,
by the way, like talking about hard knocks. I don't
know if you had a chance to see it at all.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
I was traveling yesterday. I haven't seen it. I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Yeah, so so I saw it.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna give away
too much or spoil it. But you know, we talked
about it beforehand, like there are some personalities you see
a little bit more from Mike McDaniel. Tyreek Hill is
definitely a character that is featured prominently in this first
episode as well.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
So, uh, you know, and you.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Forget it's like, yeah, well Jalen Ramsey's got a personality
and so so I don't know, I'm curious to see
how it evolves.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Also curious to get your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yes, yes, yes, for sure, but I think it's it's uh,
you know, I think it's the Dolphins there at this
point in time, that's that's going to take it.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
You know. Another and another point that that we have to.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Talk about is how the Raiders they ended up losing
to your Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I was documented it had us a little.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Shift there though, like I wasn't. Yeah, game that I
think people anticipated it to me.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
And the game planning that they did for Max Crosby
is also something that they touch upon, maybe more than
touch upon in this episode.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
So you'll see the emphasis that they put on him.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
That being said, again, that's an opponent that that they beat,
and it's just like with the Cowboys, it's like, okay,
now you got the Jets, you should be beating them.
You should, right, And that's that's what what I think
the Dolphins have to do. And uh and I think
they're going to do it right.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yeah, I'm excited. It's going to be a man. This
is why just get your get. I think everybody should
go into Thanksgiving and Black Friday with a game plan. Okay,
so portion out what you want to eat, knowing the
schedule of games. Okay, have yourself ready buff in some walks, right,
walk around the block a couple of times, play with
(35:15):
the dog. You don't just want to be sitting on
the couch idle either for eight hours. But I think
there's there's there's a lot to do. Oh what are
you doing the next few days? I'm working. It's called
it is we're working will.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Nobody can tell us anything, And you know, I guess this.
This takes us to our eat bunto and is Bye
Bye Barry on Amazon if you can watch that as well.
It's really fascinating how they go behind the scenes and
(35:49):
what went into his abrupt retirement and the blowback that
he took from it, his thought process after he went
through it. I mean, there were people who hated Barry
Sanders with the passion in which you understood if you
were from Detroit, But there was also contingent that said,
(36:10):
I kind of get it based on on everything, uh
that was transpiring at that point in time. So if
you get a chance, watch it because you're reminded of
Barry sanders greatness and the short amount of time that
we had as sports fans and football fans to watch
and perform.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
I don't think we we realize how good we had it.
We take it for granted watching this man run with
the ball.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
We always do that, always in hindsight, always yes we do.
Oh wow, man, look my punto is what a year
it's been for us already. I know it's it's only Thanksgiving,
we're not at New Year's yet, but like, I think
we can take the time to show like some gratitude,
thankfulness and thankful. You know, our amazing executive producer Jonathan Victoria.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Came on before we started the pod, uh, along with.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Our producer Randy Tavias, who are incredible, our girl Susie
who's also part of this podcast. Like this is a
small but mighty team. And I think that what we've
done here on in Huddle so far, and we're barely
scratching the surface, y'all, just so you know, being able
to do this. Will had this brain child of an
idea and it came together and you brought me in
(37:24):
and I couldn't be happier to speak toun with that.
I hang fit to talk about the things that really
matter to us, even if it doesn't make sense to everyone.
Sometimes it's not for everybody anyway, it's for us. So
I'm really thankful to have this platform really thankful to
talk about this game that we love and to mix
it in with the things that are true to us
and to our culture. So thank you will thank you
(37:46):
Randy and Susie and JV for all that you do,
and thank you guys for listening to us, rocking with us,
sharing and giving us your input on the podcast. It's huge.
We have still a lot of football to go, a
long season and postseason I had to look forward to,
but like taking the little moment. I think sometimes I
get caught up and like looking too far ahead, and
(38:07):
like even just today talking about food, talking about like
what we love, like I want to. I want to
be so so much more present in everything that we're doing.
So that's my I love it.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Yeah, Premiermana, you could have said it any better than that.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Love everybody who's made this happen, made this a reality,
and again we harkened all the cultural experiences that we've had,
and hopefully that connects with our audience and in addition
to our view of these football games and these players
and these teams, because they's when I'm mescla right, it's
a it's a mix of those things and hopefully you know,
(38:45):
if if people.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Like what they hear. Please, we beg of you, We
ask of you.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Wherever you get your podcasts, download, subscribe, like do the
whole thing.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Uh, we appreciate it. To see though, to see.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
Though, Primermana, it's always a pleasure. Happy sangs giving to
everybody out there. Me sayanksgiving, nobamos next week. I can't
wait to get your thoughts on how Thanksgiving when and
what you thought of hard knots as well.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
So I got you got pretty bye, everybody out of you.
