06-20-24 Hour 1 of Broncos Country Tonight

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to it. Broncos Country atTonight, Benjamin Albright, Gret smith Man,

(00:04):
the Myth the Mustache back there himself, producing Hall of Famer Steve at
Water in studios. All right,all right, what are you up to
man? You know, braving thisweather here looks like it's about to monsoon.
Yeah, I thought I thought Iwas gonna get caught in it,
but uh, we made it,made it. You might have to stay,
you might have shelter in place herein the building for a while.
And I'm not kidding. Some stuffacross the terrain there, boy who Yeah.

(00:27):
One of the things I'm thankful for, Like because when I when I
usually when I park at the endof the daybody cleared out of the parking
lot, so I get the upfrontrock Star parking so I don't have to
like run far if there's elements outthere. So that's always it's always a
huge plus. Well, somebody musthave been parking this space closer to the
building, because I got that.Yeah, you got the one to the
right. There was somebody. Yeah, there was like a motorcycle in there.

(00:47):
Somebody's bike was in there, andI'm like, I'm sorry for them
driving this I'm about to go movemy car under the under the awning dawning
that's for the other company in thebuilding, and we get you out at
the parking. Yeah, they're allgone by now. Yeah that's what Yeah,
kee kidding the emo don't park inthe front. I park at the
front every day. Sorry, JojiTurnbos like kind of come running over here
and like write me up for thisright now. You know he's not here
now any anyways either. Yeah,so maybe he's not listen. Na he

(01:12):
hates a schnumskin. Five six sixnine zero is text line. You guys
wanna get involved the conversation. Bigbig day today in Broncos news. David
Shaw out of Stanford. Your yourdaughter went to Stanford, correct, Yeah,
daughter graduated from there and she wasa big football fan. But he

(01:32):
didn't have a lot of success.But you know, I always say coach
is only part of the problem,only one part of the solution. Rather
there Yeah, uh, if youdon't have players, you had the best
coach in the world. Yeah,well fair, And that's that's sort of
the thing. I mean. Ifyou look at uh Stanford during the the
first couple of years of the Shawyou know, tenure pretty good. It

(01:55):
just kind of fell off as recruitingchanged and it was I think it's tough
for some of the smarter schools,the Vanderbilts, the the Stanfords, it's
gonna be even tougher for them inthe NIL era because the draw used to
be, well, you you mightnot be getting the bag like you getting
over here at the SEC school underthe table. Yeah, but you know
where's the school you get a degree, you get to education. Now now

(02:17):
that's even you know, so it'sit might be even tougher for uh,
for schools like that that still isthat still can be sad, though,
can it. I mean, wellyeah I can. But I think that
there's I mean, with the transferportal that everybody chasing money these days,
it just doesn't feel like that they'regonna be the recipients of people out of
that, and they're going to haveto recruit for your players who want to

(02:38):
come and get a degree. AndI worry that the academic institutions like that
are going to go the way ofthe service academies, where you know,
you've got to be committed to whateverit is that they're and that's just the
way it's going to be and you'rehoping for a bowl game probably and that's
that's probably the best you're gonna do. So that means it's gonna be tough,
real tough. O. You getthat right? Coach and players?
Yeah, I mean know the fansthat in alumni those schools they love good

(03:02):
football as well, you know,or for them to have to go through
that, I hate that, butthat may be the trade. I think
it's I guess better for those schoolsare good. To be honest with you,
I mean, Vanderbilt was decent.I mean there were a couple of
years here or there there were decentat football down in the SEC, and
I always thought it was better,you know, when they were when they
were better. You look at Stanfordlast Stampad beats you last year, came

(03:23):
came from behind Colorado last year.So I can't talk too much on you
know, on that kind of stuff. But anyway, yeah, yeah,
David Shaw bring him in here andthey kind of give him a title that
you know, makes you raise aneyebrow a little bit because you know,
it's not really clear what it ishe's going to be doing right off the
bat, and and the title seemsto be suggestive that maybe he's taken a

(03:45):
little bit off of the plate ofGeorge Peyton. What exactly that is would
of course remain to be seen.I like having David Shaw the mind uh
here inside the building. I thinkyou know, he's a good football mode.
Of course, he's worked pretty obviouslywas Sean Payton. They were on
the same coaching staff back in theday. So he's he's now a part

(04:06):
of the front office as the seniorpersonnel executive, with the roles and responsibilities
of that job are yet remained tobe seen. Yeah, uh, it'll
be interesting to see how they utilizethem. But I think he was a
great coach and apparently the front officeof the ownership thinks that he could have

