March 11, 2020 • 43 mins
Dave Dameshek is first joined in Studio 66 by Handsome Hank for a brand new episode of the DDFP! The duo kibitzes about a variety of topics including paying running backs large salaries (2:55), Marshal Yanda's retirement (12:09) and Super Bowl matchups they wished happened (17:30). Then, Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler makes his first appearance on the DDFP to chat about his new contract, Tom Brady, Melvin Gordon, living in Los Angeles, his division II college and if Austin is a good name for a baby (27:30).
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Eckler now in for Gordon not wide of the numbers
right and the slot as Henry left. We've got a
linebacker on Eckler and here comes the quick blitz. There's
Heckler gets a block. It's a foot race forty fifty
into Jack's territory. Thirty twenty Austin Eckler to the Zoe
touchdown Chargers. Austin Ekeler is having himself a day. David
(00:29):
the Dave Damage Chick Football program available on the Apple
Podcasts and at NFL dot com slash d d FP.
Now here's your host, Damage, Austin Ekeler, not Ekel or
not Ekeler. Eckler will be joining us here in Studio
(00:50):
sixty six in a matter of moments looking ahead. Do
not notify your local authorities or otherwise if you hear
any tay ells of tampering, because it's legal. It's fully
legal in pro football come this weekend. No matter. I
know we want to be vigilant in our society right
(01:10):
now about a number of issues, but tampering with pro
football players completely above. David. Yet as we speak today
it's thought legal. So you have someone tampering with pay
between now and the weekend. You should, you know, if
you see something, say something that's I mean, that's good policy,
that's right. But otherwise, just settle into your couch this
(01:31):
weekend and enjoy the temper away. Right, It's gonna be
a lot of tampering with names, you know, some of
them handsome fellas Tom Brady being one of them. I mean,
there are plenty of people like to tamper with him, Dave.
You could say that again even in Tampa Bay. Oh,
look who came in ready to kimbits? Today? Is a
game today? Uh? I don't know if that's my game? Yeah,
(01:54):
I keep to Lee brought his a game and he
joined us in Studio sixty six just forty eight hours a.
Oh he has I would say he's my number one
to keep. I don't even have to think about. I
don't have to take some time away and make sure
I'm not forgetting anybody. He is my favorite to keep
that I've ever come across. He had some great insights
about his personal experience um retroactively of course, but then
(02:18):
also projecting ahead into free agency. Good news for cornerbacks
in the NFL, because Josh Norman is now worth six
million dollars annually according to the Buffalo Bills, and this
sets the market. As they say, Austin Ekeler the first
in among running backs and I wonder hands. So I
know we've had this conversation, but it's uh, it's as
(02:38):
we move into um free agency, let's quickly revisit that.
Do you where do you come down now on paying
running backs long term like Austin Ekeler or Beyond or
the big name the bid the name brand guys. Well,
I um, it's a good question. I wouldn't I think
a clerk got didn't get paid like the the main
(03:00):
brand running back amount of money Lean Bell two years.
I wanted eighteen million, he wounds up getting I think
fourteen issue millions. I would I would pay. I would
pay my own because I would know everything about them. Right.
The next one of those guys is probably Christian McCaffrey,
would probably be Alvin Kamara. Alvin Kamara, So you know
enough about those guys to know this is the tread
(03:23):
on their tires, This is these are the little injuries
that never get reported that they've suffered, et cetera. To
be able to make a decision on that, I would
not pay top whack for Levan Bell, for example, top whack,
top dollar, top whack, top whack. Is that a thing?
And that's a thing? Oh not pay? That's a UK thing?
Is top? Why is that not? Why are we not
(03:45):
using that here? I don't know how you can't start
using you to have my permission, I wouldn't. I wouldn't
pay that much for a guy that I don't know
everything about. And clearly in those situations when you're negotiating
with those players or their agents, not gonna be like, oh,
by the way, um turns out LEVI it's a tiny
bit overweight and his right knee huts a lot. Now
(04:06):
you know what. I know. I've said this before and
I'll say it again now. And it's one thing to
say once you have the information to your point that
David Johnson has not worked out and Todd Gurley has
kind of come apart and to keep to leave sat
here and did his best once again to say no, no,
Todd Gurley still great and everything else. It's really weird though,
(04:27):
by the way, with the RAMS as an organization that
you can't cry anybody to acknowledge like yeah, it's a
little yeah, the knee but so and and by the way,
when you watch him with your own eyes, you think
like he does look explode. He doesn't look like it's
not like I mean, David Johnson, there were some runs
where you thought, that doesn't look right, Levy, and Bell
(04:49):
looks like he was a little more sluggish than than
when we had seen him last in twenty whatever that was.
Let Bell went into last year saying he wants to
to changed the market for running backs, and he did.
That's exactly right, That's exactly right. Is leve Bell right?
He was going to be All of those guys are
going to suffer from that. He was going to be.
(05:09):
He was willing leve Bell. The way he kind of
put it, it made it sound like m of his
of his future, and in fact what he did is
set them back. He he did reset the market. Right,
David Johnson plus Todd Gurley plus lev Bell equals you
should not pay running back a second deal on the
(05:31):
level of what leve Bell and what Zeke Elliott actually gotten,
what Todd Gurley gotten with David Johnson got, which then
leads me to, I know, we're not talking about the
here and now we're projecting ahead um into the future.
But as much as it may vex Saints and Panthers
fans to hear this, it is not good business to
sign either one of those guys. Tag him, franchise, tag him,
(05:52):
keep him one more year, but after that you gotta
let him go. Oh unless you know that, like Christie McCaffrey,
we've we've run him this much. You know, no one's
going to know more about him than you, your doctors,
your trainers, whatever. So if you if you with a
clear conscience, if you were evaluating him as if he's
not our player and I want to know everything I
can about this player, and it comes up like, okay,
(06:13):
this is a good investment, then you should do. But
what you shouldn't do, I think, and this is probably
closer to the tog girly one, is be like, he's
done so much great work for us, He's helped us
reach a super Bowl, et cetera, or you know, get us.
You know, he's he's our guy. We owe him this.
You don't owe him this? Wow? Yeah? I mean yeah,
those loyalty and it's not gonna that's not going to
(06:34):
go well with a running back, especially right. That's why.
And I think if you tried to. If you know,
if you went up to the party, dam j D
can't hit me because I think he'd be angry with us. No, no,
if you were all he was pretty now he was.
If you'll remember, he was pretty lucid about the whole
Bell thing. We had some contentious powers about it because
(06:54):
he wanted to whack out what is it called wap
whack top whack top whack. He wanted to see leve
Bell get top wax wracking out. That's not a thing,
but it's not germane to our conversations, not legal or tampering.
I mean, it sounds like it could be tampering. But anyway, Um, yeah,
(07:15):
I think that uh right, those fans will not like
me saying that now. But listen, do you want to
be uh do you want to be in the same
situation that Rams fans are now in with Odd Gurley?
Do you want to be exactly? That's what I'm saying. Um.
By the way, a quick note, I have no specific
intel on this, but I can tell you that I am.
(07:37):
I find reports that leve Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers
are going to reunite to be specious. Yeah. I don't
buy that can. I also had a quick note, so
I listened to your podcast with a Keep to Leave
and it was great, already enjoyed, and I think he's
he's a good character, and I like you he is
one of the great. Uh, he's one of the great
figure because isn't it, by the way, interesting all the
(07:59):
spots he's been into that he can report firsthand experience
with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's Patriots, with Peton Manning
and Pete Manning coming into the Bronx, walked into the
locker room and it inspired their defense and all that
was great. But but I think you put him so
my understanding of his relationship with the Dolphins, he was
(08:19):
traded there so they could get his contract off the books,
and the and the and the fact the Rams end
up giving them a pick to take Keep to Leaves contract.
I don't believe he spent any time in the Dolphins
facility whatsoever last year. You don't think. I don't think
you have a show. I don't think he was asked
to show up. I think they were just like, Okay,
this is a good deal for us. You get you,
you take his contract, you pay his bills and and
(08:40):
we'll give you a draft pick. So you put him
on the spot a little bit, I felt like, and
that's why he was not very specific with his answers
on Josh. What you're like, what about Josh Rosen? You
saw a lot of him, and he was a bit like, no.
I you'll notice I kept that vague. I did not.
I did not say you saw him. I didn't say that,
not as vague as he get it. I felt like
his answers were the same as like anyone else that
so Josh Rosen for three series last season. In the
(09:02):
in the brief couple of spots stuffs he made, it
felt like he wasn't willing to say, yeah, look, I
know that it says on my Wikipedia page that my
Miami Dolphins play it. But I'm actually I have spent
zero time in that facility. I should have asked him, right.
I wonder if he got at least any swag out
of the deal, like did he get any Dolphins? And
I could ask. I don't even think he has. You
(09:24):
know what, I gotta get in touch with him because
I feel that he's benefiting. He embraced fully. He really
liked your idea of the handsome Hank Surf and Turf
Tour across Football America. It really is what ignited that
idea really started, you and me being on the road together,
(09:45):
our dinner club, our tour of foot was paying for
it though for us that was the difference, right. But
but nevertheless that then when you came up with the
idea that all free agents who are gonna have multiple meetings,
they get, they get in their own way. Yeah, if
they want to tamper with you, let them tamper away,
But don't you tamper. The only tampering you should do
(10:05):
as a player is saying, first, I need a delicious
meal at one of the finest restaurants. As I keep said,
I don't work well on an empty stomach. Let's let's
let's figure this deal out while you feed misteak exactly
and I'll tell you the updated version of this. Sorry
to interrupt you, but the good friend of mine who
was on the phone with just this morning, a gentleman
(10:25):
named Lewis Wiltshire, who's who's based in the UK Huge
forty nine is fan. His belief is that the way
that Bill Belichick has subverted this my notion of of
get all the state you can is he and Belly,
He and Brady have a deal in place. But he
said to Tom Brady, go to these teams, go and
(10:46):
find out what their plans are for and how you
could be involved in it. Come back and report to
me and then I'll know everything we need to know,
and then we'll go out and trounce everyone away. And
they say another super Bowl and and that's his macki vellians, right,
is this it? But is this an informed hypothesis? It's
a fun No, it's definitely not informed. Well, the sports
(11:07):
guy has his own little theory too. Yeah, He's like,
and it's the same basic basic things like this all
this is for his new production company. It's all. It's
all a big scheme, he said. This is they've they've
laid this out on the Simmons podcast recently that that
they suspect I think perhaps tongue in cheek, but I mean,
(11:28):
of course it's it's it's like they say, like if
somebody wrote a script about this, no one will believe it.