Everybody in Huddle is a production of the NFL in
(39:35):
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
In Huddle is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Jacoby Myers, laoconell oh Loo, get Out. What's good everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there who celebrates.
I will Sava alongside my Primamanda, my Rima, Ermana Ruiz
And this is the l Huddle podcast. What's Up Premier Mana.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh Man, Happy Songs, givy.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Hay thanks Giving? Is that so great? It was Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, Happy songs. Giving is here. I love Thanksgiving obviously
for us, it's a worthday. I was able to sneak
out for a bit and come to my sister in
law's house. Good And I'm so distracted right now because
she is in the middle of prepping the food. She's
(01:16):
prepping the seasoning, which, as you know, is the most
important part.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Absolutely, it's complicated. It's a lot. But is it something
that you want to take part in? Pay? Hey, you
take care of this?
Speaker 1 (01:30):
No? No, no, no, like we're in it. She does.
I'm doing this, but she's like saving a couple of
things just because I woke up. She's making the sofrito.
So if you guys don't know what sofrito is. I
know that you do, but it's like a tomato based
There's onions there, cilantro. There's a ton of garlic bulantro
as well, So like all of these different just vesticles
and herbs and spices, but it's like the base of
(01:52):
all of the seasoning she is making. We're gonna have
the jurkey, yes, but I'm currently in a very new
Eurekan household. They're all for me, my husband'side of the family.
I love it here. And so they're making benin and
like different cultures will call it different. It's roasted pork
shoulder is what it is. But it's benin. I'm way
(02:13):
more excited about that than the turkey, to be completely honest.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So you guys have so you guys have double the meats, so.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
You have so instead of like the honey ham, we're
making benini.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
We never had. We never had double meats. It was
just the turkey when we grew up.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And it was always such a fun tradition with my
dad where he would say, hey, inject the babble, you know,
with vinita, and we would put the wine in there.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And that was great and yeah, and that definitely added
the flavor.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Now, I don't know how much flavor I really got
at such a young age, but certainly I.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Probably got a little bit of a buzz. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
It cooks down, the alcohol content of it cooks down
once it's in the oven, for sure. But yeah, I
was like prepping and like going through our notes. But
all I can smell is like all of these flavors
and all this, and I'm like, oh my god, all right,
a podcast. I'm gonna go right back out here with
you because it smells like my mom's house and like
my avoid house house and all my thea's houses, right,
like this is like the traditional stuff. And now, like
(03:15):
she and I were talking about this, it's on us
to keep this going right that our nieces and nephews
and her kids know, Like no, this is how we
throw down, not just once a year either, like you know,
more often than not, for sure, but like it takes
you right back right like those smells immediately, Oh absolutely,
to like a place and a time.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It's like that nostalgia. I'm so ready to eat Ooh.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
My mom would say.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Leando's requerdos is what my mom would say, And it's true,
because I think about Thanksgiving, I think about the turkey
and injecting it with the wine, but also remembering that
one of the sides we'd always have is gayo pinto,
which was I probably talked about it several times in
this podcast, our version of beans and rice, okay, And
(04:05):
so for us, that was always a staple in there. Now,
there was always also this stuffing or dressing depending.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
On on where you're from or where you live or
what it means to you.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
And it wasn't really great. I have to say, I
didn't like it. There was all of the things in
there that just made me not like stuffing or dressing
at all.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, I don't know, it scarred.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Me cornbread stuffing type of girl, right, Like I like
a sweet and savory situation. But yeah, every here's what
I remember on s Giving though, because of course Latinos
put their own spin on we like adopted it right
once you like immigrant to the United States, because it's
so it's it's everything here. But every time I have Thanksgiving,
(04:53):
I barely eat turkey, to be honest with you, And like,
the turkey is good, it's delicious, but I'm like, I'm
going to have the benin or I'm going to have, right,
I don't know. I always go for like the Latino
Latino food. I'm like, do we have I have the
rice and beans.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, it's the the hamong.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
The ham is just something that we would have for
basquas or for nabe that right, that would be for us.
So we were definitely a one meat, one family. And
I don't know if that was just the Nicaraguan tradition
or it's just maybe my parents said, hey, this is enough.