(04:29):
a good eye for talent as well. And I'm sure that he and he
and George Peyton worked together really well. Yeah, he was part of the
NFL network crew. He did acouple of studio shows last year, so
getting a little media experience, Iguess. So after after his tenure there
at Stanford, so he was interviewedfor head coach here. He was on
that he was one of the interviewstaff. So it's not like that people

(04:49):
aren't familiar, you know, andall that kind of stuff. It'll be
interesting to see how that working relationshipworks, but it should be it should
be good. Obviously, he andSean Payton have worked together before five six
sixty nine zero. The text linesomething we're gonna talk about a little bit
later with Ryan Michael when he comeson. Is Nick Ferguson, who's out

(05:11):
this week and I believe next weekas well. Put out a tweet highlighting
Marlon Briscoe, the first African Americanquarterback in the a f L was Denver
Bronco and did that with the DenverBroncos. Was a Bronco for you know,
for a season. You know.The crazy thing part about that,
like my entire career when I playedthere, I didn't know that. You

(05:31):
didn't know the entire time it was. It wasn't until I returned back to
Denver and began working with organization thatthat that information was. I guess revealed
to me that my eyes, youknow, saw it. I never I
never knew that. But man,what what? What? What? A

(05:51):
an outstanding what an outstanding man?You know, years ago, when you
know all the odds were against him, he was able to be hey,
the first starting black quarterback in theNFL. When they when they drafted him
and they got him into something likethe I think it was like the fourteenth
round. I have to go backto look. Yeah, it was that

(06:12):
back when the draft had like anabsurd number of rounds and in fourteen is
kind of a funny number, bythe way, we'll get I'll get back
to that a second. But whenthey drafted him, they drafted him to
convert him to the corner, whichis what he was doing. He was
the third string quarterback, essentially thecorner. The starting quarterback for the for
the Broncos got hurt and that wasSteve Tenzi had a broke collar bone,
and then Joe DeVito came in.It was not good, and so Louse

(06:35):
Saban summoned Brisco from the sidelines inthe fourth quarter against the Patriots. His
first pass was the twenty two yardcompletion, the next drive with eighty yards
for a touchdown, and the restwas history. Well, I mean you
can kind of look at that andsay, well, we have three quarterbacks
on our roster now, and whoeverthat third guy is, Hey, don't
don't don't don't panic. You knowyou may have a chance. You could

(06:58):
could have then right now that Iguess that would be like you know,
like that could be yeah, itcould be anything. Interestingly, at playing
at quarterback, Briscoe was twenty sevenand eleven as a starter with three conference
titles. That's back in that's backin college, twenty seven eleven. Because
you know, he played at OmahaUniversity, which was then University of Nebraska
Omaha five ten and seventy seven pounds. I didn't think he was big enough

(07:21):
to play the position. Oh yeah, literally, it's literally my size.
Come on, but you go,yeah, that's all to you again,
five ten and even here he's tallto one point seven eight meters is five
foot ten? Why is this okay? This is one point? This is
one point? It over here.Yeah, I'm looking at now, I'm
look at the Wikipedia says five andI'm looking at his pro football that is

(07:43):
uh draft combine thing. So Iguess I don't know he grew or he
got listed high or whatever. Anywayhe was drafted. He was my size,
all right, roughly my size,yeah, but I mean he was
just a you know, a phenomenalathlete. Broke a lot of uh but
back in the day, did theyhave those standards for quarterbacks the way that
a lot of teams still have nowa little bit different because you went through

(08:05):
a phase where you had sort ofbecause quarterbacks. You know, you want
the guys that could run back inthe day, you know, and then
you know, back when you wererunning option football and all that kind of
stuff, you want a quarterback coulddo that and hand off and all those
kinds of things, run sweeper playsand all that. And then you know,
as the passing era sort of cameon, then you wanted these big,
tall guys and these rocking arms,you know, and all that kind
of stuff, and it's kind ofpivoted back. Now you look at the

(08:26):
quarterback archetype these days, and MarkJackson isn't a tall guy with a you
know, those muscular you know,Joe Flacco, that that body type has
died out. You know, we'relooking at we're looking at nimbler guys who
can pick up a little the yardswith their legs. They don't have to
be the world's fastest track athlete,but you got to be able to pick
up some yardies with your legs aswell. And stress of defense, yeah,
I mean, I mean I thinksome teams and some offenses do still

