Opening Kickoff 5-28-25 Playoffs, Breaking Points in Football

On this show: Dave Steinwedel, Payton Girod, and David Miles are back to talk:

Payton driving from PA to Texas. (1:01-8:00)
The Steelers and Aaron Rodgers saga (8:01-28:30)
The rumblings coming out of College Football (28:31-40:00)
The NBA and NHL Playoffs (40:01-END)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
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next event probably Hello, Welcome to this week's edition of

(01:17):
the Opening Kickoff Podcast. We were off last week, resting
up for a busy Memorial the weekend for all of us,
but we're back. Sports are happening. We're down to the
conference finals in the NHL and the NBA. There's big
news in baseball from the team in Baltimore. We'll talk
about that, the NFL as the world turns in college

(01:38):
football making some noise here with some comments. So we'll
dive into a lot of things on this show. I'm
your host, Dave Steinmiel joined as always. Brandon Stevens is
not here. The government got a hold of him. He
will not be making this podcast, but I'm pleased to
be joined as always by That makes the same seem

(01:59):
like he like Ice got him or something. I want
everybody to know, that's not what I mean. That's not
what I not where that was going.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Just so everyone was getting them for Ice or he
is getting got by Ice, one of the other.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
That's what you made. It seem like no bolt points anymore.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
That's right, those is no more. And that's your politics
update here. On the opening kick off the podcasts, that
voice you just heard, Peyton Girod is back. Peyton, good
to see. How was your Memorial Day weekend?

Speaker 4 (02:30):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:31):
Packing? Moving? So getting gearing up for a long drive Texas.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
So gonna oh yours what else do I do.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
I'm not.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
You put it in the truck and you fly.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
What about my car?

Speaker 2 (02:47):
I thought, I thought about what about both aren't cars?

Speaker 4 (02:52):
You can put it on the training right? Amtrak had
the train that will ship your cars. That that's fair.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Well really more, I'm doing the pod, doing the pod,
the big container shipping container. No, I'm doing that will
be going on a big tractor, so kind of like
a train in a way. Uh yeah, No, I could
have sold the car, but I just got it last
year and I was like, it's got low miles, it's

(03:19):
not a bad payment. I'm like, gosh, should probably just
keep this thing. But yeah, packing Wallame, played some golf.
That's about it.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
Nothing.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
Now on what does does sav have a car too?

Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, so we're both gonna drive our cars. Also have
two animals, dog and a cat. Dog and cat cannot
be in the same fucking car. So that's definitely not
a no go.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
In theory.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Could have sold SAB's car, but Sad would never let
that happen because she loves her car. I'm actually not
gonna say that again because I might die if she
hears that.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
So uh no.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
From after college is white it's a grand, a grand Cherokee.
It's paid off, so that's also like I keep yeah yeah,
like yeah, just insurance, right, so yeah, yeah, I gotta
do that. It's it's got it's from like twenty eighteenth,
so it's got like eighty eighty thousand miles on it,
which is amazing eighty.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
I mean about the wreck up a lot, but.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
I was gonna say, you're gonna you're gonna hit some
miles here.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, but you know, I've heard horror stories of people
who own jeep own jeeps, and this one knock out
on wood has never had a problem, So oh.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
I wouldn't uh you know, you say that after you
make the trip, not before you make the trip Payton.

Speaker 5 (04:39):
Yeah, but I I think, like my experience working at Penske,
like I know, like it needs like the time, it
needs to be up kept and like stuff it needs
to be doing.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
Like word, if whatever they.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Ask you to put the the more expensive oil, fucking
do it. It's worth it. And then yeah, just keeping
up with the tie and all that stuff. So yeah,
I don't know, It's it's okay right now. So but
love it is a ways it is a ways away.
It's about a full day drive full twenty four Are
you driving.

Speaker 4 (05:12):
The whole thing? Are you making a pit stuff?

Speaker 3 (05:14):
Okay, I'm making four pit stuffs.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
That pond, that pond, that.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Pond has taken longer to get there than me, So
I'm dragging it out as long as i can. I'm
going to kid though, I'm gonna stop at the Pro
Football Fame first time I'm gonna do that.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
Try to see that. Uh and then uh head and
heading west if you will.

Speaker 6 (05:34):
You're gonna talk about this specific city on the border
of two sets that a friend of ours lives in.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Oh, no problem.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
You know what that guy, That guy acts so fucking
busy all the time, like now, like he actually like
he is doing so much shit. And I'm like, you know,
I know you work crazy hours, but like you know,
you have a lot of time to chirp and text
us about problems that you got with our fun dynasty league.
So it seems like you got a lot of time

(06:02):
on your hands. That just might be me saying that.
He started saying, like, I'm not gonna remind you all
next year about fucking when to play your guys, and like, please,
I would love for you to stop texting me, did
you did you get this scheduled?

Speaker 3 (06:16):
Did you get this scheduled? It's like my fucking dad
or something like that, and it's like.

Speaker 4 (06:21):
Yeah, Indian's defense.

Speaker 6 (06:23):
There are times to where for those of you who
don't know me, Payden and Dan are all in an
Anta college football video game online dynasty and for some.

Speaker 4 (06:33):
Reason this man is talking.

Speaker 6 (06:36):
Is the still the coach of North Carolina University after
having not one winning season.

Speaker 4 (06:45):
I have had one.

Speaker 3 (06:46):
I had nine. I had nine in the first year
and I went he had.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
One out of the ball.

Speaker 6 (06:52):
He's had a horrible season. Any top ten recruits, not
even that. A five star recruit that I can I've
gotten one.

Speaker 3 (07:02):
I've gotten one four stars for some reason.

Speaker 6 (07:05):
Yeah, if you if you're not the elite in you're
middle class, you're still refutable, like and c is, Yeah,
you'll land a lot of four stars.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
But the crazy part is is that you good.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
Just I just don't the room and and and I
don't know if Dave will resonate with this.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
The recruiting is just such a toll.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
I'm like gotta think about that, and I I just
hate doing it. I just want to play. I want
good people to come to. But I don't really want
to go talk to him. I want to general you
know what it is.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
I want a general manager that will go do it
for me.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
Hopefully the next game I can hire GM and he'll
just go fucking all right, where are we at?

Speaker 3 (07:46):
All right? We got that kid? How much? All right?

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Sweet?

Speaker 3 (07:48):
I'm just gonna get yeah. Yeah, you know what I
do pretty well, man, I'm in the league there.

Speaker 6 (07:54):
Yeah, yeah, Because I can tell you right now, just
put it on send the house, and then once you
have three means, then you put it on hard sell.
You schedule visit the second you can, and you always, guys,
get the team and you can beat like I scheduled
my against you, because I beat you three times.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
In the third time. I don't even know why we.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
Only played twice.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
I didn't play you when you were at A Yeah,
I didn't play another tech.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
We're one on one. We're one on one.

