January 17, 2025 • 17 mins
The great actor and comedian Denis Leary joins Good Morning Football live from New York. He talks about his tremendous acting career, Boston sports fandom, and the polarizing movie Draft Day. They also discuss the Leary Firefighters Foundation, which funds firefighters nationwide. To donate, visit learyfirefighters.org.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
The Season with Peter Schrager is a production of the
NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
We're back in.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good Morning Football, and us here in New York are
very very excited for this Person's been a huge inspiration.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
When I was in high school.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
My friends and I used to blast his song whose
title I can't say, in our cars and scream the lyrics,
then go into our basements and watch Judgment Night. I mean,
this is an incredible, incredible perform.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
There is there a way for us to reference the
title of the song. We're not getting in trouble.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I can name a few players in the league very
accurate about that, but I won't do it.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Guy, this is Dennis Larry. Look at I just want
to say this. I'm a big fan of the show.
I can't believe I'm finally on here. I don't think
we've talked about Jerry Jones and Deon Sanders. I'm not
anymore this morning, or this week or this year. Everybody
talks about the Cowboys all the time. They're never winning
(00:59):
another Super Bowl. Let's stop talking about them.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Why are we still talking and they last one in
Super Bowl in ninety five?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
What were you doing in ninety five. I was ninety five.
I was still bemoaning the fact that the Patriots sucked
and that they're you know, I don't don't even get
me started. The Red Sox hadn't won. It was we
the Boston sports fans were still starving, I know at
that time. But hey, we've moved forward, right, you move
forward and leaps and bounce. We've been in ninety five.
(01:29):
We were probably talking about Deon Sanders and the Cowboys,
Jerry Jones, and guess what here we are talking about
still talking about all.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Right, we're gonna be talking about Going Dutch, which is
dennis new comedy series on Fox.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Thank god, we got to move on to anything else
is Deon Sanders in that show on Fox.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You're gonna let Michael Stran's involved, Peter knows everyone involved, Dennis.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It's literally I was standing outside. Why you guys were
talking about Deon Sanders and Jerry Jones. I'm talking to
one of your crew guys, and he goes, hey, you know,
Jerry Jones just did an acting gig in Landman, Philly
about Thornton. I'm like, you're kidding me? And now I
can't even watch that show. Without eventually seeing Jerry Joe.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yes, and now he's acting like he's gonna hire me
on to be the head coach.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
It's like, people know you as a Patriots fan. Yes,
I heard you have an NFC team too, Yes, what
do you do? So when I was when I was
I'm way older than you guys. When I was young,
my me and my older brother shared a room. This
is in the late sixties, before the merger actually, and
you know, the Patriots sucked. They sucked far so my brother,
(02:35):
because he got to set the rules because he was older,
he said, you know what, I think we should each
get to pick a national conference, national focal team, you know,
before the merger, so that that we have somebody to
root for. So he picked the Colts, who ended up
eventually in the and I picked the Packers. So there's
always been that, you know, that little side. I'm really
(02:56):
a Patriots fan, but I have this little Packers thing.
My son is predominantly Packers that she was growing up. Yeah,
but anyways, that's all changed now. I mean, that's that's
why people when I I say this to my Boston
sports friends, I'm I'm a huge Bruins fan. I'm actually
the narrator of their documentary series on Nessenale. Cool. But
but we in Boston, we have, literally and with football,
(03:19):
nothing to complain about. You want to talk about Mike Rabel,
I think it's great. You want to talk about Drake
May fantastic? I do I care? I do care? I
do I care that we're losing. Now you know why?
We had two decades of insanity and we were in
the Super Bowl almost every year, right and across the
sports board, Boston fans have nothing to complain about. I
(03:40):
don't think we should be allowed to that is, yeah,
So I do I root for the Patriots? Yeah? Do
they suck? They did suck? Do I care? Not? Really?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I'm happy Jamie get in here.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
What a healthy sound, What a healthy and sound take
on the New England Patriots and their fans. Like it's
so true because for a while, I was like that
kid with the poster who's like, ever since he was born,
he'd want the Boston and won a title and like
every sports is alternated, where is that kid now? Speaking
of running it back with a guy that played for
your team. The Patriots hired Mike Rabel. There he's back
in the building.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So You're good, You're fine.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Do you think he can fix this thing after a
couple of years away from the stage and the trophy presentation.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
No, we're five years away from doing anything. I mean,
maybe Vrabel will solve it, but I doubt it. I mean,
we need a complete rebuild, so we may have a
quarterback who knows right and who cares, don't care. I'm
so I'm so happy and satisfied. I'm very excited to
watch Bill Belichick destroy college football and become a champion. There.