(08:48):
look for that prototypical quarterback that youknow, six' four, six'
five guy that you know, canthey taken seal with a line of scrimmage
and has a right full of anarm and has you know a little bit
of mobility. But I don't thinkthey have to be as mobiles like Lamar
Jackson. But so some offenses stillrequire that. Well, yeah, I

(09:11):
mean you know there are there aresome offenses look for that. Interestingly,
Greg Roman, who's the offensive coordinatorof the now of the Los Angeles Chargers
under Harrball, previously with the Ravensunder the other Harball and with Lamar Jackson,
has kind of been the guy whohas really helped a lot of those
quarterbacks with the athletic type quarterback withthat kind of stuff. Now you've got
Justin Herbert was a little bit morepical. It's going to be interesting to

(09:35):
see that marriage. Interest I thinkworks going back to to Brisco still holds
the Denver Broncos rookie record for touchdownpasses fourteen fourteen can get in there,
phonics can get in there. Hehas shot breaking. Yeah, that is
still the rookie record for passing touchdown. Ah, that record stood this long.

(09:58):
Yeah. I think a lot ofthat is because the Broncos haven't necessarily
had a rookie quarterback very often,and that rookie wasn't starting the entire season.
Look at Cutler, he didn't startthe entire season. You look at
the you know, Drew lock didn'tcome until what five games left in the
season. I think it was whatabout it? I mean John, I'm
sure John had fourteen? I youdon't know, did he come on?

(10:20):
I have to I would actually haveto look at up. I have no
idea how many how many touchdown passeshe had his rookie season, which is
a trivia thing I should probably know, but that that seems like something that
seems like something everybody should know,But I guess I don't. John fourteen
intercessions? Are you serious? It'sseven eighteen the next year? But yeah,

(10:41):
he struggled that first year. Lookat that, you know, I
mean I knew he struggled. Ididn't know was that bad he? Uh?
Did you have how many rushing touchdownsthe heather year to only one?
Interesting? Well? Anyway, Yeah, it's a it is a number that
has stood the test of time ashe is fourteen passing touchdowns as a rookie
year, So there's a market boNicks if he were to grab the starting

(11:01):
job could potentially shatter. Yeah,yeah, one hundred per I mean that
if we don't get at least fourteentouchdowns, something wrong, something wrong touchdowns.
First, if he's started a wholeyear, he's only starting like part
of the year, that might besomething that's a little bit different, you
know. Yeah, that's a Imean, like h and I'm you know

(11:22):
Jay, because Jay Cutler only startedwhat five games? He had nine touchdowns?
He only started five games? Uhthat year because it remember Plumber was
the was the guy that they beforethey pulled him for yeah, uh for
for Cutler and then Drew Locke.I'm trying to remember. I don't remember
how many he had. He didn'tplay. He didn't play. He played
like the last three games or whateverit was, last four games in his

(11:43):
rookie years, five game, excuseme, and he had seven touchdowns in
five games and three picks. AlthoughPeyton wasn't here, he had twenty six
his rookie year. He was anIndy. Yeah, so yeah, but
I'm just saying like the Broncos,they haven't had very many rookie quarterbacks.
First of all John Elway for along long time. And then you had
you brought in Plumber, you hadGreasy Furment day, he brought in Plumber.

(12:05):
Uh. Teba wasn't a rookie whenhe was starting, and I'm not
sure he threw that many anyway hiscareer. They're all in that one year.
And then you had that, youhad uh uh Peyton Manning come on
for for a number of years.I'm trying to that Brock wasn't a rookie.
Brock Oswather wasn't a rookie when youknow that that season, and then

(12:26):
you had uh with Paxton who didn'tdidn't play that much. Yes, Trevor's
I guess Trevor sent me into thatcount. Trevorsymber he was he wasn't.
It was rookie year. Wasn't herewas Yeah, he was here. It
was a rookie year. He was. That was a koobie guy. I
guess there's no I guess his rookieyear was twenty fifteen where he didn't do
anything, and then twenty sixteen wasthe year that he started. Because he

(12:48):
had. Uh, he had likeeighteen touchdowns that year. I think,
okay, sixteen eighteen touchdownswhere, andI have to go back and look.
Uh Briscoe, he's gotten the record. Marlin Briscoe still holds the record for
rookie passing touchdowns at fourteen guy draftedin the fourteenth round, fourteen to passing
touchdowns. Wow. So just oneof those interesting little little number of things
there, you know, I thinkas well. The Madden trailer came out

(13:11):
today. I know this is somethingthat fascinates you, Steve, but these
days are still does do you stillplay that? Oh? Yeah, I
still play. I'm still that guy. Yeah, forty three year old guys
still plays video games. I don'teven care. I don't care. I
clearly admit to everyone. They hadthe trailer, you know. Yeah,

(13:33):
and the opening play is the Pittsburghkick return team, in which Justin Fields
come on. Is vector taking handinga kickoff and handing it off the Cornell
passon go in the other directions CornellPatterson. But still is that? Yeah,
Hey, I wouldn't. I wouldn't. You can't wuit it past anybody.