Speaker 4 (08:24):
It's a nasty one on one, by the way.

Speaker 1 (08:28):
That's that's David Miles talking right now. We got some
football stuff to dive into here before we get into
the playoffs, and a little baseball to wrap this up.
But let's start with the NFL and Peyton. We're gonna
start with Aaron Rodgers because I want to get this
just talked about and then get this out of the way.

(08:52):
Does Aaron Rodgers make the Steelers better when he goes there?

Speaker 2 (08:58):
That's a tough fucking I mean, can I ask you
a question? Can I ask you a question to like
answer that? What do you think Mason Rudolph's ceiling is
like for this with this?

Speaker 1 (09:13):
No, No, I'm compared. I'm comparing this to last year
with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Speaker 4 (09:18):
No, no, A little bit.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
No, No, I think personally, personally this is I think
I don't know what I said on here. I think
Justin Fields, even if they matched, I think they were
ten million short of the Jets. I think if they
offered him the exact same deal, I think he would
have told the Steelers go kick fucking rocks.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
He was very upset.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
I think he composed himself and handled it like a professional,
but you know he he was gonna remember when it.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
Was coming time to sign.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
He's like, y'all chose, y'all lived with your decision of
Russell Wilson. And I think Russell Wilson even this this
I wanted justin Fields, That's what I wanted. I didn't
get that.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
If you were to tell the other like Rogers versus
Russell Wilson, I'll just do Rogers. I'd just rather do It's.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Just it's more, it's just like it's just so like
you're getting bullied either way. You're getting bullied because one
guy is a cornball. The other guy is literally trying
to figure out how to put tinfoil on his head
every day a different style.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
So it's like it's you know, you're damned if you do,
dam if you don't.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
But him and Arthur Smith very clearly had a big,
big difference.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
So no to your question of like if it's better
than last year, No, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (10:37):
I mean, at this point I would like to see.
I figured he's skipping OTAs like he skipped OT's last
year for the Jets and went to fucking Egypt because
that's what Aaron Rodgers fucking does for whatever reason. And
I don't think he was ever gonna sign with the
team no matter what, until after that, because he doesn't
want to go do that. He wants to go have fun.

(10:57):
He's a he's a veteran, he's played so long, he's like,
I don't need to do OTAs, which is probably lazy
if you're going to a new team.

Speaker 4 (11:05):
Or just you know, an old man.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, I mean, like I think the thing is, like
I there, they were very big moment.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
There were moments last year.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
I think we can all say he still had showed
flashes like he can throw a crazy ball and you're like,
how the fuck did he even put that in a
spot where guy can catch that? But he can't move
like he used to. So it's like if we're talking
about like Mason Rudolf first him, Like Mason Rudoff is
just younger, I mean, and like he ain't throwing it
like Aaron Rodgers probably, but like he's at least younger,

(11:35):
and I know that he isn't about to rupture his
achilles probably again God willing, But I honestly personally rather
just see, like will Howard just see say fuck it,
let's see what he's got. Maybe we got one. Maybe
it's like you stole one in the lake and you're like.

Speaker 6 (11:50):
Well, I think if your options are Rudolph Rogers and Howard.
Having Howard, there is a great safety cushion for the future.
But I also a more just come along the lines
of how can amandage ego driven is known to have
coaches quote unquote fired and has the and has the

(12:10):
temperament of a five year old. How is he gonna
mesh with the locker room that was able to contain where.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
I'm like, I think Mike Tomlin has decided he wants
to put this on hard mode, like he really wants
to test like it. Can I do this whole go
about five hundred ship like? I mean, that's what I'm saying.
I think it's like he's like five like, this is
my final boss? Can I navigate this? And I don't.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
I don't know. I think Aaron Rodgers will be a Steeler.
I think it's just a matter of time until a question.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Here's a question for you.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Then here's my thing, real fast to elaborate before David,
you get to your point. Where else does Aaron Rodgers go?
There's not another place, There's not another place. He said it.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
He's like the funniest is like he's just that kid
asking the Saints good like good question and he was
like yeah, no, absolutely not like the Steelers question.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
He was very vague, very trying to be mysterious and
then the Saints. Hem was like, yeah, no, absolutely not.

Speaker 2 (13:19):
I might go to New Orleans. You crazy, They're terrible.
Yeah No, he just he just retires. I mean he's
got enough. Yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna lie. Like
as much as like people like don't like Aaron Rodgers,
like off the field and all that stuff, he does
have a lot of people, like in the locker rooms

(13:40):
that that he's been in and they go to bat
for him, you know, for whatever reason. So like in
the locker room, I mean, I'm sure he would gel
with guys. I mean, he's been played football as long
as he has and like people like still go to
bat for him for whatever reason, and they're you know,
they're there.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
They must there must be something to that, you know.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
But you know, if he wanted to retire, I guarantee
Spotify or whoever wants to just hear his crazy shit,
they'd pay him to do a podcast or some ship
just to hear what he would say.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
They'd be like, what are you gonna say?

Speaker 2 (14:12):
He's like the frog the frog, they're turning the frogs
gay or whatever like that shit, And you'd be like,
what the.

Speaker 3 (14:18):
Fuck are you talking?

Speaker 2 (14:19):
About dude, what you you played football and you like
you you don't know anything. It's you know, battling the
media circus will be the hardest part about having him
on the team.

Speaker 3 (14:31):
But yeah, I don't know, I don't know what you do.

Speaker 4 (14:34):
What are you gonna say, David, I don't want to
feedback on what you just said.

Speaker 6 (14:39):
I think battling in media circus is kind of one
thing that Pittsburgh has not done to my knowledge, since
a previous quarterbacks incident. And so it's to me it's
a matter of I think that this is a great
place for him to quite to quietly fall into retirement
if he should choose to. I don't I don't really

(15:01):
know how. Like I said, I don't understand how it's
even measured. My question earlier was going to be, is
if the Steelers go under five hundred this year, who
do you blame? Do you blame Rogers or do you
blame Tomlin?

Speaker 4 (15:14):
Because keep in mind Tom Layne had worse teams.

Speaker 3 (15:17):
If Rogers. If you're saying if.

Speaker 4 (15:19):
Rogers the starting quarterback, yeah, I would.

