Le'Veon Bell is Making a Colossal Mistake

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
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(00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All Yeah, it is
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You can follow robbing me on Twitter. I am at
Chris Underscore Bruce Art He is at Rob Parker f
S one and we've got some great guests for today.
We've got Tony Gonzalez, fourteen time Pro Bowl tight end

(01:08):
now in NFL analyst for Fox. He's going to join
us in about thirty minutes. Then the next hour we've
got Mark Schlaith can't wait to get to him as well,
another Fox NFL analysts. And in the final hour we've
got Clint Avril. Cliff Avril, the former linebacker with the
Seattle Seahawks, a critical member and key member of the

(01:32):
Legion of Boom super Bowl champion, and he joins us
to talk about Earl Thomas and the fall of the Seahawks. So, Rob,
it's a great show today. How you doing, I'm doing great.
Was glued to my TV set all day. You know,
Los Angeles. The baseball game started that Cub's Brewers game
started at ten a m LA time, so I had

(01:55):
breakfast with baseball, watch the entire game and Brewers Brewer's
second game in his close no it's five nothing Dodgers
in the eighth inning and against Colorado, so a historic day.
Dead mentioned that historic day in baseball has never happened
with two teams doing having to have that play that

(02:18):
extra game to decide the division title. So that was
pretty cool. But yes, I am ready to go. And
of course let's introduce our odd couple crew, Rob g
our producer as usual, Alex our engineer, Deb Carson, our anchor,
and as a sean over there, our intern and our

(02:39):
intern so we are in full effect, Chris on this Monday,
Big Monday, Monday Night football coming up, and of course
baseball playoffs. We got everything going, man, I can't wait
to get on. We've also got some breaking news. But
before we get to that, I want, in the spirit
of Rob Parker, I want to pronounce the Philadelphia Eagles

(02:59):
and the finding Super champ Super Bowl champions done. Stop
after after losing to the Titans twenty six, twenty three
to father two and two, they are done? How was
two and two and done? I'm trying to be like you.
You have declared the New England Patriots done? You have
who is that? Who is the other team you declared done? Uh?

(03:20):
The Minnesota Vikings. So, as I said, in the spirit
of Rod Parker, Chris bruce Hart really doesn't think they're done.
I give the Eagles a shot, but in the spirit
of Rod Parker, I'm declaring them dead two and two
and not dead done. They're They're just what they need
to be there. But one, two and one is different,
not that much of a difference. And and aren't the

(03:43):
Patriots two and two? Yeah, but they're not supposed to
be two and two? You kidding? The Patriots in Philadelphia, Philiadelphia,
they just because some Titans with Carson wentz. No, No,
they should have won that game. That was not a good,
good game. But I will say this, They're not winning
the Super Bowl. Are you sure? Yes? All right, I'll
put some of your beloved wings on it. Yes, they

(04:07):
are not winning. They might get to the NFC Championship game,
but they are not winning the Super Bowl. Okay, I
got you, So just write that down. But the breaking news,
and it is big. It is the talk that's been
one of the dominant storylines in the NFL all season
and really all offseason. Leaveon Bell has decided. He has

(04:30):
told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that he will return rob for
Week seven of the NFL season. He's going to join
the Steelers and report during Week seven. That's a bye
week for them, So it looks like he'll miss two games,
the games against the Falcons and the Bengals coming up,

(04:50):
and then he'll be back for their seventh game against
the Cleveland Browns on October twenty eighth. And I like it.
I like it. I'm glad to see him back. I
think they still do have time to salvage their season,
and so, uh, I think there are reasons for this
beyond UH football it's more about money, and he saw

(05:12):
how much money he was losing. But I'm glad to
see him back. I just I just have one thing
to say. One song that fits this totally is by
Men at Work, and Alex knows this song. It's a mistake.
And that's what I don't really go. That wasn't one

(05:33):
of their hits, wasn't. Yes, okay, just here a little
bit and this will just tell you about Levion Belt.
Maybe it's a little longer to get there. I thought
we get it, we get it. I thought it was
a mistake. But it's a mistake. And I don't understand
how could he bake again? This is uh Men at Work?

(05:57):
Just keep it that way. It's a mistake and been
that way. That's a mistake. You're singing it. No, there
you go, Here we go, let's hear it. No, it
ain't coming yet. It ain't cos it it's too far
away too next time I'll get that there. But um,
my point, though, Chris is he just saw Earl Thomas

(06:18):
get hurt coming back before after having a holdout, and
now he's coming back early before he really has to.
And you know what, it's a mistake. It's not a mistake.
It is. Here's why he recognizes that he is losing money. Finally,

(06:42):
I've never understood why giving up he's already lost three
million dollars. How can giving up three million dollars in
a sport like football where I mean heck, he could
return in week ten and play the last six games
and get hurt. No, but I'm just saying about that
big paid day. At least you would have gotten your
you know, now it's down to what eleven million that

(07:04):
you want to get. They don't even believe what you're saying.
I do. I do believe it. Me can't get hurt,
huld On. You can get hurt at any given moment.
That's six games, ten games, sixteen games, it doesn't matter.
He could get hurt in his first day of practice. No,
but Chris, that's the point of it is. You gotta

(07:25):
give up and be willing to give. Just what you're
talking about is the reason that the players have a
terrible CBA and they never get what they want because
they're not willing to sacrifice. The only way you get
a deal is to be willing to sit out and sacrifice.
That money means nothing if you're not satisfying with there's
no time. There will be a time to sit out,

(07:47):
and that's when there's a new collective. Right now, it's
not the time. Why because they can't change. Here's why.
It's no coincidence that a few days ago, Adam Schefter
reported that if the Steelers put their transition tag on Levon,
Remember everybody's acting like, Oh, he's gonna be a free
agent in the summer and he'll be able to get

(08:07):
this huge deal. We'll hold up. The Steelers could put
a transition tag. Look, according to the story that just
came out, when the Steelers were negotiating with Levion, they
told him, we are going to put the transition tag
on you next summer, so you're not gonna be as

(08:28):
free as you think. You'll be able to negotiate with
other teams, but the Steelers don't have the opportunity to
match team too much money. If the Steelers could match it,
if they want Chris and so here's no the transition tag.
Rib Listen, he would his transition tag number would be
one hundred and twenty percent of whatever he makes this year.

(08:52):
Every game he sits out, that number goes down to
the point. Whereas Schefter reported it could be down to
nine million dollars. He could have to play next year
for nine million dollars. Now he's coming back early, so
his transition number will be seventeen million. That's why he's back.
I'm not mad at him. Get your money, but that's

(09:13):
why he's back. He needs to gun back now. It
doesn't it doesn't make any sense of what you're saying,
is the fact that he never should have set out
at He never should have. No, I was saying he
shouldn't have sat out. I totally. He's given a cause
million dollars every game. You gotta fight in order. You
gotta give up something to get. They're not gonna give

(09:34):
it to you. They're not gonna pay you. Aaron Donald
didn't go to camp, got a big deal. Khalil macmudn't
go to camp, got a big deal. Situation is different.
He got it from another team the same. That might
be the case. Where after if he stood out, set
out and got traded somewhere else and they wouldn't like
the Bears and willing to give him a deal, he
couldn't get it right. We could get he could not.

(09:56):
He'd have to become a free agent, but he goes
Are the rules right? No, he cannot sign collected Bartin agreement.
I get that, but he could be stuff. No, they
could agree in principle, he can't sign, can't even negotiate.
They're not even supposed to be at the negotia. You
don't think that they negot Maybe they do it under
the table, But so what, you can't get it done.

(10:17):
I think it's a it's a mistake to come back early.
It doesn't make any sense. If you're coming back early,
you shouldn't have set out at all. What's the difference,
that's my point. What are you coming back that they
miss they misplayed. They didn't miss playing these agents in
the NFL. They know what's going on. They didn't misplay it.
They get so he's misplaying it now, but yes, misplay it? Then,

(10:37):
yes he misplayed it. He's missplaying it now by being chicken.
Because this is why the NFL wins all the time.
These guys aren't prepared to sit out and do what
they have to. That's all I'm saying. He could sit
out rob all he wants, but until they get a
new collective Bartin agreement, that's not up for a few years.
He can. They can't change the rules. Not what you're

(11:00):
you're missing My point, my only point is if you're
going to come back prior to everybody was on the
same page. You had to come back for week ten
in order to at least get his his UH for
the year to register correct. Okay, yeah, but he would
he would lose half of his salary for twenty eighteen.
That's okay with that. When you're when you're trying to

(11:22):
make a point and trying to to earn your keep,
you're gonna make that money up down the road. You
have to fight risk. He's making a mistake, and he's
a perfect reason on why he's making a mistake. No way,
he is doing the right He's giving up millions already,
and he what if he gets he comes came back

(11:45):
in week ten and got hurt in week twelve and
then you lost, then you gave up by that point
it might be six seven million dollars, but Chris, that
you could have used. He may come back and play poorly,
but but this huge deal for someone differences when you play.
When you come back now after week seven, there are
more opportunities for you to get hurt. If you wait

(12:08):
then he takes one. I understand that, but it's more opportunities.
And that's why if you wait till the game to
game ten or whatever, you still limit the enump. That's
all I'm saying. It doesn't make sense. I'm either in
the camp that you don't hold out, but you don't
hold out and then come back early. That death doesn't
make sense. It's the Eye couple. Chris Bruce or Rod Parker,

(12:29):
give us a call. This is a hot topic. Eight
seven seven ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven nine
nine six sixty three sixty nine. Rob, I'll say this.
I actually think he should come back this week. He's
clearly coming back on the bye week so that he
can have an extra week to prepare. But if you

(12:49):
need another week, come back now, start getting your money
and don't play next week. If you tell the Sillies
I'm not ready yet, they'll understand. Then come back, you know,
two weeks from now, but come back now and get
your money. Lavian, listen to me. I'm looking out for you, brother.
Don't listen to Chris Brust. Trust me, Rob. I'll put

(13:11):
millions in his pocket. You're taking it out anyway. He's
returning to football, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will
be with the Steelers. I'll explain that next. It's The
Eye Couple, Fox Sports Radio. Thanks for listening to The
Odd Couple podcast. Be sure to check us out live
every weekday from seven pm to ten pm Eastern four
to seven Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local

(13:35):
station for The Odd Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching f s R. It's The Eye Couple of
Chris Bruce Sorrd and Rob Parker. On a Metal Monday.
Every song coming in from the break will be heavy
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(13:55):
you by Discover Card. We treat you like you treat you,
and that's how you want to be treated Discover Card.
So Rob, are you have you come to your senses
over the break last few minutes to mall over and
marinade on what I said all yeah made and I

(14:16):
still think you're a sugar up. I don't get it,
You're crazy. What are you talking about? I'm about money, man,
get he's already given up three and a half million dollars.
You have to give to get man. Nothing of it
turns around. And that's the problems. That's the problem. That's
why people don't sacrifice. I'll tell you right now and
the number is eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox Chris.

(14:37):
People want to chime in right now. If the if
the NFL players ever, ever, ever, ever wanted to turn
around their fortunes and got their contracts guaranteed and and
made the owners do it, all they had to do
was stop cease one Super Bowl away, baseball players stop
the World Series, and it would totally turn around. But

(15:00):
they're too afraid. They don't get it. That's why baseball
players have lifetime health insurance, they have excellent pensions, they
have everything, everything that you would ever want. They have
the best union in this country. Chris is the baseball
Union because they stick together. They have money in the
ward chests to fight the owners and they and you

(15:21):
hear one voice. You never hear guys splinter and talk.
You know, oh I gotta come back or I'm welcome up.
Never there's one voice, and they know what they're doing.
If you need money to pay your bills, you go
to the union and they pay your bills until you know,
the work stopping is settled, and then you pay them back. Chris,
that's the only way you defeat the owners. And while

(15:42):
they know that these guys are all running scared and
can't miss a paycheck, they'll always have them under their thumb.
And that's the progree. I agree, and I think the
problem is not I mean, look, the Seahawks are Could
they give her have given her a time as money, yes?
Could stealers lay beyond bell money yes, and I wish

(16:02):
they would. I tend to side with the players in
these disputes because you're talking about you know, rich players
versus wealthy owners. However, the problem is with the collective
bargaining agreement, as you're saying. It's not just with the
teams who are always playing by the rules. But here's
the problem when every and I've seen it, I've covered
I think three NBA lockouts or strikes, and the players

(16:27):
always lose. Now, you're right, baseball has done well in
the past. I'd be interested to see going forward how
they do in labor disputes because you're talking, as I said,
about rich players versus wealthy owners. Owners who make money
elsewhere their money. Most of these owned all of them.