(13:54):
I'm just you know, I'm justsaying it's and they are they do
plan on using him for that,for the throwbacks across the field, all
that kind of stuff. Word Now, it's funny because you know, Dave
and I were talking about this duringto break. Dave's talks to people up
there, and he he and Ihave been hearing some different things. I
heard He's been staking justin Field's beenstaking it up at quarterback up there.
Dave Hurt a little different. Sowe'll see. Was the guy, oh

(14:18):
is the guy to start? ButI mean, you know, Field's only
been there a couple of weeks.They haven't gone to training camp put the
pads on yet. We'll see.But's I mean, the knock on him
at Chicago was always he was slowreading the field and the inaccurate with the
passes, and that hadn't really changed. We'll see, you know, how
he grows uh into this offense.Five sixty six nine zeros of TEXTA.
And we did get a question Stevethat I wanted to ask you from the
six four six question for the legendnumber Tweve, what quarterbacks did you hate

(14:43):
playing against Joe Montana Joe, Well, yeah, I mean, but we
didn't play them that often. Butwhy do you we did just harving you
up. No, no, no. The primary reason was my rookie year.
We'll faid them in the Super Bowl, and they got the best of
us a little bit. They gotthe best of it. They s caught

(15:03):
us up a little bit, alittle bit, And you know, I
think that's deep down in my memoryand it hurts. It still hurts when
I think about it, because likeand then he was with the Chase Yes,
and they had a nice comeback gameagainst us. I mean it wasn't
nice for us, but it wasnice for him. And uh, man,

(15:26):
we had the perfect coverage call.We were doubling the guy. We
we had the cornerback was supposed tobe taking the outside away and man,
he let him get outside. Manturning to Ed Lover for a minute,
So come on, so he can'tdo that. Man, you know what
your strength is now you got helpon his side. I remember that it
was, uh because I lived toKansas City when Montana came to Kansas City

(15:48):
and it was such a huge dealthere. There's a town in Kansas called
Montana, Kansas that they renamed JoeMontana Kansas. Uh, just begin it.
Yeah, it's know it was likesuch a huge It was such a
huge deal when when he came.Of course it was only like the two
seasons and it was at the endof the career. It was quite the
same, but still it was sucha huge deal. That was whould you

(16:10):
love playing against? Playing against thereany quarterback You're like, oh, man,
we got that circle, bring me, bring me Jeff Hosteler. Not
really, not really, not really, man, because my focus was,
yeah, I had to make sureI was good in my past coverage,
but I wanted to make sure thatI, you know, support to run.
I was, so I was lookingat the running backs. O this

(16:33):
big boy there, Yeah, beready to take my Oh my goodness,
yeah, I that was. Andwe're getting a lot of text in here.
Is kind of funny that always suckedhis rookie year, all that kind
of stuff. Yeah, yeah,I'd forgotten it was that bad. Like
I knew it what good, butI forgot it was that bad his rookie
year. But I think that playeda part in him becoming great. As

(16:56):
I say, don't you think though, that that puts something on the show
because you look at the career andyou're like, oh my god, where
is this bad for this one yearand then this great you know later on.
There have been a lot of quarterbackslike that. You know, in
the first year wasn't the greatest,but hey, they stuck with them,
and you're our future. You know, we're not We're not quitting on you.
And you know, and I thinkthose are the two big yet to
protect. Those are the two Ithink biggest things to circle this thing back

(17:19):
to the botics conversation, the twothings that you need to have. You've
got to be able to protect yourquarterback and allow him to be able to
see the field and throw the ball. And you've got to have a belief
in him that you're going to stickwith him through the ups and downs until
he gets to his his pinnacle.You know, we've seen quarterback anything.