You fool is going to have your white meat, dark meat,
(05:35):
whatever it is. But that's where accessible we're having.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
There's like no limits for Christmas. Traditionally, of course Christmas
big party for the family. We did it. It was
always before COVID at my Madarina's house. Everybody would fly
in from New York, from Dominican Republic, from Puerto Rico,
US from Los Angeles when I could, and it was
(06:00):
a huge bash and there was a whole page we
were to roast a whole pig.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
So, especially in South Florida in Miami, very traditional because
in the Cubans, the Cuban culture, they like roast it
like underground almost like how they do it in Hawaii,
like very interesting. They call it akahachina. They put it
in there, they smoke it and it's a hole. They
roast the whole pig. It's crazy. So you have like
that's the centerpiece and then there's a bajillion other things
(06:29):
that you can eat. There's something for everybody. Man, I'm
hungry now just thinking about it. Are you like a
Christmas tree up already for Thanksgiving dinner situation?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Honestly?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Like we would take out the decorations on Thanksgiving. Yeah, yeah,
that's when we would do it, and then we go
all out putting up the ornaments and all that, because
you want to have those extra days, right to really
soak it in and exactly you know the Christmas trees
(07:02):
in western Kouda, right, you would always have those Christmas
trees up.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Past January first, like at least to January.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Sixth until three kings.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, right, right, right, exactly so, but but that's that's
obviously a different tradition. You know, we talked about Notchebuena
with Commander's head coach Ron rivera friend of the and
what it meant to him and what it really means
Bidan right, like how important. It is, but it is
funny like how you know, we are the kids of
(07:33):
immigrants and they came here and Thanksgiving was obviously not
something that they celebrated in Catagua or.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And you know the DR. I mean, this is something
that you know is exclusive to here in this country.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And who knows, maybe it took on a different meaning
for our parents more than what we realized or what
they let on, no question.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
But the funny thing is I was talking to my
mom about it the other day and she says that
because there's so much crossover in DR and folks fly
back and forth between the Minigran Republic and the States,
that now people have started doing Thanksgiving their only sons
Giving in Dominican Republic. It has no like real historical
contextual meaning to it. But it's an event and we
(08:18):
can cook and if it's one thing about us Latinos,
any excuse to throw down and have a party and
cook and we don't need an excuse truly, but they'll
take it. And I love it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Another big gathering point for us was, and this is
like heavy on the Latina side, was gathering around and
watching the Miss Universe pageant. Every single year.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, well, so let me ask you about that because.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I think congratulations to you will.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yes, well, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I mean because the new Miss Universe, that's huge.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
It's Grangouo, the first time Nicaragua has been recognized as
this honor.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Uh yeah, Miss Universe. Right, this is a big deal.
You talked to my mom about it. I want to
do a deep dive, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And it's something because right now with with Nicaragua and
everything that's happening from a political standpoint, won't get into that.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
But this is this, This is a big deal. This
is something that I know, you know, in Latin America.
It is such a big deal.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I remember being in Colombia and and I might have
said this before, how they take that beauty pageant so
god so seriously and it's front page news and they
critique all these these candidates and these women, where you think,
my god, how could they get away with this? But
(09:45):
it is something to your point, it's it's the super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
It is my mother super Bowl. Well, like you, I
can't even explain it to you. If any of you
are following me on Instagram, If you're not, what are
you doing? Go over there?
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Right now, your collection.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I've posting it as we go. I have my brackets,
I've study the candidates. I know the history and who
had what country has won? Watch. But yes, especially in
Dominican Republic, Like there were three things the Olympics, she
only had a few different you know categories there, the
World Baseball Classic and this universe. Okay, and this was
like our chance to put nostra, to put our country
(10:25):
on the global scene. It is such a big deal.
And all of my theas, all of my bedmas were
just sitting there. Yes, discount is it Okay, she's going
to answer the question. She's going to kill it. Ooh,
I remember a contestant from three years ago. This is
what she said, Like it is serious business. It is
very intense. Actually, Miss Usa is a Latina as well.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
She's best rightling l Yeah, I thought she was.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Going to get much further. Look, I could go on
and on about this, but I was so excited for Nicaragua.
She was a favorite the entire week and we saw
why when she got on the stage. She crushed it.