I mean, like Tom Brady getting a professional advantage via
surreptitious video. I mean, who would believe something like that
that would never happen? Um, Yes, there's Eddie Spaghetti behind
the class. Look there is. Yeah, Eli didn't need nothing
(11:50):
to help him vanquished Tom Brady. Right, that's right. But
people online will say it was only the defense, not Eli.
Despite those incredible throws he's made in bolts rules, well
more so at catching the first one. But um, the
big news, UM, the big pro football news to to
uh tidbits over the last twenty four hours. Marshal Yonda
retires after thirteen years and UH Daniel Jeremiah and by
(12:14):
the way, one half of the radio UM team that
calls Chargers actions. So we'll get Austin Ekeler's opinion of
the work that mat money favorite. I'll be sure to
ask him about that. But Jeremiah says that Ekeler could
be a slot receiver if he wanted to be in Yeah,
so so we'll ask him about that. Um. But what
(12:36):
was I gonna say about And you said Martial Yonda
that was one of his scalta. That was one of
the guys that DJ scouted and he loved Yonda, And
I think I can't remember what he calls it. But UM,
in some scouting rooms, or at least with the Ravens,
you get a gold star. You get to star a
guy or something that you're like, this is my guy,
(12:57):
this is the guy who I think if he's available,
they always have the thing where that you stand on
the table whatever. That's yeah, that version of that. DJ
tells the tale that Yonda was his guy thirteen years ago,
and Yonda now would appear to probably as much as
guards track to the Hall of Fame probably does have
the resume. Of course, I can't indulge a deeper conversation
(13:19):
about how great Yonda was because you know that no
jive policy applies here. And what I know, he said,
what do I know about how good? He doesn't want
as he's had this thirteen year career and no one
thought to give him the nickname Over so he could
be over Yonder. Ah, well no, wait over wait the
way you said not like right now, I get it.
(13:45):
But well, Spaghetti says, yeah, they've stepped in there to
to stop that, because it's yeah, he would want to
be over his foe, right, you don't want to be
Oh he's over Yonder, Yeah, can find Well, I'm gonna try.
I'm gonna try to salvage I'm trying. I'm trying to
salvage you. Yeah, spaghetti's getting to be built like an
(14:07):
offensive lineman. That's maybe that's this homage to old line.
I'm so I'm such an old line guy. I'm gonna
make myself built like one. And I played offensive line
in in high school. I did not know I played.
My brother did, but I played linebacker. My brother played
line in college and style lineback. That means that you're
(14:28):
forgive me, but that makes you an underwhelming football player, right,
Why how does that make sense? I mean because I
I wasn't allowed to play football. Mo damnit shick. The
nurse said, like, no, no, I don't want you know
ship any broken bones. I'm not gonna have it. Um,
but had I played, I I suspect that would have
been the quarterback and probably a safety something like that.
(14:49):
I think. But like the good guys played both sides
in high school. Um, yeah, you weren't a skilled guy.
You couldn't like, you couldn't catch, for instance, well both
throw what I was, we have if you have enough
guys on both sides of the ball and just play.
I started in defense, which I'd rather play linebacker. Right,
But I'm saying, but the good guys played both side linebackers,
(15:11):
cool old lines, like they're like, hey, okay, good job
on defense, and come on off the field. Now the
skillful guys are going out there. I agree completely. I
think the top high schools in America. I mean, unless
you're going to the NFL, Like if you have enough
bodies to fill Rosster, you don't. It was you was
one of the top high schools. It was a nurse,
but you didn't vot. You could imagine if but no,
(15:35):
we were terrible. We were really bad. Um, all right,
So that's that. Marshall Yonda moves on, and then what's
their division foe? The Pittsburgh Steelers have just been announced
as one half of this year's upcoming Hall of Fame
game against the Dallas cow the very next football game
(15:56):
that will be played in America? Is that the best rivalry?
The other is that the best rivalry? And let's revisit
that right now here, now that we're in the march.
Is that the best non division rivalry in NFL history,
not even non division into conference? Okay, yeah, I mean
(16:18):
the NBA has Lakers Celtics. That reigns is the all
time in pro basketball. Although you know, I guess the
Jazz and that that didn't really count Jazz and Bulls.
But um, I think your Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders
at one point would have something that you would point to. Um,
I guess Steelers Raiders. I for forgive me. I know
(16:41):
people are gonna say, oh, you're very big up to
the Steelers. They happened to be relative stretches, so of
course they've got this. Cowboys is a is A is
a big game, even though only happens once every four years.
And I'm, you know, sorry about the preseason, but I
don't necessarily counting the preseason as being one of nor
do I This will be Duck Hodges verse is whoever
the third string QB of of the Dallas Cowboys? Is
(17:04):
that by that point we suspect that it will be
Dak Prescott getting his loot and uh and taking that
position back um in time for training camp. But I
don't think we'll see him or Roethlisberg. I think we
know Roethlisberger won't be there. Um. That's a that's an
ongoing series too. You know. I like to what if
stuff handsome is there? What is to you? Um? I
(17:26):
think I have the answer to it before I even
ask it, but Spaghetti, I want you to come up
with your answer to this too. What is the super
Bowl that the sports gods saw fit to deprive us
of that you wish you would have seen? Yeah, like
the one that it was a game away and if
that play or whatever hadn't happened, we would have gotten that.
And instead we didn't get it, and we got that
(17:47):
crummy super Bowl, or we got or you could even
have been a great super Bowl, doesn't to me? The
answer is, as you ruminate on, your answer is the
Steelers and Cowboys play in super Bowl thirteen the year
after the Cowboys get their second title against the Broncos,
and super Bowl twelve in the super Dome and super
Bowl thirteen in Miami, the Steelers vanquished um the Cowboys
(18:12):
and they get the third. At the time, I remember,
as a as a wee lad that here the big
thing was who's gonna be the first one to three?
Because this will assert you are the dominant force in
pro football history. And the Steelers got that one, and
so they took that mantle. And then the Cowboys were
the best team at minimum in the NFC the following
(18:34):
season and they were tracking to the Super Bowl until
Vince Ferragamo, the backup, takes over for Pat Hayden and
throws an impact, probable deflected pass in UM Cowboy Stadium
in Texas Stadium, I should say it gets deflected by
one of the Cowboys and Billy Watty catches it and
runs it into the end zone with with less than
(18:54):
two minutes left, sending the Rams to the NFC Title Game.
It would have been the Cowboys would have been the
Bucks at the Cowboys. The Cowboys would have whipped them
and you would have gotten they So super Bowl ten,
Steelers Cowboys, super Bowl thirteen, and you would have had
super Bowl fourteen. That would have solidified that before then
the magic it would have been the biggest thing. It
(19:15):
would have been. That would have been the biggest thing
in sports history at that time. I think now if
I bought you sometimes you haven't. I still haven't got
a good answer. There are a couple that personally I
would have loved. I'd love to see a home team
play in the Super Bowl, and so the Vikings would
have been vikings. Making the super Bowl in Minneapolis would
have been really cool. Um that would have I'm not
(19:37):
sure it would have necessarily been a better game for it.
But um, you know, because that game was was thoroughly enjoyed.
That's what that's what's fun about. What if is as
as Schwarzenegger tells us, as the T eight hundred tells us,
once you start messing with things that have already happened,
now you alter the history history mankind right precisely. Um,
(19:58):
but yeah, I would the Vikings have won that game
as the Eagles did. I don't think they would have
won the game period. Probably not. I guess it's easy
to announce that. But if that is in fact right,
Tom Brady would have an extra chip and here you
know what, now you've just opened it up. Willie mcguinnis
(20:21):
and other people who would know have said that if Brady,
if the Patriots win that Super he would have retired.
But losing lit a fire under him and made him
come back. But if he would have retired, who knows
how what will be talking about this week? I would
be tempered with this weekend. I'll throw another one out
(20:41):
to you. I mean, you could go through, go through
every season and find fascinating outcomes. Another one, I think
the most obvious one is, um, the fifteen and one
Vikings the Juggernaut team going up against John Elway trying
to repeat with t D and that very good Broncos
team trying to repeat. And by the way, the thing
(21:03):
that the little footnote in that from that season, Gary
Anderson misses that field goal. People forget that Falcons team
was thirteen and three. It was no jive. Chris Chandler
was their quarterback. Is the reason that people make fun
of it. But that was not a bogus team that
went to the Super Bowl. However, they did get trounced
by by Elway and company. Spaghetti yours um. I would
(21:26):
definitely I wish that the Patriots were not in the
recent Pass Ram Serabowl or that when are you just
talking about the Pats Eagles? The rest? I gets staying
and I think that's that's boring. Another one would be
I wish just that one of these more recent Saints teams,
maybe one just to alleviate all the crying about them,
and a team that I weirdly liked that wish uh
I made this super Bowl? Was it the Oh nine
(21:48):
Jets that that lost the Steelers in the Apes title Game?