Speaker 3 (15:23):
I would probably put it on both.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
I would say, like if if Mike Toman brings him
into the team, Mike Tomlin made that decision, like Mike
tom and Omark.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
That's what I'm saying. I would think.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
Omar Con, I don't know, Yeah, I would assume. I
wouldn't like I think omar Con is definitely the guy
that is calling the roster decisions, and Mike Tomlin is
probably hand in hand right there with him. But I
I mean, you'd have to, like, if you let him
in the building and you want, if you are actively

(15:57):
seeking him to be your quarterback, you have to take
like some responsibility there of deciding that where you could
rock with Mason Rudolph, you could rock with Will Howard,
Like I would.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
I really do think like this year is like, let's.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
See what we can do the best we got, put
it out there, let's try every week. Next year is
a quarterback you know, draft, a big one, and they
have twelve draft picks, and they have three third round picks.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
That they could use to do whatever.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
The fuck you want with you literally just swap first
round picks, give up two of those thirds, and you
get you move up into the top ten, probably maybe more,
I don't know, depending on what. Probably depending on how
Arch Manning and those guys do because if arch Manning
wins a national championship, that would be the most coveted
first round pick since.

Speaker 3 (16:44):
His uncle's probably got there, probably or I don't know,
Joe Burrow is pretty big one. I don't know. Probably
you can probably argue that, but I don't.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
I think they're looking at next year, and I think
Mike Tomlin is locked until see who the next guy is.

Speaker 1 (17:02):
You think I have a feeling that Tomlin like, if
this doesn't work, this could get this could be what
finally forces the and I don't want to say forces,
but makes the ronis think that it's time to change
Tomlin because you're trying the trust. Steeler track record here
of late has been get into the playoffs and be
like be a mediocre team, do just enough to get

(17:24):
into the playoffs, and then royally disappoint here of late
when they get into the playoffs. And a lot of
that is not Mike Tomlin's fault, but I sort of
like it's sort of that analogy of like you see
in other sports, is like, Okay, what what change you
have to make? Yeah, to get over that hume, because

(17:46):
right now that's the home for the Steelers, just like
for the Ravens. It's getting to the super Bowl. They
can't get to the super Bowl, the championship game, the
division games, that's their their kryptonite. Yeah, I just wonder
with Pittsburgh if this backfires, which this has a lot
of recipe for it not going well for Pittsburgh this year.

Speaker 2 (18:10):
Dude, this has it like every year this has They
somehow go like six and three and you're like, how
did they get to six and three?

Speaker 3 (18:17):
And then they just rifle off like four and seven.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
Down the stretch and you're like, what the fuck are
you guys doing?

Speaker 3 (18:24):
Like, what are you doing?

Speaker 1 (18:25):
I did?

Speaker 2 (18:26):
I to your point of I actually think the problem
is more of the roonies, Like I don't think I
think the ruonies are becoming comfortable about doing the same
thing over and over. And I don't think like like
his a.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
Year to go back and look at like the Chief
his and then you look.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
At art like there was a like really a standard,
and I think like not saying that, you know, Mike
Tomlin has done a bad job.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
Obviously, he he'lled be a Hall of Fame coach one day.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
There's no question. People can't say good enough things. And
I go back and forth on it because I'm like,
I fucking I see why guys would want to play
for you, Like you are the epitome of a players coach,
Like people want to fucking play football for you. But
it's like, at some point you gotta help us win
big games. You gotta do something, and you.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
Look at it. It's like you look at and it's
gonna kill me.

Speaker 2 (19:16):
Say you look at you know, Andy Reid, and then
you look at.

Speaker 3 (19:21):
Why can I not think of the Eagles coach right now?

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Nick Jesus, Uh, you look at him like I don't
like him, but that guy wins fucking football games.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
Why do they win football games because they know like
x's and knows better than everybody. I'm not saying Mike
Tolman doesn't, but that is something that he lacks of.
Like he isn't developing coordinators to go to the next place.
He isn't bringing in guys that are like, yo, go
get this Steelers OC. That's not fucking happening. Like they
want guys to stay there forever, like they want Dick Globos.

(19:53):
They want guys that are gonna be the DC's forever,
like you like I like Mike Munchuck used to be
the oline coach forever. Like look at the Eagles O
line coach. That guy is there forever and he ain't leaving.
They won't let that guy leave because he builds good things,
like that's what we want to get back to.

Speaker 3 (20:10):
But like he doesn't. I don't know, I don't know what.

Speaker 6 (20:12):
It is to your point, you mean you, I mean
in my mind you Frank bounce back and forth to
correct me if I'm wrong, But I mean with the
Eagles we had it's like a revolving door with coordinators.
But it always seems to be a common thread of
recently with recent coaches, it's a matter of how can
you make me better?

Speaker 4 (20:32):
Not how can I develop you?

Speaker 6 (20:34):
And so with you guys, I mean, I think Tomlin's
at the point to where he's not gonna.

Speaker 4 (20:39):
I think he needs either he made.

Speaker 6 (20:41):
To self evaluate as far as is there a coach
out there that can that can develop me?

Speaker 4 (20:46):
Or am I developing these coaches?

Speaker 6 (20:49):
Because I think that's kind of what we'll get you
guys over the Hume even and I'm just you brought
it to brought in Kellen Moore. Kellen Moore ran offense
ten times better than did and we saw a proops
of that and we even he brought did an experienced
DC to run the defense almost well, I'm not gonna
brag defense effectively, and so would that be With that

(21:12):
being said, I think it comes down to the steely
or I don't think there are at a point where
anyone could really teach Mike Tomlin anything that's available.

Speaker 4 (21:21):
I think you may have to coach somebody, but I
don't think that that's something that your team is going
to do. Because if you would have you, if you
could have, you would have buy that.

Speaker 2 (21:31):
No exactly, Arthur Smith was the first outside coordinator higher
in ten years. That's insane to think about, right, Like
think about you just said, like the revolving door of
like your coordinators, right like Shane Steichen and all those guys,
Like it's it's it.

Speaker 3 (21:49):
I think it.

Speaker 2 (21:50):
It does go to a point like obviously like he
like Sianni, knows that the guys that he wants to
bring in the building, but like he has a list
of those guys like Tolman doesn't have that.

Speaker 3 (22:01):
He's like, all right, well we can move this guy
to here.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
And because he did pretty good last year with us,
and it's like go like they and you know they
probably Arthur strengthen obviously, and like he probably plays a
complimentary of like what they want to play of, like,
you know, run the ball, do very well at running
the ball first and then we'll throw a second And
we were not in a position right now with our

(22:26):
O line with the running backs that we have. Hopefully
Cale Johnson pans out to be amazing. But you know,
I mean, it takes time to do that stuff. It
takes like you need guys to be like your line, Like, god,
how many years have they played together now collectively?

Speaker 3 (22:42):
I mean at least I know, Like I mean.

Speaker 4 (22:44):
Before this one, it was at least four or five years.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
At least Landed, Like even Landon, like he might not
have started every game, he was on the bench exactly like,
but he was in the building like they had a
guy they knew, they knew who he was gonna replay,
like they knew exactly where they're gonna plug his guys.