(04:42):
I just I think that's more likely than the Patriots
even making the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Do you think Belichick went in a championship more likely
the Vrabel?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Oh? I think I think Belichick slaughters college lot. Belichick
is a genius. By the way, Belichick can do anything.
You've seen him on television. He's fantastic. He can do anything.
So again, even if Bill wanted to retire and just
fish on Nintuck And I'm so happy, guys, and so satisfied.
I mean, I'm still a football fanatic. I watched football
like crazy, but as a Patriots and I'm.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Like, who cares. I absolutely love your passion for sports
and football, your Patriots. I know, as an entertainer, you've
been around a lot of sports folks, a lot of
players and coaches. You've got an encounter that you'll never forget,
you know, in that time.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, man, I've had so many great ones, I mean,
just insane ones over the years, you know. And and
you know, one of my best friends in life is
Cam Neely ended up becoming a Hockey Hall of Famer
and I actually was at that induction service. That was amazing.
But I actually, I don't know if you guys know this,
but I did tell the person who was doing the
(05:47):
pre show. So one of my best friends is Lenny Clark,
the actor and comedian, and Lenny became very close friends
with Bill Belichick as the Patriots Dynasty was happening. So
I got to meet Bill through Lenny and he was
a big fan of Rescue Me, and he said, do
you mind if I come to visit this set? I said,
how would you like to do a cameo? Right? So
he was like, oh, that'd be great. So we wrote
(06:07):
this little bit with him in phill Esposito the Bruins Legend,
and he said, I don't want to just come and
do the cameo. I want to come and spend an
entire day at the set. And I was like, Bill,
it's really boring. People don't understand. It's really boring. He goes,
I don't care. It won't be boring for me. And
I'm like, okay, it's going to be boring. So he came.
His cameo took like half an hour. So we shot
(06:28):
that and then I said, you can hang out with
us by the monitors if you want, because you know,
I was also the co showrunner and my writing partner
was the director of most of the episodes, so I
watched them. He had the little notebook that he pulls
out on the field make notes. During the game, he
had the little notebook and he kept pulling out the
notebook and making notes. And at lunchtime, you know, it's
like six hours into the day, he was like, so,
(06:50):
now the guys, when the guys come in with all
the equipment, when you guys call cut, what now? Who
are those guys? Now? I saw those the lighting guys
going up, and he kept asking questions and we went
back to work and he stayed for another six hours,
and at the end of the day we had dinner.
He literally peppered me with questions about the team aspect,
like who does this, when did they do it? Who
tells them? How do they know it was? Yeah? Like
(07:13):
he literally is such such a curious guy about the
psychology of the set. Leadership's the boss, That's why he
was talking to the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
But he was interested in the practice squad and the
trainers and all that stuff down.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That's really that tells you why somebody is a great coach,
because especially in football, man, I mean any team sport,
but especially in football, because there's so many people, so
many squads, right, I mean, that's why I love Like, listen,
you can't fault people. But when I'm watching head coaches
who have their face buried in eric are calling the
place and covering their mouth. But you watch Belichick. One
(07:49):
of the most famous things I remember Belichick talking about
was in that comeback against Seattle. Seattle think when when
they did the behind the scenes stuff of that, he
was watching Pete Carroll's body language. Yes, before they put
in their squad. This isn't Malcolm Butler, Yeah, the Malcolm Butler.
(08:09):
He remember that he didn't call time up? Remember, were like,
why is he not colle controversial, and he was just
staring there and when they interviewed me, so I was
watching the body language of Pete Carroll and their sideline
now to see that.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Yeah, he said something just didn't seem right over.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
It didn't seem right And that was his gut right
because his eyes were on the field instead of on
a laminated piece of calling play. That drives me nuts.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Well, Peter Belichick probably the best coach ever.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
What about the best football movie?
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Well, this is okay, so polarizing movie that you were
in about eleven years ago amongst football people.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, I love Draft Day, he does.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I think Draft Day is awesome. Take a look at
this clips from our shows, from our show in September,
not knowing you would be on four months later. Here
was me in September talking about a movie that I
love that you are a featured part of.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
I love Draft Day. Come on, I love Draft Day.