One of those Rex Ryan Jets teams. They're just to me.
I guess just back when I was home in New
York and I have a lot of Jets fans, and
I have no problem running for the Jets. I wish
that they made a Volks that like, oh yeah, I
wish I trying one one. I wish Sanchez got to
Super Bowl. I love that team, like the Bart Scott
can't wait. Uh Tomlinson was there, Um Scott can't wait?
(22:10):
Was not nine? No, that wasn't with He wasn't with
the Jets then, was he was? Yeah? I think that was.
I think that's that's for sure. Then they go because
it was assumed that Pittsburgh was going to go to
Foxborough and that would be the end of because that
was not a great Steelers team. But things broke right
for them in that postseason to get them the Jets.
They almost blew that game to the Jets too, in
(22:31):
the second half, exactly the other one, I mean a
j Dewey. Were the Jets that were good were in
the in the eighties. I mean there were some good
Jets team. They had Richard Todd who was a pick
machine out of Alabama, but they were legitimately very good.
You know the defensive players that they had the sack exchange,
and they had Freeman McNeil and and so on, and
they played down in a rainstorm in Miami against David
(22:53):
Woodley and Don Strock and Don Shoola in that gang
just before they which is a weird turn in history
as well, that that UM Dolphins team goes to the
Super Bowl and they really had a shot in the game.
They were in that game until Riggins breaks that run
off and then uh, thisman throws one to Charlie Brown
to put it away and makes the game look like
(23:14):
more decisive victory. UM. Another two years later they changed
everything around the other one. Well, that's what I was
gonna say. What's fascinating is they play in the Super
Bowl and then they draft Dan Marino not six months later,
but eighteen months later. It's a pretty interesting turn that
they can acknowledge. Um, all right, David Woodley is so
it's fine, we gotta move on from the late David Woodley.
(23:35):
The other one I would have loved because although I'm
a Dolphins fan, I the team that I've supported probably
more of the last decade is the is the then
San Diego Charges, that team that had LT got injured
in the championship game against the Patriots and played but
didn't play well. I would have loved that fourteen and
two CHARGES team. That's a great one. Have made a
(23:56):
Super Bowl with LT with Phil Rivers right were Antonio
Gates was Sean Merriman I think was still on the team.
I loved your merriment at the time, like that was
a fun team UM that I'd like to have seen.
And obviously with UM, I think Marty is the that's
the head coach as well. That's that's an excellent one.
That was man. I don't remember somewhere in that I think,
(24:19):
and I think somewhere in that region where it was
like the Marty to NORV crossover and they're like, okay, maybe.
But then there was the ten seven game where Antonio
Crimardi refused to tackle. I think that was NORV. I
can't remember that. But one of those teams that was
consistently either in the championship game or in the divisional
round and got knocked out they needed to make it
(24:40):
to Super Well, the one that would have been grand,
that really would have been disruptive to NFL history positively
and negatively is in nine eighty Super eighty one, I
should say the Niners like and they they they announced
the dawn of the forty nine Nur's dominance and at
(25:01):
the same time knockdown the Cowboys once and for all.
Danny White's Cowboys in in front of Super Bowl sixteen.
And on the other side, you have the game that
you and I have talked about a fair amount. I
don't know if this is pretty Dan Marino, so I
don't know how well you remember that game, Handsome, but um,
the great Divisional round game, perhaps the greatest football game
(25:22):
of all time. Uh And I've watched the NFL Films
video of that many many's the best. It's that's the
best game. Um. Then that team that a Chargers team
worn out by the heat, then goes to Fridgid Cincinnati.
If you play that under different circumstances, Dan Fouts, and
that Chargers team go into a Super Bowl to play
(25:44):
against Joe Montana and the forty Niners, you know that
that becomes an all time different thing. And what if
the Chargers win that game, and then what does that
do to Joe Montana Because Bill Walsh was not thrilled
with Joe Montana. It's not like Joe Montana. History now
has rewritten it that that's the ultimate ultimate partnership. Um,
(26:04):
until Belichick and Brady make the scene. But Bill Walsh,
if they you take that Lombardi away, I think that
you can make a pretty decent case that in the
draft and the eighty three draft that Bill Walsh goes
for one of those big rm qbs. He might have
tried to move up to even get John Elway with
the first overall out of Stanford from his backyard, Dan
(26:27):
Marino would have been something Tony Easton Okay, different Brian Okay,
kind of Brian played in Calim. I mean, what would
have been a better match than than Ken O'Brien on
the on perhaps, Yeah, that's that's right, um and uh oh,
I could go on and on playing this game, all right,
but instead let's go on to uh to one Austin Ekeler. Yeah,
(26:49):
but you gotta go what. I'll ask him the questions
you want every time. That's it. We're worried I'm gonna
embarrass you. Thank you. No, listen, go eat a stake
in some some lobs. I'm not gonna see if I
can get a crap donut with Eddie or oh yeah,
that's a nice thing for a keep desk. Go meet
up with your favorite to keep. I hope he gets
by the way I want to say, I hope he
(27:10):
gets whacky top top whack, top whack. I kind of
remember that top whack. All right, thanks for coming by, handsome,
But here comes number thirty from your Los Angeles Chargers,
Austin Neckler. All right, number thirty. He's very highly paid
(27:34):
by for the by the Los Angeles Chargers to to
run the ball and catch it for them. It's Austin Neckler.
What's happening? Man? None? Nice, Thanks for having me. Man,
Did I say it right? It seems like a couple
of years ago, remember everybody was kind of where you,
noticing that as your name started to emerge in pro
football circles that there were a lot of pronunciations out there.
(27:54):
I've heard it all all my life, you know, I've
played a lot of sports, a lot of announcers and
people talk. I mean, you know, I've heard you know,
Ekeler like people ere. I think I went with an
eclor somewhere like to pronunci it and just like el
or el or, Yeah, it was Eckler. Bam, sit out there. UM.
First thing, let's start with with Melvin Gordon. If you
(28:16):
heard from Melvin Gordon since the Big Deal. I saw
him tweet at She's a delightful fella, right. You know
we we uh, you know, developed a business relationship over
the years. Um. But as far as you know, contact
with him, I haven't had much contact with him as
far as like what's going on with you know, his
you know, search for a place if he's coming back
(28:38):
if if not? UM, I was just my understanding just
what the holdout is. They're probably not on the same
page as far as it comes to like contract stuff.
I think from a distance, if he doesn't come back,
that would be my assumption. I know that he would
like to be, you know, back in the room with
all of us, just because we have you know, the
relationships over the years of coaches and but it comes
(29:00):
down to you know what you're worth and what how
you know how much you're willing to fight for that.
But you're not gonna make like, for instance, if Melvin
doesn't come back, you're not gonna be like, hey, Justin Jackson,
you carry my helmet to and from practice, We've never
been like knocking. We've been pretty good, pretty tight room.
Gonna do No, I'm not gonna do that. Okay, all right,
(29:21):
I'm gonna watch. I might that comes in. He'd get
the helmets for sure. All right, all right, UM, now
you're aware that the rumors are out there. It seems
all but done that Phil is moving on to wherever
he's going to move on to. Um. Do you you've
heard about Tom Brady coming their first question about that
(29:43):
Tom Brady versus Phil Rivers? Who would win a fifty
yard dash? Hey, I've seen Philip run. He's actually pretty fast. Oh,
I've seen him run to he's not. You don't have
to say stuff. Everyone has seen him run on the
game field. When you see him actually run and like
sprints and thing like that, he can move. He can
actually get it going pretty good. As long as it's
a straight line, he's good to go. I would take
(30:06):
Philip for the first time. You saw it on TV
for a number of years before you got there. But
the first time you were in person and you saw
phil throw the ball away throws it, did you laugh?
Actually asked someone if that was the real way he threw.
If he's just like messing around like, Wow, he really
throw side arm. You know, he's playing a prank on
you guys for the first day, throwing around a d
lineman or something. No, that's just how he throws it.
(30:28):
It's a bizarre it really did it take? Did it take?
Legitimately a couple of passes before you're like, okay, I
know I can get it coming out of his hand.
But it is weird to look at, really weird, especially
like the checkdowns, because you always have to be ready
because he'll be looking downfield and all of a sudden
just like dump it down to you and you'd be like, oh, shoot,
I wasn't ready because he wasn't looking at anything, you know.
So yeah, it definitely took something. Still, I'm still not
(30:49):
used to it. It's still surprised. Um, what do you
think about the Tom Brady stuff? I mean, you know,
it's uh, I guess unfair to put you on the
spot Tom Brady or Tyrod Taylor or someone in the draft.
I mean, but but I mean, how's it hit your
ear to hear Tom Brady may show up with the Chargers?
(31:10):
You know it would if we got Tom Brady, you know,
I feel like it'd be a similar situation to happen
Philip in the room. Just as far as the years
of experience and just the leadership. Uh you know, if
we have a younger guy or a Tyrode, I feel
like the leaderships lit hat to come up a little bit,
you know, just because Tyrod's you know, he was a
backup last year and kind of took a back seat
to Phillip. Uh So it'll be more development through that
(31:31):
aspect and maybe even take some more leadership from the
rest of the locker room to you know, lead, because
I mean, ultimately, Philip was he was the guy. He's
been there longer than the coaches, you know, that was
That's kind of his team, you know, and everything's built
around him. What's up Philip? You know the offense, He's
coaching everyone on the field. That's what made it great
and easy for the players because we just go through
him and we're on the field. That during the games
(31:52):
and everything, he'd be like, hey, you got these guys,
you got this route, you know, telling everybody just the chief.
