January 10, 2023 • 42 mins
Wolf and Wes have some fun with Max as they celebrate his birthday in hour one of the locker room. Max tells a great story about how he got his mom to be cast in a Campbells Soup commercial.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M m h m h. This is in the locker
(00:21):
Room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F
one is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers Out
the Gates. Breaking News from the s n R Breaking
(00:46):
News Desk and the Department of Redundancy Department. I am
Wesley Joeler. Ladies and gentlemen, It's Max Starks, his forty
one birthday to do hit it. Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Dear Max, big birthday.
(01:17):
Could you get a worse than that one? Oh my god,
that was tremendous. Thank you guys so much. I really
that was awesome. It is your birthday, right, We got
it right? Right? Correct? Correct? You did? It is on
this day. I had a like triple check that this morning. Max.
(01:39):
I was like, we better get this right. We better
not mess this up. Kudos to Missy Matthews who got
who made sure that we knew right. Awesome, Thanks Missy.
Now you know it's funny. My mom texted me yesterday
for my birthday. I was like, I was, I was like,
I was like and then and then and then after that,
(02:01):
I know that I realized that my mom texted like
the rest of my family. So I literally got like
all these I was. I was like, I love all
of you, but my birthday is tomorrow. I was like,
stop making me older than I am. I was like,
I was like mom, and Mom was like, oh, I
was just getting on top of it ahead of time.
You know, if I get busy. I just I was like, really,
(02:23):
you're gonna get busy on my birthday and forget the text.
I was like, God, bless mothers. I love my mom
exact Hey real quick too as well. Max. It is
also my wife's birthday today, so I happy birthdays my wife.
My wife Morgan is thirty two today. So I tell
(02:45):
you what I mean. January ten. That's a that's a
pretty good day. This is a good day. Ever, Alright,
well we better sing miss Morgan happy birthday too, you know,
on account we don't want her to feel left out.
So boys, that striking up one, two, three, Happy bad
be birthday, bday, Happy birth more more bird Did we
(03:26):
kill that one or what? Yeah, listen killed it, killed
it in a good way. Everybody just tuned out. Yeah, exactly,
They're like, what is going on? Well, I think that was.
I think that was a little injection of life for
everybody because this is the greatest day of the year. Uh,
you know, not to shoot my own horn, but you know,
I feel like, you know, God made the month of
(03:48):
January and then after that, you know, he tried eleven
other times to make it just as good. What we know, though,
is you weren't an in seasoned baby, right, we know that, right, Yes,
you know there's problems within seasoned babies. You know what
I mean. Now, did you have any kids? But you
(04:09):
didn't have any kids when you were playing, did you? Well?
I did. Wait, and after we beat r G three
in Washington and the Washington then Redskins um at home beautiful. Right,
So what was your what was your birthday and experience like?
Because I had it was it was a couple there.
(04:32):
It was bad. It was bad. I'm not gonna lie.
I fell asleep. I fell asleep on the couch in
in in her room, in the room like where Tiffany
is like you know, in labor, like laboring, I'm like
snoring on the couch and then and then they woke
me up for the birthday. So yeah, it was. It
(04:55):
was bad. You know, it is one of those things.
It's it was like I was like panic stricken in
my first couple. But then you know, I've I've had
six kids, so it's like, you know, you kind of
getting a groove. You know, you gotta rhythm, you gotta
rhythm there, but that about it, you know. Oh my goodness. Well,
(05:15):
welcome everybody. This is the locker room It's not it's
not Birthday Central, but uh and apparently we've turned it
into that. This is the uh what what would you
call it? The locker room Chorus team. Yeah, yeah, locker
room course line, the coral group. Yes, there you go.
Oh Max. So next question, I gotta ask you, are
you gonna watch the Curse of Oak Island tonight? You
(05:39):
know what? I am going to of course finish my
my my, my discovery of that. I'm going to continue
to watch that. I mean, it is it is a
staple in the house. Um, I have work because because
I have serious XM tonight too, you have, Yeah, I
have late hits, so I will have it on in
the background Island. Yeah exactly. I do it with no
(06:03):
volume and I do close captions, so I can still
stay up to that and as well as keep everybody
up to date on NFL news around the league as well.
So yeah, so no, I will be watching the Christ
of Oak Island. I mean, it's it's it's such a
great it's a drama now at this point, it's gotten
to that point. Yes, it's truly a drama. I mean,
(06:23):
you know, you're you're, you're, you're getting closer, and you
keep finding all these little things, the water samples, the
core drillings, and I'm just like, come on, guys, I
just need to see give me a gold coin that
you know what. That's all I need wof At this point,
I'm tired. I'm tired of the flakes of gold in
the water. I just need If I see one coin,
(06:43):
we're good for the next ten years, you know what
I'm saying, Like, that's all I mean. I'm looking. They
found some voids down there, now, I mean, you gotta
figure something's there, because who in the eighteen hundreds you're
digging sevent hundred you're digging eighty feet down and putting
tunnels on some in the middle of the Atlantic. It's
(07:07):
one of the worst palaces ever. If that's the case,
you know, yeah, talk about a hobbit hole. I mean,
I mean no, I mean there has there has to be.
There's something important there. You don't just dig unless somebody
was trying to literally see if they can dig to China.
I don't know, but there has exactly Do you imagine
(07:33):
that He's like, hey, you can just dig a hole
straight through the earth to China. No, No, you can't, know,
you can't. There's it's like this thing called, you know,
a core that has like liquid hot magma. That's where
volcanoes come from. Like all that's in the middle of
the Earth can't go there. So hopefully they figured that out. Um,
but but yeah, no, there has to be something down there.
There has to be. The templars may way too many
(07:53):
trips here. They knew it was a stash island, you know,
pirates that there is definitely something of significance down there,
and I hope we get to find it me too,
because I honestly I know something's down there, Dad coming,
There's got to be something down there, all right, turning
our our attention forward, because we're gonna watch that tonight,
(08:14):
by the way, Yeah, we'll watch and we'll talk on
anybody that wants to talk on the Curse of OCA
and we'll do that tomorrow. Yes, yes, we we. We
will be taking all calls related to Curse of Oak
Island Steelers Nation. We're also a fan We're also a
fan club. Yes, yes, who we are. There's no doubt
about it. All. Right, let me ask you something. Were
(08:36):
you at all uh just combobulated over Cam? Hey? We're
talking about the fact that, uh, well, you know, if
they want to be here, do they want me here?
You know? Basically, did that discombobulate you at all? Max?
It did a little bit. I was like, wait a second,
hold on, I was like, what what what does Cam say? Like?
(08:57):
Why wouldn't they want you? Just had ten and a
half sacks? You're the leader of this team, um, one
of the greatest games against exactly. I mean, you're you
had your the heartbeat. Why would you think that they
would not want you here anymore? But I get it.
I get It's that it's now turned to that business
time of year, right Wolf, where you know you're looking
(09:18):
at you know, cap numbers, this, that and the other.
What needs to be done? Where's the youth movement? Um? So?
I mean he has he has every right to question.
But Cam's in a rare situation. Cam is like Ben right,
like like He's like, you know, we'll we'll see when
you decide to give it up for the most part,
(09:38):
or we think that you've declined significantly in your skill set,
which I don't think he has. Um. Yeah, yeah, he
needs to just go ahead and just you know, I
think I think make sure that he is he is secure,
you know, moving forward. But you have to have that realization,
you know, does you know because it's so raw right
(09:59):
now out you know, is is this also you speaking
out and hoping that hey, maybe they did make the
decisions supposed to me make the decision, and then I
don't have to come to terms with it. I mean,
all those things kind of happen for for all of
us at different points will but but yeah, that was
that was something very soon to have that conversation. Usually
you hear that March right all right, right or the
(10:23):
end of February, right before free agency, not not not
not two days after the season. You know, I I
at first I thought is my Ron would say, you
know what I mean, what's what's he doing? And then
one of the things I realized I was listening to
Mike Tomlin press conference and Mike was talking about that,
and you know, he said, actually, he said, you know,
that's more of the exposing that humble side of Cam.
(10:47):
You know what who Cam is. You know that he
would never take it for granted that oh yeah, they
want me back, or yet he does not take this
life presented to him now as as being for granted.