(17:40):
The football landscape and graveyard is litteredwith the bones of quarterbacks that were given
up on whether they could have beengreat or not. The Kyle Bowlers and
the JP Lossman's, the Joey Harrington's. You know, we can go on
and on with all that kind ofstuff. Well, here's where the dilemma
with that is, though, Ithink, is when you have other teammates
who is more practicing against them andtraining camp, and they kind of have

(18:03):
a feel for who they know isthe best quarterback and just say, you
know, in training camp it's JaredStidham or or Zach Wilson who's playing better.
Those guys will know that. Andthen if you still say, Okay,
we're gonna, we're gonna, we'regonna go with them, We're gonna
stick to stick with them, We'regonna start with We're gonna stick with them

(18:23):
through thick and thin, I think, uh, I think you lose some
of the some of the respect fromfrom some of the players, even though
they know, hey, long term, this is good for us. But
it's like, hey man, lookmy career is short too. I need
to win right now. I'm comingup on a contract. I'm sure to
get paid. And I say,you're grow this dude. Yeah well well
I mean yeah that that too,but more so, just you know,

(18:45):
it's another year. And you know, you you only have so many years
in the NFL. If you playedten years in the league, you're extremely
lucky. You know, most guys, you know, three four years,
so two point five is the averagethey want to make them. Somebody drafted,
Yeah, the average draft. Youundraft is even less than that.
So yeah, five six six ninezero is the text line the Legend Hall
of Famer Steve Atwater in studio imaginementAll Brian for Grant Smith, Broncos Country

(19:07):
and not to be back after this. Hey, hey, five six six
nine zero is the text line.Got a lot of interesting texts coming in
and get to some of that herein a minute. By the way,
Steve Brian says that the the Broncoswent one in three in games that you
and Joe Montana were on the samefield. The win came on my birthday

(19:30):
in nineteen ninety three, December twelfth. I was agin birthday present because if
you're right, we didn't know eachother. Yeah, but you knew,
we know you would know me oneday and I'm always going to have this
forbid. You pointed up to thestands you saw young just turned thirteen year
old Benjamin all Bright. This one'sfor you, even though I was living
in Kansas City at the time rootingfor the cheese. That's messed up.

(19:51):
I'm just saying, I'm sorry.We knew that you were going to make
the change, you know, haveyou fully made to change that? It
didn't look good on me. Haveyou fully made to change? They what
change from the Chiefs? Yeah,okay, I just grew up like Bill
Kenny's daughter was my first girlfriend.Okay. Some people say they had their
teams. Man, it's not evena team thing for me. I love

(20:11):
football, I love the game.I understand, but as a fan I
root for the Broncos. I don'tdo that. I'll wear another Mess jersey.
Sorry, I just don't. Whywhy why I don't wear another Mess
jersey's got my name on the back. Come on, man, you not
like that, are you? Yeah, it's not it's not a it's not

(20:32):
it's not even that kind of thing. It has nothing to do with that.
And I could be able, dude, or there's nothing to do with
that. Yeah, I'm just saying, but does it. Miss? I'll
get some Broncos logo where I guessit's been giving me by the team that
I'll wear. So there's that.Bought anything. I never purchased anything.
You never brought you never bought anythingthat has the Broncos name on their body,
thing that Chiefs name on either anyteam. Yes, I don't buy

(20:56):
it, buy it. I workedfor him, you know, when I
worked for when the the aa Fwas around, of the Birmingham Iron,
like I have some I have someBirmingham Iron stuff I still wear back when
the Alliance American Football was around.Was literally the only team I have that
I have purchased would be razorback stuff. Okay, so and it's one shirt

(21:18):
is one white long sleeve shirt withthe razorback logo right here, like where
the Broncos logo is on your thingright there. Yeah, that's literally it.
Okay, I just know I lovethe game, but I don't.
I'm weird. I don't. Youdon't associate with anything you don't affiliate with
the team. I root for teamslike I root for the Broncos. You
know, almost every game I'm rootingfor the Broncos. It makes it.
I want to see the Broncos sixteen. I want to cover a winning football

(21:41):
team. But if they had tosay, they had to know you how
to say, there are three teamsin the league right now? No,
no, no, that I rootfor. What's the one team you're a
fan of that there is one?I love the game. I'm rooting for
the Broncos to win because I yeah, you you hate your bad Go ahead,
imagine anything. I mean, II'll tell you, I'll be straight
up with you. There's three teamsin the league I root for a consistent

(22:03):
basis. Well three now it's herein Denver. Was the Arizona Cardinals and
the Kansaty Chiefs and the Washington Commanders. No way, what the heck they
come from. Because I have tohave friends that are on both coaching staff,
like I'm rooting for them, notyou know, like John Gannon's on
you know, and you know Danand coach Pagano and all those guys that
are in Washington now, like theseare friends. So like, yeah,