Speaker 6 (22:59):
So then again, if you're Mike Tom when you're looking
at yourself like I've won a super Bowl, I have
never had a losing season. I have all these talents,
and how can you then look at that internally and
be like, oh, well, I'm theshe like that. That's kind
of where I'm on. I kind of see where he's going.

(23:19):
But and like I said, he needs to be able
to self evaluate it.

Speaker 4 (23:23):
So what's wrong? But if I have a super Bowl on.

Speaker 6 (23:27):
My resume, if I have constant Playoff appearances on my resume, it's.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
Going to be a hard conversation. Yeah, you couldn't tell
me be working overtime.

Speaker 3 (23:35):
Yeah, you couldn't tell me ship. I'd be like yeah, right,
Like yeah, you want to build Cowards team? Like yeah,
well where was Bill Coward in the fucking booth? I
was on the field, dude, And.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
I like that's where That's where I like flipped up
on this, and it's like it's annoying. I hate doing
it because like I got the old timers, they're like, oh,
you want with Cowards team and all that. I'm like, well,
if I look at that roster, James Harrison didn't play
for fucking Bill car He wasn't a starter for Bill Kauer,
like you know what I mean, Like he put in
there and there were other guys that he drafted and
they got better, Like maybe you know all these things

(24:10):
like it's just like I go back and forth on
it because I do he is successful, and you can't
say he's not because of how often guys like I
would love to know what the average tenure of an
NFL coaches like, it's probably what maybe three years. I mean,
it's probably gone down year over year, you know, like

(24:30):
especially with like the draw Maos of the world that
just get one, one and done, which is crazy still
to like do that. It's such like a waste of
time and money and like investment into like that.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Season, and you're like, what the fuck, what is it?
You got an answer?

Speaker 4 (24:45):
The average tenure of an NFL coach is roughly three
point eight years.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
That's pretty good. Guess it's pretty good.

Speaker 2 (24:50):
Guess three years you started to get salted and go,
where the fuck is the results. But Mike Tomland, like
I said, like he does enough to keep people around.
And I don't hate the guy or anything. It's like
I want him to fuck I want him to do
well so I can talk shit to my dad and
all those fucking old guys like yeah, look what the
fuck he did?

Speaker 3 (25:09):
Uh uh, what are you gonna say now?

Speaker 2 (25:12):
So I want that. But it's just like we're so
far from him, Like we're like, how could you tell
me right now? How does this team win a Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (25:22):
One?

Speaker 6 (25:22):
You get an established quarterback who can do something, You
establish a running game that opens up George Pickens before
he left. Uh, your defense is usually pretty middle of
the pack. So I would solidify any type of run
game concern in the fact that your conference is mostly
a running conference.

Speaker 2 (25:40):
Well definitely withou dead ass have to break the rock
of the sack record almost again to probably like put us.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
There, that's probably and that's a lot to do. It's
a lot to ask the fucking guy.

Speaker 4 (25:51):
But I mean, but it's also a matter of like, yeah,
he is on the line, your linebackers could do a
little bit better. I wouldn't worry much about the secondary because.

Speaker 6 (26:00):
Not like many teams in year old conference, they're gonna
launch over the over the top.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
Yeah did you see play last year?

Speaker 4 (26:06):
Yeah? I did.

Speaker 3 (26:07):
That guy loved to throw the ball for a guy
who can't throw the ball, And.

Speaker 6 (26:12):
All you need, I mean you also have Joe Burrow,
so yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (26:18):
Yeah, yeah that you look. You lost me, David when
you made the comments.

Speaker 2 (26:23):
Used to be that it used to be about that
it's so far from that.

Speaker 3 (26:27):
It's like us, I.

Speaker 1 (26:28):
Do want to I do want to pivot because we've
spent a lot of time here talking about Pittsburgh. I
want to get to college football because there are a
lot of rumblings now college Football Playoff has already changed
the seedings. It's going to the straight seedings as opposed
to the automatic bids how it was last year, which
essentially gave Arizona State a four seed and all that

(26:50):
stuff and a big deal for college football as a whole.
The other thing we're seeing is it seems like the
SEC and the Big Ten are starting to not are
starting to get a little antsy with the NCAA. Greg Sankee,
the SEC Commissioner, made some comments recently that in part said,

(27:13):
I have people asking me why we're even still a
part of this that are in the room. So we've
talked about this for a while. We've talked about this
with our numerous great guests that we've had on but
it feels like the breaking point of the NCAA and
college football is closer than we've ever had. So my

(27:34):
my question to you guys is how like this is
this repairable between these or do we think this is
we're gonna split off and we're gonna make our own
football powerhouse conferences.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
How you can come back from it?

Speaker 6 (27:52):
I think once you throw on you, I think that
the real tipping point will be when Notre Dame joins
the contest.

Speaker 4 (28:00):
I think that will be the actual end of the
end of NAVER conferences.

Speaker 6 (28:05):
I think you haven't two years before they're like, okay,
we're gonna break off because it's all about money. Like
and when they when they just come out right and say, oh, well,
we can make more money doing and nothing else, not
any of the other craft that they try and and
you know, put the little parsley on to make it
look better, like no, you're doing it for money. Once

(28:26):
you all outright say that, then we can all just
move along with this. They did all this for you guys,
so yeah, might as well just do it.

Speaker 4 (28:34):
Get over there.

Speaker 2 (28:35):
I mean, they made twenty thirty million dollars last year
in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
That they don't have to share with anybody.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
We're like Ohio State had to split that with their conference,
Like you had to like literally give Michigan like all right,
here's your fucking check. And you're like, what the fuck yeah.
I mean I think they had I don't know effect
me if I'm wrong, Dave. I think they met with
in Nashville a month or two ago, all the commissioners
and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
I mean, they're plotting it like whoever knows it.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
They they have the plan they're gonna do in the
n C double A with like the rev share now
with schools to athletes getting approved of all that. Actually
I don't know that did that end up going through?
I know a judge was holding it up. I don't
know if that actually went. But regardless, it'll happen. Like
they they they're they're meeting, they're sending their lackeys out

(29:28):
the ESPN, NBC to CBS. I'm like, if this were
to happen, how much money would you all give us
to like just run the SEC you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (29:40):
Like how much would you do it?

Speaker 2 (29:41):
Like they're gonna shop this around and you know, Like
then to your point, Dave was like, do you or
I guess you'd say this, but like you're leading to it.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
Do you even have conferences anymore?

Speaker 4 (29:54):
Like?

Speaker 1 (29:54):
See, that's the thing. I think that the first thing
that needs to happen. And I don't know if it
will because you lose that brand, but you get rid
of the conferences.

Speaker 3 (30:05):
Oh so sad, big ten sec.