And I thought, man, what that That is great leadership
and humility and a great way to have your lead
dog kind of show. This is what it looks like
(11:08):
to be a great pro to have that sort of
gratitude that listen, I I've I've had such a great
opportunity to to play and be become the athlete and
and man that I am. Through his experience with the
Steelers and here, you know, one of the things he
shows is great humility. Well you know, they might not
(11:28):
want me, I know what, you know, I thought that
was tremendous and I really thought it spoke to um
the humility that he exudes like such as he is
a kind of guy. As might pointed out, he'll put
tape on his helmet in a training camp setting with
his last name on it. You know, it's it's sort
of kind of that humble approach to I, I gotta
(11:49):
earn my way into onto my you know, the team
each and every year. I think I just thought it
was a great example of leadership and humility bound together. Yes,
I mean, because I love you point out to Sacks
what the Raiders game showed me, showed everybody he still
(12:12):
is the man down in the trenches. And Sunday's game
showed you that he's still the man in the trenches.
I mean absolutely one and a half sacks in that
game too. Should have had two and a half, you know. Um,
but once again, and we're gonna let that die. I'm not.
I'm not gonna I'm not gonna peel the band aid
(12:32):
off of that wound just yet again. We we we
definitely went through our feelings yesterday about it. But it's
it's like, no, this dude when he wants to be unblockable,
Like it's not even fair, Like like why would you
even start a rookie interior offensive linemen against the Steelers
when he's there? Like yeah, absolutely utter destruction. I mean
(12:57):
you think of Cordell Bolson first game in the remember
that for for first first first snap, he destroyed that guy.
And then, like you said, Dylan Parham also horrible day
in the office. Um, and and even guys yesterday. I
mean you're talking about some really good interior offensive linement
(13:19):
for the Browns and they didn't look so good. Seriously good. Yeah,
and and and they got whipped. So you know, Cam
is still one of the elite ones. I know he
was an alternate for the Pro Bowl, but I'm sure
you know that's the problem with the Pro Bowl voting, right.
Imagine it hadn't been at the end of the season,
(13:40):
and he attended to havel Sacks as the interior alignment.
But a different story. Um. But but I think, you know,
for Cam, the humility, the the like you said, never
taking it for granted. I think because this is a privilege,
not not not an expectation. Um, you know, to play
(14:01):
in the National Football League and to have played for
as long as he has, and to play at the
level that he has. You know, he knows that this
is a privilege. Like if somebody decides they don't want
my services, what can I do? Right? You know, you
know you're you're beholden, you know, to to your team
and to your boss. And so if they if they
deem it that they don't want your services anymore, then
(14:23):
you know, it makes it a lot tougher. Trust me,
you and I have both been there where we've wanted
to but they did not want to honor it. So
you know, it's one of those things where you you
don't take it for granted. It is a privilege and
that there is an end at some point. And Cam
is just making sure that he covers all his bases.
And I just I can't believe that humility to be
(14:45):
able to say and express that I want to be here,
you know, and hopefully they want me. I just I
find that very that you got to have people in
your life that that speak to you the lessons of life.
You know, John Cole, Mike Webs, those guys, Tone Chilkin
was all big and huge in my life and they
spoke lessons into my life. And a guy that you see,
(15:08):
you know just like like this, uh Cam, you know
he's speaking to other other guys in the team. You know,
this is this is how you conduct yourself, this is
the way you go about business. I just find that
very uh refreshing. I guess is the word I'm searching
for when I consider the fact that, you know, this
guy is so revered in the locker room and respected
(15:30):
and outside the locker room, and what we're respect and
revered in the locker room two. Um so, And all
I'm saying is, you know, I like the fact that
he's setting a precedent and showing young guys again, this
is this is the way you walk role models, role models. Yeah,
big brother, not not just a meatball express, but to
(15:53):
all of those young guys in the locker room. And
we we will come up with a better nickname for Connor. Oh,
there is no doubt about it before next year. He
is significant. By the way, it's his older brother that
first named him, see exactly. So you know what, what, well,
we'll we'll consort with with cam and we will figure
out another nickname because I mean, because technically we don't
(16:18):
have a nickname. I mean, Captain cam Is is the
only one we have, really Camp Heyward, because obviously he's
outgrowing the moniker of little iron Head. Um So yeah, so,
I mean, we we do need some new nicknames, you know.
And I think you know what, Wolf, I think that
is what we'll do for training camp next year, come
(16:39):
up nicknames. Yeah, we're gonna have a nickname segment and
we're just we're just gonna pitch out a bunch of
different nicknames to see which one stick, and then we'll
let Steeler's Nation decide how how we will proceed. I
think that's a good one. I like that. We're we're
the pencil that have the pin that one um and
of course get the blessing of since a Lamb in
the process. Because obviously he was like, no, guys, we're
(17:01):
not going to spend an entire show talking about nicknames.
But I feel like we could. You thought we were.
But here's the here's the key, fellas, if they want
us back. No, hey, you you are absolutely correct, Wolf. Yes,
if we are blessed enough to come back and be
(17:21):
back in the locker room and on the sidelines and
up in the booth, then yes, we will come up
with that. You're absolutely right. Do not do not put
things out there in the universe, because we do have to.
We do have to renew our contracts too. Yeah. When's
exit meeting? Yeah, yeah, exact exactly. Where's my sign up sheet? Yeah,
what are you talking about? My foot is not in
(17:43):
the parking line because well, the reason why is because
I have auto start, so I don't have to put
my feet out to actually hit the remote. Now, you know,
I really wonder how much did you play in the
in the time period when they had air helmets facts,
Just wondering, Yeah, you know what, what are you? What
(18:04):
are you talking about? What are you talking about? The
just in a little comment, I mean, you know what
was it? Was it really air helmets? I mean, I mean,
I'm already full of hot errors. It is really need
a helmet on top of that. You go, oh my gosh, no,
this is too funny. Well, all right, we're gonna step aside.
I appreciate the well wishes. It is a great January
(18:28):
tenth day here in the locker room. We will be
back after these messages. He's Wolf, I'm Starks, and the
Euler bomb is over there in the engineering room. We'll
be back at the moment. This is in the locker
(18:50):
room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F
one is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It
all comes down to this. At that score, I win.
But when I'm playing for Big Mac and the premium
Crispy Chicken Classic Extra Value mail, I'm playing for keeps. Charlie. Yeah,
(19:14):
I never said anything about using a kicker, never said
it couldn't. You just can't lose when you choose the
great old school taste of a Big Mac or a
premium Crispy Chicken Extra Value deal at McDonald's. No hard feelings, thanks, Charlie.
(19:37):
The fact of the matter, you're just we're kind of
like trolling through trying to find some Max Stark stuff
by which we can. Don't you do that? You know, well,
one more time here, because I know you had some
some audio issues there. That my fault. We're trying to
(19:57):
do a lot here on the fly. But let this
just play one more time. I'll come down to this.
At that score, planning for Big Mac and premium Crispy
Chicken Classic Extra Value Mail, I'm playing for keeps, Charlie. Yeah,
I never said anything about using a kicker, never said
it couldn't. You just can't lose when you choose the
(20:20):
great old school taste of a Big Mac or a
premium Crispy Chicken Extra Value deal at McDonald's halls. Thanks Charlie.
I'm so mad. It's you guys for kidding. You got
that old McDonald's commercial. May or may not be on
my Twitter account as well too on Twitter dot com.
(20:42):
If you West, if you send that to me, I
think I can find I can make sure that finds
its way to the good Lady Faith. You got it.
My gosh, you guys. Well, we had all kinds of
kio going on there because I couldn't hear any of
it because there was something going on with this or
that the gremlins. But West got it straightened out. But
(21:03):
the funny part was watching that and seeing a very
young Charlie Batch and a very young Max Starts with
the big hair. Do you had the troll ha do that? Yeah? Man,
hey listen, big hair, don't care. You know that. That's
what it was back in the day. Had Lucius had
luscious locks, you did, and you had it pulled up top.
(21:25):
But the thing that was was pretty cool was I
like the Pipe's brother sons out, guns out. I mean,
you got the jersey and you know you're sitting there.
Charlie looked, you know, Charlie was was he looked very appropriate. Nights.
But he's a quarterback. He's a quarterback. Cut you know,
you're looking bigger than oh Man, Yeah, you look great there.
(21:46):
Oh my god. Yeah, that was hilarious. And then of
course Jay Reid standing on the table. That was hilarious
when we were filming that, uh because you know, because
Jeff is like on the table in a kicking stand
and I'm like, listen, I don't even want you to
practice the swing because then then the football, the paper
football was it was hilarious. Yes, oh my gosh that
(22:12):
that that was. I mean, we had a lot of
fun that day. Um. That was back when you know
when liman get a little love it in commercials, you know,
I mean because I did that. Let's see what I
did the McDonald's commercial. We did the the the Sunday
stud for GMC where we took over a news station,
(22:34):
um the offensive line. And then we did the Campbell's
Chunky Soup um commercial one that was my mom. Yeah
wasn't that Super Bowl year? Was that? That was right
after Super Bowl? Yea, okay, yeah, yeah, because yeah, and
my and my mom was was the Campbell Chunky Soup
mom for that? That was your mom was? So did
(22:56):
she like, hold it over, say, you know she's a
movie star. Now you big Now. She thanked me because
you know, it was it was, it was. It was
an unfortunate situation that led to her having the opportunity.