People hate Draft Day.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
People say it's not realistic, it's absurd, it's so dumb,
it's dramatic.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
There is no better sitting.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
On a plane flipping through the options and getting lost
for two and a half hours than the movie Draft Day.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I love Drafts.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
A true fan I think a little and I tell
you something that's really like Draft week, I'll watch it
and it gets.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Me a lot of cool a lot of people. It's
like watching a Christmas movie.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
It feels like I'm watching it some wonderful life.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
This is it?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So that is I'm sure people stop you all time
and do you know how divisive this movie is?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And football diehards who do not like it. I don't
care because I'm I'm selfishly when I did this movie.
First of all, I'm a sports fanatic, as you guys know, right,
I'm a huge Western fan. I'm a huge Kevin cost
fan because of that, but also huge sports movie guy. Right,
You're not going to get a more iconic actor in
the history of cinema who's done more sport about it?
Feel the dreams. They have a phone call saying cost
(09:54):
is going to do a football movie. They want you
to play the coach. Right and Ivan Wrightman famous directors
that pastime you know is going to direct. I'm like,
I'm in. They were like, well, they want to send
you the script. I'm like, no, I'm in. Well, don't
you want to meet Kevin? I had never met Kevin
and Ivan and I'm like, no, I'm in. Tell Ivan
and Kevin I'm in. I don't care because a football
movie with Kevin Costa, Like, when am I going to
(10:16):
have the opportunity to do that again. Meanwhile, Kevin is
the nicest guy, a total pro. We had a blast.
I know people get caught up, but it's not realistic.
It's a movie. It's a movie. Okay, what are you
talking about? And Ken Costner's great in it, you know, yeah,
And I'll tell you behind the scenes story there. Oh yes,
come on that people don't know about. You know. I
(10:38):
have the super Bowl ring because I'm the ex coach
of the Dallas Cowboys, and I thank god I was.
I didn't have to talk to Jerry Jones to do
the movie. But they made up a realistic Dallas cobby.
You know you see that thing in the movie. And
I said to the prop guys, like, I need to
get one of these. When we wrapped. I'm not going
to sell it. I'm just going to keep it. And
they were like, we made an agreement with the NFL
(10:58):
that we would not let us even a fake Super
Bowl ring get out there. You have to give it back.
And at the end of the movie. Yet I don't
steal things. Some movies I asked for and I said
to the product, I have to have this. It's like,
you know what, take it? So I have it. It's
on my desk. You got a Cowboys throw around. Wow,
it's engraved, you know, Coach Pen you know I love
(11:19):
It's like it's my my thing from that move. I
had a blast on that movie. I bet Jenny we
we just love how.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I love these stories and how passionate Dennis is about
all this stuff. The other topic besides sports, besides Boss's sports,
the fact that you've a foundation right now that can
directly impact and help people that are just nearby our
studio here in LA. The wildfires are going on. It's
it's affecting a lot of people here in Los Angeles.
You've a foundation that supports firefighters nationwide. Tell us more
(11:48):
about that and how impertinent it can be today.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah. So I started the Larry Firefighters Foundation twenty five
years ago because my cousin, Jerry Lucy became a firefighter
and Worcester, mass which is where I'm from. UH and
another uh, one of our best friends from growing up
was also in the same department and six. So those
firefighters died in a fired downtown on Worcester and December third,
nineteen ninety nine. I started the foundation to help the
(12:13):
families of the six firefighters because there were seventeen kids
left behind. I have good friends in the FDNY who
went up to help dig out the bodies from that warehouse,
and when nine to eleven happened two years later, the
Wooster Fire Department was one of the first groups that
came down here. Anyways, body one of my best friends,
Terry Quinn from the fdn Y, who was the technical
(12:34):
advisor and rescue me. He said, you have to make
the foundation nationwide. So we went national and I just
want to say this the reason I have the foundation.
And twenty five years later, every year we get more
requests to help more departments because the funding has dissipated.
In the last twenty five years, we helped departments as
big as the FDNY down to local small departments, and
(12:56):
the problem is always the same. They're all getting their
budget cuts every year because they never go on strike.
So of course it makes sense for politicians and city
governments to say we're going to cut the fire fire
fighting budget because they won't leave work, They'll still go
to work. I like to wait till after these big
tragic events are over before people start blaming and pointing fingers.