(16:47):
Their money came somewhere else, so they lose a few games.
They make their money on the appreciation of the teams anyway,
and so they can sit out a lot longer than
a player. And in football you're really strapped because the
average length of your career is only three years. So
I get it why I hate it, because I wish
the players will be able to stand strong. But I

(17:09):
get it why a guy might be saying, Man, I
got three years, don't kid, you make this money and
if I can't, I'm not getting as much as I want.
But heck, this is three years where I can make
a few millions. But if we get that, I hear you.
But but it's a mistake and that's why they're weak.
And until they understand that they have power, and if

(17:29):
they shut the NFL down, the owners will have to
come to the table. It's just that simple. Don't don't
buy into it that the owners don't care about losing
money or giving money back to the networks. And they're
they're in this for play money. They make big money
off the NFL they set and no, if they make
big money, they make money Dallas. But they got money

(17:51):
like you Molayers. You mentioned players. It's about the eating
to pay bills the union, which is true. You know
the players. After a while that money he starts running out.
You gotta pay your bills. Owners are never in that problem,
even if they're losing money from their team. They have
so much they're never worried about paying my bills because
there's a lockout or strike. No, but that's not that's

(18:12):
a tough road to hold. I pull for the players,
but I get the situation they're in, all right, eight seven,
seven ninety nine on Fox, Let's do it? Uh, Brandon
in Massachusetts, You're on the odd couple on Fox Sports Radio.
What's up? Hey, what's up? Guys. I'm kind of leaning
a little more towards Rob's side, and that hurts me

(18:35):
to say, because because oh, you're a Patriots fan. Hey,
I can't get that. But the reason why I kind
of agree with him is, um, the picture the Pittsburgh
steel is like, really, they look really bad right now,
and I feel like by the time he comes back
in week seven, you know this happened last year. He
was a rusty for the first couple of games, and
by that time, the season's going to be more than

(18:57):
half over, and I don't think they're gonna make the
playoffs and all that thing. All that was basically for
nothing because in my opinion, they're gonna move on from
him next year anyway. So yeah, that he's talking like,
I mean, you know, it's a different levion in this
story that Jeremy fowlerot he's talking about. He wants the
hope to resign with the Steelers and you know, hopefully

(19:20):
we can make you know, everything will bygones will be
bygones and all that I mean. So, like I said,
in my opinion, he recognized that if the Steelers transition
tag him, which they told him they would do according
to the reports, then he could be losing even more
man like he could go through this next year and

(19:41):
have to play for nine million dollars. You the NFL
system is so great. But he should fire his agent
if that, if that's the case, because then it's an
ill fated hold out that never if that's ever should
have held out but don't have the leverage in the NFL.
It's as simple as that. I disagree. I think that
if you're going to if you if you sat down

(20:01):
and decided you're gonna hold out. You should hold out
through to ten weeks. That's just the way. Otherwise you
don't hold out at all. It doesn't make sense to
come back that he should have come back. All right,
Let's go to at the beginning of the season. Let's
go to a Ben in Indianapolis. You want a yad
couple on Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Ben? Yeah, guys,
I'm really having trouble seeing your point here, rob Um.

(20:25):
The amount of money that he's lost, how long do
you think, let's say, let's take the highest running back
contract in the NFL. I'm not sure exactly what it is,
but he's already late Todd girl about fourteen. He just
signed for I think fourteen million a year, which blew
away it was it was like eight million before that. Right,

(20:47):
the Lebion Bell has held out for you know, the
amount of games that he's held out for and already
lost that difference. So he's pretty much gonna play a
year saying that he signs for fourteen million when he's
able to sign with whoever else, and he's gonna have
to play that four year to make what he would
have made this year. That's ridiculous, all right, thanks for

(21:10):
the call. All right? Nine on Fox is the phone number?
Is Levion Bell making a mistake by coming back three
weeks before he has to? Tony Gonzalez pro bowler will
settle the debate next. But first, let's get the damn
Carson for the latest in sports? You mean the because
was it Fritz Magic turned into a pumpkin? Is Alvin?

(21:32):
I guess halftime? Was the clock striking midnight yesterday? Evidently
that's another one. Chris no I said it when he
turns into a pumpkin, go to Jamis? Okay, but not
until Jamis didn't exactly look like Uhac Cadillac in there
he was a pumpkin. Two guys, This Wednesday's Discover Card

(21:54):
key matchup. The defending Stanley Cup Champs Capitals will open
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thirty Eastern. Become a new card member and Discover Card
will match all the cash back you've earned dollar for
dollar at the end of your first year. Learn more
at Discover dot com. Slash match limitations do apply. And finally, guys,
a big apology. In the NBA Celtics guard Kyrie Irving

(22:17):
speaking at a Forbes Conference today apologize for that headline
making statement last year when he declared to teammate then
teammate Anyway Richard Jefferson, that the Earth is flat. He
says he didn't realize the effect his comments would have.
He says he specially feels bad for all of the
science teachers who have come up to him over the
last year and said that they've had to explain and

(22:38):
re emphasize their curriculum. He says he feels really bad
about that. He says, yeah, he's big on conspiracy theories,
but he's learned that those are for intimate conversations. So
Daddy still believe that that was the one thing he
didn't clarify. He never came out and said it's actually round.
I get it. It was kind of a non apology apology.
I'm not quite sure. Has he ever seen the sad

(23:00):
of like pictures of Earth. I just don't even know
those fake the sllite pictures we've seen. Hey, and breaking
news by the way, the Dodgers have just clinched the NLS.
But yeah, I don't know if he's seen those. I'd
like to know if he thinks it's flat, why doesn't
he go to the edge and just take a picture. Here,
this is where it is. I just hope I never
get to that edge. I hope I'm not enjoying a

(23:20):
nice day, you know, on the boat, and I just
go over the edge. You finally decide, you know, I'm
gonna go to Australia and you're on a boat and go,
oh my god, how do you get there? Not this
way and death? That's six years in the road at
the Dodgers have won the NLS. That's right, Well, let's
let's see if this will be any different from those
previous five. There you go, so they will host the
Braves coming up this week in the NLDS. Yeah, all right, well,

(23:44):
deb thanks a lot. You bet. It's the Eye couple, Chris,
Bruce Sard and Rob Parking. We're coming to you live
from the Geico Fox Sports Radio studios. It's easy to
say fifteen percent or more on car insurance with geicode.
Go to gecode dot com or call eight hundred and
nine four seven a U t O. The only hard
part is figuring out which way is easier. Robbed. The

(24:07):
Steelers are reportedly, according to Adam Schefter, are still going
to listen to trade offers for Levion Bell. I would.
I would. I think that makes sense, really, I do,
well why because if they weren't, Because if they weren't,
way now he wants to play. If they weren't willing
to pay him, then why if if if I'm the Steelers,

(24:29):
then you might as well trade him. You didn't want
to pay him. The guy did nothing but produce while
he was there. Four hundred touches over the last two years.
I mean, the guys will work over last year, last
year four him to touches. Sorry, and and he's done nothing,
Chris but produce. So if you're not going to pay him,
then make a deal. Let him go somewhere else with
someone's willing to do it. Just the same way that

(24:51):
Khalil Mack that that the Raiders just didn't want to
pay him, no matter how good he was, they didn't
want to pay him. And you know what the bear said,
we'll pay him. And look what it airs are right
now in first place. Sure that they won't pay him.
I'm not saying he's gonna play a long time with
the Steelers, but it'll be interesting. Again looking at his
comments where he's saying he hopes to finish his career

(25:13):
in Pittsburgh and wants to talk with his teammates before
he gets back, so you know he can smooth over
any any hard feelings. I wouldn't be surprised if they
work this out. But hey, you know you gotta listen.
And the reports say they'll be lucky to get like
a third round pick, and they're asking for a second
round Picky Church, Let's let's jump in. We got one.

(25:34):
Let's jump get a quick call here. Okay, how about
John and Detroit. You're on the odd couple on Fox
Sports Radio. What's up John? What's going on? Fellas? Hey? John,
are you listening to the w dfn AM eleven thirty
the fan? There you go? Very nice? John. Please tell
me you didn't just get a text from round be

(25:57):
on my side? No, no, no, But you know all
the talk of bad union, YadA, YadA, YadA, YadA YadA.
Here's a plan. If I'm the players, one of them
will have to come out and say we are going
to decertify the National Football Players Association and start over.

(26:18):
Point one being on the table, guaranteed contracts. Point two
a revamping of player discipline, and how about how about
lifecare lifetime healthcare, right, Yes, that's kind it has to be.
Those are guaranteed contracts and lifetime healthcare are what they
really Those are the two main things as far as

(26:40):
I'm concerned. And then getting rid of this franchise tag
because this thing is crazy, especially for running backs, when
they can tag you for the prime of your career
year after year after year. Let's get to Tony Gonzalez,
fourteen time Pro Bowl tight end now NFL analysts for Fox.
You can follow him at Tony Gonzalez eighty eight on

(27:02):
Twitter Tony, Welcome to the Eye a couple. How are
you doing, man, I'm doing well. How are you guys? Man?
Doing great? We're great. So what do you what do
you make of this? Leveyon Bell News that he's coming
back in week seven? Smart move, dumb move. Well, I
think after what happened with Earl Thomas, I'm sure you
guys been talking about it. That's that's the worst thing

(27:25):
that could happen for Earl. I mean, this is why
he was so frustrated. He's flipping off the sideline because
his worst nightmare just came true. I Mean he was like, hey,
I'm gonna be the nice guy. I'm gonna come back.
I'm gonna try and do it the right way and
hopefully they'll pay me. They didn't pay him, and then
he gets hurt and now and who knows what happens.
We don't know the severity of that injury. Hopefully he'll

(27:46):
be back, but certainly there's no team out there. It's
going to sign him to a long term deal. And
now he's gonna come into another one year prove it
type deal. Let us see that you're really healthy. And
this is what it is, and this is what levinon
Bell is doing. This is why he hasn't come in.
I applauded I be on for doing this. It's something
I've been franchise before, back in the day. And I
came in. My general manager, called pre decent at the time,

(28:08):
said I held out, I missed all the camp I
came in, I did the right thing. I didn't get hurt,
and then they signed me to a long term deal.
But before that, I said, well, I want to be
paid like a tight end. I mean I want to
be paid like a wide receiver. I'm putting a wide
receiver numbers and he said no, you're gonna be paid
like a tight end because that's how they slot they
slought in the NFL. And he said, if you don't,
if you don't sign this deal, fine with me. I'm

(28:29):
gonna franchise you again next year, and I'll franchise you
again after that. It doesn't matter. And this is why
that franchise tag. I heard you speaking, right, it's got
to go. It's the stupidest rule in all of business.
I don't care about football. It's just a dumb rule,
right and play. I just I still can't believe that
the union would agree to that and allow them to
do what they've done. But there we go. So Chris

(28:50):
Tony agrees with me, So I just want you to
do No, I didn't. I didn't hear him say he said.
He said, he applauded what lave I'm Bell's doing. He
understands it because weeks. But but I don't understand Tony.
My only issue is, if you're gonna do the holdout,
why are you Why are you cutting a short coming

(29:11):
back before the ten weeks when you have to come
back to get credit for the season. That's the only
part I don't understand. As if he didn't understand what
he was doing, what he decided to hold out in
the first place. That's what I don't understand. I don't
understand that either. That's where you got to ask him,
because I would like, why don't you just wait till
the ten weeks from the play I don't respect Maybe
he maybe he's saying, hey, well, what if we have

(29:33):
a chance to go the playoffs, you know, or if
I am there, I gotta work with you guys. And
these guys on the team are looking at me sideways,
not all the team, but some of the guys on
the team, because you're not gonna satisfy everybody. Uh and
and it's like, hey, I am here. At least I'm
showing a little bit of good faith and hopefully we
can make it for here. Let's go win. Let's go
win some games. I guess that's the only thing I
can think of Tony. I think he recognized there's been

(29:56):
reports that the Steelers could transition tagging at next se
and he even said in this story that came out
today ESPN dot Com that the Steelers told him they
would transition tag him next summer, and so the more
he sat out, the lower you know that transition tag
is based off of the money you made in the

(30:17):
previous year, so that money, that transition number would get
lower and lower and lower every time every week he
sat out. So personally, I think he came back because
he saw he was losing money and potentially going to
lose even more money in the future. Let me ask
you this, because we're talking about you mentioned it, how
bad the franchise tag is. What do you think it

(30:40):
would do? The players have the resolve and is it
even realistic in a sport like football or the average
guy on the plays for three years for guys to
sit out and maybe lose a season or most of
a season to get a new CBA I the realistic,
I don't know, because I'll tell you what. There is

(31:02):
a shift going on with the mentality of the NFL
football player. I think they're taking back their power. They're
realizing the power that they have. And you're seeing something
that I never saw when I was younger. You're seeing
guys resigned to three years in the case of Julio
Jones or yeah, he was resigning ahead of his scheduled contract,

(31:23):
and he's saying, well, if you don't pay me like like,
I think I should be paid like one of the
best receivers in the league. I know when I signed
that contract last time, I know I got three years
left on my deal, but I just won't show up.
And that's fine, that's all there is to it. Where
before players were afraid to do that. So there is
a shift going on, and that's that's something that I'm
happy because, like I said, I didn't have that in

(31:45):
me to do it. I was scared. I was I
didn't want to rock the boat. I didn't want to
lose out on money. I didn't. But these guys nowadays, man,
it's a different mentality. And so if they're ever gonna
do it, they should do it now because that rule
needs to go. It's a it's a silly, silly rule
that's unlike any other business out there. But this ain't
just football sports. They don't do this in the NFL, NBA,
they don't do it in the NHL. They don't do

(32:07):
this in corporate America. You fulfill your contract and so
you're in the and the owners get to say you
don't get to go. It's it's it hurts because I've
had it happened to me. It's just not a good
rule because it hurts you from going out there and
getting what you true true should get. You should go
get paid and it's time to cash in, and they
stop you from it. No doubt. It is the odd Couple.
On Fox Sports Radio, Tony Gonzalez is our guest fourteen

(32:29):
time Pro Bowl tight end NFL on Fox Analyst. Help
me with what Frank Wright did with the culture yesterday? Uh? Tony? Uh?
You know, I know people don't like ties and don't
want to play for ties, but you go for it
on fourth down in your own territory to set up
a game when you feel goal to lose the game.