Uh but but but you know we we we we
made it work. We made it work. We had we had,
we had. The show must go on. So well that
(23:18):
was that was because Ben was supposed to be featured
because you know, they were picking quarterback moms back there
because it was Donovan McNabb and his mom. Well, Ben
had had the motorcycle accident at that part. That's right. Oh,
I forgot all about that. So and my mom just
happened to be in town and they were like, well,
whose mom is here? I was like minus. I raised
my hand immediately. That's beautiful. Even though my mom was
(23:44):
in Florida. I was like, she's here, she's here, she
can do it. I called my mom and I was like, Mom,
get on the flight right now, right now, come right now.
And so and then my mom got to be Campbell's
chunky sup mom. So for that that would be pretty cool.
It was awesome. It was awesome. It was like a
lifelong thing. My mom always wanted to do something in
(24:07):
like a commercial or or TV, and so she got in. Yeah,
that was awesome. Well, you know, it's like there's always
that that sort of like little danger with mom, you know,
in a in a and you've got you know, cameras
and recording equipment, and you know you're afraid of like well,
like Hoopie, you get Hoopie going, Man, you never know
what she's gonna do. She's like she's a wild cannon. Man.
(24:29):
You just don't know what what what kind of what
Hoopie is gonna pull off there when you put her
on the air. But but that but that's the best
part about it, right, Wolf, that's the best part about it.
You never know and it might be gold. I'm saying
that now because I've already gone through it. So yes,
I was stressed the hell out that my mom was like, Mom,
(24:50):
please don't, please, please don't start reprimanding like the camera
crew or the producer or the director or anybody on
the set. Do not do do not be my mom
at this moment. Be the elevated version of my mom.
Who's not who's not going to uh, who's not who's
not gonna put anybody on time out. Yes, but I
just got I got a text from the good lady
(25:13):
Faith and that's been retweeted West. Yeah, saw, oh yes, Max,
you're already going out. Oh great. And we thought all
these years ago, almost twenty years ago, that that would
have you know, that would have gone away and faded away,
not anymore. Thank you West. All right, So would like
(25:37):
to know that if anybody has a big mac today,
you're welcome. Oh that's so good West. Nice work by you, buddy.
That was that's uh, that's excellent investigative work. Last last
week of the show. Max's birthday. We're having some fun. Yeah, absolutely,
gott to enjoy it. And by the way, we do
(25:59):
want to open up the own lines four one to one, three,
one six. The question of the day are you optimistic
or pessimistic? You know, do you put more weight on
what happened last you know, this past year, in the
first half of the season or after the bye you
know kind of so, you know, I'm always an optimist, Max,
I can't help it. That's just kind of my nature,
(26:20):
you know, it is no you get you know, too
many years in the football trenches have taught me that
if you're down in the dumps. You're gonna stay down
it dumps there. You gotta be your own best sort
of cheerleader. You you absolutely have to be. You have
to you know, if you don't do it, who will
you know? If you And I think that's kind of
(26:42):
how you have to look at it, and optimism is
the best way. I mean, my wife always gets she's like,
why are you so optimistic about Like, hey, listen, you know,
because because I'm always like God's will, you know what
I'm saying, Like, like, if God deems it so, I
mean great, I will do my part, or I'll admit
when I don't do my part. But it's like other
than that, it's God's will. Like I can only affect myself.
(27:03):
I can't affect other people and what they decided to do.
You know. Um, guess what it's getting worse, Max. I
just gotta a tweet from a good lady Faith. She
just sent it to my brother, your brother Ronnie. Look,
so that'll be hazy when you you know, Gray, I'm
gonna here, I'm gonna hear about it tomorrow. But I
(27:25):
gotta tell you it's impressive though. That's a great shot
of you, you know, it's not like the good thing
is it's it's not one of those that, oh, you know,
you're not looking so very good, you are looking primo,
but that it's not me on the on the exhale
like been over after like like running like my seventh Gasser.
(27:45):
Those some of the worst, uh, the worst looks you
have a guy like it's like how it's like how
the cameraman catch me in like this moment? You know,
did he really need to do that? Yeah? You know
you didn't have to hit the click button on now
you knew was ex Haley, it's high speed. Come on,
you took seventeen shots. You found the one where my
stomach was the most extended. I'm like, come on, Max,
(28:09):
we might be we might be giving you some grief,
but I mean, make no mistake about it. That's like
to be in a McDonald's commercial. That's like bucket list
stuff right there. I would, man, I tell you what
I would. I'd steal candy from a two year old
to be in a McDonald's commercial. Yeah, Wesley, that might
have been a little t F I you know, t M.
(28:31):
I I don't know. I M a little too much
information trying to think of something that was like frowned
upon but not too egregious, And I landed on stealing
rece's from a from a toddler. That's what I got. Listen, listen,
here's my thing. All parents know you've all done it before.
Don't act like you haven't dug through your kids. How
(28:54):
find something that you wanted? Exactly? I'm like, every parent's
done it. I mean, if you haven't, you're either a
dentist or you just you just hate candy, you know
what I'm saying, Like that's the only two reasons I
could see why you candy. I mean, you know, even
if you're not a big fan of it, you still
don't hate it. I mean, you know, a little little reaches,
(29:15):
you know, peanut Berg cups. Oh, come on, that's great stuff.
Oh and see for me. So so I'm a sour guy. Guys,
Oh love sour patch, sour sour punch straws. You know
I'm that guy. So so yeah, so now they do
like for Halloween they did the individual like large size
(29:38):
sour patch kids, so like one big one and then
the individually rapper. So yes, have I have I been caught?
You know, in early November, pre Thanksgiving sneaking into my
kids into the pantry and going through my kids stuff
to find a blue raspberry sour patch. Kid, Yes I have.
(29:58):
I'm going to admit that right now. Statue of limitations
there in school, they can't hear. This is in Pittsburgh.
I'm okay. I east to my kids. Hey, it's a
daddy tax, all right, you gotta come and present your
bags to Dad. Dad's gonna go through to make sure
it's all safe. Listen, it's about time you start contributing
to this household. Yes, you can't pay rent, but you
(30:20):
can pay candy. Yes, at Easter to my fifteen month old.
You know she's she's not big enough guys to push
the lawnmower yet. I can't ever cut in the grass
quite yet, but she can let me steal a couple
take fives out of the out of the Halloween bed.
What's your favorite candy though? I mean, because seriously, you go,
(30:43):
you got peanut butter and chocolate are just perfect for
each other. They're great, al Right. I do like kit
kat bars too, because you could get those. You know,
you go into the movie theater, you get a couple
of those, and uh, I don't know. It just works
in a movie theater for whatever purpose. Yeah, you know,
it does, it does, and that's why, you know, for me,
(31:03):
I am always theater theater box sized candy is always great.
It's never bad that and of course a tub of
popcorn with nice hot butter flavoring on top of an
extra extra extra butter. So you don't you know what
my wife does? She does she she she does it
with the with the milk does she gets milk dud's
(31:25):
And she used to popcorn and then pops some milk
dud in there and then it kind of melts in
this like chocolate caramel. Yeah, it's a little combination thing
that she learned in doctor in school there. You know.
I don't know, Well, she worked in a movie theater
growing up, so that was like one of her first jobs.
She worked at a movie theater. So I think that's
(31:46):
where she probably developed that when you spend that much
time there and you've got all that popcorn, you start
creating experiments. And so that was one that she that
that stuck. Well, I would definitely, yeah, definitely, you know,
so it was a good one. I like, I like
they get the chocolate, you got the peanut butter. But
I also like oreos to I mean double stuff, because
here's the thing about the Oreos. They rip you off
(32:09):
when the single ones, and then they went to double stuff,
which was tremendous. Then they reduced the double the double stuff.
You know, I mean, I wish they would get consistent.
Come on, this is getting ridiculous. You know, what, are
you gonna go triple stuff? Come on? I mean, why not?
Why not? Wolf? Well, that's that's what That's what I asked,
(32:32):
you know, why not? Or go double decker stuff? All right?
All right, yes, there you go. Double decker stuff would
be a good one. So you have three cookie layers
and two and two of the cream layers in one
cookie sandwich? How good would that be? That really sounds good?
You know. I mean that because you know, let's face it,
(32:53):
like my daughter is kind of like the golden Oreos,
which like, as a purist, I'm like in the red
velvet one, they're Daddy's red velvet. I'm like, ah, but
Oreos and Oreo I just want the creaming and a
little chocolate cookie. You know, I'm good with that. You
don't have to get fancy with me or I get
you gotta sell stuff. And I don't like the soft ones.