But uh so whoever comes in, it's got some big
shoes to fill, you know. Either way, Um, do you
now tell me where you went to college again? Go ahead,
and I want you to say it out. I could
tell you what I have written on a piece of paper,
but I want you to tell it. I went to
(32:13):
I went to Western State Colorado University. That's a made
up thing. Let's be honest now, because you're done now.
I contend that one of the great tricks that the
man plays on us is that you you need a
college degree. I contend now, out on the other side,
unless you want to be a doctor or like an
astronaut or a couple of days, you don't really. No
(32:34):
one ever asked you what your g p A was.
They don't check into anything. You can you can, you know,
be honest with me here now, that's not a real place.
You just made that real place. It's funny you say
that because my head coach, Anthony Lane, he says, no,
you just went to college. Just got college, all right,
quick test for you whatever, the Western State College Western,
(32:55):
just call it Western for short. I mean, that's keep
an easy exactly, keep your lies nice and great. Right, Um,
what's what's the mascot of this alleged football team you play?
The Mountaineers. Yeah, it was in a mountain town, so
it was fitting all right. Well, now you're an NFL star.
(33:16):
I think we can say legitimately after twenty nineteen that
you're a star running back in in pro football. So
did you ever get tackled in Division two? Because if
you did even once? I've said this to Derrick Henry
about playing in high school. If you got tackled by
someone in Division two, think you under achieve. You know,
(33:36):
they didn't bring it down a few times, but you
know managed, you know, still put up some good numbers
on them and get some notice. What how big a
trip was it for you? Because you you're from Nebraska.
Do you grew up a Huskers fan? I must say
I did. I had a cousin that was a linebacker
coach there, so kind of just drew us, you know,
to the corners to gage your age. Then do you
(33:59):
even recall all them ever being good? It's weird being
Nebraska fans don't realize that they're not relevant anymore. There's
been a long time. They're almost getting more excited about
just like the culture around the team. Yeah, right, so
we have like two did you ever see them good? See?
I know I didn't. I didn't see you don't remember
Tommy Fraser any of that stuff. When I was watching him,
(34:19):
they were going through a bunch of head coach changes,
you know, uh, director changes, things like that. Um. And
then so you're from Nebraska, you allegedly go to college
in Colorado. So at what point does Austin Ekeler for
the first time lay his eyes on the Pacific Ocean
or any ocean? Um. I made a trip out my
(34:43):
sophomore year out here of in college. That's the first
time I actually saw the ocean. And then the next
time was when I was, you know, signed with the Chargers.
Is it a trip? I mean? Is it? I mean,
do you feel like uh? I mean, obviously, getting paid
to play football must be um, you must make you
feel like you're chea in life. But then you get
to do in Los Angeles exactly. You know, I always
(35:03):
thought that I would be uh somewhere around Colorado. Um,
even in the NFL. I was like, Hm, I don't
know if I'll be able to stay out here. I
don't know if California is a place for me. Is
just too busy, too much traffic. And then I signed
a four years ago. It looks like I'm locked in.
You know, have you been renting then I have been renting.
Oh but now, but now you're gonna roots, I don't know.
(35:24):
I don't know if I'm gonna buy, I don't know.
You know what, I've talked with a couple of guys
on your team about doing the two Melvin's in fact,
and and you know, if Melvin Gordon does happen to
move on one way or the other, I think it's
noteworthy that this era of Chargers football, how are you
guys expected to succeed with not one, but two guys
named Melvin on a pro football team. It wasn't chess.
(35:46):
You weren't playing football Melvin's. I know that we put
our heads together. We tried to develop, We tried to
um set up a partnership with M and M's and yeah,
to see if we could have them do ads. It
didn't play out, but they weren't playing it. Melvin. By
the way, that's a weird name for a baby. Don't
you think you know what's wrong with Melvin for a baby?
(36:07):
For a grown up, it's cool. Well, I mean I'll
grown up the baby so well. Like we talk about
Justin Jackson, Like Justin is a good name for a baby,
but for a grown up. I don't know. So you're
suggesting a baby name and then an adult. Some some names,
some names are good for a baby, but not for
a grown up. For a grown up, but not for
(36:28):
a baby. Like the classic is Carl, you know, Liker,
Carl the baby, Wayne the baby. You know, so maybe
it's like Gary the baby. Those are weird that that
is a little strange that Gary. Can I tell you
another one? What you got? Austin? Austin the baby, a
little little Austin, like Cody is a good baby name,
(36:50):
but you don't want that as a grown up. I
don't know. I don't I couldn't tell you. Um, so
who do you? And you're a professional when you go
into the building and you probably kibbuts with them a
couple of times every week. Um, the radio partnership, the
radio partners up there who call the action, Matt Money Smith,
Daniel Jeremiah. Do you ever interact with those fellas? I
(37:11):
don't know. Oh, yeah, they're the voices of the chargers. Yeah,
and they and they happen to work here. And Daniel
Jeremiah recently said that he feels like, if you decided
to be a slot receiver, you would immediately be top five.
How's that hit you shoo? I feel like at this
point like I've had you know, some success doing it
off outside in the slot in the backfield, and that's
(37:33):
kind of you know, the persona I went around me
is that, hey, I can I can do it from
any spot in the field. Is it as simple as
I mean, how aware you guys of that outside noise?
And it's you know, it's real life stuff. It's you know,
I think people are a little glib about, like man,
the Chargers with the injury bug year after year and
all that kind of stuff. But you know, I've talked
with with the Derwin James, I've talked with a few
(37:55):
guys about that. I mean, how much do you guys
buzz about that? Like, man, oh man, what is the
story already here? Why do we not get a break
with that? The thing is, I felt like two years ago,
when we were twelve and four, I feel like we
didn't really have any major injuries. Um. I feel like
Hunter Henry, you know, he end up tearing his a
c L. That was a major injury, but it wasn't
It was just like one guy, like one or two
(38:15):
guys until last year. I feel like we got hit
pretty hard um and early on too. So it had
been people that were, you know, used to the offense
in the offense, and now all of a sudden, they're
not They're not there anymore, and now we have backups
coming in. So I think they just really hurt our
dynamic of our team, and you know, we're trying to
make it as simple as possible for everyone, and then
other people would get hurt and then you gotta just
redo it, and it just we just really couldn't get
(38:37):
a foothold, and I felt like we're just too inconsistent.
Was just at our play level, and really, you know,
ended up hurting us in the end because she seemed
like every week we're just barely losing games, just like,
come on, you know, we lost so many games by
seven or less. I think there's only two that we didn't.
But it's the same thing weekend week out. I was like,
one or two more plays would have just turned the
game around. It just came back to our consistent and see,
(39:00):
you know, two years ago and we were twelve before
we're making those plays, and we were at finishing games
and we were scoring points, and then the thing come
back next year. I think the other injuries definitely helped
or definitely helps what our record was. Like Drhain, you
know he was that was a big I think. I
mean what a um he bent a screw in his foot?
Like what? Who does that? Like? That's the thing I
(39:21):
don't even know. That's when the football gods are are
for whatever reason, they got some acts to grind with
you guys. But I mean I really do feel like
and obviously it's not a small matter who's going to
be under center for you guys, but you continue to have, um,
you know, arguably the most talented roster top to bottom
in the in the a f C. I would say, yeah.
(39:42):
I mean, if everyone's healthy, though it doesn't matter if
not everyone's right and if you can, if you can
resolve the the QB issue, I really think that the
Chargers have a real shot in the only issue there
is you're shaping up to be in a really rugged division.
I know that the West has its rival reas and
so on, but here comes the Raiders. You're looking forward
(40:04):
to going to Vegas on the road. Is that the
stadium is pretty sweet and it's all right? Really, what
are you doing out there out there, all right. Um so,
so you'll have the Raiders and then you have the
World Champs. Is that gonna Is that gonna do anything
for you as a competitor to go out there Arrowhead?
Or when the Chiefs come to town in the new joint.
(40:26):
I think it just creates an atmosphere around just our division, uh,
even with the new stadium, with the Raiders and they're
moving and then you know, have their little hype over
the last couple of years with Gruden and you know
the obviously the Chiefs coming in and winning the Super Bowl.
It just it just makes it more exciting to be
in this division because you know when we go to
their stadiums, it is just sure the Bronco Stadium, you know,
(40:47):
they do a great job. Is that the best smelling
stadium to go to? Arrowheads? Actually wasn't too bad when
I was there. No, I mean smell good. All the
barbecue flows. I don't even know, I don't know, smells
normal to me. I guess I just love the atmosphere,
you know, around around teams like that. Oh man, you
could be in a division with uh with you know,
(41:09):
if Tom, if things break in a certain way, you
could have Tom Brady on your on your side. You
could have Superman Cam Newton for the Raiders, and then
you have the uh, you know, the reigning Super Bowl champagne.
Patrick Mahomes and Company would be fun division to wash
for sure, it would be very fun. And among all
that you have a guy from Western total the Rock.
(41:30):
They're being a being a big star here doing it
the unorthodox route, and congratulations to you. If you need
any help, I'd be more than happy to um try
and get you in the right home here in southern California.
A beach guy you want to be, you know, near
the hill. I'm trying to find my own little corner
to be tucked away in just so just I can
(41:51):
keep it low on the radar. I floated. I'll just
say I floated the idea and uh, the idea of
doing a show called The Home Team and I just
take people. All right. You watch those shows on HDTV,
haven't you don't like those shows where they overhauled the
house and get people in. All right, Well, you and
I move that bush, yeah yeah, yeah, alright, look move
(42:14):
that bus and it and then moves out of the way,
and then you, yeah, you go crazy for the house
that I play right, would I would go crazy? Absolutely good.
I'll look forward to that. In the meantime, Continued success
and good health to you as you get ready for
can't wait to see who your QB is gonna be
here in Los Angeles. To be fun. Austin Ekeler, everybody
(42:40):
good stuff from Austin Neckler Great thanks to Handsome Hank
as well as always Eddie Spaghetti behind the glass and
you the listener. Will be back with more hooey and
apple sauce later on until next week, when we will
be fully and legally tampering and perhaps even tampered with.