(32:50):
Does that make any sense? Yeah? You know, it depends
on your personality. What type of guy or person are you?
Then if if you're if you're gambling and you know you,
do you double down or do you play it safe?
It just just depends on what type of mentality a
mentality you got. For me, I'm throwing, um, let's go,

(33:13):
I'm all in, especially in that situation. I don't want
to tie you all in on your side of the field.
I just don't I get it if you on the
other side. But really like if you don't get it.
They have a shot to kick a game when he
feel goal. I mean, you're writing and it didn't work.
That's what's let some people go broken. I think that's

(33:35):
a fireball offense. Man. I'm what, Oh, come on, man,
he's come on. Every player on the team loved it.
You got Andrew Luck who by the way, beware, he's
coming back to that elite form. He's on his way. Uh.
And he's looking good. He's having a very good season.
He played very well yesterday. And so yeah, I think
you go ahead and let's let's let's see what we

(33:55):
can do here. It's early in the season. Uh. And
if he makes it, you know, Mike, how about coach
Rabel down there in Tennessee. He went four on fourth down,
paid off, you know. So So I think there's always
two sides to that coin. I know from the player
the gunslinger mentality that I'm they're going forward the fearless approach.
I'm going for it and and I would do it
again just like Frank Reichley. He said I'll do it

(34:17):
ten out of ten times. I'm going for it because
we're gonna go win the game. Ki suck. Nobody wants
to tie. I want to win the game, Tony is
Tampa Bay doing the right thing. Going back to Jameis
Winston right now, Yeah, I think so we all know
what what fitz Patrick fitz Magic is. He Fitzmagic and
then there's Fitzpatrick. Fitzmagic was was amazing. I mean, he

(34:40):
did something that has never been done in NFL history.
He had three games in a row over four hundred yards.
Not Peyton Manning, not Tom Brady, not Drew Brees, and
nobody's ever done that, but Fitzmagic did. I compared it
to He's like a microwave. He heat it up. But
the time is gonna go off and the time I
went off, And I think it's time for the future

(35:00):
of the franchise, which Jameis Winston. Uh, he's gonna be
the guy there long term. We know if fits man
and this is totally like he's been throughout his career. Uh,
he just streaks through coming for the basketball players. Yeah, yeah,
well you know. And and the other thing is Jamis
Winston's twenty four. Like you said, you don't people can't
give up on them yet. You already know what Fitzpatrick is.

(35:23):
And the other part is if you don't. If you're
playing a thirty five year old journeyman over a twenty
four year old who you drafted, you might as well
release him if you don't think he could play. Yeah,
I agree, I agree, And Jamison has been getting better
every year. So you do think star potential jamis Yeah,
I think he does too. I like him a lot.

(35:44):
I think he's gonna be all right once he figures
gets his life together outside of the football field, he's
gonna be a good quarterback in this league for a
long time. All right, Tony Gonzalez words of wisdom, Thanks
for joining the Eye. A couple of Tony appreciate it,
all right, thanks thanks for having me. Guys all right,
in less than three hours, they cost themselves a chance

(36:04):
at a championship. We'll explain that next. It's the odd
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(36:48):
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Call or click Today it's The Odd Couple Chris brus

(37:10):
Sard and Rob Parker. And you know car shopping Rob
can be confusing. There's terms like dealer, price list, price invoice. Well,
True Car gives you what you really need to know,
what did other people pay for the car that you want.
That way you can recognize a good price from a
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(37:30):
used car, visit True Car to enjoy a more confident
car buying experience. And Rob, I know you are just
in heaven, all sorts of heaven today with all this baseball.
I mean, this is a great week. If you like baseball,
And what a day. I mean the Cubs one hundred
and sixty two games came down to one, and for

(37:53):
them it wasn't a good one. No it was not.
It was I mean it was a good game, three
to one, typical National League game. But the Brewers are
a good team and Lorenzo came got the go ahead
knocked in the go ahead run, Yellow Chead went three
for four for the Brewers. They have a good He's
gonna be the MVP, it looks like it. He finished.

(38:14):
Chris Shy one home run in one RBI away from
winning the Triple crowd right one most time I believe
since nineteen thirty seven. Yeah, anyone would have done it
in the National League. Unbelievable. But the Cubs had an
opportunity to have home field, you know, throughout the playoffs,

(38:36):
and they were at home today. This was a big
game for them. Instead, their whole season can go up
and smoke tomorrow. It's it's really that quick. And now
they played the Colorado Rockies, who lost to the Dodgers
five to two, and Chris there's a big difference between
the two of playing in the NLDS. Three out of
five and playing a wild card game. So yeah, the

(39:00):
Cubs are to me missed the golden opportunity today. And uh,
I don't know. I picked him before the season started
to make it to the World Series. Oh no wonder,
no wonder for the soliloquy. Yeah, I'm sorry about that,
but that's where I am with them now. Well, and
I said it came down to one game, it really didn't.
I mean, they've been playing average baseball for a while now.

(39:23):
In September they were sixteen and thirteen, right, and Milwaukee's
gotten This is what happened. Can happen in baseball more
than any other sport. You get hot at the right time,
and they they were twenty and seven in September. They've
now won eighth straight. You mentioned Yellich, I mean they
they got it going on. And Kane of course had
some postseason experience, right, he won a World Series and

(39:46):
he was a he was he looked like he did
today when he got that clutch hit. So it's gonna
be interesting. But it's the I couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Stick with us. We got two more hours to go.
We're bringing it. Yes, we can get along, that's for sure.
It's Chris Brussard and Rod Parker the odd Couple, and

(40:06):
we're coming to you live as always from the Guy
Coo Fox Sports Radio Studios. Fifteen minutes could save you
fifteen percent or more on your car insurance. Visit guyco
dot com for a free rate quote. And you heard
it at the top. Dab Carson said that breaking news
is Levian Bell will return in week seven to the
Pittsburgh Steelers, and in his hold out, I think you

(40:31):
should come back now. Get paid if you need to
sit out two weeks to get ready to go ahead
and do it, but get paid while you do so.
But Rob, that's not the only thing going on in
the NFL. That's not the only drama, if you will,
or budding drama. How about Aaron Rodgers. They had a
nice win over the happless Buffalo Bills. Into the Buffalo

(40:52):
Bills tore up the Vikings, right, sure did, they sure did,
And Aaron Rodgers, though, was none too pleased. He took
the victory, but he wasn't happy with the offense. Here's
what he had to say. Well, we were terrible on offense.
I don't think it made a difference for the offense,
but that's what it was. It was as bad as
we played on offense with that many yards in long time,

(41:14):
but there was no flow to the game. We need
to find ways to get our playmakers and in position
to get some more opportunity. I mean, DeVante is a
tough cover for anybody, but he shared twenty targets today.
I really couldn't stop, you know. And then they dared
to play one high a few times. Um, So we

(41:35):
gotta find ways to get him involved and Jimmy as well.
Play selections that by reads What does that appens by
the plan? Oh uh, it's about the plan. M And
you know what, most of the time you would say,

(41:56):
keep it in house, Chris, don't say anything. Just take
the win and be quiet. Right what they went to
score twenty two nothing? Twenty two nothing? So most teams
would love to take a twenty two nothing game and
just move on to the next one. He's frustrated because
he knows he has some weapons and the game plan

(42:17):
is terrible. Chris, you watched Aaron Rodgers. I've watched Aaron Rodgers.
Sometimes I literally shake my head and go, what what
are they doing? They have like the one of the best,
greatest throwers of the football we've ever seen, and they
don't always utilize it, and I don't always get it.
So I think he's frustrated. We know that they made

(42:38):
changes last year. They got rid of the offensive coordinated
Chris did not talk to Aaron Rodgers, right right. They
also got rid of Jordy Nelson, one of his favorite receiver,
didn't talk to Aaron Rodgers. So a lot of that
stuff has happened. And I know this is about Mike McCarthy,
their coach. He's been there a long time, Chris. They
want a lot of divisions. They won a super Bowl.

(43:01):
They probably should have been the two more if things
played out right for them, right, they should have been
the three super Bowls that didn't happen. They went to one,
they won. Mike McCarthy's won a lot of games, and
the Packers are always in the mix. Have won a
lot of North NFC North Division titles, you know what
I'm saying. So it's hard to be like, well, he's
no good, get rid of them because they've had success,

(43:23):
but the offense isn't as good. And that's why I
think Aaron Rodgers just spelled it out for everybody. Yesterday.
It was terrible. No, I'm right there with you. I
think Aaron Rodgers is right on the money. I have
no problem with him saying this because you brought up
they didn't tell him when they decided to get rid
of Jordy Nelson. They didn't tell him when they were
releasing the offensive coordinator. Moving on, That tells you they

(43:46):
don't include him and players in the decision making process.
They're one of those franchises you know that players play.
We don't want to hear from it. And Rogers himself
even said that. I get when he after he said,
you heard him say, it's the plan, right, he said,
the coaches put the plan together. I tell them what

(44:08):
what I like and we and we go from there,
you know. Or I tell them what plays I like.
So he tells them what he likes, but they put
in the plan and obviously they're not listening to him.
I I read into that quote that he is telling
he has said what he said yesterday. Privately, he has

(44:31):
told Mike McCarthy, has told the offensive coordinator. He has
told them, look, this is what you know I want
to do. I think we need you know, DeVante, nobody
can guard him let's get him out there. Let's get
the ball to Jimmy Graham. They're not listening. So and
I like that he did it after whin. He probably
was waiting for a win. It you do this after

(44:54):
a loss, now it is this huge story. Right now,
you do it after win, everybody's still positive and they
can take it a lot better. But he's right on
the money, because you know, the Packers philosophy is for
the most part, I always been you know, just developed
from the draft, and finally the last few years they've

(45:15):
gone out and gotten him some talent, right, And I
think he's saying, look, we got talent now, like we
can really, you know, do some things offensively. Yesterday said
they should have had six hundred yards, right and forty five.
That's how bad the Bills were. Absolutely they didn't do
all the stuff that they could have. And Chris, you know,
being in Detroit follows years with me. I saw Aaron

(45:38):
Rodgers up close two games a year. I covered the
Lions almost every game for twenty years, you know, so
I've seen him play a lot and I'm telling you,
they have been games against the Lions where afterwards I
just shook my head. But like, what's what was the
game plan? Like, I just didn't I didn't get it,
like they would win, but it wasn't as convincing that

(45:58):
it just should have been, or the game plan didn't
make sense where you're running the ball a lot when
you have this great quarterback and you're not giving him
an opportunity to make plays. It was just very, very weird.
You've got quarterbacks who can't throw the ball half as
well as Rogers putting up more yardage right, going down
field a lot, more more touchdowns. Give him a chance.