The second she answered the question.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Once she was in part of the top.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Five, I was like, that's a wrap. She got give
her the crown.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
It's very articulate, very articulate, had something to say, and
she said it well and.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Very graceful.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's funny because Nicaragua obviously is like the size of
a dime, right, And I think now, as we're talking
about it and I'm closing my eyes, I think my
mom would say, Okay, yeah, I guess what I said, okay,
because eventually like Balacios. But I wonder, but I wonder
if Balacios is like a last name that somehow my
(11:42):
mom would know a Balacios in Nicaragua, Like it's sure,
It's like that's small of a place where people know each.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Other's names their last names.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Yes, very much so, so I could picture of my
mom being ultra judgmental and saying, no matter what those
Blasios bandidos or or Sierra mu marvels, those Bilascio's mad requero,
there's the no sequando h there's.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Elo is always like a long time ago.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So I think my mom will probably be talking more
about that to see if she was the lineage of
Bilazios in the last name there.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
She for sure does, but Bilazios means castles, royalty. She
was met for the crown. I just want to give people,
and I can put this in football terms, right, a
little background because they're like, oh, come on, it's so archaic.
The beauty pageants. I am a former beauty queen, and
I wear that proudly because competing and just being part
(12:47):
of that world. I attribute so much of my success
to that, and so much of my confidence and just
being poised and well rounded, well read and well spoken
and being able to conduct myself the way that I
do now came from that background, and I've made some
of my very best friends or women that I met
through there. But when it comes to miss you, there's
layers to this, Okay, there is layers. Think up like
(13:09):
the regular season, you're preparing, Okay, these women are preparing,
they're getting ready, they're doing the research, they're physically getting
ready for this competition. When they go to the host country,
which was this year, they're there for three weeks. Three weeks.
There's preliminary Yes, there's preliminary competition. So let's just call
that the playoffs. Yeah, let's call that the postseason. They
(13:32):
have to go through the whole thing for multiple weeks.
They have to do a whole panel interview with the
selection committee, with the judges, and then finally they get
to the universe stage and that's where now they It's
if we're talking about soccer right, right of relegation, if
you will, who has scored the highest in all of
these different categories and now the Titans go up head
(13:54):
to head. Who were the top top ones? And the
interview with my friends is what wins you the crown? Right,
because they're all stunning, They're all gorgeous. This is very
say when I tell you this universe is my other
Super Bowl, I'm not playing with all. I had brackets,
I had research notes. It was going down. But I
(14:15):
watched the Spanish version of the broadcast.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Now how how was that? Now?
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Now, I now you're saying because we watched obviously novelas.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like I said, I'm a guy.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
We would watch novelas and we would watch the Beauty
pageant as well. So there was a bested interest, not
to the state of your interest in it, in true
connection with it, but we had it for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah yeah, yeah, But the best part of watching it
on is that no matter what, they unapologetically are rooting
for the for the Latin countries.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
So they're like, oh, okay, love it, Philippines, Thailand. Great,
It's not even I love it. But that's that's the
audience that's watching, right, It's for this audience. And I
I'm of course eighty seven percent of my followers on
Instagram are men because I cover sports and I have dudes,
(15:11):
like especially my Nicaragua contingent, where like they can't tell
me nothing, Miss Nikaagua one the crown is ours, Like,
dudes really into it.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
And I love this for us. I love that we
can have the cross because it's composition. At the end
of the day, right, you want your team to win,
and that's what it comes down to. I had a blast.
My husband was watching with me. Our buddy, our colleague,
Omar Ruiz, popped in to say hello, now he's now
he is. He's asking me the background of like, what's happening.
Did Mexico place? Sorry, Omar, Mexico did not place, which
(15:41):
was a travesty. She was fantastic, But yeah, it's just
it's awesome. So if you've never watched before, tune in
next year.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Well, so, so what did you make of Spain not
hugging Nicaragua? Like for me, we're talking about what it was.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, there was conversation about that after she was announced
as the winner. Now it's fine, this is this is
a conflicting for me because he sent it by Sallos,
my ancestors. They're from Spain and then of course being Nicaraguan.
So I wonder what, like my mind is that you
think about this. I see, this is what I'm going
to see my mom in Thanksgiving. I'm going to ask
(16:18):
her and get her opinion on that.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
It was probably it was probably nothing, I would say,
but I will say I was very happy to see
the delegate from Spain because she was a black Spaniard
and I don't think I've ever seen representation like that
from the atmosphere, specifically from Spain, and I was living
for it. You know how I feel about my after
Latinos after hispatics is so like that was a big deal.
(16:46):
This here became way more inclusive. I don't know if
you know this, guys, but traditionally, up until a few
years ago, you could only be an unmarried, never had
had a child, you could. I think the age limit
was twenty six. They bumped it up to twenty eight.