Speaker 1 (30:09):
If they want this to happen, they have to dissolve themselves. Yeah,
and make this a free for all. You make this
a free for all. The NCAA has nothing. I mean,
the NCAA doesn't have a lot now because the reality
is these conferences are so powerful. These conferences alone are
selling their media rights. You are one step away from

(30:33):
them saying, you know what, We're gonna just go do
this on our own. You have no say. We've talked
about this for years, ever since this really started to
get out of hand with the conference shifting and the
relocating and all that stuff. This is what the inevitability
for college football has looked like. And for the first time,

(30:55):
we're on the doorstep because the NCAAA has tried desperately.
They've even tried to get cut i'nger involved in some
way somehow Can we regain control over this? Any answer
is no. The genie's out of the bottle and you're
not putting it back in the bottle. So I really
think in the next two years I'll go out on

(31:15):
them I think in the next two years, college football
has its own branch that is solely run by commissioners
of the conference, and there's nothing else the Big Ten,
the SEC. You can put the ACC in the Big twelve.
All the power schools are going because that's where this
is heading. And then if they're smart, and this is

(31:37):
the big thing, if those commissioners are smart, you create
this four league powerhouse and everybody plays everybody Like. Get
I've said it before, but then all of a sudden,
those are the most marketable games you can put on Saturdays.

Speaker 2 (31:57):
Yeah, but I do think that like the only thing
that I think will hold it up. Or the questions
you have to navigate basketball easy?

Speaker 3 (32:07):
Football easy?

Speaker 2 (32:09):
What do you how do you navigate the track and
field the lacrossees?

Speaker 1 (32:15):
No, I'm talking solely football because.

Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yet I get you're saying that, But I'm just saying,
is how would you me and you go to the same school.
All three of us go to the same school. David's track,
you do wrestling, and I do football. Like we're all
going to Alabama and you're you're in the n Cuba
And I'm not like that would be weird.

Speaker 6 (32:38):
Like I don't know how I think there's still a
level of I mean, because like the you can run
it like a club sport or you could also I mean,
I'm not sure is hot is hockey n A right, yeah,
because I know I know the level of it where
it's not n c A.

Speaker 4 (32:58):
I don't know if that's the team.

Speaker 3 (33:00):
Yeah, it goes D. It really gets.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
It goes like hockey is weird because it really goes
like D one and then like kind of like juniors
and then like D three. Like there's not really like
a D two of hockey like there are, there's not
a lot. It's like it like kind of like that's
how you get like the fucking the twenty four year.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
Olds at a freshman in college playing hockey, Like how
the fuck are you here?

Speaker 2 (33:24):
You mean like the s Yeah exactly, but like that's
how it works, Like you're like I played juniors or
I went and played for this fucking weird league or whatever,
you know.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
I mean, that's how it works. Hockey's hockey is a
weird one. But hockey that's another big one.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
Like the Frozen four is a huge thing, especially like
up in the Midwest, like those people that that shit sells.

Speaker 3 (33:47):
I'm sure for ESPN, maybe.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
Not like obviously, like it ain't moving like the needle
of like hundreds of millions of dollars, but it's important
and it makes money. So I don't know, I just
I think it'd be weird if you have an n
C double a still, but then you have like a
football league and.

Speaker 6 (34:03):
You're like, I mean, I put it like this, like this,
there are schools that have, uh that don't sponsor, that
don't sponsor football, but have a football team when we
play George Mason. George Mason's football team wasn't a part
of the end. It was a whole, separate thing. And
so you you think what that comes is you have
to look at it in the lens of yes, you
have to operate as if you're a club sport. Or honestly,

(34:26):
football could be just a club sport because.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
I know there's a whole or I know that I
know that they.

Speaker 6 (34:31):
Have a whole league with themselves, and so you guys
will be your own organization, your own league, just like
all the other club sports, and you go from there.
But I think what the real question is is what
do you do with the other programs that aren't the
other football programs that aren't within you guys.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
Yeah, I don't know, Like what do you do if
you're a FCS school, or what do you do if
you're a temple level?

Speaker 6 (34:58):
At the temple level is pretty good because gether up there,
but they're also they're horrible. Yeah, like what do you
do with those other schools that have football? Because you
can't just throw like a Stevenson in there with you
you get you get wax?

Speaker 3 (35:13):
You gross.

Speaker 6 (35:14):
I paid nothing.

Speaker 2 (35:16):
I'd pay to watch it, I'd laugh at it. I'd
buy for spiteful reasons. A lot of people probably would
for spiteful reasons. May save me see yeah exactly, But.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
Uh yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (35:30):
I think that's just the trickier part is like what
happens to the the average tood athlete that isn't gonna
you know, the fucking what was the Enterprise commercial like
I'm going pro and something else like those kids like
and then what.

Speaker 3 (35:44):
Happens to scholarships, Like there's a lot of.

Speaker 2 (35:46):
Gray area that you'd have to figure out, and then
are these kids going to fucking class anymore?

Speaker 4 (35:52):
Like or are they?

Speaker 3 (35:53):
I mean, does it just become like a farm league
into the NFL? Like I own this fucking team now
and not. You know, I don't know who knows.

Speaker 6 (36:02):
You could treat it could be like an academy like
they have over the Yeah, Alabama is like a feeder into.

Speaker 3 (36:10):
Yeah. I mean that's where we're talking about.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
You want to talk about money and shit, That shit'll
fucking oh god, that'll make your money. But that would also,
I mean, that would just turn into like baseball shit.
So I would pass on that idea. But I don't
know what's gonna happen. I was gonna ask, Dave, did
you see did you guys hear the thing about they
were rumoring about Texas with how much they spent on

(36:35):
their team this year? No, no, you guys want to
take a guess some it's rumored and Sarkisan said it
was a lie. But I don't know if you want
to guess on what he said the reports of the
Texas roster. Didn't want to take a guess what the
roster is?

Speaker 1 (36:53):
Twenty million?

Speaker 2 (36:55):
Wrong?

Speaker 4 (36:56):
David more or less?

Speaker 1 (36:57):
More?

Speaker 3 (36:58):
Oh, what'd you say?

Speaker 4 (37:02):
Seventy six mili oh lower?

Speaker 2 (37:04):
That was that's crazy, Jo't But that wasn't like you're
you're somehow getting in the ballpark was fifty five forty
million dollars is what was rumored for this college football team.
He quote said, it was a little bit of an
irresponsible reporting. I wish I had forty million dollars on
a roster. We'd probably be the better team if we were.

(37:26):
I wish I had another fifteen million though. So basically
he's saying I spent twenty five million dollars on this team.
It's really like what he's saying, what that's insane to
think about because I think the report was Ohio State
had the twenty million dollar roster, and I think they
lost money revenue wise technically, and I don't know how
the fuck you do that when you win a national title.

Speaker 3 (37:47):
But I mean, I guess my question really is you guys,
is like, what how much you thing you need to
pay for a roster to buy a championship?