(46:24):
I mean, this is you and I both said. I mean,
you can't call him to go because he only has
one Super Bowl, but he may be the best quarterback
we've ever seen. The skill set, right, yeah, And and
I just you're right. I mean their games should be
they should be throwing the ball all over the yard

(46:45):
because he can do it even you know, on the
gimpie knee. He's a gamer. And I like what he said.
I'm glad he said it. And hopefully, uh they will
take heed and make some change. I mean it, we'll
see if they can do that. But I like the
fact that he came out like that. No doubt about
it and you know, I mean they have the Central

(47:06):
Division is up for grabs, right, Oh yeah, no question
Minnesota's they thought they were and the Packers now are
what two one and one on right, so they only
have one loss there right there. So so they were
in a good position and he knows they can play better,
and he also knows which is which is smart. Okay,

(47:28):
we won today, but we didn't do what we're supposed to.
And you have to be able to get these guys
to understand that, and the coaching staff there's much more
in us and we gotta play better. You gotta play
better if we want to do it. So I applaud
Aaron Rodgers. I don't think it was mean spirit or
spirited or he came out and was like, hey, Mike McCarthy,

(47:52):
he's a terrible play caller, do you know what I mean?
That that wasn't what he did, and it could have
and he could have been that. He was very You
could see though he wanted to send a message. He
knew beforehand where he was going. There's no doubt about
I mean, you just watch his face. He was very calculated.
He was very calm. Uh. And again the fact that

(48:14):
they won certainly helped, and I think he knew what
he was doing. Look Today's INNFL and Aaron Rodgers knows
it better than you and I rob Today's in NFL.
I mean, you got guys putting up video game numbers,
and none of them are better than him. I Patrick McCombs,
Drew Brees, they're great. You know, we'll see what my

(48:35):
homes becomes. But um, Drew Brees. None of them as
good as Rogers, and they should be. And he's got
some pretty decent receivers. Now. Yeah, but uh, I liked
what he did, and um, I've got no problem whatsoever
where I think it was good leadership. I think the

(48:55):
guys in that locker room know what he was saying.
Seven seven, Sorry about that, Chris. Uh. If you want
to chime in, Aaron Rodgers, you like what he did,
don't like what he did? Is he too arrogant cocky
to even, you know, talk about the game plan and
complain after they win a twenty two nothing game at
home and they were in first place in the Central

(49:16):
right now the second place the Bears are three and
one and they're two. I mean the North that used
to be the Central. I'm sorry sorry. The NFC North. Ye, so,
so they're right in the mix. They're right there. And
the fact that some players have earned the right to
be critical of the coaching staff or the organization and
others haven't. He's one that has. There's no if samsa

(49:41):
butts about it. He has the right, especially when there
are a lot of people that feel like they are
wasting or had been had been wasting his prime. They
should have more than one super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers
as a starter for ten years. Yeah, I mean, if
he's that the reason they're in the hunt is because

(50:01):
of him every year, no doubt about that. Good they
will give him now, make the play cars, give him
some help. He gave him some help. Make the play
cars now. Nope, I agree with you, and hopefully Mike
McCarthy and offensive staff will will get the message. I
think they will. I think that he has talked to
them in the past, and I think he was just

(50:22):
wanted to air out a little dirty laundry and let
people know he's not satisfied with what they've done. The
Bills are a horrible team, and yes, twenty two nothing
from most people would be acceptable. What do you say
they should have had six hundred yards. That's how much. Yes,
I love that you feeling. If you're the Bills right now,
I know like school Aaron Rodgers right well, you know

(50:46):
you're speaking of airing it out. You know who doesn't
air it out either? Who's that Big Blue in New York?
Even though they have oh down Beckham, Big Blue rob
is in big trouble and much of the blame falls
on the shoulder of one man. I'll tell you about
it next ridiculous. Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast.

(51:06):
Be sure to check us out live every weekday from
seven pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The
Odd Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream
us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching
f s R. Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast.

(51:29):
f s R. See I Cup of Chris Brussard and

(51:51):
Rob Parker and Rob car shopping can be very confusing.
There's terms like dealer, price list, price invoice, give me
something then I can relate to. Well, True Car does that.
They show you what other people paid for the car
that you want. That way you can recognize what's a
good price and what's a bad price. When you're ready

(52:12):
to buy a new or used car. Visit True Car
to enjoy a more confident car buying experience. And Rob,
you're a native New Yorker. I mean, both football teams
are just about out of it. Can we say that
both the Jets and the Giants will not make the
playoffs this year? I don't know if you can say
it for sure, but it's close. It's very close. And

(52:36):
especially you know, the Jets have a rookie quarterback. They
won what five or six games last year, so nobody
was really expecting them. Yeah, but the Giants are different.
They used the excuse of last year's three and thirteen
Chris was about the injuries, right O. B J was out,
he got hurt, and a lot of guys got hurt,
and they just say, hey, let's just draft us running

(52:59):
back and eat Io bounce back and we'll have our
receivers back, and we'll be right back in the mix
in the in the NFC East, Right, That's what everybody thought.
And here are the Giants one and three and struggling offensively.
You got you got a great receiver in Odell Beckham
Junior who has Chris as many touchdowns as me. And

(53:19):
you have any NFL zero zero how is that? And
you got a good you know, say Kwon Barkley, even
though I'm with you, they should not have drafted him.
They should have went with what he's been fine. Sam
Darnol would have been my pick. Yeah, he's been good.
He's you know, four and a half yards to carry,
but sixty five yards again, I mean, he's not lighting

(53:40):
the world on fire. He's fine, right, And he's been
catching the ball out of the backfield, right, that's one
of the things he does well, right, And that's where
Eli likes to throw it these days. Eli loves the
little short passes. And that's the problem. They don't go deep.
You got one of the best receivers in the league,
arguably the best, and you can't. He's averaging like ten

(54:02):
yards a catch. This is ridiculous, and they they just
look I like Eli. You like Eli and quarterback. He's
going to make the Hall of Fame. Okay, probably probably not, No, Chris,
it's not. Probably he's going to just he is not
as beloved and respected outside of New York as he is.

(54:25):
Let me just give you his resume real quick. Super bowls,
not just two super Bowls. He beat Tom Brady twice. Brady,
according to somebody I know, Brady's just lucky, not that good.
But he beat Brady twice, and he beat the eighteen
and old Patriots, right, and he won both MVPs. He
wasn't like they had a great defense and he just
happened to be on the team and they won. He

(54:47):
made two huge throws, one of the MVP and each.
He's going to be a Hall of Famer. Very few
guys can win two super Bowls. He has been clutched.
He has. That's that's the thing about Eli's He is clutched.
But you and I both have been journalists in New
York and we know the city, and in New York
everything is magnified. If you do something well there, it

(55:10):
becomes tremendous. Something bad there it becomes horrific. They're calling
Isaiah Thomas the worst gem in basketball history. No, he wasn't.
He was just bad in New York and everything got overblown.
And I think New Yorkers that has led them to think,
now again, I'm fine with Elisa Hall of Famer because

(55:32):
two great super Bowls. I mean, like you said, be
Tom Brady twice. All that, I'm fine with it. But
in New York they put him on a higher pedestal
than he should be on because even in his super
Bowl years, Rob he was never like tearing it up
during the regular season. He was good, he was very

(55:54):
good some years, but it never was Peyton, he never
was Drew Brees, he never was. Aaron Rodger wasn't in
that class. But in New York they put him in
that class. And I think that blinded them to a
few things. One when they benched him, even though it
may have been premature, just because you didn't have a
good backup last year, they went crazy like they had

(56:15):
benched you know, Aaron Rodgers. And then this that kind
of led them, you know, to go ahead and say,
we're going with Eli again. We're gonna pass on the
best quarterback class in years because we're going with Eli.
And I think It was a huge, huge mistake because
they thought that Obj and say Quon Barkley, We're going

(56:40):
to elongate Manning's career, right, It'll give him more weapons,
he'll be able to the offensive lot will protect them
and he'll be able to do more. And they really
looked at how poorly he played and basically thought it
was it wasn't Eli's fault. None of it was Eli's fault.

(57:01):
It was because the offensive line wasn't good and he
didn't have the playmakers. So they really brought into this
whole notion that you give them the playmakers and he's
good to go, you know what I mean. And it
just hasn't been the case. And I have, you know,
friends in New York who are big time Giants fans,
and they're sick, man, They're sick over the offense because
of exactly what you said. They don't throw the ball

(57:23):
downfield and it's thinking and duncan and that's all it is.
And they struggle, they struggle to score points. Well, you
know who else is sick? And to his credit, he's
held his tongue as far as crazy comments, but he's
starting to talk. Odell Beckham, Let's hear what he said,
It shouldn't be this hard, but it is. Glory was today,

(57:43):
so to say, you know, we gotta come out with
an energy like we're like we had last week. And
like I said, everybody's got to be hit. And this
is not one person doing this or this person. It's
gotta be everybody. It's a team sport. So we just
got to pull it together. Here's how hard it is, Rob.
The Giants have not scored thirty points in a game

(58:04):
in three years. That's amazing. Initially only player in the NFL,
right right, this is everybody scores points. Ridiculous. They just
they just played they I don't know who that was ridiculous.

(58:27):
They just played the New Orleans Saints. Rob. I think
our our our odd couple crew could put about seventeen
on the Saints, right, I mean Ryan Fitzpatrick granted before
he became the pumpkin him, Fitzpatrick was looking like a
Hall of Famer against the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta gave

(58:49):
him thirty seven and the Giants get eighteen at home?
Yeah at home, and it is just bad football on
the offensive end. Ain't look, it's not all on Eli Eli. Actually,

(59:10):
if you look at his numbers, they look good, seventy
four percent completion, about two hundred and sixty five yards
a game. His numbers look fine, but it's just that
number one. We have to just like the three point
line in basketball, we have to understand numbers are gonna
look a little different nowadays, right. I mean, two hundred

(59:32):
and sixty five yards a game now isn't what it
was five years ago. Because everybody's putting up video game numbers.
All numbers have been okay, but it's just they're all
these literally six yards a pass. You know, that's his
average per pass attempt. So you got you got weapons,
you gotta go throw the ball down fielding and open

(59:53):
things up. Even Eli's numbers, I think I would have
to check them out to see where they are on
the staff path for the indec and how many of
those yards seriously come after they're down by two touchdowns
with ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter, because
that's where guys add to their numbers and you go, well,
then they're really not that bad. But when the game
was really in flux, he doesn't produce, he doesn't get

(01:00:15):
those numbers. So that's why I always look at the numbers,
when did he get them? And was the game already
over by the time he started heating up? So elis
a mess. The Giants are a mess. And this is
they deserved all they got because they decided that they
got sentimental. They wanted to reward him again as if
they have to, wanted to give him another parade or two.

(01:00:36):
He already got his parades, he got his he got
all that look and since that last super Bowl they
won in twenty eleven, he's been to the playoffs one
time in six years. One time. I mean I get
last year you could say, well Beckham got hurt and
you know we didn't have this and we didn't have that.
Well what about the other five years? Absolutely, and that's

(01:00:58):
the reason why even last year when they decided to
break his streak and go to a rookie, you know,
go to another the backup quarterback that it told you
where they where they thought he was and where they
thought he was was not good right, And they looked again.
I'm not trying to defend him, but their offensive line

(01:01:18):
is it's horrible. It's bad. He's been sacked fifteen times.
You can talk about him holding the ball, but he's
been sacked fifteen times, that's fourth most in the league.
And he's not a mobile guy. You know, Russell Wilson's
been sacked more, but he's mobile, you know, he can
run around, and your line may not have to be
as good. Eli's not going anywhere. He's a statue back there,

(01:01:42):
you know. And so that combined with the line's inability
to hold off defensive interiors, it just makes it tough
for the Giants. But the fans are not gonna be
happy with another piss poor year, with another year. We're
halfway through, you know, the season, you're done, and they're

(01:02:07):
close to done now, No, they're they're very close. I
don't and and their schedule, I don't know what it
is in front don't have it in front of me.
But uh, you know in the NFC, in that division, yeah,
I mean you got Philly, you got the Radskins are
looking better with saying Cowboys year, Yeah, within the Cowboys
who seemed to be, you know, getting it together, it

(01:02:29):
makes discovered. You know what you said the Eagles were done?
Thought in the back did you say the Eagles were done?
I thought you said the Eagles That was just I
was the spirit of Rob. I was channeling Rob. You know,
since you like to pronounce teams done. Speaking of which,
are are you ready to take that back on New England? No,

(01:02:53):
I'm not. Miami didn't even show up for that game.
I'm not taking anything back. No, no, no, they showed up. No,
they didn't show up smacked the heck around. They just
got smacked down. They showed up with their chest out.
They didn't, they don't. They were all that look. Chris
showed up like they were the new kids on the block.