I do know this about the LA Department. This is
(13:18):
a fact. They have been understaffed for ages. They have
vehicles sitting that can't be repaired because they don't have
enough money to hire them mechanics back to fix them.
As the wildfires have been growing over the last ten years,
that departments have been getting understaffed continuing every years. That's
a definite problem. We are very proud of the fact
that we take your money as it's donated every year,
(13:40):
within six months to a year, we have turned it
into literally vehicles, training facilities, equipment that the firefighters put
to work right away. And the other weird tie in
is on this show. Every year we have an event
called we Can Be Heroes just for one day here
in New York where citizens can pay. It's expensive, you
pay a lot of money, but you get to be
a firefighter for a day at the FDNY Training Academy
(14:02):
with FDNY firefighters and celebrities. And every year, because of
the team aspect of it, we've had NFL players, we've
had the commissioner come and get dressed up as a
firefighter for a day. Well, Curtis Martin, Michael Strahan, Harrison Smith,
I'm forgetting guys on, Nick Mangol, Tony Gonzalez. Tony's been
there multiple years. They come every year and these It's
(14:24):
interesting to watch NFL players do this because most of
them are still in shape. Curtis Martin can still and
they come and they're very overwhelmed by how difficult the
job is, but also by the firefighters, the men and
the women that are training them that day. Yes, because
it is teamwork. It's about teamwork. That's why we have
civilians donate and do it. But I guarantee you you
(14:46):
give us your money within six months to a year.
You actually see videos of departments across the country using
what we bought for them. That's an incredible pitch.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
You watch that, you want to immediately part of it.
Leary Firefighters, Dot Org, Dennis, you do it all firefighters
and now soldiers. You play an Army colonel. Right now
in a new series going Dutch, we have a c
right now.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
We're going to roll. It'd be very fun if we
rolled this clip.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
And it was just Jerry Jones and dancing. Let's go
run a new clip rom going Dutch on Fox.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
That would be odd.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
I wasn't expecting to meet Maggie's old man.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Thanks for hosting me on your bit. It's not hosting you.
You are not some Swedish au pair. I'm bringing in
to take care of the baby. Why are you on
my bit? He's here to visit me. He's my special
man friend.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
So it's casual or we headed in a certain direction.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Just for clarity, and how long has this been going on?
Three years? Three years? I raised you better than that.
You didn't raise me at all. You're right I didn't.
But some stepfather should have stepped in, thus the title,
and told you not to date manipulative liars. But no,
mother never got remarried, so you're blaming mom. I am.
It's your mother's fault. What is wrong with you? Know what?
(15:57):
I think we've been covered enough family trauma for today.
Talk about it. Then I have to say, listen, it's
a really funny show. We shot it in Ireland on
a real army base with you know, real Irish the
Irish Army soldiers. We're right next to us, but doing
real drills while we were pretending to be soldiers. But anyways,
(16:18):
the cast is great. The girl who plays my daughter,
Taylor Michie, she was on Dave on FX. She's hilarious.
Danny Pooty, who is my right hand man from Community,
he's great. There's this new kid called Hal Compston. He's
an Australian actor. He plays this fat, rebellious soldier that
I have to deal with. He's he's on but he's
like the second coming of John Candy. This really so.
(16:40):
Lacey Mosley who's she's become famous because of her podcast,
A Scam Get a Goddess Podcast. She's great. It's really funny.
It's the guy the creators, Joel Church Cooper who did
Brockmeyer with Hank speaking of sports. It's really funny. So yeah,
I hope people like it. It's so far people are
laughing at it, so we like it. I got to
(17:02):
mention also No Good Deed on Netflix are still running
No Good DNN me Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrou that's funny.
It's also very dark. And then this coming Christmas, I
have a Christmas comedy with Michelle Peiffer called Oh What
Fun and Christmas twenty twenty six. Is Ice age six?
Another one? Yes, another one. We're doing it, We're doing
it well. Yes? Is it true you're going to the
(17:23):
View after this? Are you going down the streets? Now?
I'm going to the View and I'm going to be
on there with Dion Sanders and we're just gonna We're
just gonna talk about how the Cowboys are never going
to win on their Super Bowl. Listen, you should be
fired up about going Dutch.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Watching on Fox new episodes There Thanks Thursday nights nine
to thirty on Fox, Streaming on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
This is Dennis. I can't believe I got to be
on the show. Everybody come back whatever.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
The Season with Peter Schrager is a production of the
NFL and partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.