(33:14):
Do you see those soft ones are kind of like
puffy on the outside. No, no, that doesn't work. It's
not it's not I mean because that now, that looks
like an unglazed whoopie pie. You know what I'm saying.
It's not the same. It's not the same. He whoopie pie.
I couldn't couldn't call it any better than that, all right,
you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let let's get to a break.
(33:35):
Let's get break. The phone lines are open at the
top of the hour. Though. We do have our Alvaro
Martine coming in and he's gonna come in and give
us a lesson in all things Espanola, and then uh,
we'll just keep taking calls all day, all right, yes,
absolute toutely that's a word. I didn't even know what's happening, right?
(33:57):
And what's what's your favorite candy? That's what we oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
exactly favorite candy? And and everything else FO six in
the locker room, Wolf starts and the Euler bomb. I
guess I'm safe for the rest of the day. That's
Wes's new nickname. We're doing nicknames here. I just figured
he's going to be that for now. On on set radio,
we'll be back. This is in the locker room with
(34:34):
Wolf and Starks on EESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers Nation Radio,
presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F one fifty
is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, I'm
down here on the field with big old Max Starts,
and first of all, it is a big old welcome
to have you back in the house and back in
the lineup. Max. Uh, thank you, thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah,
(34:55):
it feels really good to be back in a atlant
I could come back and uh, you know, give a
w to the city of Pittsburgh. It's amazing that on
three days practice, just two in pads, that you pulled
off a performance like this. Talk about it a little bit, um.
You know. One of the great things about being coming
back to a team that I played for for seven
years makes it easy when you know when you know
what the what the offense is and you have to
(35:17):
have a mastery of it from YouTube rough and um,
you know the biggest thing, I knew what I was doing.
There was very little changes and we just had a
good time, you know, getting ready, We got over all
all the nervousness and we just wanted to make sure
that we came out here communicated cleanly, and we got
it done today. Did it feel kind of like riding
a bike again? You just got back out there and
after the first pass rush, first kind of a head butt,
(35:38):
there was no problem. Yeah. You know. One of the
biggest things was fortunately, I guess coming the week of
double padded practice week, so I got a lot of
the anxiety out of the way. But if by going
back to back pad today, so I kind of made
the body get used to the hitting. So when it
came out the game time, I actually felt a little
bit slower than I was anticipating, so it was a
good feeling. Last question here, you got a little postgame
(35:59):
meal here, what are you gonna load up on? If
you say Brussels sprots, I'm gonna smack you sprouse. But
you know, you know, one thing I learned in my
time off is that if if it can run, fly,
or swim, it's good for me. So as long as
I stay away from cow, buffalo and all the other
hoof hooved animals, you know, and just stick the fish
chicken and uh some turkey. I'll be good. Thank you.
(36:19):
Mark's good luck to your brother. Thanks. Of course you
too were talking about food. Of course, of course. See
therefore it's not an accident. It's not an accident. The
Wolf and I would have a show together and food
would be a topic all the time. Faith, family, football
and food. There you go. Absolutely, that is absolutely hilarious.
(36:43):
I forgot about that that you came back just on
a couple of days, noticing Bamo right back into the lineup. Yeah, exactly, Yeah,
I mean it was funny. So that was after that
was after im herning in a disk in my neck
and had to have surgery right neck, and so I
was released after them after you know, it was a
(37:05):
post CB a stuff, and I got released, and so
I was. I was just out in Arizona training and
then I got the call after week four, Hey, Max,
we want to bring you back. I was actually funny enough.
I was in Detroit, funny enough of all places. I
was in Detroit on a workout, and midway through the
work I guess Kevin Colbert called the GM over there
(37:25):
at uh AT in Detroit. He might he might know
the phone number there since that's where Pittsburgh probably yeah,
is that Hey, we want to resign Max? Uh send
send them out. So they literally came in and were like,
all right, workouts over Max, shower up, there's there'll be
a car outside for you. Uh you know, the Steels
(37:47):
want to resign you. What. I was like, what that happens?
But you got don't you guys get like first ride
and refusal or something. I'm like, because I'm technically here
right now, not not. Kevin said he wanted to resign you.
So it's like, wow, okay. So I just remember getting it,
getting in a car up in the Lion's practice facility
(38:08):
and going straight to the airport and then flying into Pittsburgh.
Got didn't like tend something at night, and then a
car service picked me up even though I still lived there.
My car is still there at my house, my wife
is still there in Pittsburgh. Um, so the car goes.
We go straight to the south Side facility. I go
upstairs and coaches are a meeting. So I go into
(38:28):
the little offensive meeting room and coach Tomlins sitting in there.
Coog's is in there, and um, I want to say,
and b A like walked in um. You know, after
I walked in there and they looked at me, said,
all right, you look good. All right, we'll go side
in the paperwork. We'll see we'll see you tomorrow morning
for team meeting. I was like, that's it, that's it,
(38:51):
that's that's that's it. That there's no workout, there's no conversation,
nothing like not you're good, just go uh go get it.
We'll see you in the morning. And then I get
there in the warning and go through meets. You know,
everybody's you know, gives me well wishes, hands be back,
blah blah blah. Walking to the offensive line meeting room,
Coog is writing out the list for the week. He's like,
all right and starting lineup, alright, Uh, Willie you're you're
(39:14):
you're right tackle. Uh yeah, Um, I forgot who it
was at right guard. Um that week I want to say.
I want to say, I think Trade might have been
starting that week at right guard. Um. And then it
was like all right, and then um, Heartwig its center
and yeah you know Chris you're left guard, and yeah
(39:37):
Max you're left tackle. Nothing's changed, alright, so there we go.
Any questions. I raised my hand, He's like, put your
hand down. Max. All right, listen, let's go to meet
And I'm like, like, what what do you mean I'm starting.
I haven't been you know, like I hadn't played a
game at that point in eleven months. I got injured
in the Cincinnati game right after Halloween and and that's
(40:00):
when I hurt my neck. And then that's the year.
We went all the way through the Super Bowl forty five. Um.
And then I was released and then I come back
and it was Jacksonville week and they're like, all right,
and uh we got double pads this week. You know.
Coach I was like, hey, welcome Max back. We were
gonna have double padded practices. I was like, uh so
to you're you're persign a non grata there exactly, Like
(40:23):
goes back, Yeah, exactly. I was like, hey, at least
we get it out of the way, right guys, I mean,
we're ready have that. Then week nine getting double padded practices. Um,
but but so yeah, and then I went through practice
and then playing the game of coups like, okay, Max,
we gotta get you out in one series. Obviously, you
haven't played eleven months. You know, we're gonna get you
a series off in the first half. All right, cool,
(40:45):
you know, I'm I'm just going with the flow. I'm like, listen,
I'm just trying to get my wind up. I'm trying
to make sure that I'm ready for this. I didn't
go through training camp, and they're five weeks in the season.
Everybody's in mid season form, and I'm just fresh off,
you know, fresh off the couch, and I just remember
the first half. I'm like, Okay, is it good. He's like, ah,
we'll get to it. We'll get to it. And then
we get and then so the first half goes no
(41:07):
break play every snap, and then we get to the
second half. It was like, all right, I gotta do
it this half. The trainers that got on me, we
don't we we don't want you to hurt anything, you know,
or pull anything. So we're gonna get you out. So
it's like literally like the second drive of the second
half and we're like on our own. So we're we're
about to we're about to go like four and out
(41:29):
and we run a fake punt. Ryan Mundy runs the
fake punt, gets it down, he runs it, he runs
in from about fifty yards. We're inside the red zone.
I'm ringing out in the field say no, no, no, no, no, Max,
You're out this time. I'm like what, I'm like, we're
literally about to score like two plays. Like we're inside
like the ten yard line, and this is the series
you're going to take off? You couldn't take me off
(41:50):
when we were backed up in our own end zone
in the five. You choose, this is my series? And
what do we do? We score in the next two plays,
Like all right, you're serious off, you're back here? Well
thanks exactly, Like, well, thanks, well, thanks, guys, appreciate that.
If that's the case, something like what the hell? Two
plays really can give me like a ten play drive
(42:12):
off if you're gonna give me a break? Unbelievable. What
was that against? By the way, the Jaguars? Jaguars? Okay,
I played the Jags up in Pittsburgh. I ended up
getting The only time I ever got a game ball
was that game. Was that game I got my first
game ball. You know, it's interesting because there was there
(42:33):
was something going on in my life at that time, remember,
and it takes me right back to that. We don't
have time to talk about it now though, because we
got a Varo Marteam coming Martin and Oh the Power Hour,
Yes coming up next on Senes. Were in radio, You're
in the locker room.