(01:03:20):
I think he had one hundred yards. That's all he had.
That defense was stepped. Please that that that chip Swiss
cheese defense in New England. That was embarrassing by by Miami. Embarrassing.
This is what they like to do. They like to get,
you know, start slow. We they were two in two
last year and where they end up the Super Bowl.
I'm just just letting you know, just just rack that, Alex,

(01:03:43):
so we can play that back. You got it. Well,
we would continue the NFL conversation with three times Super
Bowl champion Mark Schlarith next, but first they have Carson
for the latest. Well, guys, the Dodgers held off the
Ronkies five two to clinch their six straight NL West title.
The hero Walker Bueller solid pitch six and two thirds

(01:04:05):
scoreless innings, gave up just one hit, struck out three,
walk three, also hit an RBI single, and we've got
to of course, his skipper, Dave Roberts. I just can't
say about this enough about this young man, and it
was a big moment. He's had some big moments, but
obviously the biggest game of his career. For him to
step up like that and give us seven eights, it
was unbelievable. And there's a lot more big and he's
got out of that army. So the Dodgers will host

(01:04:27):
the Braves in their National League Division Series. That's Game
one Thursday at Chavez Ravine. Brewers beat the Cubs three
one to Clinton the NL Central Crown, so Milwaukee will
host the winner of Tuesday's wildcard game in the other NLDS.
Game one of the Division series is Thursday at Miller Park,
and that wildcard game will feature the Cubs hosting the
Rockies Tuesday, eight Eastern. Meanwhile, we'd all like to find

(01:04:51):
a fix for our golf game. Thankfully, you can find
a fix for your check engine lighted AutoZone. The free
AutoZone Fixed Fighter tool will find the likely issue, saving
you money down the road. Get in the zone Auto Zone.
Chiefs and Broncos in the field goal zone at the
moment they are not at three all six to go
in the first quarter. Disgruntled Steelers running back Levion Bell

(01:05:11):
plans to report to the team and sign his franchise
tender during Week seven, Pittsburgh's bye week, according to ESPN.
And finally guys. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told
a local radio station this morning regarding Earl Thomas flipping
off the Seahawks sideline after breaking his leg yesterday at Arizona. Quote,
give him a little slack. This is a very, very
difficult moment that most people would never understand. End. Quote

(01:05:35):
all right, dav thanks a lot. It is the I Couple,
Chris Bruce Ard and Roy Parker, and as always, we're
coming to you live from the Geico Fox Sports Radio studios.
It's easy to say fifteen percent of more in your
car insurance with Geico. Go to Geico dot com or
call eight hundred nine four seven auto. The only hard
part is figuring out which way is easier. We're glad

(01:05:58):
to be joined by our next guess. He's a box
NFL analysts, three time Super Bowl champion and host of
the Stinking Truth podcast, so you know he doesn't hold back.
It's Mark Slaith. Mark, how you doing, man? Welcome to
the Odd Couple. Man, it's great to be on with
you guys doing great. Thank you so much forres that's right,

(01:06:18):
our bud stink at FS one two. We love to
mix it up with you. And we even go back
to the old network, right, Yeah, absolutely, we've been together
for a long time now, doubt about it. Look, I
guess Mark, we have to start with Levian bell Is.
Do you think he's doing the right thing by coming
back early or should he have waited till week ten? Well,

(01:06:40):
I mean, you know, just because you come in earlier,
I mean I'm sure that he's gonna want to get
himself to a football shape. Doesn't mean he's gonna play
right off the bat. And you know, I totally understand
where these guys want to have some long term security.
We saw it with Earl Thomas yesterday. You know how
frustrated he's been without being able to get a long
term contract at twenty nine years old. And you know,

(01:07:02):
I had an interesting conversation with Pete Carroll on Saturday
just about that, and I thought he was very candid
with me about how, you know Earl Thomas. He's like,
he says to me, you know, first off, it's about
the relationship business, and you know, we have to work
through that. And obviously when he's away from the team,
it was hard to work through that. UM understand his frustration.

(01:07:23):
You know, we're trying to work on this together. But
the bottom line was he's Pete was saying that Earl
Thomas wants to be the best football player, the best
safety that's ever played the game, because how could you
not want to coach that guy? So you understand the
business aspect of it. I understand where the players come from.
I want all the players to get paid UM. But
you know, when you have leverage, and the league obviously

(01:07:45):
has the leverage UM they get, they gotta dictate. So
you know, for for Levon Bell, I totally, I totally
support what he's doing. It doesn't mean he has to
come in and play right away either. If he comes
in at week seven, he can take his time. Think
this is what bothered me most. I just couldn't believe
when other players were bashing Leveon Bell. Why would guys

(01:08:07):
do that to somebody who's trying to secure future for
his family and himself, and why would you talk about
somebody else's money. I'm just I was floored by that.
I was too, And you know, it's just disappointing. And
sometimes you know, karma's tough, you know. I mean, you
sit there and you bash a guy, and you guys

(01:08:28):
haven't played well, and here's a guy that's your teammate.
I don't care if he told you, hey man, I'm
coming back tomorrow, and then all the citizations it calls
and says, hey man, I'm working on a couple of
deals on the backside. Maybe just maybe don't do anything,
don't pick up your phone, just hang tipher a minute.
You just don't know the inner workings of what's going
on with a guy, what's going on with his asia,

(01:08:50):
what's going on with other teams, And the fact that
you would open your mouth, Yes, it just was like,
it is the most non offensive line thing I had
ever seen in twelve years of playing in the NFL
and eighteen years of covering it I'm embarrassed for him,
Like I am, I'm disgusted by him and I'm embarrassed
for him. Is that part of the problem in Pittsburgh?

(01:09:14):
I mean, despite not having lay beyond, they're still averaging
twenty five points a game. But it just seems like
their culture is running muck. I mean, what do you
see going on with them? You know, I'm with you.
I look at that and as Herm Edwards used to
always say, you know, he's coaching Arizona State now, But
as Herm Edwards always say, you're either coaching it or

(01:09:36):
you're allowing it to happen. And I think they allow
it to happen in Pittsburgh. They just allow it to
happen and and tell you, you know, I mean the
Instagram stuff and the you know. I mean, you've got
a guy like Antonio Brown who's it's always about passion,
you know, it's only about it only seems to always
be about passion. When Antonio Brown isn't getting the ball,

(01:09:57):
Like he gets the ball and they're winning, then everything
is hunky dory. You know, if he gets the ball
and they're losing, you never hear him complain at all.
But if he doesn't get the ball and they're winning,
he's gonna be you know, he's gonna be cussing up
a blue streak. If he doesn't get the ball and
they're losing, then he's gonna be angry at all as well.
So for him, it's not about win, it's about numbers.

(01:10:20):
And you know that kind of selfishness that permeates a
locker room. Um, that's you're you're just good enough to
like to me, that's one of the most that's one
of the most talented teams in the league the last
six years. And they do. You know, they're always gonna
win a lot of games, just not the ones that
really matter, you know, just not the playoff games. They're
you know, they'll do the same thing they've done every year.

(01:10:42):
You know, they'll they'll get into a game against New England,
they'll roll over and get pounded. So that's who they are. Hey, hey, Mark,
let me ask you about Frank Reich and the call
with the Colts on your side of the field when
you had a tie, time running out and he goals
for it on fourth down. I thought that was the

(01:11:02):
dumbest player I've ever seen by a head coach and
then he tries to double down, saying he would do
a ten out of ten times. And then of course
I think he walked that back today. But what's the
thinking there listening, man, I don't know. I wish I
could tell you. You know, maybe it's the whole Philadelphia,
you know, the Phillies Special and we're gonna, we're gonna,

(01:11:24):
you know, roll out on the edge. You know. It's
it's so interesting. More games in this league are lost
than won by decisions. Um, you know you you you
kick field goals, you tie games, you you you know,
those are the things that you do, and you give
yourself the best opportunity to win. Everybody wants to be aggressive,

(01:11:45):
you know. I always say opinions are easy. Decisions are hard. Um,
there's a lot of hard decisions that are made. You know,
I called the game yesterday that that I'm looking at
the third down decision for the Arizona Cardinals haven't won
the game, and it's a third down in six, and
you know, it's two minute warning and they're coming off

(01:12:06):
two minute warning and you just know they're going to
hand the ball off because Seattle has no time outs.
And I'm like, I know what they're gonna do. I
was talking to Dick Stockton in the break, but I'd
love to see them run a boot keep, give a
you know, give a you know, a receiver in the flat,
maybe a you know, an over route underneath, you know,
a shallow crossing route, and give your quarterback an option

(01:12:29):
one two, and I'm an option to run. And I
know you don't want to stop the clock with an
incomplete pass, but it was right on the edge of,
you know, of a long field goal and I end
up missing the field goal and end up losing the game.
And um, I understand the decision part of that. Those
those are hard decisions to make, but I think you
could give yourself the best chance, obviously to win games.

(01:12:49):
And for Frank Right, that just wasn't it. Mark. A
few weeks, a week or two ago, some people, some
people on this radio show, not yours truly, we're counting
out the New England Patriots saying that they're done. Um,
they're bad. I remember they getting Julian Edelman back, And

(01:13:11):
eventually we guess, Josh Gordon, are they you know, are
they still a force to be reckoned with an AFC? Sure,
because they're not. They're gonna win their division. There's nobody's
gonna beat them in their division. So they are automatically
win the division. They're in the playoffs. I will tell
you this. They were two and two last year they
went to the Super Bowl. Um, and here here's the
deal with them. You know, unlike a lot of Unlike

(01:13:35):
a lot of I guess there's only a few guys
that have ever done this. In my book, Um, and
I'm a fan of it. There's only a few guys
who's energizer, who tone setter, are receivers. I go back
to you know, I go back to Hines Wards setting
the tone for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense back in the day. Um,
I'll go back to Steve Smith, whether it was Carolina

(01:13:57):
or Baltimore, setting the tone for the offense. Julian Elman
is the one guy that gets in people's face, the
one guy that sets the tone. He sets the toughness
tone from a position that you just don't You rarely
ever see anybody set the toughness tone from. That's him.
He means so much to that offense. I mean so
much to that offense. So getting him back is going

(01:14:18):
to be huge. One thing about New England. They're never know. Defensively,
they're never really gonna be one of the top defenses.
The way they play it, they're just gonna be. They
don't care. They'll let your route move it around in
the twenties. They just want to be the top scoring defense.
That's what they do the best, and so like doing
will be fine, just because they're gonna they'll sweep their division.

(01:14:39):
I mean that they do every year. There's nobody within
that division that's gonna give them a tussle, So they'll
sweep that division. They'll win that division, and then you know,
they'll just continue to get better as a season goes.
I think the one thing about them more than any
other coaching staff, they do a better job developing players
during the course of the season. You watch a player
at the beginning in the year who is marginal. By

(01:15:02):
the end of the season, the guy's a legitimate NFL player.
They do it better than any coaching staff I've ever seen. Hey, Mark,
well up against it. We guy just about a minute left.
Tell me about Eli Manning and that dreadful New York
Giants offense? Is it not? Eli? Is it? The offensive line?
How come OBJ doesn't have any touchdowns in the four
games of the season. What's going on in New York? Well,

(01:15:25):
I mean, one, I think it's ridiculous to play pay
or receiving the kind of money they paid OBJ. I
think you build your team from the inside out. You
do that and you're gonna be pretty good. They've invested
in that offensive line, but they still have holes in
that offensive line, and especially with an old quarterback. You know,
when you've got a quarterback that's old that you know, frankly,

(01:15:47):
you get to a certain age, man, you don't want
to take those hits anymore. You don't want to stand
in the face of danger and take one to the lips.
I mean, that's not interesting to you anymore. So, you know,
that's how you build a football team. Their football team is,
you know, average. Maybe it's an insult to call, you know,
insult to average things, to call them average upfront, but

(01:16:07):
I think that's where it starts. I don't want to
say that. I don't want to say that Eliz Old.
But his office is in the cemetery. How's that? Yeah, Well,
thanks so much. He got a he got a drum room.
Very nice steak mark, Thank you, thank you very much.

(01:16:30):
For joining us. We'll see you in the studio. Man.
All right, sounds good. All I appreciate it. All right.
Next up is the hottest radio game showing the sources.
I don't want to play. I don't want to play radio. Oh.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern,

(01:16:53):
four pm Pacific. Oh. Yes, the eye couple of Chris
Brussard and Rob Parker. And it is time for sources
saying check, check check. Sources say these two have been
covering sports for nearly three decades, apiece. I will say this.
Let's put the big Jay journalists to the test. Its

(01:17:14):
sources say, yes, sir, sources say Fox Sports rad of
the Odd Couple, Chris bou Sorry, Rob Parker. We do
it every Monday at eight forty five pm Eastern, where
we put thirty years of journalism experience to the test
and see if these guys really do know the difference
between a real story and a fake story. Also known

(01:17:35):
as the chrisp We started invitational because he wins about
eighty five percent of the time. That's because he worked
at up at some fraudulent newspapers, so he knows his stuff. Yeah,
called the New York Times, the New York Times. Card
on me. I worked at the Daily News in New
York and Newsday in New York. How's that? I need
a cold shower? All right, guys, let's play the game here.

(01:17:58):
Story number one, My sources say that the NC double
A nixed an exhibition college hoops game between Kansas and
Missouri that would have donated proceeds to hurricane relief. Rob Parker,
my source is good, who nixed it? The NC double
A said, no, oh, that sounds like an NCAA move.