The Season with Peter Schrager is a production of the
NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
We're back in.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good Morning Football, and us here in New York are
very very excited for this Person's been a huge inspiration.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
When I was in high school.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
My friends and I used to blast his song whose
title I can't say, in our cars and scream the lyrics,
then go into our basements and watch Judgment Night. I mean,
this is an incredible, incredible perform.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
There is there a way for us to reference the
title of the song. We're not getting in trouble.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I can name a few players in the league very
accurate about that, but I won't do it.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Guy, this is Dennis Larry. Look at I just want
to say this. I'm a big fan of the show.
I can't believe I'm finally on here. I don't think
we've talked about Jerry Jones and Deon Sanders. I'm not
anymore this morning, or this week or this year. Everybody
talks about the Cowboys all the time. They're never winning
(00:59):
another Super Bowl. Let's stop talking about them.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Why are we still talking and they last one in
Super Bowl in ninety five?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
What were you doing in ninety five. I was ninety five.
I was still bemoaning the fact that the Patriots sucked
and that they're you know, I don't don't even get
me started. The Red Sox hadn't won. It was we
the Boston sports fans were still starving, I know at
that time. But hey, we've moved forward, right, you move
forward and leaps and bounce. We've been in ninety five.
(01:29):
We were probably talking about Deon Sanders and the Cowboys,
Jerry Jones, and guess what here we are talking about
still talking about all.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Right, we're gonna be talking about Going Dutch, which is
dennis new comedy series on Fox.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Thank god, we got to move on to anything else
is Deon Sanders in that show on Fox.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You're gonna let Michael Stran's involved, Peter knows everyone involved, Dennis.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It's literally I was standing outside. Why you guys were
talking about Deon Sanders and Jerry Jones. I'm talking to
one of your crew guys, and he goes, hey, you know,
Jerry Jones just did an acting gig in Landman, Philly
about Thornton. I'm like, you're kidding me? And now I
can't even watch that show. Without eventually seeing Jerry Joe.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yes, and now he's acting like he's gonna hire me
on to be the head coach.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
It's like, people know you as a Patriots fan. Yes,
I heard you have an NFC team too, Yes, what
do you do? So when I was when I was
I'm way older than you guys. When I was young,
my me and my older brother shared a room. This
is in the late sixties, before the merger actually, and
you know, the Patriots sucked. They sucked far so my brother,
(02:35):
because he got to set the rules because he was older,
he said, you know what, I think we should each
get to pick a national conference, national focal team, you know,
before the merger, so that that we have somebody to
root for. So he picked the Colts, who ended up
eventually in the and I picked the Packers. So there's
always been that, you know, that little side. I'm really
(02:56):
a Patriots fan, but I have this little Packers thing.
My son is predominantly Packers that she was growing up. Yeah,
but anyways, that's all changed now. I mean, that's that's
why people when I I say this to my Boston
sports friends, I'm I'm a huge Bruins fan. I'm actually
the narrator of their documentary series on Nessenale. Cool. But
but we in Boston, we have, literally and with football,
(03:19):
nothing to complain about. You want to talk about Mike Rabel,
I think it's great. You want to talk about Drake
May fantastic? I do I care? I do care? I
do I care that we're losing. Now you know why?
We had two decades of insanity and we were in
the Super Bowl almost every year, right and across the
sports board, Boston fans have nothing to complain about. I
(03:40):
don't think we should be allowed to that is, yeah,
So I do I root for the Patriots? Yeah? Do
they suck? They did suck? Do I care? Not? Really?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I'm happy Jamie get in here.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
What a healthy sound, What a healthy and sound take
on the New England Patriots and their fans. Like it's
so true because for a while, I was like that
kid with the poster who's like, ever since he was born,
he'd want the Boston and won a title and like
every sports is alternated, where is that kid now? Speaking
of running it back with a guy that played for
your team. The Patriots hired Mike Rabel. There he's back
in the building.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So You're good, You're fine.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Do you think he can fix this thing after a
couple of years away from the stage and the trophy presentation.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
No, we're five years away from doing anything. I mean,
maybe Vrabel will solve it, but I doubt it. I mean,
we need a complete rebuild, so we may have a
quarterback who knows right and who cares, don't care. I'm
so I'm so happy and satisfied. I'm very excited to
watch Bill Belichick destroy college football and become a champion. There.