M m h m h. This is in the locker
(00:21):
Room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F
one is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers Out
the Gates. Breaking News from the s n R Breaking
(00:46):
News Desk and the Department of Redundancy Department. I am
Wesley Joeler. Ladies and gentlemen, It's Max Starks, his forty
one birthday to do hit it. Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Dear Max, big birthday.
(01:17):
Could you get a worse than that one? Oh my god,
that was tremendous. Thank you guys so much. I really
that was awesome. It is your birthday, right, We got
it right? Right? Correct? Correct? You did? It is on
this day. I had a like triple check that this morning. Max.
(01:39):
I was like, we better get this right. We better
not mess this up. Kudos to Missy Matthews who got
who made sure that we knew right. Awesome, Thanks Missy.
Now you know it's funny. My mom texted me yesterday
for my birthday. I was like, I was, I was like,
I was like and then and then and then after that,
(02:01):
I know that I realized that my mom texted like
the rest of my family. So I literally got like
all these I was. I was like, I love all
of you, but my birthday is tomorrow. I was like,
stop making me older than I am. I was like,
I was like mom, and Mom was like, oh, I
was just getting on top of it ahead of time.
You know, if I get busy. I just I was like, really,
(02:23):
you're gonna get busy on my birthday and forget the text.
I was like, God, bless mothers. I love my mom
exact Hey real quick too as well. Max. It is
also my wife's birthday today, so I happy birthdays my wife.
My wife Morgan is thirty two today. So I tell
(02:45):
you what I mean. January ten. That's a that's a
pretty good day. This is a good day. Ever, Alright,
well we better sing miss Morgan happy birthday too, you know,
on account we don't want her to feel left out.
So boys, that striking up one, two, three, Happy bad
be birthday, bday, Happy birth more more bird Did we
(03:26):
kill that one or what? Yeah, listen killed it, killed
it in a good way. Everybody just tuned out. Yeah, exactly,
They're like, what is going on? Well, I think that was.
I think that was a little injection of life for
everybody because this is the greatest day of the year. Uh,
you know, not to shoot my own horn, but you know,
I feel like, you know, God made the month of
(03:48):
January and then after that, you know, he tried eleven
other times to make it just as good. What we know, though,
is you weren't an in seasoned baby, right, we know that, right, Yes,
you know there's problems within seasoned babies. You know what
I mean. Now, did you have any kids? But you
(04:09):
didn't have any kids when you were playing, did you? Well?
I did. Wait, and after we beat r G three
in Washington and the Washington then Redskins um at home beautiful. Right,
So what was your what was your birthday and experience like?
Because I had it was it was a couple there.
(04:32):
It was bad. It was bad. I'm not gonna lie.
I fell asleep. I fell asleep on the couch in
in in her room, in the room like where Tiffany
is like you know, in labor, like laboring, I'm like
snoring on the couch and then and then they woke
me up for the birthday. So yeah, it was. It
(04:55):
was bad. You know, it is one of those things.
It's it was like I was like panic stricken in
my first couple. But then you know, I've I've had
six kids, so it's like, you know, you kind of
getting a groove. You know, you gotta rhythm, you gotta
rhythm there, but that about it, you know. Oh my goodness. Well,
(05:15):
welcome everybody. This is the locker room It's not it's
not Birthday Central, but uh and apparently we've turned it
into that. This is the uh what what would you
call it? The locker room Chorus team. Yeah, yeah, locker
room course line, the coral group. Yes, there you go.
Oh Max. So next question, I gotta ask you, are
you gonna watch the Curse of Oak Island tonight? You
(05:39):
know what? I am going to of course finish my
my my, my discovery of that. I'm going to continue
to watch that. I mean, it is it is a
staple in the house. Um, I have work because because
I have serious XM tonight too, you have, Yeah, I
have late hits, so I will have it on in
the background Island. Yeah exactly. I do it with no
(06:03):
volume and I do close captions, so I can still
stay up to that and as well as keep everybody
up to date on NFL news around the league as well.
So yeah, so no, I will be watching the Christ
of Oak Island. I mean, it's it's it's such a
great it's a drama now at this point, it's gotten
to that point. Yes, it's truly a drama. I mean,
(06:23):
you know, you're you're, you're, you're getting closer, and you
keep finding all these little things, the water samples, the
core drillings, and I'm just like, come on, guys, I
just need to see give me a gold coin that
you know what. That's all I need wof At this point,
I'm tired. I'm tired of the flakes of gold in
the water. I just need If I see one coin,
(06:43):
we're good for the next ten years, you know what
I'm saying, Like, that's all I mean. I'm looking. They
found some voids down there, now, I mean, you gotta
figure something's there, because who in the eighteen hundreds you're
digging sevent hundred you're digging eighty feet down and putting
tunnels on some in the middle of the Atlantic. It's
(07:07):
one of the worst palaces ever. If that's the case,
you know, yeah, talk about a hobbit hole. I mean,
I mean no, I mean there has there has to be.
There's something important there. You don't just dig unless somebody
was trying to literally see if they can dig to China.
I don't know, but there has exactly Do you imagine
(07:33):
that He's like, hey, you can just dig a hole
straight through the earth to China. No, No, you can't, know,
you can't. There's it's like this thing called, you know,
a core that has like liquid hot magma. That's where
volcanoes come from. Like all that's in the middle of
the Earth can't go there. So hopefully they figured that out. Um,
but but yeah, no, there has to be something down there.
There has to be. The templars may way too many
(07:53):
trips here. They knew it was a stash island, you know,
pirates that there is definitely something of significance down there,
and I hope we get to find it me too,
because I honestly I know something's down there, Dad coming,
There's got to be something down there, all right, turning
our our attention forward, because we're gonna watch that tonight,
(08:14):
by the way, Yeah, we'll watch and we'll talk on
anybody that wants to talk on the Curse of OCA
and we'll do that tomorrow. Yes, yes, we we. We
will be taking all calls related to Curse of Oak
Island Steelers Nation. We're also a fan We're also a
fan club. Yes, yes, who we are. There's no doubt
about it. All. Right, let me ask you something. Were
(08:36):
you at all uh just combobulated over Cam? Hey? We're
talking about the fact that, uh, well, you know, if
they want to be here, do they want me here?
You know? Basically, did that discombobulate you at all? Max?
It did a little bit. I was like, wait a second,
hold on, I was like, what what what does Cam say? Like?
(08:57):
Why wouldn't they want you? Just had ten and a
half sacks? You're the leader of this team, um, one
of the greatest games against exactly. I mean, you're you
had your the heartbeat. Why would you think that they
would not want you here anymore? But I get it.
I get It's that it's now turned to that business
time of year, right Wolf, where you know you're looking
(09:18):
at you know, cap numbers, this, that and the other.
What needs to be done? Where's the youth movement? Um? So?
I mean he has he has every right to question.
But Cam's in a rare situation. Cam is like Ben right,
like like He's like, you know, we'll we'll see when
you decide to give it up for the most part,
(09:38):
or we think that you've declined significantly in your skill set,
which I don't think he has. Um. Yeah, yeah, he
needs to just go ahead and just you know, I
think I think make sure that he is he is secure,
you know, moving forward. But you have to have that realization,
you know, does you know because it's so raw right
(09:59):
now out you know, is is this also you speaking
out and hoping that hey, maybe they did make the
decisions supposed to me make the decision, and then I
don't have to come to terms with it. I mean,
all those things kind of happen for for all of
us at different points will but but yeah, that was
that was something very soon to have that conversation. Usually
you hear that March right all right, right or the
(10:23):
end of February, right before free agency, not not not
not two days after the season. You know, I I
at first I thought is my Ron would say, you
know what I mean, what's what's he doing? And then
one of the things I realized I was listening to
Mike Tomlin press conference and Mike was talking about that,
and you know, he said, actually, he said, you know,
that's more of the exposing that humble side of Cam.
(10:47):
You know what who Cam is. You know that he
would never take it for granted that oh yeah, they
want me back, or yet he does not take this
life presented to him now as as being for granted.
And I thought, man, what that That is great leadership
and humility and a great way to have your lead
dog kind of show. This is what it looks like
(11:08):
to be a great pro to have that sort of
gratitude that listen, I I've I've had such a great
opportunity to to play and be become the athlete and
and man that I am. Through his experience with the
Steelers and here, you know, one of the things he
shows is great humility. Well you know, they might not
(11:28):
want me, I know what, you know, I thought that
was tremendous and I really thought it spoke to um
the humility that he exudes like such as he is
a kind of guy. As might pointed out, he'll put
tape on his helmet in a training camp setting with
his last name on it. You know, it's it's sort
of kind of that humble approach to I, I gotta
(11:49):
earn my way into onto my you know, the team
each and every year. I think I just thought it
was a great example of leadership and humility bound together. Yes,
I mean, because I love you point out to Sacks
what the Raiders game showed me, showed everybody he still
(12:12):
is the man down in the trenches. And Sunday's game
showed you that he's still the man in the trenches.