Like it was very, very restrictive. It really was to
be completely transparent, but now they have completely eliminated any
(17:08):
age limits, so now any woman trans women as well.
There was a trans contestant this year. There was a
trans contestant a couple of years ago as well for
Columbia who competed this year. Minutes of the top five
is a mom you couldn't be married before she's married,
Like it's really does, isn't it ridiculous?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
But but but hey, listen, though part of the Lucal
Do that we talked about, like growing up, that's how
it was viewed though, right, I mean it had to
be a.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Certain age they couldn't be married. I mean it was candy,
it was.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
It was seen differently, right because obviously my chiesmo is
a is a big thing. And to see this uh
change and evolve and again it's it's you know, in
a in a Central American country.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Two this is this is quite the departure, quite the change.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I'm happy for. It have me thinking if I should
dust off the pageant shoes now that there's no age limits.
I will not spoil it. I know too much.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
I'm talking.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I don't have it any but I did think about
it for like ten minutes. I was like, should I should?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I not?
Speaker 1 (18:21):
So? Yeah? I love watching it. I am a sucker
for the you know, I'm a more is more type
of girl. So big hair, big makeup, everybody looks flawless.
On the other end of the spectrum, though, my beautiful
baby boy, Gunnyny, not looking great these days. To count
her days, I'd like to report a crime. Look at
(18:42):
my baby. He looks like more far quad a gold
cut holiday pictures. Very he has bangs? What am I
supposed to do justice for Gunny? This is egregious?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Why can't you do his hair?
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Then? You are not doing that?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Why?
Speaker 1 (19:03):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Why not? Why not to your hair?
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Like this?
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Fantastic to try and fix this, but I'm scared I'm
gonna make it worse. I'm scared I'm gonna make it worse. Look,
we've all had a bad haircut before, so I think
this is just a right of past.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Some curls though, Just just get some curls in there, more,
just try it. Just supposed to do with this?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Why didn't look like that I picked him up. I
thought it was a different dog, Like, what is going on?
I have you ever like have you had a bad
haircut before?
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Will how about?
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, I think it was bad just
because like like because my hair dough just like poofs out.
So I feel like when I had it like cut
really really short, people had always asked me, hey, you
know where were you deployed? And so I've had some
haircuts that didn't look Yeah, that wasn't good. And then
I remember at one station that I worked worked at,
(19:57):
we had a consultant, which which I called her the
insultant right because she had to be there to change
things up. And so she said, you know, your hair
would look better with a slight tint of red in
the orange.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Wish you what British? No, she was no love to
be a consultant for TV stations.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, well, I mean I don't even know if there
was a budget for that, but she wanted you to
be on Ginger. Yeah, because she said that the that the.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Studio lights would would make my hair pop out, make
me pop out a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Consider it.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
I did it. I actually did, because.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
At that point time I didn't I didn't know, I
don't know that I couldn't do it. It felt like
I was kind of forced to in a way. And
I remember my my wife saying, what the bleep?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Man?
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Like, you know, and my brothers everybody say, I guess
this though down, get your bus day.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
You know, it's like, what what was that? And I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
I need to try to dig up a photo of it.
It was so ridiculous in bonkers. But to have somebody
change my hair color, yikes. I felt like Gunny when
I first saw myself in that and that year, you know,
all bummed out going for my shoulders drooped and my
head down. Yeah, I know, Gunny, I feel your pain, buddy.
(21:25):
Just several years after the fact, We've talked about so
much already, and we still need to talk football.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
We still need to talk about looking ahead.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
We need to talk about the Thanksgiving games, Black Friday games,
some other key matchups.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Uh, that is coming up on the other side. This
is the l Huddle Podcast. Stay with us.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Oh, I must have his ham.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
I'm a big ham guy.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Okay, I'm not a turkey guy unless it's unless it's
fried turkey, then I'm all for It's man.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
I Uh, that's a tough one.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
There's there's you know what. I am not a dressing fan.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I'm not a dressing fan, not a Cranberry fan.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Okay, I got that right out to the dogs and.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Went straight off the plate, right on the floor.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Yes, absolutely so, I think that's everything else is fair game.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
I'm all good. If it can, I'll just load it
right on top of each other. It's a full stack,
said coach Dan Campbell, talking about Thanksgiving and how he
eats and what he's into. Listen, the fried turkey is delicious.