(01:18:20):
I'll say that's true. Yeah, it sounds so terrible that
I have to say true because yeah, it just it
sounds NC double A ish. Oh, because it's a fair
advantage through the other right, am I right? At something
like that makes too much sense? How dare we support

(01:18:40):
herricame victim? Story number two, My sources say that Norton
and Company, which published the first Moneyball book, will be
distributing an e book this winter on the twenty eighteen
Oakland A's called Moneyball two. Chris, and my source is good,
I'm say false. I'm gonna say false. As well. I

(01:19:05):
don't see that team in the same way as that
first money Ball. You sit on a throne of lies.
They get these guys, they've been practicing all right. Sources
say it was he It was a good try though,
because they made the playoffs. Money Ball, I got it.
I'm gonna get you. I'll get you. Fox Sports Radio
chrisp we saw Rob Parker, sources say. My sources say

(01:19:27):
that at this week's Under thirty Summit, Kyrie Irving actually
apologized for telling everyone that the world was flat Rob,
and my source is good, Uh, yes, that's true. What
was the summit under thirty? Okay? Yeah, true? Oh, I

(01:19:49):
was ridiculous anyway that he said it was flat. But
you know, he didn't apologize. He didn't say whether or
not he believes it's he said, you apologize for saying
he still believes. Yeah, I think still believe. He actually said,
even if you believe it, you shouldn't say it. Okay.
Story number four. My sources say that former Major leaguer

(01:20:09):
Esteban loo Isa was detained by Homeland Security after he
got drunk and tried to break into the cockpit of
an airplane to charge his phone during an international flight. Chris,
and my source is good. I'm gonna say you sit
on the bed of a throne of lies. False. I'm

(01:20:30):
gonna say true. Ah, I knew that was false. Why
did I sue? Why did I do that? It is
a true story, but it wasn't him. Oh, it's a
true story. We got to have time for two more.
Is the game over? Listen to you, Chris. My sources
say that a former Comerica Park employee, home of the

(01:20:50):
Detroit Tigers, is facing four years in jail for spitting
in customers pizza before serving him. Rob him. My source
is good. That's true. That's called extra sauce. Oh oh wow,
our standards are getting lower. Um, I'm gonna say that
that is true. Oh that guy is sick, man. He

(01:21:14):
should he should be put behind bars. He was spitting
on pizza. Feel sick. That's terrible, And that is sources say,
Kris gets the wine. That's don't worry, Rob, You're always
invited back. That's exactly what it was. Defense. It's the
odd couple. Fox Sports Radio. We are the Eye couple.

(01:21:36):
I'm Chris Brusard. That is my partner Rob Parker, And
as always, we're coming to you live from the Guy
Coode Fox Sports Radio Studios. Fifteen minutes could save you
fifteen percent or more in your car insurance. Visit guecode
dot com for a free rate quote and you can
follow us on Twitter. Rob is at at Rob Parker
FS One, I am at at Chris Underscore, Bruce Hard

(01:21:59):
and Rob. We had breaking news just before the show
began two hours ago that Leavion Bell will end his
hold out and report to the Philip Pittsburgh Steelers in
week seven, So that is a week they'll have a
buy so we'll have two weeks to really get himself
together and ready to play NFL football again. And look, personally,

(01:22:24):
I think it comes down to money. I think you know,
he's already lost about three and a half million dollars
and the reports are saying that the Steelers have told
him they are going to put the transition tag on
him this summer, so while he can go out and
talk to other teams and receive offers, the Steelers will
be able to match it. And if he doesn't get

(01:22:46):
huge offers, then he'd have to play for a very
reduced price because the transition tag is based on what
you made the year before. So if he keeps sitting
out games, his salary for this season is going to
be very small, so that transition tag would be could
be as low as nine million dollars next season. So

(01:23:06):
I personally think that's why he's coming back, because he's
losing millions of dollars. So, but we had two I'm
not mad at him. We had two former NFL players
who both admired what he had done to this point. Well,
they never said to this point. I don't know what
they meant. Yes they meant to this point or if
they meant I mean back. No, they were. They were
talking about him that they admired what him him why

(01:23:30):
holding that said they admire what he's doing, not coming back.
They were talking about holding out. I don't think that
was clarified. Yes, it was what they talked about Chris
rob g. Was it clarified, Yes, they said we we respect. Yes,
they meant that what he was doing till this point,
he hadn't come back, so they couldn't have It couldn't
have been that he had given up the whole doll

(01:23:50):
He hadn't come back, but he's coming back. I don't
think it was clear. Yes, it was clear, what are
you talking about? Both of them agreed would be I
mean we're regardless. First of all, I don't I don't
necessarily agree that they agree with you absolutely, they mean
they're right. No, maybe I'm belt maybe I'm beltsing millions

(01:24:13):
of dollars. Chris, it's not about stop saying that, because
that's because it's it's not about what. It's not about
about money. It's the whole thing is about money, but
sitting out in the first place. But my point is,
once you've decided to make this stance, it couldn't have
been about money, because if you're worried about losing money,
you would have never taken so much about No, but

(01:24:33):
I'm saying you would have never done this if it's
just like, oh, I can't go without losing one dollars,
So you can't say it's all about money. It's about
his only course of action because he lost a paycheck
for how many weeks now four weeks, So if it's
about money, lost three and a half million dollars. But
he's lost money already. He has lost money. So my

(01:24:56):
other point is that either you shouldn't have done it
at all, or if you're going to do it, you
gotta stay out the whole ten weeks, come back to
get your year. That's registered limit the chances of you
having what happened to Earl Thomas, which is getting an injury.
I'm not saying it's that you couldn't get injured in
the last game or the first play. I get that,

(01:25:17):
because you could get injured at any point. But you
want to limit yourself from all the touches and all
the opportunities that you have a chance of getting hurt.
So it doesn't make any sense. All I'm saying to
you is if Levian was gonna come back early, he
never should have. He never should have missed one game,
That's all I'm saying. And if you you were gonna
hold out, you gotta hold your guns. You gotta hold

(01:25:39):
all the way through. Otherwise it's ill fated, it's dumb,
and you shouldn't have done it in the first place.
That's all I agree that he should not have sat out.
He should have come back right at the beginning of
the regular season. They should have given him a contract
just like that's fine, Just like Aaron Donald got Aaron
Donald got Wanna and Khalil well, they didn't, and I

(01:26:02):
still think he should have came back, because the bottom
line is he's losing millions of dollars and he can
come out there in his first game, his fifth game
is sixth game and get hurt, and then not only
would he miss out on being a free agent next
summer or getting that huge paid day, but he also
would have missed out on the millions of dollars he

(01:26:22):
threw away this year. You got it? Is throwing away
millions of dollars work for anybody because you gotta give
to get. They don't have any leverage. They do have
leverage as the rams out of the They just decided
to give Aaron Downloads some money. You're wrong. They had
have to do it, have leverage as a group, not individually.

(01:26:44):
But this they don't have individuals right now. We're not
talking about a group. It has to talk about as
an individual. It's not about individually. It has to be
a group effort. And not doing that when it's when
when the collective bargaining agreements up for discussion, that's fine,
but that's not till twenty twenty. You can't beat the
system right now. Look at Earl Thomas. He did the

(01:27:06):
right thing, right, he came back early. That's what you
wanted him to do, what he did and want, and
he hurt. He's hurting now that I'll never get that
contract that he wanted. That's what that's what he'll get.
That's his reward for coming back and being a good
guy and trying to do it above board. Because the
organization won't pay a guy who has put together and
and played and and and help that franchise become one

(01:27:29):
of the elite franchises and win a championship. And you
know what they got for him, nothing. They don't want
to pay him the dollars safety in the league four
years ago. That's old money, not enough. I look, I'm
I'm I wanted Seattle to pay him or trade him.
I would have liked he even get traded and get paid.
I wanted Levian Bell to get paid. I just sound

(01:27:50):
like a company man, like. No, I'm a real I'm
a realist. I'm a realist that that takes care of
families and kids, and understand is that all none of
the Heck, my taxes are too high. I'm gonna just
stop paying my taxes. No, but that Chris is getting
as much I might want more money from Fox. I'm
just gonna stop working. You get what you get, You

(01:28:11):
fight for what you can get, and then you honor
in the contract that you sign. Chris, that's easier, said fun. No,
it's not that. Earl time Is signed a contract to
play four years for forty million dollars. You know how many.
There's a lot of people in the United States that
work a lot harder than Earl Thomas and don't get
the money. You can't. But you can't look at it

(01:28:33):
that way. You can't equate. You can't equate a regular
a regular job to playing football. There's a there's eleven
one hundred guys who play pro football. That's not realistic.
They are three hundred and thirty million people. So to
equate it as as because regular people have to go
to work every day. It's not the same thing. People
say it all the time all teachers and should make

(01:28:55):
more money and this and that. When you can sell
tickets to have people watch people to each then they
can make more money. It doesn't work like that, So
you can't eqular money. It doesn't matter, doesn't matter. It
doesn't mean honor the contract. No, you don't. Don't e
wait that you can fight the contract is to hold out.

(01:29:15):
That's just the way it is. He's not the first
guy's ever done it. It's been done forever. He had
he did with a lot of people have done back.
It's been done forever. He's not really come back. But
you're making it like he's doing something that people haven't done.
That's the only recourse that it's the only recourse to
have no recourse. Yes, it's no recourse because it's a

(01:29:37):
bad union deal CBA. So the only thing he has
to do is hold out. That's the only way they
have to What would that have solved if he had
held out? What would that have done? It would have
limited as his chances of getting hurt. But football, you
you just can't. You can barely. You can hardly limit them.
You can get hurt anytime. Look, I'm with the players

(01:29:58):
getting what they can get, but I'm saying, when you
have your name on a contract, if you didn't like
the contract, don't sign it. Look, Chris Still, we're getting
to he's he's gonna be sitting home getting ten million dollars.
Do you follow? Look, do you follow to what they

(01:30:18):
do to the NFL players now? Hear me out. Don't
hear me out. I want to hear me out. Sometimes
we don't like the rules, but we have None of
us are in the vacuum. But he'll hear me out
on this. You, if you're an NFL owner, you can
say the guy signed a contract right, and then the
next year you can say we want you, but you
gotta come back at a pay cut. But you if

(01:30:40):
you over, if you play better than your contract, you
can't get a raise. It doesn't make any sense. I
agree that the next time collective bargaining agreement is up,
then sit out, strike, whatever you gotta do to get
a better deal. But right now you're playing by these rules.
Everybody essentially has rules they have to play by that

(01:31:03):
they don't like in life, in different sports, whatever it is.
That's all I'm saying. You signed a contract, live up
to that contract. What did baseball players do in nineteen
ninety four with the contract in place? They had a contract?
What did they do? Chris? What did they do with
a sign contract? That tell me what they did? I'm

(01:31:23):
just telling what did they do? This series? And baseball
has never been as nocular as that. You they knew,
they knew that the owners were gonna lock them out,
So you know what they did. They did a preemptive strike,
That's what they did. They took their own hands. But
they still were under contract to complete the nineteen ninety
four season, is what my point is. But they knew

(01:31:46):
the owner break, but they were under contract. You said,
honor con they know if they know they're getting locked out,
you know they're gonna lock you out. We're not gonna
be playing. And I'm not gonna be in the honor
of the contract anyway, then yeah, I'll strike. But that's
the look. All I'm saying is, if you you're on
a contract, you should play eight seven seven ninety eight

(01:32:11):
seven seven ninety nine on Fox. Give us a call.
We're the odd couple when it comes to UH players
dealing with the NFL because they've been jerked over so
many times and so often. I just don't even see
how you can even side with the ownership. I'm not
starting with the ownership. I'm I'm I'm saying that they
should be upset with the players Association, But if you

(01:32:34):
can't do anything with that. If if any athletes should
get guaranteed contracts, it's the NFL more than basketball, more
than baseball, more than hockey. They're putting themselves at risk.
But right now, you can sit out all you want,
and all you gonna do is lose money. That's all right,
you know, losing money back, giving up the ten million

(01:32:57):
that I'm getting this year. The stealers lose money when
they don't make the playoffs. They won't get the same
money that they were always got. That's gonna hurt the Rooneys. Well,
I'm just saying it's gonna hurt them this season. That's
why the team is bad. Give us a call, let
us know what you think. Eight seven, seven ninety nine
on Fox, we're fiery about this one. Well, I love
a good gamble, but you don't always have to push

(01:33:19):
all in. I'll explain next. It's The Eye Couple, Fox
Sports Radio. Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast.