I mean absolutely one and a half sacks in that
game too. Should have had two and a half, you know. Um,
but once again, and we're gonna let that die. I'm not.
I'm not gonna I'm not gonna peel the band aid
(12:32):
off of that wound just yet again. We we we
definitely went through our feelings yesterday about it. But it's
it's like, no, this dude when he wants to be unblockable,
Like it's not even fair, Like like why would you
even start a rookie interior offensive linemen against the Steelers
when he's there? Like yeah, absolutely utter destruction. I mean
(12:57):
you think of Cordell Bolson first game in the remember
that for for first first first snap, he destroyed that guy.
And then, like you said, Dylan Parham also horrible day
in the office. Um, and and even guys yesterday. I
mean you're talking about some really good interior offensive linement
(13:19):
for the Browns and they didn't look so good. Seriously good. Yeah,
and and and they got whipped. So you know, Cam
is still one of the elite ones. I know he
was an alternate for the Pro Bowl, but I'm sure
you know that's the problem with the Pro Bowl voting, right.
Imagine it hadn't been at the end of the season,
(13:40):
and he attended to havel Sacks as the interior alignment.
But a different story. Um. But but I think, you know,
for Cam, the humility, the the like you said, never
taking it for granted. I think because this is a privilege,
not not not an expectation. Um, you know, to play
(14:01):
in the National Football League and to have played for
as long as he has, and to play at the
level that he has. You know, he knows that this
is a privilege. Like if somebody decides they don't want
my services, what can I do? Right? You know, you
know you're you're beholden, you know, to to your team
and to your boss. And so if they if they
deem it that they don't want your services anymore, then
(14:23):
you know, it makes it a lot tougher. Trust me,
you and I have both been there where we've wanted
to but they did not want to honor it. So
you know, it's one of those things where you you
don't take it for granted. It is a privilege and
that there is an end at some point. And Cam
is just making sure that he covers all his bases.
And I just I can't believe that humility to be
(14:45):
able to say and express that I want to be here,
you know, and hopefully they want me. I just I
find that very that you got to have people in
your life that that speak to you the lessons of life.
You know, John Cole, Mike Webs, those guys, Tone Chilkin
was all big and huge in my life and they
spoke lessons into my life. And a guy that you see,
(15:08):
you know just like like this, uh Cam, you know
he's speaking to other other guys in the team. You know,
this is this is how you conduct yourself, this is
the way you go about business. I just find that
very uh refreshing. I guess is the word I'm searching
for when I consider the fact that, you know, this
guy is so revered in the locker room and respected
(15:30):
and outside the locker room, and what we're respect and
revered in the locker room two. Um so, And all
I'm saying is, you know, I like the fact that
he's setting a precedent and showing young guys again, this
is this is the way you walk role models, role models. Yeah,
big brother, not not just a meatball express, but to
(15:53):
all of those young guys in the locker room. And
we we will come up with a better nickname for Connor. Oh,
there is no doubt about it before next year. He
is significant. By the way, it's his older brother that
first named him, see exactly. So you know what, what, well,
we'll we'll consort with with cam and we will figure
out another nickname because I mean, because technically we don't
(16:18):
have a nickname. I mean, Captain cam Is is the
only one we have, really Camp Heyward, because obviously he's
outgrowing the moniker of little iron Head. Um So yeah, so,
I mean, we we do need some new nicknames, you know.
And I think you know what, Wolf, I think that
is what we'll do for training camp next year, come
(16:39):
up nicknames. Yeah, we're gonna have a nickname segment and
we're just we're just gonna pitch out a bunch of
different nicknames to see which one stick, and then we'll
let Steeler's Nation decide how how we will proceed. I
think that's a good one. I like that. We're we're
the pencil that have the pin that one um and
of course get the blessing of since a Lamb in
the process. Because obviously he was like, no, guys, we're
(17:01):
not going to spend an entire show talking about nicknames.
But I feel like we could. You thought we were.
But here's the here's the key, fellas, if they want
us back. No, hey, you you are absolutely correct, Wolf. Yes,
if we are blessed enough to come back and be
(17:21):
back in the locker room and on the sidelines and
up in the booth, then yes, we will come up
with that. You're absolutely right. Do not do not put
things out there in the universe, because we do have to.
We do have to renew our contracts too. Yeah. When's
exit meeting? Yeah, yeah, exact exactly. Where's my sign up sheet? Yeah,
what are you talking about? My foot is not in
(17:43):
the parking line because well, the reason why is because
I have auto start, so I don't have to put
my feet out to actually hit the remote. Now, you know,
I really wonder how much did you play in the
in the time period when they had air helmets facts,
Just wondering, Yeah, you know what, what are you? What
(18:04):
are you talking about? What are you talking about? The
just in a little comment, I mean, you know what
was it? Was it really air helmets? I mean, I mean,
I'm already full of hot errors. It is really need
a helmet on top of that. You go, oh my gosh, no,
this is too funny. Well, all right, we're gonna step aside.
I appreciate the well wishes. It is a great January
(18:28):
tenth day here in the locker room. We will be
back after these messages. He's Wolf, I'm Starks, and the
Euler bomb is over there in the engineering room. We'll
be back at the moment. This is in the locker
(18:50):
room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F
one is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It
all comes down to this. At that score, I win.
But when I'm playing for Big Mac and the premium
Crispy Chicken Classic Extra Value mail, I'm playing for keeps. Charlie. Yeah,
(19:14):
I never said anything about using a kicker, never said
it couldn't. You just can't lose when you choose the
great old school taste of a Big Mac or a
premium Crispy Chicken Extra Value deal at McDonald's. No hard feelings, thanks, Charlie.
(19:37):
The fact of the matter, you're just we're kind of
like trolling through trying to find some Max Stark stuff
by which we can. Don't you do that? You know, well,
one more time here, because I know you had some
some audio issues there. That my fault. We're trying to
(19:57):
do a lot here on the fly. But let this
just play one more time. I'll come down to this.
At that score, planning for Big Mac and premium Crispy
Chicken Classic Extra Value Mail, I'm playing for keeps, Charlie. Yeah,
I never said anything about using a kicker, never said
it couldn't. You just can't lose when you choose the
(20:20):
great old school taste of a Big Mac or a
premium Crispy Chicken Extra Value deal at McDonald's halls. Thanks Charlie.
I'm so mad. It's you guys for kidding. You got
that old McDonald's commercial. May or may not be on
my Twitter account as well too on Twitter dot com.
(20:42):
If you West, if you send that to me, I
think I can find I can make sure that finds
its way to the good Lady Faith. You got it.
My gosh, you guys. Well, we had all kinds of
kio going on there because I couldn't hear any of
it because there was something going on with this or
that the gremlins. But West got it straightened out. But
(21:03):
the funny part was watching that and seeing a very
young Charlie Batch and a very young Max Starts with
the big hair. Do you had the troll ha do that? Yeah? Man,
hey listen, big hair, don't care. You know that. That's
what it was back in the day. Had Lucius had
luscious locks, you did, and you had it pulled up top.
(21:25):
But the thing that was was pretty cool was I
like the Pipe's brother sons out, guns out. I mean,
you got the jersey and you know you're sitting there.
Charlie looked, you know, Charlie was was he looked very appropriate. Nights.
But he's a quarterback. He's a quarterback. Cut you know,
you're looking bigger than oh Man, Yeah, you look great there.
(21:46):
Oh my god. Yeah, that was hilarious. And then of
course Jay Reid standing on the table. That was hilarious
when we were filming that, uh because you know, because
Jeff is like on the table in a kicking stand
and I'm like, listen, I don't even want you to
practice the swing because then then the football, the paper
football was it was hilarious. Yes, oh my gosh that
(22:12):
that that was. I mean, we had a lot of
fun that day. Um. That was back when you know
when liman get a little love it in commercials, you know,
I mean because I did that. Let's see what I
did the McDonald's commercial. We did the the the Sunday
stud for GMC where we took over a news station,
(22:34):
um the offensive line. And then we did the Campbell's
Chunky Soup um commercial one that was my mom. Yeah
wasn't that Super Bowl year? Was that? That was right
after Super Bowl? Yea, okay, yeah, yeah, because yeah, and
my and my mom was was the Campbell Chunky Soup
mom for that? That was your mom was? So did
(22:56):
she like, hold it over, say, you know she's a
movie star. Now you big Now. She thanked me because
you know, it was it was, it was. It was
an unfortunate situation that led to her having the opportunity.