I've had it before, but it is a massive, massive
(22:45):
fire hazard if you don't do it correctly.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I have not been the one to cook it.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
My brother did it, and honestly, it's it's so good,
so tasty, but so dangerous with I mean cause it's
like you see online the firefighters were there who are
trying to literally like extinguish, you know, these these fires.
So a fried bird is fantastic. Not a cranberry guy either.
(23:14):
I don't know whether it's homemade or whether there's ridges on.
It's fresh out of a can, not into it.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Not my thing, but you know, to each their own,
Dan Campbell, teach their own.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I'm visualizing this plate like he for sure has, like
this mountain of food, like they got to get those
heavy if they use disposable, place those like heavy duty
like Hefty one because it's just stack back stack. But
you see back to our early conversation, like he's not
a turkey guy either.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Yeah, I don't like he would like.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
The poor shoulder.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I can't this is but you look forward to it
once a year. You look forward to turkey. That's why
you have it. I feel like like if you have
turkey on another holiday, it kind of waters it down.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
To Christmas or a lot of people do turkey on Christmas.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Yeah, I get that, and I've had that before. Is
just though it feels more right on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Traditions.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
But but either way, in terms of this game, the
lines are synonymous with Thanksgiving that the Lions have been
bad for so many years. But I do have such
great memories of seeing Barry Sanders out there running the ball,
being elusive, seeing John Medden be this Santa Claus of Thanksgiving,
and that's essentially has he's viewed for a lot of
(24:35):
us who grew up watching football, like them having the
turkey on the field, Like that's what it's all about.
And you're going to see the Lions they're going to have, yeah,
that you're ducking, and they're going to have like the
patches of you know, John Madden's face on there, and
it's it's so cool. And and for years, you know,
(24:55):
the lines were just terrible. But but now here they
are coming into this one with with the momentum of
that when they you.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Know, they have the division, they have the division. Yes,
they're they're the bullies. I think of this division question.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
I think I totally love it for them, long overdue.
And yes, the Packers had a chance to beat the Chargers,
but it's not enough to convince me that they're going
to beat the Lions. Even though Golf did not play
particularly well, he threw he threw three picks, I believe. Yeah,
But but at the at the very end when it counted,
(25:33):
he performed and he got the win for them.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I think it's incredible that this is the eighty fourth
game the Lions are playing on Thanksgiving, most all time
of any other team, but certainly the first where they
have been in this type of position where the eyes
of the league are on them, where everyone is really
looking at this Lions team as a true playoff contender.
(25:57):
As they should be, as they should be. I think
the position there no question we saw the potential last year,
regardless of what their record displayed. All of those games
were incredibly close, and they were a team that was
very hard to beat. They really were. So I'm glad
that they cross over that threshold this season that we're
in late November and there's still very much in the
(26:19):
conversation at the top of their division where teams are like,
oh damn, we got to play the Alliance now, that's huge,
that's huge, and it speaks to the culture of what
they've created in Detroit. Obviously, this matchup in particular is
also very synonymous with Thanksgiving, and I don't think it's
going to be as easy as people think because it
(26:40):
is a Thanksgiving game, because it's so historic. But I'm
really looking forward to both of these teams just going
at it. If I had to make a prediction, I
do think that the Lions will come away with a big,
big dub. Yeah Thanksgiving. I want to see Dan Campbell
with a turn ducket.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I need it.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Ah, Yeah, I think we all need it. I mean
that's an image like you can picture right, you can
see him. Yes, that with that with that big old
drumstick in his in his hand.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
The other the other exactly, you know, the other.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
The other team that we've often seen, you know on
Thanksgiving are the Cowboys, and they are Cowboys. You know
they're going to be facing the you know, the the Commanders,
and you know this is going to be a game
where the Cowboys are going to be judged by the opponent.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
We love Ron Rivera.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
We mentioned Rivera earlier in this podcast, but it's been
a tough go. I liked what I've seen from Sam Howell.
Uh but but he's been sacked fifty one times. He
throws a lot of touchdows. We also there's a lot
of interceptions. It's just been a a long year for Ron.
You just we root for him personally because he's a
(27:55):
friend of the podcast, but the results I've not been there.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
They have a new owner.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
But in terms of the Cowboys, you know, this is
a game that they should win. This is a game
where they should prove themselves in prime time or in
a prime spot or for for the viewing audience to see.
But if they beat them, it's always going to be Yeah,
but this is another empty calories game because they're facing
(28:24):
the Commanders and they've already faced the giants wise, It's
like we talked about in the last podcast. So I'm
still expecting, like DAK and CD to have huge rolling
right now.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Absolutely Roland.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Despite how the season started for them, which was not ideal,
they've gone back on track and that speaks volumes I
think to what especially offensively to what they're doing there.