Who knows. It's been a thin slice of heaven.
Eckler now in for Gordon not wide of the numbers
right and the slot as Henry left. We've got a
linebacker on Eckler and here comes the quick blitz. There's
Heckler gets a block. It's a foot race forty fifty
into Jack's territory. Thirty twenty Austin Eckler to the Zoe
touchdown Chargers. Austin Ekeler is having himself a day. David
(00:29):
the Dave Damage Chick Football program available on the Apple
Podcasts and at NFL dot com slash d d FP.
Now here's your host, Damage, Austin Ekeler, not Ekel or
not Ekeler. Eckler will be joining us here in Studio
(00:50):
sixty six in a matter of moments looking ahead. Do
not notify your local authorities or otherwise if you hear
any tay ells of tampering, because it's legal. It's fully
legal in pro football come this weekend. No matter. I
know we want to be vigilant in our society right
(01:10):
now about a number of issues, but tampering with pro
football players completely above. David. Yet as we speak today
it's thought legal. So you have someone tampering with pay
between now and the weekend. You should, you know, if
you see something, say something that's I mean, that's good policy,
that's right. But otherwise, just settle into your couch this
(01:31):
weekend and enjoy the temper away. Right, It's gonna be
a lot of tampering with names, you know, some of
them handsome fellas Tom Brady being one of them. I mean,
there are plenty of people like to tamper with him, Dave.
You could say that again even in Tampa Bay. Oh,
look who came in ready to kimbits? Today? Is a
game today? Uh? I don't know if that's my game? Yeah,
(01:54):
I keep to Lee brought his a game and he
joined us in Studio sixty six just forty eight hours a.
Oh he has I would say he's my number one
to keep. I don't even have to think about. I
don't have to take some time away and make sure
I'm not forgetting anybody. He is my favorite to keep
that I've ever come across. He had some great insights
about his personal experience um retroactively of course, but then
(02:18):
also projecting ahead into free agency. Good news for cornerbacks
in the NFL, because Josh Norman is now worth six
million dollars annually according to the Buffalo Bills, and this
sets the market. As they say, Austin Ekeler the first
in among running backs and I wonder hands. So I
know we've had this conversation, but it's uh, it's as
(02:38):
we move into um free agency, let's quickly revisit that.
Do you where do you come down now on paying
running backs long term like Austin Ekeler or Beyond or
the big name the bid the name brand guys. Well,
I um, it's a good question. I wouldn't I think
a clerk got didn't get paid like the the main
(03:00):
brand running back amount of money Lean Bell two years.
I wanted eighteen million, he wounds up getting I think
fourteen issue millions. I would I would pay. I would
pay my own because I would know everything about them. Right.
The next one of those guys is probably Christian McCaffrey,
would probably be Alvin Kamara. Alvin Kamara, So you know
enough about those guys to know this is the tread
(03:23):
on their tires, This is these are the little injuries
that never get reported that they've suffered, et cetera. To
be able to make a decision on that, I would
not pay top whack for Levan Bell, for example, top whack,
top dollar, top whack, top whack. Is that a thing?
And that's a thing? Oh not pay? That's a UK thing?
Is top? Why is that not? Why are we not
(03:45):
using that here? I don't know how you can't start
using you to have my permission, I wouldn't. I wouldn't
pay that much for a guy that I don't know
everything about. And clearly in those situations when you're negotiating
with those players or their agents, not gonna be like, oh,
by the way, um turns out LEVI it's a tiny
bit overweight and his right knee huts a lot. Now
(04:06):
you know what. I know. I've said this before and
I'll say it again now. And it's one thing to
say once you have the information to your point that
David Johnson has not worked out and Todd Gurley has
kind of come apart and to keep to leave sat
here and did his best once again to say no, no,
Todd Gurley still great and everything else. It's really weird though,
(04:27):
by the way, with the RAMS as an organization that
you can't cry anybody to acknowledge like yeah, it's a
little yeah, the knee but so and and by the way,
when you watch him with your own eyes, you think
like he does look explode. He doesn't look like it's
not like I mean, David Johnson, there were some runs
where you thought, that doesn't look right, Levy, and Bell
(04:49):
looks like he was a little more sluggish than than
when we had seen him last in twenty whatever that was.
Let Bell went into last year saying he wants to
to changed the market for running backs, and he did.
That's exactly right, That's exactly right. Is leve Bell right?
He was going to be All of those guys are
going to suffer from that. He was going to be.
(05:09):
He was willing leve Bell. The way he kind of
put it, it made it sound like m of his
of his future, and in fact what he did is
set them back. He he did reset the market. Right,
David Johnson plus Todd Gurley plus lev Bell equals you
should not pay running back a second deal on the
(05:31):
level of what leve Bell and what Zeke Elliott actually gotten,
what Todd Gurley gotten with David Johnson got, which then
leads me to, I know, we're not talking about the
here and now we're projecting ahead um into the future.
But as much as it may vex Saints and Panthers
fans to hear this, it is not good business to
sign either one of those guys. Tag him, franchise, tag him,
(05:52):
keep him one more year, but after that you gotta
let him go. Oh unless you know that, like Christie McCaffrey,
we've we've run him this much. You know, no one's
going to know more about him than you, your doctors,
your trainers, whatever. So if you if you with a
clear conscience, if you were evaluating him as if he's
not our player and I want to know everything I
can about this player, and it comes up like, okay,
(06:13):
this is a good investment, then you should do. But
what you shouldn't do, I think, and this is probably
closer to the tog girly one, is be like, he's
done so much great work for us, He's helped us
reach a super Bowl, et cetera, or you know, get us.
You know, he's he's our guy. We owe him this.
You don't owe him this? Wow? Yeah? I mean yeah,
those loyalty and it's not gonna that's not going to
(06:34):
go well with a running back, especially right. That's why.
And I think if you tried to. If you know,
if you went up to the party, dam j D
can't hit me because I think he'd be angry with us. No, no,
if you were all he was pretty now he was.
If you'll remember, he was pretty lucid about the whole
Bell thing. We had some contentious powers about it because
(06:54):
he wanted to whack out what is it called wap
whack top whack top whack. He wanted to see leve
Bell get top wax wracking out. That's not a thing,
but it's not germane to our conversations, not legal or tampering.
I mean, it sounds like it could be tampering. But anyway, Um, yeah,
(07:15):
I think that uh right, those fans will not like
me saying that now. But listen, do you want to
be uh do you want to be in the same
situation that Rams fans are now in with Odd Gurley?
Do you want to be exactly? That's what I'm saying. Um.
By the way, a quick note, I have no specific
intel on this, but I can tell you that I am.
(07:37):
I find reports that leve Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers
are going to reunite to be specious. Yeah. I don't
buy that can. I also had a quick note, so
I listened to your podcast with a Keep to Leave
and it was great, already enjoyed, and I think he's
he's a good character, and I like you he is
one of the great. Uh, he's one of the great
figure because isn't it, by the way, interesting all the
(07:59):
spots he's been into that he can report firsthand experience
with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's Patriots, with Peton Manning
and Pete Manning coming into the Bronx, walked into the
locker room and it inspired their defense and all that
was great. But but I think you put him so
my understanding of his relationship with the Dolphins, he was
(08:19):
traded there so they could get his contract off the books,
and the and the and the fact the Rams end
up giving them a pick to take Keep to Leaves contract.
I don't believe he spent any time in the Dolphins
facility whatsoever last year. You don't think. I don't think
you have a show. I don't think he was asked
to show up. I think they were just like, Okay,
this is a good deal for us. You get you,
you take his contract, you pay his bills and and
(08:40):
we'll give you a draft pick. So you put him
on the spot a little bit, I felt like, and
that's why he was not very specific with his answers
on Josh. What you're like, what about Josh Rosen? You
saw a lot of him, and he was a bit like, no.
I you'll notice I kept that vague. I did not.
I did not say you saw him. I didn't say that,
not as vague as he get it. I felt like
his answers were the same as like anyone else that
so Josh Rosen for three series last season. In the
(09:02):
in the brief couple of spots stuffs he made, it
felt like he wasn't willing to say, yeah, look, I
know that it says on my Wikipedia page that my
Miami Dolphins play it. But I'm actually I have spent
zero time in that facility. I should have asked him, right.
I wonder if he got at least any swag out
of the deal, like did he get any Dolphins? And
I could ask. I don't even think he has. You
(09:24):
know what, I gotta get in touch with him because
I feel that he's benefiting. He embraced fully. He really
liked your idea of the handsome Hank Surf and Turf
Tour across Football America. It really is what ignited that
idea really started, you and me being on the road together,
(09:45):
our dinner club, our tour of foot was paying for
it though for us that was the difference, right. But
but nevertheless that then when you came up with the
idea that all free agents who are gonna have multiple meetings,
they get, they get in their own way. Yeah, if
they want to tamper with you, let them tamper away,
But don't you tamper. The only tampering you should do
(10:05):
as a player is saying, first, I need a delicious
meal at one of the finest restaurants. As I keep said,
I don't work well on an empty stomach. Let's let's
let's figure this deal out while you feed misteak exactly
and I'll tell you the updated version of this. Sorry
to interrupt you, but the good friend of mine who
was on the phone with just this morning, a gentleman
(10:25):
named Lewis Wiltshire, who's who's based in the UK Huge
forty nine is fan. His belief is that the way
that Bill Belichick has subverted this my notion of of
get all the state you can is he and Belly,
He and Brady have a deal in place. But he
said to Tom Brady, go to these teams, go and
(10:46):
find out what their plans are for and how you
could be involved in it. Come back and report to
me and then I'll know everything we need to know,
and then we'll go out and trounce everyone away. And
they say another super Bowl and and that's his macki vellians, right,
is this it? But is this an informed hypothesis? It's
a fun No, it's definitely not informed. Well, the sports
(11:07):
guy has his own little theory too. Yeah, He's like,
and it's the same basic basic things like this all
this is for his new production company. It's all. It's
all a big scheme, he said. This is they've they've
laid this out on the Simmons podcast recently that that
they suspect I think perhaps tongue in cheek, but I mean,
(11:28):
of course it's it's it's like they say, like if
somebody wrote a script about this, no one will believe it.