(04:42):
I just I think that's more likely than the Patriots
even making the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Do you think Belichick went in a championship more likely
the Vrabel?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Oh? I think I think Belichick slaughters college lot. Belichick
is a genius. By the way, Belichick can do anything.
You've seen him on television. He's fantastic. He can do anything.
So again, even if Bill wanted to retire and just
fish on Nintuck And I'm so happy, guys, and so satisfied.
I mean, I'm still a football fanatic. I watched football
like crazy, but as a Patriots and I'm.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Like, who cares. I absolutely love your passion for sports
and football, your Patriots. I know, as an entertainer, you've
been around a lot of sports folks, a lot of
players and coaches. You've got an encounter that you'll never forget,
you know, in that time.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, man, I've had so many great ones, I mean,
just insane ones over the years, you know. And and
you know, one of my best friends in life is
Cam Neely ended up becoming a Hockey Hall of Famer
and I actually was at that induction service. That was amazing.
But I actually, I don't know if you guys know this,
but I did tell the person who was doing the
(05:47):
pre show. So one of my best friends is Lenny Clark,
the actor and comedian, and Lenny became very close friends
with Bill Belichick as the Patriots Dynasty was happening. So
I got to meet Bill through Lenny and he was
a big fan of Rescue Me, and he said, do
you mind if I come to visit this set? I said,
how would you like to do a cameo? Right? So
he was like, oh, that'd be great. So we wrote
(06:07):
this little bit with him in phill Esposito the Bruins Legend,
and he said, I don't want to just come and
do the cameo. I want to come and spend an
entire day at the set. And I was like, Bill,
it's really boring. People don't understand. It's really boring. He goes,
I don't care. It won't be boring for me. And
I'm like, okay, it's going to be boring. So he came.
His cameo took like half an hour. So we shot
(06:28):
that and then I said, you can hang out with
us by the monitors if you want, because you know,
I was also the co showrunner and my writing partner
was the director of most of the episodes, so I
watched them. He had the little notebook that he pulls
out on the field make notes. During the game, he
had the little notebook and he kept pulling out the
notebook and making notes. And at lunchtime, you know, it's
like six hours into the day, he was like, so,
(06:50):
now the guys, when the guys come in with all
the equipment, when you guys call cut, what now? Who
are those guys? Now? I saw those the lighting guys
going up, and he kept asking questions and we went
back to work and he stayed for another six hours,
and at the end of the day we had dinner.
He literally peppered me with questions about the team aspect,
like who does this, when did they do it? Who
tells them? How do they know it was? Yeah? Like
(07:13):
he literally is such such a curious guy about the
psychology of the set. Leadership's the boss, That's why he
was talking to the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
But he was interested in the practice squad and the
trainers and all that stuff down.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
That's really that tells you why somebody is a great coach,
because especially in football, man, I mean any team sport,
but especially in football, because there's so many people, so
many squads, right, I mean, that's why I love Like, listen,
you can't fault people. But when I'm watching head coaches
who have their face buried in eric are calling the
place and covering their mouth. But you watch Belichick. One
(07:49):
of the most famous things I remember Belichick talking about
was in that comeback against Seattle. Seattle think when when
they did the behind the scenes stuff of that, he
was watching Pete Carroll's body language. Yes, before they put
in their squad. This isn't Malcolm Butler, Yeah, the Malcolm Butler.
(08:09):
He remember that he didn't call time up? Remember, were like,
why is he not colle controversial, and he was just
staring there and when they interviewed me, so I was
watching the body language of Pete Carroll and their sideline
now to see that.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Yeah, he said something just didn't seem right over.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
It didn't seem right And that was his gut right
because his eyes were on the field instead of on
a laminated piece of calling play. That drives me nuts.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Well, Peter Belichick probably the best coach ever.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
What about the best football movie?
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Well, this is okay, so polarizing movie that you were
in about eleven years ago amongst football people.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, I love Draft Day, he does.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I think Draft Day is awesome. Take a look at
this clips from our shows, from our show in September,
not knowing you would be on four months later. Here
was me in September talking about a movie that I
love that you are a featured part of.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
I love Draft Day. Come on, I love Draft Day.