(22:23):
so I root for them. Okay, if I got you know, if
I got friends on staff, yeah, then I root for you know,
I root for friends, and whenthey're a long run of staff, you
don't root for the team pretty much. Yeah damn. I mean like I
was like, you know, okay, here's one Kansas City. Philly played
in the Super Bowl. Mm hmm. I was rooting for Philadelphia defense.
That's cool. Blood is just saying, you know, with cheese fan,

(22:45):
how do you I mean, Iat one point in your life, I
got the introt here's here's something foryou and this will put you in an
awkward spot. I became a fanof football when you were a koy A
hit. I watched that thing liveI lived in Kansas City. That's what
crystallized my love of football, rightlike that moment in time. I've said
it on the story. I've saidit on the show before. We've got

(23:06):
the audio here somewhere. I've saidit on the show before. In fact,
I even geeked out about it fora minute there. I told you
I was never gonna do this infront of you, but do it anyway.
I that was Now I get tosit here and do radio with Steve
Atwater who made me fall in lovewith the game of football. Grant,
have you ever did it for Iactually have heard it, because you know

(23:29):
you made me fall in love withfootball like that. It's not about a
team or anything like that. LikeI hated you in that moment when that
happened, when I was like,oh no, our crystal running back.
No. But like ass, youknow, as time goes on, you
start to get in a pretty yougrow up, you get an appreciation for
the game and all that kind ofstuff, and that there's players that stand
out, uh and things like that. Yeah, I identified with the cheese

(23:49):
because I lived in Kansas City fora long time. But when I moved
to Arkansas, I mean the kindof evaporated by the time I got to
high school. When I was inyou know, an Arkansas, everybody was
a Dallas Cowboy fan down it andnow I wasn't really a Dallas fan but
Ebody. Yeah, Jerry, youknow you know how this right, but
you don't you know, it's withJerry, you know. So it's it's
like, I don't I don't identifywith it. I've never identified with a

(24:10):
team. I love the game andpeople look at me like I'm insane when
I say that. But it's thesame thing with other sports too. You
know. I kind of grew upa Pacers fan because I like Reggie Millard.
He's built like me, you know, Scrownie's hell and you know,
could shoot. No, he wasn't. He's skinny, He's Scroney's he's skinny.
Right, I'm not saying I'm notsaying the same HAPs that we're skinny,

(24:33):
like we're skinny shooters. Like anyway, Okay, I see what you
do, is you guys trying toget me. He's trying to. I
mean, I'm just trying. Likethe larger points I never identified. There
was not a real basket. Waslike, that's my team, you know
in basketball, that's my team andanything like you like Lebron like that,
Right, I'm not big. Imean I appreciate his greatness, but I'm
not you know, I'm not likea big like Lebron like that. Lebron

(24:55):
Fans followed him everywhere he went.But do you like him when he comes
to play against the Nuggies? No, then I read against him. There
we go. Yeah, I meanthere's some players of the Jason Williams,
the point guard, loved watching himplay. Yeah, you know, like
chocolate, Yeah, he's had thatflower. Yeah, there's guys that I
just appreciate. I mean, youappreciate the greatness of a Kobe. Even
if I wasn't a huge Kobe fan. I was a Derek Fisher fan because

(25:15):
he was you know, Arkansas littlerock, you know, on a you
know, I went to his basketballcamp growing up. But no, I
mean even now, like we talkedabout this with with soccer and Grant's watching
Argentina versus cand up there, Ican see it on our screen. I
there's I don't have a soccer team, but there's this coach who coaches for
Urona uh in the you know,in La Liga or whatever, and he's

(25:36):
like his mind blowing genius. AndI don't want to get into all that
right now. But what does hedo that you like he throws something?
No, he does his tactics areway different than anybody. And most people
look for symmetry and balance. They'retrying to cover the whole field. This
dude doesn't care. He's covered halfthe field over here, slinging the ball
over here, like just it's justinnovative. And I love people that think
outside the box like that. Andso for me, I guess I'll follow

(25:59):
that guy around as long as he'swherever he's coaching. I'll be a fan
of whatever team he's coaching. Andmaybe that makes me odd or different,
but that's as By the way,we got the text line saying I have
commitment issues, but we already knewthat. We already knew that, so
I just you know, they don'teven comrade, all right now, we're
not doing that to me. That'scomrade Edwards. You're not staying there with
that one, all right, Likegout off the text line here real quick.