But we can't talk about this Cowboys game. Another teams
synonymous with Thanksgiving, and I'll talk about the fact that
they're going to have Dolly Parton performing.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yes, it's right, Dolly Parton kidding right, the legend.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Herself, Country Royalty, Music Royalty.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Yeah, yeah, of course, follow the.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Dolls, Cowboys cheerleaders. You know, I'm part of the selection
committee that picks the team now and so all over
their page for the past few weeks, it's been all
about the prep to perform with Dolly Partons, as it
should be because this is huge too too, So that's
that's a huge thing to look forward to. It's almost
like a little mini mini like super Bowl halftime show.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah. Yeah, I love that they have these entertainers at time,
and you know, the other treat that we're getting is
we're going to be seeing the forty nine Ers and
the Seahawks play, and this is a battle for first
place in the division. The Seahawks coming off a loss,
Gino Smith banged up, Kenneth Walker also hurt. This is
(29:46):
a game where you know, the forty nine Ers need
this win. It's going to be up in Seattle. And
brock Purty coming off that perfect passer rating of his
and and you know, I believe he's two to zero
in his career against the Seahawks, and so you know,
I think that the bad part for the forty nine
(30:07):
Ers is they will be without Hufanga. Unfortunately for the rest.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Of the Sea's used such a creaking part of that defense.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
That's secondary, right, it was really heartbreaking, But I will
be I'll be curious to see how either Deebo or
I you do against those corners. I mean, I think
that is where the battle within the battle is going
to be in this one, no question.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
And I think we're still waiting for Deebo to come
back to that full form that we saw him before
he got in right earlier. Right, it's been all McCaffrey
and I really stepping up as they should. And that's
the thing. They have a lot of mouths to feed
on this team, which is a good it's not even
a problem to have. It's just a fantastic option there.
So Depot hasn't they haven't had to rely on what
(30:50):
he does. But I think I think we're getting there
where it's like, all right, let's go. Not because I
have him on my fantasy team or anything, but it's
got so I still have Christian McCay, so like I'm
being greedy, I'm being greedy, but yes, I hear you,
I hear you.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
There, pretty mud.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
And then on Friday, Black Friday, to be Zach, we're
gonna have our first football game on that day and
that is going to be the Jets and your Dolphins playing.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
And this is one where the.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Dolphins are on the heels of starting off hard knocks
in season, so this game is going to be documented
in there. The Jets, they end up changing quarterbacks, where
now Zach Wilson is all the way down to three
on the depth chart, which at this point in time,
you're just going to have to release.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Some and let it go.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I mean, this is yeah, the whole situation there. But
Aaron Rodgers also saying, oh, I can come back by
what in a couple of weeks December.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Second, he ain't coming back. He ain't coming back if
they can't keep it together. I mean, part of the
problem is it's like the defense ends has it exactly,
He's not going to do.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
It not if not, if they like this would be
a tough.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
One, you know what I mean, Like, what's the point here?
You're not going to the super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (32:09):
No?
Speaker 2 (32:10):
No, But I think in his rest, like.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Why even risk it's.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Completely sure, but like, because it's just.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
For two years right at this point in your career,
the whole point is to have you there fully healthy.
Like my concern would be, like why push it when
realistically the season is not I understand his competitive side,
I get. I mean I want yes and being out
there with the table, like is the juice worth the squeeze?
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Yeah? I don't think back.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Next year and like really go full fource, continue to
build in the off season. You already have tremendous pieces.
They're like, you know what I mean, I don't know.
It's just and mind you, this is from a Dolphins fan.
It's not that I want this scene to but you know,
what I mean, but like if you're just thinking about
it pragmatically, come on.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Yeah, and you know, Sauce Garter did not have a
good game against the Bills. Uh, you know, I think
and I and I do think like going up against
either Tyreek I think that's probably who he's going to.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Be mostly on.