People hate Draft Day.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
People say it's not realistic, it's absurd, it's so dumb,
it's dramatic.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
There is no better sitting.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
On a plane flipping through the options and getting lost
for two and a half hours than the movie Draft Day.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
I love Drafts.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
A true fan I think a little and I tell
you something that's really like Draft week, I'll watch it
and it gets.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Me a lot of cool a lot of people. It's
like watching a Christmas movie.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
It feels like I'm watching it some wonderful life.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
This is it?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
So that is I'm sure people stop you all time
and do you know how divisive this movie is?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And football diehards who do not like it. I don't
care because I'm I'm selfishly when I did this movie.
First of all, I'm a sports fanatic, as you guys know, right,
I'm a huge Western fan. I'm a huge Kevin cost
fan because of that, but also huge sports movie guy. Right,
You're not going to get a more iconic actor in
the history of cinema who's done more sport about it?
Feel the dreams. They have a phone call saying cost
(09:54):
is going to do a football movie. They want you
to play the coach. Right and Ivan Wrightman famous directors
that pastime you know is going to direct. I'm like,
I'm in. They were like, well, they want to send
you the script. I'm like, no, I'm in. Well, don't
you want to meet Kevin? I had never met Kevin
and Ivan and I'm like, no, I'm in. Tell Ivan
and Kevin I'm in. I don't care because a football
movie with Kevin Costa, Like, when am I going to
(10:16):
have the opportunity to do that again. Meanwhile, Kevin is
the nicest guy, a total pro. We had a blast.
I know people get caught up, but it's not realistic.
It's a movie. It's a movie. Okay, what are you
talking about? And Ken Costner's great in it, you know, yeah,
And I'll tell you behind the scenes story there. Oh yes,
come on that people don't know about. You know. I
(10:38):
have the super Bowl ring because I'm the ex coach
of the Dallas Cowboys, and I thank god I was.
I didn't have to talk to Jerry Jones to do
the movie. But they made up a realistic Dallas cobby.
You know you see that thing in the movie. And
I said to the prop guys, like, I need to
get one of these. When we wrapped. I'm not going
to sell it. I'm just going to keep it. And
they were like, we made an agreement with the NFL
(10:58):
that we would not let us even a fake Super
Bowl ring get out there. You have to give it back.
And at the end of the movie. Yet I don't
steal things. Some movies I asked for and I said
to the product, I have to have this. It's like,
you know what, take it? So I have it. It's
on my desk. You got a Cowboys throw around. Wow,
it's engraved, you know, Coach Pen you know I love
(11:19):
It's like it's my my thing from that move. I
had a blast on that movie. I bet Jenny we
we just love how.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
I love these stories and how passionate Dennis is about
all this stuff. The other topic besides sports, besides Boss's sports,
the fact that you've a foundation right now that can
directly impact and help people that are just nearby our
studio here in LA. The wildfires are going on. It's
it's affecting a lot of people here in Los Angeles.
You've a foundation that supports firefighters nationwide. Tell us more
(11:48):
about that and how impertinent it can be today.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah. So I started the Larry Firefighters Foundation twenty five
years ago because my cousin, Jerry Lucy became a firefighter
and Worcester, mass which is where I'm from. UH and
another uh, one of our best friends from growing up
was also in the same department and six. So those
firefighters died in a fired downtown on Worcester and December third,
nineteen ninety nine. I started the foundation to help the
(12:13):
families of the six firefighters because there were seventeen kids
left behind. I have good friends in the FDNY who
went up to help dig out the bodies from that warehouse,
and when nine to eleven happened two years later, the
Wooster Fire Department was one of the first groups that
came down here. Anyways, body one of my best friends,
Terry Quinn from the fdn Y, who was the technical
(12:34):
advisor and rescue me. He said, you have to make
the foundation nationwide. So we went national and I just
want to say this the reason I have the foundation.
And twenty five years later, every year we get more
requests to help more departments because the funding has dissipated.
In the last twenty five years, we helped departments as
big as the FDNY down to local small departments, and
(12:56):
the problem is always the same. They're all getting their
budget cuts every year because they never go on strike.
So of course it makes sense for politicians and city
governments to say we're going to cut the fire fire
fighting budget because they won't leave work, They'll still go
to work. I like to wait till after these big
tragic events are over before people start blaming and pointing fingers.
I do know this about the LA Department. This is
(13:18):
a fact. They have been understaffed for ages. They have
vehicles sitting that can't be repaired because they don't have
enough money to hire them mechanics back to fix them.