(26:22):
But that's that's just how us.I never identified with the team.
Did you have a team growing up? You know what? I was a
Steelers fan. Oh are you okay? Until the dad got drafted and then
you became Broncos fan. No,no, no, I'm bleeding. So
it's funny you just mentioned that.My my mom and her husband, her
husband, Paul, Paul, you'vemet them before. Paul is a huge
Steelers fan. Grow a Steelers fan. There, military family, moved around.
Hugh's just always been a Steelers fan. Yeah, so I surprised got

(26:45):
them tickets for Broncos. Uh,Steelers, no way. So they're gonn
Yeah, they're gonna go out,real good seats and all. Like I
say, it'd be a lot offun. So there'd be a lot of
fun. When they get they'll bewearing his black and gold. Probably we'll
we'll make him wear a trash bagover it while he's here until he gets
into the stadium that he could dowhat he wants, and then afterwards a
trash bag again. Yes, that'swhere that jersey blows right. You know.
He didn't want to take any toomuch heat from the from the Broncos

(27:08):
Broncos. I don't know, butlet'scheck it on the heat with the traffic,
the squat Dave O'Brien and see what'sgoing on. Welcome to it,
Broncos Country at tonight, Benjamin Albright, Gret smith Man, the Myth the
Mustache back there himself, producing Hallof Famers. Steve at Water in studios.
It's a bullet ti Thursday. Imissed bullet time thursdays. Man,
how long has it been so wehad a live show. It feels like
forever. What'd you say, BULLETIwhat is this? Got a bullet tie

(27:30):
below time Thursday? Steve Okay,I see yeah, bullet time. Yeah,
doesn't feel like big big Philip Riversson, Philip Rivers used to wear
to bulletizer. Well the reason youknow why he started that? So coach
Bugano came in here and told usthe story behind that. He was like,
whoever it was was the head coachat the time, mandated next everybody
had to wear ties. He didn'tsay nextie, he just said ties,

(27:52):
and so Phil Rivers started playing thebullet tizer. All right, Coaches like,
all right, you know what Imessed up. That's my bad.
You get to wear it so thatthat's how that goes. But yeah,
Grant's got the bulletize on every Thursday, bouletime Thursday, and it does feel
like forever since we've had a liveshow. Well, you were out of
town for a while too. Yeah, I was north of the border,
are you. Uh? He madea run to Canada, Canadian Canadia?
I don't know, uh what partycant are you on? About an hour

(28:15):
outside of Ottawa, Okay, alittle town called Westport, Okay. It's
a blast, gonna nod my headlike I've heard. And the weather nowa
Damy's up there is amazing perfect upthere right now too. Oh al for
Williams. I think he's up therein Canada right now? No way,
yeah, I think so, isn'the? Well, no idea if I
call him and if his phone givesme that out of the country, oh

(28:36):
the message or whatever when it rings. Yeah, make a lot of calls
to people out of the country.No, but I've done it a few
times and it's different. Then.Yeah, you get to the thing what
I was down to believe it didthat for a while. Yeah, it
just give me the weird They justsays, you got global coverage, but
it's got like a weird ring.Yeah, yeah, and then you got
a super static connection. Uh fivesix six times zero's text line the SEP

(28:56):
one nine wants to know if you, uh, if you hit harder than
Randy gratshar No, And Randy he'sthe nicest guy on earth. And right
now I'm I'm I'm bigger than himwhen like we stand against each other,
but I'm sure when I become hisage, I won't be. But he

(29:22):
was a beast man. Well,I mean, those numbers are just eye
popping. I have the good fortuneseeing Randy Grats show play or anything like
that, and the only thing I'veever seen, you know, highlights and
stuff like that. But my goodness, those numbers are just absurd. Man.
Any any linebacker that brings it theway that he brings it, you
got a tough son of gun todo that. Yeah, and you know
he did it in one of thetimes in times where I would say the

(29:48):
protection wasn't nearly what it was whenI played with the helbins and pads and
all that. Do you everybody havelike the punter help the one bar puncher,
No, no, no, whois it that you who was the
last guy to do that? Therewas one guy was it was it Tom
Tupa. It was the guy thatwas one bar helmet like way into the

(30:10):
late nineties, early two thousand,So there was one guy left that was
still wearing that was I think itwas. I think it was a punter
that was doing I think it wasTom Tupa. Yeah, yeah, I'm
not one hundred percent on that.It will be too bad. I see
that. I'm like, who's he'sstill wearing? Did they still make those?
Yeah? They still? I meanhis grandfather in so he got the
you know, because they updated allthe helmet stuff. Uh, there's a