Speaker 3 (33:11):
I mean, that's going to be a tough one. Which,
by the way, like talking about hard knocks. I don't
know if you had a chance to see it at all.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
I was traveling yesterday. I haven't seen it. I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
Yeah, so so I saw it.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna give away
too much or spoil it. But you know, we talked
about it beforehand, like there are some personalities you see
a little bit more from Mike McDaniel. Tyreek Hill is
definitely a character that is featured prominently in this first
episode as well.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
So, uh, you know, and you.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Forget it's like, yeah, well Jalen Ramsey's got a personality
and so so I don't know, I'm curious to see
how it evolves.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Also curious to get your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yes, yes, yes, for sure, but I think it's it's uh,
you know, I think it's the Dolphins there at this
point in time, that's that's going to take it.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
You know. Another and another point that that we have to.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Talk about is how the Raiders they ended up losing
to your Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
I was documented it had us a little.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Shift there though, like I wasn't. Yeah, game that I
think people anticipated it to me.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
And the game planning that they did for Max Crosby
is also something that they touch upon, maybe more than
touch upon in this episode.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
So you'll see the emphasis that they put on him.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
That being said, again, that's an opponent that that they beat,
and it's just like with the Cowboys, it's like, okay,
now you got the Jets, you should be beating them.
You should, right, And that's that's what what I think
the Dolphins have to do. And uh and I think
they're going to do it right.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Yeah, I'm excited. It's going to be a man. This
is why just get your get. I think everybody should
go into Thanksgiving and Black Friday with a game plan. Okay,
so portion out what you want to eat, knowing the
schedule of games. Okay, have yourself ready buff in some walks, right,
walk around the block a couple of times, play with
(35:15):
the dog. You don't just want to be sitting on
the couch idle either for eight hours. But I think
there's there's there's a lot to do. Oh what are
you doing the next few days? I'm working. It's called
it is we're working will.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Nobody can tell us anything, And you know, I guess this.
This takes us to our eat bunto and is Bye
Bye Barry on Amazon if you can watch that as well.
It's really fascinating how they go behind the scenes and
(35:49):
what went into his abrupt retirement and the blowback that
he took from it, his thought process after he went
through it. I mean, there were people who hated Barry
Sanders with the passion in which you understood if you
were from Detroit, But there was also contingent that said,
(36:10):
I kind of get it based on on everything, uh
that was transpiring at that point in time. So if
you get a chance, watch it because you're reminded of
Barry sanders greatness and the short amount of time that
we had as sports fans and football fans to watch
and perform.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
I don't think we we realize how good we had it.
We take it for granted watching this man run with
the ball.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
We always do that, always in hindsight, always yes we do.
Oh wow, man, look my punto is what a year
it's been for us already. I know it's it's only Thanksgiving,
we're not at New Year's yet, but like, I think
we can take the time to show like some gratitude,
thankfulness and thankful. You know, our amazing executive producer Jonathan Victoria.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Came on before we started the pod, uh, along with.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Our producer Randy Tavias, who are incredible, our girl Susie
who's also part of this podcast. Like this is a
small but mighty team. And I think that what we've
done here on in Huddle so far, and we're barely
scratching the surface, y'all, just so you know, being able
to do this. Will had this brain child of an
idea and it came together and you brought me in
(37:24):
and I couldn't be happier to speak toun with that.
I hang fit to talk about the things that really
matter to us, even if it doesn't make sense to everyone.
Sometimes it's not for everybody anyway, it's for us. So
I'm really thankful to have this platform really thankful to
talk about this game that we love and to mix
it in with the things that are true to us
and to our culture. So thank you will thank you
(37:46):
Randy and Susie and JV for all that you do,
and thank you guys for listening to us, rocking with us,
sharing and giving us your input on the podcast. It's huge.
We have still a lot of football to go, a
long season and postseason I had to look forward to,
but like taking the little moment. I think sometimes I
get caught up and like looking too far ahead, and
(38:07):
like even just today talking about food, talking about like
what we love, like I want to. I want to
be so so much more present in everything that we're doing.
So that's my I love it.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Yeah, Premiermana, you could have said it any better than that.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Love everybody who's made this happen, made this a reality,
and again we harkened all the cultural experiences that we've had,
and hopefully that connects with our audience and in addition
to our view of these football games and these players
and these teams, because they's when I'm mescla right, it's
a it's a mix of those things and hopefully you know,
(38:45):
if if people.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Like what they hear. Please, we beg of you, We
ask of you.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Wherever you get your podcasts, download, subscribe, like do the
whole thing.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Uh, we appreciate it. To see though, to see.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
Though, Primermana, it's always a pleasure. Happy sangs giving to
everybody out there. Me sayanksgiving, nobamos next week. I can't
wait to get your thoughts on how Thanksgiving when and
what you thought of hard knots as well.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
So I got you got pretty bye, everybody out of you.
Everybody in Huddle is a production of the NFL in
(39:35):
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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