As the wildfires have been growing over the last ten years,
that departments have been getting understaffed continuing every years. That's
a definite problem. We are very proud of the fact
that we take your money as it's donated every year,
(13:40):
within six months to a year, we have turned it
into literally vehicles, training facilities, equipment that the firefighters put
to work right away. And the other weird tie in
is on this show. Every year we have an event
called we Can Be Heroes just for one day here
in New York where citizens can pay. It's expensive, you
pay a lot of money, but you get to be
a firefighter for a day at the FDNY Training Academy
(14:02):
with FDNY firefighters and celebrities. And every year, because of
the team aspect of it, we've had NFL players, we've
had the commissioner come and get dressed up as a
firefighter for a day. Well, Curtis Martin, Michael Strahan, Harrison Smith,
I'm forgetting guys on, Nick Mangol, Tony Gonzalez. Tony's been
there multiple years. They come every year and these It's
(14:24):
interesting to watch NFL players do this because most of
them are still in shape. Curtis Martin can still and
they come and they're very overwhelmed by how difficult the
job is, but also by the firefighters, the men and
the women that are training them that day. Yes, because
it is teamwork. It's about teamwork. That's why we have
civilians donate and do it. But I guarantee you you
(14:46):
give us your money within six months to a year.
You actually see videos of departments across the country using
what we bought for them. That's an incredible pitch.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
You watch that, you want to immediately part of it.
Leary Firefighters, Dot Org, Dennis, you do it all firefighters
and now soldiers. You play an Army colonel. Right now
in a new series going Dutch, we have a c
right now.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
We're going to roll. It'd be very fun if we
rolled this clip.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
And it was just Jerry Jones and dancing. Let's go
run a new clip rom going Dutch on Fox.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
That would be odd.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
I wasn't expecting to meet Maggie's old man.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Thanks for hosting me on your bit. It's not hosting you.
You are not some Swedish au pair. I'm bringing in
to take care of the baby. Why are you on
my bit? He's here to visit me. He's my special
man friend.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
So it's casual or we headed in a certain direction.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Just for clarity, and how long has this been going on?
Three years? Three years? I raised you better than that.
You didn't raise me at all. You're right I didn't.
But some stepfather should have stepped in, thus the title,
and told you not to date manipulative liars. But no,
mother never got remarried, so you're blaming mom. I am.
It's your mother's fault. What is wrong with you? Know what?
(15:57):
I think we've been covered enough family trauma for today.
Talk about it. Then I have to say, listen, it's
a really funny show. We shot it in Ireland on
a real army base with you know, real Irish the
Irish Army soldiers. We're right next to us, but doing
real drills while we were pretending to be soldiers. But anyways,
(16:18):
the cast is great. The girl who plays my daughter,
Taylor Michie, she was on Dave on FX. She's hilarious.
Danny Pooty, who is my right hand man from Community,
he's great. There's this new kid called Hal Compston. He's
an Australian actor. He plays this fat, rebellious soldier that
I have to deal with. He's he's on but he's
like the second coming of John Candy. This really so.
(16:40):
Lacey Mosley who's she's become famous because of her podcast,
A Scam Get a Goddess Podcast. She's great. It's really funny.
It's the guy the creators, Joel Church Cooper who did
Brockmeyer with Hank speaking of sports. It's really funny. So yeah,
I hope people like it. It's so far people are
laughing at it, so we like it. I got to
(17:02):
mention also No Good Deed on Netflix are still running
No Good DNN me Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrou that's funny.
It's also very dark. And then this coming Christmas, I
have a Christmas comedy with Michelle Peiffer called Oh What
Fun and Christmas twenty twenty six. Is Ice age six?
Another one? Yes, another one. We're doing it, We're doing
it well. Yes? Is it true you're going to the
(17:23):
View after this? Are you going down the streets? Now?
I'm going to the View and I'm going to be
on there with Dion Sanders and we're just gonna We're
just gonna talk about how the Cowboys are never going
to win on their Super Bowl. Listen, you should be
fired up about going Dutch.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Watching on Fox new episodes There Thanks Thursday nights nine
to thirty on Fox, Streaming on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
This is Dennis. I can't believe I got to be
on the show. Everybody come back whatever.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
The Season with Peter Schrager is a production of the
NFL and partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Peter Schrager
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