(01:33:39):
f s R. It is The Eye Couple. Chris Brussard
and Rob Parker. We're brought to you by Discover Card.
We treat you like you to treat you, we'll Rob.
The lines are lit about this Leavian Bell slash Earl

(01:34:04):
Thomas contract talk. So let's get to him. Let's do it.
Eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox. First up, Eddie
in Indiana. You're on the odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.
What you got, Eddie? How you doing? Guys? Uh? Not
too much. I like both of y'all. But I gotta
say Rob, Chris is right. He should definitely have stayed

(01:34:28):
out at least the ten games, because I mean, if
you look at it, what was his whole reason for
holding out? Because he wanted more money? Then you agree
with Rob. That's what I said, Chris, That's what you said.
I'm sorry, Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. Sorry other way around, Yes, Rob,
I agree with you right. Otherwise, why even hold out
for one day if you're gonna come back? It doesn't

(01:34:48):
make sense exactly exactly. I mean, I don't think it
was well thought out because yeah, why why would he
come back? Your agent should be he should fire his
agent because Yeah, I was riding home from work today
listening to Gottlieb and I heard the update and I
was like, what why is he doing that? Like, he
should definitely have stayed out if he wants to really

(01:35:09):
get what he wanted to get. I don't think you're
gonna get it now. No, he's gonna hurt his own self.
But yeah, yeah, it doesn't make any sense. It's either
one or the other. Yeah, because I agree with you. Look,
I think he should have came back right at the beginning,
got his money. But now you've already lost some money,
So you know, right, did you not talk it all out?

(01:35:30):
You know? That's what I'm saying. I didn't. Didn't your agent.
If your agent is telling you to go back now,
then you your agent should be fired. Hey Pete in
New York, you're on the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.
What's up, Pete? Hey? What was up? Gentlemen? I just
want to say, UH, so I earn the contract is
definitely on the player, so uh the owner is taking
an investment to uh put X amount of ears with

(01:35:53):
X amount of dollars inside of you to play the
game that you love to play. A lot of people
and I agree with with the fact that you are
honoring that contract. You put your your your signature down
on that piece of paper. You are honoring that contract
until the new contract comes up through the ownership. Okay,
you have to part lay yourself in order to earn

(01:36:16):
your money. You get your four year forty million dollars contracts,
you play the four years, and you get your forty
million dollars. Okay, no, no, no, pete, pete, hold on
before you get so self righteous. Owners have torn up
contracts and given people new contracts even though they've had

(01:36:37):
a contract. This is not new. Don't act like everybody's
had to play out their entire contract before an owner
would even give them a new contract. So that whole
nonsense that you have to play out your contract first
is nonsense because no, I'm not talking about I'm not
talking about that about rules. We have got to deal

(01:36:57):
with rules, Chris, That's not what I'm talking about. There's
ever ripped up a contract and give it. They just
gave Julio Jones, allowed him to do that. Everybody's not
owned by the same person, But they just gave Julio
Jones a new con more money, did they not owner
wanted to do it? Well, but then the team, the
owner that owned the team you played for. It might
not want to do it, but how did he? But

(01:37:18):
how did he get it done? Who's millions? Now? How
did he get it done? He didn't go to he
didn't go to training camp, and they got it done
before he said he wasn't had no problem with Earl
Thomas or Leveon not going to training camp. I was saying,
go back right when the season start, like like Earl
did and like Leveon did last year. All right, let's
let's go. I'm just saying it has been done before.

(01:37:40):
Clay in Michigan, you're on the Yard Couple on Fox
Sports Radio. What's up, Clay? Hey, what's going on? Fellas?
What's what's up? Not too much. I just wanted to
call in and say I agree with Rob in this fashion.
Bill played out his original contract. Then you sticking with
a franchise. Baggy holds out. He says, Okay, you know what,

(01:38:01):
I'm gonna come and play. John should do a deal
for me because I'm the top round it back to
Tea and then they come back again with the same
thing they do with Kurt Sulls. It was like, I'm
a good player, why not keep it? Don't Why you
don't want Why don't want to pay me? Jolly got
bron got say Dan? Got Bay? Where did you Bill?

(01:38:22):
Gets there? Exactly? Play with that. But when they're not
gonna pay you, I can either sit out and give
away millions, or I can play and get millions. Even
though it's not as much money as I want, it's
still millions eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox What
about Lee and California? J'ined the odd Couple? On Fox

(01:38:44):
Sports Radio? What's up? League? Hey? How you guys doing? Hey? Hey,
I gotta I got a question for you, Rob. If
I if I'm a base for a football player and
I turned a gigantic contract and I underperform, can the
owner come back to me and ask some of my
money back since I didn't live up to my contractors.
It's just a one way street. No. No. In the NFL,
that's what they do that They take money. They take

(01:39:05):
money away. No, because they're not guaranteed. They won't guarantee
the contract. It happens in the NFL all the time.
They say, if you're not willing to take a twenty
percent pay cut, we're gonna release you. It happens all
the time, but they don't want to pay. Yes, that
Brian had a lee des Brian had a contract in place.

(01:39:26):
Do you know that I'm a Cowboys fan. I'm a
Cowboy fan too, so but I'm just saying, it's like
you you're you know, you're like, I kind of agree
with Chris. It's like, you sign the contract. So why
didn't the Cowboys honor Dez Brian's contract because they Well,
because the CBA is terrible and the players never should

(01:39:49):
have signed it in the first place. But now it's
in place, you got no you got no recourse. Look
at das Brant. Das Brian is sitting He could have
take twenty one million from Baltimore. Now he's not getting anything.
Eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox. There's no doubt
about that. Hey, Mark and Minnesota, you're on the odd
couple on Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Mark, Well, I'm

(01:40:13):
I want to talk about the fact that we're talking
about Lepion Bell signed a contract. No he didn't. He's
being franchise tag right, he had to sign a new
one in that regard. Yeah, Earl Thomas not lean right,
Levion has not signed. He didn't sign the franchise tag.
You're right, No, he didn't sign it. He got franchise tag. Right.

(01:40:35):
You need to hold up to your contract. Did we were?
We were saying that about Earl Thomas, not about Levian, right,
Levion doesn't have Levion. Uh didn't agree with that, so
he didn't sign it. But I'm I'm with you, Mark,
Thanks for the call. How about David and Michigan. You're
on the odd couple on Fox Sports Radio. What's up? David? Hey, Fellas,

(01:40:57):
what's up? I think that the one ahead and Fish
office contract and then at twenty twenty, that's when they
need to do the strike because who are they gonna
have replace all those follows that are out on the
field and baseball they have some guys that could do it,
but football is no way they can find that many guys.

(01:41:17):
I want to play football. No again, Yeah, that's when
they have to settle this rob twenty twenty. But I'm like,
until then, get as much money as you can. That's
my that's my take. But I'm with you, and it's
a terrible it's a terrible deal. I don't even see
how bad it is. I don't know how to how

(01:41:38):
anybody who claims to be a representative of the union
and players signed that deal. I just think it's the
Baseball Union. And I know some of the guys, and
UH talk to some players. They laugh, they laugh at
the day. They cannot believe what deal they agreed to.
Let's go to Tony in Texas. You're on the odd
Couple on Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Tony? I love

(01:42:00):
your show. Guys, I think I think they're both right.
But in the sense with Bell, what we're missing. The
point is this guy got suspended for smoking blunt. With blunt,
I mean, it's not so much that the lead the
ownership loves the guy, but he's not reliable. He was
like Brian. Brian had to be babysited here in Texas.
That's why they cut him. And the thing is that

(01:42:22):
most of these players need to fire their agents because
they need to get guaranteed money up front. Because you
were talking about Cousins. I mean, come on, Cousins got
like forty six million dollars for two seasons. I mean
that's not bad. No, he got he got three. He
got paid by Minnesota. I mean, if Belle would have
came in, gone to work, you know, and ran as

(01:42:43):
much as they wanted to run him, got his money.
I mean, come on, fifteen million dollars. But Tony, Tony.
The difference though, with a quarterback and with a running back.
Running backs are usually done quicker in their career. That's
the only difference. All right, Hey, time for trending, Mike Chris,
all right, let's go, deb Carson. What's trending? Hello, Hey, Hello,

(01:43:09):
here we go. We thought we were going to have
a shootout tonight, guys. Noah Patrick Mahomes air fire tonight.
No touchdowns except for on the ground. He ran it
in from eight yards out. He came back to Earth.
No touchdowns in the first half. I tried to warn you, guys.
That's right well, Royce Freeman fourteen yard touchdown run, then
tied it for Dender. That's where it stands right now.

(01:43:29):
Ten apiece for Casey in Denver, forty three seconds to
go in the second quarter. Another NFL news disgrunt old
Steelers running back Levon Bell plans to report to the
team and sign his franchise tender during Week seven, which
is Pittsburgh's bye week. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Jameis
Winston will be back to the starting QB in Tampa
Bay Week six against the Falcons once the team returns

(01:43:52):
from its bye week. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll
told a local station this morning regarding Earl Thomas flipping
off the Seahawks sideline after breaking his leg yesterday at Arizona, quote,
give him a little slack. This is a very, very
difficult moment that most people would never understand. Also, Tampa
Bay tight end Oj Howard expected to be out two
to four weeks with a sprained knee. Hey. NHL season

(01:44:13):
gets underway Wednesday, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals
open the season at home against the Boston Brewins seven
thirty Eastern. And Wednesday's Discover Card key matchup. You can
become a new card member and Discover Card will match
all the cash back you've earned dollar for dollar at
the end of your first year. Learn more at Discover
dot com. Slash match limitations apply. Had a couple of

(01:44:35):
key baseball games today and two Para stung on and
miss strike three. Campton strikes up Para and for the
sixth consecutive season, the Dodgers are the best in the
West Dodgers five two winners over the Rockies A and
five seventy LA Sports Dodgers Radio with a call. So
the Dodgers will host the Braves in their National League

(01:44:56):
Division Series. Game one is Thursday at Chavez Ravine and
other Division Crown Race. NL Central goes to the Brewers.
They beat the Cubs three to one. So Milwaukee will
host the winner of tomorrow's NL Wildcard game, and that
will be the Cubs hosting the Rockies. And that's at
Wrigley Field tomorrow night, Tuesday, eight Eastern. Guys, it's the

(01:45:17):
Eye Couple with Chris Brussard and Roy Parker, and we're
coming to you live from the Gueco Fox Sports Radio Studios.
It's easy to say fifteen percent or more in your
car insturants with Geico. Go to Geico dot com or
call eight hundred nine four seven Auto. The only hard
part figuring out which way is easier. We're glad to

(01:45:37):
have our next guest on. He's a former Super Bowl
champion with the Seattle Seahawks, co host of The Cliff
and Puck Show ten am to one pm on nine
fifty kJ R in Seattle, and you can follow him
on Twitter. At at Cliff Avril a VR I L Cliff,
Welcome to the Eye Couple. How you doing great? I'm great.

(01:46:00):
How you guys doing, Man, we're doing great. All you
want to you want the radio now? Football? Now, you
gotta radio show. What's going on? Yeah, man, I jumped
right into it. Man, right out there. I got got
it out tending to one every day out here on
kJ R nine fifty, just talking sports man, kind of
giving my perspective on on what I what athletes and
what I believe you know, we're thinking more so than

(01:46:23):
you know a lot of people just assuming. Well, Cliff,
it's funny. There's a lot of athletes who were mean
to the media yes when they played and then they
joined the media later. You were good to the media.
I know that, and I can attest to that, and
didjoy to have you as a brother in arms now
on this side. But let let's get right there, let's

(01:46:44):
get right to obviously the big story in Seattle. Um,
besides the struggles that the team is having, it's just
you know Earl Thomas and the fractured leg yesterday that
he suffered out for the season. Um, how tough is
it for you? Having been a teammate of his, obviously
a member of that legion of boom. The lasting memory

(01:47:05):
of him, it feels like it's and in Seattle is
going to be of him flipping the bird to the
sign as fans whoever that was. How tough is that
for you to see, knowing the type of person he
probably is, And that's exactly right right for me. That's
my biggest concern is that that's going to be someone's
lasting image of him, possibly in the Seahawks jersey. But

(01:47:29):
let's not forget, you know, I mean all the great
things that he has done for this organization that he's
been a part of, may being a part of one
of the best defenses ever probably in the last decade,
to you know, winning the first Super Bowl here in Seattle,
and just being one of the top safeties in the
league for such a long time, you know, And I
don't want people to to, you know, just credit all

(01:47:52):
that he has done. And then also, let's be real, now,
if anybody, anybody playing a sport or anything, you go out,
you break your legs, you can't think people are happy.
You know, a lot of things are going through your head,
a lot of things, emotions are are are inside of
you and you just reacting. I mean, when he broke
his leg last time, he was talking about retiring, you know,
so obviously he's an emotional guy. He feels some kind

(01:48:15):
of way, but you can't discredit everything he's done. And
then me knowing him personally, he's an awesome guy. He's
a great person, great father. You know, you just don't
want that to be the lasting memory. Though. It wasn't
a mistake to maybe come back if you were holding
out and he gave in, came back, and now you know,
now he's hurt, not getting really what he wanted. Would