Uh but but but you know we we we we
made it work. We made it work. We had we had,
we had. The show must go on. So well that
(23:18):
was that was because Ben was supposed to be featured
because you know, they were picking quarterback moms back there
because it was Donovan McNabb and his mom. Well, Ben
had had the motorcycle accident at that part. That's right. Oh,
I forgot all about that. So and my mom just
happened to be in town and they were like, well,
whose mom is here? I was like minus. I raised
my hand immediately. That's beautiful. Even though my mom was
(23:44):
in Florida. I was like, she's here, she's here, she
can do it. I called my mom and I was like, Mom,
get on the flight right now, right now, come right now.
And so and then my mom got to be Campbell's
chunky sup mom. So for that that would be pretty cool.
It was awesome. It was awesome. It was like a
lifelong thing. My mom always wanted to do something in
(24:07):
like a commercial or or TV, and so she got in. Yeah,
that was awesome. Well, you know, it's like there's always
that that sort of like little danger with mom, you know,
in a in a and you've got you know, cameras
and recording equipment, and you know you're afraid of like well,
like Hoopie, you get Hoopie going, Man, you never know
what she's gonna do. She's like she's a wild cannon. Man.
(24:29):
You just don't know what what what kind of what
Hoopie is gonna pull off there when you put her
on the air. But but that but that's the best
part about it, right, Wolf, that's the best part about it.
You never know and it might be gold. I'm saying
that now because I've already gone through it. So yes,
I was stressed the hell out that my mom was like, Mom,
(24:50):
please don't, please, please don't start reprimanding like the camera
crew or the producer or the director or anybody on
the set. Do not do do not be my mom
at this moment. Be the elevated version of my mom.
Who's not who's not going to uh, who's not who's
not gonna put anybody on time out. Yes, but I
just got I got a text from the good lady
(25:13):
Faith and that's been retweeted West. Yeah, saw, oh yes, Max,
you're already going out. Oh great. And we thought all
these years ago, almost twenty years ago, that that would
have you know, that would have gone away and faded away,
not anymore. Thank you West. All right, So would like
(25:37):
to know that if anybody has a big mac today,
you're welcome. Oh that's so good West. Nice work by you, buddy.
That was that's uh, that's excellent investigative work. Last last
week of the show. Max's birthday. We're having some fun. Yeah, absolutely,
gott to enjoy it. And by the way, we do
(25:59):
want to open up the own lines four one to one, three,
one six. The question of the day are you optimistic
or pessimistic? You know, do you put more weight on
what happened last you know, this past year, in the
first half of the season or after the bye you
know kind of so, you know, I'm always an optimist, Max,
I can't help it. That's just kind of my nature,
(26:20):
you know, it is no you get you know, too
many years in the football trenches have taught me that
if you're down in the dumps. You're gonna stay down
it dumps there. You gotta be your own best sort
of cheerleader. You you absolutely have to be. You have
to you know, if you don't do it, who will
you know? If you And I think that's kind of
(26:42):
how you have to look at it, and optimism is
the best way. I mean, my wife always gets she's like,
why are you so optimistic about Like, hey, listen, you know,
because because I'm always like God's will, you know what
I'm saying, Like, like, if God deems it so, I
mean great, I will do my part, or I'll admit
when I don't do my part. But it's like other
than that, it's God's will. Like I can only affect myself.
(27:03):
I can't affect other people and what they decided to do.
You know. Um, guess what it's getting worse, Max. I
just gotta a tweet from a good lady Faith. She
just sent it to my brother, your brother Ronnie. Look,
so that'll be hazy when you you know, Gray, I'm
gonna here, I'm gonna hear about it tomorrow. But I
(27:25):
gotta tell you it's impressive though. That's a great shot
of you, you know, it's not like the good thing
is it's it's not one of those that, oh, you know,
you're not looking so very good, you are looking primo,
but that it's not me on the on the exhale
like been over after like like running like my seventh Gasser.
(27:45):
Those some of the worst, uh, the worst looks you
have a guy like it's like how it's like how
the cameraman catch me in like this moment? You know,
did he really need to do that? Yeah? You know
you didn't have to hit the click button on now
you knew was ex Haley, it's high speed. Come on,
you took seventeen shots. You found the one where my
stomach was the most extended. I'm like, come on, Max,
(28:09):
we might be we might be giving you some grief,
but I mean, make no mistake about it. That's like
to be in a McDonald's commercial. That's like bucket list
stuff right there. I would, man, I tell you what
I would. I'd steal candy from a two year old
to be in a McDonald's commercial. Yeah, Wesley, that might
have been a little t F I you know, t M.
(28:31):
I I don't know. I M a little too much
information trying to think of something that was like frowned
upon but not too egregious, And I landed on stealing
rece's from a from a toddler. That's what I got. Listen, listen,
here's my thing. All parents know you've all done it before.
Don't act like you haven't dug through your kids. How
(28:54):
find something that you wanted? Exactly? I'm like, every parent's
done it. I mean, if you haven't, you're either a
dentist or you just you just hate candy, you know
what I'm saying, Like that's the only two reasons I
could see why you candy. I mean, you know, even
if you're not a big fan of it, you still
don't hate it. I mean, you know, a little little reaches,
(29:15):
you know, peanut Berg cups. Oh, come on, that's great stuff.
Oh and see for me. So so I'm a sour guy. Guys,
Oh love sour patch, sour sour punch straws. You know
I'm that guy. So so yeah, so now they do
like for Halloween they did the individual like large size
(29:38):
sour patch kids, so like one big one and then
the individually rapper. So yes, have I have I been caught?
You know, in early November, pre Thanksgiving sneaking into my
kids into the pantry and going through my kids stuff
to find a blue raspberry sour patch. Kid, Yes I have.
(29:58):
I'm going to admit that right now. Statue of limitations
there in school, they can't hear. This is in Pittsburgh.
I'm okay. I east to my kids. Hey, it's a
daddy tax, all right, you gotta come and present your
bags to Dad. Dad's gonna go through to make sure
it's all safe. Listen, it's about time you start contributing
to this household. Yes, you can't pay rent, but you
(30:20):
can pay candy. Yes, at Easter to my fifteen month old.
You know she's she's not big enough guys to push
the lawnmower yet. I can't ever cut in the grass
quite yet, but she can let me steal a couple
take fives out of the out of the Halloween bed.
What's your favorite candy though? I mean, because seriously, you go,
(30:43):
you got peanut butter and chocolate are just perfect for
each other. They're great, al Right. I do like kit
kat bars too, because you could get those. You know,
you go into the movie theater, you get a couple
of those, and uh, I don't know. It just works
in a movie theater for whatever purpose. Yeah, you know,
it does, it does, and that's why, you know, for me,
(31:03):
I am always theater theater box sized candy is always great.
It's never bad that and of course a tub of
popcorn with nice hot butter flavoring on top of an
extra extra extra butter. So you don't you know what
my wife does? She does she she she does it
with the with the milk does she gets milk dud's
(31:25):
And she used to popcorn and then pops some milk
dud in there and then it kind of melts in
this like chocolate caramel. Yeah, it's a little combination thing
that she learned in doctor in school there. You know.
I don't know, Well, she worked in a movie theater
growing up, so that was like one of her first jobs.
She worked at a movie theater. So I think that's
(31:46):
where she probably developed that when you spend that much
time there and you've got all that popcorn, you start
creating experiments. And so that was one that she that
that stuck. Well, I would definitely, yeah, definitely, you know,
so it was a good one. I like, I like
they get the chocolate, you got the peanut butter. But
I also like oreos to I mean double stuff, because
here's the thing about the Oreos. They rip you off
(32:09):
when the single ones, and then they went to double stuff,
which was tremendous. Then they reduced the double the double stuff.
You know, I mean, I wish they would get consistent.
Come on, this is getting ridiculous. You know, what, are
you gonna go triple stuff? Come on? I mean, why not?
Why not? Wolf? Well, that's that's what That's what I asked,
(32:32):
you know, why not? Or go double decker stuff? All right?
All right, yes, there you go. Double decker stuff would
be a good one. So you have three cookie layers
and two and two of the cream layers in one
cookie sandwich? How good would that be? That really sounds good?
You know. I mean that because you know, let's face it,
(32:53):
like my daughter is kind of like the golden Oreos,
which like, as a purist, I'm like in the red
velvet one, they're Daddy's red velvet. I'm like, ah, but
Oreos and Oreo I just want the creaming and a
little chocolate cookie. You know, I'm good with that. You
don't have to get fancy with me or I get
you gotta sell stuff. And I don't like the soft ones.