Speaker 2 (38:00):
I mean, a high state really kind of did it.
They kind of did it, I guess you could say.
I mean, they were obviously very good, but they did
spend allegedly the most money.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
Where it feels like the answer is like forty to
fifty million. I feel like that's the only plausible answer
if you're going to compete.

Speaker 4 (38:26):
I think it also depends on the school brand, like
the school name too. Yeah, So like I feel you
would charge.

Speaker 7 (38:33):
More for someone from uh, someone from I'm trying to
think of it, from a TCUs compared to Ohio.

Speaker 6 (38:43):
You'll take a less fake for Ohio state to the TCU.
So yeah, that's why I'm like, I think the name,
the name that you're signing to here or you're getting
paid from paid takes a little bit into account.

Speaker 8 (38:56):
But I'll go probably fifty sixty yeah, I mean, yeah,
I mean I go back and forth on it because
I think the real test kind of what you said
is like whenever like a Texas Tech or somebody like.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
That wins a title or something, and like whatever they spent,
like I would love to know, you know what I mean,
Like specifically them they got a billionaire now that's back
in them that sort of oil company, Like how much
money he about it?

Speaker 4 (39:26):
How like?

Speaker 2 (39:27):
And plus Mahomes probably given like a mill year or
something crazy. His name's on the fucking jerseys now. So
it's like, I just I just wonder how far this
can go where I mean, salary caps have to be
around the corner is really what I'm getting at like
you gotta like event like, eventually caps are going to
be put on these guys, because like they're gonna be

(39:49):
teams like those TCUs and stuff like be like, all right, look,
we're not fucking slap dicks over here.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
But we can't come up with that. We don't we
supply Yeah. Yeah, McConaughey's like, you know, Interstellar, that money
only goes so far. Brother, You know, I love it.
I'm out here, I'm here every game. I fucking love
this team.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
But I can't keep writing these checks and not paying out,
you know, and you're not getting like you know, it's
only you're getting, you know, you're donating, you're not getting
you know that that that investment back.

Speaker 3 (40:23):
You ain't getting double what you paid.

Speaker 4 (40:25):
You know.

Speaker 2 (40:25):
It ain't until you know, obviously, until like you become
an owner of a fucking something McConaughey, owner of Texas
University out Austin.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
That would be fucking awesome.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
That just he'd just be walking around his cowboy at
in his leather jacket from the nineties or eighties all day.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (40:47):
Let's wrap up this podcast. We're gonna dive into the
NBA Playoffs. We'll talk about NHL next week, but a
couple of quick things out of this one Oklahoma City
and Minnesota. It feels like either team wants to blow
each other out except for the previous game that the
thunder win one is Oklahoma City and your guys's mind,

(41:07):
are the four teams left your favorite.

Speaker 4 (41:11):
To win it? To win it?

Speaker 3 (41:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (41:16):
I think that comes out the East is more inclined
to win it. And when I say the East, I
really mean, and it's gonna pay me to say this.

Speaker 6 (41:25):
I think the Knicks, even though yes they're down, when
everyone is actually playing even the most average game they
can should usually blow out the Pacers. What having Game
one I Tuesday cannot ever cannot explain. But I don't
think that that was the accurate showing of who that
team really is. I think the last couple of games

(41:47):
that have been more close, have been more competitive and
have been honestly fair or who the Knicks really are.
And yet they may have a couple breaks here and there,
But we're about to see tonight because as we record
them Tuesday, Uh, if the if, the next, if the
next is truly the better team, you're on the road
it's the muscling game, because let's be real, they they

(42:09):
go down for.

Speaker 4 (42:09):
You one they're not. But I know that context what
I just said.

Speaker 6 (42:14):
But this Nick team is in my opinion, better suited
in jail more than the Okay see. But I also
just don't like Shay either. I think he's a foul I.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
Think aunty, foul anty foul baits if you take that away.

Speaker 6 (42:32):
I don't know if Okay he can really accute, really
can't keepe as many teams.

Speaker 2 (42:38):
I agree, I honestly I could you could sell me
on the Pacers or I just kind of what David said, Like,
I obviously I didn't watch a ton of NBA this year.

Speaker 3 (42:47):
I never really knew.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
I've obviously heard the foul merchant uh slander, and honestly
it's not slander, it's factual.

Speaker 3 (42:55):
It's crazy how he gets all call like every like
and I'd be like I was the ref. I'm like, really,
like you really gave that to him?

Speaker 2 (43:06):
Like did you watch in Indiana the night they almost
killed each other and they ain't call shit?

Speaker 4 (43:12):
And I would.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
I just it doesn't make sense to me of like, ah,
he's able to get so many fucking calls I get it.
Like being like the MVP, you're obviously a very popular player.
You're gonna get more calls because more eyes are on you,
more criticism if you don't make a call. But at
some point, these guys play fucking basketball man.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
Like fucking me.

Speaker 4 (43:36):
But that's the thing with foul hunting.

Speaker 6 (43:37):
And trust me, I'm I'm a Joelle and B fan
because he played with I know all too well about
it where it's like sometimes it does look tgregious and
if you don't see that quick him pulling up his
arm and hitting himself in.

Speaker 4 (43:51):
The face with it at Jaylen Brumson does.

Speaker 6 (43:54):
Or you see him, you know, just flop like and
then Lincoln and I get that may look like a foul.
You can't really review fouls like that all the time.

Speaker 4 (44:02):
You're not going to review every time he got flops
because you're not gonna win half of them.

Speaker 6 (44:07):
And so and also it hurts even when there is
actual contact. Yeah, he may sell it, but yeah, you
can't deny this contact and you can't deny contact, you
can't deny the foul as yeah, flopping as this man
does look. We used to get on Lebron for it
all the time.

Speaker 4 (44:22):
But it comes in evil. There came an evolution of
it from.

Speaker 6 (44:25):
James Harden to be to now shy, and you know,
I think the guy can't hoop without looking for fouls.
But ever since the night where he had thirty six,
now the thirty six eighteen came from the foul and
I'm like, yeah, I really can't gel with that. As
far as you are who they're trying to finue out.

Speaker 3 (44:46):
To be, yeah, I would have.

Speaker 2 (44:49):
I'll tell you, Like, the one thing this is like
just being being like a like I don't like to
see it when they found they were up three.

Speaker 3 (44:56):
I hate that despise that.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
I wish that could be a technical also now because
I think, like blame, I get it.

Speaker 3 (45:03):
I'm not gonna say it's wrong because like it's the
right move, Like that's what you do, that's what the
book says to do.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
I was just really hoping somehow it fucking backfired and
like that ball just bounced right back to Anthony Edwards
and he just fucking yammed it and.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
He'd be like, what are you gonna do? You fouled me.
You literally gave me it.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
You gave me it, you know, But I don't know
it's just like, uh, I really just don't want them
on the fucking NBA title because of all that shit.