I mean, like Tom Brady getting a professional advantage via
surreptitious video. I mean, who would believe something like that
that would never happen? Um, Yes, there's Eddie Spaghetti behind
the class. Look there is. Yeah, Eli didn't need nothing
(11:50):
to help him vanquished Tom Brady. Right, that's right. But
people online will say it was only the defense, not Eli.
Despite those incredible throws he's made in bolts rules, well
more so at catching the first one. But um, the
big news, UM, the big pro football news to to
uh tidbits over the last twenty four hours. Marshal Yonda
retires after thirteen years and UH Daniel Jeremiah and by
(12:14):
the way, one half of the radio UM team that
calls Chargers actions. So we'll get Austin Ekeler's opinion of
the work that mat money favorite. I'll be sure to
ask him about that. But Jeremiah says that Ekeler could
be a slot receiver if he wanted to be in Yeah,
so so we'll ask him about that. Um. But what
(12:36):
was I gonna say about And you said Martial Yonda
that was one of his scalta. That was one of
the guys that DJ scouted and he loved Yonda, And
I think I can't remember what he calls it. But UM,
in some scouting rooms, or at least with the Ravens,
you get a gold star. You get to star a
guy or something that you're like, this is my guy,
(12:57):
this is the guy who I think if he's available,
they always have the thing where that you stand on
the table whatever. That's yeah, that version of that. DJ
tells the tale that Yonda was his guy thirteen years ago,
and Yonda now would appear to probably as much as
guards track to the Hall of Fame probably does have
the resume. Of course, I can't indulge a deeper conversation
(13:19):
about how great Yonda was because you know that no
jive policy applies here. And what I know, he said,
what do I know about how good? He doesn't want
as he's had this thirteen year career and no one
thought to give him the nickname Over so he could
be over Yonder. Ah, well no, wait over wait the
way you said not like right now, I get it.
(13:45):
But well, Spaghetti says, yeah, they've stepped in there to
to stop that, because it's yeah, he would want to
be over his foe, right, you don't want to be
Oh he's over Yonder, Yeah, can find Well, I'm gonna try.
I'm gonna try to salvage I'm trying. I'm trying to
salvage you. Yeah, spaghetti's getting to be built like an
(14:07):
offensive lineman. That's maybe that's this homage to old line.
I'm so I'm such an old line guy. I'm gonna
make myself built like one. And I played offensive line
in in high school. I did not know I played.
My brother did, but I played linebacker. My brother played
line in college and style lineback. That means that you're
(14:28):
forgive me, but that makes you an underwhelming football player, right,
Why how does that make sense? I mean because I
I wasn't allowed to play football. Mo damnit shick. The
nurse said, like, no, no, I don't want you know
ship any broken bones. I'm not gonna have it. Um,
but had I played, I I suspect that would have
been the quarterback and probably a safety something like that.
(14:49):
I think. But like the good guys played both sides
in high school. Um, yeah, you weren't a skilled guy.
You couldn't like, you couldn't catch, for instance, well both
throw what I was, we have if you have enough
guys on both sides of the ball and just play.
I started in defense, which I'd rather play linebacker. Right,
But I'm saying, but the good guys played both side linebackers,
(15:11):
cool old lines, like they're like, hey, okay, good job
on defense, and come on off the field. Now the
skillful guys are going out there. I agree completely. I
think the top high schools in America. I mean, unless
you're going to the NFL, Like if you have enough
bodies to fill Rosster, you don't. It was you was
one of the top high schools. It was a nurse,
but you didn't vot. You could imagine if but no,
(15:35):
we were terrible. We were really bad. Um, all right,
So that's that. Marshall Yonda moves on, and then what's
their division foe? The Pittsburgh Steelers have just been announced
as one half of this year's upcoming Hall of Fame
game against the Dallas cow the very next football game
(15:56):
that will be played in America? Is that the best rivalry?
The other is that the best rivalry? And let's revisit
that right now here, now that we're in the march.
Is that the best non division rivalry in NFL history,
not even non division into conference? Okay, yeah, I mean
(16:18):
the NBA has Lakers Celtics. That reigns is the all
time in pro basketball. Although you know, I guess the
Jazz and that that didn't really count Jazz and Bulls.
But um, I think your Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders
at one point would have something that you would point to. Um,
I guess Steelers Raiders. I for forgive me. I know
(16:41):
people are gonna say, oh, you're very big up to
the Steelers. They happened to be relative stretches, so of
course they've got this. Cowboys is a is A is
a big game, even though only happens once every four years.
And I'm, you know, sorry about the preseason, but I
don't necessarily counting the preseason as being one of nor
do I This will be Duck Hodges verse is whoever
the third string QB of of the Dallas Cowboys? Is
(17:04):
that by that point we suspect that it will be
Dak Prescott getting his loot and uh and taking that
position back um in time for training camp. But I
don't think we'll see him or Roethlisberg. I think we
know Roethlisberger won't be there. Um. That's a that's an
ongoing series too. You know. I like to what if
stuff handsome is there? What is to you? Um? I
(17:26):
think I have the answer to it before I even
ask it, but Spaghetti, I want you to come up
with your answer to this too. What is the super
Bowl that the sports gods saw fit to deprive us
of that you wish you would have seen? Yeah, like
the one that it was a game away and if
that play or whatever hadn't happened, we would have gotten that.
And instead we didn't get it, and we got that
(17:47):
crummy super Bowl, or we got or you could even
have been a great super Bowl, doesn't to me? The
answer is, as you ruminate on, your answer is the
Steelers and Cowboys play in super Bowl thirteen the year
after the Cowboys get their second title against the Broncos,
and super Bowl twelve in the super Dome and super
Bowl thirteen in Miami, the Steelers vanquished um the Cowboys
(18:12):
and they get the third. At the time, I remember,
as a as a wee lad that here the big
thing was who's gonna be the first one to three?
Because this will assert you are the dominant force in
pro football history. And the Steelers got that one, and
so they took that mantle. And then the Cowboys were
the best team at minimum in the NFC the following
(18:34):
season and they were tracking to the Super Bowl until
Vince Ferragamo, the backup, takes over for Pat Hayden and
throws an impact, probable deflected pass in UM Cowboy Stadium
in Texas Stadium, I should say it gets deflected by
one of the Cowboys and Billy Watty catches it and
runs it into the end zone with with less than
(18:54):
two minutes left, sending the Rams to the NFC Title Game.
It would have been the Cowboys would have been the
Bucks at the Cowboys. The Cowboys would have whipped them
and you would have gotten they So super Bowl ten,
Steelers Cowboys, super Bowl thirteen, and you would have had
super Bowl fourteen. That would have solidified that before then
the magic it would have been the biggest thing. It
(19:15):
would have been. That would have been the biggest thing
in sports history at that time. I think now if
I bought you sometimes you haven't. I still haven't got
a good answer. There are a couple that personally I
would have loved. I'd love to see a home team
play in the Super Bowl, and so the Vikings would
have been vikings. Making the super Bowl in Minneapolis would
have been really cool. Um that would have I'm not
(19:37):
sure it would have necessarily been a better game for it.
But um, you know, because that game was was thoroughly enjoyed.
That's what that's what's fun about. What if is as
as Schwarzenegger tells us, as the T eight hundred tells us,
once you start messing with things that have already happened,
now you alter the history history mankind right precisely. Um,
(19:58):
but yeah, I would the Vikings have won that game
as the Eagles did. I don't think they would have
won the game period. Probably not. I guess it's easy
to announce that. But if that is in fact right,
Tom Brady would have an extra chip and here you
know what, now you've just opened it up. Willie mcguinnis
(20:21):
and other people who would know have said that if Brady,
if the Patriots win that Super he would have retired.
But losing lit a fire under him and made him
come back. But if he would have retired, who knows
how what will be talking about this week? I would
be tempered with this weekend. I'll throw another one out
(20:41):
to you. I mean, you could go through, go through
every season and find fascinating outcomes. Another one, I think
the most obvious one is, um, the fifteen and one
Vikings the Juggernaut team going up against John Elway trying
to repeat with t D and that very good Broncos
team trying to repeat. And by the way, the thing
(21:03):
that the little footnote in that from that season, Gary
Anderson misses that field goal. People forget that Falcons team
was thirteen and three. It was no jive. Chris Chandler
was their quarterback. Is the reason that people make fun
of it. But that was not a bogus team that
went to the Super Bowl. However, they did get trounced
by by Elway and company. Spaghetti yours um. I would
(21:26):
definitely I wish that the Patriots were not in the
recent Pass Ram Serabowl or that when are you just
talking about the Pats Eagles? The rest? I gets staying
and I think that's that's boring. Another one would be
I wish just that one of these more recent Saints teams,
maybe one just to alleviate all the crying about them,
and a team that I weirdly liked that wish uh
I made this super Bowl? Was it the Oh nine
(21:48):
Jets that that lost the Steelers in the Apes title Game?
One of those Rex Ryan Jets teams. They're just to me.
I guess just back when I was home in New
York and I have a lot of Jets fans, and
I have no problem running for the Jets. I wish
that they made a Volks that like, oh yeah, I
wish I trying one one. I wish Sanchez got to
Super Bowl. I love that team, like the Bart Scott
can't wait. Uh Tomlinson was there, Um Scott can't wait?