(30:30):
waiver though. Yeah, probably notgot all your teeth. You can't blame
you can't blame us. We're notpaying for it. That's the main thing.
We're not paying for it. Wegot Yeah, we got so many
text message here they're hating on mefor not picking a team here. I'm
not going to read any of thosebecause I forget you guys. Uh,
he's a Broncos fan. Bryan wantsto know if I'll be rooting for Dallas
when Dion Sanders is the head coachin twenty twenty five at that, man,

(30:52):
I don't believe pro coach. Andhonestly, if Dallas Dallas does go
new coach, I think he'll beBill Belichick. I really do. Really,
Yeah, he's he fallow parcel everywhereelse? Why not Dallas? Okay,
just saying I think he still wantsto coach. I think he wants
one more go at it. Ithink he wants to prove he can win
one without Tom Brady. Dang,how does do belotic? No? Seventy
one? His girlfriend's twenty four apparently, no way, the forard cheerleader.

(31:17):
You haven't seen all this like onthe No. If that's serious, it's
all over the he's twenty four yearsold, that's serious. No way.
Yeah I won't. I won't believethat until last Joe Belichick seventy two years
old. His girlfriend is twenty fouryears old. Yeah. Jordan had an
infamous picture of him with his shirtoff during the Walk of Shame, was
supposedly from leaving her house. Thevideo on the ring camp. Yeap,

(31:38):
you seen this. He was houselike like six in the morning, creeping
down the steps and all that kindof stuff. Like I've been there,
you know. I was a salute. I'm like, you know what,
if they're happy, who I'm outto judge? You know what, if
they're happy, they're two consenting adults. If they're happy leaving like that,
I mean it's more than he's tryingto and he's trying to creep on out.

(32:01):
I mean, he's trying to getyou know, you never know.
The probably wanted to leave early beforethe neighbors because the neighbors didn't want the
neighbors to see him leave. Youknow, I understand that. But where
it was the shirt? That's thequestion, Steve. Where was this?
If he would have had a shirton, it ain't been no big det
Maybe he was hot, Yeah,maybe maybe he was worked up a sweat.

(32:22):
Maybe inside I can think him afew ways. I'm just saying it.
First six six zero is the Uh, that's nuts. Texts texting about
Belchick. Lord, we got RyanMichael coming up here and the next time
I'm going to talk about Marla Priscoe. We had a lot of Bronco stats
who want to get to as faras that kind of stuff goes, what's

(32:43):
the biggest thing you're looking forward to? Uh? When trading came, when
the Broncos come back. Oh man, Uh well, first off is going
to be on the quarterback, justlike everybody's gonna be on there, everybody,
everybody trying to see who's stacking thebest, the most number of solid
practices. I'm also gonna be anoffensive line man in that offensive line.

(33:05):
There's some changes, yeah, causeshe's no longer here. You know everybody
else's is there? We solid inall the other positions. Uh, but
that center position is going to behuge. So you didn't say what I
thought you were gonna say, whichis where my eyes are going to be?
Secondary? Secondary back? We knowjustin Simmons, No Kareem Jackson back
there anymore. You lost a lotof veteran leadership. Is PJ. Locke,

(33:28):
Brandon Jones, Cayden Stearns, acombination of that? What is that
gonna look like? Who's gonna bethe leader that emerges out of that secondar
I mean we already know Stan couldplay. You saw Jake quand McMillan and
the slot playing. Well, he'sgonna be the other corner over there.
I think there's questions in this andit's gonna be interesting. Is they sort
of phase more towards what Vance Josephlikes to do, which is a lot
more man and a lot more middlefield, you know, one high type stuff

(33:50):
rather than like the quarters match stuffthey'veen running last couple of years. I
think it's gonna be fascinating. It'sgonna be fascinating, and I think,
you know, some some some newstars are going to em I PJ.
Locke might be a household name.Yeah, PJ. You know. I
hope Caden Is is healthy so hecan compete as well. Uh, you
know Brandon Jones at the safety position. Uh. Another guy I've been mentioning,

(34:13):
Devine keith Man. I think hehas some skills and uh he's going
to have an opportunity to showcase thatthis year. Looking forward to it.
Steve, appreciate you coming in.As always, we gotta hit you,
We gotta hit a break. BroncosCountry to Night rolls up after this