(01:48:37):
it have been better for him to stay out like
Leveon Bell and not come back until you absolutely have to. Yeah,
I mean it's you're damned if you do, damned if
you don't. Right, everybody's criticizing Leveon for not being there,
and then okay, you got another guy that shows up
a little late to camp and now he's hurt and
his value guys just went down. So it's a tough

(01:49:00):
situation to be in. It's pressure from both sides. Me personally.
Obviously Hines had looking at it. Obviously you would wish
he's still able to get his money. You wish he's
still able to play for the rest of the year.
So you know, if I was the teammate, I would
love to have him out there. But I also understand
the business side of it, and if you decide you
want to sit out, that's what you got to do
to be able to feed your family. Cliff, you were

(01:49:22):
in a similar situation when you first went to Seattle
or you were playing for about three you know, three
point seven million dollars and underpaid, you know, and then
you had a great season and then got your contract
that you deserve with the Seahawks. Did you talk to
Have you talked to Earl throughout this process? If so,
would you tell him or why? Do you think like

(01:49:43):
you handled it differently. You kind of took it as motivation.
Obviously he's really taking it as a negative them not
giving him the contract extension. Yeah, so I have contract situation.
It's pretty much my whole career. You know, I've been franchised.
I've played on the one year deal, two year deal.
Ill and for me, my approach was a little different,

(01:50:04):
you know. I, yes, I would hold out and I
did all these different things. But you know, I use
it as motivation, but at the same time, I don't know.
I don't know what the outcome that season is going
to be. You know, we play a sport where one
hundred percent of time you have a high possibility of
getting hurt, you know. But in talking with Earl, for me,
is more so just motivating them, like, look, man, don't
worry about you know, the contract thing. Just just go

(01:50:26):
out there and ball out. And it's easier said than done.
And I've been in those situations again because in the
back of your head you're like, man, shoot, if I
go out here, I get hurt. I know the value
you can go down, you know. So, But as a friend,
I'm just letting them know, like, man, you control what
you can control. You can't control the thing's gonna pay
or not. Just go out there and ball out and
try to enjoy the game that you love to do,
you know what I mean. Try to enjoy it as

(01:50:47):
much as possible and hopefully everything plays itself out. Cliff,
what's wrong with the Seahawks now? Is it just that
the chor has gotten old? The legion of Boom is
kind of moved on, and you know, a lot of
pieces are gone from that what's the biggest issue with
this team and why as a hard time winning I
think the biggest thing, honestly is so we as fans,

(01:51:09):
including myself, now I guess we've got we've gotten so
used to having the same core group of guys around
for so long, which doesn't happen in the NFL. You know,
we got nine, ten and eleven twelve Pro bowlers on
the team that have been around for four to five years.
And again this is not a common thing that happens
in the NFL. So now you know you have now
that Earl's gone down, only two people you have left

(01:51:31):
or three people that you have left is is Russell Wilson.
You got Bobby Wagner and kJ Wright who hasn't played
yet this year, you know, So it's getting acclimated to
the new face, the new names. You know, Bobby and
I we could just look at each other and we
knew what the heck was going on. You know. Now
he has to actually verbalize and take time to kind
of coach up these younger players. So it's just taking

(01:51:53):
time for guys to get acclimate, to get to get
that camarade, to build that relationship, that rapport with each other,
and I think that's just growing at the moment. Cliff.
We see obviously Earl was upset with the Seahawks front office,
Levean Bell upset with the Steelers front office. But I
kind of feel like they really should be upset with
the Players Association for signing these you know, these agreements

(01:52:15):
with the CBA's because Chris just call a terrible agreement. Yeah,
I mean, it's the teams. I'm I'm always typically on
the players side, but they they have signed a horrible
deal and the teams are just doing what they can do,
you know what I mean. And Lefan might he might

(01:52:35):
be unlucky and get transition tag next year, you know,
so should there. I don't know how involved you were
with the Players Association when you played, but what do
you think about that situation? And are the players kind
of misplacing their anger? I don't think they're misplacing the anger.
I mean, regardless, you know your situations, your situations, are

(01:52:57):
you going to be mad regardless? You know, we live
in a wonderful country. That doesn't mean they're not issues. Yeah,
I mean, so so that being said, yeah, I mean
the CBA, I agree, it's not it's not the best CBA.
We we have to we have to all come together,
for sure and strike. That's what it boils down to.
But now the ownership and management and all that stuff.

(01:53:19):
They've done a great job of having the halves, which
are just the quarterbacks basically, and they have knots. And
then not too many guys are willing to take that
chance of missing out on the check, right, not too
many guys are. They know it's a limited time to
get this money. It's a limited time. Like if I
missed this one game check, you know a lot of
guys are going to trip off of it, which which

(01:53:40):
I completely understand because I've been on both sides. But
if they're looking at the bigger picture, they have to strike.
They have to and and honestly, it only takes one game.
It really only takes one game. Ownership, management, and all
those guys will realize like, look, man, we just lost
a bill or whatever it might be off of this
one game. If they go one more game, like you know,

(01:54:00):
people start really turn ahead. So it boils down to
everyone coming together and understanding the bigger picture. I was
a part of the first CBA negotiations, and you know,
guys started kind of going to get each other, like, man,
now I need to get back to work, I need
to do this, I need to do that, And they're
not looking at the bigger picture. But now I think

(01:54:20):
guys are waking up. There's more leaders in the locker room.
There's more guys that see and are having those conversations
with the younger players. Former shall Cliff Avril is joining us.
It's the odd couple on Fox Sports Radio. One last
question from me, Cliff, I just can never for the
first time in my life, I almost kicked in my
TV set with that Super Bowl against the Patriots when

(01:54:42):
you guys had the ball one and a half yard line,
and I know, I mean, to this day, I cannot
understand why best Mode Marshawn Less didn't get the football
there did How devastating was that. Well, so I have
a different vantage point because I actually got hurt in
that game in the second quarter. So you know, I'm

(01:55:04):
watching the game from the locker room, right and and
you know there's a seven second delay and TV, so
you know, you hear people cheers, then I will see
the play and so I'm watching it. You know, I'm
watching this whole thing develop and I'm like, oh, shoot,
we're about to pull this thing out, you know what
I mean. I hear people go crazy and I see
a play, big play. Then I see Marshawn was a
big run. People go crazy again, and I'm like, oh,

(01:55:26):
we won, we won. And then the next thing I see,
I see people running into the locker room crying. Wow.
And so I'm confused at this point, right, I'm confused
because I'm like, well, I hear the cheers, so I'm
assuming it's us, and and you know, I haven't seen
it on the TV. Scream and I see people running
inside crying. I'm like, well, we lose it. And I

(01:55:46):
watched the play, I'm like, wow, we really just lost
this game. So that being said, you know, it was
a it was a it was a crazy time. It
was unfortunate. Yes, we all asked the same questions why
didn't we give the ball up? But you know, at
the same time too, I look at it like this,
if that play would have worked, nobody would even question,
you know, Marshawn getting the ball or whatever. So it's

(01:56:09):
a tough time. I wish I had two Super Bowl
rings in one, but you know, one is better. Than
none I know. But the only problem is that that
that team will never get the recognition that it should
have gotten as being one of the all time greats
because you have a chance to win again and you
didn't win. It seems like I agree, Cliff, and it

(01:56:29):
seems like that was the beginning of the end. Like
that's some players lost faith in maybe faith in the
coach and staff for Pete Carroll, but it just seemed
like it never was the same after that. It does
feel like that now now that I'm looking at it,
you know, three years removed, four years removed, it does
seem like that. It does feel as if, you know,
that was kind of the down downward slide of of

(01:56:52):
of that that opportunity though, those opportunities to win that
that team that we had such a great defense. Um,
it does feel like that does seem like that. But
you know what, I try not to rest my head
on what could have been and what did happen. And
I know guys that have played fifteen sixteen years that
never got to the playoffs, let alone super Bowl and
win one. So I look at it like that as well. Man,

(01:57:14):
I'm just fortunate enough to be able to get one. Hey,
whatever helps you sleeping, no doubt, cliff Thanks so much. Man.
Let me ask you this, Clifford, if we got one
more quick one, the rough and the passer calls and
the you know, just all you see these offenses putting
up these huge numbers. What is it like now? What
do you think as a former defender and what do

(01:57:36):
you think it's like now for defensive players? Man, it's
a terrible place to be right now. It might be
a good year for me to have gotten out because
I probably would been giving up a lot of money. Man. Um,
it's it's it's a terrible place, man. But you know,
I truly believe fantasy football has something to do with this.
I truly believe that the course set the quarterbacks are
the highest paid people. You want to kind of protect

(01:57:57):
your investment, um, But it just puts the other eleven
players on the other side of the ball at risk.
I mean, you can't you don't know what a tackle
is anymore. You can't you can't you know, go up
for interceptions really anymore. Now you can't even hit the
person that's that's throwing the ball, Like, come on, man,
we might as well be playing seven on seven out
there at this point, you might as well not even
have no d lineman or old lineman because because it's

(01:58:19):
just a difficult place. Like guys literally, uh the kid
in Miami literally tours me up trying to save a
quarterback basically by not tattooing them, by not hitting them,
you know. So so that's that's it's unfair. And if
we're talking about players safety, it has to be all
all the way around. It has to be all twenty
two players that's out there, not just you know, the
wide receivers and and uh quarterbacks. Well, Cliff, great job,

(01:58:42):
and we appreciate it, man, and good luck with your
broadcasting career going forward. And that's why to take it
take it light on the players. Man, don't be one
of those guys, all right. I'm just I'll never I'll
never be one of those guys. I appreciate. Yeah, Oh
you gotta keep it real now. You gotta give them
you too, sent But you know I've been that guy
as in the locker room. I'll never be that guy

(01:59:03):
that's that's going to bash the players, all right, all right,
But man, thanks for joining the eye couple. We'll see you. Appreciation,
all right, It wasn't a bad decision, but it was
a bad result. I'll explain next. It's the Eye couple
of Fox Sports Radio. When you're hiring, you don't want
to waste time sorting through dozens of irrelevant resumes. You

(01:59:23):
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of qualified candidates. That's why you need Indeed dot Com.
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(01:59:44):
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Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
com and within the iHeart Radio app search f s
R to listen live. It is the I Couple. Chris,

(02:00:06):
Bruce Sorrd and Rob Parker wrapping up another show and
Rob before we go, we we we got to talk
Frank Reich. You thought it was Did you say the
worst call you've ever seen? I said, it's a fireball
offense that a coach would would do that to his team.
I mean, I mean you can't do it, Chris, not
on not on your side of the field. If you

(02:00:28):
told me that you on the other side of the
field and you really thought you could seal the game.
But when you set up the game tying field goal,
a game winning field goal because on a fourth down play,
I'm sorry. I just can't get with it. Yeah, I
would not have made that call, but I don't think
it was as bad as some people like. I don't

(02:00:48):
think it was a fireball offense. Are you serious about that?
I think they should fire him. I'm just saying it's
a fireball offense. I'm not saying they're gonna do it
as his first year. No, I'm won't. But but you
know what I'm saying, like, like, you can't. That's not
the way I get it. You love the idea of
doing the fourth down kind of thing, and they didn't.
They did it last year with the Eagles. That worked

(02:01:10):
out for them. But you can't give up a tie.
I mean, you can't give a win away a divisional game.
Yea better than a loss, right, you can't. You can't
do that. That's I think he felt like, look, Andrew
Luck can throw him for like four hundred sixty something yards.
He felt like, you know, he had been moving the

(02:01:30):
ball on and they had thirty four points, they could
get those yards, and I mean even though they hadn't
stopped him. I guess he's thinking, look, it's a sixty
yarder right now. If we can shut them down and
keep them from getting a few yards, you know, it's
gonna be a tough field goal. But yeah, backfired on them,
and all the players apparently, at least those that have spoken,

(02:01:54):
have said they liked it. We heard Tony Gonzalez say
he loved it. Um, he's trying to change a call ulture.
I don't think some people have said they're not gonna
make the playoffs, so he's not worried about that. I
don't think any NFL team goes into the season thinking
they're not making the playoffs, because this is a league
where you can go from a worst to first, or
at least a worst to one of the top six

(02:02:16):
and make the playoffs. So yeah, but but I do
think he's trying to change the culture, and maybe this did.
But but one time you do that and the next
time something backs fire, will say Frank Reich's not a
good head coach. It's he blows games. Once you start
costing your team games. I'm telling you that now that's
what people will look at and will look for his

(02:02:37):
mistakes because they now think that he's not a smart
head coach. That I see what you're saying. Well, make
sure you go head and download the Couple podcast on iTunes,
Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud and check out the best of
this show. You will definitely enjoy it. Jason Smith and
Mike Harmon are next Fox Sports Radio

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