(33:14):
Do you see those soft ones are kind of like
puffy on the outside. No, no, that doesn't work. It's
not it's not I mean because that now, that looks
like an unglazed whoopie pie. You know what I'm saying.
It's not the same. It's not the same. He whoopie pie.
I couldn't couldn't call it any better than that, all right,
you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let let's get to a break.
(33:35):
Let's get break. The phone lines are open at the
top of the hour. Though. We do have our Alvaro
Martine coming in and he's gonna come in and give
us a lesson in all things Espanola, and then uh,
we'll just keep taking calls all day, all right, yes,
absolute toutely that's a word. I didn't even know what's happening, right?
(33:57):
And what's what's your favorite candy? That's what we oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
exactly favorite candy? And and everything else FO six in
the locker room, Wolf starts and the Euler bomb. I
guess I'm safe for the rest of the day. That's
Wes's new nickname. We're doing nicknames here. I just figured
he's going to be that for now. On on set radio,
we'll be back. This is in the locker room with
(34:34):
Wolf and Starks on EESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers Nation Radio,
presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F one fifty
is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, I'm
down here on the field with big old Max Starts,
and first of all, it is a big old welcome
to have you back in the house and back in
the lineup. Max. Uh, thank you, thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah,
(34:55):
it feels really good to be back in a atlant
I could come back and uh, you know, give a
w to the city of Pittsburgh. It's amazing that on
three days practice, just two in pads, that you pulled
off a performance like this. Talk about it a little bit, um.
You know. One of the great things about being coming
back to a team that I played for for seven
years makes it easy when you know when you know
what the what the offense is and you have to
(35:17):
have a mastery of it from YouTube rough and um,
you know the biggest thing, I knew what I was doing.
There was very little changes and we just had a
good time, you know, getting ready, We got over all
all the nervousness and we just wanted to make sure
that we came out here communicated cleanly, and we got
it done today. Did it feel kind of like riding
a bike again? You just got back out there and
after the first pass rush, first kind of a head butt,
(35:38):
there was no problem. Yeah. You know. One of the
biggest things was fortunately, I guess coming the week of
double padded practice week, so I got a lot of
the anxiety out of the way. But if by going
back to back pad today, so I kind of made
the body get used to the hitting. So when it
came out the game time, I actually felt a little
bit slower than I was anticipating, so it was a
good feeling. Last question here, you got a little postgame
(35:59):
meal here, what are you gonna load up on? If
you say Brussels sprots, I'm gonna smack you sprouse. But
you know, you know, one thing I learned in my
time off is that if if it can run, fly,
or swim, it's good for me. So as long as
I stay away from cow, buffalo and all the other
hoof hooved animals, you know, and just stick the fish
chicken and uh some turkey. I'll be good. Thank you.
(36:19):
Mark's good luck to your brother. Thanks. Of course you
too were talking about food. Of course, of course. See
therefore it's not an accident. It's not an accident. The
Wolf and I would have a show together and food
would be a topic all the time. Faith, family, football
and food. There you go. Absolutely, that is absolutely hilarious.
(36:43):
I forgot about that that you came back just on
a couple of days, noticing Bamo right back into the lineup. Yeah, exactly, Yeah,
I mean it was funny. So that was after that
was after im herning in a disk in my neck
and had to have surgery right neck, and so I
was released after them after you know, it was a
(37:05):
post CB a stuff, and I got released, and so
I was. I was just out in Arizona training and
then I got the call after week four, Hey, Max,
we want to bring you back. I was actually funny enough.
I was in Detroit, funny enough of all places. I
was in Detroit on a workout, and midway through the
work I guess Kevin Colbert called the GM over there
(37:25):
at uh AT in Detroit. He might he might know
the phone number there since that's where Pittsburgh probably yeah,
is that Hey, we want to resign Max? Uh send
send them out. So they literally came in and were like,
all right, workouts over Max, shower up, there's there'll be
a car outside for you. Uh you know, the Steels
(37:47):
want to resign you. What. I was like, what that happens?
But you got don't you guys get like first ride
and refusal or something. I'm like, because I'm technically here
right now, not not. Kevin said he wanted to resign you.
So it's like, wow, okay. So I just remember getting it,
getting in a car up in the Lion's practice facility
(38:08):
and going straight to the airport and then flying into Pittsburgh.
Got didn't like tend something at night, and then a
car service picked me up even though I still lived there.
My car is still there at my house, my wife
is still there in Pittsburgh. Um, so the car goes.
We go straight to the south Side facility. I go
upstairs and coaches are a meeting. So I go into
(38:28):
the little offensive meeting room and coach Tomlins sitting in there.
Coog's is in there, and um, I want to say,
and b A like walked in um. You know, after
I walked in there and they looked at me, said,
all right, you look good. All right, we'll go side
in the paperwork. We'll see we'll see you tomorrow morning
for team meeting. I was like, that's it, that's it,
(38:51):
that's that's that's it. That there's no workout, there's no conversation,
nothing like not you're good, just go uh go get it.
We'll see you in the morning. And then I get
there in the warning and go through meets. You know,
everybody's you know, gives me well wishes, hands be back,
blah blah blah. Walking to the offensive line meeting room,
Coog is writing out the list for the week. He's like,
all right and starting lineup, alright, Uh, Willie you're you're
(39:14):
you're right tackle. Uh yeah, Um, I forgot who it
was at right guard. Um that week I want to say.
I want to say, I think Trade might have been
starting that week at right guard. Um. And then it
was like all right, and then um, Heartwig its center
and yeah you know Chris you're left guard, and yeah
(39:37):
Max you're left tackle. Nothing's changed, alright, so there we go.
Any questions. I raised my hand, He's like, put your
hand down. Max. All right, listen, let's go to meet
And I'm like, like, what what do you mean I'm starting.
I haven't been you know, like I hadn't played a
game at that point in eleven months. I got injured
in the Cincinnati game right after Halloween and and that's
(40:00):
when I hurt my neck. And then that's the year.
We went all the way through the Super Bowl forty five. Um.
And then I was released and then I come back
and it was Jacksonville week and they're like, all right,
and uh we got double pads this week. You know.
Coach I was like, hey, welcome Max back. We were
gonna have double padded practices. I was like, uh so
to you're you're persign a non grata there exactly, Like
(40:23):
goes back, Yeah, exactly. I was like, hey, at least
we get it out of the way, right guys, I mean,
we're ready have that. Then week nine getting double padded practices. Um,
but but so yeah, and then I went through practice
and then playing the game of coups like, okay, Max,
we gotta get you out in one series. Obviously, you
haven't played eleven months. You know, we're gonna get you
a series off in the first half. All right, cool,
(40:45):
you know, I'm I'm just going with the flow. I'm like, listen,
I'm just trying to get my wind up. I'm trying
to make sure that I'm ready for this. I didn't
go through training camp, and they're five weeks in the season.
Everybody's in mid season form, and I'm just fresh off,
you know, fresh off the couch, and I just remember
the first half. I'm like, Okay, is it good. He's like, ah,
we'll get to it. We'll get to it. And then
we get and then so the first half goes no
(41:07):
break play every snap, and then we get to the
second half. It was like, all right, I gotta do
it this half. The trainers that got on me, we
don't we we don't want you to hurt anything, you know,
or pull anything. So we're gonna get you out. So
it's like literally like the second drive of the second
half and we're like on our own. So we're we're
about to we're about to go like four and out
(41:29):
and we run a fake punt. Ryan Mundy runs the
fake punt, gets it down, he runs it, he runs
in from about fifty yards. We're inside the red zone.
I'm ringing out in the field say no, no, no, no, no, Max,
You're out this time. I'm like what, I'm like, we're
literally about to score like two plays. Like we're inside
like the ten yard line, and this is the series
you're going to take off? You couldn't take me off
(41:50):
when we were backed up in our own end zone
in the five. You choose, this is my series? And
what do we do? We score in the next two plays,
Like all right, you're serious off, you're back here? Well
thanks exactly, Like, well, thanks, well, thanks, guys, appreciate that.
If that's the case, something like what the hell? Two
plays really can give me like a ten play drive
(42:12):
off if you're gonna give me a break? Unbelievable. What
was that against? By the way, the Jaguars? Jaguars? Okay,
I played the Jags up in Pittsburgh. I ended up
getting The only time I ever got a game ball
was that game. Was that game I got my first
game ball. You know, it's interesting because there was there
(42:33):
was something going on in my life at that time, remember,
and it takes me right back to that. We don't
have time to talk about it now though, because we
got a Varo Marteam coming Martin and Oh the Power Hour,
Yes coming up next on Senes. Were in radio, You're
in the locker room.
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