(22:10):
Was not nine? No, that wasn't with He wasn't with
the Jets then, was he was? Yeah? I think that was.
I think that's that's for sure. Then they go because
it was assumed that Pittsburgh was going to go to
Foxborough and that would be the end of because that
was not a great Steelers team. But things broke right
for them in that postseason to get them the Jets.
They almost blew that game to the Jets too, in
(22:31):
the second half, exactly the other one, I mean a
j Dewey. Were the Jets that were good were in
the in the eighties. I mean there were some good
Jets team. They had Richard Todd who was a pick
machine out of Alabama, but they were legitimately very good.
You know the defensive players that they had the sack exchange,
and they had Freeman McNeil and and so on, and
they played down in a rainstorm in Miami against David
(22:53):
Woodley and Don Strock and Don Shoola in that gang
just before they which is a weird turn in history
as well, that that UM Dolphins team goes to the
Super Bowl and they really had a shot in the game.
They were in that game until Riggins breaks that run
off and then uh, thisman throws one to Charlie Brown
to put it away and makes the game look like
(23:14):
more decisive victory. UM. Another two years later they changed
everything around the other one. Well, that's what I was
gonna say. What's fascinating is they play in the Super
Bowl and then they draft Dan Marino not six months later,
but eighteen months later. It's a pretty interesting turn that
they can acknowledge. Um, all right, David Woodley is so
it's fine, we gotta move on from the late David Woodley.
(23:35):
The other one I would have loved because although I'm
a Dolphins fan, I the team that I've supported probably
more of the last decade is the is the then
San Diego Charges, that team that had LT got injured
in the championship game against the Patriots and played but
didn't play well. I would have loved that fourteen and
two CHARGES team. That's a great one. Have made a
(23:56):
Super Bowl with LT with Phil Rivers right were Antonio
Gates was Sean Merriman I think was still on the team.
I loved your merriment at the time, like that was
a fun team UM that I'd like to have seen.
And obviously with UM, I think Marty is the that's
the head coach as well. That's that's an excellent one.
That was man. I don't remember somewhere in that I think,
(24:19):
and I think somewhere in that region where it was
like the Marty to NORV crossover and they're like, okay, maybe.
But then there was the ten seven game where Antonio
Crimardi refused to tackle. I think that was NORV. I
can't remember that. But one of those teams that was
consistently either in the championship game or in the divisional
round and got knocked out they needed to make it
(24:40):
to Super Well, the one that would have been grand,
that really would have been disruptive to NFL history positively
and negatively is in nine eighty Super eighty one, I
should say the Niners like and they they they announced
the dawn of the forty nine Nur's dominance and at
(25:01):
the same time knockdown the Cowboys once and for all.
Danny White's Cowboys in in front of Super Bowl sixteen.
And on the other side, you have the game that
you and I have talked about a fair amount. I
don't know if this is pretty Dan Marino, so I
don't know how well you remember that game, Handsome, but um,
the great Divisional round game, perhaps the greatest football game
(25:22):
of all time. Uh And I've watched the NFL Films
video of that many many's the best. It's that's the
best game. Um. Then that team that a Chargers team
worn out by the heat, then goes to Fridgid Cincinnati.
If you play that under different circumstances, Dan Fouts, and
that Chargers team go into a Super Bowl to play
(25:44):
against Joe Montana and the forty Niners, you know that
that becomes an all time different thing. And what if
the Chargers win that game, and then what does that
do to Joe Montana Because Bill Walsh was not thrilled
with Joe Montana. It's not like Joe Montana. History now
has rewritten it that that's the ultimate ultimate partnership. Um,
(26:04):
until Belichick and Brady make the scene. But Bill Walsh,
if they you take that Lombardi away, I think that
you can make a pretty decent case that in the
draft and the eighty three draft that Bill Walsh goes
for one of those big rm qbs. He might have
tried to move up to even get John Elway with
the first overall out of Stanford from his backyard, Dan
(26:27):
Marino would have been something Tony Easton Okay, different Brian Okay,
kind of Brian played in Calim. I mean, what would
have been a better match than than Ken O'Brien on
the on perhaps, Yeah, that's that's right, um and uh oh,
I could go on and on playing this game, all right,
but instead let's go on to uh to one Austin Ekeler. Yeah,
(26:49):
but you gotta go what. I'll ask him the questions
you want every time. That's it. We're worried I'm gonna
embarrass you. Thank you. No, listen, go eat a stake
in some some lobs. I'm not gonna see if I
can get a crap donut with Eddie or oh yeah,
that's a nice thing for a keep desk. Go meet
up with your favorite to keep. I hope he gets
by the way I want to say, I hope he
(27:10):
gets whacky top top whack, top whack. I kind of
remember that top whack. All right, thanks for coming by, handsome,
But here comes number thirty from your Los Angeles Chargers,
Austin Neckler. All right, number thirty. He's very highly paid
(27:34):
by for the by the Los Angeles Chargers to to
run the ball and catch it for them. It's Austin Neckler.
What's happening? Man? None? Nice, Thanks for having me. Man,
Did I say it right? It seems like a couple
of years ago, remember everybody was kind of where you,
noticing that as your name started to emerge in pro
football circles that there were a lot of pronunciations out there.
(27:54):
I've heard it all all my life, you know, I've
played a lot of sports, a lot of announcers and
people talk. I mean, you know, I've heard you know,
Ekeler like people ere. I think I went with an
eclor somewhere like to pronunci it and just like el
or el or, Yeah, it was Eckler. Bam, sit out there. UM.
First thing, let's start with with Melvin Gordon. If you
(28:16):
heard from Melvin Gordon since the Big Deal. I saw
him tweet at She's a delightful fella, right. You know
we we uh, you know, developed a business relationship over
the years. Um. But as far as you know, contact
with him, I haven't had much contact with him as
far as like what's going on with you know, his
you know, search for a place if he's coming back
(28:38):
if if not? UM, I was just my understanding just
what the holdout is. They're probably not on the same
page as far as it comes to like contract stuff.
I think from a distance, if he doesn't come back,
that would be my assumption. I know that he would
like to be, you know, back in the room with
all of us, just because we have you know, the
relationships over the years of coaches and but it comes
(29:00):
down to you know what you're worth and what how
you know how much you're willing to fight for that.
But you're not gonna make like, for instance, if Melvin
doesn't come back, you're not gonna be like, hey, Justin Jackson,
you carry my helmet to and from practice, We've never
been like knocking. We've been pretty good, pretty tight room.
Gonna do No, I'm not gonna do that. Okay, all right,
(29:21):
I'm gonna watch. I might that comes in. He'd get
the helmets for sure. All right, all right, UM, now
you're aware that the rumors are out there. It seems
all but done that Phil is moving on to wherever
he's going to move on to. Um. Do you you've
heard about Tom Brady coming their first question about that
(29:43):
Tom Brady versus Phil Rivers? Who would win a fifty
yard dash? Hey, I've seen Philip run. He's actually pretty fast. Oh,
I've seen him run to he's not. You don't have
to say stuff. Everyone has seen him run on the
game field. When you see him actually run and like
sprints and thing like that, he can move. He can
actually get it going pretty good. As long as it's
a straight line, he's good to go. I would take
(30:06):
Philip for the first time. You saw it on TV
for a number of years before you got there. But
the first time you were in person and you saw
phil throw the ball away throws it, did you laugh?
Actually asked someone if that was the real way he threw.
If he's just like messing around like, Wow, he really
throw side arm. You know, he's playing a prank on
you guys for the first day, throwing around a d
lineman or something. No, that's just how he throws it.
(30:28):
It's a bizarre it really did it take? Did it take?
Legitimately a couple of passes before you're like, okay, I
know I can get it coming out of his hand.
But it is weird to look at, really weird, especially
like the checkdowns, because you always have to be ready
because he'll be looking downfield and all of a sudden
just like dump it down to you and you'd be like, oh, shoot,
I wasn't ready because he wasn't looking at anything, you know.
So yeah, it definitely took something. Still, I'm still not
(30:49):
used to it. It's still surprised. Um, what do you
think about the Tom Brady stuff? I mean, you know,
it's uh, I guess unfair to put you on the
spot Tom Brady or Tyrod Taylor or someone in the draft.
I mean, but but I mean, how's it hit your
ear to hear Tom Brady may show up with the Chargers?
(31:10):
You know it would if we got Tom Brady, you know,
I feel like it'd be a similar situation to happen
Philip in the room. Just as far as the years
of experience and just the leadership. Uh you know, if
we have a younger guy or a Tyrode, I feel
like the leaderships lit hat to come up a little bit,
you know, just because Tyrod's you know, he was a
backup last year and kind of took a back seat
to Phillip. Uh So it'll be more development through that
(31:31):
aspect and maybe even take some more leadership from the
rest of the locker room to you know, lead, because
I mean, ultimately, Philip was he was the guy. He's
been there longer than the coaches, you know, that was
That's kind of his team, you know, and everything's built
around him. What's up Philip? You know the offense, He's
coaching everyone on the field. That's what made it great
and easy for the players because we just go through
him and we're on the field. That during the games
(31:52):
and everything, he'd be like, hey, you got these guys,
you got this route, you know, telling everybody just the chief.
But uh so whoever comes in, it's got some big
shoes to fill, you know. Either way, Um, do you
now tell me where you went to college again? Go ahead,
and I want you to say it out. I could
tell you what I have written on a piece of paper,
but I want you to tell it. I went to
(32:13):
I went to Western State Colorado University. That's a made
up thing. Let's be honest now, because you're done now.