Speaker 1 (45:32):
I don't know what I know, but like I watch
the Knicks and the Pacers, and then I watched the
Thunder and team like team construction wise, the Thunder are
the deepest and there and really most talented team of
the four that are left. I mean Minnesota. I think

(45:57):
Minnesota has had a great run, but I think they'd
be out. I was gonna say they were carried by
Anthony Edwards in the first couple of rounds and he
just he just can't will this team to wins because
Oklahoma City is so deep and they're so talented. I
think if you're looking at the ease, I know you

(46:18):
said the Knicks, David, I the Knicks have made a
great run. I think it's Indianda that gives the Thunder
the best chance at someone beating them. I just think
that the Knicks have the stars. I don't love their
bench options when they when they have to.

Speaker 4 (46:36):
But to that same point, I mean, I'm sure.

Speaker 6 (46:39):
Is the Pats they they if they start off bad,
I don't see them being able to overcome that.

Speaker 4 (46:47):
That home with the Thunder. I see, I see New York.
They have a bad game here.

Speaker 6 (46:54):
And there, but when they're on, they're on, and that's
gonna be an entertaining back and forth. I think both
those teams are built well.

Speaker 4 (47:01):
For each other.

Speaker 6 (47:02):
But I don't see there being a day where the
Pacers have a bad start they're going to be able
to come back and win a series. And that's essentially
really I've already repeat this. I'm not gonna repeat myself,
but yeah, no, I get what you're saying, Dave, I
just don't see that.

Speaker 1 (47:21):
Well you talk about you talk about that, and I
think about the like the pressure on the four teams left,
and that's that's the storylines. Because I'll ask this question
Peyton to you about the NHL playoffs here in a
moment to wrap up this pod. But of the four teams,
it feels like in the NBA, it's such a slam

(47:41):
dunk that the Knicks are the team that have the
most pressure on them because they're this big market team
that's got the superstars. Like, I see your reaction, but
I think the case is so easy to make and
it's such a slam dunk to say that it's the
knicks that have the most pressure on them. But who Okay,

(48:02):
so who do you think it is? Because I think
it's I think no, no, I.

Speaker 4 (48:06):
Think you are correct and saying that they have a
lot of pressure. But I think as far as developing small,
I think okay, see makes the biggest statement and that
makes them have the most pressure. They're a small market
who's built their team through a draft and has gotten here,
and they've gotten so close how many at least two
years the last two years, So I think this is

(48:27):
more of a This is more pressure on them to
be like, we make it to the finals and we
don't win. It is a huge and.

Speaker 6 (48:35):
Maybe bust may be a hard, hard, hard word to
use here, but you guys, look at the options they
have with the young talent they have. They're all on
either their rookie contract, if not right off of a
rookie contract. They're all yelling really well, but they can't
get over the tump of of a of a of
a championship. You're going to have to ask themself a

(48:56):
lot of questions. Some people also may want to go
to bigger markets now that they have a more marketable
name and they have a bigger draw and they know
their drawing. So I think for Okay See, this is
more of a statement of we are here and we
had the opportunity of a lifetime. New York is only
going to have the drawing the drawing. The Knicks are
aways gonna have the drawing power of their play in

(49:16):
the mecca. This is this is the this is you know,
this is the landing spot that all the stars want
to go to watch a game like. There is so
much more pressure in the small market with the built
from scratch than a team that can buy their whole
roster with just the name of the city alone.

Speaker 4 (49:37):
That's that's how I look at it. I'm not saying
you're wrong, because I would.

Speaker 6 (49:40):
With you in most situations, but with Okay See being
in this, in the spot that they were at where
they're one of the few teams that built from scratch,
I think they have the most pressure on them.

Speaker 1 (49:52):
We'll get out of here on this because we mentioned
all about the Stanley Cup playoffs here a little bit,
and I love the pre that's your question because it's
always a fascinating one to me. Peyton and David, if
you want to chime in on the four teams that
are left feel free too, but I'll start with bad.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
Can you can you name the four teams that are left?
That's a great question.

Speaker 4 (50:15):
Oh and I just had to have up of ESPN
and I completely ignored it. Yeah, all right, let's go
something about the Jets.

Speaker 1 (50:29):
They weren't in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (50:31):
They were, they were.

Speaker 4 (50:35):
The Kings aren't there this year, but I'm assuming Dallas.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
Is that's that's one of them.

Speaker 1 (50:40):
Okay, all right, there you go.

Speaker 4 (50:45):
All right, did I already gets Winnipeg?

Speaker 1 (50:48):
Did Jets? Yes?

Speaker 4 (50:49):
As they are in they were?

Speaker 1 (50:51):
No, no, no, no. We were just saying you did You.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
Said the Jets, and I said, Winnipeg is Winnipeg.

Speaker 1 (50:57):
This feels like the inside the NBA game show where
they asked, like Charles and Shack, what does this guy
play for?

Speaker 3 (51:05):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (51:06):
I even want.

Speaker 3 (51:06):
Charles Barkley been doing the watch parties. He's fucking hilarious
watching these.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
Okay, David, you got one of the four teams left?

Speaker 4 (51:17):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
Let's simplify this Western Conference. There is a Canadian team.

Speaker 4 (51:24):
All right, so already guess I'm I have not heard
anything about Calgary.

Speaker 1 (51:31):
Yeah, knock out.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
The Canadians are usually, but you said West.

Speaker 3 (51:36):
Yeah, that's see.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
Now that's a tough question because Canadian geography. Who gives
a ship like what's on the like? Who would really know.

Speaker 4 (51:45):
The there a team and Edmonton?

Speaker 1 (51:48):
Right, he's got two.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
There we go, There we go. Jesus God, Jesus McDavid.

Speaker 4 (51:56):
Let's go.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
Okay, let's go to coach. That was not what I
was expecting you to say. Let's go to the Eastern
when that's right? Okay, fair, fair, I'll give you a hint.
The East is two American teams.

Speaker 4 (52:15):
Oh wait, I heard the Rangers are good this year.

Speaker 1 (52:17):
Oh that's me, that's me. They're not.

Speaker 3 (52:25):
They were not. Everybody year behind.

Speaker 4 (52:29):
I guess the light the lightning are usually good.

Speaker 3 (52:33):
Usually not this year. Not good enough this year?

Speaker 1 (52:37):
Dare I say he's close?

Speaker 4 (52:38):
Though? I heard the Capital's got eliminated a while ago.

Speaker 1 (52:43):
That would be correct.

Speaker 4 (52:46):
Saint Louis, it's not a bad gas.

Speaker 1 (52:49):
But now natural, now that's a word. That's the worst guess.