I contend that one of the great tricks that the
man plays on us is that you you need a
college degree. I contend now, out on the other side,
unless you want to be a doctor or like an
astronaut or a couple of days, you don't really. No
(32:34):
one ever asked you what your g p A was.
They don't check into anything. You can you can, you know,
be honest with me here now, that's not a real place.
You just made that real place. It's funny you say
that because my head coach, Anthony Lane, he says, no,
you just went to college. Just got college, all right,
quick test for you whatever, the Western State College Western,
(32:55):
just call it Western for short. I mean, that's keep
an easy exactly, keep your lies nice and great. Right, Um,
what's what's the mascot of this alleged football team you play?
The Mountaineers. Yeah, it was in a mountain town, so
it was fitting all right. Well, now you're an NFL star.
(33:16):
I think we can say legitimately after twenty nineteen that
you're a star running back in in pro football. So
did you ever get tackled in Division two? Because if
you did even once? I've said this to Derrick Henry
about playing in high school. If you got tackled by
someone in Division two, think you under achieve. You know,
(33:36):
they didn't bring it down a few times, but you
know managed, you know, still put up some good numbers
on them and get some notice. What how big a
trip was it for you? Because you you're from Nebraska.
Do you grew up a Huskers fan? I must say
I did. I had a cousin that was a linebacker
coach there, so kind of just drew us, you know,
to the corners to gage your age. Then do you
(33:59):
even recall all them ever being good? It's weird being
Nebraska fans don't realize that they're not relevant anymore. There's
been a long time. They're almost getting more excited about
just like the culture around the team. Yeah, right, so
we have like two did you ever see them good? See?
I know I didn't. I didn't see you don't remember
Tommy Fraser any of that stuff. When I was watching him,
(34:19):
they were going through a bunch of head coach changes,
you know, uh, director changes, things like that. Um. And
then so you're from Nebraska, you allegedly go to college
in Colorado. So at what point does Austin Ekeler for
the first time lay his eyes on the Pacific Ocean
or any ocean? Um. I made a trip out my
(34:43):
sophomore year out here of in college. That's the first
time I actually saw the ocean. And then the next
time was when I was, you know, signed with the Chargers.
Is it a trip? I mean? Is it? I mean,
do you feel like uh? I mean, obviously, getting paid
to play football must be um, you must make you
feel like you're chea in life. But then you get
to do in Los Angeles exactly. You know, I always
(35:03):
thought that I would be uh somewhere around Colorado. Um,
even in the NFL. I was like, Hm, I don't
know if I'll be able to stay out here. I
don't know if California is a place for me. Is
just too busy, too much traffic. And then I signed
a four years ago. It looks like I'm locked in.
You know, have you been renting then I have been renting.
Oh but now, but now you're gonna roots, I don't know.
(35:24):
I don't know if I'm gonna buy, I don't know.
You know what, I've talked with a couple of guys
on your team about doing the two Melvin's in fact,
and and you know, if Melvin Gordon does happen to
move on one way or the other, I think it's
noteworthy that this era of Chargers football, how are you
guys expected to succeed with not one, but two guys
named Melvin on a pro football team. It wasn't chess.
(35:46):
You weren't playing football Melvin's. I know that we put
our heads together. We tried to develop, We tried to
um set up a partnership with M and M's and yeah,
to see if we could have them do ads. It
didn't play out, but they weren't playing it. Melvin. By
the way, that's a weird name for a baby. Don't
you think you know what's wrong with Melvin for a baby?
(36:07):
For a grown up, it's cool. Well, I mean I'll
grown up the baby so well. Like we talk about
Justin Jackson, Like Justin is a good name for a baby,
but for a grown up. I don't know. So you're
suggesting a baby name and then an adult. Some some names,
some names are good for a baby, but not for
a grown up. For a grown up, but not for
(36:28):
a baby. Like the classic is Carl, you know, Liker,
Carl the baby, Wayne the baby. You know, so maybe
it's like Gary the baby. Those are weird that that
is a little strange that Gary. Can I tell you
another one? What you got? Austin? Austin the baby, a
little little Austin, like Cody is a good baby name,
(36:50):
but you don't want that as a grown up. I
don't know. I don't I couldn't tell you. Um, so
who do you? And you're a professional when you go
into the building and you probably kibbuts with them a
couple of times every week. Um, the radio partnership, the
radio partners up there who call the action, Matt Money Smith,
Daniel Jeremiah. Do you ever interact with those fellas? I
(37:11):
don't know. Oh, yeah, they're the voices of the chargers. Yeah,
and they and they happen to work here. And Daniel
Jeremiah recently said that he feels like, if you decided
to be a slot receiver, you would immediately be top five.
How's that hit you shoo? I feel like at this
point like I've had you know, some success doing it
off outside in the slot in the backfield, and that's
(37:33):
kind of you know, the persona I went around me
is that, hey, I can I can do it from
any spot in the field. Is it as simple as
I mean, how aware you guys of that outside noise?
And it's you know, it's real life stuff. It's you know,
I think people are a little glib about, like man,
the Chargers with the injury bug year after year and
all that kind of stuff. But you know, I've talked
with with the Derwin James, I've talked with a few
(37:55):
guys about that. I mean, how much do you guys
buzz about that? Like, man, oh man, what is the
story already here? Why do we not get a break
with that? The thing is, I felt like two years ago,
when we were twelve and four, I feel like we
didn't really have any major injuries. Um. I feel like
Hunter Henry, you know, he end up tearing his a
c L. That was a major injury, but it wasn't
It was just like one guy, like one or two
(38:15):
guys until last year. I feel like we got hit
pretty hard um and early on too. So it had
been people that were, you know, used to the offense
in the offense, and now all of a sudden, they're
not They're not there anymore, and now we have backups
coming in. So I think they just really hurt our
dynamic of our team, and you know, we're trying to
make it as simple as possible for everyone, and then
other people would get hurt and then you gotta just
redo it, and it just we just really couldn't get
(38:37):
a foothold, and I felt like we're just too inconsistent.
Was just at our play level, and really, you know,
ended up hurting us in the end because she seemed
like every week we're just barely losing games, just like,
come on, you know, we lost so many games by
seven or less. I think there's only two that we didn't.
But it's the same thing weekend week out. I was like,
one or two more plays would have just turned the
game around. It just came back to our consistent and see,
(39:00):
you know, two years ago and we were twelve before
we're making those plays, and we were at finishing games
and we were scoring points, and then the thing come
back next year. I think the other injuries definitely helped
or definitely helps what our record was. Like Drhain, you
know he was that was a big I think. I
mean what a um he bent a screw in his foot?
Like what? Who does that? Like? That's the thing I
(39:21):
don't even know. That's when the football gods are are
for whatever reason, they got some acts to grind with
you guys. But I mean I really do feel like
and obviously it's not a small matter who's going to
be under center for you guys, but you continue to have, um,
you know, arguably the most talented roster top to bottom
in the in the a f C. I would say, yeah.
(39:42):
I mean, if everyone's healthy, though it doesn't matter if
not everyone's right and if you can, if you can
resolve the the QB issue, I really think that the
Chargers have a real shot in the only issue there
is you're shaping up to be in a really rugged division.
I know that the West has its rival reas and
so on, but here comes the Raiders. You're looking forward
(40:04):
to going to Vegas on the road. Is that the
stadium is pretty sweet and it's all right? Really, what
are you doing out there out there, all right. Um so,
so you'll have the Raiders and then you have the
World Champs. Is that gonna Is that gonna do anything
for you as a competitor to go out there Arrowhead?
Or when the Chiefs come to town in the new joint.
(40:26):
I think it just creates an atmosphere around just our division, uh,
even with the new stadium, with the Raiders and they're
moving and then you know, have their little hype over
the last couple of years with Gruden and you know
the obviously the Chiefs coming in and winning the Super Bowl.
It just it just makes it more exciting to be
in this division because you know when we go to
their stadiums, it is just sure the Bronco Stadium, you know,
(40:47):
they do a great job. Is that the best smelling
stadium to go to? Arrowheads? Actually wasn't too bad when
I was there. No, I mean smell good. All the
barbecue flows. I don't even know, I don't know, smells
normal to me. I guess I just love the atmosphere,
you know, around around teams like that. Oh man, you
could be in a division with uh with you know,
(41:09):
if Tom, if things break in a certain way, you
could have Tom Brady on your on your side. You
could have Superman Cam Newton for the Raiders, and then
you have the uh, you know, the reigning Super Bowl champagne.
Patrick Mahomes and Company would be fun division to wash
for sure, it would be very fun. And among all
that you have a guy from Western total the Rock.
(41:30):
They're being a being a big star here doing it
the unorthodox route, and congratulations to you. If you need
any help, I'd be more than happy to um try
and get you in the right home here in southern California.
A beach guy you want to be, you know, near
the hill. I'm trying to find my own little corner
to be tucked away in just so just I can
(41:51):
keep it low on the radar. I floated. I'll just
say I floated the idea and uh, the idea of
doing a show called The Home Team and I just
take people. All right. You watch those shows on HDTV,
haven't you don't like those shows where they overhauled the
house and get people in. All right, Well, you and
I move that bush, yeah yeah, yeah, alright, look move
(42:14):
that bus and it and then moves out of the way,
and then you, yeah, you go crazy for the house
that I play right, would I would go crazy? Absolutely good.
I'll look forward to that. In the meantime, Continued success
and good health to you as you get ready for
can't wait to see who your QB is gonna be
here in Los Angeles. To be fun. Austin Ekeler, everybody
(42:40):
good stuff from Austin Neckler Great thanks to Handsome Hank
as well as always Eddie Spaghetti behind the glass and
you the listener. Will be back with more hooey and
apple sauce later on until next week, when we will
be fully and legally tampering and perhaps even tampered with.
Who knows. It's been a thin slice of heaven.
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