Speaker 4 (52:56):
I'm just going through seats here. It ain't it ain't either.
It ain't the flyers or a thing.

Speaker 3 (53:02):
We're far from it.

Speaker 4 (53:03):
I mean. My last guess is it's gonna be uh.

Speaker 6 (53:08):
The wild No, no, no, yeah, because I was going
down the East coast here, I like the hurricane aren't
going to be in it.

Speaker 1 (53:19):
Uh, hurricanes are in it.

Speaker 4 (53:23):
Damn yeah, oh damn. Now I guess I must teeth.

Speaker 3 (53:30):
This is this is gonna be the best ten.

Speaker 2 (53:33):
They won the Stanley Cup last year, and you who
won the Stanley Cup last year?

Speaker 4 (53:42):
Mm hmmm hmm.

Speaker 3 (53:44):
It is in a town that is far from fucking ice.

Speaker 4 (53:49):
So I want to say the Florida Panthers.

Speaker 3 (53:54):
But that's my god, got it.

Speaker 1 (53:56):
We got there.

Speaker 3 (53:57):
We fucking got there. Nice, nice.

Speaker 4 (54:02):
Get Yeah, we got it.

Speaker 1 (54:04):
We got it there.

Speaker 3 (54:05):
It is all right, Peyton, Yeah, it's the Florida Panthers.
They're winning. They're winning it again. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
No, who has the most pressure?

Speaker 3 (54:14):
Oh? Pdter McDavis, God do you think so? I I
until he wins one.

Speaker 2 (54:22):
I mean it's really like I think we've talked about it,
like it's like it's it goes from like each person
who hasn't won it. Like the amount of pressure on
Alexander that's gonna win a Stanley Cup was immense, and
then when he did it, you know, it was it
was you know, they have been that great since. But
you know, it's it's just so much pressure. He is

(54:46):
one of the greatest hockey players to ever play the game,
and hockey has been played for a very, very long time.

Speaker 3 (54:54):
And to be able to say that and not have
a Stanley Cup, it's tough.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
There there are a lot of people who can say
who I haven't ran into that, but I mean, they
were so closed last year.

Speaker 3 (55:06):
It's gotta be in. It's just gotta be I mean,
not the Hurricanes. I mean they're dead.

Speaker 2 (55:11):
I could not believe they won the other night. I
couldn't believe they hadn't won. They had lost sixteen straight
Eastern Conference finals. Do you know what it's like to
lose sixteen straight Eastern Conference Finals. That's gotta be horrible.
As a fan, you have like no hope. You just
feel terrible every game, terrible on edge the whole game.

(55:32):
Anytime they get into your zone and you're like fuck,
You're like you're like wincing in pain.

Speaker 3 (55:36):
You're like, oh my god, is that gonna go in? Fuck?
Did he stop it?

Speaker 4 (55:39):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (55:39):
He stopped it.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
It's like that, and like Florida's up with Florida is
one of the for Hurricanes who were probably one of
the most annoying teams. The Panthers have some of the
most annoying shit talker players of all time on that
team that could say anything to just get under your skin.
It's gotta be like it's like having Kevin Garnett. Uh fuck,

(56:03):
I'm trying to think of every sport. It's like just
having every big shit talker that you can on the
ice at all time. That's what they all are. And
they're really good at fucking hockey, like to Chuck Marshan,
the fucking rat, all of them. So I would say, McDavid,
you don't think it's McDavid. You think what do you
think it's the Stars?

Speaker 1 (56:23):
No, I think it's actually Florida. Because Florida's taking all
They took all the chips and they slid them all
into the center. You go out and you get Mark Shan,
you go out and you get Seth Jones. You've pushed
all in that you are gonna win this Cup. That's
what that those moves that Florida made tell you. So

(56:46):
you've done what you're supposed to doing. Ease. I like
you're gonna be Carolina. No offense abouts about that. You've
gotta be Dallas and you gotta beat Edmonton. I mean,
if they can't beat Edmonton with the worst goaltending left
in the playoffs, then Florida sees it. I'll go out
on the limit, say, Florida season is a disappointment because
you have the best roster left of the four team

(57:08):
and there's not an argument no, if they don't win
at all, there's gonna be a lot of questions about, Okay,
well you went all in on this and didn't win
in a year where there wasn't a powerhouse team coming
from the West. Carolina was for their recency, a down

(57:31):
year for them. You couldn't beat any of those teams
winning up back to back Stanley Cups after you made
all the moves that you did. I think Florida's got
the most pressure because I think Edmonton knows their faults.
Edmonton knows their goaltending has not been good and it's
not good enough to win them a Stanley Cup. But
the West as a whole wasn't great this year. You

(57:52):
can make an argument that really the pressure may be
on Dallas, but I don't think this is the best
Dallas team we've seen now.

Speaker 3 (58:00):
I would I would agree with that. I think last
year is probably better, but.

Speaker 1 (58:05):
This is the this is the best Florida team. I
think this is better than the one that won the
Cup last year. Top the bottom for sure.

Speaker 2 (58:11):
I mean they think it's like you won. I mean
you look at it like there have been more back
to backs the last like ten years in hockey, like
the Lightning the Penguins now probably I would say the
Panthers just the way they're playing, I do agree with
that they went on in but like it's one of

(58:32):
those things like I don't think they're like really pressed
like about like they won it. They already did. You
did the hardest thing. You know how to do it now, right,
Like you know you see the path, you know how
to navigate it. You know how to fucking navigate gate
a Game seven in the Stanley Cup final. That's the
fucking fucking thing. You're like, Like, winning the Stanley Cup,

(58:56):
I've said, is the hardest trophy to win because it's
so brutal on your body.

Speaker 3 (59:01):
You have no fucking rest. You're getting on fucking planes flying.

Speaker 2 (59:05):
All over the fucking place, like Dallas and Edmonton, flying
from Dallas to fucking Edmonton's gotta be a pain in.

Speaker 3 (59:11):
The fucking ass to do that, and your leg is
probably heading together with tape, Like how you doing over there?

Speaker 2 (59:17):
I'm good and he's like like he's falling over, like
he's leaning like you're like you sir, You're like, yeah,
I'm good. It's just I do think though the Conor
McDavid thing is immense pressure for him to win one.

Speaker 3 (59:32):
I still don't understand how the goalie thing hasn't been fixed.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
I just I it'll I mean, but but you know what,
like Stuart Skinner was better last year like this, all
of a sudden, he just fell apart this year in
the late half of the season. All Right, we're gonna rap.
We'll talk more about this next week. We're gonna wrap
up this Opening Kickoff podcast. Great to be back, Great

(59:57):
to be talking in sports for David Miles, ain't drawn,
I am Dave Stan went old. This has been the
Opening Kickoff podcast.